Last night (October 9), J. Cole unexpectedly unveiled a new song, “Port Antonio.” Notably, it sees the rapper addressing his decision to bow out of the beef between Drake and Kendrick Lamar.
On the second verse, he raps in part (per Genius):
“I pulled the plug because I’ve seen where that was ’bout to go
They wanted blood, they wanted clicks to make they pockets grow
They see this fire in my pen and think I’m dodgin’ smoke
I wouldn’t have lost a battle, dawg, I woulda lost a bro
I woulda gained a foe, and all for what? Just to attain some mo’
Props from strangers that don’t got a clue what I been aimin’ for?
Since the age of 14, Jermaine is no king
If that means I gotta dig up dirt and pay the whole team
Of algorithm-bot n****s just to sway the whole thing
On social media, competin’ for your favorable means
To be considered best of live and rest, the weight of both things
I understand the thirst of being first that made ’em both swing
Protecting legacies, so lines got crossed, perhaps regrettably
My friends went to war, I walked away with all they blood on me.”
Naturally, the track has generated many reactions online, and a lot of people aren’t buying what Cole is selling. One X (formerly Twitter) user wrote, “I refuse to let J Cole rewrite history as if he didn’t make 7 Minute Drill and we all didn’t hear how sh*t it sounded.” Another said, “I have no problem with J. Cole bowing out of that beef. You don’t get to come back 4 months later and tell me how you would’ve won though. Shut that up forever!”
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.
Summer Walker teased her third album and hinted that it would be a continuation of her Over It series and Drake confirmed that he and PartyNextDoor’s joint album is still on the way. Halle and DDG’s relationship came to an end, as told by a statement released by DDG while Kaytranada and Childish Gambino joined forces to release a video for “Witchy,” a fan favorite from the former’s Timeless. Elsewhere, Lauryn Hill faces a lawsuit from her Fugees bandmate Pras Michel.
Here are the new releases you need to have your eye on this week:
Victoria Monét — Jaguar II: Deluxe
Victoria Monét doesn’t want to end the Jaguar II era just yet as she returns with the album’s deluxe version. On it is ten new songs, including the previously released “SOS (Sex On Sight)” with Usher and “We Might Be Falling In Love” with Bryson Tiller. It’s basically another album from Ms. Monét and who could be upset about that?
Highlights: “SOS (Sex On Sight) Feat. Usher,” “Love Is Stronger Than Pride,” and “The Greatest.”
Kiana Ledé — “Natural” & “Space & P*ssy”
Kiana Ledé took three years to drop her sophomore album Grudges after her debut album KIKI. Her third album, titled Cut Ties won’t take nearly as long as she’s already begun the rollout for it. “Natural” and “Space & P*ssy” are the first appetizer from the album. The former is an intensely sensual track that Ledé says is “about the only person that gets to see the sexiest side of you.” As for “Space & P*ssy,” Ledé uses it to tackle the struggles of an unrequited situationship where everything she puts into it is not reciprocated.
JoJo — “Porcelain”
JoJo’s first release since her 2021 project Trying Not To Think About It arrives with flair. “Porcelain” arrives with a lively injection of dance that breathes life into JoJo’s velvety vocals. The record is one she describes as a “twerkable healing anthem” as she celebrates emerging from a chaotic period in her life stronger than ever.
Ravyn Lenae — “Love Me Not” Feat. Rex Orange County
Ravyn Lenae is currently on the road for her Bird’s Eye Tour across North American cities, but that isn’t stopping her from sharing new music. She teamed up with Rex Orange County for a new edition of “Love Me Not” from her Bird’s Eye album. Together, the two artists dive recount a relationship that is breaking at the seams.
Jordan Ward & Joony — JRNY
Jordan Ward and Joony put their chemistry on full display through their new project JRNY. Its six songs prove why Ward and Joony are two of music’s most promising young talents thanks to records like the reflective “Homebody” and the honest “Burning Rubber.” Altogether, it’s a fine display of how two unique voices and slick songwriters use their talents to combine the best of their worlds.
