Month: April 2023

Harry Styles, Jennifer Lopez, Eminem, Prince, and Beyoncé are the only artists who had the number one movie and song in the country in the same week. Jack Black won’t quite get there, but he’ll come closer than anyone expected. Even though we probably should have, because there’s nothing the Tenacious D singer can’t do (including playing Batman, hopefully).

The Super Mario Bros. Movie is expected to finish #1 at the box office for a second straight weekend, while “Peaches,” the Oscar-eligible ballad sung by Bowser (voiced by Black), is climbing up the charts. “The song got off to a strong start in streaming and sales, and has only grown in the days since, as the movie has conquered theaters nationwide,” according to Billboard. “It’s risen from 218,000 daily official on-demand U.S. streams and about 500 digital song sales on April 7 in its first full day of release to 961,000 and 1,000 in streams and sales on April 10 – gains of 342 percent and 104 percent.”

“Peaches” could appear on the Billboard Hot 100 “within the next week or two” (it’s rapidly rising on the global Spotify chart), which would be a first for Black as a solo artist. With Tenacious D, he and Kyle Gass reached #78 with “POD” from The Pick of Destiny. (“Tribute,” the second single from the D’s first album, peaked at #4 in Australia, but failed to chart in the United States.)

Come on, TikTok, do your thing, and get “Peaches” on the Hot 100. And while you’re at it, make “Kyle Quit the Band” go viral, too.

(Via Billboard)

The RX is Uproxx Music’s stamp of approval for the best albums, songs, and music stories throughout the year. Inclusion in this category is the highest distinction we can bestow, and signals the most important music being released throughout the year. The RX is the music you need, right now.

The video for Davido’s “Unavailable,” an early highlight from his fourth album Timeless, begins with a radio message that announces the long-awaited return of the “King Of Afrobeat.” That figure is Davido himself, who went two and a half years without a project and minimal releases outside of that.

Though that isn’t all that long, the absence was noticed as his contemporaries – Burna Boy and Wizkid – elevated to new heights. Burna dropped an award-winning album while Wizkid released a magnum opus while newcomers in afrobeats arrived to define the new class of artists that would lead the way.

Five years ago, Davido was at the forefront of afrobeats’ mainstream takeover, firing off records like “If,” “Fall,” and “FIA” that were played so frequently that fans grew tired of them being the only afrobeats records to play in outdoor spaces. To start 2023, Davido was that same star but had yet to insert his defining project into the massive ring that afrobeats created for itself in this current decade.

That’s what makes Timeless the perfect title for Davido’s fourth album. Yes, it continues the theme of time that served as the foundation of the afrobeats singer’s last two albums, A Good Time and A Better Time, but by definition, it accurately describes Davido’s music in today’s afrobeats space – “not affected by the passage of time or changes in fashion.”

With Timeless, Davido proves himself to be a limitless artist with enough strength to always find a way to finish at the top. The same singer who arrived with the electric and raw “Dami Duro” can use that same joy and energy in a different way for another party-friendly record, like “Unavailable,” more than a decade later. Between the two records, the similarities and differences are clear, above all, they speak to the timeless nature of Davido and his artistry.

Timeless caters to those who were assured that its awaited arrival would be nothing short of monumental while also sneering at those who had doubts about its potential. Davido re-emerges from one of the lowest points in his life as a rejuvenated man with a new sense of appreciation, value, and vigor. Defeat is not a part of Davido’s ministry and it’s a message that couldn’t be any clearer on the album’s opener “Over Dem.”

He boasts about his ability to win no matter the circumstances, singing, “Over dem all / If dem wan turn Goliath / I be David for life / Oluwa dey my side.” Davido delivers these lines with such certainty and little doubt that not only are we convinced of his strength, but it’s also enough to make listeners believe in their own. Davido re-establishes this connection with a higher power just three songs later on “Godfather.”

“All of thе blessings wey dey come my way / They are all from God,” he sings with the certainty and confidence that only the God he sings of could supply. “And if dem try to talk / E go burn them like hot water oh.” To loosely translate: “All of the blessings that come my way / They are all from God / If they try to talk against them / It’ll burn them like hot water.”

