After competing against Adult Swim’s very strong stable of animated voice talent, Tracy Morgan has emerged as the new voice of Early Cuyler in the final season of Squidbillies. The role was originally voiced by Stuart D. Baker, who essentially detonated his career last summer by launching a parade of offensive posts on Facebook, including one where he referred to country music superstar Dolly Parton as a “freak-titted, old Southern bimbo” because she voiced her support for the Black Lives Matter protests.
After being fired from the role, Baker lashed out at Cartoon Network and the makers of Squidbillies while continuing to make some not great remarks about Americans “forsaking your own race.” Via The Wrap:
“I just hope you a-holes are happy you took a good Man and talent down. You succeeded. Be proud that you ruined a person’s life all because of [the] Freak Show called ‘Dolly Parton and BLM.’ Thanks a lot. I gave my best to you assholes for over 30 years. I guess you just love to kick someone when they’re down. That’s so twisted and perverted. Again, thanks! I’m [sic] remember you bastards!”
Clearly, nothing of value was lost as Morgan steps into the role, which was revealed via a video of other voice actors auditioning for the part. When he won, Morgan celebrated the moment by announcing, “I’m Tracy Morgan, and I’m the new voice of Superman.” (He’ll eventually get it right. It’ll be cool.)
The Squidbillies final season premieres November 7 on Adult Swim.
If there’s one thing Squid Game taught us (well, other than capitalism is a profoundly broken system that turns those oppressed by it against one another), it’s that you should always do your research before signing up for get-rich-quick schemes. Unfortunately for a lot of folks, it seems they didn’t quite get the take away.
Despite multiple outlets warning investors against buying SQUID cryptocurrency, earlier today Gizmodo reported the creators of SQUID had successfully scammed over $2.1 million dollars from unsuspecting investors. The cryptocurrency heist reportedly took place earlier today at around 5:40 AM ET, when the value of SQUID plummeted from $2,861 to $0 after the currency’s creators did what’s commonly referred to as a “rug pull” in the world of digital dollars. This term is used to describe what happens when the creators of a crypto decide upon a set time to rapidly cash out their currency for real money, draining the liquidity pool from the exchange and essentially robbing all other investors of any profits.
When SQUID crypto coin launched last week, it was accompanied by several red flags, according to Gizmodo. For starters, the three-week-old site was riddled with grammar and spelling errors, the “company’s” various social media accounts prevented users from interacting with them, and, most importantly, no one who purchased the coin was able to sell it. However, despite all these warning signs, a number of mainstream news outlets — such as Yahoo News, Business Insider, Fortune, and CNBC — all ran headlines talking hyping up “the new Squid Game cryptocurrency,” with Fortune reporting it has soared up 83,000% in just a few days.
Unfortunately, this is merely the latest in a series of countless cryptocurrency exit scams, and isn’t even the first to utilize a major piece of pop culture to incentivize people to buy-in. Earlier this year, the same tactic was used by the creators of MANDO token, a cryptocurrency based on the Disney+ series The Mandolorian. However, it’s important to note neither Disney nor Netflix, in Squid Game‘s case, were involved in the creation of the cryptocurrencies and subsequent scams. Here’s hoping better reporting on the issue helps keep business journals from praising them and innocent folks from buying in in the future.
Artist Laurie Frick sees a tangible and three-dimensional collection of information reflecting a person’s humanity and lived experiences when she looks at data.
“A lot of human data is this essential sense of… who you are,” Frick says. “And I think there is something about the recognition of your own data. That you see yourself, almost, like a portrait of you.”
Frick’s gift for converting raw data into handcrafted art inspired Lexus to reach out for a piece of data art that would reflect the new NX 450h+. After analyzing the data, Frick found the humanity in the machine.
“One thing I could really relate to was how fast are you going,” she says. “How does it feel when you press on the accelerator? I think I can capture the data about that and turn that into something that feels like what driving is like. It’s not just about the technology of how the car is put together, but how it makes you feel, that human experience. That’s what I wanted to capture.”
In the second episode of the Uproxx series Human Element, Frick reveals the power of taking lifeless data and transforming it into handmade artifacts that are brimming with colors designed to create an emotional response in the viewer.
