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Queen Latifah will be the master of ceremonies for one of the most prestigious events in entertainment. She has been slotted to host the 47th Kennedy Center Honors.
As reported by Deadline the Newark, N.J., native will lend her talents for the upcoming awards show. On Monday (Nov. 25), the cultural institution announced that the “Ladies First” performer will be returning to the stage but this time as the host. Last year at the 46th edition, she was celebrated for her lifetime artistic achievements. This time, she will help shine a much needed spotlight on several influential creatives, including filmmaker Francis Ford Coppola (The Godfather), Grateful Dead, Bonnie Raitt and Jazz musician Arturo Sandoval. Additionally, the Apollo Theater will also be celebrated during its 90- year anniversary.
Queen Latifah shared her enthusiasm in an Instagram post. “I am so excited to share that I will be returning to the Kennedy Center Honors this year,” the caption read. The accompanying visual is a snippet of her 2023 interview with Nate Burleson on CBS Mornings. According to their website, “The Kennedy Center Honors recognizes and celebrates individuals whose unique contributions have shaped the way we see ourselves, each other and our world. Recipients have each had an impact on the rich tapestry of American life and culture through the performing arts.”
The 47th Kennedy Center Honors will be broadcasted Sunday (Dec. 22), from 8:30-11:00 p.m., ET/PT on the CBS Television Network and streaming on Paramount+.
Courtney Love knows all about the vicissitudes of dating high-profile partners, from the constant tabloid whispers and innuendo to the line-by-line dissection of lyrics in search of clues about romantic break-ups and make-ups. So it makes sense that when asked by The Standard if she feels like people are “trying too hard” to decipher her […]
11/27/2024
Dot repped for the West Coast with this project.
11/27/2024
Six-time Country Airplay chart-topper and CMA entertainer of the year nominee Jelly Roll has had a meteoric year filled with new career milestones, and his headlining The Beautifully Broken Tour has played at venues this year including Los Angeles’s crypto.com Arena and NYC’s Madison Square Garden. But his heart is with his Nashville-area hometown — which is why the recent Billboard 200 chart-topper was adamant about adding a Nashville show to his already-packed tour schedule.
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“There’s no place like home,” he told the crowd repeatedly during his sold-out, headlining show at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena on Tuesday night (Nov. 26). It was clear that Nashville’s hometown hero was on a mission to bring joy, hope and healing to those in attendance, by operating at an elite level across the board, in terms of hits, musicality, production, energy, audience engagement and, yes, surprise guests.
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“This is a family reunion of people who are healing together,” he said during his set. The show also marked a powerful return for Jelly Roll, marking his first headlining concert in Nashville since his show at the same venue in December 2022.
The tour’s namesake album, Beautifully Broken, recently topped the all-genre Billboard 200, and his The Beautifully Broken Tour stop in Nashville featured many songs from the new album, while conveying a mix of pulsating, soul-cleansing music, powerful messages, an environment to let loose and party, but most of all, to put forth an environment to find encouragement, acceptance and healing, and a safe space that that acknowledges how recovery from any pain or addiction is rarely linear.
Alexandra Kay opened the show, performing songs including “Easy,” “I Hate Airplanes” and “Everleave.” She made use of the full stage during her performance, easily connecting with fans, her set punctuated by songs from her 2023 debut album All I’ve Ever Known, which was inspired by her story of weathering a divorce and coming out stronger for it.
“Thank you for letting me share my stories and be vulnerable with you,” she said, adding, “Know that you are not alone and it gets better.” She also thanked Jelly Roll, saying, “Shoutout to Jelly Roll for believing in an independent, female artist.” Later in the evening, she joined Jelly Roll to perform “Wild Ones” (recorded by the headliner and Jessie Murph), where it was revealed that she just signed a label deal.
Next up was Jelly Roll’s fellow Nashville native and longtime friend, ERNEST, who as a songwriter has quickly cemented his place as a cornerstone of many of Nashville’s current hits and albums, with his credits including a plethora of Morgan Wallen songs — such as the CMA song of the year-nominated “I Had Some Help” and “More Than My Hometown” — as well as Jelly Roll’s “Son of a Sinner,” Florida Georgia Line’s “Dig Your Roots” and Keith Urban’s “Wildside.”
