Month: October 2020

Since becoming a global success, Australia natives Tame Impala are used to playing to large stadiums filled with adoring fans. They aren’t, however, used to sharing their music with empty arenas. But because the live music industry is still shut down for the time being, Tame Impala brought their stadium-filling sound the empty-seated soccer arena Perth Oval to usher in the world premiere of the video game FIFA 21.

Kicking off their set, Tame Impala pulled from their 2012 album Lonerism to perform their hit song “Elephant.” Amid impressive cable management and a circle of keyboards, the band then picked up the pace to effortlessly move through their The Slow Rush number “Is It True.”

In other Tame Impala news, the band finally unveiled their rescheduled concert dates. Like every other touring band, Tame Impala was forced to cancel their North American tour following the pandemic lockdown but now, the newly-scheduled tour dates offer a glimmer of hope for the future of live music. Starting next July, the band will (hopefully) begin their summer 2021 tour in Mexico before heading up the west coast and closing out the tour stops in Florida next October.

Watch Tame Impala perform “Elephant” and “Is It True” above.

The Slow Rush is out now via Modular. Get it here.

21 Savage has come a long way since he first broke out with his Slaughter Tape and Slaughter King mixtapes in 2015. Since then, he’s become an international star (despite being unable to tour overseas due to his immigration status), worked with some of the biggest names in music, including Future, J. Cole, and Normani, and even won a Grammy Award for Best Rap Song alongside J. Cole for “A Lot.” He never forgot where he came from, though, and proves it in the video for “Runnin” from his newly released joint album with Metro Boomin, Savage Mode II.

While the song’s lyrics reflect the usual 21 Savage themes — a deadpan approach to murder, mayhem, and other general mischiefs — the video comes across more celebratory, as 21 shows off his golden gramophone to local residents of the streets he used to run before attaining his rap stardom. Kids, adults, shopkeepers, and strippers all seem fascinated by the trophy as it makes its way through the hood, accompanied by a stereotypically stoic 21 Savage. He and Metro let everyone else enjoy the fruits of their labor — they’ve got to get back to work.

Watch 21 Savage and Metro Boomin’s “Runnin” video above.

Savage Mode II is out now via Epic Records and Republic Records. Get it here.

As Jimmy Fallon reminded fans ahead of their performance, this week marked BTS’ takeover of The Tonight Show. Closing out their residency, BTS elected to pull from their 2019 album Map Of The Soul: Persona to perform the twinkling track “Mikrokosmos.”

Taking over the historic Gyeongbok Palace in Seoul, the seven-member group lined up to effortlessly execute the song’s swooning melodies. Dressed in color-coordinated attire, BTS rapidly switched off between each verse while exploring the ancient palace. Closing out the track, the camera panned upward toward stars photoshopped above the group’s stage to form the logo adopted by fans, who affectionately refer to themselves as the BTS Army.

Just yesterday, BTS took to The Tonight Show to perform their soulful track “Black Swan.” Later on during the segment, the group also offered details about their upcoming album, Be: “We poured in the emotions that we feel now, such as joy and sorrow, into this album. There are a lot of good songs as good as ‘Dynamite,’ so we hope that they can all make it onto the Hot 100 chart. Please look forward to it.” Later, BTS’s RM shared that he used to listen to a lot of Eminem and Nas as a high school student. “I was kind of like a nerd, all about studying. I like to listen to rap music, like Eminem and Nas, but I was just like a good student,” he said.

Watch BTS sing “Mikrokosmos” on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon above.

Map Of The Soul: Persona is out now via Big Hit. Get it here.

James Bond is going the way of the Marvel movie and getting the hell out of 2020.

In what’s sure to be a sign of things to come for the holiday movie season, MGM has officially pulled No Time to Die from its November release date and pushed Daniel Craig’s last 007 film all the way to Easter 2021. Via Deadline:

“MGM, Universal and Bond producers, Michael G Wilson and Barbara Broccoli, today announced the release of No Time To Die, the 25th film in the James Bond series, will be delayed until 2 April in order to be seen by a worldwide theatrical audience. We understand the delay will be disappointing to our fans but we now look forward to sharing No Time To Die next year,” said the studio in a statement.

