Year: 2022

While Deftones has undergone a few lineup changes over the course of their lengthy tenure, they’ve had the same members since 2009. That’s when bassist Sergio Vega, who was a touring member of the group since 1999, became a full member, after Chi Cheng, who had been with the band from 1990 to 2008, was hospitalized after a serious car crash and was left in a coma (he never recovered and died in 2013). Now, though, Deftones once again has a new lineup, as Vega is no longer with the band.

Fans started wondering what was going on with Deftones when the band shared a new Vega-less profile photo on Spotify. In a video shared on Instagram last night, Vega explains the band had him on a contract, and when that contract expired, Vega and the band couldn’t agree on new terms.

He explained the contract situation before concluding, “Lastly, thanks so much to the ‘Tones. I wish I had the chance to tell you this in person. I want you to know that I appreciate all the years we spent together, writing, performing, being taken into your worlds. I learned a lot from each one of you. When you brought me in, you created a new sense of passion for music that I will always cherish and carry with me. You truly changed my life.”

Watch Vega’s video above and find a full transcript of it (via Stereogum) below.

“Hi, everybody. I hope this finds you well. I didn’t want to have to make a video about this, but after the recent band photo posted on Deftones’ Spotify, I feel that I have to clear the air. I’m not very good at this, so I wrote out a statement, and I will read it to you now.

To give a brief history about me and my friendship with Deftones, we met in 1995. I filled in for Chi — rest in peace — in 1999 and was asked to work with the band after his tragedy in 2009. Because of the love they have for Quicksand, I was asked to bring the same approach as a songwriter and arranger to them as well. I was also told that, similarly to Frank [Delgado], I would be brought in over time to become an official member. I had worked with the band for 12 years, and at the start of every album cycle, I asked about becoming an official member, but the contract would be improved instead.

COVID was a breaking point for a lot of people, and I started to question my place in the band and the future that I wanted for my career. I really started to need something stable because at that point, my contract with them was canceled. One day, I got a call from the guys about an internal band situation, and they asked me if I was solid and that I would have to fly out to LA to help work it out right away. I said of course, I was all in, and we can handle my situation later. But I can’t go back to my old contract. Our respective management had a conversation to discuss a new contract, and they offered me the same deal.

At that point, it was clear there was no opportunity for growth for me, so I declined the offer. And then I called the guys immediately to see where the miscommunication was to resolve it, but there was no response. A couple of days later, I received an e-mail from their lawyer that their offer was withdrawn and that they wished me the best. So I left the band early last year, and since, then I’ve been focused on my band Quicksand as well as working as a producer and writer for other artists and projects. And I’m mentioning this because there was some speculation about me selling my gear and quitting music altogether.

Out of respect for the people who have held tickets for this tour the past couple of years and everyone who supports the band, I felt it important to bring some clarity to the situation.

Lots of love and thanks to Deftones’ amazing fan base for always being engaged and supportive of the band through good times and bad. I appreciate every single one of you. All my love to the fans that have become friends, the people that have supported my other projects. It brought me so much joy to see Deftones shirts at Quicksand shows, and I will cherish this forever.

Lastly, thanks so much to the ‘Tones. I wish I had the chance to tell you this in person. I want you to know that I appreciate all the years we spent together, writing, performing, being taken into your worlds. I learned a lot from each one of you. When you brought me in, you created a new sense of passion for music that I will always cherish and carry with me. You truly changed my life.”

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

By the time 17-year-old songwriter GAYLE drove halfway across the country overnight to see her name lit up on billboards in Times Square, she had only released two songs. Her debut single “Abcdefu” has been nearing the top of the Billboard Hot 100 chart thanks to it absolutely dominating on TikTok. While the fast-growing app helped put her name on the map, GAYLE’s success comes from her ability to create unapologetically angry songs, giving a voice to a generation of pissed-off young women who look up to the singer’s candor and genuine nature.

