Unreleased Beyoncé music stolen during 'Cowboy Carter' tour
By ITZEL LUNA
Unreleased music by Beyoncé along with footage, show plans and concert set lists were stolen from a car in Atlanta rented by the singer's choreographer and one of her dancers, according to a police incident report.
The theft of the materials, stored on five thumb drives, happened on July 8, two days before Beyoncé began a four-day residency at Atlanta's Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Beyoncé was set to take the stage Monday evening for her last night in the city.
The Atlanta Police Department said in a news release Monday it has secured an arrest warrant for a suspect whose identity was withheld.
Two MacBook laptops, Apple headphones, as well as luxury clothing and accessories were also reported stolen, according to the incident report.
Beyoncé's choreographer, Christopher Grant, and dancer Diandre Blue told police they parked their rental car, a 2024 Jeep Wagoneer, at a food hall in the city at about 8:09 p.m. The pair returned to the car just after 9 p.m. to discover the trunk window had been damaged and two suitcases had been taken.
Grant told officers that 'he was also carrying some personal sensitive information for the musician Beyonce,' the police incident report stated.
The report identifies a possible suspect vehicle as a 2025 red Hyundai Elantra. Responding officers were able to identify 'light prints' at the scene, and security cameras in the parking lot captured the incident, according to the report.
Officers canvassed an area where the stolen laptop and headphones were tracked by using the devices' location services, the report stated.
Beyoncé kicked off her highly-anticipated tour in late April, taking her Grammy-winning album, 'Cowboy Carter,' to stadiums in the U.S. and Europe. The singer will end her tour with two Las Vegas nights in late July.
© Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Japan Today
6 hours ago
- Japan Today
Can you ever expect privacy in public? Coldplay kiss camera saga tells us a lot about the answer
By WYATTE GRANTHAM-PHILIPS FILE - Chris Martin of Coldplay performs during the band's Music Of The Spheres World Tour at D. Y. Patil Sports Stadium in Navi Mumbai, Saturday, Jan. 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Rajanish Kakade, File) When the 'KissCam' at a Coldplay concert landed on a couple who tried (but failed) to duck out of the spotlight, the internet immediately got to work. In hours, the clip was just about everywhere. Endless memes, parody videos and photos of the pair's shocked faces filled social media feeds. Online sleuths rushed to identify who was on camera. Artificial intelligence and software company Astronomer eventually confirmed that its CEO and chief people officer were in fact the couple in the video — and announced the CEO's resignation over the weekend. The incident's fallout has, of course, generated conversations about business ethics, corporate accountability and the repercussions that conflicts of interest among leadership can cause. But there are also broader implications at play in our increasingly online world — about the state of potentially being visible everywhere you go or tracked through 'social media surveillance." Experts say it's more and more common for moments that may have been intended to be private, or at least reserved to a single physical venue, to make their way online and even go global today. So in the era of lightning-fast social sharing and when cameras are practically inescapable, does being in public hold any expectation of privacy anymore? Is every experience simply fodder for the world to see? It's no secret that cameras are filming much of our lives these days. From CCTV security systems to Ring doorbells, businesses, schools and neighborhoods use ample video surveillance around the clock. Sporting and concert venues have also filmed fans for years, often projecting playful bits of audience participation to the rest of the crowd. In short, the on-scene viewer becomes part of the product — and the center of attention. And of course, consumers can record just about anything if they have a smartphone in their pocket — and, if it's enticing to other social media users, that footage can quickly spread through cyberspace. Ellis Cashmore, author of the book 'Celebrity Culture,' proposes that the rapid fame of last week's KissCam moment probably answers a question many have been asking for years: 'Is the private life still what it was? And the answer is, of course, there's no such thing as the private life anymore,' he notes. 'Certainly not in the traditional sense of the term.' 'I'm not sure that we can assume privacy at a concert with hundreds of other people,' adds Mary Angela Bock, an associate professor in the University of Texas at Austin's School of Journalism and Media. 