Category: News

In late September, Trevor Noah surprised viewers when — in a special message to viewers — he announced that he would be stepping down as host of The Daily Show after an impressive seven-year run. On Thursday, the sadly anticipated moment arrived when it was time for Noah to sign off for the final time. And… we’re not crying, you are.

The 38-year-old host, with tears in his eyes, shared the challenges he faced when he initially took over the chair that previous host Jon Stewart had occupied for more than 15 years — and used to turn The Daily Show into a true “news” program:

“I remember when we started the show, we couldn’t get enough people to fill an audience… All my shows, there were empty seats. And then I look at this now: I don’t take it for granted, ever. Every seat that has even been filled to watch something that I’m doing, I always appreciate. Because I know the empty seat that sits behind it. So thank you. Thank you to the people who watch, the people who share the clips, everyone who’s had an opinion… Even if it’s a critique. It doesn’t have to be praise, but some people who watch and say, ‘I don’t like it when you do this, but I watch.’ I want to say I appreciate those people. Even the people who hate-watch: We still got the ratings, thank you. I’m eternally grateful to you.”

Noah went on to give a “special shoutout to Black women,” which he said might sound random to some viewers. He admitted that while he’s often praised or given credit for some “grand ideas,” he sees that more as a comment on the Black women who “shaped me, nourished me, and formed me. From my mom, my gran, my aunt — all these Black women in my life. But then in America as well.”

“I always tell people: If you truly want to learn about America, talk to Black women,” Noah continued. “‘Cause, unlike everybody else, Black women cannot afford to f**k around and find out. Black people understand how hard it is when things go bad — especially in America, but any place where Black people exist. Whether it’s Brazil, whether it’s South Africa, wherever it is. When things go bad, Black people know that it gets worse for them. But Black women in particular? They know what sh*t is! Genuinely.”

Ultimately, Noah described his experience as a true “honor.”

You can watch the full clip above.

Snoop Dogg may be a famous rapper, but he’s also a businessman. NFTs, Cannabis onion rings, clothing for pets — he’s doing it all. In August, he announced Snoop Loopz, which he said would have “more corn, more flavor and more marshmallows” than the original. It was going to be done through Broadus Foods, his label with Master P. However, he’s reached a roadblock with this cereal endeavor.

In new videos posted on Master P and Snoop’s Instagram pages, the two revealed that they’re not allowed to use the name Snoop Loopz, explaining that they’ve “disrupted the cereal industry” and made other businesses “uncomfortable and scared.” In a full statement, they wrote:

“So they don’t want us to use Snoop Loopz on our cereal box even though that’s that’s my name. We’ve built a national brand and disrupted the cereal industry, we did it with hard work and integrity. I know they’re uncomfortable and scared. But our mission is to build diversity and economic empowerment. Times have changed. There’s enough room for all of us to be successful. This is bigger than us, we are fighting for the next generation of entrepreneurs. We’re no longer just being consumers, we’re educating the culture building our own brands, and passing down generational wealth. Broadus Foods is all about helping the community. It’s official we’re taking over the breakfast foods industry. They can’t stop us. It’s David versus Goliath. @masterp and I got the slingshot. This is a minor setback for a major comeback. #GodsPlan What do YOU think we should name our new cereal?”

Beyond that, neither has offered specific details about what’s going on with the Snoop Loopz name.

There’s a lot of questions that need answers in The White Lotus season two finale. Whose corpse did Daphne find floating in the ocean? What about the other bodies? Is Tanya being scammed by Quentin? Is Albie being scammed by Lucia? Where is Greg in all this? And the molly-taking piano player? Will Portia retire from wearing bucket hats?

Meghann Fahy, who plays Daphne, didn’t give away any spoilers in an interview with Women’s Wear Daily, but the actress did tease some “surprises” in Sunday’s episode. “I think people are going to be truly shocked. Like sincerely,” Fahy hinted. “Because I was when I read the script. I couldn’t believe it. [It’s a] huge surprise.”

Fahy also discussed Daphne’s not-exactly-platonic relationship with her trainer. “For me, I think she is sort of brazenly hinting at the fact that she may or may not be having an affair with her trainer, and her son may or may not be her trainer’s son. And of course, it’s sort of elusive in the way that the audience really gets to decide what they think,” she said (yeah, no, like everyone on this show, they’re f*cking). “But yeah, I think that she’s basically revealing her private life and what she does that he doesn’t know about.”

One more finale question: will Timothée Chalamet make a cameo to defend himself?

