Latest news with #WalktheLine
Express Tribune
27-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Express Tribune
Shaboozey's reaction to Megan Moroney's Carter family comment at AMAs 2025 goes viral
Shaboozey has gone viral after his candid reaction to Megan Moroney's statement at the 2025 American Music Awards caught viewers' attention. During their joint appearance to present the Favourite Country Duo or Group category, Moroney said, 'That same year, Favourite Female Artist went to Lynn Anderson, and this award went to the Carter family, who basically invented country music.' Shaboozey briefly paused, gave a confused sideways glance to Moroney, laughed, and continued presenting the nominees, a moment quickly picked up and shared across social media platforms. The award ultimately went to Dan and Shay. Shaboozey has the best reaction of the year 😂😂 #AMAs — Everything Shaboozey (@everythingbooze) May 27, 2025 The Carter Family, often credited with influencing country music's development, recorded enduring folk classics such as 'Can the Circle Be Unbroken' and 'Wildwood Flower.' June Carter, later known as June Carter Cash, was famously portrayed by Reese Witherspoon in the film Walk the Line. Shaboozey's reaction may have subtly referenced Beyoncé's recent work, especially her 'Cowboy Carter' era. Beyoncé won Favourite Female Country Artist and Favourite Country Album at this year's AMAs. The event, hosted by Jennifer Lopez at the Fontainebleau Las Vegas, also celebrated Eminem's first AMAs wins in 15 years and Billie Eilish sweeping seven categories, including Artist of the Year and Album of the Year.
Perth Now
17-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Perth Now
The Kooks guitarist Hugh Harris shares bold biopic opinion - 'it's inherently bias'
The Kooks guitarist Hugh Harris doesn't think bands should get biopics made on them until the members are all dead. In the past 20 years a number of acclaimed biographical movies about music stars have been released to acclaim and success, such as 'Walk the Line' about Johnny Cash, 'Rocket Man' which focuses on the life and career of Sir Elton John and 'Bohemian Rhapsody', which focused on Queen and late frontman Freddie Mercury and earned Rami Malek a Best Actor Oscar for his portrayal of the flamboyant singer. However, Hugh doesn't think any film should be made about a group or solo artist whilst they're alive because that film will be "inherently bias". In an interview with website Contact Music, he said: "It's not OK to write your own - you've got to die first! "You can't be alive and write your own biopic because history is inherently bias towards the people that wrote it. "I think there's got to be some committee that takes the storytelling of yourself off your hands." Hugh's bandmate Luke Pritchard doesn't necessarily agree and thinks Timothee Chalamet could play him in a biopic on The Kooks. Luke said: "Timothee Chalamet can come in and play me!" The 'Naïve' hitmaker believes Chalamet would be able to play him because he just portrayed Bob Dylan in 'A Complete Unknown' and Luke bears a striking resemblance to the legendary folk musician. Acknowledging his similar look to Bob, Luke quipped: "Oh, if only I could act! If only I'd gone to RADA!" The Kooks have just released their seventh album 'Never/Know' and Luke has revealed the uplifting vibe of the songs on the record, such as 'Sunny Baby', were partly inspired by the Dylan biopic 'A Complete Unknown'. The positive tracks that he and Hugh wrote for 'Never/Know' are a response to the current state of the world. He said: "[The record] is not unlike the '60s reaction, actually. I watched the Bob Dylan film and I guess the message the director was trying to make and the scriptwriter, is they had their problems then, they thought that nuclear war was going to break out at any time. My mum talks about it, they had drills on the Isle of Wight. The '60s expression was let's take LSD and go get some flowers and let's try and metaphysically change things. That music turned out in that kind of way. Through the modern lens sometimes people see it as a little bit too sunshine-y, but I think that's an interesting parallel."
