Month: August 2023

Happy August! It’s hard to believe just how fast the summer has flown, but there’s still so much new pop music to be excited about. This week finds a pleasant mix of upbeat new releases, a special remix from a longtime band, some slower stuff to help us shift into fall, and much much more. As always, it’s an honor to be sharing these each week, and hope you all enjoy.

Continue scrolling for Uproxx’s Best New Pop roundup.

Carly Rae Jepsen — “Psychedelic Switch”

Carly Rae Jepsen returned this weekend with her brand new The Loveliest Time album — a counter version of her 2022 release, The Loneliest Time. So far, the one that has fans talking the most is “Psychedelic Switch,” combining the record’s dance and disco influences with a trippy instrumental breakdown toward the end, as Jepsen’s voice loops over and over.

Busted, Jonas Brothers — “Year 3000 2.0”

Casual Jonas Brothers listeners might not know that one of their biggest hits, “Year 3000,” is actually a cover of a track first made by the band Busted. Because of this, the two decided to join forces for a fun collaboration that blends their two takes on it together.

Holly Humberstone, D4vd — “Superbloodmoon”

Another preview of her upcoming album, Paint My Bedroom Black, Holly Humberstone brought along D4vd for “Superbloodmoon.” Pulling inspiration from the rare eclipse occasion of the moon turning red, the two musicians reminisce on finding comfort in knowing they’re looking at the same sky.

Anne-Marie, Khalid — “You & I”

“It’s just a really beautiful song, and I’m so glad that Khalid did it as well, because his voice just fit perfectly,” Anne-Marie shared about “You & I” in an interview with Apple Music. “When I listen to that song, it makes me emotional. Because I don’t think I ever thought that I would find love like it. When you find that person, nothing else matters. Everything is OK and every element of life is easier.”

Calvin Harris, Sam Smith — “Desire”

Years after Calvin Harris and Sam Smith last worked together in 2018, the pair reunited for “Desire.” With Smith’s powerfully recognizable vocals and Harris being the guiding light on production, it is in good company among this year’s summer hits.

Eladio Carrión — “6pm En Mallorca”

For Eladio Carrión‘s new song, “6pm En Mallorca,” he pulled the title inspiration partially from Drake’s previous songs, according to Genius. However, the freestyle is entirely his own as he reflects on his career status.

Delaney Bailey — “Bloomington”

Delaney Bailey’s “Bloomington” kicks off her new EP, What We Leave Behind, and is an excellent choice, as her voice immediately captivates listeners with a haunting quality. “You’ll see the same horizon / Maybe 20 more times,” she points out, as the lyrics go on to paint an emotional picture.

Laufey – “Bewitched”

The title track from her forthcoming fall album, Laufey’s “Bewitched” is a dreamy spin that pushes the boundaries of what pop music can be in an incredibly creative way, with the help of a moody orchestral instrumentation.

Tori Kelly — “Cut”

Tori Kelly’s new EP, Tori, opens with “Cut,” setting the tone with a spin on a love song. “I’m the exception / Hit the drum on your heart / Baby, we caught a rhythm,” Kelly sings, as it leads into the catchy pre-chorus.

Ashnikko — “Cheerleader”

As a tongue-in-cheek way of pushing back against society’s standards of beauty, Ashnikko’s latest, “Cheerleader,” finds her tossing in references to Bring It On to help drive home the point.

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

In every presidential election, the “beer question” pops up: which candidate would you rather have a beer with? The answer isn’t Ron DeSantis.

DeSantis held a campaign event in New Hampshire over the weekend. Tickets originally cost $50 to drink beer with the Disney-feuding Florida governor, but NBC News reports they were slashed to $1 due to low sales. Even still, “by the time the event started, an hour late, there were just 30 people in the room.”

DeSantis doesn’t have the juice — but he has lots of leftover beer.

Originally, organizers had made the event free to members of [the New Hampshire Home Builders Association] and charged $50 per ticket for nonmembers. But in an effort to pack the room, the association dropped the price to $1 for nonmembers — a nominal fee designed to prevent tickets from being reserved by malicious actors. “I charged a token $1 because the ‘bots’ fill up events with bad emails,” association executive director Matt Mayberry said in a text exchange with NBC News.

