#brit awards 2018

[hollywforever]

Holly Willoughby

[kylieforeverandever]

Brit Awards 2018

[isupportzaynxliamxziam]

Monday, 19 February 2018 (part 4)

credits to Liam's Twitter

Still being at Capitol FM, Liam responds to Rita

credits to Rita Ora's Twitter

credits to BRIT Awards' Twitter

[doyoulikethissong-poll]

Blur - Song 2 1997

"Song 2" is the second song on English rockband Blur's eponymous fifth studio album. Released in April 1997, "Song 2" peaked at number two on the UK Singles Chart, number four on the Australian ARIA Singles Chart, and number six on the US Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart. At the 1997 MTV Video Music Awards, "Song 2" was nominated for Best Group Video, and Best Alternative Video. At the 1998 Brit Awards, it was nominated for Best British Single, and Best British Video. In 1998, BBC Radio 1 listeners voted "Song 2" the 15th Best Track Ever. In 2011, NME placed it number 79 on its list "150 Best Tracks of the Past 15 Years".

According to Graham Coxon, "Song 2" was intended to be a joke on the record company. Damon Albarn had recorded an acoustic demo of the song which was slower but featured the song's distinctive "woo-hoo" chorus in whistle form. Coxon then suggested that they pump up the speed and perform the song loudly, with Coxon deliberately seeking out an amateurish guitar sound. From there, Coxon told Albarn to tell the record company that they wanted to release the song as a single to "blow the flipping record labels' heads off". To Coxon's surprise, record executives reacted positively. When asked if the band had any idea of the song's commercial appeal, Coxon replied, "We'd just thought it was way too extreme". Some writers have stated that the song is intended to be a parody of the grunge genre, while others state that it was a parody of radio hits and the music industry with a punk rock chorus.

On 20 October 2018, at the Demon Dayz Fest LA, Damon Albarn's other band Gorillaz played the familiar "Song 2" theme but in characteristic Gorillaz style with dub/funk elements, before Graham Coxon joined Gorillaz onstage and launched into his original riff.

"Song 2" received a total of 84,3% yes votes! Previous Blur polls: #56 "Coffee & TV"

[jbaileyfansite]

Interview with British Vogue (2025)

Jonathan Bailey has always flatly refused to pose topless on a shoot. For Vogue, he relented. How come? “There was this pair of Loewe trousers and I thought, ‘Fucking hell, what an incredible silhouette.’ No one suggested it, I just knew it was right.” He pauses. “But please don’t mention I said I’m always asked to take my top off.” I plead with him. “OK,” he replies. “It’s the truth.”

But why all the prudishness? Didn’t he reveal his naked bum in season one of Netflix’s phenomenally successful Regency romp, Bridgerton? It was quite the performance, I say. Has it been nominated for any awards? “Not yet,” he replies, rolling his eyes.

We are lounging on a velvet sofa in an anteroom at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane, the location a nod to the Brit’s imminent, post-stratosphere-hitting return to the West End. He was last on the London stage in 2022, in Mike Bartlett’s Cock at the Ambassadors Theatre, already a star, and yet the 36-year-old’s wattage has continued to grow and grow. Any attempt on my part to observe him dispassionately disappears quickly. His dark-haired and unshaven beauty is too intoxicating, as is his style. He is male-model catwalk-ready in pale blue Levi’s, an ivory Sunspel rib-knit short-sleeved polo shirt, off-white slip-on suede Birkenstocks and beige socks. M&S? “Uniqlo – they’re my favourite holey socks,” he answers, raising a tanned, muscular arm (an Omega De Ville watch dangles from his wrist) to scratch his head. His biceps look like they’ve done time in the gym. “I did that on purpose so you’d notice,” he says cheekily. “I’ve got real gunnage.”

Bailey has managed to achieve what was once thought impossible in Hollywood. He is among a new guard of out actors to be lusted over by men and women (the latter tag him their “internet boyfriend”) while also evading falling into a gender pigeonhole, snagging roles of every persuasion. Tragedy, comedy, singing, dancing, stage, big screen, small screen, fashion week, fan mobbings… he can do it all. Scarlett Johansson, his costar in next year’s looming instalment of the Jurassic Park franchise, recently gushed on the red carpet: “I adore absolutely every single thing about that man.”

