Month: June 2020

The New York Knicks are among the eight teams whose offseasons have officially begun, as they will not be part of the planned 22-team restart in Orlando later this summer. While there will be major decisions to make in October regarding the draft and free agency, the first order of business in Manhattan is finding their next head coach.

It has been the prevailing thought of many that former Bulls and Wolves coach Tom Thibodeau would get the Knicks job, but Leon Rose is doing his due diligence and going through a full interview process, including some other intriguing names. Warriors assistant and former Cavs head coach Mike Brown is reportedly on the Knicks list for interviews, along with Spurs assistant Will Hardy and Sixers assistant Ime Udoku. Recently fired Nets coach Kenny Atkinson is also a strong contender for the job.

On Monday, another name emerged, as Marc Stein of the New York Times confirmed rumblings that ex-Nets and Bucks head coach Jason Kidd, currently an assistant with the Lakers, was on the Knicks list of candidates and that the Lakers had granted New York permission to interview him.

Kidd’s tenure in Brooklyn and Milwaukee saw some on-court success, but also came with lots of grumblings about his hard nosed approach as well as conflicts with management over power dynamics. He has drawn nothing but positive reviews from those around the Lakers this year, and there seems to be some indication that some time away from the lead spot on the bench has shifted his perspective a bit and given him a better relationship with those in the front office.

Sometimes the best new R&B music can be hard to find, but there are plenty of great rhythm and blues tunes to get into if you have the time to sift through the hundreds of newly released songs every week. So that R&B heads can focus on listening to what they really love in its true form, we’ll be offering a digest of the best new R&B songs fans should hear.

This week, Bren Joy released his Warner Records debut “Freezing,” Justine Skye unleashed her full-length project Bare With Me: The Album and Teyana Taylor released The Album, her robust follow-up to 2018’s K.T.S.E.. Check out the rest of the best new R&B music below.

Bren Joy — “Freezing”

Up and coming Nashville singer Bren Joy‘s “Freezing” is the perfect blend of R&B and jazz, and despite the song’s title, it carries the most infectious, brightest tune. Bren’s voice is impressive and the singer has no problem showing off the many different directions he’s capable of manipulating his vocals. The song is the follow-up to his 2019 cut “Henny In The Hamptons” off his Twenties project. “‘Freezing’ is about taking the initiative,” the rising singer said of the song. “It’s about taking a leap of faith into what you want to be and achieve.” Fans can expect the music video for “Freezing” real soon.

Justine Skye — Bare With Me (The Album)

Justine Skye brings her 2019 Bare With Me EP full circle with her full-length project, Bare With Me: The Album. The revamped project adds four tracks for a total of 10 songs, including a deconstructed version of “Maybe.” The newly evolved project is a melodic catharsis of Skye’s romantic past and serves as an end to a chapter.

Teyana Taylor — The Album

Two years following Teyana Taylor‘s K.T.S.E., the GOOD Music artist has finally released her third studio album aptly titled, The Album. The project is brimming with 23 songs and each one is special on its own. Though K.T.S.E. had only two features, The Album‘s guest appearance list is pretty smooth and includes Erykah Badu, Quavo, Kehlani, Future, her husband Iman Shumpert as well as Ms. Lauryn Hill on “We Got Love.”

Victoria Monet — “Experience” feat. Khalid

Victoria Monet and Khalid’s dazzling pop-R&B treat “Experience” is the latest offering from Monet’s upcoming project Jaguar, which is reportedly slated to arrive sometime later this year. Victoria and Khalid play off each other’s sparkling energy throughout the SG Lewis-produced track and sing about being all out of love.

They. — “Count Me In”

It’s been a minute since They. released their Fireside EP and this week fans were the recipients of new music from Drew Love and Dante in the form of “Count Me In.” The song is expected to make an appearance on their upcoming project The Amanda Tape, where They. explores various phases of love, emotions, and vulnerability as Black men. So far, the mixtape is slated to feature guest appearances from Tinashe and Juicy J.

John Legend — Bigger Love

EGOT icon John Legend comes with all the vibes on his seventh studio album Bigger Love, from its opening cut “Ooh La” to its closing number “Never Break.” Legend delivers 16 tracks of purified symphonies, dripping in love — something we could all use in today’s climate. Bigger Love is a truly relaxing trip on the piano genius’ dime. Jhene Aiko, Gary Clark Jr., and Rapsody all make an appearance on the album, among others.

