News

19 Apr 2023

‘Love Is Blind’ Fans Petition to Remove Nick Lachey & Wife Vanessa as Co-Hosts

Fans of Netflix’s popular dating show Love Is Blind are making some noise about who they want to see on the program — and, in the case of Nick Lachey and his wife Vanessa Lachey, who they don’t want to see.

A change.org petition titled “Remove Nick and Vanessa Lachey as the Hosts of Love is Blind” is quickly gaining steam on the platform. The petition states that the married couple has a tendency to direct “attention at themselves and their personal lives rather than focusing on the contestants that are actually participating in the experiment,” which involves the single men and women on the show looking for love and getting engaged to one another before meeting in person. As a result of the couple’s perceived behavior, the petition states that like-minded fans of the show feel that Love Is Blind is “being held back from its full potential.”

The petition — which now has over 21,000 signatures at press time — was circulated before Netflix aired the Love Is Blind season 4 reunion on Sunday (April 16). In addition to backlash geared towards Netflix for the livestreaming snafu during the reunion, Nick and Vanessa received largely negative comments online for asking contestants “unsettling” questions, some of which included Vanessa delving into personal topics like the couples’ reproductive plans for the future.

In the comments section of Nick’s most recent Instagram post about the finale, a viewer remarked, “Vanessa needs to please apologize to those who have miscarried, to those who cannot have children, and to those who don’t want children!” Another user added, “Time for you to take on the limelight and become a solo host from now on. @vanessalachey inserts her personal opinion into her interviews and it’s unsettling to say the least. You are meant to represent the audience and be a medium between the viewers and the cast.”

See the change.org petition in full here.

19 Apr 2023

Liam Gallagher Isn’t Mad About Oasis AI Album ‘AISIS,’ In Fact He Thinks He Sounds ‘Mega’

Imagine if the classic 1995-1997 lineup of beloved battling Brit Pop band Oasis had stayed together and continued making music. Now you don’t have to thanks to the British band Breezer, who spent their pandemic lockdown writing and recording an album that taps into the classic everything-all-at-once sound and fury of Oasis’ landmark first three albums: Definitely Maybe (1994), (What’s the Story) Morning Glory? (1995) and Be Here Now.

AISIS is a mind-expanding 8-song album that eerily mimics the Gallagher brothers’ sound on tracks written and recorded by Breezer in the group’s style, with the original singer’s voice later replaced by an AI vocals in the style of Oasis singer Liam Gallagher.

“AISIS is an alternate reality concept album where the band’s 95-97 line-up continued to write music, or perhaps all got together years later to write a record akin to the first 3 albums, and only now has the master DAT tape from that session surfaced,” reads a note from the band. “We’re bored of waiting for Oasis to reform, so we’ve got an AI modelled Liam Gallagher (inspired by @JekSpek) to step in and help out on some tunes that were written during lockdown 2021 for a short lived, but much loved band called Breezer.”

While some labels and artists are hurtling in a panic to stop AI versions of their music — with a fake Drake and The Weeknd viral hit quickly pulled from streamers this week — notoriously cantankerous vocalist Gallagher responded to a fan’s question on Wednesday (April 19) about whether he’s heard it and what he thinks. Yes, he said, he had, and in classic Liam fashion he added that he’d only heard one tune but that it was “better than all the other snizzle out there.”

Better still, in response to another query about his thoughts on the computer-generated Liam, the perma-swaggering singer proclaimed “Mad as f–k I sound mega.” He’s not wrong, as songs such as the bullrushing openers “Out of My Mind” and “Time” perfectly capture peak Oasis’ signature mix of swirling guitars, hedonistic fury and Liam’s snarling, nasally vocals. The psychedelic rager “Forever” and expansive ballad “Tonight” nail songwriter/guitarist/singer Noel Gallagher’s stuffed-to-exploding arrangements and Beatles fetish, amid such spot-on touches as the sound of the tide washing out, layers of sitar and a lyrical nod to Mott the Hoople’s David Bowie-penned 1972 smash “All the Young Dudes.”