“I’m a data artist but I make hand-built patterns,” she says. “I go out of my way to cut them, make them, and make them look handmade. I think there is something really warm and human, particularly now, about handmade work. It captures that sense of the imperfections and the complexity of who you are in a more real way.”
To learn more about Frick’s views on the hidden heartbeat of data, check out the second episode of Human Element above.
When the world around you is teeming with oppressive power structures, disconnection and fear, what can you do to make a real difference? As history has shown us, it can be achieved through magical practice.
Rachel Lang is a highly sought-after astrologer, author and scholar of magic. Her Instagram is filled with astrological insights and ritual ideas, and promotions for her new book, “Modern Day Magic: 8 Simple Rules to Realize Your Power and Shape Your Life,” published in September. I recently interviewed her to get a better understanding of what “magical activism” really is.First off, let’s define magic by stating what it is not.
As Lang put it: “Magic is not witchcraft, or a religion. It’s our innate spiritual power, heartfelt passion and creative potential that brings us into a wondrous relationship with all life. Think of that little sparkle you feel when you’re like, ‘oh my God, I’m in the right place at the right time. I just had deja vu’. We all have that experience. And so we all have magic coursing through us.”
When you put it that way, many of us practice magic under a different name. Call it “law of attraction” or “using the force,” we all have our little ways of trying to enact change in tangible ways. Whether it’s as mainstream as meditation, or as “woo-woo” as drawing a tarot card or spritzing some rose water.
Rather than a religion, magic is “a more body-centric experience that creates a shift in an awakening within ourselves and then compels us into having more compassion, more empathy,” she said. “And we start seeing ourselves as a part of the whole, not just as these isolated people out there doing our own thing. And, you know, and I think that that’s the gift of magic. … We connect with the planet and we connect with one another in a real way.”
Combine that with activism, and you have activating your own innate personal power in an effort to create lasting, positive social change; connecting with something greater than yourself, to affect the greater good.
Take for instance the suffragettes, who incorporated seance rituals of spiritualism to fight for women’s rights in the 1800s. Matilda Joslyn Gage, suffrage leader and writer of “Woman, Church and State,” even claimed herself as a “witch.”
Or in the ’60s, when the Women’s International Terrorist Conspiracy from Hell (aka W.I.T.C.H.) paraded down the streets of New York with brooms and pointy pants, chanting hexes on Wall Street bankers and campaigning against the sexism of beauty pageants and the Playboy Club. A day later, the stock market reportedly fell 13 points. As if by magic.
WITCH: Women’s International Terrorist Conspiracy from Hell
Fast forward to the year following Trump’s presidential inauguration, when protestors dressed as witches carried signs reading “Witches Against White Supremacy,” “Hex White Supremacy” and “Good Night Alt-Right”. There was even a “Spell to Bind Trump and All Those Who Abet Him” posted online. And in 2020, people were coming together to create sigils—magical symbols or drawings—to protect democracy during the Biden and Harris presidential inauguration.
“The Living Democracy Sigil” created in a magic workshop.Patheos.com
“It only makes sense that it rises in popularity in major times of needing to take personal ownership of our expression,” said Lang.
Hexes and broomsticks aside, the disenfranchised continue to turn to magic because it’s inherently about standing up against what is wrong in our world. As Lang put it, “We are a country that needs healing. We have a history of racism, of sexism, of violence and of spiritual abuse. If we are truly going to change as a society, we need to distance ourselves from that religious rhetoric. And one of the ways we can do that is by reclaiming our magic and reclaiming the word. When we do that, we distance ourselves from the colonial past.”
Lang suggested that one way to do this is through community.
“When we gather in groups, we can generate so much more energy together than we can alone. We rally around a shared intention of being a part of something. We get energized. And that’s really powerful. I think in many ways, it’s going back to indigenous practices,” she said.
If the thought of joining a coven sounds a little too intense for you, it might help to know that mysticism has found its way into the digital space. Take a quick glimpse at #witchtok and you’ll see there’s no shortage of people looking to add a bit of mystical power into their lives. It might not be exactly as our ancestors did, but it’s a step in that direction. And as we have seen in the past, when individuals form a group to combine their passions with purpose, big things can happen.
