Janelle Monae Supports #TimesUp at the 2018 Grammys: ‘We Come in Peace, But We Mean Business’

The Grammys are a celebratory affair, but they’re also often a forum for stars to speak out about important issues — and that was especially the case this year. Many celebs wore white roses on the red carpet to show support for the Time’s Up movement, and Kendrick Lamar kicked off the show with a politically charged opening number featuring U2 and Dave Chappelle. One of the most powerful moments, though, was Kesha’s performance of “Praying,” preceded by Janelle Monae’s moving introduction.

“Tonight, I am proud to stand in solidarity as not just an artist, but a young woman, with my fellow sisters in this room who make up the music industry — artists, writers, assistants, publicists, CEOs, producers, engineers, and women from all sectors of the business,” Monae began. “We are also daughters, wives, mothers, sisters, and human beings. We come in peace, but we mean business.”

She went on to specifically shout-out the Time’s Up movement, saying: “And to those who would dare try and silence us, we offer you two words: Time’s up. We say time’s up for pay inequality, time’s up for discrimination, time’s up for harassment of any kind, and time’s up for the abuse of power. Because you see, it’s not just going on in Hollywood. It’s not just going on in Washington. It’s right here in our industry as well.”

Before welcoming Kesha to the stage, Monae concluded her speech by issuing a call to action to her fellow musicians. “Just as we have the power to shape culture, we also have the power to undo the culture that does not serve us well,” she said. “So let’s work together — women and men as a united music industry committed to creating more safe work environments, equal pay, and access for all women.”

What’s your favorite moment of the Grammys so far? Tell us @BritandCo.

(photo via Kevin Winter/Getty Images for NARAS)

Get excited Swifties – our favorite singer-songwriter just accepted iHeartRadio’s Innovator Award, and her speech was *chef’s kiss*.

Every year, the award is given to artists who have “impacted global pop culture throughout their career,” and Taylor Swift has certainly done that. A bejeweled Swift accepted the award onstage at Los Angeles’ Dolby Theatre alongside a tribute video filled with some of our favorite celebs – Dolly Parton, Selena Gomez, Simu Liu, Simone Biles, and Ed Sheeran, just to name a few.

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Taylor Swift Acceptance Speech - Innovator Award | 2023 iHeartRadio Music Awards

“I never woke up, a single time, and thought to myself, ‘I’m gonna go innovate some stuff today,’” Swift jokingly said. “I really want everyone to know, especially young people, that the hundreds or thousands of dumb ideas that I’ve had have led me to my good ideas… You have to give yourself permission to fail.”

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shes so cute #phoebebridgers #taylorswift

Swift received the award from Phoebe Bridgers, the four time Grammy nominated singer-songwriter and Swift’s soon-to-be opening act on her Eras Tour, which started March 17 and runs until August 9.

In her introduction, Bridgers talked about her childhood dreams of songwriting, and discovering Swift while listening to country radio with her mom. “I heard a girl not much older than me singing a song about her own life, and that song was really good,” she said. “Taylor has always told the truth. She’s written songs from exactly where she is. Her music shifted genre in the same way life does—in the same way being 16 is totally incomparable to being 18, 22, 25, 28. I’m grateful that I’ve grown up in a world with Taylor Swift in it. Or, ‘The World (Taylor’s Version).’”

Image via Frank Micelotta/PictureGroup for FOX

Taylor Swift receiving the iHeartRadio Song of the Year Award for "Anti-Hero" from fellow artists Ice Spice and PinkPantheress.

Swift won six(!) other awards, including Song of the Year for “Anti-Hero” and “Best Pop Album.” These wins *officially* crowned her the most awarded artist in iHeartRadio Music Award history, with a total of 19 awards over her career.

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#taylorswift#swifttok#taylornation#swiftietiktok#swifttoker#swifttoks#swiftliketaylor#taylorswiftlover #iheartradiomusicawards#iheartradio#iheartradioawards#iheartradiomusicawards2023

The 12 time Grammy winner and honorary doctorate was nominated in several additional categories, including Artist of the Year, Best Lyrics (“Anti-Hero”) and Best Music Video (“Anti-Hero”).

Past recipients of the Innovator Award include Alicia Keys, Pharrell Williams, and Justin Timberlake, ranks in which Swift definitely deserved to join.

Our Swiftie hearts are so full right now, and we cannot wait to see what she wins next.

For now, we’re excitedly awaiting the day when we can finally see Swift IRL, taking the Eras Tour by storm.

