Selena Gomez for Vogue Singapore - July/August 2021!
Radiant. Grounded. Unrehearsed. Despite life in the spotlight, Selena Gomez is making more mindful strides to protect her light. “I try and stay off the Internet and social media as much as possible. I love that it connects me to fans directly and that part I love. Other than that, I try not to give it too much space in my life anymore. That is what works for me. I’ve always only been able to be myself and when I’ve tried anything that wasn’t authentic, I think it came off exactly as that,” reflects the multi-hyphenate in Vogue Singapore’s July/August ‘Breath’ issue.
Instead, Gomez has been channelling her time, energy and immense creativity into music, having recently released her third solo album and first Spanish EP; television, with a new comedy and another season of her cooking series coming up; and the colourful world of make-up—with the highly anticipated launch of Rare Beauty. An industry-redefining brand with a mission to break down toxic standards of perfection, Rare Beauty currently offers a collection of glow-boosting, colour-enhancing formulas that celebrate one’s unique features and self-expression. Beyond make-up, it is also a message and a movement that seeks to cultivate self-love, self-acceptance, diversity and mental well-being.
“My goal with Rare Beauty was to break down these unrealistic standards of beauty. I saw from personal experience how these impossible beauty standards were having such an effect on my mental health and I know a lot of people that felt the same way. Because of this, it was important to me that Rare Beauty could create a safe, welcoming space in beauty—and beyond—that supports the mental well-being of our community,” says Gomez.
To celebrate the launch of Rare Beauty across Asia Pacific—the brand launches in Sephora Singapore on 15 July and Australia in August—Gomez spent some quality time with Vogue for a stunning shoot lensed by Alique and styled by Patti Wilson. Here, the global sensation shines bright on the cover in a gleaming Noir Kei Ninomiya number and matching silver boots, before revealing different facets of her style, beauty and the season’s cosiest cuts and scintillating silhouettes inside.
We invite you to take a moment for yourself as you thumb through our July/August ‘Breath’ issue, taking a few slow, deep breaths in between our stories on healing, rejuvenation, mindfulness and great escapes. As editor-in-chief, Norman Tan puts it, “this is a safe space to dream”.
Editor-in-Chief: Norman Tan
Photographer: Alique
Fashion: Patti Wilson
Hair: Chris McMillian/Solo Artists using Drunk Elephant
Make-up: Hung Vanngo/The Wall Group using Rare Beauty
Manicure: Tom Bachik/A-Frame Agency using Essie
Photographer’s assistants: Jack Buster, Davey Clarke and Daniel Patrick
Digital technician: Steve Kay
Stylist’s assistant: Christina Corso, Zoe Heller, Patrick Lopaze and Hasmik Kourinian
Make-up assistant: Jayden Ho Pham
Producer: Gabe Hill
Casting: Jill Demling, Creative Casting Agency
Set design: Ali Gallagher
Set assistant: Zoran Radanovich
Production manager: Suzy Kang
Outfit: Noir Kei Ninomiya
Story: Dana Koh and Alli Sim
#RHOA: Kandi Burruss Posted the Best Family Photo to Celebrate Kaela's Birthday!
Kandi Burrus found the perfect way to celebrate her stepdaughter, Kaela, turning 25. How, you wonder? Well, The Real Housewives of Atlanta cast member, husband Todd Tucker, and kids, Blaze, Ace, and Riley, all gathered in NYC to mark Kaela's special day. And, Kandi even shared the best family photo, featuring herself with all four kids from the bash.
As fans will recall, Kaela isn't the only Burruss-Tucker kid based in NYC; Riley also spends time in the Big Apple where attends NYU. So the celebration was definitely a big family reunion.
"Our whole gang was out celebrating [Kaela's] BIG 25 last night! My [heart]s," Kandi shared. The previous day, she wrote a longer tribute to Kaela: "The BIG 25! Wow! Time is flying by. I pray that this year brings you all the things you’ve wanted! Love you!"
Of course, dad Todd also didn't miss the chance to honor his daughter. "Wow [you're] 25 yrs old. Where does the time go. I love you so much! You are growing to be an amazing, beautiful young lady. Continue to live and love life! Love you with all my heart!" he wrote.