(Via Women’s Wear Daily)

Music releases tend to thin out as the end of the year approaches, but today (December 9), SZA made this a December to remember with S.O.S., her long-awaited new album. Today is also big for Phoebe Bridgers stans, as she features on “Ghost In The Machine.” When that news was revealed a few days ago, SZA couldn’t help but laugh at how positive the reactions were, sharing an audio clip of somebody screaming about it and writing, “Response to having phoebe on the albums been pretty positive lol.”

Bridgers hasn’t publicly said much about the song, although she did post about the track on Instagram this morning, writing simply, “Thank you.” She also shared an edited version of the album cover that added Bridgers to the image.

Elsewhere, a SZA fan listening to S.O.S. tweeted, “you aight white girl @phoebe_bridgers.” Bridgers responded, “no.” Somebody else replied, “beb I don’t think it was a question it was a statement [crying emoji].” Bridgers again answered, “no.”

SZA and Bridgers don’t really have a public history with each other before this collab, although this summer, some fans attending the Outside Lands festival were upset they had to choose between seeing Bridgers and SZA, since their set times overlapped.

Listen to “Ghost In The Machine” above and check out some reactions to the track below.

S.O.S. is out now via Top Dawg Entertainment. Get it here.

There are those who think that SZA looks substantially different now than she did at the start of her career. Naturally, then, the singer has dealt with rumors about her getting A Brazilian butt lift (BBL) and other sorts of plastic surgery for years. Now, it appears she’s addressed all the talk on her just-released new album, S.O.S..

On the project’s title track, SZA says, “So classic, that ass so fat, it look natural, it’s not.” Later, at the start of “Conceited,” she sings, “I just got my body done, ain’t got no guilt about it / I just heard your opinion, I could’ve did without it.”

One thing SZA has talked about previously is her relationship with weight loss, like in 2017 when she defended Kendrick Lamar’s “Humble” lyrics about stretch marks. She said, “How is that misogyny if he’s supporting positive body image? I think that’s so weird, and it’s reaching. If you want to support women, you should support all shapes of women. I used to be 200 pounds, and I have stretch marks all over my body. I find more comfort and solace with Kendrick reinforcing that I’m beautiful. I don’t really feel anything misogynistic from that.”

Listen to “S.O.S.” and “Conceited” below.

S.O.S. is out now via Top Dawg Entertainment. Get it here.

If you’re one to lurk through Twitter trends, then you may have seen or come across the ‘#SaveKPOPBroadway’ hashtag floating around.

The trending hashtag originated from the heartbreaking news on the abrupt closing of KPOP the Broadway musical made on Tuesday evening (December 6). Since then, the cast — consisting of in real life K-pop stars Kevin Woo (former U-KISS), Min (former Miss A), Luna (former f(x)), Bohyung (former SPICA) — and crew, alongside the K-pop and Asian-American Pacific Islander community, have expressed their passion and determination to keep the show alive through their respective social platforms.

“Our show is so important to stay on Broadway!” Kevin Woo, who plays a member of fictional boy group F8, tweets. “It brings more diverse, newer, and younger audiences to live theatre. We NEED this to continue to open doors for so many more talented AAPI artists to come. This show needs to be seen by many more audiences.”

Since Tuesday’s announcement, the show’s curtain calls have been filled with love and emotions from the audience as cast members express their never-ending gratitude towards the audience present.

“Growing up as an Asian theatre kid, you never think a show like this could exist,” Amy Keum says. “But it does. And it’s here! It deserves more.”

KPOP has become a vital part in not only showing the different dynamics of K-pop and the spectacle behind it, but bringing representation and diversity in the Broadway space, pushing boundaries and making history for the Asian and Asian-American communities alike.

Created by Korean-American writer and producer Jason Kim, with music by the first female Asian composer on Broadway Helen Park, KPOP is the first Broadway production that showcases Korean culture and K-pop. The musical’s casting and storytelling are a complete standout as it conveys what being a part of the K-pop industry is like from the perspective of both Korean and Korean-American K-pop stars who are either part of a girl group, boy group, or solo.

Just like how the premise of the musical is about K-pop solidifying its role as a global phenomenon through showcasing various K-pop acts making it out west, KPOP the musical itself, though short-lived, has already cemented history on its own in the hearts of many to those who’ve come across it.

The musical officially opened its Broadway doors on November 27 and has held 44 preview performances prior to and 17 regular shows to date.

KPOP will hold its final show on Sunday, December 11 at Circle in the Square on Broadway. All tickets for the upcoming shows are reportedly sold out, but eager attendees can be on the lookout on the musical’s official site.

In a year where departures and disbandments are happening left and right in the industry, another shocking leave has left the K-pop community speechless.

Today (December 9), JYP Entertainment has announced the departure of NMIXX member Jinni. Though no further details were given, the statement released on the K-pop group‘s official bulletin board mentioned the termination of her exclusive contract with the company and her leave was due to personal reasons.

