Month: September 2024

The Boys Season 4 finale put nearly every core character’s fate in question, other than Homelander, Sister Sage, Firecracker, Deep, and Black Noir. The vigilante group tried to flee only to be detained by Gen V castmates, a long-lost The Boys presence, and a super sausage, so to speak. We don’t know where Butcher or Ryan are individually headed, and Vought International CEO Ashley has undergone a mystery transformation. And then there’s A-Train.

Jessie T. Usher’s speedy Supe was exposed as the Leak before cutting out his tracker and heading into the wind. Over the course of the fourth season, he’d undergone an unlikely redemption arc, which left viewers concerned for his life, and the show has now dropped a slight hint on how his disappearance will be handled. For the moment, Vought is pretending that nothing is amiss.

“Today, Vought can confirm A-Train is being deployed overseas effective immediately,” the show’s “corporate” account recently tweeted. “We have to keep all details confidential, both for his safety and the safety of the free world. Let’s wish him good luck and especially, God speed!”

What does this tell us? Not much other than Vought is probably panicking behind the scenes. Exactly who is doing the panicking on the forward-facing front remains a mystery. Ashley is a Supe now, and both Cameron Coleman and Tek Knight are dead. Perhaps they will pull another Ashley out of obscurity (RIP to that Other Ashley), or Homelander will be making every announcement for the foreseeable future.

Hopefully, A-Train is getting together with Starlight to plot how to save The Boys. Or A-Train might have succeeded in going off grid to such a degree that he can simply enjoy life in relative safety. We can guess that Ashley won’t betray him, but from there, we’ll have to watch for more clues to drop.

The Boys will return in 2026, but Gen V will be back in 2025.

In the short time Ice Spice has been in the spotlight, her career has seen huge successes thanks to hits like “Munch” and “Barbie World” and plenty of friction thanks to supposed beef with Cardi B and Latto. While she’s resolved both of those, it looks like there’s a new one on the burner — and this time, it’s with one of her Y2K Tour tourmates.

Cleotrapa is a New York-based artist who has seen moderate success over the past year with her songs “Rockstar” and “Von Dutch.” Apparently, she was well-enough acquainted with Ice Spice for the “Think U The Sh*t” rapper to add Cleo to her tour. However, it seems their relationship soured while on the road, as Cleo posted a video to her social channels disparaging Ice Spice as a “fake friend” who only brought her along to do damage control after allegedly falling out with Nicki Minaj.

In the video, Cleo says she wasn’t given enough time to prepare for the tour, wasn’t paid for her performances, and had to pay for her own room and board after being assured by Ice that she would be taken care of.

Ice responded during a chat with fans on Twitter Spaces, saying, “The scary part of fame honestly is the moment that somebody feels like they can no longer use your platform or like they’re not getting exactly what they want out of a situation the way that they want it … That’s when they decide to crash out every single time. I’m noticing a pattern.”

So, in summary, the two friends appear to have fallen out because either A) Ice Spice mistreated Cleo on the tour, or B) Cleo had big expectations, that weren’t met. Either way, they seem to be more interested in hashing it out in public than in private, so don’t be surprised if we see this thing escalate.

It turns out that in addition to hosting the 2024 MTV VMAs, Megan Thee Stallion will also be performing.

Meg revealed the news today (September 3), writing on social media, “Hotties not Onlyyyy am I your lovely host for the evening at the 2024 @vmas IM ALSOOO PERFORMINGGGG.”

This news comes just days after Meg announced a new collaborative single with BTS member RM coming out soon, so perhaps that tune will make her VMAs setlist. She said of the song, “This is one of my favorite RM verses I’ve heard. I’ve never heard him rap in this style before.” “Mamushi,” for which Megan just released a surreal new video, would also seemingly be a candidate for the performance slot.

Megan is nominated in five categories: Best Collaboration (“Wanna Be” with GloRilla), and Best Hip Hop, Best Visual Effects, Best Direction, and Best Art Direction (all for “Boa”). She’s behind nominations leader Taylor Swift, who has 10 nods, as well as Post Malone with nine and Sabrina Carpenter, Eminem, and Ariana Grande with six each.

