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29 Aug 2023

Beyoncé to Become Honorary Mayor of Santa Clara Ahead of Renaissance Tour Stop

You can now call her Mayor Bey.

Ahead of Beyoncé’s Renaissance tour stop at Levi’s Stadium on Aug. 30, the Santa Clara City Council will be voting on Tuesday night (Aug. 28) to name the superstar honorary mayor for the day and present her with a key to the city, according to The Mercury News.

“The city of Santa Clara is excited about Beyonce’s upcoming visit to the world-renowned Levi’s Stadium,” Santa Clara spokesperson Michelle Templeton told the publication. “Her concerts will certainly bring a great deal of energy and excitement.”

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The news comes just a month after Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour stopped by the California city, and the “Anti-Hero” singer was also named honorary mayor of Santa Clara, which temporarily changed its name to “Swiftie Clara.”

The Renaissance tour has been nothing short of jaw-dropping so far. According to figures reported to Billboard Boxscore, The Renaissance World Tour earned $127.6 million over 11 shows between July 8-30, claiming the largest one-month sum for any artist since the Boxscore archives began in the mid-1980s. Meanwhile, when her five-show run at London’s Tottenham Hotspur Stadium grossed $42.2 million, it was noted that it was the highest grossing engagement ever by a woman, a Black artist, or any American artist.

29 Aug 2023

Best Buy’s Deal of the Day Will Save You $90 on a ‘Dependable’ External Hard Drive: Shop It Here

All products and services featured are independently chosen by editors. However, Billboard may receive a commission on orders placed through its retail links, and the retailer may receive certain auditable data for accounting purposes.

Labor Day is quickly approaching, and besides a long weekend to look forward to, there are also major deals to anticipate. Before you scour any Labor Day deals on Amazon, let us direct you to Best Buy for a moment. Every day, the retailer offers up what it calls its Deal of the Day, which spotlights one highlyrated product at a slashed price for 24 hours — and today it’s serving $90 off a popular external hard drive.

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The WD External Hard Drive comes with 18 TB of storage and has a USB 3.0 interface all for $90 off. Normally, you’d have to splurge and drop $370 for this model, but for today only, you can snag it at just $280.

The model has racked up a 4.5 star rating with reviewers noting how “dependable” it is for backing up everything from important files, photos and more.

Keep reading to shop the limited-time deal below.

WD – Easystore 18 TB External Hard Drive

$279.99 $369.99 24% off% OFF

Keep all your important documents in a safe spot using an external hard drive that’s portable and has a built-in auto-backup. The included WD Discovery software allows you to set hourly, daily or monthly backup schedules. If you just scored a laptop deal on a new PC or MacBook, the hard drive is also compatible with both for ultimate versatility.

One reviewer praised the product, saying all they had to do was “plug and play” and “it works like a charm.”

For more product recommendations, check out our roundups of the best Amazon Fire TV deals, Apple Watch deals and commuter gadgets.

29 Aug 2023

Nicki Minaj Drops New Song “Last Time I Saw You” On TikTok

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Source: Christopher Polk / Getty

Rejoice Nicki Minaj fanatics for your queen has returned with some new material to get your body grooving once again, but there is a small catch.

After weeks of teasing her new cut “Last Time I Saw You,” Nicki Minaj took to X, formerly known as Twitter, to announce that the track has dropped exclusively on TikTok. The general release is dropping Friday (Sept. 1). Naturally, fans flocked to TikTok to take in Nicki’s latest offering, and the pop-sounding cut is already the talk of the town as fans of the Barb can never get enough of the Trinidadian superstar from Queens.

While this may be the first single off of her upcoming sequel to her Pink Friday album, there’s still no word on when that project will actually hit the streets, but creating a buzz in this manner will only further build up the hype for the highly anticipated LP. Couple that with the possibility that the album will feature a cameo from her new buddy, Ice Spice, and y’all already know that Nicki’s gonna have a hit on her hands whenever her project sees the light of day.

Check out the snippet for “Last Time I Saw You” below, and let us know if you’re counting down the hours to get your hands on the track in the comments section below.

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29 Aug 2023

Tony Bennett in Billboard’s Back Pages: From ‘Bobby-Sox Crowd’ Favorite to Elder Statesman

When Tony Bennett died July 21 in his hometown of New York at the age of 96, the world lost one of the last great interpreters of the American Songbook. Billboard has 32 years on Tony — although we can only wish we had such unflagging class and charisma — and we have to admit that we greeted the crooner with a “Cold, Cold Heart” when he debuted in 1951. But we quickly came to appreciate the way he flew us to the moon.

