Month: February 2022

West Coast-based, Asian-centric label 88rising has been on the cutting edge of the digital festival scene since 2020’s lockdowns forced live entertainment online, and they’ve continued that tradition even as live shows have returned. While 88rising’s recent Head In The Clouds Festival was a rousing success, the label looks to maintain its foothold in the digital space with the Double Happiness festival celebrating the Lunar New Year and the upcoming Year Of The Tiger in the lunar zodiac.

Taking place on February 4 at 7 pm PT, the festival will follow 88rising’s established brand in featuring rising stars of Asian descent broadcast live on Facebook, YouTube, and SiriusXM radio. Headlined by Hong Kong rapper Jackson Wang, the event will include performances from singer Adawa, Toronto-based songwriter Alex Porat, New Jersey rapper Audrey Nuna, Thai rapper MILLI, Vietnamese singer Mỹ Anh, South Korean singer-songwriter Seori, Shang-Chi soundtrack artist Shayiting EL, Indonesian singer-songwriter Stephanie Poetri, Indonesian rapper Warren Hue, Korean-American singer-rapper Woosung, Thai rapper Youngohm, and Yuzhen.

88rising’s profile, well, rose in 2021 in part due to the return of the Head In The Clouds festival and in part due to the label’s participation in the soundtrack for Marvel’s Shang-Chi And The Legend Of The Ten Rings. Just seven years after its launch, the label has become a true force in the music industry, and is worth paying attention to.

On February 13, a pretty large football game is happening, and in the middle of it, Eminem, Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Kendrick Lamar, and Mary J. Blige will perform the Super Bowl LVI Halftime Show. While those artists are the select few chosen to take the field at SoFi Stadium on the big day, the gravity of the Super Bowl means that there will be plenty of other music events taking place in the Los Angeles area during the weekend. We’ve rounded up the most major examples — which include performances by stars like Jack Harlow, Drake, Miley Cyrus, and many others, so check out the list below.

John Mayer Small Stage Series

This one comes a few days before Super Bowl weekend, but if you happen to live in LA or plan to be in town a few days early on February 8, there’s an opportunity to swing by the Hollywood Palladium and see John Mayer perform some of his Sob Rock songs in front of a live audience for the first time. On top of that, the show is hosted by longtime Mayer pal Andy Cohen and will be preceded by an interview between the two. Even if you can’t check this one out in person, the show will be broadcast on various SiriusXM channels.

Bud Light Super Bowl Music Fest

This annual event is perhaps the biggest non-halftime musical attraction of the weekend, or perhaps more so if duration is taken into consideration, as the festival runs for three days from February 10 to 12 at Crypto.com Arena. Halsey and Machine Gun will perform on the first day, and they’ll be followed by Blake Shelton, Gwen Stefani, and Mickey Guyton on the second night, then Miley Cyrus and Green Day will headline the third and final night. All in all, those artists make up a diverse roster that will have something to please just about anybody.

Shaq’s Fun House

Shaq’s Fun House has become a Super Bowl weekend tradition in recent years, as Shaquille O’Neal takes the show around the country to wherever the big game ends up being played. This year, it’s going down at LA’s Shrine Auditorium & Expo Hall on February 11. The festival/carnival is set to feature performances from Shaq himself (as DJ Diesel), Lil Wayne, Zedd, and Diplo. On top of that, there’s going to be a full carnival, nightlife VIP experience, and a bunch of food vendors. The NBA great has one of the most infectious personalities in pop culture, so his Fun House is sure to be a terrific time.

MaximBet Music At The Market and DirecTC Presents Maxim Electric Nights

DirecTV and Maxim are working together on a pair of events for the big weekend, both at City Market in Downtown Los Angeles. The first is MaximBet Music At The Market on February 11, which will feature Lil Baby, Gunna, and The Chainsmokers. The next day, they’re offering DirecTV Presents Maxim Electric Nights, a 50 Cent-hosted event that will feature Tiësto, Loud Luxury, and DJ Vice. All of this is going down in “a custom-built 45,000 square foot open-air pavilion representative of a 1980’s retro-futuristic setting.”

h.wood Group’s Homecoming Weekend

While Drake isn’t part of the hip-hop-heavy halftime show (as far as we know, anyway), he will be making an appearance at the Pacific Design Center in West Hollywood on February 12. If you can get into this event, it’s bound to be a good one. That said, good luck with that, as it’s an invite-only affair.

