Month: October 2021

Phoebe Bridgers had a frustrating experience last weekend: She performed at the Austin City Limits Festival, but at the very end of her set, the sound was cut off, despite her going just a minute over her allotted time. Her response? “lol f*ck acl,” she wrote in a now-deleted tweet.

Now, the festival has gone ahead and offered Bridgers an apology, which she has accepted.

In a statement shared with the Austin American-Statesman, festival organizers said:

“Unfortunately, due to a miscommunication on stage by ACL Festival personnel, the sound on the final song of [the] Phoebe Bridgers set was cut off during her ACL Fest weekend two performance. We wish this had not happened and extend our apologies to Phoebe. After positive conversations between festival organizers and the artist about the situation, ACL Fest has made a donation to Texas Abortion Funds to show our support for Phoebe and an organization close to her heart.”

Bridgers had a simple response, tweeting, “Thank you.”

Meanwhile, there’s more good Bridgers news today. At the top of October, Bridgers shared a cover of Bo Burnham’s “That Funny Feeling,” which she has been performing on her current tour. Fans really ate up the studio version, as it was the fourth best-selling song of this past tracking week, Billboard says. Bridgers had another short-and-sweet response to that news: “whoa.”

For the first time, former Dancing with the Stars host Tom Bergeron is opening up about the circumstances that led to him being fired from the show alongside Erin Andrews. The two were replaced by Tyra Banks for Season 29, and the way Bergeron tells it, he wasn’t exactly surprised by the news.

While sitting down for Bob Saget’s Here For You podcast, Bergeron revealed what was happening behind the scenes during what became his final season. Via PEOPLE:

“In all candor, the show that I left was not the show that I loved,” Bergeron told Bob Saget. “So at the end of the season that turned out to be my last season, I kind of knew. I took everything out of my dressing room that I really wanted. … It was kind of obvious that we were kind of butting heads [behind-the-scenes]. It wasn’t a pleasant [experience].”

One of those issues was Bergeron’s criticism of the show for bringing on former Trump White House press secretary Sean Spicer. “They’re entitled to do the show the way they think is best. And so I look back at the time I spent there with really great fondness for the vast majority of it,” Bergeron told Saget.

In the end, Bergeron revealed that he actually enjoyed being fired. “So there was no blue period,” he said. “I think Erin and I had more fun being fired than virtually anybody.”

(Via PEOPLE)

Megan Fox and Machine Gun Kelly officially went public with their relationship in 2020 and have been making headlines for turning heads with their PDA ever since. While Fox has made it clear their relationship is intensely passionate, comparing it to a tsunami and a forest fire, the two also detailed some of the more tender moments in their love life in a recent interview — like their first kiss.

The couple sat down with British GQ for a joint cover interview about being “Hollywood’s hottest new power couple.” During the conversation, the two detailed the beginning of their relationship. After meeting on the set of Midnight In The Switchgrass, Fox and Kelly would text all the time. Eventually, their text conversations turned into three-hour phone calls. “Did you ever talk to a girl for three hours on the phone in your whole life?” Fox teased Kelly in the interview. “Were you like, ‘How the f*ck am I going to talk to her?’”

Kelly responded to Fox’s quip by recalling their first kiss. “It felt like five minutes, so it didn’t even feel like three hours,” he said. “Even our first kiss, she wouldn’t kiss me. We just put our lips right in front of each other and breathed each other’s breath and then she just left.”

Fox added that her reason for resisting the kiss came from her wanting to protect her heart, even though she knew she was already falling hard. “[I was] definitely open [to] love, but I did not anticipate walking right into my soulmate like that,” she said. “I was obviously over the way I had been living, and those paths lined up, those doors opened. It was [as if] all the obstacles that had kept us apart all those years [had been removed] and we were able to finally intersect.”

The couple also described their first date, which sounds like a scene from a teenage coming-of-age film. Kelly picked up Fox in a convertible Cadillac and they listened to Ella Fitzgerald as they drove to a canyon’s edge. A friend was waiting with a picnic in hand and a blanket with a “sea of roses.” The date ended with them going on a rooftop, listening to pop-punk, and making out.

Check out the full British GQ cover story here.

