Category: News

Before football fans everywhere learned of Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin, he had founded a brand and non-profit organization — both named Chasing Millions. One of his clothing designs boasted the phrase, “Love Me B4 They All Do.” The 24-year-old Pittsburgh native never could have imagined that he’d become a household name by suffering cardiac arrest on the field during the first quarter of last week’s Monday Night Football matchup between the Bills and Cincinnati Bengals, and Hamlin probably prefers it didn’t happen this way, but he also doesn’t intend to waste his newfound platform.

Since last week, Hamlin’s annual Chasing M’s toy drive has received over $8.5 million in donations as he slowly recovers in the ICU at the UC Medical Center in Cincinnati. By Thursday, January 5, Hamlin had awoken and “demonstrated that he appears to be neurologically intact.” The doctors caring for him held a press conference later in the day and additionally relayed that Hamlin had been able to communicate via written word, and the first thing he did was ask, “Did we win?”

Hamlin’s lungs were healed enough to have his breathing tube removed on Friday, January 6, allowing him to FaceTime his Bills teammates and tell them he loved them. The following day, Hamlin soaked up love from Meek Mill and Michael Rubin — like Hamlin, they’re known for their philanthropic efforts — on Saturday, January 7. Rubin tweeted that the call “made my year.”

The NFLPA separately shared an Instagram Reel recapping all of the league-wide tributes, appropriately soundtracked by Meek Mill’s “Hot” featuring Moneybagg Yo and reposted by Meek to his Instagram Story.

Saturday also saw Hamlin post his first public messages since the near-fatal event, which continued into Sunday, January 8, when the Bills defeated the New England Patriots in their regular-season finale. Hamlin watched the game from his hospital bed. He announced newly designed “Did We Win?” tees, with the proceeds going toward first responders and the UC Trauma Center.

See some of Hamlin’s recent posts below.

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

Keeping up with new music can be exhausting, even impossible. From the weekly album releases to standalone singles dropping on a daily basis, the amount of music is so vast it’s easy for something to slip through the cracks. Even following along with the Uproxx recommendations on a daily basis can be a lot to ask, so every Monday we’re offering up this rundown of the best new music this week.

This week saw Drake bless the new year with a feature and Quavo mourn a tragic loss. Yeah, it was a great week for new music. Check out the highlights below.

For more music recommendations, check out our Listen To This section, as well as our Indie Mixtape and Pop Life newsletters. Also find our Uproxx HQ Spotify playlist, which is updated weekly with the best new music, at the end of this post.

Popcaan — “We Caa Done” Feat. Drake

Drake had a massive 2022 with both Honestly, Nevermind and Her Loss, but here in the first days of 2023, he’s not taking his foot off the gas. Popcaan and Drake blessed the first new music Friday of the year with “We Caa Done,” a warm new dancehall tune that comes with a Kevin Durant-featuring video.

Quavo — “Without You”

The last few months have been tough for Migos and associates after the November death of Takeoff. Offset and Quavo have offered occasional looks at how they’ve been doing since that tragic day, and now Quavo has done so through music via “Without You,” on which he grieves, “Tears rolling down my eyes / Can’t tell you how many times I cried / Days ain’t the same without you.”

Skrillex, Fred Again.., and Flowdan — “Rumble”

In terms of albums, the last we heard from Skrillex was his 2014 debut album Recess. That was about nine years ago now, but he’s getting ready to drop a new project this year. He previewed it last week with “Rumble,” a brief team-up with Fred Again.. and Flowdan. But that’s not all…

Skrillex, PinkPantheress, and Trippie Redd — “Way Back”

…as he also came through with another collaboration, a team-up with PinkPantheress and Trippie Redd dubbed “Way Back.” It’s another quick-hitter, a two-minute tune that is carried by PinkPantheress’ serene verse over a gentle-but-rapid-fire instrumental.

Ice Spice — “In Ha Mood”

Ice Spice ended 2022 as one of the hottest emerging rappers in the game and now she starts 2023 by keeping up the intrigue with another new drop, “In Ha Mood.” Uproxx’s Alex Gonzalez notes of the tune, “Complete with a drill beat and R&B-sounding vocal samples, Ice maintains a fiery flow throughout, as she reiterates her confidence.”

