While Macklemore and Ryan Lewis this week maintain their "Hold" atop the Billboard Hot 100 with "Can't Hold Us," there were a few notable changes on this week's charts. Zach Sobiech, who passed away last week after a battle with a rare, terminal form of cancer, makes his posthumous debut on the tally with "Clouds," which enters at No. 26.
Following a polarized reaction to Lauryn Hill's "Neurotic Society (Compulsory Mix)" earlier this month, the track is now under the microscope once again. The song, which criticizes current social pitfalls, is now being analyzed for seeming to suggest anti-gay undertones, according to critics.
It comes as no surprise that Daft Punk's new record, Random Access Memories, will debut this week at No. 1. It had long been expected that the highly anticipated album would top the Billboard 200, but Nielsen SoundScan has now confirmed that the set has surpassed expectations with 339,000 units sold in its first week, having previously been expected to sell around 300,000.
Two of television's most beautiful actors are set to star as one of America's most beautiful political couples, as Parks and Recreation's Rob Lowe and Once Upon a Time's Ginnifer Goodwin have signed on to portray President John F. Kennedy and First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy in National Geographic’s forthcoming telepic Killing Kennedy, a factual drama based on the novel by Bill O’Reilly and Martin Dugard.
UPDATE (5.28.13, 7 p.m. EST): A limited number of additional tickets will be released Wednesday at 10 a.m. for Healing in the Heartland, the Chesapeake Energy Arena confirmed Tuesday afternoon. The $25 tickets will be available only through Ticketmaster.com, will be limited to four per person and limited to residents of Oklahoma. (Scalpers across multiple states previously snatched up tickets early this past Saturday, subsequently reselling tickets for hundreds of dollars.)
Note: We will be streaming the event online on our website Wednesday night.
UPDATE (5.28.13, 3 p.m. EST): We can confirm exclusively that Adam Levine/Maroon 5 will not be performing during tomorrow's benefit concert. As we previously reported, he had been approached about it, but according to his rep, it came down to scheduling. Levine's camp tried to pre-tape, but it apparently wouldn't work for the show's format, much of which is still in the works.
UPDATE (5.27.13, 9 p.m. EST): We can confirm that both Usher and Darius Rucker have been added to Wednesday's benefit concert.
UPDATE (5.26.13, 2 a.m. EST): There have been reports on Saturday (throughout the week as well, but specifically on May 25) that Garth Brooks and Toby Keith may be performing on Wednesday. Both singers have received many requests over social media for their participation, given their strong ties to Oklahoma. While we know both have been approached, at press time, neither has been confirmed.
UPDATE (5.25.13, 11 p.m. EST): We can confirm that Luke Bryan, Rascal Flatts and One Republic's Ryan Tedder (who hails from Tulsa, Okla.) have been added to Wednesday's lineup. We understand many people have questions about other Oklahoma natives and if they will participate (or why not), but there are a lot of schedules currently being adjusted, and there are many people involved trying to make this happen. We know that Carrie Underwood, Adam Levine and Usher are likely to be involved, but at press time, discussions are still underway and they have not yet been confirmed by NBC.
Earlier Saturday, we confirmed that tickets for Healing in the Heartland sold out in 30 seconds. Granted, many of those tickets were snatched up by scalpers and bots, and they've been springing up on Craigslist, eBay, etc.
UPDATE (5.24.13, 1 p.m. EST): Grammy Award-winning artists Miranda Lambert, Reba and Vince Gill will perform, in addition to Blake Shelton (host). More performers to be announced. Lineup was originally expected earlier Friday. The concert will be televised live at 9 p.m. ET/PT on NBC. It will also air on cable networks Style, G4, Bravo, E! and CMT.
Tickets will go on sale May 25 at 10 a.m. CT. Individual tickets are $25, with a limit of eight per person. Tickets can be purchased at the Chesapeake Energy Arena box office, all Ticketmaster locations, by phone at (800) 745-3000 and online at Ticketmaster.com.
UPDATE (5.23.13, 10:30 p.m. EST): We've confirmed with organizers the event will be called Healing in the Heartland, and it WILL air live on Wednesday (May 29) from Oklahoma City's Chesapeake Energy Arena (known to many as the home of the Thunder). Still expecting details (including ticket information) early Friday.
At a time when Chief Keef really can't afford any more legal trouble or controversy, he's managed to stir some up. The 17-year-old rapper on Thursday said of Katy Perry: “Ill Smack The S--- out of her," followed by an emoticon of an open hand.
As expected, Kanye West debuted his latest film project, Cruel Summer, at the Cannes Film Festival on Wednesday night. According to MTV, the plot focuses on a car thief (played by Kid Cudi) “who falls for a blind Arabian princess.” Alexandre Moors, who helmed West’s Runaway film, directed.
The film was presented on seven screens, each of which “alternately come on and off, sometimes showing different angles of one shot, other times acting as an extended wide screen, complete with a ceiling and floor,” according to MTV. Kanye explained that the idea “related to a post-Steve Jobs, post-Windows era, where we’re always on our BlackBerry in a ball game or at the movies. I was very particular about having the screens separate, where your mind puts the screens back together, the way you put memories together.”
Cruel Summer “plays like an extended music video,” and showcases many new tracks off West’s upcoming G.O.O.D. Music compilation, further building expectations for the album. It's still unknown when the album--or the film, for that matter--will be released. Nonetheless, the Cannes debut is a good sign indeed.
As the city of Moore tries to recover from Monday's tornado, millions of people across the country (and across the globe) are stepping up to volunteer and make donations to assist Oklahoma residents affected by the storm. While millions of dollars have already been donated, Gov. Mary Fallin, President Barack Obama and others have made clear that it will take much more in the coming weeks and months as funds are utilized.
It's one of the most buzzworthy stories of the past few days. Following Kanye West's viral Saturday Night Live performances and news of his forthcoming album, Yeezus, releasing on June 18, fellow rapper J. Cole on Monday decided to move up his own album release to the same date, explaining that West "is one of the greatest artists of our generation. Which is exactly why I'm moving my release date up."
So much for all those rumors. Jay-Z says reports by E! that Beyoncé is expecting a second child are false. He responded to a congratulatory email from New York's Hot 97 program director Ebro Darden, simply stating, "It's not true."
James Blake has added to his earlier U.S. dates by extending his current international tour to include a string of shows back in the States. The new dates will kick off in October.
In the music world, an album release date is generally given very strategic planning. Most artists signed to a major (or major indie) label rarely want to compete with a similar act (who may share fans) or one with higher name recognition. So it's interesting that J. Cole on Monday announced he had moved up the release date for his sophomore album by one week. Born Sinner will now arrive on June 18, the same day as Kanye West's Yeezus, which had the Twittersphere fired up for most of this past weekend.
