• Petition Started Because Target Chose White Model to Promote New 'Annie' Film

    Quvenzhané Wallis has become the most sought-after child actress thanks to her leading role as the first black "Annie" in a remake of the legendary musical and hit film. Wallis's performance has earned her a Golden Globe nomination, not to mention a nice, fat paycheck. Target has attached itself to this successful film and has launched a limited Annie clothing collection for young girls. Some see it as a problem that the lead girl in the marketing campaign is a young, white model.A petition has been started on change.org, requesting that the retailer change its ads and then issue Wallis an apology. The actress attended Target's launch party wearing items from the new "Annie" collection to promote it, but then was replaced at the last minute and her fans have taken offense.The petition reads, in part:"Your recent Annie ads and in-store displays depicts [sic] a misleading depiction of the movie as it shows a Caucasian young lady [as] opposed to the star of the film- Quvenzhané Wallis. Though the model is quite professional, she does not speak to the relevance of the movie or main character. When the original Annie came out, everything was about Aileen Quinn or a character/person that emulated her...why not now Target? If you can show it online, show it in ALL of your stores with multiple signage with different girls not one!"Although Annie is a fictitious character, there has been a major uproar from protesters stating that they would not support the movie due to the star being African American. Is [this] the reason why Target maliciously hid Quvenzhané Wallis or refused to use an African American girl to depict Annie in their ads?"

  • A-Trak Looks Back on Hip-Hop in 2014 with New Op-Ed

    A-Trak has become associated with the dance music scene over the past few years, but his roots in hip-hop are deep. He started out as a hip-hop DJ, winning the DMC DJ Championships at age 15. He was Kanye West's touring disc jockey in 2004 and has been a frequent collaborator with other DJs and rappers like DJ Craze, Wale and Cam'ron. He recently penned a new editorial on Medium on the state of hip-hop and how he thinks the genre has shifted so rapidly over the past year in new and fascinating ways.The main shift has been the fact that the status quo in hip-hop has been challenged and it is being broken down. He uses "Yeezus" as his primary example, as "it broke formats of song structure and challenged the industry. One year later, the left field seeped out of the margins and into the mainstream."One of the primary ways the genre has shifted directions is a move online and how new types of sounds and artists are able to get a voice."More than ever, rap and tech go hand in hand. 2014 was the year of SoundCloud rap — why hasn't anybody pointed that out?" he said.His best example is Drake, who has found OVO rappers on SoundCloud and releases the bulk of his music through the platform.

  • Madonna & Miley Cyrus Sharing Weird Love on Instagram: 'Rebel Heart' Singer and 'Bangerz' Star Swapping Photo Manips on Social Media

    In a recent Instagram post, Madonna claimed that she has love for all female artists and that there is room for everybody in the vast world of entertainment. But, lately, it seems as thought the Rebel Heart singer has been showing one modern pop megastar a little more love than some others. Yes, Madonna has joined Miley Cyrus in the world of weird Instagram, with the two chanteuses slinging love and weird photo manipulations back and forth at each other.

  • Eliot Bronson Talks New Self-Titled Solo Album, Working With Grammy-Nominated Producer Dave Cobb, And More On Music Times Studio Sessions [WATCH]

    Atlanta-based Americana musician Eliot Bronson just released his new self-titled album, his third as a solo artist. The record came to life after Bronson sent an unsolicited email to one of Nashville's hottest producers Dave Cobb, whose work with Sturgill Simpson was just nominated for a Grammy. He thought it was a longshot, so when the producer agreed to work with him on the songs he had written, Bronson excitedly went down to Nashville to record for a week in Cobb's home studio. In keeping with the spirit of his favorite Americana records, the 10-track effort was recorded analog to give them an atmospheric and timeless feel.

  • 10 Best Lindsey Buckingham/Stevie Nicks-Fleetwood Mac Songs

    On Dec. 31, 1974 — 40 years ago today — guitarist Lindsey Buckingham and singer Stevie Nicks, who performed together at the time under the name Buckingham Nicks, joined British blues rock band Fleetwood Mac. Though the band had found great success in the British blues scene of the late 1960s and early '70s, the inclusion of Buckingham and Nicks to the line-up transformed Fleetwood Mac into the biggest pop band in the world. To celebrate this anniversary, here are the 10 best Fleetwood Mac songs written by Buckingham or Nicks, in alphabetical order.

  • Gwen Stefani, Pharrell Collaboration "Shine" from 'Paddington' Leaks Online Ahead of U.S. Premiere [LISTEN]

    Gwen Stefani and Pharrell Williams have teamed up again. After penning hits together in the past like "Hollaback Girl," coaching together on this past season of The Voice and teaming up for 2014's insane Stefani single "Spark the Fire," another new track from the dynamic duo has arrived on U.S. shores today (Dec. 31). From the soundtrack to the forthcoming animated movie Paddington, the single "Shine" has now arrived online.

  • Aphex Twin Answers 25 Questions from Skrillex, Richie Hawtin, Nicolas Jaar and Others

    The enigmatic and at times odd Richard David James, better known as Apex Twin, shocked the world when he released an album this year after being silent for the previous 13. Using some rather ingenious marketing techniques, including an Aphex Twin Blimp over the London skies and Aphex Twin logos graffitied onto the streets of New York. The release of "Syro" has impressed his fans and music critics alike, earning plaudits and landing in the top spots of most end-of-year rankings. In honor of his 2014 and the 25th anniversary of "Groove" magazine, he fielded 25 questions from other highly touted DJs, including Skrillex, Caribou, Ben Klock and Richie Hawtin and answered them in kind. Below are some of the highlights, via "FACT."

  • Did an Affair with John Mayer Ruin Giada De Laurentiis’s Marriage?

    It seems that many of Giada De Laurentiis's fans were shocked to learn that she is ready to divorce her husband of 11 years, Todd Thompson. The television chef issued a statement that painted a pretty civil picture of two grown adults simply deciding they need to move on in as kind a way as possible. Unfortunately, behind the scenes De Laurentiis has reportedly been cheating for years."After an amicable separation since July, Todd and I have decided to end our marriage. Although our decision to separate comes with a great deal of sadness, our focus on the future and overwhelming desire for our family's happiness has given us the strength to move forward on separate, yet always connected paths. Todd and I share a beautiful daughter and a lifetime of great memories that we both treasure more than anything. We are so thankful for our friends and family, and really appreciate the support in this time of change," said the official statement by the chef.According to a report by Radar Online, she was actually caught cheating with John Mayer in fall 2010. The two had reportedly met years earlier, but saw each other again in the Boom Boom Room at The Standard in New York City. The source claims that as soon as they saw each other, they left the room moments apart and were caught intertwined together. Supposedly they left to go to a different hotel together.
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