Music News

02 Dec 2022

Machine Gun Kelly and Megan Fox Team Up For Sexy Nail Polish Photoshoot

Megan Fox and Machine Gun Kelly have never shied away from a little PDA. But in their new ad campaign for the actress’ Play With Fire nail polish kit collab with her fianceé’s UN/DN LAQR nail brand, they get entangled to celebrate some vibrant colors inspired by Megan’s favorite crystals and gemstones.

In one of the snaps, Fox’s emerald green nails grip the back of MGK’s neck as he lays his hands — in a bright blue shade — over hers. In the second pic, she stares at the side of Colson’s neck while cradling his throat with her right hand.

“I know you. I have known you so many times, in so many different forms, in so many different lives,” reads a tagline for the collection which includes six hues, including: Past Life (bright Lapus Lazuli blue), Brutal Honesty (malachite green), Twin Flame (ruby red), Deep Breath (shattered “glass” iridescent effect), Third Eye (lilac purple) and Nothing Matt(er)s (matt top coat).

“The collection is themed around some of my favorite crystals and gemstones, I love wearing jewel tones as they play well against my natural coloring,” Fox told Allure about the range of colors that also reflect the natural world and changing seasons. “Winter is a time for all types of ‘hibernation’ or turning inward; we see this with animals as well as plants during this season. This is a waning (withdrawing) time, not a waxing (growing) time.”

In an accompanying video set to MGK’s “Sid & Nancy” Fox gets her nails done as she lays in bed and the couple hit a number of red carpets while the actress strikes a series of seductive poses while showing off some of her Fire colors.

Check out the images from the campaign below.

02 Dec 2022

Britney Spears-Inspired Musical ‘Once Upon a One More Time’ Sets Broadway Run for June 2023

Britney Spears’ biggest hits are getting a fairy-tale makeover with the arrival of Once Upon a One More Time on Broadway.

Produced by Tony winners James L. Nederlander and Hunter Arnold, the musical comedy will open at the Marquis Theatre on June 23 following previews, which begin May 13. Directed and choreographed by Keone and Mari Madrid (Beyond Babel, Karate Kid), the show combines classic storybook characters — think Cinderella, Snow White, Little Mermaid and more — with hits from Spears’ extensive, award-winning music catalog.

The show is billed as being inspired by music performed and recorded by Spears, who is otherwise not known to be involved. According to a rep for the production, all of the musical compositions in the show are licensed through their publishers with the approval of the songwriters. The Hollywood Reporter has reached out to a lawyer for Spears for comment.

Described as a revisionist fairy tale, Once Upon a One More Time is a “musical adventure about claiming your own happily ever after,” according to the production. Singles like “Oops I Did It Again,” “Lucky,” “Circus” and “Toxic” serve as the soundtrack to a fairy-tale book club upended by a rogue fairy godmother, who decides to drop The Feminine Mystique into the laps of women who have known little else outside of “bird-made dresses and true love’s kiss.”

With an original story written by Jon Hartmere (Bare, The Upside), the production’s creative team includes David Leveaux (Nine, Romeo and Juliet) as a creative consultant, scenic designer Anna Fleischle (Hangmen, Everybody’s Talking About Jamie), costume and hair designer Loren Elstein (Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead), lighting designer Kenneth Posner (Wicked, Beetlejuice), sound designer Andrew Keister (KPOP, On Your Feet!) and projection designer Sven Ortel (Newsies).

The show was originally slated for a pre-Broadway run in Chicago in 2019 at the James M. Nederlander Theatre, but delayed its opening to spring 2020. In March, the pandemic shut down theaters across the country, with producers deciding to cancel the show’s Chicago engagement.

Once Upon a One More Time would make its world premiere in December 2021 at Washington D.C.’s Shakespeare Theatre Company, where it eventually extended its limited engagement from Jan. 3 to 9 due to demand.

Spears, who is not credited as part of the creative or producer team, was present for an early reading in 2019, according to The Washington Post. Ahead of the musical’s abandoned Chicago run, during which Spears was still in her now-ended 13-year conservatorship, Playbill reported that the pop icon called the production “a dream come true for me.”

