Newsletter Monday, January 29, 2018

[LaineyGossip.com - Calling all smuthounds!] Monday, January 29, 2018 [Intro for January 29, 2018]( [Bebe Rexha, Cyndi Lauper, Kesha, Camila Cabello and Andra Day perform onstage during the 60th Annual GRAMMY Awards at Madison Square Garden on January 28, 2018 in New York City](Dear Gossips, “We come in peace. But we mean business,” is what Janelle Monae said just before introducing Kesha’s performance last night, calling for Time’s Up on the music industry’s abuse of power. She also tweeted this… A total of 90.7% of nominees between 2013 and 2018 were male, meaning just 9.3% were women. [#TimesUp]( [#Grammys]( — Janelle Monáe, Cindi (@JanelleMonae) [January 28, 2018]( …which turned out to be prophetic because there were very few female winners during the broadcast portion of the show last night, including one category where Ed Sheeran took out four women (Pink, Kesha, Lady Gaga, and Kelly Clarkson) to win. Back in November, when the Grammy nominations were announced, after the Recording Academy changed the voting process, resulting in a more diverse range of nominees, [I wrote]( that while there was indeed an improvement in the selection, maybe let’s not get too optimistic just yet. This was [my prediction](: “…if we’re going by how the recording academy historically swings, it’s probably going to be Bruno Mars. Nominations are one thing. What will win is another. Nothing against Bruno Mars but it’s about what’s digestible. Even though more of the 13,000 recording academy members were able to put forward their selections this year, that doesn’t mean the part of the membership that made the choices from previous years, the ones who chose Adele over Beyoncé, are gone. They’re still around. They’re the MiniVan Majority of the recording academy. And for them, Bruno is the safest choice, especially since they don’t have Ed Sheeran to vote for.” Well. They found a way to vote for Ed Sheeran. Kesha and the women who supported her on stage – including Andra Day, Cyndi Lauper, Camila Cabello, Julia Michaels, and Bebe Rexha – delivered one of the most powerful and moving, if not the most powerful and moving, moments of the night. It was raw and vulnerable and generous. They came in peace. But they mean business. Will the business change in response? More thoughts on the Grammys to follow through the day. And also please check the LifeStyle page for fashion photos. Yours in gossip, Lainey [Click here for the rest of the photos.]( Posted at 12:31 PM [Smutty Social Media, January 29, 2018]( [Pink performs onstage during the 60th Annual GRAMMY Awards at Madison Square Garden on January 28, 2018 in New York City](I, like most people on social media last night, was/am obsessed with Blue Ivy’s hand gesture. It reminds me of her mother’s “[stop it](”. So precise. But there’s one theory I haven’t seen floated around. Camila Cabello was the one on stage – is Blue Ivy a Harmonizer? Ha! [A post shared by The Breakfast Club (@breakfastclubam)]( on Jan 29, 2018 at 7:11am PST What do you think she’s trying to do here – pull up the tongue of the boot? And when is she joining Instagram? Probably when she starts Top of the Morning with Reese, who will convince her. [A post shared by @nina.clare]( on Jan 27, 2018 at 3:06pm PST [A post shared by @nina.clare]( on Jan 27, 2018 at 3:16pm PST [A post shared by @nina.clare]( on Jan 27, 2018 at 3:25pm PST Dr. Ruth! All wedding speeches should end with, “try a new position tonight.” [A post shared by Nick Kroll (@nickkroll)]( on Jan 25, 2018 at 5:36pm PST Willow knows what’s up. [A post shared by P!NK (@pink)]( on Jan 28, 2018 at 7:34pm PST I refuse to learn The Chainsmokers’ names, but the dark-haired one got caught cheating by his girlfriend. Not a huge story, but how she did it is interesting: by accessing the CCTV tapes in the building where he was (and then [posting the video on social media](). I applaud her ingenuity. [A post shared by The Chainsmokers (@thechainsmokers)]( on Jan 28, 2018 at 3:24pm PST We are all the woman in the corner. [A post shared by Beylite (@beylite)]( on Jan 28, 2018 at 3:16pm PST Remember when U2’s album was downloaded onto everyone’s iTunes, whether they wanted it or not? Last night felt like that. Next at the Grammys a performance from U2, a tribute to U2, Album of the Year presented by U2, U2 stabs Polonius thinking it’s Claudius hiding behind the tapestry — Ira Madison III (@ira) [January 29, 2018]( Karl has grown a beard! What does that mean? Are beards chic now? Does he oil it? What does Choupette think? [A post shared by CHANEL (@chanelofficial)]( on Jan 26, 2018 at 12:06pm PST Whoever could this mysterious “someone” be? I see somebody's had a bit of plastic surgery slippin n a slidin as you were LG x — Liam Gallagher (@liamgallagher) [January 28, 2018]( [Click here for the rest of the photos.]