Month: January 2025

Have you heard of Concord? Unless you listen to video game-focused podcasts (Triple Jump is a good one), probably not! But you should: Concord is one of the biggest financial disasters in entertainment history.

Sony’s hero shooter, which was in development for eight years and reportedly had a $400 million budget, was released on August 23, 2024. Less than two weeks later, Concord was taken offline and everyone who bought a copy (all 25,000 of you) was refunded. Just like that, Concord — which cost more than the entire Lord of the Rings trilogy to make — was gone.

Except in Secret Level. The Prime Video animated anthology series is set within the worlds of different video games, including Armored Core, Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2, and yes, Concord. It’s a rare instance of people being more familiar with the tie-in material than the original, since Secret Level had the biggest animated series debut in Prime Video history within its first week. Safe to say, it was a more successful debut than Concord.

Since Secret Level is doing so well, Prime Video quickly renewed it for season 2. Here’s what we know.

Plot

Secret Level tells original stories in existing video games (shout out to the Pac-Man and Mega Man episodes). There are no specific plot details about season 2 yet, but creator Tim Miller, who also oversaw Netflix’s Love, Death, & Robots, talked to Rolling Stone about the process of turning games into anthology episodes for the Blur Studio-produced series.

“If you think of a game as a long-term event or happening, and you just focus on one part of it, or one character in it, [you] could do a slice of life, or you could do something that has a full arc,” he explained. “It’s a very short arc, but an arc, nonetheless. Trying to focus on that, it really wasn’t hard to find interesting bits of lore and characters to push into stories.”

As you might imagine, there are plenty of video games that Miller and supervising director Dave Wilson wanted to adapt, but either the owners of the IP aren’t interested, or it would be a legal nightmare to do so.

“I get a little chafed when I read online,” Miller told Collider, “and they’re like, ‘Hold on, these assholes took Spelunky when they could have taken Halo?’ Or something like that. I’m like, man, you think that we didn’t talk to Halo or something?” Wilson even wrote an “impassioned letter of my childhood” to Microsoft and id Software about a crossover episode featuring Master Chief from Halo and Doom Slayer from Doom. What did he hear back? “Nah.” They also “begged” for a Half-Life episode. Alas…

Miller continued:

“But there are no black-and-white choices here. It’s not like we could just have anything we wanted, or they were all available. There are lots of different reasons. We did the best we could, and I love all the games that we have, and there are so many more games that we could have. That’s the trouble, too, is that we could make 10 seasons of this and still not run out of games that we like.”

Maybe by season 10, we’ll get a Kingdom Hearts episode.

Cast

The cast for season 2 of Secret Level hasn’t been announced, but the voice actors for season 1 included Keanu Reeves, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Patrick Schwarzenegger, Kevin Hart, Laura Bailey, Gabriel Luna, Ariana Greenblatt, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, Michael Beach, Emily Swallow, Claudia Doumit, Parry Shen, Nelson Lee, Élodie Yung, Clive Standen, Ricky Whittle, Brenock O’Connor, Erin Yvette, Temuera Morrison, and Derek Phillips.

Release Date

There’s no release date yet, but considering Secret Level season 2 was only officially renewed last month, it’s going to be awhile.

Trailer

You can check out the trailer for Secret Level season 1 below.

Bono is a rather established entertainer. As the frontman of U2, the “Atomic City” musician has crushed several records. As an individual, Bono has leveraged his fame to raise awareness for many notable social causes. Today (January 4), Bono’s efforts on both ends were acknowledged by the nation’s highest office.

During a ceremony held White House, President Joe Biden awarded Bono with the Medal Of Freedom. In a statement shared to U2’s official Instagram page (viewable here), Bono expressed his gratitude for the presidential recognition. “Thank you, President Biden,” he wrote. “Frontmen don’t do humble, but today I was. Rock n roll gave me my freedom… and with it the privilege to work alongside those who’ve had to fight so much harder for theirs. And I want to give it up for my bandmates – Edge, Adam, and Larry – without whom I would never have found my voice.”

This deep show of appreciation was also displayed as the honor was placed upon his next in a clip posted by C-SPAN (viewable here).

The White House’s press office credited Bono’s receipt of the country’s highest civil honor to his “pioneering activist against AIDS and poverty” and his unification of “politicians from opposing parties” to create the United States PEPFAR AIDS program.

