Month: July 2023

Florence Pugh is effortlessly cool, and she’s recently been rocking a hairstyle (on the Oppenheimer red carpets) to match. That would be the buzzcut that Pugh debuted at the Met Gala, which was obviously even shorter than the haircut she gave herself during A Good Person, so why did she decide to take the more extreme plunge?

As Pugh recently told Radio Times (via The Daily Mail), “I purposefully chose to look like that. I wanted vanity out of the picture… Vanity is gone. The only thing that people can look at then is your raw face.”

That’s a declaration that we don’t usually hear from actors, but Pugh appears to relish those times when “I’ve not needed to be glam or have a full face of makeup, I fight to keep it that way. It helps the audience.” She also believes that those moments when she can wear less makeup onscreen also aids her performances. “It helps me when I’m wearing less makeup because then I’m less of a sparkly thing on screen,” the Midsommar star explained. “I feel like I’m allowed to do ugly faces, like it’s more acceptable.”

As someone who is genuinely envying that buzzcut right about now (feels like that would be a solid move in this blazing summer heat), I salute Florence Pugh, and given that she doesn’t plan on being a romcom queen, I hope that she gets to enjoy an abundant supply of non-glam roles throughout her career.

(Via Radio Times & The Daily Mail)

Slowdive is back, and they’ve definitely got some skin in the game. Today (July 18), the band has released “Skin In The Game,” the latest single off of their upcoming fifth album, Everything Is Alive.

On the foggy “Skin In The Game,” lead vocalist Neil Halstead delivers hazy vocals as he recounts reaching the end of a relationship, and comes to accept that what’s done is done.

“I won’t know and you won’t say it now / ‘Cause you don’t say and I will never ask,” he sings on the song’s opening verse.

According to a press release accompanying the single and album announcement, Everything Is Alive will contain psychedelic-influenced sounds. The album is dedicated to guitarist Rachel Goswell’s mother and drummer Simon Scott’s father, both of whom died in 2020

“There were some profound shifts for some of us personally,” Goswell said in a statement. “Those crossroads are reflected in the many-layered emotional tenor of Slowdive’s music; everything is alive is heavy with experience, but each note is poised, wise, and necessarily pitched to hope. Its unique alchemy subtly embodies both sadness and gratitude, groundedness and uplift.”

You can listen to “Skin In The Game” above.

Everything Is Alive is out 9/1 via Dead Oceans. Find more information here.

“I personally don’t like to draw a line between ‘K-pop’ and pop music, but I do think it is a good time for K-pop artists to be shown to the world, because the world is just ready for it,” Blackpink’s Jennie once said about the genre of pop as a whole.

While this week saw a BTS member collaborating with a rising rap star, the track was just one of the standouts on this week’s list — as all the artists continue to push the envelope of what’s expected. And we are ready for it.

Continue scrolling for Uproxx’s Best New Pop roundup.

Billie Eilish — “What Was I Made For”

Rounding out the rest of the already-incredibly stacked Barbie soundtrack, Billie Eilish was unveiled as one of the surprise musicians featured on it, as her “What Was I Made For” is an emotional twist to the lighthearted doll’s energy. Through the somber piano track, Eilish explores the themes of self-doubt and questioning her spot in the world.

Karol G — “S91”

Karol G’s creative video for “S91” finds her on the run in the desert, blending real-life with animation, and having some car speed races that would fit right into The Fast And Furious. “I’m sorry, but the flow is not for sale,” she declares, in the English translation of the lyrics — making it a powerful track about owning her individuality.

Jung Kook, Latto — “Seven”

Jung Kook and Latto marked their first collaboration with “Seven,” and it is already off to the races on the charts. As soon as the beat kicks off to start the BTS member’s verse, it already has listeners hooked. Latto feels right at home with her feature on the track, as it includes some equally-fiery lines.

Troye Sivan — “Rush”

Troye Sivan’s “Rush” has made quite the splash in just the few days it has been out. (Particularly, the music video has been met with internet controversy.) No matter what you think, there’s no denying that it’s still a fun, club-ready anthem — which is exactly what he set out to do with it.

Reneé Rapp — “Talk Too Much”

Reneé Rapp is moving more into potential pop star territory, as she also announced her departure from an HBO acting role. Ahead of her new album, the latest drop, “Talk Too Much” shows off her edge a little more with a rock-inspired tone that feels like a perfect fit alongside Olivia Rodrigo and Suki Waterhouse.