The low attendance for the “FREE BEER! Now That I’ve Got Your Attention, Vote For Ron” campaign stop was roasted by reporter Jonathan Allen on MSNBC. When asked by anchor Ana Cabrera if DeSantis is “just not the kind of guy people want to have a beer with,” he replied, “Maybe they should have offered something harder, Ana… Maybe half a bottle of liquor or something.”

Maybe a gallon of milk is more Ron’s speed.

(Via NBC News)

Once upon a time, sharing the album tracklist used to be a teaser for an upcoming album. Now, we’re teasing teasers, or at least that’s what Olivia Rodrigo did yesterday when she shared a video indicating a tracklist announcement was coming soon. Fans looked for Easter eggs and started speculating about song titles, but now, Rodrigo has unveiled the Guts tracklist in a new video shared today (August 1).

The clip shows Rodrigo pecking away at a typewriter before eventually producing a paper with the tracklist typed out on it. Furthermore, there’s fan speculation that Rodrigo is teasing that the album’s next single will be “Get Him Back” and that it’s coming out on August 25, based on a piece of paper in the video that’s addressed to “258 Get Him Back Drive.”

The album comes out on September 8, but the Guts era is already off to a strong start: Lead single “Vampire” debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.

Find the Guts tracklist below.

1. “All American Bitch”
2. “Bad Idea Right?”
3. “Vampire”
4. “Lacy ”
5. “Ballad Of A Homeschooled Girl”
6. “Making The Bed”
7. “Logical”
8. “Get Him Back”
9. “Love Is Embarrassing”
10. “The Grudge”
11. “Pretty Isn’t Pretty”
12. “Teenage Dream”

Guts is out 9/8 via Geffen Records. Find more information here.

The 2023 Bleached Festival’s lineup has just been decreased by one. Due to health concerns, recording artist PinkPantheress had to pull out of the fest slated to take place this weekend (August 5 and 6). The “Angel” musician shared the unfortunate news with the event’s organizer in a brief note.

In a post uploaded to the festival’s update page on Instagram, they shared the message penned by PinkPantheress: “It is with great regret that I have to cancel my us festival appearances this summer. I have been advised by doctors and my team to take a break from performances in order to preserve my quality of hearing. I am so devastated that I am not able to perform, but I am doing everything in my power to get better so I can continue to do what I love. I hope to return to the US sooner rather than later! Thank you for all your well wishes and understanding.”

Although PinkPantheress won’t appear at the event, other major draws — including Joji, Leon Bridges, and Omar Apollo — are all still locked in. PinkPantheress is also scheduled to perform at the Sol Blume festival at Sacramento’s Discovery Park on August 20, and there has not yet been any word regarding the status of her set.

The 2023 Bleached Festival is set to take place on August 5 and 6 in San Diego at Waterfront Park. Find more information here.

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

For better or for worse, 50 Cent has always been a captivating entertainer and that’s emphasized on both ends. The Jamaica, Queens rapper was catapulted and then some into the masses with his undeniable classic debut album Get Rich Or Die Trying. The album presented 50 Cent as an indestructible and impenetrable figure like no other. These qualities helped make 50 Cent the monumental figure that we now know him as.

Nowadays, 50 Cent’s name is attached to his Power Universe, a crime drama television world that he co-created with showrunner Courtney Kemp with the launch of Power in 2014. That series concluded after six seasons in 2020, but that wasn’t the end of the Power experience. What started next was three spin-offs: Power Book II: Ghost, Power Book III: Raising Kanan, and Power Book IV: Force. The universe dove into alternate narratives in the past, future, and a whole different world from the original Power series. It ensured that the Power legacy would last longer than most TV series do nowadays (minus The Walking Dead, which also has a plethora of spin-offs).

So how did 50 Cent go from hip-hop superstar with an undeniable classic album to a television mogul with a TV series beloved by his community?

