Patrick Mahomes is the best quarterback in the NFL. He’s got a rocket arm, he’s deadly accurate, and he has the remarkable ability to raise his game when he has to perform in big moments. As a result, quarterbacks across America are modeling their games after Mahomes, even if he’s about as 1-of-1 as we’ve ever seen at the position.
As it turns out, there are quarterbacks who want to resemble Mahomes off the field, too. Nebraska football landed one of the best recruits in program history this past recruiting class in Dylan Raiola, a 5-star quarterback who 247Sports called the second-best signal caller in his class. Raiola showed up for camp on Wednesday, and I promise, this is not a picture of Patrick Mahomes I am about to embed in this post.
He legitimately looks just like Mahomes, right down to the fact that he’s wearing adidas gear. And even Mahomes had to admit that the resemblance is pretty impressive, as he responded to a tweet from Tyreek Hill where the Dolphins receiver wondered what the heck was going on.
USA Basketball coach Steve Kerr made a controversial decision with his rotation during the team’s first game at the Paris Olympics. The team took on a Serbia, and while Kerr played 10 members of his 12-man roster, Jayson Tatum and Tyrese Haliburton did not get on the floor in the 110-84 win.
Tatum, in particular, was a surprising omission, as the Boston Celtics star has established himself as one of the best players in the world and can fit into just about any team context. Kerr expressed some regret over the decision, but considering the Americans won and Tatum made it back into the starting five for the team’s win over South Sudan, it was largely water under the bridge.
Still, we had not heard from Tatum about all of this, but after the South Sudan game, he opened up about the situation and called it a “humbling experience.” Via BasketNews:
“It’s a unique situation, and it’s not about one individual player, competitor in you wants to play obviously, but I’m not here to make a story about myself,” Tatum said after the win against South Sudan. “You win a championship, new contract, NBA 2K25 cover, Sports Illustrated… so after all of this, it’s definitely a humbling experience.”
“We won; I was just glad to get back out there and play again, as there was a lot of chatter over the last few days,” Tatum added.
At the very least, it seemed like Kerr learned from how this experiences blew up. After Joel Embiid got a DNP-CD against South Sudan, Kerr told the media that the decision was entirely based on the matchup, and that Embiid would start the team’s group finale against Puerto Rico.
On Monday, July 29, Ocean posted a photo showing him playing the guitar in a studio, which was perfectly summed up by someone named Jenski on X (formerly Twitter): “I know Frank Ocean was manically laughing posting that picture of him in the studio knowing damn well he’s not putting out sh*t.”
In other words, anybody still trying to predict if or when Ocean will release his first album since 2016’s Blonde is a masochist. Instead, everyone should enjoy Ocean showing signs of life publicly whatsoever.
On Wednesday, July 31, Ocean posted several times to his Instagram Story. One video showed a suited Ocean swaying back and forth while holding a coffee. The next photo is a certified thirst trap — a shirtless Ocean sticking his tongue out in a mirror selfie. Then, there’s a sunset photo, an unidentified man’s back, a steep staircase that Ocean must have climbed, and a beautiful rainbow over the ocean.
While we all helplessly wait for new Frank Ocean music, check out some of his latest posts below.
Here Is Joshua Bassett’s The Golden Years Tour Setlist
Bassett kicked off his The Golden Years Tour in Phoenix, Arizona on Tuesday, July 30. The former High School Musical: The Musical: The Series star will next play three dates across Texas — in Irving on August 1, Houston on August 2, and Austin on August 3 — and will snake across North America until playing Los Angeles’ YouTube Theater on September 3 before going overseas.
Below is Bassett’s purported opening night setlist, as chronicled on setlist.fm by fans in attendance.
1. “The Golden Years” (Live debut)
2. “Secret”
3. “Cherry Blossom” (Live debut)
4. “Circles” (Live debut)
5. “Biting My Tongue”
6. “Lie Lie Lie”
7. “Mirror” (Live debut)
8. “Lifeline”
9. “Different”
10. “Would Ya Tell Me” (Live debut)
11. “Little Rita” (Live debut)
12. “All In Due Time”
13. “Smoke Slow”
14. “Just Love”
15. “Feel Something”
16. “Dancing With Tears In My Eyes” (Live debut)
17. “The Best Part / Even When” (Olivia Rodrigo & Joshua Bassett cover) (Live debut)
18. “Set Me Free”
Encore
19. “SHE SAID HE SAID SHE SAID”
20. “Look How Far You’ve Come” (Live debut)
Joshua Bassett’s 2024 Tour Dates: The Golden Years Tour
08/01 — Irving, TX @ The Pavilion at Toyota Music Factory
08/02 — Houston, TX @ 713 Music Hall
08/03 — Austin, TX @ Austin City Limits Live at The Moody Theater
08/05 — New Orleans, LA @ Fillmore New Orleans
08/06 — Jacksonville, FL @ Daily’s Place
08/08 — Atlanta, GA @ Coca-Cola Roxy
08/09 — Birmingham, AL @ Avondale Brewing Co.
