This week in pop culture, fans are still waiting for the other shoe to drop from both the Clinton Kane/Brooke Schofield drama and the Madeline Argy/Ice Spice/Central Cee beef. While we wait for several individuals' responses, there's some new music and revivals of faces we thought we wouldn't see for a while.
Cody Ko called out
YouTuber Cody Ko is under fire currently for allegedly sleeping with fellow YouTuber Tana Mongeau when she was underage. Fans have called out Cody for what they call questionable behavior over the past few years, such as filming a video all about Emma Chamberlain hitting a vape for the first time. Specifically, there is now a video circulating around of YouTuber Gabbi Hanna discussing an incident on a different podcast—which fans assume is about Tana and Cody—where Gabbi said that she saw a guy kissing a girl, told him the girl was underaged, and later found out he slept with her.
Now, Tana has openly said on several occasions that Cody slept with her when she was only 17. This begs the question: why aren't fans taking Tana as seriously as they do other individuals in the same situation? Tana is certainly not the most liked person on the internet, as she is often blunt and talks about drama, but that doesn't make Cody Ko's actions any more okay.
Cody Ko hasn't responded to any of the allegations, so far. People speculate Cody is trying to get U.S. citizenship as he's married to a woman named Kelsey, who lives in the U.S. Could these allegations affect the process? Will Cody's wife speak out at all?
NCT 127's album is warmly welcomed by fans
One of the fans in question: me. K-Pop group NCT 127 released their sixth full album, ‘WALK' on July 15. This album has been highly anticipated by fans because the group's leader Taeyong is currently in the military — meaning, he can't participate in promotional materials but is still on the album versions of the songs. NCT 127 is known for their experimental sound and ‘neo-pop' in South Korea, and their lead single ‘Walk' has hip hop and experimental vibes.
There has been some discourse on the choice of the lead single, as there doesn't seem to be a turning point in the song (typically, NCT drastically changes their sound around ¾ of the way through their lead song). But, the song is undeniably catchy, and it's been doing exceptionally well in South Korea.
My favorite song off the album? I'm so glad you asked (or didn't)! The answer: Gas.
Stray Kids' new comeback eats
K-Pop group Stray Kids had their comeback on July 19 for their newest album ‘ATE'. It is no secret that Stray Kids has been taking the world by a storm, even appearing on the upcoming soundtrack for “Deadpool & Wolverine.”
The lead single, Chk Chk Boom has hip hop and Latin-pop sounds to it, and it is a very typical Stray Kids type of song. Not only do the songs have experimental hip hop vibes, but the lyrics also call back to their older music. For example, one lyric calls back on their pre-debut single ‘Hellevator.'
While there has been discourse on whether or not this comeback is a fan favorite, it seems to be sticking with long-term fans after a few listens to Chk Chk Boom. Me? I'm just appreciating Felix's long hair (thank you JYP for not cutting his hair) and Changbin's fun, unique raps.
JoJo Siwa reveals pregnancy plans
Although no one asked, JoJo Siwa has told Page Six that she plans to have triplets in the next couple of years. She specifically said that she wants to have triplets through three separate surrogates.
The dancer also recently released her newest single, ‘Guilty Pleasure,' which hasn't been getting the same kind of attention as ‘KARMA' did when it was released. In fact, ‘KARMA' is currently one of the most disliked music videos of 2024 on YouTube!
Armie Hammer still defends his cannibal accusations
Armie Hammer, who is most known for being in “Call Me By Your Name” with Timothée Chalamet and being accused of being a rapist and cannibal, is still attempting to return to Hollywood. He appeared on a podcast episode and lightly talked about it, and he recently was interviewed by Variety about the cannibal claims.
Now, Armie is saying that his comments about eating women don't make him a cannibal. In fact, he said that he “doesn't think that's any different than when someone looks at a baby and goes, ‘Oh, my God, look at those cute little fat legs, I just want to eat you up.'” Does that comment make this situation any better, though? Comments are saying that Armie is just making it worse for himself, as this really isn't a good analogy to use when talking about potentially being a cannibal.
South Korea makes a step forward in LGBTQ+ rights
South Korea's supreme court recently upheld a landmark ruling saying that same-sex couples are entitled to spousal health insurance benefits. This is a big step forward for South Korea, as it is often called an incredibly homophobic and transphobic country.
This decision set a precedent going forward for future decisions surrounding LGBTQ+ rights, such as legalizing same-sex marriage.