As Deadline notes, No Time to Die was the first movie to abandon its original release date in early March as the coronavirus became a global pandemic. This latest move will now see the movie delayed an entire year, given it was supposed to come out during Easter 2020. However, No Time to Die is in good company. In late September, Marvel delayed Black Widow yet again, along with its upcoming film slate. After Disney clearly didn’t like what it was seeing in the box office projections, Black Widow and Eternals will also have been delayed a full year if/when they’re released in 2021.

With No Time to Die making a jump, all eyes will be on Warner Bros. as it currently plans to release both Dune and Wonder Woman 1984 in December.

(Via Deadline)

The Miami Heat will have to win Game 2 of the NBA Finals without one of their most important players. According to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, Bam Adebayo will not suit up for the Heat’s second tilt against the Los Angeles Lakers due to a shoulder injury. For now, Adebayo is listed as doubtful on the team’s injury report.

There is a sliver of good news in Wojnarowski’s reporting, though, as the team is optimistic that the All-Star big man may be able to return to the floor during Game 3 on Sunday.

Adebayo appeared to injure his shoulder in the conference finals against the Boston Celtics, but did not have to miss any time due to the knock. Then, in the third quarter of Miami’s 116-98 loss in Game 1, Adebayo got hurt and had to leave the game. He did not return as the Lakers continued to extend their lead on the Heat en route to taking a 1-0 series lead.

On Thursday, Adebayo was listed as doubtful to play in Game 2. He was listed on the injury report alongside starting guard Goran Dragic, who suffered a plantar fascia injury and is likewise considered doubtful to play. In his absence, the Heat could potentially turn to Kelly Olynyk, while the lightly-used Meyers Leonard is also on the bench.

Game 2 of the 2020 NBA Finals is set to tip off at 9 p.m. EST on Friday night on ABC.

Back in July, DaBaby was thrashed for signing on to headline a holiday concert in Georgia despite the outbreak of the coronavirus basically wrecking the live music economy. When it turned out that the promoters failed to live up to their advertised safety protocols, they and DaBaby took another public drubbing. It looks like DaBaby will soon have a chance to redeem himself though, using a format that has grown in popularity in recent months — and he’s bringing another of hip-hop’s many Babies along for the ride.

Variety announced that DaBaby and Lil Baby would co-headline a drive-in music festival in Atlanta, The Detour, on Sunday, October 11 at the Atlanta Motor Speedway. Sponsored by Audiomack, the concert is a chance for fans to get out and see the Southern rappers in-person with less risk than a traditional show, while for the rappers, it’s an opportunity to make up some of their lost touring revenue for the year without raising their feature prices high enough to ensure they’ll never rap on another artist’s song again.

Even without touring and festivals, the two rappers have been among the most successful of 2020, with DaBaby racking up award nominations and dominating the charts alongside Lil Baby, whose My Turn spent five weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart and who remains among the most-streamed artists of the year with his song “The Bigger Picture.”

For more info about The Detour drive-in festival, check out the official website.

As the WNBA Finals tip off on Friday night, Megan Rapinoe — who has been living in the WNBA Bubble all summer with girlfriend Sue Bird — took to The Players Tribune to jot a preview of the series, in which Bird and the Storm will take on the Las Vegas Aces. While Rapinoe urged fans to tune in and take in the high-level basketball she expects in the series, she also took the opportunity to highlight the discrepancy between how the USWNT was covered by national mainstream media during their World Cup runs and how the WNBA is covered.

Rapinoe notes how the USWNT broke boundaries last year as they won their second World Cup in a row, leading SportsCenter and generating a ton of buzz on social media. But despite the WNBA’s historic commitment to racial justice activism and their ability to turn out a highly entertaining season on a moment’s notice from their Bubble in south Florida, Rapinoe acknowledges they’ve hardly gotten the same attention.

And what I mean by that is: When it comes to U.S. women’s soccer, the general perception is that — let’s face it — we’re the white girls next door. The straight, “cute,” “unthreatening,” “suburban” white girls next door. It’s not actually who we are — the WNT’s racial diversity, though not yet where it needs to be, is improving every year. And, you know, breaking news….. I’m gay. But by and large, that’s the perception. And it’s certainly how we’re marketed to a lot of people.

