Month: November 2022

Mxmtoon dazzled at 88rising’s Head In The Clouds festival in August. Uproxx called her set “charming,” and that’s the most applicable adjective for her new performance of “Mona Lisa” for The Late Show With Stephen Colbert‘s #LATESHOWMEMUSIC series.

Fueled by a delightful ukulele and Mxmtoon’s dreamy vocals, “Mona Lisa” charts her endearing (and relatable) ambition to be her own muse or maybe even someone else’s. In the video, she sings in a hazy purple room about her default mode to play “the part of Shakespeare” and “hide behind the ink and pen” while constructing fantasies about other people. “I’m so tired of being a book on the shelf / Tired of stories for somebody else,” she sings in the pre-chorus, a proposition tied in a perfect bow by the chorus: “I wanna be Mona Lisa / The kinda girl that you can dream of.”

Mxmtoon released her album Rising in May. She explained how “Mona Lisa” came together in an interview with Uproxx.

“It came together very naturally!” she said. “I had the idea of wanting to make a song that could reference a bunch of famous artists and their art, and I took it and ran. I worked alongside producer Pom Pom and artist Rosie to make ‘Mona Lisa,’ and we wanted it to be a power anthem for young women to see the power of self-love.”

Watch her “Mona Lisa” performance above.

The Indianapolis Colts fired head coach Frank Reich on Monday, a day removed from a dismal performance in a 26-3 loss to the New England Patriots to fall to 3-5-1.

Having already fired offensive coordinator Marcus Brady, the coaching staff is fairly thin at the moment, but there were options for an interim head coach, with some expecting special teams coordinator Bubba Ventrone to be the choice, while former head coaches John Fox and Gus Bradley are already members of the staff.

What no one anticipated was that Jim Irsay would go completely off board for his choice of interim head coach, as it was announced that that former Colts center Jeff Saturday, who has been a consultant for the team but not an actual coach, would be taking the interim job.

As Schefter notes Saturday’s lone coaching experience has come at a small private high school in Georgia, which is a bit different than the NFL. The former Colts center and member of their Ring of Honor has always been well regarded for his football IQ, but to make a midseason change to a coach that has literally not been in any coaching meetings all year and has never coached at a high level feels insane.

The reaction to the move from the football world has been a lot of confusion and shock, as no one saw this move coming.

Atlanta is one of the most storied breeding grounds for hip-hop talent in the country. From Outkast to Young Thug, each export has stood out with a unique style. Now Be.N Reilly and the upstart Abstract Media crew are finding that by being themselves, together, they can help each other be great.

Success doesn’t happen overnight though. And in the latest episode of Scenes, the five-member squad of Be.N Reilly, Luke Royal, Orongello, Zac Manson, and Miseye talk about being on the cusp of being able to make music full time. But every Wednesday, they’re faithfully posted up together for sunup to sundown sessions at their Bandwidth Studios homebase. It’s here where they can bring their ideas together and elevate each other’s ambitions and creativity. “We created a space for people who want to be themselves, to just embrace other people with no pressure, or any anxiety to form or conform to any other role,” Luke Royal says. “Just be you and do you.”

And when one Abstract Media crew member pops off, it’s cause for a celebration from the whole collective, and their confidence grows. “The way we are all always struggling together,” Zac Manson says. “It was natural that if one person makes it, we all make it.”

Peep the full video above and check back on the Uproxx Scenes Hub for new episodes showcasing rappers on the rise from across the country.

Just as Matthew Perry doesn’t like Keanu Reeves for seemingly no reason, Quentin Tarantino is going in on Bill Murray. Of course, Murray has a lot of variation in his filmography, so there is a lot more to work with. But Tarantino doesn’t seem to be a fan of much of what does, so much that he dedicated multiple paragraphs to it in his new book, Cinema Speculation. What is it with Hollywood men airing out all of their grievances in a book?

The director used the actor as an example of a specific type of over-used ’80s movie trope that Murray became known for, you know the sleazy guy who has some revelation and then becomes a Good Guy over the course of 120 minutes. Tarantino is not a fan of some of Murray’s most iconic roles, like his cynical Phil from Groundhog Day or the down-on-his-luck John from Stripes.

Tarantino critiqued the trope in a new excerpt per IndieWire:

If you did make a movie about a f*cking bastard, you could bet that fucking bastard would see the error of their ways and be redeemed in the last twenty minutes. Like for example, all of Bill Murray’s characters

How does Murray in Stripes go from being an iconoclastic pain in the ass, who deserves to get beat up by Drill Sergeant Warren Oates, to rallying the troops (“That’s the fact, Jack!”), and masterminding a covert mission on foreign soil? And Stripes was one of the hip movies. Film critics always preferred Bill Murray to Chevy Chase. Yet, more often than not, Chase remained the same sarcastic aloof asshole at the film’s end he was at the beginning. Or at least his conversion wasn’t the whole point of the movie as it was in Scrooged and Groundhog Day.

