Year: 2022

The word “home” can mean many things. To Chicago native musician KAINA, it’s not just a place, it’s a feeling; It’s the smell of her mom’s Venezuelan cooking, it’s staying up way to late and talking sh*t with her friends, and it’s accepting love in all of its beautiful, various forms. But above all, home is a sense of community. These are just a few of the themes the KAINA explores throughout her smoldering sophomore album, It Was A Home.

After becoming a near-household name in Chicago, KAINA’s sophomore album flexes her refined sound. Leaning on her warm and far-reaching vocals, KAINA alternates between loungey, resonating ballads like “Anybody Can Be In Love” and playful bops like “Apple.” The album also includes some exciting features with the likes of Sleater-Kinney and Helado Negro, who she’ll be joining on tour in May. Just ahead of the release of It Was A Home, KAINA sat down with Uproxx to talk about the best concert of her life, Stevie Wonder‘s inspiration on her music, and her love of Mean Girls on the latest Indie Mixtape 20 Q&A.

What are four words you would use to describe your music?

Feelings! Vulnerability! Intentional! Caring!

It’s 2050 and the world hasn’t ended and people are still listening to your music. How would you like it to be remembered?

Hah! I’d hope it would be something that brings comfort to people!

What’s your favorite city in the world to perform?

Chicago — duh!

Who’s the person who has most inspired your work, and why?

Probably Stevie Wonder. He’s an incredible songwriter and producer. He makes music in all sorts of genres that he wants and that is something I definitely strive to do.

Where did you eat the best meal of your life?

My mom’s home. She’s Venezuelan — arepas, black beans, platanos! I guess to be fair I will say that one of the best meals of my life is always dim sum at Triple Crown in Chicago’s Chinatown!

What album do you know every word to?

Currently To Hell With It by PinkPantheress. I love her so much!

What was the best concert you’ve ever attended?

One of the best concerts of my life was Smino opening up for NAO. It was just an absolutely incredible pairing. Another was probably D’Angelo at a fest — life changing.

What is the best outfit for performing and why?

My go-to is a cozy flowy pants, a top that is sort of dramatic and playful, and a really fun makeup look! This is my favorite outfit because I love to have fun with how I dress but I also want to be super comfortable enough to move and dance around!

Who’s your favorite person to follow on Twitter and/or Instagram?

I love Shermann Dilla Thomas aka @6figga_dilla. They’re an incredible historian of Chicago. Their content is always so interesting and I learn so much!

What’s your most frequently played song in the van on tour?

It was “Slow Burn” by Kacey Musgraves at one point. We also love playing Charlie Wilson, we’re obsessed with tracks of his like “Forever Valentine.” We love fun songs we can sing and be silly to!

What’s the last thing you Googled?

“Euphoria leaks reddit” hahahah everyone is always talking about how the leaks are matching the season and I’m like, okay I need to be in the know, I wanna know!!! I have not been able to find them.

What album makes for the perfect gift?

Off The Wall by Michael Jackson, a classic with so many hits! Or any Chicago musician. If anyone is looking to get me a vinyl I might like Tapestry by Carole King… cough cough.

Where’s the weirdest place you’ve ever crashed while on tour?

Hmm… I think I’ve been lucky enough to swing some decent Airbnb’s for us but one time we stayed at this hotel that my drummer Ryan found bedbugs in and that was an obvious bummer and strange situation. They were kind of like, “Yeaaahh… we know… Feel free to leave us a bad review and obviously you won’t pay for any of it.”

What’s the story behind your first or favorite tattoo?

I was 18… I got a compass, to always remind me to go back to the things I love. I think the sentimentality is nice but I kind of forget I have it and I feel like it’s starting to look a little wonky hehe…

What artists keep you from flipping the channel on the radio?

SABA. Rina Sawayama. Leikeli47. Jean Deaux. Britney Spears.

What’s the nicest thing anyone has ever done for you?

Wiped the sweat stash over my mouth I get when it’s too hot – I felt very seen.

What’s one piece of advice you’d go back in time to give to your 18-year-old self?

Take your time and remember to rest!

What’s the last show you went to?

I watched Sen Morimoto play an ambient set at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Chicago!