Or, you can start by reclaiming your own magic, aka personal power. That is more than enough to start changing the world. How to start? It might be simpler than you think…
Lang ended our interview by saying, “When we bring spiritual presence to the everyday activities of our lives, like cooking dinner, taking a shower or cleaning our rooms. When we find sacredness in the mundane aspects of life, then we open ourselves to all kinds of possibilities for feeling connected to the world that we live in, to spiritual forces beyond our understanding and to one another. It becomes a way of life and suddenly you feel more passion, you feel more alive and centered. And so you start tapping into that deep well of feelings you might have suppressed. That’s the realm where magic lives. I’m a big advocate for everyday rituals to make life feel more magical.”
If you’re looking for a deeper dive on this topic, or for ideas on how to make your everyday world more magical, I highly suggest reading Lang’s book. It might be the only invocation you need to start making a difference.
There’s an odd tendency for some people to try to scare children into believing that the world is a cold, cruel, unforgiving and unsympathetic place. The intention may be to prepare them for “the real world,” but we don’t do kids any favors by teaching them that no one cares about their needs.
In the actual real world, most people are decent, kind and helpful. Sure, there are some jerks and some hard-nosed authoritarians who seem to revel in making people’s lives hell, but by no means should they be considered the norm. We mold the culture we live in by the choices we make in how we interact with people, and we mold it even more by how we teach our children. If we harden them with unwaveringly harsh policies, we create a harder, harsher world. If we expect and allow them to be respectful of one another’s needs and differences, we create a kinder, more supportive world.
Qorsho Hassan, who was Minnesota’s Teacher of the Year for 2020-2021, shared a wonderful example of empathetic teaching on Twitter. She wrote:
“My second graders solved math problems in hush tones because their classmate fell asleep on the reading carpet. Tiptoeing, whispering & all. When the student woke up, they joyously welcomed him back to our learning community. It was the most brilliant display of radical empathy.”
My second graders solved math problems in hush tones because their classmate fell asleep on the reading carpet. Tip… https://t.co/ZJ4c0qSHyQ
Beautiful. Every part of this tweet is beautiful, from the visual of the students trying to let the student sleep to her referring to the class as “our learning community.”
We shared a story of a teacher explaining why he let his student sleep in class a few years ago, and the response was overwhelmingly positive. That alone should tell us what kind of world we actually live in. Radical empathy may not be as rare as some seem to think it is.
Hassan’s tweet prompted others to share similar stories, each as heartwarming as the next.
@MNTOY2020 I had a senior once fall deeply deeply asleep in class. He had been training for the state wrestling tou… https://t.co/d63oAnVLI5
“I had a senior once fall deeply deeply asleep in class,” wrote another teacher. “He had been training for the state wrestling tourney and was exhausted. I let him sleep, the kids tiptoed out after class, and I let him sleep through most of lunch.”
People often underestimate how much kids in school are juggling on top of just the basic upheaval of growing. And that’s assuming everything is healthy at home. For kids coming from homes with neglect or abuse, poverty or food insecurity, illness or tragedy, some extra care is not only nice, but necessary.
@cswignes Exactly! All behavior is communication. 🙌🏽
As another teacher pointed out, there are legitimate reasons for a child to be so tired that they fall asleep in class. Most kids wouldn’t nap if you tried to make them, so there must be a lot going on for a kid to drift off at school. It’s entirely possible that they just kept themselves up too late watching TikTok videos or something, but we also create a more compassionate world by giving people the benefit of the doubt and watching for patterns that might clue us into some larger issue.
@MNTOY2020 Kids can sometimes be so magnanimous & they will judge their teacher by how compassionate they are with… https://t.co/do9QB5dCzz
Kids learn as much by example as they do by what we actively try to teach them, and clearly Hassan is exemplifying a culture of kindness and compassion in her classroom.
So many lessons go beyond academics, and often those lessons are the most important for kids to learn. We can watch out for one another. We can honor our different circumstances. We can make allowances, especially when they aren’t hindering anyone else’s progress. We can treat everyone as if their needs matter and celebrate people getting what they need to be successful.
