Month: September 2024

After a 1-8 start to the season, the playoffs looked out of the picture for the Indiana Fever and star rookie Caitlin Clark. The team faced a difficult opening schedule, but things just were not clicking for Indiana’s top players, and it seemed like it would take some time for them to develop the needed chemistry to rise up the WNBA standings.

However, the Fever quickly stabilized things, moving into playoff position by the All-Star break and a month off for the Olympics clearly did Clark and the rest of the Fever well. They have come back on a tear, led by the dynamic play of Clark and Kelsey Mitchell, winning six of seven games to move above .500 at 17-16 with seven games to play, and despite not playing on Tuesday night they clinched a playoff berth thanks to losses by the Sky and Dream. Clark met with the media before Indiana’s game against the Sparks on Wednesday evening and explained why, while it’s a great accomplishment, she’s not satisfied with simply making the playoffs in her rookie season.

“It’s definitely a big moment for this place, but at the same time I came in with the expectation this is what’s going to happen,” Clark said. “For me this isn’t a party. Yeah, it’s great, I feel like it’s a great accomplishment, but there’s so much more left to be done. Yeah we made the playoffs, there’s six regular season games. I mean, I’m not just happy being in the playoffs. I feel like we have a team that can win and advance, going one game at a time. So I think that’s what it is for all of us, it’s like, yeah celebrate it, enjoy it, like it is really huge for this organization, not being to the playoffs since Tamika [Catchings] was here if I’m not mistaken. It’s been a long time. I’m definitely most happy for Kels. Kelsey’s been in this place for seven years and has never been to the playoffs, so she definitely deserves this moment, and obviously, she’s been playing really good basketball too. She’s definitely helped us earn it.”

The expectations externally on Clark coming into this season were astronomical, but it’s clear she was putting similar internal expectations on herself to succeed in her first year in the WNBA. This is also the right approach to have, especially for a team that’s peaking at the right time and could win a series in the playoffs. After the season is when you can fully appreciate what just making the playoffs means to that organization, but in the moment she and the Fever should absolutely be thinking bigger.

The way she and Mitchell have figured out how to play off of one another — after a rocky start where neither seemed fully comfortable offensively — has given Indiana the league’s most dynamic scoring backcourt in the league. Clark noted later on that she was “lucky” to play with someone like Mitchell and that she thought Kelsey deserved player of the month over her. The question is whether they can hold up against the WNBA’s best on the defensive end in the playoffs, as they’ll likely face the Lynx, Sun, or Aces in the first round. However, none of those teams will be all that excited to deal with Indiana’s offense, and if the Fever can keep it rolling as they have since the end of the Olympic break, they’ll be a handful for any of the top seeds.

Spoilers For House of the Dragon will be found below.

About a week ago, George R.R. Martin promised/threatened to blog about everything that he feels has gone wrong on the current Game of Thrones prequel series. His turnaround time on such vows might be improving, but also, it feels like GRRM is only getting started because he did indeed go on a lengthy rant about HotD, but he centers his concern upon Season 2’s “A Son for a Son” episode, otherwise known as the Blood and Cheese atrocity.

Martin does not hold back and delivers 1,800+ words on the subject, and much of his discussion revolves around the chaos theory-related “Butterfly Effect,” which holds that the tiniest aberrations/alterations in events can spark wide-ranging, even destructive impacts on the whole. His essay is actually rather wild, considering that HotD is halfway finished and multiple other GoT spin offs are in the works (with A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms arriving in 2025), so Martin needs to preserve his working relationship with HBO. Yet Martin’s displeasure with a certain Blood and Cheese change led him to conclude his (SPOILER FILLED) essay like this:

“And there are larger and more toxic butterflies to come, if HOUSE OF THE DRAGON goes ahead with some of the changes being contemplated for seasons 3 and 4…”

Very dramatic stuff for sure. He’s essentially upset about the absence of Maelor, who is the third child of Helaena and Aegon II Targaryen yet does not appear in the show for what Martin suggests are budget-related reasons. Martin explains why he acquiesced to the omission under the understanding that Maelor would appear in the third season, and then this happened:

“Sometime between the initial decision to remove Maelor, a big change was made. The prince’s birth was no longer just going to be pushed back to season 3. He was never going to be born at all. The younger son of Aegon and Helaena would never appear.”

