The Filter

It’s Wednesday July 21, and here are your latest music news stories brought to you by the filter!

Four Canadians were among the 40 highest-earning music acts last year, raking in a combined $48.3 million US dollars 

Céline Dion ranked No. 3 on Billboard’s 2020 Money Makers list with an estimated $17.5 million – almost all of which came from the first 23 shows of her Courage world tour, which was halted by the pandemic.

Three spots behind Dion is Drake, who made an estimated $14.2 million. Billboard figured the Toronto rapper earned $11.7 million from streaming alone.

The Weeknd is No. 11 with estimated revenues of $10.4 million and Justin Bieber, who is estimated to have made $6.2 million, holds the No. 31 spot.

All four Canadian artists are making their debut on the Billboard Money Makers list.

The top earners in 2020 were Taylor Swift ($23.8 million) and Post Malone ($23.2 million).

https://www.iheartradio.ca/news/4-canadians-among-40-highest-earning-music-acts-1.15668928 

Britney Spears’ 2004 marriage to Jason Alexander was annulled because her mother Lynne Spears was “interfering in and inserting herself into her daughter’s life,” according to his former lawyer.

Mark Goldberg told the daily mail “She came to Las Vegas, threw Jason out, and got him a plane ticket home…. It was none of her mother's business, but Britney was being controlled and has been controlled since she was a young girl.”

You may recall Britney and Alexander tied the knot at A Little White Wedding Chapel but 55 hours later the marriage was annulled because the pop star “lacked understanding of her actions,” according to the petition.

“They had got married in good faith,” Goldberg said, “both had the ability to say, ‘I do,’ and they had consummated the marriage.”

https://www.iheartradio.ca/news/britney-spears-mom-forced-her-to-annul-marriage-lawyer-1.15671913 

Appearing on Toxic: The Britney Spears Story podcast, Alexander alleged he was tricked into signing the annulment and a non-disclosure agreement. “They told me if I would sign the contracts … that they would let me and Britney continue our relationship, and if we felt the same way in six months they would give us a proper marriage,” he said. “So, I had no reason to believe otherwise. I thought that’s what the truth was."

Alexander said the two spoke daily for exactly 30 days – the time he had to contest the annulment – and then the number he had for Britney was disconnected. “I’m like ‘F**k they got me! Motherf**kers!’ So that was it.”

Goldberg said his client was “confused because he loved Britney and he didn’t want to hurt her, but he was very afraid of her mother and management.

“This wasn’t a stranger she’d just picked up. They had known each other for years. He thought if he played the game and did what they asked she’d come around, and he and Britney would be together.”

Britney went on to marry Kevin Federline, with whom she had two sons.

Lynne Spears has not commented.

https://www.iheartradio.ca/news/britney-spears-mom-forced-her-to-annul-marriage-lawyer-1.15671913 

Taylor Swift is not submitting her re-recorded version of Fearless for Grammys or Country Music Association (CMA) Awards consideration.

A rep for Republic Records said, in a statement to Billboard: “Fearless has already won four Grammys including album of the year, as well as the CMA Award for album of the year in 2009/2010 and remains the most awarded country album of all time,” 

Taylor released Fearless (Taylor’s Version) in April. She re-recorded songs from her sophomore studio album after the rights to her early masters were sold to Scott “Scooter” Braun, who later sold them to Shamrock Holdings.)

Evermore, which Swift released last December, will be submitted to the 64th Grammy Awards,  however which will be handed out on Jan. 31, 2022.

Evermore’s predecessor Folklore was named Album of the Year at this year’s Grammys.

Taylor  is releasing Red (Taylor's Version) on Nov. 19 – several weeks after the Grammys' eligibility deadline.

https://www.iheartradio.ca/news/taylor-swift-won-t-submit-fearless-redo-for-awards-1.15671791

Thanks to John R. Kennedy for today’s news stories. Visit iHeartRadio.ca for all the latest music news, and subscribe to iheartradioca on youtube for new episodes of the filter every week.

