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Disney’s The Little Mermaid made its splashy Hollywood premiere on Monday (May 8), and it was a magical night complete with meeting a princess for Cardi B and Offset’s daughter, Kulture.
The little girl — who attended alongside sister Kalea (Offset’s daughter from a previous relationship) and their dad — had the chance to meet Halle Bailey (the new live-action film’s Ariel) just before watching the movie, as captured in a video.
The clip shows the starstruck 4-year-old and Bailey sharing a sweet moment in which Kulture quickly embraces The Little Mermaid actress for a hug. The star then crouches down to the little girl’s level to give her a proper hug.
Bailey also shared the love she has for Cardi and Offset’s daughters on Twitter. Another user shared video of Kulture and Kalea walking in with their dad for the carpeted event, which the singer-actress re-shared to her own account in a quote tweet. “They loooked so beautiful!!!!” she gushed, adding several hearts and teary-eyed emojis.
In an earlier message, Bailey expressed her feelings after attending the premiere for the movie, and expressed her gratitude for the opportunity to star in it. “The little mermaid LA premiere.. we made it you guys, i’m so overwhelmed and overjoyed that this movie is almost here for you all to see,” she wrote. “this was the first premiere of the press run and i have been in tears and feeling oh so grateful.”
See Kulture’s sweet moment with Bailey in the video below.
Thirty-six years after MTV News was created to expand the stable of programming that defined the cable channel MTV, it is no more.
MTV News was shuttered this week as part of larger layoffs at parent company Paramount Global.
What launched as a single show in 1987 (The Week in Rock, led by correspondent Kurt Loder) eventually became a bona fide news outlet for Gen X and older millennials who found that traditional TV programming on the broadcast networks and CNN wasn’t cutting it.
Correspondents like Loder, Tabitha Soren, SuChin Pak, Gideon Yago, Alison Stewart and others covered music, pop culture, politics and other topics with an eye toward the younger generation that was tuned to MTV, rather than the network evening newscasts.
Along the way, MTV News created some pop culture moments itself, perhaps none bigger than in 1994, when President Clinton appeared on MTV’s Enough Is Enough, a town hall addressing violence in America.
The special was led by Soren and Stewart and saw them, as well as audience members in attendance, asking questions of Clinton about fighting crime and balancing personal freedom with social responsibility. But it was a section of lighter questions and answers that made national headlines, when an audience member asked Clinton, “Mr. President, the world’s dying to know, is it boxers or briefs?”
“Usually briefs. I can’t believe she did that,” Clinton responded, to laughter from the crowd.
MTV News subsequently held town halls with Barack Obama, John McCain, Bill Gates and others, and boxers or briefs would become a running joke still referenced to this day.
Coverage of topics like sexual health, the Iraq War and devastating natural disasters earned the news division and its correspondents Emmys and Peabody Awards, while it continued to deliver news and criticism of music and pop culture.
On April 8, 1994, MTV broke into regular programming after it had confirmed the death of Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain, with Loder breaking the news to the channel’s viewers.
To be certain, the MTV News of 2023 was much smaller and far less high-profile than the MTV News of the 1990s and early 2000s, when it could help define pop culture and cover stories more traditional outlets wouldn’t touch.
MTV News was already significantly reduced in size back in 2017, when it largely abandoned a strategy to take on outlets like BuzzFeed and Vice with a team of digital journalists led by Grantland alum Dan Fierman. The company said at the time it would refocus on shortform content and video in a return to its roots (MTV News used to have interstitials at the top of the hour on the cable channel with news updates). The most recent iteration focused on entertainment and pop culture news and criticism.
Now, however, amid a larger upheaval in the entertainment business, and with Paramount looking to cut costs, MTV News is one of the pieces that just didn’t fit in the larger strategy at play. According to Comscore, MTV drew 6 million monthly visitors to its flagship website in March, up slightly from 5.6 million in the same month a year earlier.
It was a real digital presence, but small potatoes compared to competitors like BuzzFeed and Vice, which have also shuttered or downsized their news divisions in recent months.
At its peak, beyond covering pop culture, MTV News was a part of the culture, as were its correspondents, none more so than Loder, the former Rolling Stone writer who spanned multiple decades at the news division.
