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JENNIE had a pretty rough time taking on the infamous Hot Ones challenge.
During her appearance on the web series Thursday (June 19), the BLACKPINK star — who admitted early on that she doesn’t eat spicy food — began the episode with optimism, but ended up crying for help and running tearful laps around the table after facing the fiery spate of wings.
“In my daily life, I have nothing — no spice in my life,” JENNIE told host Sean Evans at the top of the show. “I don’t like spicy food or anything to do with spice. If anything, I like things plain, but here I am, facing my fear.”
And face it she did. Things got painfully intense as the 29-year-old powered through the spice-laden challenge, following in the footsteps of her BLACKPINK bandmates ROSÉ and LISA, who had previously braved the wings of death in past episodes.
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Between interview questions about her debut solo album, Ruby, songs she fought for on the project, the importance of skincare, hearing fans sing her lyrics at concerts, and being a hamster mom, the singer and rapper visibly unraveled with each increasingly scorching bite. “I think I’m allergic to spice!” she said at one point.
The heat hit a whole new level when JENNIE reached wing No. 8, featuring the notorious Da’ Bomb hot sauce. “This is no joke,” she said, desperately grabbing a napkin to fan herself. After taking a dramatic lap around the table, she reached for milk and ice cream while screaming in agony. “I can’t hear anymore,” she said, forcing a smile. “God, help me!”
After somewhat regaining her composure, Evans asked if JENNIE might be able to convince JISOO — the only BLACKPINK member who hasn’t yet appeared on Hot Ones — to take on the challenge.
“100%, because she is the one who taught me spicy and she’s the other you,” JENNIE replied. “Like she made me eat spicy food with her. Ever since we were trainees. So, I think [Jisoo] should come on this show. You’re gonna love it.”
Reflecting on her bandmates’ appearances, she added, “Whatever ROSÉ and LISA did, this is the real reaction. Because I watched their episode and they were so chill about it so I was like if they’re doing it, maybe I can do it too. But I can’t!”
Watch JENNIE’s Hot Ones episode above.
Source: DOTEMU / Tribute Games / Marvel Cosmic Invasion
We are having a beat ’em up renaissance in the video game world, and Tribute Games is leading the charge. Their latest game, Marvel Cosmic Invasion, aims to continue that trend, and based on our experience at Summer Game Fest Play Days, the studio has another hit on its hands.
Tribute Games quickly rose on our list of favorite studios after the release of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge. They are shifting from one popular IP, the Ninja Turtles, to deliver us another game involving popular characters from Marvel Comics’ lore with Marvel Cosmic Invasion.
This game was already high on our list when it was first announced, so you can imagine we were excited to get hands-on with it at Play Days. Let’s dive into our thoughts about our experience.
Before we proceed, let’s briefly explore the game’s plot. In Marvel Cosmic Invasion, Annihilus launches an attack that spreads across the galaxy, and it’s up to you and whichever two heroes you select to travel across Earth and beyond to stop the Annihilation Wave.
If that sounds familiar, Marvel aficionados will easily point out that the game’s plot is based on the Annihilation comic book run.
Cosmic Swap Is An Instant Game-Changer In Marvel Cosmic Invasion
Source: DOTEMU / Tribute Games / Marvel Cosmic Invasion
Right off the bat, Marvel Cosmic Invasion is already on a different level with its inclusion of our favorite Marvel superheroes. Still, what truly sets this game apart from games like TMNT: Shredder’s Revenge is the new character swapping feature called “Cosmic Swap.”
Immediately, we came to appreciate it because it’s hard to choose from the list of heroes, which so far includes Storm, Wolverine, Spider-Man, Nova, She-Hulk, Rocket Raccoon, Captain America, Venom, and Phyla-Vell.
Thanks to Cosmic Swap, that decision is made easier because you get to choose two characters to run with to take out Annihulus.
Now to the game, Cosmic Invasion isn’t just a typical beat ’em up; it has its own flair to the genre with the Cosmic Swap, which is a tag team function that you would find in most modern-day fighting games.
For our run, we played as Captain America and Spider-Man, and it felt seamless as we switched between the characters during the two stages we experienced during the brief but still meaty demo.
Source: DOTEMU / Tribute Games / Marvel Cosmic Invasion
Also, unlike other beat ’em up games, there seems to be more weight behind the attacks, and we appreciated that you could perform combos by knocking your opponents in the air, allowing your secondary character or another player to finish off an enemy to add some style to the game’s combat.
