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Soulful gospel artist Mandisa, a Grammy-winning singer who got her start as a contestant on “American Idol” in 2006, has died, according to a statement on her verified social media. She was 47. “We can confirm that yesterday Mandisa was found in her home deceased. At this time we do not know the cause of death or any further details,” the post reads. “We ask for your prayers for her family and close knit circle of friends during this incredibly difficult time. Mandisa was a voice of encouragement and truth to people facing life’s challenges all around the world.” Mandisa...

NBA YoungBoy has been arrested after he allegedly violated the terms of his house arrest in Utah. According to a report FOX 8 in New Orleans published on Wednesday, April 17, the controversial rap artist was taken into custody on Tuesday evening by the Cache County Sheriff’s Office in Utah. Jail records confirm the 24-year-old, born Kentrell Gaulden, was booked at the Cache County jail and charged with six offenses including identity fraud, forgery, possession of controlled substances, possession of a dangerous weapon by a restricted person, procuring or attempting to procure drug/prescription and pattern of unlawful activity. YoungBoy Never...

A new album by Taylor Swift is not merely the release of a new collection of songs. It is a major pop-cultural event, given the widespread consensus that Swift is the world’s biggest pop star... ...What’s lacking from Swift, however, is very little hint of proportionality. There is almost no evidence leading a listener to believe that Swift understands that this romantic heartbreak and loss of which she sings is mostly ordinary, everyday stuff, and not a matter of earthshaking proportions. Try as she might, this is no Blood on the Tracks. (Coincidentally, Swift is the same age, 34, that...

Imagine a record label where the heads of preeminent brass (classical), jazz, and blues labels collaborated with Beezwax Records, LLC to issue one release per year in their respective genres. Imagine a record label whose A&R vetting was guided in part by a select group of visually impaired, eclectic audiophiles tilting toward the same. Imagine a record label that limits its market exclusively to a set of prequalified subscribers who eagerly await their next Beezwax Record, and when they get it it has their name on it. Imagine a record label that dovetails seamlessly with the manufacturers of physical...

When the Beatles arrived on the scene in the United States in 1964, many have said it was like a Wizard of Oz moment; before them, popular music was black and white but after, it was technicolor. Yes, the former Mop Tops changed everything when it came to pop and rock and roll—and the band continued to flip the script, evolving from simple tunes to very intricate, sweeping offerings on later albums. But given their enormous musical impact, it was inevitable some bands along the way were going to imitate The Beatles’ sound. Imitation, after all, is the highest form...

Daddy Yankee, known for hits such as "Gasolina" and "Despacito," said he hopes to "evangelize the world" and live for Jesus.Daddy Yankee is officially retiring from reggaeton to devote his life to his religious faith, the rapper said after ending his farewell tour, La Meta (The Goal), Sunday night in his homeland Puerto Rico. The 46-year-old singer made the announcement in a lengthy speech following a larger-than-life performance of his global hit “Gasolina,” a song that marked the beginning of the globalization of reggaeton and catapulted him into mainstream success back in 2004. "My people, this day for me is...

Who doesn’t love the 80s? Good music and even better hair styles. Maybe today’s kids will laugh and make fun of them but hey, back in the day, they were the bomb. They look pretty and colorful on stage, they know how to party and of course, they get the girls. From heavy and glittering makeup to flashy clothing (leopard tights included), what completed the look was the large and wild hair. The more distinctive, the better. Well thanks to the alternative and grunge music of the early 90s, hair metal was eventually swept under the rug. So let’s revisit...

My latest song. Sweet dreams.

Netflix reported its first-quarter 2024 earnings Thursday, revealing it added a whopping 9.33 million paid subscribers. Analysts consensus estimates were for Netflix to add 3.93 million paid subs globally in Q1 (to reach 264.21 million), according to StreetAccount. Per Netflix, it has now climbed to 269.60 million subs as of March 31. These impressive Q1 results come following a better-than-expected 13.1 million subscribers added for the fourth quarter of 2023, which was a Q4 record for Netflix. Despite this back-to-back growth worth boasting about, Netflix announced Thursday it will stop reporting quarterly sub totals beginning in 2025, a move that...

In celebration of the 45th anniversary of Ridley Scott’s 1979 sci-fi/horror masterpiece “Alien,” the film will return to theaters for a limited time starting on April 26. Tickets are now available for purchase at Fandango or wherever tickets are sold. Be sure to check out the unique homage poster, TV spot, and preview of an exclusive conversation between Ridley Scott and Fede Alvarez, the director/writer of the upcoming theatrical release “Alien: Romulus,” which will appear on prints of “Alien” in theaters April 26. One of the most influential sci-fi/horror films of all time, “Alien,” which was released in June 1979...

