Taylor Swift kicks off US Eras Tour at Super Bowl stadium
March 18, 2023 GMTGLENDALE, Ariz. (AP) — Taylor Swift opened her U.S. concert series with a three-hour tour of her career.
Swift kicked off the first concert of the 27-date Eras Tour with a six-song set from her album “Lover” on Friday night at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, where the Super Bowl was played a month ago.
Tejano musician Fito Olivares dies in Houston at 75
March 18, 2023 GMTHOUSTON (AP) — Tejano musician Fito Olivares, known for songs that were wedding and quinceanera mainstays including the hit “Juana La Cubana,” died Friday. He was 75.
The noted saxophonist died in the morning at home in Houston, according to his wife, Griselda Olivares.
Q&A: K-pop star KANGDANIEL is on the pursuit of happiness
March 17, 2023 GMTNew York (AP) — KANGDANIEL is one of K-pop’s brightest stars, but at just 26 years old, he’s already learned there’s more to life than bright lights and fancy restaurants.
“I like to pursue happiness because in the end, time is not eternal … we have to maximize our happiness and it’s almost imprinted in my brain,” explained the “Paranoia” and “Nirvana” singer.
Mother: Irvo Otieno was ‘brilliant and creative and bright’
March 17, 2023 GMTIrvo Otieno had realized his passion: making hip-hop. He could write a song in less than five minutes. And he was streaming his music under the moniker “Young Vo,” while working toward starting his own record label.
Q&A: Code Kunst on new album and his love for Mac Miller
March 17, 2023 GMTSEOUL, South Korea (AP) — Producer Code Kunst arguably one of the most well-known artists in South Korea’s thriving music scene, a rarity in a country where singers get most of the attention.
His fame comes from his nearly decadelong career churning out hit songs with some of the country’s biggest names.
Jim Gordon, rock drummer who killed mother, dies at 77
March 17, 2023 GMTLOS ANGELES (AP) — Jim Gordon, the rock ‘n’ roll session drummer who played on classic records by Eric Clapton, George Harrison and The Beach Boys but suffered from growing mental health problems and spent the second half of his life in prison for killing his mother, has died at 77.
Posthumous album set from ‘Gangsta’s Paradise’ rapper Coolio
March 17, 2023 GMTNEW YORK (AP) — The estate of rapper Coolio plans to release a studio album later this year that the Grammy-winning hitmaker had been working on in the days before he died.
Hong Kong’s Mirror launches English song, revives Cantopop
March 17, 2023 GMTHONG KONG (AP) — Hong Kong’s most popular boy band Mirror, a major driving force behind the revival of the local pop music scene, launched its first English song on Friday, hoping to bring the city’s tunes to music lovers globally.
Review: U2 reworks past in thrilling ‘Songs of Surrender’
March 17, 2023 GMT“Songs of Surrender,” U2 (Universal)
Imagine walking into your living room and all your stuff is there, but it's different. The sofa has moved, the bookcase is leaning on a different wall and the framed photos have swapped locations.
‘What You Won’t Do for Love’ singer Bobby Caldwell dies
March 15, 2023 GMTBobby Caldwell, a soulful R&B singer and songwriter who had a major hit in 1978 with “What You Won't Do for Love” and a voice and musical style adored by generations of his fellow artists, has died, his wife said Wednesday.
Award-winning South African jazz singer Gloria Bosman dies
March 15, 2023 GMTJOHANNESBURG (AP) — Smooth-voiced South African jazz musician Gloria Bosman has been lauded for her contribution to the country’s music industry in a career spanning more than two decades.
Bosman died on Tuesday following a short illness, her family announced.
Cat Stevens to return this summer with a new album
March 15, 2023 GMTNEW YORK (AP) — Legendary British singer-songwriter Cat Stevens will release a new album of original songs this summer that took the “Peace Train” hitmaker over a decade to make and revisits familiar themes of togetherness.
Miami goes country with new music festival
March 14, 2023 GMTMIAMI (AP) — Already considered a hub for Latin, hip hop and electronic music, now Miami is going country.
Tickets for the Country Bay Music Festival went on sale Tuesday.
