Rumors began to swirl online yesterday that the American Royal Couple, Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift, were heading for Splitsville.
It began with a Reddit post with an alleged contract, providing an exact date when Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift would break up. This fueled even more gossip that the iconic couple — who have made debuts together on-stage at Swift's Era's Tour — were a so-called PR relationship.
Online forum and social media users began to speculate whether or not Swift and Kelce's relationship has merely been a ploy for popularity — or not. However, Travis Kelce shut down those rumors immediately by having his PR firm, Full Stop, call lawyers to confirm these documents are falsified and they will be taking action.
image C/O Daily Mail
It's a sigh of relief for many as The Tortured Poet's Department singer and the Kansas City Chiefs tight end haven't called it quits. But it's also an important sign not to believe everything you see on a Reddit thread...and luckily, this couple will never go out of style.
A spokesman from Full Scope told The Daily Mail that the document is "entirely false and fabricated and were not created, issued or authorized by this agency."
'We have engaged our legal team to initiate proceedings against the individuals or entities responsible for the unlawful and injurious forgery of documents,' Full Scope added.
It's been a busy week for Travis Kelce, who spent the summer following Taylor on tour, as he prepares for the start of NFL season on Thursday. He also just revealed the trailer for Ryan Murphy's latest show, Grotesquerie,starring Kelce and Niecy Nash. While the trailer is sure to turn heads, we can't help but still fear for his acting abilities— or lack thereof!
Regardless, we can all relax now knowing Taylor and Travis are still going strong. And I will wait patiently for the engagement rumors to ensue.
Summer began with one definitive truth: if you thought you were a hater, you’re not a hater like Kendrick Lamar is a hater. I’ll admit: Drake has won his share of rap beefs. In 2015, he got into it with Meek Mill over claims that Drake doesn’t write his own songs. He emerged victorious, though he’s never beaten those ghostwriting allegations. Still, he took the crown, and “Back to Back” is still one of my favorite of his songs. However, we can’t forget that he’s taken some big hits and some super public losses, too.
In the summer of 2018, he and Pusha T started a fire that culminated in the revelation that Drake had a son, Adonis. While now, Adonis is frequently at his father’s side at public appearances like basketball games and even appeared on his album, being forced into claiming your son by a Soundcloud diss track is crazy.
But what’s crazier is how Kendrick shut this summer down for Drake. For a pop star who usually spends summers at the top of the charts, he’s spending this one in hiding. All because Kendrick decided to instigate probably the greatest rap feud of our generation and
win it. I want the next season of Ryan Murphy’s Feud to be about this. I want to take a class at a liberal arts college about the ethics or psychology or marketing behind it. I want political scientists to write think-pieces about what this says about the political and economic state of the world. But until then, here’s the Popdust take on Kendrick’s war on Drake — and why there’s one obstacle that keeps me from celebrating his victory lap.
First things first: The history of Kendrick Lamar starting beef
For context: Kendrick Lamar is the greatest rap artist of our time — decorated with Grammy wins, American Music Awards, and even a Pulitzer Prize for the album
DAMN. He is also a Gemini. Unpredictable. Opinionated. Occasionally, arrogant. It’s what makes him great and why we love him. Other famous Geminis include Gwyneth Paltrow and Kanye West. You get it. Figures who are unstoppable when they use their mercurial madness for good, and problematic at best when they get a tad too unhinged. The question is: on which side of this line does Kendrick Lamar’s latest venture fall?
The braggadocious rapper is known for taking shots at his peers. His message is always clear:
I’m the greatest rapper of our time, but it would be nice to have some competition. In 2013, he issued this direct challenge when he appeared on Big Sean’s “Control” with Jay Electronica. This verse is the equivalent of Nicki Minaj’s verse on “Monster.” It’s so fire that most people forget whose song it was in the first place. When you talk about “Monster,” you talk about Nicki. When you talk about “Control,” you talk about Kendrick and the shockwaves he sent through the industry.
