Category: News

This article contains tons of spoilers for Yellowjackets 2.2, “Edible Complex.” Read on only if you’ve seen the episode, or are just curious, or like having things spoiled.

Yellowjackets loves a good needledrop.

The Showtime series is back for a second season, and though they have a new music supervisor in tow — Euphoria‘s Jen Malone departed the series after Season 1 and has been replaced by Stranger Things‘ Nora Felder — the soccer team survival story is doubling-down on its ’90s music palette early in its return. This meant memorable moments soundtracked by Mazzy Star, Montell Jordan, The Offspring, Liz Phair, and Seal in Season 1, and already appearances from Garbage and Tori Amos tunes in the first episode of Season 2.

But while Yellowjackets 2.1 didn’t lack for great music, the scenes — except for the ear-eating final image of the episode — didn’t really provide standout moments to imbue new meaning on the music. Opening the episode with Sharon Van Etten’s “Seventeen” felt thematically on the nose and a little off-target with regards to the music’s general commitment to the time period, while Garbage’s “#1 Crush” and Smashing Pumpkins’ “Drown” — also fantastic songs — are better known for appearing on the soundtracks of films. Tori Amos’ “Cornflake Girl” was the most successful, but until Shauna’s sudden chomping of Jackie’s severed ear, the visual didn’t really pop in the way an ideal sync should.

That’s not to be too hard on the music of the show this season. If anything felt a little lacking in the season premiere, episode 2.2 put any concerns to rest in its closing moments. It was a scene that all members of The Nest (the fan-army name we’re coining right now) had been waiting for.

In the episode, Shauna is still having trouble letting go of her fallen best friend Jackie, and the other members of the Yellowjackets team have had enough, demanding that the dead body be disposed of. The biggest issue is that it is the dead of winter and the ground is frozen solid. So, they do the only practical thing and burn Jackie’s dead body to a crisp. While cremation was the goal, everyone now knows that it’s not that easy to make a body disappear, especially when a mystical forest spirit(?) dumps a pile of snow onto the smoldering corpse.

This results in more of a slow-cook, with the steam from the snow allowing the team to smell the (presumably delicious) scent of barbecued Jackie. As the team steps out from the cabin and approaches the body, anyone deeply familiar with Radiohead’s 1997 all-timer OK Computer begins to hear the very familiar whistles and clicks that opens the deep-cut “Climbing Up The Walls.” For those who are not fans of Rock and Roll Hall of Famers, those sounds easily blend into the sounds of the forest, giving the opening of the song a subtle and brilliant double use – believable ambiance and iconic needle drop.

From there, well, things get weird. As the hollow drums of the song kick in, the girls surround the smoking body, with Shauna rubbing her pregnant belly and telling the rest of the team that “she” — referring either to Jackie or Shauna’s unborn baby — “wants her to.” The real-life scene is juxtaposed with fantastical images of a ritualistic feast, where all are wearing white and sitting around a table filled with all the food they wished they had in that moment. And when they begin to eat the imagined strawberries and turkey, back in reality, Lottie, Misty, Natalie, and all but the disgusted coach begin digging into their first big cannibal moment. The team goes from tepid munching to straight devouring their former friend as the song increases its intensity, resulting in a visceral high point that, though anticipated, still hits particularly hard.

The choice of “Climbing Up The Walls” is particularly satisfying when considering it is one of the least heralded tunes from the album — an album generally considered to be one of the best from anyone, ever. On Spotify, the song ranks near the bottom of the collection in plays, though it does get a bit more love from Radiohead as a live choice. And with The Bear choosing to end their first season on “Let Down” from the same album, plus other OK Computer songs providing hugely memorable TV and film moments — the fire scene in Six Feet Under to “Lucky” and “Exit Music” closing out the Black Mirror episode “Shut Up And Dance” are a couple standouts — it felt only right that “Climbing Up The Walls” now has its own iconic, hugely memorably sync moment. (I’m not counting Peaky Blinders here, which uses a ton of music really well, but to the point that it all blends in as British rawk soundtrack.)

