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09 Jan 2023

Rihanna’s ‘Lift Me Up,’ Alexandre Desplat’s ‘Pinocchio’ Score to be Honored by American Cinematheque: Full List

Rihanna’s “Lift Me Up” and Alexandre Desplat’s score for Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio lived up to their front-runner status for the 2023 Academy Awards on Monday (Jan. 9) when they were chosen as the year’s best song and score, respectively, by The American Cinematheque. They will be among the honorees at the second annual Tribute to the Crafts, which will take place Thursday, Feb. 9, at the Aero Theatre in Santa Monica, Calif.

The event, co-hosted by American Cinematheque board members Stephanie Allain and Paula Wagner, will celebrate individuals in 15 categories. The honorees were selected by a jury of cinephiles, film historians and journalists.

“Honoring the wide array of talent from these extraordinary films is exactly in line with the AC’s mission,” Grant Moninger, American Cinematheque’s director of film programming & creative, said in a statement. “This event showcases the achievements of those behind the camera who bring these incredible films to life.”

In documentary awards, Terence Blanchard will be honored for his score for Louis Armstrong’s Black & Blues.

Several of the American Cinematheque’s choices were shortlisted for Oscars on Dec. 21. In addition to “Lift Me Up” (shortlisted for best original song) and Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio (shortlisted for best original score), AC honorees that were shortlisted for Oscars are Top Gun: Maverick (sound), Avatar: The Way of Water (visual effects) and The Whale (makeup and hairstyling).

The AC event is being produced by Madelyn Hammond and Javier Infante of Madelyn Hammond & Associates. Event production will be handled by Gina Wade Creative.

Established in 1984, the American Cinematheque is a member-supported 501(c)(3) non-profit cultural arts organization dedicated to building an engaged film community through immersive film curation, conversation and presentation.

The announcement of the AC honorees may potentially impact Oscars voting. Nominations round voting for the 2023 Oscars extends from Jan. 12 to 17. Nominations will be announced on Jan. 24. Final round voting extends from March 2-7. The awards will be presented on March 12.

Here’s a full list of Tribute to the Crafts honorees:

FEATURE FILM

Song: Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (Ludwig Göransson, Rihanna, Ryan Coogler and Tems – “Lift Me Up”) – Marvel Studios

Score: Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio (Alexandre Desplat) – Netflix

Casting: Women Talking (John Buchan and Jason Knight) – UAR

Choreography: RRR (Prem Rakshith) – Variance Films/ Sarigama Cinemas

Cinematography: Nope (Hoyte van Hoytema) – Universal Pictures

Costume Design: Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (Ruth E. Carter) – Marvel Studios

Editing: Everything Everywhere All at Once (Paul Rogers) – A24

Hair and Makeup: The Whale (Adrien Morot, Annemarie Bradley and Judy Chin) – A24

Production Design/Set Decoration: Babylon (Anthony Carlino and Florencia Martin) – Paramount Pictures

Sound: Top Gun: Maverick (Al Nelson, Chris Burdon, James H. Mather, Mark Taylor and Mark Weingarten) – Paramount Pictures

Stunts: The Woman King (Danny Hernandez) – TriStar Pictures and Entertainment One

Visual & Special Effects: Avatar: The Way of Water (Daniel Barrett, Eric Saindon, Joe Letteri and Richard Baneham) – 20th Century Studios

DOCUMENTARY

Cinematography: Fire of Love (Katia and Maurice Krafft) – National Geographic Documentary Films

Editing: Good Night Oppy (Helen Kearns and Rejh Cabrera) – Amazon Studios

Score: Louis Armstrong’s Black & Blues (Terence Blanchard) – Apple Original Films

09 Jan 2023

Lady Gaga’s 2011 Deep Cut ‘Bloody Mary’ Debuts on Hot 100, Thanks to ‘Wednesday’ Hype

Lady Gaga’s 2011 Born This Way track “Bloody Mary” enters at No. 68 on the latest Billboard Hot 100 (dated Jan. 14).

The song debuts over a decade after its release thanks, initially, to hype on TikTok sparked by the new Netflix Addams Family spin-off series Wednesday, despite the fact that the song isn’t actually featured in the show. (TikTok does not presently contribute directly to Billboard‘s charts.)

In the series, the titular character appears in a dance sequence soundtracked by The Cramps’ 1981 single “Goo Goo Muck.” Fans took the clip to TikTok but replaced “Goo Goo Muck” with a sped-up version of “Bloody Mary,” which then went viral. The song has been used in nearly 4 million videos on the platform to date. Lady Gaga herself participated in the trend, in which she re-created the dance, garnering more than 12 million views.

