Last year, we reported on the efforts of classic iPod fans to preserve playable copies of the downloadable clickwheel games that Apple sold for a brief period in the late ’00s. The community was working to get around Apple’s onerous FairPlay DRM by having people who still owned original copies of those (now unavailable) games sync their accounts to a single iTunes installation via a coordinated Virtual Machine. That “master library” would then be able to provide playable copies of those games to any number of iPods in perpetuity.
At the time, the community was still searching for iPod owners with syncable copies of the last few titles needed for their library. With today’s addition of Real Soccer 2009 to the project, though, all 54 official iPod clickwheel games are now available together in an easily accessible format for what is likely the first time.
All at once, then slowly
GitHub user Olsro, the originator of the iPod Clickwheel Games Preservation Project, tells Ars that he lucked into contact with three people who had large iPod game libraries in the first month or so after the project’s launch last October. That includes one YouTuber who had purchased and maintained copies of 39 distinct games, even repurchasing some of the upgraded versions Apple sold separately for later iPod models.
Ars’ story on the project shook out a few more iPod owners with syncable iPod game libraries, and subsequent updates in the following days left just a handful of titles unpreserved. But that’s when the project stalled, Olsro said, with months wasted on false leads and technical issues that hampered the effort to get a complete library.
“I’ve put a lot of time into coaching people that [had problems] transferring the files and authorizing the account once with me on the [Virtual Machine],” Olsro told Ars. “But I kept motivation to continue coaching anyone else coming to me (by mail/Discord) and making regular posts to increase awareness until I could find finally someone that could, this time, go with me through all the steps of the preservation process,” he added on Reddit.
Getting this working copy of Real Soccer 2009 was an “especially cursed” process, Olsro said.
Getting this working copy of Real Soccer 2009 was an “especially cursed” process, Olsro said.
Credit:
Olsro / Reddit
Getting working access to the final unpreserved game, Real Soccer 2009, was “especially cursed,” Olsro tells Ars. “Multiple [people] came to me during this summer and all attempts failed until a new one from yesterday,” he said. “I even had a situation when someone had an iPod Nano 5G with a playable copy of Real Soccer, but the drive was appearing empty in the Windows Explorer. He tried recovery tools & the iPod NAND just corrupted itself, asking for recovery…”
Idris Elba’s latest directorial effort, Dust to Dreams, is set in a Lagos nightclub looking to launch local singing talent, and was produced by Nigerian mogul Mo Abudu and has a star turn by Seal.
But that nightclub in his English and Yoruba language short to world premiere at the Toronto Film Festival on Sunday is also a metaphor for the Luther and Hijack star’s broader vision for African cinema. “We want to highlight talent, and not just actors and singers, but the talent of (African) storytelling, the variation of stories, the talent of people watching this African story and really relating,” Elba told The Hollywood Reporter.
Dust to Dreams sees Millicent, the owner of the legendary, yet dying Lagos nightclub, played by Nse Ikpe-Etim, entrust her legacy to her shy daughter, Bisi, played by Constance Olalunde, a former Nigerian Idol contestant. But first Millicent must introduce Bisi to Johnson, her long-lost soldier father played by Seal, amid family tensions.
Ultimately, music, between Bisi and her father as they get to know one another, becomes their redemption. In the short’s final scene, a soulful duet between Bisi and her father titled “Mama” serves to revive the nightclub and unite the family.
But Elba, as an actor, musician, filmmaker, entrepreneur and philanthropist, has also used Dust to Dreams as a prototype film for his ongoing work with Abudu to incubate African creative talent, in front and behind the screen. The goal is closing the gap between their potential and access to the world market.
For Abudu the promise of Dust to Dreams is helping pry open the world market for a too-hidden African industry that has been too-long denied opportunities by distributors and TV programmers. “Commissioners would rather play it safe and just tell a story that they’ve told 20 times, rather than take a fresh story,” she told THR.
