Month: July 2024

Categories
Pop Daypop

Blackpink to release ‘BORN PINK World Tour Concert Film’ for 8th anniversary

BLACKPINK SYMBOL ON PURPLE BACKGROUND

K-pop girl group Blackpink will mark its eighth anniversary with a new concert film capturing its record-breaking world tour. The film, titled Blackpink World Tour ‘Born Pink’ in Cinemas, will hit screens in South Korea and over 100 other countries July 31.

The group’s agency YG Entertainment shared on social media: “BLACKPINK WORLD TOUR [BORN PINK] IN CINEMAS Limited screenings beginning July 31, 2024
Experience more in special formats ScreenX, 4DX, and ULTRA 4DX were available.
Tickets on sale worldwide June 27 / South Korea July 17.
Sign up for more info at http://bornpinkincinemas.com
#BLACKPINK #블랙핑크 #BORNPINK_INCINEMAS #BLACKPINK_BORNPINK_INCINEMAS #COMINGSOON #20240731 #YG #CGV”

The concert film captures the essence of the K-pop quartet’s “Born Pink” tour, which spanned 34 cities and drew an impressive 1.8 million spectators across 66 shows from 2022 to 2023. The tour has been hailed as the largest ever undertaken by a K-pop girl group.

Editorial credit: Sedanurr / Shutterstock.com

Categories
Pop Daypop

YUNGBLUD shares video for latest single ‘Breakdown’

Yungblud arrives for the Spotify Best New Artist 2020 Party on January 23^ 2020 in Los Angeles^ CA

YUNGBLUD has shared the video for his latest single ‘Breakdown’.

‘Breakdown’ was originally written by YUNGBLUD as a poem; it comes accompanied by a short film based on an original idea by YUNGBLUD himself, with the script written by the Olivier Award winner Chris Bush. The official music video stars actor Dame Harriet Walter (‘Succession’, ‘Ted Lasso’, ‘Killing Eve’), released as part of his newly announced partnerships with mental health charities Mind and Sound Mind Live.

Yungblud shares: “I wrote this song because it’s been the hardest year for me mentally. I feel myself changing and throughout my life I’ve never felt good enough, it’s been the main thing that on the one hand has driven me forward but on the other, has eaten me up. For as long as I can remember I have felt constantly afraid of how quickly my head can turn dark. It’s always been so hard to fight the darkness that I inevitably have. A lot of people will say it’s a phase and it will go away. But it doesn’t and the reality of the situation is I have to find strategies to allow it to exist and to deal with it as a constant. A lot of us can feel like our lives are insignificant. We can feel like we have no purpose, so what is there to live for? The inexplicable darkness inside our heads can consume us. It can make it hard to get out of bed in the morning, force us to cancel plans, or back out of opportunities last minute. This song was written as a message to myself to try and exist alongside my insecurities and my darkness by grounding myself and remembering what is real in life and that the world is so much bigger than me. In the past my art has been about highlighting the pain and letting the world know that it is there, in order to relate to others but now I want to beat it. This song is a gateway to where my new music is heading. Embracing the light, realizing what’s beautiful in the world and fighting the darkness – not wallowing in it. It’s about getting out of your head and noticing the world around you, the things and people. Connect with them, the chances are they probably feel the same. Don’t let the bullshit inside your head consume you. It just wastes precious time and life potential. Remember what is real. Help people, be kind, help the world, help yourself. You’re probably living more than you think.”

Yungblud will also host Bludfest this summer — his inaugural festival, founded and headlined by the musician. Bludfest will be on August 11th at the iconic Milton Keynes Bowl in the UK.

Take a look at the video for ‘Breakdown’ – here.

Editorial credit: DFree / Shutterstock.com

Categories
Rock Daypop

YUNGBLUD shares video for latest single ‘Breakdown’

Yungblud arrives for the Spotify Best New Artist 2020 Party on January 23^ 2020 in Los Angeles^ CA

YUNGBLUD has shared the video for his latest single ‘Breakdown’.

