August 22, 2022 - Music Observer

Jon Batiste Leaves Job as Bandleader

Music Observer Staff on August 22, 2022

Jon Batiste has exited The Late Show with Stephen Colbert on CBS after taking the job as the show’s bandleader for seven seasons.

Furthermore, Louis Cato received the position that Baptiste left – he now permanently holds the bandleader job from being an interim.

“We’ve been so lucky to have a front row seat to Jon’s incredible talent for the past seven years,” said Stephen Colbert in an episode. “And will we miss him here? ‘Yeah!’ But we’re happy for you, Jon, and I can’t wait to have you back on as guest with your next hit record.”

Earlier this year, Baptiste won the 2022 Grammy Award for Album of the Year for the album We Are.

Among his contenders are several leading industry musicians including Kanye West, Billie Eilish, Taylor Swift, Olivia Rodrigo, Lil Nas X, Doja Cat, Tony Bennett, Lady Gaga, H.E.R. and Justin Beiber.

He was also the most nominated musician at this year’s Grammy Awards.

“It has been one of the great honors of my life to work on this show alongside some of the most talented musicians and creatives I know,” stated Cato.

“Watching and learning from both Jon and Stephen for these past seven years, I’m genuinely excited to continue the tradition of excellence they’ve established.”

Ahead of Baptiste’s departure, St. Vincent, James Taylor and Joe Walsh were guest musicians on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. Each artist performed with the show’s house band, Stay Human.

Jon Batiste: A Prominent Musician

Jon Batiste has many roles: singer, songwriter, musician, bandleader, and television personality.

He has teamed up with countless artists from different music genres, including Stevie Wonder, Prince, Willie Nelson, Lenny Kravitz, Ed Sheeran, Roy Hargrove, and Mavis Staples.

In addition, Batiste has dropped his recordings and performed in over 40 nations. Furthermore, he has toured with his band, Stay Human, constantly.

The 35-year-old artist has also music directed The Atlantic and served as creative director of the National Museum in Harlem.

In 2020, he contributed to the tracklist of Pixar’s Soul, for which he secured an Academy Award, a Golden Globe Award, a Grammy Award, and a BAFTA Film Award.

Amy Winehouse Biopic will Finally be Produced

Music Observer Staff on August 22, 2022

Amy Winehouse’s life story may finally be told in a new biopic, according to reports from Deadline and Variety.

The biopic, titled Back to Black, will have Sam Taylor-Johnson, who is famous for her work on Nowhere Boy and Fifty Shades of Grey, as director and Matt Greenhalgh as the writer. Studiocanal, Alison Owen, Debra Hayward, and Tracey Seaward as producers.

It was reported that Back to Black has the backing of the singer’s father, Mitchell Winehouse, and the Amy Winehouse Estate.

Amy Winehouse’s death in 2011 was a huge loss for the music world. It also created a documentary by Asif Kapadia that detailed her life and career, called Amy. This film did well as it received an Academy Awards for Best Documentary Feature Film. However, it snagged an Oscar for Best Documentary Feature Film.

After the success of Amy, rumors circulated that Irish director Kristen Sheridan would write and helm a Winehouse biopic featuring Noomi Rapace in 2015. But the Sheridan project did not make it through.

Reports say that in 2018, producer/writers Alison Owen and Debra Hayward will be working on a biopic about Amy Winehouse. They have Geoff Deane lined up to write the script for them which is expected to go through full Hollywood production protocol with supervision from her family members as well.

The latest biopic should not be demented with the documentary Amy Winehouse – Back to Black, a film about the production of the Back to Black album.

Amanda Seyfried Felt Pressured in Early Career

Music Observer Staff on August 22, 2022

Given the chance, Amanda Seyfried would like to make some changes to her early career in Hollywood.

The 36-year-old actress began her acting career in her teens in the late 1990s, playing roles in soap operas like As the World Turns and All My Children before her 2004 debut in Mean Girls as Karen Smith.

