Whose outfits stood out the most at the 2021 Met Gala?

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Rob Kim/GC Images, ANGELA WEISS/AFP via Getty Images, Raymond Hall/GC Images

Fashion was on high display at this year’s Met Gala, celebrating the theme “In America: A Lexicon of Fashion.”

Of course, the night drew a mix of spectacular and not-so-spectacular looks from those who attended.

Let’s take a look at the night’s best-dressed first, with Billie Eilish, Lil Nas X (and his multiple wardrobe changes) and Jennifer Hudson being hailed by social media users as the night’s winners.

Hudson’s crimson gown paid homage to a classic Aretha Franklin look, with fans praising the birthday girl for her “chic” appearance.

Eilish also seemingly paid tribute to an icon of the past, with her blush pink gown drawing comparisons to the late Marilyn Monroe.  One fan dubbed her “a real Disney princess” in a tweet that amassed over 3,000 likes in an hour.

Lil Nas X was like a Russian doll on Monday night — arriving in an oversized gold, velvet Versace cloak that revealed gold armor underneath and — under the armor — was a bedazzled gold and black bodysuit.  Queer Eye‘s Bobby Berk declared him the winner of the night.

Keke Palmer, Simu Liu, Lupita Nyong’o and Gabrielle Union were also praised for their classy attire.

As for the worst dressed, Kim Kardashian, Dan Levy and Addison Rae were blasted online for their polarizing looks.

Kardashian’s all-black bodysuit that covered her up to her head was derided on social media, with some comparing her look to that of a Xenomorph from the Alien franchise.

Levy’s puffy-shouldered bodysuit was panned, with one fan saying he looked like “one of Seth Rogen‘s vases.”

Rae’s red dress flopped with Met Gala critics — with one remarking, “Why’s Addison Rae got the Karen trim.”

Also among the worst dressed, according to critics, were Kim Petras, Pete Davidson, Lorde, Cara Delevingne and Kristen Stewart.

Copyright © 2021, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Avril Lavigne says her new album shows she’s “ready to rock out” again

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Jason Kempin/Getty Images

Lately, Avril Lavigne has been collaborating with some musicians who are continuing the emo-slash-pop-punk sound she helped take to the top of the charts 20 years ago, including her boyfriend Mod Sun and WILLOW, the daughter of Will and Jada Pinkett Smith.  She’s also seen how Olivia Rodrigo‘s music has been compared to her early work. But now, Avril’s ready to take back the sound for herself.

After she announced that she’s putting out new music next year, ABC News asked Avril what fans could expect from it.  “B****, I’m back to rock!” she declared, adding, “And the new music is exactly that.”

“Everyone’s having a lot of fun, sort of, like, with alternative music right now. My new album is kind of like that,” she continued. “It’s got, like, a pop-rock, pop-punk vibe. So I’m ready to have some fun…[and] rock out!”

And Mod Sun is pretty excited about his girlfriend’s new music.  He commented on Avril’s Instagram, “I can not wait for u to show the world what you’ve been working on. Ur an absolute icon + the most beautiful thing on this planet.”

Avril’s most recent album, Head Above Water, came out in 2019 and was inspired by her battle with Lyme disease.

Copyright © 2021, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Watch David Lee Roth pay tribute to Eddie Van Halen, reveal plans to return to Las Vegas for New Year’s

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Jeff Kravitz/MTV VMAs 2021/Getty Images for MTV/ViacomCBS

David Lee Roth helped bring the 2021 MTV Video Music Awards to a close on Sunday when he hit the stage to present the Video of the Year honor.

Backstage at the event, the Van Halen frontman was interviewed by Us Weekly, and he shared some words of tribute to his late band mate Eddie Van Halen and also revealed that he has plans for a special performance at the end of the year.

Asked if he had any new music plans, Diamond Dave revealed that he was going to be playing “Las Vegas on New Year’s,” and then said a few words about Eddie.

“You know, my guitar player passed away, Eddie Van Halen,” Roth said. “He’s either in heaven raising hell or he’s in hell, consequently in heaven. Read into that as you wish, and he would have me say it just like that.”

Eddie died on October 6, 2020, after a long battle with cancer. He was 65.

Roth also offered a brief quip about one of his other Van Halen band mates, drummer Alex Van Halen.

