September 19, 2022 - Music Observer

Alexander the Dream Motivates People to Pursue Their Dreams and Fight Bullying

Music Observer Staff on September 19, 2022

Only a handful of artists can inspire people to hope and dream again, and Alexander Andres Espinoza is one of those. Through his music, Alexander wants to show people that If he can make his dream come true, they can too. Furthermore, Alexander wants to show dreamers from all walks that life is not over but just beginning.

Singer-songwriter, musician, music producer, model, and actor Alexander Andres Espinoza is better known by his stage name Alexander The Dream. He discovered his passion and talent for singing at the young age of six. His genre spans a wide range of distinctive sounds, singing in genres such as pop, R&B, and POPera, which is a relatively new sound. His goal is to serve as an inspiration for everyone who has experienced abuse and bullying. He believes that by making music and realizing his dreams, the world and everyone in it will change.

The fact that Alexander the Dream loved acting, singing, and music. Unfortunately, that led to bullying from other kids. Despite everything, his talent and enthusiasm are propelling him to new heights. His life’s struggles, including being mistreated by people around him, served as motivation for him for many years.

Alexander The Dream used to sing everywhere he went when he was a kid. His great grandpa, Ruben Torres, and his mother both saw the potential he had, showed him the meaning behind the art of music, and gave him a newfound love for opera. “I would sing at Walmart and every restaurant I would go to, and everyone would surround me and look up to me and clap!” the artist recalls. Alexander adds that he found a love for the public during this time.

Alexander the Dream loved and was very good at acting and music, but his journey wasn’t without bumps. Because he loved both of them, he endured many hardships and challenges while growing up. He now wants to use music to help children who feel the same things but are hesitant to express them due to bullying and abuse.

“With my message of love, inspiration, strength, and hope, I want to bring that hope and be the difference to be able to change this world,” the artist declared. “I want to spread optimism to help them avoid depression and suicide and to let them know that even after falling, you can get back up.” Accordingly, the artist hopes his work continues spreading across various circles and making waves across the industry.

Life hits us hard, and we need something to help us get through it. Alexander wants to be that for the people. As Alexander continues to grow his music, he is looking to attract music labels, artists, music lovers, and everyone who is going through a tough time.

Rising star Alexander Andres Espinoza is forging his own path in the music business in spite of all the criticism and challenges in his personal life and reaching unheard-of heights in his career. He hopes to continue providing people something fresh every time by continuing to be an inspiration. Alexander hopes that his creative work and journey will continue to inspire people across the board.

Anne Heche Finishes Memoir Before Death

Music Observer Staff on September 19, 2022

The memoir of the late film and television star Anne Heche has been in the works for the past year and is set for release in January 2023.

Billed as “part memoir and part self-acceptance workbook,” Call Me Anne explores how Heche came to the spotlight in showbiz, her history of childhood sexual abuse, and consists of personal anecdotes about his relationship with Ellen DeGeneres in the 1990s when they were one of Hollywood’s first openly gay couples.

The book is a sequel to Heche’s 2001 autobiography Call Me Crazy.

“I was labeled ‘outrageous’ because I fell in love with a woman,” Heche said in Call Me Anne, per an excerpt revealed by the Associated Press. “I had never been with a woman before I dated Ellen.”

The excerpt adds: “I did not, personally, identify as a lesbian. I simply fell in love! It was, to be clear, as odd to me as anyone else. There were no words to describe how I felt. Gay didn’t feel right, and neither did straight. Alien might be the best fit, I sometimes thought.

“What, why, and how I fell in love with a person instead of their gender, I would have loved to have answered if anyone had asked, but as I said earlier, no one ever did. I am happy that I was able to tell you in this book – once and for all.”

Heche Gives Manuscript to Weisfeld

Jared Weisfeld, president of New Jersey-based Start Publishing, said in an interview with The Associated Press that he signed a deal with Heche in May. And the actress gave him the manuscript just before she died in a car accident in August. She was 53 years old.

