Yellowstone
As a country artist, Cody Johnson has topped Billboard’s Country Airplay chart twice, has won CMA Awards, and has been headlining shows for years. He’s also a longtime cowboy, who recently won a top spot in the World Series of Team Roping Qualifier. But could Johnson have his sights set on the big screen?
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With his riding and roping skills, it would seem that Texas native Johnson would be a natural on Taylor Sheridan’s hit television series Yellowstone — in fact, Johnson had to turn down a role on the show due to scheduling conflicts. But he told Audacy‘s Rob + Holly that he’s been in discussions with Sheridan and his team about some future acting possibilities.
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“We’ve tried a couple of times [to appear on Yellowstone] and my schedule is too busy to put aside the time,” Johnson said. “We’re looking ahead to the future. There’s a few movie things were I’m like, ‘Look, if you guys give me the notice I can make this happen.”
Meanwhile the “Dirt Cheap” hitmaker recently extended his headlining Leather Tour, adding 10 shows to the trek, including a show at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas on Nov. 9. Whether he’s on stage or (presumably at some point) on the big screen, Johnson knows the impact he’s having on younger generations and it’s a role he takes seriously.
“It’s not lost on me that these kids, these young men will come to the shows… eight- and nine-year-old kids and say ‘Mr. Cody, when I grow up I want to be just like you’ and I’m like, ‘Alright, Johnson, you better make sure you’re putting forth a good example… don’t screw this up, because then you’re letting that kid down.’”
Johnson says he wants to be a good role model not only due to his influence on younger generations, but because he’s thankful for the career he’s forged and the family he’s been blessed with.
“In my younger years I was pretty wild,” he added. “I’ve been blessed with an opportunity to have a career that I never thought was possible, to have a marriage that I never thought was possible, and to have two little kids that I couldn’t have dreamed of in my wildest dreams. I think you either screw it up or you man up.”
Of course, Johnson wouldn’t be the first singer to appear on one of Sheridan’s projects. Reigning CMA and ACM entertainer of the year Lainey Wilson has had a recurring role on Yellowstone, while Ryan Bingham has portrayed the role of Walker. And don’t forget, actor-musician Luke Grimes was already a Yellowstone star when he decided to make his foray into country music.
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1883 is sadly not getting a second season, but we’ve got some exciting news for those who don’t have Paramount+. The Western drama and prequel to the popular series Yellowstone is coming to Paramount Network on Sunday (June 18).
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The limited series originally premiered last year, with the final episode airing in February 2022. Paramount+ subscribers already got the chance to dive into the history of the conniving Dutton family, but for those of you who want to get acquainted with the show, now’s your chance to meet the Dutton family’s ancestors. The Paramount Network will premiere 1883 this Sunday at 8 p.m. ET with consecutive episodes airing every Sunday.
If you can’t get enough of the Dutton family (especially with season 5 of Yellowstone being its last), travel back in time to the year 1883 — hence the title of the prequel. The story takes place during the post-Civil War period and follows the Dutton family as they flee poverty in Texas and journey through the Great Plains in search of a better life in Montana.
Real-life couple and country stars Tim McGraw and Faith Hill star as James and Margaret Dutton with other costars including Sam Elliott as tough cowboy Shea Brennan. The cast also includes Isabel May, LaMonica Garrett, Dawn Olivieri and Billy Bob Thornton.
How to Stream 1883 Online
All 10 episodes will be airing weekly on Paramount Network starting June 18 at 8 p.m. ET and every Sunday afterward. Since it’s premiering on cable television, you probably won’t be able to watch it using an HD antenna, but you can also tune in through cable, satellite and streaming services that offer Paramount+.
How can you stream 1883 without cable? There are lots of affordable options that will allow you to watch live TV such as Philo, which is $25/month after a free trial for a week.
Philo
$25/month after 7 days
The streamer features over 70 cable channels including Paramount Network, Lifetime, MTV, BET, TLC, VH1, CMT, WEtv, A&E, ID, Trvl Channel, OWN, AMC and Comedy Central. The subscription also includes unlimited DVR that can be stored for up to a year.
