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With the ball challenge, a design challenge, an acting challenge and the Rusical under its belt, RuPaul’s Drag Race season 16 still had a major staple to give fans — the Snatch Game.
On Friday’s episode (aired Feb. 23), the nine remaining queens were put through the classic Drag Race gauntlet, as Ru charged them with crafting their best celebrity impressions in a Match Game-inspried show with one very simple rule at its center: “Make me laugh.”
Taking to the Snatch Game stage, Sapphira Cristál impressed Ru with their gut-busting take on the Godfather of Soul James Brown, while Plane Jane took off with her second challenge win for an uproarious impersonation of Serbian pop phenomenon Jelena Karleuša. Meanwhile, Morphine Love Dion couldn’t steal a laugh as fraudster Anna Delvey, while Xunami Muse’s original character the Gold Tooth Fairy found nothing but crickets under Ru’s pillow.
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Lip synching to Whitney Houston’s perennial classic “I Wanna Dance With Somebody,” Morphine and Xunami worked together to make a memorable moment of reality television. Dancing with (rather than against) one another, the pair made good on the promise of Houston’s hit song. But when the song was over, only one could remain — Ru relieved Morphine’s pain by keeping her for one more week, while Xunami’s wave crashed into the shore for the final time.
Below, Billboard chats with Xunami about her Snatch Game performance, her collaborative lip sync, and why she refused to be bothered about constant “safe” placements.
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What has your experience been watching yourself on television for the last few weeks?
It’s kind of like an out of body experience, to be honest — I’ve only watched each episode once because I cannot deal, otherwise. It’s interesting to see myself in that world, and living here now with all of the opportunities and all the things I have to do now, and getting to see the fans in all of their different states. It’s really cool!
Throughout this season, you have become the unofficial hostess of Untucked, now and forever known to all of us as Xunami’s Afters.
[Laughs.] Girl, that was my favorite thing on the show, no lie. It felt iconic.
I love that you took your safe placements in stride and let yourself have fun when it came time for Untucked — why do you think you reacted that way, where others got very stressed about it?
It’s definitely a combination of things. Even though it didn’t show, deep down, I was giving the Arthur fist meme, you know what I mean? You always want to excel, and if it was up to any of the girls, they would win every episode, obviously. But, I couldn’t be upset about being safe every time for a few reasons; it didn’t mean I did bad, and it meant that I lived another week to show another look. No matter the situation, I will always focus on the positive side of it. It came from that, and just being genuinely happy to be there.
Was there any challenge in particular where you felt you should have placed higher?
Oh, girl. I felt like I could have been high for the ball, and maybe for the SNL challenge. But really, it was the girl group challenge. I had a genuinely great week that week, and had it been critiqued individually instead of by groups, I feel like I could have been high. So that’s part of it — going through this experience, being safe didn’t mean you did bad. It’s a big cast, and a lot of these girls are crazy talented. As long as I felt like I was showcasing my drag to the best of my abilities and it was being enjoyed, then it was a success. Getting to watch it now, I’m happy with what I gave, completely.
Fans know that you are the adopted drag daughter of season 13 and All Stars 8 contestant Kandy Muse. Did Kandy offer you any advice before you left for filming?
The main thing she told me was to have fun and to make it my own. Obviously, in your mind, you’re going to win that crown and $200,000. But she really said, “Remember to have fun and leave your stamp.” And you know what, I had so much fun on this show. There was a lot that wasn’t shown, but watching what they did show, you can tell I was having a ball the whole time. Every moment, you could not tell me I wasn’t it on Drag Race.
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In this episode, we arrive and the long-awaited — and for some queens, dreaded — Snatch Game. You chose to perform an original character, the Gold Tooth Fairy. What made you decide to go for something original rather than a classic impression?
Let’s get into it. Snatch Game is my least favorite challenge on the show because it is so hard. I cannot stress enough how hard doing Snatch Game is — being quick and in the moment as a completely different character is a tough skill, and that’s why the ones who do well in the game go on to be so successful. But, I wanted to approach it the best way I could. For years, I auditioned for this show and would show Naomi Campbell and Cardi B and people like that, and it never felt like it was giving!
So when I was cast, I was like, “What if I do an original character? That way I’ll stand out.” I was thinking about how Trinity [the Tuck] and Yvie [Oddly] did their versions of fictional characters like the Boogeyman or the Devil [on All Stars 7] and made them completely their own. But it turns out I bit off way more than I could chew, girl!
