Month: March 2022

While Red Hot Chili Peppers are best known for their upbeat rock/funk, that’s not all they do. Their latest Unlimited Love single, for example, is “Not The One.” The song, released today, is a tamer number in which Anthony Kiedis deeply contemplates a relationship.

Kiedis told Apple Music’s Zane Lowe of the song:

“Flea had put together a drum machine and bass song in his cobweb-covered garage. It was not what you hear today for ‘Not The One,’ because the bridge was the verse and the chorus was the bridge, and it was completely inverted. Every day after band practice, I ride home and I listen to what we’ve done that day over and over and over and over hoping that it sparks something or that I hear the right melody or something, anything. In that case, I started hearing that entire song on the way home, but completely inverted from the way he had arranged it. When you start something, you get a little bit married to it.

I came in the next day and I said, ‘Flea, I know this is not what you had in mind, but is it all right if I sing the verse over the chorus and the chorus over the bridge?’ He’s like, ‘Yeah, do whatever you want.’ I was like, ‘Really?’ He’s like, ‘Yeah, yeah, whatever.’ […] Because he wrote a beautiful thing, I thought maybe he wanted to keep it as it was written. On this particular day, he was so supportive and that was super helpful.

I think I was going through a very lonely and introspective month. This idea came out about I think I know who you are, but maybe I don’t. You think you know who I am, but maybe you don’t and especially in intimate relationships, like we know we all present something and people always have an idea, but what would happen if we just showed each other our very worst from the very start?”

Listen to “Not The One” above.

Unlimited Love is out 4/1 via Warner. Pre-order it here.

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

Babyface Ray, who is having a stellar year after his 2021 breakout thanks to the release of his debut album, Face, falls back on one of Detroit rap’s most reliable staples in his latest video from the album, “Motown Music.” Nice kitchen? Check… Wait, that’s the whole list? Cool. The video works, the same way similar clips like Sada Baby and Drego’s “Bloxk Party” have in the era of the fast-and-dirty, low-budget music video. Why blow your whole marketing budget on a yacht when you could pocket that money and still land a viral hit?

The video’s concept seems simple but it’s on-brand for Babyface Ray, who mostly eschews the fancier trappings of his chosen profession in favor of austere visuals for tracks like “My Thoughts 3” and “Dancing With The Devil.” The Motor City rapper seems to prefer to let the music speak for itself; likewise, he’s a relatively low-key presence throughout his own promotion, presenting a stoic demeanor to anchor a lot of the visual and sonic chaos that surrounds him (and the chaos of coming up on the streets of Detroit). While it may give fans who are used to flashier personalities less to grasp onto, Ray’s day-ones love him for it, and all the more loyal to him, which could turn out to be the winning strategy in the long run.

Watch Babyface Ray’s “Motown Music” video above.

Disclaimer: While all of the products recommended here were chosen independently by our editorial staff, Uproxx may receive payment to direct readers to certain retail vendors who are offering these products for purchase.

Welcome to SNX DLX, your weekly roundup of the best sneakers to hit the internet.

It’s springtime, and the sneaker floodgates are wide open as we’ve become inundated with more dope sneaker drops than we know what to do with. It’s honestly pretty relentless, we haven’t had a single slow week since mid-February, and if the sneaker drop calendars on various brand websites are to be believed, we’re not going to be getting a break anytime soon.

March 26th marks the annual Air Max Day, and while our roundup is light on Air Maxes this week, we’ve still got a big release celebrating the legendary silhouette in our top seven. Filling out the ranks are some dope Jordans, a double Yeezy Drop, and a few other gems worthy of picking up to color your spring wardrobe.

Adidas Yeezy BOOST 700 Wave Runner

It’s a big week for Yeezy fans as what is arguably the brand’s most popular colorway and sneaker, The Waverunner, re-stocks this week. First released in 2017, these shoes have long been a staple amongst Yeezy collectors and still stand as the best showcase of the 700 silhouette.

The ‘90s inspired dad shoe features a chunky design and a mesh and leather upper with solid grey, chalk white, and core black panels accented by deep teal and orange highlights.

The Adidas Yeezy BOOST 700 Wave Runner is out now for a retail price of $300. Pick up a pair at your favorite aftermarket site.

Air Max 9th 5 Matte Olive

It’s a bit grim for the spring season, but if you’re more than happy to ignore the typical soft pastel tones of the season, this earth-toned Matte Olive Air Max 95 might be for you.

