Pop Shots – Now You See It, Now You Don’t

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 what isn’t on Ariana Grande’s plate, to Adele and Billy Joel both taking time away from the stage, to a Kendrick Lamar video game that lets you take aim at owls, and since this is Pop Shots you know everything is seasoned with a little bit of attitude.

* After a recent online hoax accused Ariana Grande of being a cannibal, her brother Frankie took to Twitter to let everyone know it wasn’t true, noting, “She’s vegan.” Upon hearing this news, a group of cannibals announced they have disbanded their Ariana Grande fan club.

* Country artist Ingrid Andress sang the national anthem at MLB’s Home Run Derby, but to say she didn’t knock it out of the park would be an understatement. Performing what many called the worst rendition of all-time, the following day the four time Grammy nominee announced on social media that she’d been drunk during the performance, and would be checking herself into a rehab facility. Wait a minute, being drunk hurts your performance? This revelation flies in the face of everyone who’s ever been eight beers deep at a karaoke, and convinced they absolutely crushed their rendition of “Livin’ on a Prayer.”

* Racial epithet enthusiast Morgan Wallen returned to Instagram to announce a hometown show this coming September at Neyland Stadium in Knoxville. I assume he’ll be disappointed when he finds out the venue isn’t whites only.

* In an interview with a YouTube show named Chicken Shop Date (oh sure, MTV News disappears, but something called Chicken Shop Date soldiers on), Billie Eilish revealed that when she has a crush on someone she goes “absolutely insane.” I’m sorry Billie, but you don’t know insane until you’re practically giving away electronics at low low prices!

* Adele only has ten shows left of her Las Vegas residency, which wraps up on November 23d, after which we may not hear from her for a while. In an interview with Germany’s ZDF (which is Germany’s national public television), she revealed, “I don’t have any plans for new music at all,” adding, “I want a big break after this and I think I want to do other creative things, just for a little while.” Christ almighty, she’s going to start a podcast, isn’t she?

* Billy Joel will be wrapping up his decade-long residency at Madison Square Garden on July 25th with the 150th show of the run. Personally, I think he was just waiting until he was sure the Garden was in good hands.

* Jack Black has put Tenacious D on an indefinite hiatus after his bandmate, Kyle Gass, made a comment during a show that he hoped the next person who tries to shoot former president Trump doesn’t miss. The remaining dates of the band’s current tour have been cancelled, and Black announced all future creative plans between he and Gass are on hold until further notice. Ironically, with his comment, Gass actually embodied his desire for someone with better aim, as he shot himself directly in the foot.

* Drake’s loss to Kendrick Lamar is getting more embarrassing on a daily basis. In addition to pretty much everyone loving Kendrick’s “Not Like Us” diss track, video game developer Richie Branson recently created an 8-bit style game based on it. In the game, which is titled Not Like Us: The Game, you play as Kendrick, and whack owls with a bat while the song plays in the background (the owl is the symbol of Drake’s OVO record label). A certain Tootsie Pop spokesperson could not be reached for comment.

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