As much as he flaunts his strengths, Davido also embraces the losses and the moments of uncertainty. A broken heart and questions for the woman who split it in two are the foundation of “E Pain Me.” Davido croons his pleas to this woman, begging for their return and showcasing the pains of a loss that he can’t seem to wrap his head around. “Wetin I no do for you? / Shey you promise say you no go let me go?” Davido asks. “And last night you told me that it’s all over / E pain me oh.”

The trend continues in the second half of the album with “For The Road,” a record that swaps sadness for disappointment while still finding itself in the realm of love. It’s upended by a well-played double meaning that comes alive with his request for one last night of intimacy “for the road” with a girl who has no desire to be confined by the limitations of a relationship – in other words, she’s “for the road” in Davido’s eyes.

Davido bravest moment in the face of loss comes through “LCND (Legends Can Never Die),” a song dedicated to the people he’s lost in his life, which presumably includes his three-year-old son David Ifeanyi Adeleke Jr. Davido proves that he found life through death, a concept that couldn’t be more representative of the theme behind Timeless.

Davido’s Timeless stretches its arms to touch on areas that pertain to the singer and the world he finds himself in. It boasts the confidence of a man who considers his music and impact to be timeless as well as the fight and focus to prove this case to those who doubted. It’s crafted with the precision that will have it be remembered as one of the best afrobeats albums to come out of the genre’s most spotlighted era while offering moments where Davido is forced to accept his time with an experience was paused, or worse, cut short, whether it be through love, friendship, parenthood, or his career.

The lesson here is to value the time with something or someone while you do have it. With that, Davido is able to produce the tunnel-visioned “Precision,” the besotted “No Competition” with Asake, and the infatuated “In The Garden.” With Timeless, Davido reduced the force that is time into a feather-like obstacle that a king like himself can effortlessly knock down.

Timeless is out now via Davido Music Worldwide/Sony Music. You can stream it here.

We’re just days away from the kickoff of Coachella 2023. The set times for the first weekend are out now, and concertgoers are stoked for the highly anticipated headliners Frank Ocean, Blackpink, and Bad Bunny, as well as the small-font acts who are just as exciting, such as Ethel Cain, The Linda Lindas, Momma, Soul Glo, Sudan Archives, Horsegirl, Pi’erre Bourne, and more.

With all of the anticipation building, there have even been some surprises along the way. It was revealed today that Blink-182 is joining the lineup last minute. It turns out that James Blake is doing the same. He will be performing at 8:30 pm PST on the DoLab stage on Friday.

Earlier this year, Blake appeared on comedian Theo Von’s This Past Weekend podcast. He discussed the way musicians are not the best people to have conversations with. “When it comes to musicians, we’re not… we don’t tend to be the most articulate people, for some reason,” he said. “I think we’re not the best people to have conversations with. So, I had to branch out. Not because I’m such a great conversationalist, but because I noticed a lot of my conversations with musicians tended to be more one-dimensional.”

Long before recent controversies between Ticketmaster and several musical fanbases, Newport Festivals and Dice had begun laying the groundwork for a better ticketing experience for fans. Last year, Dice partnered with Newport Festivals to simplify the process of purchasing tickets. For Newport’s Folk and Jazz Festivals, fans can easily buy passes through Dice’s mobile app, in an accessible pipeline; artists-festivals-Dice-fans.

The partnership between Newport Festivals and Dice was announced last January, with the mission for fans not to get scammed while buying tickets. This pairing formed after Christopher Capotosto, CEO of Newport Festivals, was introduced to Russ Tannen, President of Dice, following a previous partnership with Highsnobiety on the festivals’ jazz side.

“At the time, It was just, ‘hey, new tech company doing everything mobile, you know, very anti-scalper,’ And I believe that’s how the conversation started,’ says Capotosto.

Each year, Newport’s Folk and Jazz festivals draw in a diverse crowd. But one of Girard’s major concerns was providing ease of access to some of the older fans who wish to buy tickets.

Capotosto, along with Deb Girard, Newport Festivals’ Director Of Ticketing And Admin, was drawn into the fact that the app and its browser portal were intuitive and self-explanatory.