Need more streaming options? You can also watch Paramount Network and a bunch of other cable channels on DirecTV Stream, Vidgo and SlingTV, all of which offer live TV plans and a library of popular TV shows and movies. Amazon Prime members can take advantage of Prime Video‘s channel add-ons which include Paramount+, Starz, Showtime and more.
Check out the trailer for 1883 below.
Andrea Von Foerster, Brian Schwartz, Dani Rose of Honey County, Hayes Carll, and Sabrina del Priore sat down with the SVP of Music & Talent at Viacom/CMT, Leslie Fram, to discuss the use of music in Paramount’s ‘Yellowstone’ at the 2023 Billboard Country Live. Related Images:
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Make room! Yellowstone is getting its own line of Funko Pop! vinyl figures.
It’s no secret that Funko has made a name for itself by crafting the hottest TV shows, movies and even artists into collectible (and adorable) vinyl figurines. Now, you’ll have the opportunity to snag a Funko Pop! collectible of your favorite character from the hit series Yellowstone when they’re released on July 1.
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How can you get your hands on the collection? The figurines range from $13-$15 each and are available for pre-order from Funko.com, Amazon and the Paramount Shop. No matter which Dutton family member you’re rooting for, you can preorder your favorite or collect them all — including this awesome Rip Wheeler Funko.
The collection features five different characters from the show, including John Dutton (Kevin Costner), Rip (Cole Hauser), Beth Dutton (Kelly Reilly), Kayce Dutton (Luke Grimes) and Monica Dutton (Kelsey Asbille). While country star Lainey Wilson‘s character may not be a figurine (for now), you can at least stream her chart-topping song from the show while building up your Yellowstone collection with these powerhouse characters.
Pre-order the Yellowstone Funko Pop! vinyl figures, and while you wait for their release, hop on the Yellowstone TikTok trend and binge the series on Peacock to hold you over until new episodes premiere later this year.
Amazon
Funko Pop! TV: Yellowstone – John Dutton
$12.99
Dust off those floating shelves and grab your nearest Pop! protector, John Dutton’s vinyl figure is ready to wrangle the top spot in your collection! Featuring his classic white cowboy hat and ranch-protecting ‘fit, this cowboy stands at around 4.65 inches tall and is ready to kick his boots up and watch the latest season with you.
Amazon
Funko Pop! TV: Yellowstone – Beth Dutton
$12.99
As one of the fiercest Dutton children, it makes sense that Beth’s Funko Pop! is sporting a vibrant, bright blue and Aztec-printed jacket and casual jeans. While her figurine stands 3.9 inches tall, her cutthroat personality, as demonstrated in the show, will only make her appear larger.
Paramount
Funko Pop! TV: Yellowstone – Rip Wheeler
$14.95
You can’t have Beth without her brooding love, Rip. Though his backstory is one of murder and pain, the longtime ranch foreman is a loyal cowboy who will infuse some edginess into your Funko Pop! collection.
Amazon
Funko Pop! TV: Yellowstone – Kayce Dutton
$12.99
Just because he’s the youngest of the Dutton siblings doesn’t mean Kayce’s figurine deserves the last spot on your mantle. His appearance may look casual as he sports a brown and gray hoodie with jeans, but it’s the black cowboy hat that shows he means business — both in his style and ability to swoop in and save the day.
Amazon
Funko Pop! TV: Yellowstone – Monica Dutton
$12.99
Finally, the last of the upcoming releases is Monica’s Pop! figure. True to her character, the figurine sports a colorful outfit with boots. While her relationship with Kayce could be seen as a cowboy version of Romeo and Juliet, it’s Monica’s strength and protection of her family that shines through.
All products and services featured are independently chosen by editors. However, Billboard may receive a commission on orders placed through its retail links, and the retailer may receive certain auditable data for accounting purposes.
Yellowstone Season 5 is coming to Peacock, just in time for Memorial Day weekend. The fifth and final season of the hit series will be available on Peacock on May 25, the streamer announced Tuesday (May 9).
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The news comes days after fans learned that Yellowstone will officially end after its fifth season. New episodes of the Western series — starring Kevin Costner, Kelly Reilly, Cole Hauser, Wes Bentley, Kelsey Asbille, and Luke Grimes — will premiere on the Paramount Network in November followed by another Yellowstone prequel, which debuts in December.