2KBaby — “Don’t Love Me Now” Feat. Charlieonnafriday

Speaking of rising rappers, 2KBaby also started out the year with some heat, linking up with Charlieonnafriday on “Don’t Love Me Now.” On the song, as Uproxx’s Alex Gonzalez notes, Baby “teams up with singer Charlieonafriday to address his doubters, haters, and naysayers, noting that he made it this far without their support.”

French Montana and DJ Drama — “The Oath” Feat. Chinx

After the holiday new music lull, it usually takes a minute for the music world to get some momentum going again. French Montana got things going last week, though, with the collaborative DJ Drama mixtape Coke Boys 6. Tragically, the release was overshadowed by a shooting on his music video set that reportedly had ten victims.

Russ — “Put You On Game”

More than most rappers, Russ has done a terrific job at forging his own path and making things happen for himself. So, aspiring MCs would be served by listening to his advice, of which he has plenty on “Put You On Game“: “Lemme put you on game / Don’t listen to people who lose, or you’ll do the same / Stop talkin’ to people who don’t give a f*ck what you say / Stop spendin’ your money on weed, go hop on a plane / Stop pointin’ the finger and start takin’ some of the blame.”

Queen Naija — “Let’s Talk About It”

Let’s leave f*ckboys behind in 2022. That seems to be a stance Queen Naija can get behind, anyway, like on her new song, “Let’s Talk About It.” She says on the track, “Always think you know it all / You don’t know what’s best for you / Why you scared of therapy? / Probably can’t accept the truth,” and the video is even more direct.

White Reaper — “Pink Slip”

In a recent interview, White Reaper’s Tony Esposito told Uproxx of the band’s upcoming album Asking For A Ride, “There were definitely lots of times when I was like, ‘What’s the point of even doing this?’ Like, as soon as we make a decision, we’re going to get some email that’s going to blow everything up and push it back another month. And that just happened time and time again. Like I said, it was dark times there for a minute, but I’m glad that we stuck it out and finished, because it feels great now.”

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

This Friday, January 13, Miley Cyrus is set to release “Flowers.” That’s the lead single from her recently announced upcoming album, Endless Summer Vacation. She clearly has a lot on her plate, but she still has to take care of everyday to-do’s, like hopping in the shower and getting clean. So, she multi-tasked: In a new “Flowers” teaser video shared today (January 9), Cyrus rinses off in the shower as she sings the song, unaccompanied except by the sound of water, for about half a minute.

The post also notes the song’s international release times: It’ll be out in New York on January 12 at 7 p.m. local time; in LA on the 12th at 4 p.m.; in Sydney, Australia on January 13 at 11 a.m.; and in London, England on the 13th at midnight.

Per press materials, Endless Summer Vacation was recorded in Los Angeles with producers Kid Harpoon, Greg Kurstin, Mike WiLL Made-It, and Tyler Johnson. Materials also described the LP as a “very personal body of work” and noted, “2023 finds Miley the strongest and most confident she’s ever been, with the music and imagery of Endless Summer Vacation serving as a reflection of the strength she’s found in focusing on both her physical and mental well-being.”

Endless Summer Vacation is out 3/10 via Columbia. Pre-order it here.

Cancel culture has been a hot topic of discussion for the past few years, and at the same time, cultural appropriation has been one for even longer. Over the weekend, Lizzo connected the two topics in an unexpected way in a tweet that she worried came at “a random time” but felt important enough to her to explain. Calling the current obsession with cancel culture an example of appropriation, the singer broke down how the former changed as its ubiquity grew.

“This may be a random time to say this but it’s on my heart…” she wrote. “Cancel culture is appropriation.” Heading off the knee-jerk reactions she saw coming, she explained, “There was real outrage from truly marginalized people and now it’s become trendy, misused, and misdirected. I hope we can phase out of this & focus our outrage on the real problems.”

Commenters’ reactions varied, with some pointing out a similar parallel in the rise of the misuse of the term “woke.” “You’ve reminded me of how white nationalists have appropriated ‘woke’ to weaponize against the community that the expression hails from, as well,” read one reply. However, others argued against Lizzo’s statement — although it must be noted most of those didn’t really seem to engage with the substance of it.

Lizzo has always been an outspoken voice on sensitive subjects like body image, cultural identity, and community activism. She may have thought it was a “random time” to address her thoughts, but it’s never a bad time to talk about ways to make the world a better, more equitable, kinder place.