Bailey, who despite a tightly honed skill set never attended drama school, has been acting since the age of seven, when he was scouted by the Royal Shakespeare Company to star in its production of A Christmas Carol at the Barbican Theatre. But it was in 2020 that he became swarmed-in-the-streets famous, following his performance as Lord Anthony Bridgerton (the second series, in which his character, a viscount, took centre stage, became the most-watched English language series on Netflix). Hollywood beckoned. Now, he’s riding a wave of Wicked mania, his career having been taken to a whole new level thanks to his turn as the fleet-footed, high note-hitting, dashing male lead, Fiyero, opposite Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande in the big-screen musical, not to mention the accompanying press tour to end all press tours. Next year, he’ll go on to star in the aforementioned Jurassic World Rebirth. True blockbuster fare.

Theatre, though, has been his foundation. A run of television hits (he has starred on the small screen in W1A, Bramwell, Broadchurch, Heartstopper, Fellow Travelers and Leonardo, among others) has been built from, and woven through with, a long career on stage – notable roles in the past decade, aside from Cock, include Company, King Lear, The York Realist and Othello. He has a shelf full of shiny hardware, with awards including an Olivier for best actor in a supporting role in a musical, for playing panicked groom-to-be Jamie in Marianne Elliott’s 2018 production of Stephen Sondheim’s Company, and a Critics Choice Award for best supporting actor in a limited series or movie made for television in Fellow Travelers earlier this year. On balance, he loves the protection of being on stage – how immersive it feels, how he feeds off the reactions of an audience. “There’s security in the theatre community,” he says.

And so, he is ready to make a return to live performance. His next role feels like a career zenith. In February, he will appear as Richard II in director Nicholas Hytner’s production at the Bridge Theatre. It is his most high-profile Shakespearean role to date, his second with Hytner, who first cast him as Cassio in Othello at the National Theatre in 2013. “People talk about fame and Bridgerton, but the one moment where I really thought I’d made it was when Nicholas cast me as Cassio 10 years ago,” says Bailey. “He gave me the biggest break. He’s been an incredible mentor. With Richard II, I am returning not just to a play, but to a theatre director. He’s seen me freak out in the rehearsal room. He’s seen me sobbing.”

On Bailey’s far-reaching talent, Hytner tells me: “Jonny is eloquent, mercurial, intelligent and transparent.” The star director is giving little away ahead of the production, only to comment it will reveal: “a feudal world on the cusp of modernity”. He recalls: “As Cassio in Othello – and later as Edgar to Ian McKellen’s King Lear, which I didn’t direct – he had the rare ability to speak Shakespeare as if it’s his first language. His imagination is vivid enough to put himself directly in the position of characters… It becomes completely natural in his hands.” Doubtless he will lean heavily on Bailey’s gifts for precision wit, dark charm and petulance for the flawed, weak Richard. “What do you do when a ruler is absolutely inadequate?” Hytner wonders. “How do you get rid of the rightful leader?”

In person, Bailey’s flair is plain as day. He’s not just stylish – he is friends with Loewe creative director Jonathan Anderson, who dressed him for 2024’s Met Gala (and whom he designed a T-shirt with for the LGBTQ+ initiative he recently founded, The Shameless Fund), has worn Givenchy on the red carpet and modelled Emporio Armani eyewear in its latest campaign – but also intoxicatingly charismatic. He laughs readily and expansively, gesticulating often, occasionally jumping up like a young Rudolf Nureyev about to leap, before crashing back down and curling his legs underneath him. The writer and actor Phoebe Waller-Bridge, whom he costarred with in her 2016 miniseries Crashing (a precursor to Fleabag), once described him as “a meteorite of fun”. I can see why.

“There’s a big wonderful tribe of friends in London to which we both belong,” longtime friend and actor Andrew Scott tells me. “As well as being the most charismatic and gifted performer, he’s always struck me as someone who adores and prioritises his friends and family and loved ones. That counts for so much in my book. It’s so wonderful to watch Jonny soar.”

So too is he eloquent and honest, especially when we veer to the more personal, such as what it was like growing up questioning his sexuality and how he only came out as gay to his family and close friends in his early 20s. Did he have a sense of his sexuality from a young age? He indicates it was more of a gradual realisation, mentioning how he went out with a girl for two years in his early 20s. “It’s interesting with the binary,” he says, “where you’re perceived to be either this or that. That’s how I saw it at the time, but there are so many nuances to it. My experience of that relationship was not that I was in the shadows. She remains one of my best friends.”

“I think other people understood my sexuality before I was even aware of it,” he continues. As a young boy, he remembers rummaging through the family’s dressing-up box, jumping around and being flamboyant, and entertaining his grannies by singing and dancing whenever he stayed with them. He sounds like Billy Elliot. “A bit, but really Shirley Temple, if I’m honest.” He credits his parents with encouraging him to take up ballet. “I remember looking through the window at these girls at school in their tutus. They were doing, like, first position, second position, and I knew I just wanted to be in there.”

