Saturday, July 31, 2021
Kris Wu: Chinese-Canadian pop star detained on suspicion of rape - Al Jazeera English
Police in Beijing have detained Chinese-Canadian pop star Kris Wu on suspicion of rape.
Wu’s detention on Saturday came after a 19-year-old student accused the singer of date-raping her when she was 17.
The claim prompted widespread condemnation of Wu on Chinese social media and resulted in several luxury brands dropping deals with him. The 30-year-old star denies the claims.
Police in Beijing said in a statement that Wu was “criminally detained” on suspicion of rape “in response to relevant information reported on the internet” including that he “repeatedly lured young women to have sexual relations”.
The statement gave no further details.
The news of Wu’s detention was trending as the most searched topic on Weibo on Saturday night, and some users online started commenting on Wu’s social media account, telling him to “Get out of China!”
Wu also holds Canadian citizenship, according to the police.
The official paper of the Communist Party, the People’s Daily, weighed in on the case, saying in a short opinion post online that “Having a foreign nationality is not a protective talisman, and no matter how big the name is, there is no immunity.”
Wu originally shot to fame as a member of the K-pop boyband EXO, before leaving in 2014 to launch a successful solo career as a singer, actor, model and variety show judge.
The teenager publicised her accusations against him on social media last month and later in an interview with the internet portal NetEase.
According to the interview, she thought she was meeting Wu for a career opportunity. Instead, his staff who was present forced her to drink. As someone who did not go to bars, she said her tolerance was low and she was drunk after two drinks. The next day, she woke up in Wu’s bed. That morning, he was kind to her and promised to take care of her, she said.
The teenager said that was the beginning of what she had thought was their relationship. This was the case until March, when he stopped returning her messages.
At first, she said she felt sorry for herself. But after she learned that there were other women who had been treated similarly, she said she felt there were others who were worse off.
“I don’t believe this is just my own personal matter. You can even say that this is a problem with the atmosphere in China’s entertainment circle,” she said in the NetEase interview.
Since her accusations, more people have spoken out online, accusing Wu’s staff of predatory behaviour such as inviting them to boozy karaoke parties.
This file photo taken on January 19, 2017 shows actor Kris Wu attending the premiere of Paramount Pictures’ “xXx: Return Of Xander Cage” in Los Angeles, California [File: Angela Weiss / AFP]Brands including Louis Vuitton, Bulgari, L’Oreal Men and Porsche last week suspended their partnerships with him as a result of the escalating fallout.
Wu, who grew up between Vancouver and Guangzhou, has denied all allegations of assault and insisted he was innocent in multiple social media statements.
The singer said on July 19 that he had met the young woman on December 5, 2020, but “I didn’t force her to drink,” and “there was not this sort of ‘details’ she describes”.
“I have never ‘coerced women into sex’ or engaged in ‘date rape’,” he wrote, adding that he does not sleep with underage girls.
Wu’s studio also published a lengthy response to teenager’s claims, denying any wrongdoing and alleging that she tried to extort his staff for millions of yuan and falsified her accusations.
When the claims surfaced, luxury firm Bulgari said it “attaches great importance to the incident relating to Kris Wu and decided to terminate all related collaborations with Wu from today”.
His lawyers are suing the teenager for defamation.
The student has said she is also taking legal action against Wu and said the star had attempted to buy her silence with 500,000 RMB ($77,100).
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Billie Eilish's 16-track album 'Happier Than Ever' is emotionally candid - Hindustan Times
Billie Eilish's 16-track album 'Happier Than Ever' is emotionally candid
- Few people do complicated like Billie Eilish and 'Happier Than Ever' is a fascinating look at a messy, famous pop star's life, as diaristic as Taylor Swift but more self-critical and emotionally candid
“Happier Than Ever,” Billie Eilish (Darkroom/Interscope Records)
Billie Eilish seems to be in a good place on her sophomore album. “I’m happier than ever,” she sings on the first song. But there's a tear running down her cheek on the cover. And before the collection is done, she returns to the phrase “I’m happier than ever” but qualifies it with “When I’m away from you.” So it's complicated.
Few people do complicated like Eilish and “Happier Than Ever” is a fascinating look at a messy, famous pop star's life, as diaristic as Taylor Swift but more self-critical and emotionally candid. It's a superb album, ambitious and mature — a young woman pulling the fire alarm while we all stare at the flames.
The 16-track album that clocks in at just under an hour kicks off with “Getting Older” and a 19-year-old prodigy's cutting, clear-eyed observation that "Things I once enjoyed/Just keep me employed now.”