As any Oasis fan knows, AISIS is as close as anyone is likely to come to an actual reunion of the group that split in 2009 after Liam left, setting off more than a decade of acrimonious back-and-forth between the famously battling singer and brother Noel as each has pursued their respective solo projects.

See Gallagher’s tweets and listen to AISIS album below.

19 Apr 2023

Matt Maher Scores His Fourth No. 1 on Christian Airplay With ‘The Lord’s Prayer’

Matt Maher notches his fourth No. 1 on Billboard’s Christian Airplay chart with “The Lord’s Prayer (It’s Yours),” on the list dated April 22.

In the tracking week ending April 13, the song logged 6.5 million audience impressions, according to Luminate. Maher co-authored “Prayer” with Bryan Fowler and Jacob Sooter. Fowler and Sooter co-produced it with Brian Elmquist.

“As an artist, there are songs I write that I can’t wait to sing in front of an audience. But there are other songs that I can’t wait to hear other people sing with me,” Maher tells Billboard. “From the moment [Fowler] sent me a voice memo of the idea, I knew it was meant to be sung with people, not at them. So, it’s been a real joy on the road to hear that – people embracing a song based on scripture, with a simple yet profound and everlasting message. I’m so honored to have it achieve such a milestone at Billboard. I’m thankful to my longtime friends at radio and my team for the hard work.”

“Prayer” becomes Maher’s first No. 1 on Christian Airplay since “Alive & Breathing,” featuring Elle Limebear, ruled for four frames beginning in June 2020. Before that, his holiday track “Glory (Let There Be Peace)” led for a week in January 2017 and “Because He Lives (Amen)” reached the chart’s summit in April 2015.

Maher, originally from Newfoundland, Canada, and who now lives in Nashville, has made 26 Christian Airplay appearances, earning 12 top 10s. His debut track, “Your Grace Is Enough,” reached No. 4 in July 2008.

19 Apr 2023

A Life Well Lived Finds Good ‘Standing’ in Tim McGraw’s Timely New Single

Gauged solely by its title, “Standing Room Only,” it’s understandable if listeners expect Tim McGraw’s latest single to be a song that celebrates big concert moments or triumphant sports events.

In fact, it’s a crucial lesson about acting with integrity for the benefit of friends, family and the community in general. The question McGraw asks about life in the bridge of “Live Like You Were Dying” — “What did you do with it?” — is a query that gets revisited, at least in spirit, in “Standing Room Only.”

“To me, it’s like the last point on a triangle with ‘Humble and Kind’ and ‘Live Like You Were Dying,’” he explains. “They all, to me, have this big, universal feel. You know, I’m just the vessel. They’re not my songs. I just feel lucky to be in the same universe with these songs and to be able to sing them every night. It’s almost like they belong to everybody.”

The “Standing Room Only” copyright actually belongs to songwriters Tommy Cecil (“Home Alone Tonight,” “You Were Jack [I Was Diane]”), Craig Wiseman (“Live Like You Were Dying,” “The Good Stuff”) and Patrick Murphy, a singer-songwriter-pianist signed to Warner Music Nashville. They wrote it over Zoom in April 2020, roughly a month into the coronavirus pandemic, when the outbreak and online writing were both still new to Music Row composers.

Cecil presented the “Standing Room Only” title with the twist already built in. “It was inspired by something in a movie, and I don’t remember what [movie] it was,” says Cecil. “But the thought I wrote down was, ‘When he dies, at his funeral, everybody will be standing. It’ll be so packed that there will only be standing room.’ ”

The idea connected immediately. Wiseman blurted out the first two lines of the chorus: “I wanna live a life, live a life/ Like a dollar and the clock on the wall don’t own me.” It launched them into a song about prioritizing character over wealth, about spreading hope instead of hoarding power.

“It’s just a song about treating everybody, in my opinion, the way that you want to be treated,” Murphy suggests. “Be kind to every single person that you come into contact with each day because you have no idea what that person’s going through.”

