Month: July 2021

Gwen Stefani and Blake Shelton have been an item for almost six years now. After meeting as judges on the set of The Voice shortly after Stefani’s divorce from Bush frontman Gavin Rossdale and Blake’s divorce from Miranda Lambert, the pair of superstars crossed genre lines with their partnership. Stefani has written songs about Shelton and they’ve covered “Hotline Bling”, and even performed a duet together at the Grammys last year so you know it’s real. The couple got engaged in 2020 and according to People, as of this weekend they’ve officially tied the knot.

Gwen and Blake got married at his ranch in Tishomingo, Oklahoma on Saturday, although no word yet on whether Miley Cyrus did end up singing at the event like she offered to on Twitter. Page Six has photos of what was an “intimate” ceremony, and were married in a chapel that Shelton had built on the property. He also built a brand new house for the couple to live in together, though odds are with their respective touring schedules and Stefani’s upcoming Vegas residency, they won’t be in Oklahoma all that much. Which might be better for the relationship anyway! Just spitballing here. Congratulations to the happy couple.

CNN has made a habit of calling out Tucker Carlson in recent weeks. Jim Acosta has called Fox News the “bulls*it factory” and crowned Carlson its “employee of the month” along with its “chief white power correspondent.”

Lately, as Carlson ambles further into conspiracy theory territory about white erasure and the true identity of those who attacked the US Capitol on January 6 at Donald Trump’s behest, the network and its employees have leveled more criticism at its competition. And over the weekend, it continued to call out Carlson by directly comparing him to another known conspiracy theorist, Alex Jones.

On Sunday, Brian Stelter and Oliver Darcy aired a segment on Reliable Sources that compared the things Carlson has said in recent weeks to Jones, tying the two together both with their wild statements and their embracing fringe beliefs despite the consequences of those theories becoming mainstream.

The segment is pretty damning, and it went viral on Twitter and drew a new level of criticism of both Carlson and Jones. And it went viral amid a Daily Beast report that called Fox News “poison” for America and included quotes from a former executive, Preston Padden, who reportedly pled with Rupert Murdoch to recognize the dangers of some Fox News programming.

Over the past nine months I have tried, with increasing bluntness, to get Rupert to understand the real damage that Fox News is doing to America. I failed, and it was arrogant and naïve to ever have thought that I could succeed. I am at a loss to understand why he will not change course. I can only guess that the destructive editorial policy of Fox News is driven by a deep-seated vein of anti-establishment/contrarian thinking in Rupert that, at age 90, is not going to change.

In other words, nothing is expected to change anytime soon. Even if CNN continues to frame Carlson and his network as radically as its rhetoric continues to be.

Gorillaz leader Damon Albarn has a solo album, The Nearer The Fountain, More Pure The Stream Flows, on the way, as well as plans to tour in support of it. Before that, though, he’s releasing a concert film featuring some of the album’s songs, as he revealed in a trailer he shared today.

Aside from looks at the performance space and those who inhabit it, the video also offers a quick peek at a printed setlist, which features the album’s title track, “The Cormorant,” “The Tower Of Montevideo,” “Royal Morning Blue,” “Darkness To Light,” “Polaris,” and “Particles.” The performance is set to be shared tomorrow, July 6.

Albarn previously said of the album, “I organized musicians, string players, three bass trombones, some percussion, and keyboards into an interesting arrangement. […] I took some of these real-time, extreme elemental experiences [of Iceland] and then tried to develop more formal pop songs with that as my source. I wanted to see where that would take me. Sometimes it took me down to Uruguay and Montevideo. Other times I went to Iran, Iceland, or Devon. With travel being curtailed, it was kind of nice to be able to make a record that put me strangely in those places for a moment or two.”

Check out the teaser above.

The Nearer The Fountain, More Pure The Stream Flows is out 11/12 via Transgressive Records. Pre-order it here.

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

Although J. Cole’s basketball career is effectively over — for the time being, at least — that doesn’t mean he isn’t staying ready should he be bitten by the competition bug again. Legendary trainer Phil Handy (who goes by @94feetofgame on Twitter) posted evidence of the rapper turned hooper’s commitment to the grind, a video showing off one of the workouts Handy is putting him through alongside one of the trainer’s more successful clients, Lakers player Talen Horton-Tucker, who will begin his third season in October.

