Category: News

Yesterday (January 10), the line-up for this year’s Coachella music festival was revealed and Latin music will be present at the event. Becky G, Eladio Carrión, and Bratty responded to the news about their upcoming appearances at Coachella.

Bad Bunny will be making history as the first Latin music artist to headline Coachella. He is co-headlining the festival that will take place on the weekends of April 14 and April 21 with Blackpink and Frank Ocean. Alongside Bad Bunny, more Latin music acts like Rosalía, Kali Uchis, and Becky G will be performing on the Coachella mainstage per the line-up.

Becky G appeared as a special guest during Karol G’s Coachella set last year. The two Latina superstars sang their hit “Mamiii” together. Come April, Becky G will be performing on her own set at the event for the first time. She expressed her excitement about the news on Twitter. “See you in the desert, Coachella,” Becky G wrote on Twitter.

Rising Puerto Rican rapper Eladio Carrión will be bringing Latin hip-hop to Coachella. Ahead of The Sauce USA Tour in May, Carrión’s can see him make his debut at the music festival in April. Carrión recently flexed his knockout bars in the “HP Freestyle” video that was released earlier this week. “SAUCEBOYZ @ COACHELLA!!!” Carrión wrote on Twitter. “What a time to be alive. Thanks to all the people who support my music. You are really helping me achieve my dreams.”

Bratty will be bringing Latin alternative music to the Coachella stage. The Mexican rocker has teased her upcoming release Es Mi Fiesta Y Si Quiero Hago Un EP with the singles “Continental” featuring Nsqk and Méne and “¿Y Cómo?” with Hinds. Bratty expressed her excitement to be performing at the music festival.

“MY FIRST TIME IN THE UNITED STATES AND IN COACHELLA WTF IS THIS DREAM?????!!!” she wrote on Twitter.

An all-new Jeopardy! spinoff is coming to ABC primetime. Titled Jeopardy! Masters, the show will pit some of the quiz show’s greatest champs against each other into two back-to-back matches. Unlike other Jeopardy! specials, this one will not be hosted by Mayim Bialik. Instead, Ken Jennings will work the podium, which would presumably take him out of the running for being a contestant despite being one of the best-known Jeopardy! champs.

Although, if there was ever an opportunity for a Jennings vs. Amy Schneider showdown, this would be it. Via The Hollywood Reporter:

Jeopardy! Masters will feature what ABC calls a “Champions League style” competition, with a series of games featuring six of the best players in recent years: Matt Amodio, Sam Buttrey, Andrew He, James Holzhauer, Mattea Roach and Amy Schneider. Each hour-long episode will feature two games among different combinations of the six contestants, leading up to the crowing of a champion.

Schneider recently won the 2022 Jeopardy! Tournament of Champions, so she’ll no doubt be a fierce competitor going into the spinoff. However, Schneider did share that after being last year’s GOAT, she immediately got schooled at bar trivia, which quickly brought her back down to earth.

“Tonight I went out to bar trivia for the first time since my first Jeopardy appearance!” Schneider tweeted back in November along with a less than triumphant reveal. “My team came in third.”

(Via The Hollywood Reporter)

James Cameron might have a point if he believes that he saved cinema in 2022, even though that it was really because of Nicole Kidman, but, sure, we can let him have his victory lap after Avatar: The Way Of Water made waves in theaters across the globe.

While speaking about the film’s success, Cameron thinks this is just the beginning of the movie theater resurgence. “I’m thinking of it in the terms of we’re going back to theaters around the world,” Cameron told Variety while attending the Golden Globes. He thinks that the time of streaming movies on your iPhone is a thing of the past, and going to theaters will make a huge post-COVID comeback.

The director continued, “They’re even going back to theaters in China where they’re having this big COVID surge. We’re saying as a society, ‘We need this! We need to go to theaters.’ Enough with the streaming already! I’m tired of sitting on my ass.” Of course, Tom Cruise already told us this, but it’s a nice reminder.