They worked in a non-sequential order, fitting key phrases into the chorus or into the verses as the ideas surfaced. The opening lines focused on misplaced anger and the loss of old friendships, and Wiseman diverted the narrative in the last half of that verse down a symbolic road, with the protagonist chasing a pot of gold in a downpour. He shakes his fist at the sky, only to catch a life-changing thunderbolt in the midst of the storm. It’s a metaphor that Wiseman wasn’t entirely certain his co-writers would accept.

“Most songs, I just try to say, ‘F-150,’ you know, and get down to the chorus,” he says. “It was so fun to be able to actually write and use the metaphor.”

That thunderbolt represents a light-bulb moment when the singer reframes his life, letting go of temporary, short-term distractions and emphasizing meaningful, long-term results. “You have to get right in the middle of a wrong decision to realize what the right decision is,” says Wiseman.

As the writing progressed on “Standing Room Only,” Wiseman rolled out one more key phrase, forming the song’s bridge: “Stop judging my life by my possessions/ Start thinking ’bout how many headlights will be in my procession.” His co-writers were stunned.

“I looked at Craig, and I said, ‘Craig, where did that come from?’ ” Cecil remembers. “Craig goes, ‘Well, I’ve been trying to write toward that the whole song.’ ”

Counting the number of headlights following the hearse is not the literal point, says Wiseman. It’s about making a difference among the lives that one does touch. “You could actually fall into the same trap you did chasing money and stuff if [the attendance] was your only thing,” he observes.

When the song was completed, Wiseman recorded a guitar/vocal and sent it to Cecil. He used it as a template for a full demo with Murphy singing lead over a piano-based production loaded with ethereal elements that highlighted the spiritual quality of the message. Since Murphy was the participating artist, he had been the original target for “Standing Room Only” — but he was only 22 at the time and wasn’t entirely certain if he had enough life experience to convince an audience that he fully understood it.

“Toward the end, they had asked me, ‘Hey, do you think this is a song for you? Should we pitch it?’” recalls Murphy. “I was very appreciative for them even asking, and so I was like, ‘You know, let’s just see where the song could go. Maybe I will cut it. But if it ends up in a different artist’s hands that we love, why not?’”

The song languished for months with little feedback, but Cecil — who repeatedly played the demo — refused to let it go. He ultimately tweaked the percussion in it, then resent it to Wiseman for an evaluation. Within a half hour, Wiseman responded: “Hey, man, it’s on hold for McGraw.”

McGraw had just released his Here on Earth album and wouldn’t be recording for a while, but “Standing Room Only” was special. In fact, when the sessions started a year or more later in a high-ceiling recording studio owned by drummer Shannon Forrest, McGraw and co-producer Byron Gallimore (Jo Dee Messina, Sugarland) waited until they had cut at least 15 other songs and fully knocked off the pandemic rust before they tackled “Standing Room.”

McGraw tempered the ethereal ambience from the demo and grounded his recording with more standard instruments, highlighting the communal, neighborly tone of the story. “I wanted it to be more of a band-sounding song, and I wanted the earthiness in it,” McGraw says. “I wanted the human aspect in the record because of everything that’s going on in the world and because of what this song says. I wanted my vocal to be really out front so you really hear the story.”

He caught about 80% of the final vocal during the tracking session, and it finds him sonically mirroring the song’s intent. The back half of the chorus is pitched near the top of his natural range, and by challenging himself in the performance, his art reflects the message. “You’re not taking the easy way out,” he says. “The song challenges everyone to be the best of themselves that they can be and challenges me to be the best of myself I can be. Therefore, the way you sing it, the way you approach it, should challenge yourself to be the best that you can be.”

Big Machine released “Standing Room Only” to country radio on March 9 via PlayMPE. It reaches No. 31 in its fifth week on Country Airplay, making a mark with an affirmation when many communities — Nashville, in particular — need to hear it.

“The song just came along at a time when I thought it was important for something to say, and I love having those kinds of songs,” McGraw notes. “To be an artist that songwriters will bring those kinds of songs to, and to be able to record a song like that and have people actually listen to it, that doesn’t escape me. And I’m grateful.”

