Music

Twenty One Pilots frontman Tyler Joseph has replied to a teenage fan who’d experienced racism within the band’s community.

In a Twitter thread posted last December, a user with the name Chey shared multiple instances of other Twenty One Pilots fans harassing them with anti-Black racial slurs.

“[I’ve] kept my mouth shut on a lot of things because I don’t like bringing negativity to the timeline but as more and more minorities in the fanbase join, this is really becoming out of hand,” Chey wrote. “A lot of y’all’s hatred towards people in particular is racially charged.”

Thursday night, Joseph replied directly to Chey in his own thread, beginning, “I am so sorry about the racism you have experienced recently.”

“I can’t even imagine what that must feel like,” Joseph wrote. “What’s worse is that it will likely happen again at some point. There are terrible people on this earth. Hurtful people. They will hide behind anonymity, they will make you feel small and less than, because the truth is, they are small and less than you.”

“But know this, we care for you, we stand with you,” he continued. “We think you are invaluable to this fan base…I want you to know that the collective whole of this fan base, [drummer] Josh [Dun], and I are with you.”

“Racism is evil and I want this clique to be the most inclusive clique that ever was,” Joseph concluded. “Stay strong.”

Chey later replied, “I’m so thankful thank you for everything and thank you for being here @tylerrjoseph.”

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If you want to listen to Kanye West‘s Donda 2 album, you’re gonna have to use his own technology to do it.

On Thursday, the 44-year-old rapper announced that the sequel to his record-breaking album Donda, which is scheduled to be released on Tuesday, February 22, won’t be available to stream via the usual channels.

“Donda 2 will only be available on my own platform, the Stem Player. Not on Apple Amazon Spotify or YouTube,” Ye shared in an Instagram post.  To listen, you’ll need a Stem Player, which is being sold for $200. 

He added, “Today artists get just 12% of the money the industry makes. It’s time to free music from this oppressive system. It’s time to take control and build our own. Go to stemplayer.com now to order.”

The post included a one-minute video and features one of Ye’s stem players lighting up in sync as a song plays.

In a later post, Ye explained, “You can download new music from stemplayer.com. You can play 4 different elements of the track: vocals, drums, bass and music. It also has a MP3 player available.”

“We currently have 67,000 available and are making 3,000 a day,” he added.

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Megan Thee Stallion is making some real hot girl moves. 

The 27-year-old rapper is set to make her film debut in the movie musical F******* Identical Twins, according to multiple reports, including from Variety, Deadline, and The Hollywood Reporter. 

Taking to social media, Megan shared a screenshot of the exciting news and wrote, “HOTTIES THIS IS OUR FIRST MOVIEEEE/ MUSICAL! WITH SOME MOVIE LEGENDS.”

“I’m so excited i feel so blessed i feel anxious lol i feel a bunch of s***,” the Grammy winner continued. “I really have been quietly putting in this work and i just cant wait for the hotties to see everything.”

While it’s unclear what Megan’s role will be, she is set to join Saturday Night Live‘s Bowen Yang, two-time Emmy-winner and Will & Grace alum Megan Mullally and Tony-winner Nathan Lane in the R-rated musical comedy, which will be directed by Seinfeld and Borat veteran Larry Charles. 

F******* Identical Twins, as described by THR, “follows two business adversaries who realize they’re identical twin brothers and decide to switch places in order to reunite their divorced parents and become a family again.” 

Production is currently underway. 

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Ringo Starr stopped by ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel Live! on Thursday to talk about his latest photo book, Lifted: Fab Images and Memories of My Life with The Beatles from Across the Universe, which features many rare, unseen and newly discovered photos of the band members, as well as recollections and anecdotes written by Ringo.

One memory he shared with Kimmel was that the band slept two to a room while on the road, a tradition that began as soon as he joined the band.

“As soon as we started going around, you know, Europe first, and even Scotland if we had to stay over, but usually if it was in Britain, that night we’d drive home. Even if it was 200, 300 miles, we’d drive home,” he recalls. “When we started going out, we only ever had two suites. We shared all the time.”

When Kimmel asked if there were situations where the hotel rooms didn’t have two beds and they were forced forced to sleep in the same bed, Ringo joked, “Well, I don’t want to talk about that.”

The idea to play their final concert on the roof of Abbey Road Studios also came up, which, like many of the band’s best laid plans, seemed to fizzle in the end.

“[It was always that way] with The Beatles, we’re going to India, we’re going to Everest, we’re going here! Aw, sod it, let’s just go on the roof,” he explained. “Abbey Road was another one. Let’s go to the Alps, let’s go to India…ah, just walk across the road.”

Lifted can be purchased now exclusively at JuliensAuctions.com. Proceeds benefit Ringo’s Lotus Foundation, which funds and supports charitable projects that focus on various social welfare causes.

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It was a decade ago that fun. first set the world on fire with Some Nights.

The second and, so far, final album from the trio — made up of Nate Ruess, Jack Antonoff and Andrew Dost — was released February 21, 2012, 10 years ago this Monday. The now triple-platinum record spawned hit singles in “We Are Young,” “Some Nights” and “Carry On.”