It’s Tuesday July 20, and here are your latest music news stories brought to you by the filter!

Fans are in a frenzy after Justin Bieber hinted on Monday that there’s a Baby Biebs on the way.

Justin  posted a photo of he and wife Hailey with the caption “mom and dad.”

It sparked comments like “Wait, what?” and “Baby on the way?”

There has been no follow-up from Bieber and reps for the couple have not commented on the speculation. Bieber is scheduled to kick off a tour in February.

Justin has of course said it is up to Hailey, “It’s her body and whatever she wants to do,” he said. “I think she wants to have a few, at least two or three.”

https://www.iheartradio.ca/news/justin-bieber-sparks-baby-speculation-1.15662396 

Lil Nas X is showing off his comedy chops in a teaser that debuted Monday for his forthcoming single “Industry Baby.”

No doubt inspired by Eddie Murphy and Tyler Perry, the rapper plays four characters – in addition to himself – in a courtroom sketch where he pokes fun at Nike’s trademark complaint about his “Satan Shoes” as well as controversy about his sexuality.

“Yeah, lock him up, throw away the key,” a juror (played by Lil Nas X) declares before the judge (also played by Lil Nas X) sentences him to “five years in Montero State Prison.”

The video hypes “Industry Baby,” ft. Jack Harlow, which was produced by Take A Daytrip and Kanye West and comes out July 23.

https://www.iheartradio.ca/news/watch-lil-nas-x-goes-on-trial-in-teaser-for-new-single-1.15666179 

“Butter” by BTS has been knocked out of the top spot on the U.S. singles chart after seven weeks – by “Permission to Dance” by BTS.

“Permission to Dance” is the fifth BTS track to top the Hot 100,. 

The song is also its fourth to debut at No. 1 – putting BTS in a tie with Drake and fellow Canadian Justin Bieber and one spot behind Ariana Grande.

“Butter” slides down to No. 7 on this week’s Hot 100.

https://www.iheartradio.ca/news/permission-to-dance-takes-over-top-spot-on-u-s-chart-1.15665896 

Thanks to John R. Kennedy for today’s news stories. Visit iHeartRadio.ca for all the latest music news, and subscribe to iheartradioca on youtube for new episodes of the filter every week.

Huge congratulations goes out to Halsey and partner Alvin Aydin. She announced this morning on instagram they welcomed their baby Ender Ridley Aydin on July 14th. We hope mom and baby are doing well and we wish them all the best! (00:21)

Is love in the air for Adele, fans sure think so! Adele was spotted front row at the 2021 NBA finals seated next to LeBron James agent Rich Paul. While neither have commented on the status of their relationship, ESPN’s Brian Windhorst added to the flames by referring to Adele as Rich Paul’s girlfriend. 

 

Billie Eilish is the latest star to voice her support of the #FreeBritney movement. Over the weekend Britney Spears took to Instagram to speak out again in regards to her conservatorship and she doubled down on a vow to never perform again as long as her father is co-conservator. She went on to call out her sister Jaime Lynn, who performed a tribute to the pop star at the 2017 Radio Disney Music Awards. 

Will he? Won’t he? After what feels like a lifetime of rumours and release dates that never came - Kanye West is reportedly ready to drop his latest album which is allegedly titled DONDA at some point THIS WEEK!

Revolt TV host Justin Laboy claimed that Kanye played his new album for him and Kevin Durant in Las Vegas over the weekend - and soon after, multiple tweets with photos of this alleged listening event in Vegas began to circulate online. Producer Teddy Walton implied that he was a part of the new record, tweeting “Honestly Can’t wait till Kanye West Drop -I’m glad to be a part of history, see y’all soon” The final piece of the puzzle is a leaked photo of Tyler the Creator and Kanye in the studio together in front of a white board with writing on it that looked a lot like a track list. Although all of these clues seem to be leading to an imminent release - let’s not forget - DONDA was initially said to be dropping in 2020. (02:42)