We have to live the way we want the world to be, and radical empathy like this creates a better world for everyone.
Thank you Qorsho Hassan for showing us a simple yet profound example of what that looks like in the real world.
There are 11 films in the “Star Wars” saga and the funny thing is that none of the romantic relationships seem to work out. Han and Leia break up after having a psychopath for a son. Luke and Leia didn’t work out because they’re related.
Anakin Skywalker force-choked Padmé Amidala, ending that relationship, and who knows what was happening between Rey and Kylo.
Sorry, Rose, Finn just really wasn’t that into you.
The only couple that sticks together throughout the entire series is R2-D2 and C-3PO.
Korey Lewis hoped to break that trend by proposing to his girlfriend Gray McKinley through an amazing trailer he made for a nonexistent fan film titled, “Star Wars: Union of the Jedi.”
In the trailer, Lewis plays a Jedi who has found a device that looks like the wayfinder from “The Rise of Skywalker” and holds the ring he must give to his girlfriend. But first he has to fight off what appears to be a Sith lord. The trailer is super sweet because it features the couple’s family, including Lewis’ father and McKinley’s mom and sister.
Much like the Skywalker saga, it was truly a family affair.
At the end of the trailer Lewis pops the question: “Will you marry me?” To which McKinley said yes.
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Good luck Gray and Korey and may the force be with you.
With the world in a near-constant state of chaos, the appeal of shimmering, joyful pop music is stronger than ever. It might not necessarily change the reality of our sometimes dark news cycles, or the bouts of anxiety plenty of us are facing, but music has always worked best as a wonderful balm. And, at the moment, no one is offering a stronger antidote for the pain than women in pop music. Even when they’re singing and writing about difficult things, these are the artists who are making the world a better place with their voices.
Chlöe
Yes, off the strength of one single this woman is readying her world takeover. Ok, that’s not the whole story: She has two albums in collaboration with her sister, Halle, as Chloe x Halle, and 2020’s Ungodly Hour was a critical pick for best R&B project of the year. But it was in social media clips over the last year that fans noticed Chlöe coming into her own. First, fierce live performances, then sexy, unassuming Instagram clips and dancing along to TikTok memes, and finally, a solo single so meticulously constructed only Beyonce herself could’ve topped it. Considering she’s had Bey on her side for years now, as a direct mentor, it’s not surprising that Chlöe is facing down all the fame with unflinching grace and an unstoppable work ethic. The seamless combination of hip-hop swag and pop vocal acrobatics in “Have Mercy” leaves no doubt that this is an artist who knows her audience. Any and all additional singles will be welcomed, and if a solo album is coming next year, there’s no doubt it will be one of the year’s best. Until then, we have all the additional HBCU versions of “Have Mercy” to look forward to.
Griff
After a massive breakout with the early anguished hit “Black Hole,” Griff immediately proved she had more than just a breakup anthem up her sleeve by releasing an entire EP, One Foot In Front Of The Other. Anchored by the unstoppable momentum of “Black Hole,” the EP yielded several other gems that showcase her expert storytelling abilities, like the unexpectedly tender “Shade Of Yellow” or the brutalist lullaby, “Earl Grey Tea.” Griff uses the flexibility of synth-pop’s ever-shifting melodies to interrogate pre-existing ideas about love and loss, and establish her own perspective on the biggest, most important subjects in our lives. Already tapped by the BRIT Awards as a Rising Star and streaming giant Spotify as their first international Radar artist, this 20-year-old is a star in the making. Following up her EP with yet another hit single, the excellent, self-affirming “One Night,” she’s the rare artist who is releasing music even more interesting than her first big song, and getting better and better as she goes along. Sarah Faith Griffiths is on track to be one of 2022’s biggest pop voices, so start listening now before you’re playing catch up.
