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Just because Katy Perry‘s on the American Idol judging panel doesn’t mean everyone’s going to agree with her. In fact, on Monday’s (April 17) episode, the competition show’s live audience in Hawaii went as far as to boo the pop star after she gave some harsh criticism to fan-favorite Nutsa Buzaladze.
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Buzaladze, who’s already earned a reputation for delivering show-stopping, high-energy performances, sparkled during her live rendition of Grace Potter and the Nocturnals’ “Paris (Ooh La La).” But for Perry, there was a little too much sparkle.
“Nutsa, every time you take the stage, it’s like you glitter bomb the stage,” the “Firework” singer told the Top 26 hopeful. “Listen, I think one thing I personally would like to see from you is not one piece of glitter the next time. I know that’s gonna be hard.”
Fans in the audience, however, couldn’t have disagreed more. The crowd started booing loudly in response, causing fellow judge Luke Bryan to cheer, “Yes! Katy got booed. Katy got booed.”
Perry, however, was unfazed. “OK, first time in six seasons, woo hoo,” she dismissed the jeers. She then clarified to Buzaladze what she meant. “What I’m saying is that I’d like you to flip the script. I think we want to be pulled in by our hearts, too. I’d love to see that, and I think America might too.”
In Perry’s defense, Buzaladze herself has admitted she needs to learn how to dial it back a little. When the 25-year-old contestant first auditioned for Idol in Las Vegas, the “Roar” singer told her the energy was “turned up too hot.”
“My problem is, I feel always that I have a lot of energy,” the hopeful admitted a few weeks ago while preparing for the Hollywood Week solos round.
Watch Katy Perry get booed for the first time in six seasons above.
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These boots were made for walking. From Coachella to Revolve Festival, platform boots have officially taken over the California desert.
With so many festivals and concert tours this year, you can expect to see even more people wearing platform boots, and rightfully so, because they’re cute, extremely comfortable and offer better support than a stiletto heel.
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Platforms never officially left the fashion ethos. In fact, they’ve withstood the test of time. Looking back over the last five decades, platform boots have been at the forefront of fashion footwear. From their 1970s heyday to ’90s grunge and goth, to Y2K trends from the early ’00s, it’s clear that platforms boots aren’t going anywhere.
But where can you find the best platform boots? Shoppers are head over heels for the Windsor Smith Stretch Sock Boot ($129). According to dozens of customer reviews and TikTok videos, the platform ankle boot is “bloody perfect.”
Princess Polly
Windsor Smith Found Black Stretch Sock Boot
$129
“These shoes fit perfectly,” reads one customer review. “The heels are nice and big, the perfect size for a bit of a statement. And they’re easy to walk in. Your feet don’t even get sore! And not to mention they’re stunning. The material helps it fit like a glove. It’s fitted yet stretchy at the same time and very flattering.”
This mid-calf boot has a 4.1-inch platform heel with a rounded toe, treaded sole and detail stitching along the front and ankle. The boot is available in sizes 6-10.
“I cannot tell you how happy I am with these boots,” wrote another customer. “They’re comfortable and I feel like I can walk in them for hours and they fit bigger calfs. Get these if you’re thinking about it!”
“I am so obsessed with these yall you can pair them with anything and they are the perfect boots to complete a grunge style look,” added another happy customer.
Windsor Smith platforms are known for being stylish and comfortable, but also affordable. Click here to see other platforms boots from the brand.
If you’d rather have a sale option, these platform boots are $80 at Aldo (regular $130). You also might like these Steve Madden Acacia Leather Platform Boots ($159.95) or the splurge-worthy Naked Wolfe Spice Platform Tall Boot ($350).
You can also find a large variety of platforms at Amazon and Zappos. For even shoe recommendations, read our round up of other places to buy platform boots and heels.
All products and services featured are independently chosen by editors. However, Billboard may receive a commission on orders placed through its retail links, and the retailer may receive certain auditable data for accounting purposes.
The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon already has plenty of fun music-focused segments, like Classroom Instruments and Wheel of Musical Impressions. Now, the popular late night talk show has added a brand new series called “Musical Stairs.”
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As the name suggests, the segment features artists performing their latest hits in the Tonight Show stairwell, backed by The Roots. In a teaser clip shared exclusively with Billboard on Tuesday (April 18), the Jonas Brothers are the first stars to take on “Musical Stairs,” performing a stripped-back rendition of their new single “Waffle House.”
