“‘Butter’ holds a special place in our heart,” BTS tells Variety. “We shared the song with everyone in hopes of lifting spirits, and the energy and excitement from all those that enjoyed the song across the world, in turn, helped us move forward as well.” bit.ly/3EewDSu
“We are incredibly glad and grateful that the spirit of the song resonated with many,” says the supergroup. “And we feel we owe everyone who listened to the song (and of course, ARMY) a celebration over all that ‘Butter’ has achieved.” bit.ly/3EewDSu
“Butter” was recorded at the start of 2021. But the song’s journey began three years earlier when Stephen Kirk penned a song called “Down to a Tee.” It came to mind when songwriter-producer Rob Grimaldi reached out in search of material for BTS. bit.ly/3EewDSu
“We wanted to create something super up-tempo and danceable that would be able to show off each of their strengths,” Grimaldi says of the track. bit.ly/3EewDSu
Columbia Records chairman and CEO Ron Perry “wanted something like Michael Jackson’s ‘Smooth Criminal,’” says songwriter Jenna Andrews. “I came up with, ‘Smooth like butter, like a criminal undercover,’ and everything started to fall into place.” bit.ly/3EewDSu
RM was particularly involved, co-writing his rap with Andrews over WhatsApp from Seoul.
“I’d wake up to an idea RM had sent,” Andrews says. “Then we would just communicate back and forth.” bit.ly/3EewDSu
#TheBeatlesGetBack director Peter Jackson reveals how his team of filmmakers took on the task of restoring archival footage of the Fab Four into crystal-clear quality for the new Beatles docuseries.
“In 1969 that film had a quite chunky, grainy desaturated look to it. One of the purposes was to try to restore it, sort of making it look as natural as possible,” says Jackson. bit.ly/3ppPTpV
“Suddenly the colors were just unbelievable,” he adds. “People say, ‘So how did you do all those colors?’ And I’m saying, we didn’t do the colors, they were there.” bit.ly/3ppPTpV
“The Thanksgiving Text” will recount the true tale that began in 2016, when Wanda Dench thought she was texting her grandson to check if he would be coming over for Turkey Day. bit.ly/3rqCVuO
Apparently, she had the wrong cell phone number. She actually texted Jamal Hinton, a high school senior at the time, who accepted her invitation anyway — and has attended her feast every year since. bit.ly/3rqCVuO
On Wednesday, Hulu released a new documentary special — “#Astroworld: Concert From Hell,” recapping the deadly events at a Travis Scott festival in Houston last month — but quickly removed it after social media backlash. bit.ly/3oih2fb
In a statement, a Hulu spokesperson told Variety, “This was an investigative local news special from ABC13/KTRK-TV in Houston that originally aired on November 20th. This was not a Hulu documentary and has since been removed to avoid confusion.” bit.ly/3oih2fb
In a widely circulated tweet, one commenter — who assumed the program was produced by the streamer — said, “Hulu making a documentary about Astroworld is in poor taste all around. People are still burying their loved ones." bit.ly/3oih2fb
“I feel like I’m in control of my career,” says @LilNasX, Variety’s Innovator of the Year. “I’m not bowing down to what someone on my team says. I can’t be successful without being creatively free.” bit.ly/3DhBOzK
When it comes to courting virality, the internet-savvy hitmaker is peerless. By gleefully pushing buttons in the name of social change and self-expression, the 22-year-old has almost single-handedly revived the event video. bit.ly/3DhBOzK
“For me to feel 100% confident in a song, I have to know exactly how I’m going to promote it,” Nas says. “I’m focused on the smallest of things.” bit.ly/3DhBOzK
CNN has suspended Chris Cuomo “indefinitely, pending further evaluation,” following new disclosures about how he helped his brother, former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, in the midst of a scandal over allegations sexual harassment. bit.ly/3d5LDpV
“The New York Attorney General’s office released transcripts and exhibits Monday that shed new light on Chris Cuomo’s involvement in his brother’s defense," CNN said in a statement, adding that the documents "raise serious questions." bit.ly/3d5LDpV
"When Chris admitted to us that he had offered advice to his brother’s staff, he broke our rules and we acknowledged that publicly. But we also appreciated the unique position he was in and understood his need to put family first,” the statement continued. bit.ly/3d5LDpV
In addition to Sarah Jessica Parker as Carrie, Kristin Davis has returned as Charlotte, and Cynthia Nixon will once again play Miranda. Kim Cattrall has chosen not to come back as Samantha, after issues that have been well documented over the years. bit.ly/3Eey6Z2
#SATC mainstays Chris Noth, Mario Cantone, David Eigenberg, Evan Handler and Willie Garson — who died in September — will return to the show, reprising their past roles. bit.ly/3Eey6Z2