‘Cry’-ing Shame

When 24-year-old Anthony Dominick Benedetto rebranded himself as Tony Bennett and debuted on Columbia Records, Billboard didn’t exactly bet on the “Rags to Riches” singer. The May 12, 1951, issue called “I Won’t Cry Anymore” a “competent etching” and dismissed “Because of You” as an “adequate” song “with nothing special to offer.” By the time the latter track topped Billboard’s pre-Hot 100 pop chart, Bennett’s performances routinely “bowled over the bobby-sox crowd,” according to the Sept. 29, 1951, issue. Hey, we’re a trade publication — not Nostradamus.

Golden Gate, Golden Pipes

Over the next decade, as Bennett delivered a series of era-defining hits, Billboard was full steam ahead on the Tony train. “Ol’ pro Tony leaves ’em gasping,” raved a Dec. 8, 1962, review of a Carnegie Hall concert. “Tony, like a crafty veteran pitcher in baseball, grew stronger as the night grew longer.”

Saving Face

An in-depth interview in the Nov. 30, 1968, issue found the crooner getting candid: “The trend in the music business was moving away from me,” he said. “I held out and finally I found [‘I Left My Heart in San Francisco’] and had my first hit record after a long dry spell.” Bennett also said he had stuck to his guns when Hollywood called, revealing that one studio floated a “contract that called for remodeling his nose.” His reply? “I liked my nose then, and I like it today.” His praises were also sung by a chorus of all-star supporters, including Duke Ellington, Bob Hope and even jazz pioneer Louis Armstrong. “If Tony Bennett who swing sings wonderfully can’t send you,” Armstrong said, “there’s a psychiatrist right up the street from you. DIG him.”

Plugged In to the Next Generation

“Bennett continues his reign as the crooning choice of Generation X,” reported the July 2, 1994, Billboard in the wake of his hit MTV Unplugged album, asking, “What will Grandma do to rebel? Start buying White Zombie CDs?” Bennett’s cross-generational appeal didn’t wane over the next two decades. “Tony Bennett achieves his first No. 1 album on the Billboard 200 with Duets II, making the 85-year-old the oldest living artist to reach No. 1,” reported the Oct. 8, 2011, issue. Three years later, Bennett beat his own record when he returned to No. 1 on the Oct. 11, 2014, chart at age 88 with Cheek to Cheek, his album with Lady Gaga. The record still stands.

The Good Life

“I feel on top of the world,” Bennett told Billboard in an Aug. 11, 2016, interview. “I’m singing well. The audience loves what I’m doing. All I can tell you is I have a blessed life.”

This article originally appeared in the Aug. 26, 2023 issue of Billboard.

29 Aug 2023

Taylor Swift Becomes First Female Artist to Reach 100 Million Monthly Listeners on Spotify

The year of Taylor Swift is continuing strong. The superstar broke another record on Spotify on Tuesday (Aug. 29), becoming the first female artist in the streaming platform’s history to reach 100 million monthly listeners.

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Spotify announced the news on social media, fittingly calling the accomplishment “Queen behavior.”

Meanwhile, over on the Billboard charts, Swift spends a record-extending 78th week at No. 1 on the Billboard Artist 100 chart (dated Sept. 2), thanks to 10 albums on the Billboard 200 and four songs on the Billboard Hot 100. On the Hot 100, Swift charts four songs: “Cruel Summer” (at No. 4 after reaching No. 3), “Karma” featuring Ice Spice (14-15), “Anti-Hero” (20-18) and “I Can See You (Taylor’s Version) (From the Vault)” (71-74).

The superstar played four shows last week at the Foro Sol in Mexico City, Mexico, to kick off her Eras Tour’s international dates. “After years of wanting to play in Mexico City, just got to play 4 of the most unforgettable shows for the most beautiful and generous fans,” she captioned an Instagram carousel featuring multiple photos of herself performing on stage posted Monday (Aug. 28). “Feeling so grateful for the memories we’re making together on this tour … TE AMO.”