19 Apr 2023

Missy Elliott, SWV & More to Be Feted at 2023 Black Music Honors

Missy Elliott; vocal trio SWV; disco and R&B star Evelyn “Champagne” King; R&B/soul singer Jeffrey Osborne; and gospel trailblazers The Hawkins Family are the 2023 honorees at the Black Music Honors. Singer and actress LeToya Luckett and actor DeRay Davis are set to co-host the show, which will be taped live at the Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre in Atlanta on Thursday, May 19.

The two-hour special will premiere on the Stellar Network on June 3 and will air in national broadcast syndication from Saturday, June 10 to Sunday, July 2. The show will also air on Bounce TV on June 19.

“Black music is the heartbeat of our culture, and the honorees for this year’s Black Music Honors represent the soul of American music,” founder and executive producer Don Jackson said in a statement. “We pay homage to the musical innovators who have paved the way for future generations. Our tribute performances not only celebrate the honorees of yesterday, but also showcase the influence and impact of their iconic sounds and styles on today’s artists with a beautiful symbiosis of past and present.”

Jennifer J. Jackson will serve as producer and executive in charge of production of the eighth annual Black Music Honors, with Michael A. Johnson serving as producer and director. Tickets for the live taping will be available on Friday, April 21 at the organization’s website or on Ticketmaster.

Elliott is a four-time Grammy winner. In 2019, she became the first female rapper to be inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame and the first female rapper to receive the Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award at the VMAs.

Tramaine Hawkins of the legendary Hawkins family has won two Grammys. SWV and Osborne are both past Grammy nominees.

Black Music Honors is an annual event that acknowledges artists who have made significant contributions to African American culture and American music worldwide. The celebration of Black musical excellence was known as Celebrate the Soul of American Music from 1990 to 1993. In 2016, it was revived under the new name to tie into Black Music Month. Black Music Honors is produced by Chicago-based production company Central City Productions, which was founded in 1970 by Jackson.

19 Apr 2023

Carlos Vives Breaks Down 5 Essential Songs from His Homage to Rafael Escalona

Choosing a “local path” made Carlos Vives “very international,” reflects the superstar via Zoom from his native Colombia as he prepares to release Escalona Nunca Se Había Grabado Así, a tribute album to the great Rafael Escalona.

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The 12-track set, released on Wednesday (April 19) under WK Records / Gaira Musica Local, includes versions of “La Historia,” “Mala Suerte” and “La Golondrina,” as well as “La Nostalgia de Poncho”, “El Destino de Simón” and “El Testamento,” among others.

The album arrives the same year that Vives celebrates three decades of his worldwide hit Clásicos de la Provincia, where he took the rural musical stylings from Colombia’s Caribbean coast known as vallenato, and injected a modern pop-rock sensibility. It is a revolutionary sound that immortalized the Colombian genre beyond its borders. His main inspiration? Rafael Escalona, a swaggering, prolific troubadour, romantic and a playboy, from the country’s Valledupar region.  

Vives, who started off playing rock before dedicating the rest of his life to rescuing and revitalizing the sounds of his homeland, starred in a successful 1991 biographical telenovela called Escalona, in which he played none other than the Colombian composer himself. It became a transformative experience — in which the spirit of the legendary troubadour remained with him, in a way — but also one where Vives continued building off those musical teachings afterwards. 

“After we did the series, the style that I discovered Colombian kind of pop [rooted in] traditional music from the different rural regions — a different way than how vallenato was recorded before,” says Vives. “The fact being proud of everything we had here, of everything we are as Colombians, I think really made us popular, and it led us to tour around the world. That was really the reason that motivated us to do what we do.”

To support the release of Escalona Nunca Se Había Grabado Así, he will premiere the documentary Regreso a Escalona on May 1 in Colombia on Canal Caracol and arrives four days later in the U.S. at The Colombian Film Festival NY. The musician, who this week will be honored with the Leyenda Award at the Latin American Music Awards, is also preparing for an upcoming international tour.

Below, Vives breaks down five essential songs from his new album that explore Escalona’s compositions as never before recorded, in his own words.

“La Historia”

The first single we released was ‘La Historia’, a very romantic song about a heartbreak by Rafael Escalona. But we recorded it in a pop style, without losing the feeling of traditional music. ‘La Historia’ is a very sad and simple song, but with an incredible strength and soulful intensity, and with a sound that you will enjoy very much.

