Entertainment News Roundup: A Minute With: South Korea's Kian84 on showing at London StART art fair; Actor Cuba Gooding Jr. avoids criminal record in Manhattan sex abuse case and more

The TikTok parent plans to eventually integrate music streaming within its short-video service and scale it to serve as a major platform for distributing music globally, according to the report that cited people with knowledge of the discussions. Leonardo Dicaprio-backed fintech Aspiration names new Chief Executive Officer Fintech startup Aspiration, backed by Hollywood celebrities Robert Downey Jr and Leonardo DiCaprio, on Thursday announced the appointment of Olivia Albrecht as its new Chief Executive Officer.

Following is a summary of current entertainment news briefs.

A Minute With: South Korea's Kian84 on showing at London StART art fair

South Korean artist and reality television star Kian84 is debuting his work in Britain this week, showing his pop art pieces as part of the StART art fair in London. The 39-year-old, who found fame as a webtoon artist and through his TV show “I Live Alone”, is presenting his paintings alongside other South Korean names at the Oct. 12-16 event, which showcases contemporary works from around the world.

Actor Cuba Gooding Jr. avoids criminal record in Manhattan sex abuse case

Actor Cuba Gooding Jr. pleaded guilty on Thursday to a single count of harassment under an agreement with prosecutors sparing him any jail time while disposing of a criminal case that stemmed from allegations by several women of sexual misconduct. The second-degree harassment citation, classified as a non-criminal violation in New York state's penal code, akin to trespassing, will remain on Gooding's record, but his guilty plea in April to a more serious criminal misdemeanor of forcible touching will be expunged, a spokesperson for the Manhattan district attorney said.

Queen release rediscovered song featuring Freddie Mercury

Queen released a rediscovered song featuring Freddie Mercury on Thursday, the band's first new track with the late frontman's instantly recognizable vocals to come out in more than eight years. Guitarist Brian May and drummer Roger Taylor first told fans about the existence of "Face It Alone" during an interview in the summer.

ByteDance plans music-streaming expansion to take on Spotify - WSJ

China's ByteDance Ltd is in talks with music labels for expanding its music-streaming service globally to compete with industry leaders such as Spotify Technology SA, the Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday. The TikTok parent plans to eventually integrate music streaming within its short-video service and scale it to serve as a major platform for distributing music globally, according to the report that cited people with knowledge of the discussions.

Leonardo Dicaprio-backed fintech Aspiration names new Chief Executive Officer

Fintech startup Aspiration, backed by Hollywood celebrities Robert Downey Jr and Leonardo DiCaprio, on Thursday announced the appointment of Olivia Albrecht as its new Chief Executive Officer. Albrecht, who joined the company earlier this year as Chief Sustainability Officer, succeeds Aspiration co-founder Andrei Cherny who served as CEO for nine years. Cherny will retain his position on the board, the company said in a statement.

Mattel celebrates Tina Turner with Barbie creation

Toy company Mattel is honoring Tina Turner on the 40th anniversary of her hit song "What's Love Got To Do With It" with a Barbie doll created in her likeness. The doll, which is part of their Barbie Signature Music Series, is wearing an outfit inspired by the music video for the song - a black mini dress paired with a denim jacket and her signature hairstyle.

Key nominees for the 2022 American Music Awards

Nominations were announced on Thursday for the 2022 American Music Awards. Fan votes will determine the winners, and the awards will be presented at a televised ceremony in Los Angeles on Nov. 20. Following is a list of key nominations:

Bad Bunny dominates American Music Award nominations

Puerto Rican rapper and singer Bad Bunny landed the most nominations for this year's American Music Awards, leading fellow rapper Drake and pop superstars Beyonce and Taylor Swift on the list of contenders unveiled on Thursday. Bad Bunny received a total of eight AMA nominations and will compete for artist of the year against British singers Adele and Harry Styles and Canadian musician The Weeknd.

Sam Mendes' 'Empire of Light' a love letter to movies and his mother

Oscar-winning director Sam Mendes celebrates cinema and the families we choose and that choose us with his new film "Empire of Light", a star-studded drama he wrote, directed and produced. A love story set in an English seaside town in the early 1980s, "Empire of Light" stars Olivia Colman, Colin Firth and Toby Jones as workers in a local movie theatre, the 'Empire'.