Year: 2024

The Oklahoma City Thunder are widely considered the favorites to earn the 1-seed in the Western Conference for the second straight season. That’s because OKC made two major additions this offseason that addressed their most glaring weaknesses from the playoffs, without losing much from their rotation a year ago.

They traded Josh Giddey for Alex Caruso, upgrading their perimeter defense significantly and bringing in a player more comfortable playing off-ball on offense. Then, they used their cap space to sign Isaiah Hartenstein to fill a hole in the frontcourt and give them a strong rebounder, rim protector, and pick-and-roll big next to Chet Holmgren. The only real question for the Thunder is how long will it take them to get those new pieces acclimated to how they play, and unfortunately the assimilation process for Hartenstein is going to be delayed.

On Thursday, the team announced their new center would miss at least 5-6 weeks after suffering a non-displaced fracture in his left hand during their preseason game against the Nuggets on Tuesday. That means he will miss at least the first month of the regular season, which is one month of reps he won’t get with his new teammates in live game action.

It’s not an injury that should have a significant impact on the Thunder’s long-term goal of contending for a title, but it does make the path to the 1-seed in the West (and homecourt throughout the first three rounds, at least) a bit tougher. Not only is Hartenstein out, but Jaylin Williams and Kenrich Williams are both also currently injured and will be re-evaluated after the preseason. That means Chet Holmgren will have to log pretty heavy minutes early on and Mark Daigneault will have to get a bit creative with small-ball lineups until Hartenstein and the Williams’ are back.

With it likely taking another season in the mid-to-high 50s to earn the 1-seed, even a good but not great start to the season can create an uphill climb to land that top spot, and OKC will now have to navigate the start of the year with a much thinner frontcourt rotation than they expected.

One of the (many) downsides to being a famous singer is that you can’t casually catch another artist’s concert without being mobbed by people. Unless you wear a disguise, that is.

Chappell Roan attended the Los Angeles date of Charli XCX and Troye Sivan’s Sweat tour on Wednesday wearing a black wig to conceal her instant-giveaway red locks. She went with her creative director Ramisha Sattar, who shared a video of an undercover Roan at the show on Instagram.

You can see it here.

Roan previously revealed that Charli XCX was the first person to reach out to her after she opened up about her struggles with fame.

“I love Charli so much. She was like the first girl to reach out and check on me. She was like ‘Hi, this is about to get really hard and if you need a friend, I’ll be here for you’. So it’s just so sick to see her just ruling the f*cking world and doing it her way,” she said during a soundcheck Q&A, according to NME. “I think so many people have tried to put her in a pop box of like ‘she’s a pop star’ and like she is but she’s like a club girl and is fully living. She’s fueling the fantasy and it’s working because it’s her and it’s so inspiring to me. She’s just, I am so proud of her for Brat and I can’t wait to see her and Troye’s show.”

Morgan Wallen is officially entering the music festival space: It was announced today (October 17) that Wallen in teaming with Hangout Music Festival and Coachella producers AEG Presents to launch Sand In My Boots. The inaugural edition is set to go down in Gulf Shores, Alabama (at the site that also hosts Hangout) from May 16 to 18, 2025.

The lineup hasn’t been revealed yet, but a press release teases “a highly curated multi-genre lineup with some of Wallen’s closest friends, favorite artists, those who have inspired him, and that he has always wanted to perform with,” all of whom were “handpicked by Wallen.”

Ticket details also haven’t been announced yet, but more information about that and the lineup is coming soon. In the meantime, more info can be found on the festival website.

In a video message announcing the fest, Wallen said, “Morgan Wallen here to share some exciting news me and my team have been working on for a while for y’all. We’re heading south to the beaches of Gulf Shores, Alabama and I’m bringing some good friends with me. Mark your calendars for May 16 to 18, 2025 for the Sand In My Boots Fest. Stay tuned and we’ll get you some more info soon!”

