Music

Ava Max is enraged that violence broke out following her performance during Monday’s Fourth of July fireworks show in Philadelphia. Two police officers were shot, and as of print time, a suspect has not been identified.

Ava took to Instagram to express her outrage, captioning her post, “This needs to stop.  End gun violence now.”

She elaborated further in a black-and-white infographic, where she said in a statement, “I am devastated at the shooting that happened after our show in Philly last night. I don’t know what this country has come to.”

“Everywhere we go we are terrified. We are traumatized,” she continued. “This needs to end. I pray everyone stays safe in the upcoming shows & events.”

The “Kings & Queens” singer and Jason Derulo performed at a July 4th concert in Philadelphia on Monday, and a fireworks spectacular followed their set. Gunfire erupted in Center City as the display was coming to an end, causing panicked spectators to scramble for safety.

The two officers who sustained gunshot wounds were treated at a nearby hospital and have since been released. A suspect in the Philadelphia shooting has not yet been named or arrested. A motive for the shooting has not been identified.

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Måneskin‘s “Supermodel” video is about to get even more super.

The Italian rockers are teasing a “special cut” of the clip, premiering this Thursday, July 7 via the band’s TikTok.

“Make it viral!” declares frontman Damiano David.

The original “Supermodel” video premiered in May and references a number of ’90s films, including Pulp Fiction and Run Lola Run.

Meanwhile, Måneskin is gearing up to launch the band’s first-ever North American headlining tour, which begins in October.

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Critics were not feeling Katy Perry‘s Independence Day post. 

On Monday, July 4, the pop star published a tweet sharing her point of view in the wake of the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, which led to many states outlawing abortions almost immediately.  

“‘Baby you’re a firework’ is a 10 but women in the US have fewer rights than an actual sparkler smh,” Katy wrote, referencing her 2010 song.

While the tweet conveys an abortion rights stance, Katy is facing criticism because she previously publicly supported billionaire Rick Caruso‘s run for Mayor of Los Angeles. The issue? Caruso is viewed as someone who holds an anti-abortion stance, despite his current campaign which touts that he is in favor of abortion rights.

In the past, Caruso reportedly donated nearly a million dollars to lawmakers who say they oppose abortion, including former presidential candidate John Kasich and Republican leaders Mitch McConnell and Kevin McCarthy.  In May, he was called out by Planned Parenthood for supporting “some of the strongest enemies [of] reproductive rights in the country.”

The responses under Katy’s July 4th tweet were flooded with people calling her out for supporting Caruso.

“You supported an anti-abortion mayoral candidate in the last 30 days,” one social media user responded, reposting the “Firework” singer’s June 4 tweet showing support of Caruso.

Another tweeted, “Girl you endorsed Rick Caruso maybe sit this one out.”

“Hey remember literally a month ago when you tweeted out support for a dude that has donated millions of dollars to forced birth politicians?” yet another commented.

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Those enjoying a night out at a dive bar in Manchester, England got the surprise of their life — an impromptu Olivia Rodrigo concert.

It should be noted that the legal drinking age in the U.K. is 18, so the 19-year-old singer had no problem getting into the Bunny Jackson pub. A fan snagged footage of the unexpected moment, which begins with Olivia taking the stage and declaring, “You guys, I am dead sober” and that a member of her team “is making me do this.”

The Grammy winner then launches into a cover of Natalie Imbruglia‘s 1997 hit “Torn,” to which the crowd sings along. She serenades patrons, leaning over the protective barrier several times to sing with her fans.

The drummer of a different band that had been performing at the dive bar shared alternative footage on Twitter and jokingly wrote, “Why yes Olivia Rodrigo, of course you can turn up at Bunny Jacksons on a bloody Sunday evening and play a song for a laugh before our 3rd set.”

When Olivia’s fans asked for clarification, he added, “mate, it was wild. They just showed up after playing the arena and her TM asked to jump on between our sets! They were all very lovely.”

While the band member claimed he didn’t jam with Olivia because “her band was there,” he noted he “just leant my stuff out” for them to use.

Olivia is wrapping up her sold-out SOUR world tour this week, with the final two stops taking place July 6 and July 7 at the Eventim Apollo in London.

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WNBA star Brittney Griner sent a handwritten letter to President Joe Biden seeking assistance with her detainment in Russia and asking him not to forget about her. 

“As I sit here in a Russian prison, alone with my thoughts and without the protection of my wife, family, friends, Olympic jersey or any accomplishments, I’m terrified I might be here forever,” Griner said, according to the letter obtained by ABC News. 

“I realize you are dealing with so much,” she continued. “But please don’t forget about me and the other American detainees. Please do all you can to bring us home.”

On Feb. 17, the 31-year-old star was detained at a Russian airport after being accused of having vape cartridges containing hashish oil, which is illegal in the country. 

“It hurts thinking about how I usually celebrate [the Fourth of July] because freedom means something completely different to me this year,” she wrote.

Griner appeared in person in a courtroom in Khimki, a suburb of Moscow, on the first day of her trial last Friday. Her detention was extended to Dec. 20. 

