djfrosty

29 Jan 2023

Anita Baker Sings the National Anthem at NFC Championship Game: Watch

Before the Eagles-49ers NFC championship game kicked off, Anita Baker performed the national anthem on Sunday (Jan. 29).

“Thank You @Eagles for this Personal, Invitation. My Birthday weekend, is Unsurpassed and Filled with JOY, to Sing for You!” Baker, who turned 65 on Jan. 26, wrote in a tweet after her performance.

Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts had previously proclaimed his love for Baker’s music, saying that he’d be enjoying her tunes on a flight home in December. Baker was seemingly happy to retweet a clip of the interview.

Explore

Explore

See latest videos, charts and news

See latest videos, charts and news

The singer will be hitting the road for her first tour in 28 years in February, for a run of 15 shows spread out throughout the year. The first concert is on Feb. 11 in Hollywood, Florida. 

Watch Baker’s rendition of “The Star-Spangled Banner” from Philadelphia’s Lincoln Field below.

29 Jan 2023

Austin Butler Salutes Baz Luhrmann at 2023 AARP Movies for Grownup Awards (Full Winners List)

Elvis was a double winner at AARP The Magazine’s 21st annual Movies for Grownups Awards, which were presented at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel in Beverly Hills, Calif., on Saturday (Jan. 28). The movie won best time capsule, while Baz Luhrmann won best director.

In presenting the award to Luhrmann, the film’s star Austin Butler said: “No matter what the subject is, his intent is to create art for audiences of all ages to enjoy together. The stories are specific, and his messages are universal.”

Elvis was nominated for eight Oscars last week, one of the heftiest tallies for a musical biopic in Oscar history. Luhrmann was nominated for best picture as a producer of the film; Butler is nominated for best actor.

Top Gun: Maverick won the AARP Award for best picture/best movie for grownups, the evening’s top honor. The award was presented by Glen Powell, a co-star in the film, and was accepted by Jerry Bruckheimer, who produced the film alongside star Tom Cruise, Christopher McQuarrie and David Ellison. Top Gun: Maverick was nominated for six Oscars, including best picture.

The AARP event was hosted by Alan Cumming, who performed a parody of the Rodgers and Hammerstein classic “My Favorite Things” tweaked to include his favorite “binge-worthy things.”

The show will be broadcast on PBS’ Great Performances on Feb. 17 at 9 p.m. ET/PT.

Jamie Lee Curtis received this year’s Career Achievement Award, which was presented by Brian Tyree Henry, an Oscar nominee for Causeway.

“At the end of the day, what I love most about grownups is that we are more alike than different,” Curtis said. “Grownups suit up and show up each day, regardless of the way our cards were dealt. It’s the beauty of grownups and I’m honored to be considered one because it’s a badge of honor that I wear proudly on my face, on my body, in my mind and in my soul and I’m grateful for AARP tonight for this beautiful recognition.”

Curtis received her first Oscar nod last week for best supporting actress for her performance in Everything Everywhere All At Once. That film led the Oscar nominations with 11 nods. Its only win at the AARP awards was Michelle Yeoh’s win for best actress. (Yeoh is also nominated in that category at the Oscars.)

The only double winner on the TV side was FX’s The Old Man, which won best TV series and best actor (TV) for its star, Jeff Bridges. The show debuted on June 16, 2022, after the close of eligibility for last year’s Primetime Emmys, but is likely to be a player in this year’s nominations.

Sheryl Lee Ralph, who won a Primetime Emmy last year for her supporting role on ABC’s Abbott Elementary, won here for best actress (TV). Ralph thanked “AARP for shining a light on aging.”

For more than two decades, AARP’s Movies for Grownups program has advocated for the 50-plus audience, fought industry ageism, and encouraged films and TV shows that resonate with older viewers.

“We are delighted to celebrate and honor these talented filmmakers [who] made the 50-plus audience excited to stream the best that TV has to offer, or go back to the theatres and enjoy movies once again,” said Heather Nawrocki, VP of AARP’s Movies for Grownups program. “The older audience loves to be entertained, and this year’s awardees do not disappoint!”