JR Smith’s career as a college golfer officially began on Monday with the first two rounds of the Elon Phoenix Invitational in Burlington, North Carolina. After a solid start to his first round, things unraveled a bit on his way to an opening 83, which he followed up with a 78 in the second round later in the afternoon.

On Tuesday, Smith was back on course for third round action with the North Carolina A&T Aggies, starting his day on the back nine. Smith made par on his first two holes of the day before arriving at the 12th hole where disaster struck in the form of a yellow jacket attack after he stepped on a nest, requiring medical attention after he was stung a number of times.

Luckily, Smith was able to continue playing and didn’t seem too much the worse for wear, although he was surely feeling those stings on his ankles as the round continued. JR would double the 12th and go on to shot 81 in the third round, as he gets his first taste of tournament golf this week. It’s not been the start Smith was hoping for — and, hopefully, this will be the only tournament that features a yellow jacket swarm attacking him — but he is gutting through it and will have lots to learn from, including the need to be careful about where he’s stepping on these North Carolina golf courses.

While there’s no denying that streaming has become a major part of internet culture and — for 140 million Twitch users a month — a major part of our day-to-day lives, there still seems to be a lot of intrigue and even confusion around the topic. I mean, for starters, why do we like watching other people play games we could, in theory, play ourselves? What makes for a successful streamer? And, perhaps most importantly, just why is streaming so important? We here at UPROXX Edge decided to find the answers to these questions.

In this episode of Recon, AJ Lodge and I are sitting down to share with you our thoughts on streaming and how it can be a force for good. From providing audiences with a place to feel at home as they riff over games alongside friends, to creating an online arena where fans can come together to cheer on their favorite esports stars and speedrunners as they shatter records and set new high scores, streams are a space where communities are created and nurtured. They also act as a place for marginalized identities to find like-minded peers and content creators with whom they can identify and feel safe.

However, it’s also important to note that Twitch and other streaming services aren’t just about video games! There are plenty of cosplayers, podcasters, artists, and musicians around that bring new, exciting, and dare we say even educational content to millions at home every day. And I haven’t even mentioned how streaming has also become a fantastic way to raise money and support for worthwhile causes all across the globe!

If all this has you wanting to give streaming a try yourself, we end with a few pieces of advice and encouragement for aspiring streamers. Be sure to give the show a watch above and comment on some of your favorite streamers who deserve some love below.

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.

This week, Masego leads the way with his latest single, “Garden Party.” It’s a sultry and melodic release that finds life in the growing romance between two lovers. Tone Stith also delivers a song of his own with “I Don’t Wanna,” a track that’s set to appear on his upcoming project, Still FWM?. Speaking of projects, RINI arrives with his debut album Constellations. Complete with appearances from Wale and Maeta, it’s a 12-track effort that listeners will surely enjoy.

Masego, Big Boi & JID — “Garden Party”

Masego is getting back to work after a few months off and his return to action comes with his brand new single, “Garden Party.” The track invites two lyricists from rap’s modern and past generations, JID and Big Boi, for a sultry and melodic tune that finds its place in the middle of a party filled with romance and a battle of the bands. The track comes after he shared his Studying Abroad: Extended Stay back in May.

RINI — Constellations

Since the release of his 2018 EP, After The Sun, Australian-born and LA-raised singer RINI has been worthy of attention from R&B lovers. Highlights like “Aphrodite” and “Good Intentions” made it easy to fall in love with the singer. RINI supplies another example of great music with his debut album, Constellations, a project that arrives complete with 12 songs and features from Wale and Maeta.

Tone Stith — “I Don’t Wanna”

With his upcoming project Still FWM?, a presumed extension of his 2020 release FWM, on the way, Tone Stith returns with “I Don’t Wanna.” Stith’s majestic vocals are once again at the forefront as he finds himself begging for the presence of his lover. Patience is not something he has so he calls for them to quickly make their way over to him for a night of love and intimacy.

Juls — Sounds Of My World

Two years after hitting the world with Colour, British-Ghanian producer Juls is back to work with his latest full body of work, Sounds Of My World. The 15-track project comes attached with guest appearances from Wizkid, Jaz Karis, Fireboy DML, Mannywellz, Prettybou D-O, Oxlade, Tay Iwar, and more.

Koffee — “West Indies”

Koffee had a phenomenal entry to the music world back in 2019 thanks to records like “Toast” and “W” with Gunna. Her excellence continued last year with singles that included “Lockdown” and “Pressure.” She’s back in 2021 with her latest release “West Indies,” meaning all of that could change very soon.