Sara Kays
Sometimes there’s just a certain magic about a song. It’s inexplicable, really, the lyrics hum along like they’re more than words, like you’ve always known them, the melody balloons into something bigger than instruments, everything goes. That’s how a lot of people, including myself, felt when they first heard “Remember That Night?” by Sara Kays, a song about the mid-point after a break up where a memory sparks the kind of regret that almost hurts more than the initial break. The Nashville-based singer/songwriter has plenty of other songs to back up this one big, soaring hit, but if anything, its success is an omen of things to come. For those who live and breathe Taylor Swift’s Red, well, Kays is basically the logical continuation of that record’s themes — pop that tilts a little country, an emphasis on under-the-surface stories, wistful nostalgia, strange loves, growing pains, unspeakable emotions that overwhelm the body… it’s all here. Check out “Struck By Lightning” as a follow up if you like what you hear, or all of Kays’ latest EP of the same name. And for the record, Sara doesn’t just sound good in the studio; a recent live show at The Echo elicited several sing-a-longs, and her debut on late night further proved she’s ready for the big leagues. Taylor will probably be calling soon, that’s how excellent Sara’s songwriting is.
Julia Wolf kicks off her debut EP, Girls In Purgatory, by refusing to write a love song when she doesn’t feel it. Instead, “Falling In Love” is an all-too-relatable meditation on those nights when being single and scared about it is all part of going out to the club. Wolf manages to channel the understandable anger and frustration that come along with being a young woman in the social media era without ever slipping into bitterness. Her edge is part of what makes these songs pop beyond the normal heartache, love story, or self-love scripted anthems, and while they don’t technically qualify as “sad girl” pop, there’s something so cathartic about her unflinching honesty. Like Julia Michaels before her, Wolf mines the rich world of interpersonal exchange as mediated by technology in a way that only young millennial and Gen Z artists could, reflecting just how much the internet has shifted our behavior. Check “Resting B*tch Face: Part 2” for a nice dash of pop-punk guitar, “Checkmate” for a rap flow that rivals some of your favs, and “In My Way” to hear her sing in perfect Italian. As an independent artist, Wolf doesn’t have the luxury of a big label machine working behind-the-scenes, but it’s arguably this independence that lets her be as real as she is. And frankly, f*ck the machine, an artist this talented doesn’t need it.
PinkPantheress
Listening to PinkPantheress is like tuning in to a supercut of all the best DJ sets you’ve ever heard. Though she does sing original vocals, there’s an otherworldly, timeless quality to her voice that makes it impossible to distinguish what era or what genre she belongs to — instead, her work encompasses them all. The breakout TikTok star cites influences as disparate as Lily Allen, ’90s and ’00s pop and punk acts, and K-pop, but she also manages to mix the best parts of these various eras into one post-pop conglomeration. Instead, her work hits the same pleasure centers as soothing house or glitchy trance, even when her vocals are present, they’re always slightly buried in service to the beat. After a couple hits went so viral that she got a label deal, the enigmatic London producer just put out a short mixtape called To Hell With It that will only continue to build hype. If you’re a fan of both soulful electronic music and hyper-pop, PinkPantheress might be the first artist to successful combine both — think H.E.R. meets PC Music, and settle in for the unexpectedly blissed-out ride.
Rosé (of Blackpink)
K-pop is having a moment, but Rosé is the moment. Even as the girl-group Blackpink is gaining an international following at hyper-speed, fresh off the release of their debut album last year, the band’s solo stars are coming into their own, too. With the release of her solo single “On The Ground” earlier this year, Rosé established herself as an artist that will last way beyond the hype. Without needing to lean into hip-hop features, trendy pop sounds, or compromising her crystal clear voice, she still managed to break the record for most views on a YouTube video for a Korean artist with 41.6 million views. In 24 hours. And the numbers don’t lie — “On The Ground” channels a ’00s pop nostalgia (that still sounds fresh twenty years later) in order to excavate the emptiness of fame. Backed with her second solo track, “Gone,” an acoustic-leaning breakup song, it’s clear that as soon as she wants it, Rosé can have a stage all to herself. But let’s hope her solo star doesn’t conflict with the domination of Blackpink, we still need them in our area!
