Category: Viral

Bay Area singer Kehlani was forced to fast-track a move and distance herself from social media after a fan online found and shared her address, potentially putting her and her daughter in danger. The star revealed the leak in a now-deleted tweet from Sunday, saying she needed “major space from my supporters” as a result of the violation of her privacy. Although her statement began with an “lol,” recent events have shown that these sorts of incidents are no laughing matter.

“Lol wow I have to fast track my move cuz a stan account has found and shared my address,” she wrote Sunday afternoon, explaining why she won’t be as accessible in the future. “Don’t know how. Super not cool. Taking a major space from my supporters. Don’t ask why I will no longer be so responsive or will be MIA from interaction. I love y’all but it’s a wrap.” While the “Can I” singer is normally quite involved on Twitter, using the app to interact with fans and explain her musical moves, it looks like she’s going to be reeling in on future interactions.

While the benefits and drawbacks of “stan culture” have been debated endlessly, 2020 has shown plenty of real-world examples of the dark side of celebrity worship. Pop Smoke was killed after his address leaked online early this year, while Eminem, the man who coined the term Stan in the first place, was victim of a break-in by a fan the star wound up confronting as his security slept. It was later revealed that the real-life Stan was a repeat offender who had been stalking the rapper for some time.

Those incidents and this one highlight some of the dangers of being famous in an always-connected world. While fans may feel closer than ever to the stars they admire, the blurring of the lines between private and public life have been shown to have the potential for dire consequences — ones that Kehlani’s new move can hopefully help her avoid.

Kehlani is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

No judgment here on quarantine watches. We are all resorting to some questionable selections these days, and Sebastian Stan is no exception, even if that includes a selection from his own body of work. The MCU’s Bucky Barnes recently got back to business on the Atlanta set of The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, but he’s shown that he’s taking his social distancing (and stance against “idiots” on Florida beaches) seriously). So on Saturday night, he decided to celebrate the thirteenth anniversary of the CW’s Gossip Girl premiere while reminiscing by himself.

Well, not by himself, really, since he shared the video on Instagram, where 1.2 million followers “liked” his effort, which included some hefty swigging of red wine. As stans of Stan (sorry, not sorry) realize, the I, Tonya villain portrayed Carter Baizen for three seasons (full of soapy shenanigans) of the show. He did not appear in this episode, as he notes in the video (“I wasn’t in the pilot — but I wish I was”), but he still enjoyed admiring his co-stars, especially The Boys‘ Chace Crawford, who played Nate Archibald.

“Yes! Chace! I always wanted to have that hair,” he exclaimed in a video that he captioned, “It was the best of times and it was the best of times. Xoxo, Gossip Girl. Premiere 09/19/2007.”

Even Crawford was onboard the virtual party train while commenting, “Hahahaha quarantine really brings out our true selves.” Yup, lots of wine in 2020.

This week’s best new pop music saw some big-name collaborations and buoyant singles. Justin Bieber teamed up with Chance The Rapper for a pious single, Cardi B rapped in Spanish on a track with Anitta, and Ali Gatie shared a lovelorn single with Alessia Cara.

Each week, Uproxx rounds up the best new pop music. Listen up.

Justin Bieber — “Holy” Feat. Chance The Rapper

Justin Bieber is well on his way to breaking out of his boyish pop star days. With his recent album Changes, Bieber aimed to pivot to a more R&B sound. With this week’s Chance The Rapper collaboration, “Holy,” Bieber refines his soaring melodies.

Anitta — “Me Gusta” Feat. Cardi B, Myke Towers

Brazilian pop singer Anitta tapped superstar Cardi B for the fiery track “Me Gusta.” Over a rhythmic beat, Cardi and Anitta flaunt their worth as they detail what they find attractive in men and deliver lyrics about being “bad b*tches.”

Ali Gatie — “Welcome Back” Feat. Alessia Cara

Though he only has one EP under his belt, Ali Gatie has already garnered a huge fanbase and boasts more than three billion streams. For his latest track, Gatie teams up with fellow Canadian star Alessia Cara to find hope even in heartbreak.

