Month: May 2023

Ed Sheeran is quite busy at the moment. He won the tumultuous Marvin Gaye plagiarism trial, though he’s still disappointed that it happened at all. He just shared his new album –, or Subtract. In the midst of all this, he’s been reflecting on his career.

In an interview with Apple Music’s Zane Lowe, he went in-depth about a lot of things, from Taylor Swift to the negative reception of his hit “Bad Habits.” About the latter, he talked about his strong belief in the song despite what people said, saying that to “stand by something” as an artist is enough.

Read what he said in full below and watch the interview above.

“…at the heart of it all, I write songs because I like writing songs and I release songs because I’m proud of them and I like it. This is a song that I like. So I think as long as you can remember that and stand by your work, however it’s received. ‘Bad Habits’ has now become a hit for me and I get to play it live. But the reception of it was really negative when I put it out. People are just like, ‘Oh God.’ I think because it’s dance music and it’s a different thing and I’m an acoustic singer-songwriter. It’s a different thing. But I stand by it because I love it and I loved the feeling of creating it… But creating it in the studio was exciting and I was excited for people to hear it. So when it came out and there was a lukewarm, if you could call it that, reaction, I was like, ‘I believe in this. I like it. I think it’ll do well.’ And you took a bit of time. And this is the thing I say to people now because no one believes me. Everyone’s like, no, it came out and it was a very lukewarm reaction. And it wasn’t a great day one streams, it wasn’t a great week one streams. It wasn’t a great month one streams. I think if you can stand by something and you believe in it, I think that’s enough for your career. And everything that I’ve made up to this point I can look back on and be like, ‘I like that. I like that.’ And I think that’s actually all that matters as an artist.”

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

This week, four Proud Boys were found guilty of seditious conspiracy for their involvement in the January 6 attack on the Capitol building. The convicted members were in Washington D.C. for the “Stop The Steal” rally that sought to overturn the results of the 2020 election and certify Donald Trump as the winner.

The verdict, which included Proud Boy leader Enrique Tarrio, marks a significant escalation in legally acknowledging the January 6 attack as an act of sedition against the United States government. As for how the jury reached that decision, DC resident Andre Mundell opened up about the thought process and the role of deleted messages leading up to the attack.

“That factored in for me,” Mundell told Vice. “It showed an absence of evidence of standing down. No one says, no, don’t do this. We’re not going to do this. There was none of that. And that was probably because they never said it. And the things that were affirming that they were going to be violent. They just kind of let it happen.”

According to Mundell, the jury was quickly convinced the day that they elected a foreman. “We all voted and most people saw the evidence pointed towards seditious conspiracy,” he said before detailing how the jurors came to agree that there was an attempt to “interfere with the government by use of force.” Once again, it came back to the online messages.

“It was all the chatter,” Mundell said. “All the chats. Parler, Telegram… those Telegram text messages back and forth. Not just the chats, but also the private texts. I think that was what it boiled down to. What they had to say prior to Jan. 6 and the fact that they wanted to do so much in secret.”

As for the gravity of the verdict, Mundell definitely feels that it’s “heavy.”

“I think it’s huge,” he said. “It’s something that needed to happen. I definitely think it’s important because otherwise, somebody might get the idea that this is okay to do again.”

(Via Vice)

You’d be forgiven for being over Diddy and Yung Miami’s back-and-forth over whether they’re actually in a relationship or not. After all, the couple has played coy over the past year, with Diddy announcing a new baby, then going Instagram official after New York’s Eve; meanwhile, Miami just recently told The Cut that Diddy is “not my man.” Then, two weeks later, they showed up on the carpet together at the 2023 Met Gala, where Diddy told reporters that the two are “dating.”

In a video posted to Instagram by Vogue, Diddy appears to finally admit to the couple’s actual status. “Caresha [and I], we’re dating and we’re just enjoying ourselves,” he said. “This is what comes with dating me. Sometimes, we gotta hit that red carpet.”

So, there it is: Diddy and Yung Miami are “dating” again, but also “single” and “good friends.” I’ll let you figure out whatever the hell that means.

As confusing as the couple’s situation has been, it doesn’t appear that fans will ever get enough of watching them like hawks — and commenting on each new tidbit that gets revealed, from Diddy’s unexpected new baby to Miami’s admission that she likes golden showers. While the latter reveal sparked a “Pee Diddy” meme, Miami shut down those rumors herself later — but given all Diddy’s sex advice for James Corden during his appearance on Carpool Karaoke, it’s clear that he and Miami entertain each other as much as they do their overeager fans.

Imagine, if you will, that your mom is Gwyneth Paltrow. You’re fine with the ski trial. You’re cool about the vagina candles. You’re chill that she named you after a fruit. But talking about her sex life? That’s too far, even for Apple Martin.

