Latest news with #AfterHours'
New York Post
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- New York Post
Kehlani makes anti-Israel statement on AMAs 2025 red carpet weeks after Central Park concert was canceled
Anti-Israel singer Kehlani has doubled down on her controversial comments on the Israel-Palestine conflict just weeks after New York City pulled the plug on her Central Park concert. The 5-time Grammy nominee, who walked the red carpet at the 2025 American Music Awards Monday night, didn't mince words when asked about her stance on the ongoing clash. 'It shouldn't be a hard thing, it shouldn't be something I'm even looked at so massively for, it shouldn't be something I'm credited for,' the 'After Hours' singer, 30, told Variety ahead of the awards show. Advertisement 5 Anti-Israel singer Kehlani has doubled down on her controversial comments on the Israel-Palestine conflict. FilmMagic 'It should be second nature if people are blowing up and being murdered at mass rates, it should be no — it should be as easy as breathing to say, 'Hey I don't really think this should be happening, this shouldn't be happening, maybe we should stop.'' 'We're funding it so we should stop,' the singer, born Kehlani Ashley Parrish, said in Las Vegas, referring to the US' support for Israel. Advertisement When asked if celebrities should be vocal about their stance on the issue, the 'Can I?' singer said, 'Yeah, I said it a bunch.' 'I definitely think we have more power than we think and everything's stronger in numbers, and I think that that's something that hopefully people will understand at some point,' she went on. 'But all I can say is free Palestine.' Advertisement Earlier this month, The Post revealed that NYC officials scrapped Kehlani's upcoming Central Park performance after mounting pressure from City Hall. 5 The 5-time Grammy nominee walked the red carpet at the 2025 American Music Awards Monday night. Penske Media via Getty Images 5 Musician Kehlani stands in front of a Palestinian flag in a music video. Kehiani/Youtube 'We strongly and emphatically believe in artistic expression of all kinds,' the City Park's Foundation, a taxpayer-funded organization, said in a statement on Instagram. Advertisement 'However, the safety and security of our guests and artists is of the utmost importance and in light of these concerns, the concert has been cancelled.' The news appeared to get to the singer last, as she revealed on her Instagram Story that she found out of the show's cancellation through social media. 'Lol,' she began. 'I just found that one out on Instagram by the way.' 5 New York City earlier this month cancelled Kehlani's scheduled concert in Central Park. 5 The Post's cover on the outrage over Kehlani's planned concert at Cornell. 'I'm so deeply grounded in my purpose, my mission, my art, my contribution. Back to this album,' she added. Weeks prior, Cornell University also pulled the plug on Kehlani's campus performance after facing overwhelming backlash over the decision to host her.
USA Today
16-05-2025
- Entertainment
- USA Today
The Weeknd talks 'Hurry Up Tomorrow' and how his life is a 'never-ending' movie
The Weeknd talks 'Hurry Up Tomorrow' and how his life is a 'never-ending' movie Show Caption Hide Caption 'Hurry Up Tomorrow': The Weeknd endures emotional turmoil Abel Tesfaye, aka The Weeknd, plays an insomniac musician who goes on an existential journey with a young woman (Jenna Ortega) in "Hurry Up Tomorrow." LAS VEGAS − Abel Tesfaye, the musician known as The Weeknd, is a certified smash. Tesfaye, the movie star, is more of an unknown commodity. Audiences get to see both at work in the psychological thriller 'Hurry Up Tomorrow' (in theaters now), a metafictional tale of a pop superstar dealing with the complexities of fame and celebrity. The movie is a companion project to The Weeknd's album of the same name (released in January), even as Tesfaye himself looks to be moving into a new phase of his creative life. Tesfaye loves that partnering on the film – his first – with co-writer/director Trey Edward Shults ('It Comes at Night') gave him a chance to focus his artistry. 'With all my past work, the music video is when I'm always kind of micromanaging everything. And it was the first time I got to just do my job and be an actor,' Tesfaye tells USA TODAY in an interview alongside Shults and co-star Jenna Ortega. Join our Watch Party! Sign up to receive USA TODAY's movie and TV recommendations right in your inbox 'Hurry Up Tomorrow' the album is the third part of the 'After Hours' trilogy for the R&B/pop singer/songwriter, who's headlined the Super Bowl, won four Grammy Awards, nabbed a Guinness World Record and topped charts with hits like 'Blinding Lights,' 'Can't Feel My Face,' 'Starboy' and 'Heartless.' The concept for the movie 'Hurry Up' existed well before the music. After pitching the story idea to Shults, Tesfaye sent him song demos, unfinished material and references from older songs that the director would put in the script. 