I will not even attempt to summarize the rest of Martin’s layered argument, but he outlines the many reasons why he believes that removing Maelor from the story will smash the emotional resonance of significant future HotD events into smithereens. He also publicly (albeit vaguely) calls out future story decisions from showrunner Ryan Condal by referring to “Ryan’s outline for season 3,” and overall, man, this predicts serious tension between Martin and the prequel spin off’s creatives.

Of course, Martin is not known for mincing words, so perhaps this dust-up will blow over with time. However, if you are looking for a GRRM-related show that does not seem to upset him, he’s a producer on AMC’s Dark Winds, which recently found a new audience on Netflix and will be moving into a third season in 2025. Enjoy!

Sometimes the best new R&B can be hard to find, but there are plenty of great rhythm-and-blues tunes to get into if you have the time to sift through the hundreds of newly released songs every week. So that R&B heads can focus on listening to what they love in its true form, we’ll be offering a digest of the best new R&B songs that fans of the genre should hear every Friday.

Since the last update of this weekly R&B column, we’ve received plenty of music and news from the genre’s artists.

Halle Bailey dropped her new single “Because I Love You” while her and DDG’s son Halo became a new meme on social media. Victoria Monét extended the Jaguar II era with a new song featuring Usher and FLO officially announced their debut album with their new single, “Bending My Rules.”Elsewhere, SZA hilariously got asked for help with a fan’s math homework.

Here are the new releases you need to have your eye on this week:

Victoria Monét — “SOS (Sex On Sight)” Feat. Usher

Victoria Monét’s new single, “SOS (Sex On Sight)” with Usher, begins the official rollout of her Jaguar II deluxe album. “SOS (Sex On Sight)” is a steamy and sexy record that showcases the burning desire that a couple shares and the “the urgency you feel when you need some love, physical touch and quality attention,” as Monét noted in a press release.

Halle — “Because I Love You”

Halle dives into a grungier side of her artistry with her latest track “Because I Love You.” Co-written with the equally-talented British singer RAYE, Halle uses the new record to capture the deep love she has for her partner. “It’s an anthem that tells the story of all of the beautiful passion and euphoria you can feel with that person,” she said in a press release.

Kehlani — While We Wait 2

Kehlani is the gift that keeps on giving in 2024. Two months after dropping her fourth album Crash, the Oakland native is back with her TK mixtape and sequel to 2019’s While We Wait. Fourteen projects make up While We Wait 2 which includes features from Lucky Daye, Vince Staples, Destin Conrad, FLO, Dixson, and others.

FLO — “Bending The Rules”

British girl group FLO finally announced their debut album over the weekend Access All Areas and with it came their new single “Bending The Rules.” The elegant record gives room for the girls to showcase their vocals as they confess their growing feelings for their significant other.

Muni Long — Revenge

Muni Long is trying to “solidify myself as an R&B giant,” and her sophomore album Revenge is her latest step in trying to do that. The 14-track album is mostly composed of vocals from Long, minus a feature from GloRilla, for an album that she hopes makes listeners “feel like I did when I heard Maxwell’s first album.”

Leon Thomas — “Mutt (Remix)” Feat. Freddie Gibbs

Leon Thomas is about to be busy for the rest of 2024. He’ll soon be on tour with Blxst for the I Will Always Come Find You and now’s ready to release a new album. His second LP Mutt is set for a September 27 release date and with that announcement comes a new remix of its title track with Freddie Gibbs who fits like a glove over the song’s textured and thumping production.

Jazlyn Martin — Identity Crisis

Jazlyn Martin is a name and face you know from Peacock’s Bel-Air series, but she’s also a very talented singer, something that can’t be denied with her debut EP Identity Crisis. Its seven songs showcase her enchanting and delicate vocals as well as a deeply personal exploration of Jazlyn’s experiences and the societal and coming-of-age challenges she faced in her life.

LARA’ – Luvology

Texas-based singer-songwriter LARA’ emerges with her second album Luvology. The project follows her 2019 debut Sol Soliloquies and tis 15 songs call on Rapsody, Blk Odyssy, Sebastian Mikael, Ambré, and more for a body of work that examines love and its various complexities as well as honestly detailing some of her personal experiences with love.

Tempest — The Ranch

Tempest finally arrives with her debut project. Her five-track EP The Ranch captures the many flavors and feelings that she provides through her music. Between the cheeky “The Ranch” with Amindi and the unapologetically free “Cha Cha Freestyle,” The Ranch is inspiration to stay true to themselves and live it out in the open.

