Latest news with #HalleBailey
Gulf Today
19 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Gulf Today
Leon Thomas is ready for the moment with new album
Leon Thomas is such a believer of speaking dreams into existence that the artist-producer has been patiently awaiting — yet expecting — his current moment of musical appreciation. 'I feel like this is like a 20-year-long, overnight success, and I'm really enjoying just the process. I feel ready for the moment,' said the alternative R&B artist, who's released his 'MUTT Deluxe: HEEL' album on Friday. 'Not to get too spiritual, but I feel like the steps I'm on are ordered, and it's just my time to show the world what I can do.' After winning a Grammy last year as co-producer on SZA's song 'Snooze,'' Thomas is now experiencing his own solo success. The single 'MUTT,' from his 2024 critically acclaimed sophomore album of the same name, reached No. 1 on multiple Billboard charts, including Hot R&B Songs, Adult R&B airplay and R&B Streaming Songs. It also peaked at No. 13 on Billboard's Hot 100, boosted by a recent Chris Brown-remix that will appear on the deluxe. Once known for his role on the Nickelodeon series 'Victorious' of the 2010s, the R&B-rock-funk artist recruited heavyweight features for 'HEEL,' including Big Sean, Kehlani and Halle Bailey. Nine new songs were added, both originals and remixes. 'It's God's plan ... Coming from the world of acting, I'd had my fair share of fame and taste of what the high life felt like. But starting off with my debut album, really having to grind and play really small rooms and build from scratch was such a humbling experience,' said Thomas of 'Electric Dusk' which dropped in 2023. 'That really built me, and I wouldn't trade that experience for the world.' The 31-year-old, who's produced songs for Drake, Kanye West, Toni Braxton and Babyface, spoke about stepping into the spotlight, vulnerability and being protective of Ariana Grande. How have you managed the transition from in-demand producer to solo artist? I prayed on this. I did the internal work to be ready for what comes with the spotlight. And, I don't know, I'm just taking it one step at a time. I learned a lot from working behind the scenes, though. I was able to watch everybody's climb to the top ... and it was good to be a fly on the wall to a lot of my friends' greatness before I had an opportunity to climb the mountain myself. How did your 'Rather Be Alone' collaboration with Halle Bailey come together? It was very organic ... I played her the record and she really resonated with it, and I feel like you should write your life, and you should find ways to use your experience as the paint on the canvas. And I think both of us were going through pretty crazy breakups. So, I think it was important to lead with that song because it's like the truest record right now on the project. It seems like this era of R&B doesn't embrace vulnerability like in earlier decades. Why where you both so transparent? It's a generation of filters. But I think some of the craziest and most viral moments are without any of the bells and whistles. And that's the whole Catch-22. It's like there's lots of technological advancements, but I think things that are real, that really like celebrate the human experience, will always be celebrated. Do you ever reminisce with Adriana Grande about your time as 'Victorious' castmates? We finished our last two years of high school together in a small classroom with one teacher and spent many ... weekends hanging out and watching movies and kicking it. That's really my friend, and I'm so proud of her. ... There's so much growth that happened, and I am very protective over her and she's the same about me. And it's just good to have real friends in this (industry) — it can be kind of tricky. Associated Press
San Francisco Chronicle
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- San Francisco Chronicle
Leon Thomas is ‘ready for the moment' with new album 'MUTT Deluxe: HEEL'
NEW YORK (AP) — Leon Thomas is such a believer of speaking dreams into existence that the artist-producer has been patiently awaiting — yet expecting — his current moment of musical appreciation. 'I feel like this is like a 20-year-long, overnight success, and I'm really enjoying just the process. I feel ready for the moment,' said the alternative R&B artist, who's releasing his 'MUTT Deluxe: HEEL' album on Friday. 