Highlights: “Jealousy” & “One Too Many Times”
Sampha — Lahai (Deluxe)
As if Sampha’sLahai album wasn’t great enough, the British singer decided to make it better with the addition of four new songs. The deluxe edition of Lahai arrived to coincide with the one-year anniversary of the project. We received new editions of “Satellite Business” and “Dancing Circles,” the former featuring Little Simz, and two new records titled “Re-Entry” and “Sensory Nectar.”
Highlights: “Dancing Circles 2.0” & “Re-Entry”
Shae Universe — Love’s Letter (Deluxe)
Shae Universe has one of my favorite R&B albums of the year, and it’s an underrated one too. Love’s Letter gets the deluxe treatment with the UK singer adding six songs to the project. It’s a party on the deluxe as Shae recruits ESTA., Joseph Solomon, Nao, and Aqyila for the deluxe records.
Compton singer Gemaine is readying the release of his upcoming EP Something To Sing About, a project that he’s seemingly been preparing by releasing singles over the course of 2024. His latest release, “Natural High,” pairs him with LA-by-way-of-Cleveland singer Lekan for a record that drips in contemporary R&B glory.
SAFE — “WYA”
Toronto singer SAFE isn’t letting his foot off the gas in 2024. After delivering “Superficial” and “Same Night” this year, SAFE checks back into the game with his latest single, “WYA.” Over sexy drill production, SAFE praises a special woman in his life and requests for her constant presence in his life.
Col3trane — “Where Have You Been All My Life?
Col3trane is a year removed from his last big release, his 2023 EP Chekhov’s Gun, but the singer is back in action with a new song. “Where Have You Been All My Life?” arrives with murky production as Col3trane reminisces about the moments of infatuation he had with a newfound partner as they continue to build and improve their relationship.
Thủy — Wings
Thuy’s third project is here! Wings, which arrives two years after Girls Like Me Don’t Cry, checks in with nine songs to its name as well as a feature from Blxst. “This project has allowed me the medium to completely explore my sexuality, womanhood, and my mind,” Thuy said about Wings in an Instagram post.
Highlights: “Whatcha Gotta Say” Feat. Blxst & “Crash & Burnand more released some of the best R&B songs this past week.”
This week everyone on the internet is talking about Dua Lipa. But the chatter isn’t about her headlining set at Austin City Limits last week, or anything Radical Optimism or even music-related. It’s because she’s a f*cking weirdo. Okay, maybe that’s a bit harsh, Dua Lipa is not a f*cking weirdo, everyone just thinks she is because her favorite drink of choice is an unholy concoction of Diet Coke, pickle juice, and jalapeño juice (or as Dua Lipa calls it, “jalapeño sauce,”).
It’s got people on the internet talking, it’s got Gordon Ramsay acting like a big dork (dude’s a chef, you think he could handle this), and it has us wondering — well, what does it taste like?
I mean, don’t get me wrong, it straight up sounds disgusting, but pickle-infused drinks aren’t exactly a new thing. Who amongst us hasn’t been to a bar and been offered a Pickleback, which is a shot of whiskey chased by a shot of pickle brine? Then you’ve got the Pickle Martini and Pickle garnished Palomas. Plus, any drink that calls for olive brine can be subbed with pickle brine. point being — it’s not that weird.
Gordon Ramsay, in his poorly acted taste test of the Dua Lipa drink, exclaimed that drinking the mix would ruin Dua’s vocal cords but… what’s worse for a singer? Diet Coke and some brine, or alcohol? If this is how Dua Lipa has fun, we say let her!
All the commotion has got us intrigued. What does this stuff taste like? Is it really as awful as it sounds or is it the drink of the season? We found out so you don’t have to. Here are our thoughts. But first, let’s talk recipe.
