Month: May 2023

Can we please get an Emmy nomination for Paddy Considine’s devastating House of the Dragon performance? He went through the physical and emotional and mental paces, for crying out loud, and the HFPA didn’t give him a Golden Globe nod. Hopefully, the Emmys can make up for this slight after King Viserys I literally rotted before the masses, and Paddy has stayed in good spirits, even though he didn’t get to ride a dragon at all. Rude.

Paddy has been very open about the physical toll that Viserys’ final decline took upon him. He threw out a knee and needed oxygen treatment after shooting the deathbed scene for hours on end. The unseen effects, however, continued to unfurl as he watched the scene at home. Mind you, he didn’t exactly want to spectate this event, but his wife persuaded him to do so, and Paddy felt as though he was reliving his own father’s death, as he told Variety:

“[M]y wife and daughter watched Episode 8 when it aired in the U.K. I was in another room because I didn’t want to see it. My wife says, ‘You’ve done the work. You need to see it,’ and she showed me the episode. The end, when he lies in the bed, it was very shocking to me, because I looked the image of my dad when he was dying of cancer. The image of him.”

Paddy added that he also watched his mother’s health decline that left her blind and unable to walk, so he undoubtedly felt a double whammy in addition to what the rest of the House of the Dragon audience witnessed unfolding onscreen. Hopefully, he will be rewarded (finally) in the form of an Emmy nomination on July 12. However and no matter what happens, he will remain in viewers’ hearts as the king who tried so hard to do good in Westeros despite ultimately failing, largely due to a misunderstood deathbed utterance. And Paddy will be able to watch that drama unfold from afar with much less physical discomfort when Season 2 arrives in 2024.

(Via Variety)

It’s been five years since Miya Folick arrived on the indie rock scene with her acclaimed debut album Premonitions. But in the time since, Folick was dealt some pretty big blows. After going through a gnarly breakup and quitting drugs, Folick’s father sadly passed away suddenly. Faced with grief and the looming pressure of her sophomore album, Folick channeled her grief and confusion into song.

Her tumultuous years resulted in Roach, Folick’s most polished and resilient work to date. With songs like “Bad Thing” (which was co-written by Mitski) and “Cockroach,” Folick shows her ability to pen honest earworms, which was her goal going into the songwriting process. “It felt like I was masking my insecurities with poetry,” she says about her debut album in a statement. “Putting Premonitions out into the world and singing those songs on tour made it very clear to me that I wanted to make songs where I was not hiding.”

Ahead of the release of Roach, Folick sits down with Uproxx to talk Joni Mitchell, Moonstruck, and sleeping in an abandoned doomsday prepper’s house in our latest Q&A.

What are four words you would use to describe your music?

I sing my feelings.

It’s 2050 and the world hasn’t ended and people are still listening to your music. How would you like it to be remembered?

I don’t think my personal legacy matters to me that much. I hope the music makes them feel good.

What’s your favorite city in the world to perform?

Los Angeles is home, so it’s always a good show. I recently played in Prague and really loved it. But there are so many places I haven’t played in yet. I’d love to play somewhere in Japan or Brazil or Mexico.

Who’s the person who has most inspired your work, and why?

There isn’t any one person. Many people have inspired my work in chapters of my life. I think right now I am in a chapter where I’m looking inward the most for inspiration. But the sound of my work is definitely shaped by my music community, the musicians I am friends with and play with.

Where did you eat the best meal of your life?

I don’t do bests very well, if that isn’t already clear! But it’s probably the breakfast buffet at the hotel when I visited Japan as a child. My mind was really blown.

What album do you know every word to?

Joni Mitchell’s Ladies Of The Canyon. Laura Nyro’s Eli And The Thirteenth Confession. Rilo Kiley’s More Adventurous. Probably Destiny’s Child’s The Writing’s On The Wall. I haven’t tested any of these but I’m pretty sure I know all the lyrics.

What was the best concert you’ve ever attended?

Really struggling with the bests here. My brain just doesn’t work that way. The last concert I really loved was seeing Yeah Yeah Yeahs play at Kilby Block Party. They are magic.

What is the best outfit for performing and why?

I need to feel good and nimble. I can’t perform in anything too restrictive or tight. I need to be able to put my monitor pack somewhere. And I like to wear the same thing over and over again, so it needs to be something I won’t get sick of.

Who’s your favorite person to follow on Twitter and/or Instagram?

This person I don’t know whose name is Rose (@donniedarkeaux) is really fun to follow because their captions are incredible. Like strange tiny novels. My friend @arielfish is very fun to follow because her photos blow minds and her story is always very good.

What’s your most frequently played song in the van on tour?

