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14 May 2025

Prime Video Shares 1st Pic Of Nicolas Cage As Spider-Man In ‘Spider-Noir’

Nicholas Cage - Spider-Noir
Source: Prime Video / Amazon Studios

With all the hype and anticipation amongst Marvel fans for the upcoming Spider-Man: Brand New Beginning, many people forget that another Spider-Man film is on the way starring Nicolas Cage (no, seriously), and though details are scarce, we’ve finally gotten our first look at Cage in his Spidey suit. He looks pretty damn dope too.

According to Variety, Amazon’s Prime Video released their first pic of Nicolas Cage dressed as Spider-Man for their upcoming series, Spider-Noir. And truth be told, it looks very well done. After voicing the same Spider-Man variant in Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse, Cage will once again be playing the character in a live-action adaptation of the Spider-Man Noir comic books. Set in 1930s New York, this alternate version of Spider-Man does have a faithful following. Judging from the first pics of the upcoming series, it’ll be going down the black-and-white cinematic setting similar to the cult classic film, Sin City, but won’t be confined to just black-and-white.

Per Variety:

Releasing in 2026, “‘Spider-Noir’ tells the story of an aging and down on his luck private investigator (Cage) in 1930s New York, who is forced to grapple with his past life as the city’s one and only superhero.” The show will be available in both black-and-white and color.

In addition to Cage, the cast includes Lamorne Morris, Brendan Gleeson, Abraham Popoola, Li Jun Li, Karen Rodriguez, and Jack Huston. Guest star cast includes Lukas Haas, Cameron Britton, Cary Christopher, Michael Kostroff, Scott MacArthur, Joe Massingill, Whitney Rice, Amanda Schull, Andrew Caldwell, Amy Aquino, Andrew Robinson and Kai Caster.

“Spider-Noir” will debut domestically on MGM+’s linear channel, then arrive globally on Prime video the next day.

Spider-Noir is set to debut sometime in 2026 and come in eight episodes deep. Will you be checking for Nicolas Cage’s iteration of Spider-Man? Let us know in the comments section below.

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14 May 2025

Shakira Kicks Off U.S. Tour With Alejandro Sanz & Wyclef Jean As Surprise Guests

The “She Wolf” is on the prowl again. Global superstar Shakira performed to a sold-out crowd at the Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, N.C., on Tuesday (May 13), kicking off the U.S. leg of her successful Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran World Tour.

As the tour slogan suggests, “women don’t cry,” they dominate stadiums! The show marked the continuation of her historic dates in Latin America, where she set worldwide box office records in March. And if the energy in the Queen City is any indication, fans in the U.S. and Canada can expect big surprises.

In true Shakira fashion, the night was packed with unexpected moments. The Colombian icon surprised the audience with two special guests on stage: Spanish singer Alejandro Sanz, with whom she performed their ultra-passionate collaboration “La Tortura,” and rapper Wyclef Jean, with whom she revived their No. 1 Hot 100 hit, “Hips Don’t Lie,” sparking a seismic reaction from the crowd.

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The North American stretch of the tour will bring the superstar to major cities across the U.S. and Canada, including Montreal, Toronto, Miami, Los Angeles and Las Vegas before wrapping up on June 30 in San Francisco.

Named by Billboard as No. 1 among the Best 50 Female Latin Pop Artists of All Time, Shakira also topped Billboard’s monthly Top Tours chart for the first time, earning $32.9 million from 282,000 tickets sold in February, and an impressive $70.6 million from 11 shows in March, according to figures reported to Billboard Boxscore.

14 May 2025

‘Wicked: For Good’ Trailer Gets a Release Date as New Film Poster Is Unveiled

Good news! Fans are finally getting their first looks at Wicked: For Good, with Universal Pictures announcing the release date of its first trailer while unveiling the film’s poster Wednesday (May 14).

As revealed first on the official Wicked Instagram account, the sequel’s official poster finds leading ladies Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande — who portray Elphaba and Glinda in the live-action musical duology, respectively — looking stoic as they stare each other down while standing on opposing rocky cliffs separated by a deep ravine. At the bottom, the franchise’s famous Yellow Brick Road leads the way to the Emerald City, which looms on the horizon in the center.

“You will be changed,” reads text on the poster, a play on the lyrics to Elphaba and Glinda’s “For Good” duet from the Wicked Broadway musical, on which the films were based.

