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English trip-hop outfit Massive Attack have shared their support for Belfast hip-hop trio Kneecap in response the controversy that has followed their pro-Palestinian messaging.
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Massive Attack shared their comments on Instagram on Wednesday (April 30), criticizing the disproportionate amount of condemnation that Kneecap have received when compared to the attention received by pertinent matters in Gaza.
“If senior politicians can find neither the time, nor the words to condemn, say, the murder of fifteen voluntary aid workers in Gaza, or the illegal starvation of a civilian population as a method of warfare, or the killing of thousands & thousands of children in the same territory, by a state in possession of the highest precision weapons on earth; how much notice should a music festival take of their moral advice on booking performing acts?” the band wrote.
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“As a band that has spoken publicly for more than 30 years about the illegal occupation, apartheid system and killing with impunity of thousands of Palestinians, we are hyper aware of the both the human cost of abject political silence, and the commercial implications of publicly expressing solidarity with an oppressed people.”
Kneecap’s overtly political messaging made global headlines following their appearance at the Coachella festival in April, where they projected strong anti-Israel sentiments during their set – sentiments which they had claimed were censored during their first weekend appearance.
“Israel is committing genocide against the Palestinian people,” the projected messages read. “It is being enabled by the U.S. government who arm and fund Israel despite their war crimes. F–k Israel; free Palestine.”
The backlash to Kneecap’s comments were swift and varied, with Sharon Osbourne calling for the band’s work visas to be revoked ahead of another North American tour later in the year, while the trio would soon split with their booking agent, Independent Artist Group.
More recently, Kneecap issued an apology for archival footage which showed the group allegedly calling for the death of British MPs (members of parliament).
Filmed at a London gig in November 2023, it appears to show one member of the band saying: “The only good Tory is a dead Tory. Kill your local MP.” At the time, the Conservative Party – also known as the Tories – were in government with a large majority.
“Language matters of course. The hideous murders of elected politicians Jo Cox and David Amess means there’s no scope for flippancy or recklessness,” Massive Attack continued.
“But do politicians and right-wing journalists strategically concocting moral outrage over the stage utterings of a young punk band, while simultaneously obfuscating or even ignoring a genocide happening in real time (including the killing of journalists in unprecedented numbers) have any right to intimidate festival events into acts of political censorship?
“Kneecap are not the story,” they concluded. “Gaza is the story. Genocide is the story. And the silence, acquiescence and support of those crimes against humanity by the elected British government is the real story. Solidarity with all artists with the moral courage to speak out against Israeli war crimes, and the ongoing persecution and slaughter of the Palestinian people.”
Soon after Massive Attack’s message, London-based independent label Heavenly Recordings also shared a statement which was signed by Massive Attack alongside Fontaines D.C., Pulp, The Pogues, Thin Lizzy, Sleaford Mods, Paul Weller, and myriad others.
“This past week has seen a clear, concerted attempt to censor and ultimately deplatform the band Kneecap,” the statement read. “In Westminster and the British media, senior political figures have been openly engaged in a campaign to remove Kneecap from the public eye, with veiled threats being made over their scheduled performances at gigs, outdoor events and music festivals, including Glastonbury.”
“In a democracy, no political figures or political parties should have the right to dictate who does and does not play at music festivals or gigs that will be enjoyed by thousands of people,” it continued. “The question of agreeing with Kneecap’s political views is irrelevant: it is in the key interests of every artist that all creative expression be protected in a society that values culture, and that this interference campaign is condemned and ridiculed.
“Furthermore, it is also the duty of key leadership figures in the music industry to actively defend artistic freedom of expression — rather than seek to silence views which oppose their own.”
Goldenvoice must pay a $20,000 fine to the City of Indio for going past curfew for several minutes during Travis Scott‘s set during the first weekend of the Coachella Valley Music and Arts festival, according to a statement from city officials. On Saturday, April 12, Scott closed out his headlining set three minutes past 1 […]
Northern Irish hip-hop trio Kneecap have split with their booking agent IAG (Independent Artist Group) following the controversy caused by their recent Coachella performances.
