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Following K-Pops making its world premiere at the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival last weekend (Sept. 7), fans across movies and music were buzzing about the all-star cameos joining stars like Anderson .Paak, actor-rapper Jonnie “Dumbfoundead” Park, former U-KISS member Kevin Woo, Community star Yvette Nicole Brown, and .Paak’s son Soul Rasheed.
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With rumors about an upcoming acting opportunity for Vernon of SEVENTEEN since the singer-rapper was spotted filming in Seoul in May, Billboard can confirm the 26-year-old’s participation in K-Pops and share a first look.
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Described by Anderson .Paak as “a fun, lighthearted film born from my love for music and inspired by my family while we were quarantined during the pandemic,” K-Pops is the comedy-musical telling the story of struggling musician BJ (.Paak), who attempts to revive his career by joining the house band of a K-pop competition program in South Korea, only to discovers that his long-lost son Tae Young (Rasheed) is a contestant vying for global superstardom. The nearly two-hour flick marks .Paak’s directorial debut for a tale of uniting people and cultures through entertainment while enlisting several major collaborators.
“Vernon brings an undeniable energy and talent to anything he does so I was thrilled to have him join our cast,” Anderson.Paak shares exclusively with Billboard. “He’s got a unique vibe that brings so much value to the dynamic world of K-pop that we explored in the film. On set, he was a natural. His ability to adapt and take direction while bringing his creativity and dedication really elevated the project. One of his jokes got a huge laugh from the audience during our world premiere, demonstrating just how effortless his talent is.”
The SEVENTEEN star isn’t the only big K-pop name joining the project. In his director’s statement shared with press at TIFF 2024, Anderson.Paak explains how he infused his style with several top artists representing the South Korean music industry.
“I also had the opportunity to work with iconic K-pop artists that I’ve been looking to collaborate with for years like Suga from BTS, Vernon from SEVENTEEN, Crush, The Rose, Jessi and G-Dragon,” he shared. “The fact that I get to do these collaborations in my directorial debut and bring these idols and artists into the world of K-Pops just brings a whole new level of excitement to the project.”
Billboard Hot 100 hit producer DemJointz also collaborated with .Paak to create original music for the film. The Silk Sonic star explained how the California beatmaker brought his experiences working with artists like Rihanna and Kanye West as well as K-pop chart-toppers like BTS and IVE — and even recently bringing both worlds together like on the “Dirty Dancing (Dem Jointz Remix)” where New Kids on the Block is joined by SEVENTEEN — as a perfect partner.
“I worked alongside the incredible DemJointz to create some original music based around the fictional competition show you see in the film,” .Paak added. “He was vital to the creation of these songs because he works heavily in the K-pop world and has churned out a lot of hits in that genre — he’s brilliant. We had a great time digging into my archive of music and building off of original ideas to utilize for the soundtrack.”
K-Pops is being sold by WME Independent, with Stampede Ventures, Live Nation Productions, Apeshit Films, EST Studios, and Big Dummie all working as production company partners. Get your first official look at Vernon in the film below:
Seventeen’s Vernon in the movie ‘K-POPS.’
Israel Ramos
‘K-POPS’
Israel Ramos
From The Weeknd releasing the lead single to his next album to Charli XCX and Troye Sivan initiating Brat autumn with a fresh remix, this week is full of artists stepping into new eras. Starting with the Canadian superstar, new song “Dancing in the Flames” marks the lead single off his upcoming album Hurry Up […]
On Billboard JAPAN’s “Niconico VOCALOID SONGS” 2024 mid-year ranking, announced on June 7, Yoshida Yasei’s “Override” took the top spot. This chart tracks the popularity of Vocaloid songs on Niconico, ranking the top 20 based on data such as the total number of plays, the total number of videos, the number of comments, the number of likes, and other figures, multiplied by coefficients developed by Billboard JAPAN. Chart results have been published on a weekly basis since December 7, 2022.