One night at a sleepover with primary school friends he remembers excitedly asking them: “‘Guys, guys, who else thinks they’re gay? Do you? I do. I do.’ It was a conversation I really, really wanted to have, to see if everyone else was on the same page,” he says. “But everyone went quiet.” Then a teacher called him out in front of the whole class. “I was having trouble with my work and he said, ‘Well, if you weren’t so busy being a fairy you’d understand.’”

More recently, and in addition to his work with The Shameless Fund, he became a patron for the charity Just Like Us, which aims to ensure young LGBTQ+ people in school and beyond can thrive. He is keenly aware of the challenges that still exist, even in the everyday. “I’ve always been a confident hand-holder in relationships,” he says. “I had a boyfriend who wasn’t experienced at holding hands in public. We got heckled in London. But that kind of behaviour is now outweighed by the smiles you get.” Is he currently in a relationship? “Not discussing that,” he answers, sharply.

We talk instead about how he deals with the nature of fame. “It felt quite hard-hitting after Bridgerton came out,” he says. “I really struggled initially; I was overwhelmed by it. But the people in your life have to adapt too. That’s the hardest thing: you see them struggling before you see it in yourself, someone pushing past your dear mum and dad to get a picture. I’m really good now at saying no to photos.” Does he think he might become too big for his boots? “Let’s see,” he says. “It would be good if you could keep your eye on me as we go through the next few years, tell me if I’m doing well or I’ve fallen down the [fame] hole.”

Friends like Andrew Scott will no doubt help keep him grounded. “The search for us to be in the right thing together is on,” says Scott. “Bert and Ernie the movie is the frontrunner, it just depends on who’s willing to shave off their eyebrows.”

Bailey was brought up in Wallingford, Oxfordshire, along with three older sisters, and later attended The Oratory School. His mother was an audiologist and his father, a one-time DJ who played in Sloopy’s, a ’70s nightclub just off Piccadilly Circus, would go on to become the managing director of Rowse Honey. “Every time I see an easy-squeezy bottle of honey I think my dad was an absolute legend.”

He was five when his grandmother took him to see Oliver! in the West End. He knew at that moment he had found his calling. His first acting role was at school, where he played a raindrop in Noah’s Ark. A year after starring in A Christmas Carol at the Barbican, he landed the role of Gavroche in the West End production of Les Misérables.

In 2017, he appeared in King Lear at the Chichester Festival Theatre, as Edgar, opposite McKellen in the title role. “We had amazing conversations,” he says of his costar. “I was like: ‘Tell me everything. Tell me what it was like back in the day.’ I assumed everyone would have been happily expressing themselves, fucking in the wings, all the things you’d hoped. And he said, ‘No, no. No one knew, not even in the most creative pockets.’”

But liberation can be found on stage too. Cock, as its title suggests, focused on some of the thornier realities of gay romance and proved life-changing for Bailey. “I was able to mine and explore and have this experience on stage which felt like everything I would want for my life. It was all about a boy coming out and falling in love at school, and somehow by experiencing it within someone else’s story, you can dress-rehearse your own life.”

We discuss his most recently released film, Wicked (a two-part adaptation of the hit musical, the second instalment of which will drop towards the end of 2025). “What did you think of it? Did you like it?” he asks nervously. I tell him I’m not usually a fan of musicals, but it took me by surprise and I found it emotionally touching. He breathes a sigh of relief. “Isn’t it lovely, isn’t it special, isn’t it actually!” he says, bouncing on his knees like an excitable teenager. “You’re the first person I’ve spoken to who’s seen it. When I watched it, I sobbed. I think it’s a masterpiece.”

For now, having just finished filming the latest season of Bridgerton, he’s finally taking a break. “Everything else is on pause until Richard II opens.” He admits finding it difficult going between roles and his everyday life in Brighton, where he moved in 2020 so he could be close both to the sea, which he loves, and his mother’s side of the family who live there. “It can be a hard, cold transition, so I get back to friends as soon as possible or I go travelling. I love Salento in Italy – I try and go every year.” Is he tempted to move to the US? “No. That’s a hard no,” he says. “I love New York theatre, so maybe, but it would be led by work.”

He says that, more than anything, he yearns for quiet. He spends time in nature, either walking, paddleboarding or mountaineering (in 2018, he hiked to Everest base camp and a year later climbed Ben Nevis, Snowdon and Scafell Pike in 24 hours in aid of a motor neurone disease charity), as well as cold-swimming in the sea and cycling (he has competed in marathons and triathlons). He likes the calm those activities bring him but always takes his noise-cancelling headphones wherever he goes. “I feel naked if I forget them.” What does he listen to? “I go through phases, most recently ’60s and ’70s California rock, and The Beatles.” But surely he parties too? “I love a dirty martini,” he says. “The dirtier the better. But really I’m obsessed with breakfast, especially oats. Sometimes I make my own granola. I just love a seed.”

