The cast for director Sam Mendes’ upcoming four-part Beatles biopics, The Beatles — A Four-Film Cinematic Event, continued to fill out this week with the announcement of the actors tapped to play a number of the Fab Four’s most crucial inner circle confidants and family members.
Among the names on the roster is one with a familiar ring to it: Leanne Best (Line of Duty, Star Wars: The Force Awakens). The niece of original Beatles drummer Pete Best will play John Lennon’s beloved Aunt Mimi Smith, who was his guardian when he was as child.
In addition, The Walking Dead‘s David Morrissey will portray Paul McCartney’s father, Jim McCartney, James Norton (Bob Marley: One Love) will play manager Brian Epstein with Harry Lloyd (Game of Thrones) has been confirmed as “fifth Beatle,” producer George Martin. Bobby Schofield (Cherry) has been tapped to portray the band’s road manager and McCartney and George Harrison’s lifelong pal music biz executive Neil Aspinall, Daniel Hoffman-Gill will step into the shoes of road manager and personal assistant Mal Evans, Arthur Darvill (And Mrs) is on board as journalist/publicist and producer Derek Taylor and Adam Pally (Sonic the Hedgehog 3) is slated to play the band’s quarrelsome music manager, Allen Klein.
They join the previously announced main cast — Paul Mescal (McCartney), Harris Dickinson (Lennon), Barry Keoghan (Starr) and Joseph Quinn (Harrison) — as well as the actresses portraying their wives: Saoirse Ronan (Lady Bird) as McCartney’s wife Linda McCartney, Shogun‘s Anna Sawai as Lennon’s wife Yoko Ono, The White Lotus‘ Aimee Lou Wood as Harrison’s wife Pattie Boyd and How to Have Sex‘s Mia McKenna-Bruce as Starr’s wife, Maureen Starkey.
Check out the Instagram announcement about the latest cast additions here.
The four films are currently in production with all of them slated to hit theaters at the same time in April 2028.
https://i0.wp.com/neztelinc.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/station.nez_png.png?fit=943%2C511&ssl=1511943Yvetohttps://neztelinc.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/nez_png.pngYveto2025-12-05 18:35:572025-12-05 18:35:57Sam Mendes’ Four-Part Beatles Movies Cast Key Inner Circle Roles: Paul McCartney’s Dad, John Lennon’s Aunt, Brian Epstein & George Martin
“People from West Texas don’t have a filter as much as other people,” says Treaty Oak Revival’s lead singer and primary songwriter Sam Canty. “They’ll tell you straight up how it is, and they’re not afraid to tell it to you in a nasty way if they have to.”
That same can be said of Treaty Oak Revival’s music, which is driving, raw and brutally real, especially on new, self-released album, West Texas Degenerate, which came out Nov. 28. The quintet, which also includes electric guitarists Lance Vanley and his uncle Jeremiah Vanley, drummer Cody Holloway and bassist Dakota Hernandez (who recently replaced original bassist Andrew Carey), formed in Odessa, Texas and their country/rock hybrid reflects the often liquor-and -drug-soaked desperation from the tough circumstances of growing up in harsh oil-drilling country.
“I mean, if you look around the place, it’s pretty clear to see it’s not the easiest living. It’s a hard place to live. The climate isn’t very forgiving,” Canty says of West Texas and its blue-collar denizens. “There’s a lot of lot of good, hard-working people out there, and they love to cut loose on the weekends and after work, and get a little rowdy.”
The album title comes from a writer who wrote that all of TOR’s fans are “just a bunch of degenerate alcoholics or something like that,” Canty says. Instead of taking umbrage, Canty realized he and friends were already using the term to affectionately refer to buddies. “I already had a song that I was wanting to write called ‘West Texas Degenerate’ and was like, ‘Hey, actually, I have a song I’m writing that kid of backs up your point there, buddy.’”
Recorded over four days, the album captures the rambunctiousness of the quintet’s revered live shows but also shows a new depth and maturity. With song titles like the title track, “Sh-t Hill,” “Withdrawals,” and “Dosin,” there is a generous array of tunes about squalor, overindulging and paying the price, and destitution, but also songs about love, both good (“Sunflowers”) and bad (“Misery,” a pop-tinged, catchy collaboration with Muscadine Bloodline).
Canty wrote “Sunflowers” as a wedding present to his wife. “I was very hesitant about putting that out, because I wrote that song just for her. I wasn’t sure about sharing that with the rest of the world, because then it becomes everyone’s song,” he says, but his wife convinced him that releasing it wouldn’t diminish the specialness of the song.