The music industry may be saturated with breakup music, but GAYLE’s kiss-off track “Abcdefu” isn’t your average heartbroken ballad. “Abcdefu” shares an anecdote many women can relate to: Repeatedly cursing out the person who caused them pain. It opens with the singer firing off a “f*ck you” to an ex, setting the tone for a vexed GAYLE to list all the people she holds animosity towards post-breakup; including his mom, sister, friends, and pretty much everyone else (except, of course, his dog). Generally in media, women are shown either wallowing in self-pity after a breakup (see: Bridget Jones’ Diary and Sinéad O’Connor’s “Nothing Compares 2U“), or plotting some sort of revenge (see: John Tucker Must Die and Carrie Underwood’s “Before He Cheats“). But with her debut major-label single, the singer works through an emotion that women aren’t always allowed to feel — pure and unadulterated anger.

GAYLE’s breakup story is familiar to many women, and it’s one she never minces words about in interviews. “It started from a place of wanted to tell my ex to f*ck off. I was pissed to the core,” she told radio station 96.3 Easy Rock Manila. GAYLE was at first angry with herself for her perceived shortcomings in the relationship. But upon reflection, she realized all her ex’s red flags had been there from the beginning. “All of the sudden it hit me: He’s an *sshole,” she said. In that moment, she transformed from being angry with herself to being pissed-off with all the people who validated his behavior in their relationship. After appropriately blocking him on all social media apps, GAYLE focused that outrage into her music.

GAYLE recognizes how few mainstream women revel in their anger in music, but it became even more apparent when she played “Abcdefu” for her grandmother. GAYLE was worried her grandma would be disappointed with how vulgar the song was, but her reaction was quite the opposite. “She was like, ‘You know, you get to say all the things that I never got to at 17,’” GAYLE told The Tennessean. “And that put the song in a completely new perspective for me.”

The explicit nature of “Abcdefu” seemed to really resonate with people on TikTok, seeing as it’s been used in over 2.5 million videos and counting. The song exemplifies how TikTok can be really great at drumming up excitement about a single, but it also proves that TikTok users can’t be fooled. Yes, record labels and marketing agencies promote certain songs on the app, but most of the time when a song goes viral, it happens naturally, according to Atlantic’s Head Of Marketing Nina Webb: “I mean, there’s a million examples of a lot of very expensive campaigns that had no return. Like, we can’t do it. It has to come from fans or the artist because you’re talking to Gen Z. They smell everything out.”

Despite label support, GAYLE’s viral moment did happen naturally. Like much of the rest of her generation, GAYLE started using TikTok to share funny videos and post her songs. At first, the singer was able to capture an audience with her genuine humor and impressive covers. GAYLE began sharing snippets of “Abcedfu” before its official release for months, but it didn’t gain any traction — that is, until the song became a trend among members of the sign language community on TikTok. From there, “Abcdefu” became an instant hit and jump-started GAYLE’s breakout success.

While “Abcdefu” credits its breakout to TikTok, GAYLE’s music career is the result of years of hard work. The singer performed every opportunity she could as a pre-teen, from bars and restaurants to farmer’s markets, and even sheep industry conventions. Armed with a naturally incredible vocal range and unwavering perseverance, she eventually convinced her parents to move their family to Nashville to pursue her music full-time. There, she was discovered by happenstance at an artist workshop by former American Idol judge Kara DioGuardi, who eventually offered her a publishing deal where she spent years independently releasing a handful of singles. “I loved her intensity, the tone of her voice, and her emotion when she sang,” DioGuardi told Uproxx. “It was unlike anything I’d seen from a 14-year-old artist.” DioGuardi says fans resonate with GAYLE’s music because of her conviction. “What makes her standout is that she’s a great performer and knows exactly what she wants to say,” she said. “She has the ability to communicate her feelings and life in a unique way and I do think her fans will fall even more in love with her as she releases more music.”

