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Kyrsten Sinema Is Pushing Back On George Santos’ Claims That She Told Him To ‘Hang In There, Buddy’

Welcome to another lesson in “stop interviewing George Santos, he’s just going to lie to you.” During a Thursday night appearance on Newsmax, the embattled congressman fielded questions about his tense exchange with Mitt Romney at the State of the Union address. Romney reportedly called Santos an “ass” and told him he should be “embarrassed” for himself, prompting a back and forth between the two. While no one can be seen coming to Santos’ aid, he told Newsmax that Arizona senator Kyrsten Sinema briefly comforted him after the tense exchange.

According to Santos, Sinema told him to “hang in there, buddy” and was “very polite, very kindhearted.” He also accused Romney of having “prejudice towards minorities.”

“She’s a good person, unlike Mr. Romney, who thinks he’s above it all,” Santos said. “And his whole mighty white horse trying to talk to us down on morality.”

Of course, this is George Santos we’re talking about, so you’ll never guess what happened when NBC News reached out to Sinema’s office to confirm his story:

But that never happened, Sinema’s spokesperson Hannah Hurley, told NBC News, calling Santos’ comment “a lie.” The two lawmakers never spoke, Hurley said, and Sinema was not aware of the exchange between Santos and Romney until the GOP senator filled her in afterward.

To the surprise of no one, Santos office declined to comment further and being caught in yet another lie is the last thing the congressman needs right now. Earlier in the week, House speaker Kevin McCarthy confirmed that Santos is facing an investigation from the House Ethics Committee, and CNN reports that Republicans have signaled that Santos could face “expulsion from Congress” depending on the results.

(Via NBC News)

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Our 10 Favorite Super Bowl LVII Prop Bets

With the widespread legalization of sports betting and the race to add new users on a daily and weekly basis, sportsbooks are much more invested in the prop market than ever before. That includes full slates of prop offerings every night in the basketball and baseball worlds, with expanded slates for primetime NFL and college football action. Still, nothing brings attention to prop bets like the Super Bowl, and this year’s showdown between the Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles is a heavyweight battle by any description.

In addition to our usual “winners” column (and with some crossover), it’s time to roll out ten favorite prop bets for the big game. Keep in mind that it is always the right choice to shop across different books in search of the best line and, even on the night of the Super Bowl, it’s okay to pass on a less than desirable number.

Chiefs and Eagles combine for UNDER 5.5 sacks — DraftKings

There is a lot of buzz about both pass rushes, and with good reason. Philadelphia has a historic mark with more than 70 sacks this season, and Kansas City was a top-three team in sacks. As such, this number is inflated. Then, Patrick Mahomes is (very) adept at avoiding sacks, and Hurts can get us home on the other side behind two quality offensive lines.

Dallas Goedert longest reception OVER 18.5 yards — FanDuel

From a trend standpoint, Goedert beat this more than half the time in the regular season, and I’m a fan of his YAC ability. Kansas City doesn’t always have best tackling room and, crucially, this is the best number I’ve seen in the market as of Thursday evening.

Kadarius Toney Over 25.5 receiving yards — PointsBet

This is a talent bet more than anything. Toney was an early exit from the AFC title game with injury, but without Mecole Hardman to stretch things out with speed, Toney is important here. One catch could do it, and this is the best number available in the market.

Patrick Mahomes Under 10.5 yards on his longest rush — FanDuel

Oddly enough, I also like Mahomes over 4.5 rushing attempts. There will be times where he’s given running lanes, and because it’s the Super Bowl, he will take them on occasion. However, he’s also still dealing with his ankle injury and he will be getting down as soon as he can on scrambles. We’ll just hope the Eagles don’t part the seas completely and give him an 11-yard window where no one’s going to hit him.

Isiah Pacheco Over 15.5 receiving yards — DraftKings

The Chiefs are going to have to pass the ball, but they don’t have a lot of great receiving depth. Picking who, beyond Travis Kelce, is going to have a big game for the Chiefs has been a very difficult task this year because Mahomes spends so much time spreading the ball around, but Pacheco’s become their best receiving threat out of the backfield and I’d expect him to get a few targets to try and pick this up.

Kenneth Gainwell Over 19.5 rushing yards — DraftKings

Gainwell had a massive game last week and I’m not afraid to go back to the well. He’s still not at the top of the list of guys you’re trying to take away defensively if you are the Chiefs, and we know the Eagles are going to want to establish some form of rushing attack. He’s great bouncing it outside and that means he’ll always be one missed assignment on the edge from picking up most of this total on one carry.

Jake Elliott Under 7.5 points — FanDuel

The Eagles don’t like kicking field goals. If they have a fourth and short in plus territory they usually go for it (and for good reason with Hurts as an elite rushing threat at QB), which takes away Elliott’s opportunities to tack on three. You’re obviously fading a shootout with this bet, but it’s also not out of character for an occasional two-point try from the Eagles to help you out.

Over 41.5 combined first downs — FanDuel

These are two very good offenses, but what the defenses on both sides are going to be most concerned with is avoiding giving up big plays. As such, I see there being plenty of first downs and both teams being forced to move it down the field methodically rather than in massive chunks, which bodes well for the over on first downs.

Patrick Mahomes Alternate Over 350 passing yards — FanDuel

This is +310 at FanDuel and given how good Philadelphia’s defensive front is, there’s a decent chance the Chiefs spend much of this game throwing the ball just out of necessity. Mahomes is capable of outrageous production, even with a wide receiving corps that’s less than ideal, and the nice thing about this bet is, it could come through in a win or a loss. The one thing you’re fading here is a Chiefs blowout, but any other outcome could see Mahomes really putting the ball up.

