Violence, threats hang over Trump-Harris race after turbulent weekend

WASHINGTON -- Kamala Harris and Donald Trump on Monday head into a newly intense phase of the US presidential campaign, with tensions heightened after a second apparent assassination attempt against the Republican former president.

The Sunday arrest of a gunman on Donald Trump's golf course came the same day as more bomb threats poured into Springfield, Ohio, a small Midwestern city at the center of Republican-led conspiracies against immigrants.

But the dueling campaigns are set to march on with little interruption, a day after the Secret Service confirmed one or more of its agents "opened fire on a gunman" located near the boundary of Trump's Florida golf course, and that an "AK-47 style rifle" with a scope was recovered along with a GoPro video camera.

The FBI said it was "investigating what appears to be an attempted assassination of former President Trump."

US media named the suspect as Ryan Wesley Routh, 58, who had expressed support for Ukraine and had a lengthy arrest record.

Authorities said they had not identified a specific motive or political ideology for the shooter behind the previous bid on Trump's life, at a campaign rally in Pennsylvania.

Trump was wounded in the ear in the July 13 shooting.

Authorities on Sunday said it wasn't clear whether a gunman actually fired a weapon in the direction of the former president before the Secret Service engaged the shooter.

Harris and President Joe Biden both denounced the attack on Trump, with Biden saying "There is no place for political violence or for any violence ever in our country."

Vice President Harris, the Democratic nominee who will face ex-president Trump at the polls November 5, said in a statement Sunday she was "disturbed by the possible assassination attempt" and "thankful that former president Trump is safe."

The same day, Clark State College, in Springfield, announced it would hold classes virtually this week, after receiving bomb and shooting threats over the weekend.

- Bomb threats -

The move comes on the fourth consecutive day of threats of bombings and other violence that have targeted the local city hall, public schools and nearby college Wittenberg University, following racist rumors about local Haitian immigrants pushed by Republicans including Trump.

What started as municipal growing pains in a rapidly growing city have morphed into allegations of an "invasion" by "illegal" Haitian newcomers, baselessly accused of stealing and eating people's pets and causing a crime wave.

Threats have hit hospitals, schools and municipal buildings since Trump declared the immigrants were stealing and eating resident's pets at Tuesday's presidential debate.

Some Haitians living in the city have told AFP they are scared for their lives.

- 'Hate' for Taylor Swift -

Adding to the country's acrimonious political atmosphere, Trump posted on his Truth Social website that "I HATE TAYLOR SWIFT!"

Earlier this week, the superstar singer/songwriter posted a message on Instagram saying she would be voting for Harris, calling her a "steady-handed, gifted leader."

Celebrity endorsements rarely carry enormous weight, but the hugely popular Swift is seen as being in a class of her own, with more than 400 million followers on Instagram, TikTok and other social media platforms -- 10 million of whom "liked" her Instagram post.

It was not clear what Trump hoped to gain by attacking Swift, though he may calculate that any publicity is better than none.

He has been criticized, even by fellow Republicans, for his recent association with conspiracy-minded right-wing influencer Laura Loomer, who has at times joined him on his campaign plane.

The 31-year-old Loomer -- who has called the September 11 terror attacks an "inside job" and said some of the country's recent mass shootings were staged by Democrats -- recently suggested that Swift had entered an "arranged relationship" with football star Travis Kelce "to influence the 2024 election."

There is no evidence to support any of those claims.

The race between Trump and Harris remains tight across the battleground states that will decide the election.

Agence France-Presse

Taylor Swift, Beyonce reporting jobs trigger controversy

NEW YORK, United States - It's rare for a news outlet to dedicate a reporter to one personality, but the publication USA Today has decided Taylor Swift and Beyonce are phenomena requiring their own beats.

The recent announcement by Gannett, which owns USA Today, that it was seeking two journalists to cover the biggest names in music as if they were running for president triggered both excitement and eyerolls -- and broader conversation about coverage priorities in an increasingly fragmented and financially precarious news media environment.

Gannett, which owns more than 200 daily newspapers, has slashed jobs across local markets over the past several years, laying off six percent of its news division in December.

So news of the Tay and Bey positions struck a nerve.

"I suppose now is a good time to remind Twitter that I'm the only full-time news reporter left at my newspaper that was sold by Gannett in December," said Brad Vidmar on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter.

Vidmar, 41, works for The Hawk Eye, a newspaper in Burlington, Iowa that GateHouse, an investment firm-run publishing company, purchased in late 2016.

In 2019 GateHouse acquired Gannett and took its name, becoming the largest newspaper company in the nation -- and one with a reputation for scooping newspapers before curtailing their resources.

Gannett resold The Hawk Eye to a family-owned media company in late 2022 -- its staff a skeleton of what it once was.

"They just kept cutting and cutting and cutting staff all across the board," Vidmar told AFP. "What you saw was a situation where there are less reporters, reporters forced to take on multiple beats."

Losing local content meant filling the paper with wire stories or stories from the broader USA Today network, he explained.

Vidmar said Gannett's announcement of the Swift job made "my eyes roll."

"They've been downsizing newsrooms for years now, but of course they need somebody dedicated to covering Taylor Swift," he said.

'Shaping a generation'

Gannett said the new positions will be employed by USA Today and The Tennessean, the company's Nashville-based paper.

The aim of the new jobs -- which are in addition to three music reporters The Tennessean now employs -- will be to "capture the excitement around Swift's ongoing tour... while also providing thoughtful analysis of her music and career," Gannett said. Another position is aimed at similarly analyzing Beyonce's impact.

The NewsGuild's New York branch was skeptical, writing on X: "Gannett's strategy to be profitable again: 1) Lay off hundreds of reporters 2) Destroy local news coverage 3) Hire a Taylor Swift reporter."

Lark-Marie Anton, Gannett's chief communications officer, said in a statement to AFP that "these roles do not come at the expense of other jobs," noting that in Gannett's bid to "grow our audience" the company has hired 225 journalists since March and has more than 100 open roles.