The year before, he dropped his career-defining concept album
good kid, m.A.A.d city. Knowing he’d just released one of the most dynamic rap albums of all time, he appeared on “Control” to make sure everyone else on the planet knew it too. In a three minute verse, he issued a challenge to every rapper in the game, name-dropping 11 of the biggest rappers at the time (like the good old days) — including J.Cole and Drake.
“Jermaine Cole, Big KRIT, Wale, Pusha T, Meek Millz, A$AP Rocky, Drake, Big Sean, Jay Electron', Tyler, Mac Miller — I got love for you all but I'm tryna murder you,” he rapped. “What is competition? I'm tryna raise the bar high,” he continued.
The verse was a wake-up call. Kendrick was banging on everyone’s doors and telling them to get to work. And, to his credit, they did. Every rapper felt like they had to prove themselves, and the music we got in the verse’s wake was their attempt. From Drake’s
If You're Reading This It's Too Late mixtape, which took him finally from R&B to full rap star, to J. Cole’s Forest Hills Drive, some of these rappers released their best work.
But while there was love in “Control” — especially since Kendrick had collaborated with and even toured with some of the artists mentioned a few years prior — the past decade certainly changed things.
A definitive timeline of the Kendrick Lamar and Drake beef in 2024
The Big Three? Kendrick, Cole, and Drake
Though some say Kendrick started the current iteration of the feud, it actually goes back to Drake’s album
For All the Dogs. In “First Person Shooter,” J. Cole actually gives Kenny props — describing him, Ken, and Drizzy as the “big three.”
But in March 2024, Lamar appeared on “Like That" alongside Future and Metro Boomin
We Don’t Trust You album to say: “motherf**k the big three, n*gga, it's just big me.”
In response, Cole released “7 Minute Drill” in early April. He went album for album, giving a pretty ungenerous take on Kendrick’s albums, insinuating he is washed up, irrelevant, and jealous — mad talk from someone who’s just called him part of the “big three.”
“Your first shit was classic, your last shit was tragic / Your second shit put niggas to sleep, but they gassed it / Your third shit was massive, and that was your prime / I was trailin' right behind, and I just now hit mine / Now I'm front of the line with a comfortable lead / How ironic, soon as I got it, now he wants somethin' with me.”
However, in a surprising move, Cole soon took himself out of it. At the Dreamville Festival in North Carolina just days later, Cole publically apologized on stage — not a common occurrence in the rap world. Calling it “the lamest shit [he] ever did in [his] f**king life," he said that though the internet seemed to “want blood,” he didn’t. While the decision was met with an overall groan from fans and the rap community — tapping out of beef so soon made him look like he couldn’t handle the heat. However, now, it seems like Cole knew something Drake didn’t: when to quit.
At first, critics pointed to other times Kendrick has thrown shots. It didn’t have to be personal, they said, and a rap battle is distinct from rap beef. Rap battles are integral to the genre, and the fire is always friendly. But J Cole was soon proved right when Drake put his two cents in, and the battle went from a tiff about artistry to something increasingly more personal.
Drake v Kendrick, one on one
On April 19th, Drake released his first response: "Push Ups." Its notable lyrics included digs on Kendrick’s height (even though short kings are up right now) and on his TDE (Top Dawg Entertainment) record deal — namely for making him do that verse on Taylor Swift’s “Bad Blood.”
The most incensed lyrics, however, were about Kendrick’s legacy. “What's a prince to a king? He a son. / Get more love in the city that you from.” Drake implied that he was bigger physically and career-wise, “Sonning” Kendrick. But it was implying that Drake was more popular in the West Coast, where Kendrick is
Regal, that really took this beef to another level.
Known for his “Back to Back” disses, Drake doubled down days later with “Taylor Made Freestyle” — with Swift catching strays again. The title implies that Kendrick pushed back his latest release out of fear of Taylor Swift’s
Tortured Poets Department and says that Taylor’s running the music industry (kinda true).