He’s also notched his own hits with the Morgan Wallen collaboration “Flower Shops,” and on Tuesday night, he brought the songs proliferating his recent album, Nashville, Tennessee, back to their origins in the city and writing community that inspired them. Notably, the album fits squarely in the current moment of country music’s leaning toward more traditionally country sounds, as fiddles and acoustic guitars were spotlighted on songs such as “Tennessee Queen,” “Why Dallas” and “Ain’t As Easy.” Perhaps a nod to his songwriter roots, ERNEST primarily stayed close to center stage, letting the music flow over the crowd.
“I love playing country songs in Nashville, Tennessee,” Ernest said at one point. Among those country songs was a three-decade old song written by Dean Dillon and Skip Ewing, which is now Ernest’s current radio single, “Would If I Could.” Another was a pared-back, acoustic version of another song he wrote, Wallen’s “Wasted on You,” highlighting Ernest’s protean songwriting abilities.
From there, the first major guest arrival of the evening happened, as reigning CMA entertainer of the year Morgan Wallen joined Ernest onstage to perform “Flower Shops” and “Cowgirls.” Instead of a catwalk ramp down the middle of the audience, Jelly Roll’s stage placed two catwalks on either side of the audience, allowing artists closer to both those on the main floor and in the tiered seats. ERNEST and Wallen made use of the stage, with each performing to one side of the audience, before joining forces on the mainstage.
Following the duo of songs with Wallen, Ernest ended with the wholly appropriate version of the Hank Jr. classic “Family Tradition.”
Jelly Roll got right down to the business of connecting with and showing gratitude for his fans from the moment he stepped into the arena, celebrated by the cheers of fans packed into the Bridgestone. He made his way through the crowd, greeting fans and shaking hands, before taking the steps up to a satellite stage at the back of the arena. From there, a building frame that had been set afire lowered from the ceiling, framing Jelly Roll as he launched into the first song, “I Am Not Okay” (his sixth Country Airplay chart-leader).
“I hope it’s the best show you’ve seen in your f—king life,” he told the crowd, before launching into a set that offered up a keen blend of songs that pulled from Jelly Roll’s current country hits, songs from his Beautifully Broken album, as well as his deep catalog of rap releases and a heavy dose of classic hip-hop songs. The set leaned into musical traversing of Jelly Roll’s musical journey and an amalgam of country, hip-hop, rock and gospel.
After performing “Halfway to Hell” and his first country No. 1, “Son of a Sinner,” he told the crowd how his mother influenced his love of country music, playing 1970s, 1980s and 1990s country music. That influence was evinced as Jelly Roll performed a solo version of Brooks & Dunn’s “Believe,” and was joined by Ernest for a rendition of Garth Brooks’ “Friends in Low Places.” He also noted the plethora of other influences, including the gospel music influence from his years spent at Antioch, Tennessee church Whitsitt Chapel (the namesake of his first country album), while his older brother introduced him gangsta rap, thus explaining how Jelly Roll’s concert was able to flawlessly guide the audience on a spectrum of country constructions, high-octane rock and rap, to confessional spiritual moments. He sailed into Green Day’s “Good Riddance (Time of Your Life),” before diving deep into his own catalog of rap music he released prior to his country and rock hits, welcoming a few lifelong friends and musical comrades to join, including Yelawolf on “Unlive” and Struggle Jennings on “Fall in the Fall.”
The guest appearances continued as Keith Urban joined Jelly Roll to reprise their CMA Awards performance from last week, with Urban lending his ace guitar skills to Jelly Roll’s “Liar.”
Beyond simply having hit songs, Jelly Roll’s mission has centered on helping those who are battling with various emotional traumas, pain, addiction, depression and hopelessness. His concerts blend uplifting, cathartic anthems, his passionate, motivational speaker moments, and moments where churning rock jams careen into a soulful Sunday morning church vibe — and fans have responded mightily to having a place where their dreams, disappointments and realities can reside, judgement-free. Several fans held up signs celebrating sobriety and recovery, and Jelly Roll celebrated them from the stage.