29 Aug 2023

Wasserman Music’s Tom Windish Hasn’t Lost His Passion For Developing New Acts

Were David Mamet’s Pulitzer Prize-winning play Glengarry Glen Ross adapted for the music industry, Tom Windish’s mantra — “Keep booking” — could replace the play’s motivational line “Always be closing.”

At a time when agencies are consolidating and many agents are concentrating on their next career move, Windish remains focused on the core purpose of his job as head of A&R and business development at Wasserman Music: building an impressive roster of promising acts and established stars and helping them graduate to larger and larger stages. That roster includes alt-J, M83, Tove Lo, First Aid Kit, Rina Sawayama, Bartees Strange and superstar Billie Eilish, whom Windish helps route with Wasserman Music’s Sara Bowinkle. And this year, he signed one of his first management clients, activist and attorney-turned-artist Danielle Ponder.

“I like finding bands really early and rolling my sleeves up and figuring out every opportunity we can for them,” says Windish, 50. “When I’ve got an artist that’s already established at a certain level, I like going out and finding shows for them.”

The Schenectady, N.Y., native has worked for over three decades as an agent — first as an intern at WMA, where he was fired after three weeks for not being “William Morris material,” he says. After a stint at Billions, he opened The Windish Agency, which he sold to Paradigm in 2017. Wasserman Music launched in 2021 after acquiring Paradigm’s North American live music division. In 2023, the agency earned the distinction of booking the most acts at Coachella.

Windish recently relocated from Vancouver to New York, where he lives with his wife, film producer Emma Ludbrook — actor and 30 Seconds to Mars frontman Jared Leto married the couple in 2017 — and two children.

For Windish, discovery and development remain a large part of what drives him. “I probably take on more new things than almost anyone at the company,” he says. “I’m not necessarily saying that’s a good thing, but I tend to find artists that develop slower.”

How are your artists doing post-pandemic?

Last year was hard for artists because of supply chain issues. Just getting the gear that some artists needed was difficult. But this year sales have been very strong, especially in the United States, which has been very beneficial for agents that have international rosters. In Europe, things are much messier, and you see more acts coming to the U.S. a little more often than they used to.

What is your agenting style?

I’m pretty dry. My main responsibility is to send people music and have a conversation about what’s going on and why I’m excited about it. If they react to it or they don’t, I don’t take it personally. I’ll still call them about the next thing. I look for people I can build some history with that are passionate and take chances early.

Do you rely on data to make the case for your artists?

In the last decade or so, I do look at data a lot, especially global data. I have my ear really close to the ground in America and Canada. But I might not know something that’s happening in the Philippines or Korea or Australia because I’m not talking to the people there as frequently. What Spotify for Artists can reveal is interesting, and it’ll lead me to reach out and just ask other people, “Are you seeing this? What does it mean to you? Who is reaching out about it? What type of promotions are going on there? Should we have a tour strategy there? Should we go there?” I’ll also reach out to promoters at the same time.

Shows are being scheduled further and further in advance — deep into 2024. How do these long lead times affect the routing of tours?

I’m usually booking shows before new music is out. Often it’s nine months before it’s out, and I have no way of knowing how people are going to react or how likely they are to buy tickets. But one of the age-old rules of this business is don’t skip steps. So if you sold 500 tickets the last time, maybe you’ll try to sell 1,000 this time. You’re not just bumping up to 2,000 because you have this data that’s indicating there might be more [demand]. One of my strategies to deal with that is to hold a second night or a [venue] upgrade in case it goes really, really well.

Why sell to Paradigm?

I felt like the bigger we got, and the bigger the artists got, the harder it was to compete with these agencies that had a lot more resources. I felt I needed to compete and offer these things so that I wouldn’t lose out on clients. Paradigm had achieved its scale by bringing together independent agencies that all had similar backgrounds to me. Marty Diamond started in the coat closet booking bands in vans. Paul Morris started in the back of a record shop booking Tiësto.

What was that experience like for you, to sell Paradigm to Wasserman?

The sale was prompted by the pandemic. I didn’t know if the business was even going to come back. It was brutal — a lot more brutal for people in our business than others. It was an existential crisis. In terms of what it meant for the agency, I was in the dark about what was going on. There weren’t many people that I could ask because I think we were all in the dark because of the state of the business at the time. No one knew when shows were coming back. No one knew when there was going to be revenue coming back.

How does Wasserman compare with Paradigm?

