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Cristóbal Tapia de Veer is checking out of The White Lotus. Permanently. The show’s composer told The New York Times that he is leaving after the current season following a string of creative disputes with show creator and director Mike White. “I feel like this was, you know, a rock ’n’ roll band story,” Tapia de Veer told the paper about the disagreements. “I was like, ‘OK, this is like a rock band I’ve been in before where the guitar player doesn’t understand the singer at all.’”
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And while he’s just now speaking out, Tapia de Veer said he’s been having creative conflicts with White since season one, as well as conversations with producers he described as verging on “hysterical” amid their reported requests that he make his themes more “upbeat and less experimental.”
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He described announcing to the creative team a few months ago that he was not coming back, but not telling White for “various reasons… I wanted to tell him just at the ed for the shock or whatever,” he said. Asked how White responded, Tapia de Veer said the show runner “says a lot of things” that he can’t really talk about at the moment, then described the situation as being like a scene from the 1978 French drag comedy La Cage Aux Folles.
“You know how there’s Albin, which is like the star, and there’s Renato, who is the producer who is always taking care that Albin doesn’t lose his mind about something, because Albin is the diva and Renato is the guy who is trying to make everything work,” he said. “To me, the show felt very much like that.”
He also said when he got the script for the first season he thought it was very “well-written,” but given the comedic, “reality TV kind of vibe” he thought it didn’t fit his typically “super dark and edgy” musical vibe.
“But when we had the talk with Mike, I just told him in a joke that I thought we could do some kind of ‘Hawaiian Hitchcock,’ and he really grabbed on that and he started laughing,” Tapia de Veer said, adding that White’s original temporary score had a “chill, sexy” Ibiza club vibe with “literally no edge to it” that felt like “nice background music.”
The Chilean composer who has won three Emmys for his work on the series about rich people behaving horrendously in paradise also discussed the vitriol he’s received from fans about “Enlightenment,” his radical, percussion, accordion and handclap revamp of the show’s theme song for the current Thailand-based season that has been very divisive.
For the record, Tapia de Veer said he loves his season three theme and was hoping the current run — which ends on Sunday (April 6) — would at some point include a longer version he’d written that would elide back into the more recognizable, fan-favorite melodies from the first two seasons. As for what direction he was given for this season, Tapia de Veer said there was none, so he began experimenting with a collection of Thai gongs, a Thai violin called a saw u and an Italian accordion his mom sent him that he didn’t know how to play.
The original plan, Tapia de Veer said, was to bring back the apparently beloved “ool-loo-loo-loo” vocalizations form the first two seasons in a longer version of the season three theme, “because people will explode if they realize that it was going there anyway.” He told a producer about that plan and that person thought it was a good idea. But then, he said, White cut the extended edit. “He wasn’t happy about that,” Tapia de Veer said. “I mean, at that point, we already had our last fight forever, I think. So he was just saying no to anything.”
Listen to the extended cut of The White Lotus theme that Tapia de Veer uploaded to YouTube last month below.
Even after all this time, Bon Iver‘s Justin Vernon can’t quite conjure the words to describe how it feels to watch videos of tens of thousands of Swifties singing along to “Exile,” the Folklore song he co-wrote and recorded with Taylor Swift. “Out of body,” is how Vernon described the feeling on The Tonight Show on Wednesday (April 2) when host Jimmy Fallon asked what it felt like to see Swift perform it on her record-breaking Eras Tour.
“Sadly, I didn’t ever get to sing it with her on her tour… she got to come sing it with us, but I saw those clips and I’m like, ‘Gosh, they sound better than one of me can sound,” Vernon said. “No really, it was pretty powerful to just see that and to hear how that sounded. It was amazing.”
Vernon also talked about the “I Think About It All the Time” revamp he did for Charli XCX’s Brat and it’s completely different but also still brat remix album last year, which featured a sample of Bonnie Raitt’s 1989 song “Nick of Time.”
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“My friend Danielle Haim told me, ‘you should sample ‘Nick Of Time’ the old Bonnie Raitt song and I was like: ‘That’s such a good idea’, because Charli’s song was about running out of time,” Vernon explained, noting that he and Raitt — who is his “number one” favorite artist — have been friendly over the years. “Our greatest living singer,” he said of Raitt.
Vernon said when he called Raitt to ask for her permission the answer was a quick, simple, “‘Yep… let’s do it,’ she just had to kind of give us her blessing on using the sample, but she was , of course, touched. And she’s a huge fan of Charli’s, as am I.”
