Month: June 2022

While we’ve long heard rumors that the Big Lie was born on Election Night 2020, when a tipsy Rudy Giuliani told Donald Trump to forget what the polls said and just declare himself president, the story is far less funny when it’s being told by Liz Cheney as part of the January 6th senate hearings. (But still really, really funny.) Seth Meyers couldn’t wait to talk about Giuliani being “wasted on Election Night” during Monday’s “A Closer Look” segment.

When Meyers heard Cheney say that Giuliani was “inebriated” on Election Night, he figured it was just a side note to detailing what was clearly a clusterf**k of an evening. “What I could have never imagined, in my wildest dreams,” he admitted, “was that it was just a tease for what was coming up. Because it turns out a significant portion of the hearing, bolstered by witness testimony, focused on former mayor Giuliani—an attorney to the President of the United States—being blitzed out of his f**king mind.”

While Jason Miller, a senior adviser to Trump, went on record—albeit seemingly reluctantly—that, “The mayor was definitely intoxicated, but I do not know his level of intoxication when he spoke with the president,” other witnesses weren’t as forthcoming. Former campaign manager Bill Stepien explained that people didn’t want Giuliani talking to the president, and noted how following that night, Trump staffers were lumped into one of two groups: the batshit Big Liars who were following Trump and Giuliani’s lead and what he called “Team Normal.”

“It’s so funny to me how, in all these depositions, Trump aides are all hemming and hawing, pausing, and taking their time to use the most precise legal language possible, because they’re under oath” Meyers observed. “But then as soon as someone asks, ‘Was anyone drunk at the White House?,’ they all immediately buzz in like the over-eager uncle on Family Feud: ‘Rudy! It was Rudy!’ In fact, if ‘Who was drunk at the White House?’ was a question on Family Feud, the top five answers would all be the same.”

Meyers admitted that he would love to see more of these depositions, and find out how, exactly, these people surmised that Rudy was drunk—and hoping that “Well, I saw him holding an empty bottle of scotch and hitting on a portrait of Dolly Madison” might be one answer.

You can watch the full clip above, beginning around the 3:30 mark above.

Yesterday was a big day in the NBA, as the night started with the Celtics and Warriors tied at 2 wins apiece in the Finals, with Golden State ultimately winning and taking the series lead. An event like that is bound to bring out the stars to watch, and sure enough, it did, as Jay-Z and his daughter Blue Ivy Carter were courtside. While Jay-Z was arguably the coolest person in the building, to Carter, he was clearly still just an embarrassing dad.

At one point during the game, the PA announcer made a note of the pair’s presence, at which point Jay, who was all smiles, lovingly put his arm around his daughter. Carter briefly took exception to that, saying something to Jay and trying to get his hand off her. She quickly relented, though, and stewed in some minor embarrassment as Jay gave her a kiss on the cheek.

All in all, it seems like the two had themselves a good night, as they got to say hi to E-40 and meet up with Stephen Curry in the bowels of the Chase Center after the game. They certainly had a better time than the Celtics, whose turnovers and missed free throws throughout the evening stopped them from getting a win and going up 3-2 in the series.

Rootin’ tootin’ Lauren Boebert’s primary in Colorado is right around the corner. That’d be June 28 to be specific, and she sure grew awfully quiet (practically sticking her head into the sand) after fellow far-right incendiary Madison Cawthorn was unseated during his North Carolina primary. That loss went down largely due to GOP embarrassment after the American Muckrakers PAC devoted themselves to his political demise and leaked damaging videos to that effect. The group then announced their intent to unseat Boebert as well. That’s led to a fraud investigation about how Boebert concocted astronomical campaign write-offs, and it’s not over yet.