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Sasuke Haraguchi’s “HITO Mania” took the No. 1 spot on the “Niconico VOCALOID SONGS TOP20” for the first time on September 20, 2023, keeping its position for 18 consecutive weeks, a new record for the chart. This had a huge impact on the Vocaloid scene. However, on the January 24, 2024 chart, “HITO Mania” was dethroned by Yoshida Yasei’s “Override,” failing to reach the 19 week mark. What’s important to note is that while jon-YAKITORY’s “Konton Boogie,” Sasuke Haraguchi’s “Medicine,” and nbaji’s “Sukina Souzai Happyou Dragon” then took the number one positions, “Override” made a comeback, claiming the number one position once more. This is a testament to the song’s tremendous momentum. It combines a catchy, distinctively Vocaloid, unforgettable melody with lyrics that can be taken as lampooning society itself, taking the position that there’s no way to know what lies beneath the things people say. The music video, featuring Kasane Teto, makes quite the impression, packed with net memes. The popularity of “Override” also got a boost from derivative works.
◎Yoshida Yasei’s “Override”
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Not only have there been changes in the sound of Vocaloid songs, but also in the voice synthesis software used to make them. For example, KAFU, which was released as CeVIO AI voice synthesis software in July 2021, was based on the voice of KAMITSUBAKI STUDIO’s virtual singer KAF, and its use became a major trend starting in 2021. The Niconico VOCALOID SONGS chart has included Tsumiki’s “Phony” (2021), Hiiragi Magnetite’s “Marshall Maximizer” (2021), and Iyowa’s “Kyu-kurarin” (2021), all of which feature KAFU. In addition to Yamaha’s VOCALOID, there is now a growing range of voice synthesis software, including VOICEROID, CeVIO AI, and Synthesizer V. This wide selection has led to more diverse music.
The mid-year chart for 2024 has been taken by storm by songs featuring Kasane Teto in particular. There’s Yoshida Yasei’s “Override” (No. 1), Sasuke Haraguchi’s “HITO Mania” (No. 2), Sasuke Haraguchi’s “Medicine” (No. 3), 32ki’s “Mesmerizer” (No. 6), nbaji’s “Sukina Souzai Happyou Dragon” (No. 7)… The chart is top-heavy with songs that use Kasane Teto. A major reason for this boom is the commercial release of Synthesizer V AI Kasane Teto on April 27, 2023. This voice synthesizer, which can produce more human, realistic vocals, began as an April Fool’s hoax: in March 2008, users on the 2channel message board announced the creation of new Vocaloid software named “Kasane Teto.” Coincidentally, the free UTAU voice synthesis software had been released in March of the same year. With UTAU, it was possible to use the voice of Mayo Oyamano, who provided the fake vocals for the prank, as a voicebank. With this, Kasane Teto was launched as an “official” voice synthesizer. As if to celebrate the 15th anniversary of this serendipitous beginning, the chart for the first half of 2024 is packed with Kasane Teto songs, whether made using the Synthesizer V version or the UTAU version.
Listening again to the songs in the chart, a few other interesting commonalities spring up. The first that stands out is the way that net memes and common phrases are sprinkled throughout. For example, these include “Override,” whose video appears to be a homage to Surii’s “Telecaster B-Boy,” “HITO Mania,” which takes a poke at modern society using familiar, cut-and-pasted expressions, and “Konton Boogie,” which includes the nostalgic 2000’s meme “What is that? Does it taste good?” From the early days of the Vocaloid scene until around 2015, lyrics were often direct, telling a story, as can be heard in ryo’s “Melt” or Scop’s “Irony.” However, in recent years, Vocaloid songs have had a growing tendency to use metaphors, symbolism, and difficult lyrics. We live in an age in which the things that people say are often taken in isolation, divorced from their context, shared and spread, and interpreted in unintended ways. Perhaps this is what is behind the new trend of Vocaloid lyrics becoming strings of abstract expressions. In the comments, people provide various interpretations, attempting to unravel the messages lurking within these abstractions. The massive hit “HITO Mania” typifies this, with deep lyrics that can be seen as skewering society, carried by a clipped audio backing. Its lyrics bear wide room for interpretation.