Cameron, who frequently loves to bring up asses when talking about his movies for some reason, later clarified that he means that the total immersion aspect of the moviegoing experience can’t be replicated at home because of pesky distractions like phones. Because, in a perfect world, you would be sitting on your ass when watching a movie, for comfort’s sake.

“When we go to the movies we make a deal with ourselves to have undivided attention for a couple of hours,” He explained. “It’s about immersing yourself… choosing to commit to that ahead of time.”

Cameron sure knows a thing or two about committing to things way ahead of time, so he’s the expert on this subject!

(Via Variety)

Shakira is going to release new music later today (January 11) with Bizarrap. When the Colombian superstar was generating buzz yesterday about her upcoming collaboration, her ex Gerard Piqué seemingly responded to the news.

On Monday, a plane was flying with a banner that featured a lyric from Shakira’s collaboration “BZRP Music Session #53” with Bizarrap. In English, the lyric translated to: “A she-wolf like me is not for guys like you.” Shakira hearkened back to her 2009 album She Wolf that featured the iconic title track.

Yesterday, more lyrics from Shakira’s song appeared to surface online. In June of last year, Shakira and Piqué announced their separation. The soccer star reportedly cheated on Shakira, which led to their decision to part ways after over 11 years together. In the supposed lyrics, Shakira sings, “I was too big for you / That’s why you’re with someone just like you / I’m not going back with you anymore, even if you cry or beg me to.”

Piqué has gotten roasted online since the news of his split from Shakira. She continues, “It’s not my fault that they criticize you.” Shakira then appears to evoke some wordplay with Piqué’s name and the Spanish word “salpique.” “I only make music, sorry if you got splashed (salpique),” she adds.

Piqué seemingly responded to the news of Shakira’s song on Twitter. He posted emojis of a circus, a merry-go-round horse, a clown, and a Ferris wheel. Shakira’s fans have responded in the replies to the tweet, calling him “pressed” and “salty” in English and Spanish. Shakira’s “BZRP Music Session #53” with Bizarrap will be released today at 7 p.m. ET.

The Weeknd just celebrated the one-year anniversary of his fifth studio album, Dawn FM, but it looks like a new era may soon be upon us. In a recent interview with The Hollywood Reporter, he revealed that he has begun working on new music.

“I’ve definitely been inspired,” he said. “I’ve been in the studio.”

Earlier in the interview, he shared that this bout of inspiration has been largely in part to being placed on the shortlist for the upcoming Academy Awards. His song, “Nothing Is Lost (You Give Me Strength),” which was used as the theme for Avatar: The Way Of Water.

“I feel honored to be part of that list,” he said. “Any kind of recognition for it feels like a blessing.”

The original Avatar premiered in 2009, which The Weeknd said was a dark time in his life. At the time, he had dropped out of high school and wasn’t sure where his musical endeavors.

“I didn’t know if I was going to be able to live to see tomorrow,” he said. “And I remember I somehow got to see the film in theaters. I don’t know how I got in. It was such an escape from my real life that the film is tattooed in my brain.”

Landing his song in the second movie sure feels like a full-circle moment for the pop star.

Canadian indie pop band Alvvays is the soft rock gift that keeps giving. The group’s latest album, Blue Rev, released in October, is one of the musical act’s best works to date. The 14-track project delivered a bevy of singles, including “Pharmacist,” “Easy On Your Own?,” “Very Online Guy,” and “After the Earthquake.” But the most irresistible single has to be “Belinda Says.”

The band stopped by The Tonight Show starring Jimmy Fallon to perform the fan-favorite song in their late-night show debut. Led by frontwoman Molly Rankin, the Canadian natives delivered an adoring rendition of the song. With Kerri MacLellan on the keys, Alec O’Hanley on guitar, Abbey Blackwell on bass, and Sheridan Riley on drums, Alvvays’ sound was pushed to new heights.

