Month: June 2022

The impact teachers have on our lives lasts a lifetime. Even though most schoolteachers instruct countless children throughout their careers, they remember how the students affected their lives, too. A perfect example of this is the exchange between pop megastar Harry Styles and his first teacher from primary school on June 15.

Between songs at his concert at Emirates Old Trafford stadium in Manchester, England, Styles stopped the show to find someone in the audience. It was no easy task, there were 74,000 people at the show.

“I’m going to ask a favor from you because I’d like to try and find someone in the audience,” he said, according to CBS News. It was his “first-ever schoolteacher” Ann Vernon. The gig was a homecoming for Styles, who grew up in nearby Cheshire, and he was told that some of his former schoolteachers may be in attendance.

u201cHarry Styles paused his concert, asking fans to be quiet so he could find someone in the crowd u2013 his former school teacher u2764ufe0f https://t.co/nCaqMVKJfEu201d

— CBS News (@CBS News)
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Styles scanned the massive crowd for Vernon until he saw someone he thought was her. Unfortunately, it was her colleague, Mrs. Bailey.

“How are you? I heard you’re retiring,” he called out to the person he thought was Vernon. “I’d just like to thank you for everything in those formative years. And yeah, thank you so much, it means a lot to me that you’re here tonight.”

“Can you imagine dealing with me when I was 4?” Styles joked. He then dedicated his next song, “Canyon Moon,” to his former teacher.

Even though Vernon wasn’t at the gig, she got Styles’ touching message. Bailey called her and shared a clip of the exchange. After the concert, Vernon appeared on “The Zoe Ball Breakfast Show” on BBC Radio 2 to talk about what it was like teaching young Styles.

u201cu201cHe was a little bit of a monkey, bit cheekyu201d ud83eudd7ann@ZoeTheBall managed to track down @Harry_Stylesu2019 first teacher, Mrs Vernon, after her shoutout at his gig last night in Manchester. ud83eudde1u201d

— BBC Radio 2 (@BBC Radio 2)
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“As a teacher, you remember all of the children that you’ve taught, all of them are amazing in their own way,” Vernon said. “Harry obviously has gone on to mega, mega things—everybody at Hermitage is just so, so proud of him.” She recalled that he was a “delight” and that he had “a cheeky sparkle in his eye, he was a little bit of a tinker some of the time but he was a character so that’s for sure, we all remember him.”

A big part of Styles’ appeal is that he’s a nice guy who will “take a walk on a Sunday through the afternoon” with you. Some might have thought that it’s just an image he’s trying to sell the world, but it’s pretty easy to believe it’s true after seeing him stop a show to salute one of his teachers.

He was also gracious to his audience whom he thanked for coming to a show near where he grew up.

“This is an absolute pleasure to be here at my home show, I cannot begin to tell you how much it means to me to play here tonight and all of you for coming,” he said, according to Yahoo News UK.

“Some of the happiest times of my entire life have been making these last couple of albums, and some of the happiest times of my life have been right around the corner from here. So it feels pretty perfect to me playing these songs to you here tonight,” he added.

Many of us know Chewy as the online marketplace for all things pet goods. What you might not know is the extra care that the company provides to pet owners after the loss of a beloved fur baby. That is, until one woman’s story went viral on Twitter.

Anna Brose (@alcesanna) had to say goodbye to her sweet dog named Gus. To make an already tragic event worse, she had an unopened bag of dog food purchased from Chewy that would now go unused. Brose was so surprised by the company’s compassion and generosity that she felt compelled to share her experience online.

Her tweet read:

“I contacted @Chewy last week to see if I could return an unopened bag of my dog’s food after he died. They 1) gave me a full refund, 2) told me to donate the food to the shelter, and 3) had flowers delivered today with the gift note signed by the person I talked to??”

That’s right. A full refund, plus a heartfelt note and flowers. NBD.

Much to Brose’s surprise, she was not the only one on the receiving end of such kindness.

Pretty soon stories from other grieving pet parents came flooding in praising Chewy for going above and beyond during their time of mourning.

One person shared, “@Chewy did the same for me when we lost our sweet boy, Murphy Brown. I’d just ordered 2 cases of his special kidney diet food, and they arrived after he passed. But they gave a full refund and told us to just donate the food to a shelter. That act of kindness meant so much.”

A person who works at an animal shelter confirmed this is Chewy’s standard practice, saying, “We often have people reaching out to donate because Chewy told them to reach out to a local shelter. I can’t express what this means to shelter’s like mine. Truly a gift.”

