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<ul class="summary-list"><li>Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson made his rap debut on Tech N9ne's track "Face Off."</li><li>His verse, which includes the lyrics "it's about drive, it's about power," went viral on <keyword id="11894125" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="tiktok" source="Orion">TikTok</keyword>.</li></ul>Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson's rap debut on Tech N9ne's song "Face Off" has gone viral on TikTok, with its lyrics sparking a wave of hustle <keyword id="11899151" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="culture" source="Orion">culture</keyword> memes."It's about drive, it's about power / we stay hungry, we devour," Johnson raps on the track's final verse. "Put in the work, put in the hours and take what's ours." He wrote the verse himself, <a href="https://variety.com/2021/music/news/dwayne-johnson-the-rock-tech9-rap-song-face-off-1235084297/">per Variety</a>. "Face Off" was released in October on Tech N9ne's album "Asin9ne" and also features Joey Cool and King Iso.<a href="https://www.tiktok.com/music/Face-Off-Dwayne-Johnson-7016547803243022337?_d=secCgYIASAHKAESPgo8vbpWhuTe3DyYsQjd%2BUiGcAwFvF0xZySpAzWdfF8vOLacZuYj%2F%2FNYTCnAKVqaYCM3F2HTTHokYeiH7Y8eGgA%3D&amp;checksum=9c74667bc98338cbcfc31f7efc2e0007386868e3751bb1c4d6161f54c71e895c&amp;language=en&amp;preview_pb=0&amp;sec_user_id=MS4wLjABAAAAYi4flqtsqutbJtQwlc0OzJESdYib06i4rvIo4Ro4daMbIpLAwZtB3FGQjci8DIIk&amp;share_app_id=1233&amp;share_item_id=7020876645284269318&amp;share_link_id=7BFFC994-A8E8-4DFA-B724-E900D395337E&amp;source=h5_m&amp;timestamp=1634759256&amp;tt_from=copy&amp;u_code=aia5ieefmim7l&amp;user_id=236721550278823936&amp;utm_campaign=client_share&amp;utm_medium=ios&amp;utm_source=copy&amp;_r=1ign=client_share&amp;utm_medium=ios&amp;utm_source=copy&amp;_r=1">An upload of Johnson's verse</a> has been used in over 48,000 videos on TikTok, amassing millions of cumulative views in the process.It's been propelled by a flood of memes that have applied his words to satirical videos about fitness, superhuman feats, or even school. While the subject matter varies, the format is relatively uniform: upon hearing Johnson rap "it's about drive, it's about power," users show themselves doing sped-up weight lifting reps, blasting through assignments, or doing household chores. It's a satirical take on extreme fitness and "hustle" culture, which <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2019/01/26/business/against-hustle-culture-rise-and-grind-tgim.html">glorifies overwork</a>. Tech N9Ne told Variety that "Face Off" is an "energy song" that he envisioned people using to "get people pumped up to lift weights, pumped up for fights, pumped up for the game." The rapper said that he wanted a fighter on the track, and following Johnson's work on the Disney film "Moana," he knew that the former wrestler and actor "had the rhythm."Amid the flood of memes, Johnson's verse has also turned into a copypasta - a memetic set of text that people spam online - that populates comment sections on related videos. <div type="image" title="a comment with the lyrics from Dwayne Johnson's verse on &quot;Face Off&quot; accompanied by emojis including the flame, devil, flexing arm, and chilly face that has over 80,000 likes" height="171" width="384" msid="87188957" hostid="261"></div>The song's popularity on TikTok hasn't come without its fair share of critique, with some TikTok users posting viral videos calling the verse <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@wavy_sel/video/7019747946476489990?sender_device=pc&amp;sender_web_id=6891259809896056326&amp;is_from_webapp=v1&amp;is_copy_url=0s_copy_url=0">"trash"</a> and asking people to <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@joffedytunes/video/7017882673016261893?sender_device=pc&amp;sender_web_id=6891259809896056326&amp;is_from_webapp=v1&amp;is_copy_url=0s_copy_url=0">"please stop hyping this."</a> Those criticisms, however, are balanced out by people defending the track and others saying that it's grown on them. "Why I'm a actually starting to like this so- ITS ABOUT DRIVE ITS ABOUT POWER," one comment with over 103,000 likes from user @jotarokujo8315 on @hotpockets55's video about the song reads. On Wednesday, Johnson himself finally got in on the fun on TikTok for the first time since the day of the song's release."THANK YOU for rockin' HARD on our #FACEOFF," Johnson said in the caption of a Wednesday TikTok post about the fan reception to the song that features clips of videos set to his verse, some of which appear to be memes. Less than an hour after the video was posted, its comments section were beginning predictably fill up with one set of words, repeated by brand accounts including those of the Pittsburg Steelers and the Dallas Mavericks: "It's about drive, it's about power / we stay hungry, we devour."<a href="https://www.insider.com/culture" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Read more stories from Insider's Digital Culture desk.</a>

A rap verse by Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson is going viral on TikTok with memes about hustle culture

Has Santa promised to bring you a red hot rose and a chocolate-filled <keyword id="24479" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="heart">heart</keyword> this Valentine’s Day? No, we have not mixed up Christmas with <keyword id="4167782" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="V-day">V-Day</keyword>. Santa might be sitting out of V-day (the grumpy old soul), but that’s no reason why we should not have an <keyword id="2046986" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Old-Father-Valentine">Old Father Valentine</keyword> or an <keyword id="2046987" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Old-Mother-Valentine">Old Mother Valentine</keyword> bringing us what our hearts desire. 
 Although <keyword id="4171139" type="ENTERTAINMENT" weightage="100" keywordseo="February-14">February 14</keyword> has been traditionally earmarked as the day to celebrate <keyword id="411749" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Romantic-love">romantic love</keyword> and <keyword id="2046991" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Couplehood">couplehood</keyword> with gifts of <keyword id="5823" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Flowers">flowers</keyword>, <keyword id="25282" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="chocolates">chocolates</keyword> and V-Day cards (we are not ruling out diamonds or the gift of a remote island if your beau’s pocket suits it), you will be surprised to find how the legends and practices vary from country to country and from culture to culture. 
 To begin with, there is the most popular notion that <keyword id="560286" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Saint-Valentine">Saint Valentine</keyword> was a <keyword id="51197" type="POSITION" weightage="100" keywordseo="priest">priest</keyword> who lived in <keyword id="6356059" type="CITY" weightage="80" keywordseo="Rome">Rome</keyword> in the third century. When <keyword id="2046992" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="80" keywordseo="Emperor-Claudius-II">Emperor Claudius II</keyword> outlawed marriage for young men to turn them into better soldiers, the kind-hearted priest still performed the weddings in secret till the time he was caught and put to death for defying the emperor. Another version suggests that he was executed for helping the Christians escape from Roman prisons. It is also said that the captive priest fell in love with his jailer’s daughter and wrote her a last letter before his death that said – From Your Valentine. 
 