08/10 — Nashville, TN @ Ryman Auditorium
08/12 — Raleigh, NC @ Red Hat Amphitheater
08/13 — Charlotte, NC @ Skyla Credit Union Amphitheatre
08/14 — Baltimore, MD @ Pier Six Pavilion
08/16 — Philadelphia, PA @ The Met Presented by Highmark
08/17 — Boston, MA @ MGM Music Hall at Fenway
08/20 — New York, NY @ Radio City Music Hall
08/21 — Toronto, ON @ Massey Hall
08/23 — Rochester Hills, MI @ Meadow Brook Amphitheatre
08/24 — Chicago, IL @ Byline Bank Aragon Ballroom
08/25 — Minneapolis, MN @ Armory
08/27 — Denver, CO @ Fillmore Auditorium
08/28 — Sandy, UT @ Sandy Amphitheater
08/30 — San Francisco, CA @ Bill Graham Civic Auditorium
09/01 — San Diego, CA @ Cal Coast Credit Union Open Air Theatre at SDSU
09/03 — Los Angeles, CA @ YouTube Theater
09/16 — Dublin, IE @ 3Olympia Theatre
09/17 — Belfast, UK @ Ulster Hall
09/19 — Glasgow, UK @ O2 Academy
09/20 — Birmingham, UK @ O2 Academy
09/22 — Manchester, UK @ O2 Apollo
09/23 — London, UK @ Eventim Apollo
09/25 — Brussels, BE @ La Madeleine
09/27 — Amsterdam, NL @ Melkweg
09/29 — Paris, FR @ Salle Pleyel
10/01 — Barcelona, ES @ Razzmatazz
10/03 — Milan, IT @ Fabrique
10/05 — Munich, DE @ Muffathalle
10/06 — Cologne, DE @ Carlswerk Victoria
10/07 — Berlin, DE @ Huxleys Neue Welt
10/09 — Copenhagen, DK @ Vega
Michael Phelps’ 2008 Olympics performance is arguably the single most dominant Games by one athlete in history, as Phelps competed in eight events and won eight gold medals. This year, French swimming sensation Leon Marchand might not get to eight golds, as that’s dependent on the French relay teams, but he’s chasing a similar individual schedule as Phelps, competing in four individual events, and has the same coach as Phelps did, Bob Bowman.
After winning gold in the 400 individual medley on Sunday, Marchand spent Tuesday racing in the heats and semifinals of the 200 meter breaststroke and butterfly, earning one of the top seeds in both finals on Wednesday. The first of those finals was the 200m butterfly, which figured to be his stiffest test as Hungary’s Kristof Milak is the world record holder and reigning Olympic champion in the event.
At the final turn, Marchand was trailing by a considerable margin and was going to need an unbelievable final 50 meters to get his second gold of the Games. Phelps was in NBC’s Paris studio with Mike Tirico for Wednesday’s swimming events and was losing his mind watching Marchand’s closing 50, as he reeled in and passed the world record holder for the gold.
It’s always very cool to see elite athletes cheering on other elite athletes, but it’s especially the case for Phelps to be doing this for Marchand, who isn’t an American swimmer and is the closest thing we’ve seen to Phelps since he retired. Not every retired great would be rooting (much less rooting this hard) for their heir apparent, but Phelps loves seeing the young Frenchman getting his moment in Paris — Marchand also cruised to gold in the 200 meter breaststroke later in the evening for his third in three events.
The trend continued on Wednesday, July 31, when Drake celebrated Vybz Kartel’s release from prison by posting a selfie showing him posing in a “FREE KARTEL FREE WORLD BOSS” graphic tee.
Drake posts selfie wearing a shirt of dancehall star Vybz Kartel.
Vybz Kartel has been released from prison after serving more than 10 years, Jamaica Observer reports.
Jamaica Court of Appeal ruled against a retrial in Vybz’s 2014 murder conviction. pic.twitter.com/rK1gMDE3b6
According to Rolling Stone, the Jamaican dancehall artist is “a free man after a decade in prison” after “a Jamaican court of appeals declined Wednesday to retry Vybz Kartel after the dancehall star’s 2014 murder conviction was overturned earlier this year.”
