United News of Bangladesh

Fans were abuzz after spotting Tom Cruise and Ana de Armas strolling through London’s Soho neighbourhood on February 13. The two Hollywood stars had just left a restaurant when they stopped to chat with admirers, posing for selfies before getting into a taxi and driving away.  Their public outing immediately sparked dating rumours. “Everyone was excited, thinking they might be a couple,” a source told In Touch, noting that Tom has not been in a serious relationship since his 2012 split from Katie Holmes.  Tom Hardy faces his past in Netflix’s crime thriller ‘Havoc’ trailer However, while some media outlets began questioning if the Valentine’s Day Eve dinner was a date, others reported that the Mission: Impossible star, 62, and the Knives Out actress, 36, are simply new friends discussing potential collaboration. This seems more likely, according to the source, as Ana was seen with her boyfriend just days later.  Ana de Armas is in a relationship  The actress has been linked to Manuel Anido Cuesta, a 27-year-old lawyer and stepson of Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel. The couple was first photographed together in November, sharing a kiss. Most recently, they were spotted in Spain on February 17.  Will Smith wins $1.7m copyright lawsuit over Gemini Man Still, Tom’s history of dating Spanish-speaking actresses fuels curiosity. He was briefly linked to Sofía Vergara in 2005 before dating Katie Holmes, and from 2001 to 2004, he was in a relationship with his Vanilla Sky co-star, Penélope Cruz. Given their chemistry, the source remarked, “Tom and Ana would make a great-looking couple, too.” 

Often when Robert Pattinson gets a script, one of the first things he does — to the annoyance of his girlfriend, Suki Waterhouse — is try on different voices to bring his character to life. "I’ve always had that sort of response to a script,” he reflected, but said it became a practice while making his 2014 film, “The Rover.” “I think I feel very uncomfortable just doing something in my own accent. And for a while I felt like just doing an American accent felt like I was acting more.” It’s unsurprising, then, that when he was offered a starring role in “Mickey 17” — director Bong Joon Ho’s first feature film since his Oscar-winning “Parasite” — Pattinson’s wheels immediately began turning over what his character(s) would sound like. “Mickey 17,” a Warner Bros. release hitting theaters March 7, tells the story of Mickey Barnes, a naive but sympathetic protagonist who signs up to be an “expendable” in a world that makes use of “human printing” for dangerous tasks and research. When an expendable dies on the job, another version of them is printed with their consciousness and memories of their death intact. But Mickey’s immortality is threatened when a very different version of him is printed while the 17th Mickey is mistakenly believed to be dead. “I needed to find an actor who could cover both personalities,” Bong said through a translator, recalling Pattinson’s performances in “The Lighthouse” and “Good Time” as he considered the more sinister and conniving Mickey 18. The inspiration — and creative choices — behind ‘Mickey 17’ The film is based on Edward Ashton's 2022 novel, “Mickey7.” But Pattinson, who read the book before he got the script, said he still can’t believe how different they are from one another. “When I read the script and Bong’s changes to it, I was like, ‘How did you see this tone in this book at all?’ It’s very, very different tonally. But I thought it’s fascinating to have that interpretation,” he said. DC Studios faces uncertainty with Batman franchise, Penguin series Although Pattinson was eager to work with the acclaimed Korean filmmaker, he wasn’t given a lot of initial information about the movie or role. “The only thing I knew was that it was in English and that the part was impossible,” Pattinson said, laughing. As he eventually gleaned more about the story and his character, ideas for Mickey — and Mickey’s voices — began swirling around in his head. Pattinson envisioned slapstick montages of his myriad deaths à la “The Tom and Jerry Show” — but that portion of the film turned out to be much darker than he expected. One early idea