“Poker Face” was a huge moment in Lady Gaga’s career. Gaga’s previous single was her first one, “Just Dance,” which topped the Hot 100 chart. There’s a lot of pressure that comes with following a chart-topping debut single, but thankfully, “Poker Face” was a massive success, as it also went No. 1. While it’s been 13 years since the song was released, it actually had a big 2021: Google unveiled its lists of the year’s top trending searches today, and in the US, “Poker Face” was seventh in the list of top ten trending songs. For context, “Poker Face” is by far the oldest song on the list, with the second-oldest being Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion’s 2020 hit “WAP.”
While the list doesn’t directly indicate why “Poker Face” trended so much this year, Google does offer analytics that paint a clear picture. The song had a massive spike in search interest in February, which was when the song went viral on TikTok because of its lyrics. Indeed, the “related queries” Google lists for “Poker Face” are mostly about the song’s lyrics. The reason the song gained renewed attention is because people started to realize the stuttered lyrics Gaga repeats after the song’s chorus are, “P-p-p-poker face, f-f-f*ck her face.”
For the record, this sneakily explicit lyric isn’t exactly a closely guarded secret. In fact, while performing at KIIS FM’s iHeartRadio Wango Tango in 2009, Gaga said of the song (as LadBible notes), “KIIS FM is the smartest radio station in the whole world and I’ll tell you why. Because this song, it got played all over the world on tens of thousands of radio stations, but KIIS FM was the only one that said I had to censor my lyric because they thought I might be saying something bad. And out of all the radio stations in the world that played this record over and over, KIIS FM was the only one that was right and caught on.”
Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
While Kieran Culkin is reaching a whole new level of fame thanks to his breakout performance in the hit HBO series Succession, the actor has no interest in the trappings of celebrity life thanks to watching what his brother Macaulay went through after Home Alone became an international phenomenon. Namely, all the stalking.
In an interview with NPR’s Fresh Air, Kieran revealed a disturbing incident involving himself, Mac, and their oldest brother Shane, who quickly realized that things were going south during a cab ride home. According to Kieran, Shane noticed that the cab driver was attempting to follow the kids home after dropping them off, and he quickly worked out a plan to stop the cabby from learning their home address. Via Mediaite:
“My brother Shane said, ‘Get down, tie your shoe.’ And we tied our shoe and the cab stopped,” he added. “I was about nine and my brother Shane was probably a teenager. He had to be in charge of this thing happening.”
The cab driver eventually drove away after getting honked at by people behind him, yet the moment was still “frightening” for Culkin, who as a child became aware that people want to know where he lives due to his brother’s fame.
Kieran also had front row seats for the constant scrutiny and unwanted attention Macaulay received because of his Home Alone popularity, and the Succession star knew at an early age that fame “is not something I would want to pursue.”
The Eye features some of music’s most exciting up-and-comers taking to an intimate studio setting to perform their finest work, all in a single take. The latest participant is singer-songwriter Alec Benjamin, who turned in performances of three recent highlights of his burgeoning discography.
Benjamin has had ups and downs in his career so far, although there have certainly been more positives than negatives. While still in college, he landed a record deal with Columbia Records, although that ended up falling through. After that setback, Benjamin pushed on with a more DIY philosophy and eventually signed another record deal, this time with Atlantic Records, which remains his label today. His first mixtape released through Atlantic, 2018’s Narrated For You, yielded Benjamin’s breakout hit “Let Me Down Slowly,” which landed him on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and was certified 2-times platinum last year. Also in 2020, he shared his debut album, These Two Windows.
He has also secured some significant co-signs so far: Alessia Cara joined Benjamin on a remix of “Let Me Down Slowly,” and in 2018, Billie Eilish was so taken with Benjamin’s song “Water Fountain” that she shared a video of herself partially covering it on Instagram.
Now, Benjamin is on The Eye with performances of “The Way You Felt,” “Older,” and “Match In The Rain.” Armed with just a guitar and a microphone, he transforms “The Way You Felt” (which he performed on The Late Late Show earlier this year, by the way) from a keyboard- and drum-driven tune to a tender acoustic track, which works well thanks to Benjamin’s airy vocals helping preserve the song’s catchy rhythm.
He brings the same energy to his renditions of “Older” and “Match In The Rain,” showing that while the production of the original recordings are a big part of their appeal, ultimately, the songwriting is there and can shine through when the track is reduced to just vocals and acoustic guitar.
