Month: February 2023

Jason Isbell’s run for political office is going to have to wait just a bit longer for a good reason. Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit will be pretty preoccupied as they prepare to drop their eighth studio album, Weathervanes, this coming June. To give fans a taste of what’s to come, the rockers released the 12-track project’s lead single, “Death Wish,” to streaming platforms along with a lyric video to their official YouTube channel.

In a statement, Isbell described the album as “a collection of grown-up songs” about adult love, change, the danger of nostalgia, and redemption. “There is something about boundaries on this record,” said Isbell adding, “As you mature, you still attempt to keep the ability to love somebody fully and completely while you’re growing into an adult and learning how to love yourself.”

“Death Wish” keeps in alignment with this emotional whirlwind.

“Some [songs] will make you cry alone in your car, and others will make you sing along with thousands of strangers in a big summer pavilion, united in the great miracle of being alive,” Isbell declared in a statement.

Listen to the lead single, “Death Wish,” above.

Weathervanes is set to drop 6/9 via Southeastern Records/Thirty Tigers. . To pre-save, click here.

The massive K-Pop group Twice has announced that they’ll be heading on their fifth world tour this year. Titled the Ready To Be Tour, after their forthcoming EP, and teased as “Part 1” on the official poster, Twice’s shows will kick off in Seoul, South Korea, before heading to Australia, Japan, and cities across North America.

With this new tour, it will make Twice both the only female K-pop group to headline in MLB and NFL stadiums and the first to play at East Rutherford’s MetLife Stadium, Dallas’ Globe Life Field, Atlanta’s Truist Park, and Los Angeles’ SoFi Stadium.

For shows in the US, fans are able to register through Ticketmaster’s Verified Fan program now through March 8. They will then receive an access code to purchase tickets at a later date TBA. More information on registration is available here.

For tickets in other countries, visit your local event page.

Continue scrolling for the complete list of tour dates.

04/15 –- Seoul, Korea @ KSPO Dome
04/16 — Seoul, Korea @ KSPO Dome
05/03 — Sydney, Aus @ Qudos Bank Arena
05/06 — Melbourne, Aus @ Rod Laver Arena
05/13 — Osaka, Japan @ Yanmar Stadium Nagai
05/14 — Osaka, Japan @ Yanmar Stadium Nagai
05/20 — Tokyo, Japan @ Ajinomoto Stadium
05/21 — Tokyo, Japan @ Ajinomoto Stadium
06/10 — Los Angeles, CA @ SoFi Stadium
06/13 — Oakland, CA @ Oakland Arena
06/16 — Seattle, WA @ Tacoma Dome
06/21 — Dallas, TX @ Globe Life Field
06/24 — Houston, TX @ Toyota Center
06/28 — Chicago, IL @ United Center
07/02 — Toronto, ON @ Scotiabank Arena
07/06 — East Rutherford, NJ @ MetLife Stadium
07/09 — Atlanta, GA @ Truist Park

Even though Miley Cyrus can buy them for herself, it’s about time to give the pop icon her “Flowers,” as the aforementioned single sits at the top of the Billboard Hot 100. The chart dated for the week of February 25, 2023 marks the fifth week for “Flowers” at No. 1.

At No. 2 is SZA’s “Kill Bill,” which has held this spot for six weeks. On this song, which has gone viral on TikTok, SZA humorously fantasizes about killing her ex.

Metro Boomin’, The Weeknd, and 21 Savage hold the No. 3 spot with “Creepin’,” which interpolates Mario Winans and Diddy’s 2004 hit, “I Don’t Wanna Know.”

Continuing the hot streak of breakup anthems is “Boy’s A Liar, Pt. 2,” by PinkPantheress and Ice Spice, which is currently at No. 4. This marks a 11-spot leap for the two rising artists, as the song debuted at No. 15 last week. It also marks the highest-charting hit for both artists.

“this gurl radiated the warmest + most positive energy i’ve ever felt from a fellow artist that i had no choice but to join the spice cabinet that INSTANT,” said PinkPantheress of her collaborator in a tweet.

