Month: September 2023

Nearly a year ago, word surfaced that Vladimir Putin’s war in Ukraine has caused such isolation (with companies pulling business out of Russia) that people were even struggling to find paper. Flash forward to this week, and Russian State TV has been advising people to start embracing a life of hardship like the people of Putin’s new BFF, North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un. (Never mind that Putin has plenty of Botox stashed away and zooms around on a cosmetology train.)

The “be like North Korea” type of sentiment won’t come as comfort for Russians who have been increasingly unable to find necessary medicines due to sanctions. Early on in the war, we heard about how the Viagra supply got cut off, but these days, Russia has come up with its own generic substitute. Yet that doesn’t help people who have a vital need for many hard-to-find prescription and over-the-counter drugs, which as Newsweek reports, approached the 100 mark and counting awhile back:

Over the past year, dozens of types of medicines have disappeared from pharmacies. Some in short supply include drugs to treat diabetes and cardiovascular diseases, blood pressure medication, antidepressants, antitumor drugs, antihistamines, antibiotics, antipyretics, and others, according to local media.

A commission created by Russia’s Ministry of Health also published a list in January of 97 drugs that are potentially in short supply. Meanwhile, doctors are voicing concerns over drug shortages and soaring prices in interviews with Russian news outlets.

The publication also spoke with surgeon Alexander Vanyukov, who revealed that even the most commonly taken medications that aren’t affected by sanctions are in short supply because their shipping time often exceeds their shelf life. That’s saying a lot.

(Via Newsweek)

For those who didn’t know, Taylor Swift is gearing up to drop 1989 (Taylor’s Version) as her next re-recording in October. Like her previous releases, she has included vault tracks to encourage fans to stream the ones she owns.

To tease the mystery tracklist reveal of the new songs that will be on 1989 (Taylor’s Version), Swift is using Google for a puzzle that pops up when you search her name. While fans are currently unscrambling the words that connect to Swift’s past, one caught people’s attention: “Sagittarius.”

While this is Swift’s star sign, it also might be a clue for a collaboration with Nicki Minaj being included on the album. The two performers have been friends for a while. However, recently, they’ve seemed to be dropping a lot of references to the fact that they’re both fire signs.

Back in August, Minaj reacted to her and Swift being the only female artists to have over 100 Billboard Hot 100 entries. “Fighting the urge to say Sagittarius ting right now so bad,” she tweeted.

At the 2023 MTV VMAs just a few days ago, Swift also referred to Minaj as her “favorite Sagittarius.” And she does love a good Easter egg.

Only time will tell if Nicki Minaj is on Taylor Swift’s 1989 re-recording, though. Hopefully the vault opens soon.

Here’s a fun trivia question to annoy your friends with: which actor is in the two highest-grossing biopics of all-time?

I’ll give you a minute.

Time’s up: it’s Rami Malek. He’s in both Bohemian Rhapsody, which held the biopic record, and the new #1, Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer, which recently crossed over $900 million at the worldwide box office. Not bad for a three-hour drama with a cast of character actors.

“When a filmmaker as strong as Chris is pointing a finger at you and telling you where to go… you listen… and audiences have been rewarded for it,” Phantom Thread director Paul Thomas Anderson told the Associated Press about the success of Oppenheimer. “I know some film buffs who drove from El Paso to Dallas to see the film properly. That’s about 18 hours round trip.”

PTA continued, “I don’t think there’s anyone who could disagree – seeing Oppenheimer on film is superior in every single way. Not to mention, people are tired of asking, ‘Why would I go to a movie theater to watch TV?’ Good question… you don’t have to anymore.” He added, “I would call this is nature’s way of healing.” Nature won’t fully be healed, however, until a certain Halloween movie starring Anderson’s buddy Adam Sandler gets the theatrical release it deserves.

