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I.C.Y.M.I.: Rock & Roll Hall of Fame 2021 Nominees, Super Bowl LV Halftime Show, 'Cinderella' Reunion + More!
Greetings, fellow pop culture aficionados, and welcome to week 46 of our I.C.Y.M.I. (In Case You Missed It) blog series, where we recap a handful of trending tidbits from the past week(s) in popular culture, in case you missed them.
Last week in this space, we shared some historic news from the film world. This week, we begin with a recent announcement from the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. Read on!
Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Announces 2021 Nominees
The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame unveiled its 16 nominees for 2021 induction this past week, and — with an early apology to all the Alice In Chains fans following our blog (we know there's a lot of you!) — the list of artists nominated includes: Mary J. Blige; Kate Bush; Devo; Foo Fighters; The Go-Go's; Iron Maiden; JAY-Z; Chaka Khan; Carole King; Fela Kuti; LL Cool J; New York Dolls; Rage Against The Machine; Todd Rundgren; Tina Turner; and Dionne Warwick.
Seven of the 16 artists on the ballot are first-time nominees, including Foo Fighters, The Go-Go's, Iron Maiden, JAY-Z, Mary J. Blige, Fela Kuti, and Dionne Warwick.
“This remarkable ballot reflects the diversity and depth of the artists and music the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame celebrates” says John Sykes, Chairman, Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Foundation. “These Nominees have left an indelible impact on the sonic landscape of the world and influenced countless artists that have followed them.”
According to the Rock Hall, an international voting body of "more than 1,000 artists, historians, and members of the music industry" will look at factors like "an artist’s musical influence on other artists, length and depth of career and the body of work, innovation and superiority in style and technique" when filling out their ballots.
The 2021 inductees will be announced this May with a fall ceremony to follow in Cleveland, Ohio. Until then, there's an opportunity for fans to get involved as well.
Beginning this week and running through April 30, fans can vote for up to five of their favorite nominees every day at vote.rockhall.com. The top five artists selected by the public will comprise a special "fans' ballot" that will be tallied along with other ballots to select 2021's inductees to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.
The Weeknd's Super Bowl LV Halftime Performance
Arguably the best part of every Super Bowl is the commercials, and this year's batch had some good ones, from Timotheé Chalamet's portrayal of "Edgar Scissorhands" to Mila Kunis and Ashton Kutcher reimagining Shaggy's 2000 hit "It Wasn't Me."
Super Bowl halftime shows are also typically worth tuning in for, and this past week(end) it was The Weeknd who entertained. You can check out his full set in the video embedded above, which includes performances of hits like "Starboy," "The Hills," "Can't Feel My Face," and more, plus an up-close-and-personal (and highly meme-worthy) stroll through a hall of mirrors.
Oh, and as for the game itself, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers pretty handily beat the Kansas City Chiefs, 31-9, with Bucs quarterback Tom Brady becoming the first player to win seven NFL championships.
Rodgers & Hammerstein's Cinderella Reunion
Stars from the 1997 musical Cinderella, which arrives on Disney+ this Friday, February 12, recently joined EW for a reunion show that included Brandy (Cinderella), Whoopi Goldberg (Queen Constantina), Bernadette Peters (Stepmother), and more.
"It was an honor to be part of something so wonderful back then, and even now, and it was multicultural, and it was just so wonderful that children were watching it could just enjoy it and all the different kinds of people that were in it, and not even question it," Peters says in the video embedded above.
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What Else To Catch Up On This Weekend
- Our first virtual event for Through the Eyes of Art, a Black History Month celebration kicks off at 6 p.m. PST Friday, February 12 live on MoPOP's Facebook page, where a panel of Black personal trainers and therapists will engage in a very important conversation on physical and mental health in the Black community.
- Also for Through the Eyes of Art, a Black History Month celebration, the MoPOP community is invited to take part in #TheCookoutChallenge, a month-long healthy-eating showcase on social media.
- As a reminder, we've officially reopened our doors and you're invited to come experience pop culture from somewhere other than your couch!
- As you make your way back to MoPOP, be sure to stop by our Fantasy: Worlds of Myth and Magic exhibition to check out some newly-installed Game of Thrones artifacts.
- Our Con Air online watchalong with special guest Clint Worthington, co-host of the Travolta/Cage podcast, gets going at 6 p.m. PST this Saturday, February 13. Registration is open over on our Movies at MoPOP page.
- MoPOP staff outlines five reasons why 'Con Air' is so bad it's...good?
- Our Cosplay Virtual Student Club got underway this past week and, prior to launch, we highlighted professional cosplayer Kirstie Kendall, who will lead the club in a props workshop this April.
What'd We Miss?
Now that we've filled you in on a few things, what do you feel we failed to mention? Let us know in the comments, or hit us up with a suggestion on social media. We'll look to include your ideas in our next edition of I.C.Y.M.I.
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