Nessa Barrett
Fresh off the release of her Pretty Poison EP, Nessa Barrett is another rising pop artist turning her TikTok views into full-blown fame. Unafraid to go dark as f*ck, Nessa’s sound is always infused with a creepy, eerie sense of dread, even as she churns out some of the catchiest songs of the year. Leaning into the femme fatale vibe implied by her EP title, tracks like “I Hope Ur Miserable Until Ur Dead” and “I Wanna Die” turn Halloween sentiments into a year-long lifestyle. Even if the production for her songs is top-notch, and Nessa’s singing voice is surprisingly great, it’s still the music videos where she really shines. Barrett seems the most comfortable and happy when she’s performing on screen, and a string of inventive, melodramatic videos accompanying her new singles has made the release cycle feel more like a mini-movie than anything else. Plus, when it comes to the cinematic world of Nessa Barrett, anything goes, from peep shows in a theater to dead bodies in the morgue.
Gracie Abrams
Elder millennials will happily remember when artists like Ingrid Michaelson, Vanessa Carlton, and A Fine Frenzy ruled the airwaves with their downtempo anthems. Yes, I said anthems. There’s a way to make a pop song soar and rise while still keeping things very chill, and luckily for all of us, that style is back in full force with Gracie Abrams. “Feels Like” has the hushed piano feel and stretched-out vowels that take me right back to the early 2000s, but nothing about this is throwback or derivative. She’s just one of those singers who makes more sense when things are slowed down, like her collaboration with Benny Blanco on “Unlearn” illustrates. Think about a Blanco collab like Bieber’s “Lonely” — some topics just need to be addressed sad and slow. On her 2020 EP minor, Abrams showcased just how powerful a minor thing can be, channeling heartbreak on songs like “I Miss You, I’m Sorry” and locking into a beat for the harmony-laden “21.” Whenever your next chill night in presents itself, let Gracie provide the soundtrack, her sound is sharply sweet, sometimes sad, and oh so comforting.
Slayyyter
It’s hard enough to survive a pandemic, let alone navigate releasing your debut album during one. Slayyyter had a massive surge of internet support that catapulted her into the alt-pop atmosphere, then a few hiccups where she jumped labels and dealt with backlash over old, stupid comments. But through it all, she kept focused on living what has been her lifelong dream — entering the upper echelon of the pop world like Britney, Christina, and Gaga — and this summerTroubled Paradise finally dropped. While it still included some of Catherine Slater’s more aggressively sexual early material like “Throatzillaaa,” the album showed serious range! From the bait-and-switch hyperpop of “Cowboys” to the pop-punk inflected “Over This!,” Slater flexed her songwriting muscles in every direction for her debut. The standout remains “Clouds,” a foggy rainbow blast of masterful sad-pop that gets more and more danceable the darker the lyrics get. It’s a brilliant execution of oppositional forces that encapsulates the best thing about Slayyyter, her maddening contradictions. Maybe the album came out this year, but she’s just going to get bigger and more beloved in 2022. The clouds can’t last forever.
Some 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 Ed Sheeran drop an anticipated new album and Megan Thee Stallion treat her fans to some goodies. Yeah, it was a great week for new music. Check out the highlights below.
Ed Sheeran graced 2019 with No.6 Collaborations Project, but as far as proper solo albums, his latest one before that was 2017’s ÷. He got back on the mathematical horse last week, though, with his fourth solo album, =. On the album’s release date, he marked the occasion with a video for “Overpass Graffiti,” which has a propulsive The War On Drugs-like rhythm that makes it a perfect driving tune.
The War On Drugs — “Change”
Speaking of The War On Drugs, Adam Granduciel and company dropped a new album last week, too, titled I Don’t Live Here Anymore. They’ve become today’s best purveyors of heartland-inspired rock, and they showed that off with their final pre-album single, “Change.” The track is the band right in their pocket, pumping out rock that’s epic and grand without being overbearing.
Megan Thee Stallion — “Megan Monday Freestyle”
Megan Thee Stallion treats her fans well, like last week when she dropped a new mixtape, the name of which makes clear it’s especially for them: Something For Thee Hotties. The project is a collection of loose tracks from Meg’s archives, and appealingly, it makes some fan-favorites available on streaming platforms for the first time, like 2020’s “Megan Monday Freestyle.”