Sports Illustrated The Party x Palm Tree Crew

If you’re looking for a party featuring premiere hip-hop talent that you can actually attend, Sports Illustrated and Palm Tree Crew are bringing a nice lineup to Century Park on February 12. Performing at their event will be a good mix of talent that includes Kygo, Jack Harlow, Frank Walker, David Solomon (yes, the Goldman Sachs CEO/DJ), and DJ Irie.

Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

Killing Eve has been crafting permutations on the cat-and-mouse game since the show’s inception. Villanelle and Eve are equally obsessed with each other, and although the show began with Eve as the “prey,” the show’s grown into much more than that, along with being deeper than simply following the adventures of quirky assassin. There’s also so much collateral damage from Eve and Villanelle’s relationship, so it’ll be a hoot to see how this show continues to amuse (who’s the real scorpion, and who’s the frog here?) while wrapping up emotional components during the fourth and final season.

We already saw an ominous teaser where the show (again) confirmed that these two can’t stay apart forever (after that meeting on the bridge), and this trailer reveals that they’re all up in each other’s business again. They are, however, apparently living separate lives with separate hookups and Villanelle looking for religion because she can’t stop killing. Carolyn’s obviously in fine form (while following up on poor Kenny’s death), and we don’t see unfortunate Niko, so ideally, he’s living elsewhere, far away from Eve’s destructive tornado. And we get a laughing Konstantin, too, which makes everything better. From the synopsis:

After the emotional climax of Season Three, Eve (Sandra Oh), Villanelle (Jodie Comer) and Carolyn (Fiona Shaw) are in very different places. Following Eve and Villanelle’s exchange on the bridge, Eve is on a revenge mission, while Villanelle has found a brand-new community in an attempt to prove she’s not a “monster.” Having killed Paul, Carolyn goes to extraordinary lengths to continue to chase down The Twelve and the person that ordered Kenny’s hit. This season follows our extraordinary women, each driven by passion, revenge and obsession, building towards a messy, nuanced and totally glorious series finale.

Killing Eve‘s fourth and final season will premiere (with two episodes) on Sunday, February 27 on BBC America and Monday, February 28 on AMC.

This week in pop music saw the return of some big stars. Charli XCX teamed up with Rina Sawayama for a playful bop, Grimes shared a fluttering pop tune, and Tove Lo fired off a slow-burning single.

Each week, Uproxx rounds up the best new pop releases. Listen up.

Charli XCX, Rina Sawayama — “Beg For You”

Charli XCX is well into the roll out of her upcoming album Crash. After endlessly teasing her collaboration with fellow UK pop singer Rina Sawayama, their delectable joint track “Beg For You” has officially arrived. The soaring tune perfectly showcases both singers’ knack for crafting memorable hits to belt out with your besties, and as Sawayama perfect put it: “I f*cking love this song.”

Grimes — “Shinigani Eyes”

Continuing to preview her new era of music, Grimes returned with the revved-up number “Shinigani Eyes” this week. The song definitely falls in line with her “ethereal” genre of music, but adds a pumped-up beat to ensure “Shinigani Eyes” is Grimes next big hit.

Tove Lo — “How Long”

HBO Max’s racy series Euphoria is proving they know how to create an enticing sound track with season 2. After tapping Lana Del Rey for an original track, the series invited Tove Lo to share the steamy tune “How Long.” Characterized by a dance-ready beat, Tove Lo turns up the heat with resonating synths and honest lyrics about “love, betrayal and denial.”