It all starts heading into the 2010s, the decade that 50 Cent’s music stardom didn’t translate to the dominant commercial performances that we’d seen with his first three albums: Get Rich Or Die Trying, The Massacre, and Curtis. Before I Self Destruct was released at the end of 2009 and debuted at No. 5 on the album charts with first-week sales of 160,000 copies. While that number can get you a No. 1 album in 2023, that was not the case in 2009. What came next was 50 Cent’s slow exit from being a musician-first entertainer. Another album was delivered in 2014 with Animal Ambition after his release from Interscope Records. His long-delayed Street King Immortal album, which was announced in 2011, is now a “maybe one day” release, much like Dr. Dre’s Detox.

While 50 Cent’s music career was in a bit of a slump, his business ventures flourished. Various investments and partnerships brought the rapper massive success thanks to steps in the publishing, beverage, video game, and apparel industries. In 2010, months after releasing Before I Self Destruct, 50 Cent revived his G-Unit Films company that he originally launched in 2003 and renamed it G-Unit Films and Television. 50 Cent delivered several projects through G-Unit Films and Television within the first few years after the revamp, including Power. In a 2020 interview with The Washington Post, Kemp described the series as a “mixture of a detective story, cops and robbers, and it’s a soap also, it’s a love triangle drama, it’s a family drama.”

Initially, it wasn’t easy to find a home for Power. 50 Cent and Kemp shopped the series to a few platforms but failed to find one that would buy into the story until they came across STARZ and former CEO Chris Albrecht and former head of programming Carmi Zlotnik. “I remember being captivated by the ideas that they were talking about,” Zlotnik said. “I thought the combination of the vision that they had for a show would make something I had never seen before.”

Power delivered drama that left its viewers at the edge of their seats. Cliffhanger after cliffhanger enthralled fans with what could happen after each episode and season between main characters James “Ghost” St. Patrick (Omari Hardwick), Tommy Egan (Joseph Sikora), and others, regardless of how delusional the events in the series were. The growth was apparent too. Power season one finale reeled in 1.08 million U.S. viewers, season two’s finale had 1.54 million U.S. viewers, and season three and four’s finales had 2.01 U.S. million and 2 million U.S. viewers, respectively. Power was popular all over the world by the end of season four. According to Variety, with an average of 9.3 million multiplatform viewers per episode that season and an average of 7.3 million over the life of the series at the conclusion of season four, the success of Power was enough to earn 50 Cent a new four-year deal with STARZ reportedly worth up to $150 million.

By the time that deal was done, 50 Cent had another TV series in development: BMF. The now-released Demetrious Flenory Jr. and Da’Vinchi-led show recounts the rise and eventual fall of the Black Mafia Family drug organization that rose to prominence in the 1980s in Detroit. BMF currently stands as a cousin of sorts to the Power Universe.

Consistency is a key ingredient in the recipe to success for any artist in any field and 50 Cent was well aware of that. His run of consistent hits, catchy hooks, and exciting verses has turned into a run of his television shows that lasts for nearly an entire calendar year. To get a better picture of how continuous and frequent this cinematic universe runs, let’s take a look at the 2021-2022 “season.” Raising Kanan season one ran from July 18 – September 26, BMF arrived for season one from September 26 – November 21, Ghost season two aired from November 21 – February 6, 2022, and lastly Force concluded the run with its inaugural season that started on February 6 – April 17. After a break for the summer, Raising Kanan returned for season two on August 14, kicking off a new round for the run of shows. Through this, 50 Cent’s animal ambition seamlessly made its way from headphones and speakers to small screens all over the world.

Its ability to satisfy every fan of the original Power series is another reason that the Power Universe is successful. For those who desired a continuation of the story, there’s Ghost. If a new focus on fan-favorite Tommy Egan was sought, Force provided that. Wanted to see how the Power world was created? Look no further than Raising Kanan. Furthermore, 50 Cent’s cinematic world provided an aesthetic and focus to satisfy many tastes whether it be ‘80s hip-hop culture (Raising Kanan and BMF), present-day urban luxury (Ghost), a world controlled by the mafia (Force). Lastly, hip-hop culture remained present in all of the aforementioned series as names in or connected to it made appearances in all the shows. They include 50 Cent himself, Mary. J Blige, Kendrick Lamar, Joey Badass, Jeremih, Redman, Jalen Rose, Method Man, LeToya Luckett, Omar Epps, Snoop Dogg, Serayah, Mo’Nique, Eminem, Yung Miami, and others. The culture that 50 Cent first rose to prominence in remained important to him even when he switched lanes and he made sure to include the names from today and yesterday to, once again, capture as many of its elements as possible.

