Month: February 2023

SZA’s “SOS” Spends 10th Week At No.1 On Billboard 200

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SZA’s second studio album, SOS, has reached No. 1 on the Billboard 200 for the 10th non-consecutive week. Adele was the last female singer to do so with her 2015 album, 25. Before that, the last R&B album to spend its first seven weeks atop the chart was Whitney Houston’s Whitney.

SZA dropped the album back on December 9, 2022. It debuted immediately on the Billboard 200 with 318,000 equivalent album units sold. The album features appearances from Don Toliver, Phoebe Bridgers, Travis Scott, and the late Ol’ Dirty Bastard. Behind the scenes, she also worked with Babyface, Jeff Bhasker, Benny Blanco, Rodney Jerkins, DJ Dahi, Gabriel Hardeman, Ant Clemons, and Lizzo. It was promoted with by three singles, “Good Days”, “I Hate U”, and “Shirt.”

SZA At The Grammys

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – FEBRUARY 05: (FOR EDITORIAL USE ONLY) SZA speaks onstage during the 65th GRAMMY Awards at Crypto.com Arena on February 05, 2023 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images)

The feat comes after SZA was named Billboard’s Woman Of The Year, earlier this month. “Right now, I just have extreme gratitude because I swear to God, I never thought I’d be No. 1 for even a week, let alone seven,” she said at the time.

“SZA is a force,” Terrence “Punch” Henderson told Billboard. “To go seven consecutive weeks at No. 1 is legendary. She’s a true generational artist, a cultural reset, if you will. For her album SOS to blend so many different genres together in a cohesive frame shows her genius and versatility. Then you have the voice, the words, the pain, the growth, the relapsing, the delivery, the stories, etc. … a true masterpiece.”

Fans of SOS will be able to catch SZA on tour throughout the spring as she recently embarked on The SOS Tour. She’ll be making stops in Washington, D.C., Boston, New York City, Atlanta, and more through the end of March. In total, SZA will be making 19 stops across the United States and Canada. Omar Apollo serves as the opener. “Last night was the first night of my very first arena tour ever,” she wrote on Instagram after her show in Columbus last week. “I don’t have words. But thank you. So much.”

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LeBron James Spotted Limping After Injuring Right Foot

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LeBron James was seen limping as he left the American Airlines Center in Dallas following the Los Angeles Lakers’ win over the Mavericks. He appeared to injure his right foot during a layup attempt on Dwight Powell in the third quarter. After the contact, floor microphones for the broadcast picked up James remarking to the team’s bench that he “heard a pop.” James remained in the game until its conclusion. The Lakers won 111-108.

“It’s been better,” James said when asked about his foot afterward. “That’s for sure. But I definitely wasn’t going to go to the locker room and not finish the game out tonight. Just understood the importance of the game, and then with the momentum that we had, I felt like we could still win after being down. We’ll monitor it the next couple days, see how it feels and go from there.”

DALLAS, TX – FEBRUARY 26 : LeBron James #6 of the Los Angeles Lakers handles the ball as Luka Doncic #77 of the Dallas Mavericks defends in the second half at American Airlines Center on February 26, 2023 in Dallas, Texas. The Lakers won 111-108. (Photo by Ron Jenkins/Getty Images)

Lakers coach Darvin Ham said that James is “good” as of now but the team will be monitoring his foot. “He’s good,” he confirmed. “Our medical people are looking at him now. He’ll be reevaluated again in the morning. So once we get some type of official word tomorrow, we’ll go from there. But as of right now, he’s good.”

James finished with 26 points on 10-for-23 shooting, adding eight rebounds and three assists. He scored 11 of his points in the fourth quarter, after the injury occurred. For the victory, the Lakers overcame a 27-point deficit, the biggest comeback by any team this season. With the win, the team improves to 29-32 leaving them at 11th place in the Western Conference standings. They’re currently fighting for a spot in the playoff games as the season nears the final stretch. There’s reason for Lakers fans to be hopeful as their team has played notably better since acquiring D’Angelo Russell, who was absent for Sunday’s win in Dallas.

