Beyonce

JoJo Attempts To Recreate Beyoncé’s Iconic Dubai Vocal Riff For TikTok: Watch

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While some people are still resisting TikTok, an increasing number of celebrities have joined the platform over the past few months. Many of them participate in the app’s countless ongoing viral challenges. While some certainly leave us laughing, others leave us in sheer awe of their talent. The latest to have her followers feeling the latter is Aquamarine actress JoJo.

On Monday (January 30), the R&B singer tried her hand at recreating a daunting riff from Beyoncé’s bold return to the stage in Dubai earlier this month. Standing in her kitchen, Jo straightaway attempts to match the Houston native’s incredible vocal performance.

“Beyoncé got all of us singers losing our minds trying to do this,” she wrote over the clip near the beginning. As she continues to stretch her voice, the former child star explains with text, “This is one of my favourite riffs I’ve heard in a long time.”

On her third try, JoJo finally gets the sound she was seeking. She then confidently belts out the run with gusto. “Tbh when I heard it I got tears in my eyes,” she admits of watching Queen B’s show.

“(Yes I’m an emotional bitch). I’m so touched by her command, mastery over her entire range, use of scales we aren’t used to hearing every day in Western music.”

@iamjojoofficial

#beyoncechallenge #beyoncedubai #singer #jojo #practicemakesprogress

♬ original sound – iamjojoofficial

In the comment section, countless viewers and celebrities have been gassing the “Too Little Too Late” singer up. “JoJo never got the credit she really deserves,” one popular response says. “[People] slept on her. Her vocals are top tier.”

Others wrote, “That’s close enough, when does tour start?” and “The flawless transition to your higher register at the end??? Hello??? Joanna?!”

JoJo attends the OUTLOUD: Raising Voices Concert Series at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on June 06, 2021 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images)

When she’s not participating in viral vocal challenges, JoJo can be found making and performing beautiful songs of her own. Her most recent project, an EP called trying not to think about it, landed in late 2021.

At the time, the “Spiral SZN” songstress spoke to HNHH about her return to music, the ongoing R&B renaissance, and her plans for the future. Read our exclusive interview here. Afterward, let us know who you want to hear try out the Beyoncé TikTok challenge next in the comments.

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Fans Offer Hilarious Responses To Beyoncé’s New Wax Figure

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The new Beyoncé wax figure at Madame Tussauds in Berlin was recently unveiled, and the hive doesn’t look too happy about it. But this wouldn’t be the first time, the famous wax museum has had several iterations of the Houston hitmaker throughout its several locations, and many of them have fallen flat. In 2017, fans accused the wax gallery of “whitewashing” Queen Bey and pointed out that figure looked more like Lindsey Lohan than the “Break My Soul” songstress.

Fast forward six years later. While things have gotten better, it looks like Madame Tussauds still has a ways to go, at least according to members of the hive.

While there were quite a few to agree that the figure did share some similarities to Bey, some folks weren’t sure if the figure was supposed to be a Black woman, let alone Beyoncé.

“Baby, that’s Keke Palmer,” one person hilariously wrote.

“At first, I thought it was Beyonce, then zooming, that’s a white woman,” another person tweeted.

One fan jokingly implied that Beyoncé had metamorphized into Shakira. Now that would be something to see, wouldn’t it?

While Beyoncé deserves wax figurines in honor, it would help if the ones created at least looked like her. Hopefully, we’ll see even more change in the future.

Beyoncé’s New Madame Tussauds Wax Figure Earns Mixed Reviews On Twitter

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Once you achieve celebrity status, one of the highest honours you can have bestowed upon you is a wax figure recreation at Madame Tussauds. Surely the marker of an icon, anyone who’s been recreated has been posed with by millions of fans and is likely well known all around the world. However, the museum hasn’t managed to nail every celebrity they attempt to turn into waxwork – especially not Beyoncé.

In 2004, the London location firstly unveiled its statue of Queen B. It’s since been dubbed the “drunk clubbing girl” version. The figure’s short dress leaves little to the imagination and facial inaccuracies are nothing less than embarrassing. Still, that didn’t stop Madame Tussaud from trying again.