You can see the latest top 10 above.

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

Look. I have never understood people’s fascination with celebrity couples. But even my usual level of confusion pales to the neck-breaking double take I just pulled at TMZ’s latest celebrity gossip report. Of all the famous people most of us — and by most, I mean like 99.99 percent — would never have expected to be romantically linked to each other, Avril Lavigne and Tyga would have been at the top of the list… provided anyone ever thought they even knew each other.

And yet, there they are at Nobu, reportedly hugging it out in the parking lot before leaving together in the same car. According to TMZ’s notorious “sources,” the two have actually been spending a lot of time together.

However, they might just be friends. As TMZ also points out, Lavigne was recently engaged to Minnesota alt-musician Mod Sun. They dated from 2021 to March 2022 when they announced their engagement, although Mod Sun had previously dated two women in a polyamorous relationship, so the possibility remains open.

Meanwhile, there is a link between Lavigne and Tyga: Both dated members of the Jenner/Kardashian family. Tyga was previously linked with Kylie Jenner, while Lavigne had previously dated Jenner’s brother Rob (who has a child with Blac Chyna, with whom Tyga also shares a child). For now, any dating rumors between the two are pure speculation — but speculation that has fans flabbergasted.

Vladimir Putin pulled out his big boy pants while complaining about a lack of respect for Russia’s (non-)military prowess. This is very funny, yes, for the same reason that it’s simply too ridiculous that Viagra and Botox concerns are floating around while Putin’s war on Ukraine mounts staggering deaths and casualties on the regular. Putin is, however, still insisting that he’s going to win this conflict, despite the evidence, but he has also continued to substantially blame the U.S. for being “American warmongers” who “incite the Kyiv regime to further escalate the war.”

With fingers firmly pointed, Putin has now decided to stomp his feet in a dangerous way: by pulling out of a nuclear treaty while suggesting that he’s not above using those weapons. He’s also expressing irritation at how the West doubts his ability to win his war. Via Reuters:

“The elites of the West do not hide their purpose. But they also cannot fail to realise that it is impossible to defeat Russia on the battlefield… I am forced to announce today that Russia is suspending its participation in the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty.”

Interestingly enough, Putin’s pulling this card right as President Biden has shown up in Poland for a surprise address on Ukraine. This will surely only prompt more harsh words from the Kremlin, so there’s that to look forward to, unlike the nuclear threats, which are never fun.

(Via Reuters)

Marey Carey may be the unofficial “Queen Of Christmas” due to her record-breaking song, “All I Want For Christmas Is You.” Still, apparently, there’s another festive title the decorated songwriter has her eye on. Carey and all her fabulosity have continued to embrace the social media platform TikTok, thanks in part to her daughter Monroe Cannon’s love for the app.

As the singer’s 2009 song “It’s A Wrap” remains atop the trending sounds on the platform, Carey and her daughter have found joy in creating short TikTok videos using the audio clip. In their latest video, they enlisted the help of another famous mother-and-daughter duo, Kim Kardashian and North West. North West is no stranger to the platform, having gone viral for several of her videos, including one in which she dressed up as her father, rapper and fashion designer Kanye West.

As North and Monroe hit their simple choreographed moves while lip-syncing along to the song, their mothers join in just before the video wraps up. The video, uploaded to Carey’s official TikTok page with the caption, “It’s a wrap! But never for us,” has earned an impressive 3.5 million views and over 500,000 likes. That is not bad for a song released over 10 years ago.

Watch the video above.

Space might be considered the final frontier, but right here on planet Earth, entire universes remain unexplored beneath the water’s surface.

Every year, the prestigious Underwater Photographer of the Year contest highlights stunning images from all over the world that offer a small glimpse into this mysterious world, reminding us of its breathtaking beauty, fascinating wildlife and—perhaps most important of all—the need to respect and care for its resources.

