Month: February 2021

From the rise of the internet, to political and social issues creating a more self-aware society, it’s safe to say that the world has experienced extraordinary shifts in the past 10 years.

Keeping this in mind, it’s not surprising that the music scene would also undergo changes in more ways than one. Each year, music’s biggest hits have carried a distinct style of production which becomes widely emulated, or a theme echoing hot-button topics of conversation. Additionally, industry advancements such as streaming and album bundling have changed the way music is consumed. And of course, social media places the power in the fans’ hands, helping to distinguish who tops the charts.

Ready to take a trip down memory lane? Read on as we look back at some of the biggest music trends and industry changes of the last decade.

2011

In 2011, the sounds of electropop — a hodge-podge of pop, EDM, techno, and dubstep — wash over the industry. Ordinarily viewed as just the “sound guys,” EDM producers Calvin Harris and David Guetta garner top billing with collaborations like Chris Brown’s “Yeah 3X” and “Titanium” featuring Sia. Pop stars like Pitbull and Britney Spears keep fans on the dance floor with EDM-tinged hits “Give Me Everything” and “Til The World Ends.” Kanye West, Jay-Z, and duo LMFAO also combine the electronic sound with their hip-hop and rap-heavy work, evident by Watch The Throne’s “I Can’t Stop” and LMFAO’s “Party Rock Anthem.”

In addition to getting people moving, pop music carries conceptual introspection during this time. This year not only births Adele’s stunning 21, but self-love anthems “Born This Way” by Lady Gaga and “Raise Your Glass” by Pink. Rap — which continues to rise in popularity amongst teens and college-students — also features songs about complex emotions (Lil Wayne’s “How To Love”), pushing through adversity (Lupe Fiasco’s “The Show Goes On”), and life challenges (Diddy-Dirty Money’s “Coming Home”).

2012

In a near-180 from the previous year, alternative rock and indie pop reigns supreme. Gotye’s “Somebody That I Used To Know” is the year’s best-selling song, and the band Fun dominates critically and commercially with their album Some Nights, lead by “We Are Young.” Neon Trees, Bon Iver, Alabama Shakes, and Mumford and Sons break new ground with their respective projects and accolades.

Internet virality (a trend which won’t be uncommon in the years to come) also goes to new heights. “Somebody That I Used To Know” sees a slew of covers and music video parodies upon its release, while Carly Rae Jepsen’s “Call Me Maybe” becomes an internet sensation. South Korean artist PSY’s “Gangnam Style” is so popular, it results in a change to how songs are considered for Billboard’s Hot 100 chart. Per the Harvard Business Review, tracking “listens” through YouTube videos now factors into the chart’s ranking methodology.

2013

In 2013, top-notch production is the name of the game. Hit tunes are balanced between show-stopping sounds (Macklemore and Ryan Lewis’ “Thrift Shop,” Avicii’s “Wake Me Up”), nostalgic instrumentation (Daft Punk’s “Get Lucky,” Robin Thicke’s “Blurred Lines,” Bruno Mars’ “Treasure”), and minimalist stylings (The Lumineers’ “Ho Hey,” Lorde’s “Royals”).

This year also marks the beginning of the end for digital singles and iTunes in favor of streaming, and emphasis on “vintage” ways of buying music (vinyl), which decreases the importance of CDs and pure album sales. Per Billboard, “digital track sales fell 5.7 percent from 1.34 billion units to 1.26 billion units, while digital album sales fell 0.1 percent to 117.6 million units from the previous year’s total of 117.7 million.” Non-traditional album and CD merchants like Starbucks, Urban Outfitters, and Amazon see an increase to 36.5 million units sold, in comparison to the dwindling sales of indie merchants (a drop of nearly 12 percent).

2014

While empowerment pop has always been popular, uplifting themes of self-confidence carry 2014. Children and adults enjoy songs that make them feel seen and accepted for who they are. Kids gravitate to Despicable Me 2’s “Happy” (performed by Pharrell Williams), while members of the LGBTQ+ community christen a new anthem with Ariana Grande’s “Break Free.” Taylor Swift’s new pop-heavy sound also provides a message for haters: “Shake It Off.”

Songs about body positivity are also popular. The surprise drop of Beyoncé’s fifth studio album in winter 2013 gives listeners a new catchphrase for 2014 — “I Woke Up Like This” from her song “***Flawless.” Nicki Minaj and pop star Megan Trainor drop songs about pride in their prominent posteriors with “Anaconda” and “All About That Bass.”