Plus, he says, TOR’s band members are in their 30s now and most have families, including Canty who has a 20-month-old son, so it felt appropriate to expand their material. “I think it would be dumb if we never wrote a song about love,” Canty says. “I think [‘Sunflower’] will probably resonate with a lot more people because it’s not a song about perfect love. It’s a song about loving somebody for everything that they are, even if those things can be bad sometimes.”
That description could apply to Canty before he got sober three years ago. “It’s just made my life — and everybody else’s life, I’m sure — a hell of a lot easier,” he says of abstinence. “It makes for a better show. It makes me a better person, and I know my wife and my family and my friends all appreciate it. I’m very thankful that I’m not in that same place that I used to be.”
Like many artists before they get sober, Canty worried about how not drinking would affect his songwriting, but “here I am two albums deep being sober and for the most part, I think we’re doing just fine. I think it’s clear that no matter if I’m sober, drunk, have a kid or don’t have a kid, I’m always just gonna write how I write.”
TOR’s songs, no matter how personal they often start out, have resonated with fans in a way that touches the band deeply, including platinum single “Ode to Bourbon,” from the group’s debut album, 2021’s No Vacancy.
“It was originally kind of a song about liking drinking, and then a buddy of ours passed away and I made it into something different,” Canty says. “A lot of people quit drinking because of that song and a lot of people, [it] prevented them from taking their own lives, in some cases. That’s a pretty meaningful thing to hear as a songwriter. It’s a hell of a thing to live with.”
The goal of the band “is to make people feel something of that magnitude” with its music, Canty says. “I think that should probably be really everyone’s goal who tries to do music or art in any form. I love that [our fans] are healing through the music. It means a lot.”
Treaty Oak Revival, which officially formed in 2019, has been on a steep rise, steadily building their audience both for streaming (more than 2.24 billion on-demand streams in the U.S. alone, according to Luminate) and live shows, rising to arena headliners. Today (Dec. 5), the band announced a 25-city arena and amphitheater tour that starts Feb. 5 at DCU Center in Worcester, Mass., and includes its own headlining show at Red Rocks Amphitheater outside of Denver.
Fans have also discovered the band from placement of its music on Landman, Taylor Sheridan’s gritty Paramount + series starring Billy Bob Thornton about oil drilling in West Texas. It’s a natural fit and now the band is hoping for a guest slot. “I think it’d be awesome if they showed us playing at some crappy bar, some dive bar,” Canty says. “We would love to be a part of that. I know we pitched the idea to them, and they said they would get back to us.”
That excitement led to a brief alignment with Interscope Records for several months before returning to independence. After meeting with a number of record companies, TOR began working with the label by having it distribute acoustic album The Talco Tapes, which came out in May, and new single, “Bad State of Mind” — which became the band’s highest charting song, reaching No. 10 on Billboard’s Hot Rock & Alternative Songs and No. 19 on Hot Country Songs.
“We liked what they had to offer. We liked the team,” Canty says of Interscope. “So we gave them a project to distribute… ‘Bad State of Mine’ did really well. The Talco Tapes did not really do as well as we thought they would, and that was kind of the main thing that we were going to gauge whether or not we wanted to move any further working with them.”
Ultimately, the band decided it would remain on its own, but Canty stresses of Interscope, “They’re great people. I know they’re good at what they do. They wouldn’t be where they’re at if they weren’t. But I think just the way we operate, it made more sense to be on our own… No hard feelings.” (Interscope did not respond to a request for comment.)
Among the band’s goals are to expand its international audience, which started with a jaunt to Australia earlier this fall, playing down under before it had even toured as far southeast as Florida in the U.S. — a state the band hit for the first time in November.
“We’re just some boys from West Texas. We didn’t think we ever had any right to be over there in Australia, but we were,” Canty says. “We were super-stoked when we got the opportunity to do so. We were able to go to a place on the other side of the world and sell over 10,000 tickets. It’s insane. We’re really proud that we’ve come this far.”
https://i0.wp.com/neztelinc.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/station.nez_png.png?fit=943%2C511&ssl=1511943Yvetohttps://neztelinc.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/nez_png.pngYveto2025-12-05 18:11:522025-12-05 18:11:52Treaty Oak Revival on Making Music for ‘People Who Love to Get a Little Rowdy’ With New Album ‘West Texas Degenerate’
WWE superstar and actor John Cena is facing a lawsuit over the iconic horn riff from his entrance theme song “The Time Is Now” – a questionable legal case, but one that shines a light on a tortured history of samples and credits behind the famed song.
