Connect with us
DAPA Banner

Entertainment

Every Steely Dan Album Released in the 70s, Ranked

Published

on

Every Steely Dan Album Released in the 70s, Ranked

Steely Dan carved out a unique place in music history, fueled by studio perfectionism, potent and ironic lyrics and a jazz-rock sensibility that scored mainstream success while creating a cult following. The duo of Donald Fagen on keyboards and vocals and the late Walter Becker on guitar, bass and vocals teamed up with a bevy of renowned studio musicians to create a lasting musical legacy that continues to find an audience years later.

The band took its name from a novelty toy mentioned in William S. Burroughs‘ 1959 novel Naked Lunch, if you know, you know. They were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame back in 2001 and have sold over 40 million albums globally. It’s quite a daunting task to rank such a prolific set of albums that define a genre with classic songs: “Do It Again,” “Reelin’ in the Years,” “Rikki Don’t Lose That Number,” “Deacon Blues,” “Black Cow,” “My Old School.” “Peg,” and that’s just scratching the surface. Focusing on the 70s, here are Steely Dan’s studio albums ranked by songwriting, musicianship, and overall production.

Advertisement

6

‘Pretzel Logic’ (1974)

Steely Dan’s third album, Pretzel Logic, begins a shift in how the band approached recording in the studio. It was also the last album the group went on tour to support until the 2000s. Donald Fagen and Walter Becker both decided to focus on creating music in the studio and quit performing live. Jeff Porcaro, who went on to form Toto, played drums on all songs except “Night by Night,” which features Jim Gordon, best known for his work with Derek and the Dominos. Studio legends Chuck Rainey and Wilton Felder were brought in to play bass and The Eagles bassist Timothy B. Schmit adds backing vocals to three songs, including “Barrytown” and the catchy blues shuffle “Pretzel Logic.”

“Rikki Don’t Lose That Number” peaked at number four on the Billboard Hot 100, making it the group’s most successful single. “Any Major Dude Will Tell You” is another classic peeled off the album, inspired by spending so much time recording in California. A cover of Duke Ellington’s “East St. Louis Toodle-Oo,” which gave the band some jazz cred, and the potent country music-inspired “With a Gun” both showcase the diversity of Pretzel Logic. It’s also the last album to feature the original members Jeff “Skunk” Baxter, who would later join The Doobie Brothers, and drummer/vocalist Jim Hodder.

5

‘Katy Lied’ (1975)

A new era of creativity and studio musicianship is evident on 1975’s Katy Lied. The album is an amalgamation of featured artists including a slew of guitarists, including Rick Derringer, Dean Parks, Elliott Randall and the first of many historic collaborations with jazz legend Larry Carlton, who adds signature licks on “Daddy Don’t Live in that New York City No More.” Outside of playing some bass and rhythm guitar, Walter Becker also contributed the guitar solos on “Black Friday” and “Bad Sneakers.” Rick Derringer laid down the memorable and fiery solo on “Chain Lightning.”

Advertisement

Jeff Porcaro handled all the drums minus “Any World (That I’m Welcome To),” played by studio guru Hal Blaine. Chuck Rainey and Wilton Felder were brought back into the fold to play bass on tracks along with Becker. Legendary vocalist Michael McDonald sings backing vocals on the album, clearly heard in “Bad Sneakers” and “Any World (That I’m Welcome To).” Donald Fagen and Walter Becker continued growth as lyricists shine in “Black Friday,” “Bad Sneakers,” and “Everyone’s Gone To The Movies,” an upbeat island-vibe song about pornography. The album has a clean sound that would only improve as the band continued to spend ample time in the recording studio. “Black Friday” still jumps out of the speakers.

4

‘Countdown to Ecstasy’ (1973)

Countdown to Ecstasy is Steely Dan’s second album, which spawned the quintessential tracks “Bodhisattva” and “My Old School,” for which guitarist Jeff “Skunk” Baxter approached the solo like a saxophonist trying to make his guitar honk. The members of the band were the same from the debut, but Becker and Fagen began to bring in a few outside musicians to enhance the record, including guitarist Rick Derringer for the slide work in “Show Biz Kids.” Like the debut, Walter Becker played bass and added backing vocals and Jim Hodder played drums on every track.

At the time, Countdown to Ecstasy wasn’t as successful as their debut, but in time has earned appreciation with some fan-favorite deep cuts, including “The Boston Rag.” The tune shows off the group’s irreverent and playful lyric writing with the classic opening line: “Any news was good news / And the feeling was bad at home / I was out of my mind, and you were on the phone.” “My Old School” was inspired by a drug bust at Bard College, when Becker and Fagen were students: “It was still September when your daddy was quite surprised / To find you with the working girls in the county jail.” Countdown to Ecstasy feels and sounds like a band getting into a grove that would be short-lived by studio experimentation.