What movie can you not resist watching when it’s on TV?

Mean Girls! Feels illegal to skip!

It Was A Home is out 3/4 via City Slang. Pre-order it here.

Shortly after Russia began its invasion of Ukraine last week, word got out that actor Sean Penn was already in the country filming a documentary. For the record, Penn had planned the documentary for months as it became clear that a crisis was brewing in the country, and that consensus was solidified as Vladimir Putin began his shocking invasion that has galvanized much of the world against Russia.

Amidst bold, continuing efforts by the Ukrainian people to ward off Russian soldiers, the country is now a warzone and unsafe for civilians. The actor recently tweeted an update that he and his crew were forced to walk to Poland while documenting the mass Ukrainian exodus:

“Myself & two colleagues walked miles to the Polish border after abandoning our car on the side of the road,” Penn tweeted. “Almost all the cars in this photo carry women & children only, most without any sign of luggage, and a car their only possession of value.”

Just two days earlier, Penn was still in country and condemned Putin for the invasion in a series of tweets as well as challenged Washington to protect Ukraine’s sovereignty:

“Already a brutal mistake of lives taken and hearts broken, and if he doesn’t relent, I believe Mr. Putin will have made a most horrible mistake for all of humankind,” Penn tweeted. “President Zelensky and the Ukrainian people have risen as historic symbols of courage and principle. Ukraine is the tip of the spear for the democratic embrace of dreams. If we allow it to fight alone, our soul as America is lost.”

While a Hollywood actor arriving in the middle of a humanitarian crisis is not always ideal, the Ukrainian government is thankful for Penn documenting the events on the ground:

“The director specially came to Kyiv to record all the events that are currently happening in Ukraine and to tell the world the truth about Russia’s invasion of our country,” Ukrainian government officials said in a statement. “Sean Penn is among those who support Ukraine in Ukraine today. Our country is grateful to him for such a show of courage and honesty.”

(Via Sean Penn on Twitter)

Somebody might want to check on Bill O’Reilly. The former Fox News host—who always promised “no spin,” but didn’t seem to feel as strongly “anti-” about sexual harassment—had a lot to say about the seemingly pro-Putin stance his old workplace seems to be encouraging. As Mediaite reports, O’Reilly tore into his former colleagues and claimed that Fox News is “a totally different operation now.”

O’Reilly’s words came via his own online show (yep, he’s got one of those—just like Mike Lindell), but only after some braggadocious history:

“Fox remains the number one rated cable news network, by far. And I believe it’s—part of it, most of it—is because we set the template for 20 years when we were there. Totally different operation now. Totally different. So one thing that hasn’t changed over there is Jennifer Griffin, who is a spectacular Pentagon reporter. And Jennifer got a little upset over the weekend.”

The incident O’Reilly was referring to happened on Sunday night when Griffin appeared on Sunday Night In America With Trey Gowdy. Griffin’s segment just happened to occur right after retired U.S. Army Colonel Douglas Macgregor, who served as Senior Advisor to the Acting Secretary of Defense under Donald Trump, told Gowdy and his bird-like pompadour that we should stop demonizing Putin and just let him do what he wants to Ukraine and its people.

Griffin wasn’t having any of that. Before she offered up any of her own talking points, she first made it clear that Macgregor was totally wrong, and that she might need her own show to correct what he had said because “there were so many distortions.”

In what feels like a shocking turn of events, O’Reilly didn’t just go to bat for Griffin and praise “how gutsy she is,” but he basically told his viewers that Fox News is crap and they should all stop watching it.

“It used to be that propagandists would be slapped down hard and now they’re not. Not just on Fox, but on every television news program… I’ve told you this time and time and time again, I turn on the TV set, it doesn’t matter whether it’s the network morning shows, the late-night comedians, the cable news across the board—two left, one right—propaganda is just spat out there and the people running the shows are just sitting there [nodding their heads in agreement].

“You can’t do that! That’s a disservice to the American people. You’ve got to know enough about the subject that you are involved with as an anchor or a host, that if somebody says something that’s propagandistic, you challenge. And that is what Jennifer Griffin was doing.”

