Month: January 2023

Categories
Rock Daypop

Iron Maiden honored with British Royal Mail postage stamps

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Heavy metal legends Iron Maiden are being honored with their own set of British postage stamps.

Available Jan. 12, the Iron Maiden collection of 12 includes eight commemorative stamps featuring live performance images of the band—depicting the members of Iron Maiden, currently consisting of vocalist Bruce Dickinson, bassist Steve Harris, guitarists Adrian Smith, Dave Murray, and Janick Gers, and drummer Nicko McBrain, performing on stage throughout the band’s career—and another four with the band’s iconic mascot Eddie and its depiction on their albums Senjutsu and Iron Maiden and in single art for “Aces High” and “The Trooper.”

Harris said in a statement: “We were all absolutely astounded—in a good way. When we heard first about the commemorative project, and equally pretty much speechless when we saw the stamps for the very first time. They look superb and I think they really capture the essence and energy of Maiden. We’re all very proud that Royal Mail has chosen to honor the band’s legacy like this and we know our fans will feel the same way.”

Iron Maiden is the fifth U.K. band to receive a range of Royal Mail stamps. They join The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Pink Floyd, and Queen in the Royal Mail collection.

Heavy Metal Legends IRON MAIDEN Honored by Royal Mail with Set of 12 Special Stamps

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Categories
Pop Daypop

Olivia Rodrigo teases new music on the anniversary of “Driver’s License”

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Olivia Rodrigo took to her Instagram Story to share a video of her and a collaborator working on new music together. On the second anniversary of the release of her breakout single “drivers license,” the 19-year-old shared a clip of herself and music producer Dan Nigro rocking out to a snippet of a new track. Rodrigo captioned the post: “working on so many new songs I’m excited to show u! thank u for everything.”

Olivia previously discussed working on her second album, telling Billboard in February 2022:  “It’s definitely a different experience writing a second album after having a debut that was so well received. I still write so much of my music in my bedroom though, and I don’t think that experience will ever change. Writing songs will hopefully always be an outlet for me to process my feelings before anything else.”

Rodrigo released her debut album Sour in May 2021, featuring the smash hit singles “drivers license,” Deja Vu,” and “Good 4 U”.  Sour was the third most-streamed album on Spotify in 2022.

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Categories
Pop Daypop

Dolly Parton, Gloria Estefan, Belinda Carlile, Cyndi Lauper, Debbie Harry team up for “Gonna Be You”

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Dolly Parton, Belinda Carlisle, Cyndi Lauper, Gloria Estefan and Debbie Harry have teamed up for the new single “Gonna Be You” from the upcoming film ’80 For Brady.,’ written by Grammy and Emmy Award-winning songwriter Diane Warren and set for release on January 20th.

Warrens said of the song: “When I wrote ‘Gonna Be You’ for 80 for Brady, I wanted to write a song that celebrated these women’s deep friendship. Since 80 was in the title I got a crazy idea, why not get some of the most iconic singers from the 80s, who are still amazing and always will be, to all sing it?!!!! Everyone I approached said yes and was just as excited as me!! I’m honored to have Dolly Parton, Belinda Carlisle, Cyndi Lauper, Gloria Estefan and Debbie Harry on this song!! ‘Gonna Be You’ is that song you want to sing along to with all your good friends!!!”

’80 For Brady,‘ starring Lily Tomlin, Jane Fonda, Rita Moreno and Sally Field, is inspired by the true story of four best friends living life to the fullest when they take a wild trip to the 2017 Super Bowl LI to see their hero Tom Brady play. 80 for Brady is in-theaters February 3rd.

Editorial credit: Tinseltown / Shutterstock.com

Categories
Country Daypop

Dolly Parton, Gloria Estefan, Belinda Carlile, Cyndi Lauper, Debbie Harry team up for “Gonna Be You”

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Dolly Parton, Belinda Carlisle, Cyndi Lauper, Gloria Estefan and Debbie Harry have teamed up for the new single “Gonna Be You” from the upcoming film ’80 For Brady.,’ written by Grammy and Emmy Award-winning songwriter Diane Warren and set for release on January 20th.