However, the song’s controversy doesn’t end there. Drake used AI to take on the voices of Kendrick’s West Coast idols and make more jokes about Lamar not being the “West Coast savior” he thinks he is. However, the Tupac Shakur Estate threatened to sue if Drake didn’t delete the track. For those counting at home, that’s two diss tracks wiped from the internet before Kendrick could even respond.
Still with me? This is where it really gets interesting.
“Euphoria” et al
Kendrick released “Euphoria” on April 30, 2024. One of the definitive two tracks from this feud, “Euphoria,” is a six-minute saga that essentially says
you wanted to get personal? Let’s get personal. Up until this point, Kendrick’s jabs were about the music. But in “Euphoria,” he takes shots at everything imaginable about Drake: his fashion sense, his friends, his hip-hop credentials, and even his Blackness — saying no one wants to hear him say the N-Word anymore.
The more hateful the bar, the better. The most-quoted lyrics were even a reference to a DMX interview about Drake from a few years ago, implying that hip-hop legends don’t respect Drake or his posturing. “It's always been about love and hate, now let me say I'm the biggest hater,” he said before going on a tirade that put all other haters to bed and crowned Kendrick the biggest hater ever. “I hate the way that you walk, the way that you talk, I hate the way that you dress / I hate the way that you sneak diss, if I catch flight, it's gon' be direct / We hate the bitches you fuck 'cause they confuse themself with real women / And notice, I said "we," it's not just me, I'm what the culture feeling.”
Early in the morning 3 days later, Kendrick released another track: “6:16 in LA.” This song is about OVO, Drake’s team and brand, and how there might be disloyalty in the ranks. He rapped: “Have you ever thought that OVO was working for me?/ Fake bully, I hate bullies / You must be a terrible person/ Everyone inside your team is whispering that you deserve it/Can’t Toosie Slide up out of this one, it’s just gon’ resurface.”
Hours later, Drake responded to the claims about his team with claims about Lamar’s family in “Family Matters.” This, again, took the beef to another level. He made claims about infidelity and even domestic abuse in Kendrick’s relationship. While the jury is still out on whether or not these claims are true (Kendrick denied them), like anything, words are about impact, not intent. And these words got Kendrick riled up.
Now that they were talking about family, literally minutes later Kendrick released “Meet the Grahams”, making good on the line in “Euphoria”: “Don’t tell lies about me, and I won’t tell no truths about you.” He confirms that this beef won’t end with an apology, though it started with one. It’s for life. Petty king. “F**ck a rap battle, this a lifelong battle with yourself,” he raps.
“Not Like Us”: The Finisher
And in quick succession, Kendrick released the defining song of the beef — a real contender for song of the summer. “Not Like Us” compares Drake’s OVO crew to Kendrick’s West Coast crew, specifically calling them sex offenders. The cover art is an aerial photo of Drake’s Toronto hellscape of a mansion with a cluster of sex offender symbols over it. Scathing. Humiliating. And when the lyric of the summer is about your penchant for grooming young women? How will Drizzy ever recover?
He put in a valiant effort with his next track, “The Heart Pt. 6.” He came back at Kendrick’s family and even asserted that he’d fed Kendrick false information — a goofy move for a goofy man. But maybe it would’ve worked the way he wanted if not for “Not Like Us.” As it was, there was nothing he could say to top that. Kendrick was at his most spiteful, most hateful, and most talented. And the song became an instant anthem. What could Drake really do about that?
Kendrick won. Now he’s on his victory lap
For a minute, rap fans were divided. With each new track showcasing the rappers at their best, some were divided about who was winning. From the salacious revelations to the actual bars, everyone was talking about the beef and what it meant. But after the release of “Not Like Us,” even Drake fans had to agree that their man was cooked.
Even worse, they started playing “Not Like Us” and “Euphoria” on the radio. That’s how you know you’ve lost a rap battle: they play one person’s songs on repeat but never spin yours. And these were serious plays. Serious enough that “Not Like Us” debuted at No. 1 on the Hot 100 and “Euphoria” climbed to No. 3. Two songs of the summer? Sabrina Carpenter and Kendrick Lamar behavior — our short stars!
