Tuesday, 28 February 2017
Academy Releases Statement Explaining and Assigning Blame for Oscars Best Picture Mix-Up
The Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences has released a statement explaining – and assigning blame for – Sunday night’s already legendary Best Picture blunder.
An embarrassing mix-up saw Warren Beaty and Faye Dunaway, who were announcing the winner, being given the wrong envelope, one containing the winner of the previous category (Emma Stone, Best Actress for La La Land). Halfway through La La Land‘s acceptance speech, it was announced that Moonlight had actually won, sending viewers online into a frenzy.
“We deeply regret the mistakes that were made during the presentation of the Best Picture category during last night’s Oscar ceremony,” the Academy said in a statement shared last night (February 27). “We apologize to the entire cast and crew of La La Land and Moonlight whose experience was profoundly altered by this error. We salute the tremendous grace they displayed under the circumstances. To all involved — including our presenters Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway, the filmmakers, and our fans watching worldwide — we apologize.”
The Academy proceeded to explain that professional services firm PricewaterhouseCoopers had accepted “full responsibility” for the gaffe.
The Academy added: “For the last 83 years, the Academy has entrusted PwC to handle the critical tabulation process, including the accurate delivery of results. PwC has taken full responsibility for the breaches of established protocols that took place during the ceremony. We have spent last night and today investigating the circumstances, and will determine what actions are appropriate going forward. We are unwaveringly committed to upholding the integrity of the Oscars and the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.”
AFP/Getty Images
Meanwhile, PwC has issued its own statement seeking to explain what went wrong. “PwC takes full responsibility for the series of mistakes and breaches of established protocols during last night’s Oscars,” the statement said. “PwC partner Brian Cullinan mistakenly handed the back-up envelope for Actress in a Leading Role instead of the envelope for Best Picture to presenters Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway. Once the error occurred, protocols for correcting it were not followed through quickly enough by Mr. Cullinan or his partner.”
The firm added: “We are deeply sorry for the disappointment suffered by the cast and crew of La La Land and Moonlight. We sincerely apologize to Warren Beatty, Faye Dunaway, Jimmy Kimmel, ABC, and the Academy, none of whom was at fault for last night’s errors.”
In the wake of the mix-up, Faye Dunaway was reportedly heard saying: “I really fucked that up.” Meanwhile, Donald Trump has blamed the blunder on too much focus on him in the build-up to this year’s Oscars.
The Oscars also caused controversy on Sunday night after it emerged that a picture of a living woman was shown during the In Memoriam segment.
The post Academy releases statement explaining and assigning blame for Oscars Best Picture mix-up appeared first on NME.
Keep up to date with all the best music and entertainment happenings by visiting our News page.
from Myspace - Editorial http://ift.tt/2lPXQVZ
10 Songs That Totally Ripped Off Other Songs
A lot of times the pop music industry resembles a real factory with highly questionable labor rules. Overworked underage stars, greedy producers, never-ending supply of future hits ready for export and mass consumption. No wonder sometimes the factory workers (ie: producers, writers and singers themselves) come up with less-than-unique goods. And on some occasions, plagiarism becomes transparent when it’s already too late: the product has been shipped and no returns are possible. Here are 10 songs that totally ripped off other songs.
Kyrah – "Uh Oh"
Sounds Like: Kesha – "Tik Tok"
Think Kesha was abusing the LOL-party-girl image hard in her pre-lawsuit heyday? Wait ‘til you see her British knock-off named Kyrah, who took drinking until you collapse naked to a whole new level. Just like “Tik Tok,” “Uh Oh” opened with the graphic description of the morning after. Unfortunately, production-wise Kyrah’s efforts took a few steps back and sounded like something even Kesha herself would deem too kitschy. Our favorite line though? “Dance, sex, bed, floor, back to where I was before.” We’re not entirely sure where exactly Kyrah is back to: her “fame” lasted less than our recent hangover. Uh oh indeed.
