Month: July 2022

Back in December, Finneas revealed he and Billie Eilish had started working on a new album. Indeed, new music has been happening, as Eilish debuted a song called “TV” live in Manchester last month. Now, Eilish has seemingly offered a behind-the-scenes look at their recording process: In an Instagram photo gallery she shared over the weekend, one of the photos (the second one) is of herself and Finneas in what appears to be Finneas’ home studio (which they’ve mentioned before).

The post doesn’t indicate when exactly the photo was taken, but it does seem it’s from after at least early December 2021: On the left side of the frame, sitting on a piano is a cue card from her week being the host and musical guest on Saturday Night Live, and that episode aired on December 11.

Looking elsewhere in the photo, the focal point is Finneas’ production setup. Finneas sits (in a Steelcase Leap chair, it appears) in front of a wide desk that features a pull-out drawer for a keyboard (the musical kind, not a QWERTY). There’s also a monitor (displaying various bits of music software), a couple speakers, and what appear to be other music production devices. Meanwhile, on a table near Eilish are some fruit, pistachios, some water, a frozen drink, and artist Friedrich Kunath’s book You Owe Me A Feeling.

Elsewhere in recent Eilish social media activity, over on TikTok earlier this month, Eilish sang along to a video of a man playing her “Listen Before I Go” on piano, so in case you missed it, check that out below.

After overcoming a brief bump in the road at the beginning of his Justice World Tour due to a COVID-19 outbreak within his team, the hope was that Justin Bieber would be smooth sailing for the remainder of the tour dates. Unfortunately, that did not prove to be the case as the singer was forced to postpone several performances in North America after he was diagnosed with Ramsay Hunt syndrome, which paralyzed the entire right side of his face. A month and a half after he received that diagnosis, Bieber and his team have confirmed that the Justice World Tour will resume at the end of July.

According to NME, Bieber’s first performance to continue the tour will be on July 31 at Italy’s Lucca Summer Festival. After that, Bieber will bring his talents to Europe, South America, Asia, and Australia. Rescheduled dates for the canceled North American dates have not been shared yet, but a press release reveals that they will be announced, “very soon.”

Last month, Bieber took to his Instagram Story to speak about the Ramsay Hunt syndrome diagnosis while providing some optimism about recovering to his fans. “Obviously, my body’s telling me I gotta slow down,” he said. “It will go back to normal. Just time and we don’t know how much time that’s gonna be, but it’s gonna be okay. And I have hope, and I trust God, and I trust that this is all for a reason. I’m not sure what that is right now. But in the meantime, I’m gonna rest.”

[This post contains spoilers for Better Call Saul]

Is it too soon to call “Fun and Games” one of the best episodes of Better Call Saul? Probably! But that doesn’t mean it’s true. The last 10 minutes or so of the episode, in particular, should be taught in film school. “How to Do a Time Jump 101.”

Brian Grubb will have his Lie Detector Test recap later today, but for now, let’s turn our attention to something Emmy nominee Rhea Seehorn (that’s fun to type) said in her post-“Fun and Games” interview with the Hollywood Reporter.

When asked whether she was on-hand to watch Bob Odenkirk’s full-blown transformation into Saul Goodman, she replied, “No, but I forget why it didn’t. There was a logistical reason. I think I had to do some inserts from earlier scenes or something. So there was some reason why I couldn’t go, but I didn’t avoid it on purpose.”

But when Seehorn watched the episode, “I realized while watching him in full-fledged Saul mode that I’ll never see that character the same way again because of what they’ve done and what [Jimmy has] done. If I were to re-watch Breaking Bad now, that character is just tragic now. Yes, he was doing sinister things, but in general, he came off as a bit of a dangerous clown. And now, he just seems so sad.”

There is nothing sadder than a bowl of Nutri-Grain Cereal Bars on the breakfast table.

Stay tuned for more Better Call Saul coverage throughout the day.