Though she started out pretty unscathed from the pre-#MeToo era, Seyfried reflected on some troubling situations, revealing some in an interview with Porter for a cover story released Monday.

“Being 19, walking around without my underwear on – like, are you kidding me?” Seyfried stated. “How did I let that happen?”

Following a “mock consideration,” the actress stated, “Oh, I know why: I was 19, and I didn’t want to upset anybody, and I wanted to keep my job. That’s why.”

Earlier this year, Seyfried made a similar interpretation of uncomfortable experiences after the Mean Girls’ success, saying in an interview with Marie Claire that she was “grossed out” by male fans, quoting a statement from Karen Smith on weather prediction with her breasts.

“I was like 18 years old,” Seyfried said. “It was just gross.”

In her interview with Porter, she also reflected on losing the role of Glinda in the upcoming film adaptation of John M. Chu’s Wicked. However, the role was eventually relinquished to Ariana Grande.

“It was devastating, and it wasn’t for any other reason than I really felt like it was right,” Seyfried stated. But, she continued, “That doesn’t take away from my confidence at all.”

Amanda Seyfried Shows and Awards

Seyfried has appeared in numerous other movies like 2008’s Mamma Mia! and its sequel, 2018’s Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again, 2009’s Jennifer’s Body, 2010’s Dear John and Letters to Juliet, 2011’s Red Riding Hood and In Time, 2012’s Les Miserables, 2014’s A Million Ways to Die in the West, 2015’s Ted 2, and 2017’s First Reformed.

Critics have praised her for her role as Marion Davies in 2020’s Mank, a David Fincher biopic, securing nominations for the Academy Award and Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress.

These successful feedbacks continued in 2022’s The Dropout, in which she portrayed Elizabeth Holmes and secured her a nomination for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie for the Primetime Emmy Award.

In 2022, Time Magazine dubbed her one of the 100 most influential people in the world.

Know More About the Addams Family from “Wednesday”

Music Observer Staff on August 22, 2022

Catherine Zeta-Jones and Luis Guzman will star as the characters of Morticia and Gomez Addams in Netflix’s approaching show, Wednesday.

Jenna Ortega stars as Wednesday and Isaac Ordonez stars as her brother Pugsley. In a recent issue of Vanity Fair, they exclusively shared a sneak peek of the Addams brood and all its gothic glory.

The first four of the eight episodes are directed by filmmaker Tim Burton. He will also executive produce the series from creators Miles Millar and Alfred Gough. It will be his television debut.

Referred to as a “sleuthing, supernaturally infused mystery,” the show chronicles the life of Wednesdays at Nevermore Academy, a boarding school for children viewed as different by society.

As per the synopsis, the teen “attempts to master her emerging psychic ability, thwart a monstrous killing spree that has terrorized the local town and solve the supernatural mystery that embroiled her parents 25 years ago – all while navigating her new and very tangled relationships at Nevermore.”

“We’ve never seen her as a teenage girl,” Ortega said in an interview with EW regarding the people’s favorite.

“It’s funny and sweet and almost charming to hear this 8-year-old’s obsession with murder and blood and guts. As she gets older, that nasty attitude or [those] biting remarks, it’s almost kind of hard not to make it sound like every other teenage girl…

“I’ve never had the opportunity to play an iconic character before. I know she’s well-loved and well-respected, and I just don’t want to mess her up.”

Addams Family: An Introduction

In an interview with VF, Gough said Burton envisioned the creative aesthetic to radiate more of the Charles Addams cartoons, “which is Gomez shorter than Morticia, versus the kind of suave Raul Julia version in the movies.”

As for Guzman, he said, “He’s also incredibly debonair and romantic, and I think he has all those classic ingredients of the Gomez that we’ve seen come before, but he brings something also very different.”

Millar added, “That’s something that was very important to the show – that it didn’t feel like a remake or a reboot.”

