Archives July 2024

Personally, I think a museum date is best experienced at the very beginning of a relationship—when you’re still new enough to each another’s quirks and whims to convince each other that you really love art and are, in fact, practically a walking Gardner’s Art Through the Ages textbook—but now that they’re (allegedly) back together, Kendall Jenner and Bad Bunny seem to be embracing their artistic side. On Wednesday, a few nights after appearing at Vogue World: Paris, the two were spotted at the Louvre, where they were treated to a private late-night tour.

A Kendall/Bad Bunny date is always a cause for celebration, but there’s one detail that makes this little outing particularly exciting from a fashion (or…orthopedic?) standpoint: Jenner paired her pretty black asymmetrical skirt and matching top with bare feet, continuing a trend that no less an authority than Gwyneth Paltrow is most widely credited with popularizing. Is it peak rich-person behavior to go shoeless at one of Europe’s foremost cultural institutions? Yes, but compared to donating to Trump’s 2024 campaign or buying a Tesla Cybertruck, I think it’s a relatively harmless expression of extreme wealth. Let Kendall live! Honestly, if you gave me an evening tour of the Louvre, the first thing I would do is slide my shoes off; next, I’d take my bra off; and by the time you came by to kick me out, I’d fully be wrapped up in a Slanket next to the Seurats.

Don’t look back in anger—Oasis, the prodigal sons of Brit-pop, is returning. After years of public feuding and subtweets and alleged battery with a cricket bat, the Gallagher brothers—Liam and Noel, obvs—are working it out on the remix, with a rash of 2025 summer dates announced on their website. (This is as good a time as any to say that “Wonderwall” is a masterpiece; no notes.)

I’m not a music writer, so I won’t bore you with my clanky synonyms for melody, but Oasis was, of course, a cultural phenomenon. At their zenith—arguably their infamous two-consecutive-night Knebworth gigs in 1996—Oasis embodied a very particular swaggering Manchester-ness, an unmatched scally confidence that butted up against a more constructed, dare I say pretentious, British music scene. Look, most of the ’90s had a nostalgic ’60s feeling—bedrooms across the land had lava lamps and translucent inflatable chairs—and Oasis was the most Beatles-esque of the mid-century spittle that doused Brit-pop. And where Blur and Suede and Pulp felt art schooled and frustrated with their own middle class–ness, Oasis were at the other end of the British spectrum, a working-class rock band chancing their luck with nothing to lose. Brit-pop, broadly speaking, was whimsical and essentially polite. Oasis were brash, lawless, and comprehensively out of fucks.

One of the things that makes Oasis feel so British is their knack for taking themselves incredibly seriously while also being very, very witty. Their imaginative lyricism goes beyond their songwriting, and all their spats seem hilarious. Noel described Liam as “a man with a fork in a world of soup.” Liam has more beefs than an episode of The Bear—with Damon “that dick out of blur” Albarn, the Spice Girls’ (Mel C (who offered to fight Liam at the Brits), and, in a seemingly neverending feud, with Robbie “fat fucking idiot” Williams. Liam once said, “Chris Martin looks like a geography teacher,” called footballer Wayne Rooney “a fucking balloon with a fucking Weetabix crushed on top,” and said, “Everyone [in Mumford & Sons] looks like they’ve got fucking nits and eat lentil soup with their sleeves rolled up.” But Liam reserves his burning ire for “old brown tongue” and “the Ronnie Corbett of rock n roll” Noel, who reportedly temporarily left Oasis after Liam threw a tambourine at his head.

I’m glad Oasis are back together—a bajillion people singing “Wonderwall” live will be transcendent—but, I dunno, I’m sort of hoping for a bit of drama between the bros? I just don’t think their dueling egos can relax enough for long enough—even given the rumored £50 million they’re meant to be making. It’s part of the reason their rift has been so captivating—and their reunion will be so entertaining.

The 2024 MTV Video Music Awards aired live from Long Island’s UBS Arena on September 11, with Megan Thee Stallion as the ceremony’s charismatic host and all manner of exciting musical talents—from Chappell Roan and Sabrina Carpenter to Lenny Kravitz, Shawn Mendes, and Rauw Alejandro—lined up to perform. But with such competitive categories this year (Ariana vs. Taylor! Bad Bunny vs. Eminem! Beyoncé vs. Billie!) which nominated artists walked away with the night’s top prizes? Follow along for updates on all the big moonperson winners at this year’s VMAs.

