Category: News

All the late-night TV shows have been off the air for months now thanks to the WGA strike. That just came to an end, though, and late-night isn’t wasting time returning to the air, as they’re coming back next week. This is also good news for the music world, as without late-night shows, musicians have been stripped of opportunities for live performances on national TV.

The Tonight Show‘s first post-strike episode is coming on Monday, October 2, but who’s going to be Jimmy Fallon’s first post-strike musical guest? The answer, it turns out, is John Mayer.

Fallon shared a DIY promo video for the episode yesterday (September 28), in which he sits on the floor, plays guitar, and talk-sings, “We’re back Monday night. 11:35. NBC. Tonight Show. Matthew McConaughey is our first guest. He has a new children’s book out called Just Because, it’s great. John Mayer is our musical guest. He’s gonna play guitar as well. And sing. And Matthew McConaughey will sing, too. I haven’t asked him yet, but Matthew: Will you? Matthew McConaughey. John Mayer. Me. Tonight Show. This Monday. Check it out! We’re back!”

Mayer has been on Fallon a handful of times now, most recently as a musical guest in 2021.

Britney Spears posts videos of herself dancing on Instagram all the time, but one of her latest dispatches sparked some real concern. In it, Spears dances as usual, except for the fact that she’s holding a large knife in each hand. It was speculated that Spears was inspired by Shakira’s recent VMAs performance, which Spears later confirmed while telling concerned parties to “lighten up about the knives.”

Now, following reports that the LAPD conducted a welfare check on Spears after the knife video, Spears has again spoken up (and shared another knife-dancing video while she was at it).

The video shared last night (September 28) again shows Spears flailing knives around as she moves, and in the caption, she explains that the knives were rented from a pop shop and that people don’t need to worry about her. She wrote, “I know I spooked everyone with the last post, but these are fake knives that my team rented from Hand Prop shop in LA. These are not real knives. No one needs to worry or call the police. I’m trying to imitate one of my favorite performers Shakira … a performance I was inspired by !!! Cheers to us bad girls who aren’t afraid to push boundaries and take risks !”

Check out the new video below.

PinkPantheress is back in her Y2K bag. Tonight (September 29), the British pop star — who broke through earlier this year with her Ice Spice-assisted hit singer “Boy’s A Liar, Pt. 2” — has delivered another catchy tune. On her latest single, “Mosquito,” PinkPantheress longs to be with a special man — for whom her love seems to be unrequited.

“I just had a dream I was dead / And I only cared ’cause I was taken from you / You’re the only thing that I own / I’d hear my bell ring, I’d only answer for you,” she sings on the song’s chorus.

PinkPantheress has been sitting on this song for a while, debating the right time to release it, as it’s one of her more personal tracks.

“After a long wait my favourite song is coming out to the public,” said PinkPantheress in a statement. “I’m so excited for you guys to hear something different from me in form of this song.”

The song’s accompanying video was directed by Sophie Muller, and features PinkPantheress living out her 2000s romcom fantasy by way of a shopping spree with her galpals. Charithra Chandran (Bridgerton), India Amarteifio (Queen Charlotte), and Yara Shahidi (Grown-ish) all help PinkPantheress cope with heartache.

You can see the video for “Mosquito” above.

PinkPantheress is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

(WARNING: Spoilers for the most recent Power Book IV: Force episode will be found below.)

This week’s episode of Power Book IV: Force season two, which is titled “Crown Vic,” is laced with a lot of surprises. For starters, Walter Flynn is killed at the halfway point thanks to a plan orchestrated by Claudia and Vic to take out their father and take over the family organization. With this plan, Claudia assumed that she would take over the organization, but she was informed that it would actually be Vic. This causes her to also try and get Vic killed in the ambush, but the plan backfires and she’ll certainly pay for this attempt later on.

On a less serious note, this episode also featured a surprise appearance from… Glen “Big Baby” Davis! Yes, the retired NBA athlete who played for the Boston Celtics (where he won a championship), Orlando Magic, and the Los Angeles Clippers, has a role in this week’s episode of Power Book IV: Force.