Keep up with your fave celebrity news with Brit + Co.

Image via Frank Micelotta/PictureGroup for FOX

This edible crescent-roll cornucopia is our way of making a normal cheese boardmore festive — and definitely more fun — during the holiday season. Our go-to this time of year is a massive cheese plate that can stand alone and be the main attraction, or the starter for a larger meal. Press on for the surprisingly easy steps to braid a breaded cornucopia.

Chris Andre

Materials + Tools:

  • 1 roll of tin foil
  • 2 packages of crescent rolls
  • 1 egg (for egg wash before cornucopia goes into the oven), optional

Chris Andre

Instructions:

Start by sculpting tin foil into the shape of a cornucopia (it looks like a cone with an upturned tail). Pro tip: Lightly pack tin foil so it's easier to remove later from your baked cornucopia. Crescent rolls should be buttery enough that this shouldn't be difficult.

Chris Andre

Your tin foil mold should look a little something like this.

Chris Andre

Pop open the crescent rolls and cut the triangles into strips. Pinch together the ends of strips to make strips longer.

Chris Andre

Braid crescent roll strips. You can make these as fancy as you want. Not a braiding pro? Skip this step and leave those strips alone.

Chris Andre

Wrap tin foil cornucopia with braids/strips. Make sure you cover all the tin foil. Leave a little wiggle room at the opening of the cornucopia, so that when you’re done baking you can pull some of that tin foil out.

Chris Andre

Use any extra dough to cover the bottom of your cornucopia. Pinch the sides and anchor those braids/strips in.

Chris Andre

Brush on egg wash before placing your cornucopia in the oven. Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 20 minutes. Take out of oven and cover spots of cornucopia that are already golden brown with extra tin foil. Bake for another 20 minutes at 250 degrees Fahrenheit.

Chris Andre

Let it cool down until it’s easy to handle. Remove tin foil.

Chris Andre

Place cornucopia in corner of your cheese plate. Arrange cheese on your serving tray.

Chris Andre

Add crackers — we like to have two or three options.

Chris Andre

Don’t forget to fill up your cornucopia. It's called "the horn of plenty" for a reason. Fill with fresh fruit like grapes, apples, and pears.

Chris Andre

Add nuts like walnuts and pistachios to fill in any empty spaces. Garnish with fresh herbs like rosemary and sage to finish it off.

Chris Andre

Voilà! Invite over your friends, open a bottle of wine, and dig in!

Chris Andre

A cornucopia cheese board will become your new favorite holiday tradition.

Show us your crescent-roll cornucopias on Instagram and check out our baking classes (and our Easy Thanksgiving Desserts piece) for more holiday food inspo!

DIY Production and Styling: Paris Fried

Paris Fried: Paris loves any excuse to celebrate and throw a themed party. She loves experimenting in the kitchen and has a terrible sweet tooth. When she's not crafting in her studio, she's at the farmers' market buying seasonal produce or at her favorite local theater watching double features.

This post has been updated.

Michelle Obama stole the show with her surprise appearance at the 2019 Grammy Awards, and while the audience cheered so loudly that the former first lady could barely speak, her mom, for one, wasn’t that impressed.

The Becoming author took to Instagram on Tuesday, February 12, to share screenshots of a hilarious post-Grammys text message conversation with her mother, Marian Robinson. “When your mom doesn’t think you’re a ‘real’ celebrity,” Obama captioned the exchange. “Tonight in Phoenix, I shared this text thread from my mom from #Grammys night, and I just had to share it with all of you. #TextsFromMom.”

As seen in the screenshots, Robinson began by writing, “I guess you were a hit at the Grammys,” with a smiling, tongue-sticking-out emoji. Obama replied that the text “is so typically you,” then asked her mom if she watched the show.

“I saw it because Gracie called me,” Robinson responded, before subtly shading her famous daughter. “Did you meet any of the real stars or did you run right after you were done?”

After insisting (despite Robinson’s claims to the contrary) that she told her mom she was going to be on the Grammys, Obama ended the conversation by writing, “I am a real star… by the way…” to which Robinson simply replied, “Yeah.”

Obama appeared alongside host Alicia Keys, Lady Gaga, Jada Pinkett-Smith, and Jennifer Lopez at the 61st annual Grammy Awards on Sunday, February 10, to speak about the impact music has had on their individual lives as well as its universal appeal. Obama’s presence in particular inspired a surprised and uproarious reaction from the star-studded audience, who gave a standing ovation and cheered over her when she began to speak.