O’Reilly—who has dished out almost as many bad takes as he has dollars to settle sexual harassment suits—then told his viewers that he would never have allowed for that kind of bulls**t to fly on The O’Reilly Factor. Ultimately, he resorted to rhetoric when he asked “Why are you guys wasting your time watching this stuff?,” then clarified that he’s just “looking out for” them.

You can watch O’Reilly’s segment over at Mediaite here.

(Via Mediaite)

In a move that was both predictable and sad, Lauren Boebert and Marjorie Taylor Greene decided to make spectacles of themselves by trying to start a “build the wall” chant during Joe Biden’s State Of The Union address. Boebert went much further, too. As Biden discussed burn pits and how, in the aftermath of exposure, soldiers died from cancer, the rootin’ tootin’ Republican screamed about “thirteen” soldiers, who were killed during the chaotic evacuation of Afghanistan that happened on Biden’s watch. Biden had mentioned his son in the context of soldiers killed by cancer, and Boebert had seized upon the moment with her own agenda.

Boos were heard on the floor when this all went down, but Boebert was not deterred. Nor did she seem to recall how she previously praised the Taliban for “building back better,” but rather, Boebert was riding high following her shenanigans and stubbornly defended her antics. It was a big night for her, too, since Ted Cruz had had called her “my friend” while tweeting a photo of Boebert’s “Drill Baby Drill” jacket.

“The left is pissed because I called out Biden’s botched withdrawal from Afghanistan.” Boebert tweeted after the address. “[T]hat left 13 of America’s finest in a flag-draped coffin. They are mad because a speech was ‘interrupted’. Ask the the families who lost their loved ones how interrupted their lives are now.”

Naturally, the people came for her, and they were armed with receipts, not only for the 60+ troops who died in Afghanistan on Trump’s watch but also how Boebert spoke out of turn. She chose to heckle Biden over a suicide bomber’s actions while he talked his veteran son’s death, and yeah, there’s a big “time and place for everything” vibe here.

Boebert won’t learn anything from this adventure, though. Trolls are gonna troll.

The Lakers lost again on Tuesday night after a comeback effort against the Mavs stalled out in the fourth quarter, with the L.A. offense seeing the wheels come off in the closing minutes of the game after taking a six-point lead midway through the period. The loss dropped the Lakers to 27-34, just two games up on the Pelicans and Blazers, who are tied for 10th and 11th in the West.

As it becomes increasingly clear that the play-in will be the Lakers only path to the postseason, and they will likely need two play-in wins to snag the 8-seed and earn another first round series with the Suns, optimism is at an all-time low in Los Angeles about this year. As such, it’s hard not to think about the future, which is increasingly murky regarding a number of key figures. Who is coaching the team and running the front office next season are legitimate questions, as Frank Vogel seems to be coaching on borrowed time and the executive level mistakes are mounting on Rob Pelinka’s side, building a case that, at minimum, they need to add someone else to assist in running the show at a front office level.

The biggest roster decision facing the Lakers is how to proceed with Russell Westbrook, who will pick up a $47 million player option this summer. The Westbrook trade has been an abject disaster from just about every angle, as it has simply not worked with the former MVP in Los Angeles. The problem is, things have been so bad that it is nearly impossible to deal him for anything of potential value, and finding a place for a $47 million salary dump is, well, difficult. Aside from re-engaging Houston on John Wall talks (which fell apart at the deadline over L.A.’s 2027 first rounder), a reunion in OKC is just about the only possible option for Westbrook barring someone like the Knicks finding themselves so desperate for a shakeup they talk themselves into Russ.

As Jake Fischer reported on Wednesday morning for Bleacher Report, there’s mutual interest in a breakup from both Westbrook and the Lakers this summer, and it’s possible L.A. is a bit more willing to budge on their first rounder in the offseason when they also have the 2029 pick at their disposal.

In any case, there is mutual interest in finding Westbrook a new home this summer, sources said.

The Lakers’ trade deadline discussions with the Houston Rockets for a potential Russell Westbrook-John Wall swap didn’t generate significant traction, sources said, as the Lakers were resistant to including their 2027 first-round pick in any deal to offload Westbrook’s salary. League observers have pointed to this offseason as a greater opportunity for the Lakers to shed Westbrook’s contract, when they will be eligible to move their 2029 first-round pick.

