Slipknot takes on the internet echo chamber with “The Chapeltown Rag”

Slipknot takes on the internet echo chamber with “The Chapeltown Rag”
Slipknot takes on the internet echo chamber with “The Chapeltown Rag”
Roadrunner Records

It’s been two years since Slipknot delighted fans with new music and, on Friday, the dry spell finally came to an end with their new single, “The Chapeltown Rag.” 

The punishing new single blends frontman Corey Taylor‘s signature growls and wails into a frenetic mash of guitar riffs and punishing drums. 

The masked metallers paint the single around the chaos of misinformation, calling out those who cannot handle the truth and instead turn to a “Scandalous know it all – feedback chamber / Nobody wants the proof – they want a number.”

“All the ligatures are getting tight, like a style / Murder another mouth before the trial / Scalpel and then you scalp em to f***** death / Kills for the other vampires and surrogates / It’s a ploy for attention and evidence / All your f****** monsters are flaws in your common sense,” the band criticizes in the vitriolic lyrics, who close on a warning that “When everything is God online… nothing is.”

The frenetic single is named after the seemingly sleepy West Yorkshire suburb of Chapeltown, which was actually the playground of serial killer Peter Sutcliffe, dubbed the “Yorkshire Ripper,” in the 1970s.  Sutcliffe was the subject of a Netflix documentary that Taylor saw and was inspired to create something around it.

“The Chapeltown Rag” is the first new Slipknot song to follow the band’s 2019 album, We Are Not Your Kind.  They will also perform the song live tonight at their headlining set at Knotfest Los Angeles.

(Video contains uncensored profanity.)

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Green Day drops infectious new single “Holy Toledo!”

Green Day drops infectious new single “Holy Toledo!”
Green Day drops infectious new single “Holy Toledo!”
Courtesy of Green Day

If you’ve been searching for a new, upbeat track to soundtrack your weekend, look no further than Green Day‘s infectious new single, “Holy Toledo!,” which they released Friday… just don’t listen too closely to the lyrics.

The rockers once again invoke their clever happy song/dark lyrics format for their latest offering.  “Holy Toledo!” rides a whimsical yet nostalgic ska-like beat and, while the music presents itself as the perfect tune to sway your shoulders to, the lyrics paint a completely different picture.

“We’re hell raisers, death wish cravers/ We’re running with razor blades/ Party favors, sex with strangers/ We don’t care what the neighbors say,” the Grammy winners celebrate in the chorus, as they sing about “crawling out of the dead man’s bed” all to catch the high of getting “sick again.”

The single was created for the rom-com Mark, Mary & Some Other People, which follows a newlywed couple exploring the world of ethical non-monogamy in an attempt to spice up their love life.  The movie is in theaters and streaming on-demand now.

“Holy Toledo!” follows Green Day’s previously released singles “Pollyanna” and “Here Comes the Shock.”  The punk trio also released a cover of the KISS classic “Rock and Roll All Nite,” which was recorded during their Hella Mega tour with Fall Out Boy and Weezer.


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Anna Faris fans drag Chris Pratt over praising his “healthy” daughter

Anna Faris fans drag Chris Pratt over praising his “healthy” daughter
Anna Faris fans drag Chris Pratt over praising his “healthy” daughter
Rich Polk/Getty Images for Disney

Chris Pratt found himself in hot water yesterday by not only angering fans of his ex-wife Anna Faris, but also took some heat from his own followers for calling his baby daughter “healthy.”

The Jurassic World star recently took to Instagram to mark wife Katherine Schwarzenegger‘s birthday ahead of schedule, but some took issue with one of his compliments when speaking about their daughter, one-year-old Lyla.

Some believe Pratt’s remark, “She’s given me an amazing life, a gorgeous healthy daughter,” is a veiled dig at his ex, whom he divorced in 2018.

He and Faris share a nine-year-old son, Jack, who was born premature and suffers from several medical issues.

Some of his fans admitted the remark made them “wince,” but felt that was not the actor’s intention. Meanwhile, others said the word seems deliberate considering his son’s traumatic birth.

Faris previously opened up about Jack’s medical issues and his premature birth in her Anna Faris Is Unqualified podcast, and said in 2018, “Jack had a few surgeries — he had a few hernia surgeries, he’s had a few eye surgeries and he had a little heart issue as well,” according to E! News.

The Scary Movie star revealed Jack was born “two months early” and weighed three pounds and 12 ounces.  She said the experience inspired her and Pratt to become supporters of the Global Alliance to Prevent Prematurity and Stillbirth (GAPPS).

Faris nor Pratt have responded to the controversy and the Guardians of the Galaxy star has yet to change the language in his controversial post.

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Silk Sonic delivers smooth new single, “Smokin Out the Window”

Silk Sonic delivers smooth new single, “Smokin Out the Window”
Silk Sonic delivers smooth new single, “Smokin Out the Window”
Harper Smith

Silk Sonic — the duo of Bruno Mars and Anderson .Paak — are back with the third single from their upcoming debut album.

