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OpenAI signs deal to license News Corp content

Murdoch-owned News Corp, which owns publications including The Wall Street Journal and The New York Post, said on Wednesday it had inked a deal with Open AI to share content to train and serve artificial intelligence chatbots.

News Corp said the multi-year agreement will give Open AI access to live and archived news content from News Corp's major news outlets, including brands, MarketWatch and Barron's in the U.S., U.K. and Australia. The deal does not include content from News Corp's other businesses, such as digital real estate services or HarperCollins.

“We believe this historic agreement will establish a new standard of truth, virtue and value in the digital age,” News Corp CEO Robert Thomson said in a statement, describing Open AI and its CEO Sam Altman as “principled partners” that “understand the commercial and societal importance of journalists and journalism.”

Altman called the partnership a “proud moment for journalism and technology.”

Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. The Wall Street Journal, citing anonymous sources, reported that the deal could be worth as much as $250 million over five years. A News Corp spokesman declined to comment on the report.

Tim Martell, a spokesman for the Association of Independent Publishers Employees, which represents Wall Street Journal workers, said in a statement that the union is concerned that no agreement on AI protections has been reached in current contract negotiations, which came before the Open AI deal was announced.

Many publishers are concerned about the threat that generative AI, which uses copyrighted content to train models to serve chatbots, poses to their business. In particular, the use of AI to answer online search queries has raised concerns that publishers are not being compensated for their content being used to train competing chatbots as sources of information.

In December, The New York Times sued OpenAI and Microsoft for copyright infringement, accusing the tech companies of using millions of the paper's news articles without permission. OpenAI and Microsoft have asked that some of the claims be dropped. In April, eight daily newspapers owned by Alden Global Capital filed a similar lawsuit against OpenAI and Microsoft.

Other publishers are also exploring deals with tech companies: OpenAI has already signed deals with German publisher Axel Springer, Dotdash Meredith, the Financial Times and the Associated Press, among others.

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Lost American musical works are getting new life in the same D.C. venue where they were hidden

“I call it 'New Old Music,' and it was written in 1897 by Charles Martin Loeffler, who was the most-performed American composer in this country and Europe at the time,” clarinetist Graham Steele Johnson, 25, told WTOP.

It's a piece by one of America's great composers, Charles Martin Loeffler, that seemed lost to history, but one musician has spent the past four years resurrecting it in the same spot in Washington, DC where it once found its way.

Clarinetist Graham Steele Johnson has managed to recover the sheet music using materials from the Library of Congress, and will perform the music at the library in Washington on Wednesday night.

Clarinetist Graham Steele Johnson performs music by famous American composers at the Library of Congress on May 22, 2024. (Courtesy of Dylan Hancock)

“I call it 'New Old Music,' and it was written in 1897 by Charles Martin Loeffler, who was the most-performed American composer in this country and Europe at the time,” Johnson told WTOP.

Johnson was forced to cancel performances during the 2020 pandemic, and instead wrote program notes for other shows and conducted research.

By chance he came across a description of an octet that caught his interest because it featured two clarinetists and the instrumentation was almost identical to that of Claude Debussy's “Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun,” which he had previously arranged.

“I started looking for recordings and couldn't find anything, then I looked for sheet music and couldn't find anything, so I started thinking maybe I'd found something good,” Johnson said of the 30-minute song.

Johnson said this was not an unusual pattern for the German-American composer, who often described himself as French, because he was “very sensitive to critical reactions.”

“Even though he was a very prominent figure during his lifetime, he ended up not publishing much of his music,” Johnson continued.

The only manuscript of the octet was housed at the Library of Congress, but copies had to wait until the facility reopened in 2021.

“It turned out to be a 75-page epic,” Johnson said of the manuscript, which he spent the next year sorting through.

“The score is a mosaic of scratches, deletions and all sorts of revisions made by Loeffler, making the restoration process complicated,” Johnson said.

In the end, he and seven others performed individually for the first time since 1897.

“It was actually a totally new experience going into this rehearsal and not really knowing how the song was going to go,” Johnson recalls.