The lawsuit was filed by the daughter of Pete Schofield, whose 1974 recording of “The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia” is the undisputed source of the blaring horn blasts at the start of Cena’s 2005 track. In it, she claims that Cena and the WWE failed to properly clear the sample and breached an earlier $50,000 settlement over the dispute.
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“Every effort at informal resolution has been met with threats, misrepresentations, and intimidation tactics, leaving plaintiff with no recourse but to seek relief from this court,” Kim Schofield writes her Dec. 2 lawsuit, obtained by Billboard.
“The Time Is Now,” in which Cena raps over a beat created by producer Jake One, was released in 2005 by Columbia Records and WWE Music Group. The track served as a theme song during Cena’s rise to superstardom, and later became a popular track in social media memes. The track will likely play at some point during his final WWE appearance next week before he retires from wrestling.
The song is also something of a crediting nightmare. The famed horns are pulled from Schofield’s recording of “The Night the Lights Went,” which is a cover of a composition by songwriter Bobby Russell that’s also been released by multiple other artists, including Vicki Lawrence and Reba McEntire. Cena’s song also samples heavily from M.O.P.’s 2000 hip hop classic “Ante Up,” which itself drew on samples from Sam & Dave’s “Soul Sister, Brown Sugar.”
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That complex audio lineage has already led to previous legal battles. Back in 2008, M.O.P. sued WWE over Cena’s use of the “Ante Up” sample, claiming that they had expressly refused to approve the use of their track and that WWE had cleared it by getting a signature from a receptionist at an unaffiliated company. But that case was quickly dropped a few months later on undisclosed terms.
In her new lawsuit, filed without the help of lawyers, Kim Schofield paints a muddled picture of her allegations. She says her family didn’t know about Cena’s use of the song until 2015, and that they then signed a settlement deal in 2017 with WWE for $50,000 covering the sample of the sound recording. But at some point later, she claims they realized they also owned publishing rights to aspects of Schofield 1974 song that were distinct from Russell’s original composition.
Such allegations will likely face an uphill climb in court. Decade-old claims of copyright infringement could very likely be barred by the statute of limitations, or by the earlier settlement. It’s also not legally clear that Schofield can claim the rights she says she owns, nor that she can blame WWE for the fact that she was unaware of them when she signed the earlier deal.
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Reps for Cena and the WWE did not immediately return a request for comment on Friday. But in her own lawsuit, Schofield says lawyers for WWE told her that the 2017 settlement was final and binding on any claims related to “The Time Is Now,” and that she could not later reopen negotiations merely because she had “seller’s remorse.” They also allegedly told her that they had fully cleared the sample by inking a license with the heirs of Bobby Russell, the songwriter who wrote the song that Schofield recorded.
The lawsuit also names Russell’s heirs as defendants. The younger Schofield claims they have improperly been receiving the royalties for Cena’s use of the sample, and that they have recently threatened to sue her if she does not stop claiming her own rights to the song.
The Russell heirs could not immediately be located for comment, but they might have a point. While cover artists can get sound recording copyrights to their specific performance, they cannot typically claim composition rights – a commonsense rule since the underlying music in a cover was necessarily written by someone else. In fact, making substantial changes to the underlying song can turn a legal cover track into an unauthorized derivative.
https://i0.wp.com/neztelinc.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/station.nez_png.png?fit=943%2C511&ssl=1511943Yvetohttps://neztelinc.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/nez_png.pngYveto2025-12-05 18:11:522025-12-05 18:11:52John Cena Hit With Lawsuit Over Famed Horns Sample In Theme Song ‘The Time Is Now’
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Coach has become synonymous with the it-girls of our time, seen slung over some pretty famous shoulders.
Everyone from Selena Gomez to Jennifer Lopez has been spotted sporting Coach in the past, along with trendsetters like Charli XCX, PinkPantheress, City Girls’ JT and Oh Mary’s Cole Escola, who incorporate the brand’s accessories into their everyday. It’s no wonder then that Coach bags are some of the hottest gifts you can give this holiday season, seen as a sort of fashionable status symbol. The only downside to this is that Coach bags can run you upwards of $500+.
If you’re looking to gift one of Coach’s many handbag styles without spending a fortune, we’ve got a hack that might save you and your credit card from certain disaster. The not-so-secret hack? Search for your favorite silhouettes via Coach Outlet online.
The online shop currently has dozens of designer bags, clutches, wallets and more available for less than $100. It’s a great opportunity to snag a coveted piece for everyone on your gifting list. Below we’ve compiled a few of our favorites, all under $100 of course, that you can shop now ahead of Christmas. Whether you’re looking for yourself, we won’t judge, or a loved one, we’re sure you’ll find something you’ll love.
A black crossbody bag with a whimsical star print.
