Month: August 2021

The Killers aren’t usually a group that has a ton of features on their albums, but there’s at least one on the upcoming effort, Pressure Machine. The band shared the album tracklist yesterday, which revealed that Phoebe Bridgers guests on the song “Runaway Horses.”

Attentive fans have known about this Bridgers appearance for weeks now: When the album was initially announced, some pre-order pages included a mention of Bridgers being featured on the album. That cat was seemingly let out of the bag earlier than intended, though, as those pages were quickly updated to remove that information.

Bridgers has a bit of a pre-existing relationship with the band: Around this time last year, Bridgers and Flowers had a conversation for Interview Magazine. A year before that, Bridgers and Conor Oberst (collectively known as Better Oblivion Community Center) covered The Killers’ “Human.”

Drummer Ronnie Vannucci Jr. previously said of the upcoming album, “We were discussing [Flowers] moving to [Nephi, Utah] as a kid and being stuck in the middle of nowhere, and during COVID-19, it started to feel like we were all in the middle of nowhere.” Flowers added, “I discovered this grief that I hadn’t dealt with, many memories of my time in Nephi are tender. But the ones tied to fear or great sadness were emotionally charged. I’ve got more understanding now than when we started the band, and hopefully I was able to do justice to these stories and these lives in this little town that I grew up in.”

Pressure Machine is out 8/13 via Island Records. Pre-order it here.

On her new song “Walk The Beat,” genre-bending Philadelphia rapper Tierra Whack claims that she’s “versatile, so I can keep switching lanes,” and proves it, wrangling a house-influenced beat that would fit right in at a New York drag ball. Whack’s latest is an ode to “fashion shows, fancy clothes,” which fits right in with her unique sense of style as she name-checks designers like Raf Simons and Rick Owens.

Whack has kept up a trickle of new music in 2021, three years removed from her star-making EP Whack World. The slower pace suits her, as she fiddles with her sound to find the lanes she enjoys the most. In addition to appearing on Willow’s new album Lately I Feel Everything, Whack created a theme song for her hometown 76ers’ playoff run and “linked” with Lego for an imaginative video encouraging kids to embrace their creativity.

And although they don’t technically count as new releases, Whack certainly renewed the buzz around her name with a string of impressive freestyles earlier this year, employing both hip-hop classics like Onyx’s “Last Dayz” and Ludacris’ “Stand Up” and contemporary hits like CJ’s “Whoopty” to show off the dagger-sharp flow that made her one of rap’s most intriguing figures.

Listen to “Walk The Beat” above.

With its premiere just a little over a week away, Disney+ is getting MCU fans pumped for its new animated series Marvel’s What If…? But while the ambitious multiverse project is boasting a massive voice cast, one eagle-eyed Guardians of the Galaxy fan couldn’t help but notice that Dave Bautista‘s name is missing. Granted, the series couldn’t get every MCU actor. Despite reports to the contrary, Robert Downey Jr. is not reprising his role of Iron Man for the series. Brie Larson, Tom Holland, and Chris Pratt are also sitting What If…? out.

However, when asked by the curious fan on Twitter why he’s not voicing Drax in What If…?, Bautista’s response seemed a tad disgruntled: “Let’s start with I was never asked,” he tweeted back.

Bautista’s response seemingly caught Guardians of the Galaxy director James Gunn by surprise, as he hopped into the thread to drop a “What.”

It’s an interesting wrinkle for Bautista’s relationship with Marvel going forward. The actor has previously said that he’s done playing Drax after Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, and Bautista seems to hang part of that reason on Marvel’s lack of interest in a Drax and Mantis spin-off film that Gunn pitched the studio. “I mean, as far as my obligations, I’ve got Guardians 3, and that’s probably going to be the end of Drax,” he told Digital Spy back in May.

Here’s the official synopsis for Marvel’s What If…?:

“What If…?” flips the script on the MCU, reimagining famous events from the films in unexpected ways. Marvel Studios’ first animated series focuses on different heroes from the MCU, featuring a voice cast that includes a host of stars who reprise their roles.

Marvel’s What If…? starts streaming August 11 on Disney+.

(Via Dave Bautista on Twitter)

After a bunch of not-so-subtle hints, it looks like The Weeknd is ready to kick off his post-After Hours era. He teased nearly two minutes of new music in a video yesterday, and now he’s unveiled even more of the song. Furthermore, he revealed that it’s called “Take My Breath” and that it’s set to drop this Friday, August 6.

