Month: January 2023

LeBron James is in his 20th NBA season, which means there are rookies coming into the league that were literally not alive when his career began.

One such rookie is Jabari Smith Jr. of the Houston Rockets, who got to face off with James and the Lakers on Monday night in TNT’s final game of the Martin Luther King Jr. day slate. Smith’s first interaction with LeBron on the court was informing him that James’ first ever NBA game was against Smith’s dad, who was a member of the 2003-04 Sacramento Kings that the Cleveland Cavaliers played in James’ professional debut.

LeBron wasn’t trying to hear that from Smith, who asked if it made him feel old. The answer was, yes, but if the intended consequence was getting LeBron rattled, that didn’t pan out as he put up 48 points on Smith’s Rockets in a seven-point Lakers win. After the game, Jared Greenberg asked him about the exchange the broadcast got on its mic’d up segment, and LeBron admitted it made him feel “old as crap.”

That’s what happens at 38 years old in a league full of guys in their early 20s, but with how many young guys that are coming in as sons of former NBA players, this isn’t the first or last time James will run into this scenario. Given LeBron’s stated goal is playing at least two more years in order to play with his son Bronny, he’s only going to feel older, but to this point that hasn’t slowed him down much.

Last night (January 16), R&B singer and songwriter Sudan Archives stopped by The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon to perform “Homesick (Gorgeous And Arrogant)” from her latest album, Natural Brown Prom Queen.

During her performance, Sudan was surrounded by an orchestra featuring a trumpeter, a guitarist, and a percussionist. The instrumentalists stood on raised platforms, as Sudan stood front and center, delivering silky vocals while playing the violin.

“You think I’m pretty / I think you’re gorgeous / I think you’re arrogant / You think I’m flawless / I think you’re mad at me / You think I am, too / Don’t worry, baby / I wanna be like you,” she sings on the song’s chorus.

In an interview with Teeth last year, Sudan revealed that her album, Natural Brown Prom Queen came to her while she was feeling homesick during the COVID-19 pandemic. Thankfully, she has several routines in practice that help her feel close to her home in Los Angeles, as well as her hometown of Cincinnati.

“I am always Facetiming my family,” she said. “I Facetime my cousin Taylor every day, because she is a makeup artist. I Facetime her and am like, ‘Alright, what’s the look for today?’ And she’ll help me figure out how to do these crazy looks that I try to do. I always try to bring some incense, something that smells similar to something that I would burn in my house. I really love smells.”

Check out the performance of “Homesick (Gorgeous & Arrogant)” above.

Frank Ocean fans have been waiting for an album announcement from the elusive singer for quite some time. The 35-year-old singer’s last full-length project, Blonde, was released nearly seven years ago, in 2016. Since then, his supporters have had to make do with sporadic singles and public appearances like his club night DJ set PrEP+. However, that may soon change, as Ocean is reportedly set to headline the Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival this spring, which could be accompanied by another album — or so fans hope.

Intriguingly, the closest thing we have to confirmation of a new album came with his last one — or at least, the vinyl record version of Blonde that was reissued in December. According to fan accounts receiving their orders over the weekend, a foldout poster included with the vinyl hints at Frank’s future album plans through the story of a “fictitious Recording Artist” — an obvious stand-in for Frank himself.

The gist of the story is that Frank — or the Recording Artist — had become disillusioned with the long-form release strategy and planned to pivot to solely releasing singles, a practice he believed better suited to modern listening habits. However, in the time since Blonde was released, and with COVID-19 derailing his DJ plans, “The Recording Artist has since changed his mind about the singles model, and is again interested in more durational bodies of work.”

Although he doesn’t reveal just what his album plans are, at least fans can take comfort in knowing that he does want to put one out.

Pop music appears to be back in full swing after the holiday lull… And considering the stacked lineup on this week’s Best New Pop roundup, we are not complaining one bit. From some subtle shade thrown about some exes on songs to emotionally reflective tracks, there truly is something worth checking out for every type of listener in the new year.

Here are the Best New Pop songs from this week.

Miley Cyrus — “Flowers”

On Miley Cyrus’ major new single, “Flowers,” she turns the tables on the Bruno Mars song “When I Was Your Man” to craft an ode to self-empowerment. As she notes in the chorus, “I can hold my own hand.” Adding fuel to the fire, it’s also rumored she timed the release to her ex’s birthday. We love a powerful petty moment.