The news was confirmed by an IAG representative to The Hollywood Reporter. The report states that the Belfast group and IAG, which includes Metallica, Billy Joel and 50 Cent on its roster, split between Coachella’s first and second weekends. A spokesperson for Kneecap told Billboard U.K. that they would not be commenting on the split.
During the first weekend, the group claimed that the YouTube stream of their live performance had been cut following anti-Margaret Thatcher and pro-Palestine chants by the group and crowd. Thatcher was the U.K. prime minister between 1979 and 1990, and played a pivotal role during the violent Troubles in Northern Ireland during that span; she died in 2013, aged 87. The group have long expressed support for a united Ireland, and frequently spoken out on the war on Gaza at their shows and in interviews.
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During the band’s second set at Coachella, a projected message stated: “Israel is committing genocide against the Palestinian people. It is being enabled by the U.S. government who arm and fund Israel despite their war crimes. F–k Israel; free Palestine.” The set was not livestreamed on YouTube, but images from the onstage projections were widely shared on social media.
Since the band’s set, they have faced a wave of criticism from industry figures. Sharon Osbourne, wife and manager of husband Ozzy, called for their U.S. work visas to be revoked, saying that “At a time when the world is experiencing significant unrest, music should serve as an escape, not a stage for political discourse.” She also criticised Goldenvoice, Coachella’s organiser alongside AEG, for allowing the band to be booked. A previous report in The Hollywood Reporter said that Goldenvoice was “blindsided” by the messaging.
On Wednesday, London’s Metropolitan Police confirmed they were assessing a video taken of a band member appearing to say “up Hamas, up Hezbollah” at a headline performance in the capital in November. The two militant groups have been ascribed “terrorist group” status by the U.K. Government and expressing support for either is forbidden under the Terrorism Act 2000.
Following the fallout, the group have shared a number of messages on social media from Palestinians thanking them for speaking out. Kneecap member Mo Chara responded to the criticism on Wednesday, telling Rolling Stone that their message is “about [the Israeli government’s] government’s sickening actions, not ordinary people.”
Kneecap released their second studio album Fine Art in June 2024 on Heavenly Recordings. Their 2024 music biopic Kneecap, starring Michael Fassbender, was nominated for two Academy Awards, and in February director Rich Peppiat won a prize for his work on the film at the BAFTAs (British Academy Film Awards). The group will play a number of shows in Europe this summer including at Primavera Sound in Barcelona, Spain and Glastonbury Festival in England. They will return to North American for a headline tour in October.
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In the heart of Palm Springs, the Coachella Valley Music and Arts festival came and went with a bang, from Lady Gaga‘s extravagant “Mayhem In the Desert” set, to Charli XCX‘s electrifying Brat performance with surprise guests. But this year marks a significant shift for concert culture as the music festival brings in Loop Earplugs as its first official earplug partner.
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The collaboration also delivers a limited-edition Loop x Coachella Experience 2 Earplugs that quickly became a go-to accessory for many in attendance.
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As the growing awareness of hearing health continues to rise, this partnership encourages users to tear up the dance floor without tearing up their eardrums in the process. With 17 decibels(SNR) of filtered noise reduction, the earplugs, which were sold at both Coachella weekends, ensures clear sound while protecting ears.
Adventuring to the Sahara, Yuma, and Sonora stages, which typically offer lineups of electronic dance music, the Loop earplugs shine when blocking out pounding subwoofers, so you can enjoy the music without sacrificing sound quality or risking hearing damage. Conversations may be muffled with them on, but when a Chase & Status set is happening, who’s is trying to talk?
“The Loop experience is actually made to reduce noise, but not distort it, so that you’re protected and also you’re still in the music, in the festival, in the atmosphere,” Loop co-founder Maarten Bodewes tells Billboard. “Loop started as a way for us to keep enjoying live music experiences without the negative side effects. It’s incredibly rewarding to have Coachella join us on that journey, making hearing protection a more natural, welcome and intrinsic part of live music culture.”
