After Green Day became one of the biggest rock bands in the world and Billie Joe Armstrong finally made enough money to buy a guitar other than his iconic souped-up blue Stratocaster, he often turned to relatively plain looking Les Pauls.
Now, Armstrong has teamed up with Epiphone to release a signature Les Paul Junior guitar, which features a slab Mahogany body and a set neck, an Indian Laurel fretboard with 22 medium jumbo frets, a powerful PRO P-90 pickup, and master volume and tone controls with CTS potentiometers, making it rock-solid choice for pros and beginners alike. The coolest part? The Billie Joe Armstrong Les Paul Junior has Billie Joe’s autograph as an emblem on the back of the headstock and comes with a deluxe leopard, faux fur-lined custom hardshell case.
The Billie Joe Armstrong Les Paul Junior is truly a sight to behold, and we’re giving one lucky fan the opportunity to take one home over on our Instagram. Find out how to enter below.
Pick up Armstrong’s Les Paul Junior here, and check out all the details for the Player Pack — an easy plug-and-play starter pack designed for beginner players — here.
Billie Joe Armstrong is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group
Alicia Keys is a lot of things: A singer, a songwriter, a Grammy Award-winner, an on-the-nose Netflix romcom producer, a wife, a mother, and now, apparently, a true agent of chaos. Considering the absolute deluge of drama that comes out of any attempt to force Lil Wayne and Pusha T into reconciliation, her decision to put them both on her upcoming album KEYS is like the rap game equivalent of throwing rocks at a wasp’s nest. She shared a tracklist for the 26-track double album featuring both names and set rap fans buzzing about the possibility of renewed hostilities.
Granted, unlike prior attempts to force collaboration, she didn’t put them on the same track — in fact, she didn’t even put them on the same “disc,” as KEYS has a unique twist meant to show off the duality of the singer’s classical training as juxtaposed with her deep roots in hip-hop. But the move does read a lot like playing with fire, especially if Pusha T’s younger brother instincts take over and have him tossing darts at Lil Wayne across the gulf. The two don’t even have to be on the same track to spark resentment, with Pusha’s verse on Pop Smoke’s album taking shots at Wayne’s longtime labelmate Drake and prompting Young Thug to speak out against him.
Pusha will appear on Side One, dropping bars on the intro track “Plentiful,” and Wayne will pop up on “Nat King Cole,” produced by Mike Will Made-It. Hopefully, the two can resist their urge to butt heads without being on the same track, as Rick Ross attempted to do in 2019 before Pusha torpedoed that plan with his “Maybach Music VI” verse, which ultimately had to be cut to keep the peace. If they can keep things civil, it’ll be one more step toward reconciliation after Wayne admitted he has no idea why Pusha has been sniping at him for the last 15 years.
Meanwhile, Alicia’s other guests are way more likely to keep things cool; as Khalid, Lucky Daye, and Swae Lee all seem unlikely to start throwing reckless haymakers at each other — although stranger things have happened in the world of hip-hop.
The New York Times published an insightful article on Tuesday about whether a high follower count on social media leads to better book sales. In short, “The only reliable part about it is that it’s unreliable,” said Shannon DeVito, director of books at Barnes & Noble.
For instance, Billie Eilish is one of the most popular musicians on the planet — but her self-titled book has only “sold 64,000 hardcover copies since it came out in May, according to NPD BookScan, which tracks most printed books sold in the U.S.” That’s not terrible, but considering she got a $1 million advance (at least), it’s not great, either.
But at least she’s doing better than Piers Morgan.
The journalist and media personality Piers Morgan had a weaker showing. Despite his followers on Twitter (8 million) and Instagram (1.8 million), Wake Up: Why the World Has Gone Nuts has sold just 5,650 print copies since it was published a year ago, according to BookScan.
