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☆ Mattel hated the 1997 song 'Barbie Girl' so much that it sued. Now, the song is making a return thanks to Greta Gerwig.
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-18 | by ( Grace Dean | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Aqua's chart-topping 1997 hit "Barbie Girl" called the doll a "blond bimbo" and was full of innuendos. "Barbie Girl" is now being revived in Greta Gerwig's film with a performance by Nicki Minaj and Ice Spice. But no one really thought that the tongue-in-cheek song could have been written by Mattel, Lobel wrote. Years later, Mattel even bought the rights to the song from Aqua, Lobel wrote. The song is now making a comeback, in a way, thanks to Greta Gerwig's "Barbie" film, which is hitting cinemas this Friday.

Persons: bimbo, Greta Gerwig's, Nicki Minaj, Elton John, Barbie —, Lobel, Aqua, Barbie, Ken, Barbie's Dreamhouse, Lene Nystrøm, René Dif, hanky, Mattel, Alex Kozinski, Vinnie Zuffante, Michael Ochs, Nystrøm, Stone, Pamela Anderson, Kozinski Organizations: Mattel, MCA Records, Service, Universal Music, Michael Ochs Archives, Aqua, YouTube, Spotify Locations: Wall, Silicon, Norwegian, Australia, Barbie's

☆ Some fans have turned on Lana Del Rey. Here's a complete timeline of how the singer soured her own reputation.
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-26 | by ( Callie Ahlgrim | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +32 min

May 2020: Del Rey posted an unprompted public statement about her own reputationIt all began on May 21, four months after she attended the 2020 Grammys, when Del Rey shared a lengthy open letter on Instagram. —Lana Del Rey (@LanaDelRey) January 12, 2021—Lana Del Rey (@LanaDelRey) January 12, 2021Hardly one to stifle momentum, Del Rey also responded to the Australian blog Tone Deaf, which had published an article criticizing the defense of her album cover. —Lana Del Rey (@LanaDelRey) January 12, 2021—Lana Del Rey (@LanaDelRey) January 12, 2021Del Rey continued tweeting about her BBC interview, clarifying that she meant to criticize Trump's "significant lack of empathy" and "the issue of sociopathy and narcissism in America." Advertisement—Lana Del Rey (@LanaDelRey) January 12, 2021—Lana Del Rey (@LanaDelRey) January 12, 2021She also expressed disdain for negative publicity, citing her "long term relationship" with magazines like Complex and Rolling Stone, calling the former "pathetic." June 24, 2023: Del Rey arrived 30 minutes late to the stage at Glastonbury, telling the crowd, 'My hair takes so long to do'Lana Del Rey performs at Glastonbury Festival.

Persons: Lana Del Rey, Del Rey, —, Norman, Rockwell, Del Rey's, Del, she's, Ariana, Camila, Cardi, Nicki Minaj, Beyoncé, Lizzy Grant, Fader, Helen Brown, Brown, Christine Capetola, Lana, Ashley Reese, YouTuber D'Angelo Wallace, Lana Del, that's, Karen, Wallace, Nichole Perkins, Roxane Gay, Ariana Grande, Cat, Pence, It's, Magdalene, George Floyd, Kehlani, Tinashe, Violet, Noble, lana, frick, preemptively, I'm, Annie Mac, Trump, Donald Trump, Lana stans, Mac, Biden, I've, tweeting, Trump's, Steven Hyden, Ann Powers, Powers, they'd, Judah Smith, megachurch Churchome, Smith, Jack Antonoff, God, desirs, Marie Claire, Chris Pratt, Justin Bieber, Judah, Coleman Spilde, Joseph Okpako, WireImage Del, who's, Let's Organizations: Service, Pitchfork, Independent, Tulane, Trump, Twitter, Country, Billboard, Barnes, CDC, ppl, Michigan, YouTube, Capitol, NPR, Hall of Fame, BBC, Hillsong, Daily, Catholic Church, Glastonbury, Glastonbury Festival Locations: Los Angeles, America, Del Rey's, Del Rey, Churchome, y'all, WireImage Del Rey, Glastonbury

☆ A couple bought a crumbling 700-year-old medieval farmstead and turned it into a fairytale retreat where guests can stay in treehouses overlooking the English countryside
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-29 | by ( Claire Turrell | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

A classified ad for a dilapidated 12th-century farmhouse with a medieval tithe barn immediately caught her eye. Rainwater running through the roofA farmer had lived in the three-bedroom house until the moment the couple took the keys. "I don't know how, as it was in such a state of disrepair," Nicki Beavan said. Giving a medieval barn a new lease on lifeThe tithe barn before renovations. The tithe barn took four years to complete, and they now hire it out for weddings.

