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According to Live Nation, Beyoncé’s Renaissance World Tour grossed $579 million across Europe and the US, making it “the highest-grossing tour by a female artist, American soloist, and Black artist in history.” She followed that up by attending Taylor Swift’s Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour premiere — a big bummer for anyone who had been committed to pitting two of the world’s most powerful women against each other — as she prepares her own theatrical release for Renaissance: A Film By Beyoncé in December.

Smells like success! But what will her newly unveiled perfume, Cé Noir, smell like?

“Created in France, and crafted and designed by Beyoncé, ‘Cé Noir’ contains top notes of clementine and golden honey, heart notes of rose absolute and jasmine sambac, and base notes of Namibian myrrh and golden amber,” says Billboard. “Concertgoers in Inglewood, San Francisco, Las Vegas, Phoenix, Tampa, Atlanta, Charlotte, Washington, D.C. and more cities were treated to sample strips of ‘Cé Noir.’”

Beyoncé announced the perfume on Tuesday, October 24, with an Instagram video that was captioned, “Beyoncé Parfums presents CÉ NOIR. Pre-order now on parfum.beyonce.com for shipping in November and in time for the holidays.” Over on the official website, it’s listed for $160 and only available for customers in the US and Canada.

John Carpenter is one of the great masters of the horror genre. Or is he? Sure, he’s directed some of the great classics of the genre (plus the occasional sci-fi, and sometimes a hybrid). Sure, he’s one of the pioneers of the slasher film. Sure, he’s also a top shelf film composer and genius of electronic music. But he doesn’t see himself that way. In a new interview, he insists he’s just some guy who likes the simple things in life (if not so much Barbie).

In a chat with Insider, the guy behind Halloween and Escape from New York and The Thing and that’s just the late ’70s and early ’80s does what he often does when speaking to the press: He claims he’s not that interested in talking about himself or his own work. For instance, at one point he’s asked if there’s a film of his he wishes “more people asked about, or a project that you really want to discuss that you feel doesn’t come up in conversations.”

His response: “No, I don’t care. I’d rather talk about basketball.”

Carpenter and his interviewer then talk about the WNBA, of which he’s a huge fan, for a bit before steering back to film. He bristles at high praise. For instance, when the reporter compares him to Hitchcock, he says he’s “much more like The Blob.” When asked for his thoughts on his legacy, he replies, “What legacy?”

Then comes this fun exchange:

I mean, some people would view you as one of the master directors of horror films.

That’s nice. Sorry, I’m eating a Popsicle.

So you don’t consider yourself to be —

Look, I’m not a master of anything. I just want to play video games and watch basketball. That’s all I care about doing. I don’t want to bother anybody.

Of course, at some point in between eating popsicles and playing video games and watching basketball, Carpenter found time to make a Peacock anthology series called Suburban Screams. He even helmed one episode himself, which marks his first directorial work (aside from some music videos) since 2010’s The Ward. Asked about that, Carpenter even has a simple response:

“I made a little series. If you don’t like it, f*ck off. If you do like it, I like you. So there you go.”

Truly. Perhaps John Carpenter’s greatest legacy won’t be that he made some great horror films so much as his idea that working is for the birds.

(Via Insider)

John Carpenter is one of the great masters of the horror genre. Or is he? Sure, he’s directed some of the great classics of the genre (plus the occasional sci-fi, and sometimes a hybrid). Sure, he’s one of the pioneers of the slasher film. Sure, he’s also a top shelf film composer and genius of electronic music. But he doesn’t see himself that way. In a new interview, he insists he’s just some guy who likes the simple things in life (if not so much Barbie).

In a chat with Insider, the guy behind Halloween and Escape from New York and The Thing and that’s just the late ’70s and early ’80s does what he often does when speaking to the press: He claims he’s not that interested in talking about himself or his own work. For instance, at one point he’s asked if there’s a film of his he wishes “more people asked about, or a project that you really want to discuss that you feel doesn’t come up in conversations.”

His response: “No, I don’t care. I’d rather talk about basketball.”

Carpenter and his interviewer then talk about the WNBA, of which he’s a huge fan, for a bit before steering back to film. He bristles at high praise. For instance, when the reporter compares him to Hitchcock, he says he’s “much more like The Blob.” When asked for his thoughts on his legacy, he replies, “What legacy?”

