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An Oklahoma radio station has backtracked after its refusal to play a country song by Beyonce went viral.

The star unveiled two country-style songs during the Super Bowl ads at the weekend, but when a fan asked KYKC to play one they flatly refused.

Its curt reply – that we “do not play Beyonce on KYKC as we are a country music station” – racked up 3.5 million views and 25,000 likes on X.

The fan accused the station of “blatant racism and discrimination” and urged others to email to request the track.

Tagging fan account @BeyLegion appeared to do the trick and the station quickly changed its mind.

It said it simply was not aware Beyonce had released the new country tracks, Texas Hold Em and 16 Carriages.

“We initially refused to play it in the same manner if someone requested us to play the Rolling Stones on our country station,” said general manager Roger Harris.

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Its Facebook account said the station “didn’t physically have it [the songs]. Now we do. Love it”.

Beyonce is originally from Texas, one of the heartlands of country, and her new album – out in March – is expected to feature more influences from the genre.

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Beyonce went for country-style dress at the Grammys. Pic: AP

She has dabbled with country before, on 2016 track Daddy Lessons, and appeared to indicate she is going further down that road by wearing a white Stetson at this month’s Grammys.

The singer is not the only star releasing music from the genre – Post Malone and Lana del Rey also have country albums on the way.

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Steve Albini, producer of Nirvana and Pixies albums, has died aged 61

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Steve Albini, producer of Nirvana and Pixies albums, has died aged 61

US musician and rock producer Steve Albini, who has worked with acts including Nirvana, PJ Harvey and Pixies, has died aged 61.

The “punk legend” recorded Nirvana’s third and final studio album In Utero, released in 1993, as well as Pixies’ debut studio album Surfer Rosa, which came out in 1988, and PJ Harvey’s second studio album Rid Of Me, in 1993.

Pixies were one of late Nirvana singer Kurt Cobain’s favourite bands.

Albini also recorded and mixed the 1998 record Walking Into Clarksdale, the only album by surviving Led Zeppelin members Jimmy Page and Robert Plant.

(L-R) Nirvana's Dave Grohl, Kurt Cobain, Krist Novoselic in August 1991. Pic: AP
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(L-R) Nirvana’s Dave Grohl, Kurt Cobain, Krist Novoselic in August 1991. Pic: AP

He also performed in his own bands including Big Black and his most recent project, Shellac.

Shellac had just finished recording a new album, To All Trains, due for release next week, and the group were set to tour the record prior to Albini’s death, according to the music website Pitchfork.

In 1997, he opened his famed Electric Audio recording studio in Chicago.

He told The Guardian last year: “The recording part is the part that matters to me – that I’m making a document that records a piece of our culture, the life’s work of the musicians that are hiring me.

“I take that part very seriously. I want the music to outlive all of us.”

Brian Fox, an engineer at the studio, said Albini died following a heart attack on Tuesday night.

Speaking in 2018, Albini said he had worked on more than 2,000 albums, mostly for underground or indie bands.

Among the tributes, Pixies posted a photo of him on X, with the caption RIP Steve Albini.

The Lord Of The Rings star Elijah Wood wrote: “Ugh man, a heartbreaking loss of a legend. Love to his family and innumerable colleagues. Farewell, Steve Albini.”

Rough Trade, a retail chain of record shops in the UK and US, wrote on X: “Musician, studio engineer and the mastermind behind some of rock’s greatest albums. A hero to us all. Thank you for setting the standard so high. RIP Steve Albini. Deeply missed, forever loved.”

Born on 22 July 1962 in Pasadena, California, he grew up in Montana and went to Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois, where he studied journalism.

He became a fixture on the Chicago punk rock scene in the late 1970s and early 1980s, when he began performing with various bands and engineering albums.

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Albini remained a prominent figure in the Chicago music scene after his time at Northwestern, owning and operating Electrical Audio.

Pitchfork reported he did not take royalties from records he worked on, and he kept his day rates for artists comparatively low, especially as a producer with his pedigree.