Here’s the complete list of winners at the 2023 Movies for Grownups Awards:

Career achievement: Jamie Lee Curtis

Best picture/best movie for grownups: Top Gun: Maverick

Best actress: Michelle Yeoh (Everything Everywhere All at Once)

Best actor: Brendan Fraser (The Whale)

Best supporting actress: Judith Ivey (Women Talking)

Best supporting actor: Judd Hirsch (The Fabelmans)

Best director: Baz Luhrmann (Elvis)

Best screenwriter: Kazuo Ishiguro (Living)

Best ensemble: She Said

Best intergenerational: Till

Best time capsule: Elvis

Best grownup love story: Good Luck to You, Leo Grande

Best documentary: Gabby Giffords Won’t Back Down

Best foreign film: The Quiet Girl (Ireland)

Best actress (TV): Sheryl Lee Ralph (Abbott Elementary)

Best actor (TV): Jeff Bridges (The Old Man)

Best TV series: The Old Man

Best TV movie/limited series: Black Bird

29 Jan 2023

Television Frontman Tom Verlaine Mourned by Patti Smith, Michael Stipe, Flea & More: ‘I’ve Lost a Hero’

Musicians are mourning the loss of Television frontman Tom Verlaine, who has died following a brief illness.

Artists like Patti Smith, Michael Stipe, Red Hot Chili Peppers‘ Flea, Blondie‘s Chris Stein and many others took to social media to honor the innovative guitarist, who died peacefully in New York City, a Television representative confirmed to Billboard on (Saturday) Jan. 28. He was 73.

“This is a time when all seemed possible. Farewell Tom, aloft the Omega,” Smith, Verlaine’s former partner and collaborator, captioned a black-and-white photo on Instagram.

Stipe also shared a heartfelt remembrance through R.E.M.’s official Instagram account.

“I have lost a hero. Bless you Tom Verlaine for the songs, the lyrics, the voice!” Stipe wrote. “And later, the laughs, the inspiration, the stories, and the rigorous belief that music and art can alter and change matter, lives, experience. You introduced me to a world that flipped my life upside down. I am forever grateful.”

Blondie co-founder and guitarist Stein tweeted a vintage concert poster featuring Television and Blondie on the same bill, and he recalled first meeting Verlaine in 1972.

“I met Tom Verlaine when he just arrived in NYC I guess ’72. He had long hair and came to my apartment with an acoustic guitar and played some songs he’d written,” Stein wrote. “Both Tom and Richard Hell have told me that I auditioned for the Neon Boys but I don’t remember.”

Flea also took to social media to share his memories of Television’s groundbreaking debut 1977 debut album, Marquee Moon.

“Listened to Marquee Moon 1000 times. And I mean LISTENED, sitting still, lights down low taking it all in,” the RHCP bassist tweeted. “Awe and wonder every time. Will listen 1000 more. Tom Verlaine is one of the greatest rock musicians ever. He effected the way John and I play immeasurably. Fly on Tom.”

Verlaine formed Television, who became an influential fixture of NYC’s punk rock scene at CBGB in the ’70s, establishing an early residency at the legendary Lower East Side club with bandmates Richard Hell, Billy Ficca and Richard Lloyd. With Television he brought his signature guitar work and songwriting to two albums, 1977’s landmark Marquee Moon and 1978’s Adventure, before the group parted ways in 1978.

See all of the social media tributes to Verlaine below.

29 Jan 2023

Lil Baby Performs ‘California Breeze’ & ‘Forever’ During ‘Saturday Night Live’ Debut: Watch

Lil Baby made his Saturday Night Live musical guest debut on Jan. 28, performing a pair of tracks from his latest Billboard 200-topping album, It’s Only Me.

Following an introduction from host Michael B. Jordan, the Atlanta rapper stepped onto the stage of Studio 8H to deliver “California Breeze” and “Forever,” both of which reached the top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100 in October 2022.

Explore

Explore

See latest videos, charts and news

See latest videos, charts and news

Baby previously made an appearance on SNL while assisting on DJ Khaled’s performance of “You Stay” in 2019.

Upon its release in October, Baby’s It’s Only Me album topped the Billboard 200 with all 23 tracks appearing on the Hot 100 songs chart, making it one of the year’s most dominant streaming releases.

