Month: February 2022

Everywhere you look, Megan Thee Stallion is there. And honestly? Former Fifth Harmony member turned breakout star Normani isn’t too far behind. The pair previously worked together on the song “Diamonds,” off the Birds Of Prey soundtrack, and it seems like they’ve developed a pretty tight bond. Which makes their latest bit of content together just that much cuter.

As part of Megan’s new collaboration with Snapchat on a short series called Off Thee Leash, she decided to do an episode with Normani. And once she found out that Normani missed her own prom because of touring with aforementioned girl group, there was nothing left to do but throw the “Wild Side” singer an idyllic prom. In the clip, Normani mentions that she might decide to turn one of her birthday parties into a full-on prom in the future, so this might not be the last prom-themed Normani we ever get.

Back to the most important aspect — Off Thee Leash is a show about pets, so Normani brings her dog, Sir Dior, with her during the episode. Fellow dog lovers will definitely appreciate his big, slobbering presence in the short. But Normani’s excitement about finally experiencing prom, broken corsage and all, is definitely the highlight. Watch above.

Doja Cat has been one of the most prolific female rappers in recent memory. The rising hip-hop and pop star has been continually featuring on tracks with other artists, sharing her life on social media, and released her own full-length, Planet Her to immense critical acclaim last year. But as Billboard kicks off another round of interviews with women in the music industry, honoring how much harder we have to work for recognition, it’s Doja’s turn to give flowers to someone who influenced her deeply. And it shouldn’t come as any surprise that the person she most wants to shout out is none other than Nicki Minaj.

Billboard asked Doja: “What performers did you look to growing up?” And her response included flowers for Nicki first and foremost, along with Janet Jackson, and Beyonce. “It’s pretty obvious that I’m in love with everything Nicki Minaj has put out into the world,” Doja assert, before citing some other artists she admires. “You have your Janets and your Beyoncés. I look at [other artists’] projects and performances and go, “Wow, I hope one day I get to that point.”

Well, most of us think she’s well on her way there. Check out the full interview here.

Father John Misty is back, and boy does it seem like he missed the stage. While plenty of artists talk about their love for connecting with fans, and being blessed to play music for a living, there few current performers who seem to genuinely love being in front of an audience more than Josh Tillman. Last night at the walt Disney Concert Hall in downtown LA, he performed alongside the LA Philharmonic for one of his first live performances in quite some time. To say it was a return to form isn’t quite true, as it was clear that Josh and his band are a little rusty — as are the bulk of us in our seats, unsure how to feel or act, particularly in a seated venue with an orchestra playing along with Tillman’s irreverent folk rock.

As live shows become a part of the music industry’s ecosystem again, plenty of people are ready to get back into it. Shows with extra restrictions might be especially appealing, like the ones at the Walt Disney Concert Hall, which come with comprehensive vetting. To even get inside the door, guests have to show not just their vaccination status, but also proof of a booster shot. If you don’t have it on you, the ushers will direct you to a link that will verify your medical history. Inside the concert hall, there’s no food or drinks allowed in the venue itself, and all the patrons remained seated and masked for the duration of the show. Though the masks were probably welcome to most attendees, the bulk of whom were much older than the average fan at a normal Father John Misty show, watching him perform to a seated crowd, no matter how beautiful the orchestra swelling behind him, was a little strange.

These songs are meant to be swayed to, and rogue guests up in back rows would periodically burst to their feet, wave their arms overhead, or do a little jig, like most of the seated patrons probably wanted to. But politeness, especially after/during a deadly pandemic, ruled, and it was relatively quiet show. That lack of participation was also probably strange for a band who are used to much bigger rooms, and much rowdier crowds, but they played beautifully, even when it came to brand new material. And as different as the atmosphere was, any strangeness was worth the surreal experience of hearing Tillman’s music with an orchestra accompaniment.

In Misty time, it’s been quite a while since he released a new album. Fans got used to a cadence that saw an album release every two years, sometimes even less, so when news broke late last year that a new album was coming in a matter of months, it was a welcome relief. Chloë And The Next 20th Century is slated for release in early April, and last night’s show included orchestra-accompanied renditions of both the album’s lead single, “Funny Girl,” and a live performance of the second single, “Q4.” Fans who were hoping to hear more new material off the album might have been disappointed, but the setlist was also packed with FJM favorites from all four previously albums, so there wasn’t much to complain about in the end.

This was the first time Tillman and his band had performed either of the new Chloë songs publicly, and each of them fit neatly into the Father John Misty discography, at least the portion of it he shared last night. But based on the energy around his new music, it seems like Tillman’s next album will be a bit more subdued, even than 2018’s sometimes gut-wrenching God’s Favorite Customer. Knowing him, this just might mean there’s a whole collection of pandemic-induced party rockers coming next. Hey, if Taylor is in the FJM lane doing folklore, would any of us be opposed to Josh going full 1989 on a 2023 follow-up? This is all speculation, clearly, so for now we’ll have to wait and see how Chloë pans out once we hear it in full in just about a month. Check out a couple more photos of last night’s show below.

