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I chose this article because Lady Gaga speaks with community type language and puts the public with her as a unit. Voting is an activity a lot of people can relate to so Gaga speaking to us puts us together even though we can't necessarily be reciprocated.

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Election Day is less than 24 hours away, and Lady Gaga is hitting the campaign trail. Tonight (November 2) at 7 p.m. ET, the Chromatica queen will take the stage in Pittsburgh on behalf of former Vice President Joe Biden, complete with a performance sure to rally voters.

"Good morning PENNSYLVANIA! I'm so excited to see you today and SING for you!!!!!!!" she wrote on social media. "I believe in 🎶 YOU & I!!!! Let's talk about what America looks like with a KINDER President. WE NEED EVERY VOTE❤️ I'm with @JoeBiden -Lets go 24 hrs!!!!! PUSH!!!!!"

Gaga and Biden go way back to his tenure as vice president under Barack Obama, when he introduced her performance of " Til It Happens to You" at the Oscars in 2016. Gaga's appearance at tonight's drive-in Biden rally can be viewed at joebiden.com/live.

Meanwhile, 300 miles east across the state of Pennsylvania, in Philadelphia, Biden's VP pick, Senator Kamala Harris will invite John Legend to take the stage as well.

In the past few weeks, fellow pop stars have rallied loudly on social media to urge people to head out to the polls. Taylor Swift has thrown her support behind Biden as well, and last week, she leant her song " Only the Young" to a Biden/Harris campaign ad. Ariana Grande, too, has pledged her support for the Biden/Harris ticket as well as urging folks to cast their ballots if they haven't done so already.

Gaga recently revisited her most iconic looks in a voting PSA, hoping to connect. Check that out below, then tune in to her performance on the Bally rally stage tonight at 7 p.m. ET.

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Lady Gaga Is 'So Excited' To Sing For You From A Biden/Harris Rally Stage

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Election Day is less than 24 hours away, and Lady Gaga is hitting the campaign trail. Tonight (November 2) at 7 p.m. ET, the Chromatica queen will take the stage in Pittsburgh on behalf of former Vice President Joe Biden, complete with a performance sure to rally voters. "Good morning PENNSYLVANIA!

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I chose this article because it connects media awareness with the spectacle of politics we find ourselves in. MTV makes a spectacle of voting beyond even just the politicians themselves because we as viewers have become drawn into that need for spectacle.

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This Saturday, October 24, is Vote Early Day, and to mark the occasion, MTV is throwing a digital celebration centered around getting out there and casting your ballot. As part of the larger Vote For Your Life campaign, the Vote For Your Life Stream event - a 60-minute special set to feature live performances and appearances from some of your faves - will hit MTV's YouTube and Facebook pages from 12 to 1 p.m. ET on October 24. Get ready.

Hosted by Kevan Kenney, the Vote For Your Life Stream special will be highlighted with performances from Why Don't We - who will bring the blazing drums of their new single "Fallin'" for the first time ever - 24kGoldn, CHIKA, and Dove Cameron, as well as and celebrity appearances from G-Eazy, Zachary Quinto, Skai Jackson, JoJo, AJ Mitchell, Laura Marano, Francia Raisa, Cheat Codes, Phony Ppl, Bailey Bryan, Mulatto, Rubi Rose, Kamie Crawford, Radio Big Mack, and other young activists devoted to getting out the vote.

The special will be followed by a set of empowering music videos from 2 to 8 p.m. ET on MTV's YouTube. Select moments are set to air on MTV's linear channel as well.

Vote Early Day is a self-described "movement of nonprofits, businesses, election administrators, and creatives working to ensure all Americans know their options to vote early." It's also the first national holiday dedicated to help all eligible voters learn about their early voting options and celebrate the act of voting. Learn more about Vote Early Day right here.

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MTV Announces 'Vote for Your Life Stream' Digital Special For Vote Early Day

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This Saturday, October 24, is Vote Early Day, and to mark the occasion, MTV is throwing a digital celebration centered around getting out there and casting your ballot.

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I thought this might be a good example as a piece of publicity and actor interviewing. This shows the push and pull between media outlets and celebrities and the question of whether to make an individual image or an image formed around a project.
There aren't any questions necessarily looking for dirt or secrets, but they still tell a story and give insight into the actors' personal lives.

