James Blake chimed in on an August Billboard report about music executives’ cynical outlook on successfully breaking new pop artists since Olivia Rodrigo in 2021. “Forced us all onto platforms that reduce our art and now sad that it’s hard to find breakthrough artists,” Blake posted to X (formerly known as Twitter).
This week, however, the Grammy winner presumably only cares about the success of Playing Robots Into Heaven, his sixth studio album due out this Friday, September 8. Blake confirmed the project on June 28 and heightened the anticipation by dropping an accompanying album film on August 23.
Watch the trailer above, and check out everything else you need to know about Playing Robots Into Heaven below.
Release Date
Playing Robots Into Heaven it out 9/8 via Republic. Find more information here.
Tracklist
1. “Asking To Break”
2. “Loading”
3. “Tell Me”
4. “Fall Back”
5. “He’s Been Wonderful”
6. “Big Hammer”
7. “I Want You To Know”
8. “Night Sky”
9. “Fire The Editor”
10. “If You Can Hear Me”
11. “Playing Robots Into Heaven”
Features
As of this writing, James has not confirmed any featured artists.
Artwork
Singles
Blake’s June 28 Playing Robots Into Heaven announcement was accompanied by the single “Big Hammer.” He released “Loading” nearly one month later. It appears the next single will be “Tell Me” on September 7, according to an Instagram post.
Tour
Blake will embark on his Playing Robots Into Heaven Tour this September and October. The tour is scheduled to begin on September 18 in Milan, Italy and end with back-to-back shows in Los Angeles on October 19 and 20. See all of the dates below.
With all that going on, Aerosmith is still staging its Peace Out: The Farewell Tour. The band announced its final trek with a movie trailer-like video, which can be watched above. There was an accompanying news release from Live Nation, stating, “After 50 years, 10 world tours, and playing for over 100 million fans… it’s time for one last go.”
The Peace Out: Farewell Tour began on Saturday, September 2 at Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The next stop will be PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania on Wednesday, September 6. See all of the dates between then and the grand finale on January 26, 2024 here.
According to setlist.fm, Aerosmith took the stage in Philly at 9 p.m. local time and delivered an 18-song set, including an encore of all-time classic tracks “Dream On” and “Walk This Way.” See the full setlist below.
1. “Back In The Saddle”
2. “Love In An Elevator”
3. “Cryin’”
4. “Janie’s Got A Gun”
5. “Adam’s Apple”
6. “Livin’ On The Edge”
7. “No More No More”
8. “Rag Doll”
9. “Hangman Jury”
10.”Seasons Of Wither”
11. “Movin’ Out”
12. “Stop Messin’ Around” (Fleetwood Mac cover)
13. “Rats In The Cellar”
14. “I Don’t Want To Miss A Thing”
15. “Sweet Emotion”
16. “Toys In The Attic”
17. “Dream On” (encore)
18. “Walk This Way” (encore)
Travis Scott had been on cruise control since the July 28 release of Utopia, which debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 albums chart and kept the top spot for four consecutive weeks. And then, Zach Bryan happened.
Bryan’s self-titled album debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart dated September 9 — his first career No. 1 album — demoting Scott’s Utopia to No. 2.
As per Billboard‘s Keith Caulfield, “The 16-song country-rock effort, his fourth full-length studio album, launches with 200,000 equivalent album units earned in the U.S. in the week ending August 31, according to Luminate — the largest week for any rock album in four years. It’s also the first rock effort to hit No. 1 in more than a year. The set’s opening frame is largely powered by streaming activity — and the album boasts the biggest streaming week ever for a rock album.”
Scott’s Utopia, which debuted with 496,000 equivalent US album units in its first week, generated 91,000 equivalent album units in the week ending August 31.
In May, The Hollywood Reporterexclusively reported that Marvel Studios was “shutting down pre-production” on Blade, starring Mahershala Ali. The film was initially due to start filming in Atlanta in June, but that was nixed because of the ongoing Writers Guild Of America strike.
“That doesn’t mean a new Blade, with or without its two-time Oscar-winning star, will never happen,” Uproxx’s Matt Prigge explained at the time. “Marvel plans to restart pre-production when the strike ends, whenever that is. When/if it arrives, it will be the second big screen stab at the character, who was iconically played by Wesley Snipes over three films.”
