JaVale McGee recorded 17 points and eight rebounds and Deandre Ayton added 15 points and 10 boards to help the well-balanced Phoenix Suns roll to a 118-98 victory over the visiting Washington Wizards on Thursday night. Chris Paul had 12 points and six assists in just 24 minutes as eight Suns scored in double digits. […]
The post Eight Suns players score in double figures in rout of Wizards appeared first on Inquirer Sports.
Isaiah Thomas signed a 10-day contract with the Los Angeles Lakers on Thursday, mere days after he joined a G League team in a comeback effort, The Athletic reported. The Lakers are signing Thomas under the hardship exemption, with the news reported shortly before it was revealed the team placed its starting backcourt of Russell […]
The post Lakers sign Isaiah Thomas from G League appeared first on Inquirer Sports.
Megan Thee Stallion and the Jonas Brothers had to cancel their performances at iHeartRadio’s Power 96.1 Jingle Ball in Atlanta due to positive COVID results in their crews.
Both artists were scheduled to appear at the December 16 event, but had to pull out after finding out members in their respective teams had tested positive to the virus.
The Jonas Brothers’ made their announcement via Instagram stories on the morning of the event, writing: “We are extremely disappointed that we can’t be there with our fans in Atlanta”.
Later that same day, Megan shared that she would also be pulling out of the performance.
“While I tested negative today, I’m not feeling well, and as a safety precaution, I won’t be able to perform at Jingle Ball in Atlanta,” she wrote on Twitter. “I’m extremely disappointed to let my hotties down. Hoping to feel better tomorrow.”
We learned a few members on my team have been exposed to COVID. While I tested negative today, I’m not feeling well, and as a safety precaution, I won’t be able to perform at Jingle Ball in Atlanta. I’m extremely disappointed to let my hotties down. Hoping to feel better tomorrow
— TINA SNOW (@theestallion) December 17, 2021
The Atlanta event took place at State Farm Arena, with performances from Black Eyed Peas, Big Time Rush, Monsta X, Bazzi, Dixie D’Amelio, Tai Verdes and Tate McRae.
iHeartRadio’s Jingle Ball will continue its run around the US in Miami on December 19, having already stopped in Los Angeles, New York, Boston and more.
Earlier this month, Megan cancelled a scheduled show in Houston out of respect for the victims of the Astroworld tragedy.
The incident, which occurred in the rapper’s hometown on November 5 during Travis Scott‘s headline set, resulted in 300 injured victims and ten who lost their lives.
The post Megan Thee Stallion and Jonas Brothers cancel Atlanta Jingle Ball performance due to crews getting COVID appeared first on NME.
Jo Hyun-tak, director of the upcoming JTBC romance K-drama Snowdrop, has shared how he convinced BLACKPINK singer Jisoo to join the show.
During a press conference for the series on December 17, Jo spoke about how he initially had preconceived notions of what type of actress would play female lead character Young-ro, and how that changed when Jisoo came into the picture.
“[While] preparing the character of Young-ro… [writer Yoo Hyun-mi and I] didn’t think that a rookie actress would play Young-ro,” he said, per Soompi. “However, as soon as I saw Jisoo, I thought, ‘That person is Young-ro’.”
Jo noted that the moment he met Jisoo, he was “imploring and compelling her to take the role. “[I remember saying], ‘You have to do it no matter what’,” he added. “Although I had no dignity, I remember it was hard to hide my feelings so I just suggested it.”
Elsewhere during the press conference, Jisoo spoke about how she worked with co-star Jung Hae-in during the show’s production. “Since I was acting for the first time, I wasn’t sure how I was coming out [on video] and was lacking in many aspects,” she said. “Jung Hae-in led me along well and treated me comfortably so it was an environment that I could focus more in.”
Set to premiere tomorrow (December 18), Snowdrop is set in 1987, a pivotal year in the South Korea’s history that saw a nationwide mass movement that forced the ruling government to hold elections. Su-ho (Jung) is a graduate student with a secret past, while Young-ro (jisoo) is a university student who lives in an all-female dormitory.
Watch the teasers for Snowdrop here and here.
The post ‘Snowdrop’ director reveals he “implored” BLACKPINK’s Jisoo to star in the series appeared first on NME.
Tierra Whack has shared her third new genre-themed EP in as many weeks, delivering ‘R&B?’.
