Category: News

Wizkid has been hyping up the release of More Love, Less Ego with charismatic music videos, enticing singles, and revealing the collaborators, which include Arya Starr, Skepta, Sheneesa, Don Toliver, and more. The album is finally out today, and fans are reacting with pure excitement and appreciation.

The responses to More Love, Less Ego have proved that the record was worth the wait. There are lots of goat emojis. One fan wrote, “Instead of going for straight hits or bangers, WIZKID has gone for serious melodies, catchy hooks, incredible beats and sexy lyrics. He went for replay factor of quality music over flashy & glossy records. master stroke #WizKid #MoreLoveLessEgo #mlle.”

One user wrote that “other artists should learn from Wizkid, the art of making an album” when it comes to “productions, song arrangement, target audience, features & marketing.”

“Nah, Wizkid’s More Love, Less Ego album is full of so much good vibes,” another shared. “Man created a really beautiful project!”

Find more tweets about the More Love, Less Ego below, including some quality memes. It’s a good thing fans are enjoying the album considering the singer is set to headline New York’s iconic Madison Square Garden in just a few days.

In The Fabelmans, Seth Rogen plays a huge part of whatever therapy Seven Spielberg is going through with this film, and Spielberg has admitted making this movie was very much a therapy session. As Bennie, Rogen has a tough task here, playing a fictionalized version of a man that a young Spielberg looked up to as a friend and uncle-type figure in his life. As Rogen states, the real man was well-liked by everyone and the life of the party. But the real man is also a big reason why his parents divorced — he had an affair with his mother (here played by Michelle Williams as Mitzi Fabelman), which eventually led to her leaving Spielberg’s father (played by Paul Dano as Burt Fabelman).

It’s got to be a little daunting to try to get inside the head of the world’s most famous director. How do you even play this character? Would Spielberg want him to come off as a villain? A clown? Instead, what’s interesting is Rogen’s interpretation comes off with compassion. As an audience, we like Bennie and feel compassion for him. And Bennie is portrayed as truly loving Sammy Fabelman (Gabriel LaBelle), the avatar for young Steven Spielberg himself.

There’s one scene in particular that stands out. Bennie buys Sammy a camera to make movies, but Sammy refuses the gift. It slowly hits Bennie that Sammy has figured out what’s going on and from this point forward they aren’t going to have much of a relationship. It’s a powerful and heartbreaking scene where we certainly understand both of the reactions here, and Bennie realizes whatever he has to say to Sammy, he better say it now. (I tend to think that however this scene played out in real life, it informed how Bennie was to be depicted in this film.)

Ahead, Rogen tells us how he wound up in a Spielberg movie in the first place, which, yes, came as a surprise. And then, on top of that, how do you get inside the head of the most famous director on Earth making the most personal movie of his career? But, first, for my own benefit, I had to clear up a misunderstanding I knew Rogen might not, in any way, remember.

You’re not going to remember this, but I need to clear this up for my own sanity. Remember the party for Bros at the Toronto Film Festival?

Yes. Of course.

So, you were talking to my friend, I think about dogs…

Alright.

My friend was like, “Come over and talk to Seth Rogen.” It was late and I was tired and I said, “Ah… I don’t have anything to say to Seth Rogan.” I could think of no worse thing for you to have to deal with me trying to come up with a conversation.

[Laughs] Okay…

But I think I said it too loud and you looked at me right when I said your name. And I think you heard it as a kind of angry, “I don’t have anything to say to Seth Rogan.”

I don’t think I heard that. And if I did, I would completely respect someone who thought that.

Like, “That guy can take a long walk…,” that was my fear that’s what you heard.

I’d be like, “That’s a guy who I could relate to.”

The Fabelmans premiere was the next night, so I had no new compliments to offer. I didn’t want to say, “Hey, Long Shot was cool.”

Well, I appreciate it. I only want to talk to people who are in the position to compliment me.

So, how do you wind up in a Spielberg movie? Does he call you?