Charlotte Cardin — “Jim Carrey”

“Jim Carrey, will you marry me?” Charlotte Cardin asks on the similarly-titled new track, which features a lyric video where a “Jim C.” contact keeps declining her FaceTimes. In between the comedic lines, she reflects on her worst behaviors.

Raia Was — “If You’re Asking (I’m Offering)”

“It’s about being inside a relationship, with its shifting power dynamics, and craving a defining moment – like, are we doing this or not?” Raia Was said about her new song, which appears ahead of her next record, Captain Obvious. “My sophomore LP seemed like as good a time as any to join the ranks of artists who’ve addressed their relationship to the industry from within a song.”

Sofía Valdés — “Easy”

Featured on her upcoming EP, Silvia (named after her grandmother), Valdés’ “Easy” was written during a time when she was struggling emotionally — and felt like nobody really understood. “I picked a fight just for kicks,” she pushes back in the lyrics, carried by light instrumentation.

Ricky Montgomery — “Black Fins”

Ricky Montgomery’s heartbreaking new song, “Black Fins,” finds them reckoning about his relationship with their father — especially in the wake of loss.

“As a young kid, music was my only healthy outlet,” Montgomery shared in a statement. “Songs about deadbeat dads and abusive households made me feel more normal. Like I wasn’t so alone. But nobody had the same story I did. With this song, it is my hope that I can carry forth that tradition of helping other people feel seen. If even one kid out there feels some kind of kinship from this song, that’s a good enough reason to put it out there into the world.”

Charlotte Sands — “Good Now”

Drawing inspiration from early ’00s emo bands, Charlotte Sands’ new EP, Good Now, shows off her fast-paced and biting wordplay. A clear example of this is the title track, “Good Now,” where she points out that she’s “still scared of the next page / cause maybe I’m the villain,” over a fun-and-moody instrumental.

“This EP is about a lot of different experiences and stories throughout the last year of my life,” she noted.

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

Later this week, Splendour In The Grass music festival kicks off in Australia. As the event spans four days, here is everything to know about the set times for this year.

Starting on Thursday, July 20, things kick off at noon with The Gatling Gun performing at Bryon Bay Brewery. Throughout the afternoon, Lila Swain (on the Smirnoff stage) and Kira Sunday (Red Bull Unforeseen) both play at 4 p.m.. Juups follows behind on the Smirnoff stage at 6 p.m., as DJ Cheq (Red Bull) and Nic Holland (Rainbow Bar) start at the same time. On the World Stage, Trouble San DJs play from 5 p.m. until midnight.

However, Friday is when things really kick off. Some acts not to miss on this day include Claire Rosinkranz at 3 p.m. at the GW McLennan Tent, Sudan Archives on the Mix Up Stage from 5:30 to 6:15, J Balvin at the Ampitheatre from 9 to 10, and Lizzo following after him on the same stage — with her performance happening from 10:45 p.m. until midnight.

On Saturday, the Ampitheatre features Benee at 4:15 p.m., King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard at 5:45, Sam Fender at 7:15, Yeah Yeah Yeahs at 8:45, and Flume closing things out on the stage from 10:30 to midnight. Other key acts include Jeremy Zucker at 6 and Arlo Parks at 9 — both playing at GW McLennan Tent. There are also DJ acts that continue until 2 a.m. — in case the party doesn’t want to stop.

For the final day on Sunday, Tove Lo takes the Ampitheatre at 6 p.m., followed later by Mumford & Sons at 10:45. Iann Dior plays the Mix Up Stage at 8:45. Over at the GW McLennan tent, fans can also catch 100 Gecs from 10-11 p.m..

Check out the complete Splendour In The Grass schedule here.

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

Bill Belichick is a legendary figure in the NFL coaching ranks, operating as both coach and head of the front office in New England for more than two decades, but despite putting forth a Hall of Fame career with the Patriots, he is not untouchable when it comes to hot seat talk.

Since the departure of Tom Brady, the Patriots have not been able to regain their footing as one of the AFC’s elite, watching as the Chiefs and other teams, including the division rival Bills, have passed them by. As such, there’s mounting pressure on Belichick to get the Patriots back to that level, and given he is the one making personnel decisions too, there isn’t anywhere to really deflect the blame when the team falls flat.