Kaela was quick to thank everyone for all the birthday love. "The love was so real thank you family and friends. This is exactly how I was [supposed] to bring in my birthday. Happy Birthday to me."
#NewMusic: Khalid Links Up With Tate McRae For New Summer Bop 'Working'!
Tate McRae and Khalid just dropped a “straight summer bop.” Earlier this week, the R&B singer-songwriter and the rising Canadian songbird issued their new collaboration, “Working,” an obsessive, sugary-sweet record that oozes with summer jam appeal. Together, Khalid swap verses of heartbreak on the verge of a fizzled-out romance.
“And when I'm working / You're the only one that I want / But we're not working / Yeah, I told you from the start, I'm not perfect / Yeah, that's why you like me so much / When I'm working, we're not working,” Khalid and McRae harmonize together over a laid-back pop production.
“I am so stoked for this song I did with Khalid,” McRae said of the bubbly duet in a press release. “I usually release a lot of songs that are pretty emotional but this one is just a straight summer bop. We had such a fun time creating this song — I seriously can’t wait for everyone to hear it.”
For McRae, “Working” marks yet another solid collaboration after she joined Regard and Troye Sivan on the replay-worthy club jam “You," which she performed at 2021 "Can't Cancel Pride," produced by Procter & Gamble® (P&G) and iHeartMedia earlier this month.
LISTEN HERE
On the Georgia native's part, this is his second team-up of 2021 following his appearance on J Balvin’s "Otra Noche Sin Ti." However, the 23-year-old, whose last album, Free Spirit, debuted atop the Billboard 200 in 2019, has yet to announce a follow-up, but "Working" sounds catchy enough to tide fans over until then
#HipHopNews: Polo G Earns 1st Billboard 200 No. 1 Album With 'Hall Of Fame'!
Polo G’s Hall Of Fame continues the city of Chicago rap’s run at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart.
According to Billboard, the Chi-Town rapper’s third effort earned over 143,000 total album-equivalent units in its first week of availability, besting his previous two albums — 2019’s Die A Legend (No. 6) and 2020’s The GOAT (No. 2).
Opposed to simply celebrating his first No. 1 with an album post on social media, Polo G took to Instagram on Father’s Day (June 20) to show off his reason for improving — his son.
“@officialbabycap Thank you fa bein the reason I go as hard as I do & the biggest reason I try bein a better man everyday,” he wrote. “my Lil homie man, we B TOOTURNT & yo bday onna pull up terrible 2 otw. Love youuu.”
Hall of Fame is the second Chicago-related rap release to spend time at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart in June. Lil Durk’s joint effort with Lil Baby, The Voice Of The Heroes, debuted at the top spot on June 14 with an estimated 150,000 total album-equivalent units earned.
Even before Polo G officially took the No. 1 spot, he earned kudos from some of the artists who contributed to Hall of Fame. On Friday (June 18), Nicki Minaj took to Twitter to give Polo G his props after the album bested Migos’ Culture III by an estimated 14,000 total album-equivalent units.
Nick Cannon Confirms 7th Child With Model Alyssa Scott 6 Days After Welcoming Twins!
Nick Cannon and his purported girlfriend Alyssa Scott have confirmed they are expecting a child, days after the Wild ‘N Out host welcomed twin boys with radio personality Abby De La Rosa.
On Father’s Day (June 20), a very pregnant Scott shared a photo of herself and Cannon to her Instagram Stories with the caption, “Celebrating you today,” inadvertently confirming the rumor Cannon was having his seventh child.
Last month, Alyssa Scott got social media buzzing when she captioned a photo of her growing belly, “Zen S. Cannon.” Twitter exploded with memes and jokes at Cannon’s expense. Shortly after his twins were born, he became a trending Twitter topic after the babies’ names were revealed to be Zillion Heir and Zion Mixolydian Cannon.
Now, Nick Cannon is trending again solely because by the time little Zen is born, he will have had four children with three different women in the last six months. Cannon already shares 9-year-old twins, Moroccan and Monroe, with ex-wife Mariah Carey. He’s also father to Brittany Bell’s 3-year-old son Golden and daughter Powerful Queen who arrived in December 2020.
Meanwhile, Scott and Cannon were first spotted together in Malibu, California on a dinner date at celebrity hotspot Nobu last October.