Millar then describes how the film ought to be for the viewers.

“It’s something that lives within the Venn diagram of what happened before, but it’s its own thing. It’s not trying to be the movies or the ’60s TV show. That was very important to us and very important to Tim.”

Referring to the greatest character omission in the family portrait, Gough and Millar didn’t disclose much detail about Uncle Fester. The two didn’t even reveal which actor was notified to portray him.

“We have no comment on Uncle Fester,” Gough said. “Just watch the show.”

Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck Walks the Aisle Once Again

Music Observer Staff on August 22, 2022

Although they were officially Mr. and Mrs. Affleck at the Las Vegas “super mall” in July, Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck didn’t stop there as they celebrated their love again.

On Saturday, the newly married couple threw a big party for their friends and family at the Affleck estate in Georgia on Saturday, according to PEOPLE reports.

The couple’s children from previous marriages – Lopez and Marc Anthony’s twins 14-year-olds Max and Emme, and Affleck and Jennifer Garner’s 16-year-old Violet, 13-year-old Seraphina, and 10-year-old Samuel – were all present at the ceremony, which saw the couple walk down the aisle for the second time.

The guest list was star-studded, with Affleck’s long-standing buddy and collaborator Matt Damon, Kevin Smith, and Jason Mewes (a mini Clerks reunion), among others.

The second time Bennifer got married was officiated by life coach, motivational speaker and podcast host Jay Shetty.

Lopez and the former monk began their friendship after appearing on an episode of Coach Conversations, a YouTube series, according to Page Six. Shetty was also the officer who married four couples in February as part of Peacock’s promotion for Marry Me, a romantic comedy starring Lopez and Owen Wilson.

Shetty, who was the producer of the best performing Facebook video of 2018, is the anchor of the podcast On Purpose with Jay Shetty, with Lopez as a guest. Additionally, the motivational speaker, who was also credited as the bestselling author of Think Like a Monk in 2020, had led the wedding of Lily Collins and director Charlie McDowell.

Mr. and Mrs. Affleck: The Love Story

For the sake of those who haven’t known the Bennifer love story, the pair knew each other from filming the 2001 rom-com flop Gilgi and revealed their engagement a year after.

However, in 2003, reports circulated that Lopez and Affleck would cancel their supposed wedding at the Neverland ranch owned by Michael Jackson. And the rumors ended up being true, they broke up in 2004 without the marriage knot.

49-year-old Affleck and 53-year-old Lopez got together again in May 2021, and this time, Bennifer 2.0 sailed the ship of marriage. The superstar confirmed that the ceremony indeed happened in her famed newsletter, On the JLo, revealing pictures and details from the day.

According to Lopez, she donned the dress from one of her films, while Affleck wore a jacket from his closet, exchanging their vows before Lopez’s two children and Affleck’s three.

“Stick around long enough and maybe you’ll find the best moment of your life in a drive-through in Las Vegas at 12:30 in the morning in the tunnel of love drive-through, with your kids and the one you’ll spend forever with,” Lopez said.

“Love is a great thing, maybe the best things – and worth waiting for.”

She concluded her vow with her new complete name: “Mrs. Jennifer Lynn Affleck.”

Award-winning actor Affleck talked about the buzz after his first walk down the aisle with Lopez in a cover story for EW in February, sharing to longtime pal Matt Damon that it changed his career.

“If the reaction to Gigli hadn’t happened, I probably wouldn’t have ultimately decided, ‘I don’t really have any other avenue but to direct movies,’ which has turned out to be the real love of my professional life,” he told Damon.

“So, in those ways, it’s a gift. And I did get to meet Jennifer, the relationship with whom has been really meaningful to me in my life.”

The marriage is the fourth one for Lopez and the second for Affleck.

Michelle Branch Wants Legal Separation from Husband Patrick Carney

Music Observer Staff on August 22, 2022

Michelle Branch is setting herself free from the knot of marriage.