How To Make It
Dane Rivera
Ingredients:
Ice
Diet Coke
1 TBSP Pickle Brine
1-2 Pickles Chips
1 TBSP Jalapeño Brine
1-2 Jalapeño Chips
Dua couldn’t be clearer on how to make this drink. Fill up a cup with ice, pour Diet Coke in, add a dash of pickle brine, a dash of jalapeño brine, give it a mix, and garnish with a couple of pickles and jalapeños.
The brands used don’t matter, but in our case, we went with Trader Joe’s branded pickles and jalapeños. Use your favorite! For our drink, we didn’t actually measure out the brine, but from Dua’s video, I’d guess that she pours about a TBSP or a touch more to the drink.
Do not do what Gordon Ramsay did and pour a fourth of a cup of pickle brine into your drink unless you want to ruin it to make dramatic #content.
The Dua Lipa Diet Coke Pickle Whatever-The-F*ck
Dane Rivera
Thoughts & Tasting Notes:
This might come as a shock to the majority of people reading this but, the drink really isn’t that bad. It’s incredibly vegetal and complex and the ingredients actually manage to work harmoniously together.
The earthy vegetal brine of the pickle juice is kept in control by the intense sweetness of the Diet Coke, ensuring that neither ingredient is too off-putting or overwhelming, while the jalapeño adds a spicy top note that hits the back of the throat and lives on the tongue at the finish.
I will say this though: it’s not for everyone. If you don’t like pickles or spicy drinks, you’re never going to like this. But if you’re one of those people who actually likes the taste of brine, give it a try, it’s a lot less strange that drinking it straight from the jar.
Alright, we’re going to need a proper name for this thing. I think “Illusion,” or “Houdini” both work, but my personal favorite is “French Exit.” All three are songs from Radical Optimism, so I think any one of them fits.
The Bottom Line:
LEAVE DUA LIPA ALONE! Honestly, this drink isn’t half bad; it’s interesting, vegetal, spicy, and sweet. Are we rushing to make another one? Probably not, but we’re willing to bet this would appeal to people outside of Dua Lipa’s fandom.
Amazon Music has announced the artists for season three of Amazon Music Live. Uproxx cover star Big Sean, Halsey, and J Balvin will headline to perform their new music and sit down for interviews with host Liza Koshy. Amazon Music Live returns on October 24, streaming live on Prime Video and the Amazon Music channel on Twitch directly after Thursday Night Football on Prime Video. Big Sean will appear on the second episode on October 24, Halsey will perform on the Halloween episode (October 31), and Balvin will take on the November 7 episode. The October 24 episode will kick off the season with Jelly Roll. There’s also a pre-show, Amazon Music Tonight!, which airs at 8 p.m. PT with host Will Neff ahead of each stream.
You know how the story goes with limited series these days. Once ratings explode, the “limited” is no more, and as is the case with FX’s Shōgun, multiple additional seasons have suddenly been greenlit. More of James Clavell’s Asian Saga will therefore come to FX (and Hulu), and presumably, the series will at least somewhat follow the continued source material for this 1600s feudal Japan war story.
The ratings justified this decision, too, despite the first season being an extensive production that yielded 9 million views (higher than fellow critical darling The Bear) for the opening episodes within a week of initial airtime. Even George R.R. Martin paused his recent grumpfest to enjoy Shōgun, which he presumably believes is a better adaptation than HotD‘s second season.
As of now, we know that Hiroyuki Sanada will return as Toranaga, and Anna Sawai will not be back as as Toda Mariko, but what of Cosmo Jarvis as marooned English navigator John Blackthorne? FX hasn’t yet revealed that Jarvis will officially return, but Sanada appears to believe that Toranaga won’t let him go anywhere, as he previously told USA Today:
“Blackthorne is useful to Toranaga, who wants to keep him in Japan and not let him go back to England,” says Sanada. “And when Blackthorne builds the ship again, he’ll burn it again.”
That sounds like a (clearly paraphrased) “sure, it’s not set in stone, but come on, where can Blackthorne really go?”
