There’s at least one person not happy with Beyoncé’s new album, Renaissance: Kelis.
The singer claims Bey stole a sample of her 1999 song “Get Along with You” for the track “Energy.”
“I heard about this the same way everyone else did,” Kelis wrote on Instagram Thursday. “Nothing is ever as it seems, some of the people in this business have no soul or integrity and they have everyone fooled.”
She subsequently posted two videos about the issue, explaining, “It has to do with the fact that, from one artist to another, you should have the decency and common sense and the courtesy to call.”
Kelis not only called out Beyoncé but also Pharrell Williams and Chad Hugo, who produced “Get Along with You.”
“Pharrell knows better. This is a direct hit at me,” she claims, adding, “He does this stuff all the time. It’s very petty.”
Dove Cameron has played up being the fun, wholesome girl next door, but now she’s embracing her inner villain, and she says it took her a long time to feel comfortable with who she is and what she wants to do.
Speaking to InStyle, the singer opened up about dealing with “a lot of trauma” when she was younger, from entering the industry when she was a kid to losing her father to suicide at a young age. Further compounding that was the sudden death of her Descendents co-star Cameron Boyce in 2019.
Dove said she leaned into her career to cope, revealing, “I actually used the entertainment industry as a place of control and validation and structure… I grew up in chaos; when someone else ran the show, I felt safer. And that’s what I needed at the time — to feel safe.”
Things are different now and the singer is excited for what’s to come. “I’ve been taking huge risks with writing and music and [film],” she continued. “I’ve been doing my own music video treatments, taking more charge of my career, and experimenting a lot with self-styling in terms of fashion.”
Dove also credits coming out as queer in 2020 for helping her take control of her life, adding, “It led to finding more pieces of myself.”
The Vengeance star enjoys embracing her dark side and hinted it is “sort of a superpower” of hers. In “Boyfriend,” she flirts with stealing another man’s girlfriend, while in “Breakfast,” she hints no boys are safe around her.
“I always knew I was strange growing up,” she disclosed, “I would pretend to be Lydia in Beetlejuice when I was 8! I knew I was weird. Now,I know it’s to my advantage.”
Dirty Heads has announced a new album called Midnight Control.
The eighth studio effort from the reggae rock outfit will arrive August 26. It includes the previously released single “Life’s Been Good,” a reworking of the 1978 Joe Walsh song of the same name.
A second cut, titled “Heavy Water,” is available now via digital outlets and its accompanying video can be streamed now on YouTube. It features Grammy-nominated reggae group Common Kings.
“‘Heavy Water’ is a song about empowerment,” says vocalist Jared Watson.
“Being in the water constantly from a young age, we know the power of the ocean — there is nothing more powerful or uncontrollable,” he explains. “‘Heavy water’ is a metaphor for life because when life throws something at you that’s unforeseen and uncontrollable, you will be ready for it and not let it overtake you.”
Here’s the Midnight Control track list:
“Island Glow”
“Heavy Water”
“Life’s Been Good”
“Make Me”
“Midnight Control”
“Little Things”
“Indigo”
“El Dorado”
“Shade”
“Live Your Life”
After teasing the news in a recent video update, Ringo Starr has now announced full details about his upcoming EP, EP3.
The four-track collection, which can be pre-ordered now, will be released digitally and on CD September 16, while a limited-edition blue cassette and 10-inch vinyl-disc version are due out on November 18.
EP3 is the third EP the former Beatles drummer released after the start of the COVID-19 pandemic — following Zoom In and Change the World, which both arrived in 2021.
Starr recorded all three EPs at his Roccabella West studio.
EP3 begins with the upbeat rock tune “World Go Round,” which is available now as an advance digital single. It was co-written by founding Toto guitarist, longtime All Starr Band member Steve Lukather, and Toto lead singer Joseph Williams, who bothco-wrote the Change the World‘s title track.
The second track, “Everyone and Everything,” was written by hit-making producer and songwriter Linda Perry, who also contributes guitar, percussion and backing vocals to the tune.
The third song, “Let’s Be Friends,” is a catchy dance tune co-written by Starr’s longtime studio engineer Bruce Sugar and acclaimed songwriter Sam Hollander.
The EP’s final track, “Free Your Soul,” is a laid-back, reggae-flavored tune that Starr co-wrote with Sugar. The tune includes guest appearances by Dave Koz on tenor sax and José Antonio Rodriguez on nylon guitar.
