Taylor Swift And Bad Bunny Are Among The Year’s 10 Highest-Paid Entertainers, Behind Classic Rockers And Cartoon Creators

Taylor Swift and Bad Bunny were all smiles at the 2023 Grammys on February 5, and Forbes shed light on one possible reason for their cheery spirits.

The publication shared its annual list of the world’s top 10 highest-paid entertainers today, February 12, and Swift made the cut for the sixth time in her career, including the No. 1 spot in 2019. This year, Swift ranks No. 9, but she’s also notably the only woman on the list.

“Despite the success of Midnights and the anticipation for Eras (which hints at an even better 2023), the pop icon scored most of her $92 million in earnings from music she’d released in years past,” Forbes wrote. “The 33-year-old’s back catalog made up an estimated 70% of her pay, including profits from streaming and album sales. (Universal Music Group, which gets 3% of its revenue from Swift, sold $50 million worth of physical albums in 2022, per a JP Morgan analyst report).”

Right below Swift is Bad Bunny in tenth:

“The only true newcomer to this year’s list: Puerto Rican rapper Bad Bunny, who sold $400 million worth of tickets to his two tours — the first in the spring in the US, the second in the fall across the States plus Latin America — according to concert tracker Pollstar. His second tour, dubbed The World’s Hottest, was an expensive affair. It took 35 to 40 trucks to cart gear and crew from venue to venue across the U.S. and then used three planes — including a 747 cargo jet — to transport everything for the Latin American leg, according to sources with knowledge of the tour. That kind of spectacle may have helped sales but meant fewer dollars in the star’s pocket. Including endorsements, Bad Bunny earned $88 million.”

Unlike Bad Bunny and Swift, Forbes highest-earning entertainer isn’t exactly at the forefront of the 2023 cultural zeitgeist. Genesis reportedly pocketed $230 million followed by Sting in second place at $210 million.

The rest of the list rounded out as follows: Tyler Perry ($175 million), South Park creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone ($160 million), The Simpsons co-creators James L. Brooks and Matt Groening ($105 million), Brad Pitt ($100 million), Rolling Stones ($98 million), and James Cameron ($95 million).

Swift is readying to start her expansive Eras Tour on March 17 at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona. Conversely, Bad Bunny told Billboard in December that he views 2023 as a time to rest “for my physical health, my mental health, my emotional health, enjoy all my achievements.” But it won’t totally be an off year, as he’s scheduled to become the first-ever Latin headliner at Coachella.

Sheryl Lee Ralph Doesn’t Care If You Think She Lip-Synced ‘Lift Every Voice And Sing’ At Super Bowl LVII

Sheryl Lee Ralph owns the limelight. The Abbott Elementary standout soaked up her first career Emmy win last fall, accepting flowers from Kid Cudi and another gift from Beyoncé. Ralph didn’t let 2022 before asserting her star power in different way, as she starred in Rihanna’s Savage X Fenty Vol. 4 show.

And so, no, Ralph was not here for anyone trying to dim her light at Super Bowl LVII on Sunday, February 12. She performed “Lift Every Voice And Sing,” the Black national anthem, before the Kansas City Chiefs kicked off against the Philadelphia Eagles at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona.

Ralph was extremely excited to be part of such a historic moment, boosted by the fact that Super Bowl LVII was the first-ever Super Bowl to feature two Black quarterbacks in Kansas City’s Patrick Mahomes and Philly’s Jalen Hurts:

But there were a few haters who speculated that Ralph lip-synced her powerful performance.

“Does it matter? Does it matter? No. Thank you,” Ralph told The Hollywood Reporter in response to the criticism.

She added, “It’s just so amazing that they chose me. And then the Eagles are in the Super Bowl. I mean, come on. You know God must be a woman because all of this is just too perfect.”

Ralph noted to THR that the significance of signing in a Super Bowl in which the Eagles were competing in mattered to her because “Abbott Elementary takes place in Philadelphia. My husband is a senator in Philadelphia. And this year the Eagles [went] to the Super Bowl — I had already been chosen to sing.”

Unfortunately for Ralph and all Philadelphians, the Eagles fell to the Chiefs 38-35.

Jay-Z, Drake, Travis Scott & More Pop Out At Michael Rubin’s Super Bowl Party

Michael Rubin, CEO of Fanatics, has become known as one of the best party-throwers in the world. While also having an ownership stake in sports franchises like the Philadelphia 76ers and New Jersey Devils, he also owns another brand. Alongside Jay-Z, Meek Mill and Lil Baby, Rubin has an ownership stake in the long-famous merchandise brand Mitchell & Ness. All of these endeavors not only show his supreme business practices though, but also his friends in high places. So, as if to flex his otherworldly social circle, Rubin likes to throw parties.