“I just spoke to Alex,” Dave told Us Weekly. “We’re about to celebrate our 50th year of ragging on each other.”

While no official announcement has been made about Roth performing in Las Vegas later this year, he had been about to play a second series of 2020 shows in Sin City at the House of Blues in March of last year when he was forced to postpone the engagement because of the COVID-19 pandemic. He played his first run of House of Blues gigs in January 2020.

Copyright © 2021, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

What’s Good For Your Heart? What’s Not?

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I have a list of 3 things that are good for our hearts – and a couple that aren’t, according to the Harvard School of Public Health. We’ll start with the good:

Optimism. A positive outlook can lower our risk for heart disease. That’s because feeling optimistic relaxes the body and mind – by lowering levels of stress hormones in our blood. And Harvard studies show, optimistic people have a 50% reduced risk of a cardiovascular event compared to those who are pessimists.

Also good for the heart: Tea. Green or black. It can reduce levels of bad cholesterol and improve artery function.

One more thing that’s heart healthy: Magnesium. It plays a crucial role in regulating your heartbeat… and getting enough magnesium daily could slash your risk of cardiac disease risk by 22%. So load up on magnesium superstars like whole grains, nuts, and leafy greens.

Okay – now here are the 2 things that harm our hearts:

Noise. Traffic and airport noise aren’t just annoying – they can literally make your stress levels rise, which increases blood pressure. Get some earplugs!

And, anger is hard on the heart. The chances of suffering a heart attack more than double in the two hours after an angry outburst. That’s due to sky-high levels of adrenaline and cortisol that constrict arteries.

The Magic Relationship Phrase!

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I have the magic phrase that’s guaranteed to shut down any argument with your significant other and get you back on track. It comes from Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist Dr. Rebecca Hendrix… It’s “I see where you’re coming from.”

Why does that work? Because it shows your partner that even if you don’t agree, you can see things from their perspective. It lets them know you’re listening and lets them feel understood.

In a study, researchers asked real couples to discuss hot-button issues. And regardless of what they were arguing about – or who was right – people who felt that their partner understood their point of view felt happier with their relationship overall.

Dr. Hendrix says, one of the biggest problems couples have is holding on too tightly to their views. But when you open yourself up to understanding where your partner is coming from it becomes a discussion, not an argument. So remember this phrase: “I see where you’re coming from.”

Eat These Foods So You’ll Sleep Better!

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What we eat throughout the day can help us sleep better at night. So here are some foods to add to your diet to help you get better quality sleep.

For starters, get more magnesium. According to the Journal of Research in Medical Sciences, people who get enough magnesium in their daily diet are less likely to have trouble sleeping. That’s because it’s an important mineral for relaxation. It helps neurotransmitters in the brain shut things down at night, so we can rest. To get the optimal amount, all you need is a handful of nuts or seeds daily.

However, if you’re not getting enough magnesium, you’re probably also deficient in Vitamin D. Because without enough magnesium, Vitamin D can’t be metabolized properly. Meaning, Vitamin D remains stored and inactive in your body. And a vitamin D deficiency can lead to fatigue, too. So get plenty of magnesium from your food – things like almonds, bananas, beans, broccoli, brown rice, cashews, egg yolks, and sunflower seeds… and take a vitamin D supplement.

Another sleep-booster: Eat more complex carbohydrates from high-fiber foods. They digest more slowly, so you won’t have blood sugar spikes that can disrupt sleep. So, think oatmeal, whole fruits, lentils, or 100% whole-grain toast.

One final sleep-booster: Sprinkle the spice turmeric on your dinner. It’s a powerful anti-inflammatory that promotes a sense of calm and boosts sleep quality.

‘David Byrne’s American Utopia’ special wins two awards at 2021 Creative Arts Emmys

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David Lee/HBO

David Byrne’s American Utopia, the Spike Lee-directed TV special presenting former Talking Heads singer David Byrne‘s critically acclaimed Broadway show of the same name, won two awards Sunday at the 2021 Creative Arts Emmys ceremony.

The program was a winner in two technical categories — Outstanding Lighting Design/Lighting Direction for a Variety Special and Outstanding Sound Mixing for a Variety Series or Special.

The program, which premiered on HBO and HBO Max in October 2020, also will vie a trophy in the Outstanding Variety Special (Pre-Recorded) category at the 2021 primetime Emmy Awards, airing live this Sunday, September 19, at 8 p.m. ET on CBS.