Articles by John. R. Kennedy:

https://www.iheartradio.ca/news/halsey-welcomes-baby-boy-1.15660325 

https://www.iheartradio.ca/news/britney-spears-blasts-dad-sister-on-social-media-1.15654913 

https://www.iheartradio.ca/news/adele-sparks-romance-rumour-at-basketball-game-1.15658572 

Watch New Episodes of #TheFilter Twice every week

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In this episode of our PRIDE 2021 Series, iHeartRadio's Kylee Roman highlights the impact FLETCHER has had on her personally, and the music industry as a whole, as a powerful, relatable Queer voice!

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It’s Friday July 16, and here are your latest music news stories brought to you by the filter!

There is A TON of amazing new music that has just dropped and we’ve got you covered, as always on iHeart New Music

Hear new songs from Normani and Cardi B, Pop Smoke ft. Dua Lipa, John Mayer, Alessia Cara Willow and Avril Lavigne and SO MUCH more - free on iHeartRadio. https://www.iheart.com/live/iheart-new-music-8852/?333 

Machine Gun Kelly had Megan Fox in his bedroom years before they started dating – or even met.

The rapper-singer had a poster of the actress on his wall when he was a teenager, he confirmed in an interview with GQ.

“It was from her GQ shoot,” MGK said. “So that's some full-circle s**t.”

Megan Fox was featured in a 2008 issue of the magazine around the time she was heating up after her role in Transformers the summer before.

MGK and Fox met on the set of the forthcoming Midnight in the Switchgrass last March and went public with their relationship in July 2020, after Fox split from her husband, actor Brian Austin Green.

MGK – whose real name is Colson Baker – vowed to marry Fox one day.

https://www.iheartradio.ca/news/machine-gun-kelly-had-poster-of-megan-fox-in-his-bedroom-1.15629249 

South Korea’s SM Entertainment, which reps acts like EXO, NCT and Red Velvet, is taking a stand against stans .

On Friday, the company said in a statement "excessive invasion of privacy by so-called '’stans' towards our artists will no longer be condoned and will be dealt with strictly."

 

According to SM Entertainment, some super fans are following artists who are doing their military service and showing up at their homes, or leaving packages at their homes or those of family members.

 

“This is not an expression of affectionate fan sentiment,” it said. “It is an illegal act that infringes on the privacy of artists, etc., and a clear criminal act. In order to protect our artists, we will abandon the tolerant attitude we have maintained regarding 'sasaeng' and take decisive and strong legal action without leniency or agreement."

The company vowed to "take all possible legal actions, both civil and criminal."

Under South Korean law, people can be criminally charged with defamation even if what they said or wrote is true. The United Nations Human Rights Committee has urged the government to abolish the law.

 

Earlier this month, BTS label Big Hit Music updated fans on its legal attacks on people who criticize the group online and on social media. “Our company regularly initiates legal proceedings against perpetrators of malicious activities related to BTS, including ill-intentioned criticism, the spread of groundless information, sexual harassment, personal attacks and defamation,” read a statement.

https://www.iheartradio.ca/news/company-behind-k-pop-acts-cracking-down-on-stans-1.15631210 

Thanks to John R. Kennedy for today’s news stories. Visit iHeartRadio.ca for all the latest music news, and subscribe to iheartradioca on youtube for new episodes of the filter every week.

The owner of a Russian printing company has been called out for refusing to reproduce images of BTS because he believes the group’s members have “a non-traditional orientation.”

 

A K-pop coffee shop called PinkyPop in Yekaterinburg, Russia said in a series of Instagram Stories this week that it placed an order to print stickers, postcards and other items with images of BTS on them.

‘We discussed all the work and details, and placed our first order,” the café explained, according to RT. “After seeing the photos of the bands BTS and Stray Kids, which they were supposed to print, they began to ignore us.”

PinkyPop shared what it said was a text exchange with the printer shop’s owner, Konstantin Papulov. In one message, he said: “I have seen them – they aren’t hiding their orientation. We won’t be printing this.”