In a world where television series don’t have the lifespans that they used to, 50 Cent and his team of crime drama producers and writers realized that aiming for lateral dominance with multiple options as opposed to longevity with just one would be more impactful for their universe. Add in consistency and attention to detail and audience, and you have the foundational pieces to build an empire that is the Power Universe. Nearly a decade in, 50 Cent wears the TV mogul hat proudly thanks to the success and growth of his cinematic universe.

J. Cole has long held a reputation as one of his generation’s foremost rap lyricists. In a recent interview with Kevin Hart, he revealed some of the influences that he used to develop the style that earned him that reputation. The list includes some unsurprising, obvious picks like Tupac, Jay-Z, Nas, Eminem, André 3000, and Lil Wayne, who he calls “the big bullets,” but then he also name-checks some left-field acts such as Royce Da 5’9 and Canibus.

J. Cole has gotten a lot of love from some of those names; early in his career, he signed with Jay-Z’s Roc Nation and got Nas’ attention with one of the songs on his second album. In 2018, he even got to collaborate with Royce Da 5’9 on the song “Boblo Boat.” He’s also gotten a lot of love from his peers and predecessors lately, as well. Rap legend Big Daddy Kane called J. Cole his hero in a recent interview, while Drake brought out J. Cole for a surprise performance during a stop on his It’s All A Blur Tour.

Cole has since paid that love forward. Elsewhere in his Kevin Hart interview, he declared, “I hate to say it almost ’cause it sounds like pandering, but I really do think, like, man, there’s a lot of fire female rappers. I feel like they’re doing some of the most exciting — commercially, they’re doing some of the most exciting [things]. They’re giving us a lot of fire moments. I feel like that’s something that wasn’t around when we was growing up. […] You always had one. Lil’ Kim, Foxy, Eve. There was always one, but there could never be more than one, almost, it felt like. Now, it’s like, bro, we getting moments and moments and moments. I think that’s hard.”

You can watch the full interview with Hart on Peacock.

Earlier this year, Emma Corrin joined the cast of Deadpool 3 as the film’s main villain. The highly anticipated film will officially bring Ryan Reynolds‘ Merc with a Mouth into the Marvel Cinematic Universe and also bring back Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine. Well, a version of Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine anyway. And if you’re already confused by that, Corrin is right there with you.

In a new interview, the actor opened up about joining the third Deadpool movie after being approached by director Shawn Levy, who loved their stage performance in Virginia Woolf’s Orlando.

“I’d heard about the project but, classic Marvel, they couldn’t tell me anything about it. Absolutely nothing. Zilch,” Corrin told Empire. “So I met him being like, ‘I don’t know what this is about.’”

Turns out, Corrin’s admission didn’t just apply to Deadpool 3. The actor made it very clear to Levy that they’re basically clueless about the MCU, but they do find the whole “phenomenon” fascinating.

“Hands up, I’m not a Marvel person,” Corrin admits. “I’ve watched Spider-Man and Black Panther. I was like, ‘Look, you’re gonna have to debrief me into this.’ It’s such an intricate world. There’s so much to it, it’s an absolute mind-f*ck. All the language and the Easter eggs, and this person is related to that person who did this, and this person came back and this person’s dead… it’s amazing.”

As for why Corrin accepted the part, that’s easy. Who doesn’t want to play the bad guy?

“I feel really excited to play a villain,” Corrin said. “I haven’t done that, and it’s an itch I want to scratch.”

Deadpool 3 will chimichanga its way into theaters on May 3, 2024.

