Taylor Swift 'Fearless' Remake Has New Songs Too ... New 'Love Story' First!!!
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Taylor Swift's a businesswoman who knows how to sell, so she's giving fans more than just a re-recorded version of her "Fearless" album -- she's adding all-new songs to it.
The singer made a surprise announcement Thursday on 'GMA' that the first big step in her full album do-over -- "Fearless: Taylor's Version" -- is her new version of "Love Story" ... which drops at midnight, just in time for Valentine's Day.
That track was also the lead single when the OG "Fearless" album dropped in 2008, and Taylor says it was her favorite to re-record because she feels her voice is more mature now.
The bonus news is the full album remake will be different, because she's including never-before-heard "songs from the vault" ... 26 tracks total. The initial release of "Fearless" was 13 songs, and the platinum album had 19.
As you know ... Swift's vowed to independently re-record all 6 of the albums she originally released on her former label, Big Machine, so she will own the new master recordings. Scooter Braun purchased her original masters, along with the label, in 2019.
As for when the new album drops? She'll only say it's "coming out soon" -- but Taylor's super-sleuth fans think some easter eggs indicate it's April 9th.
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Aunt Jemima Families of Models ... Want More Than Just a Brand Change
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Aunt Jemima's name and face are now scrubbed from the breakfast products she's fronted for more than a century -- a move in the right direction, but far from enough to do justice to the women who served as her model ... so say their descendants.
Lillian Richard and Anna Short Harrington both served as models for Aunt Jemima at different points in the early 20th century, well before the most recent version with the woman in pearls.
Vera Richard Harris -- Lillian's great-niece -- tells us she wants to see her relative's name (plus the names of all the other models who portrayed Jemima) inscribed on the new Pearl Milling Company packaging, to honor their contributions. She doesn't want cash, just recognition.
Richard Harris says she doesn't want her great-aunt, or any of the other models, to be forgotten ... which is essentially what she thinks has happened with the hard erasure PepsiCo/Quaker have opted for.
Ditto for Wanetta Cowan -- great-granddaughter of Anna -- who says these conglomerates have made a fortune off their family members' images for decades ... and now just wanna act like they never existed. The remedy, in her mind, is simple ... payment for their descendants, in the form of royalties.
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One of Wanetta's cousins actually pursued legal action to that end some years ago, but lost. She elaborated on her thoughts back when the brand change was announced, and it sounds like she thinks they can still do right by them ... by shelling out some cash.
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Morgan Wallen Album Sales Surge After N-Word ... But It's Benefitting NAACP
Morgan Wallen's album sales are still rising -- despite the industry largely canceling him for using the n-word -- but that boost is actually helping the NAACP, financially.
The country music star's second album, "Dangerous: The Double Album," is still topping the Billboard charts and selling like hotcakes. That means more money in the pockets of Morgan and his songwriters ... one of whom, Jason Isbell, is handing over his share to the NAACP's Nashville chapter.
Jason wrote the song, "Cover Me Up," on the album ... and the 4-time Grammy winner says he's donating everything he's made from the track.
Morgan's been shelved by SiriusXM, iHeart Radio, County Music Television, Big Loud Records, Cox Media Group, Emmis Communications and the Academy of Country Music, among others ... but Jason wants fans to keep buying the album so he can keep paying it forward.
JANUARY 2021
The President of the Nashville NAACP will likely appreciate Jason's gesture. As we reported, the org's already extended an olive branch to Morgan ... hoping to make this controversy a teachable moment for him.
No word yet if he's taking them up on the offer.
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GORILLA GLUE HAIRDO I'm Here For My Procedure ... What's Up, Doc?!?
Tessica Brown, the woman who put Gorilla Glue in her hair, is on the final leg of her painful saga -- she's made it to L.A., where a surgeon's waiting to operate.
Tessica touched down at LAX bright and early Wednesday morning, flying in from Louisiana to see the Beverly Hills doctor who says he can fix her rock-solid hair with a lengthy procedure.
She's got her infamous hairdo hidden under a hoodie, which is a lot easier to do now that she's finally managed to chop off her ponytail.
Tessica says her scalp is still in dire straits ... and it's almost time for Dr. Michael Obeng to try and work his magic. Remember, he's offering to perform a $12,500 procedure for free, using medical-grade glue remover to rid her hair of Gorilla Glue once and for all.