While he might not tell me if he’s in a relationship, he is surprisingly candid when I ask him if he wants children. “Yes, it’s such a privilege for a man,” he says. “But I can’t bring children into my lifestyle now.” Because he is so busy? “Yes,” he answers. I tell him it’s never a good time. “I want to make sure I’m going to be present. I’m reading books on adoption. I might coparent with a woman, but I’m thinking it will be with a man.”

Just as we’re about to say goodbye, he squeals, holding up his phone. “Andrew Scott has just texted me! He calls me ‘J-Bads’. I told him I was doing a Vogue shoot, with the total self-awareness of what that sounds like.” He slips on his Birkenstocks. “You know I’ve got them in Parma violet too,” he says, as he slinks out of the door, headphones on.

Source

[workbtch]

DUA LIPA The BRIT Awards (2018)

[whoscallingwhoafraud]

Inspired by @stuckinthistaydream

[the-tortured-artists-department]

TS Outfit Madness: Round 2, Matchup 1

WELCOME TO ROUND 2! Be sure to follow tsoutfitmadness for all upcoming polls! I really appreciate all reblogs! It helps get a bigger sample size for each poll & always keeps things more exciting 🫶🏼

For the duration of this tournament, I will be running a contest where you simply need to fill out this Google Form after you vote.

[dua-source]

DUA LIPA at the 2018 BRIT Awards (February 21, 2018)

[foxes-that-run]

2020 Haylor Timeline

Timeline Tag, or years 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024.

21 January - Andrea treated for brain tumor and chemo

29 January - Harry shoots the watermelon sugar MV in Malibu. The director later says “The production process was fast! We shot in a location in Malibu. It was a private beach at this amazing house. Harry actually owns a watermelon farm in a secret location that we can’t disclose. So the day before the shoot we went with our whole crew, make-up artists, set decorators, focus pullers you name it! We all rolled up our sleeves, got stuck in and did the biggest harvest anyone in the USA has ever seen!”

31 January - Miss Americana documentary released.

2 February - Harry at Glenne Christiaansen's (Jeff's GF) birthday in Los Angeles. Huge whale cake that gets on his face.

3 February - Harry arrives London

14 February - Harry played Two Ghosts on Radio 2, the only time since 2018, anniversary of Style MV release. He also covered Joni Mitchell Big Yellow Taxi.  Taylor also in London for NME awards, Joe goes with her. She says hello to every one there including Matty Healy. Harry is robbed at knifepoint.

18 February - Harry at Brit awards, went to same after party as Kendall

23 February - Harry's Tiny Desk Concert recorded in LA, the Lover CD Is in the background. Taylor was there in October.

24 February - Taylor and Joe in London for his birthday, arrived under umbrellas carrying a dictionary, Ed laughing.

26 February - Harry on today show in colour block cardigan. Xander watches with Jeff rumour he then visited Xander Ritz in phlli.

28 February - Harry's Sirius XM Secret Session for Fine Line. Harry tells a story about wawa with Xander. Seen with Xander in ny

29 February Roman Farrow said he’s a swiftie and has framed a letter she wrote him after Catch & Kill https://x.com/RonanFarrow/status/1233562581094293504

1 March - Harry SNL after party

2 March - Harry's last pre-pandemic show is at the Bowery Ballroom. Replaces the Beachwood cafe with Bowery ballroom in falling.

5 March - When Howard Stern asked Harry about marriage his response was "People’s relationships are different now, everyone’s open 👀 and people have different things."

6 March - Taylor released the man BTS where she said “this is a family show”

13 March - US Travel ban (except UK), California Shelter in place orders. 17 March UK Travel ban. 16 March Taylor posts asking fans to cancel plans and stay home, shares photo so Meredith

17 March UK travel ban

18 March - Harry driving in La with Xander

25 March - Announced HSLOT rescheduled to 2021

27 March - Harry releases “at home with Harry styles” pandemic playlist with Zane Lowe. ‘This will be our year’ is #13, 27 songs. Includes blue nile, later mentioned on TTPD

March - June Taylor and Harry stuck in LA for 3 months. Harry told Zane Lowe he was in LA, stayed home for 6 weeks then booked and went to Shangri-la studio to record. LNT, Daylight, keep driving and Sushi. (24 Mins)