And if that weren’t enough, “Not Like Us” might even win a Grammy. When TMZ asked Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason Jr. about the track, the music mogul said: “That’s a relevant record that’s impacting on so many levels. So much creativity and talent.”
All summer, I’ve been saying that if I were
Olivia Rodrigo, I’d be sick seeing the girl who stole my boyfriend top the charts with the most infectious songs of the summer (Sabrina supremacy … hope Olivia gets her driver’s license or whatever that song was about). Similarly, if I were Drake, I’d be ill at the thought that a song so scathing was doing numbers on the charts. Especially since Drake is used to sitting pretty at No.1 in the summer. Sorry, man, not this year.
The significance of Kendrick’s Pop Out show
We’ve established that Kendrick Lamar is the most petty person that ever exists. So it should have been no surprise when he announced a show in Los Angeles on Juneteenth. To double down on the fact that, despite Drake’s claims, he does get love from his city, he dedicated the night to the West Coast by bringing out, you guessed it, his friends.
With the Pop Out concert, Lamar proved that the feud wasn’t just about taking personal shots, it was about territories. Teams. Friends. And the love you get from your city. After his status as the definitive West Coast rapper was challenged and his ties to his city were questioned, Kendrick Lamar brought out not just West Coast artists but also united members from rival gangs on stage. It was an incredible show of unity and the power of culture on Juneteenth. But imagine being Drake, and people are literally ending beef just to dance on your grave? And to make matters worse, it’s streamed live online for the world to see?
The show — and the rap beef in general — was also about proving how embedded in Black culture Kendrick is, as opposed to Drake, according to his claims. It was ultimately about the difference between pop versus rap. Pop, where Drake falls, according to Kendrick, is about individuality and topping charts. That’s why all of Drake’s shots were about making hits and having a lot of fans. Kendrick even let him have his flowers for that on “Euphoria,” saying: “I like Drake with the melodies, I don't like Drake when he act tough.” Hop-hop, as Kendrick demonstrated, is about the culture. “This ain't been about critics, not about gimmicks, not about who the greatest,” he continues.
And Kenny is not the only person in the hop-hop community who feels that way. In January, Yasiin Bey — the rapper formerly known as Mos Def — called Drake a pop artist, not a hip-hop artist. In later statements, he clarified his critique but didn’t retract it, saying: “I require more of myself and others than just talent or charm or charisma — particularly in times of urgent crisis.” As a rapper who was prominent during the 90s and early 2000s, Bey sees the artform as connective, capable of having an impact outside of a club or Target shopping aisle. “What I would like to see, in terms of creators or creative people in the world as it relates to our culture, is for people to connect with us beyond the jukebox or the dance floor.”
Kendrick’s impact has always been felt in his music. From showcasing the realities of life in Compton in
Section.80 to analyzing the cultural impact of gang violence in good kid, m.A.A.d city, and talking about Black culture in To Pimp A Butterfly, his music, videos, and performances are always reflective of Black culture and life. The Pop-Out Show showed he walked the walk, too.
Until it didn’t.
The only flaw of Kendrick’s Pop Out show: Why Dr. Dre complicates Kendrick’s legacy
There are two main headlines from The Pop Out: Ken & Friends show. The first was how Kendrick broke the record for how many times he played the same song in succession. To close the show, he played “Not Like Us” not once, not twice, but FIVE times in a row. He’s petty! He’s a hater!
Over the course of the show, and including during the encores, he also brought out West Coast artists to show his connection to his city. The surprise guest list included: YG, Tyler, The Creator, Roddy Ricch, Jay Rock, Ab-Soul, Ty Dolla $ign, Dom Kennedy, Russell Westbrook, ScHoolboy Q, Steve Lacy, Mustard, and Tommy the Clown.
