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Dad credits Taylor Swift's 'Cruel Summer' for 'activating' his daughter to win MMA match

"Her very next match, she went to work."

Photo credit: Canva

Taylor Swift's 'Cruel Summer' helps 5-year-old win MMA match

Playing a sport can be tough no matter what age you are. You learn what it feels like to work hard and lose anyway, but you also get to experience seeing all your hard work pay off when you win. But no matter what sport is played, enjoying the process can make the experience worthwhile even when the outcome doesn't go in your favor.

Dominic Barry is teaching his daughter how to appreciate all aspects of Mixed Martial Arts (MMA), recently uploading a video of the young girl learning to refocus after losing several grappling matches. Barry explains that his daughter, who appears to be around 5-years-old was placed with all boys, in a weight class and experience level higher for a recent competition.

The tougher competition against more experienced fighters gave her confidence a bit of a bruising, causing the little girl to leave the mat in tears. Enter Queen Tay-Tay, also known as Taylor Swift.

Barry was trying all he could to get the girl to calm down, refocus and finish the rest of the competition. But it seems even the best pep talk wasn't doing anything to get her back into the competitive spirit. That's when Barry whips out his phone, puts the earbuds in his daughter's ears and hits play on Swift's "Cruel Summer." Maybe there's some sort of underlying Rocky track hidden beneath the catchy summer beat. Whatever it is, It's exactly what the tiny MMA fighter needed.

"Now I don't know what's in Taylor Swift's 'Cruel Summer' but it activated my baby girl, cause her very next match she went to work," Barry explains before sharing he thought the little boy was getting the best of her. But the little girl quickly turned the fight around causing her dad to burst out in song singing a pitchy version of his daughter's fight anthem.

Watch the inspiring video below:

Commenters appreciated the encouragement he gave the little girl and praised her fighting skills.

"I love her determination. She's going to be a super star. No more crying!!! She's that girl! Girl power," one person says.

"Bro you speaking to her like this is astounding, breaking it down so she understands fully. You’re an amazing dad keep it up. She’s gonna be a problem when she gets older," another writes.

"Love you and your daughter’s relationship.Teaching her so many life lessons thru mma at such a young age is awesome she’s gonna be a great," a commenter shares.

it may not be a sport for everyone but from the looks of Barry's page, she thoroughly enjoys it. There's no doubt that she will keep getting better with the help of her dad and of course, Ms. Taylor Swift.

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Pop Culture

A new viral R&B version of Dolly Parton's 'Jolene' is such a beautiful mood setter

It's like a completely new, equally good version of the all-time classic.

Representative Image from Canva, Dolly Parton/Youtube

Brb, listening to this 100x on repeat

As Rolling Stone announced that Beyoncé just became the first Black woman artist to have a song hit No. 1 on Billboard's Hot Country Songs chart, let’s keep the celebration of Black women busting through barriers in the genre going, why not?

Singer/songwriter and producer NYA, aka @nya.w0rld on TikTok, has given her followers all kinds of R&B versions of well known songs from artists like Taylor Swift, Justin Bieber and Avril Lavine. She’s even R&B-ified theme songs from popular television shows like “Friends.”

But it’s her recent R&B ballad of Dolly Parton’s “Jolene” that’s so good, people are hoping it finds its way to the Queen of Country herself.

At the start of the clip, NYA asks her viewers if they’re familiar with the 70s hit, leading into “what would it be like if it was an R&B song?”

NYA proceeds to effortlessly glides through a flurry of high and low notes and a percussive beat plays in the background.

Suffice it to say, even in a sea of “Jolene” covers, NYA delivers a completely new version of the song.

Listen:

@nya.w0rld because not enough of you heard the first vrsn of JOLENE that i did #fypp #throwbacksongs #jolene #dollyparton ♬ original sound - NYA

Over 5 million people have watched the video, and that’s not taking into account the other social media platforms that it's been shared to, and many began plotting how this cover could be shared with Parton.

“Someone put this on a cassette player and send it to Dolly Parton,” one fan said.

Another joked “Does anyone have Dolly’s fax number?” referencing the country icon’s famous preference for old school communication.

Perhaps, besides just being a bona fide banger, what makes NYA’s cover resonate so much with listeners is that we are beginning to have a more mainstream conversation about how country music, despite it being rooted in multiple cultures, has predominantly been catered to a white audience.

Those lines are being rightfully blurred now, as more country songs by non-white artists make it into the spotlight, and through meaningful collaborations, such as the iconic Grammys duet of “Fast Car” by Tracy Chapman and Luke Combs.

That’s one of the many great things about music, isn’t it? A song means so much more than the story its lyrics tell. It encapsulates a moment in time. And what this “Jolene” cover seems to contain within it is a merging of new and old in a way that’s oh so timely and important.

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Pop Culture

13 ways to avoid seeing Taylor Swift on screen during the Super Bowl game

If laying eyes on Travis Kelce's uber-famous girlfriend during the game bothers you, here are some helpful hacks for avoiding it.

iHeartRadio/Wikimedia, All Pro Reels/Wikimedia

We've solved the "problem" of the cameras panning to Taylor Swift during NFL games.

Super Bowl LVIII (that's 58 for those who've forgotten their Roman numerals) is set to take place on Sunday, Feb 11th between the Kansas City Chiefs and the San Francisco 49ers.

Or, according to some folks, between Taylor Swift fans and Taylor Swift anti-fans.

