Having your first baby is a scary experience. Everything is new—you’ve quite literally never done this before—not to mention an entire human is going to be removed from your body one way or another. Childbirth, no matter how your baby leaves your body, is not for the weak. But imagine giving birth alone to not just one baby, but three, all at the same time. Then imagine doing that feat at the age of 14.
Shariya Small experienced that scenario in a hospital in Indiana, and her nurse Katrina Mullen took note. Small’s babies were premature, born at just 26 weeks, when the average gestation for triplets is 33 weeks, according to ReproductiveFacts.org. Due to their early birth, the babies, Serenitee, Samari and Sarayah, had to stay in the NICU at Community Hospital North in Indianapolis for more than five months, according to Today.com.
During their time in the NICU, Mullen noticed the young mom visited her babies alone, not appearing to have much of a support system. “She’d be there alone for days at a time sitting at her babies’ bedside,” Mullen told Today.com.
The pair got to know each other over the months that the babies were in the hospital, but Small continued to be reluctant to open up about her family life. That changed after she found out that Mullen had her first child at 16 and had given it up for adoption. Their experiences bonded the two moms, and Mullen began helping to care for the babies and Small by giving her advice and showing her how to properly care for the infants.
Eventually, Mullen gave Small her phone number before the babies were discharged from the hospital. It quickly became apparent that Small did not have a support system, as she called Mullen often asking for advice. Out of concern, the nurse went to visit Small an hour away, where she was living with a family member.
The condition of the home was concerning enough, but Mullen became even more worried when she saw how thin Small’s son Samari was. It turns out he had to be admitted to the hospital, which prompted a visit from Child Protective Services, who determined that Small and her three infants would need to enter foster care. She gave the social worker Mullen’s information and things began to fall into place.
Listen to Small and Mullen explain their unique story below:
Indie darling Mitski is currently on tour in support of her album, The Land Is Inhospitable And So Are We. Her seventh album boast her breakthrough hit, “My Love Mine All Mine,” but make no mistake — Mitski’s catalog is stacked with fan favorites. At her tour stops, Mitski has been keeping her merch stand stocked with several items, which serve as mementos for this particular era. Longtime fans can add some of the new merch to their collection of Mitski memorabilia, and new fans can have something to remember their first Mitski show by.
According to fans, who have shared photos of some of the Mitski merch to Reddit and other social media platforms, ticketholders can purchase a variety of shirts, bags, sweaters, and more.
One of the sweaters is a black hoodie, with a pink imprint of Mitski, and a lettered frame, reading “I’ll be the only heartbreaker.” This particular design goes for $60.
Another item is a pink shirt, reading “Mitski” in large block lettering, with photos of Mitski filling in the spaces. This one costs $35.
Tote bags, posters, and vinyl records are also available for purchase at Mitski’s shows. Longtime fans can also purchase merch related to her 2016 album, Puberty 2.
André 3000 has long been known as an unconventional artist who makes some pretty unconventional moves. For instance, his first-ever solo album New Blue Sun features no beats and no rhymes, but is instead filled with improvised woodwind tunes and super-long song titles.
Now, he’s on tour for the new album, but as it turns out, there is one way he’s been very conventional: In his tour merch offerings. Per a social media post from someone who apparently attended one of the shows, the options are a fairly basic collection of tees, hoodies, and beanies. The T-shirts and hoodies all feature the tour stops on the back, while one (my favorite) reads “Listen To Sade” on the front. The tees are $80, the hoodies are $120 and the beanies — which look just like the ones André himself has been wearing lately, on some Jacques Cousteau tip — are $45. Check out a photo below.
