Author: djfrosty
Page: 108
Ed Sheeran has officially pressed play on his next era, dropping new single “Azizam” Friday (April 4). On the breezy midtempo dance track, the British pop star sings, “And if love’s just a game, come and play/Azizam / Meet me on the floor tonight/ Show me how to move like the water/ In between the […]
Mötley Crüe have been forced to cancel an upcoming festival appearance as frontman Vince Neil continues to recover from an undisclosed medical procedure. The Hollywood rock veterans announced on Thursday (April 3) that they would no longer be performing at the Boardwalk Rock festival in Ocean City, MD on May 17 as previously planned. The […]
Actor David Schwimmer has admitted the theme song to Friends haunted him for years due to its overuse.
Schwimmer, who began his acting career in 1989, rose to widespread fame five years later for his role as Ross Geller in the NBC sitcom Friends. A monumental hit and a cultural phenomenon across its ten-year run, the show’s ubiquity in the pop culture zeitgeist led to its theme song (The Rembrandts’ “I’ll Be There for You”) becoming just as recognizable as its lead actors. For Schwimmer though, the omnipresence of the theme left a lasting negative effect on him that continued far beyond the show’s completion in 2004.
Appearing on the Making the Scene podcast with hosts Matt Lucas and David Walliams, Schwimmer admitted that the overuse of the song became a little too much. ”I’ll be really honest, there was a time for quite a while that just hearing the theme song would really…” he explained, letting out a sigh to reflect his exhaustion. “I just had that reaction, I just had heard it so many times.”
Explore
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
“Anytime you would go on a show, a talk show, or an interview, that would be your intro song. I just didn’t have the greatest response to it,” he said.
Trending on Billboard
Written by Friends producers David Crane and Marta Kauffman, with songwriter Allee Willis and The Rembrandts’ Danny Wilde and Phil Sōlem, “I’ll Be There for You” was used as the theme song to the show after R.E.M. had rejected the use of their song “Shiny Happy People” as the opener. The track also became a commercial success off the back of its use in the series, reaching No. 17 on the Hot 100 and topping the Adult Contemporary, Radio Songs, and Pop Airplay charts.
Largely in part to the song’s constant presence in pop culture, Schwimmer admits that he didn’t manage to change his attitude toward the song until the last few years, when his daughter Cleo began to discover the series.
“At about age nine, my kid discovered it and started watching it,” he explained. “I’d be making breakfast or whatever, and I’d hear my kid’s laughter. My whole relationship to that song and that show changed again.”
HipHopWired Featured Video
Source: YUKI IWAMURA / Getty
On Thursday morning (April 3), New York City Mayor Eric Adams announced that he was not going to run for reelection as a Democrat, but as an independent. Adams did so in a six-minute video that was released to the public, a day after a federal judge dismissed the corruption charges that were filed against him last year, which was recommended by the Department of Justice shortly after President Donald Trump took office. His decision takes him out of a crowded primary for the Democratic nomination.“I know that the accusations leveled against me may have shaken your confidence in me and that you may rightly have questions about my conduct,” he said. “Let me be clear, although the charges against me were false, I trusted people that I should not have and I regret that.” Adams also said that he was still a Democrat, but this decision would let him “appeal directly to all New Yorkers.” Since the decision by U.S. District Court Judge Dale E. Ho, Mayor Adams reaffirmed his support of Trump by touting a book by FBI Director Kash Patel at the press conference, encouraging people to read it “to understand how we can never allow this to happen to another innocent American.”Adams’ misfortunes were reflected in a subpar fundraising campaign, which brought in low amounts in combination with him not being granted matching funds from the election commission. Then there are the opponents in the Democratic primary, with former Governor Andrew Cuomo as the favorite and State Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani as a rising choice. Adams plans to secure the 3,570 signatures needed to run as an independent by May 27. It then lets him secure a ballot spot with public safety as the focus.In an interview with Politico, he acknowledged the pressure of the situation. “I’m in the race to the end. I’m not running on the Democratic line. It’s just not realistic to turn around my numbers and to run a good campaign (from) where we are right now,” Adams said. “It hurts like hell.” According to former Democratic mayoral candidate Ruth Messinger, Adams’ move isn’t surprising. “It’s part of a pattern of Eric focusing on what might be good for Eric,” she said, noting it might make more voters gravitate towards picking Cuomo if he were to face off against Adams and the presumptive GOP candidate, Curtis Sliwa.
