Benefits: Celebs Rumors

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Benefits share ‘Divide’: “A punk song about society at war with itself”

Benefits have shared a new punk-inspired single called ‘Divide’ – you can listen to it below.The track serves as the latest preview of Teesside punk duo’s second studio album ‘Constant Noise’, which is due for release on March 21 via Invada (pre-order/pre-save here).Featuring guest vocals from Middlesbrough rapper Shakk, the song sees the band combine the heavier sensibilities of their earlier material with their new electronically-driven music. ‘Divide’ also boasts “hyperactive club rhythms and Berghain-heavy basslines”, per a press release.Lyrically, Benefits delve into the divisive state of the UK and the world at large.“Divide is a punk song about society at war with itself over every conceivable issue,” explained frontman Kingsley Hall.
nme.com

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nme.com
Benefits announce 2024 UK and European tour: “It’s going to be epic”
Benefits have announced they’re embarking on a UK and European tour this autumn.Taking to Instagram, the Teesside punks wrote: “NEWS! We’re touring in October! It’s our first time out since we released our debut album early last year! It’s been AGES! In with the new, on sale FRIDAY 10AM.“We’re really excited to be going to a fair few places we’ve never been before, bringing the electronic radge to Huddersfield, Lancaster, Aberdeen, Stirling, Preston, Utrecht, Ostend, Margate and Newport for the first time.“As well as returning to towns and cities we love like Glasgow, Edinburgh, Boro, Liverpool, Rotterdam, Southampton, Brighton and London. It’s going to be epic, please get involved, share the joy, share the anger, bring strobes and earplugs.”Tickets are available on their website at 10am BST this Friday (July 12).A post shared by BENEFITS THE BAND (@benefitsuk)OCTOBER05 – HUDDERSFIELD, The Parrish06 – LANCASTER, Kanteena07 – GLASGOW, Huge and Pint08 – EDINBURGH, Wee Red Bar09 – ABERDEEN, Tunnels10 – STIRLING, Tolbooth11 – MIDDLESBROUGH, Play Brew12 – LIVERPOOL, Shipping Forecast13 – PRESTON, The Ferret17 – ROTTERDAM, Left of the Dial 18 – UTRECHT, ACU 19 – ROTTERDAM, Left of the dial 20 – OSTEND, Cafe de Zwerver 22 – SOUTHAMPTON, Joiners23 – BRIGHTON, Hope and Ruin24 – MARGATE, Where Else25 – LONDON, The George Tavern26 – NEWPORT, Le PubLast year, NME caught up with Benefits before they performed at Glastonbury’s Left Field stage on the invitation of Billy Bragg, with frontman Kingsley Hall touching on the progress of their second album.“We want to get stuff out as soon as possible,” he said.
nypost.com
Soul-man showtime at the Apollo: Usher and Babyface honored on the stage that ‘fuels dreams’
Babyface, “My, My, My.”That was the feeling in the house at the Apollo on Tuesday night when both Kenneth “Babyface” Edmonds and Usher Raymond IV — but really, only one name is necessary for each — were honored at the iconic Harlem institution as it celebrated its 90th anniversary with its annual spring benefit.No doubt — it was the ultimate soul-man showtime at the Apollo, raising more than $3 million for the nonprofit organization that has been the music mecca for everyone from Louis Armstrong and Ella Fitzgerald to James Brown and Aretha Franklin.Those velvet seats were feeling extra cushy on this night.After 2007 “American Idol” winner Jordin Sparks opened the night with a medley of classics, it was all about the boys 90 years after the Apollo opened on Jan. 26, 1934, turning 125th Street into hollowed ground for generations of African-American artists.Given the fancy footwork that took Usher to the Super Bowl halftime stage this year, it was fitting that a dance performance including hits such as “Caught Up,” “Burn” and of course “Yeah!” paid tribute to the 45-year-old singer before he accepted the 2024 Icon Award.“It’s an Icon Award, so I feel like I can take a little more time,” Usher joked as he began his acceptance speech.And then he told the crowd that was standing in salute, “Don’t sit down — I love it.
metroweekly.com
Catholic Health Care System Restricts Same-Sex Fertility Benefits
OSF HealthCare, a Catholic hospital system out of Illinois, has restricted the employee health plan benefits it offers to LGBTQ employees.The health care system changed its policy by narrowing the insurance plan’s definition of “infertility” from any person unable to get pregnant to “the inability for a married couple of opposite sex spouses to conceive.” According to Bloomberg News, OSF HealthCare has characterized the policy shift as attempting to “assist married opposite sex spouses” in conceiving a child.OSF HealthCare operates around 147 medical facilities in Illinois and Michigan, with over 24,000 employees. By amending the definition of fertility, only straight people — more accurately, employees in opposite-sex relationships — will be able to have their fertility treatments covered by their employee health care plan.Given the Catholic Church’s stance on homosexuality and marriage, it is not surprising to see religious institutions or religiously-affiliated employers adopting policies that exclude LGBTQ individuals from benefits typically offered to married couples.Critics were quick to denounce OSF HealthCare’s new policy, arguing that an employer is not denying treatment to some of its workers due to “objections to the treatment they are seeking” — as it might in the case of an abortion or gender confirmation surgery — but merely due to their LGBTQ identity.Peter Romer-Friedman, an attorney who is representing a same-sex male couple who claims they were denied coverage for in vitro fertilization under New York City’s health insurance plan, told Bloomberg that he believes OSF HealthCare’s actions are a clear “violation” of federal workplace discrimination.
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