◎Sasuke Haraguchi’s “HITO Mania”
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The Vocaloid scene, which sprang from Niconico, is very welcoming to all kinds of derivative works, such as dance and vocal covers. “Sukina Souzai Happyou Dragon” took the No. 4 spot in the Neta Kyoku Tokosai (“Joke Song Festival”) category in VocaColle 2023 Summer. Parody comics and art by artists like the manga creator Sakamegane caused it to trend on X (Twitter), and its popularity exploded. User-generated content now holds the key to becoming a hit, and in some cases creators themselves actively encourage the creation of derivative works. For example, in the comments of his video “Override,” Yoshida Yasei provided tips for creating derivative works. nbaji wrote in the description box of his own videos that derivative works and parody songs were welcome. Moves such as these have accelerated the sharing of the songs. The killer tunes of the Vocaloid scene aren’t just the product of high musical quality, but involve various interwoven factors, including derivative works.
The chart for the first half of 2024 features many unique songs with the unique passion and individuality so typical of Niconico. It will be one to remember and it’ll be interesting to see what kinds of new killer tunes will one day dethrone them.
—This article by Mio Komachi was planned for publication in June 2024, but Niconico service was suspended due to a cyberattack, and is instead being published in September 2024
Milan confirms itself as the Italian capital of music by hosting Billboard Italia Women in Music next week. Billboard’s iconic awards ceremony will be held Monday (Sept. 16) at Teatro Manzoni, one of the cultural symbols of the city. The event is the first local edition of the Billboard format in Europe. The Woman of […]
The long wait appears to be over: The Cure may have confirmed the release date of their first LP in 16 years in postcards sent to fans. Earlier this week, speculation mounted that an announcement was incoming when the group updated social media profile pictures. Now fans of the band have received cryptic postcards in […]
This week in dance music: The 2024 Paralympics Closing Ceremony in Paris was a French electronic music extravaganza, we looked at why La Roux’s 2009 electro-pop classic “Bulletproof” is back on the Hot Dance/Electronic Songs chart, Meow Wolf Houston announced its opening date and radio-influenced theme, Richie Hawtin lamented how “the famous, most followed DJ’s of our scene failed us” when commenting on the closure of DJ profit sharing platform Aslice and the Association For Electronic Music announced a new campaign to help DJs get more visibility and profit when their music is posted to social media by other artists.
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Meanwhile, Michael Bibi gave a figuratively and literally big check to the hospital where he received cancer treatment via money raised by his comeback show, The World DanceSport Federation explained why Australian breakdancer Raygun is ranked No. 1 in the world, the annual dance music conference IMS announced that it’s expanding to Dubai in November, Nocturnal Wonderland 2024 was cancelled due to wildfires in Southern California and Charli XCX and Troye Sivan released a remix of “Talk Talk.”
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That’s a lot — and there’s more! These are the best new dance tracks of the week.
Rüfüs du Sol, “Break My Love”
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Since rising out of their native Australia in the mid-2010s, Rüfüs du Sol has been a chief architect and arbiter of that late-nights-and-sunrises strain of dark, deep house-oriented electro house that’s come to soundtrack the Tulum-to-Ibiza-to-Burning Man circuit. (In fact, their track “On My Knees” won the best dance/electronic Grammy for it in 2022.) The group’s latest, “Break My Love,” is Rüfüs at their very best, with the song delivering that signature steamy, hypnotic, big rise and lush release vibe and coming with a video in which the guys flex their playful side by playing a trio of ’70s era secret agents plotting a heist. (Wait for the twist at the end.)
Following two recent singles, “Break My Love” also comes with news that the group will release their fifth studio album, Inhale/Exhale, on October 11, through their own Rose Avenue Records and Reprise. Ahead of that, they’ll headline San Francisco’s Portola Festival on September 28. — KATIE BAIN
Four Tet & Ellie Goulding, “In My Dreams”
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Ellie Goulding has been swimming in the deep end of the electronic world lately, with her 2023 Calvin Harris trance collab “Miracle” and its recent followup, “Free.” Ever-agile, she now jumps over to the IDM side of the genre with “In My Dreams,” a collab with Four Tet. (Which itself follows their own 2020 single “Baby.”) The producer uses Goulding’s voice to thread the production together, weaving it like silk through his own propulsive and dichotomous distorted beats and glowing chimes.