HipHopWired Featured Video
Source: YUKI IWAMURA / Getty
On Thursday morning (April 3), New York City Mayor Eric Adams announced that he was not going to run for reelection as a Democrat, but as an independent. Adams did so in a six-minute video that was released to the public, a day after a federal judge dismissed the corruption charges that were filed against him last year, which was recommended by the Department of Justice shortly after President Donald Trump took office. His decision takes him out of a crowded primary for the Democratic nomination.“I know that the accusations leveled against me may have shaken your confidence in me and that you may rightly have questions about my conduct,” he said. “Let me be clear, although the charges against me were false, I trusted people that I should not have and I regret that.” Adams also said that he was still a Democrat, but this decision would let him “appeal directly to all New Yorkers.” Since the decision by U.S. District Court Judge Dale E. Ho, Mayor Adams reaffirmed his support of Trump by touting a book by FBI Director Kash Patel at the press conference, encouraging people to read it “to understand how we can never allow this to happen to another innocent American.”Adams’ misfortunes were reflected in a subpar fundraising campaign, which brought in low amounts in combination with him not being granted matching funds from the election commission. Then there are the opponents in the Democratic primary, with former Governor Andrew Cuomo as the favorite and State Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani as a rising choice. Adams plans to secure the 3,570 signatures needed to run as an independent by May 27. It then lets him secure a ballot spot with public safety as the focus.In an interview with Politico, he acknowledged the pressure of the situation. “I’m in the race to the end. I’m not running on the Democratic line. It’s just not realistic to turn around my numbers and to run a good campaign (from) where we are right now,” Adams said. “It hurts like hell.” According to former Democratic mayoral candidate Ruth Messinger, Adams’ move isn’t surprising. “It’s part of a pattern of Eric focusing on what might be good for Eric,” she said, noting it might make more voters gravitate towards picking Cuomo if he were to face off against Adams and the presumptive GOP candidate, Curtis Sliwa.
“I say this all the time to my team, it feels like I’m in a fan fiction. Like, a fan fiction that I would’ve written when I was 15,” says Brittany Broski over Zoom. “It gets more and more ridiculous by the day – in the best of ways.”
Explore
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
Having just filmed an episode of her hit digital talk show, Royal Court – on which celebrity guests including Charli XCX, Maren Morris, Colman Domingo and more compete for a spot on her “medieval council” – Broski’s life of late does seem to be getting better and better. After becoming an internet sensation thanks to a clip in which she tried kombucha and her quizzical facial expression became a viral meme, Broski has successfully cemented that momentum into online stardom.
In addition to Royal Court, she hosts her own podcast, The Broski Report, in which she covers current mainstream obsessions and offers updates on her own life (see recent episode: “Left My Gallbladder In Italy”). One of her most recent viral hits involves Broski tossing it to her on-the-scene correspondent, who is also Broski, to interview a bystander, who is none other than Timothée Chalamet.
Trending on Billboard
But last month, Broski revealed a new side to the persona her community – fondly known as Broski Nation, which includes her 2 million Instagram followers and 7.6 million TikTok followers – has come to know and love.
On March 20, she shared a reimagined cover of Harry Styles’ “Adore You,” complete with a stunningly shot live video in which Broski wasn’t dressed for court, nor the news – but as a renaissance-inspired pop star.
On Friday (April 4), Broski is taking the next step in her musical journey and releasing her debut single, “The Sun.” The soulful, sultry rock song makes Broski’s ambitions and vision crystal clear – and proves that she’s been patiently waiting for this exact moment.
