Shifter Selects: Blasting Off To Planet Her

Graphic by Spencer Hall. Photos from left to right: Miley Cyrus Presents 'Stand by You'/Peacock, David LaChapelle/Instagram, Lil Nas X/Instagram.

Welcome to Shifter Selects, an addition to our digital component where we’ll highlight the latest trends in music, film/TV and fashion. Here’s how it’ll go down: on Monday of every week, we’ll be on the lookout for trending topics and give our hot takes on the matter. Sound like something you’d be interested in? Look no further than our Shifter Selects for the week of June 28 – July 2.

This week, Doja Cat releases more proof of the unknown in the deluxe edition of her third studio album, Planet Her, Miley Cyrus gave the girls, gays and they's everything we want in a Pride concert that everyone was invited to, and the BET Awards showed us jaw-dropping looks on their red carpet.

Music

Doja Cat Blasts Off to "Planet Her (Deluxe)"

by Brianna Fairman

Where to listen: Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, YouTube Music, etc.

Early Sunday morning, Doja Cat released the deluxe edition of her much-awaited third studio album, Planet Her.

"Planet Her (Deluxe)" contains five additional tracks, racking up a total of 19 R&B-, reggae- and pop-inspired songs. Among the new additions are “Ride,” a dangerously catchy pop jam, and “Up And Down,” which fans first heard two years ago during an Instagram Live when Doja, sporting a Mario mustache and a Pikachu bikini top, danced to the then-unreleased song.

The album is brimming with collabs with major celebs —“I Don’t Do Drugs” ft. Ariana Grande has been on repeat all weekend — and the deluxe edition continues this trend, welcoming Grammy-award-winner Eve on “Tonight” and rapper Gunna on “Why Why.”

An extended version of Doja and The Weekend’s song “You Right” is also available on "Planet Her (Deluxe)." An instant fan favorite, the track was accompanied by a dreamy, antiquity-inspired music video and has since gained over 11 million streams on Spotify.

Check out "Planet Her (Deluxe)" below:

Film/TV

Miley Cyrus Promises To Stand By The LGBTQ+ Community in Peacock

by Ysatis Rios-Sabat

Where to watch: Peacock

On Friday, June 24, Miley Cyrus presented us with something we’ve yet to overcome — a pride concert! The singer-songwriter partnered up with the streaming service Peacock to host “Stand By You,” a one-hour pride special in honor of the queer community.

The 28-year-old singer performed alongside some of the biggest names in music to celebrate pride month within the walls of the legendary Ryman auditorium. The special featured performances from LGBTQ+ allies like Marren Morris, Little Big Town, Brothers Osborne and Mickey Guyton.

The performers sang classic hits like “True Colors,” “Dancing Queen,” “We Belong” and Cher’s iconic masterpiece “Believe,” which Cyrus performed alongside Drag Queens Venus Ann Serena, Jaidynn Fierce, Kylie Sonique Love, Iris LeFleur, Sapphire Mylan and Raquel Rea Heart.

The mega-talented star took to Instagram, saying, “My heart continues to beat for this community 11 years later! I will never give up on the fight for justice, equality [amd] acceptance for everyone!”

Fashion

Zendaya and Lil Nas X Wow in Stunning Gowns at The BET Awards

by Emma Lingo

Where to watch: BET Network, YouTube

Culture’s biggest night gave us show-stopping outfits to gawk at. Aside from Cardi’s bomb-shell pregnancy announcement and Lil Nas X’s unapologetically queer performance, style stole the show.

Zendaya arrived on the red carpet adorned in a stunning, purple Versace dress. With lime green straps and an exposed midriff, this dress pays homage to Y2K fashion and Beyoncé. Queen B wore the dress at her first BET Awards show in 2003 when it was brand new.

Lil Nas X pushed the BET Awards out of its comfort zone. The country singer and rapper appeared on the red carpet in two gender-fluid gowns then brought it home with an Egyptian-inspired costume for his "Call Me By Your Name" performance. Each outfit referenced the damage religion does to the LGBTQ+ community. These statement pieces sent a clear message — and so did his jaw-dropping act!

The BET Awards didn’t disappoint. And these daring looks brought us back to normalcy with a bang after a year of quarantine.

Want to keep up with the latest trends?

Tune in on Monday for our next installment of Shifter Selects!