for voices that Bong shut down was inspired by Steve-O and Johnny Knoxville — Pattinson was a devout “Jackass” fan growing up and even repped a “Jackass” T-shirt to school “almost every day.” But one initial idea the 38-year-old had did stick. “My first thought, on pretty much the first read of it, was, ‘It’s like Ren and Stimpy,’” he said of the irreverent animated Nickelodeon series from the 90's about a cat and dog. The dynamic between the two Mickeys is an apt comparison given Ren’s short temper and diabolical nature (Mickey 18), which stands in stark contrast to Stimpy’s naivete (Mickey 17). The similarities in their voices can also be heard. “I kind of wanted to do this like cartoon character performance. You start out really, really extreme and then kind of gradually tone it down," he said of how he refined the characters. “When directors just let you do stuff, you just come out of the box doing whatever and wherever your instinct is taking you." Working with Bong Joon Ho after ‘Parasite’ In addition to Pattison, the sci-fi comedy boasts an impressive cast, including Mark Ruffalo,Steven Yeun,Toni Collette and Naomi Ackie. Although Ackie, who plays Mickey’s romantic partner in the film, hadn’t worked with Pattinson before, she said they quickly hit it off. “We’re both quite similar in how we work, which is very chatty up until the point of ‘Action,’ and then we do the acting. And I really enjoy that kind of separation between character and self. I find it quite difficult to hold onto characters once there’s no cameras on,” she said. British musicians release silent album to protest plans to let AI use their work But it wasn’t just Pattinson who made the experience a positive one for her. “I’m pretty certain you could ask anyone who works with Bong Joon Ho, ‘Would you go back?’ And they’d be like, ‘I’d pay money.’” Despite the notoriety the director has reaped since “Parasite” racked up four Oscars in 2020, including best picture and best director, Bong said the experience hasn't changed him. “It was fun and exciting to meet with all these famous artists and filmmakers during the campaign, but I didn’t feel like I was like on cloud nine. It was actually very mentally and physically exhausting because the campaign is so long and I just remember thinking, ‘Wow, this is really tough,’” he recalled. “We kept just like handing each other vitamins.”

A new album titled Is This What We Want? showcases over 1,000 musicians and one prominent feature: silence. Artists like Kate Bush, Annie Lennox, Cat Stevens, and Damon Albarn contributed to the album, which was released on Tuesday in protest of proposed changes to U.K. artificial intelligence laws. The changes, if enacted, would allow tech companies to use copyrighted materials without explicit consent from the creators, a move that artists fear could strip them of control over their work. The British government is considering allowing AI firms to utilize copyrighted content for training their models unless artists opt out. Opponents argue that this could undermine the creative sector and make it more difficult for musicians to protect their intellectual property. High-profile figures like Elton John and Paul McCartney have publicly opposed the plan. The FBI's new deputy director is a popular podcaster — who has had plenty to say about the agency The protest album features recordings of vacant studios and performance spaces, symbolizing the potential decline of creative venues under these new policies. The 12 tracks on the album spell out the message: “The British government must not legalize music theft to benefit AI companies.” Ed Newton-Rex, a composer and AI developer who organized the album, criticized the proposal, saying it would allow AI companies to use musicians’ works without compensation, putting them at a competitive disadvantage. “This is not only harmful to musicians, but it’s entirely unnecessary,” Newton-Rex stated. “The U.K. can lead in AI without sacrificing our world-renowned creative industries.” The Labour Party government aims to make the U.K. a global leader in AI and recently initiated a consultation on how copyright law can balance the interests of creators and AI developers. The consultation period ends on Tuesday.

