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28 Jun 2023

How to Stream Idris Elba’s Action-Packed Show ‘Hijack’ on Apple TV+

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Looking to add some thrill to your summer? Apple TV+‘s new show Hijack premiered Wednesday (June 28) with the first two episodes — and they’re filled drama, action and suspense.

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The new show stars Idris Elba (who also executive produced the series) as Sam Nelson, a corporate negotiator whose travels get an unexpected disturbance. When he boards a seven-hour flight from Dubai to London, the plane gets hijacked. It’s then that Elba’s character comes in and attempts to use his negotiating skills to help him and his fellow passengers get home alive.

Other characters include DI Daniel O’Farrel (Max Beesley), First Officer Anna Kovacs (Kaisa Hammarlund), Zahar Gahfoor (Archie Panjabi), Eve Myles (Alice Sinclair) and more.

Those familiar with the show 24 may recognize similarities between the plots, but, with the help of director Jim Field Smith, Apple TV+’s version will be filled with new twists and turns you’ll have to see to believe.

Read on to find out how to stream the series for free.

How to Watch Hijack for Free

Since the series is an Apple Original, you will only be able to watch it on Apple TV+. It will have a total of seven episodes, which will drop every Wednesday.

If you’re not already a subscriber, Apple TV+ is only $6.99 a month, plus a free trial for the first week. You can score a three-month free trial with the purchase of an eligible Apple device, or a free month trial when you sign up for Apple One, which bundles Apple TV+ with up to five other apps. You also have the option to watch an episode for free before deciding if you want to follow the rest of the series.

Apple TV+

$6.99/month after 7-day free trial

Besides Hijack, you’ll also be able to stream popular shows and movies such as Platonic, Ted Lasso, The Last Thing He Told Me, Silo, Severance, High Desert, Shrinking, The Big Door Prize, Bad Sisters, Schmigadoon!, The Problem with John Stewart, The Morning Show, Ghosted, Still, Tetris, Palmer and more.

You can even stream Apple TV+ on the Apple TV app, your iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, Mac and popular smart TVs including Samsung, LG, Sony, VIZIO, TCL, Toshiba and others, along with Roku and Amazon Fire TV devices, Chromecast with Google TV. Apple TV+ is available on PlayStation and Xbox gaming consoles as well.

For more product recommendations, check out our roundups of portable phone chargers, the best record players and turntables and TV deals.

Watch the Hijack trailer below.

28 Jun 2023

Post Malone Unveils Upcoming Album’s Tracklist, Shares Snippet of ‘Something Real’: Listen

Post Malone is gearing up for the release his new record, Austin. Leading up to the LP’s arrival, he gave fans a peek at one of the songs, as well as the tracklist on Monday (June 26).

In a video posted to Instagram, the rapper shared the back cover of the album — which features a photo of a pickup truck in front of a house, with the vehicle cut out — with the 17 song titles listed next to the album’s name. “My new record AUSTIN has 17 songs and drops July 28th ??,” he wrote. “Here’s a snippet of one of em ? I love you!!!”

The video features a clip of “Something Real,” the second song on the album. On the track, Malone sings, “Give me something, I can feel/ Light a cigarette just so I can breathe/ Give me something, something real/ 700 feet off the coast of Greece/ Give me something, I can feel/ No reservation, pull up 20 deep/ Give me something, something real/ I’d trade it all just to be at peace” with the assistance of a choir.

The other song titles are “Don’t Understand,” “Chemical,” “Novacandy,” “Mourning,” “Too Cool to Die,” “Sign Me Up,” “Socialite,” “Overdrive,” “Speedometer,” “Hold My Breath,” “Enough Is Enough,” “Texas Tea,” “Buyer Beware,” “Landmine,” “Green Thumb” and “Laugh It Off.”

Malone first announced Austin in May, and shed some insight on what recording his fifth body of work was like.

“I wanted to say that I love you guys so very f–king much,” he shared via an Instagram Reel at the time. “I’m here on tour in Europe right now, and I wanted to tell you guys that I have an album coming out this summer on July 28. It’s called Austin. Like my name — that is my name.”

