Month: July 2020

British grime pioneer Wiley may have a tough time repairing his career after posting a series of anti-Semitic tweets on Friday, as his management team at A-List Management have dropped him as a client and his label’s distribution partner, ADA Worldwide (Alternative Distribution Alliance) also kicked him to the curb in the wake of his day-long tirade.

John Woolf, who has managed Wiley for years, tweeted, “Following Wiley’s anti semitic tweets today we at [A-List Management] have cut all ties with him. There is no place in society for antisemitism.” Meanwhile, a spokesperson for ADA said in a statement, “We oppose antisemitism and any form of discrimination and racism. While Wiley controls and releases his music through his own label, he has a digital distribution agreement with ADA and we are terminating that agreement.”

Wiley’s outburst also sparked an outcry from members of the UK’s government. BBC reports that dozens of British celebrities and entertainers joined a boycott of Twitter, calling on the platform to take steps to address anti-Semitism and racism. Even the Prime Minister chimed in via a representative, saying, “Twitter needs to do better.”

Meanwhile, the majority of Wiley’s tweets referencing conspiracy theories about Jewish people secretly controlling the world were removed, while Wiley himself has not tweeted since, suggesting his access may have been suspended. The criticism of Wiley’s actions has also extended to calls to revoke his membership in The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, which he was awarded in 2018.

Lollapalooza tried its best to go forward with its festival this year, as they were one of the last major American fests to announce its 2020 event had been canceled. While there won’t be an in-person event this year, the Chicago fest is taking their show global and online with a livestream event, called “Lolla2020.”

Lollapalooza describes the show as “a free four-night broadcast event” that kicks off this week, on July 30. They shared a poster for the event, and it features Arcade Fire, ASAP Rocky, Brockhampton, Chance The Rapper, The Cure, Ellie Goulding, Fontaines DC, Future, Gunna, HER, Hinds, Imagine Dragons, Jamila Woods, Jane’s Addiction, Josh Homme, Kali Uchis, Kehlani, Khalid, LCD Soundsystem, Lorde, Idles’ Mark Bowen, Metallica, Mxmtoon, Outkast, Paul McCartney, Pink Sweats, Polo G, Run The Jewels, Tenacious D, Tove Lo, Tyler The Creator, Vic Mensa, White Reaper, and Yeah Yeah Yeahs.

The Chicago Tribune notes the livestream will feature “favorite sets from previous festivals (including international editions), original performances and classic sets.” The fest hasn’t made it clear which artists on the poster will be performing original sets and which will be represented by archival footage, but the Tribune notes LCD Soundsystem, Chance the Rapper, Metallica, Outkast, and Paul McCartney’s appearances will be archival, while HER, Kali Uchis, Kaskade, Louis The Child, and Vic Mensa will perform new sets.

Check out the full poster above.

Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

Why is Henry Cavill’s Geralt of Rivia so grumpy? That’s one of many answers that one might expect from The Witcher: Blood Origin show as book series author Andrzej Sapkowski’s world transforms into a full-fledged Netflix fantasy franchise. Actually, I’m being slightly obnoxious at the moment. Viewers already realize that not only must Geralt co-exist with the loathsome-yet-catchy “Toss A Coin” song, but he must also deal with a society that treats him with contempt, despite his invaluable monster-hunting services to the continent. That’s where the origin story of the first Witcher comes in, to show us exactly what the profession has internalized throughout potion-laden travels.

As an upcoming six-part limited series, Blood Origin, aims to bring that legacy to life in a universe that not only includes video games but will also soon include an animated, feature length movie called Nightmare of the Wolf. However, Blood Origin will be a live-action affair that arrives with this logline:

Set in an elven world 1200 years before the world of The Witcher, Blood Origin will tell a story lost to time – the origin of the very first Witcher, and the events that lead to the pivotal “conjunction of the spheres,” when the worlds of monsters, men, and elves merged to become one.

