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Big Pop Week Coming: Jennifer Lopez New Single Drops Wednesday, Ariana Grande Comes on Thursday Night

Roger Friedman
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Big Pop Week Coming: Jennifer Lopez New Single Drops Wednesday, Ariana Grande Comes on Thursday Night

Here we go with some new pop releases.

Jennifer Lopez is dropping her big comeback single on Wednesday. It’s called “Can’t Get Enough.” As I reported earlier, this is a real Frankenstein single, built in the laboratory of production masterminds. It has no fewer than 10 writing credits, including the composers of the original songs it’s based on. Crazy, huh?

Then there’s Ariana Grande. Her single. “Yes, And?” hits on Thursday night. There’s no information yet, but based on my conversation with Ariana and Max Martin recently, they’re the writers. The title sounds like a rebuke to people who wonder about Grande’s turbulent personal life. She’s quite a singer, so I hope she can show off that voice.

Why are there so few male pop singers? I don’t know. Shawn Mendes is on Twitter sledding in Canada mostly without clothing. Justin Bieber has put up pictures of himself playing golf. He just posted a photo of himself in front of instruments and said “Looking forward to next year.” Does he mean 2024 or 2025?

Monster Mash Exclusive: Andrew Garfield Out of Guillermo del Toro’s “Frankenstein,” Jacob Elordi Said to Be In

Roger Friedman
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Monster Mash Exclusive: Andrew Garfield Out of Guillermo del Toro’s “Frankenstein,” Jacob Elordi Said to Be In

Fresh from having his bathwater drunk in “Saltburn,” Jacob Elordi may have a new gig.

Sources say that Elordi is taking over the role of the Frankenstein monster from Andrew Garfield in a new “Frankenstein” movie for Netflix.

Guillermo del Toro had already announced the film co-starring Oscar Isaac as the doctor — named Pretorious — who tracks down the monster who was believed to have died in a fire 40 years earlier. (So this won’t be ‘Young’ Frankenstein.) Two time Oscar winner Christoph Waltz and Mia Goth co-star.

Garfield is out due to scheduling conflicts. He has a lot of back-to-back projects including playing scientist Carl Sagan.

del Toro told Collider website back in the fall:

“I’m doing Frankenstein. We’re working on it, we start shooting on it in February. It’s a movie I’ve been wanting to do for 50 years since I saw the first Frankenstein and I had an epiphany and is basically a movie that requires a lot of growth and a lot of tools that I couldn’t have done 10 years ago, 20 years ago and now I’m brave or crazy enough or something and we’re going to tackle it.”

Elordi is hot hot hot right now after “Priscilla” and “Saltburn” launched him out of HBO’s “Euphoria.” (If and when “Euphoria” ever returns, they may have to feature a new, younger crowd now that Elordi, Zendaya, and Sydney Sweeney have flown the coop.)

So will Jacob Elordi do the Monster Mash this year? Seems like it.

Audacy Files for Bankruptcy– Radio Behemoth Owns Top News, Music, Sports Stations in New York, Los Angeles

Roger Friedman
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Audacy Files for Bankruptcy– Radio Behemoth Owns Top News, Music, Sports Stations in New York, Los Angeles

Audacious: Audacy has filed for bankruptcy.

The behemoth radio chain has teetered financially for more than a year. I told you about this last May.

Audacy owns NewsRadio 88 and WINS, and 92.3FM in New York, plus radio station WCBS FM. They have the sole news station in Los Angeles –KNX AM and FM — and the oldies channel there, KRTH 101 FM, plus rock station KROQ. They also own WFAN, the sports station in New York.

The company basically owns all of what used to be CBS Radio, including news and music stations in all the largest markets.

But advertising is dismal. The stations count on junk ads touting unlicensed medical cures and firms that threaten penalties for not paying taxes, that sort of thing.

Audacy also owns more than 200 radio stations across the country, and also operates dozens of digital radio channels. The company also has partnerships with companies like Warner Bros. Discovery and Bloomberg LP.

The stations will remain on the air. New ownership will take over. But how to get real ads? That’s the question.

Golden Globes: If “Barbie” Wins Tonight, Does That Kill Its Oscar Chances? Academy Will Go Another Way

Roger Friedman
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Golden Globes: If “Barbie” Wins Tonight, Does That Kill Its Oscar Chances? Academy Will Go Another Way

There’s a definite downside to winning a Golden Globe award.

When tonight’s results come in, the winners may wish things hadn’t gone their way.

Most of the Best Picture Drama winners at the Globes did not go on to win Oscars. They include last year’s “The Fabelmans,” plus “The Power of the Dog,” “1917,” “Bohemian Rhapsody,” “Boyhood,” “Three Billboards,” and “The Revenant.”

