Pop Shots – Revelations

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 Mariah Carey’s secret alt-rock past, to Kanye West’s admission about reading, to Daddy Yankee calling it career, and since this is Pop Shots you know everything is seasoned with a little bit of attitude.

* Mariah Carey told the Rolling Stone Now podcast that she plans to release an alternative rock album titled Someone’s Ugly Daughter that she secretly recorded in 1995 under the pseudonym Chick. All I want for Christmas is … not f*cking this!

* Adam Levine is denying the story Instagram model Sumner Stroh told that she had an affair with the Maroon 5 frontman, who is married to Victoria’s Secret model Behati Prinsloo. I’d just like to take a moment to say not all people named Adam cheat on Victoria’s Secret models. In fact, I would like to go so far as to prove this! So if any Victoria’s Secret models see this, just click “Contact” under the Adam’s World banner, and give me a shout.

* Kelly Clarkson received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. She reportedly can’t wait to furnish it.

* The Smashing Pumpkins announced their upcoming album,ATUM (pronounced “Autumn”), will be a 33-track, 3-act rock opera. This should thrill fans who were hoping for something painfully pretentious.

* Def Leppard and Mötley Crüe’s The Stadium Tour, which also featured Poison, and Joan Jett & the Blackhearts, raked in $173.5 million in ticket sales, making it the biggest tour of either headlining band’s career. I just gotta ask – how small was Tommy Lee’s cut that he felt the need to launch an OnlyFans?

* Kanye West told the Alo Mind Full podcast that he’s never read a book, saying, “When you said I hadn’t read this book, I actually haven’t read any book.” The self-proclaimed genius added, “Reading is like eating Brussels sprouts for me.” So basically, he admitted he’s a child that has to be forced to do things that are good for him.

* Guns N’ Roses will be releasing a huge Use Your Illusion I & II box set on November 11th featuring 97 Songs, 63 of which are previously unreleased, as well as myriad of other GNR goodies, including a 100-page book with previously unseen photos. Kinda wild to think that due to smartphones, and social media, “unseen photos” is a completely foreign concept to current bands.

* Glass Animals’ “Heat Waves” has tied Imagine Dragons’ “Radioactive” for the second-most weeks spent on the Billboard Hot 100 after its 87th week on the chart. The Weeknd’s “Blinding Lights” still holds the honor as having the longest run, with 90 weeks on the chart, but you know mainstream music isn’t in a great place when the same songs stay in rotation for nearly two years.

* Dan Reynolds and Aja Volkman are separating … again. The Imagine Dragons frontman, and the Nico Vega frontwoman, previously split in 2018, but attempted a reconciliation. So in music, and in romance, people will like Imagine Dragons, then get sick of them, then come back around to liking them, before ultimately deciding they’re better off without them.

* Daddy Yankee announced he’ll be retiring from music, but not until he releases one last album, and has one final tour later this year. First is was Mariano Rivera, then it was Derek Jeter, and now this? What is it with Yankees wanting to take a victory lap before retiring? Regardless, I think Daddy Yankee will have the “Gasolina” to make his plans happen.

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