More elves? One can’t beat that, along with the promise to present human arrival as “cataclysmic,” according to showrunner Declan de Barra, who will executive produce alongside The Witcher showrunner Lauren Schmidt Hissrich. Sapkowski will do the creative consulting thing, and this sounds like a take on how history can be rewritten and, later, resurfaced with a “forgotten” label. We can also expect a lesson on the unending fallout that results from colonization, wrapped up in an aesthetically pleasing bow. Perhaps a few bathtubs as well? One never knows.

The Witcher: Blood Origin will shoot in the United Kingdom with release details to come.

Idles have been creative when it comes to keeping themselves busy during the pandemic. Aside from sharing music videos, the group’s Joe Talbot has launched an online talk show that has featured and will feature guests like Chrvches, Lauren Mayberry, Sharon Van Etten, Pearl Jam’s Jeff Ament, and others. Now the group is expanding their online video empire with a new series, Dumb & Drumber.

The premise of the show is described as “the show where [Idles drummer Jon Beavis] and [bassist Adam Devonshire] go head to head in a music quiz against other band’s rhythm sections.” The debut episode premiered over the weekend, and their first competitors were The National bandmates and brothers Scott and Bryan Devendorf, who play bass and drums, respectively.

Meanwhile, the other pair of brothers in The National, Bryce and Aaron Dessner, was involved in one of the year’s biggest albums: Taylor Swift’s Folklore. Aaron co-wrote and produced the majority of Swift’s surprise release, while Bryce contributed orchestration to the record. Aaron said of working with Swift, “I was excited and honored when Taylor approached me in late April about maybe writing some songs remotely together. […] I’ve rarely been so inspired by someone and it’s still hard to believe this even happened — these songs came together in such a challenging time. […] I’m very proud of all these songs and profoundly grateful to Taylor for inviting me into and trusting me in her process. She is one of the most talented, hardworking and deeply caring artists I’ve ever encountered. There’s a palpable humanity and warmth and raw emotion in these songs that I hope you’ll love and take comfort in as much as I do.”

Watch the premiere of Dumb & Drumber above.

The RX is Uproxx Music’s stamp of approval for the best albums, songs, and music stories throughout the year. Inclusion in this category is the highest distinction we can bestow, and signals the most important music being released throughout the year. The RX is the music you need, right now.

Communal moments are a rarity in 2020. It’s an obvious repercussion from a world turned upside down, where months into a pandemic, many are still holding tight to “safer at home” and social isolation recommendations. Music festivals are non-existent, the movie theater experience is threatening to disappear altogether, and even gathering with our closest friends and family, be it for an intimate meal or a raucous house party, all violate common-sense best practices for keeping the most vulnerable around us safe. IRL congregating has largely been limited to essential protests around the country, with participants taking what is viewed as essential risks in order to bring about much-needed societal change that’s been centuries in the making.

As such, communal moments in 2020 are largely limited to the virtual world. Verzuz battles and Club Quarantine have allowed fans to congregate and debate on social platforms. Artists like Post Malone, Mark Ronson, and Nick Cave have pushed boundaries as to what is possible from streaming events. Movies like Palm Springs, The Old Guard, and The King Of Staten Island or TV events like The Last Dance have provided cultural currency that most can share, with the relatively sparse offerings of entertainment making it feel like literally everyone is watching the same things. Some album releases have managed to attain greater synchronicity, but few hold so much cultural cachet as to deserve a custom emoji for their trending Twitter hashtag.

On Thursday night, that hand-drawn “T” and “S” could be seen up and down the timeline. Music fans and critics across genres unveiled hot takes, quoted lyrics like Myspace teens writing on the back of textbooks or crafting the perfect AIM away message, and debated Folklore‘s place in the unimpeachable Taylor Swift canon. For a couple hours, it felt like we were all together, experiencing something that did not equate to injustice or existential dread or the imminent death of thousands. While escapism is undoubtedly a privilege, taking that brief opportunity to exist in someone else’s orbit felt good for the collective soul, the reciprocal of the isolation that proved so inspiring to Swift’s songwriting.

