Prepare for a behind the scenes look at Jennifer Lopez’s music…
The 53-year-old Puerto Rican superstar will be featured in one of the new episodes of Paramount+’s Behind the Music.
In addition to J.Lo, new installments of the documentary series will also feature Boy George, Jason Aldean and Remy Ma.
The new installments of the documentary series will hit the streamer on November 29.
Additionally, remastered episodes spotlighting Boyz II Men, Christina Aguilera, Gloria Estefan, Hootie & the Blowfish, Mötley Crüe, Pink and TLC will drop the same day.
Here are the loglines for the new episodes:
After three decades, Jennifer Lopez is at the very top of her game and shows no signs of slowing down. J.Lo reflects on key moments of her iconic career in music, film and fashion while celebrating her present with husband Ben Affleck.
Boy George reflects on his meteoric rise from outcast to ‘80s global superstar with Culture Club. A tumultuous love affair, intense fame and addiction almost destroyed his career – but 40 years on, he remains an LGBTQ+ pop icon.
Jason Aldean is a small-town kid turned country superstar who never backed down in life, and changed the country music genre forever.
Remy Ma shares her journey to becoming the queen of New York hip hop. Her road to fame with the Terror Squad was paved with loss – a prison sentence almost ended it all – but her comeback inspired millions.
For 14 seasons, Behind the Music has provided an intimate look into the personal lives of pop music’s greatest and most influential artists. Since moving to Paramount+, the series has gone behind the scenes into the lives of stars like Bret Michaels, Busta Rhymes, Duran Duran, Fat Joe, Huey Lewis, LL Cool J, New Kids on the Block and Ricky Martin.
The series is executive produced by Bruce Gillmer, Jennifer Demme and Michael Maniaci for MTV Entertainment Studios.
CBS’ new musical game show, Superfan, has set the roster of musicians participating in its upcoming six-episode series, including the 64-year-old Cuban singer/songwriter.
The competition series will see one musical superfan aiming to prove they are a certain artist’s ultimate supporter.
In addition to Estefan, the artists confirmed to participate include Kelsea Ballerini, Little Big Town, LL Cool J, Pitbull and Shania Twain.
Also confirmed to host the musical game show are series executive producer Keltie Knight and CBS Morning’s Nate Burleson.
Production on the unscripted original begins this Friday in Los Angeles. A premiere date has yet to be set.
Superfan is billed as a musical spectacle disguised as a game show. It will feature contestants vying in multiple rounds of play to prove they are the ultimate fan.
In each one-hour episode, a different musical artist will select one deserving superfan to win a once in a lifetime prize.
CBS ordered the series in February. It is produced by Raquel Productions, the CBS-owned division that makes Tough As Nails.
Anton Goss, a production designer who has worked on shows such as Match Gameand Drop the Micwill dress the stage; Suzanne Bender, who has worked on America’s Got Talentand Lip Sync Battle, will serve as talent producer and Jacqui Pittman is casting.
Jennifer Lopez is preparing for an Iconic performance…
The 52-year-old Puerto Rican superstar will perform on the 2022 iHeartRadio Music Awards, which will air live from The Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles on Tuesday, March 22.
Lopez, who is set to receive the Icon Award during the program, joins a list of performers that includes Megan Thee Stallion, Jason Aldean, John Legend, Charlie Puth and Måneskin.
The show’s host, LL Cool J, will also perform on the show.
LL Cool J and J.Lo previously collaborated on a pair of big hits – “All I Have” (No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 for four weeks in 2003) and “Control Myself” (No. 4 in 2006) — but there’s no word if they’ll perform together during the show.
The 2022 iHeartRadio Music Awards will air on March 22 from 8:00 – 10:00 pm ET (live) and PT (tape-delayed) on Fox. The event also will be heard on iHeartMedia radio stations nationwide and on the iHeartRadio app.
Now in its ninth year, the iHeartRadio Music Awards will celebrate the most-played artists and songs on iHeartRadio stations and the iHeartRadio app throughout 2021, while also offering a preview of the upcoming hits of 2022.
iHeartRadio listeners have the opportunity to decide winners in nine categories. Fan voting will determine this year’s best fan army, best lyrics, best cover song, best music video, the social star award, favorite tour photographer, TikTok bop of the year and the first-ever TikTok songwriter of the year and best comeback album.
Social voting began on January 27 and will close on March 15 at 11:59 p.m. PT for all categories. Fans can vote on Twitter using the appropriate category and nominee hashtags or by visiting iHeartRadio.com/awards.
Additional categories include label of the year and individual winners for album of the year in nine formats — pop, country, alternative, rock, dance, hip-hop, R&B, Latin and regional Mexican.
