Queen’s Bohemian Rhapsody has been covered dozens of different ways. But you’ve never seen it performed like this.
As one of the most iconic songs in rock music, Bohemian Rhapsody is recognizable no matter how it’s done. As children, my brother and I used to belt out Galileos and Figaros in the backseat of our parents’ Volkswagon whenever the song came on (yes, just like in Wayne’s World). While other kids learned about Beelzebub in Sunday School, I learned about him from Queen’s perfect harmonies. If there were an anthem from my classic rock-filled childhood, it would be Bohemian Rhapsody.
It’s one of those songs that is hard to cover well, though it hasn’t stopped people from trying. I’ve enjoyed some renditions, but nothing has caught my attention or delight more than this kapa haka version from New Zealand.
A Māori choir in native garb sang the song live in the Māori language, and it is something to see.
The group Hātea Kapa Haka performed the song on February 21 at New Zealand’s national kapa haka festival, Te Matatini, in Wellington. The festival brings 46 kapa haka (Māori performing arts) groups together to compete against one another.
Newshub reports that Hātea Kapa Haka collaborated with musical artist William Waiirua to create a “Bohemian Rhapsody” cover in the Māori language, both as a tribute to Freddie Mercury and to celebrate the Oscar-nominated movie about his life.
The group had previously created a music video for their cover, but seeing it performed live is something else. The voices, the harmony, the presentation—everything—is wonderful.
This kind of cultural mashup reminds us how small our world has become.
The contrast between Queen’s 1970s British rock and the Māori people’s traditional kapa haka could not be more striking. And yet, the melding of the two totally works. Music has the power to bring people together, and this performance is a great example of how it can bridge cultures with beautiful results.
Watch the live performance here:
And if you want more, check out the music video too:
William Waiirua got more help from Hātea Kapa Haka than he bargained for when his car broke down… For more Queen, check out this playlist: https://umusicNZ…
Actor Mark Wahlberg recently attended a daddy-daughter dance with his 10-year-old, Grace. Sadly, Grace had no interest in seeing her father strutting his stuff on the dance floor.
“I didn’t get one dance,” Wahlberg told Ellen DeGeneres. “And I told her we were going to do the whole big circle and I was going to go off. And she said, ‘Dad, if you embarrass me, I will never talk to you again.’ But what she did do is she hung out with me.”
No matter who your dad is, especially if you’re a 10-year-old-girl, you have zero desire to see him dance in front of your friends.
But the parents at the dance probably would have had a blast seeing Wahlberg bust out some of his old-school ’90s Marky Mark moves.
However, Wahlberg couldn’t help but leave his mark on the music being played at the dance.
Let’s not forget, he didn’t get famous for his acting but for showing off his abs in the “Good Vibrations” video.
Being that Wahlberg’s time as a pop star was three decades ago, he couldn’t believe it when he heard the music being played at the dance.
“[Grace] sat there on the edge of the stage, by the DJ. And then I’m sitting there with one other dad and I’m like, ‘This is not an edited version of this song. There are explicit lyrics being played at a school dance for girls and I’m like no good,'” he said.
“I told the DJ and he’s like, ‘Oh, I thought it was.’ I said, ‘What are you doing?’ I’m hearing F-bombs and this and that’s not okay,” Wahlberg said.
He’s right. There’s no place for music with explicit lyrics at a dance for 10-year-old children.
Wahlberg says the DJ didn’t know he wasn’t playing the edited version, but it’s probably more likely that he didn’t even realize the song was a problem. Pop music these days is filled with a numbing amount of violent and misogynistic lyrics.
A recent study from the University of Missouri found that nearly one-third of pop songs contain lyrics that degrade or demean women by portraying them as submissive or sexually objectified.
Currently, three of the top five songs on the Billboard Top 40 contain the word “bitch.” One of them is sung in Korean.
It’s odd that Americans have become more sensitive to misogyny in pop culture in films, television, and comedy, but still have a huge cultural blind-spot when it comes to music.
That’s not a good thing, especially when pop music is marketed to teenagers.
“We know that music has a strong impact on young people and how they view their role in society,” said Cynthia Frisby, a professor in the Missouri School of Journalism.
“Unlike rap or hip-hop, pop music tends to have a bubbly, uplifting sound that is meant to draw listeners in,” Frisby continued. “But that can be problematic if the lyrics beneath the sound are promoting violence and misogynistic behavior.”
