Sony Music Publishing Partners with Silence the Shame to Launch ‘The Soundtrack of Mental Health’

Builders renovating a derelict restaurant started a fire by burning waste inside the building.

Vanessa Bryant shared behind-the-scenes photos from her shoot for a Super Bowl LVI spot. The wife of the late Kobe Bryant posted a series of images on her Instagram on Wednesday, showing her sitting in a car parked in front of a mural dedicated to Kobe and their daughter, Gianna — who both died in a helicopter crash in 2020.

has enraptured fans with its tongue-in-cheek yet action-packed take on life of an antihero who desperately wants to be liked. While John Cena’s titular egotistical hired assassin is at the center of James Gunn’s HBO Max series, it's the ensemble cast of quirky characters that really brings the story alive. Especially Freddie Stroma, who plays Peacemaker’s longtime, adoring friend, Vigilante, a sociopath who has no problem killing anyone who has done wrong -- or seen him out of costume.

John Mayer is putting his love for his late friend, Bob Saget, into a song. The 44-year-old musician was interviewed by his pal, Andy Cohen, for a Q&A connected to Mayer's Small Stage Series Concert for SiriusXM. In the discussion, Cohen asked Mayer about the loss of Saget, who died unexpectedly last month of accidental head trauma at the age of 65.

Foals have shared a new single today (February 10) – listen to ‘2am’ below.The song is the latest from their upcoming new album ‘Life Is Yours’ and is the follow-up to last year’s single, ‘Wake Me Up’.‘Wake Me Up’ landed at Number 12 in NME‘s 50 best songs of 2021 list and was described as “the spiritual sequel to dancier moments like ‘My Number’ and ‘In Degrees’, but in truth it’s the fully realised disco infiltrator they’ve always threatened to write.”Speaking about their latest track, frontman Yannis Philippakis said, “Musically ‘2am’ is one of the poppiest songs we’ve ever written.“It’s about repetitive cycles of destructive behaviour, which I think lots of people can relate to, and certainly it’s an expression of something that I struggle with. There’s something cathartic about expressing that feeling to this upbeat music that’s got a sense of release and the hope of resolution.”You can listen to it here:A statement about Foals’ upcoming album, which is yet to receive a release date, said “the group started writing the album in their south London rehearsal space in the oppressive lockdown winter of 2020.”It added: “They very naturally gravitated towards writing songs with a zeal for escapism: propulsive energy, sun-kissed melodies and transportive lyrical themes, both in terms of time and space.

Pete Doherty has revealed that he’s planning to sign a prisoner he met at a Glasgow jail to his record label.The Libertines frontman met the prisoner while involved in a project that saw him playing to prisoners as part of a life-drawing class. Doherty would play guitar while the prisoners at Barlinnie Prison drew him.Speaking to Craig Charles on 6 Music, Doherty opened up about the experience saying: “It was nice, actually, to keep my clothes on. Because when they first said, ‘you’re going to do a still life at Barlinnie Prison for the still life class’, obviously the first thing you think of is a nude model.“So I went there with a bit of trepidation, thinking, ‘well, I’m not going to be able to say no because I’ll just look like I’m bricking it’.

She learned a lot. Mirai Nagasu has been out of the Celebrity Big Brother house for a few days, and looking back on her short time in the game, she’s proud to have represented her community as the first Asian American houseguest on this version of the long-running series.

Eve is embarking on the journey of a lifetime: motherhood!The 43-year-old just welcomed her first child, a son, with her husband Maximillion Cooper.The singer took to Instagram to announce the news on Thursday, February 10, where she revealed the name of their bundle of joy: Wilde Wolf Fife Alexander Somers Cooper. She also announced that the little one was born on February 1, saying the feeling of welcoming a new life into this world is unlike anything she’s ever felt.“Our Beautiful boy was born Feb 1st 2022.

Megan Fox and Brian Austin Green have officially finalized their divorce, after announcing their split two years ago. Now the two Hollywood stars have publicly moved on with their partners and seem to be on good terms.A judge signed off the divorce settlement between Fox and Green on Tuesday according to TMZ.