Some of the most popular movies ever made did not do well when they originally opened. The Wizard of Oz and It’s a Wonderful Life were both saved after becoming TV staples. The Big Lebowski, initially seen as the Coen brothers’ disappointing follow-up to Fargo, is now their most watched film. No one even knew what The Boondock Saints was until enough people bought the DVD. So when West Side Story, which is to say Steven Spielberg’s new take on the classic musical, tanked in theaters (where, for the record, it’s still playing), there was hope that the critically adored and Oscar-nominated movie might enjoy a robust second act.

Here’s a good sign that that will happen: On Friday night, someone posted a clip of a single, incredible shot from the movie. It’s from the dance at the gym, where our star-crossed lovers wind up meeting. Before they do, though, everyone else is busy dancing up a storm. Spielberg, one of cinema’s most kinetic directors, and his longtime cinematographer Janusz Kaminski shoot the hell out of it.

That includes an acrobatic long take that lasts just over a minute. It starts with Ariana DeBose’s Anita, David Alvarez’s Bernardo, Rachel Zegler’s Maria, and crew entering the gym. As they open the doors, the camera, on a crane, dashes into the crowd. It hovers over people dancing in unison. It swoops in amongst them. And it ends its epic journey back with Anita, Bernardo, Maria, et al., all without a cut.

The clip received thousands and re-tweets and even more likes, with people blown away by the choreography, of the dancers and of the camera crew. It was so stunning that those in the know had to point out that it’s completely real, without any digital touch-ups.

Others pointed out it’s not the film’s only doozy of a shot.

Others pointed other incredible Spielberg shots throughout his career.

As it happens, Spielberg’s West Side Story is scheduled to finally make its streaming debut, hitting Disney+ on Tuesday. A viral clip isn’t the only recent big Spielberg news. (The 1961 version, meanwhile, currently streams on HBO Max.) On Friday, it was revealed that the legendary filmmaker was interested in making a film about the iconic detective Steve McQueen plays in the classic thriller Bullitt, which features another thing Spielberg loves: car chases.

The last week has been eventful for Megan Thee Stallion, and not in the way that she might have hoped. A preliminary hearing in the rapper’s felony assault case with Tory Lanez, who is accused of shooting her in the foot during the summer of 2020, occurred on Wednesday. What should have been a smooth hearing, unfortunately, turned out to be dramatic after multiple false reports about it were shared on social media. Megan did her best to fight back against the claims, responding to messages from DJ Akademiks and Tory himself.

Days after the whole ordeal, Megan revealed something else that she’s been dealing with. She says she’s been receiving threatening messages on social media, with some going as far as to issue death threats. Megan shared one example on her Instagram Story. She posted a screenshot of a message from a user named “megantheestallionsbiggesthater” who wrote, “Megan Needs To Be Shot And Killed.” Megan shared the screenshot and wrote, “This is the type of sh*t i get online and see EVERY DAY.”

Megan’s revealing post comes after she sued her label, 1501 Certified Entertainment, after they refused to claimed her 2021 project Something For Thee Hotties did not fulfill her contract.

Megan Thee Stallion is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

It’s been a while since Markelle Fultz has played basketball. The former No. 1 overall pick suffered a torn ACL on Jan. 6, 2021 during the Orlando Magic’s game against the Cleveland Cavalier, and in the nearly 14 months since, Fultz has sat on the sidelines and worked towards suiting up in a game again.

That moment is apparently coming in a few days. Fultz appeared on the Orlando Magic Pod Squad podcast and announced that he’ll make his return to basketball on Monday, Feb. 28 when the team hosts the Indiana Pacers.

Fultz’s injury came just weeks after he put pen to paper on a three-year, $50 million extension with the Magic, which acquired him in a trade with the Philadelphia 76ers right before the 2019 trade deadline. While his well-documented issues with his jumper meant it took him longer than anticipated to really kickstart his NBA career, Fultz looked like the kind of player Orlando could build around in the 80 games he played for the franchise. So far during his Magic tenure, Fultz has averaged 12.2 points, 5.2 assists, 3.3 rebounds, and 1.2 steals in 27.6 minutes per game.

He’ll slide into the backcourt that features Cole Anthony, who leads the team in scoring, and recent No. 5 overall pick Jalen Suggs, who has been given the keys to initiating the offense this season.

Super Smash Bros. is one of the most entertaining fighting games ever made. Nintendo’s crossover platform fighter has millions of fans across multiple consoles and the most recent game, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, was so popular that fans have been intensely debating what characters deserve to join such a prestigious roster. Last October, Nintendo announced the final addition of Sora from Kingdom Hearts, marking the end of major updates to the game.

While updates to the game may be finished, that doesn’t mean that the game itself is. Thousands of players across the country continue to play Smash Bros. competitively at tournaments and Nintendo even announced its own official United States circuit for players to compete in. Unfortunately, this appears to have had an unexpected downside: EVO, the biggest annual fighting game tournament, announced on Saturday that Super Smash Bros. would for the first time since 2007 not be making an appearance.