Admittedly, when you don’t give a f*ck about other people’s feelings, it probably does wonders for your caustic wit. But I’ve always rejected the idea that Bill Murray’s characters needed redemption. Yeah, maybe he charmed Andie MacDowell [in Groundhog Day], but does anybody think a less sarcastic Bill Murray is a better Bill Murray.

There are definitely a few things to critique Bill Murray for, though a 40-year-old movie appears to be an odd focus. Then again, one assumes that Tarantino penned this book long before the Murray on-set accusations surfaced.

(Via IndieWire)

Going into the release of Avatar: The Way of Water, writer/director James Cameron has been his usual bombastic self while hyping up the sequel that’s been 13 years in the making. On top of claiming that the movie will make you “sh*t yourself with your mouth wide open,” he’s also taken swings at the Marvel movies that have dominated theaters in the years since the first Avatar shattered box office records.

However, in a surprisingly candid move, Cameron has revealed that he’s ready to end the Avatar franchise early if The Way of Water underperforms at the box office. It appears the Box Office King has taken a hard look at the current theatrical landscape, and it would seem he has some concerns.

“The market could be telling us we’re done in three months, or we might be semi-done, meaning: ‘OK, let’s complete the story within movie three, and not go on endlessly’, if it’s just not profitable,” Cameron told Total Film before sharing his thoughts on the state of the industry:

“We’re in a different world now than we were when I wrote this stuff, even,” Cameron says. “It’s the one-two punch – the pandemic and streaming. Or, conversely, maybe we’ll remind people what going to the theatre is all about. This film definitely does that. The question is: how many people give a shit now?”

While the cost of the Avatar films and making a profit seem to be weighing heavily on Cameron’s mind, it didn’t take long for his trademark bombast to return. Although, there was no talk of people sh*tting themselves, so it’s really starting to look like Cameron is shook.

“These are hideously expensive movies. It was a sketchy business case before the pandemic to make a movie that cost this much,” Cameron told Total Film. “At this point, we just have to play it out to see what happens. But what I know right now is: we’re delivering three hours of a pretty much insane experience.”

(Via Total Film)

On Saturday night, Drake and 21 Savage shared a video of their SNL performance of “On BS” from their newly released album, Her Loss. Except… wasn’t the SNL musical guest supposed to be breakout “Bad Habit” singer Steve Lacy? What’s going on here?

In fact, yes, Steve Lacy was the legitimatedly booked performer for Saturday’s episode of SNL, and he did truly perform his smash hit “Bad Habit,” as well as “Helmet” from his new album, Gemini Rights. So, how could Drake and 21 Savage also have a video up performing “On BS” live on SNL?

As it turns out, the video was a faked (with some help from “host” Michael B. Jordan) as part of the duo’s longer rollout for Her Loss. Throughout the rollout, they shared other faked media, from a photoshopped issue of Vogue to a phony interview with Howard Stern, trolling the idea of a traditional rollout while also technically participating in one.

Normally, when artists are dropping an album, appearances on various outlets’ gimmick interview shows and NPR Tiny Desk are a great way to draw attention to the project. But they’re also time-consuming and tricky to schedule, and with their joint album dropping just two weeks after its announcement (after it was pushed back due to engineer 40’s COVID diagnosis), this was a fantastic way to get that attention on their own terms.

Of course, now that the album’s out, it’s getting attention for all the wrong reasons, but in the end, that could work to their favor anyway.

John Legend teamed up with Colombian singer Sebastián Yatra once again. On Friday (November 4), the R&B superstar released a Spanglish version of “Nervous” featuring Yatra.

Back in March, Legend jumped on the remix of Yatra’s smash hit “Tacones Rojos.” He translated Yatra’s loving lyrics into English in his soulful guest verses. Legend previously dipped into the Latin market in 2020 when he enlisted Venezuelan duo, Mau y Ricky, to feature on a Spanglish remix of his song “Bigger Love.” Now he’s reuniting with Yatra for a new version of “Nervous.”

“Sebastián is such a gifted artist,” Legend said in a statement. “I’m so glad we could collaborate again on this special version of ‘Nervous’!”

Legend first released “Nervous” on his self-titled album back in September. In the heartfelt ballad, he sings about a blossoming romance that has him feeling butterflies in his stomach. Yatra returns the favor of the “Tacones Rojos” remix and translates Legend’s romantic lyrics into Spanish. He also sings a bit in English.