"Taylor Swift and Beyonce Knowles-Carter are artists and businesswomen. Their work has tremendous economic impact and societal significance influencing multiple industries and our culture -- they are shaping a generation," Anton said.

Under pressure

Robert Thompson, a media scholar at Syracuse University, said his initial reaction to the new jobs was questioning whether "this is a joke."

But he said after more reflection "I think it would be silly to categorically dismiss this... There are so few things that everybody really kind of knows whether they're fans or not, and Beyonce and Taylor Swift are some of the very rare ones."

The jobs have the potential to allow for "really insightful ways to tell the story of 21st-century America through the lens of its most popular personages," he said.

On the other hand, Thompson acknowledged that negative reaction to the new jobs in light of dwindling local news coverage is reasonable.

"If you were to get a bunch of people together and say, 'We've got X number of dollars, how should they be spent?' Most of them would probably not say the Taylor Swift beat," he said.

"But that doesn't mean that separate from that context there can't be some really good things to come of it."

If performed correctly, the new jobs are not necessarily the "dream" careers some headlines have touted them as, he said.

The fan bases for both Swift and Beyonce are notoriously defensive -- music critics who make even the slightest negative comment about their idols can be doxxed or receive death threats.

And along with the "organized wrath" of Swifties and the Beyhive, the worlds these artists have curated are famously guarded.

Plus, Thompson noted, "the eyes of the profession are going to be on these poor folks when they finally get hired."

"That first piece that they file -- it better be really good."

Agence France Presse

BTS wins Artist of the Year at 49th American Music Awards

BTS receives an award for Artist of the Year at the 49th Annual American Music Awards at the Microsoft Theatre in Los Angeles, California on Sunday. The K-pop band beat rival nominees Ariana Grande, Drake, Olivia Rodrigo, Taylor Swift and The Weekend.

-reuters-

Taylor Swift named artist of year for 6th time at American Music Awards

LOS ANGELES — Taylor Swift was named artist of the year at the American Music Awards on Sunday and won two other trophies in a ceremony held live in Los Angeles amid tight coronavirus restrictions.

It was a record sixth win by Swift of the top prize at the fan-voted show, although she was absent from the Los Angeles ceremony and accepted her trophy by video, thanking fans for their support of her surprise lockdown album “folklore.”

Canadian singer The Weeknd, sporting a large white face bandage, was the other big winner on Sunday, taking the trophies for best soul/R&B male artist as well as his album “After Hours” and song “Heartless.”

He gave no reason for his appearance, which confused fans on social media, but it appeared to be an artistic choice that started with his March album cover where he sported a bloodied and broken nose.

The Weeknd, who will headline the halftime show at next year’s Super Bowl, had gone into the fan-voted awards show with a leading eight nominations.

“I’m just happy to be off the couch and in some real fashion,” said host Taraji P. Henson, opening the show, which featured a mix of live and pre-recorded performances across Latin, country, pop, rap and R&B music soul in front of a handful of socially distanced fans.

“It has been a long year and now that 2020 is coming to an end it’s time to remember that we are one country, you all. We need to heal,” the “Empire” actress said.

Masked dancers and stripped-down performances were the order of the night, kicking off with Justin Bieber singing his hits “Lonely” and “Holy” before being joined by Shawn Mendes for their duet “Monster.”

The show celebrated the surge in popularity of Latin music with expanded categories and a steamy performance by Jennifer Lopez and Colombian singer Maluma singing “Lonely” in both English and Spanish.

Becky G, whose parents are Mexican-American, won for best female Latin artist and dedicated her award to immigrant workers.

K-pop group BTS won two, for best pop/rock group and favorite social artists and closed the show with a version of their hits “Dynamite” and “Life Goes On” from South Korea.

Rapper Megan Thee Stallion marked her debut performance at the American Music Awards with “Body” and later accepted the best rap/hip-hop song trophy for her raunchy summer collaboration “WAP” with Cardi B.

But she was beaten in the best new artist category by Los Angeles singer Doja Cat, who was also named favorite female soul/R&B artist.

Bieber and country duo Dan + Shay won two for their collaboration on “10,000 Hours,” while Katy Perry gave her first major performance since giving birth to a baby girl in August.

-reuters-

Taylor Swift wants Duterte-backed anti-terror bill scrapped

MANILA - International pop superstar Taylor Swift has joined calls to junk a new anti-terrorism bill that President Rodrigo Duterte is pushing, which some lawyers and human rights activists warned could be abused to target his detractors.

Swift, in a story on Instagram where she has 133 million followers, shared links on information and a donation drive related to the measure. It contained the hashtags #JunkTerrorBill, #MassTestingNowPH and #OustDuterte. 

She also shared information about the US protests over the death of African-American George Floyd in police custody. 

"When you’re done: Educate yourself. This doesn’t go away once the topic isn’t trending," her Instagram story read. 

Duterte has certified as urgent the bill that would authorize the government to wiretap suspects, arrest them without warrants and hold them without charge for 14 days, among others provisions. 

Opponents of the bill fear it could be used to suppress free speech and harass those who challenge Duterte, who commands a legislative majority and influence within the judiciary and state institutions.

"We think this is against the constitution," said human rights lawyer Jose Manuel Diokno. "Given the broader definition of terrorism, the administration's critics could be tagged as suspected terrorists."

Opposition lawmaker Edcel Lagman criticized Duterte for prioritizing the passage of a bill he described as "draconian" over an economic stimulus package pending congressional approval, which aims to help mitigate the impact of the coronavirus pandemic.

Duterte was "tightening the noose on suspected terrorists at the expense of the protection of human rights and civil liberties," said Lagman, who is also a human rights lawyer. 


Presidential Spokesman Harry Roque dismissed the criticism and said elements of the bill were patterned on those used in countries that had dealt effectively with extremism.

He said the 5-month takeover in 2017 of the southern city of Marawi by militants loyal to Islamic State showed the extent of extremist influence in the country.

"Let us not forget, the remains of Marawi is still there," Roque said. 

Swift has performed at 2 sold-out concerts in the Philippines. 

In the past few years, she has opened up about politics after initially struggling to control her own voice as an artist who found massive fame at a young age. 