However, one surprise guest tarnished the legacy and made a hypocrite out of Kendrick. Dr. Dre. Kendrick brought out Dr. Dre to perform one of his songs. Introducing Dre, he said: “It's only right that we start from day one, you know? So where would we be without our legends?”
However, although Dre was a fixture in 90s California rap, his legacy has become problematic over the last few decades. Dr. Dre has been accused by multiple women of physical assault, from writer Dee Barnes in 1991 to singer Michel’le, who was in an abusive relationship with Dre between 1990-1996. This is extra ironic because Kendrick uses a sample from Michel’le in “Like That,” but is still platforming her abuser? Rightfully, critics have pointed out this hypocrisy in the wake of spending all that time on his diss tracks rapping about the abusers in Drake’s circle.
Bringing out Dre complicated the entire message of the Pop Out. Does solidarity only exist for Black men? Does calling out abuse only matter when it’s to knock someone down a peg — not to actually hold anyone accountable or get justice? At the end of the day, what good is a community gathering that celebrates Black culture when it’s still invested in some of the same toxic protections of misogynoir?
While I’ll still be playing “Not Like Us” for what it stands for, I will continue to hope that Kendrick takes his own words to heart so I can more wholly celebrate his victory.
When it was announced that Kim Kardashian would star alongside Emma Roberts in Ryan Murphy’s
American Horror Story: Delicate, the world was a bit confused. That Kim K? Reality TV star turned influencer and fashion mogul, who became famous not for her talent but for her incessant drama…on a RYAN MURPHY SHOW?
But I kept my worries to myself, unlike the entire internet that was ripping her apart
before we saw her acting debut. Anyways. I tuned in week after week to watch Murphy’s Rosemary’s Baby-inspired show…and you know what? Kim is not the worst part about it.
Because the main thing you must remember is you can only enjoy this kind of production is to keep front and center of your mind that Kim is not an actress. She didn’t come into the public eye hoping to be the next Marilyn Monroe in terms of blockbuster movie deals. She’s a hustler — meaning she won’t turn down an opportunity to level-up financially.
If you weren’t already aware , Kim’s own reality show has been running for over 20 seasons between E!’s
Keeping Up With The Kardashians and Hulu’s The Kardashians. And every week on the show, we catch a glamorous glimpse into the life of Kim Kardashian and her famous family.
This past week, Ryan Murphy sat down with Kim and asked how she felt about a scripted show where she was the main stellar event. Yes, you read that right. Ryan Murphy approached Kim Kardashian to
continue her acting career.
And if you’re in shock…you must remember her iconic quote:
I told you earlier that Kim is a hustler…but maybe you don’t believe me. Let’s look at the facts: whether you’re a Taylor Swift-supporter who vehemently despises the Kardashians or not, Kim has a similar work ethic to Taylor Swift — they do not stop, darlin.
Kim currently has two brands: SKKN, her skincare and beauty line, and Skims, the leading shapewear and loungewear brand in the industry. As previously mentioned, she stars on The Kardashians alongside her mother and sisters: Kris, Kylie, Kendall, Kourtney, and Khloe.
Then there’s her stint in the fashion industry — an ambassador for controversial brand Balenciaga, constantly seen front row at Fashion Week sitting next to
Vogue Editor-in-Chief, the highly-regarded and highly-feared Anna Wintour.
And there’s no doubt that we’re dealing with one of the most
criticized families in America. They’re the closest thing we’ve got to our own Royal Family, and thousands flock to social media to denounce their promotion of tatty products and unrealistic body expectations.
It shouldn’t surprise anyone when Kim Kardashian dips her toe into a new profession. She’s already checked reality TV star, lawyer, entrepreneur, mother, and model off her list…why is acting so shocking?
So here we are, in the “acceptance” phase of grief. Kim Kardashian will be starring in Ryan Murphy’s show (again) so you may as well get to know the plot. The show, which is currently untitled, will follow Kim as Los Angeles’ most successful divorce lawyer leading an all-female team.