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The poster offers fans their first visual of the sequel to Jon M. Chu’s first Wicked film, which hit theaters in November 2024 and has so far grossed $755.4 million worldwide — more than any other film adaptation of a Broadway musical — as of Monday (May 12). It also shows Erivo and Grande’s characters in brand new outfits, with the former embracing her persona as the Wicked Witch of the West in her signature pointy hat and an edgy black coat that billows out behind her, while the latter wears a tiara and multicolored ballgown.

But while the artwork is all viewers get for now of Wicked: For Good, they’ll soon get their first proper view of the November-slated installment. Shortly after unveiling the poster, the Wicked Instagram account announced that the sequel’s trailer will premiere in theaters on June 4 as the first film returns to the big screen for one night only in the United States and Canada.

“We know you’ve been waiting for this, and it’s finally coming,” Erivo says in a video sharing the news, standing next to the “Positions” singer.

“You will be changed …,” adds Grande before the Pinocchio star finishes, “For good.”

Tickets for Wicked‘s single-night return to theaters are on sale now. The announcement comes just two days after NBC revealed that a Wicked event special featuring Grande, Erivo and some “special guests” would both air on the network and stream on Peacock in November.

Modeling the arc of Act II in the Wicked stage musical, For Good is expected to pick up during the aftermath of the events of the first film. Elphaba is forced into hiding after the Wizard of Oz (portrayed by Jeff Goldblum) convinces the realm that she’s, well, wicked. Meanwhile Glinda assumes her role as people’s princess and government mouthpiece in the absence of her best frenemy.

“It gets messy,” Chu told Variety of the sequel’s plot in January. “I think if [audience members] are following the emotions of this movie, they’ll walk with us.”

See the new Wicked: For Good poster and trailer announcement below.

14 May 2025

Media Companies Request To View “Freak-Off” Footage In Diddy Trial

US-ENTERTAINMENT-MUSIC-CRIME-DIDDY
Source: TIMOTHY A. CLARY / Getty

As the sex trafficking trial for Sean “Diddy” Combs continues, major media companies reporting on the matter have requested to review evidence at the center of the trial. A consortium of media brands filed the request earlier this week, which would allow viewing of the so-called “Freak-Off” footage mentioned in earlier reports.

As reported by Variety, the media companies include the Associated Press, Business Insider, Vox Media, Wall Street Journal, and more, all of which are requesting to view the footage of the parties infamously and allegedly masterminded by Sean “Diddy” Combs. During opening statements heard this week, Diddy’s ex-girlfriend, Cassie Ventura, mentioned the freak-off parties and accused Combs of ordering her and others to perform extreme sexual acts.

During her testimony, Ventura, who took the stand while in her third trimester carrying her third child, shared with prosecutors that she had handed over visual evidence via laptops that were in her possession.

“While the News organizations appreciate that some trial exhibits in this case may be sexually explicit and sensitive for the alleged victims, the public and the press should be permitted to view and consider this evidence (which lies at the heart of the Government’s case), consistent with the first Amendment right of access to criminal trials,” read a portion of the media companies’ filing.

Variety adds in their reporting that they are not asking for physical copies of the videos, instead only wanting to view the footage to inform their reporting. Attorney Douglas H. Wigdor, who represents Ventura, has filed to deny the request, writing that the media companies “did not cite any case, and nor are we aware of any authority, granting this unprecedented request in a sex trafficking case to unseal videos depicting coercive sex acts.”

A decision on allowing the media companies to see the footage has yet to be made.

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Photo: Getty

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14 May 2025

Benson Boone, Taylor Swift, Teddy Swims Take Top Honors at 2025 BMI Pop Awards

Benson Boone, Taylor Swift and Teddy Swims took top honors at the 2025 BMI Pop Awards, which were held on Tuesday (May 13) at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel in Beverly Hills, Calif. The private event was hosted by Mike O’Neill, BMI president & CEO; Barbara Cane, vp of worldwide creative; Samantha Cox, vp of creative, NY; and Tracie Verlinde, vp.

Boone was presented with the BMI Champion Award by O’Neill, who praised his “boundless talent and creativity.” Previous recipients include Peso Pluma, SZA, Jonathan McReynolds, Khalid, Mark Ronson, Residente, Sebastian Krys, Keith Urban and Lee Thomas Miller.

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After receiving the award, Boone thanked BMI, his team, family and the songwriters in the room, sharing “This is not my award, this is for everyone who has been a part of working on this project. To the songwriters, producers, to my mother and father… to my label to Warner Chappell, to everyone who has played a part… it takes a huge powerhouse of a team to do what I’m trying to do, and I have a wonderful team.”