They didn’t allow phones, but last night’s André 3000 show was so joyous, and his band (including Carlos Niño and Liv.e!) sounded great. pic.twitter.com/7bfBhD1q5K
01/29 — Brooklyn, NY @ Crown Hill Theatre
01/31 — New York, NY @ Blue Note Jazz Club (8 p.m. show)
01/31 — New York, NY @ Blue Note Jazz Club (10:30 p.m. show)
02/01 — New York, NY @ Blue Note Jazz Club (8 p.m. show)
02/01 — New York, NY @ Blue Note Jazz Club (10:30 p.m. show)
02/02 — New York, NY @ Blue Note Jazz Club (8 p.m. show)
02/02 — New York, NY @ Blue Note Jazz Club (10:30 p.m. show)
02/05 — Brooklyn, NY @ St. Ann & The Holy Trinity Church
02/06 — Brooklyn, NY @ St. Ann & The Holy Trinity Church
02/08 — Detroit, MI @ Cliff Bell’s
02/09 —Detroit, MI @ The Chapel at Masonic Temple (7 p.m. show)
02/09 — Detroit, MI @ The Chapel at Masonic Temple (10 p.m. show)
02/12 — Chicago, IL @ Thalia Hall
02/13 — Chicago, IL @ 1357 N Elston
02/15 — Chicago, IL @ Garfield Park Conservatory (7 p.m. show)
02/15 — Chicago, IL @ Garfield Park Conservatory (9 p.m. show)
02/20 — San Francisco, CA @ Bimbo’s 365 Club
02/22 — San Francisco, CA @ Bimbo’s 365 Club
02/24 — San Francisco, CA @ The Independent (7 p.m. show)
02/24 — San Francisco, CA @ The Independent (9 p.m. show)
02/27 — Atlanta, GA @ Variety Playhouse
02/28 — Atlanta, GA @ Variety Playhouse
02/29 — Atlanta, GA @ Variety Playhouse
03/02 — Atlanta, GA @ Center Stage Theater
03/05 — Los Angeles, CA @ The Masonic Lodge at Hollywood Forever
03/06 — Los Angeles, CA @ The Masonic Lodge at Hollywood Forever
03/07 — Los Angeles, CA @ The Masonic Lodge at Hollywood Forever
03/08 — Los Angeles, CA @ The Masonic Lodge at Hollywood Forever
03/09 — Los Angeles, CA @ The Masonic Lodge at Hollywood Forever
Basketball fans are in for a treat, as Machine Gun Kelly and Shaquille O’Neal (also known for his musical side as DJ Diesel) will be helping to kick off the NBA All-Star Weekend 2024 with some performances. They will take the stage on Thursday, February 15 at The Indiana Convention Center as part of the celebrations. As someone who got to see Shaq do a DJ set a few years ago, the crowd is really in for a wild time.
Those who are interested in getting tickets and have an American Express will be able to participate in the presale, which is currently open and will close tomorrow, February 8 at 12:59 p.m. ET. Only a maximum of four free tickets can be reserved, but Ticketmaster appears to be limiting the quantity and access — so it’s unclear if they’ve sold out of the presale at the moment.
If you did manage to secure tickets to the NBA on TNT American Express Road Show event, AmEx cardholders will receive access to a priority lane for faster entry into the venue. As part of the Road Show experience, there will also be photo opportunities and fan competitions with Shaq, Ernie Johnson, Charles Barkley, and Kenny Smith, according to a press release.
For those at home, it will start playing at 7 p.m. on TNT.
Meanwhile, the NBA also announced the rosters for the All-Star Celebrity Game today, and it includes 50 Cent and Lil Wayne as coaches, as well as Anuel AA, Walker Hayes, SiR, Jennifer Hudson, and AJ McLean playing.
Following her recent appearance on Hot Ones, Madame Web star Sydney Sweeney answered a question about her time as a Universal Studios tour guide while she and her family were struggling to make ends meet in the early days of her acting career. Sweeney had previously revealed her Universal stint during a cover interview for Women’s Health in November 2023, but for some reason, her Hot Ones appearance brought out the knives on TikTok.
TikTok creator Tyler Hancock, who reportedly has an extensive background working as a Universal tour guide, accused Sweeney of lying about her employment. Specifically, Hancock accused Sweeney of being especially cagey during her Hot Ones appearance, which he claimed is further proof that she never worked as a tour guide.
“No hate to her, I don’t know why she’s choosing to fib about this. But seeing Sydney Sweeney dance around this and never give a straight answer is kinda crazy considering she’s the one that volunteered that information, that verifiably false information,” Hancock said. He also claimed that becoming a tour guide is “notoriously difficult” and “not just a summer job that any teenager can get.”
Surprise! It was a summer job that a teenage Sydney Sweeney got.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Sweeney was hired as a Universal Studios tour guide, but her tenure was short-lived thanks to her acting career taking off:
Sweeney was hired by Universal Studios Hollywood on June 12, 2016, after which she attended an orientation shift followed by a training shift. However, she exited the job on July 18, 2016, when she booked an acting job. Her resume backs it up as Sweeney has 11 credits on her resume from 2016-2017, including Cassidy Way, Angels in Stardust, The Horde, Manic, Pretty Little Liars, and In the Vault, among others.
