Global Pulse

分类： entertainment

  • Mexicans chase a world record wave – but is the trend even Mexican?

    Mexicans chase a world record wave – but is the trend even Mexican?

    Forty years after the stadium spectator wave cemented its global reputation under the name ‘Mexican wave’ during the 1986 FIFA World Cup hosted in Mexico, Mexico City is stepping forward to claim a new world record for the largest collective wave in history.

    The current Guinness World Record for the biggest wave has stood for nearly 18 years: it was set at a NASCAR racing event in Tennessee, United States, in 2008, when 157,574 spectators joined together to create the sweeping, rippling crowd movement that has become a staple at sporting events worldwide. To beat that mark, Mexico City organizers picked an unconventional non-stadium venue that would allow the wave to spread continuously across thousands of participants: Paseo de la Reforma, the city’s world-famous tree-lined arterial boulevard modeled after European grand thoroughfares.

    On Saturday, thousands of enthusiastic participants lined both sides of the iconic avenue. Dressed in the Mexican national men’s football team’s signature bright green jerseys in many cases, the crowd went through multiple practice rounds before making their official record attempt. Chants of “Mexico! Mexico!” rang out across the avenue as thousands raised their arms in unison to carry the ripple down the length of the road. For now, official adjudicators from Guinness World Records are still reviewing data from the attempt to confirm whether Mexico City has successfully taken the crown from the 2008 NASCAR record.

    Beyond the record attempt, the event reignites a long-running conversation about the origins of the beloved crowd tradition. While the global name ‘Mexican wave’ ties the phenomenon closely to Mexico thanks to its 1986 World Cup breakthrough, many credit American entertainer George Henderson, widely known as Krazy George, with creating and directing the first full stadium wave. Henderson says he first launched the movement during a 1981 Major League Baseball game between the Oakland Athletics and New York Yankees in California.

    Recalling the moment, Henderson explained that the Athletics had dropped two straight away games, and by the third inning he was eager to try something completely new to energize the crowd. He worked with fans across three sections of the stadium to explain the concept. The first two attempts fell flat, but the third successfully rolled all the way around the stadium, and the fourth produced a steady, continuous ripple. ‘The place was going crazy,’ Henderson recalled. The game was broadcast nationally, so the concept quickly spread to fans of other sports across North America. It was not until the 1986 World Cup in Mexico, however, that the wave was broadcast to a massive global audience, turning it into an international staple of spectator culture – and earning it the widespread ‘Mexican wave’ name outside North America.

    The uniquely collective nature of the wave has even drawn the attention of scientific researchers curious about crowd behavior. In 2002, a team of physicists from the Hungarian Academy of Sciences’ statistical and biological physics group decided to map the mechanics of the stadium wave, publishing their findings in the leading academic journal *Nature*. Lead researcher Illes Farkas told NPR the team was drawn to the project because crowd behavior in a wave offers a clear parallel to particle movement in physical systems.

    The team’s analysis uncovered clear, consistent patterns: most spontaneous human waves travel clockwise around stadiums at a speed of roughly 12 meters, equal to about 20 spectator seats, per second. Shockingly, they also found that a self-sustaining wave only needs between 25 and 35 initiating participants to get rolling in a large stadium. The mathematical model the team used to explain the wave’s spread was not newly developed for the research – it was the same framework already used to describe how forest fires spread and how electrical signals propagate through heart tissue.

    Beyond the physics, sports writer Chris Hunt, author of *World Cup Stories*, told the BBC that the wave also carries varied cultural meanings depending on context. While it is most commonly seen as a symbol of collective joy and excitement among spectators, it can also signal boredom when a match is slow or uneventful. ‘When a match drags and nothing interesting is happening on the pitch, fans feel it’s a way to make the most of the money they paid for their tickets,’ Hunt explained. Context also dictates whether a wave is likely to appear at all: a tense goalless draw in the final minutes of a World Cup final will almost never see a wave, while a lopsided friendly match with the home team leading handily is far more likely to spark the familiar ripple.

  • A raucous Copenhagen crowd cheers Denmark’s 2026 Mullet Championship

    A raucous Copenhagen crowd cheers Denmark’s 2026 Mullet Championship

    On a vibrant outdoor stage in the heart of Copenhagen, more than 1,000 cheering spectators packed together on Saturday to honor one of fashion’s most divisive yet enduring looks: the mullet. The iconic cut, defined by its sharp contrast of cropped strands at the front and flowing length at the back, took center stage at the 2026 Danish Mullet Championship, the fourth iteration of an event born from one enthusiast’s personal passion.

    The competition traces its roots back to organizer Steffen Stiw Weber, a 37-year-old electrician who launched the national contest after a hair transplant left him growing his own mullet. When Weber discovered he was ineligible to enter an existing mullet competition in the United States as a non-U.S. citizen, he took matters into his own hands. “I was like, OK, I have to do it on my own here in Denmark,” he recalled with a grin. For Weber, the celebration of the mullet fills a unique niche in modern digital culture: amid social media pressures to present polished, perfect appearances, the mullet stands out as a deliberate act of breaking the mold. “I think that’s why people have to stand out from the crowd,” he explained.