The combination of this water-cooler moment with a surprising, expertly curated tune from the era that the show takes place is everything that great music supervision should be. It shows the potential that a show like Yellowjackets, with its clearly defined aesthetic and period setting, should strive for and is capable of hitting. As this second season continues to unfold, let’s hope that there are more needle drops like this ahead.

(WARNING: Spoilers for this week’s Power Book II: Ghost episode will be found below.)

The pressure is on for Tariq, Brayden, Effie, and Cane. The group has been tasked with moving what was Mecca’s leftover drug supply after Monet killed him at the end of season two. This command was given to them by Noma, a new name to the Power Book II: Ghost cast this season. She plays the menacing leader of a global empire who was also Mecca’s boss and finacée. Mecca’s remaining supply of drugs is more than Tariq, Brayden, Effie, and Cane have had to ever move in their lives so it’s been a bit of an adjustment to plan things out and make sure to get the job done. After all, their lives are extremely at risk. While the formation of this operation took up the bulk of episode two, the biggest moment came at the end when Cane realized that Lorenzo, his father, was the one that killed Zeke. Though he initially denies it, Lorenzo explains that it was a complete accident, but that means nothing to Cane. Instead, he sees it as a moment to forcibly take over the family business and that’s exactly what he does.

In the third episode of Power Book II: Ghost season three, titled “Human Capital,” Tariq, Brayden, Effie, and Cane are threatened once again by Noma’s associates after they fail to move an ample amount of Mecca’s product. The associate threatens to go after their loved ones if they’re unable to bring him $1 million in cash at their next meeting. This forces the group to come up with a new plan to move the product as quickly as possible. Tariq and Brayden develop a website that allows workers at the Weston family company to buy the product without it being traced back to them, and have it put together in a way that it can be snuck into the company’s building. Cane, with the help of Dru, opts to take out a big connect in the city so that they can take his spot. Lastly, Effie, thanks to the blessing of Tariq, is now selling product at Stansfield. With that, the group’s plan seems to set sail smoothly, but little do they know that the walls around them are closing in on them thanks to an investigation by Cooper Saxe, Jenny Sulivan, and Blanca Rodriguez.

Here are some of the biggest takeaways that we have after season three’s third episode, “Human Capital”:

Tariq Can Do Everything But Get Himself A Car

We’ve been a bit serious with these recaps for the past couple of weeks in the new Power Book II: Ghost season, so let’s start things on a lighter note this week. There’s no reason that Tariq still doesn’t have a car to call his own after more than two seasons of the show. I mean, even Effie has a car! Sure, it’s a rather old Toyota Corolla, but at least it’s something. We have no way of knowing how Tariq gets around New York. Maybe it’s by subway and it’s just that no scenes are shot there or maybe he’s an avid walker and just gets to all his destinations near and far by foot. Nonetheless, the fact that his carless self had to courage to clown Effie for her working car, is beyond mind-blowing to me and I’m glad she had a joke ready for him in return. If Tariq can purchase expensive suits and watches for himself, orchestrate intricate plans to sell drugs, and murder people, he can certainly purchase a car for himself. It doesn’t have to be a Rolls Royce or Lamborghini Urus, but for Christ’s sake, just get a car already Tariq!

Brayden Is Only Built For So Much

Tariq, Effie, and Cane are all capable of some of the most gruesome crimes — we’ve seen them commit them throughout Power Book II: Ghost. We’d have to assume that the life-or-death situations that apply to them in this drug game are the reason they’re able to do so, but that isn’t the case when it comes to Brayden. We know that Brayden’s entrance into the game was by choice and not due to some need to survive. However, when he’s called to take care of business in ways that his associates have been able to, Brayden folds and looks for a way out of it. When he was told to kill Lauren, Brayden folded and Effie had to swoop in and take care of business — or so she thought. In this week’s episode, Cane employs Brayden to kill the Russian connect because he’s the lone white boy and it won’t be connected to the Tejada family. Though he agrees to do it, Brayden once again folds when the time comes to get the job down which forces Tariq to take care of business. This puts Cane in a bad spot for a moment because he’s blamed for the shooting due to people mixing him up with Tariq, something that wouldn’t have happened if Brayden did what he was supposed to do. Cane later holds Brayden at gunpoint for being unable to complete the mission as it was told to him. However, he lets Brayden go under the condition that he knows that he’ll eventually have to kill someone in the future because he still owes Cane a body. This seems like a can-lead-a-horse-to-water-but-can’t-make-them-drink-it situation, which brings back the frequent question of whether or not Brayden is built for the game.