What’s the lesson here? Don’t believe everything you see on TikTok.
End Of The Road festival is making a return this summer. Taking place over three days (August 29 – September 1) at Larmer Tree Gardens in England, End Of The Road’s 2024 line-up boasts an incredible array of indie and international acts.
Headlining the festival are Idles, Slowdive, and Bonnie “Prince” Billy. Also on the line-up are Fever Ray, Yo La Tengo, Sleater-Kinney, Baxter Dury, and more.
Tickets are available for purchase here, however, fans may want to grab them quickly. At the time of writing, early bird, tier 1, tier 2, and tier 3 tickets are already sold out.
End Of The Road 2024 will also mark Bonnie “Prince” Billy’s only festival appearance this year. The festival’s co-founder Simon Taffe has been writing letters to Billy since the festival’s inception in 2006. Nearly two decades later, Taffe has made this a reality.
“This year’s line up is very special to me,” said Taffe in a statement. It includes a lot of artists who released personal favorite albums of 2023: Lankum, Nation of Language, Slowdive, Casisdead, Yo la Tengo, The Lemon Twigs, Joanna Sternberg, Mark Lewis Hamilton, Fever Ray, and many more. I’m also super excited that Bonnie “Prince Billy” is performing a very rare festival appearance – Will Oldham is one of the all-time greats. We have been inviting him to End of the Road since 2006, so we can’t wait!”
You can see the full End Of The Road 2024 line-up below.
Martin Scorsese has only recently started embracing the internet, and you can’t blame the man for being so behind, he’s been busy. For a long time, Scorsese was frequently attacked online for his controversial comments about superhero movies, but it seems like we’ve all finally moved past that (after all, he was sort of right). Now, he just embraces his newfound TikTok stardom with the help of his daughter.
Scorsese’s latest project is directing a new ad for Squarespace that highlights just how awful and distracting the internet can be. The ad shows various hardworking individuals who are too invested in their phones to see the ongoing alien invasion. In order to get attention from the boring earth inhabitants, the extraterrestrials start their own website. The ad closes with a Scorsese cameo where he is watching a movie on an iPad. The way movies are supposed to be seen!
Not only is Scorsese embracing commercial directing, he’s also acquired a dedicated TikTok following, thanks to daughter Francesca. She told PEOPLE that his fans are excited to see a different side of the renowned director on TikTok and social media. “People love seeing him doing these things and the more normal side of him. People see this big, big star, incredibly talented person, which he is, but also then kind of like the dad,” Francesca explained.
The budding filmmaker has frequently been accompanied by her dad in a series of viral TikToks, and Francesca claims that her father loves making silly little videos now, like the one of him directing the family dog.“I’m a total daddy’s girl. We’re best friends. And I saw people doing this with their dads, and I was like, ‘I want to do it.’ So I did it, and I realized that people not only loved him, but they loved our relationship, which I love, because I love our relationship, and we’re very goofy with each other. He always says that I make him silly. He’s like a big kid. I say he’s like a 15-year-old in an 81-year-old man’s body.”
Francesca also worked as creative director for the Squarespace ad, and while she hasn’t made a TikTok about it yet, we can settle for some behind-the-scenes footage:
Ariana Grande launched the Eternal Sunshine era in a big way with “Yes, And?,” which was yet another No. 1 single on the Billboard Hot 100 for the artist. She’s been gradually unveiling info about the new album, too, including the tracklist, which she has been sharing in pieces. She revealed a few tracks in January, and now she’s back with more.
What Is Ariana Grande’s Eternal Sunshine Tracklist?
This is the revealed tracklist so far, as of February 7:
1. “Intro (End Of The World)”
2. “Bye”
3.
4.
5. “Eternal Sunshine”
6. “Supernatural”
7.
8.
9. “Yes, And?”
10. “We Can’t Be Friends (Wait For Your Love)”
11.
12.
13.
The partial tracklist was shared in an Instagram post that also revealed a new alternate cover for the album, one of seven. Grande explained, “we wanted to give you a few different options that capture the emotional ups and downs of this album, each thoughtfully created by the talented [Katia Temkin].”