Kenneth Gainwell Receptions (-0.5) vs. Manchester United Goals vs. Leeds (12/2) — DraftKings

We can’t do a Super Bowl props column without having a disgusting cross-sport prop on the board. I’m high on Gainwell props in general, as he’s been an increasingly large part of the gameplan for Philly. I also like this as value from a handicapping perspective, as you’re starting with the assumption basically sets the number at 2.5 receptions, given Man U hasn’t scored 3 goals in a Premier League game in a month and just had a 2-2 draw with Leeds earlier this week. It’s possible we get an even better number (or worse, of course) and so I’ll take my chances with Kenneth hopefully being involved in the passing game once again.

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‘Squid Game: The Challenge’ Reality Series Underwent Safety Reviews After Multiple Reports Of Injuries

Last year, it was reported that Netflix would give fans a chance to compete in a new reality series, which is a pretty normal thing for the streamer to do. But the show would be based on Squid Game, the hit series that is about literally fighting to the death in a competition series, and some red flags were raised.

Squid Game: The Challenge wrapped production last week, with one winner walking away (allegedly unharmed) with $4.56 million, which is the largest prize in reality show history. Ken Jennings should really be offering more.

But Deadline reports that the show underwent review after a number of complaints and injuries were reported. The production was visited by Britain’s Health and Safety Executive (HSE), though they didn’t find any violations. “We contacted the programme producers after receiving concerns about their recent filming,” HSE’s statement to Deadline read. “We reviewed the responses from the producers and decided to take no further action. We did stress to them the importance of planning properly for any risks in future filming.”

After a report in Rolling Stone, many players claimed there were “inhumane conditions” and players were treated “like horses.” A rep for Squid Game: The Challenge said that the production was maintaining proper safety precautions, despite the various complaints. “Netflix, Studio Lambert, and The Garden have done everything required by the health and safety legislation and the HSE have said they have assessed and closed the matter.”

Meanwhile, other crew workers said that there was nothing out of the ordinary while filming. One source said: “Red Light, Green Light’ was unbearably cold, but there was no coercion to freeze in place. The contestants also did practice runs and stretches,” the source said. “With the type of people being cast, there are always going to be those who are likely to find issues with things, particularly if you fly a very long distance and you’re out in the first round.”

(Via Deadline)

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Taylor Sheridan’s Sprawling Paramount Universe Sees Another Shakeup With The ‘Tulsa King’ Showrunner Departing Season 2

Former Sons Of Anarchy cop Taylor Sheridan’s vast assembly of Paramount shows includes not only Yellowstone and multiple prequels but also the likes of Tulsa King and other impending unrelated projects, including Lioness (starring Zoe Saldana and Nicole Kidman) and Land Man (starring Billy Bob Thornton). With all of these balls in the air, one can expect the occasional hiccup, and the granddaddy of them all, Yellowstone, saw reports of a significant shakeup this week. If those reports are true, the juggernaut series might be ending with the departure of Kevin Costner.

Part of that report indicated that — keeping in lockstep with A-listers clamoring to enter Sheridan’s universe — Matthew McConaughey could be onboard to lead a Yellowstone offshoot. Now, Tulsa King is seeing a significant shakeup ahead of Season 2. Showrunner Terence Winter (of Boardwalk Empire fame) has exited the building due to what Deadline’s Nellie Andreeva reports are “creative differences.” The outlet adds that he has other irons in the fire, too, including more Scorsese and a passion project about the Mets. From Deadline:

Terence Winter is stepping down from the post while remaining an executive producer on the series from Yellowstone‘s Taylor Sheridan and focusing on other projects, including a top-secret streaming series with frequent collaborator Martin Scorsese and a limited series about New York Mets’ historic 1986 run, which has been a passion of his for a while, I hear. Search is under way for a new Tulsa King showrunner.

Previously, Winter mentioned to Deadline that he and Sheridan held different visions of Tulsa King with Sheridan envisioning Dwight as a non-convict who ended up running Kansas City as a reward for a lifelong job well done. Winter’s version is what materialized onscreen, so we saw Dwight exit prison after 25 years expecting a reward, only to be shipped off to the Center of the Universe.

What this means for Tulsa King, obviously, no one knows. Stallone has gone on record to say the show is the most difficult job that he’s ever pulled off in a stories career, and presumably, that includes his upcoming reality series with the Stallone fam.

(Via Deadline)

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Anthony Davis Explains Why He Sat On The Bench While LeBron Broke The Scoring Record

LeBron James broke Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s all-time scoring record at Crypto.com Arena earlier this week. Everyone in attendance was in a celebratory mood all night during the game against the Oklahoma City Thunder, and when James’ record-setting jumper went in during the game’s third quarter, the roof came off the building and everyone affiliated with the Los Angeles Lakers made it a point to show their appreciation for the eventual Hall of Fame inductee.

The one exception to this was Anthony Davis. In a video that went around after the game, Davis was seen sitting on the bench while everyone else was standing and applauding his teammate’s accomplishment.

Because this is the Lakers we’re talking about here, there were a ton of questions about what was going through Davis’ mind here. He was asked about this in the aftermath of the team’s 115-106 loss to the Milwaukee Bucks on Thursday night, and after making clear he really did not want to talk about this, he explained that his frustrations stemmed from how things were going for the Lakers against the Thunder.

“Y’all know me and Bron’s relationship,” Davis said. “It’s nothing. Upset about the game. I mean, we’re losing to [the] Oklahoma City Thunder, a game we needed, and I was pissed off that we were losing. It’s that simple, it’s nothing that had to do with Bron. He knows that, everybody else outside looking in, that’s their opinion, but I was pissed off that we were losing the game.”