The tribute track to Belinda Carlisle’s “Heaven is a Place on Earth,” both lyrical and sonic (featuring the same tempo and chord progression in the verses), is a flash from the past with instrumentation rooted in the ’80s electric guitar riffs and more. With lyrics, “Moving to the country / Gonna have that baby / Wait tables in town / I know word gets around / Moving to the country / Gonna have this baby,” how could you not be emotionally stunned?

Watch the full performance above.

NPR Music is celebrating its 15th anniversary with a string of live concerts at the 9:30 Club in Washington, D.C., and fortunately for anyone who isn’t located in the capital city, NPR is sharing the performances on YouTube. So far, NPR has tapped names like Amber Mark, Bartees Strange, and Yendry, and the latest addition is masked MC Leikeli47, who put on a glittering, ball-inspired performance that had the crowd voguing like an episode of Drag Race as she blazed through renditions of songs from all three of her albums, including “Wash & Set,” “BITM,” and of course, inescapable hit “Money.”

Last year, Leikeli47 saw roaring success with the release of her third album, Shape Up, which features the singles “Zoom,” “Chitty Bang,” “LL Cool J,” and “BITM,” as her public profile continued to skyrocket in spite of her apparent commitment to anonymity. She popped up on a few film soundtracks, including for the Whitney Houston biopic I Wanna Dance With Somebody, continued to place her songs in trailers and on television (including, yes, the season 15 premiere of the aforementioned Drag Race), and landed on many of the year’s “best of” lists, including Uproxx’s own Best Albums of 2022, all while leading a resurgence of Black presence in electronic and dance music scenes.

Theo James rose to Hollywood fame as a franchise guy (in the Divergent YA adaptation), so it stands to reason that he’s not exactly jumping at the chance to leap back into a tied-down role. He’s also not interested in any “f*cking boring” characters, which is not to say that James Bond is boring. Played out in his ongoing incarnation, though? Perhaps. James visited with Jess Cagle for SiriusXM, and The White Lotus flasher waved away any rumors that he could be the next James Bond.

Those are not new rumors for many actors. Aaron Taylor Johnson seems to be a distinct possibility for 007 after Daniel Craig went onto more varied pastures, including portraying the delightful Benoit Blanc for Rian Johnson. As for James, he firmly believes that some reinvention is in order:

“You know, I honestly think with the, I’m a big fan of, of this, the concept of it. And I love, you know, Casino Royale. I love some of the Sean Connery movies, but I think they need to do something else. Do you know what I mean? They need to really go with a, a reinvention of it in a different way and that wouldn’t be me.”

What could work as a reinvention? I’m guessing that Henry Cavill would qualify if he still wore his Geralt of Rivia wigs. Admit it, the people would show up for that kind of take. However, Cavill seems incredibly busy these days despite leaving The Witcher and closing the door (although not by his choice) on Superman. And it won’t be Theo James! Hmm, let them hire Jason Momoa. That’d be a reinvention, and he works in everything.

(Via Sirius XM)

The Indiana Pacers weren’t projected as the worst team in the Eastern Conference this season but, in the eyes of many, the Pacers were in that discussion. Indiana entered the campaign with an over/under win total in the low-to-mid 20’s and, after a 25-win performance in 2021-22, that modest projection didn’t seem to be totally out of line. The Pacers then started the 2022-23 campaign with a 1-4 record and were off the radar for most casual observers. Since then, Indiana is 22-14 and the Pacers are a blistering 8-2 in the last ten games.

Over the last two weeks, Indiana’s only loss came on the road in overtime against the Philadelphia 76ers, and the Pacers continue to be rock-solid on offense. Indiana is scoring more than 1.17 points per possession in the last ten games, with Tyrese Haliburton leading the way with 22.7 points on 50.6 percent shooting and 44.6 percent from three-point distance. Haliburton also leads the NBA in total assists (402) and assists per game (10.3) for the full season, producing a career-high 20.3 points per game and operating with sky-high efficiency, including a 61.4 percent true shooting mark. His performance doesn’t entirely explain Indiana’s team-wide showing, but Haliburton’s ascent to at least fringe stardom is a fantastic building block for the franchise.