On the Call Her Daddy podcast, Paltrow was asked to name which of her famous exes is better in bed, Brad Pitt or Ben Affleck. “That is really hard,” she replied (be better than Elon, folks). “Because Brad was like the sort of major chemistry, love of your life… And then Ben was, like, technically excellent.” She added, “I can’t believe my daughter is listening to this!”

That daughter, 18-year-old Apple, did indeed listen.

In a TikTok posted to the podcast’s account the same day as the episode’s May 3 release, the 18-year-old is seen covering her ears with a playful grin as the viral sound “oh no no no no” plays in the background. The camera then pans to the Goop founder and CHD host Alex Cooper. The video was captioned, “When your literal mom goes on Call Her Daddy,” with a crying eye emoji.

The sentence “Gwyneth Paltrow’s daughter reacted on TikTok to her mom talking about Brad Pitt and Ben Affleck’s sexual abilities on the Call Her Daddy podcast” would kill a pilgrim instantly.

(Via E! Online)

When Kanye West and Adidas ended their business partnership last year, it left the athletic apparel giant in a bind. According to Associated Press via Rolling Stone, that’s left the athletic apparel company with $1.3 billion of unsold product with which it does not know what to do. Adidas CEO Bjorn Gulden said during a conference call today that “options are narrowing,” but the company is “getting closer and closer to making a decision.”

Unfortunately, there’s no real win here for Adidas, since selling the shoes would force the company to pay royalties to West, while removing the Yeezy branding could be seen as dishonest. Giving them away means lost profit as does destroying them all, which Adidas is “trying to avoid.” Gulden also didn’t want to reveal just how much backstock the company is sitting on because of the effect that could have on demand, but did admit that the split is “of course hurting us.”

However, it likely would have hurt Adidas — a company with questionable origins — even more, in the long run, to keep Kanye on. The mercurial rapper had always been a controversial figure but became downright toxic last year, sharing antisemitic views on social media and in a string of bizarre interviews with right-wing figures. He also terrorized employees at Adidas, even displaying porn during meetings — an HR nightmare if ever there was one.

Adidas could take even more of a hit now that shareholders have filed a class-action lawsuit against the company for not cutting ties with Kanye sooner. The suit claims that higher-ups at Adidas knew Kanye was a liability and kept working with him anyway, deeming the risk to its stock price worth it for the revenue the association generated. Adidas’ response said its leaders “outright reject these unfounded claims,” but between losing its Kanye and Beyoncé partnerships in the span of a year, the company can’t deny it’s made some costly mistakes.

The moment we’ve all been dreading has arrived, Yellowstone is coming to an end, although nobody is really surprised given the last few months of will they/ won’t they drama. But it still stings to hang up the proverbial cowboy hat!

The original series will begin airing its final batch of episodes this November, which will end Kevin Costner’s time on the ranch. The good news here is that even though the flagship series will be ending, there will be a plethora of cowboy content for (possibly) years to come, thanks to the onset of spinoffs, most notably the Matthew McConaughey-led series in the works. The latest series ordered will be a sequel set after the events of Yellowstone, seemingly picking up right where they left off, though this time without our beloved John Dutton.

Chris McCarthy, president and CEO Showtime/MTV, mapped out the future of the series in a statement (per The Hollywood Reporter): “Yellowstone has been the cornerstone on which we have launched an entire universe of global hits — from 1883 to Tulsa King, and I am confident our Yellowstone sequel will be another big hit, thanks to the brilliant creative mind of Taylor Sheridan and our incredible casts who bring these shows to life.”

The new series will bring the franchise over to Paramount+ instead of Peacock, as it’s produced by Paramount Network. While the sequel has no title at this time, it will carry the Yellowstone name so everyone will know it’s the real deal. David Glasser, of 101 Studios, confirmed that the Dutton story will continue, “picking up where Yellowstone leaves off in another epic tale.” He added, “We are thrilled to bring this new journey to audiences around the world.”

Seeing as there are two prequel series surrounding the Dutton family, a sequel is an exciting and natural progression of the franchise. While there have been virtually no details surrounding the new show aside from its existence, it’s safe to say that Costner will not be returning in any capacity, which means that the upcoming show might put the central focus on another family member. Perhaps it’s Wes Bentley’s time to shine!?

(Via The Hollywood Reporter)

Howard Stern is a frequent presence at the New York Knicks game, but the shock jock isn’t exactly feeling the love from the players. In an awkward rant on a recent episode of his show, Stern seemed genuinely hurt that NBA players will come up and hug people seated next to him, but never him. As if the conversation wasn’t uncomfortable enough, Stern immediately made it racial.

“I have courtside, they put me courtside and the Black players won’t come over and say hello to me,” Stern said. “But they go over to Spike Lee.”

After co-host Robin Quivers asked if the players really “don’t acknowledge you at all,” Stern doubled down.

