when you’ve tried everything… try AGT?
the buzz #12 - on political cringe, chart stagnation, and backstage drama
helloooo & welcome to buzzing! if you’re new here, this is (debatably the best) corner of the internet where we dissect pop culture drama from the past week! though i’m writing this before, by the time this is in your inbox, i’ll have run a half marathon… YAY! preemptively proud of myself and so thankful for my amazing fam & friends for just being the best :’) okay sappy time is over, let’s get into what’s trendy (even when it shouldn’t be) →
Current Mood:
At The Table: my famous spicy salami gnocchi!!
On the Screen: on season 4 of Girls now & why do I lowkey love Adam… (after season 3, NOT from season 4)
In the Queue: Everyday from the High School Musical 2 soundtrack
On My Mind: literally the half i just ran (& no, this isn’t the last time i’ll say it)
Inspiration for 06/16/25 - 06/22/25:
The Buzz #12:
Materialists’ Marketing Was Way Off
Celine Song’s new film, Materialists, starring Dakota Johnson, Chris Evans, and Pedro Pascal just hit theatres, and fans are… confused. While I haven’t seen the film yet myself (so this is a spoiler-free analysis), early reactions are not promising.
I initially hyped up this film here because the 2010s-inspired trailers had everyone expecting the next How To Lose a Guy in 10 Days. But early reviews are calling bullsh*t, saying it’s not really funny or really romantic, but instead a half-baked drama that almost says something meaningful, but doesn’t fully land. Many watchers left saying they “just didn’t get it”, or worse, they did and still didn’t like it.
From what I’ve gathered, the core theme is about the choice of love - what works on paper vs what works in real life. A solid concept! But the execution seems to fall short, skimming over the deeper conversations it needs to resonate.
Here’s my take: we’re in a weird spot culturally where we want the comfort of old-school rom-coms, but with a modern twist so it’s just different enough that it doesn’t feel like a copy. Yet, when something doesn’t follow the usual rom-com formula, people revolt. In the 2010s, female leads in these films lacked complexity: the “love-hater,” “affection-seeker,” “independent-woman-who-gives-it-all-up,” or the one who “settles because that’s love.” We’ve moved past these, or at least we should, even if that means our favourite characters don’t make the choices we want them to make.
So maybe Materialists tried to evolve from these tropes, and audiences still aren’t ready. I’ll reserve final judgement for after I watch, but in the meantime, maybe it’s time we stop asking new films to recreate old ones.
Billboard is Broken
The Voice Pop epidemic is taking over our lives, and I’m not okay with it. As mentioned in a previous buzzing, artists like Benson Boone and Teddy Swims are dominating the Billboard Charts, and not in a short-lived kind of way. These songs are living on the charts. Here’s the breakdown:
Beautiful Things by Benson Boone: 41 weeks on the charts, tying Levitating by Dua Lipa for the 5th longest-running top 10 ever.
Die With A Smile by Bruno & Gaga: 42 weeks, officially making it the longest-running top 10 by a female artist in herstory! (a win’s a win!)
A Bar Song by Shaboozey: 57 weeks, tying Blinding Lights by the Weeknd for the second longest.
And drumroll please.. Lose Control by Teddy Swims: 65 weeks. Yes, the longest top 10 of all time… WHAT!
The kicker? This kind of longevity used to be UNHEARD of! As this TikToker notes, Closer by the Chainsmokers & Halsey (yeah, remember that hit) had to fight tooth and nail to hit 33 weeks. Now, Billboard seems content to recycle a handful of hits they think are popular, aka the ones with the most retail store streams. We nearly went a full year without a solo female #1, but thankfully, Manchild by Sabrina Carpenter saved the day.
Is this a pop drought? Is new music dead? This new Jonas Brothers’ sampling would say yes because wtf. Are artists just creating what they think we want to hear? Or are artists creating music for themselves and their loyal fans, rather than the masses (hey, Lorde)?