While Benjamin is fresh off his most major professional successes so far, he remains humble and sees similarities between what he’s doing now and how things were after getting dropped by his first label: In a recent episode of Uproxx’s How I Blew Up, Benjamin said, “Ultimately, I kind of found my way. I’m still kind of throwing things at the wall to see what sticks, and it doesn’t always go the way I want it to, but I’m just trying to figure it out.”
Watch Benjamin perform “The Way You Felt,” “Older,” and “Match In The Rain” for The Eye above.
Alec Benjamin is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
The pride of Vermont’s indie festival scene, Waking Windows has had to push through a lot to get its 2022 festival lineup ready to rock. The 2020 affair set for May was obviously cancelled as the coronavirus pandemic swept the globe. Then the May 2021 festivities were postponed once again, when festival organizers wisely played it safe. “It just seemed unlikely/risky to plan anything for this May of that size,” organizer Nick Mavodones told the Burlington Free Press in February. But now, attendees can rest easy as the Winooski, Vermont festival is back with a dandy first wave lineup announce.
Japanese Breakfast and Dinosaur Jr. are confirmed as headliners for festival, which runs from the May 13th to 15th, and Japanese Breakfast was actually a holdover from the originally postponed lineup. Joining them atop the bill are Japanese psychedelic jammers Kikagaku Moyo, English post-punks Dry Cleaning, and NYC singer-songwriter Vagabon. While more acts are set to be announced in 2022, the full lineup currently also includes The Nude Party, Ric Wilson, Alex Cameron, Yasmin Williams, Habibi Rough Francis, The Ophelias, Moon King, Stuyedeyed, The Cush Paper Castles, Disco Phantom, Mal Maiz, Dari Bay, Father Figuer Guy Ferrari, Ivamae, Kafari, Lily Seabird, Omega Jade, Roost.World, Swale, The Burning Sun, The Wet Ones!, and Wren Kitz.
Waking Windows tickets start at only $75 plus fees and can be bought here.
There’s no doubt that Jack Harlow has had a stellar year thus far. The rapper earned his first No. 1 single for his Lil Nas X collaboration “Industry Baby” and was nominated for two Grammys. He’s also finishing up a sold-out tour in his Kentucky home state, but he doesn’t want to make the rest of the country feel left out. That’s why he’s just announced an eight-show run in California early next year.
Taking to social media to announce his Crème De La Crème California tour set for early January, Harlow wrote, “California… I never meant to make you feel left out. Please forgive me. Let’s run this Creme De La Creme Tour one last time.”
California…
I never meant to make you feel left out. Please forgive me. Let’s run this Creme De La Creme Tour one last time.
Check out Harlow’s Crème De La Crème California tour dates below.
01/07/2022 — Los Angeles, CA @ The Novo
01/09/2022 — Pomona, CA @ The Fox Theater
01/10/2022 — San Diego, CA @ The Observatory North Park
01/11/2022 — San Luis Obispo, CA @ Alex B. Madonna Events Center
01/13/2022 — San Jose, CA @ San Jose Civic Center Auditorium
01/14/2022 — Oakland, CA @ Fox Theater
01/15/2022 — San Francisco, CA @ The Masonic
01/16/2022 — Sacramento, CA @ Ace Of Spades
Tickets to Harlow’s Crème De La Crème California tour go on sale 12/10 at 10 a.m. PT. Get them here.
Jack Harlow is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
When Grand Theft Auto V was first released back in 2013, it set records as one of the best-selling media franchises ever. That said, nobody expected the game to last as long as it has. GTA V is just as popular now as it was back in 2013 and a huge reason for that is the game’s online mode, GTA Online. The concept was pretty simple: give players the opportunity to explore the fictional city of Los Santos in a sandbox environment while having a few missions they can play every once in a while.
The results of that simple idea turned GTA V into the most profitable piece of media ever made and GTA Online has people still logging on to play it all these years later. So it’s no surprise to see that the developers over at Rockstar are still finding new ways to support the game. Their latest update sees GTA Online bring back a GTA V favorite, Franklin, in a new set of story missions. Not only that, but these new missions are going to feature Dr. Dre as himself in the game. Rockstar is also telling us that this story will feature new exclusive music from Dre himself in the game. Via Rockstar Newswire:
“Get ready for a wild and hilarious ride through Los Santos, from the mean streets of Franklin’s old neighborhood to the hottest parties in the city, from debaucherous mansions to the offices of the FIB and everywhere in between as you join Franklin, expert hacker Imani, Chop the Dog, and crew to secure Dr. Dre’s precious tracks and return them to their rightful owner.