While the role seems perfect for Kardashian — her father was a famous superpower litigant and she’s in law school herself…Murphy has been drawing together something of a dream-team cast to support her. That includes a glam bevy of A-list actresses who will be Kim’s team of lawyers. And….there’s even a love interest.
And I’m sure we’re all thinking the same thing:
but she can’t really act, can she? No. But neither can most nepo babies out there…and yet, we let them.
We’re living in a culture where the contrarian point of view is all that claims our attention. Being a hater is cool. And yet, I find myself empathizing with the Kar-Jenner clan. Wouldn’t you also grasp at straws to continue your legacy of influence and riches?
If you truly look deep inside, you may realize that we’d do it too if it meant a big fat paycheck…we simple folk simply don’t get those opportunities.
Nepotism - noun - the practice among those with power or influence of favoring relatives, friends, or associates, especially by gifting them jobs.
Before
Taylor Swift, Travis Kelce was a superstar in the NFL world. The go-to tight end on the Patrick Mahomes-led Kansas City Chiefs, the most recent dominating football franchise since Tom Brady and the New England Patriots.
And sure, Travis Kelce is a nine time Pro Bowler and seven time All-Pro selection with four of those being first team nods. He
may hold the record for most consecutive and overall seasons with 1000 receiving yards (seven seasons strong)...but what the heck does Travis Kelce know about acting?
Reports indicate that Travis Kelce will be acting in none other than a Ryan Murphy original. Yes,
that Ryan Murphy - the creator of shows like American Horror Story, Dahmer, and Glee…The Ryan Murphy who has 38 Primetime Emmy noms (and six wins), two Grammy’s and a Tony - just cast football professional and boyfriend of Taylor Swift in a scripted television series.
Which TV Show Is Travis Kelce Starring In?
The show is called
Grotesquerie, and will also star Niecy Nash-Betts(who previously worked with Murphy on Dahmer) and Courtney B. Vance (who you may recognize from Murphy’s American Crime Story: The People v. O.J. Simpson).
Nash-Betts confirmed the news in an Instagram shortly after
People reported Travis Kelce’s premier acting endeavor. She says,
"Guys, guess who I am working with on
Grotesquerie?" the actress teased before showing Kelce, who said, "Jumping into new territory with Niecy!"
Judging by the teaser Ryan Murphy shared, a phone call from Niecey Nash warns of something bad happening that only her character can see.
And while Ryan Murphy has a habit of including unlikely stars in his shows (think Kim Kardashian in
AHS), Travis Kelce’s inclusion begs a bigger question:
Is Trav the world’s first nepo boyfriend?
After the
nepotism baby exposure that led countless celebrities to unnecessarily defend their names, we learned a ton about the state of the industry. Publications like Rolling Stone are riddled with nepo babies whose famed parents landed them the internship. Your favorite actor, singer, model, etc. is most likely a descendant of your mom’s favorite actor, singer, or model.
But the thing is, we already
know that Kate Hudson is Kurt Russell and Goldie Hawn’s kid. We know Lily Rose Depp’s parents…and the Jenners…and Angelina Jolie…and Miley Cyrus…I could go on. The point is, we didn’t care.
In today’s entertainment industry, it’s hard
not to find a nepo baby. But as long as they’re good at what they choose to do, no one cares. Which is why I worry for Travis Kelce.
Travis is the face of brand deals galore. Especially since his
New Heights podcast (alongside his brother and fellow NFL icon, Jason Kelce) is the hottest sports podcast on socials right now. Dating Taylor Swift may have been the best thing to happen to the Travis Kelce brand in general, because now he gets to go beyond sports and into bigger realms.
The 34-year-old KC Chiefs’ tight end’s previous TV endeavors include a cringe-worthy dating show called
Catching Kelce and hosting Are You Smarter Than A Fifth Grader?
So, yes, the question must be raised: can Travis even act? If we’re being completely honest, I can’t guarantee that answer. Murphy has a way of making any non-actor
(see: Kardashian) into a passable star with camp lines and witty delivery…but I’m worried about Kelce.