The list of performers this year also includes Chappell Roan, Sabrina Carpenter, Camila Cabello, GloRilla, Rauw Alejandro, Lisa, Halsey, Benson Boone, Lenny Kravitz, and Katy Perry (who is also receiving the Video Vanguard Award).

The 2024 VMAs are set to air on MTV on September 11 at 8 p.m. ET.

At the end of August, Sexyy Red canceled several of the dates on her Sexyy 4 President Tour, after previously claiming that she was being “sabotaged” on the tour. Sexyy blamed low ticket sales on “bigger companies” shutting her down for using an independent promoter.

However, the show must go on, and go on it has. The tour started at State Farm Arena in Atlanta on August, and thanks to setlist.fm, we now know exactly which songs from her growing discography she’ll be performing on the remaining tour dates. While Sexyy Red hasn’t been around for the longest time, she does have plenty of guest verses, which beef up the setlist considerably. Meanwhile, during the Atlanta show, Red was joined by some of the city’s biggest names, so don’t expect to see 2 Chainz and Quavo on the set every night. You can see the setlist below.

01. “TTG (Go)”
02. “I Don’t Wanna Be Saved”
03. “Awesome Jawsome”
04. “FTCU Sleezemix”
05. “Sexyy Love Money”
06. “Peaches & Egglplants”
07. “Shake Yo Dreads”
08. “Hellcats SRTs”
09. “Fake Jammin”
10. “Pound Town”
11. “Hood Rats”
12. “N.P.O.”
13. “Come Here”
14. “It’s My Birthday”
15. “Bow Bow Bow (F My Baby Dad)”
16. “Watch Out” with 2 Chainz
17. “Birthday Song” with 2 Chainz
18. “Freak No More” with Quavo
19. “Hotel Lobby” with Quavo
20. “Rich Baby Daddy”
21. “U My Everything”
22. “SkeeYee”
23. “Get It Sexyy”
24. “Get It Sexyy” – again
25. “Sexyy Walk”

The ManningCast will return to ESPN2 for its fourth season, as Peyton and Eli will continue their alternate broadcast of select Monday Night Football games in 2024. This year, they’ll be joined by Bill Belichick in the first half each week, which will hopefully mean more football talk (which has always been the show’s strength) and a little less of the remote interviews where everyone is operating on just enough of a delay to awkwardly step on each other constantly.

That said, the celebrity appearances are still going to be a staple, and the Manning’s rolodex was on full display for their annual preseason promo. A year after doing a casting call bit, the Manning brothers embarked on a more ambitious journey in 2024 — shooting a musical filled with cameos from various celebrities, players, and coaches. The 10-minute long promo features celebrities you’d expect to see like Kevin Hart and Snoop Dogg (who I assume just answer the phone by saying, “yes, I’ll do it”) to others that are more surprising like Robert Downey Jr. — I’m not sure if this filled a requirement for his Dr. Doom promo for Disney, but he does a bit with Archie Manning calling him “Tony.”

And then there’s the cavalcade of football people, with Roger Goodell literally pulling the plug on the show, a coaching barbershop quintet of John Harbaugh, Jim Harbaugh, Sean McVay, Brian Daboll, and Mike McDaniel (led by Andy Reid), and a bunch of player cameos from the likes of Baker Mayfield, Geno Smith, Myles Garrett, Ja’Marr Chase, and more — including letting Justin Tucker show off his singing chops.

At the end, they revealed this year’s ManningCast schedule, which will start with Bills-Jets in Week 1 and feature 10 regular season weeks — including a Week 7 doubleheader — plus ESPN’s Wild Card matchup.

Indie music has grown to include so much. It’s not just music that is released on independent labels, but speaks to an aesthetic that deviates from the norm and follows its own weirdo heart. It can come in the form of rock music, pop, or folk. In a sense, it says as much about the people that are drawn to it as it does about the people that make it.

Every week, Uproxx is rounding up the best new indie music from the past seven days. This week, we got new music from Why Bonnie, Enumclaw, Kim Gordon, and more.