2/5/21
Tessica's been to hell and back since substituting Gorilla Glue Spray Adhesive for her normal hair spray ... but now she's got a glimmer of hope.
Stay tuned.
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Rebecca Black on 'Friday' We've (Hopefully) Come a Long Way ... In That Spirit, Remix Time!!!
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FEBRUARY 2021
Rebecca Black has passed hundreds of Fridays since the release of her viral hit song, and as releases a remix ... she's hopeful and thankful for the 10-year ride.
The "Friday" singer came on "TMZ Live" Wednesday -- 10 years to the day since the OG's release -- to discuss a new spin on her classic tune, which now features Dorian Electra, Big Freedia and 3OH!3.
RB herself's rocking a wild outfit in the video ... way different from the first version when she was just 13.
Of course, "Friday" blew up in 2011 ... but not for all the right reasons. It was mocked and ridiculed at the time -- as was Rebecca, but even in light of all that, Rebecca tells us she's happy to have gone through it and come out the other side.
She says while she's glad some folks have embraced the song as their end-of-week ritual -- Rebecca also believes those who put her through the wringer all those years ago have learned a lesson in humanity.
We'll let Rebecca explain for herself -- but long story short, the bullying she went through in the early 2010s simply wouldn't be tolerated today. It's just unfortunate it took damn near a decade for everyone to realize that.
All good, though ... Rebecca's keeping her chin up. Check out the remix too -- much of the same lyrics and beat, but it's a whole other vibe.
And, yes ... it's Wednesday -- but you're only 2 days away from bliss 👏🏽
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Hoobastank's Doug Robb Yeah, We Wanna Ride the TikTok Wave ... But Gracefully, You Know???
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Hoobastank's "The Reason" is all the rage with kids today ... is something you haven't heard since 2004, but the band wants to capitalize on its newfound 2021 fame.
We spoke to lead singer Doug Robb about the surge in popularity for one of his group's most famous tunes on TikTok -- which is the theme for a new challenge, where people list things they've screwed up ... using "The Reason" to wash away their shame.
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The track has been used hundreds of millions of times in recent months as people post their own versions -- and of course, that's got Doug and co. thinking about how best to ride the wave ... without being cringe-y.
Check out what he says about the prospect of cranking out new tunes now that he and the band's back in the spotlight -- Doug's feeling inspired, but also explained why they won't pander to new OR old fans.
All this viral success creates a conundrum ... Doug says he doesn't wanna be the guy that milks this opportunity to the point of exhaustion, but he still wants to make the most of it.
So far, they've made a few of their own #NotAPerfctPerson renditions on TikTok -- all of which have been funny and original -- but Doug's apprehension on diving in is a phenomenon a lot of older artists are experiencing due to TikTok.
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Fact is, a whole new generation is being introduced to their music for the first time -- kinda like what Fleetwood Mac went through recently with the viral skateboarder -- and it puts pressure on the OGs themselves ... to either cash in, or enjoy it for what it's worth.
In Doug's case, here's hoping they do come out with new material -- their last album was in 2018, so the world's overdue for more stank!
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'Aunt Jemima' We're Now Pearl Milling Company ... Check Out Logo!!!
It's an historic day for all Americans ... who love pancakes -- "Aunt Jemima" is officially out, and Pearl Milling Company is in.
PepsiCo -- the parent company of the syrup giant -- announced Tuesday it is "starting a new day with Pearl Milling Company ... rooted in the brand's historic beginnings and its mission to create moments that matter at the breakfast table."
That's a lot of corporate-speak for ... we scrapped "Aunt Jemima" and created a new logo that's still tied to history, but without the stereotyped image of a Black woman with a headscarf in the kitchen.
PepsiCo filed to trademark the new logo on February 1. You'll recall, last summer the company said Jemima had to go after it took a look at all its brands to "ensure they reflect our values and meet our consumers' expectations."
It's a reckoning several companies had in the wake of George Floyd's death, and a national outcry for racial equality.
The previous logo had been a staple for more than 130 years, but PepsiCo admitted, "While the Aunt Jemima brand was updated over the years in a manner intended to remove racial stereotypes, it has not progressed enough to appropriately reflect the dignity, respect and warmth that we stand for today."