Tyler Perry and Bishop T.D. Jakes to Expand Massive Studio and Develop Entertainment District In Atlanta!
Media mogul Tyler Perry and faith leader Bishop T.D. Jakes have been given the green light to proceed with the purchase of 131 acres at Atlanta’s Fort McPherson.
Perry already owns more than 330 acres of the former Army base that houses his state-of-the-art Tyler Perry Studios. Proposals for Perry to purchase an additional 37.5 acres, and for Jakes to purchase 94.5 were approved June 17 by the Fort Mac LRA Board (McPherson Implementing Local Redevelopment Authority). With a finalized sale of the 130+ acres, there will be no remaining unused land at the base.
The entry to Tyler Perry studios, which boasts more than 330 acres, located in southwest Atlanta. (Photo: @tylerperrystudios/Instagram)
The “Madea” actor plans to expand his production facility, as well as develop an entertainment district boasting theaters, retail shops and restaurants adjacent to the studios. The megachurch leader plans to develop a separate project through the T.D. Jakes Real Estate Ventures, which develops affordable and workforce housing, as well as programs for underserved communities.
“Today is a good day. I’m grateful for the opportunity this gives Tyler Perry Studios to extend our footprint in Atlanta and create more opportunities for the people of Southwest Atlanta with restaurants, entertainment venues, and other business opportunities,” said Perry said in a released statement.
If the deals go through, hundreds of jobs would be made available to the community, providing a much-needed jolt to the local economy. Georgia’s Gov. Brian Kemp said the development is of the utmost importance.
“Significant job creation such as this will create more opportunities for hardworking Georgians and surrounding small businesses, which are the real backbone of our state’s economy,” said Kemp. Atlanta’s Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms said the deals are yet another “monumental chapter in the history of Fort Mac. … The positive impact will be felt for generations to come.”
Perry is the first African-American actor-writer-producer-director to own a studio with zero partnerships or corporate backing. In 2019 he said he hoped the history-making endeavor would inspire Black children to make their dreams a reality.
“When I built my studio, I built it in a neighborhood that is one of the poorest black neighborhoods in Atlanta so that young black kids can see that a Black man did that and they can do it too,” said Perry while accepting the BET Icon Award.
That same year he hosted a star-studded gala that attracted political figures and the who’s who of the Black entertainment industry. To top the night off, Perry dedicated each of the twelve sound stages on the property to living and past Hollywood legends such as Cicely Tyson, Denzel Washington, and Oprah Winfrey.
Kim Kardashian Sets The Record Straight About Details Of Her Divorce From Kanye West!
The devil works hard, but Andy Cohen works harder. So perhaps it's no surprise that the reality TV Godfather didn't shy away from asking Kim Kardashian details about her divorce from Kanye West during the Keeping Up With the Kardashians reunion special. More surprising may be that Kim K didn't avoid the question. Though, she wasn't super forthcoming with the details of her split after six years of marriage either.
"I honestly don't think I would even say it here on TV, but it was not like, one specific thing that happened on either part," Kardashian said. "I think it was just a general difference of opinions on a few things that led to this decision."
She doesn't elaborate on what those things were, but the final season of KUWTK rolls out the timeline of KimYe's divorce. On the show, Kardashian is seen struggling with West's antics, which, around the time of filming, included his chaotic run for president and a Twitter meltdown in which he called Kardashian and her mum Kris Jenner "white supremacists." Kardashian came to his defence, asking for compassion for her husband, who was diagnosed with bipolar disorder in 2018. But the final episode of season 20 of KUWTK comes as close to revealing the real reason for KimYe's split: loneliness.
It was turning 40 that led her to the realisation that the literal distance in her marriage was too much. "I never thought I was lonely," Kim says in the finale, tears in her eyes. "I thought it was totally fine to just have my kids, that my husband could just move from state to state, and I'm just on this ride with him. I was okay with that, but after turning 40 this year, I was like no, I don't want a husband who lives in a completely different state." In February, Kardashian filed for divorce. Two months later, the rapper cited "irreconcilable differences" as the reason for the divorce.
In part 1 of the reunion, Kardashian makes clear that she tried to work things out with her ex. "And like, in no way would I want someone to think that I didn't give it my all, or not really try," she told Cohen. "You know, we have four kids. There's nothing that I think parents would want more than to see, or even kids want more, than to see their parents together. I grew up and I lived that myself."