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Loop x Coachella Experience 2 Earplugs
The days of carrot stick-esque foam earplugs that fall out in seconds are over. The limited-edition Loop x Coachella Experience 2 Earplugs provide as much design aesthetic as they do functionally. Inspired by the festivals desert location, the earplugs feature a modern gradient design mixing sky blue and sunset orange for a dusk till dawn aesthetic. They come with multiple sized tips so they stay snug in your ear during any activity the day brings, as well as a matching Loop x Coachella Carry Case and an optional Link connector cord. There is a bit of a learning curve to get them to sit properly in your ear, but after some minor adjustments they fell pretty comfortable for long-term uses.
“From a design perspective, we looked at like what is typical about Coachella,” says Bodewes. “It’s in the desert. It goes from dusk till dawn, and if you look at the color of dusk, it’s more the bluish hue, and dusk is more of a orange hue. So we tried to make it from dusk till dawn.”
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Loop x Coachella Link
As Coachella kicks off the 2025 festival season, Loop is leading the charge in this new era of specially designed hearing protection and quickly becoming a go-to essential for concert goers. Its sleek design, resembling daith piercings, sets it apart from typical earplugs on the market, and adds a element of stylish fun for vibrant festival looks. With an affordable price point, the Loop x Coachella Experience 2 earplugs are a game-changer for live music.
The Loop x Coachella Experience 2 earplugs ($39.95 USD), as well as the duo’s link connector ($29.95 USD), are now available on Loop’s site here.
Northern Irish hip-hop group Kneecap have responded to calls from Sharon Osbourne to have their U.S. work visas revoked following their airing of anti-Israel messages during the trio’s second Coachella weekend appearance. In an email to Rolling Stone, group member Mo Chara (born Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh) said that the messaging was in keeping with their career-long views on Palestine.
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He said the group have talked about Palestine “at every single gig since the band’s formation, long before [the deadly Hamas attack on Israeli civilians] October 2023 as the oppression and brutal occupation of Palestine has been ongoing for 77 years.”
Kneecap claim that their anti-Israel messages were censored on the livestream of their set during the first weekend of Coachella, but at the end of their show last Friday (April 18) they closed by projecting the phrases: “Israel is committing genocide against the Palestinian people… It is being enabled by the U.S. government who arm and fund Israel despite their war crimes. F–k Israel; free Palestine.” The audience then reportedly broke into a “Free Palestine” chant.
“Not the only thing that was cut – our messaging on the US-backed genocide in Gaza somehow never appeared on screens either,” Kneecap wrote on their social feeds in response to reports about the first weekend feed cut. “Back next Friday Coachella and it’ll be sorted,” they promised before the controversial second weekend set.
“We believe we have an obligation to use our platform when we can to raise the issue of Palestine, and it was important for us to speak out at Coachella as the USA is the main funder and supplier of weapons to Israel as they commit genocide in Gaza,” Chara told RS. “As I said from the stage, ‘The U.S. government could stop the genocide tomorrow.’ It’s important that young Americans hear and know it.”
He added that the band didn’t initially realize their political statements were not viewed when the YouTube livestream was cut off. “We only heard about it the next day and haven’t heard from anyone officially,” he said. “It’s not surprising, large companies don’t like to hear the truth unless it suits their narrative and pocket.”
Chara said the “Free Palestine” chant is something that “happens at all of our gigs from Spain to Scotland and Ireland to Iceland because people know what’s happening is wrong and are angry about it. The crowd chanting ‘Free Palestine’ at Coachella was a message of solidarity to the people of Gaza from regular Americans who want to see an end to the genocide, despite their government’s arming and funding Israel.”
According to The Hollywood Reporter, insiders claimed Goldenvoice CEO Paul Tollett was “blindsided” by Kneecap’s actions. In lengthy note condemning Kneecap’s actions, Osbourne decried what she called the politicization of Coachella, saying that this year’s shows will be remembered “as a festival that compromised its moral and spiritual integrity… Goldenvoice, the festival organizer, facilitated this by allowing artists to use the Coachella stage as a platform for political expression,” she said of the event, where a number of other acts, including Green Day, Bob Vylan and Blonde Redhead, respectively, altered lyrics to reflect the plight of Palestinian children and displayed Palestinian flags on stage. “At a time when the world is experiencing significant unrest, music should serve as an escape, not a stage for political discourse,” Osbourne said.