Little Mix – "Shout Out To My Ex"
Sounds Like: GRL – "Ugly Heart"
When the British quartet unleashed their recent bad-boyfriends-bashing anthem, the pop-adoring part of humanity split in two. While some praised the sing-along-friendly banger, others couldn’t see past the fact that the chorus was a blatant rip-off of another girlband’s not-so-ancient song. American band GRL’s “Ugly Heart” was a hit in Little Mix’s native UK back in 2014, making it hard to believe that they could have missed the catchy tune. You bet we talked about this during our recent chat with GRL. Who doesn’t love some girlband-related drama?!
Clean Bandit – "Rockabye"
Sounds Like: Mr. President – "Coco Jambo"
Clean Bandit’s “Rockabye” is one of those scientifically created pop songs with the destructive force of a nuclear weapon — all it takes is just one play to get deep into your brain and turn you into a willing chorus-chanting zombie. Funnily enough, the song came out exactly 20 years after the arrival of another coconut-flavored party staple: Mr. President’s “Coco Jambo.” Can this be part of some top secret government conspiracy? Probably the same one that resulted in Sean Paul’s surprising career resurrection.
Kelly Clarkson – "Already Gone"
Sounds Like: Beyoncé – "Halo"
The problem with hot writers and producers is that nobody’s immune to the inspiration-draining power of an impending deadline. Once you prove your place in pop’s behind-the-scenes higher echelon, everyone wants a piece of that paper you’re scribbling on. But there are only so many unique hooks you can chuck out in order to bring your clients to the tops of the charts. One of the most scandalous moments in the pop factory occurred back in 2009, when OneRepublic’s go-to-hitmaker Ryan Tedder was asked to pen power ballads for both Beyoncé and Kelly Clarkson.
Thematically, the two songs couldn’t have been more different — Beyoncé’s one was a haunting love letter while Clarkson’s song was equally beautiful post scriptum to dying romance — yet musically, they were basically the same song. “Halo” came out earlier and upon hearing it, Clarkson was very vocal about trying to get “Already Gone” off her album, yet her label not only made the singer include it but demanded it to be released as a single, too. Ryan Tedder called two songs “entirely different,” which raises a very important question: How is this man allowed to work in the music industry in the first place?
Kelly Clarkson – "Heartbeat Song"
Sounds Like: Jimmy Eat World – "The Middle"
Poor, Clarkso. Why does this keep happening to her? Her 2015 big comeback was overshadowed by rightful accusation that “Heartbeat Song” sounded very much like Jimmy Eat World’s 2001 hit. Clarkson went on record to state that she actually loved Jimmy Eat World, but didn’t think her song sounded similar while recording it. The band itself didn’t sue her either, which is the music industry’s equivalent of seeing a unicorn on February 29.
Katy Perry – "Roar"
Sounds Like: Sara Bareilles – "Brave"
No amount of jungle-print underwear could distract from the fact that Katy Perry’s 2013 self-empowerment anthem “Roar” was not just a sequel, but basically a remake of Sara Bareilles’ equally themed therapeutic song. But what could have turned into a messy legal drama, eventually worked in everyone’s favor: “Roar” topped the Billboard Hot 100 while “Brave” landed on #23, which was still a big success for Bareilles.
Rihanna – "Only Girl (In The World)"
Sounds Like: David Guetta ft. Akon – "Sexy Bitch"
Long before she was trying hard to convert into an ANTI popstar and become the Grammy’s hardest flask abuser, Rihanna was on her quest to earn the badge of pop’s next savior — a task impossible without a string of buzzing pop hits courtesy of top European producers. If Rihanna indeed was “the only girl in the world,” then nobody would hear the similarities between her 2010 hit and David Guetta’s “Sexy Bitch,” which came out one year prior and sent every pop star on the planet to the holy grounds of “the club.” RiRi left the battle unscratched, which marked the rise of generic clubby pop.
Ashley Tisdale – "It’s Alright It’s OK"
Sounds Like: Pink – "So What"
Just like 10 out of 10 Disney graduates, Ashley Tisdale decided to use her High School Musical teen-sized fame to launch a proper music career and released two albums. For some reason she opted for the fading power pop approach when making her second LP Guilty Pleasure and clearly set her eyes on the likes of Pink and Kelly Clarkson when coming up with a string of faux guitar-heavy bubblegum pop numbers. “It’s Alright, It’s OK” in particular sounded painfully similar to Pink’s stomper “So What,” which came out a year before. But hey, it still works as a guilty pleasure.
