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Megan Thee Stallion is “excited AF” for her SNL gig, but planning to take some time off after it’s done.
The rapper is in New York City, pulling double duty as host and musical guest on Saturday night’s (Oct. 15) episode. The day before, TMZ reported that her Los Angeles home was broken into and more than $300,000 worth of personal property was stolen.
“Wow,” she wrote on Twitter Friday night, presumably responding to the alleged burglary. “Material things can be replaced but I’m glad everyone is safe.”
“Hotties im really sorry but after SNL I really gotta take a break I’m so tired, physically and emotionally,” she said in her next tweet.
Saturday night will be Meg’s first time hosting SNL, but second time appearing as the official musical guest. As the musical guest in 2020, she performed her hits “Savage” and “Don’t Stop.” This time around, she’s expected to play songs from her sophomore album, 2022’s Traumazine, which debuted at No. 4 on the Billboard 200.
See Megan’s latest tweets below and a series of hot pink “SNL DAY” photos on Instagram here.
Beyoncé sent a beautiful birthday card and gift to Cardi B, who celebrated her 30th birthday this week.
Cardi B shared a look at some pretty flowers to her Instagram Stories on Friday (Oct. 14), a few days after her Oct. 11 birthday. On top of the gift was a card opened to reveal a sweet message inside, which Beyoncé simply signed with “B.”
Bey’s note on the card said: “Cardi, Happy Birthday! I hope you had a beautiful day. All my love. God Bless, B.”
“B—!!! Thank you @beyonce,” wrote Cardi, who rang in her 30th on Tuesday night with a burlesque-themed party at Los Angeles. Husband Offset, Tiffany Haddish, Chloe and Halle Bailey and Jamie Foxx were among the stars who took part in the festivities.
Offset gifted his wife a rare Richard Mille watch.
“Made it to 30 with 2 cribs, 6 whips, multiple properties and bless kids,” she said earlier this week.
Last month, Beyoncé sent Cardi a handwritten note across the top of a vinyl copy of her Renaissance album. Cardi said she was going to preserve it “in a glass frame with laser beams on it.”
“To: Cardi B,” Bey had written. “Hard working, beautiful and talented queen, thank you for always supporting me. Sending so much love to you and yours. Respect, Beyoncé.”
Check out Cardi’s latest Instagram Story about Beyoncé here, and see the clip embedded in the fan tweet below.
BTS‘ Jin will release a solo single soon, making him the second member of the superstar K-pop group to release a new solo project since they announced their hiatus.
Jin’s news was delivered from the stage Oct. 15 at the massive BTS “Yet to Come” concert in Busan, South Korea, which was livestreamed in partnership with Weverse. The boy band announced in June that its seven members — Jin, Suga, J-Hope, RM, Jimin, V, and Jungkook — would be taking a temporary break from active group activities to pursue solo work.
“I got the opportunity to work with someone I like, so a single will come out soon,” Jin revealed to screaming ARMY at the show. Fans have previously gotten a taste of solo material from Jin with a handful of one-off tunes, including “Tonight” (2019), “Abyss” (2020) and “Yours” and “Super Tuna” (2021).
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Elsewhere from the stage, J-Hope addressed the future of BTS when he said to fans, “I think we’re in a phase where we need your trust.”
In July J-Hope unveiled an official solo project of his own, the album Jack in the Box, following BTS sharing their plans for a break. Released on BTS’ label Big Hit Music, the set was J-Hope’s first real studio album (although he dropped a solo mixtape in 2018 and a song with Becky G in 2019) and featured singles “MORE.” and “Arson.”
“Although it’s so sad that the concert is ending already, it’s not like we only have today. We will continue for 30 years … and even perform when we are 70 years old,” Jimin said at the Busan performance on Saturday.
RM later added, “All seven members have the same thoughts right now. We will continue to make and perform music if you give us your trust, like Jimin said.”
BUSAN, South Korea — Some 55,000 fans packed into Asiad Stadium in this southeastern port city on Saturday (Oct. 15), creating havoc in South Korea’s second most-populated city, to watch BTS‘ massive free “Yet to Come” concert. That number included thousands of the superstar K-pop group’s loyal fans, known as the ARMY, who couldn’t get their hands on highly coveted free tickets to the 90-minute event.
BTS’ Jin, Suga, J-Hope, RM, Jimin, V, and Jungkook partnered with Weverse to livestream the festival-style show. During packed concert, the boy band delivered 20 songs, including popular tracks “Dynamite,” “Fire,” “Spring Day,” “Save ME” and “Yet to Come.”
At the height of all developments surrounding BTS is Jin, 29, the group’s eldest member who is expected to join the military service by the end of the year if no sudden amendments are made to the country’s compulsory draft legislation. In the midst of the political drama — and an announcement over the summer that the group would be taking a hiatus to pursue solo projects — BTS has taken on the role of ambassador to the World Expo 2030, which Busan is hoping to host.