Broski – who co-wrote the song alongside songwriter/producer Luke Niccoli, as well as songwriters SXSSY and Emily Haber – says “The Sun” is a perfect way to introduce her music career because of how it represents the sonic universe she set out to create: “ethereal, whimsical, but also at the core of it, a fucking stink face bluesy rock song,” she says.
“I think life is wasted if you go through it not trying everything,” Broski continues. “It’s been a long time coming, but it’s landed right where it’s supposed to…And the best is yet to come. We’ve barely scratched the surface.”
You did theater and improv growing up, but when did you realize you had this voice?
I grew up in the church. I also grew up with a nana who has a beautiful voice. I was always like, “I’m an old soul.” I loved music from the ‘50s and ‘60s, The Mamas & the Papas and the Beatles, and I always was gravitating towards that bluesy rock-and-roll that has informed a lot of my favorite artists like Hozier. And so that [kind of music] was always on my playlist in middle and high school.
When I signed with the label during the pandemic and they asked me, “what’s the sound?” I’m like, “well, it’s Hozier meets Florence [and the Machine] meets Chris Stapleton.” And that’s kind of what came out in the studio. And it was beautiful because it’s like, “God, I know myself, b—h.” I know my taste and I know what I was raised on, and so many of those things blended into this beautiful smoothie that came out.
Tell me about signing with Atlantic, what was your pitch?
The label meeting was incoming. My A&R emailed in 2020, during the pandemic, and said, “Hi. I don’t know who this email’s going to, I just found this on Brittany’s profile. I am such a big fan, and I’ve seen her post videos of herself singing. If this is something that she’d like to give a chance, let me know.” I was like, “Is this real?” So we got on the call and my A&R Caterina [Nasr] asked me, “What would the look be? What would the sound be?” And I’m like, “I’ve got it, babe.” Pinterest board, Canva presentation. It’s done. It was this whimsical renaissance woman from the beginning. It was a lot of flowy fabric and corsets and candles and it just made sense. And I think it’s continued to make sense the more that we’ve developed the project. It feels so me, from what I talk about on the podcast to my show, adding whimsy and magic and fun into daily, mundane life is the correct way to live.
The fact that you do have a show, a podcast, and now you’re releasing music, how does that all fuel you in different ways?
The worst thing career-wise and also personal life-wise that I could do right now is say, “f–k all this stuff that I’ve developed, that my fans love, that I love doing. I’m a singer now.” Which is a project that my fans are obviously excited about, but the majority of them did not ask for it. So what I want to do is all of it – and do all of it well. The music isn’t eclipsing my other facets of expression or business. It’s just another plate on the table.
What are other benefits or challenges of having millions of followers before you even release your first song?
The benefits are plentiful because, in theory, I always say this and I’m kind of joking, but I could fart into the microphone and there’d be at least 10 people like, “She’s so talented. No one’s doing it like her.” But at the same time, I feel very seen by my audience…and I am very excited to give this piece of art to a fan base that already exists, is already familiar with me, and this is a more personal flavor of what I’ve already given them.
The cons are that all of those things are simultaneously working against me, so to speak, and the fact that people might already have an idea of me as a person or as what my artist persona would be. And I think that’s a bit unfair, [but] it motivates me even more. It’s a double-edged sword of people already know you, but people already know you.
Scrolling the Instagram comments of your “Adore You” cover, people were shocked.
Right. You don’t know this side.
How did some fans’ surprised response make you feel?
It was kind of a hell yeah moment. This is the point of the project, and this is to be revealed, that women are so diverse and multifaceted. And not to make a Shrek reference, but they’re like onions. You just peel back a layer and there are more underneath. That is so exciting to me about the future; I’m going to keep revealing things that you did not think I could do, or maybe you underestimated. And that gives me motivation for writing, for releasing, for live shows. There’s so many tricks in the metaphorical hat that I’m ready to pull out.