The singer was on to promote next week’s release of his fifth studio album, Sable, Fable (April 11), which he described as being a kind of two-part journey. The first portion, Sable, he said, is “sad and hard to get through and kind of drudgy and a look at the past… a look back at this kind of cabin man, man in a cabin narrative that I’ve been absorbing over these years. [And] the rest of the record is me kind of doing whatever I needed to do right now to be happy for once.”
Watch Bon Iver on The Tonight Show below.
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Dolly Parton has a new 9 to 5. The country queen is teaming up with Khloé Kardashian’s Good American clothing line to launch Dolly’s Joleans. True to the country queen’s aesthetic, the collection features blinged out denim with shimmering rhinestones, country glam-inspired details and more.
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Good American famously celebrates real women of all sizes and allows them to embrace trends while staying true to themselves. That same spirit of authenticity and empowerment shines through in all Dolly does, so the partnership made total sense to the superstar.
“I’ve always believed what you wear should make you feel as fabulous as you truly are, and this brand-new line, Dolly’s Joleans, is all about celebrating individuality with a touch of sparkle,” says Parton. “I’m inspired by Good American’s ability to create clothes that make women feel confident and ready to shine!”
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LIMITED-EDITION
Dolly Parton x Good American Dolly’s Joleans
That natural synergy between Good American and Dolly Parton can be felt throughout the collection. From the clothing to the campaign, there’s a consistent embrace of expressing yourself and celebrating who you are.
The collection itself is as iconic as Dolly herself, featuring tailored silhouettes, luxe embellishments and fresh interpretations of classic fabrics like poplin and denim. There’s even a gingham blouse that looks straight out of the country queen’s own closet. The combination creates the perfect synergy of Dolly’s country roots and glamourous onstage persona.
“Dolly Parton is a true icon whose influence transcends generations, and partnering with her on this collection is an incredible honor,” says Emma Grede, CEO and Co-Founder of Good American. “Together, we created a collection that embodies self-expression and embracing what makes each of us unique.”
Dolly’s Joleans will be available for a limited time starting today at Good American stores and online at GoodAmerican.com. Pieces are priced from $64 to $229 with sizes ranging from 00-30, XS-5X.
The Good American partnership is the latest lifestyle release from Parton. The country star has also released her own line of fragrances and cosmetics in recent years.
The Masked Singer pulled off one of its biggest surprises of the season during Wednesday night’s (April 2) “Boy Band Night” episode, revealing rapper, actor, and Wu-Tang Clan member Method Man as the celebrity beneath the Stud Muffin costume.
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The reveal came after Stud Muffin delivered a smooth and cheeky rendition of Bell Biv DeVoe’s “Poison,” complete with coordinated choreography and a clue package that hinted at his ties to hip-hop, brotherhood, and birthday shoutouts from BBD themselves. Clue deliveries during the episode came from Masked Singer alums Omarion (B2K) and Wayne Brady, the latter calling Method Man his “travel buddy.”
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“I had fun with it,” said Method Man, whose real name is Clifford Smith, Jr. “I’m always down to do something unexpected, and The Masked Singer let me just go out there and play. That’s what it’s about.”
Panelist Rita Ora had been adamant in her guess from Stud Muffin’s first appearance, and her celebration after the unmasking confirmed she’d been waiting for the win. “I knew it was you!” Ora exclaimed. “Your voice is so distinct — and you moved like a pro!”
The reveal drew gasps from the judges, with Robin Thicke and Ken Jeong both shocked by Method Man’s commitment to the disguise.
Jenny McCarthy-Wahlberg floated guesses like MC Hammer and 2 Chainz earlier in the night, while Thicke aligned with Ora in the final moments.
The Wu-Tang legend is just the latest high-profile name to appear on season 13 of The Masked Singer, which has leaned into music nostalgia and heavy guest star cameos this year. Method Man’s appearance follows the show’s recent nods to boy band royalty like NSYNC’s Chris Kirkpatrick and B2K’s Omarion, both of whom joined the panel this week to dish out clues.
Best known for his iconic role in Wu-Tang Clan, Method Man has also had a prolific career in acting and production, with credits spanning How High, The Wire, Power Book II: Ghost and beyond. His last solo album, Meth Lab Season 3: The Rehab, dropped in 2022 and featured collaborations with Redman, Jadakiss, and KRS-One.
Season 13 of The Masked Singer continues next Wednesday with the Group C finals. As for Method Man? He’s officially out of the oven.
ONEFOUR have announced details of their long-awaited debut album, Look At Me Now, set for release on June 13 via Sony Music Australia.