On Friday, the musician filed for divorce from her husband, Black Keys drummer Patrick Carney.

In the document, Branch referred to irreconcilable differences as the reason for the separation, and the filing said, “the parties are no longer capable of resuming their marital relationship and living together as husband and wife.”

A day after announcing her separation from her husband of three years, rumors of his infidelity and an alleged domestic dispute between the two, Branch decided to divorce Carney.

In the divorce papers, Branch requested to be the primary residential parent for son Rhys James and daughter Willie Jacquet, and “reasonable parenting time privileges” for carney while he provides child support.

“To say that I am totally devastated doesn’t even come close to describing how I feel for myself and for my family,” Branch stated at the time, after her posting on Twitter and deleting allegations of Carney’s cheating.

“The rug has been completely pulled from underneath me, and now I must figure out how to move forward. With such small children, I ask for privacy and kindness.”

Branch Assaults Carney, Gets Arrested

Branch was taken into custody on August 11 and charged with domestic assault. Per an arrest affidavit, police were summoned to their home at 2 a.m. for a domestic disturbance.

The singer told the authorities she and her husband were discussing marital matters and confessed to slapping Carney in the face “one to two times,” said the document. Carney, however, did not have any visible wounds.

Branch was freed on a $1000 bond, and her court date has been scheduled for November 7.

Carney and Branch tied the knot in April 2019. The latter has a daughter, 17-year-old Owen Isabelle, from a previous marriage, while the pair have two children, Rhys James, 4, and Willie Jacquet, born in February.

Having their family has not been a barrier to Branch and Carney’s music careers.

In May, The Black Keys dropped Dropout Boogie – their eleventh album, while Branch is set to release her next record, The Trouble with Fever, on September 16. The first single in that album, “I’m a Man,” is now out.

Adele Reveals Reason Behind Residency Postponement

Music Observer Staff on August 22, 2022

Adele shared the reason for postponing her Las Vegas residency, revealing to Elle several reasons why she pulled out at the last minute.

“There was just no soul in it. The stage setup wasn’t right. It was very disconnected from me and my band, and it lacked intimacy,” she said in an interview with Emma Carmichael for the magazine. (The interview is titled “The Glorious Age of Adele” at Elle.)

Adele revealed the postponement to January 20, just one day before the date of her Colosseum residency at Caesars Palace, which is said to be the kickstarter.

She partnered with entertainment architecture firm Stufish to upgrade her Vegas stage to match her vision after the company arranged a glittery backdrop for her BRIT Awards performance in February.

In an interview with Elle, the artist said her new stage plan is based in part on the shape of the mantelpiece around the fireplace in her London home.

In July, Adele announced that the schedule for her residency had been postponed, extending from mid-November until March 2023.

Over the summer, Adele spent two nights at London’s Hyde Park, her first public appearance since 2017. She released her fourth album, 30, last November and then unveiled her Las Vegas residency.

Adele Takes the World by Storm

Adele signed a record deal with XL Recordings in 2006, right after graduating from the BRIT School with a major in arts.

Her debut album, 19, was then released in 2008 and hatched the UK top-five songs “Chasing Pavements” and “Make You Feel My Love.” The album was 8x platinum in the UK and triple platinum in the US.

Adele was given the Brit Award for Rising Star and Grammy Award for Best New Artist.

The singer dropped 21, her second studio album, in 2011. The album set records for the world’s best-selling album of the 21st century, selling more than 31 million copies. Additionally, it gained a certified 17x platinum in the UK – the all-time highest by a solo artist, and Diamond in the US.

Since then, Adele has taken the world by storm with her talent.

Beth Orton Reveals Tour in North America

Music Observer Staff on August 22, 2022

Beth Orton has released another song from her upcoming album Weather Alive, titled “Friday Night.”

Orton has also announced a North American tour. The road trip starts in Washington, D.C., in November and is set to end in Vancouver, British Columbia, later that month.