To help make things easier on their four young children —North, Saint, Chicago, and Psalm—Kardashian and West have formed an "amazing co-parenting relationship." It wasn't hard either. "I respect him so much and you know, that was my friend first, first and foremost, for a long time, so I can't see that going away," she said. "I will forever be Kanye's biggest fan. He's the father of my kids, Kanye will always be family."
And no matter what you've heard, Kardashian is not back out there dating. She specifically denied that she's dating CNN commentator Van Jones, whose found the rumours quite beneficial for his own love life. "Van texted me and was like, 'This rumour has gotten me so many dates and I'm so grateful,'" she said.
However, Kardashian is not asked and does not comment on West's dating life. Fans will just have to keep wondering whether those rumours of him dating model Irina Shayk are true.
Sha’Carri Richardson Runs Past Past Competition, Qualifying for Tokyo Olympics!
The first sprint secured Sha’Carri Richardson’s place at the Tokyo Olympics.
via: Revolt: The Flame-haired sprinter won the women’s 100 meters event at the U.S. Olympic Team Trials Saturday (June 19) with a time of 10.86 seconds. The 21-year-old Texas native is the youngest woman to win the 100 meters at the Olympic Trials since Alice Brown won in 1980 at age 19.
After the race, which took place at the Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon, a winded Richardson told NBC Sports that it’s “unbelievable” she’s an Olympian.
“No matter what is said or anything, I am an Olympian, a dream since I was young,” Richardson said. “Being happy is an understatement. Being excited, nervous, all of those feelings piled in one. I am highly blessed and grateful.”
The track star revealed that she learned last week that her biological mother had passed away. “I’m still here,” Richardson said, “still choosing to pursue my dreams, still coming out here, still making sure to make the family that I do still have on this earth proud.”
“Nobody knows what I go through,” she continued. “Everybody has struggles and I understand that. When y’all see me on this track and y’all see the poker face that I put on but nobody but them and my coach knows what I go through on a day-to-day and I’m highly grateful of them. Without them there would be no me. Without my grandmother, there would be no Sha’Carri Richardson, so my family is my everything, my everything ‘til the day I’m done.”
WATCH HERE
When the 2020 Summer Olympics begin in July, Richardson will have the chance to test her speed against the world’s best runners. “I want the world to know that I’m THAT girl!”Richardson said. Everytime that I step on the track, I’m going to try to do what it is that me, my coach, my support team believes I can do… I’m never going to take the opportunity to perform in vain.”
Jazmine Sullivan Had a Racist Encounter At Macy’s in Willow Grove Pa!
Jazmine Sullivan took to social media to blast a Macy’s employee after saying she experienced a racist encounter while checking out. The “Pick Up Your Feelings” singer found it ironic that even on Juneteenth she had an experience with racism. On her Instagram story, she said that while shopping at Macy’s, a store employee made an error and instead of correcting it, the cashier, who she accused of being racist, refused to be helpful.
“Wow to look racism in the eye, and especially on Juneteenth was a wakeup call,” she wrote. “Mary King at Willowgrove Macy’s look of disgust while ringing up my boyfriend’s mother will forever be etched in my mind. An honest mistake {the store’s mistake btw] should’ve been met with understanding and kindness. But if you’re prejudice and prejudge people as soon as they walk up to the register then that’s obviously too much to ask. Newsflash Mary…Black people got money, good jobs and ain’t tryna get over on your boy cut frumpy looking racist a**.”
Sullivan added that a Black employee tried to fix the issue but King was not obliging.
“Thank God for the Black employee who tried to rectify the situation (that u didn’t listen too. I wonder why u didn’t take her advice Mary?) This coulda went a whole different way.”
Deadly Pride Parade Crash In South Florida Was Not Intentional Driver was a Member if SFGMC!
A member of a men’s chorus group unintentionally slammed into fellow chorists at the start of a Pride parade in South Florida, killing one member of the group and seriously injuring another, the group’s director said Sunday, clarifying initial speculation that it was a hate crime directed at the gay community.
Wilton Manors Vice Mayor Paul Rolli and Fort Lauderdale Mayor Dean Trantalis said the early investigation shows it was an accident. The 77-year-old driver was taken into custody, but police said no charges have been filed and the investigation is ongoing.