(Via the Hollywood Reporter)

Last month, comic Robert Smigel and members of the Late Show with Stephen Colbert team were arrested at the Capitol. It was likely a misunderstanding: The crew were filming a segment for Triumph the Insult Comic Dog, Smigel’s long-running stogie-chewing puppet, and reportedly stayed a bit longer than they were allowed. The incident prompted predictably hysterical coverage from Fox News, who now look even sillier than they did already.

As per The Hollywood Reporter, Capitol police declined to prosecute the case. At the time of the staffers’ arrest, it was reported that they could face misdemeanor charges for unlawful entry. But after a review of the evidence, they decided that such punishment did not fit the crime.

Smigel and team spent two days on Capitol Hill, filming interviews that had been pre-arranged. On the second day, they stayed to film some additional bits and other comedy elements in the halls, and at some point their escort on the premises left them to their own devices. They stayed anyway, and Capitol Police, they said, asked them to leave multiple times. Eventually they detained them.

Fox News made a mountain out of the to-do. Tucker Carlson compared them, absurdly, to the Jan. 6 rioters, arguing that they should face the same consequences. Capitol Police — many of whose members were violently assaulted by Trump supporters, whose actions both Carlson and Hannity have downplayed — clearly did not agree.

(Via THR)

Conan Gray, who just recently dropped his highly anticipated album Superache, was invited to sing the National Anthem on Monday night, at the Home Run Derby. His performance was not conventionally perfect, and he definitely added some of his own flair to it. Twitter, though, is exploding with takes, as always.

Sports fans, by and large, were the ones taking digs at the singer, with one writing, “Ooooof. I’m guessing whoever Conan Gray is, his ‘multi-platinum’ career has had a LOT of help from Autotune…” Others are claiming that it’s even worse than Fergie’s notorious 2018 rendition

Gray’s fans, though, came to his defense. One made a thread sharing videos from his shows and wrote, “to all of you annoying sports fans out there , conan gray in fact CAN sing . the national anthem just didn’t really suit his voice that’s all there is to this debate.”

The pop star doesn’t have much to worry about. Aside from having a loving, devoted fanbase and a successful LP out, he received the Taylor Swift approval stamp earlier this year when she posted his music on social media. “I also teared up,” Conan admitted about the moment. “It was a unanimous tear up.”

Watch Gray’s performance of the National Anthem above.

Heading into Monday evening’s 2022 MLB Home Run Derby, the top storyline was perhaps the pursuit of a third consecutive title from New York Mets slugger Pete Alonso. Ultimately, Alonso was not able to claim a three-peat at Dodger Stadium, but there were plenty of intriguing and memorable moments, both from young sluggers and from the oldest active player in Major League Baseball in future Hall of Famer Albert Pujols. In the end, however, it was Washington Nationals star Juan Soto winning the derby crown at the age of 23, defeating 21-year-old rising star Julio Rodriguez in the youngest-ever final in derby history.

The night began with a bang from Rodriguez, who defeated Corey Seager in the first head-to-head matchup. Rodriguez drilled 25 home runs in regular time, eventually posting a 32-homer total after bonus time, and his 32 home runs were the second-most ever in an opening round.

Alonso advanced through the first round after a win over Ronald Acuña Jr., blasting 21 home runs and leaving about 30 seconds on the clock with a breezy victory. He averaged 429 feet with his home runs, reaching a longest of 480 feet in the opening round.

That set up a highly anticipated semifinal matchup, with Rodriguez again setting an obscene pace. This time, he produced 31 home runs, becoming the first player ever to hit 30 or more in two different rounds within the same derby.

Alonso put forward a valiant effort but was unable to defend his crown, allowing Rodriguez to advance to the final. On the other side of the bracket, there were also plenty of fireworks. Soto didn’t need extra time to advance beyond the first round, producing well and conserving energy in the process.