'It was amazing,' says Tesfaye, 35, who had a cameo in Adam Sandler's "Uncut Gems" and starred in HBO's short-lived "The Idol." Tefaye stars in the movie as a fictionalized version of The Weeknd struggling in his professional and personal lives after a painful breakup. His coke-snorting, hype-man manager Lee (Barry Keoghan) enables Abel's toxic, self-destructive narcissism, but after Abel's voice fails him during a sold-out concert (which happened to the real Tesfaye in 2022), he meets a mysterious young woman named Anima (Ortega). Feeling an instant connection, they enjoy a night of Santa Monica Pier rides and deep conversation, which leads to a harrowing journey of self-reflection on Abel's part. Like the album, the movie "Hurry Up Tomorrow" builds to the title track. A key scene where the onscreen Abel needs to be the most honest with himself 'originated with a monologue in the script and then a song was also required,' Shults recalls. 'So Abel wrote this song, and I was like, 'Well, we don't need the monologue anymore. Get that out of here!' ' Akin to Shults, Tesfaye found another like-minded collaborator in Ortega. He says he was 'blown away' finding out the actress was a fan of Daniel Lopatin, the electronic musician also known as OPN, who co-composed the film's score with Tesfaye. 'I was like, that's a deep cut. She has real taste. And that was an incredible sign for us.' As a music lover, Ortega was excited to be part of a movie that blends the sonic and the emotional. (She also gets her own music moments, including singing in the shower.) Her character represents 'this sensitive side' of Tesfaye 'that he maybe didn't feel like he got the opportunity to show so often, in a delicate way,' she says. Tefaye's music is "so much deeper and darker" than it sounds, Ortega adds. 'The lyrics are always very profound or very isolating, and they resonate with a lot of people. And I love the juxtaposition of this music that you'd hear in a club but then also that feeling that you have on the car ride back.' Tesfaye's bold and electric presence onstage and onscreen is an intriguing counterpoint to the thoughtful and soft-spoken man who sits for a chat about his movie. (When someone pays him a compliment, he beams with politeness and humility.) Ortega points out that Tesfaye has 'a cinephile's brain,' and while music has long been a passion for the Canadian-bred son of Ethiopian immigrants, 'my first love was always film,' says Telfaye, who's currently on tour as The Weeknd. Telfaye used music to 'get me closer to making movies,' and he would 'implement the DNA of cinema in my music videos.' 'So The Weeknd, to me, is just one long film that was like a never-ending 15-year movie. Now I feel like I got to the end of it, and I'm starting this new journey with these incredibly talented artists.' Wherever he goes from here, it'll probably sound great.
Perth Now
14-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Perth Now
The Weeknd is 'brainstorming' end of stage name
The Weeknd is "brainstorming" the end of his stage name. The 'Blinding Lights' hitmaker - whose real name is Abel Tesfaye - has previously spoken about the desire to get rid of his persona and suggested his upcoming movie 'Hurry Up Tomorrow' would be his last project under the moniker, but he isn't quite ready to drop it yet because of his career commitments. He told The Hollywood Reporter: 'We're brainstorming it right now. I feel like we don't have any definite answers, but I haven't dropped it yet because I'm on tour, so I've still gotta get out there and see the fans.' The 35-year-old star also teased he is "getting there" in the process of ditching The Weeknd. He told People magazine: "Have I started? Yeah, it's getting there. "I mean, I'm on tour right now, so I can't fully retire it." The Grammy-winning star was pressed on whether the idea has brought up any emotions. He said: "Oh, I can't tell you too much." The Weeknd finds the idea of being famous "weird". He said: "I've always wanted my work to be famous. I don't know if I ever wanted to be famous, so that whole skill set I haven't really mastered and I don't plan to. "It's a weird situation, but here we are." The 'After Hours' hitmaker recently told how he knew it was time to quit his job in a clothing store when his colleagues were enjoying his music without realising he was behind it. Speaking to Jenna Ortega in conversation for V magazine, he said: "I've been recording since I was about 14 or 15, but I didn't really blow up until my early 20s. "But even then, you know, inspired by Daft Punk, I wanted the music to speak for itself, right? When I put music out, nobody knew what I looked like. I was just getting off the street, not quite homeless anymore. "I had a day job at American Apparel, and people at my job were playing my music. I had put it out. So, people were playing my music and had no idea that I was standing and working right beside them. So that to me was the validation I needed to quit my job and focus on this 110%." The 35-year-old musician is grateful he had the "luxury" of adjusting to success while remaining anonymous for some time. He told Jenna: "Our experiences are a little different. When I was your age, I was able to hold on to being anonymous a little longer. "My fans didn't really know what I looked like until maybe three projects in. "So I was very calculated because I didn't want to get thrown in, and I wanted to experience life behind the camera. It was a luxury I was able to kind of carve out for myself. "But you're able to handle it with so much grace. I mean, the only advice I can really give you is to stay close to the people who knew you before all this."