The fate of the hit series, whose Season 5 premiere snagged more than 8.8 million viewers, was announced amid rumors of a conflict between Costner and show creator Taylor Sheridan.
Besides episodes of Yellowstone, Peacock is home to beloved shows like The Office along with original series, movies, sports and more. Peacock starts at $4.999/month to stream with commercials and $9.99/month for ad-free streaming. Subscribe to an annual plan ($49.99/month) and save 17% on your subscription.
Peacock
$4.99/month
Peacock carries a nice selection of exclusive series and movies such as Mrs. Davis, Poker Face, Bel-Air, Bupkis, Praise This, The Best Man: The Final Chapters, LoveIsland USA, Dr. Death and Days of Our Lives.
Is Yellowstone streaming on Paramount+? Unfortunately, the series is not currently available on Paramount+ but you can stream the prequels, 1923 and 1883, on the platform for free.
Yellowstone Season 5 premiered last November before going on hiatus. The series has been the “cornerstone on which we have launched an entire universe of global hits – from 1883 to Tulsa King, and I am confident our Yellowstone sequel will be another big hit, thanks to the brilliant creative mind of Taylor Sheridan and our incredible casts who bring these shows to life,” Chris McCarthy president & CEO of Showtime and MTV Entertainment Studios said in a statement last week, according to Variety.
Fans who want to own a physical copy of the series can purchase the first four seasons on blu-ray and DVD.
Amazon
Yellowstone: The Dutton Legacy Collection (includes 1883) – Limited Edition Giftset
$81.35 $111.99 27% OFF
Perfect for a last-minute Mother’s Day gift, the Yellowstone: The Dutton Legacy Collection box set features all four seasons, 16 hours of special features, never-before-seen content, and episodes of the Paramount+ prequel, 1923, starring Helen Mirren and Harrison Ford.
The modern country music business is putting a little of the western back into country & western.
The C&W phrase was dismissed years ago: The Recording Academy dropped “Western” from its category names in conjunction with the 1968 Grammy Awards, and the Academy of Country Music snipped the “& Western” from its organizational banner in October 1973. But there is a noticeable western resurgence taking place.
Former rodeo pro Cody Johnson is becoming a consistent trophy-winner, Jon Pardi and Midland represent western fashion and attitudes, and Dierks Bentley draws frequently on his Arizona roots for storylines that reflect the atmospheric heritage of his home state and regional sister Colorado. Extending the trend, Wyoming native Ian Munsick’s second Warner Music Nashville album, White Buffalo, incorporates lonesome steel, cowboy imagery and Amerind-flecked musical grounding.
“A lot of people still view cowboys and Native Americans as enemies because that’s what Hollywood has shown us over the years,” Munsick notes. “But they live hand in hand and they’re actually the same people, so there’s a lot of Native American influences on my album.”
Lainey Wilson is particularly bringing the West to life with her current single, “Heart Like a Truck,” which won a CMT Award on April 2 for its horse-themed video, while the song is also featured in a horsepower-themed Ram Trucks commercial. Given her role in the Paramount+ series Yellowstone, it’s no surprise that Wilson sees that series as a strong driver in the trend.
“I don’t know why western ever went out of style to begin with,” she says.
For years, the cowboy was a dominant figure in entertainment. Roy Rogers, Gene Autry, Tex Ritter, Rex Allen and The Sons of the Pioneers were among the singing cowboys who kept the tumbleweeds rolling on the silver screen. Even when western vocalizing fell out of favor, cowboy dramas remained plentiful on the big screen and on TV, where over 100 westerns landed on network schedules in the ’50s and ’60s, including Gunsmoke, Big Valley, Rawhide and The Cisco Kid. Marty Robbins kept western tones alive on country radio even after they had left movie theaters, fashioning classic cowboy songs such as “El Paso,” “Big Iron” and “Cowboy in the Continental Suit.”
Miranda Lambert’s Palomino single “If I Was a Cowboy” obliquely referenced him with the phrase “big iron hips.”