( Posted at 7:31 PM [Rihanna’s Best Life]( [Rihanna performs onstage during the 60th Annual GRAMMY Awards at Madison Square Garden on January 28, 2018 in New York City](Goddamn. GODDAMN. That’s really all I have to say about Rihanna at the Grammys. That and I don’t think I’m straight anymore. My sexual orientation is Rihanna in her Wild Thoughts performance. Rihanna performed with DJ Khaled and Bryson Tiller but I’m having a hard time remembering if they were actually there. She looked so GOOD. Goddamn. OK, I’m getting creepy. Not only does RiRi look good, she looks SO happy. I’ve always loved the swagger in which Rihanna approached all of her dancing. She’s never been the best technical dancer but she is unmatched at exuding an innate effortless cool when she dances. Last night, [Rihanna]( looked like she was trying – hard – and it was glorious. GLORIOUS. Apparently, there has been some confusion online about Rihanna’s dance moves. NAH. [@rihanna]( is doing a South African dance called [#GwaraGwara](. Give credit where it's due. Learn how to do it here: — OkayAfrica (@okayafrica) [January 29, 2018]( BRB, gotta to go learn how to Gwara Gwara. In June, I wrote about Handsome Hassan, [Rihanna’s boyfriend](. I wrote then that Rihanna looked like she was having a better summer ’17 than all of us. Well, Ri has kept that summer ‘17 life going into 2018 and I am HERE for it. Handsome Hassan joined her for the after-party celebrating her Grammy win at 1 Oak Nightclub. They stayed until 4am and left separately, within minutes of each other. I like that Hassan is the guy who keeps it low key in a hoodie and sneakers. And in case you were wondering, yes, he is still extremely handsome. I LOVE how Rihanna was styled last night. When she got up to accept Best Rap/Sung Collaboration for Loyalty with Kendrick last night in that maroon leather ensemble, my girlfriends watching with me and I all said “OK!” out loud. Also, Rihanna’s hair here is basically what I try and fail to get my hair to do on a daily basis. GODDAMN. Rihanna DJ Khaled and Bryson performing [#GRAMMYs]( [pic.twitter.com/yIjn65fhrG]( — Stav (@Stav_Per) [January 29, 2018]( [Click here for the rest of the photos.]( Posted at 7:02 PM [Lorde and Jack Antonoff, the misdirect]( [Lorde and Jack Antonoff attend the Clive Davis and Recording Academy Pre-GRAMMY Gala and GRAMMY Salute to Industry Icons Honoring Jay-Z on January 27, 2018 in New York City](When Jack Antonoff and Lena Dunham broke up, I casually mentioned that my friend predicted that Jack [would date Lorde next](. At the time, it was just a Hail Mary for the Gossip Genie. Since then, every time Lorde and Jack are in the same frame or headline, someone emails or tweets me like it’s a smoking gun. I’ve seen all your circumstantial evidence and while I do love it when I’m right, I’m still not buying it. Last week, Maria sent me and Lainey [this US article]( outright denying that Lorde and Jack are a thing. She sent it with the subject line “THIS DENIAL MEANS IT’S GOING DOWN.” Jack denied the [Lorde]( rumours on social media too but the wording of this US denial is important. It makes sure to note that [Jack]( is “off the market” but that he’s not dating Lorde. I thought that Maria might be on to something because they really wanted everyone to stop thinking Lorde and Jack were f-cking, wouldn’t they just release who Jack Antonoff is actually dating? Enter [Carlotta Kohl](. On Saturday, the day before the Grammys, US Weekly had new photos of Jack seemingly on a date with this model. Jack Antonoff’s team knew that on Sunday night, he’d be seated right next to Lorde and the rumours would have even more fuel so they decided to preemptively put out the fire by leaking who Jack’s real post-Lena hookup is. If Carlotta Kohl didn’t exist, I might have thought that Lorde and Jack were actually a thing. For now, I’m pretty sure they’re just work besties. OR Carlotta is just an elaborate misdirect and they really are together. I HAVEN’T SLEPT AND NOW I DON’T KNOW ANYMORE. For the record, Jack’s sister Rachel was seated right next to Lorde and Jack all night so it’s not really a sexy date night if your sibling is the third wheel, is it? (Also, Jack co-executive produced Melodrama so he was also there, sitting beside Lorde, as a co-nominee.) One thing I do know is that Lorde was a casualty of the Grammys f-ckery last night. I don’t like that I started this piece talking about her love life but we didn’t have much else to go on. Lorde didn’t perform. She didn’t present. Lorde was the only woman nominated for Album of the Year and we barely saw her. Turns out, she was the only AOTY nominee to not be asked to perform solo. Aside from Jay-Z, the rest of the nominees had their own performances. Apparently, Lorde was only asked to be a small part of the Tom Petty tribute [and she declined](� ). Here’s what the president and CEO of the Recording Academy had to say about the omission of Lorde: “We have a wealth of riches every year, and it’s hard to have a balanced show and have everybody involved… Every year is different. We can't have a performance from every nominee -- we have over 80 categories -- and so we have to realize that we have to create something that has balance. What you saw was our best judgment on how to do that." Hard to have a balanced show? HOW did you have time for three separate U2 appearances, like 45 Sting moments, and so much other boring sh-t but not have time for one of your Album of the Year nominees? And the one you didn’t have time for was the only woman? F-ck that, Recording Academy. You were already on some bullsh-t and now you’re just being blatantly sexist. Time’s up, music industry. Time to admit, address, and repair your Woman Problem. [A post shared by Lorde (@lordemusic)]( on Jan 28, 2018 at 6:09pm PST [Click here for the rest of the photos.]