Let’s face it, pop stars are role models. Their examples show young people what to wear and how to behave. That’s not to say that kids will blindly follow someone just because they like their music. But it has an undeniable effect.
Wahlberg, and any parent who monitors what their kids are listening to, deserve credit for protecting the minds and hearts of their kids.
Frisby has some great advice for parents concerned about negative imagery in pop music.
“Ask your daughters and sons what songs they like to listen to and have conversations about how the songs might impact their identity,” Frisby said.
“For example, many songs might make young girls feel like they have to look and act provocative in order to get a boy to like them, when that isn’t necessarily the case. If children and teens understand that what they are hearing isn’t healthy behavior, then they might be more likely to challenge what they hear on the radio.”
He’s right. There’s no place for music with explicit lyrics at a dance for 10-year-old children.
Wahlberg says the DJ didn’t know he wasn’t playing the edited version, but it’s probably more likely that he didn’t even realize the song was a problem. Pop music these days is filled with a numbing amount of violent and misogynistic lyrics.
A recent study from the University of Missouri found that nearly one-third of pop songs contain lyrics that degrade or demean women by portraying them as submissive or sexually objectified.
Currently, three of the top five songs on the Billboard Top 40 contain the word “bitch.” One of them is sung in Korean.
It’s odd that Americans have become more sensitive to misogyny in pop culture in films, television, and comedy, but still have a huge cultural blind-spot when it comes to music.
That’s not a good thing, especially when pop music is marketed to teenagers.
“We know that music has a strong impact on young people and how they view their role in society,” said Cynthia Frisby, a professor in the Missouri School of Journalism.
“Unlike rap or hip-hop, pop music tends to have a bubbly, uplifting sound that is meant to draw listeners in,” Frisby continued. “But that can be problematic if the lyrics beneath the sound are promoting violence and misogynistic behavior.”
Let’s face it, pop stars are role models. Their examples show young people what to wear and how to behave. That’s not to say that kids will blindly follow someone just because they like their music. But it has an undeniable effect.
Wahlberg, and any parent who monitors what their kids are listening to, deserve credit for protecting the minds and hearts of their kids.
Frisby has some great advice for parents concerned about negative imagery in pop music.
“Ask your daughters and sons what songs they like to listen to and have conversations about how the songs might impact their identity,” Frisby said.
“For example, many songs might make young girls feel like they have to look and act provocative in order to get a boy to like them, when that isn’t necessarily the case. If children and teens understand that what they are hearing isn’t healthy behavior, then they might be more likely to challenge what they hear on the radio.”
Software developer Angie Jones’ recent girls trip revealed that America still has a long way to go when it comes to race.
To most, that’s not surprising. But what’s unique is how the specific experience Jones and her friends went through revealed the pervasive way systemic racism still runs through our culture.
Jones is the Senior Director of Developer Relations at Applitools, holds 26 patented inventions in the United States of America and Japan, and is an IBM Master Inventor.
On July 27, she tweeted about a flight she took with nine other Black women and they all sat in first class. “People literally could not process how it was possible,” she wrote. “Staff tried to send us to regular lines. Passengers made snide remarks. One guy even yelled ‘are they a higher class of people than I am?!'”
this weekend I went on a girls trip. 10 Black women flying first class. People literally could not process how it was possible. nnStaff tried to send us to regular lines. Passengers made snide remarks. One guy even yelled “are they a higher class of people than I am?!”nnStay mad.
Jones and her friends were the targets of racism that ranged from the seemingly unconscious — people who assumed that Black people don’t sit in first class — to the blatant — those who were seriously bothered that Black people were being treated as having a higher status.
It’s interesting that she didn’t mention anyone saying “good for you” for succeeding in a world that often holds people of color back. Instead, she was greeted with incredulity and jealous rage.
There are a lot of white people who can’t stand the idea of a Black person being elevated above them. It’s disturbing that in 2021 there are still some who will admit it publicly.
Jones’ tweets inspired a lot of people to share their stories about the racism they’ve experienced while flying first class.
