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Tencent Music Reports Strong Quarter Before Regulator Crackdown
While Chinese regulators were placing strict control upon the country’s tech sector this spring, its local music streaming giant Tencent Music Entertainment improved revenue and subscriber numbers substantially. In the period from April 1 to June 30, the parent company to steaming services QQ, Kuguo and Kuwo saw music revenues climb 32.8% to 1.79 billion RMB ($277 million) and subscribers jump 40.6% to 66.2 million, compared to the prior quarter, according to the company’s second-quarter earnings report released Monday (Aug. 16). For a company with a 77% market share in the country, it’s a testament to the rapid pace of growth in China’s hot music market. (That’s far greater gains on both accounts, in percentage terms, than Spotify achieved in same time span — 17% and 19.6%, respecti...
50 Cent’s Branson Cognac Sued by Remy Martin Over Bottle Design
“They are afraid of me already,” Fif says in response to the lawsuit. 50 Cent is in hot water after famous French distiller Remy Martin sued the G-Unit rapper last week. Filed in a Manhattan federal court on Friday (Aug. 13), the lawsuit alleges that 50’s Branson cognac brand infringes on Remy’s trademark and patented “jewel-shaped glass cognac bottle design.” According to Reuters, the complaint made against Branson goes far enough to call their design a “blatant attempt” on Remy’s branding. The lawsuit also describes the bottle as having a “circular array of raised flat and angled quadrilateral facets,” which helped the company reach worldwide notoriety after 35 years. On the other hand, the complaint states that Branson...
Demi Lovato Hints at ‘Big Things Coming’ With G-Eazy
Indeed, a separate image shows the Bay Area rapper and producer towering over Lovato (he’s listed at 193cm or 6’4”). Lovato and G-Eazy (real name Gerald Gillum) are friends going way back. In June, the pair were reportedly spotted shooting a music video. A taster from their collaboration, titled “Breakdown,” features in the trailer for the new Netflix reality series, Titletown High. G-Eazy recently posted a pic of the pair, along with the message “Well well well what do we have heeeeere,” and confirming the collab would be “coming sooooon.” This song “perfectly captures the roller coaster of emotions in the show and the intense feelings brought on by the pressures of successes and failures in life,” G-Eazy explained in a statement. “Hearing this song with their stories brought the meaning ...
The Killers’ ‘Pressure Machine’ Is Powering to No. 1 In U.K.
Also, notes the OCC, three of The Killers’ albums — Hot Fuss, Sam’s Town (2006) and Day & Age (2008) — have notched over one million U.K. chart sales, with the former bagging more than two million. Hot Fuss single “Mr Brightside” is one of the most popular tracks in the U.K. this century. In April of this year, the song logged a record-extending 260th non-consecutive week — a full five years — on the national singles chart. Meanwhile, electronic outfit Jungle are swinging to a third successive Top 10 album, with Loving In Stereo (Caiola). It’s new at No. 2 on the Official U.K. Chart Update, and is set to best the No. 7 peak of their Mercury Prize-nominated self-titled debut from 2014. Loving In Stereo is the best-selling album on wax in the first half of the wee...
Chance the Rapper Reveals His “Ultralight Beam” Lyrics That Kanye West Didn’t Like
Despite the fact that his appearance on Kanye West‘s “Ultralight Beam” was highly revered, Chance the Rapper revealed that Ye wasn’t necessarily happy with some of his lyrics on the cut. Speaking to the Recording Academy, Chano shared that he needed to convince West to let him use his line about the GRAMMYs. The lyric “I met Kanye West, I’m never going to fail/He said, ‘Let’s do a good-a** job with Chance 3/I hear you gotta sell it to snatch the GRAMMY” eventually made it on the track, but the Coloring Book rapper “had to go back and forth with [West]” to keep it. “I rapped on Kanye’s s*** right before it came out that I was working on these three GRAMMYs, and I was like, “If I keep rapping like that, and just saying s***’s gonna happen, that’s just gonna happen.” And it started happe...
Underoath Announce 2022 Tour with Every Time I Die and Spiritbox
Underoath are gearing up to take center stage in 2022, as the band has announced a North American tour featuring Every Time I Die and Spiritbox. The shows will mark Underoath’s first time performing together since their 2020 Observatory livestream experience. The timing is appropriate, as Underoath recently announced that their new album, Voyeurist, will arrive January 14th. They also have two new singles out, “Hallelujah” and “Damn Excuses,” which will both appear in the set. “There was a time during the pandemic where I didn’t know if we’d ever get to tour again,” vocalist Spencer Chamberlain said in a statement regarding the upcoming run. “I would sit up at night and try to wrap my brain around a world without live music and I just couldn’t ever digest that thought.” Advertisement Relat...