Many reported that Chewy even sends hand painted pet portraits, like this one:

My hubby used to work for @Chewy and he always raved about their customer service. They sent us a small painting of my Simba when he passed. I’m sorry for your loss 💔💔 pic.twitter.com/5EanjKXljx

— CFOLS (@bruins77girl) June 16, 2022

Can you imagine having a beautiful memento like this to cherish? Of course it doesn’t replace the pet that’s now gone, but man, what a great way to make such a painful transition a little more bearable. Customer service is great and all, but this is a wonderful example of businesses displaying humanity.

That kindness isn’t limited to times of grief, either. Chewy apparently sends birthday cards, and seems to often encourage customers to donate all kinds of unwanted items after giving a full refund.

“I bought 4 sling carriers from Chewy to try for my new rescue dog. Only used one. Was shocked when @Chewy told me to just donate the rest after my refund. Brought them to [a] local rescue dog group who were happy to take them,” wrote one person.

As a mother of two cats—and a regular Chewy customer—I was both shocked to realize the company did all this, not to mention touched. I wasn’t alone. People were floored.

Sorry for your loss. And what a pleasant response from @Chewy. Very uplifting. I hope that it gave you a moment to smile during your sadness.

— Rick Bright (@RickABright) June 16, 2022

Now I’m crying. That’s beautiful.

— Elaine (@LexiApollo) June 16, 2022

First, I’m sorry that your dog has passed and I know that pain well. It’s very difficult. As for Chewy? I think that’s amazing! So kind of them to be so sensitive to what you’re going through. Take care.

— Tracy (@Hydrangea1960) June 15, 2022

As for Chewy—since Brose’s tweet went viral, the company did see it, and left their own response.

“It’s the least we could do, Anna. We hope these flowers will help to keep your spirits up.”

We don’t always picture corporations having a heart. But it is a possibility. Huge kudos to Chewy for providing pet owners true care…in more ways than one.

Chance The Rapper and Joey Bada$$ have been living up to their new track’s title as of late. Chance has been releasing a lot of music ahead of his forthcoming sophomore effort, experiencing a resurgence of sorts, while Joey had to break unfortunate news to his fans that his anticipated upcoming album 2000, originally set to release tomorrow (June 17), experienced a setback due to sample clearance. While dates for neither’s LPs are known, they decided to treat the fans with an early release of their collaborative single “The Highs And The Lows.”

In Chance’s typical typeform, the two spit for nearly four minutes over a soul sample-laden, low tempo beat. The Coloring Book artist discusses his mother, mimosas, and makes a nod to Cloudy With A Chance Of Meatballs, mixing in his raspy singing vocals every so often. Joey ad-libs the chorus before his own verse where he discusses cutting his vices and being blinded by the outside noise. “The best things in life are on the opposite side of fear,” the New York rapper says.

For Chance, this continues the aforementioned momentum while “The Highs And The Lows” serves as an appetizer for the Joey Bada$$ faithful.

Check out “The Highs And The Lows” above.

One of the gems within hip-hop is when an artist puts their own spin on a song that another rapper has already put out. Back in late April, Future released his ninth studio album I Never Liked You which kicks off with the high-energy “712AM” produced by Wheezy and TM88. Today, Key Glock decided he wanted to try his hand at the track with his latest video of the same name.

The Memphis rapper rides around in his yellow vehicle, following a similar cadence to Future’s but ensuring he doesn’t sound like a copycat. The video follows the 24-year-old as he sips from a styrofoam cup, makes a trip to the store, and lands at the studio with some of his crew because the raps can never stop, even while he’s rapping. It is braggadocious energy galore, and rightfully so.

For Key Glock, “712AM” follows his remix to Denzel Curry’s “Walkin” in early June. In March, he shared the deluxe version of 2021’s Yellow Tape 2, rounding the album out at 30 songs and no features. While there’s no mention of an upcoming project, Glock is keeping the momentum strong and showing his ability to excel at other people’s beats in addition to his own with the latest “712AM”

Check out the video for “712AM” above.

Just nine months ago, the world breathed a sigh of relief as Drake finally dropped his long-awaited sixth album Certified Lover Boy. The project arrived with 21 songs and guest appearances from Jay-Z, Lil Wayne, Travis Scott, Young Thug, Future, 21 Savage, Lil Baby, Giveon, Ty Dolla Sign, Lil Durk, Yebba, Project Pat, Masego, Tems, and Kid Cudi. Certified Lover Boy debuted with the biggest week of 2021 — a title that Adele’s 30 later took — and it went on to spend five weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100. Now, to the absolute shock of the world, he’s already prepared to return with his seventh album.