“I love westerns, and I’m a huge Marty Robbins fan,” says co-writer Jesse Frasure (“Dirt on My Boots,” “What’s Your Country Song”). “Any of that kind of stuff and those melodies, I’m always a fan of doing.”
Los Angeles’ country/rock movement, which occurred during Robbins’ peak years, likewise threaded cowboy ideals into the Stetson, cactus and “Desperado” themes and images of The Flying Burrito Brothers, Eagles, The Byrds and Poco. That era, which brought an adult viewpoint to the pop and rock music that preceded it, is celebrated in the aptly timed Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum exhibit “Western Edge.”
“They wanted to write songs that were about home, about love, about relationships as modern relationships were at the time,” museum writer-editor Michael McCall says. “They wanted to take it away from the sort of rock’n’roll fantasy stories and make it about real stuff.”
Like those acts, Tanya Tucker sees no-nonsense characters as a major part of western standards. Revealed April 3 as a 2023 Hall of Fame inductee, Tucker counts the cowboy-themed “Texas (When I Die)” and “It’s a Cowboy Lovin’ Night” among her hits, and her next album, Sweet Western Sound, is due June 2.
“I’m into real shit,” she says. “The difference between a cowboy story and a fairy tale is a fairy tale starts out with ‘Once upon a time,’ and to me, a cowboy story starts out with ‘This ain’t no [phony] shit.’”
Unreality is a major function of modern life. The rise of artificial intelligence is just the latest entrant alongside deep fakes, programmed sound and video games — all of which represent some level of virtual mimicry. As a tonic, the physical work and outdoor lifestyle associated with the cowboy are likely a major attraction behind the resurgence of the West.
“I think the further we get into the future, and our society is so reliant on screens and technology, that we really want to go back to the old ways of life,” suggests Munsick. “That’s living under the stars and having free range to roam around in. That’s what the West offers.”
That creates a certain dichotomy in the current trend. Kassi Ashton, who inserted what she calls a “spaghetti western” steel guitar into her single “Drive You Out of My Mind,” sees the cowboy ideal being applied to small-screen social media.
“The trending aesthetic for this summer is coastal cowgirl,” she notes. “That’s all over TikTok, and it’s crazy how trends happen. You get into a whole discussion why. I think that inflation-wise and everyone being broke right now being tied to a Western, simple, coastal, rustic thing is not a coincidence.”
This wave is not likely to inspire country music to reestablish the dated country & western brand. Back in 1980, the genre rode the Urban Cowboy movement for a year or two before it petered out. But it does hint at a reexamination of ideals, both in the arts and in humanity.
In the end, the West is less about the lasso, the six-shooter or the Stetson than it is about integrity and trustworthiness, Wilson maintains. As well as dogged individualism.
“My daddy is a real-life cowboy,” she says. “He stands up for what he believes in. Don’t take no shit.”
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Welcome to Billboard Pro’s Trending Up newsletter, where we take a closer look at the songs, artists, curiosities and trends that have caught the music industry’s attention. Some have come out of nowhere, others have taken months to catch on, and all of them could become ubiquitous in the blink of a TikTok clip. This week: Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery reveals gains for its titular Beatles cut and other soundtrack favorites, Yellowstone‘s Luke Grimes takes a step towards stardom in a second medium and a decade-old Miguel hit may be gearing up for another chart run.
‘Glass Onion’ Hits Streaming, Boosts Music Streams for… “Glass Onion”
“Looking through the bent-backed tulips/ To see how the other half lives/ Looking through a glass onion,” Paul McCartney sings on The Beatles’ White Album classic “Glass Onion.” There are some subtle clues to the plot of Glass Onion – the latest Knives Out mystery, a Netflix smash since its Dec. 23 release – in the lyrics to “Glass Onion,” which plays over the end credits of the film.
Maybe listeners wanted to revisit “Glass Onion” after hearing it during the movie’s finale to parse its lyrics and try to further unlock the puzzle box of a plot, or maybe they were simply they were reminded by the movie how much “Glass Onion” rules. Regardless, the 1968 song experienced a huge uptick in streams during the film’s first week of wide availability — as have some other ’60s and ’70s tracks used in director Rian Johnson’s crowd-pleasing mystery.
