It looks like Drink Champs isn’t the only podcast making wild claims about rappers and starting drama with its guests. Take the following statements with a grain of salt because it’s easy to just say things when there’s a microphone in front of you, but according to an OnlyFans model who appeared on the Barstool Sports podcast Sofia With An F, accepting an invite to the studio with Kanye West and Future led her to end up participating in the creative process in an unexpected way.
The model, Aliza, tells host Sofia Franklyn that after meeting Kanye in Miami, she received a message from the producer, “‘Come over to Future’s house, we’re in the studio,’” she says. When she got there, though, rather than being a “fly on the wall,” watching them record one of their surefire hits, she wound up naked and twerking for the two stars. “[Kanye] literally just has me come in the studio and get butt-ass-naked and twerk in front of him and all his friends,” she claims. The timing of the session appears to be during the recording of Donda 2. Maybe he was trying to cope with his impending divorce?
The outrageous story does sorta line up with some of what we know about Kanye’s in-studio proclivities though. Kanye told Apple Radio host Zane Lowe that he has a “porn addiction” and collaborators such as Daft Punk and Nicki Minaj have commented that he seems to use it to get inspired in the studio, watching during sessions, so this could be an extension of that. Considering how far left some sex workers’ stories have gone in recent years though, things could have been worse. But if it really happened, it still sounds bizarre and not a little bit creepy.
The Boston Celtics have been excellent this postseason off of losses, and they’ll have to rely on that to continue to be the case if they want their pursuit of a championship to stay alive. Boston lost Game 5 of the NBA Finals to the Golden State Warriors, putting them in a 3-2 series hole as the series shifts back to Massachusetts on Thursday night.
Celtics coach Ime Udoka has assuredly spent the last few days trying to find a happy medium between what killed them in Game 4 (Steph Curry going off and carrying the Warriors to a win) and what went wrong in Game 5 (keeping Curry in check but a number of other players having big games). While meeting with the media on Wednesday, Udoka pointed out one specific thing that he thinks would help Boston a whole lot as they attempt to win the next two games.
“I think we’re complaining at times too much throughout the game,” Udoka said, per Joe Vardon of The Athletic. “Late game may not be any different than first, second or third quarter. Something we need to block out and be better at overall.”
Game 6 of the 2022 NBA Finals will tip off on Thursday night at 9 p.m. ET on ESPN.
With only three new songs on a record, BTS can still make the earth move. Since most pop stars need to pack out arena shows to make their presence felt, the pandemic has been an understandably unpredictable time for plenty of the world’s most famous musicians. But several of the biggest stars opted to go right back to releasing music without a hitch, like Taylor Swift’s double whammy, folklore and evermore in 2020, or Billie Eilish swiftly following up her breakout debut just two years later, in 2021, with Happier Than Ever. Taking their cue from these artists, who seemed to intuit that even without tours, fans wanted more new music, less than a year after their last release, BTS dropped a massive anthology for fans to dig into.
It’s worth noting that the band also performed a series of one-off shows in massive American markets like LA and Las Vegas to keep their live show top of mind, even if a full-blown global tour hasn’t made sense for them yet. Clearly, the world’s biggest boy band aren’t going to let a minor catastrophe like a pandemic stop their momentum, and a sort of exponential energy of late that just keeps building. Proof is the latest entry into their quickly growing discography, and with a collection of almost fifty tracks, the album is making a case for the band’s progress.
Even if “Butter,” released in 2021, or “Dynamite,” from the summer of 2020, was what really put the band on the map for some American listeners, BTS has actually been together for quite some time. And for those who study the inevitable trajectory of incredibly successful group acts, that longevity is a testament to their patience. Forming over a decade ago, back in 2010, they released their debut EP, 2 Cool 4 Skool, in 2013 — and put out a whopping eight albums before 2020’s Be, which was anchored by the mainstream hit, “Dynamite,” their first all English language single. The group’s early work is mostly split between Korean and Japanese language albums, but more recent releases have prioritized English in their songs, and their success in America has strongly correlated with that move. On Proof, the song selection runs the gamut, with inclusion from all three phases, and a reminder that these guys aren’t just producing hits in the US — they’re superstars around the world.
Coming almost ten years after that first release, Proof is more song cycle than record, a sprawling declaration of the band’s global influence and practically a symposium on their range. Across 48 songs that are divided into two sections — with only the first two available on streaming, a third full of rare demos and unreleased material has been relegated to physical releases only — the seven-member collective is proud to remind the world of their vast back catalog. Each of the album’s three sections also includes a new song, giving listeners something current to chew on even as they dig deeper into the BTS discography.