Using that as a launching pad, Eilish goes on to explore fame and it's dark sides. On “NDA,” she acknowledges a real-life stalker (“Had to save my money for security") and on “OverHeated,” an encounter with paparazzi leads to an examination of surgery and “plastic" bodies.
Eilish also reaches up to expose unequal power structures, often returning to the theme of innocence polluted. On the hypnotic “GOLDWING” — which starts as a hymn based on a Hindu verse — she warns a novice: “You’re sacred and they’re starved/And their art is gettin’ dark/And there you are to tear apart.”
Those same evil forces are at play on the album's triumph — the acoustic guitar-driven “Your Power,” pleading with a mentor abusing his power over someone in his thrall. “Will you only feel bad if it turns out/That they kill your contract?” she taunts.
So much for living happily ever after. Seven Grammy Awards haven't changed her or her co-writer and producer, Finneas. If 2019’s “When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?” was sarcastic, quirky, internal and angsty, “Happier Than Ever” is fuller and grander, the songs stronger in their construction, crisper.
The brother and sister have an ability to take a spare noodle of a sound and build a sturdy song around it, with Eilish wrapping her expressive and whispery-lush vocals.
Her spoken word “Not My Responsibility” is important and powerful. “Would you like me to be quiet?” she asks and the answer is always no, no, no. She even targets mortality itself in “Everybody Dies.”
The new album isn't all serious. There are terrific kiss-off songs (“I Didn’t Change My Number,” “Therefore I Am,” “Lost Cause” and the slow-building “Happier Than Ever”) and one where she's hopelessly in love (“Haley’s Comet”). Eilish and Finneas even play with bossa nova in one terrific slinky tune.
But Eilish is best in the shadows, exploring our messiest impulses. “Oxytocin” starts off as sexy come-on, appropriate for a song named after a hormone that controls reproduction. But it brilliantly shifts halfway through, turning lust into something darker: "'Cause as long as you’re still breathing/Don’t you even think of leaving.” Hey, its complicated.
This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text. Only the headline has been changed.
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Entertainment
K-dramas to watch in August 2021: Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha, DP, Lovers of the Red Sky and more - Hindustan Times
K-dramas to watch in August 2021: Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha, DP, Lovers of the Red Sky and more
- A number of K-dramas are set to premiere in August. Here are a few to add to your watchlist this month.
A new month, a new set of K-dramas set to premiere. August promises a fresh potpourri of K-dramas for fans. From romance and comedy to period dramas and tragedy, there is something for everyone. However, there are a few that have already generated curiosity among fans. So, here's a look at five K-dramas that you can add to your watchlist this month.
Hometown Cha Cha Cha:
After his newfound fame with Start-Up in 2020, Kim Seon-ho makes a comeback on the small screen with Hometown Cha Cha Cha. This time, he will star alongside Shin Min-ah. The trailer of the show was recently released which revealed that Kim Seon-ho essays the role of Hong Du-sik, an unemployed man who seems to be an expert at odd jobs and always in demand with the locals. He crosses paths with Yoon Hye-jin, played by Shin Min-ah, a dentist who has moved to the town recently. The show is said to revolve around these two very different characters.
Hometown Cha Cha Cha will replace The Devil Judge on tvN, starting August 28. International viewers can stream it on Netflix.
The Road: Tragedy of One:
Another tvN drama that is set to premiere this month is The Road: Tragedy of One. The K-drama will dive into the fictional lives of an affluent family in the residential complex called Royal Hills. The series will explore these characters' ambitions, secrets, guilt, and salvation. The synopsis and the posters have revealed that Ji Jin-hee essays the role of Baek Soo-hyun, an influential news announcer, who is married to a powerful man's daughter, who controls the political world in South Korea. According to scmp.com, the show was slated to release in July but will now premiere on August 4.
D.P.
A Netflix original, DP (Deserter Pursuit) joins the long list of webtoons K-dramas. Jung Hae-in plays Ahn Jun-ho who has just joined the military. Even before he could adapt to the new life, Sergeant Park Bum-goo (Kim Sung Kyun) offers to recruit him into the D.P. squad. He and his partner Han Ho-yeol (Goo Kyo-hwan) then set off to hunt down deserters. The teaser offers glimpses of their eventful trip, however, it comes to a standstill when they catch a deserter and he asks them the motive behind the arrest. Fans will have to watch the series, which according to scmp.com streams from August 27, to know the answer.