It’s a strange dichotomy that a period away from a canceled tour that would have seen her creating her very own festival, as well as headlining some of the biggest international events in existence, could, in turn, bring so many people together. And just as it has been for her last four album releases, everyone from day ones to uninvested tourists held an opinion on where the Nashville songwriting great should be headed. You can’t get a Swift song cycle without some bemoaning her interest in contemporary pop textures, hoping for a step back closer to her mainstream country roots, despite the fact that her recent turn to outspoken political activism has all but burned that bridge (good riddance, I say). But for her fans, the ones that Swift speaks directly to through endless Easter eggs and social media outreach, there is the understanding that every step she takes is necessary for the journey. There is never going to be a “back” — an artist like Taylor Swift only knows forward motion. And even with Folklore, the most timeless work she’s ever created, a turn away from mainstream pop isn’t as much of a statement as it is a necessity, reflecting the way the album was created and the times that it was created in.

The album follows a return to critical favor (Lover) after a short run as a critical punching bag (Reputation), incorporating help from artists she’s long admired and amplified — both The National, whose Aaron Dessner produces and writes on the majority of the album, and Bon Iver, who guests on one song, have been featuring regularly on Taylor Swift playlists for years — as well as her “musical family” member Jack Antonoff. But even with new people in tow, Swift never loses herself in the palette of others. “The Last Great American Dynasty” and “Cardigan” are both deeply rooted in the vivid details and melodic warmth that characterizes much of her music, even if they benefit from Dessner’s talent for turning slow-burn builds into huge emotional payoffs. And it’s a flex to have Bon Iver barely sound like himself for the first half of “Exile,” avoiding his characteristic falsetto in favor of the cruise-control ease that makes his best work feel as comforting as a dusty welcome mat. When he belts “so step right up” at the song’s midpoint, try not to imagine clouds parting to reveal the vibrant, affirming sunshine.

It’s a narrative that will find many men “finally” giving Swift a chance, praising her for conforming to their ideal of what a female pop artist should sound like. There’s something inherently frustrating in that it takes her aligning with indie-cred to get respect from those corners, as if she hasn’t packed album after album with wise-beyond-her-years observations and sturdy melodies that would sound great against the backdrop of most collaborators and production choices. In her recent Netflix documentary Miss Americana, Swift gave a view inside her songwriting process, where a song like her widely-derided Lover first single “Me!” is shown to be unexpectedly dexterous outside of its commercial-ready bombast and Brandon Urie feature. Most of Swift’s songs follow this same pattern, the kind of tunes that are vigorous and intricate, that can sound equally captivating accompanied by lone acoustic strums or piano plucks as they are when bolstered by a dance routine under stadium lights. When it comes to Taylor Swift, people have often conflated not liking her style or presentation with disliking the song or the artist, and an album where the sonic choices around her are subtle and dialed down jukes those notions. But be wary of anyone that calls this album a songwriting breakthrough or a return to form.

All that said, maybe Folklore is a songwriting breakthrough and a return to form. Many of the strongest moments throughout Folklore echo Swift’s previous heights, whether it’s the scarves now becoming sweaters or teen romances getting the retrospective wisdom they deserve. And while her lyrical buttons are their typically masterful self (or, as on “Mirrorball,” an extended metaphor transports the audience to Swift’s universe), the choices she makes with her voice are often as captivating as what she’s saying. This can be the unexpected falsetto of “Illicit Affairs,” the playful lilts of “August,” or the little yelp at the end of the first verse in “Epiphany.” On the most cohesive album she’s ever made, she’s fully aware that the record lacks for levity, and these assorted vocal ticks provide balance to a tone that is mostly rooted in general seriousness.

But even as she breaks free into new genre territory, and displays influences from the contemporary indie artists she’s chosen as collaborators, nothing about Folklore reads like culture vulturing. Some of the best songs of the album, “The Last Great American Dynasty” and “Betty,” thrive in the specific storytelling she’s been crafting since she was a teenager. Many of the other songs drift from the spare sonics into rapid-fire pop cadences she’s been perfecting since Red. While moments here and there find parallels to other indie stars, there isn’t a song on the record that another artist could write.