Once those films won their Globes, they were done, kaput. Why? The Academy membership had no respect for the Hollywood Foreign Press and avoided rubber stamping their choices. Sometimes they did in weak years or when it was too obvious. Those times were “Nomadland,” “Moonlight,” most recently. One of the few times a Globes choice for Best Comedy or Musical went anywhere was in 2018 with “Green Book.”

So keep that in mind tonight. The Globes aren’t a precursor of anything when it comes to Best Picture. If “Barbie” sweeps, that almost guarantees the fun is over. “Oppenheimer” will probably take Best Picture Drama tonight. When that happens, there will be wiggle room for other competitors at the Oscars. “Killers of the Flower Moon” looms large, although “The Holdovers” looms like “Green Book.” People love it. “American Fiction” is also gaining traction.

As for actors tonight: Bradley Cooper and Margot Robbie would seem like a cinch in their categories. Annette Bening is strong in hers– Best Actress in a Drama, although Lily Gladstone may be too important even for the Globes to ignore. Best Actor in a Comedy is a toss up. I’m sure the 60 or so members of the HFPA who have transferred over to the new group wanted Timothee Chalamet. But Paul Giamatti or Jeffrey Wright could be surprise spoilers. Wait and see.

UPDATING Creative Arts Emmys: Guest Actor Awards to Storm Reid, Sam Richardson, Judith Light, Nick Offerman, “Weird Al” Movie from Roku Channel! “Succession” Music Loses!

Roger Friedman
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UPDATING Creative Arts Emmys: Guest Actor Awards to Storm Reid, Sam Richardson, Judith Light, Nick Offerman, “Weird Al” Movie from Roku Channel! “Succession” Music Loses!

keep refreshing…

The Creative Arts Emmys are being handed out in Hollywood right now, the first of two nights. (The big Emmys are Monday January 15th on Fox.)

There are some headscratching surprises.

Guest Actor in a Drama went to Nick Offerman, for “The Last of Us,” a show picking up a lot of below the line prizes as well. Guest Actress in a Drama went to Storm Reid, also of “The Last of Us.” The “Succession” nominees got zip.

Guest Actor in a Comedy is Sam Richardson, from “Ted Lasso.” Guest Actress in a Comedy is Judith Light from “Poker Face.” This is Judy Light’s first Emmy after four tries. She won 2 Daytime Emmys a mere 40 years ago on “One Life to Live.” She has not one, but TWO Tony Awards on Broadway.

Best Outstanding Television Movie — The Weird Al Story. From the Roku Channel, of all things. This was made as a theatrical release, shown in Toronto, and then instead went to TV. The field here was very weak.

The Music Awards– scoring and theme — did not go to “Succession” or composer Nicholas Brittel. I will not accept these results and order an immediate siege of the Waystar Royco headquarters. Danny Elfman won both awards for “The Last of Us.”

How could

this music not have won?

51* Years Ago Today: Carly Simon’s Now Classic “You’re So Vain” Began a Three Week Run at Number 1

Roger Friedman
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51* Years Ago Today: Carly Simon’s Now Classic “You’re So Vain” Began a Three Week Run at Number 1

Hard to believe, but today is a 51st anniversary for “You’re So Vain.”

Carly Simon’s instant classic pop record even in 1973 was a wicked tell all full of edgy accusations. Produced by Richard Perry, with background vocals by Mick Jagger, “You’re So Vain” also provoked an instant guessing game: who was she singing about?

To this day, Carly has remained cagey. And in fact the song may be about three people. One of them, to his lasting chagrin, is Warren Beatty. I know this story still riles him. Some say David Geffen is in the mix. Remember, after her first two albums, Simon had been thrust into heavy company. Her boyfriends included Cat Stevens and Kris Kristofferson. This was all before James Taylor. So she had plenty of material.

But let’s get away from “Who?” part because it doesn’t really matter. Carly’s voice and Perry’s rolling thunder of a production are what drives the record, which is just about perfect sonically. The momentum builds and builds as Carly checks off the self centered main character’s traits, including using the word ‘gavotte’ to rhyme with ‘yacht.’ This has to be the only time ‘gavotte’ has ever appeared in a pop song.

Simon was friends with Jagger, who stopped by the recording studio when she and Perry were making the record. Adding Jagger’s twangy country blues inflection to Simon’s vibrant, cool vocal — she has one of the best voices in all of pop — gave the record a jaunty feel. It also eliminated speculation that Mick was the man in question.

Carly had hits before “You’re So Vain” and a ton afterwards, but she will probably always be remembered for the most mysterious confessional of all time.

By the way, the line up here is all-star: that’s Simon on piano, Klaus Voorman on bass, Jim Gordon on drums, Perry on percussion, and Jimmy Ryan on guitars. Paul Buckmaster arranged the strings.

