Month: September 2023

Marjorie Taylor Greene and Matt Gaetz are squabbling over who wanted to impeach President Joe Biden first, and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is sitting back and enjoying the show.

On Tuesday, @Acyn shared a clip of the “exhausting” representative from Florida threatening to oust Kevin McCarthy from his position as Speaker of the House. “Mr. Speaker, you are out of compliance with the agreement that allowed you to assume this role. The path forward for the House of Representatives is to either bring you into immediate total compliance or remove you,” the MAGA lawmaker, who no one seems to like, said.

Even if the House voted to impeach Biden — which itself is unlikely, given the slim Republican majority and the fact that a number of Republicans are against it — the Senate is unlikely to convict. A number of Republican senators told The Hill that without evidence, articles of impeachment would likely be dismissed before reaching the trial stage.

Ocasio-Cortez quote-tweeted the clip and wrote, “So let me get this straight: Republicans are threatening to remove their own Speaker, impeach the President, and shut down the government on September 30th – disrupting everyday people’s paychecks and general public operations. For what? I don’t think even they know. Chaos vibes.” It’s a different kind of chaos than Lauren Boebert reportedly getting kicked out of the Beetlejuice musical for vaping and causing a disturbance, but chaos nonetheless.

(Via Raw Story)

Earlier this year, Chlöe faced (and later addressed) criticism for collaborating with the controversial Chris Brown on her album In Pieces, on the song “How Does It Feel.” Regardless, the collab found some success and landed itself a nomination at last night’s (September 12) 2023 MTV VMAs. That doesn’t mean everybody was happy about it though: As Selena Gomez sat in the Video Music Awards audience, she couldn’t help but make her feelings known.

As the nominees in the Best R&B category were announced, an audience camera was fixed on Selena Gomez (and “Calm Down” collaborator Rema seated next to her). Nominated in that category was “How Does It Feel” and as that was read, Gomez’s demeanor noticeably changed. Before, she had a subtle smile and was holding her hands together up in front of her, as though waiting to applaud. When she heard Brown’s name, though, she put her hands on her lap, looked down, frowned, and made a clear grimace. When Yung Bleu and Nicki Minaj’s “Love In The Way” was announced next, though, Gomez clapped as her smile returned.

SZA’s “Shirt” ended up winning that award, by the way. Also nominated aside from the aforementioned were Alicia Keys’ “Stay” Feat. Lucky Daye; Metro Boomin, The Weeknd, 21 Savage, and Diddy’s “Creepin’ (Remix)”; and Toosii’s “Favorite Song.”

Meanwhile, Gomez and Rema’s “Calm Down” was up for three awards and won one of them, in the Best Afrobeats category. This also isn’t the first time in recent days Gomez has drawn some attention for reacting from the audience.

Check out the video of Gomez’s reaction above.

It was revealed a couple weeks ago that Shakira would be the recipient of this year’s Video Vanguard Award at the 2023 MTV VMAs. Well, the Video Music Awards went down last night (September 12) and Shakira stole the show.

She delivered a ten-minute medley of career-spanning hits, consisting of “She Wolf,” “Te felicito/TQG,” Objection (Tango),” Ojos así/Whenever, Wherever,” “Hips Don’t Lie,” and “BZRP Music Sessions #53.” The performance utilized a number of striking set pieces and even saw Shakira do some crowd-surfing towards the end.

Aside from the performance, Shakira also gave a brief speech to accept the Video Vanguard Award. As Billboard notes, in her two-minute speech, she thanked people who have helped bring her music videos to life, her label Sony Music, and her sons Milan and Sasha “for making me happy and making me feel that mom can do anything.”

She wrapped up by thanking her fans, saying, “Thank you so much for being my army and helping me fight all my battles.” She then added in Spanish, “This is for you my people […] Thank you for inspiring me and for injecting me with so much strength and so much desire to keep going.”

Check out Shakira’s performance and acceptance speech above.

Metro Boomin brought a who’s-who of hip-hop superstars to his performance at the 2023 MTV Video Music Awards, overseeing the proceedings from a DJ booth hovering far above the stage. First, Future appeared to perform their song “Superhero” on a mist-covered stage. Then, Swae Lee popped out to sing the Spider-Man: Across The Spider-Verse soundtrack standout “Calling.” He was joined in short order by Nav, then by A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie (whose name got mangled by announcers and presenters all night. How hard is it to say “A Boogie?”). The performance ended with a loving dedication to Metro’s mom, Leslie Wayne, who was killed last year.