    Twelve carefully coiffed contestants stepped into the spotlight on Saturday, vying for the top title under the judging criteria that extended far beyond just the cut itself. Judges evaluated each competitor on style, originality, stage presence and what event organizers call “mullet moves” — the personal flair competitors bring to their on-stage showcase. Bobby Agren, a Copenhagen-based salon owner and one of the event’s judges, explained the ethos that guides the competition: “I like the finesse, the twist, the nostalgia. I like it if it looks ridiculous or maybe ugly in a beautiful way.” Each contestant got 60 seconds alone on the stage to show off their cut and their personality, leading to a lineup of over-the-top, memorable performances. The evening featured everything from beer-swilling theatrical bits and sharp body-popping dance routines to an impromptu live saxophone performance. One competitor even crafted their mullet to mimic the pattern of the Danish flag, drawing roars of approval from the crowd.

    The audience’s loud chants and cheers fueled the energy of every performer, with the crowd’s enthusiasm building with each routine. After each set, judges held up handwritten scorecards to tally points, building tension for the final announcement. When the scores were counted, 43-year-old construction worker Thomas Berg claimed the first-place title after a showstopping performance: clad in neon green athletic wear, he wowed judges by bouncing frantically on a trampoline mid-set, finishing off his mullet with a bright orange headband. After accepting his prize, Berg called the event what it is at its core: a lighthearted celebration of self-expression. “I think it’s just funny. It’s just a big party,” he said. “It’s just nice to be a bit outside the box.”

    While the mullet has experienced a sharp resurgence in global popularity in recent years, its history stretches back decades, even centuries. Though the style likely predates modern barbering as we know it, the Oxford English Dictionary credits iconic hip-hop group the Beastie Boys with popularizing the term “mullet” after they released their track “Mullet Head” on the 1994 album *Ill Communication*. The cut rose to mainstream popularity in the 1980s, embraced by professional ice hockey players and rock musicians alike, before falling out of mainstream fashion favor. Famously, fashion bible Vogue once labeled the mullet “history’s most divisive hairstyle.”

    The COVID-19 pandemic sparked a new wave of mullet enthusiasm around the world, when widespread salon closures left lockdown-weary people growing out their hair without professional trims. British culture magazine i-D even declared 2020 “the year of the mullet,” cementing the cut’s comeback. Today, mullet competitions are held across the globe, with Belgium hosting the European Mullet Cup just one month before the Danish event. For Agren, this cycle is nothing new for fashion trends. “It comes back every 20-30 years. There’s always a circular motion in fashion,” he noted, pointing to the mullet’s enduring ability to capture public attention decades after its first moment in the spotlight.

  • Ragas and symphonies: Indian maestro Ilaiyaraaja is still reshaping music 50 years on

    Ragas and symphonies: Indian maestro Ilaiyaraaja is still reshaping music 50 years on

    Fifty years after he first stepped onto the Indian film music scene, Ilaiyaraaja — affectionately known to millions of devotees as “the Maestro” — still resonates across generations, his compositions filling living rooms, sold-out concert venues and cinema screens from one end of India to the other.

    Now 83 years old, the Tamil Nadu-born composer has carved out an unmatched place in Indian cinematic history: he has scored music for more than 1,000 feature films across nine different languages, a feat no other composer in the industry has matched. His career, built from humble, poverty-stricken origins, reimagined the very sound of South Indian film music, starting with his game-changing 1976 debut *Annakili* that marked a watershed moment for the art form.

    Renowned Carnatic musician TM Krishna notes that Ilaiyaraaja’s arrival upended long-held conventions of Indian film scoring, bringing a fresh perspective rooted in a wholly distinct social and artistic background. Before Ilaiyaraaja’s breakthrough, most mainstream Indian film music drew almost exclusively from traditional Indian classical roots, with Western symphonic influences rarely integrated into popular soundtracks. Unlike his predecessors, Ilaiyaraaja drew freely from a vast global tapestry of musical traditions, weaving disparate styles into a cohesive, singular sound that remains instantly recognizable to fans.

    “What’s unique is that he creates a cohesiveness to all the different forms he’s taken from different genres of music. That is the genius of Ilaiyaraaja,” Krishna explained.

    Following the massive success of *Annakili*, Ilaiyaraaja went on to produce hundreds of hit scores across multiple Indian languages, including iconic works for *Pathinaaru Vayathinile*, *Olangal*, *Sadma*, *Geetanjali*, *Chinna Gounder* and *Nayakan*. Across his career, he has composed more than 8,000 original film songs, many rooted deeply in Tamil Nadu’s rural folk and ballad traditions that shaped his childhood. Just last year, he made history as the first Indian composer to write and perform a full Western classical symphony with London’s Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, an achievement the orchestra called a “milestone in global music history.”

    Born R Gnanathesikan in 1943 in the small Tamil Nadu town of Pannaipuram, Ilaiyaraaja grew up immersed in the rural folk music that his father, a cardamom estate supervisor, sang regularly. When he was just seven, his father died suddenly, leaving his mother Chinnathayammal to support the entire household alone through years of severe financial hardship. “We went through a difficult period,” recalled Gangai Amaran, Ilaiyaraaja’s younger brother who would later go on to become a celebrated music composer in his own right, in an interview with the BBC.

    Born into a poor, socially marginalized family, Ilaiyaraaja faced steep barriers to professional opportunity from childhood. But music was a constant: his eldest brother, singer and playwright Paavalar Varadharajan, performed regularly at Communist Party events, which held major sway in the region in the 1950s. “We travelled from village to village with our elder brother. That’s how we learnt folk and rural musical traditions,” Amaran said. When Varadharajan fell ill ahead of a major performance, their mother convinced a young Ilaiyaraaja to step in — marking his first ever public performance.

