Pop: Last News

Anna Tingley If you purchase an independently reviewed product or service through a link on our website, Variety may receive an affiliate commission. With a release like “Deadpool & Wolverine,” one of the most fun superhero movies in recent memory, there has to be equally fun merch for fans to experience the highly anticipated superhero crossover outside the screen.

Charli XCX anyway.The artist’s seventh album ‘Brat’ has been at the centre of its own cultural phenomenon since it was released last month. Its simple lime green artwork became a meme, while fans on social media have embraced the record’s hedonistic aesthetic and attitude.

Sinéad O’Connor wax figure.The beloved Irish singer and activist died in July 2023 at the age of 56, later confirmed to have been from natural causes. The figure was revealed yesterday (July 25) and was met with scathing reviews online, with some suggesting it lacked the level of detail you would expect and others questioning why it had been placed among sculptures of characters from Star Wars.The original wax figure was created as a tribute to the late musician and was meant to serve as a tribute on the one-year anniversary of her death today (July 26).Now, the museum has announced that they will be removing the figure and will be launching a new project to “create a more accurate representation” of the singer.A wax sculpture of Sinéad O'Connor has been unveiled at the National Wax Museum in Dublin today pic.twitter.com/SP2EtkMWm4— TheJournal.ie (@thejournal_ie) July 25, 2024Sinead O'Connor's brother John tells Joe of his disappointment at the her wax figure.

English Teacher have spoken to NME about being shortlisted for the Mercury Prize, their ‘rivalry’ with Beyoncé and progress on their second album.The Leeds indie upstarts received the Mercury nod yesterday (Thursday July 25), with the former NME cover stars‘ acclaimed debut ‘This Could Be Texas’ being shortlisted alongside records by the likes of Charli XCX, CMAT, Ghetts, The Last Dinner Party, Corinne Bailey Rae, Beth Gibbons, Barry Can’t Swim and more.Asked by NME about what it meant to be nominated, frontwoman Lily Fontaine described it as “mental” and called this year’s nominees as “the best year yet. Not just because we’re on it!”Quizzed on what ‘This Could Be Texas’ tells us about life in 2024, guitarist Lewis Whiting said that it aimed to capture the idea “that places are often far apart are often eerily similar”.A post shared by NME (@nmemagazine)For a band who have been very vocal about how difficult it is for artists to survive and thrive in the current climate, English Teacher said that the honour felt all the more profound.“There’s a lot of temptation to not continue making music because you physically can’t,” Fontaine admitted.

Kourtney Kardashian is reportedly facing down a major rift with her not-often-seen 14-year-old son Mason Disick right now…

Jennifer Maas TV Business Writer In the story trailer for Funko‘s first-ever console video game “Funko Fusion,” the brand’s titular Freddy Funko is introduced to the title’s supervillain: his evil copycat, Eddy Funko. The “deeply twisted and immensely powerful shapeshifting counterpart” to Freddy is voiced by “Invincible” star Clancy Brown, who promises Freddy and characters from “Shaun of the Dead,” “Five Night’s at Freddy’s,” “The Umbrella Academy” and more NBCUniversal franchises scattered across the game: “Your worlds will fall.

Gene Maddaus Senior Media Writer Justin Timberlake‘s lawyer claimed that the pop star was not drunk at the time of his arrest on a DWI charge in Sag Harbor in June. Ed Burke, Timberlake’s lawyer, made the comments after a court hearing on Friday. Timberlake is due to be re-arraigned on the misdemeanor charge next week, after prosecutors corrected a defect in the complaint.

Bastille have announced their new album ‘&’, and shared the first four songs from it – listen to the new tracks below.The album, which is described as a “collection of story songs”, will be released in full on October 25 and you can pre-order it here. For now, they have released ‘Part One’ of the album, which consists of four new tracks: ‘Intros & Narrators’, ‘Eve & Paradise Lost’, ‘Emily & Her Penthouse In The Sky’ and ‘Seasons & Narcissus’.Listen to the blissed out, fingerpicked tracks below, which find Dan Smith and co in folky, reflective form, set to lush, warm production.The first track, ‘Intros & Narrators’, comes complete with a new video, which was captured in a single take while in the Sargasso Sea in the Bermuda Triangle earlier this year.

