Month: August 2024

Three years after making her Top Dawg Entertainment debut alongside Isiah Rashad on “Wat U Sed,” Tampa rapper Doechii has announced the release date for her first full-length project with the label, the fittingly titled, Alligator Bites Never Heal. She’s been releasing her “Swamp Sessions” videos for the past month, dropping “Bullfrog,” “Catfish,” “Nissan Altima,” “Florida Wata,” and “Sunday’s Best” on her YouTube leading up to the announcement, and on August 30, we’ll see how the full project fits together. Doechii also returned to Twitter (never calling it “X” — Elon doesn’t even do that), giving short explanations of each of the new songs.

In addition to the Swamp Sessions, Doechii teamed up with fellow Florida native JT on “Alter Ego” and released the nostalgic video for “Rocket in conjunction with Sprite’s Limelight series. While fans may think that the gap between Doechii’s introductory EP she/her/black b*tch and her first full-length project has been too long, Top Dawg Entertainment has never rushed perfection, allowing artists like Kendrick Lamar, Isaiah Rashad, Ab-Soul, Schoolboy Q, Jay Rock, and SZA to take five years or more between albums — a bet that seemingly pays off every time. It’s good to see they trusted the same process with the outspoken Doechii; August 30 can’t get here soon enough.

Alligator Bites Never Heal is due on 8/30 via Top Dawg Entertainment. You can find more information here.

New York rapper Cash Cobain‘s popularity has been skyrocketing all 2024. His breakout single, “Fisherrr,” attracted the attention of established superstar Ice Spice, who appeared on the remix and tapped Cobain as the opening act for her Y2K! tour; he’s garnered co-signs from even bigger artists like J. Cole and Don Toliver; he appeared on the XXL Freshman cover; and his new single, “Problems,” transforms TikTok star Laila!’s breakout hit into a 7-minute posse cut featuring 6lack, Big Sean, Fabolous, and more. As it turns out, he ain’t done yet.

Today, Cash announced the release of his new album, Play Cash Cobain. The LP is due to drop on August 23 via Giant Music with 20 tracks, including previously released singles “Fisherrr,” “Dunk Contest,” “Rump Punch,” and the newly released “Problems.” The cover art is quintessentially Cash Cobain, with a very of-the-moment photo of a young woman holding up her phone to her forehead, Heads Up-style, with a screen that reads “Play Cash Cobain” (as someone with a lot of DJ friends, don’t actually do this, though; most DJs hate it and are probably not going to play the song you want, especially if they already did). Check it out below.

Play Cash Cobain is due on 8/23 via Giant Music. You can find more information here.

Sydney Sweeney is — as Pearl might put — a star. She’s on a hit HBO show, and her big-screen career has blossomed following the unexpected box office success of Anyone But You and the glowing reviews for her performance in Immaculate. Not even Madame Web (which is no longer the worst-reviewed movie of the year) can slow her momentum. All of her dreams are coming true, especially since she now has a backyard for her dog.

Sweeney’s pup, a female pitbull-mix puppy named Tank, is on the cover of Vogue, I mean, Dogue. They used to live in an apartment, but “my whole dream, since I got her in high school, was to be able to get her a backyard,” the actress said. Five years ago, her dream came true: they moved into a house in Los Angeles with a backyard. “Tank, I did this for you! This is your backyard!” Sweeney shouted the first time Tank got to enjoy her new outdoor domain. She added, “That was the most fulfilling moment of my life.”

Everyone say hi to Tank!

But while Tank loves her backyard, she also enjoys joining Sweeney at work. “She will literally lay under the camera and not move,” the Barbarella star said. “The moment we call action, she stops moving and doesn’t make a sound. Then you call cut and then she gets up. It’s amazing.” No one wants Euphoria season 3 to happen more than Tank — I bet she misses getting head scratches from Zendaya, Jacob Elordi, and Hunter Schafer. Wouldn’t you?

(Via Vogue)

Of all the emerging trends in music in 2024, the one that undoubtedly sucks the most is artists canceling or postponing their tours at the last minute. R&B superstar Usher just became the latest artist to reschedule the start of a tour with less than a day’s notice, informing fans looking forward to his Past Present Future opener in Atlanta that the hometown show has been postponed.

“For my 30-plus year career, 100% of my blood, sweat and tears has gone into putting on the best performance and creating a memorable experience for my fans,” he wrote on social media. “I have every intention of doing that for this tour as well which is why I have to postpone tonight’s show and reschedule it for a later date to give my body a second to rest and heal. You’re still going to get a bit of the past, some of the present and a unique look into the future on the rescheduled date but you’ll also be getting 100% of me.”

“The last thing I want to ever do is disappoint you, the fans who have been eagerly waiting for this tour to start,” the statement continues. “However, I wouldn’t be the entertainer that I am if I can’t physically give you my best. My team will be sharing news of the rescheduled date soon. I can’t wait to celebrate this legacy with you”

Usher has two more Atlanta shows billed at the State Farm Arena this week, on Friday, August 16, and Saturday, August 17, but it remains unclear at the moment whether these shows will also be postponed. The next stop on the schedule is Capital One Arena in Washington, DC, August 20 and 21. Fortunately, Usher has joined another trend: His concert film, Usher: Rendezvous In Paris, is billed to hit theaters on September 12-15, and he won’t have to physically be there for that.

