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01 Feb 2023

Lululemon Is The Latest Brand Nike Sues For Infringement

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LULULEMON BLISSFEEL SNEAKER

Source: LULULEMON / LULULEMON

Nike continues to fiercely protect their trademark. The Swoosh is suing Lululemon for infringement for a second time.

As spotted on Hypebeast the Beaverton, Oregon-based brand believes the Athleisure imprint has repurposed their signature Flyknit technology for their own sneaker releases. The shoes in question include the Blissfeel, Strongfeel, Chargefeel Low and Chargefeel Low. According to Lulu’s website the Blissfeel, a runner exclusively for women, boasts that their “Comfort-focused upper moves like a supportive extension of your foot.” Nike claims its three patents at issue concern textile and other elements, including one addressing how the footwear will perform when force is applied; specifically “fabric that fits like a sock”.

A representative from Lululemon says “Nike’s claims are unjustified, and we look forward to proving our case in court” in a statement to Business Insider.

This is not the first time Nike has taken umbrage with Lulu. Back in January of 2022 they sued Lulu over their newly acquired Mirror Home Gym claiming they infringed on six Nike patents including determining a user’s exertion through sensory data and Mirror’s “Face Off” feature which allows users to compete against each other in workouts. Lululemon purchased Mirror Home Gym back in July 2020 for an estimated $435 million dollars. Recently Nike filed legal complaints against BAPE whose signature BAPESTA sneaker is a clone of the iconic Air Force 1.

Photo: Lululemon

01 Feb 2023

Why YoungBoy NBA Releases So Much Music: ‘It’s a Disease’

YoungBoy Never Broke Again is  Billboard latest cover star, and he opened up about his music making process with reporter Meaghan Garvey.

 “It’s a disease,” he shares of his ability to put out as much music as possible. “Literally, I cannot help myself. I tell myself sometimes, ‘I’m not going to drop until months from now,’ but it’s addictive. I wish I knew when I was younger how unhealthy this was for me. Whatever type of energy I had inside me, I would’ve pushed it toward something else.”

He adds,“The music is therapy, but I can’t stop it when I want,” he goes on, sounding almost ashamed. “And the lifestyle is just a big distraction from your real purpose.”

The star is fresh off the release of his new album I Rest My Case, which arrived in early January. I Rest My Case marks the rapper’s first release since he signed to Motown Records in October. The Baton Rouge, Louisiana, native broke out in 2015 and signed to Atlantic two years later, going on to become one of music’s top acts. Since, he’s charted 24 albums on the Billboard 200 — 11 that were top 10, four of which hit No. 1.

He’s charted four top 10 albums on the Billboard 200 in 2022 — more top 10s than any other act this year — and has released four albums in the past two months: The Last Slimeto, Realer 2, 3800 Degrees and Ma I Got a Family.

01 Feb 2023

Happy Black History Month: Beyoncé Drops Renaissance World Tour Dates, The Beyhive Clears Their Calendars

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Atlantis The Royal Grand Reveal Weekend 2023 - Beyonce Performance

Source: Kevin Mazur / Getty / Renaissance World Tour

Ring the alarm. The world’s worst-kept secret is now official. Beyoncé is taking Club Renaissance on a trip around the globe, bringing it to a stadium near you.

It’s happening. It’s finally happening. There was only one way the Beyhive would forgive Beyoncé for still not dropping the Renaissance visuals, and that was with the announcement of those tour dates.

Wednesday, the big news arrived with just one photo of the Houston artist in all of her curvy glory on top of a silver horse with the caption “RENAISSANCEㅤ ㅤWORLD TOUR 2023.”

The Beyhive already knew their queen was back in tour mode following her impressive yet controversial performance in Dubai, and we’re just eagerly awaiting word of when they need to put in for time off to release their jobs, release their minds, and stress.

Dates for her massive world tour, where she will finally perform tracks off her Renaissance album she gave to the world five months ago, are now live on her website.

In hopes of keeping tickets out of the hands of scalpers and bots, verified-fan preregistration for North American tour dates is now open.

The madness will begin on February 6 when tickets go on sale, with Beyhive members getting first dibs and Citi cardmembers and VerizonUp members being able to ensure they are in the building through a presale.