Charlie Bereal — “Walk With The Father”

California singer Charlie Bereal keeps the soul alive with his new single “Walk With The Father.” On the track, co-produced by Josef Liemberg, Bereal reflects on realities that hit those who come to the big city in pursuit of their dreams only to be greeted by a harsh reality check.

Jordyn Simone & Lekan — “Don’t Wake Up”

Jordyn Simone began the year with her No Demo Left Unheard EP and now the Los Angeles native is looking to end the year on a high note. She’s back with “Don’t Wake Up” alongside Lekan. Together, Simone and Lekan advocate for living out your dreams and not waking up to face reality.

In 2020, The War On Drugs released Live Drugs, their first live album. Now, they’re doing it again: Today (September 4), the band announced Live Drugs Again.

The new live album, set for release on September 13, was recorded on tour between February 2022 and December 2023.

The band’s Adam Granduciel says of the project in a press release, “Live Drugs Again chronicles the evolution of these songs from the studio to stages all over the world; documenting our continued growth as a live band. This series ensures that these versions, and some of our favorite moments on stage, will live on.”

They also shared the album’s rendition of “Burning,” so check that out above. Find the Live Drugs Again cover art and tracklist below. Also find the band’s upcoming tour dates alongside The National below.

The War On Drugs’ Live Drugs Again Album Cover Artwork

The War On Drugs’ Live Drugs Again Tracklist

1. “Harmonia’s Dream”
2. “Burning”
3. “Old Skin”
4. “Come To The City”
5. “I Don’t Wanna Wait”
6. “Pain”
7. “Slow Ghost”
8. “In Chains”
9. “Living Proof”
10. “Under The Pressure”
11. “I Don’t Live Here Anymore”

The National And The War On Drugs’ 2024 Tour Dates: Zen Diagram Tour

09/12 — Gilford, NH @ Bank of New Hampshire Pavilion *
09/13 — New York, NY @ Forest Hills Stadium *
09/14 — Mansfield, MA @ Xfinity Center *
09/16 — Columbia, MD @ Merriweather Post Pavilion *
09/17 — Philadelphia, PA @ TD Pavilion at the Mann Center for Performing Arts *
09/19 — Laval, QC @ Place Bell *
09/20 — Toronto, ON @ Budweiser Stage *
09/21 — Cuyahoga Falls, OH @ Blossom Music Center *
09/24 — Chicago, IL @ United Center *
09/25 — Sterling Heights, MI @ Michigan Lottery Amphitheatre at Freedom Hill *
09/26 — Madison, WI @ Breese Stevens Field *
09/28 — Englewood, CO @ Fiddler’s Green Amphitheatre *
09/29 — Salt Lake City, UT @ Granary Live *
10/01 — Seattle, WA @ Climate Pledge Arena *
10/02 — Vancouver, BC @ Pepsi Live at Rogers Arena *
10/03 — Portland, OR @ Moda Center *
10/06 — Berkeley, CA @ The Greek Theatre *
10/07 — Los Angeles, CA @ Hollywood Bowl *
10/10 — Mexico City, MX @ Palacio De Los Deportes

* with Lucius

Live Drugs Again is out 9/13 via High Quality Records. Find more information here.

Just five days after releasing their second single of 2024, “Crazy,” the burgeoning K-pop girl band LE SSERAFIM has released a remix. The remix adds vocals from pop mad scientist PinkPantheress, whose 2024 has seen the release of two singles of her own: “Reason” and “Turn It Up.”

“Crazy” appears on LE SSERAFIM’s new EP, Easy, which dropped in February with five new songs, including the title track. Following its release, the group performed at Coachella for the first time.

PinkPantheress, meanwhile, has had a busy year of her own, despite not releasing much music. She was billed at the inaugural Gazebo Festival conceived by Jack Harlow, and at FORM Festival, which takes place in October.

The English singer, songwriter, and record producer caused some controversy with some of her statements about her approach to recording music, as well. After explaining why her songs are so short, she drew some criticism from pop-soul icon Dionne Warwick. Then, she revealed she’s never listened to a full album, sparking a debate among music fans about whether that’s actually the new normal for artists in their 20s.