2015

Electronic dance music is taking over the scene again. This time, a recognizable characteristic — the drop — is center stage. This sudden change in sound or rhythm is central to hit songs both by EDM-leaning producers (Major Lazer’s “Lean On,” DJ Snake’s “You Know You Like It,” Calvin Harris’ “How Deep Is Your Love”), and pop stars (The Weeknd’s “I Can’t Feel My Face,” Demi Lovato’s “Cool For The Summer,” Zara Larsson’s “Never Forget You”). The trend continues into 2017.

This year also kicks off the re-emergence of viral dance crazes, which continues into 2021. Bruno Mars and Mark Ronson steal the show with “Uptown Funk,” while Drake becomes a meme for his moves in “Hotline Bling.” Silento’s “Watch Me (Whip, Nae Nae)” and iLoveMemphis’ “Hit The Quan” become fixtures on and offline.

2016

Dancehall and Caribbean-inspired tracks are a mainstay in 2016 pop. While Justin Bieber’s “Sorry” was released at the tail-end of 2015, it is the biggest song of 2016, per Billboard. Drake leans into this craze with his hits “One Dance” and “Too Good.” The latter is a collaboration with Bajan musician Rihanna, who drops a whine-inducing ditty, “Work,” also featuring Drake.

Additionally, Ariana Grande, Sia, and Clean Bandit create hit songs with island flavor: “Side To Side,” “Cheap Thrills,” and “Rockabye,” respectively. This trend continues until at least 2019, however, as conversations of cultural appropriation of Black music heat up, these sounds taper off. Per The Observer, modern dancehall music has always been appropriated. Reggae/dancehall superstar Sean Paul says in the interview: “It is a sore point when people like Drake or Bieber or other artists come and do dancehall-orientated music but don’t credit where dancehall came from and they don’t necessarily understand it.”

2017

R&B/hip-hop surpasses rock music as the most-listened to genre on the planet, per Nielsen Music. Its supremacy becomes exceedingly evident in 2017 with the takeover of the trap sound—classified by heavy bass, atmospheric sound and brash attitude. Migos, Future, and Rae Sremmurd’s popularity soars with trap hits “Bad And Boujee,” “Mask Off,” and “Black Beatles,” while social media superstar Cardi B breaks the mold with her major-label debut single, “Bodak Yellow.” Soundcloud-style trap rap, which employs a more ethereal, trippy sonic inspiration, is found in Post Malone’s “Congratulations” and Lil Uzi Vert’s “XO Tour Life.” The trend continues into 2018 with Juice Wrld’s “Lucid Dreams.”

Given a tepid national climate, songs featuring socially-conscious and self-aware themes become popular. Rapper Logic’s experiences with depression prompt him to pen the rap/sung collaboration “1-800-273-8255,” which increased calls to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline by more than 30 percent. Alessia Cara, a featured artist on Logic’s song, releases her self-love anthem “Scars To Your Beautiful.” Kesha drops “Praying” in the hopes that the abused and their abusers can heal. The song was written in response to the alleged sexual assault and emotional abuse she’s experienced at the hands of producer Dr. Luke.

2018

Due to the success of Luis Fonsi’s monster hit “Despacito” the year prior, it’s no surprise that Latin pop and hip-hop completely command the airwaves in 2018. J. Balvin’s “Mi Gente” and Camila Cabello’s “Havana” were released in 2017 and continue to have chart success this year. Cardi B’s Latin-heavy rap track “I Like It” hits No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 charts, while Becky G, Marc Anthony, Will Smith, and Bad Bunny drop “Mala Mia” and “Esta Rico,” respectively.

2018’s crossover collaborations also find unexpected success. Zedd and Maren Morris’ ‘The Middle” receive Record and Song of the Year nominations at the 61st Grammy Awards. Florida Georgia Line and Bebe Rexha’s “Meant To Be” hits No. 2 on the Hot 100 chart, and DJ Snake’s “Taki Taki” featuring Selena Gomez, Cardi B, and Ozuna reaches one billion streams on Spotify.

2019

The theme of 2019 is that…there is no theme. Genreless music — sounds that fit an artist’s mood, vibe, or idea without boundaries or confines — encapsulates the music world. Newcomers Billie Eilish and Lil Nas X shatter expectations with “Bad Guy,” (an electropop, hip-hop-flavored dance track) and “Old Town Road” (a record-breaking country trap hit). Music superstars Ariana Grande and Tyler The Creator also take part in the sonic shattering. Her song “7 Rings” pairs Broadway with trap, while his song “Earfquake” combines R&B, hip-hop, and soul.

Self-love anthems also make major comeback, and highlight the various levels of self-acceptance. Panic! At The Disco’s “High Hopes” is about self-confidence. Self-love and exploration is the base for Selena Gomez’s “Lose You To Love Me” and Ariana Grande’s “Thank U Next,” which was popular in 2018 as well. Through her album Because I Luv You, Lizzo proves that spreading positivity is her M.O.

2020

Nothing captures 2020 in music quite like social media’s reign over the charts. TikTok, a popular video creation app, is the place for viral dance crazes to take over. Routines to Doja Cat’s “Say So” and Megan Thee Stallion’s “Savage” boost their popularity, while the dedication of Internet stans catapults Lady Gaga and Ariana Grande’s “Rain On Me” and BTS’ “Dynamite” to the top of the charts.

Despite strict social distancing rules in the age of COVID-19, dancefloor-ready tunes are an undeniable trend. Dua Lipa rules the year with her album Future Nostalgia, and “Say So” carries palpable ’70s-inspired energy. Other disco-tinged hits include Jessie Ware’s “Remember Where You Are,” Kylie Minogue’s “Say Something,” and Victoria Monet’s album Jaguar.

2021

There haven’t been too many distinguishing music trends as of late. (Especially since it feels like we’re still in 2020.) However, it appears that budding music stars are about to make their mark.

Since the beginning of 2021, singer-songwriter Olivia Rodrigo’s song “Drivers License” has been on top of the charts, and “Mood” by 24kGoldn and Iann Dior has held the second seed position for several weeks. Relative newcomers may also find success if they continue to collaborate with major stars, such as singer-songwriter Jhay Cortez with “Dakiti” (his collaboration with Bad Bunny), and rapper Yung Bleu with “You’re Mines Still” (his link-up with Drake).

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

Lorde‘s latest album Melodrama debuted in 2017 and fans have been pressing her for its follow-up ever since. Because is not very active on social media, every little change the singer makes leads to speculation about a new era of music. One such update came when Lorde revived her Instagram account — where she reviews every onion ring she eats — which ended up being completely unrelated to her songwriting career. But fans are once again hopeful that new music is imminent after the singer made a very small change to her Facebook page.

The New Zealand songwriter “updated” both her official Facebook profile and cover photos this week. But instead of selecting brand-new photos, they were copies of the same pictures she had before. Even still, the activity caused a tizzy among fans on social media.

Though nothing else was meaningfully altered on Lorde’s Facebook page, some fans took the small update as a sign that she’s gearing up for a new era of music.

While some fans were overjoyed at the idea of new music, others thought it was Lorde’s way of playfully taunting her listeners.

Lorde has not yet confirmed the release date of the next album, but she did recently reveal how her 2019 trip to Antarctica influenced it. Along with writing the book Going South about her journey, Lorde said it inspired her to create a “whole cinematic universe” to go along with her new music.

See fans react to Lorde’s Facebook update above.

The last time Amazon gave a blank check to the director of a Best Picture winner, it was for the Small Axe series, and that turned out out pretty well. Now it’s Barry Jenkins’ turn.

The Oscar-winning writer and director of Moonlight and If Beale Street Could Talk has turned Colson Whitehead’s Pulitzer Prize-decorated novel The Underground Railroad into a limited series. It follows “Cora Randall’s desperate bid for freedom in the antebellum South. After escaping a Georgia plantation for the rumored Underground Railroad, Cora discovers no mere metaphor, but an actual railroad beneath the Southern soil,” according to the official plot description. Randall is played by Thuso Mbedu, while the rest of the cast includes Damon Herriman, William Jackson Harper, Chase W. Dillon, Amber Gray, Lily Rabe, and Joel Edgerton. “We are Africans in America. Something new to the history of the world,” a voiceover says in the trailer over clips from the series.

Jackson Harper, who played Chidi on The Good Place, hopes The Underground Railroad makes people “look into themselves and see who they would be in these scenarios because not everyone would be the protagonist, not everyone would be the person that’s fighting against this injustice… It’s my hope that people can watch this and really connect with the story and get angry. I would also hope that people would take that time to examine who they would be in that world.”

The Underground Railroad premieres on Amazon Prime Video on May 14.

The Utah Jazz exist in a spot that traps a lot of teams: they’ve been good for a long time but have never felt like a real contender. Breaking free from that position is an incredibly difficult task and changing the public perception of your franchise is, arguably, even harder.

And yet, at 26-6, 3.5 games clear of the Clippers for first in the West and fresh off of demolishing the shorthanded Lakers on Wednesday night, the Jazz seem determined to make people believers. It’s usually impossible to do so in the regular season, as a team with repeated postseason failures is judged by that past until they show something different in the playoffs, but if there were ever a formula for doing so before then, Utah is following it.

They lord over the three-point line in a way we’ve never seen before, shooting (and making) more threes than anyone else in the league. This season, Utah leads the NBA in makes (17) and attempts (42.6) per game from deep and is third in three-point field goal percentage (39.9 percent). On the other end of the floor, the Jazz do not let teams score via triples — Utah gives up the second-fewest three-point attempts in the NBA (31.4) and the third-lowest opponent three-point percentage (34.7 percent), ushering opponents inside the line and into the waiting arms of Rudy Gobert. The 59.7 two-point attempts allowed per game are the most in the NBA, but teams are shooting just 49.1 percent from two, the second-lowest mark in the league.

All of this is to say, the most important real estate on the basketball court is where they are dominating on both ends, and, unsurprisingly, that’s a very good recipe for success. Other teams have tried similar strategies, but the Jazz really are uniquely constructed to any team you might compare them to in the recent past that has dominated in the regular season but fallen short come playoff time.

The 2014-15 Hawks, a team for which Quin Snyder was an assistant, shot threes at a similar efficiency (38 percent as a team) but not at the same rate (26.2 attempts per game), and the defense had a polar opposite strategy of selling out to protect the rim first and meaning to give up the three (25.8 opponent attempts per game that season was the most in the NBA). The 2017-18 Rockets were similarly focused on bombing threes and taking away the three-point line, but didn’t have the caliber of shooters around James Harden (36.2 percent from three as a team) and didn’t have an interior presence as capable as Gobert, allowing opponents to shoot 51.9 percent from two. The 2018-19 Bucks dominated defensively at the rim, but gave up 36.3 three-point attempts a game and only shot 35.3 percent as a team from deep.

All of this is to say, whatever team in that group you’re thinking this Jazz team reminds you of, you aren’t totally wrong. They have pieces of each, but a one-to-one comparison is really hard to find. In terms of a statistical profile is, as blasphemous as it may seem, the 2014-15 Warriors are actually closer than any of those other squads. The first Golden State title team of this century exploded on the scene by hoisting 27 threes a game, fourth-most in the NBA, and hitting them at a ludicrous 39.8 percent clip. Defensively, they were seventh in three-point attempts allowed (21.4), fifth in opponent three-point percentage (33.7), forced the third-most two-point attempts (65), and were the best in the league at forcing two-point misses (45.8 opposing two-point percentage).

Now, to be clear, they are some stark differences there as well. Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson carried the load on that Golden State team in terms of shooting, taking 15.2 of their 27 three-point attempts per game. The Jazz have a much more egalitarian approach, as six players take four or more threes per night, double the number on that Golden State team. Defensively, the Warriors were one of the most versatile teams we’d seen to that point, particularly with their small-ball “Death Lineup” that featured Draymond Green at the five, Andre Iguodala and Harrison Barnes on the wing, and the Splash Brothers at guard. That switchability and athleticism all on the floor at once, combined with their shooting ability, was something the NBA had yet to see and didn’t have counters for yet.

The Jazz, meanwhile, are far more tied to their two-time DPOY in Gobert, and when he’s off the floor, it’s Derrick Favors manning the middle. That, more than the shooting, is where the questions will lie for this Jazz team come playoff time. The playoffs haven’t always been as kind to Gobert in the past, as teams have more time to figure out how to draw him away from the rim and attack the Utah defense. If a team finds a formula to exploit their reliance on him, there isn’t really a good Plan B to counter that. It’s the concern they have to have against the other top teams in the West, chiefly the Lakers and Clippers when they go to Anthony Davis or Serge Ibaka at center lineups.

Still, this is a team that, in the same vein as all of the aforementioned regular season juggernauts, demands that you be at your best to beat them on any given night, testing your ability to execute on both ends of the floor. The Utah offense is truly something to behold right now, with the way they move and flow, all connected and seemingly always on time — it is obvious that this is a team that has placed a premium on continuity, with even their main free agent acquisition this past offseason (Favors) being someone who knows Snyder’s system. They apply so much pressure to a defense with the way they pounce on any miscommunication, missed or late rotation, or poorly timed help.

Take this play against the Lakers, as Jordan Clarkson drives under the rim and gets walled off by three Lakers. He skips it to the top of the key to Donovan Mitchell, who sees Alex Caruso closing out and notices that both Marc Gasol and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope have stayed with Clarkson, leaving Favors wide open for a dunk before either can rotate back.

They are, seemingly always, one pass away from a bucket and see every opportunity a defense presents them. Against Charlotte, with the clock winding down in the quarter, Mitchell set up for what looked to be another high pick-and-roll with Gobert. As the Hornets try to anticipate what Charlotte wants to do, the soon-to-be weakside help strays up floor to trap Mitchell before he’s even gone, abandoning Joe Ingles in the corner.

Playing the Jazz right now is the best test in the league for how well a team is executing on defense, because they are so consistent at running their stuff that, eventually, they tend to break you down. You might hang around for awhile, a quarter or maybe even three, but for the most part, teams simply haven’t been able to match their constant execution for four quarters. Sometimes the barrage comes early, as it did against the Lakers. Sometimes it’s not until late, like against Charlotte, but it almost always comes, because whenever the opposing squad makes a mistake, they capitalize.

Their starting and closing lineup almost always has four players capable of putting the ball on the floor and initiating the offense, while also being elite catch-and-shoot players. Conley is back to being his best self after scuffling to start last season and learning his new team, and Mitchell has continued to grow as a more efficient scorer and, more importantly, a creator for others, becoming a bonafide star in the process. One of Ingles and Bojan Bogdanovic is almost always on the floor, and they are two of the best spot-up shooters in the game who can also be secondary creators (or in Ingles case, a primary one with the second unit). Royce O’Neale has developed into an elite 3-and-D forward, giving them the wing defender they desperately need while becoming a tremendous three-point shooter, allowing him to stay on the floor for their best offensive lineups as well.

And then you have Clarkson, who has the Sixth Man of the Year award locked up at this point. Clarkson has the greenest light to shoot off the bench this side of 2012-13 J.R. Smith, and he boasts the best efficiency marks of his career to boot. He has given them an extra dimension offensively, something they’ve craved since Mitchell burst onto the scene. For the first three years of Mitchell’s career, the biggest issue for Utah’s offense is figuring out who else can create for themselves. Conley gives them that with the starting unit, but it’s what Clarkson has done with the bench that, in my mind, has really separated this Jazz team so far this season. There aren’t the let-offs you get with most every other team in the league when the star sits, because Clarkson to this point has been one of the best individual scorers in the NBA.

The Jazz will need this to continue into the postseason and that is, of course, at the center of every major question they face. Can Clarkson still do this in the playoffs? Can Gobert be this impactful on defense in a playoff series with either of the L.A. teams? Will they be able to win a game or two when they inevitably have an off shooting night and have to find buckets in a different manner? Is O’Neale capable of taking on the elite wings of the West defensively every night in a series and continue to shoot at this level?

Those aren’t going to go away, and they aren’t the only team facing these questions. The Clippers, Bucks, and 76ers are also all in “prove it in the playoffs” situations, where nothing they do this regular season can quiet doubters. Maybe the 2020-21 Jazz will end up being remembered right along with the Hawks and Rockets and Bucks teams that were top seeds that fell short of the Finals. They play in a stacked conference with two teams led by players who have been to that mountaintop in a way they never have, capable of overpowering just about every other team. Health pending, the unfortunate reality is that nothing the Jazz do between now and the playoffs will change perception of most as to their stature as a “true” title contender.

So while it’s natural to look ahead, this is also a regular season to celebrate in the moment. This Jazz team dismantles opponents and does so with some historic shooting. We’ve seen teams shoot nearly 40 percent for a season and we’ve seen teams shoot 40-plus threes a night, but never together. They are an incredibly well constructed team that has gotten just the right combination of mining the free agent market for gems along with some development and Draft luck (or skill, depending on your outlook).

It’s natural to be skeptical of a team without one of the elite stars in the league, proven as such in the playoffs, but as someone who covered that 2014-15 Hawks team, let me tell you, it’s far more fun to embrace the moment and just believe. Because for as many words that will be spilled between now and the summer trying to parse whether this team is legit, none of them will really matter until we can see it in action. So enjoy the ride, and we’ll see how it ends later.

Unofficially, we’ve seen a lot about the new Mission Impossible movie Tom Cruise is currently filming. There’s been lots of discussion about on-set safety conditions amid a pandemic, with Cruise vocally admonishing those not following the rules to keep production going. You can, in fact, see a lot of images of Cruise and company working in Rome.

There are plenty of car stunts, filming on top of trains and other set pieces that are sure to make Mission Impossible 7 just as big a spectacle as the other MI films. But what we haven’t really seen until this week are any official images from the movie. On Thursday, screenwriter Christopher McQuarrie shared an image on Instagram of what appears to be a first look at the new Mission Impossible movie. Though, quite hilariously, it revealed about as little a possible when it comes to a “first look.”

Cast in smoke and shadows, the image looks a lot like Tom Cruise in a suit, sprinting down a darkened hallway. It’s a fairly iconic Mission Impossible trope, of sorts, though you can’t really even tell for sure if it’s Cruise. Technically, it’s far from an official promotional material release and McQuarrie has shared other photos, likely from Mission Impossible, like what appears to be the inside of an airplane.

But plenty of Instagram commenters gave the filmmaker credit for sharing a very shrewd teaser image for the upcoming movie without actually revealing much of anything.

An awesome side effect of being successful and popular is that once you reach a certain level of fame, you can leverage your social media following for serious income opportunities. For example, it was reported in 2019 that Kim Kardashian earned $1 million per branded Instagram post, while the same year, Kylie Jenner was apparently raking in $1.2 million per post. That seems like an easy way to make a ton of money, and today, it appears Lil Wayne shared a sponsored post of his own while putting in as lil effort as possible.

This morning, at 8 a.m. PT on the dot, Wayne tweeted, “Sourdough @BurgerKing #AD.”

Here’s the tweet:

And here’s a screenshot of the tweet in case this work of art gets taken down:

Back in 2018, Burger King introduced the Sourdough King sandwich, which was only available for a limited time. Today, it was reported that the sandwich is making a return in a variety of iterations, but just until April 19. Wayne conveyed none of this information, which is presumably what his ad was meant to be about. Based on his tweet and without that context, one could infer that the rapper was trying to start a conversation about bread with the burger chain and Anthony Davis, or perhaps he was demanding that BK “ad” sourdough bread to their menu.

Criticism aside, while Wayne’s ability to get his point across could be questioned here, we probably wouldn’t be talking about Burger King right now if Wayne had tweeted a more conventional ad. It’s the squeaky wheel that gets the grease, so congrats to Wayne for being a genius marketer.

Songwriters Melina Duterte and Ellen Kempner have already made a name for themselves in the indie spotlight as the vocalists of their respective projects Jay Som and Palehound, both of which released excellent 2019 LPs. Now expanding on their sound, Kempner and Duterte have joined forces to blend their songwriting and explore themes of queerness and lust with their newly formed band Bachelor.

Alongside the announcement of the new musical project, Bachelor shared the bass-heavy single “Anything At All.” Each of the songwriter’s distinct styles can be heard on the track, combining playful elements with the anxious tension of screeching guitars.

In a joint statement, the two musicians said, “We’re so excited to finally share this song with y’all and announce our new band! We’ve been dear friends and huge fans of each other for years and were lucky enough to get to work together in January 2020 before quarantine. We feel that ‘Anything At All’ is an even blend of our tastes and writing styles and to release it feels very hopeful and joyous to us.”

Echoing their statement, Kempner praised Duterte’s in a heartfelt post to Instagram. “‘Anything At All’ is out today and we could not be happier to share it with y’all,” she wrote. “I have been Jay Som’s number one fan since I first heard ‘Ghost’ years ago, Melina inspires me with everything she does and is one of my closest friends who i feel a deep connection with, both personally and musically.”

Listen to “Anything At All” above.

Rappers often make braggadocious claims about their lives from before they picked up the mic. In fact, it could be argued that these claims are a large part of why many rap fans enjoy the genre, whether or not those big fish tales turn out to be true (Jadakiss’ 360-degree walls have become a favorite water cooler talking point on Twitter). However, every so often rappers say these things outside the context of their music, which somehow makes their boasts all the more outrageous and, in some cases, borderline problematic.

One of the kings of such statements is Freddie Gibbs. As a rapper whose primary inspiration seems to be his uninhibited, drug-dealing days in Gary, Indiana, Gibbs’ raps are often packed with shootouts, shady deals, and the sort of details that make US Prosecutors salivate at the thought of introducing lyrics in court (fortunately, they can’t). But during his appearance on the Joe Rogan Experience podcast yesterday, Gibbs casually makes a claim that has fans doing double-takes.

“It’s a crackhead, back in the day,” he recalls. “I shot that n**** nine times with a TEC-9 and he kept running down the alley.”

It’s the sort of story that both begs more context and utter and absolute silence from the storyteller because as badly as we all want to know more, that’s exactly the sort of narrative that should remain on wax — not in a podcast, which isn’t protected by the same rules. Of all the questions that arise from Gibbs cavalier recollection, the one that hovers over the proceedings the lowest might just be:

On top of the slew of content announced for Paramount+, an all-new Beavis and Butt-Head movie is coming to the streaming service. While there’s no release date or plot details for the animated film as of yet, the dim-witted characters did make an “announcement video” where it’s clear they haven’t changed much since the ’90s. The two still do their “huh huh” laugh, smack each other around, and note that their new streaming home as the word “mount” in it.

The new movie will presumably be in addition to the Beavis and Butt-Head revival that’s still on track for Comedy Central. Announced back in July 2020, the new series is being written and produced by creator Mike Judge who also voices the new metalhead. In fact, HBO recently passed on two shows from Judge who is reportedly tied up bringing Beavis and Butthead back to life. “It seemed like the right time to get stupid again,” Judge said in a statement announcing the revival. Via Deadline:

“We are thrilled to be working with Mike Judge and the great team at 3 Arts again as we double down on adult Aanimation at Comedy Central,” said McCarthy. “Beavis and Butt-Head were a defining voice of a generation, and we can’t wait to watch as they navigate the treacherous waters of a world light-years from their own.”

While the iconic duo don’t look they’ve aged a day in the announcement video for their new movie, the new series sounds like it might go a different route and focus on an older, more mature Beavis and Butthead. If that’s even possible. Here’s how McCarthy described the news series to Vulture shortly after it was announced: “The story that we’re talking about working with Mike is: What happens if they grow up? And what happens if they have kids?”

Wait a minute. Beavis and Butt-Head scored? Huh huh that can’t be right.

(Via Comedy Central)

The Muppet Show is now available on Disney+, so if you’ve ever wanted to see Elton John sing “Crocodile Rock” with a bunch of crocodiles, I would suggest signing up immediately. It’s five seasons of silly chaos, with slapstick humor, celebrity guests, and Statler and Waldorf absolutely roasting Fozzie. The Muppet Show making its way onto Disney’s streaming service has also, unfortunately, inspired ever-dreaded #discourse about cancel culture and the left wanting to “destroy” Kermit, or whatever. It’s exhausting and ought to be avoided at all costs — the Muppets should unite us, not tear us apart.

There’s only one acceptable Muppets debate and that’s: which Muppet is the best Muppet? Actually, it’s not even a debate, because with all due respect to Kermit, Miss Piggy, Lew Zealand, Rizzo (he might be #1 if he had a better restaurant), Uncle Deadly, and Scooter (lol no one respects Scooter), the answer is Rowlf. Let me explain why.

1. Kermit is the most well-known Muppet, but he wasn’t the first Muppet to “reach national stardom.” That honor belongs to Rowlf, who made his debut in a 1962 dog food commercial (Hugh Grant would be proud) before appearing weekly on The Jimmy Dean Show as the host’s “ol’ buddy.” Here he is meeting Lassie (“May I hold your paw?”), rehearsing his own spin-off show, and wearing a Santa beard and singing a sincere cover of “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas.” If you can make it through that without crying, well, you can’t. It’s impossible. Rowlf was a sensation, receiving thousands of fan letters every week, and it’s easy to see why in the clips from the variety series that are online: he was witty, charismatic, and playful. He was (and is) a Very Good Boy.

2. But he could also be a wise-cracking son of a bitch. Literally.

The Muppets are a family-friendly Disney brand now, but don’t forget, Jim Henson, who performed Rowlf until his death in 1990, was a “naughty troublemaker” at heart, a subversive rascal who made things like The Muppet Show: Sex and Violence and The Land of Gorch, the bawdy recurring sketch during the first season of Saturday Night Live that the show’s writers famously hated. Not unlike Wu-Tang Clan, the Muppets are for the children, but they have also always been for the adults, too. Rowlf has thrived in both worlds, something most of his fellow Muppets aren’t able to. Can you imagine Kermit the Frog ever saying the word “bitch,” like Rowlf did on The Arsenio Hall Show? (Volume on to hear the dog pound lose their freaking minds.) I can’t, and frankly, I don’t want to.

Rowlf is all things for all people — and dogs.

3. The only Muppet that comes close to Rowlf is Gonzo. Whether he’s playing the trumpet at the end of The Muppet Show‘s opening credits, narrating The Muppet Christmas Carol as Charles Dickens, or flirting with his lady friend chicken, I love that “whatever.” He’s proudly weird (and a LGBT+ icon). But he’s also the star of the worst Muppet movie, Muppets in Space, and Muppet Treasure Island isn’t much better (outside of the soundtrack — “Cabin Fever” is a quarantine anthem). The Muppets went Gonzo crazy in the 1990s and he suffered, however slightly, from overexposure; he’s to the Muppets as Taz is to the Looney Tunes, minus the baggy pants. But there’s no such thing as “too much” Rowlf, and therefore, no one ever got tired of him.

I will admit that Gonzo is the bigger style icon.

4. Musical numbers are as much a Muppets trademark as explosions (get you a Muppet who can do both). Rowlf has provided many of the most memorable song-and-dance numbers in Muppets history: “Tit Willow” from The Muppet Movie (there’s that Henson naughtiness), “I Hope That Somethin’ Better Comes Along” from The Muppet Movie (it’s a spoken line, but “it’s not often you see a guy that green that has the blues that bad” is one of the all-time great Muppet quotes), and a personal favorite, “I’m Gonna Always Love You” from The Muppets Take Manhattan. My man kills it on the piano in that one.

AND LOOK AT THE ADORABLE TUXEDO HE WEARS IN “SOMETHING SO RIGHT.”

I would also be remiss if I didn’t mention Ol’ Brown Ears Is Back, Rowlf’s solo album in which he covers “New York State of Mind” and sings “Eight Little Notes,” a song about Beethoven. Not the dog, but the composer. I understand the confusion, but it’s easy to remember: Rowlf the dog > Beethoven the human > Beethoven the dog.

5. But the main reason why Rowlf is the best Muppet is because he was closest to the Muppet god himself, Jim Henson (I genuinely can not think of a cooler title than “Muppet god”). Here’s author Brian Jay Jones, who wrote the definitive Jim Henson biography, on Henson’s close connection with Rowlf: “Rowlf is the one closest to Jim, more so than even Kermit. We like to think of Jim and Kermit as intertwined and interchangeable, but I think Rowlf is the one that’s closest to Jim.” Along the same lines, Jim’s son Brian called Kermit his “father’s best-known character, but a lot of people think he was more like Rowlf in real life… except he couldn’t play the piano as well.”

Following Henson’s death, Rowlf was unofficially retired until 1996, when Bill Barretta took over. He’s appeared sporadically in Muppet projects since, including Jason Segel’s Oscar-nominated The Muppets, Weezer’s “Keep Fishin’” music video, and ABC’s short-lived The Muppets series, where he owned his bar, Rowlf’s Tavern. But post-Henson, Muppets Studio hasn’t quite known what to do with him. I’m predicting a Rowlf renaissance, though, once more people watch (or re-watch) The Muppet Show. It might already be happening.

Rowlf might not be the flashiest Muppet, but he’s a floppy-eared, piano-playing, joke-cracking, beer-drinking, sophisticated-but-silly dog who sounds like Tom Waits. What’s not to love? But if you’re somehow still not convinced:

Like I said, the best Muppet.