Month: February 2024

The Kansas City Chiefs won back-to-back Super Bowls on Sunday night in Las Vegas, becoming the first team to accomplish that feat since the New England Patriots pulled it off 20 years ago.

At the center of it all, per usual, were Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce, as the star quarterback and tight end duo won their third championship together, with Mahomes throwing for 333 yards and two touchdowns, while also leading the team with 66 rushing yards, and Kelce hauled in 9 catches for 93 yards, coming up big down the stretch after a quiet first half.

The overtime win over the Niners wasn’t without drama, as one would expect from a game that needed an extra 10 minutes to decide, and the first half was decidedly not going in the way the Chiefs wanted. Kelce caught the first pass of the game for one yard on a screen and then didn’t get another reception the entire half. Mahomes struggled to move the ball, and on their best drive of the half, Isiah Pacheco put the ball on the ground in the red zone to give the ball back to San Francisco.

After that fumble, frustrations boiled over on the KC sideline as Kelce, who wasn’t in to block on the play, was irate with Andy Reid and ran up on his longtime coach screaming at him and bumped him before being pulled away by teammates.

Ultimately, that could become a moment the Chiefs looked back on and laugh. Kelce was asked about it while joining Chris Berman and Booger McFarland on ESPN’s NFL Primetime postgame show, and dodged it as best he could, first joking “you saw that?” before deciding to simply say “I was telling him how much I loved him.”

As Kelce notes, his mic’d up commentary might spoil his efforts at keeping that conversation between him and Reid, but it was clear they weren’t seeing eye-to-eye at that moment. Reid was willing to divulge a bit more, confirming it was about not being on the field, but said he gets Kelce and then joked about how bad his balance was to almost fall over from that bump.

“He just wants to be on the field, and he wants to play. So, there’s nobody I get better than I get him. He’s a competitive kid and he loves to play and he makes me feel young. But my balance is terrible, Booger.”

As tends to happen with this Chiefs team, they managed to figure out the right adjustments to make and found a way to get Kelce more involved in the second half, which usually is a recipe for success, and pulled off another comeback win over the Niners in the Super Bowl.

Super Bowl LVIII came right down to the wire, as a field goal with just under two minutes left by San Francisco 49ers kicker Jake Moody gave Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs the ball with a chance to send the game to overtime or, potentially, win another championship. Perhaps unsurprisingly, Mahomes marched the Chiefs right down the field, and after a field goal by Harrison Butker, things were all tied up at 19 and the stage was set for overtime.

San Francisco won the coin toss to start OT and wanted the ball. They managed to march down the field, but unfortunately for Brock Purdy and co., the drive stalled out in the red zone, setting up a Jake Moody field goal. His 27-yard effort was good, which meant Mahomes got the ball needing a touchdown to win. The game was almost immediately on the line, as the Niners forced a fourth-and-one on Kansas City’s first series of downs. But Mahomes was able to keep the drive alive, using his legs to convert.

The team continued to march its way down the field, and on the 13th play of the drive, Kansas City found itself in a first-and-goal from the Niners’ 3-yard line. Mahomes dropped back and found Mecole Hardman, who walked into the end zone to give the Chiefs their second straight Super Bowl.

With the win, Kansas City becomes the first team since the New England Patriots in 2003 and 2004 to go back-to-back, while Mahomes has now won his third ring.

For months, fans have been begging Beyoncé for the visuals for her Grammy Award-winning album, Renaissance. Today (February 11), during Super Bowl LVIII, the “Thique” singer finally delivered something for supporters to sink their teeth into.

Although the commercial wasn’t quite the visual the public was looking forward to, it confirms that the “Renaissance Era” is far from over. As Beyoncé takes a road trip back to her home state, Texas, she teases that something special is on the way.

So, what exactly should the Beyhive expect from their Queen Bey?

Is Beyoncé Dropping A Country Album In 2024?