After the social-media blowback that greeted the “Good Times” trailer, Netflix opted to premiere the show without making it available to critics. But the animated series that dropped April 12 merely underscores the pitfalls of leveraging a familiar title without a clear reason for doing so, yielding an edgy comedy that likely would have come and gone with scant notice without the weight of that name. In addition to the late Norman Lear – who fared considerably better with a “One Day at a Time” reboot – the roster of producers here includes Seth MacFarlane (“Ted,” “Family Guy”) and...

Allman Brothers guitarist Dickey Betts dies aged 80: Musician best known for group's hit song Ramblin' Man passed away 'peacefully' at Florida home. Guitarist Dickey Betts died at the age of 80 in his Florida home on Thursday. Betts wrote some of the bands most famous songs including Ramblin' Man. Betts is known for writing some of The Allman Brothers most famous songs including 'In Memory of Elizabeth Reed,' 'Blue Sky,' and their only Top Ten hit, 'Ramblin' Man.'

One of the greats...

Vangelis’ ‘Chariots Of Fire’ film score is an iconic work of pioneering electronica and emotive music-making.Film scores rarely work when listened to away from the visuals but this is what sets Vangelis’s work as a writer of soundtrack music apart from most of his peers. Such is the breadth of his vision as a writer that his music paints pictures that work in their own right. He achieved something even more impressive with his score for the 1981 movie Chariots of Fire starring Ben Cross, Ian Charleson, and Nigel Havers; he made the music work on an entirely different level....

I've been undressed by kings And I've seen some things that a woman ain't s'posed to see I've been to paradise but I've never been to me... Hey, you know what paradise is? It's a lie A fantasy we created about people and places As we like them to be But you know what truth is? It's that little baby you're holding And it's that man you fought with this morning The same one you are gonna make love to tonight That's truth that's love

Bruce Springsteen is getting some unfavorable comparisons to John Mellencamp following the latter's meltdown at a recent show. The musician walked off after getting into it with a heckler. Now, fans are saying Springsteen and Mellencamp are cut from the same cloth. Taking to social media, several critics blasted Mellencamp and also brought Springsteen into the conversation. Critics claim that both Mellencamp and Springsteen are out of touch with the fanbase that once propped them up. One person wrote, "I have seen JCM five times. Just like Springsteen, these guys used to be in touch with the common man. They...

Conan O’Brien had some lavish praise for late comic Norm Macdonald following the news of O.J. Simpson’s death — and why Macdonald was fired from “Saturday Night Live.” O’Brien, 60 — who was promoting his Max series, “Conan O’Brien Must Go” — appeared on CNN with Jake Tapper in the hours after news broke on April 11 that Simpson died at the age of 76 from cancer. When the conversation turned to Simpson, O’Brien wasted no time in remembering how Macdonald mercilessly ripped Simpson on “Saturday Night Live” in his “Weekend Update” segments after Simpson was arrested in the 1994...

They had been waiting for the longest time. During a televised Billy Joel concert on Sunday night, enraged fans slammed CBS for cutting it off in the middle of one of the hitmaker’s most popular songs. CBS was broadcasting the 100th concert of Joel’s residency at Madison Square Garden. It was slightly delayed due to the network’s coverage of the Masters golf tournament, which caused the snafu later.

Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce finds himself at the center of a social media storm after purportedly liking an Instagram post featuring former President Donald Trump. The post, uploaded by former ESPN host Sage Steele, shows Trump during his visit to UFC 299 at the Kaseya Center in Miami, Florida, last month. He was seen engaging with the crowd and various personalities. Trump, accompanied by his daughter Ivanka, was met with a mix of cheers and chants from the audience. Trump’s presence at the sporting event was punctuated by a viral moment when a “F*** Joe Biden!” chant...

Sunday night (April 14) was slated to be a triumphant first for Billy Joel. After half a century in the music business, the Piano Man was headed to prime time for his first-ever broadcast network concert special, The 100th: Billy Joel at Madison Square Garden – The Greatest Arena Run of All Time. Announced during this year’s Super Bowl and taped on March 28 during Joel’s 100th consecutive performance at the legendary New York city venue, the show was slated to run from 9-11 p.m. on CBS. Unfortunately, the network’s live coverage of the Masters golf tournament pushed back the...