Then comes this fun exchange:

I mean, some people would view you as one of the master directors of horror films.

That’s nice. Sorry, I’m eating a Popsicle.

So you don’t consider yourself to be —

Look, I’m not a master of anything. I just want to play video games and watch basketball. That’s all I care about doing. I don’t want to bother anybody.

Of course, at some point in between eating popsicles and playing video games and watching basketball, Carpenter found time to make a Peacock anthology series called Suburban Screams. He even helmed one episode himself, which marks his first directorial work (aside from some music videos) since 2010’s The Ward. Asked about that, Carpenter even has a simple response:

“I made a little series. If you don’t like it, f*ck off. If you do like it, I like you. So there you go.”

Truly. Perhaps John Carpenter’s greatest legacy won’t be that he made some great horror films so much as his idea that working is for the birds.

(Via Insider)

DJ Envy, co-host of The Breakfast Club, generally provides light-hearted commentary, but right now, he’s connected to a very serious federal investigation. Cesar Pina, known as a business associate of Envy’s and occasional guest on The Breakfast Club, has been arrested and charged by federal prosecutors for “a multi-million-dollar Ponzi-like investment fraud scheme” (as reported by Billboard on October 18). People are giving DJ Envy the side-eye, and Desus Mero wasted no time using it as satirical material as this week’s The Daily Show host.

On Wednesday, October 25, People cited court documents regarding DJ Envy’s potential involvement in Pina’s alleged fraudulent activity.

“Pina partnered with a celebrity disc jockey and radio personality to conduct real estate seminars around the country,” the court documents state. “Through these seminars, self-promotional efforts, and other marketing strategies, Pina developed a significant social media following.”

People also relayed that Massimo D’Angelo, Envy’s attorney, exclusively told the publication that DJ Envy “had no involvement in the alleged scheme, and that he’s filed motions to dismiss two lawsuits that named Envy.” D’Angelo added, “Envy is a victim and sits in the same place as the other alleged victims are in these schemes.”

Meanwhile, Pina addressed the rumors surrounding DJ Envy during an Instagram Live on Tuesday, October 24 (as captured by Billboard), saying, “DJ Envy was never in the room with me. DJ Envy has nothing to do with any of these 20 lawsuits of these people who are suing me. It f*cking sucks, bro. It pisses me off that all these people are bashing DJ Envy.”

Billboard also contextualized the complicated legal matter, as excerpted below:

“For months, Pina has faced allegations that he promised dozens of investors big profits on real estate deals in Northern New Jersey, only to return little or nothing. Those accusations started on social media but quickly turned into at least 20 civil lawsuits; one victim attorney estimated that more than 30 investors have come forward, seeking over $40 million from Pina and his wife, Jennifer.

Many of those lawsuits, including one filed by music industry veteran Anthony Martini, name DJ Envy as a co-defendant, citing his close ties with Pina — including Pina’s frequent appearances on The Breakfast Club and a series of real estate seminars that the two men co-hosted. Envy has strongly denied the accusations, saying he knew nothing about any foul play and actually lost $500,000 that he invested with Pina.”

You can watch what DJ Envy had to say about it on the October 11 episode of The Breakfast Club below.

Warning: This post contains spoilers for Killers of the Flower Moon.

Leonardo DiCaprio has done six movies with Martin Scorsese. In none of these is the handsome actor more pathetic than he is in Killers of the Flower Moon. His Ernest Burkhart is a loser — an shiftless, gutless ne’er-do-well who thinks nothing of working for his psycho uncle, William King Hale (Robert De Niro), even if that means putting his Osage wife (Lily Gladstone) in harm’s way. In one scene Ernest proves his fealty by allowing Hale to paddle the hell out of his bottom. DiCaprio has sometimes gone to extreme for his art, but even for him getting beaten by De Niro was a bridge too far.

In a new interview with Insider (in a bit caught by The Telegraph), cinematographer Rodrigo Prieto opened about said scene, specifically about watching DiCaprio taking a bunch of licks.

“I do remember doing them quite a few [takes] and thinking, ‘Oh, that must hurt,’” Prieto recalled. At least DiCaprio wasn’t going full pseudo-Method. “There was some padding on his butt. But you could tell De Niro was really hitting him.”