They’ve been really helpful and great partners. I met [chairman/CEO] Casey Wasserman a few times over the years before it happened and while the transition was happening and was really excited about it. I mean, I was reading books about his grandfather Lew Wasserman for years because I’m a geek for that kind of stuff. I’ve read, like, every book about agents and Hollywood.

There have been complaints that labels are no longer developing and breaking acts. How does that affect the live business?

It’s hard to put it all in one bucket. I do think artist development is falling on the shoulders of the artists themselves and their managers. Labels are looking for artists to make an impact on their social media and to develop their own streaming. The labels get involved after things are moving. It’s “Don’t call us, we’ll call you.”

Have you ever signed an artist that hasn’t played a live show?

Oh, yeah. I remember a time when it was sacrilegious to sign an artist who hadn’t played a show. But if I didn’t sign artists before they had played a show, I wouldn’t be booking Billie Eilish. I wouldn’t be booking Lorde. And that’s the way it is now, and it’s OK.

What’s your perspective on Ron Burkle’s merging of the AGI and APA agencies?

When you look at all the changes that have happened in the last three or so years, it’s pretty wild. There’s a lot of things moving around, and I think that the biggest thing it shows is that we are all still trying to figure it out. We’re not done. Right now, everyone’s trying to perfect the model maybe, or at least improve their model.

What do you think of the emergence of companies like Firebird?

The interesting thing about Firebird is that we’re seeing now how much managers need to do. A lot of it is stuff that labels used to do. One of the more interesting things about Firebird is going to be how management companies evolve the services that they provide. Will there be more big management companies that are backed by groups like Firebird? Or will a bunch of different management companies share resources, like Artist Nation, where they all shared layers of infrastructure?

What genres are doing well on the road?

The thing I’m most interested in right now is just how global things are. I’ve been a student of that for a long, long time. In the old days, I was looking for artists from other countries because my competitors weren’t. So it was easier for me to sign them. There was an extra layer of a pain in the neck because of the visas and all that kind of stuff, but I was just like, “It’s fine. I’ll do it.” I signed Os Mutantes from Brazil and it was harder than booking an American rock band, but I love them. And now everybody’s signing stuff from all over the world in a lot of different genres. That is the way we now find fans. We kind of ignored these fans in the past because they liked acts we never expected. A lot of artists have been ignored because an agent decided they would never work. And looking back, many of them turned out to be wrong.

29 Aug 2023

‘Joker,’ ‘Oppenheimer’ & the Top 10 R-Rated Movies of All Time

The R-rated movie has been a moviegoing constant since 1968, when the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) created the modern rating system.

R of course stands for “Restricted,” which initially meant “Persons under 16 not admitted, unless accompanied by parent or adult guardian.” That age threshold was upped to 17 in 1970.

We’ve had movies rated R (and G, for general audiences) in every iteration of the rating system. The two other ratings during the first two years of the system (1968-70) were M (“Suggested for mature audiences – parental discretion advised”) and X (“Persons under 16 not admitted”).

The three other ratings under the current system are PG (Parental Guidance Suggested), PG-13 (Parents strongly cautioned) and NC-17 (adults only).

The modern ratings system was created in 1968 to replace the Motion Picture Production Code, also known as the “Hays Code” – which had been in place since 1930. Such ground-breaking films as Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? and Blow-Up (both 1966) made the old code seem archaic. Jack Valenti, who had become president of the MPAA in May 1966, took the lead in creating a new system. On Nov. 1, 1968, the voluntary MPAA film rating system took effect. (The MPAA became the MPA in 2019 when they dropped the word America from their name.)

Let’s take a look at the 10 highest-grossing R-rated films of all time, according to boxofficemojo.com. All of the films in the top 10 are from this century, which makes sense, owing to higher ticket prices. To give you an idea of the popular R-rated films from the 1970s, ’80s and ’90s, we looked deeper on the boxofficemojo.com list. Here are the top three R-rated films, in descending order, from each of those decades.

1970s: The Exorcist (1973), National Lampoon’s Animal House (1978), The Godfather (1972)

1980s: Beverly Hills Cop (1984), Rain Man (1988), Fatal Attraction (1987)

1990s: Saving Private Ryan (1998), Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991), Pretty Woman (1990)

A current hit, Oppenheimer, has already made this list. It also surpassed Bad Boys for Life to become the top-grossing R-rated film of the 2020s. (No. 3 for the decade: John Wick: Chapter 4.)