“All right, you guys, we got a show to do!” she joked to the crowd to settle them. She then spoke about the importance of perspective and storytelling in music — a topic that also came up with regular frequency in her recent hit memoir, Becoming.

“Whether we like country or rap or rock, music helps us share ourselves, our dignity and sorrows, our hopes and joys,” she said. “It allows us to hear one another, to invite each other in. Music shows us that all of it matters — every story within every voice, every note within every song.”

What do you think of Michelle Obama’s mom’s texts? Let us know @BritandCo!

(Photos via Win McNamee/Getty Images + Kevin Winter/Getty Images for The Recording Academy)

Though Black Friday is traditionally the official start of the holiday shopping season, we argue that it’s been kicking since mid-October. We know, we know: it still feels extremely early to start thinking about the holidays, but they’ll be here before you know it! Plus, many brands and retailers are already promoting their holiday goodies with plenty of sales and discounts available right now.

If you’re ready to embark on your holiday shopping journey, but still need answers to questions like ‘when’s the best time to shop?’ and ‘where should I shop for gifts?’ and even ‘how the heck do I save money this season?’, you’ve come to the right place. Consider this your go-to guide for holiday shopping in 2024.

Scroll on for our best guidance on navigating this busy time of year and finding the best gifts possible!

When's the best time to do holiday shopping?

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The best time to do holiday shopping really all depends on your personal shopping goals. Do you want to get a jump on items you know will sell out soon? Do you want to save the most money possible? Do you want to focus on handmade, personalized gifts? These factors will undoubtedly influence your holiday shopping schedule.

Cottonbro Studio / PEXELS

Shopping early can be advantageous for all of the aforementioned goals. A lot of retailers start promoting their holiday products early on, giving you ample time to snatch up that limited-time lip kit or fancy water bottle you’ve been eyeing way before the holidays.

Plus, some of the best deals for holiday shopping happen ahead of Black Friday and Cyber Monday – in 2023, Experian observed a surge in early spending in October, thanks to early discounts, a trend likely to continue in 2024.

Finally, shopping early can be especially helpful if your plan is to focus on handmade or personalized gifts, giving the artisan you buy from (or yourself, if you’re DIY-ing your gifts) plenty of time to craft the item with love and care.

Gallup reported in 2023 that one in four shoppers start shopping as early as September, a trend likely to continue in 2024 – so you might already be embarking on your shopping spree!

Mikhail Nilov / PEXELS

If right now is just still too darn early for you to start holiday shopping, Black Friday and Cyber Monday are some of the best times to shop since so many retailers offer their largest discounts of the entire year. Plus, the late November-early December timeline can feel a bit more appropriate for the gifting season opposed to late October-early November, when everyone’s still recovering from Halloween.

The only thing to consider during this time is the shipping timelines for the items you purchase – but most retailers will typically advise their specific shipping schedules, so you don’t risk your goodies arriving late.

Where should I shop for gifts?

Ron Lach / PEXELS

You have three main options when it comes to where to shop for holiday gifts: online, in-store, and via our amazing gift guides. Of course, each method has its advantages and disadvantages.

Shopping in-store offers a tangible experience: the opportunity to hold specific items in your hands and gauge exactly what they’ll be like when you give them as a gift. The pitfall with shopping in-person is that it typically requires a commute and journeys through potentially very busy malls and shopping strips, which can add to the already-stressful holiday experience.

In-store shopping can be more physically exhausting, but it’s all about preference! Sometimes strolling through the stores that get all dolled up for Christmas is the best part of the season.

Andrea Piacquadio / PEXELS

Per Google, 65% of those planning to shop for the holidays say they will shop online more. Shopping for gifts online can be super helpful since you can centralize your findings in your browser’s bookmark tab or via virtual cart(s). Plus, shopping online can pose more opportunities for saving some money: lots of retailers typically offer discount codes for online users, especially if you sign up for their digital marketing channels (like email and text) and make a purchase.

Shopping online isn’t just shopping, either. The internet can be a stellar research tool to help you vet whether certain products are worth it, where they can be bought, and when they’ll be available. In fact, Google reported that more than half of U.S. holiday shoppers who went into a store last year say they looked up product reviews online and/or located an item in-store by checking it online.

Kaboompics / PEXELS

Last but not least, scrolling gift guides has to be our favorite place to shop for gifts – and not just because we write and publish them.