In the 30-second teaser, Joe Jonas is seen singing the first verse and chorus, as Nick Jonas provides harmonies and Kevin Jonas accompanies The Roots on acoustic guitar.
“Waffle House” is the second single off the Jonas Brothers’ forthcoming ’70s-inspired studio set, The Album, which is scheduled for release on May 12 via Republic Records. The inspiring track follows the soaring lead single “Wings.”
Watch a clip of Jonas Brothers performing “Waffle House” below, and catch the full segment on Tuesday night (April 18) on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. The show airs every weeknight at 11:35 p.m. ET on NBC. For those without cable, the Tonight Show is also available to stream online through streaming services including Hulu (sign up here) and Peacock TV (sign up here).
All products and services featured are independently chosen by editors. However, Billboard may receive a commission on orders placed through its retail links, and the retailer may receive certain auditable data for accounting purposes.
Prime Video announced a new step in audio enhancement with Dialogue Boost, a newly released feature that utilizes AI to deliver “targeted enhancement to portions of spoken dialogue,” the company revealed on Tuesday (April 18).
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“At Prime Video, we are committed to building an inclusive, equitable, and enjoyable streaming experience for all our customers,” said Raf Soltanovich, VP of technology at Prime Video and Amazon Studios. “Our library of captioned and audio described content continues to grow, and by leveraging our technological capabilities to create industry-first innovations like Dialogue Boost, we are taking another step to create a more accessible streaming experience.”
Dialogue Boost was created with hearing-impaired viewers in mind, but the feature can be used by anyone.
How can you find Dialogue Boost? Prime Video users can navigate to the drop-down menu, which is usually located on the top right portion of the screen if you’re streaming on a computer, tablet or another device, to access Dialogue Boost. Once you find the menu, select “English Dialogue Boost: Medium” or “English Dialogue Boost: High.”
If you have an Amazon Fire TV remote, the menu button is located to the right of the home button.
Prime Video is free for Amazon Prime members. Not subscribed? Launch your free 30-day trial here, so that you can start streaming from a mega-library of TV series, movies, concerts, music festivals, award shows, sports and other content.
After your free trial ends, the monthly membership is $14.99 a month; or $139 for the annul subscription. If you’d rather have Prime Video by itself, it costs $9/month after a free trial for a week.
Prime Video
$(Free with Prime membership) or $9/month after 7-day free trial
Dialogue Boost is currently available on select Amazon Originals including The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan and Harlem; along with films such as The Big Sick, Beautiful Boy and Being the Ricardos.
Whether you’re a TV addict, movie buff, music lover or sports fan, Prime Video has it all. Stream from a massive collection of Prime Originals like Daisy Jones & The Six, Swarm, The Power, Fairfax, Invincible, Upload, The Lord of the Rings: The Ring of Power, The Wheel of Time, The Summer I Turned Pretty, Modern Love, I Want You Back and The Boys.
Prime Video also allows users to stream content from HBO Max, Showtime, Paramount+, Starz, AMC+, Discovery+ and other platforms.
The 2023 Tribeca Festival announced its lineup for this year’s event on Tuesday (April 18) and among the 109 feature films from 127 directors from 36 countries are a number of documentaries about some of the most beloved, scandalous and intriguing musicians of the modern era.
The Festival, which takes place from June 7-18, will spotlight 93 world premieres and a diverse roster featuring 43 first-time directors with 41% of all feature films directed by women and, in a first, more than half of competition films directed by women (68%), as well as 36% of feature films directed by BIPOC filmmakers.
Among the notable music-related movies are:
Uncharted — (world premiere) Director Beth Aala goes behind the scenes of Alicia Keys’ “She Is the Music” songwriting camp, with a performance from She Is the Music artists afterwards curated by Keys.
Scream of My Blood: A Gogol Bordello Story — (world premiere) After Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, GB leader Eugene Hütz breaks down the influence of Ukrainian and Roma culture on his punk band’s music, followed by a performance by the band.
Milli Vanilli — (world premiere) Director Luke Korem’s deep dive into the origin and precipitous downfall of the “Girl You Know It’s True” duo featuring a rare interview with surviving member Fabrice Morvan. (This writer was interviewed for the film.)
Gloria Gaynor: I Will Survive — (world premiere) A documentary chronicling the “I Will Survive” singer’s comeback with a new gospel album, touching on her struggles with ageism and financial ruin, followed by a live performance.