Boone also paid tribute to his cowriter and collaborator Jack LaFrantz, sharing, “If you’re a songwriter or producing or have anything to do with the creation process of music, you understand how incredible it is when you find someone you really like to work with and work well with. I would just like to give a special thank you to Mr. Jack LaFrantz. Any of these songs that you hear you would not be hearing them without him. If you’re trying to release songs, find people that you love and make it something that you love. I promise you it is the best thing ever when you find gold in the room.”

Boone then took to the stage for an intimate three-song performance backed by piano. He started off with “Slow it Down,” followed by “Drunk in My Mind” and “Beautiful Things.”

In addition to his BMI Champion honor, Boone received two BMI Pop Awards for “Beautiful Things” and “Slow It Down,” with co-writer LaFrantz. The backflipping singer-songwriter received his first BMI Pop award in 2023 for “GHOST TOWN.”

Swift was named BMI’s Pop Songwriter of the Year, which ups her collection of BMI Awards to a staggering 72 – including the BMI President’s Award in 2009 and the BMI Taylor Swift Award in 2016.

This was the second year in a row Swift has been named Pop Songwriter of the Year. She co-wrote seven of the previous year’s most-performed songs: “Don’t Blame Me,” “Down Bad,” “Fortnight,” “I Can Do It with a Broken Heart,” “Is It Over Now?,” “Now That We Don’t Talk,” and “Who’s Afraid of Little Old Me?.”

BMI’s Pop Song of the Year went to “Lose Control” written and performed by Teddy Swims with BMI co-writers Julian Bunetta, Marco “Infamous” Rodriguez and Mikky Ekko. The smash hit has spent a record-breaking 60 nonconsecutive weeks in the top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100, reaching No. 1 in March 2024.

Universal Music Publishing Group was named Publisher of the Year for representing 28 of the previous year’s most performed songs, including “Agora Hills” performed by Doja Cat, “Espresso” performed by Sabrina Carpenter and “Houdini” by Eminem.

Throughout the ceremony, the 50 most-performed pop songs of the previous year in the U.S. were also awarded. BMI welcomed 61 first-time Pop Award winners, including J. Cole for “All My Life” by Lil Durk, Jesse Fink; Peter Finn for “Stargazing” performed by Myles Smith; Djo for “End of Beginning”; and Nevin Sastry for “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” by Shaboozey. This also marked the first BMI Pop award for country superstar Morgan Wallen for “I Had Some Help,” co-written with Charlie Handsome and other first-time BMI Pop winners Hoskins, ERNEST and Chandler Paul Walters.

For a full list of the 2024 honorees, visit the BMI site.

14 May 2025

Megan Thee Stallion Debunks Rumors She’s Banned From Met Gala: Anna Wintour ‘Loves Me, Babe’

Megan Thee Stallion has shut down rumors she’s been banned from the Met Gala over using her phone from inside the venue at this year’s event.

People caught up with the Houston Hottie on Tuesday (May 13), and she dispelled any notion of being banned for posting to social media from the Met Gala, as she said Vogue boss Anna Wintour has plenty of love for Thee Stallion.

“We’re gonna dead these rumors right now, OK? People are like, ‘Oh my God, Megan, you got banned from the Met Gala,’” she said. “No, I didn’t, babe. Like that’s not true.”

Megan continued: “Y’all made that up and ran with it. They love making [stuff up]. Anna [Wintour] loves me, babe. That’s why my phone was out.”

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The “WAP” rapper gave fans a look at what food was being served throughout the night May 5 through her Hottie Cam. Meg was a table alongside Doechii and WNBA star Angel Reese sampling some cornbread and caviar, vegan lox, truffle lobster rolls and more, which she filmed and later shared.

“We’re not supposed to have our phones, but we’re doing it,” Megan said while laughing in one of the clips.

Megan stunned at the 2025 Met Gala in a dazzling silver Michael Kors gown with a white fur coat as she mingled with Ciara, actress Lupita Nyong’o and tennis phenom Serena Williams.

On the music side, Megan Thee Stallion is hard at work on Act: III, and she shared that Doechii is on her “album wishlist” when it comes to potential collaborators for the project. “I see Doechii, b—h, I love Doechii. I do want to do a song with Doechii,” Thee Stallion said on a TikTok livestream in March. “That’s on my list. That’s on my album wish list.”