Review: U2 documentary marred by an oddball American
March 14, 2023 GMTDavid Letterman joins Bono and The Edge in a new streaming documentary about U2 and one obvious question soon jumps out: What exactly is David Letterman doing here?
The droll, bushy-bearded American comedian is an odd choice to be master of ceremonies for this Disney+ project, unbalancing everything, even the title, “Bono & The Edge: A Sort of Homecoming, with Dave Letterman.”
In unusual step, U2 reinterprets 40 of its best-known songs
March 14, 2023 GMTNEW YORK (AP) — In reimagining 40 of their best-known songs, U2 recognized that many fans would experience them through earphones connected to a device in their pockets — rather than being belted out onstage.
Streaming this week: ‘Ted Lasso’ returns to screens this Wednesday
March 13, 2023 GMTHere’s a collection curated by The Associated Press’ entertainment journalists of what’s arriving on TV, streaming services and music and video game platforms this week.
MOVIES
— Keira Knightley and Carrie Coon play the Boston Record American reporters Loretta McLaughlin and Jean Cole, who connected several Boston-area murders in the early 1960s to a single suspect they dubbed the Boston Strangler.
Drake announces 2023 North American tour with 21 Savage
March 13, 2023 GMTFour-time Grammy-winner Drake is teaming up with collaborator 21 Savage for a North American arena tour this year.
The It's All a Blur Tour will kick off June 16 in New Orleans and stop in Dallas, Miami, New York, Montreal, Los Angeles and Las Vegas.
‘Naatu Naatu’ wins Oscar, gets music spotlight back on India
March 13, 2023 GMTLOS ANGELES (AP) — M.M. Keeravani has brought the spotlight back to India after a historic Oscar musical win.
Keeravani won best original song for his joyously energetic anthem “Naatu Naatu” from the film “RRR.” The music was written by Keeravani and the lyrics by Chandrabose.
Skynyrd member’s death signals end of era for Southern rock
March 8, 2023 GMTNORFOLK, Va. (AP) — Lynyrd Skynyrd guitarist Gary Rossington, who died Sunday, made it big when rock ‘n’ roll was still a defining cultural force on par with today's TikTok trends and superhero movies.
Mexican pageant challenges standard of beauty
March 7, 2023 GMTVERACRUZ, Mexico (AP) — Edith Aguirre, a dance teacher and single mother of African descent, has been crowned “Miss Colonia” in a pageant that celebrates the beauty and talent of women from the lower-class neighborhoods of the Gulf coast port of Veracruz.
Toni Morrison honored with new stamp, unveiled at Princeton
March 7, 2023 GMTPRINCETON, N.J. (AP) — Nobel laureate Toni Morrison is now forever immortalized on a stamp honoring the prolific writer, editor, scholar and mentor that was unveiled Tuesday morning in a tribute at Princeton University, where she taught for almost two decades.
Taylor Swift, Pink to be honored at 2023 iHeartRadio Awards
March 7, 2023 GMTNEW YORK (AP) — Taylor Swift will receive the 2023 iHeartRadio Innovator Award at the iHeartRadio Music Awards later this month, which will feature performances by Kelly Clarkson, Keith Urban, Pat Benatar, Muni Long, Cody Johnson, Coldplay and Pink, who is this year's Icon Award recipient.
‘Hamilton’ fundraiser set for Hispanic Federation, Flamboyan
March 6, 2023 GMT“Hamilton” creator Lin-Manuel Miranda will bring his award-winning musical back to Puerto Rico for two weeks of performances in June, including a fundraiser for the Hispanic Federation and education nonprofit, the Flamboyan Foundation.
Lynyrd Skynyrd founding member Gary Rossington dead at 71
March 6, 2023 GMTGary Rossington, a co-founder and last surviving original member of Lynyrd Skynyrd who helped write the classic answer song “Sweet Home Alabama” and played unforgettable slide guitar on the rock anthem “Free Bird,” died Sunday at age 71.
Here’s what to stream this weekend
March 6, 2023 GMTHere’s a collection curated by The Associated Press’ entertainment journalists of what’s arriving on TV, streaming services and music and video game platforms this week.
