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Half a century ago, Universal Pictures hoped to carry over the success of its entries in the short-lived disaster film vogue to naval combat movies, stirring some box office if few other rewards via dullish “Midway” and “Gray Lady Down,” which felt like bloated retro B-movies. Having revived the disaster genre with trilogy “The Wave,” “The Quake” and “The Burning Sea,” their Norwegian producers seem to be going the same route with “The Arctic Convoy,” about the perilous voyage of a freighter delivering supplies to Allies on the eastern front during World War 2.

The fact-inspired story’s central situation is compelling enough. But director/co-writer Henrik M. Dahlsbakken (of recent biopic “Munch”) delivers a middling effort too sparing of excitement to satisfy action fans, and without the character depth or involvement to score as drama instead. Released on the film’s home turf at Christmas, the competent but uninspired Scandinavian...

New York bodegas have it all: the best bacon, egg, and cheese around, a neighborhood cat on the payroll, and Ice Spice partying on counters with her baddie friends in the “Deli” music video. The song, which arrived alongside the deluxe edition of her EP Like…?, marks the rapper’s fifth viral hit of the year — and the thread that runs through them is how quintessentially Bronx they all are. For “Deli,” Ice Spice brought the function right across the bridge into Harlem to a not-so-quiet corner storefront on 145th street.

Ice Spice is bringing the heat with a new deluxe edition of her debut EP Like…?

The Like…? deluxe edition boasts four brand new tracks called “How High?,” “Butterfly Ku,” “Deli,” and “On the Radar,” along with the remix of “Princess Diana” featuring Nicki Minaj that dropped back in April. Those all precede the songs included on the original edition of the EP: the solo “Princess Diana,” “Gangsta Boo” featuring Lil Tjay, “Actin a Smoochie,” “Bikini Bottom,” and, of course, her irresistible hit “Munch.”

Ice Spice co-produced the EP along with her regular collaborator RiotUSA. You can stream the deluxe edition of Like…? via Apple Music and Spotify below, and then keep scrolling to see its new artwork and updated tracklist.

Ice Spice originally surprise released the Like…? EP last January, just days after Consequence named the Bronx rapper a Rising Artist to Watch in 2023. Not to toot our own horns,...

Governors Ball 2023 brought the biggest artists in music out to its jam-packed party in New York this past weekend, and the performances looked epic as hell. The three-day event, which took place at Queens's Flushing Meadow-Corona Park June 9-11, featured a stacked lineup with Lizzo, Kendrick Lamar, and Odesza as headliners. Other big-name performers included Lil Uzi Vert, Diplo, Lil Baby, Kim Petras, Lil Nas X, Ice Spice, Joey Bada$$, and many more.

In spite of a rainstorm and some wildfire smoke that blanketed New York earlier in the week, the 2023 festival still went on as scheduled with some memorable highlights for concertgoers - including a historical performance from Aespa on June 10, who were the first K-pop group to ever make an appearance on the Governors Ball stage. Another big moment was Sunday closer Lamar, who brought out his cousin and frequent collaborator Baby Keem for a surprise performance of their 2021 single "Family Ties.

In news that shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone familiar with her subversive antics, Grimes is inviting fans — or rather, flat-out encouraging them — to make an AI-generated song using her voice.

“I’ll split 50% royalties on any successful AI generated song that uses my voice,” Grimes tweeted on April 23rd in reference to “Heart On My Sleeve,” the phony Drake and The Weeknd song that went viral earlier this month. While that AI-generated tune prompted Universal Music Group to file a copyright claim, Grimes insists that this would be totally kosher: “Feel free to use my voice without penalty. I have no label and no legal bindings.”

She went on to say that she thinks “it’s cool to be fused [with] a machine” and that she likes “the idea of open sourcing all art and killing copyright,” a rich statement coming from someone who shares children with the second-wealthiest man in the world.

Artificial intelligence is slowly permeating the music world, and the prospects are perilous. Over the past year, songs have been released emulating the voices of Michael Jackson, Taylor Swift, Rihanna, and pop icons. Still, it feels like the most sparks are flying within hip-hop, where AI enthusiasts are involved in full-fledged digital projects. A viral Drake and the Weeknd AI cover titled “Heart on My Sleeve” amassed 8.5 million views over the weekend before being taken down this week.

Made by a creator named Ghostwriter — though it is unclear to what...

Two more AI-generated Drake songs have appeared on YouTube and TikTok.