Whatever it is, someone needs to come rescue the Billboard charts because this never-ending loop of “acceptable” songs is getting boring. Songs should come and go!!!
Jagmeet Singh Isn’t Winning the Polls or My Heart
To all my Canadian followers (which is like 80% of you, hi!), let’s talk previous-NDP leader Jagmeet Singh. Once cool, now… kind of embarrassing.
A few months ago, Jagmeet supported the Conservatives after cozying up with the Liberals for years. With Canadian-Trump Poilievre leading the Conservatives, this partnership made zero sense because they couldn’t be more different in their stances. It was apparent that this shift was pure seat-grabbing politics, and it didn’t even work, making me lose all my respect for him.
Now, we all know the Drake vs Kendrick feud of last year. You know the one: iconic diss tracks, internet drama, and Kendrick’s Not Like Us taking over the world (and the Grammys). One of the heavier allegations that stuck with me? Accusing Drake of being a child predator… huge yikes.
How do these occurrences come together? Let me tell you. Jagmeet attended Kendrick & SZA’s tour in Toronto, Drake finds out, and calls him a “goof”. HUH?? Does it really matter to you that much, Drake? To make matters worse, Jagmeet apologizes, saying:
“I went for SZA, not Kendrick…I shouldn’t have gone at all. OVO and Drake have lifted up [Toronto] and Canada. For me, it’ll always be Drake over Kendrick.”
Excuse me?? You’re really siding with an accused predator over the current King of Hip Hop because Drake’s feelings got hurt?! You’re a politician, not a stan. While everyone is entitled to their opinion, and I still listen to some Drake myself occasionally, I find it hard to publicly support such a divided character, especially from a stance of politics. And if you’re going to go to the concert, own it! This beef between Drake and Kendrick has absolutely nothing to do with you, and now you’ve made it so much weirder.
When You’ve Tried Everything… Try AGT?
Tom Sandoval (yes, that Tom from Scandoval) just performed on America’s Got Talent with his band, “Tom Sandoval & the Most Extras.” Read that again.
For the uninitiated, Scandoval = 2023’s ultimate cheating scandal. Tom cheated on his partner of 9 years, Ariana Madix, with her close friend, Raquel Lewis. And it wasn’t a one-time thing, it was a months-long, sneaky, gross affair. The scandal was massive.
Since then, Tom has been on a PR redemption tour that no one asked for. His latest attempt? Going on AGT with his mediocre band that performs overdone karaoke songs while he cosplays as Mick Jagger. Sure, the man can technically sing, but it’s giving wedding band at best.
Tom, I don’t try to be a hater, but I cannot stand you after what you did. Please stop. Ariana, keep living your best life!
The Real Celeb Test? Their Teams
Recently, I saw this TikTok (linked above!) divulging the best way to know if a celebrity is truly kind or not: their teams. Think: makeup artists, stylists, assistants, designers, etc. who see the good, bad, and unfiltered every day. The comments were amazing, so I’ll share my favourites:
“Taylor Swift has had the same makeup artist, hair stylist, stylist, assistant, band members and background vocalists for damn near 15 years, some of them her entire career.”
Icon behaviour
“Kourtney Kardashian ALWAYS has rotating staff! Kim threw that around enough on KUWTK that I *knew* that was her subtle dig at saying you are NOT a good person! But I’m sure all of them are a pain. 🤣”
Your staff keeps quitting? That’s saying something.
“Stylist here…9/10 real celebs are professional and cordial at the very least. Influencers? The absolute worst.”
No surprises there
“I used to work for a major beauty brand, and yes JLO is as rude as everyone says she is! Lmaoo”
Whoops, I totally believe it.
Now, can someone please leak stories from celeb bodyguards? Imagine the tea…
3 things that made me happy this week:
my amazing support group of friends & family who woke up early on a Sunday to cheer me on :’) brb crying
pushing myself to run a goddamn half marathon!! (last time, i promise)
loving & being loved
stay sunny, chlo ☼