Club Renaissance officially opens in Europe, kicking off May 10 in Stockholm. The tour will eventually find its way into North America on July 8 with two shows in Toronto.

Full Tour Dates

  • May 10: Stockholm, SE (Friends Arena)
  • May 14: Brussels, BE (Baudoin Stadium)
  • May 17: Cardiff, UK (Principality Stadium)
  • May 20: Edinburgh, UK (Murrayfield)
  • May 23: Sunderland, UK (Stadium of Light)
  • May 26: Paris, FR (Stade de France)
  • May 29: London, UK (Tottenham Hotspur Stadium)
  • May 30: London, UK (Tottenham Hotspur Stadium)
  • June 6: Lyon, FR (Groupama Stadium)
  • June 8: Barcelona, SP (Olympic Stadium)
  • June 11: Marseille, FR (Orange Vélodrome)
  • June 15: Cologne, DE (Rheinenergiestadion)
  • June 17: Amsterdam, NL (JC Arena)
  • June 18: Amsterdam, NL (JC Arena)
  • June 21: Hamburg, DE (Volksparkstadion)
  • June 24: Frankfurt, DE (Deutsche Bank Park)
  • June 27: Warsaw, PL (Pge Nardowy)
  • July 8: Toronto, CA (Rogers Centre)
  • July 12: Philadelphia, PA (Lincoln Financial Field)
  • July 15: Nashville, TN (Nissan Stadium)
  • July 17: Louisville, KY (L&N Federal Credit Union Stadium)
  • July 20: Minneapolis, MN (Huntington Bank Stadium)
  • July 22: Chicago, IL (Soldier Field)
  • July 26: Detroit, MI (Ford Field)
  • July 29: East Rutherford, NJ (Metlife Stadium)
  • Aug. 1: Boston, MA (Gillette Stadium)
  • Aug. 3: Pittsburgh, PA (Heinz Field)
  • Aug. 5: Washington, DC (FedEx Field)
  • Aug. 9: Charlotte, NC (Bank of America Stadium)
  • Aug. 11: Atlanta, GA (Mercedes Benz Stadium)
  • Aug. 16: Tampa, FL (Raymond James Stadium)
  • Aug. 18: Miami, FL (Hard Rock Stadium)
  • Aug. 21: St. Louis, MI (Dome at Americas Center)
  • Aug. 24: Phoenix, AZ (State Farm Stadium)
  • Aug. 26: Las Vegas, NV (Allegiant Stadium)
  • Aug. 30: San Francisco, CA (Levi’s Stadium)
  • Sept. 2: Inglewood, CA (SoFi Stadium)
  • Sept. 11: Vancouver, CA (BC Place)
  • Sept. 13: Seattle, WA (Lumen Field)
  • Sept. 18: Kansas City, MO (Arrowhead Stadium)
  • Sept. 21: Dallas, TX (AT&T Stadium)
  • Sept. 23: Houston, TX (NRG Stadium)
  • Sept. 27: New Orleans, LA (Caesars Superdome

As expected, social media is going crazy following the news. You can see those reactions in the gallery below.

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Photo: Getty

3. We would love to see it.

5. HOWLING

8. Exactly

01 Feb 2023

In Other Tom Brady News, All-Star ‘80 for Brady’ Song Makes Billboard Chart Debut

Headlines about Tom Brady today are, understandably, focused on his announced retirement, but a song related to the football GOAT makes its own news with a Billboard chart debut.

“Gonna Be You,” by fellow legendary entertainers Dolly Parton, Belinda Carlisle, Cyndi Lauper, Gloria Estefan and Debbie Harry – and written by Diane Warren – enters Billboard’s Digital Song Sales chart (dated Feb. 4) at No. 42 with 2,000 downloads sold from its Jan. 20 release through Jan. 26, according to Luminate.

(The number 42, thus, takes on a more positive tone regarding Brady, after Super Bowl XLII still makes New England Patriots fans wince.)

The song accompanies the movie 80 for Brady, which Brady co-produced and in which he acts. The comedy, whose Los Angeles premiere was held Tuesday, follows four friends – played by acting icons Sally Field, Jane Fonda, Rita Moreno and Lily Tomlin – who travel from Massachusetts to Texas to see the quarterback, then playing for the Patriots, in Super Bowl LI in 2017. (The team’s 34-28 comeback in the game, from a 28-3 deficit, still makes Atlanta Falcons fans wince, although it makes Patriots fans smile.)