(Via the Associated Press)

Latin music titans are preparing to battle it out at the 2023 Latin Grammy Awards. Ahead of the pack is Mexican music extraordinaire Edgar Barrera, with a whopping total of 13 nominations. Barrera is up for several of the evening’s biggest awards, including Songwriter Of The Year, Producer Of The Year, and Song Of The Year. Camilo, Karol G, Shakira, and Kevyn Mauricio Cruz (better known as Keityn) tie for second place with seven nominations amongst each Colombian act. Argentine producer and DJ Bizarrap holds down the third slot with six nominations.

Despite the massive success of his album Génesis, Peso Pluma was notably missing from each category. However, the organization was sure to point out that the eligibility period for the 2023 Latin Grammys was between June 1, 2022, through May 31, 2023. So due to its June 22, 2023 release date, Génesis would not have been eligible.

The ceremony is set to take place on Thursday, November 16, at the Conference and Exhibition Centre in Sevilla, Spain. This will mark the first international show in Latin Grammy’s history.

Continue below to see the nominees list for the main categories at the 24th annual Latin Grammy Awards. To view the full list, click here.

Record Of The Year

Christina Aguilera – “No Es Que Te Extrañe”
Pablo Alborán – “Carretera y Manta”
Paula Arenas Featuring Jesús Navarro – “Déjame Llorarte”
Bizarrap Featuring Shakira – “Shakira: Bzrp Music Sessions, Vol. 53”
Fonseca & Juan Luis Guerra – “Si Tú Me Quieres”
Karol G – “Mientras Me Curo Del Cora”
Natalia Lafourcade – “De Todas Las Flores”
Lasso – “Ojos Marrones”
Maluma and Marc Anthony – “La Fórmula”
Rosalía – “Despechá”
Alejandro Sanz feat. Danny Ocean – “Correcaminos”

Album Of The Year

Pablo Alborán — La Cu4rta Hoja
Paula Arenas — A Ciegas
Camilo — De Adentro Pa Afuera
Andrés Cepeda — Décimo Cuarto
Juanes — Vida Cotidiana
Karol G — Mañana Será Bonito
Natalia Lafourcade — De Todas Las Flores
Ricky Martín — Play
Fito Páez — Eadda9223
Carlos Vives — Escalona Nunca Se Había Grabado Así

Song Of The Year

“Acróstico” – Kevyn Mauricio Cruz Moreno, L.E.X.U.Z, Luis Fernando Ochoa & Shakira, songwriters (Shakira)
“Amigos” – Pablo Alborán and María Becerra, songwriters (Pablo Alborán Featuring María Becerra)
“De Todas Las Flores” – Natalia Lafourcade, songwriter (Natalia Lafourcade)
“Ella Baila Sola” – Pedro Julian Tovar Oceguera, songwriter (Eslabon Armado, Peso Pluma)
“NASA” – Édgar Barrera, Camilo and Alejandro Sanz, songwriters (Camilo and Alejandro Sanz)
“Ojos Marrones” – Luis Jiménez, Lasso and Agustín Zubillaga, songwriters (Lasso)
“Shakira: Bzrp Music Sessions, Vol. 53” – Santiago Alvarado, Bizarrap, Kevyn Mauricio Cruz and Shakira, songwriters (Bizarrap Featuring Shakira)
“Si Tú Me Quieres” – Fonseca, Yadam González and Yoel Henríquez, songwriters (Fonseca and Juan Luis Guerra)
“TQG” – Kevyn Mauricio Cruz, Karol G, Ovy On The Drums and Shakira, songwriters (Karol G and Shakira)
“Un X100to” – Bad Bunny, Édgar Barrera, Marco Daniel Borrero and Andrés Jael Correa Ríos, songwriters (Grupo Frontera Featuring Bad Bunny)

Best New Artist

Borja
Conexión Divina
Ana Del Castillo
Natascha Falcão
Gale
Paola Guanche
Joaquina
León Leiden
Maréh
Timø

Ed Sheeran is teaming up with iHeartMedia for a special performance titled “A Special Ed Sheeran Immersive Experience.” The event will be held in Fortnite at iHeartLand’s State Farm Park. Fans will have the chance to hear Sheeran perform on October 5 at 3 p.m. ET and can play through October 9.

