Category: News

Mark your calendars and let the countdown begin.

BTS‘ very own leader RM is set to drop a new solo album next month. Titled Indigo, the solo project is slated to release next month on December 2.

According to a press release, reported by Consequence, Indigo “recounts the stories and experiences RM has gone through, like a diary.” The album will also include some features, though names have yet to be confirmed.

Earlier this month, South Korean broadcasting network JTBC News initially got a hold of the news and mentioned RM’s solo album would release on Black Friday, November 25, with BigHit Music confirming a project “is currently in preparations.” However, that is no longer the case according to today’s press release.

Indigo isn’t the first solo project coming from the BTS leader. RM, whose real name is Kim Namjoon, has released two mixtapes in the past: RM (2015) and mono (2018). Just two months ago, the Korean artist collaborated with alternative Korean hip-hop group Balming Tiger for a feature on their single “Sexy Nukim.”

The news of RM’s solo follows the successful releases from BTS members J-Hope and Jin this year. Over the summer J-Hope released Jack in the Box while Jin dropped his solo single “The Astronaut” co-written by him and Coldplay last month.

Before I get to the actual business of discussing Amazon’s The English (starring Emily Blunt and Chaske Spencer), I’m going to be obnoxious. I’m going on a tangent because there’s much to appreciate about this limited series, but I can’t help but be giddy about something that might seem simple but that feels like a revelation.

And it feels silly to say this, but here we are. Everyone knows that there’s a pesky problem these days with movies and TV: in too many cases, you can’t even see what’s happening onscreen. Premium cable channels and streaming services pour millions into “epic” productions and light them with what feels like a 15-watt bulb. Did Arya really kill the Night King during the Battle of Winterfell on Game of Thrones? Maybe! The issue continued with House of the Dragon and was defended as a “creative decision,” and I realize that I’m focusing on one franchise, but it’s an overriding (and frustrating) example regarding an epidemic on small and big screens alike.

With The English, something truly wild happens because you can actually see the action unfold onscreen. It feels like an odd thing to praise, but man, it is nice not to struggle to watch a fine TV show and focus on the story.

I sound sarcastic but am being genuine because look at this:

This is a garbage way to start a review, but I’m excited because this is about more than visuals. Those blazingly blue skies feel aggressively sinister when the show tackles destiny and considers the effects of the past while peering toward the future. And not only is this show satisfyingly watchable during scenes of blazing daylight, but a nighttime scene (which I did not brighten in the below still) has the same outcome.

It’s stunning stuff. And it’s a seemingly small (yet apparently difficult) consideration these days, but I’m here to tell you that this Amazon show has got it together in the cinematography department, which makes our viewing experiences so much easier. Yes, I realize that Westerns (of the spaghetti variety and otherwise) tend to look different than epic fantasies, but I appreciate that no one tried to “gritty” this show up. The same goes for the rest of The English‘s creative decisions. Yes, this is a good and fun show, taking a parable format to sort issues of power, vengeance, race, and gender. The series grapples almost effortlessly with these tough feats. It also happens to be a part of the Western wave taking over your TVs amid Taylor Sheridan and Paramount’s ongoing Yellowstone success that’s spawning spinoffs galore.

The English is a Western, through and through, albeit a glossy one that takes place in the 1890s. Emily stars as Lady Cornelia Locke, an Englishwoman who’s hell-bent upon revenge following the death of her son. She’s accompanied by Chaske Spencer, who portrays Eli Whipp, a Pawnee Nation ex-cavalry scout. They’re an unlikely team and navigating a somewhat farcical landscape full of characters who are essentially caricatures. They 9mean to kidnap and rape women, and they’re bigots who end up getting what they deserve. Hell, most of the antagonistic characters make Benedict Cumberbatch’s The Power of the Dog character seem like a pussycat, just to give a taste of what the leading duo is up against. Through the power of clever screenwriting, the ultimate effect of this cartoon villainy — and Cornelia and Eli’s pushback during their journey — works in a straightforward story that yields complex effects.

In the middle of it all, Emily Blunt’s waving another shotgun, which is no small feat, considering the endless supply of lavish, aristocratic dresses worn by her character. She’s a woman without fear in a place where one probably should fear everything. In fact, it gave me a little bit of anxiety to witness the danger posed by this quintessentially American setting in which Cornelia and Eli travel. Throughout six jam-packed episodes in this limited series, there’s no reason why Cornelia and Eli should still be alive, but they make it through by the power of their commonality. And Eli, whew, what a character. As with Reservation Dogs, we’re finally in a world where an Indigenous character isn’t simply propping up someone else’s story but has goals of his own.

The same can also be said for Cornelia, since we’re also still living in a world where female characters are placed into boxes of their own, but rest assured that not only are Cornelia and Eli equals in many ways, but the same goes for Blunt and Spencer as co-leads. Do not expect a romance story (what a relief). Cornelia has vowed not to marry, and Eli’s the only man in this series who doesn’t have ulterior motives for her. Hell, he has his own hazards to dodge as an Indigenous American, and they’ve truly got each other’s back while traveling toward a newly established Wyoming town while dodging danger at every turn. They’re being tailed by dastardly parties, a rash of mysterious murders is afoot, and Cornelia is somehow (and comically) toting an enormous bag of money, which she somehow manages to hold onto despite, well, everything.

