By now you’ve either toppled into a heap trying to do the viral Nicki Minaj Stiletto Challenge, or you won’t stop forwarding your successful attempt to all your annoyed friends. Congrats on that, because it’s not easy, not even for Minaj herself.

The trend started taking off earlier this summer when fans keyed in on a particularly athletic post from Minaj’s 2013 video for her Lil Wayne collab “High School” — in which she wears stilettos and crosses one leg over the other while balancing both feet on the ground near the edge of a pool — and began posting videos of themselves hitting the pose while balanced on all kinds of precarious props.

Naturally, the rapper decided to get in on the action as well in a post on Tuesday (Aug. 5) in which struck a series of poses on the ground near a pool while wearing a very short black dress. Here’s the thing: even Nicki realized that it’s not as easy as she made it look that first time.

In the post, Minaj apologized to her Barbz for not quite hitting the pose, explaining that she had a classic wardrobe malfunction while filming the video. “about that pose…. Ummm 😩 this Chanel dress was just a tad shorter than I thought & the thongs definitely didn’t help,” Minaj wrote. “Didn’t want to make it explicit.😃 Both feet on the ground tho. Ten toes. Ima put on a diff outfit that won’t show so much skin & do it again for you guys later.”

To date, a number of celebs have tried their hand at the challenge, including Ciara, Dancing with the Stars‘ Witney Carson and Jenna Bush Hager. They succeeded, but things did not go so well for Russian influencer Mariana Barutkina, 32, who became a cautionary tale after she tried to balance on a container of baby formula on top of a saucepan, but slipped off and fractured her spine.

Selena Gomez has appeared as the latest guest on the Therapuss podcast, speaking to host Jake Shane about myriad topics, ranging from her acting career, to mental health and her relationship with Benny Blanco.

Launching her discussion with Shane by focusing on a recap of the recent happenings in her life, Gomez turned her focus towards Rare Beauty, the cosmetics company she founded in 2020 which supports mental health organizations with a portion of its sales.

As Gomez explained, the mental health aspect was one that was important to her given the experiences she has had with the topic over the years. 

“I tried to share my story in hopes that it would be something to help others, and I think I did that when I admitted that I had struggled through my bipolar diagnosis,” she explained. “So that was more of a release for me. 

“And then I realized anything that I touch or anything I’m a part of, it has to give back and some sort of element. And that just always has been my key demographic – it’s people who don’t feel seen or heard or, even know what’s going on and in their own mind.”

“I just believe in therapy,” she added on the topic of mental health. “I’m on medication and I feel really lucky that I’m in the position that I’m in now and I believe in all of that.”

Another large focus of Gomez’s appearance on Therapuss was the topic of her engagement to producer Benny Blanco. The pair confirmed their relationship in 2023 before becoming engaged in late 2024, and later collaborating together on March’s I Said I Love You First album.

“I couldn’t be more excited,” Gomez said of her forthcoming wedding. “There’s so much happening at the moment with [Blanco] working on some projects that he has to wrap up and we just have things we want to finish and our own personal endeavors before we get into all the nitty gritty. 

“I just have really never felt so sure about something and I also don’t want to jinx it by saying that.” 

Shane also used the opportunity to ask Gomez about how she and Blanco first met, with the musician explaining that they had both met early on in their respective musical careers, though their initial relationship was little more than a casual friendship. 

“I feel like he was an acquaintance, if that makes sense,” she explains. “To be honest [we weren’t] besties, I just thought he was nice and then we did a few songs together.”

After reuniting to work on 2023’s “Single Soon,” their casual friendship eventually took a deeper turn. “We spoke for two hours and I asked him to hook me up with anybody that he knew that was cute and he was like, ‘Oh we do these things, these dinner nights. You should come,’” she recalls. “And next thing you know we’re dating.

“But he was terrified in the beginning cause he was like, ‘It’s work and it’s complicated and people are going to get mad,’ and I’m like, ‘I don’t give a s–t; kiss me.’”

Watch Selena Gomez’s appearance on Therapuss below.

As Metallica announce one of their most intimate gigs to date, the group have addressed rumors their celebrated live show will be heading to the Las Vegas Sphere.

While metal icons Metallica are currently gearing up to embark upon the home stretch of their 2025 touring plans with shows in Australia, New Zealand, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates, the group have announced a special one-off show in New York later this month.

Taking place on Aug. 28 at Stephen Talkhouse in Amagansett on Long Island, the 250-capacity venue makes the show one of the Rock and Roll Hall of Famers’ most intimate to date. 