Check out JYP Entertainment’s official statement, with translations provided by Soompi, below:

“Hello, this is JYP Entertainment.

Jinni, who has been a member of NMIXX up until now, will be leaving the group due to personal circumstances, and her exclusive contract has been terminated.

We apologize for giving many fans cause for concern with this sudden news.

As a result, we are letting you know that NMIXX will be carrying out all of their future scheduled activities as a six-member group.

We ask that you give lots of encouragement to Jinni, who will be walking a new path, and we also ask that NSWER [NMIXX’s fans] give their warm support to the six members who will continue to grow and race towards their dreams.

Once again, we apologize to the fans who have given [NMIXX] so much support.

Thank you.”

NMIXX made their debut earlier this year (February 2, 2022) originally as a seven-member ensemble consisting of members, Lily, Haewon, Sullyoon, Bae, Jiwoo, Kyujin, and Jinni. The group has successfully released two EPs — AD MARE and ENTWURF — both of which are available on all streaming platforms. And just a few weeks ago, NMIXX released their Christmas-themed single “Funky Glitter Christmas.”

The young JYP girl group will now continue with six members.

It may be a while before we hear SZA’s remix to Lizzo’s “Special,” but her new album, SOS, features a song of her own called “Special.”

On “Special,” SZA looks back not-so-fondly on lost love. She recalls the many things she changed about herself in order to please this person.

The song opens with a sweet, simple strum of a guitar, as she recalls comparing herself to a “girl from the Gucci store” who “never wore any makeup and owns couture.”

As the song reaches the song’s chorus, SZA sings, “I wish I was special / I gave all my special / away to a loser / Now I’m just a loser.”

Though there’s no direct or clear sample, the song sounds similar to Radiohead‘s “Creep,” notably the song’s pre-chorus, on which, Thom Yorke sings, “I wish I was special / You’re so f*ckin’ special.”

Both songs are somewhat self-deprecating in nature, but SZA is aware that the song’s subject wasn’t worth her time. Lyrics like “regret that I changed me / I hate that you made me / just like you” show SZA’s reaching a coming-of-age in her early 30s, moving on from the insecurities she lamented in her debut album, CTRL.

Check out “Special” above.

SOS is out now via RCA Records and Top Dawg Entertainment. Stream it here.

Over the course of the past year, NLE Choppa has put out several bangers. From the Rose Royce-sampling “Do It Again,” to “Ice Spice,” which features his shouting out the namesake Bronx rapper, Choppa is proving to have the Midas touch in the booth. On his newest single, “I Like,” Choppa reaps the fruits of his labor.

On the song’s chorus, the Memphis rapper lists off several of the things that bring him joy, including, “cars that go vroom vroom,” “money that go ching-ching,” and “diamonds that go bling bling.”

The accompanying video sees Choppa throwing a very wild house party, complete with a basketball throwdown, champagne popping, and twerking by the swimming pool.

Back in January, Choppa spoke with The Breakfast Club about meditation and how its helped him in his spiritual journey.

“I feel like when you blow up, you get introduced to drugs, jewelry, money, sex. Everything that you want, but nothing you need. And I just realized, internally it was something I needed deeper than that, that my soul was happy with.” Choppa said. “I was at my lowest.”

This week, he took to Twitter announcing a big milestone he’s reached in his transformation.

“At my final stage of detachment,” Choppa said. “Proud to say this some of y’all last year knowing me, EVER.”

Check out the video for “I Like” above.

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

Dove Cameron is back with another pop banger in the form of “Girl Like Me.” Produced by Evan Blair, the sultry fast-paced anthem proves she isn’t playing around. By the time the electric guitar enters after the first chorus, if you weren’t already hooked, you will be.

“Handsome, there ain’t nothing sexy ’bout a tantrum / And I’m not even here I’m just a phantom / I know I’m putting you on the spot / What do you think, you’re ready or not?” Cameron sings in the second verse.

“You’ve never met a girl like me before,” she notes on the chorus.

Cameron first teased the song in March on TikTok, creating anticipation among fans. According to Genius, it also interpolates Edwyn Collins’ “A Girl Like You.” She was first inspired by the song after hearing it in Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle.

“I was like, ‘Oh my god, it would be so fun to cover on tour.’ And we were like, ‘What if we just flip the narrative? What if we just said, ‘You’ve ever met a girl like me before’?” Cameron told People Magazine.

On the heels of her massive 2022 hit, “Boyfriend,” and other singles, “Bad Idea” and “Breakfast,” it appears Cameron might be gearing up for a debut studio album. From what we’ve heard so far, it certainly won’t disappoint — even if it’s completely new songs.

Listen to Dove Cameron’s new song “Girl Like Me” above.