‘Breakdown’ was originally written by YUNGBLUD as a poem; it comes accompanied by a short film based on an original idea by YUNGBLUD himself, with the script written by the Olivier Award winner Chris Bush. The official music video stars actor Dame Harriet Walter (‘Succession’, ‘Ted Lasso’, ‘Killing Eve’), released as part of his newly announced partnerships with mental health charities Mind and Sound Mind Live.

Yungblud shares: “I wrote this song because it’s been the hardest year for me mentally. I feel myself changing and throughout my life I’ve never felt good enough, it’s been the main thing that on the one hand has driven me forward but on the other, has eaten me up. For as long as I can remember I have felt constantly afraid of how quickly my head can turn dark. It’s always been so hard to fight the darkness that I inevitably have. A lot of people will say it’s a phase and it will go away. But it doesn’t and the reality of the situation is I have to find strategies to allow it to exist and to deal with it as a constant. A lot of us can feel like our lives are insignificant. We can feel like we have no purpose, so what is there to live for? The inexplicable darkness inside our heads can consume us. It can make it hard to get out of bed in the morning, force us to cancel plans, or back out of opportunities last minute. This song was written as a message to myself to try and exist alongside my insecurities and my darkness by grounding myself and remembering what is real in life and that the world is so much bigger than me. In the past my art has been about highlighting the pain and letting the world know that it is there, in order to relate to others but now I want to beat it. This song is a gateway to where my new music is heading. Embracing the light, realizing what’s beautiful in the world and fighting the darkness – not wallowing in it. It’s about getting out of your head and noticing the world around you, the things and people. Connect with them, the chances are they probably feel the same. Don’t let the bullshit inside your head consume you. It just wastes precious time and life potential. Remember what is real. Help people, be kind, help the world, help yourself. You’re probably living more than you think.”

Yungblud will also host Bludfest this summer — his inaugural festival, founded and headlined by the musician. Bludfest will be on August 11th at the iconic Milton Keynes Bowl in the UK.

Take a look at the video for ‘Breakdown’ – here.

Editorial credit: DFree / Shutterstock.com

Categories
News Daypop

President Biden denounces calls for him to step down in letter to fellow Democrats

President Joe Biden delivers his annual Memorial Day address at Arlington National Cemetery. ARLINGTON^ VA^ USA - May 27^ 2024.

In a letter (seen in full here via The New York Times) to congressional Democrats on Monday, President Joe Biden reiterated that he is not stepping down as the Democratic nominee in the 2024 President Election. The president has faced calls to step aside following his weak performance in the first presidential debate against former President Donald Trump last month. The majority of primary voters cast ballots for Biden in the spring, who is expected to be officially nominated at the Democratic National Convention beginning on Aug. 19. One senior Democratic aide confirmed Monday that offices had received the letter, which comes as both chambers of Congress return from recess for the first time since the Biden-Trump debate in Atlanta on June 27.

Biden called for the Democratic Party to unite behind him as he campaigns for re-election, highlighting his performance in the nominating process. While saying he’s “not blind to” the concerns within his party about his re-election bid, some of which he allowed were in “good faith,” Biden wrote in the letter (obtained by news outlets and posted to Biden’s Instagram page): “I want you to know that despite all the speculation and press elsewhere I am firmly committed to staying in this race, to running this race and to the end, and to beating Donald Trump .. We had a Democratic nomination process and the voters have spoken clearly and decisively. The voters — and the voters alone — decide the nominee of the Democratic Party. How can we stand for democracy in our nation if we ignore it in our own party? I cannot do that. I will not do that .. I can respond to all this by saying clearly and unequivocally: I wouldn’t be running again if I did not absolutely believe I was the best person to beat Donald Trump in 2024.”

Biden added: “The question of how to move forward has been well-aired for over a week now. And it’s time for it to end. We have one job. And that is to beat Donald Trump. Any weakening of resolve or lack of clarity about the task head only helps Trump and hurts us.”

