Category Music

Los MTV Video Music Awards 2024, llevados a cabo el miércoles, estuvieron llenos de momentos dignos de un resumen: Más allá del estilo único de la alfombra roja, la energía de las presentaciones en vivo de artistas como Katy Perry, Chappell Roan, Sabrina Carpenter, Karol G, Lenny Kravitz y la presentadora Megan Thee Stallion hicieron que la noche se sintiera realmente divertida. (Y lo merecemos después de ese debate, ¿verdad?)

A continuación, descubre todos los momentos que nos encantaron, ¡o que nos hicieron sentir un poco raros!, durante los MTV VMAs 2024.

El tatuaje de código QR en la parte baja de la espalda de Katy Perry, ganadora del Video Vanguard

Déjame ser claro: Soy un evangelista de tatuajes en la parte baja de la espalda que permanece muy callado sobre si tengo uno o no por el bien de mis padres, pero un hashtag escaneable es… algo salvaje para plasmar en tu piel. (Tal vez sea temporal o solo una especie de obra de arte viviente). Aún así, Charli XCX sí declaró que esta es la temporada de “presumir mi nuevo pequeño tatuaje en la espalda”.

El beso alienígena de Sabrina Carpenter

L’amour est un sentiment aux multiples facettes, surtout lorsque vous l’observez de l’extérieur. Dans cette rubrique, nous allons analyser les couples de célébrités qui nous donnent de l’espoir pour notre futur amoureux et essayer d’apprendre ce que nous pouvons de leurs relations bien documentées.

Je ressens fortement qu’une relation de type mai-décembre est aussi mature que la personne la plus jeune qui y participe, ce qui explique pourquoi je suis régulièrement déçu lorsque les Leonardo DiCaprio de ce monde sont aperçus avec des femmes dans la vingtaine. Je ne cherche pas à jouer les moralisateurs—une référence à SNL d’une époque que je n’aurais jamais connue si je n’avais pas brièvement fréquenté un humoriste plus âgé, d’ailleurs—mais si votre truc, c’est de sortir avec des gens qui viennent d’acquérir le droit légal de boire, j’ai certainement quelques questions sur votre niveau de maturité.

Cela dit, je pense vraiment qu’une relation de ce type peut fonctionner, tant que l’équilibre de pouvoir reste relativement égal. Prenez par exemple Cher, âgée de 78 ans, et son petit ami, le cadre musical Alexander “AE” Edwards, âgé de 38 ans, avec qui elle est un jour ensemble, un jour séparé. Je veux dire, d’accord, personne au monde n’est aussi influent que Cher—mais au moins, dans ce cas, la partie jeune de l’équation est, vous savez, un adulte. Mardi, ils ont été vus en train d’assister ensemble au Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show de 2024 pour une soirée en tête-à-tête, et pardonnez-moi de faire de la Kremlinologie des célébrités en me basant uniquement sur des photos de paparazzi, mais…les ondes romantiques n’ont jamais semblé aussi fortes. (Embrasser sa petite amie bien plus âgée sur la joue est-il techniquement un acte d’affections publiques? Douteux, mais j’apprécie cela.)

Hay una línea de Slouching Towards Bethlehem que en una ocasión busqué en línea, imprimí en la impresora de mi oficina y llevé durante un viaje en carretera cuando tenía poco más de 20 años (sí, de verdad): “Una de las bendiciones mixtas de tener 20 y 21 e incluso 23 es la certeza de que nada como esto, pese a toda la evidencia en contra, ha sucedido antes.” ¿Es esa cita impresionante? Sin duda. Pero ahora que estoy en mis experimentados 30’s tempranos, estoy lista para parafrasear a Joan Didion y decir que, en realidad, una de las bendiciones mixtas de tener 30, 31 e incluso 32 es darte cuenta de que puedes seguir estando confundido y desquiciado una vez que ya no estás en el seguro de salud de tus padres.

Obviamente, no es novedad que puedes seguir siendo un desastre después de haber dejado atrás tus 20 (hola, ¡Carrie Bradshaw tuvo seis temporadas, dos películas y un spin-off por eso!), pero no voy a mentir: Tan caóticos y frecuentemente miserables como fueron mis 20, también fue agradable estar tan… ¿cuál es la expresión que busco? “Conectada?” “Culturalmente relevante?” “Directamente dirigida?” Hay definitivamente muchas cosas que no comprendo del zeitgeist actual, desde el auge del vínculo de almas hasta la idea de estar “sobrio como chico,” pero mientras he avanzado cada vez más en mi tercera década de vida, me he dado cuenta de lo ridículo que fue pensar que todas las cosas divertidas, desordenadas y risibles desaparecerían de mi vida una vez que aprendiera lo que es una cuenta FSA y pagara (parte de) mi deuda de tarjetas de crédito.