Gracie Abrams — “Where Do We Go Now?”

Rising star Gracie Abrams teamed up with The National’s Aaron Dessner to create her upcoming album. While she released a few one-off songs last fall, “Where Do We Go Now?” is the official lead single from the record — and it’s a painfully pensive one about a failed relationship.

Ava Max — “One Of Us”

Max shows off her vocals right from the start of “One Of Us.” However, just when you think the song is going to be a bonafide ballad, the instrumental shifts to something completely different. As she is gearing up for her debut record, Diamonds & Dancefloors, Max has yet to have a single miss.

Shakira, Bizarrap — “Shakira: Bzrp Music Sessions, Vol. 53”

Keeping with the theme of some powerful petty pop icons, Shakira did not come to play in her new collab with the producer Bizarrap. “You left me with your mom as a neighbor / The press at my door, and a debt with the Treasury / You thought you’d hurt me, but you made me stronger,” she spills on the second verse — and that’s not even the sickest burn.

Sam Smith, Koffee, Jessie Reyez — “Gimme”

Sam Smith dropped their anticipated collaboration with Jessie Reyez and Koffee titled “Gimme,” the follow-up single since their massive hit with Kim Petras. Yet, this one takes on a different type of dancefloor tone, employing a funkier beat compared to an electronic pop instrumental. It’s still just as fun though and considering the early singles ahead of Smith’s album, Gloria, there’s a high chance it could see the same success as “Unholy.”

Måneskin feat. Tom Morello — “Gossip”

Another unique pairing on this list, Eurovision breakout stars Måneskin enlisted Tom Morello for a more rock-influenced song. “Don’t act like you don’t know,” the band’s lead singer muses over an addictive drum line. And hey, there’s even a groovy guitar solo from the Rage Against The Machine man himself.

Taeyang feat. Jimin — “Vibe”

“Vibe” is a very fun crossover between BIGBANG’s Taeyang and BTS’ Jimin that will have you singing the song for days to come. As Jimin puts it, “This will be the one and only anthem.” In addition, the instrumental perfectly complements the uplifting energy of the track — making the title feel all the more fitting.

Mimi Webb — “Red Flags”

The latest of rising pop star Mimi Webb’s singles, “Red Flags” reminisces about a walking warning of a relationship that she keeps returning to.

“I was very in love, I think sometimes you want what you can’t have,” she told Official Charts. “It can be really challenging and you have to have such a discipline to walk away. For me, I look back at our old conversations and, honestly, that person was really trying to get me to get break up with them.”

Indy — “Hometown”

Indy is a rising star whose sister is practically pop royalty… As it’s Lorde. (Get it, “Royals?”) And she inherited the same powerfully unique vocal tone. “Hometown” has some stunningly layered harmonies in the verses before the moody nighttime track explodes on the chorus.

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

Madonna has a lot to celebrate. So much so, that she’s taking four decades of her biggest hits across the globe on The Celebration Tour. The pop icon announced the new shows in a video that features Diplo, Judd Apatow, Jack Black, Lil Wayne, Bob The Drag Queen, Kate Berlant, Larry Owens, Meg Stalter, Eric Andre, and Amy Schumer.

“I am excited to explore as many songs as possible in hopes to give my fans the show they have been waiting for,” she shared in a statement.

The arena tour kicks off in North America this summer and will end in Europe. She is also offering pre-sales for Citi cardmembers and those who have joined her fan club.

Tickets go on sale starting January 20 and January 27 at 10 a.m. local time — depending on the tour date. A complete list of ticket info, including for presale and general dates, is available via Madonna’s official website.

Continue scrolling for a complete list of Madonna’s Celebration Tour dates.