These are, no doubt, most touching tales and stir up our passion for love, friendship and camaraderie. But before we get all soft and mushy, here are 7 fun facts and oddments from all over the world that will spice up your V-Day this year. 
 
Will Santa sue <keyword id="2046984" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Jack-Valentine">Jack Valentine</keyword>? Yes, he may, if what is happening in <keyword id="86049" type="CITY" weightage="100" keywordseo="Norfolk">Norfolk</keyword> goes viral. In this county in the East of England, Jack Valentine brings gifts and candy for kids and fancy presents for grown-ups. He leaves those on the doorstep, knocks and then disappears. Sounds a lot like Santa? Well, almost. Only he/she happens to be a close friend or a friendly neighbour who wants to make your day. But we firmly believe in the myth of Jack Valentine and here’s what one BBC writer has to say, “I hope Jack Valentine got a good lawyer. I love Jack dearly, but when Santa finds out what he’s up to, there’s going to be trouble! Let’s face it – turning up out of thin air once a year, leaving presents and disappearing without a trace – it’s the same act. It’s a lawsuit just waiting to happen.” 
 
 
 
Not a Saint’s day… it’s a <keyword id="2046997" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Pagan-festival">pagan festival</keyword>, folks. And dates back to Roman times, according to some experts. It has probably evolved from the Feast of Lubercus or the <keyword id="2046999" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Festival-of-Lupercalia">Festival of Lupercalia</keyword> that originated in third century Rome and took place every year on February 15. At that time, it was a kind of thanksgiving to <keyword id="2046985" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="80" keywordseo="God-Lupercus">God Lupercus</keyword> who protected shepherds and their flocks of sheep from hungry wolves roaming outside the city of Rome. During Lupercalia, <keyword id="2047000" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Goddess-Juno">Goddess Juno</keyword> was also worshipped and young people chose their partners for the festival by drawing names from a box. But the <keyword id="2046998" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Roman-festival">Roman festival</keyword> went out of fashion when Christianity became prevalent and in 496 AD, Pope Gelasius changed the Lupercalia festival of February 15 to <keyword id="2047001" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Saint-Valentines-Day">Saint Valentine’s Day</keyword> on February 14. 
 
 
 
What’s V-Day got to do with birds mating, agriculture? It’s <keyword id="20721" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="romance">romance</keyword> time for your winged <keyword id="343" type="ENTERTAINMENT" weightage="100" keywordseo="Friends">friends</keyword> – that’s what the people of <keyword id="6373167" type="COUNTRY" weightage="80" keywordseo="Slovenia">Slovenia</keyword> believe. As per the old European belief, birds choose their mates on February 14 and this might have led to the idea that young people should do the same. Interestingly, the earliest description of the Valentine’s Day tradition occurs in Chaucer’s Parlement of Foules, composed around 1380, which takes place “on Seynt Valentynes day,/Whan every foul cometh there to chese (choose) his make (mate).” In Slovenia, they also say that <keyword id="217334" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="St-Valentine">St Valentine</keyword> brings the keys of roots and the V-Day is the day when plants and flowers start growing. That’s why February 14 is the first day of the year when work begins in the fields. Also, St Valentine, locally known as Zdravko, is considered the patron saint of beekeepers in this part of Europe. Earlier, March 12 or Saint Gregory’s Day was considered the day of love and the first day of spring until the V-Day took over. 
 
 
 
In <keyword id="6355311" type="COUNTRY" weightage="80" keywordseo="Japan">Japan</keyword>, <keyword id="2047006" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="V-Day-chocolate">V-Day chocolate</keyword> is not that sweet. What the heck! If you are a woman and in Japan, chances are you are buying loads of ‘<keyword id="2047008" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Obligation-chocolate">obligation chocolate</keyword>’ and paying out of your own pocket. Traditionally, only <keyword id="624" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="Women">women</keyword> buy the gift of chocolate on February 14 and different types at that, depending on the nature of the relationship. So you buy <keyword id="2047009" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Giri-choko">giri-choko</keyword> or ‘obligation chocolate’ for <keyword id="74643" type="CITY" weightage="100" keywordseo="bosses">bosses</keyword>, <keyword id="580180" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="co-workers">co-workers</keyword>, <keyword id="1307041" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="male-friends">male friends</keyword> and casual acquaintances, and <keyword id="2047010" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Honmei-choko">honmei-choko</keyword> or sweetheart chocolate for boyfriends, <keyword id="6374759" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="lovers">lovers</keyword> or <keyword id="64920" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="husbands">husbands</keyword>. But don’t feel too bitter about it. The <keyword id="2047018" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="White-Day">White Day</keyword> on March 14 is the time when the Japanese males reciprocate and come up with return gifts which are at least two or three times more valuable than the V-Day gifts they have received from the women. But what if you get a present of equal value? It means the romance is over. 
 
 
 
Too many love-days in <keyword id="5565" type="COUNTRY" weightage="80" keywordseo="South-Korea">South Korea</keyword>. You got it right – romance days are just too many in this Asian country. It starts with the traditional Valentine’s Day on February 14 and here, too, women buy chocolate and candy for the men. But just like Japan, the White Day on March 14 sees the men buying gifts for the women (this kind of gift exchange is a nice tradition, we must say). Wait, there’s even more. There’s the <keyword id="80230" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Black-Day">Black Day</keyword> on April 14 when heartbroken singles (those who never got any gift) flock to local Chinese eateries, sympathise with each other and express their sorrow by eating <keyword id="2047019" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Jajangmyeon">jajangmyeon</keyword> or black noodles – a noodle dish topped with a thick sauce made of black soybean paste (hence the name). Next up on the calendar is <keyword id="2047020" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Pepero-Day">Pepero Day</keyword> (named after a <keyword id="2047024" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Korean-cookie-stick">Korean cookie stick</keyword> dipped in compound chocolate) on November 11. With so many days to celebrate, gift-giving expands to a really wide circle of friends, <keyword id="22378" type="ENTERTAINMENT" weightage="100" keywordseo="family">family</keyword>, <keyword id="50724" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Colleagues">colleagues</keyword> and pretty much everyone you know. So chances are no one will have to eat ‘black noodles’ this year for lack of companionship. 
 
 
 
 
No V-Day in <keyword id="6355226" type="COUNTRY" weightage="80" keywordseo="Brazil">Brazil</keyword>? Don’t be shocked. What we mean is Brazilians don’t celebrate it on February 14 like the rest of the world does. Brazil celebrates its day of romance on <keyword id="2047027" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="June-12">June 12</keyword> and it is called <keyword id="2047025" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Dias-dos-Namorados">Dias dos Namorados</keyword> or the Day of the Enamoured. The rituals are the same, though, as people exchange chocolates, flowers and other gifts. But the next day, there is even a bigger celebration as <keyword id="2047026" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Saint-Anthonys-Day">Saint Anthony’s Day</keyword> is observed on <keyword id="1077344" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="June-13">June 13</keyword> and <keyword id="56152" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Single-women">single women</keyword> perform various rites in a bid to find great life partners. <keyword id="2047028" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Saint-Anthony">Saint Anthony</keyword> is known in Portugal, Spain and Brazil as a marriage saint because he used to reconcile couples. And his feast day on June 13 is celebrated with gala parades and colourful marriages that no one is likely to forget. 
 
