Kobalt Music Pulls Out of Russia Over Ukraine Invasion

When you think of Nicole Scherzinger and her hair, her ultra dark glossy tresses probably spring to mind. But she’s just thrown out her signature style in favour of a buttery blonde shade, and fans are loving the dramatic transformation.Taking to Instagram, the 43 year old shared a series of pictures to her 5.2 million followers of her new hair colour styled in wet look waves, paired with an Euphoria-like makeup look featuring bold winged liner and gemstones.

Will Smith was banned from attending the Oscars and any other Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences event for the next decade, the academy announced Friday following a meeting to address Smith's slap of Chris Rock during the 94th Academy Awards last month. Smith slapped Rock after the presenter made a joke about Jada Pinkett Smith’s bald head, referring to the 1997 film "G.I.

It's been a few months since Julianne Moore wrapped up the shoot for her latest film role for the comedy-thriller Sharper.With some downtime on her hands the Academy Award-winning actress decided to head out to do a bit of shopping around the West Village neighborhood of Downtown Manhattan on Friday.Earlier in the day, the mother of two took to her Instagram page and gushed over her daughter Liv Freundlich on her 20th birthday, alongside a series of photos taken of the two throughout the years. Retail therapy: Julianne Moore, 61, stepped out to do a bit of shopping in the West Village neighborhood of Downtown Manhattan on FridayWith scattered rain and temperatures in the 50's and low 60s Fahrenheit, Moore stepped out in a black overcoat over a gray hoodie.She also wore black jeans, a pair of white sneakers, and a black baseball cap over her long ginger locks.

Chrissy Teigen showed off her bikini body in a loved up Instagram snap she posted with her husband John Legend on Friday.She has been sharing a series of travel updates this week from her holiday to Hawaii with John and their children Luna, five, and Miles, three.In her latest snapshot Chrissy and John cuddled up to one another while soaking up the sun on a boat off the Oahu coastline. Spot Diamond Head:Chrissy Teigen showed off her bikini body in a loved up Instagram snap she posted with her husband John Legend on FridayChrissy flaunted her figure in a bubblegum pink two-piece, while John opted for floral swim trunks that matched his Hawaiian shirt.The Academy Award-winning songwriter left a few of his top buttons beguilingly open over his chest and accessorized with gleaming aviators.

Diane Kruger admitted her fiance Norman Reedus loves to make decisions on the fly, and no purchase is too big or too small for The Walking Dead star.During an appearance onJimmy Kimmel Live! on Thursday evening, the 45-year-old actress revealed that her husband-to-be even bought a house on the west coast without her permission, and despite their solid New York roots.She went on to say that Norman's impulse purchases happen all the time, and he's known for buying the most random things that sometimes show up at their doorstep in the middle of the night. Anything is possible! Diane Kruger admitted her fiance Norman Reedus loves to make decisions on the fly, and no purchase is too big or too small for The Walking Dead star'We drove by [the house], he was dropping me off at a table read actually for Swimming With Sharks, and you know, it was a Sunday—you know how those houses are open and you can just walk in,' Diane said.

Katie Holmes was spotted while taking a solo stroll in New York City on Friday afternoon.The 43-year-old performer appeared to be making the most of the pleasant springtime air as she walked along the Big Apple's bustling streets.The actress' outing occurred during the production process of her forthcoming third directorial effort. Getting some fresh air:Katie Holmes was spotted while taking a solo stroll in New York City on Friday afternoonHolmes kept it casual in a navy blue crewneck sweater worn on top of a gray t-shirt during her outing.The Batman Begins actress contrasted the dark tones of her tops with a set of white sweat pants and matching sneakers.

Kendall Jenner was noticeably absent fromthe premiere of her family's new Hulu series The Kardashians in Los Angeles on Thursday night.And now a source has revealed that it was poor health that caused the 26-year-old supermodel to miss out on the event.The insider told E! Newsthat Kendall 'tried really hard to be there and support the family but was really sick.' Couldn't make it:Kendall Jenner, 26, was absent from The Kardashians premiere in Los Angeles on Thursday due to being sick, an insider told E! News: Pictured on March 24 in LAThe news comes after the brunette beauty was pictured the night before the premiere at the Phoenix Suns and the LA Clippers game with sister Kylie Jenner, 24.Fortunately her sisters Kim Kardashian, 41, Khloe Kardashian, 37, Kourtney Kardashian, 42,Kylie, and mom Kris Jenner, 66, were all able to attend and celebrate. The first episode of The Kardashians debuts on Hulu in the US and Disney Plus in the UK on April 14.The family took a ten month hiatus after ending their long-running reality-TV series, Keeping Up With the Kardashians on E! network.

