Month: August 2022

Here’s a fun thing to tell the next stranger you talk to: “A24 is making a movie with Phoebe Bridgers, the non-Pokemon star of Detective Pikachu, and Fred Durst.” It’s 97 percent likely that they will slowly back away from you, but in the three percent chance that the stranger is intrigued, you should tell them more about I Saw the TV Glow.

The horror feature from A24 and Fruit Tree, the production banner run by Emma Stone, follows “two teenage outcasts who bond over their shared love of a scary TV show. However, the boundary between TV and reality begins to blur after it is mysteriously canceled,” according to the Hollywood Reporter. The cast, which writer and director Jane Schoenbrun called the “coolest, wildest (and queerest) cast anyone has assembled in a minute” includes Justice Smith, Brigette Lundy-Paine, Madeline’s Madeline standout Helena Howard, and I Think You Should Leave maniac Conner O’Malley.

There is a strong musical contingent in the production with indie rock artist Lindsey Jordan (Snail Mail), musician-director Fred Durst, Haley Dahl’s Sloppy Jane (featuring Phoebe Bridgers), and King Woman also on the roll call.

It’s hard to believe it took this long for A24 and Phoebe to work together. Durst is the cherry on top of the Chocolate Starfish and the Hot Dog Flavored Water sundae.

Also, if you haven’t yet, check out Schoenbrun’s film from earlier this year, We’re All Going to the World’s Fair. It’s very good.

(Via the Hollywood Reporter)

Music ownership has always been one of the trickiest parts of the music business. Questions often arise about who owns which rights and what kind — for instance, there is a difference in copyrights between the song and the recording of the song. Ultimately, all these debates boil down to two main questions: who has control over the music and who gets paid for it. Today, those questions reared their heads once again, as TMZ reports that Migos member Offset is suing the group’s label, Quality Control Music, for the rights to his solo recordings.

Offset’s lawsuit, which was filed on Tuesday, maintains that Offset negotiated a solo deal with QC’s parent label Motown but after Offset released his new single “5 4 3 2 1,” Quality Control claimed ownership of the single — and the associated percentage of its royalties. With Offset preparing another single with Moneybagg Yo for release this Friday, it appears that he doesn’t want a repeat. The lawsuit was filed as rumors of a possible Migos breakup circulate online due to Offset releasing solo music at the same time as Quavo and Takeoff have released their own music sans Offset.

This isn’t the first time Migos have disputed their contracts with QC in court. The group sued their former attorney in 2019 for a conflict of interest that they say “cheated [the group] out of millions of dollars.” However, that suit was dismissed early last year after presumably coming to an agreement out of court — which possibly involved Offset buying out the remainder of any solo advance he was given. Quality Control CEO Pierre Thomas addressed the previous lawsuit on Twitter, writing, “The last lawsuit was filed publicly and dismissed quietly. Let’s see how this one go. Been to real for all this lame sh*t. Everyone know the real problem.”

Offset, however, seemed to disagree with P, responding, “N****s act like im the problem I paid millions to get my rights back. N**** you black balled me I ain’t said Sh*t one time homie. I ain’t spoke to you in 2 years now I drop and you want ya name on my credit?”

Even Offset’s wife Cardi B got involved, writing in a now-deleted tweet, “Offset bought himself out of his Qc deal after they didn’t want to renegotiate his contract…. I’m tired of people trying to make Offset look like the bad guy ….Enough is enough!”

Meanwhile, according to TMZ, Migos’ contract with QC remains intact, so the group will be releasing under Quality Control for any future releases. Whether they can cooperate again remains to be seen, but if there’s bad blood with the label, that could explain why they seem to have internal friction as well.

After reportedly receiving significant blowback, Disney+ is re-evaluating its decision to ban an episode of the popular children’s series, Bluey, because it was about farts. The show originally airs in Australia before making its way to Disney’s streaming platform, which flagged the fart episode for failing to meet its standards and practices for Disney Jr. content.

In the episode, Bluey’s dad — how do we put this? — accidentally rips one in her face, necessitating a whole mock trial as dad farts so often do. Also, apparently, “make a brownie” is an Australian euphemism for farting, so what an incredible learning experience this has already been. Via The Guardian:

The Family Meeting episode from series three of the hit children’s show features a faux trial with mum Chilli as the judge to determine whether Bandit did “fluffy” or “make a brownie” on Bluey’s face.

The episode opens with the six-year-old blue heeler pup saying “Dad blew off right in my face” and Bandit denying it. Later he admits: “Her face is at bum level – it’s hard not to.”

After several parents complained on social media and noted that something like 90 percent of children’s entertainmnt is fart-based, Disney+ has reportedly decided to rethink the situation.

“Family Meeting will roll out on US platforms soon,” a Disney spokesperson told Pirates & Princesses. “Some of the Bluey content did not meet Disney Junior broadcast S&P in place at the time the series was acquired. Now that it is rolling out on other platforms, it is a great opportunity to reevaluate which is what we plan to do.”