“While festivals like Coachella showcase remarkable talent from around the globe, music’s primary purpose is to unite people. It should not be a venue for promoting terrorist organizations or spreading hate,” London-born Osbourne added, ending with a call for the “revocation of Kneecap’s work visa.”
“As someone with both Irish Catholic on my Mothers side and Ashkenazi Jewish heritage on my Fathers side, and extensive experience in the music industry, I understand the complexities involved,” Osbourne, who has managed husband Ozzy Osbourne for more than 45 years, added. “Goldenvoice’s claim of being ‘blindsided’ by Kneecap’s performance seems implausible given the circumstances. I know for a fact that certain people in the industry had written to Goldenvoice, airing their concerns around the booking of Kneecap.”
In the wake of Hamas unprovoked attack on Israeli citizen on Oct. 7, 2023 in which nearly 1,200 mostly civilian Israelis were killed and nearly 250 were taken hostage, Israel has waged a devastating war against the militant group in the Gaza Strip and West Bank in which a reported 50,000 people have been killed and most of the territories’ infrastructure has been decimated. One of the most devastating attacks on Oct. 7 was a raid on the EDM Nova Music Festival celebrating the Jewish holiday of Sukkot, where Hamas militants killed 364 civilians, as well as wounding and sexually assaulting scores more.
Kneecap’s actions at Coachella are in keeping with what has been described as a long-held solidarity between the people of Northern Ireland and Palestinians based on the 800-year British occupation of Ireland that lasted until 1921.
Organizers of the Nova Festival have invited Kneecap to view the Nova Oct. 7 6:29 a.m. – The Moment Music Stood Still: The Nova Music Festival Exhibition in Los Angeles — a chronicle of the Hamas attack on the music fest brought to the U.S. by HYBE America CEO and former Justin Bieber manager Scooter Braun — to “experience firsthand the stories of those who were murdered, those who survived, and those who are still being held hostage,” according to RS, which reported that Chara did not respond to questions about whether they’d accept that offer.
The call from Osbourne to have Kneecap’s visas revoked for their anti-Israel sloganeering comes as the Trump administration has been targeting universities for defunding and revoking the visas and/or deporting students who it says participated in protests against Israel’s war in Gaza.
Kneecap, which also features members Naoise Ó Cairealláin (stage name Móglaí Bap) and JJ Ó Dochartaigh (stage name DJ Próvaí), are slated to launch their largest North American tour to date in October.
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Source: Kevin Mazur / Getty / Megan Thee Stallion / Queen Latifah
Megan Thee Stallion is gearing up for another hot girl summer, kicking things off with her Coachella performance these past two weekends. During night one, living legend Queen Latifah was one of her many guests during her headlining set, and the two linked up offstage.
The Houston megastar delivered a phenomenal Coachella performance, which also featured appearances from Ciara and Victoria Monet, who elicited the most enthusiastic reactions from the fans.
“Thank you to everyone who came out to watch my team show out at @coachella ! Thank you to all my dancers and JaQuel 💙” wrote in the caption of her Instagram post. “yall are so amazing and are always so supportive and I appreciate yall for pushing me and motivating me ! Thank you to all my ladies @queenlatifah @courtneylaplante @ciara @victoriamonet that came out and shared the stage with me YALL ARE ICONS and made this experience so much more amazing for me thank you 1000 times !!! Love you hotties.”
The Trio We Didn’t Know We Needed
After ripping the stage together, Megan Thee Stallion joined Queen Latifah and her wife, Eboni Nichols, and they decided to enjoy some fine dining, including escargot, also known as snails.
“So me, Queen, and Eb is at dinner and b***h, and we’re about to try some sh*t we ain’t never ate before,” the “Hiss” crafter begins in the video.
Before embarking on their escargot journey, Thee Stallion boasted about her oyster seasoning skills after a friendly competition between herself and Nichols, saying they will battle for the title of “Best Oyster Maker.”
Next on the menu for Supreme Hot Girl was caviar with bread which seemed to be hit based on her joyful reaction. The final treat was steamed escargot paired with bread.
“I don’t know about this,” she said as she picked up the delicacy with her fork.
To top things off, she also got a lesson on how to eat mussels from the Queen herself, who warned her that if the shell doesn’t open by itself, don’t eat it.