Yeah. I got a call that he wanted to Zoom with me and this was in the heat of the pandemic. I honestly had no idea what it was about. I thought, maybe, it was about writing something. I’d met with him in the past about maybe writing a movie for Amblin or DreamWorks or something like that at some point. But, no, I honestly had no inclination that it was to be in a film that he was planning on making. He told me that he was writing this very personal movie and that there was a part there that he wanted me to consider and he was like, “Read the script and then we can talk.” And I was like, “I’m probably going to want to do it anyway, but if that makes you feel better….” And I read the script and, lo and behold, yeah, I was enthusiastic about doing it.

I’m trying to imagine you calling him up like, “Sir, I have to pass. I’m sorry.”

[Laughs] Yeah, exactly. “This is garbage.” But yeah, of course I was thrilled to do it. And then I just hung out for a few months as they put the rest of the movie together. I would read the script a lot and I would talk to him every once in a while and he would fill me in on how it was all coming together. And I would ask him a lot of questions about how he filmed from a procedural standpoint. It was a slow several-month march from when I was cast to when we actually started filming.

What seems tough, you are playing a role that’s central to Spielberg’s own childhood being destroyed. But at the same time, you come off as someone I kind of like. Spielberg said at the premiere that it’s been like therapy for him to make this movie. So, I’m assuming he’s working these issues out in his head, too, and that’s got to be a strange position for you to be in.

You know what’s funny? I think coming from comedy, I’m actually used to working with people on deeply personal films and semi-autobiographical ones as well. Judd Apatow, he was very much a proponent of this. So, I actually found it to be familiar in some ways of being a part of scenes that were very much based on real life. What was really a challenge is, a lot of the words used to describe the character by Steven and his sisters and other people who knew the real Bernie was that he was funny and fun-loving and charismatic and loose. And even then, despite how the story plays out, they were all very fond of him! And that was something that I really knew, for the movie to function, that I had to capture with this fun, lighthearted energy that in some ways played counter to Paul Dano. I mean, it’s one of the hardest things to capture in some ways, honestly, because it’s purely allegedly born at a spontaneity. It was something that I knew I had to do well in order to make the entire movie function.

There’s one scene in particular where you buy Sammy an expensive camera to make movies, but Sammy had just put together what was actually going on and you start to realize you’re not going to have much of a relationship with him anymore…

It was tough and I think that was one of my first real days of shooting.

Oh wow. He threw you in there.

We were thrown. We don’t rehearse at all. And what’s also funny is me and Gabe both thought the scene was just going to be us standing there in a parking lot, that’s how it’s written. And then as soon as we arrive, Steven’s like, “No, you’re walking all around and he’s crossing over here and he’s going here and you’re chasing him all around. You’re running across the street.” And it was one those times where you’re like, Oh man, thank God I know this very well because this is not remotely how I imagine this playing out and thank God also that I am an actor who does not cling onto too much of a preconceived notion as to how these things are going to be because it instantly was an incredibly different energy than we were imagining it was going to have.

It was a real exercise in trust and in hoping you did your job well. And I really knew my main job was to overcome my nerves and to make sure I was as comfortable on this set as I am any other set I’m on. And I knew this was going to be one of my first scenes. So, that was a lot of the work I did leading up to shooting. I know by the time, essentially, my first real day of shooting is, I have to be completely at ease and able to deliver what I’m generally able to deliver in the most comfortable of circumstances.

You mentioned in real life they liked this guy. That is the age when it’s like, “Yeah, this guy that’s always around, that’s totally normal that he also moved with us.” But as an adult, there’s obviously something going on.

Yeah, it’s a very unique dynamic. And I did have a lot of questions about the specifics of it and really wanting to understand how he interpreted it…

That’s what I’m wondering. Do you ever feel awkward asking the most famous director on Earth, “Hey, tell me about your personal life?” That sounds like it could be awkward, but you have to know this stuff.