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Jake Paul Jokes That Drake Is To Blame For Loss To Tommy Fury

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Jake Paul joked that his loss to Tommy Fury was a result of the Drake curse after the rapper bet $400,000 that he’d knock out Fury at Diriyah Arena in Diriyah, Saudi Arabia. Paul reacted to Drake’s sizable bet while speaking with reporters after the match. Fury ended up winning by a split decision (74-75, 76-73, 76-73).

“F–k. This is Drake’s fault,” Paul said in a sarcastic tone. “Drake, bro, why did you do this to me?” From there, he apologized to the Toronto rapper for letting him down. “It’s my fault,” he admitted. “$400,000 is nothing to him. He has won a lot more money betting on me before. He’s probably about even now.” Paul also hinted at a rematch with Fury, adding, “Sorry, Drake. I’ll get that W in the rematch.”

Jake Paul Vs. Tommy Fury

British reality TV star Tommy Fury fights against US YouTuber Jake Paul during a boxing match held at Diriyah in Riyadh on February 27, 2023. (Photo by Fayez Nureldine / AFP) (Photo by FAYEZ NURELDINE/AFP via Getty Images)

Drake and Paul have interacted multiple times over the years. Back in 2021, he revealed on his brother Logan’s podcast that the rapper DM’d him after one of his fights. “Drake DM’d me last night,” he said on the Impaulsive podcast. “[It was] one of the best moments of my life. He says, ‘You’re a demon crow, wow. How much you make for a one-minute set tonight?’” Then, in 2022, Paul shared a picture with Drake while welcoming in the new year.

As for the rest of his comments after the fight, Paul also confirmed that he’s interested in a rematch. “All respect to Tommy, he won,” he said. “Don’t judge me by my wins, judge me by my losses. We deserve that rematch. I don’t know that I agree [with the scorecards]. I got a 10-8 round twice. … So, this is definitely a humbling experience. I’ll take it on the chin and we can run it back.” Importantly, Paul had a rematch clause included in his deal for the fight, meaning if he wants one, he should get it. Stay tuned for news on Fury vs. Paul II.

Jake Paul On Drake

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Emily Ratajkowski Spotted With Orazio Rispo After Eric André Split

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Emily Ratajkowski was spotted out with DJ Orazio Rispo at a wine bar in Manhattan on Friday night. The date comes after she and comedian Eric André reportedly broke things off. The two had gone on several dates together and shared a racy viral photo on Valentine’s Day. Things seemed to be over when Ratajkowski asked on social media afterward, “What should you do when a situationship ends?”

Friday night isn’t the first time that Ratajkowski has been spotted with Rispo. Back in October 2022, the two were caught making out by paparazzi in New York City. She had been riding on his motorcycle around town. Rajkowski has yet to comment on her relationship with Rispo.

Emily Ratajkowski & Eric André

NEW YORK, NY – FEBRUARY 10: Emily Ratajkowski and Eric Andre are seen out and about on February 10, 2023 in New York, New York. (Photo by MEGA/GC Images)

In addition to André and Rispo, Ratajkowski also recently dated actor Pete Davidson. The two were spotted out in New York and attending several NBA games together in 2022. In December, a source for PEOPLE confirmed that the two were done for good. “She will always prioritize her son but enjoys dating when she has time. She enjoys her independence,” they said. “[Emily] doesn’t have plans to see Pete again. She had fun with him, but she realized she didn’t want it to become anything else – she likes her life as it is.”

Prior to Eric André, Pete Davison, and Orazio Rispo, Ratajkowski had been married to Sebastian Bear-McClard for four years. The two share a son who was born on March 8, 2021. Reflecting on their divorce during an episode of her podcast, High Low, Ratajkowski explained that she now congratulates people on breakups. “Every time I hear a divorce story or when I see the news, I have to remind myself, ‘Oh that’s sad,’” she recalled. “I literally say to people, ‘Good for you.’ I know a lot of people are unhappily married for a long time because they’re so afraid of divorce and I don’t think that’s a good way to live,” she explained. “Well, cheers to divorce!”