The Hotties Loved To See It
The Hotties loved the candid moment between Megan Thee Stallion and Queen Latifah.
“I love this. Meg deserves to be surrounded by vets in the game who will uplift her and build solid healthy friendship/peer mentorship. A lot of the OG Women rappers like Queen, Missy, Brat, Eve and Kim have solid friendships with one another, “one post on X, formerly Twitter read.
Another post read, “A group I didn’t know I needed lol.”
Same sis, same.
You can see more reactions in the gallery below.
5. Very true
6. Not a “warm welcoming lesbian,” bruh.
Sharon Osbourne has shared her disdain of Northern Irish hip-hop trio Kneecap and the outspoken messaging present in their recent Coachella set, going so far as to call for the revocation of their work visas.
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Osbourne shared her comments on social media on Tuesday (April 22), days after Kneecap played the second weekend of the Coachella festival. The Friday (April 18) performance drew recognition for the band’s use of strong anti-Israel sentiments during their set – sentiments which they had claimed were censored during their first weekend appearance.
“Israel is committing genocide against the Palestinian people,” the projected messages read. “It is being enabled by the U.S. government who arm and fund Israel despite their war crimes. F–k Israel; free Palestine.”
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These messages weren’t the only pro-Palestinian sentiments shared during the 2025 edition of the festival. Notably, Green Day altered lyrics to reflect the plight of Palestinian children, while names such as Bob Vylan and Blonde Redhead displayed Palestinian flags during their sets. In the case of the latter, the onstage event was soundtracked by audio of Mahmoud Khalil – the detained Columbia University graduate student currently being held in an immigration detention center following his role in on-campus protests.
However, Osbourne shared a lengthy response to the apparent politicisation of Coachella, noting that this year’s edition will be remembered “as a festival that compromised its moral and spiritual integrity.”
“Goldenvoice, the festival organizer, facilitated this by allowing artists to use the Coachella stage as a platform for political expression,” she wrote. “At a time when the world is experiencing significant unrest, music should serve as an escape, not a stage for political discourse.
“While festivals like Coachella showcase remarkable talent from around the globe, music’s primary purpose is to unite people. It should not be a venue for promoting terrorist organizations or spreading hate.”
As Osbourne continued, she noted that despite being a fan of Saturday headliners Green Day, she felt that their own views of events in the Middle East would have been more appropriate if shared “at their own concert, not at a festival.” Kneecap’s sentiments, however, were deemed so egregious that she closed by asking supporters to join in her “advocating for the revocation of Kneecap’s work visa.”
“Kneecap, an Irish rap group, took their performance to a different level by incorporating aggressive political statements,” Osbourne wrote. “Their actions included projections of anti-Israel messages and hate speech, and this band openly support terrorist organizations.
“This behavior raises concerns about the appropriateness of their participation in such a festival and further shows they are booked to play in the USA. Reports indicate that Goldenvoice was unaware of Kneecap’s political intentions when they were booked. However, after witnessing their performance during the first weekend, allowing them to perform again the following weekend suggests support of their rhetoric and a lack of due diligence.”
In the wake of Kneecap’s performance, Goldenvoice CEO Paul Tollett reportedly claimed he was “blindsided” by the band’s actions. While HYBE America CEO and former talent manager Scooter Braun – who previously staged exhibits in Los Angeles and Israel about the October 7, 2023 attacks in Israel – defended Tollett, Osbourne expressed disbelief that anyone who attended exhibits such as Braun’s could book an artist such as Kneecap for the festival.
“Furthermore, the Independent Artists Group, which represents Kneecap, includes individuals of Jewish heritage,” she continued. “It is disheartening that they have not used their positions to prevent the promotion of such controversial messages. Shame on them.
“As someone with both Irish Catholic on my Mothers side and Ashkenazi Jewish heritage on my Fathers side, and extensive experience in the music industry, I understand the complexities involved,” she added. “Goldenvoice’s claim of being ‘blindsided’ by Kneecap’s performance seems implausible given the circumstances. I know for a fact that certain people in the industry had written to Goldenvoice, airing their concerns around the booking of Kneecap.”