“He never wishes his audience a good night or a pleasant tomorrow,” wrote New York Times reporter Judith Miller in a 1993 story about MTV News’ embrace of politics. “Attired in funereal black, he looks as if he hopes that it will thunder and rain all day. He is, in short, the contemporary Reverend Dimmesdale of rock.”
Loder appeared as himself in episodes of shows like The Simpsons, That ’90s Show and Kenan & Kel.
In fact, Loder made one final MTV News appearance for corporate parent Paramount in March … sort of.
It was a fictional segment meant as an ad to tee up the new season of the Showtime series Yellowjackets.
Loder played himself at the MTV News desk, reporting on the missing soccer team whose “whereabouts are still unknown,” as Loder told viewers.
It was a throwback in more ways than one, with deepfake technology used to age Loder down to make him look and sound as he did in the early 1990s (he is now 77), the glory days for MTV News.
“Later, we’ll catch up with Grammy winner Alanis Morissette, fresh off her Jagged Little Pill tour,” Loder said to end the fictional segment, before it signed off with MTV News’ tagline: “MTV News, you hear it first.”
This article was originally published by The Hollywood Reporter.
Michelle Yeoh is set to grace the land of Oz as Madame Morrible in the upcoming film adaptation of Wicked, and the Academy Award-winning actress gave some insight on the current filming process.
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She told ET that filming has been “great” so far. “Really good. Love working with Ariana [Grande] and Cynthia [Erivo],” she added.
She also previously shared how the film’s director Jon M. Chu, who worked with Yeoh on 2018’s Crazy Rich Asians, convinced her to take the role. “He said he’s gonna send me the script, [ask me to] consider it,” she recalled. “Then, he goes off. Two days later, I get a message from him, and he has recorded a message from Ariana and Cynthia and him, saying, ‘Hi, Michelle. It’s imperative, imperative, absolutely — what was it? — imperative that you join us now.’”
Chu shared that Yeoh joined the Wicked cast back in December. “It took one tweet to convince the ICON (and dear friend) #MichelleYeoh to play our Madame Morrible in #WickedMovie,” the filmmaker tweeted along with an article by The Hollywood Reporter confirming the casting. “Am I the luckiest director in the world to get to work with her again?! Spoiler alert: yes I am. Welcome to Shiz.”
In the Broadway version of the beloved Wizard of Oz prequel, Yeoh’s character serves as the headmistress of Shiz and promises to introduce Elphaba to the famous Wizard himself, leading into fan-favorite number “The Wizard and I.”
The film adaptation is set to be released in two parts. Wicked Part 1 will be released next Thanksgiving (Nov. 27, 2024), and the second part currently scheduled for Christmas Day (Dec. 25) in 2025.
Jelly Roll will be the subject of a new documentary by ABC News, the outlet shared on Tuesday (May 9).
Titled Jelly Roll: Save Me, the film promises to follow the country-rap sensation’s “journey of redemption in real time” as he works through his mental health and addiction struggles and grapples with his rising fame.
Leading up to his hometown show at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena, the doc will chart the “Need a Favor” singer’s life story — including stints in the criminal justice system as both a teen and an adult before he broke out into the mainstream in with his 2022 single “Son of a Sinner.” Jelly Roll will also shine a light on his philanthropic work by visiting the juvenile detention center where he was incarcerated multiple times during his adolescence to share his story and attempt to make a meaningful impact on the current generation of at-risk youth.
Jelly Roll: Save Me is set to premiere May 30 exclusively on Hulu before the release of the rising star’s debut country album Whitsitt Chapel, which will arrive on June 2 via BBR Music Group.
In April, Jelly Roll swept the 2023 CMT Music Awards with the most awards of the night including male video of the year, male breakthrough video of the year and CMT digital-first performance of the year — all for “Son of a Sinner.” At the show, he couldn’t help but pinch himself after seeing Gwen Stefani perform No Doubt’s “Just a Girl” with Carly Pearce, revealing in an interview that the band’s live act was the second concert he ever attended in his life.
Check out Jelly Roll’s post announcing his forthcoming documentary below.
The Voice playoffs on Monday night (May 8) saw eight contestants advance to the next round of the competition. Of the eight, Gina Miles managed to secure her spot with a stunning cover of Chris Isaak‘s hit “Wicked Game.’
Miles took to the stage backed by several instrumentalists while giving an emotional rendition of the track. “What a wicked game you play, to make me feel this way/ What a wicked thing to do, to let me dream of you/ What a wicked thing to say, you never felt this way/ What a wicked thing to do, to make me dream of you,” she powerfully sang, effortlessly switching between vocal registers.