The character, of course, was based on an 1800s "mammy" -- a black servant in a white household. The "Aunt Jemima" figure was portrayed by a real-life woman named Nancy Green ... who'd actually been born into slavery.
PepsiCo says the Pearl Milling Company name is a nod to the 19th-century company that created the original ready-made pancake mix. Its new logo uses the same color scheme -- red, white and yellow -- as the previous logo.
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Kim Kardashian North's 'Bob Ross' Painting is All Her Don't Play with My Kids!!!
Kim Kardashian is FUMING at folks questioning the authenticity of a painting she says her daughter made herself ... insisting it's the real deal, and people doubting it have way too much time on their hands.
KK is blasting critics of North's oil painting -- depicting a mountain, a river and a surrounding valley ... which drew comparisons of Bob Ross' artwork (and lots of jokes). But, there were also those who straight-up said North couldn't have done it on her own.
You can tell Kim's pissed from the get-go ... "DON’T PLAY WITH ME WHEN IT COMES TO MY CHILDREN!!!" Kim goes on to say North and her BFF have been taking high-skill oil painting classes lately, and just wrapped their art projects after weeks of hard work.
North's pal is Ryan Romulus, the daughter of Kim's good friend, Tracy Romulus. Tracy posted a photo of Ryan with her own oil painting of a wolf. Fans had zeroed in on Ryan's painting as well ... she also completed a nature landscape in the same class.
Anyway, Kim goes on to say this about "grown adults" who are taking shots at her daughter's ability ... "How dare you see children doing awesome things and then try to accuse them of NOT being awesome!?!?! Please stop embarrassing yourselves with the negativity and allow every child to be GREAT!!!"
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Kim ends her scolding with much emphasis, again doubling down that, "NORTH WEST PAINTED THAT PERDIOTDDDDDABCDEFGZFDT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" Okay, Kim, we got it!
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Mmmm, Ribeye First Edible 3D Printed Steak ... Looks Kinda Tasty-ish???
Meat lovers and animal rights activists can finally rejoice together (we think) -- because there's now a slaughter-free steak you can eat right off the dish ... a petri dish.
A group of Israeli scientists and a restaurant group unveiled what they say is the first slab of beef cooked up in a lab, using a freakin' 3D printer!!! It's not the technology you see on Pinterest, however ... this is bioprinting, the same idea -- but with cells.
It's kinda complicated to explain, but basically they take the "natural building blocks of meat" -- tissue from a cow -- incubate it, and then build it out under a microscope. Eventually, you get what you see here ... a ribeye steak, free of genetic engineering or Frankenstein DNA.
The scientific breakthrough comes 2 years after biomedical engineers at the Technion- Israel Institute of Technology (same guys who did this ribeye) cultivated a thin cut steak, sans bioprinting.
Now that they've got the technique down, they say they're on to other cuts.
Goes without saying, this could revolutionize the meat production industry if widely adopted. So many outstanding questions, but the first and foremost being ... is it any good???
The folks at AF insist it's super tasty ... but we'll believe it when we try it 😝
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Gorilla Glue Hairdo I Finally Cut My Ponytail Off ... But My Scalp Still Burns!!!
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Tessica Brown, the woman who put Gorilla Glue in her hair, is one step closer to relief ... she managed to chop off her ponytail, but she's still got painful days ahead.
Sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ ... Tessica worked on her rock hard hair for 4 hours Tuesday night after work, and she needed a helping hand and some super glue remover to cut off her ponytail for a little bit of relief.
We're told Tessica and her friend used "Goof Off" superglue remover to try and rid her hair of Gorilla Glue, and as you can see they made some progress.
The process looks pretty painful ... Tessica's friend was able to get her ponytail gooey enough to cut it off in tiny chunks using a pair of household scissors.
But, we're told the hair on Tessica's scalp kept hardening and she's still planning to fly to Los Angeles to meet with the Beverly Hills doctor who says he can remove the rest of the adhesive spray product that started this whole saga.
Tessica joined us on "TMZ Live" Tuesday with a message for her haters ... she says she only put her saga on social media as a cry for help, and vehemently denies she's doing this for clout.
She added that all she wants is her hair fixed, because all previous attempts made her scalp burn intensely.
Tessica looks and sounds like she's been through a lot ... and told us why this nightmare will stick with her for the rest of her life. No bad pun intended.
