Five years ago, Sia scored her first U.S. number-one hit with “Cheap Thrills,” her collaboration with Sean Paul. Now, the two have reunited for a new single, “Dynamite” — and Sean Paul says working with Sia again was “magic.”
Sean Paul says he always knew he and Sia would do something else together, but he tells ABC Audio that it took them this long because it needed to be the right song. Sean says he had the initial idea and rhythm for the track, but Sia took it to the next level.
“It was like the bones of the song, and she kind of added the soup!” he laughs. “She got it cooking. When she wrote that hook, I was like ‘Ohhh!!!’ But again, with her voice, you know, everything she sings [is great].”
He adds, “But for me, it was just magic.”
Sean says he’s looking forward to the video for the song, due out in a few weeks, which will show his hometown of Kingston, Jamaica, “in the future.” “There’s cars flying and there’s big buildings, a lot of crazy stuff!” he says, laughing.
For now, though, Sean is just satisfied to be able to release “a very feel-good song, something to get people on the dance floor and to just sort of forget about the worries that’s all in the Earth right now.”
“I think that’s what my music is and has been for people over the years,” he explains. “You know, there’s problems every day…You see it on news every day. I like to tell people that whenever there’s anything wrong with my life, there’s always one song that’ll get me in a better mood. And so I’m happy to be able to provide people with that type of music, especially this one.”
Don McLean‘s classic anthem “American Pie” and album of the same name were released 50 years ago this Sunday, October 24.
With “American Pie,” which was the album’s lead track and centerpiece, McLean used the tragic 1959 plane crash that killed Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and The Big Bopper — referred to in the tune as “the day the music died” –as a launching point to metaphorically trace the history of rock ‘n’ roll through the turbulent 1960s, while also reflecting on the loss of innocence America experienced during the era.
“American Pie” spent four weeks at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in early 1972, while the album topped the Billboard 200 for seven weeks around that time. American Pie also featured a second hit, the acoustic ballad “Vincent,” an homage to painter Vincent Van Gogh that peaked at #12 on the Hot 100.
“American Pie,” of course, has become among the most enduring songs of its time.
“It’s been a hit record on steroids,” McLean tells ABC Audio. “[O]ther hits have been forgotten that were around or…if you listen to them now, they sound silly…This song is majestic and it continues to grow.”
Reflecting on the song, Don says, “[I]t’s entertaining on a number of levels…I had a blast writing it and thinking about it and laughing and thinking, ‘Oh, this is funny, I’ll do this,’ or ‘I won’t do that.'”
As for “Vincent,” McLean notes with a laugh, “I hear people saying that the song has actually made [Van Gogh] famous, more famous than he was before. That makes me feel funny…because he was already a god, really, in [the realm of art].”
As previously reported, McLean will launch a 50th anniversary American Pietour this January in Honolulu.
Got Marvel? The first fully authorized, all access history of Marvel Studios is in bookstores now!
The Story of Marvel Studios: The Making of the Marvel Cinematic Universe is a two-volume hardcover collection that details the rise of the studio into an cinematic force, chronicling all 23 films that make up the beloved “Infinity Saga,” featuring talks with the actors, producers and creatives — including Marvel Studio head Kevin Feige.
Feige, who started as an associate producer on X-Men, shared the invaluable lessons he learned during his early days.
He tells ABC Audio one of those takeaways was decision-making, and recalled some of the “risks” X-Men took, “like casting a six-foot-three Hugh Jackman to play the five-foot-two Wolverine and ultimately saying…embodying the spirit of the character that is more important than getting your ruler out and matching it perfectly to the comics.”
Feige also learned the importance of having the right filmmaker for the job, despite experience level, because “they have a story to tell and a vision of how to tell it in a unique and different way.”
The Story Of Marvel Studios was a years-long effort by co-authors Tara Bennet and Paul Terry — but don’t think this is just a book chronicling the exploits of on-screen superheroes.