At the end of Miles’ performance, Niall Horan — her coach — as well as Kelly Clarkson, Chance the Rapper and Blake Shelton all gave her a standing ovation.
“Wicked Game” was released as a single from Isaak’s third studio album, 1989’s Heart Shaped World. The track became popular in when it was featured in David Lynch’s 1990 film Wild at Heart (starring Nicolas Cage and Laura Derndebuted) and debuted on the Billboard Hot 100 in December that year. “Wicked Game” peaked at No. 6 on the all-genre tally, and spent 24 weeks on the chart.
Miles’ performance isn’t the first time a contestant on The Voice has covered Isaak’s “Wicked Game”: Cali Wilson delivered her take on the track during the season 17 knockout rounds in 2019. Wilson’s cover propelled the song to the top of Rock Digital Song Sales, and it became Isaak’s first No. 1 single on a Billboard chart.
Listen to Miles’ cover of “Wicked Game” in above.
Offset made sure his two daughters got the ultimate princess treatment Monday night (May 8) in Hollywood. With 4-year-old Kulture Kiari on one arm and 8-year-old Kalea Marie on the other, the rapper adorably escorted his girls to Disney’s world premiere of The Little Mermaid, where they got to wear beautiful ball gowns and feel glamorous walking the red carpet.
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Both Kulture (whom Offset shares with wife Cardi B) and Kalea (his daughter with ex-girlfriend Shya L’amour) wore black-and-white dresses adorned with flowers and lots of tulle. The Migos member — who’s also dad to sons Jordan, Cody and Wave — matched his dates in a princely, Michael Jackson-inspired white jacket and black slacks.
In tribute to Ariel’s famous locks, both girls also colored their hair red for the occasion. “Mermaid premiere with my princesses,” Offset captioned Instagram photos from a pre-premiere shoot with Kulture and Kalea.
Though Cardi skipped the premiere, she did post a video of Kulture getting prepped for the photo shoot. From behind the camera, the “WAP” artist can be heard coaching her daughter — who beams up at her — on how to smile for the pictures.
“My gal,” Cardi captioned the video, adding two heart emojis.
On the red carpet, Set opened up about why it was important for him to take his girls to see The Little Mermaid, which stars Halle Bailey in the lead role. “My daughters are very excited to see someone who looks like them as the Little Mermaid,” the musician said. “It’s a special moment in history, and it’s iconic.”
The live action Little Mermaid will be in theaters May 26.
Lily-Rose Depp is readying for the premiere of The Idol by spilling the tea on which pop singers influenced her role as Jocelyn on the forthcoming HBO series.
“Of course I’m a Britney [Spears] fan!” the Hollywood progeny told W magazine of the stars she was channeling during her audition for the series. “Who doesn’t love Britney? But I was also thinking about Beyoncé, Mariah [Carey], and every huge pop star of our time. I wanted Jocelyn to be the kind of woman who can dominate a room, someone who doesn’t ever shy away from their sparkle.”
Depp nabbed the role by singing an a cappella rendition of the 1950s standard “Fever,” as made famous by Peggy Lee and covered by Madonna in 1993 — which led to her filming for the series inside SoFi Stadium packed with 70,000 fans ahead of The Weeknd‘s Los Angeles concert last fall.
“I was a nervous wreck,” she said. “I was praying to all my guardian angels. I knew we only had two takes at SoFi. I felt like I was going to my wedding — I was so dolled up and in white!” However, she ultimately nailed the scene and later confessed, “It was quite addicting. I didn’t want to leave.”
The Weeknd, who originally pitched the concept of The Idol to HBO, will also star in the seedy musical drama along with Suzanna Son, Rachel Sennott, Troye Sivan, Dan Levy, Mike Dean, Moses Sumney, Da’Vine Joy Randolph, Hank Azaria, BLACKPINK’s Jennie and more. The show will also feature the likes of Hari Nef, Tyson Ritter of The All-American Rejects and the late Anne Heche.
Following extensive reshoots of the entire first season, The Idol is set to premiere June 4 on Max (previously HBO Max). Read Depp’s joint interview with The Weeknd here.