Did you have any backup characters ready to go in case the Gold Tooth Fairy wasn’t working?
I would have done Celia Cruz — and you know what, I should have done Celia Cruz. For me it would’ve been all about the “azúcar,” girl! Screaming “azúcar” alone would have kept me safe this week!
You and Morphine winding up in the bottom resulted in one of the season’s best lip syncs. When I was done being shocked that Drag Race has never had “I Wanna Dance With Somebody” as a lip sync song, I couldn’t stop watching the two of you turning the performance into a collaborative dance. What was going through your mind when you decided to dance with Morphine instead of against her?
I think it was the familiarity, being in that moment with someone who is actually my friend. Like, we’d done shows together, we were friends, and there’s just something about performing with your girl where you just want to bounce off of each other. There was this really natural thing between us, and it felt right in the moment. Like, I didn’t want to lip sync against my girl — I didn’t want to lip sync period! But, once I was in the bottom with her, it became, “Oh, okay. We’re going to make this a moment.”
Last thing before you go — what music have you been listening to lately?
To be honest, the song I’ve had on repeat is my new track with Kandy Muse, which I will be premiering live at the Love Ball with Shea Couleé, Luxx Noir London, Tayce, Monét X Change and LaLa Ri, hello! It’s called “It’s Giving C–t,” and I believe it should be up for streaming by March 1, and we’re gonna perform it live first. I’m really excited for it, I’ve just really been bumping along to it all day.
Pres. Joe Biden gets it. The commander-in-chief stopped by Late Night With Seth Meyers on Monday night (Feb. 26) to help the show’s host celebrate his show’s 10th anniversary, and to keep stoking the fires of right-wingnut conspiracy theories about his alleged devious plot to secure the most important endorsement in this year’s presidential campaign.
“Can you confirm or deny that there is an active conspiracy between you and Miss Swift?,” Meyers asked Biden about the allegations from conservatives that the President is working behind the scenes with Taylor Swift and boyfriend Travis Kelce to boost his campaign against expected challenger Donald Trump by locking in the power couple’s endorsement.
“Where are you getting this information? It’s classified. That’s classified information,” Biden said with a smile in a rare late night appearance. “But I will tell you, she did endorse me in 2020.”
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Meyers was as relentless as a White House pool reporter in his questioning, wondering if the Swift thumbs up might “come around again.” Biden still wouldn’t bite, joking, “I told you it’s classified.”
Before this month’s Super Bowl, conservatives got spun up about a made-up theory that Swift and Kelce had cooked up a plot with the White House to have the pair officially endorse Biden after Kelce and the Kansas City Chiefs won Super Bowl LVIII. The visit by Biden — his first as a sitting president — marked the 10th anniversary of the launch of Late Night. Biden, then Vice President, and the night’s other guest, Amy Poehler, were the inaugural guests on Meyers’ first broadcast on Feb. 24, 2014.
Biden, 81, also had jokes, noting that Trump, 77, is “about as old as I am but he can’t even remember his wife’s name,” in response to a question about concerns related to his age; Biden is the oldest sitting president and would be the oldest president to ever serve if he wins a second term. “It’s about how old your ideas are,” he added about Trump, the twice-indicted, one-term president who is facing 91 felony counts in four different cases as he mounts his third run for the White House. “This about a guy who wants to take us back, he wants to take us back on Roe V. Wade, he wants to take us back on a whole range of issues that for 50-60 years they have been solid American positions.”
The president — who was sporting a flag pin on his lapel featuring the American and Ukrainian flags in the midst of a fight in Congress over further funding for the war in Ukraine — also sat on the couch with Poehler to reminisce about his guest spot on Parks and Recreation. Meyers asked Biden about his seemingly playful adoption of the “Dark Brandon” right-wing meme, to which Biden responded, “no, I resent the hell out of it,” as he slipped on DB’s signature dark aviator shades to wild applause from the studio audience.
Check out Biden on Late Night below.
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One Direction is gone, split up into five healthy parts. But certainly not forgotten.
The Garcia twins played their part in keeping the flame burning for 1D with a performance Monday night (Feb. 26) as The Voice returned to our screens.
For their blind audition, the teenage lads performed “Story of My Life,” lifted from 1D’s 2013 album Midnight Memories, one of their four No. 1s on the Billboard 200 chart.