'Not to get too spiritual, but I feel like the steps I'm on are ordered, and it's just my time to show the world what I can do.' After winning a Grammy last year as co-producer on SZA's song 'Snooze,'' Thomas is now experiencing his own solo success. The single 'MUTT,' from his 2024 critically acclaimed sophomore album of the same name, reached No. 1 on multiple Billboard charts, including Hot R&B Songs, Adult R&B airplay and R&B Streaming Songs. It also peaked at No. 13 on Billboard's Hot 100, boosted by a recent Chris Brown-remix that will appear on the deluxe. Once known for his role on the Nickelodeon series 'Victorious' of the 2010s, the R&B-rock-funk artist recruited heavyweight features for 'HEEL,' including Big Sean, Kehlani and Halle Bailey. Nine new songs were added, both originals and remixes. 'It's God's plan ... Coming from the world of acting, I'd had my fair share of fame and taste of what the high life felt like. But starting off with my debut album, really having to grind and play really small rooms and build from scratch was such a humbling experience,' said Thomas of 'Electric Dusk' which dropped in 2023. 'That really built me, and I wouldn't trade that experience for the world.' The 31-year-old, who's produced songs for Drake, Kanye West, Toni Braxton and Babyface, spoke with The Associated Press about stepping into the spotlight, vulnerability and being protective of Ariana Grande. The conversation has been edited for brevity and clarity. I learned a lot from working behind the scenes, though. I was able to watch everybody's climb to the top … and it was good to be a fly on the wall to a lot of my friends' greatness before I had an opportunity to climb the mountain myself. AP: How did your 'Rather Be Alone' collaboration with Halle Bailey come together? THOMAS: It was very organic … I played her the record and she really resonated with it, and I feel like you should write your life, and you should find ways to use your experience as the paint on the canvas. And I think both of us were going through pretty crazy breakups. So, I think it was important to lead with that song because it's like the truest record right now on the project. AP: It seems like this era of R&B doesn't embrace vulnerability like in earlier decades. Why where you both so transparent? THOMAS: It's a generation of filters. But I think some of the craziest and most viral moments are without any of the bells and whistles. And that's the whole Catch-22. It's like there's lots of technological advancements, but I think things that are real, that really like celebrate the human experience, will always be celebrated. AP: How were you able to successfully break out of the Nickelodeon box and transition into music? THOMAS: It's really hard being a Black male coming from the Nickelodeon-Viacom space because this is epic branding all over the world. I mean, this is like 80 countries … that are kind of fed that image of you. So, I think for me, the biggest thing was really taking the time to study acting. Even when I stepped over into music, it's not like I just jumped into it because I had some fans who grew up watching me. I decided to study under the legendary Babyface, started working with Ty Dolla $ign, Boi-1da, Drake — I was around some epic legends in the field, and I feel like the best teacher is experience. AP: Do you ever reminisce with Adriana Grande about your time as 'Victorious' castmates? THOMAS: We finished our last two years of high school together in a small classroom with one teacher and spent many ... weekends hanging out and watching movies and kicking it. That's really my friend, and I'm so proud of her. … There's so much growth that happened, and I am very protective over her and she's the same about me. And it's just good to have real friends in this (industry) — it can be kind of tricky. ___
The Guardian
22-05-2025
- The Guardian
Famous men's toxic fandoms have become a tool for punishing women
There's a new formula for punishing women who speak out about abuse by high-profile figures, and it usually goes like this: woman alleges abuse, woman seeks recourse through the justice system, woman's accusation is made public – and then a tidal wave of fans of her abuser come together to help deny the abuse, attack her credibility and reverse the roles of victim and offender. If this sounds familiar it's because Darvo – the 'deny, attack, reversevictim and offender' method of manipulating abuse victims – has existed for forever. But social media has given it a whole new dimension, and powerful people now have an army of rabid fans ready to do that work for them. That's exactly what's happening to the singer and actor Halle Bailey, after she was granted a domestic violence restraining order against her child's father, the YouTuber and Twitch streamer Darryl Dwayne Granberry, known as DDG. Once the news broke, fans jumped to his defence, ramping up an existing campaign of trolling and harassment, where she's been accused of everything from infidelity during their relationship to keeping their child from him after