So when I see millions of viewers for our matches, and I see us on the front page of the Times, and I see the way we’re leading SportsCenter and how it all just feels like a big f*cking deal — trust me, like I said, nothing could make me prouder. Generations of women helped build that, and believe me I know: I’m standing on the shoulders of GIANTS. I don’t take any of that for granted for a single second.

Rapinoe went one step further to explain that the reason she believes there is a difference is that the WNBA is predominantly Black and has many LGTBQ+ players, while the perception of the USWNT is that those women were, as Rapinoe deemed them above, “white girls next door.” Using her place as a role model for many female athletes around the country, Rapinoe pleads with readers to reconsider their concept of feminism if it does not include supporting the diverse and brave athletes in the WNBA as much as the USWNT.

Rapinoe has long used her popularity to highlight inequities within her sport and industry. When she was given Sports Illustrated‘s Sports Person of the Year last winter, Rapinoe called out the publication and the broader sports media business for the rarity of women being honored for such awards. In this case, Rapinoe is using her place on the USWNT to encourage fans to continue to push for the type of sports landscape they want to see, and how the WNBA should be part of it.

If nothing below suits your sensibilities, check out our guide to What You Should Watch On Streaming Right Now.

The Walking Dead (Sunday, AMC 9:00 p.m.) — Finally, the Season 10 finale is upon us, zombie-apocalypse lovers, with one more season to go, along with more spinoffs and movies. This week, Beta commences the final battle within the Whisperers War.

The Walking Dead: World Beyond (Sunday, AMC 10:00 p.m.) — The next spinoff in this universe has arrived with an unexpected message crashing the eve of a celebration for Hope and Iris.

Emily In Paris (Netflix series) — Primetime TV soap opera king Darren Star moves onto Netflix with this lighthearted dramedy starring Lily Collins as Emily. She travels to City of Lights, where she experiences heart and humor while exploring new professional and romantic frontiers. It’s basically a sugar cookie of a show and very bingeable.

Monsterland (Hulu series) — This anthology series brings something to scare everyone within eight episodes, which are inspired by the best-selling short-story collection, North-American Lake Monsters that embraced the something-for-everyone approach. Kaitlyn Dever, Kelly Marie Tran, Nicole Beharie, and Taylor Shilling all feature in this unsettling series that explores but supernatural and human monsters.

Saturday Night Live (Saturday, NBC 11:29 p.m.) — The Season 46 premiere comes back to the studio with host Chris Rock and musical guest Megan Thee Stallion.

Song Exploder (Netflix series) — This show adapts the podcast of the same name with world-famous musicians explaining how their greatest songs sprang to life. Featuring Alicia Keys, in-Manuel Miranda, and more, the series will dig deep with in-depth interviews, archival footage, and raw recordings from each artist.

Vampires vs. the Bronx (Netflix film) — This horror comedy follows teens who must defend their Bronx neighborhood when the undead surface, and it’s only the beginning of the platform’s month of spooky content.

Dick Johnson Is Dead (Netflix documentary) — Filmmaker Kirsten Johnson made a love letter to her father while “staging inventive and fantastical ways for her 86-year-old psychiatrist father to die while hoping that cinema might help her bend time, laugh at pain and keep her father alive forever.” It’s darkly humorous stuff.

David Attenborough: A Life on Our Planet (Netflix documentary, Sunday) — This doc follows the life of the man who’s seen more of this Earth’s national state than any other person over the course of 90 years. Challenges on every continent shall be addressed while the movie hopes to spread optimism to future generations.

Savage X Fenty Show. Vol. 2 (Amazon Prime series) — Rihanna’s brainchild will receive the spotlight in over 240 countries and territories with performances from Bad Bunny, Ella Mai, Miguel, Mustard, Roddy Ricch, and Rosalia as models (including Lizzo, Bella Hadid, Big Sean, Cara Delevingne, Demi Moore, Paris Hilton, Willow Smith, and more) wear Rihanna’s looks on the runway.

The Boys: Season 2 (Amazon Prime series) — This season’s gone weekly from here on out while diving deeper, and Episode 7 sees Homelander and Stormfront working on their master plan. Meanwhile, Becca’s dealing with their joint threats, and Hughie is forced to watch Supe Porn with Lamplighter while Starlight’s being held by Vought, which is now gearing up for a Senate hearing.