“I’m so excited to have a musical with my songs — especially one that takes place in such a magical world filled with characters that I grew up on, who I love and adore,” she continued in a statement at the time.

Before the musical’s D.C. run in 2021, Hartmere said he was “given access to all of Spears’ songs,” according to an interview with the Post. “The only thing I was told was that she loves fairies,” he said of Spears. “And I was like, ‘That’s it, that’s what we’ve got to go on.’”

“I knew the songs that everybody else knew,” he added. “I didn’t know the deep cuts. She literally has a song [called] ‘Cinderella.’ I was like, ‘All right, I have to do this.’”

The news comes on the pop icon’s 41st birthday.

This story was originally published by The Hollywood Reporter.

02 Dec 2022

SZA Is Worried About Bowen Yang in ‘SNL’ Promo Where He Calls Her ‘Scissors’

Bowen Yang just can’t get it straight in this week’s Saturday Night Live promo featuring SZA and host Keke Palmer. “Hi, I’m Keke Palmer and I’m hosting Saturday Night Live this week with musical guest SZA,” Nope star Palmer says in the first video bit.

“And I’m Brown Yang and we’re gonna have such a… did i just say ‘Brown Yang?’,” an embarrassed Yang asks this week’s guests as they laugh nervously. “I can’t even read my own name. Sorry Guys! I am Bowen Young and we’re gonna… oh my God. Brown Yung! What’s happening right now?,” a melting down Yang stammers.

“Are you okay Bowen?,” a concerned Palmer asks. He assures her he’s totally fine and repeats his first name as evidence, before inexplicably calling himself “Cohen Yang” and then insisting that he’s Bravo star Andy Cohen and then, once again Brown Yung. “I’m worried about you Bowen,” SZA says before he refers to her as “Scissors” and says he’s going to take a long nap before tomorrow night’s (Dec. 3) show.

In a second promo, a recovered Yang promises that the episode is going to be epic, clapping out every syllable, a tactic Palmer then employs to ask where the bathroom is. In an earlier video, Palmer revealed that she’s an “octuple threat,” busting out her singing, acting and dancing chops before adding that she’s also a beekeeper, painter, magician and fitted sheet folder; she’s also admittedly bad at math.

The clip dropped a day after SZA shared the cover art for her upcoming S.O.S. album, which does not yet have an official release date. Donning a football jersey with S.O.S stitched on the sleeve, SZA sits on the edge of a diving board planted over a large body of water in the image.

Earlier this month, SZA released her newest single, “Shirt,” which debuted at No. 11 on the Billboard Hot 100. Along with doling out another high-charting single, SZA recently covered Billboard’s R&B/Hip-Hop Power Players issue. In the cover story, she questioned her longevity in music and where she sees her career going forward.

Watch this week’s SNL promo below.

02 Dec 2022

Toby Keith Gives Promising Update After Stomach Cancer Battle: ‘We’ll Look at Something Good in the Future’

Toby Keith is opening up about his battle with stomach cancer in a new interview with the CMT Hot 20 Countdown. The 61-year-old country legend revealed earlier this summer that he was taking a break from music to undergo chemotherapy, radiation and surgery after getting a stomach cancer diagnosis in the fall of 2021.

“I’m thinkin’ about getting back in fighting shape,” Keith said in a preview of the interview posted earlier this week. “I need a little bit of time to rest up, heal up… it’s pretty debilitating to have to go through all that. But as long as everything stays hunky dory then we’ll look at something good in the future. The full interview will air on Saturday (Dec. 3) at 9 a.m. ET.

“Last fall I was diagnosed with stomach cancer,” Keith tweeted in June. “I’ve spent the last 6 months receiving chemo, radiation and surgery. So far, so good. I need time to breathe, recover and relax. I am looking forward to spending time with my family. But I will see the fans sooner than later. I can’t wait.”

Keith cancelled some dates as a result of the diagnosis, then made a surprise appearance at Jeff Ruby’s Steakhouse in Lexington, Kentucky in early November, where owner Ruby said he performed songs including his 2003 hit “I Love This Bar”; it was Keith first performance since revealing his cancer diagnosis.

