Category: Viral

As Blackpink continues to kick down doors in their songs, they’re actually breaking records, and making history as well.

Closing their first week of promotions — including a “Shut Down” performance on Jimmy Kimmel Live! — Blackpink’s sophomore album, Born Pink, lands atop of the Billboard 200 chart at No. 1. This achievement makes the pop quartet the first ever K-pop female act to do so, and the first all-female act to top the chart in over a decade – with Danity Kane’s second album, Welcome to the Dollhouse in 2008. Blackpink’s record-breaking album makes them the third South Korean act to debut at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 this year, following Stray Kids (Oddinary) and BTS (Proof).

According to a report from Billboard and Luminate, Born Pink has earned itself 102,000 equivalent album units in the US in the week ending September 22. The second album also debuts at the top of of the Top Album Sales chart with 75,000 album sold (physical and digital), making it the seventh-largest album sold in 2022.

In addition, the eight-track pop project from Blackpink also topped the Official Albums Chart on the United Kingdom’s Official Charts (the UK-equivalent of the US Billboard chart). Just like Billboard 200, Blackpink becomes the first K-pop female act to ever debut at No. 1 as well.

Megan Thee Stallion unveiled the launch of her new website, Bad B*tches Have Bad Days Too, this weekend. The site pulls together a list of mental health resources, including organizations providing free therapy, group programs for the Black and LGBTQIA+ communities, specific hotlines, and more, according to NME.

Megan confirmed the news after retweeting a fan who discovered the site. “Bounce back like bad b*tches do,” a screenshot reads. A few of the specific resources provided on Megan’s site include the National Crisis Text Line, LGBT National Youth Talkline, Dear Black Women Project, National Alliance on Mental Illness, and many more.

“Hotties! You know how much mental wellness means to me, so I created a hub with resources that can help when you might need a hand,” Megan shared to the fans. “Head to http://badbitcheshavebaddaystoo.com now and check it out. Love y’all so much.”

Along with the resources, the site includes a handful of stills from the visualizer for her song “Anxiety” and the cover art from Megan’s new album, Traumazine, which the track appears on. Released in August, the record’s themes dive into mental health following painful experiences that Megan went through. Outside of the rap world, she graduated last December with a degree in Health Administration, making this feel like a fitting next step for her.

Visit Megan Thee Stallion’s Bad B*tches Have Bad Days Too website for more info.

John Oliver slipped in a crack at Leonardo DiCaprio‘s love life, and more pointedly, everyone’s jokes about his rumored displeasure at dating anyone over the age of 25. The joke came shortly after the 8:00 minute mark during a lengthy Last Week Tonight segment on Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro and his country’s refusal to reduce greenhouse emissions. In fact, they actually went up during the pandemic. Oliver also took on Bolsonaro’s lack of concern for the rainforest.

As Oliver noted, Bolsonaro has been decrying any environmental concerns about Brazil as nothing more than a plot to seize the country’s jungles. The controversial president has gone so far with his conspiracy theories that he “directly accused Leonardo DiCaprio of funding arson in the Amazon.” Oliver joked that that Bolsonaro’s claim is “absurd” because the actor is way too busy living a spectacularly lavish love life with a very strict age limit.

Via Deadline:

“Where would Leo find the time to do that between his busy film schedule, his daily yacht f*** and having a big laugh at every tweet about his May to December love life, ‘Oh man, the Internet got me again,’ Leo shouts to the richest people on the planet over a bottle of wine that costs more than your rent,” Oliver said.

While Oliver’s burn was mostly directed at DiCaprio, he definitely got in a nice jab at the internet, which had an absolute field day after the actor broke up with model Camila Morrone right after her 25th birthday. Granted, Leo’s probably not sweating what the internet thinks, but he has notably started up a relationship with Gigi Hadid who is the surprisingly elderly age of 27. Leo can change!

(Via Deadline)

A$AP Rocky teased that Rolling Loud in New York City’s Citi Field on Saturday night (September 24) would be “his last show until the album.” Turns out, Rocky’s fans will only have 30 minutes to tide them over. The Harlem-bred rapper expressed disappointment over his short set that saw him bring out Glorilla and French Montana.

“I am so hurt right now!” Rocky wrote in a note posted to Twitter on Sunday afternoon (September 25). “Last night was supposed to be a turning point in my live shows from the old to new! I will take full responsibility for the circumstances of what led to last nights show being everything it was and everything it wasn’t.”

The 33-year-old continued: “I also want to acknowledge that even tho I prepared the best show for my fans, detail for detail , over the course of MONTHS… I was unfortunately not able to bring my vision to fruition and Im hurt about that and I want to apologize to all of my fans and continued supporters, and thank y’all for showing up for me regardless!! A$AP4EVA.”

According to TMZ, Rocky was supposed to begin his set at 8:55 p.m. local time “but didn’t go on until a good 45 minutes later,” and the set was cut short by Rolling Loud organizers “because of a noise ordinance.”

