I.C.Y.M.I.: Taylor Swift Drops New Album, DMX + Snoop Dogg Face Off in Rap Battle, Remembering Chris Cornell & More

Greetings, fellow pop culture aficionados, and welcome to week 24 of our I.C.Y.M.I. (In Case You Missed It) blog series. Our museum may be temporarily closed to visitors based on guidance from public health officials to slow the spread of coronavirus, but we're still here to recap a handful of trending tidbits from the past week(s) in popular culture, in case you missed them.

Last week, we started by sharing the heartwarming story of a young superhero who protected his sister from danger (and then received a pretty sweet shoutout and special gift from Chris Evans, a.k.a., Captain America). This week, much of our focus is on the music scene, beginning with some big news for all the Swifties out there. Read on!

Taylor Swift Releases New Album, folklore

Taylor Swift surprised the pop culture world Thursday morning, when the singer-songwriter took to Twitter to announce she'd be releasing her eighth studio album, folklore, at midnight. 

"Most of the things I had planned this summer didn't end up happening, but there is something I hadn't planned on that DID happen," Swift writes. "... I'll be releasing my entire brand new album of songs I've poured all of my whims, dreams, fears, and musings into."

Swift, who says she wrote and recorded the album in isolation, notes she had the chance to collaborate on it with some of her "musical heroes," including Aaron Dessner, Bon Iver, William Bowery, and Jack Antonoff. 

"Before this year I probably would've overthought when to release this music at the 'perfect' time, but the times we're living in keep reminding me that nothing is guaranteed," she says. "My gut is telling me that if you make something you love, you should just put it out into the world. That's the side of uncertainty I can get on board with."

Swift's latest release, folklore, is embedded above.

DMX and Snoop Dogg Face Off in Verzuz Rap Battle

A pair of hip-hop's most prolific artists squared off in a rap battle this past Wednesday, as DMX and Snoop Dogg celebrated each other in Swizz Beatz and Timbaland's popular Verzuz series on Instagram live. The two-hour session, embedded above, includes hits that span decades from the two rappers.

Remembering Chris Cornell

This past Monday marked what would have been the 56th birthday of legendary rocker Chris Cornell. To celebrate, his family shared a previously unreleased Cornell cover of Guns N' Roses' song "Patience." Give it a listen in the video embedded above, and while you're at it, head over to our remembrance post on Facebook for a look at some of the photos MoPOP visitors have shared posing in front Cornell's statue stationed just outside our museum.

What Else To Catch Up On This Weekend

• The Rolling Stones released a 'lost' 1974 collaboration with Jimmy Page (check it out above).
• Actor Keanu Reeves is writing comic books!
• Speaking of comics, San Diego Comic Con has gone completely virtual, and all of its presentations are free to watch this weekend.
• Here at MoPOP, we caught up with 19-year-old Aréte Garner, a 2019 alum of The Residency hip-hop program who shared five songs that have helped keep him happy in quarantine.
• Our milestone series celebrating 20 years of MoPOP continued this past week with a look at our very first exhibition.
• And applications are now open for our 2020-21 virtual Youth Advisory Board. High school students interested in influencing teen programming at MoPOP are encouraged to apply!

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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