The song scores a new ad for NBC’s coverage of the 2020 Olympics, specifically some track and field events. Although the ad reveals the name of the song, compared to the previous teaser, it’s a less substantial preview of the actual music, although it shows off what sounds like the hook, which the teaser did not.

In an interview from last September, The Weeknd indicated that the album he was working on at the time was cinematic in nature, saying, “I’m guilty of wanting to outdo my last album, but it’s never like, ‘I’ve got to do the same type of song.’ I’m so happy I’m not like that. My palette is so wide. […] I’m trying to find a perfect balance with the film and the music, and so far it’s going really well. I think I might have cracked the code.”

Check out the ad above.

The grand tradition of “jacked” photos from actors who play superheroes means that everybody wins. The Rock might be the king of these, given that he’s jacked on every occasion but particularly so while rolling out his recent Black Adam look. Jensen Ackles begrudgingly jumped into the jacked-photo game for The Boys (he’ll play Soldier Boy, a Cap type), and so on. For Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II will return as Black Manta, now the biggest bad for the sequel, and to play that role, one must be jacked.

However, Yahya didn’t step up to the jacked mat early, unlike Momoa (who, like The Rock) is almost always jacked, and unlike Amber Heard, who did the lady-jacked thing to show off her own sequel prep for the Queen Mera role. Instead, the actor who most recently portrayed Dr. Manhattan bided his time and kept his game under wraps. He posted the opposite of a jacked photo to share script prep, but now, he’s ready. And that’s a good thing, since filming is well underway.

“Back Under Construction! #Aquaman2” the Candyman star wrote on Twitter. It must be noted that he went with an artsy, black-and-white filter, and it’s working.

Let’s get completely real here, though. Not every jacked photo can be as classy as this one. Yahya can also do the more traditional Instagram poses, too. Here he is while “kickin back, chillin, and celebrating the wins” of a long work week in July. More screentime for Black Manta is something that the fans will never be mad to see.

Aquaman II arrives on December 16, 2022.

It all started with drunk DMs.

In April, Lizzo had some beverages and proceeded to send some messages to Chris Evans on Instagram. From there, the two forged a friendship, and it seems now that things have been taken to a new level (but not really). Lizzo revealed that she’s pregnant with Evans’ baby (but not really) and he continues to play along.

Over some music from Captain America: The First Avenger, Lizzo said in a recent TikTok video, “This is something that I’ve been really trying to keep personal and private between me and the father of my child, but since we’re airing out all the rumors today, I’ve been sucking in. We’re gonna have a little America!”

A few days later, Lizzo shared a screenshot of a message from Evans, who wrote, Hi! Just heard about our little bundle of joy [crying laughing emoji] my mother will be so happy lol.” He added in another message, “(Just promise me no gender reveal parties lol).”

To recap the Lizzo/Evans situation that led to this, Lizzo sent Evans a drunk DM, he was a good sport about it, and the two seem to have maintained a social media relationship from there.

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

Pam and Tommy is one of the most-anticipated shows of 2022, at least for those of us who had a favorite “Tool Time Girl.” The Hulu original stars Lily James as Baywatch actress Pamela Anderson and Sebastian Stan as Mötley Crüe drummer Tommy Lee, and follows their relationship from the highs (getting married less than a week after they met) to the lows (having their sex tape stolen and distributed across the globe).

Stan was relieved when the first photos of him as Lee were released — I’m guessing James was equally pleased when Pam and Tommy wrapped filming last week, considering the amount of time it took to cosplay as Pamela Anderson every day:

Lily James’ transformation into Pamela Anderson on Hulu’s Pam and Tommy took “anywhere from three to five hours of hair and makeup every morning before we even started filming,” revealed Barry Lee Moe, hair department head for the limited series.

Nearly everyone in the cast, including James, Seth Rogen (as Rand Gauthier, the guy who stole the sex tape), Nick Offerman, Taylor Schilling, and Andrew Dice Clay, wore a wig, with one exception. “Sebastian is the only one who doesn’t wear a wig,” Moe said. “We had a keratin treatment done, and we colored it every few weeks.”

But it took at least six hours daily to get the nipple rings on.

Pam and Tommy will “hopefully” premiere in February 2022.

(Via Variety)

The two top-ranked men’s basketball teams in the world met on Tuesday in Tokyo in quarterfinals action, as the USA went up against Spain in a familiar matchup, but one that is typically reserved for the medal rounds. The Americans took an early lead, but Spain would follow a massive 13-point first quarter from Ricky Rubio to take a 21-19 advantage into the second quarter, signally early on that this would be a hard fought game for both sides.