Keith Sweat — “Can’t Nobody” Feat. Raheem DeVaughn

When it comes to R&B, Keith Sweat and Raheem DeVaughn are two people you can guarantee to arrive with a very solid song for you to enjoy. That’s exactly what the duo did on their latest release, “Can’t Nobody.” The spirited release finds both acts professing their trust and love in their partner while making it clear that “can’t nobody tell me sh*t about my baby.”

Robert Glasper, D Smoke & Tiffany Gouche — “Shine”

Last year, Robert Glasper called on HER and Meshell Ndegeocello for their amazing single, “Better Than I Imagined.” This time around, Glasper looks to work this same R&B magic with Tiffany Gouche and a little help from rapper D Smoke. Together, the trio touches down with “Shine,” a jazzy record propelled by a slick verse from D Smoke and warm vocals from Tiffany Gouche.

Kallitechnis — Because It Feels Good

After starting things off with “Outta My Way” with British rapper 23 Unofficial, singer Kallitechnis arrives with her new EP Because It Feels Good. It’s her follow-up to her 2020 EP Blends Vol. II, and this time around, she lets her vocals fly across six songs that also deliver additional guest appearances from ROMDerful, Jarreau Vandal, Kofi, Scott Quinn, Maths Time Joy, and Loxe.

Zlatan — “Ale Yi”

Nigeria’s own Zlatan has continued to deliver strong contributions to the afrobreats world in 2021. From his Mainland To Island EP with Oladips this past spring to his “Alubarika” with rising artist Buju, Zlatan’s consistency is something to note this year and it continues with his latest drop, “Ale Yi,” a song that’s guaranteed to have you dancing.

Mayorkun — “Back In Office”

Nearly three years after he released his debut full-length project, Mayor Of Lagos, Mayorkun makes his return to the music world official with “Back In Office.” The track is the latest single off his upcoming second album, which is also titled Back In Office, and it’s set to release on October 29. Until then, you can watch the music video for the new song and stay tuned for more about Back In Office.

Jordan Ward — Remain Calm

Jordan Ward is someone I first discovered back in 2017 thanks to “Lalaland,” the highlight record from his EP A Peak At The Summit. Almost four years later, Ward is still moving full steam ahead with his latest project, Remain Calm. The project arrives with five songs that find him moving towards a greater good as well as being “new” and renewing oneself day in and day out.

Ilham — “Gang Signs”

Moroccan-born and a resident of New York’s Queensbridge borough, Ilham arrives fresh off her signing to Def Jam with her brand new single, “Gang Signs.” The track dives into the uncertainty that a relationship presents both sides are afraid to show their true emotions to each other. “’Gang Signs’ is about loving someone, wanting to ride or die for someone, wanting to fully be immersed in someone’s world, but then also having a protective wall that doesn’t allow the both of you to fully give in,“ said Ilham of her endearing new track.

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

Donald Trump hasn’t announced if he’s going to run for president again in 2024, but it seems like an inescapable possibility. He’s already teasing a new campaign slogan — “Make America Great Again, Again” — and holding campaign-style rallies in red states.

Jon Stewart thinks we should be ready for the inevitable.

“I think he’s got it. He’s got a very good chance. And they’re smarter about it,” he said over the weekend at The New Yorker Festival. “The danger of the coup — again, Jan. 6 is the TV event moment of it. It’s the special that came out. And that’s what all the TV networks were focused on.” Trump is “brilliant at understanding what will drive the television narratives,” The Problem with Jon Stewart host noted, and the ratings prove it.

Stewart laid out his theory for how it could happen:

“What I think they really learned from this exercise was there are really specific pivot points within the American electoral system,” he elaborated. “And those pivot points are generally the administration of elections run by partisans, but not ideologues. In other words, a lot of those, a lot of the real mechanics and logistics of elections are run by Democrats or Republicans, partisans, but they are administrative positions. If he can replace the administrative functionaries with ideologues, he’s removed almost all of the guard rails that stopped this present one.”

Stewart thought Trump would disqualify himself with everything he said and did before the 2016 election, but “for those of us who have been in New York, we probably saw like, if nothing else, the dude’s resilient. Like very few people can bankrupt that many things and still continue on with that kind of success.” Just not as much success as before.