Super Smash Bros. is not only entertaining to play, but it’s also one of the most watchable eSports out there. Its mix of fast-paced action and precision makes every attack feel important and frequently leaves fans on the edge of their seats. Some of the most incredible moments in eSports history have taken place at EVO before and many of the game’s biggest players, such as Hungrybox, have made their name by winning the Smash Bros. tournaments held at the event. Hopefully, this is temporary and we one day see Nintendo and Super Smash Bros. make a return to EVO.

Russia’s invasion into Ukraine has enraged everyone — well, almost everyone. While many GOP leaders have condemned the move, which has seen heavy pushback by Ukrainians, some failed to get the memo. Among them are Tucker Carlson, who has spent recent Fox News shows decrying the “corrupt” nation that Vladimir Putin has ordered invaded. Even Newsmax, the virulently pro-Trump news network, has called Tucker out. But Russian powers have been eating it up, even airing his shows on state TV.

As such, the latest parody ad from The Lincoln Project — the team of longtime Republicans who teamed up to defeat Donald Trump’s future presidential hopes — isn’t that far from reality. The ad pretends to be Russian propaganda, praising the “glorious invasion of Ukraine.” It also points out that “Field Marshal Putin” has offered thanks to all the American conservatives who have helped him.

There’s Carlson, of course, along with others on Fox News who have spent more time trashing Biden than Putin (when they’re not outright praising him). They also singled out Steve Bannon, who saluted Putin for not being “woke” (i.e., homophobic) as well as Josh Hawley, who has done his best to “block enemies of Russia,” such as the Democrats who now control all three bodies of government.

The ad ends by twisting the knife, saying Russia has “waited 40 years for American Republicans to throw away disgrace of Ronald Reagan,” the staunchly anti-Soviet president the GOP has long elevated to godlike status. How times change.

You can watch the ad in the video above.

Smino is currently putting the finishing touches on his upcoming third album, Luv 4 Rent. He revealed the album’s title at the end of last year, but he hasn’t shared much else about it. Whenever it arrives, it will hopefully be an enjoyable follow-up to his 2018 album Noir. In the meantime, Smino is also lending his talents to other musicians, the latest being British singer Tiana Major9. The two joined forces for their new song “2 Seater,” and it’s a romantic effort that presents a couple who nurtures their relationship through their love for music and relaxing drives with the top down.

The new track is the lead single from Tiana Major9’s upcoming EP Fool Me Once, which is due on March 15. It will also be her first work since 2020’s At Sixes And Sevens, which featured an appearance from Earthgang and which was updated with a remix edition featuring collaborations from Jvck James, Haile, Vince Staples, SiR, Lucky Daye, and Beam.

Until the arrival of Fool Me Once next month, fans can enjoy performances from Major9 at Jazmine Sullivan’s Heaux Tales Tour, where Major9 is as an opening act for shows that continue until the end of March.

You can watch the video for “2 Seater” above.

Fool Me Once is out 3/15 via Motown Records. You can pre-save it here.

Marjorie Taylor Greene has only been an elected politician for a year and change, but she’s already accomplished so much. No, we don’t mean she’s helped enact laws; she was quickly booted from multiple committees after uproar over violent comments she used to make about her current colleagues. What she’s done is hit one new low after another, from defending the Jan. 6 attack to comparing vaccine mandates to the Holocaust to pointlessly pouring most of her congressional salary down the drain. But as Blur once sang, no matter how low, there’s always somewhere to go.

That new low? Speaking at an actual white nationalist event. On Friday, the Georgia representative was the “surprise guest” at the America First Political Action Conference in Orlando. The event is a rival to the Conservative Political Action Conference being held in the same city — a place for all the conservatives too loony for the mainstream Republican party.

Greene also appeared at CPAC. But before that she swung by AFPAC, sharing the stage with the event’s founder, Nick Fuentes, a noted white nationalist and Holocaust denier. As per HuffPost, Greene treated the crowd to a speech about “cancelled Americans,” railed against the “communist party of the United States of America,” and, of course, made transphobic remarks.

As for Fuentes, he made a joke implying that comparing Russian president Vladimir Putin to Hitler shouldn’t be an insult.

Greene’s presence at an event for white supremacists was widely condemned, though GOP higher-up have yet to weigh in. It was bad enough that Greene felt compelled to try and explain why she accidentally wound up speaking in front of proud racists.

“I do not know Nick Fuentes. I have never heard him speak, I have never seen a video. I do not know what his views are so I am not aligned with anything that is controversial,” she told CBS’ Robert Costa. “I went to his event last night to address his very large following because it’s a very young following and it’s a generation I’m extremely concerned about.”

Despite her professed ignorance about how Fuentes is, there were, of course, pictures of them together.

Anyway, who among hasn’t innocently found themselves addressing a group of white nationalists who agree with our worldviews? It happens to the best of us — or maybe it only happens to the worst of us.

(Via HuffPost and The Daily Beast)