Month: September 2021

With NBA training camps only a few weeks away, the Indiana Pacers will have to deal with some unfortunate injury news.

The team announced on Tuesday that forward T.J. Warren’s left foot stress fracture isn’t recovering as quickly as expected and he remains out indefinitely as a result. It’s unclear right now when exactly he’ll be able to return to the court.

Warren is a key part of the Pacers, so this is a blow. He was sensational during the NBA Bubble in Orlando, but only played in four games last season after suffering the stress fracture early in the year. He underwent surgery for the injury on Jan. 4 and hasn’t played since.

It’s too early to say if this will impact Warren’s entire season again, but it’s worth keeping an eye on as the 2021-22 campaign gets closer. He’s a much-needed wing scorer for the Pacers heading into their first year under Rick Carlisle. There’s not really anyone on Indiana’s roster that can replace what he does as a perimeter scorer, sans more responsibility being placed onto Caris LeVert. And if Warren is going to miss any significant time, it’s going to hurt his ability to get comfortable in Carlisle’s system and playing under him in general.

Over the course of its 25 seasons, The View has rotated through almost just as many hosts (so long, Meghan McCain). Part of the reason for that high rate of turnover could be that the women at the helm of the show not only seem to have differing opinions on just about every subject, including what color the sky is, but most of them don’t even seem to like each other very much. Yet on Tuesday morning, as the ladies officially kicked off the talk show’s 25th season, there was a general agreement amongst the panel that Texas’ new abortion ban, which flies directly in the face of Roe vs. Wade and a woman’s right to choose, is a terrible precedent—with co-host Joy Behar taking an exceptionally firm standpoint.

As The Wrap wrote:

The law bans abortions as soon as a fetal heartbeat can be detected, which is typically around six weeks. And, at six weeks, most women don’t know they’re pregnant yet. It also allows private citizens to sue abortion providers and anyone involved in facilitating abortions — including anyone who drives a woman to a clinic to get an abortion. As it stands, anyone who successfully prosecutes another person would win at least $10,000. And that particular aspect is where Behar took most issue.

“Well you know, they’re worried about the Taliban, and the Taliban women. Worry about Taliban in America because that’s what these guys are really,” Behar said.

While Behar might be overstating the fact—women under Taliban rule are often subjected to horrible violence and forced marriages; they’re also not allowed to leave their homes without a male companion and are required to cover their faces at all times, or else be publicly flogged—her point is well taken, and not so far off. While many Texas Republicans, including Ted Cruz, have largely remained silent in the wake of the state’s new abortion law, the senator/grotesque human being’s past actions speak for themselves. Just last year, Cruz was desperately trying to get the abortion pill banned in Texas.

Still, Behar’s co-host, lawyer Sunny Hostin—who thinks the decision will certainly lead to “terror against doctors” as well—doesn’t think the ban will have the legal legs to stand on when challenged, saying:

“If it gives anyone any solace, I do not think that this law will stand. Because it flies in the face of the constitution and a woman’s right to privacy. And people’s right to privacy. I think what we really need to be concerned about is the October term of the Supreme Court when Roe v. Wade is really going to be challenged.”

In the meantime, please refrain from ejaculating in the Lone Star State.

(Via The Wrap)

We’re a little more than a month away from the start of the 2021-22 NBA season and Ben Simmons is still a member of the Philadelphia 76ers. Despite the fact that Simmons has reportedly made clear that he has no intention of reporting to training camp, the Sixers have an exceedingly high bar that opposing teams need to clear, and so far, no one has gotten close.

The list of teams that have been tossed around in recent days have included the Sacramento Kings and Minnesota Timberwolves, but according to Marc Stein, the Cleveland Cavaliers are lurking. In the latest edition of his newsletter, Stein mentioned that the Cavs are doing what they can to be in the conversation for Simmons’ next team.