 
 
<keyword id="2047029" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Vinegar-valentines">Vinegar valentines</keyword> – try them out. 
Want to flush some people out of your life? Do it this V-Day. One way of doing it is tear up their photographs and shout abuse on the phone, à la Jab We Met movie. But why don’t you look up some vinegar valentines, also known as <keyword id="2047032" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Hate-valentines">hate valentines</keyword> or <keyword id="2047033" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Penny-dreadfuls">penny dreadfuls</keyword>? They are nothing but elaborate Valentine’s Day cards with a twist – featuring <keyword id="620955" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="caricatures">caricatures</keyword> and satirical verses/messages that can make the heart burn in the wrong way. This curious tradition started around 1840-1850 and continued till the 1940s. In fact, they became so popular at one point that they accounted for more than 50% of <keyword id="2046990" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="V-Day-card">V-Day card</keyword> sales. But the tradition died a slow death and the V-Day has become syrupy sweet nowadays. Still, if you would like to send in some <keyword id="2047036" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Caustic-V-Day-greetings">caustic V-Day greetings</keyword>, you may just find some vintage cards online. 
 
 
 
Images: Thinkstock Photos/Getty Images

Celebrating V-Day: 7 Legends, Myths & Fun Facts You Will Love To Explore

<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image">Sony Pictures"Spider-Man into the Spider-Verse."</div></div></div><ul class="summary-list"><li>Jake Johnson worked on "Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse" as the voice of Peter Parker for a year and a half before he was allowed to say he was in the movie.</li><li>He was convinced he was going to be replaced.</li><li>A big reason for the paranoia, he told Business Insider, was because he'd been replaced on voiceover jobs in the past.</li></ul> Jake Johnson does a stellar job voicing Peter Parker in "Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse," but he recently admitted that he thought he would be replaced.Johnson said he had a wicked case of déjÀ vu when he noticed other cast members were getting their roles publicly announced in Sony's animated movie, while he still hadn't been given the okay to do so - despite having already worked on the movie for over a year and a half."I thought, 'C'mon man, I was born at night but not last night. I know what's happening here!'" Johnson told <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/jake-johnson-on-voicing-peter-parker-in-spider-man-into-the-spider-verse-2018-12">Business Insider</a>. "I thought for sure I was getting replaced by some huge name that's in all the superhero movies."And this wasn't a case of an actor with a fragile ego looking for some attention. Johnson had been replaced doing voiceover work in the past."I'm not going to name the names out of respect," Johnson said, "but I've done entire voiceovers for movies. Movies that have a voiceover throughout it. I've laid down the tracks with the directors, and then I found out later they were using that as a temp track. So that's part of the business. They hear the voice and something's not right and it's an easy fix. They have this rhythm and they are like, 'Now let's see if somebody else's voice sounds better.'"<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image">GettyJake Johnson.</div></div></div>Johnson said he was ecstatic when he got the role to voice Peter Parker in "Spider-Verse," and soon after began recording dialogue for the movie. He breathed a big sigh of relief a year and a half into the job when the studio announced to the public he was in the movie. But he wasn't close to being finished yet.He had about another year before he was through recording lines."The monologue, 'My name is Peter B. Parker and I was bit by a radioactive spider,' I did that monologue probably 35 to 40 different times," Johnson said. "I would come back and they would say, 'Hey, we made a little tweak, we're doing the monologue again,' and I would just be like, here we go."Read more: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/vice-biopic-of-dick-cheney-isnt-for-everyone-but-christian-bale-is-astounding-2018-12">Dick Chaney biopic "Vice" is a wicked satire that messes with the audience and features an outstanding Christian Bale performance</a>But constantly repeating Peter Parker lines for over two and a half years hasn't burned him out on playing the role. With the movie being an Oscar contender in the animation category, and the movie <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/spider-man-into-the-spider-verse-opening-weekend-breaks-december-record-2018-12">breaking the record for the biggest opening weekend ever for an animated released in December</a>, Johnson hopes there will be more chances to play Parker."There are money jobs everywhere in this business but the reason I didn't want to get cut out of this movie is because I really hope to keep playing Peter," he said. "I like it. I really want to see another script. I really want to know what happens to him and MJ. And I also don't want to be in the writer's meetings, I want to see the script.""Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse" is currently playing in theaters. <div class="margin-top"> <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/why-wilhelm-scream-same-sound-effect-hollywood-movies-2018-11">Over 100 Hollywood films use the same scream - here's how it became the go-to sound effect for action movies</a></h3> <div> </div> </div>

Jake Johnson was convinced he was going to get replaced on 'Spider-Man into the Spider-Verse' - even more than a year into production