The musician discusses “Friday Night,” featuring Shazad Ismaily – a multi-instrumentalist, in a press release, saying what the song implies to the audience and what it means for her.

“’Friday Night’ is someone reflecting on and trying to decide what to give up or what to surrender to. Passion or ambivalence? Whether to ‘bleed or rust in the rain.’ Most of us are struggling to make sense of where to put the love we have for those that are lost to us, let alone the ones that remain,” she said.

“Sometimes there is no right answer except to find the wisdom in the spaces between the endings and beginnings, in the remembrance of things past or in search of lost time, there are always repercussions to the choices we make. We are listening to the internal dialogue of someone living it out, what is futile and what is worth fighting for, and trying to do little damage along the way.”

Orton then shared how Friday night is a night that serves as hope for the whole week, something that people look forward to.

“Friday night being the night that makes the week more bearable, there is hope. Coming to realize what is real and what is out of reach can be unbelievably painful; waking up to the love that remains can be the greatest gift and the most beautiful surprise,” she continued.

“Even in absence, there is presence; there is no escape but to look for where the love is still alive within us.”

Weather Alive drops on September 23 via Partisan. So far, Orton has released “Forever Young” and the title track from the record.

The album was self-produced by Orton, tapping in drummer Tom Skinner, bassist Tom Herbert, and many more for the recordings.

Beth Orton Tour Schedule

Beth Orton:

08-19 Devon, England – Beautiful Days Festival

08-21 Bangor County Down, Ireland – Open House Festival

10-07 Birmingham, England – Academy 2

10-08 Brighton, England – St. Bartholomew’s Church

10-09 London, England – Koko

10-10 Norwich, England – Arts Centre

10-12 Bristol, England – St. George’s

10-13 Glasgow, Scotland – Classic Grand

10-15 Manchester, England – RCMN Concert Hall

10-16 Leeds, England – Brudenell Social Club

11-01 Washington, D.C. – Sixth & I

11-02 Philadelphia, PA – World Café Live

11-03 Montclair, NJ – First Congregational Church

11-05 New York, NY – Bowery Ballroom

11-06 Somerville, MA – Crystal Ballroom

11-07 Montreal, Quebec – Le Studio TD

11-08 Toronto, Ontario – The Great Hall

11-10 Chicago, IL – The Mayfield

11-12 Saint Paul, MN – The Cedar

11-14 Denver, CO – Oriental Theater

11-16 Phoenix, AZ – Musical Instrument Museum

11-17 Los Angeles, CA – Teragram Ballroom

11-18 San Francisco, CA – Bimbo’s

11-20 Portland, OR – Mississippi Studios

11-21 Seattle, WA – Neptune Theatre

11-22 Vancouver, British Columbia – Hollywood Theater

Bruce Willis Plays Harmonica Amid Health Issues

Music Observer Staff on August 22, 2022

Bruce Willis spends his time going along with his love of music after being diagnosed with aphasia.

The star showcased his harmonica skills during a “jam session” with dear friend Derek Richard Thomas, who sang a song while playing guitar.

The actor’s wife, Emma Heming Willis, posted a clip of the passionate collaboration on Instagram, which was heartening news for Willis.

“Their talent is speaking for itself. I’ll just leave this here @derekrichardthomas #jamsession,” Heming Willis wrote on the post showing the black and white footage of the two.

Willis has always been inclined to music. He dropped his debut record, titled The Return of Bruno, in 1987 under the name Bruno Randolini – his alter ego. And then, he delivered If It Don’t Kill You, Just Makes You Stronger and Classic Bruce Willis.

The actor’s 1991 Hudson Hawk was a complete flop but became a musical masterpiece for him.

The video was made after Willis was forced to retire from acting in March after discovering he had aphasia, a cognitive impairment that affects a person’s ability to communicate.