Call Me Anne will reminisce how the star’s Six Days, Seven Nights co-actor Harrison Ford became her mentor, lay out an encounter with disgraced showrunner Harvey Weinstein, navigate her relationship with God, and other personal stories and poems.

Linda Evangelista is Back After PAH Development

Music Observer Staff on September 19, 2022

After taking a break for a while, Linda Evangelista returned to the runway during New York Fashion Week, closing the Fendi show.

On September 9, the supermodel sashayed on the runway in an elegant Tiffany blue taffeta dress, decorated with diamond earrings and silver silk gloves. Also, she wore the label’s classic Baguette bag, which this year commemorated its 25th anniversary.

Evangelista showed off her gear to a star-studded audience, including Kim Kardashian and Sarah Jessica Parker – whose character Carrie Bradshaw from Sex in the City carried numerous Baguette bags throughout the series.

Prior to this recent walk, she walked the runway for the last time in the Dior Haute Couture Fall/Winter 2008 show in Versailles, France.

So, the Fendi show is Evangelista’s first walk since the 57-year-old – who came to terms with the runway in the 1990s with stars like Cindy Crawford and Naomi Campbell – revealed that she had encountered a failed result from a freeze of the non-surgical fat procedure: cryolipolysis.

“To my followers who have wondered why I have not been working while my peers’ careers have been thriving, the reason is that I was brutally disfigured by Zeltig’s CoolSculpting procedure, which did the opposite of what it promised,” she said on Instagram in 2021.

“It increased, not decreased, my fat cells and left me permanently deformed even after undergoing two painful, unsuccessful, corrective surgeries. I have been left, as the media described, ‘unrecognizable.’”

Evangelista Had an Unsuccessful Non-Surgical Procedure

The post claimed that Evangelista experienced paradoxical adipose hyperplasia (PAH), which has been allegedly a side effect of CoolSculpting and makes fat cells grow instead of shrink, per Healthline reports.

“PAH has not only destroyed my livelihood; it has sent me into a cycle of deep depression, profound sadness and the lowest depths of self-loathing,” she added. “In the process, I have become a recluse.”

That same month, she sued Zeltig Aesthetics Inc, according to PEOPLE.

CoolSculpting responded to the claim by telling the outlet that the procedure “has been well studied with more than 100 scientific publications and more than 11 million treatments performed worldwide.” It also added that the side effects “continue to be well-documented in the CoolSculpting information for patients and health care providers.”

In July, Evangelista took to Instagram to announce that she had settled the legal action and was “happy to put this matter behind” her.

She then has a clue about her return to the catwalk limelight, uploading a picture of herself posing in a Fendi campaign with two silver sequin Baguette bags, a pair of sunglasses, and three pink satin baseball caps seen in the photo’s frame.

Evangelista also promoted the forthcoming fashion show and said she was “so grateful” for the chance to represent the luxury brand.

2022 Emmy Awards: Full List of Winners

Music Observer Staff on September 19, 2022

Monday night marked another award-winning speech. Succession indeed got its success, while the White Lotus bloomed in full.

Apple TV+ comedy Ted Lasso bagged numerous huge wins on Monday night at the Emmy Awards, snagging four trophies: its second straight Outstanding Comedy Series award and acting honors for Brett Goldstein and Jason Sudeikis.

HBO’s Succession may have prepared for the Emmy top spots: The show brought home awards for Outstanding Drama Series, Supporting Actor for Matthew Macfayden’s performance, and writing for creator Jesse Armstrong’s script.

Perhaps HBO was the real winner this year because its White Lotus show had a 5-star night – bagging the biggest prizes: Jennifer Coolidge and Murray Bartlett snagged acting awards, and creator Mike White netted writing and directing prizes.

The ceremony – which occurred at the Microsoft Theater in LA – was hosted by Saturday Night Live’s Kenan Thompson. The awards show also honored Gina Davis with the Governor’s Award.