For someone with as many followers on Morgan, not to mention his unfortunate cultural ubiquity, that’s an embarrassingly low number of sales. I guess the public wasn’t ready to read the “powerful account of how the world finally started to wake up, and why it mustn’t go back to sleep again” from the most trolled man on Twitter. I can’t imagine why.
My favorite part of this article was learning I’ve sold more books than that awful Piers Morgan (despite his 10 million followers) https://t.co/ohASDL9tZ3
The UConn women’s basketball team bounced back from its loss to No. 1 South Carolina in the Bahamas in expected fashion, blasting Seton Hall and then No. 22 Notre Dame by a combined 44 points. However, in that game against the Fighting Irish on Sunday, the Huskies saw their sophomore star Paige Bueckers need to be helped off the floor after suffering a non-contact knee injury in the final minute that left UConn fans holding their breath.
On Tuesday, the team announced the results of a CT scan that showed a “tibial plateau fracture” in Bueckers left knee that will keep her out for 6-8 weeks, which means the Huskies will need to navigate the next two months potentially without the services of their leading scorer.
Even for a program as deep as UConn, replacing a 21.2 points per game scorer is a difficult ask, especially when Bueckers is also, by far, their assist leader at 6.2 per game and their second-leading rebounder at 5.5 a night. Still, this is a team that will be favored in all of its conference games, even without Bueckers, but it’s possible the star will miss the three biggest non-conference games remaining on the schedule. She will assuredly be out when UConn hosts No. 7 Louisville on Dec. 19, but the 6-8 week timetable leaves uncertainty about her status for the Huskies trip to Columbia for a rematch with South Carolina on Jan. 27 and when they play host to long time rivals Tennessee on Feb. 6 (right at the end of the 8 week window).
Hopefully Bueckers can be back for those two huge games, but the Huskies will surely look to take a cautious approach to ensure their star is ready when it matters most in March, because all of those teams could pop up again on the road to a national title.
Mitski got the gears turning on starting to share a new album a couple months ago, when she dropped “Working For The Knife” and announced a bunch of 2022 tour dates. Then, last month, she officially announced Laurel Hell — which is set for release on February 4, 2022 — and shared “The Only Heartbreaker.”
Now, it’s time for another Laurel Hell preview, as Mitski shared “Heat Lightning” today. The track starts intimately before blossoming into its first hook and then locking into a rhythmic groove for the rest of the song.
Mitski recently spoke about the upcoming album with Apple Music’s Zane Lowe, saying, “‘Laurel Hell’ is a term from the Southern Appalachians in the US, where laurel bushes basically grow in these dense thickets, and they grow really wide. I mean, I’ve never experienced it myself, but when you get stuck in these thickets, you can’t get out, or so the story goes. So there are a lot of Laurel Hells in America, in the South, where they’re named after the people who died within them because they were stuck. The thing is, laurel flowers are so pretty. They just burst into these explosions of beauty and I liked the notion of being stuck inside this explosion of flowers and perhaps even dying within one of them.”
Listen to “Heat Lightning” above.
Laurel Hell is out 2/4/2022 via Dead Oceans. Pre-order it here.
Just days after the plaintiffs and defendants in the nearly 300 cases against the Astroworld Festival’s organizers agreed to consolidate those cases into one proceeding, another lawsuit was filed representing over 1,500 new plaintiffs, doubling the total to almost 2,800 people suing Live Nation and Travis Scott. Billboard reports that the massive group is represented by Brent Coon, a personal injury lawyer based in Beaumont, Texas. Coon’s press release announcing the suit read, “What happened at Astroworld was an unconscionable tragedy and it is important that justice is served for all those impacted,” but few details were revealed about the suit.
Meanwhile, Billboard also recently reported that with over 275 cases pending, the Astroworld organizers’ lawyers agreed with the plaintiffs’ representatives that all the cases would be consolidated under just one judge in order to simplify what is already a complex case. A filing read, “Transfer of all of these lawsuits to a single pretrial judge for consolidated and coordinated pretrial proceedings will eliminate duplicative discovery, conserve resources of the judiciary, avoid conflicting legal rulings and scheduling, and otherwise promote the just and efficient conduct of all actions.”