“I spent a great deal of time [going through] the step-by-step processes through the website,” says Girard. [Last year], we had a great support staff with both the festival staff and Dice on site to troubleshoot getting through [the app]. If somebody has an old iPhone and can’t upgrade, there are processes in place to be able to handle that. We did really well, I think.”

The process for purchasing tickets is all digital (with the exception of a few “will call situations,” according to Girard), which allows for transparency in regard to pricing and fees. Additionally, fans will only be able to purchase tickets through Dice, and not through other third parties.

Should a fan not be able to attend either festival after purchasing tickets, they will still be able to resell their passes, however, they may only do so through Dice – and they may only sell their tickets at face value.

“You can go on any of the – Vivid Seats or whatever – insert name of secondary market ticketing company here, and you can see people speculatively putting tickets out at astronomical prices, right?,” says Capotosto, “But if we provide a mechanism by which the platform we’re on is doing a lot of anti-bot activity behind the scenes, and there’s a fan-to-fan ticket exchange, then we’re giving an opportunity for fans whose plans changed to be able to unload their tickets to fans are already waiting in line.”

Since the Newport Jazz and Newport Folk Festival’s respective launches in 1954 and 1959, the three-day music events have been cultural cornerstones for fans who travel all across the world to bask in the sounds of the eclectic line-up. In recent years, the festivals have sold out before the full line-ups were even announced.

“The Newport team recognized that they could innovate beyond traditional ticketing and offer fans a fantastic experience before doors even open,” says Tannen, “and at DICE we love working with the most ambitious operators in the world, which includes legendary festivals that continue to push the limits. There was a natural synergy there from the start, as we aligned on the same goal of making it easier to get tickets in the hands of fans.”

Additionally, fans can feel good about their purchases, given the all-digital sales process, which promises to be more environmentally conscious.

This year, fans can look forward to seeing Maggie Rogers, Bartees Strange, Orville Peck, and Alice Phoebe Lou at the Newport Folk Festival, which will take place from July 28 to July 30. The following weekend (August 4-6), Samara Joy, Thundercat, Herbie Hancock, Diana Krall, and several more will take that stage at Newport Jazz Festival.

And believe or not, the full line-ups for both festivals still haven’t been revealed. In recent years, Newport has rolled out the line-up little by little, as opposed to dropping a poster on a single day, featuring all of the acts.

On the second year of the partnership between Newport Festivals and Dice, the Folk festival has already sold out, however, fans can still sign up to be on a waiting list through the Dice app or the website. Girard says the first year of partnering with Dice proved effective, as their plan to cut out scalpers worked.

“I did not have one fake ticket that came through the door [last year],” says Girard. “So that’s, that’s a great win. I’ve seen many people [over the years] come to the event in tears because the tickets they had purchased were not real tickets.”

“DICE values fairness and transparency,” adds Tannen, “and by focusing on the fan experience, we’ve been able to break down the boundaries upheld in the antiquated ticketing industry.”

Lil Dicky’s tour stopped in Atlanta for this week’s cameo-packed episode of Dave, leading to appearances from some of the city’s most recognizable faces. The plot revolves around Dave and GaTa‘s efforts to retrieve Rick Ross‘ stolen chain after a night at the strip club as Dave agonizes over possible Twitter beef with Killer Mike. Dave tries to get Usher and Lil Gotit, Mike’s fellow Atlantans, to assist before he goes to confront the man himself at a Black business brunch (don’t worry… he was invited!).

The episode gave Ross and Mike, two charmingly effective comedians in their own right, a chance to really flex their funny muscles alongside Lil Dicky, playing off of his neurotic energy with a combination of sanguine interest and outright confusion. Mike really gets the upper hand on Dave Burd’s heightened self-parody, conning Dave into giving the money he didn’t have to ransom Ross’s missing chain to support the cause. The show’s fans certainly seemed to enjoy Dave’s Atlanta-based misadventures:

Of course, if you’ve been following Rick on social media at all, you know the man born Leonard Williams is about as naturally funny as a human being can be. From self-gardening his massive estate to save money, to keeping a herd of buffaloes as pets, to avoiding Teslas because he doesn’t trust self-driving cars, he’s a walking meme — and seems to be a pretty good sport about it. Just check out his reaction to almond milk.