The three-tracker comprises cuts ‘Heaven’ and ‘Cutting Onions’, which were produced by J Melodic, as well as ‘Sorry’, produced by Kenete Simms. It follows on from the release of her previous two EPs, ‘Pop?’ and ‘Rap?’, since the start of the month, which also comprise three tracks each.
READ MORE: The Big Read – Tierra Whack: “I’m working hard to change the world”
In addition to the new EP, Tierra has also shared an accompanying music video for opening song ‘Heaven’, directed by Alex Lill. In it, we see the rapper walking with an umbrella that rain is falling down onto her from. Check out the ‘Heaven’ music video and full EP below.
As per Pitchfork, Tierra recently told Apple Music 1 host Zane Lowe: “It’s Whack History Month. Any month I’m dropping back-to-back, it’s Whack History Month, so that’s what we’re doing.”
“We’re just always experimenting and creating in the studio, and it was just one of those things where we had so much music but just all different genres,” she continued.
“And then we would be in the studio sometimes debating on, “OK, this feels like rap, but then really, it’s pop. And then this feels like R&B, but really, it’s gospel; or really, it’s gospel, but it feels like…. So we’re letting the fans decide. We’re letting the fans, the supporters, put rap question mark, pop question mark. Is it really?”
“And I started by saying, when I was younger, I would have people tell me, “Yo, you got to stick to one thing, one style.” But it’s like, if this is all in me, I’m an artist. I should be able to express, you know? So, yeah, we’re just doing us. I’m giving you everything. I’m not holding back.”
The flurry of releases comes months after the rapper declared she was leaving music, writing on Instagram: “I’m done. I quit doing music.”
Despite this, she went on to release tracks ‘Walk The Beat’ and ‘8’, as well as appearing on Willow Smith‘s latest album ‘lately i feel EVERYTHING’.
The post Tierra Whack shares ‘R&B?’, her third genre-themed EP in as many weeks appeared first on NME.
Leonard “Hub” Hubbard, who played bass for Philadelphia hip-hop collective The Roots between 1992 and 2007, has died at the age of 62.
As the Philadelphia Inquirer reports, the news was confirmed by Hubbard’s wife Stephanie, who said the musician’s cause of death was multiple myeloma, a form of blood cancer that Hubbard was diagnosed with in 2007.
She added that up until last month he had been in remission, and had continued to work on music in recent years. Hubbard was hospitalised on Wednesday night (December 15).
The Roots paid tribute to their former bandmate on social media earlier today (December 17), writing: “It’s with the heaviest of hearts that we say goodbye to our brother Leonard Nelson Hubbard. May your transition bring peace to your family to your friends to your fans and all of those who loved you.”
Hubbard joined the Roots in 1992, just prior to the group releasing their debut album ‘Organix’ in 1993.
Hubbard played bass on a slew of the band’s early records, including 1996’s ‘Illadelph Halflife’, 1999’s ‘Things Fall Apart’ and 2004’s ‘The Tipping Point’. The last album Hubbard recorded with the band was 2006’s ‘Game Theory’ – he left the group the following year.
Despite his departure, he made brief, occasional reunions with the collective, including at the annual Roots Picnic in 2008 and again in 2010, joining the band and John Legend onstage.
Stephanie Hubbard told the Inquirer that in recent years, Hubbard had been compiling an album of songs under his own name that he wrote music for, with artists include Jill Scott, Ben Harper and Vernon Reid. The album was completed last week, she said.
“He wanted to be known for the type of music he was composing,” Hubbard’s wife told the Inquirer. “And before he died, he was sitting there at night listening to the music, and he was so happy with it.”
In 2016, Hubbard sued former bandmates Questlove and Black Thought, alleging that his contract with the band made him a co-owner, but that he wasn’t compensated as such. The lawsuit has not yet been settled.
Hubbard is the second longtime Roots member who has died in recent years. In July 2020, founding member Malik B. died at the age of 47.
The post Leonard “Hub” Hubbard, longtime Roots bassist, dead at 62 appeared first on NME.
Tiffany Young has shared her cover of Mariah Carey‘s iconic holiday hit ‘All I Want For Christmas Is You’.
READ MORE: Stop playing Girls’ Generation, just give us the reunion already
The Girls’ Generation vocalist performed a series of Christmas hits in light of the holiday season for Vogue Korea‘s ‘8PM Concert’ series. It included a slower, stripped-down version of ‘All I Want For Christmas Is You’, accompanied by a live band. “‘Cause I just want him here tonight / Holding on to me so tight / What more can I do? / All I want for Christmas is you,” she belts on the chorus.