Biden also phoned into MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” on Monday, and fairly stated that the voters have chosen him and dared his Democratic critics who want him out to challenge him at the party’s August convention. Said Biden: “I’m getting so frustrated by the elites in the party. … They know so much more. If any of these guys don’t think I should run, run against me. Go ahead. Announce for president — challenge me at the convention!”

Biden is expected to call more lawmakers this week to reassure Democrats that their concerns are being heard by him, according to a campaign official.

Editorial credit: Philip Yabut / Shutterstock.com

Categories
News Daypop

3 Columbia University officials are removed over texts that included ‘antisemitic tropes’

Students in the Columbia University campus on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. Steps of the Low Memorial Library in the background. New York^ NY^ USA - July 8^ 2022

Columbia University said on Monday that it has removed three administrators from their positions and will keep them on leave indefinitely after finding text messages that were exchanged during a campus discussion about Jewish life “touched on ancient antisemitic tropes.” The administrators have been permanently removed from their positions at the university’s undergraduate Columbia College. The college’s dean, who previously apologized for his part in the text exchanges, will remain in that role.

University President Minouche Shafik wrote in a letter to the community that the messages “revealed behavior and sentiments that were not only unprofessional, but also, disturbingly touched on ancient antisemitic tropes …Whether intended as such or not, these sentiments are unacceptable and deeply upsetting, conveying a lack of seriousness about the concerns and the experiences of members of our Jewish community that is antithetical to our University’s values and the standards we must uphold in our community.”  Provost Angela Olinto wrote that the administrators’ conduct was “wrong and contrary to the mission and values of our institution. It revealed, at best, an ignorance of the history of antisemitism.”   Olinto also said that Josef Sorett, the dean of Columbia College, has taken full responsibility for his actions, wrote an apology to the community and will be working with the campus to rebuild trust.

The administrators were first put on leave last month after a conservative news outlet published images of what it said were text messages they exchanged while attending the May 31 panel discussion “Jewish Life on Campus: Past, Present and Future,”and were first revealed by conservative outlet The Washington Free Beacon . The House Committee on Education and the Workforce also published some of the messages last week.

Four administrators engaged in the text messages, including Cristen Kromm, former dean of undergraduate student life; Matthew Patashnick, former associate dean for student and family support; and Susan Chang-Kim, former vice dean and chief administrative officer. Dean of Columbia College, Josef Sorett, participated in the group but was not removed from his position. Said Sorett: “While not intended as such, some of the text messages exchanged may call to mind antisemitic tropes. Any language that demeans members of our community, or divides us from one another, is simply unacceptable. I am deeply sorry that this happened in a community that I lead and, that I was part of any of the exchanges, and I pledge to spearhead the change we need to ensure this never happens again.”

Editorial credit: Tada Images / Shutterstock.com

Categories
Sports Daypop

Men’s basketball head coach Dan Hurley agrees to new 6-year, $50M contract with UConn

UCONN Huskies Banner in the Tampa Convention Center During the 2019 NCAA Women's Final Four Tampa Bay. Tampa^ Florida / USA - April 6^ 2019

UConn announced Monday that men’s basketball head coach Dan Hurley has signed a new six-year, $50 million contract which keeps him in Connecticut through the 2029-2030 season.

Over the past two seasons, UConn is 68-11, the best two-year stretch in program history with the Huskies making history by dominating the past two postseasons and winning all 12 NCAA tournament games by double digits. Hurley’s new contract features performance-based incentives, which can increase Hurley’s compensation; he will receive a base salary of $400,000 annually, in addition to $6.3 million in compensation for speaking, consulting and media obligations in 2024-25 with that compensation escalating each year. He also will receive an annual retention bonus of $1 million.

Hurley, 51, owns an overall record of 292-163 at the collegiate level. He started coaching at UConn in 2018, leading the Huskies to a 141-58 record over the last six seasons, including two-consecutive national title runs in 2023 and 2024. Hurlye was the 2023-24 Naismith Coach of the Year.