Prieto was still impressed. “Leo is game for so much,” he said. “He’ll do anything.”

It’s worth noting that De Niro really does seem to be whacking DiCaprio with full force. At one point, DiCaprio’s knees even buckle under him, causing him to slide on the floor, adding to the humiliation. It’s unclear how much padding he had on his behind, but perhaps enough to have more than an inkling of what the real Burkhart must have gone through, had he really had his derriere beaten inside a Masonic temple.

In the past, though, DiCaprio has sometimes gone full-on. For The Revenant, he really did eat raw bison liver on camera. His reward was an Academy Award. (At least he didn’t have to fight a real bear, which was helpfully CGI.)

While making Flower Moon, DiCaprio took abuse in other ways. Scorsese recently revealed that he did so much ad-libbing that both he and De Niro had to call him out on it.

Killers of the Flower Moon is now in theaters.

(Via Insider and The Telegraph)

Taylor Swift is pretty much always a mastermind, but there have been some recent times when she’s been a muse. Attending Kansas City Chiefs games to support All-Pro tight end Travis Kelce has inspired her boyfriend to play out of his mind. Meanwhile, her simply existing inspired Jeanette Paras to paint a 399-pound pumpkin in her image.

“Meet Taylor SwiftKin!” Paras posted to her @paras_pumpkins Instagram page earlier this week, revealing it on her porch alongside an NFL football atop a red bucket with Kelce’s No. 87 painted on it. “A gorgeous 399 lb. #giantcelebritypumpkin who is the answer to #whowillitbe in 2023. Everyone who guessed #taylorswift – you were right! And see if you can spot the nod to her romantic interest in the display. #traviskelce #paraspumpkins #35years The Kansas City Chiefs #Halloween.”

Paras posted another Instagram time-lapse video, which she said “squeezes more than 10 hours of painting into just 58 seconds.”

The pumpkin displays Swift’s red carpet look from the 2023 Grammys, where she won Best Music Video for All Too Well: The Short Film. She’ll soon have even more material to submit to the Recording Academy for consideration when her 1989 (Taylor’s Version) re-recorded album arrives on Friday, October 27.

Also, the “Taylor SwiftKin” should be the Chiefs’ new mascot — sorry, K.C. Wolf — especially considering The Daily Mail reported that Kelce’s “teammates have joked that [Swift] is their unofficial mascot.”

Earlier this year, Grandaddy celebrated the 20th anniversary of their 2003 album, Sumday, with the releases Sumday Twunny and Sumday: Excess Baggage. Now the Jason Lytle-led indie-rock band is ready to turn a new page. On Wednesday, October 25, Grandaddy announced that their new studio album, Blu Wav, will arrive on February 16, 2024. The lead single, “Watercooler,” is already here.

Per a press release, Lytle was “inspired by the overwhelming beauty of nature to the mundane moments that spark life’s strongest memories.” “Watercooler” is his commentary “on the dichotomy of both.”

“Most of my relationships have involved girls who worked in office settings,” Lytle said in a statement. “This song is about the end of one, or perhaps a few, of those relationships. Listeners will also notice the pedal steel on this track and eventually on many others from the forthcoming new album. It’s a first for Grandaddy, and I couldn’t be more thrilled about this fact.”

The press release also notes that the album’s title is meant to represent “a literal mash-up of ‘bluegrass’ and ‘new wave.’”

Listen to “Watercooler” above, or check out the Blu Wav cover art and tracklist below.

1. “Blu Wav”
2. “Cabin In My Mind”
3. “Long As I’m Not the One”
4. “You’re Going To Be Fine And I’m Going To Hell”
5. “Watercooler”
6. “Let’s Put This Pinto On The Moon”
7. “On A Train Or Bus”
8. “Jukebox App”
9. “Yeehaw Ai In The Year 2025”
10. “Ducky, Boris and Dart”
11. “East Yosemite”
12. “Nothin’ to Lose”
13. “Blu Wav Buh Bye”

Blu Wav is out 2/16/2024 via Dangerbird Records. Find more information here.