Warrens said of the song: “When I wrote ‘Gonna Be You’ for 80 for Brady, I wanted to write a song that celebrated these women’s deep friendship. Since 80 was in the title I got a crazy idea, why not get some of the most iconic singers from the 80s, who are still amazing and always will be, to all sing it?!!!! Everyone I approached said yes and was just as excited as me!! I’m honored to have Dolly Parton, Belinda Carlisle, Cyndi Lauper, Gloria Estefan and Debbie Harry on this song!! ‘Gonna Be You’ is that song you want to sing along to with all your good friends!!!”

’80 For Brady,‘ starring Lily Tomlin, Jane Fonda, Rita Moreno and Sally Field, is inspired by the true story of four best friends living life to the fullest when they take a wild trip to the 2017 Super Bowl LI to see their hero Tom Brady play. 80 for Brady is in-theaters February 3rd.

Editorial credit: Tinseltown / Shutterstock.com

Categories
News Daypop

U.S. expresses support for Brazilian President Lula da Silva amid riot at Brasilia capitol

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On Sunday, the White House joined France, Spain and Portugal in expressing support for Brazilian President Lula da Silva amid an ongoing riot at the capitol in Brasilia. Hundreds of supporters of Brazil’s right-wing former President Jair Bolsonaro stormed the country’s Congress, Supreme Court and Planalto Presidential Palace on Sunday to protest the election of Lula and calling for a military intervention to overthrow him, earning the rebuke from world nations. White House National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said in a statement on Twitter: “The United States condemns any effort to undermine democracy in Brazil. President Biden is following the situation closely and our support for Brazil’s democratic institutions is unwavering. Brazil’s democracy will not be shaken by violence.”

Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, the president of Portugal, spoke by telephone with Lula after the riot broke out. A readout provided by the Portuguese government said: “The President of the Republic considers that these acts, in addition to being unconstitutional and illegal, are inadmissible and intolerable in a democracy, reinforcing Portugal’s support and total solidarity with the legitimately elected power in Brazil.”

Pedro Sánchez, the prime minister of Spain, tweeted a message of support to Lula and said Spain “strongly condemns the assault on the Brazilian Congress … We support the democratic government elected at the polls. We condemn the actions of groups that oppose legitimate results.”

French President Emmanuel Macron said in a statement that the “will of the Brazilian people and the democratic institutions must be respected” and added that Lula “can count on the unwavering support of France.”

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Categories
News Daypop

President Biden makes first trip as president to U.S.-Mexico border

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President Joe Biden traveled to El Paso, Texas, on Sunday in  his first trip to the border since taking office, in order to assess enforcement operations at the U.S.-Mexico border. The trip comes just days after the White House announced new restrictions on asylum seekers amid record numbers of migrants attempting to cross into the U.S., and amid repeated Republican criticism of the president for not traveling to the southern border sooner.

During his visit, Biden assessed enforcement operations at the busiest port in El Paso — the Bridge of the Americas Port of Entry — which recently received $600 million through the bipartisan infrastructure law. He was joined on his visit by Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas; Texas Democratic Reps. Veronica Escobar, Henry Cuellar and Vicente Gonzalez; and community and business leaders, including El Paso Mayor Oscar Leeser and County Judge Ricardo Samaniego. Biden also visited the El Paso County Migrant Services Center and met with community leaders, including those of religious groups and nonprofit organizations that have helped manage the surge of migrants.

Biden was also greeted by the members of Congress and other officials, including Republican Gov. Greg Abbott, who handed the president a letter demanding he take further enforcement actions at the border. According to a copy of the letter provided by the Texas governor’s office, the demands included that Biden work to detain, prosecute and remove more migrants under current federal laws and resume border wall construction, which the president largely halted after taking office.

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Categories
Sports Daypop

Miami Dolphins defeat the NY Jets to clinch final playoff spot in the AFC

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The Miami Dolphins defeated the New York Jets on Sunday to secure the final playoff spot in the AFC.  Dolphins kicker Jason Sanders caressed a 50-yard field goal just inside the left upright to clinch the win with 18 seconds remaining in the 11-6 victory at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, FL.  Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel said: “It feels tremendous …The goal wasn’t just to get to the playoffs, but understanding [everything] involved. … It’s very fulfilling for the way it happened.”

Dolphins rookie quarterback Skylar Thompson told reporters: “The game today was the definition of just fighting. It wasn’t always pretty, but we did what we had to do to win. That’s all that matters.”  Thompson completed 20 of 31 passes for 152 yards, while Jets veteran Joe Flacco completed 18 of 33 passes for 149 yards.  The Dolphins defense also held the Jets to just 1.9 yards per rush.