2 April - Harry seen riding a motorcycle beside Kendall Jenner and Fai Khadra.

5 April Harry seen in la and again

11 April - Harry drives his mercedes convertible in Beverly Hills same as Taylor had in Begin Again

17 April - 2020 Lover Fest tour postponed to 2021, later cancelled. Told Zane Folklore started then. Joe IG photo of Benjamin

18 April - Taylor soon you'll get better

29 April - Joe instagram photos

19 May Taylor releases City of Lover

21 May - Harry rode electric bike LA

25 May - date Too Much Sauce leak recorded. Still in LA

31 May - Taylor records video in Long Pond about home studio. Joe school thing

22 June - rumours Harry messaging Daisy Lowe.

29 June - Harry seen in London

9 July - Harry Styles Sleep story

18 July - Harry back in uk, drove to Italy and back with Tomo Campbell, he talks about this in the Zane interview. Driving moustache photo in HH CD

Over the summer Styles took a road trip with his artist friend Tomo Campbell through France and Italy, setting off at four in the morning and spending the night in Geneva, where they jumped in the lake “to wake ourselves up.” At the end of the trip Styles drove home alone, accompanied by an upbeat playlist that included “Aretha Franklin, Parliament, and a lot of Stevie Wonder. It was really fun for me,” he says. “I don’t travel like that a lot. I’m usually in such a rush, but there was a stillness to it. I love the feeling of nobody knowing where I am, that kind of escape…and freedom.” Harry for Vogue

20 July folklore announced 17 hours before its release. William Bowery is credited for Exile and Betty. Released on 1D's 10 year anniversary. In the Zane interview, Taylor says they continued working on Evermore.

31 July - Harry with a fan in Italy in an outfit in his later post about making Harry’s House. Also driving a tractor in Italy.

13 August - Harry followed Yan Yan on IG and liked some posts

17 August Harry in Studio in Bath. Recorded Daylight, Sushi, Keep Driving and Late night talking in this period.

3 September - Taylor posts about iHeartAwards from home

? September - Long Pond was recorded with Joe as WB and Tis the Damn Season written, Doretha already written.

6 September - Olivia Wilde and Jason Sudekis at beach in Malibu with Nanny and kids. In the 2022 Nanny tell all the Nanny said they were happy then but Olivia told Harry it had been over for a while when it had not been.

11 September, Olivia Wilde met and cast Harry in Don't worry Darling, filming began October.

16 September - Taylor performed Betty in person at ACM awards in Nashville.

18 September Harry in London

22 September - Harry driving car and boat in Italy filming golden

27 September Harry in LA

6 October - Harry dinner with mystery girl

25 October - OW carrying Bode bag later thought about Harry

26 October - DWD starts filming

28 October - Harry signs a record and a fan posts a letter than his car broke down and he fed their fish. Deux moi said it was a cover because his friend with benefits was house sitting. The friend with benefits is thought to be Nicole branch.

5 November - DWD halts production due to COVID on set. In tell all the Nanny said Olivia moved out down the street 'that is how she left us' because of COVID on set which was true. Jason Sudukis also later says to GQ they broke up in November

11 November - Harry films Valiant Roar scene in DWD, which includes Dita Von Teese who later repeats the Scene in the Bejeweled Music Video. Also described in Rolling Stone article with OW and possibly referred to in loml as valiant roar. Date odly specified in DWD BTS, also dinner party scene, OW wears Harry's pink beanie in the BTS during dinner party scene.

12 November Deux Moi posts that a “one direction heartthrob” and “a list singer” used the same private chef

13 November - Harry on cover of Vogue, after this the Peace ring only appeared occasionally

25 November long pond sessions on Disney + Joe announced as William Bowery

26 November Harry returns to la to film DWD, California maybe written here

3 December - DWD filming palm springs. Fan says they served Harry and OW at Apple Pan

11 December evermore released, taylor’s zane lowe interview, at 49:34 she pauses a lot and struggles to talk about Joe being William Bowery.

19 December Harry jingle ball seems flat

30 December - 7 photos of Joe and Taylor thought to be taken 31 December 2016 hack/leak. Only 7 photos?? She is wearing a pink wig while he shaves. OW wearing necklace she later says was a gift from Harry.

Continue to 2021

[everythingeurovision]

Iconic & Notable Eurovision Performances

In 1956 the European Broadcasting Union launched “Grand Prix Eurovision de la Chanson Européenne” or in English, the Eurovision Song Contest Grand Prix, as a way to test and launch international live broadcasting.  It also became a way to unite the countries together after the chaos of World War II ended in 1945. 

