Pop Shots – Deep Thoughts

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 Selena Gomez’s dessert decision, to a TikTok user’s attempt to ask out Ella Langley, to how the VMAs rocketed back to relevancy, and since this is Pop Shots you know everything is seasoned with a little bit of attitude.

* Selena Gomez and Benny Blanco celebrated their one year anniversary by eating a slice of the cake they saved from their 2025 wedding. Benny Blanco, and year-old cake … were it not for Spring Breakers I’d have to question Selena Gomez’s taste in pretty much everything.

* Nick Cannon will be starring in his own Netflix docuseries this winter that will focus on him being a father of 12. The goal of the series – to help Nick Cannon afford being a father of 12.

* BLACKPINK’s LISA added two dates to her Las Vegas residency at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace. At some point the Vegas OGs are going to stop accepting these young artists taking over their turf, and I don’t think the kids are ready to throw hands with Tom Jones, and Englebert Humperdink!

* A TikTok user attempted to ask out Ella Langley outside of one of the singer’s recent shows by shouting, “Ella, how many likes to take you on a date?” Langley’s reply was, “Not enough in the world.” When her second single inevitably doesn’t achieve the heights of her current hit, that answer may change to, “Just get me some likes!”

* John Mayer will be playing a series of six shows at the Sphere in Las Vegas next spring. You know the old saying – what happens in Vegas, will probably bore the sh*t out of you.

* Air Supply will be receiving a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Personally, I hope they spend their entire acceptance speech trying to sell us a box set of CDs of soft rock classics.

* In sad news, Chuck Varga, a founding member of GWAR, where he went by the name Sexecutioner, passed away at the age of 68 due to cancer. I know it’s a pie in the sky wish, but I might actually tune in to the Grammys if they invite GWAR to do a tribute to him. 

* Speaking of award shows, the 2026 MTV Video Music Awards was the most-watched VMAs since 2015, and was up a whopping 51% in viewership from last year’s show. Let’s see … honoring Nirvana, Dolly Parton, and George Michael … having Madonna perform … it’s almost like they went back to basics, and it worked.

* One thing that certainly wasn’t basic at the VMAs, but was instead jaw-droppingly awesome, was the choreography for the performance of the GENER8ION featuring Yung Lean song “Storm.” If you haven’t seen it yet, it’s truly mind-blowing. You’re gonna wanna go full-screen for this.

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