Dixie D’Amelio talks about how she balances all her different project, the most iconic VMA moments, advice to other aspiring artists and more on the 2022 VMA red capret.
Latto talks about iconic VMA “energy” and her partnership with Planned Parenthood and speaking out about women’s right to an abortion at the 2022 MTV VMA red carpet.
Making her MTV VMAs debut, Brazilian superstar Anitta was a vision in red wearing a tight blood-red bodysuit to perform her global smash hit, “Envolver.” The Brazilian superstar took the stage at the Prudential Center in New Jersey on Sunday night (Aug. 28) after being introduced by BLACKPINK, who reminded those in attendance of Anitta’s star-studded collaborations, including Madonna and Snoop Dogg.
Then, Anitta appeared on the very top of a white set of steps that seated her fierce troupe of dancers. She started off with “Envolver” and, as expected, she made her way down the steps to do her viral dance that includes bending over, executing a slow-motion push-up, gyrating her hips while holding a plank position. But she wasn’t done there.
“VMAs, did you think I wasn’t going to shake my a– tonight?” she asked. Immediately she gave a master class in twerking and samba to her funk anthem “Vai Malandra.”
Anitta’s “Envolver” won the best Latin category over songs such as Bad Bunny‘s “Titi Me Preguntó” and Becky G and Karol G‘s “MAMIII.” Earlier this year, the reggaeton track became a global hit driven by its TikTok success. In March, “Envolver” became the first song by a Brazilian act to enter the top 10 on Spotify’s Global chart and subsequently hit No. 1 in Brazil. In April, the track hit No. 1 on the Billboard Global Excl. U.S. chart, marking the first leader on the list by an artist from Brazil.
During her acceptance speech, Anitta made sure to shout out her country, fans and family. “Oh my God,” she started. “I really wasn’t expecting this. This is the first time Brazil [is represented] in these awards. I was born and raised in the ghetto, and tonight, I performed music that was once considered a crime in my country. Thanks to my family and fans,” she ended.
Watch Anitta’s performance below:
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Alan Jackson canceled Saturday night’s (Aug. 27) concert in Kansas City, Missouri, after testing positive for COVID-19.
“I’m so sorry I can’t be there tonight,” Jackson said, according to a statement published by the venue, the T-Mobile Center. “I hate to disappoint my fans.”
A representative for Jackson confirmed to Billboard that the country star has COVID-19 and that the show was called off.
The T-Mobile Center says organizers intend to reschedule the concert date, and that those who purchased tickets for the original date will have them honored at the rescheduled date.
The show was part of his Last Call: One More for the Road” Tour, which launched in June and runs through early October. At the time of publication, the Aug. 27 date is the only one postponed. Jackson’s next scheduled concert is on Sept. 9 in Lexington, Kentucky.
The tour marks Jackson’s first time on the road since revealing a health diagnosis last fall, when he told fans about his battle with Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease, a degenerative nerve condition that impacts the peripheral nervous system and causes balance problems. $1 from every tour ticket sold was to be donated to the CMT Research Foundation, which funds research for Charcot-Marie-Tooth drug development.
“I have this neuropathy and neurological disease,” Jackson, who released the 21-track album Where Have You Gone? in 2021, said last year. “It’s genetic that I inherited from my daddy … There’s no cure for it, but it’s been affecting me for years, and it’s getting more and more obvious. I know I’m stumbling around on stage. And now I’m having a little trouble balancing, even in front of the microphone, and so I just feel very uncomfortable. It’s not going to kill me. It’s not deadly.”
Latto continues to speak out against the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade.
The “Big Energy” rapper has joined forces with Planned Parenthood for a public service announcement urging people to join the fight for abortion rights and access.
“We already know who’s going to be hurt the most by these ridiculous abortion bans: Black women, Brown women, the LGBTQ+ community, and communities with low incomes,” Latto said in a statement. “Because of this country’s history of racism and discrimination, these folks already have a hard time getting the health care they need. We all deserve to be safe and it’s every person’s right to make decisions about their own bodies.”
She concluded, “As an artist, I want to use my platform to let these politicians know: My body is for no one to control, but me.”
The 30-second PSA arrives ahead of Sunday’s 2022 MTV Video Music Award, where the Atlanta rapper is nominated for four awards, including the video for good award for her new track “P*ssy,” a hard-hitting feminist anthem in response to the overturning of Roe v. Wade.
This isn’t Latto’s first time advocating for women’s reproductive rights. Earlier this summer, the hip-hop artist spoke with Billboard about how to take action following the Supreme Court’s latest ruling.
“To be a woman in this industry is hard. And to be a woman right now in general is scary,” Latto told Billboard. “It’s a human right to control your own body. This is not just one person or group’s fight; we should all be shouting how unjust this is and supporting the right for someone to decide what happens to their body. I want to see men supporting by protesting alongside women and voting for candidates that push forward our right of choice.
She added, “We will continue to fight the fight for what’s right. Do your research on candidates, their policies and what they stand for. Every election, local or national, counts. Tune into the debates, show up and vote, set reminders for your local elections, and let your friends know. I’ll do my part to use my platform to remind my fans in Atlanta when to turn out to vote. The time to act is now.”
Watch Latto’s Planned Parenthood PSA below.
Comments made by country singer Jason Aldean‘s wife, Brittany, are coming under fire after she posted a transphobic joke on Instagram.
“I’d really like to thank my parents for not changing my gender when I went through my tomboy phase. I love this girly life,” Brittany wrote earlier this week, on Aug. 23, as a caption to a before-and-after makeup video set to Beyoncé’s 2006 song “Upgrade U,” (even though Beyoncé is known to be an ally to the LGBTQ+ community). Husband Jason left a laughing emoji in the comments and replied, “Lmao!! Im glad they didn’t too, cause you and I wouldn’t have worked out.”