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Marni Grossman/Netflix
By Lauren Rearick
Grand Army contains every prerequisite needed to become your next great Netflix obsession: There's lots of secrets, plenty of unexpected twists, and a group of relative Hollywood newcomers ready to capture your attention. Arriving on the streaming platform on October 16, the series, based on Slut: The Play by Katie Cappiello, examines life at high school in Brooklyn, New York. As expected, these teenagers' stories are filled with drama, growth, explorations in sexuality, and a few surprises.

The series centers on the trials and tribulations of adolescence that ultimately bond five wildly different students. Beginning against the backdrop of a girls' locker room filled with pranks and chatter of an evening party that promises to bring everyone together, Grand Army High soon finds itself at the center of unexpected tragedy: a nearby bombing. The traumatic event serves as a catalyst for Joey Del Marco (Odessa A'zion), Siddhartha Pakam (Amir Bageria), Dominique Pierre (Odley Jean), Jayson Jackson (Maliq Johnson), and Leila Kwan Zimmer (Amalia Yoo) to explore racial injustice, sexual identity, and the power of using your voice to enact change.

Though the show presents viewers with in-depth portraits of its characters, it also marks many of the featured actors' first major TV roles. MTV News met the stars bringing the delightful drama of Grand Army to the small screen, discovering their journeys have included failed commercial auditions, nationwide theater tours, and, in one instance, a tenure on Degrassi.

How did you begin acting?
I don't know exactly when I started acting but, when me and my siblings were younger, we would make up stories and perform them for our family. Then, when I was in middle school, I went on these camping trips, and it was mandatory that you had to do skits. I had a lot of fun with it. In school, I went to a performing arts high school, and you had the option to do a Drama Academy. I tried it for about a month, and I enjoyed it, but I was like, why would I be in Drama Academy and not get out there and audition? I started auditioning when I was 15 and that was that.
What was your first-ever audition like?
My first audition was for American Housewife. My manager and my agent had told me, and I was under the impression, that you're supposed to wear black, skinny jeans and a white shirt to every audition. So, that's what I did. I walked into the room, and I felt so uncomfortable and so not like myself. My legs started trembling right away and I forgot all my fucking lines, and then I left the room. It was so embarrassing.
What have you been streaming lately?
I have two shows right now, I May Destroy You, and you might laugh, but Adventure Time. It has some really amazing storylines.

How did you begin acting?
It all started back in third grade. My teacher put on an annual child-friendly version of Macbeth, and I ended up getting the title role. It was only for a few of the acts, not the whole thing, but I remember rehearsing for so long, and then I had anxiety. But when I stepped out on that stage, I had this feeling of euphoria that I hadn't ever experienced in life. I never really forgot what it was like to be on that stage, and I've been hooked ever since.

I kept up with acting intermittently since then, and then in ninth grade, I did my first audition. It was for a television show called Degrassi, and I ended up booking that, and doing that for a number of years.
What was your first-ever audition like?
Professionally, it was Degrassi. Shout out to y'all, because I don't know why they cast me - to this day, I have no idea. My first audition for anything was in high school, and that was nerve-wracking.
What have you been streaming lately?
Avatar: The Last Airbender is kind of having a resurgence now, which is cool, and Master of None is one of my favorite shows ever.

How did you begin acting?
I started really young, acting in church plays. Every year for Christmas, the church youth would make a play, and I would perform in it. In middle school, I was really interested in taking acting classes, but I couldn't afford to, so I waited until high school and joined a film and theater program that got defunded a few weeks after I joined.

After that, I joined another nonprofit theater program in my school called Opening Act. I was performing off-broadway, creating plays at the end of every semester, and that's how I met Katie [Cappiello], through one of the Opening Act students. Since then, I've been acting, doing theater, and touring plays around America for almost eight years. Now, I'm here.
What was your first-ever audition like?
My first big audition was for a film, and I was already having a bad day, and I had never auditioned in person prior to that, so I went. I hadn't even memorized, something had happened before, and I was already running late, and I was upset and crying. Once I got there, I didn't even really want to audition. They saw that I wasn't with it. My first self-tape that I did was for 13 Reasons Why, and I didn't see myself on that show.
What have you been streaming lately?
I May Destroy You, P-Valley, Lovecraft Country, and Sex Education.

