Taylor Swift’s ‘evermore’ was the best-selling “Americana” album of 2021 in the UK

Taylor Swift’s ‘evermore’ was the best-selling “Americana” album of 2021 in the UK
Taylor Swift’s ‘evermore’ was the best-selling “Americana” album of 2021 in the UK
Beth Garrabrant

What would you call Taylor Swift’s album evermore? Pop? Folk? Indie?  Well, according to British music fans, it’s “Americana,” and it was the best-selling example of that genre in the U.K. last year.

The U.K.’s Official Charts Company has officially announced evermore as the biggest U.K. Americana Release of the Year in connection with the U.K. Americana Awards, which took place Thursday. 

Evermore was Taylor’s sixth British number-one album, and she’s since gone on to score two more: the (Taylor’s Version) editions of Fearless and Red.  Taylor’s the first and only female artist to have had eight U.K. number-one albums this century.

As for what “Americana” is, the Americana Music Association UK describes it as “the genre that incorporates elements of various roots music styles resulting in a distinctive sound that lives in a world apart from the pure forms of the genres upon which it may draw.”

Other best-selling “Americana” albums in the U.K. this year were releases by Bruce Springsteen, The Lumineers, rock legends Robert Plant, Bob Dylan and Neil Young, and Phoebe Bridgers and Chris Stapleton — the latter two of whom Taylor collaborated with on Red (Taylor’s Version).

In the U.S., evermore is not even nominated in the Grammy category of Best Americana Album. It is, however, up for Album of the Year.

 

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Halle Berry has found true love with Van Hunt, ‘Celebrity Big Brother’ cast members revealed, and more

Halle Berry has found true love with Van Hunt, ‘Celebrity Big Brother’ cast members revealed, and more
Halle Berry has found true love with Van Hunt, ‘Celebrity Big Brother’ cast members revealed, and more
Robin L Marshall/WireImage

Following three failed marriages, and then breaking up with Gabriel Aubry, father of her 13-year-old daughter NahlaHalle Berry was sour on relationships. However now she says, “I really believe I’ve found my person” with singer Van Hunt.

“I have this new amazing love in my life,” the Oscar winner tells AARP Magazine. “Because of COVID we spent four months talking on the phone. We were forced to let only our brains connect and discover if we had a connection before our bodies decided to get involved. I’d never done it this way. I fell in love with his mind, his conversation.”

“My son Maceo on his own did this little commitment ceremony for us in the back seat of the car. I think he finally sees me happy, and it’s infectious,” Berry adds. “It was his way of saying, ‘This is good. This makes me happy.'”

“It was a very real moment for all of us,” the Bruised star and director says about the family moment. “I teared up, Van was fighting back tears. Even Maceo knew he’d said something poignant. I have two children. Van has a son. As a mom living this modern, blended family, all I care about is that my kids are okay with my decisions.”

In other news, Cynthia Bailey, Todd Bridges, and Lamar Odom are among the cast members for the new season of Celebrity Big Brother which begins Wednesday, February 2 at 8 p.m. ET/PT on CBS.

Finally, Remy Ma and her husband, Papoose, will be among the stars appearing in the VH1 special, Love & Hip Hop: Lineage to Legacy, airing Monday, February 7 at 9 p.m. ET/PT. They will take DNA tests to reveal their African ethnic group and country of origin.

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Gun rights group sues to stop groundbreaking San Jose gun law

Gun rights group sues to stop groundbreaking San Jose gun law
Gun rights group sues to stop groundbreaking San Jose gun law
Dai Sugano/MediaNews Group/The Mercury News via Getty Images

(SAN JOSE, Calif.) — The National Association for Gun Rights filed a lawsuit against the city of San Jose, California, seeking to end a rule passed by city council which aims to reduce gun harm.

The rule, passed on Tuesday, requires gun owners to purchase liability insurance and pay an annual “gun harm reduction” fee. Gun owners will also be required to pay city cost recovery fees related to the program’s implementation.

“Liability insurance can reduce the number of gun incidents by encouraging safer behavior and it can also provide coverage for losses and damages related to gun incidents,” the bill states.

In the lawsuit, the National Association for Gun Rights claimed the new rule is unconstitutional.

“San Jose’s imposition of a tax, fee, or other arbitrary cost on gun ownership is intended to suppress gun ownership without furthering any government interest. In fact, the penalties for nonpayment of the insurance and fees include seizure of the citizen’s gun,” the lawsuit said. “The Ordinance is, therefore, patently unconstitutional”

The bill, which the group is attempting to strike down, will become law on July 25, six months after it was passed.

“If left intact, the City of San Jose’s Ordinance would strike at the very core of the fundamental constitutional right to keep and bear arms and defend one’s home,” the gun rights group said in the lawsuit.

“They want to tax law-abiding gun owners simply for exercising their Second Amendment rights,” the association said in a post on its website. “This is just as unthinkable as imposing a ‘free speech tax’ or a ‘church attendance tax.'”