Alongside the album news, the Western Sydney rap group have also revealed plans for their biggest national tour to date, with full dates expected to drop on Friday (April 4).
“It’s for those who want more,” the group said in a statement. “The ones who wake up and know they’re destined for greatness, no matter what obstacles they face. It’s a message of hope, a letter to the pain and a welcome to a better future that has no boundaries.”
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Comprising J Emz, Celly, Lekks and Spenny, ONEFOUR have built a loyal following through their raw storytelling, global collaborations, and viral moments.
Their songs “The Message” and “Spot the Difference” have been certified double and triple platinum in Australia, respectively, and their “SPINNIN” remix became a TikTok sensation, landing them in Spotify’s Viral 50 charts in over 30 countries.
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The album will mark a significant milestone for ONEFOUR, who have become one of the most talked-about names in Australian music over the past five years. Rising out of Mount Druitt, the group first made headlines for their raw drill sound, but soon became lightning rods for controversy and police scrutiny. Their story became the subject of the acclaimed 2023 Netflix documentary ONEFOUR: Against All Odds, which chronicled their rapid rise and the systemic barriers they faced.
Look At Me Now follows a string of recent singles from the group, including their February release “Phone Call” featuring UK pop artist Mabel. Produced by Grammy-nominated producer 18YOMAN, along with Chelsea Warner and Sykes Beats, the track samples Bob Marley’s classic “Is This Love?”
“This one’s special to us,” ONEFOUR’s Spenny said in a statement. “Bob Marley’s an artist that was loved and listened to often in our households so it’s an honour to be able to sample one of his bangers. To have Mabel feature on this track wid us & DONPROD with the music video made a lot of sense cause we really trynna take this thing international.”
In the past year, the group also supported The Kid LAROI on his Australian tour and picked up a 2024 APRA Award nomination, further cementing their mainstream breakthrough.
ONEFOUR’s upcoming Look At Me Now tour will take them across 13 dates around Australia before they head to the U.K. and Europe later in the year. Tour poster and ticketing info is expected Friday morning (AEDT).
French electronic duo Air are keeping the Moon Safari celebration going — and they’re doing it in style.
Following last year’s deluxe 25th anniversary reissue of their 1998 debut album Moon Safari, Nicolas Godin and Jean-Benoît Dunckel have announced an exclusive remix LP for Record Store Day titled Blue Moon Safari.
The release features new interpretations of the classic tracks by British producer Vegyn, known for his work with Frank Ocean, Travis Scott and James Blake. It marks the first time Air have officially released a full-length remix project of the album.
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Alongside Blue Moon Safari, fans will also be able to get their hands on a vinyl-only edition of Moon Safari: Live & Demos, a collection that promises rare and unreleased recordings from the duo’s original sessions and performances during the Moon Safari era.
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The new releases arrive amid a fresh wave of activity for the duo, who kicked off their anniversary run in 2023 with a handful of intimate live shows, performing Moon Safari in full for the first time. Now, Air are expanding their tour globally, with a newly announced run of international dates spanning South America, Europe, and the United States.
Among the stops are major festivals including Flow (Helsinki), La Prima Estate (Italy), and We Love Green (Paris), as well as prestigious venues such as the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles, where the group will perform with the LA Philharmonic Orchestra on Sept. 21.
Originally released in 1998, Moon Safari was a landmark record in the downtempo and electronic space, praised for its lush textures, cinematic instrumentation and dreamy atmosphere. Featuring standout tracks like “All I Need,” “Kelly Watch the Stars,” and “Sexy Boy,” the album helped define the sound of French electronic music in the late ’90s and has influenced countless artists across genres.
The upcoming Blue Moon Safari remix LP and Live & Demos vinyl arrive April 11 via Parlophone / Warner Music France, with the remix set to be a Record Store Day exclusive on April 20. Pre-orders for both editions are now available.
Blue Moon Safari drops April 11 via Parlophone/Warner Music France and is available for pre-order now.
Michael Clifford, the lead guitarist of Australian pop-rock outfit 5 Seconds of Summer, has become the latest member of the band to embark on a solo career, with debut single “Cool” launching his new journey.
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The track follows in much the same vein as what fans of 5 Seconds of Summer may have expected from a Clifford solo venture, with “Cool” capturing the polished rock sound he’s become associated with and pairing it with more introspective songwriting.
“This song speaks for itself, and my hope is that when fans hear the lyrics, they’ll understand me and hopefully themselves a little better,” Clifford said in a statement. “I’ve been deliberating on this music long enough, so I can’t wait for everybody to hear it— and ‘cool’ is just the beginning of what’s to come.