He added, “It’s been some of the funnest music, some of the most challenging and rewarding music for me, at least — trying to really push myself and really do some cool stuff. I played guitar on every song on the record, and it was a really, really fun experience, and I’m super, super excited to share it with you.”

Listen to the snippet of “Something Real” below.

28 Jun 2023

10 Top LGBTQ+ Country/Americana Anthems

While the country music music industry is still working toward equality and inclusion on several fronts, the onslaught of music streaming and maturation of social media have opened doors for artists in the LGBTQIA+ community to connect with music fans and build audiences.

While country music artist Lavender Country was a pioneer in the space, releasing a queer-themed country music album in 1973, it has a been a largely uphill battle for LGBTQIA+ artists in the genre.

Chely Wright, known for her 1997 top 20 Country Airplay hit “Shut Up and Drive” and her 1999 No. 1, “Single White Female,” came out publicly in 2007. Ty Herndon came out as gay in 2014, having previously earned a handful of No. 1 Country Airplay hits in the 1990s, including “What Matters Most” and “Living in a Moment.” That same year, Billy Gilman (who found success in country music as a child with songs including “One Voice”) also came out publicly as gay.

Since then, the country music industry has slowly seen more openly gay artists and songwriters find success. And certainly, there have been and are many within the LGBTQIA+ community who are creatives, songwriters, producers and music industry execs working behind the scenes within the industry.

In the 2000s and 2010s, songwriters Shane McAnally and Brandy Clark, who are both openly gay, began having success as writers. McAnally earned No. 1 Country Airplay hits for artists including Lee Ann Womack (“Last Call”) and Kenny Chesney (“Somewhere With You”), and rose to prominence as a writer and producer working with Luke Bryan, Sam Hunt, Reba McEntire, Kacey Musgraves and more. Meanwhile, Clark wrote hits including Miranda Lambert’s “Mama’s Broken Heart” and The Band Perry’s “Better Dig Two.”

The year 2014 brought a moment of public recognition, when Kacey Musgraves’ “Follow Your Arrow” — which Musgraves wrote with Clark and McAnally and which famously featured the line “Kiss lots of boys/ or kiss lots of girls, if that’s what your into” — was named song of the year by the Country Music Association’s music industry voters.

Then 2021 saw two more country artists — Brooke Eden and Brothers Osborne’s T.J. Osborne — speak publicly about their sexuality. Additionally, more artists in country and Americana circles have been forthright about their sexual identities, including Lily Rose, Joy Oladokun, Orville Peck, Amythyst Kiah, Adeem the Artist and more.

We take a look at a set of songs from LGBTQIA+ artists and allies — songs which run the gamut from celebratory to reflective, from joyous to mournful — as we continue to celebrate Pride Month.

28 Jun 2023

Chrissy Teigen & John Legend Welcome Fourth Child Via Surrogate: See the Baby’s Photo

It’s a full house! Chrissy Teigen and John Legend announced that they have welcomed their fourth child, a baby boy via surrogate.

“For as long as I can remember, I’ve always wanted four children,” the cookbook author began her lengthy Instagram post sharing the happy news on Wednesday (June 28). She went on to recall how as a child, she’d often have “2 glow worms and 2 cabbage patch dolls” in her arms, and how her mom would peek in Pound Puppies packaging before buying to make sure little Chrissy would get a stuffed pooch that had four puppies in its pouch.

“After losing Jack, I didn’t think I’d be able to carry on any more babies on my own,” she continued about losing the little boy when she was 20 weeks pregnant in 2020. “To be honest, I’ve personally blocked out a lot of my mindset during that time, but one clear memory is being surrounded by people who wanted to make sure I wouldn’t go through that pain and loss again.”

The model went on to share that she and husband Legend reached out to a surrogate agency in 2021. Teigen said that after a therapy session one day, she told the singer-songwriter that she wanted to try to carry a baby one more time. “If it doesn’t work, we will be okay. We’ve already seen the worst,” she wrote. “I promised I would be okay no matter what happened. I remember saying I just couldn’t go on wondering my whole life if I should have tried again.”