We’ve also heard Boebert’s ex-employees airing grievances, including accusations of missing paychecks while Boebert allegedly splurged on breast implants, and now, there’s an even more disturbing set of allegations involving bodily harm. News of how she allegedly caused a serious auto accident (and fled the scene) will likely not go over well in Boebert’s district. The accident in question (dug up by the Muckrakers) involved Boebert reportedly (according to Daily Mail) crashing an ATV (which “careened down a ravine and smashed into a rock face in Moab, Utah”) mere days before her 2020 primary. She allegedly fled to save her own political tush, leaving her own son (and her dog) behind, and her former sister-in-law (Tori Hooper) was seriously injured.

The accident, which was never reported (allegedly due to Boebert’s pleas with her sister-in-law) was confirmed by Hooper’s mother after a source to Daily Mail:

Boebert’s former sister-in-law, Tori Hooper, 28 who was married to her brother Benjamin Bentz was left struggling to take control of the Jeep ATV as it careened down a ravine and smashed into a rock face in Moab, Utah after the congresswoman abandoned the driver’s seat

The source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said: ‘It was pretty crazy. She [Boebert] got out of the driver’s seat and left Tori screaming and freaking out, and her son and dog in the back seat.

“Tori couldn’t get out of her seatbelt, so she grabbed the steering wheel. She’s steering into a cliff. They hit a rock wall; it struck her whole face. It was bad.”

The Daily Mail‘s source also revealed how (allegedly) “Lauren begged Tori not to say anything. She tried to use her money. She said: ‘I’ll pay for it all,’ but Tori had insurance, so she didn’t have to pay for anything.” Tori reportedly suffered broken teeth as relayed by coworkers at Boebert’s Shooter’s Grill, along with a broken nose (which later had to be rebroken during surgery) and other assorted injuries.

Boebert has yet to provide comment on the allegations, although the Daily Mail reported that noises are being made about child protection officials possibly investigating Boebert “for reckless abuse of a child,” given that her son was in the vehicle.

Her challenger, State Senator Don Coram, hopes to unseat Boebert on June 28.

(Via Daily Mail)

There are so many flavors and colors that R&B can present, and even when you think you have a grasp on what they all are, a new shade seems to arise and insert itself in the mix. Truthfully, that’s the beauty of the genre. Its biggest names find new ways to represent it while up-and-coming artists do their best to show what its future could look like in a few years. In just the first six months of 2022, R&B put forth a diverse palette of albums that leaves every fan with something to find and enjoy.

The Weeknd kicked things off this year by diving into a world of ’80s-inspired synthpop tunes with Dawn FM while New York singer Amber Mark arrived with the funk-driven Three Dimensions Deep for her long-awaited debut. In the months that followed, Kehlani found serenity with Blue Water Road, Lucky Daye satisfied his sweet tooth on Candydrip, and Nija worked her magic to skillfully combine drill and R&B for Don’t Say I Didn’t Warn You. Yet, that’s not even half of the great music we’ve received so far in 2022.

So, without further ado, here are the fifteen best R&B projects of 2022 so far in alphabetical order.

Alex Isley & Jack Dine — Marigold

Alex Isley’s last full body of work arrived in 2015 with Luxury. Since then, it was EPs and small projects alike that kept her audience entertained. With Marigold, Isley reunites with producer Jack Dine for a project as rich as her soothing vocals. Marigold arrives with a concise nine songs to its name, but through the almost 30-minute experience, Alex and Jack whisk listeners away to a serene garden filled with the very marigold flowers that their latest body of work is named after. Whether it’s the absolutely sweet confession of love on “Love Again” or the question of its existence on “Still Wonder,” Alex and Jack hit the nail on the head on Marigold and it’s all we could ask for from the duo. — Wongo Okon

Amber Mark — Three Dimensions Deep

Amber Mark showed her potential with her 2017 and 2018 EPs 3:33am and Conexao, but it would be almost four years until we saw the true beauty of her artistry. Her debut Three Dimensions Deep arrived as a magical collection of records that documented a leap of faith towards a new love. While she shows her hesitance to commit on “Most Men,” Mark later freefalls onto cloud nine on “Out Of This World.” Altogether, it’s an excellent tale that proves Mark is one to pay attention to in the foreseeable future. – W.O.