    Forced to drop out of school at 14, Ilaiyaraaja moved with his brothers to Madras (now Chennai) in 1968 to pursue work in the film industry. He later recalled walking miles to save money on bus fares and often going to bed hungry as he struggled to get a foothold in the industry. He studied Western music under Dhanraj Master, mastering guitar and piano while diving deep into the works of Bach, Beethoven, Mozart and Schubert. “It’s God’s gift. Learning and mastering musical instruments came to him naturally,” Amaran said.

    In 1969, Ilaiyaraaja landed a role as an assistant to leading film composer GK Venkatesh, who would become his mentor and encouraged him to develop his own orchestral writing. He built his skills as a session guitarist while drafting his own original compositions, following a grueling daily routine for years: early morning music lessons, full days of recording sessions, and late returns home close to midnight. By the time he got his big break, he had already contributed to more than 200 films, honing his craft and building critical industry connections.

    His breakthrough came when writer and lyricist Panchu Arunachalam invited him to pitch for the upcoming film *Annakili*. With no instrument available to play at the meeting, Ilaiyaraaja used a wooden table as a percussion instrument to sing his composition for the producers, who left instantly impressed. Arunachalam also rebranded the young composer, giving him the name Ilaiyaraaja — meaning “young king” in Tamil.

    The runaway success of *Annakili* catapulted Ilaiyaraaja to fame, and he quickly became the most in-demand composer in South Indian cinema. As music critic Shaji Chen notes, his rise aligned perfectly with a technological shift that transformed how Indians consumed music: the advent of affordable cassette tapes and personal music systems allowed audiences to listen to their favorite tracks on demand, moving beyond the limited reach of state-run radio and public vinyl playings. At the peak of his career, Ilaiyaraaja scored more than 50 films in a single year, and audiences frequently packed cinemas repeatedly just to hear his compositions — with many hit films running for more than 100 days in theaters driven primarily by the popularity of his scores.

    “He understands the emotional textures and themes of a film. He brings out those emotions. That is why his scores stand out,” says music critic Suanshu Khurana.

    One of his most iconic works, *Rakkamma Kaiya Thattu* from the 1991 gangster drama *Thalapathi*, perfectly exemplifies his signature style. The track fuses Tamil folk traditions, Carnatic structure, Western classical fugue and polka, with shifting tempos and subtle rhythmic flourishes tying together its contrasting sections. In a 2002 global poll run by the BBC World Service, the track was voted the fourth most popular song in the world.

    A lifelong relentless experimenter, Ilaiyaraaja regularly blended Carnatic ragas, Indian folk melodies, and Western classical works from composers like Schubert and Mozart into single cohesive compositions. During a recent performance of his *Valiant* symphony in Chennai, he explained how he wove themes from Schubert’s Unfinished Symphony into *Idhayam Pogudhey*, a track from his 1979 Tamil film *Puthiya Vaarpukkal*. “They [styles] were from two different cultures. But I wanted to prove that they were not different; it’s the same thing,” he said.

    Ilaiyaraaja dominated Tamil film music through the 1980s, and even after the rise of AR Rahman in the early 1990s, he remained a defining force in Indian music — and a key influence on the next generation of composers. Before rising to fame himself, Rahman worked as a keyboard player in Ilaiyaraaja’s orchestra, and in 2019 he called working with the Maestro equivalent to attending a top music school. “His life itself has been an inspiration to me,” Rahman said.

    To date, Ilaiyaraaja has delivered hit scores for decades of beloved films, including *Nizhalkuthu*, *Virumaandi* and *Cheeni Kum*, and has also composed original works based on ancient Tamil devotional literature, including the acclaimed *Thiruvasagam*. In 2018, he was awarded the Padma Vibhushan, India’s second-highest civilian honor, in recognition of his contributions to the arts.

    Even at 83, Ilaiyaraaja shows no signs of slowing down: he still scores music for several films every year, recently performed his *Valiant Symphony* in major Indian cities Chennai and Bengaluru, and continues to tour internationally for live concert performances. A new generation of listeners is now discovering his work through streaming platforms and viral remixes, with one 1983 Malayalam track *Kiliye Kiliye* recently finding a new mainstream audience after being featured in the recent film *Lokah Chapter 1: Chandra*.

    In recent years, Ilaiyaraaja has also made headlines for high-profile legal battles over royalty rights and the unauthorized use of his work by third parties. Beyond his musical innovations, his decades-long career also upended long-standing social barriers in Carnatic music, a field long dominated by upper-caste musicians and closed to artists from marginalized backgrounds. Ilaiyaraaja’s mastery of the form forced a reckoning with old hierarchies, breaking down barriers for future generations of composers.

    “He transcended social and caste hierarchies through his music,” Krishna says.

  • ‘Traitor’ – Elmo in hot water with New Yorkers over Knicks NBA finals

    ‘Traitor’ – Elmo in hot water with New Yorkers over Knicks NBA finals

    New York City is buzzing with unprecedented enthusiasm right now, as the iconic hometown New York Knicks make their long-awaited return to the NBA Finals, competing for the league’s highest championship trophy. For the first time in 27 years, the franchise has advanced to the title round, drawing widespread celebration across the city that never sleeps—from raucous street gatherings to packed, cheering watch parties in local bars, particularly after the Knicks secured their opening victory against the San Antonio Spurs in the best-of-seven series.