SNL, which opened last week with musical guest Sam Smith, enters 2023 after an impressive 2022, in which the NBC sketch comedy series won an Emmy Award for outstanding variety sketch series. SNL is the most Emmy-nominated show in television history and currently holds 93 Emmy wins.

Watch Lil Baby’s SNL performances below. For those without cable, the broadcast will also stream on NBC’s streaming service, Peacock, which you can sign up for at the link here. Having a Peacock account also gives fans on demand access to previous SNL episodes as well.

28 Jan 2023

Britney Spears Says She’s ‘Alive and Well’ After Reported Police Wellness Check Prompted by Fans

Britney Spears addressed her reported police well check that took place earlier this week again, and explained why she recently left Instagram, in a series of new tweets Saturday night (Jan. 28).

Explore

Explore

See latest videos, charts and news

See latest videos, charts and news

“Yep that’s me … I’m alive and well,” she tweeted alongside a video that appears to be filmed at a fitness center. “But not really convinced on these health juices. I mean there are SO MANY !!!”

“This is me at a gym living my best life,” she captioned the clip of herself.

“I shut down my Instagram because there were too many people saying I looked like an idiot dancing and that I looked crazy. Honestly I was doing my best but it disturbed me to see people freely talk about it on TV … yep it hurt my feelings,” Spears said in a second tweet, in reply.

“I’m sensitive and honestly I would rather take a break and do my ice cream diet anyway,” she added in another reply. “I know I thought it was a joke too … but it’s not … it works … surprisingly enough !!!”

Spears continued, “I’m shocked as hell that when I took my Instagram down fans got worried and sent the cops to my house … it really was uncalled for … l adore my fans but for those who did that aren’t real fans and I honestly felt like it was a way to make me look bad !!!”

“I mean DAMN come on … three girls at a restaurant came up to me yesterday so drunk and loud and sat right beside me with that gross smell of alcohol and got right in my face … reminded me of my wedding … I was traumatized,” she wrote.

In another comment, she said, “This time I said please get the f— away from me … Yes … it’s Britney B— !!! I woke up and spoke up for myself … can you believe it ??? Honestly I couldn’t either … so with that said, please again know I’m doing the best I can.”

“l’m alive, fine, healthy, and ready to start a new day – a new morning anew !!! To my real fans, God bless you !!!” Spears concluded.

On Thursday, Spears had commented on the police incident, noting that “I love and adore my fans but this time things went a little too far and my privacy was invaded.”

See her latest update by clicking over to the full Twitter conversation thread below.

28 Jan 2023

Tomorrowland 2023 Lineup Announced: More to 600 Acts Performing Over Two Weekends

The lineup for Tomorrowland 2023, set for two weekends in Belgium this summer, has been revealed — and it’s a big one.

This year’s festival revolves around the theme “Adscendo,” takes place on July 21-23 and July 28-30 and features more than 600 artists across 14 stages.

Performers include an eclectic mix, including Afrojack, Alesso, Armin van Buuren, Black Coffee, the Chainsmokers, Claptone, Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike, Dom Dolla, Don Diablo, Eric Prydz, Hardwell, John Newman, Martin Garrix, Netsky, Nicky Romero, Oliver Heldens, Paul Kalkbrenner, Purple Disco Machine, Robin Schulz, Sebastian Ingrosso, Shaquille O’Neal as DJ Diesel, Steve Angello, Steve Aoki, Tiësto, Timmy Trumpet, Topic and W&W, just to name a handful out of the hundreds.

Explore

See latest videos, charts and news

See latest videos, charts and news

Fans should mark their calendars now: worldwide ticket sales begin on Feb. 4 at 17:00 CET, which is 11:00 a.m. EST.

Tomorrowland 2023 is the 17th edition of the Belgian festival, held at the De Schorre grounds in Boom. Considered one of the world’s leading dance music events, the fest can host roughly 75,000 people per day.

Take a look at the full lineup below. Plus, get more info about the artist list, the schedule and tickets on Tomorrowland’s website.

28 Jan 2023

Tom Verlaine, Television Frontman and Influential Guitarist, Dies at 73

Tom Verlaine has died after a brief illness, a representative for the innovative guitarist and founding member of Television confirms to Billboard. He was 73.

Verlaine died peacefully and surrounded by friends in New York City, the rep says.