One year on, Snoop and Stephen A. have given us another headline, as we wait on Missionary to materialize. This time, Stephen A. joined Shannon Sharpe’s podcast, Club Shay Shay. The Hall Of Fame NFL tight end offered to go to the gym with Smith, who couldn’t reject the invitation fast enough, and Snoop inexplicably caught a stray in the process.
“Listen, you want a meme that people will be laughing at me for the next two decades?” Smith said. “Have me in the gym with Shannon Sharpe. C’mon, man. That’s like The Rock standing next to Snoop Dogg. We ain’t doing that. Snoop is my dog. You know I love you, baby. I mean, come on, now. I ain’t doing that. I’m not getting in the gym with you.”
Snoop responded with a shirtless photo on Instagram, writing in the caption, “@stephenasmith @shannonsharpe84 I’m getting my weight up so when I come on the show will talk about [weightlifting emoji] Thanks 4 the motivation.”
Sharpe commented on the post with six flexing emojis.
This year’s Burning Man was not the fun and free-spirited getaway that it usually is. Instead it was an apocalyptic nightmare. Severe rainfall turned the desert grounds into a muddy hellscape, stranding over 60,000 revelers. Some, like Diplo and Chris Rock, managed to escape. There was even one death. The event’s misfortune prompted tons of responses, but few were as bonkers as the one from Marjorie Taylor Greene.
As per Newsweek, the always unhinged MAGA lawmaker went on Alex Jones’ Info Wars to speak ill of those trapped by Mother Nature. She claimed, bitterly, that they’re “basically probably being brainwashed that climate change is the cause of all of it… and it’s going to destroy the Earth.”
As the freak rainstorms ruined Burning Man this weekend, some have pointed to climate change as a probable culprit, as it’s been for all the super-sized weather issues that have plagued the planet all summer long.
Jones, though, argued it was the Burners who did themselves in, pointed out that they “did a mock sacrifice,” which may be why it “flooded with these tornadoes.” (There weren’t any tornadoes, by the way, just heavy rainfall.)
Greene took that idea further. “God has a way of of making sure everyone knows who God is,” she replied. “I’ll say that about that.”
She then claimed they were going to go home and talk climate change.
“It’s the same thing, same way they launch any kind of movement,” she said. “After this is over and Burning Man and these 75,000 people dispersed and they go back home, they’re gonna have these stories to tell and how terrible [it] is and how we have to do everything possible to stop climate change. It’s caused by humans and it’s carbon.”
Warning: This post contains spoilers for the final stretch of Succession, a show you should watch.
Successionended with a bang. It also ended with many questions left hanging. What kind of Waystar Royco honcho will Tom Wambsgans be? Will Shiv put up with their marriage or orchestrate a moneyed exit? Will those crazy kids Roman and Gerri ever reunite? Then there’s Kendall. Is he going to be okay? Probably not. But if he’s smart he’ll at least stop worrying about one mystery: Did his dad want him to succeed him or not?
Now we finally have an answer. At an event hosted by the Financial Times in London (as per Deadline), Succession creator Jesse Armstrong addressed one of the bombshell moments in the fourth episode of the final season. In the wake of Logan’s death, family and colleagues meet at his home to deal with the messy aftermath. Among the materials he left behind is a paper of possible successors, which features Kendall’s name — which is either underlined or crossed out. Kendall agonizes over this and it’s clear it will haunt him forever.
But now, some three months after the show wrapped, Armstrong has explained that one. “If you were gonna cross out, you wouldn’t start underneath, would you?” he said.
Succession showrunner and creator Jesse Armstrong confirming if Logan had crossed out or underlined Kendall. He also physically drew the line on the paper so definitely knows the answer #Succession#FTWeekendFestivalpic.twitter.com/yXLSOoirF2
Of course, it could still be a cross-out. Maybe Logan was just being careless that day! Of course, these are fictional characters on a not-real show, so it’s not worth spending too much brain power on this one.
Armstrong noted that when the show was still in the midst of airing, he was adamant about not explaining some of its mysteries. Now, though, he’s “happy to spoil it by telling you what I think of everything.”