Lovers of the Red Sky:
SBS is preparing to take viewers back in time with Lovers of the Red Sky. The period romance features Kim Yoo-jung as a painter named Hong Cheon-ki from the Joseon dynasty who became the first female painter at the Dohwaseo (Korean Royal Academy of Painting). She crosses paths with Ha Ram (Ahn Hyo-seop), a visually challenged astrologer who can read the stars despite his lost vision. The show will follow their unusual romance.
As per Soompi, Lovers of the Red Sky is based on Jung Eun-gwol's Hong Chun Gi. The author's previous novels such as Sungkyunkwan Scandal and The Moon Embracing the Sun have also been adapted into K-dramas. The show is set to premiere on August 26.
Police University:
KBS is taking viewers to the university, Police University to be more precise. The upcoming K-drama revolves around a police officer named Yoo Dong-Man (Cha Tae-Hyun) who is sent to the university to train rookie candidates. Given the theme of the show, expect romance, school drama and more. The show also stars B1A4 member Jung Jin-young (also known as Jinyoung) and f(x) star Krystal. The K-drama is set to premiere on August 9.
Besides these new shows, Hospital Playlist 2, Nevertheless and The Devil Judge will continue to air new episodes every week.
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Chinese Canadian pop star Kris Wu detained by Beijing police on rape allegations - The Washington Post
Mark Blinch Reuters
Beijing police said Saturday night they have detained a 30-year-old Canadian man for suspected rape, with state media reporting it is Chinese Canadian pop star Kris Wu.
It marks a rare detention in a #MeToo case in China, a country where few allegations have been lodged against public figures, and even fewer resulting in investigations.
But Beijing has turned tough on the private-sector wealthy this year, and there were indications that authorities would scrutinize Wu’s case. State media commentators were harsh on him this month after a number of young women came forward with allegations of sexual assault — a departure from previous cases — and a string of brands canceled endorsement deals. Wu had denied any wrongdoing.
The official People’s Daily newspaper posted on its Weibo social media account late Saturday that Wu Yifan, Kris Wu’s Chinese name, had been detained. It also reposted a notice from the police in Beijing’s Chaoyang district that said a 30-year-old Canadian man surnamed Wu had been detained on suspicion of rape, after multiple women made allegations.
“Investigative work for the case is underway,” the police statement said.
Wu’s detention was among the top trending topics on Weibo on Saturday night.
Wu’s management company and attorney did not immediately respond to requests for comment from The Washington Post.
China-Canada relations also remain tense over the continued house arrest of Huawei Chief Financial Officer Meng Wanzhou in Canada, as the United States seeks her extradition on charges of Iran sanctions violations, and Beijing’s detention of two Canadian nationals, Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor, among other retaliatory actions.
In an interview published earlier this month by Chinese media outlet NetEase, a young woman, Du Meizhu, accused Wu of luring her and other teenagers for sex. Du said when she was 17, the singer plied her with alcohol until she passed out.
Her allegations sparked a firestorm, with two dozen other young women also making allegations against Wu. In response, more than a dozen brands suspended or canceled their contracts with Wu, including French luxury brand Louis Vuitton, German automaker Porsche, French cosmetics label Lancôme, Chinese instant noodle brand Master Kong and Chinese video-streaming giant Tencent Video.
Tingshu Wang
Reuters
People walk next to an advertisement featuring Kris Wu at a shopping mall in Beijing on July 20.
Wu has denied the allegations. China’s age of consent is 14.
“There were never any ‘minors’!” Wu wrote on the Weibo social media platform earlier this month. “If this kind of thing happened, please rest assured that I will go by myself to jail!! I will take legal responsibility for my words above!!”
Wu shot to fame as part of the South Korean Chinese boy band EXO, before leaving the group in 2014 for a solo career in China. He was born in China but holds Canadian citizenship.
The #MeToo movement has made limited headway in China until now, partly because of official discouragement, including arrests of feminist activists who staged protests.
But there were indications earlier this month that Beijing would not go easy on Wu’s case.
“Even though he’s a Canadian, China also has jurisdiction,” the state-run China News Weekly commented earlier this month.
Wealthy members of other Chinese business sectors have also been under elevated scrutiny this year, with Beijing regulators torpedoing the IPO plans of Alibaba’s financial services affiliate, and launching an investigation into Didi Chuxing, the country’s equivalent of Uber.