Claire Danes seemed to be enjoying some free time in New York.The Homeland actress was seen laughing and chatting with a friend as they strolled the streets of SoHo.The mother of two, who will celebrate her 43rd birthday April 12, dressed warmly for the cool spring temperatures, donning a beige shearling gilet, an olive green corduroy top, jeans and tan sheepskin ankle boots. Time off:Claire Danes seemed to be enjoying some free time in New York.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorAnyone who’s tried to buy a concert ticket in the past three decades knows what a frustrating price-gouging and seemingly corrupt process it is — many major concerts are sold out literally seconds after the tickets go on sale, and the only recourse is to go the secondary market, where fans must pay exponentially more than face value, which happens even when they can get them directly, due to a battery of mysterious “fees.”Ticketmaster, the largest broker in the business, is at the center of this morass and has been essentially bulletproof for decades — in 1995, Pearl Jam, arguably the biggest band in the world at the time, assailed the high prices and tried to go on a Ticketmaster-less tour, and failed. Even Congress, often led by New Jersey Congressman Bill Pascrell, has gone after the company — and even after the pandemic decimated the touring industry, Ticketmaster remains as strong as ever.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorThe Rolling Stones have announced dates for their 60th anniversary tour, their second jaunt since the death of founding drummer Charlie Watts last August. The European summer tour will take in fourteen shows in ten countries across the contintent and will present the premiere of “a brand new ‘Sixty’ production,” starting in Madrid on June 1.The announcement notes that the group will be playing its first concert in Liverpool in more than 50 years, followed by two shows in London’s Hyde Park.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorSlimkid3, Imani and Fatlip of the Pharcyde were never supposed to rap together again. After producing two classic ‘90s hip-hop albums — “Bizarre Ride: The Pharcyde” and “Labcabincalifornia” — the galvanizing West Coast hip-hop group crumbled and went their separate ways.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorThe family of legendary singer-songwriter Nat King Cole, one of the most important and influential musicians of the 20 th century, has entered into an agreement with Irving Azoff’s Iconic Artists Group to manage and expand his legacy to new generations, the company announced today.Details of the transaction were not disclosed, beyond the fact that it “encompasses a broad range of rights from Cole’s legendary career including his recorded music, publishing, television shows, and name and likeness.”In the decades before his 1965 death from lung cancer at the age of just 45, Cole scored more than 150 singles across Billboard’s pop, R&B, and country charts and has sold an estimated 50 million-plus records worldwide. While best known as a crooner, he was a formidable jazz musician as well, and is best known for classics like “The Very Thought of You,” “Straighten Up and Fly Right,” “Unforgettable,” “Nature Boy,” “Stardust,” “When I Fall In Love,” “Mona Lisa,” “L-O-V-E,” and the holiday staple, “The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire).” As the announcement notes, Cole, who was born in Alabama in 1919, was subjected to all the barriers of the Jim Crow era, yet his success played no small role in advancing Black Americans’ presence in entertainment and public perception.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorMegan Thee Stallion and Dua Lipa are a formidable team, and award-winning video director Dave Meyers plays to their strengths in the clip for the pair’s new tag-team single, “Sweetest Pie.” Working a similar theme to the one from his video for Saweetie and Doja Cat’s “Best Friend” — hapless explorers of a science-fiction world stumble upon female characters with superpowers — this one turns dark quickly, as the explorers decide Megan and Dua are witches, try to burn them at the stake, and then suffer the consequences of their arrogance. Sure, it’s a not-terribly-serious, special-effect-filled music video, but it’s still a satisfying perspective during Women’s History Month.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorAfter two years of pandemic-induced shutdown and Omicron-postponed reopenings in December and January, Iridium, the downstairs music club in New York’s Times Square known as the “home of Les Paul,” is finishing the second week of its grand reopening, which launched on March 1 with a performance by the Harlem Blues Project, followed by four shows with a fiery jazz-rock band led by guitarist Mike Stern (featuring the great Randy Brecker on cornet), blues guitarist King Solomon Hicks, veteran folksinger Tom Rush and tonight and Saturday, guitarist Jeff “Skunk” Baxter, and jazz guitarist Larry Carlton, including sets focused on his extensively 1970s work with Steely Dan.The unusually intimate (for New York, anyway) 170-capacity downstairs club, which has updated its cleaning procedures and air-filtration system, returned with a full menu (including entrees like “The Les Paul” burger and the plant-based “Jerry Garcia”) a robust wine list and many (potent) specialty cocktails. The club is also launching Iridium Underground, a new series focused on emerging artists, next week with Brooklyn-based guitarist-producer Mario and the Mood.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorSuperstar Puerto Rican songwriter-producer Tainy, who has helmed such hits as “I Like It” (by Cardi B featuring Bad Bunny and J Balvin), “Dakiti” (by Bad Bunny and Jhay Cortez), and “Telepatia” (by Kali Uchis), has sold his pre-2021 music catalog to fast-rising Influence Media (Influence Media Partners).Terms of the deal were not disclosed, although sources tell Variety it was in the $25 million range.The San Juan native (real name: Marco Masis) has appeared on Variety’s Hitmakers list several times and spoke with us about his hits last year. A four-time Grammy nominee and Latin Grammy winner, Tainy has helmed hits for Daddy Yankee, J Balvin, Rosalia, Lauren Jauregui, Zion & Lennox, Anuel, Ozuna, Don Omar, Wisin & Yandel, Rauw Alejandro, Jhay Cortez and more.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorSony Music has suspended all of its operations in Russia, the company has confirmed to Variety. “Sony Music Group calls for peace in Ukraine and an end to the violence. We have suspended operations in Russia and will continue our support of global humanitarian relief efforts to aid victims in need.,” the company said in a statement.Sources tells Variety that the company’s staffers will continue to receive their salaries for an undetermined time; the artists’ situation is still being worked out.Universal Music Group announced that it is suspending its operations in the country on Tuesday.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorWhile businesses across the globe have been pulling out of Russia, many have wondered why the music industry largely has not been following suit. While sanctions have severely hampered Russia’s global business and the music industry is a very small part of that business, the optics on continuing to work in the country are not good.CISAC, the global confederation of authors societies such as ASCAP and PRS, has launched a new support fund dedicated to helping the victims of the war in Ukraine, although it stopped short of suspending operations with Russia, as Universal Music Group and many other companies have.