Their performance closed out an eventful night that saw exuberant performances from the likes of Olivia Rodrigo, Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion, Doja Cat, Nicki Minaj, Stray Kids, and more. The night also saw an reunion of sorts for NSYNC — although Megan Thee Stallion might not have been completely impressed.

However, because of the ongoing WGA strike, it was pretty clear that show didn’t have as much room for the scripted moments that have made the VMAs must-see TV in prior years. That left more room for music and awards, making the three-hour show feel much shorter than it actually was.

You can watch Metro’s performance above.

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

Vagabon‘s new album Sorry I Haven’t Called is almost out. The bewitching singles “Carpenter,” “Can I Talk My Sh*t,” and “Do Your Worst” have built up the hype. Now, she’s back with another taste with the breezy “Lexicon.”

“I wrote the song, the verses, the chorus, all of the bridge, and all of that, but I couldn’t find a place for it on the record sonically,” Lætitia Tamko said in a statement. “When I revisited the album with Rostam in LA, he said give me a minute with it’ and he just got it.”

The song, inspired by Mariah Carey, is lighthearted but tinted with melancholy as she wishes to relive special times in her life: “Bring us back to this moment / I loved how it felt to be with you,” she sings. She repeats, “Our lexicon is gone / When we dance all night,” and she proves the power of music over words as the song shimmers with a memorably catchy atmosphere, letting the sound speak for itself. The expressive, transcendent video makes the music even more beautiful and striking.

Watch the video for “Lexicon” above.

Sorry I Haven’t Called is out 9/15 via Nonesuch. Find more information here.

Sometimes, an artist is just a perfect fit for a brand collaboration. Ice Spice now finds herself in such a situation: Her performing name sounds like a tasty frozen drink and her fan base is known as the Munchkins, which makes her an ideal fit for Dunkin’. She teased a link-up with the coffee and donut chain earlier this week, and now all has been revealed.

A new Dunkin’ ad starring Ice Spice and Ben Affleck just aired during the 2023 MTV Video Music Awards tonight (September 12). In the commercial, Affleck and Ice Spice discuss how they’re going to come up with a name for a new Dunkin’ drink based on the rapper, but it all seems pretty obvious to Ice Spice.

A press release notes the beverage, dubbed the Ice Spice Munchkins Drink, “blends its smooth, creamy Frozen Coffee with Pumpkin MUNCHKINS Donut Hole Treats, topped with whipped cream and caramel drizzle.” The beverage will be available at Dunkin’ locations starting on September 13.

Ice Spice said in the release, “I’ve always been a Dunkin’ girl! Collaborating with Dunkin’ and Ben Affleck on this spot was a dream. The drink has a fun twist, a little something in the name for my fans, too. I can’t wait for everyone to try it.”

Jill McVicar Nelson, Chief Marketing Officer at Dunkin’, also noted, “Pumpkin spice season has gotten a bit predictable lately, so we sought help from our friends Ben Affleck and Ice Spice to create a new pumpkin obsession that only Dunkin’ can offer. The result? The collaboration you never knew you needed: Pumpkin Munchkins and Frozen Dunkin’ Coffee, blended together to create the Ice Spice MUNCHKINS Drink. It’s fun, it’s delicious and it’s not your ordinary pumpkin drink!”

Nicki Minaj has a new album coming soon, so what better time for her to return to the VMA stage? Nicki took a break from her hosting duties — one year after being honored as a Video Vanguard — to perform her new single, “Last Time I Saw You.” As the song itself is relatively intimate in comparison to NIcki’s last few chart toppers, her performance was suitably stripped-down, opening with Nicki standing at the mic in a billowing gown — which she slowly doffed as she continued her performance.

Then, at the close of the song, she decided to hit the audience with a new song from the upcoming Pink Friday 2. “I like my hundreds blue,” she declared on the hook, while issuing combative lyrics demanding acknowledgment for her trendsetter status. There are definitely going to be some Barbz taking this thing way too seriously by tomorrow morning and I’m already exhausted — but the beat’s nice and it’s Nicki at her battle rapping best.

Nicki is also one of the artists nominated for awards this evening, including Video Of The Year and Hip-Hop Video Of The Year for “Super Freaky Girl,” R&B Video Of The Year for “Love In The Way” with Yung Bleu, Artist Of The Year, and Song Of The Summer. Watch her performance above and keep up with the VMAs on Uproxx here.