The new case will likely be folded into that same multi-district litigation. Meanwhile, Astroworld’s organizers have both secured their representation for the upcoming battle, with Live Nation tapping Susman Godfrey and Travis Scott securing Daniel Petrocelli, who previously defended Donald Trump against a fraud lawsuit over his real estate seminars.
On Friday, a report came out that PlayStation would be creating a new service to challenge Xbox Game Pass codenamed “Spartacus.” It makes sense why, as the Microsoft exclusive service has been a must-have for PC and Xbox owners for years and is easily the best deal in all of gaming. The problem for PlayStation is that it’s a little late to the game at this point. Game Pass has been active since 2017 and that’s given Xbox years to not only build up the service’s library but also to improve on the service itself. This doesn’t mean that PlayStation is starting from completely nothing, it’s had PlayStation Now even longer than Xbox has had Game Pass, but it’s never taken drastic steps to improve the service until the reported “Spartacus.”
With so much ground to catch up on, PlayStation has a lot of work cut out to not only put its service on the level of Game Pass but to surpass it. Right now, Game Pass is a system seller and that is likely what PlayStation eventually wants Spartacus to become. With supply chain issues making it difficult to get a PlayStation 5, and the differences between console generations not showing through yet, they have an opportunity to make Spartacus a major selling point for Sony consoles.
In order to do that, we have some ideas on what that should look like and what a Game Pass rival will need to do to draw people in.
Day One Games
One of the biggest appeals of Game Pass, and arguably is the part that’s selling consoles right now, is Xbox’s commitment to releasing first-party titles on their service at launch day. That means when a new game releases from a Microsft Studio that game will be available on Game Pass the same day it’s hitting store shelves. Don’t want to spend $60 on the new Forza Horizon game? You don’t have to, because it’s already on Game Pass and there are no plans to remove it from the service anytime soon. Unfortunately, this is a service policy that so far it sounds like Sony has no plans on replicating.
This new service, expected in the spring, will likely retain the “PlayStation Plus” branding. Don’t expect Sony to include its big new games day one like Game Pass does, but the expectation is a stronger offering than PlayStation Now
This would be a huge misstep on PlayStation’s end if they don’t try to offer this kind of service for their own games. One of the biggest appeals of having a PlayStation over an Xbox is a very strong list of single player games built around telling a story. However, with some of these games approaching the $70 price tag on PlayStation 5 it’s beginning to price out some players. They’re instead waiting for bundles and price drops before they experience these games. If PlayStation instead made these available day one, the same way Xbox does, it would make their service an immediate get for anyone with a PlayStation while simultaneously pushing it as a console seller.
Steady Releases
Another major plus of Game Pass is that it has a pretty healthy update schedule. Games are constantly moving in and out so there’s always a reason to check in and see what’s new. Xbox took this a step further by announcing that once a quarter it will release a Microsoft Studios project to the service. It’s capable of doing this thanks to the healthy army of studios it has bought up over the recent years, but Microsoft can also do that because of the support it has thrown behind Game Pass.
While expecting a new first-party title from Sony every quarter would be a lot, we can at least ask them to improve their library of options and make a bigger point of advertising them. Did you know that The Last of Us Part II, Final Fantasy IX, and Mafia: Definitive Edition are all currently available on PlayStation Now? These are some big titles that people would love to play, but they don’t get highlighted very much beyond the PlayStation website. Committing to a constant flow of steady releases, both new and retro, would give Sony a strong library to compete with Game Pass.
Have A Flagship Title
The flagship title of Xbox Game Pass is Sea of Thieves. Rare’s pirate game has been receiving active updates since its release in 2018 and is more popular than ever. How does a game’s player base continue to increase like that? Easy, when it’s the flagship title of Game Pass it has plenty of opportunities to bring in new players.