Yeah, a little bit, but we were also invited into that. He made it very clear that’s what it was, so you didn’t feel like you were treading into waters that you were not invited to tread into to some degree. And I would talk to (screenwriter) Tony Kushner a lot. Tony is very easy to talk to. He was on set all day, every single day and I found him to be… I mean, it seems like it goes without saying, but I find Tony Kushner to be a really valuable resource.

That’s my headline, “You wouldn’t believe what Seth Rogan had to say about Tony Kushner.”

[Laughs] Yeah. Hot take! But he’s someone that is, if there was ever something that maybe I was like, maybe Steven doesn’t want to talk about this, in my head, I was like, maybe Tony has had the very long version of this conversation already and then I could just have it with him and he could explain to me how they arrived at where they arrived. And that’s an exercise I would do with Tony a lot obviously. “Kushner, just explain to me why this scene is the way it is in as simple terms as you can. What is this? How would you describe this scene to someone?” And hearing Tony just describe it often was like, “Okay, I get it. Exactly what the subtext is, what the text is, how much is meant to shine through versus how much is meant to be concealed.” I think those were the types of conversations that I would have with Tony a lot.

I’ve noticed you haven’t really tweeted since Elon Musk took over Twitter. I’m wondering if you’ve silently quit.

No, not really. Honestly, there was just a day last week where I was like, “Oh, I received more antisemitic vitriol on Twitter than I had in the past decade combined,” and I was just like, “I don’t need to deal with this right now.”

Oh, of course not.

I’ll scroll TikTok for a few days. The good thing is I can just stop looking at it.

‘The Fabelmans’ hits theaters this weekend. You can contact Mike Ryan directly on Twitter.

Pablo Alborán traveled to Buenos Aires, Argentina for his new music video for “Amigos.” In the party-ready video that was released on Wednesday night (November 9), the Spanish singer teamed up with Argentine pop star María Becerra.

Alborán has a music career that spans over a decade. His debut single, “Solamente Tú,” has over 595 million views on YouTube. Last year, his otherworldly love song “Saturno” went viral on TikTok. The track has since amassed over 323 million streams on Spotify. In his previous single, “Viaje A Ningún Lado,” Alborán experimented with regional Mexican music with Mexican singer Carin León. He is proving there are no limits to his sound.

Alborán continues to push his sound to new places in “Amigos.” His Latin pop vibe with a bit of a flamenco kick meets Becerra’s reggaeton flow. In the feel-good song, Alborán and Becerra trade verses about living their best lives in the company of their friends. That comradery comes to life in the video where the two artists party together in Buenos Aires.

“I want people to celebrate while listening to the song,” Alborán told Uproxx. “I want them to remember their friends, to remember the happiest times of their lives, and to remember that’s what life is all about.”

During his sold-out concert on Wednesday night at the Orpheum Theatre in LA, Alborán performed “Amigos” live for the first time sans Becerra. His La Cuarta Hoja album will be released on December 2. Alborán’s song “Castillos De Arena” is nominated for Record Of The Year at the 2022 Latin Grammy Awards.

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

Earlier this week, Studio Ghibli set the world of anime and Star Wars abuzz with a cryptic tweet teasing a collaboration with Lucasfilm. Granted, the tease didn’t provide much information outside of a brief video showing the two companies’ logos, the overwhelming assumption amongst fans is that Ghibli would be bringing its distinct animation style to a galaxy far, far away. That assumption appears to be proving correct.

In a new tweet on Friday morning, Studio Ghibli shared a photo of famed Japanese animator Hayao Miyazaki sitting behind a tiny little painted figure of Grogu, or “Baby Yoda” as he’s more widely called despite Lucasfilm’s best marketing efforts. Like the initial tweet from Ghibli, there’s little in the way of details, but it’s now clear that the animation house will be dropping some sort of Star Wars project and possibly starring its most adorable creation.

As of this writing, the two possibilities are that Studio Ghibli will make a contribution to Star Wars: Visions Season 2 or deliver a full-on animated feature set in George Lucas’ iconic galaxy. Although, while we’re dreaming here, why not both?

