this isn't the voice, it's spotify

the buzz #8 - on age erasure, cold congrats, & fan casting galore

May 26, 2025

hello beautiful people & welcome to another buzzing (and I’m sorry it’s late!). I just came back from a perfect weekend lake trip (it literally felt like summer!) but we’re back with the latest pop culture round up. A little bit shorter this week, but still contains all the love (and critique hehe!). Let’s get into it →

On My Radar:

At The Table: sushiiii

On the Screen: Girls season 2 finale (I cried!)

In the Queue: Dreams by the Cranberries / Fleetwood Mac

On My Mind: Survivor 48 finale (!!) and my new digital camera :’)

Inspiration for 05/19/25 - 05/25/25:

The Buzz #8:

Does Justin Even Like Hailey? We’ll Never Know

Justin Bieber just can’t seem to shake the rumours that he’s not exactly head-over-heels for his wife, Hailey. And unfortunately, his latest behaviour isn’t helping the narrative. In fact, it seems to be fuelling it. Not exactly husband-of-the-year energy.
Here’s what went down: Hailey just landed her first-ever American Vogue cover (major congrats Hails!). This is every model’s dream, so you’d think your husband (especially one with 300M+ followers) would be your number 1 supporter in this. Welp, you thought wrong. Justin did post the cover to Instagram but here’s his choice of caption…
Yeah… you read that right. A total miss. Rather than a simple “congrats babe” or even a heartfelt “we had this fight but I was so wrong and you’re so amazing”, he dropped something that read… not supportive. The vibe wasn’t sincere, and if anything, the “sadly mistaken” was blatantly not apologetic.
After fans came for him (rightfully so), Justin quietly swapped his caption to a handful of emojis including a heart and shrug. But the damage was already done. As one TikToker pointed out, your partner should neverrrr steal your thunder like this, especially during a career milestone. Apologies should happen privately and your post should be wholeheartedly supportive, especially for a couple as famous as the Biebers. And let’s not ignore the elephant in the room. Selena Gomez has graced the cover of American Vogue nine times, so naturally fans (including myself) are curious if this weird caption was a subtle dig to a Jelena past (I’m not a Jelena stan but come on!).
The Biebers were later seen at SZA’s concert where Justin made a surprise appearance on stage and Hailey was seen cheering him on, so I hope they are fine behind the scenes! All in all, I’m disappointed in Justin’s behaviour here. Hopefully Hailey got the apology she deserved off-camera because babes, this was not it.

This Isn’t The Voice, It’s Spotify

I’ll say it once and I’ll say it again… I do not like Benson Boone. And yes, I’m fully on the Benson Boone hate train. I agree with this critics: he leans on flashy moves to get attention and only has one good song that sounds like something you’d hear in a retail store. For a while, I couldn’t put my finger on what bugged me about him (and other similar artists like Teddy Swims and Alex Warren) but then I came across a TikTok that made it all click.
In a recent Rolling Stones piece, writer Larisha Paul coined the term “voice audition pop,” and it unlocked everything. It’s the kind of song that feels like it belongs on a reality singing competition, like The Voice or American Idol: technically strong vocals, but no soul. As one commenter noted, it’s “undeniably great vocals, but void of character and substance.”
Finally, my random dislike made sense, and honestly felt super validating. The more I pay attention to pop culture, the more I realize how rare and important authenticity is. Yes, these songs from these artists are crushing the charts, but to me, it feels like we’re rewarding inauthenticity. It’s emotion by numbers, or “performative pop.”
So here’s to hoping some fresh, real voices start breaking through again (and I know they are out there!), because if I have to hear Benson Boone scream about Beautiful Things one more time… I might scream too.

Is that Kim? Oh Shit It’s Kris

Kris Jenner just revealed a brand new face… and let’s just say fans are shocked. At first glance, I thought I was looking at Kim Kardashian, and then had a holy shit moment when I realized that it was actually Kris.
At 69 years old, Kris appears to have undergone a major facial transformation, and let’s be honest, she looks great. Her skin is tight, smooth, and basically wrinkle-free. If she weren’t one of the most public women in the world, you might genuinely think she was decades younger. This before and after is incredibly telling. There must be a new surgeon in town because this ultra-flawless face trend is becoming more common. Exhibit B: Lindsay Lohan also re-emerged recently looking noticeably refreshed, if not surgically enhanced.
Here’s where I get conflicted. As someone still young (and yes, wrinkle-free), I totally understand that my views may change with age. But right now, I do believes there’s beauty in laugh lines, crow’s feet, and skin that shows a life fully lived. Aging doesn’t need to be reversed, but instead can be worn with pride.
And there’s a broader issue too. One TikToker noted the irony that we now have tech that can give women entirely new faces…but still no cure for endometriosis. It definitely says a lot about what the medical system prioritizes.
Kris, no doubt that you look amazing, but I wish we could have seen the experience you’ve earned reflected on your face, too.

Let The Hunger Games Hype Begin

As a proud books-to-movie adaption fanatic, let me just say, Sunrise on the Reaping (the upcoming Hunger Games prequel following a young Haymitch Abernathy) is already winning in its marketing so far.
First, the same day the book dropped, Lionsgate released a teaser trailer for the upcoming film adaption. The trailer featured the book’s symbol but come alive, featuring ambient music, hissing, and even bird chirping. The wait is on. Now, the studio has been slowly announcing the cast of the film, and I am sat. Instead of a basic press release, Lionsgate is revealing the cast with haunting TikTok videos. A scorched page burns away, revealing the character’s name… then it flashes to the actor. Clean. Dramatic. Perfection. And let’s just say the studio definitely watched every fan casting video online.
Let’s start with the lead: Joseph Zada as young Haymitch Abernathy. His resumé is light but the potential is huge. This is my dream scenario for franchise casting, a fresh face who truly becomes the character and has a real chance at making it big. Then there’s the supporting cast, stacked with stars:
- Elle Fanning as Effie Trinket (YES!)
- Kieran Culkin as Caesar Flickerman (my dream casting, I love Kieran)
- Jesse Plemons as Plutarch Heavensbee (honestly uncanny how much he resembles Philip Seymour Hoffman. RIP legend)
- Ralph Fiennes as President Snow. Yes, Voldemort is now ruling Panem. Thank you, cinematic gods.
Lionsgate is clearly in its Hunger Games feels, and I am loving every second of it. If the casting, tone, and timing stays this sharp, we may be looking at another hit. I hate to wish time away…but is it November 2026 yet?

3 things that made me happy this week:

sunshine at the lake!
campfire jams
patterned dresses

stay sunny, chlo ☼