Reneé Rapp sings about the trials of trusting oneself and the tribulations of communicating with others on her debut album, "Snow Angel." In other words: She waits by a phone and hopes that it rings, she overthinks and knows it.
The album's 12 tracks — with lyrics navigating relationships, sexuality, growing up and those themes' accompanying anxieties — oscillate between shimmery, upbeat pop and robust ballads. They are cathartic, sometimes tragic, and sometimes knowingly petty. The thematic and sonic range combine into a worthy debut for an artist with already-proven versatility.
Full StoryBritney Spears ' husband, Sam Asghari, has filed for divorce from the superstar 14 months after they were married, a person familiar with the filing said late Wednesday.
The person, who is close to Asghari but not authorized to speak publicly, confirmed the filing happened Wednesday, hours after several outlets including TMZ and People magazine reported the couple had separated.
Full StoryAn Iranian filmmaker and his producer reportedly face prison time and being barred from filmmaking after they showcased a movie at the Cannes Film Festival without government approval, drawing immediate criticism internationally from leading American director Martin Scorsese and others.
Director Saeed Roustayi and producer Javad Norouzbeigi traveled to Cannes last year to show "Leila's Brothers," competing for the festival's grand Palme d'Or prize. The film focuses on a family struggling to make ends meet as Iran faces international sanctions and includes sequences showing protests in the Islamic Republic as a series of nationwide demonstrations shook the nation.
Full StoryThe "Barbie" movie was pulled from theaters in Algeria this week almost one month after its release in the North African country.
Online news outlet 24H Algerie said Algeria's Ministry of Culture and Arts notified cinemas in Algiers, Oran and Constantine to "immediately" pull the movie.
Full StoryOn and off the big screen, it's Barbie's world and Ken is just living in it.
As reflected in Greta Gerwig's blockbuster movie that tackles the legacy Mattel's famous doll, Barbie has always been more popular than Ken. For every Ken doll sold today, there's generally eight to 10 Barbies sold, according to Jim Silver, a toy industry expert and CEO of review site of TTPM.
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Elon Musk has said that his much-hyped cage fight with Mark Zuckerberg would take place in Italy, as authorities there confirmed talks about hosting a "great charity event."
Full StoryThe strike-delayed 75th Emmy Awards have a new date — one that places them squarely within Hollywood's awards season, for a change.
Fox announced Thursday that the Emmys will air Jan. 15 from the Peacock Theater at LA Live in downtown Los Angeles. The show will air on the Martin Luther King, Jr., holiday.
Full StoryLebanon's culture minister said he has asked authorities to ban hit movie "Barbie" for purportedly "promoting homosexuality," as anti-LGBTQ rhetoric soars in one of the Arab world's more liberal countries.
"It was decided... to send a request to Lebanon's General Security agency... to take all necessary measures to ban showing this movie in Lebanon," caretaker Culture Minister Mohammed Mortada said in a statement.
Full StoryHip-hop was born in the break — that moment when a song's vocals dropped, instruments quieted down and the beat took the stage.
At the hands of the DJs, that break moment became more: a composition in itself. The MCs got in on it, speaking their own clever rhymes. So did the dancers, b-boys and b-girls. Graffiti artists took it to the streets of New York City.
Full StoryThe signs of hip-hop's influence are everywhere — from Pharrell Williams becoming Louis Vuitton's men's creative director to billion-dollar brands like Dr. Dre's Beats headphones and retail mainstays like Diddy's Sean John and Jay-Z's Rocawear.
It didn't start out that way.
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