Keeping up with new music can be exhausting, even impossible. From the weekly album releases to standalone singles dropping on a daily basis, the amount of music is so vast it’s easy for something to slip through the cracks. Even following along with the Uproxx recommendations on a daily basis can be a lot to ask, so every Monday we’re offering up this rundown of the best new music this week.
This week saw two of modern hip-hop’s biggest icons, Doja Cat and Nicki Minaj, come through with some newness. Yeah, it was a great week for new music. Check out the highlights below.
There’s certainly been a lot of drama when it comes to the rollout of Doja Cat’s new album Scarlet, but through it all, the actual music has been on point. Doja continued that trend last week with “Demons,” which even came with a creepy video starring Christina Ricci.
Nicki Minaj — “Last Time I Saw You”
While Doja’s leaning more into rap with her new work, Nicki lets her pop side shine through on her new single, “Last Time I Saw You.” Uproxx’s Alex Gonzalez notes that on the song, “Nicki taps into her vocals, delivering a pop and R&B-influenced hit with a painfully relatable message.”
Timbaland, Nelly Furtado, and Justin Timberlake — “Keep Going Up”
Timbaland just brought a slice of 2006 to present day. That year, he worked on Furtado’s Loose album and Timberlake’s FutureSex/LoveSounds, and last week, the three linked up for “Keep Going Up,” an upbeat number that boasts a ’00s-inspired sound without sounding dated.
JID and Lil Yachty — “Van Gogh”
JID and Yachty made a little something together… literally little, as it’s a two-track EP called BlakkBoyz Present Half Doin Dope/Van Gogh. The two-minute “Van Gogh” is swimming in bass as the two rappers swap verses, with their disparate vocal styles playing well off each other.
Griff — “Vertigo”
Former Uproxx cover star Griff made waves with her 2021 mixtape One Foot In Front Of The Other, and now the UK star is at “the beginning of a new creative chapter” (her words). It starts with “Vertigo,” last week’s slow-burning single that sees Griff dealing with uncertainty.
Lauren Mayberry — “Are You Awake?”
Mayberry is stepping outside of her duties with Chvrches for a new solo project, and indeed, “Are You Awake?” doesn’t sound like anything she’s made with her band. Instead of electro-pop, Mayberry delivers a piano ballad here that lets her vocals shine (the track’s co-written by inaugural Grammy Songwriter Of The Year winner Tobias Jesso Jr., by the way).
Petey — “The Freedom To F*ck Off”
F*cking off is terrific, but it’s not always easy or even possible. That’s what TikTok favorite Petey laments on his new song “The Freedom To F*ck Off,” which, like many of his other songs, shares Petey’s uniquely presented perspective on life via dynamic indie rock.
Troye Sivan — “Rush” Feat. PinkPantheress and Hyunjin
Sivan’s “Rush” is one of the summer’s best bangers and now he’s brought it to a new plane by introducing a couple guests on a new remix. PinkPantheress and Stray Kids’ Hyunjin enter the mix and aside from increasing the track’s star power, they contribute verses that give the track some new rhythms.
Teezo’s debut major-label album How Do You Sleep At Night? is coming right up and he’s kicking things off with a big-time assist from Janelle Monáe. The Age Of Pleasure star guests on “You Thought,” which packs a lot of artistic variety into three minutes.
Lil Wayne — “Kat Food”
On the surface, it may seem Lil Wayne is rapping about feline meals on “Kat Food” (he namedrops Purina, even), but a closer look at the lyrics is telling. What Wayne’s actually doing here is utilizing his clever wordplay on a song that is all about eating… well, something else, something more feminine and anatomical.
Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
Yellowstone, the most popular drama on linear television, hasn’t had a hot last half year. Fans of the show were horrified when rumor spread that star Kevin Costner was trying to skedaddle. Over the weekend more details about his departure finally emerged, and it seems things are so bad between him and the powers-that-be that he’ll probably take them to court. It also appears it has a critic in a noted Native American actress.
Lily Gladstone, who co-stars in Martin Scorsese’s forthcoming Killers of the Flower Moon, spoke to New York magazine (before the SAG-AFTRA strike began, of course). In a bit teased out by Entertainment Weekly, she unloaded on your parents’ favorite show, offering two words for its cowboy mythmaking: “Delusional! Deplorable!”