Via Mediaite:

“No. I’ll be sitting next to Tracy Morgan or Chris Rock. You know, they seat you where they seat you. And a lot of times when I’m there, I’m next to Tracy Morgan, who is so funny. And he’s sitting there and like, couple of the players will come over. They like give him that bro shake and stuff. And I’m like — these guys should hug me too. I mean, what am I? I grew up in a Black neighborhood, you know what I mean? I mean they should know that. But I get ignored,” Stern said.

The shock jock revealed that white and Black referees will come up to him all the time, but never the players, which Stern chalked up to being a “white guy.”

“Is everything racial now?” Stern wondered before hoping that’s the case. “Maybe they don’t like me. I don’t know. I’d like to think it’s a white thing, not my personality. I hope it’s racial. That’s all.”

(Via Mediaite)

Ed Sheeran’s unapologetic opinion of the state of music has kept him in the headlines over the past few weeks.

Before the verdict of “not liable” was returned in the “End Of Youth” singer’s plagiarism trial with the estate of Ed Townsend, a co-writer of Marvin Gaye’s “Let’s Get It On” he expressed deep frustration with how songwriters are being targeted. Prior to that, he took shots at music critics deeming them as no longer necessary to fans in the streaming era. However, these flashy headlines are bite-sized displays of his passion for his craft.

During an interview with Apple Music’s Zane Lowe, the pair discuss who the musician turns to in those moments of frustration.

“I have long, long, long conversations with Taylor about stuff just because I feel like she’s one of the only people that actually truly understands where I’m at,” said Sheeran.

Sheeran continued by saying, “I had a one-hour and 20-minute conversation with her yesterday.”

“In itself is kind of therapy as well, because you’re actually talking to someone that genuinely gets it. That has all the things that you feel and have insecurities about, and how other people treat you or how your family treats you, how your friends treat you. She’s just basically in the same sphere,” remarked the musician.

But the “Anti-Hero” singer isn’t the only musician he turns to. Sheeran also proclaimed, “I have a similar sort of friendship with Stormzy, where I know what he’s going through, and we can talk about it. And his friends necessarily would be my friends who would say the same things.”

Watch the full interview above.

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

Every week, Steven and Ian make it their business to talk about the latest news in indie rock. This week, however, we don’t do that. Instead, we made the least indie-rock episode of Indiecast ever.

The most indie topic on the docket is the rumored relationship between Taylor Swift and The 1975’s Matty Healy. Is this (alleged) relationship too annoying even for us? And what does it mean for two superstars to “date” anyway? Does exchanging texts constitute a romantic hookup? Are they going to get frozen yogurt together on the fly?

From there we move on to the Ed Sheeran copyright lawsuit concerning the supposed similarity of his 2014 hit “Thinking Out Loud” and Marvin Gaye’s 1973 classic “Let’s Get It On.” (We recorded before the verdict came down in Ed’s favor.) If you have heard the songs you have can probably tell that they sort of sound alike. But does that constitute a rip-off? Can you really copyright a vibe? Doesn’t all new music in some way riff on the old?

Finally, we get to the most important topic: Aerosmith, yay or nay? We ponder the legacy of this gross, ridiculous, and occasionally great (for four years in in the 1970s) group as they announce their reunion tour.

In Recommendation Corner, Ian talks about the singer-songwriter Greg Mendez while Steven pays tribute to the late Gordon Lightfoot, who died this week at age 84.

New episodes of Indiecast drop every Friday. Listen to Episode 137 here and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. You can submit questions for Steve and Ian at [email protected], 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.

The 2023 Met Gala went with a theme honoring late designer Karl Lagerfeld, and while that decision may have proven to be controversial, the assembled stars certainly went above and beyond to stick to it — especially Doja Cat, who went as Lagerfeld’s beloved cat Choupette. Doja really committed to the bit, even going so far as to only “meow” in response to questions during her red-carpet interview with Emma Chamberlain.

The special effects artist who helped to create Doja’s facial prosthetic for the cat look shared some process photos on Instagram, while Instagram itself — along with Vogue — posted a few videos detailing the behind-the-scenes creation of Doja the Cat. While Oscar de la Renta co-creative directors Fernando Garcia and Laura Kim designed the look, prosthetic artist Malina Stearns and makeup artist Ernesto Casillas created the mask. It took four hours to apply, but Doja was alright with that since it was her idea in the first place.

You can check out videos and photos from the process below.

The Gala’s theme didn’t go over with everyone, though. Actress Jameela Jamil criticized some of the attendees for embracing Lagerfeld as the theme given some of his controversial stances and comments about women. “Last night Hollywood and fashion said the quiet part out loud when a lot of famous feminists chose to celebrate at the highest level a man who was so publicly cruel to women, to fat people, to immigrants, and to sexual assault survivors,” she wrote. “And all the women’s publications, and spectators online, chose to gleefully ignore it… Nobody has perfect morals, least of all me, but Jesus Christ we had a year to course correct here, and not award the highest honor possible to a known bigot.”