The #passion is real, the #work is real, the love for the #game is real and @JColeNC is a real student of the game,” Handy wrote. “Pulled up for a couple of days and got some work in with @Thortontucker … got out of his comfort zone and got better.”

Cole has been open about his basketball dreams since early in his career, using basketball imagery throughout his album artwork and promotions. In 2020, that interest kicked into high gear with the release of Cole’s basketball shoes with Puma. Then, ahead of his most recent album The Off-Season, he announced that he’d be joining the Rwanda Patriots of the newly formed Basketball Africa League. After three games, he completed the terms of his contract and returned home to the US, but that doesn’t mean he’s completely done playing just yet.

Watch the video of J. Cole’s workout with the Lakers’ Talen Horton-Tucker above.

Ever since video games started to really blow up in the 80’s there have been attempts to capitalize on that popularity with movies. How successful has that been? Let’s just say a mediocre movie is historically the grand standard of video game films. Some of the worst movies ever made have been based off of games and that’s unfortunate, because there are plenty of video game stories that could be told or expanded upon on a movie screen.

One of the most infamously terrible movies is the Super Mario Bros. movie. The movie had very little to do with the game, not that there’s much of a story to tell in Mario, and was so bad that Nintendo altogether just kind of avoided it. The closest Nintendo has ever come to film since has been the Pokémon franchise, but those have always felt like their own thing outside of Nintendo. When someone thinks of Nintendo they’re more likely to think of Mario, Donkey Kong, or Link ahead of Pikachu and friends.

Could we see those three, or other Nintendo stars, on a film screen again some day? It sounds like that’s a possibility! Recently Nintendo brought on Despicable Me producer and CEO of the animation studio Illumination, Chris Meledandri, to their board of directors so he can assist in what sounds a lot like movie production. Via IGN.

“The processes of making visual content and developing games share some of the same ways of thinking, but there are also differences. The movie business, including distribution, is in a period of transformation,” he explained. “We think that asking for Chris’ input, as an expert with many years of experience in Hollywood, will be of great help to us in the future.”

Considering Meledandri’s background, and a previous report from IGN that Nintendo is looking into making animated features that aren’t just Mario, we could have a Nintendo Cinematic Universe on our hands here. Of the money video game companies out there, few publishers have a library of IPs as expansive as Nintendo’s. The directions that they could take this are pretty vast, so it will be exciting to see how deep into their history Nintendo chooses to go on this.

On Sunday morning, the New York Times published a bombshell story about internal turmoil at ESPN over the past year after Rachel Nichols insinuated in a leaked conversation from the Orlando bubble that Maria Taylor was being given NBA Finals responsibilities over her because ESPN was so concerned about diversity.

It was a stunning story and one that led to many discussions about race, allyship, and issues within ESPN’s power structure, many of which were needed and important. It also led to people tweeting angrily at Nichols and in support of Taylor, but as so often happens in these instances, folks weren’t always keeping a close eye on the handle they were tweeting at.

There are two Rachel Nichols’ with large, verified Twitter accounts. ESPN’s Nichols has the @Rachel_Nichols handle, while actress Rachel Nichols has @RachelNichols1. You can probably guess where this is going, but on Monday, the latter Nichols awoke to check her Twitter after the weekend and found her mentions in absolute shambles, as she tried her best to explain that people had the wrong Rachel Nichols.

It is a highly unfortunate circumstance for the actress to find herself in, and surely scrolling through countless mentions of people calling you racist is probably a startling thing as you try to figure out why that’s happening. It’s surely not the first time this mixup has happened, but usually it’s probably getting yelled at about some basketball thing and easy to figure out that they’re mad at the wrong person. This time was far worse, though, and it’s a product of how Twitter has handles pop up to autofill as you type them, with people just clicking on a verified Rachel Nichols and assuming that’s the ESPN one. As always, double check the handle and bio before you send that tweet, because you might send someone into a spiral of confusion otherwise.