How did you begin acting?
I went to this kind of open house and I got blessed. My dad took me to this open house in the city where a bunch of actors can go and get seen by managers and production. People take pictures, and it's about seeing what you're like in front of the camera. I started off doing modeling and print work - I was in ads for Target and Macy's. I did my first commercial at age five, and after that, I continued in commercials, and then I graduated to TV and film.
What was your first-ever audition like?
I don't remember my first audition. I don't know if I got it or not. I do remember an embarrassing one. It was a screen test, and it was my first one, and I went in there with the lines written in my hand. I didn't even know you weren't supposed to have the lines written. I wasn't as dedicated as I am now, I'll be honest. As soon as I got out, my manager called me, and asked, 'Did you go in there with the lines on your hand? You might as well chalk it up, and go back home now.'
What have you been streaming lately?
Ozark. Now I'm watching Blacklist, but I actually fell asleep. You know how when you're watching a Netflix show, but you fall asleep, and then it plays for like five episodes? I lost my place, so I had to start over. Plus, any Marvel shows.

How did you begin acting? I took my first acting class in elementary school because one of my friends was doing it and I thought it sounded fun. I had so much fun then, that I kept taking classes from that point on. I did have a manager at one point, and I was doing commercial auditions and stuff, but I didn't like doing that. I didn't like going into those auditions because I had acne and braces, and I felt all these other people were so primed, proper, and perfect. It made me feel horrible about myself.

I stopped working with my manager. I wanted to only do theater and act, and I went to a performing arts high school. I went there for drama and studied theater. During that time, I was also working with Odley [Jean] and Katie [Cappiello]. I was doing shows and plays across America, and then Grand Army happened.
What was your first-ever audition like?
My first audition was when I was really little. It was an open call for the ensemble The King and I. You know, that problematic musical. I had never been to an audition before, so I went in with my folder of sheet music, and I don't think I even had a headshot yet. I was shaking, and I went into the room and probably sang a horrible rendition of "On My Own" from Les Miserables, and then I left.
What have you been streaming lately?
Pose, it's one of the best shows ever, and we got to work with some of the directors.

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Meet The Fresh-Faced Cast Of Netflix's Grim Teen Drama Grand Army

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Marni Grossman/Netflix By Lauren Rearick Grand Army contains every prerequisite needed to become your next great Netflix obsession: There's lots of secrets, plenty of unexpected twists, and a group of relative Hollywood newcomers ready to capture your attention.

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Firstly, by producing a documentary, Netflix takes a popular group and capitalizes their fame so people buy their subscriptions and spend time on their app. The group started lower, built up a following, and is able to transcend their original medium to open more potential for profit. Since they are already liked, people follow them past just music and want to know about the real story and the struggles they went through. It also keeps people interested in them while they can’t do live concerts. Finally, all of this surely increases the wealth of the girls themselves. If more people buy their content and pay attention to their image, their brand can collect more money and they can receive profit personally.

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Last Friday (October 2), the K-pop group Blackpink released their highly anticipated, debut Korean-language LP, . Its eight tracks boasted a deft mixing of genres - EDM, hip-hop, pop rock - featuring high-profile collaborations with stateside superstars Cardi B ("Bet You Wanna") and Selena Gomez ("Ice Cream"). The project marked a major career milestone for the four girls - Jisoo, Jennie, Rosé, and Lisa - catapulting them into the mainstream.

But the road to success wasn't always an easy one, and that hard-won journey is captured in a new documentary, hitting Netflix later this month. On Monday (October 5), the streaming giant surprise-dropped the trailer for the Caroline Suh-directed Blackpink: Light Up the Sky, which follows the quartet from their time as trainees in Seoul (they debuted in 2016) through the moment they became the first South Korean girl group to perform at Coachella in 2019.

"Who would have imagined thousands of people singing in Korean?" Jennie asked in the trailer, remembering Blackpink's Coachella debut. "We grew into something that we didn't even know was possible," Rosé said. The documentary will tell Blackpink's story through never-before-seen behind-the-scenes footage as well as one-on-one interviews with the girls and the producers who helped shape their powerful sound. It will be in your area on October 14.

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Blackpink To Light Up The Sky (And Our Screens) In New Netflix Documentary

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Last Friday (October 2), the K-pop group Blackpink released their highly anticipated, debut Korean-language LP, . Its eight tracks boasted a deft mixing of genres - EDM, hip-hop, pop rock - featuring high-profile collaborations with stateside superstars Cardi B ("Bet You Wanna") and Selena Gomez ("Ice Cream").

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They talk a lot about introversion, Maia's independent production, and her attempts to distance from the media. This relates in the sense of a DIY celebrity who creates fame on their own without the flair and experience. She shows the ordinary celebrity with her human characteristics rather than intense elevation.

