Category: News

Rachel Griffin Accurso, known as Ms. Rachel to her 3.16 million YouTube subscribers, didn’t intend to become a sensation with young children and their parents. But when she realized there weren’t any developmentally appropriate shows for her son, she put her teaching degree to work and made one herself.

After just 4 years in production, her show, “Songs for Littles,” has over 1.8 billion views on YouTube.

Accurso is intentional with all of her videos, doing close-ups of her mouth when introducing new words and pausing to “hear” responses from her viewers after asking a question. She stresses that everything she teaches and models on the show is backed by research.

Given what Ms. Rachel does for the smallest among us, who could have a problem with her show? Some parents became angry that Ms. Rachel featured Jules Hoffman, who uses they/them pronouns, on her show. A TikTok user who describes herself as a “traditional mom” called out Ms. Rachel for being “political,” and the video received over 300,000 views.

@msrachelforlittles

Nothing can change that you are worthy of love #msrachel #songsforlittles #affirmations

“When Ms Rachel introduces they/them/their pronouns so you have to stop watching her,” the TikTok creator captioned her post.

The video resulted in a backlash against Ms. Rachel on social media from certain corners. But instead of letting it get to her, on February 27, she decided to take a break from social media to put things in perspective. That’s no easy task for someone who makes a living by producing online children’s content.

Ms. Rachel returned from her social media sabbatical on March 6 and shared some lessons she learned during her time away. But this time, she wasn’t wearing her trademark overalls, pink shirt and headband.

@msrachelforlittles

Love > fear #msrachel #msrachelsongforlittes #selfcare

“I was able to spend some time thinking about setting social media boundaries for myself, which is a good practice for a lot of people,” Accurso says in the short clip.

“And with social media boundaries, you figure out ways to protect yourself and you recognize, ‘Oh, when I do this, I don’t feel so good and so I’m going to do less of this.’”

“And it’s a good way to practice self-care, which is very important,” she continued. “But I am here to serve children and their families every day and to share the love and kindness that we want to see reflected in the world. And thank you so much for all the love.”

She ended the video by saying “thank you” three times and captioned the clip, “Love > fear.”

Accurso’s comments are an excellent way for us to look at our lives on social media. Sometimes it’s great to take a break, think about what message we are trying to send to the world and set a clear intention for how we behave in public.

Ms. Rachel could have tried to turn the table on her critics, but instead, she looked at the situation and reaffirmed her goal to share kindness with the world. Her reaction feels a lot like how Mr. Rogers would have handled the situation. And you can never go wrong following in the footsteps of Mr. Rogers.

With a new Boygenius album around the corner, Lucy Dacus is having a moment of buzz. But let’s not forget her timeless sophomore album, Historian which was released in March 2018. Five years after its release, the music of Historian has aged like fine wine. Today (March 8), Dacus has shared the video for fan-favorite track, “Night Shift”

Perhaps its only fitting Dacus shares the video five year’s after the song’s original release, given its lyrics.

“You got a 9 to 5, so I’ll take the night shift / And I’ll never see you again if I can help it / In five years I hope the songs feel like covers / Dedicated to new lovers,” she sings on the song’s chorus.

In the song’s accompanying video, she is seen working at the front desk at some sort of venue, where an epic Wizard Of Oz costume party seems to be taking place. Later, she is seen in a tender moment with a witch played by Yellowjackets actress Jasmine Savoy Brown.

In May, Dacus will release a special fifth-anniversary edition of Historian on a red vinyl record. The special edition will feature Dacus’ first draft of the original artwork.

In the meantime, can check out the “Night Shift” video above and the Historian five-year anniversary edition album artwork below.

The Historian five-year anniversary edition is out 5/26 via Matador. Find more information here.

Well, it’s official. Music fans have found a new “it” couple to replace the trending spot Machine Gun and Megan Fox held. After rumors began to circulate that rapper Tyga and rocker Avril Lavigne were an item, the pair seemingly confirmed they are indeed together after making out in front of the paparazzi on Monday (March 6) following the Mugler X Hunter Schafer Party for Paris Fashion Week.

However, there’s one person that is actually devastated by the news, Lavigne’s ex-finance Mod Sun. After confirming their split, Sun took to his Instagram the music wrote, “In 1 week my entire life completely changed…I just know there’s a plan for it all. I’ll keep my head up + always listen to my heart, even when it feels broken. Being surrounded by love every night on tour has been an absolute blessing. I have the best friends in the entire world. Thanks for always having my back.”

