Month: February 2021

If your heart is also broken over all the TwIsTeD footage of Jared Leto’s Joker that we didn’t see in Suicide Squad, cheer up: he’ll be back in Zack Snyder’s Justice League.

“I wanted to, of course, honor what had been created with him because I thought it was really cool,” director Zack Snyder about bringing the Joker into HBO Max’s four-hour-long Snyder Cut. Leto will have a “little scene” in the film, where “some water has gone under the proverbial bridge between last we saw Joker and this sort-of appearance. He’s a road-weary Joker, I guess that’s a way of saying it.” But what to make of this?

“Amazing character you created. Honored to have our worlds collide,” Snyder tweeted, tagging both Leto and David Ayer, who directed Suicide Squad. First off, I know what Snyder meant, but his phrasing makes it sound like Leto created the Joker. (To be fair, Leto created the only Joker to be nominated for the MTV Movie Award for Best Villain, and not win. That’s probably what Snyder is getting at.) Also, with the white face paint and long, stringy hair, why does Leto’s “gangster” Joker now look more like Heath Ledger in The Dark Knight and Joaquin Phoenix in Joker? It can’t be a coincidence.

Zack Snyder’s Justice League comes out on HBO Max on March 18.

Indie music has grown to include so much. It’s not just music that is released on independent labels, but speaks to an aesthetic that deviates from the norm and follows its own weirdo heart. It can come in the form of rock music, pop, or folk. In a sense, it says as much about the people that are drawn to it as it does about the people that make it.

Every week, Uproxx is rounding up the best new indie music from the past seven days. This week we got a new solo album from Vampire Weekend’s Chris Baio, a surprise new track from The Killers, and a lighthearted taste of Another Michael’s forthcoming debut album. Check out the rest of the best new indie music below.

While we’re at it, sign up for our newsletter to get the best new indie music delivered directly to your inbox, every Monday.

Baio – Dead Hand Control

When Chris Baio isn’t playing bass for Vampire Weekend, he is often releasing music under his own name. Dead Hand Control is the latest of such solo releases, but also a bit of a departure from the sounds one would expect, given Vampire Weekend’s recent output. “On his own, Baio delves into electronic textures that stretch into extended, near-proggy song structures, all while singing in a twangy, expressive baritone,” writes Steven Hyden for Uproxx.

Arlo Parks – Collapsed In Sunbeams

In the few years since releasing her debut single “Cola” in 2018, Arlo Parks has gotten cosigns from some of the biggest names in music. Collapsed In Sunbeams makes good on the promise of that single, with twelve tracks that distill Parks’ cool factor and knack for lyricism and melody. Much of the album is about finding comfort in oneself, a message that we can all remember these days.

The Sonder Bombs – Clothbound

On their sophomore full-length album, The Sonder Bombs sound bigger than ever, thanks to a combination of blunt songwriting and impressive production. The choruses are infectious, and Willow Hawks is given ample space to showcase their impressive vocal range. “While The Sonder Bombs got their start (mostly) in the midwestern DIY emo scene, their latest album Clothbound sets their sights somewhere greater,” I wrote in a recent interview.

Frances Quinlan – Likewise Remixes

To celebrate the one-year anniversary of their debut solo album Likewise, Frances Quinlan has teamed up with NNAMDÏ and Ryan Hemsworth (with whom they collaborated on Quarter-Life Crisis) for a pair of remixes. Each producer’s version breathes new life into the music, giving them an electronic edge that perfectly compliments Quinlan’s iconic vocal. “How cool to hear a song I wrote be completely transformed into an entirely new story,” Quinlan said in a statement. “Pure magic.”

Buzzy Lee – Spoiled Love

Sasha Spielberg began writing her debut album Spoiled Love in Northern California, before continuing to develop the songs in Los Angeles, then finally hopping on a plane to Northern Italy to finalize the tracks and put them to tape with longtime collaborator Nicolas Jaar. The album was written about a breakup, but the different phases of the writing process imbues each song with a sense of space that makes Spoiled Love a very interesting listen.