In the meantime, fans are freaking out over the Grogu/Baby Yoda reveal. The reactions are pouring in on the Studio Ghibli tweet as fans squeal with the delight and/or understandably ask what the heck is happening. Grogu getting the Studio Ghibli treatment is such a perfect combination that people might die from the cuteness overload. It could literally be too much.

You can see reactions to Studio Ghibli’s latest tweet below:

(Via Studio Ghibli on Twitter)

GloRilla’s triumphant 2022 continued this week as she built on the momentum off breakout hits like “FNF,” “Blessed,” and “Tomorrow 2” with the release of her major-label debut EP, Anyways, Life’s Great…. In addition to featuring the tracks mentioned above, the EP also features new single “Nut Quick,” for which she has now released an authoritative music video.

Naturally, Glo brings along her “ratchet ass friends,” who help her take over what looks like a sorority house, giving it a hood makeover including clotheslines covered in neon lingerie, a weave stand out front, and a fence covered in red cups. The house party has apparently spilled into the yard, and girls twerk out of seemingly every window as Glo details her “love ’em and leave ’em” exploits with men who can’t keep up with her self-centered lifestyle. She also shuts down the mall on a shopping spree and attends couples therapy, but the therapist is City Girls’ JT, who signals that she should just cut the dude off and get hers. With her new EP out and her status rising, this is probably good advice for the foreseeable future.

Watch GloRilla’s “Nut Quick” video above.

Anyways, Life’s Great… is out now on CMG/Interscope. You can get it here.

Kevin Conroy, who provided the voice of Batman in Batman: The Animated Series as well as numerous Batman video games, has reportedly died. He was 66 years old.

“Very sad news: our beloved voice of Batman, Kevin Conroy, died yesterday. He’s been ill for a while but he really put in a lot of time at the cons, to the joy of all of his fans. He will be sorely missed not just by the cast of the series but by his legion of fans all over the world,” Diane Pershing, the voice of Poison Ivy in the Fox Kids series, wrote on Facebook. while the Peter Mayhew Foundation tweeted, “Members of the Batman animated family are reporting that Kevin Conroy has passed away. We had the privilege of attending conventions alongside Kevin over the years and are heartbroken by this news.”

Batman: TAS creator Paul Dini also shared a simple but lovely tribute to the “one true Batman.”

Outside of Batman: The Animated Series, Conroy voiced Bruce Wayne in Batman: Mask of the Phantasm, Superman: The Animated Series, and Batman Beyond. He also made a hilarious appearance as Captain Sunshine on The Venture Bros., and memorably shared his (accurate) feelings on Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice.

In a slew of comebacks this November, one of the most anticipated K-Pop releases of the month comes from the soloist whose name has reached new heights in 2022.

After winning NBC’s American Song Contest (the American version of Eurovision) earlier this year, superstar AleXa returns to the K-Pop scene with some sass. Releasing her lead single “Back In Vogue” off her EP Girls Gone Vogue, the singer takes A.I. Troopers (her fans) on a whimsical and lavish journey of exploring power, luxury and confidence.

Following the success of her single “Wonderland” earlier this year, AleXa taps the same team comprised of composers Jonatan Gusmark, Ludvig Evers, Moa ‘Cazzi Opeia’ Carlebecker (Sunshine), Ellen Berg (Sunshine), and choreographer House of Sam for “Back In Vogue.” The single is a groovy pop track that takes heavy inspiration from jazz and old-school hip-hop.

Girls Gone Vogue showcases AleXa’s range with the numerous of collaborations she’s done for the EP. The K-pop singer teams up with MAMAMOO‘s main rapper Moonbyul for a medium-tempo, acoustic R&B track called “Star” while also working with Korean producer Im Sang-Hyuck for “Endorphine.” According to a press release from ZB Label, her last track “Please Try Again” is a gift from Thai singer-songwriter and actor Jeff Satur.