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Alex Trebek 'Jeopardy!' Wardrobe Donated To Formerly Homeless Men
Alex Trebek's polished "Jeopardy!" look is about to serve others needing professional attire as they try to turn their lives around -- another testament to Alex's unending spirit of giving.
A significant portion of Alex's on-set wardrobe from the game show is being donated to The Doe Fund -- a nonprofit that helps underserved individuals bouncing back from homelessness or incarceration get back on their feet, especially men.
Jeopardy! and Alex's family have donated a large portion of our late host's wardrobe to @TheDoeFund, an organization that provides paid work, housing, and training to underserved Americans with histories of addiction, homelessness, and incarceration.https://t.co/BEKqzlQ5Xn pic.twitter.com/0CxoEEpxzA
— Jeopardy! (@Jeopardy) February 9, 2021 @Jeopardy
A lot of those guys are looking for work, and need suits for job interviews. To that end, Alex's own suits will now be worn on their backs as they move forward. It's pretty incredible.
"Jeopardy!" honchos say all-in-all ... The Doe Fund is getting 14 full suits, 58 dress shirts, 300 neckties, 25 polos, 14 sweaters, 9 blazers, 9 pairs of dress shoes, 15 belts, 2 parkas and 3 pairs of slacks. That's quite a haul from Alex's closet and will help so many in need.
As for how they decided what to pick -- Alex's own son, Matthew, actually linked up with "Jeopardy!" costumer Steven Zimbelman to make the selections and pack them up for shipment. There are photos of them going through a coat rack of Alex's wardrobe, and pics of some of the men in need holding up suits after receiving them.
They look pretty stoked, and we would be too ... it's not every day you can slip into a suit worn by Alex himself. Based on what we see here, it appears the donation features a lot of his darker suits.
TMZ broke the story ... Alex died of pancreatic cancer this past November. His amazing commitment to charity clearly lives on.
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'Selling Sunset' Star Ink-credible V-Day Gift for Tarek ... As Good Ass It Gets!!!
"Selling Sunset" star Heather Rae Young didn't leave much to the imagination with her Valentine's Day gift to Tarek El Moussa ... with a tattoo dedicated to Tarek on her ass.
The high-end real estate agent and Netflix star showed off the new ink not-so-subtly positioned above her left butt cheek, and the message is crystal clear ... she's all in for Mr. El Moussa now and forever -- or until she needs to find a tattoo remover.
Anyway ... Heather, who has been engaged to the "Flip or Flop" star for 7 months, wasn't done with just the ink work. She had more up her sleeve with a romantic night set up for Mr. El Moussa.
She previewed a bit of it with an Instagram Story ... showing a hallway lined with rose petals and candles. Someone's getting lucky!
These two have been inseparable since they started hanging out in the summer of 2019. The relationship's gone so swimmingly ... Tarek's openly talked about the idea of doing a new TV show with bae Rae.
No word yet if Tarek's gonna need a matching tat first. Yes, ma'am?
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Gorilla Glue Hairdo Plastic Surgeon To The Rescue?!? Special Procedure On Deck
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The TikToker who put Gorilla Glue in her hair is trying her luck in Bev Hills ... a plastic surgeon says he can remove the adhesive spray product from her rock-hard hair.
We've learned Tessica Brown's got an offer from Dr. Michael Obeng, who says he can fix her problems with a lengthy procedure.
We're told Tessica is flying Wednesday from Louisiana to Los Angeles to have the procedure done, and the good doc estimates it will take 2 or 3 days to completely rid her hair of Gorilla Glue.
2/5/21
Remember ... Tessica says her hair's been stuck in place for about a month, ever since substituting Gorilla Glue Spray Adhesive for her normal hair spray. She says home remedies and a trip to the ER yielded no results.
Our sources say Dr. Obeng feels so bad for Tessica, he's performing the procedure for free. It's no small gesture, we're told the estimated cost is $12,500.
Rubbing alcohol hasn't worked on Tessica's Gorilla Glue hairdo, but we're told Dr. Obeng is confident he can remove the product using medical-grade glue remover.
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Vic Mensa I'll Be Meeting with Julius Jones Soon March is Our Next Shot!!!
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Julius Jones has another shot at freedom, which is why Vic Mensa is trying to get maximum attention on the death row case ... and setting up a face-to-face meeting with him.