Drake’s forthcoming joint album with PartyNextDoor wasn’t the only Canadian collaboration he had up his sleeve. Today (January 4), the “No Face” rapper’s OVO Clothing brand unveiled its collection with national pride and retired NHL star Wayne Gretzky.

In a series of post uploaded to the company’s official Instagram page, it unveiled the multiple piece line. “October’s Very Own and The Gretzky Hockey School are pleased to announce a continued partnership,” wrote the company. “Celebrating the Great One’s legacy and passion for the game by shaping the next generation of hockey’s brightest stars.”

October’s Very Own and The Gretzky Hockey School’s collection features a varsity jacket (priced at $898), hoodie (priced at $198), crewneck sweater (priced at $168), short sleeve t-shirt (priced at $68), snapback hat (priced at $68), and a commemorate hockey card (priced at $78). Every clothing item features Gretzky’s 99 jersey number. Except for the white and gold crewneck, all other garments have two color options (black and silver as well as blue and orange).

OVO Clothing’s ‘The Great One’ collection in partnership with Wayne Gretzky’s The Gretzky Hockey School is available to shop now while supplies last. However, according to the webpage, the items will not be shipped until after January 15. Find more information here.

All eyes are on Ariana Grande. While this isn’t a new phenom for “The Boy Is Mine” singer, her breakout role in Wicked has certainly amplified things.

Unfortunately, the heighten attention sparked a few disgusting rumors surrounding Ariana Grande appearance. Yesterday (January 3), during the 36th annual Palm Springs International Film Awards, Grande clarified a joke she made about Botox during her Rising Star acceptance speech.

While chatting with ET, Grande delivered a rebuttal to her onstage humor. “Omg,” she laughed. “My joke. My bit. I’m still clean. I’m clean. But when I start going again, I will let you know. I mean it.”

She went on to stress why it was important for her to clean up the joke. “I really want to be transparent as a beauty founder,” she said. “As a founder of r.e.m. beauty, I think it’s important to have transparency.”

Grande closed by saying: “I love it, but I am still four years clean.”

Last month, Ariana Grande urged others to refrain from commenting on others physical appearance after being bullied online. “I think in today’s society, there’s a comfortability that we shouldn’t have at all, commenting on others’ looks, appearance, what they think is going on behind the scenes, or health, or how they present themselves,” she said.

Just last month, SZA released her long-awaited album, SOS Deluxe: Lana. The body of work has already proven to be a successful drop after it became the first No. 1 album of 2025. Still, despite the project’s fanfare and recently milestone, the “Drive” singer seems to be planning her retirement from music.

Today (January 4), SZA took to her official X (formerly Twitter) page to tease what her exit plan from music consists of. “To fulfill my last 2 album requirements I think I just wanna make peaceful children’s music,” she wrote. “[And] get outta here.”

After revealing her professional split from her longtime manager, Terrence ‘Punch’ Henderson, users online speculated that SZA could be the next act to depart from the Top Dawg Entertainment roster. However, SZA quickly shut down those rumors in a series of post online. But her recent statement has fans on the edge.

SZA closed the upload by detailing what she plans to do when she officially hands up her microphone for good. “Then go be a farmer and donate the produce to underserved communities,” she wrote.

Although the comments were disabled for SZA’s post, supporters online have chimed expressing their premature heartbreak. Others have jokingly brushed off SZA’s unprovoked confession claiming it would be nearly a decade before both of her obligatory albums hit streaming platforms citing the gap between CTRL and SOS.

SZA has made bold claims in the past. Could this be another one of those instances?

Back in 2021, Diplo faced multiple sexual assault allegations (of which he has denied). Eventually, one of the cases was quietly dropped.

Unfortunately, the “Don’t Forget My Love” musician is still battling other sexually motivated cases—revenge porn civil cases. Yesterday (January 3), there was a major update in the ongoing matter. According to Billboard, the presiding judge has ruled that the Jane Doe complaint must reveal their identity in order to move forward with the civil matter.

Los Angeles federal judge Mónica Ramírez Almadani determined that anonymity “is reserved only for clear-cut, high-risk situations.” In Judge Almadani’s opinion, Diplo’s accuser allegations “doesn’t qualify under that standard.”

“The court appreciates that plaintiff’s allegations in her complaint are sensitive and of a highly personal nature, and that she may face some public scrutiny,” wrote the judge in their decision. “However, absent a demonstrated need for anonymity, there is a prevailing public interest in open judicial proceedings.”

