عربي English Türkçe اردو فارسى
Logo
Latest News
Entertainment

Adele Makes Music Comeback With New Single ‘Easy on Me’

Singer Adele arrives at the 58th Grammy Awards in Los Angeles, California February 15, 2016. REUTERS/Danny Moloshok/
Singer Adele arrives at the 58th Grammy Awards in Los Angeles, California February 15, 2016. REUTERS/Danny Moloshok/
TT
TT

Adele Makes Music Comeback With New Single ‘Easy on Me’

Singer Adele arrives at the 58th Grammy Awards in Los Angeles, California February 15, 2016. REUTERS/Danny Moloshok/
Singer Adele arrives at the 58th Grammy Awards in Los Angeles, California February 15, 2016. REUTERS/Danny Moloshok/

British singer-songwriter Adele made her highly anticipated music comeback on Friday, releasing her first new record since the 2015 Grammy award-winning album "25".

The 33-year-old, known for her ballads about break-ups and regrets, had teased new single "Easy On Me" last week with a short video clip.

The song is the first to be released from her upcoming fourth album "30", out in November, which Adele has said she recorded to help explain her divorce to her young son, AFP reported.

The music video, which starts with Adele leaving a house with 'For Sale' and 'Sold' signs on it, is a showcase for the emotional power ballad.

In it the singer appears to be asking for understanding, with lyrics including "Go easy on me, baby/ I was still a child/ Didn't get the chance to/ Feel the world around me".

She sings as she drives, her memories and songsheets swirling around her, and the video breaks into warm color after beginning in black-and-white.

On Wednesday, Adele told fans she was finally ready to release "30", which she described as her "ride or die throughout the most turbulent period of my life".

The singer, who split from charity executive Simon Konecki in 2019, has named her albums after milestone ages in her life.

"I was certainly nowhere near where I'd hoped to be when I first started it nearly 3 years ago," she said in a statement.

"Quite the opposite actually. I rely on routine and consistency to feel safe, I always have. And yet there I was knowingly - willingly even, throwing myself into a maze of absolute mess and inner turmoil."

Fans and music critics hailed her return, with the song's video getting more than 18 million views on YouTube in the first 10 hours of its release.

Britain's Telegraph newspaper called it "a bare bones ballad that is more than just music. This beautiful single is what music is for."

"Polished but never to the point of soullessness, 'Easy on Me' is a crisp, plaintive and mature comeback," the Independent wrote.

Known for hits like "Someone Like You" and "Hello", Adele is one of the most successful pop artists of all time, topping charts around the world and winning 15 Grammys as well as an Oscar for James Bond movie theme song "Skyfall".

Earlier this month, fans had speculated new music from Adele was imminent after mysterious "30" signs appeared on buildings around the world.

Most Viewed

 
 
Entertainment

Britney Spears Enters Substance Abuse Treatment Facility Weeks After Her Arrest on Suspicion of DUI

Britney Spears. (Getty Images/AFP)
Britney Spears. (Getty Images/AFP)
TT
TT

Britney Spears Enters Substance Abuse Treatment Facility Weeks After Her Arrest on Suspicion of DUI

Britney Spears. (Getty Images/AFP)
Britney Spears. (Getty Images/AFP)

Britney Spears has entered a substance abuse treatment facility just over a month after she was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol and drugs.

A representative for Spears said in an email to The Associated Press on Sunday that the 44-year-old pop superstar had voluntarily checked herself into the facility.

On March 5, California Highway Patrol officers received a report that a BMW was driving fast and erratically on US 101 in Ventura County near the Los Angeles County line, the CHP said.

Spears, who lives in the area, took a series of field sobriety tests and was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence of a combination of alcohol and drugs, authorities said. She was taken to a county jail and released several hours later.

Investigators turned over the case on March 23 to the Ventura County District Attorney's Office, which plans to make a decision on charges against Spears before a scheduled May 4 court date.

A representative at the time called Spears' actions “completely inexcusable” and said it would ideally be “the first step in long overdue change that needs to occur in Britney’s life.”

Spears has mostly set aside her music career. She has not toured in nearly eight years and has not put out an album in nearly a decade.

In 2021, she regained control of her life decisions and finances when a court-ordered conservatorship was dissolved after nearly 14 years. Two years later, she released a bestselling memoir, “The Woman in Me.”