07/15 – Vancouver, BC @ Rogers Arena
07/18 – Seattle, WA @ Climate Pledge Arena
07/22 – Phoenix, AZ @ Footprint Center
07/25 – Denver, CO @ Ball Arena
07/27 – Tulsa, OK @ BOK Center
07/30 – St. Paul, MN @ Xcel Energy Center
08/02 – Cleveland, OH @ Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse
08/05 – Detroit, MI @ Little Caesars Arena
08/07 – Pittsburgh, PA @ PPG Paints Arena
08/09 – Chicago, IL @ United Center
08/13 – Toronto, ON @ Scotiabank Arena
08/19 – Montreal, QC @ Centre Bell
08/23 – New York, NY @ Madison Square Garden
08/24 – New York, NY @ Madison Square Garden
08/30 – Boston, MA @ TD Garden
09/02 – Washington, DC @ Capital One Arena
09/05 – Atlanta, GA @ State Farm Arena
09/07 – Tampa, FL @ Amalie Arena
09/09 – Miami, FL @ Miami-Dade Arena
09/13 – Houston, TX @ Toyota Center
09/18 – Dallas, TX @ American Airlines Center
09/21 – Austin, TX @ Moody Center ATX
09/27 – Los Angeles, CA @ Crypto.com Arena
10/04 – San Francisco, CA @ Chase Center
10/07 – Las Vegas, NV @ T-Mobile Arena
10/14 – London, UK @ The O2
10/21 – Antwerp, BE @ Sportpaleis
10/25 – Copenhagen, DK @ Royal Arena
10/28 – Stockholm, SE @ Tele2
11/01 – Barcelona, ES @ Palau Sant Jordi
11/06 – Lisbon, PT @ Altice Arena
11/12 – Paris, FR @ Accor Arena
11/13 – Paris, FR @ Accor Arena
11/15 – Cologne, DE @ Lanxess Arena
11/23 – Milan, IT @ Mediolanum Forum
11/28 – Berlin, DE @ Mercedes-Benz Arena
12/01 – Amsterdam, NL @ Ziggo Dome

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

This week, HBO dropped the first episode of the highly anticipated video game adaptation, The Last of Us, and introduced millions of viewers to a world overtaken by a jarringly realistic “zombie” outbreak. Thanks to a clever opening scene in the HBO series, The Last of Us teed up the start of the outbreak right from the jump: fungi. More specifically, Ophiocordyceps unilateralis, the real-life zombie fungus that served as an inspiration for the “Cordyceps brain infection” in the video game.

During an interview with Mashable, The Last of Us game creator Neil Druckmann revealed that the outbreak in the game was based on the now-infamous 2006 Planet Earth clip that showed an ant being taken over by the Cordyceps fungi, which you can watch below:

In the show, the Cordyceps outbreak is facilitated by climate change, which forced the fungi to evolve to survive in warmer temperatures thus allowing it to infect the human body with horrifying results. However, it’s not that simple in real life. Fungal infections are prevented by more than just body temperature even though that’s been a significant barrier. In short, the human immune system has a robust arsenal at its disposal.

As for the climate change angle, CNET reports that fungi are actually dying off faster because of climate change and not evolving to withstand higher temperatures as The Last of Us theorizes:

Another species known as Ophiocordyceps sinensis, found on the Tibetan plateau, provides a potential counter. The species has long been used in Chinese medicine and some of the compounds it creates have been studied for their anti-cancer properties. However, in 2018, mycologists showed climate change — in addition to overharvesting — was leading to a decline in the species. The Himalayas are particularly vulnerable as the world warms and, at least for this species, adaptation and evolution isn’t keeping pace. Perhaps we’re warming the world too quickly for fungi to adapt.

The Last of Us drops new episodes on HBO and HBO Max on Sundays.

(Via CNET)

The start of the year means the start of music festival lineup reveals. We’ve gotten some already and now one of New York City’s premiere events, Governors Ball, has unveiled its 2023 slate of performers.

The three-day festival is set to go down from June 9 to 11 and Lizzo is headlining Friday the 9th, Odesza is leading Saturday the 10th, and Kendrick Lamar will close things out on Sunday the 11th. Also sprinkled throughout the poster are Lil Nas X, Lil Baby, Lil Uzi Vert, Haim, Diplo, Giveon, Rina Sawayama, Sofi Tukker, Aespa, Omar Apollo, Kim Petras, Joey Badass, 070 Shake, Saba, PJ Morton, Maxo Kream, Lauv, Oliver Tree, Finneas, Kenny Beats, Koffee, Snail Mail, Pusha T, Girl In Red, Central Cee, Tems, PinkPantheress, Black MIDI, and others.

Since it launched in 2011, Governors Ball has been held in a few different locations, most frequently at New York’s Randall’s Island Park. The past two years, though, it went down at Citi Field. In 2023, the event is moving yet again, this time to Flushing Meadows Corona Park in Queens.