Since the relationship between the pop star and Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce became public, Swift has been coming to his games to cheer him on. And because Taylor Swift is, in fact, a global megastar, she's gotten a bit more screen time than other players' loved ones.

Some folks have had a hard time coping with this fact, however, loudly expressing their displeasure at having the cameras "constantly" pan to Taylor Swift during NFL games. Technically, she's only been on screen for an average of 25 seconds during each of the last four Chiefs games with an average camera shot being less than 8 seconds, but for some, that's still too much.

As we all know, it's an all-American right to watch football without seeing anything we don't want to see, so in the name of freedom and liberty, here are 13 hacks for avoiding Taylor Swift during the Super Bowl.

Simply pick any of the following as soon as the camera pans to TS:

1. Close your eyes and yell "Football is liiiife!" three times.

This is from "Ted Lasso" and it's referring to soccer, not American football, but it's still fun to say. (Plus it'll get some of that angst at seeing TS's face for a split second out of you.)

2. Turn off your TV and immediately turn it back on again.

That should be just enough time for the camera to move on to someone else.

3. Move your eyeballs to the right or left—take your pick—until she disappears.

Just like when you see a woman breastfeeding in public, you can simply choose not to look at Taylor Swift.

(See, our eyeballs have this awesome feature where they swivel in their sockets, and we have total control over them! You don't even have to shift them very far to stop seeing whatever don't want to see. Super nifty.)

4. Take a really, really, really fast bathroom break.

You'll probably only have time to get to the bathroom door before the camera moves again, but if you're swift about it (ba dum pum) maybe you can get in a tinkle, too.

5. Text your mom and thank her.

You know you've been meaning to. Now's the opportune time. (If not your mom, pick someone else you owe some gratitude to.)

6. Think about the Roman Empire.

Thinking about the Roman Empire is like second nature anyway, isn't it? Indulge whatever that impulse is and zone out with Marcus Aurelius for a few seconds.

7. Take your empty can to the recycling bin.

Clean as you go, as they say. It'll get you off the couch and save you a little time at the end of the game. Win win.

8. Go put a dish in the dishwasher.

Just one. That's all you're going to have time for before TS is gone.

9. Do a few pushups.

Maybe if you get Travis Kelce's physique, you could land someone like…nevermind.

10. Google "Taylor Swift net worth"

Just for funsies. (Spoiler: She is very, very successful.)

11. Google "Taylor Swift charity"

In case you want to feel better about her connection to the NFL, which none of us have any control over. (Spoiler: She is very, very wealthy but also very generous.)

12. Go outside and touch grass.

Isn't that what perpetually online folks tell other perpetually online folks? Just step away from the screen for a sec. You'll feel better and you won't have to see Taylor. Win win, again.

13. Go give your wife/kid/sibling/friend a hug.

Tell them it's your Taylor Swift avoidance tactic. See if they laugh, either with you or at you.

There, that takes care of the 0.3% of the game that Taylor Swift's face might have ruined for some folks. Phew!

Regardless of who's there and who the camera shows for however long, this year's Super Bowl should be an exciting game, so let's all enjoy the matchup between two impressive teams, the Usher-led halftime show that people will inevitably find a way to complain about and the egregiously overpriced commercials that may or may not hit the mark. God bless America!

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Super Bowl ad showing real-life NFL 'Taylor Swift effect' is bringing people to tears

The daddy-daughter storyline is a tearjerker, without saying a word.

Cetaphil US/YouTube

One dad and daughter share their new football bond.

Dads and daughters often have a unique bond, which can sometimes hit a rocky spot as adolescence approaches. It's not that the love isn't there, but swift changes in development can leave them both reeling and struggling to connect the way they used to.

In an unexpected turn of events, many fathers are finding themselves bonding over football with their previously uninterested daughters recently. Taylor Swift, pop star beloved by millions of teens and tweens, started dating Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce near the beginning of the NFL season, and as their relationship grew, so did Swifties' interest in football. The phenomenon has been dubbed the "Taylor Swift effect."

Is a singer dating a football player a silly reason to start watching football? Maybe. Has it been a boon for many a daddy-daughter relationships? Apparently so. And skincare company Cetaphil is highlighting one real-life "Taylor Swift effect" example with their tear-jerking Super Bowl ad.

The ad is called "Game Time Glow," and it features a father and daughter who seem distanced at first. The dad sits on the sofa in his jersey watching football, while she puts her headphones on and hangs out in her room.

But soon we hear the game commentator saying something about Taylor Swift at the game, and as it catches the daughter's ear, the dad turns up the volume. Later, he brings her a football jersey of her own—number 13, which is Taylor Swift's favorite number—and soon we see them together in their jerseys, arms decked out in friendship bracelets, sharing the joy of where their worlds have collided.

It's beautifully done. No dialogue, no talking at all, just music and the sound of the game as the story plays out. Watch:

The dad and daughter in the commercial are real, and the ad reflects how their relationship has grown through this football season. The idea for the ad was pitched to Cetaphil by agency Lippe Taylor in early February. Once it was approved, it was pulled together in only one week, with lots of input from the dad-daughter pair, throughout.

That authenticity may be part of why it's hitting people so hard.

"Crying at a Cetaphil commercial at 10am on a Friday," wrote one commenter.

"Cetaphil helps the tears glide more smoothly down my face," wrote another.

"Yep, now I'm crying," shared another. "I love that dad's & daughters are now experiencing this together. It also reminds me that these days with my Daddy are coming to a end soon. I've got to call him now & tell him I love him & thank him for all of the games he watched with me."

Well done, Cetaphil.

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