Chinese pop star Kris Wu scrutinized over teen sexual assault allegations
In high-profile #MeToo case, an intern takes on a celebrity TV host in China
Despite real progress, Chinese women may be losing ground
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Billie Eilish Dominates Spotify In America With Her New Album ‘Happier Than Ever’ - Forbes
Just one day after Billie Eilish released her long-awaited sophomore album Happier Than Ever, the tunes featured on what will surely be one of the biggest full-lengths of the year have all become massive streaming wins for the young singer. In fact, Eilish dominates the ranking of the most-streamed tracks on Spotify in America as millions of fans rushed to hear what the Grammy winner has been working on for several years now.
Five Eilish tracks appear inside the top 10 on the ranking for Friday, July 30 (the day Happier Than Ever was released), giving her control over half of all the spots inside the highest tier on the tally. Up first among the bunch of just-dropped cuts is “Happier Than Ever,” which arrived with a music video and which may be the new focus of the campaign. That tune starts off at No. 4. “Getting Older” launches at No. 6, and her highest-ranking two titles are among the few songs that managed to rack up at least one million plays on Spotify in the U.S. in a single day.
New at Nos. 8, 9 and 10 are Happier Than Ever album cuts “Oxytocin,” “Billie Bossa Nova” and “I Didn’t Change My Number,” respectively.
Interestingly, Eilish doesn’t appear anywhere between Nos. 11 and 20, though she claims quite a bit of real estate for herself just above that mark and right below it. The superstar’s sweep continues at No. 21, and the “Bad Guy” powerhouse fills 10 more slots inside the top 40, bringing her total number of wins in that important region on that single day to 15.
Just one song from Happier Than Ever, the previously-released single “Therefore I Am,” misses out on finding space inside the top 40. That cut lands at No. 46, meaning her entire album appears inside the top quarter of the 200-rung tally.
Here’s a look at where all of Billie Eilish’s songs rank on Spotify’s U.S. chart for Friday, July 30.
No. 4 - “Happier Than Ever”
No. 6 - “Getting Older”
No. 8 - “Oxytocin”
No. 9 - “Billie Bossa Nova”
No. 10 - “I DIdn’t Change My Number”
No. 21 - “NDA”
No. 22 - “Goldwing”
No. 23 - “Halley’s Comet”
No. 25 - “Lost Cause”
No. 27 - “My Future”
No. 35 - “OverHeated”
No. 36 - “My Responsibility”
No. 37 - “Male Fantasy”
No. 38 - “Everybody Dies”
No. 40 - “Your Power”
No. 46 - “Therefore I Am”
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Billie Eilish remains brilliant with sophomore album Happier Than Ever - The Indian Express
Billie Eilish seems to be in a good place on her sophomore album. “I’m happier than ever,” she sings on the first song. But there’s a tear running down her cheek on the cover. And before the collection is done, she returns to the phrase “I’m happier than ever” but qualifies it with “When I’m away from you.” So it’s complicated.
Few people do complicated like Eilish and “Happier Than Ever” is a fascinating look at a messy, famous pop star’s life, as diaristic as Taylor Swift but more self-critical and emotionally candid. It’s a superb album, ambitious and mature — a young woman pulling the fire alarm while we all stare at the flames.
The 16-track album that clocks in at just under an hour kicks off with “Getting Older” and a 19-year-old prodigy’s cutting, clear-eyed observation that “Things I once enjoyed/Just keep me employed now.”
Using that as a launching pad, Billie Eilish goes on to explore fame and it’s dark sides. On “NDA,” she acknowledges a real-life stalker (“Had to save my money for security”) and on “OverHeated,” an encounter with paparazzi leads to an examination of surgery and “plastic” bodies.
WATCH: Billie Eilish’s “Happier Than Ever”
Eilish also reaches up to expose unequal power structures, often returning to the theme of innocence polluted. On the hypnotic “GOLDWING” — which starts as a hymn based on a Hindu verse — she warns a novice: “You’re sacred and they’re starved/And their art is gettin’ dark/And there you are to tear apart.”
Those same evil forces are at play on the album’s triumph — the acoustic guitar-driven “Your Power,” pleading with a mentor abusing his power over someone in his thrall. “Will you only feel bad if it turns out/That they kill your contract?” she taunts.
So much for living happily ever after. Seven Grammy Awards haven’t changed her or her co-writer and producer, Finneas. If 2019’s “When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?” was sarcastic, quirky, internal and angsty, “Happier Than Ever” is fuller and grander, the songs stronger in their construction, crisper.
The brother and sister have an ability to take a spare noodle of a sound and build a sturdy song around it, with Eilish wrapping her expressive and whispery-lush vocals.