Making engaging content from Africa for the world market also hits an artistic sweet spot for Seal, whose star-turn in the short is his first major role on screen. “I was really honored that Idris and Mo would even consider me for this movie. But I also felt it was a really important project for me to do, to really highlight the talent in Africa. What these guys are doing is incredible in bringing Africa and African talent to the forefront,” Seal insisted.
For Elba, putting down stakes in Africa also includes plans to build and launch a purpose-built film studio on the continent. “Ghana, Tanzania, Kenya, Sierra Leone are the places where I’ve been offered an opportunity to build, Ghana being the most advanced currently,” he said.
Elba hopes to break ground on a planned studio later this year, and significantly with eye to that dedicated production space being part of a wider value chain to include local talent, crews and other infrastructure. “It’s a process I’ve been very focused on,” he adds.
Elba also called on the African diaspora to back efforts by himself and Abudu to incubate talent on the continent, and even shoot their own projects in Africa. “Come to Africa. Bring your skill set. Tell your stories,” he said.
“Same audience, same everything. It’s a digital business now,” Abudu chimed in. Dust to Dreams also stars Eku Edewor (Breath Of Life) and Atlanta Bridget Johnson (Man Of God).
The film is a collaboration between Abudu’s EbonyLife Films and African Export Import Bank (Afreximbank), through its Creative Africa Nexus (Canex).
With the government clarifying its stand on playing Pakistan in the Asia Cup, the focus is now on cricket instead of the political subtext.
India pacer Arshdeep Singh during the team’s training in Dubai ahead of the Twenty20 Asia Cup starting in the UAE on Tuesday. (BCCI)
Strictly from a cricket standpoint, it is great the Asia Cup is on. And this has little to do with Pakistan. The Asia Cup belongs to the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) of which India is a founding member, and this time India is the host of the event. So, would it be okay if India was to walk out and abandon others?
India has a responsibility to help cricket grow in the region and ensure the Asia Cup is a financial success. The ACC consists of about 30 members (including China, Japan, Mongolia, Uzbekistan) who depend on funds from the event. This Asia Cup is likely to raise $25-30mn and each ACC member stands to receive a slice of this cake.
What India gets won’t be very much, probably less than the annual budget of a Ranji team. But for the others (even our Test-playing neighbours) this is a financial lifeline. The ACC uses money from the event to fund its development
Programme. It provides coaches and equipment to members and gives grants for infrastructure.
India’s support for the Asia Cup strengthens its leadership position in
international cricket. Many ACC members are voters in ICC and having them on your side is never a bad thing.
The Asia Cup must also be placed in the larger context of Indian sports and our participation in multilateral international events in the future. Boycotting the event citing Pakistan’s presence would have created an awkward situation, putting India in a place it would not want to be in.
For India, hosting the 2036 Olympics is the big goal. The bid process is yet to kick off officially but India is positioned as a serious contender. The road to ‘36 goes through other big events where cricket plays a crucial part.
The 2026 Asian Games has cricket and Pakistan will also be competing. Same could be the situation at the LA Olympics in 2028. In 2030, India and Pakistan might once again be facing off in the Commonwealth Games. The government has already cleared our bid to host the Games. With these events coming up, India’s refusal to engage with Pakistan would be a negative step.
While the bigger picture of the Asia Cup is much more than Pakistan, the core
remains the on-field battle between the two teams. Commerce dictates that they play each other and the tournament is financially viable (and the interest of spectators, sponsors, broadcaster) is only because of the India-Pakistan games.
This simple fact is reflected in the ticket rates: a hospitality ticket for the September 10 India-UAE match costs 550 dirhams, but the price jumps to 3,500 dirhams for the much-awaited September 14 India-Pakistan clash. The broadcast deal is also decided on the basis of the likely number of India-Pakistan games.
The reality is India-Pakistan cricket is prime commercial property and the
surrounding political controversies and tensions involving the two nations increases interest in the matches, enhancing its monetary value. Sensing the commercial opportunities the games are aggressively promoted.