The basket that set the record cut Oklahoma City’s lead at the time to five points late in the third quarter, so there was more than enough time for the Lakers to mount a comeback. That, however, ended up not happening, as L.A. went on to lose, 133-130.

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You Won’t Believe How Much 50 Cent Gets Paid To Perform Live

50 Cent got very candid in a recent interview about how much he gets paid for live performances, revealing that it’s no small fee. The Queens-bred mogul recently graced the cover of Billboard, where he trekked through his journey from rap star to entrepreneur, as well as his entry into film and television. Prior to his Get Rich, Or Die Tryin’ days, the rapper revealed his price tag is stark in comparison to the huge fee he gets paid these days.

50 revealed that when he was booked by Master P for a handful of performances, he was paid less than $100k, now he gets ten times more than that.

“I think he gave me like $80,000, and now I’m getting like $900,000, $ 1 million,” the 47-year-old rapper told Billboard.

He continued, “The coolest thing we create in America is celebrities. If you see LeBron [James’] fan base internationally, you’ll argue, ‘Why is he staying here?’ He’s that big internationally. For the most part, I can’t speak for everybody, but the international side of the game is different.”

The rapper-turned-actor said, “I get the attention I want from music when I want it” and that he has found solace working on his film and TV projects. Despite his career highs, the Power creator noted that he’s not completely stepping away from music and that he wants to offer something new to fans.

“I just went out and toured 45 countries, and everywhere was sold out. That made me want to offer new music that I could integrate into everything now. I’ve done what I wanted to do in the [sales] capacity,” he said.

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Marc Maron On Laughing Through Grief In His New HBO Comedy Special

There’s a moment that I keep coming back to from this interview with Marc Maron where he’s talking about a joke in his new HBO special (From Bleak To Dark, which premieres tonight at 10PM) and how it moves from being devastating to something that “rides a line” between that and humor. The story is about Maron, the death of his partner (filmmaker Lynn Shelton), a hummingbird, and dipping into mystical thinking when held by grief.

“Over time, they became stories that I learned how to tell,” he says, speaking to the repetition and honing that helps to keep him from “succumbing to the sadness” of these stories. “I don’t know that it became routine, but they are routines, right? By nature. And that’s not necessarily a bad thing.”

Maron is, as ever, open, having unleashed raw and powerful streams of emotion on episodes of his WTF podcast in the days following Shelton’s death before developing and working out material that gets quite personal. But as he says in our conversation, “I do save a little bit for myself, but not a ton.”

This special is as sharp, funny, and devastating as you can imagine if you’re familiar with Maron’s previous work and a regular WTF listener, but it’s not a therapy session or a TED Talk on dealing (something he jokes about in the special). The point isn’t his catharsis, it’s in making you laugh by examining scary things — the loss of a loved one, a parent with dementia, aging, anti-semitism — through his unique perspective and lived experiences. And if he feels a little better having worked through some shit while working on some shit, great.

We spoke with Maron about the feel-good nature of dark comedy, grieving on the air, establishing boundaries, stressing out about other people’s kids, and talking about a thing as universal and universally avoided as grief.

The deepest laughs for me were some of those jokes that you just couldn’t believe. Like the angel factory. What is it about dark comedy that most appeals to you?

I don’t know. I don’t know that I always saw everything that I was doing as dark, because that’s just the way I think, so it’s not some sort of intentional method. This is just how my brain works. And I mean, I think there’s some lighthearted stuff in there, I guess. But I believe the way I talk about certain topics… and taking on certain topics by their nature makes it a little dark. But I don’t sit down to do dark comedy.

No, of course. But is that sort of your way through to deal with loss?

Sure. I think that comedy has always served that purpose for me, and that’s why I was attracted to it when I was a kid, and that’s why I like watching comedy. It does give you a way to see things through the lens of humor. It can disarm the most tragic events. It can take away a bit of fear around things that seem terrifying. I mean, it has the power to really sort of move you through darkness and pain and fear in a way so you can kind of handle it. So that power that comedy has, it was always helpful to me when I was a kid and it just became the way I think. So yeah, it does help me process things.

I was listening to some of the episodes of WTF from around the time when Lynn Shelton died. At one point, you said something to the effect of, “God damn, am I ever going to be funny again?” I’m curious when you felt like that was happening for yourself.

It’s hard to know. But there was a period there, a few months after Lynn passed away, where I was doing those Instagram Lives fairly regularly just in order to keep in touch with some sense of an audience. And I think that the engagement with people, and the engagement with my life around the house, and my cats and my music, and just being in that mindset of improvising, and driving around in the car people watching, (that’s when) it started to kind of happen. I think it started to happen when I began to interact with large groups of anonymous people that were in sort of the same situation that I was in, which everybody was. It was kind of terrifying, the pandemic. And just finding moments in life (was) when I was able to get into that gear again.

In terms of developing comedy around it, I think that also happened during the Lives, and it started to happen on the podcast a bit, but it was challenging to start to make that stuff work on stage. It took a while, but I think it’s a little dramatic to say, “will I ever be funny again” because there are two things working there

I mean, it was probably within a week of when everything had happened.

Well, yeah. But also we weren’t doing comedy, so it was a weird question [for him to ask himself] in light of the fact that there was no more standup. And I wasn’t going to do those outdoor shows, I wasn’t going to do drive-in shows, I wasn’t going to do Zoom shows. It’s not my bag. So it was a layered question, was I ever going to be funny because of the sadness and the heartbreak, but also just the fact that I didn’t know if anyone was going to do standup anymore.

Obviously, you’ve long allowed yourself to go to a vulnerable place. You open up your life to your audience. Is there an impulse, especially with this, but with anything really, to bottle stuff up and not be as forthcoming?