I’m brown and this happened to me. I had enough credits to upgrade my flight from SFO to YYZ to biz class. Standing the priority boarding queue a white man behind me told me I may be in the wrong queue. Showed him my boarding pass, aisle seat at row 1. He shut up quick. — marino (@virtualized6ix) July 28, 2021
If I had a dollar for every time I saw a white guy in a sport coat step right in front of a black person who is waiting to board with group 1, I would be a wealthy man. It’s like every time… — Mark (@mjc_ct) July 28, 2021
For the last 15 years, I have traveled almost weekly, usually in First Class. I have had wypipo say it all including “They called First Class” when I’m trying to Board to “Are you in 2A or 12A” when I’m already in my assigned & paid for 2A window seat. Racism is All American. — I Am NikkiFree (@iamnikkifree) July 28, 2021
I sit up front just feed on those tears. Two weeks ago, the lady at the United Club west in DEN felt she had to tell me, “this is a private club”. — Bryan Liles (@bryanl) July 28, 2021
REAL TRUTH!! 👏🏽👏🏽One time in first class the flight attendant who *just served me orange juice* asked me if I was in the right section when a little later I stood up to use the 1st class restroom. That means: 1) she didn’t actually see me 2) I looked like I don’t belong there. 😏 — Farzana Nayani (@farzananayani) July 28, 2021
I was in the business class line behind a Black man in sweats and a baseball cap once. The (white) woman behind me reached over me, tapped him and told him he was in the wrong line. My jaw dropped. He just laughed and ignored her.
It happens all the time. And needs to stop. — Jenny 🇺🇸 🇺🇸 🇺🇸 (@JCT_212) July 28, 2021
I feel you. I’m brown and this happens to me all too often. Recently, before a flight from LGA to Key West for my sister’s bachelorette, a white woman pushed me aside in the first class boarding line and said, “excuse me, I’m first class.” I turned around and said, “so am I.” 🙄 — SVH (@pizzacartel) July 28, 2021
I remember sitting in the priority area and an old white guy who was a passenger asked to see my ticket to see if I’m in the right place. 🤦🏾♀️🤦🏾♀️ — Noni (@NoniYess) July 28, 2021
The hate is real!
I had a guy try this with me on a flight out. He didn’t like that I was flying 1st and that I was in line ahead of him. He literally said, “That’s the matter with these people. They think they’re better than us”. — xirclebox 💻 (@xirclebox) July 29, 2021
Jones’ tweets also angered some people to the point that they denied her story. To which she responded, “To those saying I’m lying, you’re a huge part of the problem,” she wrote. “You tell yourself a notable person is lying (for what reason, I cannot figure out) before you believe there are actual racists in…America.”
Too bad it happened. I have flown millions of miles and never heard or seen anything of this nature. Ever. Not even once. Not in a club. Not in 1st class. Not in the worst seats. Not saying it didn’t happen. I AM saying that these random things are NOT America or commonplace. — Midwest Patriot (@NE_SCWilson) July 29, 2021
don’t have the spoons to reply to everyone but to those saying I’m lying, you’re a huge part of the problem
you tell yourself a notable person is lying (for what reason, I cannot figure out) before you believe there are actual racists in…America
FYI, yall look really foolish — Angie Jones (@techgirl1908) July 28, 2021
One Twitter user came up with the perfect retort to the person who asked, “Are they a higher class of people than I am?!”
On Friday, October 27, Taylor Swift’s latest re-recorded album 1989 (Taylor’s Version) dropped across all digital streaming platforms. On Saturday, October 28, it has already smashed one platform’s documented history.
In a post shared to Spotify’s official X (formerly Twitter), the streamer revealed the news. “She’s done it again!” read the note. “On October 27, Taylor Swift became the most-streamed artist in a single day in Spotify history, and 1989 (Taylor’s Version) became Spotify’s most-streamed album in a single day in 2023 so far.”
She’s done it again 🩵On October 27th, Taylor Swift became the most-streamed artist in a single day in Spotify history, and 1989 (Taylor’s Version) became Spotify’s most-streamed album in a single day in 2023 so far. pic.twitter.com/cLFizApdIo
So far this year, Swift has already entered the history books for her The Eras Tour earnings, box office profits from the supporting concert film, and now her latest re-recording joined the long list of accomplishments.
Before its release, Swift took to Instagram to share a note about the record. “The ‘1989’ album changed my life in countless ways, and it fills me with such excitement to announce that my version of it will be out October 27,” wrote Swift. “To be perfectly honest, this is my most favorite re-record I’ve ever done because the 5 ‘From The Vault’ tracks are so insane. I can’t believe they were ever left behind. But not for long.”