“I was actually a bit nervous to do ‘Nervous’ with John because singing alongside one of the best singers in the world can be pretty overwhelming,” Yatra said. “He is an incredible vocalist and performer and puts so much emotion into everything he does. I’m so grateful to be a part of such a special song.”

Legend will perform at the 2022 Latin Grammy Awards this month. He will sing the “Tacones Rojos” remix live alongside Yatra.

Well, the Navy may have to wait a bit longer for that upcoming Rihanna album.

Despite rumors swirling about a forthcoming album since announcing that she would perform at the 2023 Super Bowl Halftime Show, the Barbadian singer quickly shut down any speculation about upcoming music, dashing away any hopes fans could have had.

“Super Bowl is one thing, new music is another thing, do you hear that, fans?” she told the Associated Press.

The “Diamonds” singer said she knew after making her announcement about her performance at the halftime show it would set her fans in a tizzy and fuel rumors about new music.

“The second that I announced this, I said, ‘Oh, my God, they’re going to think my album is coming. I need to get to work,” she continued.

It looks like the only new music fans will get from the singer anytime soon will be her single for the Black Panther 2 Soundtrack, “Lift Me Up.”

Rihanna also opened up about her and ASAP Rocky’s decision to keep details about their baby private, noting that the couple just “hasn’t gotten around to it yet,” and that they’re living in the moment of it all.

Along with adjusting to mom life, the singer has also continued to maintain her Fenty empire. Most notably, the singer is prepping for her upcoming Savage X Fenty Show Vol. 4, which is expected to include performances by Anitta, Maxwell, and more. This year’s show is also set to include appearances from Taraji P. Henson, Cara Delevingne, Sheryl Lee Ralph, and to the dismay of many fans, Johnny Depp.

Some people have criticized the move — especially after the high-profile legal battle with ex-wife Amber Heard — calling for a boycott of Rihanna’s lingerie line if Depp is part of the show.

The Savage X Fenty Show Vol. 4 will stream Wednesday on Amazon Prime Video.

Fans have earned the right to be skeptical about any and everything Drake or 21 Savage say about Her Loss, their collaborative album that arrived last Friday (November 4). Its arrival was the album rollout version of a mockumentary. It began with Savage denying its existence altogether and continued with a photoshopped Vogue cover, a fake NPR Tiny Desk Concert, and a spoof Howard Stern interview. They even tossed in a pretend Saturday Night Live performance for good measure. So, whether Drake and Savage will tour in support of Her Loss is a more loaded question than it should be.

Around Her Loss dropping, Drake hosted an episode of his Table For One SiriusXM show. One listener pulled a clip regarding a potential tour. “I’m excited for tour,” Drizzy said. “It’s just another opportunity for me to be with my brother and just — I mean, sh*t, our set that night is gonna be dangerous.”

The Stern interview was fake, but Drake foreshadowing a show at London’s O2 Arena might have been real.

“I might be the greatest rapper from my country, too, though,” Savage said to Drake in the faux sit-down, causing Drake to gas him up as “the pride of London” and add, “That’s why that London, that O2 night, that has to happen. That’s gonna be some different — that’s like some real homecoming sh*t. I’m excited for that.”

And if a tour is happening, the charismatic hip-hop giants gave fans a sneak peek at what can be expected when they command a stage together last month. Drake made a surprise appearance at Savage’s headlining set for Morehouse-Spelman’s homecoming in Atlanta. Watch some of the footage below.

It’s hard keeping track of all the similar-sounding names on House of the Dragon. But it’s even harder to tell Ser Arryk and Ser Erryk Cargyll apart. The twins — Arryk is Team Green (Alicent); Erryk is Team Black (Rhaenyra) — are played by Luke and Elliott Tittensor, who pulled the ol’ switcheroo in the season one finale without anyone noticing.

“There’s that scene, that big scene where Corlys comes down and they’re putting the markers on the table and the messenger comes in,” House of the Dragon director Greg Yaitanes told the West of Westeros podcast. “It was a shot over two days and then one got COVID. [Elliott] got COVID, so we swapped him out with his brother.”

Adding to the confusion were the names of the actors versus the characters. There’s Luke Tittensor, the actor who plays Arryk, and then there’s Luke Velaryon, the character played by actor Elliot Grihault opposite actor Elliott Tittensor, who plays Erryk. “The way this came to me was the game of telephone,” the director jokes.

It’s hard to believe no one noticed it was a different actor. They look so different!

Yaitanes joked that it “would’ve killed us” if Twin Luke wasn’t available that day, as Erryk is standing next to Rhaenyra in the episode. It was a better option than the backup to the backup plan: hiring the Coors Light twins.

You can listen to the podcast episode below.

(Via EW)