Revisit some of the predominant trends in music that came to define a mercurial decade, from pop-rap and boy bands to aesthetic sadness and protest anthems. Rap goes the viral pop routeAt the beginning of the 2010s, rap stars had trouble scoring their own No. Dark and dreary pop blows upLana Del Rey helped to usher in a new era of downbeat and dark pop. Karl Walter/Getty ImagesBoth the Weeknd and Del Rey have pivoted since their debuts, with their images becoming more complicated than their indie origins belie. Del Rey, meanwhile, has only burrowed deeper into her niche, crafting intensely personal records that have matured with her listeners.

☆ Fact-checking Trump’s CNN town hall in New Hampshire
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-10 | by ( Cnn Staff | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +26 min

CNN —CNN hosted a town hall with 2024 Republican presidential candidate and former President Donald Trump on Wednesday night in New Hampshire. 2020 ElectionJust minutes after the town hall began, Trump claimed the 2020 election was “rigged.”Facts First: This is Trump’s regular lie. Trump claimed Wednesday that he got gas prices down to $1.87 – and “even lower” – but they increased to $7, $8 or even $9 under Biden. The Presidential Records Act says that the moment a president leaves office, the National Archives and Records Administration gets legal custody and control of all presidential records from his administration. First, there’s no provision for negotiating over Presidential records at the end of a term.

New York CNN —The jury in the Ed Sheeran copyright infringement case — about whether Sheeran’s smash single “Thinking Out Loud” copied the classic Marvin Gaye song “Let’s Get It On” — deliberated for about five minutes Wednesday evening before the judge sent jury members home. If the jury decides Sheeran is liable for copyright infringement, the trial will move on to the second phase to determine damages. The family of Ed Townsend, who co-wrote “Let’s Get It On” with Gaye, has accused Sheeran of copying the 1973 hit. Earlier, an attorney representing the family suing Sheeran asked the jury Wednesday not to be “blinded by the defendant’s celebrity.”“Mr. Sheeran is counting on you to be very, very overwhelmed by his commercial success,” attorney Keisha Rice said in her closing argument Wednesday.

☆ Ed Sheeran says allegations in copyright infringement trial are ‘really insulting’
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-01 | by ( Nicki Brown | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

Sheeran claimed Stewart altered elements from “Thinking Out Loud” in his analysis in order to prove his point. Sheeran is accused of copying “Let’s Get It On” by the heirs of Ed Townsend, who co-wrote the 1973 hit with Gaye. Townsend’s daughter Kathryn Townsend Griffin, sister Helen McDonald and the estate of his former wife, Cherrigale Townsend, are the listed plaintiffs on the “Thinking Out Loud” case. Gaye died in 1984 and Townsend died in 2003. When asked on the stand Monday what he would do if the plaintiffs win the case and own the chord progression, Sheeran said, “If that happens, I’m done.”–CNN’s Chloe Melas contributed to this report.

New York CNN —Musician Ed Sheeran played guitar and sang on the stand Thursday as part of his testimony in a copyright infringement trial about whether his smash single “Thinking Out Loud” copied the classic Marvin Gaye song “Let’s Get It On.”Sheeran played the opening line of “Thinking Out Loud” in an attempt to rebut the testimony of the plaintiff’s expert witness, Alexander Stewart. Kathryn Townsend Griffin, daughter of singer and songwriter Ed Townsend, speaks outside New York Federal Court during a copyright infringement trial against singer Ed Sheeran, Wednesday, April 26, 2023, in New York. John Minchillo/APSheeran is accused of copying “Let’s Get It On” by the heirs of Ed Townsend, who co-wrote the 1973 hit with Gaye. Sheeran’s legal team has argued throughout the week that the sounds used in both songs are common in pop music. In his opening statement Tuesday, Townsend attorney Ben Crump noted Sheeran played his ballad and Gaye’s song back-to-back in a medley during a concert, and called the moment a “smoking gun.”