He'll perform the song Wednesday night at the Library of Congress, returning it to the same place where it's been kept secret for more than a century.

“It's been really fun to hear people's reactions to this music,” Johnson said. “It's music that's been left out of musical history and left out of our sense of musical canon.”

Johnson believes this is just the first step in reviving long-forgotten music.

“There's a big, uncritical misconception in the classical music world that time is some kind of filter that determines quality,” he said.

The octet's first recording will be released on Johnson's album, “Forgotten Sounds,” on June 7.

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Band Train member dies at age 58 in fall

charlie colin

Paul Hawthorne/WireImage

Charlie Collen, founding bassist of pop rock band Train, has died. He was 58.

TMZ spoke to the musician's mother, who said the California-raised artist was house sitting for friends in Brussels when he slipped and fell in the shower to his death. Collin's mother said it was unclear when Collin died, as his body was discovered about five days ago after the friends returned from a trip.

His mother told TMZ that Collin had moved to Brussels to teach music master classes at a music school and was working on a new song for a film at the time of his death. Collin documented his time abroad on Instagram, where he wrote that the location was “officially [his] Favorite City” was posted in March.

Colin helped form Train in the 90s with lead singer Pat Monaghan, Rob Hotchkiss, Jimmy Stafford and Scott Underwood. Before leaving the group in 2003 due to substance abuse issues, he participated in the recording of hits such as “Drops of Jupiter,” which peaked at No. 5 on the Billboard Hot 100, and the band won a Grammy Award. It was nominated for the Best Rock Performance Award for the first time. Duo or group, and record of the year, and “Meet Virginia.” Train's self-titled debut album in 1999 reached No. 76 on the Billboard 200.

In 2015, Colin, Hotchkiss and Underwood formed the band Painbirds with Tom Ruth.

Colin, who grew up in Newport Beach, first encountered a stapler in middle school. The two later attended Berklee College of Music in Boston separately, but reunited when Hotchkiss formed the band Apostles. In 2015, Colin, Hotchkiss and Underwood formed the band Painbirds with Tom Ruth.

Colin, who grew up in Newport Beach, first met Hotchkiss in middle school after the two went on to study separately at Berklee College of Music in Boston, and reunited when Hotchkiss formed the band The Apostles.

After the Apostles broke up, Hotchkiss met Monahan and they began collaborating on songs in the Bay Area, they then invited Stafford and Collin to join the lineup, after which Collin brought in Underwood to play drums, and Train was born.

“Charlie called me and said, 'There's this weird synchronicity, I can't even imagine quitting the band,'” Hotchkiss recalled of his friend in a 2015 interview with the Los Angeles Times. “First and foremost, our priority is writing songs and we really enjoy playing them live.”

This article first appeared on Billboard.com.

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Obama State Department Blocks FBI from Arresting Iranian Nuclear Program Supporters in the US: Emails

EXCLUSIVE: The Obama-Biden Administration's State Department “actively intervened” to block the FBI from executing arrest warrants against individuals illegally in the U.S. suspected of helping Iran fund weapons of mass destruction, a whistleblower tells Sens. Chuck Grassley and Ron Johnson.

Fox News Digital has obtained letters sent on this matter from Senators Grassley (R-Iowa) and Johnson (R-Wis.) to Secretary of State Antony Blinken, FBI Director Christopher Wray and Attorney General Merrick Garland.

The Obama-Biden administration launched the Joint Plan of Action, which served as a negotiating process for the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), also known as the Iran nuclear deal, which then-President Obama signed in 2015. At the time, President Obama said the broader sanctions would remain in place and that the administration would “continue to aggressively enforce them.”

Death of Iranian president suspends UN nuclear talks, officials say

For decades, under both Republican and Democratic administrations, the United States has imposed sanctions on “Iranian individuals, entities and organisations for their involvement in nuclear proliferation, ballistic missile development, support for terrorist groups and human rights abuses.”