it was over – the latter a narrative that DDG himself has helped fuel. Since news of the restraining order broke last week, we've gotten some details of the physical, verbal and financial abuse that Bailey alleges, including photos of injuries submitted as evidence. In that time, even more accounts have spawned, claiming that Bailey is lying about the alleged attack, and was herself abusive to DDG. Those criticizing her range from faceless troll accounts to major Twitch streamers with hundreds of thousands of followers, and even Twitter/X communities including one where DDG himself is a moderator. If this doesn't feel like deja vu then you're not paying attention. Just last year, hundreds of X, Instagram, TikTok and YouTube accounts popped up dedicated to keeping public sentiment about the Amber Heard and Johnny Depp trial firmly in his favor. Heard was accused of being unhinged and, of course, said to be abusive herself. From people making fun of her testimony to memes about her crying on the stand going viral, there was no regard for her humanity or even the horrifying things she alleged happened to her – and it hasn't stopped. Jennifer Hough, a Black woman who accused Nicki Minaj's current husband, Kenneth Petty, of raping her when they were minors, has also felt the fury of a toxic fandom. Petty was convicted of attempted rape in the incident after a plea deal. When he was arrested in 2020 for failing to register as a sex offender, Minaj's notoriously hateful 'Barbz' got to work trying to discredit Hough, sometimes parroting rumors that Minaj herself had started. With DDG though, this isn't just your average social media fan; these are the children of the streaming age, a generation whose experience of fandom means being constantly and staunchly engaged with their favourite streamers – staying glued to their screens, watching every waking moment of these people's lives, and forming twisted parasocial bonds with them. And did I forget to mention that all of this is happening against the grimy backdrop of the manosphere? Young men online are more misogynistic than ever, and the internet's culture around hating women has gone from fringe forums to becoming a broad social movement where rather than being shamed, men are applauded for sharing their most violent, hateful thoughts about women. The patriarchy demands loyalty and requires that its beneficiaries pay their dues in acts of hatred. That means that anyone who doesn't join in the bullying or speaks up for women is automatically deemed a traitor and punished accordingly. To be a prominent man online today can mean either falling in line with misogyny or risking mockery and ostracization. The Houston rapper Slim Thug was called everything but a child of God for simply believing Megan Thee Stallion when she said she was shot by Tory Lanez, and DDG just called out Soulja Boy (who was found liable for assault himself last month) for standing up for Bailey. Still, there's a different kind of loyalty that's being weaponized here, where Black men specifically (and women for that matter) are being asked to protect their own, even when they cause harm. There's no doubt that Black men are unfairly targeted by the criminal justice system, and continue to be stereotyped as violent. But there are Black men who abuse, disregard and disrespect women that they are in intimate relationships with. Both things can be true. And that delicate balance is often exploited to help cast abusive men as victims of a society that does indeed hate them. From supreme court justice Clarence Thomas claiming the investigation into sexual harassment claims against him were a 'high-tech lynching', to the actor Jonathan Majors going on a sympathy tour after he was convicted of misdemeanour assault and harassment, Black men invoking the racial persecution defence is as typical as it is diabolical. What this all really means is that the court of public opinion has been compromised; we can no longer rely on good sense to prevail even if the courts are unreliable. And at the end of the day, it seems like the message is the same – in a world designed to protect men, women simply can't win. Tayo Bero is a Guardian US columnist
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Halle Bailey shares feeling insecure about her weight since giving birth: ‘I'm gonna feel better about myself'
