One thing I undeniably love about the summer is the plethora of festivals some of our favorite cities around the country have to offer.
Whether it's Brooklyn or Atlanta, New Orleans or Cincinnati, there is something for every music listener out there. This weekend, the Cincinnati Music Fest is doing its thing and giving a nostalgic nod back to the 90s with a lineup of feel-good throwback playlist vibes, and I couldn't be more excited about it.
On Thursday (July 26), the city held a press conference at the festival's home, the Paul Brown Stadium, where tourists and local festival-goers alike were officially welcomed to the multi-day weekend event. During the conference, a representative for CMF's presenting sponsor Procter & Gamble, Andrea Wilkerson, Brand-Consumer Strategy and Insights Associate Director, announced the company's recommitment to the Cincinnati Music Festival for another four years.
"P&G is just so honored to be a part of that legacy… We are thrilled to be a part of the Cincinnati Music Fest as a presenting sponsor. We have just signed on to extend our agreement – with great pleasure. We take pride in terms of continuing to grow and help develop this festival for Cincinnati."
Thanks to Proctor & Gamble, festival-goers will be able to connect in immersive interaction experiences with various brand activations located around the stadium, which include Old Spice, Secret, Olay, Head & Shoulders, My Black Is Beautiful, Tide, Always, Charmin, and more. Olay will feature a Goddess Patio that offers a mini-spa experience with
This year, the Cincinnati Music Fest will amass to about 83,000 attendees and will make way for the city's biggest days of tourism. An estimated $107 million will be made by the time Monday hits as a result of money spent at the festival, as well as around the city at shops, restaurants, local businesses, as well as strategically placed immersive events in popular areas like the Fountain Square.
"It adds tremendous value to the city, to this area, and offers economic, social development for millions of visitors and residents here in our backyard. Cincinnati is P&G's global home headquarters and it is a tremendous opportunity for us to partner this way. We invite music lovers from all around the country to come together this weekend. To reminisce, restore, and recharge and meet with our brands in a way that feels like CMF."
It was also announced that the city is proud to be capping off the festival with Queen City's own Bootsy Collins who has been very instrumental in preserving the culture of the place that grew him. Repping the country's biggest urban music festival, Friday's lineup will feature Charlie Wilson, Xscap3, Boyz II Men, and After7. And in a surprise performance, Tamar Braxton will be joining the lineup to replace Fantasia, who fell ill and had to cancel last minute. Saturday's lineup will include acts like Jill Scott, The Roots, Common, Keith Sweat, The O'Jays, and of course, Bootsy Collins House Party.
"From all the wonderful acts that are going to be here this weekend. From R&B acts and hip hop, it's really an opportunity to bring music together that helps celebrate black music, black entertainment, and black culture that is memorable and feels like CMF."
The Cincinnati Music Fest officially kicks off today, July 27 and ends tomorrow night July 28. Let us know in the comments if you'll be attending.
In a xoNecoleexclusive, the iconic actress opens up about embracing this season of her life, new projects, and overall being a “bad motherfucker.” Gabrielle reveals that she was 37 years old when she was diagnosed with perimenopause and is still going through it at 51 years old. Mayo Clinic says perimenopause “refers to the time during which your body makes the natural transition to menopause, marking the end of the reproductive years.”
“I haven't crossed over the next phase just yet, but I think part of it is when you hear any form of menopause, you automatically think of your mother or grandmother. It feels like an old-person thing, but for me, I was 37 and like not understanding what that really meant for me. And I don't think we focus so much on the word menopause without understanding that perimenopause is just the time before menopause,” she tells us.
Gabrielle Union
Photo by Brian Thomas
"But you can experience a lot of the same things during that period that people talk about, that they experienced during menopause. So you could get a hot flash, you could get the weight gain, the hair loss, depression, anxiety, like all of it, mental health challenges, all of that can come, you know, at any stage of the menopausal journey and like for me, I've been in perimenopause like 13, 14 years. When you know, most doctors are like, ‘Oh, but it's usually about ten years, and I'm like, ‘Uhh, I’m still going (laughs).’”
Conversations about perimenopause, fibroids, and all the things that are associated with women’s bodies have often been considered taboo and thus not discussed publicly. However, times are changing, and thanks to the Gabrielle’s and the Tia Mowry’s, more women are having an authentic discourse about women’s health. These open discussions lead to the creation of more safe spaces and support for one another.
“I want to be in community with folks. I don't ever want to feel like I'm on an island about anything. So, if I can help create community where we are lacking, I want to be a part of that,” she says. “So, it's like there's no harm in talking about it. You know what I mean? Like, I was a bad motherfucker before perimenopause. I’m a bad motherfucker now, and I'll be a bad motherfucker after menopause. Know what I’m saying? None of that has to change. How I’m a bad motherfucker, I welcome that part of the change. I'm just getting better and stronger and more intelligent, more wise, more patient, more compassionate, more empathetic. All of that is very, very welcomed, and none of it should be scary.”
The Being Mary Jane star hasn’t been shy about her stance on therapy. If you don’t know, here’s a hint: she’s all for it, and she encourages others to try it as well. She likens therapy to dating by suggesting that you keep looking for the right therapist to match your needs. Two other essential keys to her growth are radical transparency and radical acceptance (though she admits she is still working on the latter).
"I was a bad motherfucker before perimenopause. I’m a bad motherfucker now, and I'll be a bad motherfucker after menopause. Know what I’m saying? None of that has to change. How I’m a bad motherfucker, I welcome that part of the change."
Gabrielle Union and Kaavia Union-Wade
Photo by Monica Schipper/Getty Images
“I hope that a.) you recognize that you're not alone. Seek out help and know that it's okay to be honest about what the hell is happening in your life. That's the only way that you know you can get help, and that's also the only other way that people know that you are in need if there's something going on,” she says, “because we have all these big, very wild, high expectations of people, but if they don't know what they're actually dealing with, they're always going to be failing, and you will always be disappointed. So how about just tell the truth, be transparent, and let people know where you are. So they can be of service, they can be compassionate.”
Gabrielle’s transparency is what makes her so relatable, and has so many people root for her. Whether through her TV and film projects, her memoirs, or her social media, the actress has a knack for making you feel like she’s your homegirl. Scrolling through her Instagram, you see the special moments with her family, exciting new business ventures, and jaw-dropping fashion moments. Throughout her life and career, we’ve seen her evolve in a multitude of ways. From producing films to starting a haircare line to marriage and motherhood, her journey is a story of courage and triumph. And right now, in this season, she’s asking, “What’s next?”
“This is a season of discovery and change. In a billion ways,” says the NAACP Image Award winner. “The notion of like, ‘Oh, so and so changed. They got brand new.’ I want you to be brand new. I want me to be brand new. I want us to be always constantly growing, evolving. Having more clarity, moving with different purpose, like, and all of that is for me very, very welcomed."
"I want you to be brand new. I want me to be brand new. I want us to be always constantly growing, evolving. Having more clarity, moving with different purpose, like, and all of that is for me very, very welcomed."
She continues, “So I'm just trying to figure out what's next. You know what I mean? I'm jumping into what's next. I'm excited going into what's next and new. I'm just sort of embracing all of what life has to offer.”
Look out for Gabrielle in the upcoming indie film Riff Raff, which is a crime comedy starring her and Jennifer Coolidge, and she will also produce The Idea of You, which stars Anne Hathaway.
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Feature image by Mike Lawrie/Getty Images
