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Indian Express
12-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Indian Express
Britney Spears and Lata Mangeshkar share the same connection that Parineeta the film and Louis Armstrong do, and it has to do with cheating
Pradeep Sarkar's romantic drama Parineeta turned 20 this week. The film, which is based on Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay's novel of the same name, boasts a stellar cast, linear but effective writing, and an album which draws you in and keeps you in the chamber of bliss and desire that it has created. One of the most well-known tracks from the film is Sunidhi Chauhan's 'Kaisi Paheli Zindagani', which features the mesmerising Rekha, who makes one forget all their troubles as she dances around on the beautiful composition by Shantanu Moitra. What Moitra, Sunidhi, Rekha and Sanjay Dutt's oddly placed saxophone performance in the song also makes you forget is that this tune doesn't belong to any of these people. The bluesy and groovy chorus actually comes from a song released 17 years before Moitra was even born, and that song was 'A Kiss To Build A Dream On' by Louis Armstrong. If you can't remember him (which I doubt), he is the man that also performed the legendary track 'What A Wonderful World', written by Bert Kalmar, Harry Ruby and Oscar Hammerstein II in 1935. The original tune was interestingly composed for a song called 'Moonlight on the Meadow', but it sat on the shelf until Oscar adapted it for the lyrics of 'A Kiss To Build A Dream On'. Bear in mind that no one is discrediting Moitra for what he did with the album and the song. Maybe he, like many other composers, musicians and artists in the world, believed in the old adage, 'You're not trying if you aren't cheating.' He took 'inspiration' and created a track that has stood the test of time and is still very prevalent in the track list of singing reality show contestants. In all sincerity, it is a serene performance by Sunidhi and it only goes to prove that we have the skill and the appetite for all kinds of different sounds, both as creators and consumers. ALSO READ: The Beatles and their disruptive trip to India: The 'Transcendental Meditation' that changed the Abbey Road musicians forever There have been enough discussions about Indian composers and how the line between inspiration and ripping off in their minds is not just blurry; it's non-existent. It is quite easy to sit down and start bashing these artistes who, even though they made great songs, never really made anything original. So in the interest of doing something different, we are going to focus on the times when the West took inspiration from our Maliks and Pritams (not exactly) and used our sounds to make hits of their own, and while there are many examples of this phenomenon, we are going to focus on a select few. The first on this very less talked about roster is a song from the 1963 film Taj Mahal, titled 'Chandi Ka Badan', and the song had two female and male singing parts sung by Asha Bhosle, Meena Kapoor, Manna Dey and Mohammad Rafi. This quick-paced Qawwali track with several tempo and cadence changes somehow lit a fire of innovation in producer Just Blaze as he started cutting and editing parts of the song to create a base for himself, the foundation upon which he would make the song 'React', which was the lead single on Eric Sermon's album of the same name. The song also features one of the pioneers of hip-hop, Redman, and listening to the track almost feels like you're consuming a creation that hails from a parallel universe. People keep talking about the things we got before GTA 6, but we had Asha Bhosle and Redman on the same song before we ever got GTA San Andreas (2004); let that sink in. This seems like a natural segue, as the next track we are talking about concerns Bhosle's sister, the great Lata Mangeshkar. The nightingale of India appeared on some of the most iconic songs of Bollywood in a career that lasted longer than Queen and The Beatles combined (one point for the colonies, I guess). Her song 'Tere Mere Beech Mai' with S P Balasubramaniam from the movie Ek Dujje Ke Liye (1981) was a massive hit, and it must have transcended international boundaries because producers Bloodshy and Avant definitely liked what they heard. They liked it so much, in fact, that they chopped the sample (when a producer takes out specific pieces from the track, and not the complete melody or bar as a whole) and put it in a song which arguably became the calling card for the 'Princess of Pop', Britney Spears. The sample taken from the Mangeshkar song was used for Spears's 'Toxic', a track that became the artiste's first and only track on Spotify to hit a billion streams. It also got Spears her only Grammy award; even though it was for Best Dance Recording, we will gladly chalk that up as a win in our books. ALSO READ: 'P Diddy would rather die than let go of rights to Biggie Smalls' music': How Diddy was at the epicentre of both Tupac and Biggie's death Let's take a short detour to explain our next entry. Producer and rapper Dr Dre is known for his skill of isolating certain sounds from previously made tracks and using them to create something entirely new. Dre acknowledges the skill and prowess of those who came before him and uses it to his advantage. However, many Indian producers refuse to look at the work of their predecessors and fall into the trap of romanticising the West, even though in Anu Malik's case the West can be as close as Iran. Another producer like Dre, who believes in learning from yesterday to create for the present, is Timbaland. The producer