Month: April 2025

Categories
Sports Daypop

NBA Playoffs: Celtics, Cavaliers, Rockets all win

basketball going through hoop

The Boston Celtics beat the Orlando Magic 109-100 in Game 2 of their playoff series at TD Garden on Wednesday to take a 2-0 series lead. Jaylen Brown led the Celtics in Jayson Tatum’s absence (due to a wrist injury) with 36 points and 10 rebounds, with Kristaps Porzingis delivering 20 points and 10 rebounds. The Celtics and Magic meet for Game 3 at 7 p.m. Friday in Orlando.

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The Cleveland Cavaliers defeated the Miami Heat in Game 2 of the the first round of the 2025 NBA playoffs with a 121-112 victory at Rocket Arena on Wednesday night, giving them a 2-0 series lead.  The Cavs’ Donovan Mitchell finished with 30 points, six assists and six rebounds while going 7 of 10 from 3-point range. Cleveland and Miami will meet for Game 3 in Miami on Saturday.

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The Houston Rockets evened their first-round Western Conference series against the Golden State Warriors at one game apiece, with a 109-94 win in Game 2 on Wednesday night. Jalen Green made eight 3-pointers and scored 38 points, Alperen Sengun had 17 points and 16 rebounds, and Tari Easonn scored 14 points off the bench. The Warriors fell short for most of the night after Jimmy Butler left with a pelvis contusion after a hard fall on a foul late in the first quarter. Game 2 will take place on Saturday night at Golden State.

Editorial credit: Melinda Nagy / Shutterstock.com

Categories
News Daypop

State of Emergency declared after New Jersey wildfire rapidly expands

Orange sky in New Jersey from Canada wildfires

A fast-moving wildfire in Ocean County, New Jersey, has surged to more than 11,500 acres since Tuesday, forcing thousands to evacuate and threatening over 1,000 structures. According to the New Jersey Forest Fire Service, the Jones Road Wildfire was initially reported around 9:45 a.m. Tuesday in the Greenwood Forest Wildlife Management Area in Ocean County, and rapidly spread overnight from several hundred acres to 8,500. Officials believe that the dry brush and low humidity helped fuel the rapid expansion, as well as strong 25 mph gusts that whipped through the area.

Trevor Raynor of the Forest Fire Service explained that the blaze was first spotted from the Cedar Bridge Fire Tower near Barnegat Township. “Our teams responded immediately. Even with aerial and ground support, the fire grew quickly.” The fire, located just south of Toms River, has also impacted travel along the Garden State Parkway. On Tuesday evening flames crossed the highway, prompting a full closure of the parkway.

As of Wednesday morning, the fire was 30% contained. During a press conference, Shawn LaTourette, New Jersey’s Commissioner of Environmental Protection, said that no injures had been reported, but warned that the fire is expected to continue growing and could become the state’s most significant wildfire in two decades: “thanks to the brave and tireless efforts of our state’s fire service teams, we’ve managed to prevent a much larger catastrophe. Lives and homes have been saved.”

Acting Governor Tahesha Way, filling in for Governor Phil Murphy, issued a state of emergency for Ocean County on Wednesday morning, which allows additional resources to be deployed to combat the fire. As of Wednesday, more than 5,000 people had evacuated either by order or voluntarily. Over 25,000 utility customers lost power due to the fire, and forecasters warned of gusty winds up to 20 mph during the morning before conditions ease later in the day. Rain is not expected until Friday evening.

According to Chief Bill Donnelly of the Forest Fire Service, the blaze has placed buildings in both Ocean and Lacey Townships at risk, with the cause of the fire still under investigation. Currently, about 100 firefighters are working on the ground and from the air, with full containment anticipated by the weekend.

