Although Long Beach-bred R&B singer Giveon was well on his way to a healthy recording career before connecting with Drake, there’s little doubt that the superstar’s cosign on their Dark Lane Demo Tapes collaboration “Chicago Freestyle” helped launch Giveon to a new level of stardom himself. So it’s fitting that during Giveon’s Toronto tour stop, Drake — the city’s unofficial ambassador since 2009 — made a surprise appearance, popping out from backstage to greet his hometown crowd and bless the show during a performance of their collaboration.
Funnily enough, no one seemed as surprised as Giveon when Drake appeared from the smoke on stage to wrap him up in a bear hug as he played the piano. Although Drake quickly returned backstage, Giveon was left grinning bashfully as the crowd continued to cheer for his surprise guest.
Giveon himself later posted an Instagram Story expressing his disbelief at the sneak attack, writing, “Can’t believe my brother surprised me tonight! Toronto! I love you guys. So much love every time!”
Instagram
Drake has had a habit of surprising collaborators and artists he enjoys, although it hasn’t always gone to plan. In 2019, he bestowed his blessing on YSL rapper Lil Keed in Los Angeles and at DaBaby’s Toronto tour stop, and in 2020, he popped out at Post Malone’s show in Toronto. However, fans at Tyler The Creator’s Camp Flog Gnaw festival booed him after waiting at the main stage all day in hopes of catching Frank Ocean. He took the moment of humility in stride, joking that he’d put in a 10-year residency at the festival if Tyler let him. Fortunately, this time around, he didn’t have to.
If you’re already thinking about putting together your Best TV Shows of 2021 list, it’s best to wait until December 17. That’s when The Witcher returns to Netflix after a two-year break. If season two is even half as good as season one (which you should absolutely rewatch), it’ll deserve year-end consideration.
Ahead of the full season drop, Netflix has released a new teaser that focuses on Geralt (Henry Cavill) and Yennefer (Anya Chalotra). Those crazy kids went through a lot over the course of eight episodes, including Geralt making a wish to save her life and everyone’s favorite traveling bard, Jaskier, calling her a “very sexy but insane witch.” The season ended with Yennefer unleashing fiery hell at the Battle of Sodden Hill and Geralt finally meeting Ciri. Geralt’s “focus” is on Ciri in season two, as Cavill explained at WitcherCon, but he called “the loss of Yennefer [a] great blow for Geralt, and it’s something which he buries deep.” I’m sure he’ll handle it with emotional maturity. Or by killing some dudes with a sword. One of the two.
You can watch the teaser above. From the official synopsis for season two:
Convinced Yennefer’s life was lost at the Battle of Sodden, Geralt of Rivia brings Princess Cirilla to the safest place he knows, his childhood home of Kaer Morhen. While the Continent’s kings, elves, humans and demons strive for supremacy outside its walls, he must protect the girl from something far more dangerous: the mysterious power she possesses inside.
Cheery holiday music step aside — Phoebe Bridgers is here to replace the joys of the season with melancholy after releasing a cover of a Tom Waits classic. To usher in the holiday season, Bridgers delivers a solemn and leisurely cover of Waits’ 2004 song “Day After Tomorrow.”
Waits’ original version of the track features his husky vocals over a delicately plucked acoustic guitar. But Bridgers’ version transforms the track into a piano ballad with the help of a few string instruments and a backup chorus. Though the song isn’t exactly merry and bright, Bridgers is still maintaining the giving spirit of the season by making the song benefit a charity. All proceeds from the sale of the track will go to The International Institute of Los Angeles, specifically The Local Integration And Family Empowerment Division, which provides refugees, immigrants, and survivors of human trafficking with the skills, abilities, and resources they need to become self-sufficient and start their new lives in Southern California.
This isn’t the first time Bridgers has recorded a cover of a song to ring in the holiday season. In fact, it’s become somewhat of a yearly tradition for the singer. Previously, Bridgers has given renditions of “Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas,” Merle Haggard’s “If We Make It Through December,” Simon & Garfunkel “‘7 O’Clock News/ Silent Night” with Fiona Apple and The National‘s Matt Berninger,” and McCarthy Trenching’s “Christmas Song” with Jackson Browne.
Listen to Bridgers’ cover of Waits’ “Day After Tomorrow” above.
