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Day in Pop Report for 06/30/2015



Joni Mitchell's Conservator Addresses Health Rumors

Joni Mitchell's conservator Leslie Morris has released a statement about the music star's condition to address recent rumors/media reports about the music icon's health following her hospitalization earlier this year.

Mitchell's friend David Crosby made headlines last week when he said in an interview that Mitchell "had an aneurysm, and nobody found her for a while. And she's going to have to struggle back from it the way you struggle back from a traumatic brain injury."

Morris confirmed that Mitchell indeed had an aneurysm but other reports that she was not speaking are false. Morris released the following statement on Joni's official website "Joni did in fact suffer an aneurysm. However, details that have emerged in the past few days are mostly speculative.

"The truth is that Joni is speaking, and she's speaking well. She is not walking yet, but she will be in the near future as she is undergoing daily therapies. She is resting comfortably in her own home and she's getting better each day. A full recovery is expected."

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Enrique Iglesias Court Date Set

(Radio.com) Pop star Enrique Iglesias is heading to court. On July 10, the singer is due to appear in defense of misdemeanor charges of obstruction without violence and driving with a suspended license.

According to Billboard, the alleged incident took place in the singer's home county of Miami-Dade when Iglesias and his manager were caught driving on a closed express lane, then tried to switch seats without the police noticing.

No word on whether Iglesias faces jail time or fines, and the singer continues to heal following reconstructive hand surgery. Recently, he made a return to the stage to perform a one-off for U.S. troops at Fort Sill in Lawton, Oklahoma. See the photo of his injury here.

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Rapper Explains Why He Cut Off His Penis

(Radio.com) When former Wu-Tang-affiliated rapper Andre 'Christ Bearer" Johnson cut off his own penis and jumped off the second story balcony of an apartment last year, many jumped to the conclusion that drugs were the cause of such unthinkable act of self-mutilation.

Turns out, actually to nobody's surprise, it was drugs. 'PCP and meth and molly and alcohol, and no sleep," Johnson named as the cause of the act in an interview with Vlad TV. "That was the main thing: no sleep." Of course it was.

Johnson also blames a perfect storm of restraining orders and blocked numbers from his three baby mamas for sending him into a depression that surely the drugs and lack of sleep only exasperated. Read more here.

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Katy Perry Revealed As The Highest-Paid Female Celebrity

(Radio.com) Katy Perry definitely doesn't have to worry about paying her rent, that's for sure. According to Forbes, Perry is 2015's highest-paid female celebrity in the world earning $135 million.

Perry's high performance this year was due mostly to her Prismatic World Tour, which grossed more than $2 million per city over the course of 126 shows--75 of them were overseas. She reportedly also drew in $20 per head in merchandise sales. That's a lot of Katy Perry shirts.

Her deals with brands like Coty, Claire's and Covergirl also helped her score big this year. And with a new Perry-themed mobile game due out this fall, she's bound to score big next year too.

Taylor Swift is the 8th highest paid celebrity with a reported $80 million. She's also part of the highest-paid couple with her new boyfriend Calvin Harris, beating out Beyonce and Jay Z. See who else made the list here.

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Diddy Takes A Fall At The BET Awards

(Radio.com) The 20th anniversary tribute to Bad Boy Records at the BET Awards on Sunday night (June 28), featured something a little unexpected. And it wasn't just Lil Kim.

During the performance, which featured Pharrell, Mase, French Montana, Faith Evans and other Bad Boys, Diddy managed to get himself caught in a hole.

Yes, there was just an open hole onstage, and Diddy, so involved in the moment, managed to fall right into it. But like Alice who once fell down the rabbit hole to wonderland, Diddy finds his way up. And rather quickly too, without missing a beat.

Even he thought the whole thing was pretty funny, posting the clip to Instagram with the caption, "I was getting so loose I fell! LOL, but really though I busted my ass!#finnaGetLoose #AppleMusic � Puff Daddy & The Family feat @pharrell � IF YOU EVER FALL DOWN, get your ass up and FIGHT!!!!!!! But really though, I crack up every time I see this s-t! It's like I f-ing disappeared. HAAAAAA!!!! I was scared as f-k but I had to get up!" Read more here.

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Justin Bieber Stars In Skrillex and Diplo's New Video

(Radio.com) Usually when Justin Bieber's name appears in a headline next to "graffiti" it's not in his favor--recall that time he angered an Australian mayor for tagging a hotel, or when he just gave up mid-tagging a wall because he didn't want to get dirty--but the new Skrillex and Diplo video is an exception. Biebs, who's featured on "Where Are Ü Now," by the super-DJ duo also known as Jack Ü, is the blank canvas for others to tag on this time.

The visual clip is basically a Justin Bieber video, since neither of the producers appear in it. In between delivering his verses with a black backdrop, Bieber gets the graffiti treatment courtesy of fans.