Advertisement

3

‘Can’t Buy a Thrill’ (1972)

Steely Dan’s debut album is an eclectic mix of rock, pop and jazz. The effort features three different lead vocalists: Donald Fagen, David Palmer and Jim Hodder, who also played drums on every track. Palmer lends his vocals on “Brooklyn (Owes the Charmer Under Me)” and the hit “Dirty Work.” Fagen leads the way on hits “Do It Again,” and “Reelin’ in the Years,” while Hodder sings lead on “Midnite Cruiser.” The album features the twin guitar attack of Denny Dias and Jeff “Skunk” Baxter. Denny Dias used a rented Danelectro electic sitar for the memorable guitar solo on the Latin-tinged track “Do It Again,” while Baxter plays the classic lead on “Reelin’ in the Years.” Guitarist Denny Dias on his approach to playing in Steely Dan:

“I play jazz guitar in a rock-and-roll band and that’s all I’ve ever done.”

Can’t Buy a Thrill showed that Becker and Fagen were a potent songwriting force on the verge of taking the decade by storm. It marked the beginning of a glorious relationship the band had with Gary Katz, who produced every Steely Dan album through the 1980 release Gaucho. The album made an immediate splash, selling over 500-thousand copies in its first year and achieving platinum status in 1993, selling over one million copies.

Advertisement

2

‘The Royal Scam’ (1976)

The Royal Scam is a tour de force that captures Becker and Fagen hitting their stride as songwriters and entering a creative peak. The album’s lead track, “Kid Charlemagne,” was inspired by the rise and fall of notorious San Francisco LSD chemist Owsley Stanley: “Clean this mess up else we’ll all end up in jail / Those test tubes and the scale / Just get it all out of here / Is there gas in the car? / Yes, there’s gas in the car? / I think the people down the hall know who you are.” Larry Carlton plays the incredible guitar solo on the track widely considered to be among the best solos of all time. The jazz legend also plays on the energetic classic “Don’t Take Me Alive,” and “Everything You Did.”

Bernard Purdie played drums on all but two tracks on the album. The legendary soul and R&B drummer blessed the group with his signature style called the “Purdie Shuffle,” clearly heard on “The Fez,” Haitian Divorce,” and “Kid Charlemagne.” The title track is a six-minute opus that infectiously snakes along, highlighting Chuck Findley on trumpet. The Royal Scam is a brilliant album that showcases the maturing minds of Becker and Fagen and their obsession with studio perfection. It’s a flawless album that leads the duo to Aja.

1

‘Aja’ (1977)

Aja is one of the best sounding albums of all time. In fact, it won Best Engineered Recording — Non-Classical at the 20th Annual Grammy Awards in 1978. To this day, audio engineers and sound guys love to play this album to test speakers or prepare for soundcheck. Donald Fagen and Walter Becker used about 40 different musicians (including five different drummers on just seven songs) and many hours logged in the studio to get the sound and performances they wanted for their sixth studio album. The combination of more sophisticated songs and arrangements along with virtuoso performances and a nerdy level of high production standards was a perfect storm.

Advertisement

Fagen and Becker have many great quotable lyrics culled from every song on the album. The opening lines of “Black Cow:” “In the corner of my eye / I saw you at Rudy’s / You were very high / You were high.” The clever line in the chorus of “Josie,” “She’s a raw flame / A live wire / She prays like a Roman with her eyes on fire.” At just over eight minutes, the album’s title track, “Aja,” is the band’s longest song. The airy classic features the historic collaboration of Steve Gaad with his powerfully articulate drums along with jazz legend Wayne Shorter on saxophone. “Peg” and “Josie” are upbeat sonic treasures, “Deacon Blues” is a brilliant seventh-minute atmospheric track with a quotable and catchy chorus, and even the album’s deepest cuts, “I Got The News,” and “Home At Last” are well regarded. Aja is a masterpiece of studio perfection where each song and every moment is beautifully crafted and obsessed over. Studio perfection exemplified.

Source link

Continue Reading
Click to comment

You must be logged in to post a comment Login

Leave a Reply

Entertainment

A CW Show’s Best Episode Is Responsible For Star Wars’ Worst Movie

Published

on

A CW Show's Best Episode Is Responsible For Star Wars' Worst Movie

By Jonathan Klotz
| Published

Supernatural felt like it was on the air forever, 15 seasons and 327 episodes is an incredible run, but it’s even more impressive for a genre show. That’s why it’s hard to remember, but way back in the second episode, “Wendigo,” Alden Ehrenreich made his acting debut as the young Ben Collins, and while he’d go on to star in Weapons, Ironheart, and Beautiful Creatures, his most infamous role was no fault of his own. Ehrenreich starred as young Han Solo in Solo, the most unneeded prequel of all time, and a film that destroyed the entire Star Wars side-story project Disney had been pursuing, which is a little ironic, as his very on-screen role was so good, it helped turn Supernatural into the juggernaut it would become.

