For Southern University and Grambling State University students, alumni and fans alike, the annual event serves as the conclusion of homecoming season each year. This year, however, was especially golden, as it marked a milestone. “The Bayou Classic is a […]
Summer 2023 belonged to Beyoncé. As Blavity previously reported, the Grammy Award winner’s Renaissance World Tour was a phenomenon that shattered live performance records. Most would expect Queen Bey to take a much-deserved break, but she did the opposite. The Houston native dropped a new single, “My House,” alongside her new documentary, Renaissance: A Film by Beyoncé.
According to Rolling Stone, The-Dream produced and co-wrote the hip-hop track, which plays during the film’s credits.
In “My House,” Beyoncé praises herself and her extraordinary achievements over an 808-heavy beat.
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“Then take me to Tiffany, I want 44 carats on my fangs,” she sings. “I want pink diamonds on my belly chain and my nipple rings.”
Queen Bey also gives fans a peek into her vulnerability, singing, “I will always love you, but I will never expect you to love me when you don’t love yourself. Let’s heal the world, one beautiful action at a time. This is real love!”
Renaissance: A Film by Beyoncé is the singer’s second documentary-concert hybrid film, following the 2019 release of Homecoming: A Film by Beyoncé, which chronicled Beyoncé’s 2018 Coachella performances.
“It is about Beyoncé’s intention, hard work, involvement in every aspect of the production, her creative mind and purpose to create her legacy, and master her craft,” a synopsis for Renaissance: A Film by Beyoncé states. “Received with extraordinary acclaim, Beyoncé’s Renaissance World Tour created a sanctuary for freedom, and shared joy, for more than 2.7 million fans.”
Renaissance: A Film by Beyoncé premiered in Los Angeles on Nov. 25. The film screened in London on Thursday. Fellow singer Taylor Swift attended the latter, most likely a reciprocal gesture after Beyoncé attended her Eras Tour film premiere.
Renaissance: A Film by Beyoncé hits theaters on Friday.
Shekinah Jo lays into women who don’t have proper hygiene on this week’s episode of Blavity’s Asking for a Friend.
During a lively discussion between Shekinah and host Ts Madison about cleanliness, Shekinah turns the tables on the discussion from men to women. She tells women to see about themselves and their hygiene because some of them can be just as foul as men.
“Y’all girls need to learn how to clean yourselves. You need to learn how to go from the front to the back. That’s how you clean Becky down there,” she said. “A lot of y’all girls be having bacterial infections and all kinds of stuff and STDs and ain’t seeing about yourself. The girls get nasty. But I’m your big sister in Christ Jesus and I want y’all girls to get your hygiene in order.”
“Some of y’all girls running around here ain’t brushing your teeth, you got veneers on but plaque all up under them, okay? Get your s**t together ladies,” she continued. “I was walking behind a lady in the store the other day, she stank so bad I couldn’t even breathe.”
Listen to Shekinah’s full hilarious rant below in the full episode all about beauty standards, hygiene and more.
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While NewJeans‘ brand of easy-listening K-pop minimalism has earned the girl group both a No. 1 album on the Billboard 200 as well as a Billboard Music Award, the quintet shook up their formula when it came to recording League of Legends‘ annual world-championship anthem “Gods.”
For the musical collaboration alongside Riot Games set to one of the world’s most popular video games (League of Legends reports 80 million average monthly players), NewJeans bring a booming, maximalist electronic-pop epic fully in English where an ominous full choir accompanies members Minji, Hanni, Danielle, Haerin and Hyein.
According to NewJeans, bringing “Gods” to life meant delivering their most elaborate live performance to date when the quintet took the stage at LoL‘s World Championship Finals on Nov. 19. Along with dancers and actors joining NewJeans, the performance included virtual-reality, computer-generated imagery and guest appearances from the top competing teams in eventual 2023 champs T1 from South Korea as well as Weibo Gaming from China.
Talking to Billboard exclusively after a big weekend where they not only performed and won at the 2023 BBMAs but helped open League‘s 2023 Worlds, NewJeans discuss recording and preparing “Gods” for the big stage, meeting T1 and Weibo Gaming, favorite Riot Games’ musical collaborations and more.
