DRAKE GETS CUT OFF DURING GRAMMY SPEECH – (02/11/2019)
Drake had an interesting Grammy moment last night (February 10th). While accepting his award for Best Rap Song for “God’s Plan,” the rapper took the time to explain that artists “don’t need” awards. In his speech, he said, “It’s like the first time in Grammys history where I actually am who I thought I was for a second, so I like that. I definitely did not think I was winning anything. I want to take this opportunity while I’m up here to talk to all the kids watching, those aspiring to do music, and all my peers that make music from their heart, that do things pure and tell the truth. I want to let you know we play in an opinion-based sport, not a factual-based sport. It is not the NBA, where at the end of year you’re holding a trophy because you made the right decisions or won the games.”
Drizzy continued, “This is a business where sometimes it is up to a bunch of people that might not understand what a mixed-race kid from Canada has to say … or a fly Spanish girl from New York or anyone else, or a brother from Houston right there, my brother Travis [Scott]. You’ve already won if you have people who are singing your songs word for word, if you are a hero in your hometown. If there is (sic) people who have regular jobs who are coming out in the rain, in the snow, spending their hard-earned money to buy tickets to come to your shows, you don’t need this right here, I promise you, you already won.”
However, it appeared that Drake wasn’t finished with his speech before CBS cut to a commercial break.
Us Magazine later confirmed that a rep for the award show informed press after the show that producers thought Drake was done with his speech when he paused. Apparently, they offered him the chance to get back on stage and finish, but Drake said that he was satisfied with what he said and didn’t have anything to add.
CARDI B SHARES GRAMMY WIN WITH MAC MILLER – (02/11/2019)
Please note the following story contains language that could be considered offensive.
Cardi B made history at the Grammy Awards last night (February 10th) when she became the first solo woman to win Best Rap Album with her debut, Invasion of Privacy. Backstage at the award show, the Bronx rapper took to social media to continue her speech, where she said that she is sharing the award with the late Mac Miller, who was nominated in the category as well. Cardi said, [“Thank you so much! Thank you, Bardi Gang. Thank you for always supporting me. It’s nothing without y’all, my n***a. Thank you to my sister. Thank you to Pardison. Thank you to Ev. Thank you everybody that was with me, my n***a. Thank God, thank my family, my mom’s side of the family, my dad’s side of the family. Thank you everybody! And, you wanna know something? I read a article that Mac Miller family said that if he don’t win, they want me to win. So, I’m sharing this Grammy with you, motherf**ker! Rest In Peace! And, thank you everybody!”]
In a second video, Cardi continued her thank you’s, saying, [“I wanna keep on saying thank you, thank you, thank you so much, everybody! Thank you, Bardi Gang because y’all love me through the good and the bad and the fake and the lies. I wanna say thank you everybody! This sh*t is crazy. Every award to me is special to me, though. From Grammys, AMAs, Billboards, BET, Soul Train, Nickelodeon, awards that I get from in another motherf**kin’ country. I don’t give a f**k. Every award, my n***a, goes to my mother’s house and every award to her is just as special, and it’s just as special to me. And I am so thankful, I am so grateful, my n***a.”]
HALSEY TAKES OVER ‘SNL’ – (02/11/2019)
Halsey hosted her first-ever episode of Saturday Night Live on Saturday. The 24-year-old singer was also the musical guest of the evening, and performed “Eastside” and “Without Me.”
She also starred in almost every skit including “Riverdale,” a spoof of the hit series centering around filming the dramatic season finale, which keeps getting interrupted by a noisy corpse, played by Pete Davidson.
Halsey kicked things off with her monologue, telling the audience that she grew up not too far from New York, over the river in New Jersey. She graduated from Warren Hills Regional High School in Washington. She also explained who she was:
[“My name is Halsey, which, fun fact, is actually short for Halsey and Oates-y. So if you’re like ‘oh woozy” where do I know her from?’ basically, whenever you scream at your angst-y daughter to turn down that music – I’m that music.]
She also poked fun at her Jersey roots:
[“If I don’t seem like I’m from New Jersey, I just want you to know that my real name is Ashley Nicolette Frangipane. I bet everybody at home watching right now is like, ‘Ashley’s on the TV, you remember Ashley, the singer.’ Nice girl. Not for my son, but good for her’.”] she said, whipping out a thick accent.
She also fangirled-out – and made an excellent point about the women of SNL:
[“When I was a kid, I was absolutely obsessed with SNL; I watched it every week. I especially admired the women on this show. They never cared what they looked like, what they sounded like, or what anybody thought of them – they were just funny.”]
She also appeared in a sketch that parodied the recent blackface scandals in Virginia, and impersonated Rep. Rashida Tlaib in “Women of Congress,” a Charlie’s Angels spoof featuring the women of Congress reacting to a message from Donald Trump.