Halle Bailey talks about the insecurities she feels about her weight, especially since giving birth, and how she even removed a TikTok video because of it. Last week, Halle Bailey opened up about why she requested her sister—Chloe Bailey—remove a TikTok video from her feed: She was feeling insecure about her body image. The 25-year-old singer and new mom opened up in a video about how her weight has fluctuated since welcoming her son, Halo, in December 2023, causing her to feel 'a little insecure.' 'Right now, currently I am a little bit thicker than I usually am and I feel really insecure about it, a little bit,' she began in the video while dressed in a white bandeau top and matching ruffled skirt under a striped lilac shirt. 'Because all my life, I've been like 120 pounds, really skinny. And then I had my baby, and then when I was breastfeeding, I lost a bunch of weight. So I felt like my body sort of snapped back to where I thought it did, at the time, but it still was very off.' The 'Grown-ish' alum went on to say she seems to have stopped losing weight and that now that she's 25, 'weight is sticking more.' She added that since she's been on vacation with her sister and son, she's on a break from her usual workout routine. 'So I'm a little fluffy right now because I kind of fell off of my consistent workouts,' she explained. 'I do feel a little insecure about it.' The 'Little Mermaid' star added she was feeling so insecure that when she and her sister were on the beach the day before and filmed a 'fun TikTok,' she later had her sister remove it. 'I had texted her and asked her, like, 'Hey, can you just take it down? Because I feel really bad about my body.' And yeah, so people are asking, like, 'why is it deleted?' It's because of me. I was insecure about it and what people were saying about my body,' she said. Most can relate to the feeling of a tagged post not catching us in our best light from our most flattering angle, and plenty in the comments were quick to assure her of that. Several also noted how it was 'normal' what she was going through and experiencing. Despite how she was feeling, the star remained positive. She closed the video by noting that she was pushing through the feelings by remaining present. 'I'm gonna feel better about myself. I'm not gonna be too hard on myself, because I've been working a really cool f— job that I just finished guys,' she gushed. 'And now I'm on vacation with my sister and we're celebrating, and we're with my baby. We're having like a good time and I'm not gonna be so hard on myself. So my message of today is I'm telling myself, to just enjoy the moment.' The admission arrives amid Bailey, alleging emotional and physical abuse, filing for a restraining order against the father of her child, 27-year-old rapper and Twitch streamer DDG. More must-reads: Chicago mayor investigated by Trump's DOJ for remarks about hiring Black officials Video of the Nottoway Plantation fire sparks jubilation. It's about anger and pain over slavery, too New Trump vaccine policy limits access to COVID shots
Black America Web
16-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Black America Web
Soulja Boy Threatens DDG With A Fade For Allegedly Abusing Halle Bailey, X Says Right Message, Definitely Wrong Messenger
Source: Getty Images / Soulja Boy / DDG / Halle Bailey Soulja Boy calling out DDG for allegedly putting his hands on Halle Bailey was definitely not on our 2025 bingo card. In a stunning twist of events, Soulja Boy took to X, formerly Twitter, to invite DDG to a well-deserved fade after news broke of the singer requesting a restraining order against the rapper/streamer and father of her child. On Wednesday, May 14, Big Draco said in a post that planned on 'beating the f*k out' of DDG in the wake of details and photo evidence hitting social media when news of Bailey's restraining order hit timelines where she also alleges the former couple 'fought each other' during an incident in January. 'You a b**ch a** n**ga for putting yo' hands on Halle,' the 'Crank Dat' rapper wrote on X. Well, right message, wrong messenger. That's what many people on X are saying because Soulja Boy isn't exactly a champion of women's rights, mainly because he was just found liable for sexual assault of a former assistant who had to pay $4 million to. 'you ain't even the n***a to be talkin , you hit women too . Right message wrong messenger,' one reply to Soulja Boy's tweet read. Another reply read, 'Congrats on being the first rapper to defend a female while whooping another female ass.' 'Didn't you sexually assault your assistant?' another user wrote on X. Rapper Freddie Gibbs got in on the fun, replying with a simple laughing emoji. We are definitely in the upside-down, or maybe Soulja Boy was high when he let that post off because there is no way he sent that without being aware that he is definitely in the same boat as DDG. SMH. You can see more reactions below. Soulja Boy Threatens DDG With A Fade For Allegedly Abusing Halle Bailey, X Says Right Message, Definitely Wrong Messenger was originally published on Black America Web Featured Video CLOSE