Blxst — Before You Go

With his first full-length project Before You Go, Blxst confirmed that well-crafted bodies of work are something you can expect from him at each go-around. Following 2020’s No Love Lost and 2021’s Sixtape 2 with Bino Rideaux, Blxst stuck to the recipe that’s brought him success in his career (because “if it’s not broke don’t fix it” right?). However, with Before You Go, the West Coast crooner elevates his game for a project that sees him enjoying the last few moments of the life he knows before his impending launch to stardom. Blxst arrives with a new view of the world thanks to the success he’s rightfully enjoyed, and despite this, the hunger for more is still alive and well within him, something that’s a critical contributor to what makes Before You Go so good. — W.O.

Devvon Terrell — Boys Don’t Cry

Boys Don’t Cry uses various snippets of young Devvon Terrell speaking with his family members to emphasize what he is singing (and rapping a bit) about over the 13-song album. You can find Terrell confident and happy with his progression on “Better” featuring Kai Ca$h, coping with the reality he is competing for a highly coveted woman’s attention on “Popular,” and being so in love with his partner that he’ll accept infidelity so long as he isn’t aware of it on “Let It Go.” Whether listeners agree with his perspectives throughout Boys Don’t Cry or not, the one undeniable thing is the Brooklyn artist possesses an unparalleled level of clarity and vulnerability. – Armon Sadler

Ella Mai — Heart On My Sleeve

We love a no skip album and Ella Mai gave us just that with her sophomore release Heart On My Sleeve. Four years prior, the UK singer broke out with her hit “Boo’d Up” and delivered her self-titled debut album, which felt a bit tepid. Heart On My Sleeve offers a body of work that fiseels just as complete as her Time, Change, Ready EP run, in both songwriting and production. Aside from the already released songs “Not Another Love Song” and “DFMU,” Heart On My Sleeve is a treasure chest full of musical gems. “Maybe it’s ’cause we’re just two fools broken by love / We know how to pick all the pieces up,” she vulnerably opens up on the chorus of her melodic mid-tempo standout track “Pieces.” Other must-listens include the opening track “Trying,” “Break My Heart, the Lucky Daye-assisted “A Mess,” and yup, its closer, “Fading.” Heart On My Sleeve is one of those slow-burn albums that deserves all the love it receives. — Cherise Johnson

Kehlani — Blue Water Road

Where her second album It Was Good Until Wasn’t chronicled the series of unfortunate events in her life, Kehlani’s third album Blue Water Road documents the sunny days after the apocalypse. Serenity and happiness take precedent throughout her latest body of work. Kehlani combines elements of R&B and pop for a project that stands as one of her best. Blue Water Road also presents some of Kehlani’s best songwriting through records like “Melt” and “Everything” on 13 songs that offer a new level of clarity for her. – W.O.

Lucky Daye — Candydrip

Lucky Daye took the R&B world by storm with the 2019 release of his debut album Painted. However, the New Orleans singer had to prove that he was too talented to endure a sophomore slump, something we’ve seen trip up some talented young acts. With Candydrip, Lucky put those fears to rest with 17 songs that showed a new side to his artistry while satisfying those who became tethered to the sound that brought him fame. Lucky injects a heavy dose of sultriness into his sophomore body of work as the steamy moments of bedroom intimacy seem to be the constant setting of songs on the album. As he struts with confidence on “Feels Like,” he also falls to his knees in agony on “Used To Be,” and through it all, Candydrip strikes as an experience that proves why Lucky is one of the best R&B has to offer today. — W.O.