'We are being overwhelmed, in a good way, by the success of 'Where Are Ü Now' with Justin Bieber, so with the video we wanted to just take it back to the beginning of the record & essentially create an ode to our fans," Jack Ü wrote on their YouTube page. "Doing what we do, it's entirely all about the fans. We walk a fine line by being 'famous' and in the public eye but we are only here because of you, the fans."

So the trio invited fans and a few working artists to visit an installation in Los Angeles where they could draw on video stills with paint pens.

Watch the trippy result here.

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Kanye West's Profanity Changed To 'Ligger' and 'Motherducker'

(Radio.com) Pity the Glastonbury subtitlers. Not only must they keep up with rappers rapping at high speed, they must also do so while avoiding minefields of profanity. By the end of a long festival, can you really blame these guys for giving up?

During Kanye West's headlining set on Friday, subtitlers were either having a laugh or fumbling under the pressure, if their use of words like "ligger" and "motherducker" is any indication.

"See I parked that motherducker sideways" read one caption, and another read "liggas in paris." This wasn't the only minor indignity suffered by West during his otherwise triumphant set: a so-called "comedian" named Simon Brodkin, who plays a character called Lee Nelson, ran on stage during "Black Skinhead" wearing a shirt that read Lee-Zus. See some of the most comical captions here.

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Dolly Parton Adds Second 'Pure & Simple' Show

Dolly Parton has announced that she will be playing a second "Dolly Parton, Pure & Simple" show at the Ryman Auditorium after her first Nashville show in over a decade quickly sold out.

Earlier this month the country music legend announced at benefit show for the Nashville based W. O. Smith School of Music that will be taking place at the Ryman Auditorium on July 31st.

After that show sold out in record time, Parton has now announced that she will be playing a second show at the venue the following night (August 1st) which will benefit the Opry Trust Fund.

She had this to say about the newly announced show, "I love being a member of the Grand Ole Opry...have been since 1969. It's important to me to be able to do a concert for the Opry Trust Fund as so many of my old Opry friends have benefited from it through the years.

"The money raised will go to help fund the medical needs and hospitalization for those who are not able to afford it and need the help. I am proud to be of help in any way."

Find more information about the Opry Trust Fund here.

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Big Sean Revisits 'Martin' Sitcom In 'Play No Games' Video

(Radio.com) Big Sean is creating a full-on video blitz for his recent album Dark Sky Paradise. Just a few days after dropping two visual clips for his collaborations with Kanye West and Jhene Aiko, the rapper has released yet another.

The video for "Play No Games," which stars Chris Brown, Ty Dolla $ign, along with Martin Lawrence, unfolds like a mock episode of the '90s sitcom Martin, opening credits and all. Big Sean even gets into the decade's spirit with a splashy yellow, red, green, and black jacket. Clearly he's not one to miss an opportunity to dress up--in his video for "I Know," he and Jhene Aiko gave a preview of they'll look in their old age.

Big Sean and co. also reenact some key scenes from Martin with help from French Montana as well as Lawrence's former co-stars Thomas Mikal Ford and Reginald Ballard. You'll have to watch till the end for Lawrence's cameo, but that shouldn't be hard--according to many of Big Sean's fans, he just dropped the video of the year.

Read more here.

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Jake Owen Releases 'Real Life' Video

(Radio.com) Only Jake Owen can manage to make a gas station visit into a party. The country singer's latest video for "Real Life" showcases the beach aficionado in several unusual settings which include a gas station parking lot and an awkward date at a fancy restaurant which quickly turns into a Waffle House. In each scene, Owen shows his ability to turn an average everyday situation into something fun.

After receiving a single shrimp on his dinner date, the curtain drops to reveal Owen inside a Waffle House. As a waffle magically appears on his plate out of thin air, the shot pans out to reveal the wait staff having their own impromptu dance party.

The video for "Real Life" was directed by Jeff Venable. Filmed in Nashville, it showcases Owen's fun side with cameos from his parents, twin brother Jerrod, friends, band and crew as well as NASCAR star Kevin Harvick. Watch the clip here.

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New 'Top Gun' Sequel Script Details Revealed

(Radio.com) For the legions who have been anxiously awaiting a sequel to Top Gun (it's only been 30 years, what's the rush?), good news broke this weekend. Skydance CEO David Ellison (who was three when Top Gun was released) gave up a little info on Top Gun 2, which has been in development for five years.

"Justin Marks is writing the screenplay right now," Ellison said. "He has a phenomenal take to really update that world for what fighter pilots in the Navy has turned into today.

"There is an amazing role for Maverick in the movie and there is no Top Gun without Maverick, and it is going to be Maverick playing Maverick. It is I don't think what people are going to expect, and we are very, very hopeful that we get to make the movie very soon. But like all things, it all comes down to the script, and Justin is writing as we speak."

If that makes it sound like Tom Cruise is locked and loaded, not so fast. Read more here.

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Iggy Azalea Blames 'Pretty Girls' Poor Showing On Britney's Camp

(Radio.com) Iggy Azalea and Britney Spears seemed poised to take over the summer with their collaboration "Pretty Girls." Instead, after initial fanfare, the song barely made into the Top 30 and afterwards sank like a stone.