The Poppy Crossbody is a standout style with tons of personality, all for just $99. The bag is a sort of two-in-one situation, coming with a crossbody bag and a card case stashed inside or clipped to the side like a bag charm. The inside comes with multifunctional pockets for stashing all your everyday essentials, while the card holder can be used to store your AirPods and cards, of course. We fancy the Star Print, a celestial offering set against a black background, but there are five other colorways to choose from if that one doesn’t speak to you.
The Plaza Bag is a standard shoulder bag model with all the makings of a great everyday bag. The style currently retails for $95 and features a natural grain leather exterior that transitions into a compact but useful one-compartment base, large enough to hold your everyday essentials, including a phone, keys and lip gloss. The bag’s strap can be converted, transforming the Plaza from a shoulder bag into a wristlet. Plus the brown hue of the bag makes it so you can pair it with almost everything in your closet.
Don’t let its mini size fool you, the Josie is larger than life. Retailing for just $99, this mini bag boasts tons of styling possibilities thanks to the top handle and detachable strap that can convert this hand-held model into a shoulder or crossbody before your eyes. Its multifunctionality and size makes this bag a must-have for concerts and music festivals. Plus if the gray stone hue isn’t your thing, you’ve got seven other colorways to browse through, all for $99.
This little envelope-esque design doubles as a wallet and a bag, all for just $74.40. That’s 70% off the OG price. The tiny bag is crafted of elegant crocodile-embossed leather, creating textural interest, and features an envelope closure at the front and a strap attachment, letting users wear the wallet crossbody. This is another great option for music festivals because it lets you go hands-free with all your essentials. No need to lug around a hefty tote.
Speaking of tiny bags, this Turnlock Card Case In Blocked Signature Canvas is the smallest Coach offering we’ve seen, and the most affordable too. The canvas card case retails for $59 and works similarly to the Envelope style in that it holds cards and small objects and features a strap to wear crossbody. This bag is affixed with Coach’s signature canvas with logo detailing and an ultra-secure turnlock mechanism to keep what’s in your wallet safe.
This unisex crossbody features an all-over signature Coach print with a coated canvas and smooth calf leather material. The adjustable strap lets you wear it any way you want. Don’t like this “gunmetal” and charcoal colorway? The Coach Outlet has six colors on sale for up to 60% off.
Elevate your night-out look with this mini Coach crossbody, which features crocodile-embossed leather and a metallic chain strap. It goes with everything and instantly classes up an outfit, whether you’re wearing jeans and a sweater or an evening dress.
Get a similar look with this Coach wristlet, on sale for just $95 on Amazon. Made from real leather, the accessory comes with a gold chain strap. Inside, find room for up to eight cards plus enough stretch to hold a phone up to seven inches in size. Choose from four colors on sale.
Amazon also has the wristlet in the iconic Coach monogram print. We like the leather accents and the gold Coach “C.” Wear this as a wristlet, mini clutch, or clip it onto a larger tote or bag.
If you’re willing to spend a little bit more, Coach Outlet has this leather Kailey shoulder bag on sale for just $105 right now — a 70% discount. This bag is chic and sophisticated and will be a go-to purse for years to come. At under $150, it’s a certified steal.
See more deals on purses, totes, wallets and accessories right now at CoachOutlet.com.
https://i0.wp.com/neztelinc.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/station.nez_png.png?fit=943%2C511&ssl=1511943Yvetohttps://neztelinc.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/nez_png.pngYveto2025-12-05 18:11:512025-12-05 18:11:51Yes, You Can Get a Coach Bag for Under $100: Here’s Where to Score the Deal This Holiday Season
“The Fate of Ophelia” is now Taylor Swift’s longest-running U.K. No. 1 single after notching a seventh non-consecutive week at the summit of the Official Singles Chart (Dec. 5).
The song, which features on The Life of a Showgirl, first hit the top spot back in October for three consecutive weeks. It was knocked off the top spot by Kpop Demon Hunters’ “Golden” for two weeks and has since returned to score a further four consecutive weeks.
“The Fate of Ophelia” now surpasses 2022 track “Anti-Hero” as her longest-running U.K. No. 1 single. The latter held the top spot for six consecutive weeks upon release. Swift has five U.K. chart-toppers in total: 2017’s “Look What You Made Me Do” (two weeks at No. 1); 2023’s “Is It Over Now? (Taylor’s Version)” (one week at No. 1); and 2024’s “Fortnight” (one week at No. 1).
The Life of a Showgirl is Swift’s 14th U.K. No. 1 album. Swift boasts the most No. 1s on the U.K. Albums Charts for an international artist, and ties for second overall with The Rolling Stones (14). The top spot is also currently a tie between The Beatles and Robbie Williams, who both have 15 apiece.