Haliburton is flanked by a pair of quality veterans in Myles Turner and Buddy Hield, both of whom have been in trade conversations for months but remain on the roster. Turner is a splendid defensive anchor, while Hield is scorching-hot from the perimeter right now, shooting almost 54 percent from three over the 8-2 stretch. A deeper look does indicate that the Pacers may be due for some regression, though, and just how much the team’s performance dips will be the determining factor in next steps.

Indiana has been incredibly resilient, leading the NBA with 11 wins in games after trailing by double figures. The Pacers are also 16-10 in games featuring what NBA.com describes as “clutch” situations, and Indiana is outscoring opponents by nearly 16 points per 100 possessions in those situations. As such, Indiana’s win-loss record is more impressive than its underlying metrics, and the good folks at Cleaning The Glass indicate that the Pacers have won 3.1 games more than expected from the team’s point differential, the second-largest gap in the league.

In the end, the Pacers may be over-performing their overall quality, but Indiana is already two wins from reaching last season’s win total of 25, which is wild when considering the team has played only half of its 82-game slate. In addition, Indiana is essentially a coin flip to make the playoffs, per FiveThirtyEight, and that is a fantastic story by all accounts.

How high are the Pacers in this week’s DIME power rankings? Let’s find out.

1. Memphis Grizzlies (27-13, Last week — 2nd)

We have a new No. 1 this week, even when acknowledging the margins are very slim at the top right now. Memphis has the longest winning streak (seven) in the NBA, pushing the Grizzlies into a tie for the Western Conference lead. With a home game against the lowly Spurs on Wednesday, that run projects as likely to continue.

2. Boston Celtics (29-12, Last week — 4th)

Boston’s bizarre blowout loss to Oklahoma City last week prompted a dip, but the climb is happening again. The Celtics have the NBA’s best record and had a huge road win over the previously scorching Mavericks this week. It should be noted that the offense has fallen off after an unreal start, but there is no denying Boston’s season-long profile right now.

3. Denver Nuggets (27-13, Last week — 3rd)

Denver continues to roll, winning 13 of the last 16 games. The Nuggets are tied with the Grizzlies at the top of the West, and Nikola Jokic has at least nine assists in 11 of the last 12 games. That is preposterous for any player, much less a center who is also averaging 25.8 points and 11.8 rebounds per game over that same sample.

4. Brooklyn Nets (27-13, Last week — 1st)

On performance alone, the Nets should probably be No. 1 right now. Brooklyn has won 18 of the last 20 games, including two strong road wins over the weekend. However, we’re splitting the difference due to the reality that Kevin Durant will miss the next few weeks with a knee injury. Brooklyn obviously isn’t the same team without Durant, and we’ll see how they hold up.

5. Philadelphia 76ers (25-15, Last week — 5th)

Joel Embiid missed more than a week before returning on Tuesday. In 24 (!) minutes of action, he scored 36 points and grabbed 11 rebounds in a blowout win over Detroit. The 76ers are also 13-3 in the last 16 games, and Embiid has at least 35 points in five of his last six games.

6. Milwaukee Bucks (26-14, Last week — 7th)

The Bucks were randomly blasted by the Hornets (at home) on Friday in a game that was such an outlier that it’s almost worth ignoring. Milwaukee responded with a road win over the Knicks, and the Bucks are at least staying afloat without Khris Middleton. It helps to have Giannis and a great defense.

7. Cleveland Cavaliers (26-16, Last week — 8th)

Cleveland is in the middle of a five-game trip through the West, and the Cavs are only 1-2 so far. That isn’t great for a potential contender, of course, but both losses were competitive and the Cavs have beaten the Suns twice in the last week.

8. Indiana Pacers (23-18, Last week — 12th)

This might be as high as the Pacers climb all season. Part of that is the team’s schedule is tough this week with road games in New York and Milwaukee sandwiched around home tests against Atlanta and Memphis.