“There are people who are still a prisoner of their past,” he said at one point, as soft piano music accented his message. “There’s no better night than tonight to let go of it. There’s no better night than tonight to find freedom. There is no better night than tonight to stick your chest out and believe in change. Miracles happen and you must believe. This is more than music, this is more than a concert. This is a family reunion of people who are healing together. Tonight we get to turn our mess into a message. Tonight we get to turn our obstacles into opportunities. Tonight is that magical moment where we finally take all of this pain and we take it and turn it into purpose at the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville on the Tuesday before Thanksgiving. I make real music for real people that have been through real s–t in real life.”
From there came of the most stirring collabs of the evening, on a song he called “one of the hardest songs I wrote in my life,” as Skylar Grey joined Jelly Roll for the ballad “Past Yesterday” — a stark look at the long-term effects of abuse.
The later portion of the evening found Jelly Roll further delving into his passion for rap and hip-hop, singing Eminem’s “Lose Yourself” and Outkast’s “Ms. Jackson,” before the evening got a final major surprise when Snoop Dogg took the stage, performing songs including “Drop It Like It’s Hot” before he and Jelly Roll debuted a new song that will be on Snoop Dogg’s upcoming album. Given that the new song interpolates the Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers classic “Mary Jane’s Last Dance,” Snoop and Jelly Roll celebrated by ending the song by trading a few puffs.
As Snoop Dogg left the stage, a large cross pendant lowered to the stage as Jelly Roll launched into his spiritual-minded, reconciliatory hit “Need a Favor,” followed by a song from his Beautifully Broken album, “Heart of Stone.” Throughout the evening, Jelly Roll was supported by an ace band and a trio of exquisitely talented vocalists, all equally adept at churning, blistering rock numbers and ceiling-scraping, soulful gospel tones.
As Jelly Roll stepped off the main stage and made his way through the crowd yet again, he returned to the stage at the back of the arena, ending the show as he started it, by addressing those relegated to the cheap seats and giving them the best seats in the house. By then the fiery building frame had been doused in water as Jelly Roll launched into “Save Me.” Water rained down over the singer, as the scores of fans in the audience raised their hands and sang along, immersed in their own emotional cleansing, bolstered by a concert and songs that aim to meet them, understand them, and encourage them right where they are.
Muni Long scores back-to-back No. 1s on Billboard’s Adult R&B Airplay chart as “Ruined Me” climbs from the runner-up spot to crown the list dated Nov. 30. The single captures the summit as the most-played song on U.S. monitored adult R&B radio stations in the tracking week ending Nov. 21, a 14% improvement from the prior week, according to Luminate.
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“Ruined Me,” released and promoted through Supergiant/MPR Global/Def Jam/Republic Records, follows Muni Long’s previous leader, “Make Me Forget,” a one-week champ in August. Both songs appear on the singer-songwriter’s Revenge album, which dropped on Aug. 30.
Elsewhere, “Ruined Me” repeats at its No. 12 high on the R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay chart, which ranks songs by combined audience totals from adult R&B and mainstream R&B/hip-hop radio stations. Despite no change in rank, the single rose to 8.1 million audience impressions, a 13% improvement over the prior week.
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While “Ruined Me” enjoys its coronation on Adult R&B Airplay, the song is beginning to make inroads on the Mainstream R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay chart, where it debuts at No. 35. Thanks to its growing promotion efforts, the track vaults 51% in its week-over-week play count.
Radio gains help “Ruined Me” hold at No. 14, two weeks after its No. 12 best, on the multimetric Hot R&B Songs chart, which blends airplay with streaming and sales for its rankings.