Other Fun Elements In Marvel Cosmic Invasion
Source: DOTEMU / Tribute Games / Marvel Cosmic Invasion
Like Shredder’s Revenge, Cosmic Invasion is a beautifully designed 2D experience featuring gorgeous animation that brings these heroes from the comic book pages to life, while showing appreciation for a style considered dated by today’s video game graphics standards.
The soundtrack in the game also impresses, adding to the chaotic yet enjoyable gameplay. Boss bottles are also challenging, requiring players to either work together with other players or skillfully utilize their character’s special moves in conjunction with kicks and punches to take out bosses like Taskmaster, who require teamwork to break his defenses, opening him up for attacks.
Overall Thoughts
Source: DOTEMU / Tribute Games / Marvel Cosmic Invasion
Marvel Cosmic Invasion was one of the games we were already excited about before our preview. Getting hands-on with the game has only increased that anticipation.
Based on the sample size we experienced, Tribute Games and DOTEMU have another hit on their hands. With the addition of new characters, such as She-Hulk and Rocket Raccoon, this game could become one with high replayability over time.
Keep it locked on HHW Gaming for a full review of Marvel Cosmic Invasion ahead of the game’s release.
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She-Hulk and Rocket Raccoon announced as playable characters in Marvel Cosmic Invasion. marvel cosmic invasion
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“Elvis Presley. Bob Dylan. Lennon & McCartney. And now SLY STONE. The new leader.” So proclaimed an ad that ran in Billboard in April of 1969, essentially proclaiming that it was Sly Stone’s turn to take over as the leading voice in all of popular music. And given the run that he was in the […]
Johnny Marr has spoken on his decision to turn down an “eye-watering” amount of money to reunite The Smiths, saying that the “vibe” wasn’t right to get the band back together.
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Marr was appearing on the Stick to Football podcast alongside former players Roy Keane, Gary Neville and Ian Wright to discuss his affinity with soccer club Manchester City and his role as guitarist in one of indie music’s most legendary bands.
The Smiths were formed by Marr in 1982 when he and a friend recruited Morrissey to join the group as vocalist and lyricist; the band’s classic lineup was completed by Mike Joyce (drums) and Andy Rourke (bass).
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The group released four studio albums between 1984 and 1987 alongside a number of live albums and B-side and singles collections. Meat is Murder (1985) and The Queen is Dead (1986) both hit No. 1 on the U.K.’s Official Albums Chart; their debut The Smiths (1984) and final record Strangeways, Here We Come (1987) both hit No. 2. Creative and personal differences between Marr and Morrissey saw the former leave the group in July 1987 and the group folded the following year.
Both Marr and Morrissey have had wildly successful solo careers but a reunion has seemed unlikely ever since. In 2006, Moz told the BBC, “I would rather eat my own testicles than reform the Smiths, and that’s saying something for a vegetarian.”
In August 2024, however, Morrissey claimed that he and Marr had received a “lucrative offer” from AEG to reform with the band’s surviving members, and to tour as a live band in 2025; the group’s bassist Andy Rourke died in 2023. In the post on his website Morrissey Central, Moz revealed that he had said yes to the proposal but that Marr had not responded. A month later, Marr said on his Instagram that he did not “ignore the offer — I said no.”
Now speaking on the Stick to Football podcast Marr has gone into more detail about why he turned down the offer, despite seeing close friends (and City supporters) Liam and Noel Gallagher reform Oasis in August 2024 for a global tour.
“We got made an offer recently, but I said no,” he said. “It was a little bit about principles, but I’m not an idiot, I just think the vibe’s not right.”
Marr added, “It was an eye-watering amount of money, but also, I really like what I’m doing now which makes it a lot easier. I like where I’m at. I still want to write the best song I’ve ever written. I want to be a better performer.”
Morrissey and Marr have traded barbs through the press for decades, and in 2022 Morrissey called on his former bandmate to “stop mentioning my name” in interviews. Marr responded saying, “When you’re attacked out of the blue, particularly in public, you have to defend yourself.”
Speaking to Uncut he said the pair are too estranged to ever work together again. “It won’t come as any surprise when I say that I’m really close with everyone I’ve worked with — except for the obvious one. And that isn’t that much of a surprise because we’re so different, me and Morrissey.”
Following The Smiths’ dissolution, Marr played as a member of a number of groups including The Pretenders, Electronic (with New Order’s Bernard Sumner), The The, Modest Mouse and The Cribs. In 2013 he launched a solo career and has released four LPs under his name and performed on global tours.