Taylor Swift is not known to bite the hand that feeds her.Pandering to her base has become a vital piece of Swift's brand — so much so that at the 2024 Grammys, she thanked the so-called "Swifties" for an award (best pop vocal album) that was actually tendered by <a target="_blank" href="https://www.recordingacademy.com/awards/voting-process">peers and industry professionals</a>."I know that the way that the Recording Academy voted is a direct reflection of the passion of the fans," <a target="_blank" href="https://youtu.be/fEj9F9zsAxc?si=I79FL-KCVOyA4ilC">Swift said during her acceptance speech</a>. "So I want to say thank you to the fans by telling you a secret."The dutiful salute to fans offered a convenient transition to Swift's real announcement, the one she co-opted her own acceptance speech for: Her 11th studio album, "<a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/taylor-swift-new-album-grammys-reactions-memes-2024-2">The Tortured Poets Department</a>," would be in their hands come spring. "I'm gonna go and post the cover right now backstage," she said.It was classic Taylor, marrying gracious thank-yous for her success with a treat for her loyal fans. Little did they know that three months later, that gift would also come with a messy rebuke of the Swifties who've become a bit too preoccupied with the pop star's private life.<h2>Taylor Swift built her brand as a friendly and relatable pop star</h2><div type="image" title="A young fan exchanges friendship bracelets with Taylor Swift as she performs onstage during &quot;Taylor Swift | The Eras Tour&quot; at Allianz Parque on November 24, 2023 in Sao Paulo, Brazil." height="2732" width="4096" msid="109567458" hostid="261" sizebytes="470266"></div>Over the course of her career, Swift has been careful to cultivate a rapport with fans, building a relatable image through both her lyrics and her public persona as the patron saint of the Everygirl.She may be richer than <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/taylor-swift-net-worth-spending-2018-8">almost everyone</a>, but she'll<a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/taylor-swift-net-worth-spending-2018-8"> </a>write a check to a Swiftie who needs to pay off her student loans, or a mother who lost her husband before Christmas. She may have a gaggle of <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/taylor-swifts-squad-where-are-they-now-2019-1">famous friends</a>, but she'll <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/taylor-swift-secret-sessions-music-fans-2017-11">invite groups of fans to her home</a> for intimate listening parties. She may be mind-bogglingly famous in a way that's made her life fundamentally abnormal, but she's careful never to <a target="_blank" href="https://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/taylor-swift-breaks-the-celebrity-mold-im-not-complaining-about-fame">make negative comments</a> about fame's downsides despite well-documented intrusions into her personal life."I remember when I was a little kid and I used to sit there and think about how lucky I would be if someday, people cared about the words that I wrote," a teenage Swift <a target="_blank" href="https://youtu.be/b7ISjjeEZiQ?si=_yT-FMPm0KsXqC6t">told reporters</a> at the 2009 CMA Music Festival. "When you spend so much time daydreaming about things like that," she added, "when that actually happens, you don't ever complain about it."Even when the sheer magnitude of her fame led to a literal argument about the Kanye West lyric, "<a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/taylor-swift-kim-kardashian-kanye-west-famous-video-leak-explained-2020-3">I made that bitch famous</a>," Swift's issue was never with the word "famous." It was with the word "bitch."But nearly two decades into her career, the business of Being Taylor Swift has become a billion-dollar industry whose <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/guides/health/mental-health/parasocial-relationship">parasocial peanut gallery</a> has grown in size to match. In 2024, the secret messages Swift left in lyric booklets in her earlier albums seem like quaint conspiracies compared to the <a target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/Tratumatized/status/1781554538824060998">Marvel-level lore</a> involved in the present-day Swiftie Easter egg hunt, which has gotten granular enough that fans find clues everywhere in Swift's orbit, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.usmagazine.com/stylish/news/taylor-swifts-style-has-been-full-of-ttpd-easter-eggs-for-months/">down to the brand names of her bags and shoes.</a>"I think the best messages are cryptic ones," <a target="_blank" href="https://ew.com/music/2019/05/09/taylor-swift-secrets-album-easter-eggs/">she said in 2019</a>.Fans (and critics) are particularly outspoken about Swift's romantic interests; once she's linked to a potential muse, their relationship is treated as a public forum.One could argue Swift has encouraged this dynamic with her penchant for Easter eggs, which started out as a way to incentivize fans to study her songwriting. But she has also been careful <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/taylor-swift-should-criticize-fans-like-phoebe-bridgers-opinion-2023-5">not to rebuke her fans directly</a>, even when they do things like stake out her home or <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/taylor-swift-fans-slammed-for-swarming-jack-antonoff-wedding-rehearsal-2023-8">crash her best friend's wedding</a> to catch a glimpse of her. Thanking and appeasing the fans has become second nature — which is exactly why the harsh tone of some lyrics on her latest album is so fascinating.<h2>With 'The Tortured Poets Department,' Swift is telling fans they don't actually know her</h2><div type="image" title="Taylor Swift fans" height="1990" width="2997" msid="109567459" hostid="261" sizebytes="311168"></div>"The Tortured Poets Department" <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/taylor-swift-tortured-poets-department-album-review-tracklist-breakdown-2024-4">allows a peek into the inner turmoil of Being Taylor Swift</a>, with all the attention, venom, and possessiveness she attracts. As a songwriter who pours raw, personal details into her music, Swift's livelihood — not to mention her mental stability, judging by <a target="_blank" href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/arts-entertainment/2020/02/03/taylor-swifts-netflix-documentary-two-emotional-scenes-are-especially-jarring/">revelations</a> from her 2020 documentary "Miss Americana" and new "Tortured Poets Department" lyrics — is tethered to the approval of strangers. Thanks to the confessional nature of her work, these strangers believe they know her, and many believe they know what's best for her.The contrast between the public's perception and Swift's personal reality is a recurring theme in several songs, including "<a target="_blank" href="https://youtu.be/U2W173hRfyA?si=9EcaX7tpTJJ6Jg3c">But Daddy I Love Him</a>," the harshest act of retaliation in Swift's entire catalog.In the first verse, Swift accuses the public of trying to "cage" her while they sit on their high horses. "Sarahs and Hannahs in their Sunday best," she taunts, "Clutching their pearls, sighing, 'What a mess.'"The chorus paints Swift as a woman in love and on the brink. Her partner is "crazy," but she doesn't care: "He's the one I want."On its face, the song seems inspired by <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/taylor-swift-matty-healy-relationship-timeline-2023-5">her much-reviled romance with Matty Healy of The 1975</a>. Following her split from <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/taylor-swift-joe-alwyn-relationship-details-timeline">Joe Alwyn</a> last year, Swift was spotted out and about with <a target="_blank" href="https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2023/06/05/who-is-matty-healy">the polarizing British rocker</a>, whom she's known for nearly a decade.The backlash was, well, swift. Onlookers criticized Swift for associating with Healy, who'd previously said dating her would be "emasculating." (He later apologized.) Healy was also slammed for laughing on a podcast while the hosts made racist jokes about rapper <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/ice-spice-surprise-guest-taylor-swift-eras-tour-amid-controversy-2023-5">Ice Spice</a>. (He apologized for that, too.)Healy's long history of ironic stunts and satirical lyrics were widely misunderstood as sincere — but still, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.vox.com/culture/2023/5/17/23726170/taylor-swift-matty-healy-dating-relationship-the-1975">think pieces about his unworthiness flooded the internet</a>. One group of paternalistic Swifties even tried to circulate a petition <a target="_blank" href="https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2023/may/30/taylor-swift-matty-healy-fan-culture">demanding that she end her relationship</a> and issue "more than a simple apology."According to <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/taylor-swift-matty-healy-break-up-2023-6">reports</a>, Swift and Healy didn't last very long — a <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/taylor-swift-post-malone-fortnight-music-video-details-you-missed">fortnight</a>, perhaps? — and at the time, Swift never addressed the outsize reaction to their romance.But now, through her songwriting, she's left very little doubt as to how this behavior enraged her."'Stay away from her,' the saboteurs protested too much," Swift sings. "I'll tell you something right now / I'd rather burn my whole life down / Than listen to one more second of all this bitching and moaning."By the bridge, the gloves come off, with Swift describing her lover's critics not just as saboteurs, but as "vipers dressed in empath's clothing" and "judgmental creeps who say they want what's best for me."Later in the album, Swift reinforces this key concept: Her fans don't know her, and oftentimes, they don't even understand her."<a target="_blank" href="https://youtu.be/vOZFiX6hDXQ?si=7ptWGyEhdAnsoxQh">Who's Afraid of Little Old Me?</a>" — <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/taylor-swift-solo-written-songs-2023-7">solo-written by Swift</a> —is another album standout, which compares the author to a defanged circus freak. No matter what people say about her, Swift can't truly bite back; she's been trained to prioritize a squeaky-clean brand. Choice lyrics recall the demands of the anti-Healy petition: "The scandal was contained / The bullet had just grazed / At all costs, keep your good name." "<a target="_blank" href="https://youtu.be/i8_w_m6HLJ0?si=iHkgG5_1rw5JGWdb">I Can Do It With a Broken Heart</a>" echoes the image of Swift as a caged performer, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/taylor-swift-eras-tour-best-photos-2024-4">sparkling on The Eras Tour stage</a> and fooling the audience with every grin. "I can read your mind / 'She's having the time of her life,'" Swift jeers. "I can show you lies."When the album was released last Friday, Swift made sure to <a target="_blank" href="https://x.com/taylorswift13/status/1781171613058097619">clarify on social media</a> that she has healed from this "fleeting and fatalistic moment in time," writing, "This period of the author's life is now over."The implication is clear: "<a target="_blank" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X0Jti9F-oQA">Dear reader</a>, don't be offended! I no longer relate to the palpable fury in this album." It's a clever move, a safeguard to ensure her shit-talking stays contained in the past and doesn't bleed into her current life.But her fury is still immortalized in the music itself. The Swift we hear in "Poets" is unruly, self-destructive, and self-consciously wild, very unlike the polished pop star we've grown accustomed to seeing. This is the sound of a woman pleading temporary insanity, pleading for her own humanity. Swift is willing to admit she has lost her mind and made some mistakes — yet, in a refreshing change of pace, she is insistent upon her right to make them.