Rex Orange County — “Keep It Up”

After making his major label debut in 2019 with the acclaimed LP Pony, Rex Orange County is back and ready for a new release. Announcing the upcoming album Who Cares?, Rex shared the buoyant and earnest tune “Keep It Up.” The project was written in close partnership with Benny Sings and the new single offers a perfect way to dance through all life’s ups and downs.

Lauv — “26”

This week, Lauv dropped off a relatable tune for all those twenty-somethings out here. The reflective single features vulnerable lyrics over an atmospheric beat and is the first solo music we’ve heard from Lauv in nearly a year, seemingly setting the stage for what he has planned for this year.

Raveena — “Secret” Feat. Vince Staples

Back with yet another empowering single, Raveena teamed up with rapper Vince Staples this week for the opulent number “Secret.” The sultry song further previews the singer’s upcoming Asha’s Awakening and showcases her brand of inspired pop music.

Anitta — “Boys Don’t Cry”

Brazilian pop star Anitta turned up the heat with her latest anthem, “Boys Don’t Cry.” Armed with a guitar-riddled, stadium-filling beat, Anitta dispels the idea that men aren’t emotional, clarifying that the partners she’s left behind have been more than willing to cry over her.

Glaive — “Icarus”

Last year, the now 17-year-old Glaive positioned himself as a rising pop star with his debut EP, All Dogs Go To Heaven. Now offering his ever-expanding fan base more music, Glaive shared a deluxe version of the project, which included the brand new track “Icarus.” Much like his previous catalog, the song features washed-out vocals but this time trades in a hyperpop beat for more toned down instrumentals.

The Chainsmokers — “High”

This week, The Chainsmokers kicked off a new era of music in anticipation of the duo’s fourth studio album. The lead single “High” gives listeners a taste of what The Chainsmokers have in store: catchy lyrics, sizzling beats, and undeniable chemistry. “The song perfectly captures the spirit of today’s relationships, the lengths we will go for someone we love, and the lies we tell ourselves to continue on unhappily,” the group said in a statement about the song.

Ralph — “Gasoline”

Toronto-based pop singer Ralph showed us her more vulnerable side this week with the quietly beautiful track “Gasoline.” The piano ballad leaves room for Ralph’s powerful vocals to shine through as she sings of her dating woes. “I’ve never felt so connected or attached to a song in my life,” Ralph said about the single. “I’m forever grateful for my family and friends who texted me the word ‘gasoline’ in the hopes I would listen up and save this one from the song cemetery.”

Some of the artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

Bright Eyes may have just released their album Down In The Weeds, Where The World Once Was in 2020, but the group is now gearing up for an even more ambitious project. After moving their extensive catalog over to Secretly Group last year, Bright Eyes announce plans to reissue all nine of their studio albums. In addition, they’ll drop a Companion Series EP alongside each reissue, including covers and extras featuring artists like Phoebe Bridgers and Waxahatchee.

In total, Bright Eyes’ entire project will yield 54 new recordings this year. In a statement about massive undertaking, Conor Oberst said he liked the challenge of it. “It’s a meaningful way to connect with the past that doesn’t feel totally nostalgic and self-indulgent,” he said. “We are taking these songs and making them interesting to us all over again. I like that. I like a challenge. I like to be forced to do something that’s slightly hard, just to see if we can.”

Watch the band’s trailer above and check out their upcoming Companion Series tracklists below.

A Collection Of Songs Written And Recorded 1995-1997: A Companion
1. “Driving Fast Through A Big City At Night”
2. “Solid Jackson”
3. “A Celebration Upon Completion”
4. “Falling Out of Love At This Volume”
5. “Exaltation On A Cool Kitchen Floor”
6. “Double Joe”

Letting Off The Happiness: A Companion
1. “The Difference In The Shades”
2. “The City Has Sex” Feat. Waxahatchee
3. “Contrast And Compare” Feat. Waxahatchee
4. “Kathy With A K’s Song” Feat. M Ward
5. “St. Ides Heaven” Feat. Phoebe Bridgers
6. “June On The West Coast” Feat. Becky Stark