That’s why some of the discourse surrounding the album in its first few days of release has been so disappointing. Across social media platforms, indie music gatekeepers and artists have taken shots at Swift for infiltrating a scene where female-led indie-folk is having a moment, displaying all the pretension and exclusivity that gives the community a bad name. In reality, Swift’s “indie album” will only serve to provide more opportunities to those that work in a similar space as interest is raised, and will not impede the forward momentum of anyone. And, it’s particularly telling that the people she’s working with — Vernon, Dessner, Antonoff — are known for fostering creative communities and welcoming surprising collaborators into their worlds.

There’s a lesson we can all take there, about inclusion and open-mindedness, but that’s hardly the point of Folklore. The lack of a rollout paints it as both the most low-key and instantly impactful album of her career, one crafted during impossible times and used as an opportunity to make music with her heroes, free of many the expectations she’s set for herself. Folklore will likely wind up being her album that reaches the widest cross-section of music fans yet, and while the indie world might still be lifting up their drawbridge, don’t worry, because the Swifties are ready to welcome anyone new to the party with open arms. There is no bandwagon here, only fans of one of the last decade’s defining figures who’s still finding ways to shatter expectations. All aboard.

Folklore is out now on Republic. Get it here.

Over the weekend, Logic released what is ostensibly his final album as a rapper, No Pressure, and it appears to receiving plenty of love as an appropriate swan song for the oft-misunderstood rapper. While the fan chatter is generally positive, one co-sign is sure to draw more attention to the project. LeBron James, whose stamp of approval has helped launch viral stars into the spotlight and landed him an executive production credit on 2 Chainz’s last album, is apparently loving Logic’s curtain call.

The NBA superstar, who is currently living it up in the NBA’s “bubble” in Orlando ahead of the league’s impending resumption, posted a screenshot of his Apple Music play screen to his Instagram Story while we was listening to track 13, “Heard Em Say.” He captioned the photo: “Morning music vibes by my G Logic. Hate to see you go bro but damn you left in great fashion.” Logic himself took a screenshot of the story and posted it to his own grid, remarking, “The king has spoken.”

The co-sign will likely help Logic feel better about his decision to give up rap — although the seven-figure deal he signed with Twitch to stream video games probably also makes for a nice retirement plan.

No Pressure is out now via Def Jam Recordings and Visionary Music Group. Get it here.

Call Me By Your Name (2017) will eventually see a sequel (also starring Timothée Chalamet and Armie Hammer), but before that happens, director Luca Guadagnino has a new HBO limited series that’s coming this fall. From the looks of this trailer, this show will likely do what the movie did (illuminate the value of human connection in another Italian-set romance) during a time when audiences need it most. We can also use another life-affirming story from Guadagnino, so let’s hope that’s the case here.

With the teaser announcement, HBO also revealed Kid Cudi’s role, that of a father to Jordan Kristine Seamón’s Caitlin, who appears to be an anchoring presence for U.S. Army brats on a Veneto base. The series stars Jack Dylan Grazer as the introverted Fraser, who transplants to the base with his two mothers (played by Chloë Sevigny and Alice Braga). The teaser reveals numerous beach shots and suggestions of complicated dynamics between the characters, and Francesca Scorsese will portray “an outspoken, witty, sexually uninhibited girl,” according to HBO. From the synopsis:

A story about two American kids who live on a U.S. military base in Italy, the series explores friendship, first-love, identity, and immerses the audience in all the messy exhilaration and anguish of being a teenager – a story which could happen anywhere in the world, but in this case, happens in this little slice of America in Italy.

We Are Who We Are — which also stars Spence Moore II, Ben Taylor, Corey Knight, Tom Mercier and Sebastiano Pigazzi — will debut on HBO on September 14 (and also stream on HBO Max).