“Mala Suerte”

This is a song that does not produce bad luck (or mala suerte). It is a song of joy and strength, like El Rock De Mi Pueblo. I wanted to record “Mala Suerte” also at that time [2004], with that instrumental strength, with those electric guitars and without losing the accordion of my compadre Egidio [Cuadrado].

[For this album] we did a new version, inspired fundamentally by a scene we did more than 30 years ago with my compadre Egidio. When we recorded the series and that song, I sang the song live, riding in a pickup truck, moving along a road in the province of Padilla. So, when I wanted to shoot the video 30 years later, I wanted to do it again in a van. The video is a reference of what we did 30 years ago for this celebration. The only thing it gives you is wonderful luck and happiness in the soul.

“El Carro Ford” 

In the film we are releasing, Regreso a Escalona, Escalona’s son, Pachín Francisco Escalona, lent me a truck that belonged to his father. In that truck we traveled around the region again with my compadre Egidio, and it’s a Ford truck. The song goes (sings):

Voy a comprar un carro Ford/ Voy a comprar un carro Ford
Que vuela en la carretera/ Y lo pongo en dirección
Y lo pongo en dirección del valle pa’ Villanueva.
Como yo no tomo ron, como yo no tomo ron/ Quiero mi trago en moneda
Pa’ comprarme un carro Ford, pa’ comprarme un carro Ford…

That van would possibly have inspired the composition of this song — in addition to Escalona’s numerous loves, of course. We shot the film riding in the van that my compadre Egidio knew because he had been Escalona’s accordionist, and [also] had been Escalona’s brother-in-law. Egidio’s sister Dina was one of the great muses that inspired Escalona for his songs. Dina appears in many of his songs — and, of course, I managed to have Dina as one of the protagonists of this TV special. Rafa [Escalona] was a lover man.

“Carmen Gómez”

In general, most songs talk about taking women out on a stroll — for the ladies. Escalona talks about proper names — such as ‘La mona del Cañaguate’ or ‘La Maye’ — and he made a song to Carmen Gómez. There is always a woman who inspires his songwriting and she has her own name, her own authentic place — where they were born, where the story happened, where he took her for a walk, what he bought her. “Carmen Gomez” is a song inspired by beauty pageants, and it goes (sings):

De un concurso que se forme buscando la mujer perfecta
Yo voy a que ganar Fonseca o representando a Carmen Gómez 
Y tiene porte de un gran dama y una elegancia muy distinguida
De esa raza noble y grande, esa que ella representa
Sacó los ojos de España y la nobleza latina 

In a time when music becomes uniform throughout the world, and everything seems to sound the same, we do not recognize places or people, rivers, mountains, or animals. [As a culture] we don’t dedicate time to preserve what is ours. Escalona’s music, the way we recorded it, I think is something very refreshing.

“Contestación a la Brasilera”

The bonus track on the album is a song that composer Armando Zabaleta, a friend of my father’s, did. When I told my dad, “I am going to record Clásicos de la Provincia. I want you to help me select the repertoire to show people that in addition to Escalona, there are a number of composers that people don’t really know about.” Because the Escalona series already famous, he told me, “Record ‘Contestación a la brasilera’.” Armando Zabaleta was a friend of Escalona. And Rafa had made a song for a Brazilian that goes like this (sings):

Yo la conocí una mañana/ Yo la conocí una mañana 
Que llegó en avión a mi tierra y cuando me la presentaron 
Me dijo que era brasilera 

It’s Escalona’s love story with a Brazilian woman, and she ends up leaving, leaving him lovesick. It was one of Escalona’s most famous songs. I recorded it on my Clásicos de la Provincia album, [but] I recorded it incomplete. When I got to the mixing of the album [Clásicos…], the song was missing. The only thing I could think of so as not to lose face with my dad and Armando was to close the song with a little verse. But of course, when the record came out, my dad says, “You didn’t record the whole song. What happened?” In the end I told him, “Give me a chance, sooner or later I’m going to record it. I had promised my dad that I was going to complete it, but [time] passed and I forgot.”