Armie Hammer is turning over a new leaf for his family.

Bad Bunny finally kicked off his highly-anticipated El Último Tour Del Mundo with his first show in Denver, CO on Wednesday night.Bad Bunny prove he’s one of the most stylish celebs in provocative new Jacquemus campaignBad Bunny announces his first stadium tour across the United States & Latin AmericaBad Bunny plays matchmaker for Homer and Marge Simpson in new “Te Deseo lo Mejor” videoThe sold out show saw 20,000 fans pack out the Ball Arena, showing the reggaetonero’s millions of fans what they can expect for his 36-date tour.

Learning and growing. Dr. Jen Armstrong and her husband, Ryne Holliday, have had some ups and downs during season 16 of The Real Housewives of Orange County, but they’re working on their romance.

Marla Sokoloff is a mom again! The actress gave birth on Sunday, February 6, to her third daughter with husband Alec Puro.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorVerzuz, the popular livestream music platform created by Swizz Beatz and Timbaland, has been acquired by Triller Network, the parent company of the app. The agreement marks the end of Verzuz’s relationship with Apple Music.According to the terms of the agreement, the pair will join the Triller management team and become large shareholders in Triller Network.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorSony Music Publishing has signed Grammy-winning songwriter/ DJ/ producer J. White Did It, known for his collaborations with Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion, among others, to a worldwide deal.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorThe Weeknd’s “Blinding Lights” has been smashing records practically since it was first released late in November of 2019 — and on Monday it broke what might be the most momentous one of all: It became the first song to spend a full year in the Top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100.That dwarfs the previous record, for Post Malone’s “Circles,” which hung in for 39 weeks (it’s a bit of an inter-family record, since Post happens to be the Weeknd’s labelmate on Republic Records).

