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A new documentary chronicling a crucial 18-month period in the lives of late Beatle John Lennon and wife/Plastic Ono Band co-leader Yoko Ono, One to One: John & Yoko, will be released exclusively in IMAX on April 11. The film directed by Kevin Macdonald will then make it’s streaming debut later this year on Max, according to Deadline.
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A description of the film says that it is a, “moving look at the couple’s life upon their entry into a transformative 1970’s New York, exploring their musical, personal, artistic, social, and political world. Set in 1972 against the backdrop of a turbulent era in American history.” The core of the film will focus on the couple’s One to One Concerts, a two-show charity event for children with special needs that took place at Madison Square Garden in August 1972, the only full-length performances by Lennon following the Beatles’ split two years earlier. The benefit shows also featured performances form Stevie Wonder, Sha Na Na and Roberta Flack, among others.
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The concert audio was remixed and produced by the couple’s only child, musician Sean Ono Lennon, who said in a statement that, “Kevin’s documentary brings completely fresh insight into my parents’ lives during their Bank Street and early New York years, showing first hand their unwavering dedication to promoting peace and non-violence during a turbulent era of unrest, corruption and unnecessary war.”
The film will also feature newly transferred and restored footage from that era alongside previously unseen and unheard items from the couple’s personal archives, including phone calls and home movies recorded and filmed by Lennon and Ono during the 18 months the couple lived in a cramped Greenwich Village apartment in the early 1970s.
A high-energy one-minute trailer for the doc set in 1972 features home movie footage of the couple on the Staten Island Ferry, hanging with Andy Warhol and visiting the Statue of Liberty, where they both famously gave a power fist salute to the quintessential symbol of freedom and opportunity. The montage is cued to their song “New York City,” a chronicle of their love affair with the city Lennon called home until his murder in December 1980.
“I wanted to make a film that surprises and delights even the most dedicated Lennon and Ono fans by focusing on one transformative period in their lives and telling the tale through their own words, images and music,” said director Macdonald (One Day, Touching the Void). “Built around the beautiful 16mm film footage of the only full-length concert John gave after leaving the Beatles, I hope the film will introduce the audience to a more intimate version of John & Yoko – while also reflecting their politically radical and experimental sides.”
The movie made its world premiere at the Venice Film Festival last year and will be featured this week at the Sundance Film Festival.
Check out the trailer for the One to One film below.
BMG has named Johannes von Schwarzkopf as chief strategy officer and executive board member, effective January 1. Reporting to CEO Thomas Coesfeld, von Schwarzkopf will oversee global strategy, identify new business opportunities, including M&A, and lead BMG’s global licensing and synch operations. Since joining BMG in 2021, and gaining a promotion to senior vp of […]
Grimes had no comment on what many have described as a Nazi-like salute given by her ex, Tesla CEO Elon Musk, during one of Donald Trump’s inaugural events on Monday. The tech titan who has reportedly been given an office in the White House for his newly created Department of Government Efficiency made two rapid, straight-armed hand gestures during the celebration of Trump’s second swearing-in, motions that instantly drew comparisons to the signature “Sieg Heil” salute made by reviled Nazi leader Adolf Hitler.
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Seemingly taken aback by the news of the incident involving the father of her three children, Grimes reacted to a fan’s distress over the incident by writing on X, “it is unhealthy that people are this upset when I have not even been online yet today and am only just learning about this controversy now. I don’t know what happened and I will not make a rash statement – I am not a citizen of this country.”
Initially Grimes said she was going to bed and vowed to do her research, but declined to “say something that will create an international scandal,” in response to the fascist-like salute that quickly became just that.
Democratic New York Rep. Jerry Nadler also took to Musk’s X to lament, “I never imagined we would see the day when what appears to be a Heil Hitler salute would be made behind the Presidential seal,” about the widely circulated video of Musk’s grunting, straight-arm salutes during a speech at D.C.’s Capitol One Arena after Trump’s swearing in. “This abhorrent gesture has no place in our society and belongs in the darkest chapters of human history. I urge all of my colleagues to unite in condemning this hateful gesture for what it is: antisemitism.”