While we’re at it, sign up for our newsletter to get the best new indie music delivered directly to your inbox, every Monday.

Enumclaw – Home In Another Life

The best band since Oasis has returned, and, despite recent headlines, I’m not talking about Oasis. This distinction belongs to Enumclaw, the Tacoma, Washington four-piece whose strain of scuzzy, fuzzy indie rock landed them an album on Run For Cover. Home In Another Life, their second record, elevates the ’90s alt-rock stylings of 2022’s Save The Baby to soaring new heights with some of the sickest riffs you’ll hear all year.

Kim Deal – “Crystal Breath”

Kim Deal is one of the most influential figures in the wide, nebulous world of alternative rock. As a pivotal component of bands such as the Pixies and the Breeders, Deal’s work has always felt essential. She flaunts a songwriting style that proves catchy hooks and memorable choruses will always stand the test of time, if tunes like “Gigantic” and “Cannonball” are any indicators. As a cited inspiration for everyone from Kurt Cobain to Olivia Rodrigo, Deal has maintained relevance from the late ’80s to the present day. So it comes as a surprise that she is just now putting out her debut solo album, Nobody Loves You More. “Crystal Breath,” its lead single, shows how Deal has adapted her sound over the years: Guitar stabs and rumbling bass coexist with a filtered dance beat and choral vocal harmonies. She always keeps us on our toes; she’s the real deal.

Why Bonnie – Wish On The Bone

As Why Bonnie, songwriter Blair Howerton pens tender, heartbreaking paeans to lost youth and gained wisdom. Wish On The Bone, the follow-up to 2022’s 90 In November, takes the scaled-back ruminations of its predecessor and grants them a wider space, replete with wiry electric guitars, upfront drums, and even fiddles. On Why Bonnie’s new record, Howerton’s songs feel intimate and grand all at once.

Caribou – “Come Find Me”

After putting out an album as Daphni and doing some pop-up DJ sets in various US cities, Dan Snaith has resuscitated the Caribou name for a brand-new full-length, Honey. This marks Caribou’s sixth studio album, and, judging from the slate of singles Snaith has shared thus far, it’s gonna be great. “Come Find Me,” the latest preview, is built on aggressively side-chained synths that eventually yield to a thumping, four-on-the-floor dance beat. It’s French touch for the modern age, and a Canadian is leading the charge.

Blackstarkids – “Soulmatez!”

Blackstarkids have kept nostalgia from getting stale. Even amid the over-saturation of artists, festivals, and cultural trends that have revived the most garish parts of the 2000s, the Kansas City trio’s take on the Y2K blueprint has been exciting and fresh, rather than a lazy simulacrum of its most obvious signifiers. “Soulmatez!,” the lead single of their sixth and last studio album before a long hiatus, is tongue-in-cheek, relentlessly catchy, and sugar-coated without feeling saccharine. Consider it a reminder that pop music is often best when it’s a lot of damn fun.

Kim Gordon and Model Home – “Razzamatazz”

Kim Gordon is on a roll. Following her incredible new solo album, The Collective, and a one-off single in the form of “ECRP” is a collaboration with DC experimental duo Model Home. More toned down than the rowdy, rattling beats on The Collective, “Razzamatazz” demonstrates the Sonic Youth co-founder’s ability to dial things down while maintaining an aura of intense, eerie dread.

Godspeed You! Black Emperor – “Grey Rubble – Green Shoots”

Post-rock legends Godspeed You! Black Emperor are back with a new album this fall. No Title As Of 13 February 2024 28,340 Dead, their first LP since 2021, refers to Gaza Health Ministry’s death toll of Palestinians as reported on that date. Israel’s brutal genocide on Palestine is ongoing, and new figures report that Israel has now killed more than 40,000 Palestinians. “Grey Rubble – Green Shoots,” the lead single and finale of GY!BE’s forthcoming record, is a nearly seven-minute odyssey through droning guitars, powerful drums, and mournful strings.

deBasement – “Front Left Speaker”

Dance-punk has been resurfacing in the 2020s, but rarely has dance-punk actually, genuinely sounded punk. deBasement, the duo comprising Alli Logout of Special Interest and electronic producer Margo XS, are here to rectify that. As their new double single shows, the two artists unite their respective creative approaches for a heady, exhilarating take on underground rave. “Front Left Speaker,” with its Earth-shattering kick drums and Logout’s commanding delivery, is one of the most thrilling dance tracks released in recent memory.