Lomelda’s “Hannah Sun.” I CANNOT GET ENOUGH OF IT. Or maybe “Bainá” by Nia Archives.

What’s the last thing you Googled?

The last thing I googled was the definition of “best” to find out if there was a lesser known definition that just meant like “highly regarded” so I could have some linguistic wiggle room.

What album makes for the perfect gift?

Mine!!!!!!!!

Where’s the weirdest place you’ve ever crashed while on tour?

I booked an Airbnb in Philly once that was on the second story of this seemingly abandoned building. There was a giant hole in the wall. And I mean huge, like the size of a garage door. It was there so you could swing on a rope from the apartment into a swimming pool on the ground outside. But the swimming pool was not filled. The apartment was one big room and the corner was sectioned off with plywood covered in tarp. But we peaked inside and saw that it was filled with prepper gear. There was a really high quality Batman costume hanging on the wall. And the person who let us in told us that raccoons might climb into the apartment at night, but that we can feed them cat food if we want.

What’s the story behind your first or favorite tattoo?

It’s lyrics from Laura Nyro’s New York Tendaberry.

What artists keep you from flipping the channel on the radio?

Rosalía.

What’s the nicest thing anyone has ever done for you?

Be my friend.

What’s one piece of advice you’d go back in time to give to your 18-year-old self?

Don’t wait.

What’s the last show you went to?

My own.

What movie can you not resist watching when it’s on TV?

Moonstruck!

What’s one of your hidden talents?

I don’t have any! All my talents are visible.

Roach is out 5/26 via Stop Talking/Nettwerk. Find more information here.

The launch of Ron DeSantis’ presidential campaign is already off to a bumpy start, and we’re not even 24 hours in. The Florida governor made the bold, and ultimately disastrous, decision to kick off his campaign with the help of Elon Musk. The two attempted to hold a Twitter Spaces event announcing the launch of DeSantis’ campaign, but instead, the whole thing crashed leading to both Donald Trump, Joe Biden, to ruthlessly mock the failed political stunt.

Now, comes another controversy hot on the heels of the Twitter fiasco. The Super PAC backing DeSantis’ presidential run released a video touting his campaign launch, but they made a couple digital alterations. Namely, adding fake fighter jets (after the 0:45 mark above) to a shot of DeSantis giving a speech in Port St. Lucie, Florida on November 5, 2022.

Axios has confirmed that there were no military flyovers on that day:

Why it matters: It’s the latest instance of political ads including digitally altered videos to promote or attack candidates, making it difficult for viewers to discern what’s real.

What they’re saying: The PAC did not deny altering the footage but responded to Axios’ questions by focusing on the video’s larger message.

Instead of addressing the thorny issue of using a digital recreation of US Air Force jets in a political ad, a spokesperson for the Super PAC attacked Joe Biden when responding to Axios.

“The ‘President for the People’ video encapsulates the mounting issues facing our nation caused by Joe Biden, and how Governor Ron DeSantis will stand up to the challenge, beat Biden, and turn our country around,” Erin Perrine said.

(Via Axios)

If the Miami Heat are going to go into Boston and take down the Celtics to punch their ticket to the NBA Finals, it will have to come without one member of the team’s starting lineup. The team announced on Thursday morning that Gabe Vincent, who has turned himself into a crucial piece of the puzzle in Miami, has been ruled out for Game 5 due to an ankle sprain he suffered in the last game.

Vincent was able to play through the injury, which occurred when he attempted a three, got it blocked, went up to try and corral the ball, and rolled his ankle while coming down.

There’s no word on how long Vincent will end up missing. Depending on the result on Thursday night, Miami’s next game will either take place on Saturday, which would be a Game 6 against the Celtics in the Eastern Conference Finals, or Thursday, June 1, which would be Game 1 of the NBA Finals against the Denver Nuggets.

Vincent has been a thorn in Boston’s side during the conference finals, as the former undrafted free agent is averaging 17.5 points on 57.9 percent shooting from the field and 50 percent shooting from three in 34.8 minutes per game. The Heat have been hammered by injuries in the backcourt this postseason, as both Tyler Herro and Victor Oladipo are watching from the sideline.

Lil Durk has been generous lately. The Chicago rapper’s Neighborhood Heroes HBCU College & Career Readiness Cohort Program donated $100,000 scholarships to two Howard University students, and Lil Durk added another $250,000 to Howard’s GRACE Grant program for financial aid.

He also met with Chicago mayor Brandon Johnson to discuss his foundation and how they could work together to help the city’s youth. Some people claimed Lil Durk only met with Johnson as album promotion, but he firmly denied that. “Stop saying my name on all negativity I’m smarter then [sic] that post what we doing for these kids [trophy emoji, globe emoji] – the voice,” he tweeted on May 8.