Sheeran is expected to play songs like “Eyes Closed,” “Shape Of You,” “Boat,” and “Life Goes On,” as players can view “exclusive scenes” themed to each track. According to a press release, the immersive experience has Sheeran performing “throughout the different worlds as video screens flood every scene.”

Given his next album, Autumn Variations, drops on September 29, this event will celebrate the release.

“Ed Sheeran is one of today’s biggest superstars and is known for creating unique music experiences that captivate his audiences,” Tom Poleman, Chief Programming Officer for iHeartMedia, shared in a release on the company’s site. “We knew he was the perfect artist to feature for our first immersive experience, built in partnership with Epic Games.”

“It’s great to see iHeartMedia continuing to bring world-class artists like Ed Sheeran into Fortnite through their iHeartLand experience,” Nate Nanzer, VP of Global Partnerships at Epic Games, added about the collaboration.

For more information and to view the performance, fans can access the iHeartLand on Fortnite here.

Ed Sheeran is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

I couldn’t get into The Morning Show. I did try. I spent two seasons listening to people tell me it was messy and silly and sometimes fun, which, to me, a person who gleefully recapped a show about crazed animals waging a war against humans and got really into a melodramatic show about fleece-wearing finance bros doing battle with Paul Giamatti and sometimes doing synthetic speed in the office, is basically a love song. But I just couldn’t do it. Even with Jennifer Aniston and Reese Witherspoon and Steve Carell and a collection of the most bonkers storylines you’ve ever seen committed to the small screen. Oh well, I thought. Worth a try. Plenty of other shows out there.

But then I saw reviews trickle in for the third season. And I clicked on all of them, in part because I’m curious and in part because I’m unwell and in part because some of them, like this one by Alison Herman at Variety, contained paragraphs like this, which tickled all the little goofball receptors in my brain.

We open in the spring of 2022, two years since the onset of the pandemic and the end of Season 2. The TMS crew have been offered up as guinea pigs for Paul Marks (Jon Hamm), a billionaire and aerospace pioneer who’s basically a more telegenic Elon Musk (or a younger Richard Branson, or a Jeff Bezos with hair). For some inexplicable reason, this creature of Silicon Valley has taken an interest in legacy media, so to lay the path for a potential acquisition, network CEO Cory Ellison (Billy Crudup) wants to give Marks’ latest rocket launch a friendly face and send an anchor into orbit. So does Season 3 start on a quite literal high note, though “The Morning Show” must soon turn to the mess back on Earth.

Here we are, a little over a week after I first read that paragraph, and two important things have happened:

• I still do not actually “watch” The Morning Show
• I started doing this thing where I open an episode and skip through to the scenes with Jon Hamm and then I watch those few minutes, make a bunch of screencaps, and then launch forward until he shows up again

It’s a fascinating and probably unprofessional way to consume a television show. I can’t stop doing it. Jon Hamm is just so good, all the time, even when he’s playing a real-life cartoon character masquerading as a tech bro. Here he is in a sauna with Billy Crudup doing business deals.

Here he is showing Jennifer Aniston his many acres of pristine real estate in the west, right after, no joke, hauling ass with her around it all in a dune buggy.

And here he is inside his own rocketship getting ready to blast off into space with Reese Witherspoon on live television, which happened in the same episode he whipped around the desert in a dune buggy with Jennifer Aniston. This would be a really fun thing to explain to someone at the peak of Mad Men’s fame when Hamm was playing the most serious man on television in one of the best shows ever made. It’s also fun to explain to people today. You should see the smile on my face as I’m typing this. Look at this guy.

And I realized as I was watching it that the reason I was so happy is, like, good for Jon Hamm, man. He seems like a guy who has it figured out. Again, he played Don Draper for like a decade. He’s in the television Hall of Fame forever just for that. He could probably have his pick of a zillion projects. He could line up pretentious prestige shows one after another and stroll into the Emmys every year if that’s what he really wanted to do.