1989 (Taylor’s Version) is out now via Republic Records. Find more information here.
Spider-Man is so popular he’s been played by three live-action actors and even inspired an animated series, in which there’s an entire multiverse of them. And yet in each of them his origin story is the same: Peter Parker or Miles Morales or Spider-Ham is bitten by a radioactive spider. But what if he hadn’t been? What if he became a web-flinging do-gooder by other, maybe less ridiculous means? That’s what would have happened had Marvel dug David Fincher’s threatened version, which they did not.
In a sprawling interview with The Guardian (in a bit teased out by The AV Club), the director of Se7en, Fight Club, Zodiac, and the new hitman saga The Killer recalls being one of the filmmakers who got to pitch their take on Spidey back when Marvel and Sony were rolling out their first big screen iteration. It didn’t go so hot. For one thing, he wanted to skip the whole spider bite aspect.
“They weren’t f*cking interested,” Fincher recalled with a laugh. “And I get it. They were like: ‘Why would you want to eviscerate the origin story?’ And I was like: ‘’Cos it’s dumb?’”
Perhaps, but it’s also evidently not something one messes with, which he gets. “That origin story means a lot of things to a lot of people,” Fincher said, “but I looked at it and I was like: ‘A red and blue spider?’ There’s a lot of things I can do in my life and that’s just not one of them.”
Instead the gig went to another iconoclastic filmmaker, Sam Raimi, who kept the “bitten by a spider” jazz and launched a franchise that couldn’t even be killed by a cheerfully ridiculous montage where Tobey Maguire’s evil Peter Parker does a Tony Manero-style dance through the streets of New York City. Still, one can dream of what could have been.
The Killer, meanwhile, is now in select theaters. It hits Netflix on November 10.
On Friday, October 27, Kanye West‘s daughter North took to her official joint TikTok page (shared with her mother, Kim Kardashian) to reveal her Halloween costume to the world. In a series of videos, she be seen cheerfully dancing in a replica of her father’s famous Dropout Bear (more commonly referred to by fans as the Graduation era bear), to the strains her father’s 2007 songs “Can’t Tell Me Nothing” featuring Jeezy and “I Wonder” off his album Graduation, as well as Estelle’s 2008 song “American Boy,” in which West is featured.
From the leatherman jacket, blinged-out Jesus piece, and a luxury gold watch, North nailed the nostalgic look.
Kanye West’s love for fashion pre-dates his Adidas or Gap collaborations. However, once he found success following his breakthrough single, “Through The Wire,” he ushered several trends into hip-hop, including preppy chic. The Dropout bear is a symbol from that era.
During an interview with Fake Shore Drive in 2021, the symbol’s creator, Sam Hansen, spoke about the mascot’s inspiration. “I’m a Polo head, and I knew Kanye was also, so I was like, yo, we could flip this bear on some Polo sh*t but make it a little more sporty,” said Hansen. “And so I have this sketch. I remember just kind of, like, on a piece of paper, putting sad eyes and sketching out and making it look more collegiate and putting a thick stroke around it, and that’s what we did. … We took the head off the picture of the cover and turned that [into the logo].”
In August, the world was shocked by the news that Lizzo was being sued by three of her former dancers over accusations of sexual harassment and fostering a hostile work environment. Although the “Bad Day” singer maintains her innocence, she’s decided to keep a low profile, with minimal public appearances unrelated to work. There have been countless unsubstantiated nuggets of information to come out, but for the most part, due to the case being an ongoing legal matter, not much has been known until now.
On Friday, October 27, Rolling Stone obtained a new motion filed by Lizzo’s representatives. According to the outlet, Lizzo, via her team, has reportedly asked the courts to dismiss the sexual harassment lawsuit, citing the anti-SLAPP (Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation) statute.
“Plaintiffs missed flights, arrived late and hungover to rehearsals and drunk to performances, entered into consensual sexual relationships with male crew members on tour, exhibited a rapid decline in the quality of their dancing and professionalism, and ultimately conspired to make and disseminate an unauthorized recording of a creative meeting with Lizzo and the dance cast,” read the filling.
The documentation continued, “Plaintiffs had it all, and they blew it. Instead of taking any accountability for their actions, Plaintiffs filed this lawsuit against Defendants out of spite and in pursuit of media attention, public sympathy, and a quick payday with minimal effort.”
