MUSIC

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The new biographical film Michael takes a familiar approach to telling the story of one of the most iconic entertainers in history, but it succeeds where it matters most. It gives fans a chance to relive the magic. At the center of it all is Jaafar Jackson, who takes on the role of his legendary uncle with a performance that feels surprisingly authentic, even without singing a single note himself.

In many musical biopics, actors are expected to perform their own vocals, adding a layer of realism and risk. Films like Coal Miner’s Daughter, Rocketman, and Elvis followed that path with varying degrees of success. Michael chooses a different route. The film uses original recordings of Michael Jackson’s songs, from Billie Jean to Thriller, with Jaafar lip syncing. Instead of weakening the performance, this choice allows him to focus fully on embodying the physical presence and emotional tone of the King of Pop. The result is a portrayal that feels uncannily real, especially in the dance sequences where he truly shines.

The film is clearly designed as a crowd pleasing experience rather than a deep dive into controversy. Marketed as His Story Begins, it deliberately avoids the darker chapters of Jackson’s life. Early versions reportedly included more difficult material, but those elements have been removed. What remains is a polished and largely uplifting origin story that traces his rise from child star to global phenomenon. The ending even hints at a continuation, suggesting that a sequel could explore the more complicated aspects of his legacy.

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Rockstar Games has once again found itself dealing with hackers, after a group claimed to have accessed company data and issued a ransom demand. The incident, reported over the weekend, marks the second significant breach linked to the studio in recent years.

According to posShinyHunters says it infiltrated systems connected to a third-party cloud service provider. The hackers allege they obtained internal files and warned the company to respond by a set deadline or risk having the material released publicly.

Despite the claims, Rockstar has sought to minimise concern the breach. In a short statement, the company said only a "limited amount of non-material information" had been accessed and insisted there was no impact on operations or players. The studio has not indicated whether it plans to engage with the attackers.

The situation echoes previous incidents involving major companies targeted through external vendors, rather than direct attacks on internal infrastructure. In this case, reports suggest the entry point may have been linked to analytics tools used to monitor cloud spending, rather than core development systems.

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The Strokes brought an unexpected and highly political ending to their weekend two performance at Coachella, delivering a closing moment that quickly became one of the most talked about highlights of the festival. The band concluded their set with a video montage that criticized United States foreign policy and depicted recent bombings in Iran and Gaza, leaving audiences both surprised and divided.

The final minutes of the performance marked a sharp departure from their previous weekend appearance. As the band played “Oblivius,” a song they had not performed live since 2016, frontman Julian Casablancas repeated the pointed line, “What side you standing on?” The message was reinforced visually by a sequence of clips shown on massive LED screens behind the band.

The montage included accusations about the historical role of the CIA in influencing political outcomes in various countries. It traced a narrative from earlier periods in American history to more recent military actions. The video culminated in footage showing destruction in Iran with the caption “Over 30 universities destroyed in Iran,” followed by imagery from Gaza labeled “Last university standing in Gaza.” These visuals were displayed as the band performed in front of an illuminated mosque backdrop, intensifying the emotional impact.

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Sony Music has requested the removal of more than 135,000 AI-generated songs from streaming platforms, alleging they impersonate its artists. These "deepfakes," created using generative AI, targeted major acts including Beyoncé, Queen, and Harry Styles. Sony stated that these counterfeits cause "direct commercial harm" and frequently target musicians during new album promotions.

"In the worst cases, the deepfakes potentially damage a release campaign or tarnish the reputation of an artist," said Dennis Kooker, president of Sony's global digital business.

The company says the number of songs generated in this fashion is only increasing as artificial intelligence technology becomes cheaper and easier to access.

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Meghan Trainor has called off her upcoming Get in Girl tour, saying the demands of work and family have become too much to balance.

The singer shared the news in an Instagram post, explaining that the decision came after "a lot of reflection and some really tough conversations." The tour had been scheduled to begin on June 12 in Michigan and include stops across North America.

"Balancing the release of a new album, preparing for a nationwide tour, and welcoming our new baby girl to our growing family of five has just been more than I can take on right now," she said. "And I need to be home and present for each and all of them at this time."

Trainor and her husband, Daryl Sabara, recently welcomed their daughter, Mikey Moon, via surrogacy. The couple also share two sons, Riley and Barry.

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Live Nation and the Justice Department reached a settlement on Monday, bringing an end to a high-profile antitrust trial that could have resulted in the company's breakup. The agreement follows a week of testimony and a face-to-face negotiation between Live Nation CEO Michael Rapino and Omeed Assefi, the acting assistant attorney general. As a result of the deal, the parent company of Ticketmaster will remain intact, resolving one of the largest antitrust cases in decades.

In court Monday, U.S. District Judge Arun Subramanian said he received an email Sunday night notifying the court that an agreement had been reached between the Justice Department and Live Nation, but that he had not seen a term sheet until that morning.

On a background call with reporters Monday, a senior justice official said the deal will drive down prices by giving both artists and consumers more choice.

As part of the agreement, Ticketmaster will provide a standalone ticketing system that will allow third-party companies like SeatGeek and StubHub to offer primary tickets through the platform. The senior justice official described it as "open sourcing" their ticketing model.

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Season 29 of The Voice ended on a historic note.

During the April 14 finale, the competition was reduced to four rising stars: Alexia Jayy from Adam Levine's team, Liv Ciara and Mikenley Brown from Kelly Clarkson's team, and Lucas West from John Legend's team.

But, in the end, Alexia was crowned the Battle of Champions season winner, bringing in a coaching panel that had all previously won.

Not only is Adam's fourth win in the competition—tying him with Kelly for second-most wins by a judge, a title Blake Shelton currently holds—but it is also the first time a Black woman has been crowned the winner in the show's 15-year run.

Alexia has been a frontrunner in the season since she performed Aretha Franklin's "(You Make Me Feel Like) a Natural Woman" in her audition, which turned the chairs of all three judges. Adam said to the 31-year-old, "You have one of the best voices I've ever heard on this show, ever."

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After nearly three years away from the BRIT Awards stage, Harry Styles made a triumphant return on Saturday night with the first live performance of his new single Aperture. The performance marked the official start of his latest musical chapter, the Kiss All the Time. Disco, Occasionally era, and set the tone for an evening celebrating the best in British music.

The moment was introduced with a comedic prelude featuring BRIT Awards host Jack Whitehall. The skit opened in a barbershop, where Whitehall scrolled through his phone and reacted to news that Styles would be taking a break from music in 2023. What followed was a playful montage of Whitehall imagining chance encounters with the singer. In one scene he believed he spotted Styles while jogging. In another he embraced Styles wax figure at Madame Tussauds. The lighthearted sequence ended with Whitehall finally arriving at the ceremony just in time for the highly anticipated performance.