That’s right, Drake just announced that his seventh album Honestly Nevermind will arrive at midnight and the world can’t believe it. The announcement dropped like a bomb from the sky, and it came less than 24 hours after Beyonce announced her seventh album Renaissance would arrive next month.

There aren’t too many details surrounding Drake’s upcoming album, but there are plenty of things to possibly look forward to. We may receive the first collaboration between Drake and Kanye since their 2017 effort “Glow.” We may receive another stellar track with Rick Ross or Lil Wayne. There’s so much more we could receive with this album, but we’ll have to wait a few hours to figure it out.

You can view Drake’s announcement above.

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

Patton Oswalt is versatile. He can play MODOK, narrate an adorable docuseries about penguins taking over a small town, and pretend to be a 20-something waitress named Becca so his son will talk to him. Hopefully there’s a filter for that. In the SXSW breakout I Love My Dad, Oswalt plays Chuck, whose son Franklin (writer/director/star James Morosini) blocks him on social media. With his only lifeline to his distant son cut off, Chuck invents Becca as a Hail Mary that works disturbingly well.

It’s basically She’s All That, but instead of a bet, it’s a dad flirting with his adult son.

Winner of the SXSW Grand Jury Award and Audience Award, I Love My Dad also stars YouTube star and Teen Vogue host Claudia Sulewski as the invented woman and Lil Rey Howery as Chuck’s anti-dick pic best friend. Based on a true story (seriously?), this is the feature film directing debut for Morosini, who has had roles in The Sex Lives of College Girls and American Horror Story.

If the opening gag of the trailer (Chuck furrowing his brow while thinking “sup?” means “soup”) is any indication, it’ll be on the gentler side of comedy instead of the gross out territory it could easily slide into. Also, “sup?” officially means “soup” now. Text accordingly.

We wanted more Jean Smart, and that’s exactly what we’re getting.

The Hollywood Reporter reports that HBO Max has renewed its Emmy-winning series Hacks for a third season. Hacks follows the complex mentorship between Las Vegas-based comedian Deborah Vance (Smart) and her young writer (Hannah Einbinder). The series recently wrapped up its second season on the streaming service and is currently running a For Your Consideration campaign, hopeful to add even more Emmy awards to add to its collection (the television equivalent of lightsaber collector General Grievous).

“We congratulate Hacks’ extraordinarily gifted executive producers and cast, and our partners at Universal Television. We are overjoyed at the audience and press response to the new season, and glad to give viewers more of this gorgeous, hilarious, moving show,” said Sarah Aubrey, head originals for HBO Max, per THR.

Hacks is definitely a survivor. HBO Max original Raised by Wolves was recently canceled after two seasons, and HBO recently passed on an original series from J.J. “Somehow Palpatine Has Returned” Abrams (his first original series since Fringe) due to budget reasons, according to THR.

“The first two seasons of Hacks — expertly crafted by Lucia, Paul and Jen — gave us beloved, complex characters who make us laugh and feel deeply. We’re thrilled that our HBO Max partners have renewed this standout series for a third season, and we can’t wait to see what’s next for Deborah, Ava and the rest of our outstanding ensemble,” added president of Universal TVErin Underhill.

Lil Durk has had a highly successful last few years and his confidence matches the accolades. While his mettle in music isn’t to be denied, his skills on the basketball court are also well-documented as well. After an April episode of The Shop on HBO, he received one of the biggest co-signs any non-professional basketball player can receive in the form of praise from LeBron James. “Lil Durk can hoop,” King James said. “He can hoop for real. Man, he [at] Lifetime hooping. He got a f****** cannon, too. He got a peel, and he look like a mothaf*cker that can [ball].”

https://www.tmz.com/videos/2022-06-15-061522-lil-durk-1441473/

TMZ had a second to speak with “The Voice” at LAX this past Wednesday (June 15) and Durk took it a step further by calling out two of the most prominent figures in his primary sport, who also have an affinity for basketball themselves: three-time SBL champion Drake and new professional hooper J. Cole.