“Gonna Be You,” whose official video finds Parton, Carlisle, Lauper and Estefan all sporting Brady’s No. 12 Patriots uniform, marks the latest chart entry for each star. Parton first hit Billboard‘s rankings in 1967 (when “Dumb Blonde” debuted on the Hot Country Songs chart dated that Jan. 21 – six days after the first Super Bowl); Harry, as a member of Blondie, in 1978; Carlisle, with the Go-Go’s, in 1980; Lauper, in 1983; and Estefan, with Miami Sound Machine, in 1984.

Warren, meanwhile, has written nine Billboard Hot 100 No. 1s, among 32 top 10s. Among her catalog of Hot 100 entries are top 40 hits recorded by Carlisle (“I Get Weak,” a No. 2 hit in 1988) and Estefan (“Live for Loving You,” No. 22, 1991). (Warren is currently scaling Adult Contemporary with her first charted title as a credited artist, “Sweet,” with vocals by Jon Batiste and Pentatonix.)

Said Warren ahead of the release of “Gonna Be You,” “Since ’80’ was in the [movie’s] title, I got a crazy idea: Why not get some of the most iconic singers from the ’80s, who are still amazing and always will be, to all sing it?! Everyone I approached said yes and was just as excited as me!”

Blondie boasts four Hot 100 No. 1s, Estefan three, Parton and Lauper two each and Carlisle one, totaling, aptly for Brady, 12.

01 Feb 2023

Brandon Lake, Tye Tribbett & MercyMe Add No. 1s on Faith-Based Charts

Singer-songwriter Brandon Lake scores his second No. 1, and first as a lead artist, on Billboard’s streaming-, airplay- and sales-based Hot Christian Songs chart (dated Feb. 4) with “Gratitude.”

The single rebounds for a third week atop Christian Digital Song Sales, up 7% to 2,000 downloads sold Jan. 20-26, according to Luminate. It also drew 1.9 million official U.S streams. On Christian Airplay, the song pushes 13-11 for a new best (4.9 million audience impressions, up 24%).

Lake co-authored “Gratitude” with Dante Bowe and Benjamin Hastings, while Jacob Sooter produced it.

“Every song has a season, and season a song,” Lake tells Billboard. “’Gratitude’ couldn’t more accurately describe everything I want to express to God in this time. There are times where I feel like worshipping and there are times I often don’t, but what can shift any weary soul is a spirit of gratitude. I love that this song not only expresses a heartfelt ‘thank you,’ but commands your soul to wake up and worship. The journey of how this song came to be is a miracle in itself that I’m thankful for.”

Lake previously topped Hot Christian Songs as featured on Elevation Worship’s “Graves Into Gardens,” for two frames in February 2021. It also paced Christian Airplay for a week, awarding Lake his lone leader so far.

Concurrently, Lake charts two additional tracks on Hot Christian Songs. He’s featured on Ryan Ellis’ “Son of David,” at No. 25, and his duet with KB, “Graves,” at No. 44.

Tribbett’s ‘New’ No. 1

On Gospel Airplay, Tye Tribbett notches his fourth No. 1 and third in succession with “New,” which he wrote solely.

The song follows ‘’Anyhow,” which dominated for two weeks in June 2021, and “We Gon’ Be Alright,” which led for a week in September 2020. Tribbett, who hails from Camden, N.J., notched his first leader, among nine top 10s, with “Victory” (with backing group G.A.), which reigned for three weeks beginning in September 2006.

MercyMe Extends Record

MercyMe rolls up its record-padding 19th No. 1 on Billboard’s Christian AC Airplay survey with “Then Christ Came” (up 3% in plays).

The format cornerstone act last led with “Almost Home,” for three frames in April 2020. In between that song and “Then,” the group’s “Say I Won’t” reached No. 3 in May 2021 and “On Our Way,” featuring Sam Wesley, hit No. 9 in February 2022.

MercyMe widens its lead for the most No. 1s since Christian AC Airplay began in 2003 over Jeremy Camp and Casting Crowns, each with 13.

