There’s Likely To Be A Big Super Bowl Surprise — And We Have Theories
Fans think Beyoncé will make some sort of Super Bowl cameo, thanks to a few teasers from Verizon ads.
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Well, what an eventful Grammys that was on Sunday, huh? Women swept all major categories, and pop-punk band Paramore made history as the first group led by a woman to win Best Rock Album. Moreover, South African artist Tyla won the inaugural award for Best African Performance, Victoria Monét won Best New Artist — as she should — and Miley Cyrus finally clinched her first Grammy, bestowed upon her by none other than Mariah Carey. For all the highlights and anything else you may have missed, check out the liveblog from me, Erin Evans and Taryn Finley.
But let’s not forget the hot-button moments: Killer Mike’s arrest at the show, Taylor Swift’s interaction with Celine Dion upon accepting her award for Album of the Year and, of course, Jay-Z’s spot-on speech. “When I get nervous, I tell the truth,” he said. Yeah, me too, Jay. What does a Black woman have to do to win Album of the Year? The last Black woman to receive that honor was Lauryn Hill in 1999, the year I was born. Even Billboard notes that SZA’s “SOS” was No. 1 for 10 weeks, longer than any of this year’s nominees. So if it’s not based on industry metrics — or who is the most awarded artist — then what is the Recording Academy’s rationale?
Speaking of the most awarded artist, Beyoncé — instead of giving us the damn “Renaissance: Act I” visuals — announced Cécred, a hair care line influenced by her upbringing in her mother Tina’s salon. She first teased the line in May 2023, and it’ll officially be released on Feb. 20. And on the subject of teasers, members of the Beyhive are speculating that Beyoncé may be announcing something or making a surprise commercial cameo during the Super Bowl, based on hints from recent Verizon ads on X, the former Twitter. Time will tell, but I’m not getting my hopes up.
Anyway, as fashion’s Super Bowl kicks off in New York today, here’s a rundown of what you may have missed this week, courtesy of The Culture Catchall.
Jacob Elordi at the GQ Men of the Year Party 2023 in Los Angeles, California.
We’re Still Talking About It
Actor Jacob Elordi and Australian radio producer Joshua Fox are being investigated after allegations that Elordi got into a physical altercation with Fox, per Australia’s Daily Telegraph. According to Fox’s account, the producer approached Elordi, making a bathwater joke in reference to that “Saltburn” scene. In an audio clip, Elordi asked Fox to stop filming their exchange and erase the recording. HuffPost’s Kelby Vera reported what happened next.
Taylor Swift’s legal team has threatened a college student, Jack Sweeney, for tracking the singer’s flights on social media. Sweeney uses publicly available information from the Federal Aviation Administration to track not only Swift, but also Elon Musk. The student received a cease-and-desist letter in December after headlines criticized Swift for the environmental impact of her jet use. HuffPost’s Paige Skinner reported on why Swift’s team suggests this is linked to stalking.
We’re apparently in a documentary boom, folks. Per The Hollywood Reporter, a trailer for the Investigation Discovery docuseries “Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV” has unveiled new allegations against former Nickelodeon showrunner Dan Schneider of abuse, sexism and racism. Lifetime has also released a trailer for the forthcoming documentary “Where Is Wendy Williams?” — a question we’ve been asking for ages now. While I desperately want to hear from Williams, I don’t want to hear from Yolanda Saldívar, the woman who murdered Selena Quintanilla in 1995 and is now unfortunately “getting a chance to tell her side of the story” thanks to Oxygen. *groans* Remezcla reported how Selena’s father has responded.
Ahead of his Super Bowl halftime show, Usher dropped his ninth studio album, "Coming Home."
Industry News and Announcements
Usher graces the cover of Billboard’s Sports Issue ahead of the Super Bowl.
“Suits” spinoff “Suits: L.A.” has landed a pilot order at NBCUniversal.
King Charles has been diagnosed with cancer, according to Buckingham Palace.
“The Color Purple” will be available for streaming on Max starting Feb. 16.
Two more women have accused Jonathan Majors of physical and/or emotional abuse.
Apple TV+ lands Sundance feature “Fancy Dance,” starring Lily Gladstone.
Disney buys $1.5 billion worth of stake in video game developer Epic Games.
The Oscars has announced the addition of a Best Casting category, starting 2026.
New York Times bestseller “Seven Days in June” is getting adapted for Prime Video.
Tom Holland will star in the new West End revival of…
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