( Posted at 5:35 PM [Beyoncé still knows](�©-wears-sunglasses-to-the-2018-grammys) [Beyonce attends the 60th Annual GRAMMY Awards at Madison Square Garden on January 28, 2018 in New York City](Last year, like her husband this year, Beyoncé went into the Grammys as the most-nominated artist on the strength of Lemonade, widely considered to be a masterpiece. The Recording Academy let her win the “urban” category. Album of the Year, the crown category, went to Adele. Beyoncé has never won album of the year. Adele has won it twice. So has Taylor Swift. But, as I wrote last year, [she knew](C3%A9-knew-she-was-not-going-to-win-Album-of-the-Year-at-the-Grammy-Awards/46241). She knew what would happen before we knew what would happen. And she planned accordingly. Did she also know what would happen last night? That Jay-Z would be shut out in all 8 of the categories he was nominated in? I think she did. The sunglasses. If there was a chance that her husband was winning any awards for an album that she made possible, for an album that was basically recorded on his knees, prostrating himself in front of her, would she have wanted her eyes to be covered while he was on stage, offering the most public declaration of contrition to her? PEOPLE spoke to Sir John, Beyoncé’s makeup artist. Here’s what he said about the sunglasses: “When I found out she wanted to wear [the sunglasses], there was a huge tug of war between us!” Right. Because he knew that if she wore the sunglasses, they weren’t coming off. You can’t take sunglasses off midway through an event. Not when you’re [Beyoncé](. Because they leave marks on either side of the nose. Beyoncé always intended to keep those sunglasses on the whole night. Because she knew she wouldn’t have to take them off. That’s also why she showed up late, not bothering with the non-broadcast categories. Because she always knows. So, instead, she used the entire Grammy weekend to send some messages. First, we saw Beyoncé on Saturday at the Roc Nation brunch. Kathleen [just posted]( about Beyoncé and Jay like the Obamas all weekend and Jay’s interview with Van Jones. During that conversation, Jay and Van talked about the importance of intergenerational wealth, especially as an ambition for black Americans. This is the legacy that the Carters are building. Beyoncé was at the Roc Nation event not just because it was a party. But because it is her BUSINESS. Here are Beyoncé and Jay-Z showing that the business is on solid ground: Beyoncé & JAY-Z kissing at the [#RocNationBrunch]( 💗 [pic.twitter.com/O74lv62YcW]( — BEYONCÉ LEGION (@Bey_Legion) [January 28, 2018]( Here she is at the brunch hanging out with Mimi: Oh my God Beyonce and Mariah Carey are there now! lol [pic.twitter.com/wZPOFTnsNs]( — DeMario (@Markus_Dedon) [January 27, 2018]( Here she is at the brunch greeting Mimi and showing us where Blue Ivy learned the “hand”: Lmao Beyoncé wasn’t playing with that photographer. [pic.twitter.com/zlz0EokIgM]( — Honestly...FreeDonna (@HonestLamb) [January 27, 2018]( As you know, on Saturday night, Beyoncé and [Jay Z]( attended Clive Davis’s annual pre-Grammy gala. Her dress was Azzi & Osta with a black beret. Very Bonnie & Clyde. But also very Black Panthers. Just like when she performed Formation at the Super Bowl a couple of years ago. [A post shared by Beyoncé (@beyonce)]( on Jan 28, 2018 at 3:10pm PST Last night at the Grammys, once again, she custom-themed the look after the Black Panthers, as confirmed [by the designer Nicolas Jebran](. The Black Panther Party was founded to challenge institutionalised power centres that systemically oppressed minorities. Beyoncé very rarely speaks in public anymore. But she does make herself heard in how she expresses herself – through her art, through her accounts, and, this weekend, through her style. Most importantly though, she might also be doing it through her parenting. If you believe that Beyoncé knew what would happen last night, and we already know that she knew what would happen last year, consider then what it means that she brought her firstborn along with her to see it, both times. Yes, of course, it’s awesome and hilarious that Blue has such personality, that she takes over wherever she goes. But for two Grammys in a row now, Blue has been present to see her parents lose the biggest awards of the night. Last night she was present to see her father losing over and over and over again. What is the lesson here? The lesson might be that even her parents face limits that have long been established by the status quo. And if HER parents, who are wealthy and successful, are confronted by limits, imagine the limits that hold back those who don’t have the same resources, the same influence? Van Jones asked Jay during their interview this weekend (watch the [full interview here]( if you haven’t) whether or not he’s worried about his children, specifically both his daughters and Jay’s response to that was to say that, “I’m not worried about my children”. The reason? Because “the amount of information we’ll give them and the amount of love, between those two things, they’ll be fine”. He led with “information”. Which is why I see Beyoncé and Jay-Z bringing Blue to the Grammys and I wonder if it isn’t about more than just showing off their daughter. It’s about what she can take away from these situations, from hearing her father’s name repeatedly listed among nominees but not once going up on stage, from seeing her mother last year, pregnant with her siblings, during a 10 minute performance, crowning herself when the recording academy refused to crown her. Are these the stories that Blue will tell one day? [Click here for the rest of the