All Up in the Biz — (world premiere) Director Sacha Jenkins collages celebrity interviews, rare film, reenactments and animation to describe how late rap icon Biz Markie left his mark on the music world.
It’s Only Life After All — (New York premiere) A look at the beloved folk duo, with a songwriting masterclass to follow.
Songs About F–king — (world premiere) Musician Marc Rebillet goes on one of the first live music tours after the COVID-19 lockdown, with musical Q&A with Rebillet afterwards.
Waitress, the Musical – Live on Broadway! — (world premiere) A movie treatment of the Broadway musical about a small-town pie baker with big dreams featuring lyricist Sara Bareilles, who will perform live after the screening.
Cypher — (world premiere) Director Chris Mourkabel “captures the weird and sinister side of fame” in a pseudo-documentary about rapper Tierra Whack.
Bad Like Brooklyn Dancehall — (world premiere) Doc about the city’s role in the evolution of dancehall, featuring Shaggy and Sean Paul, followed by performance from dancehall legends.
Maestra — (world premiere) Director Maggie Contreras follows women from different backgrounds as they compete in the first all-women competition for conducting.
In addition to those music features, the festival will host the “Escape From Tribeca” series featuring films such as Enter the Clones of Bruce, a doc looking at the Bruce Lee exploitation craze, director Sav Rodgers’ Chasing Chasing Amy about the filmmaker’s journey of self-discovery while making a doc on the development of Kevin Smith’s controversial LGBTQ+ film Chasing Amy and Taylor Mac’s 24-Decade History of Popular Music, a concert film that dives into New York theater legends Mac’s “ostentatiously queer 24-hour musical performance.”
There will also be a world premiere of the life of late Marvel Comics genius Stan Lee, a profile of legendary MLB promoter and owner Bill Veeck (The Saint of Second Chances) touching on his famous 1979 “Disco Demolition” stunt at Chicago’s Comiskey Park, a profile of New York concert promoter Ron Delsener (Ron Delsener Presents) and the world premiere of Anthem, in which DJ Dahi and composer Kris Bowers set off on a road trip across the country to find out what it sounds like to have a national anthem that actually reflects America.
For a full list of this year’s films click here.
Andrew Lloyd Webber stopped by The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon on Monday night (April 17) to reflect on Cats, The Phantom of the Opera and more.
Host Jimmy Fallon led his conversation with the Broadway legend to the Jellicle 1981 musical by asking, “Can I ask you about Cats?” as members of the audience chuckled. “How does one come up with an idea like Cats? And are you a cat person?”
“Well, I am a cat person,” Lord Lloyd Webber responded. “Well, I was a total cat person until I saw the Cats movie.”
After that joke got an impromptu standing ovation from the studio audience, the composer continued. “What happened to the Cats movie was, during the course of it being, as it were, shot — which I hope the whole movie would’ve been — I bought this little puppy. And he was called Mojito, he’s a little Havanese dog, he comes from Cuba.”
Lloyd Webber went on to explain that he tried using the pup as a therapy dog on an airplane, but the unnamed airline said he needed a doctor’s note. “And so I just said, ‘I saw the Cats movie and bought a puppy,’” he deadpanned. “And they said, ‘No doctor’s letter required.’”
Directed by Tom Hooper, the 2019 musical adaptation featured a who’s who of stars like James Corden, Judi Dench, Idris Elba, Jason Derulo, Jennifer Hudson, Ian McKellan and Taylor Swift as humanoid alley cats. It was panned by critics and audiences alike, though “Beautiful Ghosts,” the original song written for the film by Lloyd Webber and Swift, did garner a Grammy nomination for best song written for visual media.
During the interview, the Broadway impresario also spoke about the closing of Phantom the night before, saying, “It was sad last night because I just felt it could run on, but there you go.”
However, the iconic chandelier may not have fallen for the last time. ALW received a mysterious note that was delivered to the Tonight Show studio from the Phantom himself, which read, “I am extremely displeased that my legend is no longer being told in New York, a city for which I have developed great affection. I am therefore currently obtaining a new address in which my legend will be examined in extreme detail. I advise you and New Yorkers to be vigilant.”
Watch Lloyd Webber’s complete interview with Fallon below.
While many formats have come and gone throughout the storied history of RuPaul’s Drag Race, one fundamental tradition on the show has remained since the very beginning — the lip sync.