Mereba — “Heatwave (acoustic)” feat. 6lack

Last year, Mereba and 6lack came together for The Jungle Is The Only Way Out‘s “Heatwave,” to much acclaim and have re-released an acoustic version of the song for the first week of the summer. The stripped-back version of “Heatwave” is just as good as the original and deserves a spin.

Bobby Brackins — “Drug of Choice” Feat. Eric Bellinger and Chloe Angelides

Bobby Brackins is bracing for his upcoming project Lata Harbor, home to his latest release “Drug Of Choice” featuring Chloe Angelides and Eric Bellinger. The introspective song is helmed by Chloe’s vocals to the sound of sharp snares and dramatic synths, pushing it into the realm of both pop and R&B. “Drug Of Choice” follows the release of Brackins March single “Wash My Hands” featuring Marc E. Bassy and August 08.

Mikhala Jene — “Let My People Go”

In celebration of Juneteenth, burgeoning R&B singer Mikhala Jene unleashed her powerful number “Let My People Go.” Jene recently headlined the virtual Escape Tracks R&B Festival along with the likes of Tone Stith and Eric Bellinger.

Cruel Santino — “End Of The Wicked” feat. Octavion

In a language of his own, Nigerian musician Cruel Santino, formerly known as Santi, entrances listeners on his latest single “End Of The Wicked” featuring French rapper Octavian. The funky tune is expected to appear on Cruel Santino’s upcoming sophomore album, which will be the follow up to 2019’s Mandy & The Jungle.

Mario — “Rewrite It”

Grammy Award-nominated singer Mario is bringing awareness to police brutality and racial injustice with his new track “Rewrite It.” “Having a voice and talent means nothing if you aren’t using your platform when it matters the most,” he said in a statement. “Sovereignty has to be declared and this is my declaration.”

Check out this week’s R&B picks, plus more on Uproxx’s Spotify playlist below.

While the music industry continues to cope with the reality of the pandemic, NPR’s Tiny Desk concert series made a swift move to virtual performances. The popular series began inviting artists to give a rendition of select songs from the comfort of their homes. But NPR has also been slowly releasing a number of performances from the “nearly 1,000 concerts” in their archives. Sudan Archives was the last musician to perform in NPR’s D.C. studios before the stay-at-home order, and NPR has now shared the full set.

Sudan Archives, moniker of violinist and singer Brittney Denise Parks, released her glowing debut record Athena last November. To celebrate, Parks gave renditions of three songs off the album for her Tiny Desk performance. Opening with her breakout single “Confessions” before moving into “Glorious,” Parks opted to strip down her performance to just four violinists. “There is a place that I call home / But it’s not where I am welcome / And if I saw all the angels / Why is my presence so painful?” she sings.

Announcing her final track “Nont For Sale,” Parks said the song is her “favorite.” The singer also revealed that their Tiny Desk performance marks the first time she and her back-up band had played together, though one wouldn’t be able to tell from their apparent chemistry.

Watch Sudan Archives perform on NPR’s Tiny Desk below.

Less than a year ago, Microsoft made big waves when it announced that streamer Ninja would leave Twitch and sign a lucrative contract with Mixer to appear on the rival game streaming platform. But on Monday, Microsoft announced it would abruptly shut down Mixer and partner with another rival service, Facebook Gaming.

The move came as a surprise in the industry, especially given how much money the company had put into signing away high-profile gamers like Ninja and Shroud to build a bigger audience for Mixer. But Xbox Chief Phil Spencer posted an update on Monday that explained why Microsoft would end Mixer later this week and partner with Facebook Gaming.

Ultimately, the success of Partners and streamers on Mixer is dependent on our ability to scale the service for them as quickly and broadly as possible. It became clear that the time needed to grow our own livestreaming community to scale was out of measure with the vision and experiences we want to deliver to gamers now, so we’ve decided to close the operations side of Mixer and help the community transition to a new platform. To better serve our community’s needs, we’re teaming up with Facebook to enable the Mixer community to transition to Facebook Gaming.

Initially many wondered what would happen to the deals the company had signed with the streamers. But according to reports, the two biggest stars Microsoft signed on to help grow Mixer will opt out of their deals, making a lot of money in the process and becoming free agents.