Stay tuned to the Rockstar Newswire in the coming days for more info on The Contract, arriving December 15 to GTA Online — including details of an eclectic new radio station from some very special guest hosts, huge first-of-their-kind updates to existing radio stations including a ton of new and unreleased exclusive tracks from Dr. Dre and a heavy-hitting line-up of artists, plus additional opportunities for agency work including choice hits for players willing to get their hands dirty, plus new weapons, vehicles, and much more.”
A while back, Snoop Dogg revealed that Dre was working on new music for Grand Theft Auto. While he didn’t clarify what GTA game that was, it seems more than likely that he was referring to this upcoming GTA Online update.
This is all really exciting news. GTA fans have to be excited to see Franklin back in the fold after going so long without seeing him and we get new music from Dr. Dre on top of that. For anyone that’s big into GTA Online, this is going to be a must play update.
Aaron Kai is fully loyal to his spirit. The Hilo Hawaii-born visual artist, raised amongst the colorful sights and foldings waves of a tropical paradise couldn’t envision a rigid life where he’d subscribe to the typical nine-to-five lifestyle. Armed with a passion for art inspired by Dragon Ball Z, The Simpsons, and the pop culture of his youth, Kai turned a gift for being able to inspire reactions out of people who viewed his creations into a successful career that has seen his work shown in galleries worldwide from New York to Tokyo.
“I took a chance on myself and it really paid off,” says Kai.
This strong belief in himself and the drive to aspire for greatness is why Kai has been chosen as one of The Next 9 by Porsche. Kai credits Hilo and his upbringing for giving him the inspiration he needed to make it in the competitive art world.
“I grew up surfing before school in Hilo and driving down the windy roads to the beach. The scenery and sounds influenced my art. Hilo is paradise and my artwork reflects the sighs, sounds, and smell of the beach on a warm and crisp Hilo morning.”
Hawaii’s influence on Kai’s post-pop art is a strong presence. His paintings often contain bright colors and swirling lines of movement that recall the powerful waves of his home. As Kai has progressed in his career, he continues to soak up the ever-shifting culture that surrounds him, and still sets big goals to work towards.
“I wake up every day inspired by what’s around me and create according to how I’m feeling. My dream was to own a 911 Porsche and I feel like having the best car motivated me to create more deliberately.”
With the nine-to-five life avoided, the ability to be his own boss, and an art career profitable enough to afford his dream car, Kai is heading into his next frontier, perhaps his biggest challenge yet — fatherhood.
“I recently had a son so now creating a better future for him is my number one priority. Being a great dad and husband is now what drives me the most… My biggest influence is my upbringing and my family. As a new father, my wife and son have been influential in the way I go about my life now.”
It’s no doubt that Kai is on a career-high, but he’s always ultimately been working toward a singular goal.
“Freedom… I always want to be able to do what I want and when I want. Having the ability to live in a home that I purchased off art and do what I want with art and make a living is still my end goal. I continue to live like how I was when I first decided that it was time to go all-in on this.”
By being true to his spirit and putting his passions first — art, his dreams, and his family — Kai has been free all along.
With only a player option remaining on his contract after this season, Washington Wizards star Bradley Beal is poised to hit free agency this summer. Beal is also currently eligible for a four-year, $185.5 million extension with Washington. If he bypasses that opportunity, he can sign a four-year, $186.6 million with someone else or a five-year, $241.6 million deal with the Wizards in the offseason.
However, he’s not rushing any decision and made that clear when he joined Yahoo Sports’ Chris Haynes on Haynes’ “Posted Up” podcast this week.
Posted Up w/ Haynes Pod: Wiz star Bradley Beal on re-signing w/ Jordan Brand & numerous other topics. Why he hasn’t signed max extension?: “I’m not gonna make that grand commitment and it doesn’t work. Ultimately you have to be selfish at some point.”
“I got time. I kinda hold the cards right now. I’ve, one, never been in this position, right? So, I’m kind of embracing that, right? Being able to, OK, dictate how I want my future to be and where I want it to be,” Beal said. “At the same time, I’m giving (Wizards general manager Tommy Sheppard) that opportunity to show that it’s working.