He also became well-known for his commentary on the state of the music industry in the age of streaming.

Albini is survived by his filmmaker wife Heather Whinna.

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Person arrested outside Drake’s home – day after shooting next to mansion

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Person arrested outside Drake's home - day after shooting next to mansion

A person has been apprehended after they sought to access Drake’s home.

It comes a day after the Grammy-award-winning rapper’s security guard was shot outside his Toronto mansion.

Toronto Police said in a statement to Sky News on Wednedsay that “officers were called after a person attempted to gain access to the property”.

“The person was apprehended under the mental health act, and they were taken to receive medical attention.”

A source familiar with Drake’s property told Sky’s partner network, NBC News: “The man didn’t break in. He was immediately confronted at the gate by security and turned over to the police.”

Police said the latest incident has “nothing to do with the investigation from” the shooting.

According to NBC, while police wouldn’t specify the exact location of the attempted break-in, they confirmed the incident on Wednesday happened at the same place where Drake’s security guard was shot the day before.

The shooting happened early on Tuesday morning, soon after 2am local time (7am UK time).

The security guard, who had been standing outside the gates of the property, was taken to hospital with life-threatening injuries after the attack.

A suspect fled the scene in a vehicle, according to authorities.

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A representative for the Toronto-born five-time Grammy award winner said Drake was not injured, NBC reported.

Police said they could not confirm if Drake was at home at the time of the shooting.

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‘Taylor Swift bill’ signed into Minnesota law

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'Taylor Swift bill' signed into Minnesota law

Legislation dubbed the “Taylor Swift bill” has passed in Minnesota in an effort to help people buy concert tickets.

The bill, officially called House File 1989 in reference to Taylor Swift’s hit album and the year she was born, was signed into Minnesota law on Tuesday.

It will require sellers offering tickets to people in the state or tickets for concerts being held there to disclose all fees up front and prohibit resellers from selling more than one copy of a ticket, among other measures.

Minnesota State Representative Kelly Moller, chief author of the bill, pushed for the legislation after she tried to get tickets to one of Swift’s concerts in 2022.

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Ms Moller said she was among thousands of people who became stuck in ticket sales company Ticketmaster’s system after it crashed amid the huge demand for Swift concert tickets and attacks from bots, which tried to buy tickets for resale at inflated prices.

The situation led to congressional hearings but no federal legislation.

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Governor Tim Walz, who signed the bill into law at First Avenue, a popular concert venue in downtown Minneapolis, said it was “protection so you don’t get a bad ticket, a fraudulent ticket, and resellers can’t snatch them all up before you get an opportunity”.

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Two young girls – one wearing a shirt that said “A LOT going on at the moment” in a nod to Swift, and another wearing a shirt that said “Iowa 22” in reference to basketball star Caitlin Clark – attended the bill signing with their dad, Mike Dean, who testified in support of it.

An eras tour ticket. Pic: Fernando Gens/picture-alliance/dpa/AP Images
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An eras tour ticket. Pic: Fernando Gens/picture-alliance/dpa/AP Images

Mr Dean said his daughter came to him in December and said she wanted to see Clark play. He said the website initially showed the tickets would cost $300 total, but they ended up costing over $500 because of hidden fees.

The timer had begun in the online checkout process, so he had just minutes to decide whether to buy the tickets for the higher price or lose them.

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He ultimately bought them, but he told the Associated Press these practices mean customers can’t make informed decisions. The new law, he said, will bring transparency to the process.

Sky News contacted Ticketmaster for comment.

A spokesperson for fellow ticket sales giants StubHub said: “StubHub has long advocated for legislation that protects fans from anti-competitive and anti-consumer practices in the ticket buying process.

“We share the goals of HF1989 and look forward to continuing discussions with policymakers to advance policies that provide more transparency, more control, and more choice for ticket buyers.”

The law takes effect from 1 January 2025 and applies to tickets sold on or after that date.

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