Jem Aswad Senior Music Editor“Clive Davis: Most Iconic Performances,” a four-art series featuring concert clips chosen by and interviews conducted by the legendary music executive, will premiere exclusively on Paramount Plus in the U.S. and internationally beginning Wednesday, March 23.In this special miniseries, culled from his virtual 2021 pre-Grammy Gala events, sees Davis taking viewers through some of his favorite musical performances from the last few decades.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorThe U.S. recorded-music business continues its upward swing, posting a near-record $15 billion in revenue for 2021, driven by a surge in streaming, solid vinyl and even CD sales, and the inclusion of TikTok music revenue for the first time.In fact, all major formats of music posted growth over the prior year, except digital downloads.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorOn the heels of legendary punk progenitors the MC5’s nomination to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, the group’s guitarist and co-founder Wayne Kramer has released two new songs and announced The Heavy Lifting Tour in May, all as a “reanimation” of the pioneering group, dubbed We Are All MC5.The tour begins with a special hometown show, celebrating the birthday of Detroit’s El Club, before moving on to the East Coast (Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, Brooklyn) and West Coast (Sacramento, San Francisco, Los Angeles, San Diego). Joining Kramer in the touring band will be singer Brad Brooks, drummer Stephen Perkins (Jane’s Addiction), bassist Vicki Randle (Mavis Staples), and guitarist Stevie Salas (David Bowie). “Nonstop touring, especially the last decade, I’ve come to understand that the music of the MC5 is as necessary as ever,” Kramer said.

Jem Aswad Senior Music Editortoday (March 9). He is based in the Republic Records Los Angeles office.Most recently, Beard  spent a decade at APG, where he rose from intern to senior VP of A&R and brought in Charlie Puth, Alex Benjamin and Pink Sweat$; he also has worked closely with David Guetta, Jason Derulo, Pitbull and Flo Rida, in addition to songwriters such as Amy Allen, Sean Douglas, Madison Love, Salem Ilese, and others. He also worked extensively as a DJ in nightclubs across the U.S., on-air for KIIS-FM and at private events.Goldstein said, “Miles has really set the pace for pop music with an unbelievable winning streak of incredible signings throughout the past decade.