Month: September 2023

For the most part, the Spotify Daily Top Songs Philippines chart for September 4 seems pretty normal. Filipino rock band Lola Amour has the No. 1 spot with “Raining In Manila,” Taylor Swift’s “Cruel Summer” is in the top five, and throughout the chart is a mix of favorite local songs and internationally recognized tunes.

What is peculiar, though, is the song in the final spot, No. 200: “But Just Before I Go, Theres Something You Should Know” by Adriana Venti. The Spotify Charts page lists the song’s release date as August 19, that it was released via YUH RECORDS, and that on the 4th, it was streamed 71,335 times in the Philippines.

The issue is that this is actually an unreleased Ariana Grande song (the name “Adriana Venti” is a big clue) called “Fantasize.” The single art was an edited version of a Grande photo, the original of which can be seen below. After the song’s big day, it was removed from Spotify.

Some Grande songs leaked recently and she addressed that earlier this year, saying in a video, “You guys have heard every bad song and bullsh*t demo that I’ve ever made. Hilarious. It’s impossible to keep things from you. You gotta take some swings and misses.”

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

In just a couple of days, the long-awaited return of Top Boy will finally happen as the show’s third and final season will debut in full on Netflix on September 7. The show returns after its second season, which debuted in March 2022, concluded with a shocking ending. (SPOILER INCOMING:) Jamie (played by Michael Ward) was ambushed at his home and ruthlessly killed by Gerard “Sully” Sullivan (played by Kane Robinson), and the aftermath of this is on everyone’s mind as season three’s debut nears.

The Top Boy experience began with Top Boy: Summerhouse, a show that is essentially a prequel to the current series. Through eight episodes across two seasons, viewers were introduced to main characters like Dushane, Sully, Dris, and Gem. With that being said, most of the names we know in the current Top Boy series were introduced at the show’s start in 2019. So, how important is Top Boy: Summerhouse to Top Boy?

Do You Have To Watch Top Boy: Summerhouse Before Top Boy?

While Top Boy presents a mostly new cast compared to Top Boy: Summerhouse, it is recommended that you watch Top Boy: Summerhouse before Top Boy. There is a lot of context in Summerhouse that makes it easier to understand Top Boy as the latter picks up six years after the former, a series that focused on Dushane and Sully’s earlier days as drug dealers in the Summerhouse estate. It’s through this watch that you’ll understand Dushane and Sully’s relationship better and the characteristics that contribute to the decisions that they eventually make as a duo and separately in Top Boy.

‘Top Boy’ season three debuts on Netflix on September 7 at 3am EST/12am PST. Seasons 1-2 of both ‘Top Boy’ and ‘Top Boy: Summerhouse’ are currently available to stream on Netflix.

The Manningcast will make its return to ESPN2 for a third season, as Peyton and Eli Manning’s alternate broadcast with various guests from the sports and entertainment world quickly became a hit and spawned a number of similar broadcasts both on ESPN and other networks seeking similar success.

However, nothing has quite been able to replicate the Manningcast’s success, largely because the reason it works is the two hosts — oftentimes in spite of its format. The remote broadcast, with both brothers coming live from their respective homes and guests coming in from their own homes or hotel rooms, can be chaotic, with people talking over and stepping on one another trying to tell stories, ask questions, and also talk about what’s happening in the game. The strength of the broadcast, beyond when guests get real loose and start cussing, is when Peyton and Eli breakdown the game, as they provide truly unique insight into how quarterbacks view the game and give the best analysis of offensive football that you’ll see just about anywhere.

As always, the 2023 edition of the Manningcast will take place across 10 weeks, as the brothers don’t work a full season but just over half of ESPN’s broadcasts. Unsurprisingly, they’ll start Week 1 with Jets-Bills but won’t be back until Week 4 (Seahawks-Giants).

The Jets, Bills, and Chiefs will each be featured twice on Manningcast nights, with the 10th date the TBD Wild Card game on ESPN. The best game, at least on paper, is the Super Bowl rematch between the Eagles and Chiefs in Week 11.