“There’s so many personal stories,” Terry said. “We see the spectacle of the movies but these are human beings with ideas! And those ideas evolve and become the MCU that we love.”
Speaking of Marvel, Bennet pointed out that what makes Marvel Studios different is their ability to retain and grow talent.
“This is a place where people have stayed,” she said, noting how people who “started out from getting people coffee… [to] now being an EP on Endgame.”
Common and Tiffany Haddish made their relationship public in August 2020, and now, 14 months later, their special bond is growing stronger.
“She keeps me laughing. It’s that child-like spirit that you love,” the rapper/actor tells Essence about the Night School star. “She also possesses an authenticity that I love. I’m gonna know what’s on her mind. I’m gonna know what she’s feeling about me or somebody else or something. I like the way she communicates — that’s important to me. “
The 49-year-old entertainer adds, “Along with that, the way she treats her family and loved ones is real cool. I’m attracted to that. Tiffany is a good-hearted human being, and I love that about her.”
Common also feels that the pandemic has brought the two stars even closer as they have spent more time together.
“It makes you reflect on, ‘If things was ending now, who do I want to be around?'” he says. “Naturally, Tiffany and I just spent a lot of time together, just really enjoying life and being grateful for life and not putting too much pressure on our relationship, just really being present with each other and supportive and having fun.”
The Oscar and Grammy winner was previously in high profile relationships with Serena Williams and Erykah Badu, and he says Black women have always motivated him.
“Some of the Black women that I’ve dated, been in relationships with, are crazy talented people, so that’s inspiring in itself,” Common says. “You see the work that they put in, and then how they can still go out and be good family people. That’s been very influential on my personal life, but it also comes through in my art.”
Do you love roller coasters, horror movies, and haunted houses? You’ve got a lot of company. The fact is, most people like a good scare. At least, when they know – deep down – that they’re not in any real danger.
Behavioral scientist Dr. David Rudd says that most adults and teens can realistically gauge how dangerous something is, whether it’s a roller coaster, or a zombie in a haunted house. They understand they might have nightmares afterward, but they still feel relatively safe. So, instead of experiencing real fear, they feel excitement instead. That’s also one reason people scream when they’re make-believe scared by a movie, or a Halloween attraction, and then laugh immediately afterward. Because the enjoyment is bubbling right below the surface.
But not everybody enjoys being scared. Some adults and most young children can’t tell whether something is scary-fun, or genuinely scary. It’s because they have less experience gauging how dangerous things are, whether it’s a monster in a movie, or a skeleton on someone’s lawn that screams as they walk by. So, they’re more likely to feel like they’re in real danger.
That’s why kids get scared so much more easily than adults. And why they may not find the scarier-parts of Halloween enjoyable at all.
Why is it that so many people choose NOT to save money? It has very little to do with your income and expenses. Researchers at Dartmouth and Harvard Universities studied people with lower incomes who easily outsaved higher-income earners – by an average of $100,000 as well as people with huge incomes who didn’t save a dime.
So what did they learn?
For one, some people simply check out. The researchers say many of us don’t save because it’s easy to spend in our culture, and we’re on autopilot. We don’t think of money management as something we need to do. We’ll schedule things like laundry and movie night, but neglect to sit down and focus on our finances.
Also – we procrastinate. We know that someday we’re going to need money, but our lives are so hectic and things are so expensive, that we keep putting it off until things settle down – which, as we know, never happens. Or we’re convinced that our “million dollar idea” – that business we’re going to start or the novel we’re going to write – is going to take care of our retirement needs. When it comes to money, we have to be more practical than that.
So, ready to give your bank account a boost? Here are a couple of tips:
Bank your raise. Mary Hunt is a financial expert and author of Live Your Life For Half the Price, and she says the next time you get a raise, or a bonus, save at least half of it. Let’s say your raise gives you an extra $200 a month. If you save half of that – $100 a month – at 6% interest for 10 years, that money will grow into more than $16,000! You won’t miss it, because you never saw it in the first place.