Given his stature as an iconic figure in New England, few would expect him to be on a real hot seat, but NBC Sports Boston’s Tom Curran — who is as respected and plugged in a Patriots reporter as there is — explained to Rich Eisen that he thinks that’s exactly the case, with his seat having grown steadily warmer since 2019.

As Curran lays out, it all dates back to Belichick not giving Brady the contract he demanded and convincing Robert Kraft it was the right decision to let him go, which of course saw Brady then win a Super Bowl with the Bucs while the Pats took a step back. Since then the Patriots have flailed offensively and while Curran doesn’t think there’s quite a mandate of win a playoff game on Belichick to keep his job, he does think if the team looks as listless as last year and disorganized, Belichick could be asked to step aside to allow defensive coordinator Jerod Mayo to take over as head coach.

We’ll see if this comes to fruition or if the Pats can make a surprising leap forward this season, but in a division with two very good teams in Buffalo and Miami, as well as a Jets team that finally has a high-level quarterback in Aaron Rodgers (although, how great he still is remains to be seen), that task will be immensely difficult.

John Boyega’s latest film, Netflix’s They Cloned Tyrone, feels like it was invented in a Mad Libs lab. An homage to Blaxploitation films that came before, it’s a pulpy crime caper. A mind-bending mashup of sci-fi hijinks and 70s-era funk with some Nancy Drew callbacks thrown in.

Following a trio of troublemakers trying to uncover a bigger conspiracy that threatens their neighborhood, the film sees Boyega playing a drug-dealing criminal forced to team up with a slick-talking pimp (Jamie Foxx, at his comedic best) and a street-smart sex worker (an equally wonderful Teyonah Parris) to take down a government agency intent on controlling Black folks in their community.

Forget the Kool-Aid, these villains are infiltrating the churches, the barber shops, and the chicken joints – weaponizing elements of Black culture for their own nefarious gains while replicating stereotypes that keep people stuck in the same destructive cycles. It’s a real mindf*ck, filled with absurdist comedy, needle drops, and plenty of soul. And it gives Boyega — a sci-fi star in his own right with a Star Wars franchise under his belt — a chance to clone himself, playing multiple versions of a stone-faced anti-hero that’s far removed from his own charming, charismatic persona.

We chatted with Boyega about finding something “fresh” in director Juel Taylor’s script, Attack the Block sequel updates, and why he’s ready for romance (on-screen).

When director Juel Taylor calls you up, tells you the premise for this film, and you hear the words “hood Scooby-Doo” what’s your first reaction?

I’m laughing. Just imagine the Scooby-Doo characters but they’re Black and have our culture and a whole different kind of worldview. But he also spoke about how interesting [it was]. He would go through these ploys that made it quite eccentric at times — funny and slapstick, but at the same time with some cool social commentary. So I was like, ‘Okay, this is going to be something I haven’t seen before.’ In an industry where, you know, you read scripts a lot of the times [that] just touch on things again and again. This just was fresh.

What about this film’s social commentary feels different?

Fontaine is born into a cycle that he can’t really control, which influences his choices. Whether you are stuck in an environment or have limited options — that can influence who you become. Exploring that was just intriguing. It just makes you think about what freedom truly is.

What’s the secret to vibing with Jamie Foxx? How do you make a good first impression?

I don’t even know if there’s a secret. I think that’s all him. If you’ve got a guy that likes people, who’s naturally intrigued by you and your talent, who’s a supporter too, I think that that helps. But then also it’s just the vibe of everybody. It wasn’t just us actors, it was the crew too. Everyone just was willing to work but at the same time didn’t mind busting a smile, having a conversation. I think it just created a nice vibe on set. I compare it to my experience on Attack the Block because I had genuine fun on that. This felt that way because everybody was just so in tune, they could relate to each other.

There’s a lot of dark humor in this movie. Were you worried about anything going too far?

I’m really into dark comedy, especially comedy that makes you reflect on yourself. I’m not really that sensitive. And I have strict rules about artistic expression. Sometimes you’ve just got to laugh for yourself. Juel Taylor just made it very digestible to me. And once I understood his vision, I can’t lie, the jokes could have gone anywhere. If Jamie Foxx is saying it, hell, I’m probably going to laugh.