Entertainment

‘The Super Mario Galaxy Movie’ Rockets to $629 Million Worldwide at the Box Office

(FILES) (L-R) American actors Chris Meledandri, Jack Black, Benny Safdie, Donald Glover, Chris Pratt, Anya Taylor Joy, Charlie Day, Keegan-Michael Key, Brie Larson and Shigeru Miyamoto attend the world premiere of 'The Super Mario Galaxy Movie' at Minamiza Theater in Kyoto on March 28, 2026. (Photo by Yuichi YAMAZAKI / AFP)
(FILES) (L-R) American actors Chris Meledandri, Jack Black, Benny Safdie, Donald Glover, Chris Pratt, Anya Taylor Joy, Charlie Day, Keegan-Michael Key, Brie Larson and Shigeru Miyamoto attend the world premiere of 'The Super Mario Galaxy Movie' at Minamiza Theater in Kyoto on March 28, 2026. (Photo by Yuichi YAMAZAKI / AFP)
TT
TT

‘The Super Mario Galaxy Movie’ Rockets to $629 Million Worldwide at the Box Office

(FILES) (L-R) American actors Chris Meledandri, Jack Black, Benny Safdie, Donald Glover, Chris Pratt, Anya Taylor Joy, Charlie Day, Keegan-Michael Key, Brie Larson and Shigeru Miyamoto attend the world premiere of 'The Super Mario Galaxy Movie' at Minamiza Theater in Kyoto on March 28, 2026. (Photo by Yuichi YAMAZAKI / AFP)
(FILES) (L-R) American actors Chris Meledandri, Jack Black, Benny Safdie, Donald Glover, Chris Pratt, Anya Taylor Joy, Charlie Day, Keegan-Michael Key, Brie Larson and Shigeru Miyamoto attend the world premiere of 'The Super Mario Galaxy Movie' at Minamiza Theater in Kyoto on March 28, 2026. (Photo by Yuichi YAMAZAKI / AFP)

“The Super Mario Galaxy Movie” enjoyed otherworldly success at the box office in its second weekend in theaters.

The Universal and Illumination sequel added $69 million from 4,284 theaters in the US and Canada, according to studio estimates Sunday. That brings its running domestic total to $308.1 million and its global total to $629 million.

That's a 48% drop from the film's first weekend in theaters, a fairly modest decline for a blockbuster. But the chasm between this movie and the first continues to grow. By its second weekend in 2023, “The Super Mario Bros. Movie” — which was much better reviewed than its follow-up — had earned over $353 million domestically. Still, the sequel is an unabashed hit by any measure, having cost only $110 million to produce.

Paul Dergarabedian, the head of marketplace trends for Comscore, said “it’s a very respectable” hold.

“For the film to already be over $300 million is just astonishing,” Dergarabedian said, noting that the majority of tickets were likely sold at lower prices for children. “To get to these box office milestones is all the more impressive.”

The movie is also helping power up box office momentum before the summer movie season begins in May.

The weekend’s big new opener was also a Universal release: The travelogue romantic comedy “You, Me & Tuscany,” starring Halle Bailey and Regé-Jean Page of “Bridgerton” fame. It debuted in fourth place with an estimated $8 million from 3,151 screens against a reported production budget of $18 million. Women made up an overwhelming 80% of the audience.

Directed by Kat Coiro, the movie arrived in theaters with mixed to positive reviews. According to a review by The Associated Press, it’s “a movie as frothy and insubstantial as the foam on a nice cappuccino.” It currently holds a 68% critic score on Rotten Tomatoes.

Audiences seemed to enjoy it a bit more. According to PostTrak exit polls, 77% of ticket buyers said they would “definitely recommend” it to friends. It also got an A- on CinemaScore.

Jim Orr, Universal’s head of domestic distribution, said the audience reaction scores, “point to a very nice run at the box office.”

Second place at the box office this week went to Amazon MGM Studios’ “Project Hail Mary,” which is still drawing double-digit ticket sales in its fourth weekend. It added an estimated $24.6 million from Friday to Sunday, bringing its domestic total to $256.7 million. Worldwide, it has earned $510.6 million.