“Glass Onion” experienced a 167% increase in weekly U.S. on-demand streams during the week of Dec. 23-29, according to Luminate, jumping to over 160,000 streams after earning a little over 60,000 the previous week. Meanwhile, David Bowie’s “Star” — which is used to soundtrack a memorable dance sequence featuring Kate Hudson’s character (no spoilers here, we promise) — was up 60% during the same week, reaching 32,000 U.S. on-demand streams. And The Bee Gees’ “To Love Somebody,” featured in its original version in the film, scored a 37% bump, up to nearly 259,000 streams in the week ending Dec. 29.
A third Knives Out film has already been confirmed, although its title has yet to be announced. After the original Knives Out in 2019 was named after a Radiohead song, and Glass Onion was titled as a Beatles reference, we’ll see if the next installment also features a shared song title — but if it does, rest assured that that song will get a streaming boost of its own during its Netflix premiere week. – JASON LIPSHUTZ
The ‘Yellowstone’ Bump Continues Growing – Even for Its Own Cast
We’ve written before in Trending Up about how effective the Paramount+ smash Western melodrama Yellowstone has been in lending streaming and sales bumps to its more prominently featured synchs. Americana star Zach Bryan has been one of its biggest beneficiaries, with his songs included across multiple seasons – in December, Bryan’s “The Good I’ll Do” (from his Belting Bronco/Warner-released breakout album American Heartbreak) debuted in the top five of Billboard’s Digital Song Sales chart after inclusion in a Season Five episode.
That trend continues this week, with Bryan’s “Tishomingo” ballad showcased in the show’s mid-season finale on Jan. 1 – resulting in a 90.4% rise in daily official on-demand U.S. streams to 115,000 for Jan. 2, according to Luminate. (The song also sold over 1,000 digital songs from Jan. 1 to Jan. 2, after selling a negligible number the two days before.)
More interesting, though, is another artist seeing gains whose name will undoubtedly be familiar already to all Yellowstone fans: Luke Grimes, the actor who stars as Kayce Dutton on the show. Grimes recently launched a country music career with debut single “No Horse to Ride” (Range Media/Mercury Nashville) and the love song was similarly featured on the drama’s midseason finale – receiving a 67.7% bump to 109,000 daily official on-demand streams for Jan. 2, and also combining to sell over 1,000 digital songs for Jan. 1-2. (Perhaps for Stranger Things’ fifth and final season, its musically inclined cast should take from Grimes’ example and push for similar synch placement – anachronisms be damned.) – ANDREW UNTERBERGER
You Can Bet That: Miguel’s “Sure Thing” Gets Biggest Viral Boost Yet
A little over a decade ago, Miguel broke through as a crossover star thanks to his swoon-worthy R&B single “Adorn,” which peaked at No. 17 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 2012 and was nominated for song of the year at the 2013 Grammys. Yet one year earlier, the singer-songwriter’s neo-soul single “Sure Thing” became his first Hot 100 top 40 hit (off ByStorm/Jive debut release All I Want Is You), and his first chart-topper on the R&B/Hip-Hop Songs tally. Now, “Sure Thing” is surging back into the public consciousness, and introducing the R&B star, who hasn’t released an album in over five years, to the TikTok generation.
“Sure Thing” has bubbled up a few times over the past three years thanks to versions both slowed-down and sped-up. However, the song has experienced its biggest revival to date over the past month or so, thanks to a new wave of sped-up takes on the song that started in November, and is now climbing the daily charts on various streaming platforms — today, No. 22 on Spotify’s Daily Top Songs USA listing, and No. 55 on the Apple Music U.S. daily Top 100 tally.
During the week ending Dec. 1, “Sure Thing” earned 4.58 million U.S. on-demand streams, according to Luminate; that total grew to 6.80 million for the week ending Dec. 29, a 48% bump from that earlier number. Meanwhile, other songs from 2010’s All I Want Is You are taking off to a smaller degree, with the title track and “Girl With the Tattoo Enter.lewd” both climbing in streams over the past month.