The initial format for the contest based on the Italian music festival “Sanremo”. Active members of the EBU and various other associates are invited to participate in the show. The most notable ones are France, Germany, the UK, Spain and Italy. These countries are known as the Eurovision's “Big 5” and make the most notable financial contributions to the EBU.  Over the years Eurovision has evolved and is now the longest running international contest that is televised. 

Despite its huge success, Eurovision has had its fair share of backlash and hatred thrown its way, some people think the music broadcasted on the show isn't good, and that the show is only using art as a way to profit from it. Others say that it’s  too long and cringeworthy. In recent years politics has become the main reason for peoples disdain towards the contest, with Russia invading Ukraine in 2022 being a huge part of the contest to as recently 2024 where many performers spoke out in support of Palestine. 

But regardless of all this, the impact the show has is undeniable, I’ll be taking a look into a few of the most impactful and noticeable performances from the competition. Some of these are winners of the contest, and some are not. To be clear, these are just what I personally feel are important Eurovision performances.

You might disagree, and that's okay

Refrain - Lys Assia (Switzerland 1956)

1956 was the first year of the competition and the only year where countries could have two entries, and Lys Assia sang both songs that were chosen to represent Switzerland; “Refrain” which was originally sung in French & “Das alte Karussell” (The Old Carousel). Originally sung in German. Since the voting was kept secret, it's unclear where Switzerland's second entry placed in the competition. 

Refrain is a chansen style song that is about lamenting the loss of adolescents and youth. It was composed by jazz pianist and composer Géo Voumard and written by Émile Gardaz, a swiss author. 

Lys Assia was still involved in the Eurovision even after her iconic win. She performed at the 50 year anniversary show in 2005, and also presented the winning trophy in 2009. She even attempted to enter the competition again in 2013, but didn't qualify.

She passed away in 2018 but is still remembered for her bittersweet performance of “Refrain”. 

Waterloo - Refrain (Sweden, 1974)

Abba could arguably be the most successful participants of the contest to date, you can say you don't listen to them, but you certainly know who they are whether you remember them from their work on the soundtrack of “Mama Mia!” or for this iconic entry that marks the first of Sweden's seven victories. 

The group was formed in 1972 when 2 married couples combined their talents together,Despite not being very well received by Swedish audiences,  the group had some moderate success before the competition, releasing songs and playing at festivals around sweden. 

They entered the Melodifestivalen (Sweden's way of picking their Eurovision entry) in 1973 with their song “Ring Ring” but didn't qualify, afterwards the band began working on their entry for the following year as they saw the potential the contest had to launch the group into the industry, and to open themselves up to an international crowd. since then the band have skyrocketed, having received many Grammy nominations and even winning various awards such as a Brit award and the AGVA's Vocal Entertainer of the Year award in 1981.

Dana International-Diva (Israel, 1998)

The 1998 Eurovision was a huge moment for LGBTQ+ representation, as it was the first time in the competition an only transgender person would compete and also win the competition. 

Yaron Cohen, known also as “Dana international” began her career in 1987 as a drag queen and had her first notable success when she launched a satirical version of Whitney Houstens “My Name Is Not Susan”. She legally changed her name and underwent gender affirming surgery in 1993 and took on the stage name “Dana international”

She first entered the Eurovision Qualifying Contest for Israel in 1995, as it had been a childhood dream to compete, but her entry for the year came second in the preselection. She would go on to release an EP and album in the following years before being chosen in 1998 to represent Israel in the 43rd year of the contest's runtime. 

Despite huge backlash from conservative communities in Europe, Dana overcame all of the pushback and took home the trophy with her song “Diva”. A song praising many strong powerful women throughout history. 

Many orthodox jews were opposed to her presence in the contest and she received a lot of death threats. This entry was the first time a Trangender person had not only been seen on the contest stage but had also won the show, making it a huge celebration for the LGBTQ community. 

Conchita Wurst - Rise Like The Phoenix (Austria,2014)

2014 was another memorable/controversial time for the contest, Austria's chose to send a drag artist as their entry for the 58th Eurovision. This made her the first drag artist to take the stage, as well as being the first artist to perform on the stage without backing vocals or dancers. 

Conchita Wurst, real name Thomas Neuwirth, is a drag artist and performer originally from Styria, Austria. Before taking on the persona of “Conchita Wurst” Neuwirth competed in an austrian talent/scouting show in 2006 and finished third, later he would go on to form a boy group known as “Jetzt Anders!”, the group would disband later the same year

It was after this he developed the persona of “Conchita Wurst” and would go on to place second place in the Austrian Eurovisons selections for 2012. Two years later she would be selected to represent Austria in the 2014 Eurovision contest with the song “Rise Like A Phoenix”, a powerful ballad about overcoming difficulties. 

