Month: December 2020

This week in the best new pop music saw some exciting releases. Miley Cyrus debuted her anticipated album Plastic Hearts, Bad Bunny dropped a surprise project, and Rina Sawayama followed-up her sophomore record.

Each week, Uproxx rounds up the best new pop music. Listen up.

Miley Cyrus — “Hate Me”

After months of teasing, Miley Cyrus’ Plastic Hearts is finally here — and it’s great. Cyrus only previewed the album with two songs, but the project is 15 tracks that perfectly blend classic rock and modern pop. Her standout track “Hate Me” is perhaps the most buoyant on the album, combining bouncy bass drops with Cyrus’ soaring vocals.

Bad Bunny — “La Noche De Anoche” Feat. Rosalía

Bad Bunny also released an album this week, and it was his third release of the year. The record, titled El Último Tour Del Mundo, boasts a number of groovy reggaeton tracks. But his Rosalía collaboration “La Noche De Anoche” is one of his most captivating as it features heart-throbbing lyrics over a fluttering beat.

Rina Sawayama — “Lucid”

Following her smash hit sophomore album Sawayama, Rina Sawayama returns with the shimmering number “Lucid.” Over heavily-layered production, Sawayama pens an effortlessly-infectious tune about a budding relationship.

Christine And The Queens — “3Sex” Feat. Indochine

’80s French pop rock band Indochine tapped Christine And The Queens for the driving tune “3Sex.” Speaking about the single in a statement, Christine described how the collaboration came about: “Last April, Nicola Sirkis called me and told me about revisiting ‘3Sex.’ The whole world was breathing more slowly and my heart started pounding because this song tells something that is very personal to me, something that makes me want to be free.”

King Princess — “Pain”

After a wildly successful breakout year in 2019, King Princess returned with her first new single of 2020. Addressing the song, King Princess said: “‘Pain’ is cool because… It’s probably my favorite song I’ve ever written. It makes me so happy when I listened to it. I haven’t gotten sick of it. I like when it’s on in the background or my girlfriend just did my new video, she was… I had to hear it a bajillion times through the editing process.”

J. Lo — “In The Morning”

Following her eye-catching performance at this year’s AMAs, J. Lo is ushering in a new era of music. This week, the singer debuted the sultry single “In The Morning,” featuring a clapping beat and J. Lo’s upbeat lyrical delivery.

JoJo — “December Baby”

JoJo is ringing in the holiday season with the soulful number “December Baby.” The bright song boasts jingling bells and JoJo’s thoughtful musings about wishing to cozy up with the one she loves.

Fred Again — “Julia (Deep Diving)”

Producer Fred Again shared his song “Julia (Deep Diving)” this week, which was surprisingly based off of an Instagram post by songwriter Julia Michaels. Fred Again ripped the post’s audio and remixed it, turning her prose into a shuffling and reflective earworm.

TheHxliday — “Thank U”

Rising singer TheHxliday offered his brooding number “Thank U” as a reflection on his generation’s reliance on substances. “Kids these days feel the urge to take drugs to help cope with their emotions,” TheHxliday said in a statement. “With ‘Thank U’ it’s a message saying ‘You can take drugs. You can take anything you want but it’s only going to make things worse.’ You don’t need that to heal they’re better things to do.”

Clinton Kane — “Remember The Mornings”

Norwegian-Filipino singer/songwriter Clinton Kane shared his lovelorn ballad “Remember The Mornings” this week. In speaking about the song, Clinton Kane says: “‘remember the mornings’ is inspired by a girl who broke my heart; surprise, surprise, what else is new! It talks about how badly I want this person in my life even though she’ll probably break me apart, and how badly I want to call her every single night after my busy day even though I know she’s probably with someone else.”

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

Everything Xavier Woods has done in his professional career has led to this moment. For more than a decade, he’s worked diligently to fulfill his dreams as an entertainer, continuing to build on his craft inside the squared circle while leading a crossover into the gaming space. For Woods, aka Austin Creed, that’s what made last week’s announcement that he’ll join G4’s relaunch as a host during the network’s charity fundraiser reunion so meaningful.