Sam And Dean Take On One Of Supernatural’s Best Monsters

“Wendigo” is the second episode of Supernatural. which means it had the task of setting the tone and format for the rest of the series. The pilot introduced characters, set up the world, and established stakes, but “Wendigo” was the first real Monster of the Week episode. Back before it was a battle against demons and angels, the show mined folklore and urban legends for its villains, and the Algonquian legend of the Wiindigoo, a ravenous, gigantic, emaciated cannibal, made for the perfect introduction to the Winchesters

Alden Ehrenreich’s Ben Collins is wandering in the wilderness with his older sister, Hayley, as they try to find their other brother, Tommy, who went missing. Sam (Jared Padalecki) and Dean (Jensen Ackles) find the siblings, and thanks to their dad’s journal, deduce it was a Wendigo that took Tommy. The Wendigo they find isn’t a furry, bestial monster, instead it’s closer to the actual tradition, a strange-looking, gaunt, humanoid that has more in common with Slender Man than Big Foot, but it’s also one of the best-looking monsters of Season 1.

A Young Jared Padalecki, Gina Holden, Alden Ehrenreich, And Jensen Ackles In 2005’s “Wendigo”

The episode plays out as you’d expect, with Sam and Dean losing horribly to the beast before they outsmart it and snatch victory from its ravenous jaws of defeat. Supernatural eventually got stuck in a rut with subsequent episodes playing out in the same fashion, but given its later seasons’ emphasis on the mythology arc, it’s refreshing to go back and see such a simple Monster of the Week story that lets Sam and Dean be, well, Sam and Dean, going up against a beast from classic folklore.

From All-Time Great To All-Time Flop

Following the success of “Wendigo,” Supernatural became a hit, and Alden Ehrenreich hasn’t had to stop working yet. Supernatural fans should at least check out Beautiful Creatures, based on the young adult novel of the same name, where he plays a teen who falls in love with a young witch. It’s Southern Gothic, giving it a sense of style and charm that what should have been his breakout film, Solo, completely lacks. 

Alden Ehrenreich As Han Solo In Solo: A Star Wars Story

It’s not Ehrenreich’s fault that Solo was a failure. Asking him to play one of the most iconic roles in movie history that made Harrison Ford a movie star was an impossible task. The fact that he does as well as he does is a testament to his acting ability and his own natural charm. Solo was the victim of studio interference.

Supernatural had to overcome its own periods of studio interference, and its spin-off, The Winchesters, also had a rough start to production. Years after it finally came to an end, it’s fun to look back at the saga of Sam and Dean and realize how good we had it. Two brothers, a 1967 Chevy Impala, and a Monster of the Week became one of the greatest genre shows in history.

Advertisement


Source link

Continue Reading

Entertainment

Everything to Know About RHOSLC Alum Jen Shah’s Legal Drama

Published

on

Everything to Know About RHOSLC Alum Jen Shah's Legal Drama

Source link

Advertisement
Continue Reading

Entertainment

Rashad Scroggins Confirms Their Breakup (Video)

Published

on

Social Media Called It! Rashad Scroggins Says He "Dodged A Missile" While Confirming Breakup With Brittany Renner PJ Washington

Brittany Renner seemingly wants all the smoke behind Paul Jermaine Washington III, her son with PJ Washington. She went from jokingly defending him a couple of days ago to blasting his parental involvement. Things escalated when PJ seemingly took sides in the internet beef between Renner and his wife, Alisah Chanel. Meanwhile, some internet users found themselves on Rashad Scroggins‘ Instagram page.

After photos of their friends-to-lovers journey disappeared from their IG feeds, the people had questions under his other posts. This time, the internet clocked it. Scroggins told his followers he’s single and “dodged a missile.”

RELATED: Oop! Brittany Renner Drops SPICY Reply To PJ Washington’s Wife Alisah Chanel Over Her Reaction To A Joke

Brittany Reacts To PJ Washington’s Selfie With His Wife Alisah

After Brittany and Alisah’s back and forth on IG Stories and in The Shade Room’s comment section, PJ Washington seemingly stepped in. He reminded the public via his IG Stories that Alisah is the one — the ring is secured! After TSR posted the sweet selfie, Brittany hopped on her IG Stories to clock PJ about not replying to a message about their son, Paul. She had texted him, “What are your plans after the season ends? Did you have dates in mind you wanted to get Paul?” Washington seemingly hadn’t responded and the timestamps suggest Renner texted him a few days prior.

“Despite the dead eyes, I am glad to see your thumbs aren’t broken and you’re alive and well. While we have a moment, can we get back to the question at hand @pjwashington,” Renner wrote in her post.

 

Advertisement

Social Media Users Flood Brittany Renner’s Recent Boo With Breakup Comments

Brittany’s internet tussle with Alisah and PJ had folks on social media asking about her own love life. She and Rashad Scroggins debuted their relationship earlier this year. Last TSR reported, he had shared a post about their mountain trip in late December. Their sweet, and often joint, posts continued through Valentine’s Day. He was even in the podcast episode where she revealed she had dropped her child-related case in California against PJ Washington.

That podcast page is gone now. Also, sometime this week, their couples’ posts disappeared from their pages. And fans noticed. Two days he shared photos of himself on IG with the caption, “Everything should be cool.” Since then, the comment section has been flooded in with breakup speculation.

@juricafit wrote, “Big bro. She don’t want to be saved. Cole told us.”

“What happened? I liked you 2 together 😢,” @exceptionalerin added.

Advertisement

“Tell the truth, you knew what you were signing up for G 😅,” @earthtola_ commented.

“Why you deleted the pics of yall together?” @reginajackk asked.