Well, I do save a little bit for myself, but not a ton. Through the different mediums, through Instagram and everything else, people have a lot of access to us, and it’s a very one-sided relationship. So it really becomes about not so much me stuffing stuff down or closing up, just being careful in terms of my boundaries around people who think they know me, who think we’re friends, or who think, you know what I mean? I still have a lot of life that isn’t lived publicly. So within that, I can have some boundaries. As a performer, I’ve definitely put myself out there within the full spectrum of emotions and (been) as vulnerable as I’m going to get, but I think in life, yeah, I’m a little more protective of my emotions. I think for me, somehow, there’s less risk in just talking either on the podcast or in comedy about my emotions and vulnerabilities as opposed to with people I see every day or every other day. You’ve got to be careful with those people.

You have more control in these situations than in a conversation with someone you know.

Right. It’s one-sided.

You talk about it in the special, about grief and how it’s such a part of human nature. But with the pandemic, people are trying to move away from, I think, feeling that general sense of grief. Death is not something people are talking about as much.

It’s interesting. It seems to be pervasive in culture, the idea of grief. I tried to develop a show with FX around it, and there’s a show now with Jason Segel (Shrinking) and Amy Schumer did a grief show (Life And Beth). I mean, the Carell show about the therapist (The Patient). There’s definitely something in the culture that’s reflecting it, but there isn’t a conversation about it. And I do think it’s odd that after going through three years of terror around a disease that people really want to get past it.

A good example is, Republicans will still talk about Hillary Clinton, and it’s like, all of us just went through the most disturbing, aggravating, terrifying time of our lives on the entire planet for years. And people just wanted to get it behind us. And I do too, to a certain degree, but it’s kind of weird. People will talk about shit from five years ago, four years ago, ten years ago, references, but they really just want to compartmentalize this horrendous three-year period. It’s a weird thing, but I think that speaks to survival, but it also speaks to our inability to integrate that stuff. But what do I know? Maybe a lot of people are integrating their PTSD and their grief around that. I don’t know. I don’t know if it’s a fault or if it’s a survival instinct, to be honest with you.

Yeah, I don’t either. I think you just hit a level. I know when going through it, I just didn’t want to think about the worst-case scenario of it. And now I feel like all I can think about is the worst-case scenario of it. So it’s like you said, it’s PTSD.

I think that I just found that there are people out there that, I think it’s most of our nature, just like how we deal with the elderly, that there’s a lot of things people just don’t want to deal with or see, because it implies something about them. That no one’s going to get out of it alive and in how everything’s sort of a luck of the draw in a lot of ways. You can only be as safe as you can be. And all that stuff’s very frightening, so it’s instinctual to almost just repress all that stuff or compartmentalize it to a point where it isn’t dealt with. But the assumption is then it comes out in other ways, which I think is true.

You can’t really, you can’t dodge grief. It’s always kind of there. And I’m new to it within the last few years, and certainly people have lost people who have had much longer relationships, or different types of relationships, but once it’s in you, it’s in you. So you can get a handle on it, but it can sneak up on you depending on the moment or the conversation, and it’s pretty fresh under there usually, the sadness, and you just kind of let it happen when it happens.

You mentioned the old age stuff, the stuff with your father and dementia (in the special), grief, things that aren’t necessarily being talked about by people. Is that part of the motivation for you to bring these things into the special or to talk about these things in general?

Yeah, I mean, because this is really what life is, right? I mean, you can have your opinions about whatever, but ultimately if you’re lucky, you get old and die. If you’re not lucky, it happens before that. I don’t know if I’m obsessed with it, but I’m entering a stage of my life that is on the precipice. I’m 59, so there’s a point where everyone’s like, “nah.” It’s like, no, I’m not old, but I’m up there. It’s just crazy. It’s hard to even think about.

It’s just finding that balance though, between thinking about it too much and not thinking about it enough.

Well, I really think that because I don’t have kids, like I said in the special, it isn’t as in my face. I really think that seeing your kids grow has got to be, as exciting as that may be, it does indicate waning on some level.

My wife and I are talking about whether we want to, and my age and everything is starting to really hit me in the face with that conversation. So yeah, the idea of having a kid, I think it would just be a nonstop reminder.

I was talking to a guy yesterday and it was like, because he brought that up, he said he didn’t have kids either, and it was interesting to hear it talked about. I said, “Look, man, it’s like,” I just said, “I’m too selfish and I’m really too neurotic. And those things require time. You have to make time for both of those things, and that’s going to cut into the kid time.”

Did you make a conscious decision? You just were never interested in it? Or was that something that just became clear over time?

I think, it seems that people that want to have them know they want to have them. I just was never one of those people. It’s never been like I want to have them. So I don’t know what that means. I don’t have a problem with them, but I just never really feel it.

I’d say I’m somebody who’s 60/40 on it, and that’s really a hellish place to be. I wish I could just be as clear as “I definitely want them” or “I definitely don’t,” because the half on half off is rough. You can’t return them.

Some people just, it is part of life to a good many people. It’s why they’re here, in some ways, to them.

Yeah. I trend towards the selfish, like you’re saying though, so I definitely have that pop up a lot of the time where it’s just like, “yeah, but I want to travel, or I want to do this, or I want to do that.”

It’s weird. I don’t even think about traveling or any of that. I just think about not worrying. I’ve got enough on my mind. It’s not a freedom thing with me. It was just always about anxiety, to be honest with you.

Oh, it’s insane. I have a niece who, when we watched her when she was younger, four years old, almost running out into the street, falling off playground equipment, it’s just an exhausting non-stop thrill ride.

Yeah. I don’t even know how you let them go to school. So it seems like most of the people I know that have kids deal with this stuff and it just becomes, you adjust. But I have enough anxiety in my life. I’m anxious about kids I don’t have. So I don’t know.

