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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 showâs ubiquity in the pop culture zeitgeist led to its theme song (The Rembrandtsâ âIâll Be There for Youâ) 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 showâs 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. âIâll be really honest, there was a time for quite a while that just hearing the theme song would reallyâŚâ he explained, letting out a sigh to reflect his exhaustion. âI just had that reaction, I just had heard it so many times.â
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âAnytime you would go on a show, a talk show, or an interview, that would be your intro song. I just didnât have the greatest response to it,â he said.
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Written by Friends producers David Crane and Marta Kauffman, with songwriter Allee Willis and The Rembrandtsâ Danny Wilde and Phil SĹlem, âIâll Be There for Youâ was used as the theme song to the show after R.E.M. had rejected the use of their song âShiny Happy Peopleâ 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 songâs constant presence in pop culture, Schwimmer admits that he didnât manage to change his attitude toward the song until the last few years, when his daughter Cleo began to discover the series.
âAt about age nine, my kid discovered it and started watching it,â he explained. âIâd be making breakfast or whatever, and Iâd hear my kidâs laughter. My whole relationship to that song and that show changed again.â
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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.âI know that the accusations leveled against me may have shaken your confidence in me and that you may rightly have questions about my conduct,â he said. âLet me be clear, although the charges against me were false, I trusted people that I should not have and I regret that.â Adams also said that he was still a Democrat, but this decision would let him âappeal directly to all New Yorkers.â 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 âto understand how we can never allow this to happen to another innocent American.âAdamsâ 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. âIâm in the race to the end. Iâm not running on the Democratic line. Itâs just not realistic to turn around my numbers and to run a good campaign (from) where we are right now,â Adams said. âIt hurts like hell.â According to former Democratic mayoral candidate Ruth Messinger, Adamsâ move isnât surprising. âItâs part of a pattern of Eric focusing on what might be good for Eric,â 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.Â
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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.âI know that the accusations leveled against me may have shaken your confidence in me and that you may rightly have questions about my conduct,â he said. âLet me be clear, although the charges against me were false, I trusted people that I should not have and I regret that.â Adams also said that he was still a Democrat, but this decision would let him âappeal directly to all New Yorkers.â 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 âto understand how we can never allow this to happen to another innocent American.âAdamsâ 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. âIâm in the race to the end. Iâm not running on the Democratic line. Itâs just not realistic to turn around my numbers and to run a good campaign (from) where we are right now,â Adams said. âIt hurts like hell.â According to former Democratic mayoral candidate Ruth Messinger, Adamsâ move isnât surprising. âItâs part of a pattern of Eric focusing on what might be good for Eric,â 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.Â
âI say this all the time to my team, it feels like Iâm in a fan fiction. Like, a fan fiction that I wouldâve written when I was 15,â says Brittany Broski over Zoom. âIt gets more and more ridiculous by the day â in the best of ways.â
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Having just filmed an episode of her hit digital talk show, Royal Court â on which celebrity guests including Charli XCX, Maren Morris, Colman Domingo and more compete for a spot on her âmedieval councilâ â Broskiâs 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: âLeft My Gallbladder In Italyâ). 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 TimothĂŠe Chalamet.Â
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But last month, Broski revealed a new side to the persona her community â fondly known as Broski Nation, which includes her 2 million Instagram followers and 7.6 million TikTok followers â has come to know and love.
On March 20, she shared a reimagined cover of Harry Stylesâ âAdore You,â complete with a stunningly shot live video in which Broski wasnât dressed for court, nor the news â but as a renaissance-inspired pop star.Â
On Friday (April 4), Broski is taking the next step in her musical journey and releasing her debut single, âThe Sun.â The soulful, sultry rock song makes Broskiâs ambitions and vision crystal clear â and proves that sheâs been patiently waiting for this exact moment.