Making this Escalona album, it occurred to me to pay tribute to my dad and the composer. Today they are no longer with us. I recorded the complete composition that speaks of Rafael Escalona, although it is not his song.

19 Apr 2023

Here’s the Advice Kristin Chenoweth Gave Ariana Grande on Playing Glinda in ‘Wicked’

The torch is being passed from one good witch to another.In a recent appearance on The Kelly Clarkson Show, Kristin Chenoweth opened up about the thrillifying advice she gave Ariana Grande on stepping into the sparkly pink shoes of Glinda in Wicked, a role Chenoweth originated on Broadway in 2003.

“She was really nervous,” the 54-year-old musical theatre legend recalled. “She said, ‘I want to pay homage to you but I’m scared. I want to make you proud.’ I go, ‘Well you’ve already made me proud, so it doesn’t matter. Check, done that.’”

Chenoweth went on to share the wisdom she gave her mentee on playing Glinda in Jon M. Chu’s upcoming live action adaptation of the Wizard of Oz inspired musical, due out in theaters next year: “What I want to encourage you to do, Ariana, is make Glinda your Glinda. Sure, you can tip your hat at me if you want, but really I just want you to do you.”

The Holidate actress went on to say that the topic made her emotional because “I’ve known [Ariana] since she was ten.” “I’m so proud of her,” she added. “I can’t wait to see her do it.”

The hype for Chu’s two-part film adaptation, which also stars Cynthia Erivo playing the titular character of Elphaba, has never been higher. First look photos of both leading ladies in costume were released Sunday (April 16), and pictures and videos of Grande on set recently went viral on Twitter.

One of the viral videos shows the pop star shooting a scene from the beginning of the musical, effortlessly singing the operatic high notes in opening number “No One Mourns The Wicked” while addressing the citizens of Oz. Fans couldn’t get enough of Grande’s vocals or her stunning pink ballgown, with one fan tweeting: “That film is going to be crazy cause look how ariana grande Ate that up omg.”

Watch Kristin Chenoweth recall the “Wicked” advice she gave Ariana Grande below:

19 Apr 2023

David Foster Sells Writer’s Share of Performance Royalties to Hipgnosis

Songwriter and producer David Foster has sold a stake of his writer’s share of performance income for all of his songs to Hipgnosis Songs Capital, a partnership of Hipgnosis Song Management and funding from Blackstone.

Throughout his storied career, Foster has earned 47 Grammy nominations (16 of which were wins), three Academy Award nominations for Best Original Song (“I Have Nothing” by Whitney Houston for The Bodyguard, “Glory of Love” by Peter Cetera for The Karate Kid, Part II, and “The Prayer” by Celine Dion and Andrea Bocelli for Quest for Camelot), three Golden Globe nominations (also for “The Prayer” and “Glory of Love” as well as “The Secret of My Success” by Night Ranger for The Secret of My Success) and was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame.

Apart from the songs that earned him these accolades, the songwriter has also written songs like “Got To Be Real” by Cheryl Lynn, “After the Love Has Gone” by Earth Wind & Fire, “It’s Falling in Love” by Michael Jackson, “Through the Fire” by Chaka Khan, “Hard to Say I’m Sorry” and “You’re the Inspiration” by Chicago, “St Elmo’s Fire (Man In Motion)” by John Parr, “Best of Me” by Cliff Richard, and more tracks from hit-making artists like Andrea Bocelli, Celine Dion, Madonna, Mariah Carey, Rod Stewart, Bette Midler, Bryan Adams, Destiny’s Child and Michael Bublé.

In 2011, peermusic purchased a majority stake in Foster’s song catalog. The deal encompassed all of the songwriter’s publishing vehicles — Foster Frees Music, Air Bear Music and One Four Three Music — and his catalog of more than 500 songs. The two had been longtime partners, and the team at peermusic has been administering Foster’s publishing for more than 25 years.