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Congratulations on a huge weekend. Not only did you perform and win at the 2023 Billboard Music Awards, but you also performed “Gods” for the first time live at Worlds. How are you all feeling?
DANIELLE: The whole experience felt surreal to me! Performing for the Worlds Finals as well as the Billboard Music Awards alongside artists we deeply respect and admire was incredibly surreal! Even looking back now the scale was unbelievable and we are so grateful and honored for the experience.
The Worlds performance looked and felt very massive. How do you prepare for such a big performance with different elements like dancers, actors, VR and more?
MINJI: It felt like the stage with the most diverse range of creative elements we had so far. It was truly enjoyable going through the process of coordinating with the dancers and actors through numerous rehearsals, aligning the timing and virtual reality aspects! [Laughs]
Those VR and CGI elements are very cool to watch on YouTube. As performers, do you need to imagine the effects while you’re singing?
MINJI: I was aware that there were numerous stage setups, but when we actually rehearsed on stage, everyone was quite mesmerized. In particular, seeing the part where the video effects seamlessly transitioned into reality left everyone in awe. It was truly an honor to be able to participate in a performance of the scale!
How was making the live premiere of “Gods,” your first song in English, at Worlds? Take us through how this song was conceptualized and eventually came to life on stage.
MINJI: “GODS” was a new challenge for us as NewJeans. It has a different vocal and choreographic style from what we usually do, so we invested a lot of time and effort into it! I recall rehearsing it over and over again for a flawless and dynamic live performance on the grand stage.
HAERIN: Since it’s the anthem for a game and a tournament that is so widely loved on a global level, we thought the lyrics in English would help fans around the world immerse themselves better in the surge of emotions associated with the song.
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Are any of you League of Legends fans or players yourselves? Was anyone excited to see parts of the game like Leona and Mordekaiser’s character represented during the performance?
HANNI: I enjoy playing League of Legends every now and then, and because there are so many champions, I’ve become curious about all their different abilities. It was amazing to see the performance we practiced being brought to life on stage alongside such amazing dancers, actors, and all the special effects and CGI. I remember being in awe while we watched the playback of our performance backstage. Also, our outfits and styling were inspired by the champion Leona! Looking back, having Leona appear on stage with us was definitely cool to watch.
So, even your fashion had connections to LoL too?
DANIELLE: Yes!! In fact, our whole outfits were based around Leona, who is a holy warrior in League. Our accessories were specifically designed to resemble her armors of gold and shimmer!
HAERIN: Our wardrobe had a chic feel to it and was put together based on a palette of neutral tones. We wanted an attire suitable for portraying the song effectively!
Finalist teams T1 and Weibo Gaming (WBG) also joined on stage. T1 members have shared that they’re NewJeans fans. Are any of you fans of the teams or players? Did you meet at the event?
HANNI: We had the pleasure of meeting both T1 and WBG backstage on the media conference day! It was a few days before the Finals, and I can’t imagine how nervous they would’ve been, but they greeted us all very warmly. It was nice to have time to meet them! Up until then, we had seen all the small references they made about us and our music, so I really wanted to mention it to them and thank them. But, out of the excitement of meeting them, I forgot to mention it!
HYEIN: We had a lot of rehearsals to perfect our performance for the Finals. During one of the rehearsals, I turned around briefly and was surprised but also fascinated to see the players there! Also, before the stage, we had a moment to greet the players, and it was so gratifying to be able to tell the players from both teams that we’ll be cheering for them.
One of my favorite parts was the montage with people from the LoL community’s photos, like players, casters, announcers, owners and more. How does it feel to be part of this diverse community?
HANNI: The fact that we were able to take part in such a globally loved occasion and engage with such a big community still feels surreal. We were so honored to be a part of it, and we were also grateful to everyone who made it possible. Being there in person and witnessing how such a wide community shares the same love and passion, including all the staff and fans there alike, was an amazing experience. It really was the icing on the cake for this whole process.
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You’re now joining LoL and Riot Games’ history of musical collaborations. Imagine Dragons, Becky G, Marshmello, Kim Petras and more have participated, while Riot Games has created virtual bands like K/DA, HEARTSTEEL and True Damage. Have you listened to these collabs?