“I am in my studio writing and recording every chance I get,” Ringo notes. “It’s what I have always done and will continue to do, and releasing EPs more frequently allows me to continue to be creative and give each song a little more love.”
After giving the Upside Down the most metal concert its ever seen, Eddie Munson made his debut at Lollapalooza on Thursday.
During Metallica‘s headlining set on the opening day of the Chicago festival, the metal legends broadcasted the Stranger Things character’s famous shredding scene on the stage screens while performing — what else? — “Master of Puppets.”
Footage of the production was posted to Twitter by @Consequence.
Following its placement in the season four finale of Stranger Things earlier this month, “Master of Puppets” has seen a resurgence, making its first-ever appearance on the Billboard Hot 100. To celebrate the song’s newfound popularity, Metallica released a new lyric video for “Master of Puppets” this week.
In Apple TV+’s new thriller series Surface, Loki veteran Gugu Mbatha-Raw plays Sophie, a woman who is getting re-acquainted with her seemingly perfect life after losing her memory in a near-fatal accident.
However, as she recovers, she begins to learn that her life wasn’t what she thought it was — nor is it what her loved ones tell her it was.
Oliver Jackson-Cohen plays James, her seemingly devoted husband. Like many of the other characters in the show, James is hiding more than a few secrets. “It’s just a kind of really fascinating journey,” he tells ABC Audio.
“I think all the characters go on in this show where…nothing is sort of how it seems,” he continues. “And so I think to play that, to be able to play holding on to secrets and sitting on things and hiding things — and they can be read so many different ways — that the tension that creates is incredible fun.”
Stephan James plays Baden, a guy who comes into Sophie’s life seemingly out of nowhere but who shows her they’ve actually been acquainted. Intimately. He holds the keys to her former life.
“You know, he’s kind of dark, he’s kind of mysterious, a little aloof, and you can’t quite put your finger on him,” James says of his character.
“I mean, he gives you the impression that his intentions are pure coming into it. But I think over the course of the season, you know, your mind may change a couple of times about that,” he says with a smile. “For me as an actor, that’s kind of what drew me to it is not knowing who this guy was.”
If you love playing Magic: The Gathering and could use an extra $100,000, Post Malone has an opportunity for you.
Business Wire reports the “Circles” rapper has teamed with the shopping platform Whatnot to give one lucky Magic player the opportunity to beat him in a one-on-one match. If that player is victorious, they’ll win $100,000!
In order to get selected, you have to tune in to a Whatnot livestream August 4 at 9 p.m. ET. on postmalone.whatnot.com. A winner will be randomly selected.
Anyone — no matter their experience with tabletop strategy games — can join this contest. So, if the “Sunflower” singer selects a contestant who has never played Magic: The Gathering, they will be trained by expert Reid Duke so they have a fighting chance when they take on Post August 11 in a live, one-on-one match.
Said the Spenser Confidential star, “I absolutely love Magic: The Gathering and I can’t wait to link up with Whatnot and battle it out with the winner.”
Josh and Jimmy of The Command Zone podcast will be live on hand to deliver a play-by-play analysis of the match, which will be streamed live on the Whatnot app. There will also special giveaways, special guests and other interactions going on ahead of the one-on-one showdown with Post.
The Grammy nominee is an outspoken Magic: The Gathering fanand previously partnered with its parent company, Wizards of the Coast, to reboot the trading card game’s play program.
Magic: The Gathering was released in 1993 and has ballooned into a global fan base of 50 million players.
Dierks Bentley is back with another new single, “Gold,” all about finding the joy in the journey of life despite the ups and downs it brings.
“I got some rust on my Chevy but it’s ready to roll / I got a rhinestone sky and a song in my soul,” the singer belts out in the chorus on his song. “It ain’t a smooth ride, life, it’s a winding road / Yeah, it might be gravel but it feels like gold.”
“Gold” follows Dierks’ latest number-one hit, “Beers on Me,” as well as his recent collaboration with Elle King, called “Worth a Shot.”
Amid the new music he’s got planned for this year, Dierks is also keeping busy on the road: He’s in the middle of his Beers on Me Tour, which launched in 2021 and is scheduled to keep going well into September. Currently, he’s out with opening acts Travis Denning and Ashley McBryde. The singer’s Seven Peaks Festival is also set to make its return this Labor Day weekend, after a two-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
But first up, Dierks and Elle will co-headline ABC’s CMA Fest special, which airs on August 3.