Following the judge’s ruling Jane Doe’s attorneys Margaret Mabie and Helene Weiss shared their response to the outlet. “The imbalance of power in a situation like this is startling and should not be underestimated by the public, or by the courts,” said the attorneys. “In the digital age, being compelled to disclose one’s name in such proceedings risks permanently linking a survivor to their trauma.”

Nicki Minaj’s time in Gag City could land the “Arctic Tundra” rapper in a courtroom. Yesterday (January 3), TMZ reported that Nicki Minaj’s former day-to-day manager accused Nicki Minaj of assault, battery, and intentional infliction of emotional distress in a newly filed lawsuit. Now, Minaj’s legal team has issued an official response.

In a statement shared with the outlet, Minaj’s lawyer Judd Burstein slammed the allegations while questioning the validity of the supposed filing. “At this time, no complaint has been served upon Mrs. Petty,” he said. “Therefore, we are unaware of the specific allegations. However, if the lawsuit is as reported by TMZ, it is completely false and frivolous. We are confident that the matter brought by this ex assistant will be resolved swiftly in Mrs. Petty’s favor.”

The original report claimed, Brandon Garrett, submitted the paperwork outlining the alleged grievances with Minaj (real name Onika Tanya Maraj-Petty), which stemmed from his time working on Minaj’s Pink Friday 2 World Tour. Garrett’s claims that when the tour made a stop at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit, Michigan on April 20, 2024, Minaj confronted him about his “job responsibilities” which alleged ended in her screaming at him then “striking him on the right side of his face with an open hand” and later his right wrist.

After the supposed incident Minaj’s security team denied him access to the tour bus which was headed to their next performance in Chicago. He claims he was then left stranded in Detroit. Garrett is seeking undisclosed damages for assault, battery and intentional infliction of emotional distress.

The Miami Heat and Jimmy Butler are very obviously heading towards a breakup, and on Friday night, the Heat escalated things with their disgruntled star. The team announced that Butler, who made clear on Thursday night that he doesn’t think he can find joy playing basketball in Miami, will be suspended for the next seven games.

“We have suspended Jimmy Butler for seven games for multiple instances of conduct detrimental to the team over the course of the season and particularly the last several weeks,” the team said in a statement. “Through his actions and statements, he has shown he no longer wants to be part of this team. Jimmy Butler and his representative have indicated that they wish to be traded, therefore, we will listen to offers.”

The groundwork for this got laid in the offseason, when Heat executive Pat Riley made clear that the team did not just plan on giving Butler an extension despite the fact that he can hit unrestricted free agency this summer. While Butler began the season with the team, rumors started to pop up that he wanted a trade to one of a few teams if the Heat could work something out.

That got taken to another level on Christmas Day, when a report came out that Butler wanted a trade before the deadline. It led to Pat Riley putting his name on a statement which indicated that the team wasn’t going to move Butler, but over the last few days, Butler was benched late in a game on Wednesday (which Erik Spoelstra said had more to do with his return to action from an illness), then made some escalating comments after a game on Thursday that came out right before a report which said he’s open to a trade anywhere.

Sabrina Carpenter’s “Espresso” was undoubtedly last year’s song of the summer, so you had to assume it was only a matter of time before there would be a Sabrina Carpenter signature drink at one of the big nationwide coffee retailers (Carpenter fans were already treated to a pop-up cafe, read about it here).

If I had to bet money, I would’ve put it on Starbucks, but Sabrina threw a curveball at us by shunning the green mermaid in favor of Dunkin. I’m not sure who is in charge of these collabs at Dunkin’ but whoever it is, they’re killing it. Two years back Dunkin’ scooped up Ice Spice when the hype over her was at an all-time high, and perfectly integrated her brand into theirs.

That drink was called the “Munchkins” drink, named after an iconic product Dunkin’ sells, and also the name of Ice Spice’s fanbase, so we had pretty high expectations for how the brand would integrate Sabrina into its universe. And from the look of this promo video, it seems they knocked it out of the park again.

The video, titled “Shake That Ess’ with Sabrina Carpenter,” perfectly captures Sabrina’s cheeky and crude brand of humor.

But look, it doesn’t matter how great an exercise in brand synergy and marketing is at the end of the day we have one question: is the drink any good? We found out by buying Sabrina’s Brown Sugar Shakin’ Espresso, and giving it a through taste test! Here are our thoughts.