Let’s all admit that when he began dating Swift, Travis Kelce got catapulted into superstardom as the
First Boyfriend of The Era’s Tour… But have we taken it too far by launching an acting career? Is there a time when we should stay in our respective lanes?
I’m all for Travis getting the recognition he deserves..and I think the Kelces are
our Royal Family…but I’d rather see a Keeping Up With The Kelces moment than watch Travis potentially fail at acting.
What would make sense? Travis Kelce in couture runway settings, or collaborating with high fashion brands to create exclusive lines. Travis and his family having their own reality show. Expanding their football empire in a number of ways.
What doesn’t really make sense? Casting Travis in Ryan Murphy’s Grotesquerie…but you bet I’ll be tuning in anyway.
They wouldn't shake their heads and question how much of this I deserve
What I was wearing, if I was rude
Could all be separated from my good ideas and power moves
Taylor Swift, “The Man”
When
Barbie premiered in July, women felt seen in the cinema — perhaps for the first time in forever. Greta Gerwig’s Barbie was more than a beginner’s feminist manifesto, but also a meditation on what it means to be both a woman and mother in today’s world. It was a gentle reminder that maybe we’re all simply trying our best — and that our best is enough.
It also encourages women to celebrate each other more. The Barbie effect had us all wearing pink, emulating Margot Robbie’s cowboy-chic style, and referring to men as our “Kens.” And with help from Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour, her friendship bracelets, and her sense of community, women were winning. It’s the first year in history that women dominated the Billboard Hot 100 — twice (thanks to Swift and her Midnights and 1989 (Taylor’s Version) album). Like I said, it’s a good year to be a woman.
This celebration of women and our successes is long overdue, but the promising news is that it isn’t slowing down.
Barbie’s feminist wave has shifted how we accept ourselves (and others) as women.
So it’s no surprise that women are raking in awards this year too, dominating the Grammy nominations and more. We hail celebrities for all sorts of achievements: Patrick Dempsey is
People’s Sexiest Man Alive (deserved), Taylor Swift is the world leader (they literally projected her welcome onto Christ the Redeemer), and Austin Butler is Best Elvis (because somehow we have multiple).
And one of the buzziest celeb awards is run by
GQ (short for Gentlemen’s Quarterly), whose “Men Of The Year” award is a highlight of every fall/winter. Similar to TIME’s 100 list, GQ likes to celebrate those who have taken the world by storm annually.
This year, the recipient of the Man of the Year award is none other than
Kim Kardashian…and they’re not wrong.
Kim has been taking her empire to new heights in 2023: building on the 2022 launch of her
SKKN-care line, breaking ground with Skims’ Men’s campaign, the Nipple Bra, and becoming the official partner of the NBA/WNBA, working on prison reform, filming The Kardashians on Hulu, starring alongside Emma Roberts in Ryan Murphy’s American Horror Story as Siobhan Corbyn, I could go on.
Calling someone “the man” has now become synonymous with “a winner.” Saying “you’re the man” is a sign of their success. And though this might have problematic roots, women are reclaiming the term — like the Taylor Swift song.
And in the grand scheme of things: Kim Kardashian is the man.
Some hard-working men get the title alongside Kim in the
GQ issue. The other MOTY honorees include Jacob Elordi (AKA Elvis #2, who’s starring in blockbusters like Sofia Coppola’s Priscilla and Saltburn alongside Barry Keoghan), Buffalo Bills’ safety Damar Hamlin, designer-turned-filmmaker Tom Ford, and Travis Scott. But you have to admit that Kim hasn’t come up for air this year.
It’s right there for us to see in episodes of
The Kardashians: Kim flying from country to country for another event on her booked and busy schedule. She’s literally everywhere at once, officiating recently divorced Chris Appleton and Lukas Gage’s wedding, shooting countless magazine covers and promo shoots for her growing enterprise, opening a Skims pop up here, and shooting an episode of AHS there.