In her post, Grimes pushed back at those who she said appeared willing to cancel her for the seemingly fascist gesture made by her ex, “before [I] even heard it happened.” That said, Grimes made it clear: “I am not him. I will not make a statement every time he does something. I can only send love back into a world that is hurting.”
She added that she appreciated the fans’ concern, but, “in a world stimulated by scandal, I feel a moral imperative to only add to the mess when something positive can be done. Otherwise I’m just adding tot he desensitization. To be clear i could go talk s–t and be on a bunch of magazine covers and be a feminist hero and get clout – but it would serve no purpose. I choose my children’s wellbeing. I promise you it doesn’t feel good to be hated all the time for things I don’t even know about, cannot predict and cannot control. But I also chose this path, I accept it. I make the best of it, and I simply wish happiness and health to all.”
Grimes appeared to quickly have a change of heart, posting a short time later, “I’m happy to denounce Nazi-ism – and the far alt right. Would that help clear things up? I’ve just gotten out of breakfast and have to catch a flight, and am still debating how to approach things diplomatically because I feel in over my head. But if there’s concern about that, I am happy to set the record strait in a meaningful way.”
My Chemical Romance guitarist Frank Iero had a sharper, more succinct response to the two quick chest-thump, straight right arm with palm down movements the ADL describes as a gesture meant to pay homage to Hitler and which since WWII has been used by “neo-Nazis and other white supremacists… making it the most common white supremacist hand sign in the world.”
Iero shared a screenshot of the salute on Instagram and wrote, “F–k this guy and every single person supporting this s–t or wasting any kind of breath attempting to defend it. Your true colors are shining through. #SmashHate.”
Musk re-posted the video, including the Nazi-like salute, on his X feed and after the tide of criticism appeared to react, writing, “Frankly, they need better dirty tricks. The ‘everyone is Hitler‘ attack is sooo tired [sleeping emoji].” He did not formally denounce Nazism or deny making the gesture associated with Hitler, though he did agree with another tweet that asked, “Can we please retire the calling people a Nazi thing? It didn’t work during the election, it’s not working now, it’s tired, boring, and old material, you’ve burned out its effect, people don’t feel shocked by it anymore, the wolf has been cried too many times.”
In response, Musk wrote, “Yeah exactly [yawning emoji].”
Though Musk, 53, appeared bored with the call-out about what many saw as a white supremacist dog whistle, a number of neo-Nazi leaders shared the clip, according to AFP. The head of an Australian neo-Nazi group reportedly wrote on Telegram, “Donald Trump White Power movement.” In addition, on the neo-Nazi forum Stormfront, another user is said to have posted an image of Musk’s salute along with the phrase “Heil Hitler.”
One of the chapters of the far right Proud Boys militia — whose leader and several members were among the 1,600 people unconditionally pardoned by Trump on Monday for their part in the deadly attack on the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021 after Trump lost his second bid for the White House — wrote simply, “Hail Trump!”
The co-founder of the Global Project Against Hate and Extremism told the AFP that, “there is no question among white supremacists that Musk was making a Nazi salute.”
The world’s richest man, who has become a regular presence alongside Trump since donating $277 million to President’s third campaign, was denounced in 2023 when he endorsed an antisemitic conspiracy theory popular among white supremacists that Jewish communities push “hatred against Whites.”
At the time, Musk shared the original hate post promoting the theory — as well as referencing another antisemitic conspiracy theory about the “hordes of minorities” that are moving to Western countries — and then re-shared it with the comment “you have said the actual truth.” Weeks later, Musk apologized for what he described as his “dumbest” social media post ever before bashing advertisers who had begun leaving X in 2023 because of the rising tide of antisemitism on the platform that Musk bought in 2022.