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2024 continues to be a banner year at radio for Muni Long, who first recorded under the name Priscilla Renae but enjoyed a resurgence – complete with a new stage name – that began with the viral hit “Hrs and Hrs” two years ago. She recaptured the same viral-to-radio magic with “Made for Me” earlier this year, leading to its seven-week domination on the R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay chart in April – May, and follow up “Made Me Forget” became another top 20 success, peaking at No. 18 in August.
In addition to Muni Long’s own Revenge singles, the singer-songwriter has another hit in “I Do,” with Toosii. The pair’s collaboration jumps 18-16 on R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay through a 7% weekly audience boost to 4.8 million impressions.
Linkin Park makes history by monopolizing the entire top 10 of Billboard’s Hot Hard Rock Songs chart dated Nov. 30 with songs from the band’s comeback album, From Zero.
The set, released Nov. 15, concurrently launches atop four rock-based Billboard album charts, with 97,000 equivalent album units earned in the week ending Nov. 21, according to Luminate.
Linkin Park lands its sixth No. 1 on Top Rock & Alternative Albums, which began in 2006, and first since One More Light, From Zero’s predecessor, led for two weeks in 2017.
From Zero also becomes the band’s ninth No. 1 on Top Hard Rock Albums, which began in 2007 – breaking Linkin Park out of a tie with Pearl Jam for the most in the chart’s history. The new album dethrones Linkin Park’s own 2024 greatest hits package Papercuts, which spent the preceding seven weeks on top and has reigned for 18 weeks total this year.
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The new set additionally debuts at No. 1 on Top Rock Albums, where it’s Linkin Park’s seventh No. 1, and Top Alternative Albums, marking its fifth.
From Zero also bows at No. 2 on the all-genre Billboard 200, becoming Linkin Park’s 12th top 10, as previously reported.
The set’s 11 songs infuse the top 10 of Hot Hard Rock Songs, marking the first time that an act has swept the region since the chart began in 2020. Previously, Linkin Park became the first act to take up the entire top five, on the Sept. 21 and 28 surveys on the strength of From Zero lead single “The Emptiness Machine” and tracks from the band’s catalog that resurged following its reunion and subsequent celebratory concert and tour and album announcement that month.
“The Emptiness Machine” leads the way on the Nov. 30 Hot Hard Rock Songs tally for an 11th total and consecutive week. In the week ending Nov. 21, it earned 6.1 million radio impressions and 5.6 million official U.S. streams and sold 1,000 downloads. It concurrently ranks atop the Rock & Alternative Airplay and Hard Rock Streaming Songs charts.
The top Hot Hard Rock Songs debut of the group, “Cut the Bridge” (as Nos. 1-4 already logged chart history as they were released before the release of From Zero), arrives at No. 5 with 3 million streams.
Lead single “The Emptiness Machine” topped the Alternative Airplay and Mainstream Rock Airplay tallies for six weeks apiece. Follow-up “Heavy Is the Crown” jumps 21-13 on the latest Mainstream Rock Airplay survey and is bubbling under Alternative Airplay.
From Zero is Linkin Park’s first album with new co-lead singer Emily Armstrong and drummer Colin Brittain. Former co-vocalist Chester Bennington died in 2017, while longtime drummer Rob Bourdon left the band in between One More Light and From Zero.
MTV is ringing in the holiday season by announcing a new special: MTV Unplugged Presents: LL COOL J From the Rock The Bells Festival. The special will premiere on Dec. 5 (10 p.m. ET/PT) in the U.S. and globally. Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news The hour-long show […]
On a balmy night in Belém, Pará in northern Brazil, just 100 miles south of the equator and close to the Amazon rainforest, a crowd of over 250,000 attendees assembled in the Mangueirão Olympic Stadium’s parking lot for an unprecedented free concert. Amid this sea of people stood a dramatic ten-story-high pyramid stage; crowning it was Alok, the superstar DJ and producer, famed for pioneering and popularizing Brazilian bass on a global scale.
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He arrived donning a shiny plant-green suit, resembling a blend between a glossy space suit and a verdant beetle. “We are here today in Belém, in the heart of the Amazon, not only to talk about an ancestral future but also to recognize the voices and the legacy of the guardians of the forest,” Alok declared on stage in Portuguese. “Living [in the Amazon] are the riverside dwellers, the Indigenous people — and now, they will share the stage. The future is ancestral is with you now, the Yawanawa.”