The movie finds ways to experiment on this community through things they use and consume every day. If someone was going to do that to John Boyega, what would they use?

What’s this thing I’m on now for my skincare? It’s a coffee scrub – for exfoliation. I think if they put it in the coffee scrub, I’ll be pissed. I’m using that every day now, just to make me glow.

You’ve said you had strict rules on the jobs you would take when you were starting out. Have those changed with this added fame and opportunity?

No, not at all. Because I still wouldn’t be in EastEnders. I just like being involved in characters that are farfetched, far from who I am in real life. I just think that’s interesting. I think it makes me feel fulfilled as an actor because it does require a lot of work, a lot of commitment. And I don’t know, I feel more alive when I’m expressing my art in that way. So I would still go for projects much like They Cloned Tyrone that offer me the opportunity to just explore my range.

What’s your stance on where the industry is now, and where it’s headed in terms of diversity and opportunity?

I feel like this movie specifically is a breath of fresh air. I mean now we’re in a climate of strife where people are trying to go for what is fair. And obviously, best of luck on that. But I do think it definitely brings those conversations to the surface. It’s an ever-changing industry. We have far to go, but it’s great to see that projects like this can get made and it’s great to see that people like Juel Taylor can get an opportunity. A first-time director working with Jamie Foxx and Teyonah Parris, that’s a big deal and that definitely reflects on some of the changes coming and you just hope for more and that there’s a consistency in that. Not only to make money but to give birth and fresh air to new directors with fresh perspectives and interesting stories.

There’s a photo of you horseback riding that was taken for a men’s fragrance campaign a while ago and ever since, fans have been asking when John Boyega will get to be in a romance movie.

[laughs] Oh, I can do a Bridgerton! Why not? I would love to do a romance piece. That would be something that I’d really, really enjoy.

Has there been any movement with the Attack the Block sequel?

You know Joe Cornish is still in the lab about to hand off a cool little draft, so we’re going to wait to go through the process and do some writing. But we catch up whenever I’m in town in London and we’ve had a good few creative talks. I know they’re out there doing their research. So the same way they’ve done for Attack The Block, going out to talk to some kids … there’s been a lot of time and change, culturally. So it requires just a lot of research. And we’re giving this movie true development so that we can present the best sequel possible. But yeah, we are still in the lab.

‘They Cloned Tyrone’ is current streaming via Netflix.

Some trends come along on social media that make you scratch your head in confusion. But as the old saying goes, there’s something out there for everybody. This new live social media trend is definitely something for someone—or a lot of someones, since it seems like people are raking in up to $4,000 a month on it.

You may be curious what people are doing to make that much money on a livestream. They’re pretending to be Artificial Intelligence (AI) or Non-Playing Characters (NPCs). They aren’t teaching people anything or talking about their daily life. The creators simply stand or sit with their hands held in camera view as they sway back and forth reacting to the “gifts” people send them.

On the short video app, during live videos, people can send “gifts,” which are virtual items that appear in front of your face on the screen. These items range from sunglasses and cowboy hats to ice cream and corn.

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This may seem like a fun thing to send someone while they’re busy interacting with their fans, but these “gifts” cost real money, which the creator gets a portion of. But the creators pretending to be AI aren’t conversing with their followers. They’re strictly reacting to the virtual gifts that pop up on their screen as if they’re computer generated characters, saying things like, “Oh, ice cream,” then slurping loudly as if they licked the ice cream cone.

@nerdywinter

I’m bout to get this money #greenscreen #pinkydoll #pinkydollreal #ailivestream #tiktoklive #cherrycrushtv

Since it has been revealed that creators are making thousands a month, and Winter has since confirmed that her first livestream pretending to be AI brought her $700 in three hours, other creators have hopped on board. The trend has been popular in Asian and anime communities on TikTok and has since crossed over into America’s general TikTok feed.

While some people are annoyed by their feeds filling up with AI livestreams, no one is upset with TikTok creators getting creative to earn extra money. Another creator, Alluringskull, tried out the trend and made around $350 for a collective 2.5 hours of livestreaming.