With the process of IVF — which the couple also employed when becoming pregnant with daughter Luna and son Miles — Teigen became pregnant with baby girl Esti, whom the couple welcomed in January. The TV personality shared that around the time she became pregnant, they met their surrogate, a woman named Alexandra who has since become a close friend.

“As we crept toward the safe zone of my own pregnancy, we were overjoyed to learn Alexandra had become pregnant with a little boy,” Teigen revealed. “Our little boy. We ate hot pot to celebrate, watched Vanderpump Rules with our growing bellies, our families blending into one for the past year.”

“Just minutes before midnight on June 19th, I got to witness the most beautiful woman, my friend, our surrogate, give birth amidst a bit of chaos, but with strength and pure joy and love,” Teigen continued, thanking Alexandra for the “incredible gift.”

“We are so happy to tell the world he is here, with a name forever connected to you, Wren Alexander Stephens,” Teigen concluded. “Our hearts, and our home, are officially full. And to our Jack, we know both their angel kisses are from you.”

The final three images of Teigen’s carousel post were photos of herself kissing Alexandra’s baby bump, the couple snuggling with their newborn, and — saving the best for last — a picture of baby Wren and his glorious spiky mane of hair.

Legend also shared the happy news on his own Instagram account. His post featured a photo of the star with all four of his children — the two youngest in his arms, with Luna doing a high kick behind him, and Miles on his lap. He captioned his post by introducing his new son: “Wren Alexander Stephens, our new love.”

See Chrissy Teigen and John Legend’s post announcing their new arrival below:

28 Jun 2023

Detroit Struggling with the Worst Air Quality Amid Drifting Canadian Wildfire Smoke

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Coke Release, Steel Mill, Zug Island, Rouge and Detroit River

Source: Cavan Images / Getty

The city of Detroit is separated by Canada by only the Detroit River which is only 1.4 miles wide. That short distance is relevant because the Motor City is being pummeled by heavy smoke and by some measurements—currently has the worst air quality in the world.

The Detroit News reports that IQAir’s Air Quality Index initially ranked Chicago first with an air quality index in the 170s, securing a spot in the unhealthy category of 151-200. However, Detroit edged the Windy City out with a rating of 203. 

The city has been covered in a grey haze for several days. 

According to reports, the city’s government is advising people to limit their time outdoors. 

“We are continually monitoring the situation and are in close contact with our partners at EGLE, the City’s Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness, as well as the City’s Environmental division,” acting Chief Public Health Officer, Christina Floyd said in the release. “As conditions warrant, we will provide additional updates and guidance to help make sure our residents stay safe.”

The air quality is only one reason why Detroit is in the news this week. 

Complex most recently declared that the city is one of the world’s top 10 rap cities. 

Detroit is 9th on the list as the home of: Eminem, Big Sean, Babyface Ray, Tee Grizzley, 42 Dugg, Peezy, Boldy James, Kash Doll, Royce Da 5’9 and Rising stars: Sada Baby, Veeze, Icewear Vezzo, Cash Kidd, Skilla Baby, Baby Smoove, BabyTron, Payroll Giovanni. 

The outlet credits Detroit’s “sped-up beats, brash and boastful lyrics,” as what makes put the city on the map. 

“It’s hard not to factor in Detroit when discussing the most productive and influential cities in hip-hop, both currently and historically,” they wrote, adding, “Detroit has a rich history in hip-hop, and has maintained its place as a staple over the course of three decades.” 

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28 Jun 2023

Ovy on the Drums & Blessd Drop ‘Billboard’ — Song They Created in 30 Minutes at Billboard Latin Music Week

Ovy on the Drums and Blessd exclusively premiere their new collaboration, “Billboard,” on Billboard today (June 28)—nine months after they first created it at the 2022 Billboard Latin Music Week.

