Can We Try Putting 2025 in Rice? (Beyoncé, Heidi Montag, TikTok Ban, and More)

What is in the air this week!? From the TikTok ban to Heidi Montag’s music career renaissance, 2025 is off to quite the start…

Jan 16, 2025

We’re two weeks into 2025 and all I have to say is:

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We all knew January would be a little rocky due to the impending TikTok ban and He Who Must Not Be Named becoming president next week, but nothing could have prepared any of us for the circus this year has been thus far. Once again, I want to send my love to everyone affected by the fires in Los Angeles. As someone who makes living in New York City his entire personality trait, my heart aches watching this city that so many people call home get wiped out. I shared a few resources in this weekend’s newsletter and encourage you all (if you have the means) to donate or share the links to Americares or the LA Fire Department to help give back in a time like this.

All of that being said, I hope my podcast can be an escape into the pop culture stratosphere for anyone who needs it, so let’s get into this week’s episode.

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Thoughts, Comments, and Concerns on the TikTok Ban

It appears that this is our last week with TikTok unless somebody shells out a LOT of money by Sunday. As sad as I am to see this app go, I do think it will be back within a few months. I’ve worked in social media marketing my entire professional career and have never seen an app with an algorithm that works the way this one does. Honestly? I don’t know if our country can afford to not have TikTok from a business standpoint solely based on the way it’s made so many businesses (big and small) grow. Time will well!

Beyoncé postpones January 14th announcement due to LA fires

When I went to bed on Monday night, I felt like a kid on Christmas because I thought I’d be waking up to whatever Beyoncé had up her sleeve for the January 14th announcement. Spoiler alert: the announcement is postponed to a ‘later date.’ Now, of course, I completely understand her pushing this off out of respect for the victims of the LA fires; I mean it doesn’t hit closer to home than Ms. Tina losing her Malibu home, but of course, I’m a little bummed that we don’t know what she was planning.

beyonce

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I’m standing by my theory of this announcement being Cowboy Carter-related. I just don’t think it makes sense to announce a new album right before the Grammys when she currently holds the record for the most Grammy-nominated album of all time. I’m leaning towards the announcement being a tour, a residency, or a BTS Beyoncé Bowl documentary. There’s a leaked tour date floating around Twitter for September 12th at Soldier Field in Chicago which could of course be fake, but who knows what she’s cooking up for us. Only time will tell!

Heidi Montag Hits No. 1 on iTunes as Spencer Pratt asks fans to stream her music

Heidi Montag and Spencer Pratt are pop culture cockroaches (complimentary). No matter how much time passes they always find a way back into the headlines, but this time I’m thrilled to see them making waves.

After losing their Pacific Palisades home in the fire last week, Spencer took to his social channels to encourage users to stream Heidi’s 2010 album ‘Superficial’ to help them gain some revenue to rebuild their home. Since he started this campaign, the internet has been rallying behind Heidi, and has made the album go number one on iTunes, had two songs chart in the iTunes top 10 and is aiming for a spot on the Billboard Hot 200 chart this week. It’s moments like these where I truly love the internet.

One of my favorite of their many staged paparazzi shoots

All of this Speidi chat reminded me of the early days of Twitter when the two of them were making headlines every other hour for their staged paparazzi photoshoots, I posted about how annoying I thought they were. Within minutes, I was blocked by them both. As a 13-year-old, pop culture obsessed, gay boy - I was devastated. I’m thrilled to announce that we’ve officially made amends in my TikTok comments this week (they unblocked me years ago LOL)

Megan thee Stallion granted a restraining order against Tory Lanez

One thing about me? I will ride for Megan thee Stallion until the day I die, so you can imagine how thrilled I was when I learned that she has officially been granted a restraining order against Tory Lanez.

We all remember where we were when the news broke that Megan had been shot in the foot outside Kylie Jenner’s house by Tory Lanez in 2020. It was such a crazy day on the internet watching so many people accuse Megan of lying and rallying behind Tory. Fast forward to 2022, Tory was convicted of assault with a semiautomatic firearm, having a loaded, unregistered firearm in a vehicle, and discharging a firearm with gross negligence and sentenced to 10 years in jail. Apparently, putting him behind bars wasn’t enough to leave my girl alone because last month, she filed for a restraining order against him because he’d been harassing her while serving time. What a loser. During her testimony, she stated, "I feel like maybe he'll shoot me again, and maybe this time I won't make it.”

The restraining order has been granted and will last until early 2030 and will hopefully give her some peace of mind for the next few years.

Timothee Chalamet is set for double-duty SNL

It’s always exciting when SNL announces someone will be joining the double-duty SNL club and the newest member of the club? Timothee Chalamet! There’s no denying Timmy has had his fair share of iconic SNL moments during his two previous hosting gigs, but this will mark his musical guest debut.

This is clearly part of the marketing campaign for his most recent role as Bob Dylan in ‘A Complete Unknown’, which makes this appearance incredibly interesting to me. Timothee doesn’t have any original music (no, his high school talent show performances as Lil Timmy Tim don’t count) which means he’ll be covering Bob Dylan’s music during his performance. As excited as I am to see him back in Studio 8H, I do get PTSD to Austin Butler’s Elvis press tour that lasted years too long after he “couldn’t shake the accent.”

Also, Bob Dylan is alive…why not have him perform as the musical guest!? It just seems strange to me, but I’ll be tuned in and cheering for Lil Timmy Tim on January 25th.

Justin Bieber unfollows Scooter Braun and Usher amid retirement rumors

Justin Bieber has been making headlines for some interesting Instagram activity this past week. In the last few days, he’s unfollowed some integral people from the early days of his career, including Scooter Braun (loser), Usher, Allison Kaye, his former manager, Kenny Hamilton, his former bodyguard, and Ryan Good, his former stylist + one of his old producers. All of this comes with the rumors that he’s gearing up for a Justin Bieber Eras Tour and or announcing his retirement from music.

I didn’t think much of this until he unfollowed his mentor, Usher, which made some red flags go off in my mind because of the fact that Diddy was once Usher’s mentor and once Diddy was arrested last year, videos of Diddy patting Justin down to make sure he wasn’t wearing a mic before leaving his mansion. Very strange…

Since recording this week’s episode, Justin seems to be teasing a new project on his Instagram stories. I guess we have to add him to our anticipated album in 2025!?