Category: News

Like the passage of time and Pusha T dropping a Cocaine Bear remix, FCC (Federal Communications Commission) complaints about major TV events are an inevitability. So, it turns out that some people out there didn’t particularly care for Rihanna’s Super Bowl Halftime Show earlier this month, so much so that they let the FCC know about it (as TMZ reports).

The publication notes that of the 103 FCC complaints made about the Super Bowl broadcast on February 12, “almost all of them” were about Rihanna’s performance. One viewer wrote in their complaint, “This year the halftime show was so indecent I had to turn off the TV because of the pornographic content.” Another compared it to Sam Smith and Kim Petras’ “Unholy” performance at the 2023 Grammys, writing, “I don’t care what someone worships but children shouldn’t be exposed to pornography and as an adult I don’t wish to see it. […] Where has decency gone? How about respect for others and self?”

Others made note of “overtly sexual dancing” in the performance, with one person saying Rihanna’s background dancers had moves that “were patently offensive and completely inappropriate for children.” Another person noted of Rihanna, “She spread her ass cheek at the crack. She rubbed her pants where her labia were three times.”

As TMZ notes, though, this is nothing to the infamous Janet Jackson and Justin Timberlake wardrobe malfunction at the 2004 Super Bowl, which drew 540,000 complaints at the time.

Britney Spears has been in the news for a number of reasons lately, whether it’s due to fans calling police requesting wellness checks on her or reports of an attempted intervention. Well, Spears is tired of it, which she communicated in an Instagram post shared yesterday (February 23).

In it, she wrote, “The constant lies from the media and TMZ have felt like borderline harassment … it’s extremely disturbing, due to the fact of how incredibly important it is at this time in my life to be supported and respected !!! Also, the way the news has always spread lies about me is incredibly heartbreaking !!! I meditate over hope and excitement for my future !!! I have transformed my whole life with the elimination of my conservatorship and I deserve respect !!! It’s almost embarrassing commenting on this because of how completely outrageous what’s being said is !!! It’s my right to protect myself from the cruelty of the outside world !!!”

The post features a clip from the iconic 1960s TV series The Andy Griffith Show to help make her point. In it, Griffith’s Andy Taylor character says to Ron Howard’s Opie, “Just because somebody said something doesn’t mean it has to be printed. You don’t circulate stories that are mean and unkind about people. There are too many other stories to put in, nice stories.” Opie responds, “But pa, when we put in the nice kind of stories, nobody wanted to buy the paper,” a retort that was followed by canned laughter and a look of shock and disappointment from Taylor.

Manchester Orchestra have officially announced their next project, an album and a virtual reality short film that are both titled The Valley Of Vision. Fans can expect the two art pieces to drop next month.

For now, they have dropped the single, “Capital Karma,” which opens with a somber instrumental.

“Making The Valley Of Vision was an exciting idea of what the future could be for us in terms of how we create,” the band’s lead vocalist Andy Hull shared about the project via Stereogum.

“None of these songs were written with the band being in the same room in a live setting,” Hull continued. “They were really like science experiments that started from the bottom and were added to gradually over time. We’re intrigued by doing things the wrong way, or attempting things we haven’t done before and getting inspired by them.”

The VR film, directed by Isaac Deitz, will air as a special watch party via the band’s YouTube channel on March 9.

Check out Manchester Orchestra’s new “Capital Karma” above. Below, find the complete The Valley Of Vision tracklist.

1. “Capital Karma”
2. “The Way”
3. “Quietly”
4. “Letting Go”
5. “Lose You Again”
6. “Rear View”

The Valley Of Vision is out 3/10 via Loma Vista Recordings. Pre-order it here.

Scottish trio Chvrches is launching a new era. Tonight (February 24), the pop band have shared “Over,” their first single since signing to Island Records. On the new ’80s-influenced synth-pop track, the band vividly describes navigating the world with a sense of fear and anxiety.

“I try my best to turn down the noise / And I tell myself that boys will be boys / It’s getting harder to breathe / So, baby, put me to sleep / Till it gets better,” sings the band’s lead vocalist Lauren Mayberry on the song’s pre-chorus, leading into a captivating hook, describing painfully relatable feelings. “So wake me up when it’s over / It’s over / When it’s over / Tell me it was all just a dream / And wake me up when it’s over / It’s over.”

Chvrches signed with Island Records in North America and EMI in the UK last year, after having released their previous four albums via Glassnote. In a recent interview with Billboard, Martin Doherty of Chvrches said that signing these new deals has allowed them to further tap into their creativity.

“Something that’s come up recently, that I thought was a nice way to frame this, is that we signed new record deals, and there’s kind of a new lease on life for the band,” Doherty said. “It’s a chance for us to work within a new paradigm.”

Needless to say, we are looking forward to this new era of Chvrches.

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

Nearly seven years after its original release, The Weeknd‘s “Die For You” is getting the remix treatment. The song was originally released in 2016 as part of The Weeknd’s Starboy album, however, saw a resurgence on the charts after it went viral on TikTok. Since then, “Die For You” has peaked at No. 6 on the Billboard Hot 100.

On the remix of “Die For You,” The Weeknd is joined by his frequent collaborator, Ariana Grande, who blesses the song with a new verse.

“I’m finding ways to stay concentrated on what I gotta do / But baby boy it’s so hard round you / Yes I’m blaming you,” she sings, delivering her signature soft-tinged vocals.