Cane Is The Muscle, Not The Brains

Cane is really feeling himself at the moment. After trying to work his way into the top spot to take over the family business for so long, in both respectful and disrespectful ways, Cane was finally able to take over. When Cane figured out that Lorenzo was the one who killed Zeke, he immediately blackmailed him into giving him the throne. It was a very low way to go about it, especially with Monet still grieving and searching for the killer, but in a bit of Cane’s defense, Lorenzo dared him to find Zeke’s killer and Cane did just that. For such a long time, Lorenzo denied Cane that coveted right-hand man position because he felt that Cane wasn’t ready for it, and it’s in this episode more than most others ones that we see how unprepared Cane truly is for the role. Cane is the muscle for the group, but he’s certainly not the brains for them and that’s a requirement for the role he wants so badly. Cane suggests that the Tejadas wipe out a competing drug family, one that they’ve known since they were kids. Though it would be effective for their immediate goals, it would bring too much heat towards them and essentially start a war in the city, something they don’t have the resources for. Thankfully, Dru, who has been Lorenzo’s right-hand man for some time, suggests a better plan that involves taking out the main drug supplier in the city, so that way the Tejadas can step in to assume the role and quickly move Noma and Mecca’s leftover supply. As long as Cane has Zeke’s murder to hold over Lorenzo, we can assume that he will remain in charge and there’s no telling what reckless decisions he’ll make in the future. Thankfully, Dru was there to save things from heading toward the worse.

Monet Will Talk Her Way Into An Arrest

Monet and the Tejadas altogether are facing heat from the NYPD and the feds, and while they don’t know the true nature of their investigation, Monet has gotten a hint that they’re up to something. This is because Detective Kevin Whitman, who was the late Professor Carrie Milgram’s former lover, suspects that Monet is responsible for Carrie’s death. As a result, he stops at nothing to investigate the crime, Monet, and the Tejadas altogether. This leads to him getting involved in the RICO case that Jenny Sullivan and Blanca Rodriguez are attempting to build against Tariq, Davis McClean, and the Tejadas. The evidence that’s available at the moment is very small and limited, so all Monet has to do is lay low, stay out of trouble, and not say anything to the NYPD or the feds. Unfortunately, her pride and tenacious attitude can’t help but clap back at Detective Whitman when he taunts her, even to levels that would be considered harassment. However, in the process of fighting back, Monet also lets out some information that makes Detective Whitman smile as it could be evidence used against her in the case he is trying to build. Davis McClean begged Monet to just stay quiet when Whitman comes around, and he even went as far as to say that her mouth will get them in trouble. Lo and behold he was right, so maybe next time Monet will heed his warnings before things get worse for her and her family.

New episodes of ‘Power Book II: Ghost’ are available on the STARZ app on Fridays at 12:00 am EST and on the STARZ TV channel at 8:00 pm EST.

Boygenius have dropped their new short movie in support of the band’s now-released album, The Record. Fittingly titled, the flick is similarly named under just The Film.

It is soundtracked by songs from the new album, including the early singles “Emily I’m Sorry” and “True Blue.” Julien Baker helps fix a car and runs around outdoors before other members Lucy Dacus and Phoebe Bridgers join her. There’s also a monster truck derby, some implied fire destruction, and other fun surprises. Each mini-segment is sandwiched with a vocal transition and tends to focus on a different member before they reunite at the end.