Explore

See latest videos, charts and news

See latest videos, charts and news

Born Thomas Miller in 1949, Verlaine was raised in Wilmington, Delaware, before moving to New York City in 1968 and taking on his stage name.

He formed Television, who became an influential fixture of NYC’s punk rock scene at CBGB in the ’70s, establishing an early residency at the legendary Lower East Side club with bandmates Richard Hell, Billy Ficca and Richard Lloyd. With Television he brought his signature guitar work and songwriting to two albums, 1977’s landmark Marquee Moon and 1978’s Adventure, before the group parted ways in 1978.

Verlaine then embarked on solo endeavors — releasing several of his own albums throughout his career over the next few decades, beginning with a self-titled record in 1979 — and reunited with Television periodically.

His early musical influences ranged from free jazz to the Yardbirds’ Five Live Yardbirds to the Rolling Stones’ “19th Nervous Breakdown,” and included John Coltrane, Pablo Casals and John McLaughlin.

“My first music experiences were with classical and then jazz,” Verlaine told Billboard in 2005. “I played sax for three years, so my real roots are in instrumental music. In fact, when I hear the term ‘music’ I never think of ‘songs.’”

Following Verlaine’s death, fellow musician Patti Smith’s daughter, Jesse Paris Smith, penned a heartfelt, personal tribute on Instagram.

“Dearest Tom. The love is immense and forever. My heart is too intensely full to share everything now, and finding the words is too deep of a struggle. The feeling inside is so heavy, though your spirit is light and lifted, it is everywhere, completely and truly free,” she wrote on the post, where she shared a personal photo of the pair.

“I love you always and forever, and will always remember and hold close the touch of your hand – hands of a beautiful creator and of a love more warm, tender, delicate, and true that one can ever dream,” she continued. “There has never been another like you and there never will be. What a blessing and gift I was given to share my time on earth with you. I will be grateful to the end of my life, and we will see you again beyond that, meeting you there wherever you’ve gone. Thank you leading the way.”

28 Jan 2023

Shakira Posts Cryptic Video After Ex Gerard Pique Goes Public With New Girlfriend

Shakira is seemingly reacting to her ex-boyfriend Gerard Piqué’s newly debuted relationship on social media.

One day after the soccer star revealed his younger girlfriend Clara Chia Marti in an Instagram post, the 45-year-old Colombian superstar shared a video of herself dancing and mouthing the scathing lyrics of her new diss track “BZRP Music Sessions Vol. 53,” a collaboration with Argentine DJ and producer Bizarrap.

“Las mujeres ya no lloran las mujeres bailan merengue!” Shakira wrote alongside the split-screen Instagram clip on Thursday (Jan. 26). The caption translates to “Women don’t cry anymore, women dance merengue!” which is similar to her hit single’s lyrics of “Women don’t cry anymore, they cash in.”

In “BZRP Music Session #53,” which reached No. 1 on Billboard’s Hot Latin Songs chart, Shakira is more unapologetic and empowered than ever, spitting diss verses to Piqué and even throwing a jab at his new love interest.

“I’m not getting back with you, don’t cry for me, nor beg me/ I understood that it’s not my fault that they criticize you/ I only make music, sorry that it bothers you,” the singer chants on the dance-pop track. “Good luck with my so-called replacement/ I don’t even know what happened/ You’re acting so weird, I don’t even recognize you/ I’m worth two 22-year-olds/ You traded in a Ferrari for a Twingo/ You traded in a Rolex for a Casio.”

This isn’t the first time Shakira has taken aim at her ex. Prior to the Bizarrap session, she released the more poignant “Monotonía” alongside Ozuna, lamenting the loss of love to “monotony.”

See Shakira’s post on Instagram below.

28 Jan 2023

Justin Timberlake, Questlove & More Celebrities React to Tyre Nichols’ Death: ‘We Demand Justice’

Justin Timberlake, Questlove, Ciara, Viola Davis and Tyler Perry were among the celebrities sharing reactions on social media about Tyre Nichols, who died earlier this month following an altercation with Memphis Police Department officers during a traffic stop in Tennessee.