What Is Glen ‘Big Baby’ Davis Doing In Power Book IV: Force?

Davis plays the role of King Kilo, an inmate at the Southville Prison where Diamond was previously incarcerated. Kilo is also the leader of the RD gang in Chicago who was responsible for ambushing Diamond at a local diner. Diamond knows that Kilo did not call for the attack, and in order to restore peace between Kilo’s RD gang and his own CBI crew, Diamond comes up with the idea to reach out to Kilo and propose a truce. Kilo accepts Diamond’s offer under the condition that he can receive half the profits made from the distribution of product in Southville. Tommy Egan initially turns down the offer, but later on in the episode, he changes his mind for the sake of restoring some amount of peace to their lives.

Last summer, Davis shared some details about his upcoming role on what we now know is Power Book IV: Force during an appearance on the All The Smoke Podcast with Stephen Jackson and Matt Barnes. Davis also explained how a past role on Shameless helped to land the role on Power Book IV: Force.

So, after Shameless, which was a great role and great opportunity because that shoe does so well, I got another opportunity with a show called Benched, which is another lawyer show. Then I had more opportunity with Lincoln Lawyer… They gave me a couple lines, but just that little part book me another gig for Power.

When I got the call, I was like what the f***. I got a call from the writer, but I was at an event, and I told 50, yo, I act. I’m like, I’m on Shameless, and he just seen me on Lincoln Lawyer. So, he called me up with the writer, and I’m talking to him.

They were like, bro, we got you; you’re going to be a character on Power. It’s a blessing. It really is a blessing, man. I was a theatre major in college… Entertainment is my thing and to do what I love again is really a blessing.

New episodes of ‘Power Book IV: Force’ are available on the STARZ app on Fridays at 12:00 am ET/PT and on the STARZ TV channel at 8:00 pm ET/PT.

(WARNING: Spoilers for the most recent Power Book IV: Force episode will be found below.)

In last week’s episode of Power Book IV: Force “The Devil’s In The Details,” multiple characters found love, but this week’s episode focuses on the varying family dynamics in the show and the high emotions that exist between them. In episode five, “Crown Vic,” we’re met with a shocking turn of events for the Flynn family. Claudia and Vic devised a plan to have their father Walter ambushed during a dinner at Walter’s house, which Vic would attend. However, the plan takes an unexpected turn when Claudia realizes that Walter’s death does not mean that the Flynn family business would be hers for the taking. As a result, she purposely withholds information from Vic and sends him to the family dinner without the knowledge that the ambush is arriving 30 minutes earlier than expected. Luckily for Vic, he’s able to escape the massacre and ensure that Walter is killed, but it’s not until afterward that he realizes that Claudia tried to set him up. With this new knowledge, Vic decides that it’s time to take out Claudia. He sets up a deal with The Feds to create a scenario that can make that happen with putting him jail.

Tommy Egan is also dealing with a serious matter regarding his own family, specifically with his nephew D-Mac. In the aftermath of D-Mac murdering a cop, whom he had no idea was one in the first place, Tommy begs D-Mac to stay out of the streets but the youngster fails to listen. Following a conversation with his dad, Tommy and JP decide that it’s best to send him far away and out of trouble until the coast is clear and any investigation surrounding the cop’s death dies down. The decision is a tough pill for D-Mac, Tommy, and JP to swallow but Tommy’s mother is the one who takes the news the worst out of anyone. In a matter of a few moments, she’s in an emotional spiral that results in her relapsing and erasing all of the progress she made in breaking from her addiction.

To conclude the family theme, we’re left to discuss Diamond and Jenard. The two brothers are brought back together this week when they’re both informed that their father Big Syd is in the hospital and not doing well. Throughout the episode, we’re able to see what Diamond’s relationship is with his father, and to put it bluntly, it’s awful. Yet, despite an initial intense argument at the hospital, the two are able to put aside their differences for an honest moment where Big Syd explains why he always resented Diamond Unfortunately for Jenard, he was not able to put aside his issues with Diamond as he left the hospital once he noticed Diamond was there. As a result, Jenard, who is spiralling with a soon-to-be out of control drug addiction, was unable to say a final goodbye to his father. On a more positive note, he and Diamond talk things out at the hospital and reached a point where they can reconcile and be on good terms once again.