“The Committee liked the Cavaliers’ recent acquisition of Lauri Markkanen, even after the Cavs drafted Evan Mobley and re-signed Jarrett Allen, because they added Markkanen on a team-friendly contract that will be easy to trade if needed,” Stein wrote. “This is no small thing when league sources say that Cleveland continues to keep its hat in the ring to try to pry Ben Simmons from the Sixers.”

Cleveland is an interesting potential landing spot, as Evan Dammarell of Fear the Sword has reported that Simmons would be interested in getting the chance to go to a place where he’s the team’s clear-cut best player and getting to play alongside fellow Klutch Sports client Darius Garland. Like plenty of other potential landing spots, though, the questions that exist stem from whether or not the pieces the team already has clear the bar Philly wants — while a package centered around Collin Sexton, Kevin Love, and a boatload of picks works financially, that doesn’t really give the Sixers the level of players they want back in a deal. Remember, reports indicate that they refuse to entertain offers from Sacramento unless they include Tyrese Haliburton or De’Aaron Fox.

Perhaps the Cavs can eventually make something work, either because Philly lowers its asking price or Cleveland is able to get a third team in the deal. Training camp is looming, so maybe we’ll be able to get an answer soon.

For years, a homeless encampment has been growing on Apple property in San Jose, California, and the company is taking some unusual steps to remove it.

According to The Mercury News, dozens of people experiencing homelessness have set up shelter in broken down vehicles, RVs, and makeshift wooden structures on a vacant lot where Apple’s North San Jose campus will be built. Apple has been working with local government and non-profit organizations to figure out what to do about the camp.

The company has taken a hands-on approach by making each resident of the encampment an offer on the company’s dime: Nine months in a motel room plus 12 months of services to manage addiction, mental health, and long-term housing plans. The move is costing Apple millions of dollars, according to Andrea Urton, CEO of the non-profit HomeFirst, which has been working with Apple to help relocate the residents.

“I think the level of Apple’s involvement is amazing, to be quite frank,” Urton told The Mercury News. “They could just kick these people off, throw away their belongings and displace them. That’s not what they chose to do.”

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For people who don’t want to leave their RVs or other vehicles, an emergency safe-parking site will be provided by the city. Residents were also offered space at Boccardo Regional Reception Center, Santa Clara County’s largest homeless shelter.

A few residents have refused all of the offers, but 53-year-old Frank Pacheco told The Mercury News that his new motel room provided by Apple is “the best thing I could ever have.”

Pacheco has lived in an RV at the encampment for two years, after a work-related head injury impacted his job as a mechanic.

“It’s a wonderful thing that Apple’s doing for us,” he said. “They don’t have to do anything for us. They could just kick us off the property. They could just feed us to the wolves.”

Urton said that Apple’s funding also will provide residents with clothes, food, dental care—whatever they need—in the hopes that after nine months of housing and services some of them will be ready for employment. However, the cost of living in the area is one of the highest in the nation. While Apple contributing some of its substantial resources to directly address its local homelessness issue is admirable, it’s just one piece of a large, complex puzzle that’s going to require more long-term, sustainable solutions.

Long-term solutions to the homelessness crisis in the Bay Area and around the nation are not simple, however. Even the temporary solutions offered by Apple are not without controversy. According to the San Jose Spotlight, there have been an assortment of complaints regarding treatment of the homeless population during the clearing of the site, protests from local residents about individuals from the Apple site moving into their neighborhoods. Additionally, some activists are critical about Apple’s timeline for clearing the camp before the city had provided the safe parking area for those with vehicles to move to.

In 2019, Apple made a $2.5 billion pledge to address the housing and homelessness crises in the Bay Area, and had promised to make some of the land for its North campus available for affordable housing. However, progress has been slow on that front, which is unsurprising considering the upheaval of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The issue of homelessness is multi-layered and multi-faceted, and Urton points to Apple as a shining example of what companies can do for their part to contribute to solutions.

“If every company took responsibility for what’s happening with homelessness in their neighborhood,” Urton told The Mercury News, “I think we’d nail it.”