Fevers And Mirrors: A Companion
1. “Haligh, Haligh, A Lie, Haligh” Feat. Phoebe Bridgers
2. “A Scale, A Mirror, And Those Indifferent Clocks” Feat. Phoebe Bridgers
3. “Arienette”
4. “Hypnotist (Song for Daniel H)”
5. “When The Curious Girl Realizes She Is Under Glass” Feat. Phoebe Bridgers
6. “A Spindle, A Darkness, A Fever, And A Necklace” Feat. Phoebe Bridgers

A Collection of Songs Written And Recorded 1995-1997, Letting Off The Happiness, and Fevers And Mirrors is out 5/27 via Dead Oceans. Pre-order it here.

Marvel released four titles in 2021: one is the best action movie in the Marvel Cinematic Universe; one is the fourth highest-grossing movie ever; one resulted in the film’s star filing a lawsuit against Disney (and made a ton of money); and one is Eternals.

Chloé Zhao’s sprawling follow-up to Best Picture winner Nomadland was a big swing and, depending on who you ask, a big miss. It’s the only MCU movie with a “Rotten” rating on Rotten Tomatoes, for whatever that’s worth, and while Spider-Man: No Way Home is up to $1.7 billion at the worldwide box office, Eternals is around $400 million. Leaving aside $400 million being a “disappointment,” that’s about where it will stay, as the film left theaters in the U.S. last week after making $164 million domestically.

As noted by The Direct, that’s the second-lowest domestic gross for any MCU movie. You can probably guess the lowest!

Chloe Zhao’s epic leaves theaters with a $164.9 million return domestically, $30 million more than Marvel Studios’ lowest domestic haul in 2008’s The Incredible Hulk ($134 million). Eternals also falls $60 million short of fellow fall 2021 MCU release Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, which boasted $224 million at the domestic box office.

If you adjust for inflation, The Incredible Hulk‘s $134 million rises to $173 million… but maybe that’s unfair to consider since the Edward Norton-starring film wasn’t released during a global pandemic. In a “normal” year, Eternals would have likely made more — if only for the cameo at the end. Worldwide, it’s fourth from the bottom, ahead of Black Widow ($375 million, although the Disney+ numbers skew the total), Captain America: The First Avenger ($370 million), and The Incredible Hulk ($265 million).

Eternals wasn’t the hit that Marvel hoped for with such a star-studded cast, but everything’s fine. Marvel Studios will continue to pump out mega-blockbusters for years (decades?) to come, Kumail Nanjiani is still jacked, and Zhao is working on a “futuristic sci-fi western” about Dracula. It was all worth it for that.

(Via The Direct)

Even if you don’t follow country music super closely, odds are you’ve already heard of Mickey Guyton. The rising country star is part of a movement within the genre that is demanding the whitewashing in country must stop — and that artists like Morgan Wallen, who was caught on tape saying the “N word” and still saw a surge in sales and popularity — not be the only ones representing their genre.

Guyton’s debut album, Remember Her Name, was released in September last year, and she’s already preceded that with a couple of EPs and impactful singles that made waves, like “Black Like Me,” one of her earliest breakout hits “Better Than You Left Me,” and my personal favorite, “Rosé.” With the release of “Black Like Me,” Guyton became the first Black woman to ever be nominated by the Grammys for the Best Country Solo Performance category, and has been making waves in so many ways since.

One honor that Guyton is kicking off 2022 with is the opportunity to sing the national anthem at this year’s Super Bowl. The Bengals will be facing off against the Rams, and Guyton will be there to help open up the biggest game of the year. “Look at God. I am shook, I am grateful, I am praise dancing…” she wrote on Twitter with the news. “So excited to be singing the national anthem at #SBLVI on February 13th!” Tune in to get a taste of her stunning vocals this Sunday at Super Bowl LVI.

Seemingly against all odds, Versace dress enthusiast Jennifer Lopez and unofficial Dunkin’ Donuts spokesperson Ben Affleck have famously proved everyone wrong by giving their notorious relationship another go, which is practically unheard of for New York/Boston couples.