Earlier this offseason, Hurley rejected a six-year, $70 million offer to become the Lakers’ head coach, but after flying out to Los Angeles to meet with Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka and owner Jeanie Buss, he opted to return to UConn (the Lakers later hired JJ Redick as their new head coach).

Hurley said in a news release: “It’s an honor to coach basketball at UConn and to represent this world class institution and the great state of Connecticut. We are extremely proud of the championship program that we have rebuilt for our supporters and fans. We will continue to obsessively pursue championships and historic success, while continuing to develop great young men. Bleed Blue!”

UConn president Radenka Maric said: “Dan Hurley is the best men’s basketball coach in the nation and we are delighted that he will continue to call UConn home. In addition to the exceptional program he has built over a period of years and the extraordinary back-to-back NCAA championships he and his teams won, coach Hurley serves as a critical mentor to our student-athletes, pushing them to achieve both on the court and in the classroom, helping to lay the groundwork for their success in life long after they have left UConn. We are grateful both for his championship culture and for his leadership at our university and in our state.”

Editorial credit: Victor Velter / Shutterstock.com

Categories
Sports Daypop

American Taylor Fritz defeats Alexander Zverev to reach Wimbledon quarterfinals

Taylor Fritz of USA during the Australian Open 2024 Grand Slam tennis tournament on January 23^ 2024 at Melbourne Park in Melbourne^ Australia.

American Taylor Fritz overcame an early two-set deficit to defeat two-time Grand Slam finalist Alexander Zverev 4-6, 6-7 (4), 6-4, 7-6 (3), 6-3 in 3 hours, 29 minutes in Wimbledon’s Round of 16, to reach the quarterfinals of the Grand Slam event on Monday in London. No. 4 seeded Zverev of Germany totaled 19 aces, while Fritz hit 15, converting 2 of 4 break point opportunities, compared to 1 of 2 for Zverev.

The 13th-seeded Fritz, who lost to 22-time major champion Rafael Nadal in the quarterfinals at the All England Club two years ago, equaled his career-best showing at a major tournament.  The 26-year-old from California said (via ESPN): “It was amazing to do that on Centre Court [at] Wimbledon, two sets down, in front of this crowd. The thing was, I felt like I was still playing really well for being down two sets. I was just thinking it would suck to be playing this well and just lose in three straight, so let’s take the third. … I had that belief.”

Fritz will seek to clinch a spot in a Grand Slam semifinal for the first time of his career when he meets No. 25 Lorenzo Musetti of Italy in the quarterfinals Wednesday at the All dddEngland Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club. Musetti defeated No. 58 Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard of France in his Round of 16 match.

Quarterfinal coverage will start at 8 a.m. EDT Tuesday on ESPN.

Editorial credit: Victor Velter / Shutterstock.com

Categories
Country Daypop

Take a listen to Luke Bryan’s ‘Mind Of A Country Boy’

Luke Bryan at the Academy of Country Music Awards 2018 at MGM Grand Garden Arena on April 15^ 2018 in Las Vegas^ NV

Luke Bryan has shared his single “Mind Of A Country Boy”, written by Luke, Ben Hayslip, Dallas Davidson, and Rhett Atkins (‘The Peach Pickers’) and co-produced by Jeff Stevens and Jody Stevens. The song is part of new music from Bryan expected later this year.

Bryan says of the track: “Every time I get in a room with The Peach Pickers we have so much fun because we have so much in common. This song not only shows what can run through my mind but also what most us country boys think about on any given day. The girl we love, outdoors, life and not getting above our raising.”

Bryan’s Mind Of A Country Boy Tour will features special guests throughout the tour, including: Tenille Arts, Chayce Beckham, George Birge, Dillon Carmichael, HunterGirl, Ella Langley, Chase Matthew, Meghan Patrick, Lily Rose, Josh Ross, Alana Springsteen, Zach Top, Vincent Mason, Tucker Wetmore, Dylan Schneider and DJ Rock.