9. New Orleans Pelicans (25-16, Last week — 9th)

The Pelicans have lost four of six and New Orleans has to face the Celtics on the road on Wednesday. That isn’t the best recipe even in the best circumstances, but it’s even less exciting with Brandon Ingram and Zion Williamson both on the shelf with injuries. Ingram hasn’t played since the end of November.

10. Dallas Mavericks (23-19, Last week — 6th)

I guess we cursed the Mavericks. Dallas was featured in this space a week ago and promptly went 1-3 over the next seven days. The Mavs have three games left on a five-game trip, and the first is a TNT showdown against the Lakers on Thursday.

11. Miami Heat (22-20, Last week — 11th)

Miami made 40 free throws on Wednesday, which is a lot in any situation. The Heat also made 40 free throws… while attempting 40 free throws. That’s a new NBA record, and it’s just another way for Miami to remain frisky despite a weirdly middling season to this point. They just never go away.

12. New York Knicks (22-19, Last week — 13th)

This feels high for the Knicks, but there is a morass in the middle. New York’s four-game winning streak was snapped on Monday, but a narrow loss to Milwaukee isn’t grounds to drop in the pecking order.

13. Minnesota Timberwolves (20-21, Last week — 24th)

No team can match the “all over the place” nature of the Wolves. In only half of a season, Minnesota has eight (!) different streaks of at least three wins or losses consecutively. This time, it’s a four-game winning streak and a big jump in the rankings. Perhaps Rudy Gobert coming alive can bring some more stability in the Twin Cities.

14. Los Angeles Lakers (19-22, Last week — 19th)

Los Angeles is 17-12 in the last 29 games and 5-1 in the last six. The Lakers did have a winning streak stop on Monday (without LeBron) in Denver, but a five-game homestand begins on Thursday. Things are pretty positive, all things considered.

15. Sacramento Kings (21-18, Last week — 17th)

It would be difficult to construct an easier schedule for a week than what the Kings have coming in the next seven days. Sacramento has Houston twice at home and then a trip to San Antonio with a day between. Nothing is guaranteed, but the Kings should at least be able to maintain their upward trajectory.

16. L.A. Clippers (22-21, Last week — 16th)

The Clippers were going to tumble until a double-digit win over Dallas on Tuesday. L.A. still isn’t playing very well (and Paul George hasn’t played for a week), but that was a good and helpful win on multiple levels.

17. Phoenix Suns (21-21, Last week — 15th)

Title contenders don’t usually lose nine of 11 games. Granted, Phoenix operated most of that stretch without Devin Booker, and the Suns did beat the Warriors on the road on Tuesday. Things don’t get easier either, as the Suns travel to Denver, Minnesota, and Memphis over the next six days.

18. Golden State Warriors (20-21, Last week — 10th)

Until this week, the Warriors did a tremendous job holding down the fort without Stephen Curry. Then, Golden State lost at home to Detroit and Orlando. If you scroll down, you’ll find the Pistons and Magic, and that speaks for itself. Still, Curry returned on Tuesday, and that is the most important thing.

19. Atlanta Hawks (19-21, Last week — 26th)

Atlanta still isn’t firing on all cylinders, but the Hawks managed to post a 2-2 mark on a California road trip. That is a small win for an otherwise struggling team, but the Hawks are still facing some uncertainty following a summer of “win now” momentum and a sub-.500 record.

20. Chicago Bulls (19-22, Last week — 22nd)

It was a good week for the Bulls, even if it ended in a loss. Chicago lost in Boston on Monday, but three straight wins came before that minor hiccup. The schedule is also quite favorable in the next week or two for the Bulls, with some optimism creeping back in after a frustrating start.

21. Utah Jazz (21-23, Last week — 21st)

The Jazz are just 11-20 after a blazing, 11-3 start, and Utah’s defense is quite shaky. The Jazz are third-worst in the NBA in defensive rating over that lengthy sample, and gone are the days when Utah was seen as a potential buyer on the market. It seems like sell or nothing at this point, even as the Jazz are still in the play-in mix on paper.