and rapper has gone on record several times and talked about his love for Indian culture, especially the music. Now don't get me wrong, not everyone from the 'land of the brave and free' is able to look beyond the surface-level attractions our country has to offer, and people like the aforementioned gentleman are definitely an exception. Timbaland has talked about his obsession with Indian instruments and showcased his love for the same in his track 'Indian Flute'. While the song in itself appropriates every stereotype that Indians have about hip-hop and Americans have about our 'exotic' country, it puts the sounds from our country on the centre stage. He samples the Been or the Pungi for the track and has repeatedly used Indian string instruments in other tracks as well. What one hopes to achieve from constructing a narrative like the one above is to instill a sense of self-belief in the upcoming and existing crop of music producers of the country. Indian music is currently going through a big transition; fusion music has never been bigger, hip-hop finally has some self-owned ground to stand on, and there is an actual quantifiable wave of new talent emerging from the country. While a track like 'Kaisi Paheli Zindagani' or Mohammad Rafi's 'Kaun Hai Jo Sapno Mai' (sampled from Elvis' Marguerita) are great examples of inspiration done right, it can be argued that we don't really need them. What we need from our musicians is to read the literature and inform themselves with the godlike music pieces that Indians have created since time immemorial. Bands like Agnee need to be studied, and bands like Bombay Bandook need to be supported. Musicians like Laxmikant-Pyarelal need to be studied, and musicians like Amit Trivedi need to be given their due, not just for the music they make for films but for their own creations, for tracks that aren't moulded to a narrative but are only shaped according to the artiste's free will and beliefs. If the saying 'You aren't trying if you aren't cheating' really is true, then maybe we can start peeping into assignments created by our own alumni. Maybe all we need to do is acknowledge our own greatness, and then we can shine bright enough to light up the entire world, one song at a time.
Daily Mirror
11-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Katy Perry and Orlando Bloom 'waiting to announce their secret split'
Katy Perry and Orlando Bloom are reportedly set to split after almost a decade together, with the couple said to have already called off their engagement Singer Katy Perry and British actor Orlando Bloom are reportedly on the verge of splitting up. The couple, who share 5-year-old daughter Daisy Dove, are said to have ended their engagement but are holding off announcing the sad news until Katy has concluded her world tour. The Roar hitmaker, who was once married to Russell Brand, began dating the Pirates of the Caribbean in 2016 and the pair got engaged in 2019, the year before they welcomed their daughter into the world. But after almost a decade together, it's claimed the famous pair have decided to call it quits following a tough few months professionally for Katy. The mum-of-one, 40, suffered humiliation when her latest studio album was panned by critics, and her recent trip to space also saw the I Kissed A Girl singer slammed by many. An insider claims Katy's album 143 flopping impacted her relationship, with the source noting: "Orlando was supportive, but it caused some tension." PageSix reports that Katy and Orlando are waiting until her current tour, Lifetimes, concludes on December 7, before making their split public news. "It's over," said the source. "They're just waiting until the tour is done before they split." The Mirror has contacted representatives for Katy and Orlando for comment on this story. Despite rumours of a separation, Orlando was on hand to support Katy during her space venture in April. Katy kissed the ground and held a flower in the air as she returned from her Blue Origin trip to space and revealed she will write a song about the experience. The 40-year-old sang Louis Armstrong's What A Wonderful World as she and the six-woman crew, also made up of CBS Mornings presenter Gayle King, former rocket scientist Aisha Bowe, astronaut Amanda Nguyen and film producer Kerianne Flynn and Jeff Bezos's partner Lauren Sanchez, entered space. A video of the crew was shared by Blue Origin on Twitter showing the six women as they reached zero gravity and were able to float around the spacecraft before looking at the camera and saying in unison, 'taking up space'. Katy is also seen holding a daisy which she later held to the air after emerging from Bezos's New Shepard NS-31, to honour her daughter Daisy, before kissing the floor, and Bezos then congratulated her to which she replied: 'Thank you.' Speaking after her return to Earth, the Roar singer said: "I feel super connected to love, so connected to love. I think this experience has shown me you never know how much love is inside of you, like how much love you have to give and how loved you are until the day you launch.' Speaking about the tribute to her daughter, Katy explained: 'Daisies are common flowers, but they grow through any condition, they go through cement, they go through cracks, they go through walls, they are resilient. They are powerful, they are strong, they are everywhere. "Flowers are to me, god's smile, but it's also a reminder of our beautiful Earth and the flowers here, and god's smile and the beautiful magic that is everywhere, all around us and even in a simple daisy. So to really appreciate it and remember it and take care of it, protect it.'