Sydney Morning Herald
07-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Sydney Morning Herald
French musical biopic delivers richly realised portrait of an icon
MONSIEUR AZNAVOUR ★★★½ M, 134 minutes. In cinemas MAY 8 Musical biopics have been enjoying a sporadic romance with the box office for a long time. It climaxed for the first time in 2005 with Walk the Line, the Johnny Cash story, and rose to an all-time high with Rami Malek's turn as Freddie Mercury in Bohemian Rhapsody (2018). The French weighed in with La Vie en Rose (2019) with Marion Cotillard pouring herself into Edith Piaf's tiny frame. Now we have Monsieur Aznavour, which tackles the life of Piaf's friend and protege, Charles Aznavour. These days, most biopics take a discrete approach, concentrating on the highlights and, more frequently, the lowlights of a long, and preferably, turbulent career, but this one makes a valiant effort to cram it all in. We begin in Aznavour's Paris childhood as the cosseted son of a close, music-loving family of Armenian refugees and end with him in his 90s, still holding the crowds in his thrall. He's played by French-Algerian actor Tahar Rahim (The Mauritanian), who spent six months learning to replicate Aznavour's singing voice, and he grows into the role just as Aznavour grows into his career. His transformation begins when Piaf, who's taken a liking to him, suggests that he get a nose job. Even so, she remains unsure about his prospects as a stage performer, eventually deciding that his talents lie in writing songs rather than singing them. Cast as Piaf is Marie-Julie Baup, whose performance is wholly convincing while presenting a fascinating contrast with Cotillard's. Cotillard depicted the pathos in being Piaf. Baup is all about her dictatorial manner, her raucous sense of fun, and her pleasure in making mischief. In the end, she's too much for Aznavour, who strikes out on his own with his best friend and fellow musician Pierre Roche (Bastien Bouillon). The two cycle all over France, travelling from one gig to another and having a fine time with the women they meet. By now, Aznavour is married with a daughter but his faithlessness is the first of his betrayals on his way to the top. He finally abandons Roche, as well, because his agent persuades him that he'll do better going solo. It's a candid reading of his character, all the more impressive because the filmmakers discussed the script with Aznavour before he died. Loading The film is co-directed by Mehdi Idir and Fabien Marsaud, a slam poet and songwriter who took the stage name, Grand Corps Malade ('Tall, Sick Body') after a spinal injury left him having to walk with a stick. As a performer, he had the opportunity to sing with Aznavour, finding him happy to mentor young talent, an aspect of his personality which briefly shows up in the film as part of its attempt to cover everything. As a nod towards his experiences as a film star, we also get a quick glimpse of him on the set of Francois Truffaut's Shoot the Pianist. And at one point, a totally unbelievable Frank Sinatra passes through the action. It's all a bit choppy but all up, it looks and sounds great – a richly realised portrait of a man triumphantly in tune with his time.
The Age
07-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Age
French musical biopic delivers richly realised portrait of an icon
MONSIEUR AZNAVOUR ★★★½ M, 134 minutes. In cinemas MAY 8 Musical biopics have been enjoying a sporadic romance with the box office for a long time. It climaxed for the first time in 2005 with Walk the Line, the Johnny Cash story, and rose to an all-time high with Rami Malek's turn as Freddie Mercury in Bohemian Rhapsody (2018). The French weighed in with La Vie en Rose (2019) with Marion Cotillard pouring herself into Edith Piaf's tiny frame. Now we have Monsieur Aznavour, which tackles the life of Piaf's friend and protege, Charles Aznavour. These days, most biopics take a discrete approach, concentrating on the highlights and, more frequently, the lowlights of a long, and preferably, turbulent career, but this one makes a valiant effort to cram it all in. We begin in Aznavour's Paris childhood as the cosseted son of a close, music-loving family of Armenian refugees and end with him in his 90s, still holding the crowds in his thrall. He's played by French-Algerian actor Tahar Rahim (The Mauritanian), who spent six months learning to replicate Aznavour's singing voice, and he grows into the role just as Aznavour grows into his career. His transformation begins when Piaf, who's taken a liking to him, suggests that he get a nose job. Even so, she remains unsure about his prospects as a stage performer, eventually deciding that his talents lie in writing songs rather than singing them. Cast as Piaf is Marie-Julie Baup, whose performance is wholly convincing while presenting a fascinating contrast with Cotillard's. Cotillard depicted the pathos in being Piaf. Baup is all about her dictatorial manner, her raucous sense of fun, and her pleasure in making mischief. In the end, she's too much for Aznavour, who strikes out on his own with his best friend and fellow musician Pierre Roche (Bastien Bouillon). The two cycle all over France, travelling from one gig to another and having a fine time with the women they meet. By now, Aznavour is married with a daughter but his faithlessness is the first of his betrayals on his way to the top. He finally abandons Roche, as well, because his agent persuades him that he'll do better going solo. It's a candid reading of his character, all the more impressive because the filmmakers discussed the script with Aznavour before he died. Loading The film is co-directed by Mehdi Idir and Fabien Marsaud, a slam poet and songwriter who took the stage name, Grand Corps Malade ('Tall, Sick Body') after a spinal injury left him having to walk with a stick. As a performer, he had the opportunity to sing with Aznavour, finding him happy to mentor young talent, an aspect of his personality which briefly shows up in the film as part of its attempt to cover everything. As a nod towards his experiences as a film star, we also get a quick glimpse of him on the set of Francois Truffaut's Shoot the Pianist. And at one point, a totally unbelievable Frank Sinatra passes through the action. It's all a bit choppy but all up, it looks and sounds great – a richly realised portrait of a man triumphantly in tune with his time.
