Recap of the 2017-2018 Summer (Part 2)

TOPIC: Recap of the 2017-2018 Summer (Part 2)

(FYI: Trust me, the fun facts are not always this long!)

FACT:

Most Shocking Musical Comebacks

Katy Perry... After taking a bit of a hiatus from music in 2016, not only has the pop-star come out with new singles such as "Chained To The Rhythm", "Bon Appétit" and "Swish Swish" earlier this year, but the previous VMA host has even released a band new album titled Witness. To promote her new album and the upcoming Witness World Tour, Katy and her team decided to live-stream an event called Witness World Wide where the pop-star cooked with Gordon Ramsay, analyzed her old music videos, told James Corden who her favorite past lover in bed was, and even sat down with astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson and asked a question that even YouTuber PewDiePie poked fun at: "Is math related to science?"   

Kesha... On July 6, American singer Kesha, formerly known as Ke$ha, released her first new song and music video in not two, not three, but in almost four years of being prohibited to release brand new music; which is why, after switching record labels and getting over her scandal with former producer Dr. Luke, Kesha came out with a touching and awakening song called "Praying", along with later announcing her brand new studio album titled Rainbow. The album also includes song such as "Godzilla", "Learn To Let Go" and "Woman", and is the first album I have ever owned. 

Taylor Swift... Just a week before school started here in Ithaca, NY, Ms. Swiftie shocked the world when premiering her brand new music video at the 2017 MTV Music Video Awards. Saving the details of this compelling video for its own fun fact, this song and another single released just days ago called "...Ready For It?" will be featured on Taylor's sixth studio album, titled Reputation and coming out mid-November, which has a particular tone sounding as if Taylor Swift is trying to reinvent her public image ...once again.  

Celebrity Highlights

Smosh -- Smosh co-founder Anthony Padilla announced he is leaving the web-based sketch comedy duo to pursue a solo career. In a message and video posted on Twitter and YouTube, respectively, Padilla thanked those who have supported him over the years, explaining that he had been considering an exit for some time now, describing it as “a passion that I have wanted to explore for a long time.” His comedic partner, Ian Hecox, added that he is happy for his long-time friend, and also excited to see where the comedy brand will go next. 

The New Most Viewed Video on YouTube -- On July 10, "See You Again" by Wiz Khalifa featuring Charlie Puth surpassed PSY's "Gangnam Style" as YouTube's most viewed video, which has held the record since 2012. Several days later, Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee's smash hit "Despacito" dethroned "See You Again" as most viewed. As of September 2017, the music video for "Despacito" has received twenty million likes and two million dislikes, and now has over 3.6 billion views.  

Jake Paul -- Firstly, for those that don't know, Jake Paul is the brother of Logan Paul, an American actor and a YouTube personality who rose to internet fame on the now-defunct video application Vine. Paul also released his infamous song "It's Everyday Bro" where he dissed PewDiePie, let the world know what the management company Team 10 is, and all in all sent lots of hate towards his name by creating a widely disliked song while also showing he has quite an ego. Paul later played Dirk Mann on the Disney show "Bizaardvark", until he supposedly got fired from Disney for his obnoxious attitude; though Paul claims he quit the show on his own. Anyway, it is safe to say that Jake Paul is an internet super-star, but you definitely won't see him on Disney anymore! 

Major Movies & New Television Shows

Girls Trip: Best friends Ryan, Sasha, Lisa and Dina are in for the adventure of a lifetime when they travel to New Orleans for a trip packed with enough dancing, drinking, brawling and romancing to make the Big Easy blush. This R-rated comedy starring Queen Latifah and Jada Pinkett Smith was a summer hit, making audiences laugh like lunatics one moment and cry their eyes out the next. 

The Emoji Movie: Having a budget of $50 million, this science fiction/adventure film has gotten the worst reviews of just about any movie released all summer, and currently only scores an 8% on Rotten Tomatoes. Even though the animated film stars talented performers like James Corden and Christina Aguilera, it seems as though that just wasn't enough to make large audiences appreciate life from the perspective of an emoji.  :(

Game of Thrones: Concluding the drama series' seventh season, which aired the same day and time as the VMAs I might add, all I can say is that it was a controversial season finale to say the least. Some fans were speechless with this chapter of the story and it was practically as popular as the 2017 Video Music Awards themselves. 

Life of Kylie: Yes, television personality Kylie Jenner now has her very own reality show on E!, which takes a behind-the-scenes look at Jenner coming into her own, making her own decisions and discovering what brings her passion, joy and inspiration. IMDb rated the new show a 3.7/10. 

Young Sheldon: Narrated by The Big Bang Theory's Jim Parsons, this upcoming sitcom revolves around 9-year-old Sheldon Cooper who has skipped four grades to start high school along with his less-intellectual older brother. Premiering September 25 on CBS, this prequel's announcement has received backlash for having an annoyingly snotty protagonist, but no matter what the reviews say, I am personally looking forward to seeing what Sheldon Cooper was like as a young child.

These were just SOME of the highlights of the 2017-2018 summer, and now it's time to move on to the new news!