Hailee Steinfeld for T Magazine Singapore January 2019
When Hailee Steinfeld took to the stage at the MTV Music awards 2018 last month, it was natural placement for the 22-year-old. The actress, songstress and host for the night commandeered the stage with an unmistakable demeanour — the kind of striking presence embodied only by great showmen.
As Steinfeld’s mini dress, entirely encrusted in glitter caught the light — and along with it, the audience’s attention — her ineffable personality shone brighter, engaging viewers in her every word. On the same night, she returned onstage to perform her single “Back to life”. The earworm, which features in the soundtrack of what also happens to be the latest of her filmography: hollywood blockbuster “Bumblebee” — a spin-off of the “Transformers” series.
Every bit a seasoned performer, Steinfeld enthralled the crowd as she manoeuvered the sprawling stage all while nailing dance choreography without missing a beat. Every move in her performance is a reminder of her immaculate talent, equally impactful when stripped down from a showy production to an unadulterated silver screen role. Get more from T Magazine HERE!
#RHoA: How Newbie ‘RHoA’ star Tanya Sam went from nursing to tech to RHoA!
The latest addition to “Real Housewives of Atlanta” has an impressive résumé.
Tanya Sam was a nurse working in oncology and hematology before switching gears into a technology-focused career — and becoming a reality star. She first appeared on the Bravo series during the Nov. 25 episode.
“I was a registered nurse for 10 years,” Sam recently told Page Six. “Then I started dating Paul, my fiancé, a serial entrepreneur — he went to Morehouse, got a Ph.D. from Georgia Tech — so he is like the quintessential tech genius geek.”
“He was building his third cybersecurity startup, him and his co-founder. Our dates would involve, ‘Hey I just got to go and talk about some coding technology and how to save the internet.’ So I just kind of sat in. And so as they were building that company I got more and more involved in building that company. So I say it was kind of like a real-life business school.”
Now, Sam is director of partnerships at TechSquare Labs, a technology startup hub and venture capital fund. She also co-founded BuiltxWomen and leads Ascend 2020.
“I tell people working in like fast-paced oncology and bone marrow transplant is very similar to working in a startup because it’s always on,” she told us. “It is so fast-paced. You can never sit down. You can barely go to the bathroom! Except there’s no blood, so that’s good!”
How do you like Tanya Sam on RHoA?
#Empire: How Thigs Will Be Different After That Huge Midseason Finale of Empire
Empire has made good use of flash-forwards in the first half of Season 5, and it's somewhat surprising that the rest of the episodes will eschew that narrative conceit. The prophetic sequences all started during this season's deadly premiere, in which it was revealed that someone close to Lucious will be locked up in a coffin six months from that point. In the next episode, Lucious talked with the FBI about whatever murder took place that is presumably tied to the future funeral.
Showrunner Brett Mahoney told Deadline that Empire's next phase will be focused on Lucious potentially coming clean with his side of the story about Kingsley's origins, and how Cookie and others will handle this shake-up to the family tree.
In general, here's what Brett Mahoney said the narrative thrust will be for the remainder of Season 5 leading up to the big reveals.
The question will become if the Lyons retake Empire, what will it cost them? We've seen through the first half of the season the Lyons come together and appear where they've gone back to where they were underdogs and back to trying to launch something new and create something new. OK, but if they get back Empire, what will it mean for their relationships? Because, previously, we've seen them drawn together, but at what cost will it take for them to retake the throne?
Something tells me Cookie won't be impressed if Andre's death is included in the cost of keeping Empire in the O.G. Lyon family. I can't wait to see how she handles everything else, though.
Empire is on its winter hiatus, but it will return to Fox and its fans in 2019. Stay tuned for an exact premiere date, and keep current with all the new and returning shows hitting fall TV and midseason 2019.
#MusicBox: JoJo Re-Records and Re-Releases Her First Two Albums
In a surprising birthday gift from herself to her fans, singer JoJo has re-releaswd her first two albums to all streaming services. The projects feature all new vocals as well as updated production.
The reason that this is so significant is that both albums have been missing from streaming services for years now. Her original label Blackground Records for whatever reason has not released them; a similar situation to Aaliyah and Tank’s albums.