Associated Press
06-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Associated Press
Kehlani's Central Park concert cancelled after NYC mayor raises security concerns
NEW YORK (AP) — Kehlani 's planned concert in Central Park next month has been cancelled after New York City's mayor raised security concerns about the R&B star's performance during Pride month, organizers announced Monday. The 'After Hours' singer had been set to headline a June 26 concert billed as 'Pride with Kehlani' at the iconic Manhattan park as part of SummerStage, an annual slate of free concerts at parks across the city. But organizers, in their announcement, cited concerns from Mayor Eric Adams' administration about the 'controversy surrounding Cornell University's decision to cancel Kehlani's concert at the University, as well as security demands in Central Park and throughout the City for other Pride events during that same period.' 'We strongly and emphatically believe in artistic expression of all kinds,' the organization wrote in the announcement posted on Instagram. 'However, the safety and security of our guests and artists is of the utmost importance and in light of these concerns, the concert has been cancelled.' Kehlani responded on Instagram Stories by sharing the announcement, along with the phrase 'lol.' The post included a selfie in which the musician wrote: 'I just found that one out on instagram by the way.' A representative for Kehlani didn't immediately respond to an email seeking comment Monday. Adams spokesperson Kayla Mamelak Altus said the administration was 'grateful' for the City Parks Foundation, the nonprofit that organizes SummerStage, for responding to its concerns. 'We look forward to an exciting lineup of other performances this summer,' she wrote in an email. Kehlani had been slated to perform at Cornell on May 7, but the Ivy League school in upstate New York rescinded the invitation last month, saying the planned appearance had 'injected division and discord' into its annual Slope Day celebration. At the time, Kehlani pushed back at claims she had expressed antisemitic and anti-Israel sentiments. 'For the millionth time, that I am not antisemitic nor anti-Jew,' she said in a video, also posted on Instagram. 'I am anti-genocide. I am anti-the actions of the Israeli government. I am anti-an extermination of an entire people. I am anti-the bombing of innocent children, men, women — that's what I'm anti.' The California native has been vocal in supporting Palestinians during the ongoing war in Gaza. The music video ' Next 2 U,' notably, opens with the phrase 'long live the intifada' and features dancers waving Palestinian flags. Intifada, an Arabic word for 'uprising' or 'resistance,' is seen by some as a call for violence against Jews.
USA Today
28-04-2025
- Entertainment
- USA Today
Kehlani speaks out after Cornell performance canceled over views: 'I am anti-genocide'
Kehlani speaks out after Cornell performance canceled over views: 'I am anti-genocide' Show Caption Hide Caption Kehlani at Grammys, talks about creating 'After Hours' Kehlani talks 'After Hours' ahead of 2025 Grammy nomination. Entertain This Kehlani is speaking out after her performance at Cornell University was canceled over what the school described as "hateful views." The R&B star, 30, in an Instagram video on April 26 said "I am not antisemitic" in response to Cornell scrapping plans for her to headline its "Slope Day" year-end celebration. Cornell President Michael Kotlikoff said he rescinded Kehlani's invitation after hearing "grave concerns" that a performer "who has espoused antisemitic, anti-Israel sentiments in performances, videos, and on social media" would be featured. In Kehlani's video, the "After Hours" singer maintained "for the millionth time" that they are not "anti-Jew" but is instead "anti-genocide" and "anti the actions of the Israeli government." USA TODAY has reached out to Cornell for comment. "I'm asked to clarify because this keeps coming up as a means to silence me, as a means to stop things that happen in my career, as a means to change the course of my life, and I just don't believe that," Kehlani said. Kehlani axed from Cornell performance over 'hateful views,' Gaza comments Kehlani has been a vocal supporter of Palestine amid the Israel-Hamas war. The Grammy nominee appeared before a Palestinian flag in the 2024 video for their song "Next 2 U" and has expressed opposition to Israel's blockade of the Gaza Strip and ongoing military campaign there. Kehlani denies allegation she is member of a 'cult' amid custody battle with ex The artist also once described Zionists, a term which can take on different meanings but which many view as supporters of a Jewish state, as "scum." In the caption of the video, Kehlani said that in addition to the Cornell cancellation, "now there are attempts at other cancellations," without providing details. "This is a played out game," the singer wrote. "all this because we want people to stop dying." Kehlani said she was filming the video while working on a new album and while in the presence "of my Jewish and Palestinian best friend and my Jewish engineer," both of whom briefly appeared on camera in the background. But in the caption, she described this "friend flex" as "SATIRE & SARCASmmmmm." Kehlani's video received more than 200,000 likes on Instagram, including from Melissa Barrera, the actress who was fired from "Scream 7" over comments she made in support of Palestine that production company Spyglass alleged constituted "hate speech." Contributing: Anna Kaufman, USA TODAY