@damsel_not_distressed added, “You got out in time! She’s already back to the messiness 🙄.”  

“Females don’t understand that men get tired and fed up too! A man with boundaries is a different beast! 💪🏼,” @oohkathylee commented.

Advertisement

@gannicus_kd_wilson wrote, “U can’t call the girl trash now my n*gga the world tried to warn u and tried post how much u was in love naw take that L now @rashadscroggins.”

Rashad Scroggins Confirms He’s “Single,” Says He “Dodged A Missile”

Rashad Scroggins left his comment sections scrambled. Looking for answers. He even kept his cone of silence amid Brittany Renner blasting her ex-boyfriend and his wife. Then, on Tuesday (March 31), he finally spoke out on video and in the comment section.

In videos on IG Stories, Rashad shared a general message about life being “full of surprises and interesting at the same time.” Then, he admitted that he was “really loud before,” and it’s a switch-up to go quiet. To him, though, “some stuff is not worth you going forward it.” 

“When you take that step back and there’s still chaos around the corner. When you enter somebody’s life, you hope to change, you hope to grow, you hope to make it better. I want to be better as a person, but some people, they just want to do the same thing over and over and over…they’re stuck in a loop and they can’t figure out that I need to do something different.”

He then told his viewers to never get stuck in life, and to keep moving forward. Up to that point, he hadn’t dropped any names and he kept the same energy in follow-up clips.

Advertisement

“I’m a big believer that idle time is the Devil’s playground. If you want to be a stay-at-home wife or you don’t want to work, you’re going to have issues. You have to do something with your time. I’m not saying stay-at-home wife is out, but you have to do something productive with your time. I pray for everybody, I hope they get happy.”

Rashad also acknowledged that he’s speaking in riddles and refused to get into specifics. He added:

“Mannnn, everybody told me,” before laughing. “My God look out for me man…I dodged a motherfing missile, do you hear me? I dodged all the ruckus…Thank you, thank you.”

RELATED: Issa New Couple? Social Media Reacts As Mystery Man Shares Mountain Trip Memories With Brittany Renner (VIDEOS)

In his follow-up, Scroggins said that people have to pay attention to what they have, including their own skills, rather than trying to eat off of what someone else has.

“Life is still gonna require you to do something or you’re going to feel an internal, deep hole that nobody’s gonna be able to fill. You’re going to think you need money, a jet, Rolls Royce, a chef, whatever you think that you need, it ain’t gonna be it. You need to figure out your purpose,” he said while filming outside. Adding, “To be clear, I’m single. I’m chilling, safe. Peaceful. Listening to birds. Just calm. Yes, that’s the story.”

Rashad said a lot of things transpired in a couple of days, but he didn’t go into details about what. Again, he never name-dropped Brittany Renner, but later made a reference to her. After defending the expression of his feelings, he said he was “kinda scared” to speak out because he wants “no smoke” with “her.” He said, “I just wish the best for her…but two things could be true.” 

 

RELATED: Brittany Renner Reacts After Alisah Chanel Alleges She’s Pregnant, Refused To Let PJ Washington See His Son And Begged For $150

What Do You Think Roomies?

Advertisement

Source link

Continue Reading

Entertainment

Supergirl Goes Full-On John Wick In New Trailer

Published

on

Supergirl

By Jennifer Asencio
| Published

Supergirl

The latest trailer for Supergirl, starring Milly Alcock, Jason Momoa, and Eve Ridley, has been released, and I take back everything I said about the previous teaser trailer. Everything about the old trailer indicated a disrespect for the Superman source material and a rebellious girl-boss operating under the slogan, “Truth. Justice. Whatever.”

Yet the new trailer, released March 31, 2026, reveals a lot more about the plot and the source of Supergirl’s anger. A story that was indicated to be about Kara, aka Supergirl, helping an alien girl named Ruthye avenge the death of her father becomes much more poignant when you know that the murderer has also poisoned Krypto, Supergirl’s faithful canine that she’s had since her days on Krypton.

Supergirl’s John Wick Arc

The dog is all she has left of her former home, since Kal-El is more like a human from living on Earth since infancy. Kara is a young girl grieving and literally the only person she knows who remembers her planet. Under those circumstances, she’d probably tell us to get over any problems we might have with her rebelliousness, and her John Wick reaction is just as forgivable as with the Keanu Reeves hitman.

The girl power theme from the previous trailer can now be forgiven now that we know the director is Craig Gillespie, famous for The Powerpuff Girls. Supergirl seems to ask the question, “What if Buttercup from The Powerpuff Girls grew up, lost everything in Townsville, and is now in a race against time to save her beloved pet?” Ruthye seems to stand in as a demure Blossom, and there’s probably enough of Bubbles to go around for both of them. The style of the movie is signature Gillespie, a live-action rendering of his cartoon universes.

Advertisement

Jason Momoa Brings The Boom

Supergirl

There’s also plenty of room for the boys. Superman makes an actual appearance this time, rather than having his picture peed on by Krypto, and it is clear that he is worried about his cousin. He wants her to embrace the planet as he has, but she isn’t having any of it because she is too bitter about losing Krypton.