Presented by SiriusXM to celebrate the launch of the Maximum Metallica channel the following day, tickets are being distributed via contests by both the band and Sirius XM.

Per Brooklyn Vegan, Metallica drummer Lars Ulrich spoke to Howard Stern on Wednesday (Aug. 6) to discuss the upcoming gig, where the co-founding percussionist also addressed current rumors that the band may be bringing their show to Las Vegas venue Sphere as one of its famed residencies.

According to a recent report by Vital Vegas, unnamed sources have pointed towards a potential residency from Metallica at the Sphere in fall 2026. However, Ulrich stated he was unable to confirm these rumors due to there being “nothing to confirm.”

“But I’m not going to deny it, because we’re all such fans of this venue,” he explained. “All of our managers and our production people have been there and looked at it. It’s something that we’re considering, [but] nothing is etched in stone or green-lit. It’s something that we’re looking at at some point when the 2026 tour is done.”

Officially known as Sphere at the Venetian Resort, the immersive venue officially opened its doors in September 2023, with U2 launching a 40-date run of shows at the venue. Since then, the likes of Phish, Dead & Company, the Eagles, and Kenny Chesney have all performed residencies, with the Zac Brown Band set to appear following the completion of the Backstreet Boys’ current run of shows.

“I was there seeing U2 the first night, when they took that stage, I wanted to see it for myself before I saw it on YouTube or read about it,” Ulrich told Stern. “I was there, like everybody else that was there that night, I was completely blown away, and felt that was the beginning of another chapter in live performances.”

“I’m not going to bulls–t you, I would f–king love to do it, let there be no question about it. It’s not signed, sealed and delivered, but speaking to me and asking my opinion I would f–king love to do it.”

Metallica will wrap their 2025 touring plans with tours of Australia and New Zealand in November, followed by dates in Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates. Their current M72 World Tour will wrap in July 2026 following dates in Europe and the U.K..

Eddie Palmieri, the Grammy Award-winning pianist, bandleader, musician, and composer of Puerto Rican ancestry who revolutionized Latin jazz and salsa over a more than seven decades career, has died at 88. He passed away Wednesday (August 6) in his New Jersey home, according to a statement posted on his official Instagram account.

One of the most influential figures in Latin music history, Palmieri was born in Spanish Harlem to Puerto Rican parents and was greatly influenced by his older brother, the pioneering Latin pianist Charlie Palmieri. “Together, the Palmieri brothers helped define the sound of Latin music in New York City and beyond, each leaving a distinct legacy,” reads the post.

Known for pioneering progressive salsa and Latin jazz, blending American jazz with Afro-Caribbean rhythms, Palmieri founded in 1961 La Perfecta, a band that redefined salsa with its use of trombones in place of trumpets, introducing a new sound that became Palmieri’s musical signature. His 1965 classic “Azúcar Pa’ Ti” has been recognized for its cultural significance – in 2009, it was inducted into the Library of Congress of the United States. He also blended Latin music with funk, soul, and socially conscious messaging in his innovative 1971 album Harlem River Drive.

On the Billboard charts, Palmieri had seven entries on the Jazz Albums ranking – from Palmas (1994) to Listen Here! (2005) -– and eight entries on Top Tropical Albums, including three top 10s: Obra Maestra: Mastepiece (2000) with Tito Puente, Ritmo Caliente (2003), both of which reached No. 5, and Eddie Palmieri Is Doin’ It In The Park: The EP (Soundtrack), which peaked at No. 7. He also had presence on Traditional Jazz Albums (nine entries, two of them in the top 10), Top Latin Albums (one entry at No. 7) and Tropical Airplay (one entry).

Winner of the NEA Jazz Masters Award as well as multiple Grammy and Latin Grammy Awards, Palmieri received in 2013 a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Latin Recording Academy.

“It is with deep sorrow that we mourn the passing of maestro Eddie Palmieri, a pioneer of salsa, a visionary of Latin jazz, and an eternal revolutionary of rhythm,” the Latin Recording Academy said on a statement. “His talent broke barriers, merging tradition with innovation and leaving an indelible mark on generations of musicians and music lovers. […] He always had a deep commitment to culture, and his invaluable contributions cemented him as one of the great pillars of the Latin sound worldwide.”

Eddie Palmieri’s wife for almost six decades, Iraida Palmieri, whom he lovingly called “Mi Luz Mayor,” passed away in 2014. He is survived by their five children – daughters Gabriela, Renee, Eydie and Ileana, and son Edward Palmieri II – and four grandchildren.