14 May 2025

Dance Industry Conference IMS Will Return to Dubai This November

The International Music Summit (IMS) will return to Dubai this fall.

This will be the electronic music industry conference’s second time in the United Arab Emirates after debuting in Dubai in late 2024. The event will happen November 13-14 at 25hours Hotel One Central.

At this year’s conference, IMS will gather industry figures from the MENA region and beyond for panels, keynotes, networking opportunities and evening programming, with specific programming to be announced in the coming months.

IMS’ return to the region happens as the Middle East remains a key growth market, with the IFPI Global Music Report noting that MENA was “the world’s fastest growing region and saw recorded music revenues increase by 22.8% in 2024.” It added that the region was “dominated by streaming,” with those revenues accounting for 99.5% of the total.

“It’s exciting to see how IMS Dubai has already become a vital touchpoint for the region,” IMS co-founder Pete Tong said in a statement. “The energy, curiosity, and ideas we saw last year made it clear that this is a place that can provide lots of knowledge and value. What’s even more inspiring is the way music, culture, finance, and technology come together at this event. We’re really building momentum and giving a platform to local and international talent who are moving the needle and pushing boundaries. Dubai is fast becoming a hub for forward-thinking creators, and IMS is right at the heart of it.”

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The long-running Ibiza edition of IMS also happened on the namesake island last month. The three-day event included the annual presentation of the IMS Business Report, which looks at the global growth areas, challenges and overall financial landscape of the industry. This year’s report valued the global electronic music industry at $12.9 billion in 2024.

IMS is owned by Beatport, which acquired a majority stake in the conference in 2023.

14 May 2025

Celine Dion Makes Surprise Appearance During First 2025 Eurovision Semi-Final Round In Video Cheering on Performers

Celine Dion went back to the start on Tuesday (May 13). The singer sent a surprise video to the 2025 Eurovision Song Contest expressing her gratitude and love for the singers, organizers and viewers during the first semi-final round.

“Dear Eurovision family and contestants. I’d love nothing more than to be with you in Basel right now. Switzerland will forever hold a special place in my heart. It’s a country that believed in me and gave me the chance to be part of something so extraordinary,” Dion, 57, said in the video that was broadcast on a big screen on the main stage on Tuesday night.

“Winning the Eurovision song contest for Switzerland in 1988 was a life-changing moment for me and I’m so thankful for everyone who supported me,” she continued. “Now, 37 years later, it’s so beautiful and emotional to see Switzerland winning and hosting this incredible event once again. To the people of Switzerland, thank you for your love. This night is yours and I hope you feel as proud as I do.”

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Before she became a global phenomenon, Dion won the Eurovision Contest representing Switzerland in 1988 with the song “Ne partez pas sans moi.” Dion, who had already released more than half a dozen French-language albums at that point, issued her first English-language LP, Unison, two years later, in 1990.

Her message also included a French-language portion in which she said, “Music unites us, not only this evening, not only at the moment. Wonderful. It is our strength, our support and our support in the moments where we need it. I love you all, Europe and the rest of the world, of course. Kisses, I love you.”

Among the acts who made it through during Tuesday’s cut-down round are Norway’s Kyle Alessandro, Albania’s Shkodra Elektronike, Sweden’s KAJ, Iceland’s VÆB, the Netherlands’ Claude, Poland’s Justyna Steczkowska, San Marino’s Gabry Ponte, Estonia’s Tommy Cash, Portugal’s NAPA and Ukraine’s Ziferblat, with Azerbaijan, Belgium, Cyprus, Croatia and Slovenia getting eliminated. The next semi-final round will take place on Thursday (May 15) and feature performances from Armenia, Australia, Austria, Czechia, Denmark, Finland, Georgia, Greece, Ireland, Israel, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Montenegro, Serbia, and the United Kingdom, with the top 10 advancing to the Grand Final.

According to CNN, after the Dion message aired a number of singers from last year’s contest performed a cover of the diva’s winning song from 1988.

The video from Dion was her latest appearance in the wake of a long lay-off due to the singer’s battle with the rare neurological disorder Stiff-Person Syndrome, which caused her to call off all live dates and resulted in a retreat from the spotlight for nearly two years as she battled the debilitating effects of the disorder. She made her triumphant return to the spotlight last summer when she performed at the opening ceremony of the Summer Olympics.

Check out Dion’s message below.