Now, according to TMZ, the musician was “blindsided by the abrupt end to their engagement,” but he “feels absolutely devastated by her budding romance with Tyga.” Lavigne and Tyga’s relationship has raised a few eyebrows online because they have both been linked to the Kardashian and Jenner family.

Today, Spotify held their Spotify Stream On conference, which found them announcing a ton of upcoming changes to the app — some of which might surprise users.

“This marks the biggest change Spotify has undergone since we introduced mobile 10 years ago,” Spotify CEO Daniel Ek said, per The Hollywood Reporter. “This evolution is really about bringing Spotify to life.”

Chlöe Bailey, who appeared at the press event, revealed the new “Spotify Clips” service, which allows musicians to add 30-second videos to their profiles. “You can talk about an unreleased song, promote a new album, share the stories behind a song, or really anything you can come up with,” she said.

The streaming service has announced that they will now be adding autoplay for podcasts, which means that another episode will start playing automatically after the current one ends. The recommendations will also fit the user’s personalized interests. This continues a push for their podcasting and video section, as they are allowing those around the world to apply to use Spotify Labs for recording episodes and use Patreon as a payment partnership.

Spotify will also bring out “Previews,” which gives users audio and visual previews when they scroll down.

Some other new changes include the ability to use hashtags to search for music, a few of which reportedly are “#pop, #R&B, and #confident.” Users can view touring schedules for artists on the app under a new “Live Events” section.

Finally, they’re rolling out a new AI DJ that “will deliver a curated lineup of music alongside commentary around the tracks and artists we think you’ll like in a stunningly realistic voice,” according to the company’s website.

Seth Rogen doesn’t seem to be bothered by too much. Maybe it’s all that weed mellowing him out, but he usually lets stuff roll off him on most subjects. Back when An American Pickle came out, Rogen told us that he wasn’t at all upset about backlash over then-circulating comments that he made regarding Israel. During that discussion (and in the context of Pineapple Express), he also mentioned that he never knows if his movies are truly good for about five years when the audience reaction solidifies. And he added, “[H]onestly, I am still slightly traumatized by some experiences that I’ve had with my movies just being trashed.”

Rogen remains bothered by the inevitability that not everyone likes everything that you’re gonna do. As he recently told host Steve Bartlett on the Diary of a CEO podcast (by way of Variety), the framing of some arguments against his movies (chiefly Green Hornet and The Interview) really stung and continues to sting. Rogen maintains that he’s not the only artist to react this way, and he’s talking about “decades of being hurt.” Here’s more:

“I think if most critics knew how much it hurts the people that made the things that they are writing about, they would second guess the way they write these things,” Rogen said. “It’s devastating. I know people who have never recovered from it honestly – a year, decades of being hurt by [film reviews]. It’s very personal .. It is devastating when you are being institutionally told that your personal expression was bad, and that’s something that people carry with them, literally, their entire lives and I get why. It f*cking sucks.””

On one hand, yes, it must not feel fantastic when years of one’s professional life gets boiled down in a review in an unflattering way. Not fun.

On another level — and this is not a dig at Rogen by any stretch — we could all (yours truly included) stand to back up for a few moments every so often and check ourselves. One also can’t help but think about Pam & Tommy and how Pamela Anderson would still like an apology from everyone involved with the project. You really never do know what someone else is going through, and levels of hurt are different for everyone on every level. So yeah, I’m setting a reminder for myself on that note, too.

(Via Variety)

“Do you understand what a Cuban boot is?”

Them’s fightin’ words at the moment in the most unhinged MAGA circles, who are so intent on stemming Ron DeSantis’ growing popularity amongst Republicans that the mere mention of what the Florida governor wears on his feet is enough to turn a contentious conversation into near-fisticuffs.

As The Daily Beast reports, the tension between Trump supporters and “Meatball Ron” devotees hit a hilarious crescendo over the weekend when twenty-something Trumpist Alex Bruesewitz came face-to-face with DeSantis-ites John Cardillo and Jim Hanson. And a group of grown men took an online beef about boots to the halls of CPAC. Where Hanson, a right-wing pundit and Army Green Beret, asked Bruesewitz: “Do you understand what a Cuban boot is?” (Does anyone?)

If you’re wondering what “18-year hotties” have to do with boots, well, they all come back to DeSantis. In this particular altercation, it goes back to Bruesewitz posting an old photo of DeSantis — who at the time was a 23-year-old teacher — reportedly kicking back and drinking with some high school teens. Hanson’s response was that seeing Tiny D “partying with 18-year-old hotties” only made him like the possible presidential candidate more. Which: ick!