MercyMe banked its first leader with “Word of God Speak,” which dominated for 21 weeks starting in August 2003. It’s the longest-leading No. 1 in the chart’s history, followed by the band’s own “Even If,” which ruled for 19 weeks starting in May 2017.

01 Feb 2023

From Beyonce to Adele, Who Should Win the 2023 Grammy for Record of the Year? Vote!

The 2023 Grammys is just days away, which means music fans will soon find out who’s walking away with new golden gramophones on music’s biggest night.

Of course, part of the fun is getting to predict the winners, and today, Billboard is honing in on one question: Whose song do you think should win the Grammy for record of the year?

It’s been a few years now since the Recording Academy widened the field of its top prizes to 10 nominees, and this year’s pack of hopefuls are heavyweights across multiple genres — from pop to R&B, hip-hop and more.

As one of the Big Four categories, the race for record of the year will once again pit Beyoncé against Adele in a hotly anticipated rematch of their epic face-off back in 2017. At the time, 25 memorably — and the Beyhive would certainly say controversially — beat out Lemonade for album of the year, and Adele gave Queen Bey a teary apology during her modest acceptance speech. But which do you think deserves record of the year in 2023: Adele’s “Easy on Me” or Beyoncé’s “Break My Soul”?

The two superstars are hardly the only contenders, though. Harry Styles had one of the biggest smashes of the year with “As It Was,” which dominated the Billboard Hot 100 for 16 non-consecutive weeks — a streak that was eventually broken by first-time nominee Steve Lacy‘s No. 1 hit “Bad Habit.” Or maybe you think it’s about damn time for Lizzo to walk away with the trophy for, well, “About Damn Time.”

And don’t count out the dark horses of the field: ABBA scored its first-ever nomination last year in the same category thanks to “I Still Have Faith in You,” but could the Swedish pop pioneers clinch their first win with “Don’t Shut Me Down”? There’s also Mary J. Blige‘s “Good Morning Gorgeous,” Kendrick Lamar‘s “The Heart Part 5,” Doja Cat‘s “Woman” and Brandi Carlile‘s Lucius-assisted “You and Me on the Rock” to consider.

The 2023 Grammys will air Sunday (Feb. 5) on CBS. Vote for who you think should win record of the year below.

01 Feb 2023

James Gunn & Peter Safran Reveal Big Plans For Warner Bros. DCU Film Franchises

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2022 Comic-Con International: San Diego - Cosplay And General Atmosphere

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After weeks of disappointing and straight up infuriating fans of Warner Bros. DCU, James Gunn might’ve gotten himself some leeway with his direction of the film franchises he’s taken over. He’s finally laid out a pretty interesting roadmap as to where he plans on taking the beloved cinematic universe that’s been struggling for quite some time now.

Deadline is reporting that James Gunn and his partner-in-crime, Peter Safran, have revealed that the first portion of their DCU run will be titled Gods and Monsters and will kickoff in 2025 with five films. These include a rebooted Man of Steel dubbed Superman: Legacy, Batman and Robin: The Brave and The Bold, Swamp Thing, a new Supergirl and an introduction film for fan favorite DC rogue superhero squad, The Authority. Keep in mind those are just the feature films planned to release between 2025 and 2027.

On the HBO Max side, Gunn and Safran plan on producing a Peacemaker spinoff series, Waller, starring Viola Davis as your favorite ruthless government official, Amanda Waller, a new Lantern series, an animated Creature Commando’s show and a Booster Gold series amongst other shows.

Though James Gunn revealed that he is penning Superman: Legacy, he hasn’t committed to directing the highly-anticipated superhero film. That being said, he also didn’t reveal who might be approached to take on the mantle of the Man of Steel. We surely know who it won’t be though and that still kinda sucks. Still, Gunn seems to have a pretty ambitious plan going forward with the DCU. And truth be told, we’re interested to see how things play out. Certainly can’t be any worse than what we’ve been getting post-Man of Steel.

“One of our strategies is that we take our diamond characters — Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman– and we use that to help prop up other characters that people don’t know. Like what happened with the Guardians (of the Galaxy) in some way. Like taking teams like The Authority, which is I know is just as spectacular idea for a film that is completely different take on superheroes. Because it’s really connected to Superman. It’s about to use those well-known properties to help lead into lesser known properties,” says Gunn.

“We’re going to promise that everything from our first project forward is going to be unified,” said Gunn.