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The song’s renewed attention has helped it steadily gain in recent weeks, leading to its Hot 100 arrival (also aided by the post-Christmas drop-off of holiday songs) with 6.1 million U.S. streams (up 13%), 4.3 million radio airplay audience impressions (up 28%) and 2,000 downloads sold in the Dec. 30-Jan. 5 tracking week, according to Luminate.

The track is now also being promoted by Interscope Records to pop radio. As such, it rises 36-32 on the Pop Airplay chart, becoming Lady Gaga’s 23rd entry at the format upon its debut two weeks earlier. Born This Way generated five Pop Airplay hits during its original run: “Born This Way” (No. 1 for a week in April 2011), “Judas” (No. 15), “The Edge of Glory” (No. 3), “You and I” (No. 7) and then “Marry the Night” (No. 14).

Born This Way debuted at No. 1 on the June 11, 2011-dated Billboard 200 and spent two weeks on top, marking Lady Gaga’s first of six No. 1 albums. It went on to receive Grammy nominations for album of the year and best pop vocal album.

“Bloody Mary” earns Lady Gaga her 36th career entry on the Hot 100, and first since last year’s Top Gun: Maverick anthem “Hold My Hand,” which reached No. 49. She has banked five No. 1s: “Just Dance,” featuring Colby O’Donis (2009), “Poker Face” (2009), “Born This Way” (2011), “Shallow, with Bradley Cooper (2019), and “Rain on Me,” with Ariana Grande (2020).

Wednesday premiered on Netflix on Nov. 23, and its effect on “Bloody Mary” was almost immediate. In the Nov. 25-Dec. 1 tracking week, the song surged 424% in official on-demand U.S. streams, from 526,000 to 2.7 million, and 955% in digital song sales.

Further, “Bloody Mary” hits new highs on the Jan. 14-dated Billboard Global Excl. U.S. (No. 28) and Billboard Global 200 (No. 31) charts, after it first reached the former tally’s top 40 in December.

09 Jan 2023

New Year, New Gear: This $9 Cleaning Kit Is Perfect for AirPods & Other Wireless Earbuds

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AirPods still rank among the list of top-selling wireless earbuds, and if you own a pair, they could probably use a little refresh.

Like iPhones, Androids and other electronics, your earbuds can get dusty and dirty. To clean AirPods or AirPods Pro headphones manually, all you’ll need is a soft, dry, lint-free cloth to gently wipe them down (don’t run them under water).

If your Airpods are stained or damaged from dried soap, lotion, perfume, shampoo, conditioner, sunscreen and other liquids, Apple recommends slightly dampening the cloth with water before wiping the earbuds clean — and don’t use them until they’re completely dry.

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To clean the charging case, use a lint-free cloth slightly dampened with isopropyl alcohol. Make sure that you don’t get liquid in the charging ports and use a soft-bristled brush to remove any leftover dust or debris.

Want an easier option? Get a cleaning kit, like the one featured below, which is on sale for $8.99 at Amazon. The Hagibis 2-in-1 cleaning pen is a best-seller at Amazon with a 4.5-star rating and lots of positive customer reviews.

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The multi-functional kit includes a flocking sponge to clean out dust in the earphones and charging case, a high-density brush to clean dirt off the sound outlet hole and other parts of the earphone, and a metal pen tip to dig out stubborn dust and thoroughly clean hard to reach spots.

The cleaning tool can be used for AirPods and other wireless earbuds, but also keyboards, laptops, tablets, etc.

Click here to see a wider selection of cleaning kits that are available at Amazon for less than $10, like the Akiki Cleaner Kit, currently on sale for $8.99. And of course, cleaning kits for AirPods and more are available at other major retailers, including Best Buy and Walmart.

Stocking up on more new gear for the new year? Be sure to read our picks for the best Bluetooth earphones under $250, best wired earphones and this affordable cleaning solution to help keep your vinyl records intact.

09 Jan 2023

Dr. Dre Threatens Marjorie Taylor Greene With Legal Action After She Uses ‘Still D.R.E’ in Video

Lawyers for Dr. Dre sent a scathing cease-and-desist letter to Marjorie Taylor Greene on Monday (Jan. 9), threatening her with legal action after she used the rapper’s 1999 smash hit “Still D.R.E.” without permission in a social media post.

Hours after the superstar publicly slammed the Republican congresswoman over the post — he said he’d never license his song to someone so “divisive and hateful” — his lawyers formally told Taylor Greene that her post constituted copyright infringement and that she had until Wednesday to remove it.

“You are wrongfully exploiting his work through the various social media outlets to promote your divisive and hateful political agenda,” wrote attorney Howard King in a copy of the letter obtained by Billboard.

The video in question — posted Monday morning on Greene’s social media accounts — features the Republican representative strutting through the halls of Congress in slow motion, grinning at the camera as Dre’s infamous piano riff from “Still D.R.E.” repeats on a loop. By Monday evening, the video had already been disabled by Twitter.