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Mxmtoon's Maia is one of the busiest young women in the indie-pop world, but you wouldn't know it from a cursory glance at her space. Zooming in for a video call with MTV News from her apartment in Brooklyn, the 20-year-old social media star-turned-pro singer-songwriter readily accepts compliments of her lush surroundings. Cascading houseplants and small trinkets adorn the white shelves on the wall behind her. "I'm an introvert," she says, "so I'm fine with just hanging out in my room, taking care of my plants."

The serene setup is a stark contrast to Maia's jam-packed schedule: She dropped her second EP of 2020, Dusk, on October 1, less than a year after releasing 2019's Masquerade, her first full-length studio album. She's been churning out daily 10- to 15-minute episodes of her history-themed podcast, 365 Days With Mxmtoon, since September 14. Twitter, Instagram, Twitch - you name it, Maia uses it, and the digital native's 4 million combined followers are a captive audience.

Maia (who goes by her first name to have a semblance of privacy in the digital age) describes Dusk as the "sad but beautiful" companion piece to April's Dawn EP. She wrestles deftly with feelings of loneliness and depression, pairing ukulele and piano instrumentals - both nods to her internet origins as a teen uploading ukulele tutorials to YouTube - with the diaristic lyrics her young fans have come to know and love. "I just wanted to make something that felt like I could progress as an artist but not leave behind my roots," she says.

Dusk is also an ode to introversion in the time of COVID-19. It might sound counterintuitive while quarantining or social distancing, but for Maia, alone time is a pillar of her self-care routine. "I think the more comfortable we can be in our own company, the easier it is for us to recharge and face the world head-on again," she says. Most of Dusk was written pre-pandemic, including the cello-laden " Asking for a Friend," Maia's personal fave off the new EP. Other tracks like "Show and Tell," a wistful piano ballad, are unmistakably the product of quarantine ("Waking up each morning / And I'm gazing outside of my windowsill / The world is so wrong, I hope that we're strong / But I'm still mourning").

But being alone doesn't necessarily mean being lonely. Dusk also features "OK on Your Own," a collaboration with none other than Carly Rae Jepsen. "[Carly and I] Facetimed, and she was like, 'What do you want me to do on the song?'" Maia remembers. "I was like, 'You're literally Carly Rae Jepsen. You can do whatever you want and I will be happy.' And she was like, 'OK.'" She points to a shelf that's slightly out of frame: "I have a little note from her up here, and it says, To Maia, happy release day. XO. Carly. And I look at it and I'm like, 'What the fuck?' I just can't believe it."

The mellow, ukulele-backed friendship anthem is a point of pride for Maia, who counts CRJ among her personal pop-music heroes. It also cemented her evolution from a YouTuber recording covers and lo-fi originals on GarageBand to a fully fledged recording artist. Maia released and promoted 2018's Plum Blossom, her first EP, completely independently. By the time her first full-length was in the works, she'd already toured internationally and had a string of viral moments on social media. The internet fame scored her 21 Days With Mxmtoon, a podcast with Spotify documenting her creative process while writing and recording Masquerade. It also landed her a publishing deal with Kobalt Music Group, whom she signed to for administrative and creative support last November.

Maia tweeted flippantly that "OK on Your Own" was "for the girls and the gays," but there's some truth to it. She points to similarities between her and Jepsen's followings: CRJ has "an insanely large LGBTQ+ community of people who love her and think about her as their queen." Maia herself is openly bisexual, which resonates deeply with her 411,000-plus followers on Twitter. She came out in 2017 during the earlier days of her social-media fame. "I don't think I've experienced many obstacles besides the hate comments where people will be like, 'It's so weird, why is she talking about her sexuality?'" she says. "I think the bedroom-pop space, and indie pop too, has been very open and accepting of queer artists."

If anything, owning her sexual orientation endeared Maia further to her fans, many of whom are also members of the LGBTQ+ community. "I think that was always one of my goals when I started having a platform, to make a space that felt comfortable enough for people to be open about who they are, and for me to be open about who I am too," she adds. "So I'm thankful I don't need to shy away from this aspect of who I am."

Maia is leveraging her platform even more ahead of the presidential election in November. On Twitter, she reminds her 411,000 followers to register to vote; on Twitch, she hosts charitable live-streams for an audience of 97,000. As a bisexual Chinese-American woman born to an immigrant family, Maia feels the current administration's attacks on civil rights personally. "You look at the news, and when your identity and its validity is constantly being questioned by a guy who's president and everything, it's exhausting," she says. "It's just terrifying that people's basic human rights are being threatened and have been under fire for so long."