SNL may be back now that the WGA strike is over, but that doesn’t mean things are back to normal yet. There’s still another strike, involving SAG-AFTRA, that’s yet to be resolved. That means shows shows can’t bring on guests or hosts to promote new shows or movies. That’s not to say the strike is the only reason this weekend’s SNL has tapped Nate Bargatze as host. He’s a super popular comic, with a hit special on Amazon Prime! He sells out big arenas! Still, even he’s joking that maybe he’s not big enough for the show that once touted their “Not Yet Ready For Prime Time Players.”

Per The Daily Beast, Bargatze went on Late Night — which is, of course, hosted by an SNL alum — to talk about how it’s been going prepping for Saturday’s big show.

“It’s insane, dude,” Bargatze told former Weekend Update host Seth Meyers. “It’s almost like when they asked, you’re like, I don’t know if I’m famous enough to do that.” He even cracked wise about nearly turning down their offer. “I appreciate it, but there’s some other people I think y’all should go after.”

But Bargatze agreed and here we are. He pinpointed the moment when he knew his SNL hosting gig was really “happening.” It was when they called him up Sunday to talk about sketch ideas. Still, he’s worried that there will be a time when they say, “‘We’re not gonna to air this,’ like I’m just some trial show where they wanted to make sure the cameras worked.”

Joining Bargatze on the show will be musical guests The Foo Fighters, which prompted Bargatze to joke that they’ll be the main focus of the episode. “It’s gonna be all Dave Grohl in every sketch,” he joked. “I’m just kind of on the show.”

You can watch Bargatze’s self-deprecating Late Night appearance in the video above.

(Via The Daily Beast)

Nicki Minaj does things on her terms. If the Barbz needed a refresher course, she reminded them by changing the release date for Pink Friday 2, her highly anticipated fifth studio album.

On Tuesday, October 24, Minaj went live on Instagram, where she said, “The new album date for this incredible body of work, that I am so proud of is on a special day to me and to the Barbz — it will come out on my birthday. Pink Friday 2, I am so happy to announce will be out on my birthday.” For the non-Barbz out there, Minaj’s birthday is December 8.

On Sunday, October 22, Minaj posted on X, “Mighta just recorded the hardest verse on the album. Idk tho. Bookmark me. Code word: won won won.” In other words, the prolonged wait figures to be worth it.

Pink Friday 2 was previously due on November 17. Minaj released “Bahm Bahm” exclusively on her website on Friday, October 13. One month prior, Minaj hosted and performed “Last Time I Saw You” at the 2023 MTV Video Music Awards. Other singles released by Minaj are “Super Freaky Girl,” debuting at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 all the way back in August 2022, and “Red Ruby Da Sleeze” from this March.

Pink Friday 2 is out 12/8 via Republic Records. Find more information here.

Megan Thee Stallion is free. Last week, Billboard reported that Hot Girl Meg’s years-long legal battle against her label, 1501 Certified Entertainment, and its president, Carl Crawford, had “mutually reached a confidential settlement to resolve their legal differences.” That resulted in Megan and 1501 agreeing to “amicably part ways.”

This week, Megan has continued setting the stage for her first act as an independent artist. On Monday, October 23, she posted an Instagram video hinting at an imminent new album. The frame is all black with the exception of a spotlight on Meg’s mouth, as she says, “Just as a snake sheds its skin, we must shed our past over and over again.” She is then revealed to have snake eyes and fangs, hissing and rattling, while the screen displays the words “A story by Megan Thee Stallion” and “directed by Douglas Bernardt.” The Instagram caption reads, “ACT ONE [snake emoji].”

On October 12, Meg posted three sequential Instagram photos that, when pieced together on her grid, read, “ACT ONE.” It should be noted that the “O” in “ONE” is a red snake. On the same day, Megan Thee Stallion went live on Instagram and shared that she is not currently signed to a label and is “so excited to be doing something for the first time independently since it was just me and my momma.” She added, “We’re doing everything funded straight out of Megan Thee Stallion’s pockets. So, the budget is coming from me. Motherf*cking Hot Girl Productions! The next sh*t y’all about to see is all straight from Megan Thee Stallion’s brain and Megan Thee Stallion’s wallet.”

All signs point toward Megan introducing the follow-up album to August 2022’s Traumazine. In September, she told Billboard that new music was “definitely coming very soon,” but Hotties are still waiting on an official album announcement.

Megan Thee Stallion is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.