However, the objective highlight of the trailer is Jason Momoa as Lobo. If there was any actor born to play this role, it was Momoa, who looks exactly like his comic book counterpart. His perfectly fitting appearance is nothing compared to what we get to see of his performance during this trailer as he rolls in on his skull-adorned chopper to trade barbs with the movie’s heroine. If this trailer is any indication of what his performance is going to be like, it won’t be long before fans are clamoring for a stand-alone spinoff movie centered on Lobo.

Supergirl 2026

Filled with color that hasn’t been dampened by sepia, bright explosions, and really cool outer space scenes, Supergirl looks a lot more promising the second time around than it did the first. Hopefully, it delivers on the promises of its trailer.


Source link

Advertisement
Continue Reading

Entertainment

If You’re Worried About The New Harry Potter, Tubi Has Something Much Worse

Published

on

If You’re Worried About The New Harry Potter, Tubi Has Something Much Worse

By Robert Scucci
| Published

With all the Harry Potter buzz lately, everybody’s writing about the franchise, its future, J.K. Rowling, and so on. I don’t really have anything new to add to the conversation, so this is my warped way of inserting myself into it. I’ve read the books and seen the films. They didn’t define my childhood, but I remember enjoying them. They’re fine, but they were one-and-done for me. I’ve never been big on young adult fantasy, but sometimes it’s nice to feel like you’re part of the zeitgeist, so you play along to understand the references.

This line of thinking led me to Tubi (home of Amityville Death Toilet), where you can stream The Mystical Adventures of Billy Owens. This movie falls into the “mockbuster” category, meaning it was produced to capitalize on the success of the wildly popular Harry Potter franchise, and for no other reason.

The Mystical Adventures of Billy Owen 2008

This movie, in so many words, is a blatant Harry Potter knockoff that hasn’t publicly disclosed its finances, but I’ll describe as hilariously low budget. It’s filmed in Canadian strip malls, you can spot crew members reflected in mirrors, and the CGI looks like something anybody could throw together after a day or two button-mashing in Blender. Oh yeah, and Roddy Piper is basically a Hagrid/Dumbledore stand-in, so on all fronts this cinematic experiment is something you need to know about.

Codex! Scriptoria! Please! 

The entirety of The Mystical Adventures of Billy Owens is narrated by Mandy Finch (Ciara O’Hanlon), the bookworm of the group, basically functioning as Hermione in this universe (yes, there’s a sequel, Billy Owens and the Secret of the Runes). Mandy recalls the events we’re about to witness, which immediately tells me they all lived to see another day, otherwise somebody else would be narrating.

The Mystical Adventures of Billy Owen 2008

We’re introduced to our hero, Willard “Billy” Owens (Dalton Mugridge), who, on his eleventh birthday, realizes he’s a wizard after buying a magic wand from Roddy Piper’s William Thurgood for $11.

Billy Owens learns that the magic word is “please.” Roddy Piper uses what looks like Microsoft PowerPoint technology to spell words like “Codex” and “Scriptoria” in his antique shop. There’s another kid named Devon (Christopher Fazio), who’s clearly meant to be a Ron Weasley surrogate, but his presence is so inconsequential that I’m only mentioning it to prove I actually sat through this entire movie to impress you. And I did without bumping it up to 1.5x speed for reasons I’ll never fully understand.

Advertisement
The Mystical Adventures of Billy Owen 2008

The kids learn that Sumerian prankster god Loki is going to seize their small town of Spirit River if they don’t intervene, so naturally, they go to the library, where they try to hide from a security guard by talking loudly and waving their flashlights around. There’s a CGI fire at William’s shop, and then there’s a dragon.

At one point, because there’s clearly no budget, Billy tries to get out of doing chores by waving the wand at his parents. You think something cool is about to happen, but instead his father just looks the other way and Billy hides under a coat. Everybody saves the day, and we get one of those “To Be Continued” cards, threatening us with a sequel.

You Have To Be A Special Kind Of Person To Subject Yourself To This

The Mystical Adventures of Billy Owen 2008

The Mystical Adventures of Billy Owens is hardly a movie. Though its runtime is 84 minutes, the last 10 are bloopers and credits. The amount of nothing that happens here is insane, and the little effort that went into it is still disproportionate to the story it’s trying to tell. If you’re wondering who movies like this are made for, the answer is me. It’s so stupid that I can’t help myself.

Actually, now that I think about it, this movie does serve a purpose. If you’re one of the millions of people upset about the new Harry Potter trailer, just fire up The Mystical Adventures of Billy Owens on Tubi to remind yourself that it could be so much worse.


Source link

Advertisement
Continue Reading

Entertainment

The Valley’s Zack Warns There’s More Amanda, West Drama

Published

on

The Valley‘s Zack Wickham teased more might be revealed about Amanda Batula and West Wilson‘s shocking romance.

“Well, I will say that one of our friends’ cousins was on a vacation,” Zack said on the Tuesday, March 31, episode of SiriusXM’s Smith Sisters Live. “And met [Summer House star] Jesse Solomon and he just told her everything and then she told me.”