JoJo got creative and made sure her fans would not have to live without her first two albums.
LISTEN HERE and HERE
The struggle that JoJo faced with Blackground was no secret over the years. Following an intense legal battle, JoJo was liberated from her contract and signed to Atlantic Records. There, she released her third album “Mad Love” in 2016.
#HipHopNews: Kendrick Lamar May Release New Album In 2019
Kendrick Lamar may be readying a new album after all. After claiming that he is not working on a new project during an interview with the Los Angeles Times, Polydor Records seems to be saying otherwise.
The label, which handles distribution for Interscope Records in Europe, may have accidentally revealed plans for a Kendrick album in 2019. Polydor posted a since-deleted Instagram Story (via Complex) that named all the artists who were expected to drop projects next year including Lady Gaga, ScHoolboy Q, Madonna, Black Eyed Peas, Lana Del Rey, Selena Gomez, and Kendrick.
The post was later deleted, which could mean that the information was inaccurate or it wasn’t intended for the public.
During his interview with the Los Angeles Times earlier this month, K-Dot denied that he was working on a new album. He didn’t elaborate, only saying that he’s constantly working. However, someone in his camp mentioned that Kendrick was headed to the studio immediately after wrapping the interview.
In September, Isaiah Rashad claimed he had heard Kendrick’s upcoming album. However, TDE boss Anthony “Top Dawg” Tiffith later announced that a new Kendrick album was not dropping anytime soon. “KDOT DONT HAVE A NEW ALBUM COMING NO TIME SOON,” he wrote. “So keep playing DAMN until the kid is inspired again.”
Kendrick recently scored seven Grammy nominations for Black Panther: The Album, including Album of the Year and Record of the Year (“All the Stars”). He also received his first Golden Globe nomination for Best Original Song – Motion Picture for the latter.
Chris Brown hit with criminal charges for pet monkey
Singer Chris Brown will be walking into the new year facing criminal charges: two counts of having a restricted species without a permit, reports TMZ.
Brown, 29, sparked controversy when he brought home a baby capuchin monkey named Fiji in the fall of 2017.
He swiftly drew criticism after posting an adorable video of his daughter, Royalty, then just 3, with the monkey. Brown fought back against naysayers crying out for the girl’s safety. He claimed the monkey wasn’t for her but was his pet.
As a response to the outcry, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife launched an investigation.
Before the situation could get out of control, Brown gave up the monkey. It’s unclear where Fiji now lives.
If convicted, Brown could face up to six months in jail. He’s set to appear in court on February 6.
A request for comment from Brown’s lawyer wasn’t immediately returned.
Rihanna Mourns Loss of Superfan & Friend Monia
Rihanna is mourning the loss of one of her biggest fans named Monia, who passed away after battling cancer.
“Navy Angels! This Christmas, we lost a beautiful spirit who was such a pillar of strength to us! Most of our friendship she’s spent in a hospital or doctor’s office! This picture was just a few months ago, she looked at me and said ‘Rih the cancer is back’ I’ll never forget the fear in her eyes this day!” Rihanna wrote on her Instagram account. “Still she pushed forward, fighting the fight everyday with the Navy behind her supporting her every step of the way! We are all heartbroken about this!!! You will never be forgotten! Love you my angel @moniasto fly in peace.”
Our thoughts are with Monia‘s friends and loved ones during this difficult time
See The Trailer for ‘Amanda Seales: ‘I Be Knowin’ HBO Comedy Special
Amanda Seales has landed her very first stand-up comedy special!
HBO has released the first trailer for “Amanda Seales: I Be Knowin‘” and I will definitely be on time for the shenanigans.
WATCH HERE
The special premieres on January 26 at 10 p.m. on HBO.
Instagram Adds New Feature That Changes the Way You Scroll, Enraging Users
UPDATE: It looks like Instagram has already disabled the feature.
People are not happy with the new Instagram update!
Earlier Instagram issued a new update that totally changes the way you can scroll through your feed.
Instead of scrolling up and down like you normally would, users now have to scroll left to right. The update is intended to mimic how you watch Instagram Stories.
You can watch a demo of how the update works right here.