Editorial credit: BobbieNicole / Shutterstock.com

Categories
Country Daypop

Willie Nelson to release 154th studio album ‘Oh What A Beautiful World’

Willie Nelson performs at LOCKN' Festival in Arrington^ VA. Arrington^ VA/USA - 9/7/2014

Willie Nelson will release his 77th solo studio album (and his 154th album overall) titled ‘Oh What A Beautiful World’ on April 25.  Nelson also has shared the title track, a duet with fellow Texas country legend Rodney Crowell, who originally wrote the song for his 2014 album Tarpaper. 

Oh What A Beautiful World comprises songs Crowell has written over the past five decades, including ones made famous by artists like Jerry Jeff Walker and Bob Seger. The record will arrive just ahead of Willie’s 92nd birthday.

Listen to the title track: HERE.

Pre-order Oh What A Beautiful World – HERE.

Editorial credit: Sterling Munksgard / Shutterstock.com

Categories
Country Daypop

HARDY shares new tracks from upcoming ‘COUNTRY!’ EP

Hardy performs in concert during the "Can't Say I Ain't Country" Tour on July 20^ 2019 at Northwell Health at Jones Beach Theater in Wantagh^ New York.

HARDY is back with two new tracks off his highly anticipated COUNTRY! EP, dropping on May 2nd. HARDY shared two new songs from the project — “Favorite Country Song” and “Buck On The Wall,” marking his first new music of 2025.

HARDY shared in a statement: “Favorite Country Song” and “Buck On The Wall” are out now. Both songs remind me of a very special place, the place where I grew up, the place where I became who I am—my deer camp. Two new songs — I’m extremely excited. Both songs remind me of a very special place, the place where I grew up, the place where I became who I am—my deer camp. It’s now the only place I have to go home to, since somebody lives in my childhood home. I feel like it’s been a long time coming to put out some music that gets back to my roots. You guys deserve to hear new HARDY music before the JIM BOB world tour this summer, and I’m excited to share this new chapter with you🤘🏼.”

The artist will also make his Grand Ole Opry debut on April 29, and is gearing up to embark on his JIM BOB World Tour  in May, hitting iconic venues like Madison Square Garden along the way. Hardy will be joined by friends Koe Wetzel, Stephen Wilson Jr., Sikarus, and McCoy Moore on select dates.

Pre-order the COUNTRY! EP – HERE.

Editorial credit: Debby Wong / Shutterstock.com

Categories
Entertainment Daypop

Jason Ritter joins new DC series ‘Lanterns’ at HBO

Jason Ritter at the 29th Annual Excellence In Production Design Awards at InterContinental Los Angeles Downtown on February 15^ 2025 in Los Angeles^ CA

Jason Ritter is slated to join HBO’s upcoming series Lanterns (inspired by the Green Lantern DC comic) in a recurring role. The series is currently in production.

Ritter will portray Billy Macon who tries to cash in on his family’s name as he carries out tasks for his father. His father, William, is portrayed by Garret Dillahunt, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Billy Macon, described as “a good-looking charmer who does his father’s bidding. Capitalizing on his family’s reputation, he clings to his small-town ego and has everything to lose.”

Aaron Pierre and Kyle Chandler will portray John Stewart and Hal Jordan, who are, according to an official synopsis, “two intergalactic cops drawn into a dark, earth-based mystery as they investigate a murder in the American heartland.”  The show will also star Kelly Macdonald, Poorna Jagannathan and Ulrich Thomsen.

Ritter currently appears in the CBS drama “Matlock” opposite Kathy Bates, which has been renewed for a second season. He is also set to appear in the upcoming second season of “Poker Face” at Peacock.

“Lanterns”  was picked up for eight episodes at HBO in June 2024. Originally intended as a Max original, the show shifted to HBO and is co-written by Chris Mundy, Damon Lindelof, and Tom King, with James Gunn, Peter Safran, and Ron Schmidt serving as executive producers.

Editorial credit: Kathy Hutchins / Shutterstock.com

Categories
Pop Daypop

Doja Cat teases tracklist for new album ‘Vie’

Doja Cat at the Los Angeles premiere of 'Book of Clarence' held at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures in Los Angeles^ USA on January 5^ 2024.

