Dearest Gentle Reader,
This author has recently finished the second part of “Bridgerton” season three and is elated to share the pop culture news with you from the past three weeks. While other Madison students are enjoying their time outside during this parching summer, this author has indulged in yet another rewatch of “Arcane” and scoured social media for the most recent buzz.
Yours truly,
DJ Stingray
New Minecraft series on Netflix to be made
Minecraft recently announced that they will be making a series with Netflix. The series is expected to be an animated series about a set of original characters. It is currently in development, according to Minecraft.
The second part of “Bridgerton” season three is released
The long-awaited second part of “Bridgerton” season three has been released on Netflix! [Spoilers ahead] Lady Whistledown's identity is revealed to the town, which puts strains on her relationship with her new husband and friendships. While many viewers thought Eloise Bridgerton would be queer, it is hinted that Benedict and Francesca Bridgerton are bisexual. Not only does the show seem to embrace their queer characters, but it also explores polyamorous relationships through Benedict.
While this author has personal opinions about Colin Bridgerton and Cressida Cowper, I'll leave it up to you to decide how you like the new season.
NCT members encourage fans to boycott an NCTxStarbucks collab
SM Entertainment and Starbucks recently announced that NCT, one of SM's more popular boy groups, would be collaborating with Starbucks for a new line of merchandise. However, many fans weren't as excited as SM probably hoped they'd be. Across NCT's subunits (NCT Dream, NCT 127 and WayV), NCT has lost millions of followers due to the collaboration.
Several NCT members have allegedly encouraged their fans to boycott — due to the international boycott of Starbucks to show support for Palestine — but it's hard to tell whether or not they're actually encouraging a boycott. SM, like many K-Pop companies, can control what their artists post on social media. Taeyong, NCT 127's leader, posted on his Instagram story with his few minutes of phone time in the military, only saying “boycott.” The story was shortly removed. WinWin, a WayV member, captioned one of his Instagram post with watermelon emojis, which has commonly been used to show support for Palestine. Renjun, a NCT Dream member, also told his fans to boycott through his story with a coffee, heartbreak, and X emoji.
Whether or not these three members actually meant to tell their fans to boycott or not, the aftermath has been seen through many fans sending emails to SM, telling them to stop the collab and to boycott instead.
Ticketmaster faces a cyber attack
In the beginning of June, Ticketmaster confirmed that a group of data hackers stole the personal information of 560 million customers. ShinyHunters is the group that claims responsibility for the attack, stating that the stolen data includes names, addresses, phone numbers and partial credit card details.
The hacking group is demanding a $500,000 ransom payment to prevent them from selling the data to other parties. Concerned individuals have been changing their passwords in attempts to shield their card information being stolen.
“Moana 2” trailer is released
The trailer for “Moana 2” has been released. The movie is set to be released on November 27, 2024. According to the trailer and teasers, Moana will be journeying to the seas of Oceania after receiving a call from her ancestors.
Charli XCX releases ‘Brat', fans accuse Taylor Swift of blocking her
Charli XCX released her new studio album ‘Brat', which has received high praise from fans. However, fans have been upset about how Taylor Swift released new versions of ‘The Tortured Poet Department' at the same time, claiming that Taylor Swift constantly wants to be on the charts and is purposely blocking Charli XCX from success on the charts.
This isn't the first time Taylor Swift has been accused of being chart-hungry; when Billie Eilish released her most recent album, fans claimed Swift did the exact same thing.
Meanwhile, this author finds ‘Brat' and ‘Hit Me Hard and Soft' to be some of the best albums of the summer, so far.
EXO-CBX files a lawsuit against SM Entertainment
EXO-CBX, a subunit of EXO composed of members Chen, Baekhyun and Xiumin, has filed a lawsuit against their company SM Entertainment. The members announced that they will reveal all details about SM in addition to their lawsuit for unpaid settlements.
The conflict between the members and SM began when the three filed to terminate their contracts with SM after previously renewing their contracts. Baekhyun established his own agency called INB100 in January, and he recruited Chen and Xiumin as label artists. Afterward, the three held a press conference to talk about the unfairness of SM's contracts — specifically stating that they weren't paid the promised distribution fees.
JoJo Siwa performs at several Pride festivals
JoJo Siwa is making her rounds of performances at Pride festivals, including the upcoming Chicago Pride Festival. While this author is not quite sure why she's performing, as her newest song doesn't even really have her vocals, fans seem to enjoy seeing JoJo Siwa prance around the stage and give various mini speeches.