Zack continued: “So, I’m like, if what he told her is real, then brace yourselves, America. Sorry Jesse, I didn’t mean to throw you under the bus. I’m not saying anything publicly, but oh, my God.”

Rumors swirled that Amanda, 34, and West, 31, were hooking up shortly after she announced her split from husband Kyle Cooke in January. (West, for his part, has had an on-and-off connection with costar Ciara Miller since 2023.)

Advertisement

Earlier this month, Amanda denied having any potential involvement with another costar. “It’s not going to happen. I’m not touching any of my cast members,” she said on the “Trading Secrets” podcast. “Love them dearly, but I’m good.”

West later said he was “just hanging out” with Amanda on an episode of Watch What Happens Live With Andy Cohen.

“She’s single now,” he noted. “That’s [a] very important person to me and I care about her a lot. That’s a friend.”

As the rumors progressed, Amanda and West confirmed on Tuesday that their relationship status changed.

Advertisement

“We’ve seen the growing online speculation, so while this is still very new, we wanted to provide some clarity,” read a joint social media statement. “It was never our intention to purposely hide anything. Given the complicated relationship dynamics involved and the scrutiny that comes with being on a reality show, we needed a little space to process things privately before speaking on it.”

Ciara Miller Amanda Batula and West Wilson Love Triangle Rumors Explained


Related: Summer House‘s Ciara Miller, Amanda Batula and West Wilson Drama Explained

The  Summer House cast drama is raising eyebrows with Bravo fans. Amanda Batula and Kyle Cooke announced in January that they decided to separate after four years of marriage. “After much reflection, we have mutually and amicably decided to part ways as a couple,” their joint statement read. “We share this with a heavy heart […]

Advertisement

Amanda and West broke down how their connection evolved from friendship to more.

“We’ve shown up for each other as friends over the years, through all the highs and lows, and what’s developed recently was the last thing either of us expected,” they continued. “Our connection grew out of a genuine, longstanding friendship, which made it especially important for us to approach this with care.”

The statement concluded: “As our feelings evolved, we wanted to take time to understand exactly what we were feeling. We also recognize that this has had an impact beyond just us and never wanted our actions to cause any hurt or be perceived as careless. We truly appreciate the understanding and respect as we navigate this.”

After news of their romance broke, a source exclusively told Us Weekly, that Ciara, 30, is “heartbroken by this,” adding, “Her and Amanda were very close and she feels more betrayed than ever by both of them.”

A second source told Us, “Ciara cut off both Amanda and West after finding out.”

Advertisement

Source link

Continue Reading

Entertainment

Ross Mathews looks back at his 'terrible' “Mean Girls ”audition: 'I've never told anyone this'

Published

on


The Drew Crew member explained that he initially thought that he was “too old” to play someone in high school.

Source link

Continue Reading

Entertainment

Lili Reinhart says a male director once told her, 'Suck in your stomach'

Published

on


The “Forbidden Fruits” star has spoken candidly about her struggles with body image.

Source link

Continue Reading

Entertainment

Megan Thee Stallion Speaks, More Revealed About Hospitalization

Published

on

UPDATE: Megan Thee Stallion Speaks Out As More Details Are Reportedly Shared About What Led To Her Recent Hospitalization

Megan Thee Stallion has spoken out as more details have reportedly been shared about what led to her recent hospitalization.

RELATED: Winning On Stage & At Home! Megan Thee Stallion Shares Selfie With Klay Thompson Amid Her Broadway Debut (PHOTO)

More Details Have Been Shared About What Led To Megan Thee Stallion’s Hospitalization

On Wednesday, April 1, The Hollywood Reporter published an update on Megan, reportedly shared by her spokesperson. In the statement, the spokesperson asserted that “…Megan was transported to a local hospital to undergo a medical evaluation after experiencing concerning symptoms.”

“Doctors ultimately identified extreme exhaustion, dehydration, vasoconstriction and low metabolic levels as the cause of her symptoms. Megan has since been treated, discharged and is now resting. Megan is incredibly grateful for the prayers and well-wishes from her supporters and is looking forward to resuming her role as Zidler on Moulin Rouge on Thursday,” the statement concluded.

Furthermore, The Hollywood Reporter noted that Megan would not be returning to the Broadway stage for Wednesday’s show. Instead, she would return to the stage on Thursday, April 2.

Megan Thee Stallion Speaks Out As Social Media Reacts

Then, on Wednesday, April 1, Megan Thee Stallion took to her Instagram account to share her own statement about her hospitalization and condition.

Advertisement

“Last night was a real wake-up call for me. I’ve been pushing myself past my limits lately, running on empty, and my body finally said enough. It honestly scared me. I thought I was gonna faint on stage, I really tried to push through my performance but I just couldn’t. Hotties I wanna be real with y’all because you mean everything to me and I hate letting yall down 🥺 I just need one day to rest, reset, and take care of myself the way I should have been..I’ll be right back on that stage Thursday, stronger, clearer, and ready to give you 100% the way you deserve. Thank you for always riding with me and loving me through everything,” she wrote.

In TSR’s comment section, fans reacted to Megan’s statement.

Instagram user @since_we_being_honest wrote, My granny used to say If you don’t rest your body will literally force you too!”