Taylor Swift's new album is a sharp rebuke of toxic fans. It's about time.

It's hard to believe that a song about a corrupt superhero who was murdered from the inside out via an "ass bomb" would get nominated for an Emmy, but that's par for the course for Amazon Prime Video's diabolical drama series "<a href="https://www.insider.com/category/the-boys">The Boys</a>."Based on Garth Ennis and Darick Robertson's comic-book series of the same name, and executive produced by <a href="https://www.insider.com/category/seth-rogen">Seth Rogen</a> and Evan Goldberg, "<keyword id="11916582" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="the-boys" source="Orion">The Boys</keyword>" is a fresh take on the superhero genre that garnered critical acclaim after its premiere in July 2019. <a href="https://www.insider.com/the-boys-season-2-details-references-2020-9">Season two</a>, released in September 2020, doubled down on the show's unapologetic look at a world in which superheroes, known as supes, are owned by a nefarious corporation called Vought International.But before finding a way to top season one's famous dolphin scene - due to <a href="https://www.insider.com/the-boys-amazon-season-2-fun-facts-behind-the-scenes-details">another gory sea creature casualty</a> - the season two premiere opened with <a href="https://www.insider.com/the-boys-erin-moriarty-starlight-suit-challenges-season-two-interview-2020-10">Starlight/Annie January</a> (<a href="https://www.insider.com/category/erin-moriarty">Erin Moriarty</a>) being forced to deliver an award-worthy performance at the funeral for the aforementioned supe, Translucent (Alex Hassell). "The Boys" composer Christopher Lennertz received very clear directions from showrunner and executive producer Eric Kripke before he wrote the song: "He said, 'I need you to write me an Adele-meets-Celine-Dion-meets-Whitney showstopper, over-the-top power ballad," he recalled. The result was "Never Truly Vanish," an unabashedly grandiose song that's equal parts heartfelt and ludicrous in its delivery by Moriarty (yes, that is actually her singing the track).Writer and co-executive producer Michael Saltzman said that's what made the song and accompanying visuals so hilarious - it's the conjunction of how "ridiculous" the production was paired with "the absolute conviction and sincerity with which they're doing the song.""And the writing of the song had to be approached the same way, it's gotta be a legit, authentic song that would be in this situation," Saltzman added.Ahead of the <a href="https://www.insider.com/category/emmys-2021">73rd Primetime Emmys</a> next month, Lennertz and Saltzman spoke to <a href="https://www.insider.com/">Insider</a> about how Starlight's anthem came together and landed the "The Boys" a <a href="https://www.insider.com/emmys-nominees-winners-list-2021-7">nomination</a> for outstanding original music and lyrics.<div type="image" title="Erin Moriarty performing as Starlight on season two of &quot;The Boys.&quot;" height="1184" width="1578" msid="85514232" hostid="261"></div>The idea for Starlight's musical moment started in the writers' room while mapping out season two.Although the show's head writer, Kripke penned the episode, "The Big Ride," Saltzman described the process as "a real group effort" in which all the writers pitched story ideas and contributed to the outlines.Saltzman, who joined the show in its second season after one of his scripts caught Kripke's attention, "dabbled" in songwriting throughout his three decades working in <keyword id="11898468" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="tv" source="Orion">TV</keyword>. As a fan of the comic-book genre and musicals, the former "Murphy Brown" showrunner was eager to try his hand at writing lyrics for Starlight to sing at Translucent's funeral. "I volunteered to Eric and I said, 'I love writing song lyrics and I have a real take on this if you'd let me do it,'" Saltzman recalled. "He said, 'Yeah, knock yourself out.'"Saltzman's goal was to write the lyrics "with a degree of sincerity and authenticity." "You can't be making fun of the thing you're doing while you're doing it," he said. "You have to write it as if it's a legit version of the song that Celine Dion is going to sing at the 'In Memoriam' segment at the Oscars. It had to have that kind of gravitas to it."One phrase from the writers' room served as the crux for his lyrics: "You'll never truly vanish from our hearts." The phrase was a play on Translucent's power of invisibility, which would inspire other satirical lyrics like: "And though we could see through you, it seems we hardly knew you."Another comic-book character also served as inspiration for Saltzman's lyrics."If Translucent had been a character like Angel in the X-Men with actual wings, 'Wind Beneath My Wings' would have been the perfect song for his memorial," Saltzman said. "That was kind of the template that I had in my head when I was writing."<div type="image" title="Erin Moriarty performing as Starlight on season two of &quot;The Boys.&quot;" height="1190" width="1586" msid="85514234" hostid="261"></div>Lennertz said that he "rolled over laughing" when Kripke, whom he met while studying music at USC, first mentioned the song idea. The composer received the script for the episode approximately six to eight months before they started shooting season two.The direction he got from the showrunner, aside from channeling iconic powerhouse singers, was that it needed to be "ridiculously cheesy, over-the-top, but it also has to be something that Starlight would sing in the modern world. It has to be something that Vought would produce."Because Kripke wanted the song to have lines that seemed serious on first listen, but are far more ridiculous upon closer inspection, Lennetz received a script with lyrics like "our heroes never die" and "your spirit fills the sky.""It's the straighter the better whenever it comes to song parodies like that. And they're hard to do," Lennertz said."It's like a ski jump or something. If you don't commit to it, you're going to hurt yourself, always," he added. "It's one of those things where you've got to just be like, 'No, no, this is what we're doing and we're going to sell it till the very end of it. There's no wink. There's no cracking a smile. It is serious, as serious as can be.'"With Saltzman's ideas and the visuals written into the script, Lennertz began composing "Never Truly Vanish," which took approximately six months mainly because Lennertz had to work around Moriarty's availability and other production factors.Kripke and the "Boys" crew knew that the song was going to begin at the funeral, and would include visuals like young Translucent's bar mitzvah photos showing a floating yarmulke over his invisible head. Starlight would sing to an empty glass casket and the whole setting would feel "extremely patriotic with religious overtones," Saltzman said. Then the scene would cut to The Deep (<a href="https://www.insider.com/category/chace-crawford">Chace Crawford</a>) watching the funeral from a TV in a bar in Sandusky, Ohio. "We had to make sure there were perfect sections in each part of the song so we could make that work in the show," Lennertz said, explaining that the verses needed to compliment Kripke's planned visuals.Additionally, Lennertz said that the song needed to have a "huge bridge moment where she really belts it out and we needed the big drum fill that gets us back into the chorus, which every big power ballad has to have."And that bridge had to be accompanied by Starlight's eyes lighting up as she dramatically raised her glowing hand.<div type="image" title="Erin Moriarty performing as Starlight on season two of &quot;The Boys.&quot;" height="1188" width="1584" msid="85514236" hostid="261"></div>Lennertz said that the final version heard on the show is quite similar to the first demo, sans Moriarty's vocals. After getting Kripke's seal of approval on the demo, which was completed in spring 2019, Lennertz worked with Moriarty to tailor the song to her range. "Everybody wants something to sound the best it can sound," the composer said, adding that no matter how great a vocalist is, "if something's not in their range, it's gonna be terrible.""We've all seen it on TV when some amazing singer sings the National Anthem and it's just one step too high and they can't hit the big note," he explained. "So luckily, Erin was really down with the entire approach."Lennertz determined the top of Moriarty's range over the phone as he played the piano. Then he adjusted the key to fit her vocal ability. After Moriarty rehearsed the song and minor adjustments were made to accommodate room for breathing and other aspects, it was time for her to record."When Erin finally came in to sing, it was where it all sort of came together and everyone went, 'Oh, this is special,'" said Lennertz, describing the recording process as "magical." <div type="image" title="Erin Moriarty performing as Starlight on season two of &quot;The Boys.