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

Olivia Rodrigo’s life forever changed when she uploaded “Drivers License” on January 8, 2021. Her debut single immediately earned praise from Taylor Swift, broke Spotify, spent eight consecutive weeks at No. 1, and won a Grammy. Rodrigo kept her foot on the gas with Sour, her debut album that released in May 2021 that also generated even more No. 1 posterity.

And on Sunday, January 8, Rodrigo marked the two-year “Drivers License” anniversary by doubling down on how psyched she is to show her fans her continued growth. The 19-year-old shared a black-and-white video to her Instagram Story with the text, “working on so many new songs I’m excited to show u! thank u for everything.” In the snippet, Rodrigo is seated at the piano next to Dan Nigro, one of her Sour producers.

This isn’t the first time Rodrigo has slyly drummed up anticipation for her next era. In August, she shared a selfie with Nigro from the studio. Once “Spotify Wrapped” hit in late November, she thanked her top listeners by way of a pre-recorded video message.

“Hey, it’s Olivia! I just wanted to say thank you so much for listening to my music this year,” she said. “[I] really, truly couldn’t be more grateful, and I’m so excited for next year and all of the new things and the new music that 2023 will bring. So I’m sending so much love your way, and thank you again. Bye!”

As part of our list of January K-pop releases to look out for, Secret Agents SF9 has finally arrived. And, boy, they couldn’t have come any sooner.

Kicking the year off for FNC Entertainment, and just fresh off their US tour, SF9 is back with their twelfth EP, The Piece Of9. Coinciding with the drop yesterday (January 8), the seven-member male ensemble unveiled the music video to their lead single “Puzzle.”

Just as what you may think from the song title, the spy-themed music video captures the group on a mission to solve a puzzle as secret agents. In a compilation of scenes containing smooth moves, suave looks, and alluring vocals, SF9 is out to chase the suspect to their mystery, and, perhaps, your heart, too. The lyrics deliver the message of suspecting someone (or a significant other) of betrayal and lies, and creating ongoing alibis.

“Puzzle” was produced by member Zuho and was co-written by him and Hwiyoung.

The Piece Of9 is the 12th EP SF9 has released under FNC Entertainment. The EP consists of six tracks, most of which credit various members of SF9 as lyricists.

Check out the tracklist to The Piece Of9 below.

1. “Puzzle”
2. ”Love Colour”
3. ”New World”
4. ”Fighter”
5. ”Tight”
6. ”Stay With Me”

Amid a wave of rave reviews from critics and audiences, M3GAN blew past its box office projections to bring in a $35 million box office haul for its opening weekend. Granted, Avatar: The Way of Water still maintained the top spot, M3GAN’s box office is the stuff franchises are made of, but first, horror producer James Wan wants to set the record straight about him being the “killer doll” guy.

“It’s funny, I really hadn’t done that yet,” Wan told Deadline. “In my previous doll movies — they don’t kill anyone. Annabelle never gets up and walks around. Everyone says I’m the killer doll guy. So I said, I’m going to make a killer doll movie for a brand new generation. Today’s kids didn’t grow up with Chucky like we did.”

Well, the next Chucky might have finally arrived in the form of M3GAN, which is connecting with audiences thanks to Wan’s decision to steer clear of one of the horror genre’s biggest tropes:

“M3GAN plays on a lot of different levels: It’s scary, creepy, touching and emotional at the same time,” Wan says, “We wanted to lean into something more technology-driven as opposed to supernatural.”

It also didn’t hurt that M3GAN had an aggressive marketing strategy that capitalized on the murder doll’s creepy dancing to turn her into a TikTok sensation. “When you see that team get excited about a movie, they pull out all the stops,” producer Jason Blum said. “When you feel that enthusiasm from marketing as a producer it gives you a warm and fuzzy feeling.”

As for a sequel, Deadline reports that one is “already in early development.”

M3GAN is currently playing in theaters.

(Via Deadline)

There are only 142 restaurants in the world with a coveted three-star rating from Michelin Guide. But even in that rarefied (and pricey) air, there’s one restaurant that stands out above the rest: Noma, which is regularly called the “world’s best restaurant.” If you haven’t been, or if you want to experience the ants-covered shrimp again, better make a reservation now: the Copenhagen, Denmark-based eatery is closing in 2024.