The elderly driver had ailments that prevented him from walking, according to a statement Sunday from Fort Lauderdale Police, who said he was cooperating with the investigation and there was no evidence drugs or alcohol was involved.
“The early investigation now indicates it looks like it was a tragic accident, but nobody’s saying finally what it is,” Rolli told The Associated Press in a phone interview.
The driver and the victims were a part of the Fort Lauderdale Gay Men’s Chorus family, a small 25-member group of mostly older men.
“Our fellow Chorus members were those injured and the driver is also a part of the Chorus family. To my knowledge, this was not an attack on the LGBTQ community,” President Justin Knight said in a statement Sunday, calling it “an unfortunate accident.”
Rolli was on the float in front of the chorus truck along with Fort Lauderdale Mayor Dean Trantalis and other city officials at a staging area where the floats were being readied. Trantalis said the driver of a pickup truck suddenly accelerated when he was told he was next in the parade, crashing into the victims.
The driver continued across all lanes of traffic, ultimately crashing into a fence on the other side of the street, police said.
Rolli was on the other side of the float and didn’t witness the crash, but jumped off immediately and ran to the victims. In the confusion, it was unclear what happened.
“People were really distraught and some people were crying,” said Rolli, who explained that the crash happened in an area where the floats were lining up, so there weren’t as many parade-goers. “I was getting phone calls from people I knew at the other end waiting for the parade saying, ‘Is this true? Is that true, do we have anything to worry about?’ You don’t know at that point.”
Fort Lauderdale Police said no arrests have been made saying they are conducting a thorough investigation with the FBI, nothing in a statement they are “considering and evaluating all possibilities.”
Trantalis, who is Fort Lauderdale’s first openly gay mayor, initially told reporters the act was deliberate, adding to the confusion Saturday night.
“It terrorized me and all around me ... I feared it could be intentional based on what I saw from mere feet away,” he said in a Twitter statement Sunday. “As the facts continue to be pieced together, a picture is emerging of an accident in which a truck careened out of control.”
Wilton Manors is a tight-knit community near Fort Lauderdale with a vibrant downtown filled with cute shops, where people line up for Rosie’s famous hamburgers or to gossip and drink at Georgie’s Alibi Monkey Bar.
Photos and video from the scene showed Democratic U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz in tears while in a convertible at the parade.
In a statement Saturday night, Wasserman Schultz said she was safe but “deeply shaken and devastated that a life was lost.”
“I am so heartbroken by what took place at this celebration,” she said. “May the memory of the life lost be for a blessing.”
A spokesman for the chorus said the director did not want to give interviews, adding that many members of the small group witnessed the fatal crash and were deeply shaken.
“The reason people like Wilton manors is the whole community is one big family and that’s how we treat each other ... and this has really rattled a lot of people,” said Rolli. “Even if it’s an accident, just the loss of a life.”
June is Pride Month, commemorating the June 1969 police raid targeting gay patrons at the Stonewall Inn in New York that led to an uprising of LGBTQ Americans and served as a catalyst for the gay rights movement.
Singer Ledisi is Set to Honor Nina Simone with Tribute Album ‘Ledisi Sings Nina’!
Ledisi Sings Nina - poster*Music is the start and finish of many major influencing movements in this life. As an artist, it should be an innate habit for you not only to read the room but also read the world. This can only be achieved by physically entering these spaces, traveling, engaging in uncomfortable conversations, and taking action toward newfound revelations.
This is the very thing that New Orleans-born and Oakland-raised singer Ledisi has implemented in her honorable tribute album for the legendary Nina Simone, entitled: “Ledisi Sings Nina.” This meticulously crafted seven-song project incorporates social and intimate elements from Simone’s previous work. “Ledisi Sings Nina,” an authentic collection, respectively encompasses worldwide angles of social injustices and personal experiences, pieces were recorded in Holland, Los Angeles, and New Orleans, thankfully before the pandemic hit.
The album precisely balances an upbeat tempo, big-band energy with atmospheric harmony, and attention to historic detail that succeeds in connecting with the music of our modern hip-hop/R&B era. With the dominance of Ledisi’s voice and the powerful messages of Simone’s lyrics regarding self-love, Black Women appreciation and a collective resistance through protest, the relevance to a BLM generation stands firm. As what we’re facing today correlates with the same inhumane challenges and detrimental struggles of the 1960s.