Ruby also shared a photo of himself with Keith, saying, “Grateful for my good friend Toby Keith! Rocking our Lexington stage after a year of kicking cancer’s a–!”

Watch an excerpt from Keith’s interview below.

02 Dec 2022

Watch BTS‘ RM Recreate NPR ’Tiny Desk’ Studio For Intimate 3-Song Set

Dedicated ARMY veterans will likely be dissecting the set of RM’s NPR Tiny Desk concert for the rest of the month. To celebrate the release of his solo album, Indigo, the BTS rapper born Kim Nam-joon recreated an amazingly detailed replica of the Washington, D.C.-based Tiny Desk office set in South Korea, complete with shelves packed with tasty Easter eggs.

But the focus, of course, was on the vocals, which the 29-year-old star delivered on with ease, beginning with the jazzy opening track of his three-song set, “seoul.” The chilled-out bilingual song from RM’s 2018 mono mixtape set a mellow mood for the 18-minute mini-show, complete with warm keyboards and restrained beats from drummer JK Kim.

After the opening track, RM said it was about his second home town in South Korea, before introducing his band and noting that the album version of the opening track from Indigo, “Yun,” features R&B legend Erykah Badu, who, unfortunately, could not make it to Seoul for the session. RM also explained that it was inspired by Korean painter Yun Hyong-keun, who, “was always saying that you should firstly be a human before you do some art or do something, so this song is inspired by his lifelong message,” he said, adding that one of the artist’s images is on the Indigo cover.

While the band played the slow-rolling soul rap tune, Badu’s recorded vocals floated above the chorus as RM dropped his mashed-up English/Korean bars over the loungey arrangement. “F–k the trendsetter/ I’mma turn back the time/ Back the time, far to when I was nine,” he rapped before seamlessly slipping into Korean for the rest of the first verse.

RM said that though he’s been doing music for 15 years — 10 of them with BTS — Indigo is his first official full-length solo album. “I went all the way just to release these 10 tracks and 10 colors out of my soul and out of my ego,” he said of the album that dropped on Friday (Dec. 2) in the midst of BTS’ open-ended group hiatus.

“This time I finally could show the world what’s really inside me and what I wanted to do,” he added of the collection he’s been working on since 2019 with the band, which also featured Jaeshin Park on bass and DOCSKIM on keyboards.

For the final track, RM slid into Indigo‘s funky second track, “Still Life,” which he said was inspired by a visit to a “random” museum where he saw lots of paintings from the 19th century with that title, giving him the idea to write a song about his life being like a canvas on which he exhibits himself to the whole world. The soul clap tune was the perfect excuse to bust out some of BTS’ signature coordinated dance moves, but given the setting, RM had to make do with dropping his emphatic verses from an office chair as the band swirled up some sinuous grooves behind him.

Watch RM’s Tiny Desk concert below.

02 Dec 2022

Start Me Up: Rolling Stones’ 60th Anniversary Minted With Collectible Coin

They want money — that’s what they want, that’s what they want. Well, now the Rolling Stones can say they’re also ON money, the face of a new collectible coin issued by Britain’s Royal Mint to celebrate the band’s 60th anniversary.

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The new £5 ($6.04) coin features a silhouette image of the iconic band performing — frontman Mick Jagger, guitarists Keith Richards and Ronnie Wood, and the late drummer Charlie Watts — as well as the band’s name in what is described as their classic 1973 font. The mint said it was one of the last coins of the year to be released bearing the image of Queen Elizabeth II, who died in September at age 96.

The Rolling Stones were back on the road this year with their 2022 European Sixty tour, ending in Berlin in August.

“We are delighted to be honored by way of an official UK coin,” the band said in a statement included in the Royal Mint’s announcement. “Even more significant that the release coincides with our 60th anniversary.”

The new coin is the fifth in the mint’s “Music Legends’” series, which celebrates legendary British artists. Others so honored have been Queen, Elton John, David Bowie, and The Who.

While the best things in life are free, as the Stones sang in their cover of the Motown hit “Money (That’s What I Want),” the coins will cost something. Similar coins on the mint’s website from the Music Legends series range from 15 pounds ($18.12) to 465 pounds ($561.92).