Crews Clear North San Jose Homeless Encampment on Apple Property

www.youtube.com

Joe Rogan says so much questionable stuff that he rarely actually gets called out. But last week he went to far. The NewsRadio alum-turned-podcast superstar announced that he’d somehow caught COVID after a year and a half of questioning its severity and spreading misinformation. In an Instagram video, he rattled off a slew of folk remedies he’d binged. Among them was Ivermectin, the parasite drug that is best known for treating horses and other farm animals. He got mocked bigly, by social media and medical experts alike. And that hurt his feelings so much that he’s toying with suing CNN.

On Tuesday’s episode of The Joe Rogan Experience, the former Fear Factor star was belittled by guest Tom Segura, who greeted his host by saying, “Well, well well, if it isn’t old ‘Horse Worm Rogan.’” Rogan clearly didn’t like being dragged for taking a drug despite warnings from public health officials, who’ve noted a massive uptick in Ivermectin-related poisonings. But Rogan’s beef wasn’t with internet chuckleheads. It was with the news outlets who reported on his drug intake disapprovingly.

“Bro, do I have to sue CNN?” Rogan said, making a solid claim for one of the most 2021 lines of 2021. He continued:

“They’re making s*it up! … They keep saying I’m taking horse dewormer. I literally got it from a doctor. It’s an American company. They won the Nobel Prize in 2015 for use in human beings and CNN is saying I’m taking horse dewormer. They must know that’s a lie.”

It’s true that the company did win the Nobel Prize in Physiology and Medicine in 2015. But as it so often is with Rogan, his intel was selectively chosen to bolster a dodgy argument. While versions of Ivermectin are used on humans, others are used to deworm livestock. Moreover, the FDA has sternly warned, again and again, that they have “not authorized or approved ivermectin for use in preventing or treating COVID-19 in humans or animals.” They have also, they said, “received multiple reports of patients who have required medical attention, including hospitalization, after self-medicating with ivermectin intended for livestock.”

But Rogan was still mad that he’d been painted negatively. “CNN was saying I am a distributor of misinformation,” he said. “I don’t know what’s going on, man. You know, there is a lot of speculation. One of the speculations involves the emergency use authorization for the vaccines. That, in order for there to be an emergency use authorization, there has to be no treatment for a disease.”

He also attacked the medical experts who’d attacked him, saying they were “pretending they don’t really work or they are conspiracy theories.”

But Rogan had his own theory on why he was torched for recklessly stumping for a potentially dangerous drug. “The grand conspiracy is that the pharmaceutical companies are in cahoots to try and make anybody who takes this stuff look crazy,” Rogan posited. “But what’s crazy is look how better I got [sic]! I got better pretty quick, bitch.”

The last time Rogan suffered a lot of heat was when he told his millions of listeners that young, healthy people don’t need a COVID vaccine. (Spoiler: They do.) He was a little more diplomatic then, admitting, “I say dumb s*it,” adding, “If you’re getting vaccine advice from me, is that really my fault?” Truly, touché.

You can watch the segment below.

(Via Mediaite)

Sexual assault is still a huge issue in this country and in the Lone Star State, one that’s been allowed to fester thanks to a poorly-equipped justice system and some sexist policing practices, but good luck explaining any of those nuances to Governor Greg Abbott. The Republican politicin held a press conference today, where he was questioned on the recent abortion ban his legislature was able to sneak through at the eleventh hour. The ban — which is the most restrictive abortion law in the country, prohibiting women from receiving care after their pregnancy hits the six-week mark and deputizing private citizens to not only report them but sue both patients and care providers they suspect are in violation of the law — makes no allowances for rape victims, effectively forcing them to carry unwanted pregnancies to term if they don’t seek treatment within the allotted time frame.

Now obviously this whole thing is messed up, but Abbott’s response to a reporter who asked why there was a need from lawmakers to force a victim of incest or rape to carry a pregnancy to term is perhaps the most bizarre comment we’ve seen from the guy so far. Abbott first addressed the question by explaining that the law gave ample time for women to make a decision.

“It doesn’t require that at all, obviously,” Abbott said. “It provides at least six weeks for a person to be able to get an abortion.”