Continuity has never been Family Guy‘s strong suit (Peter continues to live even after this Mortal Kombat-influenced fatality), but one thing that has been kept mostly consistent through 300-plus episodes: Peter, Lois, Chris, and Meg not being able to understand Stewie. There have been some questionable exemptions to this rule, like this exchange about Peter not having seen The Godfather, but for the most part, the only one who talks with Stewie is Brian. I’m not going to question the internal logic of a talking dog conversing with a one-year old, and neither should you. Besides, it’s led to some of the best episodes of Family Guy, including series highlight “Back to the Pilot.”

But Stewie’s first words will be canonized in the season 19 premiere, as revealed during Family Guy‘s Comic-Con@Home panel over the weekend. The episode, fittingly titled “Stewie’s First Word,” has the Griffins attending church, where a pastor informs everyone, “In honor of Lent, today’s coffee service will not include chewy Chips Ahoy.” Stewie’s red-faced response to this shocking there-is-no-God news: “F*CK.”

Or as the closed captions have it:

Not only does everyone in church turn to look at Stewie (who doesn’t express his disgust with his “real” voice), Chris confirms, “Hey, Stewie said his first word. And it was a swear.” Thanks Chris, as helpful as ever. Family Guy returns on September 27 with a new actor (fingers crossed for Wendell Pierce) as the voice of Cleveland.

In recent times, The Weeknd has made his animation dreams come true. He co-wrote and starred in an episode of American Dad that premiered recently, and he got to voice a few characters in last night’s episode of the long-running Adult Swim series Robot Chicken.

The characters that The Weeknd got to play were a host at an illegal dinosaur auction, a S.W.A.T. team member who raids said auction, and Tyler Perry’s character Madea, who gets cut in half in prison by Deadpool.

The Weeknd previously spoke with Variety about his Robot Chicken appearance, saying it came about because Joel Hurwitz, with whom he co-wrote his American Dad episode, is also a writer on Robot Chicken: “I want to continue to create different Weeknds in alternate universes. There weren’t many challenges, as the acting was pretty straightforward. I told Joel I loved doing voices and wished I could have challenged myself more in that department, so he took me to the Robot Chicken studio, where [series co-creator] Seth Green was waiting for me. I totally geeked out and he actually let me do multiple voices on an episode coming out soon. The cartoon nerd in me jumped out that day.”

In a more recent interview, he said he preferred the experience of being on Robot Chicken to that of American Dad because he wasn’t voicing himself, saying he hated playing “The Weeknd”: “I hated it. I actually hated it, because when I think about cartoons you have characters. With Robot Chicken, I got to be other characters, so it didn’t point back to me. I’d rather disguise my voice.”

Watch clips of The Weeknd’s appearances on Robot Chicken below.

Throughout his career, Jpegmafia has been prone to releasing non-album singles between projects. He has taken that to another level in 2020, though, as the rapper has shared seven loose songs this year: “Bald!,” “Covered In Money!,” “Bodyguard!,” “Cutie Pie!,” “The Bends!,” “Rough 7,” and now his latest, “Living Single.”

On the track, Jpegmafia discusses how he doesn’t involve himself with the gang imagery found in some hip-hop: “All these n**** screamin’, ‘Gang,’ scared to get jumpin’ / N**** them pistols on yo ‘Gram s’posed to be tucked in / Chill, watch and observe, Peggy don’t say nothin’ / Let ’em stay frontin’.” He also discusses his independence and passion for music, with lines like, “Check my BMI, lil’ b*tch, I am the sole owner / I need royalties, not loyalties, to fill my quota,” and, “Dark skinned and givin’ out work, I feel like Kelly Rowland / I don’t need no therapy, beats give me consolin’.”

Like Jpegmafia’s recent videos, the one for “Living Single” is self-directed. The clip mostly features the rapper vibing along with the song in nighttime environments, lit joint in hand.

Jpegmafia was also a guest on a recent episode of People’s Party, on which he posited that rap fans don’t appreciate producers as much as they should.

Watch the “Living Single” video above.