Whether it’s a lip sync for your life, a lip sync for your legacy, a lip sync for the crown or another variation, the lip sync has become the most inextricable cornerstone of the reality show’s brand. Watching two (or occasionally more) queens battling it out while dancing and mouthing the words to some of our favorite songs is part of the reason why Drag Race has essentially become the unofficial sporting league of the LGBTQ community.
Debates have long been held in the Drag Race fan community as to what constitutes a great lip sync; is it the high-octane dance moves, death drops, duck walks and various other stunts that boost performances to success? Is it the number of reveals — either in costumes or wigs — that a queen can successfully pull off? Is it as simple as how well a queen can convey the spirit of a song?
As valid as all these points are, there is one factor to a successful lip sync that doesn’t often get its due — song choice. Picking the right track for staging a no-holds-barred battle is crucial to the ultimate success of a lip sync. So, the question remains: which recording artist’s songs have soundtracked the most lip syncs on Drag Race?
Below, Billboard breaks down the artists whose songs have been featured the most times in lip syncs on RuPaul’s Drag Race and RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars, and why their music has become an essential part of the Drag Race experience.
Rihanna
Image Credit: Christopher Polk/GI for NARAS
The Numbers: 5 lip-syncs (S5:E2, S11:E14, S12:E4, All Stars S2:E5, All Stars S5:E4)
The Impact: While there are five other superstars who have received the lip sync treatment 5 times (En Vogue, Cher, Nicki Minaj, Lizzo and Jennifer Lopez) Rihanna gets just a slight bump ahead if only because queens have a tendency to pop off when her music comes on. The Bad Girl herself didn’t become a regular lip sync occurrence on the franchise until later in its run, after the producers likely realized that Rihanna is a stellar choice for some stunning performances. Between her hyped-up pop stylings and her edgier endeavors, Rihanna’s music is the exact kind of wild that makes for some of Drag Race’s most memorable lip syncs.
The Best One: Alyssa Edwards vs. Tatianna to “Shut Up and Drive,” All Stars Season 2, Episode 5 — Widely considered to be one of the best lip-syncs in the Drag Race extended universe, Alyssa Edwards and Tatianna earned their double win for this unhinged, no-holds-barred lip sync. There are kicks, splits, drops, stunts and two stunning performances that would surely make even Rihanna stand up and scream “you better work!”
Janet Jackson
Image Credit: Francois Nel/GI
The Numbers: 6 lip-syncs (S10:E14 [twice], S13:E1, All Stars S1:E3, All Stars S4:E9, All Stars S6:E2)
The Impact: The sultry stylings of Ms. Jackson bring a much-needed air of desire to the lip syncs of Drag Race — tasking the queens with translating Janet’s smooth, sensual songs into keyed-up performances can be a difficult task for some. But when the queens manage to walk the line, their lip syncs to these songs quickly become some of the best in the show’s history, proving once again why Janet Jackson is as iconic as she is.
The Best One: Ra’Jah O’Hara vs. Brooke Lynn Hytes to “Miss You Much,” All Stars Season 6, Episode 2 — When Ra’Jah and Brooke Lynn faced off to the sounds of “Miss You Much” in All Stars 6, it was immediately one for the history books. Both queens brought the pure sex needed for the song while embodying Janet’s energy — it’s no wonder why they both won. And as an added bonus, no butterflies were harmed in the making of this lip-sync.
Madonna
Image Credit: Zak Kaczmarek/GI
The Numbers: 6 lip-syncs (S4:E5, S6:E1, S8:E5, S9:E6, S12:E7, All Stars S5:E5)
The Impact: B—-, she’s Madonna. There’s simply nothing more to it — when you think of phenomenal songs to get your life to, the Material Girl is one of the first artists to pop into your mind. She’s made a career creating music for the LGBTQ community to celebrate to, so when Madonna’s songs show up in a Drag Race lip sync, you just know that you’re about to watch two queens destroy the runway.
The Best One: Peppermint vs. Cynthia Lee Fontaine to “Music,” Season 9, Episode 6 — While there are multiple incredible entries of Madonna’s music on Drag Race, perhaps none was as impactful as this fateful lip-sync where Peppermint assassinated Cynthia Lee Fontaine on national television. Bringing camp, perfectly timed dance moves and an imaginary shotgun to the stage, Peppermint knocked it out of the park, all while doing Madge proud.