But instead, he’s just doing… cool stuff. I can’t think of a better way to phrase it. Scroll through his filmography sometime. He’s popped up on 30 Rock and Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt as huge weirdos. He’s played heightened and comedic versions of himself in Barry and Curb Your Enthusiasm. He voiced a cartoon scallop in Big Mouth and narrated the insane tennis mockumentary 7 Days in Hell. He played Fletch in the criminally underrated and under-discussed Confess, Fletch that dropped last year. He showed up in Top Gun: Maverick as the hardass military guy who is fed up with Tom Cruise’s loose-cannon shenanigans. It’s like he looks at potential roles and says “Hmm, would this be kind of awesome?” and then bases his decision on that. I respect this so much.

I also respect that he pops up on SNL every now and then and does an incredibly stupid sketch that makes fun of his last name.

I shouldn’t like this. I should hate him a little bit. He’s too talented and too good-looking to also have things figured out this well. The degree of difficulty here is through the roof. And yet… here I am, zooming through a show I don’t even watch to make screencaps of him going to outer space with Elle Woods. I don’t know. Part of me feels like I’m writing this just to try to make sense of it all. Maybe that’s it. Maybe I’m just really happy for Jon Hamm.

And it gets better, too. He’s also going to appear in the new season of Fargo — one of our best shows — opposite the also-great Juno Temple. Look how excited the producers are about working with Jon Hamm.

“Jon Hamm is Jon Hamm. Every actor should have a resume like that. I mean, remarkable,” Littlefield says. “Dot needs a great adversary to tell this story and we felt that Jon could really sing from that hymnal, that he could be that North Dakota sheriff who really, really bought into an entire world philosophy, a rigidity, and he has an ax to grind and so he is such a critical pillar in Dot’s story, the reveal of who she is, what is her past.”

He calls Hamm’s portrayal “wonderfully menacing” throughout the season. “We feel his muscle, his dramatic muscle,” he says, “but he’s also Jon Hamm, so you’re like, ‘Oh my god, did he do that?’”

God, I’m excited for this already. And I’m excited for Jon Hamm to continue following his heart around Hollywood. And I’m excited because I have another ridiculous screencap to show you from The Morning Show. Remember how I said his character is a billionaire who is obsessed with blasting rockets into space? Well, guess if his rocket looks so much like a massive penis that I busted out laughing when I zipped past it on my speedwatch.

It’s so beautiful I could cry.

And, as if all that wasn’t enough, as if Jon Hamm hasn’t been just generally killing it in a way most actors can never wrap their arms around because they’re too needy or ambitious or both, there was also this report in Page Six last week.

“Jon Hamm, will you help us play a song? Jon Hamm, are you here?,” Beck called out from a makeshift area set up at the small basement bar following his show at Madison Square Garden on Saturday.

The “Mad Men” star then joined the “Loser” singer and went ham, belting out the entirety of the Cars 1978 hit, “Just What I Needed,” in front of music heavy hitters like the Strokes’ Julian Casablanca and their manager Ryan Gentles, the Black Keys’ Patrick Carney, the Moldy Peaches’ Adam Green and Brit rockers, the Arctic Monkeys.

Don Draper is out here singing with Beck in real life and launching himself into space in phallic spaceships on soapy television shows all in the last week. It’s all so cool I could puke. He seems like he’s having exactly as much fun as Jon Hamm should be having. And he seems like a really solid dude, too, which is one of the highest compliments I have to give.

I’ll close with this from the Page Six report about him singing with Beck.

“He really added some Hamm-bience,” joked one guest, as many chattered about how well Don Draper can sing.

Two things are true here:

• I feel like Jon Hamm would appreciate this awful play on words
• I am so proud of whoever said that and got it into print

We’re all doing great here. You, me, the Hamm-bience guy, all of us. But Especially Jon Hamm, though. That dude is just crushing it.

Colorado survived a major scare this past week during a game against Colorado State. In what turned into a very tense affair thanks in part to comments that were made in the lead-up to the game, the Buffaloes were able to come out on top, 43-35, in double overtime.