“If this California city can tax citizen’s Second Amendment rights, gun grabbers in cities all across the country will quickly follow suit,” the association said on its website.

San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo said he plans to support efforts to replicate these initiatives across the nation.

“Tonight San José became the first city in the United States to enact an ordinance to require gun owners to purchase liability insurance, and to invest funds generated from fees paid by gun owners into evidence-based initiatives to reduce gun violence and gun harm,” Liccardo said in a statement on Tuesday.

The mayor’s office and the National Association for Gun Rights did not immediately respond to ABC News’ request for comment.

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Watch Papa Roach’s video for new “Stand Up” single

Watch Papa Roach’s video for new “Stand Up” single
Watch Papa Roach’s video for new “Stand Up” single
Gina Wetzler/Redferns

Papa Roach has premiered the video for the band’s new single, “Stand Up.”

The clip finds Jacoby Shaddix and company rocking out in a warehouse in front of a fisheye lens. You can watch it now streaming on YouTube.

The song “Stand Up” was released last week. Shaddix described the track as being “inspired by the social unrest of marginalized people throughout the world.”

“Stand Up” is expected to be featured on the next Papa Roach album, alongside previously released tunes “Swerve,” “Kill the Noise” and “Dying to Believe.” The record, the follow-up to 2019’s Who Do You Trust?, is expected to arrive later this year.

Papa Roach will hit the road this spring on a U.S. tour alongside Hollywood Undead and Bad Wolves. The trek kicks off March 1 in Anaheim, California.

(Video contains uncensored profanity.)

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Brothers Osborne’s John Osborne opens up about the bout with depression that “hospitalized” him in 2019

Brothers Osborne’s John Osborne opens up about the bout with depression that “hospitalized” him in 2019
Brothers Osborne’s John Osborne opens up about the bout with depression that “hospitalized” him in 2019
ABC

After Brothers Osborne’s TJ Osborne came out as gay in early 2021 — becoming the first country artist signed to a major label to do so — the support he received help propel the duo towards releasing their song, “Younger Me.”

A reflection on the challenges of becoming comfortable with yourself, the song touched on TJ’s experience with navigating his sexuality. But the song was just as important to his brother and band mate John, the pair tell ABC’s Nightline in a new interview.

John, who has publicly discussed his battles with depression and anxiety, shared that for him, the song speaks to a bout of mental health challenges in late 2019 that nearly cost him his life.

“What were the lows like for me? I mean, in full disclosure, the lows were suicide,” John explains. “I went through a very serious bout of it at the end of 2019 which actually hospitalized me.”

One of the things that helped him surmount that difficult time, he says, was sharing his experiences, both in his songs and with the Brothers Osborne’s fan base.

“One of the biggest things that I have done for myself over the past year and a half is talk about it,” he reflects.

While there might be different meanings behind “Younger Me,” the two brothers feel an equally deep, personal connection to the song.

“Every line and syllable of that song applies to my story just as much as TJ’s,” John says.

If you are struggling with thoughts of suicide, or worried about a friend or loved one, help is available. Call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255 [TALK] for free confidential emotional support 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Even if it feels like it, you are not alone.

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“Pro Choice” Marvel movie star Evangeline Lilly protesting vaccine mandates

“Pro Choice” Marvel movie star Evangeline Lilly protesting vaccine mandates
“Pro Choice” Marvel movie star Evangeline Lilly protesting vaccine mandates
VALERIE MACON/AFP via Getty Images

In a post on her Instagram, Evangeline Lilly, the Lost veteran who plays Hope van Dyne/The Wasp in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, blasted COVID-19 vaccine mandates. 

Along with a picture of someone carrying a sign that read “Vaxxed Democrat for medical freedom” at last weekend’s Washington, D.C. protest of mandating the jabs, Lilly posted that she was there, too. 

“I was in DC this weekend to support bodily sovereignty while Canadian truckers were rallying for their cross-country, peaceful convoy in support of the same thing,” the actress conveyed. 

Lilly, who is Canadian, continued, “I believe nobody should ever be forced to inject their body with anything, against their will, under threat of: -violent attack -arrest or detention without trial -loss of employment homelessness -starvation -loss of education -alienation from loved ones -excommunication from society…under any threat whatsoever.”

She continued, “This is not the way. This is not safe. This is not healthy. This is not love. I understand the world is in fear, but I don’t believe that answering fear with force will fix our problems.”

She concluded with, “I was pro choice before COVID and I am still pro choice today.”

Her post had more than 33,000 likes as of 5 p.m. Thursday evening.

In March of 2020, Lilly made headlines for refusing to socially distance, initially writing, “some people value their lives over freedom, some people value freedom over their lives. We all make choices.”