&quot;" height="1196" width="1594" msid="85514237" hostid="261"></div>Moriarty had never been in a recording studio prior to singing "Never Truly Vanish" so there was some skepticism about whether she'd be able to fully deliver. Any doubts were squashed when the actress began recording. "It took two minutes, literally. And she was like, 'All right, let's go,'" Lennertz remembered. "She got in the booth and she absolutely sold the concept just like she did on-screen and said, 'I'm going to commit to this.'""Within 10 minutes she was fully acting the part and singing to the microphone as if she was Whitney Houston or Adele," he added. "She just jumped right in and nailed it. We were giddy."Lennertz said the rough mix of Moriarty's vocals on the track proved to everyone "that it was going to work" musically and within the context of the show. "Eric played it for us after it had been recorded and everyone kind of looked around and went, 'Wow, this is amazing. Who's doing the vocals?' And he was like, 'Erin is,'" Saltzman recalled. "She blew us all away."Kripke decided that they needed a bigger stage and larger auditorium for the funeral because of how grand the song turned out, Lennertz said. By the time they were ready to film the scene, all Moriarty had to do was lip-sync and channel all the emotions that she brought in the studio. "My jaw was on the floor when I finally saw what they shot," Lennertz added. "I was like, 'This is better than it read in the script.' And it read great in the script." That led to making a <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rw_OHwI5dUQ">black-and-white music video,</a> starring Moriarty's character, surrounded by a bunch of invisible dancers. "It's just such a ridiculous idea," Lennertz said. "Eric and I always talk about the fact that they literally are paying us to be this ridiculous is just... We never would have thought of this when we were sitting in film school together."<h2 style="text-align: center;"> </h2>The brilliance of "Never Truly Vanish" lies in how comically serious the song is, but it's also a precursor to Starlight's season two journey.When viewers first met her, she was a starry-eyed supe who wanted to save the world with her ability to absorb electricity and emit energy blasts. So when she earned a coveted spot in the prestigious Vought-run supes group, known as The Seven, Starlight thought she hit the jackpot.The illusion was quickly shattered when she realized that her colleagues were far from the clean-cut heroes that they pretended to be in public. On her first day as part of the Seven, she was sexually assaulted by The Deep. When she went to cry in the bathroom afterward, Translucent was lurking inside and misusing his power of invisibility to spy on women.Throughout the season, Starlight would toe the line between her duty to Vought and her desire to make a real difference with the help of The Boys, a rag-tag vigilante group that includes her love interest, Hughie Campbell (Jack Quaid). <div type="image" title="the boys 203 starlight" height="1089" width="1452" msid="85514239" hostid="261"></div>Starlight's previous experiences, along with being forced to perform a tribute to a perverted supe at the opening of season two, set the stage for her to <a href="https://www.insider.com/the-boys-erin-moriarty-starlight-dark-side-season-2-interview-2020-10">summon "a dark side of herself,"</a> Moriarty previously told Insider. "It was always going to be a Starlight moment," Lennertz said of "Never Truly Vanish.""One of the things they really wanted it to do was comment on the fact that she made a huge transition from the beginning of season one to the end of season one," he continued, "both with her relationship with Hughie and with her empowerment of 'I'm not going to take s--- anymore.'""And here was this guy Translucent, who she knew was this creep that used to hang out in the bathroom. And the real honest truth about Vought is, 'That's too bad. You gotta sing this thing because you're part of The Seven and we pay your salary.' It's that gross over-commercialization, sellout thing that had to be in there to set up the rest of season two."Historically, superhero series and movies have largely been shut out of major award shows. In recent years that's changed thanks to groundbreaking projects like "Black Panther," which earned Marvel its first three Oscars in 2019.In its freshman season, "The Boys" nabbed one Emmy nomination, for outstanding sound editing for a comedy or drama series (one hour). By the time the show returned for season two, more people caught onto its <a href="https://www.insider.com/the-boys-aya-cash-colby-minifie-season-2-racism-interview-2020-10">clever commentary on real-world events</a> and ability to completely flip the superhero genre on its head.Barack Obama even <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CI8RF86AxVo/">named "The Boys" as one of his favorite shows of last year</a> and told <a href="https://ew.com/books/barack-obama-a-promised-land-interview/">Entertainment Weekly</a> that he watched the series when he needed a break from writing his memoir, "A Promised Land.""When President Obama singled the show out as one of his favorite of the year that blew my mind," Saltzman said, calling "The Boys" a "zeitgeist show" that's become part of the larger "cultural conversation."<div type="image" title="the boys season 2 supes" height="1233" width="2500" msid="85514240" hostid="261"></div>Given the continued reach of "The Boys," the five total Emmy nominations this year weren't out of the blue. Still, Lennertz said it was a "total shocker" to those involved in the making of the show."All of us just assume that superhero shows aren't going to get award nominations because they haven't in the past," Lennertz said.In addition to the nomination for "Never Truly Vanish," the series got a nod for drama series and was recognized in categories honoring sound mixing, special visual effects, and writing.Saltzman admitted he was completely clueless about how best song nominations work because he had never written anything that had a shot at one. In fact, he wasn't even planning on waking up early for the Emmy nominations, since he didn't expect much from them. But when his wife came into their bedroom that morning, he had exciting news to share."She saw me sitting up in there and she goes, 'Oh, you're up?' I said, 'Yeah. Hey, guess what I have in common with Robert Lopez and Bo Burnham?' And she said, 'What?' I said, 'That we're all Emmy nominees for best song. And she was like, 'What?'" he recalled with a laugh."It was a huge thrill to be in that company. And such a delightful surprise."For fans who enjoyed Starlight's "Never Truly Vanish" and speedster A-Train's "lit" anthem "Faster" (performed by actor Jessie T. Usher, featuring Aimée Proal) from season two, Lennertz said "there's a lot of songs" in the <a href="https://www.insider.com/the-boys-season-3-amazon-details-information-2020-9">upcoming third season</a> - but he didn't reveal who will be singing. "I can't tell anybody what they are or how many, but Eric did let everybody know that there would be more supes singing this year," he said. "I'm really excited about who's singing those."The composer added: "What we haven't done yet is a duet and I would love to do a duet. That's all I can say."<div type="image" title="the boys 202 a train starlight" height="1505" width="2007" msid="85514242" hostid="261"></div>For Lennertz, getting to work with Kripke for nearly 30 years and compose original tracks for the characters of "The Boys" is a full-circle moment that makes the recent Emmy nomination even more rewarding."It was like somebody handed me the job that I didn't even know I wanted five years ago," he said. "And now I've got my dear friend being like, 'Hey, do it for us and let's have fun with it and go over the top.'""I will keep writing as many songs for Eric as he wants me to write."