The 41-year-old half-Afro-Dominican singer/actress and Ja Rule will join Journey as headliners for ABC’s Dick Clark’s Rockin’ Eve With Ryan Seacrestin Times Square. Ashanti’s last minute addition comes as Karol G, who originally had been scheduled, canceled her performance.
The changes are the latest for the New Year’s Eve special, after LL Cool J announced yesterday he had tested positive for COVID-19 and would not be performing as scheduled, and R&B singer Chlöe also had dropped out.
Other A-list stars and performers still scheduled for Dick Clark’s Rockin’ Eve With Ryan Seacrest include Pose alum Billy Porter, who co-hosts in New Orleans, Daddy Yankee in Puerto Rico and a Los Angeles bill that includes Ciara, Avril Lavigne & Travis Barker, Big Boi, OneRepublic and French Montana.
There have been concerns about proceeding with New Year’s Eve events in New York as the city has seen infection rates skyrocket due to the highly contagious Omicron variant.
NY Mayor Bill de Blasio last week had announced that the city would be proceeding with the New Year’s Eve Ball Drop but with fewer revelers and tighter rules, including masks and social distancing. In light of the decision by the city to keep the celebration on, ABC is proceeding withRockin’ Eve 2022 while adhering to CDC/local protocols regarding audience attendees in Times Square.
Fox last week canceled its New Year’s Eve special – Fox’s New Year’s Eve Toast & Roast 2022– as a result of the rising spread of the Omicron variant in New York. The special also was set to be produced in Times Square.
Dick Clark’s Rockin’ Eve With Ryan Seacrest kicks off at 8:00 pm ET on ABC.
Karol G will be ringing in the New Year in the Big Apple…
The 30-year-old Colombian singer is set to perform at this year’s 50th anniversary edition of ABC’s holiday staple Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest.
Karol G will perform from Manhattan, alongside new additions to the bill Rock Hall of Famers Journey and R&B singer Chlöe.
LL Cool J will play a pre-midnight set in Times Square, and Emmy-winning Posealum Billy Porter with perform a medley aboard the riverboat Louis Armstrong on the Mississippi River as part of the annual NYE show.
They join previously announced performers including Daddy Yankee in Puerto Rico and a Los Angeles bill that includes Ciara, Avril Lavigne & Travis Barker, Big Boi, OneRepublic and French Montana.
Ryan Seacrest will host New Year’s Rockin’ Eve for a 17th year from Times Square, joined by rookie co-hosts Porter from New Orleans, Liza Koshy in NYC and Roselyn Sanchez in Puerto Rico — the inaugural destination for the show’s first Spanish-language countdown.
ABC’s 50th annual Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest starts at 8:00 pm on December 31.
There’s more than a walk in the (Central) park in Carlos Santana’s future…
Amid concern over the Delta coronavirus variant, a mega-concert in Central Park to celebrate New York City’s reopening will go forward as planned next month, with performers including the 74-year-old Mexican-American guitarist/musician.
Santana, considered one of the greatest guitarists of all time, will perform alongside Rob Thomas. The pair teamed up in 1999 for “Smooth“, a dynamic cha-chastop-start number co-written and sung by Thomas of Matchbox Twenty and laced throughout with Santana’s guitar fills and runs. “Smooth” spent twelve weeks at number one on the Billboard Hot 100, becoming in the process the last No. 1 single of the 1990s.
New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio joined music industry legend Clive Davis, who is co-producing the concert, for a press conference to unveil the details of what de Blasio promised will be a “historic,” “blockbuster” event. Officially titled “We Love NYC: The Homecoming Concert,” the event is set for August 21 at 5:00 p.m., it will be broadcast live globally on CNN and 80% of tickets will be free.
While de Blasio initially proposed having vaccinated and unvaccinated sections, he said that attendees will be required to present proof of vaccination.
“New York City is back,” de Blasio said. “You can see it, you can feel it, and it’s time to celebrate on the Great Lawn.”
The lineup, which includes many New York natives, so far spans Jon Batiste, Andrea Bocelli, Kane Brown, LL Cool J, Elvis Costello, Earth, Wind & Fire joined by Lucky Daye and Kenneth “Babyface” Edmonds, Cynthia Erivo, Jimmy Fallon, Jennifer Hudson, Wyclef Jean, Journey, The Killers, Gayle King, Don Lemon, Barry Manilow, The New York Philharmonic, Polo G, Carlos Santana joined by Rob Thomas, Paul Simon and Patti Smith duetting with Bruce Springsteen.
“As a born, bred and true New Yorker, I well know how resilient we are and how New York always comes back,” Davis said. “I cannot think of a more appropriate way to celebrate this than an unforgettable concert in the most special venue in the world: the Great Lawn at Central Park. My team, along with our partners at Live Nation, has been hard at work for weeks curating what I submit to you will be a once-in a lifetime event […] It will celebrate a spectacular range of musical genres, styles and eras while including some of the most iconic artists in the history of modern music.”
