Month: August 2024

Last Friday, August 23, BTS’ Suga appeared before Seoul police related to his license being revoked due to allegedly driving an electric scooter while drunk earlier this month. According to Reuters, Suga stated he will “sincerely participate in the investigation.”

Suga’s sincerity carried over into his handwritten note posted to WeVerse and translated by Billboard, as seen below:

“I would like to apologize again to you with shame. I deeply apologize for the disappointment and hurt of my misbehavior to my fans and everyone who loves me. I’ve made a big mistake, forgetting the responsibility to repay you with actions worthy of the love I’ve received.

[…]

It’s all my fault. My carelessness is giving everyone who cares about me a hard time. I will try not to do anything wrong again and live with repentance. Due to this incident, I have greatly damaged the precious memories I made with the members and fans and put a lot of pressure on the name of the BTS. I feel so sorry and painful that it’s hard to express because it’s causing damage to the members and the team. I’m sorry that the members who always trusted me have a hard time because of me. And I know the disappointment that the fans who supported and supported me must have felt.”

[…]

I just feel sorry for the fans who have always given me too much love… I know that it is difficult to heal the wounds and disappointments that my fans have received with any words, so I regret it deeply and reflect on it with a heavy heart every day. Once again, I sincerely apologize to the fans who were hurt by me. We will receive criticism and reprimand as well as future dispositions. Finally, once again, I sincerely apologize for causing a social stir and disappointing many people.”

Suga also admitted to his “mistake of riding an electric scooter on the sidewalk after drinking” on August 6.

As relayed by Billboard, “BTS’ label BigHit also shared a pair of statements on Weverse at the time, noting that Suga was wearing a helmet and had only traveled about 500 meters before falling down while parking the scooter.”

Brat has been one of the year’s biggest hits so far, and it sounds like there’s potentially more where that came from.

In a new Vulture interview, Charli XCX said there’s a “full-length other project” that may be on the way. She wouldn’t call it a remix album but said, “It’s definitely in the bratosphere, so to speak.” The story also notes that Charli was recently in the studio with Bon Iver and Danielle Haim.

Meanwhile, the piece also includes quotes on Charli from Taylor Swift and “Guess” partner Billie Eilish. Swift said, “I’ve been blown away by Charli’s melodic sensibilities since I first heard ‘Stay Away’ in 2011. Her writing is surreal and inventive, always. She just takes a song to places you wouldn’t expect it to go, and she’s been doing it consistently for over a decade. I love to see hard work like that pay off.” Eilish called Charli the “coolest b*tch I know” and said, “I’m just so honored to have been a part of Brat Summer.”

She also talked about her relationship with Atlantic Records, saying, “I’ve always been … interpreted as difficult. I have a high standard, and I don’t think they’re right always. And I’m not willing to do something just because they think it’s right. They don’t know what’s best for me and my career, you know? I don’t suffer bullsh*tters, you know? There are a lot of bullsh*tters in the music industry. There really, really are.”

Find the full feature here.

For decades, sneaker companies have used their sponsorship of college athletics to create a pipeline to get young athletes into their gear, hoping to carry on that partnership once they are at the professional level. However, with college athletes now able to sign endorsement deals, there are avenues for a player to sign with a different brand if they want.

On Monday, we saw that happen with the biggest name in men’s college basketball this season, as incoming Duke freshman Cooper Flagg (the expected No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft) was announced as the new face of New Balance’s basketball division (video here). It’s a huge get for New Balance, as the brand has put together an impressive lineup in their return to the hoops space in recent years, headlined by Kawhi Leonard, Tyrese Maxey, and Jamal Murray, but Flagg gives them a potential young superstar to build their brand around.

As Flagg explained to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, signing with New Balance was a nod to his Maine roots.

“The connection with New Balance as a family company and a company with Maine roots means a lot to me,” Flagg told ESPN. “That makes this really different and special. My mom used to go to the tent sale for back-to-school shopping there when we were kids. That really aligns the brand with my roots. It’s a perfect fit.”

Flagg is still expected to wear Nike on the court at Duke (although, it is possible some player will challenge that rule at some point in the not too distant future), but off the court he will rock New Balance and then move to wearing their basketball line once he’s in the league in 2025.