Now that she’s examined her anger and become known as the “emo alphabet girl,” GAYLE is gearing up to drop the EP A Study Of The Human Experience, Volume One. Per the project’s title, the songs detail other teenage woes like pushing away love, being scared to catch feelings, and crossing a line in platonic friendships. GAYLE’s TikTok success is more than just a lesson on the importance of young artists promoting their music online. GAYLE proves that there’s a class of pissed-off young women who aren’t afraid to say how they really feel.

A Study Of The Human Experience, Volume One is out 3/18 via Atlantic. Pre-order it here.

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

In recent years, TikTok has become one of the go-to social media platforms for the discovery and promotion of new music, but while it’s been helpful in generating hits for the likes of Doja Cat, Lil Nas X, Megan Thee Stallion, and more, for newer artists using the app to drive interest in their songs, the experience can be … let’s say a little “chaotic” — to say nothing of the labels who are trying to use the app to market artists and being hopelessly stonewalled by the cryptic algorithm and ever-evolving tastes on the app.

However, that may soon change as TikTok launches SoundOn, a new tool designed to help independent artists find their way on the platform, with a music-specific dashboard offering analytics, marketing advice, and even a team of employees to help A&R collaborations among artists. Most importantly, SoundOn will also help artists get paid — both directly through the app and via DSPs. Artists who upload music directly through SoundOn would get paid similarly to how a record deal works but with a “flexible exit clause” to allow them to withdraw rights should they decide to actually sign to a label.

The beta test of the new service has already generated its first major success in Muni Long’s “Hrs & Hrs,” which hit more than 1 million video creations and 1.6 billion views of the song, driving it to No. 16 peak on the Billboard Hot 100. Meanwhile, plans for the future include a creator marketplace that will help match TikTok-ers with promotional partners, again helping them generate revenue outside of the traditional label system. It’s certainly another interesting innovation that may spark the next, artist-friendly phase for the music industry.

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

Less than a year ago, Ryan Coogler committed to keeping Black Panther: Wakanda Forever production in Georgia while fighting against voter restrictions. Since that time, Coogler has faced another obstacle in the state, which happened in Atlanta at a Bank of America branch. TMZ first reported the incident of a bank teller assuming that Coogler was there to rob the joint while conducting a completely legal transaction.

This assumption led to both Coogler (and two associates who were parked in an SUV while he did his business) being detained by law enforcement. (Not great.) The incident was further confirmed by Variety, and here’s how TMZ (which also posted an image from surveillance footage) described what happened:

Coogler walked in rocking shades and a COVID face mask — not uncommon, of course — but he handed the teller a withdrawal slip that had a note written on the back.

We’re told his message read, “I would like to withdraw $12,000 cash from my checking account. Please do the money count somewhere else. I’d like to be discreet.” Understandable, considering the amount of money he was getting … but this led to the teller thinking something suspicious was going down, and cops were called for an attempted robbery.

Coogler was cuffed by officers, and the whole mess eventually got straightened out, but boy, what a disaster. The director later communicated his displeasure to TMZ. “This situation should never have happened,” Coogler said. “However, Bank of America worked with me and addressed it to my satisfaction and we have moved on.”

Meanwhile, Coogler’s Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (which has already had enough distractions before this happened) will arrive in theaters on November 11, 2022.

(Via TMZ & Variety)

In normal times, the 2022 Grammy Awards would’ve already taken place. We would’ve learned who went home with trophies in the big four categories — Song of the Year, Record of the Year, Album of the Year, and Best New Artist. In fact, the number of nominations in each of those categories was increased to ten for the upcoming award show. Furthermore, we would’ve witnessed excellent performances from some of the music industry’s best talents. However, we are not in normal times, and unfortunately, the coronavirus pandemic caused the Grammys to be delayed from its usual late-January/early-February date. Thankfully, a new date is locked in and it’s coming soon.

When Are The 2022 Grammys?