As per Rolling Stone, Kartel had been found guilty in 2014 of murdering Clive “Lizard” Williams, but the UK-based Privy Council overturned the ruling this March after “finding evidence of juror misconduct in Kartel’s initial trial.”
On Wednesday, TMZ exclusively reported that Underwood is “very close to filling” Perry’s Idol seat.
“Sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ Carrie and her team are in the final stages of locking her into a contract to appear on the hit ABC show, and if all goes smoothly, the former Idol winner will soon join Luke Bryan and Lionel Richie as the new judge.”
TMZ additionally speculated that Underwood could formally announce her new job while appearing on Good Morning America on Friday, August 2.
Deadline separately reported that Underwood “is expected to sit alongside Lionel Richie and Luke Bryan” for Season 25 after other names such as Miley Cyrus, Justin Bieber, Pink, and Meghan Trainor “were in talks” before ABC landed on Underwood.
As of this writing, American Idol representatives and Underwood’s representatives declined to comment to Billboard.
On Wednesday, July 31, Illuminati Hotties dropped “the last single” before Power drops, and the rock-tinged single provides more than enough substance to hold people over for three-ish weeks.
“‘The L’ is about knowing when to back down – it’s a lesson I’ve had the great fortune to have many chances to learn over and over again,” Tudzin said, as per Stereogum. “It’s about putting your pride aside in favor of resolution. We could go separate ways, but I’ll take the ‘L’ instead.”
Tudzin continued, “The vocals in the bridge are from the original demo and capture how tiny and vulnerable I feel when I’m surrendering to love and compromise. It’s very hard when you’re independent and sure-headed and stubborn to figure out how to navigate partnership, but I’ve thrown my hands up in this song. Love always comes out on top.”
“The L” follows “Didn’t” and “Power” as Power singles.
Listen to “The L” above.
Power is out 8/23 via Hopeless Records. Find more information here.
Anybody who thought the vinyl resurgence was just a fad was mistaken: The industry has experienced a legitimate revival. As a result, music fans are interested in physical media in ways they may not have if the decades-old medium hasn’t made a comeback. That doesn’t mean everybody is listening to just their parents’ old music, though. That’s part of it, sure, thanks to rereleases that present classic albums in new ways. A vital part of the renewed vinyl wave, though, is new projects being released as records, of which there are plenty.
Stars — Set Yourself On Fire (20th Anniversary Vinyl Reissue)
Arts & Crafts
Stars are going on a North American tour to celebrate 20 years of their album Set Yourself On Fire, but that’s not all: There’s also a vinyl reissue that comes with a bunch of goodies, including new liner notes, a pin-up poster, a temporary tattoo, and of course, the album itself, pressed on 140g opaque red vinyl.
Duran Duran — Duran Duran, Rio, Seven And The Ragged Tiger, Notorious, and Big Thing (Reissues)
Warner
Duran Duran came out the gate scorching hot, and now that era can be celebrated with a new vinyl set that includes the group’s first five studio albums. The albums have long been out of print and they appear in remastered form here, so this is a big thing. From the iconic Rio cover art to the parade of massive hits including “Notorious” and “Girls On Film,” this is an essential run of records for both new fans and those wanting their faves on wax.
John Lennon — Mind Games (The Ultimate Mixes) Super Deluxe Box Set
Capitol/UMe
1973’s Mind Games was John Lennon’s fourth solo album, but in a way, it was also his first, in that it was the first one he produced himself. It’s a big one in his discography and this massive new box set (a literal box, in this case) is limited to only 1,100 pieces and comes with everything from reproduction artworks to posters to books and so much more.
You may not have known this, but Synchronicity started with a bunch of Sting demos. Well, those have never been heard before… until now, as they’re included in an impressive new reissue of the album. The box set contains 55 previously unreleased tracks in all, along with new liner notes, interviews, and more.
We just passed the 30th anniversary of Beastie Boys’Ill Communication (the “Sabotage” album). To mark the occasion, the group has unveiled a 3LP deluxe edition that marks the return of a rare edition of the album that had a limited release in 2009. It comes with lenticular cover art and 12 bonus tracks.
There has been a slew of Yusuf/Cat Stevens remasters gradually making their way out over the past few years, and now we have another. This time, it’s the 1973 classic Foreigner, and this reissue marks the first time the project is available on vinyl since its original release.
Last year’s vinyl reissue of Stop Making Sense sold out (naturally), but now the Talking Heads classic back as a 2LP black vinyl edition on Rhino.com and retail, and as a 2LP crystal clear vinyl version at Barnes And Noble. Whatever edition you get, it comes with a 12-page booklet featuring liner notes from all four band members.
