Latest news with #Supremes'
Yahoo
02-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
JADE at Mighty Hoopla review: Already the stuff of main pop girl legend
'It's no Saturdays megamix…' quipped Jade Thirlwall onstage at London's Mighty Hoopla yesterday, after an energetic, top-tier Little Mix medley that sent Brockwell Park into meltdown. A stand-up comic couldn't have scripted a better, more perfectly contextualised joke: no shade to the Saturdays, whose back catalogue is near-unsurpassed in quality; it's just the world-conquering, 10-year-spanning oeuvre of Little Mix is simply unparalleled. In less capable hands, this whistle-stop store of the band's best moments – 'Sweet Melody', 'Touch', 'Shout Out To My Ex'; she earlier performers fan favourite 'Wasabi' in its entirety – all reworked so as to sound fresher, but with the lightest of touches so as not to taint their essence, might have overshadowed the rest of the set. A plausible Little Mix reunion certainly would have done. Jade, however, is a straight A student of pop, and intentional in everything she does. Her cowgirl outfit was a nod to the Supremes' Diana Ross, for heaven's sake. Thus, this was a statement of solo star power, and possibly the most exciting moment Hoopla has ever seen. Exhaustive choreo, grand, futuristic production and Adele-level charisma between songs – we could listen to Jade say 'Houplah!' in Geordie twang all day long – this was a big, big swing, and in the end, more than the sum of its parts. It's hard to believe the nine-song set was so short, and that we were in a park in south London. It felt like we were in an arena with the roof blown off. You could almost sense the collective support of girl band members gone solo before her – Destiny's Child, the Spice Girls, the Sugababes – propelling her forward. Although, unlike many of these women, Jade is going decidedly against the grain, and what she has to offer is all the more compelling for it. 'If I don't win, I'm in the bin, you say you never knew me, but when I pop off you sue me,' she sang on chaotic first single 'Angel of My Dreams', with an arch self-awareness suggesting that, actually, if she measures success on her own terms, she can't lose. And so, like that one daring member of many a girl band, she's charting a course that's miles left of centre. This zany, unpredictable set – club-ready visuals Charli XCX would approve of; dancers in tutus regardless of gender; walls of electronic sound flipping to a cappella moments – reflected that choice. For all the bells and whistles, however, it's the technical prowess of Jade's voice – think Disney Princess gone rogue – that impresses most. She flaunts full-throated volume on 'FUFN' but sends an eerie hush across the 60,000-strong crowd with her operatic control on a soaring cover of Madonna's 'Frozen'. (Who else would dare?!) As for that complicated Sandie Shaw 'Puppet on a String' vocal run on 'Angel of My Dreams' – it's even better live. (Again, who else would dare?!) She played one unreleased song, 'Plastic Box', but we were whipped into too much of a frenzy to make mental notes about it, except to say it slams. We really couldn't be more excited for Jade's upcoming album That's Showbiz Baby, for her music has an essentially queer sensibility: rather than trying to appeal to everyone, it appeals to a minority. A cool, intelligent, edgy, kind, ascended minority, if we do say so ourselves. And while the LGBTQ community is not solely that minority, we definitely make up a large swathe of it. We embrace her, she embraces us, and so last night the love-in brought Jade to tears. The energy was off the scale. Her allyship remains unmatched: nothing could have prepared us for the moment when, while leading a chant to introduce the F-bomb-tastic 'FUFN', she called out JK Rowling. It was a rock star moment that made the hair on the back of the arms stand on end. The backbone and the grit of this woman, when so many of us are running scared and feeling the walls closing in on us, when so many of our allies are losing their nerve, is breathtaking. It's superhero stuff in the vein of Judy Garland in the 70s and Madonna in the 80s and 90s, and won't be forgotten. The post JADE at Mighty Hoopla review: Already the stuff of main pop girl legend appeared first on Attitude.
Yahoo
05-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Drag Race's Top 4 RuVealed: Which Queen Will Win Season 17? And Who Should Win?
And then there were four. Following a dramatic lip sync battle to Diana Ross & the Supremes' 'Love Child,' Suzie Toot was sent tapping into oblivion on Friday's episode of RuPaul's Drag Race, leaving just four queens in the running to win Season 17. Participating in the grand finale on April 18 (MTV, 8/7c), we have the polished Jewels Sparkles, the versatile Lexi Love, the hilarious Onya Nurve and the stunning Sam Star — a perfect Top 4, as far as I'm concerned. In fact, it would be hard to argue that any other queens belong in this elite group, though I'm sure Suzie is currently writing a one-woman show about how she was wrongfully eliminated. More from TVLine Liza Minnelli Making Drag Race Debut in Season 17 Grand Finale - First Look Drag Race's Latest Twist Ending Was Predicted by Daya Betty Who Is Drag Race's 'Piggy of the Week'? It Doesn't Mean What You Think! (Exclusive Sneak Peek) So, which queen do we think will snatch the crown? Looking at the numbers, Onya leads the pack with four challenge wins, followed by Sam with three, and Lexi and Jewels with two. But just like the final round of Mario Party, it doesn't matter how many stars you've earned along the way — anyone can come out a winner, baby. That's because the finale is a non-stop lip sync battle, and we know that all four of these queens can hold their own on the dance floor. We've seen Sam, Jewels and Onya wipe the floor with other queens to keep themselves in the competition (twice for Sam and Jewels). And while Lexi has never had to battle for her life, per se, we did see her lip sync against Crystal Envy in the season premiere — and she's good. It depends on which queens are paired together in the lip syncs, but my prediction is that either Onya or Lexi will be named America's Next Drag Superstar, and I wouldn't object to either outcome. To me, Onya has always carried herself as someone who believes she's going to win, while Lexi has always carried herself as someone who already won. It's reminiscent of how I felt about Sasha Colby back in Season 15. Don't get me wrong, I won't be disappointed if Jewels or Sam pulls off a surprise win. This is a rare season in which I basically love everyone in the Top 4, and that includes both of these stunners. They've already proven me wrong with their versatility in the competition, as I initially underestimated them as mere look queens, so it's entirely possible that I'll end up eating my words once again. And while we're talking about winners, which Season 17 queen should take home the title of Miss Congeniality? Kori King is a definite contender, with all the positive energy she brought to the Werk Room. But I could also see this one going to Southern sweetheart Sam, or even Hormona Lisa, or perhaps Lydia B-hole Kollins. The only thing I know for sure is that it won't be Arrietty. No matter how this shakes out, it's guaranteed to be a fierce final face-off. But as we've seen countless times on Drag Race, the queen we think should win isn't always the queen we think will win. So cast your vote in our polls below, then drop a comment with your predictions for the Season 17 finale. Best of TVLine Summer TV Calendar: Your Guide to 85+ Season and Series Premieres Classic Christmas Movies Guide: Where to Watch It's a Wonderful Life, Miracle on 34th Street, Elf, Die Hard and Others What's New on Netflix in June