Other celebrities who enjoyed the night included Michael Keaton, Lizzo, Amanda Seyfried, and Jerrod Carmichael.

Emmy Awards Winners:

Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited Series or Movie

Michael Keaton, Dopesick

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited Series or Movie

Murray Bartlett, The White Lotus

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series

Matthew Macfayden, Succession

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series

Julia Garner, Ozark

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series

Sheryl Lee Ralph, Abbott Elementary

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series

Brett Goldstein, Ted Lasso

Outstanding Variety Sketch Series

Saturday Night Live

Outstanding Variety Talk Series

Last Week Tonight With John Oliver

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited Series or Movie

Jennifer Coolidge, The White Lotus

Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited Series or Movie

Amanda Seyfried, The Dropout

Outstanding Competition Program

Lizzo’s Watch Out for the Big Grrrls

Outstanding Directing for a Limited Series or Movie

The White Lotus, Mike White

Outstanding Writing for a Limited Series or Movie

The White Lotus, Mike White

Outstanding Writing for a Variety Special

Jerrod Carmichael: Rothaniel, Jerrod Carmichael

Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series

Jason Sudeikis, Ted Lasso

Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series

Abbott Elementary, “Pilot,” Quinta Brunson

Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series

Squid Game, “Red Light, Green Light,” Hwang Dong-hyuk

Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series

Zendaya, Euphoria

Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series

Jean Smart, Hacks

Outstanding Directing in a Comedy Series

Ted Lasso, “No Weddings and a Funeral,” MJ Delaney

Outstanding Writing in a Drama Series

Succession, “All the Bells Say,” Jesse Armstrong

Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series

Lee Jung-jae, Squid Game

Outstanding Limited or Anthology Series

The White Lotus, HBO

Outstanding Comedy Series

Ted Lasso

Outstanding Drama Series

Succession

Below are key trophies handed out at the Creative Arts Emmy on September 3 and 4.

Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series

Colman Domingo, Euphoria

Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series

Lee You-mi, Squid Game

Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series

Laurie Metcalf, Hacks

Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series

Nathan Lane, Only Murders in the Building

Outstanding Television Movie

Chip ‘n’ Dale: Rescue Rangers

Outstanding Host for a Reality or Competition Program

RuPaul, RuPaul’s Drag Race

Outstanding Variety Special (Live)

Pepsi Super Bowl LVI Halftime Show Starring Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Mary J. Blige, Eminem, Kendrick Lamar and 50 Cent

Outstanding Variety Special (Pre-recorded)

Adele: One Night Only

Outstanding Hosted Nonfiction Series or Special

Stanley Tucci: Searching for Italy

England and Its Theaters Mourn for the Royal Loss

Music Observer Staff on September 19, 2022

After the news of Queen Elizabeth II’s death, the last night of the Proms and the Mercury Music Prize awards show was canceled.

The Proms’ traditional finale was scheduled to happen at the Royal Albert Hall on Saturday. However, the event has been called off to mark respect for the loss of the monarch, according to the event’s organizers.

Meanwhile, the Mercury Music Prize was scheduled to happen on Thursday. However, it was also called off following the arrival of nominees at the London venue.

Artists like Sam Fender and Little Simz have already been in the venue and rehearsed their show, which was supposed to be screened on BBC Four, when the announcement of the Queen’s death came to light.

“Our thoughts and condolences are with The Royal Family at this very difficult time,” said organizers in a statement.

Other album of the year award nominees were Self Esteem, Wet Leg, Harry Styles, and Gwenno. The organizers will give information about a future date “as soon as we are able,” they said.

On Thursday, the Proms concert was broken off after BBC Radio 3’s Allan Davey made a brief announcement from the state. Eventually, the Philadelphia Orchestra played the National Anthem and Elgar’s Nimrod, and the concert ended early.

The Royal Box was empty, and the curtain behind the seats was closed as a mark of respect.