Tom Russell, Co-Founder and Partner at Gov Ball organizer Founders Entertainment, said in a statement, “Words can’t express how excited we are to bring Gov Ball to Flushing Meadows Corona Park, one of the most special and storied parks in all of New York City. Since moving to Queens in 2021 we’ve been overwhelmed by the welcome the community has shown us, and we look forward to continue being a part of and giving back to that community for years to come. We are honored to call such an iconic venue our new home, and we thank Mayor Adams and his administration and Queensborough President Donovan Richards for their trust and support.”

Learn more about the festival and tickets on the event website.

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

Romy, The xx’s vocalist and guitarist, recently opened up about the status of her forthcoming debut album as a solo artist, after releasing her first single, “Lifetime,” in September 2020.

During a new appearance on BBC Radio 1’s Live Lounge, Romy performed covers of Stormzy’s “Firebabe” and Harry Styles’ “As It Was.” She also offered her fans some hope that the record is finally closer to being on the horizon.

“It is actually, and I can say this now, very close to being finished,” she said. “And it took a bit longer than I thought, and thank you for being patient.” The singer also revealed that she was “glad we took our time” on crafting it.

However, it might not come out this year, despite the fact that that’s Romy’s current goal.

“I mean, yeah, I really hope so,” she added in the interview. “That’s not in my control, but I’m really excited and it’s been really fun working with the people I’ve worked with on it. And I’m excited for people to hear it.”

As for the future of The xx, she spent time with her fellow bandmates over the holiday break to start writing some new music. The group’s last album was 2017’s I See You, save for a deluxe reissue of Coexist last year.

“There’s so much love there. It’s been really fun to do some new stuff and learn and have a new experiences like this,” Romy concluded.

Jeremy Renner is lucky to be alive following his snowplow accident, according to those close to him. The two-time Oscar nominee was hospitalized after a “traumatic injury” involving a snow plow on January 1st that left him with “blunt chest trauma and orthopedic injuries.” Renner was deemed in “critical but stable condition” when he was admitted to the ICU, but he’s healed enough to be sent home, as he revealed on Twitter.

A full recovery may take years, however.

Radar Online reports that Renner’s condition is “much worse than anyone knows.” A source told the outlet, “Jeremy is very aware of the fact that he almost died out there. The right side of Jeremy’s chest was crushed, and his upper torso had collapsed. He also had a bad head wound that was bleeding and a leg injury.”

In fact, he nearly bled out as he waited for help — he had to be airlifted because of the heavy snow — to arrive. “Jeremy was in a lot of pain, and was having difficulty breathing,” the source added. An insider said Renner was conscious enough to realize his dire situation. “He knew he was in bad shape and that he might not make it out of this.”

It may take two years for Renner to get back to “fighting shape,” which is a pretty incredible turnaround considering he was literally crushed by a snowplow. If that happened to me, the only fighting I would be doing is my fighting with roommate at the hospital over which courtroom show to watch on the world’s smallest TV.

(Via Radar Online)

With the first episode of The Last of Us winning over critics and delivering solid ratings, the show is shaping up to be a certified hit for HBO. While it’s not surprising that the network has delivered yet another pop culture juggernaut, it is surprising that a video game adaptation is actually, well, good. That very, very rarely happens. However, if knowing The Last of Us is a video game is holding you back from checking out the series, don’t let it. You do not have to play the game, or know a single thing about it, to dive right into the show.

More than any other video game out there, The Last of Us racked up awards for its rich, dramatic storytelling that unfolded like a prestige drama as you advanced through the infected world. The HBO series is tightly following that same narrative thanks to the involvement of the game creator Neil Druckmann. After watching the premiere episode, we can confirm that the show is emulating the experience of playing the games, and even elevating some of its more dramatic moments, but without the need to press any buttons.

In short, The Last of Us series is taking great pains to be accessible to everyone by unveiling the story exactly like it did in the game. This isn’t like a Marvel movie where you need to know backstories or increasingly convoluted lore. In fact, if you haven’t played the game, you’re at an advantage because you get to watch this gripping tale unfold without already knowing what’s going to happen.

The Last of Us drops new episodes on HBO and HBO Max on Sundays.