Another Paris fashion week rolls around and up pops up another viral celebrity outfit. There are the understated…and the outlandish. Think Kylie Jenner’s lion and Doja Cat’s literal head-to-toe Swarovski look...but that's sooo yesterday's news.

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Music Features

Remembering Prince, Who Dissolved Gender and Redefined Star Power

A Prince tribute airs tonight in honor of the four-year anniversary of the icon's death.

Prince was born on June 7, 1958 in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

By the time he died exactly four years ago today, he'd released 23 albums, redefined the color purple, and ingrained himself within the legacy of pop music forever.

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TV Lists

Was “Saturday Night Live at Home” Better Than the Usual Show?

In a world increasingly moving away from traditional TV formats, maybe this is the way the show should be.

When's the last time you actually watched an episode of Saturday Night Live all the way through?

If you're younger than 60, you probably consume the iconic short form comedy show mostly in clips shared on the Internet. It used to be that fans would have to watch the entirety of the broadcast to see the few comedic gems amidst the mediocre filler, but now all you have to do is wait for your social media algorithms to decide which skits are worth your time. This has had the affect of making SNL much less about the flow of the entire show and much more about the individual skits and bits. Now, thanks to the coronavirus pandemic, this is more true than ever.

For the first time ever, SNL aired a special non-live version of the show this past weekend. All of the skits were pre-recorded in the comedian's various homes. Tom Hanks hosted, which only consisted of an opening monologue, introducing the musical act, Chris Martin, and a good-bye. Tons of famous SNL alums and other regulars made appearances, including Larry David, Alec Baldwin, Fred Armisen, and more.

This version of SNL was not the polished, high-budget production audiences are used to. Instead, it was simpler, messier, and incredibly charming. One might even argue that in removing all the usual frills of the show, the "At Home" version allowed the brilliant comedic talent of the SNL cast to shine in a way that isn't usually possible.

One thing is definite: We got way more viral, ultra-sharable clips than usual. So maybe this is the future of skit comedy: shorter, simpler bits ready to be shared online. Whether you preferred this version of SNL or not, it's definitely worth checking out some of the show's highlights.

5. Tom Hanks Opening Monologue

Tom Hanks hosts 1st remote 'Saturday Night Live' at home l GMAwww.youtube.com


4. Larry David as Bernie Sanders

Bernie Sanders Address - SNLyoutu.be


3. Kate Mckinnon RBG Workout

RBG Workout - SNLyoutu.be


2. Zoom Call

Zoom Call - SNLvia YouTube.com


1. Quarantine Masterclass With Timothée Chalamet

MasterClass Quarantine Edition - SNLyoutu.be

MUSIC

Beck's "Hyperspace" Drags at Times, But Who Cares?

The man is a legend that we're not worthy of critiquing

Beck

Chances are no two reviewers have the same opinion about Beck Hansen.

After all, malleability has always been Hansen's superpower. His seemingly endless capacity for amalgamating genres makes it impossible for music journalists to review his work without seeming pretentious. While Morning Phase and Sea Change are (almost) unanimously considered his greatest triumphs, critics have remained divided on what constitutes Beck's worst album. Some think it to be the oddball psychedelic folk-hop of Stereopathetic Soulmanure, while others think the satirical, lo-fi, anti-folk of One Foot In The Grave is well-deserving of the title. In Pitchfork's case, 2017's Colors sucks, but even then, the album was universally lauded and spawned two major GRAMMY victories.

With that said, Beck's Hyperspace is a rather vanilla release from the polymath, considering his rampant experimentation in the past. The project is filled with profound moments that will impress some critics and leave others unphased. It follows a thematic steadiness similar to Colors in that it is one singular mood. Colors was unbridled in its blistering euphoria, while Hyperspace is a thick cloud of bitter nostalgia, heartbreak, and melancholy. It's wrapped in the lush lo-fi production chops of Pharrell Williams, but the project never seems to breathe and ascend above the clouds it creates.

Beck - Uneventful Dayswww.youtube.com

Beck wants to remain under his cloud for now, and the album slowly caves under its one-sided emotional baggage. "You threw the keys to the kingdom, over a skyscraper wall, sowing seeds somewhere obsolete in the everlasting nothing," he sings over 808's on the dreary album closer. There are stagnant/tepid moments on Hyperspace that are surprising in light of the monumental talent at work here. There are beautiful moments of clarity on songs like "Stratosphere" and "See-Through," but it's difficult to appreciate those amidst the album's exhaustive opacity.

But Beck is also going through a monumental shift in his life, and any of us would look towards the stars for meaning if we were as starved for elucidation as he seems to be. Beck doesn't know how he got here, and he desperately wants to. "I don't even know what's wrong," he sings on "Uneventful Days." The project's honesty makes its dull moments at least feel authentic, and this authenticity inevitably saves the album from itself.

Yet critics, once again, remain divided. NME has already given the project four stars, praising the minimalist production and smart collaborations with Sky Ferrera and Coldplay's Chris Martin, while NPRcalls the album stiff and monotonous. But Beck's refusal to be boxed-in is his greatest strength, and no single review can effectively capture all that he is even 26 years into his career Hyperspace is a fine album; it's just not his "best album," and for Beck to have a standard of that caliber as a baseline reminds us how much of a juggernaut he's become.

Bios

Gwyneth Paltrow

All you need to know.

Full Name: Gwyneth Kate Paltrow

Date of Birth: September 27, 1972

Born: Los Angeles, CA

Occupation: Actress, singer, writer, business woman, lifestyle expert

Status: Married to Brad Falchuk (2018)

Children: 2

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