During her set, Young also performed a shortened solo version of ‘Dear Santa’, by Girls’ Generation-TTS, comprised of her, Taeyeon and Seohyun. Elsewhere, the Korean-American idol put her spin on Eartha Kitt’s ‘Santa Baby’ and holiday classic ‘Santa Claus Is Comin’ To Town’.
The Korean-American musician recently reunited with all seven remaining members of Girls’ Generation in a recent episode of the variety show Yoo Quiz On The Block in September this year. The girl group’s appearance on the show marked their first official activity as a group in four years.
This year, Young also starred as a mentor alongside former Wonder Girls member and soloist Sunmi on Mnet’s recently-concluded idol survival reality series Girls Planet 999. The singer has also starred as Roxie Hart in the Korean adaptation of the musical Chicago.
In other Girls’ Generation news, Hyoyeon revealed that the group’s iconic debut single ‘Into The New World’ had been written years before the group made their debut in 2007. The singer also implied that the song had likely made its rounds with SM Entertainment acts that came before Girls’ Generation.
The post Watch Tiffany Young cover Mariah Carey’s ‘All I Want For Christmas Is You’ appeared first on NME.
It’s a week before Christmas, though Adele, Elton John and Dua Lipa get their presents early.
Adele starts a fourth straight week at No. 1 on the ARIA Albums Chart with 30 (Columbia/Sony), while fellow British pop superstars Elton and Dua snag a fourth non-consecutive cycle atop the Australian singles survey with “Cold Heart (PNAU Remix)” (via Warner/Universal).
Also on the latest ARIA chart, an album of bird songs takes flight. After debuting at No. 5 last time, Australian Bird Calls set Songs Of Disappearance (MGM) lifts to No. 3, a new peak. Featuring the sounds of 53 of the most threatened species of Australian native birds, the project is a fundraiser for BirdLife Australia‘s conservation projects.
The highest charting new release on the latest frame is Juice WRLD’s second posthumous album, Fighting Demons (Interscope/Universal), at No. 7. It’s the followup to the late rapper’s Legends Never Die, which led the ARIA Chart in July 2020.
Also new to the tally is Norah Jones’ festival collection I Dream Of Christmas (Blue Note/Universal), which arrives at No. 26. It’s Jones first appearance on the ARIA Albums Chart since Pick Me Up Off The Floor debuted at No. 21 in June 2020.
As “Cold Heart” enjoys a second run of two straight weeks at No. 1 on the ARIA Singles Chart, newcomer Gayle collects a new peak with “abcdefu” (Atlantic/Warner) lifting 4-2.
There’s Christmas cheer to be found a further down the chart, where Mariah Carey’s “All I Want For Christmas Is You” holds at No. 8 and Wham’s “Last Christmas” lifts 18-12 (via Columbia/Sony). Also lighting up the Top 40 this week are Christmas tunes from Michael Bublé (“It’s Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas” up 14-13 via Reprise/Warner), Ariana Grande (“Santa Tell Me” up 31-21 via Universal), Ed Sheeran & Elton John (“Merry Christmas” down 27-29 via Universal/Warner), Brenda Lee (“Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree” up 49-34 via Universal) and Bobby Helms (“Jingle Bell Rock” up 55-39 via Universal).
GOT7‘s BamBam is set to collaborate with Red Velvet‘s Seulgi on a brand-new single.
Yesterday (December 16), the Thai-born idol released the first teaser for the music video of his upcoming song ‘Who Are You’, which will also feature Red Velvet singer Seulgi. ‘Who Are You’ is scheduled for release on December 28 at 6pm KST.
The dark teaser opens with arm snaking around BamBam’s shoulder from behind him, interspersed with several other scenes from the forthcoming music video. The clip then ends with the arm slowly tilting BamBam’s face away, revealing Seulgi behind him, before the teaser abruptly comes to a close.
‘Who Are You’ will be the follow-up to BamBam’s debut mini-album ‘riBBon’, which was released in June. That record marked his first release under new label Abyss Company, following his departure from longtime agency JYP Entertainment back in January.
At a press conference for ‘riBBon’, BamBam had shared his worries while preparing to debut as a soloist. “Since this is the first time I’ve gone solo in Korea, I wanted to show that ‘this is BamBam’,” he said. “Rather than worry about the concept, I had bigger worries about my skills.”
In a previous interview with Allure Korea, BamBam shared that he is currently focused on carrying out solo activities in South Korea first. The singer said that he wishes to be “properly recognised” in the East Asian country first before expanding overseas.