Unless the word “Deadpool” is in the title, it’s hard to get people to notice your movie. There are ways to grab the public’s attention, though. Have the movie premiere at a splashy festival, like the Toronto International Film Festival. Also, cast some big stars like, say, Florence Pugh and Andrew Garfield. They’re great! But most of all — and I can’t stress this enough — release a still from the movie with the dopiest-looking horse you’ve ever seen.

This week, the X account Film Crave shared a photo from We Live in Time, a romantic drama starring Pugh and Garfield. But no one is paying attention to them. Everyone is too busy looking at the carousel horse who looks like he can only say one word, and that word is “derp” (see it here). That goofy grin is all over social media — he’s on the cover of Beyonce’s Cowboy Carter album, and breaking through creepy hotel doors, and bursting through chests.

We Live in Time is being released in the United States by A24, who acknowledged the unlikely meme by sharing a tweet from @PallaviGunalan, who wrote, “dying at the f*cking horse.” A star is born.

We Live in Time follows Almut (Florence Pugh) and Tobias (Andrew Garfield), who “are brought together in a surprise encounter that changes their lives,” according to the official plot synopsis. “As they embark on a path challenged by the limits of time, they learn to cherish each moment of the unconventional route their love story has taken, in filmmaker John Crowley’s decade-spanning, deeply moving romance.” It opens in theaters on October 11.

You can watch the trailer below.

More than a year after the second season wrapped up, Bel-Air is just a few hours away from premiering its third season on Peacock. The new season will focus primarily on Will Smith’s first summer in Bel-Air where there’s “no school” and “no uniforms” and just “pools, beach parties, bonfires, fireworks, Juneteenth celebrations and lots of summer lovin.’” If you know Bel-Air, you know all the above can’t come without some drama. So let’s dive into what we can expect for the upcoming episodes:

When Do Bel-Air Episodes 1-3 Come Out?

The first three episodes in Bel-Air season three, titled “Baby, I’m Back,” “Pivot,” and “True Colors,” will arrive on August 15. The episodes will be available on Thursday, 8/15 on Peacock starting at 3am EST/12am PST. Synopses for the “Baby, I’m Back,” “Pivot,” and “True Colors” episodes can be found below:

“Baby, I’m Back”:

Summertime in Bel-Air brings big changes for the Banks family, who prepare to host their annual Juneteenth festivities.

“Pivot”:

Will and Carlton get jobs at the Beverly Hills Country Club, but the experience is nothing like they expected; looking to level up, they find inspiration at Phil’s law firm event.

“True Colors”:

Will and Carlton go to a downtown car event to promote their new brand, “Blackccess”; Phil scopes out a potential client; Viv finds her Neeman Fellowship candidate in an unexpected place.

‘Bel-Air’ season three premieres on Peacock on August 15 at 3am EST/12am PST. Seasons 1-2 are now available to stream on Peacock.

Wild Pink signed with Fire Talk Records earlier this year, and now the John Ross project is prepping its first album for the label. Dulling The Horns is set for release on October 4, and Ross introduced the album last month with “The Fences Of Stonehenge.”

The latest look at the project is the new single “Sprinter Brain,” an uptempo and anthemic rocker that sees Ross getting better at staying grounded.

Ross says of the track, “This song is kind of about learning how to deal with your problems and not catastrophizing. Just trying to be more realistic and objective when times get stressful. It’s one of the faster songs I’ve written in a while and really fun to play live.”

A press release notes the song “takes its name for a band in-joke — about one particularly stressful sprinter van tour that plagued Ross — but cloaks one of the album’s most touching stories as Ross juxtaposes his anxiety against his wife’s solidarity.”

Ross also previously said of the album, “You zoom out, and I’m very fortunate. But Dulling The Horns came from the feeling of figuring out how do you deal with things and move forward and just keep creating.”

Listen to “Sprinter Brain” above.

Dulling The Horns is out 10/4 via Fire Talk. Find more information here.

There isn’t a single piece of clothing that is more defining of 20th-century fashion than the denim blue jeans. While first introduced in the late 1800s as a functional gold-rush-friendly pair of trousers designed for miners, jeans really took hold of youth culture throughout the later half of the 1900s. Try to imagine the 50s greaser, the 60s hippie, the bell-bottom age of the 70s, the commercialization of punk rock and the hair metal bands of the ’80s, and the hip-hop of the 90s without blue jeans.

It just wouldn’t look the same. Not even close.

That got us thinking — what is going to be the defining look of the 21st century? We’re already two and a half decades in and while it’s probably too soon to say, we’re going to go ahead and predict that the defining piece of 21st-century fashion, like the blue jeans of the 20th century, are joggers. Yes. Joggers.

