Entertainment Brief: March 3

Pink Floyd Celebrates 50th Anniversary of “Dark Side of the Moon” 

On March 1, one of the most iconic albums in music history,  Pink Floyd’s 1973 album “Dark Side of the Moon,” turned 50 years old. 

A semi-concept record about the human experience and greed, time and death, “Dark Side of the Moon” has gone on to be one of the best-selling albums of all time. 

But perhaps the most iconic part of Pink Floyd’s eighth studio album is the album cover itself. Almost everyone is familiar with the famous image of a prism with a single beam of light going through it, turning into a rainbow on the opposite side. 

To commemorate the landmark milestone, Pink Floyd will be releasing a 50th-anniversary box set on March 24. It will be accompanied by a remastered recording of the album on both CD and vinyl along with a 160-page book containing rare photographs, posters, bonus material and concert footage from the band’s early 1970s tours. 

Formed in 1965, Pink Floyd were pioneers of the progressive rock genre, largely known for their experimentation with various sounds and song structures. Their last music release was 2014’s “The Endless River,” which was a largely instrumental album created by remaining members David Gilmour and Nick Mason. 

The Weeknd Breaks Spotify Record 

The Weeknd (real name Abel Tesfaye) became the first artist in Spotify history to reach 100 million monthly listeners on Feb. 27. 

This announcement joins three years worth of Weeknd accomplishments, including but not limited to a Super Bowl performance, two studio albums and an upcoming HBO drama entitled “The Idol.” 

More recently, Tesfaye released a remix of his 2016 hit “Die For You” with Ariana Grande. This marks the fourth collaboration between the singers, as they first worked together during sessions for Grande’s 2014 album “My Everything.” 

Justin Bieber Cancels Remaining Tour Dates 

The forthcoming dates for Justin Bieber’s Justice World Tour have been canceled. 

Various fans have noticed Bieber’s website has removed all upcoming tour dates. Additionally, Ticketmaster shows Bieber’s shows in the US, Ireland, France, Australia and others as having been canceled. 

According to CNN, neither Bieber, nor his representation has commented on this issue. 

Bieber has canceled various shows within the past year after he announced last June he was taking a break from performing. He cited a diagnosis of Ramsay-Hunt Syndrome, which left his face partially paralyzed and thus unable to perform. 

By the end of July, Bieber went on the road again, but after performing six shows, said those performances “took a real toll” on him and proceeded to cancel more concerts. 

Will Smith Makes First Awards Show Appearance Since Oscar Incident 

Actor Will Smith attended the African American Film Critics Association Awards Wednesday night to accept an award for his film “Emancipation.” 

This appearance marks the first time Smith has attended an award ceremony since he infamously slapped comedian Chris Rock during last year’s Oscars ceremony.

In the film, Smith plays an enslaved man named Peter who must go on a treacherous journey to escape the plantation and its owners who nearly kill him.  

Smith’s performance in the film also awarded him best actor from the NAACP Image awards last weekend. Though Smith didn’t attend that ceremony, he expressed his gratitude via social media.