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 Sabrina Carpenter continue her summer success and Jessie Reyez link up with an icon. Yeah, it was a great week for new music. Check out the highlights below.

For more music recommendations, check out our Listen To This section, as well as our Indie Mixtape and Pop Life newsletters.

Sabrina Carpenter — “Taste”

As one of 2024 biggest stars, Sabrina Carpenter didn’t exactly need help generating excitement around her new album, Short N’ Sweet. A “Taste” video in which she kills and kisses Jenna Ortega didn’t hurt, though.

Coldplay, Little Simz, Burna Boy, Elyanna, and Tini — “We Pray”

Coldplay haven’t historically been huge on features, although they’ve had more of them in recent years. Last week’s epic “We Pray” is especially notable on that front, as it sees the band teaming up with Little Simz, Burna Boy, Elyanna, and Tini.

Jessie Reyez — “Ridin” Feat. Lil Wayne

Wayne has been a rap icon for years now, and Reyez managed to lock up a feature from him on “Ridin.” The sexually charged tune is built on a head-bobbing groove, and Wayne and Reyez turn out to be a perfect pair for the track.

Mk.gee — “Lonely Fight”

Mk.gee is heading out on a North American tour in a week, and he’ll have at least one new song to play on the dates. Actually, fans already know this one, as “Lonely Fight” is a live favorite that now has an official release.

Cash Cobain — “Act Like”

Cobain’s ascent continues with the release of his debut album, Play Cash Cobain. As Uproxx’s Aaron Williams notes, album highlight “Act Like” is “an inquisitive plea to a lover, based on a sample of R&B star Tyrese Gibson’s 2002 hit ‘How You Gonna Act Like That..’”

Doechii — “Boom Bap”

Doechii is having fun on “Boom Bap,” a two-minute tune that features everything from scatting to blowing raspberries. Doechii’s TDE debut Alligator Bites Never Heal is shaping up to be a project to keep an eye on.

Fontaines DC — “In The Modern World”

Dublin rockers Fontaines DC have been stars in their native Ireland for the past half-decade, and they’ve had momentum stateside, too. Their new album Romance and songs like the anthemic “In The Modern World” should help continue the push.

Yaeji — “Booboo”

For her first new song of 2024, Yaeji went back to 2017: Last week’s “Booboo” actually interpolates her own “Raingurl” and shows Yaeji’s renewed appreciation for dance music.

Foxing — “Hell 99”

“1999 / Stuck until the end / Suffer ’til the end / Masochistic trend / Carson MTV / Bizkit NYE / F*ck f*ck f*ck.” What a way to start a song, and that’s just what Foxing did on their in-your-face single “Hell 99.”

Illuminati Hotties — “Sleeping In”

Sarah Tudzin has proven to be a real Swiss Army knife, whether she’s producing an engineering for a host of recognizable artists or doing her own thing as Illuminati Hotties. Her new album Power is out now, and “Sleeping In” is a charming look at adapting when it’s worth it.

Bruce Springsteen is a billionaire, according to Forbes. Jeremy Allen White is preparing to portray Springsteen in Deliver Me From Nowhere, a forthcoming Springsteen biopic. In other words, Springsteen exudes legendary status, and nobody would blame him for walking off into the sunset.

But Bruce Springsteen made it explicitly clear that he does not want to walk off into the sunset.

“We’ve been around for fifty f*cking years, and we ain’t quitting!” Springsteen told the crowd at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on August 23, according to this video circulated by Consequence. “We ain’t doing no farewell tour bullsh*t. Jesus Christ! No farewell tour for The E Street Band! Hell no. Farewell to what? Thousands of people screaming your name? Yeah, I wanna quit that! That’s it. That’s all it takes. I ain’t going anywhere.”

Springsteen and The E Street Band’s commitment to completing their ongoing world tour cannot be questioned. Last year, several dates had to be postponed to allow Springsteen to recover from peptic ulcer disease. The rescheduled dates picked back up this March.

Springsteen and The E Street Band will next play at Nationals Park in Washington, DC on September 7 and Oriole Park at Camden Yards in Baltimore, Maryland on September 13.

Lizzo has been flying relatively under the radar ever since she started facing harassment lawsuits in 2023. It seems she’s perfectly content with this mode of being and is actively enjoying the break.