In a wordier statement via Instagram Stories on Friday (Aug. 26), Brittany expanded upon her unsolicited thoughts on transgender youth and their rights to gender-affirming care: “Advocating for the genital mutilation of children under the disguise of love and calling it ‘gender affirming care’ is one of the worst evils. I will always support my children and do what I can to protect their innocence,” she wrote. “The other day Memphis wanted to be a dinosaur and tomorrow Navy will want to be a cat. They’re children. Some parents want to be accepted by society so badly that they’re willing to make life-altering decisions for their children who aren’t old enough to fully comprehend the consequences of those actions. Love is protecting your child until they are mature enough as an adult to make their own life decisions. Thankful my parents allowed me to go through my tom boy phase without changing my gender.”
Country singers RaeLynn and Whitney Duncan, as well as the wives of country singers Chuck Wicks, Jon Pardi, Shay Mooney and Granger Smith were among those to leave comments showing support on Brittany’s posts.
But elsewhere, country stars slammed Brittany Aldean. “You’d think celebs with beauty brands would see the positives in including LGBTQ+ people in their messaging. But instead here we are, hearing someone compare their ‘tomboy phase’ to someone wanting to transition. Real nice,” Cassadee Pope remarked on Twitter Friday (Aug. 26) in reaction to Brittany’s posts.
Maren Morris replied to Pope’s tweet in agreement, writing, “It’s so easy to, like, not be a scumbag human? Sell your clip-ins and zip it, Insurrection Barbie.”
At that point, conservative Candace Owens decided to insert herself into their conversation, replying: “It’s easier to not castrate your children. But I guess whatever helps sell bad records.”
Morris responded, “Oh my god, not you. My Grammy is positively sobbing right now. Also, why do y’all always go to ‘castration’ and ‘pedophiles’ to try and shut an argument down? It’s honestly concerning and worth looking into.” Here, Perez Hilton chimed in as well: “Where is the castration of children happen[ing]? Because I don’t know any doctors that perform that gender-affirmation surgery on minors in America,” he pointed out.
On Instagram, Morris continued to talk about Brittany Aldean with Pope: “You know, I’m glad she didn’t become a boy either because we really don’t need another a–hole dude in the world. Sucks when Karens try to hide their homophobia/transphobia behind their ‘protectiveness of the children.’ Weren’t they putting their kids in ‘Biden-is-a-pedo’ shirts on social media? Sounds like a real safe way to protect them from millions of eyes! F— all the way off to Insurrection Barbie and the fellow IB’s trolling this comment section with their hypocritical, hateful a–es.”
Morris also replied to comments from others, like one Twitter user who found the singer’s reaction “confusing” and told her to “put down the phone and focus on the guitar.” Morris shot back, “If it’s confusing to you, it’s because you think we’re ‘fighting’ over politics. We’re not. This isn’t political. We’re calling someone out for being transphobic and thinking it’s hilarious. It isn’t.”
On Morris’ Instagram Stories on Saturday, she shared a video clip of herself thanking her fans for their support, while suggesting they redirect their effort to those who probably needed more support than her after seeing Brittany Aldean’s post.
“Y’all have been so sweet and supportive today of me and Cassadee,” Morris noted. “I will say we can handle this s—. We’ve dealt with idiots, you know, for years saying insanely stupid stuff at us. But I would say check on your trans friends. Check on your gay friends. Anyone that is in country music and had to look at that bulls— today and feel subhuman. Check on your friends.”
“I’m just so sick of looking at absolute horses— on the internet and people getting away with it, much less being celebrated for it,” Morris said.
Morris’ husband, fellow artist Ryan Hurd, also reassured followers on Twitter that they were OK but would continue to speak up: “Getting a lot of people telling me our career is over, as if the last time she spoke up about something it disappeared. Honestly, we’re pretty ok over here. Tours are good, got a 2 year old we love, we’re f–ing fine, and I promise she isn’t going to shut up now … Scoring quick points by picking on trans kids isn’t something that is brave at all. And I’m proud of Maren for sticking up for them. Badge of honor to have CO engage in completely normal discourse, too. Shut up and sing only applies to those who you disagree with.”
See Brittany’s original post and the reactions from Morris, Pope and more below.
You’d think celebs with beauty brands would see the positives in including LGBTQ+ people in their messaging. But instead here we are, hearing someone compare their “tomboy phase” to someone wanting to transition. Real nice.
— Cassadee Pope (@CassadeePope) August 26, 2022
It’s so easy to, like, not be a scumbag human? Sell your clip-ins and zip it, Insurrection Barbie.
— MAREN MORRIS (@MarenMorris) August 26, 2022
It’s easier to not castrate your children.
But I guess whatever helps sell bad records.— Candace Owens (@RealCandaceO) August 26, 2022
Oh my god, not you. My Grammy is positively sobbing right now. Also, why do y’all always go to “castration” and “pedophiles” to try and shut an argument down? It’s honestly concerning and worth looking into.
— MAREN MORRIS (@MarenMorris) August 26, 2022
If it’s confusing to you, it’s because you think we’re “fighting” over politics. We’re not. This isn’t political. We’re calling someone out for being transphobic and thinking it’s hilarious. It isn’t.
— MAREN MORRIS (@MarenMorris) August 27, 2022
Scoring quick points by picking on trans kids isn’t something that is brave at all. And I’m proud of Maren for sticking up for them. Badge of honor to have CO engage in completely normal discourse, too. Shut up and sing only applies to those who you disagree with.
— Ryan Hurd (@RyanHurd) August 27, 2022