Of the three, “We Are Young,” featuring guest vocals by Janelle Monáe, was the biggest, hitting number one on the Billboard Hot 100 and eventually earning Diamond certification by the RIAA. 

“We Are Young” was fun.’s first-ever song to even chart on the Hot 100, making them the first multi-member rock band to hit number one with their debut appearance on the ranking since Nickelback did it in 2001 with “How You Remind Me.”

The success of Some Nights led to fun.’s first and only performance on Saturday Night Live in 2012. At the 2013 Grammys, Some Nights was nominated for Album of the Year, and “We Are Young” won Song of the Year. while fun. also won Best New Artist.

After two years of nearly nonstop touring in 2012 and 2013, fun. played only a handful of shows in 2014. At the beginning of 2015, the trio put out a statement saying that, while they were not breaking up, they were taking time to pursue other projects. fun. hasn’t released any new music since then.

Ruess would hit number one again in 2013 with his Pink duet “Just Give Me a Reason,” and released his debut solo album, Grand Romantic, in 2015. Antonoff, who’d started his band Bleachers in 2014, has since gone on to become one of music’s most in-demand producers, working with artists including Taylor Swift, Lorde, St. Vincent and Lana Del Rey.

(“Some Nights” video contains uncensored profanity.)  

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“Life Goes On” singer Oliver Tree releases his new album Cowboy Tears today, and kicks off a headlining tour tomorrow.  He says the album represents a new sound for him — country music — which he says is a result of where he was when he wrote it.

“It was all something that happened very organically, I lived at my grandparents’ ranch for six months. They have a cattle [and] horse ranch,” he tells ABC Audio. “And so I was just there during COVID and my grandfather has this acoustic guitar there…he’s no longer with us, he passed, but I was using his acoustic guitar and I just wrote these songs.”

As for the title Cowboy Tears, Oliver explains, “My grandfather was a cowboy. His grandfather was a cowboy, I come from the lineage of it…and I’m a very emotional person. I always cry.”

The artist says creating the album was  “two-year process,” which saw him penning 112 songs, of which 13 made the final cut.  “I really am excited about this album because it covers so much range and every song is so poignant thematically,” he notes. “They’re big concepts.”

As for the tour, Oliver promises his shows will feature, “WWF wrestling…some scooter tricks…comedy…drama, performance art” and “incredible dance moves, choreographed by yours truly.”

You can also expect multiple genres — “everything from hip hop to a rock show to, now, country…[and] dance music…something for everyone,” Oliver boasts.

We’re not sure how serious he is about any of that, though, considering he also tells ABC Audio of the tour, “Of course, I grew up belly dancing, so you’re going to get to see some on my belly dance moves as well.”

Oliver’s tour, billed as his last one ever, wraps up March 26 in Austin, TX.

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Here’s your chance to party in wine country with Metallica.

The metal legends have announced a charity raffle with the grand prize of two VIP three-day passes to the ‘Tallica-headlined BottleRock Napa Valley festival, taking place May 27-29 in Napa, California.

The campaign will raise money for Metallica’s All Within My Hands charity foundation. The more you donate, the more entries you’ll receive.

For more info, visit Metallica.com.

In related news, Metallica’s hometown baseball team, the San Francisco Giants, have announced the details of its 2022 Metallica Night. The annual celebration, which has missed the past two years due to the COVID-19 pandemic, makes its return to Oracle Park on May 24.

Previous Metallica Nights have featured the band performing the national anthem and throwing out the game’s ceremonial first pitch.

You can grab tickets now via MLB.com.

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Brandy, who starred with the late Whitney Houston in the 1997 ABC TV version of Cinderella, felt like a princess again in Tuesday’s season finale of ABC’s Queens.

Her character, Naomi, married her longtime love Eric Jones while wearing a gorgeous white gown that was reminiscent of her costume in the film. “It was beautiful to then end up walking down the aisle and marrying the man she never stopped loving,” the Grammy winner told Deadline. “And, on top of that, her daughter gave her away. It really was a fairy tale, but most importantly, it was also very real.”

Brandy added, “It did make me feel like Cinderella again! It felt like the Cinderella that got married in the end. That’s how it felt.”

Another special moment in the finale was the return of Brianna, portrayed by Eve, who temporarily left the series to give birth to son Wilde, born February 1.

“Actually, it was a surprise for us. We didn’t even know anything they were planning, they kept it under wraps so our reactions could be real,” Brandy says. “It was unbelievable. I’m a little teary-eyed just thinking about that moment.”

Though Queens has yet to be renewed, Brandy hopes there will be a second season.

“I hope that we get another chance to do what we all love to do. I know I would love to see more performances, more rapping, and more stage stuff if there is a season two,” Brandy comments. “We didn’t really get a chance to do a lot of the stage performances that I wanted to do this year. I hope we get to tell more great stories and have a lot more entertainment in terms of the group. Fingers crossed.”

 

 

 

 

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