Todd Phillips directed three of 10 highest-grossing R-rated films of all-time – the first two films in The Hangover trilogy and Joker. Bradley Cooper starred in three of the 10 highest-grossing R-rated films of all time – the first two Hangover films and American Sniper. (Movie buffs should check out our lists of the top 10 box-office hits of 2023 and the 30 highest-grossing films directed or co-directed by women. Spoiler alert: Barbie heads both lists.)

Here are the 10 highest-grossing R-rated films of all time, according to boxofficemojo.com.

The Hangover Part II

Domestic gross: $254.5 million

Release date: May 26,2011

Oscar nominations: none

Director: Todd Phillips

Music: Christophe Beck

Notes: This is the highest-grossing R-rated sequel to a comedy, surpassing Beverly Hills Cop II (1987). (Deadpool and its sequel have comedy elements, but are classified here as action films.) Development on this sequel began in April 2009, two months before The Hangover was released. Paul Giamatti joined the returning cast. The sequel tells the story of Phil (Bradley Cooper), Stu (Ed Helms), Alan (Zach Galifianakis), and Doug (Justin Bartha) as they travel to Thailand for Stu’s wedding. Though you might have expected that they had learned their lesson from their misadventures in the first film, things go awry. (What are the odds?!)

While The Hangover was considered fresh and funny, The Hangover Part II received mixed to negative reviews. Still, it became a hit. A third and final installment, The Hangover Part III, was released on May 23, 2013. It did less well than the first two, grossing $112.2 million in the U.S.
The Hangover

Domestic gross: $277.3 million

Release date: June 5,2009

Oscar nominations: none

Director: Todd Phillips

Music: Christophe Beck

Notes: The Hangover was a critical and commercial success. It won the Golden Globe Award for best motion picture – musical or comedy, besting (500) Days of Summer, It’s Complicated, Julie & Julia and Nine. It became the highest-grossing R-rated comedy ever in the U.S., surpassing Beverly Hills Cop (1984), which had held the record for almost 25 years. Before that, it was held by National Lampoon’s Animal House (1978).

Boxofficemojo.com further classifies The Hangover as the top-rated “bawdy comedy.” The first two The Hangover films are followed on that list by Wedding Crashers, 22 Jump Street, There’s Something About Mary and Bridesmaids. The latter film seems like an all-female equivalent to The Hangover, in showing that women could be just as outrageous as men in going all out for laughs.
The Matrix Reloaded

Domestic gross: $281.6 million

Release date: May 15,2003

Oscar nominations: none

Director: The Wachowskis

Music: Don Davis

Notes: The Wachowkis wrote and directed this science-fiction action film, which did even better than The Matrix (1999), which grossed $172.1 million domestically. Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne, Carrie-Anne Moss, Hugo Weaving and Gloria Foster reprised their roles from the previous film, while Jada Pinkett Smith joined the cast. A sequel, The Matrix Revolutions, released six months later, grossed $139.3 million.

Lana Wachowsk and Lilly Wachowski wrote and directed the first three films in The Matrix franchise. The sisters are both trans women. Lana Wachowksi also directed the fourth film in the franchise, The Matrix Resurrections (2021). It did less well than the first three films, grossing $37.7 million domestically.
Oppenheimer

Domestic gross: $299.2 million

Release date: July 21,2023

Oscar nominations: to be determined

Director: Christopher Nolan

Music: Ludwig Göransson

Notes:This thriller was based on the 2005 biography American Prometheus, which chronicles the career of theoretical physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer. It’s the first of three films on this list that tell the stories of real-life historical figures. Still to come on the list: films about Iraq War sniper Chris Kyle and Jesus Christ.

Oppenheimer stars Cillian Murphy as the title character; Emily Blunt as his wife, “Kitty”; Matt Damon as Leslie Groves, head of the Manhattan Project; Robert Downey Jr. as Lewis Strauss, a member of the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission; and Florence Pugh as Jean Tatlock, a member of the Communist Party USA.

Oppenheimer is Nolan’s first film to receive an R-rating in the U.S. since Insomnia in 2002.
Deadpool 2

Domestic gross: $324.6 million

Release date: May 18, 2018

Oscar nominations: none

Director: David Leitch

Music: Tyler Bates

Notes:This is the highest-grossing R-rated sequel, topping The Matrix Reloaded. Plans for a sequel to Deadpool began before the original film’s release, and were confirmed in February 2016. Tim Miller, who directed the first Deadpool, left the project in October 2016 due to creative differences with star, co-producer and co-writer Ryan Reynolds, and was replaced by Leitch. An extensive casting search took place to fill the role of Cable, with Josh Brolin ultimately landing the role.