Towards the end of 2023, Grande reflected on the year, which she called “one of the most transformative, most challenging, and yet happiest and most special years” of her life so far. She also added, “i cannot wait for next year.”
Ariana Grande’s Eternal Sunshine album cover art
Republic Records
Eternal Sunshine is out 3/8 via Republic Records. Find more information here.
Yes, the Grammys just happened this past weekend, but it’s never too early to be thinking ahead. On Sunday (Feb. 4) night, Victoria Monét took home the gold for Best New Artist, keeping the trend of solo female artists wins in this category going for a seventh year straight (following Samara Joy, Olivia Rodrigo, Megan Thee Stallion, Billie Eilish, Dua Lipa, and Alessia Cara respectively). But who could be in line for next year’s award?
The criteria for Best New Artist eligibility is a bit vague: while two of the requirements are pretty cut and dry (artists must have released a minimum of five tracks and they can only be entered into this category a maximum of three times), the third condition leaves some gray area: the artist “must have achieved a breakthrough into the public consciousness and impacted the musical landscape during the eligibility period.”
This guardrail was implemented after Meghan Trainor took home the award in 2016 despite seeing her debut single “All About The Bass” hit No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 two years prior, but it makes things murky for artists like Reneé Rapp, Teddy Swims, and Tyla, who had all enjoyed a bit of acclaim prior to the beginning of the eligibility window (Sept. 16, 2023).
We’d place our money on some (if not all) of the aforementioned artists getting in if they are eligible, but we’ve set our sights on ten other promising acts we think could be among next year’s nominees. From a London-born country chanteuse to K-pop’s hottest new boy band, take a look into our crystal ball as we make early bets on the 2025 Grammys Best New Artist nominees.
Chappell Roan
For fans of: Katy Perry, MARINA
Every few months, there seems to be a new pop star wannabe being billed as the “next big thing,” but they almost always fall flat due to the lack of a crucial ingredient: originality. While we navigate a sea of carbon copies all trying to out-vibe each other, Chappell Roan has approached the industry with a secret weapon: a refusal to take herself too seriously. It’s that fearless originality that truly sets her apart and given the fact that female artists have dominated this category, she’s a solid contender for the trophy.
Listen to: “Red Wine Supernova,” “Casual”
Infinity Song
For fans of: The Mamas and the Papas, Lana Del Rey
The story behind Infinity Song’s big break is as wholesome as their music: director Jeymes Samuel (The Book Of Clarence) saw a clip of the family band busking in Central Park and sent it to his mogul buddy Jay Z. The rapper brought them in for an audition and signed them to RocNation, and for good reason: between their breezy arrangements and lush harmonies, they make records that sound right at home between cuts from The Byrds, Joni Mitchell, Buffalo Springfield and other Laurel Canyon legends.
Listen to: “Metamorphosis,” “Slow Burn”
Xavi
For fans of: Peso Pluma, Fuerza Regida
Regional Mexican music is an undeniable force in the industry: the Billboard 2023 Year-End Top Artists Duo/Groups chart’s top two slots were occupied by Fuerza Regida and Grupo Frontera, outperforming other top ten acts like Fleetwood Mac, Imagine Dragons, and NewJeans. If the Grammys have their finger on the pulse, they’ll take note of Phoenix-born 19-year-old singer-songwriter Xavi, who rang in the new year by crowning Billboard’s Hot Latin Songs chart with his track “La Diabla.”
Listen to: “La Diabla,” “La Víctima”
RIIZE
For fans of: Boynextdoor, BTS
It’s perplexing that despite K-pop’s chokehold on pop culture, the genre hasn’t seen a single act nominated in the Best New Artist category. In fact, K-pop groups were completely shut out of every category for the 2024 Grammys. Surely the Academy will soon catch up with the rest of the world, and our eyes are on RIIZE as the ones to watch. Not only did the band send a strong message that they’re staking a claim for the U.S. market by releasing an English version of their debut track, but they’ve got SM Entertainment (the geniuses who broke acts like NCT, Red Velvet, and aespa) at the helm. Expect big things.
Listen to: “Get a Guitar,” “Love 119”
Flyana Boss
For fans of: Missy Elliott, Doja Cat
It’s been a long time coming, but female emcees are finally dominating pop culture. While new acts seem to pop up daily, the Los Angeles-based duo Flyana Boss (a play on Diana Ross’ name) set themselves apart with their comedic lyricism and high-energy TikToks. The pair of weirdos may be considered too irreverent for the notoriously stuffy Grammys voters, but that’s part of their charm. Shouldn’t music be fun?!