Nija — Don’t Say I Didn’t Warn You

At just 23 years old, New Jersey native Nija Charles had already made a name for herself as an extremely successful songwriter thanks to two No. 1s and three Grammys. While her pen certainly worked magic for others, in 2022, Nija proved that it also worked for herself. She made her debut as a singer this year with the release of her Don’t Say I Didn’t Warn You EP. With ten songs to its name, Nija effortlessly blends R&B and hip-hop drill beats for songs that emphasize a woman’s control in love while slyly hinting at her soon-to-be undeniable impact in the music world as both an artist and songwriter. From her own admissions of toxicity on “Beautiful Lies” and “On Call” to cut-throat reminders of her unmatched persona on “Not One Of Them” and “Rare,” Nija goes above and beyond to set the record straight in regards to everything about her. — W.O.

PJ Morton — Watch The Sun

“I’m being more honest, more authentic, more open than I’ve been in the past.” That’s what PJ Morton said about his ninth album Watch The Sun. Through 11 songs and collaborations with Stevie Wonder, Nas, Wale, Alex Isley, Jill Scott, JoJo, and more PJ Morton delivers bright and honest records to soothe the ears of those who dive into the project. Morton’s vulnerability is on display with records like “Biggest Mistake” where he acknowledges the almost irreversible damage his actions caused in his life. You can’t help but feel for his pain on the Wale-assisted “So Lonely” and his strive for serenity is extremely relatable on “My Peace” with JoJo and Mr. Talkbox. With Watch The Sun, PJ Morton reminds us that there’s always a chance to course-correct and get things right in life. — W.O.

Raveena — Asha’s Awakening

No sooner after the beat drops on “Rush,” the opening cut to Asha’s Awakening, are we introduced to the flowering ethos from Raveena’s latest album: ebullient music, frosted in Bollywood panache. To build that aesthetic is paramount to who Raveena is as maybe the most recognizable South Asian artist in R&B music today, but she plays it anything but safe. The album’s concept, in fact, came to Raveena during an acid trip at an art museum, and Asha is a reference to a vision of a Punjabi space princess that’s building her spiritual state in another world. Asha’s Awakening is a kaleidoscopic mind trip unlike anything you’ve heard from an R&B artist. And it even has a Vince Staples feature (“Secret”) and a guided meditation outro to bring you closer to enlightenment. – Adrian Spinelli

Ravyn Lenae — Hypnos

In a time when many believe that albums should arrive at an annual rate, Ravyn Lenae reminds us that some things take time – time that isn’t in our control to declare. Her debut album Hypnos took four years to create but the luscious and pristine music that exists on it makes the wait worthwhile. Her gentle vocals are entwined on records that sit on varying productions. Through records that are dance (“Venom”), traditional R&B (“Lullaby”), or alternative R&B (“Skin Tight”), Lenae manages to construct a body of work that flaunts her very best without any missteps. – W.O.

Rema — Rave & Roses

Coming off the extremely strong year that afrobeats had in 2021, it was expected that the genre would continue to thrive in 2022. Nigerian singer Rema proved that will be the case thanks to his debut album Rave & Roses which presented the young singer at his very best. In addition to his summer 2021 afrobeats hit “Soundgasm,” Rema flexed his craft with ear-pleasing records like “Dirty,” “Jo,” and “Mara” on an album that proved that the genre is in the best hands. – W.O.

Robert Glasper — Black Radio III

Shortly after Valentine’s Day, Robert Glasper dropped the third edition of his Black Radio series—BLACK RADIO III, a love letter to contemporary jazz, hip-hop, R&B, and neo-soul. With songs like “Black Superhero” featuring Killer Mike, Big K.R.I.T., and BJ The Chicago Kid, the project is a jazz-honed response to the state of Black communities in a post-George Floyd world. The album’s beauty lies in the depth of the lyrics and the flirting of genres and Black artists from all corners of music, never sounding clunky but more like a well-produced music festival. If you haven’t yet listened to the 11th studio album from Glasper, start the album’s final track, “Bright Lights,” featuring Ty Dolla $ign. Ty delivers classic R&B lyrical songwriting and excellent vocals backed by Glasper’s tender piano, a track on an album that reminds us what good collaboration sounds like. – Ellice D. Ellis