Stacy Vee, EVP of Goldenvoice and Producer of Stagecoach, also noted in a statement, “Creating a Festival with Morgan has been a dream come true… and some of the most fun I have ever had booking a show! I can’t wait for fans to come and experience one of the most eclectic and electric lineups and on-site experiences the world has ever seen.” AEG Presents and Hangout Festival Producer Reeves Price added, “The opportunity to bring Morgan’s world to life on the beach in Gulf Shores is something very special. The fact that it coincides with the 15th anniversary of the Hangout Festival only makes it more special. We can’t wait to see everyone back on the beach in May.”

Lisa is already a “Rockstar” in the music industry. Next up: Hollywood.

In a conversation with Tyla as part of Rolling Stone‘s “Musicians On Musicians” series, the Blackpink member shared why she joined the cast of HBO’s The White Lotus for season 3 (besides the travel perks).

She explained:

“I just have to trust my gut. I’m happy with the result. As long as I’m happy, no one can say anything… I got a chance to star in White Lotus, and it’s my acting debut. I’m super excited and nervous, but I feel like we’ve shot a lot of music videos. You’ve got to be expressive on camera. I just wanted to try something new that I never had a chance to do, because I’ve been singing for eight years, and sometimes you feel like you need something new to try.”

When she’s not performing or acting alongside Carrie Coon and Walton Goggins, what does Lisa do in her downtime? “I love to stay home with my cats and dog. I have five cats. I will just be with them watching Netflix, or maybe go out shopping. Eat good food,” she said. “That’s all. I’m super chill.”

The White Lotus returns to HBO in 2025.

Looking for something to watch this spooky season, and you’re sick of Jason, Freddy, and Michael? (It’s impossible to be sick of Chucky.) Lucky for you, it’s been a solid year for horror. But what is the best horror movie released so far in 2024? Let’s figure it out in time for Halloween. Below, you’ll find three categories to determine 2024’s best horror movie: what the critics think, what the people think, and, least importantly, what I think.

There’s plenty of intriguing horror movies left to come this year, including Smile 2, Heretic, and Nosferatu, but don’t overlook the following titles.

Critics (Rotten Tomatoes)

There are nine horror movies with a Rotten Tomatoes score over 90 percent released in 2024 so far: it’s a mix of indies (Stopmotion, Infested, New Life), potential Oscar winners (The Substance, which should get two actress nominations for Demi Moore and Margaret Qualley, and The Devil’s Bath, Austria’s submission for Best International Feature Film), and not a single sequel. The top slot goes to Late Night with the Devil, with a 97 percent “Fresh” rating. Written and directed by Colin and Cameron Cairnes, the part-documentary, part-found footage film stars David Dastmalchian as a late-night talk host, and the supernatural lengths he’s willing to go to improve ratings.

Over on Metacritic, 2024’s best-reviewed horror film is Jane Schoenbrun’s excellent I Saw the TV Glow, followed by the twisty Strange Darling.

Commercial Success (Box Office)

Is $$$ the sign of creative success? Well, considering the highest-grossing film of the year is Deadpool & Wolverine, not really. But it’s still worth looking at the horror films that have done well at the box office, and thankfully, the top two performers are both worthwhile. Domestically speaking, A Quiet Place: Day One is #1 with $138.9 million; worldwide, the honor belongs to Alien: Romulus ($350.4 million), which is actually one of the highest-grossing horror films of all-time when not adjusted for inflation. You could do a lot worse than to watch these two prequels (Alien: Romulus is technically a prequel!).

Personal Preference (Me!)

Ultimately, “best” is subjective and is often used interchangeably with “favorite.” I think The Texas Chain Saw Massacre is the best horror film ever made, and it’s also my favorite, but if someone were to make the claim for The Exorcist or Scary Movie 2 (featuring a parody of The Exorcist), I’m not going to try to convince them otherwise. My best/favorite pick for 2024 so far is feminist body horror masterpiece The Substance, with silver and bronze showings for Oddity (behold, a new nightmare) and Strange Darling (Willa Fitzgerald is a freaking star). I haven’t seen Terrifier 3 yet, but I’ll include it as an honorable mention because I love that under-17 teens are buying tickets for the PG-rated The Wild Robot, and sneaking into the killer clown movie.