Former First Lady Michelle Obama named America's most admired woman
(CNN) -- A former First Lady has apparently bested another former First Lady to become the most admired woman in America.
In a Gallup Poll released Thursday, First Lady Michelle Obama was voted the woman most admired by Americans this year.
Obama has been on tour promoting her best-selling memoir “becoming.”
Hillary Clinton held the top spot for 17 years before Obama took the top spot this year.
Clinton came in third this year, finishing behind Obama and Oprah Winfrey, who came in 2nd place. Current First Lady Melania Trump came in 4th, with Queen Elizabeth coming 5th.
Mariah Carey's "All I Want for Christmas" Smashes Global Spotify Record
More than two decades since its release, Mariah Carey's "All I Want for Christmas Is You" continues to be a wintertime staple, earning a spot on every festive playlist worth its salt. However, 2018 was an especially big year for the holiday classic, as pointed out by Chart Data.
The website reports that "All I Want for Christmas Is You" earned 10,819,009 streams on Dec. 24, setting the global Spotify record for biggest single-day streams. The record was previously held by XXXTentacion's "SAD!," which garnered 10.4 million Spotify streams on June 19, the day following his fatal shooting.
“All I Want For Christmas Is You” by Mariah Carey has broken the Spotify record for the most streams in a single day with over 10.8 MILLION streams. The previous record was held by XXXTentacion’s “SAD!” with 10.4 MILLION streams on June 19th.
"All I Want for Christmas Is You" released Nov. 1, 1994, serving as the lead single for Mariah's Merry Christmas holiday album. The singer produced and wrote the song alongside Walter Afanasieff.
"The crazy thing about it is, every year it tends to increase in popularity," she told Billboard in 2017. "I'm very thankful that people seem to still have an attachment to it. It makes me feel good when people tell me that it's part of their lives."
"All I Want for Christmas Is You" is currently sitting at the No. 7 spot on the Billboard Hot 100. The outlet reports that the track has also become the highest-charting holiday-themed record in the last six decades.
Tyler Perry To Host Aretha Franklin Tribute Special For CBS
Tyler Perry will host a tribute special for Queen of Soul Aretha Franklin set to air later next year on CBS.
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Aretha! A Grammy Celebration for the Queen of Soul hails from CBS, the Recording Academy, AEG Ehrlich Ventures and Clive Davis. It will feature songs from Franklin’s legendary repertoire performed by Grammy winners olanda Adams, Shirley Caesar, Alessia Cara, Kelly Clarkson, Common, Celine Dion, Jennifer Hudson, Alicia Keys, John Legend, Patti LaBelle and BeBe Winans as well as current Grammy nominees Brandi Carlile, Chloe X Halle, H.E.R., Janelle Monáe, and SZA. Additional performances will be announced in the coming weeks.
The live concert will be taped Sunday, Jan. 13, 2019, at 6 PM PT at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles. The special, hosted by Perry, will be broadcast later in 2019 on the CBS network.
“This special will celebrate Aretha Franklin’s numerous accomplishments as an entertainment icon, singer, songwriter, pianist, actress and civil rights activist,” said Jack Sussman, Executive Vice President, Specials, Music and Live Events, CBS Entertainment. “Aretha had an incredible effect on humanity and music with her indomitable spirit and grace. We look forward to honoring this music legend with numerous performers who all admire and respect the Queen of Soul.”
“Aretha Franklin’s reign as the ‘Queen of Soul’ is incomparable and undisputed,” said Neil Portnow, President/CEO of the Recording Academy. “For more than six decades, her extraordinary artistic achievements coupled with her passionate dedication to her philanthropic work—which ranged from children’s and artists’ issues to civil rights activism—served as a testament to her power, majesty, and genius. These gifts positioned her as a true cultural icon, and the Recording Academy is honored to celebrate her inspirational legacy.”
“We’re approaching this show with extremely mixed feelings of sadness and joy, two qualities that over my 37 years of working with Aretha were often present,” said Ken Ehrlich, executive producer of AEG Ehrlich Ventures. “Our hope is that we will be able to share the remarkable musical and cultural accomplishments of the Queen of Soul through her own words and music as well as through the performances of an amazing group of musical artists who will gather to celebrate her amazing musical heritage.”