A staple piece of the dominating fashion trend of the 21st century so far — athleisure — joggers are neutral enough to be a highly functional piece of any wardrobe, allowing you to transition from the field to the streets to everywhere in between. That sounds a lot like blue jeans to us!

Which begs the question — where are you getting your joggers from? Because if you’re not shopping Under Armour’s Unstoppable collection, you’re missing out on some of the best tech-focused fashion-forward joggers currently on the market.

To help you level up your wardrobe before college classes start up again, we’re highlighting two of our favorite joggers from the Unstoppable collection.

Men’s UA Unstoppable Joggers

Price: $90

UA’s Unstoppable Joggers have the sort of tech-forward functionality that has become expected of the brand. The joggers utilize UA’s Storm technology, which repels water and liquids without suffocating you, providing breathability courtesy of a 4-way stretch woven fabric. That keeps these joggers light, durable, and comfort-focused, making them ideal for both athletic endeavors and stepping out on the town.

The joggers drop in six colorways, our favorite is the Coyote, which features earthy tones that are neutral enough to pair with all sorts of different outfits. In keeping with modern trends, the joggers also feature a fuller loose cut, giving you that tapered look at the ankle, but a lot of room throughout for ultimate comfort.

Pick up a pair of Men’s UA Unstoppable Joggers here.

Women’s UA Unstoppable Joggers

Price: $80

The Unstoppable Joggers aren’t just available for Men, UA has a women’s sized variation that features a few key differences. The joggers are made from the same 4-way stretch woven material but feature three colorways and a larger size run from XXS to 3XL.

The main body fabric on these women’s joggers are made from 90% recycled polyester, giving them a sustainable edge and featuring a sweat-wicking, fast-drying material, as well as an elastic waistband to cinch at the waist for a more flattering silhouette.

Pick up a pair of Women’s UA Unstoppable Joggers here.

Men’s UA Unstoppable Fleece Grid Joggers

Price: $110

The Men’s Fleece Grid Joggers are closing out our list, offering the same fleece build, 4-way stretch, fast drying, and moisture-wicking technology, but with a looser fit and a textured design. The textured elements come via a waffle-grid-like pattern at the thighs that extends to the back of the pants and ends at the calf line.

The joggers are equipped with open hand pockets and an extra zip pocket on the right thigh to protect whatever valuables you’re carrying.

Pick up a pair of the Men’s UA Unstoppable Fleece Grid Joggers here.

To the untrained eye, the Alien franchise might seem like a run-of-the-mill space story with a horrifying monster. But every Alien movie has its own place in the series, with important tidbits of information sandwiched in between horrifying alien sequences and sometimes screaming children. They are all worth the watch, but if you haven’t seen any of them and need a debrief before Alien: Romulus, you might want to do your research.

Alien: Romulus is technically a standalone film that takes place in the Alien universe with a new set of characters, so if you have no Alien experience, you will still enjoy the movie. Of course, that doesn’t mean there won’t be callbacks or easter eggs (maybe some real eggs too) but you don’t need to marathon all six other films in the franchise before heading to the theaters…unless you want to.

If you have no experience whatsoever with the Alien franchise, starting with Alien is the best way to dive in. Not only will it give you a good scare, but it will also provide the right amount of context. Alien: Romulus takes place in between Alien and Aliens, meaning that if you go in with just Alien under your belt, you’ll probably still enjoy the experience. They you can head home and watch Aliens right after. To take it one step even further, you can check out the video game Alien: Isolation, which also takes place after the events of Alien.

For even more world-building, Prometheus and Alien: Covenant tells the rich backstory and mythology of the series. Both of those take place way before the Alien we know. For more action, you can check out the Alien vs. Predator series, though its existence is controversial amongst fans.

To recap: Alien is a must-watch before Romulus, but after that it’s really up to you, depending on how much context you need. While Aliens takes place after Romulus, is often considered the best in the series, so it won’t take away from your experience if you chose to watch it before. All you truly need to know is that these aliens are… not nice.

Chance The Rapper has been teasing his new project, Star Line, for quite a while, but during a recent livestream chat, he gave his fans a condition for its release: They must call it by its proper name instead of demanding he “drop the album.”

“Alright, so this was the main point I was trying to make,” he explained. “Stop calling it the album. And I don’t mean that in an ungrateful way. I’m grateful that people are putting in my comments, ‘Drop the album.’ I’m not going to drop the album until y’all start calling it Star Line.”

He elaborated, “That’s for all the other artists. That’s for all everybody else, whose work I also appreciate. But what I’m doing is something different. It’s something very specific. It’s called Star Line… I’ve been saying one specific phrase for coming up on two or three years now… If y’all say, ‘Drop Star Line enough, it’s going to make me drop Star Line… I don’t know what the album is. I know about a Star Line.”

As recently as June, Chance said that the album is either “83,” “83.5,” or “82.7” percent finished, while in late July, he hosted a listening event to give fans a preview of just what the project might consist of. He’s also released several songs already, including “Buried Alive,” “Together,” and “Stars Out,” in addition to the “Writing Exercise” freestyles that showed off his progress with his pen in response to fans’ lukewarm reception of his last album, The Big Day.