During Halsey’s first musical performance, she played her hit single “Without Me.” The wall behind her as she performed was seemingly scrawled with the transgressions of one of her past loves.
“Ashley, I cheated … in Minneapolis … New Orleans … at home in Los Angeles,” the wall read. It was pretty clear she was sending a message. Halsey still has some bad blood with her most recent ex, G-Eazy, so fans were quick to speculate that her performance had something to do with the rapper. Halsey and G, a.k.a. Gerald Gillum, called it quits in October 2018 after a year of dating.
JUSTIN & HAILEY BIEBER COVER ‘VOGUE’ – (02/11/2019)
Newlyweds Justin and Hailey Bieber share a sweet embrace on the cover of Vogue magazine’s March 2019 issue, on newsstands February 19th. Here’s what the 24-year-old entertainer and 22-year-old model had to share with the mag:
Hailey, on being a newlywed: “It’s just that I’m fighting to do this the right way, to build a healthy relationship. I want people to know that. We’re coming from a really genuine place. But we’re two young people who are learning as we go. I’m not going to sit here and lie and say it’s all a magical fantasy. It’s always going to be hard.”
Justin, on religion: “I wouldn’t consider myself religious, that confuses a lot of people because they’re like, well you go to church. I believe in the story of Jesus–that’s the simplicity of what I believe. But I don’t believe in all the religious elitism and pretentiousness… I get sensitive when religion comes up because it’s been so hurtful to a lot of people. I don’t want to be thought of as someone who stands for any of the injustice that religion has done and does do.”
Hailey, on their friendship blossoming at church: “One day Justin walked into Hillsong and was like, ‘Hey, you got older.’ I was like, ‘Yeah, what’s up?’ Over time he became my best guy friend. I was running around with him as his homie, but we weren’t hanging out [romantically].”
Justin, on his difficulty trusting people: “It’s been so hard for me to trust people, I’ve struggled with the feeling that people are using me or aren’t really there for me, and that writers are looking to get something out of me and then use it against me. One of the big things for me is trusting myself.”
Justin also revealed his the real reason he canceled the last part of his Purpose tour in 2017. “I got really depressed…I was lonely,” he says. He also said that he is taking a step back from his music, as he tries to find himself on this new stage of his life. “I’ve been successful since I was thirteen, so I didn’t really have a chance to find who I was apart from what I did,” Justin admits. “I just needed some time to evaluate myself: who I am, what I want out of my life, my relationships, who I want to be—stuff that when you’re so immersed in the music business you kind of lose sight of.”
ARIANA GRANDE RELEASES NEW ALBUM, MUSIC VIDEO & WINS GRAMMY – (02/11/2019)
Please note the following story contains language that could be considered offensive.
Ariana Grande has released her fifth studio album, titled Thank U, Next, alongside a music video for new single “Break Up With Your Girlfriend, I’m Bored.”
The pink album cover features a photo of the singer turned upside down, similar to the cover art for Grande’s Sweetener album that was released in August.
Thank U, Next, in addition to the title track of the same name, features 12 tracks total including “Imagine,” “7 Rings” and “Break Up With Your Girlfriend, I’m Bored.”
The music video for “Break Up With Your Girlfriend, I’m Bored” takes place at a crowded party where Grande is attempting to steal a man away from a woman who looks similar to her.
The man is portrayed by Riverdale star Charles Melton who will next be seen in upcoming romance film The Sun is Also a Star alongside Yara Shahidi of black-ish and grown-ish fame.
The song also samples a little of ‘NSync’s “It Makes Me Ill” from their 2000 album Celebrity, with Ariana incorporating some of the song’s melody but changing up the lyrics.
After both the album and video dropped early Friday morning, Grande thanked her supporters in an emotional tweet, which she said came later than she originally anticipated.
“i’m sorry my posts were late. scooter allison my mom and wendy made speeches and i cant stop crying. i love y’all,” the singer wrote. “i hope u enjoy this album. this music, you guys and my friends saved my life. love u. sry. iight bye.”
Meanwhile, Ariana took home the award for Best Pop Vocal Album at the 2019 Grammy Awards last night – after skipping the show due to a a disagreement with producers left her feeling “stifled.”
Grande won her first-ever Grammy for her fourth studio album, Sweetener. She beat out Camila Cabello, Kelly Clarkson, Ariana Grande, Shawn Mendes, Pink and Taylor Swift.
“i know i’m not there tonight (trust, i tried and still truly wished it had worked out tbh) and i know i said i try not to put too much weight into these things …. but f*ck,” she tweeted about the honor. “This is wild and beautiful. thank you so much.”
Grande was originally scheduled to perform at the show, but recently pulled out of appearing at the Grammys and attending the event. According to Variety, the singer felt “insulted” she was not allowed to perform her new song “7 Rings,” and instead perform a medley of songs.
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