Music

Ranbir Kapoor and Yash’s ‘Ramayana’ Makers on Retelling India’s Epic for the World, as Amazon Music and T-Series Bet on A.R. Rahman and Hans Zimmer’s Soundtrack

• “Ramayana Part 1” opens worldwide on 5 November.
• Ranbir Kapoor, Sai Pallavi and Yash lead the cast.
• A.R. Rahman and Hans Zimmer joined for the score.

The first instalment of “Ramayana” opens worldwide on 5 November, bringing the Indian epic to cinema on a large scale. Producer Namit Malhotra says the project became possible when the necessary talent and filmmaking experience came together, while stressing the responsibility of adapting a story important to many…

Nikki Minaj is Going Down With Trump’s Ship After Nearly Every Candidate She Backed Lost

• Democrats flipped both chambers in a major setback for Trump.
• Most candidates endorsed by Nicki Minaj lost.
• Minaj reaffirmed her support for Trump after the results.

Democrats made sweeping gains in the midterm elections, flipping both chambers of Congress in what the article describes as a rebuke of Donald Trump and the Republican Party. Nicki Minaj, who had campaigned for Republicans and become a prominent Trump supporter, responded by reaffirming her support and criticising…

The $1.4 Billion ‘No-Brainer’ Opportunity The Music Industry Is Missing

• Soundtrack estimates $1.4 billion in US royalties go uncollected each year.
• Only 19% of surveyed businesses playing music were fully compliant.
• The company says simpler commercial licensing could help close the gap.

Soundtrack estimates that US businesses’ unlicensed use of music leaves $1.4 billion in royalties uncollected each year. Its founder argues that clearer, more accessible commercial licensing could bring artists and rights-holders more income, particularly as growth in music streaming subscriptions and advertising slows. A Soundtrack-commissioned study surveyed about…

How Joey Tempest survived the wild whirlwind of fame, fortune and global success entirely unscathed

• Tempest traces his musical beginnings to childhood in Sweden.
• Europe’s new album features its core line-up.
• He calls it one of the band’s best records.

Joey Tempest reflects on growing up in Sweden, forming Europe and navigating the band’s rise to international fame while continuing to write and work hard. The interview also introduces Europe’s new album, *Come This Madness*, which Tempest regards as one of the band’s best and says brings together…

In 2000, Jeremy Renner was a struggling actor. Then a future hitmaking boy band came calling

• Renner auditioned for O-Town while struggling to find acting work.
• The band invited him to Miami, but he says he never planned to join.
• His breakthrough came in 2002 with a role as Jeffrey Dahmer.

Jeremy Renner, then a struggling actor, was invited to audition for the early 2000s boy band O-Town after a friend of music manager Lou Pearlman suggested he call. The story offers a glimpse of how uncertain Renner’s career was before he became known for acclaimed films and Marvel’s…

Exoplanet breakthrough, Hampstead Heath court fight and Nothing’s screen-free AI plans

Astronomers have found a way to cut starlight glare; the City of London Corporation is defending its swimming-pond policy in court, while Nothing plans a screen-free AI device for December. New Mistborn books and gaming add-ons also feature.

The Incredible String Band: the folk group who lived in a commune

• The Incredible String Band embraced communal living at the height of their career.
• Their third album reached number five in the UK charts.
• Their Scottish commune became a setting for a mixed-media film project.

The Incredible String Band became one of Britain’s notable psychedelic folk groups, blending traditional folk with musical influences from around the world. At the height of their success, the musicians embraced countercultural communal living, making their home life part of the creative world that shaped their work. Robin…

In 2008, Christian Bale was Batman, but an agent still didn’t know he wasn’t Christian Slater

• A Hollywood agent did not recognise Bale as Batman.
• A casting director mistook him for Christian Slater.
• She withdrew the role offer once she realised the mistake.

Christian Bale recalled that, even as his career was taking off after *Batman Begins*, people in Hollywood sometimes failed to recognise him. In a 2008 interview, he described an agent who asked what he did, offered to help him find work and did not realise he was speaking…

Television improvised the same song every night “until something happened”. In 1978, they finally perfected it

• Patti Smith left a film premiere to see Television at CBGB.
• The band refined “Marquee Moon”’s guitar solo through repeated improvisation.
• The song balanced a structure with room for live variation.

Patti Smith left the premiere of a Rolling Stones film early in 1978 to see Television play at CBGB, where she found a small audience and a band still developing its sound. The story highlights how the group’s willingness to experiment helped shape “Marquee Moon”, whose extended guitar…

Stevie Wonder’s Eviction Lawsuit Escalates as Rent-Free Resident Demands Repairs to Walls and Plumbing

• Efferson is challenging Wonder’s eviction lawsuit.
• She alleges disrepair and seeks repairs and reduced rent.
• Wonder is seeking her removal and $600 in damages.

Carmen Efferson, who has lived in a Hollywood Hills home associated with Stevie Wonder since 1988, is contesting his attempt to evict her. In a court filing, she alleges the property is unfit to live in and asks for repairs, reduced rent until the problems are fixed and…