Much like this pun, it appears this was a fart that Disney+ could no longer hold in.

(Via The Guardian)

Right-wing chronic grump Ben Shapiro has no sympathy for student loan debtors, so how’s that working out for him in light of his forgiven federal loan?

Yes, that’s what’s going on here. If we back up a minute, Shapiro bit himself in the butt, too, when he started complaining about reports (which turned out to be accurate) about President Biden cancelling $10,000 in debt for most student loan borrowers (who fall under a certain income threshold). Biden made provisions for more forgiveness for some borrowers, and that includes Pell Grant recipients, and Shapiro made it known in advance that he’s not here for this plan. He believes that debtors (even those who fell into the predatory loan trap, as with student loan debtors who find that they are making on-time payments for a decade and still owe much more than they initially borrowed) should pay up, no matter what.

“I have a controversial idea about paying off student loan debt,” the Daily Wire creator tweeted. “[D]on’t take out debt you will likely be unable to pay off, and don’t ask others to pay off your debts.”

This seemed par for the course, and Shapiro went on his merry little way, but then someone pointed out that Shapiro also has some federal loan forgiveness in his pocket. It’s quite recent, actually, which is stunning for someone who seems to be doing pretty well for himself financially.

Shapiro’s Daily Wire received quite a bit of PPP relief from the federal government, and he had over $20,000 of that instantly forgiven. That’s more than most student loan debtors will receive, so people had to drag him for it. Oh, and he should “maybe cut back on the Starbucks?” The responses rolled onto social media.

And he’s got no one to think for this backlash but himself.

The thing about Jason Momoa is that the guy is always having fun. Between the roles he plays and his social media presence, it’s clear that this dude just loves hanging out, most of the time without a shirt. But perhaps he’s having too much fun on the set of the upcoming Fast and Furious installment, Fast X.

Momoa is often playing a hero-type character, which is why it was strange that he was cast as a villain in the vehicular action movie that already has its buffed-up hero (Vin Diesel). But, according to Momoa himself, he is a huge fan of not being a good guy. When asked about the top-secret role, the actor said that he is having the time of his life. “I get to be the bad guy finally. I’ve been the good guy for a while,” Momoa told Variety while promoting his Apple TV show, See.

When asked for specifics, the Aquaman actor said that this character is different than most of the other characters he’s normally played. “He’s very sadistic and androgynous and he’s a bit of a peacock,” Momoa said. “He’s got a lot of issues, this guy. He’s definitely got some daddy issues.” Momoa is famously the World’s Best Dad, so he probably has to act really hard for this one.

Filming is underway for Fast X, though not everyone is that excited about it. Despite the various behind-the-scenes drama, Momoa is still having the time of his life! As he should. Fast X hits theaters in May 2023.

(Via Variety)

You might not think that ventriloquism is the highest art form in the world. But after watching Celia Muñoz deliver an amazing musical act on “America’s Got Talent,” you might be singing a different tune.

First off, her skills are incredible. Muñoz revealed to judges that she had previously worked as a professional opera singer in Spain and had picked up the vaudeville act on a whim.

“Normally people take about 20 years to learn how to do this,” judge Simon Cowell recalled. Muñoz nailed it in two.

Second, Muñoz paid an unexpected tribute to another iconic performer in the process, making it all the more special to watch.

Instead of using puppets, Muñoz dressed up the stage to look like a drive-in theater, complete with a shiny red car.

Muñoz approaches the car while talking on the phone to her mother (really talking to herself, of course), popcorn and soda in hand.

“I can’t talk now!” Munoz says before hanging up the phone and settling in.

The “movie” starts playing (again, all voiced by Muñoz) and we realize it’s the 1978 classic “Grease.”

Then we hear the beginning notes to “Hopelessly Devoted to You,” originally sung by Olivia Newton-John, who recently passed away on Aug. 8 at the age of 73.

Muñoz somehow manages to sing the song—beautifully, too—all while sipping her soda and eating her movie munchies. Unreal.

The best part comes at the end—with a high note and Muñoz’s mouth absolutely stuffed with popcorn.

Though not seen in this video clip, an episode recap featured on Yahoo! Entertainment showed all the judges floored by Muñoz’s uniqueness and touched by the sweet homage.

Judge Howie Mandel mused that the performance had “given us a glimpse on what would have been if Olivia Newton-John was born in Spain.”

No one can say how far Muñoz will go in the competition, but she definitely deserves praise for making the art form entirely her own and giving us new ways to appreciate the classics.

In late 2021, Arctic Monkeys drummer Matt Helders told the BBC 5 Live Breakfast show that a new Arctic Monkeys album was ready to go. “It was a bit disjointed how we had to do it, and there are bits to finish off, but yeah, it’s all in the works,” he said. Fast forward to August of 2022 and Helders, singer Alex Turner and Arctic Monkeys have announced that The Car, the Sheffield rock band’s seventh studio album, will be out later this year.