Following the Easter eggs sprinkled into her 2024 Grammys wardrobe, it appears that Beyoncé is gearing up to drop a country album. But will it be released this year? Again, it seems that the answer is yes.

Based on the artwork, Renaissance Act II is scheduled to be released on March 29.

According to Pop Crave, the forthcoming album will feature 16 tracks. Of the records rumored to hit streaming platforms, the platform believes two songs are titled “Texas Hold’ Em” and “16 Carriages.” This wouldn’t be Beyoncé’s first venture into country music if you think back to her 2016 collaboration “Daddy Lessons” with The Chicks.

Beyoncé is known for her pop, R&B, and even rap records. But it looks like country music should brace itself for Bey’s formal entry.

Long ago, before Beyoncé’s 2022 dance album Renaissance took us all to a space-age future populated entirely by silver-haired, house music-loving alien superstars, it was rumored that the album would be broken up into multiple set pieces delineated by Black folks’ oft-overlooked contributions to genres like dance and country. As it turns out, it looks like that wasn’t just speculation on the part of fans; Beyoncé herself just shared a short promo video teasing that country album with the cryptic title “Act II.”

Such an album — which could bear the title Texas Hold ‘Em as an ode to the star’s home state — would be the culmination of Beyonce’s flirtations with the genre, which began early in her career and seemingly peaked in 2016 on the Lemonade cut “Daddy Lessons.” At the time, Beyoncé was credited with helping to kickoff the so-called “Yee-haw Agenda,” reclaiming space in country music for Black people, who were some of the earliest pioneers of the genre before being written out of the history books in favor of performers like the Dixie Chicks (now re-named “The Chicks”) and Lady Antebellum (now somewhat contentiously known as “Lady A”). Now, a veritable renaissance (heh) of Black performers has overtaken country music, with Tracy Chapman making history and acts like Mickey Guyton finding huge platforms.

So, when is “Act II” beginning? Beyoncé hasn’t given too many hints — according to the promo, the first inkling will arrive on 3/29 — but odds are, it’ll be sooner rather than later. Beyonce.com currently lists two tracks: “Texas Hold ‘Em” and “16 Carriages.” You can listen to both below:

Ben Affleck is trying his hand at being a pop star. The Air actor has let the “bored man in the world” headline get to him. To get his feet wet in the industry, Affleck didn’t have to travel far, given that his wife is pop music star Jennifer Lopez.

But as his “voice of reason,” Jack Harlow attempts to stop him from crashing Lopez’s studio session. However, as the Dunkin Super Bowl LVIII commercial shows, Affleck is too far gone. As Affleck interrupts what appears to be Lopez’s time in the office, working on This Is Me…Now, he’s met with hilarious stares of disapproval from Fat Joe, Matt Damon, and more. But Tom Brady approves.

Ultimately, the bulldozing didn’t work out in his favor, but Affleck isn’t going to give up without a fight.

So far, Lopez has shared two records from the forthcoming project, including the title track and “Can’t Get Enough” featuring Latto. Although Affleck hasn’t made an appearance on either, there are still eleven tracks to come from the body of work. Who knows, maybe Affleck made the final cut.

Watch Dunkin’s full commercial below.

This Is Me…Now is out 2/16 via Nuyorican Productions. Find more information here.

Jack Harlow is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

A few days ago, Verizon released a video showing Tony Hale of Arrested Development and Veep fame talking to a silver horse. “So should we be in a Super Bowl commercial? Yay or neigh” he asked the equine. Leaving aside the pun, Beyoncé fans, recognizing the horse, got excited. Would she appear in an ad during Super Bowl LVIII? We now have an answer: not only did Beyoncé star in an “internet-breaking” Super Bowl ad, she also teased new music.

You can watch the commercial below.