The Mountain Goats — The Coroner’s Gambit (Reissue)
Merge
The Coroner’s Gambit has been out of print for a while, but fret no more: There’s a new edition out now that comes pressed on candy corn-colored vinyl and with new liner notes from John Darnielle. It even comes wrapped in a reproduction of the 15” × 18” white paper bag that the original tape came in, making for a fine homage to the humble roots of the project.
Land Of Talk — Applause Cheer Boo Hiss: The Definitive Edition
Saddle Creek/One Little Independent
Before Land Of Talk’s 2008 debut album Some Are Lakes was Applause Cheer Boo Hiss. Now that original project has gotten a reissue that pushes it into full-length territory, expanding the tracklist to 10 songs, plus an additional 10 tracks of acoustic renditions.
In 2023, Blur went massive at Wembley Stadium, playing to a combined 150,000 spectators across two concerts. Now, the occasion as been memorialized in a new live album, but pay attention to which edition you get: The triple black vinyl and triple teal colored vinyl editions feature the Sunday performances, while the double black vinyl and double picture disc vinyl versions feature highlights from both shows.
The Motown Records catalog is in the midst of a reissue series, with a handful of releases dropping every month. For July, Marvin Gaye and Mary Wells’ Together, which brought together Gaye, then an up-and-comer who hadn’t yet attained his now-legendary status, and Wells, an established star of the time. In addition, Motown also offered up The Supremes’ I Hear a Symphony on green vinyl and The Temptations’ Cloud Nine this month. It’s a good time to be a Motown fan.
DMX — It’s Dark And Hell Is Hot (Vinyl Me, Please Reissue)
Vinyl Me, Please
Vinyl Me, Please routinely nails it with the aesthetics of their reissues, and their new DMX release is another example, with the red and black vinyl perfectly complementing the cover art. Like all VMP releases, this one comes with a new listening notes booklet, too.
Rhino High Fidelity (Rhino Hi-Fi) offered up two more stellar titles from its high-end reissue series this month, classic rock gems from Bad Company and Yes. Both albums are limited to 5,000 individually numbered copies in which Kevin Gray expertly cuts lacquers and Optimal handles the 180-gram vinyl pressing. These are as good as the albums have ever sounded, providing definitive issues of two classics.
Fresh off their performance at Coachella and ahead of a widely sold out tour that will play multiple nights in NYC and Paris, L’Impératrice’s Pulsar is now out in the world. Featuring appearances from the likes of Maggie Rogers and Erick the Architect, Exclaim notes that the group “sounds more like themselves than ever” on the set. It’s a great addition to your vinyl collection, and one that might age well as the years go on.
How many of us watch the Olympics and suddenly become inspired to attempt some of those amazing feats ourselves? Of course, we talk ourselves out of it. After all, leave it to the pros, right? But a part of us still thinks…wouldn’t it be fun to just try?
One mom decided to abandon inhibition and follow those urges, setting up her own gymnastics stadium (i.e. a kid’s mat on the floor of her kitchen) to channel her inner Simone Biles.
In a now-viral video posted to her Instagram, we see Breanne Allarie wearing a swimsuit as a leotard as she switch leaps, handstands and even attempts the Shushunova—which ends up looking like a glorious belly flop.
In an interview with Today, Allarie revealed that she in fact does have a gymnastics background, and at one time wanted to compete in the Olympics. But life—and injuries—changed those plans a bit, though she did end up dancing professionally on cruise ships.
So when she says “I feel like I could do a backflip” in the video, there’s merit! But with her husband’s protest, she played it safe.
Still, people were totally impressed by the tricks she did manage to pull off, and charmed by her enthusiasm.
“10’s across the board,” one person wrote, while another quipped, “The whispered ‘nailed it’ 😆 So good!”
Many former athletes reached out to thank Allarie for essentially living out the dream that still remains in part of their hearts.
As one person put it, “All of us former athletes out here pulling muscles and throwing tricks to prove we still got it — when in fact, we don’t fully still got it.”
Allarie told Today, with her signature sense of humor, that she wants to show that world that “midsize moms can do it, too … maybe … sort of.” Although she would also like everyone to know that Olympians “make it look so much easier than it is.”
And perhaps the biggest takeaway of all was the amount of joy she felt, which was palpable. May it be your official permission slip to do something just for the fun of it, regardless of whether or not you’d win a gold medal.
We know that trying new things, even if we won’t be the best at it, is important for our well being in multiple ways. And yet, it’s so easy to talk ourselves out of it and remain in the comfort zone of longing for more.
So take a page from Allarie’s book. Do the thing. Have fun. And be sure to give yourself a pat on the back when it’s done.
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