The Killers – “C’est La Vie”

It’s been just a few months since The Killers made their surprising comeback with Imploding The Mirage, and to celebrate the release, the veteran rockers have shared a deluxe version of the album. Along with two stripped down live versions of songs on the album, the deluxe edition also included a bonus track called “C’est La Vie,” a funky, lighthearted number that expands the world of Imploding The Mirage.

Ohtis ft. Stef Chura – “Schtaze”

On their first single since 2019’s Curve Of Earth, Ohtis teamed up with Stef Chura to tell the story of the Selfish Antisocial Male on their new track “Schtaze,” which doesn’t take itself too seriously, and evokes the feel of a classic slacker rock song from the ’90s. Throughout the track, Sam Swimson and Chura trade verses, recalling a difficult situation from the point of view of a long put-upon girlfriend.

Half Waif – “Orange Blossoms”

Written shortly after releasing her 2019 effort The Caretaker, “Orange Blossoms” continues Nandi Rose’s journey as a primary caretaker for someone struggling with addiction. The emotional art-rock number is anchored by swelling synth and vocal arrangements, and serves as the A-side of an upcoming 7-inch.

Michelle – “FYO”

Continuing their path to world domination in 2021, New York City collective Michelle has shared their first new music of the year with “FYO,” which finds the group’s four lead singers powerfully recounting their experiences growing up with mixed race identities. Despite the track’s heavy topic, the emotional lyrics are delivered smoothly and elegantly over funky beats that keep the track buoyant and danceable.

Another Michael – “Big Pop”

After the release of their debut LP was delayed by nearly a year, Another Michael’s New Music And Big Pop is finally set for release later this month. On the most recent sampling, the band’s “dynamic energy can be heard throughout the jangly tune’s upbeat chords and earnest lyrics,” writes Carolyn Droke for Uproxx.

The Obsessives – “Lala”

Long-running Philadelphia punks The Obsessives haven’t released new music since their self-titled effort in 2017. Now, they’re back with a new EP called Monastery, recorded with Will Yip and released on his budding indie label Memory Music. “Lala” is the first taste of the EP, a shimmering dream-pop number with reverb-soaked guitars and a big hook for the chorus.

Nervous Dater – “Middle Child”

“Middle Child,” the first single from Nervous Dater’s forthcoming sophomore album Call In The Mess, starts off slow before exploding into a full-band onslaught. Rachel Lightner’s lyrics are verbose and narrative-driven, with the track serving as what Lightner calls in a statement “a culmination of, ‘Ok, you’ve known this for a while, you aren’t a girl,’ and being inspired by friends gave me the freedom to reassess my own identity and come to terms with it in my own way.”

Charming Liars – “Pieces”

Charming Liars sound larger than life on their latest single “Pieces,” fueled by dynamic alt-rock synthesizers and 30 Seconds To Mars-esque vocal arrangements. It’s a song that “amplifies the pain of division and the feelings associated with our current shattered reality,” the band said in a statement.

Sincere Engineer – “Tourniquet”

Opening with an intro rooted in subdued emo, it isn’t long before Sincere Engineer’s “Tourniquet” explodes into an onslaught of anthemic punk that dissipates as quickly as it entered. Sincere Engineer still have yet to officially announce their forthcoming album, but based on their recent output, it will be worth the wait.

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

Dolly Parton has a catalog full of classic songs and one of the most recognizable is “9 To 5,” which has become a workers’ anthem over the years. On the chorus of the iconic tune, she sings, “Working 9 to 5, what a way to make a living / Barely gettin’ by, it’s all taking and no giving / They just use your mind and you never get the credit / It’s enough to drive you crazy if you let it.” With all that in mind, people are disappointed in Parton’s new Super Bowl commercial for SquareSpace.

For the ad, Parton re-worked “9 To 5” into a new version called “5 To 9,” which is meant to honor the side hustle. Parton said of the ad, “Well I work 365 [days a year]. I’m always working 5 to 9, 9 to 5. I work all hours of the night and day. Whatever you need to do, you gotta get it done, however many hours it takes.”