Broski â who co-wrote the song alongside songwriter/producer Luke Niccoli, as well as songwriters SXSSY and Emily Haber â says âThe Sunâ is a perfect way to introduce her music career because of how it represents the sonic universe she set out to create: âethereal, whimsical, but also at the core of it, a fucking stink face bluesy rock song,â she says.Â
âI think life is wasted if you go through it not trying everything,â Broski continues. âItâs been a long time coming, but itâs landed right where itâs supposed toâŚAnd the best is yet to come. Weâve barely scratched the surface.â
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, âIâm an old soul.â I loved music from the â50s and â60s, 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.Â
When I signed with the label during the pandemic and they asked me, âwhatâs the sound?â Iâm like, âwell, itâs Hozier meets Florence [and the Machine] meets Chris Stapleton.â And thatâs kind of what came out in the studio. And it was beautiful because itâs like, âGod, I know myself, bâh.â 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, âHi. I donât know who this emailâs going to, I just found this on Brittanyâs profile. I am such a big fan, and Iâve seen her post videos of herself singing. If this is something that sheâd like to give a chance, let me know.â I was like, âIs this real?â So we got on the call and my A&R Caterina [Nasr] asked me, âWhat would the look be? What would the sound be?â And Iâm like, âIâve got it, babe.â Pinterest board, Canva presentation. Itâs 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 itâs continued to make sense the more that weâve 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.Â
The fact that you do have a show, a podcast, and now youâre releasing music, how does that all fuel you in different ways? Â
The worst thing career-wise and also personal life-wise that I could do right now is say, âfâk all this stuff that Iâve developed, that my fans love, that I love doing. Iâm a singer now.â 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 â and do all of it well. The music isnât eclipsing my other facets of expression or business. Itâs just another plate on the table.Â
What are other benefits or challenges of having millions of followers before you even release your first song? Â
The benefits are plentiful because, in theory, I always say this and Iâm kind of joking, but I could fart into the microphone and thereâd be at least 10 people like, âSheâs so talented. No oneâs doing it like her.â But at the same time, I feel very seen by my audienceâŚand 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 Iâve already given them.Â
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 thatâs a bit unfair, [but] it motivates me even more. Itâs a double-edged sword of people already know you, but people already know you.
Scrolling the Instagram comments of your âAdore Youâ cover, people were shocked.
Right. You donât know this side.Â
How did some fansâ 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 theyâre like onions. You just peel back a layer and there are more underneath. That is so exciting to me about the future; Iâm 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. Thereâs so many tricks in the metaphorical hat that Iâm ready to pull out.Â
Your first taste of original music is âThe Sun.â 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, âI have done all of the work on myself, I am intelligent, funny, successful, beautiful, all these things and itâs taken me years to get there. What do you mean Iâm not good enough? Or, what do you mean Iâm too good for you?â What the fâk are you supposed to do with that? And so it was that frustration that I came into the writerâs room withâŚAnd what we landed on is, I think, the perfect introduction to my original music and what you can expect in the future.Â
How will you celebrate the songâs 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.Â
You mentioned âThe Sunâ offers a taste of what we can expect in the future â what do you have coming?
There is definitely a larger project coming, and I would say all the spoils of a rollout. Itâs 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 Iâve 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. Iâm 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 Alanâs 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 HYBEâs 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, âwill 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,â according to a press release.
The multi-faceted project will live on Chowâs YouTube channel (which boasts more than 88 million subscribers) and âacross multiple platforms that include music, merchandise, live touring, and more,â with the goal to âreimagine the fictional musical act turned real-life global popstar pathway for todayâs generation,â as stated in the release.
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âThe passionate global fanbase of Alanâs Universe partnered with the premier music prowess of HYBE AMERICA creates an unstoppable force,â said Chow in a statement. âTogether, we stand to create a next-generation franchise with one purpose: to serve our fans with inspiring, impactful stories.â
âThis partnership represents entertainmentâs futureâwhere content and music enhance each other rather than simply coexist,â added Shin. âWeâre building a franchise with Alan that establishes a new model for artist development in the digital age.â
Braun added, âAlanâs 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.â
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 OâNeill, BMIâs 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 âGoodness of Godâ written by Ed Cash, Ben Fielding (APRA) and Jason Ingram. Performed by CeCe Winans, the hit logged four weeks at No. 1 on Billboardâs Gospel Airplay chart and reached No. 2 on Hot Gospel Songs. The soulful ballad was Winansâ fourth No. 1 on the Gospel Airplay chart.