After spending the early part of the year getting being blasted as an “insult to Alex Trebek” during his guest host stint on Jeopardy!, daytime TV star Dr. Mehmet Oz is expected to enter Pennsylvania’s U.S. Senate race. Rumors of Oz throwing his hat in the ring for Senator Pat Toomey’s seat have been circulating for a while, but following Monday night’s episode of Hannity, it’s starting to look like the TV doctor is actually going to do this thing. Via The Philadelphia Inquirer:
Fox News host Sean Hannity all but said the formal announcement will come Tuesday. At the end of his show Monday, hours after this report initially published, Hannity teased Oz’s appearance on his show Tuesday night saying he had a “huge announcement.”
“Hint: think midterm election,” Hannity added.
Oz would be running to become the Republican nominee for Toomey’s soon-to-be-vacated seat, and he’s reportedly reached out to top GOP officials in the seat after front runner Sean Parnell’s campaign imploded following domestic abuse allegations. Should Oz secure the nomination, there is a chance he could be facing off against PA’s hulking Lt. Gov. John Fetterman, who is running to be the Democratic nominee.
While watching a TV quack versus a no-bullsh*t, mountain of a man would be one heck of an entertaining match-up, Fetterman is not a lock to be the state’s Democratic nominee. He first has to defeat primary challengers Congressmen Conor Lamb and Malcolm Kenyatta, who both have strong name recognition in the state.
Anybody who thought the vinyl resurgence was just a fad was mistaken: The industry has experienced a legitimate revival. As a result, music fans are interested in physical media in ways they may not have if the decades-old medium hasn’t made a comeback. That doesn’t mean everybody is listening to just their parents’ old music, though. That’s part of it, sure, thanks to rereleases that present classic albums in new ways. A vital part of the renewed vinyl wave, though, is new projects being released as records, of which there are plenty.
Whatever you might be into, each month brings a new slew of vinyl releases that has something for everybody. Some stand out above the rest, naturally, so check out some of our favorite vinyl releases of November below.
The Black Keys — El Camino (10th Anniversary Deluxe Edition)
Nonesuch
The Black Keys were at the height of their power with 2011’s El Camino, and in just a few days, the album celebrates its tenth anniversary. To mark the occasion, the band has re-released it in various expanded editions. Aside from the remastered album, bonuses include a photo book, a limited-edition poster, and a previously unreleased concert recording from a 2012 show in Portland, Maine. Coincidentally, I was actually at that concert, and if my memory serves me correctly, it was a good one.
Lil Wayne’s Tha Carter series is an iconic hip-hop institution, and now he’s collected the highlights all in one place. On Tha Carter Singles Collection, you get 19 of the finest songs from the series pressed on ten 7-inch records, as well as a booklet full of rare photos, two lithos, and brand new art.
After the all-time classic album The Joshua Tree and the not-as-beloved Rattle & Hum, U2 made a drastic change to their sound with the alternative- and electronic-inspired album Achtung Baby. That album dropped 30 years ago, so now the band is celebrating its three decades with a new anniversary edition. This version of the album has been remastered and also includes remixes of songs from both Achtung Baby and its follow-up Zooropa.
Los Angeles played a major role in the story of jazz legend Charlie Parker, and now some formative recordings from the Kansas City native’s time in the City Of Angels are all together on this new collection. The release features the only known recordings from Billy Berg’s on December 17, 1945; three previously unknown JATP recordings from the Shrine Auditorium on November 22, 1948; and the complete recordings of the July 1952 party at Jirayr Zorthian’s Altadena ranch. For those wanting more context on the meaning of these recordings, the project’s producer, John Burton, offers just that in his liner notes.
Kiss — Destroyer (45th Anniversary Super Deluxe Edition)
UMe
1976’s Destroyer was a formative and landmark release for Kiss, and now, 45 years later, they’re expanding upon it with a new reissue. Aside from the remastered album, the amount of goodies that is included with the Super Deluxe box is extravagant but not surprising coming from perhaps the most merchandised band ever: There are iron-ons, stickers, posters, trading cards, stage blueprints, a newspaper, a hardcover book, and much more.
Much has been made about the 30th-anniversary edition of Nirvana’s Nevermind, and truly, this is a must-have for Nirvana fans. There are a variety of editions, the beefiest of which comes with 8 LPs that feature the original album (newly remastered, of course), four full concerts, a 40-page hardcover book with unreleased photos, and other goodies. If physical music isn’t your thing, the band also has a bunch of new merch to coincide with the album’s anniversary.
Speaking of anniversary releases, Radiohead had a big one this year, although it’s pretty different from the Nirvana one. Kid A Mnesia actually celebrates two albums, Kid A and Amnesiac, by collecting both albums as well as B-sides and unreleased tracks from the era. Again, if you’re not looking to buy a record/CD/tape, the gift-able merch offerings here are diverse, including everything from a paint-by-numbers set to holographic stickers.