Here’s where you can stream the horror movies mentioned above

–Late Night with the Devil is on Shudder

–I Saw the TV Glow is on Max

–Strange Darling is on Prime Video

–A Quiet Place: Day One is on Paramount Plus

–Alien: Romulus is on Prime Video

–Oddity is on Shudder

–The Substance is still in theaters

Back in July, GloRilla turned 25 years old. Now that Glo’s debut album Glorious is out, the rapper is looking back on that special day and others, as a reflection on the past that led her to her new album. She did so with a compilation of videos shared on social media yesterday (October 16), and at one point in the clip, Cardi B wishes Glo a happy birthday via a FaceTime call.

It turns out there was a lot more to that interaction than made the video, though.

Yesterday, Cardi shared the clip of her from Glo’s video and tweeted, “Yooooo I was so drunk I flashed my titties at her.” That was apparently a moment Glo remembers well, as she responded, “Dat was da highlight of my night.”

That NSFW FaceTime came after Glo and Cardi confirmed they are actually related. In March, Cardi revealed her grandfather had a child with Glo’s paternal grandmother. That child is Glo’s father, which makes Cardi and Glo first cousins.

Meanwhile, Cardi recently revealed her former stripper name while telling a story about a dress, writing, “So let me tell ya about my little thotty dress.. the dress I was gonna wear for my birthday was a little too small and there wasn’t enough fabric… so I got my ass in a truck and went to Staten dolls gentlemen’s club where I worked at for four years and bought this little dress because baby NOTHING was gonna stop this night… I love the fact that they don’t see me like CARDI B.. they still treat me like CAMILLA (Fun fact.. that was my stripper name [laughing emojis]).”

The music world faced some tragic news yesterday (October 16), when former One Direction member Liam Payne died at 31 years old, after falling from a hotel balcony in Argentina. Before his unexpected passing, Payne appeared to be enjoying his time in the country, as indicated by videos (viewable here) he shared just hours before his death.

On Snapchat, Payne spoke about his admiration for a painting he likes, and riding horses and playing polo. In another clip, he talked about having a “lovely day here in Argentina” as he had breakfast with girlfriend Kate Cassidy. As Sky News points out, it appears the videos were filmed earlier in the week before being posted yesterday.

Payne’s passing comes as he seemingly had a few things to look forward to. He released what would end up being the final single of his lifetime, “Teardrops,” back in March, perhaps as a lead-up to a new solo album, although one has not been announced. In August, it was revealed that he was set to be a judge on Building The Band, a new Netflix reality competition show hosted by Backstreet Boys member AJ McLean. Named as judges alongside Payne were Destiny’s Child’s Kelly Rowland and Pussycat Dolls’ Nicole Scherzinger.

Despite trailing by as many as 15 points in Game 3 of the 2024 WNBA Finals on the road, the New York Liberty are one win away from the first championship in franchise history. Thanks to some serious heroics from Sabrina Ionescu, who knocked down a game-winning triple with a second remaining from the logo on the floor at the Target Center, the Liberty were able to pick up a thrilling, 80-77 win over the Minnesota Lynx to take a 2-1 lead in the series.

The Lynx came out and blitzed the Liberty behind some stingy defense and a monster start to the game from Kayla McBride. Three early New York turnovers and eight points in the opening three minutes from McBride helped Minnesota get the home crowd on its feet thanks to a 14-5 lead.

Even after a timeout by Sandy Brondello to try and settle things down, the Lynx just kept taking advantage of the seven turnovers the Liberty had in the period, and extended their lead up to as many as 15 points. Ultimately, New York was able to cut into that a bit towards the end of the quarter, but Minnesota nevertheless took a 28-18 lead into the second. And while the Lynx cooled off from the field considerably after a torrid start, the team’s defense — and New York’s inability to punish them when they got looks from three — meant that the Liberty could barely cut into their lead.