The three-minute and 54-second song is backed by Ovy’s innovative reggaeton beats (where violins and hard-hitting drums meet) and Blessd’s sultry, raspy vocals. “Billboard,” named after the place it was born — during our “Making the Hit, Live!” panel at last year’s LMW conference — tells the story of a man who can’t forget about the girl he likes and how everything is so insignificant without her. 

Though the lyrics are about an infatuated love, the Colombian urban singer born Stiven Mesa Londoño does reference Billboard, chanting toward the end of the track: “Se me fue la musa pa’l Billboard,” which loosely translates to “my inspiration went to Billboard.”

The simple-yet-aesthetic music video also pays homage to music’s leading magazine, showing the two Medellin-born artists performing the song in the recording studio as they take breaks to read the 2021 “Greatest Hit” issue with The Weeknd on the cover.

Watch the exclusive video premiere below:

Making The Hit, Live!

“Billboard” was created in only 30 minutes during the “Making the Hit, Live!” panel held on Sept. 28, 2022, at Billboard Latin Music Week.

With a laptop, microphone and headphones in hand, both Ovy on the Drums (real name: Daniel Echavarria Oviedo) and Blessd got to work while a sold-out venue observed how they create music in real-time. “It’s the first time I produce a song this way, so much pressure,” said Ovy after taking the stage at the Faena Forum in Miami Beach. 

Blessd, on the other hand, felt comfortable as he improvised the lyrics about heartbreak. “I come battling on the streets so my thing is to improvise. I never sit down to write lyrics. Improvising allows me to feel the music,” he said.

Almost nine months after creating the track, Ovy and Blessd released the song — which was mainly finished after reading all the positive feedback on the panel and fans encouraging them to unleash the track. A couple of weeks leading up to the release on June 28, both artists shared snippets of the “Making the Hit, Live!” panel, and shared a preview of the head-bopping reggaeton tune.

“Billboard” is the pair’s fifth collaborative effort, following “Mi Niña,” “Te Extraño,” “Tendencia Global” and “Medallo,” which hit No. 1 on Billboard‘s Latin Airplay chart in 2022. 

“Our chemistry is great,” Ovy said during the panel. “We have a lot of things in common, which was really important when it came to creating music together.”

Revisit the discussion below: 

28 Jun 2023

Maluma’s ‘Hawái’ Video Surpasses 1 Billion Views on YouTube

The video for Maluma‘s 2020 smash hit, “Hawái,” has just hit a new milestone on YouTube.

The visualizer has surpassed the one billion views, according to the video streaming platform. It’s his 10th video as a lead, featured artist or collaborator to achieve this feat after videos such as “Chantaje” with Shakira, the Ricky Martin-assisted “Vente Pa’ Ca,” and “Felices los 4.” Currently, the Colombian star comes in at #59 on Global Top Artists.

“I thank God and the universe every single day for giving me a song that has taken me around the world,” Maluma tells Billboard. “It’s allowed me to achieve new dreams. Now, with more than one billion views, we’re thinking what comes next and what can take my career to the next level. This is just the beginning.”

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The drama-filled music video finds the chart-topping singer-songwriter heartbroken and plotting his next move to get his girl back — even if that means crashing her wedding. Produced by Rude Boyz, the melodious pop song was penned by Maluma, Keityn, Edgar Barrera and Bulle Nene with lyrics set in present day that tell the story of a toxic relationship and the aftermath of a breakup in the Instagram era. “Stop lying to yourself, the photo you put up with him saying he was your everything, I know you only posted it to make me jealous,” Maluma sings.

After releasing “Hawái” in August 2020, Maluma recorded the blockbuster bilingual remix with Canadian star The Weeknd two months later, which spent nine weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot Latin Songs chart. It also scored him his highest ranking Billboard Hot 100 hit, where it peaked at No. 12.

“I was in Miami catching up with my close friend Yovanna Ventura [the model in the music video] and she played me the song and I absolutely loved it,” The Weekend previously told Billboard.  “I was inspired so I reached out and it was an easy answer from me when I was asked to get on the track. “Big shout out to Maluma for allowing me to try out my Spanish on the song!” he added.