While Instagram user @luvdaisha_ added, Girl no need to be sorry your health is importing take care of yourself you need more than a day !”

Additionally, Instagram user @bae_ismeee wrote, A hospital stay and she rests for A DAY! Smh black women-we have GOT to do better and be good to ourselves.”

Advertisement

While Instagram user @ryennmilan added, Girl take a REAL rest. Your body will take what it needs from you at the worst times.”

More On Her Recent Hospitalization

As The Shade Room previously reported, on Tuesday, March 31, Megan reportedly hit the stage for Broadway’s ‘Moulin Rouge! The Musical.’ However, shortly after the show started, she did not return to the stage and reportedly fell “very ill.” Ultimately, it was reported that she was taken to a hospital.

RELATED: Prayers Up! Megan Thee Stallion Reportedly Rushed To The Hospital In Middle Of ‘Moulin Rouge!’ Broadway Performance

What Do You Think Roomies?

Advertisement

Source link

Continue Reading

Entertainment

General Hospital Early Spoilers April 6-10: Sonny Takes Huge Gamble & Nina Panics!

Published

on

General Hospital Spoilers: Sonny Corinthos (Maurice Benard) - Reeves (Cynthia Watros)

General Hospital spoilers for April 06-10, 2026 find Sonny Corinthos‘ (Maurice Benard) big risk and Nina Reeves (Cynthia Watros) scrambling.

General Hospital Spoilers Wednesday, April 1st: Jack Impatient with Nina

So on Wednesday, April 1st, we have got Jack Brennan (Chris McKenna) really impatient with Nina. And Jack tells Nina that she’s got to decide which daughter she’s going to protect. It’s either Willow Corinthos (Katelyn MacMullen) or Charlotte Cassadine (Bluesy Burke) because Jack wants to find Valentin Cassadine (James Patrick Stuart) ASAP and is tired of Nina not giving him information he’s certain she can get.

Jenz Sidwell (Carlo Rota) has some new instructions to give out and I’m guessing it is to Cassius Faison aka not Nathan West (Ryan Paevey). Sidwell is telling Cassius that he’s done it brilliantly and has everybody fooled. Obviously, this is him taking over Nathan’s life, pretending to be James West’s (Gary James Fuller) dad and Maxie Jones’ (Kirsten Storms) ex.

Obviously, Britt Westbourne (Kelly Thiebaud) knew who he was all along, which explains a whole lot about their lack of interactions and her anxiety when he showed up in town. We actually did a video on Faison’s fourth kid the other day and talked about it before it was confirmed on GH this week.

Advertisement

GH Spoilers: Cassius Warns Someone

Also, Cassius warns somebody and it may be Sidwell. You know, Cassius may be worried that digging too deep into this murder investigation and acting out of character could blow his cover, but of course, Sidwell is in a blind rage while grieving and won’t care.

Britt and Lucas Jones (Van Hansis) put the pieces together. I assume Britt’s going to tell Lucas that Ross Cullum (Andrew Hawkes) smashed the vials of her meds that Marco Rios (Adrian Anchondo) had gotten and that that’s probably why Cullum killed him.

And in tears, Lucas is going to tell Britt that Marco’s death was all for nothing. You know, now they’ve got no way to get Britt’s meds. And unfortunately, Lucas saved that creep’s life in surgery.

General Hospital Spoilers: Laura Suspicious & Willow Stunned

Laura Spencer (Genie Francis) gets more suspicious and Ezra Boyle (Daniel Cosgrove) is telling Laura that Sidwell’s son being murdered has changed everything. I wonder if Ezra knows that Sidwell suspects Sonny. Of course, that won’t make sense at all to Laura because of the leverage that Sidwell has on both her and Sonny.

Advertisement

Willow comes to a shocking realization and I think she is starting to figure out that Trina Robinson (Tabyana Ali) and Kai Taylor (Jens Austin Astrup) may know that she was there the night Drew Quartermaine (Cameron Mathison) was shot. Willow’s talking out loud to herself and maybe to Drew. She’s got him in his chair in the living room and Willow’s wondering how Trina knew her ringtone for Wiley Corinthos (Viron Weaver).

GH Spoilers: Drew’s Surprising Memories

Also, kind of interesting that Willow’s not planning on keeping Drew frozen forever and does not know that Sidwell plans to kill him. Also some lack of continuity in the writer room at General Hospital because Drew already knows that Willow shot him. She confessed that directly to his face.

So, I don’t know why we’re acting like this is some kind of shocking reveal for Drew. Michael Corinthos (Rory Gibson) tells Kai he hopes he’s not interrupting anything. And looks like Michael may show up to Willow’s office maybe to talk to her about Wiley and them spending time together as their son asked.

General Hospital Thursday, April 2nd: Sonny and Ric Go to Marco’s Funeral

Thursday, April 2nd, we’ve got Nathan getting new information. And this may be from the PCPD. I still think Marco’s murder weapon is going to be found because Cullum took it with him. And he was careful to wear gloves. And that could be used to implicate somebody.

