Pop

How To Watch The 2024 MTV VMAs

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It’s almost time: The 2024 MTV Video Music Awards are tonight, September 11. Megan Thee Stallion is hosting, and she and a bunch of others are performing. If you want to check out the action, here’s what to know.

How To Watch The 2024 MTV VMAs

The ceremony starts at 8 p.m. ET, and a re-run will begin at 11 p.m ET. The show will air live on various Paramount channels, including BET, BET Her, CMT, Comedy Central, Logo, MTV, MTV2, Nick at Nite, Paramount Network, Pop, TV Land, VH1, and Univision. It will also be streaming on Paramount+. Furthermore, there will be a simultaneous broadcast on Univision.

A lot is at stake for some artists: Those with the most nominations this year are Taylor Swift (12), Post Malone (11), Eminem (8), Ariana Grande, Megan Thee Stallion, Sabrina Carpenter, SZA (7 each), Benson Boone, Billie Eilish, Chappell Roan, Charli XCX, GloRilla, Lisa, Olivia Rodrigo, and Teddy Swims (4 each).

First-time nominees include Alexander Stewart, Benson Boone, Burna Boy, Chappell Roan, Coco Jones, Flyana Boss, Gracie Abrams, Gunna, Jelly Roll, Jessie Murph, Joyner Lucas, Laufey, LE SSERAFIM, Lojay, Morgan Wallen, Myke Towers, NCT Dream, Pheelz, Playboi Carti, Rauw Alejandro, Raye, Sabrina Carpenter, Sexyy Red, Shaboozey, Teddy Swims, Tyla, Tyler Childers and The Warning, and Victoria Monét.

Taylor Swift And Travis Kelce Belted Out ‘I Believe In A Thing Called Love’ At The US Open Final

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There are certain songs that resonate for everyone of a certain age. Among the tracks that stir up something deep inside for my age group, those in their early-to-mid 30s, is “I Believe In A Thing Called Love” by The Darkness.

There is something so engaging about the song that you can’t help trying to hit your highest falsetto on the chorus, and if you don’t believe me, just ask two of the most famous people of my age group — Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce. With Kelce opening his season on Thursday with a Chiefs win over the Ravens, the couple was able to spend their weekend in New York to take some Fashion Week festivities and the U.S. Open. On Sunday, the two were in a box sipping on Honey Deuces for the men’s final that Jannik Sinner won over American Taylor Fritz, and during a break in action the Arthur Ashe Stadium DJ threw on “I Believe In A Thing Called Love” and Swift and Kelce (and plenty of others in the crowd) belted it out in a little impromptu karaoke session.

That is the appropriate level of commitment needed to sing along with The Darkness, as you can’t half-ass it when trying to hit those notes.

Nicki Minaj Sent Sabrina Carpenter A Bouquet For Outselling Travis Scott

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Sabrina Carpenter’s album Short N’ Sweet barely managed to edge out Travis Scott’s tape Days Before Rodeo on this week’s edition of the Billboard 200 chart, earning the approval of Nicki Minaj.

The recording industry can be a competitive business, but no one takes that competition more seriously than Nicki and her minions. And while she’s usually the one in the lead on any given release week, she apparently still considers her No. 2 debut for Queen in 2018 a black spot on her record because of Travis Scott’s Astroworld. Nicki has clearly been out for revenge ever since, and this past week, she finally got it, in a way, thanks to Sabrina Carpenter. Nicki thanked Carpenter for avenging her by sending her a massive bouquet of white roses. Carpenter posted a photo of the bouquet on her Instagram Story with a caption reading, “I adore u + the barbz :’) this is so thoughtful!!!! and these are so beautiful.”

Carpenter took up the challenge of putting Travis in his place when the release dates for their respective projects — her album Short N’ Sweet and his mixtape Days Before Rodeo — fell on the same day. “This one’s for Nicki,” she wrote on Twitter, reminding fans of Nicki’s 2018 feud with the Houston rapper for outselling her by skirting Billboard‘s counting rules (she did the same, but that’s neither here nor there for Nicki. If she wins, it’s because she’s the best; if she loses, there was a conspiracy rife with chicanery to keep her from her deserved success). Nicki clearly appreciates the thought.

Megan Thee Stallion Teams Up With BTS’ RM On The Assertive ‘Neva Play’

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Megan Thee Stallion raps in Japanese with Yuki Chiba on her current hot single, “Mamushi,” but on her latest, she takes a trip to a neighboring country for another international collab. Meg teased “Neva Play,” the upcoming collaboration with BTS member RM, earlier this week, saying, “I’ve never heard him rap in this style before.” Now, we all get to hear his verse for ourselves. And, of course, the song comes with a video heavily inspired by Meg’s love for anime.

“Neva Play” is the second time Meg’s worked with the K-pop star, the first being her guest verse on the remix of BTS’ 2021 hit single, “Butter.” Meg and BTS had been teasing their reunion for the past two weeks, sharing emoji-filled posts to pique their fans’ interest in the upcoming collaboration. Although BTS has been on hiatus as a group owing to members’ mandatory military service, they’ve apparently banked more than enough material to keep their fans fed until the group’s return in 2025.

