Month: April 2024

Categories
Country Daypop

Beyoncé drops ‘Texas Hold ‘Em (Pony Up Remix)’, unveils new website

Beyonce at the World premiere of 'The Lion King' held at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood^ USA on July 9^ 2019.

Beyoncé has dropped a re-imagined new version of her chart-topping hit, titled “Texas Hold ‘Em (Pony Up Remix).” The remix comes just days after Beyoncé released her eighth studio album, Cowboy Carter. Spotify announced that the  27-track album was the music platform’s most-streamed album in a single day in 2024 so far, becoming the first country album to hold the title.

Beyoncé released “Texas Hold ‘Em” and “16 Carriages” in February, ahead of dropping Cowboy Carter. “Texas Hold ‘Em” reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 as well as the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart, making Beyoncé the first Black woman to top that chart. It also topped the Billboard Global 200 — making it the first time Beyoncé has reached no. 1 on that chart since it was launched in September 2020.

Queen Bey also launched a cryptic new website, beencountry.com, which fans suspect may be her way of teasing a forthcoming tour announcement. The homepage of the new website features throwback shots of Beyoncé as a child singing at the Texas Sweetheart Pageant, as well as a recent image of her in cowboy attire. On the site are images of a banjo and her slogan “This ain’t a country album. This is a ‘Beyoncé’ album.”

Take a listen to ‘Texas Hold ‘Em (Pony Up Remix)’– here.

Editorial credit: Tinseltown / Shutterstock.com

Categories
Entertainment Daypop

Beyoncé drops ‘Texas Hold ‘Em (Pony Up Remix)’, unveils new website

Beyonce at the World premiere of 'The Lion King' held at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood^ USA on July 9^ 2019.

Beyoncé has dropped a re-imagined new version of her chart-topping hit, titled “Texas Hold ‘Em (Pony Up Remix).” The remix comes just days after Beyoncé released her eighth studio album, Cowboy Carter. Spotify announced that the  27-track album was the music platform’s most-streamed album in a single day in 2024 so far, becoming the first country album to hold the title.

Beyoncé released “Texas Hold ‘Em” and “16 Carriages” in February, ahead of dropping Cowboy Carter. “Texas Hold ‘Em” reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 as well as the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart, making Beyoncé the first Black woman to top that chart. It also topped the Billboard Global 200 — making it the first time Beyoncé has reached no. 1 on that chart since it was launched in September 2020.

Queen Bey also launched a cryptic new website, beencountry.com, which fans suspect may be her way of teasing a forthcoming tour announcement. The homepage of the new website features throwback shots of Beyoncé as a child singing at the Texas Sweetheart Pageant, as well as a recent image of her in cowboy attire. On the site are images of a banjo and her slogan “This ain’t a country album. This is a ‘Beyoncé’ album.”

Take a listen to ‘Texas Hold ‘Em (Pony Up Remix)’– here.

Editorial credit: Tinseltown / Shutterstock.com

Categories
Entertainment Daypop

Colin Farrell stars in the Apple TV+ series ‘Sugar’

Colin Farrell attends the BAFTA Film Awards 2023 at The Royal Festival Hall in London^ England. February 19^ 2023

Apple TV+ shared the official trailer for the mystery series ‘Sugar’, starring Colin Farrell and debuting April 5 on Prime Video. The series marks Farrell’s first starring TV role since the BBC Two series The North Water (2021).

Farrell plays John Sugar, an American private investigator on the heels of the mysterious disappearance of Olivia Siegel, the beloved granddaughter of legendary Hollywood producer Jonathan Siegel. The official show synopsis reads: “As Sugar tries to determine what happened to Olivia, he will also unearth Siegel family secret; some very recent, others long-buried.”

Sugar is created and executive produced by Mark Protosevich (‘I Am Legend’), while Farrell, Audrey Chon and Simon Kinberg also serve as executive producers. The cast of ‘Sugar’ also includes Kirby Howell-Baptiste, Amy Ryan, James Cromwell, Anna Gunn, Dennis Boutsikaris, Nate Corddry, Sydney Chandler and Alex Hernandez.

