Month: May 2021

The RX is Uproxx Music’s stamp of approval for the best albums, songs, and music stories throughout the year. Inclusion in this category is the highest distinction we can bestow, and signals the most important music being released throughout the year. The RX is the music you need, right now.

Whether you love Olivia Rodrigo or not, the impact of her debut album Sour on modern pop ethos will outlast anyone’s positive or negative feelings — including her own. The album is a smash, straight out of the gate, carried by the commercial success of 2021’s biggest single, “Drivers License,” and building more momentum with the top-ten placement of its second (and best) single, “Deja Vu,” and the fan-favorite, pop-punk-cribbing “Good 4 U.” Even after these three bangers, the other eight tracks on Sour are arguably even better, with all but three sticking to the rather one-note breakup storyline that the initial singles ushered in.

But after a year where the future of the music industry seemed uncertain due to the impact of the pandemic on live music, it’s sort of a relief that a brand new artist can still have this kind of universally-acclaimed debut. A dearth of new releases, festivals and shows didn’t weaken the industry at all, instead it seems to have driven fans’ devotion to new heights. Whether it’s teenagers on TikTok or millenials who have been prepared for a pop storyteller like Olivia by the preceding generation of stars like Taylor Swift and Lorde, Rodrigo’s ability to quickly ingest contemporary references and incorporate them into her own sound is a blueprint for how a new wave of pop stars could find success. Like hip-hop’s endless self-referential cycles, that kind of world-building — but in the pop realm — is exactly what makes Sour an instant classic.

Olivia’s introductory track, the slow-burning, torchy “Drivers License” doesn’t have a lot of company on her debut full-length, out this past Friday, and that’s also a good thing. The hit single became something of an anomaly for a pop song in the streaming era, doing hip-hop numbers and turning the sometimes-Disney star into a global sensation in what felt like an overnight push. The truth is, Tim Federle, creator and showrunner for High School Musical: The Musical: The Series (yes, that’s really the show’s name) realized quite quickly that Rodrigo was a songwriting genius of her own when she began filing original music for the show, starting with her first-ever release, “All I Want.” Federle told Billboard that when he hit Olivia up for a song the script called for, it only took her three days to produce that initial track. “I sent Olivia this email, being like, ‘I think Nini needs a song, and I think you should be the person who tries to write it,’” he said. “And I remember three days later, Olivia was sort of sheepishly like, ‘I’ve got a little something, do you mind if I show you?’”

Since then, she’s put the sheepishness to bed, even if a handful of the best songs on the short 34-minute record do deal directly with insecurity, anxiety, and the monumental challenges plenty of Gen Z kids are facing. The strongest track on the whole album, “Jealousy, Jealousy,” speaks directly to the comparison-panic that constant surveillance on Instagram and other social media can breed, “Brutal” takes off the rose-colored glasses of youth and spills out highly-relatable pop-punk angst, and though it might the weakest, “Hope Ur OK” explores some of the more troubling backgrounds of kids from her past in a way that immediately evokes Conan Gray’s “The Story.” Gray is perhaps the only other Gen Z songwriter who is on par with Rodrigo, and though he hasn’t quite hit the record-breaking No. 1 single threshold that she has, his gigantic streaming numbers indicate a similarly-electrified fanbase. Both of these songwriters were born and raised on Taylor Swift, and it isn’t surprising that their reverence for her informs an intimate, soul-baring style that’s catapulted them both to the top.

The bulk of Sour follows a very well-tread path for an acolyte of Taylor Swift — barn-burning anthems about the men who will never get away from the sound of the women who love them. “Traitor” runs down all the ways betrayal can happen in a relationship that have nothing to do with physical behavior, while “Favorite Crime” accepts the culpability for willingly participating in a relationship that betrays the self. “Happier” is a song that’s quite depressing, already drawing more comparisons to Taylor’s own evermore track “Happiness,” and the heartbreaking “One Step Forward, Three Steps Back” interpolates the piano melody from “New Year’s Day,” to chronicle a rollercoaster relationship instead of a settled partnership.

In that same vein, “Good 4 U” is so close to Paramore’s cult hit “Misery Business” that fans have almost created a new economy around populating TikTok with mashups. Radiohead fans pointed out “Deja Vu” sounds like “No Surprises,” and some people think “Drivers License” sounds like Lorde’s first album. If you’re bothered by these sampling and mirroring techniques, then odds are Sour is not for you, but who can blame Gen Z for adopting the sampling and recontextualizing format the internet has made into a culture of its own? The very best thing that Sour does is illustrate Olivia’s understanding of the last two decades of pop music, and when you’re only eighteen, that’s an impressive feat. As her own cultural scope widens, and her relationship history expands, no doubt her sound will, too. Staying sour is an option, but with a debut like this, her next few years are looking sweet.