See Grimes and Iero’s posts below.
While I deeply respect your concern- it is unhealthy that people are this upset when I have not even been online yet today and am only just learning about this controversy now. I don’t know what happened and I will not make a rash statement – I am not a citizen of this country.…— 𝖦𝗋𝗂𝗆𝖾𝗌 ⏳ (@Grimezsz) January 21, 2025
I’m happy to denounce Nazi-ism – and the far alt right. Would that help clear things up? I’ve just gotten out of breakfast and have to catch a flight, and am still debating how to approach things diplomatically because I feel in over my head. But if there’s concern about that,…— 𝖦𝗋𝗂𝗆𝖾𝗌 ⏳ (@Grimezsz) January 21, 2025
Ed Sheeran has hit back at a report that claimed he attended a New Year’s Eve party at J.K. Rowling’s Scottish residence. The “Shape Of You” singer took to his Instagram Stories last night (Jan. 21) to contest the original report by The Sun newspaper. The story claimed that Sheeran was rumoured to have attended […]
Jennie, a founding member of K-pop quartet BLACKPINK, has officially announced her debut solo album, Ruby.
Slated for release on March 7, the highly anticipated project boasts an impressive lineup of collaborators, including Childish Gambino, Dua Lipa, Doechii, Dominic Fike, FKJ, and Kali Uchis.
The album and its star-studded roster of guest artists were revealed on the singer’s social media on Jan. 21 via a teaser video and pre-order launch through her independent label, Odd Atelier.
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Ruby will feature 15 tracks, including her October 2024 single “Mantra,” which reached No. 2 on the Billboard Global Excl. U.S. chart and No. 3 on the Billboard Global 200.
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The single marked a turning point in her solo career, setting the stage for what Jennie previously described as her “album journey.”
In a recent interview with Billboard, Jennie reflected on the deeply personal process of creating Ruby. “It’s not nice to be someone who’s always like, ‘I’m sorry, I can’t say anything,’ ” she said of the project she began in early 2024. “I want to say I’m almost there.” Acknowledging the challenges she faced along the way, she added, “I’m just going to say, ‘I don’t do well with time.’”
Since debuting with BLACKPINK in 2016, Jennie has been part of their stratospheric rise to global fame. BLACKPINK’s groundbreaking achievements include becoming the first K-pop girl group to perform at Coachella in 2019 and the first South Korean girl group to top the Billboard 200 with their second album, Born Pink, in 2022.
In late 2023, Jennie launched Odd Atelier and partnered with Columbia Records, giving her the creative freedom to pursue her solo aspirations.
“While I was on my last BLACKPINK tour, I couldn’t stop myself from starting to plan ahead,” Jennie said. “I listed out the things that I want in my life and started pinpointing, or prioritizing, what’s my very next step. And instantly, I was like, ‘I still haven’t accomplished the dream of releasing a solo album.’ I wanted to satisfy myself by achieving that goal.”
In addition to releasing long-awaited solo music, Jennie also made her acting debut back n 2023 in the HBO drama series The Idol and was named an honorary Member of the Order of the British Empire. In March 2024, she also teamed up with Brockhampton’s Matt Champion to release a collaboration, titled “Slow Motion.”
Billy Corgan and Bill Burr found themselves at the center of an unexpected family mystery during their recent appearance on Howie Mandel Does Stuff.
The Smashing Pumpkins frontman and the comedian were sprung with a surprise meeting organised by Mandel, during which the pair discussed their uncanny resemblance, along with the suggestion they might share a father.
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The saga began back in November when Corgan appeared on the podcast and a mix-up by Mandel’s production team displayed a photo of Burr during his segment. This prompted Corgan to share a bizarre anecdote involving his stepmother, who had once suggested Burr might be one of his father’s illegitimate children.