“But we’ve gotten very lucky for the next four projects,” added the filmmaker on the slate that was previously shepherded by former DC boss Walter Hamada.

Those being Shazam! Fury of the Gods (March 17), The Flash (June 16) the latter which Gunn says “resets everything.”

“I will say here that Flash is probably one of the greatest superhero movies ever made,” Gunn added.

As for movies like Todd Phillips’ Joker: Folie a Deux, Matt Reeves’ sequel to The Batman and J.J. Abrams’ Ta-Nehisi Coates’ Black Superman, those projects are still a go but will be operating outside of the main DC Universe Gunn is creating and will be considered part of DC-Elseworlds.

“The bar is going to be very high for projects outside of the DCU,” asserted Safran.

Y’all know Wonder Woman fans are tight that Gal Gadot and Patty Jenkins couldn’t get the same courtesy as the aforementioned films.

What do y’all think of James Gunn and Peter Safran’s plan for the DCU going forward? Do y’all have faith that they’ll right the ship that’s been seemingly sinking since Batman V. Superman happened in 2016 or nah? Let us know in the comments section below.

01 Feb 2023

Britney Spears Accuses Alyssa Milano of ‘Bullying’ After Actress Asked for Someone to ‘Check On’ Pop Star

Britney Spears took to her Instagram Stories on Tuesday night (Jan. 31) to defend herself against an old tweet from Alyssa Milano, who asked for someone to “please go check” on the pop star back in December.

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The “Piece of Me” singer shared the tweet to her IG Stories and wrote, “It saddens me to see things about me from people who don’t know me !!! This definitely feels like bullying !!!”

Spears concluded by urging women to support each other. “Ladies, we are supposed to be rooting for one another not pulling one another down,” she wrote.

Milano has reportedly sent Spears an apology in private, according to TMZ. Billboard has reached out to the Charmed actress’ reps for confirmation and more information.

Spears’ latest post comes just a week after she asked her fans to respect her privacy after an incident in which authorities were reportedly called to her house on Jan. 23 to perform a wellness check on her after she deleted her Instagram account.

“As everyone knows the police were called to my home based on some prank phone calls. I love and adore my fans but this time things went a little too far and my privacy was invaded,” she wrote in a text post. “The police never entered my home and when they came to my gate they quickly realized there was no issue and left immediately.”

Spear continued in her note, “This felt like I was being gaslit and bullied once the incident made it to the news and being portrayed once again in a poor and unfair light by the media. During this time in my life, I truly hope the public and my fans who I care so much about can respect my privacy moving forward. All the love, B.”

01 Feb 2023

Priscilla Presley Is Trying to ‘Learn to Live Without’ Daughter Lisa Marie Presley: ‘Our Hearts Are Broken’

Priscilla Presley is continuing to grieve the loss of daughter Lisa Marie Presley, whom she shared with Elvis Presley. On what would have been the “Lights Out” singer’s 55th birthday on Wednesday (Feb. 1), actress Priscilla shared a statement on how she and the rest of the family are coping with Lisa Marie’s recent death.

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“Today would have been Lisa’s 55th birthday. My wish is to protect my three grandchildren and keep our family together,” the Naked Gun star said in a statement to Page Six. “From the first moment I held Lisa in my arms, I’ve protected, loved and guided her, as I have my son. Our hearts are broken, and I am having to learn to live without my only daughter.”

The Dallas actress also took a moment in her statement to thank those who have supported her family during such a difficult time. “We truly love all of you, and we feel your prayers,” she concluded. “Thank you so much for caring so deeply for our family.”

Priscilla’s thank you echoes a similar sentiment to one she shared on Jan. 26 to her Twitter followers. She wrote at the time, “I’m truly overwhelmed with your words, your prayers, your love and your support. Thank you from the bottom of my heart in trying to help me get through this loss. Every parent who has lost a daughter or son knows what a dark painstaking journey it is,” along with a broken heart emoji.

Lisa Marie died on Jan. 12 at 54 after being hospitalized for cardiac arrest. Her official cause of death has been deferred pending additional tests. A memorial service took place on Jan. 22 at Graceland, Elvis’ Memphis estate, and featured speeches and performances from Guns N’ Roses singer Axl Rose, Billy Corgan and Alanis Morissette.