“The Drama” took third place in its second weekend, with $8.7 million. The buzzy A24 movie about an engaged couple played by Robert Pattinson and Zendaya fell only 38%, bringing its domestic total to $30.8 million and its worldwide total to $65 million.

Disney and Pixar's “Hoppers” rounded out the top five in its sixth weekend with $4.1 million. The animated movie has made $354.4 million globally to date.

Entertainment

Jackson Family Joins Fans in Berlin for Premiere of Michael Jackson Biopic

Family members including (L-R) US filmmaker and son of Michael Jackson Bigi Jackson, US singer and son of Michael Jackson Prince Jackson, US singer Jackie Jackson, US singer Jermaine Jackson, US singer Marlon Jackson pose for photographers as they arrive on the red carpet for the world premiere of the Michael Jackson biopic "Michael" at the Uber Eats Music Hall in Berlin on April 10, 2026. (AFP)
Family members including (L-R) US filmmaker and son of Michael Jackson Bigi Jackson, US singer and son of Michael Jackson Prince Jackson, US singer Jackie Jackson, US singer Jermaine Jackson, US singer Marlon Jackson pose for photographers as they arrive on the red carpet for the world premiere of the Michael Jackson biopic "Michael" at the Uber Eats Music Hall in Berlin on April 10, 2026. (AFP)
TT
TT

Jackson Family Joins Fans in Berlin for Premiere of Michael Jackson Biopic

Family members including (L-R) US filmmaker and son of Michael Jackson Bigi Jackson, US singer and son of Michael Jackson Prince Jackson, US singer Jackie Jackson, US singer Jermaine Jackson, US singer Marlon Jackson pose for photographers as they arrive on the red carpet for the world premiere of the Michael Jackson biopic "Michael" at the Uber Eats Music Hall in Berlin on April 10, 2026. (AFP)
Family members including (L-R) US filmmaker and son of Michael Jackson Bigi Jackson, US singer and son of Michael Jackson Prince Jackson, US singer Jackie Jackson, US singer Jermaine Jackson, US singer Marlon Jackson pose for photographers as they arrive on the red carpet for the world premiere of the Michael Jackson biopic "Michael" at the Uber Eats Music Hall in Berlin on April 10, 2026. (AFP)

Thousands of Michael Jackson fans, many in military jackets or aviator sunglasses inspired by the pop icon's many famous looks, gathered in Berlin on Friday night for the international premiere of the biopic "Michael" starring the singer's nephew.

Jaafar Jackson, who was 12 when his uncle died in 2009, said he immersed himself in archives of footage to prepare for the role, while also drawing on his own memories.

"One of my favorites is when I ‌first saw him ‌on stage performing in New York for the first ‌time, ⁠which was the ⁠best experience for me," he told Reuters along the red carpet.

LIKE WATCHING MICHAEL ON SCREEN

Jackie Jackson, who performed with the young Michael Jackson in the Jackson 5 and also pursued his own music career, said the portrayal of his brother was so convincing that during the film, he would at times forget that he was actually watching Jaafar.

"He became Michael in the film," he ⁠said.

The film directed by Antoine Fuqua follows the rise ‌of the "King of Pop" from lead ‌singer of the Motown group Jackson 5, made up of him and his brothers, ‌to Michael striking out on a solo career with ubiquitous hits like "Thriller" and "Beat ‌It." The film highlights the iconic outfits that came along with them.

The biggest opening for a musical biopic is $60.2 million in the United States and Canada for 2015 film "Straight Outta Compton."

The Box Office Pro website projects that "Michael," which opens in theaters on April ‌24, will top that, with sales possibly exceeding $80 million.

CONTROVERSIAL ASPECTS

However, any mentions of the most controversial aspects of Jackson's story - ⁠child molestation ⁠allegations - were removed after attorneys for his estate realized that a legal settlement with an accuser barred discussion of the accusations in the movie, according to a source with knowledge of the production.

Jackson, who maintained his innocence, was acquitted in 2005 in a criminal trial.

After his death, further civil claims were brought by other accusers, but Jackson was never convicted of child sexual abuse in a criminal court or found liable in a civil case.

Asked about omitting the controversial parts of Jackson's life from the film, producer Graham King, whose credits include "Bohemian Rhapsody," said in Berlin on Friday that he "spent a lot of years digging into everything, part of Michael's life," and was happy to tell this "celebration story."