However, of late, cricket contests between India and Pakistan is not of the same quality as in the past. The teams are mismatched with India far too strong for Pakistan. Indian cricket’s riches are such that it can’t accommodate quality players.
Pakistan, on the other hand, is desperate for players good enough to perform at the international level, especially with Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan not making the cut.
Their batting revolves round the experienced Fakhar Zaman and Saim Ayub, and young Sahibzada Farhan and Hasan Nawaz, and little else. Their bowling too is hardly of the level to scare anyone. In a man-to-man comparison, it is difficult to see any Pakistan player making the Indian team. If Shreyas Iyer was available for Pakistan he would be an automatic choice as captain.
Pakistan’s recent record against India isn’t great either. In 2023, India beat Pakistan comfortably in Ahmedabad, chasing down 192 in 30.3 overs. In the 2024 T20 World Cup in the USA, Pakistan lost again with India defending 119. In 2025, India crushed Pakistan in the Champions Trophy in Dubai with Virat scoring a hundred.
Though all attention is focussed on the India-Pakistan game on Sunday,
Afghanistan or Sri Lanka can spring a surprise in the 20-over format. Afghanistan stunned Pakistan the other day and the Asia Cup could end up being more just a India-Pakistan battle.
Ferrari team boss Fred Vasseur paid tribute to the passionate Tifosi at Monza, who flocked to the track in huge numbers to support the Scuderia, saying they energised seven-time World Champion Lewis Hamilton across the Italian Grand Prix weekend..
While the Scuderia could not deliver a podium for their fans at their home race, Charles Leclerc managed to come home fourth and Hamilton sixth – the latter improving from P10 on the grid after taking a five-place penalty.
For Hamilton, it was his first taste of the Italian Grand Prix as a Ferrari driver, something he said he had been looking forward to all season long. The fans embraced the seven-time World Champion all weekend long – and even before the drivers made it to Monza, with Ferrari running some special events for the Tifosi in Milan.
Hamilton’s mood seemed buoyed when he spoke to the media across the weekend – and his boss was clear as to the cause.
“I think the energy that he received from the Tifosi Wednesday, Thursday in [Milan] was something very special for him,” said Vassuer after the Italian Grand Prix. “I don’t know if it was expected from him or I don’t know what he was expecting from this, but it was something mega and I think this gave him an extra boost all over the weekend.
“Even tonight when he went to the fans to say hello and the Tifosi was something mega. I don’t know if you underestimate this or not, that we didn’t discuss too much about this, but I think, and even for me, each time that I’m going there I’m surprised.
“We didn’t do the race of our life, we were expecting to be at least on the podium, we are not, but they are still there, they are still enthusiastic, still pushing and it’s why I’m a bit disappointed that we were not able to give them a podium this weekend.
“But I’m really convinced that it’s part of the energy into the team and the positive energy around Lewis this weekend.”
Ferrari looked on the pace from the start at Monza, with Hamilton topping FP1 from his team mate. Leclerc was second in all three practice sessions, and in the mix for the front row in Qualifying until the final runs.
But Ferrari did not quite have the pace to challenge for the podium during the race, although Leclerc gave the fans plenty to cheer thanks to some wheel-to-wheel racing with Oscar Piastri.
The crowd also loved watching Hamilton scythe his way back through the pack from P10 on the grid, ultimately finishing sixth behind former team mate George Russell.
“We had to serve the penalty, and we knew from the beginning of the weekend that with plus five it’s not an easy one, but [Hamilton] came back behind Russell and the pace was there from the first lap of FP1 to the last lap of the race,” Vasseur explained.
“Honestly, I think this started in Zandvoort last week. It’s difficult to say because the outcome of the weekend was not positive for him, but at the end of the day, the pace was better from the beginning, compared to Charles, the mood was better.