The project, he writes, came about in late 2023, when “Ellie text[ed] me with a couple of voice notes for a song idea. Words and melodies she was singing into her phone and she asked me if I could use them to make something. She’s told me in the past she likes to send me vocals that I can just use as sound and turn into whatever I want (which is how the track ‘Bab’y happened a few years ago). I found other sounds to go with it and made ‘In My Dreams.’ She added some new vocal parts but we ended up keeping the voice note recordings as the main vocal. I guess the first take is often the most magical.” “In My Dreams” is out through Four Tet’s Text Records.
Anna Lunoe, “Pearl”
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An international DJ, radio host, podcaster, and producer with a discography dating back 12 years, Anna Lunoe’s résumé is so long that it’s hard to believe she’s never released an album. Somehow it’s true, but not for much longer: The Sydney-based artist has just announced her debut LP, Pearl, out October 25 on NLV Records, the label from her longtime friend Nina Las Vegas. Lunoe has also shared its title track, made with frequent partner Jack Glass of Bag Raiders. “Pearl” is dreamy and buoyant, rippling with luminescent synth arpeggios and a captivating vocal melody. Beneath that bubbly exterior, stomping drums and rave chords add a layer of toughness and urgency.
“To me,” Lunoe says, “the sentiment in this song is about fighting for your spirit and creative force in a world that isn’t really designed for us to hold on to it. Sonically, this was an exercise in emotion and clarifying a feeling as opposed to straight up club tune-making – it’s more sincere than I’ve allowed myself to be publicly before, but those few who get to hear my scruffy demos know this Anna well.” — KRYSTAL RODRIGUEZ
Hayden James, We Could Be Love
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On his third album, We Could Be Love, Hayden James shows his continued prowess in blending emotive pop songwriting with club sounds. The deeply groovy “Patience,” which explores the cautious nature of relationships, delivers catharsis in its rolling apex; “Imagine” brims with hope atop swirling melodic techno and “All In” is a love rush wrapped in warm piano house. The producer even goes straight club on “The Pleasure,” a strutting tech-house track ready to be cued up on an Ibiza dance floor, but the featured vocalists (Shells, Karen Harding, AR/CO and many more) help give We Could Be Love its soul. James heads out on a North American tour later this month. — K.R.
Floating Points, Cascade
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Since his 2019 album Crush, Floating Points has followed inspiration across various genres and mediums, from collaboration with the late sax legend Pharoah Sanders on an album to scoring a ballet and forthcoming anime series. His new album, Cascade, marks a triumphant return to the dance floor. A collection of unconventional club bangers, it pulses with twitchy textures, glistening melodies, synth freak-outs and gravelly drums. Standout track “Afflecks Palace” is a descent into chaos, weaving through radar-like synths, ghostly croons, acid accents and vibrant string plucks. As everything converges into a dense, tangled mass, a stutter-step leads to a dizzying space rave. — K.R.
Kaleena Zanders & Tchami, “Daddy Keeps Calling”
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Ring, ring. Who’s on the line? It’s new-gen dance diva Kaleena Zanders (with Tchami joining on three-way) sharing a new single, “Daddy Keeps Calling.” The piano-house track surges with soulful energy, its gospel-choir harmonies, hand claps and enveloping organ chords a fitting soundtrack to Zanders’ celebration of club communion: “Ooh Lord, burning up, don’t save me ‘til I’ve had enough/ Red light pull me in, losing control on the floor again.” “Daddy Keeps Calling” is the pair’s second collaboration following this year’s “Giving Me Life,” and it will feature on Zanders’ newly announced Glorified EP, out October 18 via Helix Records.
“When I wrote the lyrics to ‘Daddy Keeps Calling’ with prolific singer songwriter/producer/DJ Bright Lights, we knew it was a unique perspective on songs made for the dancefloor,” Zanders writes. “In our heads we imagined the dance floor being the dominant force in our lives that drives us to create dance music and the force that so many people gather around. With that said, in this case playing off of sensual role play Daddy is the dancefloor and the nucleus that binds us all.” — K.R.