Sabrina’s Brown Sugar Shakin’ Espresso

Thoughts & Tasting Notes:

Sabrina’s Brown Sugar Shakin’ Espresso is maybe the most basic drink Dunkin’ could’ve come up with. It consists of espresso shaken in ice with brown sugar syrup and oat milk. It’s so unimaginative that we assume it already existed in some form before the brand slapped Sabrina’s name on it.

Here is the thing though — the drink is pretty good. Rather than rely on gimmicks or unnecessary flavor combinations, this drink keeps things simple and classic, and because of that, we don’t really have anything to complain about from a flavor standpoint. It’s sweet, earthy, rich, and has a nice toasty aftertaste. Espresso and oatmilk just taste great together, and that’s coming from someone who usually likes their lattes with whole milk.

Is it vital to go out and get this drink you can experience it? No, you’ve probably had something like this in some form before. But it’s also not a drink that is exclusive to hardcore Sabrina Carpenter fans. It’s for everyone.

The Bottom Line:

The recipe could’ve been a bit more thoughtful, but we’d be lying if we didn’t say we enjoyed every sip of this sweet, brown sugar iced latte.

Find your nearest Dunkin’ here.

2025 kicked off with a bang—and if you weren’t there to witness it, prepare for some serious FOMO. The final hours of 2024 were nothing short of spectacular, with celebrations that turned cities into playgrounds and stages into pure magic. Whether you were sweating it out in a packed club, dancing under the stars, or simply scrolling Instagram with a little envy, this year’s NYE parties delivered big.

From the chic, late-night revelry of Forever Midnight in Los Angeles to Pigeons Playing Ping Pong jamming their way into the new year in Pittsburgh, the vibes were immaculate coast to coast. Over in Las Vegas, Anyma lit up the futuristic Sphere with a show that was part rave, part intergalactic journey. Meanwhile, Lil Jon turned Atlantis Paradise Island into a tropical, high-energy party you could feel from the shore.

And those are just the highlights. So, if your night didn’t include glitter explosions, jaw-dropping sets, or a dance floor that felt like home, don’t worry—we’ve got all the proof that these parties lived up to the hype. Scroll through and see for yourself how NYE was meant to be done. Oh, and for all you jam nerds, we’re including full notes where necessary, specifically for PPPP and Greensky Bluegrass’ NYE throwdowns.

Forever Midnight – Los Angeles, CA

As the largest New Year’s Eve celebration in the heart of Los Angeles, Forever Midnight returned for its second year at the massive LA Convention Center. Attendees danced into 2025 with sets by global heavyweights Adam Beyer, Boris Brejcha, Chris Lake, Diplo, Lilly Palmer, Max Styler, Odd Mob, Tiësto, Wax Motif, and more.

Afterlife Presents Anyma ‘The End of Genesys’ Sphere – Las Vegas, NV

Electronic music history was made over New Years Week and New Year’s Eve as Anyma became the first electronic artist with a residency at Sphere Las Vegas. Afterlife Presents Anyma ‘The End of Genesys’ enthralled audiences with a meticulously curated selection of music, art, and technology.

Pigeons Playing Ping Pong – Pittsburgh, PA

If you’ve never experienced a Pigeons Playing Ping Pong show, make it a priority for your 2025 resolutions. The psychedelic-funk quartet brought their signature energy to Pittsburgh with a two-night celebration, culminating in a New Year’s Eve performance that was nothing short of legendary.

With their unique blend of funk-driven grooves, trippy psychedelic jams, and trance-inducing rhythms, PPPP electrified Stage AE with two dynamic sets. True to their reputation in the jam band scene, the night featured an impressive lineup of guest appearances, including members of Mihali—Adrian Tramontano, Michael Bafundo, Mike Oehmen, Scott Hannay, and Zdenek Gubb—as well as Chalk Dinosaur, who added horns, bass, and keys to the mix. Highlights included the debut of their original track “Win A Minute,” a show-stopping “Auld Lang Syne” medley incorporating “Hey Jude” and “Dreidel Song,” and an encore featuring a raucous rendition of “Tubthumping.” Consider this your official sign to never miss a Pigeons Playing Ping Pong New Year’s Eve show.

Setlist:

Set I: The Town, Fun In Funk, Fox And Toad*, Skinner^, Win A Minute~, Poseidon% > Lovely Day+% > Poseidon%, Show Me*, King Kong$*

Set II: Water, The Labyrinth > Horizon, Porcupine# > Auld Lang Syne= > Hey Jude= > Dreidel Song=! > Hey Jude= > Auld Lang Syne= > Burning Down The House”-, Apples”, Sledgehammer”+/, F.U.” > Drums > F.U.”