Irish Independent
30-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Irish Independent
'I've been turned into a human piñata' – Katy Perry breaks silence on space trip backlash
The all-female voyage attracted backlash for its timing and tone, with critics calling the trip 'tone deaf' given the current cost-of-living crisis. Perry, who sang What A Wonderful World during the flight and even teased her new tour setlist while in zero gravity, was singled out; with other notable names, including Emily Ratajkowski sharing their disdain. In light of the furore, some fans showed their support for the singer and crowdfunded for a digital billboard in New York's Times Square for 24 hours declaring their love for the star. A Brazilian fan account on Instagram explained fans had done it to 'remind her that she is never alone; our love for her is boundless, unwavering, and eternal'. 'We're so proud of you and your magical journey and we love you to the moon and back. 'Know that you are safe, seen and celebrated. We'll see you around the world, this is just the beginning.' Two weeks after the 11-minute space flight, which saw Perry join five other women, including Gayle King and Jeff Bezos's partner Lauren Sánchez, the singer addressed the controversy in an emotional comment to fans. 'I love you guys and have grown up together with you and am so excited to see you all over the world this year!' she wrote. Perry acknowledged the impact of the criticism but reassured fans she is staying grounded: 'Please know I am OK, I have done a lot [of] work around knowing who I am, what is real and what is important to me.' She continued: 'I'm not perfect' but rather 'a human journey, playing the game of life with an audience of many and sometimes I fall. 'But I get back up and go on and continue to play the game and somehow through my battered and bruised adventure I keep looking to the light and in that light a new level unlocks.' Adding: 'When the 'online' world tries to make me a human Piñata, I take it with grace and send them love, cause I know so many people are hurting in so many ways and the internet is very much so a dumping ground for unhinged and unhealed.' Perry responded directly, saying she was 'so grateful' and looked forward to seeing fans on her just-launched world tour, which will run through December across North and South America, Europe, and the Middle East. Her comment comes as Lily Allen apologised to Perry after criticising the singer's headline-making trip to space. Allen, 39, was among an initial wave of critics who slammed the mission earlier this month, which saw Perry launch into space alongside King, Sanchez, ex-NASA engineer Aisha Bowe, astronaut and activist Amanda Nguyen and film producer Kerianne Flynn. 'I would actually like to apologise for being mean about Katy Perry last week,' she said. 'There was actually no need for me to bring her name into it, and it was my own internalised misogyny. 'I've been thinking about it a lot, and it was just completely unnecessary to pile on with her.'
Metro
28-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Metro
Lily Allen does a 180 as she apologises for 'misogynistic' Katy Perry comments
Lily Allen has firmly backtracked on her comments towards Katy Perry after the Roar hitmaker made a historic trip to space. Last week, pop star Lily, 39, was one of several celebrities criticising Katy, who was aboard a six-woman crew blasted into space as part of a Blue Origin flight. The 40-year-old sang Louis Armstrong's What A Wonderful World as she reached zero gravity along with CBS Mornings presenter Gayle King, former rocket scientist Aisha Bowe, astronaut Amanda Nguyen, film producer Kerianne Flynn, and Jeff Bezos's partner Lauren Sanchez. After landing back on Earth 10 minutes and 21 seconds later, however, Katy and co. were met with immense backlash, with Smile songstress Lily branding the whole thing 'so out of touch'. Speaking on her Miss Me? podcast, which she co-hosts with pal Miquitta Oliver, Lily introduced the topic with: 'Katy Perry and her mates going up to space for 12 minutes…' Miquita responded: 'If they're going to go up to space for 12 minutes, we can talk about it for 10 seconds and that's about all it deserves.' To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Lily then asked incredulously: 'I mean, what the f***ing hell is that all about?' She then ranted: 'I just think it's so out of touch we're on the brink of a recession, people are really struggling to make ends meet, it just seems like things are hard at the moment.' Miquita questioned: 'Not really the most appropriate time to send Katy Perry into space?', to which Lily declared: 'For absolutely no reason! It's like we send people to space to discover things, for scientific reasons.' Mocking how the flight was 'mad into some sort of feminist thing,' it was abundantly clear what her position was… until the next podcast ep, on which Lily has done a 180. Reflecting on her earlier remarks, the LDN singer began: 'I would actually like to apologise for being mean about Katy Perry last week. 