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“I want this project to make people smile,” he added. “I’m just out here doing a bunch of sidequests. Now that I’m a dad, everything other than that feels like a sidequest!”
Released via the pop-punk label Hopeless Records, “Cool” is a taster of Clifford’s forthcoming debut album, SIDEQUEST, which will be detailed at length in the near future. The track was co-written by Clifford alongside his bandmate Calum Hood, and features co-production from acclaimed musicians JT Daly and Andrew Goldstein. It also comes accompanied by a Bobby Hanaford-directed music video.
5 Seconds of Summer first formed in Sydney, Australia in 2011 and released their self-titled debut album in 2014. All five of the band’s albums have peaked atop the Australia ARIA charts, while only 2020’s Calm and 2022’s 5SOS5 prevented the same feat on the Billboard 200, with the records reaching a very respectable peak of No. 2.
Members of the six-time ARIA Award-winning group began launching solo careers following the release of Calm, with drummer Ashton Irwin releasing his Superbloom album in 2020, with second album Blood on the Drums arriving in July 2024.
Vocalist and rhythm guitarist Luke Hemmings would follow suit in 2021 with his debut album When Facing the Things We Turn Away From, following it up with the Boy EP in April 2024. Currently, bassist Hood is the only member of the group to have not issued solo material, though he has been active in the fields of songwriting, composition, and production.
The Fulton County District Attorney’s Office has requested that Young Thug’s probation be revoked, according to a motion filed on Wednesday (April 3).
Thug (whose real name is Jeffery Williams) ended a lengthy criminal trial in October 2024 when he pleaded guilty to charges leveled against him. The case, built around Georgia’s Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) law, claimed that Thug and his alleged YSL gang had committed murders, carjackings, drug dealing and many other crimes.
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At the conclusion of the trial, Thug was sentenced to 40 years with five to be served in prison commuted to time served. As a result, he was given 15 years probation, with a further 20 to be commuted if successfully completed.
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However, a new motion has been filed in Fulton County Superior Court which has seen the State of Georgia request Whitaker revoke Thug’s probation, alleging that his “continued presence in the community under probationary supervision presents a clear and present danger to public safety and undermines the rule of law.”
Per Channel 2 Action News, the crux of the filing revolves around what prosecutors have labelled “escalating threats and witness intimidation.” They note that Fulton County Investigator Marissa Viverito is in the process of testifying in a “multi-defendant gang murder preliminary hearing” which has seen the Court order witnesses not to be shown on television while testifying. However, a user on social media posted an image of Viverito online with a caption stating, “She doesn’t want to be shown on screen? Well, here she is.”
On Tuesday (April 1), Thug is alleged to have shared a since-deleted repost the image, pairing it with a caption claiming “Marissa Viverito is the biggest liar in the DA’s office.” According to the filing, the post “quickly went viral,” resulting in over two million views, and resulting in “direct threats to Investigator Viverito and her family.”
The filing also claims that as a result of Thug sharing the post, the home addresses of Vivirito and her parents were distributed online, with one post reportedly sharing an image of Vivirito’s mother’s house and stating, “If the hate is really real then pull up on her mama crib.” Another post is alleged to have been shared later which threatened the assassination of District Attorney Fani Willis.
“The escalation from targeting a testifying witness to making a direct death threat against the elected District Attorney of Fulton County is a grave and unprecedented attack on the justice system,” the filing stated.
In response to the probation revocation request, Thug shared a statement on his X (formerly Twitter), writing, “I don’t make treats to people I’m a good person, I would never condone anyone threatening anyone or definitely participate in threatening anyone. I’m all about peace and love.”
The filing alleges that the behavior is a “calculated campaign of intimidation, harassment, and misinformation designed to undermine the legal process,” and have requested the Court take “swift and decisive action by revoking the Defendant’s probation and remanding them into custody without delay.”
Currently, no hearing date has been set. Meanwhile, Thug is scheduled to give his first performance following his trial in June as part of Chicago’s Summer Smash Festival.
Fans of English punk icons the Sex Pistols should temper their expectations when it comes to dreams of a reunion with vocalist Johnny Rotten, the singer says.
News of a tour from the Sex Pistols emerged in 2024 when it was first announced that the band – featuring original members Steve Jones, Paul Cook, and Glen Matlock – were to reunite for a two-night affair to benefit West London’s Bush Hall.