A “deeply remorseful” Will Smith posted an emotional, nearly six-minute long video on Friday in which he addressed his physical and verbal attack on Chris Rock at this past March’s Oscars.
“It’s been a minute,” reads a title card that begins the video, as Smith is heard settling into a chair in front of a microphone. “Over the last few months I have been doing a lot of thinking and personal work,” the message continues, adding, “You asked a lot of fair questions that I wanted to take some time to answer,” before Will’s recorded message begins.
“Why didn’t you apologize to Chris in your acceptance speech?” Will first asks, quoting fans. He answered, “I was fogged out by that point. It’s all fuzzy.”
Will adds, “I have reached out to Chris, and the message that came back is he’s not ready to talk, and when he is, he’ll reach out. So I will say to you, Chris, I apologize to you. My behavior was unacceptable, and I’m here when you’re ready to talk.”
Will also apologizes to Chris Rock’s mother — who as previously reported gave an interview about the incident — and to Tony Rock, Chris’ writer brother.
“I spent the last three months replaying and understanding the nuances and the complexities of what happened in in that moment,” Smith continues. “And I’m not going to try to unpack all of that right now, but I can say to all of you, there is no part of me that thinks that was the right way to behave in that moment. There’s no part of me that thinks that’s the optimal way to handle a feeling of disrespect or insults.”
As for fans who asked if Smith’s wife, Jada, put him up to the stunt after “she rolled her eyes” at Chris Rock’s G.I. Jane jab at her, Smith denies it.
“I made a choice on my own, from my own experiences, from my history with Chris,” Will insists. “Jada had nothing to do with it. I’m sorry, babe. And say sorry to my kids and my family for the heat that I brought on all of us.”
Smith also acknowledges his remorse for “tarnishing” the moment for fellow Oscar nominees and winners, as well as letting his fans down.
“It hurts me psychologically and emotionally that I didn’t live up to people’s image and impression of me,” he declares. “The work I’m trying to do is I am deeply remorseful, and I’m trying to be remorseful without being ashamed for myself. I’m human and I made a mistake.”
The actor — who won his first Oscar at the ceremony not long after the slap — concludes by saying, “I know it was confusing. I know it was shocking. But I promise you, I am deeply devoted and committed to putting light and love and joy into the world. And, you know, if you hang on a promise, we’ll be able to be friends again.”
(NEW YORK) — Russian President Vladimir Putin’s “special military operation” into neighboring Ukraine began on Feb. 24, with Russian forces invading from Belarus, to the north, and Russia, to the east. Ukrainian troops have offered “stiff resistance,” according to U.S. officials.
The Russian military has since launched a full-scale ground offensive in eastern Ukraine’s disputed Donbas region, capturing the strategic port city of Mariupol and securing a coastal corridor to the Moscow-annexed Crimean Peninsula.
Here’s how the news is developing. All times Eastern:
Jul 29, 8:28 AM EDT
US ambassador to Ukraine speaks to ABC News as grain ships prepare to leave
U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine Bridget Brink told ABC News on Friday morning that she is “optimistic” ships carrying grain will begin leaving Ukraine this weekend, but that it’s up to Russia to keep its side of the deal.
During an interview in the Ukrainian port city of Odesa, Brink told ABC News there is currently “no obstacle” to the ships’ departure.
“Ukraine is ready to ship this grain, but it’s also up to Russia to agree on the grain corridor and the ships will be ready to go,” Brink said. “It can be done, it should be done and, in fact, it must be done.”
She declined to say whether the United States would impose consequences on Russia if it disrupted the United Nations-brokered deal or attacked the ships. But she underlined her country’s support for Ukraine and the deal, saying it was important that Ukrainian grain starts reaching countries that need it.
“Twenty-four hours after the deal was agreed a week ago today, Russia bombed this very port where we’re standing,” Brink noted. “So I think it’s imperative on Russia to live up to its commitments and to implement the agreement it signed onto, and imperative on all of us to ensure that Russia lives up to those commitments.”
When asked if there was a “Plan B” if the deal failed, Brink said the focus was on doing everything to ensure “Plan A” works.
Earlier Friday, Brink and ambassadors of other G-7 countries held a press conference in Odesa while overseeing the preparations. She told reporters that she hopes an agreement confirming the safe corridors of the grain ships to sail through this weekend would be reached. Under the deal, Ukraine and Russia have been negotiating the precise routes the vessels will take across the Black Sea.