Sheeran is accused of copying “Let’s Get It On” by the heirs of Ed Townsend, who co-wrote the 1973 hit with Gaye. Townsend’s daughter Kathryn Townsend Griffin, sister Helen McDonald and the estate of his former wife, Cherrigale Townsend, are the listed plaintiffs on the “Thinking Out Loud” case. In particular he sees melodic similarities in the verse, chorus and interlude of Sheeran’s “Thinking Out Loud,” he said. British singer Sheeran’s legal team has argued that the sounds used in both songs are common in pop music. “No one owns basic musical building blocks,” Ilene Farkas, Sheeran’s attorney, told the jury in opening remarks Tuesday.

New York CNN —A copyright infringement case against British pop artist Ed Sheeran is set to kick off this week, with the potential to further complicate the legal landscape for songwriters. The jury was selected Monday in the case against Sheeran, who is accused of copying the 1973 soul hit “Let’s Get It On” by the heirs of Ed Townsend, who co-wrote the song with Marvin Gaye. The trial concerns Sheeran’s song “Thinking Out Loud,” which won the 2016 Grammy award for song of the year. Sheeran, meanwhile, has faced previous legal battles over his music and won. After his successful 2022 legal battle, Sheeran posted a video to his Instagram voicing his concern over the recent wave of music copyright cases.

☆ Universal Music Group calls AI music a ‘fraud,’ wants it banned from streaming platforms. Experts say it’s not that easy
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-18 | by ( Vanessa Yurkevich | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

New York CNN —Universal Music Group — the music company representing superstars including Sting, The Weeknd, Nicki Minaj and Ariana Grande — has a new Goliath to contend with: artificial intelligence. Artificial intelligence, and specifically AI music, learns by either training on existing works on the internet or through a library of music given to the AI by humans. That could possibly threaten UMG’s deep library of music and artists that generate billions of dollars in revenue. “However, the training of generative AI using our artists’ music … begs the question as to which side of history all stakeholders in the music ecosystem want to be on.”The company said AI that uses artists’ music violates UMG’s agreements and copyright law. Grammy-winning DJ and producer David Guetta proved in February just how easy it is to create new music using AI.

☆ I Direct Music Videos — the Bigger the Artist, the More Stressful the Job
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-27 | by ( Eboni Boykin-Patterson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +10 min

Courtesy of Neil FavilaMusic video director Hannah Lux Davis grew up watching TRL and always loved music videos. I took out a student loan to pay for my first two official music videos. I always loved music videos and was very passionate about them. I grew up watching MTV's music video show "TRL," and was inspired to be a director by music videos from Britney Spears, Backstreet Boys, NSYNC, Christina Aguilera, and Janet Jackson. They assume some artists get more money for a video, so they're comparing their videos to other artists' videos.

☆ American Girl enters the 1990s with a new set of 'historical' dolls from the not-so-distant past
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-24 | by ( Jordan Hart | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

American Girl announced its first set of twin dolls since the company's founding in 1986. The sisters are historical characters from the year 1999, and their accessories are a blast from the past. American Girl has produced historical characters from each decade of the 20th century. The latest additions to the historical characters have people speculating what a doll from the 2000s will eventually look like. American Girl has had a historical character for each decade of the 20th century, and a few dolls from the 19th century.

☆ SZA’s Ruination Brought Her Everything
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-08 | by ( Danyel Smith | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +3 min

In the week leading up to the release of “SOS,” SZA suffered the fits and starts many artists experience before their projects premiere, though those bursts were sieved through her specific anxieties. SZA told me about “weird, negative” remarks people made to her as she was prepping “SOS” for release. When she speaks about album release dates, responses escalate quickly from ripple to tidal wave. In an interview last February, SZA said that her next album would be ready in time for summer. SZA and Punch traded surly tweets, and as it all went viral, a messy narrative was set: SZA and her label were at odds.