Microsoft said its existing partners will move over to Facebook Gaming, with the Mixer service effectively shutting down on July 22. The move to Facebook is expected to help its upcoming xCloud game streaming service, but certainly came as a surprise on Monday given the resources the company had put into making Mixer work in a competitive landscape dominated by Twitch.

While filming Bram Stoker’s Dracula, actress Winona Ryder claims that director Francis Ford Coppola yelled “you whore!” at her while standing off-camera to get her to cry. The filmmaker also tried to rally the film’s male stars, including noted mensch Keanu Reeves, to do the same in an abusive and misguided attempt at authenticity, but they refused.

“I’m supposed to be crying,” Ryder told the Sunday Times about the scene from the 1992 gothic horror movie where Gary Oldman’s Dracula turns into a pile of rats. “Richard E Grant, Anthony Hopkins, Keanu… Francis was trying to get all of them to yell things that would make me cry. But Keanu wouldn’t, Anthony wouldn’t… It just didn’t work. I was, like, really? It kind of did the opposite.” Reeves’ refusal to verbally assault Ryder led to a decades-long friendship (they technically got married while shooting Dracula).

In the same interview with the Sunday Times, Ryder also discussed the anti-Semitism she’s faced in Hollywood, including the time a studio head told her she was “too Jewish” for a “blue-blooded family” role and when Mel Gibson called her an “over-dodger” at a party. Here’s how she described the incident to GQ in 2010:

“I remember, like, fifteen years ago, I was at one of those big Hollywood parties. And he was really drunk. I was with my friend, who’s gay. He made a really horrible gay joke. And somehow it came up that I was Jewish. He said something about ‘oven dodgers,’ but I didn’t get it. I’d never heard that before. It was just this weird, weird moment. I was like, ‘He’s anti-Semitic and he’s homophobic.’ No one believed me!”

If Keanu Reeves is the best (which he is), Mel Gibson might be the worst.

(Via the Sunday Times and the Independent)

The Geico 500 at Talladega was postponed due to rain storms that swept through eastern Alabama on Sunday, pushing the race to Monday afternoon, but Sunday night, news emerged from NASCAR that a noose had been found in Bubba Wallace’s garage stall and an investigation was underway.

The noose was clearly a threat and attempt to intimidate the sport’s lone Black driver, who has been vocal in recent weeks about the Black Lives Matter movement and pushing for NASCAR to take steps forward in diversity and inclusion — including successfully pushing NASCAR to finally ban confederate flags from events. The backlash from some fans was unsurprising, but it wasn’t just a select group of fans that were upset about the removal of a symbol of hatred and racism from the track.

Given the current situation with the global COVID-19 pandemic, there are no fans able to get into the infield and garage area right now, meaning the noose was put in Wallace’s garage by someone in NASCAR or a track employee. In any case, they promised to “eliminate them from the sport” when they find who did it, and Monday became a day for the sport, its drivers, and its race teams to lend support to Wallace, starting with #IStandWithBubba being painted on the infield grass inside the tri-oval.

Prior to the race, as cars were lining up on the grid on pit road, every driver and team member pushed and walked with the 43 car to the front of the field in a show of solidarity, with Wallace posting a photo of all of the drivers behind him and his car.

Richard Petty, NASCAR’s winningest driver in history and the owner of the race team Wallace drives for, issued a statement that he was enraged by what happened and made his first appearance at a race since the pandemic to hug Wallace and make a public show of his support for his driver.

Jimmie Johnson also spoke with the Fox broadcast about why the drivers all came together for that showing.

It’s a grand and important gesture showing their support for Wallace and that they will back their fellow driver, but it does stand to reason that someone walking down pit road today in this show of solidarity could have been one of the people responsible for the threat of placing a noose in the 43 team stall. NASCAR has certainly taken steps forward in recent weeks that I think a lot of people around the sport wondered if they ever would in terms of speaking out on racism, and the act of banning confederate flags was big, even if long overdue.

The question now is if those walking behind Wallace’s car are willing to do the hard work and really root out racism from the sport, calling it out when they see or hear something in the garage, because this is far from just a fan issue. It’s the same work all of us have to do in our daily lives, going beyond nice gestures and statements and social media posts pledging support and solidarity for the Black community.