Listen to: “You Wish,” “UFHO”
Lola Kirke
For fans of: Maren Morris, Kacey Musgraves
Despite being in London and raised in New York City, Lola Kirke was always drawn to the gritty glamor of country music. Still, it seems Nashville has caught on: her forthcoming EP Country Curious (out Feb. 16) features folk duo First Aid Kid and Rosanne Cash, and is produced by Elle King.
Listen to: “My House,” “He Says Y’all”
Sudan Archives
For fans of: Janelle Monáe, Kelela
Today’s elite pop stars could take note from the genre-bending, violin-wielding Sudan Archives. Not only did she record her latest album, the critically-acclaimed Natural Brown Prom Queen, in her basement, but she commands the stage with hypnotic, cat-like swagger reminiscent of Gwen Stefani during the early No Doubt days. She’s been teasing new music on social media, and if MTV were smart, they’d book her for a showstopping VMAs performance. (Yes, we’re mixing awards shows, but the point stands!)
Listen to: “Selfish Soul,” “NBPQ (Topless)”
Jhariah
For fans of: Panic! At the Disco, Poppy
Brooklyn-based artist Jhariah can’t be boxed into one genre: while there’s a heavy theatrical lean from emo bands of the early ’00s, influences from artists like System of a Down to Animé to 100 gecs can be heard while skipping through their catalog. The 23-year-old’s upcoming album has been five years in the making, and if the teaser tracks are any indication, it’s going to be massive.
Listen to: “Pin-Eye,” “Risk! Risk! Risk!”
Stephen Sanchez
For fans of: Frankie Avalon, FINNEAS
Let’s be real: no one is more likely for a Best New Artist nomination than Stephen Sanchez. The Nashville-based singer-songwriter made waves last year with his modest hit “Until I Found You,” which he performed alongside Sir Elton John during the icon’s farewell set at Glastonbury. Not only that, but his late-’50s nostalgia vibe is grade-A Grammys catnip.
Listen to: “Until I Found You,” “High”
Emmy Meli
For fans of: Lizzo, Amy Winehouse
The singer-songwriter had a viral moment on TikTok with 2022’s feminist anthem “I Am Woman,” but instead of haphazardly releasing follow-ups to capitalize on her moment, Meli spent the past year developing her craft — a lesson many quick-to-fame sensations should take note of. The result: her forthcoming debut EP (out this spring) is a cohesive jazz-tinged oeuvre, showcasing her intricate, smoky vocals over a horn-forward production that sounds straight out of the ’60s.
Listen to: “I Am Woman,” “Matrix”
Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
For three seasons, Henry Cavill played Geralt of Rivia, the titular character on Netflix’s The Witcher. During that time, Cavill partook in no shortage of lusty scenes, and well, that may have been your last saucy glimpse of the actor.
While promoting his latest role in Argylle, Cavill recently revealed that he’s fed up with sex scenes and he doesn’t really see the point of them if he’s being honest.
“I don’t understand them – I’m not a fan,” Cavill told the Happy Sad Confused podcast before calling sex scenes “overused.”
“It’s when you have a sense where you’re going, ‘Is this really necessary or is it just people with less clothing on?’” Cavill elaborated. “And that’s when you start to get more uncomfortable and you’re thinking, ‘There’s not a performance here. There’s not a piece which is going to carry through to the rest of the movie.’”
According to Cavill, it’s better to leave things to the imagination instead of awkwardly slapping actors together on screen. The man really does not like sex scenes, folks.
Cavill explained that while there are times where “sex scenes can be great in a movie” and “can really help with the storytelling … Most of the time the human imagination is going to trump it. So, it can be a little bit of a cop-out if a TV show or a movie is just filled with gyrating bodies and you’re going, ‘Okay, but what is this doing for us apart from the idea of, oh naked person, great.’”
And just to make it clear where he stands, Cavill reiterated his point from the top of his rant: “I’m not a fan of doing them.”
This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. Cookie settingsACCEPT
Privacy & Cookies Policy
Privacy Overview
This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience.
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
The 2024 
Friday, 2/16 at 7:00pm/et on ESPN 