It’s been ten years since Miley Cyrus made headlines for her wild Bangerz era. However, as part of her continuing TikTok series in support of her “Used To Be Young” single, Cyrus has shared some of the backstory behind the moments.

In a recent upload, she discussed how extravagant she wanted The Bangerz Tour to be, but how she struggled to financially pull it off.

“The Bangerz Tour was an investment in myself,” Cyrus explained. “A lot of these ideas were kind of so outlandish that no one really wanted to support me in making these pieces… So I had big puppets, oversized beds, I came out of my own face on my tongue.”

Working with the creative director Diane Martel, Cyrus pulled inspiration from movies like The Truman Show to lean into the dreamlike energy. She ended the show in a similar way to how the film ends. And she paid for it all out of pocket, as people thought she wouldn’t make any money from doing that for countless shows.

“I said there’s no one I would rather invest in than myself,” she added. “So I paid for it all to make it exactly what I thought I and the fans deserved.”

Check out the clip of Cyrus talking about The Bangerz Tour below.

Sports fans are at a crossroads. The NFL is gearing up for another action-packed season, the MLB is entering the home stretch, and women’s soccer is enjoying its moment in the spotlight after a thrilling World Cup Down Under. Luckily, keeping up with your favorite teams and players, and indulging in your favorite gameday eats has never been easier.

In the latest episode of Beyond the Game, host Rich Laru shouts out the rising rookies, soccer legends, and stadium snacks worth a follow on social. We kick things off by peeping the Instagram grids of some of the NFL’s brightest talents — think Ravens’ QB Lamar Jackson, Saints running back Jamaal Williams, and Patriots wide receiver Juju Smith-Schuster — to see how they’re getting ready for the upcoming season, on the field and off. Closet tours, anime collections, and hilarious TikTok trend attempts — their feeds have it all.

And, while soccer idols like USWNT stars Tobin Heath, Christen Press, Kelly O’Hara, Sam Mewis, and Lynn Williams definitely deserve a follow on social, it’s their podcasts that we’re talking about here. The players share a hosting side hustle with a handful of talk shows between them that cover everything from inside-the-game knowledge and practice routines to which snacks are locker room must-haves and what they’re binge-watching at the moment. Speaking of food, we end this episode highlighting some mouthwatering eats at baseball stadiums across the country with the help of the Intentional Talk crew from MLB Network as they take a break from their show (which airs Tuesday through Friday at 5PM ET) to educate us on nacho helmets and a beef behemoth known as the boomstick.

Watch the episode above for more.

Burna Boy wants to bring afrobeats to the world. Well, afro-fusion that is at least, as he emphatically claims as not only his genre, but one he also created. Afro-fusion blends elements of afrobeat (different from afrobeats), hip-hop, R&B, dancehall, reggae, and more – elements that are at the foundation of what many know as the afrobeats genre as a whole. In Burna’s mind, this mixture is supposed to be universally palatable as it brings African elements in and outside of the music to the masses. Afro-fusion has been present to varying degrees among Burna’s past projects, but following the release of his beloved African Giant project in 2019, Burna sought to make afro-fusion appear grander and more encompassing altogether.

That brings us to his seventh album I Told Them…. Released 14 months after his sixth LP Love, Damini, Burna Boy pushes his “afro-fusion to the world” agenda more than ever. The album’s lead single, “Sittin’ On Top The World” with 21 Savage, aims to re-emulate the success of “Last Last” as it samples and interpolates Brandy and Mase’s “Top Of The World” to boast about his star status. In the end, what comes out of it is a record that sounds like a product of ‘90s hip-hop more than anything in the afrobeats world. The next single, “Big 7,” though without a sample, is made in a similar vein while erring for a lighter pop feel. In both cases, the “afro” part of the songs exist through Burna Boy’s lyrics as his mannerisms remain while also flashing a line or two in pidgin.