What's next for this self-professed perfectionist? 365 Days of Mxmtoon is ongoing through 2021. Maia also plans to continue streaming herself writing songs and playing video games on Twitch, an imperfect but necessary substitute for connecting with her fans in-person on tour. With Dawn and Dusk out now, though, Maia has one thing on her mind: "Hopefully I'll get some sleep. That's my next goal."

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Mxmtoon, Social Media's Savviest Indie-Pop Singer, Is Ready For A Nap

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Mxmtoon's Maia is one of the busiest young women in the indie-pop world, but you wouldn't know it from a cursory glance at her space. Zooming in for a video call with MTV News from her apartment in Brooklyn, the 20-year-old social media star-turned-pro singer-songwriter readily accepts compliments of her lush surroundings.

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This made me think about how we as a society took away the "better than everyone" status of celebrities a little bit (adding awareness and irony) but are still hyper aware of their every action. It really opened up a lot about their personal lives, which makes it pretty hard for celebrities to protect their kids identities.

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If the reports are true, Nicki Minaj just became a mommy! And even though details are scarce right now, TMZ reports that the rap queen and her husband, Kenneth Petty, welcomed a baby into the world, though no further information - including the baby's sex - has come through just yet.

and have also confirmed the news. Both report that Minaj gave birth yesterday, September 30, in Los Angeles.

The hip-hop icon first revealed her pregnancy on Instagram in July with a series of colorful shots of her cradling her baby bump, culminating in a regal, stunning final portrait shot by David LaChapelle. She married Petty in October 2019, sharing the news in an Instagram post showcasing some his and hers wedding merch.

Despite a total shutdown of the live-music industry, Minaj spent 2020 earning her first two No. 1 songs on the Billboard, first with Doja Cat on the disco-pop track " Say So" in May and again in June, teaming up Tekashi 6ix9ine on the colorful " Trollz." She also collaborated with Meghan Trainor, A$AP Ferg, and more.

It's also been quite a year for new babies in the pop-music world. Just last week, Zayn Malik and Gigi Hadid announced they'd welcomed their first child, a daughter, following similar announcements from Katy Perry and Orlando Bloom; Ed Sheeran and his wife, Cherry Seaborn; and Usher and music executive Jenn Goicoechea.

Congrats to Minaj and Petty, as well as all the new parents in 2020. Babies, man! Cute!

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Nicki Minaj Reportedly Welcomes Her First Child

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If the reports are true, Nicki Minaj just became a mommy! And even though details are scarce right now, TMZ reports that the rap queen and her husband, Kenneth Petty, welcomed a baby into the world, though no further information - including the baby's sex - has come through just yet.

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This made me think about hero versus celebrity in the media because the subject of the article is doing heroic things and being highlighted by the media because of it. I wonder if Boorstin would have any new thoughts for modern media where great people can become celebrities. I guess that's a conflict and I wonder if a person can be both.

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Michelle Lipinski is the founder and principal at Northshore High School, a Massachusetts-based school which specializes in supporting students who are 16 and recovering. And in the video below, the educator -- who you can watch this Tuesday on the MTV docuseries -- stresses how she has personally evolved when it comes to helping young people who struggle with addiction.

"I went from a typical educational background into public health, and what I realized on this side of it -- and I'm going to be super vulnerable right now -- is that I did every single thing wrong," Michelle states in the clip. "I suspended kids for things that, frankly, they didn't have any control over. I expected things of their families that they were never going to be able to attain."

How does Michelle describe coming to terms with her past decisions? And what are her hopes for these "beautiful children"? Hear Michelle in the video -- and do not miss her and the entire Northshore community this Tuesday on 16 and Recovering at 9/8c.
If you or someone you know is struggling with addiction, you are not alone and help is available. For treatment options and other resources, visit 16andrecovering.com. If you need to talk to someone, call 800-273-8255 for a free, confidential conversation anytime. Join the conversation using #16andRecovering.

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How Working With Students Battling Addiction Changed This Educator Forever

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Michelle Lipinski is the founder and principal at Northshore High School, a Massachusetts-based school which specializes in supporting students who are 16 and recovering . And in the video below, the educator -- who you can watch this Tuesday on the MTV docuseries -- stresses how she has personally evolved when it comes to helping young people who struggle with addiction.

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This is a good example of an article with reliable and valid information, as in the interview Michael talks about their own personal experiences. At the beginning, the author was also open about their writing and listening experience. MTV is owned by Viacom and on the Viacom website they clearly outline their culture and morals. It is useful to Michael in their sales of the album and can get audiences interested in cool new music!