Check out the full tracklist to Girls Gone Vogue below.
1. “Star” (featuring Moonbyul of MAMAMOO)
2. “Back In Vogue”
3. “Endorphine”
4. “Black Out”
5. “Please Try Again”

Hurricane Nicole isn’t the only storm hitting Florida this week. Tiffany Trump is getting married to ambiguously rich guy Michael Boulos at Mar-a-Lago on Saturday, which means the would-be pop star‘s dad will be in town — and he’s in one of his moods.

The former president has spent most of Friday morning fuming about the mid-term elections and Florida governor (and potential Republican rival in 2024) Ron DeSantis and god knows what else on his non-Twitter platform, Truth Social. A CNN report used “cranky” to describe Trump, a word commonly associated with children, not 76-year-old men. It also sounds like he’s going to make his daughter’s wedding all about him.

Three people familiar with the former president’s activities say he is not in the best of spirits. Many of the high-profile candidates he endorsed in the midterms failed to secure a win, and now some Republicans are whispering about his dwindling influence over the party. Trump is “cranky,” says one of the people.

At present, say those who are familiar, Trump is more focused on his “special announcement” on Tuesday, when he may – or may not – announce his planned third run for the presidency. His mind is consumed with the 2024 political landscape and where and how he will fit into it.

Trump (who is “on the outs” with his wife after reportedly blaming her for backing Dr. Oz) is “lying low” in the days leading up the wedding. But he “typically likes being the center of attention at his private club,” according to CNN (and everyone who has ever met the guy), so there’s at least a 47 percent chance that Trump turns his father of the bride speech into a campaign speech. It’s the next best thing to a new episode of Succession.

(Via CNN)

When 21 Savage and Drake first announced their new album Her Loss, part of the appeal was the contrast in their respective styles. As demonstrated on prior collaborations like “Knife Talk” and “Jimmy Cooks,” the pair shares a yin-and-yang chemistry that really highlights their strengths. Where 21 Savage brings a gritty edge with his monotonous murder bars, Drake’s appeal is in his casually ostentatious flexes and sassy subliminal disses — and fans have been having a field day with this dynamic, imaging Drake as a flouncy, foppish sidekick on the song “Rich Flex.”

Of course, although the two are both very keyed into internet trends — the cheeky rollout for Her Loss proves as much — they are a little outside the target demo for TikTok, where this meme mostly lives. However, when 21 Savage made an appearance on a Twitch live stream with sketch comedian Kai Cenat, his mind was blown by the creativity (and light disrespect) of the creators who imagined the in-studio scenario between the two rappers — especially when one fan modified a copy of their WWE Wrestlemania video game to feature them. (Seriously, check the kid’s page out, his mods are bonkers.)

21 did recently stand by Drake despite the heat his partner-in-rhyme has taken online over the past week. While some of Drake’s lines on the album have drawn criticism, Savage said, “Whatever he standing on, I’m standing on too.”

The 1975 just released Being Funny In A Foreign Language, and they’ve been promoting it on a much-discussed tour called At Their Very Best, where Matty Healy has been touching himself while smoking cigarettes and at times eating raw meat on his knees. Unfortunately, he did neither of those things on The 1975’s new performance of “I’m In Love With You” on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, but it was still great.

The song is one of the most charismatic and buoyant on the album; it’s a whirlwind of color and wholesomeness, though it includes one of their silliest lines: “Don’t f*ck it, you muppet,” which Healy had to censor on this late-night stage. He still keeps up the energy, singing and moving with passion.

What also unexpectedly helped The 1975 promote their new record was when 25-year-old Democratic candidate Maxwell Alejandro Frost won a seat in the House Of Representatives. He’s the first Gen Z member of Congress, so, fittingly, he’s a 1975 fan. While posting excitedly about his victory, he finished a Twitter thread by declaring: “I’VE BEEN CAMPAIGNING FOR OVER A YEAR THIS IS WILD!! I’M GONNA SEE @the1975 ON THURSDAY TO CELEBRATE!!!”

Watch the band’s performance of “I’m In Love With You” above.