Beyoncé
Image Credit: Carlijn Jacobs*
The Numbers: 7 lip-syncs (Solo: S14:E6, S14:E11, S14:E14, S15:E10, All Stars S7:E3, With Destiny’s Child: S11:E14, S12:E14)
The Impact: Up until season 14 of RuPaul’s Drag Race, Beyoncé’s music had only appeared twice on the show, and both times were from her Destiny’s Child days. But when it rains, it pours — scoring three lip syncs in a single main season, Bey came back in a big way, showing just how vital her songs are to the art of lip syncing.
The Best One: Jorgeous vs. Lady Camden vs. Angeria Paris VanMicheals to “Radio,” Season 14, Episode 11 — Having more than two queens perform in a lip-sync proved to be problematic in past seasons. But there is something about this LaLaPaRuza lip sync from season 14 that just works. Maybe it’s the fact that an often underappreciated Beyoncé gem was getting its shine; maybe it’s the fact that all three queens are using every ounce of the stage and their talent to shine; or maybe it’s the simple fact that by the end, it was hard to say who won in one of the best lip syncs of the entire season. All we know for sure is that the “Radio” lip sync was one for the books.
Lady Gaga
Image Credit: Patrick Smith/GI
The Numbers: 7 lip-syncs (S3:E3, S4:E:6, S8:E1, S11:E14, S14:E14, All Stars S2:E5, All Stars S6:E12, All Stars S7:E12)
The Impact: Along with being one of the greatest guest judges to grace the stage of Drag Race, Mother Monster has made her presence known through some of her fiercest songs showing up on the reality series. Gaga’s emotive voice, mixed with her music’s chameleonic quality, creates the dramatic, intense atmosphere that queens everywhere need to pull out a sickening performance. After all, she’s Lady Gaga — of course her songs are going to soundtrack some fabulous lip sync battles.
The Best One: Yvie Oddly vs. Brooke Lynn Hytes to “The Edge of Glory,” Season 11, Episode 14 — Talk about doing what the other girls can’t. In this finale lip sync for the crown, lip sync assassins Brooke Lynn Hytes and Yvie Oddly gave a nail-biting battle to Gaga’s Born This Way hit – but it was the moment when Yvie turned around to reveal a second face before bending over backwards into a flip that we all knew it would go down as an iconic final lip sync.
Aretha Franklin
Image Credit: Theo Wargo/GI for Tribeca Film Festival
The Numbers: 7 lip-syncs (S2:E9, S4:E10, S6:E10, S11:E12, S14:E11 All Stars S4:E5, All Stars S7:E12)
The Impact: When you need emotion, tears, and a voice that could bring a building down, who else are you going to turn to except the Queen of Soul? The late, great Aretha Franklin may not be the first person you think of when it comes to high-energy, dance-the-house-down lip syncs. But the raw passion of her music makes for some of the most moving performances on Drag Race, proving once again that lip-syncing isn’t always about stunts — it’s about embodying the artist.
The Best One: Latrice Royale vs. Kenya Michaels to “(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman,” Season 4, Episode 10 — Lip-syncing while wearing pregnancy bellies is not an easy thing to do, as Kenya Michaels found out in this iconic season 4 moment. While the dancing queen tried to split and kick and flip her way to a win, Latrice Royale stood in place and paid simple, beautiful homage to Franklin, proving once and for all that she was a force to be reckoned with.
Whitney Houston
Image Credit: Kevin Winter/GI
The Numbers: 8 lip-syncs (S1:E3, S9:E13 [twice], S11:E5, S11:E12, S13:E14, All Stars S4:E3, All Stars S7:E4)
The Impact: Who better than The Voice to bring a lip-sync to life? Whitney Houston’s music perfectly encapsulates what makes the lip-syncs of Drag Race so fun to watch; they’re easy to dance to, her breathtaking vocals bring the drama, and everyone knows the words to a classic Whitney tune. Frankly, it’s a wonder that she’s only been performed to seven times on the show — but we’re certain that this isn’t the last we’ll hear from Whitney on Drag Race
The Best One: Sasha Velour vs. Shea Couleé to “So Emotional,” Season 9, Episode 13 — Who could ever forget perhaps the most well-loved reveal in the show’s history? When Sasha Velour lifted her wig and shook approximately a gallon of rose petals onto her head, fans everywhere lost it — not only did the fashion queen manage to beat out the favorite for the crown Shea Couleé, but it was a perfect send-up of Houston’s iconic track. We still get emotional thinking about what an excellent performance this was.