“I am thrilled to have the Recording Academy and CBS as partners in this global tribute to my very dear friend Aretha Franklin,” said Clive Davis. “Aretha was more than the Queen of Soul; she was a national treasure. This unique concert — featuring many of today’s greatest artists — will celebrate Aretha in a spectacular manner befitting her once-in-a-lifetime talent.”
Tickets for the live concert go on sale today at 10 AM PT and are available for purchase at AXS.com.
Aretha! A Grammy Celebration for the Queen of Soul is produced by AEG Ehrlich Ventures, LLC. Ehrlich and Clive Davis are executive producers, Ron Basile and Chantel Sausedo are producers, and David Wild is the writer/producer.
Artie Lange’s Deformed Nose Is A Lesson for you to ‘Just Say No’ To Drugs
Drugs are nothing to mess around with and if you don’t believe it, take a look at comedian Artie Lange’s nose. Many kids who grew up in the 80s heard plenty of cautionary tales about what drugs can do to your brain as many remember the fried egg commercials —”This is your brain. This is your brain on drugs.”
In the new millennium, the cautionary tales were depicted in transformational photos showing people losing their health and looks to meth. The “Faces of Meth” series went viral. After Artie Lange went public with a photo showing what snorting cocaine and heroin did to his nose, there’s another graphic image to add to the “Just Say No to Drugs” media list.
Artie Lange revealed the shocking photo on his official Twitter account and the photo of his nose has sparked conversations nationwide. The slang term for what happened to Lange is “cocaine nose.”
In the tweet, Lange professed to waking up that morning “clean” but has since appeared in a New Jersey courtroom where he failed a drug test. He had cocaine in his system.
“Woke up clean! My nose is f%&ed. Gotta accept it. But I’m alive & blessed w a gig 2nite & many more. My 3rd season on @CrashingHBO starts Jan 20! My 3rd book “Wanna Bet?” Is still out. I’m taping my 4th Special at a unique venue & I have the best fans! Life’s Good! 143”
Considering Lange woke up clean on Dec. 8 and failed a court-ordered drug test just weeks following, there is no question that Lange’s drug addiction is taking over.
While many people are leaving comments poking fun of the comedian, it’s important to realize and remember that drug addiction is a disease, it is an illness and needs to be addressed as such.
Just as someone wouldn’t make fun of someone who has lost his or her hair due to chemotherapy, it is just as uncalled for to make fun of someone who has damaged their physical appearance because they couldn’t fight their addiction.
According to NJ.com, Lange damaged his nose from years of snorting drugs and even snorted glass once.
“Lange has had to have surgery on his nose due to years of snorting cocaine and heroin — and one incident in which he accidentally snorted glass when trying to suck up smashed OxyContin tablets — which left him with no septum and a lot of ribbing from his followers about his appearance.”
Lange has been court ordered to rehab. The third season of Crashing comes out on Jan. 20, 2019.
Tamar Braxton Finally Explains Why Her Steve Harvey-Backed Talk Show Didn’t Happen
Tamar Braxton revealed that her upcoming talk show series came to a halt due to contractual issues.
The “Braxton Family Values” star reportedly landed her own talk show series after being fired from daytime show “The Real” in 2016. Her series was picked up by comedian Steve Harvey, who was set to produce the show. It was said to have been in the works for almost a year, but there hasn’t been much news about the show’s premiere date.
Braxton is now explaining that her talk show never debuted because she was restricted by contract.
“A lot of people thought that after “The Real” I wasn’t able to get a job in television, but that was just simply not true. I was contractually obligated to not be on television, and it was really hard for me as a matter of fact,” the Grammy-nominated singer told Soul Bounce during a recent interview.
Braxton said she was offered at least three different talk shows, but she was forced to turn them all down because restrictions stemming from “The Real.” She said the bind she was in did send her into a “deep depression,” but she rebounded.
In fact, her contractual restrictions have come to an end and she’s working on several new television projects for 2019, she told the news source.
I can’t tell you ‘cause I’m gonna get in trouble! I just got my freedom! I can’t tell you,” said Braxton.
