Entertainment News Briefs: Taylor Swift’s ‘Tortured Poets Department’ Dominates Charts, New Film Captures Afghan Women’s Courage, Aerosmith’s Steven Tyler Wins Dismissal, Blackstone to Make Improved Bid for Hipgnosis
Taylor Swift’s latest album, “The Tortured Poets Department,” has taken the music world by storm, dominating US sales and Billboard charts. According to Billboard, the pop megastar sold a whopping 2.61 million album and streaming units during the album’s first week of release in the U.S. The album debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 albums chart, with traditional album sales totaling 1.91 million.
In addition to digital download albums and CDs, “The Tortured Poets Department” also saw a surge in vinyl sales, with 859,000 units sold. The album generated an impressive 891.34 million on-demand official streams, solidifying Taylor Swift’s status as a powerhouse in the music industry.
Meanwhile, a new documentary titled “The Sharp Edge of Peace” is shining a light on the courage of Afghan women in the face of adversity. The film follows the story of Fawzia Koofi, a former member of Afghanistan’s parliament and women’s rights activist, who survived an assassination attempt in 2020. The documentary captures the struggles and resilience of Afghan women during failed peace talks with the Taliban.
In other entertainment news, Aerosmith frontman Steven Tyler has won a dismissal for good in a sexual assault lawsuit filed against him. A federal judge in Manhattan ruled that the lawsuit, which accused Tyler of assaulting a former teenage model in the mid-1970s, cannot proceed. The judge cited a New York City law protecting victims of gender-motivated violence as the basis for the dismissal.
Additionally, private equity giant Blackstone is reportedly preparing to make an improved bid for Hipgnosis Songs Fund, which owns the music rights of artists such as Shakira and Blondie. The bid is expected to surpass the offer made by independent music company Concord, further highlighting the competitive nature of the music industry.
Overall, these developments in the entertainment world showcase the talent, resilience, and business acumen of some of the industry’s biggest names. Stay tuned for more updates on these stories and more.