Ariana Grande
Image Credit: Art Streiber/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via GI
The Numbers: 9 lip-syncs (S7:E6, S9:E9, S10:E14, S12:E3, S13:E12, S15:E1, All Stars S4:E2, All Stars S5:E6, All Stars S6:E10)
The Impact: While Ariana Grande’s songs didn’t appear on Drag Race until her appearance as a guest judge in season 7, they have now practically become a staple of the show itself. Almost every season, two queens end up lip syncing to an Ariana banger, and it’s easy to see why — the pop superstar has a penchant for making hook-focused, instantly catchy tracks that almost beg you to lip-sync along to them.
The Best One: Nina Bo’nina Brown vs. Valentina to “Greedy,” Season 9, Episode 9 — Yes, this lip-sync to “Greedy” is universally considered to be one of the all-time worst lip syncs on Drag Race. And that’s why it is the best — to this day, fans still talk about Valentina’s mask, RuPaul’s angry lecture mid-song, Shea Couleé’s off-screen commentary of “She. Doesn’t. Know. The Words.” and much more. But not enough people talk about what a fabulous job Nina Bo’nina Brown did encapsulating the vibe of Ariana Grande while dressed as a skeleton in a tutu.
Britney Spears
Image Credit: Michelangelo Di Battista/Sony/RCA via GI
The Numbers: 11 lip-syncs (S1:E5, S4:E1, S5:E4, S9:E4, S9:E14, S11:E2, S13:E3, S13:E16 [three times] All Stars S6:E4)
The Impact: When you think of a drag queen performing a lip sync, what song comes to mind? “Womanizer?” Perhaps it’s “Work Bitch?” Maybe even “…Baby One More Time?” Either way, Britney Spears is one of the best performers to deliver a dragged-out lip-sync to, and there is no exception when it comes to Drag Race — the pop princess’ vocals lend themselves to mimicry, her discography offers everything from pure campy pop to lonesome ballads, and her music is some of the most instantly recognizable around the world. I mean, it’s Britney, b—-!
The Best One: Peppermint vs. Trinity “The Tuck” Taylor to “Stronger,” Season 9, Episode 14 — While there are nearly a dozen lip syncs to choose from here, none compares to the battle royale between Peppermint and Trinity at the season 9 finale. From the moment the song began, both queens gave their all to this performance, actively manifesting Spears’ inspirational lyrics. But when Peppermint offered a wig and outfit reveal in one fell swoop, it became clear she was the one true winner.
RuPaul
Image Credit: Courtesy of VH1
The Numbers: 23 lip-syncs (I don’t know why you’re all gagging, she brings it to you every season).
The Impact: I mean, duh. Her name is literally in the title. There is no RuPaul’s Drag Race without RuPaul, so of course she’s going to be the one who gets the most lip-syncs on the show. Because of the very nature of Drag Race, RuPaul’s songs are the ideal lip-sync songs — because they are quite literally built to be lip-synced to. Frankly, if it had been anyone else topping this list, that would have been the real gag of the century.
The Best One: Naomi Smalls vs. Gia Gunn to “Adrenaline,” All Stars Season 4, Episode 6 — There are quite literally a mountain of lip-syncs to choose from, but the one that still stands out to this day came during All Stars 4’s infamous “LaLaPaRuZa” episode, when Naomi Smalls and Gia Gunn delivered show-stopping performances to RuPaul’s “Adrenaline.” There are so many noteworthy moments in this one lip sync — Gia’s Gogo Yubari-esque reveal, Naomi’s gravity-defying backbend, both of them voguing for their lives — that we still don’t understand why they both weren’t permitted to stay in the competition for doing Ru proud.
Don’t ever challenge Rihanna to a drink-off. Seth Meyers has revealed that after hitting the bars with the superstar in June 2019 for his show’s “Day Drinking” bit, he was as hammered as he’s ever been in his life, while RihRih seemed pretty much unaffected.
“Rihanna was the drunkest I’ve ever been, and it was worth every second of it,” the late night host shared on Monday night’s (April 18) visit to the The Late Late Show with James Corden. “First of all, I should note that — hate to break the news here — but she’s younger than me. We drank the same amount and then she definitely went out, like she was fine.”
“She walked out, she looked as good as she did when we started,” Meyers continued. “I went home, immediately fell asleep in the hallway of my apartment. Got in the door, fell asleep. My wife passive aggressively, James, put a water next to my head and went to bed.”