American photographer Kat Zhou won the title for 2023. (Technically, she also won Up & Coming Photographer of the Year—way to go, Zhou.) Her image of a rare Amazon river dolphin, captured at the perfect moment of smiling while poking its nose out from under the water, rose to the top in a sea of 6,000 entries. Due to river contamination and being killed or injured by fishermen, the species is listed as vulnerable in certain areas by the World Wildlife Organization, making this apparently happy interaction all the more impactful.

As judge Alex Mustard wrote, “In dark, tannic waters, Kat has created a striking composition capturing this rarely photographed and vulnerable species at the perfect moment…By far the best image we’ve ever seen of this species.”

Zhou also explained the river dolphin’s folklore in her entry.

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Underwater Photographer of the Year 2023 Winner: “Boto Encantado” by Kat Zhou (USA)

Brazilian Amazon

“There’s a legend among locals in the Amazon that river dolphins, or ‘botos,’ can transform into handsome men known as ‘boto encantado’ at night to seduce women. Though I did not witness this elusive boto transformation, at dusk I was enchanted by these beautiful mammals in a different way. After seeing how botos would sometimes bring their beaks above water, I knew I want a split shot at sunset. Though the water was so dark that I was shooting blind, this dolphin gave me a perfect pose and smile!

As indigenous communities settled by rivers in the Amazon, river dolphins began living in closer proximity to human populations, even making use of food scraps. Frequent dolphin sightings led to tales like boto encantado, but there’s a darker side to the legend, as it was often used to excuse pregnancies after women were assaulted or forced into prostitution. While botos are generally revered as mythical creatures, many scorned husbands have killed dolphins because of these stories. Furthermore, many river dolphins have also been killed for use as fish bait. Though there have been bans on this practice, it has not been eradicated. With this, alongside even bigger impacts like mercury poisoning due to the gold mining industry and large development projects that have disrupted the river ecosystems, I fear that one day botos will truly become no more than mythical creatures.” – Kat Zhou

Take a look below at the winners from other categories:

Wide Angle Winner: “Fade” by J. Gregory Sherman (USA)

Stingray City, Cayman Islands

“My dive partner and I chartered a boat to arrive at Stingray City on Grand Cayman before dawn so as to capture the morning light and undisturbed sand ripples. Just as the sun broke the horizon, a line of southern stingrays headed straight for me and I captured this image as they glided across the sand. Using a large dome port allowed me to create a split image showing the intensely colorful dawn sky contrasted against the nearly monochromatic stingrays and sand beneath the surface chop.” – Gregory Sherman

Wrecks Winner: “Engine with a Saddle” by Brett Eldridge (USA)

Point Loma, California

“We were out scanning targets in June when we saw a very small, but promising sonar blip 230 feet deep. I geared up and jumped in hoping for something special. After some searching, my heart started racing when I first saw fish then the propeller of an almost completely intact, single-engine WW II airplane! It turned out to be a F8F-1 Bearcat, a rare aircraft that Neil Armstrong famously once said was his favorite and has been described as ‘An Engine With a Saddle.’ Alone on the first dive with limited bottom time, I took enough photos to build a ‘draft’ model and identify the wreck. Needing a better photogrammetry model for the UPY contest and with deadlines quickly approaching, I booked December 19th and crossed my fingers. We fortunately had epic conditions and I got the photos I needed. It was my last dive of 2022.” – Brett Eldridge

Behavior Winner: “Make Love Not War” by Yury Ivanov (Indonesia)

Tulamben, Bali

“A couple of coconut octopuses ‘making love’ (mating). I knew that I can find this species of Octopus at one of dive sites near Tulamben village (Bali, Indonesia) and they are active only at night time in that place. I dive there only after 7pm hoping to photograph something unique – their mating. I’ve done more than 30 night dives at the dive site and finally I got lucky. The photo shows the end of their love.” – Yury Ivanov

Portrait Winner: “The Trunk” by Suliman Alatiqi (Kuwait)