Aside from being the name of his latest album, “The future is ancestral” is a phrase that represents Alok’s deep dive into the ancient living traditions of the Yawanawa people who hail from the Amazon. Their ritualistic music and powerful singing offer a transcendent connection to the forest, bridging the past and the present with each note.
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This grand international affair served as the ceremonial commencement of the one-year countdown to the COP30 — the United Nations Climate Change Conference — while simultaneously launching Alok’s Aurea Tour. The event, a manifestation of resilience and hope for the enduring health of our planet, was presented by Banco do Brasil, and received full support from the government of Pará.
The three-hour concert expanded across various segments, also spotlighting local legends like Joelma, Gaby Amarantos, Zaynara, Viviane Batidão and Pinduca, many of whom represent the native music of Pará, carimbó (a traditional upbeat style characterized by Afro-Indigenous rhythms) and tecnobrega (meaning “techno tacky” — electronic reworkings of Brazilian music), as well as indie rock singer Zeeba.
The pyramid stage itself, which took two weeks to build, stood as a towering feat of modern technology, equipped with over 100 tons of gear, a 360-degree platform, and more than 2,000 LED panels. The event’s visual spectacle was further intensified by 432 drones, orchestrated by Flyworks Drone Show, which painted the night sky with luminescent forms — celestial motifs, an Indigenous headdress, and a colossus tree, all casting a magical glow over the gathered throngs.
Alok performs in Belém, Pará, Brazil on Saturday, Nov. 23 as part of his Aurea Tour, kicking off the countdown to COP30 in 2025.
Filipe Miranda
In support of these initiatives, the governor of Pará, Helder Barbalho, emphasized the importance of such events in changing public perceptions and policy directions. “It’s an extraordinary opportunity to host the world’s largest climate change event in Belém,” he asserted to Billboard Español, referring to COP30.
The governor highlighted the dual necessity of preserving the immense biodiversity of the Amazon while also considering the livelihoods of its 29 million inhabitants — drawing a vivid picture of the “urban Amazonians, riverine Amazonians, and Indigenous peoples” who form the fabric of this vibrant ecosystem. “I believe there is no more symbolically important place for this than the Amazon than Belém. We understand that using entertainment to engage society is crucial,” Barbalho added.
But it was a profound personal journey that set Alok on this path a decade ago. Struggling with a deep depression in 2014, the artist sought solace and meaning. “I was looking for answers. I just felt a huge emptiness,” he said days before the event at the Ilha do Combú, an island located along the Guamá River. “A friend of mine showed me a YouTube video of Saiti Kaya, from the Yawanawa, singing, and it was just beautiful. I said, ‘Wow, this is inspiration. I want to go there. I want to visit them.’”
With nothing to lose, Alok booked his journey, unaware that it would require three flights totaling 13 hours, followed by a grueling nine-hour trip in a small canoe (“not a boat,” he added with a chuckle). As he navigated the river, a massive rainstorm suddenly erupted, prompting him to question, “What am I doing here?” But he pressed on, compelled by a deep need to continue.
Upon arriving, Alok experienced a profound realization. “We have this impression that we are a more developed culture and they are less developed. As soon as I arrived there, I realized that [notion] doesn’t exist. It’s different views and different goals. The way they connect with nature was something that we lost a long time ago.”
During his 10-day immersion with the Yawanawa people, Alok engaged with their traditional practices, diving into the spiritual and medicinal aspects of their culture. He participated in rituals involving ayahuasca — a potent hallucinogenic brew, made from specific vines known for their powerful psychoactive effects — and kambo, which involves applying the secretion of a frog to burns on the skin, believed by many to cleanse the body and mind. These experiences opened new realms of understanding for Alok, touching on themes of life, death and rebirth inherent in these rites.
Alok explained that the discovery of ayahuasca is a miracle of nature, requiring a mysterious combination of two plants among the vast biodiversity of the Amazon. The odds of such a discovery, he noted, were astronomically low, “one in 100 million.”