For proof, the former SNL star shared a photo of him passed out on his back in his hallway, limbs spread out limply to the side with his cell phone resting on his chest. “I like that I have my phone on my chest just in case Rihanna called,” Meyers joked to friend he will share an overlapping late night spot with for one more week; Corden is signing off from The Late Late Show on April 27.
He and the Fenty Beauty mogul filmed their day drinking escapade in 2019 for a recurring segment on Late Night with Seth Meyers, which has also seen the likes of Lizzo, the Jonas Brothers and Lorde getting tanked in broad daylight with the host. During the segment, Seth and Rih chugged beers, enjoyed bizarre cocktails named after Rihanna songs — “Under My Rumbrella,” for example — and played increasingly sloppy drinking games. And Meyers, indeed, did seem quite sloshed by the end of it.
Watch Seth Meyers reminisce on day drinking with Rihanna above.
After a high-octane season that saw the show’s highest ratings in three years, RuPaul’s Drag Race season 15 went out with a bang on Friday (April 14).
‘RuPaul’s Drag Race’: Every Lip Sync From Season 15, Ranked
04/18/2023
In the finale episode, the top four queens (Anetra, Luxx Noir London, Mistress Isabelle Brooks and Sasha Colby) performed in a series of solo lip sync numbers, before getting narrowed down to a top two. With Anetra and Sasha Colby advancing to the final event, the pair performed a dramatic lip sync to Amii Stewart’s “Knock on Wood,” where only one queen emerged victorious — Sasha Colby.
The Hawaiian drag superstar — best known for winning the prestigious drag pageant Miss Continental back in 2011 — humbly accepted her new scepter from RuPaul at the end of the finale, declaring that she was dedicating her win to her community. “This goes to every trans person, past, present and future,” she said. “Because we are not going anywhere.”
Colby came into the finale with the strongest track record of any of her competitors — along with never landing in the bottom in any of the show’s challenges, Sasha also racked up four challenge wins over the course of the season, more than any other queen on the show. Fans favored Sasha for the crown, with 47% of respondents to Billboard‘s pre-finale poll declaring Sasha as their winner (Anetra was the next closest with 44% of the vote).
Speaking to Billboard a few days after her crowning, Sasha Colby talked about what it meant for her to win the crown, how she executed two extremely memorable lip syncs in a single episode, her Beyoncé conspiracy theory and why it’s more important than ever to have a trans woman take home the Drag Race crown.
You must have had a wild weekend, queen.
It’s really been wonderful, I got to spend some time with some really good friends who always supported my work. I just got to soak it in, let it integrate, you know?
Yes, because nothing big happened, right?
No, no, you know, I watched a little show on Friday, but other than that, it was chill [laughs]. Which is exactly how I felt going into the event on Friday night, I was telling the top four when we were doing our numbers, like, “Girls, it’s just brunch.”
Let’s get into it — congratulations to you, our winner, our current reigning! How are you feeling after clinching the crown?
I feel amazing! As a very competitive pageant girl, it’s nice to accomplish something, and it really feels good to sit back and know that this was a job well done. I did everything I could — I mean, I literally put my whole a– out there. It’s just really lovely to get this from the ultimate drag queen herself.
This is not your first experience taking home a crown — in your career, where does this particular honor rank amongst your many achievements?
This is the highest honor so far, until my presidency [laughs]. No, this is the pinnacle for me. Doing Miss Continental 11 years ago, Drag Race was, I think, about three seasons in. It was pretty new. When I made a miracle happen by winning Continental, I sort of thought that you get one miracle in your lifetime. But it’s wild to think that we made magic again — and by “we” I do mean my tribe, my family, because it definitely was not just me.
Musicians Who’ve Spoken Out Against Recent Anti-LGBTQ Bills: Hayley Williams, Lizzo, Ariana Grande…
04/18/2023
Right after winning the crown, you had this beautiful moment where you dedicated your win to your community, to “every trans person, past, present and future, because we’re not going anywhere.” With everything going on in the country right now, why was that an important dedication for you to make?
You know, I was thinking about being funny, being cheeky — no pun intended. But really, what summed it up the entire competition me was the fact that I was getting so nervous. You get very in your head, you start feeling insane, like a drag-zilla, if you will. I had to step back and make the competition where it was not about this dream that I was so happy to have achieved. All that was in the back of my head was, “What’s going on?” You know, it was about traveling, and feeling unsafe where we’re going, and this rhetoric on the news about trans folks.