Fifth Harmony – "Worth It"
Sounds Like: Jason Derulo – "Talk Dirty"
Was it worth it for Fifth Harmony to cannibalize Jason Derulo’s horny (in more than one way) hit? Since their attempt at sexing up Balkan music brought them their first international banger, we have to say it surely was. To be honest, Derulo’s tune wasn’t that original in the first place — it did feature re-worked parts of Balkan Beat Box’s “Hermetico.” And since Fifth Harmony clearly lack a fifth member these days, we pitch an unconventional gender-bending solution: Jason Derulo would make a perfect addition to their extended horns-playing family.
Avril Lavigne – "Girlfriend"
Sounds Like: Toni Basil – Mickey / The Rubinoos - "I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend"
Avril Lavigne’s mid-00s transformation from gritty pop underdog into a bubblegum-chewing cheerleader didn’t just piss off her original fans. Fellow artists were quick to point out plagiarism, too. The Rubinoos even sued the Canadian singer’s team over the similarities to their late-70s tune “I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend” (although we still doubt that Lavigne herself even knew who the band was). Lavigne’s producers didn’t seem to learn their lesson though: her 2010’s single “What The Hell” sounded a lot like “Mickey", too. No wonder Avril starts singing “Mickey” at her own shows these days, probably by accident.
Want to see more lists? Check out our Everybody Loves a List! page.
from Myspace - Editorial http://ift.tt/2mFEekU
8 Types of Aging Hipsters You Could Become (If You're Lucky)
Aging hipsters are the new boomers. They're the subset of cool that's too young to remember flower power or have lived through 'Nam, but remember life before the internet, collected vinyl not because it was cool but because it was the only media available, never had to text as teenagers and could bury all their embarrassing hijinks and lame fashion mistakes because they didn't do selfies or social media.
They're the height of post-irony, post-cool, post-self reflection. They're ultimately genuinely interested and can't be bothered at the same time. They make disparaging remarks about the music of today, the outfits of today, the celebrities of today. One day, you, too, will be an aging hipster. And if you're lucky, you'll be one of these.
The Bowie
Who you are now: You’re the sex symbol that men AND women want to BE — and BE WITH. You’ve got the pouty stare, the requisite leather jacket, the skinny jeans and are good enough at the guitar to impress folks around campfire karaoke. Your tattoo sleeves are a source of endless small talk at parties. Speaking of parties, whenever you slink your way in with one date, you always leave with two more — and it doesn’t even matter that your mode of transport is your fixie.
Who you will be in the future: You’re the dude who’ll go to a mason-jar-stocked barber to get your neck and ears shaved, and your beard will cease to be ironic. You’ll bemoan the fact that your skinny jeans don’t go over your beer belly (damn you, PBR!). You’ll end up making playlists of Nirvana and Clash songs for your toddler. But no matter what, your hair will always look good.
The Marina
Who you are now: You’re the girl who is too smart to get caught at anything, and knows what cool is, effortlessly. You know everything other people pay to know about (that latest pop-up store, the street artist whose work will be worth millions, tix to the secret Rolling Stones show at the Echo), yet you never stand in line for things — you’re always on the list!
Who you will be: You’ll have one kid that knows who Andre Gregory and Jay Z are, you hack the shit out of IKEA furniture, you’re often stopped on the streets by acquaintances who don’t believe you’ve settled down, and you have a ton of hipster friends in their early-to-mid-20s that you use for intel on pop culture, technology and fashion. In return, younguns flock to you to establish their credibility and cool factor. Everyone wins!
The Madonna
Who you are now: The wild child who’s up for anything — drinking vodka and red bulls on the beach from your Manna water bottles, cross-country road trips decided at the spur of the moment, the open relationship specialist who knows how to smuggle any kind of drug to any country in the world.
Who you’ll be: A reiki instructor, a coin-carrying AA member and a vegan.