“This is a really challenging time for our family, and we are so appreciative of your continued love, compassion, and support,” his family – not including his ex-wife Demi Moore and their daughters Rumer, Scout, and Tallulah – said in a joint statement.

The statement further said, “We are moving through this as a strong family unit and wanted to bring his fans in because we know how much he means to you, as you do to him.”

A month ago, Heming uploaded funny footage of Willis returning to the iconic Fox Plaza building, featured on Die Hard for the film’s 34th anniversary. A video on her Instagram shows her husband interspersing the film’s video as a “Ode of Joy” – Tabernacle Choir’s version of Beethoven – played in the background.

Bruce Willis Shows and Films

Bruce Willis’ career started in the 1970s on the off-Broadway stage. He gained traction after portraying a lead role in the drama series Moonlighting and appeared in countless films. He began catching the public’s attention when he played John McClane in the Die Hard franchise.

Other films associated with Willis are 1991’s The Last Boy Scout, 1992’s Death Becomes Her, 1994’s Pulp Fiction, 1995’s 12 Monkeys, 1997’s The Fifth Element, 1998’s Armageddon, 1999’s The Sixth Sense, 2000’s Unbreakable, 2005’s Sin City, 2012’s Moonrise Kingdom, and 2012’s Looper.

The Weeknd Appears in HBO Max’s The Idol Alongside Many Huge Personalities

Music Observer Staff on August 22, 2022

The Weeknd has revealed a new teaser for The Idol, his own forthcoming HBO Max series.

The show – with “gutters of Hollywood” as the setting, according to the clip – follows the story of a pop singer (Lily-Rose Depp) where she becomes romantically tied to a club owner in Los Angeles, who turns out to be a cult leader.

The series features Abel Tesfaye – who also serves as producer and co-writer of the series.

A release date has not been confirmed by the trailer. However, it does share a whole new list of cast members, such as Moses Sumney, Jennie of Blackpink – a K-pop girl group, Mike Dean, Dan Levy, Rachel Sennott, Hank Azaria, Hari Nef, among others.

On Saturday, the new clip was released at the Las Vegas concert of The Weeknd, as per reports from Stereogum.

The Idol was first teased last summer. Tesfaye serves as the series’ co-creator with producing partner Reza Fahim, while producer Joseph Epstein serves as co-writer of the script alongside the musician. Euphoria filmmaker Sam Levinson co-executive produced the show with Ashley Levinson, Kevin Turen, and Aaron L. Gilbert.

HBO revealed last fall that Troye Sivan, Anne Heche, Suzanna Son, Steve Zissis, Melanie Liburd, Elizabeth Berkley Lauren, Nico Hiraga, and TV on the Radio’s Tunde Adebimpe would be featured in the series alongside Depp and Tesfaye.

Other cast members were shown in the first trailer.

The Weeknd is on Tour

The Weeknd is now hitting the road for his tour in North America this year, backing his newest album Dawn FM.

Here is The Weeknd’s tour schedule below.

The Weeknd:

07-09 Toronto, Ontario – Rogers Centre

07-14 Philadelphia, PA – Lincoln Financial Field

07-16 New York, NY – Metlife Stadium

07-21 Boston, MA – Gillette Stadium

07-24 Chicago, IL – Soldier Field

07-30 Washington, D.C. – FedExField

08-04 Tampa, FL – Raymond James Stadium

08-06 Miami, FL – Hard Rock Stadium

08-11 Atlanta, GA – Mercedes-Benz Stadium

08-14 Arlington, TX – AT&T Stadium

08-18 Denver, CO – Empower Field at Mile High

08-20 Las Vegas, NV – Allegiant Stadium

08-23 Vancouver, British Columbia – BC Place

08-25 Seattle, WA – Lumen Field

08-27 San Francisco, CA – Levi’s Stadium

08-30 Phoenix, AZ – State Farm Stadium

09-02 Los Angeles, CA – SoFi Stadium