‘From Bleak To Dark’ premieres on February 11 at 10PM on HBO.

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Indiecast Talks Beyonce vs. Harry Styles, Steve Albini, and Yo La Tengo

It’s early February, which means that the annual post-Grammys furor arrived on schedule this week. At issue was Harry Styles beating out Beyonce for Album Of The Year, a turn of events that might end up being the worst thing to ever happen to Styles. Has the hunky British pop star just been Timberlake-ized? What does it mean to be Timberlake-ized anyway? Let’s hash it out.

Here’s something we did not expect this week: Steve Albini talking about how much he hates Steely Dan! But that’s exactly what the irascible indie legend did on Twitter, which sparked a lot of conversation both for and against the ’70s jazz-rock institution. While it’s not surprising that the man who is synonymous with abrasive and inaccessible rock music would not enjoy the tunes of Donald Fagen and Walter Becker, it was funny to see a 60-year-old poker player from the Midwest earnestly start a sentence with “I’m the kind of punk who …”

Finally, we talked about a band that we can all agree is great: Yo La Tengo. The trio is back with another album this week, This Stupid World, and it’s one of their best efforts in years. Then again, has there ever been a bad Yo La Tengo record? We discussed what makes the new album good, and offered suggestions for newbies on where to start with the band’s big and impressive discography.

New episodes of Indiecast drop every Friday. Listen to Episode 125 here or below and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. You can submit questions for Steve and Ian at indiecastmailbag@gmail.com, and make sure to follow us on Instagram and Twitter for all the latest news. We also recently launched a visualizer for our favorite Indiecast moments. Check those out here.

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The Best Paramore Songs, Ranked

When two of the founding members of Paramore received songwriting credits on Olivia Rodrigo’s Grammy-nominated Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 single “good 4 u,” the moment served as a reminder of the band’s remarkable longevity and indelible impact on the pop music scene across the 2000s, 2010s, and, now with the imminent release of This Is Why, the 2020s. For nearly two decades, Paramore has ruled the hearts of millions of fans around the world with their sleek blend of pointed, gut-wrenching lyricism and an ever-expanding sonic profile that pulls from influences as disparate as Aretha Franklin and blink-182.

Hayley Williams, the only member of the band to appear on all six of their studio albums, is more than Paramore’s glue; she is the band’s life force. In all of its iterations, the band’s lineup has provided Hayley with gorgeous soundscapes for her voice to soar over. Whether they’re shredding through punk-pop anthems like “That’s What You Get” or cooing over quieter art-rock-indebted ballads like “Forgiveness,” it is Hayley’s voice that makes Paramore what it is. Her belts cut through the most frenetic drum arrangements, and her expressive tone can simultaneously highlight the blistering defiance and wistful self-reflection that ground so many of the band’s songs.

Upon of the release of their sixth studio album, This Is Why, Uproxx has ranked the 40 best Paramore songs of their career so far.

40. “Be Alone”

Before the pandemic forced us all to spend more time with ourselves in the quiet, as the band smartly sums up on “This Is Why,” Hayley & Co. toyed with the merits of loneliness on this track from their 2013 self-titled album. Here, the band takes pride in being alone and explores how spending time with yourself can transform you into a better friend and partner. Like any great Paramore track, the lyrical narrative is gorgeously reflected through a sleek tradeoff between half-time drum breakdowns and ebullient ’80s-esque background synths.

39. “Daydreaming”

There’s nothing better than when a song proudly wears its influences on its sleeve, and that’s exactly what “Daydreaming” does. Standing in the legacy of both Blondie and the Goo Goo Dolls, “Daydreaming” balances cascading synths with brash drums to breathe new life into the song’s tried and true subject matter of trying to find your footing in a new and unfamiliar place. The thunderous chorus adds some edge to the whimsy of those synths, but it’s the undercurrent of verve in Hayley’s voice that does the heavy lifting.

38. “For A Pessimist, I’m Pretty Optimistic”

Vivacious guitars and an acerbic vocal performance ground this rumination on the disappointment that comes with witnessing a person fumble the faith that you poured into them. Nonetheless, as the title denotes, simply having the capacity to even put faith in another person marks some level of optimism — and that’s a win for a band whose discography is so thoroughly enthralled with the trappings of pessimism.

37. “Emergency”

Formative moments and influences from Hayley’s childhood have found their way into many a Paramore song, and “Emergency” is no different. A melancholy banger that relays the volatility of love through a recounting of Hayley’s parents’ divorce, “Emergency” is easily one of the more memorable tracks from the band’s debut album.

36. “Fences”

Another example of Paramore’s slick contrast of their soundscapes and songwriting, “Fences” finds the band balancing jaunty chord progressions and Hayley’s sardonic vocal performance with a scathing narrative that offers insight into the cripplingly stifling nature of celebrity in the age of paparazzi, specifically for public figures in the midst of their breakout moment. The song’s closing line, “you’ll go out in style,” gets its edge from the context of the derisive chorus, but it’s Hayley’s penchant for legato-as-emphasis vocal approaches that gives the line some true bite.

35. “Careful”

Resistance and defiance are grounding principles of the punk-pop tradition, and that’s what “Careful” is all about. With a playful guitar melody and drums that are equal part militant and freewheeling, “Careful” finds Hayley prioritizing her own personal truth to access the freedom that she’s been denied whenever she tries to conform to truths that are not hers.

34. “Let The Flames Begin”

Yet another anthem of defiance, “Let The Flames Begin” smartly balances softer verses with an anthemic chorus that nods to the less obvious throughline of Christian sonic and lyrical references in the band’s discography. The song finds the band at odds with an unspecified “they,” but it’s probably the same group of people that they refuse to conform to — hence Hayley’s impassioned vocal performance.