22. Toronto Raptors (18-23, Last week — 25th)

Everyone is talking about the Raptors with the trade deadline looming, and that is the nature of an oddly constructed team with an 18-23 record. Toronto gets a boost here after back-to-back wins, but there is a great deal of uncertainty, both in the short term and the long term.

23. Orlando Magic (16-26, Last week — 23rd)

Monday’s 25-point loss in Sacramento wasn’t great, but Orlando showed some resilience in beating Portland on the road the next night. The highs are pretty high for the Magic, even if the lows are also pretty low. Also, Orlando is kind of in its own tier from a net rating perspective, with the Magic at -3.6 and the closest teams sitting at -6.5 (Charlotte) and -1.5 (Washington).

24. Oklahoma City Thunder (18-23, Last week — 18th)

The Thunder were on the wrong end of Miami’s 40-free throw eruption on Tuesday, but OKC was right in that game. It’s not really the fault of the Thunder that they are this low in the rankings, because OKC has overachieved compared to any rational expectation.

25. Portland Trail Blazers (19-21, Last week — 14th)

Trouble in Portland? The Blazers are 3-9 in the last 12 games, including four straight losses. All three wins came by double-figures, meaning Portland’s metrics don’t look awful in that sample, but a home loss to Orlando on Tuesday sounded some alarms.

26. Washington Wizards (17-24, Last week — 20th)

Washington’s roller coaster continues. The Wizards lost 10 in a row in late November and early December before winning six of the next seven. Now, Washington has lost three in a row by a combined 47 points. It’s an odd situation.

27. San Antonio Spurs (13-28, Last week — 27th)

The Spurs were already dead-last in the NBA in net rating and defensive rating. Now, they’ll be without Devin Vassell for an indefinite period of time after a knee procedure, and San Antonio’s outlook is even more bleak without him.

28. Charlotte Hornets (11-31, Last week — 28th)

On Friday, the Hornets beat the Bucks by 29 points on the road. That was one of the more shocking results of the season, but Charlotte continues to scuffle overall. For example, the Hornets are 4-16 in the last 20 games.

29. Detroit Pistons (11-33, Last week — 29th)

Detroit handed Golden State its third home loss of the season to begin this week, and that is a nice win even without Stephen Curry. The Pistons lost the next three by double figures, though, including a 31-point beatdown at the hands of the Sixers on Tuesday.

30. Houston Rockets (10-30, Last week — 30th)

The Rockets have exactly one (1) win in the last four weeks. Houston is on a seven-game losing streak with a 1-12 mark in the last 13 games. Since mid-December, the Rockets have been terrible on both ends of the floor by the numbers, including a -10.4 net rating, and Houston begins a four-game California road trip on Wednesday. It’s pretty dire.

Ahead of this year’s Grammys, the Recording Academy and the Black Music Collective unveiled the recipients of the 2023 Global Impact Awards. The annual honors are going to Dr. Dre, Missy Elliott, Lil Wayne, and Epic Records CEO Sylvia Rhone for their “personal and professional achievements in the music industry.”

“I am so thrilled to honor and celebrate these four giants in the music industry,” Recording Academy’s CEO, Harvey Mason Jr., shared in a statement. “Last year’s inaugural event was such a highlight during GRAMMY Week and now with Dre, Missy, Wayne, and Sylvia there to pay tribute to this year, it’s definitely going to be another night to remember. I continue to be proud of the work of our Black Music Collective as it’s a vital part of what we do here at the Academy.”

The Recording Academy first launched the initiative last year with John Legend, MC Lyte, D-Nice, and the record label Love Renaissance as the first winners.

This year’s four winners will receive their trophies onstage at the Hollywood Palladium on February 2. Grammy nominee Adam Blackstone will serve as the musical director for the Global Impact honor.

The event serves as one of the many celebrations during Grammy Week, ahead of music’s biggest award night airing on February 5 from Los Angeles’ Crypto.com Arena.

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