Is there anything she can’t do?
Meet The Previous Recipients Of GQ’s Men of the Year
Kim Kardashian is one of the few women to grace the cover of
GQ’s Man of the Year edition. Technically dubbed “Tycoon of the Year”, acknowledging her business successes over the past few years (and for the gender neutrality of it all)- Kardashian joins a host of some of the most famous men in the world. Let’s take a look at the past five years:
2022: Brendan Fraser, Andrew Garfield
2021: Lil Nas X, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Tom Holland
2020: Megan Thee Stallion, George Clooney, Trevor Noah
2019: Jennifer Lopez, Tyler, The Creator, Robert DeNiro, Al Pacino
2018: Michael B. Jordan, Henry Golding, Jonah Hill
Women are normally recognized during the Men of the Year ceremonies, as it is a celebration of all people who emulated pop culture that year…however, no year has celebrated women quite like 2023.
The Men of the Year Awards 2023 were held on November 15 at London’s Royal Opera House where cover stars like Jeremy Allen White, boygenius, and Kardashian were in attendance.
Other female recipients included Megan Thee Stallion and Rihanna, who have paved their own paths in both the music and fashion industry. Rihanna with her Savage x Fenty inclusive lingerie line and Fenty Beauty has been changing the makeup and underwear game for a while now. Megan Thee Stallion is coming off a high-profile trial that she won against Tory Lanez, under immense public scrutiny, has become a figure for mental health and domestic violence while still creating hit records.
It’s one of the most female-dominated
GQ events we’ve seen, which is a pattern. The GRAMMY Award nominations just rolled out with so many female artists nominated, you’d think it’s a record. In the top three categories, female acts make up seven out of eight nominees.
This year, women are the man. It’s an exciting, uplifting time when we get to celebrate with each other instead of tearing one another down. Kim K is just one more example of the
Barbie effect.
In case you missed it, the less important version of the Oscars was last night! The Golden Globes were three and a half arduous hours of acceptance speeches and praise for what felt like the same three movies and shows. If you didn’t get to see the entire awards ceremony, don’t worry. I sure did. Let me catch you up.
For starters: Austin Butler. No surprise here, Butler won best Actor in a Drama Motion Picture for Elvis. I mean, with a voice permanently stuck in Elvis’ cadence, you’d hope he gets his recognition.
Austin Butler
David Fisher/Shutterstock
There were several awards given to the cast of Abbott Elementary, but the real award of the night goes to Tyler James Williams’ power pantsuit. Quinta Brunson’s mid-speech shoutout to a front-row Brad Pitt will forever live in my memory.
Tyler James Williams
Chris Pizzello/AP/Shutterstock
We’ve all learned that what makes these shows bearable is inviting Jennifer Coolidge and handing her the mic. After warning the crowd that pronunciation wasn’t her strongsuit, the White Lotus favorite stole the show with quite the tearjerker.
With equally iconic speeches from herself and creator, Mike White, Coolidge credits White for getting her neighbors to speak to her again and giving her life even though he killed her off in the show. Similarly, Mike White called out the audience for “passing on” White Lotus originally.
What a year it was for streaming TV shows. Hopeful nominees like Jenna Ortega (Wednesday), Evan Peters (Dahmer), Selena Gomez (Only Murders in the Building), and Jeremy Allen White (The Bear) were notable names in the crowd. Both Jeremy Allen White and Evan Peters received their first-ever Golden Globe.
Michelle Yeoh
CAROLINE BREHMAN/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock
Movies like The Fabelman’s, The Banshees of Inisherin, and Everything, Everywhere, All At Once took home multiple awards. My personal favorite speeches came from Michelle Yeoh and Ke Huy Quan, who spoke about second chances in the industry. Yeoh even threatened physical violence when the music turned on to usher her off stage.
And with the season opener of Awards Season behind us, it’s time to buckle up. We’re just getting started.
image C/O Daily Mail 
POPULAR NEWS