The EP approach has certainly been a fixture of K-pop’s popularity; new groups often release several EPs long before ever dropping a full album. You can check out LE SSERAFIM’s EP here and check out the video for the “Crazy” remix above.

1994’s Weezer (also known as the Blue Album) was a cracking debut for Weezer. Now that the project is 30 years old, the band is coming through with a massive reissue.

Blue Album 30th Anniversary Edition was announced today, and on top of that, the band shared “Undone – The Sweater Song (Third Practice),” which is the earliest known recording of the album highlight.

Alongside that, the Super Deluxe Edition box set has 36 previously unreleased tracks, 50 songs in total. There are a bunch of different editions of the album, so check out the tracklists below.

Blue Album 30th Anniversary Edition (Super Deluxe 4LP + 10-Inch + 7-Inch) Tracklist

LP 1 – Album Remastered
Side A
1. “My Name Is Jonas”
2. “No One Else”
3. “The World Has Turned And Left Me Here”
4. “Buddy Holly”
5. “Undone – The Sweater Song”
6. “Surf Wax America”

Side B
1. “Say It Ain’t So”
2. “In The Garage”
3. “Holiday”
4. “Only In Dreams”

LP2 – The Kitchen Tape Demos
Side A
1. “Say It Ain’t So *”
2. “The World Has Turned And Left Me Here *”
3. “Paperface”
4. “Undone – The Sweater Song”

Side B
1. “Thief, You’ve Taken All That Was Me *”
2. “My Name Is Jonas *”
3. “Let’s Sew Our Pants Together *”
4. “Only In Dreams”

LP3 – The Early Recordings
Side A
1. “I Can’t Forget The Way (Third Practice) *”
2. “Undone – The Sweater Song (Third Practice) *”
3. “The World Has Turned And Left Me Here (Third Practice) *”
4. “Windows Down (Garage Practice) *”
5. “My Name Is Jonas (Garage Practice) *”

Side B
1. “Only In Dreams (Garage Practice) *”
2. “Superman (Garage Practice) *”
3. “Dawn Sets Upon Us (Garage Practice) *”
4. “Just What I Needed (Rehearsal Demo) *”
5. “Buddy Holly (Rehearsal Demo) *”

LP4 – The Early Live Recordings
Side A
1. “Let’s Sew Our Pants Together (Live at 8121 Club) *”
2. “Paperface (Live at 8121 Club) *”
3. “Only In Dreams (Live at 8121 Club) *”
4. “Conversationalist (Wax Cover/Adaptation) (Live at Coconut Teaszer) *”
5. “Undone – The Sweater Song (Live at English Acid) *”
6. “My Name Is Jonas (Live at English Acid) *”

Side B
1. “No One Else (Live at Club Lingerie) *”
2. “The World Has Turned And Left Me Here (Live at Club Lingerie) *”
3. “Jamie (Live at Club Lingerie) *”
4. “Lullabye For Wayne (Live at Club Lingerie) *”
5. “Say It Ain’t So (Live at Club Lingerie) *”
6. “China Grove (Live at Club Lingerie) *”

10-Inch – BBC Recordings (45RPM)
Side A
1. “My Name Is Jonas (Live on BBC Evening Sessions) *”
2. “In The Garage (Live on BBC Evening Sessions) *”
3. “No One Else (Live on BBC Evening Sessions) *”

Side B
1. “Surf Wax America (Live on BBC Evening Sessions) *”
2. “Buddy Holly (Acoustic – Live on Greater London Radio) **”
3. “Undone – The Sweater Song (Acoustic – Live on Greater London Radio) **”

7-Inch – LMU Sessions (33 1/3 RPM)
Side A
1. “Jamie (Take 6)”
2. “My Name Is Jonas *”

Side B
1. “Jamie (Take 5) *”
2. “Lullabye for Wayne *”

Blue Album 30th Anniversary Edition (Deluxe 3CD) Tracklist

CD1
1. “My Name Is Jonas”
2. “No One Else”
3. “The World Has Turned And Left Me Here”
4. “Buddy Holly”
5. “Undone – The Sweater Song”
6. “Surf Wax America”
7. “Say It Ain’t So”
8. “In The Garage”
9. “Holiday”
10. “Only In Dreams”
11. “My Name Is Jonas (Live on BBC Evening Sessions) *”
12. “In The Garage (Live on BBC Evening Sessions) *”
13. “No One Else (Live on BBC Evening Sessions) *”
14. “Surf Wax America (Live on BBC Evening Sessions) *”
15. “Buddy Holly (Acoustic – Live on Greater London Radio) **”
16. “Undone – The Sweater Song (Acoustic – Live on Greater London Radio) **”