Since Russian forces invaded neighboring Ukraine on Feb. 24, the cost of grain has skyrocketed worldwide. Russia and Ukraine — often referred to collectively as Europe’s breadbasket — produce a third of the global supply of wheat and barley, but Kyiv has been unable to ship exports due to Moscow’s offensive. Last month, the Ukrainian Grain Association warned that Ukraine’s wheat harvest is expected to plummet by 40%.
In recent weeks, there has been an all-out push from the U.S. and the U.N. to facilitate exports from war-torn Ukraine, desperate to offset what they foretell is a looming global food crisis with the potential to devastate the developing world. A Russian blockade in the Black Sea, along with Ukrainian naval mines, have made exporting siloed grain and other foodstuffs virtually impossible and, as a result, millions of people around the world — particularly in Africa and the Middle East — are now on the brink of famine.
Jul 29, 7:11 AM EDT
Ukraine says 1st grain ships should leave this weekend
Ukraine announced Friday that it hopes the first ships carrying grain will finally be leaving two ports this weekend under a United Nations-brokered deal to end Russia’s blockade.
The departure of the first ships will be a major test of whether the deal with Moscow will hold and Ukrainian food can begin to ease the global hunger crisis worsened by the blockade amid Russia’s war.
Ukrainian Minister of Infrastructure Oleksander Kubrakov, who is overseeing the operation, told reporters in Odesa on Friday morning that the port as well as the nearby Chernomorsk port are prepared to begin, with 17 ships already loaded with grain.
A final agreement mediated by the U.N. and Turkey needs to be signed off on the routes the vessels will take out of the heavily mined ports. Kubrakov said Ukraine had provided a number of options and that, from its side, the country is ready. Ukraine is waiting for the U.N. to confirm the routes are accepted by both sides.
Kubrakov said the first ships should leave by the end of the weekend.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was also in Odesa on Friday morning to see the preparations and meet with Kubrakov as well as other officials, including U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine Bridget Brink.
-ABC News’ Patrick Reevell
Jul 27, 2:51 PM EDT
Blinken and Lavrov to discuss US proposal to free Griner and Whelan
Secretary of State Antony Blinken said he plans to speak with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in the coming days, marking the first time the two leaders will speak since the war began.
Blinken said a critical topic of discussion would be securing the freedom of detained Americans Paul Whelan and Brittney Griner, revealing that the U.S. has already put forward a plan to accomplish that.
“We put a substantial proposal on the table weeks ago to facilitate their release. Our governments have communicated repeatedly and directly on that proposal, and I’ll use the conversation to follow up personally and I hope move us toward a resolution,” Blinken said.
“I can’t and won’t get into any of the details of what we’ve proposed to the Russians over the course of some many weeks now,” Blinken said.
Blinken said President Joe Biden played an active role in crafting the proposal for Griner and Whelan.
Blinken also stressed, “My call with Foreign Minister Lavrov will not be a negotiation about Ukraine,” adding, “Any negotiation regarding Ukraine is for its government and people to determine.”
-ABC News’ Shannon Crawford
Jul 27, 9:32 AM EDT
Ukraine uses US rocket system to strike key bridge in Russia-held Kherson
Ukrainian forces struck a strategic bridge in the Russian-occupied city of Kherson early Wednesday, according to local officials.
High-precision missile strikes by the Ukrainian military damaged the Antonivskiy bridge, forcing the occupied authorities to close the structure to civilian traffic. The mile-long bridge across the Dnieper River is an essential artery used by Moscow to supply its troops occupying southern Ukraine.
“Strikes were delivered on the bridge, on its road. The bridge is currently closed to the civilian population,” Kirill Stremousov, the deputy head of the Moscow-appointed administration for the Kherson region, told local media on Wednesday.
The bridge’s pillars and spans were still intact as of Wednesday morning, according to Stremousov.
“It is simply that the number of holes on the road has increased. The strike on the bridge has affected only the civilian population,” he added.
According to Stremousov, Ukrainian forces hit the bridge with High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS) supplied by the United States. He said ferry crossings across the Dnieper River will be organized during the bridge’s restoration, and that traffic will resume in the near future.
“We have prepared a pontoon bridge. We have a ferry link,” he told local media.
Earlier on Wednesday, Ukrainian military officials said the number of Russian soldiers killed in the war has surpassed 40,000, just more than five months after Russia launched its invasion of neighboring Ukraine in late February.
-ABC News’ Edward Szekeres, Yulia Drozd, Max Uzol and Yuriy Zaliznyak