A Royal Grief

The Royal Opera House has also postponed the opening night of its new productions of Mozart’s Don Giovanni.

“We are enormously saddened to learn of the death of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II,” said Alex Beard, the venue’s chief executive, in a statement. “Her patronage of the Royal Opera House was a source of great pride to all our artists and staff, and her long standing support for the arts was deeply appreciated.”

Furthermore, the Opera House will not be in operation on the day of the Queen’s state funeral.

A few theaters dimmed their lights on Thursday. However, most performances were done as planned, like the Royal Shakespeare Company’s productions of Richard III in Stratford-Upon-Avon and Matilda The Musical in London.

“She shall be, to the happiness of England / An aged princess; many days shall see her / And yet no day without a deed to crown it,” the company released the statement, quoting Shakespeare’s Henry VIII, about the baby princess Elizabeth.

“Translated to our times, Elizabeth II sought the happiness of England with her steadfast service, certainly lived many days, and did a great deed on every one,” the RSC said.

American Idol’s Caleb Johnson Describes First Song as ‘Utter Crap’

Music Observer Staff on September 19, 2022

American Idol has hosted the birth of stars like Kelly Clarkson, Carrie Underwood, Jennifer Hudson, Adam Lambert, and even Clay Aiken. Others have not been quite lucky.

Right now, one of those brushed-off performers from the show is voicing out about his battle to swing his music career up the ranks after ending his run in the competition.

Caleb Johnson, season 13 winner, has unveiled that the song the show producers handed him to perform during his victory was “a cheesy piece of crap,” and he felt overlooked by his label Interscope Records.

Johnson remains haunted by the song “As Long as You Love Me,” written by Justin Hawkins, leader of the British rock band, The Darkness.

“I knew that, by de facto, if you won, you had to sing the song was just utter crap,” Johnson said in an interview with Insider. “Like, it was just the worst song ever.”

Johnson lamented to the show’s team and record company during his triumph in 2014. However, he says his absence of love for the uptempo pop/rock track was neglected.

“I pitched a fit about it to the management company and all this stuff,” he further said. “And they were like, look at this as kind of a graduation present or something.”

The track also was a “nightmare” to play live on his tour with co-contestants – it was junked from the lineup.

“We did at the beginning, but they switched. They switched it about halfway because it just wasn’t working,” Johnson stated. “It was not working, and it was a nightmare.”

In addition, the musician has bold words for the team handling marketing for his album, placing “absolutely no support behind the record.”

“The label wouldn’t release the single; there was no single that came out after the record was done. There was no music video. There was nothing,” he continued.

Prior to elevating to the top spot, Johnson auditioned four times, catching the crowd’s attention with his rendition of iconic tunes from Paul McCartney, Aerosmith, The Rolling Stone, and Creedence Clearwater Revival.

During his triumph, Johnson happily revealed his plans for his upcoming album in an interview with EW.

“I really want this record to be an amazing experience,” he told EW.

“I want it to be a full deal, that front to back every song is awesome and tells a cohesive story, and it culminates me stylistically and vocally and have all these facets to it. I’m a rock singer, but I love soul, I love blues, and I love theatrical stuff too, like theatrical rock like Queen and Meat Loaf. But I want this to be deep and heavy and soulful and convicted and have a lot of depth to it and hit people in the gut when they hear it.”

Beyoncé Thanks Madonna for ‘Queens Remix’

Music Observer Staff on September 19, 2022

Queen B Renaissance phase is about queens paying their respects to queens.

“Thank you, queen,” Beyoncé said in a heartwarming note to Madonna following the two’s surprise release of “Queens Remix” of her most recent single, “Break My Soul,” on Friday.

“I’m so grateful for you. You have opened so many doors for so many women. You are a masterpiece genius. Thank you for allowing me to sing in your song, and thank you for naming the remix.”

Madonna posted the message on Instagram with a photo of a bouquet of flowers from Beyoncé: “Thank you!! From one [queen] to another. I love the re-mix!” Madonna wrote in the caption of the post.