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Instead of Rotten (whose real name is John Lydon) taking on the role of frontman, the group was to feature Frank Carter, who has previously performed as the singer of acts such as Gallows, Pure Love and Frank Carter And The Rattlesnakes. As a result, the current version of the band is officially being billed as the ‘Sex Pistols Featuring Frank Carter.’
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Lydon has not been shy in regard to his opinions of the current lineup, however. Previously, he labelled the reunion tantamount to “karaoke,” while being far more straightforward with his opinions in other interviews.
“When I first heard that the Sex Pistols were touring this year without me it pissed me off,” he told British publication The i Paper. “It annoyed me. I just thought, ‘they’re absolutely going to kill all that was good with the Pistols by eliminating the point and the purpose of it all.’”
Now, Lydon addressed the notion as to whether a reunion with him behind the microphone would be a possibility at some point. However, he told PA (via The Independent) that after his legal disagreements with his bandmates over the usage of songs in the 2022 FX/Disney+ series Pistol, such a dream will remain unrealized for fans.
“Never, not after what I consider their dirty deeds, let them wallow in Walt Disney woke expectations,” he explained. “They’ve killed the content, or done their best to, and turned the whole thing into a rubbish, childishness, and that’s unacceptable.
“Sorry, I’m not going to give a helping hand to this any longer, as far as I am concerned, I am the Pistols, and they’re not.”
In a recent interview, Jones explained that Lydon wasn’t involved in any discussions about the nascent version of the band, conceding there would be no point in attempting to get him to join the band given their recent disagreements.
“I literally haven’t spoken to John since that last tour in 2008,” Jones explained. “I want to be clear, I’ve got nothing bad to say about John. I think he’s great; I love him. We had a great past and I’m just moving on from that. That’s all. It was just no fun anymore.”
The current iteration of the band recently announced a run of North American tour dates, which will launch in Dallas, TX on Sept. 16 and wrap in Los Angeles, CA one month later on Oct. 16.
Sex Pistols Featuring Frank Carter – North American Tour 2025
Sept. 16 – Longhorn Ballroom, Dallas, TXSept. 23 – 9:30 Club, Washington, DCSept. 26 – Fillmore, Philadelphia, PASept. 27 – TBD, Brooklyn, NYSept. 30 – Mtelus, Montreal, QCOct. 1 – History, Toronto, ONOct. 3 – Agora Theatre, Cleveland, OHOct. 4 – Fillmore, Detroit, MIOct. 7 – Fillmore, Minneapolis, MNOct. 10 – Mission Ballroom, Denver, COOct. 13 – Showbox SoDo, Seattle, WAOct. 15 – Warfield, San Francisco, CAOct. 16 – Hollywood Palladium, Los Angeles, CA
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On Tuesday (April 1), United States Attorney General Pam Bondi directed prosecutors to seek the death penalty for Luigi Mangione, the man charged with murdering UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson last year. “Luigi Mangione’s murder of Brian Thompson—an innocent man and father of two young children—was a premeditated, cold-blooded assassination that shocked America,” Bondi said in the statement released on social media. “After careful consideration, I have directed federal prosecutors to seek the death penalty in this case as we carry out President Trump’s agenda to stop violent crime and Make America Safe Again.”
The move by Bondi is part of a larger effort by President Donald Trump to advocate for the death penalty to be considered for “crimes of a severity demanding its use,” including when a capital crime is committed by an undocumented immigrant and when a member of law enforcement is murdered. “Capital punishment is an essential tool for deterring and punishing those who would commit the most heinous crimes and acts of lethal violence against American citizens,” said Trump in an executive order he signed two months ago. It represents an about-face from the policies of the previous stance of the Biden presidential administration, which only sought the death penalty in cases of terrorism and mass murder inspired by hate.
Mangione is facing federal and state charges in connection with the fatal shooting of Thompson, which occurred steps from Thompson’s hotel in midtown Manhattan, New York, last December. Thompson was set to speak to a meeting of investors that morning. Video of the shooting went viral before the 26-year-old was apprehended by police at a McDonald’s restaurant in Altoona, Pennsylvania, almost a week after the incident. Mangione has since been the center of discussion among those who have railed against the inadequacies of healthcare in the United States.
It is not a given that Mangione would receive the death penalty if convicted. A court ruling in 2004 outlawed the practice in New York, and the verdict would require a unanimous agreement by the jury to put him to death. The most recent example was in the case of Sayfullo Saipov, an extremist who killed eight people in Manhattan in 2017 acting on behalf of the Islamic state. A jury couldn’t come to a unanimous decision to give him the death penalty, leading to him receiving life in prison.