FKA twigs, “Eusexua”
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Have you experienced eusexua? That’s the question FKA twigs asked ahead of her new single “Eusexua.” twigs, who coined the term, describes eusexua as “momentary transcendence” and “the pinnacle of human experience” – and transcendent “Eusexua” is. It’s a rave lifted into the highest realms, with a sprawling soundscape of whirring trance synths and resonant piano keys that build to an ecstatic crescendo. Twigs’ vocals are as hauntingly angelic as ever, evoking a siren’s call in her pursuit of connection beyond this earthly plane. Co-produced with Koreless and Eartheater, “Eusexua” is the title track of her forthcoming album. “I moved to Prague a couple summers ago, fell in love with techno,” she told fans via Discord. “The album isn’t techno but the spirit is there fr.” — K.R.
WhoMadeWho, Kiss & Forget
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Today Danish trio WhoMadeWho release their eight (!) studio album, the promisingly titled Kiss & Forget. The projects opens with “Saturday Pt. 1” and “Saturday Pt. 2,” but it’s not the fist pumps and bangers mood those titles may conjure. Instead, single piano notes are paired with strings and a faraway synth altogether conjuring a feeling of distance and longing, mystery and depth. The two-plus minute “Pt. 1” then opens up to “Pt. 2,” on which a beat finally drops, with the guys — Tomas Høffding, Tomas Barfod, and Jeppe Kjellberg — layering in chimes and drum crashes and more strings then eventually kickdrum for a sound that, the older you get, the more you actually want your Saturdays to feel like. The rest of the 13-track album features collaborations with Ry X, Dutch titan Kölsch, Adriatique and Blue Hawaii. WhoMadeWho plays a pair of U.S. dates, in Boston and Los Angeles, later this month. — K.B.
Dan Ghenacia, “Rouge ou Noir”
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Does anybody remember laughter? Shake off all the ails you, if only for three minutes and 16 seconds, with this absolute party of a disco track by Parisian producer Dan Ghenacia. A spacey, synthy, sexy and simply funky swirl, “Rouge ou Noir” was recorded at Los Angeles’ Stratasonic, a private and state-of-the-art studios run by in-house producers and home to a mouthwatering assemblage of vintage gear and new tech, now open to service both emerging and veteran artists. “Rouge ou Noir” is also the name of the EP this track hails from, with the bubbly “Chilly” working as a slinky B-side. — K.B.
Justin Timberlake pleaded guilty to impaired driving in New York’s Sag Harbor Village Court Friday (Sept. 13).
According to the Associated Press, Timberlake was sentenced to a $500 fine with a $260 surcharge as well as 25 hours of community service at a nonprofit of his choosing. He’s also required to make a public safety announcement, the appropriateness of which concerned Judge Carl Irace, who, according to the AP, expressed disappointment with the prosecutors’ proposed plea deal. In Irace’s opinion, Timberlake’s intention to make the statement shortly after court proceedings would not give the *NSYNC alum enough time to reflect on his actions, which is why the judge added on community service requirements to the sentence.
“I did not live up to the standards that I try to hold for myself,” he told the court, according to AP. He then said to the judge, “I should’ve had better judgment. I understand the seriousness of this.”
Billboard has reached out to Timberlake’s rep and lawyer, Ed Burke, for comment.
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Shortly after the hearing, Timberlake addressed media outside the courthouse with his statement about the dangers of impaired driving. “Even if you’ve had one drink, don’t get behind the wheel of a car,” he said as cameras flashed. “There’s so many alternatives — call a friend, take an Uber. There’s many travel apps. Take a taxi.”
“This is a mistake that I made, but I’m hoping that whoever’s watching and listening right now can learn from this mistake,” he added. “I know that I certainly have.”
The hearing comes three months after the “SexyBack” singer was arrested on suspicion of driving a vehicle while intoxicated in the Hamptons.
Timberlake and his legal team had originally pleaded not guilty to a misdemeanor drunken driving charge during an August virtual court appearance, where his driving privileges were suspended by Irace. CNN also reported at the time that the judge had admonished his attorney for making comments about the case to the media ahead of the arraignment.
It was first reported that Timberlake had reached a plea deal two days prior to Friday’s hearing. The deal wraps up a months-long legal saga that began when Sag Harbor police pulled him over for “failing to stop at a duly posted stop sign and failing to maintain his lane of travel” while operating a 2025 BMW in New York, according to a statement by law enforcement at the time.