The Dolphins will open the postseason next weekend with a game against the No. 2 seed Buffalo Bills, who defeated the New England Patriots on Sunday. The NFL playoffs will start Saturday and run through Feb. 12.

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Categories
Sports Daypop

Buffalo Bills honor safety Damar Hamlin, clinch No. 2 seed after 35-23 win over Patriots

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The Buffalo Bills played its first game as safety Damar Hamlin continues to make progress in his recovery after suffering a cardiac arrest during Monday’s game against the Bengals. The Bills honored Hamlin Sunday afternoon as they went on to win 35-23 over the New England Patriots. During pregame introductions, There was also a special acknowledgement at Highmark Stadium for the medical staff who helped save Hamlin’s life Monday night during pregame introductions. The Bills came out of the tunnel waving “Pray for Damar” flags and collectively held up the No. 3 – in honor of his jersey number – with their fingers in a mid-field huddle, as well as donning “3” hats on the sidelines.

The Bills (12-3) also wore a special “3” patch on their jerseys against New England (8-8) in a game that general manager Brandon Beane said this week will be “a celebration of life.” In addition to showing their support for Hamlin on the field, the Bills plan to pay Hamlin in full despite his placement Friday on injured reserve. Hamlin’s four-year, $3.64 million rookie contract contains a standard split to pay him at a lower rate if he lands on IR, however, Buffalo worked out an agreement with the NFL and NFLPA to pay his full rate for Week 18’s game.

Hamlin took to social media Sunday to send his appreciation to the players and teams honoring him, while Bills coach Sean McDermott shared that he texted with Hamlin on Saturday night and Sunday morning: “He’s amazing. His sprit is so positive. He’s gonna be locked in. We’ll be thinking of him for sure.”  

Moments after the Bills won on Sunday, Hamlin tweeted “We all won.” Buffalo will host the Miami Dolphins in the AFC Wild Card; time and date and TBD.

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Categories
Country Daypop

RodeoHouston announces 2023 lineup including Luke Bryan, Ashley McBryde and more

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Country music superstars dominate the list of headliners for the 2023 Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo. The annual livestock show and rodeo will kick off on Feb. 28 at NRG Stadium, with an opening-day performance from Parker McCollum. Luke Bryan, Chris Stapleton, Kenny Chesney, Turnpike Troubadours, Ashley McBryde, Zac Brown Band and Walker Hayes are also among the country acts on this year’s roster of talent. RodeoHouston 2023 celebrates the region’s culture and art, while raising funds to support Texas youth and educational services.

Shared Chris Boleman, Rodeo President and CEO, in a press release: “We are thrilled to welcome back so many talented artists including some fan favorites such as Houston rap legend, Bun B who will be taking the stage alongside some additional iconic southern performers  The level of talent we have in this lineup will get the fans excited, including Texas’ own Parker McCollum, who is helping us kick off this 2023, star lineup on Opening Day.”

This year’s rodeo runs from Feb. 28- March 19. Tickets go on sale online on Jan. 12 in two waves, at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m., and start at $25, plus a $4 convenience fee. You can find additional information on the event at RodeoHouston’s official website.

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Categories
Country Daypop

Jimmie Allen hits No. 1 with “Down Home”

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Jimmie Allen has reached No. 1 on the country charts with his latest single “Down Home.” The song is a tribute to his late father, James Allen, who passed away in 2019 at the age of 65.  Down Home was released as the second single off Jimmie’s 2022 album, Tulip Drive, which is named in honor of the street his grandmother grew up on in Lewes, Delaware. It also marks Allen’s fourth No. 1 single, following “Best Shot,” “Make Me Want To” and “Freedom Was a Highway,” featuring Brad Paisley.

To celebrate Down Home hitting No.1,  Allen wrote a letter to his dad on social media: “Dear Dad, I knew you existed and now the world knows too. Thank you to country radio for helping me share the memory of my father through this song … I’m thankful to y’all for pushing me to do this song but I also thank you for being patient and writing it with me when I was emotionally ready…To every person that listened to this song thank you. I read every message about how this song related to you and the person you lost. I’m sending love and peace your way in dealing with your loss. #BigJim #RipDad #15″

Jimmie Allen lands fourth No 1 single

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