Explore

See latest videos, charts and news

See latest videos, charts and news

Body camera and surveillance video of the Jan. 7 stop was released Friday (Jan. 27), showing the beating that led to the 29-year-old’s hospitalization and death from his injuries. Included in the footage is Nichols telling the officers, “I’m just trying to get home,” and also screaming for his mother. On Thursday, the five police officers, who had been fired, were charged with murder.

Perry took to Instagram to share a photo of Nichols and describe his own conflicted feelings about whether to watch the footage of the incident. “Many people can’t imagine it happening to them because honestly, it never will,” he wrote about himself initially wanting to avoid the video. “I was determined to see what that space felt like for once, I would cover my ears and not let in the outside.”

Explaining that his goal “wasn’t possible,” he continued, “So today I will cry, I will be depressed, I will curse, I will be outraged, I will want to burn some shit up, I will be in agony, I will let my heart break for his family, I will moan with his tenor harmony from my own experience that is every Black man that’s ever called for the safety of the arms of mamma, I will inaudibly scream.”

Debbie Allen, Tina Knowles and Kym Whitley were among those who praised Perry’s post in the comments section. Knowles wrote that she, too, struggled with whether to watch but ultimately “was compelled to make myself watch it” and described what she saw as “heartbreaking.”

Davis and Niecy Nash both took to Instagram to share a black square featuring the words written in white, “I’m just trying to get home.” In the caption of their identical posts was a message attributed to MeToo founder Tarana Burke that read, “Sometimes a hope. Sometimes a prayer. Sometimes a frustration. Sometimes a fear. Sometimes impossible.” The posts also added the hashtag #werehereagain.

Timberlake, who was born in Memphis, tweeted that he was heartbroken and angry. “I stand with my hometown and the people of Memphis as we demand justice and accountability,” he wrote.

Questlove shared a number of posts and messages about the incident, including one discouraging people from watching the footage: “For The Love Of God. Torture P*rn Is Not Going To Serve Your Soul.”

W. Kamau Bell was among the social media users making comparisons to police officers beating Rodney King in 1991. “I remember the Rodney King assault,” Bell tweeted. “I remember how many of us thought the footage would change everything, Finally there was ‘proof’. Now there’s footage everyday of police brutalizing us. This footage is in HD & often comes from the police. Nothing changes.”

LeBron James retweeted a message from activist and podcast host Brittany Packnett Cunningham about systemic racism and the fact that all five of the officers from the traffic stop are Black. James added, “Too factual!!!”

These and other reactions, including ones from President Joe Biden, former President Barack Obama, Octavia Spencer and Mark Ruffalo, are below.

This article was originally published by The Hollywood Reporter.

28 Jan 2023

Katy Perry Reflects on ‘Huge’ Mistake of Passing on Opportunity to Work With Billie Eilish

Katy Perry is looking back on some of her past musical regrets.

The 38-year-old American Idol judge revealed in a TikTok video posted by 102.7 KIIS FM on Friday (Jan. 27) that she had once passed on the opportunity to work with Billie Eilish ahead of her 2016 debut single “Ocean Eyes.”

During a Q&A portion of what appeared to be an intimate concert, Perry revealed that someone had “sent me an email one time that [said],’Hey, check out this new artist. I’d really like us to work with her, because she was working with me for Unsub [Records].”

Explore

See latest videos, charts and news

See latest videos, charts and news

The “Dark Horse” singer continued, “It was a song called ‘Ocean Eyes,’ and it was just a blonde girl. And I was like, ‘Meh, boring.’”

With her eyes widening, Perry admitted that passing on the chance to work with Eilish — who was not yet a household name — was a “huge mistake, big mistake.” She then playfully added, “Don’t let this hit the internet.”

Following the release of “Ocean Eyes,” Eilish went on to win seven Grammys, a Golden Globe, and an Oscar. She also has five top 10 hits on the Billboard Hot 100, including chart-topper “Bad Guy.” Eilish earned her second No. 1 album on the Billboard 200 with her sophomore album, Happier Than Ever, in 2021.

Perry and Eilish have since become friends, as shown in Eilish’s Apple TV+ documentary The World’s a Little Blurry. At one point in the film, Perry pulls Eilish aside before the singer’s 2019 Coachella performance and tells her she can call if she ever needs any help understanding the bizarre world of pop stardom.

Watch Perry reveal her “big mistake” of not working with Eilish in the TikTok video below.