“I want to show people that sports entertainers, professional wrestlers, however you want to phrase it, are much more than what you see on screen,” Woods told Uproxx Sports. “We have interests, we are good at multiple things, we are not one dimensional. G4, seeing me, hearing me and accepting me and saying you’re worthy of this title as host, it means the world to me. It means I’ve been moving in the right direction. I’ve said a million times it’s humbling that people who are part of a network with as much history, lore and love, have given me the keys to part of the kingdom.”

For Woods, gaming has always been part of his life. Long before the fame and notoriety that came with hosting his own YouTube channel, Woods remembers loading his jacket with an iPad, PlayStation Vita and Nintendo DS, then stuffing his backpack with a PlayStation and Xbox. As he traveled around the world, wrestling in front of crowds of all sizes, he’d seek out other gamers and connect with folks in locker rooms over the nostalgia that came with those conversations.

“I attribute that to G4,” he said. “There was a time in my life when games weren’t mainstream. I tuned into G4 and saw how important games were to other people and it made me feel not as alone. It gave me the confidence to do the things I’ve done and achieved the things I have in pro wrestling. I was a kid watching this and being inspired by it. Now, I’m a part of the channel and I have a chance to inspire the next generation of kids who feel the same way.”

Inspiring that next-generation started with creating his own YouTube channel, UpUpDownDown, back in 2015. After WWE passed on a travel-style show Woods pitched for the WWE Network, where he’d go to arcade bars in different towns, a serendipitous meeting with someone from the WWE office led to one of the defining moments of his career.

“From the first episode in a basement with Kofi Kingston, my New Day brethren, I didn’t know if it was good. But through trial and error, we got the YouTube channel started,” Woods said. “Since then, people have shown love to it. I’m very appreciative of that. Through the channel, I’ve been able to gain these skills of interviewing people while playing games. And to be able to travel across the world to go to gaming events. It’s really opened up a lot of doors for me. It’s opened the biggest door possible for me to join the G4 family.”

Kingston being there from day one with Woods is no coincidence. Woods, along with Kingston and Big E, has reached the top of the proverbial mountain again and again in WWE over the years while at the same time Woods’ gaming career was taking off. Currently at their peak in popularity, it’s not lost on Woods the importance of representation in professional wrestling and the gaming community alike to millions of children around the world.

“It’s very important that young black kids see our faces in these positions to know they can achieve them as well,” Woods said. “On a wider scale, it’s important for non-kids of color to see this so they don’t get stuck putting kids of color in a box. Representation for everyone, for every race and religion, is beyond important. That way those kids can see they can achieve things if they work hard enough. There’s always an undertone of equality and accepting everyone. It’s something G4 is very privy to and understanding of, doing their absolute best to make sure the game space they’re creating represents reality.”

Woods’ transcendence to G4 could pave a future for other professional wrestling stars. In a way, his move to G4 mirrors the likes of The Rock and Batista opening doors in Hollywood for future wrestlers. As one of the most accomplished tag team wrestlers in WWE history, Woods admits there’s one big accomplishment left on his list before he joins WWE stars of years past in stepping away from the ring.

“I need the crown,” Woods said. “I need to be King of the Ring. The heavyweight championship is cool, IC champion, white leather IC champion would be fantastic, but the crown. I want the crown more than I want most things in life. I need it. If I can get the crown before I retire, I’ll be the happiest pro wrestler who’s ever lived. And I’ll be decked out. I’ve been planning this for years. Now, I’ll have a huge G4 patch somewhere on my robe.”

Despite WWE’s controversial policy on talent operating their own streaming channels, which Woods notes “people are still talking and trying to figure things out,” he’ll continue to lace up his boots, operate his YouTube channel and eventually will begin work at G4. Ahead of his move to the gaming platform, Woods admits he’s a bit anxious to make the crossover, but he’s ready to get to work.