Earlier this week Marr expressed support for Kneecap during their ongoing controversy, and backed them to perform at Glastonbury Festival next weekend (June 27-29) amid calls for them to be removed from the line-up.
Check out Marr’s appearance on the Stick to Football podcast below.
At 35, mgk is still a kid at heart. The rapper-turned-rock star is set to perform on the 2025 Kids’ Choice Awards, which will air live on Saturday (June 21) at 8 p.m. ET/PT from Barker Hangar in Santa Monica, California. Tyla is set to host the show.
mgk will perform “Cliché,” the lead single from his upcoming album Lost Americana. The song has so far reached No. 62 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 10 on Hot Rock & Alternative Songs. The performance will come just a day after mgk performs on The Today Show’s Citi Concert Series.
All six of mgk’s studio albums have reached the top 10 on the Billboard 200, with the last two – Tickets to My Downfall and Mainstream Sellout – reaching No. 1. (The latter album also received a Grammy nod for best rock album.) His seventh studio album, Lost Americana, is due Aug. 8.
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The Cleveland, Ohio, native’s highest-charting hit on the Hot 100 is “Bad Things,” a 2016 collab with Camila Cabello that reached No. 4.
KATSEYE, which recently notched their first Billboard Hot 100 hit with “Gnarly,” was previously announced as a performer on the show. They’ll perform “Gnarly.”
Nickelodeon Kids’ Choice Awards will celebrate fans’ favorites from film, television, music, sports and more. Nickelodeon is calling the show the biggest party of the summer. It is certain to have more epic slimings than any other show. The show will simulcast across Nickelodeon, TeenNick, Nicktoons, the Nick Jr. channel, MTV2 and CMT, and also air on Nickelodeon channels around the world.
Leading the pack with four nominations each are Ariana Grande, Lady Gaga and Kendrick Lamar, followed by Jack Black, Dwayne Johnson, Selena Gomez and Jelly Roll with three nods apiece. First-time nominees include Gracie Abrams, Zach Bryan, Jordan Chiles, Frankie Grande, Cynthia Erivo, Doechii, Keith Lee, Chappell Roan, Shaboozey, Shohei Ohtani and Florence Pugh, among others.
Source: Cook County Department of Corrections / Cook County Department of Corrections
R. Kelly still has his fair share of naysayers. Jocelyn Savage’s family is adamant that R. Kelly should not receive a pardon from President Trump.
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On Tuesday afternoon (June 17), New York City mayoral candidate Brad Lander was accompanying an individual out of immigration court at 26 Federal Plaza in downtown Manhattan, when he was handcuffed and arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents. The entire interaction was caught on video by reporters and cameramen inside.
“Show me your warrant! Show me your badge!” Lander states in the video as several ICE agents surround and physically restrain him up against a wall in the hallway. “I’m not obstructing. I’m standing right here in the hallway. I asked to see the judicial warrant. You don‘t have the authority to arrest U.S. citizens asking for a judicial warrant,” he added. The agents then lead him into an elevator.The Department of Homeland Security issued a statement afterward in a post on X, formerly Twitter, alleging that Lander obstructed and assaulted officers. “No one is above the law, and if you lay a hand on a law enforcement officer, you will face consequences. “New York City Comptroller Brad Lander was arrested for assaulting law enforcement and impeding a federal officer,” they wrote.
New York Governor Kathy Hochul blasted the incident in an earlier unrelated press conference. “It’s bulls—,” Hochul said. “Brad Lander has stepped up to be a guiding help to [migrants], and this is what happens to him? What the hell is happening to this country?” She would escort Lander from the building to meet reporters at Foley Square along with his wife Meg. “I will be fine, but Edgardo is not going to be fine,” Lander said. “And the rule of law is not fine and our constitutional democracy is not fine.”Lander has been charged with assaulting law enforcement and impeding a federal officer, according to Fox News Digital. There is no word on when he is expected to appear in court. The detainment comes after other incidents where ICE agents have roughly detained Democratic lawmakers. Newark Mayor Ras Baraka was arrested last month after he and other Democratic members of congress tried to enter the privately-run Delaney Hall detention center. Charges against him were dismissed by a federal judge, but officials with the Department of Justice also indicted Representative LaMonica McIver for “interfering with federal law enforcement officers.” She stated that she would plead not guilty. California Senator Alex Padilla was also forced to the ground after trying to talk to DHS Secretary Kristi Noem in Los Angeles a week ago.