“During the race, he was fighting with Russell until Lap 30, that means that he was back in a better position.”
Sixth was Hamilton’s best Grand Prix finish since his fourth at Silverstone, and ended a run of two races outside the points. He has yet to finish on the Grand Prix rostrum this year, but Vasseur is convinced that is going to change in the last eight races.
“[Hamilton] was able to fight with Russell in Zandvoort, to come back from P10 to the gearbox of Russell today,” he added. “Russell was a couple of times on the podium, [so] yes we can expect him to be on the podium.”
The Sindh Education Department on Monday dismissed social media reports claiming a holiday had been announced for educational institutions in Karachi, saying the notification circulating online was fake.
A spokesperson for the department said no general holiday had been declared. “The notification circulating on social media regarding college education is fake,” he maintained.
The official added that all educational institutions would remain open on Tuesday. “The decision to close schools will be taken in line with the situation, and the public will be informed in time,” he stated.
* محکمہ تعلیم سندھ نے کل عام تعطیل کا اعلان نہیں کیا۔ ترجمان محکمہ تعلیم سندھ
سوشل میڈیا پر کالیج ایجوکیشن کے حوالے سے گردش کرنے والا نوٹیفکیشن جعلی ہے۔ ترجمان محکمہ تعلیم
کل تمام تعلیمی ادارے معمول کے مطابق کھلے رہیں گے۔ محکمہ تعلیم سندھ
— Minister Education & Literacy Government of Sindh (@MinisterEduGos) September 8, 2025
The Pakistan Meteorological Department has forecast heavy rain in Karachi over the next three days, authorities advised citizens to take precautionary measures in view of the forecast and urged people to avoid unnecessary travel to prevent any untoward situation.
Mayor Karachi Barrister Murtaza Wahab said the city administration has taken measures to handle expected rains from September 8 to 10, urging citizens to stay calm and avoid panic.
He said 46 major drains, including Gujjar, Orangi and Mehmoodabad, had been cleared, with extra pumps and staff deployed in underpasses and low-lying areas. Water and sewerage vehicles are on standby, and relief camps have been set up at choke points.
The mayor criticised political opponents for “hypocrisy” and objected to starting projects without municipal approval. “Our goal is to protect Karachi, not play politics,” Wahab said, adding that the administration will continue rapid drainage and relief efforts.
At least 19 people have been killed and dozens injured during violent protests against the government’s social media ban and alleged corruption in Nepal, according to authorities and local media, as police fired live rounds at young protesters and used tear gas and rubber bullets on them.
On Monday, some protesters forced their way into the Parliament complex in the capital, Kathmandu, by breaking through a barricade, a local official said.
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One protester told the ANI news agency that the police had been firing “indiscriminately”.
“[They] fired bullets which missed me but hit a friend who was standing behind me. He was hit in the hand,” the protester said.
Seven people died at the National Trauma Centre, chief medical superintendent Dr Badri Rijal told The Associated Press news agency.
“Many of them are in serious condition and appear to have been shot in the head and chest,” Rijal said.
Families waited anxiously outside for news of their relatives while people gathered to donate blood.
Police officer Shekhar Khanal told Reuters that more than 100 people, including 28 police personnel, were receiving medical treatment for their injuries. Two people were killed when protests in the eastern city of Itahari turned violent, police said.
The United Nations has called for accountability following the bloodshed. “We are shocked by the killings and injury of protesters in Nepal today and urge a prompt and transparent investigation,” UN rights office spokeswoman Ravina Shamdasani said in a statement.
Anurag Acharya, director at the Kathmandu-based think tank Policy Entrepreneurs Inc, says the trigger for the protests may have been the social media ban, but the underlying reasons go much deeper.
“This is the generation that grew up with the optimism and dream of an inclusive new Nepal, a dream that remains elusive a decade after the new constitution was promulgated,” he said.
