Month: October 2022

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Pop Daypop

Ellie Goulding shares video “Let It Die” from upcoming album

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Ellie Goulding is revealing details of her highly anticipated fifth studio album, Higher Than Heaven, set for release on February 3, 2023. Goulding also shared the song and video for “Let It Die”, which you can view here.

Higher Than Heaven follows Goulding’s latest solo releases, “Easy Lover” and “All By Myself.” The new album will feature Greg Kurstin (Sia, Maggie Rogers, Elton John), Jessie Shatkin (Charli XCX, Years & Years), Koz (Sam Ryder, Madonna, Dua Lipa) and Andrew Wells (Halsey, Yungblud).

Goulding said the following of the new album: “There was definitely a darkness about [the past two years] that was palpable in the studio, with everyone having gone through it differently. I think for that reason, nobody wanted to sit and agonize over some relationship or some drama. So that’s how this album came together. [Higher Than Heaven is] about being passionately in love. But it’s a hyper form of love, almost like a drug-induced feeling. It feels almost artificial and there’s the potential for a crash.”

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Rihanna confirms original song ‘Lift Me Up’ to be featured in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever

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After Marvel Studios seemingly confirmed that new music from Rihanna would appear in the upcoming film Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, the artist herself tweeted Wednesday that she will release the single “Lift Me Up” from the soundtrack on Friday, Oct. 28.   Rihanna’s tweet came with a corresponding video that shows the letter ‘R’ designed like the Black Panther uniform on a black background. A short snippet of humming plays in the background, with Rihanna’s name appearing on the left side and the name of the song on the right  (Marvel’s initial tweet had showed a clip of the movie’s title that also zeroed in on a ‘R’ and the same release date).

According to Variety, “Lift Me Up” was “written as a tribute to the life and legacy of Chadwick Boseman” by Tems, Oscar winner Ludwig Göransson, Rihanna and Ryan Coogler.  Boseman, who famously played T’Challa, died of colon cancer in 2020. The sequel film is set for release on November 11th.

The first Black Panther film was released in 2018 with Kendrick Lamar serving as the executive producer of that film’s soundtrack. The first film also featured music from Schoolboy Q, 2 Chainz, The Weeknd, and Travis Scott.

“Lift Me Up” will mark Rihanna’s first solo material in nearly seven years, aside from a guest spot on PartyNextDoor’s 2020 single ‘Believe It’.  The singer last released the album ‘Anti’ in 2006, and she’ll return to the stage to headline the Super Bowl LVII Halftime Show in February 2023.

Rihanna confirms new single ‘Lift Me Up’ arriving this week

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Top Trump aide Hope Hicks interviews with January 6 select committee

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Hope Hicks, who served as a top adviser to former President Donald Trump, is interviewing with the House select committee investigating the January 6, 2021, attack on the US Capitol. Hicks previously had an “informal interview” with the committee, according to two separate sources, and was called back for a formal interview.

Hicks previously refused to answer questions about working for the president when she testified before lawmakers behind closed doors in 2019. The Jan. 6 committee declined to provide a comment or any additional details, and Hicks did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Hicks served in multiple senior roles during Trump’s presidency, and was one of his closest confidantes in his White House. She left the White House six days after the Jan. 6 insurrection, on Jan. 12, after serving as a counselor to the president. She had previously served as White House communications director as well as director of strategic communications. Prior to her stints at the White House, Hicks worked for Trump’s presidential campaign, the Trump Organization and Ivanka Trump’s fashion brand.

The committee has sought to prove throughout its investigation and public hearings that various individuals surrounding Trump did not believe the election was stolen or in the former President’s election lies and told him so.

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5.1 magnitude earthquake strikes near San Jose, California

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According to the United States Geological Survey, a 5.1 magnitude earthquake struck the San Francisco Bay Area on Tuesday at 11:42 a.m. The quake was centered 9 miles east of Seven Trees and 12 miles east of San Jose, and was quickly followed by a 3.1 magnitude aftershock. The USGS called the quake the largest to strike since the 6.0 Napa quake in 2014 which damaged hundreds of buildings.