Her presence and success sparked a lot of controversy among viewers, with a lot of more conservative groups taking great offence to the performer's presence. Some countries even went as far as to create and sign petitions to have the performance excluded from the broadcast. This controversy highlighted the ongoing disagreement between Eastern and Western Europe on homosexuality, but her win once again shone a positive light onto the LGBTQ+ community.

Sandra Kim - J'aime La Vie (Belgium,1986)

Belgium's Sandra Kim (real name; Sandra Caldarone) became the youngest person to compete and win the competition in 1986 at only 13 years of age. 

Born in Montegnee in Belgium, Kim started singing when she was only seven years old.  In March of 1986, she won the national selections and performed at the 30th Eurovision Contest held in Norway and took first place for Belgium making it their first and only win so far. 

The song “J’aime La Vie” is an upbeat bubblegum pop song about the joys of life and living, though at the time the song made Kim appear to be 15 years of age. Once her real age had been revealed the Switzerland began a petition to have the song disqualified from the contest. After this all a rule was brought in that all contestants had to be over 16 to compete (at least on the day of the Finals)

Dave Benton, Tanel Padar & 2XL - Everybody (Estonia, 2001)

Dave Benton made history by being not only the oldest person to claim victory at the contest, he was also the first person of colour to win the show.  The performance is Estonia's first and only win to date in the competition, which also makes it the first of the Baltic states to take home the title.

Born in 1951 on the Caribbean island Aruba, He moved to the US and performed as a backing vocalist and drummer for many artists. Afterwards, Benton would move to Estonia after marrying his wife in 1997. He has had a broad musical career partially due to his ability to speak 8 different languages. He has also had career in acting appearing in films "The Dissidents" and "Infinite Summer".

The win was a shock as Estonia didn't place in the top 10 of oddsmakers and betters. 

Despite the song's victory, it was not immediately available as a single and could only be found  as part of a compilation album released by BGM Germany. Dave Benton initially declined to perform on the song, but changed his mind a few days later when asked again.

Paul Oscar - Min Hinsti Dans (Iceland, 1997)

In 1997, Pall Oskar Hjalmtysson (more commonly known as Paul Oscar) joined the international spotlight as the first openly gay man to perform in Eurovision. Having already had national success, he was chosen to represent his home country of Iceland at the 42nd iteration of Eurovision hosted in Dublin Ireland.

Born in 1970, Oskar was a very musical child, singing and performing a lot, but was deeply affected by bullying in school. This only worsened when at the age of 16, he came out to his family as gay. In 1993 he released his album “Stu “ he soon after joined the band Milljónamæringarnir and released 2 albums with them, in 1995 he began his solo debut with the album “Palli” released under his own recording company. It went on to be the best selling Icelandic album of that year. 

He co-wrote and performed the song “Minn Hinsti Dans” representing Iceland, the performance featured four women performing with him latex acting suggestive on a sofa, while the performance only placed 20th in the semi finals, it captured the attention of viewers for its boldness, particularly among the LGBTQ audience. 

Lordi - Hard Rock Hallelujah (Finland, 2006)

The audience of the 51st iteration of Eurovision got quite the shock when Finnish metal band Lordi took to the stage with their song “Hard Rock Hallelujah”. The band are known for their extravagant monster outfits and are even known as “the Finish monsters”. The band would be crowned winners and take home Finland's first and only victory in the contest.

The band originally formed in 1996 after meeting at a KISS concert the year before. They knew early on they wanted to perform with crazy pyrotechnics and be dressed as different monsters. The costumes are heavily inspired by KISS and Horror elements. The band are never seen without the masks on, no matter what. 

Up until this time, the songs in the contest were more predominantly europop, pop or ballads. heavier and alternative genres were not seen in the contest until Lordis performance. Many called the group devil worshipers. In fact, a group of Greek priests were certain the band were satanic and told Kerrang magazine the group wasn't welcomed in the country. 

Despite this Lordi’s performance opened the doors of Eurovision for more non mainstream artists, their win and performance have had a huge impact on the way people would perceive the contest. And undoubtedly paved the way for other non mainstream artists to succeed in later shows. 

Joost Klein - Europapa (Netherlands, 2024)

This years eurovisions had a lot of really notable performances, some for good reasons, some for more controversial, I found it hard to pick one to talk about, but felt i needed to mention this years contest due to everything surrounding it, and I think the story of Joost Klein makes the most sense to mention. 