The series will have a two-episode premiere April 5 on Apple TV+, with new episodes to follow each Friday. See the trailer for Sugar – here.

Editorial credit: Fred Duval / Shutterstock.com

Categories
Rock Daypop

KISS sells music catalog and brand to Pophouse Entertainment for $300+ Million

KISS - END OF THE ROUD WORLD TOUR; WIZINK CENTER^ MADRID^ SPAIN - 3 July 2022

Variety reports that Kiss have sold their music catalog, brand name, image and likeness to Pophouse Entertainment, the Sweden-based music investment firm behind ABBA’s “Voyage” hologram show,  in a deal estimated to be over $300 million. News of the deal arrives just four months after Kiss unveiled plans for an avatar concert similar to ABBA’s with digital versions of the group.

In a statement, Pophouse CEO Per Sundin said that the company plans to promote the group’s “iconic music, enigmatic personas, and expressive imagery for generations to come. Our partnership will fuse the rich history and iconic status of KISS with cutting-edge technology, allowing fans – now and in the future – to experience the band like never before.”  He added: “Kiss has sold more than 100 million records worldwide and has throughout their 50-year career continued to push the boundaries in popular culture. The band’s enigmatic personas, unparalleled band attributes, and iconic imagery have made them a cultural force and a legendary act with multigenerational appeal. We will safeguard and enrich this legacy through future global endeavors, by breathing new life into their characters and personas while also leveraging and elevating the visual world of KISS.”

Kiss teased their forthcoming digital show at the final concert of their “End of the Road” tour in New York last year when the band’s current lineup — founders Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons as well as guitarist Tommy Thayer and drummer Eric Singer — took the stage at the final night of their farewell tour in December at New York City’s famed Madison Square Garden, they ended by revealing digitized avatars of themselves. The cutting-edge technology was created by George Lucas’ special-effects company, Industrial Light & Magic, in partnership with Pophouse. with the first digital Kiss show scheduled for 2027.

Kiss co-founder Gene Simmons said, “We have always been breaking new ground in popular culture, and this partnership will ensure that we continue to do so for years to come. Because what Pophouse is doing, is breaking rules. We already have several plans in development.”

Editorial credit: Photography Stock Ruiz / Shutterstock.com

Categories
Rock Daypop

Avenged Sevenfold, Evanescence, Disturbed, Slipknot headlining ‘Rocklahoma 2024’

Avenged Sevenfold performs at Olimpic de Badalona stage on November 25^ 2013 in Barcelona^ Spain.

The 2024 Rocklahoma Festival, taking place from August 30 – September 1 at Rockin Red Dirt Ranch in Pryor, Oklahoma, has announced this year’s lineup.

Headlining this year’s fest will be Avenged Sevenfold (Friday night), Disturbed (Saturday) and Slipknot (Sunday). Full stage assignments and set times will be announced at a later date, but organizers did announce that Avenged Sevenfold, Evanescence and Halestorm will play on Friday; while Disturbed, A Day to Remember and Skillet head up Saturday; and Slipknot, Lamb of God and Mastodon will headline the final day on Sunday. Additional acts include Anthrax, Clutch, Kerry King, Coal Chamber, Pop Evil, Kim Dracula and many more also on the lineup thus far.

Rocklahoma weekend VIP and General Admission passes go on sale Friday, April 5 at 10AM Central Time at www.Rocklahoma.com. Fans can gain access to the Rocklahoma presale to secure the guaranteed lowest price by signing up for the Rocklahoma newsletter here.