“I always have a hint of insecurity of not knowing if people are going to like what I do. It’s a crossover situation, they know me as WWE superstar Xavier Woods, will people accept me as Austin Creed, the gamer, because they might not know that side,” he said. “It’s scary to jump into the space, but it’s something I’ve wanted to do and dove in head first. G4 is a juggernaut in the space, just to be a part of the family is humbling and incredible. YouTube popping off like it did helped a lot, but it’s time to start the work. Work hard to get to a goal, then the work starts over. I’m ready to work as hard as possible to knock this out of the park.”

As for what Woods will actually be doing as part of the G4 relaunch is yet to be seen. All he’d give away is that he’s joining as a host.

“I’m going to be a host,” Woods said. “As far as what I’m doing, I can’t pull you all the way behind the curtain, then you’ll see all the magic. You’ve got to wait and see, baby.”

Grammy-winning Compton rapper Roddy Ricch may be among Forbes‘ 30 Under 30, but that hasn’t stopped a landlord with a grudge from accusing him of not living up to his nom de plume. The Blast recently published a report that Roddy was being sued in two separate cases, the first of which was filed by a property investment company claiming he owed $200,000 in back rent.

According to The Blast, Roddy rented a home from AIM Property Investment, Inc. in Encino, CA in April 2020 on a one-year lease for $15,950.00 per month. However, the property managers accused the rapper of stopping payment in July and forfeiting the property in August. AIM also alleges that Roddy did not return the house in its original condition and that as a result, they’ve been unable to re-rent the property. They claim they’ve sustained general, incidental, special, and consequential damages of at least $200,000.

For his part, Roddy appeared to respond to the report — albeit a week later — on Instagram, posting to his Story. A sporadic social media user at best, it would make sense that Roddy wouldn’t even see the report until after Thanksgiving weekend. In any case, his message to fans — “Y’all believe too much fake news. Thas why I stay away from this internet sh*t” — would seem to be a response to the most recent headlines he’s made lately.

He could also be referring to the second lawsuit, which was reported just a day after the first. In this one, he’s accused of causing a collision on an LA freeway, with the other motorist claiming “mental, physical, emotional, and nervous pain, suffering, and distress.” The plaintiff is suing for “all medical, hospital, and incidental expenses, loss of earnings, past, and future, and earning capacity, property damage and incidental expenses, and costs for bringing the lawsuit.”

Roddy, meanwhile, racked up nine Grammy Award nominations to go along with his win for Best Rap/Hip-Hop album at the 2020 AMAs, and landing among the top 10 music videos on YouTube.

Roddy Ricch is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany has a contentious relationship with many members of the media, but especially Playboy‘s White House correspondent Brian Karem, who she once dismissively referred to as “the Playboy reporter.” Much like the celebs, the pair are it again after McEnany accused Karem, who once sued the White House for suspending his credentials, of shouting “misogynistic questions” at her.

McEnany appeared on Tuesday’s episode of Fox and Friends, where she discussed the “double standard in the media” for women. “If you’re a Democrat woman who comes into the West Wing behind me… your biggest concern outside of your official duties is the next glowing profile written about you,” she said. “If you’re a female woman in the Republican party who takes that podium, guess what your worry is? Having a Playboy reporter shout questions at you, demeaning, misogynistic questions during a briefing.” McEnany added, “It’s one that’s ridiculous. And one that the White House Correspondent’s Association should look into, when you have Playboy reporters shouting at women in a misogynistic manner simply because they’re a member of the GOP.” (The fact that she’s working for a man who appeared on the cover of Playboy, and allegedly had an affair with one of the publication’s models, was left unsaid.)

As a woman in a position of authority, McEnany has undoubtedly faced misogyny, but “it’s not clear what McEnany finds to be demeaning or misogynistic about [Karem’s] questions, as they don’t appear to be gender-based,” Mediaite notes. Karem, a self-described “loud mouth,” isn’t shouting questions to the press secretary in a “misogynistic manner” — he’s asking questions, because that’s his job (and he’s good at it).

Karem responded to the accusation on Twitter.