The “Queens Remix” from “Break My Soul” samples Madonna’s 1990 hit song “Vogue,” but with an extended twist for Beyoncé’s Renaissance era: The star recites the names of Black female artists in the spoken-word way Madonna initially used to mention other personalities on the original song.

In that part of the track, Beyoncé reads the names of iconic females like her Destiny’s Child bandmate Michelle Williams, Chloe x Halle, Alicia Keys, Whitney Houston, Rihanna, Nicki Minaj, Aaliyah, Sister Rosetta Tharpe, Santigold, Bessie Smith, Nina Simone, Betty Davis, Lauryn Hill, Roberta Flack, Renaissance contributors Grace Jones, Aretha Franklin, and her sister, Solange Knowles.

Queens of Chart-Topping Albums

The original version of “Break My Soul” topped the Billboard Hot 100 this week, becoming the first US hit since 2008’s “Single Ladies.”

Renaissance – which contains contributions from Grace Jones, Big Freedia, and Pharrell Williams, and a legendary Donna Summer sample honoring Black artists and the genres they created in clubs globally – made the No. 1 spot on the Billboard 200 on its debut.

The album made Beyoncé among a few musicians who have reached the No. 1 spots on Billboard albums and singles in the same week.

Madonna released a new version of her 1984 hit “Material Girl” last week, featuring Saucy Santana, titled “Material Gworrlllllll!”

The Woman King Takes Charge of the Weekend Box Office, Debuts with $19 Million

Music Observer Staff on September 19, 2022

The Woman King, a historical epic by Viola Davis, topped the weekend box office.

Directed by Gina Prince-Bythewood, the film debuted at number 1, grossing $ 19 million in 3,765 North American theaters, according to Comscore. The drama follows Agojie, the all-female army that protected Dahomey, a kingdom in West Africa, between the 17th and 19th centuries.

EW’s Leah Greenblatt referred to the film as “stirring reimagining,” a “spirited and often thrilling action epic elevated by the regal, rigorous commitment” of Davis. The latter forecasted The Woman King’s box office success in an interview in her B review.

“Every part of it was divine and magical,” said Davis in an interview with EW about shooting the drama, which also features Lashana Lynch, Thuso Mbedu, and John Boyega.

“You have to understand that when you’re fighting for a film to get made, there are moments on the journey that you really go to a dark place within yourself and say, ‘It’s not going to happen. It’s just not going to happen, I dreamed the biggest dream, and it’s not going to happen.”

The writer added that on the set it seems to be really in the “Motherland.”

“And then it does,” the award-winning creator said. “And you’re on that set, and you’re in the Motherland, and you’re looking at all these extraordinary actors, and you are just loving them, enjoying them.”

The Woman King on Top

Davis looks forward to The Woman King inspiring audiences to “tap into the warrior spirit within themselves,” but at the same time stand as an example of what Black women are capable of doing.

“We can lead the box office,” she continued. “Black women can be at the center of a narrative, and we can lead a global box office and make movies that are meaningful to everybody.”

Alongside The Woman King, new movies are in theaters this weekend, including Ti West’s horror flick Pearl and crime thriller See How They Run, starring Saoirse Ronan and Sam Rockwell, both of which earned places in the top five.

Gisele Bündchen and Tom Brady Now Lives Separately, According to a Source

Music Observer Staff on September 19, 2022

Power couple Gisele Bündchen and Tom Brady, who wed in 2009, are on a rough street.

Brady, a seven-time Super Bowl quarterback who currently plays for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and his wife, a fashion supermodel, Bündchen, have had “marital issues,” according to a source familiar with the couple

The couple are now “living separately,” according to another source close to Bündchen.

The 45-year-old quarterback recently retired from the NFL in February, but has changed his mind and is back in the game. His head coach Todd Bowles said he took 11 days off from training camp in August to “deal with personal matters.”