CD2
1. “Say It Ain’t So (The Kitchen Tape Demos) *”
2. “The World Has Turned And Left Me Here (The Kitchen Tape Demos) *”
3. “Paperface (The Kitchen Tape Demos)”
4. “Undone – The Sweater Song (The Kitchen Tape Demos)”
5. “Thief, You’ve Taken All That Was Me (The Kitchen Tape Demos) *”
6. “My Name Is Jonas (The Kitchen Tape Demos) *”
7. “Let’s Sew Our Pants Together (The Kitchen Tape Demos) *”
8. “Only In Dreams (The Kitchen Tape Demos)”
9. “I Can’t Forget The Way (Third Practice) *”
10. “Undone – The Sweater Song (Third Practice) *”
11. “The World has turned and left me here (Third Practice) *”
12. “Windows Down (Garage Practice) *”
13. “My Name Is Jonas (Garage Practice) *”
14. “Only In Dreams (Garage Practice) *”
15. “Superman (Garage Practice) *”
16. “Dawn Sets Upon Us (Garage Practice) *”
17. “Just What I Needed (Rehearsal Demo) *”
18. “Buddy Holly (Rehearsal Demo) *”

CD3
1. “Let’s Sew Our Pants Together (Live at 8121 Club) *”
2. “Paperface (Live at 8121 Club) *”
3. “Only In Dreams (Live at 8121 Club) *”
4. “Conversationalist (Wax Cover/Adaptation) (Live at Coconut Teaszer) *”
5. “Undone – The Sweater Song (Live at English Acid) *”
6. “My Name Is Jonas (Live at English Acid) *”
7. “No One Else (Live at Club Lingerie) *”
8. “The World Has Turned And Left Me Here (Live at Club Lingerie) *”
9. “Jamie (Live at Club Lingerie) *”
10. “Lullabye For Wayne (Live at Club Lingerie) *”
11. “Say It Ain’t So (Live at Club Lingerie) *”
12. “China Grove (Live at Club Lingerie) *”
13. “Jamie (Take 6 – LMU Sessions)”
14. “My Name Is Jonas (LMU Sessions) *”
15. “Jamie (Take 5 – LMU Sessions) *”
16. “Lullabye for Wayne (LMU Sessions) *”

Blue Album 30th Anniversary Edition 2LP 45RPM Half-Speed Mastering) Tracklist

LP 1
Side A
1. “My Name Is Jonas”
2. “No One Else”
3. “The World Has Turned And Left Me Here”

Side B
1. “Buddy Holly”
2. “Undone – The Sweater Song”
3. “Surf Wax America”

LP2
Side C
1. “Say It Ain’t So”
2. “In The Garage”

Side D
1. “Holiday”
2. “Only In Dreams”

Blue Album 30th Anniversary Edition (1LP) Tracklist

Side A
1. “My Name Is Jonas”
2. “No One Else”
3. “The World Has Turned And Left Me Here”
4. “Buddy Holly”
5. “Undone – The Sweater Song”
6. “Surf Wax America”

Side B
1. “Say It Ain’t So”
2. “In The Garage”
3. “Holiday”
4. “Only In Dreams”

Blue Album 30th Anniversary Edition is out 11/1 via Geffen/UMe. Find more information here.

In mid-August, an unprecedented supply of AMC shows made their Netflix debut en masse. These included Kevin Can Go F**k Himself (which probably won’t receive a third season) and The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon (which will definitely receive a second, third, and fourth season because fans cannot get enough of unwashed Norman Reedus).

Then there’s Dark Winds, which has stood as an underappreciated gem for two seasons on AMC with a third season on the way. The series is produced by Robert Redford and George R.R. Martin, and of course, “Winds” has to be in the title because even when GRRM doesn’t mean to troll his impatient readers over Winds of Winter, it still happens. I’m getting off track here because Dark Winds is a damn fine crime drama based upon Tony Hillerman’s Leaphorn & Chee book series about 1970s Navajo cops investigating violent deeds in a remote area near Monument Valley. What they witness could transform their own spiritual beliefs, and the show is a sleeper hit for AMC that is now sitting on a weekly edition of Netflix’s Top 10 English-language TV shows.