For more about season three of Dave, check out our interview with the show’s creator and star Dave Burd (aka Lil Dicky).

Few games have generated as much excitement this year as The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. It makes sense why with Breath of the Wild being arguably one of the best games ever made. It’s an impossible game to follow, but Tears of the Kingdom is gonna give it a go, and honestly after its most recent trailer, there might be reason to believe it can surpass its predecessor.

The thing we have wondered ever since the game was released was how, exactly, does Nintendo plan to approach a sequel to Breath of the Wild? They could reinvent the structure entirely, or they can double down on what worked and make it even better. After today, I think we can safely say it’s the latter, because what we got to see was an open world just like the previous one with a ton of open space to experiment and play in.

The best part of Breath of the Wild wasn’t really the story or the dungeons or even the puzzles. It was the open nature of it, as players were told to just go into the world and see what happens. This led to amazing moments for each individual player where they all experienced their own stories and moments. The latest Tears of the Kingdom trailer is full of teasers of what tools the player will have to work with. We saw antigravity, a lot of gliding, the ability to throw boulders, and at one point, Link enters a giant water ball.

This world is going to be a toy box. Since it is a Zelda game, we know there will be a plot and puzzles to guide us along, but personally, I can’t wait to see how this game lets me experience Hyrule.

Dogs are sometimes just like human babies and other times they want to be the baby. We’ve all seen the sweet videos of dogs meeting their newborn human siblings and think, “How cute!” or laugh because their reaction is hilarious. You never quite know whether the pooch is going to give the new baby the side eye or instantly become its snuggle buddy.

For one family in Benton, Arkansas, their little Shih Tzu had apparently been plotting a daring plan since her new furless sibling arrived. Kaylee Burks uploaded a video to her social media accounts that show her newborn daughter crying her adorable newborn cry, and we quickly see why. Just above the baby’s head is the family dog, Millie, sucking on the baby’s pacifier, probably wondering what’s wrong with the baby.

Oh, Millie! Pacifiers aren’t for doggies, even if they fit perfectly in your little mouth and look adorable. (Wait…are we sure pacis aren’t for dogs too? Especially if they’re cute?)

“While I wasn’t looking, my dog sneaked her pacifier that was lying next to her,” Burks told Storyful. “When I looked up, Millie was sucking on the pacifier just like a baby and was unbothered by Hallie crying. It was apparent she had been plotting it all along.”

It would certainly seem that way with how comfortable the little dog seemed while holding the binky in her mouth. Surely after this incident her family will get the Shih Tzu her very own pacifier. If not, I’m sure someone will help Millie start some sort of puppy petition. She’s got my support.

Watch the adorable video below:

See on Instagram

A huge part of parenting in the 21st century is figuring out how to navigate our kids’ relationship with the internet. On one hand, we are deep into the technological age, where screens and the internet are an integral part of learning and staying connected with others. On the other hand, the online world comes with countless alluring and addictive pitfalls, which conscientious parents hope to help their kids avoid as long as possible.

Of all the elements of the internet that concern parents, social media sits near the top. The worst parts of kid and teen culture—comparison and competition, bullying, self-esteem issues, toxic body image messaging, etc.—are all amplified on social media. Saying no may sound simple enough, but anyone with kids knows they can be master negotiators and it’s hard to tell your kids they can’t be where all their friends are.

Actor and mom Jennifer Garner has managed to do just that, however, with a simple but effective approach that goes a step beyond just saying no.

Garner has three kids, ages 17, 13 and 11, whom she co-parents with ex-husband Ben Affleck. She has been outspoken about not letting her kids on social media, saying she doesn’t “see anything positive” in it for them. But she doesn’t just tell them they can’t and leave it at that.

In an interview with the “Today” show, Hoda Kotb asked Garner how she manages to keep her teens off of social media without them hating her.

“I just said to my kids, ‘Show me the articles that prove that social media is good for teenagers, and then we’ll have the conversation,'” Garner said. “Find scientific evidence that matches what I have that says that it’s not good for teenagers, then we’ll chat.'”