Nicki Minaj has a new album coming soon, so what better time for her to return to the VMA stage? Nicki took a break from her hosting duties — one year after being honored as a Video Vanguard — to perform her new single, “Last Time I Saw You.” As the song itself is relatively intimate in comparison to NIcki’s last few chart toppers, her performance was suitably stripped-down, opening with Nicki standing at the mic in a billowing gown — which she slowly doffed as she continued her performance.

Then, at the close of the song, she decided to hit the audience with a new song from the upcoming Pink Friday 2. “I like my hundreds blue,” she declared on the hook, while issuing combative lyrics demanding acknowledgment for her trendsetter status. There are definitely going to be some Barbz taking this thing way too seriously by tomorrow morning and I’m already exhausted — but the beat’s nice and it’s Nicki at her battle rapping best.

Nicki is also one of the artists nominated for awards this evening, including Video Of The Year and Hip-Hop Video Of The Year for “Super Freaky Girl,” R&B Video Of The Year for “Love In The Way” with Yung Bleu, Artist Of The Year, and Song Of The Summer. Watch her performance above and keep up with the VMAs on Uproxx here.

Lauren Boebert may often cause a ruckus on Capitol Hill, but she’s arguably more disruptive back in her home state of Colorado. On Sunday, the MAGA lawmaker, who does things like heckle Joe Biden as he’s talking about his dead son, was escorted out of a regional production of the Beetlejuice musical for doing things one doesn’t do at a musical.

It started as a kind of blind item. The Denver Post reported that two people had been booted from the city’s Buell Theater during a touring performance of the Broadway show take on Tim Burton’s beloved second feature. The pair were accused of doing things like vaping, singing, recording the performance, and in general “causing a disturbance.”

During intermission the two were given a warning following multiple complaints from fellow theatergoers. About five minutes into Act II, they were at it again, being loud while recording the show. Then, according to an incident report, things got worse:

“They told me they would not leave. I told them that they need to leave the theater and if they do not, they will be trespassing. The patrons said they would not leave. I told them I would (be) going to get Denver Police. They said go get them.”

The report says that while they were being escorted out, one of them said “stuff like ‘do you know who I am,’ ‘I am on the board’ (and) ‘I will be contacting the mayor.’ ”

The report did not identify either ejected audience member. But Boebert’s campaign manager, Drew Sexton, later confirmed that one of them was the state’s most notorious representative.

“I can confirm the stunning and salacious rumors: in her personal time, Congresswoman Lauren Boebert is indeed a supporter of the performing arts (gasp!) and, to the dismay of a select few, enthusiastically enjoyed a weekend performance of ‘Beetlejuice,’ ” Sexton said.

Boebert has a history of chaotic behavior, as do her family members. Her soon-to-be ex-husband, who once exposed himself at a bowling alley, got the cops called on him after he sped his car around a residential area while “probably drunk.”

(Via The Denver Post)

Lauren Boebert may often cause a ruckus on Capitol Hill, but she’s arguably more disruptive back in her home state of Colorado. On Sunday, the MAGA lawmaker, who does things like heckle Joe Biden as he’s talking about his dead son, was escorted out of a regional production of the Beetlejuice musical for doing things one doesn’t do at a musical.

It started as a kind of blind item. The Denver Post reported that two people had been booted from the city’s Buell Theater during a touring performance of the Broadway show take on Tim Burton’s beloved second feature. The pair were accused of doing things like vaping, singing, recording the performance, and in general “causing a disturbance.”

During intermission the two were given a warning following multiple complaints from fellow theatergoers. About five minutes into Act II, they were at it again, being loud while recording the show. Then, according to an incident report, things got worse:

“They told me they would not leave. I told them that they need to leave the theater and if they do not, they will be trespassing. The patrons said they would not leave. I told them I would (be) going to get Denver Police. They said go get them.”

The report says that while they were being escorted out, one of them said “stuff like ‘do you know who I am,’ ‘I am on the board’ (and) ‘I will be contacting the mayor.’ ”

The report did not identify either ejected audience member. But Boebert’s campaign manager, Drew Sexton, later confirmed that one of them was the state’s most notorious representative.

“I can confirm the stunning and salacious rumors: in her personal time, Congresswoman Lauren Boebert is indeed a supporter of the performing arts (gasp!) and, to the dismay of a select few, enthusiastically enjoyed a weekend performance of ‘Beetlejuice,’ ” Sexton said.

Boebert has a history of chaotic behavior, as do her family members. Her soon-to-be ex-husband, who once exposed himself at a bowling alley, got the cops called on him after he sped his car around a residential area while “probably drunk.”

(Via The Denver Post)