    But even in a city swept up in basketball fever, one beloved local character’s take on the matchup has landed him in the middle of a very public social media firestorm. Elmo, the famous red children’s puppet from *Sesame Street*—the show whose fictional set is rooted in Manhattan—posted a mild, upbeat comment on X earlier this week that read: “Elmo hopes both teams have fun!”

    That neutral statement was enough to enrage Knicks fans, who blasted Elmo for what they labeled “fence-sitting” on the high-stakes matchup. Diehard supporters took to social media in droves, with some labeling the character a “traitor” and dozens of viral posts lashing out at his refusal to pick a side. Even among the more tempered responses, fans reminded the puppet of his New York roots. “Elmo don’t forget the streets that raised you,” one fan wrote. Another added, “Elmo, you can’t both sides this one.”

    The backlash even extended to official New York City government agencies, who jumped into the fray to side with the fans. The New York City Police Department’s official X account poked fun at Elmo, drawing a parallel between the character and the unlicensed Elmo impersonators that often solicit photos from tourists in Times Square. “Just like in Times Square, we think this Elmo is an imposter,” the department wrote. The city’s Department of Transportation went a step further, joking that it would remove the official Sesame Street street sign installed in Upper Manhattan during former Mayor Bill de Blasio’s tenure.

    After facing a wave of online vitriol, Elmo responded Thursday with a characteristic tongue-in-cheek joke that played on the name of his opposing team: “KNICKS that last message! Elmo didn’t mean to SPUR you on!”

    This is far from the first time the iconic children’s character has found himself at the center of unexpected social media controversy. First introduced to *Sesame Street* audiences in 1980, Elmo is best known for promoting kindness and inclusivity to young viewers, but he has a long history of viral online moments. In 2022, his long-running on-show feud with Rocco, his friend’s pet rock, sparked a wave of global memes centered on Elmo’s over-the-top frustration that the rock was framed as capable of human activities like eating cookies and using the bathroom. In 2024, a simple, innocent post from Elmo asking “How is everybody doing?” drew thousands of sarcastic, world-weary responses from adults dealing with the stresses of daily life. Just last year, Elmo’s official X account was compromised by unknown hackers, who posted disgusting antisemitic and racist content along with political messages targeting former President Donald Trump and demanding the release of sealed documents related to sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The *Sesame Street* production team quickly condemned the hack and removed the harmful posts.

    Now, as the Knicks continue their championship run, fans are making it clear they expect Elmo to fall in line and back the home team. One fan summed up the city’s mood, writing online: “This is how serious NY is taking this Finals. Elmo had to retract his statement cause the city was like you a New Yorker.”

  • When will Taylor Swift get married – fans have some ideas

    When will Taylor Swift get married – fans have some ideas

    For Taylor Swift’s legions of loyal fans, nothing sparks a collective internet mobilization quite like a good mystery. Right now, that mystery is not a secret album drop or an unannounced tour date—it is the global superstar’s upcoming nuptials to Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce, and the entire fandom is deep in a full-scale Easter egg hunt for every possible detail of the high-profile wedding.

    Swift, a 14-time Grammy-winner who built her decades-long career on strategically placing hidden clues for fans to decode in everything from album liner notes to social media posts, has remained characteristically coy about the wedding since the couple announced their engagement last August. That Instagram reveal racked up more than 37.5 million likes, and since that day, Swifties across the world have been poring over every hint, public appearance and past pattern to pin down a date, location and other key details of what many have dubbed America’s “royal wedding.”

    The only crumb of context Swift has shared so far came during an appearance on the BBC’s *Graham Norton Show*, where she hinted the event would be large with an extensive guest list—offering no further specifics to satisfy public curiosity. The BBC has reached out to Swift’s team for additional comment, but no new details have emerged.

    This intentional ambiguity has sent internet communities, pop culture analysts and diehard fans spinning out a wide range of theories, from grounded speculation to wildly far-fetched conjecture. For years, Swift’s carefully crafted approach to fan engagement has trained her audience to hunt for hidden foreshadowing in every choice she makes, from outfit choices to website design. But the superstar has long made it clear that personal life milestones are off-limits for Easter egg culture, leaving many fans connecting dots that may not even exist.

    Joanna Weiss, a journalist, co-author of *Taylor Swift: Album by Album* and a Swiftie since the release of 1989, explained that Swift’s unique relationship with her fame is what makes this moment so fascinating. “The way she’s able to build a fandom and a community and seed it with the clever things that she does on the internet made me really appreciate her, not just as an artist, but as a business person, cultural figure, and someone who understands how to navigate and manipulate the culture,” Weiss said.

    The most common speculation centers on the wedding date, with most fans guessing the ceremony will take place this summer, before Kelce returns to NFL training camp in mid-to-late July. Drawing on Swift’s well-documented love of numerology—she has integrated her favorite number 13, a nod to her December 13 birthday, into every era of her career from track listings to tour markings—fans have floated a number of dates that add up to the iconic number. Popular guesses include June 7 (written 07-06 in the U.S., which sums to 13), June 13 (a Saturday, the traditional peak wedding date, and the number itself), and July 6 (06-07, which also adds to 13). Other theories point to July 3 or 4, tying the wedding to both the U.S.’s 250th Independence Day celebration and Swift’s annual tradition of hosting large Fourth of July parties at her Rhode Island coastal estate.