Post Malone has come a long way since he burst onto the music scene with “White Iverson” in 2015. Back then, he had long hair fashioned into braided pigtails and nary a drop of ink above the neck. Since then, though, he has changed his look, as his hair has gradually become shorter and his had has slowly become more tattooed. Over the weekend, he furthered that agenda even more: He debuted a new look, which features a shaved head and new ink on his scalp.

Malone shared a photo of himself yesterday, and in it, the hair on top of his head in completely gone, and on the right side of his head, above his ear, is an outline tattoo of a skull. He wrote in the post, “I have cut my hair even shorter, also skeletons are cool. Spread your heart as much as you can. A little love goes farther than you think. Stay strong, and keep kicking ass. Love, Austin.”

The rapper spoke about his relationship with tattoos in an interview from earlier this year, suggesting that all the ink on his face comes from a place of uncertainty. He referred to himself as an “ugly-ass motherf*cker” and said, “It does maybe come from a place of insecurity, to where I don’t like how I look, so I’m going to put something cool on there so I can look at myself and say, ‘You look cool, kid,’ and have a modicum of self-confidence, when it comes to my appearance.”

You don’t have to love football to get why Friday Night Lights is such a damn good TV series.

Sure, touchdowns and tackles are part of the story, but the real draw of this Peter Berg-created masterpiece is how it gives fans an authentic snapshot of small-town life. It’s got an incredible cast — think Connie Britton and Kyle Chandler — and a compelling plot. There are school rivalries and high school drama and yes, sometimes there’s murder and doping scandals and spontaneous trips to Mexico to inquire about illegal medical procedures. But, at its heart, Friday Night Lights is a show about community, about family — the family you’re born with and the family you make.

It’s also a hell of a good choice for your next at-home binge-watch which is why we’ve put together a ranking of the series’ best episodes.

Here are our picks for the moments you should watch out for.

15. “Leave No One Behind” (Season 2, Episode 14)

The Story: Matt Saracen hits his breaking point as Julie becomes more jealous of Tyra’s relationship with her mom.

Why It’s On This List: Saracen really struggles this episode and for good reason — the kid’s been through hell, his depression is warranted. But it’s how Coach Taylor handles his drunken meltdown, first with a bit of tough love and cold shower to sober him up, then by assuring him that there’s nothing wrong with him and that people like his dad and Julie aren’t leaving him because he’s broken in some way. It’s enough to leave you a little choked up.

14. “May The Best Man Win” (Season 2, Episode 15)

The Story: Smash faces an uphill battle in landing a scholarship after his brawl at the movie-theater and Coach Taylor must fight off one of his wife’s former flames.

Why It’s On This List: The trivial subplot of Coach Taylor duking it out with Tami’s ex (played cheekily by the show’s creator, Peter Berg) offered up a bit of humor at the expense of Kyle Chandler — who delivered a believable performance as a jealous, drunken husband ready to flaunt his machismo. But the best part of this season two finale is Smash’s story, which began a few episodes back with a racially-charged assault that left the star athlete in a bad spot. It wasn’t fair that Smash took all the blame for that fight, nor is it fair that his hopes of playing at a prestigious university are dashed because of it. But his decision to go to a smaller, HBCU with help from Coach Taylor, was one of the most emotional endings to a main character’s journey we’ve seen on FNL.

13. “Thanksgiving” (Season 4, Episode 13)

The Story: The Taylors host a Thanksgiving dinner for select team members as the Lions prepare for a season-determining game against the Panthers.

Why It’s On This List: So much happened in the season four finale: Vince and Jess finally came clean about their feelings for each other, Matt came home from Chicago, and the rivalry between the Lions and Panthers came to a head on the field in an epic showdown. But the episode’s strongest performance came from Taylor Kitsch. Sure, Tim Riggins was a bad boy with a drinking problem and a strange aversion to clean tees, but he redeemed himself when he took the fall for his big brother, going to prison for their illegal chop shop outfit so that Billy could be there to raise his kid.

12. “Underdogs” (Season 4, Episode 12)

The Story: Matt makes a confession to his grandmother while Coach Taylor tries to manage a team in chaos right before the biggest game of the season.

