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This Certainly Was a VMAs Fit For 2020
Was it really only last year where the VMAs were held at the Prudential Center in New Jersey — with Megan Thee Stallion relegated to the pre-show, Taylor Swift opening the ceremonies with two songs from her then-new album Lover, and host Sebastian Maniscalco cracking jokes about emotional support animals for “triggered” viewers in attendance? Hard to tell which part of that most makes the 2019 VMAs feel like a lifetime ago, but suffice to say, it was a very different MTV Video Music Awards that greeted fans on Sunday night (Aug. 30). With Brooklyn’s Barclays Center a late scratch as the 2020 event’s planned venue, the night’s performances, awards, and host segments (courtesy of engaging hyphenate Keke Palmer) all at least seemed pre-taped — ac...
The Killers Rule Australia’s Albums Chart With ‘Imploding The Mirage’
The Killers are kings of the Australian albums chart as Imploding The Mirage (Island/Universal) debuts at No. 1, while Cardi B, Megan Thee Stallion and BTS flex up on the national singles chart. With Mirage, the Las Vegas alternative rock outfit earn a third No. 1 on the ARIA chart and an eighth Top 10 album in Australia. It’s the followup to their 2017, chart-topping set Wonderful Wonderful. Mirage also blasts to No. 1 in the U.K. with 50,000 first-week chart sales. Aussie pop artist Troye Sivan returns with his In A Dream EP (via EMI), new at No. 3. The six-track set is Sivan’s first title to hit the ARIA Albums Chart since his sophomore album Bloom, which peaked at No. 3 in September 2018. Also new to the Top 10 this week is Cannot Buy My Soul: The Songs Of Kev Carmody (EMI),...
Pikotaro Collaborates With Pikachu on New Track ‘PIKA to PIKO’
J-pop viral sensation Pikotaro teamed up with a world-famous star on his latest track, called “PIKA to PIKO,” dropping Aug. 31. Featuring none other than Pikachu, the tune is meant to put a smile on the faces of kids and adults alike during these difficult times. Pikotaro — the alter ego of comedian and music producer Daimao Kosaka — explains that he reached out to Pikachu to see if they could collab on a song for kids who aren’t able to play outside as much as they’d like to, even during summer vacation, because of the coronavirus and extreme heat that Japan is currently undergoing. The “PPAP” artist says he had always been a fan of the iconic Pokémon because of their matching yellow hues, and wrote the song based on what he imagines Pikachu is saying. The track and video features Pikotar...
Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion’s ‘WAP’ Takes Slim Lead In U.K. Chart Race
It’s early days, but the U.K. chart race is shaping as a classic. Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion’s “WAP” (Atlantic) is fast out the gate. The hip-hop track takes top spot on the Official Chart: First Look, which gauges the hottest hits following the weekend’s sales and streaming activity. Cardi and Megan won’t be popping the champagne corks just yet. Their tune is just 80 chart sales ahead of Joel Corry and MNEK’s “Head & Heart” (Asylum/Perfect Havoc), which has ruled the weekly chart for six cycles. “WAP” bowed at No. 4 earlier this month, logged two weeks at No. 2 but has never hit the summit. In other chart news, U.S. rapper and singer 24kGoldn is poised for his first U.K. Top 10 single with “Mood” (Black Butter) featuring Iann Dior. Powered by viral videos on TikTok, it’s up...
Doja Cat Went From Viral Superstar To PUSH Best New Artist
By Lauren Rearick 2020 is officially the year of Doja Cat. The performer, who also made her VMAs debut tonight with a performance of TikTok’s favorite singles, was crowned the PUSH Best New Artist winner. Accepting her award with a lengthy list of personal appreciation shout outs, Doja Cat also paid tribute to her fans, remarking that their “support meant everything to me.” Joking about her refusal to cry, the singer also asked for fans to stay safe, acknowledging that “it’s been a really hard year.” Before leaving the virtual stage, she gave one last important thank you to her mom. Prior to winning Best New Artist, Doja Cat performed a medley of “Say So” and “Like That,” two singles which have catapulted to popularity on TikTok. Although the performer has gained a much larger following th...
Keke Palmer And CNCO Are The VMA Doubleheader We Needed
By Harron Walker Two major musical acts made their VMA debuts back-to-back at the 2020 Video Music Awards, and we don’t know which one to rave about first! First up, we had Keke Palmer pausing on her hosting duties to whip out a snippet of her new summer jam, “Snack,” followed by Latin American boy band CNCO giving us their extremely playlist-friendly track, “Beso.” Where to begin? Well, since Keke held down the whole shebang, let’s start with her. Clad in a neon yellow zip-up leotard that stretched all the way to her Day-Glo manicured fingers, which she paired with a lime Jell-O see-through visor, Palmer kicked off the doubleheader with her feel-good, feeling yourself anthem, “Snack,” off of her new EP, Virgo Tendencies, Pt. 1. From the high-energy choreography to the lyrics promotin...