[h/t Awful Announcing]

Keeping up with the best new music can be exhausting, even impossible. From the weekly album releases to standalone singles dropping on a daily basis, the amount of music is so vast it’s easy for something to slip through the cracks. Even following along with the Uproxx recommendations on a daily basis can be a lot to ask, so every Monday we’re offering up this rundown of the best new music this week.

This week saw Taylor Swift re-connect with key Evermore/Folklore collaborators and G Herbo continue his ascent with his fourth album. Yeah, it was a great week for new music. Check out the highlights below.

For more music recommendations, check out our Listen To This section, as well as our Indie Mixtape and Pop Life newsletters.

Big Red Machine — “Renegade” Feat. Taylor Swift

There were signs last week that Taylor Swift was set to be featured on a new Big Red Machine song, and Swifties picked up on those hints quickly. Sure enough, it was quickly revealed that Swift will feature on a pair of songs from the Aaron Dessner- and Justin Vernon-led group, and one of them, “Renegade,” was shared in full. Given that Dessner and Swift (and Jack Antonoff) co-wrote Folklore and Evermore, it’s not surprising that the new song doesn’t sound too far removed from that material, albeit with a slightly more alternative slant.

Big Red Machine — “Latter Days” Feat. Anaïs Mitchell

“Renegade” was actually one of a trio of new Big Red Machine songs fans got to hear last week. There was also the Aaron Dessner solo cut “The Ghost Of Cincinnati” as well as “Latter Days,” the latter of which features Anaïs Mitchell (best known for her Tony- and Grammy-winning musical Hadestown). Mitchell took charge on the soft but powerful tune and her vocals paired gorgeously with Vernon backing her.

G Herbo — “You Can’t” Feat. Kid Laroi and Gunna

After gradually increasing his profile over the past half-decade, G Herbo made his return last week with his fourth album, 25, which includes highlights like The Kid Laroi and Gunna collab “You Can’t.” He explained the motivation behind the album when announcing it, saying, “I ain’t never seen myself going this far in life. […] Now that I’m 25, I feel like I’m at the top of my game. All the bad sh*t I’ve been through, that’s why I am the way I am. I always just kept my head high, staying 10 toes down […] I know it’s light at the end of the tunnel.”

Toosii — “Heart Cold”

Last month, Toosii earned one of the biggest honors that can be bestowed on a young rapper: He was named to this year’s edition of the famed XXL Freshmen list. The artist celebrated by agreeing to box one of his fellow inductees and, more recently, dropping a new song, “Heart Cold.” On the personal track, he addresses some past traumas, which have left his heart, yes, cold.

IDK and Young Thug — “Pradadabang”

At the end of this week, the world will have IDK’s anticipated sophomore album, USee4Yourself. Ahead of that, though, he offered a preview of it last week by linking up with Young Thug on “Pradadabang.” It’s a bouncy tune on which the two rappers lament their issues with women who are only in it for the money, a situation that presents more problems than benefits.

J Balvin and Skrillex — “In Da Ghetto”

Skrillex has been in a friendly mood in 2021, as he has dropped off collaborations with Four Tet, Swae Lee, and Dylan Brady of 100 Gecs. Now, his latest is with J Balvin on “In Da Ghetto.” Naturally, based on who’s behind the song, it combines reggaeton and electronic styles, and given that Balvin and Skrillex are among the best at what they do, it works here to great effect.

Logic — “Vaccine”

Logic didn’t exactly have time to move down to Florida for his short-lived rap retirement, as it only took him a handful of months to return to music. He came back with a new song last week, “Vaccine,” a hard-hitting two-minute track on which the rapper takes time to deliver rapid-fire flows and celebrate his return.

Lil Yachty — “Love Music”

Lil Yachty is often one to toot his own horn, but he takes a decidedly different tone on his latest. Instead of exuding confidence, “Love Music” is a more vulnerable number that sees Yachty reflecting on matters of the heart and his experiences with them

Rico Nasty — “Magic”

Rico Nasty has long been established as somebody who’s not going to fit in a box. She excels when it comes to rap, yes, but she’s especially capable in more pop-oriented realms as well. She shows off that side of her musicality on “Magic,” a club banger that’s full of catchy moments.