A deep dive into Starlight's unabashedly over-the-top, Emmy-nominated power anthem 'Never Truly Vanish' from 'The Boys'

When you buy through our links, we may earn money from our affiliate partners. <a href="https://www.insider-inc.com/commerce-on-insider-inc/">Learn more.</a><ul class="summary-list"><li><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/category/hbo" target="_blank" rel="noopener">HBO</a> and WarnerMedia just launched a new streaming service — <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/hbo-max-streaming-service" target="_blank" rel="noopener">HBO Max</a>.</li><li>HBO already operates two major streaming platforms, HBO Go and HBO Now.</li><li>On July 31, HBO discontinued the HBO Go app on most devices and rebranded HBO Now as just "HBO".</li><li>In many cases, HBO Max is being offered as a free upgrade and replacement for those older services.</li></ul>First, the bad news: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/friends-leaving-netflix-in-2020-for-hbo-max-details-2019-7">"Friends" has left Netflix</a>, and it's not coming back any time soon.Turns out there's a good reason for that — it has a new home with HBO's new streaming service alongside "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air," "Rick and Morty," and a mess of other stuff. That new service is named <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/hbo-max-streaming-service" target="_blank" rel="noopener">HBO Max</a>, and it's intended to serve as a deluxe version of HBO's older streaming services, HBO Go and HBO Now.But what's so different about HBO Max from HBO's other streaming options? Well, it mostly comes down to content selection and device support. It's also important to note that big changes have recently been imposed upon HBO's other streaming offerings, and HBO Max is essentially being positioned as a replacement for HBO Go and HBO Now.In fact, as of July 31, the HBO Go app is no longer available on most devices, though you can still access the service via <a href="https://play.hbogo.com/page/urn:hbo:page:home" target="_blank" rel="noopener">HBOGo.com</a>. Meanwhile, HBO Now has been branded as just "HBO". In most cases, current HBO Go and HBO Now users can access HBO Max instead at no extra cost.To help further dispel some of the confusion surrounding all three services, we've broken down all of the key differences below.Updated on 8/26/2020 by Kevin Webb: We've revised this article to include new details about available and upcoming HBO Max shows.<h2>What is HBO Max?</h2><div type="image" title="friends nbc" height="1958" width="2611" msid="76048736" hostid="261"></div>HBO Max is a standalone streaming service you don't need a cable subscription to use. It costs $14.99 per month and includes all of HBO's standard offerings, plus a ton of new stuff from various WarnerMedia properties, like DC Comics, CNN, TNT, TBS, and Cartoon Network.HBO Max also produces original shows and movies, just like <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/best-streaming-service#the-best-for-original-shows-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Netflix</a>, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/best-hulu-orignals-to-stream" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Hulu</a>, and <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/best-amazon-prime-original-shows" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Amazon Prime Video</a>. The service launched with more than 1,300 movies and over 10,000 hours worth of programming. For more detailed impressions, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/hbo-max-review" target="_blank" rel="noopener">you can read our full review of HBO Max here</a>.In most cases, people who were previously using HBO Go or HBO Now can now access HBO Max with their existing account details for no extra cost. There are some exceptions, but for most HBO users, HBO Max is being offered as a free upgrade and replacement for those older services. You can check the <a href="https://www.hbomax.com/do-i-already-have-access" target="_blank" rel="noopener">HBO Max website</a> to see if your HBO subscription is eligible for HBO Max. <h2>What makes HBO Max different from HBO Now? Additional content.</h2><div type="image" title="Fresh Prince of Bel Air" height="1005" width="1340" msid="76048742" hostid="261"></div>HBO Max is the same price as HBO Now, an older streaming service that features HBO original shows and the cable channel's rotating package of movies. HBO Max currently offers all of HBO Now's content plus a ton of new stuff from a variety of WarnerMedia brands — all for the same $14.99 a month price.<a href="https://www.hbomax.com/do-i-already-have-access" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Most HBO Now subscribers</a> can watch HBO Max with their HBO Now account at no extra cost. In other words, HBO Max is basically an automatic upgrade to HBO Now. With that in mind, the HBO Now app has been rebranded to just "HBO". Since HBO Max offers a larger streaming library than HBO (formerly HBO Now), it's clearly the better choice for subscribers. With that said, the HBO Max app is currently missing from a few notable devices, including Roku and Fire <keyword id="6355065" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="TV">TV</keyword> products. If you use one of those devices as your primary streaming player, the HBO app is currently your only option. <h2>What is HBO Go? And what happens to subscribers now that the app has been discontinued?</h2><div type="image" title="HBO Now" height="1396" width="2792" msid="76048748" hostid="261"></div>In the past, if you had a cable TV subscription to HBO, you could also use the HBO Go app, a freebie streaming option that came as a bonus. Plug in your cable TV login details, and you got access to a vast library of HBO content on-demand. It cost nothing extra, and worked on everything from your smartphone to your Apple TV/Roku/etc. to your computer.On July 31, the HBO Go app was removed from most connected devices. Thankfully, AT&amp;T has brokered deals that give most HBO cable subscribers access to HBO Max instead. If you subscribe to HBO through any of the cable providers below, you can get access to HBO Max at no extra cost. Simply go to the HBO Max website and <a href="https://play.hbomax.com/affiliateList">choose your provider to login.