“[The Yawanawa] told me that it was a dream how they found out how to combine,” he added. “We have an enzyme in our digestive [system] that does not allow the DMT to release. What happens is that one plant releases the DMT and the other one shuts down our enzyme. So that’s how it works properly. It was a life-changing experience that [transformed] how I contribute through my art.” He explains that he ultimately shifted from commercial hits to “songs for healing.”
“For us, music is vital,” said Célia Xakriabá, an activist of the Xakriabá people of Brazil and the first Indigenous woman to earn a doctorate in anthropology from the Federal University of Minas Gerais. “Many ask, ‘What’s the top hit this year?’ For my people, the most significant music isn’t the newest but the oldest, the most ancestral. [Alok] said to me, ‘Célia, I’ve had the impression of singing to millions of people and them not hearing me.’ And I said, ‘Maybe it’s because you’re singing from too high a stage. We, Indigenous people, sing from the earth.’”
Meanwhile, Mapu Huni Kuin, spiritual leader, chief, and musician of the Huni Kuin people, was discovered by Alok through his song “Índio Mensageiro” on YouTube. Mapu recalled how Alok reached out to him, not only appreciating his art but recognizing the potential for greater awareness and preservation: “He saw this project as an opportunity for us to archive our knowledge and practices for future generations — our prayers, our art, our way of life.”
Alok released The Future is Ancestral in April, a nine-track album that features Yawanawa Saiti Kaya, Guarani Nhandewa, Wyanã Kariri Xocó, Brô MC’s, OWERÁ, Kaingang, as well as Mapu and Célia, representing a total of eight Indigenous communities from Brazil to help save the Amazon; all proceeds directly support the artists and their communities.
“What we present is the voice of the forest,” said Mapu. “The Future Is Ancestral is about making people listen to what the elders used to say and speak, and the best way is through our sacred chants. We pray for the healing of humanity.”
“It’s a platform that amplifies the Indigenous voices of Brazil, which has faced significant threats. Once numbering five million, we are now only one million and seven hundred,” added Célia. “Indigenous peoples make up 5% of the world’s population yet protect 82% of its biodiversity. Together with traditional communities, we represent 50% of the solutions for the planet’s health. So, when Indigenous peoples sing, the forest sings with us.”
Aligning with the environmental goals of his album, Alok brought up a relevant global initiative to emphasize the practical importance of natural solutions, “Elon Musk launched the XPRIZE [Carbon Removal] competition. If you could create a technology that’s able to remove the carbon [dioxide] from the atmosphere, you would get $100 million. That exists; it’s called trees. You know what I mean? That’s the point.”
He continued to reflect on the cultural paradigm shift his project aims to bolster: “That’s why every time we say ‘The Future sI Ancestral,’ we are bringing the ancestral knowledge to create a sustainable future for us. That’s the most important point about this project — it’s raising their voices. I’m very proud of them. Something beautiful about this project is that many times when I work with [other non-Indigenous] artists, it’s always about ‘them, them, them.’ But with the Indigenous, it’s different, they always think about the collective.”
Governor Barbalho highlighted the strategic preparations for Belém to host the upcoming COP30 next year, underscoring its significance not just locally but globally: “We are preparing Belém to host 60,000 attendees immersed in environmental discussions, exploring solutions and tackling social challenges. This positions us to leave a tangible legacy for the environment and the city.” In conjunction with COP30, Global Citizen Fest will also take place in Belém, simultaneously, marking the first time the New York City festival arrives in Latin America.
“Our generation has a unique opportunity to create a lasting legacy for the Amazon and its people, and to improve Belém as a city,” explained Barbalho. “My hope is that by the end of this journey, we will have played our part in ushering in a new era for this generation. More importantly, I hope we leave future generations with a healthier environment and a thriving forest that holds environmental, social, and economic value.”