Here’s the rest of this weekend’s notable programming:

Room 104 (Friday, HBO 10:00 p.m.) — The fourth season of the Duplass Brothers’ bizarre playground continues in… 1987? Two friends crash the room during their last summer before high school, but a popular jock joins the party and messes up everything.

Fargo (Sunday, FX 10:00 p.m.) — Chris Rock’s 1950s Kansas City crime syndicate leader is still navigating a precarious situation while working toward business deals. This week, Timothy Olyphant’s Deafy joins forces with Otis while Josto seeks revenge and Gaetano makes his move.

Good Lord Bird (Sunday, Showtime 9:00 p.m.) — Ethan Hawke stars as a violent abolitionist in this series that takes place in the Kansas territory in 1856. Hawke’s character, John Brown, accidentally mistakes a male slave for a girl and “frees” him.

Lovecraft Country (Sunday, HBO 9:00 p.m.) — George and Hippolyta’s daughter, Diana, finds herself dodging Captain Lancaster’s threats, and Atticus sees a ghost from his past show up at the boarding house of Leti, who might be pregnant… with an alien or monster? God only knows.

Last Week Tonight With John Oliver (Sunday, HBO 11:00 p.m.) — He’s back, baby.

The first Peanuts strip was published 70 years ago today. In it, Charlie Brown walks by two other young children, Patty and Shermy, who seems like he’s happy to see his good ol’ pal. He’s not. In the panel, after Charlie Brown (I almost called Charlie Brown just “Charlie,” which sounds weird) has passed them by, Shermy says to his friend, “How I hate him!” What a jerk. It’s a hostile start to one of the most beloved comic strips ever, but over the years, creator Charles M. Schulz’s edge softened slightly, especially in the second half of Peanuts‘ five-decade long run when Snoopy became the dominant character. Here he is dancing with bunnies; here he is being adorable with his siblings; and above, you’ll find the trailer for his own show, coming next year to Apple TV+.

The Snoopy Show follows the adventure of the blimp icon and his pal Woodstock as they go on adventures, including flying an airplane as the World War I Flying Ace, climbing a mountain, and the greatest adventure of all, making a pizza. Here’s more:

Snoopy is a dog like no other. He may seem a happy-dancin’, bone-lovin’, doghouse-sittin’ beagle but he’s much more than that. He’s also Joe Cool, hippest kid in school, an awesome Surfer King and famed arm-wrestler, the Masked Marvel. When he indulges in his fantasies, he can be a World War One Flying Ace battling the Red Baron or an intrepid astronaut landing on the moon. The point is… Snoopy is a beagle with an active imagination full of comic personas. And they’re all on display — both real and fantastic — in a brand-new animated comedy, THE SNOOPY SHOW.

This is the calming cuteness we all need on a stressful day. The Snoopy Show premieres in February.

After Beyonce gave a shout-out to content-sharing service OnlyFans on her remix of Megan Thee Stallion’s “Savage” (courtesy of a line penned by her husband Jay-Z), a wave of established stars have since started their own accounts to shore up COVID-related financial losses due to the death of live entertainment. Bella Thorne, Cardi B, and Rubi Rose are among those to join OnlyFans since the lockdown, but the trend hasn’t been limited to just women; Swae Lee also joined in June.

It’s also not always what fans have assumed. While explicit content is seemingly the norm and even encouraged, several accounts — such as independent New Orleans rapper 3D Na’Tee’s — have foregone nudity altogether. However, you’re here, so you know the subject of this post isn’t one of them. “Money Mouf” rapper Tyga was the latest male celebrity to join the platform and he’s decidedly all-in on the explicit content, according to fans on Twitter who report seeing exactly what the “Ayy Macarena” rapper is working with while he’s “Bored In The House” with the adult film stars currently populating his Instagram feed.

The “Rack City” rapper made no announcement, opting for a cryptic emoji post on Twitter, but it didn’t take long for enthusiastic fans to begin posting their responses. Apparently, the photos in question were already previously leaked, so if anyone was expecting a full-on career shift from porn producer to on-screen talent (Tyga really did produce an adult film named after his then-biggest hit, but I’m not gonna link to it or anything), they’ll likely be a tad bit disappointed. With that said, check out the best responses below.