photos.](�©-wears-sunglasses-to-the-2018-grammys) Posted at 4:50 PM [Blue Ivy Carter for President]( [Beyonce, Jay-Z, and Blue Ivy Carter attend the 60th Annual GRAMMY Awards at Madison Square Garden on January 28, 2018 in New York City](It happened again this year. Lainey and I went back and forth on whether Blue Ivy deserved her own post. We had the same conversation last year. Last year, James Corden had Blue to thank for saving his job and, quite frankly, his career when she swooped in and [saved an awkward sketch](. Blue Ivy is probably the only reason James Corden hosted again this year. Without Blue, James would just be forcing celebrities to do [excruciatingly unwatchable rap battles]( until the end of time. He owes her so much. We had to wait for her. I’m OK with the wait because she did not disappoint. Blue Ivy Carter delivered the greatest GIF of the night, of the week, of the year. It happened while Camila Cabello was giving a nice speech about Dreamers. Beyoncé started clapping. No one around Beyoncé was clapping. Any other human being in the world, including [Jay-Z]( would let [Beyoncé]( clap any damn time she wants to. Not Blue Ivy Carter. Blue is officially in the “OH MY GOD, MOM!” phase of adolescence and she’s 6 years old. Please devour Blue Ivy telling her parents to find their chill. Blue 💙 [#GRAMMYs]( [pic.twitter.com/Rj7NR7jLUy]( — BEYONCÉ LEGION (@Bey_Legion) [January 29, 2018]( There are so many reasons why this moment is so great. The first is that it can be interpreted so many different ways. On first watch, I thought she was bestowing blessings on us all through the TV. Then, my friend Liz texted that she thought Blue was saying “thank you, thank you.” Then, Lainey came through with the theory that Blue is just mortified of her dorky parents. Stop embarrassing me, parents. God. — Elaine L. (@LaineyGossip) [January 29, 2018]( MTV posted a story called “[what is Blue trying to tell her parents?]( HA. It’s clear to me that Blue is trying to get them to stop clapping but now it’s a conspiracy! What IS she saying? This is what the Internet was made for. How is Blue so good at this? She came out of the womb a social media star. This makes me so happy. Blue’s GIF can be used to express many different emotions. Like this: Me to anyone applauding the Recording Academy tonight. Chill. [#GRAMMYs]( [pic.twitter.com/Pszfe4YOjN]( — Kathleen Newman-Bremang (@KathleenNB) [January 29, 2018]( Or this: Me when y'all applaud men for doing the bare minimum: [pic.twitter.com/JdmBI8Ai86]( — yami thot (@starcrossedlovr) [January 29, 2018]( How do I save this tweet so I can use it the next time Justin Timberlake does anything? As if you need more reason to love her but here’s Jay talking about Blue’s empathy. the world doesnt deserve blue ivy carter. [pic.twitter.com/2EUyGh3BqL]( — mixed. (@beyonce_posts) [January 28, 2018]( BLUE IVY CARTER FOR PRESIDENT. [Click here for the rest of the photos.]( Posted at 4:16 PM [“Jay for President!”]( [Kendrick Lamar and Jay Z attend the 60th Annual GRAMMY Awards at Madison Square Garden on January 28, 2018 in New York City]( That’s how Kendrick Lamar ended his acceptance speech for Best Rap Album and now, every outlet is seriously running headlines that say “[Kendrick Lamar Endorses Jay-Z for President.](” “___ for president!” is a slang term of endearment people have been saying for years. It’s only now that an unqualified sack of potatoes who happens to be a celebrity is in the Oval that everyone is taking this seriously. I don’t think Kendrick actually meant his shout-out as an endorsement of Jay-Z for the president of the United States of America. I think Kendrick meant it a) in a tongue and cheek way because Klan President has had Jay’s name all in his mouth this weekend and b) symbolically because [Jay-Z]( and Beyoncé are the first family of music. Jay is basically the president of hip-hop and in that respect, he had a very presidential weekend. First, there was the Roc Nation brunch on Saturday. Jay hosted the annual pre-Grammy event at the [top of the World Trade Center](. Mariah Carey, Jennifer Hudson, Diddy, DJ Khaled, Jaden Smith, Remy Ma, Nick Jonas and Iggy Azalea (why?) were there. I don’t understand the dress code for this brunch. Bey and Jay look like they’re going to an Inauguration Ball. There are pictures of Jay and Bey greeting celebrities like royalty or, you know, the Obamas. From there, they headed to Clive Davis’s pre-Grammy party where Jay was being honoured. Every year, Clive picks an “industry icon” [to celebrate](. Jay was given a tribute by Alicia Keys who sang a medley of his hits. Then he gave an acceptance speech. [According to Variety](, Jay recalled boycotting the Grammys because of their treatment of hip-hop. “I didn’t come back until 2004 when a beautiful, young lady whom I love dearly had a solo album: the beautiful Miss Beyoncé. And I realized, ‘Man, art is super subjective and everyone is doing their best. The Academy is human like we are and they’re voting on things they like and it’s subjective. And if we believe in it — ’cause we do, we can pretend that we don’t care but we really care — we see the most incredible artists stand on that stage and we’re inspired to be that, so I was like, ‘I have to be here.’” Every year, someone will ask the question: why does anyone still care about the Grammys? I think Jay summed it up pretty well. “We believe in it.” We do. Every young musician grows up dreaming about winning a Grammy. If