Jay-Z and Kid Cudi — “Guns Go Bang”
Jay-Z is showing off his versatility with one his latest projects: serving as a co-producer on the Western movie The Harder They Fall. He lent his musical talents to the film as well, as he and Kid Cudi linked up on a track for the movie’s soundtrack, “Guns Go Bang.” The track includes influences from the film’s subject matter and is far more than just OST filler.
Big Sean and Hit-Boy — “Loyal To A Fault” Feat. Bryson Tiller and Lil Durk
Former GOOD Music artist Big Sean came out of nowhere last week with an intimate treasure trove of new material, teaming up with Hit-Boy to drop a new six-song project, an EP called What You Expect. While the effort is mostly just Sean and Hit-Boy unaccompanied by nobody but each other, they let Lil Durk and Bryson Tiller in on the fun with “Loyal To A Fault.”
Spoon — “The Hardest Cut”
The last time we got an album from Spoon was 2017 with Hot Thoughts, but now Brit Daniel and his cohorts are plotting a return for next year with Lucifer On The Sofa. They announced the project last week, at which time they also shared the single “The Hardest Cut,” the working title of which is a fine indication of what’s going on here: “Texas Riff.”
ASAP Ferg — “Green Juice” Feat. Pharrell and The Neptunes
As far as songs about juice, ASAP Ferg and The Neptunes/Pharrell had probably last week’s best one with “Green Juice.” Uproxx’s Aaron Williams notes of the track, “While [Ferg] stomps his way through a signature brag-filled verse, The Neptunes’ buzzing, booming production, and Pharrell’s oddly inspirational chorus, make ‘Green Juice’ into a futuristic, chest-thumping anthem.”
Lil Uzi Vert — “Demon High”
Lil Uzi Vert’s The Pink Tape was initially set for a Halloween release, but he ultimately ended up delaying the project. What did manage to drop in time for spooky season, though, is the single “Demon High,” of which Uproxx’s Aaron Williams wrote, “Employing a Pro Logic-produced, ’80s New Wave-inspired beat, Uzi dances his cares away as he laments a lost love, expressing his distrust for women.”
Baby Tate — “Pedi”
Baby Tate is fresh off a rebrand (she goes by Yung Baby Tate no longer) and her first output under her new moniker is “Pedi.” The track, her first song released as a Warner Records artist, is energetic and frenetic and comes with a wild video that matches that energy.
Snail Mail — “Madonna”
Lindsey Jordan is now just days away from releasing her upcoming Snail Mail album Valentine, and last week brought a preview of it, “Madonna.” She explained that it’s about one way in which love may not be how it seems: “In summation, it’s about why love can’t exist between a person and a concept of a person. Remove the pedestal and you might realize there was never anything there at all.”
Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
The New Orleans Pelicans have opened the season 1-6 and find themselves at the bottom of the Western Conference. They’ve played all seven games without their franchise superstar, Zion Williamson, and it doesn’t sound like that will change anytime soon.
According to Will Guillory of The Athletic, Pelicans head coach Willie Green said Williamson underwent scans on his right foot and is taking part in some on-court activities. However, “he still isn’t cleared to do any 5-on-5 work. The plan is for him to get another round of scans in 2-3 weeks that’ll free him up to be a full participant in practice,” Guillory tweeted.
Willie Green says Zion Williamson had his scans done on his foot. He’s cutting, doing some work on the floor.
He still isn’t cleared to do any 5-on-5 work. The plan is for him to get another round of scans in 2-3 weeks that’ll free him up to be a full participant in practice.
During the offseason, Williamson, who averaged 27 points, 7.2 rebounds and 3.7 assists on 64.9 percent true shooting in 2020-21, underwent surgery to repair the fractured fifth metatarsal bone in his right foot. This is the second time in three years he’s begun the season on the sidelines.
At the earliest, it seems as though he could be a full participant in practice by mid-November, at which point he’d still have to work his way back into game shape. A return sometime in December seems like an optimistic outcome.
The Pelicans will look to snap their three-game losing streak Tuesday night when they take on the Phoenix Suns.
