entertainment blog
Charli XCX’s ‘SNL’ Performance Canceled: ‘I Am Devastated and Heartbroken’
Charli XCX will no longer be performing on Saturday Night Live tonight (Dec. 18). She shared the news shortly after SNL made the announcement that Saturday’s show would tape without a live audience on Saturday as COVID-19 cases linked to the omicron variant surged in New York City. “hi everyone,” she wrote on social media Saturday evening. “due to the limited crew at tonight’s taping of snl my musical performances will no longer be able to go ahead. i am devastated and heartbroken. myself, caroline, christine and all of our crews and teams have worked so hard all week alongside the snl team to bring the most amazing music performance to life. it can’t happen this time but I’ll be back! i am currently safe and healthy but of course very sad.” Explore Explore Charli XCX See latest videos, ch...
UTFO’s Kangol Kid Dies After Battle With Cancer at 55
Kangol Kid, a member of the legendary hip-hop group UTFO, has died after a battle with colon cancer. He was 55. The family of Kangol Kid — whose real name is Shaun Shiller Fequiere — said in a statement that he died peacefully around 3 a.m. Saturday (Dec. 18) at a hospital in Manhasset, New York. He was diagnosed with cancer in February. Kid was known for often sporting the popular Kangol headwear and being a member of UTFO, which stands for Untouchable Force Organization. The four-member group was known for 1980s hits including “Roxanne, Roxanne” and “Ya Cold Wanna Be With Me.” Explore Explore UTFO See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news Along with his hip-hop success, Kid became recognized for his efforts against breast cancer through the Mama Luke Foundatio...
Charli XCX, Caroline Polachek, and Christine and the Queens Saturday Night Live Performance Canceled
Charli XCX’s scheduled performance with Caroline Polachek and Christine and the Queens on Saturday Night Live this week (December 18) has been canceled. The show announced earlier today that due to a recent spike in COVID-19 cases, there would be no live audience for the show and limited cast and crew in the studio, which led to the cancelation of the performance. The trio first announced the performance yesterday on social media. Paul Rudd is still scheduled to host. The three artists released “New Shapes” together last month. Drummer Luis Aponte was meant to join them for the SNL appearance, having caught her attention with a video of him performing at a festival in Pennsylvania over the summer. Aponte usually plays with the Philadelphia hardcore band Jesus Piece, whose most recent...
Alok Announces Squid Game-Inspired EP, Drops Hypnotic Lead Single
Alok‘s final release of 2021 is a celebration of one of the year’s biggest pop culture moments. The rise of Squid Game to take the throne of Netflix’s most successful show was nothing short of meteoric. Considering the show’s near-hypnotic theme music, you just knew dance music artists were going to find clever ways to channel that eerie energy. That inspiration has manifested in a variety of ways, such as the clever “Squid Game and “Do It To It” edit Zedd used to make a memorable entrance on the EDC mainstage. Alok found himself similarly entranced by the show’s chilling main theme—but he hasn’t stopped there. Next year will see the Brazilian dance music superstar dropping an entire EP based on the show. “After becoming...
Marcel Dettmann Drops Mesmerizing Techno Remix for “The Matrix Resurrections” Soundtrack: Listen
Keen viewers of The Matrix Resurrections may be able to identify Marcel Dettmann‘s influence in the upcoming film due out on December 22nd. A stalwart of the Berlin techno scene, Dettmann recently found himself in a film scoring role as the movie’s lead composers, Johnny Klimek and Tom Tykwer, consulted him for expertise. The iconic techno producer led the scoring effort on at least one particular scene and additionally contributed a remix of “My Dream Ended Here” to the forthcoming soundtrack. In prior comments, Tykwer suggested the goal of the hotly anticipated soundtrack is to honor the 90’s film series’ legacy. As one of the first franchises to incorporate a score at the intersection of orchestral music and brooding techno, the film’...
Queen’s Brian May Tests Positive for COVID-19: ‘The Shocking Day Finally Came’
Queen guitarist Brian May has tested positive for COVID-19. The 74-year-old rock icon took to social media on Saturday (Dec. 18) to share the news with his fans. “Yep. The shocking day finally came for me. The dreaded double red line,” May wrote on Instagram alongside a photo of his test results. “And yes — definitely NO sympathy please — it has been a truly horrible few days, but I’m OK. And I will tell the tale.” Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news The musician added, “PLEASE take extra care out there, good folks. This thing is incredibly transmissible. You really do NOT want it messing up YOUR Christmas. With love – Bri.” May recently lashed out at Eric Clapton, who said in July that he wouldn’t play any live shows that required attendees to sho...