Then-Attorney General Loretta Lynch and Secretary of State John Kerry pictured with President Barack Obama in 2016 (Drew Ungerer/Getty Images)

But Grassley and Johnson say they obtained unclassified, legally protected whistleblower information that shows that “while the Obama-Biden administration pledged to 'prevent Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon by raising the costs of its international defying the community,' then-Secretary of State John Kerry actively interfered with Federal Law Enforcement's efforts to execute arrest warrants against individuals supporting Iran's illegal efforts in the United States, including funding its weapons of mass destruction and ballistic missile programs.”

The senators said the records show that the Justice Department and FBI leadership, including then-Attorney General Loretta Lynch and FBI Director James Comey, “failed to take necessary steps to stop Kelly's obstruction of law enforcement.”

One email (an unclassified FBI email dated August 25, 2017) details at least eight cases related to the Iran nuclear deal, stating that “the FBI/DOJ/US Government could have moved forward with the case, but the State Department chose to block it.”

Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei inspected Iran's nuclear development achievements on Sunday, June 11. (Office of the Supreme Leader of Iran/WANA/Reuters)

In six of those cases, the FBI “missed opportunities to arrest the principal perpetrators,” according to the records.

The email said one of the suspects the FBI was unable to arrest “was on a terrorism watch list” and another “had returned to Iran.”

The email also states that the State Department “thwarted” an FBI plan to arrest the individual while he was “in flight” and was forced to leave the US immediately upon arrival.

John Kerry resigned as Biden's special envoy for climate change earlier this year. (Foreign Press Center)

The email states that at least two of the targets were arrested “after the state unblocked them…. [Trump] The government has been formed.”

State Department unusually rejects Iran's request for US help after deadly helicopter crash: 'Logistical reasons'

“Warnings about failed attempts to arrest Iranians for whom arrest warrants were available date back to early 2015 and were allegedly politically motivated,” Grassley wrote.

“Concerns were raised regarding a cease and desist order to apprehend Iranian criminals,” the July 2015 email said.

Email from an FBI employee to an FBI employee in the Los Angeles field office, with the subject line “HQ Support.”

An April 28, 2016 email stated: “The State Department has been blocking FBI actions where it has played an authorizing or consenting role, primarily visa and kidnapping operations. We have prepared packages for several cases that were blocked by the State Department and have been working up the FBI/DOJ/DO State chain over the past six months.”

The email also said the Department of Justice was “somewhat surprised by this as extradition is a ministerial function and not something the Department of State blocks.”

Senators Grassley and Johnson said additional unclassified FBI emails show that the State Department's alleged interference in an ongoing FBI investigation became such an issue that then-Attorney General Loretta Lynch had to discuss the matter with Secretary of State John Kerry.

An unclassified email dated April 29, 2016, contains a summary of a meeting between then-Attorney General Lynch and Secretary of State Kerry: “…now is not a 'good time' to seek approval for extradition or kidnapping in the Iranian Communist Party case,” the email said.

Another email from May 3, 2016 described “tensions” between Lynch and Kelly: “…PC [Principals Committee] When the meeting ended, Kelly packed his bags and stormed out without any negotiation with the Attorney General. The issue remains unresolved.”

The “Butcher of Tehran” is dead, but Raisi's legacy lives on as Iran appoints acting president

“The records provided to us demonstrate that the Obama/Biden State Department, under the direction of John Kerry, actively and relentlessly obstructed the FBI's efforts to lawfully arrest known terrorists, members of Iran's nuclear proliferation network, and other criminals providing material support to Iran's nuclear and ballistic missile programs,” Reps. Grassley and Johnson wrote.

Senators Grassley and Johnson said the records “also show that leadership at the Department of Justice and the FBI tolerated this until the Trump Administration changed course.”

Loretta Lynch served as attorney general during the final two years of the Obama administration (Aaron P. Bernstein/Getty Images)

And a Nov. 29, 2016 email from Shell to FBI officials in Comey's office read:

“Trump's election victory seems to be affecting business in Iran. We are scheduled to sign a small contract (a $5 million license agreement) in Iran this week. We were in discussions with a Japanese bank about handling the funds, but they recently unofficially backed out due to Trump's inauguration. European banks are thinking the same. The amount is small, but it is having a negative impact on business in Iran.”