Editorial credit: Christian Bertrand / Shutterstock.com

Categories
Pop Daypop

Meghan Trainor to embark on North American tour, reveals new album

Meghan Trainor arrives for WE Day California 2019 on April 25^ 2019 in Inglewood^ CA

Meghan Trainor will embark on a new North American tour, in support of her upcoming, sixth full-length album, Timeless, out June 14th via Epic Records.  Trainor shared via Instagram: “I cannot believe it has been 10 years since this all started. I have never been more grateful for this life that my incredible Megatronz have gifted me with. This new album and tour are all for them and my beautiful family ..I am also finally going back on tour!!! Come see me on The Timeless Tour this fall 💙”

Trainor also dropped the lead single from Timeless, titled “Been Like This” featuring T-Pain. On working with Meghan, T-Pain shared, “I worked with Meghan’s husband and manager for months trying to surprise her for her birthday. She’s been a fan of mine for a long time and the feeling is definitely mutual. I think we came together in a way that’s a perfect mesh of styles that will get everybody ready for us to work together again real soon. T-Pain and M-Train, the collab you never knew you wanted but needed.”  Take a listen to ‘Been Like This’ – here.

Trainor also announced The Timeless Tour, kicking off September 3rd at Riverbend Music Center in Cincinnati, OH. The 24-show tour includes stops at Madison Square Garden in New York, the Kia Forum in Los Angeles, and Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Morrison, CO.  Natasha Bedingfield serves as direct support on the NYC, Denver, and Los Angeles dates, with Paul Russell as direct support for the entire tour. Trainor’s best friend Chris Olsen and brother Ryan Trainor will also be joining the tour as special guests.

Preorder/presave ‘Timeless’ – here.
Tickets for The Timeless Tour are on sale now via Ticketmaster.

Editorial credit: DFree / Shutterstock.com

Categories
News Daypop

Disney shareholders reject investor Nelson Peltz’s bid for Board of Directors

Disney CEO Bob Iger at Museum of Modern Art in New York on January 23^ 2024

At Disney’s virtual 2024 meeting of shareholders on Wednesday, members rejected nominees allied with activist investor Nelson Peltz‘s effort to win seats on their Board of Directors. Peltz, 81 who heads investment firm Trian Partners, failed to get enough votes in his favor to clinch a board seat (as did Trian’s other nominee, ex-Disney Jay Rasulo).

The company announced that the majority of shareholders voted in support of a 12-person slate of board nominees put forward by Disney (including CEO Bob Iger), ending a months-long proxy battle centered on the company’s navigation of the onset of the streaming era. Trian Partners had leveraged its standing as one of Disney’s largest shareholders to carry out a high-profile campaign critical of the company’s growth strategy. Peltz sought board seats for himself as well as former Disney Chief Financial Officer Jay Rasulo, calling on shareholders to deliver them the seats currently held by Maria Elena Lagomasino and Michael Froman.

Per Variety, preliminary results show that Iger won reelection with 94% of the votes cast in his favor, with Peltz receiving just 31% and Rasulo much less. Maria Elena Lagomasino, the incumbent Disney director, received twice as many votes as Peltz and five times as many as Rasulo. Investors voted on three competing board candidate slates — Disney’s own recommended 12-member lineup; Trian’s nominees, Peltz and Rasulo; and three from investment firm Blackwells Capital, which also did not get enough votes to win board seats.

Iger said in a statement: “I want to thank our shareholders for their trust and confidence in our board and management. With the distracting proxy contest now behind us, we’re eager to focus 100% of our attention on our most important priorities: growth and value creation for our shareholders and creative excellence for our consumers.”

Editorial credit: lev radin / Shutterstock.com

Categories
News Daypop

Two brothers plead guilty to insider trading related to Trump Media merger

Truth Social app logo seen on the smartphone and blurred TMTG logo on the laptop.

Two brothers pleaded guilty on Wednesday to insider trading in securities in the company that ultimately took former President Donald Trump’s media business public.

According to federal prosecutors in New York, Michael Shvartsman, 53, and Gerald Shvartsman, 46, made millions by trading in shares of Digital World Acquisition Corporation before it merged with Trump Media. Michael Shvartsman, head of Miami-based venture capital firm Rocket One Capital, and Gerald Shvartsman, 46, each pleaded guilty to one count of securities fraud before U.S. District Judge Lewis Liman in Manhattan. Rocket One’s chief investment officer, Bruce Garelick, is scheduled to face trial on related charges on April 29.