The first new song, and de facto lead single for the album, is a soft rock track called “Yet To Come,” one that falls in line with other slower, more introspective tracks from the group, like “Life Goes On.” The band also released a brand new video to accompany this track, elevating it a bit beyond the other two with additional visual treatment. The second new release, “Run BTS,” feels like a sly tribute to another three-letter rap group (Run DMC, natch), and doubles down on their hip-hop roots — even if their government isn’t necessarily thrilled about that connection.
Reportedly, this single and another track, “Born Singer,” were banned by Korea’s government-run TV channel. Proof marks the first official release for “Born Singer,” making it technically a new song, too, though it’s existed as a SoundCloud loosie for years now. The song is a modified version/remix/sample of J Cole’s “Born Sinner,” not only doubling down on the hip-hop influences the group has always embraced, but giving an old declaration of intent a proper release. Initially, the song dropped right after their debut EP, a ferocious declaration of where they knew they were headed.
The final new track, and the only part of Proof’s third act that’s available on streaming, is another schmaltzy tune, “For Youth,” and all of this emotionalism should’ve prepped listeners that big news was likely coming. Because one of the other things Proof so effectively does is showcase each member’s distinctive sound and talents, so the news that they’re focusing on some solo endeavors after this anthology is not all that surprising. They’re clear that this is not a break-up, and leaving fans with a big collection of material is definitely a way to connect with The Army until they’re back together again.
In this context, Proof also serves as a monument — a tribute to what the band once was, an end of an era and a start of a new chapter. In that sense, it becomes infinitely more valuable, and serves exactly the purpose it was designed for — proving their worth.
Chicago band Whitney have announced a new album Spark, the follow-up to 2020’s Candid. The lead single “Real Love” is out now and it sees the duo moving in a poppier direction. They’ve also announced a tour, starting in Davenport, Iowa in September and ending with three shows at Chicago’s Thalia Hall in December. The album is produced by Brad Cook, who’s worked with Snail Mail and Bon Iver, and John Congleton, who’s worked with Clairo and Earl Sweatshirt.
The band’s Julien Ehlrich says:
“Max and I wrote ʻReal Loveʼ in June 2021 right after a cross-country move back to Chicago. I was experiencing heightened levels of anxiety and panic, while the entire city was re-emerging from isolation. Iʼve been running away from and self medicating my anxiety for as long as I can remember, but for whatever reason, it felt like it was time to dive straight into it. During late night sessions over a two week period, we captured the embrace of anxiety and fear in a way that resonated with us immediately. We spent the next few summer nights driving on Ashland with the windows down and the song turned up. It felt like an emotional and musical burst of light and weʼre so grateful to finally be sharing that with people.”
Listen to “Real Love” above. Below, check out the album artwork and tracklist, as well as the band’s tour dates.
09/29 – Davenport, IA @ Raccoon Motel
09/30 – Minneapolis, MN @ First Ave
10/01 – Milwaukee, WI @ Pabst Theater
10/03 – Fort Collins, CO @ The Aggie
10/04 – Denver, CO @ Gothic Theatre
10/05 – Albuquerque, NM @ Sunshine Theater
10/07 – Oklahoma City, OK @ Jones Assembly
10/08 – Columbia, MO @ Blue Note
10/09 – St Louis, MO @ Delmar Hall
10/11 – Oxford, MS @ The Lyric
10/12 – Birmingham, AL @ Saturn
10/14 – Miami, FL @ Miami Beach Bandshell
10/15 – Tampa, FL @ The Orpheum
10/17 – Orlando, FL @ House of Blues
10/19 – Jacksonville, FL @ Intuition Ale Works
10/20 – Atlanta, GA @ Variety Playhouse
10/22 – Athens, GA @ Georgia Theatre
10/23 – Asheville, NC @ The Orange Peel
10/24 – Charleston, SC @ Music Farm
10/25 – Carrboro, NC @ Catʼs Cradle
10/26 – Charlottesville, VA @ Jefferson Theater
10/28 – Nashville, TN @ Eastside Bowl
10/30 – Indianapolis, IN @ The Vogue
11/06 – Paris, FR @ Trabendo
11/08 – Antwerp, BE @ De Roma
11/09 – Amsterdam, NL @ Paradiso
11/10 – Cologne, DE @ Bürgerhaus Stollwerck
11/11 – Munich, DE @ Freiheizhalle
11/12 – Zurich, CN @ Mascotte
11/13 – Berlin, DE @ Columbia Theater
11/15 – Hamburg, DE @ Mojo Club
11/16 – Copenhagen, DK @ VEGA
11/17 – Oslo, NO @ Rockefeller
11/18 – Stockholm, SE @ Nalen
11/19 – Gothenburg, SE @ Pustervik
11/20 – Aarhus, DK @ Voxhall
11/22 – Bristol, UK @SWX
11/23 – London, UK @ O2 Academy Brixton
11/24 – Manchester, UK @ Albert Hall
11/25 – Glasgow, UK @ QMU
11/27 – Dublin, IE @ The Academy
12/08 – Columbus, OH @ Newport Music Hall
12/09 – Silver Spring, MD @ The Fillmore Silver Spring
12/10 – Philadelphia, PA @ Union Transfer
12/11 – New York, NY @ Webster Hall
12/14 – Pittsburgh, PA @ Spirit
12/15 – Toronto, ON @ Phoenix Theatre
12/16 – Detroit, MI @ The Crofoot
12/21 – Chicago, IL @ Thalia Hall
12/22 – Chicago, IL @ Thalia Hall
12/23 – Chicago, IL @ Thalia Hall
Spark is out 9/16 via Secretly Canadian. Pre-order it here.