Rocky took the stage with “Grim Freestyle” followed by “Lord Pretty Flacko Jodye 2.” Midway through, he performed “Sights,” his new collaborative single with Playboi Carti, for the first time. Then, Glorilla joined for a rendition of her breakthrough hit “FNF (Let’s Go),” and Rocky closed out the abbreviated set alongside French Montana for “Mopstick.”

Throughout, Rocky spent time between songs calling for fans to “open that b*tch” for mosh pits, which resulted in the meme treatment. Tyler, the Creator went as far as switching his Instagram profile picture to the circulating photo of a struggling Rocky in the subpar pit.

Rocky didn’t have to endure the internet’s wrath for too long, though. Shortly after posting his apology, Rihanna confirmed she is the halftime performer for Super Bowl LVII on February 12, 2023. The couple welcomed their first child earlier this year.

Watch Rocky at Rolling Loud New York above.

Mayim Bialik doesn’t take over for Ken Jennings on smart people Jeopardy! until next year, but until then, she’s the host of Celebrity Jeopardy! (RIP Norm).

The new season kicked off on Sunday with Conan sidekick Andy Richter, SNL cast member (and Comedy Bang Bang legend) Ego Nwodim, and Marvel’s Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings star Simu Liu. Richter was the favorite heading into Final Jeopardy with $21,100, ahead of Liu ($11,600) and Nwodim ($10,000). The category was “Landlocked Countries” and the clue read, “It’s the world’s smallest landlocked country in both area and population.” Liu correctly wrote down “Vatican City” with a $11,600 wager, giving him a total of $23,200. As for Richter, he guessed “Liechtenstein,” which not only dropped him down to $18,900 — but also gave the game to Liu.

His reaction:

A shocked Liu advanced to the Semi-Finals, where he’ll compete against one of the following: Constance Wu, BJ Novak, Michael Cera, Candace Parker, Iliza Shlesinger, Ray Romano, Aisha Tyler, Patton Oswalt, Eddie Huang, Reggie Watts, Ike Barinholtz, or Jalen Rose. You can see the complete schedule and results here.

Celebrity Jeopardy! also features a tweak to the show’s format:

To stretch the game into an hourlong episode, [Celebrity Jeopardy!] has added Triple Jeopardy — a first for the American version of the show — in which clues start at $300 and go up to $1,500. The material will start off easier than in a typical game, which contestants take a test to qualify for. (It isn’t likely to sink to the level of SNL sketches, though, in which one clue read: “This is the thing that becomes toast.”)

Celebrity Jeopardy! airs on ABC on Sunday nights.

(Via the New York Times)

Over the weekend, Olivia Rodrigo dropped by the Canadian Songwriters Hall Of Fame gala in Toronto, to induct Alanis Morissette in with a special tribute. Rodrigo noted that listening to Morissette’s Jagged Little Pill inspired her tremendously has a songwriter. The two would eventually meet last year for a Rolling Stone cover shoot, before performing “You Oughta Know” together at Rodrigo’s Los Angeles concert.

“My life was completely changed,” Rodrigo said (as iHeartRadio notes). “Alanis’ songwriting was unlike anything I had ever heard before and I haven’t heard anything quite like it since. And that voice — fierce and tender and sometimes funny and playful. I became hooked for life.”

“Even more than your long list of musical achievements, I look up to your character and your kindness most of all,” she continued. “I’ll carry the advice that you’ve given me for my whole life.”

Along with Rodrigo’s participation in the gala’s tribute to Morissette, a number of other musicians joined in as well. Alessia Cara, Jessie Reyez, and Serena Ryder performed some of Morissette’s biggest hits, from “Ironic” to “Hand In My Pocket.” Pre-recorded speeches from Tegan And Sara, Martin Short, and Jann Arden were aired. Morissette’s Jagged Little Pill collaborator Glen Ballard also recorded a video tribute, saying, “So many great songwriters have come out of Canada, and you’re at the top of the list. The gala also honored Bryan Adams, Jim Vallance, David Foster, and Daniel Lavoie.

Morissette eventually gave a ten-minute speech, expressing her joy and gratitude as an inductee. “The best part about songwriting for me is being in a room and feeling safe,” she said. “I am so privileged to be able to do what I do and that there were so many incredible opportunities to my left and right as I moved along, and I am so grateful for that.”

For just about a literal minute, it looked like Taylor Swift was going to headline the Super Bowl LVII halftime show, at Arizona’s State Farm Stadium on February 12, 2023. That’s what reports said, but those reports were quickly followed by others indicating Swift isn’t actually taking the field. Not long after that, though, the world learned who is actually taking over Super Bowl halftime in 2023: Rihanna.

Dr. Dre — who did this year’s Emmy-winning halftime show alongside Eminem, Snoop Dogg, Kendrick Lamar, and Mary J. Blige — knows what he’s doing on that front, so he has given Rihanna some advice.

In an interview with Apple Music 1 host Ebro Darden (as NME notes), Dre offered, ““Put the right people around you and have fun. That’s basically what it is, making sure you have the right creative people around you. She might want to look into some of the people that we used to do our show.”