“I’m not gonna make that grand commitment and it doesn’t work,” he continued. “Ultimately, you have to be selfish at some point and for probably the first time in my career, year 10, I am.”
While Beal’s priority is maximizing his long-term situation, wherever that may be, he remains focused on cultivating success in Washington and understands the role he plays in ensuring that success can occur there.
“My full commitment is to the team. I want it to work,” he said. “I’ve committed to being here twice and so, now, I wanna see that my commitment to me as well, that we can create a winning team here and winning environment here. Granted, I’m a part of that, so I gotta make sure that I’m stepping up and doing my thing too just as well.”
If you’ve ever watched Magic Mike and thought, “that’s great, but I really wish all those greased up pectorals looked so close I could reach out and touch ’em,” HBO Max has just the thing for you. To celebrate the premiere of its new reality competition series, Finding Magic Mike, HBO has just announced its collaborating with award-winning creative studio and digital agency Little Cinema to create a Finding Magic Mike AR Experience. As of today, fans of the Magic Mike series and/or absolutely shredded men can stop by the web-based augmented reality experience to “get in on the Magic Mike Live action from virtually anywhere,” though we recommend you maybe stick to somewhere not too crowded.
Using Little Cinema’s “first-of-its-kind creative and advanced technologies,” the Finding Magic MikeAR Experience allows users to drop into a personal Magic Mike performance featuring contestants from the Finding Magic Mike HBO series. Those watching will not only be able to choose what routine they’d like to enjoy “up-close and personal,” but can even interact with the dancers, showering them with Magic Mike‘s signature pink neon dollars or raising a glass of champagne to toast to them. HBO calls the experience “astonishingly life-like,” stating fans will “feel transported to a Magic Mike Live show in Vegas from the comfort of their own home.” Oh, and we should probably mention they also encourage users to record their experiences from the website to share with friends or keep as a “private keepsake.”
“Finding Magic Mike is the perfect opportunity to take the themes and heart of a series and reach fans through an interactive and dynamic AR experience,” said Chris Schuett, COO of Little Cinema. “HBO Max saw our vision and allowed us the access to show talent, choreography, and key assets that make this truly special, and will put you and your friends in the front row at the show. AR allows us to tell a story that is unique to Finding Magic Mike, and with the tools available via 8th Wall and the team at POWSTER, we feel we did just that. ”
For those looking to experience even more “magic,” HBO Max’s Finding Magic Mike is just around the corner. Produced by Steven Soderbergh and Channing Tatum himself, the competition series’ promises to be a great time for anyone who couldn’t get enough of the film’s dancing and, based on the plot, sounds like a pretty fun time:
“Finding Magic Mike, is an exhilarating and sexy series that will transform a group of men into real-life Magic Mikes. Ten regular guys who have “lost their magic” are put through the paces of a Magic Mike Live bootcamp, baring their souls – and more – as they learn to perform sexy and daring dance routines with one being crowned the real Magic Mike. The winner will pocket a cash prize.”
Finding Magic Mike is bumping and grinding it way on over to HBO Max on December 16 — just in time for all your not-so-family-friendly holiday get-togethers.
You don’t need to be a sneakerhead to get psyched about unwrapping a fresh pair of kicks this holiday season. Everybody needs a good pair of sneakers. But a free pair of shoes? Come on, that’s the best practical gift you could hope to receive from someone in your family or friend circle. It certainly beats socks!
If you still have a few names to cross off on your holiday shopping list and you’re drawing a blank on what to buy them, consider a dope pair of shoes. A sick pair of sneakers is a gift anybody can get psyched over, whether they’ve included sneakers on their holiday wish list or not.
Finding a pair worth giving as a gift can be challenging though, especially if you’ve never stopped to notice what type of sneakers the person you’re buying for already owns, or, you know, you just don’t know anything about sneakers in general. Don’t stress, we’ve got you. We found a great sneaker pick for every type of person in your life to make your holiday shopping as hassle-free as possible. The sneakers on this list can be worn by anyone, but a few of them are exclusive to larger-size runs. We’ll make a note of the size range of each.