Ava Max — “Naked”

Though Ava Max has been in the music scene for years and already gained a cult following for her expansive, Lady Gaga-adjacent pop, the singer had yet to release her debut album — until now. Ava’s Heaven & Hell has finally arrived, and with it comes the earnest track “Naked.” Over a shimmering beat, the singer sings of keeping her guard up in relationships, only opening up to those she knows won’t break her heart.

Cautious Clay — “Agreeable”

Cautious Clay has been making music independently for just about four years and while he’s remained relatively under the radar, his work has caught the attention of many. His songs were featured in films like Booksmart and HBO’s Insecure. Taylor Swift even caught wind of one of his tracks and used it as a sample in her Lover song “London Boy.” Continuing on the heels of his breakout, Clay shares “Agreeable” as a downtrodden track.

Gus Dapperton — “Bluebird”

Gus Dapperton shared his long-awaited sophomore record Orca this week, debuting a video to the track “Bluebird” alongside the record’s release. The song itself stands as a laid-back preview to the entirety of Dapperton’s vulnerable record.

LANY — “Cowboy In LA”

LA group LANY are gearing up for the release of their record Mama’s Boy. Just a few weeks away, the band are giving another preview of their effort with the slow-burning number “Cowboy In LA,” detailing a heartfelt day with a crush.

Alec Wigdahl — “The Word”

Though Alec Wigdahl grew up without a “tight knit sense of belonging,” he shortly found his calling with music. Wigdahl has proven a knack for buoyant beats with his recent singles “Lipstick” and “Summer Is Over.” Now, Wigdahl expands his catalog with the sunny, feel-good tune “The Word.”

Phil Good — “Falling”

Phil Good infuses an upbeat nature into his breakup track “Falling.” Layering scaling guitar over intricate percussion, Good seeks to come up with an explanation to what went wrong in the relationship, all while keeping a positive outlook.

Deryk — “Goodtimes”

Deryk arrived on the scene earlier this summer with the indelible number “Call You Out” and now, the New Zealand-based singer returns with the track “Goodtimes.” In a statement, Deryk said: “‘Goodtimes’ is about not being able to reminisce or enjoy looking back on a time period in your life because it turned out to be a complete waste of time. It’s like Good Times, except the tainted, bitter version.

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

Jae Crowder isn’t on the short list of the most prominent players involved in the Eastern Conference Finals. Even in a series against one of his former teams in the Boston Celtics, Crowder is a role player, albeit a valuable one, and there is only so much oxygen in a series that features Jimmy Butler, Jayson Tatum, Bam Adebayo, Kemba Walker, Goran Dragic, Jaylen Brown and Gordon Hayward, among others. With that said, Crowder’s contributions are exceptionally valuable to the Miami Heat and, in looking back in the not-too-distant past, it isn’t clear that he was always supposed to be a key cog for his new team.

When the Heat acquired Crowder in early February, he arrived alongside Andre Iguodala in a multi-player swap that saw Memphis take on Justise Winslow’s long-term money and Miami ink Iguodala to a lucrative extension. In the moment, the focus was largely on Iguodala, with his exit from Memphis as the top story, even before he earned some extra security via the extension. In fact, Crowder was largely viewed as a throw-in, even with most acknowledging that he could have value as a supporting player on a $7.8 million expiring contract.

Fast-forward to the playoffs, though, and it is Crowder, not Iguodala, that has been the centerpiece of the deal through the prism of 2020. In the 108 minutes with Crowder on the floor against the Celtics, the Heat boast a +7.8 net rating, while Miami falls off a cliff to the tune of a -18.9 net rating in the 41 minutes with Crowder on the bench. There is, of course, some small sample size theater to go along with the noise of individual net rating involved in those numbers, but Crowder is unquestionably a prominent part of Miami’s rotation, starting each of the team’s 12 playoff games and averaging more than 34 minutes per game in the last two series combined.

