Today, Jessie Ware continues to preview her upcoming release, What’s Your Pleasure?. Pivoting from her lovelorn 2017 album, Ware’s latest singles “Ooh La La,” “Mirage (Don’t Stop),” and “Spotlight” are heavy with disco influences. Now, Ware trades in her piano for synths in her latest energetic single, “Save A Kiss.”

“Save A Kiss” pulls from the carnal energy of a late-night fling. The single boasts an immense layered production that melts under Ware’s soaring vocals. A tantalizing string section swells as Ware harmonizes in the chorus. “Save a kiss for me tonight / Wait for me to comprise / Promise you it won’t be long / Just save a bit of your loving, baby,” Ware sings.

In a statement, Ware says the single has a newfound meaning in quarantine: “‘Save A Kiss’ has taken on a new meaning during these weird times and it seems like the right time to put it out. This track is an optimistic one for me, I hope it resonates with people wherever they are right now. It’s an upbeat song to dance along to and have fun with. I know I’ve got plenty of kisses I’m saving up for everyone when this is all over.”

Listen to “Save A Kiss” above.

What’s Your Pleasure? is out 6/19 via PMR Records. Pre-order it here.

In 2017, the dancing Ghanaian pallbearers went viral after being covered by BBC Africa. Led by their front man Benjamin Aidoo, Otafrija Pallbearing Services earned millions of views for their flashy outfits and insane ability to dance while carrying a coffin.

At some point, someone mixed footage of the pallbearers dancing to Vicetone and Tony Igy’s 2010 club hit “Astronomia,” giving an even darker edge to the footage. According to Know Your Meme, this combination made its first appearance as a punchline in skiing fail clip.

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The pallbearers soon became the punchline in countless fail videos. The clips are often used to mock people who’ve made reckless mistakes and now have to meet their maker.

The pallbearers gained even more fame as their dancing coffin routine became a way for people to shame those who aren’t practicing social distancing during the COVID-19 pandemic.

This one about the reopening of a shopping mall during COVID-19 is particularly funny.

African Funeral/Coffin Meme: Coronavirus edition

www.youtube.com

The dancing pallbearers have become 2020’s version of the Grim Reaper. In Brazil, they’re used in public service announcements telling people, “Stay home or dance with us.”

Aidoo is taking his new viral fame in stride and actually has a good sense of humor about it.

“It’s a bit scary, but it’s funny, too,” said Aidoo, 32, who lives in Accra, the capital of Ghana. “People are saying, ‘I’d rather stay home than have these guys bury me.’ ”

This pallbearer extraordinaire should be comfortable around death. He’s been working at a funeral home since he was a teenager. Ghanaian funerals have long incorporated dancing, but since the 1990s people began hiring dancing troupes to give their deceased family members the ultimate send-off.

Aidoo’s troupe now has over 100 members and he hopes to take his business worldwide.

“Over time,” Wilhelmina Donkoh, a Ghanaian author and historian, told MSN, “the pallbearers wanted to distinguish themselves by putting up intricate displays.” She understands the appeal of the dancers at a time when people are afraid.

“People want and need comic relief,” she said, “to cover up the reality of a disease without a cure.”

Aidoo and his dancers went viral again this week, but this time it was a video of their own making. In a clip posted to Twitter, Aidoo decked out in his famous suit, but this time wearing a protective mask around his neck, thanked “all the doctors in the world. You are working hard and taking care of everyone.”

But the video ended with a sinister warning.

“Now remember, stay at home or dance with us,” Aidoo said with a laugh.

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UPROXX Sessions is back with a prickly performane from Dallas rapper Yella Beezy, who defends his authenticity with his new single “No Cap.” For those who’ve been following previous sessions, this one falls somewhere between the energetic bark of 1TakeJay’s performance of “F*cked Up” and idontknowJeffery’s laid-back rendition of “Ask About Me.”

Yella Beezy has been on the rise since 2017, when he broke out with the release of Lite Work, Vol. 2. After his single “That’s On Me” peaked at No. 37 on the Billboard Hot 100, Beezy was signed to LA Reid’s Hitco label and began his road to stardom. As he began to garner more attention with the help of features from Kevin Gates, Lil Baby, Quavo, and more, he was able to parlay his growing fame into an opening slot on Jay-Z and Beyonce’s On The Run II Tour.

Watch Yella Beezy’s “No Cap” performance above.