Her spoken word “Not My Responsibility” is important and powerful. “Would you like me to be quiet?” she asks and the answer is always no, no, no. She even targets mortality itself in “Everybody Dies.”
The new album isn’t all serious. There are terrific kiss-off songs (“I Didn’t Change My Number,” “Therefore I Am,” “Lost Cause” and the slow-building “Happier Than Ever”) and one where she’s hopelessly in love (“Haley’s Comet”). Eilish and Finneas even play with bossa nova in one terrific slinky tune.
But Billie Eilish is best in the shadows, exploring our messiest impulses. “Oxytocin” starts off as sexy come-on, appropriate for a song named after a hormone that controls reproduction. But it brilliantly shifts halfway through, turning lust into something darker: ”’Cause as long as you’re still breathing/Don’t you even think of leaving.” Hey, its complicated.
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Friday, July 30, 2021
Billie Eilish fights a literal flood of emotion in striking new video for ‘Happier Than Ever’ - NME
Billie Eilish has shared a poignant film clip for the title track to her just-released new album, ‘Happier Than Ever’, showing the enigmatic pop star passionately belting the song in the midst of a storm.
The video was released yesterday (July 30) alongside Eilish’s titular second album – which NME praised in a five-star review, saying it “fully establishes Billie Eilish as one of her generation’s most significant pop artists – and, better still, does so without repeating a single trick from the debut that turned her life upside down“.
Serving as the album’s penultimate cut, ‘Happier Than Ever’ is an eruptive show of Eilish at her most powerful, making full use of its five-minute runtime with a gentle, slow-burning canter that swells into a rhapsodic crescendo complete with a soaring guitar solo.
Eilish herself seems rather content with the finished product and its accompanying visual, announcing the latter on Instagram by declaring – in all caps, no less – “THIS IS MY FAVORITE SONG AND VIDEO EVER”.
Take a look at the music video for ‘Happier Than Ever’, also directed by Eilish, below:
In addition to its title track, ‘Happier Than Ever’ is flanked by the singles ‘My Future’, ‘Therefore I Am’, ‘Your Power’, ‘Lost Cause’ and ‘NDA’.
Upon its release, Eilish said making the new album was the “most satisfying and profound experience” she’s ever had. In a lengthy post on Instagram, she says she and her brother Finneas were on “cloud 9 making this album”, and that it scares her to think about putting it out because she loves every song “so so much”.
To commemorate its launch, Eilish teamed up with Spotify to debut ‘Happier: The Destination’, the streaming giant’s first-ever artist hub on-platform. Spotify said the experience – equipped with a wide range of exclusive content custom-created by Eilish herself – “marks the culmination of Spotify’s continued support throughout Billie Eilish’s journey”.
Later today (July 31), BBC will be airing a special titled Billie Eilish: Up Close, filmed in her hometown of Los Angeles. Eilish will also be taking on BBC Radio 1’s Live Lounge for the very first time.
In September, Disney+ will release the film Happier Than Ever: A Love Letter To Los Angeles, which will see Eilish perform ‘Happier Than Ever’ in full from the stage at the Hollywood Bowl.
Earlier this year, an intimate documentary about Eilish was released on Apple TV+. In its five-star review, NME called Billie Eilish: The World’s A Little Blurry a “searingly honest documentary offers a warts-and-all look at life as a young megastar”.
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Billie Eilish Releases Sophomore Album 'Happier Than Ever' - ET Canada
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Check out July brand reputation rankings for film actors/actresses - allkpop
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- Check out July brand reputation rankings for film actors/actresses allkpop
- July Movie Star Brand Reputation Rankings Announced soompi
- View Full coverage on Google News
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WWE SmackDown results, recap, grades: John Cena steals contract to face Roman Reigns at SummerSlam - CBSSports.com
Heading into SmackDown on Friday night, it appeared that Roman Reigns was on a path to defend his title against Finn Balor at SummerSlam. By the end of the night, John Cena had instead inserted himself as Reigns' opponent at the upcoming event in Las Vegas.
Reigns had turned down Cena's challenge last week, instead agreeing to face Balor. When the two men sat down to sign the contract to make the match official, chaos broke out. In the confusion, Cena took the contract and signed his own name, which WWE officials decided was enough to make the SummerSlam match between Reigns and Cena official.
CBS Sports was with you all night with recaps and highlights of all the action from the Target Center in Minneapolis.