Who’s that girl? It’s Zooey Deschanel! And also that guy, M. Ward, who is known collectively alongside Deschanel as She & Him. The duo dropped a delightful Christmas album a decade ago and now they’re celebrating the project with a rerelease. It’s super holiday-ready, too, as it’s pressed on tinsel silver vinyl and comes with a new 7-inch, which features covers of Madonna’s “Holiday” and Wham!’s “Last Christmas.”
Yusuf / Cat Stevens — Teaser And The Firecat (50th Anniversary Super Deluxe Edition Box Set)
A&M/UMe
Teaser And The Firecat helped establish Stevens as a premier singer-songwriter of his era 50 years ago. Now he’s celebrating the anniversary with a deluxe edition of the album that is described as “the most in-depth and definitive version of the album possible.” This version includes a remastering of the original artwork, 41 previously unreleased tracks including studio demos and alternate mixes, and a 108-page essay book.
Billy Joel is still going strong today, but on The Vinyl Collection, Vol. 1, he looking back on the ’70s. The massive 9-LP collection features his first six solo albums (Cold Spring Harbor, Piano Man, Streetlife Serenade, Turnstiles, The Stranger, and 52nd Street), his first live album (Songs In The Attic), and a previously unreleased concert recording (Live At The Great American Music Hall — 1975). All of the aforementioned come right from the original album tapes, and there’s also a 50-page booklet to offer more context on these classic projects.
RZA — Bobby Digital In Stereo (Vinyl Me, Please Reissue)
Gee Street/V2/BMG Records
RZA went out on his own outside of Wu-Tang with his debut solo album, 1999’s Bobby Digital In Stereo, a project that helped him establish his own unique identity outside of the iconic hip-hop collective. Vinyl Me, Please always nails it with the vinyl color and they did so again here with their reissue of the album, which is pressed on “Mantis” Green vinyl that’s a perfect visual complement to the cover art.
Sigur Rós’ 2008 album was a defining release for post-rock fans and buttcheek lovers everywhere, and while it’s not celebrating a round-numbered benchmark anniversary this year, the group is still going ahead and giving it a vinyl reissue. It was a good call, though, as the album was previously out of print worldwide, and now it’s available in both heavyweight black vinyl and a limited run of sky blue vinyl.
Rihanna — Rih-Issue (Music Of The Sun, A Girl Like Me, Good Girl Gone Bad, Rated R, Loud, Talk That Talk, Unapologetic, Anti)
Rihanna
No, Rihanna hasn’t announced a new album though. However, for those looking back on her old projects in the meantime, she is now offering a tremendous way to do so. She recently announced a cleverly titled new series of “Rih-Issue” releases, which features fancy rereleases of her entire eight-album discography. Each one comes with an exclusive shirt, making this the best way to fill any Rihanna-shaped hole in your vinyl library.
Despite the fact that even his own dad apparently thinks he’s an idiot, Fox News just can’t quit Donald Trump Jr. As Vanity Fair reports, the ex-president’s adult son—whose only real accomplishment seems to be sharing a name with the former president—spent his holiday weekend railing against Americans who get vaccinated against a virus that has already killed more than 5.2 million people. Then seemed to recklessly suggest the very dumb, and very dangerous, notion that we should be rioting more.
“You don’t hear about what’s going on as it relates to the riots in Europe on a daily basis now against the vaccine mandates, because our media wants to block that out,” Jr. shouted to no one in particular—and falsely, no less. As Vanity Fair pointed out, these “protests have been extensively covered by, among others, The New York Times, ABC News, and The Washington Post.” Never one to let a little something like the truth get in the way, Don Jr. continued to rant:
“They’re going to make sure that you never hear about it because they don’t want you getting these kind of ideas that freedom may actually still exist in some parts of the world. Europe is pushing back and America’s sitting there like sheep like, ‘Oh this is great we’ll just go along with’ what these guys who have gotten nothing right in the last two years tell us. It’s absolute insanity.”
What is absolute insanity is that Jr. was either taking a very public potshot at his pops, or is really bad at math. Because Joe Biden has been president for just over 10 months… meaning that it was Don’s dear old dad who was in charge for more than half the time period he’s yelling about. Or, as Bess Levin wrote for VF:
“Does Junior realize that two years ago his father was president? Sadly, the jury is out there. Where the jury isn’t out is on the matter of the effectiveness of vaccine mandates, which are very much working, both in the U.S. and in Europe, and on the effectiveness of the vaccines when it comes to preventing seriousness illness and death; as of September, unvaccinated people were 11 times more likely to die from COVID-19 than their fully vaccinated counterparts.”