“I feel so lucky and happy and proud to be with him,” Lopez told People Magazine in a new cover story. “It’s a beautiful love story that we got a second chance.”

The first chance was a broken engagement nearly two decades ago, when the couple famously split just days before their wedding in 2003. “It’s beautiful the way it feels very different than it was years ago. … There’s more of an appreciation and a celebration for it, which is nice,” says Lopez, who went on to marry Marc Anthony before their divorce in 2011. Affleck went onto date, and eventually marry, another Jennifer, which was also tumultuous.

Lopez says that having many years go by was an opportunity for the two to grow and understand fame, which was a main reason their initial relationship was squashed. “Before we kind of put [our relationship] out there and we were naïve and it got a little trampled.”

As for Affleck, who has a breakout role in 1992 as Basketball Player #10 in Buffy TheVampire Slayer, along with some minor superhero roles, Lopez feels as though he has matured over the years. “I’m so proud of the him, I’m so proud of the man he’s become that I’ve watched from afar. Being honest with each other, being loving, that’s just the basis of everything,” Lopez says.

The actress added, “I feel like he’s at a place in his life where — just like how I feel about myself — it’s been a journey of learning yourself and figuring yourself out, getting to a place where you feel really good on your own and who you are so you can be in a happy, healthy relationship.” Sometimes, figuring yourself out is just learning what your Dunkin’ coffee preference is. That’s true love.

Joe Rogan apologized (after Spotify announced that his podcast will include “content advisory” warnings) for spreading Covid misinformation, and it’s doing well for him so far. The Daily Show host Trevor Noah couldn’t believe that he agreed with part of what Rogan said, and multiple ladies from The View praised the “refreshing” turn of events. All of this happened after Neil Young and Joni Mitchell decided to pull their music from Spotify, and that move followed hundreds of doctors signing an open letter to Spotify with a plea to address the resulting Covid mess.

Now Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson is onboard with Rogan’s apology, and the Jungle Cruise star hopped into Rogan’s Instagram comments with all manner of praise (and a quick mention of tequila, which Johnson sells under the Teremana brand). “Great stuff here brother. Perfectly articulated,” The Rock wrote. “Look forward to coming on one day and breaking out the tequila with you.”

Only time will tell, though, if Rogan will stick to his word, but he slipped up a bit already. Not too long after Rogan’s apology (and admission that he gets things wrong sometimes), the popular podcaster shared an inaccurate article about Ivermectin, so there’s undoubtedly more vetting that he must do on the Covid subject. It’s also safe to say that a three-hour long podcast will veer off the rails at some point. Yet hopefully, Rogan will (literally) put his money where his mouth is and be more careful with what he shares to his devoted legion, which includes UFC president Dana White and Green Bay Packers QB Aaron Rodgers, who believe him despite Rogan not being a doctor.

Here’s some great news for residents of the DMV area: Beloved hip-hop and R&B festival Broccoli City is returning for the first time in three years after being canceled due to COVID concerns in 2020 and 2021. The festival’s organizers announced the dates and lineup today after the two-year hiatus, bringing a worthy selection of both hometown heroes and national favorites to the RFK Festival Grounds in Washington DC on May 7 and 8.

From the local side of things, Broccoli City has booked Ari Lennox, Masego, Rico Nasty, and of course, festival mainstay and DC’s unofficial rap ambassador Wale. Elsewhere on the bill, trap rap faves 21 Savage, Gunna, and Jeezy will bring the Atlanta sound to the stage, while drill pioneers Lil Durk and Babyface Ray will bring that unique sound. Rising stars Alex Vaughn, Don Toliver, Joony, Joyce Wrice, Larry June, Muni Long, and Tems will bring a variety of vibes, with Nigerian superstar Wizkid contributing some Afrobeats to round things out.

The last Broccoli City festival that actually went on as planned took place in 2019, headlined by Childish Gambino and Lil Wayne. Interestingly enough, it also featured Gunna and Wizkid on the bill, so it’s nice to see them returning and bringing the festival full circle in its return. You can get more information and tickets at bcfestival.com.

Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.