“The reality for today’s Gen Z is that there are few livelihood prospects at home, which forces thousands to migrate abroad for studies and jobs. So, the frustration with unstable governments and rampant corruption had reached a tipping point,” Acharya told Al Jazeera, referring to the frequent change in governments since the monarchy was abolished in 2008, after 10 years of the Maoist rebellion.
Demonstrators help a man injured during a protest outside Parliament, in Kathmandu, September 8, 2025 [AFP]
‘Youths against corruption’
Thousands of young people, including students in their school and college uniforms, joined the protest, holding signs that read “Shut down corruption and not social media”, “Unban social media”, and “Youths against corruption”, as they marched through Kathmandu.
Ikshama Tumrok, a 20-year-old student, told the AFP news agency that she was protesting against the “authoritarian attitude” of the government.
“We want to see change. Others have endured this, but it has to end with our generation,” she said.
Last week, the government decided to block access to several social media platforms, including Facebook, YouTube and X, fuelling anger among young Nepalis.
According to officials, the decision was taken because platforms had failed to register with authorities in a crackdown on misuse, including fake social media accounts used to spread hate speech and fake news and commit fraud.
Organisers of the protests, which have been dubbed “demonstrations by Gen Z”, have said their civil disobedience reflects how the youth feel about the government decision.
One protester told ANI that this was “the protest by the new generation in Nepal”.
Muktiram Rijal, a spokesperson for the Kathmandu District Administration Office, told the Reuters news agency that the police had orders to use water cannon, batons and rubber bullets to control the crowd and that the army had been deployed.
According to Rijal, the curfew, which will remain in place until 10pm (16:15 GMT), has been extended to Kathmandu’s Singha Durbar area, which includes the prime minister’s office and other government buildings.
Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli called an emergency cabinet meeting in the wake of deadly protests.
On Sunday, the government said in a statement that it respected freedom of thought and expression and was committed to “creating an environment for their protection and unfettered use”.
Acharya, who is based in Kathmandu, slammed the government’s reaction to the protests.
“It treated unarmed school and college-going kids like a criminal mob and ordered police to fire indiscriminately at them. The poorly equipped and outnumbered police used live bullets rather than non-lethal riot control measures,” he said.
“The Home Minister failed to act with maturity and show leadership, but more worryingly, it is the government that failed its citizens, especially the young ones who should have felt safest within the perimeter and periphery of the Parliament building where the protests first escalated.”
Spend enough time with someone and you start picking up their habits. You might steal their favorite slang, mirror their laugh, or even start looking weirdly alike in photos. According to a massive new study in Nature Human Behaviour, the overlap can go much deeper than quirks. Couples are significantly more likely to share psychiatric disorders than random chance would predict.
Researchers analyzed health data from over six million couples in Taiwan, Denmark, and Sweden. Across all three countries, partners were more likely to have conditions like depression, anxiety, ADHD, schizophrenia, OCD, bipolar disorder, anorexia, substance use issues, or autism. “We found that a majority of psychiatric disorders have consistent spousal correlations across nations and over generations,” the researchers wrote.
The pattern is known as spousal correlation, and it’s usually studied in contexts like education level, political beliefs, or religion. With psychiatric conditions, the causes are a bit murkier. Part of it may be “assortative mating”—choosing partners with traits similar to our own.
Another part is the simple fact of sharing an environment for years, which can blur the line between nature and nurture. And then there’s the reality that dating pools are limited. As the researchers put it, these three influences overlap, making it hard to tease apart the strongest driver.
Long-Term Partners Often Develop the Same Mental Health Struggles—Here’s Why
Interestingly, the similarities weren’t tied to cultural context. Despite differences in healthcare systems and social structures, the results were nearly identical across the three nations. “Spousal resemblance within and between psychiatric disorder pairs is consistent across countries and persistent through generations, indicating a universal phenomenon,” the team wrote.
There are caveats. The study didn’t account for whether people met before or after a diagnosis, and some conditions—like OCD, bipolar disorder, and anorexia—showed variation between countries. Still, the scale of the data makes the overall trend hard to ignore.