The 2022 Grammys will take place on April 3 at 8:30PM EST. The new date also came with a new location for the award show as the Grammys will be hosted from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. This marks the first time ever that the Grammys will be hosted outside of Los Angeles. The 2022 Grammys will be hosted by Trevor Noah and as for the nominations, Jon Batiste leads the way with 11 while Doja Cat, HER, and Justin Bieber trailed him with eight nominations each.

Performers for the 2022 award have not been revealed yet, but with less than a month to go before showtime, we can expect a list of performers to arrive sooner than later.

In the latest cut from his upcoming album Chloë And The Next 20th Century, Father John Misty laments a dying relationship. Sung from the perspective of a man reeling over a pet cat, “Goodbye Mr. Blue” is a folksy, guitar-driven track, ridden with Misty‘s signature, poignant lyrics.

The song opens with Misty singing “This may be the last time, the last time I put on my shoes / Go down to the corner, and buy the damn cat the expensive food.”

Misty further implies that the cat was the only thing keeping the couple together, continuing to sing, “That Turkish Angora is ’bout the only thing left of me and you.”

Chloë And The Next 20th Century is Josh Tillman’s fifth album as Father John Misty. Last month, Misty performed Chloë cuts “Funny Girl” and “Q4” in a concert with the LA Philharmonic at Walt Disney Concert Hall. Most of his set consited of older material, which resulted in mixed feelings from the crowd, according to our review of the performance. “Fans who were hoping to hear more new material off the album might have been disappointed, but the setlist was also packed with FJM favorites from all four previously albums, so there wasn’t much to complain about in the end.”

Check out “Goodbye Mr. Blue” above.

Chloë And The Next 20th Century is out 4/8 via Sub Pop. Pre-save it here.

Greg Kelly is, was, and will always be a bit of a nincompoop. The Newsmax host (who likely stumbled into a career in television with some help from his dad, former New York City Police Commissioner Raymond W. Kelly) has what might be one of the most tone-deaf takes on the Russia Ukraine War, which he unfortunately shared on Tuesday’s episode of Greg Kelly Reports. And what Greg Kelly Reports is that while the situation in Ukraine is indeed sad—what with innocent citizens being ruthlessly attacked and killed, while others are being forced to flee their homes and even leave family behind—what really gets him going is that Americans are now having to pay more at the pump.

As Mediaite reports, Kelly—who once claimed he got so high on “grass” that he blacked out and woke up in Nairobi—opened up his Tuesday night show by talking about the devastation in Ukraine and showing images and video from the hard-hit area of Kharkiv, which he described as “absolutely horrible.” He went on to say that the images reminded him of Full Metal Jacket, noting, “This is urban combat” (and surprising some that he might have watched a Stanley Kubrick movie).

But if you were looking at the chyron below Kelly’s mug, which titled the segment “Fuel for Thought,” you might have seen where this was all going. For as outraged as the host purported to be about what was happening on the ground in Ukraine—and as mad as hell as he was that “this would not be happening if Donald Trump were still president”—he was admittedly more concerned about paying a premium at the pump. As he told viewers:

“Now, I may feel a tinge of guilt complaining about the situation in America, given what they’re going through over there, but—as much as my heart breaks—I am deeply concerned about the situation in this country. People paying ridiculous amounts for gas!

I filled up my car the other day: almost $90! Now, listen, alright, I’ve arrived at a certain point in my life where I can still live my life [and] grumble about the prices, but a lot of folks can’t. This hits them hard! It hits me a little bit, but…

Who do you write? Joe Biden? He lectured America today. You know what? In his heart, in his gut, he doesn’t care.”

Someone alert the Nobel Peace Prize committee—they’ve got a serious contender on Newsmax!

You can watch Kelly’s tone-deaf report over at Mediaite here.

(Via Mediaite)

The Empire Strikes Back is not only the best Star Wars movie, it’s also the darkest.

Luke Skywalker nearly freezes to death; Han Solo gets encased in carbonite after his friend betrays him; Darth Vader cuts his son’s hand off; and the bad guys win. Yay! To offset the downbeat tone, a new final shot was added months after filming had wrapped — and it became one of the most iconic moments in Star Wars history.