Your first taste of original music is “The Sun.” Tell me about this single.
The majority of my music was written, sung and recorded in Nashville, but this one was in L.A. And I think what happened was I was coming off of a situationship, but not even, where I was at my wits end of this feeling of, “I have done all of the work on myself, I am intelligent, funny, successful, beautiful, all these things and it’s taken me years to get there. What do you mean I’m not good enough? Or, what do you mean I’m too good for you?” What the f–k are you supposed to do with that? And so it was that frustration that I came into the writer’s room with…And what we landed on is, I think, the perfect introduction to my original music and what you can expect in the future.
How will you celebrate the song’s release?
I might take a little edible and watch me a National Geographic, Roman Empire or something on TV and fall asleep at 7:30 PM.
You mentioned “The Sun” offers a taste of what we can expect in the future – what do you have coming?
There is definitely a larger project coming, and I would say all the spoils of a rollout. It’s really important to me that people know my headspace on this record. I wrote all the music with my co-writers, I have a producing credit on some of the songs. Like this is so deeply personal and where maybe the Broski Report I’ve held back a little bit, this is going full throttle in terms of my personal life and how I really feel and my lived experiences. I’m seeking community with my audience, while at the same time I know they will find community in my story.
HYBE America has partnered with Alan Chikin Chow, creator of the scripted YouTube series Alan’s Universe, to form a new pop group that will be introduced to audiences through a streaming series, it was announced on Thursday (April 3).
The partnership, dubbed HYBE AMERICA X AU, will kick off with a global talent search to form the group, which will be composed of three women and three men. Those chosen will undergo HYBE’s rigorous K-pop development system in Los Angeles. The resulting series, which will be executive produced by Chow alongside HYBE America president James Shin and CEO Scooter Braun, “will follow a group of aspiring pop idol rejects enrolled at an arts academy who decide to form their own band, fusing the worlds of drama, acting, and musical performance with concurrent releases of original music and choreography,” according to a press release.
The multi-faceted project will live on Chow’s YouTube channel (which boasts more than 88 million subscribers) and “across multiple platforms that include music, merchandise, live touring, and more,” with the goal to “reimagine the fictional musical act turned real-life global popstar pathway for today’s generation,” as stated in the release.
Trending on Billboard
“The passionate global fanbase of Alan’s Universe partnered with the premier music prowess of HYBE AMERICA creates an unstoppable force,” said Chow in a statement. “Together, we stand to create a next-generation franchise with one purpose: to serve our fans with inspiring, impactful stories.”
“This partnership represents entertainment’s future—where content and music enhance each other rather than simply coexist,” added Shin. “We’re building a franchise with Alan that establishes a new model for artist development in the digital age.”
Braun added, “Alan’s extraordinary connection with global audiences makes him and this partnership unique. Together we are not only reimagining the star-making process but will help to create once-in-a-lifetime opportunities for exceptional storytelling and development.”
To apply, male and female candidates between the ages of 18 and 28 anywhere in the world can upload a singing or dancing clip to YouTube Shorts along with the hashtag #HYBEAMERICAxAU. More details can be found here.
BMI celebrated the best in gospel music on Wednesday (April 3) at the 2025 BMI Trailblazers of Gospel Music Awards held at Flourish in Atlanta. Gospel music pioneer and pastor John P. Kee was honored as a Trailblazer of Gospel Music in recognition of his artistry and influence on the genre throughout his career spanning more than 40 years.
The private was ceremony hosted by Mike O’Neill, BMI’s president & CEO, and Catherine Brewton, vp, creative, Atlanta.
Throughout the afternoon, BMI saluted the 25 most-performed gospel songs of the previous year, leading up to the presentation of the BMI Gospel Song of the Year award, which went to “Goodness of God” written by Ed Cash, Ben Fielding (APRA) and Jason Ingram. Performed by CeCe Winans, the hit logged four weeks at No. 1 on Billboard’s Gospel Airplay chart and reached No. 2 on Hot Gospel Songs. The soulful ballad was Winans’ fourth No. 1 on the Gospel Airplay chart.
