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Morgan Wallen remains at #1 on 'Billboard' 200

• No Comments • Country Music News

ABCMorgan Wallen continues to sit in the #1 spot on the Billboard 200 with his album Dangerous. 

Morgan is spending his eighth consecutive week at the top of the all-genre chart, earning 82,000 equivalent album units this week and marking the first time a country album has spent its first eight weeks in the top spot on the all-genre chart. That makes Dangerous one of six country albums to spend at least eight weeks at #1 on the chart: it’s currently in a tie with Garth Brooks‘ The Hits, which also logged eight weeks.  

Garth’s Ropin’ the Wind album, Billy Ray Cyrus‘ Some Gave All and Taylor Swift‘s Grammy-winning Fearless have all spent more than 10 weeks at #1 on the Billboard 200. 

The news arrives weeks after Morgan was caught on video using a racial slur, leading to multiple stations across the country removing his music from its playlists. His label, Big Loud Records, suspended his recording contract indefinitely and he was dropped by talent agency, WME.  The Academy of Country Music also deemed that Morgan and Dangerous were ineligible for nominations at the 2021 ACM Awards.  

A week after the video surfaced in February, Morgan asked his fans in an Instagram video to stop coming to his defense. “I appreciate those who still see something in me and have defended me. But for today, please don’t. I was wrong. It’s on me to take ownership of this, and I fully accept any penalties I’ll face,” he said.

By Cillea Houghton 
Copyright © 2021, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Raya and the Last Dragon's Kelly Marie Tran says seeing its diverse cast in animated form was "really special"

• No Comments • Entertainment News

Walt Disney Pictures(LOS ANGELES) — The new Disney film Raya and the Last Dragon is winning praise for celebrating Southeast Asian culture, via its fictional but Asian-inspired world of Kumandra.

For star Kelly Marie Tran, who plays the titular warrior princess, seeing her culture and that of her co-stars — including Akwafina, Benedict Wong and Daniel Dae-Kim — well represented onscreen was so important.  But seeing their own faces so well portrayed by the animators was something to behold, she tells ABC Audio.

“Yeah! Yeah!” Kelly enthused when asked if she was surprised by seeing her real-life expressions borrowed by the movie’s artists to bring Raya to life. “That goes to show how talented all of the animators are, and how incredible the team that we worked with is movie.”

“You know, movie after movie after movie you’re seeing the characters become more and more lifelike,” Tran adds, “and I think especially with this one, you sort of forget that you’re watching an animated movie because it just feels so real! Yeah, it’s really, really special.” 

Raya and the Last Dragon debuted in first place at the box office over the weekend, and is also available on demand on Disney+. 

Disney is the parent company of ABC Audio. 

By Stephen Iervolino
Copyright © 2021, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Judge orders NFL, class counsel to ‘address the concerns’ about race-norming in concussion settlement

• No Comments • Sports News

EricVega/iStockBy PETE MADDEN, ABC News

(NEW YORK) — The federal judge overseeing the NFL’s concussion settlement program is sending the league and the class counsel representing former players back to the negotiating table “to seek to address the concerns relating to the race-norming issue” that critics say has skewed compensation for football-related head injuries along racial lines.

In a pair of orders issued Monday, Judge Anita Brody of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, dismissed a lawsuit against the NFL filed by former players Kevin Henry and Najeh Davenport as “an improper attack on the Settlement Agreement” but wrote that “the Court, however, remains concerned” about the race-based formula used to measure cognitive impairment and determine eligibility for compensation.

Brody referred the NFL and class counsel Seeger Weiss – the original parties that drafted the agreement – to appear before Magistrate Judge David Strawbridge to reach a new agreement on the issue.

This story is developing, please check back in for updates.

Copyright © 2021, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Pepé Le Pew skunked from 'Space Jam 2' after "rape culture" accusations

• No Comments • Entertainment News

LMPC via Getty Images(LOS ANGELES) — Adieu Le Pew, you’ve been cancelled.

Pepé Le Pew, the French skunk from Warner Bros.’ Looney Tunes and Merry Melodies cartoons whose relentless pursuit of love — and his odor — typically caused other characters to flee, has been axed from the studio’s upcoming Space Jam sequel, according to The Hollywood Reporter. 

The move follows a New York Times editorial calling out the the toon for behavior that “normalized rape culture.” 

Pepé was featured in the first Space Jam movie, which starred Michael Jordan. It is unclear if the cartoon character will be retired completely.  

Space Jam 2, starring NBA champ LeBron James, is due out July 16, 2021.

By George Costantino
Copyright © 2021, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Miranda Lambert, Maren Morris & more to perform at Grammy Awards

• No Comments • Country Music News

CBSMiranda Lambert, Maren Morris and Mickey Guyton will perform at the 2021 Grammy Awards.

They join an all-star roster of performers that also includes Taylor Swift, Cardi B, Billie Eilish, Harry Styles, Lil Baby, Maren’s fellow The Highwomen member Brandi Carlile, and more.  

Miranda is the most-nominated country act, with three nods, while Mickey makes history as the first Black female solo artist to be nominated in a country category, for “Black Like Me,” which is nominated for Best Country Solo Performance.

Maren has two nominations in the category of Best Country Song, for “The Bones” and The Highwomen’s “Crowded Table.” 

The Grammys will also pay tribute to live venues that have been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, with employees from the Troubadour in LA, Nashville’s Station Inn and more presenting various categories throughout the show. 

The 2021 Grammy Awards will be hosted by The Daily Show‘s Trevor Noah and air on March 14 at 8 p.m. ET on CBS.

By Cillea Houghton 
Copyright © 2021, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.