What is maybe more interesting is that Fischer floats the idea from an NBA team strategist that the Lakers could consider stretching Westbrook’s deal, which would leave about $16 million in dead money on their books but get them closer to the cap line and under the tax, creating some flexibility for smaller moves while not requiring them to trade future assets just to unload him.

Stretching Westbrook, according to the strategist, would drop the Lakers to merely $2.5 million above the salary cap, which would allow them to sign a rotation piece to the non-taxpayer mid-level, and another player to the bi-annual exception.

The stretch provision was instituted after the disastrous summer of 2016 saw teams throwing money around in hilarious fashion, and the Lakers have used it before to rid themselves of the Luol Deng contract. Stretching Westbrook comes with its own ramifications on your future flexibility, but it would save them firsts to possibly attach to Talen Horton-Tucker to bring in talent via a trade that they otherwise cannot get if they have to use picks just to get rid of Westbrook. None of it is an ideal situation and it’s going to be fascinating to see what option L.A. chooses this summer, but it certainly seems like Westbrook’s tenure with the Lakers will end after one season.

Musicians interact with their fans on different levels, and Charli XCX takes an especially hands-on approach. In fact, she regularly chats with a major Charli fan account on Twitter.

A new Rolling Stone UK feature notes the person who runs the Charli XCX Updates account, which has over 40,000 followers and keeps fans in the loop on everything that’s going on in the Charli universe, says Charli told them about the idea for her 2020 album How I’m Feeling Now before she made that information public. They also noted they and Charli have continued to keep in touch, saying, “The kind of advice she has for me has been both personal and professional. Every time I want to know her point of view on certain things, she has taken the time to respond to my messages.”

Charli also said of her fan base, “I really respect my fandom and I’m really grateful that I have them. I don’t think they’d be good Charli XCX fans unless they were a bit opinionated, so I’m happy that they have opinions and they’ve got some sort of spice and sass to them, I suppose.”

She also addressed the day she announced she was thinking about taking a break from social media, saying while “becoming tearful”:

“I’ve been feeling quite low throughout 2022, to be honest. I feel like my mental health has really taken a toll. I’ve never cared if you like my music or hate my music — don’t listen to it if you don’t like it — but I think at a time when I was already feeling quite low, that kind of rhetoric honestly just really hurt my feelings. There is this misconception that people in the public eye are able to take any sh*t that you throw at them and yes, we do have to learn how to handle negativity and criticism because it comes with the territory, but at the same time, everyone’s a f*cking human being. I guess on that day that I messaged that, I felt more human than ever.”

Read the full feature here. Rolling Stone UK also shared a behind-the-scenes video of the photo shoot, so check that out below.

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

Who heists the heistmen? A bunch of thieves in Paris, apparently.

The set of Lupin, Netflix’s mega-popular heist show, was victim to a real-life heist last month. “Part 3 of Lupin was shooting when approximately 20 people who had their faces covered broke onto the set after throwing mortar fireworks,” Variety reports. “An estimated €300,000 ($333,000) worth of equipment was stolen, per the report.” A representative for Netflix confirmed the life-imitating-art news, saying, “There was an incident on Feb. 25 while filming the upcoming season of Lupin.” No one was injured.

This was, incredibly, the second robbery of a Netflix show in February.

Thieves have stolen over $200,000 worth of props from the set of Netflix series The Crown while the production was shooting nearby. Over 350 items were taken during the heist, including a replica Fabergé egg, a grandfather clock clockface, a dressing table, crystal glassware, and silver and gold candelabras. South Yorkshire police are investigating the theft, which occurred when three vehicles were broken into in a lorry park in Mexborough in Yorkshire while a unit were shooting nearby.

Could the heists be related? Are the same group of thieves targeting only Netflix shows? This not only sounds like the plot of a future Netflix show, it could also explain why Stranger Things season four took so long to make. Someone — or someones — stole Will’s bowlcut. If only they took Anna Delvey’s accent, am I right?

(Via Variety)

On the heels of the release of her fifth studio album Laurel Hell, Mitski stopped by Jimmy Kimmel Live!, where she performed “Stay Soft.”