Elsewhere, RAYE’s “Where Is My Husband!” holds steady at No. 2, while festive classics such as WHAM!’s “Last Christmas” and Mariah Carey’s “All I Want For Christmas Is You” make moves into the top 5 at No. 3 and No. 4, respectively.
HAVEN’s “I Run” charts at No. 16 despite ongoing controversy on the song’s use of artificial intelligence. The song first came to attention on TikTok with fans noting a similarity to British singer Jorja Smith’s vocals, and the singer herself questioning who the vocals were provided by. Speaking to Billboard HAVEN, a new artist project from British producers Harrison Walker and Jacob Donaghue, did not deny that AI-assisted programs had been used in the making of the track, but said that Smith’s vocals were not used in the model’s training process.
The song was removed by a number of streaming services, and the Official Charts Company deemed it ineligible to appear on the Official Singles Chart. A new version of the track now features vocals by Kaitlin Aragon and has remained on streaming services. This week FAMM, Smith’s label, demanded a share of royalties on the track, writing in a statement that “this isn’t just about Jorja. It’s bigger than one artist or one song.”
https://i0.wp.com/neztelinc.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/station.nez_png.png?fit=943%2C511&ssl=1511943Yvetohttps://neztelinc.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/nez_png.pngYveto2025-12-05 18:05:452025-12-05 18:05:45‘The Fate of Ophelia’ Is Now Taylor Swift’s Longest-Running No. 1 Single in the U.K.
Green will perform the fan favorite “Jesus Saves” from his 2024 album Way Out Here. Zac Brown Band lead singer Zac Brown (who is also one The Voice‘s season 28 Mega Mentors), will join forces with Cyrus to perform “Butterfly.” The track was originally recorded by Brown with Dolly Parton and included on Zac Brown Band’s Love & Fear album.
“Getting to record ‘Butterfly’ with Dolly is a dream come true,” Brown said in a statement. “She’s always been one of my biggest inspirations, not just as an artist, but as a person. Collaborating with her brought a whole new perspective to the song. Together, we were able to capture the power of storytelling, weaving a narrative we hope will deeply resonate with listeners. Her voice brings so much heart and soul to this track and singing it with her was pure magic. This song was written for my kids for all the challenges life brings.”
Last month, Green picked up multiple CMA Awards trophies, including single of the year, song of the year and music video of the year, all for his Ella Langley collaboration “You Look Like You Love Me.” Earlier this year, the song also took home ACM Awards honors for single of the year, music event of the year and visual media of the year.
Zac Brown Band is currently in the middle of its Las Vegas limited engagement at Sphere, where they are pairing both their greatest hits and new music with Sphere’s premier immersive visual and sonic experience.
Cyrus recently released a deluxe edition of the album I Want My Loved Ones To Go With Me, featuring collabs with Orville Peck (“Love Is A Canyon”) and Stephen Wilson Jr. (“If There’s a Heaven”).
The Voice coaches Reba McEntire, Michael Bublé, Snoop Dogg and Niall Horan will each be championing their team members, vying for a win during the two-part season 28 finale, which takes place Dec. 15-16, airing on NBC.
https://i0.wp.com/neztelinc.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/station.nez_png.png?fit=943%2C511&ssl=1511943Yvetohttps://neztelinc.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/nez_png.pngYveto2025-12-05 18:00:512025-12-05 18:00:51Riley Green, Zac Brown & Noah Cyrus Set to Perform During Country-Filled ‘The Voice’ Season Finale
Jin is all about ARMY in the official trailer for the BTS star’s upcoming concert film, #RUNSEOKJIN_EP.TOUR THE MOVIE. The minute-long look at the documentary chronicling Jin’s debut solo tour without his bandmates opens with an overhead shot of a massive, sold-out stadium show with Jin agonizing over whether he’s up for being the only star on stage.
“Performing without my members?” he says in voiceover as the camera follows the singer to the stage while he does his pre-show vocal warm-ups. “Not in my wildest dreams. I think I was nervous.” The scene then turns to a confident Jin on stage hitting a big red button to kick off the “DOJEON Challenge,” expressing his desire to meet every member of the group’s ARMY fanclub.
With the music swelling, Jin says, “I’m starting another challenge with ARMY,” officially kicking off the tour to the strains of his Billboard Hot 100 No. 53 single “Running Wild” from his 20222 debut solo EP, Happy.