Allegra Krieger – “Came”

In a little over a week, Allegra Krieger will release her stunning new album, Art Of The Unseen Infinity Machine. But just before it goes out into the world, Krieger has shared one last single from it. “Came,” as she puts it in a press release, navigates “depression and feeling stuck in destructive patterns.” But it’s just as much about breaking free of those patterns, too. Despite her lyrics about “the unraveling sense that you’re going nowhere,” Krieger sounds utterly transcendent.

Jamie xx – “Dafodil”

In Waves, the long-awaited sophomore album from producer Jamie xx, is out in a mere matter of weeks now. Strangely enough, that album might not exist without its latest single, “Dafodil.” As one of the first pieces of music Jamie wrote for the record, it’s the song that made him realize he was capable of making another LP. Featuring contributions from guests Panda Bear and Kelsey Lu, “Dafodil” establishes a calm, dreamy ambiance that juxtaposes the bass-heavy house beats we’ve heard previously from In Waves.

Cardi B recently shared maternity photos and an ultrasound of her unborn baby. The ultrasound sparked some funny names, while the maternity pics generated controversy.

Some people noticed that the photos, which were shot in a graffiti-covered alley, featured the word “pedophile” painted on a wall in the background. As HipHopDX notes, the Nicki Minaj fans interpreted this as a shot at Nicki, since her husband and brother have both been charged with sexual assault on a minor. Cardi insists it was simply an accident, though.

She wrote in a tweet, “First of all we literally picked a random street because paparazzi was hounding us everywhere.. this was supposed to be my original first picture and we had to edit the photos in minutes because the shoot got leaked. Didn’t even have time to go over every detail because people were busy trying to expose my pregnancy as ‘aha’ moment…Second I’m ALWAYS with the sh*ts but I’m not using MY MATERNITY shoot to be funny. Are you dumb??”

A user responded, “I hate that ya let people get away wit doing weird shi just because they claim they were ‘unaware’ like n**** you’re a whole celebrity with a team this is a bs ass excuse ngl.” Cardi replied, “A team?? Btch my makeup artist touched up the picture because we didn’t have time for all that, it says the date and time nobody was paying attention to the graffiti… second if I wanted to be petty I would’ve posted a lot of memes last week.. I KEEP TELLIN YALL TO LEAVE ME THE FUK ALONE !! If I’m saying I’m not on that time DONT MAKE ME GET ON THAT TIME. Unrist yourself!!”

More than a year before Nigel McGuinness would grace the stage at Wembley Stadium as an active wrestler, the seeds were planted for his eventual return to the ring.

In April 2023, as McGuinness and AEW CEO Tony Khan travelled on his plane to Long Island, New York, the duo prepared to make the pivotal announcement that All In would take place from Wembley Stadium for the first time later in the year. During that flight, McGuinness says “there was a bit of a discussion” that perhaps he could have his final match against Bryan Danielson that August.

“Then, obviously what happened with Bryan breaking his arm (at Forbidden Door) and not being able to wrestle because Lord knows he’s got 205 perfectly good bones in his body and he needs all 206. So, that wasn’t gonna happen last year,” McGuinness tells Uproxx Sports. “Once we realized that Bryan wasn’t an option (this year) because of him in the Owen and challenging for the title. That’s when I think the idea of doing a Casino Gauntlet match was broached. And after a little bit of thought and discussions back and forth, we decided to move forward in that direction. So I’m forever glad that I did.”

For McGuinness, a return to the ring is something he says he’s struggled with over the last 13 years. There have been both difficult moments and times where he’s been at great peace with the direction his life has taken.