Soto wasn’t necessarily the most prominent story on that side of the bracket, though, as Albert Pujols was making his final appearance in the derby. It appeared as if it might be a short run for Pujols, who was congratulated by all of his fellow All-Stars in the midst of his opening round.

However, Pujols was able to defeat Kyle Schwarber, who struggled mightily, with a seven-blast performance in the bonus round following a tie.

Pujols provided a memorable showing in the semifinal, finding a groove on a few occasions. However, Soto did enough to advance and set up the showdown with Rodriguez in the final.

In the opening salvo of the final, Rodriguez generated 18 home runs, reaching 81 total blasts through three rounds. He averaged 412 feet and 108 miles per hour in the final, putting pressure on Soto to string together a total barrage to defeat him.

On cue, Soto did just that. He heated up down the stretch of his original time, eventually blowing past the 18 mark in bonus time with plenty of time to spare.

Soto becomes the second-youngest derby champion of all-time, and he timed his biggest surge beautifully in the final. While it is not out of the ordinary in the current format, Rodriguez finished with considerably more home runs (81) than Soto (53) across three rounds, but it was certainly a night of young stars with a sprinkling of Pujols to round it out in Los Angeles.

Maya Hawke is most known for her role as Robin Buckley on Stranger Things, but she also makes sprawling, emotional songs in the vein of Phoebe Bridgers and Angel Olsen. Her newest release is “Thérèse,” which is out today alongside an explicit music video that centers on an orgy taking place in the woods.

“Thérèse” is a truly haunting, hallucinogenic tune that intensifies as it goes on. Hawke finds power in repetition, singing over and over, “It’s tactless it’s a test / It’s just Thérèse,” which serves as a kind of eerie incantation. The video is graphic and very NSFW, but the depiction of bodies is artistic and vulnerable, showing dim sex scenes before the participants are caught by police.

Hawke has been vocal about her support of a woman’s right to her body. She recently went on The Tonight Show to discuss it, saying, “My mom wrote this really beautiful essay about her abortion that she got when she was really young, and about how if she hadn’t have had it, she wouldn’t have become the person that she’d become, and I wouldn’t exist, and how both of my parents lives would’ve been totally derailed if she hadn’t had access to safe and legal health care — fundamental health care.”

Watch the video for “Thérèse” above.

You’re never too old to make a difference. That’s what Robin Borlandoe, a 70-year-old grandmother, learned when she decided to become a local lifeguard this year. Seeing that there was a need she could fill, she got out her bathing suit and got back in the pool to help her community.

Borlandoe is a lifelong resident of Philadelphia, a city that, like others around the country, was suffering from a lifeguard shortage earlier this year. In May, the city was looking for about 150 lifeguards to staff 60 to 70 pools. According to news station Fox 29, 150 was the bare minimum amount—they were actually looking to hire 400 lifeguards. Borlandoe was one of 16 certified lifeguards over the age of 60 who stepped up to fill the need.

“We’re in a bad spot and I just wanted to do something,” Borlandoe told Fox 29 back in May. “It wasn’t only to help the kids, it was to help me too. I just needed to do something, so I came out of my comfort zone…it’s been a journey.”

Borlandoe revealed that she had been a lifeguard “some years ago” at the age of 16. She admitted that things were a lot different then (if she’s 70, she was a teenager in the late 1960s, so that makes sense).

“The training is much more detailed,” she admitted. “They expect professionalism, and teach how to save somebody in different ways. Back then it was just ‘give you a whistle, get in the water.'”

Borlandoe, who worked in healthcare before being laid off prior to the pandemic, admits that she “loves the water” and really enjoyed being a lifeguard as a teen. She told Fox 29 the story about how she rescued a 7-year-old girl who was struggling to stay afloat in the pool and how good it made her feel to help.

Helping this generation of kids is Borlandoe’s current motivation for getting back on the lifeguard stand as well. Not just keeping them safe in the water, but keeping them safe outside of the pool too.

“They have no place to go,” she told NBC Nightly News. “The pools are closed all around.”