On Twitter, Mark Hamill was recently asked, “We could inquire to Mark, did you guys re-shoot the Medical Bay scene at the end of Empire after principal photography had already wrapped?” The Star Wars legend replied, “Filmed 4 months after we wrapped principal photography on #ESB, it wasn’t a ‘re-shoot,’ it was an added scene. Concerned about the downbeat ending & thorough defeat of the protagonists, they wanted to add an uplifting moment of hope & rejuvenation to reassure the audience.”

Thus, The Empire Strikes Back ends with Lando and Chewbacca on the Millennium Falcon to find Han and Luke, Leia, R2-D2, and C-3PO looking out at the stars, getting ready for their next move. It would, as we find out in Return of the Jedi, end up being a ridiculously convoluted plan that somehow works.

(Via IGN)

For many Americans, November 7, 2020, will forever live as a day of infamy. For it was on that day that Rudy Giuliani—the once-beloved mayor of New York City and one-time TIME Person of the Year, then acting in his capacity as personal attorney to President Donald Trump—took to the podium in the parking lot of a landscaping business in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and attempted to be taken seriously as he prattled on about missing ballots and stolen elections. While a slack-jawed group of onlookers didn’t know whether to look at Rudy, the nearby crematorium, or the dildo store he had set up shop next to.

It’s hard to forget the images of that day, as a sweaty, ranting Rudy unsuccessfully tried to maintain a sense of decorum while it was obvious to anyone watching that what we were seeing in the parking lot of Four Seasons Total Landscaping was the incompetence of the Trump Administration on full display. It’s a moment in time that then-attorney general Bill Barr will never forget.

As Insider reports, Barr talks about Trump’s unwillingness to accept that he lost the 2020 presidential election, the lengths to which he went in order to challenge the election results, and the all-around cringiness of that summer day in a landscaper’s parking lot his new book, the appropriately titled One Damn Thing After Another.

“[Trump’s] legal team had a difficult case to make, and they made it as badly and unprofessionally as I could have imagined,” according to Barr, who Insider notes specifically cited Rudy’s “bizarre” parking lot press conference, as well as the notorious presser that occurred just a couple weeks later, on November 19, “in which mascara appeared to drip from” from Rudy’s head.

“It was all a grotesque embarrassment,” Barr writes—a sentence that is definitely in contention for Understatement of the Century.

One Damn Thing After Another is available now.

(Via Insider)

During Tuesday’s episode of The Five, co-host Greg Gutfeld went on a rant about how no one is allowed to question the media narrative forming around Russia’s invasion of Ukraine that, he feels, is being moved in only one direction through images that are used to garner an “emotional response.” (For a little context, Fox News has been airing plenty of pro-Putin rhetoric since the invasion began and even conservative figures like Bill O’Reilly have called the network out.)

It’s that “galvanizing force” in the media to support Ukraine that Gutfeld apparently takes issues with after being asked by Geraldo Rivera why he feels so conflicted. Via Mediaite:

“There are crises like this that has happened for thousands of years and nobody knew. We just didn’t know, but now we see it. The bad part about is, there is this galvanizing kind of narrative that is there to create a reaction, and if somebody like me says, ‘Hold on a second,’ and you try to counter the drum beat, you’re seen as an inconsiderate, cold-hearted p*ssy. But if you amplify that story, why can’t you be called pro-war?

“If you want to push this stuff why can’t I call you pro-war? We’re stuck in the prison of two ideas right now, where its you either gotta be one way or you gotta be the other. It’s not as clear as that. It’s somewhere in the middle and just saying that you have to do something is not enough.”

When Rivera comments that he can’t help but be moved by the photos of a Ukrainian family killed by Russian forces, Gutfeld fired back, “Unfortunately, we forget a lot of things that happen here.” Nope, nothing cold-hearted there.

(Via Mediaite)