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There were wet eyes in the room as the 17-year-old brothers sprung the nostalgic number, on pitch, and with a solid hug at the end.
Hailing from Millbrae, CA, the bros, Justin and Jeremy, managed a three-chair turn. Only John Legend kept his back to the boys.
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“You’ve got the duo thing down,” remarked coach Shay Mooney of Dan + Shay, stating the obvious. “Man, that was a fantastic performance. From the first time I heard you harmonizing and I found out it was two people, I was like, we’ve got to turn around. That sounds amazing.”
That was the cue for a sales pitch. Brothers, come team up with the “brothers”.
There’s still room for improvement. “When you guys first started, it was super, super tight,” Chance the Rapper noted. “There were some parts where one of you guys got pitchy. And you guys gained control by the end.” He added, “as long as you guys are focused on how you interact with each other, you guys will have great performances and keep having success like this.”
The harmonies “could have been a little tighter,” remarked Legend, explaining his reasons for not turning. But hey, what an experience.
Reba McEntire felt a connection. The country star recounted her youth growing up in a “singing family.” Hearing the twins belt it out, “it takes me back to my childhood. I absolutely love your enthusiasm.” And, as she started her own sales pitch, confessed she was “really moved by it.”
In the end, it boiled down to a decision. The Garcias chose coaches Dan + Shay, who served as mentors in season 20 and made their coaching debut tonight, becoming the first artists to join the country duo’s team.
For the record, 1D was created through the vehicle of another reality TV format, the 2010 season of The X Factor, setting charts and hearts ablaze until 2016, when the group went on indefinite hiatus.
NBC’s The Voice is now in its 25th season.
Watch the audition below.
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Ryan Gosling is set to perform “I’m Just Ken” live at the 2024 Oscars on Sunday, March 10. Variety was first to report the news.
It had been uncertain if Gosling would agree to perform the song, which is a comic highlight of Barbie. He and Emma Stone declined to perform “City of Stars” from La La Land on the Oscar telecast seven years ago — and “City of Stars,” a loping, easy-tempo ballad, is a much easier song to sing live than “I’m Just Ken,” a dynamic, comic showcase.
When Gosling and Stone passed on performing “City of Stars,” Oscar producers enlisted John Legend, who also appeared in La La Land, to perform the song – and also a second nominated song from the film, “Audition (The Fools Who Dream).” “City of Stars” went on to win the Oscar for best original song.
Gosling is nominated for best supporting actor for Barbie. Robert Downey Jr. is widely expected to win in that category for his performance in Oppenheimer, but Gosling has the opportunity to bring the house down.
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In a Variety cover story in early February, Gosling said that the Academy hadn’t yet asked him to perform. “It might be too much of a risk to have me do it,” he said. “I don’t know how that would work. But I’m open to it.”
Mark Ronson, who wrote the song with Andrew Wyatt, told Variety at the Grammys that he wasn’t interested in any other singer subbing for Gosling on the Oscars. When asked if he’d consider a sub, Ronson said, “No. I think if Ryan doesn’t do it then we’re not doing it.”
“I’m Just Ken” is one of two Barbie songs that received an Oscar nomination for best original song. The other is “What Was I Made For?” by Billie Eilish and Finneas. Barbie might very well have received a third nomination in that category for “Dance the Night,” which Ronson and Wyatt co-wrote with Dua Lipa and Caroline Ailin, but Oscar rules limit films to two nominations in that category.
In a conversation on Billboard’s Pop Shop podcast, Ronson agreed that the exclusion of “Dance the Night” made his nod for “I’m Just Ken” feel “bittersweet.”
“It is because Dua’s song is still the biggest song from the soundtrack and Dua was really the first artist of anywhere near her stature that committed to the film. It really set the bar for what the whole soundtrack could be,” he said. “So Dua definitely deserves all the credit for that, and it would have been lovely to have her as well.”
The 96th Oscars will air live on ABC and broadcast outlets worldwide on March 10 at the new, earlier time of 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT.
Jimmy Kimmel is hosting the show for the fourth time. It will be held at its usual home, the Dolby Theatre at Ovation Hollywood.
While the Academy hasn’t officially confirmed Gosling’s booking, they have announced the first presenters for the Oscar telecast, including Zendaya and Jamie Lee Curtis.