33. “Anklebiters”

Paramore’s rejection of conformity and commitment to the freedom of individualism have allowed them to transform into countless versions of themselves over the years, both aesthetically and sonically. These allegiances, or lack thereof, have also provided their discography with a clear lyrical throughline of thinking for yourself even if it means going against what the majority believes or does. Enter “Anklebiters,” a rambunctious ode to people who struggle to form their own identities outside of collectives. Complete with catchy chants and screams sprinkled throughout the background, “Anklebiters” revels in its brashness in a way that feels, against all odds, quite welcoming.

32. “Caught In The Middle”

How does a singer who rose to fame in a genre that’s so often connected to the angst of adolescence grapple with getting older in the public eye? By making a song like “Caught In The Middle,” of course. With a chorus that pulls from the most commercial edges of reggae to a vocal performance that balances fatigue with quiet audaciousness, “Caught In The Middle” is a gem.

31. “Where The Lines Overlap”

The turbulent nature of Paramore’s interpersonal relationships hasn’t been all doom and gloom. “Where The Lines Overlap,” a joyous ode to working through issues and coming out stronger and closer than ever before, is a reminder that the band’s open communication has always been their secret weapon. For example, the song’s bridge works because you truly believe Hayley when she sings “Now I’ve got a feeling if I sang this loud enough / You would sing it back to me.” She delivers that line with the emotional heft of someone who has been through both a separation and a reconciliation. Given that previous member Zac Farro has since rejoined the band, it’s safe to say that Hayley was right.

30. “Franklin”

On this dedication to their hometown, Paramore leans more toward the literal and less into the metaphorical. Although the song may feel a bit sappy, there’s a mournful quality to Josh’s background vocals that gives the song some much-needed depth.

29. “Escape Route”

Initially left off their self-titled album because the band felt it was too reminiscent of their older sound, “Escape Route” is one of the hidden gems in Paramore’s discography. What’s interesting here is the song’s strikingly rapid pace. It’s almost as if Paramore’s new (at the time) lineup was trying to outrun their feelings about the departures of older members, as well as the memories attached to those former members. Sonically, the track is in line with much of the ground the band covered on their first three albums, but Hayley’s frantic vocal offers something a bit more sinister.

28. “Pool”

When it comes to love songs, Paramore is more likely to give you a close look at the more ominous undercurrents of those feelings than maudlin puppy-eyed schmaltz. While the song’s production is just as playful as the rest of After Laughter, it’s Hayley’s characterization of a pool as an all-consuming pressure cooker of desire that exposes the darkness of love.

27. “26”

Sometimes, when we get older, we finally understand the value of things we derided in our youth. For Paramore, that thing is the utility of dreams. “26” reverses course from “Brick By Boring Brick” by way of a delicate acoustic guitar that soundtracks Hayley’s renewed loyalty to the concept of hope after dealing with people that kept her chained to the darkness of this plane of existence.

26. “Grow Up”

With Rick Rubin-esque snares and a poppier melody than their earlier songs, “Grow Up” is emblematic of the bouncier feel of the band’s eponymous 2013 album. For Paramore, lack of growth is reason enough to leave someone behind because they refuse to be caught in a mode of stasis due to someone else’s lack of maturity. It’s an unsuspectingly harsh lyric that pairs well with the song’s spirited synth outro.

25. “Pressure”

Nearly twenty years later, Paramore’s debut single still holds up. Sonically, the single is firmly entrenched in the band’s punk-pop roots, and Hayley’s voice sounds markedly younger and more nasal. Nonetheless, the band’s promise and genius courses through the song. Their knack for dynamics manifests itself through the twinkling acoustic guitar in the background of the bridge, while the extra syllables Hayley adds to the word “pressure” lay the foundation for her peerless manipulation of her voice on later records.

24. “Proof”

It’s only fitting that the first song recorded for what is arguably the band’s best record is also one of their most stunning songwriting achievements. A song that intentionally submits to the power of love instead of basking in the bitterness that often accompanies a breakup, “Proof” finds vulnerability through casting away fear, ego, and pride. Over an ascending melody that recalls the most chipper of British folk songs, Hayley sings “If I’m half the man I say I am / If I’m a woman with no fear just like I claim I am / Then I’ll believe in what you say.” Indeed, Hayley. Indeed.

23. “Told You So”

In both Paramore’s discography and Hayley Williams’ two solo albums, her anxiety has been a source of the band’s literal and musical evolution. With this track from After Laughter, Paramore pulls off one of their most familiar songwriting hattricks: flipping idioms into incisive, cutting lyricism. Here, the band flips the overdone adage “I hate to say I told you so,” into an unlikely anthem of resilience steeped in the kooky gloss of After Laughter’s take on new wave. The track’s production is decidedly ebullient, but the grim imagery of the song’s lyrics (“Throw me into the fire / Throw me in, pull me out again”) offer a sharp and welcome contrast.

22. “Hallelujah (Live from Chicago)”

One of the more exhilarating live acts of the past decade and a half, no list of this nature is complete without at least one of Paramore’s live tracks. This live recording of “Hallelujah” blends Leonard Cohen’s classic with the band’s own song of the same name. The interlocked themes of steadfast faith in one’s own self, purpose, and destiny could easily read as saccharine, but the band’s frenetic energy and crowd interaction prioritizes hope and community above all else.

21. “Idle Worship”

Honestly, this might be the best commentary on stan culture from a popular musician since Eminem’s own “Stan.” That might be an overzealous take, but “Idle Worship,” with its rejection of mindless celebrity worship and embrace of not just imperfection, but also some level of villainy, is worthy of that kind of praise. Less in the new wave vein than most of After Laughter, “Idle Worship” blends the more forceful sounds of Paramore’s earlier records with the trenchant songwriting of their later work.