Even Bruesewitz thought it was a weird response, and — upon meeting Hanson, who was with his wife — asked him if he was the “18-year-old hotties guy.” Which is partly why things got all fired up.

But back to the boots: DeSantis’ footwear has been a hot topic for Bruesewitz, who insists that Ron is wearing oversized heels in order to make himself look taller.

And, of course, there was that whole White Go-Go Boots debacle:

As silly and childish as it all seems, Team Trump is reportedly looking for just these sorts of little, umm, missteps, to use as ammo against DeSantis, who the former president/2024 presidential hopeful sees as his most serious competition. “But the blow-up between their respective loyalists over tweets and boots at CPAC portends a fight that may get even more absurd and trivial than anyone thought possible,” according to The Daily Beast, where politics reporters Jake Lahut and Zachary Petrizzo write:

Private conversations within Trumpworld about DeSantis suggest that plenty of new lows are still possible as the campaign heats up.

Just for starters, Trump confidants have been attempting to quantify DeSantis’ true Body Mass Index—the same metric that Trump obsessed over during his time in the White House. A reliable height and weight for the Florida governor have thus far evaded MAGA sleuths….

Inside Trump’s inner circle, those close to the former president have poked fun at a photo of DeSantis wearing tall white rubber boots while touring the damage left by Hurricane Ian last year. Since Trump’s trip to East Palestine, Ohio—where Trump wore a Timberland style boot—those in his inner circle have concluded that their boss has better taste in working men’s footwear.

“Donald Trump had work boots on,” a source close to Trump told The Daily Beast. “DeSantis had Dallas Cowboy cheerleader boots on… Donald Trump reacts to disasters. Ron DeSantis hesitates.”

And to think that DeSantis hasn’t even announced whether he’ll actually run yet!

(Via The Daily Beast)

At this past weekend’s Okeechobee Music & Arts Festival (which was held between March 2 and 5), one attendee died, festival organizers confirmed in a statement shared today (March 8).

The festivalgoer was 26-year-old Baton Rouge, Louisiana native Steven Nguyen, Baton Rouge’s WBRZ reports. The death was an apparent drowning and the Okeechobee County Sheriff’s Office confirmed with WBRZ that investigators are currently looking into the matter.

In Okeechobee’s statement, organizers expressed sadness and explained, “Out of respect to those affected by this tragedy, we have refrained from commenting prematurely. We will continue to provide our full support to the authorities, who are determining the cause.”

Artists who performed at this weekend’s festival included Lil Yachty; Big Boi; Jpegmafia; Baby Keem; Turnstile; Earth, Wind & Fire; and others.

Find Okeechobee’s full statement below.

“We are saddened by the passing of one OMF attendee this past weekend. We send our deepest condolences to this individual’s loved ones, friends, and all of those who have been impacted by this tragic loss. Out of respect to those affected by this tragedy, we have refrained from commenting prematurely. We will continue to provide our full support to the authorities, who are determining the cause.

During this emotional time, we encourage the festival community to come together in memory of this beautiful individual. As we continue to make sense of this heartbreaking incident, we encourage you to support and take good care of one another.”

“It is in all of us to defy expectations, to go into the world and to be brave, and to want, to need, to hunger for adventures. To embrace the chance and risk so that we may breathe and know what it is to be free.” ~Mae Chevrette

“What a beautiful sunset… I’m grateful for you and love you,” I whispered.

I was speaking to the sun, the world… myself… all of it. That sentence was followed by the biggest exhale my 25-year-old self could muster up. I’d just finished walking two miles on the beach in Negril, Jamaica then finished by watching the sunset. All solo. As the sun dipped below the horizon, I settled into a moment of gratitude for getting myself here — both metaphorically and literally — alone and confident on a beach in paradise.

This blissed-out moment came several days into my solo trip to the Caribbean island. I was, as you might have surmised, in heaven. Not only was I basking every day in the salty sea and tropic sun, but I was getting to know myself on a deeper level — mentally, emotionally, spiritually, and even physically, thanks to a 30-day online yoga course. I was also taking myself on daily sunrise and sunset strolls and enjoying my internal commentary more than I ever have. I found out she/me is quite funny actually and full of great ideas like sleeping with the windows open instead of the fake-ass AC, refusing the temptation of “plans,” and walking around my condo naked swigging coconut water straight from the jug like a proper bachelorette.