02 Dec 2022

Elon Musk Confirms Kanye West’s Twitter Account Suspended After Posting Swastika

Kanye “Ye” West has been suspended from Twitter, the suspension coming after the rapper had tweeted a now-deleted post featuring a swastika on Thursday (Dec. 1) evening.

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After a chaotic day that saw Ye appear on Alex Jones’ Infowars show and repeatedly say he liked Adolf Hitler, the rapper posted a series of controversial tweets, including supposed text messages between himself and Twitter CEO Elon Musk. Among the tweets, which included praise and support for Balenciaga following the recent backlash against the company, Ye posted a picture of a swastika merged with a Star of David. Twitter deleted the offending post and Ye’s tweet storm came to an abrupt end.

Suspecting he may get suspended, Ye also tweeted an unflattering picture of Musk being hosed by Endeavor CEO Ari Emanuel on a yacht. Emanuel had previously called for a Hollywood-led boycott of Ye after he made a series of antisemitic comments that ultimately led to brands such as Adidas and Balenciaga cutting their ties with the rapper.

On Truth Social, Ye’s verified account posted another picture of his text interaction with Musk as well as a screenshot showing that he was locked out of his account for 12 hours.

Musk, a self-described free speech absolutist, confirmed that Ye had been suspended, first replying “This is fine” to the unflattering picture, but “this is not” to the now deleted swastika tweet.

After a Twitter user tweeted at Musk to “fix Kanye please,” the CEO replied, “I tried my best. Despite that, he again violated our rule against incitement to violence. Account will be suspended.”

In a further reply, Musk tweeted, “Just clarifying that his account is being suspended for incitement to violence, not an unflattering pic of me being hosed by Ari. Frankly, I found those pics to be helpful motivation to lose weight!”

Doubling down, Musk tweeted the acronym “FAFO” which means f*** around and find out.

The Hollywood Reporter reached out to a Twitter rep for comment, but that employee no longer works at the company.

Ye was only recently reinstated to Twitter, following Musk’s $44 billion takeover of the company and pledge to rescind suspensions to prominent accounts including the rapper, former President Donald Trump and Jordan Peterson. In October, Ye’s initial suspension came after he tweeted that he was going to go “death con 3 On JEWISH PEOPLE.”

“I’m a bit sleepy tonight but when I wake up I’m going death con 3 On JEWISH PEOPLE,” he wrote. “The funny thing is I actually can’t be Anti Semitic because black people are actually Jew also You guys have toyed with me and tried to black ball anyone whoever opposes your agenda.”

This article originally appeared in THR.com.

01 Dec 2022

RM Finds Peace in ‘Wild Flower’ Music Video

RM’s debut solo album, Indigo, officially arrived on Friday (Dec. 2), and the BTS rapper celebrated his next musical chapter by sharing the lead single, “Wild Flower,” and its accompanying music video.

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“Wild Flower” — which features South Korean rock singer youjeen — has atmospheric drum and synth beats and, as the title suggests, the music video follows a serene, natural theme. In general, RM revealed that his debut solo album was highly inspired by the world around him. “Record of RM: Indigo. From the colors of nature, human, etc. Documentation of my youth in the moment of independent phase. Sun-bleached record faded like old jeans. The last archive of my twenties,” the star teased in a preview video shared on Nov. 22.

Though Indigo is RM’s first full-length solo album, the rapper previously unveiled two mixtapes, his 2015 self-titled mixtape and 2018’s Mono. Watch the “Wild Flower” music video below.

“Indigo recounts the stories and experiences RM has gone through, like a diary,” reads a press release revealed ahead of the album release, promising to “present a different charm” to the South Korean rapper.

Directed by Woogie Kim, “Wild Flower” can be viewed in full below.

01 Dec 2022

K-Pop Stars HyunA & Dawn Announce Breakup After Six Years Together

One of K-pop’s most famous love stories ended after HyunA and Dawn shared that they had broken up after six years of dating but remain friendly.

On Nov. 30, HyunA shared a post on Instagram announcing the breakup. The starlet shared that the couple broke up but decided to remain good friends and colleagues moving forward. HyunA thanked fans for their support.