Iguodala has faded into the background amid whispers of injury issues but, in some respects, Crowder is more prominent than ever. The Celtics, who know his game well from a multi-year stint in Boston, are game-planning away from Crowder and, frankly, they are likely right to do so.

Miami deploys lineups that are sometimes overflowing with quality offensive options, especially when Crowder is playing the 4 next to Adebayo and a trio of high-powered perimeter options including Dragic, Butler, Tyler Herro and Duncan Robinson. As such, the Celtics are often “letting” Crowder beat them from three-point distance and, in Game 3, the 30-year-old forward wasn’t able to make Boston pay.

Crowder converted only 2-of-10 attempts from three-point range in that contest, perhaps experiencing some regression from a scalding hot playoff run. After a 29.3 percent three-point clip for Memphis in 45 games this season, Crowder knocked down 44.5 percent of his threes (on 6.4 attempts per game) for Miami down the stretch of the regular season and leading into the Orlando bubble. In the playoffs, Crowder has continued his marksmanship, converting 38.5 percent of his three-point attempts (even including the shaky shooting in Game 3) and his volume has increased to 8.7 attempts per game in the postseason.

Finding the baseline with Crowder’s shooting is a tough exercise, simply because he has experienced some lofty highs and some maddening lows with his three-point efficiency in the past. In his first four NBA seasons, Crowder shot only 32.4 percent from three-point range on relatively low volume. From there, he experienced a career renaissance in 2016-17, burying 39.8 percent of his threes for Boston and earning the reputation as one of the best bargains in the NBA on a (very) reasonable contract. Once he left the Celtics, though, Crowder cratered in Cleveland and Utah, shooting just 32.8 percent in the next 160 regular season games, and those hiccups continued in Memphis.

The NBA Playoffs are, by their nature, a small sample size endeavor and, at the moment, Crowder is playing with the confidence to let it fly. That bodes well for the Heat, especially when he converts open opportunities, because Boston is likely to continue scheming away from Crowder and he must continue to fire away. In fact, the Celtics have been putting Kemba Walker and other sub-optimal defenders on Crowder, leading to some rumblings that the Heat could have adjustments in the offing to take advantage.

While changes could be coming, the Celtics are essentially betting against Crowder’s shooting, while the Heat need him to convert. That isn’t the only pivot point in a series full of stars, but Crowder’s defensive contributions are well-documented in that he is switchable, physical and competitive in a number of match-ups. He can be a highly valuable player even with just average (or even below-average) shooting but, in the crucible of the playoffs, Crowder’s shooting could play a significant role in determining the winner of a series that is now back to toss-up territory after Boston’s Game 3 win.

The 2020 Billboard Music Awards were set to take place back in April, but the coronavirus pandemic necessitated that the ceremony be delayed. It was postponed to October 14, and today, about a month in advance, the nominees have been announced. Well, nominees for all categories except for Billboard Chart Achievement, Top Social Artist, and Top Collaboration, which are fan-voted categories. Voting for those will open on October 1.

Post Malone is the most-nominated artist with 16 nods, followed by Lil Nas X’s 13 nominations. Other artists to receive more than one nomination include Billie Eilish, Khalid (12 each), Lizzo (11), Kanye West (9), Taylor Swift (6), and Justin Bieber (4).

This year’s awards are based on the chart period of March 23, 2019 through March 14, 2020, meaning that some older tunes have found their way into the nominations, more so than usual considering the event was pushed back almost half a year. For example, Post Malone and Swae Lee’s “Sunflower” has racked up multiple nominations, and it was originally released in October 2018.

Check out the fill list of nominees below.