Save the payment. When you pay off something, like a car loan or a credit card, take the amount of money you were paying each month and add it to your savings instead. A $330 monthly payment to yourself over five years turns into more than $23,000! Enough to buy your next car with CASH.
You might encounter a few scaredy-cats this Halloween, but one thing you don’t want to see is a sick or injured pet. That’s why the ASPCA asked us to remind you of these animal safety tips for the spookiest night of the year.
Keep an eye on the candy. Chocolate can cause seizures and even be fatal to dogs and cats, and the artificial sweetener xylitol can cause liver failure in dogs. It’s also important to pick up the trash. Ingesting tin foil and candy wrappers can pose a choking hazard or cause intestinal blockage.
Pet-proof your decorations. Chewing an electric cord can damage your pet’s mouth – or cause electrocution. Candles may look spooky, but they’re a big injury risk to curious cats and kittens.
Leave the costumes for the kids. Liam Crowe is a dog behavioral therapist and co-founder of Bark Busters USA. He says that while you may think those antlers or sunglasses look adorable on Fido – they could drive him crazy. If you decide to put a costume on your pet, have a dress rehearsal to make sure it doesn’t restrict their movement or breathing.
Holidays like Halloween can be overwhelming to pets. You want to make sure yours can’t get to the candy or decorations. If your dog or cat seems nervous or agitated, put them in a quiet place away from trick-or-treaters.
In the fall season, do you tend to feel happier? Here’s what’s going on, according to psychology professor Dr. Jason Brunt from Biola University.
First, your brain is more ALERT in fall than any other time of year! Because where winter is mostly white and snowy – and spring and summer are dominated by green – fall brings a burst of vibrant yellow, orange and red shades in nature. And Dr. Brunt says our brain interprets the visual contrast as something “significant.” Like a loud noise in a quiet room. It wakes us up mentally.
Then, fall foliage can also fight stress! According to the University of Washington, stressed out people who gazed at trees with brightly-colored fall foliage had a significant drop in heart rate and stress hormones. Plus, focusing on the changing colors of the leaves can be an exercise in mindfulness – which relaxes us, too.
And when the temperature drops, we have less anxiety. Hot and humid weather increases our heart rate, breathing rate, and other metabolic reactions. And our brain can interpret that as an anxiety attack. So in fall, we feel calmer.
That’s why Dr. Brunt says, autumn activates our brain in a way that makes us feel happier… calmer… and more connected to nature!
(NEW YORK) — A massive search for Brian Laundrie, the boyfriend of slain 22-year-old travel blogger Gabby Petito, took a dramatic twist Thursday with the announcement that human remains found in a Florida nature preserve are those of the wanted fugitive, according to the FBI.
The remains were recovered Wednesday, nearly five weeks after Petito’s body was recovered in the Bridger-Teton National Forest in Wyoming. The Teton County Coroner ruled her death a homicide by strangulation.
The search for the 23-year-old Laundrie was centered around North Port, Florida, where investigators said he returned to his home on Sept. 1 without Petito but driving her 2012 Ford Transit.
Laundrie had been named by police as a “person of interest” in Petito’s disappearance and a federal warrant had been issued for him alleging unauthorized use of Petito’s credit card.
He refused to speak to the police and vanished on Sept. 13. His parents told investigators they believed he was headed to the Carlton Reserve in North Port.
The case grabbed national attention as Laundrie and Petito had been traveling across the country since June, documenting the trip on social media. Petito’s parents reported her missing on Sept. 11 after not hearing from her for two weeks.
Here is how the weekslong search for Laundrie unfolded:
Oct 21, 5:06 pm
‘Skeletal remains’ recovered at Florida nature preserve
Apparent human “skeletal remains” were recovered Wednesday in a Florida wildlife preserve where the search for Brian Laundrie has centered, police told ABC News on Thursday.