Brilliant. Not only does that approach put the onus on the kids to make a solid argument backed up by solid evidence, but it removes the parental power struggle altogether. It’s not “No, because I said so,” but “No, because I love you and want you to be healthy, and the research shows this isn’t healthy. But if you can find research to the contrary, I’m willing to reconsider.” It’s empowering because it invites kids to make the case for themselves.

Of course, kids are going to be hard-pressed to find scientific research to match the evidence that social media does more harm than good, especially for young people. So either they’ll understand their parents’ position by diving into the research or they won’t bother trying because it’s not important enough to them to put in the effort. Either way, the responsibility falls on their shoulders to make an argument beyond “but everybody else has it.”

Singer Pink has a similar rule for her daughter Willow when it comes to getting a phone.

“I told her, point blank, ‘If you can produce literature from a reputable source that tells me that social media is good for you, then you can be on it. Otherwise, good luck”” Pink shared on KTU 103.5.

The “show me the research” approach seems to be working for Garner. Kotb asked how her kids feel about it, and Garner said her 17-year-old is “grateful.” She admitted that parenting is “a long haul” and that she still has two more kids to go, so “knock on wood,” but so far so good.

Even adults can struggle to keep a healthy balance when it comes to social media and smartphone use, so sharing the research with kids and teens early on isn’t a bad idea. There’s no harm in delaying the struggles that inevitably come with social media, and the more parents push back against the “norm” of early exposure in smart and effective ways, the better off our kids will be in the long run.

Succession star Alan Ruck called “Connor’s Wedding” the “strongest episode we’ve ever done. I think it’s the best thing we’ve ever done, and that’s saying a lot, because we’ve done a lot of good episodes.” Of course, he would say that, considering he’s the Connor in “Connor’s Wedding,” but viewers are agreeing with him. Sunday’s shocking episode has joined “Ozymandias” from Breaking Bad as the only episodes with a perfect 10.0 user rating on IMDb.

The Conheads are truly going to love this.

“Ozymandias” was previously joined by two episodes of Attack on Titan, “Assault” and “Hero,” but those have since dropped to 9.9, alongside episodes of Six Feet Under (the series finale), BoJack Horseman (“The View from Halfway Down”), Game of Thrones (including “Battle of the Bastards”), and Bluey (“Sleepytime”). You think you’re hot sh*t, Bluey? Well, you’re not. You got nothing on the Roys. (Now I feel bad. Bluey is too nice to even ironically pick on. It’s like calling Paddington a terrorist, which he’s NOT.)

“Connor’s Wedding” has nearly 17,000 votes compared to over 193,000 for “Ozymandias,” and it might well drop a decimal point and lose its perfect rating. But a 10.0 at any point is impressive — even “Marge vs. the Monorail,” arguably the best episode of the best show of all-time, “only” has a 9.1.

To anyone who gave less than a 10.0 to the monorail song or Kerry’s weird smile, for that matter, I say: f*ck off.

Back in mid-March, Amanda Bynes was scheduled to make her first Hollywood-themed appearance since emerging from her conservatorship. She appeared to be missing in action, however, with her Nickelodeon co-stars suggesting that something was amiss. Within 24 hours, TMZ reported that Bynes had been flagged down help while in a state of distress after wandering LA streets without clothing. Bynes had experienced what she described as a “psychotic episode” and made the call to 911, after which doctors placed her on a psychiatric hold that was later extended.

Good new is now emerging with TMZ following up to report that Amanda has been released with what appears to be confidence from doctors. She will enter outpatient treatment but will be able to continue living independently (i.e., not going back into conservatorship, which she previously experienced for nine years) while working to get back on track:

[B]oth Amanda and the medical staff determined she was ready to get back to her day-to-day life … Our sources say Amanda will live in her own home, as she was before the hospitalization, and keep much of the independence she earned after 9 years in a conservatorship.

Previously, Amanda had been placed on an initial 72 hour psychiatric hold before doctors determined that a longer hospital stay would be beneficial. After her nine-year conservatorship ended in March 2022, Bynes began living in her own home, something that she hadn’t been able to do since her bipolar diagnosis around a decade ago. She has since been formally training in cosmetology, and TODAY recently reported word from a source who says that Amanda “hasn’t been in contact with her family for quite some time.”

(Via TMZ & TODAY)