The Americans got down by as many as 11 in the second quarter as Spain’s offensive onslaught continued, this time led by Sergio Rodriguez (10 first half points) and their interior duo of Victor Claver and Willy Hernangomez, who dominated on the glass and in the paint. However, Team USA finally started to get some ball movement and attack downhill after a 3-for-15 start to the game from three-point range, going on a big run to close the gap and tie it going into halftime at 43-43.

Leading the way in the first half for the Americans was Kevin Durant, who had a pair of big dunks on his way to 12 first half points, with Zach LaVine chipping in seven to help get the game back to level for the second half.

The Americans kept their foot on the gas to start the third quarter, running out to a 16-point lead midway through the quarter as Durant stayed hot, scoring 13 in the third to outscore Spain by himself.

Aside from a red-hot KD, the catalyst for the USA run was a much better defensive effort, as they closed off driving lanes, forced turnovers, and didn’t allow a field goal from Spain for almost six minutes to start the third.

However, as was the case in the first quarter, Rubio was the only player from Spain who could consistently do much of anything on offense, and he erupted for 14 points in the third to keep Spain attached, dueling with Durant and not allowing the Americans to run away completely. As the third quarter ended, Spain found itself down just six thanks to Rubio’s heroics and a cold spell from Team USA.

To start the fourth quarter, Durant stayed on the bench, but Team USA was still able to increase their lead thanks to some timely threes from Damian Lillard and Jayson Tatum, as the Americans seemed to pry the lid off the rim that had seemingly existed for everyone other than Durant and LaVine for the first three quarters. In short order, the lead had been extended back to 15, but then, once again, Ricky Rubio took over and steadily pulled Spain back within single digits.

However, Rubio, who finished with 38 points (a new record for an individual against Team USA), simply didn’t have enough help offensively, as Sergio Rodriguez (16 points) was the only other real positive offensive presence for Spain on the night. Those two combined to go 19-of-30 from the field (7-of-13 from three), while the rest of Spain was just 10-of-34 from the field (0-of-10 from three) in what became a 95-81 win for the Americans.

On the other side, while Durant led the way with 29 points, it was a much more balanced effort offensively, as five players finished in double figures for Team USA — Tatum (13 points), Holiday (12 points), Lillard (11 points), and LaVine (10 points). The three-point shooting improved dramatically in the second half after missing some good looks early, but it started with better defense and getting downhill first to create looks inside and on the perimeter.

Next up for the Americans in the semifinals is the winner of Australia and Argentina in a matchup of teams that Team USA played in exhibition action in Las Vegas prior to the Olympics.

Matt Damon is attempting to set the record straight on his “f-slur” controversy. Over the weekend, Damon mentioned in an interview that his daughter apparently helped him realize that he should stop saying a homophobic slur. The quotes came amid promotion of his work in Stillwater, saying that “months ago” his daughter wrote a “treatise” that explained “how that word is dangerous.”

Reaction to that interview was mostly confusion, as he implied it was a recent revelation that hate speech isn’t exactly cool. Which has led to Damon speaking out on the matter again this week. In a statement to Variety on Monday, Damon clarified that he had not “retired” the phrase recently and was simply trying to “contextualize” the “progress” that had been made in discourse with the anecdote.

“I have never called anyone ‘f****t’ in my personal life and this conversation with my daughter was not a personal awakening. I do not use slurs of any kind,” Damon continued. “I have learned that eradicating prejudice requires active movement toward justice rather than finding passive comfort in imagining myself ‘one of the good guys’. And given that open hostility against the LGBTQ+ community is still not uncommon, I understand why my statement led many to assume the worst. To be as clear as I can be, I stand with the LGBTQ+ community.”

Damon attempted in his statement to clarify that he was not still using the term before his daughter’s interaction, but that it was supposed to be a positive statement about the way societal norms have evolved. He noted that he’d heard the word used on the streets of Boston growing up before he knew what it meant, which had made his daughter upset and led to their conversation he later recalled during the interview.

“To my admiration and pride, she was extremely articulate about the extent to which that word would have been painful to someone in the LGBTQ+ community regardless of how culturally normalized it was. I not only agreed with her but thrilled at her passion, values and desire for social justice.”

Despite that, Damon did say he understood that what showed up in the story “led many to assume the worst” and led to the outcry he addressed with his statement on Monday.