She endorsed Democratic candidates in Tennessee in 2018 and has criticized US President Donald Trump previously. -- With reports from Agence France-Presse and Reuters 

news.abs-cbn.com

Taylor Swift calls release of old songs 'shameless greed'

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Taylor Swift on Thursday revived her feud with her former record company, complaining that the release of a 2008 collection of recordings for a radio show was “tasteless.”

“I want to thank my fans for making me aware that my former record label is putting out an ‘album’ of live performances of mine tonight. ... This release is not approved by me,” Swift told her 131 million Instagram followers.

The album, “Live From Clear Channel Stripped 2008,” is a collection of recordings Swift made for a radio show when she was 18, the “Fearless” singer said.

She called the release by the Big Machine Label Group “another case of shameless greed in the time of Coronavirus. So tasteless, but very transparent.”

Big Machine declined to comment on Thursday.

Swift recorded her first six albums with Big Machine before leaving in 2018 for Universal Music Group. Big Machine owns the master recordings of her back catalog and under standard industry practice retains the right to release material that was recorded when she was with the label.

Swift has publicly feuded for more than a year with Big Machine and its senior executives over the use of her old songs. The dispute escalated last November when music executive Scooter Braun said his family had received death threats because of Swift’s remarks, and appealed for peace.

Reporting by Jill Serjeant

'One World' celebrity special for coronavirus draws 21 million Americans

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Almost 21 million Americans watched the “One World: Together At Home” global special on Saturday in support of frontline workers battling the coronavirus pandemic, according to Nielsen data released on Monday.

Nielsen said that the two-hour concert, which featured appearances and performances from their homes by multiple celebrities including Taylor Swift, Lady Gaga, the Rolling Stones, Oprah Winfrey and Beyonce, was aired on 26 U.S. television networks.

The event, the biggest celebrity effort during the coronavirus outbreak, was viewed by an estimated 20.7 million viewers in the United States, Nielsen said. Audiences in other nations and on streaming platforms were not available.

The concert, organized by the World Health Organization (WHO) and nonprofit Global Citizen, raised some $127 million from corporations and philanthropists for the work of the WHO’s COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund.

Members of the public were not asked to donate but were encouraged to practice social distancing and handshaking and to show their appreciation for healthcare, grocery, delivery, transport and other workers.

Saturday’s two hour broadcast special was preceded by a six-hour streaming event which featured musicians and other celebrities from as far apart as Asia and the Middle East.

Reporting by Jill Serjeant; Editing by Christopher Cushing

Who's Who of pop culture unites for 'One World' coronavirus special

Lady Gaga, Taylor Swift, Paul McCartney, The Rolling Stones, Beyonce and Oprah Winfrey on Saturday headlined a special broadcast of music, comedy and personal stories celebrating those around the world on the frontlines of the coronavirus pandemic.

The two-hour “One World:Together at Home” event, broadcast across multiple television channels in the United States and overseas, featured a Who’s Who of pop culture in the biggest celebrity gathering so far to mark the effects of the virus.

Contributions, all filmed in their homes, also came from Elton John, Jennifer Lopez, Stevie Wonder, British soccer star David Beckham, former U.S. first ladies Michelle Obama and Laura Bush, Andrea Bocelli, Celine Dion, Billie Eilish, Bill Gates and dozens of others.

“I’m so grateful for the healthcare workers, the medical workers, all the grocery store workers and delivery people, the postal workers, all the other nonprofits that are working so hard,” said Gaga, who helped organize the event.

“This is really a true love letter to all of you all over the world, and I hope a reminder of the kindness that’s occurring right now,” she added.

The event, led by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the nonprofit group Global Citizen, told the personal stories of teachers and healthcare, grocery, delivery, postal and other workers.

It showed social media postings and news clips of doctors and nurses being applauded by communities around the world, deserted world landmarks, families greeting each other through windows, and acts of kindness in support of those who are isolated and frail.

“We aren’t asking for money tonight,” said Stephen Colbert who hosted the broadcast alongside his U.S. late night television rivals Jimmy Kimmel and Jimmy Fallon.

Instead of seeking public funds, the event encouraged philanthropists and companies to contribute to the WHO’s COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund. Corporate and other donors have already contributed some $150 million, organizers said.

“What I’d like tonight, if I can, is to give you the permission for the moment to... ‘Smile’,” said Gaga, kicking off the evening by launching into a version of the ballad made famous by Nat King Cole.

Beyonce did not perform but sent a video message in which she noted the disproportionately high death rates from COVID-19 in the black community.

“This virus is killing black people at an alarming rate in America,” she said, urging viewers to protect themselves.

Swift, on piano, gave an emotional rendition of her ballad “Soon You’ll Get Better,” which was originally written during her mother’s battle with cancer.

The Rolling Stones, filmed in four separate locations, sang “You Can’t Always Get What You Want,” with Mick Jagger and Keith Richards playing acoustic guitars.

“We all appreciate the healthcare workers but never like now,” Winfrey said in a video message. “They truly are the best of us... We need to ensure that governments step up now and provide healthcare workers with the equipment and the funds they need.”

Wonder played the late Bill Wither’s classic “Lean on Me,” while McCartney, recalling that his mother was a nurse and midwife, sang “Lady Madonna.”

“You know the coronavirus is trouble when a Beatle gets involved,” quipped Kimmel.

Earlier on Saturday, pop, classical and rap musicians from the United States, Asia and the Middle East took part in a six-hour livestream that featured Latin star Luis Fonsi, R&B singer Jennifer Hudson, Hong Kong singer Eason Chan, India’s Vishal Mishra and Emirati musician Hussain Al Jassmi.

Celebrities called on people to stay at home, wash their hands regularly, practice social distancing and put pressure on their political leaders to introduce widespread testing for the disease.

-reuters-

Taylor Swift, Oprah join huge global event to celebrate coronavirus workers

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Taylor Swift, Jennifer Lopez and Oprah Winfrey have joined a global broadcast special telecast this weekend that will recognize the efforts of workers on the front lines of the coronavirus outbreak, organizers said on Tuesday.