If actually unlicensed, the use of a copyrighted song in a political advertisement would almost certainly constitute infringement. In Monday’s letter, Dre’s lawyers told Greene as much — and then some.

“The United States Copyright Act says a lot of things, one of the things it says is that you can’t use someone else’s song for your political campaign promotions unless you get permission from the owner of the copyright in the song, a step you failed to take,” King wrote.

Top artists have long chafed at the use of their music by politicians, particularly conservatives. Foo Fighters and John Mellencamp blasted John McCain for using their music during the 2008 presidential election, and Neil Young, Guns N’ Roses, Pharrell, Rihanna and the estate of Tom Petty have all spoken out about their music being used at campaign events for Donald Trump.

Owing to the complex thicket of blanket licenses that govern the public performance of music, it’s actually more complicated than you might expect for artists to prevent their music from being played at political rallies. But the use of music in a video advertisement is far more straightforward; if a politician doesn’t secure a license, a musician has a great case for copyright infringement.

In Monday’s letter, Dre’s lawyers said that a federal lawmaker ought to know that.

“One might expect that, as a member of Congress, you would have a passing familiarity with the laws of our country,” King wrote. “It’s possible, though, that laws governing intellectual property are a little too arcane and insufficiently populist for you to really have spent much time on. We’re writing because we think an actual lawmaker should be making laws not breaking laws, especially those embodied in the constitution by the founding fathers.”

Greene’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Billboard, but she reportedly told TMZ: “While I appreciate the creative chord progression, I would never play your words of violence against women and police officers, and your glorification of the thug life and drugs.”

09 Jan 2023

What Should Win Best Original Song at the 2023 Golden Globes? Vote!

The 2023 Golden Globes are upon us, with the awards show set to take over the Beverly Hilton in Los Angeles, Calif., on Tuesday (Jan. 10).

Three of music’s hottest female stars – Rihanna, Lady Gaga and Taylor Swift – are among the nominees for best original song at the 2023 Golden Globes, with RiRi up for “Lift Me Up” from Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, which she co-wrote with Ryan Coogler, Ludwig Göransson and Tems. Gaga is nominated for co-writing “Hold My Hand” from Top Gun: Maverick. Bloodpop was her co-writer on the song. Swift, meanwhile, was nominated for “Carolina” from Where the Crawdads Sing.

Additionally, Guillermo del Toro and Roeban Katz’s “Ciao Papa” from Pinocchio and  Kala Bhairava, M. M. Keeravani and Rahul Sipligunj’s “Naatu Naatu” from RRR are also nominated in the category.

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Let us know which song should take home the trophy for best original song at the 2023 Golden Globes by voting in our poll below.

09 Jan 2023

Miley Cyrus Teases New Single ‘Flowers’ From the Shower

Miley Cyrus took to social media on Monday (Jan. 9) to tease the chorus of her upcoming single “Flowers,” fully in the buff.

“I can buy myself flowers, write my name in the sand/ Talk to myself for hours, yeah, some things you don’t understand/ But I can take myself dancing, yeah/ I can hold my own hand/ Yeah, I can love me better than you can,” the superstar belted a cappella from privacy of her shower, her back turned to the camera as she ran her hands through her wet hair.

The sultry video isn’t the first time the Hannah Montana star has given fans a taste of the track, which she announced in the final days of 2022 and is due out Friday via new label home Columbia Records. (The release date also just so happens to be her ex-husband Liam Hemsworth’s 33rd birthday.) When “Flowers” does arrive, the independent-minded ballad will serve as the lead single from Cyrus’ eighth studio album Endless Summer Vacation, dropping March 10.

On the last day of the year, Cyrus celebrated her second stint co-hosting her eponymous New Year’s Eve special live from Miami on NBC — this time with godmother Dolly Parton. Over the course of the evening, the two performed everything from “Jolene” and “I Love Rock ‘N’ Roll” to a medley of “Wrecking Ball” and “I Will Always Love You.” Cyrus also trotted out special guest stars like Paris Hilton and Sia, David Byrne and Fletcher to join her, respectively, on the former’s “Stars Are Blind,” David Bowie’s “Let’s Dance” and her own “Midnight Sky.”

Watch Cyrus sing “Flowers” in her shower below.

09 Jan 2023

Matty Healy Sucks on a Fan’s Thumb During The 1975 Concert

Another day, another concert in which The 1975‘s Matty Healy makes headlines for his performance antics.

While playing “Robbers,” one of The 1975’s fan-favorite tracks, Healy made waves after sucking a girl’s thumb toward the end of song. Footage from the moment shows the rock star getting a caress to the face from a fan at the barricade; then Healy leans into her hand to suck her thumb by the time the song is over.