Other examples appear throughout I Told Them… “City Boys” supplies a sample from Jeremih’s “Birthday Sex” classic, “If I’m Lying” shoots for a stripped-down R&B record, and rap legends RZA and GZA contribute interludes on the album. Altogether, Burna’s display of afro-fusion seems to be more equally distributed across the incorporated genres, rather than afrobeats having more of a dominating presence as exhibited on past projects. One could even argue that afrobeats has taken a backseat role through the album’s 15 songs. Even though records like “Normal,” “Giza” with Seyi Vibez, “On Form,” and “Dey Play” more into the afrobeats world, it does nothing more than to balance the scale that holds the more universal records on the other side. Though the approach altogether does make for a palatable body of work to push out into the world, it also leaves his longtime fans to grapple with the reality of their star moving further and further away from his home base — sonically that is — over the years.

That all goes to say that I Told Them… is a solid body of work at the end of the day. Though it pales in comparison to his earlier albums like Outside and African Giant, it still makes for a fun and spirited listen that supplies worthy contributions to your summer playlist in the season’s final weeks. I’ll even go further to say that from a strictly musical point of view, it appears that his “afro-fusion to the world” goals were somewhat successful. The project became the first African album in history to debut at No. 1 on the UK album charts while the album is set to be his second top-40 release on the US album charts in his career. Yet, all of that gets pushed to the side as Burna spent the week leading up to the album’s release criticizing the afrobeats genre in a simultaneous attempt to elevate his status and position in the genre through conversations in American media.

For anyone who follows afrobeats and has love for it, watching Burna Boy tell Zane Lowe that afrobeats lacks substance is incredibly frustrating. Watching Burna Boy tell Wallo & Gillie that he doesn’t know what “afrobeats” is can only make one laugh at the sudden cluelessness. Burna Boy’s claims in multiple interviews that he created afro-fusion are very debatable, and at best you can say it was not a solo effort as Davido and Wizkid – names who achieved African success before him – as well as others also contributed to the afro-fusion genre as it currently stands. Though Burna preaches unity and dreams of a bridge between Africa and the world, it’s as if the bridge must lead to him, or go through him at the very least, for it to be validated in his eyes. Furthermore, the unity that’s spoken of seems to be constructed backward as Burna stands with outsiders and calls on those from home to follow his philosophy and cross the bridge to join him. When instead, Burna could invite outsiders to his home and build that bridge in collaboration with his peers in order to create an honest narrative that will most likely be beneficial to himself, and most importantly, the genre that allowed him to be the superstar he is today.

I Told Them… is supposed to sound like a triumphant celebration of victory over critics and detractors, all of whom have been proven wrong about Burna Boy’s career trajectory. Instead, we received an album that sits in the center of Burna’s latest era where he pushes narratives that are more false than true and damaging to the afrobeats genre which is highlighted by contributors who worked tirelessly to elevate it to the worldwide success that it has now. Look no further than “Thanks” which is upended by his frustration at the collective world’s refusal to blindly hail as the most supreme king. Altogether, it’s a contradiction that ultimately affects the album’s experience. Yes, the music can be enjoyed, but with the message behind it that Burna Boy has been preaching, it also can be frustrating. Burna Boy’s I Told Them… is a bold proclamation that ultimately depends on the listener’s experience, and time will tell if the gamble pays off.

I Told Them… is out now via Spaceship Records & Atlantic Records. Find out more information here.

Burna Boy is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

Drake’s It’s All A Blur Tour is wrapping up soon, as he enters the final third of the tour this month. Over the course of the past two months, which have reportedly been super lucrative for the Toronto native, he’s embraced a string of running gags like receiving a bra onstage on a near-nightly basis, having hilarious and heartfelt interactions with fans, and bringing out guest stars like J. Cole and Travis Scott.

Another tradition, per the fan account WordOnRd, has been Drake ending the show on a different song each night. The results have been varied; while they’ve been fan favorites, there are also plenty he hasn’t played in years, so there’s now a running joke that he never remembers the lyrics. Like most jokes about Drake, he isn’t taking it too seriously, joining in making fun of himself on August 23 in LA. Here are all the special closing songs so far:

In Philadelphia on August 1, he performed “Teenage Fever” from his 2017 mixtape More Life.

https://twitter.com/WordOnRd/status/1686475768296038400?s=20 (“Teenage Fever” was Philly 8/1)

In Milwaukee on August 4, he gave fans a rendition of the Nothing Was The Same favorite “Connect.”

