If you’re anything like us, we see an interesting headline during our daily scroll—pause to read it—but then keep scrolling without reading the actual story. So at the end of each week, we’re rounding up all the buzziest, news-worthy headlines you might have missed. Think of it like the “saved” feature on Instagram but for news instead of aesthetically pleasing photos. Harry Styles goes on a bed-hopping adventure in the “Late Night Talking” video and Frank Ocean shares unreleased music on Blonded Radio—this is what you missed.
#1
Lady Gaga, Adele, and Zendaya Received Nods at 2022 Emmy
The sizzling hot 2022 Emmy Awards nominations list dropped earlier this week, and noteworthy musicians’ names can be spotted throughout the star-studded actors and actresses. Adele’s One Night Only, a 1.5-hour special accompanying the release of her album 30, was nominated for Outstanding Directing for a Variety Special. Lady Gaga’s special One Last Time: An Evening With Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga was nominated for Outstanding Music Direction, and Kanye West’s Jeen-Yuhs, was nominated for Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Series. Lizzo’s competition series Watch Out For The Big Grrrls also earned six nominations, putting her show up against Rupaul’s Drag Race and The Voice. Something else also worth mentioning is that across the 17 categories, the cult-favorite Euphoria was nominated 25 times, and the show’s very own Zendaya, who plays Rue, and Labrinth have 5 nominations for Outstanding Original Music and Lyrics for their co-written songs. They are nominated for co-writing “Eliot’s Song” with Muzhda Zemar-McKenzie and “I’m Tired” with Sam Levinson. It’s confirmed: people are never getting over Euphoria, and the nominations at the 2022 Emmy prove it once again. We’ll have to wait until September to know the results, but one thing is for certain, music stars will definitely be in attendance.
#2
Harry Styles Goes On a Bed-Hopping Adventure in ‘Late Night Talking’ Video
I never wanted to be a pillow so badly until after watching Harry Styles’ “Late Night Talking” music video. Off of his latest album, Harry’s House, the funk-pop king served his fans breakfast in bed this Wednesday with the music video for “Late Night Talking,” where he spent the whole day in bed, many beds, with many people in them. Respectfully, where was my invitation to the slumber party, and who do I have to pay off to have a pillow fight with Harry? (asking for a friend) Directed by Bradley and Pablo, the video features Harry hopping from bed to bed with different people, landing in an art gallery, a restaurant, and on the streets of London. The dreamy wonderland portrayed in the video is as beautiful as it is chaotic, and well, Harry. The cozied-up singer has been outfitted almost exclusively in Gucci, and the outfits in this music video are no exception. Harry is seen in not one but two custom Gucci pajamas: one in pale pink and green polka dots and one in brown and blue polka dots. The music video has been number one trending on YouTube since its release, and with the song’s success on streaming services, I won’t be surprised if polka dots become the next “it” trend. Harry is on tour and coming to Toronto on August 15 and 16. Although I was not blessed enough to get tickets to see him in person, nor can I justify spending an extravagant amount of money on a set of Gucci pajamas, I shall try to still live my best “Harry” dream by putting “Late Night Dreaming” on repeat.
#3
Frank Ocean Shares Unreleased Music On ‘Blonded Radio’
If there is a contest for the most starved music fan base, Frank Ocean’s fans will most likely sweep the board clean. It’s been almost 6 years since Frank’s last album, Blonde, dropped, and the speculation about the “Lost” singer’s new album (and whether there will be one) is still very much in the air. The ever-so-elusive artist rarely makes appearances, but on Sunday, he surprised fans with two new episodes on his Blonded Radio. The episodes were released on the same day that his album, Channel Orange, dropped 10 years ago and feature never-been-heard music scores produced by Frank. The first episode is a conversation with Dr. James Fadiman about microdosing psychedelics which is layered on top of a 35-minute soft and melodic score. The second episode is a discussion with Mingtong Gu, who teaches the Chinese practice of Qigong and is laid over a balmy guitar score with many repetitions of words like “energy”. With Frank Ocean saying that he’s working in a Miami studio over the summer and the cover on his Spotify Verified Artist page recently changed (I know, we’re really working with crumbs here), fans are piecing together that new music may be coming. Although there is still no official confirmation on the new album, the radio episodes are doing just enough to satisfy the fans’ hunger for music and keep us waiting for more of Frank’s music.
#4
Sean Paul, Gwen Stefani & Shenseea Party Together In “Light My Fire” Video
My ‘90s childhood girl crush and middle school dance DJ joining forces was the last thing I expected to pop up in my feed this week, but I’m all for it. On Wednesday, Sean Paul dropped the music video for “Light My Fire”, featuring Gwen Stefani and Jamaican singer Shenseea, setting the dance floor on fire with the song’s catchy beats and groovy melody. The video takes place at a Jamaican house party with Gwen, Sean Paul, and Shenseea having fun and vibing to the music and crowd. After Sean Paul starts off the song in his signature reggae-esque chunes, Gwen takes over to sing the chorus, blessing us all with her angelic vocals. Shenseea also joins later to add her feminine, flirty flair to the song, making it the perfect tropical bop for the summer. Speaking to Rolling Stone, Sean Paul says the collaboration “was a dream come true.” “[We’re] basically getting ready to party and some lovers rocking. It’s a vibe we hope everyone gets when they listen to the track: feel good and party lovers-rock style.” Yes, we are loving the vibe, Sean Paul! Thank you for amping up all of our summer playlists with “Light My Fire,” now, all we need is a tropical vacation to top it off.
#5
Drake Announces October World Weekend In Toronto
Summer is here, and the city life in Toronto has officially returned! Since busting my biker shorts out of my closet after two seasons of them being on hiatus, I’ve had no shortage of occasions to wear them out. So far, the things I’ve done include eating corn on a cob with extra elote on the side at Dundas West Fest, picking up a lavender bouquet at the Toronto Flower Market, and listening to live music on the grass at Trillium Park. Now, adding to this extensive list of mine will be to attend the October Fest Weekend. On Wednesday, Toronto’s very own—Drake—announced his plan to bring the coveted OVO Fest back and “around the world” to celebrate the fest’s 10th anniversary. He promises to “turn the city up for the summer” with a 3-day concert called the October Fest Weekend, and it’s happening on the last weekend of July. Those who have attended his previous OVO Fests know that artists show up and show out at these events, so we can only expect the same to happen this time around. An All Canadian North Stars event is scheduled on July 28 at his very own venue, History, a concert with Chris Brown and Lil Baby on July 29, and Lil Wayne and Nicki Minaj (a Young Money Reunion!) on August, both at the Budwiser stage. Drake is in overdrive this summer, and I’m ready to put my biker shorts into (more) use and jam it out for Drizzy.