Speaking to Good Morning America‘s Robin Roberts in May, Griner’s wife, Cherelle Griner, called for the Biden administration to act. “I just keep hearing that he has the power. She’s a political pawn,” she said. “So, if they’re holding her because they want you to do something, then I want you to do it.”

“I still have so much good to do with my freedom that you can help restore,” Griner said in the letter. “I miss my wife! I miss my family! I miss my teammates! It kills me to know they are suffering so much right now. I am grateful for whatever you can do at this moment to get me home.”

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Blur drummer Dave Rowntree has released his debut solo single, “London Bridge.”

“When I lived in London things just started happening when I was near London Bridge, going over London Bridge on the bus, or on the tube going underneath London Bridge,” Rowntree explains. “I would just notice events occurring, or have life changing thoughts, make decisions and it was slightly unsettling. I had to confront my London Bridge demons.”

You can listen to “London Bridge” now via digital outlets and watch its accompanying video streaming now on YouTube.

“London Bridge” is the first preview of an upcoming solo “body of work” from Rowntree, the details of which will be announced at a later date.

While “London Bridge” marks Rowntree’s first official solo outing, he’s pursued many interests outside of Blur, including U.K. politics. In 2017, he was elected to Norfolk County Council as a member of the Labour Party, a position he held until 2021.

Meanwhile, Rowntree’s Blur bandmate Damon Albarn just released a new solo album last November and has also been busy with his band Gorillaz. Blur’s most recent album is 2015’s The Magic Whip.

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Metallica has issued a statement commenting on the use of “Master of Puppets” in the new-premiered second volume of Stranger Things season four.

The ’80s thrash classic provides the soundtrack for a significant scene involving the Dungeons and Dragons-loving character Eddie Munson, played by Joseph Quinn. The character had already earned cred with the metal community thanks to the Dio patch he wears on the back of his denim jacket.

In an Instagram post Tuesday, Metallica writes, “The way [Stranger Things creators] The Duffer Brothers have incorporated music into Stranger Things has always been next level, so we were beyond psyched for them to not only include ‘Master of Puppets’ in the show, but to have such a pivotal scene built around it.”

“We were all stoked to see the final result and when we did we were totally blown away,” the metal legends add. “It’s so extremely well done, so much so, that some folks were able to guess the song just by seeing a few seconds of Joseph Quinn’s hands in the trailer!! How crazy cool is that?”

The post concludes, “It’s an incredible honor to be such a big part of Eddie’s journey and to once again be keeping company with all of the other amazing artists featured in the show.”

Metallica’s comments echo the sentiments of Kate Bush, who issued several public statements amid the resurgence of her song “Running Up That Hill,” which was used in the first volume of season four. The renewed interest in the track was so massive that the normally press-shy Bush even gave a rare interview.

Both “Master of Puppets” and “Running Up That Hill” are featured on the Stranger Things 4 soundtrack, which is out now via digital outlets.

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Luke Combs is making an impression on the charts with his new album, Growin’ Up. 

The singer’s third studio album has debuted at #2 on the Billboard 200 following its June 24 release, marking the highest debut for a country album so far this year. It also serves as the highest debut of the week. The 12-track project sold 74,000 equivalent album units in its first week. 

Growin’ Up is the North Carolina native’s fourth consecutive album to reach the top five on the all-genre chart. His wildly successful sophomore album, What You See Is What You Get, debuted at #1 on the Billboard 200 in 2019, while both his debut album, This One’s For You, and EP The Prequel both hit #4 in 2018 and 2019, respectively. 

On the country charts, the current single off Growin’ Up, “The Kind of Love We Make,” is climbing up the top 20. Luke recently acquired his 14th #1 hit with the previously released “Doin’ This,” which served as the lead single off his new album.   

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Prior to releasing his 2013 album, The 20/20 Experience, Justin Timberlake made a documentary to accompany its release — but it never saw the light of day. Now, the film’s director is suing Justin.

Deadline reports the suit was brought on by music video mogul John Urbano, who claims he and Justin locked in a profit-sharing plan before cameras began rolling. He alleges the Grammy winner initiated the agreement and paid him $20,000 to begin.

The director said the video was finished, and upon showing the final product to the “Mirrors” singer, Justin was moved to “tears.” After dropping his third studio album, however, Justin’s interest in releasing the documentary “faded” following the album’s resounding success.

Urbano notes that he lost out on making $2.5 million because the documentary was shelved.

“Instead of fulfilling his obligations to the joint venture, Mr. Timberlake has failed to take any steps to promote, market, and sell the Making of The 20/20 Experience,” the lawsuit states. “Mr. Timberlake has increasingly distanced himself from the project and his partner — often using a network of agents, managers, and handlers to interface with Mr. Urbano.” 

Aside from monetary damages, Urbano demands Justin fork over the rights to the Making of the 20/20 Experience movie.  

Justin nor his agency have responded to Deadline’s request for comment at this time, nor have they issued a statement on the lawsuit.

The 20/20 Experience was released in 2013 as a follow-up to his 2010 work, 12″ Masters – The Essential Mixes.  

His third studio album earned him several nods at the 2014 Grammy Awards — winning Best Music Video for “Suit & Tie” and Best R&B Song for “Pusher Love Girl.”

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