That’s enough recapping from me though, let’s get into the top five Power Players based on what went down in the “Crown Vic” episode.

5. The Heroin Dealer

This was another tough week for picking out Power Players, so we had a dig a bit. We welcome a heroin dealer into the rankings this week! (For probably the last time.) It’s not just any other dealer, no, it’s the one that was able to provide Jenard with a new and certainly more addicting high in this week’s episode. But that’s not why he’s here. In exchange for the supply of heroin that he gave Jenard, this dealer was able to get a gold chain from Jenard — which was stolen from someone else — and possibly some designer clothing. Like I said, we had to dig deep a little, but the dealer made off with a new chain and maybe a new friend(?) Who knows. Now, let’s get into the real Power Players.

4. The Feds

The Feds made some big moves this week. After establishing the task force between federal investigators and local Chicago police as well as taking in some of the lower-level drug dealers, The Feds swung big in an attempt to accomplish their ultimate goal of taking down Tommy Egan: they brought Vic Flynn in for question. They had crimes and a witness that they could connect to Vic, but after questioning him for a bit, they allowed him to walk out with the hope that he would find himself in a trap and need their help. That moment came when Vic returned to them with an offer to give up his sister Claudia. The Feds pushed for Tommy Egan to be a part of that deal, and after a brief hesitation, he agreed. Things seem to be going well for The Feds, but if you know anything about the Power Universe, you know that it won’t always be that way for them.

3. Vic Flynn

If Claudia had it her way, Vic would’ve been dead by the end of the episode. This means that together with her father’s death, she would’ve been left to take over the family business, something she’s both secretly and openly wanted to do since the beginning of Power Book IV: Force. Unfortunately for her, Vic was able to make it out alive from the ambush and soon enough he pieced everything together. He figured out that Claudia switched the plans on him behind his back and he also figured out that confronting her about it would do him no good. So, he faked a smile, thanked her for “going through” with her part of the deal and protecting him, and immediately made his way to The Feds to set forth his plan of getting back at his sister. In this situation, Vic will mostly come out on top and escape from his past without having to face any time for it because he got immunity in exchange for agreeing to give up Claudia and Tommy.

2. Diamond

This week’s episode was an emotional one for Diamond as both he and Jenard had to deal with the impending and eventual death of their father Big Syd. In the first scene with his father, who is sick and in a hospital bed, it’s clear that he and Diamond did not have the best relationship. They quickly get into an argument and Diamond leaves before he returns some hours later. It’s during this moment that Big Syd admits that his ill feelings towards his oldest son, whom he called the stronger and tougher one between him and Jenard, came from the realization that his son didn’t need him, that he’d always be fine on his own. Furthermore, and most importantly out of all of this, it seems like Diamond was able to squash his beef with Jenard as he welcomed him back to CBI. Though, it remains to be seen if that actually happens as a lot has changed for Jenard since the split. Still, Diamond was able to reconcile with his brother and receive closure from his father. I’d call that a win under the circumstances at hand.

1. Tommy

For much of the season, the Power Players list has been defined by people who were able to make the necessary moves to get what they wanted, increase their power and respect, and/or increase the fear they instilled in others. This week, Tommy once again claims the top spot, but not for doing any of the above. Instead, it’s for having the power to do something that was for the best despite not really wanting to do it. We’re talking about his decision to send D-Mac far away from home to make sure he was just as far away from trouble. D-Mac didn’t listen to Tommy’s multiple commands to stay home and away from the streets, especially after he shot and killed a cop. So when push came to shove, against the wishes of his mother and JP, Tommy sent D-Mac to a faraway place as a result of him not being able to listen to his dad and uncle. Tommy tells D-Mac that the move isn’t permanent and nearly says that he loves him. Still, not having your nephew around will take a bit of a toll on Tommy, especially as his mother and JP cope (the former more than the latter it seems so far). However, what needed to be done was done and I’m sure everyone will thank Tommy in the long run, or so we hope.