The new songs come after the 36-year-old Canadian rapper hit out at a cover of him rapping to Ice Spice’s “Munch”, which is believed to have been created by artificial intelligence.

Soon after that, another AI-generated Drake track titled “Heart on My Sleeve,” featuring The Weeknd appeared on all streaming platforms.

The song was reportedly created by Ghostwriter977, who used AI software to replicate Drake and The Weeknd’s vocals with original lyrics, Axios reports.

The song received more than 275,000 plays on YouTube and was played more than 600k times on Spotify before it was taken down this week.

Now, two more tracks called “Winters Cold” and “Not a Game” have appeared on the internet.

In response to Ghostwriter977’s track, Drake’s record label, Universal Music Group, expressed its displeasure with the song and demanded it to be removed from all platforms.

Over the weekend, a song using fake Drake and The Weeknd vocals purportedly generated by AI went viral after being posted on YouTube and other streaming platforms. Now, it’s been pulled from streaming services after Universal Music Group issued a statement (via Billboard) that criticized “infringing content created with generative AI.”

Titled “heart on my sleeve,” the track was created by anonymous TikToker ghostwriter977, who uploaded it to major streaming platforms under the moniker ghostwriter. Opening with Metro Boomin’s producer tag and lyrics from both artists about The Weeknd’s ex Selena Gomez, it actually sounds like a collaboration that the rapper and singer would make.

“I came in with my ex like Selena to flex, ayy,” AI “Drake” raps on the chorus. “Bumpin’ Justin Bieber, the fever ain’t left, ayy.” Meanwhile, “The Weeknd” sings, “Got these pearls on my neck, got these girls on my check/ Like Selena,...

A scarily impressive “AI-generated song collaboration” between Drake and The Weeknd has left fans in disbelief.

The track, titled “Heart on My Sleeve”, has recently gone viral on TikTok and Twitter and is believed to have been created by artificial intelligence.

Since its release, several listeners have shared their shock at its “terrifying accuracy”, and even question whether this was a real song that had been leaked.

“I’m convinced it’s a real song but they’re hiding it under the AI to see how it’d get received,” one fan tweeted.

“This is ridiculously good,” a second praised, while another called it “one of the best Drake songs in a minute”.

“Not sure how the music industry will be able to deal with AI,” one comment read.

The two-minute song begins with Drake rapping about “coming in with my ex, like Selena [Gomez] to flex/ Bumping Justin Bieber...

Nicki Minaj has teamed up with Ice Spice for a new remix of her track, “Princess Diana”.

The single sees rap artists Minaj, 40, and Spice, 23, come together for the first time.

Born Isis Gaston, Ice Spice rose to prominence in late 2022 with her hit “Munch”.

The original “Princess Diana” track featured on Spice’s Like..? EP, released in January. This new version, released on Friday (14 April) has been reworked with Minaj delivering heavy-hitting bars.

Fans were quick to show their appreciation for the collaboration and praised it widely on social media.

However, some also noticed that the track may have included potential details about Minaj’s forthcoming music business ventures.

In early March, Minaj released her first single of the year, titled “Red Ruby Da Sleeze”. It samples Lumidee’s 2003 hit “Never Leave You”, and became Minaj’s ninth number one on the Hot Rap Songs chart.

The song is...

Ice Spice is the new face of Ivy Park x Addidas.

The young rapper is known for her iconic ginger hair and hit song, “Munch.”

She wasn’t always comfortable with her looks.

“When I was in high school, I was straightening my hair, trying to be something that I’m not,” she told the New York Times. “Now it’s flattering seeing a wave of Afros. I enjoy that. I feel like that’s great for Black women especially, making Afros more like just a normal staple look.”

Ice Spice’s Adidas and Ivy Park collaboration is being produced with Beyoncé.

The sales of Ivy Park have decreased in recent years. The split between Adidas and Kanye West has cost the brand $1.3 billion.

Ice Spice was featured on Ivy Park’s Instagram page showcasing their bright new collection. In one post, she is seen on a black motorcycle wearing a camouflage catsuit; in another,...

Actor and comedian Richard Belzer was remembered on Saturday Night Live with a special title card following his death on February 19.

Belzer passed on at the age of 78 from complications of unspecified circulatory and respiratory conditions.