you have the title “Grammy Award Winner” beside your name, you have officially made it. Doors open. Respect is given. I would love for the BET Awards and NAACP Image Awards to hold the same clout culturally but unfortunately, they don’t. Jay gave this speech while he was the most-nominated artist going into the show, before he walked away without a single award. Do you think he still would say that he believes in the Grammys? In this speech, Jay sounds like an older, wise industry veteran, giving advice to the younger generation. I love that he’s leaned into this role. It felt the same during his appearance on Van Jones’s new CNN show. Jay’s other big news this weekend stemmed from an interview he did with Van Jones which tackled everything from his marriage to Beyoncé to the #MeToo movement [to therapy](. It’s a really special conversation that you should really watch in full. If you’ve been following my writing on Jay during this 4:44 era, you won’t be surprised by some of the stuff Jay shares in this interview. Here’s what he says about Beyoncé: "For us, we chose to fight for our love. For our family. To give our kids a different outcome. To break that cycle for black men and women." This is why I’m referring to Jay as the president of hip-hop. Not only does he have the talent and discography to back that title up, he has taken on the job of rap’s older statesmen who has no issue with sharing his failures and flaws in hopes that the next generation will do better. I’m not even going to address the dumb sh-t Donald Trump said about Jay-Z in response to his thoughtful comments on black unemployment. I’ll just note that Klan President never said a word about [Eminem’s searing]( anti-Trump freestyle, call him a f-cking racist and move on. Throughout the Grammy broadcast, Jay was treated with a reverence that used to be reserved for America’s Commander in Chief… and Oprah. As Lainey would say, he was in the Oprah seat! Front and center (that may have had more to do with Blue and Beyoncé but I’ll let him have this). James Corden gave a long, somewhat awkward tribute that, in hindsight, I think the Recording Academy only did to save face. Trevor Noah also paid his respects to Jay. And then, there was Kendrick. Jay-Z never got up on the Grammy stage last night but he was still honoured and his presence was still felt. This is what I think Kendrick Lamar meant when he said “Jay for President!” I’ll leave you with a bit more of Jay’s speech at the Clive Davis party: “That is the idea for all of us: to get involved and to push this thing further no matter what happens at the Grammys. Bob Marley is going to be Bob Marley, whether he’s nominated for a Grammy or not. Tupac is going to be Tupac, Biggie is going to be Biggie.” And Jay-Z is still Jay-Z, Album of the Year winner or not. [Click here for the rest of the photos.]( Posted at 3:54 PM [SZA at the Grammys]( [SZA attends the 60th Annual GRAMMY Awards at Madison Square Garden on January 28, 2018 in New York City](We’ve already established that the Grammys tend to f-ck up the whole giving awards to the right people thing. I don’t need to get into that again. And with the case of SZA and Best New Artist, as much as I do think she deserves it, I’m not mad that Alessia Cara won. We’ve been bigging up Alessia Cara [for years on this site](. It might be our Canada bias (Brampton stand up!!) but we’ve been on Team Alessia since Day 1. I’ve worked with her a few times and she is a very sweet, humble and nice kid. She is extremely talented. She was also one of the few women to actually win last night. So I’m not going to take this moment away from Alessia Cara. I will say that [SZA]( deserved more. She was the Grammy’s most nominated woman but she didn’t go home with a single Grammy. Other artists have lost Grammys (the Best New Artist Grammy notoriously doesn’t go to the most deserving artist – Kanye lost this award to MAROON 5) but I don’t want to flippantly assert that SZA will be fine. She’s a black woman in the music industry who makes kinda weird, quiet, soulful music. She is BRILLIANT and CTRL was one of the [best albums of 2017]( but these are the same people who can’t even recognize Beyonce’s brilliance. SZA is not yet a household name. Ryan Seacrest gave the most Old Dad interview ever on the red carpet when he pulled out a newspaper clipping featuring an article of SZA and was like, “look I saw you in the paper and I was like wow!” I’m paraphrasing. It was embarrassing. SZA has yet to be on Ryan Seacrest’s radio show, one of the most popular in the country, which is why he doesn’t seem to know who she is. So, yeah, I’m not going to bank on the fact that SZA going home without a Grammy is totally fine, or that she’ll be completely fine. I just hope this will end up just being an unfortunate asterisk in SZA’s long and prosperous career. Less important but SZA was my best dressed on the red carpet last night. [pic.twitter.com/9rb4E8ucRR]( — DAILY SZA (@CampSZA) [January 29, 2018]( She looks like a flawless neo-soul goddess angel fairy godmother of R&B. OK, I’m really trying to let [Alessia Cara]( have this but SZA’s performance of Broken Clocks was hands down the best of the performances by her fellow Best New Artist nominees and one of the best of the night. The whole set, her vibe, her voice and her look… all of it was IT. How many artists can face the most pressure-filled performance of their career with so much ease and grace? How many could absolutely SLAY like this? [Taylor Swift couldn’t](. SZA performing “Broken Clocks” at the 2018 [#GRAMMYs](. [pic.twitter.com/Smron0IlHc]( — DAILY SZA (@CampSZA) [January 29, 2018]( [Click here for the rest of the photos.]