Sour is out now via Geffen. Get it here.

As part of his ongoing efforts to encourage Americans to get vaccinated against COVID-19, Parks and Recreation star Nick Offerman stopped by The Medi Hasan Show on Sunday night and detailed why his fan-favorite character, Ron Swanson, would get the vaccine despite his staunch libertarian views.

According to Offerman, Ron would initially be opposed at the very idea of getting a vaccine pushed by the government, but his second wife, Diane (Lucy Lawless), would quickly set him straight, and in the end, he’d do the right thing. Via The Recount:

“Ron, I think at first would, of course, scoff at a vaccine, and say, ‘I’ve never been to the doctor. I rely on my preternatural immune system to protect me.’ But then his wife, Diane, played by the great Lucy Lawless, would step up and say, ‘Hey, buddy, you’re no longer alone here. You got me, I teach at a school, we got kids to worry about. Your responsibilities are no longer limited to your own body.’

“So, once he was convinced of that, he’s a good guy. And once a good guy sees that he’s taking care of others and that it’s for the common good, of course, he would get the damn vaccine.”

Offerman will take his battle against vaccine hesitancy directly to Washington later this week. The Hill reports that the actor will appear before the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Wednesday for a special hearing titled “A Shot at Normalcy: Building COVID-19 Vaccine Confidence.”

(Via The Recount on Twitter)

All it takes is one watch of the Marvel’s M.O.D.O.K. trailer to understand why we aren’t seeing the big-headed villain make his big MCU debut: M.O.D.O.K. is weird, and unfortunately, the MCU historically shies away from embracing “weird” in their villains. Funnily enough though, the trailer barely scratches the surface of how strange the Hulu series is. Sure, the comedy, violence, stop-motion animation, and wacky hi-jinks do a lot of the heavy lifting there, but the series also features several obscure villains many might not have heard of. For those longing to know a bit more about Melter or Fin Fang Foom, we’ve got you covered.

1. Armadillo

Like most villains, Armadillo was drawn to a life of evil-doing through desperation. Antonio Rodriguez, aka Armadillo, was your average Texas man living a quiet life alongside his wife when she was suddenly stricken with a crippling and unknown disease. After every scientist he turned to proved unable to help them, he turned to a criminal scientist, Dr. Karlin Malus. Malus agreed to cure Rodriguez’ wife if he agreed to be his test subject for an indefinite period of time. Naturally, he agreed, and thus Armadillo was born. In Marvel’s M.O.D.O.K., Armadillo is one of the villains who joins up with M.O.D.O.K. in episode 4. We also see him arguing with his ex-wife, which is actually canon! Turns out that after all that, she still decided not to stick around.

2. Poundcakes

Poundcakes, real named Marian Pouncy, is a former female wrestler and one-fourth of the all-female wrestling team Grapplers. After rising frustrations due to being consistently paid less than her male, wrestling counterparts, Poundcakes the rest of the Grapplers (Letha, Screaming Mimi, and Titania) decided they were done playing nice. The team took up infamous oil company Roxxon on their offer of outfitting them in prize-winning gear if they agree to a life of crime, and thus a small team of villains was born. In Marvel’s M.O.D.O.K., Poundcakes is also one of the five members of M.O.D.O.K.’s heist gang in episode 4.

3. Melter

While Melter joins up with M.O.D.O.K. to get back at Captain America in Marvel’s M.O.D.O.K., there are few heroes who have a bigger bone to pick with Iron Man. Melter was an industrialist providing firearms and other weapons for the US government when a safety inspection team discovered he was cutting corners and using poor materials to build his company’s weapons. The US, therefore, stopped buying from him and gave his contract to his competitor Tony Stark (aka Iron Man), driving him into bankruptcy. Much like Stark, however, Melter has a brilliant mind and designed the Melting Ray a weapon capable of melting literally anything. He went on to be one of the founding members of the Masters of Evil, making him probably one of the bigger names on this list.

4. Angar the Screamer

Prior to undergoing a medical procedure gifting him enhanced, hallucination-inducing screams, David Angar was merely a peace-loving social activist. In hopes of elevating his activism, Angar volunteered to undergo a vocal chord altering experiment and entered a machine created by hero and Guardian of the Galaxy Moondragon. While Moondragon had hoped to make another hero with her invention, Angar was ultimately led astray after the incident and entered a life of crime. In Marvel’s M.O.D.O.K., Angar the Screamer is another member of the shield heist crew.