As with their previous singles “Leave the Door Open” and “Skate,” “Smokin Out the Window” nods to the classic sounds of ’70s soul, and a retro video features Bruno, Anderson and their backup singers performing choreography on the stage set of a non-existent TV show.

The comical song about heartbreak finds the guys singing about a woman who has them “paying her rent, paying for trips, diamonds on her neck, diamonds on her wrist,” only to find that she’s cheating. 

They sing, “I thought that girl belonged to only me/But I was wrong/’Cause she belong to everybody.”

Silk Sonic’s debut album An Evening with Silk Sonic is out November 12.

(Video contains uncensored profanity.)

 

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Coldplay release live EP; concert film to stream on Amazon Prime Video next week

Coldplay release live EP; concert film to stream on Amazon Prime Video next week
Coldplay release live EP; concert film to stream on Amazon Prime Video next week
James Marcus Haney

Last month, Coldplay christened Seattle’s new Climate Pledge Arena with a special concert, but if you couldn’t make it, a live EP captured at the show is available today.

Live From Climate Pledge Arena includes four songs: “Fix You,” “Viva La Vida” and two songs from their new album Music of the Spheres — “People of the Pride” and “Human Heart,” with We Are KING.  The EP is available exclusively at Amazon Music.

The original concert was streamed live via Amazon Music, Prime Video and Twitch, but it’ll also be released to Prime Video on November 12 if you didn’t happen to catch it then.

In other Coldplay news, there’s yet another remix of the band’s current single with BTS, “My Universe,” this time by Swedish duo Galantis.

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Will Smith opens up about hitting rock bottom and “basically lost everything” in the late ’80s

Will Smith opens up about hitting rock bottom and “basically lost everything” in the late ’80s
Will Smith opens up about hitting rock bottom and “basically lost everything” in the late ’80s
Apple TV+

Will Smith is ready to talk about one of the darkest periods in his life, which he says happened before striking gold with The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.

Entertainment Tonight obtained an advanced clip of the actor’s interview with Oprah Winfrey as part of her The Oprah Conversation series on Apple TV+.

Smith elaborates on what he wrote in his upcoming memoir, Will, where he speaks about the time in his life where he “basically lost everything.”

The King Richard star revealed that the government seized his assets, including his money, home and cars.  Later, he was arrested and put in jail.

“When it rains, it pours,” remarked Smith. “So getting into the fight at the radio station, Charlie [Mack] punching the dude that landed me in jail, so the money is gone, the car is gone. I am laying on the floor in a jail cell and I am like, ‘You’ve got to be kidding me!'”

The 53-year-old said, eight months prior to hitting rock bottom, he had won a Grammy for his 1988 single “Parents Just Don’t Understand,” which added to the sting.

“It’s just the spiral when it starts going the other way. It’s like, sometimes you just have to get out the way and wait until the downward spiral stops,” he said.

Smith eventually turned his life around following the success of the Fresh Prince sitcom, which ran for six seasons on NBC and helped revitalize his career as a recording artist and an actor.

The complete interview premieres Friday, November 5, on Apple TV+.

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“Pink goes good with green”: Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande to star in ’Wicked’ movie musical

“Pink goes good with green”: Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande to star in ’Wicked’ movie musical
“Pink goes good with green”: Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande to star in ’Wicked’ movie musical
ABC/Richard Harburgh; Eric Liebowitz/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images via Getty Images

The beloved Broadway musical Wicked is finally heading to Hollywood and, on Thursday, Universal announced the two leading ladies who’ll bring Elphaba and Glinda to life on the big screen.

Taking on the mantle — or long black cape — of Elphaba, aka the Wicked Witch of the West, will be Tony award-winning actress Cynthia Erivo.  Starring opposite of her will be Ariana Grande, donning Glinda’s signature pink sparkly dresses.

The two shared their excitement on social media by shouting each other out and raving over how excited they are to be starring in the beloved movie musical. Erivo shared the gorgeous bouquet Ari sent to her, which contained the note “Dear Cynthia, honored doesn’t even begin to cover it. I cannot wait to hug you. See you in Oz!”

Also in the picture slideshow, the Harriet star shared screenshots of the two learning they nabbed the roles and celebrating over a Zoom call.  She captioned it, “Pink goes good with Green” followed by three green heart emojis.

As for the “Positions” singer, Ari shared an emotional photo taken the moment she learned she landed the role of her dreams.  She also included a snap of the bouquet of pink roses Erivo sent her, along with the sweet note, “Congratulations Miss A, the part was made for you. I look forward to sharing this musical journey with you.”

Fans of Grande know that she had long dreamed of playing Glinda, the role her mentor, Kristin Chenoweth, originated on Broadway.  She tweeted nearly a decade ago, in December 2011, “Loved seeing Wicked again… amazing production! Made me realize again how badly I want 2 play Glinda at some point in my life!”