“[Drake’s] my dog, but he ain’t gon’ play us though,” the “Refugee” rapper said. “[LeBron] knows I’m the best ever. Tell your f*cking children.” He had similar energy for Cole. “I know I can, I just told you that I’m the best ever,” he affirmed. “[That’s] my boy, but I’d dunk that sh*t on [J. Cole].” Time will tell if these matchups will ever occur, but Lil Durk doesn’t seem too worried about how they will go.

Check out Durk’s boastful comments to TMZ above.

In the Barry season three finale, Barry Berkman (Bill Hader) gets on his hands and knees in the desert. He’s wailing and shaking uncontrollably, like a chihuahua who knows they just did something very wrong. It’s an oddly high-pitched tone for a grown-ass man, especially a grown-ass man who happens to be an assassin who is capable of killing mercilessly while entrenching himself in the lives of those he’s killed. Barry wails and shakes, even harder at an even higher frequency the longer he’s on the ground. The wails turn into sobs, the kind you only do when you’re alone, except he’s cowering in front of Albert Nguyen, a Marine he saved in Afghanistan. “I know evil, Barry,” Albert says over Barry’s sobbing. “And you’re not evil.”

Barry has always been a great show with clever writing, innovative direction, and sharp performances from Hader, Sarah Goldberg, Stephen Root, fishing fanatic Henry Winkler, Anthony Carrigan, and more. These days, shows we love feel like a blur, like a dream you remember but can’t describe. Barry’s pivotal third season accomplished an impossible mission in the Peak TV era: it sticks with you. The motorcycle chase through LA in season three episode six felt more horror than action, so tense you can feel it right now. Barry’s near-death walk in episode seven, and Barry’s go-to body burial location: a remote location in the desert by a tree that could be on the cover of an alt/indie/alt album.

Barry Berkman started in a bedroom in Cleveland, Ohio. The contract killer who offers to stab targets in the nut had a plaid sheet set and a Metallica poster over his bed. He was seemingly wholesome with very violent tendencies that you might miss if you were not paying enough attention. After encountering an acting class while on a job in Los Angeles, Barry catches the acting bug, and decides to pursue his new, random dream while continuing his contract killing. A lot of television shows eventually abandon their premise as they transform. Barry has never abandoned its premise, but it has transformed it. As the story has moved forward and as its characters’ lives spiral as they get more involved in the entertainment industry, the tone of the show has darkened along with them. But it still, always, even in the darkest of moments, manages to be funny, especially thanks to performances from comedy kings Hader and Winkler.

Barry’s embarrassing but deeply pure cry in the season three finale represents everything Barry is: emotionally, even physically painful but also painfully funny. At first glance, Barry might seem similar to The Sopranos or Mad Men, the groundbreaking antihero dramas that defined the Golden Age of television and changed it forever. While neither The Sopranos nor Mad Men were necessarily empathetic to their flawed (more accurately terrible) protagonists, they provided characters to root for to provide balance (Carmella Soprano, Peggy Olson). Barry doesn’t provide that balance at all, instead allowing most of its characters, even the ones not involved or privy to the show’s violent side, to be quite terrible, self-absorbed people. Barry is also more sprawling, following storylines that, outside of this series, have nothing to do with each other, such as a streaming show and the sparring between two mobs. Barry is a comedy, a crime thriller, an unraveling of toxic masculinity, and a brutally honest satire of the entertainment industry, examining how it can change people for the worse. At the beginning of the series, Barry was a contract killer, yes, but he’s gotten even worse since he moved to LA and became an actor.

In its third season, Barry separated itself as an essential, revolutionary show that will define the next era of the medium.

Before the Arctic Monkeys were taking the world by storm, it was The Libertines who were sweeping the early aughts UK scene with their fiery, tongue-in-check indie rock and punk. Led by singer Pete Doherty, The Libertines helped usher in the post-Britpop era. And while their 2004 self-titled album is their most heralded release, it all began with 2002’s debut Up The Bracket, produced by Mick Jones of The Clash.

Now for the 20th anniversary of the London quartet’s debut, an Up The Bracket 20th Anniversary Edition is being released with a bonkers number of bells and whistles. For starters, there’s 65 previously unreleased recordings in the collection, from demos, to radio sessions, live versions, and more. There’s also a 60 page booklet with interviews and photos and of course, a remastered version of the original album.

Check out the album artwork below, along with The Libertines’ upcoming UK tour dates. A full tracklist and additional details can be found at roughtrade.com.

Up The Bracket 20th Anniversary Edition is due out on 10/21 via Rough Trade records. Pre-order it here.