By the time the two teams entered the locker room at halftime, Minnesota had a 43-35 lead. McBride’s 13 points led all scorers, while Bridget Carleton had 10 points and Napheesa Collier did a little bit of everything, going for nine points, four rebounds, three steals, a block, and an assist. Leonie Fiebich led the way for the Liberty with 10 points, while Breanna Stewart had eight. As a team, New York was only 3-for-11 from behind the three-point line, with the trio of Ionescu, Betnijah Laney-Hamilton, and Stewart missing all six of their combined attempts.

For much of the third quarter, whenever the Liberty would get the lead down to two possessions, the Lynx would be able to put together an immediate response to create just a little bit of breathing room. But at the end of the period, Stewart and Ionescu did what they do, scoring all eight points in an 8-0 run — Stewart, in particular, was spectacular in the third, going for 14 points in the quarter. As a result, what was once a 15-point margin for the Lynx was down to one at the start of the fourth quarter, with Minnesota holding on tight to 62-61 lead.

The two sides seemed to go shot-for-shot in the fourth. Whenever New York — or, more specifically, Stewart, who continued to take it to the Lynx — would hit a shot to get the lead down to one or tie things up, Minnesota always had an answer.

But with 90 seconds left, New York was finally able to take its first lead since it was 5-4. Ionescu was able to get into the lane and attract the attention of the defense, which let her slip a pass to a wide open Jonquel Jones underneath the rim. And on their next possession after forcing a miss by the Lynx, Ionescu threw a haymaker, as she knocked down a shot from behind the three-point line to put the Liberty up by four.

A bucket by Carleton beget a missed three by Ionescu, which opened the door for the Lynx to tie things up or get back into the driver’s seat. They unsurprisingly went to Collier, who got Jones up in the air and drew a foul. Even though she missed her attempt from the field, she knocked down both of her shots from the charity stripe to tie things back up.

But unfortunately for the Lynx, Ionescu got just enough space to hit the shot of her life. Ionescu got the ball put in her hands and dribbled near midcourt, then was able to create just enough space as McBride hounded her to pull up and hit from nearly 30 feet. Minnesota could not get off a shot to try and tie it, and as a result, the Liberty celebrated on the floor, surrounded by the deafening sound of stunned silence.

Stewart led the way for New York with 30 points, 11 rebounds, and four blocks, while Ionescu, Jones, and Fiebich all went for 13. Collier’s 22 points and nine rebounds paced the Lynx, while four other players scored in double-digits, with McBride’s 19 the best of the bench.

Game 4 of the 2024 WNBA Finals will take place on Friday night at 8 p.m. ET on ESPN.

Former One Direction member Liam Payne has reportedly died at age 31 after falling from a hotel balcony, according to TMZ.

This post is being updated.

What are Bruno Mars and Rosé up to?

The Blackpink solo star was spotted at one of his concerts in August, the same month she also wore a Bruno Mars shirt in a recording studio. Now, the pair are hanging out and playing drinking games together.

“So this was me hanging on for dear life after @roses_are_rosie introduced me to this Korean drinking game and got me saucy,” Mars wrote on Instagram. “Soon after, she tried to kiss me, and I was like ‘woah Rosie! what part of the game is this?’ She was like, ‘I ain’t playin games wit you anymore lil boy! Big Rosie bout that BIDNESS!’ Shaken, I replied ‘stop Rosie, I’m scared!’ But other than that, super chill night.” The “Die With A Smile” singer also included a photo of the two of them mid-game (the Apartment Game?) in a pile of hands.

Rosé shared her own recollection of their time together. “the night i taught bruno how to play a korean drinking game,” she wrote.

Mars’ collaboration with Lady Gaga is one of the biggest hits of his career (and that’s saying something from the guy who gave us “Just the Way You Are,” “Locked Out of Heaven,” and “Uptown Funk”). Could a song with Rosé, who just announced her debut album, be next?