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It can be tempting, as a writer, to compartmentalize, to define by a set of fixed words or parameters. Pinpoint the detail about your subject that most interests you - an unexpected gesture, a prime soundbite pulled from an interview - and flesh it out into a full story. But in the case of the New York-based artist Michael Love Michael, who last month self-released their debut album XO, it's simply not possible, in part because they do so much.

As the former culture editor at Paper magazine, the 32-year-old "Cancer-Leo cusp," who grew up between Chicago and Gary, Indiana, crafted celebrated profiles of such disparate musicians as Paramore's Hayley Williams and cyborg sensation Poppy, while also serving up weekly playlists packed with the best bops from Megan Thee Stallion, Yves Tumor, and beyond. One day, it seemed they were stomping a runway in New York in a leather tank top and a cherry pout for the queer designer Willie Norris; the next, they were escaping to a farm to study permaculture at an undisclosed location "out West."

XO, by design, rejects easy categorization. The collection, which was produced in under a year in collaboration with Michael's longtime creative partner Rich Dasilva, fluctuates dramatically between glittering power-pop - as on the synth-heavy "6 Jaguars," which dissolves at the bridge into a biting rap ("They call me bitch if they don't like me... Does that tell you who I'm voting for, honey?") - and lush, emotional ballads. Michael's voice boasts a similarly wide range, whether as a groaning whisper in a spoken-sung segment closing "The Hatred," or as a looping, crystalline falsetto as they perform as their own backup singer on "Blueberry."

Their first comprehensive artistic statement, Michael tells MTV News, us intended to dispel any notion of essentialization, particularly as a Black, nonbinary artist making their mark in the music industry (in June, they left Paper, citing its treatment of its Black staffers). "I think Black, queer people can sometimes just be lumped together in this really offensive, monolithic way, and it's just a way of me saying that I have multitudes," they say. "I am a very tender, spiritual, sensitive person. And I'm also fierce."

Ross Days

MTV News: Did you record XO MTV News: I really connected with the song "Blueberry," and there was this sound on it that reminded me of a dulcimer, though I couldn't quite make it out. Given that much of the album was produced at home, was there a lot of live instrumentation? while you were on the farm, or was that all done before? MTV News: Would you tell me about it?
Michael: I basically worked on it from April until late July, so there was part of it that was finished here, but most of it was done during quarantine in New York, four or five tracks. I started recording my vocals on my iPhone and my computer, and I'm really happy with how it all turned out, because, at least in my opinion, none of it sounds like it was done at home. It has a uniformity, and it sounds kind of expansive in a lot of ways.

Michael: So there's acoustic guitar, there's whistling, there are actual finger snaps, and then the rest is electronic. So then there's kind of the 808 bass drone and there's that sound, which is like a fake electronic guitar. But I'm glad you like "Blueberry." "Blueberry" is very, very sweet and comes from a sad place.
MTV News: What are some other songs on the album that feel special for you?
Michael: OK, so "Blueberry" is about an unrequited love. When I was a teenager, I had this really intense crush on this guy who was closeted and involved with this girl as a way to kind of conceal, as we all do when we're going through that journey. But we always had a connection, and it was very kind of the teenage lust kind of factor. And then, after high school, he went to the Iraq War and died.

There are lines about going off to war but also being brave and being who you are. There's this line about purple hearts beating wild with red, red blood - the idea of a Purple Heart for bravery, while also referencing the bravery it requires to be out as yourself. There's also the idea that both of us are sacrificing something, my jealousy and my self-reflection, and the blueberry gates became a place I would go in my mind when I would think of him. I wanted to find a way to talk about having a closeted relationship full of young lust and love, and to speak about what's involved when two people sacrifice parts of themselves to make things work that can't work, ultimately.
MTV News: Do you have a good relationship with your mom and your grandmother?
Michael: This is almost like my second coming out, as an artist and sharing my music with everybody. Even though I've been making music since I was 16, I've never actually had the courage until now to release anything. "XO" is my favorite track, because that's the thesis of the project. It's about overcoming some of my own personal demons to love myself enough to realize I had something to share and something to say, like a love letter to a damaged former self.
MTV News: What made now feel like a good time to release an album and share this project?
"Mother's Day" is another one that I really love, because it's kind of strange and cryptic. This one is more about people's relationship to all things maternal, how you have to be a reciprocal give-and-take dynamic with whatever those things are, whether that's the earth, someone you look up to who is a femme person or a mother figure. It has echoes of my own relationship with my mother and my grandmother. There's a line about planting a garden - "Every Mother's Day, I plant a garden for you / Every Mother's Day, I water your flowers that bloom" - and that was something I used to do for my grandmother as a kid.