Aside from his annual, all-white themed Fourth of July party, Rubin also typically throws a Super Bowl just a day before the big game. With all the celebs, musicians and athletes in Arizona this past weekend for Super Bowl LVII, Rubin threw another bash on Saturday (Feb. 11). Beforehand, there were slated to be four major performances for the party, but it ended up totaling nine different performers. Pre-planned acts like Travis Scott, Lil Baby, The Chainsmokers and J Balvin were joined by DJ Khaled, Meek Mill, A$AP Ferg, Fabolous and Bobby Shmurda later on.

Michael Rubin Keeps It Exclusive

The guest list for the rager could not have been more high-profile. Athletes like Shaq, Buffalo Bills’ Demar Hamlin, Jaguars’ QB Trevor Lawrence, Phoenix Suns players Kevin Durant, Devin Booker and Chris Paul, 49ers QB Brock Purdy and NFL icon Odell Beckham Jr. showed up. Additionally, movie stars like Kevin Hart, Tiffany Haddish, Paul Rudd turned up. Along with those performing, rappers Drake, Jay-Z, Lil Uzi Vert, Quavo and YG made appearances. It’s safe to say this is an early contender for party of the year. However, not everyone was able to join in for the fun.

Reports from Daily Mail revealed that many folks were denied entrance. The gathering took place at the Arizona Biltmore Resort, and was full of security. Over 2,000 individuals were sent away at the door, even those who offered to pay up to six figures to be let in. Additionally, a few desperate souls were thwarted after attempts to to jump the fence. A source told Daily Mail that the security was top-notch. “Some tried-to go through the main hotel entrance, some tried to hop the security fence and others tried to sneak into the VIP check in,” they said. “But multiple security guards handled would-be trespassers superbly. Fort Knox would have been a lot easier to infiltrate!” Check out some photos and video from the party below.

More Photos

[Via][Via]

Chris Brown Seemingly Reacts To Rihanna Pregnancy Reveal

During Rihanna’s iconic Super Bowl performance, the Barbadian singer proudly showed off her new baby bump. Fans were already excited to see RiRi in the spotlight for the first time since 2018. But the big reveal was the confirmation of her second child with Rapper A$AP Rocky. The duo introduced their first son in May of 2022, and have proven their undeniable love with this new pregnancy.

Despite carrying a child, Rihanna still put on a remarkable performance during the Apple Music Halftime Show. The Grammy award winner brought red to the stage a mash-up of her most memorable hits. The show was sprinkled with fresh takes of “Bitch Better Have My Money”, “Rude Boy”, and “We Found Love.” She was accompanied by an entourage of dancers dressed in all white and finished the set floating on a platform in the middle of the arena. Needless to say, Rihanna has left the whole world chattering about her performance and pregnancy reveal, including her ex-boyfriend Chris Brown.

Chris Brown Speaks On Rihanna

Back in 2009, Brown was under fire for physically abusing Rihanna, and was charged for felony assault. After serving a 5-year probation, RiRi has claimed to forgive the “With You” singer. Brown has since been showing support for his ex, often taking to social media. Most recently, he posted to his 132 million Instagram followers a story with the caption “GO GIRL,” followed by a red heart and the praying hand emoji.

This hasn’t been the first time Brown has publicly shared a message for Rihanna. After the announcement of her first pregnancy, he also took to Instagram stories to write “CONGRATULATIONS.” The ambiguous post was made clear with the pregnant woman emoji. In Opera Winfrey’s podcast, Rihanna reflected on her in Brown’s relationship, stating “we’ve been working on our friendship again.” While some may wonder why the 33-year-old singer doesn’t address Rihanna in a more personal fashion, it sure does seem as though Brown is trying to show his support from afar. Regardless, Rihanna’s 2023 Apple Super Bowl Halftime Show will be going down in the books for her sleek and sexy performance and her exciting pregnancy reveal!

Marjorie Taylor Greene Got An Earful About Chris Stapleton’s ‘Wokeness’ After She Slammed The Black National Anthem

The full significance of the Super Bowl opener (with Sheryl Lee Ralph’s “Lift Every Voice and Sing” rendition as well as a Navy flyover featuring an all-female pilot team) was lost upon Marjorie Taylor Greene, who wasn’t aware of country singer Chris Stapleton’s perspectives. The far-right congresswoman’s anti-woke leanings are no secret, given that she worries for the “average white male” (whatever that means). However, Greene slipped up by praising Stapleton but trashing the rest of the opener.