Sea of Thieves has, for a long time, been the title that Microsoft has used to push the service. They wanted people to get Game Pass so they could play Sea of Thieves. While Microsoft’s focus for Game Pass has shifted to other first-party releases, that original model is one that PlayStation can emulate. Find a game that brings people into the service. Make that the poster for the new service and then build around that while creating the foundation for the rest. It sounds very basic, but it’s a model we’ve already seen work and there’s no reason it can’t work again.
Cloud Gaming
One of the newest features on Game Pass and one that’s still in Beta is Cloud Gaming, but it is already looking like a game changer for the service. Being able to try out games without the $60+ price tag is what makes Game Pass a great service, but even having to use up precious hard drive space (and spend hours waiting for a game to download) can be a deterrent to trying out a new game you’re on the fence about. Cloud Gaming is allowing players to dive in and test the waters immediately on Game Pass, which is going to open doors for players to more titles, and Sony replicating that would be huge for their service as well.
Questions about the legitimacy of the Trump Media & Technology Group—which will be the home of the former president’s new social media site, TRUTH Social—have been arising since the company was first announced in late October. The biggest red flag, according to people who know about these kinds of things, is that at practically the same time the company was even introduced, it was announced that it would be going public via a SPAC, which stands for “special purpose acquisition company,” but it is better known as a “blank check company” or a shell corporation. In a nutshell: It’s a way for a company to be listed on the stock market and attract money from private investors without having to go through the many hoops and legal benchmarks that come with an IPO.
As Mediaite reports, the former president played dumb (or really was clueless) when Spicer asked him to share his thoughts about the SEC’s interest in Trump’s latest venture. Trump’s reply:
“I don’t know anything about the SEC. I do know that Devin is fantastic, and I guess we just put out a release and the release says that he’ll be coming on. And you know, this is just a continuation of witch hunts. Anything you do, they want to look at it. They look at it. They don’t look at themselves.”
Then, perhaps forgetting that Republicans have been in control of pretty much everything for the past several years, Trump whined that, “If our side doesn’t have a voice, eventually… you’re going to end up with pure communism. It’s a disgrace what’s going on. But you’re going to end up with a communistic… a communist nation.”
There you have it—straight from the horse dewormer pusher’s mouth.
This week in pop music, big-name musicians returned to releasing music after the holiday. Ariana Grande and Kid Cudi shared a preview of their joint track for an upcoming film, SZA returned with a new emotional ballad, and Ed Sheeran and Elton John dropped their Christmas collaboration.
Ariana Grande is set to join the A-list cast for Netflix’s upcoming film Don’t Look Up. Not only is she playing a part in the movie, but she and Kid Cudi also recorded to soaring track “Just Look Up” for the film’s soundtrack. Contrasting the film’s title, the song sees Grande flexing her far-reaching vocals as she reminds listeners to live life to the fullest before it’s too late.
Ed Sheeran, Elton John — “Merry Christmas”
Ed Sheeran and Elton John have been fast friends ever since the two performed Sheeran’s breakout track at the 2013 Grammys. Now, nearly eight years years later, the duo are getting into the holiday spirit with the joint track “Merry Christmas.” The joyous and jingling tune is an ode to letting go of the pain and hardships over the past year in order to celebrate all the good that’s soon to come.
SZA — “I Hate U”
It’s been a while since we’ve gotten a new track from SZA, who’s fans have been begging for a follow up to her 2017 album Ctrl. While she’s dropped off a few singles, projects, and collaborations since, she’s still showing no sign of a new album any time soon. Thankfully, the singer is appeasing fans with the new heartbreak track “I Hate U.” The song gets real about the ways she was wronged by a past partner while also offering a way for SZA to flex her honeyed vocals.
Grimes — “Player Of Games”
Grimes returned this week to announce the official beginning to a new era of music with her single “Player Of Games.” The musician hasn’t said whether or not the synth-heavy song references her breakup with billionaire Elon Musk, but the lyrics do mention someone who’s more interested in jetting off to space than staying to love her and Musk did just launch a high-profile space project.