Top Artist

Billie Eilish
Jonas Brothers
Khalid
Post Malone
Taylor Swift

Top Billboard 200 Album

When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go, Billie Eilish
Lover, Taylor Swift
Free Spirit, Khalid
Hollywood’s Bleeding, Post Malone
Thank U, Next, Ariana Grande

Top Hot 100 Song

“Someone You Loved,” Lewis Capaldi
“Bad Guy,” Billie Eilish
“Old Town Road,” Lil Nas X Feat. Billy Ray Cyrus
“Truth Hurts,” Lizzo
“Señorita,” Shawn Mendes and Camila Cabello

Top Male Artist

DaBaby
Khalid
Lil Nas X
Post Malone
Ed Sheeran

Top Female Artist

Billie Eilish
Ariana Grande
Halsey
Lizzo
Taylor Swift

Top Duo/Group

BTS
Dan + Shay
Jonas Brothers
Maroon 5
Panic! At The Disco

Top New Artist

DaBaby
Billie Eilish
Lil Nas X
Lizzo
Roddy Ricch

Billboard Chart Achievement Award

Mariah Carey
Luke Combs
Lil Nas X
Harry Styles
Taylor Swift

Top Billboard 200 Artist

Drake
Billie Eilish
Khalid
Post Malone
Taylor Swift

Top Hot 100 Artist

DaBaby
Billie Eilish
Khalid
Lil Nas X
Post Malone

Top Streaming Songs Artist

DaBaby
Billie Eilish
Lil Nas X
Post Malone
Travis Scott

Top Song Sales Artist

Billie Eilish
Lil Nas X
Lizzo
Post Malone
Taylor Swift

Top Radio Songs Artist

Jonas Brothers
Khalid
Lizzo
Shawn Mendes
Post Malone

Top Social Artist

BTS
Billie Eilish
EXO
GOT7
Ariana Grande

Top Touring Artist

Elton John
Metallica
Pink
Rolling Stones
Ed Sheeran

Top R&B Artist

Chris Brown
Khalid
Lizzo
Summer Walker
The Weeknd

Top R&B Male Artist

Chris Brown
Khalid
The Weeknd

Top R&B Female Artist

Beyonce
Lizzo
Summer Walker

Top R&B Tour

B2K
Janet Jackson
Khalid

Top Rap Artist

DaBaby
Juice Wrld
Lil Nas X
Post Malone
Roddy Ricch

Top Rap Male Artist

DaBaby
Lil Nas X
Post Malone

Top Rap Female Artist

Cardi B
City Girls
Megan Thee Stallion

Top Rap Tour

Drake
Post Malone
Travis Scott

Top Country Artist

Kane Brown
Luke Combs
Dan + Shay
Maren Morris
Thomas Rhett

Top Country Male Artist

Kane Brown
Luke Combs
Thomas Rhett

Top Country Female Artist

Maren Morris
Kacey Musgraves
Carrie Underwood

Top Country Duo/Group

Dan + Shay
Florida Georgia Line
Old Dominion

Top Country Tour

Eric Church
Florida Georgia Line
George Strait

Top Rock Artist

Imagine Dragons
Panic! At The Disco
Tame Impala
Tool
Twenty One Pilots

Top Rock Tour

Elton John
Metallica
Rolling Stones

Top Latin Artist

Anuel AA
Bad Bunny
J Balvin
Ozuna
Romeo Santos

Top Dance/Electronic Artist

Avicii
The Chainsmokers
DJ Snake
Illenium
Marshmello

Top Christian Artist

Lauren Daigle
Elevation Worship
for KING & COUNTRY
Hillsong UNITED
Kanye West

Top Gospel Artist

Kirk Franklin
Koryn Hawthorne
Tasha Cobbs
Sunday Service Choir
Kanye West

Top Soundtrack

Aladdin
Descendants 3
Frozen II
K-12, Melanie Martinez
The Dirt, Motley Crue

Top R&B Album

Homecoming: The Live Album, Beyonce
Changes, Justin Bieber
Indigo, Chris Brown
Free Spirit, Khalid
Over It, Summer Walker

Top Rap Album

Kirk, DaBaby
Death Race For Love, Juice WRLD
Hollywood’s Bleeding, Post Malone
Please Excuse Me For Being Antisocial, Roddy Ricch
So Much Fun, Young Thug

