Latest news with #StockAitkenWaterman
7NEWS
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- 7NEWS
INSIDE MEDIA: Rick Astley passes 1 billion streams on Spotify
A video version of this article is available in the player above with vision of the interviews quoted. Rick Astley passes 1 billion If you've ever been 'Rickrolled' (and who of us hasn't), you might be interested to know the song behind the prank has reached 1 billion streams on Spotify. Never Gonna Give You Up was released in 1987 by renowned hitmakers Stock Aitken Waterman and was a number 1 hit in the UK, US and here in Australia. Around 2007, the song became something of a phenomenon when people started sending prank links to it on YouTube. A user would be told the link was for one thing, but ended up being 'Rickrolled', or taken to the song. There's no doubt the prank helped the song stay fresh in the minds of people, leading consumers to search for the song on Spotify, which eventually led to the 1 billion streams. 'So who would have believed, after all these years, Never Gonna Give You Up has had a billion streams on Spotify' Astley posted on his official TikTok account. 'How amazing. Thank you for listening and lots of love and I'll see you all soon, I hope.' What an amazing achievement. You can see his message in the video player above and, no, it won't take you to the song – I promise! Let the spin begin It's always funny when a company tries to discredit a story by trying to change the narrative. That's just what happened in regard to my exclusive story last week about I'm A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here! facing major budget cuts and its plan to pre-record for the 2026 series. On Wednesday, Pedestrian published a hit job on my reporting without attributing the original article and without including the writer's byline. Instead, it credited The PR fluff piece had obviously been given to the outlet by Channel 10, who did not want to officially confirm my reporting, but rather change the narrative. According to the gushing story, the change from live to pre-recording has nothing to do with budget cuts (heaven forbid), but more to do with the availability of big names who do not want to do the show live. As per the article: 'This change is massive,' one network insider spilled to 'Live TV has always been the dealbreaker for certain 'celebs.' Now that it's pre-recorded, a whole bunch of big names who used to say 'nah' are suddenly very interested.' It continues: Basically, removing the live element means 'celebs' don't have to stress about getting cancelled in real time and producers can flex a bit more control over the chaos. Think better editing, bigger stunts, and (hopefully) fewer awkward silences when someone gets booted. But then comes the big one, squarely taking aim at my reporting this change was made for budgetary reasons: And before anyone starts screaming 'budget cuts!', our sources are insisting this has nothing to do with Network Ten's upcoming Big Brother reboot stealing all the coins. 'If anything, this frees up resources to chase even bigger names,' the insider said. 'Think, international guests and proper A-listers, not just someone who got kicked off The Bachelor six years ago.' Why, then, did Channel 10 pre-record the finale this year, shooting three different versions and sending the entire production team home early? Obviously, that had nothing to do with budget! I can't wait to see Tom Cruise, Scarlett Johansson and other top tier talent take to the jungle in the next season, rather than a tragic bunch of nobodies. If 10 wants to change the narrative, then why not go on the record, confirm my reporting (which is correct) and make an official statement, rather than leaking to an outlet. At least we know they've already confirmed that McKnight was right! Media Watch hits out at Today It was interesting watching the hit job done by the ABC's Media Watch on Monday night against Channel 9's Today Show. The publicly funded broadcaster took issue with the fact the breakfast show dared into a commercial deal with UAE. Host Linton Besser wasn't happy with the show showing the positive tourist attractions of the country, rather than focusing on the negatives. 'The UAE is a repressive nation-state governed by an absolute monarchy whose arbitrary and fickle approach to justice and the law can create frightening risks for those who move there for work, like 28-year-old Emirates Airlines flight attendant Tori Towey, an Irish citizen who in June last year was strip searched and charged with attempting suicide after fleeing domestic violence' Besser said. All of that is true. But even though Besser declared Today had failed in 'spectacular fashion' in journalistic terms, he did have to acknowledge Nine did not hide anything from viewers. 'Despite the entire outside broadcast being funded by UAE government-backed businesses, which Nine did disclose, a spokesman for the media company told us the 'event TV' project had not been vetted by the foreign government'. OK, so what exactly is the problem here? Breakfast shows have always been a mix of news and entertainment. Sunrise certainly turned the format on its head in the 2000s when it introduced 'newstainsment' and became the number one breakfast show – a position which is still in place today. Commercial arrangements are a part of breakfast TV and there is no issue as long as those deals are made clear to the audience. Media Watch did not challenge Nine's position that the deal with UAE was disclosed. Nine and Today have never been shy about reporting on the atrocities that have taken place in the region and I don't believe this short-term deal will change that. So, Media Watch – which does not rely on commercial deals thanks to the $1.1 billion of government funding the ABC receives each year from taxpayers – thinks the show should have refused the money or done a big expose. Let's live in the real world. Commercial broadcasters are doing it tough and deals like this help them to survive. If a big story about the UAE had broken and the Today Show hadn't covered it, then Media Watch should rightly call them out. But that didn't happen. Instead, what we have here is an elitist attitude from a government-funded entity that doesn't rely on revenue to survive.