A sequel, Deadpool 3, which will integrate the character into the Marvel Cinematic Universe, is set for release on May 3, 2024.
It

Domestic gross: $328.9 million

Release date: Sept. 8, 2017

Oscar nominations: none

Director: Andy Muschietti

Music: Benjamin Wallfisch

Notes: It (titled onscreen as It Chapter One) was the first of a two-part adaptation of the 1986 novel of the same name by Stephen King. Set in Derry, Maine, the film stars Jaeden Lieberher and Bill Skarsgård.

Director Muschietti has spoken of drawing inspiration from 1980s films such as The Howling (1981), The Thing (1982), The Goonies (1985), Stand by Me (1986) and Near Dark (1987), and cited the influence of Steven Spielberg. It is the highest-grossing horror film of all time, breaking a record that had been held since the 1970s by The Exorcist. The second film, It Chapter Two, was released on Sept. 6, 2019, covering the remaining story from the book. It was also a smash, grossing $211.6 million domestically.
Joker

Domestic gross: $335.5 million

Release date: Oct. 4, 2019

Oscar nominations: 11, including three for Todd Phillips (best picture, directing, adapted screenplay). 2 wins (best actor for Joaquin Phoenix, best original score)

Director: Todd Phillips

Music: Hildur Guðnadóttir

Notes:This is the third film on this list directed by Phillips, following the first two installments of The Hangover franchise. This film, based on DC Comics characters, stars Joaquin Phoenix as Joker. Set in 1981, it follows Arthur Fleck, a failed clown and aspiring stand-up comic who descends into mental illness and nihilism.

Phillips conceived Joker in 2016 and wrote the script with Scott Silver throughout 2017. The two were inspired by the films of Martin Scorsese. Joker is the first live-action theatrical Batman film to receive an R rating. A sequel, Joker: Folie à Deux, with Lady Gaga joining the cast, is set for release on Oct. 4, 2024. Bradley Cooper, Gaga’s co-star in A Star Is Born, is co-producing Joker: Folie à Deux, as he did The Joker.
American Sniper

Domestic gross: $350.2 million

Release date: Dec. 25, 2014

Oscar nominations: 6 – best picture, best actor (Bradley Cooper), adapted screenplay, film editing, sound editing, sound mixing

Director: Clint Eastwood

Music: see note below

Notes: This film was loosely based on the memoir American Sniper: The Autobiography of the Most Lethal Sniper in U.S. Military History (2012) by Chris Kyle, with Scott McEwen and Jim DeFelice. Kyle became the deadliest marksman in U.S. military history with 255 kills from four tours of duty in the Iraq War. As the film illustrates, those tours took a heavy toll on Kyle’s personal and family life. The film stars Bradley Cooper as Kyle and Sienna Miller as his wife Taya.

There is no “Music by” credit on this film. Director Eastwood is credited as the composer of “Taya’s Theme.” Joseph S. DeBeasi is credited as composer of additional music and as music editor. The film also features Van Morrison’s “Someone Like You,” which plays during a wedding scene, and Ennio Morricone’s “The Funeral.”
Deadpool

Domestic gross: $363.1 million

Release date: Feb. 12, 2016

Oscar nominations: none

Director: Tim Miller

Music: Tom Holkenborg (Junkie XL)

Notes: Deadpool stars Ryan Reynolds in the title role alongside Morena Baccarin, Ed Skrein, T. J. Miller, Gina Carano and Brianna Hildebrand. In the film, Wade Wilson hunts the man who gave him mutant abilities and a scarred physical appearance, becoming the antihero Deadpool. This film marked Miller’s feature directorial debut.

Development of a Deadpool film starring Reynolds began in February 2004, five years before he played the character in X-Men Origins: Wolverine. A sequel, Deadpool 2, was released in 2018 to comparable critical and commercial success. Deadpool 3, a third film starring Reynolds and Hugh Jackman, is scheduled for release on May 3, 2024.
The Passion of the Christ

Domestic gross: $370.8 million

Release date: Feb. 25, 2004

Oscar nominations: 3 – original score, cinematography, makeup

Director: Mel Gibson

Music: John Debney

Notes: Gibson produced, directed and co-wrote this Biblical drama, which starred Jim Caviezel as Jesus of Nazareth; Maia Morgenstern as Mary, mother of Jesus; and Monica Bellucci as Mary Magdalene. The dialogue is entirely in reconstructed Aramaic, Hebrew, and Latin. Although Gibson was initially against it, the film is subtitled.