The quake was felt as far away as Salinas, Point Reyes and Stockton, with residents posting videos to social media of the shaking. At of press time there are no reports of any damage or injury from Tuesday’s quake. Public works employees are evaluating infrastructure for any possible damage. All trains for BART, Caltrain and VTA were stopped temporarily right after the quake as a precaution. They have since resumed operations.

Seismologists are warning residents there remains the chance of aftershocks, with the U.S. Geological Survey who predicted 10 to 15 aftershocks greater than 3.0 over the next week. The California Geological Survey tweeted Tuesday: “Additional shaking from aftershocks can be expected. We are continuing to monitor this region.”

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Wayne Brady set to host the 2022 American Music Awards

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Dick Clark Productions and ABC announced on Monday that Wayne Brady is set to host the 2022 American Music Awards. Brady said in a press release: “I’m ecstatic and honored to host this year’s AMAs. As a musician and music lover, it’s amazing to be part of a night where music fans make their voices heard! It’s a big show, so I’m bringing it all… The funny, the music and the moves!”

The AMA ceremony’s executive producer and showrunner Jesse Collins said: “Wayne Brady is undoubtedly one of the most talented people on earth and we are thrilled to have him host this year’s AMAs. Viewers should expect an incredible night of music, comedy and fun!”

Bad Bunny leads the nominations for the 2022 American Music Awards with eight nods, including his first for artist of the year. Beyoncé, Drake and Taylor Swift are close behind with six nods each. That makes Bey and Swift the year’s top female nominees.

Fan voting is now open via VoteAMAs.com and Twitter in all award categories, except favorite K-pop artist, which will open on Nov. 1.  The AMAs will air from the Microsoft Theater at L.A. LIVE in Los Angeles on Sunday, Nov. 20, at 8 p.m. ET/PT on ABC and streaming the next day on Hulu.

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Taylor Swift drops her latest music video for “Bejeweled”

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Taylor Swift has released another new video from her latest album “Midnights, for the song “Bejeweled”. Midnights is Swift’s first album since Evermore, released in December 2020. Swift also released Red (Taylor’s Version), a rerecorded version of her 2012 album Red, last November.

The video for Bejewled features actress Laura Dern, sisters and rock band HAIM, burlesque performer Dita Von Teese and music producer Jack Antonoff, and is a reimagining of the Cinderella fairytale, with Swift as “House Wench Taylor,” Dern as “Stepmommy,” the HAIM sisters as “Lady Este, Alana and Danielle,” Von Teese as “Fairy Goddess” and Antonoff as Prince Jack.

Swift shared details of the “Bejeweled” video on The Tonight Show starring Jimmy Fallon ahead of the video’s release, and also teased a new tour, which would be her first in four years. Said Swift:  “I think I should do it. When it’s time, we’ll do it … I miss it. I really miss it. I miss, you know, when you write songs and you’re proud of the songs, and you have the fans reacting, the most potent way that you can see them react is when you’re looking into their faces … I really miss that connection.”

Check out the video for Bejeweled – here.

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Gunman is killed after 2 are fatally shot at St. Louis high school

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Authorities confirm that a woman and a teenage girl were killed Monday morning in a shooting inside a St. Louis high school, adding that the gunman was also killed in the shooting, and six others were taken to hospitals with injuries.  The gunman was about 20 years old and hasn’t been positively identified.

St. Louis Police Commissioner Michael Sack said at a news conference that the injuries ranged from gunshot wounds to shrapnel wounds:  “This is a heartbreaking day for all of us. It’s going to be tough. While on paper we might have nine victims … we have hundreds of others. Everyone who survived here is going to take home trauma, even the officers who responded here and the firefighters and the paramedics who worked on people here are going to experience some degree of trauma.”