That said, since the original song touches on themes of being overworked, it seems to some the new song betrays the point of the original. As one Twitter user wrote, “Dolly Parton’s now made a version of her ‘9 to 5’ song for an ad celebrating… side hustles. Great, we can now all work ‘5 to 9’ on top of the other eight hours.” Somebody else added, “Dolly should not have made that 5 to 9 song for SquareSpace. The original song was to complain about the overwhelming burden of work. This contravenes that by glorifying this ‘work is a virtue, you have to hustle’ narrative.”

Those tweets echo a lot of other reactions people online are having, so check out some more responses to the ad below, and check out the commercial above.

When the Brooklyn Nets acquired James Harden, there was an expectation that their defense would suffer as they assembled one of the great offensive cores in the history of basketball, but we didn’t know exactly how low that defense would dip. There were some who were optimistic that they could hang around the middle of the pack, which, when coupled with an elite offense, would be enough to make them a legitimate contender.

However, what has happened in the nine games since Harden arrived has been a complete cratering of a league-average defense (108.9 DRtg pre-Harden trade) to among the league’s worst with a 118.0 defensive rating, trailing only the woeful Wizards (118.3) and Pelicans (118.1) in that span, per NBA.com/stats. The good news is they have the league’s best offense with a 120.5 offensive rating, as their three-headed monster is scoring at will as planned and only seems to have a brighter offensive future ahead as they get more time on the floor. Those reps will also be critical to the Nets figuring out the defensive end of the floor, but the growth they need to show on that end is even greater than most anticipated.

There are things Brooklyn can do in the immediate to help themselves, namely cutting down on turnovers as they average over 14 per game since acquiring Harden and half of those are live-ball turnovers, which allow teams to get out and run in transition against them. However, this is far more than teams running on the Nets, as they have significant deficiencies that need to be corrected in their set defense.

Sunday night’s loss to the Wizards, which Harden missed due to a thigh contusion, was the shining example of how dramatically poor Brooklyn is on that end of the floor right now. Washington won 149-146, scoring 48 in the fourth quarter of an unbelievable comeback, which Kyrie Irving summed up thusly afterwards.

There’s some small sample size noise to what’s going on, with some unbelievable individual efforts like Collin Sexton’s double OT eruption, but they have consistently allowed teams to pile up the points even as they’ve amassed a 6-3 record. The optimistic view is that it probably can’t get much worse than this, and they’re winning at a 67 percent clip. It makes for an exciting brand of basketball, as Nets games have become must-see TV because no lead is safe as both teams are capable of massive scoring runs, but for a team with championship aspirations, they need more than just incremental improvements. Brooklyn has to figure out how to consistently get stops rather than relying on their offense to bail them out again and again, and that’s going to be quite the tall order for Steve Nash and his coaching staff given their personnel.

It’s not just that Harden and Irving are not known for their defensive prowess, it’s that the Nets simply cannot deploy their best defenders with their star lineups. Take the closing lineup from Sunday, which had Bruce Brown — objectively one of Brooklyn’s best defenders — in place of Harden next to Irving, Kevin Durant, Joe Harris, and Jeff Green. They’ve shown a propensity for closing with that small-ball combination for its switching capabilities and that the way they can go five-out offensively can force the hand of the opposition to likewise go small. However, against Washington that allowed the Wizards to go small and created driving lanes for Bradley Beal and Russell Westbrook, who knew there wasn’t a shot-blocking threat at the rim.

On this play, Brown is, wisely, playing up on Beal to prevent the pull-up jumper, but Harris, who is on Russell Westbrook and doesn’t need to be out by the three-point line, is too high to create an effective wall to prevent a Beal drive, which allows him to split the perimeter defenders and cruise to the rim before any help from the corners can arrive — and the off-ball action with Mathews and Bertans occupies Durant and Irving on the weakside to prevent them from sinking. Without Jarrett Allen, they simply don’t have the versatility and athleticism in the frontcourt, as DeAndre Jordan is still a shot-blocking threat but can be a liability in pick-and-roll and condenses offensive spacing, while Jeff Green gives them switchability and spacing on offense, but not real rim protection.