    Caitlin Curley, a marketing student at the University of Galway and member of the university’s Swiftie Society who has followed Swift since 2008’s *Fearless*, notes that any leaked date could be a deliberate decoy to protect the couple’s safety and privacy. “For safety and security reasons, if there was to be a date leaked, it might be because it’s a decoy date. It would drag people’s attention elsewhere,” Curley explained.

    Beyond the date, fans have dissected every other possible detail of the big day: from whether Swift will opt for a romantic lace traditional gown or pair a bridal look with cowboy boots as a nod to her country music roots, to whether Kelce will have a custom groom’s cake, to how Swift’s three beloved cats will be incorporated into the ceremony. Ari Perez-Mejia, a professor, podcaster and long-time Swiftie, joked that fans are already wondering if feline companions Benjamin Button or Olivia will have a role carrying the rings.

    Unlike the tabloid frenzy that has surrounded the wedding, many long-time fans emphasize that their speculation comes from a place of joy, not entitlement. Kristie Frederick Daugherty, a poet, author and Swiftie, told the BBC that across the Swift-centric forums she participates in on Facebook, Instagram, Reddit and Substack, fans overwhelmingly respect Swift’s desire for privacy. “They’re not opining out of entitlement but out of excitement for a singer who has grown up alongside her fans… conjecture has been in the spirit of joy for a person they love finally getting her happy ending,” she said.

    That respect has not stopped less restrained parties from capitalizing on the hype: online prediction markets have launched wagers on the date and location, tabloids have run conflicting anonymous reports about leaked invitations and venues, and gossip about the A-list guest list has spread wildly across social media.

    Guesses about the wedding venue have also hit fever pitch, with multiple cities and states thrown into contention. Swift owns property across multiple U.S. states, and has close personal ties to London, New York City and Nashville, all of which are frequently named as contenders. Kansas City, Missouri, where the couple first met, is also a popular guess, as are the couple’s home states of Pennsylvania (Swift’s birth state) and Ohio (Kelce’s home state).

    A recent viral rumor that Swift had paid another couple to switch their wedding date at a Rhode Island venue near her estate was debunked earlier this month, and a Rhode Island congressman confirmed the singer had “passed” on hosting the event in the state.

    So far, very few details about the guest list have been confirmed. Long-time close friends like Selena Gomez and frequent collaborator Jack Antonoff are widely expected to attend, but neither has confirmed their participation. Even public figures who have close ties to the couple, like Queer Eye star Antoni Porowski (Kelce’s brother-in-law’s friend) and BBC Radio 1 host Greg James (who was personally invited by Swift during her latest album promo), have declined to share any details. So far, only singer Benson Boone and actress Suki Waterhouse have publicly confirmed they will attend, offering no additional context. Fans are also speculating whether Blake Lively, Swift’s one-time close friend who recently drew the singer into her legal dispute with *It Ends With Us* co-star Justin Baldoni, will receive an invitation.

    Many fans hold out hope that a small number of devout long-time fans might receive invitations, pointing to Swift’s history of inviting superfans to private events at her homes. There is also widespread speculation about the bridal party, with many guessing Gomez and Swift’s childhood friend Abigail Anderson Berard, who has appeared in multiple of Swift’s music videos, will fill key roles.

    Dani Winchester, an event planner and co-host of the *Taylearning* podcast, says most fans enjoy the lighthearted speculation around the wedding, but the problem arises when people forget Swift is a private person, not a public spectacle to dissect. “We don’t mind the gamification of Taylor Swift, as it were. It can be fun to speculate – what will the dress look like, who might be a bridesmaid, how big will the wedding be?” Winchester said. “The problem is when people forget that Swift is a real person, and not a video game character.”

    To protect her privacy, many fans speculate Swift could send invitations at the last minute, potentially even notifying guests the day of the wedding to prevent details from leaking ahead of time. While wedding watchers remain skeptical that any concrete details will emerge before the event, Swift’s fanbase plans to continue hunting for clues drawing on everything they have learned about the singer over her decades-long career.

    Even so, most fans told the BBC they are perfectly happy to wait for Swift to share details on her own terms after the wedding is over. “We only enter her personal life in ways that she invites us to,” said Victoria Morton, co-founder of TSwift Dance Party Canada. Though she added that the entire global fan community remains “tremendously excited and waiting on every little detail.”

  • I wanted to quit Eurovision twice – then won it, says Bangaranga singer Dara

    I wanted to quit Eurovision twice – then won it, says Bangaranga singer Dara

    The 2026 Eurovision Song Contest in Vienna has made history, as Dara, the Bulgarian performer behind the viral hit *Bangaranga*, delivered a landslide victory that secured Bulgaria its first ever champion title in the iconic global contest. What makes the story of this landmark win even more compelling is that Dara nearly walked away from the competition twice before stepping onto the Vienna stage, opening up in a recent interview with BBC Newsbeat about how her struggle to protect her mental health nearly cost her the historic win.