The Hawk
Who you are now: The adrenaline junkie who has had “every bone in your body broken,” you skate morning, noon and night. You've tried every extreme sport and have surfed in the morning and driven up the mountains to snowboard in the afternoon. You smoke a lot of pot, and you watch a lot of cartoons, but you have a steady stream of income thanks to you and your friends’ “growth enterprises.” You also listen to a steady stream of Peter Tosh-Sublime-Bob Marley-Tycho on repeat.
Who you’ll be: The guy who’ll wear porkpie hats unironically, you’ll have a job as a hedge fund banker, but you’ll still skate to work because you want to feel like you can still sleep in til 11:30am. Who cares about your increased body mass index, your brittle bones and your failing vision? At least you’re not dating an 18-year-old. Plus, there’s nothing cooler than teaching your 4-year-old how to skateboard.
The Christie
Who you are now: The hot chick that everyone wants to bang.
Who you’ll be: The hot chick that everyone wants to bang, but you’ll have intellectually stimulating conversation first because no one wants to be accused of being shallow anymore.
The Kravitz
Who you are now: The starving artist who just is good at everything: you paint, design, sing like an angel, play every instrument and look good doing it to boot. You don’t work, but you don’t need to — you live off every single girlfriend you’ve ever had. (They don’t care because you make them breakfast in bed, plus the sex is hot.)
Who you’ll be: If the gods are great, you will end up like the real-life Lenny Kravitz, who now looks exactly like he did 25 years ago. He has a beautiful wife, a beautiful kid, exhibits his photography at Art Basel, runs a multimillion dollar interior design firm and has won four Grammy awards. Sigh.
The Shailene
Who you are now: The crunchy granola, earth-saving, deodorant-making, vagina-sunning, own-clothes making earth goddess who makes everything: food, clothes and accessories — as if things you are making weren’t available on Amazon for $2 with prime shipping.
Who you will be: The lady who opens a 55+ community for aging hippies that will have a dog-friendly park, communal kitchens, will allow skateboarding (for all the Hawks who want to live there), a brew room, and Tai Chi, yoga, and meditation classes. That, or a homeless person.
The Depp
Who you are now: The creepy cute guy, the moody introvert who only glares at everyone in your path. You write poetry on your phone and make playlists with obscure, long-winded titles such as “There’s always money in the banana stand” and “Burn like fabulous yellow roman candles exploding like spiders across the stars.” You hate everyone, but everyone has a secret crush on you.
Who you’ll be: You’re the weird old guy who dresses in poufy top hats and wears make up. You get weirder and weirder with age. Also, since you’re old, you’re not really cute anymore. So instead of being the creepy cute guy, you’re just the creepy guy.
See what else made it into our Top 8 by visiting its official page.
from Myspace - Editorial http://ift.tt/2mFlKkG
Top 5 Tour Announcements of the Week
This week, John Mayer continues his search for everything and Soundgarden make a return to the road. Plus, Ricky Gervais aims to spread humanity worldwide. Here's who we're most excited to see announce tours.
John Mayer 'The Search for Everything' Tour
After an initial round of announcements earlier this year, John Mayer has added a massive batch of shows to his "The Search for Everything" tour. The new list of shows kicks off on July 18 in Albuquerque, NM, and wraps up on September 3 in Noblesville, IN. Click here for more info.
Soundgarden 2017 Tour
Soundgarden are gearing up for their first US tour in three years, in addition to news that the band has begun work on a new studio album. The shows are slated for late April/early May, kicking off on April 28 at WXTV Rockfest in Tampa, FL. Catch them at this year's Beale Street Music Festival on May 7, as well as Rock on the Range on May 19. Click here for more info.
Ricky Gervais 'Humanity' World Tour
UK comedian Ricky Gervais has announced dates for his first standup tour in seven years, fittingly titled "Humanity." Fans can expect his usual brand of sarcastic, topical humor, kicking off on May 6 in Cardiff, UK. Though the tour will span much of 2017, only seven of the performances will take place in North America, including NYC, Chicago and California. Click here for more info.