The “One World Together at Home” event, a combination of music, comedy and stories from doctors, nurses and grocery workers, also announced an additional six-hour streaming event that will include appearances by major sports stars, including British Formula One racing champion Lewis Hamilton, U.S. women’s World Cup soccer player Megan Rapinoe, World Cup skier Lindsey Vonn and dozens of other singers, actors and social media influencers.

The April 18 streaming event will precede the two-hour show to be broadcast across multiple North American and international television networks on Saturday evening in the biggest effort so far to show solidarity with frontline workers.

All those taking part in the event, organized by the World Health Organization (WHO) and advocacy group Global Citizen, will appear remotely due to social distancing and shutdowns aimed at curtailing the spread of the disease that has killed more than 124,000 people worldwide.

“Our hope for the special is that everyone will come away believing that we, as a shared humanity, can emerge from this moment forever grateful for the work of doctors, nurses, teachers, grocery store workers, and all those who are the backbone of our communities,” Hugh Evans, co-founder and chief executive of Global Citizen, said in a statement.

Lady Gaga announced the event last week but it has since expanded dramatically and now includes some of the biggest celebrities in the world, including Celine Dion, Billie Eilish, John Legend, Elton John, Paul McCartney, Chris Martin, Andrea Bocelli and Michael Buble.

While the special is not billed as a public fundraiser, it is also aimed at encouraging philanthropists and companies to dig into their pockets and contribute to the WHO’s Covid-19 Solidarity Response Fund. Gaga said last week that more than $35 million had been raised from corporations.

“When we do air live on April 18th, put your wallets away, your credit cards away, anything away that you need to and sit back and enjoy the show that you all very much deserve,” Gaga told a news conference last week.

Reporting by Jill Serjeant; editing by Jonathan Oatis

Taylor Swift, Olivia Colman lead diverse Sundance 2020 lineup

PARK CITY, Utah -- Women directors and stars will be at the forefront of this year's Sundance Film Festival starting on Thursday, at a time when a lack of diversity among nominees has been the focus of the Hollywood awards season.

Women directed 44% of the 118 feature-length films to be previewed at the 10-day festival in the ski resort town of Park City, Utah. Minorities have directed 34%, and directors identifying as LGBTQ 15%.

Last year, women directed 40% of the official selection at Sundance.

At the upcoming Academy Awards on Feb. 9, no female directors are up for an Oscar, and stories by or about men dominate the Best Picture lineup.

"It's part of a trend at Sundance," said Brent Lang, executive editor for film and media at movie trade magazine Variety.

"Over the last decade the festival's put a real premium on providing a platform for female filmmakers, for under-represented filmmakers of all stripes, and I think this is a continuation of that effort."


Kicking off Sundance, the biggest U.S. showcase for independent cinema, will be director and Emmy winner Lana Wilson with her Netflix documentary, "Taylor Swift: Miss Americana," which the streaming service says promises a "raw and emotionally revealing look" at the pop star.

RECORD SUBMISSIONS

Organizers of the festival founded by actor Robert Redford say they received a record-breaking 15,100 submissions this year.

Angelina Jolie stars in the children's movie "Come Away," which explores the stories of Peter Pan and Alice in Wonderland; Olivia Colman plays a daughter trying to look after her elderly parent in "The Father," and Carey Mulligan is a woman who seeks revenge after a tragic event in "Promising Young Woman."

Elisabeth Moss plays horror author Shirley Jackson in "Shirley," Ethan Hawke plays Serbian-American inventor Nikola Tesla in "Tesla," and Benedict Cumberbatch is a spy during the Cold War in "Ironbark."


Across the documentary categories, Ron Howard’s "Rebuilding Paradise" shows the wildfires in California that destroyed the town of Paradise in 2018; "Be Water" explores the life of Bruce Lee; and the 4-part Hulu series "Hillary" centers on former Secretary of State, Hillary Rodham Clinton.

Meanwhile, streaming platforms hope to use Sundance to generate buzz around their offerings.

Along with the opening film, Netflix titles include "Crip Camp," a documentary about a camp for disabled teenagers from Barack and Michelle Obama's Higher Ground Productions.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

How Taylor Swift dragged private equity into her fight over music rights

A little more than a week ago, a troubling alert appeared on the smartphone of an executive at the private equity giant the Carlyle Group: The firm had been invoked by Taylor Swift.

In an open letter posted to social media, the pop megastar had implored her fans to intervene in what might otherwise have been an obscure music industry dispute. The new owners of her former record company, she said, were trying to prevent her from playing her old hits at the American Music Awards on Sunday night. Swift asked her followers to tell Scooter Braun, the top music manager who now controlled her music catalog, how they felt. She added that she was “especially asking for help” from the Carlyle Group, which had backed Braun’s deal for the label, Big Machine.

After Swift’s post, her fans swarmed Braun — he has said that he and his family have received death threats — and the issue even became a high-profile political talking point, with Sen. Elizabeth Warren and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez using it to attack private equity.

The public callout also got the attention of Carlyle, one of the world’s biggest private equity firms, which moved quickly to encourage a deal between the two sides and urged Braun to reach out to Swift, according to 4 people close to the situation.

Carlyle’s intervention — which people in both camps say has brought the bitter fight closer to a resolution — says as much about the zeitgeist as it does about private equity. At a time of public outrage over corporate greed and a heightened awareness of gender-based power dynamics, the 29-year-old Swift was able to turn a commercial dispute into a cause célèbre.

According to the 4 people close to the discussions, a deal could take various forms, including a partnership or joint-venture arrangement. But the artist’s ideal outcome — and probably the only one she will accept, according to her team — appears to be a sale that would give Swift possession of her master recordings from Big Machine. Such an agreement could well cost her hundreds of millions of dollars.

Ownership of her master recordings, and the copyrights associated with them, would put Swift in rare company. Relatively few major-label artists — among them Jay-Z, Metallica and Janet Jackson — have gained such control, since labels typically own those assets in exchange for the risks they take in financing artists’ careers. But Swift has made no secret of her desire to control her work, which became a crucial contract point when she signed a new deal last year with Universal Music Group.