Top Country Album

Experiment, Kane Brown
What You See Is What You Get, Luke Combs
Girl, Maren Morris
Center Point Road, Thomas Rhett
If I Know Me, Morgan Wallen

Top Rock Album

III, The Lumineers
We Are Not Your Kind, Slipknot
The Slow Rush, Tame Impala
Fear Inoculum, Tool
Father Of The Bride, Vampire Weekend

Top Latin Album

Oasis, J Balvin and Bad Bunny
Gangalee, Farruko
11:11, Maluma
Utopia, Romeo Santos
Suenos, Sech

Top Dance/Electronic Album

TIM, Avicii
World War Joy, The Chainsmokers
Ascend, Illenium
Marshmello: Fortnite Extended Set, Marshmello
Different World, Alan Walker

Top Christian Album

Victory: Recorded Live, Bethel Music
Only Jesus, Casting Crowns
People, Hillsong United
Victorious, Skillet
Jesus Is King, Kanye West

Top Gospel Album

Long Live Love, Kirk Franklin
Goshen, Donald Lawrence & The Tri-City Singers
The Cry: A Live Worship Experience, William McDowell
Jesus Is Born, Sunday Service Choir
Jesus Is King, Kanye West

Top Streaming Song

“No Guidance,” Chris Brown Feat. Drake
“Bad Guy,” Billie Eilish
“Old Town Road,” Lil Nas X Feat. Billy Ray Cyrus
“Ransom,” Lil Tecca
“Sunflower (Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse),” Post Malone and Swae Lee

Top Selling Song

“Someone You Loved,” Lewis Capaldi
“Bad Guy,” Billie Eilish
“Old Town Road,” Lil Nas X Feat. Billy Ray Cyrus
“Truth Hurts,” Lizzo
“God’s Country,” Blake Shelton

Top Radio Song

“Someone You Loved,” Lewis Capaldi
“Sucker,” Jonas Brothers
“Talk,” Khalid
“Truth Hurts,” Lizzo
“I Don’t Care,” Ed Sheeran and Justin Bieber

Top Collab

“No Guidance,” Chris Brown Feat. Drake
“Old Town Road,” Lil Nas X Feat. Billy Ray Cyrus
“Señorita,” Shawn Mendes and Camila Cabello
“Sunflower (Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse),” Post Malone and Swae Lee
“I Don’t Care,” Ed Sheeran and Justin Bieber

Top R&B Song

“No Guidance,” Chris Brown Feat. Drake
“Juicy,” Doja Cat and Tyga
“Talk,” Khalid
“Good As Hell,” Lizzo
“Heartless,” The Weeknd

Top Rap Song

“Old Town Road,” Lil Nas X Feat. Billy Ray Cyrus
“Ransom,” Lil Tecca
“Truth Hurts,” Lizzo
“Sunflower (Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse),” Post Malone and Swae Lee
“Wow,” Post Malone

Top Country Song

“10,000 Hours,” Dan + Shay with Justin Bieber
“The Bones,” Maren Morris
“One Man Band,” Old Dominion
“God’s Country,” Blake Shelton
“Whiskey Glasses,” Morgan Wallen

Top Rock Song

“Bad Liar,” Imagine Dragons
“I Think I’m Okay,” Machine Gun Kelly, Yungblud, and Travis Barker
“Hey Look Ma, I Made It,” Panic! At The Disco
“Chlorine,” Twenty One Pilots
“The Hype,” Twenty One Pilots

Top Latin Song

“China,” Anuel AA, Daddy Yankee, Karol G, Ozuna, and J Balvin
“Callaita,” Bad Bunny and Tainy
“Con Calma,” Daddy Yankee Feat. Snow
“No Me Conoce,” Jhay Cortez, J Balvin, and Bad Bunny
“Otro Trago,” Sech Feat. Darell, Nicky Jam, Ozuna, and Anuel AA