Lady Gaga Wins First-Ever MTV Tricon Award And Knows ‘A Renaissance Is Coming’
Lady Gaga: singer/actress, fashion icon, and activist. And now, fittingly, she’s also the first recipient of the MTV Tricon Award, an honor that spans everything Gaga is and does. “You can’t just call her a triple threat,” Bella Hadid said to introduce Gaga as this year’s award winner. “She turns pop music into high art. She redefines fashion,” Hadid continued, calling Gaga “a powerhouse” actor and someone who “inspires and empowers all of us” with her activism. When she took the stage in one of her latest visionary 2020 VMAs looks (including a mask, of course), Gaga said she was eager to share the prize. “I want to share this award with everybody at home tonight, everybody at home who is their own form of a Tricon,...
Black Eyed Peas Lit Up The Stage (And Their Crotches) At The VMAs
By Lauren Rearick Before closing the book on the 2020 MTV Video Music Awards, the Black Eyed Peas made their VMAs live performance debut, sharing a classic and a new single with viewers. Taking the stage with “glowing crotches,” the Black Eyed Peas performed their new single, “Ritmo” along with a special performance of the always classic, “I Gotta Feeling.” For those that don’t remember, “I Gotta Feeling” was a true staple of 2009, appearing at middle school dances everywhere, and atop the Billboard charts. Ahead of their VMAs appearance, BEP had teased fans on social media with a promise for “something awesome.” The group had also talked of their anticipation for performing in a pre-show interview with MTV, pledging to bring joy and energy to the stage. Based on the social media reaction ...
Here Is What METALLICA’s First Drive-In Concert Looked Like
On Saturday night (August 29), METALLICA broadcast a show to hundreds of drive-in and outdoor theaters across the U.S. and Canada, as part of the “Encore Drive-In Nights” series. The concert was filmed nearly three weeks earlier, on August 10, at the Gundlach Bundschu winery, about a 30-minute car ride from the band’s headquarters in San Rafael, California, and was subsequently edited and mixed by the band’s award-winning production team to the highest standards possible. Attendees were able to listen to the show through their FM radio or over the faraway speakers. “What people don’t realize is that is a far clearer version of audio than the normal stacks and racks that you would see at a show,” Walter Kinzie, CEO of Encore Live, told the Albuquerq...
FRANKIE BANALI’s Wife: ‘He Was And Always Will Be The Most Incredible Person I Have Ever Met’
Frankie Banali‘s wife has paid tribute to the late QUIET RIOT drummer, saying “he was and always will be the most incredible person” she has ever met. Frankie died on August 20 after a battle with pancreatic cancer. He was 68 years old. Regina Banali, who wrote and directed the QUIET RIOT documentary “Well Now You’re Here, There’s No Way Back: The Quiet Riot Movie”, took to her Facebook page on Saturday (August 29) to say that she was “comforted seeing the outpouring of love and tributes” to her husband and to express her gratitude for being able to “share a life with him” for more than a decade. She wrote: “The only thing that could have ever separated us… “I’ve gotten through my first week without him and...
JACK OSBOURNE Blasts U.K. Tabloid Over Photos Of ‘Nearly Unrecognizable’ OZZY: ‘Have Some Respect And Decency’
Ozzy Osbourne‘s son Jack has blasted a U.K. tabloid for publishing new photos of his father looking “nearly unrecognizable” as he was seen out for the first time in months amid battle with Parkinson’s disease. On Saturday (August 29), Daily Mail shared a “picture exclusive” of the legendary heavy metal singer sitting in a car in Los Angeles as his wife Sharon Osbourne drove. The media outlet noted that “the 71-year-old BLACK SABBATH frontman was nearly unrecognizable after allowing his signature raven locks to go gray.” Late Saturday night, Jack took to his social media to criticize the Daily Mail for making a big deal out of the color of his father’s hair, explaining that there are far more important things to talk about than his ̶...
BTS Perform TV Debut of “Dynamite” at 2020 MTV VMAs: Watch
BTS continued their world domination tonight at the 2020 MTV VMAs, where they delivered the live TV debut of their new English-language single “Dynamite”. The appearance also marked the beloved K-pop boyband’s first-ever VMAs performance. This year’s awards ceremony was originally supposed to take place at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn. However, due to the ongoing pandemic, the evening’s performances were filmed remotely. In the case of BTS, they broadcasted all the way from South Korea. However, thanks to the power of green screen technology, they were able to incorporate iconic New York City locations into the background, such as Times Square and the famed cobblestoned area of DUMBO. As with everything BTS-related, their performance was a flashy extravaganza from start to finish, highl...