UPROXX Sessions is Uproxx’s new performance show featuring the hottest up-and-coming acts you should keep an eye on. Featuring creative direction from LA promotion collective, Ham On Everything, and taking place on our “bathroom” set designed and painted by Julian Gross, UPROXX Sessions is a showcase of some of our favorite performers, who just might soon be yours, too.

Teyana Taylor returned in 2018 with her strong sophomore effort K.T.S.E. The record earned Taylor a number of accolades and fans have been anxious for its follow-up ever since. Following a busy period for the rapper, Taylor told fans that her third record was complete just a few weeks ago. Now, Taylor has set a ballpark release date for her upcoming record, The Album.

Making the announcement on social media, Taylor revealed to fans that her record will be released in June of this year. The rapper hasn’t divulged much more information, other than the fact that The Album was produced by Kanye West during his Wyoming sabbatical. But fans can rest easy knowing it won’t be too much longer until Taylor shares more music. Check out Taylor’s announcement and cover art below.

The unveiling of her third record arrives after a busy couple of months for the rapper. Not only did she recently hop on a track from the AI influencer Miquela, but Taylor also teamed up with Red Bull for a documentary surrounding her large-scale production show House Of Petunia at last year’s Red Bull Music Festival in Atlanta. The documentary follows Taylor’s spectacular, all-women production team who worked tirelessly to create the show-stopping performance, complete with multiple outfit changes and a cameo from her young daughter.

When Saturday Night Live first announced that it was airing an “At Home” episode back in April, nobody knew what to expect. And yet, despite the technical difficulties of filming from home, somehow, the cast and writers pulled it off, only for the show to disappear the following week. But just like the first episode, SNL surprised audiences again by returning with a second “At Home” episode, which began to raise questions about how long the show could keep this up. Now, we know the answer.

According to a new blooper-filled promo released on Thursday, SNL will air its final “At Home” episode on Saturday, May 9. This move will officially bring its 45th season to a close with only 18 episodes, which is rare, but not unprecedented. SNL had to shorten it’s 2007-2008 season during the WGA strike.

As for the decision to come back for one more episode even though the short promo highlights a production process that’s loaded with technical snafus, the makeshift episodes have been bringing in the ratings. Via The Hollywood Reporter:

SNL followed the lead of its late night counterparts in adapting to remote production, and its first episode back was among the highest-rated of the season. It pulled in 6.7 million same-day viewers — trailing only an Eddie Muphy-hosted episode in December.

The April 25 edition declined some to 6.05 million viewers, slightly below the show’s same-day season average. The episode had markedly higher production values, with more and better graphics and costumes as the show’s crew got more accustomed to remote production.

Like the previous installments, nobody knows what’s in store for the season finale, which has been part of the appeal for the “At Home” episodes. The last outing featured a surprise musical performance by Miley Cyrus along with notable guest stars Charles Barkley, Adam Sandler, and Brad Pitt whose Dr. Fauci impression became an instant viral hit.

(Via Saturday Night Live)

Grimes is not far removed from having given birth to her first child, which she and boyfriend Elon Musk decided to name X Æ A-12 Musk, a decision and a name that have raised a lot of questions. Grimes explained what the unusual name means, but one questioned that remained was how to say it, since the proper pronunciation isn’t necessarily obvious by looking at the letters (and numbers). Those questions have been cleared up now, though, as Grimes has taken to Instagram to explain how to say “X Æ A-12.”

Grimes appears on the cover of the latest issue of Italian Vogue, so she shared images from the shoot and wrote, “I was having a baby this week so I literally didn’t realize my Italian Vogue cover came out!! Simulation feels like its at level 10 atm. Might be offline for a bit as of today, but this is an honor of the highest order! Thanks so much. I want to write more but my brain is mega fried right now. Love G.”

In the comments of that post, somebody asked how to say her baby’s name, and Grimes offered, “It’s just X, like the letter X. Then A.I. Like how you said the letter A then I.”

So, there we have it: “X Æ A-12” is pronounced like “X-A-I” (“ex ay eye”), so it would seem Grimes’ son has the first name with a silent 2 (among other characters).

