Entertainment
One Direction Albums Surge Back into UK Charts After Liam Payne’s Death
In a poignant tribute following the tragic death of Liam Payne, all five of One Direction’s albums have re-entered the UK Top 40 charts. Just a week after Payne’s passing in Argentina, the band’s third album, Midnight Memories, has seen a significant resurgence, re-entering the charts at number 13 with a 517% increase in sales and streams, according to the Official Charts Company.
Alongside the albums, three of One Direction’s hit singles have also returned to the Top 40, while Payne’s final solo release, Teardrops, made its debut at number 85.
The heartbreaking news of Payne’s death on 16 October, following a fall from a hotel balcony in Buenos Aires, has deeply affected fans and the music community. The 31-year-old singer is survived by his seven-year-old son, Bear, who he shares with ex-partner Cheryl. In a touching statement, Payne’s family expressed their grief, saying, “Liam will forever live in our hearts, and we’ll remember him for his kind, funny, and brave soul.”
Fans of the former One Direction star have held vigils in his memory, and their support has propelled his music back into the spotlight. Payne’s father, Geoff, is currently in Buenos Aires, awaiting the release of his son’s body to bring him back to the UK.
Entertainment
Taylor Swift asks US government to block ‘Swift Home’ trademark
Pop superstar Taylor Swift has asked the US government to prevent a bedding company from trademarking the phrase “Swift Home,” arguing that it could mislead consumers into thinking she has endorsed the brand.
Swift’s legal representatives contend that New York-based company Cathay Home has styled the word “Swift” in a way that closely resembles the singer’s trademarked cursive signature.
Cathay Home, which sells bedding products through major retailers, had applied to register the “Swift Home” trademark for use on its home goods. In response, Swift — through her rights management entity — filed an appeal with the US Patent and Trademark Office on Wednesday.
In the filing, her legal team argued that the proposed trademark creates a “false association” with the artist, potentially leading consumers to believe she has endorsed the company’s products.
They further stated that the move appeared intended to leverage Swift’s “goodwill and recognition” to enhance the brand’s market appeal.
According to the documents, Swift already holds federal trademarks covering the use of her name and signature across a wide range of goods — including bedding, clothing and music-related merchandise.
Over the course of her career, Swift has secured more than 300 trademarks globally, encompassing her name, initials, album titles and even select lyrics — a reflection of her expansive commercial footprint.
The singer-songwriter’s business influence has grown alongside her creative success. With a net worth estimated at well above $1bn (£730m), boosted by record-breaking global tours, Swift continues to play an active role in protecting the commercial use of her brand identity.
Entertainment
Bad Bunny Breaks New Ground at Super Bowl with Spanish-Language Spectacle Celebrating Unity
Bad Bunny delivered a landmark Super Bowl half-time show that blended cultural pride, star power and a call for unity, even as former US President Donald Trump dismissed the performance as “terrible”.
The 31-year-old global superstar turned the 14-minute spectacle into an affectionate tribute to his native Puerto Rico and the wider Americas, ending with messages of shared identity and togetherness with the United States. The performance featured guest appearances from Lady Gaga and Ricky Martin, while high-profile cameos from Pedro Pascal, Cardi B, Karol G and Jessica Alba added to the celebratory atmosphere.
Much of the show unfolded around Bad Bunny’s now-famous casita set — a stylised recreation of a traditional Puerto Rican home that has become a visual hallmark of his live performances. Cameras captured celebrity guests dancing on its porch as the music pulsed with Caribbean rhythms and Latin pop energy.
Fresh off a year in which he was named the world’s most-streamed artist of 2025 by Spotify, Bad Bunny made history by becoming the first performer to deliver an entire Super Bowl half-time show in Spanish. The Super Bowl is typically the most-watched television event in the US, making the moment a significant cultural milestone.
He briefly switched to English for a single line — “God bless America” — before naming countries across Central, South and North America as dancers paraded with their national flags. Behind them, a billboard carried the message: “The only thing more powerful than hate is love.” The segment concluded with Bad Bunny holding a football emblazoned with the words: “Together, We Are America.”
Despite the symbolism, the artist — born Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio — avoided any direct political criticism of the current US administration during the performance. Nonetheless, Trump, who did not attend the game, took to his Truth Social platform to attack the show, calling it “absolutely terrible, one of the worst, EVER!”
He went on to describe the performance as “an affront to the Greatness of America” and complained that “nobody understands a word this guy is saying”, comments that quickly drew criticism from Bad Bunny’s fans and supporters of multicultural representation.
In response to the controversy, conservative group Turning Point USA organised a separate event dubbed the All-American Halftime Show, headlined by outspoken Trump supporter Kid Rock.
Entertainment
Graham Norton and Lewis Capaldi Join Taylor Swift for Playful, Star-Studded ‘Opalite’ Video
Taylor Swift has unveiled a whimsical new music video featuring an unexpected and much-loved cast, with broadcaster Graham Norton and Scottish singer Lewis Capaldi both making memorable appearances alongside Irish actor Domhnall Gleeson.
The video for Opalite, which premiered on Friday, leans into surreal storytelling and gentle humour. Gleeson stars as a lonely man whose life is transformed after he sprays a mysterious magic potion on his cherished cactus, inadvertently summoning Swift into his world. What follows is a charming, off-beat romance that unfolds with a distinctly cinematic feel.
Capaldi appears as an eccentric photographer who becomes fascinated by the unusual couple, while Norton plays a smooth-talking salesman who insists he can undo the spell that brought Swift into Gleeson’s life. Each cameo adds a layer of warmth and personality, turning the video into a playful ensemble piece rather than a traditional solo showcase.
Sharing the backstory on Instagram, Swift said the idea for the video was born during a previous appearance on The Graham Norton Show. She described Norton as an “insanely charismatic and lovable host” and said she felt “ridiculously lucky” to have shared the sofa with such a lively group of guests that evening.
“When we were all talking during the broadcast, Domhnall made a light-hearted joke about wanting to be in one of my music videos,” Swift wrote. “I was instantly struck with an idea.”
She explained that just a week later, Gleeson received a script she had written specifically for Opalite, casting him in the lead role. Swift added that she then decided it would be even more fun if everyone who had appeared on the show that night — including Norton himself — could be part of the project.
Norton said keeping his involvement secret was no small task. Appearing in the video, he said, was “the thrill of a lifetime and the hardest secret I’ve ever had to keep!”
Adding a final nostalgic touch, the original conversation from The Graham Norton Show plays over the end credits of Opalite, neatly closing the loop between spontaneous studio banter and a fully realised creative collaboration.
With its humour, star power and sense of fun, Opalite has been warmly received by fans, highlighting Swift’s flair for turning casual moments into imaginative, feel-good storytelling — and proving that sometimes, a joke really can become reality.
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