Field of Dreams TV Series Up to Bat at Peacock from The Good Place’s Michael Schur
Michael Schur is building it in the streaming corn fields of Peacock, and fans will definitely come. As Deadline reports, one of the great comedy showrunners is writing a Field of Dreams TV series based on the beloved 1989 movie. These days Schur is best known as the wholesome force behind Parks and Recreation, Brooklyn Nine-Nine, The Good Place, and most recently, Rutherford Falls. But to very-online sports lovers, he is fondly remembered under his pseudonym Ken Tremendous as one of the co-founders of the pioneering baseball blog Fire Joe Morgan. Ostensibly started with a single purpose (getting one particularly bad broadcaster canned) the site morphed into an early explainer for advanced baseball stats and one of the funniest sources for sports analysis...
Britney Spears Feels Liberated in Topless Instagram Photo Shoot: “My Purest Form !!”
Britney Spears is now one step closer to freedom, and she’s celebrating by shedding her clothes — literally. In one of her first public statements since her father announced he’d be stepping down as her conservator, Spears posted a series of topless photos to her Instagram page. In the accompanying caption, the singer acknowledged that she has long struggled with body image issues, but now finds it therapeutic to take photos of herself in “my purest form.” “I wanted to see myself in a lighter way … naked … like the way I was born,” Spears explained, “and to me looking back at my pictures when I shoot it’s insane the psychology in seeing myself in my purest form gives evidence that pain … hurt … tears … and heavy burdens aren’t who I am. I am a woman …. a beautiful … sensitive woman who nee...
Scarlett Johansson Joins Cast of Wes Anderson’s Next Movie
It feels like Wes Anderson has been a critical darling for the entirety of his career, but that doesn’t make it any less surprising to see arguably the biggest names in Hollywood fawning over him these days — nevermind jumping at the opportunity to work with him, too. Scarlett Johansson is the latest A-lister to sign on to work on the director’s next feature film, according to The Hollywood Reporter. The Black Widow star won’t be the only fresh face joining Anderson’s upcoming movie. Both Tom Hanks and Margot Robbie will also make their debut in the same film as Johansson. Between the three of those actors alone, it’s tempting to wonder if this project is Anderson’s attempt to shoot for the stars and cross over from art-house icon to blockbuster regular. Rounding out the cast are Anderson’...
STONE SOUR Guitarist JOSH RAND: ‘EDDIE VAN HALEN Was More Of An Influence On Me As A Keyboard Player’
In a recent interview with Guitarguitar, STONE SOUR‘s Josh Rand was asked if legendary VAN HALEN guitarist Eddie Van Halen was an influence on his playing. He said: “Well, here’s the thing: not on guitar. Eddie Van Halen was more of an influence on me as a keyboard player, okay? [Laughs] Don’t get me wrong: I’m sure everyone who reads this is gonna say, ‘What the fuck is he talking about?’ Eddie Van Halen, as a guitar player, is obviously on Mount Rushmore, hands down. Not only for technique — as an innovator, everything. I hold him at a high standard. But for me, he influenced guys that influenced me. That’s really what it comes down to. It’s like [Jimi] Hendrix. I love Jimi and I have massive respect [for him]. He’s influenced e...
Watch FEAR FACTORY’s DINO CAZARES Rehearse With SOULFLY For Upcoming Tour
Two weeks ago, it was announced that FEAR FACTORY‘s Dino Cazares will play guitar for SOULFLY on the Max Cavalera-fronted band’s upcoming U.S. tour. The 33-date trek kicks off this coming Friday, August 20 in Albuquerque, New Mexico and will make stops in New York, Chicago and Austin before concluding in Tempe, Arizona on September 25. The final date will be a family celebration as it will include performances by INCITE, GO AHEAD AND DIE and HEALING MAGIC. Joining the band for select dates are NIVIANE and SUICIDE PUPPETS. Earlier today, Cazares took to his Twitter to share a short video of him rehearsing the song “Eye For An Eye” with Max and SOULFLY drummer Zyon Cavalera. He wrote in an accompanying caption: “Max , Zyon and Myself rehearsing ‘Eye For A ...
MEGADETH Touring Bassist JAMES LOMENZO Shares Photos From ‘The Metal Tour Of The Year’ Rehearsals
MEGADETH‘s new touring bassist James LoMenzo has shared photos from the rehearsal sessions for the band’s upcoming “The Metal Tour Of The Year” with LAMB OF GOD. LoMenzo captioned the Instagram post: “I want to take a moment to sincerely thank all my friends and the amazing MEGADETH fans who took the time to wish me well this week. Tour prep has been a blast, it’s great to be playing with Dave [Mustaine, guitar/vocals] again! I’m finding that with Kiko [Loureiro, guitar] and Dirk [Verbeuren, drums], MEGADETH feels like a Locomotive bearing down the tracks. I can’t wait to see you all out there on ‘The Metal Tour of the Year’!” Rounding out the lineup for “The Metal Tour Of The Year” are TRIVIUM and HATEBREED. Pro...