(Via the Hill and Raw Story)

Over the past two years or so, Justin Bieber has perpetuated a fake feud with Tom Cruise. Now, things have been taken to a new level, as he attempted to have a fake feud with a fake Tom Cruise.

There’s a popular TikTok account that shares deepfake videos of Tom Cruise, created by visual and AI effects artist Chris Umé and Cruise impersonator Miles Fisher. The account has been profiled by outlets like CNN and the videos routinely rack up tens of millions of views.

Anyway, Bieber recently stumbled across an August upload of the fake Cruise playing guitar and singing a song about social media. Bieber shared the clip on his Instagram Story and wrote (as The Daily Dot notes), “@tomcruise I’m impressed with your guitar skills, But you could still catch these hands my boy.” He then added, “ALL JOKES ASIDE @tomcruise your shredding on that guitar.” Bieber even went as far as performing a brief cover of the song.

A couple hours later, Bieber realized he had been duped, as he deleted his posts and wrote, “That’s not really Tom Cruise? Lol, oh well, still hilarious.”

Umé previously noted that his intention with the Cruise videos isn’t to trick people, telling NBC News earlier this year, “The important thing is, we didn’t want to fool people at any moment. If I can help in creating awareness, or even work on detection in the future, I would love to.”

One of the breakout stars of the 2021 NBA Playoffs was Terance Mann, as the Clippers young wing stepped into a major role for L.A. in their run to the Western Conference Finals after Kawhi Leonard suffered an ACL injury.

Mann averaged 7.6 points and 2.7 rebounds per game in the postseason, showing that he could produce in the postseason on par with his regular season output. Mann was a terrific spot-up shooter, hitting at a 41 percent clip in the regular season and bumping that up to a 43 percent success rate in the playoffs, and he found himself stepping up in key moments throughout their playoff run on both ends of the floor. The former second round pick has two years remaining on his contract, making just under $2 million per year in each, and on Tuesday, the Clippers worked out an extension to keep him in L.A. through the 2024-25 season that will guarantee him some financial security with a 2-year, $22 million extension, as reported by The Undefeated’s Marc Spears.

“It is with tremendous honor and pride that I sign this extension with the Clippers,” Mann told The Undefeated in a statement. “The faith and commitment in my development and contribution thus far will provide me the motivation I need as I continue to be a pivotal part of our championship run. I want to thank the front office for this opportunity to remain a part of the Clipper Nation. I would also like to thank my coaches and teammates for believing me and allowing me to grow both on and off the court.”

The extension makes sense for both parties, as Mann ensures that he cashes in on his terrific sophomore campaign, while the Clippers lock in one of their homegrown contributors on a deal that will keep him in L.A. through the same period as Paul George, Kawhi Leonard, and the rest of their core. It’s very possible this looks like a bargain for the Clippers once Mann reaches these extension years, but they also reward Mann in the immediate for his contributions last year rather than waiting to see if he can replicate that same production again this season.

The spooky season is in full swing, and with it, people are getting into the spirit of pro-vaccine displays, which take aim at those anti-vaxxers who claim that they want to do their own “research,” rather than listen to the WHO and the CDC.

As the above video shows, local news stations are getting into the coverage game for these displays. Via Raw Story, a couple in Park Ridge, Illinois, spoke with ABC7 to reveal their inspiration, which didn’t spring from ill intent, although some anti-vaxxer-graffiti artist clearly wasn’t amused by the “I’d rather die than comply” and “Ivermectin believer” signboards. They destroyed the display with spraypaint within a few hours, yet as Wanda Siggs told the outlet, “I don’t know if we were really trying to make a statement, it sounded funny so we did it. Most people have stopped and talked and liked it. I had one this morning who didn’t like it at all.” Her husband, Ted, pushed back, too: “Right up the street there are signs that say, ‘unmask the children, keep my school unmasked.’ We all have a right to express our opinion. It doesn’t mean we have the right to destroy someone else’s opinion.”

Surely, these displays will keep on coming, regardless of any amount of spray paint. What a mess, but here’s another display that’s receiving the TikTok spotlight with signs including “I refuse to live afraid” and “I don’t know what’s in it.”

Trick or treat, y’all

(Via Raw Story)