Por cosas del destino, parece que estamos entrando en algo que me gustaría llamar un ~verano de regreso de Saturno de las chicas~, con el más reciente y muy memorizado álbum de Charli XCX Brat señalando la verdadera ascensión del adulto semi-maduro que aún anhela vivir aventuras extravagantes a pesar de tener una elaborada rutina de cuidado nocturno de la piel que incluye al menos un ungüento notablemente caro. (Dios, podría llorar por todo el tiempo que me fui a dormir en mis 20s cubierta de una fina capa de brillo y grasa de pizza.) Alguna vez pensé que mis 30s se tratarían solo de tomar un baño caliente con “Dark Sky Island” de Enya y luego dormir temprano, y no voy a mentir—eso sucede con bastante frecuencia. ¡Pero también quiero avergonzarme en el club bailando “Talk Talk” en la primera oportunidad! ¡Las mujeres contienen multitudes!

Political figures frequently broadcast their preferred tunes across the campaign path—often neglecting to consult the musicians first—this is hardly a novel practice. Nonetheless, the current vice president and candidate for the 2024 presidential race, Kamala Harris, appears to handle matters differently. On Tuesday, reports indicated that Beyoncé personally granted Harris the right to use her track “Freedom” during her presidential bid. This is not unfamiliar territory for Beyoncé, having supported significant Democratic figures (or at least her music doing so) in the past—she notably performed the national anthem at former president Barack Obama’s 2013 inauguration—but the rapidity with which she seemingly approved Harris’s song selection is truly remarkable, especially given that President Joe Biden withdrew from the race on Sunday and Harris made an appearance to “Freedom” during her initial official visit to her campaign headquarters on Monday.

The song “Freedom,” also featuring Kendrick Lamar, remains one of the standout tracks on Beyoncé’s acclaimed 2016 album Lemonade, making it evident that Harris’s team is adept at staying in tune with current musical trends. (After all, Charli XCX is on board with her!) Beyoncé’s support is not the sole endorsement from her family either. Beyoncé’s mother, Tina Knowles (known to admirers as Ms. Tina), expressed her support for Harris on Sunday by sharing a photo of the two together and penned on Instagram: “New, Youthful, Sharp, energy !!!!…Go Vice President Kamala Harris for President.”

Diehard Kamala enthusiasts familiar with her biography will understand the thematic significance of this song to Harris’s own family narrative: In 2020, she narrated a tale of attending a civil rights demonstration in Oakland, California, with her relatives as a youngster. “I’m fussing,” Harris recounted, “and [my mother’s] like, ‘Baby, what is it you want? What is it you need?’ And I simply gazed at her and uttered, ‘Fweedom.’”

Ideally, further freedom—particularly for those marginalized communities who would endure the harshest under a Donald Trump presidency if the oppressive measures proposed in Project 2025 came to fruition—is precisely what a Harris administration might deliver.

In “Big Boy”—the introductory song from her inaugural album, Dopamine—Normani asserts she’s stepped into the spotlight. “Only ever see this type of stuff in the cinema,” she declares amid resounding horns and rattling drums. “Only ever witness this kind of event once in your existence.” Coupled with the eye-catching album cover, which shows Normani attached to a glistening black missile, it conveys a clear message: Normani is at last prepared for takeoff.

“Finally” because, as any Normani fan is aware, it has been a lengthy journey to takeoff. Initially gaining recognition as part of Fifth Harmony—the female group that turned out to be The X Factor’s biggest triumph, by selling close to 15 million records in the U.S. alone—Normani appeared to be the member most suited for solo stardom, thanks to her impeccable taste and astonishing talents as a dancer and entertainer. And, with a series of joint singles that reached the top 10, along with the Max Martin-produced track “Motivation,” which was lauded for its energetic pop vibe and Y2K retro video, she commenced her solo career with impact.

However, as time moved forward, the gap between Normani’s start as a solo artist—she initially declared an album was forthcoming six years prior—and the launch of that album has been a topic of intense conversation. (Indeed, the URL for the site announcing Dopamine cheekily states wheresthedamnalbum.com.) Lately, it became known that the postponements were partly due to both of her parents being diagnosed with cancer, leading to a period when Normani’s focus was, naturally, on her family rather than her profession. (They have both since recuperated.) Nevertheless, her fan’s eagerness about the project has remained unwavering—a truth she is appreciative of. “It’s been a journey of perseverance, so I’m most thrilled about completing what I began, finally,” she shares with Vogue about releasing the album.