“This is three years worth of roaring and cheering for us. It’s been three years since we could scream at the top of our lungs for the boys,” Elle Kwak, who attended the show with two friends, told Billboard. “The concerts in Seoul earlier this year were quite underwhelming, as it was tortuous to not be able to clap or make noise for the members on stage. We could see it was hard on the members as well.”
The three Permission to Dance on Stage – Seoul concerts, which took place in March, strictly prohibited any loud noise and clapping from the audience due to COVID-19 restrictions at the time.
Like many other fans who were also sitting on the ground or setting up base near the entrance gates, Kwak and her friends watched the show from their smartphones outside of the stadium, as they weren’t one of the lucky fans to grab a hold of a golden ticket. Instead, they came with blankets, warm coats and mufflers to withstand the chilly weather.
For fan Ash Hackworth, the concert reminded her of the time that BTS headlined London’s Wembley Stadium.
“Just like in 2019, this is a festival of the world coming together,” said the 32-year-old, who is from Los Angeles. “The excitement is what brought me here, and it’s what will keep me dancing even from outside the stadium. It’s also special that this will be the last time to hear some songs being performed for the last time as RM mentioned in a live stream a couple of days ago.”
Regardless of the air of uncertainty surrounding the group’s future, Hackworth remains optimistic.
“I’m looking forward to the second stage of the group,” she said. “J-Hope’s solo rock album was awesome, so I can’t wait to hear all the other members’ solo projects.”
In a surprise announcement near the end of the event, Jin revealed that he would become the second member to release a solo project.
“I got the opportunity to work with someone I like, so a single will come out soon,” the singer said to screaming fans.
But others have expressed that they want more from BTS and, consequently, HYBE, the parent company of Big Hit Music, BTS’ label.
“What we really want is a world tour,” Kwak and her friends said. “It was the pandemic and then politics that got in the way of BTS touring the world. But we are always ready to follow them around the world if there ever is a plan to do that.”
And while the <Yet to Come> concert provides a long-awaited reconnection with the group, sentiments towards BTS being “used” remain on the minds of many fans.
“Almost every ARMY knows that even this concert is a way to use the members for a political cause,” Kwak said. “But the fans are staying calm and making sure there aren’t any troubles with the concert as we don’t want the members to face any more criticism, regardless of how bad Busan is managing all its guests and the venue sites.”
When it was originally announced in the summer that the concert would take place at Busan’s Ilgwang special stage, ARMY members were vocal in opposing the move after visiting the site and estimating the safety risks of holding a mega-event at such a crowded area of the city. After receiving many more complaints, local officials decided to change the venue to Asiad Stadium.
On Saturday, there was about a three-hour delay for thousands of fans entering the stadium due to a mix-up of tickets.
But at the end of the day, there were more tears of happiness than of sadness. In the series of closing remarks by all seven members, BTS showed a will to continue group activities well into the later years of their careers.
“I think we’re in a phase where we need your trust,” said J-Hope, who was first to open up about the future of the group during remarks.
“Although it’s so sad that the concert is ending already, it’s not like we only have today. We will continue for 30 years … and even perform when we are 70 years old”, Jimin said with a laugh.
For Asaka Inoue and her mother, this last part of the concert was what gave their trip from Tokyo a happy ending.
“I was a bit afraid that there would be a sad announcement during the concert, but I was relieved to hear how the members said they were committed to continue staying as a group,” said the 26-year-old, who took days off from work to travel to Busan for four days with her mother.
RM capped the night off with what every ARMY was hoping to hear from their “idols” all night long. “All seven members have the same thoughts right now. We will continue to make and perform music if you give us your trust, like Jimin said,” RM said.
Busan is one of four cities in the running to host the World Expo, a world’s fair proposed to take place in 2030. Other cities being considered are Rome; Odesa, Ukraine; and Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The Bureau International des Expositions will vote on the winning host country next year.
In July, BTS were appointed honorary ambassadors for Busan’s World Expo 2030 bid. The band was chosen “because they understand the importance of the World Expo and share the same values,” according to a statement from BTS’ record label Big Hit.
Tom DeLonge is giving fans a hint at what to expect from the reunited pop-punk band’s next album.
“The new @blink182 album has some of the most progressive, and elevated music [we’ve] ever had,” the Blink-182 singer/guitarist tweeted on Saturday (Oct. 15). “In honesty, I am holding my breath for you to hear these other songs.”
Blink announced earlier this week that the group’s original lineup of DeLonge, singer/bassist Mark Hoppus and drummer Travis Barker is planning to reunite for a new album and a world tour. DeLonge previously left the group in 2014 and was replaced by Alkaline Trio’s Matt Skiba.