Doja Cat gave fans another look at what might be coming on her upcoming album Vie, tweeting a picture of what seem to be songs on her upcoming album.

Back in November, Doja briefly shared a 13-song tracklist on social media (before quickly deleting it) which included titles like “Break My Heart,” “Take Me Dancing,” “Anything,” “Ain’t News,” “Turn the Lights On,” “Slow Burn,” “Wood Holly,” and “Appreciation.”

The latest tease saw Doja share an updated version featuring 16 tracks—some of which were repeats from the earlier list. The post was captioned, “don’t ask me where crack is rn,” (referencing a track called “Crack” that was notably missing this time(. “Turn the Lights On” made the cut again, but several songs from the earlier list—like “Break My Heart,” “Take Me Dancing,” “Anything,” “Ain’t News,” “Slow Burn,” “Wood Holly,” “Did I Lie,” and “Appreciation”—seem to have been dropped.

Doja Cat’s most recent album, Scarlet, was released in 2023 as the follow-up to her 2021 release Planet Her. Doja followed that album with the Scarlet 2 CLAUDE deluxe edition in May; and most recently, she collaborated with BLACKPINK’s LISA and RAYE on the track “Born Again,” and teamed up with Jack Harlow for his song “Just Us.”

Editorial credit: Tinseltown / Shutterstock.com

Categories
Entertainment Daypop

2025 American Music Awards nominations: Kendrick Lamar leads with 10

LOS ANGELES - AUG 27: Kendrick Lamar arrives to the 2017 Video Music Awards Press Room on August 27^ 2017 in Los Angeles^ CA

The nominees for the 51st annual American Music Awards (AMAs) were announced on Wednesday, with Kendrick Lamar leading the way with 10 nominations, including Artist of the Year, Album of the Year and Song of the Year. A press release states that Lamar, 37, can potentially “tie Michael Jackson and Whitney Houston for the most awards in a single year should he win in all eight categories.”

The 2025 AMAs will be hosted by Jennifer Lopez, live from Las Vegas on Monday, May 26th. The 51st AMAs will air live coast to coast at 8 pm ET/5 pm PT on the CBS Television Network, and stream on Paramount+ in the U.S.

Post Malone followed Lamar with eight nominations, with Billie Eilish, Chappell Roan and Shaboozey each earning seven nods, and Bruno Mars, Lady Gaga, Morgan Wallen, Sabrina Carpenter, SZA and Taylor Swift were all honored with six nominations. First time nominees include Carpenter, Benson Boone, Doechii, Gracie Abrams, Jelly Roll, Lola Young, The Marias, Rose, Teddy Swims, Tommy Richman, Tyla, and Zach Bryan.

An official event description states: “The American Music Awards is the world’s largest fan-voted awards show honoring today’s most influential artists and their passionate fanbases.”

Fan voting is now open via VoteAMAs.com and the @AMAs Instagram profile in all award categories. Voting closes on Thursday, May 15 at 11:59:59pm PT, except for collaboration of the year and social song of the year categories, which will remain open through the first 30 minutes of the AMAs broadcast.

Editorial credit: Ga Fullner / Shutterstock.com

Categories
Pop Daypop

2025 American Music Awards nominations: Kendrick Lamar leads with 10

LOS ANGELES - AUG 27: Kendrick Lamar arrives to the 2017 Video Music Awards Press Room on August 27^ 2017 in Los Angeles^ CA

The nominees for the 51st annual American Music Awards (AMAs) were announced on Wednesday, with Kendrick Lamar leading the way with 10 nominations, including Artist of the Year, Album of the Year and Song of the Year. A press release states that Lamar, 37, can potentially “tie Michael Jackson and Whitney Houston for the most awards in a single year should he win in all eight categories.”