Syd — Broken Hearts Club

Syd is always a welcome presence within the R&B space because she brings something different to the table. It’s truly impossible to box her in, especially here as a myriad of sounds and unfiltered vulnerability make up Broken Hearts Club. The project is loaded with special guest appearances, namely “CYBAH” featuring Lucky Daye, “Right Track” featuring Smino, and “Out Loud” featuring Kehlani. However, the solo cut “Fast Car” may have outpaced them all for a VIP seat in the Broken Hearts Club. Still, misery loves company so the aforementioned collaborations deserve sympathy invites. – Ar.S.

The Weeknd – Dawn FM

Kicking off the year by dropping a hotly anticipated pop record, The Weeknd tuned us in to Dawn FM, a conceptual radio station played in dance-floor purgatory. Filled with ’80s-inspired synthpop tunes and filthy dance bangers, The Weeknd guides us through a waiting room to heaven while forcing us to examine our consciences. From the bouncy “Take My Breath” to the forlorn “Out Of Time,” with narration by Jim Carrey included, the music sounds like what the past two years have felt like: trying to make it out of a period of uncertainty. – A.G.

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

A lot of moms sing to their babies, but most babies don’t have the luxury of their mothers being internationally renowned pop stars. Ender, the boy to whom Halsey gave birth around this time last year, is in those shoes, but he doesn’t seem to appreciate it.

Halsey was a guest on The Tonight Show yesterday and Jimmy Fallon started the chat by asking if Ender likes Halsey singing to him. Halsey answered, “Oh… no. No, he hates it. No, he’s my biggest critic.”

They continued, “It’s funny. My mom: She can’t carry a tune in a bucket. It’s really bad, and when she sings, his eyes light up like she’s the stars and the moon, but when I sing, he’s not a fan. Not a fan.”

Halsey then noted when she sings to Ender, all she gets is a sad on-the-verge-of-crying face. They continued, “Most kids would be really happy.”

Elsewhere in the conversation, Fallon and Halsey talked about the release of “So Good,” neither of them explicitly addressing the issues Halsey had with her label when it came to releasing the song. Halsey did say, though, “I think as an artist, you just want to be able to release things, you know? Music is such a cool industry because you have the luxury to put stuff out as soon as it comes to you, as soon as it’s a thought and a feeling and it’s current to the moment. So I was really, really keen to just kind of get this out now while I was just feeling it so strongly.”

Later, Halsey noted she thinks Stranger Things star Millie Bobby Brown would be a strong pick to play her in a biopic, alluding to how often the two have been said to look alike over the years.

Watch the interview above. Halsey and Fallon also played the “Best Friends Challenge,” so check that out below.

On top of giving one of the greatest performances in television history, Bryan Cranston is also a skilled director. He’s been behind the camera for episodes of Malcolm in the Middle, Breaking Bad, and The Office, including season nine’s “Work Bus.”

In the episode, Jim tricks Dwight into believing that working in the Dunder Mifflin office is unsafe; but instead of getting the day off, Dwight makes everyone work in a cramped bus. “In order to do that,” Cranston explained on Monday’s episode of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, “they pulled on a trailer refrigeration system, an AC system, but what they didn’t plan on, they didn’t think that where the intake for the refrigeration system was, was exactly lined up to where the tailpipe of the bus was. So the exhaust of the bus was going right to the intake.” Another classic Halpert prank!

Cranston doesn’t think it’s fair that the carbon monoxide-poisoned episode is referred to as “Death Bus” in Jenna Fischer and Angela Kinsey’s book, The Office BFFs: Tales of The Office from Two Best Friends Who Were There, “because no one died,” he joked. Cranston does, however, credit Fischer for saving everyone’s lives.