In an Instagram post shared yesterday (August 25), Lizzo shared a video of herself enjoying rain in a swimsuit and wrote, “I’m taking a gap year & protecting my peace.”

Indeed, Lizzo seems to have been prioritizing her mental health lately. In May, she wrote, “I’m the happiest I’ve been in 10 months. The strange thing about depression is you don’t know you’re in it until you’re out of it. I’m definitely not all the way as carefree as I used to be.. But the dark cloud that followed me every day is finally clearing up. My smile reaches my eyes again and that’s a win. I thought my album was finished.. but I gotta get some of these good vibes off in a banger real quick. Thanks for your patience.”

She also responded to being referenced in South Park, saying, “That’s crazy. I just feel like, ‘Damn. I’m really that b*tch.’ I’m really that b*tch. I really showed the world how to love yourself and not give a f*ck to the point where these men in Colorado know who the f*ck I am. And put it on their cartoon, that’s been around for 25 years. I’m really that b*tch. And I showed y’all how to not give a f*ck and I’m going to keep showing y’all not to give a f*ck.”

Jenna Ortega has an Instagram account, but no Twitter. The Beetlejuice Beetlejuice actress deleted it years ago after a “terrifying” experience where she was sent pornographic images of herself when she was a minor.

In an interview with the New York Times, Ortega was asked for her thoughts on A.I. “I hate A.I. I mean, here’s the thing: A.I. could be used for incredible things. I think I saw something the other day where they were saying that artificial intelligence was able to detect breast cancer four years before it progressed. That’s beautiful. Let’s keep it to that,” she said. “Did I like being 14 and making a Twitter account because I was supposed to and seeing dirty edited content of me as a child? No. It’s terrifying. It’s corrupt. It’s wrong.”

Ortega shared that the first DM she ever opened when she was 12 “was an unsolicited photo of a man’s genitals, and that was just the beginning of what was to come. I used to have that Twitter account and I was told that, ‘Oh, you got to do it, you got to build your image.’ I ended up deleting it about two, three years ago because the influx after [Wednesday] had come out — these absurd images and photos, and I already was in a confused state that I just deleted it.” She added, “It made me feel uncomfortable… I couldn’t say anything without seeing something like that. So one day I just woke up, and I thought, ‘Oh, I don’t need this anymore.’ So I dropped it.”

Ortega previously discussed the dangers of social media as part of Variety’s “Actors on Actors” series. “Social media, what it does to anyone our age, it’s such a comparing game. It almost influences bandwagon mentality,” she said. “It’s very manipulative.”

(Via the New York Times)

As Charli XCX’s stylistically diverse discography proves, she’s somebody who does what she wants to do. That includes lying.

In a new interview with Vulture, Charli said, “Lying is so fun, so brat. Who made this rule that you have to be truthful and honest in the press as an artist? The press is just a tool.”

Elsewhere, the feature includes quotes on Charli from Taylor Swift and “Guess” partner Billie Eilish. Swift said, “I’ve been blown away by Charli’s melodic sensibilities since I first heard ‘Stay Away’ in 2011. Her writing is surreal and inventive, always. She just takes a song to places you wouldn’t expect it to go, and she’s been doing it consistently for over a decade. I love to see hard work like that pay off.” Eilish, meanwhile, called Charli the “coolest b*tch I know” and said, “I’m just so honored to have been a part of Brat Summer.”

Speaking of other artists, the piece notes Charli has been working with Bon Iver and Danielle Haim.

Charli also spoke about her relationship with Atlantic Records, saying, “I’ve always been … interpreted as difficult. I have a high standard, and I don’t think they’re right always. And I’m not willing to do something just because they think it’s right. They don’t know what’s best for me and my career, you know? I don’t suffer bullsh*tters, you know? There are a lot of bullsh*tters in the music industry. There really, really are.”

Check out the full feature here.

There’s a big smile on Raheem Mostert’s face as he and I begin our conversation. It’d be hard not to smile if you were in his shoes — Mostert, an NFL veteran who is playing about four hours away from his hometown of New Smyrna Beach, is coming off of the very best season of his career. Long viewed as one of the league’s premier burners out of the backfield, Mostert and rookie De’Von Achane formed one heck of a 1-2 punch in the backfield for Miami last season, with Mostert earning his first Pro Bowl nod and leading the league with 18 rushing touchdowns.