( Posted at 3:15 PM [Katie & Jamie come out…sort of]( [Katie Holmes and Jamie Foxx attend the Clive Davis and Recording Academy Pre-GRAMMY Gala and GRAMMY Salute to Industry Icons Honoring Jay-Z on January 27, 2018 in New York City](At Clive Davis' annual pre-Grammys gala on Saturday night. Katie Holmes and Jamie Foxx arrived together and actually allowed themselves to be photographed together. Finally. And they actually look comfortable. It wasn’t like that the whole night though. According to [Vanity Fair](: Davis, 85, explained to the audience at the night’s beginning that he has always found it irritating to have to wait while the set changes between performances at an event with multiple acts. His solution? While the stagehands would switch out the equipment on stage, Davis would introduce various members of the audience to everyone in the crowd…. And in one case, Davis inadvertently created some gossipy buzz: he started to introduce Katie Holmes, noting that he had wanted to introduce her earlier in the evening, presumably when he had been introducing her long-rumored but never quite official boyfriend, Jamie Foxx, but she “had stepped out for two minutes.” He added, “She’s sitting with Jamie.” But when the camera moved in on where she was supposed to be seated, only Jamie was visible on the overhead screen. Eventually the cameras found Holmes, who had moved to sit at a different table, one away from Foxx (photographs show that the famously private pair had been sitting together earlier, and reconvened at the same table later). Holmes’s face, as Davis discussed her and the camera remained fixed on her, was one of supreme discomfort. Davis assessed, referencing their often coy behavior, “If you’re going to sit together, what better night than tonight.” When all the guests spilled out of the ballroom at about midnight, Foxx was surrounded by a group of friends, but Holmes was nowhere in sight. Translation: he hit up the after-party and she went home. [Katie]( and [Jamie]( were both at the Grammys last night but they kept their distance. She walked the carpet as a presenter and he was seen inside the event hanging out with everyone but his girlfriend. It’s generally accepted gossip that Katie and Jamie are now a lot more chill about being seen together because we’ve passed the 5 year mark since her divorce from Tom Cruise. OK, sure. But now we’ve passed the 5 year mark. And they’re still so in and out. Allowing yourself to be photographed at the table together and then moving to a different table and looking uncomfortable when called out by Clive Davis and then deliberately avoiding each other the next night at the Grammys is in and out. And if the 5 year thing isn’t a thing anymore, then what’s the problem? Is the problem, maybe, that Jamie doesn’t want it to look too official too publicly? This is one of the few Zac Posens that she’s worn that I like on her so much – top to bottom Katie’s styling at the Grammys was on point. I’m not entirely sure why she was a presenter though, and solo at that. What’s the connection here? She’s not promoting a CBS television series. As far as I know, she’s not releasing an album. She’s not known for singing movies like, say, Anna Kendrick. No shade, but, for example, Kelly Clarkson, who is a multiple Grammy winner, and a nominee last night, and is a big f-cking deal in music, was paired with Nick Jonas. I don’t understand these decisions. [Click here for the rest of the photos.]( Posted at 2:26 PM [Bruno Mars and Cardi B bring the JOY]( [Cardi B and Bruno Mars perform onstage during the 60th Annual GRAMMY Awards at Madison Square Garden on January 28, 2018 in New York City](The thing that almost angers me the most about Bruno Mars beating out Jay-Z and Kendrick Lamar (and even Childish Gambino) for Album of The Year is that it puts me in the position of having to say anything about Bruno Mars other than that he’s a goddamn delight and I enjoy him very much. Bruno Mars is a goddamn delight and I enjoy him very much. I still don’t think he deserved to win Album of the Year. Now that that’s out of the way, let’s talk about Cardi B’s Grammy debut, which she shared with Bruno Mars in a performance of their infectious hit Finesse. God, I love Finesse so much. This performance was a shot of much-needed energy in a largely lackluster broadcast. The Finesse video is currently one of the favourite things on the Internet so I love that they leaned into the In Living Color theme. So much that I don’t even care that Cardi was seemingly lip-syncing very poorly. Controversial opinion: the Cardi B version of Finesse is better than anything else on 24K Magic (including the original). That’s more of a compliment to Finesse than a knock to the rest of the songs on 24K Magic but it also furthers my point that it wasn’t worthy of Album of the Year. It’s not even Bruno’s best album! Not to bring it back to this but I KNOW I’m going to get an email that makes the argument that Bruno Mars is a man of colour who sings R&B and wasn’t relegated to the “urban” categories so I should just be happy. I should take this as a sign of progress. Well, maybe I would if Bruno’s win didn’t come at the expense of two of the greatest artists of our generation