E: Tubthumping” > Hey Jude”&

Notes:
* w/ Adrian Tramontano (Mihali) on percussion
^ w/ Chalk Dinosaur on guitar
~ Original debut
% w/ Michael Bafundo on trumpet, Mike Oehmen on saxophone and Scott Hannay on keys (Mihali)
+ First time played
$ Double bass w/ Zdenek Gubb (Mihali)
# Unfinished; w/ musical countdown to NYE
= Instrumental
Last time played 11/03/18
! Last time played 05/18/19
“ w/ all of Mihali band
– Last time played 11/01/19
/ w/ Alex “Gator” Petropulos on lead vocals
& Outro only; w/ crowd singalong

Palm Tree Crew NYE Bash – St. Barthélemy

Palm Tree Crew once again lit up St. Barths with its exclusive New Year’s Eve bash at Gyp Sea Beach Club. Hosted by Darren Dzienciol, the ultra-VIP event brought together an A-list crowd of celebrities and tastemakers including Kygo, Alix Earle, Braxton Berrios, Chase Crawford, Noah Tepperberg, Melissa Wood-Tepperberg, Zack Biam Wendi Murdoch, Mario Carbone, Candice Swanepoel, Taylor Bryant, Danielle Bernstein and more, to celebrate the start of 2025 in unforgettable style.

The evening’s highlight was the breathtaking live performance by global EDM icons Swedish House Mafia set against the stunning Caribbean backdrop. Guests enjoyed luxe bottle service courtesy of Tequila Don Julio, complete with festive mini 1942 bottles for a midnight toast that perfectly captured the spirit of the evening. The room was packed and tables were sold for prices up to $250K.

Atlantis Paradise Island’s Party Like a Royal Celebration – Paradise Island, Bahamas

Atlantis Paradise Island’s 4th annual Party Like a Royal New Year’s Eve celebration ushered in 2025 with an unforgettable, star-studded event featuring comedian, actor, and producer Adam Devine alongside music legend Lil Jon. The sold-out celebration brought together resort guests, visitors, and locals who danced the night away to Lil Jon’s iconic hits, including “Get Low,” “Shots,” “Turn Down for What,” and “Yeah.” His electrifying DJ set also featured crowd favorites like DMX’s “Party Up,” Flo Rida’s “Low,” Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believin’,” and Bon Jovi’s “Livin’ on a Prayer.”

As the night progressed, GRAMMY®-nominated singer-songwriter Ellie Goulding surprised attendees with an 11-song performance that included some of her biggest hits, such as “Lights,” “Still Falling For You,” “Love Me Like You Do,” and “Miracle.” She closed her set with the fan-favorite anthem, “Burn,” leaving the audience captivated.

Just before midnight, Lil Jon, Ellie Goulding, and Adam Devine reunited on stage to lead the crowd in a high-energy countdown to the new year. The celebration reached its peak with a breathtaking fireworks display, followed by an energetic set from award-winning DJ Webstar, who kept the party alive until 1:30 a.m.

Greensky Bluegrass – Denver, CO

Greensky Bluegrass rang in the NYE mountain style at Denver’s famed Mission Ballroom. With Fruition opening up the night, GSBG treated fans to two sparkling sets that filled the venue with celebratory love and fast-pickin’ bluegrass jams.

Setlist:

Set I: New Barns, Leap Year, Distracted, How Mountain Girls Can Love, Take Cover, Past My Prime, Entirely Mine, Living Over

Set II: Reasons to Stay, All Four, A Letter to Seymour > In Control, All For Money, Kerosene, Auld Lang Syne, Turn on Your Love Light^* > Whole Lotta Love^*, Power of Love^*, Kissing My Love^*, Could You Be Loved^

E: Run or Die

Notes:
^ – With Fruition
* – FTP

Rampa – Los Angeles, CA

Keinmusik’s own Rampa hosted an insane party at Red Studios on New Year’s Eve, marking Framework’s second sold-out show at the famed venue. Located in the heart of Hollywood, Red Studios has remained the ideal location for filmmakers and producers dating back from the silent film era in the 1920s to the award-winning pictures of today. Inviting global DJ ANASTAZJA to accompany the evening, Rampa stunned attendees with his unique blend of techno and deep house.