Rod Stewart and Son Resolve Florida Hotel Assault Case
Rod Stewart and his son have pleaded guilty to battery in an assault case stemming from a New Year’s Eve 2019 altercation with a security guard at an exclusive Florida hotel. Court records released Friday (Dec. 17) show that the singer and his son Sean Stewart entered guilty pleas to misdemeanor charges of simple battery. Explore See latest videos, charts and news “No one was injured in the incident and a jury did not find Sir Rod Stewart guilty of the accusation,” his attorney Guy Fronstin said in a statement. “Instead, Sir Rod Stewart decided to enter a plea to avoid the inconvenience and unnecessary burden on the court and the public that a high profile proceeding would cause.” The raspy-voiced Stewart, 76, is a British member of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and was knighted by Quee...
Adele, Ed Sheeran & More Dominate 2022 Brit Awards Nominations: Complete List
Adele, Ed Sheeran, Dave and Little Simz are the leading contenders for the 2022 Brit Awards, with four nods each. The nominations were announced on Saturday (Dec. 18) on an hour-long TV special, The Brits Are Coming. The awards will be presented on Feb. 8 at the O2 Arena in London. Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news Adele will have to wait nearly a year for the 2023 Grammy nominations, in which her long-awaited fourth album, 30, is expected to be a major force. This year marks the first time that the Brits have combined separate male and female categories in both artist of the year and international artist. So how did it shake out? Females took two of the five spots for artist of the year (Adele and Little Simz), but four of the five spots for int...
Wanda Young, Singer of The Marvelettes, Dies at 78
Wanda Young, a member of the 1960s Motown group The Marvelettes, has died, Rolling Stone reports. She was 78. Young, who also performed under the name Wanda Rogers, was the lead vocalist on Marvelettes songs like “I’ll Keep Holding On” and “Don’t Mess With Bill.” Further details about her death were not available at press time. “We are so saddened by the news of Wanda Young of the Marvelettes passing,” Motown official Twitter account wrote on Thursday (Dec. 16). “What an impact she has had on the world of Classic Motown and the lives of so many. Her legacy will continue to live on.” Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news We are so saddened by the news of Wanda Young of the Marvelettes passing. What an impact she has had on the world of Classic Motown ...
George Harrison’s “My Sweet Lord” Gets New Video With Dozens of Stars: Watch
The celebration of George Harrison’s 50th anniversary reissue of All Things Must Pass continues with a new music video for “My Sweet Lord.” Directed by Lance Bangs, it stars Fred Armisen and Vanessa Bayer as agents on an assignment from Mark Hamill. The video features appearances from Ringo Starr, Jeff Lynne, Dhani and Olivia Harrison, “Weird Al” Yankovic, Jon Hamm, Tim & Eric, Patton Oswalt, Taika Waititi, Reggie Watts, Darren Criss, Tom Scharpling, Paul Scheer, Garfunkel and Oates, Shepard Fairey, and more. Watch it below. Read Pitchfork’s review of Peter Jackson’s documentary series The Beatles: Get Back. Content This content can also be viewed on the site it originates from.
Charli XCX Shares Trailer for New Documentary Alone Together: Watch
Charli XCX has shared a new trailer for Alone Together, her documentary about the process of making her 2020 album How I’m Feeling Now in isolation. Alone Together is out in theaters and on-demand on January 28. Watch the trailer below. Charli announced Alone Together last summer, and it premiered at SXSW in March. She announced her next album, Crash, in November, revealing the new song “New Shapes” with Caroline Polachek and Christine and the Queens along with a lengthy tour itinerary. She had previously released the new single “Good Ones” in September, which Perfume Genius more recently remixed. She’ll appear as the musical guest on Saturday Night Live on December 18, closing out the show for the calendar year with host Paul Rudd. Revisit Pitchfork’s Cover Story “Charli XCX Is the Pop St...
Waxahatchee Announces El Deafo Soundtrack, Shares New Song “Tomorrow”: Listen
Waxahatchee has shared a new song called “Tomorrow.” The single will appear on her original soundtrack to the animated series El Deafo, which premieres January 7 on Apple TV+. Listen to “Tomorrow” below. El Deafo is based on Cece Bell’s best-selling children’s book of the same name. The story follows a character named Cece, who must learn to navigate life after she loses her hearing. To do so, she creates an alter ego named El Deafo to face new challenges. “I’m so happy to finally announce an amazing project I had the honor of being a part of,” Waxahatchee mastermind Katie Crutchfield said in press materials. “Last year I wrote some original music for a new show on Apple TV+ called El Deafo, based on the book of the same name by a true hero, Cece Bell. Myself along with Rob Barbato spent a...