    Dara, an already established 27-year-old artist, first considered turning down the opportunity after she raised concerns over unsatisfactory terms in her initial contest contract. Even after resolving that issue, the anxiety of stepping into the Eurovision spotlight hit her immediately after she was officially announced as Bulgaria’s first contest entry since 2022. Recently diagnosed with ADHD, Dara said the pressure of the high-stakes competition left her physically overwhelmed: “I was shaking in my bed,” she recalled, adding that she spent three hours trying to calm her frayed nerves after the announcement. Fearing that the intense competition schedule would worsen her symptoms, she questioned whether she was worthy of the spot, and worried that pushing through would cause long-term damage to her mental wellbeing that she would never recover from.

    Long known as one of the most high-pressure events in global entertainment, Eurovision pushes participating artists to their limits, requiring them to navigate a grueling packed rehearsal schedule, intense public scrutiny, and a global audience of hundreds of millions. Even former contestants have highlighted the mental toll of the experience: when 2024 United Kingdom representative Olly Alexander was asked what advice he would give to future competing artists by commentator Graham Norton, he simply replied, “Get yourself a really good therapist.”

    Against this backdrop, Dara credits the professional mental health support she received after her ADHD diagnosis with giving her the tools to stay in the competition and ultimately thrive. Working closely with her therapist, she learned strategies to feel grounded in crowded, high-pressure environments, and developed a personal routine of breathing exercises, drawing, journaling, and meditation to keep herself centered amid the chaos. By the time she stepped onto the Vienna stage, that preparation had paid off: “I’ve never felt more calm on stage, more secure,” she said of her performance.

    That poised, personality-filled performance was exactly what won over global voters. Going into the contest, Dara was ranked as a little-known outside favorite, but her quirky, polished performance of *Bangaranga* — which featured sharp, clever choreography and one of the most memorable hooks in recent contest history — earned her a record-breaking points margin, delivering one of the most decisive victories in Eurovision history. Even as votes from across the continent poured in, Dara said she remained centered: “I opened my heart and just kept repeating, ‘Thank you God for putting me on that stage and for these people around me.’”

    Within days of her victory, Bulgarian national broadcaster BNT confirmed that Sofia, the country’s capital, will serve as the host city for the 2027 Eurovision Song Contest, a historic milestone for the small Eastern European nation. When Dara returned to Sofia, she was greeted by thousands of cheering fans who gathered to welcome their first Eurovision champion home. The singer will play a central role in planning and promoting next year’s host city celebrations.

    Despite the global fame and historic achievement that now cement her place in Eurovision’s hall of fame, Dara says her definition of long-term success has nothing to do with career milestones. Looking ahead, the singer says her top priorities are far more personal: “I want to have kids some day,” she said. “I want to be healthy and that is much more important than being successful in my career. Being successful as a human being is pretty big on my list.”

  • Carlos ‘Indio’ Solari, a legend of Argentina’s rock scene, dies at 77

    Carlos ‘Indio’ Solari, a legend of Argentina’s rock scene, dies at 77

    BUENOS AIRES, Argentina — Argentine music and counterculture icon Carlos Alberto Solari, the iconic singer-songwriter widely known by his stage nickname “El Indio” and frontman of the nation’s legendary rock group Patricio Rey y sus Redonditos de Ricota, passed away on Friday at the age of 77.

    Local law enforcement officials confirmed that Solari, who had lived with a Parkinson’s disease diagnosis for more than 10 years, was found unresponsive near an indoor pool at his residential property in Ituzaingó, a small town located roughly 18 miles west of the Argentine capital. Authorities have not yet released an official cause of death.

    Solari’s family shared confirmation of his passing via social media, announcing plans for a public funeral service to give fans across the country an opportunity to pay their final respects to the rock legend. Within minutes of news of his death breaking, hundreds of admirers began gathering outside his home, many bringing flowers to lay at the gate and wearing vintage band T-shirts emblazoned with Solari’s famous nickname. In a public statement shared after his death, the family wrote, “We will mourn as we deserve, listen to his songs, and above all, look out for one another, just as he taught us to do.”

    As the lead vocalist and creative driving force behind Patricio Rey y sus Redonditos de Ricota — better known to generations of fans simply as “Los Redondos” — Solari grew into one of Argentina’s most defining countercultural icons. For young Argentines coming of age during the country’s fragile transition from a violent military dictatorship to a new democratic system in the 1980s — an era marked by unprecedented new freedoms alongside crippling economic instability and hyperinflation — Solari’s music became a soundtrack for a generation of disaffected young people.

    During the 1990s, when Argentina’s government under then-President Carlos Saul Menem pushed sweeping free-market policies that sparked a wave of unregulated consumerism across the country, Solari’s gritty classic rock anthems, upbeat danceable tracks and layered, cryptic lyrics gave voice to widespread frustration with capitalist excess and growing foreign cultural and economic influence. Over the band’s active years, Los Redondos released 10 full-length studio albums, and the group famously rejected deals with major record labels throughout their career to protect full creative independence over their work.

    After the band split in 2001, Solari launched a successful solo career that spanned two decades. He released five additional studio albums under his own name, blending his signature classic rock sound with new electronic influences, and continued to draw crowds of hundreds of thousands of fans to massive stadium and park shows across Argentina.

    In 2016, during a headline performance at a massive sold-out concert, Solari publicly revealed his Parkinson’s diagnosis to fans. “Mr. Parkinson is nipping at my heels. But here I am,” he told the crowd, which erupted in a long standing ovation in support of the singer. He eventually retired from touring not long after, and spoke openly in subsequent interviews about the severe, debilitating impacts of his degenerative condition.

