Babyshambles guitarist Patrick Walden dies aged 46
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Time Magazine
2 hours ago
- Time Magazine
Meet the Breakout Singer Who Steals the Show in 'Highest 2 Lowest'
A new Spike Lee joint is always a reason to celebrate, and Highest 2 Lowest certainly meets the lofty expectations that accompany it. Marking Lee's fifth collaboration with Denzel Washington, the film is a reinterpretation of the Akira Kurosawa masterpiece High and Low, itself adapted loosely from Evan Hunter's 1959 novel King's Ransom. The movie follows Washington's music executive, David King, whose son gets kidnapped alongside his best friend, sending David on a mission to fight for his family's survival. It's a thrilling ride with an eclectic cast that includes Jeffrey Wright, former NBA player Rick Fox, and rapper A$AP Rocky. Highest 2 Lowest also continues Lee's knack for nurturing new, emerging talent (both in film, like casting Teyonah Parris in 2015's Chi-Raq, and in the classroom, like teaching the next generation of filmmakers at NYU). Here, he casts up-and-coming British singer Aiyana-Lee for a role in the film's unforgettable final scene. In Highest 2 Lowest, Aiyana-Lee, 24, plays Sula, a musician longing for her big break. She shows up at King's apartment for a big audition that could change her life forever. With one shot to show what she's got, she delivers, singing a stunning rendition of the film's title track, 'Highest 2 Lowest,' which Aiyana-Lee wrote for the film. In this pivotal moment, the singer serves up show-stopping vocals and an undeniable charisma. It's so arresting she manages to steal the show, a tall order given that she's sharing the scene with one of the greatest actors of all time. We spoke to Aiyana-Lee about the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to make her acting debut in a Spike Lee film. She shared her journey with music and the surprising way Lee reached out to her, allowing her to showcase her musical talents and acting chops in Highest 2 Lowest. Aiyana-Lee: There's not a time I can remember when I didn't want to be a singer. I was surrounded by it my whole life. My mom [Daciana-Nicole Anderson] is a 17-time platinum singer-songwriter. She always had music playing in the house. She always had sessions. I'd kind of butt in and try to be the star of the show. When I was 4 or 5, I was hopping on stage trying to be an opening act in her European tours. I did my own shows at 5 and 6 years old, and entered singing and songwriting competitions at 7 and 8. So it's always been part of my life. Michael Jackson. I was obsessed with him. He married what it is to be a performer, an artist, a songwriter, a producer. He had every aspect of it covered. I was so inspired by that and his work ethic, how he created a world with his music. He's so timeless. You could place Michael at any time, and he'd still be relevant. Yo, so he gave me a very long message on Instagram. He was like, 'Hey, this is the real Spike Lee.' I was like, 'Oh my gosh. What is happening?' I saw the verified signs and thought it could be him. He said, 'Are we cousins? You got Lee in your name, too.' He said he'd been listening to my music all night. I believe he stumbled upon 'My idols lied to me,' which is a song I wrote and produced that went viral on Instagram and TikTok. From there, he discovered my entire discography and loved it. It was probably 6 a.m., and I woke my mom. I was like, 'I think Spike Lee DMed me.' She was like, 'What are you talking about? Go back to bed.' I met him that very same day. No, he's very mysterious. So he won't tell you what he has in mind until you're already in the thick of it, which allows you to be in the moment and not overthink anything. He told me he was working on a movie. He sent me the script, just to get my thoughts on it. A few months later, he started asking for details about me, and then he'd send me some sides, and they included all the details I'd shared with him. I memorized them, and I auditioned for him and his casting team. He didn't tell me anything after that. He was just like, 'OK, let's get some Jordans.' I figured my audition wasn't trash, because if it was, I wouldn't be getting these shoes! Months later, he told me I got the part, that I'm flying to New York in a few weeks, and you're gonna be on set with Denzel. I couldn't believe it. I still don't. I'm always the person who's like, 'It's not happening, actually, everyone's gonna change their mind at some point.' I think there's a part of you that just can't comprehend it until later on, when you're looking back. I was super excited and honored, and obviously I'm a huge Spike Lee fan and Denzel fan. My mom and I were just over the moon. I called my grandma, and she was like, 'Oh my God, I know these people!' That's how you know—when the grandma knows what's up? Now I know we're good. It came up that same month. We spent a week going back and forth, talking about writing a song for Highest 2 Lowest. I probably wrote 10 different songs for the movie. I have a whole album of Spike joints! Eventually, we came to one that he felt was accurate to what the movie represents. He was hands-on and