Davis, who was raised in Brooklyn, is co-producing alongside Live Nation. Restauranteur Danny Meyer, the recently-appointed chairman of the New York City Economic Development Corporation board of directors, is also involved, as is Universal Hip-Hop Museum executive director Rocky Bucano.
“We’re so honored to be part of this event,” added Live Nation regional president Geoff Gordon. “I too have goosebumps after hearing that, even though we’ve been involved in lining this up. Live music has the unique ability to bring us all together, which is really what we’re doing. There’s nothing like a live music experience.”
Tickets for the concert go on sale on Monday, August 2 at 10:00 a.m. EST on the new NYC Homecoming Week website, and the Great Lawn has a capacity of 60,000. The 20% of tickets not designated as free are VIP tickets available for purchase. De Blasio said that event workers will be checking for proof of vaccination as attendees enter, with more details to come. Asked by a reporter whether the vaccination requirement means the concert is for attendees aged 12 and over only, de Blasio said, “right now, that’s a fair assumption.”
The event will cap off a reopening celebration dubbed NYC Homecoming Week, during which the City of New York will host concerts in each of the five boroughs starting August 14, leading up to the Great Lawn spectacle on the 21st. The lead-up concerts will be held Aug. 16 at Orchard Beach in The Bronx; Aug. 17 at Richmond County Bank Park in Staten Island; Aug. 19 at Brooklyn Army Terminal in Brooklyn; and Aug. 20 at Forest Hills Stadium in Queens.
Zack de la Rocha is getting another chance to head to the Hall…
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame has announced its 2021 nominees, with the 51-year-old Mexican American musician, singer, songwriter, rapper and activist and his Rage Against the Machine band mates earning a spot on the ballot.
In the the most gender-inclusive ballot in the Rock Hall’s history, de la Rocha and his band mates are joined by Mary J. Blige, Kate Bush, Devo, Foo Fighters, The Go-Go’s, Iron Maiden, Jay-Z, Chaka Khan, Carole King, Fela Kuti, LL Cool J, New York Dolls, Todd Rundgren, Tina Turner and Dionne Warwick on the 2021 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame ballot.
Formed in 1991, the group consists of vocalist de la Rocha, bassist and backing vocalist Tim Commerford, guitarist Tom Morello, and drummer Brad Wilk.
The bands songs express revolutionary political views.
The band was nominated for induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in its first year of eligibility in 2017, as well as in 2018, although both bids failed. Could their third nomination be the charm?
Fan votes, which you can cast at RockHall.com, contribute to the induction process, but don’t guarantee entry.
In 2020, the Rock Hall inducted Depeche Mode, Nine Inch Nails, the Notorious B.I.G., Whitney Houston, T. Rex and the Doobie Brothers into its ranks during a virtual ceremony due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Francisca Valenzuela is heading south (by southwest)…
SXSW has announced its first slate of artists for the popular Austin festival’s virtual event, with the 33-year-old Chilean American feminist pop powerhouse set to make an appearance during the March 16-20 digital experience.
Valenzuela rose to acclaim in Chile and Latin America following the release of her debut album, Muérdete La Lengua in June 2007. Her second album, Buen Soldado, followed in March 2011. Valenzuela has earned both gold and platinum album certification in Chile.
As a virtual event, the roster of SXSW artists is especially international this year, with performances scheduled from Indonesian indie jangle-pop trio Grrrl Gang; Nigerian-born, London-raised U.K. Afrobeats singer Darkoo; rising Spanish-Cuban Latin pop sensation Samantha Sanchez; and Canadian live-electronic/dance experimentalists Holy F–k among the first round of artists.
In addition to Valenzuela and Sanchez, other Latinx artists scheduled to take part in this year’s SXSW virtual event include Alien Tango, BELAKO, Candeleros, Dayramir Gonzalez, El Shirota, Los Blenders, Luisa e os Alquimistas, Petite Amie, Ruido Rosa, Tuyo, Vaya Futuro and Vocal Vidas.
Passholders will have access to these unique artists performing from their home countries with streaming available via web, mobile, and the SXSW Online Connected TV app (Apple TV, Fire TV, Roku, Samsung TV Plus, and Android TV). Select content will be viewable in VR via SXSW Online XR. This year’s SXSW Online passes begin at $249 and will go up to $399 in March. Passholders get access to conference keynotes and featured speakers, mentor sessions and workshops, musical showcases and events, comedy showcases and podcast, online exhibitions and more.
Previously announced speakers include Queen Latifah, The Chainsmokers, LL Cool J and a keynote from Willie Nelson.
Selena Gomez is encouraging people to register to vote…
The 28-year-old Mexican American singer/actress took to social media over the weekend to remind Americans to make sure they’re registered to vote for the November 3 election, which is less than 100 days away.