“Be that as it may, there’s always that niggling sense of what could have been. It’s a strange realization when you discover that the only thing stopping you from wrestling was you,” McGuinness continues. “I remember thinking if I was going to wrestle again what promo I’d give and how I’d sort of explain it. One of the lines that came to me was ‘You can get told that your career meant nothing, eventually you start to believe it. Before too long, the voice telling you is your own. Then eventually, one day you realize that it was your voice all along. Nobody else gave a shit.’ To come out and have that moment (at All In) that I never could have dreamed about, certainly 18 months ago, it really was incredible.”

McGuinness never seriously entertained lacing his boots again until Khan mentioned Wembley. Conversations with guys like Christian and Adam Copeland helped him believe that a successful return to the ring was a real possibility. When it became clear that there was a genuine opportunity to wrestle, McGuinness says he didn’t feel like he needed to look like a bodybuilder, but maintained “you need to look like an athlete.”

At 48 years old, that wasn’t easy.

“Ever since (Khan) mentioned that was a possibility, I started getting back in the ring and training,” McGuinness says. “I had a few little bumps and bruises and niggling injuries and stuff that comes from being my age and trying to get back into something as physically demanding as professional wrestling.”

McGuinness calls his surprise appearance as part of the Casino Gauntlet at All In an “incredible moment” and it meant the world to him to wrestle at Wembley, where in 1992 he “had that epiphany that I was going to be a professional wrestler.”

“It’s one thing, certainly the year prior, to come back and announce the world record attendance. But to actually be in the ring. It was just a different feeling altogether. And that reaction was just something that I will take with me for the rest of my life,” McGuinness says. “It gave me an incredible sense of, I wouldn’t say closure because that makes it sound like the last thing for me. But it certainly has given me peace and a sense of surreal reality that this was able to happen. I had a lot of blessings in my life and a lot of obstacles as well. And to be as lucky as I was to have that opportunity – thanks to Tony Khan – it meant so much.”

McGuinness gets emotional talking about his journey back to the ring and the warm reception he received from the international audience at Wembley. He says it touched his heart hearing from friends and fans alike, and shared a specific story of someone dealing with a health issue who reached out to say his return gave a nice respite from all the struggles and grief in their life.

“It’s an absolute blessing to be able to have that effect on someone. And arguably that’s a good portion of what I wanted to do in terms of being a wrestler all along, was to prove that if you’ve got a dream and you never give up, that you can make it,” McGuinness continues.

Physically, McGuinness says he feels great. He’s continued training as if he’s wrestling tomorrow. He entered the Casino Gauntlet at All In with aspirations of having at least one more match, and that remains true.

“Bryan’s certainly head of line because of our history, there’s so much emotion tied up in a match with him,” McGuinness says. “Zack Sabre Jr. would be a dream match. Adam Copeland, he’s got another of those ‘broken bones.’ There are so many great talents, Lee Moriarty has been gracious enough to get in the ring with me before the shows at Collision, and that’s helped me a great deal.”

Interested in a select number of matches, McGuinness doesn’t want to get caught up wrestling every week again. He enjoys doing commentary with the option to get in the ring every now and again for a special occasion. If All In was the last time he wrestles, he’s also fully complacent if his final match came in front of 50,000 fans at Wembley Stadium.

Storyline or reality, McGuinness says the thing he really wanted was a final match with Danielson for his return to the ring. He has a good portion of envy for Danielson, to see the trajectories of their careers, and admits it was a mixed bag seeing the American Dragon win the AEW World Championship. But McGuinness looks forward to the day when Danielson drops the belt and rides off into the sunset as well.

“It’s going to come, someone is going to beat him for that title and he will go quietly into the night and we will never see crying Bryan again,” McGuiness says. “But I will forever make sure no one forgets him, because every week I’m going to bury him on commentary as if he was still wrestling.”

But what if that person to end Danielson’s full-time wrestling career is McGuiness himself?

“Oh, hey, what a story. What an end to a story that would be,” he continues. “That would be incredible. He’s too smart to ever get himself put in that position to where I could beat him for that title. So I don’t see it happening. But listen, I didn’t see myself walking out of Wembley Stadium and getting a bigger reaction than Bryan winning the title either. These things can happen.”