Considering that, under the best and most normal circumstances, a woman might not even suspect she’s pregnant until six weeks — if not further into her first trimester — this answer is just wrong. But, when you remember that rape is a traumatic experience that involves more than just worrying if you might have a fetus inside you afterward, it feels completely ignorant. But look, we really shouldn’t worry about any of that because Abbott has a bigger plan: stop rape from happening in the first place.

“Let’s make something very clear,” he continued. “Rape is a crime and Texas will work tirelessly to make sure that we eliminate all rapists from the streets of Texas by aggressively going out and arresting them and prosecuting them and getting them off the streets.”

Riiiight. Considering Texas currently has a backlog of thousands of untested rape kits, and knowing the judicial system the way we do, we predict it’s highly unlikely that Texas will be free of rape in time for it to matter to the millions of women this abortion law harms. But whatever lets him sleep at night?

Miracle Workers: Oregon Trail (TBS, 10:30 pm) — Season 3 of this anthology series continues in 1844, when an idealistic preacher (Daniel Radcliffe) must join forces with a wanted outlaw (Steve Buscemi) as they set off on the eponymous trail by wagon. TBS suggests that the promise and peril that they encounter might remind us of our own times. Following the butt-shaking Radcliffe scene from a month or so ago, a blizzard presents dire circumstances for Ezekiel, Benny, and the farmers.

Stargirl (CW, 8:00pm) — Blue Valley’s also feeling the ominous weather pain while Pat and Courtney come to blows over Eclipso. Elsewhere, Cindy’s causing trouble.

UNTOLD: Breaking Point (Netflix film) — The destigmatization of anxiety is the name of the (sports) game here when it comes to the story of tennis figure Mardy Fish. From his quasi-humble days at the Saddlebrook academy to his rivalry with Andy Roddick to his near-miss with success (while gazing toward John McEnroe, Pete Sampras, and Andre Agassi), this documentary-series installment digs deep into how the formerly number-one ranked American male tennis player evaporated from the public eye. These days, Fish serves at the US Davis Cup and, on a daily basis, hopes to help other athletes who struggle with similar mental health issues.

Frontline: America After 9/11 (PBS, 8:00pm) — This special theorizes how 9/11 spawned mistrust and division in the United States, which seems almost (sad to say) civilized compared with 2021.

On the Verge (Netflix series) — Julie Delpy stars in this comedy that takes place in Los Angeles. Four women are (as the title indicates) “on the verge,” but it’s actually a heartwarming affair.

Supergirl (CW, 9:00pm) — Supergirl gets socially active in a significant way over an apartment building in the Heights, and she recruits Orlando for her cause.

The Late Show With Stephen Colbert — Steve Martin, Martin Short, Selena Gomez, The War On Drugs

Late Night With Seth Meyers — Molly Shannon, Regina Hall

The Late Late Show With James Corden — Patrick Stewart, Vance Joy

In case you missed this streaming pick from last Tuesday:

Only Murders In The Building: Season 1 (Hulu series) — Only a few short years ago, Selena Gomez stood awkwardly in a designer gown alongside t-shirt clad co-stars Adam Sandler and Kevin James at a photocall, and let’s just say that her current co-stars would never. Here, she stars alongside the legendary Steve Martin and Martin Short, and the three portray NYC neighbors who aim to unravel an apparent murder inside their apartment building. Yes, they’re all podcasting because everyone does it (duh), and before long, the killer might be after them, too. Martin hasn’t written a feature film since the Pink Panther movies and Shopgirl, and I don’t wanna come out and call this trio a “much cooler Three Amigos” update, but Martin wrote that, too, so why not?

Sometimes the best new R&B can be hard to find, but there are plenty of great rhythm-and-blues tunes to get into if you have the time to sift through the hundreds of newly released songs every week. So that R&B heads can focus on listening to what they really love in its true form, we’ll be offering a digest of the best new R&B songs that fans of the genre should hear every Friday.