Michael: With my grandmother, yes. With my mother, that's something that's very much in process. It's a tricky song. It's really complex, obviously. But I love it for that reason, and I love that I feel like I'm learning how to be really good at writing about things that are personal broader and nuanced ways. I can be descriptive and I can also not be descriptive, and all of it's intentional. It kind of reminds me of a St. Vincent, Brian Eno vibe. It feels kind of stompy, crunchy, stadium rock or something.
MTV News: Yeah, I can really relate with feeling vulnerable in sharing something creative.
Michael: It was something that I didn't intend to happen. I was happy with just having some demo recordings and maybe an EP released on SoundCloud, and then I had friends who really encouraged me to think bigger. Also, I had my own aspirations that I buried because I was trying to be realistic and I was trying to hold down full-time jobs and I was trying to be sort of a traditional careerist, and it's just like, no bitch. Don't dull your own shine, don't gaslight yourself just because society gaslights you.
MTV News: In listening to XO as a whole, there are songs that are very soft and almost indie-leaning in a way, and then you also have these songs that are very fierce and very hard. I wondered what your intention was, or were you expressing different sides of yourself?
And so, that's what kind of really motivated me to kind of come out with it all, and I just feel really grateful for the ability to have unlocked this avenue of creativity. Even for this to happening, for us to be talking about my album for MTV is fucking cool. Everything is luxury now, I just get so excited about everything else because creativity begets more creativity. So I don't take any of it for granted, it's so fucking cool.

Michael: This is an exercise in proving something to myself. I really do believe, if you see something missing and you have the capacity to provide or be that missing link, then do that. If you feel empowered and you feel like you can and you have the resources and the energy, do that. Where queer voices are sort of becoming less and less marginalized, people want to hear what it is we have to say. Remember that there are so many people who fought and died for so much of the freedom that I and many of us take for granted. Part of being a person with a voice and sharing it is also being in service to your ancestors who came before you.

Michael: Well, I love that you picked up on the contrast, because that was the exact point. I definitely wanted to present duality. It's an introduction to me as a musician and, hopefully, if there ever were any expectations, it surprises, maybe it shocks. Maybe it's exactly what people expect - I have no fucking idea. I called it XO because I thought of X-O as sort of an expression of contrast, because it's like hugs and kisses are sort of opposite things, but then so is the idea of being open and being closed.

I think Black, queer people can sometimes just be lumped together in sort of this really offensive, monolithic way, and it's just a way saying that I have multitudes. I'm a complex, fully realized human being. So it was important for me to show a hard edge and a softer, gentler side, because at the end of the day, I am a very tender, spiritual, sensitive person, and I'm also fierce. The Cancer-Leo cusp is really that, it's very that.

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Michael Love Michael's XO Is A Service To Their Queer Ancestors

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It can be tempting, as a writer, to compartmentalize, to define by a set of fixed words or parameters. Pinpoint the detail about your subject that most interests you - an unexpected gesture, a prime soundbite pulled from an interview - and flesh it out into a full story.

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Headline: "Lana Del Ray Says Wear A Mask With Interview Cover: 'Just not, ya know, this one'." How does it read? It plays into current ideals as America now has a new meaning of 'mask' for safety rather than for Halloween. How does it feel? It makes me wonder what the quote means. Just from the headline I also want to see why Lana Del Ray is currently relevant. How does it pay? It is for publicity for her new audiobook album. Additionally, if people wore masks more diligently then the economy might be able to stabilize and the US could go back to normal more.

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Ever-heartbroken, ever-nostalgic, the Brooklyn-born songstress Lana del Rey is, additionally, ever the outsider to the contemporary pop arena. Her forthcoming sixth studio album, Chemtrails Over the Country Club, promises to include more of the high-Americana and desolate, one-liner-laden lyrics listeners have come to expect from previous releases Born to Die and Norman Fucking Rockwell. And though it did not meet its originally scheduled release date of September 5, the collection is apparently nearly finished and ready for rollout later this month.

To toast the occasion, Del Ray appeared on the cover of dressed in the protective (well, not really) look du jour: a glittering, rhinestone-encrusted mesh mask so thin the singer's pout is only slightly shrouded beneath. In another shot, donning a leather Gucci trench coat, she dangles a black version between her powder blue acrylic nails, likely to flaunt the diamond Bvlgari rings on her fingers.