Among those projects is RM’s solo album, Right Place, Wrong Person, which dropped in May, and a travel show featuring Jung Kook and Jimin, Are You Sure?!

Meanwhile, Meg continues to promote her new album Megan, along with projects including a remix of Queen’s “We Will Rock You” for the NFL, a potential joint tape with GloRilla, and a hosting and performing gig at the MTV VMAs. She also just hard-launched her relationship with NBA player Torrey Craig. For now, though, you can check out “Neva Play” above.

The Eclectic 2024 Stagecoach Lineup Features Lana Del Rey, Shaboozey, Nelly, And More

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At its core, Stagecoach is a country music festival. Still, the event has historically cast a pretty wide net with its lineups. The 2025 lineup was just announced today (September 5) and it’s quite the mixed bag.

The main headliners are Zach Bryan, Jelly Roll, and Luke Combs. Beyond that, though, there are sets from Lana Del Rey, Nelly (celebrating 25 years of his album Country Grammar), Goo Goo Dolls, T-Pain, Creed, and Backstreet Boys, as well as more traditionally country-aligned artists like Brothers Osbourne, Sturgill Simpson, Shaboozey, Midland, and Scotty McCreery.

This year’s festival runs from April 25 to 27, at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, California. Festival passes go on sale starting September 13 at 11 a.m. PT via the festival website.

Find the full lineup listed in alphabetical order below.

Stagecoach 2025 Lineup

49 Winchester
Abby Anderson
Abi Carter
Alana Springsteen
Alexandra Kay
Angel White
Anne Wilson
Annie Bosko
Ashley McBryde
Austin Snell
Avery Anna
Backstreet Boys
Blessing Offor
Brent Cobb
Brothers Osborne
Bryan Martin
Carly Pearce
Chayce Beckham
Colby Acuff
Conner Smith
Creed
Crystal Gayle
Dasha
Diplo’s Honkytonk
Drake Milligan
Drew Parker
Dylan Gossett
Dylan Scott
Flatland Cavalry
George Birge
Goo Goo Dolls
Jelly Roll
John Morgan
Kashus Culpepper
Koe Wetzel
Lana Del Rey
Lanie Gardner
Louie TheSinger
Luke Combs
Maddox Batson
Mae Estes
Midland
Myles Kennedy
Nelly (25 Years of Country Grammar)
Nikki Lane
Niko Moon
Noeline Hofmann
Sammy Hagar
Scotty McCreery
Shaboozey
Sierra Ferrell
Sturgill Simpson
Tanner Usrey
The Bacon Brothers
The Castellows
The Wilder Blue
Tiera Kennedy
Tigerlily Gold
Tommy James & The Shondells
T-Pain
Tracy Lawrence
Treaty Oak Revival
Tucker Wetmore
Vincent Mason
Waylon Wyatt
Whiskey Myers
Zach Bryan

The Weeknd Finally Reveals The Title Of His Upcoming Album With An Eerie New Video

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The Weeknd has been teasing a new album for months now, and he just dropped the biggest breadcrumb yet.

A video The Weeknd shared today (September 4) features scrolling text set to eerie music. The text reads:

“Yesterday was fourteen years ago…

We held our breath, falling into a shimmering sea in the after hours of the night…

Attempted to cleanse the wounds with melodies and lights, a bulletproof bandage to shield what lies beneath.

In a place where the seasons never changed, where time ceased to exist. But therein lays the problem.

Today has felt like an endless spin. I keep distorting the truth, immune to the dizziness, numb to the nausea. What lies beneath — screams in silence.

I look in the mirror and feel both old and new, stuck in limbo and unable to move. I still haven’t faced myself.

More songs could help, but what do I have left to say? Woe is me in my gilded cage, right?

The very thing that once made me invincible failed me on the world stage. A new trauma surfaced, opening floodgates.

A new path awaits.

When today ends, I’ll discover who I am.

Hurry Up Tomorrow.”

That last bit was written in gigantic letters, and since the post is captioned “ALBUM TITLE,” the name is the album appears to be Hurry Up Tomorrow.

A press release confirms that, also noting that the album “represents the creative apex of the [trilogy] project, serving as the third and final chapter crafted with existential and self-referential themes as seen with the latest visionary teasers that have set fans ablaze with anticipation for this concluding installment.”

Now, we wait for news of a release date or a new single.

The Race Between Sabrina Carpenter And Travis Scott For This Week’s No. 1 Album Was So, So Close

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There was a bit of drama with the slate of new album releases from August 23. Sabrina Carpenter dropped her album Short N’ Sweet the same day Travis Scott re-released his mixtape Days Before Rodeo, and it looked like Carpenter had Scott’s feud with Nicki Minaj on the brain.

It turns out both projects had just about an equal chance to top the latest Billboard 200 chart (dated September 7), and the race was incredibly close. Now, we know who won: Billboard announced today (September 3) that Short N’ Sweet is No. 1.

It claimed the title thanks to 362,000 equivalent album units in the US during the week ending August 29. Days Before Rodeo was very, very close behind with “a little over 361,000” units. So, there was a difference of about a thousand, or less than 1 percent, between the two projects’ unit numbers.