Must of the world’s focus this week was on Drake’s new album Certified Lover Boy, and while that will certainly end up being the biggest release from this week, there are plenty of other records worth giving your ear to. Duckwrth arrived with his new project SG8* which came with help from Jordan Ward, Destin Conrad, and Phabo. Elsewhere, Blackground uploaded the official soundtrack to the 2000 film, Romeo Must Die which featured appearances from Aaliyah, Joe, B.G., Destiny’s Child, and more, while Bairi steps forward as the newest act to give your attention to with her ear-pleasing single, “Paraíso.”

Duckwrth — SG8*

A little over a year after he shared his fifth project, SuperGood, Duckwrth returned with a brand new batch of songs with SG8*. The new release is an eight-song extension of SuperGood and it makes for his third project in as many years thanks to help from Jordan Warn, Destin Conrad, and Phabo.

Various Artists — Romeo Must Die (Original Soundtrack)

After inking a deal with EMPIRE, Blackground Records, which is the former home of artists like Aaliyah, JoJo, and Tank, has spent the last few weeks placing albums by some of its artists on streaming services for the first time in decades. After uploading Aaliyah’s sophomore album One In A Million and multiple projects by Timbaland and Magoo, Blackground frees the original soundtrack for Romeo Must Die from captivity, allowing listeners to enjoy records from Aaliyah, Joe, B.G., Destiny’s Child, and many more.

Bairi — “Paraíso”

Bairi aligns herself with the 20-something-year-olds who are navigating their way through life while conquering the hills and valleys of life and love. Her latest single, “Paraíso,” is evidence of this journey. All in all, Bairi promotes inner divinity over inner demons and she does so over intoxicating production for a track that’s worth leaving on repeat.

Jenevieve — Division

Following a string of singles that helped the singer find her footing, Jenevieve arrives with her debut project, Division. The 12-track release blends vibrating synths and pop-esque production for a body of work that sees her pushing the boundaries of the genres that surround her. She also does it by herself as Divsion features no guest appearances from outside singers.

Kirby — “Coconut Oil”

Mississippi’s Kirby is back with a feisty groove on her new track, “Coconut Oil.” The new track comes after she released “Break Her Heart For Me” towards the end of August. “Coconut Oil” unveils the passionate energy between Kirby and a momentary lover. The steamy moments are captured by her hair dripping in coconut oil — one of many aspects that seems to leave her new love interest fixated on her.

James Vickery — “Hourglass” Feat. Yung Baby Tate

It was just a couple of months ago that British singer James Vickery released his project, Songs That Made Me Feel. Looking to give it another boost, he recruits Yung Baby Tate for a new take of “Hourglass.” Tate’s addition to the songs provides a woman’s point of view towards making the time spent in love worthwhile.

Kallitechnis & 23 Unofficial — “Outta My Way”

Earlier this year, Kallitechnis dropped off a pair of singles for her fans to enjoy. Months later, she returns with “Outta My Way” alongside East London rapper 23 Unofficial. The bouncy track looks to push past the difficult moments a couple finds themselves in. Kallitechnis begs for their cooperation, but in the end, she seems to be the one putting in the most work.

JMSN — Heals Me

JMSN is back with his first project since 2018’s Velvet. This time around, he touches down with a ten-track effort titled Heals Me. The singer is quite experimental throughout the 45-minute project with a major example being a clear influence from Latin sounds

Priya Ragu — damnshestamil

Swiss-Tamil R&B singer Ragu arrives with her excellent damnshestamil project, and it’s absolutely worth the listen. Keeping things brief at just ten songs, Ragu pulls from a number of genres for a body of work that highlights her versatility and ability to be a chameleon no matter the sonic backdrop that’s presented before her.

Adekunle Gold & Davido — “High”

After bringing his talents to the States with Lucky Daye on “Sinner,” Adekunle Gold heads back home to connect with Davido for their new song, “High.” The track is produced by Pheelz and will be found on Gold’s upcoming album. “I wanted to write a song about something that made you forget your worries,” Gold said about “High” in a press release. “This came with ease as most things do when you are grateful for life and living it on a high.”