Gladstone didn’t go into specifics, or if she did her interviewer didn’t put them in the piece. But she did try to thread the needle by not insulting some of the actors on the show. “No offense to the Native talent in that,” she said, adding, “I auditioned several times. That’s what we had.”
Gladstone, who first came to prominence in Kelly Reichardt’s Certain Women, is among a semi-recent influx of Native American actors who’ve begun getting more roles than those in the past, when the pickings were extra slim. (In Hollywood’s Golden Age, Native American characters were usually played by Caucasians, like Rock Hudson.) The much-loved Predator prequel Prey was predominantly cast with Native American actors, while Reservation Dogs (on which Gladstone has appeared) is one of FX’s most acclaimed shows.
In Flowers of the Killer Moon, Gladstone plays a member of the Osage tribe, who came into abundant wealth starting in the early 20th century after huge deposits of oil were discovered on their land. The film, like the bestseller before it, details the “Reign of Terror” of the 1920s, when outsiders used underhanded ways to steal their fortune. It’s due in theaters on October 20, including on IMAX screens.
Steve Harwell, best known for his time as the iconic lead singer of Smash Mouth, died today (September 4) at 56 years old, Rolling Stone and The New York Times report. Smash Mouth manager Robert Hayes confirmed the news to the publications, saying Harwell died at his Boise, Idaho home “surrounded by family and friends,” and that he “passed peacefully and comfortably.”
Hayes also noted:
“Steve has been retired from Smash Mouth for two years now, and the band continues to tour with new vocalist Zach Goode. That said, Steve’s legacy will live on through the music. With Steve, Smash Mouth has sold over 10 million albums worldwide and topped the charts with two #1 hit singles, five Top 40 singles, three Hot 100 singles, four Billboard 200 albums and a Grammy nomination not to mention the hundreds of film and television placements and of course those musical features in Shrek. […]
Steve’s iconic voice is one of the most recognizable voices from his generation. He loved the fans and loved to perform. Steve Harwell was a true American Original. A larger than life character who shot up into the sky like a Roman candle. Steve should be remembered for his unwavering focus and impassioned determination to reach the heights of pop stardom. And the fact that he achieved this near-impossible goal with very limited musical experience makes his accomplishments all the more remarkable. His only tools were his irrepressible charm and charisma, his fearlessly reckless ambition, and his king-size cajones. Steve lived a 100 percent full-throttle life. Burning brightly across the universe before burning out.”
Hayes did not confirm the cause of death. This news comes shortly after Hayes revealed the singer was receiving hospice care at home due to medical complications, telling CNN yesterday, “Although Steve is here with us still, sadly it will only be for a short time.”
Harwell was born on January 9, 1967 in Santa Clara, California. He was a founding member of Smash Mouth in 1994, alongside Greg Camp, Kevin Coleman, and Paul De Lisle. The band achieved success with its debut album, 1997’s Fush Yu Mang, which featured the single “Walkin’ On The Sun.”
The group reached its commercial peak with its second album, 1999’s Astro Lounge, best known for the band’s signature song, “All Star,” along with “Then The Morning Comes,” another successful single. The final Smash Mouth album released during Harwell’s lifetime was 2012’s Magic.
Harwell retired from Smash Mouth in 2021, shortly after videos of Harwell exhibiting unusual behavior during a live performance garnered attention online. In a statement announcing the news, it was revealed Harwell was diagnosed with cardiomyopathy eight years earlier. Harwell also dealt with Wernicke encephalopathy, which impacted his motor skills, speech, and memory.
In the retirement statement, Harwell noted, “Ever since I was a kid, I dreamed of being a Rockstar performing in front of sold-out arenas and have been so fortunate to live out that dream. To my bandmates, it’s been an honor performing with you all these years and I can’t think of anyone else I would have rather gone on this wild journey with. […] I am so grateful to each and every one of you who has helped Smash Mouth sell over 10 million albums worldwide, put us on top of radio charts and those who have kept All Star relevant as one of the top memes on the internet today. I cannot wait to see what Smash Mouth accomplishes next and am looking forward to counting myself as one of the band’s newest fans.”
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