On top of roster liabilities with their frontcourt rotation, it is jarring to see how often Nets opponents are able to create great looks off of their initial action. Take this third quarter set from the Wizards, where Moe Wagner runs a lazy dribble-handoff with Westbrook, then fakes a pindown for Bertans and flashes to the paint for an easy dunk past a late contest from the weakside corner.

Jeff Green is slow to react to the handoff action which sets in motion late communication with Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot on the pindown switch. TLC is caught off guard by Wagner’s cut and by the time Landry Shamet arrives from the corner, Wagner’s already in the air for the dunk. It is a pattern you see over and over, no matter the combinations on the floor. Some of that will be fixed with more time together and learning how to communicate, of that there’s little doubt, but this is not an issue simply of communication. They have inherent flaws as a unit, namely their propensity for ball-watching, that makes it incredibly easy to manipulate them for good looks.

Take this play from their overtime win over the Hawks, in which a Trae Young baseline drive is enough to draw the eyes of everyone, and most importantly Kyrie Irving on the weakside, to get Kevin Huerter a wide open three in the corner.

Kevin Durant in this situation is playing the five, and is sitting in pretty good position between Clint Capela and the rim to make Young at least make a split-second decision on a layup or a lob should he go up to the rim. However, Irving digs all the way down to the paint to watch Young’s drive, not recognizing that Huerter has shuffled over from the break to the corner to be in Young’s line of sight. He’s not in position to do anything with Capela, either on a lob or to box him out should Young go up and Durant leave Capela to contest, and he’s no longer in position to get a real contest on a strong three-point marksman in Huerter.

The Nets have added Iman Shumpert and Norvel Pelle to their roster with an eye on bolstering their defensive depth, but the issue lies with how they get stops with their closing lineups, which will be hard to alter barring some major moves. Joe Harris’ shooting makes the Nets Big Three so lethal offensively that he figures to be a part of most every closing lineup, and then it’s a matter of whether Jeff Green or DeAndre Jordan are playing, pending who the opponent is. None of those are ideal groupings defensively, and unless they can find a significant defensive upgrade over Green or Jordan, who can replicate some of what they provide offensively — spacing with Green or vertical space with Jordan in the pick-and-roll and operating out of the dunker’s spot on the weakside — they’re likely going to roll with what they have.

Maybe there’s a trade out there to be had that can bring in a defensive talent (as a member of Nerlens Noel hive I think he could do wonders for them just with his activity and versatility) who could anchor the backline better than Jordan, as Pelle will bring them some welcome additional size but won’t cure all that ails them. Right now, the fact is they have two current plus defenders in their main rotation in Bruce Brown — who is tough to play with all three of Harden, Irving, and Durant — and KD, who by himself simply cannot fix everything around him.

Now, there are some signs that they’re starting to understand how to make those units, particularly with Green on the floor, work decently well, depending on the opponent’s philosophy. Against the Hawks, they got just enough stops thanks to a clever deployment that saw them switch Atlanta’s 1-5 screens, but rotated James Harden into the paint to pick up the center, where he’s a solid post defender, and had Kyrie Irving tag out to the corner. It is the first indication of the work that’s going on behind the scenes with Jacque Vaughn — who Nash described as the de facto defensive coordinator — in what is an unenviable job to make this defense work.

Brooklyn certainly has time to figure things out, and I would anticipate them to implement various strategies to try and figure out what can work and what won’t, because this is a team that has the level of talent to use the regular season as a training ground prior to the playoffs. We’ll probably see some more efforts at zone and different coverages for pick-and-rolls and post-ups, because what they’ve tried thus far, mostly, has been a disaster.

It’s because of this that the Nets are endlessly fascinating.