The 2025 AMAs will be hosted by Jennifer Lopez, live from Las Vegas on Monday, May 26th. The 51st AMAs will air live coast to coast at 8 pm ET/5 pm PT on the CBS Television Network, and stream on Paramount+ in the U.S.

Post Malone followed Lamar with eight nominations, with Billie Eilish, Chappell Roan and Shaboozey each earning seven nods, and Bruno Mars, Lady Gaga, Morgan Wallen, Sabrina Carpenter, SZA and Taylor Swift were all honored with six nominations. First time nominees include Carpenter, Benson Boone, Doechii, Gracie Abrams, Jelly Roll, Lola Young, The Marias, Rose, Teddy Swims, Tommy Richman, Tyla, and Zach Bryan.

An official event description states: “The American Music Awards is the world’s largest fan-voted awards show honoring today’s most influential artists and their passionate fanbases.”

Fan voting is now open via VoteAMAs.com and the @AMAs Instagram profile in all award categories. Voting closes on Thursday, May 15 at 11:59:59pm PT, except for collaboration of the year and social song of the year categories, which will remain open through the first 30 minutes of the AMAs broadcast.

Editorial credit: Ga Fullner / Shutterstock.com

Categories
Rock Daypop

The Warning returning to the U.S. for summer headlining tour

The Warning (Mexican hard rock band from Monterrey) perform on stage at La Nau on June 17^ 2023.

The Warning is returning to the U.S. with a headlining tour, and will be out in support of its 2024 album, Keep Me Fed.

A social post reads: “USA, IT’S TIME TO BE FED! 🇺🇸 We’re bringing the Keep Me Fed Tour across the U.S. this summer, and we can’t wait to see you there! *Tickets for rescheduled shows in Atlanta and Nashville will be honored on the new dates #TheWarning”

The Keep Me Fed US Tour kicks off on July 5th in Milwaukee, making stops in H0uston, Chicago, Philly, St. Louis, New York City, Orlando and more, concluding in Minneapolis on July 23rd. The trek also features previously rescheduled stops for Atlanta and Nashville on July 12th and 13th, respectively.

Prior to the headlining gigs, The Warning — consisting of three sisters out of Monterrey, Mexico — will serve as support for Halsey on her “For My Last Trick” US tour in May.

Tickets for the Keep Me Fed tour are available via Ticketmaster.

For the full list of dates and all ticket info, visit TheWarningBand.com.

Editorial credit: Christian Bertrand / Shutterstock.com

Categories
Rock Daypop

Billy Idol shares “Still Dancing” video off upcoming album ‘Dream Into It’

Billy Idol Live at o2 apollo manchester uk^ 20th June 2018

Billy Idol is gearing up for the release of his first full-length album in over a decade, titled Dream Into It, dropping on April 25th and featuring appearances by Avril Lavigne, Joan Jett, and Alison Mosshart of The Kills.

In anticipation of the forthcoming record, Idol debuted the first single from the LP “Still Dancing;” he shares of the track: “‘Still Dancing’ is really a reflection of my whole journey. From the punk rock period through to now. And I’m still looking towards the future, still living the life I set out to live. At the start of the song I’m recalling the early times in London, when I was living in squats or at friends’ apartments, all my belongings in a plastic bag. Everybody at home or work told you what you were doing was never going to happen. But punk rock gave me an opening. I was surrounded by people who loved the music as deeply as I did and you were going to throw caution to the wind, believe in what you were doing and grab on for dear life. As the song says, there have been many moments along the way where I’ve been self destructive. But what’s seen me through is that unflinching belief in the music that started all those years ago. That’s been the greatest gift of all.”

Idol will kick-off his It’s A Nice Day To… Tour Again on April 30th in Phoenix with Joan Jett & The Blackhearts, with the five-month tour set to run through September 25th in Los Angeles.

See the music video for ‘Still Dancing’ – HERE.

Editorial credit: ChrisJamesRyanPhotography / Shutterstock.com