Featuring a mixed canvas, denim, and kit upper, the Matte Olive features a grey to olive green gradient across the 95’s wavy rib design, offering a utilitarian aesthetic to match its durable mix of tough weather-resistant fabrics.

The Air Max 95 Matte Olive is out now for a retail price of $190. Pick up a pair via the Nike SNKRS app or your favorite aftermarket site.

Women’s Dunk Low Vintage Green

This week brings a new vintage-inspired Pro Green Dunk in women’s exclusive sizing. It’s not the most exciting release of the week, but it’s making up for all those years Nike didn’t bother sizing great Dunk colorways in smaller sizes.

The design features an aged midsole to give the sneaker a lived-in look right out of the box, saving you some of the break-in time that is required to make the magic of this design really shine.

The Women’s Dunk Low Vintage Green is set to drop on March 24th for a retail price of $110. Pick up a pair via the Nike SNKRS app.

Air Jordan 3 Muslin

In a week full of some truly great sneaker drops, none rise above this Air Jordan 3 Muslin. Featuring a durably heavy-duty canvas upper with Cement Grey suede accents and University Red branding, the Muslin sits above a Sail midsole and stands as one of the greatest Jordan 3 colorways of all time.

Seriously, you may be looking at the best Jordan 3 colorway to release in 2022, so cop it if you can!

The Air Jordan 3 Muslin is set to drop on March 25th for a retail price of $200. Pick up a pair via the Nike SNKRS app or aftermarket sites like GOAT or Flight Club.

Nike Air Max 1 Blueprint

When the Nike Air Max 1 first dropped in 1987 it changed sneakers forever. The exposed air unit was a revolutionary design feature and pieces of the sneaker’s overall design would go on to influence each of Nike subsequent sneaker drops, even going as far as forever changing the look and feel of Air Jordans.

To pay homage to a sneaker that was truly a game-changer, Nike is dropping this special colorway that alludes to the Air Max 1’s blueprint status in the lineage of their great ‘90s silhouettes.

The Blueprint features production process-inspired technical graphics on the Swoosh with a globe graphic at the heel signifying the Air Max 1’s global appeal. Rounding out the design is a tumbled leather upper with reflective accents and a glow-in-the-dark outsole.

The Nike Air Max 1 Blueprint is set to drop on March 26th for a retail price of $160. Pick up a pair via the Nike SNKRs app or aftermarket sites like GOAT.

New Balance 574 LDG Ma Divina By Louis De Guzman

Made in collaboration with Chicago-based visual artist Louis De Guzman, this retailer exclusive, dubbed “Ma Divina,” is inspired and dedicated by De Guzman’s mother and her love of flowers.

The sneaker features a mixed suede and leather upper with a color-block design inspired by De Guzman’s signature color palette. Rounding out the design are small snippets of De Guzman’s current ongoing work In Between The Lines. It’s a color-rich and artful take on the 574 that feels perfectly geared to the season.

The New Balance 574 LDG Ma Divina by Louis De Guzman is set to drop on March 24th for a retail price of $85. Pick up a pair exclusively at Footlocker or Champ’s Sports.

Adidas Yeezy 450 Cinder

Kanye’s Yeezy brand has gotten pretty good at hitting a release cadence of one basic sneaker followed by one much weirder sneaker. Generally, they let a full week break up the drops, but this week they’re giving us a double drop. As exciting as it is to receive a restock of the Wave Runner, if you’re a fan of Yeezy Brand for their more envelope-pushing output, then you’re going to be all about the 450 Cinder.

Yes, it will make your feet look like an alien life form, but they are the furthest from “basic dad sneaker” you can get and offer an antidote for those who feel let down by the safeness of the Wave Runner re-release. Be warned, Yeezy Brand suggests ordering a half size up from your usual size.

The Adidas Yeezy 450 Cinder is set to drop on March 24th for a retail price of $210. Pick up a pair via the Adidas Confirmed App or Yeezy Supply.

The wildly popular (according to TikTok) novel The Seven Husbands Of Evelyn Hugo will be adapted into a new movie for Netflix, according to Deadline.

Released in 2017, The Seven Husbands Of Evelyn Hugo has sat on the New York Times Bestseller Paperback list for 54 weeks. The story was originally picked up by Freeform to become a TV series, with author Taylor Jenkins Reid set to be a screenwriter. Now, Reid will be a producer, with Liz Tigelaar adapting the bestseller for a Netflix film instead. Tigelaar most recently adapted another bestseller Little Fires Everywhere for the Hulu limited series starring Reese Witherspoon and Kerry Washington.

