Television
Bono Tells Taylor Swift He’s a ‘Swiftie’ on ‘Graham Norton Show’
Will Taylor Swift and Bono collaborate on a song someday? Graham Norton brought up the idea of the stars working together when they both appeared on the same episode of The Graham Norton Show in the U.K. on Friday (Oct. 28). Bono was promoting his new book, Surrender, while Swift was invited to the show to speak about her new album, Midnights. “Have you worked together?” Norton asked the pair. “Not yet,” Swift replied, but added: “We’re gonna talk about it later.” Swift might have been teasing the audience — but based on the U2 frontman’s enthusiasm for her work, the potential idea might not be completely out of the question. “I’m a Swiftie,” Bono announced. Touched by that statement, Swift put her hand to her heart. “He’s so nice he sent me roses when I played in Dublin,” Swift said. “He ...
TV streaming providers should start relying on NFTs
Subscription-based services have become so ubiquitous it’s hard to remember a time when they weren’t the norm. Streaming companies have sought to take advantage of that norm by fleecing consumers for everything they’re worth — just look at Netflix’s decision to start running advertisements. Another benefit of leveraging NFT technology is that streaming services can increasingly be used to create communities. As with all consumer culture in the digital world, we are what we consume. NFTs, however, have the potential to make the relationship between the consumer and what is consumed far more profound. There is a solution to streaming “churn” A decade ago, who would have thought digital communities based on families of JPEGs would become billion-dollar enterprises? From Bored Apes to Pa...
MTV Announces 6 New Films For 2022 Holiday Season with Ashanti, Ne-Yo, MC Lyte & More
HipHopWired Featured Video Source: SOPA Images / Getty The holiday season is fast approaching, and MTV is getting into the spirit with six new movies set to air on their networks beginning at the end of November. On Thursday (Oct. 27), MTV Entertainment Studios announced the premiere of a slate of six new movies for the 2022 holidays with star-studded casts and equal star power serving as producers. “Last year we broke the traditional mold of holiday films in a big way,” said Nina L. Diaz, President of Content and Chief Creative Officer, Paramount Media Networks & MTVE Studios Head of Unscripted Entertainment & Adult Animation P+ in the press release. “As we look toward this new slate, with the depth of our powerful producers coupled with the diversity of our amazing talent, we wil...
Grand Re-Re-Reopening: P-Valley Renewed For Third Season
HipHopWired Featured Video Source: Rodin Eckenroth / Getty Fans of the Starz Network highest-rated show are excited to learn that they will be going back “down to the valley” of Chucalissa, Mississippi—but, it may be a while. P-Valley has been renewed for a third season of 10 episodes about the love and lives of the dancers and staff at The Pynk—described by Vulture as the “little strip club that could.” But, the third season isn’t slated to air until 2024. Creator, showrunner and executive producer Katori Hall said in a statement, “I am blessed beyond measure for this opportunity to write the next chapter of P-Valley. With its complex, dynamic, and beautifully flawed characters, this show is a love letter to marginalized communities in the American South who rarely see t...
Black Mafia Family Docuseries Premieres On Starz
HipHopWired Featured Video Source: Prince Williams / Getty The story of the Black Mafia Family has captivated viewers due to the 50 Cent-produced Starz series, and now a documentary series on the notorious empire has made its debut. On Sunday (Oct. 23), The BMF Documentary: Blowing Money Fast premiered on Starz. The new series is an in-depth look at the founders of the Black Mafia Family, Demetrius “Big Meech” and Terry “Southwest T” Flenory. Both men led the infamous drug trafficking empire that sprung out of the crack epidemic that ravaged Detroit, Michigan in the 1980s. Like the BMF series that premiered on the network featuring Demetrius “Lil Meech” Flenory as his father, Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson is the executive producer. 50 Cent tapped Shan Nicholson, best known for helming Rubb...
Can NFTs democratize scheduled programming of TV in the Web3 era
Nonfungible tokens (NFTs) leave almost no part of the physical world untouched. From museums and major fashion brands like Gucci adopting the technology to digital items to musicians breaking archaic song rights distribution methods. Now even television, or in a streaming era — scheduled programming, is taking on NFTs as a means of crowdfunding programs. NFTV is streaming crypto-themed content but using NFTs as the backbone to crowdfund shows while providing viewers with some say in what’s on deck. Each program has a set of related NFTs, which give creators the reins of their projects, rather than giant media houses, while holders have the chance to contribute content. Greg Cipes, co-creator of NFTV, spoke with Cointelegraph to discuss the fine line between content democratization and an a...