very collaborative, and pushed me to just share my story. That was very freeing for me—especially having been through so many situations in my career where I felt muzzled. To have someone at his level believe in me and want me to be heard without a filter was beautiful. We had conversations about the theme. Sometimes he'd give me tidbits of lines that then inspired me to lean into more of my own story. At that point, he already knew who I am as a person—he's like a big brother now. Because he already knew what I've been through, he was able to tap into that and help me navigate how I can portray it in a way that feels cinematic. One note that he did give me was that I don't have the same chorus over and over again. Write a completely new one every time to continue the story. You're taught that the chorus should be repetitive, but I think in this case, it really propelled the story forward. So it did feel like the song was a movie in itself. It represents the journey I've been through. Having people, whether in my personal life or the industry, put me down because of my age. You know, 'I'm older, so I know better,' right? A lot of people trying to make me distrust my intuition and voice. I think we're moving into a time where we're becoming, or should be becoming, artists first, authenticity first. I think this film has a great theme where it tackles [corporate] versus real artistry, numbers versus real artistry. That's something I've always stood for, and at times it's been hard for me. I feel like this film is a culmination of all the struggles and having that moment of a beacon of light and hope. I have always admired actors and actresses. I've always loved filmmaking. I've always tried to incorporate it into my music videos, that cinematic feel. For me, I just tried to know the lines. So then when I do get on set, I can be in the moment, make it as real as possible. Sula to me felt like who I am. I've been through a situation just like in the scene where an executive was sitting right there, and I was just singing for that person and auditioning. I brought that moment that I already had in my experience into that scene. Denzel gave me a note to just listen. It put me more in my body and being present. And Denzel makes such an amazing executive. His just being there, you have no choice but to be part of that world. It's no longer acting, it's just being. For sure, the movie! I was so nervous, but as soon as I was there with everybody, it was so welcoming. Denzel told me I was a natural! It really made me have confidence in myself. No one had an ego, and those are the best environments to work in. It's a crazy contrast with the music industry. You're part of a certain conglomerate, and you're pushed to fit into a certain mold. This was so refreshing. It's the Age of Aquarius, where we're stepping into an era where you have no choice but to lean into yourself and your authenticity! It was over 20 times! I sang it over and over and over again live. It was like a full-day concert happening, I was shocked. No one was fed up. The whole crew was so amazing. They enjoyed it every time. We were doing it with the same mic you use for acting, so the sound is all technically dead. It's completely raw; there is no effect. Spike is so intentional, and he created a very vulnerable moment. We shot it a lot, but I would have been ready to keep going for another few days. I was prepared to do my own concert after that. This was my band camp training. I saw myself because I did some ADR. Honestly, I was completely shook, because it's always been a dream of mine to act. It's a surreal moment to see yourself on a screen with Denzel Washington and all these incredible actors. I can't believe just being authentic got me to this place. The year that Spike discovered me, I was about to be homeless. It just felt like such a hopeful moment. I'm so inspired to continue down this path. Spike sent me this Italian song [Prisencolinensinainciusol] by Adriano Celentano. And technically, the whole song is just gibberish, so he's not saying any lyrics at all, right? Spike saw this kind of folky song that I posted on Instagram, and he called me. He's like, 'I have an idea. I didn't know you could do folk. I'm gonna send you a song. Check it out.' I thought it was really cool, so he asked me to put lyrics to it. The melody and cadence are there, but we needed lyrics. He just wanted to have this song in the end credits that's this celebratory moment. And so I applied that note and added a new layer to it. I hope I get to release a lot more music, and build a community around it that really enjoys and relates to it. I hope my story can be inspiring to people who maybe feel like doing it yourself isn't enough, where you need to wait for somebody, because waiting has never helped me. Something important to me is sharing that you can be your own manager, your own label. We live in a time where you can do a lot by yourself, and there's no excuse not to vouch for yourself. I also hope to do more movies. Something was life-changing about being on set, and the energy there was so incredible that I'd love to continue that journey. I would love to do this forever.