Considering his path to the NFL, it’s pretty remarkable that Mostert ended up here. A former three-star wide receiver recruit, he spent his collegiate career at Purdue before moving to running back, going undrafted, and spending his first two years in the league bouncing around before landing in San Francisco, where he was a reliable member of the team’s running back rotation. But since joining the Dolphins in 2022, Mostert has blossomed into one of the most productive backs in the league, going for 2,280 total yards and 26 total touchdowns over the last two seasons.

Now, he’s gearing up for a 2024 campaign where the Dolphins are expected to compete in the AFC — they went 11-6 last season, but got shut down by the Kansas City Chiefs in the Wild Card round. Before that happens, though, Mostert is taking some time to represent his alma mater ahead of the 20th anniversary of College Colors Day on Aug. 30, as he was part of an ad with Quinnen Williams of the New York Jets and Holly Rowe of ESPN.

Earlier this month, Uproxx Sports caught up with Mostert to discuss College Colors Day, this season in Miami, his Purdue Mount Rushmore, and more.

Happy College Colors Day, how are you celebrating that?

Obviously, I’m wearing my colors from my university, Purdue University. And, you know, College Colors Day is something that’s very meaningful to me. Since I’ve been in the league, obviously, for nine, I’m going on year 10 now, I’ve been staying in touch with Purdue University, but it’s hard because I’m all the way in San Francisco at the time during my career, or I was in Miami, like I am now. A little bit away from Indiana, but just trying to represent as best as I possibly can, especially in the locker room against guys that went to different universities, and every time there’s, like, some type of matchup or something like that during the college football season, we always heckle each other a little bit, and then talk trash, but you always got to show love and support, and that’s why I’m doing this.

How does a super accomplished high school football player and track athlete from a town known for surfing and shark bites in Florida end up in West Lafayette, Indiana?

So, first and foremost, I took my visit to Purdue. They were one of the first schools that ever offered me, and so I felt like it was natural to go and visit the first college that that offers you, right? So, I took my official visit, fell in love with the campus, fell in love with the culture, fell in love with the coach and the coaching staff and even the players — a majority of the guys were from Florida, so that made it a little bit easier of a decision. But also, I wanted to get a good degree. I felt like going to Purdue University, with a business mindset, I graduated with a business management degree. I felt like that was the most important thing for me, and at the time, being the first person to graduate in my family was definitely an honor of mine to accomplish and achieve. So that’s why I went to Purdue, that’s the reason why I chose Purdue.

You’re a guy who, earlier in your career, bounced around a few different teams, but you kept grinding and got to a point where you’re now considered a top running back in the NFL. How, in your eyes, did Purdue set you up to be someone who keeps your head down and grinds while you were establishing yourself in the league?

When I went to Purdue, I played right away. Being a freshman, I had some good stats, but I wanted to grow each and every year, right? And so, I come to my sophomore year, I actually tear my PCL and I missed six games, and then I come back for our rivalry game against Indiana, and then I also play in the bowl game. So that, in itself, gave me a little bit of that hard-nosed, just stay focused and keep working, and things will pay off attitude. Then, moving forward, my head football coach who I committed to, got fired, and then a new coach arose and took over the program my junior and senior year, so I felt like I still had an uphill battle, even with that coach and his coaching staff. I went from playing a receiver to playing — I had to make that switch my junior year to playing running back, and ultimately, I decided to run track, too, and did all those accomplishments while I was running track at Purdue, as well. So, just being able to go through that basis and going through those trials definitely helped me out in the NFL as well — being cut several times my first two years in my career, it just helped me mold into the person and the man that I am today, and also the player that I am today.

Let’s talk about this season, and obviously a huge year coming up from Miami. What are the vibes like as camp is going on right now?

Vibes are high. Energy is great. We’ve got a game tomorrow, we’re super excited about it, the starters going to be playing a little bit tomorrow, I believe. But, yeah, it’s just an amazing time right now, we left off last year with a bad taste in our mouth, and now we want to resurrect that winning culture, winning atmosphere that we did last year. And now we got more pieces, more guys that are bought in, and we’re just excited to go.