Persons: Wu, Tang Clan’s RZA, “, ”, ” SZA, SZA, Terrence Henderson, Punch, surly, Nicki Minaj’s, Sade Organizations: RCA Records, Dawg Entertainment

"I feel violated," White told NBC News on Friday. “You know how they say ‘stranger danger?’ That’s the way I feel.”The men have been coming to White's door hail from all over Texas. The men she's spoken to have been honest about why they're at her door. In one incident captured on her doorbell security camera, a man said he was there to "meet someone" named "Rhonda." White said she's been overwhelmed by the support she's received from neighbors and former co-workers who live nearby.

Now, when she opens the app, “all I see is Black women, Black people and Black businesses. She would have to specifically type in “Black girl” to find other Black women. This was created so that Black women could support Black women because nobody else seems to be.”James said she never intended to put another race down and she encouraged the trend with the purpose of showing love to Black women. “Black women are navigating the combined force of racism and sexism on a daily basis,” she added. The creator of the trend, Michele, said she applauds Black men for sometimes defending Black women on the app.

☆ Did That Hit Arrive in 2022 or 1987? This Year, It Was Hard to Tell.
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-14 | by ( Jon Caramanica | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +12 min

Turns out it’s the same sample, a sleight of ear designed to trigger warm nostalgia, and also maybe a little confusion. Even its video is optimized for recognition, with Santana doing the same stomp Beyoncé does in hers, in an almost identical outfit. Throughout 2022, that gambit has been deployed again and again — by pop singers and rappers, established stars and newbies. Here, old songs — hip-hop classics, pop novelties and more — are scrunched and stretched sometimes to the point of absurdity. These songs are concessions that say the quiet part out loud — everyone has always been borrowing voraciously, from everyone else, constantly.

☆ Nick Bollettieri, famed tennis coach, dies aged 91
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-05 | by ( Ben Morse | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —Nick Bollettieri, the famed tennis coach who taught the likes of the Williams sisters, Andre Agassi and Maria Sharapova, has died aged 91. Bollettieri’s death was confirmed by the IMG Academy, which Bollettieri is the founder of, in a statement sent to CNN. In 1977, he founded the Nick Bollettieri Tennis Academy – now the IMG Academy – after borrowing $1 million from a friend to build a live-in tennis academy for his students. During over 30 years as a coach, Bollettieri became one of the most sought-after teachers in world tennis due to the success players had under him. Bollettieri outside his tennis academy.

CNN Business —Two victims injured when a car drove into an Apple store filed lawsuits Tuesday morning claiming various development companies failed to protect people by not installing barriers near the store. One person died and at least 19 others were injured after an SUV drove through an Apple store in Hingham, Massachusetts, on November 21, according to the Plymouth County District Attorney’s Office. Sheff showed pictures of barriers at different Apple store locations and other areas in the Hingham shopping complex, arguing they should have been at the Hingham Apple store as well. The lawsuits accuse several property development entities of negligence, claiming they “failed to reasonably protect occupants” by not installing barricades near the store. One lawsuit filed by a non-employee accuses Apple of negligence, alleging it failed to reasonably protect the store’s occupants.

☆ Nicki Aycox, ‘Supernatural’ actress, has died at age 47
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-21 | by ( Marianne Garvey | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

CNN —Nicki Aycox, who played Meg Masters on the CW series “Supernatural,” died last week, her family announced. “My beautiful, smart, fierce, incredibly talented, and loving sister-in-law, Nicki Aycox Raab, passed away yesterday with my brother, Matt Raab, by her side,” she wrote. She was definitely a fighter and everyone who knew her loved her.”“Supernatural” show creator Eric Kripke took to Twitter to write, “Gutted to hear the great #NickiAycox, our first #MegMasters, passed away. I marvel at how she made a simple word like ‘lackluster’ legendary.”Gutted to hear the great #NickiAycox, our first #MegMasters, passed away. Aycox shared periodic updates on her treatment, revealing her determined spirit, strength and sense of humor.