Completing it she has, and impressively so. Dopamine is filled to the brim with genre-crossing tracks that pay homage to some of Normani’s most significant influences: the booming beats of Timbaland, the effortlessly daring lyrics of Missy Elliott, the velvety-smooth harmonies of Brandy. (The latter even features on the standout song “Insomnia,” her airy ad-libs woven through the backdrop.) But it also highlights Normani’s more tender aspect, especially on the ambient James Blake collaboration “Tantrums,” which narrates the breakdown of a relationship over echo-drenched synths and fragmented rhythms. As it turns out, Dopamine was entirely worth the wait—and with its whirlwind exploration through the chronicles of R&B, it fully meets the exhilarating promise of its name.

Todd Phillips’s Joker grossed over $1 billion upon its debut in 2019 and earned its impressive lead, Joaquin Phoenix, an Oscar for best actor. Naturally, it was only a question of time before we learned that the intense psychological suspense film focused on the green-haired villain and Batman rival would receive a follow-up. What is surprising, though, is that the upcoming venture is a jukebox musical with Lady Gaga performing one of its prominent roles.

On June 13, 2022, The Hollywood Reporter disclosed the news that the versatile artist, last appearing in cinemas as the vibrant Patrizia Reggiani in House of Gucci, was initially negotiating to join Phoenix in Joker: Folie à Deux. (The film’s name, announced by Phillips on social platforms, alludes to a clinical term for an identical or shared mental disturbance affecting two or more people, generally relatives.) Then, on August 4 of that same year, she personally affirmed the development, sharing a musical preview on social platforms that features the outlines of the two performers dancing closely.

Be it in her melodies, visual creations, or unique attire, Daphne Guinness has perpetually resisted categorization—thus, it’s only fitting that her fourth musical project would as well. With Sleep, which intertwines disco orchestration, ’80s-inspired electronics, and somberly poetic songwriting (an unmistakable Guinness hallmark), she granted herself the liberty to create an album devoid of any particular direction—or even preconceptions, for that matter. “It’s a fusion of everything,” Guinness shares with Vogue. “There’s an element of classical, electronic, dance. I suppose it reflects one’s taste in sound.”

Those familiar with Guinness initially through her fantastical fashion sense (featuring invaluable Alexander McQueen garments) may be taken aback to discover how long she’s been involved with creating music; her first album, Optimist in Black, was introduced in 2016. “I was perpetually a musician—I simply wasn’t composing,” Guinness remarks. “I was constantly learning or singing discreetly in my space. It preserved my sanity—thank the stars for music.” However, with Sleep, she feels she has at last discovered her musical identity: “The auditory journey is likely superior to any of the other [albums].”

And indeed she’s correct: The richly woven universe of Sleep encompasses tracks and visuals that explore affection, grief, and the significance of time—but in an engaging rhythm. In “Hip Neck Spine,” directed by her longtime associate Nick Knight, Guinness dances while singing about igniting the world; and in “Volcano,” directed by David LaChapelle, she reenacts the 1978 suspenseful film Eyes of Laura Mars while asserting: “I might appear as an iceberg, but beneath, I’m fervently active like a volcano.” As a collective opus, it’s unquestionably her supreme work thus far.

Beneath, Vogue converses with Guinness regarding the album’s inspiration, the recording at Abbey Road Studios, and the realization of her fashion-forward visuals.

Vogue: Can you share the genesis tale for this album? When did the thought of its creation materialize?

Daphne Guinness: It was a significant time ago—starting in September 2021. I had just completed a show, then returned to the recording studio, which organically became what it is now. [Musician] Malcolm [Doherty] and I possessed several tracks and concepts; we didn’t entirely foresee the outcome. The album gradually took shape in the studio. We invested approximately two weeks, then allowed it to rest, returning intermittently for additional sessions. Much of it was pre-written, while other parts were mere melodies in my mind. You can’t predict the lyrics until urgency arises, or they reveal themselves. “Laika,” for instance, was unexpected. It contained these Eastern harmonies, and I embarked on a lengthy swim to decipher it. I thought, This must be a Russian romance ballad. This realization occurred a fortnight before Russia’s incursion into Ukraine. Then I thought, Oh, dear! I didn’t desire a political association. Nevertheless, it’s a robust piece, and its merit endures.