This is your third season in Miami for this stint with the team, and it’s Coach McDaniel’s third year, too. Does anything feel different this offseason in terms of your comfort level or the overall understanding of how coach McDaniel runs things? Or have you noticed it’s just business as usual?

It’s business as usual, honestly. But at the same time, this is the third year, and I feel like guys are more settled into the offense, especially on the offensive side of your ball. I was speaking with Tua and some of the coaching staff that were here prior to when Coach McDaniel got hired, and one big thing that they mentioned was that it feels good knowing that we have the same playbook that we’ve had the past two-plus years. So, that’s really encouraging. And we’re just excited, we’re excited to roll.

This whole last year was you achieving stuff, whether it’s the Pro Bowl, rushing TDs leader, being named a top-100 player in the league for the first time. You normally don’t see out of a guy when they’re in their 30s what has this last year or so been like for you? And what was it that set you up for so much success this past season?

Yeah, last year, it was phenomenal. It was a great thing, great run. I’m blessed and happy to say that I finally made the Pro Bowl — I could have made it several times when I was in San Francisco, but due to injuries, and I felt like sometimes voting can sway to a different direction, right? Whether you’re a good player or not. But I’m just thankful that everything worked out at the time that it did. And, yeah, me being 31 last year, now that I’m 32, that’s just nothing but a number. I’m still out here running faster than guys that are 20-plus years old, and I feel like I could just pretty much roll with anyone. Plus, I still got tread on my tires, right? I didn’t take that many hits and handoffs early on in my career, which helps me today.

You mentioned the thing that always comes up in Miami, which is speed, namely at running back and at wide receiver. How does the speed in the wide receiver room make your lives easier, and how does the speed in the running back room do the same for them?

Yeah, if you look at it, when you’re dealing with receivers that can run sub-4.3s and can truly run and take the top off of defenses, you’re gonna have to double those guys. With the plethora of weapons that we have that are fast, it makes the box a little bit lighter for the running backs, and the run game, and then vice versa. If you’re dealing with guys that go run the ball like what we can do, it makes it easier for receivers to get open. So, it just goes hand-in-hand with each other. And honestly, it’s a lot of fun when you have that dynamic going, especially with so many different weapons on the field.

My last question, bringing it back to College Colors Day, I need to know who is on Raheem Mostert’s Purdue football Mount Rushmore.

Oh, man. Purdue Mount Rushmore. Obviously, it would have to be Drew Brees, and then we’d have to do Bob Griese. I feel like that’s just another legend. In my eyes, I feel like Ryan Kerrigan, he’s definitely a stud and he made his mark when he was there. Leroy Keyes, a former running back, God rest his soul, he passed away a couple years ago — he’s a true legend.

And last but not least, mmm, that’s gonna be a tough one cause you can go … man, Rod Woodson. And that’d be my Mount Rushmore.

Over the weekend, a report dropped, and if this report is accurate, it’s major: Oasis is supposedly ready to finally reunite after years of beef between brothers Noel and Liam Gallagher. The band has supposedly already booked a bunch of shows, including a ten-night run at London’s Wembley Stadium.

The group has yet to comment on the report, but they do have something to say: On X (formerly Twitter) yesterday (August 25), Oasis shared a mysterious video teaser that uses their classic italicized font and shows simply the date of August 27 and a time of 8 a.m. (with no time zone specified).

Especially worth noting here is the fact that August 29 marks the 30th anniversary of their 1994 debut album, Definitely Maybe. However, the band previously announced an anniversary reissue of the album back in May, so it’s not clear exactly what this week’s announcement will be.

Liam went on a Definitely Maybe 30th anniversary tour this summer, and at the time the run was announced, somebody asked Liam if Noel would be joining him on the run. Liam said, “He’s been asked and he’s refused.”

Meanwhile, Noel recently said of an encounter he had with Foo Fighters leader Dave Grohl, “I did actually bump into Dave [at Glastonbury 2024]. He was about three feet away from me when I was watching LCD Soundsystem and he was staying in the same hotel I was staying in. I would just like him to wind his f*cking neck in about Oasis. I wouldn’t talk to him. I haven’t got time for that f*cking mob any more.”