@alluringskull

#greenscreen

Overall, it seems like the creators are having fun while pretending to be NPCs, and they’re making a little extra money on top of it. Even if the concept of the entire trend is confusing, it’s certainly fascinating to see what people come up with—and it’s not like making an extra four grand a month is something to scoff at.

Nas and Hit-Boy have been on quite the run. Their musical partnership began in 2020 with King’s Disease, and since then, the cross-generational duo has released three more albums. Two were follow-ups to King’s Disease, while the third was a “break” between them titled Magic. They distinguished Magic by making it much shorter than the other albums, with grittier production and a rawer approach to the lyricism — taking it back to the streets, as it were.

Today, they announced their fifth collaborative project, Magic 2, which will presumably be similar to the first, a palate cleanser before they drop another installment of the King’s Disease series. The partnership has utterly rejuvenated Nas, who has finally been able to shake off some of his “lead ear” reputation over past beat choices, and given Hit-Boy a second life as a well-respected producer for legacy acts as well as blog-era favorites.

The latest announcement has plenty of fans wondering just when the California beat maker has time to sleep. In the past four years, he’s released three other collaborative projects (with Pacman da Gunman, Dreezy, and Musiq Soulchild), as well as two solo projects under the Surf Or Drown banner. The latter features multiple appearances from Hit-Boy’s father, Big Hit, who spent nine years behind bars but has come back strong, picking up where the duo left off in 2014 with “Grindin’ My Whole Life.”

Magic 2 is due on 7/21 via Mass Appeal Records.

A new campaign ad from the Ron DeSantis Super PAC, Never Back Down, has dove headfirst into the artificial intelligence controversy. The spot features an “audio recording” of Donald Trump attacking Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds. There’s just one small problem, Trump never spoke the words in the ad.

Politico has confirmed that Never Back Down used AI to generate the “recording” of Trump. Granted, the text is pulled from a Truth Social post written by the former president, the AI audio plunges the campaign ad into murky, ethical waters:

Political ads have used impersonation before, and the Trump-generated voice in the Never Back Down ad does not sound entirely natural. Still, the spot highlights what could be the next frontier of campaign advertising: The use of AI-generated content to produce increasingly difficult to identify, so-called deepfakes.

The $1 million spot that will run across Iowa is intended to both highlight Trump’s disrespect for his party members as well as weaken him in the primary state. The DeSantis campaign recently sent out a secret memo touting its new strategy of building momentum in early states like Iowa and New Hampshire. An AI ad is certainly one way to go about it.

As for how the Trump campaign is reacting to the controversial campaign spot, they are understandably not thrilled. It takes some real effort to make Trump look like the victim in any situation, yet somehow DeSantis’ people pulled it off. Nice work?

“The blatant use of AI to fabricate President Trump’s voice is a desperate attempt by Always Back Down and Jeff Roe to deceive the American public because they know DeSanctimonious’ campaign is on life support,” a senior Trump advisor told Politico. “After losing big donors and slashing their staff, they have now outsourced their work to AI just like they would like to outsource American jobs to China.”

You can see the AI-generated DeSantis ad below:

(Via Politico)

Don’t be surprised if Kim Kardashian’s SKIMS-wear brand starts marketing itself as the “shapewear that saves lives,” because it does. Or at least it did for one Kansas City woman who’s now touting Kardashian’s bodysuits as “body armor for women.”

Page Six reports that Angelina Wiley was shot four times on January 1st, 2023, while waiting for a Lyft to take her home after a New Year’s celebration with friends. The drive-by gunfire left her with a ruptured bladder and a cracked pelvis, but according to Wiley, the damage could’ve been much worse. In a now-viral TikTok, Wiley revealed it was her SKIMS bodysuit, which she was wearing under her dress at the time, that staunched much of the bleeding — probably saving her life.

“It was so tight on me that it literally kept me from bleeding out,” Wiley says in the video before urging others to purchase a body suit for protective purposes. And her story was so incredible that it eventually caught her savior’s eye. After reposting Wiley’s TikTok as an Instagram story, Kardashian commented, “wowww” before adding a praying hands emoji.

Wiley is now fundraising to pay her extensive medical bills as she continues her road to recovery but fans are urging Kardashian to include her in the next SKIMS campaign. Or, at the very least, send her a new bodysuit as Wiley explained that detectives have her original shapewear in custody as part of an ongoing investigation.

(Via Page Six)