[via Variety]

As is often the case, the first day of NBA Free Agency was an utter frenzy on Monday. Names like Chris Paul, Norm Powell, Jarrett Allen and Duncan Robinson stayed home, with Kyle Lowry, Evan Fournier and others finding work elsewhere. It was a highly entertaining evening but, even amid a flurry of movement, there are plenty of names still on the board for intriguing teams with flexibility.

To that end, we’ve put together a list of the best remaining free agents as day two approaches. Things can move quickly, though, so don’t be surprised if a few of these players don’t last long.

Kawhi Leonard

The rest of this list will proceed in alphabetical order, but we have to start with Kawhi Leonard. All signs point to Leonard returning the Clippers, barring a major shock, and he won’t be available for much of the 2021-22 season. Still, he’s the only superstar on the list, and it speaks to his overall appeal that teams would move heaven and earth to acquire him… even with a long-term injury.

John Collins

Collins is a restricted free agent and, for the most part, reporting seems to indicate a likely return to Atlanta. That could happen with either an agreement or a matched offer sheet, but Collins is a tremendous offensive big man with the ability to roll to the rim and also space the floor as a shooter. Moreover, he impressed evaluators with his improved defense during Atlanta’s run to the Eastern Conference Finals, and Collins is in for a large payday. The big question is at what exact price?

DeMar DeRozan

Rumors have swirled around DeRozan in recent weeks, but there isn’t an incredibly obvious landing spot. On one hand, he is a talented shot creator that can take (and make) the attempts that teams need at the end of the shot clock. He’s also a strong passer and has quality size and veteran savvy. In contrast, he’s a limited defender and his lack of three-point shooting makes him a tough fit in some places. His market will be fascinating.

Spencer Dinwiddie

If healthy, Dinwiddie is a quality starter with the ability to average 20 points per game on solid efficiency. At this stage, he is presumed to be ready to play after missing an extended period of time this season, but Dinwiddie’s asking price seems to be quite high, by his own admission. He is also perhaps hurt by early movement on the guard market and he could be squeezed as a result.

Danny Green

Die-hards love Danny Green for his transition defense, intelligent approach and overall usefulness. He’s not quite the same guy that was an uber-elite role player a few years ago, but any contender should be calling him and seeing what it would take to find an agreement.

Josh Hart

Hart is a lot less sexy than some of the names on this list. He’s also a very strong role player at the age of 26, and Hart would fit in just about anywhere. He’s a restricted free agent after receiving a qualifying offer from the Pelicans, but New Orleans is in flux and he could be gettable. A team might find a steal in the coming days.

Talen Horton-Tucker

Because he fell into the second round of the 2019 NBA Draft before flashing considerable upside, Horton-Tucker hits restricted free agency at the ripe age of 20. That is fairly absurd, in all reality, but Horton-Tucker is still more potential than he is a proven commodity. There could be rebuilding teams interested in his services, but the Lakers almost assuredly want to keep him in Los Angeles if they can.

Reggie Jackson

We are only weeks away from the 2021 NBA Playoffs, when Reggie Jackson averaged 17.8 points per game and shot 40.8 percent from three on high volume for the Clippers. It is probably fair to say that isn’t totally reflective of a new normal for Jackson, but he deserves credit for overhauling his jumper and Jackson was incredibly value for Los Angeles in the postseason. He made himself some money, and we’ll see which team is paying it.

Lauri Markkanen

Markkanen may not deserve to be on this list when accounting for only his on-court contributions last season. However, he’s still a big name as a former lottery pick, and one school of thought is that he could be a “second draft” candidate after floundering in Chicago. Regardless, it is easy to see a team giving him a substantial contract and hoping to tap his potential as a versatile big.

Patty Mills

Mills will be 33 years old later in August, and he is sometimes a forgotten man. Then, he always seems to remind people of his intrigue when playing for his home country of Australia in international competition. In addition, Mills is a proven shooter and a beloved veteran that would fit snugly on a title-contending team and rumor has it just about everyone with a taxpayer mid-level is interested in bringing him on board.

Kelly Oubre Jr.

The 2020-21 season was weird for both Oubre and the Warriors. He isn’t a great fit in their free-flowing system but, previous to his stop with Golden State, Oubre proved he could score, defend enough to get by, and provide high-end flashes on both ends. Perhaps he could return to the Warriors, but another team might buy his tools and age (25) on the wing.

Dennis Schroder

Remember when Schroder turned down $84 million from the Lakers? It seems like a long time ago, but it really wasn’t. At any rate, his market is tough to gauge, and a return to Los Angeles, at least for big money, doesn’t seem to be in the cards with Russell Westbrook in town. His next steps will be fascinating.