The owner of the thumb — a fan named Kayleigh — took to Twitter to share her excitement at sharing such an intimate moment with The 1975 singer, and wrote on Sunday “EVERYONE IS CALLING ME THUMB GIRL BYE.” She followed up the tweet Monday (Jan. 9) and shared, “I’d like to publicly apologise to denise welch and tim healy for making them watch their son suck my thumb last night.”

It is now common knowledge that The 1975’s fans expect memorable moments from Healy onstage. In November, the vocalist kissed a fan during “Robbers,” later extending his affections and kissing fellow bandmate Ross MacDonald. The following month, Healy got a tattoo that read “I’m a Man” during a break in the band’s set. In previous stops during the North American trek, Healy made waves for eating raw meat onstage.

The 1975 returned to touring for the new year on Jan. 8 and will make several stops across the United Kingdom before heading to South America, Australia, New Zealand and Asia later in the year.

Watch Healy’s intimate moment with the fan below.

09 Jan 2023

Kevin Hart Says Fame Is ‘Biggest Drug’ Over Cocaine or Heroin: ‘That’s a Monster You’re Feeding’

Kevin Hart is getting real about the dangers of fame.

The A-list comedian sat opposite mindfulness and lifestyle guru Jay Shetty for the newest episode of his podcast, On Purpose With Jay Shetty, and the two talked about an array of subjects including Hart’s relationship with his late father, building generational wealth and how Dave Chappelle’s example often inspired him and Chris Rock to step up their stand-up game.

Hart also spent a chunk of time sharing his perspective on the cult of celebrity. “The biggest drug. It’s not cocaine, it’s not heroin, it’s fame. Anything you want, everything you want, it’s a thing,” explained Hart. “And if you can’t handle this thing, the consequences attached are severe. Do you know you? And are you OK with you? If you are not, it’ll break you.”

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It’s like a monster, he continued.

“My monsters have been masked in disguise in various different ways but I’ve been able to pinpoint them throughout the years because some of those monsters got stronger … developed. You’re talking about the world of an ego. The idea of who you think you are versus what you are or the idea of expectations and needs as to what you feel you need and what you have to have,” Hart told Shetty, who will soon release his new book, 8 Rules of Love — How to Find it, Keep it, and Let it Go, from Simon & Schuster on Jan. 31. “That’s a monster that’s feeding that engine of, well, now that I’m making money, this is what I should have, this is how I should look, this is how I’m supposed to be. That’s a monster that you’re feeding because ultimately you’re buying in.”

The conversation also saw Hart open up about his relationship to Chappelle and Rock, specifically how the former would set a standard on the stand-up stage that would force the others to rethink their sets.

“Dave Chappelle has made me and Chris Rock feel stupid at times when it comes to our choice and material. We have watched Dave in our earlier stages of just working on our set. We would spend time at The Cellar and one would come and we would all go and Dave would go up and me and Chris had just went up and we were happy about our material,” he explained. “There’s been times where we have looked at each other and we balled our papers up and said, ‘We gotta start over, we gotta start over.’ Not because of jealousy or envy. Because we challenge each other. We want the best for not only each other, but for ourselves.”

All three have achieved massive success and Hart said he’s now focused on leaving a piece of the pie for his children. “We just got a shot at something different. We got a shot at generational wealth. We got a shot at changing the ‘trajectory’ within our culture of opportunity. We got a shot to make this normal. Once again, I’m looking past me. I’m looking at the bigger piece to the plan.”

To hear Hart’s full comments on complacency, the best memory from his childhood and why being a multi-hyphenate is the way to go, see the full episode below.

This article was originally published by The Hollywood Reporter.

09 Jan 2023

Beyhive Celebrates Beyoncé as ‘Cuff It’ Hits Hot 100 Top 10

Beyoncé’s fan-favorite track from her recent Renaissance album, “Cuff It,” has jumped from No. 38 to No. 10 on the Billboard Hot 100 songs chart dated Jan. 14, 2023, giving the superstar her 21st Hot 100 top 10 hit as a soloist.

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The achievement is her second top 10 from Renaissance, after “Break My Soul” spent two weeks at No. 1 beginning in August. The set is her first to spin off multiple top 10s since I Am…Sasha Fierce yielded four in 2008-09: “Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)” (No. 1, four weeks), “If I Were a Boy” (No. 3), “Halo” (No. 5) and “Sweet Dreams” (No. 10).

What’s even more impressive, is that “Cuff It” climbed the chart without a music video or a pushed promotional strategy. The song gained traction on its own from Beyoncé fans and TikTok users, the latter of which taking part in a fun dance trend started by users Maycee (@maycsteele) and Kaitlyn (@ogpartyhardy26).

Following the exciting news of “Cuff It” making the Hot 100 top 10, Beyoncé’s fanbase — affectionately known as the Beyhive — took to Twitter to praise Queen Bey. See some fan reactions below.