The police report obtained by Billboard also cites an officer quoting Timberlake as saying “I had one martini and I followed my friends home.”
The “Mirrors” artist was midway through his Forget Tomorrow World Tour when he was arrested. The case hasn’t seemed to negatively affect the trek, which is currently on track to gross more than $250 million over 87 dates, according to Billboard Boxscore data.
Watch Timberlake speak after his hearing below:
Linkin Park’s “The Emptiness Machine” vaults to the top of Billboard’s Rock & Alternative Airplay chart, soaring from No. 24, where it debuted a week ago, to No. 1 on the Sept. 21-dated survey.
The song reigns with 9.1 million rock radio audience impressions Sept. 6-12 – its first full week of tracking – according to Luminate. The single premiered at 6 p.m. ET on Sept. 5 and debuted on the Sept. 14-dated chart with 1.1 million in rock radio reach.
In the history of Rock & Alternative Airplay, which began in 2009, 14 songs — now including “The Emptiness Machine” — have reached No. 1 in just one or two weeks. Linkin Park had last achieved the feat when “Friendly Fire,” released on the band’s best-of set Papercuts after originally being recorded for the sessions for 2017’s One More Light, launched at No. 1 this March.
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In fact, of those 14 songs, five are by Linkin Park. “Friendly Fire,” “Lost” (2023) and “The Catalyst” (2010) all debuted at No. 1, while “New Divide” (2009) reached the top spot in its second week, like “The Emptiness Machine.”
The quick coronation for “The Emptiness Machine” is supported by its debuts at Nos. 4 and 5 on Mainstream Rock Airplay and Alternative Airplay, respectively. The song’s No. 4 start on Mainstream Rock Airplay is the best since December 2022, when Metallica’s “Lux Æterna” debuted at No. 2. Those two songs represent the only arrivals in the top four since 2008; before then, the last to make such a grand entrance was Linkin Park’s “What I’ve Done” (No. 3, April 2007).
As for Alternative Airplay, No. 5 marks the best beginning since Linkin Park’s “Lost” (No. 4, February 2023). In the last decade, only three songs have premiered that high, with the two Linkin Park songs joined by Mumford & Sons’ “Believe” (No. 5, March 2015).
More chart activity for “The Emptiness Machine” will show once all Sept. 21-dated rankings refresh on Billboard.com Tuesday, Sept. 17. On the Sept. 14-dated Hot Hard Rock Songs chart, the track started at No. 7 from its first few hours of tracking; along with 1.1 million audience impressions, it drew 690,000 official U.S. streams and sold 1,000 downloads in that span.
“The Emptiness Machine” is the lead single from From Zero, Linkin Park’s eighth studio album, due Nov. 15. It’s the band’s first full-length since the death of co-frontman Chester Bennington in 2017 and the departure of drummer Rob Bourdon. Singer Emily Armstrong and drummer Colin Brittain take over those duties on the new LP.
If you’re still wiping the steam off your screen from Katy Perry‘s NSFW debut performance of “I’m His, He’s Mine” with Doechii during her career-spanning medley at this week’s 2024 VMAs, buckle up because the official video is just as provocative.
The TORSO-directed clip for the third single from Perry’s upcoming 143 album (due out on Sept. 20) dropped on Friday morning (Sept. 13) and it combines some hair-raising green-screen stunts with a racy tabletop dance atop a speeding muscle car. The clip opens with Perry elegantly tumbling through the atmosphere in free fall as she makes out with a hunky dude who looks a bit like her daredevil skydiving fiancé actor Orlando Bloom.
“I’m his queen, I’m his freak/ I’m every woman he wants and needs,” Perry sings as she cradles the man’s head while they hurtle toward the ground, before the camera cuts to a bikini-wearing Doechii dancing in an elevator while delivering her her own alluring come on: “I’m his boss, I’m that b–ch/ I’m every woman he knows exists.”
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After Perry and her cloud ranger love interest’s clothes peel off during their mid-air make out sesh — with no parachutes in sight, we might add — the scene shifts to the singer splayed out on the hood of a gleaming chrome Corvette cruising down a suburban Barcelona street. Wearing a complex, skin-revealing metallic harness black monokini, Perry does the splits and slithers on the windshield as she sings about “creepin’ in his DMs” and “sleepin’ in his sweatpants.”