A stone with 75 million YouTube views, but still. In a recent Q+A on Twitter, Azalea blamed the song's poor performance on the lack of TV performances and other promotion from Britney's camp.

'It's difficult to send a song up the charts without additional promo and TV performances," she wrote in response to a fan's question. 'I would have enjoyed performing it a lot, I think it got off to a powerful start. But you need content to compete in 2015."

Although Azalea and Spears did perform the song at the Billboard Music Awards, fans had few other opportunities to catch them in action. Read more here.

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Taylor Swift Shares Photo With Calvin Harris And Joe Jonas

(Radio.com) While on her current 1989 tour, Taylor Swift's Instagram has become somewhat of a travelogue that has all her fans wishing they were there with her.

Her latest stop in London has been filled with English sites and some of her famous friends. But it's one particular photo that has people talking. It's Taylor and her squad, which this time around includes a certain ex named Joe Jonas, who broke up with her over the phone. Maybe you remember him?

Well, things seem to be going just fine, as the two pose together on a boat in London. Though, we do wonder, how many squads is Jonas involved in at this point?

They're not alone of course, this photo seems more like a double date with Swift posing alongside her new boo Calvin Harris and Jonas with his new girlfriend/Taylor bestie, Gigi Hadid. See the photo here.

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Kacey Musgraves Talks 'Pageant Material'

(Radio.com) "If I end up going down in flames, well at least I know I did it my own way," Kacey Musgraves boldly sings on "Good Ol' Boys Club," one of the tracks on her sophomore album Pageant Material, which dropped last week.

Musgraves herself seems to be one of few females who's earned awards and otherwise gained substantial ground in the 'boys club' of country music, but she says the song itself isn't about the gender issue in the country genre�and no, it's not about Taylor Swift either.

"It's about not wanting to be part of anybody's club, anybody's big machine," she says of the song, during a stop at the Radio.com studios in New York last week. "Just wanting to go your own way and make a name for yourself. Being a self-made man or woman in whatever world or industry you live or work in. To me, it's a universal message in that way."

In a sense, Musgraves' Pageant Material continues that discussion, as the album is a universal message of self-acceptance. For instance, the first single off the album, "Biscuits," was taken from an idea her cowriter (Brandy Clark) had while writing previous single "Follow Your Arrow."

As Musgraves explains, Clark threw out the line "mind your own biscuits," which Musgraves likens to an old southern idiom, while they were writing "Follow Your Arrow" together. Both Musgraves and Shane McAnally agreed the line was too perfect and could stand on its own, so they decided to save it for another song. Read more here.

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Singled Out: Millennial's Paralyzed

Today up-and-coming indie trio Millennial tells us about their debut single "Paralyzed" which they explain has now taken on a new, deeply personal meaning for the group. Here is the story:

This past month has given our song, "Paralyzed" a whole new meaning concerning our band. When we wrote it, we thought about some of the hard times and what got us through them. Little did we know what would happen months later. How much we would lean on the song to remind us a dream is bigger and more powerful than the situation you are currently facing.

Wednesday, May 27, 2015 we got a phone call that Logan Fincher (Millennial's Lead Guitarist) was in the emergency room with a brain bleed. We rushed to the ER to find Logan surrounded by his family. Nurses would come in and out telling them the next steps. Logan showed no fear until they told him he would be in ICU to await surgery a long ten days later. He only asked one question "Am I going to be ok?"

They ran tests resulting in us learning Logan had had an underdeveloped vessel in his brain since birth. Any kind of strenuous activity could make it pop at any time. The damaged vessel was spider webbed together with healthy vessels that control the left side of his body. This meant the surgery could have left him paralyzed.

It is times like these where it is hard to think positively, it feels much easier to fear the worst. We chose not to give in. Our goal was to go into the hospital and dream with him. Talk about everything we want to do, everything we want to accomplish. Collectively, we wanted to keep reaching for something more, not knowing what the surgery would bring the following day. Huddled together in his hospital room we prayed for a miracle.

The day of the surgery finally arrived. We waited for hours until we heard "Fincher family please come to the desk for an update." We all gathered in a meeting room to hear from the surgeon. He came out very calm and said "The surgery went well, he's going to be ok." Logan's mom chimed in "You were able to separate the bad vessel from the good ones?" The surgeon looked around the room, "When we reached the site it didn't look as bad as it did when running the tests. We were able to remove it successfully."

A few days later Logan was able to go home. We asked him, "What were you thinking about in surgery?" Logan responded, "I kept seeing us playing in London. We are going to do some pretty amazing things!" With that we knew, nothing can steal a dream. Dreams are powerful. They bring hope, peace and give us a new way to see life.

So, we dare you! We dare you dream. We dare you to hope. We dare you not to believe in the words you've been sold. Sometimes you will feel like you're losing your way. Like you're stuck in place and starting to break� but� Nothing can paralyze you.

Hearing is believing. Now that you know the story behind the song, listen for yourself and learn more about the group right here!

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