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“About 10 years ago, one of my brothers was having a birthday party, and my stepmother was there, who was obviously married to my father. And my stepmother said to me, ‘Do you know who Bill Burr is?,’” Corgan recalled at the time. “Now at that point, I had never heard of Bill Burr; I didn’t know who he was. I didn’t know he was a comedian or anything. He could have been the guy down the street.”
He continued, “She said, ‘Well, he’s this comedian.’ And I think I even somehow called up a picture on the phone, and I kind of noticed right away, ‘Gee, he kind of looks like my father.’ Bill Burr looks more like my father than Bill Burr looks like me or I look like Bill Burr. So I said to my mother, ‘Why are you asking me this?’”
“She goes, ‘I think it might be one of your father’s illegitimate children. Bill Burr might be one of the children that your father sired in his days being a traveling musician,’” he said.
Fast-forward to January, when Mandel orchestrated a surprise reunion between Corgan and Burr, bringing them together for the first time. Burr greeted the rocker with a casual “What’s up?” before turning to Mandel with mock irritation, quipping, “You’re an a——.” The conversation quickly turned into comedic gold as the two riffed on their supposed familial connection.
“Did you ever think the fact that I never told that story, that maybe you shouldn’t?” Burr joked to Corgan. “It’s not that I don’t like [Corgan], it reminds me of all of that s—.”
Corgan joined in, dismissing the idea that their resemblance could mean they’re related. “The fact that he said he can’t sing, I think, disproves that we’re related, ’cause I’m not funny,” he remarked. “So… it goes both ways.” At one point, Mandel even suggested that Burr should join the Smashing Pumpkins as a drummer.
Burr then asked Mandel, “What was supposed to happen? Are we gonna go play catch? We’re both in our fifties.”
While the attempted family reunion may not have been successful, Corgan’s career with the Smashing Pumpkins continues to thrive, with the band’s legacy cemented by hits like “1979,” which peaked at No. 12 on the Billboard Hot 100, and “Bullet with Butterfly Wings,” which reached No. 22. Their double album Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200, earning critical acclaim and commercial success as one of the defining records of the 1990s.The album has since achieved Diamond certification, selling over 10 million copies worldwide.
In 2024, The Smashing Pumpkins released their 13th studio album, Aghori Mhori Mei, which saw a return to their early 90s sound with original members Billy Corgan, Jimmy Chamberlin, and James Iha.
Icelandic musician Björk has offered a rather fresh take on the global state of affairs, admitting she’s feeling surprisingly optimistic about the future of the planet.
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Björk made her comments in a new interview with Paper, where she spoke at length about her Cornucopia concert tour, which ran from 2019 – 2023. Not named for a specific album but thematically associated with 2017’s Utopia, the tour itself was a large-scale theatrical production which was described as her most ambitious to date.
Alongside elements of science fiction, the live show’s narrative was heavily focused around environmental concerns, with Björk ultimately asking the audience to think of contemporary issues affecting the world – such as the Paris Climate Accord (which newly-inaugurated President Donald Trump removed the U.S from once again).
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“If we think of whatever climate accord we’re trying to reach as completely unreachable, then we’ll never be able to meet these goals,” Björk explained. “The only way to do it is to imagine a future and then step into it. We have to write climate accords that we can reach. We have to keep tweaking it until we get it right. And I’m hoping the next generation, when they take over, they’ll think about it in a different way and come up with different solutions, green ways of living.”
As she continued, Björk discussed her own experiences with activism, noting how her 2007 track “Declare Independence” was her first foray into blending art and activism – a concept she previously found laughable but eventually grew to embrace. Despite the doom and gloom going on in the world, however, she explained that she’s feeling “very excited about 2025”.
“There have always been apocalypses. We had Noah and the flood, we’ve had plagues,” she explained. “There’s always been this narrative, and now I think it’s about being active and being part of the solution. And also to have the courage to imagine a future and be in it, to be it. To inspire your work locally in your community or however you think you can make a difference. It is important.