Papulov reportedly said BTS would lead “children to become perverts” and claimed it was “stupid to support something that may leave you with no grandchildren.”

He added: “We have enough normal clients to be able to choose who to work with and who not to.” 

According to Russian entertainment website Super, Papulov told reporters the images are "LGBT propaganda." 

The Kid Laroi tells us about his performance with Justin Bieber in Vegas over the weekend. 

Britney Spears has been granted the right to hire her own lawyer as she seeks to end the conservatorship she's been under for 13 years.

Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Brenda Penny signed off on the resignation of Samuel Ingham III, the court-appointed lawyer who has represented Britney since she was placed under conservatorship in 2008, and approved a request by Mathew S. Rosengart to represent Spears going forward.

Rosengart is expected to file a motion to end the conservatorship – something Ingham never did while representing Britney.

Judge Penny also allowed Bessemer Trust, the co-conservator of Spears' finances and estate, to step down.

Articles By John R. Kennedy 

https://www.iheartradio.ca/news/russian-company-refuses-to-print-bts-images-1.15625935 

https://www.iheartradio.ca/news/judge-allows-britney-spears-to-choose-lawyer-1.15622819 

Watch New Episodes of #TheFilter Twice every week

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The Halluci Nation chat with Jason Rockman about their album “One More Saturday Night” out July 30th! They talk about music inspirations and the excitement around their upcoming tour.

It’s a double music news day today, as we’ve got a huge Harry Styles tour update, as well as some news on a Taylor Swift impersonator getting bullied on TikTok!

It is not a good day for Harry Styles Fans in Canada as Harry has removed Canada from his forthcoming Love On Tour.

"I can’t wait to see you again, but for obvious reasons it is just not possible at this time," Styles said in an Instagram post on Wednesday afternoon. "I will be sharing more news soon about shows across the globe, and new music.

"I love you all so much. I’m very excited, and I can’t wait to see you."

Concerns about the status of the tour started early Wednesday when Ticketmaster notified ticket holders for Styles' late August concerts in Inglewood, California that the shows have been pushed to November.

The tour – which was bumped from 2020 due to the pandemic – included a show scheduled for Aug. 16 at Rogers Arena in Vancouver, where concert attendance is currently limited to 50 per cent capacity.

Styles was also scheduled to perform Sept. 28 and 29 in Toronto (where concert venues are currently not allowed to welcome any fans) and Oct. 20 in Montreal (where there are currently capacity limits).

Styles announced the tour in November 2019, with stops in Montreal on June 30, 2020, Toronto on July 3 and 4, 2020 and Vancouver on Aug. 23, 2020. Only weeks before the Montreal show, Styles shared the news that the tour was being pushed to 2021.

https://www.iheartradio.ca/news/harry-styles-tour-dates-postponed-1.15620040 

A professional Taylor Swift lookalike got a lesson in how toxic social media can be after inadvertently fooling Swift fans with a video that blew up on TikTok.

Ashley, a Nashville trauma nurse (aka @traumarn13), went viral after posting a clip in which she shared how she’s doing laundry without a washer and dryer. Backed by “Kiss Me More” by Doja Cat ft. SZA, Ashley turned the camera to show a bathtub and a bottle of Tide.

“I do not recommend doing 3 loads in one day,” she captioned the post. “Rinse repeat. I am done.”

To date, it’s been seen more than 2.7 million times.

Embarrassed that they thought it was Swift in the video, some fans reported Ashley’s account – prompting her to initially, well, shake it off.

“Thank you to those who have nothing better to do with their lives,” she captioned a follow-up post that read: “When you have fun creating content for your followers & then someone reports your account for no reason and now you are blocked from updating your account.”

On Tuesday, the Swift doppelgänger took more direct aim at the bullies. "Insecure people only eclipse your sun because they’re jealous of your daylight and tired of their dark, starless nights,” she captioned a video backed by Swift’s “You Need To Calm Down.”