The popular right-wing podcaster Dan Bongino has built a career of unleashing sometimes inflammatory rants against the media, Democrats and the federal government. Now, the 50-year-old former New York police officer and U.S. Secret Service agent will return to the government he has so often criticized as President Donald Trump’s selection for deputy FBI director. He said Monday he'll soon leave his daily show to take on the new role. Bongino, who will serve under FBI Director Kash Patel, does not have any experience at the premier federal law enforcement agency. Nonetheless, he has strong opinions about how it should be run. A sampling of Bongino’s podcast commentary from the past year reveals he’s a loyalist to Patel and wants to see sweeping changes, from clearing the bureau of anyone he views as inappropriately political to redirecting investigations away from domestic extremism. Here's a closer look at how Bongino views the FBI, in his own words: He thinks Patel is the only viable leader Even before Trump nominated Patel for FBI director, Bongino was one of his loudest advocates, arguing on his podcast that Patel was the only potential candidate who could “go in there and clean that mess up.” “Kash knows where the bodies are buried,” Bongino told his listeners last November. “And he’s got shovels, man. He’s ready to rock and roll. That’s why they’re so terrified.” Like Patel, Bongino says the FBI needs to expose political weaponization within the agency and move agents out of the nation’s capital to chase criminals elsewhere in the country. What to stream: The Oscars with Conan O’Brien, Kate Hudson in 'Running Point' and 'Nickel Boys' In January, Bongino urged his millions of listeners — whom he refers to as his “Bongino Army” — to call their senators on Patel’s behalf. “We don’t get this guy in at the FBI, you’re never going to get any answers at all,” the podcaster said. He often criticizes FBI employees, past and present In Bongino’s words, Patel’s predecessor Christopher Wray was “incompetent,” “awful” and “potentially corrupt.” Andrew McCabe, the former acting director of the FBI who was a key figure in the bureau’s Trump-Russia investigation, is an “absolute buffoon.” And former FBI general counsel Andrew Weissmann, who served on special counsel Robert Mueller’s team during Trump’s first term, is an “absolute tool bag.” The podcaster isn’t shy about bashing past FBI leadership, sometimes crudely. He views them as having compromised the agency's morals to unfairly target conservatives. Bongino has also extended some harsh words toward the current FBI ranks. Earlier this month, after Trump’s border czar Tom Homan accused the FBI of leaking information about planned immigration raids, Bongino called the supposed leakers “stupid” and said they would be caught and go to jail. “Do you know how hard it was for me in my last line of work, how hard it was for me to listen to these stupid Obama speeches about big government?” Bongino said of his time as a Secret Service agent under President Barack Obama. “But I always took my job as serious as a freaking stroke. Because I swore to do a job, not to be a politician.” He's ready for sweeping changes — immediately Bongino said in December the Republican trifecta in the U.S. government is fleeting — and that's one reason why he wants FBI reform to happen quickly, within the next two years. What changes would he like to see? For one, he wants agents fired if they were involved in investigations into Trump. “If you swore to uphold the Constitution of the United States as an FBI agent and engaged in a tyrannical investigation against Donald Trump with partisan intent and not the Constitution in mind, you do not deserve your job," he said on his podcast earlier this month. The Justice Department has already demanded a list from the FBI of the thousands of agents who participated in investigations into the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol, a move some within the bureau see as a possible precursor to mass firings. Bongino also has argued the FBI has placed too much focus on domestic intelligence-gathering and as a result dropped the ball on serious criminals and overseas threats. He has suggested federal law enforcement wasted time investigating Jan. 6 rioters and anti-abortion activists. “These are threats to the United States?” he said on a podcast last December. "Grandma is in the gulag for a trespassing charge on January 6th.” Oscar favorite ‘Anora’ wins best film, director and actor at the Independent Spirit Awards He has also criticized the Department of Justice and former Attorney General Merrick Garland for directing the FBI to respond to harassment and threats directed toward school boards and educators. “We are going to make the FBI great again, because if we don’t have an FBI breaking up counterterror plots trying to kill us and they’re worried about Moms for Liberty and pro-lifers, then we got a problem, folks,” Bongino said on his podcast earlier this month, referring to the conservative parental rights group. He may be motivated by a personal connection Bongino frequently laments how he doesn't feel he can trust the FBI and says the agency has lost its credibility. “Whatever the FBI says these days, I tend to believe the opposite,” he said in January after Wray said in an interview that the agency wasn’t tracking any specific or credible threats to Trump’s inauguration. But the new deputy director’s interest in reforming the FBI may hold more personal significance than some realize. In March, Bongino said an FBI representative used to visit his high school when he was a teenager. “All I wanted to be was an FBI agent. That is it, man. I, like, adored these guys, man,” he said. “What happened to this agency?”