The game was defined by its physicality, particularly in the first quarter when Rams safety Henry Blackburn laid out Colorado’s two-way star, Travis Hunter. While Hunter attempted to continue playing, he eventually had to go to a medical facility to get examined and was unable to finish the game. In the days following the game, Blackburn and his family have received death threats, with Colorado State athletic director Joe Parker telling ESPN “We’re very concerned about our player’s safety, as Henry and his family have continued to receive these threats.”

On Tuesday, Colorado coach Deion Sanders addressed the situation with Blackburn, and made it a point to call on any and all threats towards him to stop.

“Henry Blackburn is a good player who played a phenomenal game,” Sanders said. “He made a tremendous hit on Travis on the sideline, you can call it dirty, you can call it he was just playing the game of football. But whatever it was, it does not constitute that he should be receiving death threats, this is still a young man trying to make it in life, a guy that’s trying to live his dream, and hopefully graduate with honors or a degree, committed to excellence and go to the NFL.

“He does not deserve a death threat over a game,” Sanders continued. “At the end of the game, this is a game. Someone must win, someone must lose, everybody continues their life the next day. Very unfortunate, I’m saddened if there’s any … our fans that’s on the other side of those threats, I would hope and pray not. But that kid was just playing the best of his ability, and he made a mistake. So, I forgive him, CU, our team forgives him. Travis is, he’s forgiven him. Let’s move on, but that kid does not deserve that.”

It’s unfortunate that Sanders had to say any of this, but at the very least, it’s good to see that he’s doing whatever he can to stop all of this. As for Hunter, he’s expected to miss several weeks as a result of the hit.

The ladies of The View went to town on the latest hot topic in Washington: John Fetterman’s clothes. The Pennsylvania senator has been a political football for Republicans after word got out that Majority Leader Chuck Schumer quietly nixed the Senate dress code to accommodate Fetterman’s penchant for wearing hoodies and gym shorts.

Right-wing figures like Marjorie Taylor Greene, Lauren Boebert, and Ron DeSantis have criticized the controversial decision as well as Fetterman’s attire. However, it appears that most, but not all, of The View co-hosts are not fans of the situation either.

“These are chambers that Abraham Lincoln walked in, John McCain, John F. Kennedy, Lyndon Johnson; there’s a hallowed sort-of ground to it,” Alyssa Farah Griffin said via Mediaite. “For me, like, there’s an earnestness to John Fetterman that I really like, but I sort of think, dress for the job you want, and you have signed up for a job that’s historically had this dress code.”

Sunny Hostin agreed and noted that she was taught that “you dress for the job you want, not for the job you have,” and the least Fetterman could do is dress appropriately. Whoopi Goldberg, on the other hand, was Team Fetterman all the way.

“Listen, here’s my attitude: I don’t care what you wear as long as you get the job done,” Goldberg argued to her co-hosts. “I don’t care. I don’t care if you’re in a dress. I don’t care. … I’m more comfortable looking like me, and Barbara [Walters] understood that and she allowed it, OK? I dress in what I wake up in.”

(Via Mediaite)

Gen V will soon be upon us, so that we can see a new generation of Compound V-powered beings duke it out for the chance to land in The Seven. There are, of course, multiple vacancies on The Boys Supe team, and this series will take place, chronologically speaking, between Seasons 3 and 4 of the flagship series. So, we could very well learn who will replace Queen Maeve and Starlight. Perhaps we’ll even learn what the plan is for replacing Black Noir with another Black Noir, but first, Jaz Sinclair is going to “explode” a “dick,” as the series’ trailer promised.

From there, we may or not see any exploding heads like The Boys is so fond of showing off, but Sinclair, who portrays Marie Moreau, revealed that she and Jack Quaid (Hughie) had a chat about what to expect once the show gets going. His message to the cast at large? Stick together as a family. That’s what Sinclair told SFX Magazine (via Winter Is Coming), and since Quaid became a household name once The Boys launched as a juggernaut, he knows of what he speaks. Also, this is too sweet:

“He was just like, ‘Stay a family, stay a team. This is where it’s at. If you guys have each other, you’ll get through this. So, don’t lose sight of that.’ This is the real family, you know, talking about the cast and, like, really being unified. And I value that because you can feel that when they’re together.”