Reuters reports that prosecutors charged the trio last year with illegally trading on inside information about Trump Media & Technology Group’s (TMTG) plan to go public through a merger with a blank-check company. TMTG operates Truth Social, Trump’s main social media platform.  It is alleged that the trio signed confidentiality agreements in June 2021, when they were approached to become early investors in Digital World Acquisition, the blank-check company, which required them to keep information they learned confidential and not trade the company’s securities in the open market.  Prosecutors say that after hearing the company was in merger talks with TMTG, the trio tipped others and bought Digital World securities, selling them after the deal was announced on Oct. 20, 2021, to make a total of $22 million in illegal profit.

Per ABC News, each of the men face up to 20 years in prison when they’re sentenced in July, but prosecutors have agreed to recommend a sentence of about three years. There was no evidence that former President Trump was aware of the brothers’ conduct, and he was not part of the case.

Editorial credit: mundissima / Shutterstock.com

Categories
Sports Daypop

LSU star Angel Reese officially declares for 2024 WNBA Draft

Angel Reese arrives for the 2023 ESPY Awards on July 12^ 2023 in Hollywood^ CA

LSU’s Angel Reese announced Wednesday that she is declaring for the 2024 WNBA draft.  The star forward revealed the news to Vogue that she will enter the WNBA, sharing with the publication that “Of course, I like to do everything big.”

Reese said she made the decision prior to the NCAA Tournament, but the news was released on Wednesday following LSU’s elimination. Last year, Reese became nationally well-known as LSU earned their first national title, with Reese awarded ‘Final Four Most Outstanding Player’. The Tigers made it to the Elite Eight this year before losing to Iowa on Monday.

The 6-foot-3 forward transferred to LSU to play under coach Kim Mulkey after two seasons at the University of Maryland, and quickly became one of the highest NIL earners, signing deals with brands including Beats by Dre, Goldman Sachs, Amazon, Reebok, and others. Per ESPN, Reese was named SEC Player of the Year last month, and was a unanimous first team All-American last season, when she set an NCAA record for single-season double-doubles with 34.

Said Reese in her Vogue interview: “I’ve done everything I wanted to in college. I’ve won a national championship, I’ve gotten [Southeastern Conference] Player of the Year, I’ve been an All-American. My ultimate goal is to be a pro — and to be one of the greatest basketball players to play, ever. I feel like I’m ready… I want to start at the bottom again; I want to be a rookie again and build myself back up; I want to be knocked down and learn and grow at the next level.”

The 2024 WNBA Draft will be held on April 15. WNBA mock drafts by ESPN and CBS Sports have projected Reese projected to be one of the top picks in the draft, going seventh overall to the Minnesota Lynx.

Editorial credit: DFree / Shutterstock.com

Categories
Sports Daypop

Bills’ WR Stefon Diggs traded to Texans for 2025 second-round draft pick

#1 Stefon Diggs against Temple on September 8^ 2012 at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia^ PA.

The Buffalo Bills reportedly agreed to trade star wide receiver Stefon Diggs to the Houston Texans on Wednesday.

According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the Texans will receive fifth-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft and a sixth-round pick in the 2024 NFL Draft in addition to Diggs, as part of the transaction. The Bills will receive a second-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft.

Diggs, a fifth-round pick in the 2015 NFL Draft, spent his first five seasons with the Minnesota Vikings. The Vikings traded Diggs to the Bills in 2020. The 30-year-old spent the last four seasons with the Bills, making the Pro Bowl during each of those campaigns. Diggs was an All-Pro in 2020, when he led the NFL with 127 catches for a league-best 1,535 yards. He totaled 445 catches for 5,372 yards and 37 touchdowns in 66 appearances with the Bills.

Diggs joins a Texans offense that is headlined by QB C.J. Stroud, the NFL’s reigning Offensive Rookie of the Year, as well as newly-acquired running back Joe Mixon, receivers Nico Collins and Tank Dell, and tight end Dalton Schultz. Houston also just signed star pass-rusher Danielle Hunter to a two-year, $49 million contract.

Editorial credit: Richard Paul Kane / Shutterstock.comX