Hipgnosis’ deal with Foster aligns with other recent news from the company, which continues to invest in music IP. This year already, Hipgnosis has also acquired other legendary writers behind the world’s biggest hits, including their purchase of 40 songs from the catalog of Tobias Jesso Jr, this year’s Grammy winner for Songwriter of the Year, and their acquisition of rights from the catalog of TMS, the British writing trio behind “Someone You Loved” by Lewis Capaldi. Both deals were announced in February 2023.

Hipgnosis Songs Capital is an investment vehicle established by Hipgnosis in conjunction with Blackstone. In October 2021, the New York-based private equity firm pledged $1 billion to further investment in music IP and holds a majority stake in the venture. HSC is considered separate from Hipgnosis Songs Fund, the London-listed acquirer of music publishing and recording rights. Led by founder and CEO Merck Mercuriadis, the company also includes Hipgnosis Songs Management, which manages Hipgnosis Songs Fund’s catalog.

Mercuriadis says of the deal that “David is recognized globally as one of the greatest songwriters and producers of all time. He is the songwriters’ songwriter and the producers’ producer. David is truly special, and we are delighted to be working with his almost 50 years of incredible songs and to welcome him to the Hipgnosis family.”

Foster adds, “I’m very happy to be joining the Hipgnosis family. I’ve long admired what Merck and his team have built and I trust they will be terrific partners.”

19 Apr 2023

Ariana Grande Congratulates ‘Drag Race’ Winner Sasha Colby on Her Crowning

After a star-making turn on season 15 of RuPaul’s Drag Race, Sasha Colby took home the crown and $200,000 on the April 14 finale episode. Now, she’s getting her flowers from none other than Ariana Grande.

In a post to her Instagram Stories on Tuesday (April 18), Grande shared Colby’s interview with Vogue, which led America’s Next Drag Superstar to repost the “Positions” singer’s support on her own stories. Grande reposted Colby, this time adding a sweet message for the winner: “I love you so.”

Grande has a storied history with Drag Race. Earlier this year, the singer served as the first guest judge on season 15, where she watched as the queens put on a talent show before the bottom two lip-synched to her hit song “7 Rings.” It’s far from the first time that Grande’s music has been used on the show; in fact, her songs have been featured nine times throughout the show’s run, putting her just below Britney Spears and RuPaul herself for the most times lip-synched in the series.

Meanwhile, Colby is settling into her reign nicely. In her interview with Billboard shortly after her crowning, the drag superstar said that she wanted her win to be a signal to those currently working to erode LGBTQ rights around the world. “To me, this is why I waited [to be on Drag Race], because I was supposed to be here right now, to be the face of exactly what these people are trying to eradicate,” she said.

Check out Ariana’s message to Sasha Colby here before it expires.

19 Apr 2023

Imagine Dragons Singer Dan Reynolds’ Wife Aja Volkman Files for Divorce

Imagine Dragons‘ Dan Reynolds and estranged wife Aja Volkman’s separation has moved to the next step, as she has officially filed for divorce, Billboard confirms. TMZ was the first to report the news.

The were documents filed Tuesday (April 18) at the Stanley Mosk Courthouse in Los Angeles. As of press time, neither party has made a statement.

The petition arrives months after Reynolds’ announcement that he and Volkman — who is also a musician and is the lead singer of Nico Vega — were going their separate ways, and plan to co-parent. (The pair previously split in 2018, but by 2019 announced they were trying to repair the relationship.)

“I am saddened to say that after many beautiful years together Aja and I have separated,” the Grammy winner tweeted in September. “Being great parents to our children is our number one priority. Thank you for always supporting us with love and care for all these years.”

Reynolds and Volkman tied the knot in March 2011. Over their 12 years of marriage, the pair welcomed four children: Arrow, 10; twins Gia James and Coco Rae, 5; and Valentine, 2.

After announcing their separation in 2022, the Imagine Dragons frontman appeared on The Howard Stern Show and shared his feelings. “I love her. She is my best friend, and an incredible mother, and we are going to be great parents to our kids,” he said. “Relationships are so complex — here we are, at the close of a chapter and it feels hard, it feels like mourning for me. But it also feels like I’m just on the path I’m supposed to be on in life.”