It isn’t a juggernaut, just rampaging through the Eastern Conference, but an insanely talented but flawed team trying to figure this out in real time. It’s what separates them, right now, from the other top teams in terms of drawing interest. The Lakers are quite clearly going through the motions and trying to get to the point where they can ramp things up for the playoffs. The Clippers are on a revenge tour that no one will really care about until the playoffs arrive, and the Bucks are in a similar realm, just with more hiccups thus far.

The Nets, however, have the shine of something new, but also the warts of a team still figuring out how it all works. It’s why six of their nine games with this new construction have been decided by single digits or in overtime. This is a team with a ceiling of a championship contender, but the capability of losing to seemingly anyone on any given night, which is a gift to fans of the NBA — and surely wildly frustrating to fans, specifically, of the Nets. It’s possible that none of this matters, and the offense can will them into becoming the exception to the rule that you can’t win a title with a bottom-10 defense.

It’s also possible that they put it together and cobble together a league-average defense and that’s enough to get the job done or at least out of the East, but how they figure it out or how close to the sun they fly on wings of wax is going to be the story of this NBA season.

Since the release of her debut album When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go? and her major win at the Grammys last year, all eyes have been on Billie Eilish. But film director R.J. Cutler already had Eilish on his radar even before the album’s release. Cutler followed Eilish during her debut album’s recording process and rise to fame for the documentary The World’s A Little Blurry. Ahead of its premiere on Apple TV+, Eilish offers another teaser of the film with a new trailer.

As seen in The World’s A Little Blurry‘s new preview, the documentary will follow Eilish during the ups-and-downs of her teenage years. But unlike normal teenagers, Eilish has spend her late teens in the public eye. Eilish receives a lot of support from her parents, who think their role in her life is paramount. “I honestly don’t know how any artist of any age is doing it without a parent,” Eilish mom says in the trailer. “It is a horrible time to be a teenager. Kids are depressed.”

Elsewhere in The World’s A Little Blurry, Eilish talks about how she sees her fans going through the same struggles as her. “I look into the crowd and I see every single person in there is going through something, and I have the same problem,” she said. “I was like, ‘Why don’t I turn this into art instead of just living with it?’”

Watch Eilish’s The World’s A Little Blurry trailer above.

The World’s A Little Blurry premieres 2/26 on Apple TV+.

(Spoilers from Marvel Studios and Disney+’s WandaVision will be found below.)

While taking a break from its sitcom setting, WandaVision episode 4, “We Interrupt This Program,” revealed that Teyonah Parris’ Geraldine is actually Monica Rambeau, an agent of SWORD who vanished following Thanos’ Snap in Avengers: Infinity War and returned during the events of Avengers: Endgame when Hulk brought everyone back five years later in an event that’s now called the Blip. During Monica’s debriefing after her return, she learns that SWORD has stopped sending people into space thanks to the half of the Earth’s population randomly vanishing and reappearing, which caused some problems for the organization. In the latest episode of his Fatman Beyond podcast, Kevin Smith theorizes that one of those problems could be how the Fantastic Four is introduced to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Via Comic Book:

“Five years ago she was used to going to space, apparently, and now five years, like after the Blip, they’re not letting people go,” Smith said. “Now, when he said ‘we’re concentrating now on the quantum and blah blah blah unmanned missions’, that smells like Fantastic Four, doesn’t it? It smells like they had shut down like manned missions and now they’re out of it, feels like somewhere in there like the Fantastic Four lies.”

Smith’s theory could have some legs to it. The creative team behind WandaVision has been laser-focused on every little detail of the show, so there very well could be a reason for that specific piece of dialogue. Not to mention, Marvel has confirmed that a Fantastic Four movie is the next project from director Jon Watts after he wraps up his Tom Holland Spider-Man trilogy with the currently filming Spider-Man 3.

(Via Fatman Beyond)

Are you having a terrible day? It happens. However, any day can be made slightly brighter by spending a few minutes enjoying Cher’s Twitter page and realizing that she, too, sometimes has bad days. And she uses those days to make our days a little bit brighter, like while using chicken and tooth emoji like they’re punctuation while describing a terrible time she with the dentist.