5. Tenpin
Like Poundcakes, Tenpin is a villain most commonly associated with a small and strange c-list villain team — and he isn’t even the biggest name on the roster. Tenpin, real name Alvin Healey, was working as a juggler alongside his brother Elton when the pair of them caught the eye of Charles Last aka Ringleader. He invited the men to join him in his villain group, The Death-Throws, where they would serve essentially as mercenaries. In Marvel’s M.O.D.O.K., he is the last of the five villains who joins up with M.O.D.O.K. in episode 4.

6. Hexus the Living Corporation

Just as it sounds, Hexus is a living corporation. They have no physical form and are a concept. Hexus is parasitic and grows through invading planets and feeding off that world’s resources until it is completely depleted. They also possess the power to brainwash populations, which they use to compel humans to feed their greed. When Hexus reaches maturity, they release spores that spread across the galaxy and cause the parasite to infect other planets. Honestly, I think a very fun fact that best helps comic book fans understand Hexus a little bit better is knowing that Grant Morrison, a comic book writer known for his sharp political commentary, created him. In Marvel’s M.O.D.O.K., we find out Hexus is the entity pulling the strings at one of the show’s major corporations.

7. Super-Adaptoid

Created by Tony Starks’ rival, Justin Hammer, Super-Adaptoid is an android that can copy the equipment and powers of any superhero. However, while created by Hammer industries, the model is most closely associated with A.I.M. and has been used primarily by M.O.D.O.K. throughout the comics. While Super-Android absolutely serves a more comedic role in Marvel’s M.O.D.O.K., they ultimately act pretty much the same and are seen at the beginning of the series servings as M.O.D.O.K.’s smoothie machine and housekeeper.

8. Arcade

While both Green Goblin and Carnage have been called Marvel’s equivalent to DC’s Joker, you wouldn’t be wrong to draw a parallel between the “Clown Prince of Crime” and Arcade. You see, much like Joker, Arcade has given many different accounts of his life with no substantial proof to back a single one. Also like Joker, Arcade uses campy comedy to conceal his brutal nature. In the comics, he sends most of his victims Murderworld, (an amusement park filled with deathtraps) to kill them. In Marvel’s M.O.D.O.K., he appears in episode 8, where he forces the Tarleton family to do something pretty extreme.

9. Whirlwind

Seeing as Marvel is the home of the X-Men, there are a lot of characters who simply were born with their powers via mutation, and Whirlwind is one such example. Whirlwind, real name David Cannon, was born with the ability to move his body at great speeds. While his gifts started him down a track of petty crime as a teenager, he got his act together and found legitimate employment as a circus performer, ice-skater, and professional wrestler. However, people took note of his talents and began to ask Cannon if he could rig competitions in exchange for a pretty penny. Once the police started to investigate the rigged events, Cannon decided he was tired of dealing with them and embraced villainy in full. In Marvel’s M.O.D.O.K., Whirlwind is seen being generally a lil’ creepy towards women, including M.O.D.O.K.’s daughter Melissa, who puts him in his place.

10. Fin Fang Foom

Brace yourself for a lot of long, fantasy words, we’re going to talk about Fin Fang Foom. Fin Fang Foom is a Makluan, a race of shape-shifting aliens from Kakaranthara, which is located in the Maklu system of the Greater Magellanic Cloud. Whew. When he and his fellow Makluan’s first landed on Earth, they touched down in China, where they cemented themselves into Chinese legend whilst attempting to plan out their world domination. In Marvel’s M.O.D.O.K., Fin Fang Foom serves as both a chef and sweet ride to M.O.D.O.K.

While these aren’t all the villains showcased in the new series, these are some of the ones with a decent chunk of screen time. To catch glimpses of even more, be sure to watch Marvel’s M.O.D.O.K. over on Hulu.

One surefire sign of a rising artist’s impending success is an appearance on ColorsxStudios YouTube performance show COLORS. Artists who previously appeared on the show before big breakouts include Billie Eilish, Daniel Caesar, Doja Cat, Jorja Smith, and Kali Uchis, while rappers like Black Thought, Earthgang, Gunna, Little Simz, and Rexx Life Raj have all made fan-favorite appearances over the years as well.