Unfortunately, we haven’t heard any rumors about Quaid making a surprise appearance on Gen V, but Hughie might be sleeping off all that Temp 4 to prepare for Season 4. We will, however, see Colby Minifie (Ashley), Jessie T. Usher (A-Train), and Chace Crawford (The Deep), so get ready for tan lines.

Amazon’s Gen V will premiere on September 29.

(Via SFX Magazine)

This week saw the release of a ton of great new pop music. There were a several collaborations, including Zara Larsson working with DJ David Guetta. Maren Morris made waves as she opened up about her plans to leave country music behind in the form of a new song.

Check out the rest of Uproxx’s Best New Pop Music roundup below.

TXT, Anitta — Back For More

TXT and Anitta first premiered their powerhouse collaboration at the VMAs, and now, fans can enjoy “Back For More” whenever. Featured on the K-Pop band’s upcoming album, The Name Chapter: Freefall, the song finds the two performers playing chaotic lovers.

Tate McRae — “Greedy”

Uproxx cover star Tate McRae‘s new video for “Greedy” has been buzzing around the internet, as fans feel she’s primed for a pop takeover. The confident anthem also has a bit of shade reportedly thrown at an ex, as it’s set at a hockey rink.

SZA, Justin Bieber — “Snooze (Acoustic)”

SZA’s “Snooze” was already a hit from her album, SOS, after getting a boost on TikTok. A few months later, she decided to bring on Justin Bieber for an acoustic take of the popular track. The chiller vibes allow the song’s lyrics to hit listeners even harder. By the time the chorus hits and the two duet, it makes sense why they did.

Zara Larsson, David Guetta — “On My Love”

“‘On My Love’ is about the relationships you have in your life that mean so much to you that you would put everything on them,” Larsson dished about her new collaboration with David Guetta in a statement.

J Balvin, DJ Khaled, Usher – “Dientes”

J Balvin’s “Dientes” not only has DJ Khaled and Usher, but it also samples the latter’s club staple, the song “Yeah!.” Given Usher’s co-sign on the song, and his appearance alongside Balvin on the dance floor in the music video, this could easily be a contender for a (late) song of the summer.

Maren Morris — “The Tree”

Maren Morris recently announced that she’s moving away from country music — and her new song “The Tree” is the first introduction of that. Produced by Greg Kurstin, it finds Morris seemingly grappling with the feelings of how the genre and industry have treated her. “I hung around longer than anyone should / You’ve broken my heart more than anyone could,” she notes.

Noah Kahan, Lizzy McAlpine — “Call Your Mom”

Noah Kahan and Lizzy McAlpine united for the emotional ballad, “Call Your Mom,” that originally appeared as a solo take from his album, Stick Season (We’ll All Be Here Forever). It finds the two dueting to lend a helping hand to someone struggling with mental health.

Bella Poarch — “Crush” (feat. Lauv)

Bella Poarch’s “Crush” finds her entering her independent, hot girl era — with Lauv to help her out. The bubbly song builds upon the success of Poarch’s biggest hit, “Build A B*tch,” with the same new bold attitude that doesn’t hold back.

Madison Beer — “Sweet Relief”

A new single from Madison Beer’s upcoming album, Silence Between Songs, the new “Sweet Relief” finds her showing off a softer side — compared to the shady nature of her previous “Home To Another One” song. Beer described it “is really about having a crush and being smitten over somebody. It’s the sexier sort of song on the album.”

Äyanna — “Good Ex”

If you haven’t heard of Äyanna yet, listeners are missing out. The moody “Good Ex” finds her pursuing a potential relationship while showing off her vocal talent. Keeping with her past releases, the video channels Y2K energy beautifully — proving she’s one to watch.

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