Venom: Let There Be Carnage was about as ridiculous as a superhero movie gets. In a good way, of course. Which is why more from Tom Hardy and his more viscous counterpart is welcome news to those following the actor on social media.
And as Hardy posted to his Instagram account on Thursday, he may be even more involved in a third installment of Venom than previous versions. The actor shared a title page of what certainly looks like a third Venom movie if you interpret the little drawing above the bylines to be the antihero Hardy has played in two movies in recent years.
Most interestingly, Hardy is once again listed with a writing credit on the project. Hardy had a “story by” credit on the Andy Serkis-directed Let There Be Carnage, and this time he apparently co-wrote the story along with Kelly Marcel, who wrote the screenplay for the first Venom sequel.
It certainly makes sense that there’s more Venom coming, as the movies have faired well at the box office and generally played well with audiences awash in more traditional superhero movies. We’ve also seen Venom pop up in some… interesting places in recent months, so there will be plenty of speculation about just what’s on the pages behind the one Hardy posted to Instagram as a very clear teaser.
The newest front in America’s culture wars are drag shows. Some conservative activists claim that they are being used to “groom” children into becoming LGBTQ+ by exposing them to the culture at a young age. However, that logic shows a profound misunderstanding of how human sexuality works.
“What we do know is it doesn’t look like there’s much that changes [sexuality] externally,” Clinton Anderson, acting chief of psychology in the public interest for the American Psychological Association, told PolitiFact. “The changes that happen seem to happen naturally because of how people develop—not because something is being done to them.”
The “grooming” claims also dredge up an old homophobic stereotype that suggests LGBTQ+ people are more likely to be child predators, which, according to multiple studies cited by the Southern Poverty Law Center, is entirely false.
u201cWe must protect Texas kids from sick adults who want to sexualize them.nnNo drag shows.nnNo porn in their libraries.nnNo gender transition surgeries.nnYes to letting kids be kids.u201d
Facts be damned, Bryan Slaton, a Texas Republican state lawmaker, said he will propose a bill that would ban people from performing drag shows in the presence of minors. Florida’s Republican governor Ron DeSantis is looking into charging people who bring children to drag shows with “child endangerment.”
Taco Bell isn’t shying away from the controversy surrounding drag performances. It’s been hosting a drag brunch tour across the U.S. since May, which has included stops at its cantinas in Las Vegas, Chicago, Nashville and New York City. Taco Bell Cantinas are upscale versions of the fast food chain that serve alcohol. The company says the shows are a way to celebrate “the wonderful artform of drag and its influence in culture with their chosen families.”
The drag brunches are also a way to spotlight and support the It Gets Better Project to expand “workforce readiness resources for LGBTQIA+ youth around the globe.”
There is one stop left on the tour, June 26 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Maybe DeSantis will stop by for a mimosa and realize that drag queens aren’t that bad after all.
The drag brunches are hosted by the aptly-named Kay Sedia (pronounced “quesadilla”) a self-proclaimed “Tupperware Diva” who stars in a one-woman stage show, the “Taco Chronicles.” Diners at the brunch are served a Bell Box featuring a Grande Toasted Breakfast Burrito, Cinnabon Delights and hash browns. Of course, the festivities wouldn’t be complete without the drag brunch staple, the mimosa.
