Open Thread

Variety reports: Is Beyoncé going to get some love at the country radio format, now that she’s released a single, “Texas Hold ‘Em,” that openly embraces the genre? That’s a big question mark, as radio programmers, like many others in the music industry, are still reeling from the shock of her surprise release the night of the Super Bowl, with …

Variety reports: In an elaborate series of teaser videos, Beyonce has announced the long-awaited “Act II” of her 2022 “Renaissance” album — and as long rumored, it appears to be a country-leaning album, due March 29. In the elaborate, self-referencing ad, we see Beyonce scrolling through songs on an iPhone, then at a lemonade stand (referencing her 2016 classic album …

Deadline reports: Could Super Bowl LVIII be the most-watched ever? After a record year for the NFL, Sunday’s big rematch between the Kansas City Chiefs and the San Francisco 49ers certainly has the potential to break a viewership record. Currently, the most-watched Super Bowl in history is actually last year’s Chiefs-Eagles game, which was watched by more than 115 million …

Variety reports: This Super Bowl Sunday, don’t forget Uber Eats — but also, as the food-delivery service has learned, don’t forget that trying to make light of a life-threatening allergy is bad PR. Uber Eats, a division of the ride-sharing company, on Feb. 6 debuted its 60-second 2024 Super Bowl commercial, centered on the running joke of forgetfulness. But one …

Deadline reports: A good sized earthquake rattled windows across Los Angeles at about 1:47 p.m. today. Preliminary reports put the temblor at 4.6 on the Richter Scale and have it centered about 7.7 miles southwest of Westlake Village. It was the largest such shake felt in that area in some time. There was no immediate word of damage or injuries, …

Variety reports: Just three days before Super Bowl LVIII, veteran DJ Tiesto has pulled out of his slot as the show’s official DJ due to a “personal family emergency,” he announced over social media on Thursday. A rep for the NFL tells Variety there is a plan to replace him, although no further details were immediately available. The Super Bowl …

Variety reports: “Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour (Taylor’s Version)” is coming exclusively to Disney+ — and the concert film will include five songs that were not available in the theatrical or digital versions. The newly expanded version of “The Eras Tour” will hit Disney+ worldwide on March 15, 2024. Among the bonus songs included on the streamer will be “Cardigan,” …

Variety reports: Fox Corp., Warner Bros. Discovery and Disney are set to launch a new streaming joint venture that will make all of their sports programming available under a single broadband roof, a move that will put content from ESPN, TNT and Fox Sports on a new standalone app and, in the process, likely shake up the world of TV …

Deadline reports: The 66th annual Grammy Awards on Sunday turned out to be a very good night to be Taylor Swift, Miley Cyrus, Joni Mitchell and Tracy Chapman. As well as delivering for music fans, and allowing Jay-Z to get a few things off his chest, the Grammys turned out to be great for CBS and the Recording Academy. The …

Entertainment Tonight reports: The 2024 Grammy Awards will include a poignant In Memoriam segment to pay tribute to the lives of revered individuals the music world lost this past year. Grammy winners and nominated artists will deliver heartfelt performances in memory of these incredible icons. Stevie Wonder is set to grace the stage, honoring the legendary Tony Bennett and celebrating …

Broadway.com reports: Broadway Bares, the industry’s one-night-only striptease event, will take place on June 23 at Hammerstein Ballroom. The NYC Pride Month spectacular, created by director and choreographer Jerry Mitchell and featuring more than 150 dancers, is produced by and benefits Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS. There will be two performances, at 9.30pm and midnight, with the theme of the event …

Deadline reports: Facebook and Instagram parent company Meta Platforms set a stock market record Friday, adding $200 billion in market value in a single trading day on the heels of a knockout earnings report. The 20% rise in the tech giant’s stock price, to an all-time high of $474.99, followed the company’s stellar fourth-quarter earnings report on Thursday afternoon. According …

Variety reports: “Will & Harper,” a heartfelt and heartbreaking documentary about Will Ferrell‘s cross-country road trip with his best friend Harper Steele, who recently came out as transgender, sold to Netflix after its Sundance Film Festival debut. Financial terms of the pact were not disclosed, but “Will & Harper” was drawing interest from several buyers. The film, directed by “Barb …

Pitchfork reports: Pet Shop Boys have announced a new album, Nonetheless, with a song called “Loneliness.” The follow-up to 2020’s Hotspot arrives April 26, marking the duo’s return to the label home of its imperial era, Parlaphone. It is also the band’s first collaboration with producer James Ford. “We wanted this album to be a celebration of the unique and …

Variety reports: More than 20 years after the song was first released and following a recent surge in popularity — thanks almost entirely to Barry Keoghan‘s naked dance scene in “Saltburn” — Sophie Ellis-Bextor‘s “Murder on the Dancefloor” is getting a major moment at the BAFTAs. The British Academy has announced that Ellis-Bextor will perform her smash hit at the …

Billboard Magazine reports: Travis Kelce walked off the field as “The Lucky One” when the Kansas City Chiefs defeated the Baltimore Ravens during the Jan. 28 Sunday Night Football game. Taylor Swift made sure to be right by her boyfriend’s side as he and his team celebrated their victory, as they have now landed themselves a spot in the Super …

Broadway.com reports: Tony and Academy Award nominee Colman Domingo will play singer Nat King Cole in a new movie musical. Domingo co-wrote the screenplay and will also helm, in his feature film directing debut. Separately, Domingo is also set to play Joe Jackson, father of Michael, in Michael, the upcoming Michael Jackson movie musical biopic written by John Lodge. “I’ve …

Deadline reports: Taylor Swift‘s image problem is apparently being cleaned up by the X social media platform. On Saturday, searching “Taylor Swift” and “Taylor Swift AI” on the service triggered a message that read, “Something went wrong. Try reloading.” However, a search for “Taylor Swift pictures” brought up harmless fan shots of the singer. This week, dozens of graphic images …

Attitude reports: Oscar-winner Ariana DeBose, Culture Club icon Boy George and disco legend Nile Rodgers are your new favourite super group. The unlikely trio have today unveiled their new collaboration for the soundtrack to spy caper Argylle, named Electric Energy. The accompanying music video showcases Argylle’s all-star cast including John Cena, Samuel L. Jackson, Catherine O’Hara and Sam Rockwell. Read …

Deadline reports:  A new AI feature being launched in beta by streaming pay-TV provider Fubo allows viewers to choose specific news segments from a continuously updated supply of “instant headlines.” The ability to zero in on just a sliver of a live broadcast instead of watching much longer blocks of programming represents a first for live TV, Fubo said in …