MOVIES
— The 95th Academy Awards are Sunday, which means time is running out for catching up on the nominees.
New this week: ‘True Lies,’ Wallen and ‘Creed’ film fest
March 3, 2023 GMTHere’s a collection curated by The Associated Press’ entertainment journalists of what’s arriving on TV, streaming services and music and video game platforms this week.
MOVIES
— With “Creed III” coming to theaters on Friday, Prime Video has you covered for all your Creed and Rocky needs. “Creed” and “Creed II,” along with every Rocky film from No.
Wayne Shorter, jazz saxophone pioneer, dies at 89
March 3, 2023 GMTLOS ANGELES (AP) — Wayne Shorter, an influential jazz innovator whose lyrical, complex jazz compositions and pioneering saxophone playing sounded through more than half a century of American music, has died.
Joni Mitchell honored with Gershwin Prize at tribute concert
March 2, 2023 GMTWASHINGTON, DC (AP) — When Joni Mitchell finally took the stage near the end of an all-star tribute concert honoring her as this year’s recipient of the Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song, she opted to perform a cover rather than one of her own songs.
How the ‘Daisy Jones’ cast went from beginners to bandmates
March 2, 2023 GMTSam Claflin is the first to admit that when he got the part of Billy Dunne, the co-lead singer of a world-famous 1970s rock band in " Daisy Jones & the Six, " he was no musician.
Kiss reveal last dates of their farewell tour, ending in NYC
March 1, 2023 GMTNEW YORK (AP) — Rockers Kiss have announced the final shows of their last tour: The band plans to hang up their platform boots after two back-to-back shows at Madison Square Garden in New York at the end of 2023.
Murakami’s 1st novel in 6 years to hit stores in April
March 1, 2023 GMTTOKYO (AP) — A new Haruki Murakami novel will be published in April and the publisher is saying little about it except that the Japanese manuscript is around 1,200 pages and the plot involves “a story that had long been sealed.”
Q&A: Ludwig Göransson talks Rihanna, Mayan music, new series
February 28, 2023 GMTGLENDALE, Calif. (AP) — Ludwig Göransson initially felt tremendous pressure in composing new music for “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever,” with hopes of living up to his Oscar-winning score on the franchise’s 2019 epic first film.
Opera Philadelphia resets 3 new works composed by women
February 28, 2023 GMTOpera Philadelphia has rescheduled three new works composed by women that were delayed by the coronavirus pandemic.
Rene Orth’s “10 Days in a Madhouse” will be given its world premiere on Sept.
Ready to dance? ‘Naatu Naatu’ from ‘RRR’ is coming to Oscars
February 28, 2023 GMTBreak out those suspenders and dancing shoes, M.M. Keeravaani’s joyously energetic anthem “ Naatu Naatu ” will be performed at the Oscars, the show’s producers said Tuesday.
Broadway’s ‘Parade’ fights hatred both onstage and off
February 27, 2023 GMTNEW YORK (AP) — There's so much darkness awaiting Ben Platt in his new Broadway role these days that he's countered with a dash of brightness.
“I painted my dressing room pink so that it’s a very bright and warm and joyful place to be, so that I can leave what happens on the stage on the stage,” he says.
Slovenian band Laibach’s Ukraine concert canceled amid rift
February 27, 2023 GMTLJUBLJANA, Slovenia (AP) — A planned concert by Slovenia’s popular band Laibach in Ukraine next month has been cancelled after the group angered Ukrainians by remarks interpreted to suggest that Kyiv was involved in a proxy war on behalf of its Western patrons.
Madonna’s older brother has died at age 66, family says
February 26, 2023 GMTMadonna’s eldest sibling, Anthony Ciccone, has died, a family member said Saturday. He was 66.
The announcement was made on Instagram by musician Joe Henry, who is married to Madonna's sister Melanie Ciccone.
Seattle Opera puts story of Afghan women center stage
February 25, 2023 GMTAs the Taliban once again assert control of Afghanistan and push women further out of public view, a female Afghan filmmaker is working thousands of miles away to help bring to life a wildly popular tale of two heroines living in her homeland, including under the group’s first reign.