Doctors typically recommend wearing breathable, cotton masks that cover the nose and mouth to protect respiratory droplets from entering and exiting, and Dr. Darien Sutton-Ramsey described it as an "act of solidarity and altruism." If there were ever an example of how not to safely wear a mask amidst the coronavirus pandemic, this would be it. However, Interview and Del Ray were surely in on the joke, adding a cover line that read, "Please wear a mask. (Just not, you know, this one.)"

The corresponding feature story was a sprawling conversation with the producer Jack Antonoff, who was also behind Norman Fucking Rockwell and Del Ray's recent poetry audiobook, Violet Bent Backwards Over the Grass, which released in July and will get a print update from Simon and Schuster on September 29. The pair discussed creating the unique sound of the album, which was crafted at Jim Hensen's storied studio and fluctuated at times between new folk and country.

"It's funny, the record was Midwestern-sounding before I even went to the Midwest," Del Dray said of the Chemtrails. "What's interesting about having a true muse - and it sounds kind of ridiculous - is that you're at the whim of it. When I'm singing about Arkansas, even I'm wondering why. The one way I would describe the Midwest, Oklahoma in particular, is that it's not cooked or oversaturated, and there's still space to catch that white lightning."

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Lana Del Rey Says Wear A Mask With Interview Cover: 'Just Not, You Know, This One'

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Ever-heartbroken, ever-nostalgic, the Brooklyn-born songstress Lana del Rey is, additionally, ever the outsider to the contemporary pop arena. Her forthcoming sixth studio album, Chemtrails Over the Country Club, promises to include more of the high-Americana and desolate, one-liner-laden lyrics listeners have come to expect from previous releases Born to Die and Norman Fucking Rockwell.

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This reminded me that media is ever changing. Keke's note about Chadwick Bosman's death wouldn't have been necessary a week ago. It also speaks to the Aufderheide key concept of media constructing reality as more people of color's voices and calls to action and power are being shared now.

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Keke Palmer is ready for change. Are you?

The singer and actress was one of the first faces we saw when the 2020 VMAs kicked off, and it was fitting - she is the show's host, after all. But it's what she did with that platform that really seized the unique moment that 2020 has found us all in. "I don't know if I was the first choice [to host], or the only one brave enough to do it during COVID," she joked from the heart of Manhattan as part of her monologue to begin the show. "Either way, I got the job, loves!"

But while the jokes were there - "2020 has undoubtedly been a rough year for everyone, and I'm not just talking about my edges" - so were the frank calls to action that have defined the year just as much as the pandemic has. "We've seen heroes go above and beyond whether they drive a delivery truck, work at a grocery store, or serve on the front lines at a hospital," she said.

"And with the Black Lives Matter movement, we've seen our generation step up, take to the streets, and make suer our voices will be heard," Palmer continued. "Enough is enough. What we just witnessed in Kenosha, Wisconsin is another devastating reminder that we can't stop, that we can never tolerate police brutality or any injustice. We must continue the fight to end systemic racism. The leaders of that movement are you, us, the people watching tonight. It's our time to be the change we want to see."

Her monologue were preceded by a special acknowledgment she gave to Black Panther actor Chadwick Boseman, whose death from colon cancer was announced on Friday night (August 28). Palmer added her own message: "We dedicate tonight's show to a man whose spirit touched so many. He's a true hero, not just onscreen but with everything he did. His impact lives forever."

"I just want to encourage people to say, like, hey, whether you're that new fresh face that somebody's looking for, or whether you fell into it, or it's accidental, or whatever - working hard for it, that counts, too," Palmer told MTV News earlier this month ahead of the show. "Keep working hard, because hard work does pay off."

Palmer's hosting gig comes the same weekend as the arrival of her latest EP, Virgo Tendencies, Pt. 1, which dropped on August 28 (naturally, just a few days after the kickoff of Virgo season). It features her singles "Snack," "Sticky," "Thick," and "Virgo Tendencies." Her monologue followed a truly dizzying, borderline death-defying performance of "Blinding Lights" from The Weeknd at the observstion deck the Edge at New York City's Hudson Yards, 1,100 feet above the street.

The 2020 VMAs have kicked off across MTV's linear and digital platforms, as well as with several outdoor performances around New York City. Find the complete winners list here and everything else you need to know at .

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Keke Palmer Opens VMAs With Empowering Speech: 'It's Our Time To Be The Change'

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Keke Palmer is ready for change. Are you? The singer and actress was one of the first faces we saw when the 2020 VMAs kicked off, and it was fitting - she is the show's host, after all. But it's what she did with that platform that really seized the unique moment that 2020 has found us all in.