What’s Hot?
There are some big boots to fill here at Fever Towers… the What’s Hot baton has been handed over, and now it falls to little old me to carry the torch that burned so bright under the previous stewardship. In many ways, it’s like Jesse Marsch taking over from Marcelo Bielsa. Anyway, promise there won’t be endless Leeds mentions moving forward, but only right to get one in early.
What’s Hot is dead, long live What’s Hot.
Eurovision is back – brace for peak Graham Norton
Whether you love it or hate it (actually just admit it, it’s amazing) – Eurovision is back for its 66th edition. So, who will you be rooting for? This year the UK has TikTok star Sam Ryder performing his song ‘Space Man’, but will it be our year (spoiler: unlikely). The UK hasn’t finished in the top half of the table since 2011 and suffered the humiliation of bottom-placed finishes in the past two contests.
As well as being a great time to get together with friends and dress up as a flag, whilst trying dubious international drinks, the Eurovision treasure chest of iconic moments is always a trove worth a revisit. ABBA, everyone’s favourite bearded drag queen Conchita Wurst when she wowed the crowd back in 2014, and then there’s last year’s winners Maneskin, who took the world by storm reminding us that rock music is here to stay, as well as REALLY tight leather trousers.
Gaming is our bag at Fever
Following an explosive Spring season, the international competitive League of Legends community has once again converged for the annual Mid-Season Invitational this week, with its first live audience since 2019.
Kicking off on Monday, the top teams from each of the major leagues (LPL, LEC, LCS, LCK, etc) faced off in the first stage of the prestigious tournament, this year being held in the grand city of Busan, South Korea. So far, we’ve seen some phenomenal plays from fan favourites like T1, RNG and Evil Geniuses.
The return to live events, particularly live esports, warms our hearts (truly). As the billion-dollar industry grew to new levels of engagement throughout the pandemic, it’s exciting to see lockdown-born fans experiencing their first live events. We feel like proud gaming parents…
Could the BAFTA’s slap down the Oscar’s?
Okay, whilst this year’s BAFTA Awards wasn’t quite as entertaining as the Oscars – YES, we are still talking about the iconic slap and no, we won’t let it go – the awards celebrated the very best programmes and performances of 2021, from artists such as George Ezra to British stars Olivia Colman, Mo Gilligan and Graham Norton in attendance.
The awards saw Jodie Comer winning best leading actress with her performance in Help, a drama about the Covid-19 pandemic in the eyes of a health care assistant, whilst once again Ant and Dec walked away with the best Entertainment Programme for Ant & Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway for the googolplex-th time. Yes, we Googled biggest number in the world.
Perhaps the most impactful award of the night went to Rose and Giovanni’s silent dance to ‘symphony’. The Strictly Come Dancing performance, where the duo danced before the music paused leaving them dancing in silence, offering a small glimpse into Rose’s world and representing the deaf community in the most powerful way.
HOWEVER, the lack of awards for It’s a Sin? That really was less ‘la’ and more ‘arrrrrrgh.
Kendrick Lamar drops a deepfake masterclass
This week Kendrick Lamar took us on another journey, his new collab with South Park creators, Trey Parker and Matt Stone, put Lamar in the deepfake shoes of Kanye West, Kobe Bryant, Nipsey Hussle, OJ Simpson, Jussie Smollett and Will Smith in the music video for his much anticipated single ‘The Heart Part 5’.
The new track addresses issues POC celebrities within the entertainment industry have faced, with every line Kendrick raps, as he dons the face of his peers, he tells the story of their struggles and controversies.
Although Deepfakes have been a topic of controversy, it’s brilliant to see the ultra-creative potential of the software beyond its sometimes malicious use.