Dawn followed up with his own statement on Instagram to denounce a comment meant to look like it was written by the singer-rapper and former boy band member insinuating his ex was meeting other men and hiding other secrets about her past. The 28-year-old shared that he would be taking legal action against the original person who spread the rumor and those sharing the information. Dawn also doubled down on his affection for HyunA, saying she remains precious to him and an artist he loves despite the breakup.

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After beginning to secretly date when HyunA and Dawn were first recording as part of the K-pop trio Triple H (alongside Dawn’s former bandmate Hui) in 2016, the couple’s rumored relationship broke through local Korean media in August 2018. Both artists’ label management at the time, Cube Entertainment, denied the news. Still, HyunA and Dawn met with the Korean news agency Yonhap, without their label’s consent, to confirm their relationship of more than two years. In response, Cube canceled the surrounding promotion around a new Triple H album and terminated the artists’ contracts by September. The string of events garnered international news coverage, with many fans divided about the artists’ and label’s decisions in handling the news, alongside a sea of social-media support behind the K-pop stars standing up for their relationship.

By 2019, HyunA and Dawn both signed as new artists to PSY‘s recently launched P NATION label. PSY told Billboard that year how HyunA was vital in getting Dawn a deal with the label. The “Gangnam Style” singer also laughed when describing the “strange” couple, sharing how “they dance together, they write songs together, and they compete with each other… it’s very creative.”

Under P NATION, HyunA returned to the top of the charts with multiple EPs, along with the hit single “I’m Not Cool,” while Dawn released his first solo songs including “Money” and “Dawndididawn.” Under their new label, the two broke new ground in the K-pop industry in 2021 by releasing a joint EP under the name “HyunA&Dawn” with the single “Ping Pong”; its music video boasts more than 110 million views to date. The couple was said to be engaged when they showed off matching rings on an Instagram post in February this year, where Dawn commented, “MARRY ME.” HyunA wrote, “Of course, it’s a yes,” in a post now deleted from her account.

Dating is typically considered taboo in the K-pop industry, with some artists contractually required to refrain from dating. While relationships going public have rocked some K-pop careers, the attitude around these couples appears to be slowly changing from the fan, artist and management level. Industry leaders like HYBE and YG Entertainment have recently refused to comment on relationship rumors between their artists, citing the singer’s private lives. At the same time, HyunA and Dawn booked magazine covers and photo shoots together being openly affectionate with one another. Not to mention, the millions of social-media followers supporting the many updates and photos of HyunA and Dawn — including thousands of comments sending their good wishes on the couple’s breakup posts — point to a future where dating may not be so off-limits or controversial in K-pop.

01 Dec 2022

‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3’ Trailer Teases the End of an Era for Marvel, Soundtracked by Spacehog

The first trailer for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 marks the end of an era for Marvel.

The film is the final adventure of this iteration of the cosmic team, and it is also a final Marvel bow for James Gunn, who has departed the MCU to take a job as a top executive at DC Studios, where he co-runs its film, TV and animation efforts.

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 stars Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldaña, Dave Bautista, Karen Gillan, Pom Klementieff, Sean Gunn, Bradley Cooper and Vin Diesel, and introduces the character Adam Warlock, played by Will Poulter.

The first Guardians of the Galaxy was a game-changer for Marvel, which had already made $1 billion brands out of so-called “B-level” characters such as Iron Man. But 2014’s Guardians took that formula to new heights, turning obscure characters into a global brand. The film, which earned $773.3 million internationally, ushered in an era in which quirky filmmakers such as Gunn put their own stamps on Marvel properties. A sequel followed in 2017, with the third eyed for 2020 before Gunn was fired from the property over old, offensive tweets before eventually being reinstated.

The Guardians, and the voice Gunn established, have been important to Marvel in between Vols. 2 and 3. The characters appeared in Avengers: Infinity War (2018), Avengers: Endgame (2019), Thor: Love and Thunder (2022) and The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special, released last month on Disney+.

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 debuts May 5, 2023. The new trailer is soundtracked by the 1996 top 40 Billboard Hot 100 hit “In the Meantime,” by (appropriate to the intergalactic films) Spacehog.

This article was originally published by The Hollywood Reporter.