The shooting just after 9 a.m. at Central Visual and Performing Arts High School forced students to barricade doors and huddle in classroom corners, jump from windows and run out of the building to seek safety. St. Louis Public Schools said on Twitter that the shooter was “quickly stopped” by police and Superintendent Kelvin Adams said seven security guards were in the school at the time, each at an entry point of the locked building. One of the guards noticed the man was trying to get in at a locked door, but couldn’t. The guard notified school officials and ensured that police were contacted.

Central Visual and Performing Arts High School is a magnet school specializing in visual art, musical art and performing art. The district website says the school’s “educational program is designed to cre­ate a nurturing environment where students receive a quality academic and artistic education that prepares them to compete successfully at the post-secondary level or perform competently in the world of work.”

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DOJ announces arrest of Chinese nationals charged with stealing confidential information

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U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland announced Monday the arrest and indictment of Chinese nationals accused of stealing confidential information and harassing Chinese victims living in the United States to return to China.

Garland said, “Over the past week, the Justice Department has taken several actions to disrupt criminal activity by individuals working on behalf of the government of the People’s Republic of China.  The defendants believed they had recruited the U.S. employee as an asset, but in fact, the individual they recruited was a double agent working on behalf of the FBI. As the complaint alleges, the defendants paid a bribe to the double agent to obtain non-public information, including files from the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Eastern District.”

Garland said that the Chinese spies had sought confidential information on witnesses, trial evidence and potential new charges to be brought against the company, “The double agent provided the defendants with documents that appeared to present some of the information they sought. In fact, the documents were prepared by the U.S. government for this investigation and did not reveal actual meetings, communications or strategies. This was an egregious attempt by PRC intelligence officers to shield a PRC-based company from accountability and to undermine the integrity of our judicial system.”

An indictment also was unsealed Monday in New Jersey charging four individuals including three Chinese intelligence officers with conspiring to act in the United States as illegal agents on behalf of a foreign government. Separately, the Justice Department charged seven people in New York for working on behalf of China “in a multi-year campaign of threats and harassment” to force a U.S. resident to return to China. Two of those defendants were arrested last Thursday.

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Elton John and Britney Spears release Joel Corry ‘Hold Me Closer’ remix video

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Elton John and Britney Spears have released the official music video for the ‘Joel Corry Remix’ of their smash hit, “Hold Me Closer.”  The video — shot in London and staring renowned English DJ and producer Joel Corry — features a group of dancers paying homage to John and Spears legendary careers. The Joel Corry Remix clip follows the release of the audio of the first official remix earlier this month, which Corry surprised fans with at his final Ushuaia and Ibiza Rocks show last week. Elton and Britney also dropped the second official remix of “Hold Me Closer” with world-renowned German producer and DJ Purple Disco Machine.  The animated video for the Hold Me Closer (Purple Disco Machine Remix) can be viewed – here.

As previously announced, three collectible, limited edition CD single formats of “Hold Me Closer” are set for release in November. Each of the three unique discs will feature different artwork, one with the original single sleeve and the remaining two with fan-voted art as the cover. Additionally, each CD will carry a different track list, all with the original “Hold Me Closer” song, with the second track varying between an extended version, the Joel Corry Remix, or the Purple Disco Machine Remix on the remaining two.

Check out the Joel Corry ‘Hold Me Closer’ remix video – here.

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5 Seconds Of Summer share their video for “Older”

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5 Seconds of Summer shared their music video for “Older,” directed by Frank and Ivanna Borin. The love ballad features vocals from lead singer Luke Hemmings’ fiancée, Sierra Deaton.

5 Seconds of Summer said of the video:  “The video for ‘Older’ poses this question and portrays humans of all walks of life on their last day on earth. The song is about not wanting to get older because that means you’re one day closer to either your own eventual demise or that of your loved ones. Usually, in life, the end comes without warning, but we wanted the video to capture what could happen if we knew exactly when the end was coming. We made the video with our long-time friends and collaborators, the brilliant Frank and Ivanna Borin… we hope you enjoy it.”

Older is taken from the band’s fifth studio album, 5SOS5. Check out the video for Older on YouTube.

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