</a><ul><li>Altice One</li><li>Atlantic Broadband</li><li>Apple TV Channels</li><li>AT&amp;T/AT&amp;T U-verse</li><li>Cox</li><li>DIRECTV</li><li>Optimum</li><li>RCN</li><li>Spectrum</li><li>Suddenlink</li><li>Verizon Fios</li><li>WOW!</li><li>Xfinity</li></ul>If you happen to subscribe to HBO through a provider that isn't included, you can still access HBO Go through the <a href="https://play.hbogo.com/page/urn:hbo:page:home" target="_blank" rel="noopener">HBO Go website</a>.<h2>The addition of other WarnerMedia networks' content to HBO's existing library is an enticing proposition.</h2><div type="image" title="The Not Too Late Show with Elmo HBO Max" height="640" width="1280" msid="76048744" hostid="261"></div>Adding Adult Swim's content to HBO Max means adding "Rick &amp; Morty." Adding CNN's content to HBO Max means adding "Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown." Adding TBS' content to HBO Max means adding "Full Frontal with Samantha Bee" and "Conan." All of which is to say that adding content from all these places adds up to a ton of really good stuff.Looney Tunes cartoons! All the "Lord of the Rings" movies! There's a surprising amount of additional content in the HBO Max package.HBO Max's lineup also features new original series, including "Love Life," a comedy show starring Anna Kendrick, and "Looney Tunes Cartoons," a new animated series featuring Bugs Bunny and company. Other upcoming exclusive titles include "Raised by Wolves," a science fiction show from producer Ridley Scott, and the director's cut of Zach Snyder's "Justice League." Beyond original HBO programs, the HBO Max catalog features a wide range of TV series, including "Friends," "Doctor Who," "Rick and Morty," "The Big Bang Theory," "Sesame Street" and "Anthony Bourdain's Parts Unknown." The full library incorporates TV and movie offerings from DC, CNN, TNT, TBS, truTV, Cartoon Network, Adult Swim, Rooster Teeth, Looney Tunes, Criterion, Studio Ghibli, and Warner Bros.<h2>What else is coming to HBO Max? A bunch of new original content, including a show based on "Dune" and a new movie from the director of "Bird Box."</h2><div type="image" title="big little lies" height="1471" width="1961" msid="76048757" hostid="261"></div>Here's everything that's announced for HBO Max thus far:-"10,000 hours of premium content from HBO, Warner Bros., New Line, DC <keyword id="4578" type="COMPANY" weightage="100" keywordseo="entertainment">Entertainment</keyword>, CNN, TNT, TBS, truTV, The CW, Turner Classic Movies, Cartoon Network, Adult Swim, Crunchyroll, Rooster Teeth, Looney Tunes and more.-The exclusive streaming rights at launch to all 236 episodes of 'Friends.'-The exclusive streaming rights at launch to all episodes 'The Fresh Prince of Bel Air' and 'Pretty Little Liars.'-'Lovecraft Country,' a unique horror series based on a novel by Matt Ruff, written and executive produced by Misha Green, and executive produced by Jordan Peele ('Us') and J.J. Abrams ('Westworld').-Raised By Wolves,' a new science fiction original series created by "Blade Runner" and "Alien" director Ridley Scott.-Every original series from the DC Universe streaming service, including "Doom Patrol," "Harley Quinn," and "Titans."-The exclusive streaming home to a string of new Warner Bros.' produced dramas for The CW, including the new DC Entertainment series 'Batwoman,' and 'Katy Keene' (spinoff of 'Riverdale').-New exclusive movie production deals with Greg Berlanti and Reese Witherspoon ('Big Little Lies'). Berlanti will produce an initial four movies focused in the young adult space, while Witherspoon's Hello Sunshine will produce at least two films.-'Dune: The Sisterhood,' an adaptation of Brian Herbert and Kevin Anderson's book based in the world created by Frank Herbert's book 'Dune,' from director Denis Villeneuve.-'Tokyo Vice,' based on Jake Adelstein's non-fiction first-hand account of the Tokyo Metropolitan Police beat, starring Ansel Elgort.-'The Flight Attendant,' a one-hour thriller series based on the novel by Chris Bohjalian. Kaley Cuoco, executive producing alongside Greg Berlanti, will star.-'Love Life,' a 10-episode half-hour romantic comedy anthology series starring Anna Kendrick, who will also executive produce alongside Paul Feig.-'Station Eleven,' a postapocalyptic limited series based on Emily St. John Mandel's international bestseller, adapted by Patrick Somerville ('The Leftovers') and directed by Hiro Murai ('Barry').-'Made for Love,' a 10-episode, half-hour, straight-to-series adaptation based on the tragicomic novel of the same name by Alissa Nutting, also from Patrick Somerville and directed by S.J. Clarkson.-'Gremlins,' an animated series from Warner Bros. Animation and Amblin Entertainment based on the original movie.-Stephen King's 'The Outsider,' a dark mystery starring Ben Mendelsohn, produced and directed by Jason Bateman.-'The Nevers,' Joss Whedon's new science fiction series starring Laura Donnelly.-'The Gilded Age,' set the opulent world of 1885 New York from 'Downton Abbey's' Julian Fellowes.-'Avenue 5,' a high satire aboard a space-bound cruise ship from Armando Iannucci ('Veep') starring Hugh Laurie and Josh Gad.-'The Undoing,' a psychological thriller from David E. Kelley ('Big Little Lies'), directed by Susanne Bier ('Bird Box') starring Nicole Kidman and Hugh Grant.-'The Plot Against America,' reimagined history based on Phillip Roth's novel written and executive produced by David Simon and Ed Burns, starring Winona Ryder and John Turturro.-'Perry Mason', the classic legal drama for a new generation, executive produced by Robert Downey, Jr. and Susan Downey, with Matthew Rhys in the title role.-'I Know This Much Is True,' a complex family drama starring Mark Ruffalo playing twin brothers, one of whom has schizophrenia. Based on the best-selling novel by Wally Lamb, written and directed by Derek Cianfrance."

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