You see, when you’re able to connect back with yourself and your internal voice and intuition, you naturally focus in on who you really are. You get to snatch power back and away from the firmly held grasp of the masculine-governed world. You are in full control of your environment and actions without the need to match a partner – whether it be a companion, lover, or group of friends – and their energies and moods. And no place is better for the bevy of fresh experiences that come with “being your own damned woman” like being on the road.

In my eyes, traveling alone as a woman is one of the most empowering things a person can do. It subverts the outdated histories, myths, and stereotypes of our female ancestors — terrified to venture off on their own, in need of constant protection. Traveling alone reminds us that we can take care of ourselves (because admittedly, there are risks) and enjoy our own company. In the process, we unleash the power within ourselves and come to terms with just how strong we are when we take the step alone into the spotlight.

In short, traveling alone as women allows us to become the main characters of our stories. Without men trying to wrest control from us.

As I hinted before, traveling as a solo female comes with great responsibility and inherent risk. But there are ways to mitigate those risks with calculated and educated decision-making — Uproxx has a whole list of traveler-tested methods. Of course… most women already take active measures in their daily lives to be on alert: not walking alone at night, keeping their location services on for a couple of trusted friends and family members, being aware of their surroundings, locking their car and house doors at all times, etc. These same principles are applied when traveling alone, just in a different key.

So why do so many women love solo travel so much?

I think it’s because of how it makes us feel — standing tall among the mountains, the forests, the oceans, and skies, and tackling all obstacles. It’s also a revelation. A realization that we don’t have to wait for people to join us to go to the five-star restaurant in our home cities, take the ultimate road trip, or jump out of a freaking airplane.

We have ourselves. And that, ladies, is as powerful as it gets.

It’s cliche to say, but almost all cliches have a kernel of truth hiding: at the end of the day, all you have is yourself. Do you want to be laying in bed at night, regretting all the times you said “no” to the adventures knocking on your door just because you don’t want to go it alone? I know I don’t. That realization has never been as clear as it was on that beach in Jamaica.

It’s a lesson I’m sure to carry forward the next time I hear the world calling my name. I hope it rings true for you, too.

While most networks are out there in the midwest trying to wrangle up some more cowboy dramas, FX is looking to keep up its roster of weirdly surreal shows now that Atlanta wrapped up. Luckily, fans don’t have to wait too long, as Dave will return next month after a nearly two years absence.

Dave tells the semi-real (and mostly exaggerated) story of Dave Burd, a young twentysomething who dives head-first into a rap career as Lil Dicky. Season one finds Dave rising to stardom with the help of his friends, while season two showcases his frustrations in the music industry. The series will return for a long-awaited third season this spring, so here is everything you need to know before belting out his hit Earth day anthem, “Earth.” Try that one at your next karaoke party.

Cast

The third season will bring back Dave Burd aka Lil Dicky as a fictionalized version of himself, who is determined to continue his quest to become the world’s best rapper. He will be reunited with his hype man, GaTa, along with Andrew Santino, Christine Ko, and Travis “Taco” Bennett. Of course, it’s not a season of Dave without some memorable guest stars.

This season includes some A-list guest spots from Usher, Rock Ross, Demi Lovato, Don Cheadle, Machine Gun Kelly, Megan Fox, Killer Mike, and Travis Barker.

Trailer

The teaser trailer for the next season of the FX series dropped this month, giving fans a first look at Mr. Lil and his various adventures, as he continues his search for love while on the road after his break-up with Ally in season one.

Plot

Season three will pick up where season two left off after Dave’s monumental VMA performance helped secure him as a rising star. Now, Lil Dicky and GaTa are getting ready to head out on the road to spread the word about Dave, which will no doubt cause even more misadventures. As per the official synopsis:

Dave is headlining his first-ever tour and looking for love along the way. But as he and the gang crisscross America, they discover firsthand how diverse the cultural landscape of the United States really is – and how often fame puts pressure on love and friendship. The half-hour comedy is based on the life of rapper and comedian Dave Burd.

Release Date

The surreal series will return to FX on April 5th with a two-episode premiere, since that’s how things seem to work nowadays. Episodes will be released on Hulu the next morning. Seasons one and two are currently streaming on Hulu, so there is time to memorize your favorite Lil Dicky song beforehand.

Artists selling all, or even a portion, of their catalogs and publishing rights has become a recent occurrence, as several large-scale performers and bands have made massive deals.