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorNeedless to say, the 2021 Grammy Week will not be like ones we’ve known in the past. While it’s ordinarily a week of socializing, celebrating, parties, concerts and (most of all) networking, this year we’re going to have to do all of it from home, like we’ve had to do virtually everything else for the past year.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorWhen it comes to Zoom backgrounds, Grammy Awards executive producer Ben Winston has one that’s tough to beat. Along with the requisite photos and tchotchkes, there’s a piece of a bridge from David Letterman’s old set, an autographed album cover with a (sadly illegible) inscription by his former roommate, Harry Styles, and … is that actually a puppet of himself? Six of Winston’s top team members, who are also on the call, immediately chime in with laughter and jovial mocking in a cacophony of American and British accents.“Yes, I have a muppet of myself,” Winston confesses.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorBad Bunny, Black Pumas, Cardi B, BTS, Brandi Carlile, DaBaby, Doja Cat, Billie Eilish, Mickey Guyton, Haim, Brittany Howard, Miranda Lambert, Lil Baby, Dua Lipa, Chris Martin, John Mayer, Megan Thee Stallion, Maren Morris, Post Malone, Roddy Ricch, Harry Styles, and Taylor Swift will perform at the Grammy Awards on Sunday, March 14, the Recording Academy has announced.Nearly all of the artists are nominees, and several — including Styles, Megan Thee Stallion, Bad Bunny, DaBaby, Doja Cat and Guyton — will be making their debut as Grammy performers.The ceremony takes place at the Los Angeles Convention Center, under strict COVID protocol.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorSteve Greenberg, founder of S-Curve Records, is leaving the company, which he founded two decades ago and sold to BMG in 2015, he confirmed to Variety.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorBruno Mars and Anderson .Paak, who announced last week that they’ve come together as a project called Silk Sonic, have released the first song from their forthcoming album, and it’s a glorious blast of vintage R&B called “Leave the Door Open” that could be a Best R&B Song Grammy winner from 1974.Even though the classic R&B sound the pair evokes is a decade older than they are, both the song and the arrangement are pitch-perfect, with swooning strings, honeyed backing vocals and even a glockenspiel — think Delfonics, the Chi-Lites and basically everything on the Philadelphia International label.The duo announced the Silk Sonic project last week. “We made an album!!” enthused .Paak on Instagram.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorSinger Miley Cyrus has signed with Columbia Records after seven years and four albums on RCA. A source close to the situation tells Variety that even though both Columbia and RCA are Sony-owned labels, there’s no animosity and the deal stems from Miley and her co-managers Adam Leber and Tish Cyrus’ long and positive relationship with Columbia chief Ron Perry, who signed Miley directly.Miley’s sister Noah is signed with Columbia-distributed RECORDS label, and Lil Nas X, who is managed by Leber, is also signed to the label.Her most recent album with RCA, “Plastic Hearts,” was released in November and received largely positive reviews.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorSt. Vincent has announced that her sixth album, “Daddy’s Home,” will be released on May 14.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorUTA has announced the acquisition of U.K.-based Echo Location Talent Agency. The firm was founded and led by Obi Asika (pictured above), who will serve as Co-Head of UTA’s UK office alongside Neil Warnock.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorFollowing its acquisition of select Beach Boys assets last month, Irving Azoff’s new Iconic Artist Group has made another move into the lucrative catalog acquisition marketplace by partnering with Rock and Roll Hall of Famer David Crosby. Iconic has acquired Crosby’s catalog, which according to the announcement includes his publishing and recorded music rights, including his solo work, as well as his work with the Byrds; Crosby & Nash; Crosby, Stills & Nash; and Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorBunny Wailer, a founding member of Bob Marley’s Wailers and a legendary reggae singer whose career reached across seven decades, died early Tuesday, his manager confirmed to the Jamaica Observer. He was 73.“He died about 8:00 this morning.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorThe latest music festival to give up on 2021 is Spain’s popular Primavera Sound Barcelona, which called off this year’s installment due to the pandemic. Tickets can be transferred to the 2022 edition, the lineup for which will be revealed on June 2; refunds will be available after that date.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorIn what may be the first move of its kind in the music-streaming world, SoundCloud has introduced what it describes as “fan-powered royalties, a more equitable and transparent way for emerging and independent artists to earn money on SoundCloud.” In other words, each listener’s subscription or advertising revenue is distributed among the artists that they listen to, rather than their plays being piled into a collective pool.“Many in the industry have wanted this for years. We are excited to be the ones to bring this to market to better support independent artists.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorUniversal Music Publishing has signed rising British singer-songwriter Holly Humberstone, whose debut EP received a rave review in Variety last fall, to an exclusive, global publishing agreement. The 21-year-old singer was voted No.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorRepublic Records has hired Ben Facey as executive vice president of global marketing & digital strategy, EVP and General Manager Jim Roppo announced Monday morning.  He is based in the Republic’s New York headquarters.According to the announcement, in this newly established post, Facey will architect, implement, and shepherd international marketing campaigns and digital initiatives for the label’s entire roster.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorJason Derulo has signed with Atlantic Records, the company announced Monday morning. The signing also continues a partnership between Atlantic and Derulo’s Future History label, which recently released “Lifestyle,” the singer’s latest single featuring Maroon 5’s Adam Levine.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorSwedish singer-songwriter Zara Larsson has signed with Sony Music Publishing, the company announced Monday morning. The singer, whose new album “Poster Girl” will be released on Friday, has enjoyed a solid run of hits over the past few years, including “Ruin My Life,” “All The Time,” “Lush Life,” and “Never Forget You,” as well as collaborations like “A Brand New Day” with BTS and “Like It Is” with Kygo and Tyga.Recently, Larsson released the single “Look What You’ve Done” in advance of “Poster Girl.” The 12-track album will feature her 2020 hits “Wow,” “Love Me Land,” and “Talk About Love” (featuring Young Thug).

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorWith her 2015 debut “Sprained Ankle” — an album she’s said she made for her college friends — Julien Baker unexpectedly made a deep and instant impact with her stark songs, which combine beautiful melodies and her soaring voice with harrowing and often disturbing lyrics. Critics expended reams of verbiage on the Memphis-spawned Baker’s background (religious upbringing, substance abuse), but from the beginning her songs and singing transcended any backstory.