The film primarily covers the final 12 hours before Jesus Christ’s death, a period known as “the Passion.” Some regarded the film as a religious and holy experience, while others found it to be antisemitic and excessive in its graphic violence. A sequel is in development, centering on the resurrection of Jesus.

29 Aug 2023

TOMORROW X TOGETHER Announce New Album ‘The Name Chapter: FREEFALL’

TOMORROW X TOGETHER is already ready for a new chapter. On Tuesday (Aug. 29), the five-piece boyband announced that its next album, The Name Chapter: FREEFALL is set to arrive this fall — just three months after the K-pop sensations dropped their last album, Sweet.

The news comes via social media posts on both the band and BigHit Music’s accounts, simply sharing the upcoming album’s title and a mysterious video teaser. In the 24-second clip, TOMORROW X TOGETHER’s signature “X” symbol fittingly freefalls through an abyss of animated streaks of color, ending with a sprinkling of eery piano notes.

According to a Weverse statement from BigHit, the record will drop Oct. 13. Pre-orders will be available starting Wednesday (Aug. 30), with more details about the album still to come in a separate notice on TOMORROW X TOGETHER’s Weverse.

The Name Chapter: FREEFALL will mark Yeonjun, Soobin, Beomgyu, Taehyun and HueningKai’s fifth studio album, following 2019’s The Dream Chapter: Magic, 2021’s Still Dreaming and The Chaos Chapter: FREEZE and this year’s Sweet, their most recent full-length project. Both Still Dreaming and Sweet are Japanese-language albums, with the latter debuting at No. 3 on the World Albums chart earlier this summer.

The guys of TXT are also fresh off their headlining performance at this year’s Lollapalooza, as well as the release of their joint single with the Jonas Brothers, “Do It Like That,” which dropped July 7 and charted for one week on the Billboard Global 200. The South Korean stars opened up about the collaboration in an interview with Billboard last month, during which Taehyun noted that the JoBros “were even cooler in person.”

“Their friendliness helped us work together in a chill environment,” he continued, with Beomgyu adding, “Jonas Brothers were incredibly welcoming from the moment we met. They were just as enthusiastic as we were about shooting content, which we really appreciated.”

See the announcement for The Name Chapter: Freefall below:

29 Aug 2023

Los Ángeles Azules to Receive Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2023 Billboard Latin Music Awards

Mexican cumbia group Los Ángeles Azules will be honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2023 Billboard Latin Music Awards, Billboard and Telemundo announced Tuesday (Aug. 29).

The band, known for songs such as “El Listón de Tu Pelo,” “Cómo Te Voy a Olvidar” and “Mi Niña Mujer,” among many other cumbia anthems, will be recognized for their enduring, exceptional career that has expanded the reach of Latin music worldwide. The award will be presented at the 2023 Billboard Latin Music Awards, where they will also hit the stage with a special performance. The ceremony will be held Thursday, Oct. 5, and will be broadcast live on Telemundo from the Watsco Center in Coral Gables, Fla.

“We are very honored to receive this award,” the group — led by the Mejía-Avante brothers — said in a statement. “It is a recognition to our music, which we have shared with our audiences throughout all these years.”

With a 40-year musical career, Los Ángeles Azules have achieved great success, including 14 entries on Billboard‘s Hot Latin Songs chart, with three songs in the top 10. They also have 16 entries on Latin Airplay, of which six reached the top 10, including “Nunca es Suficiente,” with Natalia Lafourcade, which peaked at No. 3 in 2019. Their 2020 album De Buenos Aires Para El Mundo debuted at No. 8 on the Regional Mexican Albums chart, making it the band’s 12th album to reach the top 10 on the tally.

Past recipients of the Billboard Lifetime Achievement Award include Raphael, Paquita la del Barrio, Armando Manzanero, Miguel Bosé, Los Temerarios, Intocable, José José, Marco Antonio Solís, Ricardo Arjona and Maná, among others.