Jack Harlow Set as ‘SNL’ Host and Musical Guest
Live from New York, it’ll be Jack Harlow on Saturday Night Live on Oct. 29. Harlow will serve as both host and musical guest, SNL announced during this weekend’s show. “HOSTINGGGGGG SNL,” he wrote on Instagram, sharing the big news. Harlow follows fellow artist Megan Thee Stallion in most recently pulling double duty as host and musical guest. You can see a roundup of the best of Meg’s SNL skits here, and her performances here. Earlier this month, Harlow got some late-night television time in with Jimmy Fallon, co-hosting The Tonight Show. Explore Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news His Come Home the Kids Miss You album, released in May, reached No. 3 on the Billboard 200 and earned the Louisville rapper a No. 1 single with “First Cl...
Kelly Clarkson & Sam Smith’s Kellyoke Duet Is a ‘Breakaway’ Smash: Watch
It’s a common occurrence for Kelly Clarkson to have guests on her eponymous talk show, but it’s certainly rare for another guest to join her for the show’s opening Kellyoke bit. Viewers of Tuesday’s (Oct. 11) episode of The Kelly Clarkson Show were treated to the former Voice coach performing a duet of her Billboard Hot 100 top 10 hit “Breakaway” with fellow pop hitmaker Sam Smith. Clarkson was first up to the plate for the new version of the track, tackling the emotive opening verse before Smith colored the track with their signature, rich tone. “Trying hard to reach out/ But when I tried to speak out/ Felt like no one could hear me/ Wanted to belong here/ But something felt so wrong here/ So I prayed (I would pray)/ I could break away,” they sang before joining Clarkson for the chorus, t...
Here’s Why Megan Thee Stallion Fans Think She’s Working With ‘Stranger Things’
Will Megan Thee Stallion be entering the Upside Down? The Hotties have reason to believe the rapper may be entering the Stranger Things universe in some capacity, after sharing a particularly eyebrow-raising photo to her Instagram on Friday (Oct. 7). Hidden in a photo carousel of her wearing a 2000s-inspired matching set, bold red curls and full glam, Megan popped in a photo of her holding a card in front of her face — black widow Halloween nails on full display — with the official Stranger Things logo on it. In the following photo, Megan sits in a black director’s chair that has Netflix’s logo emblazoned on its back. Billboard has reached out to Megan’s representatives, the Duffer Brothers and Netflix for comment. Though there is no word on what the “Her” rapper is cooking up with the str...
‘Rap Sh!t’ Renewed For Second Season at HBO Max
HipHopWired Featured Video Source: Alicia Vera/HBO Max / Alicia Vera/HBO Max The Issa Rae-created series, Rap Sh!t has been renewed for a second season at HBO Max. The show follows two estranged friends on their journey to become rap stars. The show stars Aida Osman, KaMillion, Jonica Booth, Devon Terrell and RJ Cyler and gained the support of online fans. The show’s creator wrote a statement with showrunner Syreeta Singleton, saying, “We’re so happy to play in the world of ‘Rap Sh!t’ for another season with this incredibly talented team,” Rae wrote, “This show and cast are one of a kind and I’m thrilled to get to do this again with them. We’re going bigger and harder!” Per Hypebeast, Sarah Aubrey, Head of Original Content, HBO Max, stated, “We are so excited to continue this j...
‘Abbott Elementary’ Star Sheryl Lee Ralph Stuns During Historic Emmy Win
HipHopWired Featured Video Source: Kevin Mazur / Getty As just the second Black actress to win an Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress, Sheryl Lee Ralph stunned the audience by singing a verse from “Endangered Species,” by jazz singer Diane Reeves. “I am an endangered species, but I sing no victim song,” Ralph crooned, holding out several words for emphasis as names of those she wished to thank flashed across the screen. “I am a woman, I am an artist, and I know where my voice belongs.” Ralph’s beautiful voice drew tears from many members of the audience who rose to their feet in a standing ovation after the performance. Sheryl Lee Ralph began her career on Broadway where she won a Tony Award for her role in 1981’s Dreamgirls. She became the second Black woman to win a...
Producers and Stars Discuss Fox’s New Country Drama, ‘Monarch,’ Where Music Reigns in a Chaotic World
“I’ve been surrounded by divas my entire life and I’m probably the biggest one of them all,” says top Nashville manager Jason Owen with a robust laugh, explaining why he was beyond qualified to serve as one of the executive producers on Monarch, the deliciously soapy new Fox series premiering Sunday (Sept. 11) that chronicles the musical exploits and over-the-top misadventures of country music’s fictional first family. Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news Starring Susan Sarandon and Trace Adkins as Dottie and Albie Roman – the matriarch and patriarch of the multi-generational Roman family – the frothy melodrama often strains credulity. But there were some areas where Owen insisted that credibility reign. “There has to be a real thru-line with some o...