He also had some general praise for Rihanna, saying of his admiration of her, “I just like her and what she does, and her get down, and how she approaches her artistry and the whole nine. It’s fantastic. She has the opportunity to really blow us away. I know we set the bar extremely high.”

Another day, another Don’t Worry Darling bit of drama. This one isn’t as scandalous as an alleged screaming match (which 40 crew members have denied) or Spitgate or getting roasted by critics, and, uh, NBC, but one of the film’s big stars publicly commenting on getting cut from the final product isn’t exactly good press, either.

“The best thing about #DontWorryDarling is that I was lucky enough to meet @arielstachel,” actress KiKi Layne, who plays “troubled” Victory resident Margaret, wrote on Instagram, referring to her on-screen husband, Ari’el Stachel. “They cut us from most of the movie, but we thriving in real life. Love you Ari.” She added the hashtags “#GotMyCheck,” “#GotMyMan,” and “#EverythingHappensforaReason.”

Stachel replied, “My love. You are a queen and your talent shines so bright. I was thirsty then and I’m thirsty now.” The actor has also “been outspoken about his limited role in the final cut of the Olivia Wilde-directed Warner Bros. Pictures movie” on TikTok, according to The Wrap, including one that showcased tweets calling him a “glorified extra” in the film with the caption “when you end up on the cutting room floor.”

Don’t worry, Layne and Stachel, it’s probably for the best you were cut, considering…

(Via The Wrap)

In recent times, it has seemed like Britney Spears is gearing up to return to the music industry. Her and Elton John’s recent single “Hold Me Closer” topped charts around the world and was a top-10 hit in the US, while her second post-conservatorship song could be on the way soon. Now, though, it seems that conservatorship really has left Spears not wanting to get back into the business in a big way. At least, she indicated as much in a new Instagram post.

In the post, Spears reiterates points she’s made about what she went through during her conservatorship and says the whole thing has spoiled the entertainment industry for her. So much so, in fact, that she’d rather do something kind of gross than get back into it. She wrote, “you say do what you want to do now … Really 14 years later after being humiliated … it’s WAY too late for that.. again I’d rather stay home and sh*t in my f*cking pool than join the entertainment business … the truth is a f*cking b*tch.”

Read Spears’ full post below.

“After 14 years of telling me no to what I wanted … it’s ruined for me … but that wasn’t the worst part … the worst part was my family locking me up in that place for 4 months … Jesus f*cking Christ … I’d like to see somebody tell Jennifer Lopez to sit down 8 hours a day 7 days a week … no car, own security of 5 years telling me at my own door I can’t walk outside for 4 months … no door for privacy … and watched me change naked and shower … and no assholes not 6 gallons of blood … 6 vials of blood the small tubes but come on every f*cking week took me abruptly off me medication I was normally on and drugged me on lithium …

I’d like to see a management team tell Jennifer Lopez to go through what I went through … what the f*ck do you think she would do … her family would NEVER allow that.

Psss … you say do what you want to do now … Really 14 years later after being humiliated … it’s WAY too late for that.. again I’d rather stay home and sh*t in my f*cking pool than join the entertainment business … the truth is a f*cking b*tch. I’m not going to play the victim HIT ME BABY ONE MORE TIME ??????? [middle finger emojis] … I’m sure you advanced musicians think it’s horrible of bad but when I’m bad IM BETTER !!! F*ck you !!!”

Spoilers for House of the Dragon will be found below.

A decade after Daemon Targaryen killed his first wife, he’s a widower again (and no longer the biggest pain in the butt or jerk-off on the show). This time, he only observed the death of his wife, Laena Velaryon (whose parents initially, and in an ick-inducing way, wanted her to marry King Viserys I) as she decided to commit Death By Dragon while knowing that her difficult childbirth was doomed to kill her. It was a tragic happening and doubly so because her dragon, Vhagar, didn’t want to obey her “Dracarys!” demand but did so nonetheless. Before that happened, though, we got to see Vhagar in all of her beauty. She’s the largest dragon (dwarfing Daemon’s dragon, Ceraxes, in size) in Westeros, and Laena looked like a badass while riding her. Viewers were impressed to see Vhagar, to say the very least.

Laena’s death raises the important question (which our own Jessica Toomer considered in detail) of whether dragon riders are immune to fire. In short, Daenerys Targaryen seemed pretty damn fireproof in Game of Thrones, but clearly, Laena’s fate showed that not all riders (and Targaryens are a Valaryon family) are impervious to flame. Laena’s death does differ from how she went down in George R.R. Martin’s source material, as well, and this tragedy seems even more awful due to her young daughters and Daemon being left to pick up the pieces (along with a heartbroken dragon).

From there, you gotta wonder if Daemon will go back to being his bad self, but also, people feel terribly for Vhagar, who didn’t want to follow orders. Poor sad dragon!

HBO’s ‘House of the Dragon’ airs on Sunday nights at 9:00pm EST.