During her performance, she dons a draping white gown, and dances to the grooves of the bass guitars and drums. Mitski’s body is a vessel of emotion as her arms outstretch in line with the lyrics, “Open up your heart, like the gates of Hell.”

Her performance is perhaps as eerie as the song’s actual music video, in which she “gives blood to a greedy Venus flytrap, gets kidnapped, and dances under the moonlight with her captors. She eventually gets free, but at a price.”

Mitski is set to play a few festivals this year, including Day In Day Out and Primavera Sound Los Angeles. She will also appear on the Everything Everywhere All At Once soundtrack, set for release this April.

In a recent interview with Entertainment Weekly, Mitski explained that the album’s title is inspired by a Southern Appalachian term for “the thickets that grow so dense and twisty.”

“They’re supposed to be hells that you can’t get out of,” Mitski continued “…I like the notion of being trapped inside this maze and possibly dying within it, but also being surrounded by these beautiful, explosive flowers.”

Check out Mitski’s performance above.

50 Cent’s Power series — along with its assorted spinoffs — has long been one of the hottest things on TV, driven by his fervent fanbase and strong social media buzz. However, that hasn’t stopped 50, who executive produces the shows, as well as having a recurring role on the original Power, from running into frustrations with Starz, the network that carries the shows. Although he’s expressed his feelings about the network before, apparently things have reached a new head, leaving the rapper-turned-mogul ready to pack his bags after his 2017 deal expires according to his latest post on Instagram.

Posting a string of images of luggage, including a gif from Oran “Juice” Jone’s “The Rain” video, 50 once again threatened to take his talents elsewhere. “This is me packing my stuff, STARZ,” he taunted in the caption of the gif. “Sucks, my deal is up over here I’m out. They renewed High Town and [Power Book IV] FORCE is the highest-rated show they have it sitting in limbo. If I told you how much dumb sh*t I deal with over here.”

In the other photos, he jokingly kept the motif running, as a series of dialogue exchanges with partners and employees. “Anil, get your f*cking bags in the car now, we are out of here,” read one. “take that f*cking sign off the door no more G-unit film and television over here.” Another cracked, “Michael, what the f*ck are you takings so long for, let’s go! Why are you folding all of your clothing so perfect, we can just get new clothes when we get where we going.”

Whether this tactic results in Starz renewing Force for another season or allowing 50 to truly walk out the door, one this is certain: 50 Cent will find a way to make even contract negotiations seem entertaining.

From pioneers in the music industry like Erykah Badu, Lauryn Hill, and Jill Scott to modern-day icons like Solange, Janelle Monáe, and Ari Lennox, Black women often create music as both an ode to their Black womanhood and social commentary of injustices rooted in misogynoir. Since the music industry has had a history of not treating them kindly, Black women have created a niche, a safe space within their lyricism that provides listeners with the chance to connect with their Blackness. These albums offer a light at a seemingly dark end of a tunnel, whether that reflects an unappreciated love of your culture or a reminder of solidarity.

It’s important to remember that Black women are not a monolith and exist in a multidimensional space within the music industry to explore genres like pop, rock, alternative R&B, and more, without being pigeonholed into a stereotypical genre that has been identified with Black culture. Artists like Rico Nasty and Willow Smith provide young Black listeners with representation of an alternative style of music with their captivating stage presence. Aluna Francis, who is known for her former electronic music duo AlunaGeorge, is an advocate for more Black dance artists to be given equal opportunities as their white counterparts throughout EDM, and she recently created her own festival, Noir Fever, to oppose this whitewashed space. Black women like Orion Sun and Arlo Parks are delivering warm melodies intertwined between the realms of indie and neo-soul. As they all create music that strays from the traditional route of R&B or hip-hop, listeners are reminded that they are multifaceted beings that can combine their knack for storytelling with their all-too-relatable cultural identity.