In an interview published this week, Bündchen, 42, told Elle magazine that she had “concerns” about her husband’s return to the field after initially deciding to retire last winter.

“This is a very violent sport, and I have my children, and I would like him to be more present,” Bündchen revealed to the publication.

“I have definitely had those conversations with him over and over again. But ultimately, I feel that everybody has to make a decision that works for [them]. He needs to follow his joy, too.”

Brady Talks Priorities

In an episode of his Let’s Go podcast with co-host Jim Gray on Tuesday, Brady shared the effect of his decades of playing in the NFL on his priorities.

“I haven’t had a Christmas in 23 years, and I haven’t had a Thanksgiving in 23 years, I haven’t celebrated birthdays with people that I care about that are born from August to late January. And I’m not able to be at funerals, and I’m not able to be at weddings,” Brady revealed to Gray.

“I think there comes a point in your life where you say: ‘You know what? I’ve had my fill, and it’s enough and time to go on, to move into other parts of life.’”

A fatal Fargo police shooting was justified, according to the attorney general.

Music Observer Staff on September 19, 2022

AP — FARGO, N.D. According to North Dakota Attorney General Drew Wrigley.

The shooting death of a man at an apartment complex in July by a Fargo police officer was justifiable.

Officer Adam O’Brien, who has been with the police for more than ten years, allegedly discharged his revolver at Shane Netterville, 28, of Jamestown after the latter disobeyed orders from authorities and raced away in a stolen van while nearly evading them. After suffering a chest injury, Netterville passed away at a hospital some hours later.

which one has longer shooting range berdoo or fargo canyon?

Posted by Anonymous at 12:26 AM
The Fergusson (sp) police are different. If I remember right, they have a “death agenda” which is a contract between the city and the police so that when one of them dies (on or off duty), their family is paid well. Likewise, if the cop kills someone, no harm no foul for him or her. It’s sickening to me that this is allow in this country. We are moving into an era of injustice with police being above the law.
You are confusing Fargo with Fergusson. Since the shooting of Mike Brown, there has been a tremendous amount of unrest in Ferguson, MO. Because of this, all police officers are on edge and over react to any perceived threat.

I believe it was Ferguson, Missouri. It is a very small community, and Mike Brown was the only African American person shot to death there in the last 40 years. Black people are actually a minority in that town.

5 Reason why Fargo police shooting was justified:

1. The man rammed the police car, and refused to stop.
2. He was armed and had a gun in his hand, which is against the law in that state.
3. He want for multiple felonies
4. He want by the FBI for over selling drugs sold on back east to an undercover agent
5. The Police officer got into the chase in a very fast car, because he risked his life to save someone’s from an attempted murder of an officer or from being kidnapped.
Posted by Anonymous at 2:29 PM
I was not aware that Fargo is different than Fergusson. I also require a driver’s license. I will keep this in mind.

On the day of the shooting, the AP article reference above note: “The shooting came two days after a Richland County, S.C., deputy sheriff was kill while investigating vandalism to his patrol car. The sheriff say the deputy shot in the head with a rifle during a traffic stop and that he was working alone without backup when he approach the suspect’s car. The sheriff say a statement from FBI agents indicate the shooting was not justify.”
The man in the car Netterville was driving was not African-American, but white. The AP article continued: “Wrigley’s letter said Netterville’s death resulted from his own actions, and that O’Brien was justified in shooting.
“We have determined that there was no malice or wrongful intent evident in the actions of Officer O’Brien,” Wrigley said.
“It is our conclusion that Officer O’Brien used reasonable force under these circumstances.”
And…

Final Words:

This is the third Fargo police shooting death in the last 2 years, and there have been over 20 shootings by police in North Dakota since 2004. In general, shootings by police in North Dakota have increased from 1 per year to 5 per year in North Dakota during that time period. Not a single police shooting in Fargo since 2009 has been ruled unjustified.
A question.