Also included in the email was former FBI employee Peter Strzok.

Sens. Chuck Grassley and Ron Johnson said the Justice Department allowed the State Department to halt Iran-related arrests until Trump took office (Drew Ungerer/Getty Images)

Senators Grassley and Johnson are currently demanding the submission of email archive records from Secretary of State Kerry, current CIA Director Bill Burns, Wendy Sherman, and current Secretary of State Antony Blinken by June 4th.

They are also demanding records of Mohammed Javaz Zarif, the Joint Plan of Action (JPOA), the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), the Iran Nuclear Deal, Iranian proliferation/non-proliferation, law enforcement actions concerning Iranian nationals including visa inducements, extradition and related matters, as well as files of the eight cases mentioned.

Sens. Ron Johnson and Chuck Grassley are seeking more information about cases of alleged Obama State Department interference that the FBI failed to pursue (Graham Sloan/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

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The FBI and Department of Justice confirmed they received Grassley's letter, but both declined to comment further.

The State Department did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment.

Brooke Singman is a political reporter and reporter for Fox News Digital, Fox News Channel and FOX Business.

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Sean Diddy Combs sued over sexual assault allegations by model

Sean Combs

MEGA/GC Images/Getty Images

Former model Crystal McKinney is suing Sean “Diddy” Combs, alleging that he drugged her and sexually assaulted her at a New York City recording studio in 2003. filed a lawsuit.

According to a complaint filed in New York and obtained and reported by NBC News, the then 22-year-old McKinney first met Combs at a dinner at Cipriani Downtown in Manhattan, where she told him she would “someday make it big” as a model. He was promised help with his career.

The suit adds that later that night, McKinney went to Combs' recording studio where one of her co-workers offered her marijuana. “Plaintiff later understood that Combs had sewn narcotics and other intoxicating substances into his joints,” the suit alleges.

“Comms, finding Plaintiff intoxicated, demanded that Plaintiff follow him and physically led Plaintiff to the bathroom,” the complaint adds, adding that McKinney then accused the rap star of sexually assaulting her. It is said that he received it.

McKinney rose to the public's attention in 1998 when she won MTV's Model Mission series and signed a modeling contract with IMG. Her lawsuit is the latest one Combs has faced, as he has been accused of rape, sexual assault and sex trafficking elsewhere.

He denies all charges. In March, his homes in Miami and Los Angeles were searched by the Department of Homeland Security investigating human trafficking allegations.

On May 19, Combs apologized on his Instagram for the recently released 2016 video. In the video, he assaults her ex-girlfriend, singer Kathy Ventura. In response, the Los Angeles District Attorney's Office said in a statement that it was “aware of the video,” and that it was “extremely disturbing and painful to watch,” but added, “The act occurred past the time limit for assault charges. “Therefore, no charges can be filed.”

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Apple Music releases its list of the 100 greatest albums of all time, and people are divided

Featured image credit: Columbia Records/ Chesnot /Getty Images

Apple Music announces ranking of “Top 100 Best Albums of All Time'', opinions are divided among music lovers

Updated 15:34 May 22, 2024 GMT+1 Published 15:14 May 22, 2024 GMT+1

Apple Music has released its ranking of the “Top 100 Best Albums of All Time,” dividing opinion among music lovers.

With music lovers all having their own unique tastes, it's always difficult to compile a top 100 albums of all time without incurring a little backlash along the way, and Apple Music's compilation certainly caused a stir online.

In a statement, Apple described its 100 Best Albums list as “an updated, 21st century ranking of the greatest records of all time.”

According to the list, it was “created by Apple Music's team of experts in collaboration with hand-selected artists, songwriters, producers and industry experts.”

It added: “This list is an editorial statement and is completely independent of streaming numbers on Apple Music. It is a love letter to the records that have shaped music lovers around the world.”

But which musicians and albums make the top 10?

10. Lemonade (2016) – Beyoncé

Coming in at number 10 is Beyonce's sixth studio album, which includes bangers like “Sandcastles.”

