If you looked up in the sky around Exit 82 on !-20 Thursday, (you're welcome, distracted Conyers motorists!) — that drone show was courtesy of Georgia superstar Usher, owner of the state's first Dave's Hot Chicken franchise. “Once I tried Dave’s Hot Chicken and spoke with the founders of the brand, I knew I wanted to be involved with the company," the entertainer explained in a press release. "I'm excited to open Atlanta’s first Dave’s Hot Chicken and look forward to everyone from my hometown trying it."
Usher has been honored with the lifetime achievement award at the 2024 BET Awards. Childish Gambino, Coco Jones and Keke Palmer were part of a stacked all-star tribute to the R&B superstar.
Usher was named entertainer of the year at the 55th annual NAACP Awards that highlighted works by entertainers and writers of color. After Usher accepted his award Saturday night, the superstar singer spoke about being thankful about the journey of his successful career that has lasted three decades.
Brittany feels like we've entered a new phase of celebrity oligarchy; new celebrity business enterprises are popping up daily, and we can't seem to get away from it all. But is this new? Brittany invites culture journalists Bobby Finger and Lindsey Weber to discuss how the notion of celebrity is changing, and what it means for us.
Then, we turn to Hayao Miyazaki, the legendary animator-director whose latest film, The Boy and the Heron, is a frontrunner at this year's Academy Awards. Brittany is joined by Jessica Neibel, Senior Exhibitions Curator at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures, to unpack the life lessons Miyazaki's films offer, from the unreliability of adults to the messages of resilience rooted in Miyazaki's own postwar childhood.
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R&B superstar Usher compressed 30 years of hits into a mere 12 minutes in last night's Super Bowl halftime show. And in doing so, he brought a little bit of Atlanta to an enormous audience. GPB’s Sonia Murray has been covering Usher for years, and she joins All Things Considered host, Peter Biello, to break down last night's performance.
On Sunday night in Las Vegas' Allegiant Stadium, Usher hurried through a medley of many of his biggest hits and proved yet again why he's the current King of R&B.
This weekend, Vegas hit the jackpot. For the first time ever, Sin City will host the Super Bowl; and the halftime headliner is the current Vegas residency darling - Usher. But, NPR Senior Editor Bilal Qureshi says this royal flush was years in the making. Bilal joins host Brittany Luse to share his experience covering the city's journey from 'Old Vegas' to 'New Vegas,' as new hotels, concert venues, and artist residencies bring Vegas to a new market - millennials.
Then, Brittany turns her sights to the Stanley Cup. No, not the hockey championship but the colorful tumblers taking the internet by storm. The frenzy for a new collectible is never surprising, but the very thing that goes inside it - water - has The Wellness Trap author Christy Harrison wondering if this is just another extension of diet and wellness culture gone sideways.
If you have 10 minutes, please do the team at It's Been a Minute a huge favor by taking a short, anonymous survey about the show at npr.org/ibamsurvey. Tell us what you like and how we could improve the show!
In the post-pandemic market for maximalist entertainment, America's "capital of entertainment" has found itself at the center of a cultural revival with A-list residencies at its core.
The superstar posed with a peach on the cover of his new album, Coming Home, and in a new ad campaign for the SKIMS underwear brand as he prepares to perform Sunday night at Las Vegas' Allegiant Stadium. The Jonesboro High School Marching Band is also featured in an Apple promo for the part-time Atlanta resident's Super Bowl appearance.
This year's Super Bowl halftime star is a rare species in pop: More entertainer than celebrity, his enduring stage presence has eclipsed his melodramas, and perhaps even his music.
"It's an honor of a lifetime to finally check a Super Bowl performance off my bucket list," the music megastar said of his appearance at the Feb. 11, 2024 game.