The season 2 finale of Euphoria, a.k.a. the most recent episode, aired in February 2022. Since then, much of the show’s cast has become big-deal movie stars, including Sydney Sweeney. She’s starred in romantic-comedy box office hit Anyone But You, indie horror Immaculate, and, uh, Madame Web, but don’t hold that against her. But despite her busy schedule, Sweeney is excited to return to Euphoria for season 3, and she’s ready for things to get “crazy.”

In an interview with People, Sweeney called her character Cassie “definitely one of the most special characters for me and I love my Euphoria family, so I look forward to it. I love crazy Cassie, so the crazier, the better for me.” As for season 3, the actress admitted that “honestly, I don’t know anything about it,” but she previously teased a time jump between seasons. “It’s going to be very, very wild,” she told Who What Wear. “I actually like it because there’s so much room for growth for both me as a person and also Cassie as a character.”

Everyone assumes the time jump will put the Euphoria cast in the future, but maybe they’ll travel to the past. It’s what another teen drama starring adults as high schoolers — Riverdale — would do. And did!

Euphoria is expected to return to HBO in 2025 with most of the cast returning, including Zendaya, Jacob Elordi, Zendaya, Hunter Schafer, Maude Apatow, Alexa Demie, Storm Reid, and Sweeney.

(Via People)

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 Big Sean, Becky G, and Halle drop new music. 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.

Big Sean — “Who You Are (Superstar)”

After a slight delay, Big Sean’s Better Me Than You is finally out. He also delivered a fun video for album highlight “Who You Are (Superstar),” which features Mark Philips, Dylan Patel, Jazz Cartier, Aminé, and Taye Diggs.

Becky G — “Como Diablos”

Mexican-American favorite Becky G just announced a new album, Encuentros, and shared a taste of the project: “Como Diablos,” a pleading but strength-filled number.

Halle — “Because I Love You”

Halle followed this year’s “In Your Hands” with her second new song of 2024, “Because I Love You.” As for the video, Uproxx’s Aaron Williams notes, “Even if you think you know where the plot of this twisty thriller of a clip is going, you wouldn’t be able to guess the surreal snarl in the road ahead.”

Tommy Richman — “Thought You Were The One”

“Million Dollar Baby” is still one of the biggest songs in the country, but he’s got more in the chamber. On last week’s “Thought You Were The One,” Richman is similarly catchy, but with a smoother and slower sound this time around.

Chance The Rapper — “3333”

Chance fans are waiting for him do Star Line, his new album (or whatever it is). In the meantime, he unveiled “3333” last week, a reflective tune that references the amount of tickets he sold for one specific show that resulted in a near-empty venue.

ASAP Rocky — “Tailor Swif”

There’s new Taylor Swift this week! …Oh, sorry, I misread: ASAP Rocky has a new song called “Tailor Swif.” He went ahead and dropped this one after it leaked online, and no, it’s not actually a Swift tribute/diss.

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

Usher has had a massive 2024 so far and he kept it going last week by linking up with Victoria Monét. The result is “SOS (Sex On Sight),” an appropriately sultry and seductive tune.

Cordae — “Summer Drop” Feat. Anderson .Paak

Summer’s on its way out, but we won’t turn our nose up at Cordae and Anderson .Paak’s delightful new collaboration, “Summer Drop.” Credit where it’s due for J. Cole, too, as he produced the track.

Kehlani — “When He’s Not There” Feat. Lucky Daye

Kehlani had a tremendous surprise for fans earlier this month when they announced While We Wait 2. Well, there wasn’t much waiting involved, as the project is out now, and highlights include the slow-burning Lucky Daye collab “When He’s Not There.”

Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds — “Joy”

Uproxx’s Steven Hyden says of Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds’ new album, “His records in the past 10 years have tended toward the morose (even for him) and orchestrated, a kind of grief-choked chamber music. It’s quality work, but Cave’s old rock ‘n’ roll swagger was missed. On Wild God, thankfully, he recovers some of that, though the more sobering perspective of his recent music remains.”