Lemonade won Beyoncé the Best Urban Contemporary Album award at the 59th Grammy Awards in 2017 (Dan McMedan/WireImage)

9. Nevermind (1991) – Nirvana

Next up is Nevermind, a 1991 release by Nirvana, an American rock band founded by lead singer and guitarist Kurt Cobain and bassist Krist Novoselic.

Nirvana's “Nevermind” came in at No. 9. (Gatchi Kojima/Shinko Music/Getty Images)

8. Back to Black (2006) – Amy Winehouse

It definitely wouldn't be on the top 10 list of the world's best albums if Amy Winehouse wasn't on it somewhere. The late singer just saw her story adapted in the 2024 musical drama – named after her most infamous album – Black.

Amy Winehouse's “Back to Black” comes in at No. 8 (Getty Images/Chris Christoforou/Redferns)

7. Good Kid, mAd City (2012) – Kendrick Lamar

Lamar's second studio album ranked number 7 on Apple Music's top 100 albums of all time.

Kendrick Lamar's album ranked seventh. (Christopher Polk/Billboard via Getty Images)

6. Songs in the Key of Life (1976) – Stevie Wonder

Music pioneer Wonder (real name Steveland Hardaway Morris) came in at number 6 on the list.

Stevie Wonder's 1976 album ranked sixth (Amy Sussman/Getty Images)

5. Blonde (2016) – Frank Ocean

Two of Ocean's albums have already been ranked in Rolling Stone's top 500 greatest albums of all time released in 2020, so it's no surprise that he's also on Apple Music's list.

Ocean's 17-track album “Blonde” ranked fifth.

Frank Ocean takes spot #5 (Getty Images/Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic)

4. Purple Rain (1984) – Prince and the Revolution

This album was Prince's first album to reach number one on the Billboard 200 and remains iconic to this day.

“Purple Rain” remains an iconic album today (Ross Marino/Getty Images)

3. Abbey Road (1969) – The Beatles

If The Beatles hadn't made the top ten by coming in at number three, it definitely wouldn't have made the list of greatest albums of all time.

This British rock band consisting of John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr is considered by many to be the most influential band of all time.

The Beatles ranked third (Jeff Hochberg/Getty Images)

2. Thriller (1982) – Michael Jackson

The “King of Pop” ranks second on Apple Music's list of greatest albums of all time.

Michael Jackson's “George De Sota (ID 5073478)/Redferns) Thriller” is ranked second (

1. The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill (1998) – Lauryn Hill

Hill, considered one of the greatest rappers of all time, took the number one spot.

Other artists featured in the top 100 include Wu-Tang Clan, Miles Davis, Aretha Franklin and Billie Eilish.

But Apple Music's list has divided opinion.

Lauryn Hill took the No. 1 spot (Scott Dudelson/Getty Images for Coachella)

“Beyonce is the only female artist to have two albums on Apple Music's 100 Best Albums of All Time list…she was supposed to have at least three but I'm changing that,” one X user said.

“Apple Music made a list of the 100 best albums of all time and didn't include any albums by Mariah Carey, Whitney Houston or Brandy,” another person added.

A third commented: “It's outrageous that Apple Music doesn't include a single Madonna album in their top 10 list of 'best albums of all time'.”

A fourth claimed: “So awful.”

UNILAD has reached out to Apple Music for comment.

Topics: Apple, Celebs, Music, Social Media, Twitter, Entertainment, Beyoncé, Kendrick Lamar

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Lauryn Hill, Beyoncé top Apple Music's best albums of all time list

After more than a week of counting down the 100 Best Albums of All Time, Apple Music has announced its top 10 tally, including Lauryn Hill's seminal 1998 debut, The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill. received top honors.

Behind Ms. Hill's iconic album, other top 10 hits include Michael Jackson's “Thriller,” The Beatles' “Abbey Road,” Prince's “Purple Rain,” Frank Ocean's “Blonde,” Stevie Wonder's “Songs in the Key of Life,” Kendrick Lamar's “Good Kid, What Did I Do?”, Amy Winehouse's “Back to Black,” Nirvana's “Nevermind” and Beyonce's “Lemonade.”