The actress alerted the cast and crew, “I smell exhaust.” Cranston didn’t believe her at first, until he “got a chair and I stood up on the thing and I stuck my nose up in there, and sure enough, it was billowing down. It was carbon monoxide. I wasn’t quite sure so I got a second wind, I got some more, I got nice and dizzy, and then realized, ‘Oh my God, we could have all been dead.’ It would have been one hell of an episode. It would have been the finale before they would have planned that though.”

“A toxic bus nearly killing the cast” is yet another reason why The Office maybe should have ended when Steve Carell left. You can watch Cranston’s interview above.

After the success of Julia Jacklin’s 2019 breakthrough album Crushing, the stakes are high for the release of her follow-up Pre Pleasure. The Aussie has become an in-demand touring act and fans are just generally looking forward to what comes after the honest and unfettered expressions of femininity, sensitivity, love, and confidence in one’s own skin that Crushing was.

Pre Pleasure is due out on August 26th, and just like on lead single “Lydia Wears A Cross,” the newly released “I Was Neon” sees Jacklin veering further away from folk and delving deeper into pop rock sonics. Her gorgeous voice, however, remains pristine, with invigorating guitar riffs at every turn on the upbeat groove. She explained that this song in particular informed the visual aspect of the new album’s presentation.

“I first wrote ‘I Was Neon’ for a band called Rattlesnack, a short-lived much loved 2019 side project that I played drums in,” Jacklin said in a statement. “I rewrote it for my album in Montreal, during a time when I was desperately longing for a version of myself that I feared was gone forever. I was thinking of this song when I made the album cover, this song is the album cover, really.”

With the new single, also comes a thorough slate of worldwide tour dates. Jacklin will be in North America beginning in late August and then heads off to Europe.

Watch the video for “I Was Neon” — directed by Jacklin herself — above, and check out her full list of tour dates below.

08/26 — Stanford, CA @ Frost Amphitheater (Here and There Festival)
08/27 — Pasadena, CA @ This Ain’t No Picnic Festival
09/09 — Austin, TX @ Mohawk #
09/10 — Dallas, TX @ The Studio at The Factory #
09/12 — Nashville, TN @ The Basement East #
09/13 — Atlanta, GA @ Terminal West #
09/15 — Washington, DC @ 9:30 Club #
09/16 — Brooklyn, NY @ Brooklyn Steel #
09/17 — Philadelphia, PA @ Underground Arts #
09/18 — Boston, MA @ Paradise Rock Club #
09/20 — Montreal, QC @ Corona Theatre $
09/21 — Toronto, ON @ Phoenix Concert Theatre $
09/22 — Grand Rapids, MI @ Calvin University $
09/23 — Chicago, IL @ Thalia Hall $
09/24 — Minneapolis, MN @ Fine Line $
09/26 — Denver, CO @ Bluebird Theater $
09/27 — Salt Lake City, UT @ Urban Lounge $
09/29 — Vancouver, BC @ Commodore Ballroom $
09/30 — Seattle, WA @ The Crocodile $
10/02 — Portland, OR @ Revolution Hall $
10/04 — San Francisco, CA @ The Fillmore $
10/05 — Solana Beach, CA @ Belly Up Tavern $
10/07 — Los Angeles, CA @ The Fonda Theatre $
10/08 — Phoenix, AZ @ Crescent Ballroom $
11/03 — Dublin, Ireland @ Vicar Street &
11/05 — Glasgow, Scotland @ SWG3 TV Studio &
11/06 — Manchester, UK @ The Ritz &
11/07 — Birmingham, UK @ The Mill &
11/09 — Bristol, UK @ SWX &
11/10 — Brighton, UK @ Chalk &
11/11 — London, UK @ Roundhouse &
11/13 — Paris, France @ La Maroquinerie &
11/14 — Antwerp, Belgium @ Trix Club &
11/15 — Cologne, Germany @ Club Bahnhof Ehrenfeld &
11/17 — Amsterdam, Netherlands @ Paradiso &
11/18 — Hamburg, Germany @ Knust &
11/20 — Oslo, Norway @ Parkteatret &
11/21 — Stockholm, Sweden @ Slaktkyrkan &
11/22 — Copenhagen, Denmark @ Dr Koncerthuset &
11/24 — Berlin, Germany @ Columbia Theatre &
11/25 — Munich, Germany @ Strom &
11/26 — Zurich, Switzerland @ Plaza &
11/27 — Milan, Italy @ Magnolia &
11/29 — Barcelona, Spain @ Apolo &
11/30 — Madrid, Spain @ SalaMon &
12/01 — Lisbon, Portugal @ Lav &