In Inglewood on August 12, he played “Come Thru” from Nothing Was The Same.

Here are the rest, courtesy of WordOnRd:

As summer comes to an end, music fans everywhere have one question on their mind: What was the song of summer? In 2023, the song of summer can be defined using all sorts of criteria: What was popular on streaming apps? What went viral on TikTok? What was inescapable on the radio?

Today (September 5), Billboard dropped their Top Songs Of The Summer 2023 list, which factors in all of this data (specifically, chart data from June 10 to September 9).

At No. 10 is Gunna, who made a return to music this year after being released from jail on racketeering charges. His latest single, “F*kumean” has proven to be a hit, as his return has proven polarizing.

Occupying spots 9 and 8 are SZA, with her hit singles, “Kill Bill” and “Snooze,” respectively. Also taking two consecutive spots is Taylor Swift. At No. 7, Swift pops in with her remix of “Karma,” which features Ice Spice. At No. 6 is “Cruel Summer,” which was originally released in 2019 on Swift’s seventh studio album, Lover.

Lil Durk and J. Cole came in at No. 5, with their collaboration, “All My Life.”

“Flowers” by Miley Cyrus, which was released this past January, continues to be an anthem for the summertime. This one came in at No. 4. Rema‘s remix of “Calm Down,” which features Selena Gomez, earned the No. 3 spot.

This summer proved to be a country music summer, as Luke Combs‘ cover of Tracy Chapman‘s “Fast Car” made its way over to No. 2. And at the top spot is Morgan Wallen‘s “Last Night.”

You can see the list below.

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

Sometimes the best new R&B can be hard to find, but there are plenty of great rhythm-and-blues tunes to get into if you have the time to sift through the hundreds of newly released songs every week. So that R&B heads can focus on listening to what they really love in its true form, we’ll be offering a digest of the best new R&B songs that fans of the genre should hear every Friday.

Since the last update of this weekly R&B and Afrobeats column, we’ve received plenty of music and news from the genre’s artists.

Jorja Smith took one step closer to her Falling Or Flying album by unveiling its tracklist which features J Hus and Lila Iké while Tinashe revealed the tracklist for her BB/ANG3L album. The tracklists continue with Diddy sharing his for The Love Album: Off The Grid and the R&B world was left to grieve with news of the death of Los Angeles singer August 08. Elsewhere, SZA and Summer Walker’s twerk battle went viral, as did Miguel’s performance of a new song “Ropes” while hanging from rope hooks, and Janelle Monáe and Daniel Caesar kicked off their tours.

Here are some more releases on the new music front that you should check out:

Jorja Smith — “Falling Or Flying”

With Jorja Smith’s sophomore album Falling Or Flying coming in a couple of weeks, the British singer returns with the project’s title track. The record is a sleek and shiny release that also marks her directorial debut with its accompanying video. Jorja said the video “came to mind ‘cause i always wanted to shoot a video in space,” adding, “‘Falling Or Flying’ just made me think of that. I wanted to go up into space with someone I love and cherish, but they didn’t want to come with me.”

Ama Lou — I Came Home Late

Years after her debut EP Ama, Who?, British singer Ama Lou answers that question with her debut album I Came Home Late. An entirely solo effort, Ama Lou blends pop and R&B for a soaring record that impresses both through her singing and songwriting skills.

Queen Naija — “No Fake Love” Feat. YoungBoy Never Broke Again

Queen Naija has been letting singles fly since the beginning of 2022, which seemingly signals the start of a new era after her 2020 Missunderstood. Her latest release pairs her with YoungBoy Never Broke Again for their single, “No Fake Love.”

Eric Bellinger — “Find Someone”

The machine that is Eric Bellinger keeps chugging along as he’s back with his new single, “Find Someone.” It’s his first single of the year and first release since December’s “BNB,” but if we know Eric Bellinger for anything, it’s that he’ll be back soon with more.