The Film closes on a sweet note after all the members paint a room blue together. They then share some iPhone-style shot footage of them laying together in bed — before flashing the Boygenius logo.

Directed by Kristen Stewart, The Film had its global premiere today (March 30) at a secret location and time in Los Angeles. Earlier this week, fans got a link to sign up for an invitation, with only just over a hundred spots available. The teaser poster also took on a spacey, horror feel.

Check out Boygenius’ The Film above.

The Record is out now via Interscope. Find more information here.

Less than a year after releasing his fourth studio album, Beautiful Mind, Rod Wave is back with a new single. On his latest, “Fight The Feeling,” Wave shares a story of heartbreak, delivering soul vocals over a rolling percussion beat.

Over the course of the song, the song’s woman protagonist tries to distract herself from the pain she’s feeling following the end of a relationship.

“So get your hair did, put your clothes on / Tell the DJ to play your song / Tryna fight the feeling, But she never finished healing / Now you in the middle of the club, trying not to cry to a love song,” he sings on the song’s chorus.

In the song’s accompanying visual, Wave is seen performing in a club, where the woman in the story is seen dancing the night away with her friends.

The song’s narrative structure, as well as the cinematic visual, are ideal for the Rod Wave cannon. In a 2020 interview with Billboard, he expressed that in the future, he would like to write screenplays.

“I’m just gonna play my part for right now because it’s deeper than that,” said Wave. “I got stories and stuff. I got all kinds of stuff I done seen in my life. I feel like [Sony/ATV is] giving me the opportunity and freedom to express that.”

You can watch the video for “Fight The Feeling” above.

Khalid is back with a sexy new banger. On his new song, “Softest Touch,” he is smitten at the hands of a special woman.

On the new song, the singer delivers his signature low-pitched vocals over a ‘70s-inspired beat, with hopes to win the affection of the lady with the softest touch.

“You’ve got the softest touch, I just can’t get enough / When it comes to you, you are the one I want / You’ve got the softest touch, I just can’t get enough / This touch, you’ll always be the one I want / You’ll always be the one,” sings Khalid on the song’s chorus.

This scorching new single is thought to appear on Khalid‘s upcoming third album. Though he’s kept most of the details about the album rather mum, he revealed in an interview with KIIS-FM this past winter that he is planning to take his time with the project, as he feels it will be a career highlight for him.

“I’m really excited and honestly it’s some of my best music that I’ve made so far in my career,” he said. “Music means so much to me so I don’t want to rush it.”

You can hear “Softest Touch” above.

After Charlie Puth had teased his new Dan + Shay collaboration with a video of him making out with Sabrina Carpenter, they have now dropped “That’s Not How This Works.”

Puth produced the song and co-wrote it with the duo’s Dan Smyers. He opens it on a gentle piano to set the tone before introducing the country performers’ vocals as the track progresses. Still, it elevates the emotional ballad, as Puth struggles to come to terms with the heartbreak and end of love.

“You can’t say you hate me, then call me when you’re hurt / Baby, you know that’s not how this works, no, that’s not how this works / You can’t walk away, then come back to what we were / Baby, you know that’s not how this works, no,” Puth sings in the chorus.

“Stop reminding me of when we said forever / I know exactly what you’re doin’ / When you say, ‘You need to drop off all my sweaters’ / It’s just one of your еxcuses,” Dan + Shay add in the second verse.

Carpenter appears in the music video and the short film that dropped earlier today, playing the role of Puth’s relationship interest, but the relationship swings through the cycles of toxic love — matching the lyricism. She will also be featured on a remix dropping in April.

Check out Charlie Puth’s “That’s Not How This Works” with Dan + Shay above.

Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

We are just a week out from Daniel Caesar‘s upcoming third studio album, Never Enough. Ahead of the much-anticipated project, Caesar has shared a romantic new single called “Valentina.”

On “Valentina,” Caesar longs for a beautiful woman, and although she is already spoken for, he just can’t seem to let go of the thought of her.

The song opens with simple chords, before the percussion kicks in, and Caesar loops us in with a moody key change.