Today, St. Louis rapperSmino achieved the rare accomplishment of appearing on the show twice as he performs his new song “Rice & Gravy.” As he previously called the song the beginning of a “new journey,” and said he felt “like a brand new artist” upon its release, it’s possible he’s using the performance as a career reset, getting back to basics before he makes a push to return to the buzzy, blog-approved stature he reached with his prior projects Blkswn and Noir.

The spacey, soulful crooner/rapper pulls up with a signature, boundary-breaking look that’ll certainly call to mind a fusion of both members of Outkast in this performance, the last of ColorsxStudios’ collaboration with British fashion house Burberry which included alt-R&B stars like Maria Isabel and Serpentwithfeet. Burberry outfitted each of the artists for their appearances; here, Smino appears in a vibrant, two-toned blue jacket, which truly pops against the warm caramel background for his performance.

Watch Smino’s COLORS return above.

For months, there have been trade rumors surrounding Atlanta Falcons superstar receiver Julio Jones, but as the NFL Draft came and went with little smoke, there were some who wondered if things had settled down.

And then this weekend arrived and a fan took a picture with Jones in Dallas while Julio was wearing a Dallas Cowboys hoodie, fanning the flames once again.

On Monday morning’s Undisputed, Shannon Sharpe and Skip Bayless were, unsurprisingly, talking about Julio’s Cowboys hoodie as a chief talking point when Sharpe decided to get to the bottom of the situation by going straight to the man himself and calling Jones on live television. What happened next was rather incredible.

One thing that isn’t clear is whether Jones knew he was being called on live TV or if he thought he was just getting a call from a personal friend about his situation, because he was incredibly forthcoming with the knowledge that he’s “outta there” when asked about Atlanta but also in noting that he wants to win and he “already knows” that’s not happening in Dallas. If he didn’t know, damage control is about to be amazing to watch and he is going to have some words for Sharpe. If he did, then Julio has decided to put the full-court press on the Falcons to get rid of him and send him to a winner, wherever that may be.

Recently, Olivia Rodrigo had the honor of getting mentioned in a Jeopardy! clue. Now, Charli XCX has had a similar but sort of opposite TV experience, which has prompted talk of a new album.

On the UK game show The Chase, a contestant was asked, “What is the stage name of the English pop singer Charlotte Aitchison?” Instead of correctly choosing “Charli XCX,” they opted to instead answer “Charli SFX.” Charli shared a screenshot of the moment and used it as motivation, writing on Instagram, “ok guys… much needed mainstream album coming soon i promise.”

After that, Charli went on to give hints at what her upcoming material will sound like. In the comments of the post, a fan wrote, “sucker stans our time is now,” in reference to Charli’s 2014 album Sucker. Charlie replied by insisting her new songs are more indebted to her debut album, 2013’s True Romance: “not quiitttteee sorry. I think this ones for the true romance angels.”

On Twitter, Charli went into even greater depth about what’s to come. She shared a screenshot of a text conversation with Ariel Rechtshaid, who produced multiple True Romance tracks. In their chat, Charli invited him to join her in the studio in June and said she wants to make “an evolution of” True Romance.

Then, in response to a fan wondering what the album is going to sound like, Charli wrote in a series of tweets:

“well all the clues are there actually, you just need to piece them together… i’m kinda still piecing together too and it’s interesting. it’s my future and past coming full circle. like, i randomly listened to ariel’s ‘and the writer is’ episode and he mentioned how there were moments on [True Romance] where he was referencing jimmy jam & terry lewis — and that was interesting to me because [A.G. Cook] kinda turned me on to them and we’ve mentioned them a lot and.. and i’ve obviously mentioned Janet [Jackson] here and there… and i feel that [True Romance] & [Pop 2] are sort of intrinsically linked. and both albums to me are actually quite ‘mainstream’ but just ahead of their time and under marketed in a kind of charming way.”

A fan responded, “so everyone won but sucker stans?” Charli replied to that, “I think even the sucker stans will win because there is this kinda more mainstream tone and digestible concept… everyone’s a winner.”

Find Charli’s tweets below.

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

Mickey Rourke was nominated for an Oscar for his comeback performance in The Wrestler. He lost, but he should have won, and not only because actual-winner Sean Penn would later do this. Speaking of people who should have won an Academy Award, Amy Adams has been nominated for a lot of Oscars. Six of them! But Adams, who is one of the best actresses of her generation, has famously never won. She will one day, though, and maybe she’ll avenge Rourke’s snub in the process.