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Kelsea Ballerini is opening up about her close bond with Noah Kahan following their emotional duet at CMA Fest, and she has nothing but praise for her friend and collaborator.
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In a new interview with People, Ballerini shared how her friendship with the Stick Season singer has blossomed beyond music. “I adore Noah,” she said. “I got to know him as an artist and a collaborator, but now we’re dear friends and I just can’t say enough about the human being that he is. He’s a good human.”
The two artists performed together on the main stage at Nashville’s Nissan Stadium during CMA Fest 2025, singing their 2024 duet “Cowboys Cry Too” as well as Kahan’s breakout hit “Stick Season.”
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Ballerini recalled texting Kahan just days before the show. “I was like, ‘I’m sure the answer is you want to be a hermit right now, but just in case, do you want to come play CMA Fest?’” His response? “‘I’ve never done CMA Fest. I’ve never played a stadium.’ I was like, ‘Didn’t you headline Fenway?’ And he said, ‘Yeah, but a proper football stadium.’”
According to Ballerini, Kahan said yes at the very last minute. Even after her set was cut short due to rain, she insisted on performing “Stick Season” with him. “You came all the way down here with your friends and your family,” she said. “We have to do ‘Stick Season.’”
“[Noah] is just a joy to be on stage with,” Ballerini added. “He has that ‘I’m just happy to be here’ mentality, which I love.”
The pair first teamed up for “Cowboys Cry Too,” released in April 2024, which Ballerini previously called a career highlight. “Thank you @noahkahanmusic for adding your uninhibited perspective and songwriting brilliance into this song,” she wrote at the time. “I couldn’t be more proud to put this music and message out alongside such a lovely artist and friend.”
Both artists have had busy years. Kahan’s Stick Season (Forever) reissue debuted in the top five of the Billboard 200 in February, while Ballerini made a return to the main stage at CMA Fest and is now a brand ambassador for energy drink Celsius, which she affectionately calls “Kelsius.”
Pop-punk icons Avril Lavigne and Deryck Whibley reunited onstage over the weekend for a surprise performance of Sum 41’s “In Too Deep” during Lavigne’s headlining set at the Vans Warped Tour stop in Washington, D.C. Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news Eight songs into her June 15 set, […]
The U.K.’s Association of Independent Music (AIM) has announced its Independent Music Awards will return to London this fall (Sept. 23).
Celebrating its 15th year, the event will take place at the capital’s iconic Roundhouse venue and spotlight a wealth of artists, labels and entrepreneurs in the independent music community — which makes up a third of the U.K.’s recorded music market.
Categories include U.K. independent breakthrough, best independent EP/mixtape and best independent remix, as well as other artist-focused awards such as best live performer. See a full list of categories below.
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AIM Rightsholder members can submit entrants for free. Submissions are now open via the organization’s official website and close at 11:59 p.m. GMT on July 9. For non-members, there are submission costs – albeit discounts are available to organizations connected with AIM, such as those who focus on encouraging further diversity in the industry.
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The one to watch, EDI (equity, diversity inclusion) champion, independent music champion and music entrepreneur of the year categories, however, are free for anyone to enter. The full list of categories and submission guidance can be found via the AIM website.
The only categories that are not open for submissions are outstanding contribution to music, the innovator award and PPL award for most played new independent artist, as these are decided in-house by AIM.
Tickets for the show will go on sale later in the summer. Last year’s ceremony saw legendary pop duo Sparks receive the outstanding contribution to music award in honor of its illustrious five-decade career, while Neneh Cherry collected the innovator award. Music Venue Trust was named independent music champion and Totnes’ Drift Records was honored with the best independent record store award.
The 2025 event will see the reintroduction of AIM’s local music champions (previously known as Local Heroes, debuted in 2019), in collaboration with BBC Introducing. The accolade will honor those who have “demonstrated unwavering support for their local music community or used their position to improve the wider ecosystem,” according to a press release.
Gee Davy, CEO of AIM, said in a statement: “We are delighted to bring the U.K.’s most vibrant music community awards back to the Roundhouse, celebrating the breadth of talent and innovation across independent music.“The Independent Music Awards is the best place to celebrate and recognise those who often go unsung, creating the most culturally impactful music coming out of the U.K., as well as an opportunity for us to honour some of our heroes and champions who make a wider impact.”
The Independent Music Awards will round out AIM’s wider programme of events for 2025. It will follow shortly after AIM Connected, a conference for business leaders and senior managers in the independent music sector, which will take place on Sept. 9 at Rich Mix in Shoreditch.