Ashley added: “Be the reason someone WAKES up in the morning, not the reason they DIDN’T wake up.”

Earlier, Ashley is seen laughing in a clip that reads: “When millions of people think Taylor Swift does her laundry in her bathtub & don’t even think to read the screen name. BTW my name is on my page.”

When she isn’t working at a hospital, Ashley takes gigs as a Swift lookalike. 

"More than just a double, Ashley is a true artist and a talented, believable performer," reads a description on the Mirror Images website.

https://www.iheartradio.ca/news/taylor-swift-lookalike-responds-to-bullying-1.15619870 

Thanks to John R. Kennedy for today’s news stories. Visit iHeartRadio.ca for all the latest music news, and subscribe to iheartradioca on youtube for new episodes of the filter every week.

Hello and Happy Wednesday July 14, Here are your latest news stories brought to you by the filter!

 

BTS delivered the TV debut of their new single “Permission To Dance” in the form of a video that aired during Tuesday’s episode of The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.

The group performed in the atrium of a building decorated with hundreds of balloons in various shades of purple. Near the end of the song, they were joined by a group of dancers.

“Permission To Dance” was co-written by Ed Sheeran, with Steve Mac, Johnny McDaid and Canada’s Jenna Andrews. Sheeran also co-wrote their 2019 track “Make It Right.”

“We can’t believe that we haven’t met him,” RM told Fallon during a chat from South Korea. “This is the second project with him, but we never met him yet.”BTS will perform "Butter" on Wednesday's episode of The Tonight Show.

https://www.iheartradio.ca/news/watch-bts-performs-permission-to-dance-1.15619651 

The Weeknd went on a Twitter spree late Tuesday to tease his next album.

“We gettin’ there,” he wrote, alongside a CD emoji. “Really proud of this one. wow…”

Last September, the Canadian singer told Rolling Stone he was working on a follow-up to the wildly successful After Hours. "I might have another album ready to go by the time this quarantine is over,” he said.

In April, The Weeknd tweeted that he “made so much magic in the small quarantined room” and said he is “now just piecing it all together… it’s so beautiful.” At the Billboard Music Awards in May, The Weeknd declared: "The After Hours are done and the dawn is coming."

On Tuesday, The Weeknd gave another update. “Massaging it now, being sweet to it. giving it some tlc…”

He added: “Just so there’s no confusion, it’s a full body of work…”

The Weeknd also promised fans “the tour is going to be MADNESS.” His After Hours tour was scheduled to hit five Canadian cities in June-July 2020 but was pushed a year due to the pandemic. It is now set to kick off in Vancouver on Jan. 14 and 15 followed by shows in Edmonton on Jan. 17; Winnipeg on Jan. 19; Toronto on Feb. 1 and 2 and April 10 and 11; and Montreal on Feb. 3.

The Weeknd's album update came the same day his Super Bowl performance received three nominations at the Emmy Awards, including Outstanding Variety Special.

https://www.iheartradio.ca/news/the-weeknd-teases-next-album-really-proud-of-this-one-1.15619440 

 

Demi Lovato is showing compassion to those who misgender them, after a lifetime of using she/her pronouns. Demi took to twitter to say “if you misgender me, that’s ok… I accidentally misgender myself sometimes! As long as you keep trying to respect my truth, the shift will come naturally. Demi said, I felt the need to post this because I often find that the change in pronouns can be confusing for some, and difficult to remember for others. It’s all about your intention. It’s important to me that you try -but if you make a mistake. That’s ok. 

Demi’s post comes purposefully this week, which is non binary awareness week.

 

Thanks to John R. Kennedy for today’s news stories. Visit iHeartRadio.ca for all the latest music news, and subscribe to iheartradioca on youtube for new episodes of the filter every week.

Raine Maida sits down with iHeartRadio’s Jesse & JD to talk about Our Lady Peace's new single “Stop Making Stupid People Famous,” ahead of their highly anticipated upcoming album “Spiritual Machines II”