Madame Tussauds New York launches it’s newest interactive Beyonce Knowles wax figure May 26, 2004 in New York City. (Photo by Peter Kramer/Getty Images)

Four years later, the Hollywood museum shared its take on the mother of three, and in 2009, the LA shop did the same. Unfortunately, both of them were major flops, seemingly white-washing Beyoncé and failing to nail important elements like her hair and facial structure.

Recent years have seen other botched wax figures, but in 2023, Madame Tussauds is the closest they’ve come to nailing the Houston starlet. On Friday (January 27), the Berlin location’s take on the vocalist surprisingly surfaced online.

The statue’s look is inspired by her 2018 “On The Run II Tour” alongside her husband, Jay-Z. A black and white Balmain look that she donned during the couple’s show in Manchester was chosen. As Yahoo notes, it was part of their Resort 2019 collection.

For the most part, Twitter seems to be divided on Tussaud’s latest attempt. “This kinda looks good but her eyes look off,” one user wrote earlier today. “She looks [white] in the face.”

Another person chimed in, “There’s so many terrible, offensive wax figures of Beyoncé that I actually think that this one is decent.”

Twitter has certainly been talking about the new wax figures, but that’s not the only conversation that Beyoncé has sparked as of late. Last weekend, she returned to the stage for the first time in years, taking over Dubai to put on the performance of a lifetime alongside her eldest daughter, Blue Ivy.

See a selection of videos from the historic, star-studded night here, and check back later for more pop culture updates.

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Drake & Beyoncé Get Top Nominations At 2023 Urban Music Awards

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Drake and Beyoncé are leading nominations at the 2023 Urban Music Awards alongside Stormzy and a host of other artists. Moreover, the hip-hop/R&B/soul-centered event is happening on February 28th at the Porchester Hall in London. Given the ceremony’s focus on both U.S. and U.K. artists, there’s a lot of variety in these picks.

NEW YORK, NEW YORK – JANUARY 22: Drake performs on stage during Drake Live From The Apollo Theater For SiriusXM and Sound 42 at The Apollo Theater on January 22, 2023 in New York City. (Photo by Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for SiriusXM)

Starting with Album of the Year, nominees include Her Loss and RENAISSANCE from the aforementioned U.S. superstars. Another leading force was Stormzy, who’s also nominated in this category for This Is What I Mean. Also, other nominees include Little Simz’s NO THANK YOU, Knucks’s Alpha Place, and Kojey Radical’s Reason to Smile. The list continues with Chris Brown’s Breezy, DJ Khaled’s God Did, Cleo Sol’s Mother, and Dave’s We’re All Alone in This Together.

Also, they nominated both Drake and Beyoncé in the U.S. section of the Artist of the Year award. Moreover, they face Chris Brown, Lizzo, DJ Khaled, Cardi B, Coi Leray, GloRilla, Latto, 21 Savage, Megan Thee Stallion, Nicki Minaj, and Jack Harlow. Meanwhile, U.K. artists vying for that accolade include Central Cee, Mahalia, Knucks, Stormzy, Ms. Banks, A1 x J1, Cleo Sol and Jnr Choi.

However, these are shortlisted nominations for these awards. Moreover, voting is now live for these awards and will remain so until February 20th. Also, you can find the link to register and vote here.

“The UMA’s at it’s core has always been about mentoring, nurturing and assisting the next generation of artists as well as celebrating the present class of amazing breakthrough talent,” said UMAs founder and President, Jordan Kensington. “2023 marks 19 years of tenacity, hard work and perseverance. To see the aftermath of urban music becoming the new popular genre worldwide is a huge dream we had 19 years ago. We are both excited and pleased that hard work and consistency paid off.”

Still, what do you think of Drake and Beyoncé leading nominations at the 2023 Urban Music Awards in London? Whatever the case, let us know in the comments down below and make sure to cast your votes. Also, as always, log back into HNHH for the latest about the music industry awards season and all the accolades.

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Stephen A. Smith Dismisses Angry Critics Over Rihanna Vs. Beyonce Comments

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After voicing his opinion about this year’s Super Bowl halftime show, Stephen A. Smith is once again talking about Rihanna and Beyoncé. Recently, Smith incurred the wrath of Rihanna’s fans when he visited Sherri and compared the Fenty star to Bey.