Revisit the video for “Hawái” above.

28 Jun 2023

Lizzo Recreates Blue Ivy & Beyonce’s Viral Dance at Renaissance Tour From the Audience

Never question how much of a superfan Lizzo is of Beyoncé. While at the Renaissance Tour show in Poland on Tuesday night (June 27), the “About Damn Time” singer showed off a perfect recreation of the viral dance Blue Ivy sometimes performs with Bey during “My Power” on the road.

Filmed by a friend and posted on Lizzo’s TikTok Wednesday morning (June 28), Lizzo made a makeshift dance floor toward the back of the PGE Narodowy stadium in Warsaw behind a sea of fans turned away to watch Queen Bey perform. When the “Break My Soul” musician got to the part in “My Power” where her 11-year-old daughter occasionally takes the stage and joins the backup dancers in performing the song’s choreography, Lizzo started doing that same choreography, nailing every move.

Lizzo is far from the first to recreate the dance, though she definitely gets extra points for doing it at an actual Renaissance Tour concert. Videos of TikTok creators — including JoJo Siwa — trying out the choreography have been viewed millions of times on the platform, as have clips of Blue Ivy performing alongside her mom at recent shows in Paris, London and more cities.

On TikTok, Lizzo also shared a vlog of her day in Poland, featuring her getting-ready process, her outfit, and the Beyoncé merch she got at the show. And in a sentimental clip from the night on Instagram, the Grammy winner cries as Bey sings Lizzo’s name — as well as the names of 27 other groundbreaking Black women artists — while performing “Break My Soul (The Queens Remix).”

“In that moment I was thinking about baby me, listening to Happy Face by destiny’s child and crying myself to sleep because of bullies… I thought about Beyoncé jumping into the room where Tina Turner was waiting to meet her for the first time,” she captioned the post. “I think of what we all mean to people and how cyclical it is. We are all so infinitesimally and maximally connected and significant. It’s an honor. Thank You @beyonce.”

Watch Lizzo recreate Blue Ivy’s dance at the Renaissance Tour below.

28 Jun 2023

TikTok’s Viral Peel Off Lip Stain Is Bringing Y2K Beauty Back

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Y2K gave us everything from bubblegum lip balm and belly chains to TikTok’s latest viral find: a peel off lip stain you can currently snag on Amazon. The viral product not only provides colorful results, but comes in a variety pack featuring six shades — meaning you won’t have to go back and buy more colors.

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TikTok user @finalgirl_avery is just one of the many shoppers who have taken to the social media platform to show off the Romantic Bear Lip Tint. In the video, they hold up two pink shades and start applying the darker version like a lip gloss. Once the lip tint has fully dried, they simply peel it off, then complete their makeup look with a nude lip liner topped off with some clear lip gloss.

Other shades included in the variety pack include orange, cherry red, light pink, sexy red and watermelon. If you want a peek at what some of the other shades look like, @daniarribere tried on the cherry red color and gave it a *chef’s kiss.*

Keep scrolling to see the full video.

Both reviewers and TikTok users suggest applying a gloss as a top coat to really help the lip stain shine. You can also use a handheld fan to help the formula dry faster — especially if you’re in a rush.

six lip tints lined up next to one another

Amazon

Tattoo Magic Color Lip Stain

$13.75

This peel-off mask-inspired lip stain has captured beauty lover’s eyes for its ability to give your lips a pop of color without breaking the bank. Rather than drop $20 on one tube of luxe lipstick, you can get six shades ranging from pink to cherry red and all for $14. One reviewer even went as far as to say “it’ll be replacing all my lipsticks.”

Before application just make sure your lips are moisturized as one shopper says “you will see more coloring in the cracks of the lips.”

For more product recommendations, check out our roundups of the best TikTok beauty alternatives, refillable lipsticks and powder foundation.