Why It’s On This List: The introduction of yet another star quarterback challenging Matt Saracen for his starting spot made most of season four frustrating as hell but it did earn fans a spectacular showdown at State. The Panthers take on the undefeated South Texas Titans in the championship game and, thanks to poor performances from Saracen and the meddling of J.D. McCoy’s abusive dad, it’s the freshman who scored the first string title. Unfortunately, McCoy begins to choke under the pressure which leads Coach Taylor to give a rousing half-time speech and put Saracen back in the game. The team loses, but it’s a hard-fought comeback that’s inspiring, despite the final score.

11. “Always” (Season 5, Episode 13)

The Story: East Dillon’s football program nears its end which leaves Coach Taylor with a difficult decision to make: return to the Dillon Panthers or leave Texas.

Why It’s On This List: Wrapping up any show is hard, but this is a send-off that knows exactly what its audience wants and delivers most of those happy endings in a way that feels authentic. Matt and Julie reconnect, current and past players set off on promising new adventures, and most importantly, the show uses the Taylor’s decision to leave Texas so that Tami can pursue a new career opportunity as a way to highlight power imbalances in relationships and praise the healthy marriage of its two leads.

10. “The Son” (Season 4, Episode 5)

The Story: Coach Taylor is firmly in place at East Dillon but he’s called to help a former player when Saracen suffers a family tragedy. Meanwhile, Vince is pushed to his limit in order to provide for his family.

Why It’s On This List: The fourth season introduced new characters, a new school, and a new team of players for fans to care about. Things could sometimes feel disjointed, especially when the show tried to pair storylines of old favorites with plots revolving around rookie characters. The Son succeeds in that because the two major storylines of the episode — the death of Saracen’s dad and Vince’s family trouble — circle a similar theme. For Saracen, a young man who’s been burdened with the responsibility of providing care for his family his entire life, mourning the death of his estranged father is a confusing, frustrating act. Zach Gilford plays that bitterness and disappointment beautifully. Vince, too, has become a young man forced to shoulder a lot for the sake of his family, particularly due to his mother’s drug addiction. Both boys have parents who have failed them and are trying to rise above the expectations of the town to which they belong.

9. “Wind Sprints” (Season 1, Episode 3)

Story: After a humiliating loss to an easily-beatable opponent, the entire town turns on Coach Taylor while the team’s in-fighting threatens to derail its chances for another run at State. Tensions between Riggins and Smash reach a breaking point, and Coach Taylor is forced to go to extremes to get the boys back in line.

Why It’s On This List: Everyone loves a winner, and the Dillion Panthers were great at winning, but it’s when they lost, when they failed miserably, that we were treated to some truly brilliant performances by the cast of the show. Kyle Chandler does some fine work in this episode, playing a man conflicted between doing what’s right — giving Saracen another chance at QB — or caving to the demands of the angry mob of parents and bringing in a new player. Smash finally steps up to lead the team in a rain-soaked climatic moment that set the tone for the show moving forward, and Taylor Kitsch showed off his chops by having a heart-to-heart with Coach Taylor that saw the character confronting some of his greatest fears and deepest regrets.

8. “Texas Whatever” (Season 5, Episode 12)

The Story: Tami gets a prestigious offer that could take the family away from Dillon as the Panthers recruit Vince by managing to ax the East Dillon Lions.

Why It’s On This List: It would’ve been easy to include the series finale on this list – it’s a great episode that neatly ties any ends fans have come to care about – but the series penultimate episode had a harder job. We had to say goodbye to some characters in a way that felt fitting for their story arcs, while also setting up a conflict that would help inch the entire series over the finish line. Texas Whatever manages to do both, saying goodbye to fan favorites like Riggins and Tyra while giving us a bit of a cliffhanger in the Taylor household’s dilemma over whether to move East for Tami’s new job. Not only does this spotlight some deserving characters, it also sets up tension in the most important relationship of the show – Eric and Tami’s marriage – even though we know by series end, they’ll have worked things out.

7. “I Can’t” (Season 4, Episode 10)

The Story: Becky has a life-changing decision to make when she discovers she’s pregnant, and Vince is forced to reconcile his mother’s addiction with the life he hopes to lead.