Alok reflected on the transformative potential of intertwining ancestral knowledge with contemporary global movements. “It is [imperative] that the population understands the importance of COP30, which is going to be the most significant one in history,” said Alok. “We are approaching [what is called] the point of no return. Just this year in Brazil, we’ve lost an area equivalent to 130 cities the size of São Paulo — home to 11.5 million people — to deforestation. The forest cannot recover by itself. People need to realize that Brazil can be a leader in sustainable growth and how we can onboard others. The population must pressure our leaders to make real changes.”
As COP30 approaches, Belém becomes a turning point in global environmental advocacy, with the help of Alok and The Future is Ancestral project. With the world watching, there is a collective aspiration that the international event will highlight the critical need for sustainable practices and mobilize concrete actions to safeguard our planet for generations to come.
Alok performs in Belém, Pará, Brazil on Saturday, Nov. 23 as part of his Aurea Tour, kicking off the countdown to COP30 in 2025.
Filipe Miranda
Disclosure: This trip to cover Alok’s concert in Belém, Pará, Brazil was sponsored by Alok’s team and the government of Pará, who provided funding for the flight and accommodations.
The 2025 Outbreak Fest lineup has officially arrived, and for the first time in its history, the festival will host editions in both Manchester and London. Leading the pack in Manchester — the original home of the hardcore and punk-focused event — is headliners Knocked Loose, who will be joined by special guests Slowdive alongside […]
Andy Samberg has proven time and again that he will do anything for a laugh. But the comedian revealed on The Lonely Island and Seth Meyers Podcast this week that when he once again returned to his old stomping grounds at Saturday Night Live two weeks ago for as sketch with that night’s host/musical guest Charli XCX he almost gave viewers way more than they anticipated.
“There was a lot of debate about how high my shorts should be,” Samberg said of his outfit for the nearly not-even-safe-for-late-night final scene of the musical digital short “Here I Go,” in which Andy and Charli played a clean-cut suburban couple who can’t stop snitching. “And I kept being like, ‘Well Charli’s are gonna be pretty high because that’s how she rolls, so I should really have mine high.’”
Samberg told Meyers that despite his regular cameos on the show this season, he wasn’t slated to be on SNL the week of Nov. 16 until he heard Charli would be pulling double-duty, noting that he and his Lonely Island crew are “huge fans” of the singer. He said they had a “couple songs” Charli might be interested in, and after sending “Here I Go,” the Brat star was totally down to clown with them on the song chronicling a clean-cut couple who love ratting out their neighbors.
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Knowing Charli would be doing heavy lifting on the episode, Samberg said the K-pop-inspired “retro funk pop” song — written during last year’s writers and actor’s strike — made the most sense since it would require a bit less of a time commitment from the singer. She shows up at the end to join Andy for a show-stopping dance routine in the middle of the street in which Samberg rips off his pants to reveal bun-hugging red shorts that (almost) match Charli’s micro pants.
Samberg said he considered trying to wear the “exact” same outfit as the singer — which also included a red halter top — but thought better of it. “I was like, well no, I don’t think anybody actually wants to see that, despite what they might think,” he said, noting that he initially asked the costume department to cut the shorts even shorter. “They cut them higher and I was like, ‘I don’t know, maybe I should go higher.’ And then as soon as we started, like, really dancing, I really almost flopped out. I was like, ‘Oh no!”
While he ended up keeping his polo shirt on, Samberg said he was glad he opted for the less aggressively short bottoms. “Thank God we did not make it any higher ’cause it would have been really bad,” he said.
He also revealed that when he sent the song to Charli it originally didn’t have the wife character in it, but after she heard it and loved it he added a bit in for the “365” singer that come after he croons, “now make way for my wife.” In the bit, Charli, dressed in a yellow pant suit, sings, “Now hold up, wait a minute/ Cuz I’m about to snitch like I invented it/ They gonna roll up, any minute/ I pay my motherf–kin’ taxes now I’m cashing in on everything,” leading to a sweet duet portion where the two serenade each other about how they show love by “calling the cops instead of sex.”
Listen to Samberg discuss “Here I Go” (shorts talk begins at 22:07 minute mark) and watch the digital short below.