The global popularity of Korean dramas continues to soar, weaving intricate emotions into mesmerizing storytelling and visual brilliance. The March 2025 lineup brings diverse genres, including romance, comedy, drama, thriller, and fantasy. Unparalleled storylines and intricate suspense keep audiences on edge, blurring the lines between expectation and surprise. Let’s explore the most anticipated K-drama series set to premiere this month. Top 10 Korean Dramas Arriving This March . The Potato Lab | Romantic Comedy | March 1, 2025  Written by Kim Ho-soo, this drama series flourishes with Kang Il-soo as its director. The narrative centers on Kim Mi-Kyung, portrayed by Lee Sun-bin, a dedicated researcher whose life revolves around her work with potatoes. Her routine is disrupted by the arrival of So Baek-ho, played by Kang Tae-oh, a pragmatic director from a large corporation aiming to commercialize the institute's research. Their clashing perspectives lead to humorous conflicts and a budding romance. The supporting cast includes Lee Hak-joo and Kim Ga-eun. Backed by Chorokbaem Media, the comedy series is scheduled to be broadcast globally on Netflix. Read more: 12 Most Anticipated South Indian Movies Releasing in March 2025 Mother and Mom | Family Drama | March 3, 2025 Jointly written by Jo Won-dong and Sung Yoon-ah, and helmed by Kim Chul-gyu, this family show is an adaptation of the novel ‘Riding Life’ by Go Seon-mi. The plot follows Lee Jung-eun, a determined beauty industry marketer played by who strives to balance her demanding career with the education of her seven-year-old daughter. Her life becomes more complex when she seeks assistance from her estranged mother, Yoon Ji-ah, a pediatric art therapist. Starring Jeon Hye-jin, Jung Jin-young, Jeon Seok-ho, and Jo Min-su, the family drama boasts production by Betty & Creators. I Am a Running Mate | School Drama | March 6, 2025  Directed by Han Jin-won, the sports drama is penned by writers Han Jin-won, Hong Ji-soo, and Oh Do-geon. The narrative follows a model student who becomes a running mate for the school student council to improve his image. Read more: March 2025 Bollywood Movie Releases: Top 10 Most-Anticipated Hindi Films to Watch Starring Yoon Hyun-soo, Lee Jung-shik, and Choi Woo-sung, the school drama brings together a talented ensemble cast. The production credit goes to collaboratively Blade Entertainment, Ace Maker Studio, Running Mate Culture Industry Specialty Co., Ltd., and TVING. When Life Gives You Tangerines | Romantic Drama | March 7, 2025  Set against the picturesque backdrop of Jeju Island in the 1950s, this romance slice-of-life drama portrays the intertwined lives of two individuals amidst societal changes. Written by Lim Sang-choon, this romantic series takes shape under the direction of Kim Won-seok. Read more: Top Amazon Prime Originals to Binge-Watch in March 2025 The series features IU as Ae-soon, a spirited young woman aspiring to become a poet despite financial hardships preventing her from attending school. Park Bo-gum co-stars as Gwan-sik, a steadfast and diligent young man deeply devoted to Ae-soon. The supporting cast includes Moon So-ri and Park Hae-joon. Bankrolled by Pan Entertainment and Baram Pictures, the show is slated for release on Netflix. The Art of Negotiation | Legal Drama | March 8, 2025  Penned by writer Lee Seung-young, this drama series thrives with Ahn Pan-seok as the director. ‘The Art of Negotiation’ follows Yoon Joo-no, portrayed by Lee Je-hoon, a legendary M&A expert renowned for his unparalleled negotiation skills. He leads a team that includes lawyer Oh Soon-young, played by Kim Dae-myung, and Choi Jin-soo, enacted by Cha Kang-yoon. Their collective expertise is tested as they navigate complex corporate deals and ethical dilemmas. Read more: 10 Must-Watch Netflix English Originals Arriving in March 2025 Starring Sung Dong-il and Jang Hyun-sung in supporting roles, the legal drama features a collaboration of production houses- BA Entertainment and SLL.