The American Utopia show features Byrne accompanied by 11 musicians, dancers and singers who move freely about an almost-empty stage. The production includes monologues by David connecting performances of songs from his 2018 American Utopia album, as well as Talking Heads songs and several other Byrne solo tunes.

For more details about the Creative Arts Emmys, visit Emmys.com.

Copyright © 2021, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

‘David Byrne’s American Utopia’ special, Bee Gees doc win awards at 2021 Creative Arts Emmys

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David Lee/HBO

David Byrne’s American Utopia, the Spike Lee-directed TV special presenting former Talking Heads singer David Byrne‘s critically acclaimed Broadway show of the same name, won two awards Sunday at the 2021 Creative Arts Emmys ceremony.

The program was a winner in two technical categories — Outstanding Lighting Design/Lighting Direction for a Variety Special and Outstanding Sound Mixing for a Variety Series or Special.

The program, which premiered on HBO and HBO Max in October 2020, also will vie a trophy in the Outstanding Variety Special (Pre-Recorded) category at the 2021 primetime Emmy Awards, airing live this Sunday, September 19, at 8 p.m. ET on CBS.

The American Utopia show features Byrne accompanied by 11 musicians, dancers and singers who move freely about an almost-empty stage. The production includes monologues by David connecting performances of songs from his 2018 American Utopia album, as well as Talking Heads songs and several other Byrne solo tunes.

Another music-themed winner at the Creative Arts Emmys was the documentary The Bee Gees: How Can You Mend a Broken Heart, which won the honor for Outstanding Sound Editing for a Nonfiction or Reality Program (Single or Multi-Camera).  The doc premiered on on HBO and HBO Max in December 2020.

For more details about the Creative Arts Emmys, visit Emmys.com.

Copyright © 2021, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Patti LaBelle, Gladys Knight and the Pips and more featured on soundtrack to ‘Mr. Soul!’ documentary

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Hillman Grad Records/Def Jam Recordings

Songs by Patti LaBelle, Gladys Knight and the Pips, Kool & the Gang, Donny Hathaway, Delfonics and other soul and R&B artists are featured on the recently released soundtrack of the award-winning documentary Mr. Soul!

The film tells the story behind the groundbreaking public television variety program Soul!, which ran from 1968 to 1973 and featured interviews with and live performances by Black artists, musicians, writers, poets, politicians, activists and more. The show was created, hosted and produced by enigmatic producer, broadcaster and promoter Ellis Haizlip. Mr. Soul! was written, directed and produced by Ellis’ niece, Melissa Haizlip.

Among the many guests who appeared on the show, which came to be known as America’s first “Black Tonight Show,” were Stevie Wonder, Al Green, Earth, Wind & Fire, Gladys Knight and the Pips, Roberta Flack, Muhammad Ali and author James Baldwin.

Mr. Soul!, which originally was released in 2018, premiered last month on HBO Max. For more info about the doc, visit MrSoulMovie.com.

The soundtrack is available now as a digital download and via streaming services. Here’s the album’s full track list:

“Show Me Your Soul” — Lalah Hathaway & Robert Glasper
“The Ghetto” — Donny Hathaway
“Express Yourself” — Charles Wright
“Over the Rainbow” — Patti LaBelle
“Grazing in the Grass” — Hugh Masekela
“If I Were Your Woman” — Gladys Knight and the Pips
“Didn’t I Blow Your Mind” — Delfonics
“I Wish I Knew (How It Would Feel to Be Free)” — Billy Taylor
“Chocolate Buttermilk” — Kool & the Gang

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Which K.Flay ‘Inside Voices’ song are you?

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Credit: Hannah Edelman

Move over Myers-Briggs, we have a new personality test, courtesy of K.Flay.

The “Blood in the Cut” artist has created a quiz that will tell you which song off her new EP, Inside Voices, you most resemble. You’ll answer “True,” “False” or “Neutral” for questions such as “I tend to think before I speak” and “I always follow the rules.”

K.Flay apparently took the test herself, and ended up getting the song “Dating My Dad,” which features Blink-182‘s Travis Barker. “TYPICAL CANCER AM I RIGHT,” she says.

Inside Voices was released in June. It also includes the single “Four Letter Words” and the Tom Morello collaboration “TGIF.”

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