Short N’ Sweet is Carpenter’s first No. 1 album, beating her previous best performer Emails I Can’t Send, which peaked at No. 23. This follows “Please Please Please” becoming Carpenter’s first No. 1 single on the Hot 100.

In other Carpenter news, she killed (and kissed) Jenna Ortego in her “Taste” video, was all over Jimmy Fallon’s The Tonight Show, and had maybe her best “Nonsense” outro yet on Chicken Shop Date.

Rihanna Officially Introduces Herself As The New Face Of Dior J’Adore With Her Luxurious First Ad For The Scent

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In June, it was announced that Rihanna is now the new face of Dior J’Adore, a classic scent. Charlize Theron was previously the face of J’Adore campaigns for 20 years, and now she’s the brand’s style and jewelry ambassador. Now, Rihanna has officially taken over Theron’s old post, unveiling her first J’Adore ad yesterday (September 1).

The minute-long video (watch it here) checks all the classic perfume ad boxes: luxurious environments, sexy poses, surreal environments, bold looks down the barrel of the camera, and so on, all with Rihanna’s signature confidence.

Rihanna previously said in a statement, “Being the new face of J’Adore is both an honor and a mission. This scent that I have known and loved for so long means so much to women. I am especially looking forward to joining this adventure and contributing to it through my world, my story, my roots, as well as my creativity and my own femininity.”

Véronique Courtois, CEO of Parfums Christian Dior, also said, “The unusual talent, audacity, and captivating beauty of this absolute star are the ideal embodiment of dazzling, powerful Dior femininity that transcends generations. Her golden dream promises to be unique, reflecting a fragrance that is present for women and retains its radiance.”

Patrick Mahomes Says Taylor Swift Has Started ‘Drawing Up Plays’ For The Chiefs

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The Kansas City Chiefs were already an emerging dynasty coming into the 2023 season, with some immensely popular players among football fans, headlined by Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce. However, once Kelce started dating Taylor Swift, they saw a whole new group of fans flooding in, as Swift’s extremely loyal (and massive) fan base became heavily invested in the Chiefs as they went on another Super Bowl winning run.

As the 2024 season gets set to start in Kansas City on Thursday night, with the Chiefs facing one of their top challengers in the AFC, the Baltimore Ravens, all eyes are on Mahomes, Kelce, and how Kansas City will begin another title defense. Among those watching will be Swift, as she and Kelce have become a serious couple, with Kelce a fixture at Swift’s Eras Tour shows in Europe, and even showing up on stage in London. When that happened, plenty of people (including myself) made the joke that Kelce has to return the favor and get Swift some snaps for the Chiefs, and while that won’t happen, it might not be all that far-fetched that Swift will have an impact on the field this season.

Patrick Mahomes recently sat down with NBC’s Chris Simms and, naturally, the conversation shifted to Swift towards the end, where Mahomes talked about how “genuine and cool” Swift has been, despite being the most famous person in the world. He also noted she’s gotten very into football, going so far as to start drawing plays in her spare time (~22:50 of the below video).

“And then meeting Taylor and realizing how genuine and cool she is,” Mahomes said. “I mean, that’s been special to me, because she is, like you said, the most famous person in the world, she could not be. And she’s really interested in football and she asks a lot of great questions. She’s started drawing up plays, so we might have to put one in.”

The Chiefs offense is willing to try just about anything if they think it can work, so I don’t think this is just lip service by Mahomes about possibly putting in a Taylor play. We’ve seen the Chiefs try all kinds of wild designs, from spinning huddles to behind the back passes and more, so don’t be surprised if we learn after a game that a redzone TD came off of something drawn up by the biggest pop star in the world.

Megan Thee Stallion And BTS Are Set To Reunite On A New Collaboration, But It’s Not Clear Exactly Who’s Involved

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Megan Thee Stallion and BTS linked up back in 2021 on a remix of BTS’ massive hit “Butter.” Now, Megan and the group (or at least some of the group) are getting ready to reunite, although there’s currently some mystery involved.

Yesterday (August 29), Megan tweeted, “[horse emoji]X[purple heart emoji] [eyes emoji].” Today, the official BTS account quote-tweeted Meg’s post and added, “[horse emoji]X[porcupine emoji]([koala emoji]) Coming Soon! [purple heart emoji][eyes emoji].”

The horse is of course a stand-in for Megan, and according to BTS fans, the panda represents RM. Furthermore, Megan just added RM’s song “Lost!” to her Instagram profile. But, there appears to be uncertainty about the meaning of the hedgehog. Given the formatting of BTS’s tweet, the song may be a collaboration between Megan and another performer, with RM as a featured artist.

Megan, meanwhile, has kept busy lately. She released her video for “Mamushi” earlier this month, she was named the host of the 2024 MTV Video Music Awards, and it looks like she’s now in a relationship with NBA veteran Torrey Craig. As for BTS, they’ve been on a hiatus for the past couple years, but it hasn’t been much of a break, as the group’s members have remained industrious.