“We have confirmed skeletal remains,” said Josh Taylor, spokesman for the North Port, Florida, Police Department.
Asked of media reports describing portions of the remains recovered, Taylor said, “We have not said anything about a skull.”
Oct 21, 3:08 pm
ID of remains could take several days: Medical examiner
Dr. Russell Vega, the chief medical examiner for Florida’s 12th District, confirmed to ABC News that he is working on trying to identify the apparent human remains found Wednesday in a nature preserve along with Brian Laundrie’s backpack and notebook.
Vega said it could take several days to identify the remains. He declined to confirm media reports that the remains discovered at the Myakkahatchee Creek Environmental Park in North Port, Florida, were bones.
Early in the search for Laundrie, FBI agents collected samples of Laundrie’s DNA from his parents home in North Port, according to the Laundrie family attorney.
Oct 20, 6:06 pm
Laundrie family attorney reacts to discovery of apparent human remains
Steven Bertolino, the family attorney for the Laundrie family, spoke with New York ABC station WABC Wednesday evening after law enforcement found human remains and items belonging to the fugitive at a Florida park.
The attorney said the area where investigators found Brian’s belongings was shown to police two weeks ago when Laundrie’s father, Chris, aided in the search.
“I can’t say for certain that Chris showed this particular area to police at that point in time, but I can say that this is an area that we initially notified the FBI that Brian liked hiking,” Bertolino said.
The attorney said the family is waiting for a proper identification before making any comments.
“As you can imagine, the parents are very distraught. … At this moment in time they’re grieving,” he said.
Oct 20, 4:42 pm
Police find apparent human remains, personal items belonging to Laundrie
Police have recovered apparent human remains that have not been identified in the search for Brian Laundrie, the FBI said Wednesday.
Authorities also found items belonging to Laundrie, like a backpack and notebook, officials said.
FBI Special Agent in Charge Michael McPherson said the area where the items were found had previously been underwater. McPherson said a team would be on site for several days processing the scene.
Oct 20, 2:55 pm
Remains found at park, not clear if human
A law enforcement source told ABC News remains were found at a Florida environmental park. The source said investigators are working to determine whether the remains are human and whether the remains and other discovered articles are linked to Laundrie.
Oct 20, 2:19 pm
FBI confirms ‘items of interest’ found
The FBI said “items of interest” in connection to the search for Laundrie were found at the Carlton Reserve Wednesday morning and an evidence response team is processing the scene.
A cinematographer working on the film Rust is dead and the director is hospitalized after an accident during filming involving star Alec Baldwin and a misfiring prop gun, authorities said Thursday.
The Western, starring Baldwin and Jensen Ackles of Supernatural, began filming this month at Bonanza Creek Movie Ranch, a film location in Sante Fe, New Mexico.
Deputies with the Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office responded to the film set after a 911 caller “reported a shooting on the set,” the Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement.
Two people were shot after a prop firearm was discharged during filming, authorities said. Baldwin fired the prop gun, striking the film’s director, Joel Souza, and director of photography, Halyna Hutchins, the sheriff’s office said in a follow-up statement Thursday night.
Detectives are still determining “how and what type of projectile was discharged,” the sheriff’s office said earlier.
No charges have been filed in the shooting, authorities said. The Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office is investigating the incident.
Hutchins, 42, was transported via helicopter to University of New Mexico Hospital, the state’s only Level 1 trauma center, “in critical condition,” according to sheriff’s deputies and the hospital. She later succumbed to her injuries, the sheriff’s office said.
Souza, 48, was brought in an ambulance to Christus St. Vincent Regional Medical Center and is receiving emergency care, authorities said.
The film halted production following the accident, a producer said.
Baldwin shared a photo from the set of Rust earlier on Thursday in costume.
“Back to in person at the office,” he captioned the post. “Blimey…it’s exhausting.”
The actor is co-producing the film under his company, El Dorado Pictures, with Souza writing and directing.
