Pop Shots – Leading The Way

Welcome to your weekly dose of pop world musings. Covering all things pop culture, this week Pop Shots is hitting you with thoughts on everything from Lorde becoming the latest artist to follow my lead, to a couple classic artists leading two of Billboard’s album charts, to who came out on top of Dave Grohl’s latest drum battle, and since this is Pop Shots you know everything is seasoned with a little bit of attitude.

* Lorde will be releasing a 100-page photo book titled Going South that will be filled with images from her 2019 trip to Antarctica. Geez Lorde, way to copy me by releasing a book about a specific time in your life. Speaking of which, if you still haven’t picked up ChemBro – Embracing Beastmode to Beat Cancer yet, you can find it everywhere books are sold!

* Kylie Minogue has been on the top of various charts over the past 30+ years, but with her latest album, Disco, she’s added a new #1 to her list of accomplishments – her first #1 on the Top Dance/Electronic Albums Chart. In honor of her continued greatness, starting today I’m going to use every Kylie Minogue story as an excuse to remind everyone she played Cammy in the highly underrated 1994 film Street Fighter.

* In Folklore: The Long Pond Sessions Taylor Swift revealed that her co-writer on the songs “Exile” and “Betty,” who was listed under the fictional name William Bowery, was actually her boyfriend, Joe Alywn. This revelation about something no one was actually thinking about was brought to you by the fact that Taylor Swift really wants you to know she has a boyfriend.

* A bevy of Bob Dylan documents sold at auction for a total of just under half a million dollars. That’s great and all, but if you really want to hold something Bob Dylan created a long time ago, I’m guessing a VIP meet and great with The Wallflowers would be way cheaper.

* Dave Grohl has admitted defeat in his drum battle with 10 year old Nandi Bushell. This isn’t the first major drum battle Grohl has lost, as he’s also been bested by a certain Dr. Teeth and The Electric Mayhem legend.

* Subversive Capital Acquisition Corp. acquired two cannabis brands and named Jay-Z as the chief visionary officer of the resulting holding company (TPCO Holding Corp). Congrats to Jay on going from small time drug dealer to big time drug dealer … and making a billion dollars in-between those gigs.

* According to his lawyer, R. Kelly – whose trial date has been set for April of next year – is “suffering” mentally in prison. I think I speak for most everyone when I say – So?

* Bad Bunny was originally scheduled to perform at the American Music Awards, but had to cancel after testing positive for COVID-19. There is no truth to the rumor that Babs and Buster Bunny offered to take his place.

* AC/DC’s latest album, Power Up, debuted at #1 on the Billboard 200 albums chart, proving that yes, people still buy albums … and all of those people are over 40. (I can make that joke, because I’m 42)

* Finally, because we’re now officially in the holiday season, I think it’s important to remember even Right Said Fred aren’t too sexy for Christmas.

That’s all for this edition of Pop Shots, but come back next Monday for more shots on all things pop.