Apple Music's list has been the subject of criticism on social media since it launched on May 13, with some taking issue with the lack of Latin, country, jazz and dance albums that have helped shaped modern music, while others have criticized the ranking itself for prioritizing more recent albums over older foundational albums.

The complete list, which counts down 10 albums per day, includes everything from SZA's “SOS” and Taylor Swift's “1989 (Taylor's Version)” to Bruce Springsteen's “Born to Run” and the Beach Boys. It contained an assortment of records spanning several decades, up to and including albums. “Pet sounds”

Topping the list, “Miseducation” was Hill's breakthrough album, making her the first rap artist to win Album of the Year at the Grammys in 1999. In a statement shared through Apple Music, she said her environment and influences deserve as much credit as she does for the honor.

“I do feel grateful, I really do, but it would be remiss of me not to also thank all the music and artists that have influenced and inspired me,” she said. “The leaders of the communities and movements that inspired me, old and new, that intrigued me and inspired me to contribute to social dynamics and music scenes. The literal and non-literal educators and experiences that shaped me. My parents, my family, my friends, my community, where I came from, where I grew up… I wanted that same fire that inspired me to remain, and I couldn’t bear to see it go. I let what I wanted to see and hear be present in the world at that time. I am grateful to have had the opportunity to be connected with so many of you and to continue to be connected to you. Thank you to everyone who participated, to everyone who supported this release and the movement around the world, even those who were initially reluctant, because this release unleashed an indomitable creative will and showed me once again how much love was poured into it. A huge thank you to all the careful listeners, thank you to all the casual listeners, and love to all the artists and those who support them fighting the good, brave, and noble fight of presenting the art you love to a world that so desperately needs it.”

Check out the top 10 of Apple Music's 100 Best Albums below.

10. Lemonade – Beyonce

9. Nevermind – Nirvana

8. Back to Black – Amy Winehouse

7. Good Kid, mAd City (Deluxe Edition) – Kendrick Lamar

6. Songs in the Key of Life – Stevie Wonder

5. Blonde – Frank Ocean

4. Purple Rain – Prince and the Revolution

3. Abbey Road – The Beatles

2. Thriller – Michael Jackson

1. The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill – Lauryn Hill

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Lauryn Hill and Beyoncé top Apple Music's best albums of all time list

After counting down the 100 greatest albums of all time for over a week, Apple Music has released its top 10 tally, with Lauryn Hill's 1998 debut, The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill, taking the top honors.

Behind Ms. Hill's iconic albums are Michael Jackson's “Thriller,” the Beatles' “Abbey Road,” Prince's “Purple Rain,” Frank Ocean's “Blonde,” and Stevie Wonder's “Songs.”・In the Key of Life,” Kendrick Lamar's “Good Kid,” “mAAd city,” Amy Winehouse's “Back to Black,” Nirvana's “Nevermind,” Beyoncé's ” “Lemonade” was in the top 10.

Apple Music's list has been a lightning rod on social media since it was released on May 13. Some have taken issue with the absence of Latin, country, jazz and dance albums that helped shape modern music. Others have taken the ranking itself to task for favoring recent albums over older, more foundational works.

The list, which counts down 10 records per day, spans a variety of decades and includes records from SZA's “SOS” and Taylor Swift's “1989 (Taylor's Version)” to Bruce Springsteen's “Born to Run” and The Beach Boys' “Pet Sounds.”

Topping the list, “Miseducation” was Hill's breakthrough album, making her the first rap artist to win Album of the Year at the Grammys in 1999. In a statement shared through Apple Music, she said her environment and influences deserve as much credit as she does for the honor.