Why It’s On This List: Friday Night Lights never shied away from the tough issues, but this episode took things to another level when it thoughtfully and even-handedly handled Becky’s abortion dilemma. No matter where you fall on that debate, the heart-to-heart that Tami Taylor and Becky have on the topic is beautifully nuanced and plenty emotional. The show gives us a tangible look at the consequences of unplanned pregnancies, specifically the burden placed on young women, who must make such difficult decisions and then be judged for them.

6. “Leave No One Behind” (Season 2, Episode 14)

The Story: Smash reaches a crossroads in his life and in his football career as he begins his three-game suspension following an altercation at the movie theater. Meanwhile, Saracen hits rock bottom as the stress of being the “man of the house” finally causes him to crack.

Why It’s On This List: There weren’t a lot of shining moments in season two of Friday Night Lights, which is why this episode, particularly the moments between Coach Taylor and Saracen, stands out. Eric Taylor has served as a father-figure for plenty of men on the team, but it’s his tough-love approach to Saracen that felt particularly special. Taylor could easily hate the guy who hooked up with his daughter in season one or at least make his life hell on the field. Instead, he shows Saracen the compassion and empathy he’s been lacking in his life, showing up for the kid in his darkest of moments. If watching Coach Taylor comfort his QB as Saracen cries about how unworthy and unloved he is in the shower doesn’t break you a bit, you probably don’t have a heart.

5. “I Think We Should Have Sex” (Season 1, Episode 17)

The Story: The Panthers continue to fight their way to the playoffs after persevering in their last match despite some corrupt referees and disturbing racial discrimination. Off the field, Julie decides she’s ready to take things to the next level with Matt, who struggles to provide the kind of romance she wants.

Why It’s On This List: After the heaviness of the previous episode that centered largely on the game of football and the bonds of brotherhood it can create, this episode gives fans a nice change of pace by focusing on the show’s female characters, particularly the relationship between Julie and Tami Taylor. Having the sex talk with your parents is always awkward, but the show does a beautiful job of giving us the flip-side of that dreaded conversation. It turns out, parents hate talking about sex with their teens as much as their kids do. Connie Britton is a force of nature in this episode, delivering a beautiful breakdown that carries so much emotion and nuance with just a handful of dialogue. It’s an episode every mother and daughter should watch together.

4. “State” (Season 1, Episode 22)

The Story: The team has finally made it to State, and all that stands in the way of their impressive comeback season is an old enemy and the uncertainty of their coach’s next career move.

Why It’s On This List: Friday Night Lights’ first season finale did everything it needed to do. We got a ton of action in the final game of the season, we were given something to invest in -– watching the team, particularly Saracen, confront their old nemesis Ray “Voodoo” Tatum -– and it all ended on a cliffhanger. Not one of those frustrating, wanna tear-your-hair-out cliffhangers, but a bittersweet reminder of the show’s uncertain fate, something that was mirrored in the Taylor’s own journey. We got a victory, literally, when the team won State and were left with questions as to the future of the relationship between Eric and Tami when it was revealed that she was expecting a baby, and he would definitely be leaving for that TMU job.

3. “Mud Bowl” (Season 1, Episode 20)

The Story: The Panthers are inching closer to State, but a freak accident threatens to put a halt to their comeback tour. Coach Taylor is still mulling his college job offer, which leaves Tami and Julie in an uncomfortable limbo.

Why It’s On This List: As the first season of Friday Night Lights started to close, the fate of the show was very much up in the air. Because of that, the final few episodes felt like a goodbye of sorts, with this episode giving Coach Taylor a beautiful kind of home-turf send-off that still left some loose ends untied. The episode also doubled-down on what made the series as a whole so special: the bonds formed by such a close-knit community unified in a singular goal. Watching the team, the town of Dillon, and the players’ families rally around them to create a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity embodied the very best of what FNL had to offer. And watching the cast roll around in the mud for 60 minutes wasn’t too bad either.

2. “New York, New York” (Season 3, Episode 8)

The Story: Jason and Tim take a road trip to New York City where the former QB decides to make a go of it with his baby-mama and pursue a career as a sports agent.

Why It’s On This List: Jason Street was a character with a lot to offer but unfortunately, that promise just never translated well on-screen. Much of his arc after his accident felt like filler, a subplot that eventually fizzled out, but this was a lovely way to say goodbye to the character, giving him a sendoff that felt promising. It’s not the last time we see Street, but it does mark the last buddy adventure between the QB and Riggins. These two were always better when they were together, and watching Riggins buy two-for-one suits and give Street a “Texas Forever” pep-talk felt like the perfect amount of nostalgia to end their story.