For their part, Kneecap have not responded directly to the criticism of their messaging, instead sharing examples of the myriad supportive messages they have received in the wake of their Coachella sets. The group will return to North America in October for another run of live dates.
Coachella 2025 will likely be considered one of the most political editions of the longstanding festival, with a flurry of artists using their onstage platforms to make statements on topics including Palestine, ICE, the Trump administration and more.
Nicolas Jaar of psych jam act Darkside used the trio’s Saturday night performances in the Gobi tent to address the audience about a myriad of issues, primarily Palestine. Jaar began his statement by acknowledging that Southern California is the ancestral home of various Native American tribes, with many of these people killed in the mass murders of Native Americans that occurred in the 16th, 17th, 18th and 19th centuries.
“Here were committed the genocides that are the blueprint for what’s happening in Palestine right now, the same racist logic,” Jaar stated during the band’s weekend 1 show, on April 12. “We must continue resisting, even from the belly of the beast, because this genocide is funded by American money, with technology from Silicon Valley, thanks to the complicity of all the politicians in this country.”
Jaar continued by referencing Mahmoud Khalil – the detained Columbia University graduate student currently being held in an immigration detention center following his role in on-campus protests.
“I also want to say that today, these days, as some of you may know, just protesting a genocide that is happening means that you can get deported, like Mahmoud Khalil. That doesn’t feel right. Mahmoud and many others are in ICE detention jails. These jails are run for profit by groups like CoreCivic and The GEO Group. They make money off of keeping people in cells. We need to keep fighting them. For the sake of everyone there stuck without trial, and with no hope, we need to give hope. Thank you, everyone.”
Jaar delivered a slightly different version of the same statement during the band’s weekend 2 performance on Saturday, April 19, stating that, “We’ve been on tour for about a month and a half, and during this month and a half, the administration of this country has been deporting people for their political views, they have been locking people up in ICE detention jails. The prisoner count of this country keeps on being the highest in the entire world. There’s more people locked up in California than at Coachella right now, and this country keeps on arming and funding, also with tech and Silicon Valley, the genocide of the Palestinian people and arming and funding Israel’s system of apartheid and ethnic cleansing.
“But the problem doesn’t stop at this administration and the administration of that country,” he continued. “It’s much deeper than that… It’s based off a system of racism, of ethnic cleansing both here in these lands, and also there. And there’s no way to continue in this planet without the empires falling as soon as possible. In all ways possible. A lot of people tell us to shut up and just play the music, but for us, music is being together, and how can we be together if our brothers and sisters are locked up and our brothers and sisters are literally burning in their homes?”
Elsewhere at the festival’s second weekend, Northern Irish hip-hop group Kneecap ended their performance with strong anti-Israel sentiments. On Friday (April 18), the Belfast trio closed their show by projecting strong messaging in support of Palestinians on their video screens. “Israel is committing genocide against the Palestinian people,” the projected messages read. “It is being enabled by the U.S. government who arm and fund Israel despite their war crimes. F— Israel; free Palestine.” This display came a week after the band claimed Coachella censored the pro-Palestinian messaging during their debut at the event.
On the main stage, headliners Green Day also changed the lyrics of “American Idiot” to state “I’m not part of the MAGA agenda.” Other artists including Bob Vylan and Blonde Redhead displayed Palestinian flags during their sets. During the performance by this latter artists, the onstage event was soundtracked by audio of Khalil. Senator Bernie Sanders also appeared onstage during Clairo’s weekend 1 performance and urged festivalgoers to “stand up and fight for justice.”
Post Malone brought out both Jelly Roll and Ed Sheeran for his Coachella-ending set on Sunday night. As captured in clips posted by fans who were in the desert, the “Rockstar” singer first welcomed the country star for a live rendition of their 2024 F-1 Trillion collaboration “Losers.” After Posty delivered the first verse and […]
Tyla caused quite the uproar online after denying claims that her Coachella outfit was inspired by Britney Spears‘ iconic 2001 MTV VMAs look. Her stylist Katie Qian said on Instagram Sunday (April 20), two days after Tyla’s Coachella performance, that she sourced “archive and custom Dolce Gabbana” for the star’s weekend two ensemble, including a […]