The singer is also still basking in her new relationship with her Nigerian boyfriend Yemi. She told SB that the highlight of 2018 was meeting her newfound love.
“You know, I’ve actually had a lot of highlights. I met a gorgeous, real-life ‘T’Challa’ [the King of Wakanda character in ‘Black Panther’], and that’s been going amazing,” she added.
Meghan Markle Hinted At Her Due Date is Coming soon!
Meghan Markle spoke about her pregnancy with a delighted fan on Christmas day, as the royal family stepped out for church services together in Sandringham, England.
“She said, ‘We are excited. We’re nearly there,’” royal fan Karen Anvil told E! News in a report published Wednesday. “I said, ‘Enjoy every moment, being a mother is a wonderful thing.’”
Anvil added that the Duchess of Sussex was “so genuine.”
“She was doing her duty as a royal with the crowds, shaking hands, etc.,” she said. “But when I asked her about the baby, she changed totally. She was glowing and instinctively went for her stomach. It was lovely.”
Kensington Palace announced in October that Prince Harry and the duchess would welcome their first child in spring 2019. The palace typically does not give out information on the exact due date.
Queen Elizabeth addressed the joys of adding yet another great-grandchild ― who will be seventh in line to the throne ― to her growing brood in her annual Christmas address.
“It’s been a busy year for my family, with two weddings and two babies — and another child expected soon. It helps to keep a grandmother well occupied,” the Queen said.
She added, “Through the many changes I have seen over the years, faith, family and friendship have been not only a constant for me but a source of personal comfort and reassurance.”
The Duchess of Sussex joked about naming her child during the couple’s trip to Australia in October, telling a fan in Melbourne, “We’ve been given a long list of names from everyone, we’re going to sit down and have a look at them,” according to People.
Arianne Chernock, an associate professor of modern British history at Boston University, speculated over what Harry and Meghan will name their child, considering they will have “a lot more flexibility” than Prince William and Kate Middleton.
“I suspect that Meghan and Harry certainly will include some nod in at least one of the names to the royal family and tradition. But they have more latitude, and I would not be shocked at all if they honor Meghan’s side of the family as well as Harry’s,” Chernock said.
Trump Inadvertently Revealed Identities of Covert Navy Seal Team on Twitter
Donald Trump’s love of Twitter has smashed plenty of presidential norms during his two years in office. But even within that framework, where we have come to expect the sitting president to fling insults and invective, his latest mistake is pretty egregious. Trump may have inadvertently revealed the names and locations of Seal Team Five while visiting with troops in Iraq.
In a trip that was largely kept secret until Trump landed, the president shared photos of himself and First Lady Melania Trump along with the top Navy squad, thereby revealing that they were stationed at the base he was visiting in western Iraq. The photo and videos revealed the faces of the team members whose identities are typically kept secret and let any of his Twitter followers know that they were stationed at al-Asad Airbase.
In the past, photos featuring the elite team have been shared with the identities of the soldiers concealed. And while it's within Trump's purview to declassify information, the decision to post an unblurred photo of the Seals is a significant break with tradition and protocol.
Such a break fits with Trump's indecorous holiday message, in which Trump used his Christmas Day address to attack his detractors and fight for a border wall.
It's a fitting cap to a trip that was meant to be completely secret but was broken wide open on Twitter. According to NBC News, airplane enthusiasts had shared that Air Force One was flying to Iraq well before the official word got out. Wikileaks official Twitter shared a flight map showing Air Force One's movements ahead of Trump's announcement that he was visiting the troops.
Trump's visit helped him avoid the dubious distinction of being the first president to skip out on a holiday visit with the military since the beginning of the War on Terror.
AND FINALLY FROM “THE CRAZY PEOPLE SHOPPING AT WALMART” FILES
‘DINO JOKES’
Q: Why can’t you hear a pterodactyl using the bathroom?
A: Because the ‘p’ is silent
#EGGPLANT NATION Meet Tony Behr!
DISCLAIMER: WE DO NOT OWN any images posted on this blog. All images are found online or submitted.
ENJOY!
HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND EVERYBODY!!!!!!!!
EFREM