1. “Pilot” (Season 1, Episode 1)

Story: Eric Taylor is established as the new head coach of the Dillion Panthers, a high school football team drowning in trophies and the expectation of a town steeped in tradition. The pressure’s on to produce a winning season, but the team’s first game ends in a tragedy no one saw coming.

Why It’s On This List: When Friday Night Lights premiered in 2006, it gave us that rarest of TV gems: a pilot that actually worked. The first episode of any show is usually fraught with indecision. Somehow, writers must set up the plot, introduce the players, give us enough action to get invested and do it all without it feeling formulaic. It’s a tall order, but FNL delivers by getting up close and personal with its main cast. There’s the chaotic build-up to the first game, highlighted by off-screen interviews and footage that has a first-person feel, but those shots are balanced out with quieter moments that focus on the relationships that would ultimately drive the show. Simply put, FNL’s pilot is a masterclass that every hopeful TV show should take note of.

Houston rockers Narrow Head have been a staple in the Texas DIY scene since they formed in 2013. Now, the five-piece group is the newest signees of Run For Cover Records and they’re getting ready for their indie label debut. Sharing the noisy track “Night Tryst,” Narrow Head herald their sophomore record 12th House Rock.

In discussing the album’s lead single, vocalist Jacob Duarte said he aimed to craft a separate world through music: “I wanted to create a fairly dark world with my words. Kind of like the reality William Burroughs creates in Naked Lunch: a grimy world of drunks and druggies filled with endless nights of unknown substances, pleasures, and regrets. I put my life and experiences into that world and those are the words that came out.”

About the record as a whole, Duarte said Narrow Head penned much of “12th House Rock” in the wee hours of the morning: “A lot of the record was made in the late hours and early morning. Those quiet moments alone when utter silence and my self-medication made it impossible to escape from my own thoughts. It was also from a specific time when I didn’t take care of myself and made bad decisions in all aspects of my life. These songs were a way out, temporarily anyway.”

Listen to “Night Tryst” above and find the 12th House Rock album art and tracklist below.

1. “Yer’ Song”
2. “Ponderosa Sun Club”
3. “Stuttering Stanley”
4. “12th House”
5. “Hard To Swallow”
6. “Crankcase”
7. “Nodding Off”
8. “Night Tryst”
9. “Emmadazey”
10. “Wastrel”
11. “Delano Door”
12. “Bulma”
13. “Evangeline Dream”

12th House Rock is out 8/28 via Run For Cover. Pre-order it here.

Taking taking heat for working with a questionable collaborator in Tekashi 69, Nicki Minaj’s latest single “Trollz” added yet another historic accomplishment to her ever-growing resume. According to Pop Crave, Nicki has become the first female rapper this century to debut at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 thanks to her colorful and controversial collaboration. This comes after Nicki racked up her first career No. 1 with another controversial collaborator in Doja Cat, whose “Say So” she remixed into an even bigger hit.

Nicki defended her choice of rhyme partners shortly after “Trollz” dropped, going on Instagram Live to point out how the rappers who derided Tekashi 69 for snitching have “snitches in your camp.” She made no note of fans’ parallels between Tekashi’s criminal record as a sex offender and those of two other men close to Nicki — her husband Kenneth Petty, who is registered as a sex offender for a decade-old rape conviction, and her brother Jelani, who was sentenced to 25 years in prison for predatory sexual assault earlier this year.

Nicki’s previous No. 1 with Doja Cat was also the subject of some minor scandals as Billboard removed Nicki’s credit from the next week’s chart after “Say So” went No. 1. Billboard representative’s explained that the original version was responsible for the majority of the streams that week, so they couldn’t credit the remix for its continued reign. Doja became a target of fan scrutiny as well, after admitting her promise to “show my boobs so hard” if the song went No. 1 was just a joke and after she caught flak for her participation in chat rooms some deemed “racist.”

Nicki celebrated her second No. 1 — and her historic accomplishment — with posts on Instagram and Twitter, writing, “No words yet. All I can muster up is the ‘I love you.’ Gimme a sec.”

Check out Nicki’s responses above.