John Cena steals contract to face Roman Reigns
John Cena opened the show with an in-ring promo, recapping Roman Reigns turning down his challenge, calling the universal champion "a scared little kid." Cena claimed Reigns only changed his personality because he didn't believe in himself and the fans don't believe in him either. He ended his promo saying Reigns ducked his challenge for SummerSlam because he knows what would happen. Baron Corbin came to the ring, begging Cena to help him, either financially or by putting him in the next "Suicide Squad" movie, leading to Cena hitting him with an Attitude Adjustment.
Later in the night, Reigns sat down with Finn Balor for a contract signing. Reigns said he "digs" that Balor is hungry and driven, unlike Cena, who is just a tired act before vowing that he would smash Balor and send him back to NXT. Balor didn't hesitate before grabbing the contract but was blindsided and attacked by Corbin, who tried to sign the contract himself. Cena then ran to the ring, took out Corbin and signed the contract. When confronted by Paul Heyman, Adam Pearce and Sonya Deville said that they considered the contract officially ratified and the match between Reigns and Cena is now official for SummerSlam.
Nobody is asking WWE to get into contract law, but this is as clunky a way as possible to get to Cena vs. Reigns. You can't just steal another man's contract and put your signature above his name and make it an official document. That's just not how these things work. These things are just insulting to the intelligence of the audience. Balor will get Corbin as a consolation prize and we get Cena vs. Reigns at SummerSlam, which is all fine. There just has to have been a better way to get here. Grade: C-
Sasha Banks makes her return, turns on Bianca Belair
Sasha Banks made her return, saving Bianca Belair from Carmella and Zelina Vega. Carmella and Vega were demanding matches with Belair before attacking. Banks' music hit and she ran to the ring to chase the two challengers off before she shared a hug with Belair. This led to the night's main event.
Sasha Banks & Bianca Belair def. Carmella & Zelina Vega when Banks locked Carmella in the Banks Statement. As Belair and Banks celebrated their victory, Banks hit Belair with a backstabber and followed up with punches and a tornado DDT before locking in the Banks Statement on the champion.
This was a necessary development since it didn't make sense that Banks and Belair were now best gal pals. They had a heated rivalry heading into WrestleMania and Banks' character is one who would not be content to just fade away after losing the belt. Belair also desperately needs an opponent who seems on her level -- which means someone who isn't Carmella or Vega -- and Banks fits the bill. Grade: B+
What else happened on WWE SmackDown?
- Rey Mysterio def. Jimmy Uso via pinfall with a crucifix. The ending came when Dominik Mysterio pushed on his father's back with his feet to secure the pin, same as the Usos had done in two previous matches against the Mysterios.
- 24/7 Championship -- Reginald (c) def. Chad Gable via disqualification after interference from Otis. Gable was a surprise opponent for Reginald, who was about to win when Otis jumped in the ring to attack.
- Big E, Cesaro & Shinsuke Nakamura def. Apollo Crews, Robert Roode & Dolph Ziggler via pinfall after Nakamura hit Crews with a Kinshasa.
- Seth Rollins attacked Edge as Edge was coming to the ring. After the attack, which included Rollins hitting Edge with a television camera, Rollins cut a promo saying that if he can't be the universal champion, neither can Edge.
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Shang-Chi Iron Man Connection Revealed by Kevin Feige - Collider Extras
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Billie Eilish Gets Flooded With Emotion in Her ‘Happier Than Ever’ Video - Vulture
Billie Eilish wouldn’t just be happy releasing her sophomore album Happier Than Ever today, so the pop savant is throwing in another music video as well. This one is for the title track, which builds from a gently strummed ballad to a monstrous rock scorcher. Eilish’s self-directed video works similarly — opening with her bored on her corded phone in her retro-style living room before the whole house is flooded and she escapes to dance in the rain. Consider it a flood of emotion to match that glorious guitar breakdown. The video follows Eilish’s previous visuals for “NDA,” “Lost Cause,” “Your Power,” “Therefore I Am,” and “my future” — all off the 16-track album that she once again produced with her brother, Finneas.
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Bruno Mars, Anderson .Paak, Silk Sonic - Skate [Official Music Video] - Bruno Mars
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Marvel Studios' SHANG-CHI AND THE LEGEND OF THE TEN RINGS – Featurette | AMC Theatres 2021 - AMC Theatres
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Billie Eilish: Critics praise 'defiant' second album, Happier Than Ever - BBC News
Critics have praised Billie Eilish's hotly-anticipated second album Happier Than Ever for its unflinching portrayal of life as a teenage pop megastar.