On Friday, Blink-182 lineup released new single “Edging,” marking the classic trio’s first time in the recording studio in 10 years. Indeed, “Edging” is classic Blink, hewn from misspent youth and with all the bluster, swagger and stop-on-a-dime detail that made the threesome one of the most popular alternative rock acts of its era.
DeLonge noted in his tweet on Saturday that “‘Edging’ is fun, and a perfect way to remind u of the fun again. But just u f—ing wait.”
Blink-182 had not announced an official release date for their as-yet-untitled forthcoming album as of press time. The band’s world tour, its largest trek to date, launches in Mexico on March 11, and will visit North and South America, Europe, Australia and New Zealand through 2024.
See DeLonge’s update on Blink-182’s new album below on Twitter.
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Wonho is putting his all into his latest single.
The K-pop superstar returned with an emotional new single “Don’t Regret” on Friday (Oct. 14). Exploring a rock sound for the first time in his solo career, the track sees Wonho encouraging listeners not to regret memories from the past, but instead recognize that they have created the current moment. Told through a love story, “Don’t Regret” was co-written and co-produced by Wonho alongside his longtime collaborator Brother Su who has worked on singles with the likes of BTS, BLACKPINK, Monsta X and more.
“Don’t Regret” is accompanied by a music video that sees Wonho forgoing the intense choreography and showmanship he’s known for in his visuals and instead stripping down to simple clothing and scenery to tell his story. At one point, Wonho goes full-on rock star as he performs alongside a band in front of a burning building.
Alongside “Don’t Regret,” Wonho released the new song “On & On” that features rising Korean rapper YUNHWAY. The dance-focused cut has a hint of melancholy that blends well with YUNHWAY’s smoky and airy delivery. The new songs follow Wonho’s summer single “Don’t Hesitate” from August.
Watch “Don’t Regret” below:
Nicki Minaj‘s frustrations regarding her Grammy genre shuffle have resulted in the latest rap beef.
During an Instagram Live on Thursday, Minaj voiced her concerns over “Super Freaky Girl” being moved from the rap category to pop on the 2023 Grammy ballet, deeming it unfair. Minaj — who despite countless hit singles and albums and 10 nominations over the years has yet to win a Grammy — is not the first artist to raise questions about the Recording Academy’s categorizing methods. In the video, she mentions Drake’s best rap song win with “Hotline Bling” at the 2017 Grammys (a point of contention for the Toronto rapper, who said the song was pop but only categorized as rap because of his race and past music) and Latto’s “Big Energy” being eligible to compete in this year’s rap field.
“If ‘Super Freaky Girl’ is a pop song, what genre is ‘Big Energy?’” Minaj asked.
Like “Super Freaky Girl,” Latto’s chart-topper was also produced by Dr. Luke and Vaughn Oliver; a live version of “Big Energy” is eligible to compete in the best melodic rap performance category at the 2023 Grammys. (A live version is in contention because the original “Big Energy” was released in September 2021, outside the eligibility period.) “They stay moving the goal post when it comes to me,” Minaj added multiple times.
While Minaj also brought up names like Doja Cat, Post Malone, Harry Styles and Adele, she continued to circle back to Latto, both by name and also in ways that the 23-year-old burgeoning rap star could have perceived as subliminal.
“If you know something is unfair as an artist, speak on that sh–,” Minaj went on. “If you can’t tell by now that there is a concerted effort to give newer artists things they really don’t deserve over people who have been deserving for many years, they you not paying attention.”
Minaj also accused “corporate giants” of elevating “someone they can profit off of” and intentionally moving “Super Freaky Girl” to create less competition for other artists in the rap categories. She even mentioned the future of female rap, adding that the genre will no longer “have any Black women.” The comment can be understood as a dig against Latto, whose mother is white and father is Black. Minaj also went on to say in a tweet that Latto is “wiping that spray tan off & being a Karen,” a term typically reserved for white women.
On Twitter, Minaj echoed the sentiments expressed during her Live about “Super Freaky Girl” and “Big Energy,” even quoting tweets from fans who were drawing the comparison.
This didn’t sit well with Latto, who had been trying to celebrate her AMA nominations (including favorite female hip-hop artist and favorite hip-hop song with “Big Energy”) amidst social media backlash to her BET Hip Hop Awards win, sparked by Kodak Black. “Damn I can’t win for losing…all these awards/noms I can’t even celebrate,” she tweeted.
From there, Latto and Nicki went back and forth exchanging a tirade of jabs, airing out past subliminal digs and insulting family members, with fans egging them on in the replies. Nicki posted a screenshot of a text Latto sent her, and Latto returned the favor by releasing an audio recording of a phone conversation she and the “Super Bass” rapper had. The exchange went on for hours, with other female rappers, including Azealia Banks, Erica Banks and Chika, chiming in. In the end, Minaj deleted all of her tweets to Latto, only leaving behind a video clip of Whitney Houston laughing uncontrollably in a music video.
See some of the Twitter feud below:
