Lil Nas X's mega-hit Old Town Road breaks US singles chart record
His hit Old Town Road tops US singles chart for 17th week
NEW YORK : Overnight sensation Lil Nas X continued his wild ride of pop music domination on Monday, taking the reins of the record for longest stretch atop the US singles chart at 17 weeks with his infectious country-trap smash Old Town Road.
The viral mega-hit that mashes banjo twangs with thumping bass from the unknown US artist-turned-industry maverick topped the Billboard record of 16 weeks on the industry's most closely watched singles chart.
That was set by 1995's One Sweet Day by Mariah Carey and Boyz II Men and matched by the 2017 Latin juggernaut Despacito by Luis Fonsi, Daddy Yankee and Justin Bieber.
"YEEE TF HAWWW," Lil Nas X, 20, tweeted after the news broke.
Just last week, he released yet another new version of Old Town Road featuring a member of K-pop supergroup BTS, a remix nicknamed Seoul Town Road .
In its unprecedented 17th week on the Billboard Hot 100, it notched 72.5 million US streams and 46,000 downloads sold. - AFP
Jury finds Katy Perry copied Christian rap song for her hit Dark Horse
LOS ANGELES: US singer Katy Perry copied the beat of her 2013 hit Dark Horse from a Christian rap song, a Los Angeles jury found on Monday. The nine-member panel ruled that similarities between her song and Joyful Noise by Marcus Gray - who performs as Flame - constituted copyright infringement.
The week-long trial saw Perry, 34, take the witness stand, where she told the jury her song was an original composition and that she had never heard of the rap song.
She said her collaborators had brought her samples of short instrumental passages, which inspired the composition of Dark Horse. Her team said that the two songs' underlying beat was "commonplace" and therefore cannot be copyrighted.
Gray's lawyers said the defendants had "copied an important part" of his song, referring to a 16-second instrumental phrase.- AFP
Bernie Sanders teams up with Cardi B to push US youth vote
WASHINGTON : US presidential hopeful Bernie Sanders teamed up with US rapper Cardi B on Monday to encourage young voters to turn out for the 2020 election.
The unlikely duo met at a nail salon in Detroit to film a campaign video aimed at younger voters - a fitting spot for Cardi B, who is known for her elaborate manicures in addition to chart-topping hits.
"We (are) working on a way to involve more young people in the political process," Mr Sanders, 77, told CNN before filming began.
"They are voting in large numbers but not enough numbers."
Democratic polling shows Mr Sanders is the number two candidate in a crowded field seeking the party's nomination to defeat Mr Donald Trump, although Mr Sanders has about half the support of the leader Joe Biden.
After the shoot, Cardi B posted a picture on Instagram of her interviewing the Vermont senator in the salon.
"Thank you Senator Bernie Sanders for sitting with me and sharing your plans on how you will change this country," the Grammy-winning artist captioned the image.
She added that she had asked her 48.2 million followers to suggest questions for the left-wing Mr Sanders and advised them to "stay tuned to see how he will fight for economic, racial and social justice for all".
According to Mr Sanders, he and the 26-year-old rap superstar discussed a range of issues, including raising the minimum wage, cancelling student debt and climate change. - AFP
Get The New Paper on your phone with the free TNP app. Download from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store now