During the shows the drag performers lip-sync, dance, tell jokes and host a twerking contest featuring the audience. Tips are collected by a group of “Bell Boys,” who wear satin shorts, open shirts and stuff the money into glittery rainbow fanny packs.
“This was so much fun! I’m so glad to be a part of it,” drag performer Alexia Noelle Paris, who appeared at the Nashville show, told the OpenTable blog. “We made herstory. Living in Nashville you learn that most of the people that come downtown are not only tourists, but for the most part have probably not been to a drag show so getting to see everyone’s faces and reactions was great.”
Even though some Americans are attempting to push LGBTQ+ people to the sidelines by launching a war on a joyous tradition, Taco Bell didn’t flinch and kept the party going.
Who can resist a sweet little kitten trying to cross the road? Even if you’re not a fan of cats, you’d likely stop for a baby animal in the street. That’s what happened to Robert Brantley of Louisiana. Brantley was on his way to work and spotted a tiny white and gray kitten trying to get across the street. Being a kind human, he stopped his car to bring the kitten to safety. But he got more than he bargained for, because as he was scooping up the little thing, several more kitty cat siblings came running out of the nearby grass.
In all, Brantley counted 13 kittens. Twelve more than he planned on caring for, but by the looks of his Instagram page, his family has taken their role of cat rescuers seriously. With kitten season being in full effect in these warmer months and pet surrenders remaining high since the return to work from the pandemic, Brantley taking on fostering 13 kittens is much needed. Humane societies across the country are reportedly full or even over capacity. My own local humane society currently has nearly 150 animals over its limit and is begging for foster families and adopters to help clear the shelter.
It’s not only humane societies that have reached or exceeded capacity. Animal rescues across the board are in dire need of people to take animals to make room for the inevitable drop off of puppies and kittens from the current litter season. Mating season, which subsequently turns into puppy and kitten season, starts in early spring and lasts throughout the summer. This inundates local shelters and rescues.
Some shelters, like my local humane society, are asking people who find litters of puppies or kittens to do exactly what Brantley is doing. Foster them and attempt to adopt them out on their own. It looks like Brantley’s wife decided to get these now cleaned up kitties in their Sunday best to have a photoshoot in her makeshift studio. One kitten sported a bow tie while the others climbed around the enclosure patiently awaiting their turn. It also seems Brantley himself is having fun with the situation—in one video he talks about what he packs to go on a marksmanship match and includes 13 kittens along with his tripod and toolkit.
In one of Brantley’s most recent updates, he says that two of the kittens, Michael Scott and Nala, have been adopted by a family in Alexandria, Louisiana. In the same update he informs his followers that one of the kittens still left to be adopted is currently on daily medication and the family is keeping up with check-ups for the rest of the furry crew.
Here’s hoping that all of these little guys get adopted out soon. And may more people take Brantley’s lead to foster the kittens or puppies they find if they have the means. This can also serve as a reminder to spay and neuter your pets and any strays you may be caring for outside of your home.
Pedro Pascal can sell anything with his voice, including a TV show in which he never shows his face. Now, he will be using that iconic voice to educate us about South America’s Patagonia region.
The Mandalorianstar, who first came into our lives helmetless as Oberyn Martell on HBO’sGame of Thrones, will narrate a documentary for CNN, according to The Hollywood Reporter. The series, titled Patagonia: Life on the Edge of the World is a six-part nature series that “uses visual storytelling in the style of programming like Planet Earth to explore the Patagonia region of South America, straddling Chile and Argentina.”
“I have great memories of taking trips to Patagonia and exploring some of the beautiful places depicted in the series,” Pascal, who was born in Chile, said in a statement per THR. “I am excited to bring my voice to the project and share this special part of the world with North American audiences.”
The series joins Stanley Tucci: Searching for Italy as a part of CNN’s mission to expand its original programming using star talent, although Pascal describing a tree may not be as horny as Tucci eating spaghetti. When Patagonia was announced last year, Amy Entelis, executive VP of talent and content development for CNN Worldwide, told THR that the channel is hoping the new programming will draw in a new audience. “We were looking to spread our wings a bit, we wanted to move into other sorts of subject areas that we have not relied upon in the past at CNN,“ Entelis said. “We could do presidents and history over and over again and it would do well, but we wanted to broaden out, and attract a different kind of audience that might want to come for Patagonia but didn’t necessarily want to come for Lincoln.”
Patagonia: Life on the Edge of the World premieres Sunday, July 10 on CNN at 9 p.m. Eastern.