The findings also cause concern for genetics. Many studies assume that people mate randomly, which helps scientists separate environmental and genetic risk factors. But if couples with psychiatric conditions are more likely to pair up, then kids born into those relationships may face compounded risks.
“Given the ubiquitousness of spousal correlation, it is important to take non-random mating patterns into consideration when designing genetic studies of psychiatric disorders,” the researchers wrote.
Couples trade inside jokes and bad habits until they can’t tell whose is whose. According to this study, the same may go for psychiatric disorders.
I am alone in a dimly lit room, splayed face down on a table. Megan Thee Stallion’s Mamushi is bumping from a speaker, and on a large screen, two white circles roam up and down an outline of my body.
Am I at an exclusive German sex club at 2am?
Sadly, no. I am in a suburban shopping complex on a Tuesday afternoon, getting a massage from an Aescape robot.
Aescape describes itself as a “pioneering lifestyle robotics company” that is “revolutionizing the wellness industry by introducing exceptional massage experiences”. Put simply, they make robot masseuses: cushioned tables with two large, white, robotic arms that rub your body based on your preferences and preselected programs.
I love massages – I am never happier than when the profane flesh sack I call my body is being kneaded like Wagyu beef. So I opt for a 30-minute “Power Up”, which costs $60 and promises to leave me feeling “invigorated and alert”.
According to the Mayo Clinic Health System, massage therapy can help with a number of conditions including anxiety, depression, sports injuries, digestive disorders, headaches and soft tissue sprains. It can also improve circulation, strengthen the body’s immune response, lower stress levels and increase energy.
But is a massage from a machine as good as a massage from a person?
“There are so many contraptions out there. My mom has a massage chair and I use a Theragun at home,” says Crista de la Garza, a board-certified massage therapist in Colorado. While there can be value in these tools, de la Garza says she is not worried about a robot coming for her job.
First, there are real physical benefits to being touched by a person. During the early pandemic, for example, when people were isolating and social distancing, many reported feeling “skin hunger” – a sense of deprivation and abandonment that comes from not getting enough physical touch.
A 2024 paper in the journal Nature said that receiving touch was “of critical importance” and found that touch interventions helped reduce pain and feelings of depression and anxiety in adults. The paper also found that touch interventions from objects or robots “resulted in similar physical benefits, but lower mental health benefits”.
“It is a powerful thing to be touched safely and appropriately and therapeutically,” says de la Garza.
In fairness, Aescape’s website says it “is not about replacing therapists”. Instead, “it’s about enhancing their work and addressing the industry’s labor shortage.”
A robot masseuse made by Aescape Photograph: Courtesy of Aescape
“Nothing can replace a human,” the efficient, blond receptionist tells me when I arrive for my appointment. I’m late because of parking woes, but the machine doesn’t care. It’s a regular spa, with manicures, pedicures, human massages and crystals for sale at the front desk. On our way to the robot’s chamber, she says the Aescape has been popular, especially with clients who “aren’t comfortable being touched by a stranger”, she says.
Inside, she hands me a high-compression, Aescape-branded top and leggings to wear during my treatment. Apparently, they help enhance the machine’s “body detection”. I lie down on the table and hold very still while the Aescape scans my body. She shows me the screen controls and an emergency button that I can press if anything goes wrong.
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“We haven’t needed that!” she says brightly before leaving me to change.
Once I’m prone and facing the screen, I’m confronted with an array of choices. What kind of music would I like to listen to? Lo-fi ambient jazz, classic rock, or a playlist called “brat”? I can view an unsettlingly detailed outline of my body – they didn’t need to depict my saddle bags so clearly – or soothing videos of the ocean, a snowy mountain or a rainy forest. I can adjust the height of my headrest and change the pressure of the machine.