DK Metcalf has already emerged in his second season as one of the NFL’s most terrifying threats from the wide receiver position. The massive receiver with blazing speed fell to the bottom of the second round in 2019, where the Seahawks scooped him up and he has since played with the edge of a man who believed himself to be slighted by every other team in the league.

Metcalf’s size makes him incredibly difficult to bring down one-on-one, while his speed allows him to get separation downfield on even the best of corners (and even when there isn’t a lot of separation, he can go up and win 50/50 balls). Playing with arguably the best deep ball thrower in the league in Russell Wilson certainly helps Metcalf reach his full potential, but the work he’s put in to become a complete receiver this quickly has been wildly impressive.

Monday night saw Metcalf put up his latest sensational performance, catching 10 passes for 177 yards against the Eagles, setting a new career-high for yardage in the process. After the game, Metcalf, said he had plenty of motivation going into the game, thanks in part to comments Eagles DC Jim Schwartz made to him about not being at Calvin Johnson’s level just yet.

Schwartz would go on to clarify he was giving Metcalf a compliment, saying he’s the closest thing he’s seen to Johnson in all his years in the league and while he’s not quite at that level, he’s on his way to greatness. Still, Metcalf clearly learned some things from watching Michael Jordan in The Last Dance, and still managed to flip that compliment into a slight, joking on Twitter afterwards with the MJ “and I took that personally” meme.

I would suggest to any opposing coach planning on talking to Metcalf before a game to maybe stick to pleasantries and avoid any football talk, because he’s always ready to create a slight like the very best, and you’re just doing a disservice to your DBs by riling him up in any way, even if accidentally.

It’s officially the first day of December, which means people are getting into the holiday spirit — and so is Pornhub, apparently. The popular pornographic website is ringing in the jolly season with a new soundtrack of X-rated festive songs from some popular artists.

Pornhub unveiled their mixtape XXXMas, which is available on all major streaming services. It boasts seven tracks with titles like “Holiday Freak Sh*t,” “Ho,” “Vixen,” and “Stuff Our Stockings Santa” by rappers Young MA, Sukihana, ASAP Ferg, Rubi Rose, and more.

Surprisingly, this is not the first time Pornhub has made a holiday album. Last year was their first-ever X-rated holiday album, which featured tracks by Blac Chyna, Lil Xan, and Asian Doll. Pornhub even launched their own record label back in 2014 and has since worked with Waka Flocka Flame, Flo Rida, and many more.

This is also not the first time a rapper has been involved in a project with the pornographic site. Back in 2018, Kanye West was tapped to be Pornhub’s creative director for their annual Pornhub Awards. The rapper designed the ceremony’s dildo-shaped trophies, brainstormed a line of merch for the site, and even had all the presenters decked out in Yeezy clothing.

Speaking about the project, Pornhub Vice President Corey Price said their goal is to spread holiday cheer: “We’re excited to bring some holiday cheer to our fans with our ‘XXXmas’ holiday album. It’s a star-studded lineup featuring some of today’s most popular musicians.”

Listen to Pornhub’s XXXMas album above.

Forbes has rolled out their annual 30 Under 30 list, and their 2021 class is headlined by some familiar names.

One of the artists featured is Roddy Ricch, who was highlighted for his success in music: In 2020, he won his first Grammy and performed well on the charts with Please Excuse Me For Being Antisocial and “The Box.” The piece also discussed Ricch investing in Compton real estate and working on a foundation to promote financial literacy in the city. “Investing in Compton just felt like my duty,” Ricch said.

Also earning a nod was Doja Cat, who had a breakout year in 2020 thanks to “Say So” and her Hot Pink album. Other artists on the list include Lil Baby, Murda Beatz, Ingrid Andress, Gabby Barrett, Polo G, Brent Faiyaz, Conan Gray, G Herbo, Ava Max, London On Da Track, and Saweetie.

The publication explained the eligibility requirements of the list, writing, “To be eligible, candidates must be under age 30 as of December 31, 2019, not have appeared on a previous Under 30 list, and show their ability to propel the future of the music industry.” They also noted that this year’s judges were Taylor Swift, Warner Music Group creative officer Mike Caren, singer-songwriter Jill Scott, and Nija Charles.