“Chris Stapleton just sang the most beautiful national anthem at the Super Bowl,” Greene tweeted. “But we could have gone without the rest of the wokeness.”

No one is debating Stapleton’s prowess at the mic, which even left Eagles Coach Nick Sirianni in tears. What MTG failed to recognize is that Stapleton is an outspoken supporter of the Black Lives Matter movement, and his presence as part of this ensemble matters a lot. “There’s a very broad awakening that’s come about,” he declared to CBS This Morning after the murder of George Floyd. “It’s time for me to listen. It’s time for other folks to listen.” He then added, “The country that I thought we were living in was a myth.”

Greene’s tweet came back to bite her in the butt, given that she missed the above news when it happened. One user tweeted, “Chris Stapleton is ‘woke’ as f*ck,” and that was only the beginning. Others questioned why she has such a problem with an all-woman team of pilots, but no one ever said that Greene makes sense.

Oh, and here’s a lovely photoshop of George Santos and his Vince Lombardi Trophy. Enjoy the rest of the game.

Rihanna Will Not Be Paid For Super Bowl Halftime Performance: Here’s Why

This Sunday, Rihanna will be performing during the Super Bowl halftime show. Overall, this promises to be a truly incredible performance for the ages. After all, we are going to get to see RiRi out on center stage again. It has been a very long time since we have seen her out in a concert, and fans are extremely excited about it. Consequently, the artist is looking to put on a truly incredible show that is certainly going to create some sort of conversation.

If you remember, Rihanna was asked to perform at the Super Bowl back in 2019. However, she decided not to do it because she wanted to show support for Colin Kaepernick. At the time, her statement of solidarity what praised by many. Since then, times have changed especially with Jay-Z’s involvement with the league. In just a few days, she will be able to give us the performance of a lifetime, which could subsequently lead to her highly anticipated comeback tour.

Rihanna Paid In Exposure

Rihanna speaks during a press conference for the Apple Music Super Bowl 57 halftime show at the Phoenix Convention Center on February 9, 2023 in Phoenix, Arizona. (Photo by Cooper Neill/Getty Images)

According to Forbes, one of the more interesting elements at play here is the fact that Rihanna will not be paid for her Super Bowl halftime performance. Instead, she will simply be paid in exposure. If you are wondering why this is the case, well, the answer is actually quite simple. This is how things have always been done. Regardless of how famous of an artist you are, you never get paid for your performance. Instead, you get to have close 200 million sets of eyes on you. For artists like Lady Gaga, this has helped increase record sales tenfold. Overall, as Forbes notes, this boost in following and sales is hard to turn down.

That said, we are certain that Rihanna’s performance will be one to remember. The last couple of halftime shows have been very memorable, and we hope she continues that trend. Let us know what you expect from the artist, in the comments down below. Additionally, stay tuned to HNHH for more news and updates from around the entertainment world.

[Via]

‘South Park’ Satirizes Kanye West’s Rampant Antisemitism In The Season 26 Premiere

The first time Kanye West was featured on South Park (there have been a few), he was the butt of a joke he didn’t understand, but the real Kanye was still just a guy with an outsized ego Matt Stone and Trey Parker thought it’d be fun to goof on.

On last night’s season 26 premiere, though, there were bigger fish(sticks) to fry.

Since the season 13 episode “Fishsticks,” the real-life Kanye has set fire to his career, going on a whirlwind press tour of antisemitic claims and alienating just about everyone close to him, from labelmates to business partners and even his ex-wife.

That self-immolation was the focus of “Cupid Ye,” in which Cartman, in a fit of jealousy over Stan’s friendship with a Black student, drops some Kanye-inspired misinformation hoping to drive a wedge between them.

Cartman then goes on his own antisemitic conspiracy theory press run, wearing the same outfit worn by Kanye during his interviews with Alex Jones’s InfoWars. Cartman also meets the titular “Cupid Ye,” a fairy-like representation of what looks like Cartman in a Yeezy hoodie.

The series regular tells the little pixie, “Ever since you changed your name and got all into Jesus, you got a little batsh*t crazy, Cupid Ye.” Not exactly subtle.

The last time South Park mocked Kanye, the rapper didn’t take it well. In his 2010 My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy song “Gorgeous,” Kanye snapped he wanted to “choke a South Park writer with a fish stick” after fans took to calling him “gay fish” in real life.

A Cheesecake Factory employee even reportedly brought him a plate of fish sticks as a joke. Something tells me fewer people will be taking this one as lightly — and Kanye’s response might not be as nice either.

You can watch the episode on South Park’s website.