Spanning several decades, the story follows Old Hollywood royalty Evelyn Hugo who, at 79, decides to give a final interview to a young magazine writer named Monique, detailing her glamourous and dramatic career in movies in the ’60s and ’70s, including her notorious seven marriages and revealing jaw-dropping secrets along the way. Monique quickly learns that Hugo has a different agenda than she thought.

In addition to Evelyn Hugo, Tigelaar will also be adapting another novel by Reid, Malibu Rising, for Hulu. Taking place in the same universe, there is some character overlap between the two stories. A third series based on Reid’s Daisy Jones And The Six is also currently being filmed for Amazon, starring Riley Keough.

Jamie Lee Curtis is known for playing iconic characters who have gone through a lot of trauma, but she’s also known for being a pretty great mom. She has opened up about her daughter Ruby coming out to her last year, and now she is playing a huge part in Ruby’s wedding by officiating…as a World Of Warcraft character.

The actress stopped by Jimmy Kimmel Live to discuss her latest movie Everything Everywhere All At Once and mentioned that she is preparing to officiate her daughter’s wedding as WoW character Jaina Proudmoore.

“It is a cosplay wedding. You wear a costume, you dress up as something. I understand it’s hard for you to learn new things,” Curtis joked with the late-night host, who seemed confused. “Everybody at the wedding will be in a costume, and I will be in a costume to officiate the wedding…I’m really excited.”

Curtis also admitted that she will be donning a handmade costume while officiating, though there is a delay due to the fact that she ordered it from Russia. “You know, there’s a little bit of a supply chain issue going on, and things are sort of held up now.” Kimmel joked that she could probably just wander around Hollywood and trade a costume for a “six pack of four loko.”

Check out the clip above.

You may know Heidi Montag from her stint on The Hills, or when she lived in the jungle for I’m A Celebrity…Get Me Out Of Here! If those don’t ring a bell, you might recall her debut album Superficial (maybe). Well, in another timeline, Montag would have been the world’s biggest pop star, according to her. While chatting on the podcast The Unpopular With Jacques Peterson, the former MTV star revealed that she has some beef with Lady Gaga.

According to Montag, the two worked with the same producer back in 2009, RedOne. When Gaga penned the song “Fashion” with the producer, she granted Montag permission to record the song. However, when producers of the classic Isla Fisher movie Confessions Of A Shopaholic expressed interest in the track, Lady Gaga wanted to take it back, according to Montag. Things then turned sour.

The reality star believed that Gaga became friendly with Montag’s known frenemy Lauren Conrad. “I was like, ‘Who is this girl? What is happening?’ She’s a hater, clearly!” Montag recalled. This was in 2009, right before Gaga became a household name. Conrad worked with Gaga on season four of The Hills.

The whole ordeal turned made both parties feel weird, and Montag then claimed that Gaga told RedOne that she wouldn’t work with him anymore if he kept working with Montag. She recalls, “He was like, ‘I’m sorry, she’s my writing partner for huge things.” The two went on to write Gaga’s mega-hits “Just Dance,” “Bad Romance,” and more. Montag, on the other hand, released her debut album around the same time which was unfortunately panned by critics and fans alike, though it did somehow gain a cult following years later.

Perhaps Montag would have been a bigger star if she had taken the song, but maybe not. These days, the reality star-turned influencer is dipping her toe into Christian music, which is the complete opposite of where Gaga ended up.

It all worked out for the best since The Hills wasn’t even real anyway.

Kehlani has revealed the artwork and release date for their much-anticipated third studio album, Blue Water Road. The album, executive-produced by Pop Wansel, arrives next month.

“Blue Water Road is a destination in my mind,” Kehlani says in a statement. “I’m giving everyone access. It’s an emotional journey, a sexual journey, and a spiritual journey. To me, the album is like a glass house. It’s light, transparent, and the sun is shining right through it.”

Kehlani began writing the album in September of 2020 while renting an Airbnb in Malibu with close friends and collaborators. After their vacation, they rented another home with Wansel to experiment with new sounds for the record. In an interview with Rolling Stone, the “Altar” singer revealed that the songs they wrote were originally planned for a deluxe edition of their sophomore album, It Was Good Until It Wasn’t.