Advertisement

Plus, Dante Falconeri (Dominic Zamprogna) is a little thrown by an update he gets from Elizabeth Webber (Rebecca Herbst). And it may be about her and Ric Lansing (Rick Hearst) reconciling because we saw Dante and Liz kind of vibing.

Plus, something shocks Lucas. And I wonder if it’s hearing rumors that Sonny supposedly killed Marco because the math’s not mathing on that. And Britt may tell him flat out that she’s sure that Cullum stabbed Marco.

General Hospital Spoilers: Sonny Shocks Laura

During a tense conversation, Sonny shares a bold idea with Laura, maybe to hit Sidwell while he’s down. Sonny may also tell Laura they should both go to the funeral. We know for sure that Sonny is going. Also on Thursday, Ric reassures someone. Could be Liz, but I bet it’s probably Sonny because they know that he’s going to be looked at for Marco’s death.

Sidwell hates him and he was the one who nearly killed Michael. So, Ric is going to accompany Sonny to Marco’s memorial. This is Ric putting himself in the eye of the storm and taking a big risk to stand at Sonny’s side. So, I’m all here for the brother bonding.

Advertisement
General Hospital Spoilers: Sonny Corinthos (Maurice Benard) - Reeves (Cynthia Watros)General Hospital Spoilers: Sonny Corinthos (Maurice Benard) - Reeves (Cynthia Watros)
General Hospital Spoilers: Sonny Corinthos – Reeves

Friday, April 3rd on GH: Sidwell Rages at the Funeral

On Friday, April 3rd, Molly Lansing Davis (Kristen Vaganos) heads into surgery for her endometriosis. And Cody Bell (Josh Kelly) is going to be right there by her side. He’s supporting her, encouraged it, let the vacation go so that he could be there for her.

And he plans to take care of Molly. He offered either at Alexis Davis’s (Nancy Lee Grahn) house or his, but I don’t think the stables are a good idea when you’re recovering from surgery. You know, horse hair in the air. Plus, there’s that spiral staircase, not regular stairs.

Sidwell is in a rage on Friday. And I think it’s because Sonny and Ric show up to Marco’s funeral. Kristina Corinthos Davis (Kate Mansi) is also at the memorial, but her coming to honor Marco makes sense because he saved Kristina’s life in that fire that Sidwell had started at the pub. Plus, Nina tries to make things right.

And I wonder if she’s going to tell Charlotte why she’s been asking these questions and just explain herself. We’ll see. Alexis makes an admission and this may happen at Marco’s funeral. Plus, Carly Corinthos Spencer (Laura Wright) listens as Sonny explains and this may be about why he went to Marco’s funeral to start with.

General Hospital Spoilers Week of April 6th-10th Spoilers

Then the week of April 6 through the 10th, we’re going to be learning more about Cassius Faison, the fourth Faison offspring, or as we’ve been calling him here for quite a long time, not Nathan. Laura and Sonny with an assist from Ric are going to try to use Sidwell’s grief to take him down while he is vulnerable.

Advertisement

Cullum, of course, didn’t see who shot him, but that doesn’t mean that he’s not going to accuse someone, most likely Jason Morgan (Steve Burton), since he already took the warrant out for him and wants to keep him locked down.

General Hospital Spoilers: Rocco Struggles with His Secret

Rocco Falconeri’s (Finn Carr) guilt eats at him. And I suspect that he may tell Charlotte and Danny Morgan (Asher Antonyzyn) despite being warned not to tell anyone. But Rocco may first come clean to Britt, knowing that she won’t judge him. And she’s also worried about Jason.

If he does, I think that Britt will warn Rocco about not Nathan because he’s supposedly his savior, but obviously he can’t be trusted. He is a Faison and not a changed one like Britt.

Harrison Chase (Josh Swickard) and Brook Lynn Quartermaine (Amanda Setton) are going to find out if they get to foster baby Phoebe or if the hooker comment from Wiley has permanently ruined that. Carly is absolutely disgusted by Jack. First Josslyn Jacks (Eden McCoy), now she’s lost Jason.

Advertisement

Really, as far as she can see, Jack and the WSB are costing her everything important. And she’s going to be increasingly drawn to Valentin as a result. Very soon, Carly and Valentin are going to reach an agreement. And it may be friends with benefits of revenge and some bedroom action.

General Hospital Spoilers: Sidwell Pressures Jordan & Cassius

Sidwell pushes both Cassius and Jordan Ashford (Tanisha Harper) to get results where Marco’s death is concerned. Sidwell in his mind has already, you know, decided Sonny is it. And of course, it’s one of his own partners in crime. Britt feels like she has no hope and options with Jason gone and Marco dead and no medication.

Lulu Spencer (Alexa Havins Bruening) gets closer to Cassius with no idea. It’s a stranger in her bed and not Nathan. Cody takes care of Molly as she recovers. Ric and Liz are going to get much closer soon. Looks like they may make it to the bedroom.

Sidwell pressuring Jordan has Curtis Ashford (Donnell Turner) concerned and Sonny and DA Justine Turner (Nazneen Contractor) commit to something between them, but tragedy is looming where they’re concerned.

Advertisement

Source link

Continue Reading

Trending

Copyright © 2025