    In the days following the news of his death, tributes have poured in from across Argentina’s political, cultural, and sports sectors. The Argentine Soccer Association noted in a statement that Solari’s music “became a popular rallying cry” that “echoed in the stands” of stadiums across the soccer-mad nation. The Grandmothers of Plaza de Mayo, the prominent human rights group that works to locate relatives killed or disappeared during the 1976-1983 military dictatorship, said Solari “inspired society as a whole to doubt, to question and to think critically.” Even former Argentine President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner, who is currently serving a corruption conviction under house arrest, shared one of Solari’s most famous lyrics on social media — a verse popularized as a call for courageous living that reads “Just living costs you your life.”

    Solari is survived by his wife, Virginia Mones Ruiz, and their 25-year-old son, Bruno.

  • Singer Fally Ipupa’s pride at being given major DR Congo honour

    Singer Fally Ipupa’s pride at being given major DR Congo honour

    One of the most influential and successful African musical talents of his generation is celebrating one of the highest honors of his home country this week, after being formally inducted as a Knight of the Democratic Republic of Congo’s revered National Order of the Leopard. For 48-year-old Fally Ipupa, whose decades-long career has taken him from local collaborator to global icon with millions of loyal fans across every continent, the recognition carries far more meaning than a personal accolade.

    Ipupa’s journey to international stardom began 30 years ago, when he launched his professional career performing alongside fellow Congolese music legend Koffi Olomidé. Over the course of his career, he has built an extensive and versatile discography: he contributed to chart-topping group tracks as a member of collectives Talent Latent and Quartier Latin International, before going on to release eight full-length solo albums that have cemented his status as a cross-regional hitmaker.

    The knighthood, bestowed Tuesday, marks the highest honor Ipupa has received to date. The National Order of the Leopard is one of the DRC’s most prestigious state awards, granted exclusively by the country’s sitting president to public figures who have earned extraordinary distinction for their contributions to the nation. While the induction did not include a televised public ceremony, a government spokesperson confirmed Ipupa’s new title on state television the following day, praising the artist as a “worthy son of the nation.”

    In her remarks, the spokesperson highlighted that Ipupa’s one-of-a-kind artistic style and creative vision have played a critical role in elevating Congolese rumba on the global stage and spreading Congolese culture to international audiences. He follows in the footsteps of the late iconic Congolese musician Papa Wemba, who also received the same knighthood honor.

    Reacting to the news on social media, Ipupa shared his sense of “immense pride and deep emotion” with fans, emphasizing that his success has never been a solo achievement. “This path has never been mine alone. It belongs to an entire people,” he wrote, extending a message of encouragement to young Congolese creatives: “Your starting point does not define your destiny. Work, believe, persevere. The world is ready to hear your voice.”

    The latest award caps off a landmark year for Ipupa’s global career, which has already seen a string of historic firsts. His most recent studio album, *XX*, made him the first African artist ever to debut directly at the top of the French official album charts. Just last month, he also made history as the first Francophone African artist to sell out two consecutive back-to-back shows at Paris’s 80,000-capacity Stade de France. Later this year, he is scheduled to perform one of the largest shows of his career in the United Kingdom at London’s iconic O2 Arena.

    Ipupa’s grueling promotional schedule across Europe and the United States has come at a small cost, however: he recently told French outlet *Le Monde* that he lost his voice from repeated performances on television and radio programs, and his doctor ordered a full week of complete vocal rest to recover.

    Beyond his string of professional highs, Ipupa’s career has also included moments of profound loss and public controversy. Four years ago, a fatal crowd crush at a sold-out Ipupa concert in Kinshasa, the DRC’s capital, left 11 people dead. The tragedy was linked to the venue being oversold by more than a third of its maximum capacity.

    The artist has also faced criticism over the local Congolese music industry practice known as libanga, where musicians accept payment to shout out or praise politicians, corporations, and influential figures in their tracks. Ipupa has previously acknowledged the practice openly, telling Kenya’s Trace FM that he can earn roughly €10,000 per paid mention in a song. For years, Congolese diaspora fans angered by what they saw as overly close ties between Ipupa and the DRC’s widely criticized government organized boycotts that blocked his concerts abroad.

    Beyond the controversy, Ipupa has also carved out a profile as a philanthropist and served as a UNICEF goodwill ambassador, and he has long maintained that his core mission as an artist is to unite rather than divide audiences. Accepting the knighthood, he reiterated that the award extends far beyond him as an individual: “This distinction is more than personal. Above all, it celebrates Congolese music, our culture, our identity, this force that unites us and elevates us beyond borders.”

  • Primavera festival fans say handling of bad weather put ‘dampener’ on first day

    Primavera festival fans say handling of bad weather put ‘dampener’ on first day

    Barcelona’s iconic Primavera Sound music festival got off to a rocky start on Thursday, as a cascade of last-minute performance cancellations driven by extreme adverse weather left thousands of ticket holders frustrated by what attendees describe as a total breakdown in official communication.