and their literal masterpieces. Maybe I would if Bruno’s win wasn’t a slap in the face to a genre that was created to express black pain. Maybe I would if Bruno’s win wasn’t for an album that says NOTHING in the year 2018 when so many other artists are channelling their rage into their art, Linda. (I get a lot of “why you so mad?” emails from someone named Linda.) I digress. Let’s go back to the last five seconds of the performance when Cardi B comes in with the choreography and is basically more adorable than newborn puppies and Luna Legend combined. If they were giving out Grammys for Choreography of the Year, [Bruno Mars]( should win every time. He is, without question, the best male dancer in pop music. Ahem, Justin Timberlake. After the Finesse performance, Lainey texted me, “Bruno out here telling Justin Timberlake he doesn’t matter anymore.” I have a theory that Justin Timberlake can’t dance anymore. The theory is basically just go look at any of the videos he’s released in the past three years. Even before he lost his ability to dance (karma, perhaps? #NeverForget), there was NEVER a point in JT’s career where he could do what Bruno Mars does on that stage. I don’t want the understandable Bruno Mars Grammy backlash to take away from the bliss he delivers with every single performance – especially this performance. I think I love the Bruno/ [Cardi B]( pairing so much because she is also so good at supplying pure pleasure on her own. I want to link to a tweet but I can’t find it (I hate it when people do this I’m sorry!) so I’m going to paraphrase. Someone wrote that after watching the Grammys last night you would think that Bodak Yellow didn’t exist. Cardi was nominated in two categories but lost them both. As much as I LOVE Finesse, I almost wish she didn’t have to share her only performance on the biggest stage in music. I wish we got Cardi performing Bodak Yellow too. There really should have just been a camera on Cardi B the whole time. Look at how excited she got that Bono knows who she is! [A post shared by Cardi B Official IG (@iamcardib)]( on Jan 28, 2018 at 4:56pm PST Finally, my fave Cardi B moment of the night: on the red carpet when she told Giuliana Rancic that she had butterflies in her “stomach and vagina.” She kills me. [Click here for the rest of the photos.]( Posted at 2:11 PM [Childish Gambino at the Grammys]( [Childish Gambino attends the 60th Annual GRAMMY Awards at Madison Square Garden on January 28, 2018 in New York City](After winning the Grammy for Best Traditional R&B Performance, Donald Glover [confirmed]( last night that he will soon retire Childish Gambino. There’s probably one more Childish Gambino project on the way but after that, he’s done with the name. Because, as he said, “I like endings. I think they’re important to progress”. Why would you want to argue with this? Donald Glover was only 21 when he started writing for Tina Fey while still living in a university dorm. Later on, when he left to be on Community, she said that she normally rolls her eyes when people want to leave the writers’ room. But Donald [was the exception](: Of the many writers who have suggested this over the past 20 years, Donald is the only one with whom I’ve ever agreed. One hundred percent, he should go be a star. He’s created his own award-winning television series. He’s now a Grammy winner. And Lando Calrissian. And Simba! So yeah, no, nobody’s here to challenge his decisions. Also, that performance last night, my GOD. A friend of mine thought it should be on the main stage. I see her point, because he’s Donald Glover. But I also enjoyed the intimacy of him being on the side stage, especially since what he gave us was so erotic, I don’t know if it would have had the same effect all front and centre. Donald was doing things to me with his voice in that white suit. I only realised after it was done that my hand was on my tit the whole time. Then I texted Duana about how turned on I was and she wrote back, “That is correct”. A second later Kathleen texted to tell me she was wet. The three of us rarely, if ever agree on attraction. Donald Glover is the intersection. You’re standing at the intersection too, right? And moaning? PS. Childish Gambino performed last night with JD McCrary, who will play young Simba in The Lion King. [Click here for the rest of the photos.]( Posted at 1:28 PM [Kendrick Lamar rumbles]( [Kendrick Lamar performs onstage during the 60th Annual GRAMMY Awards at Madison Square Garden on January 28, 2018 in New York City](The 2018 Grammys were bookended with Kendrick Lamar moments. The show opening was, of course, another jaw-on-the-floor, iconic Kendrick Lamar performance that we’ll be dissecting for decades. The closing moment of the 2018 Grammy Awards will not be remembered as a Kendrick Lamar moment but I will forever remember it as such. Kendrick Lamar losing Album of the Year FOR THE THIRD TIME is so quintessentially the Grammys that Bruno Mars’s win has now become a conversation about what Kendrick deserves from the Recording Academy and when or IF he’ll ever get it. That’s not a knock on the talent of Bruno Mars or the infectiousness of 24K Magic. Bruno Mars is incredibly talented. His music is still joy incarnate. 