Anna Delvey/Sorkin the heiress/scammer who was the subject of the hit Netflix series Inventing Anna,is currently in an ICE detention center in upstate New York, where she is reflecting on her scamming ways, which included swindling various New York elite out of nearly $275,000 between 2016 and 2017 by posing as someone she’s not. As it turns out, she doesn’t really think she did anything wrong!
NBC News caught up with the former heiress-turned-scammer-turned-artist (?) to discuss her upcoming ventures and what really went on when she was caught lying about her lifestyle. According to Delvey, she actually is a very good person who didn’t scam anyone, just made some slight miscommunications.
“I just like hate seeing all the scammer and fake heiress headlines. So it’s not something I enjoy, like trying to lean in to promote,” Delvey said, before explaining that she is in no way a scammer (despite the receipts). She continued, “The whole definition of fraud is like to permanently deprive somebody of their property.” Delvey added, though that’s not really true. “And that was never my intent. I meant like, my mindset wasn’t, I was like, ‘Oh, let me see how much I can get from this person on that person, they will never see any of that again.’”
When asked if she feels like she has been held accountable, Delvey doubled down on her innocence before pivoting to her social justice work:
Savannah Sellers: What do you say to someone who just feels that you have not taken accountability for what you did for the money that they see you as having scammed people out of?
Anna Sorokin: I never scammed people out of any money. I also repaid everything back. All my restitution is paid off. I said I regret the way that my case has been perceived. And I regret some of the choices I’ve made. I just don’t know what else I can possibly deal with, say, to… I don’t know, to please people. What else can I possibly do?
I’m donating parts of the proceeds of the prints that I’m making to ACLU. And yeah, I’m just trying to give back to the community. And just I’m just trying to advocate for the reform for the criminal justice reform and immigration reform. Because I like we’re one of the three individuals who have been through the system and I do have a voice…But yeah, they just don’t know what, what the problem actually is. So I feel like I have this unique position, and being able to point out what exactly what kind of changes can be implemented. That’s how I just like to say, oh, yeah, we did this, but then it would actually not lead to anything.
Savannah Sellers: So when you now do say, you know, I’ve, some of it was unethical, what was wrong? Tell me specifically, what you believe you did. That was unethical. Which parts of it?
Anna Sorokin: Well, I wish I could tell you that, but my case is still under appeal and my lawyers would hate to see that on TV.
Instead of talking about her antics, she decided to promote her NFTS, of course.
On a lighter note, Delvey mentioned she received a slew of marriage proposals from her fans, who constantly send her letters. “I’m just getting all kinds of marriage proposals. And a lot of people asking me to like, for sketches, some people that are making, like music plays, musical plays about me that asked me for feedback. Some people just like, ‘Oh, I’m just sitting here with my co-worker, and would love for you to like to hear back from you and prove her wrong.’ Or they just say, all the ways, I guess that inspired them.”
She continued, “This is where I’m taking my feedback from. So they basically excitedly say, ‘Oh, you were resilient, and you didn’t quit.’ And this is what people feel inspired by, which I think is a good way they don’t feel inspired by like, any of my legal acts. So what else? Yeah, it’s just all kinds of stuff. So it’s been fun.” Fun is one word to describe it!
As the Johnny Depp and Amber Heard trial continues to dominate headlines, one of the jurors has opened up to Good Morning America about the decision process behind the stunning verdict that found Heard to have defamed her ex-husband. Despite Heard’s allegations of physical, emotional, and sexual abuse, the jury wasn’t swayed by her retelling of events on the stand. The anonymous male juror said that, ultimately, the decision was reached by the group, who believed that Heard was the “aggressor” during her marriage to Depp.
“The crying, the facial expressions that she had, the staring at the jury—all of us were very uncomfortable,” the juror told ABC. “She would answer one question and she would be crying and then two seconds later she would turn ice cold… Some of us used the expression ‘crocodile tears.’”
The anonymous juror went on to reveal that the jury, comprised of five men and two women, did feel that Heard and Depp were “abusive to each other,” but it didn’t “rise to the level of what she was claiming.”
There was also the issue of Heard claiming she donated all of her divorce settlement to charity. During the trial, it was revealed that she has yet to fulfill the obligation. (Heard has claimed she’s been unable to complete the donation after being hit with legal fees from Depp suing her for defamation.) According to the juror, the situation was a “fiasco” that hurt Heard’s credibility.
“She goes on a talk show in the U.K. The video shows her sitting there telling the host that she gave all that money away, and the terms she used in that video clip were, ‘I gave it away,’ ‘I donated it,’ ‘It’s gone,’ but the fact is she didn’t give much of it away at all,” the juror told GMA.
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