WINNER: Taylor Swift ft. Post Malone, “Fortnight”

Ariana Grande, “we can’t be friends (wait for your love)”

Billie Eilish, “LUNCH”

Doja Cat, “Paint The Town Red”

Eminem, “Houdini”

SZA, “Snooze”

WINNER: Anitta, “Mil Veces”

Bad Bunny, “MONACO”

KAROL G, “MI EX TENÍA RAZÓN”

Myke Towers, “LALA”

Peso Pluma & Anitta, “BELLAKEO”

Rauw Alejandro, “Touching The Sky”

Shakira & Cardi B, “Puntería”

WINNER: Chappell Roan

Benson Boone

Gracie Abrams

Shaboozey

Teddy Swims

Tyla

WINNER: Eminem, “Houdini”

Drake ft. Sexyy Red & SZA, “Rich Baby Daddy “

GloRilla, “Yeah Glo!”

Gunna, “fukumean”

Megan Thee Stallion, “BOA”

Travis Scott ft. Playboi Carti, “FE!N”

WINNER: Dua Lipa, “Houdini” – Choreography by Charm La’Donna

Bleachers, “Tiny Moves” – Choreography by Margaret Qualley

LISA, “Rockstar” – Choreography by Sean Bankhead

Rauw Alejandro, “Touching The Sky” – Choreography by Felix ‘Fefe’ Burgos

Tate McRae, “greedy” – Choreography by Sean Bankhead

Troye Sivan, “Rush” – Choreography by Sergio Reis, Mauro Van De Kerkhof

WINNER: Eminem, “Houdini” – Visual Effects by Synapse Virtual Production, Louise Lee, Rich Lee, Metaphysic, Flawless Post

Ariana Grande, “the boy is mine” – Visual Effects by Digital Axis

Justin Timberlake, “Selfish” – Visual Effects by Candice Dragonas

Megan Thee Stallion, “BOA” – Visual Effects by Mathematic

Olivia Rodrigo, “get him back!” – Visual Effects by Cooper Vacheron, Preston Mohr, Karen Arakelian, Justin Johnson

Taylor Swift ft. Post Malone, “Fortnight” – Visual Effects by Parliament

WINNER: Sabrina Carpenter, “Espresso”

Beyoncé, “TEXAS HOLD ’EM”

Jack Harlow, “Lovin On Me”

Kendrick Lamar, “Not Like Us”

Taylor Swift ft. Post Malone

Teddy Swims, “Lose Control”

WINNER: Tyla, “Water”

John Legend has music on his mind even when he’s asleep. There are nights when the singer-songwriter is so inspired, he dreams of new melodies and concepts, eventually jolting awake and grabbing his phone to record them before they disappear.

The constant, even compulsive churn of Legend’s creativity can perhaps be explained by the fact that the 45-year-old has been writing songs since he was a child, regularly harnessing inspiration from the ether and channeling it into the songs making up his extensive discography.

In the 20 years since the release of his debut album, Get Lifted, Legend has often chronicled defining moments of his life through his work; his signature song “All of Me,” dedicated to Chrissy Teigen, was released a month before their Lake Como wedding in 2013. Now the father of four children under age nine (the youngest, a baby boy named Wren, was born last summer), Legend is decidedly a family man—so it follows that his tenth studio album, the aptly titled My Favorite Dream, is a project focused on lullabies and music for kids. For Legend, the project represented a chance to put his distinctive stamp on a largely overlooked genre.

With Sufjan Stevens aboard as a producer, My Favorite Dream spans joyful original compositions and covers of Fisher-Price ditties that many parents know all too well. Legend spoke to Vogue about the project and the magic of creativity—as well as about his recent headline-making performance at the Democratic National Convention.

Vogue: Aside from songs like “Rainbow Connection” or Vince Guaraldi’s Peanuts music, serious songwriting and children’s music haven’t always mixed…

John Legend: I don’t want to denigrate all of the folks who make children’s music for a living, because there are plenty who make it and put a lot of thought and energy into it. But it’s true that there haven’t been a lot of mainstream pop artists who make a full children’s album like this. But I wanted to think about it like I would any other album, in the sense of setting a standard of musical excellence and just sonic quality and every standard I’d hold any other album of mine to.