The doc from distributors Trafalgar Releasing and CJ 4DPLEX directed by Junsoo Park will screen in cinemas worldwide on Dec. 27 and 28, with select territories, including France, the Netherlands and the Philippines, opening the film on Jan. 10 and 11; for movie times and a list of participating territories click here.
“Capturing the vibrant energy spanning 10 cities and 20 performances — from South Korea’s Goyang Auxiliary Stadium to Japan, North America, Europe, and back to Incheon — the movie celebrates Jin’s commitment to ARMY with the message: ‘Dojeon! (Challenge!) Until the day I meet every ARMY,’” reads a release. “The most thrilling moments of the tour such as dynamic live performances, heartfelt interviews, behind-the-scenes footage, a mission-based costume change, and other special moments that can only be seen in theaters are now ready to unfold on the big screen.”
With the word “challenge” as the tour’s theme, the release promises that the movie will bring “Jin’s signature energy to the cinemas, featuring him laughing, singing, and completing five energetic missions with ARMY. The cinematic event is packed with exclusive bonuses, including a “cookie video” revealing tour preparations and the interactive ‘Sing Along Game’ mission with a karaoke version of ‘Super Tuna’ designed for fans to connect and sing along.”
Elsewhere in the trailer fans get glimpses of the massive, fire- and confetti-spewing stage, Jin’s costume changes and his dedication to always delivering what ARMY expect from him. “A performance isn’t complete without ARMY,” he says. “It makes me think, ‘This is why I perform.’ Ultimately, it’s the roar of the crowd that keeps me going.”
Jin wrapped his first-ever tour a month after releasing his second solo effort, Echo, which debuted at No. 3 on the Billboard 200 album chart.
https://i0.wp.com/neztelinc.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/station.nez_png.png?fit=943%2C511&ssl=1511943Yvetohttps://neztelinc.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/nez_png.pngYveto2025-12-05 17:54:292025-12-05 17:54:29BTS’ Jin Releases High-Energy Official Trailer For ‘#RUNSEOKJIN_EP.TOUR THE MOVIE’: ‘It’s the Roar of the Crowd That Keeps Me Going’
By 1987, Belinda Carlisle had become a chart mainstay. Five years earlier, she and her Los Angeles pop-punk band the Go-Go’s became the first all-female group to top the Billboard 200 when their debut album, Beauty and the Beat, spent six weeks at No. 1 in 1982. The same year, the quintet followed with the top 10 LP Vacation and, in 1984, the top 20 Talk Show. They also scored five top 40 Billboard Hot 100 hits, including “Our Lips Are Sealed” and “We Got the Beat.”
The Go-Go’s went on hiatus after Talk Show, but Carlisle didn’t slow down. Her 1986 debut solo LP, Belinda, reached No. 13 on the Billboard 200 and spawned a No. 3 Hot 100 hit, “Mad About You.”
It wasn’t until the end of the following year that Carlisle, then 29, made her first solo trip to the top of the Hot 100 with “Heaven Is a Place on Earth,” which crowned the Dec. 5, 1987, chart. The song’s popularity was helped by an artsy music video directed by actress Diane Keaton featuring women in bandit masks holding illuminated globes.
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In 2013, Rick Nowels recalled the process of co-writing “Heaven”: “[Co-writer] Ellen [Shipley] had the title ‘Heaven on Earth.’ I was playing around with a Prince-type rhythm and sang ‘Heaven Is a Place on Earth.’ We both decided it was more original.
“The first draft of the song had a different minor-key verse along with the minor-key chorus,” Nowels recalled. “We actually recorded it with Belinda and I began to feel that the chorus was a hit, but the verse was not great. So, Ellen and I got together and quietly rewrote the verse. I knew I wanted to modulate into the chorus, which is why the pre-chorus goes to a different key and then back to the original key for the chorus. I had to tell Belinda that we rewrote the song … and had to rerecord it. As soon as we played it for her, she agreed.”
For all involved, including engineer/mixer Shelly Yakus, the rewards were clearly worth the efforts. “I put a lot of time into the arrangement of the song,” said Nowels, who has also penned hits for Stevie Nicks, Madonna, Santana, John Legend and Lana Del Rey, among others.
In June 2022, Nowels was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame.
Heaven on Earth generated two more Hot 100 top 10s, the Diane Warren-penned “I Get Weak” (No. 2 peak) and fellow Nowels-Shipley composition “Circle in the Sand” (No. 7). 1989 follow-up Runaway Horses added the top 40 hits “Leave a Light On” and “Summer Rain” to her catalog.
Having overcome drug addiction, which she chronicled in her 2011 biography Lips Unsealed, “It’s surreal for a Valley Girl to go from working as a secretary to hitting the top of the charts,” Carlisle told Billboardin 2013. “It still makes me smile to think about it now.”