The singer’s battle with Braun and his partners at Carlyle represents an unusually public collision between a superstar’s social media power and the status quo of the music business. It has also exposed the awkward fit between artists and private equity investors more accustomed to dealing with corporate boards at large industrial and consumer companies than with popular entertainment figures.

“People in private equity look at music copyrights and think, ‘It’s like real estate,’ but it’s not,” said Matt Pincus, the founder of Songs Music Publishing, which was sold in 2017. “You’re dealing with living, breathing artists.”

Carlyle bought into Beats Electronics, Dr. Dre’s headphones company, in 2013 and made an initial investment in 2017 in Ithaca Holdings, the entertainment holding company that Braun runs. With its headquarters in Washington and its past advisory arrangements with former heads of state like President George W. Bush and John Major, the former prime minister of Britain, the firm is in some ways a natural mediator in the Swift dispute.

But its portfolio managers, who tend to wear dark suits and skinny ties, were not used to dealing with sneaker- and leather-jacket-wearing musicians and managers for whom business is often personal. And then, there were the obsessive, protective fans known as Swifties. While social media heat can be directed at anyone, anytime, Carlyle was unhappy to be dragged into the dispute in such a public way, three of the people said.

Swift has long railed against what she considers injustices in the music business, including past disputes with Apple and Spotify. She first went public in June with her displeasure over the deal that brought Carlyle into the picture.

On June 30, Braun, who discovered Justin Bieber and has managed Ariana Grande and Kanye West, took over most of Swift’s music catalog as part of Ithaca’s purchase of Big Machine, an independent Nashville, Tennessee, label whose founder, Scott Borchetta, signed Swift as a 15-year-old country singer. Big Machine’s ownership of Swift’s first six albums — all of them multiplatinum hits — allows it to make money anytime that music is used, whether it’s streamed by a fan or placed in a Hollywood movie.

Ithaca paid $300 million to $350 million for Big Machine, according to two people briefed on its valuation at the time. But it also brought Swift into Braun’s orbit, stirring up heated feelings toward him largely because of his association with West, a longtime antagonist. The deal, she wrote on Tumblr, meant that Braun and Borchetta, who joined Ithaca’s board, would be in the position of “controlling a woman who didn’t want to be associated with them. In perpetuity.”

Carlyle’s stake in Ithaca was overseen by Jay W. Sammons, who runs the firm’s media, retail and consumer team. Carlyle added to its investment in Ithaca with the recent Big Machine deal. (It currently owns roughly a third of Ithaca, according to a person briefed on the size of the position.) And Sammons knew Carlyle was taking on exposure to an outspoken pop figure in Swift. But given the substantial value of her music catalog and the chance to invest in other Big Machine label artists, including Reba McEntire and Florida Georgia Line, he saw it as a compelling opportunity, a person familiar with his thinking said.

Soon after the deal was signed, Swift threatened in interviews to make new recordings of her old songs, potentially devaluing Braun’s investment in her original catalog. Braun and Borchetta accused Swift of bending the facts to fit a victim’s narrative, and said that she had rejected attempts to negotiate over the past six months.

Then, on Nov. 14, the pop star published another Tumblr post. Braun and Borchetta had essentially told Swift to “be a good little girl and shut up,” she wrote. The two men were imposing “tyrannical control” over her, she added, threatening to block her American Music Awards performance and refusing to license her music for a Netflix documentary in the works.

Swift’s note sent Swifties on a passionate mission to familiarize themselves with the Carlyle portfolio. Some shared clips from the socially conscious comedian Hasan Minhaj in which he discussed the company’s investments and its connection — through its ownership of the aerospace component manufacturer Wesco Aircraft Holdings, which supplies parts used to make a combat aircraft — to Saudi Arabia’s war against Yemen.

“When you think about it, you either support Taylor Swift or the war in Yemen,” one fan wrote on Twitter, earning more than 3,700 retweets.

Sammons soon saw Swift’s post on his phone. Concerned by the turn things had taken, he rolled into action, according to two people familiar with his role, contacting Braun and others to see what could be done to assuage Swift — potentially even by selling her masters back to her. Shortly thereafter, both public and private overtures were made to Swift, inviting her to explore an outcome that would satisfy all parties.

On Friday, Braun used Instagram to publish his first public statement on the matter, urging Swift to consider her role in the threats facing his family. But he added that he hoped to “come together and try to find a resolution,” adding: “I’m open to ALL possibilities.”

Despite Braun’s open-minded public stance, he may be reluctant to sell. Big Machine is a crucial part of a larger strategy to expand the reach of Ithaca, which has investments in music publishing, artist management and even a film studio, Mythos. Big Machine would also help establish Braun, 38, as a mogul in the style of his hero, David Geffen, who controlled his own major record label and became a top Hollywood producer.

Private equity has long been a part of the financial backdrop of the music industry, with mixed results. Some deals have gone well; in 2013, for example, Kohlberg Kravis Roberts doubled its investment in BMG, the recorded music and publishing company, after five years.

Others have been disasters. Terra Firma Capital Partners paid about $8 billion for EMI in a highly leveraged deal in 2007, shortly before credit markets collapsed. The deal fell apart four years later, but by then Terra Firma had already alienated top artists with a tone-deaf approach to cost cutting. Paul McCartney, the Rolling Stones, Radiohead and other stars fled the label, some with harsh words for its management.

Pincus, the music publisher who now advises a financial firm, put it this way: “The question of whether the power of a global superstar can wildly swing the asset value of music is hard to quantify in a spreadsheet.”


2019 The New York Times Company

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Ex-label says Taylor Swift can sing her old hits at awards show

NEW YORK - Taylor Swift's former label said Monday that it will allow the global pop superstar to perform some of her early hits at an awards show this month -- the latest twist in a months-long public feud over the rights to her first six albums.

But even the seeming resolution of the spat did not come without some confusion.

The Big Machine Label Group released what it called a joint statement with Dick Clark Productions -- which puts on the American Music Awards -- saying they had "reached a licensing agreement" that would allow Swift to sing what she wants at the November 24 ceremony.