Besides airing live on Telemundo, the Billboard Latin Music Awards will air simultaneously on the Hispanic entertainment cable channel, Universo, Peacock, the Telemundo App, and throughout Latin America and the Caribbean on Telemundo Internacional. Peso Pluma leads the list of finalists with 21 nods across 15 categories including artist of the year, songwriter of the year, Global 200 Latin artist of the year, and Top Latin Album of the year.

As has been the case for more than 20 years, the Billboard Latin Music Awards coincide with Billboard’s annual Latin Music Week, the single largest and most important gathering of the Latin music industry, taking place Oct. 2-6. The event will feature panels, conversations and workshops at the Faena Forum and exclusive performances and fan experiences throughout the week in Miami. Artists Shakira, Myke Towers, Vico C, Grupo Frontera, Peso Pluma, Nicki Nicole, RBD, and many more, are confirmed to participate. Purchase tickets to the 2023 Billboard Latin Music Week here.

29 Aug 2023

Chlöe x Halle Bring Their Personal Style to New Victoria’s Secret PINK Collaboration: Shop It Here

Chlöe X Halle have made a name for themselves as an iconic sister duo, but when they’re not touring or putting out blockbuster movies (looking at you, The Little Mermaid), the two are setting trends with their impeccable fashion taste. And, starting Tuesday (Aug. 29), you can bring their style home with you as the Ungodly Hour singers have teamed up with Victoria’s Secret PINK for another collaboration.

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The new collection was created with the help of the artists, who aimed to not just bring their own styles to the brand, but pieces that help encourage confidence.

“This collection was inspired by not only our daily wardrobe, but what makes us feel our best, feeling sexy and comfortable at the same time,” older sister Chlöe Bailey said in a statement on the collaboration’s page.

You can expect everything from seamless dresses that are worthy of being a SKIMS dupe to sheer and mesh sets that you can wear to the gym and out for drinks with friends. Each piece is versatile enough to dress up with platform heels or down with some Ugg boots depending on your needs, and, as an added bonus, will help you channel your inner Bailey sister.

Don’t wait too long to grab pieces of your own, though, as it’s a limited-edition collection that won’t last forever.

Keep reading to shop our picks below or check out the full collection here.

brown ribbed bodycon dress in brown — Pink

Chlöe x Halle Seamless Rib Midi Dress

$49.95

Whether you’re in a rush or don’t feel like putting together a full on look, this midi dress has got you covered with a soft ribbed material and side slit that’ll create an instant outfit. All you need to do is accessorize and throw on some shoes, and you’re ready to tackle the day!

light blue leggings with mesh insets — Pink

Chlöe x Halle Seamless High-Waist Leggings

$44.95

Upgrade your leggings and slip on a high-waisted pair patterned with perforated mesh for the ultimate sleek yet atheltic look. Choose from an icy blue, brown, hot pink, black and gray shades, or stock up on them all. Plus, the seamless design will add some extra comfort by eliminating pesky seams from digging into your skin.

hot pink cutout shirt with mesh inserts — Pink

Chlöe x Halle Seamless Crop Top

$39.95

Complete the set with the matching crop top that comes with a cutout design on top and perforated mesh along the sleeves. The cropped length will help keep you cool whether you’re lounging on the couch or taking a run on the treadmill. As a bonus, you can mix and match the full set and customize the colors to your liking.

light brown parachute pants with drawstring waistband — Pink

Chlöe x Halle Parachute Pants

$54.95

Keep things loose and flowy with these parachute pants that are packed with pockets and a lightweight feel. The material is made from partially recycled materials, and the pants have two cargo pockets and two side pockets for maximum storage.

leopard print mesh long sleeve crop top — Pink

Chlöe x Halle Mesh Crop Top

$29.95

Sheer styles are here to stay this year, which means this mesh crop top should be at the top of your list. It’s versatile enough to layer under a corset top or over a bralette, and features a breathable material to keep you extra cozy yet cute.

black cropped puffer jacket zipped up — Pink

Chlöe x Halle Cropped Puffer Jacket

$99.95

Wrap yourself up in this comfy-looking cropped puffer jacket that doesn’t sacrifice style or warmth. The interior is filled with 100% polyester material and features with a snap-up design to keep your heat locked in. The style is also available in three shades: black, hot pink and light blue.

For more product recommendations, check out our roundups of the best varsity jackets, Selena Gomez’s favorite shoes and the best Taylor Swift outfits.

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