In 2021, The Go-Go’s were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. “What a great way to cement the legacy,” Carlisle told Billboard.
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Carlisle’s 2023 release, Kismet, comprising five songs penned by Warren, hit No. 40 on the Top Album Sales chart in September and spun off the Adult Contemporary hit “If U Go.” “The fact that she gave me these amazing songs,” Carlisle mused, “is like a gift.”
In 2025, the Go-Go’s played Coachella, in April, while in August Carlisle released her latest album, the covers collection Once Upon a Time in California.
https://i0.wp.com/neztelinc.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/station.nez_png.png?fit=943%2C511&ssl=1511943Yvetohttps://neztelinc.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/nez_png.pngYveto2025-12-05 17:43:522025-12-05 17:43:52Chart Rewind: In 1987, Belinda Carlisle’s ‘Heaven Is a Place on Earth’ Ascended to No. 1
This year, “Die With a Smile” by Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars spent five weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and won a Grammy for best pop duo/group performance — but apparently, the track almost didn’t see the light of day.
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In an interview with Varietypublished Thursday (Dec. 4), producers James Fauntleroy and Dernst “D’Mile” Emile II revealed that after first writing parts of the song three years ago, the Silk Sonic star scrapped it and forgot about it entirely. That is, until Mars learned that Mother Monster would be starring in Joker: Folie a Deux opposite Joaquin Phoenix, which he thought would be the perfect project for the long-shelved ballad.
“He was such a genius for pulling that out of the back of his subconscious memory because of the timing of that movie, which is also how Lady Gaga came into his mind as a collaborator,” Fauntleroy told the publication.
The team had initially thought “Die With a Smile” could pair well with the film or Gaga’s accompanying concept album, Harlequin, but it ended up as a cut on the singer-actress’ Billboard 200-topping Mayhem album instead. “When we found out that wasn’t gonna be a thing, he had already kind of started the ball rolling, because the power of Bruno compels you,” Fauntleroy continued.
Gaga apparently loved “Die With a Smile” as soon as she heard it. “I knew she could play the piano, but watching her actually sit down like a musician and learn the chords, so much so that she actually asked for a pen and paper and wrote the chords down … This is unheard of,” the hitmaker added to Variety. “She learned the f–king song, dude, right there. And they were performing, singing it together. And that’s when I should have known it was going to be something special.”
In addition to its Hot 100 reign, “Die With a Smile” spent an eye-popping 18 weeks atop the Billboard Global 200. Gaga is now up for a bevy of fresh Grammy awards, including album of the year for Mayhem.
But in a 2024 interview with Billboard, producer Andrew Watt — who also helped out on the song — revealed that commercial and critical accolades were the last things on Gaga and Mars’ minds when they jumped into the studio together. “This was a pure, organic thing that both these artists who respect each other so much wanted to do together,” Watt said at the time. “This was about the love of making great music.”
Of watching the two superstars do a surprise performance of the duet at Mars’ Los Angeles concert that August, Watt added at the time, “It was this wow factor of ‘Holy crap, [they’re] like the Avengers of music.”
https://i0.wp.com/neztelinc.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/station.nez_png.png?fit=943%2C511&ssl=1511943Yvetohttps://neztelinc.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/nez_png.pngYveto2025-12-05 17:43:512025-12-05 17:43:51Bruno Mars Almost Scrapped ‘Die With a Smile’ Until This Lady Gaga Revelation Changed Everything
Over the last month and a half, Suno and Udio — two top AI music creation companies — have had a change of heart. Both services create impressively realistic songs at the click of a button — and have become villains to much of the music industry over their alleged use of copyrighted music to train their models without a license or compensation for artists. The three major music companies even banded together to sue them for copyright infringement in $500 million lawsuits filed last summer.
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Now, after fighting that suit for over a year, Suno and Udio are coming to settle with some of the majors. Udio, often considered by music professionals to be friendlier to the music industry than Suno, went first, announcing a licensing deal with Universal Music Group and another soon after with Warner Music Group. In what was seen as more of a surprise, Suno followed by announcing a licensing agreement with WMG during Thanksgiving week. (UMG’s suit with Suno is ongoing, while Sony has settled with neither.)
The two deals are notably different. Udio’s requires it to pivot its service from one that can create new music in seconds based on text prompts to becoming a fan engagement platform where users can play with licensed music in a variety of ways, like remixing, mashing up, or prompting songs in the style of a certain artist. To control what is produced using Udio’s 2026 model, the service is now a “walled garden,” meaning none of the creations can leave the platform.