Oxlade — “Ojuju”

Last month, producer Troniq joined forces with rising Nigerian afro-fusion singer Oxlade for their new EP, Eclipse. The project was a strong body of work highlighted by “Ojuju,” a record that I’ve fallen in love with over the past few weeks. Now, the pair returns with a music video for the track and it captures Oxlade’s struggles with love as it falls apart right before his eyes, leaving him to question if he’s the victim of bad luck or stuck in a cycle.

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

This week in pop music saw some energetic releases that previewed new eras of music. Charli XCX dropped her first solo single of the year, Rosalía returned with a hip-swinging tune, and Finneas offered another look at his upcoming LP.

Each week, Uproxx rounds up the best new pop releases. Listen up.

Charli XCX — “Good Ones”

Charli XCX officially kicked off a new era of music with the driving pop tune “Good Ones.” The singer uses the track as an opportunity to showcases her far-reaching vocal range, trading in the hyperpop heard on her last album How I’m Feeling Now for a more bubblegum pop sound. “The first single of my new chapter embraces all that my life has to offer in today’s world — fame, glamour, inner demons, and global hits,” Charli said about the track in a statement.

Rosalía, Tokischa — “Linda”

International pop star Rosalía teamed up with Dominican musician Tokischa this week for the irresistible collaboration “Linda.” Inspired by dembow and flamenco genres of music, the two singers’ rapid-fire lyrical delivery is accompanied by an infectious beat on rhythmic track.

Finneas — “The 90s”

Finneas gave his fans another preview of his upcoming debut album Optimist this week with the cerebral pop number “The 90s.” The slow-burning tune starts off as a tender reflection on fame in the era of the internet, picking up speed before a full-on EDM beat drops at the bridge.

Camila Cabello — “Million To One”

Camila Cabello‘s new movie Cinderella debuted on Amazon Prime this week, featuring the original song “Million To One.” The fluttering tune shows off Cabello’s powerhouse vocals, urging listeners that overcoming obstacles to achieve your dreams happens with unfettered persistence.

Little Mix — “Love (Sweet Love)”

Pop group Little Mix returned this week to fire off an empowering tune about self love. The now-trio’s new track “Love (Sweet Love)” details the importance of focusing your energy on pampering yourself over a pumped-up beat.

LANY — “Ex I Never Had”

LA trio LANY continue their streak of swooning pop anthems with the newly released album gg bb xx. LANY capped off the album rollout with the shimmering single “Ex I Never Had,” detailing a toxic relationship over a rolling, euphoric beat.

Jhay Cortez, Anuel AA — “Ley Seca”

Reggaeton superstars Jhay Cortez and Anuel AA teamed up for the fresh new single “Ley Seca” this week. Already racking up millions of streams, the laid-back single shows Cortez at his best, finding the perfect medium between a expressive Reggaeton track and a lo-fi pop tune. The song arrives on the Puerto Rican rapper’s anticipated album Timelezz, which sees collaborations with the likes of Myke Towers and Skrillex.

Priya Ragu — “Lockdown”

Trailblazer Priya Ragu pulls from her Sri Lankan roots and love of ’90s R&B for her captivating debut mixtape Damnshestamil. The project includes her shimmering single “Lockdown,” which was written during a time where she felt isolated from those around her. “This is the most pure and sacred work that I have ever put out into the world,” Ragu says about her mixtape. “I’ve carried it within me for a very long time until I found a way to translate it into these songs.

Sofi Tukker — “Sun Came Up”

featuring Chicago house producer John Summit “We made this song when we were deep in quarantine, while we were dreaming about the sun coming up, so to speak. We were dreaming about dancing with people again. It’s about being together, in darkness and in sunshine. And about being able to recall that experience over and over again in our imagination and memory.”

Baby Queen — “Fake Believe”

Musician Baby Queen has perfected her anti-pop star status with her debut mixtape The Yearbook. The mixtape’s track “Fake Believe” plays on the project’s coming-of-age theme, flexing Baby Queen’s finely tuned songwriting skills while crafting a cerebral-yet-catchy tune.