'We can't assume privacy on the street anymore.' Some version of the KissCam has long been a staple at big events — from timeouts during sports games to romantic songs played by artists at their concerts. It's easy to miss, but most venues have signs to inform the audience that they could be filmed during the event. What's been different in more recent years, experts note, is how quickly those moments can travel beyond the physical space where they actually unfold. That isn't only limited to what shows up on a jumbotron. Sometimes it only takes one person in the crowd to capture any interaction on their phone and post the video online — where it can zip around the world. 'It's not just the camera," Bock says. 'It's the distribution system that is wild and new.' Then there's the second ring of exposure — what happens after the video or photos spread. Experts point to growing instances of social media users rushing to publicly identify, or dox, the people captured on camera — much like how quickly the internet committed to finding those involved in the Coldplay moment, for example. The LinkedIn pages belonging both to Astronomer's now-former CEO and chief people officer remained disabled on Monday, and The Associated Press could not reach either for comment. But it isn't limited to company executives. Beyond someone simply spotting a familiar face and spreading the word, technological advances — including AI — have made it easier and faster overall to find just about anyone in an online post. This can happen with videos and photos shared on social media each day, even if it doesn't go viral, experts warn. 'It's a little bit unsettling how easily we can be identified with biometrics, how our faces are online, how social media can track us — and how the internet has gone from being a place of interaction, to a gigantic surveillance system," Bock says. 'When you think about it, we are being surveilled by our social media. They're tracking us in exchange for entertaining us.' And of course, such moments can also impact people who were not actually on camera. As easy as it can be to be identified online today, the internet is notorious for cutting a broad swath or not always getting it right. That sometimes produces harassment of individuals not actually involved. At last week's Coldplay concert, for example, many social media users speculated that a third person seen near the two caught on camera was another Astronomer employee — leading to swarms of posts targeting her. But the company later confirmed that she was not at the event and said no other employees were in the video circulating online. For the now-viral moment, 'we can talk about what's right and wrong, and whether they deserved it,' says Alison Taylor, a clinical associate professor at New York University's Stern School of Business. Still, it's a 'very frightening thing to get a lot of abuse and harassment online,' Taylor notes. 'There are real human beings behind this.' It's hard to think that that these kind of viral moments will ever go away — and there are few legal restrictions to stop users from sharing clips of interactions recorded from anything from a concert to the street widely online. But on an individual level, Bock says it can be helpful to 'think before you share' and question whether something's really accurate. 'Social media has changed so much,' Bock says. 'But we really have not, as a society, caught up with the technology in terms of our ethics and our etiquette.' Associated Press journalists Hilary Fox and Kelvin Chan contributed to this report. © Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
Japan Today
9 hours ago
- Japan Today
Alec Baldwin talks his love for 'Peanuts' and the 'immeasurable' effects of his trial
Alec Baldwin, left, and a person dressed as the character Snoopy from "Peanuts" poses for a portrait to promote the 75th anniversary of "Peanuts" during Comic-Con International on Thursday, July 24, 2025, in San Diego. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello) By ANDREW DALTON Alec Baldwin says the year since his trial suddenly ended with a dismissal has been far better than the few years that preceded it, and the affect that time has had on him has been 'immeasurable.' 'Something as powerful as that happens in your life, you don't know how much it changes you,' he said. 'I can't even tell you how different I am from three-and-a-half years ago. And what I want and what I don't want, and how I want to live my life and not live my life.' The 67-year-old actor spoke to The Associated Press at San Diego's Comic-Con International, where he was part of a panel on 75 years of Charles Schulz's 'Peanuts,' whose simplicity, existential philosophy and moral outlook have been very much on his mind. Baldwin spoke while a suited Snoopy character stood nearby after posing for photos with him. In a foreword Baldwin wrote for 'The Complete Peanuts 1977-1978,' he said while reading Schulz's newspaper comic strip every day as a child, he realized Charlie Brown, more than anyone, wanted the things he wanted. Chief among those wants are 'the desire to have friends and the desire to hold your friends close to you.' That hasn't changed in the years since. 