Regarding putting on an act, Confidence Man fully embodies its moniker: the group’s members are, one could comfortably assert, thrill-seekers. Should you require evidence, you might refer to their performance at Glastonbury a couple of years prior, where they emerged as one of the weekend’s undisputed standouts with a performance featuring lead vocalists Janet Planet and Sugar Bones launching one another across the platform to their electrifying anthem “Holiday.” Alternatively, consider the visual for their new tune, “I Can’t Lose You,” where the duo climbs into a helicopter in London’s Docklands, then zips down the Thames hanging out of its open doors, soaring thousands of feet over the metropolis, with Planet casually swinging her ponytail. Oh, and they’re both utterly naked.

“When we were set to film it, I thought I wouldn’t feel afraid, but it was genuinely frightening,” Planet admits, with a nervous giggle. “And I solely have myself to hold accountable since it was entirely my concept. I came across this photo of a model flying topless over New York City in the ’80s, and I thought, ‘Let’s do that but take it a step further and be totally naked.’ It just seemed like a very daring, Con Man idea to me.” Was it uncomfortable in any manner, being secured into their invisible harnesses or having the camera crew capturing every angle? “Well, the pilot appeared quite over it,” Planet humorously remarks. “He’d just completed Mission: Impossible, I believe.”

“I can extend the conversation! Apologies for providing such verbose replies,” Nikki Glaser conveys when we reach the 40-minute mark designated for our telephonic discussion. The focus of our dialogue? Not her double Emmy-nominated Max special Someday You’ll Die, nor the track she penned and recorded for it, nor the unforgettable one-liners she fired in Netflix’s The Roast of Tom Brady, either. (The web widely crowned Glaser the most hilarious—and ruthless—of all the roasters.) “I could discuss Taylor Swift endlessly,” she mentions. And indeed, that’s why we’re talking: to grasp how, amid an incredibly hectic phase in her profession, Glaser has managed to attend 17 of Taylor Swift’s Eras concerts with undiminished enthusiasm. By the tour’s conclusion, the count will reach 22.

Ultimately, the explanation is quite straightforward: “It makes me feel extremely happy. I’ve stopped drinking and try to avoid substances—and truly, this feels like a superb drug,” she explains. “I’m somewhat addicted.” Admirers have frequently noticed her, seated not in the star-studded VIP enclosures but in the general seats, donning glittering outfits and belting out tunes as if nobody is observing. It’s pure delight, with a capital D.

“I feel a bit melancholic at the thought that it will eventually conclude, and I’ll likely need to substitute it with something new,” she muses during the call. “However, it’s not causing harm to anyone, so I embrace it. The more I accept it, the less I feel ashamed by it. At this juncture in my life, I’m not embarrassed by it in the slightest, or I wouldn’t be discussing it with you.”

Without delay, Glaser on Swift:

After numerous weeks of whispers and conjecture about when, or even if, Taylor Swift might lend her endorsement to vice president and 2024 Democratic contender Kamala Harris for presidency, the renowned artist finally made her stance known emphatically on Tuesday night. She broadcasted her backing for the Democratic candidate on social media shortly subsequent to Harris’s debate with ex-president and 2024 Republican contender Donald Trump.

In an Instagram post featuring herself and her feline companion (a subtle nod to J.D. Vance’s viral comment about the stereotype of the “childless cat lady”), Swift expressed: “I will be voting for Kamala Harris and Tim Walz in the 2024 Presidential Election. I’m choosing @kamalaharris because she advocates for the rights and issues that, in my opinion, necessitate a champion.”

She elaborated: “I consider her a steady, talented leader, and I’m convinced that we can achieve much more in this nation under leadership that favors calmness over disarray. I was inspired by her choice of running mate @timwalz, who has been advocating for LGBTQ+ rights, IVF, and a woman’s autonomy over her body for years.” Besides denouncing Trump’s deceptive use of AI to create the illusion that Swift had supported him, Swift also encouraged her supporters to verify their voter registration for the 2024 election, providing a link to the Vote.gov website in her Instagram stories.

I’m not claiming that Taylor Swift is solely responsible for saving democracy, but…have you noticed the influence of the Swifties for Kamala? With her dedicated fanbase rallying, it seems quite possible that Swift might indeed have an impact on this election. Harris’s running mate, Tim Walz, for instance, certainly seems to think so, acknowledging Swift’s statement shortly after she shared it.

“I’m thankful to Taylor Swift, and I speak as a fellow cat enthusiast,” he relayed to Rachel Maddow late on Tuesday. “Her words were articulate and direct, and that’s the bravery America is in need of.”