Phuket, Thailand

“The elephant’s trunk is one of the most distinctive anatomical features in the natural world and this photo aims to emphasize it. Luckily, he was curious about my camera and was happy to feel it out which gave me the opportunity to capture this perspective despite otherwise bad conditions for an over-under photo (choppy water and poor visibility). In my first attempts, the nostrils were not fully lit because of how close they were to the lens (which was necessary for the intended photographic effect). So I returned at a specific time window when I thought the sun’s angle would be optimal and managed to fully light the nostrils. This added a lot more detail to the key part of the image without which the photo would not be as effective.” – Suliman Alatiqi

Save Our Seas Foundation Marine Conservation Photographer of the Year 2023 Winner: “Hopeless” by Alvaro Herrero (Spain)

Baja California, Mexico

“A humpback whale dies a slow, painful and agonizing death after having its tail entangled in a ropes and buoys, rendering its tail completely useless. A reflection of what not only our oceans are suffering, but also our planet, the product of man’s selfishness and lack of responsibility. Taking this photograph was, for me, the saddest moment I’ve experienced in the ocean. Especially because I have spent so much time with humpbacks underwater, experiencing eye contact, interactions, and seeing with my own eyes how they are sentient and intelligent beings. But I’m ‘happy’ to being able to capture that moment and show the world what is happening, what we are doing. I really hope this image make us aware , open our eyes and drive us in to make real changes.” – Alvaro Herrero

Black & White Winner: “El Blanco – The White One” by Don Silcock (Australia)

Península Valdés, Argentina

“The image was taken on the last morning of a five-day trip to Peninsula Valdés in Argentina, in August 2022, under a special permit to enter the water with the Southern Right Whales that gather there between June and December each year. The mother, who can be seen in the background, accepted our presence and allowed the calf to interact with us. It was very playful but careful not to hit us with its tail and seemed to be really enjoying it all – almost as much as we were! White calves are very rare and referred to locally as ‘El Blanco’ or the white one!

Peninsula Valdés is an incredibly important safe haven and breeding ground for the Southern Right Whales of the southern Atlantic and Argentina has done an excellent job of managing it. It was, without doubt, my best ever underwater experience!” – Don Silcock

Compact Winner: “Klunzinger’s Wrasse In Motion” by Enrico Somogyi (Germany)

Marsa Alam, Egypt

“When I was snorkeling in Marsa Alam I saw countless Klunzinger’s Wrasses. One of them was particularly curious and very interested in my lens. I was able to take some good classic wide angle pictures. After a while I figured it would be a good idea to try a long exposure. So I set my camera to the smallest aperture f11, the ISO value to 64 and the exposure time to 1/13s. For this picture, I moved the camera forward a bit while the shutter was released. This created the zoom effect in the lower part of the image. I was very happy with the result.” – Enrico Somogyi

Macro Winner: “Unsung” by Shane Gross (Canada)

Location: Vancouver Island, Canada

“Walking along a rocky shoreline we would peer under rocks using a probe lens and my camera’s LCD screen to check for plainfin midshipman nests. Once found I would lay on top of the barnacle-covered rocks, cutting my elbows, trying to compose images of fish most people have never heard of despite having one of the most interesting lifecycles of any animal. Plainfin midshipman are deep water fish that travel to the intertidal zone to spawn. The males sing to attract females and she will lay as many eggs as his singing deserves before moving on to the next singer. Now, the male has a chance to fertilize the eggs, but only if he is not beaten to the punch by a sneaker male who looks like a female. The singer male will then guard the nest never knowing the kids may not be his. Drama!” – Shane Gross

There are even more incredible images swimming around on the UPY website. You can even download a free yearbook featuring all the winning images and their captivating stories here.

As the never-ending debate over the pros and cons of method acting rages on, it seems like noted method actor Jeremy Strong is still integrating Kendall Roy into life, which has sparked some debate among his co-stars in the past.

Strong’s Succession co-star Brian Cox has expressed concern about Strong’s methods over the years, praising his performances but remaining worried about how it affects the actor. “I just worry about what he does to himself. I worry about the crises he puts himself through in order to prepare,” the actor told Seth Meyers in 2021. But Strong does not seem too concerned with Cox’s comments, or anyone’s for that matter!