20. “Decode”

The emo lead single from the soundtrack for the first Twilight movie is a modern classic many younger millennials and elder members of Gen Z. Hayley’s vocal performance and lyrics expertly encapsulate the fraught love triangle of the film’s protagonists, but the band’s rousing Evanescence-esque instrumental arrangement is what truly drives the high drama of the whole affair.

19. “Conspiracy”

Upon reflection, it’s almost chilling how much of Paramore’s lyrical identity was established with the very first song they’d ever written. “Conspiracy,” which predictably details an alleged conspiracy against Hayley’s way of existence, sets up the conflict between Paramore and those who want to control them — the same conflict that can be traced all the way to “The News,” the second promotional single from This Is Why. While the lyrics are commendable, it’s Hayley’s otherworldly vocal performance that allows the song to rise above the general punk-pop clutter of the mid-aughts.

18. “Crushcrushcrush”

You didn’t seriously think a Paramore song about crushes would be all rainbows and butterflies, did you? “Crushcrushcrush,” which served as the second single from the band’s sophomore album, utilizes some of their best guitar licks, as well as vocals that range from menacing whispers to mordant talk-singing to electrifying belts. Perhaps one of their more lyrically ambitious songs, the relative incoherence of the song’s structure only bolsters the overarching narratives of two could-have-been lovers getting in the way of their own happiness.

17. “Playing God”

In a way, the sonic-lyrical contrast of “Playing God” foreshadows the bulk of After Laughter. With a bassline that recalls the best of Jimmy Eat World, “Playing God” finds Hayley ripping into the self-righteous people who seek to control her life and her decisions. It’s a decidedly angry vocal performance that, oddly enough, plays perfectly against the bouncy effervescence of the song’s instrumentation.

16. “Forgiveness”

The changes in Paramore’s lineup have been a dominant narrative in both the band’s musical evolution and their public perception. With this song, the band wrestles with the concept of forgiveness in the context of professional and romantic relationships. With nods to ska and a striking staccato delivery in the verses, “Forgiveness” effectively relays how thorny, non-linear, and, at times, cyclical the processes of forgiveness and closure are.

15. “Now”

One of the more overtly angry tracks on an album that is comparatively lighter, “Now” is an anthem of reclamation. Written, recorded, and released during a period of time that marked several conflicting narratives surrounding the truth behind the changes in the band’s lineup, Paramore use corybantic guitars and Hayley’s just-short-of-unhinged vocal performance to take hold of their own narrative. “Now” charts a path that is chiefly concerned with looking toward the future instead of dwelling on the past.

14. “Still Into You”

This song houses one of Hayley’s most nuanced vocal performances — at least in terms of her work with Paramore — and you might miss it because of how sugary sweet the song is. In Hayley’s voice lies the guilty glee of giving into a crush, the exasperation of unsuccessfully fighting off infatuation, and the sheer reverence of the staying power of feelings of love. Easily one of the band’s more middle-of-the-road pop records in both lyric and structure, Hayley’s voice elevates “Still Into You” to a place beyond sappiness — a feat that has stumped many a punk-pop love song.

13. “Misguided Ghosts”

One of the quieter and more subdued moments in Paramore’s discography, “Misguided Ghosts” taps into the listless meandering that can characterize some pockets of the curve of maturity. When Hayley drags out each line in the final chorus into a despondent descending melody, the song truly hits its stride. The acoustic guitar cradles her restrained vocal in the same way that the bombast of the band’s biggest hits boost her belts into the stratosphere.

12. “This Is Why”

Upon release, critics lauded the lead single and title track for Paramore’s latest studio album — and for good reason. At once a succinct analysis of the pandemic’s impact on social anxiety and a darker take on the funky new wave soundscapes that reverberated across After Laughter, “This Is Why” is a yet another maker of maturity for Paramore in a genre that, at times, feels too reliant of the tropes of adolescence.

11. “Brick By Boring Brick”

Instead of subverting familiar idioms, “Brick By Boring Brick” finds Paramore adopting a third-person narrative perspective as they relay the story of a girl who finds escape through fairytales. With a snarling vocal performance from Hayley and hair-raising chords from guitarist Josh Farro, the band slyly recreates the darkness of the song’s lyrics in the actual music of the track. The song’s abrupt ending robs us of closure (does the girl ever end up burying the castle?), but that stark break after the increasingly intense “ba-ba-ba’s” that close the song lift Paramore to an emotional apex that accentuates the power of their songcraft.

10. “The Only Exception”

A crowning achievement in songwriting in Paramore’s discography, “The Only Exception” finds the band expertly toeing the line between a mawkish love song and vulnerability that disarms both Hayley and, more importantly, her listeners. Dreamy acoustic guitars give way to twinkling organ keys in an arrangement that sonically replicates the throes of accepting and internalizing what love truly looks like.

9. “Misery Business”

Probably the most contentious song in Paramore’s discography, “Misery Business” has lived many lives. The lead single from their sophomore album doubled as their worldwide breakthrough hit, sold over six million copies, was later removed from their live performance setlists due to a second verse widely deemed as anti-feminist, and, most recently, spawned a widely successful spin-off in Olivia Rodrigo’s “good 4 u.” Yeah, one song did all that — and it’s easy to see why. A chugging, insidious slow-burn that deliciously rips into an ex’s old flame, “Misery Business” finds Hayley narrating, belting, and outright screaming through her side of the story. Soundtracked by one of the band’s most raucous instrumental arrangements, “Misery Business” is the kind of no-holds-barred headbanger that solidified Paramore’s position in the punk-pop pantheon.