An album is coming from Lil Durk this week, though. Almost Healed will arrive over a year after March 2022’s 7220, which debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200, and almost exactly two years after his joint album with Lil Baby, The Voice Of The Heroes.

Below is everything we know about Almost Healed so far.

Release Date

Almost Healed is out 5/26 via Alamo Records/Sony.

Tracklist

1. “Therapy Session” Feat. Alicia Keys
2. “Pelle Coat”
3. “All My Life” Feat. J. Cole
4. “Never Again”
5. “Put Em On Ice”
6. “Big Dawg” Feat. Chief Wuk
7. “Never Imagined” Feat. Future
8. “Sad Songs”
9. “Before Fajr”
10. “War Bout It” Feat. 21 Savage
11. “You Got Em”
12. “Grandson” Feat. Kodak Black
13. “300 Urus”
14. “Same Side” Feat. Rob49
15. “B4L”
16. “At This Point We Stuck”
17. “Cross the Globe” Feat. Juice WRLD
18. “Dru Hill”
19. “Belt 2 Ass”
20. “Stand By Me” Feat. Morgan Wallen
21. “Moment Of Truth”

Features

Lil Durk shared the tracklist earlier this week, revealing a posthumous Juice WRLD feature. The other featured artists are 21 Savage, Alicia Keys, Chief Wuk, Future, Kodak Black, J. Cole, Morgan Wallen, and Rob49.

Artwork

Singles

The lead single, “All My Life” featuring J. Cole, dropped on May 12 alongside a video directed by Steve Cannon.

The album’s opener, “Therapy Session” featuring Alicia Keys and “Pelle Coat” have been released as well, with the six-minute “Therapy Session/Pelle Coat” video (another Cannon-directed product) arriving on the eve of Almost Healed. “Therapy Session” solely features Keys speaking to Lil Durk, asking him about past traumas and encouraging him to express his “vulnerabilities and emotions.”

“Today is May 26,” she says, her voice echoing to Lil Durk as he sits alone in a dark room. “Remember that you don’t have to go through this alone. I’m here to listen. You have the voice in this room. I wanna hear from Durk Banks.” The video then cuts to “Pelle Coat.”

Tour

Lil Durk will be accompanied by Kodak Black and NLE Choppa on his Sorry For The Drought Tour. The North American trek is scheduled to begin in Tampa, Florida on July 28 and stretch until September 7 in Phoenix, Arizona. See all of the dates below.

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

Sam Smith is currently on tour to promote their latest album Gloria. Their spicy performances are known for stirring up conversation, or more specifically, for infuriating conservatives. However, the “Unholy” singer upset their fans last night (May 24).

Performing at Manchester’s AO Arena, Smith cut their set short after only four songs. The audience was left bewildered after Smith exited the stage and no explanation was offered for some time, until it was announced the show was canceled.

Smith has since posted a statement on their Instagram Story that reads: “Dearest sailors, I don’t know what to say honestly. I fought off a virus a few weeks ago and since then we have travelled across Europe and had such incredible shows. Today in soundcheck I felt fine and was so excited to give Manchester an amazing show tonight, with a special surprise at the end.”

They continued, “During my third song, I noticed something wrong with my voice. I prayed it was just my voice waking up for the show but into the fourth song I could feel something was really wrong. I came off stage and have tried everything to get my voice back in gear but it won’t. I am honestly heartbroken I couldn’t finish the show tonight for you all. I love you all. I’m sorry I’m sorry I’m sorry x.”

Smith later shared another Instagram Story confirmed they’re canceling some upcoming shows due to the vocal problems.

In the season premiere of The Kardashians, which is streaming today on Hulu, Kim Kardashian addresses her ex-husband Kanye West’s self-destructive behavior, comparing the backlash to the one she endured over her sex tape. According to Complex, while Kardashian doesn’t specifically cite Kanye’s recent run of antisemitic comments, she does take the opportunity to refute his remarks about her sex tape and rumors that she cheated on him with Drake.

“There’s been a lot going on with Kanye right now and things are going on in the media radio shows and interviews,” she says. “But even just how he looks so down on me for, like, my tape and brings it up all over town, all over the media. Like, thanks for reminding people once again. All of his shenanigans — I don’t even know what the fuck to call it — is gonna be far more damaging to the kids one day than my tape will ever be. And I have to sit here and not say anything, ever, because I know one day my kids will appreciate that and I know that is the best thing for them.”

Kardashian also expresses her view that the Drake rumor came from Kanye himself. “He was the one that started a rumor that said I was hooking up with Drake, having an affair our whole marriage,” she says. “He accused me of that publicly. So the person that’s supposed to protect me the most publicly would accuse me of having an affair throughout our whole marriage. I really can’t wrap my head around how he is a protector.”