☆ Factbox: Key winners at the 2022 American Music Awards
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-21 | by ( Danielle Broadway | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Nov 20 (Reuters) - The 2022 fan-voted American Music Awards were handed out at a ceremony in Los Angeles at the Microsoft Theater on Sunday, hosted by Wayne Brady. Following is a list of winners in key categories;ARTIST OF THE YEARTaylor SwiftNEW ARTIST OF THE YEARDove CameronCOLLABORATION OF THE YEARElton John & Dua Lipa -- "Cold Heart"FAVORITE TOURING ARTISTColdplayFAVORITE MUSIC VIDEOTaylor Swift -- "All Too Well (Taylor's Version)"FAVORITE MALE POP ARTISTHarry StylesFAVORITE FEMALE POP ARTISTTaylor SwiftFAVORITE POP DUO OR GROUPBTSFAVORITE POP SONGHarry Styles -- "As It Was"FAVORITE MALE COUNTRY ARTISTMorgan WallenFAVORITE FEMALE COUNTRY ARTISTTaylor SwiftFAVORITE COUNTRY DUO OR GROUPDan + ShayFAVORITE MALE HIP-HOP ARTISTKendrick LamarFAVORITE FEMALE HIP-HOP ARTISTNicki MinajFAVORITE ROCK ARTISTMachine Gun KellyFAVORITE POP ALBUMTaylor SwiftReporting by Danielle Broadway; Editing by Savio D'SouzaOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ American Music Awards 2022: See the winners list
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-20 | by ( Dan Heching | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —The 50th American Music Awards are taking place on Sunday night at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles. Elton John, first nominated for an AMA in 1974, is now regarded as the longest-recognized artist in the awards show’s history. Taylor Swift led the pack with three AMA wins ahead of broadcast, including best female country artist. Below is a list of nominees for this year’s American Music Awards. The list will be updated with winners in bold throughout the broadcast, along with the winners from non-televised categories.

☆ Analysis: Australia's climate policies don't match its big talk at COP27
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-20 | by ( Praveen Menon | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

Albanese's climate change minister, Chris Bowen, telling the conference Australia was a "willing climate collaborator", made a pitch to host COP31 in 2026 along with the Pacific island nations. "But if you turn to see the other side of the face it's all about the fossil fuel development and the government's addiction to fossil fuel royalties and revenues," Hutley told Reuters in a phone interview from COP27 in Sharm el-Sheikh. Australia's biggest contribution to the climate crisis is its export of fossil fuels. More than 100 fossil fuel developments continued in various stages as of December 2021, the council said in a report this month, based on government data. "There is clearly a policy gap in Australia that is allowing fossil fuel companies to continue expanding and developing new fossil fuel projects," said Will van de Pol, asset management campaigner at activist investor group Market Forces.

☆ Nicki Minaj, Maluma, Myriam Fares release World Cup anthem
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-18 | by ( Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: 1 min

DOHA — Hip hop star Nicki Minaj has teamed up with Colombian singer-songwriter Maluma and Lebanese singer Myriam Fares for the latest addition to the official soundtrack of the World Cup in Qatar. The single “Tukoh Taka,” with lyrics in English, Spanish and Arabic, was released on Friday, two days ahead of the start of the tournament. It’s the latest in a series of songs by artists from around the world released as part of FIFA’s official soundtrack of the 2022 World Cup. Maluma and Myriam Fares will perform at the opening of the FIFA fan festival in Doha on Saturday. The new song release comes as FIFA faces backlash for Qatar’s human rights record, its oppression of the LGBTQ+ community and its poor treatment of migrant workers, who built the tournament venues.

☆ Latin Grammy 2022: How to watch and what to expect
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-17 | by ( Marysabel Huston-Crespo | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

The 23rd Latin Grammys will be presented Thursday at the Michelob ULTRA Arena at the Mandalay Bay Casino and Resort in Las Vegas. His critically acclaimed album “Un Verano Sin Ti,” also a history-making Grammy nominee, is nominated for album of the year category at the Latin Grammys. That song is nominated in three categories: record of the year, song of the year, and best urban fusion/performance. HBO Max will also stream the ceremony in Spanish. (TNT and HBO Max, like CNN, are part of Warner Bros.

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