(Via Empire)

Tinashe and Shygirl are blessing both of their fan bases by deciding to join forces for a new North American co-headlining tour. Featuring Uniiqu3 as an opener, the shows will kick off this October starting in Chicago and continue throughout the winter.

The duo celebrated the news by sharing a special tour date poster, where they’re posing together in red dresses and matching heeled boots. Earlier this year, Shygirl also brought Tinashe onto her “Heaven” remix — giving fans an early preview of the party that was about to come.

Since the news broke, many are also hoping that they bring the same co-headlining energy over to Europe. (But for now, it’s just North America.)

The presale kicked off today at noon and will run through Thursday, August 3 at 10 a.m. local time. VIP packages also went on sale today. As for a general public onsale, this will open on Friday, August 4 at 10 a.m. local as well.

Continue scrolling for a complete list of tour dates. Find more information here.

10/28 — Chicago, IL @ Aragon Ballroom
10/30 — Toronto, ON @ Rebel
11/01 — New York, NY @ Terminal 5
11/03 — Boston, MA @ Roadrunner
11/05 — Washington, DC @ The Anthem
11/07 — Atlanta, GA @ Cola-Cola Roxy
11/08 — New Orleans, LA @ Orpheum
11/09 — Dallas, TX @ The Factory in Deep Ellum
11/11 — Austin, TX @ Emo’s
11/13 — Denver, CO @ Mission Ballroom
11/16 — Los Angeles, CA @ Shrine Expo Hall
11/17 — San Francisco, CA @ The Warfield
11/18 — Oakland, CA @ Fox Theater

Suits is, somewhat inexplicably, the biggest show of the summer. The USA Network series, which aired from 2011 to 2019, set a streaming record for the “most viewed acquired title for a single week ever.” Naturally, there’s already talk of a reboot, although nothing is official yet. Or possibly ever.

“In this era of reboots and reunions and all this other stuff, that I’m expecting a call at some point,” executive producer Gene Klein told TVLine. “But I’m not aware of any serious conversations. It’s just one of those things where, in this day and age, you wouldn’t be surprised if somebody called you someday.”

He continued:

As you might remember, it was a complicated dance keeping everybody involved, getting all the actors deals done and keeping them involved through the end of the show. I’d be surprised if we could thread that needle for a reunion, but I’d also be delighted if that happened because [when] you do a show for that long, everybody becomes such a good friend.

One cast member, in particular, is a little busy these days. When asked about getting Meghan Markle back for a potential reunion or reboot or whatever, Klein said, “I would assume that’s just not possible.”

It’s about as likely as Markle and husband Prince Harry recording a podcast.

(Via TVLine)

Vladimir Putin’s Russian debut in his Ukraine invasion has been a raging mess from the very beginning. He initially lost so many troops (including purposefully self-injured soldiers) that the only way to continue was by calling up a draft of 300,000 reservists. This then led to Putin heavily recruiting from prisons, and some of those Russians who protested the war found themselves receiving draft papers as well.

This attempt by Putin to replenish his fallen troops also led to a mass exodus of able-bodied men leaving Russia, and the whole private-army thing is also going fairly horribly, considering that the Wagner Group leader became Coup Guy, and Putin just kinda sat there during the mutiny. Newsweek now reports that there’s been such a resistance to being drafted that harsher new fines are being instituted for those Russians who won’t fight. This also suggests that another massive draft could be coming:

Previously, Russians failing to present themselves at a military registration office after being summoned could face fines of between 500 rubles ($5) and 3,000 rubles. The new legislation will increase that to a flat fine of 30,000 rubles, with higher fines of 400,000 to 500,000 rubles, and 60,000 to 80,000 rubles, for legal entities and Russian government officials, respectively, for failing to submit military registration lists to recruiters.

Newsweek notes that the Kremlin insists that they are trying to avoid a second enormous draft, since it will have further detrimental effects upon the Russian economy. Still, one can probably expect it to happen at some point, since recruiters are going to desperate new measures as time goes forth. Putin could always, you know, call it a day in Ukraine, but admitting defeat does not appear to be in his repertoire.

(Via Newsweek)