If you’re someone who liked spending all of your free time hiking, camping and experiencing the never-ending beauty of the great outdoors in your pre-coronavirus life, our national lockdown has likely been driving you even more crazy than it has those of us who just want to be able to go to the mall again. The UPROXX crew feels you. We miss taking picturesque hikes through our national parks too, or catching waves for a sunset surf. We’ll get to do all of those things again one day, possibly soon, but for now, it’s best to just enjoy nature’s beauty from afar.

Which is why we hit up documentary and lifestyle photographer Andrew Alexander for the latest entry in our Future Travel series. Alexander is a freelance photographer and part-time van lifer based in Scotland, with a keen eye for capturing the lush landscapes and rich colors of Scotland’s wild spaces. He knows Scotland well enough to lead small group tours for Hidden Scotland and his photography reveals vast landscapes and lonely vistas in a way that inspires wanderlust. Making him the perfect person to get us all hyped on a trip to be taken… someday soon(ish).

Let’s dive into the photos and journey through the stunning wilds of Scotland. All captions were written by Alexander.

When is the best time of year to plan a visit to Scotland?

Autumn is a special time to be there, in my opinion. The lush summer greens are replaced with orange, yellow, gold, and misty mellow mornings. Trees are ablaze with color and the golden sunlight illuminates the rust-colored landscape like no other.

What’s your favorite thing about Scotland?

There are so many things to love, but the varying landscapes take the number one spot for me. We have an abundance of rugged mountains, narrow glens, shimmering lochs and golden beaches. There’s just so much to see and do — it’s an incredible place to call home.

Where is the best place to catch a jaw-dropping sunset?

Without a doubt, the beautiful white sands of Camusdarach Beach near the villages of Arisaig and Mallaig in the West Highlands. With incredible views towards the mountainous Isle of Rum and the steep sea cliff of Eigg, it’s a beautiful place to watch the day come to an end.

Where is the ideal hiking spot in Scotland for great views?

One of my personal favorites is the iconic Old Man of Storr on the Isle of Skye. Not only is it easily accessible, but it also provides curious walkers with many panoramic viewpoints in almost every direction. It is without a doubt, one of Scotland’s most thought-provoking and mythical locations.

What is one thing everybody visiting Scotland should see?

I think that Glen Coe needs to be number one on anyone’s to-do list. It’s only around two and a half hours from Edinburgh and Glasgow, and it is also accessible by bus. I remember my first time traveling through the glen and I was blown away by how small and insignificant it made me feel. It’s a truly majestic landscape.

What small island is a must-see?

I’d recommend the Isle of Rum. It’s a short boat crossing from the village of Mallaig and you can only travel by foot or bicycle. Its wild, rugged, and home to the hardy Rum pony — an island type of the Highland Pony breed that has been present since the last ice age. It’s a little island that feels like a whole other world.

What kind of wildlife can you expect to come across in the wilds of Scotland?

More often than not, you will stumble across a herd of red deer and if you take time to look to the skies, you might be lucky enough to spot a golden eagle flying overhead. If you explore coastal areas you can expect to see grey seals, mink whale, and an array of birds including puffin — particularly at different times of the year. If the forest is more your thing, you could potentially meet red squirrels, pine martin or even the elusive wildcat.

If you had to suggest one meal to experience anywhere in Scotland, where do we need to go and why?

I think everyone needs to enjoy a fish supper from The Chippy in Portree, Isle of Skye. Find yourself a spot by the water’s edge, watch the boats come in and out of the harbor, and savor the flakiness of the fish mixed with fluffy chips, before washing it all down with an ice-cold can of Irn Bru.

It’s a weird time, for sure. What next steps might look like out of the worst parts of the pandemic, no matter where you’re living, aren’t exactly clear and as the natural world chugs toward summer, for many of us it’s a seasonal marker we’re feeling the significance of but can’t enter fully into the headspace, or habits of. Not yet.

The NBA is feeling this too. As the league picks up momentum toward what is still a huge question mark in many, many markets, namely whether or not teams will begin to practice and if it means the season, somehow, will start up again, the energy of that not necessarily forward motion is manifesting… strangely, in some players. While others are carrying on living their lives in ISO and celebrating its many milestones (Births! Birthdays! Engagements! Star Wars!) as they go. It has all added up to different kinds of surprises this week, some much better than others.