Burger King’s Infuriatingly Catchy ‘Whopper Whopper’ Song Is Now Available On Spotify

Not to sound 10,000 years old, but you don’t hear songs as ringtones out in the wild anymore. People either keep their phone on silent, or vibrate, or stick with the default ringtone. This is a net positive, all things considered, but I sometimes miss the days when “The Final Countdown” or “So Fresh, So Clean” would alert the stranger waiting in line in front of you at the grocery that their doctor is calling with News.

Like everything else from the 2000s, songs as ringtones are due for a comeback — and when that happens, you’ll be haunted by “Whopper Whopper” when you least expect it.

Burger King has released the catchy (maddeningly so) song on Spotify. If you’ve watched any NFL game this season, you already know it. For everyone else, I’m sorry. In my defense: Whopper Whopper Whopper Whopper, you rule! The fast food chain’s Spotify page also includes “Burger Cheese, Burger Cheese,” as well as a six-track EP of jingles like “Chicken Chicken” and “Crispy Fella.” Good luck to your Spotify Wrapped.

Burger King is on the joke. “When I wrote to the fast-food company to request an interview about the origins and evolution of this hit jingle, several days later I finally got a reply,” Catherine Rampell wrote in an op-ed for the Washington Post. “It was a link to yet another reprise: ‘Burger-cheese, burger-cheese, burger-cheeeese…’ (‘I think you just got rick-rolled,’ said the unsympathetic editor who urged me to write this piece.)”

Burger King isn’t expected to have a Super Bowl ad. Or maybe “Whopper Whopper” will strike when we least expect it. Like at the State of the Union.

Jack Harlow Tries A New Angle In His Star-Studded Super Bowl Commercial For Doritos

Jack Harlow has finally shared his long-awaited Doritos Super Bowl commercial ahead of the big game this Sunday. Today (February 8), Harlow dropped the minute-long clip on his social media.

For the past few weeks, Harlow has teased a love triangle in the ad. Now, we see he was referring to the instrument, the triangle.

Throughout the commercial, Harlow seeks to “try a new angle.” He confides in Missy Elliott about quitting rap — “I gotta do me, Missy,” — teaches a triangle-playing class, and playing the triangle in an arena.

Later, he is seen at an awards show anticipating a win for the Triangle Player Of The Year award, only to lose to one Elton John.

It’s gearing up to be a big year for the “First Class” hitmaker. In addition to this hilarious Super Bowl ad, Harlow is gearing up for his big screen acting debut with a remake of White Man Can’t Jump, which will premiere on Hulu in May.

In the meantime, you can check out his Doritos Super Bowl commercial above.

Super Bowl LVII will take place this Sunday, February 12 at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona beginning at 6:30 p.m. ET. The game will broadcast live on Fox.

Jack Harlow and Missy Elliott are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

The 2023 NBA All-Star Celebrity Game Features Janelle Monae, 21 Savage, And DK Metcalf

NBA All-Star Weekend 2023 is rapidly approaching, as the basketball world will descend on Salt Lake City for the annual midseason break. The rosters for the All-Star Game and Rising Stars Game have both been announced, with some injury replacements still to come, leaving the Saturday night festivities and Friday’s Celebrity Game as the last remaining pieces to the All-Star Weekend puzzle.

On Wednesday, the Ruffles NBA All-Star Celebrity Game roster was unveiled, as the 11-player teams will play for honorary captains Ryan Smith (Jazz owner) and Dwyane Wade (future HOFer and minority owner of the Jazz). Coaching Team Wade will be Giannis Anetotkounmpo, with his brothers, Thanasis and Alex, serving as assistants along with Lindsey Vonn. Team Ryan will be coached by a “surprise guest” with Astros third baseman Alex Bregman as an assistant.

The two WNBA stars joining the 20 celebrities will be Diamond DeShields and Arike Ogunbowale, with stars from all over the sports and entertainment world joining them on the court.

Team Ryan
Cordae
Diamond DeShields
Calvin Johnson
DK Metcalf
Hasan Minhaj
Marcos Mion
The Miz
Everett Osborne
Ozuna
Guillermo Rodriguez
Sinqua Walls

Team Wade
Kane Brown
Nicky Jam
Jesser
Simu Liu
Janelle Monae
Arike Ogunbowale
Albert Pujols
21 Savage
Ranveer Singh
Frances Tiafoe
Alex Toussaint

I’ll be honest, just from a sheer size perspective, Team Ryan seems to have an edge with DK Metcalf and Calvin Johnson. That said, I really hope Janelle Monae is an absolute hooper. We’ll find out all of their basketball abilities on Friday, February 17 at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN.