Month: March 2021

Roddy Ricch has become well-acquainted with the Grammy Awards committee and viewers, receiving three nominations and winning one at last year’s ceremony. This year, he not only added six new nominations to his growing collection but also performed at the ceremony, delivering a sweeping rendition of his song “The Box,” prefaced by a snippet of “Heartless.” The performance was literally epic, featuring a demolished Greek god statue, with Roddy playing a grand piano and backed by a harp.

The Compton rapper has certainly had more Grammy success than his youth and relative inexperience would suggest, thanks in large part to his proximity to the late, great Nipsey Hussle. Their 2019 collaboration “Racks In The Middle” won Best Rap Performance at the 2020 Grammys, just months after he released his debut album Please Excuse Me For Being Antisocial. The song was also nominated for Best Rap Song, while Roddy’s Mustard collaboration “Ballin’” was nominated for Best Rap/Sung Performance.

This year, he’s got even more bites at the apple thanks to his two 2020 No. 1 hits. While his TikTok-favorite solo single “The Box” is up for Best Rap/Sung Performance, Best Rap Song, and Song Of The Year, Roddy’s collaboration with DaBaby, “Rockstar,” has them both anticipating potential wins for Best Rap Song, Best Rap/Sung Performance, and Record Of The Year. The duo performed the song with “Da Baby Boomers” earlier in the evening.

Watch Roddy Ricch’s performance above.

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

When the Recording Academy unveiled their list of nominations for 2021, Beyonce led the pack at nine nominations. This made her the most Grammy-nominated female artist, with 79 nods to her name. But after Sunday’s ceremony, the singer boasts an exciting victory: Beyonce officially broke the record for the most Grammy Awards given to any singer, male or female, ever.

Beyonce was awarded four 2021 Grammys, bringing her Grammy win total to 28. This means that Beyonce has the most Grammys out of any singer. She was awarded for Best Music Video for her song “Brown Skin Girl,” Best Rap Song and Best Rap Performance for her verse on Megan Thee Stallion’s “Savage (Remix),” and finally, Best R&B Performance for “Black Parade.” In her speech accepting the Best R&B Performance Grammy, Beyonce thanked all the “Black kings and queens” that inspire her artistry:

“As an artist, I believe it’s my job, and all our jobs, to reflect the times. It’s been such a difficult time, so I wanted to uplift, encourage, and celebrate all of the beautiful Black kings and queens that continue to inspire me and inspire the whole world. This is so overwhelming. I’ve been working my whole life, since I was nine years old. I can’t believe this happened, it’s such a magical night. I know my daughter is watching, Blue, congratulations. She won a Grammy tonight, I’m so proud of you and I’m so honored to be your mommy — all your mommies. Y’all are my babies.”

Watch Beyonce’s acceptance speech below and check out the full list of 2021 Grammy winners here.

Megan Thee Stallion is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

BTS picked up their first Grammy nomination this year, and what better way to celebrate than by performing during the show? Fans might remember that the group popped up briefly at last year’s show during Lil Nas X’s performance, but this year, they took the stage as the main attraction to perform “Dynamite”

BTS earned a nomination this year in the Best Pop Duo/Group Performance category with “Dynamite.” Had they won the award, they would have been the first South Korean group to do so, but it was revealed ahead of the broadcast that Lady Gaga and Ariana Grande’s “Rain On Me” took home to trophy.

In a Grammy.com interview published last week, the band spoke about representing South Korea in a big way at this year’s awards, with Jung Kook saying, “We’re overwhelmed to be called representatives of Korea. We’re just thankful for the support and attention that we’ve received, not only from our fans, but our peers. We will continue to work harder to showcase even better music and performances. And it’s an incredible honor to be the first Korean pop artist to be nominated for a Grammy, and we hope that this is just the beginning. A win would be significant not only for us but for many who pursue diversity in music.”

V also noted, “As the award show is approaching, the excitement and anticipation build up. I still can’t believe we’re nominated and performing. Getting a win would be even more amazing.”

Check out BTS’ Grammy performance above and find the full list of this year’s Grammy winners and nominees here.

Of all the possible awards an artist can win at the Grammys, perhaps the most sought-after is for Album Of The Year. All eyes were on the artists nominated for this year’s category, but Taylor Swift ended up taking home the 2021 Album Of The Year Grammy for her LP Folklore.

Swift’s win makes her the first female artist to ever win a Grammy for Album Of The Year three times. While Swift official won Grammy, there were several big-name musicians that were up against them for Album Of The Year. Jhené Aiko was nominated for Chilombo, Black Pumas for Black Pumas (Deluxe Edition), Coldplay for Everyday Life, Jacob Collier for Djesse Vol.3, Haim for Women In Music Pt. III, Dua Lipa for Future Nostalgia, and Post Malone for Hollywood’s Bleeding.

Of course, this year’s Album Of The Year nomination list sparked some controversies. For one, fans were shocked to see that The Weeknd had not been nominated for Album Of The Year, or any other Grammy, despite the popularity of his LP After Hours. The Weeknd’s song “Blinding Lights” even recently became the first song to spend a full year on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. The Recording Academy’s interim president/CEO Harvey Mason Jr. responded to the upset over The Weeknd’s snub, saying that there was some tough competition this year. “There were a record number of submissions in this unusual and competitive year,” he said. “We understand that The Weeknd is disappointed at not being nominated. I was surprised and can empathize with what he’s feeling. His music this year was excellent, and his contributions to the music community and broader world are worthy of everyone’s admiration.”

Find the full list of this year’s Grammy winners and nominees here.

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

Doja Cat‘s given some memorable performances of her No. 1 hit “Say So” over the past year, but when it came to “Music’s Biggest Night,” she pulled out all the stops. Doja, who’s earned a reputation for innovative and elaborate award show performances, made sure her Grammys performance would top them all as she enters the album cycle for her third full-length LP, Planet Her. Elaborate choreography, dazzling lasers, and a Janet Jackson-esque vinyl outfit defined Doja’s performance.

While “Say So” is nominated for two awards — including Best Pop Solo Performance and Record Of The Year — Doja herself is also nominated for a Best New Artist Grammy after winning the same award at the 2020 Billboard Music Awards. Ironically, she was nominated for both after dropping her second major-label album Hot Pink, which was a commercial and critical success after her debut, Amala, was mostly overlooked the year before.

Everything changed when Doja released the meme-rap, troll-baiting single “Mooo!” for fun, garnering a massive wave of attention for that first project. As more fans realized that she was a serious artist with a lot more to offer than quirky bovine puns, they tapped into her smart, genre-blending proclivities and streamed Hot Pink to the top 10 of the Billboard 200. A TikTok trend using “Say So,” a timely remix of the song featuring Nicki Minaj, and a risque promise from Doja Cat herself helped turn “Say So” into a No. 1 hit — and earn it a place on the 2021 Grammy nominations shortlist.

Watch Doja Cat’s performance above.

Whether or not you believe Lil Baby was snubbed for major music awards throughout 2020, there is absolutely no denying that he’s racked up the wins where they count. Case in point, even if he doesn’t win a Grammy Award at tonight’s show, he still got a massive platform from which to perform his nominated song, “The Bigger Picture,” exposing him to thousands of potential new fans. The Atlanta trapper delivered a cinematic performance, bringing his sincere words to life with an unexpected cameo from fellow ATLien Killer Mike.

Lil Baby was nominated for both Best Rap Song and Best Rap Performance for “The Bigger Picture.” While Megan Thee Stallion took home the golden gramophone for Best Rap Performance already — incensing fans who are already convinced that Baby was snubbed for awards at all the other major shows, including the BET Hip-Hop Awards, the AMAs, and the Billboard Music Awards — Baby has already made it clear he doesn’t care much about which awards he wins or loses, so long as he gets paid.

With the increased attention that comes with performing on one of television’s most-watched nights, combined with Baby’s first Super Bowl advert earlier this year, those checks are sure to come — even if he was overlooked for the 2021 Presidential inauguration.

Watch Lil Baby’s performance above.

On Sunday evening, the full 68-team bracket was unveiled for the 2021 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament, with Gonzaga, Baylor, Illinois, and Michigan earning the top seeds. The entire tournament will be played in Indianapolis, spread across a variety of venues in the Indy area, starting Thursday, May 18 with the First Four and the first and second rounds of the tournament taking place Friday to Monday.

It wasn’t until late Sunday. night that the full TV schedule and tip times were announced for the first round, as there were still logistics to figure out once the bracket was set. The First Four games will be played on truTV and TBS this year, while CBS, TBS, TNT, and truTV will once again split duties for the first and second rounds.

Here is the full schedule of tip times, TV networks, and broadcast teams for next week’s action (all times Eastern):

Thursday, May 18
5:10 p.m. (truTV): 16. Texas Southern vs. 16. Mount St. Mary’s (Nessler/Lavin/Johnson/Washburn)
6:27 p.m. (TBS): 11. Drake vs. 11. Wichita St (Anderson/Jackson/LaForce)
8:40 p.m. (truTV): 16. Appalachian St vs. 16. Norfolk St (Nessler/Lavin/Johnson/Washburn)
9:57 p.m. (TBS): 11. UCLA vs. 11. Michigan St (Anderson/Jackson/LaForce)

Friday, May 19
12:15 p.m. (CBS): 10. Virginia Tech vs. 7. Florida (Nantz/Raftery/Hill/Wolfson)
12:45 p.m. (truTV): 14. Colgate vs. 3. Arkansas (Dedes/Haywood/Shehadi)
1:15 p.m. (TBS): 16. Drexel vs. 1. Illinois (Harlan/Bonner/Jacobson)
1:45 p.m. (TNT): 11. Utah St vs. 6. Texas Tech (Blackburn/Antonelli/Washburn)
3:00 p.m. (CBS): 15. Oral Roberts vs. 2. Ohio St (Eagle/Spanarkel/Erdahl)
3:30 p.m. (truTV): 16. Hartford vs. 1. Baylor (Byington/Smith/Ross)
4:00 p.m. (TBS): 9. Georgia Tech vs. 8. Loyola Chicago (Nantz/Raftery/Hill/Wolfson)
4:30 p.m. (TNT): 12. Oregon St vs. 5. Tennessee (Dedes/Haywood/Shehadi)
6:25 p.m. (TBS): 13. Liberty vs. 4. Oklahoma St (Harlan/Bonner/Jacobson)
7:10 p.m. (CBS): 9. Wisconsin vs. 8. UNC (Eagle/Spanarkel/Erdahl)
7:15 p.m. (truTV): 15. Cleveland St vs. 2. Houston (Blackburn/Antonelli/Washburn)
7:25 p.m. (TNT): 13. North Texas vs. 4. Purdue (McCarthy/Johnson/Ross)
9:20 p.m. (TBS): 10. Rutgers vs. 7. Clemson (Dedes/Haywood/Shehadi)
9:40 p.m. (CBS): 11. Syracuse vs. 6. San Diego St (Nantz/Raftery/Hill/Wolfson)
9:50 p.m. (truTV): 14. Morehead St vs. 3. West Virginia (Byington/Smith/Ross)
9:57 p.m. (TNT): 12. Winthrop vs. 5. Villanova (Harlan/Bonner/Jacobson)

Saturday, May 20
12:15 p.m. (CBS): 12. Georgetown vs. 5. Colorado (Catalon/Lappas/Ross)
12:45 p.m. (truTV): 13. UNC Greensboro vs. 4. FSU (Anderson/Jackson/LaForce)
1:15 p.m. (TBS): 14. Eastern Washington vs. 3. Kansas (Nessler/Lavin/Washburn)
1:45 p.m. (TNT): 9. St. Bonaventure vs. 8 LSU (Blackburn/Antonelli/Jacobson)
3:00 p.m. (CBS): 16. MSM/Texas So. vs. 1. Michigan (Eagle/Spanarkel/Erdahl)
3:30 p.m. (truTV): 12. UC Santa Barbara vs. 5. Creighton (Byington/Smith/Shehadi)
4:00 p.m. (TBS): 15. Iona vs. 2. Alabama (Catalon/Lappas/Ross)
4:30 p.m. (TNT): 11. Wichita St/Drake vs. 6. USC (Anderson/Jackson/LaForce)
6:25 p.m. (TBS): 15. Grand Canyon vs. 2. Iowa (Nessler/Lavin/Washburn)
7:10 p.m. (CBS): 10. Maryland vs. 7. UConn (Eagle/Spanarkel/Erdahl)
7:15 p.m. (truTV): 13. Ohio vs. 4. Virginia (Blackburn/Antonelli/Jacobson)
7:25 p.m. (TNT): 9. Mizzou vs. 8. Oklahoma (McCarthy/Johnson/Shehadi)
9:20 p.m. (TBS): 16. Norfolk/App vs. 1. Gonzaga (Anderson/Jackson/LaForce)
9:40 p.m. (CBS): 11. MSU/UCLA vs. 6. BYU (Catalon/Lappas/Ross)
9:50 p.m. (truTV): 14. Abilene Christian vs. 3. Texas (Byington/Smith/Shehadi)
9:57 p.m. (TNT): 10. VCU vs. 7. Oregon (Nessler/Lavin/Washburn)