The includes two stadium dates this year — Truist Field in Atlanta on August 17 with Bailey Zimmerman, Kameron Marlowe and Chayce Beckham; and Wrigley Field in Chicago on August 25 with Bailey Zimmerman, Tracy Lawrence and Chayce Beckham.

Take a listen to ‘Mind Of A Country Boy’ – here.

Editorial credit: Kathy Hutchins / Shutterstock.com

Categories
Country Daypop

Lainey Wilson shares videos for ‘Hang Tight Honey’ and ‘4x4xU’

Lainey Wilson at the 2024 MusiCares Person of the Year Honoring Jon Bon Jovi at the Convention Center on February 2^ 2024 in Los Angeles^ CA. LOS ANGELES - FEB 2

Lainey Wilson is sharing more music off her forthcoming new album, Whirlwind, set to drop on Aug. 23.

Wilson first dropped the music video for ‘Hang Tight Honey,’ the lead single from the project. Hang Tight Honey, written by Wilson, Driver Williams, Jason Nix, and Paul Sikes, and produced by Jay Joyce, currently sits in the top 20 on the country radio charts. Lainey wrote on her socials: Hang Tight Honey 🍯 the official music video is out now.  In more ways than one, “4x4xU” is a continuation of my story and a direct follow-up to Hang Tight Honey. So we had to make a couple music videos to match 😉 The “4x4xU” music video will be out tomorrow at 1pm ET!  Check out the “Hang Tight Honey” music video now and tune in to the “4x4xU” video premiere tomorrow!”  

Wilson later released the single “4x4xU”, the third song from her forthcoming Whirlwind album following “Country’s Cool Again” and “Hang Tight Honey.” Co-written by Wilson, Jon Decious and Aaron Raitiere, “4x4xU” was produced by frequent collaborator Jay Joyce.  Wilson posted on her social media: “This album kept me in touch with reality while I was getting my footing living the dream. As I continue to share my story, I hope you find yours in mine. This one’s about feeling at home with the one you love. That’s a special sense of peace and freedom if you ask me.  Share this one with someone who makes you feel like you.  “4x4xU” the song and music video are both out now.”

Check out the video for ‘Hang Tight Honey‘ – here;  and see the video for “4x4xU” – here.
Pre-save ‘Whirlwind‘ out August 23 – here.

Editorial credit: Kathy Hutchins / Shutterstock.com

Categories
Entertainment Daypop

Dwayne Johnson and Chris Evans to star in holiday film “Red One”

Dwyane Johnson during a XFL football game between the Vegas Vipers and Arlington Renegades^ February 18^ 2023^ at Choctaw Stadium^ Arlington^ Texas.

Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson teams with Chris Evans to save a kidnapped, jacked Santa Clause (J.K. Simmons) in the first trailer for Amazon MGM Studios new holiday film, Red One.

Red One stars Johnson as the North Pole’s head of security, Santa’s primary E.L.F. (Extremely Large and Formidable). The character teams up with the world’s most infamous bounty hunter (Evans) to save Christmas after Santa Claus (J.K. Simmons) is kidnapped.

A film synopsis reads: “when Santa gets abducted, the head of E.L.F, Lucy Lui, calls in the world’s best tracker (Evans), who just so happens to be a Level 4 Naughty Lister.  On their quest to rescue Saint Nick, the unlikely duo must work with talking polar bears, battle regenerative snowmen on the beach, and slapbox Krampus.”

Red One is written by Chris Morgan from the ‘Fast & Furious’ franchise, and directed by Jake Kasdan.  The film also stars Lucy Liu, Kiernan Shipka, Mary Elizabeth Ellis, Nick Kroll, Kristofer Hivju and Bonnie Hunt.

Red One opens in theaters Nov. 15; check out the trailer – here.

Editorial credit: Mark Fann / Shutterstock.com