So it was a way for me to not make it about, “I need to win Drag Race, this is the end-all-be-all.” No, when you’re trying to achieve something, you have to look at what’s after. Once you know there’s something else you have to do that is greater than this desire you have, the desire immediately gets filled because of the purpose you have. To me, this is why I waited [to be on Drag Race], because I was supposed to be here right now, to be the face of exactly what these people are trying to eradicate.
Well-said. On a much less serious note, on a scale of 1-10, how certain are you in your conspiracy theory that Beyoncé’s Sasha Fierce moniker was inspired by you?
Girl, that is desperate, desperate ploy for Beyoncé to contact me [laughs]. And you know what? The hive has not come for me yet, because deep down they know that they all would have done the same thing. If it meant mother would talk to them? They would’ve done the exact same.
They’ve just been sitting quietly saying, “Wait, no, let’s see what happens.”
Ugh, the doors Gia Gunn and I have opened [giggles].
There’s so much to talk about from the finale episode, so let’s start with your performance of the original song “GODDESS” — you were in perfect form for this number. Tell me a little about how you went about staging this, because it looked very meticulous.
Well, I was definitely thinking Continental 2.0 — I definitely have a formula when it comes to performances. Even if it’s a solo, I do have a formula that my dance director has worked with us all on for years; “When you tell a story, you have to have a beginning, a middle and an end.”
I like to use my body to write the story of what I see in the music. So if I feel a suspension of breath like there was in “GODDESS,” I want to show that with my body. If I feel tension, I want to show it. I remember Monica Monroe told me the most powerful thing is to understand the silence of the music. Because that takes you on a journey, and it points the viewer in the right direction. And, you know, I like being a little f–gy.
Then we get to the Lip Sync for the Crown, where you executed not one, but two absolutely wild outfit reveals. How much did you have to practice those before getting on the stage?
Can I be real with you? Not one time. The outfits weren’t finished and didn’t get delivered until the day before. I couldn’t unwrap that massive coat, because even if I did, there was no space with enough room to practice that reveal! I’ve done the trick with the second dress before (ripping out a chord from the center of the dress until it falls away), it’s an old-school burlesque trick. But it’s hard to execute, and we did end up painting a little purple on it so it would blend it, which made it a little trickier. So no, that was not rehearsed, and I was really on that stage like, “I am going to rip this off on camera.” I also just didn’t want to be that queen saying “I need to rehearse on the stage! I need to this!” It’s just like, it’s a competition, hold your cards close to your chest.
Do you have any big plans for what you’re going to do with the $200,000 cash prize?
I think I’m gonna try and save, to be honest! I’d love to save it up so I can buy a beautiful home. But, a splurge might be something like … great teeth, honestly. A star smile! Because dental health is very important! It seems like a vanity buy, but ultimately it’s a healthy buy.
What can fans expect from Sasha Colby’s reign as America’s Next Drag Superstar?
You can expect the same goofy, silly, sexy girl to come to every city. You can expect high energy, mothering love, and probably some groundbreaking things that are already in the works as we speak. I mean, I’m not gonna stop now! In the eternal words of RuPaul herself, “This is the beginning.”
A week after Jamie Foxx‘s daughter revealed that he 55-year-old actor/singer had been hospitalized for an undisclosed “medical complication,” Foxx is reportedly still in hospital. CNN reported that Foxx remains in a Georgia hospital getting treatment for an as-yet-unnamed medical issue, an unnamed source with knowledge of the situation told the network.
Last week, the Oscar-winning actor and singer’s daughter, Corinne Foxx, shared in an Instagram post that her dad “experienced a medical complication” and that he was “already on his way to recovery.”
At press time there was still no additional information available about what sent Foxx to the hospital or what treatment he received and a spokesperson had not returned requests for comment . But CNN reported on Friday that that Foxx was still in hospital and undergoing undisclosed tests. Foxx has been filming Back in Action with Cameron Diaz in Atlanta and the source told the network that the medical incident didn’t take place on the set and Foxx was not transported to the hospital by EMS. It was unknown at press time if Foxx had wrapped his portion of the shoot before the incident.
Corinne Foxx has not posted an update on her father’s condition since her initial comment. Foxx’s most recent social media post came just days before the revelation of his illness and it included a short video cued to Rick Ross’ verse from Nicole Bus’ “You” in which he was seen chilling on a megayacht. At press time it did not appear that Foxx had commented on his health issue on his socials.