Suno, on the other hand, doesn’t have to pivot what it offers users. The only differences to the platform under the agreement with Warner, come 2026, will be that the works it trains on must be licensed, and users will have to pay to download the tracks they make. Because of the differences between the agreements, Suno is viewed as getting the better deal of the two companies, music and AI experts tell Billboard.
So what do these new deals mean for the future of AI music? While the announcements so far create the start of a framework for a system in which music rights holders get compensated for their work, the two AI firms have a lot to do to reestablish themselves as licensed music companies.
Importantly, all of the deals so far have been “opt-in,” meaning artists and songwriters represented by UMG and WMG will have to individually decide whether or not they want to license their rights to the AI companies. For WMG’s CEO Robert Kyncl, this was on his list of “non-negotiables” when working with AI companies.
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While this allows artists and songwriters a lot of agency, it puts Suno and Udio in a tough spot. Many songs, especially modern pop and hip-hop hits, have anywhere from one to 10 (or even more) songwriters who have played a part in making the song, and often these songwriters are signed to different companies, some of which will not have had deals with Suno or Udio. It will be an uphill battle to clear many of the most valuable hits, because if even one songwriter declines a song’s usage by Suno or Udio, the entire song will be disqualified.
As part of these agreements, Suno and Udio have vowed to eventually retire their current models (which are allegedly trained on the world’s catalog of music without a license) and to launch new models next year trained on only licensed works. This raises important questions. Let’s say Suno, for example, still only has its Warner deal by the time it needs to retire its current model. Do the model’s impressive abilities get degraded? Wholly-owned, wholly-licensed songs by artists and songwriters who decide to opt in from WMG alone may not be enough to create a model just as good as the one before it.
Suno’s supposedly better deal might also hold it back from securing other music licenses in the near term. Even if licenses do go through with the other majors, artists and writers signed to those companies might be more nervous to opt their works into it than with Udio, given the commercial potential of them leaving the platform. The majors’ lawsuit against Suno and Udio made it clear that one of their primary concerns is that AI music will compete with human-made creations in the marketplace, including on streaming services. Already, Deezer estimates that 50,000 fully AI-generated songs are delivered to its site every day and that 97% of people cannot tell the difference between AI and human-made works. AI-enabled artists like Xania Monet, Breaking Rust, Velvet Sundown and others have already hit major milestones, including debuting on various Billboard charts and in some cases amassing millions of streams.
On the other hand, with these deals, the flood of AI songs onto streaming services will likely slow down, which will surely be cause for celebration in the music business. But it might not be enough of a relief to make the other music companies, and the artists they represent, feel ready to start working with Suno.
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Udio’s willingness to pivot will likely make it easier for the platform to finalize licensing deals with music companies, but from a financial standpoint, Suno seems better positioned to succeed in the coming years. It recently secured $250 million in Series C funding, whereas Udio has only publicly disclosed a fundraise of $10 million. According to Suno’s investor pitch deck, obtained by Billboard, the AI firm also claims to have 1 million subscribers already, up 300% year over year.
Udio also faces new difficulties by joining an already-crowded race to become the premier destination for AI-powered music remixing and fan engagement. Hook, MashApp, Spotify and KLAY are all pursuing variations of the idea — using generative AI to give fans the chance to rework songs they love. Still, little is known about what Udio, Spotify and KLAY’s take on the idea will actually end up looking like, so it’s possible these services will be differentiated enough to co-exist.
Altogether, the deals suggest that Suno may have a clearer runway moving forward. But in both cases, lingering uncertainty will make it unlikely for most — artist, label, publisher or any other entity — to throw too much of their weight into the fast-changing AI music arena.
Those who have tried to wade into AI music already are experiencing the precarity firsthand. Suno-powered artist Xania Monet learned this the hard way. Monet, who signed a multi-million dollar record deal with Hallwood Media, just went from charting on Billboard’s Adult R&B Airplay to getting her songs pulled from many airwaves across the U.S. last week, due to iHeartRadio’s new “Guaranteed Human” policy that bans “AI music that features synthetic vocalists pretending to be human.” Broke Records, Isekai Records and AAO Records’ song “I Run” by HAVEN., which admitted to using AI to process the song’s vocals, also faced challenges when the viral song, whose vocals closely resembled U.K. artist Jorja Smith’s, received dozens of takedown notices from Smith’s team. Ultimately, the song was removed from streaming and social platforms multiple times and omitted from the Billboard and Official U.K. Charts. Since then, HAVEN. decided to redo the vocals — this time with no AI involved.
So far, nothing is set in stone in these early days of AI music. Whatever the reality of the space is today, it could all shift tomorrow.
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