Nicki's "Gold Card," Gaga + Bieber at the Grammys, A'zion Quits

Nicki Minaj Touts "Gold Trump Card" Following Presidential Event Appearance

Nicki Minaj set off a social media frenzy after revealing she’d received a so‑called “Gold Trump Card,” which is being promoted as a pathway to U.S. citizenship. Fresh off a January 28 appearance at an event touting government-backed investment accounts for infants, Minaj posted a photo of the card, emblazoned with Donald Trump’s face, captioning it “Welp” and calling the former president “wonderful, gracious, and charming.” Minaj has previously stated that she came to the U.S. as an undocumented five-year-old, but in a since-deleted post, she clarified that she has held legal residency for decades, hinting that the card represents something else to her.

The “Gold Card” is being advertised as a visa that requires a $150,000 processing fee and a $1 million “gift” to the government. Onstage, Minaj declared herself Trump’s “No. 1 fan” and brushed off any potential backlash from her fanbase. Trump returned the favor, even joking about his fondness for her trademark long nail extensions. The moment signals a notable public alliance between the rapper and the former president, even as critics question the eye-popping costs tied to the program and who it’s really designed to benefit.

Lady Gaga and Justin Bieber Join Powerhouse Lineup for 2026 Grammy Awards

The Recording Academy has officially confirmed that Lady Gaga will return to the Grammys stage for the 2026 ceremony, joining the recently announced Justin Bieber for what is shaping up to be a historic night. Gaga, a 14-time Grammy winner, enters the night with seven nominations, including Album of the Year for MAYHEM, and is expected to deliver a high-concept performance reflecting her current MAYHEM Ball world tour. Bieber, returning to the stage for the first time in four years, adds massive firepower to a roster already stacked with heavy hitters like Sabrina Carpenter and a highly anticipated collaboration between Clipse and Pharrell Williams.

The broadcast will also spotlight the next generation of talent with a dedicated Best New Artist medley featuring the year’s breakout nominees, such as KATSEYE, Olivia Dean, and Addison Rae. Beyond the contemporary hits, the evening is set to deliver two powerhouse musical tributes: Lauryn Hill will honor soul icons D’Angelo and Roberta Flack, while an all-star rock ensemble featuring Post Malone, Slash, and Duff McKagan will pay homage to the legendary Ozzy Osbourne.

ICYMI:

• New tickets to Ariana Grande’s ‘eternal sunshine’ tour in the U.S. will be available next month through a request system. “While most selections will be random, we will prioritize tickets canceled due to the seller’s violation of our terms,” Ticketmaster stated on social media. 

• Harry Styles has been announced as a performer for the BRITs on February 28th. 

Odessa A’zion Exits A24’s "Deep Cuts" Following Casting Backlash

Odessa A’zion has stepped down from Sean Durkin’s upcoming A24 adaptation of Deep Cuts following online criticism of her casting. Backlash erupted after she was announced as Zoe Gutierrez, a character described in Holly Brickley’s 2025 novel as Mexican and Jewish. In a series of Instagram Stories, A’zion apologized, explaining she had originally auditioned for Percy (now played by Cailee Spaeny) and accepted the role of Zoe without having read the book or researched the character’s heritage.

A’zion stressed that she never meant to take a role from someone better suited to represent Zoe. “I’m so pissed, y’all. I hadn’t read the book and should have paid attention to all aspects of Zoe before accepting,” she wrote, adding that she hopes the part goes to the right actor. The production, which counts Josh Safdie and Eli Bush among its producers, will now search for a new performer to star as Zoe alongside Spaeny and Drew Starkey.

POP FACT: On this day in 1974, Olivia Coleman was born.

Taylor Swift Hailed as the Ultimate "Girl’s Girl" by BLACKPINK’s Rosé

In a recent appearance on the Call Her Daddy podcast, BLACKPINK star Rosé opened up about how Taylor Swift stepped up as a mentor during her transition in her solo career. While navigating the complexities of the U.S. music industry and hunting for a new label, the K-pop idol met Swift at a party and found an unexpected ally in the global superstar. Rosé revealed that Swift pulled her aside, offered her phone number without hesitation, and encouraged her to ask "anything" regarding the logistics and self-protection needed to succeed as a solo artist. Describing herself as "drowning a little" at the time, Rosé credited Swift’s candid advice and genuine willingness to help with guiding her through the signing of her deal with Atlantic Records and the launch of her debut solo album, Rosie.

ICYMI:

• Zara Larsson is set to perform at the Grammys Premiere Ceremony. 

• Rihanna has extended her record as the female artist with the most Diamond-certified songs in the US, with 8 tracks.

• ‘The Late Show with Stephen Colbert’ is to air its final episode on May 21st.

• Charli xcx has joked about the ‘Khia Asylum’ at a recent screening of ‘The Moment’: “Who says I’m not going back there? I’d love to pop back in there, see all my friends.”

Best New Track: “The Great Divide” by Noah Kahan

Noah Kahan announced his fourth studio album, The Great Divide, via Instagram this week. The Vermont songwriter shared the record’s title track as its lead single alongside the announcement.

Kahan broke through with Stick Season, a 2022 album that carried his New England folk-pop beyond regional circuits and into the mainstream. The album’s reach was perhaps best summarized by the sudden familiarity of its central hook—“I love Vermont, but it’s the season of the sticks.”

What ultimately makes Kahan resonate is his ability to write about regional boredom, guilt and emotional stasis with a diaristic clarity that never tips into self-mythology. New England isn’t a vibe so much as a pressure point: weather, isolation and small-town memory shape the songs from the inside.

That same sense of emotional suspension surfaces again on the new song “The Great Divide.” It opens with him and a muse in a car, high, both of them with cigarette burns on their hands. “You said, ‘F*** off,’ and I said nothing for a while,” he sings. The lines move from casual well-wishes into something darker, swapping big, abstract fears for concrete ones:

“I hope you settlе down / I hope you marry rich / I hope you're scarеd of only ordinary shit / Like murderers and ghosts and cancer on your skin / And not your soul and what He might do with it.”

All of this makes “The Great Divide” an easy choice for our best new track.

—Dawson Therre

— Katie Macbeth

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