‘SNL’ title card

Belzer was the warm-up comedian for Saturday Night Live and appeared multiple times playing bit parts during the show’s early seasons. In the show’s premiere episode, which aired on October 11, 1975, Belzer also played a juror in an uncredited role. In Season 2, Belzer famously stood in for Chevy Chase for an episode while Chase was having surgery.

He is most notably known for his portrayal of Detective John Munch in Homicide: Life on the Street, a cop drama series that debuted in 1993. After Homicide wrapped, he began to play Munch on Law and Order: Svu, a role that lasted 20 seasons.

Additionally, longtime SNL producer designer Eugene Lee was also remembered...

One thing’s for sure about Matty Healy and Yungblud, they’re both gonna tell it like it is… or, at least in some cases, like they think it is. After The 1975 frontman made some eyebrow-raising comments during a recent appearance on the podcast The Adam Friedland Show, his fellow outspoken Brit chimed in by calling him a “privileged white dude.” Healy apparently came ready to fight, appearing to mock Yungblud in response on his Instagram story.

On the podcast’s February 9th episode, after host Friedland led its first few minutes with some expectedly misogynistic and transphobic remarks, Healy segued to the topic of queerbaiting: “Did you see that P!nk’s getting canceled for looking like a lesbian for her career and now that’s being regarded as queerbaiting?” he said. “Loads of 18-year-olds are being like, ‘She’s done irreparable damage to the lesbian community.”

This prompted...

When Ice Spice announced her new EP Like..?, featuring a song called “Princess Diana,” it led to the late royal to trend on Twitter – decades after her death.

Ice Spice, an up-and-coming Bronx rapper, made her debut with her song “Munch,” which was released five months ago. Now her new EP has her in the spotlight again.

The new album featuring the song “Princess Diana” has led to memes, jokes, and even video content with the music.

Princess Diana reveals her favorite song from Ice Spice’s surprise EP drop, “Like..?”

“When I saw she had a track titled Princess Diana, I was so honored. I couldn’t stop dancing” pic.twitter.com/rnLvBoSxBA

— jean ❀ (@venysedits) January 21, 2023

Others posted TikTok videos on how Diana would dance to the song, and someone even joked that Ice Spice is the reincarnation of Princess Diana.

The Allegations Are True pic.twitter.com/BFvUqRP...

“We go where others do not go,” said a passionate Vanja Kaludjercic, of the mission to celebrate rising film-making countries.

At an emotional opening night event in a packed Doelen Grand Hall, Vanja Kaludjercic, festival director of the International Film Festival Rotterdam, expressed “her sense of relief and her gratitude” at being able finally to welcome guests “after a three-year wait”. She became festival director in 2020 but her first two editions at the helm, including the 50th anniversary, happened online.

These, she acknowledged, were “three years that actually changed the world as we knew [it]; three years that took a toll on all of us.

Edvard Munch’s best-known work, “The Scream,” has been endlessly referenced or parodied – even in “The Simpsons.” But the painter himself, who passed away in 1944, remains an enigma.

“His art is famous, but not the artist. And I wanted to tell a story about the artist. His life is the main focus here,” says director Henrik Martin Dahlsbakken, whose “Munch” has been selected as opening film at the International Film Festival Rotterdam.

He never intended to make a typical biopic, however. “Most of them are quite… boring. Munch evolved a lot, in terms of how he lived, but also his art and his motives. It was necessary to find another way.”

With the help of four different screenwriters, each focusing on a different period in his life, he cast four actors as Munch: Alfred Ekker Strande, Mattis Herman Nyquist, Ola G. Furuseth and even Anne Krigsvoll.

“The hardest part was...

The wait is over: Intl. Film Festival Rotterdam (IFFR), set to kick off on Jan. 25, is returning for its first full on-site edition in three years.

“We are finally able to present the reshaped program as it was intended: in cinemas across Rotterdam. We find it incredibly encouraging to see that the number of accredited guests is similar to pre-covid editions,” says festival director Vanja Kaludjercic.

Alongside IFFR’s Tiger competition strand, which celebrates innovative and adventurous up-and-coming filmmakers, there are retrospectives of Judit Elek, Stanya Kahn, Arc and Japanese animator Yuasa Masaaki, as well as “Sunshine State,” Steve McQueen’s much-anticipated artwork, originally commissioned for the festival’s 50th anniversary back in 2021.

“It’s great to see that this extra time has allowed it to evolve into what it is today: a monumental two-channel video projection that will surely move all those who witness it,” she adds. “With this commission,...