Top Dance/Electronic Song

“Ritmo (Bad Boys For Life),” Black Eyed Peas and J Balvin
“Close To Me,” Ellie Goulding and Diplo Feat. Swae Lee
“Good Things Fall Apart,” Illenium and Jon Bellion
“Higher Love,” Kygo and Whitney Houston
“Here With Me,” Marshmello Feat. Chvrches

Top Christian Song

“Raise A Hallelujah,” Bethel Music, Jonathan David Hesler, and Melissa Hesler
“Nobody,” Casting Crowns Feat. Matthew West
“Rescue,” Lauren Daigle
“God Only Knows,” for KING & COUNTRY
“Follow God,” Kanye West

Top Gospel Song

“Love Theory,” Kirk Franklin
“Closed On Sunday,” Kanye West
“Follow God,” Kanye West
“On God,” Kanye West
“Selah,” Kanye West

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

Before 2020 ensured that his public appearances were kept to a minimum, DaBaby was developing a steadfast reputation for being physically unable to avoid altercations. That penchant for pugilism may soon cost him, as according to TMZ, the North Carolina rapper is being sued by one of the many people he beat up over his past year in the spotlight.

An employeed at AC Hotel by Marriott in Beverly Hills filed a lawsuit against the rapper after a December 2019 incident in which DaBaby allegedly assaulted chef Cristopher Pocasangre. A surveillance video shows DaBaby pushing Pocasangre into a chair while appearing to have an argument before leaving the building. The altercation was apparently over a photo the chef took of the rapper, which DaBaby noticed and demanded he delete. It’s worth noting that the employee first asked the rapper for a photo, which DaBaby denied, and instead took a selfie with him in the background. Now, Pocasangre is suing DaBaby for assault, battery, infliction of emotional distress, and is seeking unspecified damages.

Shortly after the incident, DaBaby noted in an Instagram post that he had rejected the request because he was with his daughter. Pocasangre then tried to film him despite him holding his daughter, despite DaBaby’s repeated requests to stop. “I calmly and respectfully said no and explained to him that him posting a video of me at the time would compromise the safety of me and my child by letting social media know where we were staying,” he explained.

DaBaby’s history of (partially) justified violence goes back to before he blew up in 2019 with DaBaby On Baby. At the end of 2018, he shot a man in self-defense, avoiding serious charges in 2019. He was later sued by the family of a man his security allegedly beat into a coma at a show, and this year, drew backlash for punching a woman while blinded by her camera flash when she took a picture of him at a club.

Sylvan Esso are just days away from dropping their new album, Free Love, which come out at the end of the week. Ahead of then, though, they’re back with what will presumably be the final preview of the album before its release, a video for “Free.”

It’s a simple, simple song, featuring not much more than simple keyboard chords and Amelia Meath’s gentle vocals. The video is appropriately stripped down as well, as it just shows Meath sitting between two vertical light bars.

Amelia Meath says of the song, “‘Free’ was written all in one go — one of those magical moments of songwriting that happens once every hundred songs. Nick knew it was the center piece of the record the minute I showed it to him. ‘We should call the record Free Love.’ It’s the center of the record — a song about being obscured by someone’s loving impression. A mirror on a mirror.”

Meanwhile, Nick Sanborn recently told Uproxx of the new album, “We actually got to the place that you always say about yourself, ‘I just want to make something that I think is good.’ I feel like we actually got there this time. The WITH tour was the final nail in the coffin. I was able to see our band from the outside, almost, for the first time. It gave me this huge sense of confidence in what we’re doing. If the two of us make something, it will be the band. The band is just this byproduct of how much we like hanging out.”

Watch the “Free” video above, and read our interview with the duo here.

Free Love is out 9/25 via Loma Vista Recordings. Pre-order it here.

In celebration of China’s Mid-Autumn Festival, Netflix has released a new trailer for Over the Moon, an animated movie about a young girl who builds a rocket ship to visit the moon goddess, Chang’e. The gorgeous-looking film is directed by Disney icon Glen Keane — who brought to animated life Elliott the Dragon in Pete’s Dragon, Professor Ratigan (a top-five Disney villain) in The Great Mouse Detective, Ariel in The Little Mermaid, the Beast in Beauty and the Beast, as well as the titular characters in Aladdin and Pocahontas — and written by Audrey Wells (The Hate U Give), who died in 2018.