But shortly thereafter, the producers distanced themselves from the situation, saying it was between Swift and her ex-label.

Big Machine, which is based in Nashville, then clarified that it had "informed" the production company of its licensing approval.

Swift's publicist did not immediately respond to an AFP request for comment, and the pop star has yet to react publicly.

Last week, Swift -- known for her calculating social media strategy -- said on Tumblr that Big Machine heads were "exercising tyrannical control" over her.

She claimed they had told her she was "not allowed to perform my old songs on television because they claim that would be re-recording my music before I'm allowed to next year."

The pop superstar -- famous for megahits like "Shake It Off" and "We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together" -- also said Big Machine was preventing her from using "older music or performance footage" for a Netflix project.

The company, which did not refer to the Netflix issue in its latest statements, denied the allegations last week.

"It should be noted that recording artists do not need label approval for live performances on television or any other live media," Big Machine said Monday.

"Record label approval is only needed for contracted artists' audio and visual recordings and in determining how those works are distributed."

Swift began publicly sparring with industry mogul Scooter Braun this summer over his purchase of her former label of more than a decade, which gave him a majority stake in the master recordings of her first six albums.

The 29-year-old then vowed to re-record her early albums to create copies she owns herself, saying her contract allows her to begin redoing albums one through five in November 2020 -- when she plans to be back in the studio doing just that.

Swift signed a new deal with Universal Music Group in 2018 that gave her ownership of her masters going forward, including for her recently released seventh album "Lover."

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Taylor Swift, Cardi B, Missy Elliott bring girl power to Video Music Awards show

Taylor Swift picked up two awards, including video of the year, in a girl-powered start to the MTV Video Music Awards show on Monday, while rapper Cardi B won best hip-hop video and newcomer Lizzo celebrated big women.

Swift opened the show with a rainbow-themed performance of her pro-LGBTQ single "You Need to Calm Down," followed by her first live performance of the romantic ballad "Lover," the lead single from her new, and already best-selling, album of the same name.

"You Need to Calm Down" brought the country-turned-pop singer one of the top prizes -- video of the year -- being handed out during Monday's ceremony. It also took the "video for good" statuette for songs that have raised awareness.

Accepting the video of the year award, Swift said that since the VMAs are chosen by fans, "it means that you want a world where we are all treated equally under the law."

Swift and pop singer Ariana Grande went into the fan-voted ceremony in Newark, New Jersey, with a leading 10 nominations each and also were competing for song of the year, best pop, and video of the year.

Grande, currently on tour in Europe and absent from Monday's show, is also a contender for the top award -- artist of the year -- along with Cardi B, 17-year-old alternative pop newcomer Billie Eilish, Halsey, the Jonas Brothers and Shawn Mendes.

Cardi B beat out a male-dominated lineup to win best hip-hop video for "Money," and ended a delighted acceptance speech saying: "Thank you, Jesus."

The outspoken rapper was also on hand to present Missy Elliott with this year's Vanguard Award for career achievement, calling her "a champion for women who want to be doing their own thing."

Best new artist contender Lizzo, enjoying a breakout year, performed her hits "Truth Hurts" and "Good as Hell" in a yellow sequined bodysuit, accompanied by plus-size dancers, in a message for body positivity.

Mendes and Camila Cabello stoked reports they are dating in real life with a steamy live version of their romantic duet "Senorita," which reached No. 1 this week on the Billboard singles charts.

Male winners included Korean boy band BTS, who won for best K-Pop; the recently reunited Jonas Brothers, who paid tribute to their New Jersey roots with a performance from Asbury Park; newcomer Lil Nas; and Mendes.

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Taylor Swift says will re-record songs to regain control of catalog

NEW YORK - Ahead of Friday's release of her album "Lover" pop star Taylor Swift is floating plans to re-record her early albums to have the last word in a rights dispute over her music.

The news reignites Swift's battle with industry mogul Scooter Braun -- who recently purchased Big Machine Label Group through his company Ithaca Holdings in a reported $300 million deal -- thereby obtaining majority ownership of Swift's master recordings.

The owner of coveted masters -- one-of-a-kind source material used to create vinyls, CDs and digital copies -- is able to dictate how songs are re-produced and sold.

When news of the deal broke in June Swift, 29, said it "stripped me of my life's work."

Now the chart-topper says she's going to regain control: asked about the possibility of recording her first six multi-platinum albums in an interview with CBS to air Sunday morning, Swift said the option was likely.

Asked "might you do that?," she replied, "Oh, yeah," in a teaser of the interview.

"That's a plan?" the interview follows up, to which Swift says, "Yeah, absolutely." 

The dramatic move could be complicated by time restrictions in her early contracts -- she first signed with Big Machine Label Group in 2005, when she was still a teenager -- but not impossible.

Swift is credited as a lead writer for essentially all of her back catalog, meaning she could record covers of sorts without needing access to the masters.

Her previous contracts aren't public, but typical time restrictions prevent artists from putting out re-recorded work for three to five years from its initial release. Swift's eponymous debut came out in 2006, while her last album with the Nashville-based label dropped in 2017.

Last year, the superstar signed a new deal with Republic Records and Universal Music Group.

Swift's astronomic wealth and deep network in the music industry would also help, as she would need support from her past collaborators on songs to make them competitive with her original versions.

Earlier this summer, singer Kelly Clarkson urged Swift to re-record songs whose masters she doesn't own, tweeting that she should "put brand new art & some kind of incentive so fans will no longer buy the old versions."

"I'd buy all of the new versions just to prove a point," Clarkson said.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Taylor Swift announces new single 'Lover'

Taylor Swift has revealed that she will release her new single "Lover" on Friday, August 16.

The 29-year-old singer is preparing for the release of her upcoming seventh studio album "Lover" on August 23 but she has announced that she will drop a single with the same name later this week.

Speaking during her acceptance speech at the Teen Choice Awards on Sunday, Swift told her fans: "I just wanted to tell you there's so much I'm excited about in the next 12 days until my album 'Lover' comes out. The album comes out on August 23, but I wanted to tell you tonight that on the 16th, on Friday, I have a new song called 'Lover' coming out, and I'm so excited. I love you more than words can say."