The accusers have spoken to news outlets and appeared on televised programming, such as Today, to discuss their allegations.
Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
It’s been about a year since Elon Musk officially bought the social media service formerly known as Twitter. So much has changed, and not for the better. Gone are the blue checkmarks that used to designate noted users. Back are the anti-Semites and a certain criminally charged former president. Advertising revenue has plummeted, forcing Musk to try one kooky idea after another to save his investment. His next alleged harebrained scheme? Making it another dating app.
An insider told Insider that during a company call on Thursday, Musk announced he plans to add a “fully fledged” mating component in 2024. How will that work? Details are fuzzy, but never second guess Musk when it comes to actually implementing ideas that sound terrible (and, when finished, are).
Turning the ex-Twitter into a hook-up joint isn’t the only ambitious-yet-dodgy idea Musk has cooked up. He’s been saying he wants to turn it into an “everything app,” where one can do banking. Some have sworn they wouldn’t trust the guy whose yen for self-driving cars has resulted in horrific accidents with their money.
Buying Twitter hasn’t exactly worked out for Musk. At one point he lost so much money on the purchase that he forfeited his claim as the world’s wealthiest person. But as per a recent Forbes round-up, he’s back on top. Forbes credits his success to Tesla and Space X — though, suspiciously, not that entity called “X.”
Based on the influx of viral videos, theWeekends With Adele Las Vegas residency show is quite the musical experience, with the “Easy On Me” singer putting her best foot and designer gown forward at every performance. On Friday, October 27, she unveiled her Halloween spirit early with a Morticia Addams-inspired stage look.
In January,during an appearance on The Drew Barrymore Show, Sam Smith laughed off the conspiracy theory that they’re Adele in drag. Fans hoped Adele would feed into it for the holiday. Instead, she went for the next best thing. In videos and photographs captured by concertgoers, Adele traded her coiffed blonde waves for a bone-straight jet-black do.
That wasn’t the only thing different about Adele’s appearance. For the stage makeup, she recreated the beloved fictional character’s vamped smokey eye look and dark lipstick.
Halloween 2023 falls at the beginning of the work week, so many celebrities are rolling out their looks ahead of time. That include Uproxx cover star Chlöe, who took to her official social media pages to post steamy photos of her dressed as Game Of Thrones villain Daenerys I Targaryen. If you’re still looking for last-minute costume inspiration, Uproxx has you covered. Click here for our suggestions.
This week the majority of the world learned a new, very boring but very powerful name: Mike Johnson. He’s the new Speaker of the House, and after four Wile E. Coyote-esque attempts to replace the historically ousted Kevin McCarthy, he initially seemed like a sensible choice. Turns out he wasn’t. The clean-cut guy with the generic name is a MAGA die hard who was against certifying the 2020 election. He’s an ultra-Christian who believes America isn’t a democracy but a “Biblical republic.”
Speaking of, he’s also a fan of anti-sodomy laws. On Friday’s episode of Real Time with Bill Maher, the host focused on that aspect during his opening monologue. After joking that House Republicans “finally found someone who fits the glass slipper,” Maher joked that he was a fan.
“Oh, boy, do I like this guy,” Maher sarcastically told the crowd. “Super duper, super Christian. I mean, super Christ-y. The and and probably the worst of the election deniers. So the Republicans have really found their sweet spot, loves Jesus, hates democracy.”
After cracking that Johnson is so extreme in his abortion views that he believes “life begins at insurrection,” he turned to his LGBTQIA+ views. Johnson, he says, “absolutely hates gay sex, especially when he’s having it.” He added, “He wants to actually criminalize gay sex because it makes it hotter.”
Maher continued:
Oh, this is a beaut, this guy. He is written in favor of reinstituting sodomy laws. Sodomy laws? That’s laws against anal and oral. I. I’ve never understood this about the Republicans. If you’re so against abortion, why would you be against the two places to do it where you can’t get pregnant? Right. Well, I think this is actually a giant gift to the Democrats because, I mean, oh, wow, forget about Republicans coming after your Social Security. Now they’re coming after your anal! Finally, something to get the young people to the polls.
On the plus side, voters famously pounded the GOP last year over their extreme positions on issues like abortion. Surely appointing a hard-liner like Johnson won’t do them any favors next year. What’s more, as Kevin McCarthy learned, it’s really easy these days to depose a House Speaker.
You can watch Maher’s Johnson take in the video above.
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