'Come on, what man my age doesn't relate to Charlie Brown? If Charlie Brown was 67 years old, he'd be me, but he wouldn't have been stupid enough to have seven (small) children,' he said with a laugh. But he aspires to the qualities of a different character. 'Lucy. I want to be Lucy. Lucy is in charge. She's got it all figured out,' he said. 'She pauses for a moment of self-awareness, but not too long.' Baldwin said he admired Schulz's simple line drawings combined with the real circumstances of the characters, embodied by real children's voices when the animated holiday specials emerged in his childhood. 'It's so complicated and simple at the same time, which is what I think makes it beautiful,' he said. And he admired Schulz's willingness to embrace melancholy, and deeper darknesses, in stories about inner struggle that needed no villains. 'A dog sitting on top of a dog house would have the same impact on you as, like, Nietzsche, he said,' looking across the room at Snoopy. 'They should have named the dog Nietzsche.' Baldwin's career has had several distinct phases. Early on he played tough husbands and boyfriends in supporting roles including 'Married to the Mob' and 'Working Girl.' He moved on to heroic leading man in 'The Hunt for Red October' and 'The Shadow.' Downshifting to memorable character parts, he showed his gift for manly speeches in 'Glengarry Glen Ross' and 'The Departed,' and his comedy prowess in seven seasons of '30 Rock' and as a constant host and guest on 'Saturday Night Live.' In July 2024 his trial in New Mexico on an involuntary manslaughter charge in the 2021 shooting death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the set of the Western 'Rust' fell apart halfway through. A judge dismissed the case on allegations authorities withheld evidence. 'I can't believe that happened on that day the way it happened,' he said. 'And it couldn't have been better for us in certain terms because of the malice and so forth and everything that's embodied in that whole situation.' The next phase is uncertain. He says he's 'just trying to move forward with my wife and my family.' He and wife Hilaria and their seven small kids recently appeared on the TLC reality series 'The Baldwins.' He says he has successfully sold his young ones on 'Peanuts,' especially the Halloween and Christmas specials, as he did with his now nearly 30-year-old daughter Ireland when she was young. He notices their personalities zig-zagging between the traits of Schulz's characters. 'They're Charlie Brown, now they're Snoopy, now they're Schroeder, now they're Linus, now they're Pig-Pen,' he said. 'They're Pig-Pen most of the time, I must say.' And their house is full of themed toys. He keeps a small Snoopy figure among the things in his office, a reminder to try to maintain 'love, kindness, patience.' "Peanuts are still kind of like, in that zone," he said. 'Let's just try to be good people.' © Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
Japan Today
9 hours ago
- Japan Today
As Beyoncé's Cowboy Carter tour draws to a close, Blue Ivy emerges as a star
In this photo provided by Olivia Ellis, she wears a custom corset top that she painted to one of Beyoncé's 'Cowboy Carter' tour performances at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J., May 25, 2025. (Olivia Ellis via AP) By SARAH JONES-SMITH 'Who they came to see?' Beyoncé asks as she performs her 2023 single 'My House' during the Cowboy Carter tour. For many, the answer has been Blue Ivy. Blue Ivy Carter, the Grammy-winning artist's 13-year-old daughter, is more present than ever on stage, and fans are impressed by the growth from her first performance years ago to now. Isabella Kerr, 15, has admired Beyoncé for years, but said she attended the Cowboy Carter tour specifically to experience Blue Ivy's moves in person. 'People are saying, 'Oh, she's a mini Beyoncé,' but no, I think she's the first Blue. Everything about her when she's on stage is electrifying,' said Kerr. The Cowboy Carter tour concludes Saturday in Las Vegas. The tour's 30 previously stops have fans buzzing that Blue Ivy is well on her way to being a next generation powerhouse. Blue first graced the stage at 11 years old during her mother's 2023 Renaissance tour, appearing during the legacy-celebrating anthems 'My Power' and 'Black Parade.' Supporters anticipated her performance at each stop. She performed again during 'Beyoncé Bowl,' the NFL Christmas Day Halftime Show that was just nominated for four Emmy Awards. She danced alongside the icon as she performed songs from the 'Cowboy Carter' album for the first time. 