Mahershala Ali, Nicolas Cage, Jamie Lee Curtis, Brendan Fraser, Jessica Lange, Matthew McConaughey, Lupita Nyong’o, Al Pacino, Michelle Pfeiffer, Ke Huy Quan, Sam Rockwell, Michelle Yeoh and Zendaya will present at the 2024 Oscars, which are set for Sunday, March 10. All are previous Oscar winners except for Pfeiffer, a three-time nominee, and Zendaya, who […]
Rap lyrics being used in court cases has become a lightning rod for discussion across the judicial system in America. Killer Mike sat down with Bronx-bred rapper Kemba to delve deeper into the criminalization of lyrics in hip-hop for part of the As We Speak: Rap Music On Trial documentary, which premieres on Paramount+ on Tuesday […]
Zendaya had to unexpectedly press pause on her global Dune: Part Two promotional tour on Monday (Feb. 26). The actress posted a video in which she was clearly suffering from vocal issues while explaining why she could not appear on Good Morning America as scheduled. Explore Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest […]
Having a platinum pedigree is one thing. But showing that you can use it is a whole different ballgame. Emmy Russell, 24 proved more than up to the task on Sunday night (Feb. 25) when the shy Nashville native, and granddaughter of country icon Loretta Lynn, stepped up to her mark on American Idol to perform an original piano ballad called “Skinny.”
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Smiling from ear-to-ear, Russell told the judge’s panel it was a “dream” to be on the reality singing competition as Katy Perry, Lionel Richie and Luke Bryan struggled to hear the singer’s quiet speaking voice. “Tell us about yourself, other than being quiet,” Bryan said. “Growing up, I sang music my entire life,” she said modestly.
“I just love writing. I’m 24 years old. Songwriter. I love music,” Russell added. “I don’t really sing out as much anymore, but growing up I sang on the road with — my grandma’s a country singer so I grew up singing.” Which, of course, elicited the obvious question from Bryan, leading to the revelation that Russell’s grandma was the Grammy-winning country “Coal Miner’s Daughter” superstar, who died in Oct. 2022 at age 90. “Your grandma is… what?!” Richie said in disbelief.
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The show then unspooled a montage of Russell taking viewers on a tour of her “meemaw” Lynn’s historic Hurricane Mills, TN ranch and home, where the singer’s mom, singer Patsy Lynn, grew up. “She’s one of the biggest country music singers of all time, but to me she’s just my grandma, and growing up on the bus and all that was very normal to me,” Russell said.
Embracing her timidity, Russell explained that one of the reasons she is kind of shy is because she wants to be her own person and “own my own voice.” Counseled by Perry that, like her gran, Russell needs to find her own unique path, the singer then went to the piano to perform a moving original she wrote about eating disorders called “Skinny.”
“Haven’t eaten in days/ God I hate how you made me/ So scared to confess, been so hard to undress lately/ These oversized T-shirts don’t work like they used to/ Sleeping on scales is just what I’m used to,” Russell sang urgently on the ballad that had a touch of Olivia Rodrigo’s keyboard-driven confessional songwriting.
Perry was super impressed with the audition, calling Russell an “A+ songwriter… so was your grandma, you’ve got the gift. I don’t think you need to compare yourself to what grandma was… you’re totally different, you shouldn’t give yourself all that pressure. I think you came in like a mouse.”
“A baby mouse,” Bryan added, as Perry asked Russell to say her name again, but louder this time.
Richie agreed, saying, “My dear, you have promise. And I like your promise. Each one of us is trying to battle something that we’re trying to overcome. In your case you have big shoes. Now if I can just get you to put those shoes back in the closet, that’s not your size.” Bryan said the task will be to boost Russell’s confidence and help her “own it.”
It was a tearful yes for Russell, who will advance to the Hollywood round on the current 22nd season of the long-running series, which Perry recently announced will be her final one with the show.
See Russell’s audition below.
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21 Savage made his musical guest debut on Saturday Night Live, performing tracks from his latest album. The U.K.-born, Atlanta-raised rapper delivered three songs — “Redrum” and a mashup of “Should’ve Worn a Bonnet” and “Prove It” — from his 2024 album, American Dream, during the Feb. 24 episode of the long-running NBC sketch comedy […]
Bob Marley: One Love continues to dominate the box office. The Paramount biopic will remain No. 1 on this week’s domestic box office chart. The film, starring Kingsley Ben-Adir as the late reggae icon, will earn an estimated $13.4 million to $14 million from 3,597 locations, according to early weekend estimates provided to The Hollywood […]