“Ladies and gentlemen, she’s a lot of things,” Smith said as he referenced Rihanna. “She’s spectacular, actually. And congratulations on new mamahood.” He added, “There’s one thing she’s not: she ain’t Beyoncé.”

Read More: Stephen A. Smith Talks Halftime Show: Rihanna “Ain’t Beyoncé”

The backlash was swift, and Smith soon issued a public apology of sorts to Rihanna.

“I meant it as no disrespect to Rihanna. I know she’s phenomenal, and she’s my sister,” he further shared. “Nothing but love for her, but Beyoncé is my sister, too.”

The public accused Smith of unnecessarily pitting the two stars—and their fanbases—against each other. He answered his critics while on The Breakfast Club.

“I think that Beyoncé might be the greatest female performer of all time,” said Smith. “That’s how I feel about her.”

Stephen A. Smith, Rihanna, <a href=Beyonce” class=”wp-image-624933″ srcset=”https://editor.urbanlinx.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/GettyImages-109036446.jpg 1998w, https://editor.urbanlinx.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/GettyImages-109036446.jpg?resize=200,300 200w, https://editor.urbanlinx.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/GettyImages-109036446.jpg?resize=768,1153 768w, https://editor.urbanlinx.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/GettyImages-109036446.jpg?resize=682,1024 682w, https://editor.urbanlinx.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/GettyImages-109036446.jpg?resize=1023,1536 1023w, https://editor.urbanlinx.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/GettyImages-109036446.jpg?resize=1364,2048 1364w, https://editor.urbanlinx.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/GettyImages-109036446.jpg?resize=999,1500 999w” sizes=”(max-width: 1998px) 100vw, 1998px” />
Singers Beyonce (L) and Rihanna attend the Gucci and Roc Nation Pre-GRAMMY brunch held at Soho House on February 12, 2011 in West Hollywood, California.
Read More: Stephen A. Smith Clarifies Opinion On Beyoncé & Rihanna

“I think Rihanna’s fantastic. Now, you agree, fine. You disagree? Fine. How we get to the point, ‘Why he gotta pit two Black women…’ Really?! I just can’t be a fan of both? But I prefer Beyoncé over Rihanna. That’s a crime! I didn’t know that.”

Charlamagne Tha God brought up Smith previously getting into trouble for comparing Ayesha Curry and Savannah James. The ladies are the wives of NBA stars Steph Curry and LeBron James, respectively.

Smith had an answer for that, as well. Check out what he had to say in the clip above.

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Beyoncé Tour Is Coming, Says Mathew Knowles

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Though Beyoncé’s decision to perform in Dubai led to a flurry of backlash, Mathew Knowles says his daughter’s performance unified her fans.

On Saturday, Beyoncé performed her first concert since 2018 in Dubai for the grand opening of Atlantis The Royal. The exclusive event included many high-profile attendees. However, some felt it was a poor decision for the popstar to perform in a country that upholds anti-LGBTQ laws.

DUBAI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES – JANUARY 21: Beyoncé performs on stage headlining the Grand Reveal of Dubai’s newest luxury hotel, Atlantis The Royal on January 21, 2023 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. (Photo by Mason Poole/Parkwood Media/Getty Images for Atlantis The Royal)

Her father, Mathew Knowles, spoke to TMZ where he pushed back against the criticism. He explained that Beyoncé’s concert unified a diverse audience. At the same time, he said his daughter wouldn’t intentionally try to harm or isolate any part of her fanbase.

Ts Madison shared a similar sentiment on Monday. Madison wondered if people would share similar outrage if Bey performed in states that have anti-same sex laws.

“So y’all gone be mad at @Beyonce when she [performs] on her tour in those US States that have [anti-LGBTQ] laws in place? Or are you gone still get your tickets? The selective outrage is workin my #cozy nerves,” Madison tweeted.

After addressing the controversy, Knowles also confirmed speculation surrounding Beyoncé’s tour. He said that she’s hitting the road this year, which would mark her first headlining affair since On The Run II with Jay-Z.