While existing in a predominantly white or male genre, Black female artists can build a connection for their listeners through empowering or emotional anthems that affirm Black identity and image, such as Beyoncé’s era during Lemonade. The conversation surrounding “Formation” and the singer’s unapologetic vocalization of her culture felt like a familiar feeling that most Black women can relate to. Public displays of Blackness for Black women are complex and can be a result of observing the participation of well-known Black figures like Beyoncé. Along with the Houston singer, neo-soul musician Jamila Woods expresses her adoration for Black beauty and, essentially, a manifesto to Black womanhood in her work. While weaving in the names of notorious Black writers, artists, and poets like Eartha Kitt and Zora Neale Hurston, Woods flawlessly tackles emotion policing and commemorates Blackness in her 2019 album LEGACY! LEGACY! Intertwining her identity and lyricism wasn’t a new concept for the Chicago singer, since her 2017 album HEAVN attested as the answer to questions like, “What does it mean to be a Black woman?”

Often, Black women aren’t extended the grace to express or ponder their emotions of rage, anxiety, despair, and forgiveness. In a music industry that results in little to no consequences for misogynoir, labels like the “angry Black woman” are thrown at Black women who are deemed unruly and outspoken for simply voicing our concerns and frustrations. Following the release of her 2020 track “Song 33,” Chicago rapper Noname questioned the policing of a Black woman’s tone as she coined herself the “new vanguard.” As an artist who isn’t afraid to make a controversial statement, her advocacy for Black liberation and justice for incarcerated folks is intertwined in her music, which is vital to young Black listeners that are searching for an artist that is for the people. While combining Blackness with musical expression, artists provide listeners with a socially conscious space to connect with their identity via music. These spaces of Black liberation are often accompanied by a reclamation of sexual identity, which is an intimate experience found while listening to an album like Jazmine Sullivan’s Heaux Tales. The EP combines sexually charged anthems with honest conversations surrounding heartbreak, deceit,` and love in the form of interludes. With a fan base of predominantly Black women, this nuanced album could’ve been sealed and signed as a love letter to Black women who have ever felt shamed in conversations about sex and relationships.

Meanwhile, at the intersection of Black identity and queer culture, Janelle Monáe will continue to explore what queer Black womanhood can be. The ArchAndroid and Dirty Computer are separate yet similar bodies of work where Monáe freely expressed her sexuality, womanhood, and Blackness. “Make Me Feel” was labeled the epitome of a bisexual anthem as the sexually liberated singer danced with notable actress Tessa Thompson in the playful neon music video. While tackling stereotypes of being too manly and incessant mansplaining, Monáe speaks her mind while sitting on her throne in the “Django Jane” music video. Throughout her expansive career, Monáe has given young Black queer women representation of on-air sexual fluidity, validity, and, overall, fun.

While finding meaningful music that coincidentally is worthy of being added to a playlist, there’s an unexplainable feeling of joy that can be shared when an artist seems to be speaking to the listeners throughout an entire project. For example, Houston-born artist and creative Solange Knowles is frequently praised for her third studio album, A Seat At The Table, which embodied her ethereal self while opening conversations about healing from trauma, dealing with microaggressions and policing. As she expressed her feelings of anger and vulnerability in the Lil Wayne-assisted song, “Mad,” it’s undeniable that she wrote this song with the intention of speaking to Black women and the policing of our anger. Tracks like “Don’t Touch My Hair” and “F.U.B.U.” with lyrics like “This sh*t is for us / Don’t try to come for us,” it felt as if Solange reached into the conversations of Black women with an anthem to reassure us that these feelings of rage and frustration are normal. As she lamented about her tales of sexing, drinking and spending her pain away, Solange shared her methods of coping in “Cranes In The Sky.” These themes aren’t limited to A Seat At The Table, since she continues her ode to Blackness and her Texan roots in her consequent album, When I Get Home.

Although Black female artists can be viewed as palatable for white audiences, it feels as if the act of creating songs like Solange’s “F.U.B.U.” or Monáe’s “Django Jane” is intentionally delivering a love letter to Black women listening at home. The art of storytelling has successfully been mastered by Black female artists that can produce stories of liberation, intersectionality, and self-love. Embracing your Black identity can be as minor as feeling represented within the lyrics of a beloved song or resonating with an artist’s political stance to create an empowering anthem. Often, our adored artists are influenced by their fellow Black predecessors and funnel their messages of self-love and unapologetic Blackness to their listeners.

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