More from Mesfin Fekadu
Critic’s Notebook: The J. Lo Bubble Burst — How (Un)Likability Ruined Her Tour
Five years ago, Jennifer Lopez was on a white-hot tour, selling out arenas like Madison Square Garden and performing her popular hits from the late ‘90s and early 2000s. Lopez is a multifaceted entertainer, but the stage is where she truly shines. She will give you slick choreography, dazzling costumes and bright, beaming lights. For her, being onstage […]
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How ‘Abbott Elementary’ Changed a 72-Year-Old Actor’s Life Since His Failed ‘Friends’ Audition
Abbott Elementary’s Mr. Johnson typically makes you laugh. This time, he made folks cry. In the season three finale of the Emmy-winning series, the janitor and Quinta Brunson’s Janine Teagues have a short but serious talk about pursuing life and living with regrets. “It’ll be all right, trust me,” he reassures her. “I got a […]
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Taraji P. Henson to Host the 2024 BET Awards
Taraji P. Henson is returning to host the BET Awards. The Oscar-nominated actress will host the June 30 event, airing live from the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles. “I am thrilled to be returning as the host of the BET Awards for the third time. I am also looking forward to celebrating my peers and […]
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Mariah Carey on New Audible Podcast and Not Always Getting Her Credit As a Songwriter: “I Don’t Really Care”
It’s new Mariah Carey music week. The singer dropped her remix to Muni Long’s viral TikTok hit, “Made for Me,” on Wednesday and, a day later, she is releasing Portrait of a Portrait: Words + Music, the Audible Original podcast where the star unpacks her deeply personal 2018 song, “Portrait,” and unveils a new dance […]
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Grammy Awards to Air Live in February 2025
The 67th annual Grammy Awards will take place Feb. 2, 2025, at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles. The Recording Academy announced key dates on Tuesday, revealing that nominees for the show will be announced on Nov. 8. The show will broadcast live on CBS and stream live and on-demand on Paramount+. Beyoncé and Taylor […]
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Streaming Activity for Sean “Diddy” Combs Drops Following Assault Allegations
Streaming activity for Sean “Diddy” Combs has severely dipped since he has been accused of assault and harassment. When comparing Combs’ U.S. catalog streams during the first week of December — two weeks after Cassie Ventura sued him — with streams of his catalog during the week ending May 16, there was a 51.8 percent […]
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ACM Awards: Post Malone, Dua Lipa Share Stage With Country Artists as Lainey Wilson Wins Entertainer of the Year
The country music world shared the stage at the 2024 ACM Awards, where Post Malone performed songs from his upcoming country album, Dua Lipa joined Chris Stapleton for a duet, and Avril Lavigne and Noah Kahan partnered with country musicians onstage. It almost felt like Beyoncé — who recently made history on the country charts […]
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Drake, Kendrick Lamar to Compete at BET Awards; Nicki Minaj, SZA, J. Cole Earn Multiple Nominations
The Drake-Kendrick Lamar showdown will continue — at the 2024 BET Awards. The rappers will compete in two categories at the June 30 show: best male hip-hop artist and best collaboration. In the latter category, Drake is nominated for “Rich Baby Daddy” with SZA and Sexyy Red, while Lamar is nominated for his guest verse […]
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‘Abbott Elementary’ and The Glow Up of Janine Teagues
When Quinta Brunson first introduced second grade teacher Janine Teagues in season one of Abbott Elementary, she purposely had the character dress in awkward clothing, from frumpy sweaters paired with chunky belts to long maxi skirts with sneakers. She barely wore makeup and didn’t pay much attention to her hair. But in season three, as […]
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Ben Platt on Making an Album About Queer Love and How a Hike With Chocolate Mushrooms Helped
On a hike with his snacks of choice — his fiancé Noah Galvin and chocolate mushrooms — Ben Platt saw the light. “I was feeling really joyful and really present with [Noah] and I think he could really sense that. We were having one of those deep talks on our walk and he was asking […]
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When the Drake vs. Kendrick Lamar Rap Beef Burns Out “This Can’t End Well”
When USC professor and hip-hop scholar Todd Boyd remembers hearing Tupac Shakur’s scathing diss track “Hit ‘Em Up,” he knew one thing: “This is not going to end well.” The West Coast anthem was released in June 1996 and Shakur viciously took aim at his East Coast rivals, including the Notorious B.I.G. with claims — […]
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‘Beef’ Creator on Forming “Korean Avengers” for RM Music Video and Watching BTS Member Bounce Back After Accident on Set
Beef creator Lee Sung Jin says he’s enjoying the opportunities his Emmy-winning Netflix series has brought him — including his latest project: directing a music video for BTS superstar RM. Lee collaborated with RM on “Come Back to Me,” a beautifully shot six-minute music video that feels like a short film. The song, which begins […]
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