How high can “Sure Thing” climb? The coming weeks should demonstrate just how prolonged the song’s revival will be — but for Miguel, who hasn’t scored a Hot 100 hit as a lead artist since 2017’s “Sky Walker” featuring Travis Scott, the possibility of a chart re-entry for “Sure Thing” would make for a nice lead-in to a potential return to music in 2023. – JL
People Who Need “People”
Minneapolis singer-songwriter Libianca may be familiar to viewers of NBC’s The Voice as a Team Blake contestant from the show’s 21st season, but otherwise you might have heard her for the first time on TikTok the past month. That’s because her new Afrobeats-flavored song “People” is blowing up on the service, with thousands of users sharing videos of them relating to the song’s mentally wary lyrics (particularly its opening lines, “I’ve been drinking more alcohol for the past five days/ Did you check on me?”), and even R&B star Chris Brown posting that it “speaks volumes” to him.
“People” has since crossed over to other streaming platforms, rising 55.2% to 1.8 million on-demand U.S. streams for the chart tracking week ending Dec. 29, and hitting No. 5 on Billboard’s U.S. Afrobeats Songs chart dated Jan. 7 – indicating it may be a breakout hit to watch for over the first few months of 2023. – AU
Q&A: Taryn Lacroix, Spotify’s Associate Manager, Artist & Label Partnerships, on What’s Trending Up in Her World
What was your biggest takeaway from the 2022 Spotify Wrapped rollout compared to previous years?
Spotify Wrapped has existed in some form since 2015, and this was our biggest year yet from both the artist and fan perspectives. It’s become so highly anticipated that the chatter online starts to build well before its surprise launch. Artists also want to get in on the fun — we saw record-breaking artist involvement this year, and were able to activate with some artists for the first time in our campaign, like Beyoncé and Britney Spears. When you have Elton John sharing his Artist Wrapped or Drake organically sharing his personal listening stats on socials, you know you’ve tapped into the cultural zeitgeist, which is always the most significant challenge as a brand.
Which new feature of Wrapped did you think was most successful?
This year we scaled our short-form video initiative called ‘Your Artist Messages,’ which are self-recorded videos from artists thanking their top fans on Spotify. With an ambitious goal in mind, we galvanized the music industry across the globe to record and upload videos via Spotify for Artists to reward top fans for streaming on Spotify. Artists from Taylor Swift to Måneskin to Dolly Parton to Lil Baby participated, reaching hundreds of millions of listeners on Spotify. When eligible listeners selected “Your Artist Messages” in their 2022 Wrapped hub on Spotify, they would see a personalized feed of videos from some of their favorite artists this year. This was a massive win, not only for the users’ experience, but for product development at large.
Looking at the top songs/artists/albums of 2022, which trend was the most personally interesting to you?
The longevity of Glass Animals’ “Heat Waves” domination is unparalleled. A viral indie pop song from 2020 was the No. 2 song globally in 2022, surpassing some of the biggest household names. It’s a feat to not only achieve a viral hit, but also to transcend it and maintain sustained relevancy. It’s a testament to the power of social media, combined with the fact that the appetite for catalog is only growing, which is a trend evidenced across the board with many of the most popular titles being released prior to 2022.
Fill in the blank: when it comes to exploring their Spotify Wrapped, not enough listeners are talking about their _______.
Audio Day descriptors. I need to know who else is channeling “upbeat gothic angst!” – JL
Season’s Gainings: What Are You Streaming New Year’s Eve?
Though the Christmas music season comes to an end shortly after the last present is unwrapped on Dec. 25, there’s still plenty of New Year’s holiday listening to be done as we turn the calendar over. Such themed songs saw a big streaming bump on Dec. 31 and Jan. 1, including Death Cab for Cutie’s “The New Year” (up 345% from Dec. 30 to Jan. 1, to nearly 40,000 official on-demand U.S. streams, according to Luminate), U2’s “New Year’s Day” (up 215% to nearly 75,000) and Taylor Swift’s “New Year’s Day” (up 333% to to 361,000). Hope you got your share of seasonal listening in while you could these holidays, since President’s Day and Groundhog Day don’t yet offer the same variety of soundtrack options. – AU
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