Her emoji game is indeed strong, as are her haphazard decisions to capitalize seemingly random words. I like to think that she intends every keystroke, but this probably happens effortlessly. One thing is certain: Cher trusts in Joe Biden, and she’s got a shamrock and a boot-leather analogy to prove it.

None of Cher’s tweets, though, can live up to this next one. Not only is flag emoji is pinch hitting for “America” and “Americans,” but she’s tossing in a double-coffin move to take aim at this past weekend’s anti-vaxxer demonstration (which took place outside of Dodger Stadium) that was apparently organized on Facebook. Cher isn’t afraid to throw down her harsh judgment with every emoji possible. The “” are particularly telling here when she describes how blocking a few thousands of people can have the domino effect of causing many thousand more deaths.

Yep, Cher rarely pulls a punch, but she did so earlier this month with a mystery deleted tweet. “You know I almost NEVER DELETE MY TWTS,” she wrote. “But Sometimes No Matter how you Feel,Better to keep it to yourself.Doesn’t Make any Difference what Others Do,Or Say.There are lines you can’t Cross.” Her replies yield no clues on the content of the tweet she deleted, but with no emoji present, this was a somber affair.

If you’ve ever thought to yourself, I need more Ryan Reynolds, which, let’s face it, we all have at one point or another, then you’ll be pleased to hear that everyone’s favorite self-aware Marvel superhero has his own show coming to Snapchat. And it looks insane (in a fun way!). Sure, absolutely no one asked for a series where a clueless Reynolds tries his hand at ice sculpting, mukbang, nail art, or magic, but that’s what we got and we’re… pleased?

Dubbed, Ryan Doesn’t Know, the 12-part series debuted on Snapchat over the weekend and consists of “actor and stuff learner” Ryan Reynolds meeting a bunch of talented creatives in random fields and trying his hand, usually poorly, at their art.

“You can fill a gymnasium with things that I don’t know,” says Reynolds in the show’s trailer, where we get to see him throw axes, which looks hilarious/ dangerous; gorge himself on crab legs, which looks awesome; wield a chain saw (not terribly proficiently, though he is Canadian), and apply his wry sense of humor to a range of other ridiculous scenarios. Ryan Doesn’t Know joins the ever-growing list of Snapchat Originals, which include shows from the likes of Will Smith, Kevin Hart, and Connor McGregor.

Catch Ryan Doesn’t Know on Snapchat.

This week in the best new pop music saw some captivating collaborations. Selena Gomez teamed up with Puerto Rican rapper Rauw Alejandro, FKA Twigs was tapped by producers Fred Again and Headie One, and Marshmello worked on a joyous tune with Benny Blanco and Vance Joy.

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

Selena Gomez — “Baila Conmigo” Feat. Rauw Alejandro

After officially announcing her Spanish-language EP Revolución, Selena Gomez has shared her project’s second track. “Baila Conmigo” is more upbeat compared to her latest single, featuring hip-shaking, reggaeton-inspired instrumentals and Gomez’s flirtatious lyrical delivery.

Fred Again, FKA Twigs, Headie One — “Don’t Judge Me”

Last year, Fred Again and Headie One released the abbreviated interlude “Told” featuring FKA Twigs‘ vocals, but they decided to revisit the track this week. Expanding on the interlude’s sound, the short track was lengthened into an enthralling single.

Benny Blanco, Marshmello — “You” Feat. Vance Joy

Vance Joy is known for his folksy breakout tune “Riptide,” but this week, the Australian songwriter pivoted to pop. Joining Marshmello and Benny Blanco, Vance Joy belts out a carefree tune which praises the feeling of falling in love.

Anitta — “Loco”

The last we heard from Brazilian pop star Anitta, she was lending her vocals on a playful track with Cardi B. Now, Anitta has returned with all her charm to share “Loco,” her first single of the new year. Over an infectiously rhythmic beat, “Loco” sees Anitta delivering her seductive verses with ease.