Jonas Brothers announce new album, Broadway shows in March
February 24, 2023 GMTJonas Brothers have released a new single and revealed an upcoming album and plans to hit Broadway for five shows next month.
Kevin, Nick and Joe Jonas announced Friday they'll use each night at the Marquis Theatre to focus on a different album, including “Jonas Brothers,” “A Little Bit Longer,” “Lines, Vines and Trying Times,” “Happiness Begins” and their upcoming collection due in May, simply called “The Album.” They are scheduled to be on Broadway from March 14-18.
Brad Paisley pens country song featuring Ukraine’s Zelenskyy
February 24, 2023 GMTNASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — A year ago, country star Brad Paisley watched the news on television as Russian troops invaded Ukraine and, like many people around the world, he felt helpless at the images of people fleeing their homes.
Usher eyes EGOT, talks Vegas residency and Super Bowl debate
February 23, 2023 GMTNEW YORK (AP) — Nearly two decades after his iconic “Confessions” album, Usher is revealing more of his inner thoughts — but this time, it’s about future aspirations.
“That EGOT is definitely on the list,” said the music megastar.
Sondheim covers on Instagram, TikTok paved Eleri Ward’s path
February 23, 2023 GMTNEW YORK (AP) — It was 2019 and aspiring Broadway actor Eleri Ward had Stephen Sondheim’s “Every Day a Little Death” stuck in her head.
“I would see friends at auditions and whatnot, and having been awake since like 4 or 5 a.m., they’d ask me how I’m doing,” she said.
Rihanna will sing ‘Lift Me Up’ at the Oscars next month
February 23, 2023 GMTLOS ANGELES (AP) — Rihanna will follow-up her soaring Super Bowl halftime show with a performance at the Super Bowl of movies — the Oscars.
V&A museum acquires Bowie’s archive, will put it on display
February 23, 2023 GMTLONDON (AP) — From Major Tom to Ziggy Stardust and Aladdin Sane, the many faces and inspirations of David Bowie are getting a permanent home in London.
Britain’s Victoria & Albert Museum announced Thursday that it has acquired Bowie’s archive of more than 80,000 items as a gift from the late musician’s estate.
Met cuts season to 18 operas, matching fewest in 4 decades
February 22, 2023 GMTNEW YORK (AP) — The financially challenged Metropolitan Opera is cutting its schedule to 18 productions next season, matching the pandemic-curtailed 2019-20 season for the fewest since 14 in strike-shortened 1980-81.
Iconic Slovenian band Laibach to perform in Ukraine amid war
February 22, 2023 GMTLJUBLJANA, Slovenia (AP) — Slovenia's iconic band Laibach will hold a concert in Ukraine's capital next month, saying Wednesday this will make them the first foreign group to perform a full show in Kyiv since the beginning of the Russian invasion last February.
‘Ted Lasso’ star Waddingham to co-host Eurovision contest
February 22, 2023 GMTLONDON (AP) — “Ted Lasso” star Hannah Waddingham, Ukrainian musician Julia Sanina and British singer Alesha Dixon will host the 2023 Eurovision Song Contest, organizers announced Wednesday.
The pan-continental pop competition will take place in May in the English city of Liverpool after Britain was asked to stage the event on behalf of designated host country Ukraine.
Arts and letters academy votes in Everett, Coppola, others
February 21, 2023 GMTNEW YORK (AP) — The honors keep coming in for fiction writer-poet Percival Everett.
On Tuesday, Everett was one of 19 new members announced for induction this spring into the American Academy of Arts and Letters, the honor society that has included luminaries from Mark Twain to Toni Morrison over the past 120 years.
Streaming this week: ‘Outer Banks,’ Adam Lambert, ‘Snowfall’
February 21, 2023 GMTHere’s a collection curated by The Associated Press’ entertainment journalists of what’s arriving on TV, streaming services and music and video game platforms this week.
Huey ‘Piano’ Smith, session man and hit maker, dead at 89
February 20, 2023 GMTNEW YORK (AP) — Huey "Piano” Smith, a beloved New Orleans session man who backed Little Richard, Lloyd Price and other early rock stars and with his own group made the party favorites "Don't You Just Know It" and "Rockin' Pneumonia and Boogie Woogie Flu," has died.