# with Kara Jackson
$ with Katy Kirby
& with Erin Rae

Pre Pleasure is out 8/26 via Polyvinyl Record Co. Pre-order it here.

The Golden State Warriors have a 3-2 lead over the Boston Celtics in the NBA Finals thanks to a tremendous Game 5 performance from Andrew Wiggins, who picked up the slack on an off night from Stephen Curry.

Wiggins had 26 points and 13 rebounds, coming off of a 17-points, 16-rebound night in Game 4, to lead the Warriors to the win with another terrific two-way effort. It’s the latest strong night from a player that has become one of Golden State’s most reliable performers all postseason, a fairly incredible turnaround from his tenure in Minnesota, where he showed flashes of brilliance but a frustrating lack of consistency.

After Game 5, Draymond Green made sure to note that Wiggins is proving that the way we talk about players struggling to live up to expectations often leaves out a key element: organizational support. As Green told Scott Van Pelt, Wiggins is showing that while players get most of the blame, in this case the fault lies in Minnesota, not with Wiggins, for how things panned out.

Wiggins had four coaches in six years in Minnesota, and there’s very good reason to believe that the Wolves hold at least considerable fault for him not finding this level of success — although, it must be said, his effort level in non-scoring areas has been tremendously improved in Golden State, which certainly is helped by the Warriors culture but is also partly on Wiggins. In his postgame presser, Green elaborated further on how he and the team have viewed Wiggins since he arrived, noting that Wiggins got a strong vote of support from his former coach Tom Thibodeau.

It’s an interesting anecdote, and Green’s absolutely correct that Jimmy Butler liking a player is usually an endorsement of their work ethic and toughness, if nothing else. He’s also right that we should (and I’d counter that some do) put the onus on franchises to provide the support to players that’s needed for them to develop into the best versions of themselves, but there’s also probably something to the trade to Golden State being something of a wake-up call that Wiggins needed in order to find this level of interest in all the little things that it takes to win.

Phoebe Bridgers is having a lot of fun on the 2022 edition of her Reunion Tour. A couple of days ago, the Punisher star briefly covered The Wiggles’ “Fruit Salad” in Portland, Maine, a moment so viral that The Wiggles themselves reacted, telling her she nailed it.

On Monday night, she brought a more serious cover to the stage in Asbury Park, New Jersey, where she played Bruce Springsteen’s “Stolen Car.” Her rendition is so soft and disarming that she makes it sound like it’s her own. This is not her first time sharing her own rendition of a song by Springsteen; last year, she covered “I’m On Fire” from his 1984 classic Born In The USA.

Meanwhile Bridgers, recently engaged to Paul Mescal from Normal People, has been taking on the challenge of writing happier songs, according to a recent interview. “I’m striving to do more stuff like that,” she said about her song “Sidelines.” “I think it’s more challenging to sound smart and write well about happiness than it is about sadness. In the interest of not seeming trite, I lean toward darker subject matter, just out of comfort. And I think a challenge to myself, now, is being articulate about things that are good [laughs].”

After Stephen Curry utterly erupted in Game 4, the Golden State Warriors were in a favorable position as Game 5 of the 2022 NBA Finals arrived on Monday evening in San Francisco. Though the Warriors and Boston Celtics were knotted at 2-2, Golden State entered with the benefit of home-court advantage and with the experience advantage against the Eastern Conference champion Celtics. Game 5 was not a hiccup-less performance from the Warriors, but Golden State built an early lead, withstood a notable challenge, and used an impressive fourth quarter to secure a 104-94 victory and a 3-2 series edge.