Last year Cardi B made history by winning Best Rap Album for her debut Invasion Of Privacy, becoming the first woman to ever do so. This year, Megan and Beyonce continued to pave the way for women in hip-hop by picking up the trophy for Best Rap Performance, and later on, for Best Rap Song for their collaboration on the “Savage (Remix).” That win puts Beyonce up to 27 Grammys total — including her earlier win with “Brown Skin Girl” for Best Music Video — and she has now tied a huge Grammys record.

This was what they looked like when the win was announced:

Pretty classic surprise expressions, right there. For her part, Megan didn’t even know Beyonce was present at the ceremony, so got another big surprise when she saw Bey walking up to the stage to help accept the trophy:

Finally, hearing from Beyonce in person was almost gift enough, and the way her and Megan have supported each other has been pretty inspiring, too.

But before they could even get off the stage, tonight’s host Trevor Noah stopped the pair to let them know with the addition of two more Grammys tonight, Beyonce has now tied the record for most awards any female artist has received. That doesn’t mean we’re not still mad Lemonade was snubbed, but it does help a little.

Taking the stage at tonight’s 63rd Annual Grammy Awards ceremony, Post Malone transformed his song “Hollywood’s Bleeding” into a Gothic ballad, leaning into the song’s murky subject matter all the way for perfomance that made him look like a vampire hunter. The Texan genre-bender went with a Gregorian choir for backing, appearing in an all-black ensemble, his leather trenchcoat adorned in silver crosses.

Post Malone is once again nominated for a variety of Grammy Awards at tonight’s ceremony, competing for Album, Record, and Song Of The Year for Hollywood’s Bleeding and “Circles,” respectively. Hollywood’s Bleeding, which was the top-selling album of 2019, wasn’t eligible for the 2020 Grammys due to its release after the cutoff in September. However, the album — which also featured the hits “Take What You Want” featuring Ozzy Osbourne and Travis Scott, “Goodbyes” featuring Young Thug, and “Sunflower” featuring Swae Lee — continued its chart dominance through 2020, remaining in the top 10 of the Billboard 200 all 52 weeks of the last year. Meanwhile, “Sunflower,” which also appeared on the soundtrack from Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse, was eligible for the 2020 Grammys, receiving nominations for Record Of The Year and Best Pop Duo/Group Performance.

Aside from competing for Grammys, Post’s had a busy year. He performed in a virtual concert for Pokemon Day 2021, celebrating the 25-year anniversary of the original video game’s release and its resulting legacy of cultural ubiquity. He also hopped on the NFT trend, offering fans a chance to join him for a game of beer pong.

Watch Post Malone’s performance above.

Disney has been remaking their animated classics as live-action blockbusters for a while, but they’re not always straight redos. Some of them take the villain and make them the semi-hero. Instead of a new Sleeping Beauty, we got Maleficent, with Angelina Jolie as a sympathetic version of its black-horned witch. And instead of another 101 Dalmatians (or 102), we’ve got Cruella, in which Oscar-winning thespian Emma Stone acts the origin of the dog fur-loving baddie.

The new sneak peek not only doesn’t look like 101 Dalmatians, it doesn’t look like any Disney movie either. Stone’s Cruella De Vil is reimagined as a young, idealistic fashion designer in the 1970s who’s turned mad by her rivalry with Emma Thompson’s fashion house mogul. To the strains of a cover of “These Boots Are Made for Walkin’”, Stone’s Cruella goes from dowdy nice girl to dying her hair monochromatic, crashing galas with a motorcycle, and getting into some shenanigans with the help of scene-stealer Paul Walter Hauser.

How Cruella goes from fashion to crime is something we’ll have to wait to see, but it looks like a wild ride, and very much a sister film to I, Tonya, the movie that undoubtedly got director Craig Gillespie this gig. It arrives, in theaters (so far), on May 28.