'Even the difference between the Renaissance Tour and now, you can tell she's really grown in her confidence,' said fan and artist Olivia Ellis. 'You can tell she has a different vibe about her.' On the Cowboy Carter tour, she can almost be mistaken for one of Beyoncé's professional dancers. She is on stage for nearly every song and has a solo recreating her mother's choreography from her 2006 'Déjà-vu' music video, a nod to the undeniable similarities between the two. Online videos of Blue display professionalism comparable to her mother's during the Cowboy Carter tour. During a rainy New Jersey stop, she brought out towels to dry her area of the stage before nailing her 'America Has a Problem' choreography. In another unexpected moment during a Chicago show, her earring got caught on Beyoncé's hair. Blue remained calm, removed the jewelry and motioned to the singer that it was safe in her hand as they both seamlessly continued. 'It's the family business,' said Kinitra D. Brooks, an academic and author of 'The Lemonade Reader,' a collection that explores the nuances of Beyoncé's 2016 visual album, 'Lemonade.' 'She is literally studying under the best person doing it out there today. Why wouldn't she take advantage of that opportunity?' In 'Renaissance: A Film by Beyoncé,' fans were given a behind-the-scenes look at the decision-making process the first time Blue was allowed to perform. Beyoncé expressed how nervous she was about her child being in front of thousands of people made her, revealing she initially said no. 'I did not think it was an appropriate place for an 11-year-old on a stadium stage,' she said in the documentary. 'I made a deal with her, and I said, 'If you practice and you show your commitment, I'll let you do one show.'' Blue Ivy fulfilled her end of the deal, and a fan base was formed: the 'Ivy League.' Kerr says Blue's accomplishments inspire her to work harder to achieve her own dreams. 'She worked to be on stage, and look at her now. If I work to what I want to be, I can be killing it like her.' At last month's Cowboy Carter Paris stop, members of the Beyhive and Ivy League finally got what they had been asking for — Blue Ivy merchandise. Shirts with the teen's face and the phrase 'Déjà Blue' plastered on the front were available for purchase. Prior to that, fans were creating their own custom pieces that highlighted Blue and Beyoncé's connection. At the MetLife Stadium show, Ellis wore a custom corset top she painted, showcasing Blue Ivy and her 8-year-old sister, Rumi Carter, on stage with Beyoncé during 'Protector,' a track from the 'Cowboy Carter' album that Rumi is featured on. 'I thought that would just be a really fun moment to highlight on a corset,' she said. 'It's just really cool to see her as a mom because we've all grown up with Beyoncé, and now it's like her show is kind of like a family affair.' Blue Ivy's confidence and professionalism are not only a testament to her hard work, but Beyoncé's motherhood. Mother-daughter duos around the globe filled stadium seats, excited to watch Beyoncé and her daughter display their strong bond for the world to see. In many cases, the mothers have been Beyoncé fans for years and are excited for their daughters to grow up with Blue Ivy, a high-flyer for their generation. Tanazha Baylis took her now 11-year-old daughter, Aria Brown, to the Renaissance tour, where she did not miss a beat dancing along to Blue Ivy's 'My Power' choreography. Brown was so determined to attend the Cowboy Carter Tour that she started selling popular toys, such as slime and Squishmallows, and saving her money. 'She literally was like, 'Mom, I don't know what you're going to do, but I have to go to this concert,'' said Baylis. 'I just had to make it happen after that.' Brown became a Beyoncé fan after participating in a dance recital with a theme centered around the superstar's career throughout the years. Baylis, who says she has always been a big fan, is happy to share these experiences with her daughter. 'It just showed her a cool mom and daughter, and it's just something that she can do as well. Beyoncé is a little older but, with seeing Blue there, it made it tangible for her.' Although there is no solid answer for what the future holds for Blue Ivy, it is widely recognized that the possibilities are limitless. 'We couldn't imagine that Beyoncé would do all of these things that she could do. All we saw were people trying to put limitations on her,' said Brooks. 'I think one of the things that Beyoncé wants us to do and what she wants for Blue is for us to not put those limitations on Blue.' © Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