The follow-up to her 2019 debut When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?, it addresses the pressures of fame, as well as weighty issues facing young women, including sexual coercion.
Reviewers said the record is "defiant" despite its "muted" tone.
The Guardian's Alexis Petridis gave the "universally great" album four stars.
He said that "on perhaps the most anticipated album of 2021, Eilish uses subdued yet powerful song writing to consider how fame has seeped into every corner of her life.
"Listening to a pop star complaining about being a pop star is usually enervating. It says something about Eilish's skill as a song writer that, in her hands, the topic feels genuinely affecting."
This is partly, he wrote, because despite her stratospheric success, Eilish continues to express her fears with relatable intimacy as pop's anti-hero.
The album's title track sees her wonder if her dates have read her personal revelations made in interviews. My Future dissects the stress of personal relationships versus career progress, while Your Power and Getting Older both deal with unwanted sexual attention and consent for a MeToo generation demanding accountability.
At times however, Petridis felt this authenticity removes her from the everyday experience of her fans: "There's not much point in pretending you're still just like them when you've sold millions, sung a Bond theme and appeared on the cover of Vogue dressed in a custom-made Gucci corset".
In a lengthy Instagram post sharing the album artwork, Eilish said she "grew so much in the process of making this album and experienced so much self realisation and self reflection".
Musically, her trademark whispered vocal tones remain, but the album - produced in lockdown with her brother and collaborator Finneas - contains "lots of clever production touches".
Despite being "less obviously ear-grabbing and immediate than its predecessor... the fact that it's a lower-key album than her debut shouldn't distract from Happier Than Ever's quality", Petridis concludes.
Similarly The Telegraph's Neil McCormick gave a four-star review, noting that the record contains "surprising musical twists and glittering barbs of lyrical empowerment".
He said "shimmering harmonies" combine to take the listener on an "emotional journey" that ultimately casts "optimistic light on a long dark night of Billie's tortured soul".
However, the subdued tone has divided some critics, and fans, underwhelmed by the lack of bombastic, radio-friendly singles.
In a five-star review of the new album, NME's El Hunt wrote, "Happier Than Ever fully establishes Billie Eilish as one of her generation's most significant pop artists - and, better still, does so without repeating a single trick from the debut that turned her life upside down."
But The Line of Best Fit's review saw writer Matthew Kent lament a lack of daring.
"The tempo never quite reaches fever pitch; instead Eilish is content with the tranquillity of tried and tested methods", he said, giving the album six out of 10.
The Times' Will Hodgkinson also mentioned "there are no collaborations, no Elton Johns popping up for guest spots, just Billie and Finneas making one subdued, minimal song after another".
But his four-star review finishes by recognising "Happier Than Ever hits home because it has a core of authenticity and a dreamlike mood that intoxicates.
"Given how easily Eilish could have been blown off course by now, that alone is an achievement."
Billie Eilish: Up Close, will be broadcast on BBC One on Saturday at 22:30 BST and streamed online (UK only).
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SHANG-CHI "Iron Man" Trailer (2021) Marvel - JoBlo Movie Trailers
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Bruno Mars, Anderson .Paak’s Silk Sonic Drop New ‘Skate’ Video - Rolling Stone
Bruno Mars and Anderson .Paak’s Silk Sonic have dropped the new video for their second single, “Skate.” The track is expected to appear on their upcoming An Evening With Silk Sonic, which is slated to arrive this year.
The pair aptly described it as a “Summertime Jam” while teasing the track prior to its release and they deliver with its buoyant, sunny vibes. In the Mars and Florent Dechard-directed video, the duo play drums backed by their band as a team of ladies rollerskate around them in the nostalgic, feel-good clip.
“I’m trynna roll, I’m trynna ride/ I’m trynna float, I’m trynna glide,” they sing flirtatiously as they watch the skaters. “No no, don’t be shy, just take my hand and hold on tight.”
In June, Silk Sonic performed “Leave the Door Open” during the BET Awards and also took home Best Group during the ceremony, with only one song to their name.
The duo announced their formation in late February and released their first single “Leave the Door Open” in March. Later that month they made their television debut during the Grammys, a performance they playfully lobbied for before their appearance. While their song was not eligible for an award this go-round, .Paak won Best Melodic Rap Performance for “Lockdown.”
An Evening With Silk Sonic will be Mars’ first full-length LP since he released 2016’s 24K Magic. Last year, Mars collaborated with Charlie Wilson for “Forever Valentine,” a song Mars co-wrote and co-produced, along with providing backup vocals. It was also announced that the singer inked a deal with Disney to develop an upcoming music film, which he will star in and produce.