Is there a better deal in video games than Game Pass? Microsoft’s service where players can pay a fee and then have access to an always growing and changing library of games can’t be beaten right now. Anyone inside the Xbox ecosystem — Xbox console owners or PC users on Windows — can take advantage of the huge library of Game Pass games. The only downside is that with such a huge library of games it can be difficult to keep up with what’s coming in, going out, and where to go next. We’re going to try and help with that by suggesting games that everyone should play.
We’ll break this down into three categories. A new game coming to Game Pass that is worth playing, one that is on the way out that should be played before its gone, and a game that’s been on Game Pass for awhile now that is worth giving attention. These games might be underappreciated, games that are better on a service like Game Pass than as a full price $60 – $70 purchase, or a can’t miss classic that everyone should play. We just want everyone to get the opportunity to play some fun video games and we hope these suggestions will help anyone undecided about their next experience to give them a try.
One New – It Takes Two
It Takes Two came out back in March and met immediate critical acclaim for being a really well done co-op experience, while also telling an emotional story about an uncommon video game topic, divorce. It Takes Two forces a mom and dad getting ready to end their marriage to work together so they can escape the predicament they’ve ended up in. Along the way, they’ll be faced with platforming, puzzles, and put through an extremely emotional ordeal. It’s the kind of game that leaves players thinking as they watch the credits roll at the end.
The only downside to It Takes Two is that it’s a forced co-op game. There isn’t a way to play it by yourself so that means the only way to experience the game is with someone else that either also has Game Pass, owns the game, or is on the couch right next to you. This might be a turn off for some people as well because not everyone has a friend or significant other they can play a co-op game with, but for those who do this is a great way to experience one of the best games of 2021.
One Going Away – River City Girls
Anyone that’s a fan of classic beat’em ups should use the time that it’s still on Game Pass to play River City Girls. This modern homage to River City Ransom flips the script of the NES original and sees the player take on one of the two main characters Misako or Kyoko to go rescue their boyfriends that have been kidnapped. Along the way, players will take on tough bosses and waves of enemies as everyone tries to get in the way of rescuing Misakao and Kyoko’s boyfriends.
What makes River City Girls so fun though is the same things that made River City Ransom feel so revolutionary at the time and it’s the RPG elements. Players can level up, learn new moves, and feel themselves become stronger as they go on their journey. This helps the game feel like it’s more than just mashing a couple of buttons until everyone falls down. It’s also a fantastic co-op experience for friends to play through together and compete to get the highest score. It has a lot of old-school nostalgia to it, but it has plenty of newnesses to feel fresh and unique. Give it a try before it disappears on November 15.
One Staying – Bug Fables: The Everlasting Sapling
Bug Fables: The Everlasting Sapling is the best Paper Mario game since Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door. Okay, so that’s a little dramatic especially since the most recent game in the Paper Mario series was received extremely well critically, but it’s extremely non-traditional. Bug Fables meanwhile has been the perfect game to scratch that Paper Mario RPG style itch.
Bug Fables is a very clear homage to that series and fans love it as a result. It’s also been criminally under-appreciated since coming out in 2019. It’s been on Gamepass since June 2021 and while it’s been getting a little more attention it still needs a stronger push. For anyone that wants a strong, fun, and stylistic RPG to play right now then why not give Bug Fables a try? It doesn’t show any signs of leaving Game Pass at the moment, but that could change at any time. Bug Fables deserves more recognition for how fun it is and everyone with Game Pass should give it a try.
Games coming to Game Pass in November
Minecraft: Java and Bedrock Editions (PC) – November 2
Unpacking (Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, PC) – November 2
It Takes Two (Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, PC) – November 4
Kill It with Fire (Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, PC) – November 4
Football Manager 2022 (PC) – November 9
Football Manager 2022: Xbox Edition (Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, PC) – November 9
Forza Horizon 5 (Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, PC) – November 9
Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas – The Definitive Edition (Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One) – November 11
One Step from Eden (Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, PC) – November 11
Leaving on November 15
Final Fantasy VIII HD (Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, PC)
Planet Coaster (Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, PC)
Star Renegades (Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, PC)
Streets of Rogue (Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, PC)
The Gardens Between (Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, PC)
River City Girls (Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, PC)
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