Korea Herald
30-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Korea Herald
Hybe's profit-driven push draws backlash from fans, but powers K-pop's rise
Concert surge fuels K-pop powerhouse's biggest Q1 sales yet — up 39 percent from last year Hybe, the K-pop powerhouse behind BTS, Seventeen, TXT and Enhypen, reported its largest-ever first-quarter revenue Tuesday, but the achievement has reignited backlash from fans who say the company is overworking its artists. The agency posted sales of more than 500 billion won ($350.8 million) for the January–March period, marking a 39 percent increase from the same quarter last year. Of that, 322.5 billion won — about 64 percent — came from 'direct participation sales,' including albums, concerts and advertising. Hybe attributed its performance to a surge in the number of world and solo tours by its artists early in the year. 'Although album sales slightly declined year-on-year, the concert division generated 155.2 billion won — more than triple the figure from the same period last year — thanks to overwhelmingly positive responses to world tours,' the company said in a statement. The first quarter is typically a slow season in K-pop, as many artists rest after year-end promotions and prepare for new projects. But Hybe defied the trend by sending multiple acts on tour — a move that paid off. Among the most notable examples is BTS' J-Hope, who launched his first solo world tour, 'Hope on the Stage,' across Asia and the US in February — just four months after being discharged from military service in October. TXT also began its 'Act: Promise Ep. 2' world tour in March, performing across Europe and Asia. While exciting for the fans, the hurried pace also raises concerns about the toll on artists. Some idols have acknowledged the physical strain of their tight schedules. In June, Jin jokingly wrote on Weverse that he had only taken one day off since his discharge. Though his case isn't tied to Hybe's first-quarter results — he was discharged in June 2024 — it reflects the agency's unrelenting pace. He appeared at BTS' '2024 Festa' the day after discharge, meeting 4,000 fans at Jamsil Indoor Stadium in Seoul and has since released six solo tracks. TXT's Soobin struck a more serious note when, in September, he wrote that he was so exhausted he could barely eat. 'I'm so tired I almost passed out. I didn't even have the energy to swallow food, so I only ate half of it,' he posted on Weverse. Big Hit later announced Soobin's medical hiatus on November 19; he returned to activities in February just ahead of the group's tour. Enhypen's ongoing 'Walk the Line' world tour began just a month after its previous "Fate" world tour ended in September. The tour has proven to be physically demanding, with the group performing across Asia, North America, and Europe with minimal breaks. Between tour stops, the group is also slated to release and promote its 6th EP in June. Pop critic Cha Woo-jin said these demanding schedules reflect broader industry trends, not just K-pop. 'This isn't just a K-pop issue — it's an industry-wide challenge,' he said. 'Artists need visibility to maintain popularity, and that comes at a cost. From the artist's point of view, an agency that actively books performances is a good one — not just for money, but for exposure.' Cha acknowledged Hybe's focus on profit but said it has fueled K-pop's global success. 'Yes, Hybe is money-focused. But that's what got K-pop where it is.' He also noted that concerts alone are not the main cause of burnout — it is the additional obligations like livestreams and fan content. 'K-pop artists perform maybe 20 shows a year. Even on world tours, it's usually 10 to 30 cities. By contrast, Western artists often perform 100 shows per tour. K-pop tours could even expand further.' Music critic Lim Hee-yun agreed, emphasizing that world tours and merchandise are central to the K-pop business model. 'K-pop is a superstar-driven, fandom-based business,' Lim said. 'Big concerts, lightsticks, merchandise, and paid livestreams are all essential revenue streams. But these must be balanced with careful scheduling to avoid burnout.' He added that agencies must prioritize artists' physical and mental health, and protect their privacy. 'No matter how successful the business is, it shouldn't come at the cost of the artist's well-being.'