In a new profile with GQ, Strong says that he thinks that the whole ordeal was blown out of proportion. “Everyone’s entitled to have their feelings,” Strong began, adding that Cox can have whatever feeling he wants, which probably happens after you win enough Emmy awards.

The actor continued, “I also think Brian Cox, for example, he’s earned the right to say whatever the f**k he wants. There was no need to address that or do damage control… I feel a lot of love for my siblings and my father on the show. And it is like a family in the sense that — and I’m sure they would say this, too — you don’t always like the people that you love. I do always respect them.” It’s obvious he respects his TV show family, plus it’s not like he was mailing dead rats to his coworkers like some method actors.

Despite the backlash to his methods, Strong insists he will continue to keep up his method approach. “Am I going to adjust or compromise the way that I’ve worked my whole life and what I believe in? There wasn’t a flicker of doubt about that,” Strong explained. “I’m still going to do whatever it takes to serve whatever it is.” Even though he doesn’t like it, Cox will have to live with it, at least for another season or two. Maybe he himself should try method acting? It would make him even more approachable.

(Via Variety)

Jimin is now the next BTS member that’s adding some new solo music, since the band is currently on hiatus until 2025 because of Jin’s mandatory military service. His debut solo album, Face, is dropping next month — and fans have a lot to be excited for.

“BTS member Jimin will be releasing his first solo album Face,” the label, BigHit Music, shared in a statement (via Soompi). “Face is all about Jimin facing himself head-on as he gets ready for his next step as a solo artist. Jimin will see the fans through various activities including the Face release, so we ask for your continued interest and support for Jimin’s first official solo activity.”

While Jimin had previously hinted at its arrival during a WeVerse stream earlier this month, it had yet to be official. The announcement was also accompanied by a mysterious trailer, which features ocean waves and drops of water.

Last year, BTS’ J-Hope and RM both released their solo albums, Jin collaborated with Coldplay on “The Astronaut,” and Jungkook dropped his new song, “Dreamers.” Meanwhile, Suga is gearing up for his new world tour — making him the first member of the band to do so alone.

With Jimin now rounding out the bunch, it shows that each member intends to be a powerhouse force.

Face is out 3/24 via BigHit. Pre-orders for the album are available starting tomorrow (Feb. 22).

Liam Neeson stopped by The View last week to promote his new movie, Marlowe, where he found himself being fawned over by Joy Behar, who’s not exactly subtle about her thirsting. During the interview, she joked that she wanted to be cremated and have her ashes spread all over Neeson. Basically, it was peak Joy, which Michael B. Jordan knows about all too well.

Apparently, Neeson was not a fan of the experience. In a new interview with Rolling Stone, the actor shared his blunt thoughts about being caught in the middle of Behar’s thirst. He didn’t like it. In fact, Neeson would’ve much rather talked about gun violence or literally anything that didn’t involve Behar’s loins burning with passion:

“I was in the dressing room drinking a cup of tea, turned the TV up, and I thought, oh, this will be great. They’re talking about gun violence in America, and I agree that it’s an American problem. I go onstage and join the ladies during the break, and I was congratulating them on this discussion. And then our segment starts and it’s just all this BS with Joy [Behar] and Liam Neeson and having a crush, and I’ve known Whoopi for years and Joy a little bit, but I just wasn’t impressed. I’m uncomfortable in those situations, you know? One of the ladies [Sunny Hostin] is a prosecutor and we had a little chat afterward and it was a good, intelligent conversation, but then the segment’s all about this — oof — thirteen, fourteen-year-old crush. It’s just a bit embarrassing.”

In The View’s defense, Neeson actually did get to discuss a much more serious topic and via Behar no less. The randy co-host simmered down after the previous segment and steered the conversation towards Neeson’s role in Schindler’s List. After mentioning the film’s 30th anniversary, she asked Neeson for his thoughts on the increased spate of anti-semitism in America and the prevalence of Holocaust denial. Again, both are very serious topics, so his appearance wasn’t all thirsting. Although, there was a lot of it.

You can watch Liam Neeson discuss Schindler’s List below:

(Via Rolling Stone)