P.J. Tucker

Let’s start as strong as we possibly can. Sometimes I stick the best of the week down in the middle, to give you a reason to keep going (too real?), but it would be a disservice to delay this one. P.J. Tucker, famed for never once being the man the clothes are wearing and always being the man wearing the clothes; famed for a defensive prowess that not only feel personal, but that the object of his defense is also lucky; famed for driving around topless in a convertible wearing a beautiful, supple felt bolero hat on more than one occasion, had a birthday this week. To celebrate, he traveled to Aspen, Colorado, put on a really “dress for the birthday theme you’ve created yourself” jacket, and had a glass of bubbles and either sparkling rosé or regular (but not, like, “regular”) rosé poured simultaneously for himself. I do wish the dude on the photo’s right held off on flipping the bird in this moment because the beauty of Tucker is how demure he is, even in the middle of excess.

And then, AND THEN, because even wearing an all white outfit including a pearlescent, white sombrero, is somehow not excessive if it’s P.J. Tucker doing it, he thanks everyone for the birthday wishes as only he could. Graciously. This look is the equivalent of a whisper telling you exactly what you want to hear.

Rating: The best part is knowing Tucker did not ski, nor feel the need to take on any other geographically-themed activity, and simply enjoyed himself.

Paul Millsap

Start strong, stay strong. So here again is the master of Self-ISO, Paul Millsasp, with a quit and caring interlude for us all.

Rating: Picturing Millsap wrapping two giant hands tenderly around the warmth of this mug, blowing gently on the top, doing an inhale, smiling to himself, absolutely counts as a kind of meditation.

Jusuf Nurkic

Nurk alert! For those of us who aren’t horse girls or Jusuf Nurkic, it’s helpful to know that Clydesdales, the kind of horse Nurkic looks like he’s doing a pony ride on with his feet dangling nearly to the ground in I want to say socks and sandals, are around 6-feet at the shoulder. Is this photo like a metaphor that no matter the burdens we’ve placed upon the natural world, it’s been there to support us and we shouldn’t take it for granted? It should be.

Rating: In the immortal words of Jusuf Nurkic, “There is much we can learn from a friend who happens to be a horse.”

Jaren Jackson Jr.

Self-ISO, and indeed this current moment in human history, is all about small victories and rituals that keep us going. For example, Jaren Jackson Jr. dressing up and making an impromptu fashion shoot about going to the gas station. You know that feeling when you’re on a really long road trip or drive and you pull into a gas station, maybe in another country or state than you started in, and everything feels like a novelty? You buy a bunch of snacks you’ve never seen and maybe a funny hat? That’s sort of what it’s like now going to places you used to take for granted.

Rating: So you see, life is a highway.

Jimmy Butler

Jimmy took his braids out this week. This is one of maybe two instances, the first was when he ate a regular grilled cheese sandwich, that we’ve seen him relax in ISO, now literally letting his hair down. Will we see a less impossibly regimented Jimmy Butler return to basketball when this is all over? Absolutely not, but it’s fun to imagine.

Rating: Do you think Pat Riley broke his phone throwing it out the window when he saw this? I do.

Rudy Gobert

It’s nice to see Gobert making some friends again.

Rating: Even if this duck was inclined by a deep, intuitive urge to migrate and that path happened to take it through Rudy’s backyard, still.

Amir Johnson

Three huge milestones for one of the greatest of all time, Amir Johnson, this week! First, a birthday! Happy Birthday Amir! Second, he’s a third time father! Congratulations Amir and family! Third, he’s made an appearance in NBA Self-Isolation Watch and is now back on the radar of thousands, if not tens of thousands, as it should always be!

Rating: A new Holy Trinity to get behind.

Jonathan Isaac

Hopefully people have become more acquainted with Orlando Magic forward Jonathan Isaac’s outstanding cheekbones during the season suspension, as well as all the charity work he’s been leading independently for support and frontline workers. But a guy with that bone structure, with that level of community involvement, deserves some sparkle in his life. Good news! Isaac got engaged this week. On an outdoor balcony under the stars and a heart shaped arch made of red balloons, no less.

Rating: Congratulations, Jonathan!

Kyle Kuzma

Kuz has been putting brush to canvas at a blurring rate this week. First, he went all in and then half in on an anime character — Naruto? Sorry but I’m literally 100 years old — carefully sketching an outline to paint.

When he got to the painting he did it in big sections,

But since has kind of stopped? The painting has featured in other videos of Kuzma’s as if it is finished, so maybe it is. Only an artist can truly tell when their work is done.

Kuzma then took a more abstract approach in a piece he captioned and I hope is calling, “SPLAT”.