Check out the full list here.

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

Despite the ongoing pandemic several rappers and their fans have continued to congregate in large groups. Perhaps they’re playing into the mystique of rappers as invulnerable superheroes (disproven several times this year), or they’re just young and naive, but even seeing many of their own being shamed online has yet to prevent young stars from wanting to be seen — or their fans from wanting to see them. Lil Baby, who recently threw a Thanksgiving Eve birthday bash at Spire nightclub in Houston, Texas, is the latest to draw criticism, this time from no less an authority than Houston’s mayor.

Mayor Sylvester Turner spoke with the local news, expressing his displeasure at seeing videos from it cropping up all over social media and revealing that the safety precautions advertised on the flyer weren’t being observed at all. “It’s very disturbing,” he chided. The way I look at it, it’s quite selfish on their part. There are many businesses and managers that are doing the right thing, and I commend them. But there are some who are simply ignoring the healthcare precautions and the protocols.”

While the Spire owners maintained that they were below legal occupancy and even cut Lil Baby’s appearance short when fans rushed the stage, by then, it was likely that the damage had been done. With COVID-19 cases once again spiking across the nation, practicing safety protocols will make all the difference in how long the pandemic continues — and how many lives are lost until then.

Helena Bonham Carter has added her support to recent calls for Netflix’s The Crown to include a disclaimer that emphasizes the show is largely fiction despite being based on real events. Carter, who plays Princess Margaret on the royal family drama, revealed her thoughts on Monday’s episode of The Crown: The Official Podcast where she agreed with the sentiment that Netflix needs to make it clear to viewers that the show has taken creative liberties with its depiction of palace intrigue. The actress feels there should be a distinction between “our version” and the “real version.” Via The Guardian:

“It is dramatised. I do feel very strongly, because I think we have a moral responsibility to say, ‘Hang on guys, this is not … it’s not a drama-doc, we’re making a drama.’ So they are two different entities.”

She called the research by the show’s creator, Peter Morgan, “amazing”, adding: “That is the proper documentary. That is amazing and then Peter switches things up and juggles.”

Bonham Carter’s opinion arrives on the heels of UK culture secretary Oliver Dowden announcing his plans to apply pressure on Netflix to include the disclaimer. “Without this, I fear a generation of viewers who did not live through these events may mistake fiction for fact,” Dowden told the Mail on Sunday. As for why the British government is suddenly concerned with the Netflix drama, the show’s recent season includes an unflattering portrayal of Prince Charles and his treatment of the late Princess Diana during their courtship and marriage.

(Via The Crown: The Official Podcast)

Being famous is not always fun. The money and worldwide admiration is not worth it when you regularly have “uncomfortable” encounters in public with strangers, which is what recently happened to Millie Bobby Brown. The Stranger Things star was out Christmas shopping with her mom when a young woman recognized her. “She said, ‘Can I take a video of you?’ I said, ‘Um, no.’ But why would anyone want to be taken a video of? Of me? It’s not like of the both of us,” Brown said on Instagram Live. “I don’t need to justify it to anyone. If I don’t want to be taken a video of, I don’t have to be.”

The fan still wouldn’t leave her alone, however:

Millie continued her story, saying, “I was paying and she walked past me and began to video me again. And I said, ‘I’m a human being. Like, what more can I ask from you?’” The actress began crying, telling fans through tears, “She said, ‘So I can’t take a video of a human being?’ And I said, ‘No, not when I said no.’ It just makes me upset when people try to push the boundary, and I just wish people were more respectful.”

Brown is still only 16 years old, and dealing with her level of fame, from not only Stranger Things but also Enola Holmes and Godzilla: King of the Monsters, can’t be easy for anyone, let alone a teenager. “I’m still trying to navigate this all and it’s still overwhelming,” she added. “Where are my rights to say no?” In a follow-up post, she updated her followers, “I am totally fine now. But was emotional in the moment because I felt uncomfortable and disrespected.”

The Stranger Things writers have her back.

Here’s the Instagram Live video.

(Via E! Online)