Swift has already released three songs from the album, singles "Me!" and "You Need To Calm Down" and promotional track "The Archer," which she explained was not a single but was meant to show fans a different side to her music. "The Archer" did not receive a music video but Swift decided to release a lyric video for the track.

The album "Lover" will feature 18 songs and Swift -- who is dating British actor Joe Alwyn -- recently revealed that it "a love letter to love."

She told US Vogue: "I was compiling ideas for a very long time. When I started writing, I couldn't stop.

"There are so many ways in which this album feels like a new beginning. This album is really a love letter to love, in all of its maddening, passionate, exciting, enchanting, horrific, tragic, wonderful glory."

The single "Lover" has been co-produced by Jack Antonoff and Swift recently revealed some of the lyrics of the song.

These include" "My heart's been borrowed and yours has been blue. All's well that ends well to end up with you."

And she revealed that the song is particularly special to her, explaining: "This has one of my favorite bridges. I love a bridge, and I was really able to go to Bridge City."

source: news.abs-cbn.com

K-pop fans unhappy as Swift, Grande lead VMA nominations

LOS ANGELES -- Taylor Swift and Ariana Grande dominated nominations on Tuesday for the MTV Video Music Awards (VMA) with 10 apiece, but some K-pop fans cried foul when best-selling Korean bands were placed in a separate category.

Grande's breakup anthem "thank u, next" and Swift's "You Need to Calm Down," in which she criticizes social media trolls and those who attack LGBTQ people, will contend for the top prizes of song of the year, best pop and video of the year.

Grande also got a nod for artist of the year along with rapper Cardi B, 17-year-old newcomer Billie Eilish, Halsey, the Jonas Brothers and Shawn Mendes.

Korean boy band BTS, which has led a K-pop music wave in the United States and scored three No.1 albums on the Billboard chart in the past year, got just 4 nods, including 3 in the newly created K-pop category.

"bts outsold,,,, EVERY SINGLE,,, artist in the artist of the year category but the vmas didn’t wanna see that so they made a whole new category just to not acknowledge the power and influence bts has had over the whole industry," tweeted a BTS fan called Chioma.

"I am getting so sick of the westerners not giving BTS the due respect. They ignore stats, facts, achievements, charts and the people as well," a user called Shivani Shintre posted on Twitter.

MTV did not return a call for comment.

Fans vote on the winners of the VMA awards, which will be announced at a show in Newark, New Jersey, on August 26, but they do not vote on the nominations.

"Boy With Luv," a collaboration between BTS and American singer Halsey, received nods for best collaboration, art direction and choreography.

Other nominees in the K-pop field include girl band BlackPink, Monsta X, NCT 127, EXO and Tomorrow X Together.

The new Video for Good field features songs deemed to have raised awareness. It includes Swift's "You Need to Calm Down," Halsey's female-empowering "Nightmare," Lil Dicky's environmentally themed "Earth" and John Legend's "Preach" about social injustices.

Other nominees in the category include The Killers' "Land Of The Free," a protest against US President Donald Trump's planned wall on the US-Mexican border, and "Runaway Train" about missing children.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Taylor Swift releases song and petition calling for LGBTQ equality

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Pop singer and songwriter Taylor Swift on Monday released a star-studded music video that scolded social media trolls and urged fans to sign a petition demanding U.S. legal protections for gays, lesbians and transgender people.

The video for Swift’s new single “You Need to Calm Down” featured a surprise cameo by former rival Katy Perry plus a host of other celebrities. Perry’s appearance signaled an end to a spat between the two musicians which began in 2013 over backup singers in their shows.

Set in a pastel-colored trailer park, the video featured Swift, 29, relaxing in a pool while she called out her critics and those who attack LGBTQ people. “Shade never made anybody less gay,” she sang.

Celebrities in the video who identify as LGBTQ include Ellen DeGeneres, Billy Porter, RuPaul, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Adam Lambert, Hannah Hart and Tan France.

Swift, all smiles and outfitted as French fries, hugged Perry, 34, dressed as a hamburger, a costume she wore to last month’s Met Gala fundraiser at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Social media posts in 2018 suggested an end to their spat, which had played out in their songs. On Tuesday, Perry posted a photo on her Instagram account, with Swift being tagged, showing a plate of cookies with the words “Peace at last” appearing to be written in icing.

At the end of the new video, two sentences on screen urged fans to sign a petition urging the U.S Senate to pass legislation that would protect LGBTQ people from discrimination. The measure has already cleared the U.S. House of Representatives.

“Let’s show our pride by demanding that, on a national level, our laws truly treat all of our citizens equally,” it said.

The petition had collected more than 222,000 signatures within a few hours.

Swift, who has more than 118 million Instagram followers, has been stepped into politics in 2018 by supporting two Democrats running in U.S. congressional elections in Tennessee. Voter registrations spiked in the state, but Swift’s preferred candidate for Senate lost the election.

Reporting by Lisa Richwine; Editing by Richard Chang

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Taylor Swift's 'ME!' breaks YouTube record

MANILA – Grammy winner Taylor Swift broke records with the release of her new single titled "ME!" 

Citing a statement from YouTube, an article by Billboard said the music video of “ME!” recorded a total of 65.2 million views within 24 hours since its release on April 26.

This makes Swift the top “solo and female artist with the biggest 24-hour debut on YouTube to-date,” Billboard said.

Reacting to the wonderful news, Swift took to Twitter to express her disbelief over this new record made.

“GUYS!! YOU DID THIS!!!! CANNOT STOP SMILING,” she wrote, adding several heart emojis. “And I’m not trying to be loud but 65.2 million views... ?? and 6+5+2=.............”

"ME!" features Brendon Urie, the lead singer of Panic! at the Disco, who at the video's start is fighting with Swift in a conversation in French.

The video turns upbeat as the music starts. "I promise that you'll never find another like me," Swift sings. "I'm the only one of me. Baby that's the fun of me," she adds.

Swift, 29, had been teasing an announcement for days on social media with pastel images that turned out to be scenes from the new video.