“The decision comes as Noma and many other elite restaurants are facing scrutiny of their treatment of the workers, many of them paid poorly or not at all, who produce and serve these exquisite dishes,” the New York Times reports. “The style of fine dining that Noma helped create and promote around the globe — wildly innovative, labor-intensive and vastly expensive — may be undergoing a sustainability crisis.” Noma chef and founder René Redzepi, who will turn the restaurant into a “full-time food laboratory,” told the Times, “We have to completely rethink the industry. This is simply too hard.”

“It’s unsustainable,” he said of the modern fine-dining model that he helped create. “Financially and emotionally, as an employer and as a human being, it just doesn’t work.”

The timing of Noma’s closure announcement comes less than two weeks after The Menu, a brilliantly-realized satire of the fine-dining industry, was added to HBO Max. This has not gone unnoticed.

You can pay thousands and thousands of dollars to eat at Noma, or you could eat a really good cheeseburger while watching The Menu at home for, like, 20 bucks. I’ll take the burger.

(Via the New York Times)

As noted by Uproxx last month, Matty Healy is “a polarizing man.” The 1975’s At Their Very Best Tour, in support of their Being Funny In A Foreign Language album, has presented plenty of evidence to back that up. Since the North American trek began in early November, Healy has eaten a raw slab of meat, smoked cigarettes on stage, and made out with myriad fans.

The 1975’s At Their Very Best European and UK leg kicked off on Sunday, January 8, in Brighton, and if you thought Healy’s bizarre behavior was reserved for the States, you’d be wrong. As relayed by Metro and captured by Pop Crave, Healy sucked a fan’s thumb after venturing from the stage to the front row.

A Tweeter named Kayleigh is claiming to be the owner of said thumb, even changing her display name to “Kayleigh (Thumb Girl)”:

“He blew a kiss before the thumb thing, no I need him to pay for my therapy right now,” Kayleigh added. That was followed by another tweet, “None of these people on this train know what Matty did to my thumb last night.”

Another alleged attendee shared video of Healy kissing her (with plenty of tongue) while singing “Robbers.”

The 1975 will next perform tonight, January 9, at the Bournemouth International Center, with a show at London’s famed O2 on Thursday, January 12. If you can’t experience Healy’s unhinged performance art in person, live vicariously through Kayleigh (Thumb Girl)’s tweets below.

Last week, SZA kept the SOS train rolling by dropping a different version of the album, including revamped singles “PSA” and “Open Arms.” She also cleared up the phantom rumor that she had beef with Taylor Swift, and ironically enough, SOS now has something in common with Swift’s Midnights: breaking records previously held by Adele.

SOS sits atop the Billboard 200 chart dated January 14, its fourth-straight week at No. 1 since debuting there on December 19. According to Billboard, SZA’s sophomore offering is “the first album by a woman to spend its first four weeks at No. 1 in a year, since Adele’s 30 ruled for its first six weeks (December 4, 2021 through January 8, 2022-dated charts) and is the first album by a woman to have four consecutive weeks at No. 1 since 30‘s six week-run at No. 1.”

When Swift’s Midnights debuted at No. 1 in late October, it moved the most first-week equivalent album units since Adele’s 30 in 2015. (Midnights remains at No. 2 on this week’s chart.)

SOS is also the first R&B album by a woman to have four weeks at No. 1 since February of 2008, when Alicia Keys’ As I Am notched a fourth and final nonconsecutive week atop the list (Feb. 16, 2008),” Billboard additionally relayed. “More strikingly, SOS is the first R&B album by a woman to spend its first four weeks at No. 1 in nearly 30 years, since Janet Jackson’s Janet. ruled for its first six frames (June 5-July 10, 1993).”

The feat is not lost on SZA.

“I don’t have sh*t to say but thank you to God my ancestors my family my team and ALL OF YOU THAT RIDE FOR ME ! ESPECIALLY CAMP [tent emoji]!!” SZA captioned an Instagram post on Sunday, January 8. “Y’all my family too [white heart emoji] we have so much more to come.”

She also tweeted, “4 weeks at number one is INSANE. Thank you God and thank you everyone for riding for me.”

As for what’s still to come, SZA’s teased “Kill Bill” video should drop any day now. Her SOS Tour is slated to kick off on February 21 at the Jerome Schottenstein Center in Columbus, Ohio, with Omar Apollo serving as the opener.