Speaking of Beyoncé and Las Vegas, where the Super Bowl is held this year, she’s rumored to be the next act booked at the Sphere. Last year, the New York Post reported that “the ‘Single Ladies’ singer’s manager-mom, Tina Knowles, as well as Bey’s husband, Jay-Z, have taken separate tours of the $2.3 billion venue on the Las Vegas Strip. But to put a ring on Beyonce’s finger to seal the deal, her team is asking for about $10 million to produce the diva’s high-tech stage show, a source said — roughly the same amount of money the Sphere paid U2 to put on its spectacle.”

Beyoncé also released an album teaser on her Instagram:

Is a Beyoncé country album coming on March 29th?

We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again: Teachers deserve all the kudos, high fives, raises, accolades, prizes and thanks for everything they do. Even if they just stuck to academics alone, they’d be worth far more than they get, but so many teachers go above and beyond to teach the whole child, from balancing equations to building character qualities.

One way dedicated educators do that is by developing relationships and building rapport with their students. And one surefire way to build rapport is to dance with them.

A viral video shared by an assistant principal at Sumner High School & Academy in Riverview, Florida shows a group of students gathered around one student as he challenges a teacher to a dance-off.

“Our 8th grade Stingrays having a well deserved exam dance break,” wrote assistant principal Natalie McClain. “Of course our teachers are ending 2022 with a win.”

The teacher, Ms. Yolanda Turner, took the challenge—and the students went wild.

Watch:

u201cOur 8th grade Stingrays having a well deserved exam dance break. Of course our teachers are ending 2022 with a win. Love my Stingrays ud83dudc99ud83dudc9a Happy Holidays @HCPS_SumnerHSu201d

— Natalie.McClain (@Natalie.McClain)
1671796331

The student really thought he had her, didn’t he? It looked as if his soul left his body when he tapped her shoulders and then realized what he’d done. But to her credit, she took it in stride and took him out with her dance moves.

“The music was on, all the kids were pumped,” Turner told Fox 13. “So it was like, let’s have a dance challenge. So I’m like, okay, all right, so everybody’s having fun. And I said, ‘I’m going to tap in. I’m going to tap into the dance.'”

“I really try to emphasize for kids to be their authentic selves and to really never be afraid to express who they are no matter who’s watching,” she told the outlet.

This dance-off video is a prime example of how schools can be places of joyful connection in addition to academic achievement. Gaining students’ respect doesn’t require being a stuffy authoritarian hard nose, and students generally respond better to teachers they genuinely care for. Meeting them where they are is one of the best ways to reach kids and creating experiences that include for silliness and fun is one of the best ways to keep them engaged.

Plus, who doesn’t need to blow off a little steam in between exams? What a lovely example of striking a balance between academic rigor and modeling healthy stress relief. Well done, Ms. Turner.

This article originally appeared on 12.28,22

We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again: Teachers deserve all the kudos, high fives, raises, accolades, prizes and thanks for everything they do. Even if they just stuck to academics alone, they’d be worth far more than they get, but so many teachers go above and beyond to teach the whole child, from balancing equations to building character qualities.

One way dedicated educators do that is by developing relationships and building rapport with their students. And one surefire way to build rapport is to dance with them.

A viral video shared by an assistant principal at Sumner High School & Academy in Riverview, Florida shows a group of students gathered around one student as he challenges a teacher to a dance-off.

“Our 8th grade Stingrays having a well deserved exam dance break,” wrote assistant principal Natalie McClain. “Of course our teachers are ending 2022 with a win.”

The teacher, Ms. Yolanda Turner, took the challenge—and the students went wild.

Watch:

u201cOur 8th grade Stingrays having a well deserved exam dance break. Of course our teachers are ending 2022 with a win. Love my Stingrays ud83dudc99ud83dudc9a Happy Holidays @HCPS_SumnerHSu201d

— Natalie.McClain (@Natalie.McClain)
1671796331

The student really thought he had her, didn’t he? It looked as if his soul left his body when he tapped her shoulders and then realized what he’d done. But to her credit, she took it in stride and took him out with her dance moves.