Rating: Picasso, Maybe?

Montrezl Harrell

Trezz is a dad of his word. He picked up a very large above ground pool this week and vowed to have it set up for his kids before they woke up from their naps. Because I feel like it’s weird to post stills of kids if you don’t absolutely need to, just trust me when I say he did and his daughter was climbing a VERY tall ladder with water wings on to get in a little later.

Rating: Basically the dream of childhood.

Brandon Ingram

Ingram took a stroll down to the old concrete pier to watch some classic early riser old dude fisherman pull their catches from the water and, uh, gut them on the concrete.

Rating: He watched for a long time.

Otto Porter Jr.

Porter Jr. was once again visited by deer in his backyard and once again it isn’t clear if he welcomes or is afraid of them. In general, the wide teeth emoji can be misleading. Is it a grimace? A gleeful smile? Will report back upon next visit when hopefully a ‘moj capable of tipping the scales in either direction is thrown into the mix.

Rating: Truly unknown!

Maurice Harkless

Harkless is here with the dilemma facing many men without barbers to visit, debating the point in which facial hair becomes too long and more of a facial covering. Also appreciate the universal measurement for hair used correctly here, the length of the top section of a finger.

Rating: Two finger-lengths and Moe’s going to be in old prospector territory, three-finger lengths and he’s veering into werewolf.

Terrence Ross

Ross, seemingly sick of putting together any more jigsaw puzzles, got on a boat to take on one of man’s largest, most captivating puzzles of all: the sea.

Rating: Would you believe me if I told you all those dashes that appeared after this story did not indicate a single fish caught, or any more time spent on this boat? Well you simply must.

Jarrett Allen

The sweetest prince of all, Jarrett Allen, took safely to Target this week. Allen wore a mask and did the self-checkout. While this news may have been initially presented on NetDaily, it was originally sent to me by tipster, James Herbert of CBS who said, “it MIGHT be the same target i went to yesterday.”

Rating: James also talked me down off a ledge of how lonely I worried Allen was after seeing him here doing the self-checkout, which is all to say that even in isolation, it takes a village — from a safe distance.

Enes Kanter

Kanter remains a player I would be absolutely more concerned about for doing things like this DAILY, if these weren’t the kinds of things I think he always wished he had more time to get around to trying. Like how some people wish they could pick up a second language, or read more books, or get into distance running, Kanter has all along been pining for the time to dump a bunch of jelly beans and gummy worms into a waffle maker and see if what comes out is edible.

Rating: Sometimes, more time isn’t always the answer.

Boris Diaw

May the force be with you, as well, Boris!

Rating: Full disclosure a few guys did Star Wars things on May 4th but the big thing to focus on here is Boris Diaw owning a lightsaber.

Channing Frye

Speaking of older guys getting into novelty items, Channing Frye got himself a kind of hog the likes of which flattops everywhere have never seen but would be more than pleased to accept given the even weight distribution a vehicle like this would offer. You don’t burn rubber on something like this so much as travel at a comfortable pace down side streets to the local park or outdoor gazebo, in Crocs.

Rating: [Verse] Get your lawnmower motor runnin’/head out on the dirt packed alley/Lookin’ for optimal back support/And whatever comes our way within reason and safe speed

[Chorus] Like a true, Channing Frye/We were born, born to be mild/We can climb one stair at a time/I never wanna pay for parking

Patrick Patterson

Here we are again at Patrick Patterson’s Ennui Corner, once featuring a pair of slow moving snails over patio tiles and now with a statement (no question mark) better fit for a teen who had to delete their Tik Tok account in front of their parents.

Rating: Gonna need more or either much less from you, Patrick!

Nick Young

This tweet is a rollercoaster except the starting point is you’re already plummeting along with your guts. You get a little breather but it’s in the form of you choking out a desperate, “WHAT?”, fearing the worst. You judder into an abrupt stop. You let yourself try on a smile. The smile immediately flips to a frown. The Swaggy P Experience.

Rating: Disney, patent this ride!

PAUL PIERCE’S PLACE

Uhhh, absolutely no truths to report from The Truth this week, which is worrying considering he’s splitting his time between breaking and entering onto closed beaches, bobbing around in one pool or another, or attempting aimless, no handed bike rides he does not look fully confident on. Please check in soon, Paul!

And of course people had thoughts on that.

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