Yahoo
6 hours ago
- Yahoo
Legendary rock singer on his health: ‘nervous about making it to the end of the tour'
Roger Daltrey, lead singer of the English rock band The Who, recently opened up about his apprehensions heading into the band's final North American tour stemming from various health complications. Speaking with British newspaper The Times, Daltrey said he has been feeling the effects from a bout of meningitis he contracted nine years ago, which he added did 'a lot of damage' and 'buggered up my internal thermometer.' 'The potential to get really ill is there and, I have to be honest, I'm nervous about making it to the end of the tour,' Daltrey said to The Times. Read More: Country music legend known as 'Miss Country Soul' dies at 85 The 81-year-old added to The Times that he is suffering from 'an incurable macular degeneration,' leading to impaired vision on top of hearing loss, which the singer indicated started even before his time as a rocker. In mid-August, The Who embark on their seven-week-long 'The Song Is Over' tour of the U.S. and Canada, stopping in over a dozen cities including at Fenway Park in Boston. Read More: Lead singer of '80s metal band dies 2 weeks after getting married Daltrey noted to The Times 'my voice is still as good as ever,' but that 'I can't tell you if it will still be there in October.' The Who, known for songs like 'My Generation,' 'Baba O'Riley,' 'Behind Blue Eyes,' and 'Eminence Front,' formed in the 1960s and the band was inducted into The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1990 and the United Kingdom Music Hall of Fame in 2005. More Entertainment Content: 'South Park' season 27 episode 2 airs tonight, here's how to watch it for free HBO Max removes popular animated series, where to stream it instead Bravo's 'The Real Housewives of Miami' airs new episode of season 7 tonight, how to watch 'Expedition Unknown' season 15 episode 7 airs tonight: Where to stream free Read the original article on MassLive. Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
7 hours ago
- Yahoo
‘MasterChef' Drama as Contestant Edited Out of Show Amid Hosts' Firing
The British version of MasterChef continues to be caught up in drama as new reports claim a second contestant asked to be edited out of the currently-airing season. According to BBC News, an unnamed contestant requested to be removed from the broadcast amid controversy surrounding the BBC's decision to air the season, which features hosts Gregg Wallace and John Torode, before they were fired from the cooking competitions series. 'One other contributor decided that given recent events they would like not to be included,' a spokeswoman for Banijay UK, which produces the show through subsidiary Shine TV, said in a statement. 'We have of course accepted their wishes and edited them out of the show.' This comes after another contestant, Sarah Shafi, claimed to have been edited out of the current season after she complained about Wallace and Torode. Wallace and Torode were both dropped from the long-running show over the past year after an investigation into unacceptable on-set behavior. Over 80 complaints were made against Wallace, including claims of making sexual remarks, explicit jokes, and one incident of unwanted physical contact. Torode was then dragged into the drama after claims emerged that he used a racist term back in 2018. The current season was filmed in November before the allegations came to light. Wallace was replaced by Irish chef Anna Hughes midway through the competition as the allegations went public, though the reports regarding Torode didn't surface until after filming. A debate followed over whether the BBC should air the season, a decision the network ultimately went forward with in spite of backlash. 'In showing the series, which was filmed last year, it in no way diminishes our view of the seriousness of the upheld findings against both presenters,' the broadcaster has said, per Deadline. 'However, we believe that broadcasting this series is the right thing to do for these cooks who have given so much to the process. We want them to be properly recognised and give the audience the choice to watch the series.' Wallace, who recently revealed he has autism, has continued to play down the seriousness of the allegations, telling The Sun that while he was 'so sorry' for upsetting people, he was 'not a groper, a sex pest or a flasher.' Torode, meanwhile, has claimed he has 'no recollection' of the incident in which he was accused of using a racist term, calling its use 'wholly unacceptable.' Streaming, Tubi Solve the daily Crossword