Cardi’s 2018 Maroon 5 collaboration “Girls Like You” officially hit 10 million sales this week, meaning it’s now RIAA-certified Diamond. To celebrate, the rapper showed her appreciation on Twitter while also firing off some well-deserved flexes. “Diamonds are a girl’s best friend,” she wrote after seeing the news.
Cardi also thanked Maroon 5 for inviting her to deliver a verse on the song. “Wow I got two Diamond records! Thank you sooo much @maroon5 for including me on this song and this is the song I cater to my daughter every time I perform it.I’m forever grateful”
Wow I got two Diamond records! Thank you sooo much @maroon5 for including me on this song and this is the song I cater to my daughter every time I perform it.I’m forever grateful
After a fan instructed her to update her Twitter bio to reflect the new certifications, Cardi said she was on it. But rather than simply writing her achievement in her bio, the rapper then changed her Twitter header to be a photo of Penn Badgley from You with two diamond emojis over his eyes.
While fans wait patiently for any word of her next musical endeavor, Beyonce continues to make moves in other areas. Her latest is a new Ivy Park collection inspired by collegiate fashion and to promote the new line, she shared a hype video featuring Ivy Park’s newest recruits. While fans have come to expect Beyonce (and Blue Ivy) to appear in the campaigns alongside a diverse array of models, to show off the new collection, she tapped an unexpected source for her newest brand ambassadors: the NBA.
The ad, which starts off with calm music and shots overlooking an austere university campus, quickly picks up its tempo as a bass-heavy beat fades in to overtake the classical vibes with a new, brasher attitude. The shots of students coolly playing table tennis give way to close-ups of NBA stars James Harden and Jalen Green (formerly and currently of Beyonce’s hometown Houston Rockets, respectively), dribbling basketballs emblazoned with both Adidas and Ivy Park logos.
The new looks suggest that the athleisure brand is looking to expand its influence beyond just hardcore Beyonce stans and casual exercise enthusiasts. According to Complex, Halls of Ivy collection will include 89 pieces of apparel, 11 accessories, and four new footwear selections including the Savage sneaker and Super Sleek Boot. The collection launches worldwide on December 10, with an exclusive preview via Adidas’ site on December 9.
Watch Beyonce’s latest Ivy Park campaign video above.
Vic Mensa is the latest rapper to pay homage to the late Virgil Abloh, dropping the touching tribute track “What You Taught Us.” Over a soulful, self-produced beat, Vic writes an open letter to the designer, who passed away on Sunday at age 41 after a two-year battle with cancer. “You showed us we could all be designers of our own destinies of our legacies,” he rhymes. “Our environments from Chicago streets to Paris fashion weeks.”
In a press release, Mensa shared how watching Abloh opened his eyes to more possibilities for his own future. “Virgil Abloh is synonymous with visionary,” he says. “To see him go from DJing Superfun parties in Chicago that Hollywood Holt would sneak me in when I was 16 to revolutionizing the way we think about design and its applications is a true inspiration to a generation that was blessed to be raised under his tutelage. Legends never die.”
Vic isn’t the only one to write about Virgil’s impact. Tyler The Creator also shared a post on Instagram revealing the way the designer pushed him to try new things and begin using “more of my African last name OKONMA because of how regal Virgils felt.” Likewise, Frank Ocean also shared his own post on Instagram, calling Virgil “a hero.”
You can listen to Vic Mensa’s new song “What You Taught Us” below.
“I cannot imagine a better group than Jennifer Aniston, Allison Tolman, Gabrielle Union, Kathryn Hahn and Ann Dowd, and I can’t wait to do their hair,” executive producer Jimmy Kimmel said in a statement.
As for Mrs. Garrett, Ann Dowd already locked down that role when ABC announced the casting for Diff’rent Strokes, which will also get a star-studded revival on the special. Rounding out that cast is Kevin Hart as Arnold, Damon Wayans as Willis, and John Lithgow as Mr. Drummond.
You can watch a teaser for the live event below as well as check out the official poster, which features the all-star cast in character as the classic ’80s sitcom staples:
Live in Front of a Studio Audience: The Facts of Life and Diff’rent Strokes airs December 7 on ABC at 8 PM ET and will be available to stream the next day on Hulu.
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