Gomez shared information about how to register to vote as part of Register a Friend Day. Other celebrities who took part in the initiative included Ariana Grande, Lin-Manuel Miranda, former President Barack Obamaand former First Lady Michelle Obama,LL Cool Jand Cher.
President Donald Trump has continued to spread false theories about voting by mail – even though he’s done so himself – leading election experts to worry that a nation gripped by the coronavirus pandemic could face a chaotic election that may put even more Americans’ health at risk with a push for in-person voting in the midst of both a health and financial crisis.
Currently, presumptive Democratic candidate Joe Biden has a commanding 50-36 lead over Trump, whose mishandled response to COVID-19 has put the U.S. atop the list of countries with the most cases and deaths.
The 55-year-old Oscar-winning Mexican filmmaker, author, actor, and former special effects makeup artist will take part in Tribeca Enterprises and YouTube’s We Are One: A Global Film Festival.
The fest will stream exclusively on YouTubefor free and feature more than 100 films co-curated by 21 of the most renowned festivals, including the Cannes Film Festival, Berlin Film Festival, Venice Film Festival, Sundance Film Festival, Toronto Film Festival and the Tribeca Film Festival.
The 10-day fest kicked off on Friday, May 29 and will not only provide entertainment but also offer relief to the COVID-19 pandemic via supporting organizations.
The truly global event will feature programming from different cultures all over the world, with films representing more than 35 countries and include 23 narrative and 8 documentary features, 57 narrative and 15 documentary short films, 15 archived talks along with 4 festival exclusives and 5 VR programming pieces.
The fest will include 13 world premieres, 31 online premieres and 5 international online premieres. Each selection was handpicked to give shine and highlight each participating festival.
“We are so excited to share the combined efforts of our festival partners and YouTube with the world this week,” said Tribeca Enterprises and Tribeca Film Festival Co-Founder and CEO Jane Rosenthal. “Together, we were able to curate a compelling slate of programming that succinctly reflects the subtle variations in style that make each festival so special. We Are One: A Global Film Festival will offer audiences an opportunity to not only celebrate the art of film, but the unique qualities that make each story we watch so memorable.”
The fest will include the world premiere of Ricky Powell: The Individualist, which spotlights the titular legendary street photographer featuring interviews with Natasha Lyonne and LL Cool J.
Eeb Allay Ooo! will make its online debut and introduce a whole new audience to New Delhi’s professional “monkey repellers”. The satirical film won Mumbai Film Festival’s Golden Gateway Award.
The iconic Joan Chen will present the world premiere of Iron Hammer, a documentary about legendary, trailblazing Chinese Olympic volleyball star Jenny Lang Ping.
There will also be a lineup of specially-curated talks from past festivals as well as new discussions. Talks will feature del Toro, Francis Ford Coppola with Steven Soderbergh, Song Kang-ho and Bong Joon-ho, Jane Campion and Claire Denis.
In addition to features, audiences will be able to access over 50 narrative and documentary shorts such as the world premiere of Japanese narrative short Yalta Conference Online (wt), which was created exclusively for the fest by director Koji Fukada. The fest will also include the global premiere of the Third Eye Blind documentary short Motorcycle Drive By, as well as shorts from Dreamworks Animation, Bilby, Marooned and Bird Karma.
360 VR selections will feature Emmy-nominated documentary Traveling While Black and Alteration, a sci-fi narrative starring Bill Skarsgard, as well as titles featuring John Legend, Oprah Winfrey and Lupita Nyong’o. On top of the film goodness, Questlove from the legendary Roots crew will perform a DJ set for your listening and dancing pleasure.
On the episodic side, We Are One will host the world premiere of Losing Alice, an Israeli female-fronted neo-noir psychological TV thriller as well as the two-part docuseries She Could Be Next which chronicles the experiences of women of color running for office, including Stacey Abrams and Rashida Tlaib.
In addition to Cannes, Berlin, Venice, Sundance, Toronto and Tribeca, participating festival also include Annecy International Animation Film Festival, BFI London Film Festival, Guadalajara International Film Festival,International Film Festival & Awards Macao (IFFAM), International Film Festival Rotterdam (IFFR), Jerusalem Film Festival, Mumbai Film Festival (MAMI), Karlovy Vary International Film Festival, Locarno Film Festival,Marrakech International Film Festival, New York Film Festival, San Sebastian International Film Festival, Sarajevo Film Festival, Sydney Film Festival and Tokyo International Film Festival.
The fest will provide COVID-19 relief through donations to the World Health Organization( WHO), UNICEF, UNHCR, Save the Children, Doctors Without Borders, Leket Israel, GO Foundation and Give2Asia, among others. Audiences will be able to donate via a link on every film page.
In addition to J.Lo, new installments of the documentary series will also feature Boy George, Jason Aldean and Remy Ma.