Porter Robinson — “Look At The Sky”

Last year, Porter Robinson began teasing his first album in six years. Now, the singer has offered another preview of his upcoming LP Nuture with a joyful single. “‘Look at the Sky is fundamentally a song about hope,” Porter said about the song. “There’s no shortage of fuel for despair, but you can’t take meaningful action to improve things if you don’t have some belief that things might get better. That’s what hope is, and I think it’s an emotion worth nourishing.”

JoJo — “American Mood”

This week, JoJo pivoted from her soaring pop singles to deliver a more folksy tune, “American Mood.” She actually penned the track song a few years ago, but it’s taken on a new meaning as time goes by. In the spirit of giving back, she will be donating all proceeds from “American Mood” to the I Have A Dream Foundation.

Joshua Bassett — “Only A Matter Of Time”

Disney star Joshua Bassett served-up another breakup tune this week with his new single “Only A Matter Of Time.” Speaking about the track, Bassett said: “I wrote this song in the summer of 2020 in a moment in time where social media was bringing a lot of darkness to my life. It was healing to put my phone down, turn off the noise and just write. There’s good that comes from social media, but it’s also become a place where people can say anything about anyone, no matter how false or damaging with no accountability.”

Clairo — “Just For Today”

As quarantine persists, many are struggling with mental heath issues. Clairo knows this all too well, and she wants her listeners to know they’re not alone. Sharing the phone-recorded acoustic track “Just For Today” to Instagram, Clairo said: “not sure about you, but my mental health has taken a major dip since quarantine started- at times I feel like i’ve never felt worse. new medication, hotlines, and one scheduled appointment with a psychiatrist later and i’m feeling more like myself again. I wrote this last night and i feel there’s no real reason I should hold onto it.”

Zuli Jr. — “How To Feel”

Zuli Jr. returned this week to announce his sophomore album Stop It God with the irresistibly-catchy tune “How To Feel.” About the bouncy track, Zuli says he wrote it “about examining the ego from the outside looking in and how that affects the people around you.”

John Splithoff — “Fahrenheit”

John Splithoff is gearing up for his debut album and, judging by his fiery single “Fahrenheit,” it’s sure to be irresistibly smooth. Speaking about the single, Splithoff said: “I wrote ‘Fahrenheit’ from a place of wanting to improve your mental health when you’re stuck in a cycle of trying to fill a void. Producing my new record last year took my mind off the stress of not being able to tour or collaborate. […] It was an amazing feeling to focus on a collaborative, albeit small and masked, group effort after spending so much time on the music in quarantine.”

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

The pop world was shocked Sunday to learn of the death of pioneering Scottish producer Sophie. Many musicians and fans alike mourned their collective loss offered their condolences. But those closest to Sophie, including Charli XCX, needed time to process her passing. Charli XCX has now shared a touching statement about Sophie’s impact on her life in a heartfelt open letter.

Sharing a message to social media, Charli XCX said Sophie “completely changed” her life:

“It’s really hard for me to sum up the special connection I felt with such an amazing person who completely changed my life. There are so many memories, so many small details, so many different views and incredible feelings and stories. It’s impossible to summarize the journey I went on with Sophie. Even the most insignificant things felt enormous. I can’t explain how I feel and I can’t encapsulate what a unique person she was in one small social media post. I will honor Sophie in my own time personally, in my grief, through my memories, through my work, through writing things only I will read. But for now, all I can [say] is that I will miss her terribly; her smile, her laugh, her dancing in the studio, her gentle inquisitive voice, her cutting personality, her ability to command a room without even trying, her incredible vision and mind. She taught me so much about myself without even realizing. I wish I had told her more how special she was, not just her music, but her as a person. I love you and will never forget you Sophie.”

After learning of Sophie’s passing, fans tried to console Charli XCX by launching the hashtag #HereForCharli. They shared their love, well wishes, and favorite photos of the singer. However, it didn’t take long for fans of 16-year-old TikTok star Charli D’Amelio to take over the hashtag, and D’Amelio mistakenly thanked her followers for showing her love.

Read Charli XCX’s heartfelt open letter above.

Charli XCX is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.