Film buffs were taken aback after discovering the behind-the-scenes preparation of their favourite cinema treat.

A court hearing held Friday in Sag Harbor, New York, for Justin Timberlake on his misdemeanor DWI charge saw attempts by the singer’s lawyer to have the charge dismissed rejected.

CMAT has spoken to NME about being nominated for the Mercury Prize 2024, as well as more music industry action being required over the situation in Palestine.The Irish singer-songwriter (real name Ciara Mary-Alice Thompson) was speaking to us on the red carpet at the launch of the Mercury Prize yesterday (Thursday July 25), where she was shortlisted for album of the year for the acclaimed ‘Crazymad, For Me’ – alongside Charli XCX, English Teacher, Ghetts, Beth Gibbons, BERWYN, Corinne Bailey Rae and more.“Of all the things that have happened this year, this feels the most important, special and surreal,” Thompson told NME. “I’ve watched the Mercury Prize, listened to all the albums that get nominated and have followed it for years. I used to watch the stream as a teenager.

Slayer and Exodus guitarist Gary Holt has called Beyoncé “the most overrated talent on earth”, but has singled out Taylor Swift and Adele for high praise.The metal musician was speaking on a recent episode of the Scandalous podcast, where he was talking up the talents of the ‘Cruel Summer’ singer in particular, and asked why artists like Beyoncé get so much praise when the likes of Swift gets “hated” on.“Beyoncé will put out a song and there’s 30 fuckin’ people on [the credits],” Holt said. “How can 30 people write a song all gathered together? It’s like you’re not a songwriter, Beyoncé.”“I mean, her daughter got a songwriting credit and a Grammy because she probably threw some kindergarten rhyme on one line and like, ‘Yep! Give her a Grammy.’ She now has one seventh of the Grammys Prince — the greatest artist that ever was or ever will be — ever got.”“But Taylor writes everything. So I give her credit.

Two new faces will soon be arriving in Walford but it is safe to say that Reiss Colwell will not be pleased to see them. During the episode on Wednesday 24 July, viewers watched as Reiss murdered his comatose wife Debbie, and it is her grieving parents who turn up next week following the death of their daughter. Reiss’s in-laws will be played by Michael Bertenshaw and Nichola McAuliffe.

Sinéad O’Connor has been unveiled in Dublin, and the reactions on social media have been less than complimentary.The beloved Irish singer and activist died in July 2023 at the age of 56, later confirmed to have been from natural causes. With the one-year anniversary arriving today (July 26), the National Wax Museum Plus in the Irish capital has revealed their own tribute.The sculpture has been met with some scathing reactions online, with some suggesting it lacks the level of detail you would expect and others questioning why it has been placed among sculptures of characters from Star Wars.Watch the unveiling below:A wax sculpture of Sinéad O'Connor has been unveiled at the National Wax Museum in Dublin today pic.twitter.com/SP2EtkMWm4— TheJournal.ie (@thejournal_ie) July 25, 2024“A wax sculpture made by Stevie Wonder,” reads one reply on X to the unveiling, while another asks: “And she’s next to Qui-Gon Jinn and Darth Vader because….????”A wax sculpture made by Stevie Wonder— don (@donjo65_) July 25, 2024And she's next to Qui-Gon Jinn and Darth Vader because….??????— Beano (@bolough) July 25, 2024“The new Sinead O’Connor wax work looks like they just found an old mannequin in a skip and said, yep that will do.