She later issued an apology that read in part, “My direct and special apologies to those most affected by this pandemic. I never meant to hurt you. When I wrote that post…I thought I was infusing calm into the hysteria. I can see now that I was projecting my own fears into an already fearful and traumatic situation.”

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3 Houston police officers shot, suspect on the run

3 Houston police officers shot, suspect on the run
3 Houston police officers shot, suspect on the run
KTRK-TV

(HOUSTON) — Authorities in Houston are searching for the suspect who shot three Houston police officers and fled in a white Mercedes Thursday afternoon.

The officers’ conditions were not immediately clear.

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.

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Doja Cat, Saweetie and Summer Walker are among ‘Billboard’s 2022 Women in Music honorees

Doja Cat, Saweetie and Summer Walker are among ‘Billboard’s 2022 Women in Music honorees
Doja Cat, Saweetie and Summer Walker are among ‘Billboard’s 2022 Women in Music honorees
Romain Maurice/Getty Images for Fontainebleau

Doja Cat, Saweetie and Summer Walker are being honored at Billboard‘s 2022 Women in Music Awards in March.

Doja will receive this year’s Powerhouse Award, and Saweetie will recognized as the Game Changer. Both artists are multi-Grammy nominees this year and collaborated on the hit, “Best Friend,” which scored a Grammy nomination for Best Rap Song.

Summer Walker will be presented with the Chartbreaker Award. In November, the 25-year-old singer tied a record set by Taylor Swift for the most songs by a female artist simultaneously on the Billboard Hot 100.

Walker had 18 tracks on the chart the week of November 14, tying the mark previously set by Swift in September 2019 from her double-platinum album, Lover. All the songs were from Summer’s second studio album, Still Over It, which debuted at number one on the Billboard 200.

Hosted by Ciara on March 2, Billboard‘s 2022 Women in Music Awards will be available for the public to attend — a first in the ceremony’s history. The awards show, which will be streamed, will be held at the YouTube Theater at L.A.’s Hollywood Park. Tickets go on sale this Friday.

Information on how to purchase tickets, and watch the show online, will be shared on the award show’s official website.

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‘Peacemaker”s streaming performance stuns even writer-director James Gunn

‘Peacemaker”s streaming performance stuns even writer-director James Gunn
‘Peacemaker”s streaming performance stuns even writer-director James Gunn
HBO Max

Sure, he wrote and directed Peacemaker, but even James Gunn was surprised to learn his small-screen spin-off of The Suicide Squad has become the biggest streaming show in the world.

With a shocked “Holy crap, this is incredible,” Gunn retweeted a Business Insider story that explained HBO Max’s Peacemaker became the most in-demand original streaming TV series in the world as of January 22, beating out heavyweights like Netflix’s The Witcher, and The Book of Boba Fett on Disney+.

The article quoted data from TV analysts Parrot Analytics, which tabulates audiences’ appetites for a given show — and the series starring John CenaJennifer Holland, and Danielle Brooks, was “69.5 times more in demand than the average series,” according to Parrot’s numbers published by Insider.

In fact, demand for HBO Max Original shows has jumped 39.2%, compared to 10.3% for Netflix properties. 

The fifth episode of Peacemaker debuted today, and Gunn just told Deadline he’s got a second Suicide Squad spin-off up his sleeve, but the Guardians of the Galaxy series writer-director “can’t quite say” what it is yet.

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Céline Dion and Michael Bublé have a lovefest thanks to Michael’s Céline Dion Challenge TikTok

Céline Dion and Michael Bublé have a lovefest thanks to Michael’s Céline Dion Challenge TikTok
Céline Dion and Michael Bublé have a lovefest thanks to Michael’s Céline Dion Challenge TikTok
David Becker/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images via Getty Images)

Two Canadian superstars gushing over each other? We love to see it.

Michael Bublé recently posted a TikTok in which he takes on the Céline Dion Challenge, which requires you to dramatically lip-sync her hit “It’s All Coming Back to Me Now” while doing an outfit reveal and having your hair blown around by a fan, hair dryer, leaf blower, or whatever you have available.  Well, not only did fans approve of what Michael did, but so did Céline herself.

As previously reported, Michael lip-synced to the song while standing in front of a hockey goal on skates with a hockey stick and gloves. He then throws them aside and grabs the Stanley Cup, while a guy with a Canadian flag run back and forth behind him and woman throws confetti at him.

Céline re-posted Michael’s video to her Instagram Stories and wrote, “He shoots, he scores! You’re amazing @michaelbuble. Love you! Celine xx.”  Then Michael posted her message to HIS Instagram Stories, and wrote, “I love you more…no you hang up…no you hang up.”

Fun fact: “It’s All Coming Back to Me Now” was written by Jim Steinman, who penned the late Meat Loaf‘s iconic hits. Meat Loaf eventually recorded it himself as a duet with singer Marion Raven on his 2006 album Bat Out of Hell III: The Monster Is Loose.

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