New episodes of ‘Power Book IV: Force’ are available on the STARZ app on Fridays at 12:00 am ET/PT and on the STARZ TV channel at 8:00 pm ET/PT.

This weekend, U2 begins a series of shows at Sphere in Las Vegas. Ahead of the show, the band had dropped a new single called “Atomic City.”

“It’s a love song to our audience,” said Bono about the song in a statement…”’where you are is where I’ll be’.”

On the song, the men of U2 have channeled in the vibrance of the “Atomic City” — which is a nickname for Las Vegas — and are ready to simply have pure fun. And with their illustrious catalog, the band has surely earned the right to party.

“Come all you stars falling out of the sky / Come all you angels forgetting to fly / Come all who feel we’re not on our own / All UFOs come on your way home,” sings Bono in the song’s opening verse.

In the song’s accompanying video, the band surprises fans with a late-night performance of the song in downtown Las Vegas on Fremont Street. The video arrives as a full-circle moment, as it takes place where they shot the video for “I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For” 36 years prior.

U2:UV Achtung Baby Live at Sphere kicks off Friday, September 29, and runs untiI December 16. You can find more information about the series here.

You can see the video for “Atomic City” above.

Latto isn’t the one to play around with. On her new single, “Issa Party,” our cover star fires some warning shots at people who’ve been trying to throw dirt on her name.

Latto puts her haters and naysayers on notice, warning them that they can look forward to a surprise from her if they don’t stop trying to play her.

“B*tch, I’m red, not green, lil’ ho, stop playin’ with me / I hate borin’ b*tches, they be throwin’ off my energy,” she raps on the song’s opening verse.

Fellow Georgia rapper Baby Drill pops in, warning that he’s about that action, both on and off of the internet.

“Drill just beat another body, take a shot, let’s celebrate / Twitter beef, don’t do the back and forth, pull up shootin’ for days,” he raps.

On the song’s chorus, the two interpolate Waka Flocka Flame’s hit song, “Grove St. Party.”

Latto and Baby Drill have been teasing the fiery collaboration over the course of the past week. The song’s accompanying video is set to premiere in the near future, and ahead of the video, Latto teased the clip by transforming the famed Atlanta strip club Magic City into Latto City.

In the meantime, you can listen to “Issa Party” above.

Jung Kook has another hit on his hands. Tonight (September 29), the BTS singer dropped a new solo track — “3D” with Jack Harlow.

On “3D,” Jung finds himself intrigued by a new woman and hopes to get to know her in every way. Over a groovy, rhythmic R&B-inspired beat produced by BloodPop and David Steward, Jung delivers silky vocals, continuing the smooth, captivating story he began with Latto in “Seven” — his debut solo single he released this past July.

“So if you’re ready / And if you’ll let me / I wanna see it / In motion / In 3D,” sings Jung on the song’s chorus, channeling the likes of early aughts Justin Timberlake and Pharrell Williams.

Harlow, who was missing from the radio and TikTok stratosphere for a bit this past summer, reminds us that he hasn’t gone anywhere. On his verse, he maintains confidence in the status he gained over the past year as both a superstar and a ladies’ man.

“Take a chick off one look / And when they get took, they don’t ever get untook,” raps Harlow on his verse.

So far, Jung is two-for-two in his solo run, demonstrating his ability as a global hitmaker as he continues to experiment with his sound.

You can see the video for “3D” above.

Jack Harlow is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

Lil Yachty isn’t slowing down. Tonight (September 28), the multifaceted rapper and singer, who dropped his psychedelic rock-influenced album Let’s Start Here back in January, has shared a new single, “The Secret Recipe.”

On “The Secret Recipe,” Yachty reminds us of his rap prowess, which is what brought him to instant fame in the mid-2010s.

Over a jazzy, instrument-driven beat, Yachty treats us to clever wordplay, channeling a newfound confidence as he freestyles effortlessly.