At their very core, gift guides help streamline the holiday shopping process, alleviating the stress that bubbles up when you’re wondering what the heck to shop for in the first place. Our gift guides are backed by real people, real experiences, and real opinions from our editorial team. We only promote products that we really love and believe in, oftentimes ones we’ve tested and reviewed ourselves.

We have gift guides for just about everyone on your list, with more on the way! Check ‘em out:

What are the best kinds of gifts to give?

Kaboompics / PEXELS

The best kinds of gifts to give are thoughtful gifts that consider the giftee’s interests, wants, and needs. These gifts can be sentimental, practical, or both simultaneously. What matters most in a gift is that it’ll be meaningful to them past just the holiday season, whether it’s helping them get through daily tasks, reminding them of a memorable trip or event, or giving them small doses of joy.

“Shoppers are increasingly looking for personalized and unique gifts that reflect the recipient's personality and interests,” says Mia Anderson, Owner of ChicSew. “With the rise of online shopping, many consumers are opting for curated gift boxes or experiences that add a special touch.”

Cottonbro Studio / PEXELS

Gift boxes, personalized items, books of interest, self-care goodies, and even gift cards can all be thoughtful gifts depending on the recipient. If you have no clue what your giftee is into, it’s not a bad idea to ask them what they want the most!

“My idea of a great gift is something that is in tandem with the recipient's interest and offers something new to the person, be it learning a new skill, enjoying a calming activity, or simply spending quality time with the family,” says Alfred Christ, Sales Manager & Marketer at Robotime. “This season, we encourage shoppers to shift their focus on quality and the memories their gifts will create and not just merely material aspects.”

When is Black Friday?

Sora Shimazaki / PEXELS

Black Friday is always the Friday after Thanksgiving. This year, Black Friday lands on November 29.

When is Cyber Monday?

Kindel Media / PEXELS

Cyber Monday is typcally the Monday after Thanksgiving. This year, Cyber Monday will land on December 2. Oftentimes, retailers and brands extend their online offers through the week (coined Cyber Week) after the event. Salesforce reported that 67% of shoppers in 2024 plan on shopping during Cyber Week!

Subscribe to our newsletter to stay up-to-date on our best 2024 gift guides, shopping advice, and all things holiday!

The holidays at Starbucks are creeping up on us, people! Peppermint Mocha season will return on November 7. If you’re a die-hard Starbucks fan, you know Red Cup Day is a whole holiday in itself – the frenzy for a free reusable cup is truly no joke. There’s even an entire website dedicated to counting down the madness! Even though there’s no official word on when Red Cup Day 2024 will be, there are several clues that cue us into the annual event. Scroll on for details!

What is Red Cup Day?

Starbucks

Red Cup Day is Starbucks’ highly-awaited annual event that marks the start of holiday beverage season at the coffee chain. For one day only (and while supplies last), customers who order any of Starbucks’ holiday drinks will receive a reusable red cup that features a bespoke design for the respective year.

Starbucks

Here’s a list of all the drinks rumored to be available on the Starbucks holiday menu starting November 7:

  • Peppermint Mocha
  • Peppermint White Chocolate Mocha
  • Caramel Brûlée Latte
  • Sugar Cookie Almondmilk Latte
  • Chestnut Praline Latte
  • Salted Pecan Crunch Cold Brew
  • Iced Gingerbread Oatmilk Chai

What do the red cups look like for 2024?

Starbucks

Starbucks hasn’t officially announced when Red Cup Day will be for 2024, let alone what the famed red cups will look like this go-around. The one obvious point is that the cups will be red! They’ll also likely feature some festive motifs that echo the holiday season. Last year’s red cups boasted playful white and green stars and ornament-like shapes.

Why should I participate in Red Cup Day?

Starbucks

Red Cup Day = freebies, which can feel really rewarding if you’re really into receiving free goodies. Plus, it’s just a fun way to lean into the holiday spirit. The red reusable cup keeps giving beyond Red Cup Day, though! Every time you use the reusable cup for future Starbucks orders, you get a 10-cent discount as well as 25 bonus stars toward your Starbucks Rewards account to save up for more discounts on drinks, food, and merchandise.

When is Starbucks' Red Cup Day 2024?

Starbucks

Again, Starbucks hasn’t alerted us on when Red Cup Day will be for 2024, but based on previous Red Cup Days, we can infer it’ll land on the third Thursday of November. In 2022, Red Cup Day happened on November 17, and for 2023, it was November 16. The third Thursday of November in 2024 hits on November 21, so mark your calendars, everyone!

Additionally, check back here for official info as Red Cup Day approaches.

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This post has been updated.