“The music was on, all the kids were pumped,” Turner told Fox 13. “So it was like, let’s have a dance challenge. So I’m like, okay, all right, so everybody’s having fun. And I said, ‘I’m going to tap in. I’m going to tap into the dance.'”

“I really try to emphasize for kids to be their authentic selves and to really never be afraid to express who they are no matter who’s watching,” she told the outlet.

This dance-off video is a prime example of how schools can be places of joyful connection in addition to academic achievement. Gaining students’ respect doesn’t require being a stuffy authoritarian hard nose, and students generally respond better to teachers they genuinely care for. Meeting them where they are is one of the best ways to reach kids and creating experiences that include for silliness and fun is one of the best ways to keep them engaged.

Plus, who doesn’t need to blow off a little steam in between exams? What a lovely example of striking a balance between academic rigor and modeling healthy stress relief. Well done, Ms. Turner.

This article originally appeared on 12.28,22

So far, Super Bowl LVIII hasn’t been a note. Most of the action has come from the evening’s entertainment starting with Post Malone’s rendition of “America The Beautiful.” But let’s be real: everyone was really tuned in for Usher’s highly anticipated halftime performance.

Given how many details were leaked, including Alicia Keys’ cameo, not much was left to the imagination. However, Usher still managed to deliver a notable set (and yes, it did feature his love of roller skating). Throughout the performance starring guest cameos from HER, Lil Jon, and Ludacris, Usher jumped across his multiple decade-long career. He even squeezed in some of the biggest hits of others on the stage.

Continue below to view Usher’s full setlist for the Super Bowl LVIII Halftime Show.

Usher’s Super Bowl LVIII Halftime Show Setlist

1. “Caught Up”
2. “U Don’t Have To Call”
3. “Superstar”
4. “Love In This Club”
5. “If I Ain’t Got You” With Alicia Keys
6. “My Boo” With Alicia Keys
7. “Confessions Part II” With Jermaine Dupri
8. “Nice & Slow”
9. “Burn”
10. “U Got It Bad” With HER
11. “Bad Girl” With HER
12. “OMG” With Will.I.Am
13. “Turn Down for What” With Lil Jon
14. “Yeah” With Lil Jon & Ludacris

Watch the full performance presented by Apple Music below.

It feels a bit ridiculous to even type these words, but going into Usher’s Super Bowl LVIII Halftime Show performance, there was a certain amount of skepticism about whether he was a “Super Bowl caliber” artist from some fans (you can probably guess which ones). Of course, once the veteran hitmaker hit the stage, he obliterated all doubts about his worthiness for the moment, reminding those fans that he’s got 25+ years of pop-R&B excellence under his belt.

The results of Usher’s preparations were on full display as he performed pop culture mainstays like “Caught Up,” “U Don’t Have To Call,” and “Superstar” over the course of the 15-minute set. After coming out to “Caught Up” flanked by dancers dressed in Roaring ’20s regalia, he ran through a progression of 2000s hits before bringing out Alicia Keys for a rendition of their duet “My Boo.” Usher then launched into a retrospective of his slow-burners like “Nice & Slow” and “U Got It Bad.” Naturally, he came out of his shirt during the latter. H.E.R. joined him onstage to play the guitar solo, he broke out the roller skates for a breakdown, and Lil Jon played part of “Shots” before they went into everybody’s favorite Usher song, “Yeah,” joined (of course) by Ludacris.

And just in case the performance itself wasn’t enough to turn those fans‘ expectations around, the inevitable streaming bump that’s sure to follow certainly should. After last year’s performance, Rihanna topped the streaming charts. The year before, Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg’s 1999 hit “Still D.R.E.” reached over a billion views on YouTube, and in 2019, even the meme-baiting stunt performance of Spongebob Squarepants‘ “Sweet Victory” prompted a 500% increase in streams for the cartoon’s soundtrack.