"'ME!' is a song about embracing your individuality and really celebrating it and owning it," Swift said hours earlier during an interview with ABC TV host Robin Roberts on the network's broadcast of the National Football League draft in Nashville.

Swift began her career as a country singer in Nashville, Tennessee, at age 15 before branching out with pop hits such as "Shake It Off" and "Bad Blood."

On Thursday afternoon, Swift surprised hundreds of her fans by joining them at the unveiling of a butterfly wing mural in the Gulch area of Nashville.

"ME!" was written in the center of the mural as a hint to her evening announcement.

The new video and single provided a stark contrast to her last album, 2017's "Reputation," which included songs such as "Look What You Made Me Do" that took aim at people who had attacked her personally and professionally. – with report from Reuters

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Taylor Swift drops peppy song and pastel-drenched video

NEW YORK, US - After a bout of social media teasing, pop star Taylor Swift made good on a vow to drop new music, releasing early Friday the rainbow-colored video for her latest single, "ME!"

The chipper track the 29-year-old superstar says celebrates individuality is a sharp departure from her previous album and much harsher lead single and video for "Look What You Made Me Do," which went heavy on black and white and saw her grapple with her very public celebrity dramas.

"'Me!' is a song about embracing your individuality and really celebrating it and owning it," Swift told ABC late Thursday, where she made a brief appearance at the National Football League draft. 

"With a pop song, we have the ability to get a melody stuck in people's heads," she said. "I just want it to be one that makes them feel better about themselves, not worse."

The video bathed in pastels -- something of a psychedelic mash-up between "Mary Poppins" and kaleidoscopic 60's musical "The Umbrellas of Cherbourg" -- sees Swift engage in relatively banal arguments with a love interest, played by the singer Brendon Urie of Vegas rock band Panic! at the Disco, who also contributes vocals.

After an opening argument that sees the pair fight in French, she begins singing: "I know that I'm a handful, baby, uh/I know I never think before I jump," before breaking into the self-love chorus: "Me-e-e, ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh/I'm the only one of me."

In the video featuring cats and a heavy dose of unicorn imagery, Swift memorably shouts out "Spelling is fun!" midway through but proceeds to spell nothing.

Swift has seen a decline in her status in the industry -- scoring just one nomination at this year's Grammys, where pop was largely ignored in favor of hip hop and country-tinged work -- but commercially remains a megastar.

Her last international tour reportedly grossed $345.7 million over 7 months, after which she released a concert film on Netflix.

She has not yet revealed details of a new album but will appear in a film adaptation of "Cats," set for a December release.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Taylor Swift sets new American Music Award record, urges people to vote

LOS ANGELES -- Taylor Swift, straight off a controversial dive into U.S. politics, was the big winner at the American Music Awards on Tuesday where she used her platform to again urge her fans to get out and vote.

The 28-year-old pop singer won a record fourth artist of the year trophy at the fan-voted American Music Awards, beating rappers Drake and Post Malone, as well as Britain's Ed Sheeran and rock band Imagine Dragons for the top prize.

She also picked up three other awards, for best female pop artist, best tour, and best pop album for "Reputation," the biggest seller of 2017.

On Sunday, Swift provoked a storm by breaking her silence on politics and announcing she would vote for two Democrats in Tennessee in the U.S. congressional midterm elections in November. Her comments drove a spike in voter registration.

On Tuesday, the "Fearless" singer told the American Music Awards audience in Los Angeles and millions watching at home to go and vote.

"This award and every single award given out tonight is voted on by the people. And you know what else is voted on by the people The midterm elections on November 6. Get out and vote," Swift said when accepting her trophy.

Elsewhere on Tuesday, New York rapper Cardi B, brought down the house with an exuberant performance of dance hit "I Like It" with J.Balvin and Bad Bunny.

Cardi B, who has had a breakout 12 months, was also named favorite hip-hop/rap artist, but she lost the best new artist category to Cuban-born Camila Cabello.

Other winners included Post Malone (male pop/rock artist), Khalid (male soul/R&B artist), and country star Carrie Underwood, who accepted her 13th American Music Award.

Boy band BTS became the first Korean group to win an American Music Award, taking the trophy for favorite social artists.

Glady Knight led a tribute to Aretha Franklin, who died of cancer in August at age 76. Other performers included Mariah Carey, Jennifer Lopez and Missy Elliott.

Some of music's top stars, including Drake, Ed Sheeran, Beyonce, Ariana Grande, Rihanna and Kanye West, were absent on Tuesday. West was snubbed in the nominations while Beyonce, Rihanna and Grande got just one nomination each.

Apart from Swift, the show was largely politics free.

Host Tracee Ellis Ross sported a white T-shirt for part of the evening saying "I am a voter," and presenter Billy Eichner, best known for the TV comedy "Parks and Recreation," urged the youth audience to register to vote.

"You can go to vote.org, like Taylor Swift told you to," Eichner said.

Following are winners in key categories for the awards, which are chosen by fans.

ARTIST OF THE YEAR
Taylor Swift

NEW ARTIST OF THE YEAR
Camila Cabello

TOUR OF THE YEAR
Taylor Swift

SOCIAL ARTIST
BTS

MALE ARTIST – POP/ROCK
Post Malone

FEMALE ARTIST - POP/ROCK
Taylor Swift

ALBUM – POP/ROCK
Taylor Swift “Reputation”

SONG- POP/ROCK
Camila Cabello ft. Young Thug “Havana”

MALE ARTIST – COUNTRY
Kane Brown

FEMALE ARTIST – COUNTRY
Carrie Underwood

ARTIST – RAP/HIP-HOP
Cardi B

ALBUM - SOUL/R&B
XXXTentacion "17"

MALE ARTIST – SOUL/R&B
Khalid

FEMALE ARTIST - SOUL/R&B
Rihanna

MUSIC VIDEO
Camila Cabello featuring Young Thug “Havana”

ADULT CONTEMPORARY ARTIST
Shawn Mendes

SOUNDTRACK
“Black Panther: The Album, Music From And Inspired By”

source: news.abs-cbn.com