“She had written this script as a love letter to her daughter and her husband with a very wonderful message about what happens when you lose someone, that the love that you share lasts forever,” producer Peilin Chou said about Wells’ screenplay. “It was something she really wanted her daughter to have and know.”

Here’s the official plot synopsis:

Fueled with determination and a passion for science, a bright young girl builds a rocket ship to the moon to prove the existence of a legendary Moon Goddess. There she ends up on an unexpected quest, and discovers a whimsical land of fantastical creatures.

Over the Moon, featuring the voices of Cathy Ang, Phillipa Soo, Robert G. Chiu, Ken Jeong, John Cho, Ruthie Ann Miles, Margaret Cho, Kimiko Glenn, Artt Butler, Irene Tsu, Clem Cheung, Conrad Ricamora, and Sandra Oh, premieres on Netflix on October 23.

This year’s post-Emmys TV hangover included multiple talk-show returns on Monday, including Ellen DeGeneres returning to address those allegations of fostering a toxic workplace. The Emmys host, Jimmy Kimmel, also returned to late night after a months-long hiatus, and of course, he used the monologue to address the news of the day, which was the Emmys. Fortunately for all, Kimmel had forecast a “beautiful disaster” for the event, so not much was a surprise for him. Probably not even that fire.

Kimmel had also fully anticipated lower ratings for the event — which makes sense because people are burned out on Zoom panels and may have expected as much — so he took the report of a 12% tumble (to 6.1 million viewers) from last year in stride: “Well, we set a record let’s just say that.” In much better news, though, the Emmys raised $2.8 million for the No Kid Hungry charity, something that’s sorely needed during these pandemic days.

The host also addressed the eeriness of emceeing an empty event (while joking about how “the only person social-distancing in Zendaya’s house was Zendaya herself”), along with the lack of afterparties:

“The weirdest part of hosting this show was – when it was over – there are usually parties – and everyone is carrying their Emmys around. Everyone’s happy, everyone’s celebrating. This year, the show ended – and it was like ‘well, I guess I’ll go into my car – and drive home.’ Doing an awards show – where all the winners are at home – is a strange experience. It was probably the first time in history that someone won an Emmy – and then, ten minutes later put a load of laundry in the dryer.”

Although Kimmel also included several tweets of people (who didn’t realize that old footage was used for the live-audience effect) who bashed him during the show, the event was actually pretty fun to witness. It was truly a highlight of 2020 and pretty darn successful, given the tough circumstances. Where else can you see John Oliver in a hoodie? C’mon.

The pandemic has hit a lot of industries hard, and that’s especially true of the music industry. Live entertainment and music-related consumer goods are a luxury for most people, an expense they can cut from their budget when times get difficult. On top of that, the coronavirus has forced most live performances to be postponed or canceled. Subsequently, a lot of musicians are having a tough time right now, and it looks like a good number of them may be forced to leave the industry.

That has been indicated by a new study, which says that 34 percent of musicians are considering leaving the music industry because of pandemic-caused losses. This data comes via the Musicians’ Union (via NME), a UK organization founded in 1893 that describes itself as “a community of around 32,000 musicians working to protect our members’ rights and campaign for a fairer music industry.”

Meanwhile, nearly half of Musicians’ Union members have been forced to seek alternative work, and about 70 percent of them are currently doing less than a quarter of their regular work.

In a statement regarding the data, Musicians’ Union General Secretary Horace Trubridge called for the UK government to support musicians and noted, “These figures are devastating and show how many musicians are struggling financially and at real risk of leaving music for good. In better times, our members drive a £5bn music industry with their talent. One artist’s gig will create a domino effect of jobs – from lighting technicians to ticket sellers. If one musician is out of work, you can be sure many others will be affected, too.”