HANNI: I’ve listened to nearly all of the musical collaborations with Riot Games Music and watched all the amazing accompanying performances. I think K/DA’s “POP/STARS” was just so iconic and massive. I remember it blew up in popularity back when I still lived in Australia! Personally, “Warriors” by Imagine Dragons, the first-ever Worlds Anthem, possesses a very deep emotional sound that is captivating, and I loved immersing myself in the emotion it conveys and the expression of it itself. While we were rehearsing and preparing for the opening ceremony performance, we got to watch the other performances, and HEARTSTEEL was such a blast to watch! The song is not only fun to listen to, but the artists’ individual characteristics and personality were showcased really well on stage, while effortlessly complimenting each other!
As artists, in what ways do you see music and gaming connecting?
DANIELLE: From my perspective, I think music can enhance the storytelling aspect, enriching the whole experience of the game. I think it helps to heighten the overall immersive quality of the experience, which leads to a stronger connection between the player and the visual elements within League!
NewJeans had a massive 2023. Is anything significant still planned for the end of this year? Or any spoilers about what to expect for 2024?
HYEIN: Certainly there were many exciting events in 2023, including our music releases. I want to deliver many fulfilling and amazing performances for the remainder of 2023! I hope our fans, Bunnies, will enjoy our upcoming performances too!
NewJeans performs at League of Legends World Championship 2023 Finals Opening Ceremony at Gocheok Sky Dome on November 19, 2023 in Seoul, South Korea.
Colin Young-Wolff/Riot Games
At nine years old, Fresh-squeezed lemonade was made by Tre Glasper in Manhattan and has become a fan-favorite brand in Kansas City. This results from Tre’s Squeeze’s innovative partnership with one of the Midwest’s leading supermarket chains.
“I asked my mom if I could make a lemonade stand,” Tre said. “She said yes, so we just went from there.”
The National LGBT Chamber of Commerce reports that the 1.4 million LGBTQ+ entrepreneurs in the U.S. generate over $1.7 trillion annually for the economy. However, queer-owned businesses have faced harassment over the years. Their storefronts have been vandalized, venues have been threatened, and the owners themselves have even been attacked.
To provide much-needed support, the inaugural LGBTQ+ Business Week launched this year. The seven-day celebration, from Nov. 27 to Dec. 3, 2023, aims to rally support for queer-owned businesses and raise awareness for economic issues they often face.
Travers Johnson, creator of LGBTQ+ Business Week and owner of Queerency Media, is a major partner.“LGBTQ+ small business owners are culture-shapers, space-makers, and job creators, but like our community at large, we often suffer from discrimination and bias,” Johnson said in a press release. “From being denied COVID-relief loans at a higher rate than non-LGBTQ businesses to being victims of targeted abuse online and IRL, queer-owned businesses need our support now more than ever. And with this summer’s disastrous U.S. Supreme Court ruling that legalizes marketplace discrimination against LGBTQ+ customers, there is a growing movement to bolster the queer economy.”
The LGBTQ+ Business Week is the first week that solely celebrates queer-owned businesses and innovation nationally and internationally.
The new Evanston-based wellness hub is “dedicated to healing, wellness, and racial equity — a space co-created and owned by the community.” To push its mission forward, the organization’s collective acquired a former potato processing plant that will undergo renovations to […]
In Thursday’s matchup against No. 9 Virginia Tech, LSU head coach Kim Mulkey has confirmed Angel Reese will play. Mulkey announced Reese’s return to the top 10 matchup on Wednesday but didn’t reveal if she would start or be benched. Around the same time as Mulkey’s comments, Reese shared a picture from LSU’s basketball arena on her Instagram story.
After being benched at halftime against Kent State on Nov. 14, Reese hasn’t played four games, including a Thanksgiving Week tournament in the Cayman Islands.
Nia Sioux, former star of Lifetime’s Dance Moms, has become a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.
As a member of this prestigious sorority herself, Holly Hatcher-Frazier inspired the UCLA senior. In celebration, Sioux posted a slide of images featuring her in a pink and green outfit and her mom posing — all smiling.
In September, officials at Haderlein Elementary School in Kansas emailed the child’s mother to notify her about her son’s hair. It noted that the boy would be suspended if he didn’t comply with the policy stipulating that boys’ hair can’t […]
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