Despite many viewers choosing to boycott the show this year due to Israel's presence amidst the political climate, “Europapa” took the world by storm and spread like wildfire over social media. It was exactly the type of song you’d expect at Eurovision, an upbeat techno song about loving Europe and needing to come together during tough times. with wild and quirky stage production. 

The sentiment of needing to unite against hate was incredibly strong this year, with many performers voicing the same message in their shows. but Joost’s stage charisma and established popularity as a dutch performer made him stand out amongst the rest. Making his sudden disqualification from the contest a huge shock.

After qualifying for the grand final, a female camera woman claimed Klein allegedly made threatening remarks towards her, and after an investigation into these claims, the EBU released a statement disqualifying Joost from the final. Many fans were shocked by the news as it's the first time an act has been disqualified from the contest. 

Since then, speculation around the EBU’s decision has mainly centered around a prior incident during a press conference between Klein and Eden Golan, the Israeli representative. During this event Klein would not make eye contact with the Israeli singer, and when she was questioned on if her presence at the contest was a safety issue. Golan refused to answer but Klein pushed back, adding he felt she should. 

Joost's disqualification added even more tension to the contest this year, especially with ongoing outcry for the EBU to take a firmer stand on Israel. With the 2025 Eurovision already scheduled to take place in Basel, Switzerland, many fans will be waiting to see whether Israel will be cut loose from the competition or if History will be repeating itself.  

[hollywforever]

Holly Willoughby attends The BRIT Awards 2018 held at The O2 Arena on February 21, 2018 in London, England.

[kylieforeverandever]

Kylie Minogue attending The BRIT Awards 2018 held at The O2 Arena on February 21, 2018 in London, England.

[stormblessed95]

BTS Festa 2018

A collection of things BTS did and gifted to us to celebrate Festa in 2018!

Opening with the Brit Rock Remix of Spring Day which they shared on SoundCloud!

They dropped their photo collection album once again. You can find the full album here. And my favorites:

They then released the first ever BTS news volume for Festa! You can find the full translations of what they said on all 5 pages in this thread here. Just open the link to read the full thread for all 5 pages

The Golden Disc Awards Special Choreography Dance Practice

Family Photos Part 1

Family Photos Part 2

My favorites from both:

Cover of Interlude Ceramony by Jin gifted on SoundCloud

They then released manual user guides written about each member by another member lol. Suga wrote Vs, V wrote JKs, JK wrote Hobis, Hobi wrote RMs, RM wrote Jimins, Jimin wrote Jins and Jin wrote Sugas. You can find them all, including translations here

And their self written group profile, English translations here

Best of Me Rehearsal Stage Cam

Ddaeng released by Rapline on SoundCloud

2018 Festa Dinner Party!

The boys all released lists of their small but certain happiness. You can read the trans here

And watch them talk about it here:

Namjoon

Jin

Yoongi

Hoseok

Jimin

Taehyung

Jungkook

And then they held the 2018 BTS prom party to celebrate Festa with ARMY! you can watch that concert celebration in full in 4 parts on Daily Motion. Part 1:

Part 2:

Part 3:

And Part 4

Which concluded Festa for 2018 in SUCH a good and amazing way!

[zradfordhq]

ZAYN is a multi-platinum selling recording artist, producer, and philanthropist known for his skyscraping vocals and hybrid style of pop and R&B. He became the first UK Male Solo artist to simultaneously chart at #1 on the UK and US album charts in the first week of release for his record-breaking debut album Mind of Mine (2016). The album's lead single, "Pillowtalk," hit #1 in 68 countries around the world and has since been certified 5x platinum by the RIAA.

The album was followed by his gold certified Icarus Falls (2018), and critically acclaimed Nobody is Listening (2021).

The UK native's influence spans beyond just music into the fashion world, where ZAYN has collaborated on capsule collections with the likes of Giuseppe Zanotti and Versus Versace, and covered numerous fashion publications including Vogue, GQ, ELLE UK, Highsnobiety, PAPER, The FADER and more. ZAYN has garnered several accolades throughout his career including a Billboard Music Award, American Music Award, MTV VMA, two Brit Award nominations, and was named "Most Stylish Man" at the British GQ Men of the Year Awards.

In addition to his music ZAYN continues to be a voice for positive change most recently advocating for free school lunches for children living in poverty in the UK.

ZAYN is currently working on his highly anticipated fourth studio album.

Several of Zayn's singles has been certified recently in the US: X

• Pillowtalk - 5x Platinum (5 million units)

• Dusk Till Dawn - 2x Platinum (2 million units)

• Let Me - Gold (500,000 units)

[workbtch]

DUA LIPA The BRIT Awards (2018)