Importantly as well, the show is penned by Native American writers and as AMC has noted, “More than 90 percent of the production team on both sides of the camera for season two were Indigenous.” Season Three is on the way, as mentioned, so a logical question follows.

When Will Dark Winds Season 3 Premiere On AMC?

AMC hasn’t revealed a precise release date for the show starring Zahn McClarnon and Jessica Matten, but back in Fall 2023, the network did renew the series with “a target premiere date in early 2025.” And a week ago, George R.R. Martin added that this season would drop “soon,” but you surely know how he is with dates. As a result, it’s best to go with AMC’s version.

Sounds like early 2025!

Eden has a lot going for it. For one thing, the survival thriller has a fun, based-on-a-true-story premise: a European couple in the 1920s escape to a quiet life on an island in the Galápagos archipelago, only for their solitude to be interrupted by unwanted outsiders who are “capable of theft, deception, and worse.” Also, it’s a movie directed by Ron Howard that doesn’t have the words “hillbilly” or “elegy” in the title. That’s a big plus.

But Eden‘s biggest draw is the cast: there’s Jude Law and Vanessa Kirby as the married couple, as well as Ana de Armas, Sydney Sweeney, and Daniel Brühl as the late arrivals. If I was on an island and had to choose between spending time with any of those five or Wilson the volley ball, it would take me half a second to decide. Cast Away? More like get away from me, Wilson.

de Armas plays a character calling herself “The Baroness” who gets escorted around the island by “two devoted lovers” (Felix Kammerer and Toby Wallace). “Having this crazy threesome relationship, and being a woman of opposites — either she’s sweet and tender and fragile and nervous and scared, or she’s absolutely crazy and dangerous,” the John Wick Presents: Ballerina actress told Vanity Fair about her character. “It was kind of finding that limit: What was the craziest I could get? How far could I go?”

She went pretty far:

Several scenes took days to get right, including a spectacularly disastrous dinner gathering. It finds de Armas’s Baroness hosting and holding court, trying to negotiate terms for the way everyone can live in harmony—while slyly asserting her power in the new dynamics. The sequence involves violence, singing, and some creative food play. “That scene was the scariest thing I’ve ever done,” de Armas says. “It was kind of like a chess game. We spent three days shooting that.”

Eden premieres at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 7. There’s no theatrical release date yet.

(WARNING: Spoilers for Power Book II: Ghost will be found below.)

It’s been two months since the last Power Book II: Ghost episode aired, and I don’t think I can go much longer without one. Thankfully, the second half of season 4 is set to return on September 6 and officially conclude its mid-season break. With that, viewers like myself will reconnect with Tariq and Brayden as they look to navigate back to the top of the drug world while also staying clear from the wrath of Noma who discovered that the duo is back on the streets moving product.

Elsewhere, we’ll catch up with Diana, who is pregnant with she and Tariq’s first child. Monet is still trying to bring her family back together, but she and Dru got wrapped up with the NYPD while Cane continues his role as Noma’s sidekick. Now that you’re up to speed, here’s what to expect for episode six.

When Does Power Book II: Ghost Season 4, Episode 6 Come Out?

The sixth episode of Power Book II: Ghost season four, titled “Devil’s Playground,” will arrive on September 6. The episode will be available on Friday, 9/6 on the STARZ app starting at midnight EST/PST. The episode will later air on the STARZ TV channel that same day at 8 pm ET/PT. A synopsis for “Devil’s Playground” can be found below:

Tariq and Brayden must find a way to get back in Noma’s good graces. Diana is faced with stepping further into the game or risking her family’s safety.

You can also watch a teaser for Power Book II: Ghost season four, episode six below:

‘Power Book II: Ghost’ season four, part in now streaming on the STARZ app Season four, part two debuts on September 6.

After the release of Joker in 2019, it became a popular internet trope to refer to things that substantially altered your life as your own personal “Joker” moment. Memes, tweets, viral videos… the Joker effect was real. Then Joaquin Phoenix won an Oscar, which seemed to validate the need for more Joker. But did we need more Joker? Well, now we have more Joker. What are we going to do with more Joker? Add music!

Joker: Folie à Deux is Todd Phillips’ follow-up to the 2019 drama, though it doesn’t seem like it will have the same type of magic that captured (and puzzled) audiences with the first installment. After debuting at Venice Film Festival, critics are conflicted on what to make of the sequel, even with the star power of Lady Gaga.