Also, will FX seize the chance to use the book’s explicit running joke about Blackthorne being extremely well endowed, an attribute that was purposefully left out of the first season? Sure, co-creator and co-showrunner Justin Marks did tell Decider that the writers felt, “I think we can find new humor and be funnier in ways.” Yet few people expected more Shōgun seasons, so why not seize that moment?
Literary endowment or not, we don’t yet know when Shōgun will return for a second season.
Ever since her star turn in 2022 with “F.N.F. (Let’s Go),” GloRilla has been one of the most charming stars in rap. Every interview is a gold mine of meme moments, from shooting her shot with NBA star Damian Lillard to coining hilarious catchphrases. But of her most delightful moments (which include revealing rap relations with both Lil Uzi Vert and Cardi B), the thing it seems fans can’t help getting hung up on is her Memphis accent.
During her recent interview with Complex‘s Speedy Morman — which you can watch in full above — the topic came up after the host couldn’t stop cackling about her pronunciations of words and phrases like “newsfeed,” “beautiful spirit,” “cute,” and anything with the “ew” sound in it. “How often do you speak and people comment?” Morman asked. “All the time,” she admitted with a thousand watt grin. “I’m used to it now, but I just be like, ‘Dang, y’all really don’t understand me.’ It’s like I speak Spanish and sh*t.” The Complex editors were nice enough to collect a compilation of her best accent moments from the interview. Check it out:
Incredibly, The Cure have been around since the late ’70s and they’re still going. That’s not to say they’ve been perfectly consistent: Their latest album is 4:13 Dream from 2008. Finally, though, the band has a new album, their first in 16 years, on the way.
Last month, they announced Songs Of A Lost World and shared the lead single “Alone.” Now, Robert Smith and company have offered another taste with “A Fragile Thing,” a new single shared today (October 9).
It sees Smith telling the story of a difficult relationship, singing, “‘And there’s nothing you can do to change it back,’ she said / ‘Nothing you can do but sing / This love is a fragile thing / Nothing you can do now but pretend again.’”
Smith recently said of previous single “Alone,” “It’s the track that unlocked the record; as soon as we had that piece of music recorded, I knew it was the opening song, and I felt the whole album come into focus. […] As soon as we finished recording, I remembered the poem ‘Dregs’ by the English poet Ernest Dowson… and that was the moment when I knew the song — and the album — were real.”
Listen to “A Fragile Thing” above.
Songs Of A Lost World is out 11/1 via Fiction Records. Find more information here.
Does Apple TV+ still count as a fledgling streaming service? Surely not at nearly the five-year mark, but it could use more sci-fi, that’s for sure, because Apple TV+ nearly always nails that genre, from Silo to Severance to Sunny. Well, more sci-fi is what you shall receive with a Skarsgård to keep the alliteration strong in this paragraph.
Mr. Alexander Skarsgård, to be precise, will be joining this streamer’s sci-fi collection. He’s also been bouncing all over TV lately between Mr. & Mrs. Smith, The Stand, Succession, and Big Little Lies, and now, he will both star in and executive produce the adaptation of a bestselling and award-winning series of sci-fi books, so let’s get down to business on what to expect.
Plot
We skipped mentioning a few more Apple TV+ sci-fi series ^^^ and cannot go further without alluding to For All Mankind, Foundation, Invasion, and Monarch: Legacy Of Monsters. How will Murderbot rank among them? We obviously cannot predict this yet, but Martha Wells’ The Murderbot Diaries books are regarded as a spectacular example of worldbuilding and span seven books (including novellas and full-length novels) as well as short stories. So, if a first season goes well, there will be plenty more source material.
Skarsgård will portray the lead, known as (you guessed it) “Murderbot,” who would much rather chill out and watch soapy TV shows than act on homicidal directives, as confirmed by the Apple TV+ synopsis:
“Murderbot” is an action-packed sci-fi series, based on the award-winning books by Wells, about a self-hacking security android who is horrified by human emotion yet drawn to its vulnerable “clients.” Murderbot must hide its free will and complete a dangerous assignment when all it really wants is to be left alone to watch futuristic soap operas and figure out its place in the universe.