For The Skater: Nike SB Dunk Pro Parra Abstract Art
If you’re buying sneakers for a skater, you can’t go wrong with the Nike SB Dunk. It’s a staple of the skatewear community. This special pair was designed by the famed Dutch artist Parra and features an abstract-meets-pop-art design that combines leather and canvas with embroidered details and an eye-catching slightly psychedelic design.
Parra was originally tapped by Nike to provide sneakers for their skate team during the 2020 Olympics. Since the games were postponed, this sneaker didn’t see its release until this year, but we rather get it later than never!
If this pair is looking too pricey, any Nike SB Dunk will do for the skater in your life.
This year Nike re-released one of the original pairs of the Air Jordan 6. Not only is this a great basketball sneaker, but it also has a history for the b-ball fanatic in your life to geek out on.
The Carmine features the same color combination Michael Jordan wore during the ’91-’92 season and combines the Chicago Bulls’ signature colors of red, black, and white with premium leather construction and an icy blue outsole.
The Jordan 6 Carmine is available in Men’s sizes 3.5-16.
Inspired by the outdoors and designed by famed sneaker designer Salehe Bembury, the New Balance 574 Yurt is built with varying terrain in mine. The sneaker features a rugged design that can take a beating and is supported by ABZORB heel cushioning for added stability and comfort as well as a roller stability system that better supports rear-foot movement.
The sneaker is constructed with a mix of suede and mesh and features reflective accents for better nighttime visibility. It’s part function and part style.
The Salehe Bembury New Balance 574 Yurt is available in men’s sizes 4-15.
What do you get for the person who explicitly wears Air Jordan sneakers and nothing else? The best Air Jordans released all year. This Jordan 5 colorway, dubbed Moonlight, is essentially a recreation of one of the most sought-after Jordan 5 designs of all time, the Jordan 5 Oreo.
It features a moody black upper with a contrasting white midsole and a black and white speckled shark tooth motif over an icy outsole.
The Jordan 5 Moonlight is available in men’s sizes 4.5-17.
By now you’re probably fully aware that the world, not just modern streetwear, has fully embraced Crocs. Hate them all you want, there is something about slipping your foot into an ultra-comfortable soft rubber Croc that just makes sense to a lot of people, especially if they value comfort above all else.
Some of the best-looking Crocs are made by Justin Bieber’s Drew House, like this soft Lavender pair. The Bieb is to Crocs what Ye is to dad shoes, the king.
The Justin Bieber Drew House 2 Crocs Classic Clog is available in men’s sizes 4-15.
If the person you’re shopping for is obsessed with all things Kanye West, you really can’t go wrong with any Yeezy. But our favorite from 2021 is definitely the 700 in Wash Orange. It captures a lot of the magic of the 700 Wave Runner (which might mean nothing to you but will get your Ye fanatic hyped) and combines it with more recent Yeezy Brand trends, like that bold orange midsole the sneaker sits atop.
It’s a mix of old Yeezy and new Yeezy by combing the best of both worlds. It’s sure to make the Yeezy fan in your life absolutely lose their shit. You know, in a good way.
The Adidas Yeezy Boost 700 Wash Orange is available in men’s sizes 4-17.
This choice is on the pricier end, and that’s partly due to the recent untimely death of Off-White founder Virgil Abloh. However, this sneaker is still significantly cheaper than our original luxury collector’s choice, the Dior Jordan 1 Retro High which sells on aftermarket websites for, and this is not a joke, $8,000 dollars. This $450 hit isn’t looking so bad anymore, is it?
The Jordan 2 was originally designed as a luxury sneaker. It featured Italian leather, a lizard-skin-like detailing, and an understated design that looked more equipped for the country club than the basketball court. That was by Jordan’s request. Abloh’s final sneaker with Nike pays tribute to the history of this b-ball classic.
The Off White Air Jordan 2 is available in men’s sizes 3.5-15.
What do you buy for the sneakerhead who has everything? A sneaker they surely caught an L on. This three-way collaboration between L.A. label Fragment, Air Jordan, and Travis Scott was this year’s hottest sneaker release. Everyone who truly loves shoes desperately wanted to get this sneaker but only a few of us were so lucky.
Make the sneakerhead in your life’s head explode by picking them up this very expensive shoe. If that price is too hard to get behind, think of this sneaker as an investment. It’s like buying valuable stock for your friend!
The Fragment Design x Travis Scott x Air Jordan 1 is available in men’s sizes 4-15.
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