“Ledisi Sings Nina” also serves as an inevitable path for Ledisi, as she has been a fan of Nina and focused on the style of her music since she was a little girl. She reflects on moments in her adolescence that have brought her here: “We lived in a shotgun house in New Orleans and my mom would wake us up by singing ‘…and everybody knows about Mississippi Goddam!’
“Later I learned that was Nina. But when I heard her for real, I was still very young—in Oakland in my 20s. I was depressed, my life was a mess, and I heard her on the radio singing ‘Trouble in Mind.’ I heard the life in there. It woke me up. I was feeling discouraged for being different, for being the oddball that liked every style—blues and jazz and Broadway and hip-hop. I had sung every club in the Bay Area, done every gig. Nina’s voice said to me I was not alone. Her voice saved my life and woke me up and taught me to be fearless. I had two pieces of luggage and moved to New York City after that.”
Nonetheless, Ledisi like any other child with a dream and an idol stuck through all that seemed very confusing and hateful at a time to inevitably land her here!
The the album is set to release on all platforms on June 23rd, 2021and can be ordered here: https://ledisimusic.lnk.to/LedisiSingsNina
Netflix Cancels Jamie Foxx's Sitcom About Embarrassing His Daughter!
Netflix, in its merciful benevolence, has finally granted the desperate, exclamation-point-capped pleas of Dad Stop Embarrassing Me! Which is to say that the streaming giant has pulled the plug on the single-season sitcom, which starred Genuine Movie Star and Certified Oscar Winner Jamie Foxx, returning to the TV comedy roots that helped jump-start his career. Per Deadline, the series was based on Foxx’s own relationship with his daughter, Corinne; both Foxxes produced on the series, which co-starred Kyla-Drew as the embarrassed daughter-proxy in question.
Netflix aired all eight of Dad Stop Embarrassing Me!’s extant episodes—which, we feel perversely motivated to note, are all named things like “#YeezysAndShrimp” and “#NipplesOrNuts”—back in April of 2021. Said episodes introduced the world to Brian Dixon, a perfectly relatable cosmetics company owner who just happens to look and sound a great deal like Certified Oscar Winner Jamie Foxx. (Not that Foxx confined himself to this single role; he also played a series of one-off characters with names like Rev. Sweet Tea and Cadillac Calvin.) The series co-starred sitcom royalty David Alan Grier as Foxx’s father, plus Porscha Coleman, Jonathan Kite, and Heather Hemmens.
News of the cancellation comes during a general trimming of Netflix’s schedule, which also saw it shuffle shows like Jupiter’s Legacy and Grand Army off the books. It also serves as a data point for the streamer’s ongoing issues with the family sitcom format; outside of a few hits like Full House and The Ranch, situation comedies about family life tend to have a pretty short shelf-life on the service, even when they’ve got Jamie Foxx throwing his considerable star-power at them. You can read our (not especially positive) review of Dad Stop Embarrassing Me!’s first (and now only) season right here.
Dame Dash Says He’s Got “Every Right To Sell Reasonable Doubt, Jay-Z’s Offer Was Too Low”!
Dame Dash claims he has every right to sell “Reasonable Doubt,” claiming Jay–Z attempted to buy his share of Roc-A-Fella records, but his paltry offer was way too low.
According to TMZ, Dash is now on the hunt to find a new buyer, and this new lawsuit against him from the label won’t stop him.
Dash told TMZ the new lawsuit is full of inaccuracies, clarifying that it’s not the album he’s trying to sell but his entire stake in Roc-A-Fella records.
Dash revealed his former partner attempted to buy his 1/3 share of the record label at “a price I deemed unacceptable” as recently as last March, so he decided to find a buyer on his own.
Dash was clear that if he comes to an agreement with someone, “Under the terms of the deal with a potential buyer, the buyer would buy my share of Roc a Fella Records and Jay-Z will have exclusive administration rights.”
Singer Macy Gray Writes Op-Ed Calling For The U.S. Flag To Be Replaced: 'It Is Tattered, Dated, Divisive And Incorrect'!
Singer Macy Gray says it's time for the U.S. flag to be updated as it "no longer represents ALL of us."
