• Who watched the Billboard Music Awards last night? (Yeah, me neither.) Apparently, Taylor Swift's budding relationship with Calvin Highest Paid DJ in the World Harris was on full display before she debuted the video for "Bad Blood"—a promotional opportunity she's been shilling non-stop for two weeks.
I've got to say it was a disappointment on all levels. To Pimp a Butterfly has been on constant rotation in my household since its surprise release, so watching Kendrick Lamar hop aboard the Taylor train to spit a few weak verses was disheartening. The reprise of "Backseat Freestyle," intended as a cute nod to Swift's Instagram account, was a little nauseating.
And look, I don't necessarily begrudge Lamar this association, I just hope the paycheck was worth it. After all, the salad days can't last forever. It's a fairly common financial strategy, particularly when it comes down to well-known rappers teaming up with chart-topping pop stars. Remember "E.T."? (Shudder.) It's funny that Lamar's misstep got me thinking about the time Kanye guested on a Katy Perry track, because there were whispers that "Bad Blood" is about the California girl herself. Since Perry is one of the only women who does not turn up in the video for at least .5 seconds, we may deduce the rumor's got some credibility. But hey, nothing says feminism like gathering a bunch of supermodels together in one place to gang up on another woman. Do you wear pink on Wednesdays, Swift?
• Speaking of Kanye, you know what they say: another award show, another debacle. During his performance of "All Day" and "Black Skinhead," ABC censored over 60 seconds of West's five minutes total on stage.
He also went so pyrotechnic-heavy that apparently Kim Kardashian was the only one who could still see him. There's a decent case to be made that it was all part of West's subversive plan, though it's getting hard to tell who's subverting what anymore.
• In other news, something good finally came out of TIDAL. If you've ever wondered what Beyoncé and Nicki Minaj look like when they're chowing down on junk food, your wait is over. The video for "Feeling Myself," off MInaj's most recent album The Pinkprint, dropped this afternoon as a TIDAL exclusive, moments before being leaked everywhere else. (World, stop. Carry on.)
Knowles and Minaj can also be seen also wearing fur coats while frolicking in a kiddie pool and guiding viewers on a behind-the-scenes sneak peak of their time at Coachella. They're just like everyone else, as the saying goes.
• Janet Jackson is releasing a new album this year. (With all the excitement, let's not forget the most important news of the weekend.) Late Friday evening, a few hours before Jackson's 49th birthday, she released a video announcing that new music and a new tour are forthcoming sometime before the end of 2015. CNN pointed out that the singer has been using the hashtag #ConversationInACafe throughout the year, but it's still unclear if that is the album's title. Word on the street is that we could be seeing the new LP as early as July 10. About time, too!