“We just made so much cool sh*t, and it was so different from what I would consider to be able to be on the deluxe because it didn’t sound anything like it,” they said “I just was like, ‘F*ck it, this is a whole new project.’”

Blue Water Road is out 4/29 via Atlantic. Pre-save it here.

Kehlani is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

WARNING: Minor spoiler for The Batman below.

On the heels of The Batman‘s release, director Matt Reeves not only revealed that, yes, the “Unnamed Arkham Prisoner” in the film’s final moments is Barry Keoghan as the Joker, but that the actor had filmed a deleted scene with Robert Pattinson’s Dark Knight that was cut due to the film’s runtime stopping just short of three hours. In an interview with Variety, Reeves said the Joker basically filled a Hannibal Lecter-like role as Batman visited him in Arkham to try and get answers about Paul Dano’s Riddler. The scene also hinted at a prior history between the two.

If that sounds like the sort of thing that actually would’ve been great to see in the film, well, now you can judge for yourself. Warner Bros. has released the deleted scene, which plays out exactly as Reeves described it. Pattinson’s Batman appears in the Joker’s cell with a file on Riddler, which prompts an adversarial, but not entirely combative exchange between the two iconic characters. At least until the end, when this version of the Joker proves he’s also adept at getting into the Dark Knight’s skin.

Not only does Batman leave with barely any insight into the Riddler, but the Joker has the last laugh as he taunts Batman for being just like his puzzle-obsessed foe. And he’s not entirely wrong.

The Batman is now playing in theaters and will start streaming April 19 on HBO Max.

(Via Variety)

A dynamic lyricist whose style is forged in afrobeats and hip-hop, Obongjayar is gearing up for the May 13th release of his debut album, Some Nights I Dream Of Doors. The Nigerian-born Londoner came on strong in 2021 on Little Simz’s “Point And Kill” and Pa Salieu’s “Style & Fashion,” but as 2022 got underway, it’s been all about his singular talents and his upcoming solo release.

The breakneck-paced “Message In A Hammer” dropped in late 2021, and had one of the nuttiest, must-watch videos of the year. Now on “Tinko Tinko (Don’t Play Me For A Fool),” Obongjayar shows another side to his dynamic toolshed. An afrobeats cut at its core, it’s the sultry, breathy verses that flash his mighty voice. He’s an approachable lyricist and, who’s quickly coming into his own.

He shared some thoughts on the purpose and inspiration behind Some Nights I Dream Of Doors:

“This album dives into the idea of opportunity and tries to explore what that means, what lies behind those doors, and asks if we’re ready for it. The pursuit of success, what happens when you achieve it, and what happens if you don’t? What does success mean? The head, the body, and the end of a dream. Opportunity is looking forward, and in that lies the question of time. What is your place in it? To know the future, or to fully be aware of your present, you need to analyze and understand your past. It’s an endless loop that continuously piles on itself”

Watch the video for “Tinko Tinko (Don’t Play Me For A Fool)” above.

Some Nights I Dream Of Doors is out 5/13 via September Recordings. Pre-order it here.

Last week, The Recording Academy and CBS revealed the first set of artists set to perform at this year’s Grammy Awards: BTS, Billie Eilish, Olivia Rodrigo, Lil Nas X with Jack Harlow, Brandi Carlile, and Brothers Osbourne. Now, they’ve added onto that list with another set of artist reveals today. So, also performing at this year’s show (on April 3 at 8 p.m. ET) are Foo Fighters, Nas, HER, Jon Batiste, Chris Stapleton, Ben Platt, Cynthia Erivo, Leslie Odom Jr., and Rachel Zegler.

Batiste was a no-brainer selection, as he has a whopping 11 nominations this year, which is the most this year and the second-most in a single year of all time: Record Of The Year, Album Of The Year, Best Traditional R&B Performance, Best R&B Album, Best Improvised Jazz Solo, Best Jazz Instrumental Album, Best American Roots Performance, Best American Roots Song, Best Score Soundtrack For Visual Media, Best Contemporary Classical Composition, and Best Music Video.

Foo Fighters is a headlining act in the rock categories, as they’re up for Best Rock Performance (for “Making A Fire”), Best Rock Song (“Waiting On A War”), and Best Rock Album (Medicine At Midnight). As for Nas, King’s Disease II is up for Best Rap Album and DMX’s “Bath Salts” (featuring Jay-Z and Nas) is nominated for Best Rap Song.

Find the full list of 2022 Grammy nominations here.

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