Shawn Mendes — “It’ll Be Okay”
Shawn Mendes also dropped a breakup track, but this one was a bit more brokenhearted. After calling his relationship with fellow pop star Camila Cabello quits, Mendes shared the lovelorn piano track “It’ll Be Okay.” The song both recognizes Mendes’ pain while also recognizing that moving on is the right (albeit difficult) choice.
Joshua Bassett — “Crisis”
Olivia Rodrigo’s High School Musical: The Musical: The Series co-star and former love interest Joshua Bassett is also well on his way to making a name for himself in the music sector. Following up on the popularity of his recent singles like “Feel Something” and “Lie, Lie, Lie,” Bassett gets a bit more personal with his latest track “Crisis.” The song starts off by addressing how musicians’ trauma can oftentimes be exploited by the industry for the sake of authenticity as he sings, “My label said to never waste a crisis / And here I am, guitar in my hand, in the middle of one.”
Marina — “Happy Loner”
This week, Welsh pop singer Marina followed up her recent album Ancient Dreams In A Modern Land with its deluxe version. The new release gave fans a few bonus tracks, including the song “Happy Loner.” The atmospheric tune takes things in a more downtempo direction and stands as an ode to introverts everywhere as she sings of being perfectly happy being a loner.
Kim Petras — “Coconuts”
Though winter is just around the corner, Kim Petras fired off the sunny tune “Coconuts.” The summery single sees Petras belting out lyrics about her coconuts, which is a euphemism for a certain part of her body. The carefree track is another example of Petras’ effortlessly fun songwriting and how she can turn any subject matter into a revved-up pop banger.
Bakar — “Build Me A Way”
UK artist Bakar emerged as a buzzworthy artist following his 2018 debut mixtape, and he’s been building momentum ever since. Just before heading off on a run of sold-out US shows this month, the singer dropped the inspiring new track “Build Me A Way.” The emotional track walks his listeners through the experience of wavering faith and the importance of relying on community.
EDM pioneer Deadmau5 teamed up with Portugal The Man this week for the inventive single “This Is Fine.” But it’s not a song you’ll be hearing on streaming services anytime soon. Rather, “This Is Fine” was released as an NFT with the hopes of it being the first-ever NFT single to become Platinum-certified. To prepare, Deadmau5 minted one million copies of “This Is Fine” on the website mintbase and each one can be downloaded for about $1.75 at the time of this writing.
Some of the artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
While stripped down to their briefs, Saturday Night Live star Pete Davidson and rocker Machine Gun Kelly took over Calvin Klein’s Instagram account on Monday Night. The two are romantically involved with Kim Kardashian and Megan Fox, respectively, who were not present as Davidson and Kelly began talking about what’s inside their Calvin Klein briefs.
According to Page Six, the two showed mutual appreciation for each other’s, uh, packages during a Live video where Davidson was the first to comment on Kelly’s whole situation. “Nice stuff, by the way,” Davidson said. “I get it now. Good for you. Good for you, dog.”
But soon the conversation moved to the elephant in the room. After a string of high-profile romantic partners including Ariana Grande, a rumored fling with Kate Beckinsale, and his now relationship with Kim Kardashian, there have been persistent rumors that Pete Davidson has that “BDE” as the kids call it, and he leaned into for the Calvin Klein promotion:
“I’m a grower for sure. I’m not really a grower or a shower. It’s actually the same small and hard. It’s actually a scientific wonder.”
While Davidson has been reluctant to talk about his package, he played it up for the video with Kelly and confirmed that Urban Dictionary is correct to say he has BDE. “That’s insanely embarrassing, but it’s true,” Davidson said.
The two then patted themselves on the back for bringing the “horniness” before signing off. Later, they dropped a photo on the Calvin Klein account complimenting themselves on the live event. “Did we nail it or did we nail it,” they wrote in the caption.
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