14 May 2025

Sony Music Posts Record Profits, Fueled By Double-Digit Streaming and Publishing Growth

Sony Music reported record high operating profit and a 14% jump in revenue for its fiscal year, as revenue from subscription streaming and its live, merchandise and sync business bolstered earnings, parent company Sony Group Corp. reported Wednesday (May. 14).

Sony’s music segment, which includes Sony Music Entertainment, Sony Music Entertainment Japan and Sony Music Publishing, generated 1.8 trillion yen ($12 billion) in revenue, with strong streaming revenue growth and sales for music from artists like SZA, Travis Scott and Tate McRae. Total operating profit, or the money the company earned from core businesses, was up 18% to 357 billion yen ($2.4 billion) on increased sales. Adjusted operating income before depreciation and amortization (OIBDA) rose 20.5% to 449 billion yen ($3 billion).

Total recorded music revenue rose 12% to 1.2 trillion yen ($8 billion), with recorded music streaming revenue up 11% to 789 billion yen ($5.23 billion). Other recorded music revenue, which includes live, merch and sync revenue, rose 23% to 273 billion yen ($1.82 billion), and 4.8% to 106 billion yen ($707 million).

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Publishing revenue rose 18% to 366 billion yen ($2.4 billion), thanks largely to a 13% increase (on a U.S. dollar basis) in revenue received from streaming.

Combined recorded music and publishing revenue climbed 13% to 1.6 trillion yen ($10.7 billion), while streaming revenue from both segments grew 9% to 248.5 billion yen ($1.67 billion).

The company expects flat overall operating profit for the three businesses that make up Sony’s music segment for coming fiscal year largely due to the impact of foreign exchange rates and the impact of increased marketing costs for recorded music and the visual media and platform business at Sony Music Japan. The company says investors can expect high single digit profit growth in U.S. dollars at Sony Music Entertainment.

Other top selling artists in the quarter included Central Cee, BLACKPINK members LISA and JENNIE, Rauw Alejandro and Tyler, the Creator.

14 May 2025

Rihanna Is Dropping New Song ‘Friend of Mine’ for the ‘Smurfs’ Movie Soundtrack Soon

Rihanna fans who are desperate for new music don’t need to feel blue any longer — the superstar finally has a new song coming out soon, recorded for the Smurfs movie soundtrack.

As revealed Wednesday (May 14) with the release of the film’s new trailer, Ri will drop a track called “Friend of Mine” on Friday (May 16). The teaser also features snippets of the song, which finds the Fenty mogul singing over a dreamy Afrobeats-inspired dance track, “You’re looking like a friend of mine.”

Starring Ri as the voice of Smurfette opposite John Goodman, James Corden, Nick Offerman, Sandra Oh and more, the Smurfs movie is set to hit theaters July 18. In addition to the “Umbrella” singer’s new song, its soundtrack will also feature Tyla as well as a song called “Higher Love” by DJ Khaled, Cardi B and DESI TRILL, which dropped in February.

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The new teaser opens with a shot of Rihanna — aptly wearing a blue jacket and blue beads in her hair — dancing in the studio as she records some of Smurfette’s lines. It then shows a preview of the film’s storyline, with the residents of Smurf Village traveling to the real world to save Papa Smurf (Goodman) after he’s kidnapped by evil wizard Gargamel (J. P. Karliak).

In addition to starring and singing in the film, Ri also served as an executive producer on the latest addition to the Smurfs franchise. While announcing the project back in 2023 at that year’s CinemaCon alongside Paramount and Nickelodeon, the musician — who was pregnant with second son Riot Rose at the time — said, “I get to show up in my PJs in my third trimester … I hope this gives me cool points with my kids one day.”

“Friend of Mine” will mark Ri’s first release since 2022’s “Lift Me Up” from the Black Panther: Wakanda Forever soundtrack. She hasn’t dropped an album since 2016’s Anti, which spent two weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard 200.

The new trailer comes a week after Ri attended the Met Gala with partner A$AP Rocky, who was one of the event’s co-chairs this year. On the red carpet, she showed off her baby bump, revealing that she’s expecting her third child with the rapper.

And though fans have been waiting for a new Rihanna album for nine years at this point, the musician says that her latest pregnancy isn’t going to stop her from working on Anti‘s follow-up. “Noooooo!” she told Entertainment Tonight when asked whether that would be the case on the Met red carpet May 5. “Maybe a couple videos! I can still sing!”

Watch the new Smurfs trailer and listen for snippets of Ri’s new song “Friend of Mine” below.