Entertainment

Rick Astley sues rapper Yung Gravy over ‘Never Gonna Give You Up’ soundalike

Published

2 months ago

January 28, 2023

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Rick Astley sues rapper Yung Gravy over 'Never Gonna Give You Up' soundalike

Rick Astley has sued the rapper Yung Gravy over a song that borrowed heavily from the British singer’s signature “Never Gonna Give You Up,” claiming that the new song illegally used an impersonator who imitated Astley’s distinctive baritone.

The complaint filed on Thursday in Los Angeles Superior Court said Yung Gravy’s 2022 song “Betty (Get Money)” violated Astley’s right of publicity by featuring the singer Popnick, who imitated Astley’s voice so well that listeners thought Astley was actually singing.

“In an effort to capitalize off of the immense popularity and goodwill of Mr. Astley, defendants … conspired to include a deliberate and nearly indistinguishable imitation of Mr. Astley’s voice,” the complaint said. “The public could not tell the difference.”

Astley’s lawsuit seeks “millions of dollars” in damages, as well as profits from “Betty.”

Among the defendants are Yung Gravy, whose real name is Matthew Hauri, and his record label, Universal Music Group’s (UMG.AS) Republic Records.
Universal and a representative for Yung Gravy did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Astley, 56, reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1988 with “Never Gonna Give You Up”. The song saw resurgent popularity about two decades later through the “Rickroll” internet meme, where it unexpectedly interrupts unrelated content.

Astley’s lawyer Richard Busch is known for representing Marvin Gaye’s family against Robin Thicke and Pharrell Williams over their alleged copying of the song “Got to Give It Up” for their “Blurred Lines.”
Thursday’s complaint said Astley’s claim resembled a 1988 case where Bette Midler successfully sued Ford Motor Co (F.N) for using a soundalike to sell vehicles, though Ford had licensed her song “Do You Want to Dance” for a commercial.

“Mr. Astley owns his voice,” Busch said in an email. “California law is clear … that nobody has the right to imitate or use it in a new sound recording without his permission, or pass it off as if he did approve the use.”

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Entertainment

Sania Mirza performs Umrah, shares photos on Instagram

Published

3 days ago

March 22, 2023

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Sania Mirza performs Umrah, shares photos on Instagram

Former India tennis player Sania Mirza, the wife of Pakistani cricketer Shoaib Malik, has performed Umrah along with his son.

Ms. Mirza took to Instagram where she shared a slew of photos captured in Makkah and Madina, the holiest places for Muslims in the world.

“Allhamdulillah May Allah accept our prayers,” she captioned the photos as she can we seen wearing black “Abaya” while posing for the clicks.

Last month, Sania Mirza retired from the game after suffering a shock defeat in final game of the career.
She played along with Madison Keys of the US when the pair was defeated by Russia’s Veronika Kudermetova and Liudmila Samsonova in the women’s doubles match at the Dubai Open. The 36-year-old was playing the last tournament of her glorious career after announcing her retirement plans.

The former women’s doubles world number one was ranked at 28 in the latest Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) rankings. She had won six Grand Slam titles and 43 major titles in the celebrated career spanning over wo decades.

She is the only Indian woman to top doubles rankings, and achieve a career-high singles ranking of 27.

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Entertainment

Food poisoning lands Alizeh Shah in hospital

Published

3 days ago

March 22, 2023

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Food poisoning lands Alizeh Shah in hospital

Lollywood diva Alizeh Shah has proved her mettle in the showbiz industry with her exceptional acting skills and reached the heights of stardom

She used to treat the fans with her beautiful clicks and videos on Instagram. This time around, the Ehd-e-Wafa famed star has fallen ill as she posted her photo from the hospital bed.

She can be seen lying on a hospital bid where she is receiving IV treatment. Taking to Instagram stories, she wrote: “Pls pray for me. I got food poisoned”.

Alizeh Shah debuted her acting career in 2016, with a supporting role Alina in Choti Si Zindagi. Later, she performed roles in Ishq Tamasha, Ehd-e-Wafa, Hoor Pari, Jo Tu Chahey, Mera Dil Mera Dushman, Bebessi and Taqdeer.

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Entertainment

Taylor Swift kicks off US Eras Tour at Super Bowl stadium

Published

5 days ago

March 20, 2023

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Taylor Swift kicks off US Eras Tour at Super Bowl stadium

Taylor Swift opened her U.S. concert series with a three-hour tour of her career.

Swift kicked off the first concert of the 52-date Eras Tour with a six-song set from her album “Lover” on Friday night at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, where the Super Bowl was played a month ago.

“I don’t know how to address the way this is making me feel right now,” Swift, who hasn’t toured since 2018, said early in the show.

She ended the concert with a seven-song set from her latest album “Midnights,” closing with the song “Karma.”

In between she played clusters of songs from most of her albums — and just one, “Tim McGraw,” from her 2006 self-titled debut. In the end it took 44 songs and just over three hours for her to span her 17-year career.

Having not toured for her previous three albums, this concert series is intended to play catchup by providing the live debut of many of those songs. When Swift announced the tour in November she called it “a journey through the musical eras of my career (past and present!).”

Swift seemed to acknowledge the Ticketmaster furor that sullied the run-up to the tour when she told the crowd of more than 70,000 that she understands it took “considerable effort” for them to be there.

After another show at the same venue Saturday night, the tour moves on to Allegiant Stadium outside Las Vegas and then AT&T Stadium near Dallas.

It concludes with two Los Angeles-area shows in August.

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