Writing for MarketWatch, the 53-year-old Grammy winner likened the current flag to the "tired" Confederate one, citing the insurrectionists who carried the Stars and Stripes when storming the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6.
"The American flag has been hijacked as code for a specific belief," the "I Try" singer wrote in her June 17 op-ed. "God bless those believers, they can have it. Like the Confederate, it is tattered, dated, divisive and incorrect. It no longer represents democracy and freedom. It no longer represents ALL of us. It’s not fair to be forced to honor it. It’s time for a new flag."
Gray went on to suggest a redesigned version, one with 52 stars — a nod to the statehood efforts in Washington, D.C. and Puerto Rico — in the "colors of ALL of us, your skin tone and mine, like the melanin scale," with stripes that were "off-white."
"The Smithsonian documents that the 'white' stripes represent purity and innocence," Gray wrote. "America is great. It is beautiful. Pure, it ain’t. It is broken and in pieces."
Gray suggested that the blue and red color palette remain, writing,"The blue square represents vigilance and perseverance; and the red stripes stand for valor. America is all of those things."
As the musician — whose 2001 performance of the national anthem was roundly criticized — noted, the current flag was designed back in 1959 by 17-year-old student Bob Heft.
"In 2021, we have changed and it’s time for a reset, a transformation," she concluded her piece. "One that represents all states and all of us."
Promoting her op-ed and the reactions to it on social media, Gray has received supportive comments from stars including In the Heights star Daphne Rubin-Vega and Full House actress Jodie Sweetin.
But her suggestion has also triggered outcry and a flood of comments telling her to "leave the country."
South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem was among the critics responding, tweeting, "A new flag?! No thanks. Old Glory still waves as a symbol of liberty and justice for all."
Florida Homeowners Association Fines Couple For Displaying Pride Flag!
An Oakland Park, Florida homeowners association fined a couple for displaying a small pride flag in their front yard.
Bob Plominski and Mike Ferrari were given the citation on June 5 by the Eastland Cove Homeowners Association. The couple told NBC Miami that they were confused by the fine.
“I got upset. We’ve done this before, and it’s a simple showing of our pride to the community, and it’s up for 30 days,” Plominski told the outlet. “We were in shock they were going to do that.”
The HOA told the couple the flag would need to be removed by June 15 or face a $50 fine daily. However, the couple said they will not be taking the flag down until June 30.
The president of the HOA, Bob Brusseau, told NBC News the citation was sent after a complaint was received from an association member that the flag did not fall within the neighborhood’s guidelines. The only types of flags approved for display are the United States or military flags.
“It’s in the document, and you can be sued,” he said. However, the fines won’t actually be enforced until 30 to 40 days from their issuing date.
But, Brusseau said he would personally vote against any fines. He and another board member initially declined to pursue the issue, but three other board members chose to.
Usain Bolt, Partner Kasi Bennett Announce Newborn Twins!
Usain Bolt will not be competing in the Tokyo Olympics this summer, but he does have another life milestone to celebrate.
Bolt, an eight-time Olympic gold medalist, and his partner Kasi Bennett announced the arrival of twins recently with posts on Instagram for Father's Day. And as with their oldest daughter, Olympia Lightning, the two carry fitting names.
Welcome Saint Leo Bolt and Thunder Bolt.
The couple announced the arrival of Olympia Lightning in July 2020, again in a slightly subtle way. Bolt wished Bennett a happy birthday and mentioned their "new chapter together" with photos of the mother and daughter.
The baby girl's name lit up social media. Serena Williams, who also gave her daughter with Alexia Ohanian the name Olympia, replied with four heart-eyed emojis and four hearts.
Bolt is an 11-time world champion and holds world records in the 100 meters at 9.58 seconds and 200 meters at 19.19 seconds. He is the only sprinter to win 100m and 200m gold at three consecutive Olympics (2008, '12, '16).
He retired from Olympic competition following the 2016 Rio games. It will be the first Olympics since 2000 in which the Jamaican will not be on the track.
AND FINALLY FROM “THE CRAZY PEOPLE SHOPPING AT WALMART” FILES
‘DO THESE COUNT AS STILTS?’
Do they?
HAVE A GREAT DAY EVERYBODY!!!!!!!!
EFREM
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