We spoke to the Chicago rapper about his newest song, 'SHELTER,' which references Julius directly ... while also touching on police shootings in the Black community. He said it was important for him to get the message out now, because there's a lot on the line in March.
Not too long from now, Julius will have another hearing with the parole board in Oklahoma, which has the power to grant him clemency and save his life. Vic tells us he's actually heading down to the state penitentiary to speak with Julius, and lift his spirits.
Vic says his plan is to raise awareness and put pressure on Oklahoma government officials, including Gov. Kevin Stitt. He's open to meeting with Kim K too ... who also went down to death row to visit Julius last year, and has been advocating for his freedom.
BTW, check out Vic's anecdote about how he became aware of Julius' case ... in what sounds like true fate. Apparently, Julius was well aware of Vic before the latter took up his cause.
In case you hadn't heard, Julius was arrested at age 19 in 1999 in connection to the shooting death of a white man ... for which he was ultimately tried and convicted of first-degree murder. He was sentenced to death, but Julius has maintained his innocence since day 1.
Many have said race was a factor against him from the jump, and that the evidence doesn't squarely point to him as the killer. Still, he's been on death row for more than 20 years now.
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Dr. Jerry Abraham Creates Awesome COVID Vaccine Model To Service Minority Communities
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COVID vaccines are not making their way to underserved neighborhoods and it seems no one has figured out how to make that happen ... no one except Dr. Jerry Abraham.
Dr. Abraham runs the Kedren Community Health Center in South L.A., whose population is heavily black and brown. The County overlooked the Health Center in the vaccine distribution, but Dr. Abraham pounded on doors until he got their attention ... and the vaccines came.
The next hurdle was figuring out how to get South L.A. residents to the Health Center ... a tall order, given that many had no Internet to make appointments and no transportation. Dr. Abraham got all hands on deck and he and his staff went out to the community and helped people make appointments and then made sure they had a way of getting to the Center.
He's also put his psychologist hat on ... explaining to residents why the vaccine was so essential.
The upshot ... he's created a model that can become a shining light of equity in the distribution of vaccines.
One other thing ... he's also made it a party, with music and dancing to make sure people don't get frustrated and scared and bail.
This model deserves national attention ... because it works.
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GORILLA GLUE HAIRDO I Still Can't Get This Glue Out After ER!!! Might Be Time to Sue
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12:44 PM PT -- Gorilla Glue says Tessica's saga is a unique situation and the product she used "is not indicated for use in or on hair as it is considered permanent."
GG says the spray adhesive is intended for mounting things to surfaces such as paper, cardboard, wood, laminate and fabric.
We are very sorry to hear about the unfortunate incident that Miss Brown experienced using our Spray Adhesive on her hair. We are glad to see in her recent video that Miss Brown has received medical treatment from her local medical facility and wish her the best. pic.twitter.com/SoCvwxdrGc
— Gorilla Glue (@GorillaGlue) February 8, 2021 @GorillaGlue
The company says it's sorry to hear about her incident, and is glad she's getting treatment while wishing her the best.
The TikToker who put Gorilla Glue in her hair is still living with her nightmarish mistake, the glue brand's remedies aren't working ... and now she's lawyering up.
Sources familiar with the situation tell TMZ ... Tessica Brown's weekend trip to the ER was another disaster, and Gorilla Glue's tip to use rubbing alcohol to remove the product was a colossal failure.
Our sources say Tessica spent 22 hours in the ER and the staff was dumbfounded. We're told healthcare workers put acetone on the back of her head, but it burned her scalp and only made the glue gooey before hardening back up.
Tessica, we're told, was instructed to keep trying the potential remedy back home, but rubbing alcohol still hasn't proved to be the cure.
2/5/21
Remember ... Tessica says her hair's been rock solid for about a month after substituting Gorilla Glue Spray Adhesive for her normal hair spray. GG told us the quickest possible remedy was rubbing alcohol.
Our sources say Tessica's hired an attorney and is weighing her legal options against Gorilla Glue. We're told the label on the product she used says do not use on eyes, skin or clothing ... with no mention of hair, which Tessica feels is misleading.
GG says all of its products are considered permanent and the packaging states it too ... but we're told Tessica felt it was okay because the product said multi-use.
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Tessica's already crowdfunding for her medical bills ... a GoFundMe has raised $9,000 and counting.
Originally Published -- 10:59 AM PT