    Unstable weather conditions brought heavy rain and wind gusts reaching up to 80 kilometers per hour to the Catalan capital, forcing festival organizers to scrap a full slate of scheduled sets across the day. Early Thursday, artists Alex G and Mac DeMarco had their performances called off after a yellow severe weather warning was issued, with organizers initially issuing only a brief apology for the resulting inconvenience. As the weather failed to improve into the evening, three high-profile headline acts — UK electronic collective Massive Attack, global pop star Doja Cat, and Spanish fan favorite Bad Gyal — also had their sets canceled just minutes before they were due to take the stage. Organizers defended the decision, stating that persistent unsafe conditions made it impossible to guarantee the wellbeing of either attendees or performing artists.

    In a public statement released Friday, festival leadership acknowledged the widespread anger among ticket holders, saying they “understand and share the frustration and disappointment of the audience.” Organizers also confirmed that no major injuries or safety incidents were reported during Thursday’s chaotic opening day, and that all event staff followed established safety protocols to the letter. To compensate attendees for the lost day, the festival confirmed that full refunds will be issued for all Thursday single-day tickets, with full details of the refund process set to be announced publicly next Monday.

    Attendees who spoke to media have painted a picture of widespread confusion and misinformation across the festival grounds on Thursday, rooted in what they call a total lack of clear, timely updates from event organizers. Alex Milsom, a 28-year-old communications professional from London who traveled to Barcelona for the event, told reporters that while organizers had issued an initial forecast warning about incoming rain, there was almost no follow-up communication as schedule changes unfolded. “I had absolutely no idea what was going on in the middle of the festival,” Milsom said. “Rumors were spreading everywhere, and the only way I could get any information was through fan group chats, personal messages, and random Instagram comments. That lack of clarity just breeds disinformation.” Milsom added that he only learned of Doja Cat’s cancellation when the artist herself announced the news in an Instagram Live, where she told fans she was “absolutely crushed” to miss her set. Even official app alerts only notified users of a “programme update” with no further context, he noted, leaving thousands of fans guessing for hours.

    For many attendees who spent months saving money to travel to Barcelona for the festival, the poor handling of the opening day has significantly dampened excitement for the rest of the event. “The least they could do is plan for the rain that they knew was coming four days ago,” Milsom said.

    Lauren Cashell, a 27-year-old attendee from County Clare, Ireland, echoed those frustrations, saying she and her friends waited in the pouring rain for seven hours without getting to see a single performance. “It really felt like everyone just had a collective trauma bond from all the rain that happened,” she said. Cashell, who has attended multiple festivals in Ireland with well-established rain contingency plans, said crowds were stunned that Primavera Sound had no clear backup plan to share with attendees. “Everyone was just so shocked as to how it went and how it was handled,” she explained. While Cashell said she expects overall attendee morale will rebound for the remainder of the festival, she added that “there’s going to be a lot of making up to do” to win back disappointed fans.

    The festival is set to continue Friday with a packed scheduled of performances, headlined by legendary rock band The Cure, with additional sets from US pop creator Addison Rae and British breakout artist PinkPantheress on the lineup.

  • US actor James Handy stabbed to death, with girlfriend’s son arrested

    US actor James Handy stabbed to death, with girlfriend’s son arrested

    Veteran American character actor James Handy, whose decades-long career included memorable small roles in blockbuster films like *Jumanji* and *Top Gun: Maverick* and dozens of hit television series, has been killed in a stabbing at his Los Angeles-area residence, law enforcement officials confirmed this week. Handy was 81 years old.

    First responders from the Los Angeles Police Department were dispatched to Handy’s home in the Tarzana neighborhood of Los Angeles on Wednesday, after an emergency 911 call from the property. The caller, who identified himself as the son of Handy’s girlfriend, told dispatchers “I am the son of man, I just killed the man of sin,” according to police reports. When officers arrived at the scene, 44-year-old Michael Gledhill, the caller, flagged them down immediately and admitted to the killing, investigators said.

    Handy was found unconscious in the front yard of the home, suffering from multiple stab wounds to the chest. Gledhill, who lives at the property with his mother (Handy’s long-term girlfriend), was taken into custody at the scene without incident. LAPD investigators have stated the killing appears to be an isolated event, with no ongoing risk to the surrounding public.

    Following his arrest, Gledhill was transferred to the Van Nuys Jail, where he has been booked on a single charge of murder. His bail has been set at $2 million, equal to roughly £1.5 million.

    Born in New York, Handy built a consistent, respected six-decade career in Hollywood, almost exclusively as a supporting character actor across film and television. Though he rarely landed lead roles, his resume of credits reads as a survey of American popular media from the past 60 years. He made guest and recurring appearances on iconic crime and drama series including *NYPD Blue*, *Law & Order*, *The X-Files*, *Murder, She Wrote*, *CSI: NY*, *Alias*, *Castle*, *NCIS*, and *The West Wing*. On the film side, he held small roles in cult and blockbuster releases including *Arachnophobia*, *K-9*, *Logan*, *Jumanji*, and his final big-screen credit, 2022’s global hit *Top Gun: Maverick*, where he portrayed Jimmy, a bartender working alongside Jennifer Connelly’s character, the love interest of Tom Cruise’s Pete “Maverick” Mitchell.

    News of Handy’s death has prompted tributes from across the entertainment industry. Entertainment journalist Jay Bobbin said he was heartbroken by the passing of what he called a “superb character actor.” Don Winslow, the best-selling author and producer who created the 2001 police procedural *UC: Undercover*, which featured Handy in a recurring role, called the performer a “terrific actor.” “We were honoured to have him on *UC: Undercover* in a recurring role,” Winslow said. “His performances were always special.”