Snot — “Red”

Snot has shared a lot of visuals for tracks from his 2020 album Beautiful Havoc this year, but he returned with some fresh new music last week. The song is “Red,” and on it, he delivers a relaxed backing instrumental as he enjoys his success in a carefree way.

Janelle Monáe — “Stronger”

Not many artists can say they’ve collaborated with Barack and Michelle Obama, but now Janelle Monáe is sort of on that list: Her latest song, “Stronger,” comes from the Netflix series We The People, which is executive-produced by the former White House inhabitants. As Uproxx’s Rachel Brodsky notes, the song “rolls out with an up-stroked reggae rhythm, as the Dirty Computer singer waxes poetic about seeking solidarity in the face of adversity.”

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

Coldplay hail from the UK, but given the success they’ve had in the US over the decades, they celebrated the 4th Of July alongside their American friends. They did so yesterday by joining the Macy’s Fourth Of July Spectacular special to perform “Higher Power” in New York. In the pre-taped performance of the single (and of “Viva La Vida”), the band played as over 1,000 fireworks were set off on a barge in the East River behind the band.

The ticketed audience featured just 500 vaccinated fans, but as press materials note, in the hours before the taping, a crowd of about 8,000 people amassed to take in the performance. Press materials also say that off-camera, the band treated their audience to a set of favorites that included “Yellow,” “Clocks,” and “A Sky Full Of Stars.”

“One of those moments that we’ll always remember,” the band wrote of the performance on Instagram

Speaking of the band’s older material, the group recently expressed interest in re-working their album X&Y, with Guy Berryman writing in a Twitter Q&A, “I think we felt at times that it could benefit from a slight editing process, to the amount of songs and perhaps to the length of some of the songs.”

Watch Coldplay perform “Higher Power” above.

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

While 2021 has been relatively quiet for Charli XCX in terms of new music, she’s been hinting at some. In March, she declared, “Next album is gonna be POPTASTIC and I’m feeling v inspired.” In May, she was misidentified on a UK game show, which prompted her to comment, “ok guys… much needed mainstream album coming soon i promise.” Now, Charli has again dropped a breadcrumb about her upcoming material, getting more specific about when something may be released.

In a recent interview, Charli was asked if she’ll be releasing new music soon, and she responded, “I don’t know if the word is ‘soon,’ but I’m definitely in the studio working on things, and I would hope that I could be releasing some music this year. That’s my plan. Sort of not at the end of this year, but not, like, really soon. So, that’s the answer.”

So, it would seem that a fall release is possible for whatever it is Charli has been working on lately. There are some confirmed Charli endeavors for fans to look forward to, though, like her upcoming appearance on RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars and at festivals like All Things Go.

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

July 4 is a day of celebration in America, but it’s also a dangerous one that can lead to tragedy. Manmade fires spike each Independence Day, as do fireworks injuries and the sports world learned Monday of a terrible tragedy involving fireworks and Columbus Blue Jackets goaltender Matiss Kivlenieks.

Reports surfaced on Monday morning that Kivlenieks had died as the result of a fireworks accident, with initial reports indicating that he suffered head trauma attempting to get out of the way of errant fireworks. The news about the 24-year-old rookie, who played just two games for Columbus this season, rocked the hockey world ahead of what may be the decisive game in the Stanley Cup Final.

Reports after an autopsy, however, made the news more heartbreaking. According to the Associated Press, Kivlenieks died of chest trauma in the accident.

A medical examiner in Michigan says an autopsy has determined that Columbus Blue Jackets goaltender Matiss Kivlenieks died of chest trauma from an errant fireworks mortar blast, and not a fall as authorities previously reported.

Police in Novi, Michigan, said the mortar-style firework tilted slightly and started to fire toward people nearby Sunday night. The 24-year-old Kivleniek was in a hot tub and tried to get clear with several other people, police Lt. Jason Meier said.

It’s a tragic accident for sure, and a reminder of how moments of celebration can go wrong without proper care. The hockey world, both in Columbus and in his native Latvia, struggled on Monday to come to grips with losing someone so young, so suddenly.

[via AP]