The couple divorced last year after Kim filed for separation in 2021, leading to a contentious year in which Kanye took multiple digs at her new suitor, Pete Davidson (despite having a rotation of short-lived situationships himself), posted private text messages between them on social media, and eventually self-immolated completely with his antisemitic comments, torpedoing his Adidas and Gap deals, from which he’s still dealing with the fallout.

Offset graced the cover of Variety this week, and he understandably found it difficult to talk about Takeoff, his former Migos group mate who was murdered last November at 28 years old.

Offset opened up about the tragedy with the publication, but elsewhere, writers Janee Bolden and Jem Aswad slid in a notable detail: “He was classmates with Quavo — the third member of Migos — and began hanging out with him and Takeoff when Offset was in the sixth grade. While Quavo was Takeoff’s uncle, the two were just three years apart in age, and although Offset is often referred to as Quavo’s cousin, they are actually not biologically related.”

While Offset declined to discuss Migos because of “an ongoing legal standoff” with Quality Control, the 31-year-old rapper said he’s preparing to go “full-fledged into my solo career.” Still, he took a moment to reflect on the past.

“It’s hard for me to talk about sh*t right now,” Offset said, referencing the loss of Takeoff. “I’ve never talked about this stuff. Seriously. Talking about Take is hard, man. Talking about all this sh*t is hard. That’s why I don’t, to be honest. That sh*t hurts. Like, it’s gonna put me in a mood, and I don’t want to get in that mood. Some things I don’t never tell nobody. He’s not here. That sh*t feels fake, bro. I get through my day thinking it’s fake. And I don’t say nothing to nobody about it.”

According to the publication, Offset needed to temporarily walk away from the interview after expressing those feelings.

It’s unfair to put too much pressure on a movie about Jennifer Lawrence being hired to “date” a teenage boy, but No Hard Feelings better be good, FOR THE FUTURE OF R-RATED COMEDIES. (Especially R-rated comedies with pun titles, which I only just got.) OK, yeah, that’s definitely overstating it, but it feels that way. There are so few “adult” comedies released in theaters anymore that it’s refreshing when something like No Hard Feelings — which, again, is about parents hiring Lawrence to bone their awkward teenage son — comes along.

Based on the red band trailer above, the R-rated comedy looks safe. For now.

Here’s the official plot synopsis:

Maddie (Jennifer Lawrence) thinks she’s found the answer to her financial troubles when she discovers an intriguing job listing: wealthy helicopter parents looking for someone to “date” their introverted 19-year-old son, Percy, and bring him out of his shell before he leaves for college. But awkward Percy proves to be more of a challenge than she expected, and time is running out. She has one summer to make him a man or lose it all.

No Hard Feelings, which also stars Andrew Barth Feldman, Matthew Broderick, Laura Benanti, Natalie Morales, Scott MacArthur, and Ebon Moss-Bachrach, opens in theaters on June 23rd.

Succession star Jeremy Strong’s Method acting has been a hot topic issue thanks to co-star Brian Cox being extremely blunt in interviews about how he’s not a fan of the technique. We believe Cox’s exact words on Method acting were, “That American sh*t.”

However, now we have a tale of Strong’s process from an outside observer. While filming the latest season of Awkafina Is Nora From Queens, SNL cast member Bowen Yang learned that the final season of Succession was also filming at the same studio. In fact, the production offices for both shows were very close, which led to an up close look at Strong’s devotion to Method acting.

“At one point, Jeremy walks into the ‘Nora From Queens’ production office and says, ‘Excuse me, do you know where the bathroom is?’” Yang said on his podcast Las Culturistas. “And then someone in the office is like, ‘Yeah, it’s just down the hall to the left.’ He goes, ‘Thank you so much’ and he leaves.”

You might be wondering what’s so Method about that? Just wait. Via Deadline:

“So Jeremy leaves,” Yang added. “Ten minutes pass, and a [production assistant] from ‘Succession’ comes into the office and goes, ‘Hi, was Jeremy just in here?’ and they were like, ‘Yeah he was — he went to the bathroom’ and then this PA goes, ‘Did he ask where it was? Did he come here to ask you where the bathroom was?’ They were like, ‘Yeah, why?’ and the PA says, ‘He has a scene today where he has to ask someone where the bathroom is.’”

Apparently, Strong can’t just ask another character where the bathroom is, he has to know what it feels like to get that information from a total stranger, which cracked up Yang.

“I think that is Method to such a ridiculous degree that he must be in on the joke,” Yang said.

(Via Deadline)