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

Keeping up with 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 Drake completely dominate the week and Charli XCX keeping busy as well. 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.

Drake — “Way 2 Sexy”

Two weeks ago, it was Kanye West dropping a new album and breaking a bunch of streaming records. Last week, it was Drake’s turn to do the same thing with Certified Lover Boy, which now has more single-day streams than any album ever in both Spotify and Apple Music history. The headlining track from the release was the viral “Way 2 Sexy” video, which has a lot going on, including a much-loved Kawhi Leonard cameo.

Meek Mill — “Blue Notes 2” Feat. Lil Uzi Vert

It may have felt like Drake was the only rapper who mattered last week (along with his CLB collaborators), but that’s not quite true. For example, Meek Mill popped up with “Blue Notes 2,” an upbeat nighttime track on which he’s joined by Lil Uzi Vert, who also came through to ride ATV’s and flash cash alongside him for the song’s visual.

Anderson .Paak — “Fire In The Sky”

Silk Sonic recently pushed their debut album back to 2022, but that doesn’t mean Anderson .Paak is putting the brakes on new music. As part of the soundtrack for Shang-Chi And The Legend Of The Ten Rings, .Paak dropped “Fire In The Sky,” which sees .Paak channeling his boundless energy into a soulful and romantic bedroom jam.

Petey — “We Don’t Need To Talk About It”

After delivering an impressive string of singles and EPs over the past couple years or so, Petey has finally arrived with his debut album, Lean Into Life. While a majority of the album’s songs are one fans have heard before, some of the fresh material is among the many highlights, such as “We Don’t Need To Talk About It,” a dynamic track that further illustrates Petey’s ability to combine tender and explosive moments on impactful songs that stick with you.

Little Simz — “Point And Kill” Feat. Obongjayar

Last week, Little Simz followed her 2019 commercial breakthrough Grey Area with her latest album, Grey Area. Among the highlights is the Afropop-influenced, Obonjayar-featuring track “Point And Kill,” which came accompanied with a video that, like Simz’s others, leaves viewers with something to think about, including how much they want whatever is coming next from Simz.

Jpegmafia — “Trust!”

Good news: Jpegmafia is going on tour this fall. Also good news: When he made that announcement last week, he did so by dropping a new single, “Trust!,” a frenetic tune that packs a lot into just about two minutes of runtime, featuring moments both rapid-fire and relaxing.

Finneas — “The 90s”

The 1990s is one of the most glorified and endlessly looked back upon decades ever, and that’s the topic of Finneas’ latest song and video, “The 90s.” Instead of classic Nickelodeon cartoons and Pogs, though, he yearns for how the lack of technological advancement (relative to today, that is) was a gift, as the internet and smartphones hadn’t yet made us accessible and trackable at all times.

Smoke Bulga — “Water Whip’n” Feat. Rick Ross

Smoke Bulga and Rick Ross have history, as the two linked up on 2010’s “We Made It.” A decade later, the pair is back together, as Bulga is a new signee of Ross’s “Maybach Music Group. To mark to occasion, the pair dropped a video for their collaboration “Water Whip’n,” the video for which sees the rapper celebrating as they begin a new journey together.

Charli XCX — “Good Ones”

Charli XCX has been teasing a new album for months now, and it appears she’s kicking off a new era with her latest single, “Good Ones.” While her recent output has skewed experimental, “Good Ones” is more of an in-your-face synth-pop affair that’s a reminder of just how well Charli can occupy every corner of the pop space.

Lady Gaga — “911 (Charli XCX And A.G. Cook Remix)”

“Good Ones” isn’t all Charli got up to last week. A few days ago brought the release of Lady Gaga’s Chromatica remix album, for which she recruited a roster of talented creators to re-work her latest record. In the mix, sure enough, was Charli, who contributed new vocals to her re-work of “911,” which she made alongside A.G. Cook.

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