The Notion columnist is back casting a sharp eye over this month's hot & nots. August saw the rise of TikTok musicians and a New York Tinder Swindler after a pair of Tabis.

Hot

‘AR’ by Addison Rae

If you haven’t been living in a small corner of the internet filled with queer pop-obsessed teenagers in their 20s, TikToker Addison Rae’s return to music may be a surprise to you. After demos she recorded of unreleased Lady Gaga and Britney Spears tracks leaked to the internet, she was being backed by pop icons like Charli XCX and Shygirl and quickly amassed a queer pop fanatic fanbase. Months of begging from fans paid off as Addison released her debut EP, ’AR’, this month, featuring four tracks previously leaked from the lost album. The songs themselves are faceless pop perfection, but there is something about Addison which makes the stanning rather un-ironic. She’s not necessarily the most talented singer ever, but her genuine excitement makes her the perfect remedy for a new princess of pop.

CeeChynaa

TikTok has unearthed the latest queen of UK rap, CeeChynaa. The 19-year-old has gone viral this month with the new single “Last Laugh”, while making her Pxssy Palace debut and performing with Tion Wayne at Reading Festival.

Theater Camp

Shiva Baby & The Bear star Molly Gordon makes her directorial debut in a comedy mockumentary surrounding a struggling summer camp for musical theatre children. When Joan Rubinsky, the founder of the summer camp, falls into a coma, it is left to her vlogger son Troy to keep the camp running despite financial struggles. Ex-students Rebecca-Diane and Amos, played by Gordon and Ben Platt, carry the film, and if you were ever involved in a youth theatre group, nostalgia will find your way in this film.

Voodoo Chateus OH BEHAVE! Glasses

E. Gucewicz has designed a new trio of sunglasses. Released in three shades, Chantilly, Tortoise & Bordeaux, the glasses are way over the top but I’ve already ordered them in as my indoor sunglass attire this winter.

Ladies First: A Story of Women in Hip-Hop

With a star-studded lineup of industry titans like Da Brat and Queen Latifah, to some of the biggest new names in rap like Latto, Saweetie & Coi Leray, Netflix’s new four part documentary takes a deep dive into the history of women in hip-hop. Hearing stories from trailblazers like Roxanne Shanté and MC Lyte, the first female MC to release a solo album, the documentary gives it’s flowers to less familar icons while shining a light on important topics like misogyny, racism and homophobia in rap music.

Not

Tabi Theft Gate

New York seems to have a new Tinder Swindler on their hands, but the thief is after Maison Margiela tabi shoes rather than money. A woman took to TikTok to explain that, after sleeping with a man, she realised her tabi shoes had been stolen. After the video went viral, people came forward and it turned out the man not only had a girlfriend, but gifted the stolen goods to her. Thankfully, the shoes have been returned, but not after we were subjected to the ‘These shoes are ugly anyway’, discourse on Twitter. They aren’t ugly, the girls that get it, get it.

Doja Cat

Doja Cat returned to music this past month with her smash hit, ‘Paint The Town Red’. The release comes after a turbulent few months for the rapper, who publicly disowned her fanbase, telling them to “get a job”, and was found to be dating controversial comedian J. Cyrus: a man accused of racism and sexual harassment. However, as fickle as the internet is, ‘Paint The Town Red’ has broken multiple records.