8. “Hard Times”

Released as the lead single for the band’s fifth studio album After Laughter, “Hard Times” marked Paramore’s shift from overt punk influences to a glossier new-wave sound. The song’s balance of funk and restraint echoes the impasse of Hayley and Taylor York’s lyrics. “Hard times / Gonna make you wonder why you even try,” Hayley croons in the song’s chorus. Colored by her own battle with depression, tensions between band members, and the general tumult of growing up and the feelings of uselessness that come with all of these things, “Hard Times” is a shining jewel in Paramore’s discography.

7. “Turn It Off”

Any song that opens with “I scraped my knees while I was praying / And found a demon in my safest haven” has got to be in the conversation for Paramore’s best songs. A refreshingly honest look at the tiresome reality of reconciling belief in Jesus with the more unsavory ways in which religion interacts with the world around us, “Turn It Off” reaches its towering peak in its bridge. In that section of the song, Hayley launches into one of the most unfathomable vocal performances of her career. It’s not just a moment of technical brilliance, she’s conveying so much emotion and turmoil in those belts that you just want to hand her an Oscar.

6. “All I Wanted”

An acoustic ditty that morphs into a raging wail-fest through which Hayley attempts to make sense of the perils of a dangerously all-consuming love, “All I Wanted” is one of those moments of histrionic heightened emotion that feels completely natural and justified. This is probably the greatest example of how Paramore is unafraid to dive into the inherent ugliness of truly feeling and internalizing every facet of emotion that racks the mind and heart.

5. “That’s What You Get”

The third single from their sophomore album and one the band’s signature songs, “That’s What You Get” deftly displays Paramore’s grasp of dynamics and how effortless the essence of punk-pop is for them. The track leans more into emo than their recent offerings, and that darkness grounds the band’s exploration of what it means to take responsibility for yourself. Instead of pointing the finger elsewhere, what does it mean to accept that you thought with your heart and didn’t use your head? From the dashes of disco in the verses to the arena-ready breakdown in the refrain leading into the final chorus, “That’s What You Get” is a punk-pop masterclass.

4. “Fake Happy”

“Fake Happy” is one of Paramore’s best songs for the simple fact that it effortlessly showcases the band’s ability to synthesize their core ethos — exploring the emotionally vulnerable, and sometimes obsidian, underbelly of punk-pop — into a sound that sits lightyears away from that which made them household names. Beginning with dry acoustic guitar before morphing into a mélange of new wave, synth-pop, and a roaring behemoth of a chorus, “Fake Happy” folds all of Paramore’s chameleonic identities into just under four minutes of a cathartic rebuttal of performing happiness.

3. “Rose-Colored Boy”

Paramore’s pessimism has offered the band a throughline to connect most of their albums. Simply put, optimism isn’t really the band’s ministry, and “Rose-Colored Boy” continued that trend on After Laughter. Further dabbling in that album’s new-wave soundscape, Paramore expands on the colloquialism of “rose-colored glasses” and delivers a song that yearns for the hopefulness of a rose-colored boy, but ultimately sits in the peace of accepting a moodier state of being.

2. “Hate To See Your Heart Break”

The band’s most tender ballad, “Hate To See Your Heart Break” features not only one of Hayley’s most somber vocal performances, but also some of the band’s most lush production. Hayley’s lower register and wistful tone pair beautifully with the pensive string arrangements that provide the song with its emotional anchor. Eventually, the song builds into a fervent bridge that ultimately gives way to the restraint that initially gifted the song its beauty.

1. “Ain’t It Fun”

A pristine mixture of the band’s punk-pop foundation, the formative gospel music influence of Hayley’s childhood, and the slick pop sensibilities of their songwriting, “Ain’t It Fun” is the crown jewel of Paramore’s discography. It’s not often that a commercial peak so elegantly aligns with a band’s most singular idiosyncrasies, but “Ain’t It Fun” pulls it off. The slightly bratty rhetorical question that gifts the song its title and hook recalls Paramore’s penchant for spinning crushing truths out of age-old idioms. Moreover, the song’s instrumentation and Hayley’s vocal performance find each band member firing at all cylinders. Rollicking drums, spirited handclaps, wailing guitar, and an ardent backing choir all combine to create a definitive anthem about what a shitshow growing up is. What more could you ask for?

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

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James Gunn Fired Back At A Viral Fan Campaign By Revealing That Zack Snyder Supports His DC Universe Overhaul

Ever since James Gunn took the reins of DC Studios and announced his plan to drastically overhaul the DC Universe, some of Zack Snyder‘s more persistent fans have been circulating a hashtag demanding that Warner Bros. Discovery sell the Snyderverse to Netflix, so the director can finish his Justice League trilogy. (And maybe let Ben Affleck direct his version of The Batman.)

While Gunn has ignored the fan campaign over the past few months, he is on Twitter a lot, and clearly, grew tired of seeing it. The DC Studios chief responded to a fan pushing the Snyderverse hashtag by letting him know that neither Snyder nor Netflix are interested, so maybe let the whole thing go.

“I have to say, this has got to be the wackiest hashtag ever,” Gunn tweeted. “Since 1) Netflix hasn’t expressed any such interest (although we’ve discussed other stuff) & 2) Zack hasn’t expressed any interest & seems to be happy doing what he’s doing (and, yes, we too have talked).”

Gunn took things even further by revealing that he has spoke to Snyder, who backs Gunn’s plans to overhaul the DC Universe. Gunn also reiterated that Snyder has moved on from the Justice League fiasco, and he’s having a blast with his burgeoning Rebel Moon plans at Netflix.

“He contacted me to express his support about my choices,” Gunn replied to a fan who was curious about Gunn and Snyder’s conversation. “He’s a great guy. Again, he seems really happy with the massive world building he’s doing now.”

(Via James Gunn on Twitter)