“I do find it hard to watch some of these post-apocalyptic shows or films,” she adds. “It’s like you’ve just given up — the nihilism, the self-pity, it’s like it’s cool to give up. [Laughs] I don’t think it’s cool to give up. So it’s about figuring out how we can keep humanity and soul in the future worlds we’re building, where nature and technology can collaborate. But I think it is possible. I think with imagination, biology can take it, biology will be fine. Biology always wins.”
In September 2024, Björk previewed her Cornucopia concert film as part of Climate Week, with the film – which showcases a live performance of her tour, filmed in Lisbon, Portugal – arriving on Apple TV on Friday (Jan. 24).
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Source: NYVGCC / 2025 New York Game Awards / Astro Bot
Astro Bot continues to take home the big trophies. The exceptional PlayStation 5 platformer from Team ASOBI took home the night’s most significant honor during the 2025 New York Game Awards on Tuesday, January 21.
A cold winter night in NYC could not cool off Astro Bot’s momentum. During the 2025 New York Game Awards hosted by NY Video Game Critics Circle President Harold Goldberg and former Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-Aimé, the PlayStation 5 exclusive took home three awards: Best Music in a Game, Best Kids Game, and the cherry on top, Game of The Year.
Simone De Rochefort and Clayton Ashley (Polygon) took home the prestigious Knickerbocker Award for Best Games Journalism. Remedy Studios’ head, Sam Lake, was honored in special tribute as this year’s recipient of the 2025 Andrew Yoon Legend Award.
Regarding entertainment, toes were tapping, and heads were nodding, thanks to a performance from Mega Ran, who debuted a brand new original song for the award show.
Another successful New York Game Awards is in the books. For more information on the NY Video Game Critics Circle and the critical work they do to ensure inner-city youth can find their way in the game journalism space, you can head here.
2025 New York Game Awards Winners
Big Apple Award for Best Game of the Year: Astro Bot
Off Broadway Award for Best Indie Game: UFO 50
Herman Melville Award for Best Writing in a Game: Metaphor: ReFantazio
Statue of Liberty Award for Best World: Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree
Tin Pan Alley Award for Best Music in a Game: Astro Bot
Great White Way Award for Best Acting in a Game: Troy Baker as Indiana Jones in Indiana Jones and the Great Circle
Coney Island Dreamland Award for Best AR/VR Game: Batman: Arkham Shadow
Central Park Children’s Zoo Award for Best Kids Game: Astro Bot
A-Train Award for Best Mobile Game: Zenless Zone Zero
Freedom Tower Award for Best Remake: Silent Hill 2
Chumley’s Speakeasy Award for Best Hidden Gem: Mouthwashing
NYC GWB Award for Best DLC: Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree
Knickerbocker Award for Best Games Journalism: Simone De Rochefort & Clayton Ashley
Andrew Yoon Legend Award Recipient: Sam Lake
Post Malone is the latest artist to hold the title of Record Store Day Ambassador, the annual event has announced.
Set to take place on April 12, Record Store Day returns for its 18th year in 2025, celebrating close to two decades of supporting physical media, independent artists, and brick-and-mortar record stores. Now, Malone has been announced as the artist who is being honored with the title of 2025’s Record Store Day’s Ambassador.
“What an honor, I can’t believe I was chosen to be Record Store Day’s Ambassador for 2025,” Malone said in a statement. “Record Store Day is so important and I really hope to do my part to keep it alive. We love hitting local shops when we’re on the road, seeing all the crazy artwork, the whole energy in a record store is just super inspiring. I feel at home.
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“It’s really an unexplainable feeling to hit up a shop and dig through crates, just see what grabs your eye. You can be looking for something super specific and end up finding something totally different. It’s the best. Keep supporting y’all and let’s keep records and these local shops going strong. Happy Record Store Day everybody!”