The singer also reflected on the difference in reception in both Korea and his home country of Thailand. “I can walk around [in Korea] with ease,” he noted, before adding that he “ can’t do anything in Thailand. Not even go outside the hotel.”
The post GOT7’s BamBam teases new collaboration with Red Velvet’s Seulgi appeared first on NME.
Baltimore hardcore punks Turnstile made their late night television debut this week with an appearance on Late Night with Seth Meyers.
READ MORE: Turnstile on communal new album ‘GLOW ON’: “We want to build something bigger than us”
The band performed two cuts from their latest album ‘GLOW ON’, opener ‘MYSTERY’ along with ‘T.L.C. (TURNSTILE LOVE CONNECTION’. Watch the high-energy performance below:
‘GLOW ON’ arrived back in August of this year. In a five-star review of the new record, NME praised the eclectic range of genres the band drew on while making the album.
“In 2018, upon the release of their last album ‘Time & Space’, NME called Turnstile “the new shape of punk to come,” a hardcore band intent on tearing down boundaries and disrupting rock music’s status quo,” it read.
“Three years on, as they release their third full-length record, ‘GLOW ON’, even the ‘punk’ term now feels too restrictive: this is an album that shuns almost any traditional categorisation, and is all the more thrilling for it.”
In September, Turnstile announced UK and European tour dates for next year in support of ‘GLOW ON’. The band will kick off the run of dates in early February with a show at the Kentish Town Forum in London before gigs in Berlin, Hamburg and more.
The post Watch Turnstile make their late night TV debut on ‘Seth Meyers’ appeared first on NME.
Will Beyonce gift the BeyHive a special TikTok video for Christmas?
It’s not out of question. The 28-time Grammy Award winner may have just joined TikTok.
The Beyonce handle is now live, and boasts upwards of 50,000 followers. Though, to date, the account follows no one and has shared nothing.
Queen Bey isn’t a prolific user of social media. Her Twitter account has tweeted just twice in the past two years and follows only 10 other accounts. Her Instagram is considerably more active with its 224 million followers, but, again, the account follows no one.
Beyonce’s husband, Jay-Z, last month briefly launched an Instagram account, to promote his Netflix production The Harder They Fall. The account was live for a matter of days.
Both are nominated for best original song at the Critics Choice Awards. As previously reported, if the Oscars follow suit and nominate both artists for best original song, it will mark the first time a married couple has competed against each other in any Oscar category.
Last month, Beyonce dropped a new single “Be Alive,” lifted from Warner Bros’ King Richard, an inspiration film that explores the story of tennis legends the Williams sisters and their father Richard Williams.
Her last solo studio album was 2016’s Lemonade, which led the Billboard 200 chart.
The Harris County Medical Examiner has ruled the deaths of ten people who died in a crowd crush at Travis Scott’s Astrowold festival at NRG Park in Houston, Texas, last month were caused by compression asphyxia.
The report was released yesterday (December 16) and concluded that all ten deaths were accidental. Only one of the victims was found to have other contributing factors, cited as “combined toxic effects of cocaine, methamphetamine and ethanol”.
Some 300 people were injured in the crowd surge, which occurred during Scott’s headline performance, with 25 hospitalised for their injuries. Victims were trapped by barricades on three sides when the 50,000 person crowd pushed towards the stage.
The ten victims who died were aged between nine and 27, with the youngest, Ezra Blount, passing away in hospital days after the tragedy.
Blount’s family were one of nearly 2,800 plaintiffs to file lawsuits against parties including Scott, Live Nation, Drake, NRG Energy, the Harris County Sports Authority, and Scott’s companies Jack Enterprises and Cactus Jack.
Earlier this month, Scott filed requests to be dismissed from multiple lawsuits levelled against him, with a representative for the rapper arguing he is “not legally liable” for the incident. Live Nation and its subsidiary ScoreMore, Astroworld’s promoters, also denied in filed documents all the allegations against them.
Speaking out on the tragedy earlier this month in his first public interview since the tragedy, Scott said: “Fans come to the show to have a good experience and I have a responsibility to figure out what happened here. I have a responsibility to figure out a solution.”
Reports later surfaced that he had been taken off the Coachella 2022 lineup, after more than 60,000 people signed a Change.org petition calling on festival organisers to remove him.
Earlier this month it was reported that half of the victims’ families had rejected Scott’s offer to cover funeral expenses.
The post Medical examiner rules Astroworld victims died of compression asphyxia appeared first on NME.