One of the things that makes de la Garza skeptical about robot massage is that it “makes you think too much”. Getting massaged by a person involves more surrender – the therapist controls most of the experience, she says, and the client can turn off their brain: “The client’s job is to breathe, communicate as needed, and simply be in a relaxed state.”
Indeed, I find myself distracted by the urge to tweak the music and scenery. Do I like looking at snow? It’s OK. Can I relax to the “brat” playlist? No – back to ambient lo-fi. Is that really what my butt looks like? Chilling.
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Some friends said a machine massage would make them nervous. What if the powerful robotic arms skewered my soft flesh like a pile of antipasti? I, on the other hand, was more worried it wouldn’t be strong enough, and that my knots of tension would remain coiled and tight.
But the massage is enjoyable. The robot’s blunt, plastic hands are gently warmed. They can’t knead and poke as precisely as human fingertips, but their ministrations feel pleasant. Actually, the hands are more like knobs, roughly the size and shape of small Dutch clogs. It feels a little like someone pressing their fist into your back.
At the end of my session, I feel looser and more relaxed than I had at the beginning. I don’t feel invigorated, exactly, but I do think I could drop into a deep, dreamless sleep.
It is certainly no substitute for a real massage. I like the surrender and precision of a normal massage, and the Aescape can’t massage the head, hands or feet. But if I can see myself going again if I feel particularly sore after a workout, or if I find myself roaming around a suburban shopping center with 30 minutes to kill. It’s relatively cheap, and you don’t have to tip.
Doja Cat is sinking her teeth into the world of MAC Cosmetics.
Ahead of Sunday night’s MTV Video Music Awards show, the 29-year-old rapper did the unexpected and playfully bit into the brand’s Lady Danger red lipstick — the same that dressed her lips — on the carpet, only it wasn’t the actual product; it was an edible, chocolate-coated replica concocted by world-famous pastry chef Amaury Guichon. The stunt, MAC confirmed to WWD in an email, was a teaser for Doja Cat‘s new ambassadorship with the brand.
Doja Cat eats MAC Lady Danger lipstick at the 2025 MTV Video Music Awards.
“Welcome to the MAC family, Doja,” said Aïda Moudachirou-Rebois, MAC Cosmetics senior vice president and global general manager, in the official press release. “MAC has always been a platform for artists, performers and creatives who shape culture. Not only is Doja one of the most exciting voices of her generation, we love her creativity, unique artistry and fearless spirit, which resonate around the globe. We could not think of a more perfect partner to help us write the next chapter of MAC’s story.”
Doja Cat in new campaign images for her MAC Cosmetics ambassadorship.
This new ambassadorship will see Doja Cat, born Amala Ratna Zandile Dlamini, star in a series of global campaigns for the brand, featuring a handful of bestselling products. In an email sent exclusively to WWD, Nicola Formichetti, MAC’s global creative director, said: “Doja is fearless, subversive and completely original, which is everything MAC stands for. She doesn’t just wear makeup; she uses it as an art form. Together, we’re going to create campaigns that feel disruptive, joyful and unapologetically MAC.”
Doja Cat styles a bouncy blowout on the red carpet outside the 2025 MTV Video Music Awards.
Gilbert Flores
The “Paint the Town Red” performer expressed excitement over her new partnership, acknowledging her long-standing relationship with makeup. “Makeup is my paint, my armor, my way of creating characters — and MAC has always stood for that kind of artistry and freedom. We’re going to push it even further and make people see beauty in a whole new way,” she said in the press release.
Her beauty aesthetic at the VMAs included her signature skinny eyebrows and a sharp cat-eye wing. Meanwhile, Doja Cat’s eyes were carved out using a bronze shadow in the crease and a matte white in her inner corners. Her hair was styled in a bouncy blond blowout, Pamela Anderson and Dolly Parton style. The artist opened the show with a performance of “Jealous Type” before later being honored with the Best K-pop VMA award for “Born Again,” her track with Lisa and Raye.