USA Today
6 days ago
- Business
- USA Today
This classic '80s song just hit 1 billion streams on Spotify
Show Caption No, Mr. Astley, this isn't a fake-out. You're streaming royalty now. British pop star Rick Astley, whose inescapable '80s hit"Never Gonna Give You Up" found an unexpected renaissance in the digital age, has joined the ranks of Spotify's "Billions Club," according to a June 2 press release. The soulful synth-pop track, taken from Astley's 1987 debut album "Whenever You Need Somebody," has exceeded one billion streams on the music platform. "I never could have imagined back in 1987 that 'Never Gonna Give You Up' would still be going strong decades later," Astley, 59, said in a statement. "Thanks to streaming platforms, a whole new generation has been able to discover music like mine. Reaching one billion streams is something I never dreamed of and to everyone who's ever listened, thank you." The song, written and produced by the all-star dance-pop production team Stock Aitken Waterman, peaked at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 for two weeks and has sold five million copies to date. In the late 2000s, "Never Gonna Give You Up" received an unlikely revival when the "Rickrolling" internet meme became a viral sensation. The digital prank consists of a bait-and-switch maneuver in which someone opens a disguised hyperlink containing the music video to Astley's song. When the individual opens the link and is confused to discover the song, they have been "Rickrolled." Thanks to the "Rickrolling" effect, "Never Gonna Give You Up" earned tens of millions of YouTube views (the music video currently has 1.6 billion), was played at various sporting events and was even referenced on X, formerly known as Twitter, by The White House during the Barack Obama administration. "I don't know how my career would have turned out without Rickrolling," Astley reflected in his 2024 memoir "Never.""But it would be stupid to say it hasn't ultimately done me a lot of good." While "Never Gonna Give You Up" remains Astley's signature song, his other hits include "Together Forever," "She Wants to Dance with Me," "Cry for Help" and "It Would Take a Strong Man." His most recent album, 2023's "Are We There Yet?," peaked at No. 2 on the charts in his native U.K.
Daily Mail
17-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
She can even make a King dance… now Glasgow gets its turn! Pop queen Kylie still reigns supreme
Her particular brand of high-octane pop has amassed a legion of fans, with the King himself admitting it is impossible to 'sit still' while listening to her hits. And it was that same characteristic dynamism that played out on stage in Glasgow as pop royalty Kylie Minogue performed the first UK date of her global Tension tour. Clad in an electric blue PVC bodysuit and high heels, the Aussie songstress made a dramatic entrance as she descended onto the stage at the Ovo Hydro inside an inverted diamond cage made of lasers. Once everyone's favourite dungareed girl next door, the 56-year-old's skills as a performer have long since matured from the days when she played Charlene Robinson in Neighbours. Kylie's vocals, dance moves and sparkling costumes shone like the big disco ball she later brought on stage. Deafening cheers had met the thrilled Melbourne lass who oozed: 'Good evening Glasgow! It's been a while. I'm so happy to be with you. It's a loud one tonight.' Intro track Lights, Camera, Action made way for a medley of classics including In Your Eyes, Get Outta My Way, and What Do I Have to Do before Spinning Around and the moment when Kylie showed off her cheeky side – pointing to and rubbing her famed derrière which even had its own workout video in 1987. Split into seven acts, her show took us through the decades, starting with revamped versions of her Stock Aitken Waterman hits The Locomotion – which King Charles recently revealed is on his personal playlist – and Better The Devil You Know as well as On a Night Like This. Red lipsticked Kylie, whose wardrobe is already a museum piece at the V&A, switched to glitzy red via a sequinned jumpsuit that later became a floaty sparking dress and robe during an on-stage change, hidden by her agile dancers. Chattier than ever, she seemed more at ease with herself than on previous tours. Kylie confessed her mind was blown by the occasion and remarked: 'We are to the rafters. When we knew this date was in the calendar, we did not expect this kind of sunshine to exist. 'Come on. Let's just talk about today. I know we're good at escaping the real world but I've just got to mention it. 'What a beauty! It's started to really heat up in here.' Proving she was human as she fluffed a line in her 2018 single Dancing, she asked a dancer beside her to sing the lyrics so she could catch up on herself. And then she moved from the big stage at the front to a smaller one at the back, being carried through her adoring crowd for more audience interaction where she asked for acappella song suggestions including Never Too Late before singing Wild Rose to one lucky fan. Kylie said she had dreamt about 'this moment' during the Covid pandemic when finishing an album in her kitchen. As she teased her Disco album, she made her way back to the big stage amid a confetti drop and performed Magic before another costume change. This time she got cloaked up for Confide in Me before revealing an Abba-esque short, purple kimono paired with thigh-high boots. Strobe lighting flickered for dance versions of Slow, Time Bomb and Edge of Saturday Night. Fans screamed 'Kylie we love you' and the star told one she looked cute. Kylie's hits are numerous but she saved some of her best till last with another outfit change to black sequins and boots for Can't Get You Out of My Head and Tension before a rousing encore with a fluorescent yellow and orange outfit and her recent contagious hit Padam Padam. The party would have gone on after Love at First Sight had there not been an 11pm curfew. It may have been a night of Tension but as she basked in a raucous reception, it was clear that when it comes to performing, Kylie needn't stress.