During her NBC News interview, she shared that she and her family witnessed a shooting right on her front lawn. “There were three young boys that were shot—killed,” she said.

“When you see it, it’s scary and very sad.” NBC News reported that at least 100 children ages 17 and younger had been victims of gun violence in Philadelphia this year alone. Borlandoe wanted to do “something small, just to help out.” If her being on duty means a pool can be open and the kids can have someplace to hang out, to her that’s worth all the training and time.

“I’m very much commited to this,” she said. “This is my reputation, my community.”

She has demonstrated that commitment already. The Philadelphia Inquirer reported that she has already encountered a young person in need of her grandma wisdom. The outlet shared that there was a young man whose “saucy language landed him a poolside time-out.” Borlandoe is clearly rising to the occasion.

“I’m going to make him my project,” she told the reporter.

We need more grandmas like Robin Borlandoe in the world.

Last week, Lil Uzi Vert, who recently started going by they/them pronouns, announced their new EP Red & White. It’s the prelude to the Philadelphia-native rapper’s long-awaited project The Pink Tape, which they first announced towards the end of 2021.

Uzi is already giving us a taste of this new material with the song “I Know,” which was uploaded to Soundcloud on Monday, following the release of “Space Cadet” over the weekend. Produced by Sonny Digital, it has an addictive beat and sharp lines. “I am not one to wait, so you gotta say when you ready / You are disloyalty, so tell me when we go steady,” they rap in a flow anchored by the simple but catchy hook, “I know.” Some fans know the track from when it was called “Neck On Froze,” which was previewed on Uzi’s Instagram in 2017. It was supposed to be on Luv Is Rage 2 but didn’t make the cut.

In 2017, Uzi revealed that they gave up on trying to have a “regular” job and made a bet on their music. “It was like, ‘If I get this face tattoo, I got to focus,’” they said. “I can’t go in nobody’s office with a suit on with this shit on my face. I got to focus on what I want to do.”

Listen to “I Know” below.

Lil Uzi Vert is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

Donald Trump was so desperate to cling to the presidency that he allegedly attacked a Secret Service agent. (Oh, and tried to overturn democracy, too.) And he might be back. The owner of the rinky dink Twitter clone Truth Social is reportedly itching to launch his 2024 candidacy, which he hopes will divert attention away from those damning Jan. 6 hearings. But he clearly can’t wait to move back into the White House, because that would mean an end to all those lawsuits that could leave him broke and/or jailed.

Rolling Stone spoke to numerous sources close to the former president, who say he’s very upfront (at least in private) about his motivations to return to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. One says Trump has “spoken about how when you are the president of the United States, it is tough for politically motivated prosecutors to ‘get to you.’” They add, “He says when [not if] he is president again, a new Republican administration will put a stop to the [Justice Department] investigation that he views as the Biden administration working to hit him with criminal charges — or even put him and his people in prison.”

Of course, it’s not just the Department of Justice who’s after Trump. The investigation by the Manhattan district attorney’s office appears to be dead, but the one by the equivalent in New York State sure isn’t. Prosecutors in Georgia have ramped up their investigation into interference in their vote counting during the 2020 election, with subpoenas out to cronies Rudy Giuliani and Lindsey Graham. Then there’s the defamation suit by E. Jean Carroll, who has accused Trump of raping her in the mid-1990s. Trump said she was “totally lying,” which prompted the suit.

As such, Trump wants back in the Oval Office, even if it means waiting another 2 ½ years. One source told Rolling Stone that he “said something like, ‘[prosecutors] couldn’t get away with this while I was president,’” adding that he “went on for a couple minutes about how ‘some very corrupt’ people want to ‘put me in jail.’”

Indeed, should Trump win reelection in 2024, it’s DoJ policy that they can’t prosecute a sitting president, inoculating him from justice for another four years. In other words, perhaps those collecting incriminating dirt should hit the accelerator.

(Via Rolling Stone)