The film takes place two years after the fatal events of Joker. Arthur Flack is now a patient at Arkham State Hospital where he meets Lee, and the two embark on a musical love story rooted in a shared delusion. But from the sound of it, the delusion might be the movie itself. At least we got an Industry cameo.

The movie seems to be receiving the most criticism for not having much to say (or sing, for that matter) despite the lengthy 2 hour and 18 minute runtime, which might not give Gaga enough time to have her own A Star Is Born moment. At least she has a new record to look forward to after this!

Here’s what critics are saying:

Richard Lawson, Vanity Fair:

A swooning criminal romance Folie à Deux is not. So what is it? It is not insightful about mental illness nor criminal tendency. It barely articulates what it is to fall into obsessive love. The politics of the film are too lazy and inexact to even qualify as libertarian. Mostly, Folie à Deux plays as a middle finger to anyone who sought something meaningful in it. I won’t spoil anything specific, but I will say that the ending of the film—which is the first time anything truly happens in the whole movie—is bound to enrage even the most die-hard of Joker believers.

David Ehrlich, IndieWire:

“Folie à Deux” does not give the people what they want. On the contrary, it actively courts the disappointment of its own fandom in order to articulate how cruelly Arthur is co-opted by the fantasies of the collective unconscious — lost in a dream that his followers want to have for themselves. That’s all well and good for a meta-sequel that isn’t afraid to alienate its target audience, the problem is that Phillips doesn’t give the people anything else instead. His film is bold enough to deny expectations (and smug enough to savor the growing dissatisfaction that it creates in return), but not remotely thoughtful enough to offer something more interesting in their place.

Kyle Anderson, Nerdist:

Neither Joker film is uplifting, but the people who got a perverse power fantasy out of the first one will likely feel disappointed by the sequel. There’s actually a weird element of Passion of the Christ to Joker: Folie à Deux. But with way more smoking. I’m not even entirely convinced the twisted love story aspect works the way they wanted it to.

Owen Gleiberman, Variety:

“Joker: Folie à Deux” may be ambitious and superficially outrageous, but in a basic way it’s an overly cautious sequel. Phillips has made a movie in which Arthur really is just poor Arthur; he does nothing wrong and isn’t going to threaten anyone’s moral sensibilities. In fact, he actually blows the only good thing that ever happened to him — winning the love of Lee’s Harley Quinn — because he denies the Joker in himself. He’s now just a singing-and-dancing puppet clown living in his imagination. Is that entertainment? Audiences, I suspect, will still turn out in droves to see “Folie à Deux.” But when it comes to bold mainstream filmmaking, it’s the scolds who are having the last laugh.

Alison Willmore, Vulture:

Joker: Folie à Deux is Arthur’s movie, and Arthur just isn’t that interesting, despite how much effort Phoenix puts into rendering the character in exquisitely anguished mental and sunken-chested physical detail. In the film, Arthur is a void onto which others project what they want to see.

Phillips can’t seem to pinpoint what Arthur is either. He positions him as deeply unwell at certain times, and entirely aware of and responsible for his own actions in others, sometimes culpable, and sometimes a helpless victim. Mostly, Arthur is acted upon, even when he thinks he’s seizing control — a punching bag for the world and, more importantly, for the director, who subjects the character to so many indignities that he actually stops being pitiable and starts resembling the punchline to a very long, shaggy joke. By the end of Joker: Folie à Deux, that joke feels like it’s on us.

Martin Tsi, Collider:

Phillips had one job, which was to recreate the jittery cringe of the original Joker to capitalize on the commercial and awards successes. A middling courtroom tale and half-baked musical is not the kind of victory lap anyone wants. Your best bet is to go rewatch The People’s Joker and pretend this never happened.

Siddhant Adlakha, IGN:

The worst thing about Joker: Folie à Deux is its unfulfilled potential. It begins with the promise of a novel approach to the Joker and Harley Quinn, placing them in a world where the opposite of cruelty is musical romance. Unfortunately, the DC sequel gets bogged down by a lengthy courtroom saga, which not only keeps the dazzling Lady Gaga away from the spotlight, but centers the movie entirely around its own predecessor, without doing or saying anything new.

Joker: Folie à Deux opens in theaters on October 4.