Ween Summer Tour
It seems Ween is enjoying their reunion as much as their fans, as the group has announced a fresh batch of 2017 summer tour dates. Beginning on June 2 in Royal Oak, MI, catch the group in Baltimore, Brooklyn, Boston and more, culminating in a July 16 Missoula, MT, show. They'll also be on tap for this year's Sweetwater 420 Festival, plus High Sierra Music Festival in Quincy, CA. Click here for more info.
Gov't Mule Spring Tour
The prolific Gov't Mule has finally revealed their summer plans, with the band unsurprisingly hitting the road for a string of May performances. The first will take place at impressive Central Park Summer Stage in NYC on May 17, followed by stops in DC, Kansas City and Milwaukee. They're also on the lineup at this year's Summer Camp, before rounding out the tour with a headlining slot at Delfest on May 28. Click here for more info.
from Myspace - Editorial http://ift.tt/2mFo1fp
Monday, 27 February 2017
Trump Blames Oscars Best Picture Mistake on Criticism of Him
Donald Trump has responded to the numerous jibes directed towards him at last night’s Oscars ceremony, claiming that the Best Picture winner mix-up was because “they were focused so hard on politics”.
Trump was the subject of many jokes from host Jimmy Kimmel, who even tweeted at the President halfway through the ceremony. He was also criticised by many of the winners on the night.
Responding in an interview with Breitbart, Trump said: “I think they were focused so hard on politics that they didn’t get the act together at the end.”
“It was a little sad,” he added. “It took away from the glamour of the Oscars. It didn’t feel like a very glamorous evening. I’ve been to the Oscars. There was something very special missing, and then to end that way was sad.”
Getty
Last night’s Oscars ceremony ended in chaos when La La Land was mistakenly named as Best Picture over actual winner Moonlight.
The incident saw Bonnie and Clyde stars Faye Dunaway and Warren Beaty announcing the winner, unaware that they had been given the wrong envelope, one containing the winner of the previous category (Emma Stone, La La Land for Best Actress).
After a confused Beaty handed the envelope over to his counterpart, Dunaway announced the winner as La La Land. Halfway through the La La Land acceptance speech, it was corrected that Moonlight were in fact the winners – sending viewers and attendees into a frenzy.
Dunaway has since admitted that she “fucked up”, while La La Land producer Justin Horowitz has also spoken about the incident.
The Oscars also caused controversy after the picture of a living woman was shown during the In Memoriam segment.
The post Trump blames Oscars Best Picture mistake on criticism of him appeared first on NME.
Keep up to date with all the best music and entertainment happenings by visiting our News page.
from Myspace - Editorial http://ift.tt/2lsmJ7h
Lady Gaga ‘Blamed’ for Super Bowl Defeat by Atlanta Falcons Player
Lady Gaga‘s lengthier than normal halftime show has seemingly been blamed for the Atlanta Falcons’ shocking Super Bowl defeat last month.
Having led by 21-3 at halftime, the Atlanta Falcons crumbled after Gaga’s performance in the second half and eventually lost to the New England Patriots by 31 to 28.
Asked if Gaga’s 30-minute performance affected their performance, the Falcons’ wide receiver Mohamed Sanu said on NFL Networks’ Good Morning Football: “It definitely did. Usually, halftime is only like 15 minutes, and when you’re not on the field for like an hour, it’s just like going to work out, like a great workout, and you go sit on the couch for an hour and then try to start working out again.”
“I don’t know if you can simulate something like that,” Sanu added. “That was my first time experiencing something like that, and it was different.”
Getty
Gaga announced her Joanne World Tour, including several UK shows, shortly after her well-received Super Bowl performance,. Her isolated vocals from the halftime show have since appeared online.
Meanwhile, Metallica have said they plan to “fast-forward to the next chapter” of working with Lady Gaga after the two acts teamed up at the Grammys earlier this month.
The post Lady Gaga ‘blamed’ for Super Bowl defeat by Atlanta Falcons player appeared first on NME.
Keep up to date with all the best music and entertainment happenings by visiting our News page.
from Myspace - Editorial http://ift.tt/2m3RfYG