In an interview with the Telegraph, the Army of the Dead director discussed one of his as-of-now unmade projects. “It’s a kind of female version of The Wrestler, about a midwestern housewife who happens to have a pretty good body, and starts to do some bodybuilding competitions, and then falls down a rabbit hole of steroids and hormones,” he said. “It becomes a contest between fitness and family, and she loses her family because she’s spending all her money on diet supplements and drugs and trainers.”

Snyder wants Adams, who portrays Lois Lane in his Man of Steel, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, and Zack Snyder’s Justice League, to play the wrestler. “It would be such a hugely hard job just training to the point at which it was believable. And you need someone like Amy who loves the craft to do it,” he said. Snyder hasn’t started working on the script, but Adams is reportedly into the idea. As long as it’s not Hillbilly Elegy 2, I’m in.

(Via the Telegraph and IndieWire)

Although rising Atlanta star Lil Gotit isn’t a member of YSL Records proper, he is closely affiliated through his brother Lil Keed, as well as a lyrical style that fits right in alongside the likes of Young Thug and Gunna. The latter strengthens the bond with the younger affiliate on Gotit’s new song “Work Out.” While Gotit leads things off with a high-pitched, high-velocity verse, Gunna mellows things out in his sparse additions, giving Gotit a near-perfect foil against which to reflect.

“Work Out” is the fourth single from his upcoming album Top Chef Gotit, which arrives June 10 on Alamo Records. The project will feature many of the aforementioned YSL standouts (Gunna, Lil Keed, Yak Gotti, and Young Thug) as well as Nav, who previously featured on Gotit’s single “Burnt N Turnt.” Prior to that, Gotit released the singles “Wok” and “Toosie.” Top Chef Gotit follows 2020’s Hood Baby 2 and Superstar Creature, as well as his collaborative goup project A-Team, released in conjunction with Keed, Lil Yachty, and Zaytoven.

For more slatt-centric rhymes and slippery, Thugger-inspired rap voices, check out YSL Records’ Slime Language 2.

Watch Lil Gotit Gunna Work Out

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

Are you jonesing for a fix of The Witcher as the franchise (which will include spinoffs) gets back on track following pandemic delays? You’re not alone, and Netflix’s upcoming “Geeked Week” will undoubtedly have something for you. The streamer has announced dates (June 7-11) for their inaugural holding of this event. Get ready because the week shall bring five days filled with nerd appreciation for everything that fandoms do — and it is a lot — to keep the passion alive for their favorite characters and stories.

In an announcement, Netflix revealed that GeekedWeek.com will be a central hub for this virtual event, which will provide to “fans a wide array of exclusive news, new trailers, live art, drop-ins from your favorite stars and much more about all your favorite Netflix series and films.” Further, the event is free and entirely online and will be preserved, “so you can get in on the action whenever you want from wherever you are in the world.”

In other words, prepare to see some Henry Cavill-focused action, news about The Umbrella Academy and Masters of the Universe, as well as more on the long-awaited live-action series version of Neil Gaiman’s The Sandman. There will be trailers, star drop-ins, and (hopefully) some release dates, and there’s a mention of The Old Guard in Netflix’s on-site announcement, so maybe we’ll hear some sequel news or hints at a video game tie-in? Look here, I’m already speculating in fandom mode, so the Netflix announcement has done its job well.

Here are the official Twitter and Instagram announcements from Netflix’s newly established Geeked accounts, so set your bookmarks accordingly.

Last August, Roc Nation announced the launch of its School Of Music, Sports & Entertainment in partnership with Long Island University. Today, Roc Nation made another big announcement regarding the school: The appointment of producer 9th Wonder to the school’s faculty as a visiting professor and artist in residence teaching music history for the upcoming fall 2021 semester.

9th, who has previously taught at Duke University and Harvard, has plenty of experience as a lecturer already, making him perfectly suited to teach at the Roc Nation school, which aims to “prepare students for a wide range of careers in performance, entrepreneurship, all aspects of music, and sports business management.” 9th will also teach classes on the making of an album, a subject with which he’s garnered extensive experience as the main producer for Little Brother‘s first two albums, as well as projects from Drake, Jay-Z, Kendrick Lamar, and his Jamla Records proteges like GQ and Rapsody.

In a press release, 9th said of the appointment, “Music changed my life and opened doors for me in ways that I never could have imagined, so it’s only right that we impart our knowledge to help the next generation of ambitious leaders. I’m truly honored to teach at the Roc Nation School of Music, Sports & Entertainment and look forward to equipping these students with the tools to break barriers in their own lives and careers.”