Halsey has shared a new single called ‘Lucky’ – you can listen to it below.The laid-back track samples both Britney Spears’ song of the same name (2000) and Monica’s hit ‘Angel Of Mine’ (1998).“‘Cause I’m so lucky, I’m a star/ But I cry, cry, cry in my lonely heart, thinking/ If there’s nothing missing in my life/ Then why do these tears come at night?” Halsey sings in the chorus of ‘Lucky’, switching the original lyrics into a first-person narrative.In the next verse, the alt-pop artist asks: “And why she losin’ so much weight?/ I heard it’s from the drugs she ate/ And I feel her, but I can’t relate/ ‘Cause I’d never end up in that state.”‘Lucky’ was produced by Michael Uzowuru, Rahm Silverglade and Dylan Wiggins. Tune in here:Teasing the single recently on social media, Halsey explained: “When I was 5, it always felt like Britney was singing directly to me.

Manchester City have launched their new third kit for the 2024-25 season.

Calvin Harris and Ellie Goulding have reunited for a new collaborative single – listen to ‘Free’ below.The DJ, producer and songwriter has been teasing the track on social media, and recently teamed up with Goulding to preview the song during a live set at the Ushuaïa club in Ibiza.“I’m free/ When I’m with you I’m free,” Goulding sings in the euphoric chorus over stabs of house piano. In a later verse, she asks: “What do I say now?/ Don’t want to fall in love/ I’m not afraid now/ Eyes closed.”Arriving today (July 26), the rousing summer anthem is accompanied by a colourful official lyric video.

Gwen Stefani and Anderson .Paak have shared a new anthem for the 2024 Paris Olympic Games – listen to it below.Last night, the official Olympics committee shared Stefani’s and .Paak’s new song ‘Hello World’, which was co-written and co-produced by OneRepublic frontman and esteemed pop songwriter Ryan Tedder..Paak sings on the uplifting track: “Slide on the worldwide stage / Nothing can divide when we on one page / We can defy the odds and make way / When we link, it’s a bond that never can break.”Watch the music video for ‘Hello World’ below.In other Olympics-related news, after much speculation, it has been confirmed that Celine Dion and Lady Gaga will be performing a duet together during the games’ opening ceremony tonight (July 26). It will mark Dion’s first time taking to the stage in over four years, following her being diagnosed with Stiff Person Syndrome – a rare, chronic neurological disorder that causes muscle stiffness and intense spasms.She last took to the stage in 2020 when she performed in New York, and she was expected to embark on a world tour last year, but was forced to axe all scheduled dates due to the condition.Additionally, French metal band Gojira will also be performing at the opening ceremony alongside opera singer Marina Viotti.

The Last Dinner Party have covered Blondie‘s ‘Call Me’ for Australian broadcaster triple j’s Like A Version series.The NME The Cover stars’ unique take on the Blondie and Debbie Harry classic see the band swap out Blondie’s more punk-leaning brand of rock for their patented indie stylings. Listen to The Last Dinner Party’s cover of Blondie’s ‘Call Me’ below.Speaking to triple j about why they chose the song as their cover, lead singer Abigail Morris and bassist Georgia Davies explained that they used to sing the track as their “go-to” pick at karaoke.

Katcy Stephan Move over, novels: webcomics are here as the hottest new fodder for Hollywood adaptations. Wattpad Webtoon Studios president Aron Levitz, Webtoon Originals creator Snailords, Skybound’s president of TV Glenn Geller, The Jim Henson Company’s president of TV Halle Stanford and pop culture journalist Kayti Burt shared their expertise on the subject matter during a panel at San Diego Comic-Con, moderated by Variety.

Angelique Jackson “Tales of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles” stars Micah Abbey, Shamon Brown Jr., Nicolas Cantu and Brady Noon appeared at Comic-Con to preview the teen turtles’ latest adventure — this time a 12-episode series for Paramount+. The quartet (who reprise their roles from the 2023 movie “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem”) were joined onstage by executive producers and showrunners Chris Yost (“The Mandalorian,” “Thor: Ragnorok”) and Alan Wan (“Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles” and the 2012 series “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles”), as well as Alanna Ubach, who joins the crew as the villainous Bishop.