Popular television actor Azadur Rahman Azad was shot and injured by unidentified assailants at his residence in Ashulia early Sunday. His mother and wife were also injured in the attack. According to family members, the incident took place around 2:45 am when Azad, who was staying on the third floor of his house, heard noises coming from the second-floor kitchen. Lamia, daughter of Sohel Chowdhury-Diti, alleges attack over property dispute As he went downstairs and opened the kitchen door, the attackers fired multiple rounds, hitting him in both legs. Hearing the gunshots, Azad’s mother and wife rushed to the scene but were also assaulted by the assailants. The attackers then fired several more rounds before fleeing. Azad, along with his injured mother and wife, was taken to a private hospital in Uttara for treatment. Azad’s elder sister, Afrina Akter, said, “We are not sure who carried out the attack. When we reached the kitchen, we saw Azad had been shot in the legs. My sister-in-law and mother were also injured when they tried to intervene. The assailants fired around 10 to 15 rounds before escaping.” Bapparaj finally finds ‘Hena’ but… Md Nur Alam Siddique, officer-in-charge (OC) of Ashulia Police Station, confirmed the incident, saying that two attackers had entered the kitchen by cutting the grill. “As the family became aware, the assailants shot Azad three times in the legs. They also hit his wife with a cooking pan before fleeing,” he said. “Police visited the scene immediately after the incident, but we have not received a written complaint yet. Our investigation is ongoing,” OC Siddique added.

Sean Baker's “Anora” won best film, best director and best actor for Mikey Madison at the Independent Spirit Awards on Saturday in what could be a preview of next Sunday’s Oscars: The film about a Brooklyn sex worker and her whirlwind affair with a Russian oligarch’s son has emerged in recent weeks as an awards season front-runner. The Spirit Awards, held in a beachside tent in Santa Monica, California, is the shaggier, more irreverent sister to the Academy Awards, celebrating the best in independent film and television. Host Aidy Bryant called it “Hollywood’s third or fourth biggest night.” In accepting the directing prize, Baker spoke passionately about the difficulty of making independent films in an industry that is no longer able to fund riskier films. He said indies are in danger of becoming calling card films — movies made only as a means to get hired for bigger projects. “The system has to change because this is simply unsustainable,” Baker said to enthusiastic applause. “We shouldn't be barely getting by.” “Anora’s” best film competition included Jane Schoenbrun’s psychological horror “I Saw the TV Glow,” RaMell Ross’ adaptation of Colson Whitehead’s “Nickel Boys,” Greg Kwedar’s incarceration drama “Sing Sing” and Coralie Fargeat’s body horror “The Substance.” This year had several other possible Oscar winners celebrating. Kieran Culkin, considered an Oscar favorite, won the supporting performance award for “A Real Pain.” His director, co-star and writer Jesse Eisenberg won best screenplay for the film about two cousins embarking on a Holocaust tour in Poland. Culkin was not there to accept — he also missed his BAFTA win last weekend to tend to a family member — but other Oscar nominees like Madison and Demi Moore were. Madison won the top acting prize over Moore at the BAFTAs last weekend, as well, and stopped Saturday to pet Moore's dog Pilaf on the way to the stage. Acting categories for the Spirit Awards are gender neutral and include 10 spots each, meaning Madison and Moore were up against Oscar nominees like Colman Domingo (“Sing Sing”) and Sebastian Stan (“The Apprentice”). Emilia Pérez leads Oscar nominations with 13 The documentary prize went to “No Other Land,” the lauded film by a Palestinian-Israeli collective about the destruction of a village in the West Bank which doesn’t have distribution. It’s also a strong Oscar contender in a competitive category. The filmmakers were not in attendance to accept the award. “Flow,” the wordless animated Latvian cat film, won best international film. At the Oscars, it's competing in the international film category and animation. While the