LONDON – JANUARY 21: Actress Beyonce Knowles and her father Matthew arrive at the UK premiere of “Dreamgirls” at Odeon Leicester Square on January 21, 2007 in London, England. (Photo by Dave Hogan/Getty Images)

Beyoncé confirmed a tour for Renaissance during the 2022 Wearable Art Gala. She auctioned packages that include backstage passes and travel accommodations for the tour. Additionally, the Dubai show was rumored to be a launching pad for the upcoming tour. We’ll keep you posted on any further updates surrounding the show.

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Beyoncé Hasn’t Announced A ‘Renaissance’ Tour Yet But Is Apparently Planning One, Her Dad Says

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Beyoncé hasn’t been much of a live performer in recent years, but she recently took the stage for the first time in a few years for a private performance in Dubai (for which she was reportedly paid $24 million). Naturally, this has fans in other parts of the world wondering if and when they’ll get to see Beyoncé perform in their neighborhood. Well, it looks like a tour in support of Beyoncé’s 2022 album Renaissance is indeed happening.

According to a report from TMZ, Beyoncé’s father Mathew Knowles said his daughter is currently planning a Renaissance tour and it will be announced when the time is right.

He also addressed the backlash Beyoncé has received for the performance, due to United Arab Emirates’ anti-LGBTQ+ laws. Knowles spoke about his daughter’s power to bring people together and that the show had a diverse crowd. He added she wouldn’t do anything to intentionally hurt anybody, and that there was a mutual respect between her and the country.

Lizzo didn’t make it to the Dubai performance, but the noted Beyhive member did catch a livestream of the performance, which was her 11th time seeing Beyoncé live.

Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

Ts Madison Defends Beyoncé’s Dubai Performance Amid Criticism From LGBTQIA+ Community

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After Beyoncé’s recent show in Dubai, Ts Madison just defended her after the LGBTQIA+ community criticized her choice to perform. Moreover, the activist spoke to TMZ as a member of that group herself to talk about the controversy. Furthermore, Madison said that Bey loves all her fans, despite performing in a country (United Arab Emirates) with horrible anti-LGBTQIA+ laws.

NEW YORK, NEW YORK – SEPTEMBER 20: Ts Madison attends Universal Pictures’s “Bros” New York premiere at AMC Lincoln Square Theater on September 20, 2022 in New York City. (Photo by Jason Mendez/WireImage)

“Who mad at Beyoncé? Who?” Madison jokingly asked the TMZ crew.

“Listen, we were talking about it this morning in our other meeting,” they told Madison. “There are a lot of fans who just feel like she- the word that was used was that ‘she sold out.’ That’s the phrase people are using. What is your take on this, and the LGBTQ community, do they have a right to be upset with her?”

“Beyoncé is a superstar,” the activist and media personality began. Moreover, she said that Beyoncé cashes checks and performs all over the world. “People go to Dubai for many different reasons, and a lot of LGBTQIA people go to Dubai for a lot of those reasons,” she said with air quotes. “You know, Beyoncé went there for some of those same reasons. She went there to make her money.”

Furthermore, she stated that “everybody that loves Beyoncé and everybody that knows Beyoncé knows that Beyoncé loves the community. And not just loves the community. She dedicated an entire album which is, like, the album of the year to her fans, to the people that she loved. So, I personally saw it as: she went and got her bag.”

“You’re right,” the TMZ crew retorted, “but that does sound like it’s kind of the definition of selling out.”

“I wouldn’t say she sold out because she loves her fans,” she responded. “But tell me, I wanna ask any one of those folks over there if there were given $24 million- I heard it was $35 million. That’s what I heard.”

Moreover, the interviewers added: “I wouldn’t be surprised if it was that.”

“Any one of those girls would put on their wig, hair, makeup, lashes,” Madison said. “And run right over there to the Atlantis Hotel and gather their 35 million dollars and come right on back home. It’s still the same love for her fans. I’m not mad at her getting her money. She didn’t wave anti-LGBTQ flags, you know? She put on a concert, she got her money, and these were her fans.”

Still, what do you think of Ts Madison’s defense of Beyoncé’s Dubai show amid backlash from the LGBTQIA+ community? However you may feel, let us know in the comments down below. Also, as always, come back to HNHH for more stories on grandiose moments in music performance.

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