“I don’t smoke weed, already blunt, all of my cars, I had to hunt / My doggy young as hell but still will step, we call him runt / Like window shoppers, I see through every front,” raps Yachty.

J. Cole then hops in, delivering a verse equally as structured, reaffirming his GOAT status. He also notable calls out industry folk using social activism for clout.

“I started saying less / I had to stop it / Peeped how they profit off of racial stress / Some activists got so rich, they probably wished we stayed oppressed.

In the song’s accompanying video, the two rappers are seen in an empty arena, rapping their asses off, while making it look so damn easy.

You can see the video for “The Secret Recipe” above.

Damian Lillard is now a member of the Milwaukee Bucks after a three-team blockbuster saw the Portland Trail Blazers finally move the star nearly three months after his July trade request, but they did not meet his demands to be sent to the Miami Heat.

By all accounts that have come out in the day since the trade got completed, Portland cut off dialogue with Miami after their initial conversations in July. On Thursday night, Bleacher Report’s Chris Haynes, who is particularly close with Lillard, presented Dame’s side of the negotiation process and his frustrations with how Portland handled it. Much of it is similar to what others have reported about Portland not speaking with Miami and how Lillard eventually had his agent Aaron Goodwin speak with the Nets and Bucks quietly to inform them he would accept a trade there, but it does provide more specifics and details about the process.

The most interesting parts are the note about the league intervening with a meeting between Blazers GM Joe Cronin and Damian Lillard after things had grown so fractured behind the scenes the two sides weren’t speaking, as well as what came of the ensuing sitdown between the Blazers executive and Lillard. In that meeting, Cronin made it clear he’d ask of a lot from the Heat — there was a report recently they asked for one of Bam Adebayo or Jimmy Butler, at one point — and Lillard replied that if the Heat weren’t going to be an option, he’d rather just return to the Blazers.

Cronin’s response was no, which left Lillard “shocked.”

In the Sept. 5 meeting, Cronin conveyed that if he was forced to do a deal with Miami, he had every intention of going after every attractable asset. Lillard knew then he was unlikely to end up in Miami.

Lillard then said if a deal couldn’t be worked out with the Heat, he would prefer to rescind his trade request and return to the Trail Blazers.

Cronin’s response to the seven-time All-Star was that there was no coming back.

Lillard was shocked, sources said. He said it was discouraging to hear he couldn’t return, but added that he didn’t want to be somewhere he wasn’t wanted, and he ended the meeting.

It certainly feels like this was two sides attempting to exert as much leverage as they could on one another, with Cronin ultimately winning that battle as Lillard and Goodwin went back to the drawing board to identify teams beyond Miami he’d go to. Overall, once Lillard made his trade request, the team seemed pretty comfortable moving on, and I would venture to go as far as say the Blazers, once they made the decision to draft Scoot Henderson, were probably fairly happy Lillard was the one who issued the trade request so they could hit the reset button in full without being the ones making the decision to trade one of the franchise’s all-time greats against his wishes — they just also didn’t want to be boxed in to dealing with just one suitor.

As such, Cronin wasn’t willing to try and put the genie back in the bottle, and Lillard was either not willing to or didn’t feel he could make things so uncomfortable they’d be forced to trade him to Miami only. The result is the “sour taste” Lillard noted in his first comments to Haynes after the trade. Even so, you won’t find too many people that feel bad for Lillard, as he got dealt to a situation that is extremely good for him in terms of the basketball fit and chance to win a title. The Bucks are title favorites with Lillard and his fit with Giannis is, on paper, about as good as you could hope for (as it would’ve been with Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo). That gives Cronin and the Blazers plenty of cover for making the deal they did, even if it was about more than just seeking out the best package and spite played a role.

Eventually, Lillard will get his due in Portland as a franchise legend and fences will be mended, but it’s extremely rare for a star to ask out and for it to end without hurt feelings on one side or the other. In this case, Lillard was the one who didn’t get everything he wanted and his last gasp push to just return to the Blazers was rejected as a plan.