Diljit Dosanjh, the Punjabi singer and performer whose colorful, dance-packed set at Coachella became a viral sensation on the internet, has now also found success on the big screen with his new film, Jodi, Released by Rhythm Boyz Entertainment in the United States this weekend, the musical grossed $734,000 on just 125 screens. While modest compared to blockbuster U.S. releases, that’s a big number for a Punjabi film Stateside.
Written and directed by Amberdeep Singh, Jodi is a musical love story starring Dosanjh and Nimrat Khaira as two artists who set out on a painstaking journey to redefine the Punjabi folk music scene in the 1980s. In April, the film broke the record for the most viewed Punjabi trailer in 24 hours, with approximately 12 million fans watching on YouTube.
“He’s unique in that his overall presence, his attire, and his music are very traditional,” says Dosanjh’s manager, Sonali Singh. “He’s not trying to change to make himself into something that’s he not in order to reach out to a larger audience.”
Festival promoter Goldenvoice shared a reel of his first performance during Weekend 1 of Coachella. The clip garnered more views on Instagram than any other artist’s set posted from the official festival account.
“We knew that his performance was going to be appreciated, but the reception he received went well beyond our expectations,” says Singh. “And we also love the fact how his community and larger Indian audiences, along with other celebrities and media houses all across globe were able to come together for this moment and support Singh.”
Dosanjh’s mesmerizing set had called for 25 band members and 40 dancers, both of which needed to be reduced in size to accommodate time pressure and staging issues. Singh says that in India, Dosanjh’s performance was compared to an Academy Award win and was watched and commented on by most television outlets.
“It was a very proud moment for fans in India,” she says “Many back at home will never get to attend Coachella and his performance was very special for them.”
Sha-la-la-la-la-la, my oh my! Fans got to enjoy a first look at the iconic “Kiss the Girl” scene from the upcoming live-action remake of The Little Mermaid during the MTV Movie & TV Awards on Sunday night (May 7).
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In the nearly one-minute clip, Ariel and Prince Eric, played by Halle Bailey and Jonah Hauer-King float around in a row boat, surrounded by an enchanted forest scene, as Sebastian (Daveed Diggs), Flounder (Jacob Tremblay) and Scuttle (Awkwafina) try to convince the young Prince to kiss the mermaid princess. As a result, the spell put on Ariel by villain Ursula (Melissa McCarthy), in which she traded her voice for human legs, would be broken.
“Sha-la-la-la-la-la / Float along / And listen to the song / The song say kiss the girl,” the group sings, as the scene looks almost identical to the original 1989 animated movie.
“I’m a little bit nervous just because this has been so long in the making. I mean, I auditioned for this film when I was 18, and I turned 23 this year,” Bailey previously shared of the highly anticipated film release in an interview with Zane Lowe on Apple Music 1. “Now that it’s finally here, I’m like, whoa, I can’t believe it. And it’s a very, very big pinch-me moment. I’m so excited. And I just can’t wait for people to see what we did to this film.”
The Little Mermaid hits theaters on May 26. Watch the new preview below.
American Idol contestant Iam Tongi gave a major performance of Alanis Morissette‘s song “Guardians” on the Sunday (May 7) episode, and it propelled him into the competition’s top five.
Tongi’s performance of the 2012 track was kept rather stripped, and featured him playing the guitar with the help of background instrumentalists to further flesh out his intimate and emotional rendition of the song.
“So why, why would you talk to me at all/ Such words were dishonorable and in vain/ Their promise as solid as a fog/ And where was your watchman then/ I’ll be your keeper for life as your guardian/ I’ll be your warrior of care your first warden/ I’ll be your angel on call, I’ll be on demand/The greatest honor of all, as your guardian,” Tongi sang. He concluded his performance with a sweet “Love you, Mom.”
“Guardian” was originally released by Morissette in 2012 as the first single from her eighth studio album, Havoc and Bright Lights. The track peaked at No. 27 on Billboard‘s Adult Pop Airplay chart, while the album spent peaked at No. 5 on the Billboard 200 and spent a total of five weeks on the tally.
Tongi also delivered a stunning duet of Ed Sheeran’s “Photograph” with Oliver Steele, who was later eliminated. Both tracks served as a subtle tribute to Sheeran and Morissette, who served as guest judges on the show while regular panel members Katy Perry and Lionel Richie were performing at King Charles III’s coronation concert.
Watch Tongi perform “Guardian” and “Photograph” in the videos below.