Wicked, originally starring Chenoweth and Idina Menzel as Elphaba, made its Broadway debut in 2003.

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Employers add 531,000 jobs last month as recovery gains steam, unemployment rate falls to 4.6%

Employers add 531,000 jobs last month as recovery gains steam, unemployment rate falls to 4.6%
Employers add 531,000 jobs last month as recovery gains steam, unemployment rate falls to 4.6%
vicky_81/iStock

(WASHINGTON) — Hiring gained steam in October, with U.S. employers adding 531,000 jobs and the unemployment rate edging down by a fraction of a percentage point to 4.6%, the Department of Labor said Friday.

Job growth was widespread and beat economists’ expectations — with major gains in leisure and hospitality, professional and business services, manufacturing, and in the transportation and warehousing sectors — the DOL said, indicative of the the post-pandemic recovery rebounding in the labor market after months of disappointing hiring figures. In September, employers added some 312,000 jobs, according to revised figures released Friday.

Employment has increased by 18.2 million since the recent low seen in April 2020, when the pandemic raged, but remains down by some 4.2 million, or 2.8%, from its pre-pandemic levels. The unemployment rate in February 2020 was at a historic low of 3.5%.

Notable job growth was seen in the hard-hit leisure and hospitality industry last month, which saw some 164,000 jobs added. Employment in this sector is still down by 8.2%, however, compared to February 2020 levels.

Other notable job gains occurred in professional and business services, which added 100,000 jobs in October, including a gain of 41,000 in temporary help services, the DOL said. Manufacturing added 60,000 jobs last month, and the transportation and warehousing sector saw employment increase by 54,000 jobs.

Moreover, the average hourly earnings for all employees last month increased by 11 cents to $30.96. A shortage of workers accepting low-wage jobs in the wake of the pandemic shock has been linked to the rising wages seen in recent months, as many major companies have struggled to hire back staff let go in the early days of the pandemic.

Disparities still lurk in the recovery. The unemployment rate for Black workers last month was nearly double that of white workers at 7.9% compared to 4%. The unemployment rate for Hispanic workers was 5.9% in October, and 4.2% for Asian workers.

Finally, the DOL data indicates some companies are recalling workers back to the office after the vaccine rollout. The DOL said that some 11.6% of employed persons teleworked because of the pandemic last month, down from 13.2% the month prior.

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

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Report: Chris Evans to be named ‘People”s next Sexiest Man Alive

Report: Chris Evans to be named ‘People”s next Sexiest Man Alive
Report: Chris Evans to be named ‘People”s next Sexiest Man Alive
Marvel Studios

The time has come once again for People magazine to crown its new “Sexiest Man Alive.”  While an official announcement is forthcoming, an alleged leak claims that the publication has already decided who will succeed their current champion, Michael B. Jordan.

Page Six claims that Marvel star Chris Evans is the next Sexiest Man Alive and said they’ve heard the news from “multiple sources.”

Those same sources claim that the 40-year-old actor was supposed to take home the title last year, but the timing wasn’t that great considering his September 2020 faux pas concerning scantily clad photos Evans accidentally shared to his Instagram — which resulted in a media frenzy and proved just how fast fans can take a screenshot.

But, according to insiders, the incident did not influence People‘s decision to ultimately hand the crown to Jordan.

The official “Sexiest Man Alive” announcement is expected next week.

 

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Guy Fieri accepts Kristen Stewart’s proposal to officiate her wedding

Guy Fieri accepts Kristen Stewart’s proposal to officiate her wedding
Guy Fieri accepts Kristen Stewart’s proposal to officiate her wedding
Marilla Sicilia/Archivio Marilla Sicilia/Mondadori Portfolio via Getty Images — Hollywood To You/Star Max/GC Images

Kristen Stewart is in the beginning stages of planning her wedding to fiancée Dylan Meyer, but the Spencer actress already knows who she wants to officiate her big day.  Here’s a hint: He has bleached spiky hair and drives his 1968 Chevy Camaro to Flavortown.

Stewart was asked about her dream wedding during her Thursday appearance on Today, where the hosts pounced upon a comment she made in passing about wanting Guy Fieri to officiate… because the Food Network star himself is intrigued by the possibility.

“I heard through the Flavortown grapevine that you are looking for a sweet spiky-haired officiant for your wedding,” Fieri said in a pre-recorded message to the Twilight star. “I’m all in!”

Stewart was struck speechless by the unexpected surprise and, with a wide grin, confirmed she “absolutely” wants him to be there on her big day. Although, she admittedly was unsure if he was being serious. 

The 31-year-old actress hinted she wants to send him a wedding invite and asked aloud, “Do you know where he lives? What’s his address?… We should talk about this!” 

As for Fieri, he tweeted at the actress and affirmed, “Oh that offer is legit!”

The Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives host is an outspoken gay rights advocate.  In 2015, he famously married 101 same-sex couples in a single day and threw the attendees a massive wedding feast, free of charge, after Florida lifted its ban on gay marriage.

 

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