The evening began in friendly fashion for the Warriors, with Golden State making seven of its first ten shots. That barrage staked the Warriors to an immediate 14-4 lead, and Draymond Green made a notable impact on both ends of the floor at the outset.

Golden State led by as many as 16 points in the opening period, with Boston failing to reach double figures in scoring for almost ten full minutes. The Celtics opened 4-of-17 from the field, including 4-of-14 inside the arc after 45.7 percent two-point shooting in the first four games of the NBA Finals. In timely fashion, however, Jayson Tatum came alive with a trio of buckets to bring the Celtics back in touch.

The Warriors held a double-digit lead at the end of the first quarter, even with Curry scoring only four points. Golden State held a massive edge in the possession battle, committing six fewer turnovers than Boston. Early in the second quarter, the Warriors pushed their lead back to 14 points, but that set up the best stretch of the first half from the Celtics.

Boston scored eight straight points, climbing within a six-point margin, and the Celtics made it a point to attack defensive pressure points in Jordan Poole and Nemanja Bjelica.

For much of the first half, poor three-point shooting was the overarching story. The two teams combined to miss 24 of the first 27 three-pointers, and Boston missed its first 12 long-range attempts. Golden State ended the first half strong, though, and held a 12-point lead at the halftime break behind a substantial first half from Andrew Wiggins.

Coming out of the break, the Warriors likely had tremendous confidence in their third-quarter baseline. Golden State entered the evening with a +49 point differential in the third quarter over the first four games of the series, including a +35 mark in the first two games in San Francisco. This time, however, the Celtics zoomed at the start of the second half.

Boston scored the first ten points of the third quarter, chipping away in a hurry.

After missing the first 12 three-point attempts of the evening, the Celtics converted eight three-pointers in a row. That onslaught sent the visitors from a double-digit deficit to a third quarter lead at 58-55.

Boston led by as many as five points and, at that point in the third, Golden State was just 3-of-25 from three-point range with 14 straight misses. The Warriors finally settled in from there, setting up a very fun flurry of basketball to end the third quarter. Both sides displayed impressive shotmaking, and Jordan Poole connected on a 35-foot heave at the buzzer to give Golden State a one-point lead with 12 minutes remaining.

Riding the wave, the Warriors threw a haymaker to begin the fourth quarter. Golden State scored the first ten points of the closing period, attempting to reclaim the lost momentum from the opening half.

The Warriors were effective on offense, but Boston’s offense also faltered at the top of the fourth quarter. The Celtics scored only five points in more than eight and a half minutes, allowing Golden State to slowly build the margin back to double figures. While the result was not yet academic, a sequence involving a Jayson Tatum airball and an exclamation point dunk from Wiggins sealed the victory for the Warriors.

From a team standpoint, defense carried the day for the Warriors in Game 5. Boston’s mid-game three-point flurry threatened to flip the outcome, but the Celtics scored less than a point per possession for the majority of the evening, with the Warriors continuing to provide high-end resistance at the rim. Boston committed 18 turnovers with only 18 assists in the game, and Golden State’s cohesion was impressive for most of the night.

Offensively, the Warriors were far from perfect, especially when taking into account a poor shooting night (0-of-9 from three) from Curry, his first ever playoff game without a made three-pointer. However, Wiggins was brilliant with 26 points and 13 rebounds, and Golden State took care of the ball. The Warriors committed only seven turnovers and generated 25 assists, overcoming a 9-of-40 mark from three-point range to grab a double-digit win.

Golden State will now have a chance to close out the series on Thursday at TD Garden, though Boston clearly possesses the upside to secure a Game 6 home win and send the series back to San Francisco. However, the Warriors are now in more control than they have been at any point in the series, and the Celtics must now scale a steep mountain to keep Golden State from another championship.