24K Magic is a really good album but an Album of the Year it is not. It is, however, the right kind of album from a person of colour that the music industry loves to applaud. It’s not political. It’s safe. It’s palatable. It made a sh-t ton of money. But this is not the Billboard Music Awards. The Grammys isn’t awarding the music that spent the most weeks at the top of any specific Top 100 chart. To me, the Grammys should be awarded to, as the titles suggest, the records and albums of the year. Last year when Beyonce’s Lemonade (the album of a goddamn GENERATION) lost Album of the Year to Adele it solidified the fact that the Grammys were still out of touch and so very, largely, mostly, incredibly white. Same goes for that time Kendrick lost Album of the Year to Taylor Swift. Or when Beyonce lost to Beck. Maybe the question I should be asking is WHY this sh-t continues to surprise me. BUT this year! These nominees! I had hope! This year, the nominees were the most diverse ever – a point the show was quick to pat itself on the back for in James Corden’s opening remarks – but the album that took home the top prize is still the one album most suited to Carpool Karaoke. Do you think the Recording Academy is EMBARASSED that Kendrick opened the show like he did and went on to lose the highest honour of the night? They DAMN. well should be. Pun intended. My jaw was figuratively on the floor and literally hanging off my face for Kendrick’s entire performance but in hindsight, the most extraordinary moment came from one of Dave Chappelle’s refreshingly weird performance interludes. Dave delivered what could be the night’s thesis statement. "I just wanted to remind the audience that the only thing more frightening than watching a black man be honest in America is being an honest black man in America." The two most honest black men in music right now are [Kendrick Lamar]( and Jay-Z. I think that scares the sh-t out of the old white execs and the old guard of music that still make up the Recording Academy. Kendrick’s DAMN. is unapologetically black and an unrelenting commentary on race in America. Overall, it’s not polite or palatable. Like Kendrick’s Grammy performance, DAMN. tackles difficult subject matter in a way that sits with you. It makes you uncomfortable. It makes you think. Kendrick Lamar opened his performance in front of an American flag spewing focused rage in the form of lyrics (from the song XXX) like, “ain't no Black Power when your baby killed by a coward.” Later, he’s flanked by dancers dressed as soldiers in a scene so power, I’ve watched it three times and I hold my breath every time. In the performance’s final sequence, Kendrick takes out his backup dancers one by one as gunshot sound effects ring out on cue. Again, I didn’t breathe and again, Dave’s commentary sums up my thoughts: “Is this on cable? CBS? … This brother’s taking enormous chances. Rumble, young man, rumble!” Kendrick Lamar didn’t go home without any Grammys last night. He won four Grammys for Best Rap Album, Best Rap Song, Best Rap Performance and Best Rap/ Sung Collaboration. Should that be enough? Every year around Grammy time, we write about how this show continues to keep black artists in certain categories. Black artists are often relegated to the “urban” categories. How many times does Kendrick have to rumble with brilliance, grace and run laps around his peers in artistry and talent before he isn’t just the Best Rapper? Stay in your lane, young man. That’s what I hear every time Kendrick Lamar is denied the top award in music. Every time his genius is downplayed again and again, I hear the choir of voices who continually suppress the musical merit of the entire genre of hip-hop. Outkast was the last hip-hop artist to win Album of the Year. In 2003. 15 F-cking Years. How much more do these artists have to give? Lainey predicted this outcome. This year, Kendrick campaigned. He gave an interview [for Variety]( that was very music theory heavy that seemed like a “for your consideration” statement for Grammy voters. Kendrick wanted this. He wanted to, as [Lainey wrote then](, “change from within, from a position of reform, as opposed to taking a revolutionary approach, which is to tear it all down and start all over again.” The Grammys is a part of a larger system of oppression in the music industry. Kendrick has based his entire catalogue on calling out systematic oppression so even if he suspected – based on history and how they just did Beyonce – that he wasn’t going to break through years of bullsh-t, that doesn’t mean he wasn’t disappointed. You could see it on his face when they called Bruno’s name. It broke my heart. It breaks my heart because Kendrick will continue to be great and the question will continue to be, “when will that greatness be rewarded on the same level white artists get to be rewarded?” Again, no disrespect to Bruno Mars but what more does Kendrick Lamar Duckworth have to do before they put some GODDAMN RESPECT ON HIS NAME. Seriously though, this performance? THIS PERFORMANCE. The Grammys should be grateful Kendrick showed up and blessed them with his presence. [Click here for the rest of the photos.]( Posted at 1:02 PM [January 29, 2018 – Smutty Shout-Outs]( Carole from your daughter Christina who misses you so much from across the pond and is sending hugs, kisses, and rainbows. And a video… I never saw the show the first time around. But, if I’m honest, if I did, back in 1989, I think I would have been into it? We were crimping our hair in those days and teasing it up at the front. This is what we deserved! [Click here for the rest of the photos.]( Posted at 12:44 PM [Privacy Policy]( - [Unsubscribe](