28 Jun 2023

Fall Out Boy Updates Billy Joel’s ‘We Didn’t Start the Fire’ in Cover That Name-Checks Taylor Swift & More

Billy Joel’s “We Didn’t Start the Fire” was the No. 1 song on the Billboard Hot 100 the week that Taylor Swift was born in December 1989. Now, Swift gets a name-check in Fall Out Boy’s smart cover of the song released Wednesday (June 28).

Joel’s track was a cascade of news and pop-culture headlines from the middle of the 20th Century to 1989. Fall Out Boy updated the tune with a similar jumble of news and tabloid references from 1989 to the present. Swift is mentioned in tandem with Kanye West, who shared a moment at the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards that will live in awards show infamy.

Other music names and moments that are chronicled in the fast-moving new cover include three icons who have died since 1989 – Kurt Cobain, Michael Jackson and Prince – plus Woodstock ’99, Fyre Fest, Black Parade and this provocative assertion: “YouTube killed MTV.”

Other pop-culture references include Harry Potter, Twilight, Robert Downey Jr. in Iron Man, Michael Keaton in Batman, Steven Spielberg, Stranger Things, Avatar, SpongeBob SquarePants, Pokemon and MySpace.

Fall Out Boy structured the song the same way Joel did, steadily building in intensity. Where Joel built to the dramatic line “JFK blown away/ What else do I have to say?,” Fall Out Boy built to “World Trade/ second plane/ What else do I have to say?” Indeed, 9/11 is probably the most stunning historical event since 1989, just as President Kennedy’s assassination was for the previous time frame.

Where Joel sang “Rock and roll/ the cola wars/I can’t take it anymore,” Fall out Boy offers “Bush v. Gore/ I can’t take it anymore.”

The most memorable coupling in the new song may be “Trump gets impeached twice/ Polar bears got no ice.”

Joel’s original version reached No. 1 on Dec. 9, 1989, dethroning Milli Vanilli’s pre-scandal smash “Blame It on the Rain.” It held the top position for two weeks before being dethroned by Phil Collins’ “Another Day in Paradise.”

Joel performed the song on the 32nd Annual Grammy Awards in February 1990, where it received three high-profile nominations – record and song of the year and best pop male vocal performance.

But Joel has been critical of the song, noting it is one of the few songs he has ever written where he wrote the lyrics first and then put them to music. In 1993, when discussing the song with documentary filmmaker David Horn, Joel said, “It’s really not much of a song … If you take the melody by itself, terrible. Like a dentist drill.”

There have been several parodies and takeoffs of the song, including The Simpsons’ parody “They’ll Never Stop the Simpsons” at the end of the 2002 “Gump Roast” episode.

Pop band Milo Greene performed the song in June 2013 for The A.V. Club‘s A.V. Undercover series.

In 2019, the cast of Avengers: Endgame recapped the entire Marvel franchise by singing their own superhero version of the song on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. The elaborate sequence involved stars Robert Downey Jr., Chris Hemsworth, Chris Evans, Jeremy Renner, Don Cheadle, Mark Ruffalo, Paul Rudd, Danai Gurira, Karen Gillan and Brie Larson.

Fall Out Boy has written the vast majority of their 20 Hot 100 hits, but the group had a big hit in 2008 with a cover version of Jackson’s “Beat It,” which featured John Mayer. (The song reached No. 18 on the Hot 100 in April 2008, 14 months before Jackson’s shocking death at age 50.)

Fall Out Boy is currently on their So Much for (Tour) Dust global headline tour, in support of its eighth studio album, So Much (for) Stardust, which became the group’s seventh album to reach the top 10 on the Billboard 200. The band has topped that chart four times with Infinity on High (2007), Save Rock and Roll (2013), American Beauty/American Psycho (2015) and MANIA (2018).

The band’s tour launched with a sold-out hometown show at Wrigley Field in Chicago, and continues Wednesday in Dallas, along with stops in Phoenix, San Diego and two sold-out stadium shows in Los Angeles at BMO Stadium (formerly Banc of California Stadium) on July 2-3. For all tour dates and details, visit Fall Out Boy’s website.