“Valentina, baby / I only need one moment of time / To make you feel a way / From the first time I looked in your eyes / I knew that I would find a way / To make you mine,” he sings on the song’s chorus.

Though Caesar has kept the details of Never Enough iron-clad, he revealed last year in an interview with Complex that given his introverted nature, and the fact that much of the album was conceived during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, the album will most put his emotions on display, as he keeps vocal collaborators to a minimum.

“I’m not much of a ‘go outside and be social’ type of person and that was before the quarantine,” said Caesar. “So working on the album post-quarantine, you’re not really interacting with anybody else.”

You can hear “Valentina” above.

Never Enough is out 4/7 via Republic. Find more information here.

Bebe Rexha is sharing another preview of her forthcoming studio album, Bebe, with her latest song, “Call On Me.” On a similar note to her previous, ’70s-influenced “Heart Wants What It Wants” record single, this latest carries on the club energy.

“All through the night, like a bird in flight / Under the moonlight, caressing me right / God only knows how long I’ve waited for this / It’s been the longest time,” Rexha opens the song.

“You never made me feel like heaven / Never made me feel this high / If I need a lover, someone to hold me / Satisfy all my needs / If I need a lover, someone to save me / Someone to set me free / I’d call on me,” she adds, taking on a self-reliant tone in the wake of someone not being able to be there for her.

Earlier this week, Rexha made a serious record as the longest-charting female artist on Billboard‘s Dance/Electronic chart at 38 weeks. She also holds the lead for the longest female on the Hot Country chart at 50 weeks.

As she gears up for her Bebe album dropping April 28, Rexha is set to hit the road this spring for her Best F*n Night Of My Life tour. More information, along with a complete list of dates, is available here.

Listen to Bebe Rexha’s “Call On Me” above.

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

Lauren Jauregui is confronting her emotions head on with her new single, “Trust Issues.” The slow, heart-wrenching song finds Jauregui grappling with the way that her lack of trust has impacted her relationships — even if they haven’t done anything to warrant it.

“When I was young my mama told me, ‘Loving can be lonely / Not everyone’s like you, ain’t got the heart that you do’ / But I had to learn the hard way, lessons can be costly / And I spent more than I had, all of that didn’t last,” she sets the scene in the opening lines.

Then, she offers an apology to those impacted by her trust issues. “I’m sorry if you think I’m standoffish / I swear it’s not true / I’m guarded and I know it / Oh, darlin’, don’t mean to be cruel,” Jauregui adds.

As for the music video, directed by Farah Idrees, it finds Jauregui going through the motions of the song creation process. She’s writing lyrics in her notebook, doing a take into the studio mic, working on production with her team, and getting her makeup done. The film camera-style nature of the video also elevates the behind-the-scenes feeling, as fans get a glimpse of the process that goes into Jauregui’s work.

Check out Lauren Jauregui’s “Trust Issues” above.

Major League Baseball had its Opening Day on Thursday, and among some incredible team and individual performances, the late game in Oakland between the A’s and Angels provided the lasting highlight of the first day of the season.

In a rather shocking turn of events, it was someone other than Mike Trout or Shohei Ohtani delivering the highlight for the Angels, as right fielder Hunter Renfroe set the bar incredibly high for the 2023 Catch of the Year race with a preposterous no-look catch that Ohtani could not believe on the mound.

Renfroe gets turned around by the deep fly ball from Jace Peterson, but somehow spins around and just throws his glove out into the perfect spot to haul in the ball for an out to help preserve a 1-0 lead in the fifth inning. The side angle shows that Renfroe had his head completely turned around as he reached out and just happened to run into the ball for the catch.

Ohtani’s reaction is priceless, as the typically stoic MVP threw his hands up in celebration of his teammate saving him from having to deal with a leadoff double in a 1-0 game. Renfroe plays it off incredibly well, like he absolutely knew he had it all the way. It’s not always the case that Opening Day provides an enduring highlight that’ll be replayed throughout the season, but I feel safe in saying this will be the bar we measure incredible catches to for the rest of the year.