Trending on Billboard
Kirk Franklin and Charles Jenkins tied as BMI’s Gospel Songwriter of the Year for each writing two of the most-performed gospel songs of the previous year. Franklin was honored for “All Things” and “Try Love,” giving him his fourth Songwriter of the Year award – three for gospel and one for Christian. Jenkins was recognized for his songs “God Be Praised” and “Look at God,” marking the first time he’s received this title. This brings his total of BMI Awards to eight.
BMI’s Gospel Publisher of the Year went to Capitol CMG for having the highest publisher share percentage of the top 25 songs, including BMI’s Gospel Song of the Year, “Goodness of God.”
As a Trailblazer of Gospel Music, Kee was honored for his signature blend of traditional and contemporary gospel music. O’Neill presented Kee with the honor, saluting his “extraordinary contributions that have greatly influenced the gospel genre and deeply touched the community.”
The musical tributes to Kee kicked off with Lena Byrd Miles performing “Yes Lord,” followed by Chrystal Rucker’s performance of “The Anointing.” The tributes continued with Kelontae Gavin singing “Never Shall Forget” and Jekalyn Carr performing “Standing in the Need.” Lisa Knowles-Smith and her children KJ and Ndia paid homage to Kee with renditions of “Lily in the Valley” and “He’ll Welcome Me.” Vanessa Bell Armstrong followed with “Wave It Away,” featuring Donald Lawrence and The Company. Zacardi Cortez ended the tribute with an uplifting performance of “Jesus is Real.”
Upon receiving the honor, Kee, known as the “Prince of Gospel,” thanked his family and friends, many of whom were in the room, for their love and support. “Every time you win an award, I win an award,” he said. “I’m just a proud Uncle John.” He went on to say that he was going to “flip the moment” by presenting BMI’s Brewton with a Lifetime Achievement Award for her “vision and determination that have paved the way for future generations of women in business.”
The ceremony concluded with Kee singing the opening line to his hit, “New Life” and he was joined with an impromptu celebration from many of the gospel greats in the room, including Isaac Carree, Zacardi Cortez, Eric Dawkins, Kirk Franklin, Jonathan McReynolds, Tasha Page-Lockhart, Lisa Page Brooks and Marvin Sapp.
Visit BMI’s website to see a full list of BMI’s Trailblazers of Gospel Music Award honorees.
HipHopWired Featured Video
Adam22 and his popular No Jumper network have reigned as one of the top destinations for fans online, and his position as a top content creator was seen as solid. However, Adam22 says the business has changed and will lead to impending layoffs as he looks to downsize No Jumper to a smaller operation.
Adam22, real name Adam Grandmaison, shared a video on YouTube titled “No Jumper Is Going Broke” and delved into the behind-the-scenes happenings at the network. In his quick video, Grandmaison states that the network is looking to sell the warehouse where they’re located now and seemingly welcomes the change. After nearly a decade, Grandmaison is now looking to maximize what avenues he has left as the network moves ahead.
“To be honest, aside from the lay-offs, I’m pretty happy about all those changes,” Grandmaison said. “I’ve realized that I should have paid more attention to DJ Vlad and kept my overhead as low as possible, particularly in terms of staff and location. I’m confident that once we get the building sold, we will be in a pretty solid financial position again as a business.”
Some observers might note that in the name of content, Adam22 will take extreme measures, and there is no way of knowing if this announcement is a media stunt. Grandmaison is also involved in a lawsuit from former employee Yurly, who is suing the No Jumper honcho and the network for workplace misconduct.
Check out the video below
—Photo: Getty
A Fulton County judge has declined to revoke Young Thug‘s probation after Atlanta prosecutors pushed for his imprisonment over a social media post the rapper made calling a government investigator “the biggest liar,” according to court documents filed on Thursday (April 3). Though Judge Paige Reese Whitaker decided in the rapper’s favor, in a footnote […]