Anthem for Charles III’s coronation written by Lloyd Webber
February 19, 2023 GMTLONDON (AP) — Andrew Lloyd Webber, the English composer who created the scores for blockbuster musicals such as “Cats,’’ “The Phantom of the Opera’’ and “Evita,’’ has written the anthem for King Charles III’s coronation, adapting a piece of church music that encourages singers to make a “joyful noise.”
Dogs in costumes take over at Rio Carnival street party
February 18, 2023 GMTRIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — As Rio de Janeiro kicked off its Carnival on Saturday, about 100 dogs barked and wagged their tails to the tune of samba music as they paraded in front of pet lovers in a canine costume competition.
At New York Fashion Week, music can be as crucial as clothes
February 17, 2023 GMTNEW YORK (AP) — The carpets have been rolled up and the racks of clothes have disappeared, leaving only a few stray feathers and sequins behind, but some New York Fashion Week guests may still be humming the tunes they heard on the runways for days to come.
Stars attend memorial for punk designer Vivienne Westwood
February 16, 2023 GMTLONDON (AP) — Fashion and music stars including Victoria Beckham, Stormzy and Kate Moss gathered at a London cathedral on Thursday at a memorial service for Vivienne Westwood, the designer who helped create the outrageous look of punk rock.
Revelers celebrate street Carnival across German Rhineland
February 16, 2023 GMTBERLIN (AP) — Tens of thousands of revelers danced in the streets of Cologne, Duesseldorf, Bonn and other cities and towns across the Rhineland Thursday as they celebrated the traditional start of Carnival in Germany.
Barenboim takes it day-by-day, balancing music with illness
February 15, 2023 GMTMILAN (AP) — No one was more surprised than Daniel Barenboim himself at the impromptu homecoming to Milan’s Teatro alla Scala as a last-minute sub just two weeks after he formally stepped down as the Berlin's State Opera's music director after 30 years.
Stax offers free soul music event for Black History Month
February 15, 2023 GMTMEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — The foundation associated with the Stax Museum of American Soul Music and the Stax Music Academy says a new multimedia presentation celebrating Black History Month is now available for viewing online.
De La Soul co-founder Trugoy the Dove dead at 54
February 13, 2023 GMTDavid Jude Jolicoeur, known widely as Trugoy the Dove and one of the founding members of the Long Island hip-hop trio De La Soul, has died. He was 54.
His representative Tony Ferguson confirmed the reports Sunday.
Celebrity birthdays for the week of Feb. 19-25
February 13, 2023 GMTCelebrity birthdays for the week of Feb. 19-25:
Feb. 19: Actor Carlin Glynn (“Sixteen Candles”) is 83. Singer Smokey Robinson is 83. Singer Lou Christie is 80. Guitarist Tony Iommi of Black Sabbath is 75.
Pregnant Rihanna soars in Super Bowl halftime performance
February 13, 2023 GMTRihanna was above it all. And pregnant to boot.
Rihanna is pregnant again, rep says after Super Bowl show
February 13, 2023 GMTGLENDALE, Ariz. (AP) — Rihanna was pregnant with her second child as she performed her Super Bowl halftime show Sunday.
U2 returning to stage in Las Vegas, minus one of quartet
February 13, 2023 GMTNEW YORK (AP) — U2 is returning to the concert stage later this year for the first time since 2019 but without one of the original quartet, as drummer Larry Mullen Jr. is on the injured list.
Review: Rihanna shines in singular Super Bowl halftime show
February 13, 2023 GMTRihanna threw out all the conventions of the typical Super Bowl halftime show and turned entertainment’s largest platform into something all her own.
Priest killed in Mexico, threats force concert to cancel
February 12, 2023 GMTMEXICO CITY (AP) — A priest in western Mexico has been shot to death, the eighth killed under the administration of President Andrés Manuel López Obrador.
The church’s Catholic Multimedia Center identified the priest as Rev.