The most recent, Metro Boomin, reportedly sold part of his for $70 million to Shamrock Capital — although not much is known about the deal’s specifics yet.

On the heels of the news, Uproxx has also explored why artists are selling their catalogs, for those who are interested in the aspects that lead to it.

Below, find a list of artists who have sold away the rights to their songs, according to research from A Journal Of Musical Things. Click the link in the performer’s name to find out the full details of their deal.

1. Bob Dylan
2. Neil Young
3. Stevie Nicks
4. Imagine Dragons
5. Whitney Houston
6. Chris Issak
7. Prince’s estate
8. Christine McVie
9. Trevor Rabin
10. The O’Jays
11. Tina Turner
12. The Weeknd
13. Drake
14. Justin Bieber
15. Bing Crosby
16. Gerry Goffin
17. Luther Vandross
18. Mike Scott of The Waterboys
19. Jeff Porcaro
20. Motley Crue
21. Jim Peterik
22. James Brown
23. Bruce Springsteen
24. ZZ Top
25. David Bowie
26. John Legend
27. Matt Redman
28. Nancy Wilson of Heart
29. Paul Rodgers
30. Gerry Beckley and Dewey Bunnell of America
31. Kenny Chesney
32. Travis Tritt
33. Luis Fonsi
34. Murda Beatz
35. Def Leppard
36. Robbie Robertson of The Band
37. The estates of Layne Staley and Mike Starr of Alice In Chains
38. Alice in Chains’ music
39. David Crosby
40. Disturbed
41. The Killers
42. Lindsey Buckingham
43. Barry Manilow
44. Richie Sambora
45. Dave Stewart
46. Blondie
47. Chrissie Hynde
48. Air Supply
49. Culture Club
50. Devo
51. Jim Vallance
52. Ryan Tedder
53. Shakira
54. KT Tunstall
55. Mick Fleetwood
56. Ed Roland
57. Bob Rock
58. Sun Records
59. Massive Attack
60. Silverchair
61. Beach Boys
62. David Crosby
63. Glenn Tipton
64. Carole Bayer Sager
65. Linda Ronstadt
66. Paul Simon
67. Patrick Leonard
68. Red Hot Chili Peppers
69. Andrew Watt
70. David Guetta
71. Beyoncé
72. Timbaland
73. Justin Timberlake
74. Olivia Newton-John
75. Nicky Chinn
76. Leo Sayer
77. Alee Willis
78. Bob Ezrin
79. Justin Hayward of The Moody Blues
80. Dave Navarro
81. Tom Cochrane
82. Boston
83. Styx
84. Rihanna
85. Ariana Grande
86. Kendrick Lamar
87. Pat Benatar
88. Otis Redding
89. Jack Antonoff
90. Jimmy Iovine
91. Journey
92. Steve Winwood
93. Tom DeLonge
94. The Chainsmokers
95. Brendan O’Brien
96. Bernard Edwards
97. B-52s
98. Kaiser Chiefs
99. Mark Ronson
101. Nikki Sixx
102. Skrillex
103. Rick James
104. Korn
105. James Newton Howard
106. Sting
107. John Lee Hooker
108. Jason Aldean
109. Neil Diamond
110. Lionel Hampton
111. Thelonious Monk
112. Leonard Cohen
113. Martina McBride
114. The estate of Nat King Cole
115. Swedish House Mafia
116. Bob Dylan’s share of the Traveling Wilburys catalog
117. Julian Casablancas
118. Tom Whitlock
119. Frank Zappa
120. Simple Minds
121. Jean-Michel Jarre
122. Matt Sorum
123. Brad Paisley
124. Lady A
125. Deryck Whibley
126. Chuck D of Public Enemy
127. Future
128. Avicii
129. Genesis’ Phil Collins, Tony Banks, and Mike Rutherford
130. Blake Shelton
131. Joey Ramone
132. Louis Prima
133. Huey Lewis and the News
134. Ashley Gorley
135. Harry Nilsson
136. Shannon Rubicam and George Merrill of Boy Meets Girl
137. Iggy Azalea
138. Peter Frampton
139. Keith Urban
140. Steve Lillywhite
141. Dr. Dre
142. Robbie Krieger and the estate of Ray Manzarek of The Doors
143. Yes
144. Dion
145. TMS
146. Stevie Van Zandt
147. Tobias Jesso Jr
148. Christopher Cross
149. Warren Cuccurullo
150. Metro Boomin
151. Juice WRLD

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