'There was actually no need for me to bring her name into it, and it was my own internalised misogyny.' Lily continued: 'I've been thinking about it a lot, and it was just completely unnecessary to pile on with her.' There's one point Lily stands strong on, though, but perhaps wishes she addressed it differently. 'I disagree with what it was that they did, but she wasn't the only person that did it. 'She was possibly the most famous and the one that divides people the most.' As mentioned, Lily was far from the only person who had an issue with the space trip, with the likes of Emily Ratajkowski declaring herself 'disgusted' at the 'parody'. 'Look at the state of the world and think about how many resources went into putting these women into space. For what? What was the marketing there?', the model vented to her followers. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video 'And then to try to make it like… I'm disgusted. Literally, I'm disgusted,' she concluded, visibly infuriated. Meanwhile, reality star Vicky Pattinson stated that the mission doesn't represent 'feminism,' claiming its aim was to 'distract' people from how women's rights are being 'slowly, almost imperceptibly, taken away.' Katy and the crew caught heat from social media too, with several moments from the day reaching viral meme status and becoming the subject of TikTok hot takes. While Katy herself described the flight as 'life-changing,' broadcaster Gayle admitted to feeling 'saddened' and 'disappointed' by the reaction, insisting: 'There was nothing frivolous about what we do.' Speaking to CBS Morning, she added: 'Space is not an either or. It's a both and, and because you do something in space, doesn't mean you're taking anything away from Earth. And what you're doing in space is trying to make things better here on Earth. 'What Blue Origin wants to do is take the waste here and figure out a way to put it in space to make our planet cleaner. Jeff Bezos has so many ideas, and the people that are working there are really devoted and dedicated to making our planet a better place. That's number one.' More Trending Katy has since kickstarted her latest tour, which also hasn't gone down well. The Lifetimes tour has been mercilessly ridiculed by X users, many of whom have urged Katy to cancel her shows completely and offer people refunds due to the 'cringe' nature of her routines. Katy is performing 84 concerts, which will include eight in the UK later this year, although time will tell whether the reviews improve by then, since her choreography is currently being called 'the worst I have ever seen in my life'. Oh dear. Got a story? If you've got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@ calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we'd love to hear from you.
Yahoo
28-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Lily Allen apologizes for ‘mean' comments about Katy Perry's space mission, blames her internalized misogyny
Lily Allen apologized for her comments about Katy Perry and the controversial Blue Origin New Shepard space launch. On April 14, the 'Firework' artist took part in the first all-female mission to the stars in the last 60 years alongside TV show host Gayle King, journalist Lauren Sanchez (wife of Jeff Bezos), civil rights activist Amanda Nguyen, film producer Kerianne Flynn, and aerospace engineer Aisha Bowe. Perry performed Louis Armstrong's 'What A Wonderful World' and promoted her Life Times Tour in space. When she returned to earth, she was filmed kissing the ground and told a press representative she felt 'super connected to love.' The 11-minute flight, led by Bezos' private aerospace technology company, garnered widespread criticism from various A-listers online, with many questioning the merit behind the supposedly feminist message. However, Allen, 39, doubled back on her original judgment in the most recent episode of her podcast, Miss Me?. 'I would actually like to apologize for being mean about Katy Perry last week. There was actually no need for me to bring her name into it, and it was my own internalized misogyny,' she said. 'I've been thinking about it a lot, and it was just completely unnecessary to pile on with her. 'I do disagree with what it was that they did, but she wasn't the only person that did it,' Allen continued. 'She was possibly the most famous and the one that divides people the most, and so, I don't know, there was something in me that decided to choose her as the person that should… Anyway, I just, I'm really sorry.' Allen first spoke out against the mission during the April 17 episode of her podcast. 'Do we want to talk about Katy Perry and her mates all going up to space for 12 minutes?' she said. 'I mean, what the frickin' hell was that all about? No, but in all seriousness, what? Why?' She continued: 'I just think it's so out of touch. We're on the brink of recession, people are really fucking struggling to make ends meet and get food on their table.' Allen's co-host, Miquita Oliver, added: 'And not really the most appropriate time to send Katy Perry into space.' The 'Smile' singer responded: 'For absolutely no f***ing reason! It's like… We send people to space to discover things, like scientific reason. 'And the fact that they have made it some sort of feminist thing,' she continued. The Independent has contacted Perry's representatives for comment.