Taylor Swift’s “1989” 2.0 Number 1 Again, Has Sold 3 Million Copies Since October

Roger Friedman
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Taylor Swift’s “1989” 2.0 Number 1 Again, Has Sold 3 Million Copies Since October

It’s pretty much the same album. Just told a different way.

Taylor Swift’s “1989 (Taylor’s Version)” finished the week at number 1. The album sold around 66,000 copies.

In all, since its release in October, “1989” 2.0 has sold 2 million downloads, LPs, and CDs. Kick in another 1 million streaming equivalent and you have a tidy 3 million copies.

No one does this anymore. It’s unheard of. Swift dominated the charts and all sales for 2023. Four of last week’s top 10 albums are from her. She IS the entire record business. Her only competition — and it’s far off — is Morgan Wallen and maybe Drake.

Sunday night Taylor’s “Eras” movie will probably win a Golden Globe. It’s a concocted prize to get her to the ballroom — Blockbuster or Box Office behemoth. “Eras Tour” didn’t make as much as “Barbie” or “Oppenheimer,” but those two will win film awards. Taylor will just get a Golden Globes sop, and make an appearance. That’s all the Globes care about — and CBS, too. You want it, you got it.

Swift is also the subject of a ridiculous but click baiting New York Times op-ed piece claiming she’s sending signals that she’s gay through her music. The Times also throws Shawn Mendes under the bus in the same piece. Really disappointing and embarrassing, particularly on the day former editor in chief, the great writer Joe Lelyveld, died. He’s already rolling in his grave.

Box Office: Warners Trio Booms as “The Color Purple” Crosses $50 Mil, “Wonka” Rules, Even “Aquaman 2” Eyes Prize

Roger Friedman
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Box Office: Warners Trio Booms as “The Color Purple” Crosses $50 Mil, “Wonka” Rules, Even “Aquaman 2” Eyes Prize

Friday box office takeaway: Warner Bros. trio booms.

“The Color Purple” crossed $50 mil last night. This is big stuff. The movie got a late start and missed some potential prize publicity. The Golden Globes didn’t even nominate it for Best Picture Musical or Comedy. I mean, wasn’t getting a Black picture in there the group’s only mandate this year?

Anyway, I digress. “The Color Purple” was nominated for the Critics Choice Awards next Sunday, will be a SAG Best Ensemble, and certainly a Best Picture for the Oscars. All of that will keep the ball rolling nicely.

Meanwhile, “Aquaman 2” should hit $100 million by tomorrow or Monday. It cost a fortune and got bad reviews, but little by little it swam and didn’t sink. Yes, it cost a fortune, but it’s not all wet. I’m sure there will be a big write off coming, but for now, it’s not a total embarrassment.

And “Wonka” at $150 million is a solid hit. So Warners’ marketing and distributing plans were sound, they rule the ‘wood right now.

A24’s “The Zone of Interest” has played in 6 theaters for 22 days. Last night’s small take was 32% off last Friday. This is the Zone of Disinterest. I said in Cannes this movie should just play in museum showings. And that’s the way it’s going.

“NCIS: The Wonder Years” or “Young Jethro” Will Find Mark Harmon Narrating Origin Series Produced by His Own Son

Roger Friedman
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“NCIS: The Wonder Years” or “Young Jethro” Will Find Mark Harmon Narrating Origin Series Produced by His Own Son

There have already been a lot of “NCIS” brand series. One of them is on now, set in Sydney, Australia.

So wasn’t it time for an origins series, like “Star Trek”? Well, that wish is being fulfilled.

“NCIS Origins” sounds like it will “NCIS The Wonder Years” or “Young Jethro.” It’s all about Mark Harmon’s Jethro Gibbs character and how he became head of NCIS. The producer is nepo-baby Sean Harmon who’s getting his first producing credit. His mother is Pam Dawber, aka Mindy. Mork was not involved.

I guess the show is set in the 70s and early 80s. Mark Harmon will narrate, a la Jim Parsons with “Young Sheldon” or Daniel Stern and “The Wonder Years.” Young Jethro will look back at his early days of solving crimes in his Boy Scout troop and getting kidnapped at college football games.n

If “NCIS Origins” works, then — like “Yellowstone” — there will be “NCIS 1925” and so on. This is what you want, America, and this is what you will get.

Singer Michael Bolton Tells Fans He Had Surgery for a Brain Tumor Just Before the Holidays

Roger Friedman
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Singer Michael Bolton Tells Fans He Had Surgery for a Brain Tumor Just Before the Holidays

Michael Bolton has posted a note to fans explaining his ill health. He was diagnosed with a brain tumor before the holidays and had surgery to remove it.

I’ve been told in the past that Bolton has also been battling other conditions that have plagued him. I saw him recently and refrained from asking what was wrong. Michael is the nicest guy in the world, and only deserves good things.

Here’s his statement. Let’s hope he has a speedy recovery.

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