Laya — Bet That

Staten Island R&B singer Laya checks back in with her new EP Bet That. Through seven songs, Laya is as confident as ever and the ruler of her own world, and despite this unapologetic attitude, there are moments when she is also vulnerable which makes for a great body of work altogether.

Marzz — “In The Morning”

Marzz is back in action after her Love Letterz project. She returns with “In The Morning,” a moody effort that is both simmering and silky as a result of Marzz’s vocals. “This song represents a feeling of waiting until the morning, getting excited of the unknown,” Marzz said about the song. “It’s the wishful understanding of everything within a relationship. Sometimes we need understanding about falling in love when we’re not sure.”

Chase Shakur — It’s Not You, It’s Me… It’s Love (Deluxe)

Atlanta singer Chase Shakur is a rising name in the R&B world and his It’s Not You, It’s Me project is clear proof of that. With that being said, if that project wasn’t enough for you, Shakur returns with its deluxe edition, It’s Not You, It’s Me… It’s Love (Deluxe). Three new songs are added to the project which feels more than an album — a great one — from the new talent.

Raiche — “Big Daddy”

Massachusetts singer Raiche is finally back with her first single of the year, “Big Daddy.” In a press release, Raiche said the record is “one of one.” She adds, “It feels good and it’s authentically me. I had apprehensions about the term ‘Big Daddy’, but I redefined it, and it describes what I am looking for in a future partner.”

Tekno — The More The Better

Nigerian singer and producer Tekno is back with his latest album The More The Better. Thirteen songs make up the project, which is a triumphant return for Tekno following a nine-month period of voice loss as well as a challenging record label.

Ruger — RU The World

Following success with records like “Asiwaju” and “Red Flags,” Ruger arrives with his debut album RU The World. Complete with 18 songs and features from Stefflon Don, Sauti Sol, Amaarae, and Projexx, Ruger aims to showcase his unique sound and versatility as one of afrobeats’ newest stars.

Dominic Scott — Dear Summer

New Orleans multihyphenate Dominic Scott arrives with his latest project Dear Summer, the follow-up to 2022’s Color Theory. Dear Summer is a brief listen at just eight songs, and thanks to features from Blu, Sleazy EZ, Pell, and Cubs The Poet, the project is a bright and warm listen.

Vladimir Putin’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine hasn’t miraculously become more successful following the fiery death of Coup Guy Yevgeny Prigozhin. This has apparently only caused the Russian president to maneuver even harder while denying Turkish efforts to revive a grain deal with Ukraine. Putin has also been dealing with Ruble woes around the same time that he’s been cozying up more to North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un. And according to a new BBC report, Putin is so desperate to replenish Russia’s drained artillery supplies that he is preparing to buy a ton of subpar and even dangerous replenishments from North Korea.

Kim Jong Un, of course, would love any Russian money that he can get, given that Western sanctions have been dragging down his game for awhile. At what price for Putin, though? We’ve already heard that his soldiers have long had to resort to using ammo that’s so antiquated and degraded that it could kill Russian soldiers upon firing. The BBC is now reporting that North Korea’s stockpiles probably won’t make matters better for Putin, and even though Kim Jong Un has apparently wavered on actually visiting Putin, the exchange of weapons and money could still happen even though they are in a terrible state:

John Everard, who served as UK ambassador to North Korea between 2006 and 2008, told the BBC that publicity around the possible visit was a “strong reason why the visit is now unlikely to take place”, as Mr Kim is “completely paranoid about his personal security”.

North Korea has stockpiles of weapons that Moscow needs and which would work with Soviet-era military equipment, although Mr Everard said the weapons were “in very poor condition”.

The New York Times originally reported upon this planned deal, which is said to please Kim Jong Un to pieces, not only for the money but because he wants to “finally be needed by an important neighbor.” However, this deal sound like a (further) disaster in the making for Russia since Putin’s replenishment troops have been largely inexperienced and cannot repair their own tanks. Now, he’ll likely be sending them out into an even more dangerous situation. As long as the cabbage situation is still working for Putin, though, he probably isn’t losing all hope yet.

(Via BBC & New York Times)