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Kirk Franklin and Charles Jenkins tied as BMIâs Gospel Songwriter of the Year for each writing two of the most-performed gospel songs of the previous year. Franklin was honored for âAll Thingsâ and âTry Love,â giving him his fourth Songwriter of the Year award â three for gospel and one for Christian. Jenkins was recognized for his songs âGod Be Praisedâ and âLook at God,â marking the first time heâs received this title. This brings his total of BMI Awards to eight.
BMIâs Gospel Publisher of the Year went to Capitol CMG for having the highest publisher share percentage of the top 25 songs, including BMIâs Gospel Song of the Year, âGoodness of God.â
As a Trailblazer of Gospel Music, Kee was honored for his signature blend of traditional and contemporary gospel music. OâNeill presented Kee with the honor, saluting his âextraordinary contributions that have greatly influenced the gospel genre and deeply touched the community.âÂ
The musical tributes to Kee kicked off with Lena Byrd Miles performing âYes Lord,â followed by Chrystal Ruckerâs performance of âThe Anointing.â The tributes continued with Kelontae Gavin singing âNever Shall Forgetâ and Jekalyn Carr performing âStanding in the Need.â Lisa Knowles-Smith and her children KJ and Ndia paid homage to Kee with renditions of âLily in the Valleyâ and âHeâll Welcome Me.â Vanessa Bell Armstrong followed with âWave It Away,â featuring Donald Lawrence and The Company. Zacardi Cortez ended the tribute with an uplifting performance of âJesus is Real.â
Upon receiving the honor, Kee, known as the âPrince of Gospel,â thanked his family and friends, many of whom were in the room, for their love and support. âEvery time you win an award, I win an award,â he said. âIâm just a proud Uncle John.â He went on to say that he was going to âflip the momentâ by presenting BMIâs Brewton with a Lifetime Achievement Award for her âvision and determination that have paved the way for future generations of women in business.â
The ceremony concluded with Kee singing the opening line to his hit, âNew Lifeâ 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 BMIâs website to see a full list of BMIâs Trailblazers of Gospel Music Award honorees.
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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 âNo Jumper Is Going Brokeâ 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 theyâre 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.
âTo be honest, aside from the lay-offs, Iâm pretty happy about all those changes,â Grandmaison said. âIâve 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. Iâm confident that once we get the building sold, we will be in a pretty solid financial position again as a business.â
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
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A Fulton County judge has declined to revoke Young Thugâs probation after Atlanta prosecutors pushed for his imprisonment over a social media post the rapper made calling a government investigator âthe biggest liar,â according to court documents filed on Thursday (April 3). Though Judge Paige Reese Whitaker decided in the rapperâs favor, in a footnote […]
Jack Black is hosting Saturday Night Live for the fourth time this weekend (April 5), and youâd think heâd be a pro by now. However, in a new promo for the show, the School of Rock star gets a little confused as to what âhostingâ means.
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In the minute-long clip, cast members Ego Nwodim and Ashley Padilla discuss Blackâs odd behavior on set. âI think he thinks hosting SNL is, like, literal hosting,â Nwodim explains. âLike, heâs having people over at his house or something.â
The scene then cuts to various moments in which Black treats studio 8H like his home, demanding that cast member Michael Longfellow take his shoes off before heading to the stage. âSorry, Iâm a stickler,â the comedian says.
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He then repeatedly tells Jane Wickline where the restroom is, offers some more cast members some of his roast for tasting, and makes a call for more ingredients due to the attendance of âmore people than I was expecting.â
The clip then cuts back to Nwodim and Padilla, before Black appears behind them, holding a cooking tray. âOh, great, the asparagus is soggy,â he says before angrily throwing the vegetables in the air. âI am blowing it!â
Blackâs last time hosting was 20 years ago, in December 2005. Joining him in this weekendâs episode are Elton John and Brandi Carlile, who will be appearing as the musical guests.
Watch the promo with John and Carlile below, and catch the full Saturday Night Live episode on April 5 at 11:30 p.m. ET on NBC, before it begins streaming on Peacock.
Celebrating your favorite pop icon never goes out of style, so rock these official and fan-inspired pieces as you gear up for round two of the blonde bombshell’s U.S. tour.Â
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