In May, .Paak directed the video for Leon Bridges’ “Motorbike.” He dropped a series of singles last year, including “Jewelz,” “Lockdown” and its remix featuring a verse with Noname, and Trolls World Tour track “Don’t Slack” with Justin Timberlake. His most recent album is 2019’s Ventura.
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Billie Eilish's sophomore album, Happier Than Ever, is finally here - The A.V. Club
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- Billie Eilish's sophomore album, Happier Than Ever, is finally here The A.V. Club
- Billie Eilish - Oxytocin (Official Lyric Video) BillieEilishVEVO
- Billie Eilish – ‘Happier Than Ever’ review: an artist secures her status as a generational great NME.com
- Billie Eilish Releases New Album Happier Than Ever: Listen Pitchfork
- Billie Eilish - I Didn't Change My Number (Official Lyric Video) BillieEilishVEVO
- View Full coverage on Google News
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Thursday, July 29, 2021
Benedict Wong opens up about joining Marvel’s ‘Shang-Chi And The Legend Of The Ten Rings’ - NME
Benedict Wong has said he is “super thrilled” to have been cast in Marvel‘s upcoming Shang-Chi And The Legend Of The Ten Rings.
Speaking to SYFY Wire, the actor discussed portraying the character of Wong for a fourth time after roles in Doctor Strange, Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame.
“When Shang-Chi was happening, I was so pleased that it was happening but I was a little kind of crestfallen I wasn’t a part of it,” he said.
“Then the call [from Marvel Studios] came. And I was like, ‘Yes!’ You know, I’m super thrilled to be sat at a table of Asian excellence, it was amazing. I’m a big fan of all of those artists. Tony Leung [Chiu-wai] is a massive idol of mine. So it’s been constant surprises, that’s what [the role of Wong] gives me.”
The new adventure also sees Simu Liu take on the role of the titular Master of Kung Fu, confronting a past that he thought he left behind, with the film set to be the first MCU outing to centre on an Asian superhero.
Watch the trailer for Shang-Chi And The Legend Of The Ten Rings below:
Last month (June 29), Marvel boss Kevin Feige confirmed that the Abomination and Wong will face off in the film.
“Some fans said, ‘This looks like a character they hadn’t seen in many years named the Abomination, fighting a character that looks like Wong.’ And I can say that the reason it looks like that is because that is Abomination fighting Wong,” Feige told Rotten Tomatoes.
“[It’s] a fun thing to have a character that we haven’t had on screen in over a decade show up again in the MCU,” Feige added. “And to see fans on that little tag of the trailer recognise that and embrace that is great fun.”
Shang-Chi, which is due for release on September 3, also stars Fala Chen as Jiang Li, Meng’er Zhang as Xialing, Florian Munteanu as Razor Fist, Ronny Chieng as Jon Jon and Michelle Yeoh as Jiang Nan.
Wong also recently gave an update on the status of Marvel‘s Doctor Strange In The Multiverse Of Madness.
“It’s a cracking script,” Wong told Collider. “And now, having Sam Raimi involved has been a really wonderful experience. He’s such a fantastic director and [a] lovely, lovely man. He’s just such fun to work with.”
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What If...? Poster Shows The Watcher Surveying the MCU's Multiverse - CBR - Comic Book Resources
A new poster for Marvel's What If...? animated anthology series puts fans in a staring contest with Uatu, The Watcher, and invites them to mull over the show's titular question with him.
The image was shared in a tweet from What If...?'s official Twitter, along with the text, "Join The Watcher in pondering the question #WhatIf in Marvel Studios' first animated series, streaming August 11 on @DisneyPlus," and a new Watcher emoji for the #WhatIf hashtag. The colorful, dramatically lit artwork shows Uatu's solemn gaze and his hands outstretched, and the poster also includes the provocative tagline, "One question changes everything."
Uatu is voiced by Jeffrey Wright, and is one part of the show which will remain constant, as he guides viewers through different possible scenarios for the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
What If...? will be taking some of its cues from Marvel's comic books of the same name by reimagining certain events that took place in the films and shows of the MCU, such as T'Challa becoming Star-Lord. Loki's Tom Hiddleston also suggested "it sets up a whole bunch of stuff in the MCU," meaning there may be more going on than just an out-of-continuity anthology series.
What If...? makes its Disney+ premiere on Aug. 11, with subsequent episodes airing on Wednesdays.
Source: Twitter
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