“I'm grateful, and I truly am, but it would be disrespectful not to also thank all the music and artists that have influenced and inspired me,” she said. “The leaders of the communities and movements that inspired me, both ancient and contemporary, intrigued me with social dynamics and music scenes that inspired me to contribute. A literal educator. My parents, my family, my friends, my community, where I came from, where I came from…I wanted that same flame that inspired me to continue, though. , I couldn't bear to see that lost. I made connections with many people who made what I wanted to see and hear exist in the world at that time, and I will continue to do so. Thank you to everyone who participated, to everyone who supported the release and movement of this work around the world, and to everyone who was initially reluctant. A big thank you to all the careful listeners, and a huge thank you to all the casual listeners, and a huge thank you to all the casual listeners. With love to all the artists and those who support them who fight the good, brave and noble fight of presenting the art you love to a world that needs it.”

Check out the top 10 of Apple Music's 100 best albums below.

10. Lemonade – Beyoncé

9. Nevermind – Nirvana

8. Back to Black – Amy Winehouse

7. Good Kid, mAd City (Deluxe Edition) – Kendrick Lamar

6. Songs in the Key of Life – Stevie Wonder

5. Blonde – Frank Ocean

4. Purple Rain – Prince and the Revolution

3. Abbey Road – The Beatles

2. Thriller – Michael Jackson

1. The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill – Lauryn Hill

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Billie Eilish says she had no idea who she was when she wrote 'Happier Than Ever' – Music News

Billie Eilish says she had “no idea who I was” when she made “Happier Than Ever.”

The 22-year-old megastar just returned with her favorite work of all time, Hit Me Hard and Soft, but says she wrote her 2021 predecessor at a time when she wasn't “comfortable” in her own skin. I confessed.

She explained to Apple Music 1's Zane Lowe: “I don’t think we put a lot of effort into this album, so there are 16 songs. We don’t need that many songs… [it] “I was like, 'We're so good, we sound so good,' but I had no idea who I was, at least for me. 'Hit Me Hard And Soft' was almost the opposite of that… We were like, 'I don't know if we're making anything good. This could be awful.' Looking back on it now, I'm like, 'Yeah, but I'm happy with where I am now.'”

Having revamped her style for her sophomore LP, sporting blonde hair and leaning more towards Hollywood glamour, Billie and her collaborator and brother Finneas admitted that making the LP was a bit “cocky” despite all the accolades and accolades they'd received since her record-breaking 2019 debut album, When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?

They explained: “Two people who were told the best things you can imagine got together and made this song. I remember we were sitting there saying, 'We're the best.'” […] There are some songs where I'll spend a day working on something and then I'm like, 'That's it!'”

Sharing her pride for her latest album, the “Lunch” singer posted on Instagram: “'Hit Me Hard And Hit Me Soft' my 3rd album is amazing. I don't even know what to say… @finneas and I put so much into this album. I've never loved anything more. I hope you all enjoy and see you soon. Yeeeee…

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Taylor Swift is a fan of Stranger Things star Joe Keery's music – Music News

Taylor Swift is a fan of Stranger Things star Joe Keery's music but claims they haven't worked together.

Joe, who also works as a musician under the alias Djo, is best known for his internet smash hit “End of the Beginning” and the pair were spotted leaving New York's legendary Electric Lady Studios around the same time last year, with Joe revealing that the “Fortnight” hitmaker, 34, told him he was a big fan of the song.

Joe, 32, addressed speculation that the pair worked together on “The Spout Podcast,” saying: “I happened to be there the day she was there. She's a really nice person, I mean, I've met her a couple of times.”

“Before anything happened with the song, she said, 'Hey, I really love your song called 'End Of Beginning.'”

“She just said she heard the song, and naturally I was like, 'What? You heard that song? How on earth did you hear that song?'”

He continued, “She's really into music. She's really up to speed with new music and what's out there. So, I guess it's not a shock to me because she's a big music fan and she explores and finds stuff.”

“Somehow it ended up on her desk, she listened to it, and she said she loved it. What a sweet person, really.”

Regarding rumors that they might be collaborating, he previously told The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon: “Yeah, it was a very confusing day, because I was there with John and I was just minding my own business and not doing anything, and I walk out the door and there's like a thousand people standing there.

“Everyone was expecting Taylor and looking at me and they were like, 'Who is this guy?'”

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