Perry then gets tossed from her moving automotive dance platform, falling into the arms of her hunky love interest, clad in nothing but skimpy white underwear. The two women finally team up on a soundstage where they crawl around each other on the floor before Doechii takes to the air for a drone-assisted sky dance.
“I’m His” prominently samples Crystal Waters’ beloved 1991 house single “Gypsy Woman (She’s Homeless),” which features the hypnotic refrain “la da dee, la dee da.” It follows on the heels of Perry’s first 143 single, “Woman’s World” — which sparked criticism over Dr. Luke’s involvement — and second focus track, “Lifetimes.”
As provocative as the visual is, it’s PG-13 compared to the the performance at the VMAs, during which the two singers twisted themselves into sapphic pretzels and kissed in a moment that made Taylor Swift’s jaw drop.
Watch the “I’m His, He’s Mine” video below.
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Nicki Minaj isn’t letting anyone play with her name. After voicing her frustration with the NFL for overlooking Lil Wayne for the Super Bowl LIX Halftime Show performer in favor of Kendrick Lamar, ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith criticized her history of feuding while he defended Jay-Z.
“Who else you gonna get in a beef with. Lil Kim, Mariah Carey, Cardi B, Gucci Mane, Taylor Swift, Demi Lovato. Every time we turn around it’s something, Nicki,” the sports commentator began on the Stephen A. Smith Show Thursday (Sept. 12). “You disagree with the decision, you disagree with the decision. You got to talk about [Jay-Z] like that? And why are we talking about Jay-Z like he’s some sort of sellout or something?”
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The First Take host continued: “You know how hard it is for a Black man to pull off what Jay-Z has pulled off in terms of making sure Black folks get that kinda center stage to promote their brand and build their profile. How unappreciative can you be? It ain’t about you as an individual — it’s about all of us as Black people. And that brother Jay-Z has been front and center pushing envelopes.”
Minaj didn’t waste time getting back on the offensive, sharing harsh words with Smith on X Thursday, when she essentially called him a sellout.
“Oh look yall another paid laughy taffy alien who only comes off his knees to turn around & back dat azz up. LMFAOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO. Stephen, we don’t care. Ima tell u right now. We don’t care. If I say more it’ll be your fault. Sit down ugly,” she replied.
Oh look yall another paid laughy taffy alien who only comes off his knees to turn around & back dat azz up. LMFAOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO. Stephen, we don’t care. Ima tell u right now. We don’t care. If I say more it’ll be your fault. 🤨 Sit down ugly 😅🤣 #GagCityBUFFALO TONIGHT #Dtlr https://t.co/qFNq19DafN— Nicki Minaj (@NICKIMINAJ) September 12, 2024
Stephen wasn’t you just moanin & groanin on live in your bedroom ? LMFAOOOO. And since we here in women’s business…ladies; when should men just shave their full head? Should it take its normal course like SAS Sassy ass or should he look into lace fronts? #GagCityBuffalo TONIGHT— Nicki Minaj (@NICKIMINAJ) September 12, 2024
The rapper then appeared to sarcastically mix Smith up with his First Take partner Shannon Sharpe, who accidentally went on Instagram Live while getting intimate earlier this week. She also clowned Smith’s receding hairline.
“Stephen wasn’t you just moanin & groanin on live in your bedroom ? LMFAOOOO. And since we here in women’s business…ladies; when should men just shave their full head,” she added, insult to injury. “Should it take its normal course like SAS Sassy a– or should he look into lace fronts?”
Lamar was announced as the Super Bowl LIX Halftime Show performer Sept. 8, and Lil Wayne publicly spoke out about the NFL’s decision early Friday (Sept. 13), admitting that it “hurt” him to not be selected.
“It hurt a whole lot. I blame myself for not being mentally prepared for a letdown. And for automatically mentally putting myself in that position like somebody told me that was my position,” he told fans in a video posted to Instagram. “So I blame myself for that. But I thought that was nothing better than that spot and that stage and that platform in my city, so it hurt.”