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Malone joins a list of musical luminaries to hold the title, which has been bestowed annually since 2009. Previous years have seen the likes of Jack White, Run the Jewels, Ozzy Osbourne, Brandi Carlile, Metallica, and St. Vincent assume the role. In 2024, Paramore were the U.S. Ambassadors while Kate Bush took on duties for Record Store Day’s U.K. edition.
Traditionally, the Record Store Day Ambassador also partakes in the event by issuing a limited edition release on the day, though the list of exclusive releases for 2025 has not yet been announced. However, considering the success of his F-1 Trillion album in 2024 – which marked his transition to country music and topped the Billboard 200 – it could be speculated any prospective release will be related to his latest record.
“I’m very excited about Ambassador ‘Posty’”, added Record Store Day co-founder Carrie Colliton in a statement. “Musically, he’s all over the place — just like record stores and their customers, especially some of the newest, youngest people to embrace their local brick-and-mortar spaces.”
Chris Brown has filed a lawsuit against Warner Bros. Discovery, alleging the media giant defamed him with a 2024 documentary claiming that the R&B star had a long history of sexually abusing women.
Filed Tuesday (Jan. 21) in Los Angeles Superior Court, the complaint accuses Warner Bros. Discovery and Ample Entertainment, the production company behind Chris Brown: A History of Violence, of “promoting and publishing false information in their pursuit of likes, clicks, downloads and dollars and to the detriment” of the R&B star — all while “knowing that it was full of lies and deception and violating basic journalistic principles.”
“They did so after being provided proof that their information was false, and their storytelling ‘Jane Doe’ had not only been discredited over and over but was in fact a perpetrator of intimate partners violence and aggressor herself,” reads the lawsuit, which was filed by attorneys Arnold Shokouchi and Levi McCathern. “Mr. Brown has never been found guilty of any sex related crime…but this documentary states in every available fashion that he is a serial rapist and sexual abuser.”
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The Jane Doe who made sexual assault accusations against Brown in the documentary — whom he identifies in the lawsuit — is also named as a defendant in the complaint, which alleges the woman “completely disregarded the facts in an attempt for fame and fortune — all at the cost of Chris Brown and the reputation he has worked diligently in redeeming over the last decade.”
The “sensationalized, unfounded, and defamatory allegations” in the documentary “have been discredited, dismissed by the courts, or outright fabricated,” Brown’s lawyers write. The lawsuit further alleges that the Jane Doe filed a “frivolous civil lawsuit” against Brown in January 2022 in which she accused him of sexual assault and battery — but that her claims “were determined to be entirely fabricated, leading to the withdrawal of her attorneys and dismissal of the case” that same August “after a Miami Beach Police detective uncovered text messages…that exposed her dishonesty.” It adds that while an investigative report published by Rolling Stone in March 2022 “further discredited her claims,” the ID documentary nonetheless portrayed her “as credible, ignoring her established lack of veracity.”
Later in the complaint, Brown’s attorneys break down the Jane Doe’s alleged “history of violence and erratic behavior [that] should have raised red flags for any responsible journalist.” The suit includes a copy of an alleged restraining order filed against Doe by an ex-boyfriend in 2021 “after she physically assaulted him, threatened him with a knife, and engaged in online harassment.”
“These incidents, detailed in court records and leading to her arrest by the Los Angeles Police Department, were disregarded by the Defendants, who instead framed her as a reliable source to bolster their sensationalized portrayal instead of the physical aggressor in a romantic relationship,” the complaint reads.
Key to the lawsuit is the accusation that the companies behind the documentary moved forward with its release even though they allegedly knew it “contained false claims and violated journalist professional standards” — claims Brown’s lawyers now say “caused significant harm to Mr. Brown’s reputation, career, and business opportunities.”
Several individuals who appeared as talking heads in the documentary are also named as defendants in the lawsuit.
Brown is asking for $500 million in damages, “a portion of which will be donated to survivors of sexual abuse.”
Warner Bros. Discovery and Ample Entertainment did not immediately respond to Billboard‘s requests for comment.