Cardi B brings energy at pre-Super Bowl concert, joins crowd
February 12, 2023 GMTCHANDLER, Ariz. (AP) — Cardi B teamed with her husband Offset onstage, embraced Serena Williams and later partook with a lively crowd during the rapper’s energetic pre-Super Bowl concert in suburban Phoenix.
Harry Styles, Beyoncé and Wet Leg win at UK’s Brit Awards
February 11, 2023 GMTLONDON (AP) — It was Harry's night at the Brit Awards.
Harry Styles won four prizes, including album of the year, at the U.K.'s leading music awards Saturday, while female-led indie rock band Wet Leg took trophies for group of the year and best new artist.
Miles and Keleigh Teller choose joy in new Super Bowl ad
February 10, 2023 GMTLOS ANGELES (AP) — With a new Super Bowl ad, "Top Gun: Maverick" star Miles Teller and his wife, Keleigh, are trying to remind viewers that sometimes in life's trying moments, you can choose to make the best of things.
Review: Jazz pianist Brad Mehldau and Beatles come together
February 10, 2023 GMT“Your Mother Should Know: Brad Mehldau Plays The Beatles,” Brad Mehldau (Nonesuch Records)
Brad Mehldau and the Beatles make a captivating jazz combo.
It helps that Mehldau’s piano stylings have a range worthy of the Fab Four.
At 82, Dionne Warwick staying busy with youth musical, more
February 10, 2023 GMTCLEARWATER, Fla. (AP) — With a stunning musical career already spanning decades, Dionne Warwick couldn’t be blamed for slowing down a bit at age 82. That is nowhere near happening.
The Grammy-winning, multimillion-selling singer has a soon-to-be released duet with Dolly Parton and a new biographical documentary now streaming on HBO Max.
Bacharach leaves behind lush trove of romantic songs
February 9, 2023 GMTNEW YORK (AP) — Music played softly, almost imperceptibly, in the background of a hotel lounge where Burt Bacharach and Elvis Costello talked about their songwriting collaboration, “Painted From Memory.”
Rihanna promises a ‘jam-packed’ Super Bowl halftime show
February 9, 2023 GMTPHOENIX (AP) — Rihanna is putting in the work ahead of her Super Bowl halftime show, focusing so hard on what she promises will be "a jam-packed show” that her upcoming birthday and Valentine's Day almost slipped her mind.
Burt Bacharach, legendary composer of pop songs, dies at 94
February 9, 2023 GMTNEW YORK (AP) — Burt Bacharach, the singularly gifted and popular composer who delighted millions with the quirky arrangements and unforgettable melodies of "Walk on By," "Do You Know the Way to San Jose" and dozens of other hits, has died at 94.
After ticket flap, Springsteen’s fan magazine shutting down
February 8, 2023 GMTNEW YORK (AP) — A magazine and website that has served Bruce Springsteen's fans for 43 years is shutting down, with its publisher writing that he's been disillusioned by the debate over ticket prices for their hero's current tour.
Dudamel to become NY Philharmonic music director, leave LA
February 7, 2023 GMTNEW YORK (AP) — Gustavo Dudamel will become music director of the New York Philharmonic for the 2026-27 season, ending a heralded tenure with the Los Angeles Philharmonic that began in 2009.
Tickets for Beyoncé’s 1st concert of world tour sell out
February 7, 2023 GMTSTOCKHOLM (AP) — Tickets for the first concert of Beyoncé’s upcoming "Renaissance” world tour sold out Tuesday, and concert management group Live Nation said a second concert in Stockholm was added because of the high demand.
The Grammys ended in controversy, again. Here’s what to know
February 7, 2023 GMTNEW YORK (AP) — A night in music brimming with shocking upsets, historic wins, tributes for artists like the late rapper Takeoff and hip-hop’s 50th anniversary, the 65th Grammys were back in full swing Sunday.
Grammys rebound from COVID years, reach 12.4 million viewers
February 6, 2023 GMTNEW YORK (AP) — An estimated 12.4 million people tuned in to watch stars Harry Styles, Lizzo and Bad Bunny perform at the Grammy Awards, along with a tribute to 50 years of rap history.