Cast
In addition to the leading man, expect to see a wide array of other bots and augmented humans. As Deadline reports, the first season cast will include Tamara Podemski (as Bharadwaj), Tattiawna Jones (as Arada), Sabrina Wu (as Pin-Lee), and Akshay Khanna (as Ratthi).
Release Date
That would be a nebulous subject. Apple TV+ did publicly announce the series in late 2023. Casting news was still unfurling this past March, and sci-fi does tend to require plenty of post-production time for effects, so late 2025 would be optimistic, and 2026 sounds more realistic.
Trailer
Dream on. However and since we’ve already mentioned this recent A-Skars appearance, please enjoy his squirrelly appearance in Mr. & Mrs. Smith.
The annual NBA GM survey always leads to some interesting insights into how the league’s front offices view the rest of the NBA, but it also always has some bizarre responses that don’t exactly make a ton of sense.
This year, the question of what player will have a breakout season led to one such response, as Ja Morant was among those who got three votes, which is a bit bizarre given Morant has two All-Star appearances and an All-NBA selection already on his resume. None of the other top selections are exactly under the radar guys, but there’s at least another level or two for each to still leap into to be considered a full-on superstar. Morant, when he’s been healthy and on the court, has very few questions about his place as one of the league’s best point guards, so while he might be a comeback player contender, breakout seems…off.
Fans weren’t the only ones with some questions about why Morant was on this list, as Morant himself responded to a graphic with the list wondering (respectfully) why he’s being included.
Twitter
It’s not the first time Morant hasn’t been thrilled with this type of recognition, as he didn’t feel like he should’ve won the Most Improved Player award in 2021-22 when he became an All-NBA player — saying Desmond Bane should’ve been the pick from the Grizzlies.
20 years ago, Philadelphia singer Jaguar Wright was best known for features songs like The Roots’ “What You Want” from The Best Man soundtrack and as a backup vocalist for Jay-Z’s Unplugged special on MTV. However, lately, her name has been associated with Jay-Z for a different reason: namely, a recent appearance on Piers Morgan Uncensored for which the often contentious and controversial host actually apologized earlier this week. So, what did Jaguar Wright say about Jay-Z that prompted the show host’s apology?
During her interview with Morgan, she equated Jay-Z to the recently indicted music mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs, claiming that Jay and his wife Beyoncé also participated in similar illicit and salacious activities to the ones Diddy is currently under investigation. Wright reportedly said that Jay is “worse than Diddy,” while admitting that she had no firsthand knowledge of the accused activities. “I have three victims right now who are willing to give testimony on not only what Mr. Carter has done to them, but his wife as well,” she said. “They’re a nasty little couple. They do nasty things… Keeping people against their will! Putting people on planes while they’re unconscious.”
This isn’t the first time Wright has trafficked in conspiracy theories, nor is it the first time Jay-Z has been linked to Diddy’s activities without evidence. In 2020, the singer trended for alleging that breakout R&B star Summer Walker had been sexually assaulted. Meanwhile, conspiracy theories surrounding Jay-Z — likely due to the mogul’s similar position to Combs in the public consciousnesses as a symbol of financial excess and “Black excellence” — encompassed a recent YouTube publishing dispute.
However, as of this writing, there’s no evidence that Jay-Z ever participated in one of Diddy’s illegal “freak offs.” Morgan, who appears to have done his guest vetting after the fact (and after receiving a sternly worded letter from Jay-Z’s lawyer), also seems to have distanced himself from the possibly specious claims. “The reality of the modern world is that pretty much everyone has a platform as long as they have something to say that other people want to hear,” he said. “That’s why we invited her on to be interviewed… But, like the proverbial cries of fire in a crowded theater, there are legal limits on us, too. And we apologize to Jay-Z and Beyoncé.”
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