Spirit Award winners don’t always sync up with the academy, they can often reflect a growing consensus as in the “Everything Everywhere All At Once” year. The awards limit eligibility to productions with budgets of $30 million or less, meaning more expensive Oscar nominees like “Wicked” and “Dune: Part Two” were not in the running. Sean Wang accepted best first feature and best first screenplay prizes for “Dìdi.” He said it was special to be sharing the stage with one of his stars, Joan Chen, who was also nominated for the same award 25 years ago for “Xiu Xiu: The Sent Down Girl.” The Netflix phenomenon “Baby Reindeer” also picked up several prizes, for actors Richard Gadd, Jessica Gunning and Nava Mau. Mau, who is trans, spoke about the importance of actors sticking together “as we move into this next chapter.” “We don’t know what is going to happen, but we do know our power,” Mau said. “We are the people and our labor is everything.” Other television winners included “Shōgun,” for best new scripted series, and “How to Die Alone,” for best ensemble. “How to Die Alone” creator and star Natasha Rothwell was emotional while accepting the ensemble prize. The show was recently canceled after its first season. Rothwell said it was “a show about the need to feel seen, to be valued just as you are.” “For Black stories, visibility isn’t a privilege: It is a necessity,” Rothwell said. “We deserve to take up space, to be complex, to be hilarious and to be fully human.” The generally lighthearted show took a moment to acknowledge the impact of the wildfires on Los Angeles. Bryant made a plea to anyone watching the show, in the audience or on the YouTube livestream, to help rebuild L.A. She pointed to a QR code that appeared on the livestream to make donations to the Film Independent Emergency Filmmaker Relief Fund, providing grants to alumni impacted by the wildfires. The show also paid tribute to longtime Film Independent president Josh Welsh, who died earlier this year at age 62. Welsh had colon cancer. Bryant said in her opening that it had been a “great year for film and a bad year for human life.” The “Saturday Night Live” alum kicked off the event ribbing some of the nominees, like Emma Stone. ‘Emilia Pérez’ and ‘Wicked’ Advance in Oscars Shortlists “Emma was a producer on four nominated projects tonight,” Bryant said. “But even more importantly, her hair is short now.” Stone also featured prominently in Eisenberg’s speech, when he picked up the best screenplay prize for “A Real Pain.” Since they met on the set of “Zombieland” in 2009, he said, she’s been supportive of his writing despite being “the most famous person I know” and produced both of his films. “I think of her not as my producer, but as a fairy godmother, like I’m riding the coattails for her goodwill,” Eisenberg said. The camera cut to Stone, teary and moved, in the audience. She and her husband Dave McCary’s production company Fruit Tree also produced Julio Torres’ “Problemista” and “Fantasmas” and Schoenbrun’s “I Saw the TV Glow.” “I Saw the TV Glow” went into the show tied with “Anora” with six nominations. It left with only one, for producer Sarah Winshall.

Lady Gaga has confirmed that she will perform a free concert on Rio de Janeiro’s Copacabana Beach on May 3. “I’ve been dying to come perform for you for years and was heartbroken when I had to cancel years ago because I was hospitalized,” Gaga said Friday on social media. In 2017, she canceled a performance at Rock in Rio for medical reasons. At the time, she apologized and said she needed to focus on her health. “I am now coming back and I feel better than ever and am working so hard to make sure this show is one you will never forget,” she added. Gaga’s concert on the beach follows Madonna’s free performance there in May. The “Queen of Pop” drew an estimated 1.6 million people to Copacabana Beach, one of the world’s most famous shorelines. Music Review: Sam Fender's pop-rock soars on his third album, 'People Watching' Rio Mayor Eduardo Paes, who was re-elected last year to a four-year term, has pledged to bring a major international concert to the city every May. “I don’t have tickets for the Lady Gaga show! It’s open and free!” he joked on X while sharing Gaga’s announcement.

Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck officially became divorced and single Friday. A Los Angeles Superior Court judge approved their divorce settlement on Jan. 6, and declared that it would take effect on Feb. 21, after California's required six months passed since Lopez filed to dissolve their two-year-old marriage. The document said they settled through mediation in September, avoiding the kind of drawn-out court fight that other celebrity couples have gone through. Lopez now drops the Affleck from her legal name. Most of the financial details were kept private, but neither star will pay the other spousal support, and they have no children together so custody is not an issue. The superstar pairing married in July 2022. Lopez filed for divorce in August 2024. The filing said they had separated more than a year earlier. It was their second stint as a couple. In the early 2000s, they met, fell in love, got engaged and starred together in the infamous “Gigli” and “Jersey Girl” in 2004. They split up that same year, blaming in part the pressure of the public eye. Music Review: Sam Fender's pop-rock soars on his third album, 'People Watching' But to the joy of many fans and perhaps the doubt of others, they got back together two decades later and got married. Affleck divorced Jennifer Garner, with whom he has three children, in 2018. Lopez has been married four times and has twins with singer Marc Anthony.

As its title “People Watching” suggests, Sam Fender spends the bulk of his third studio album putting his observations about others — their histories, their futures, their troubles, their hopes — to music. The concept is simple. The results are anything but. Written by the English singer-songwriter over two years, the album’s 11 pop-rock tracks reveal a tender, strong-willed and observant lyricist. They also show off Fender's skills as a musician and co-producer, capable of tying together instrumental threads into rich productions that enliven his stories. None of that is news to his fans, who have already sold-out tour dates ahead of the album's release. Like the best of his previous releases, the project's titular opening track is anthemic and robust. Its Springsteen-style makes you want to move, or at least, shout along with Fender. That energy is achieved through a fast-paced and meticulously arranged production: Guitar and piano are layered over strings. Metallic cymbals punctuate the chorus, cut by a saxophone solo. The drumbeat is steady but quick, standing in for Fender's racing heart. “I can't stop running,” he sings, “I see the whole town fall." That town, his home of North Shields, England, serves as inspiration throughout the album. Meghan Markle faces criticism over name choice for new lifestyle brand On “Crumbling Empire,” atop grooving electric guitar, Fender appears to describe his family and the systems they were failed by: “My mother delivered most of the kids in this town / My stepdad drove in a tank for the crown," before summarizing his album in a few lines: “I don't wear the shoes I used to walk in / But I can’t help but thinking where they’d take me / In this crumbling empire.” He speaks of specific struggles, but his observations are built upon the understanding that pain is always universal. On “Something Heavy,” he offers reprieve: “Everybody here's got, something heavy / I'll shoulder it a while if you just want a night off.” The album closes with “Remember My Name,” a tribute to Fender’s late grandparents. It is written from the perspective of his grandfather as he cared for Fender's grandmother, who had dementia. Absent the upbeat guitars and drum beats that accompany much of the album, Fender’s vocals are strikingly crisp. Featured instead is the muffled, nostalgic sound of horns, performed by Northeast England's Easington Colliery Band. 'Wicked' choice: Cynthia Erivo to host 2025 Tony Awards in June  The song's chorus is tight but powerful. “Humor me / make my day / I'll tell you stories / kiss your face / and I'll pray / you'll remember / my name," Fender sings as his grandfather, his voice soaring with aching emotion. Closer to his roots here than anywhere else on the album, his people watching is complete.