Here’s What We Know About Arctic Monkeys’ ‘The Car’ Album

Arctic Monkeys will be out with The Car on Friday, October 21st via Domino Records. It features ten new songs that were written by Alex Turner and the band again worked with longtime producer James Ford on it. The recording sessions for The Car happened at multiple locations, including Butley Priory in Suffolk; RAK Studios in London; and La Frette, Paris. A press release for the album promised some of Alex Turner’s “richest vocal performances” of his career.

Turner’s newfound vocals were on display when Arctic Monkeys debuted the second track from The Car, “I Ain’t Quite Where I Think I Am,” at a show in Zurich this month. Stylistically, it felt more akin to the band’s output on 2018’s Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino, but with a distinctly funky bass line, too.

The album artwork was done by Matt Helders and you can see that below along with the the full tracklist for The Car.

1. “There’d Better Be A Mirrorball”
2. “I Ain’t Quite Where I Think I Am”
3. “Sculptures Of Anything Goes”
4. “Jet Skis On The Moat”
5. “Body Paint”
6. “The Car”
7. “Big Ideas”
8. “Hello You”
9. “Mr. Schwartz”
10. “Perfect Sense”

The Car is out 10/21 via Domino. Pre-order it here.

Adele is undoubtedly one of the biggest artists of the past 15 years and she has plenty of accolades to serve as evidence. Now, she has added another one to the list: The video for “Hello,” the chart-topping lead single from 2015’s 25, has passed 3 billion views on YouTube. As of this post, the video has exactly 3,001,470,360 views.

According to data from kworb.net, only 322 music videos have ever reached 1 billion views, just 66 have hit 2 billion, and now “Hello” is just the 24th to ever top 3 billion. Previously, the video was the fastest to reach half a billion views (doing it in just 34.1 days), the fastest to reach 1.1 billion (102.3 days), and the fastest to hit every single 100-million milestone between those (1 billion, 900 million, etc.).

Some other Adele videos are also high up on the all-time list. “Rolling In The Deep” is one of the select music videos to have over 2 billion views (about 2.1 billion), while her other clip in the billion-view club (and soon to reach 2 billion) is “Someone Like You” with about 1.9 billion plays. Meanwhile, “Send Me Love (To Your New Lover)” is approaching 1 billion, currently at 819 million. Adele’s more recent “Easy On Me” video is also doing well, as it passed the 300 billion milestone not long ago.

Adele’s new achievement comes shortly after Lil Nas X celebrated getting his first billion-view video with “Old Town Road” earlier this month.

Revisit the “Hello” video below.

Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene claims to have had an unexpected run-in with law enforcement this week.

The Republican representative from Georgia was at her home in Rome, just an hour and a half drive from Atlanta, when police received an anonymous tip that a shooting had occurred at her residence. According to reports, a 911 call placed at 1:03 a.m. claimed to have heard a “subject being shot multiple times” at Greene’s residence. When police arrived on the scene, Green appeared confused and told officers everything was fine.

“She assured the officers there was no issue and the call was determined to be a false call commonly known as ‘swatting’,” a statement from police read. Greene took to social media to share more about her “harrowing” experience and to thank the officers for doing their job, despite arguing to defund law enforcement just one month ago.

According to police, the suspect called again and explained why they placed the false tip directing officers to Greene’s home saying they “were upset about Mrs. Greene’s political view on transgender youth rights.” And, of course, Greene is using this to accuse the “Left” of waging “war” against her.

It sounds like Greene had enough time to fully wake up, get dressed, and make the shockingly smart decision to leave her gun in her bedroom before being confronted by police politely knocking on her door. Breonna Taylor did not get that same treatment.

(Via NBC News)

John Legend and Saweetie surprise their unwitting co-stars in the absolutely adorable video for their new collaboration “All She Wanna Do.” The third single from John’s upcoming double album Legend, “All She Wanna Do” is about a chance encounter with a potential paramour whose idea of a good time is spent on the dance floor. Accordingly, the video for the song sees a variety of dancers set up for an “audition” for the video, dancing their hearts out on the dressed set.

However, midway through the video, one of the set’s walls comes down to reveal John and/or Saweetie behind each of the dancers, who are floored to see the two celebrities standing there. Each gets to do a solo dance with one of the stars, ranging from salsa to handstand twerking, and all the dancers get to do a group dance with both. At the end of the video, a string of interview clips reveals the impact the opportunity has on the women, who say they enjoyed the camaraderie they forged on set and applaud John Legend for bringing it to life.

Watch John Legend Saweetie All She Wanna Do Video above.

Legend is due 9/9 via Republic Records and features the singles “Honey” with Muni Long and “Dope” with JID. You can pre-save it here.

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