The performance took place days after the 27th anniversary of the Nirvana singer’s death.

What We Know:

• Rapper Scott Mescudi, a.k.a. Kid Cudi, performed songs from his latest album, Man on the Moon III: The Chosen, on this week’s Saturday Night Live episode. In both of his performances, “Tequila Shots” and “Sad People,” he paid tribute to lost celebrities.
• While singing “Tequila Shots,” Cudi wore a fuzzy olive-green cardigan. It was similar to one Kurt Cobain sported during Nirvana’s MTV Unplugged in New York months before his death in 1994. Underneath the cardigan, he donned a white shirt with a headshot of late SNL comedian Chris Farley, who passed away in 1997.
• When Cudi performed “Sad People,” he changed into a spaghetti-strap floral-print dress. This was another tribute to Cobain, as he wore similar apparel on the cover of “The Face” in 1993.
• Many fans praised Cudi for his attire and performance. They were happy that he was spreading awareness about suicide and prevention on SNL. Cobain committed suicide at the age of 27. Cudi has also struggled with mental health issues. In 2016, he registered himself into rehab for “depression and suicidal urges.”  He made the statement on Facebook and signed the post with this real name. He described himself as “a damaged human swimming in a pool of emotions every day of my life” on the social media page. Additionally, he said his depression and anxiety ruled his life for as long as he could remember. He emphasized he would no longer hold himself back. His openness sparked a national conversation on Black men’s mental health.
• Cudi mentioned on Twitter that Off White CEO Virgil Abloh designed the dress for him. Furthermore, he mentioned that he wanted to commemorate Cobain somehow in the outfit.

In a follow-up tweet, Cudi announced he is collaborating with Off White. He also stated the dress he wore on SNL would be included in the collection. Cudi is continuing Cobain’s legacy of advocacy and acceptance to ensure no one else succumbs to their battle with mental illness.

The musician announced the huge donation as part of an effort to combat the ongoing instability between the Ethiopian government and the country’s Tigray region.

What We Know:

• The Grammy-award-winning artist announced Sunday he would donate $1 million that would provide 2 million meals to the Ethiopian people. The Weeknd, whose real name is Abel Tesfaye, was born in Canada as the son of two Ethiopian immigrants. He grew up speaking the native language, maintaining a connection to his parent’s home.

 

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• The crisis in Ethiopia stems from the Tigray region, the northernmost in the country. The region is home to most of the nations’ 7 million ethnic Tigrayans, who hold significant power within the government. In November, the region launched an attack on a military base, prompting a response from the government, which ultimately set off the conflict.
• To date, millions of people have been displaced from the conflict. The ongoing fighting has led to a humanitarian crisis, with thousands of refugees fleeing to neighboring countries. The Ethiopian government has been accused of human rights abuses by “indiscriminately shelling” multiple towns and cities across Tigray.
• This is not the first time The Weeknd has made humanitarian efforts; in 2020, the singer made several large donations. In June, he donated a million dollars to Covid-19 relief for frontline workers. That same month he donated $500,000 to racial justice groups, including Black Lives Matter. Then in August, The Weekend donated $300,000 to Lebanon to assist those affected by the Beirut explosion, according to Variety.

The Weeknd most recently made headlines for vowing to boycott the Grammys after his chart-topping album After Hours did not receive a single nomination. Earlier this year, the singer headlined the Super Bowl LV Halftime Show.

Lizzo slammed people on TikTok that attempt to diagnose overweight content creators.

What We Know:

• The Grammy Award-winning artist spreads messages about body positivity on her Instagram and TikTok. Most of her posts center on accepting one’s body for what they look like and using food for fuel. She ensures her followers do not conform to society’s beauty standards. However, many of her followers feel she is promoting an unhealthy lifestyle for young fans.
• In a recent TikTok post, she called out some of these critics. In the video, she is eating a snack of pomegranate seeds and coconut water, a snack made popular by her. The singer begins by saying she has seen posts by other “fat girls” who stay fit but cannot lose weight. She affirms the recordings are important because regardless of their intentions for weight loss, they show that everybody and their functions are different.
• She continues her TikTok by shaming “fake doctors.”

The vocalist questions, “What really bothers me are the fake doctors in the comments saying, ‘Oh, you have this,’ or ‘You might have this condition.’ No. What if I’m just fat? What if this is just my body?”

• Lizzo then gives viewers a message of reassurance by saying that not all bodies are designed to be slim and toned. She concluded it by saying one’s body is one-of-a-kind. The post currently has 1.3 Million likes.
• In an interview with Vogue, the performer said she wants to be “body-normative.” She believes that by saying she is “body positive,” she is being lazy. According to her, the body positivity movement helps those with back fat, hanging bellies, unseparated thighs, and stretch marks. Yet, the artist believes another demographic represents it.

The artist wants to be known for something other than being “fat and Black.” She told David Letterman in his show My Next Guest Needs No Introduction that she wants people to focus on her contributions to current social issues. She wants the public to forget about her image.