This marks the fourth collaboration between The Weeknd and Grande — others including, 2014’s “Love Me Harder” from Grande’s sophomore album, My Everything, 2020’s “Off The Table” from Grande’s sixth studio album, Positions, and a 2021 remix of “Save Your Tears” from The Weeknd’s fourth studio album, After Hours.

In a TikTok shared by Grande earlier this week, she revealed that she produced and recorded her verse following a 14-hour day on set shooting Wicked.

“This certain exception had to be made…” read text over the video clip.

You can check out the “Die For You” remix above.

The Kid Laroi is head over heels into his romantic era, presented to fans in the form of his new song, “I Guess It’s Love,” and the accompanying music video.

“When I look at you, you look at me / We know what it is, no need to speak,” Laroi notes in the chorus, over a banging beat.

Earlier, Laroi dropped a teaser trailer for the music video of the song. With a phone-recorded feel, Laroi finds himself happily spending time with his girl, before their appearances… seemingly start to change. The mysterious clip has fans wondering what exactly the video will look like.

It’s also not the first time Laroi has experimented with unique concepts, as he dated a doll in another recent video during his debut album cycle. As for the rest of the record, he is gearing up next for the release of The First Time, which he previously shared a trailer for.

“You never forget the first time,” he says in it. “The first time you fall in love. The first time you get caught. The first time you feel shame. The first real kiss.”

Check out The Kid Laroi’s “I Guess It’s Love” above.

The First Time will drop sometime this year.

The second piece to Chlöe‘s upcoming debut album, In Pieces has arrived. On her latest single, “How Does It Feel?,” Chlöe reminds an ex exactly what he lost after he played too many games.

“I gave you more than you wanted / I gave you more than you needed / So tell me, how does it feel / to lose the one you believe in?,” sings Chlöe, along with her collaborator Chris Brown, on the song’s chorus.

On her verse, Chlöe recalls good times with her former love, before he messed it all up.

“We threw the racks out at Follies / Gave you the key where my heart beat / You didn’t say it but you said it / It shouldn’t have hurt me but I let it,” she sings.

In the song’s accompanying video, Chlöe and Brown are seen dancing in separate rooms divided by a wall. The wall then quickly disappears forcing them to unite with each other. Elsewhere in the video, Chlöe dances on her own, as golden light shines upon her.

You can check out the video for “How Does It Feel?” above.

In Pieces is out 3/31 via Parkwood Entertainment and Columbia Records. You can pre-save it here.

Kali Uchis is gearing up for her new album, Red Moon In Venus. To celebrate, she dropped the dance-inspired “Moonlight,” which perfectly encapsulates the vibes Uchis has given this era.

On the track, Uchis switches between Spanish and English, as she details wanting to live in the moment. “I just wanna get high with my lover / Veo una muñeca cuando miro en el espejo / Kiss, kiss, looking dolly, I think I may go out tonight / I just wanna ride, get high in the moonlight,” she sings on the shimmery chorus.

“You always go out of your way / To show me that I’m your priority / Find out how it feels to let go of everything, be free / When you’re here with me,” Uchis notes later in the song.

It features production credits from Benny Blanco, Cashmere Cat, and Leon Michels, according to Genius.

The new song comes after Uchis had teased its release through some fiery social media photos. So far from her album, Uchis has also dropped the song “I Wish You Roses” and is set to perform on her tour starting in April.

Listen to Kali Uchis’ new song “Moonlight” above.

Red Moon In Venus is out 3/3 via Geffen. Pre-order it here.

The Brooklyn Nets overhauled their roster just before the 2023 NBA Trade Deadline, sending a pair of superstars away and stocking the cupboard for the future. Brooklyn does retain a deep and talented roster, however, and newly-acquired wing Mikal Bridges looks the part of a potential breakout in his new home. Before the Nets resumed their schedule following the All-Star break, the organization released an all-access video, chronicling the arrival of Bridges, and he was asked about his “favorite athlete growing up.”

Bridges’ response was both amusing and awkward in that he revealed his choice was Kevin Durant, who he was traded for just days prior.

It is not shocking that Durant would be Bridges’ favorite player, as he is one of the best players in the history of the league and old enough to be established as a superstar during Bridges’ youth. Still, this is an intriguing turn of events, and it is endearing to see Bridges breaking down in laughter when realizing the irony.

Bridges scored 45 points in the final game before the break, alerting Nets fans of what’s to come. He probably won’t be the next Durant, but Bridges is arguably Brooklyn’s centerpiece at this juncture, and he is easy to root for.

Yaeji has offered fans another preview of her upcoming album, With A Hammer, by dropping her new song and video for “Done (Let’s Get It).”

The themes of the song find Yaeji “taking on the mission of smashing these inter-generational cycles as a path toward healing herself and the world,” according to a press release.

Filmed in Seoul, South Korea, it finds Yaeji and her grandfather dressed in adorable bunny dog costumes. Together, the two perform tasks including organizing books and counting vegetables. Through it all, still, they find time to unwind with dinner and playing with a dog.

She also directed and edited the music video, which comes complete with heart overlays and other doodles to add to the sweet energy.

Last month, Yaeji officially announced With A Hammer, by dropping the lead single, “For Granted.” Fans will have the opportunity to hear it quite soon too, as shortly before the album’s April release, she will embark on a tour that kicks off in Vancouver and ends in may at NYC’s Brooklyn Steel. Along the way, Yaeji is also making a stop at Coachella.

Check out the music video for “Done (Let’s Get It)” above.

With A Hammer is out 4/7 via XL Recordings. Pre-order it here.