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Jake Paul Loses To Tommy Fury: Twitter Reacts

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Jake Paul suffered the first loss of his boxing career on Sunday at Diriyah Arena in Diriyah, Saudi Arabia. Tommy Fury defeated the YouTuber by a split decision (74-75, 76-73, 76-73) to continue his undefeated streak. Fans on Twitter had plenty to say about the highly-anticipated fight.

Those waiting for Paul to finally fail celebrated en masse after the result was announced. “Everyone arriving at Twitter to celebrate Jake Paul getting beat by Tommy Fury,” one user captioned a video of a large crowd traveling down an escalator. Another said, “Jake Paul fought an actual boxer this time and lost. He should have kept fighting bus drivers and strippers.”

Jake Paul & Tommy Fury

RIYADH, SAUDI ARABIA – FEBRUARY 26: Tommy Fury speaks with Jake Paul, after Tommy Fury defeats Jake Paul during the Cruiserweight Title fight between Jake Paul and Tommy Fury at the Diriyah Arena on February 26, 2023 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. (Photo by Francois Nel/Getty Images)

Other users also called back to Drake’s massive $400,000 bet on Jake Paul to knock out Tommy Fury. He shared the bet on Saturday night. “Drake realizing the script changed for Jake Paul vs Tommy Fury,” one user captioned a photo of the Toronto rapper checking his phone.

As for the reactions from the fighters themselves, Fury said that he’s now cemented his own legacy separate from being Tyson Fury’s brother. “For the past two years, this is all that has consumed my life. Broken rib. Denied access. Everybody thought I was running scared. Tonight, I made my own legacy. I am Tommy Fury,” Fury said after the fight. “All through these past two years, I had a dream and a vision that I would win this fight. And no one believed me. Now I can stand up and everybody can take note. It’s my first main event at 23 years old. I had pressure on my shoulders, and I came through.”

Jake Paul gave credit to Fury, but confirmed that he wants a chance at a rematch. “All respect to Tommy, he won,” Paul said. “Don’t judge me by my wins, judge me by my losses. We deserve that rematch. I don’t know that I agree [with the scorecards]. I got a 10-8 round twice. … So, this is definitely a humbling experience. I’ll take it on the chin and we can run it back.”

Reactions On Twitter

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Hailey & Justin Bieber Discuss Marriage, SZA, Fashion, & More

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Justin Bieber interviewed his wife, Hailey Bieber, for next month’s cover story of Vogue Australia. In the piece, the two discuss their marriage, their appreciation of SZA’s latest album, SOS, fashion mishaps, and more. The two have been together since 2018. They dated for just one month that same year before getting engaged.

When asked about her favorite aspect of their marriage, Hailey admitted that honesty is one of their strongest assets. “My favorite thing about being married is honestly the companionship I feel we have,” Hailey confessed to her husband. “Genuinely, you are my best friend in the entire world. There’s nobody I would rather spend more time with or do anything with.”

Hailey & Justin Together

INGLEWOOD, CALIFORNIA – FEBRUARY 13: Justin Bieber and Hailey Bieber attend Super Bowl LVI at SoFi Stadium on February 13, 2022 in Inglewood, California. (Photo by Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for Roc Nation)

Elsewhere in the piece, Justin asked Hailey about her biggest fashion regret. She recalled a specific pink dress she rocked a few years back. “I feel like I have a lot, but the biggest one that comes to mind in this moment is, a couple of years ago I wore this pink … it was this boxy-looking vest dress, and I thought it was going to be the cutest thing ever. I wore it, and I saw the photographs after and it legitimately looked like I was inside a box,” she said. “I looked like a present, and it was so bad.”

Hailey also spoke about the music she’s been listening to, revealing that her favorite album right now is SZA’s SOS. When asked by Justin for her favorite track, she named, “Far.” SZA’s second studio album debuted at number one on the Billboard 200, where it spent 10 non-consecutive weeks. The feat made it the longest-running number-one female album of the decade and the first R&B album to spend its first seven weeks atop the chart since Whitney Houston’s Whitney in 1987. SZA recently kicked off The SOS Tour in promotion of the project. Perhaps Hailey will be looking to catch the TDE singer on the road this year.

Hailey Bieber’s Vogue Cover

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