That is to say, there are many elements of the absurd in this series. The villains are exaggeratedly drawn, and Blunt never seems to even break a sweat while wearing elaborate getups in a sweltering and dusty landscape. She’s a pro, but there’s also plenty behind the camera to help strike the right tone, too. Spy-thriller creator Hugo Blick (The Honourable Woman) created and directed alongside producers of Peaky Blinders and Killing Eve to dissect what people want from the U.S. versus what they’re getting. Yes, there’s a real “how it began/how’s it going” vibe at work while poking at what America does to people. The series also ends in a poignant and genuinely surprising way following a swift, easily digestible run.

Also, I cannot end this review without mentioning (and that this is not exactly news) that Emily Blunt can kick some serious butt, even without being overtly physical. We’ve seen this more than once, of course. It happened in Edge Of Tomorrow (in which she held her own alongside action-king Tom Cruise) and Jungle Cruise (in which she punched The Rock). Does Sicario count? Perhaps, but those A Quiet Place movies certainly qualify. Hell, she wielded a shotgun and endured childbirth without making a sound. Now, she’s taking a vengeful horseback journey alongside Chaske Spencer, and you’re not only invited along, but you can actually see it happen on Amazon.

‘The English’ debuts on November 11.

Halloween is old news, and Mariah Carey is retaking her annual holiday throne. The perennial chart-topper sat down with Gayle King on CBS Mornings today (November 10) to promote her new children’s book, aptly titled The Christmas Princess, and King punctuated the segment with an early gift for fans.

Carey’s two-hour CBS special Mariah Carey: Merry Christmas To All! will air December 20 on CBS beginning at 8 p.m. and subsequently stream on Paramount+. The special will be filmed during her December 13 show at New York City’s famed Madison Square Garden.

Carey stopped by The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon last week and dished about her 2022 Christmas shows at MSG and Toronto’s Scotiabank Arena.

“Expect the unexpected. I don’t know, darling,” she told Fallon. “Well, we went on sale with the presale, right? And that happened like — that was a quick moment, I heard. … I realized that the best thing I could do is just talk to the fans, be with the fans, sing to the fans, with them, and it’s an inclusive experience. It’s so fun. The last time we did Madison Square Garden was pre-COVID [in] 2019. The most fun I ever had doing a show because it snows. I don’t want to give it away. I don’t want to give it away. But it’s festive.”

Watch Carey’s sit-down with King above.

Stormzy’s new album This Is What I Mean is on the way, and to keep the momentum going, he’s released the third single, “Firebabe.” It’s a tender reflection on a life-changing partnership with a woman he calls a “miracle” and his “happy place.” In the video, Stormzy sits in a glass-walled house looking over the pool outside while crooning in a cozy sweater. Stormzy might be best-known for his gritty, big-man raps, but when he sings these sort of gentle ballads, he has the warmth to really make them work.

In a statement, he says of the single, “Debbie, George [Moore] and I got in the studio together and it was the most beautiful moment. It was a session I’ll never forget, for the rest of my life. It was extremely special and everyone in the room understood that. We were making something that hopefully, God willing, lives forever. Something that has soul and feeling and it came from a really pure place. We took a truth and made some art from it.”

Stormzy previously kicked off the rollout for This Is What I Mean in September with the video for “Mel Made Me Do It” and delivered the Afropop-flavored “Hide & Seek” in October. This Is What I Mean is due on 11/25 via 0207/Def Jam. Pre-save it here.

Watch the video for “Firebabe” above.

Unless you’re Matthew Perry, one of the movie events of 2023 is John Wick: Chapter 4. It was originally supposed to come out in 2021, but then the pandemic (and Tom Cruise) happened. The countdown clock wait was worth it, though, because folks: we’ve got ninjas. Also, Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne, Lance Reddick, Ian McShane, Donnie Yen, Bill Skarsgård, and Rina Sawayama, but most importantly, ninjas.

The trailer above begins with John Wick (Reeves) and Caine (Yen) in a church. “Do you think your wife can hear you?” Caine asks. Wick doesn’t, so why bother? “Maybe I’m wrong,” he responds. Instead of a sympathetic reply, Caine says, “You’re going to die.”

From there, we’re treated to about 17 different moments that made me say “f*ck yeah,” including Skarsgård acting more evil than normal (which is impressive, considering he literally played cinema’s most terrifying clown); attack dogs; and Keanu Reeves doing donuts in a car while shooting bad guys with a gun. “Last words, Winston?” Wick asks the Continental Hotel owner. “Just have fun out there.” Good advice.

Here’s the official plot synopsis:

​​John Wick (Keanu Reeves) uncovers a path to defeating the High Table. But before he can earn his freedom, Wick must face off against a new enemy with powerful alliances across the globe and forces that turn old friends into foes.

John Wick: Chapter 4 opens on March 24, 2023.

Marjorie Taylor Greene is queen of the grammatical slip-ups, and she is apparently ultra-pumped up while the U.S. awaits election results in key races. We previously saw Greene nonsensically rant about Nancy Pelosi and “gazpacho police” and accuse Bill Gates of growing substitute meat in a “peach tree dish.” Tensions remain high, so it’s fun that Marjorie somehow one-upped herself on Twitter.

Granted, the typo in question actually wasn’t more egregious than her previous oddities. It’s about the same degree of WTF, but Greene saw the tweet-typo and corrected herself and still left the old one up, so that’s an extra layer of bizarreness. She began by declaring, “I’m sure our enemies are quacking in their boots while we are still over here trying to count ballots.”

The congressperson who’s batsh*t enough to be denounced by CrossFit soon modified the “quacking” to “quaking.”

And in case she decides to delete this madness, here’s a screencap. It’s a good thing that Elon hasn’t rolled that “edit” button out yet, right?

Yes, it sure looks like the “quacking” tweet is the more popular version, judging by the number of likes and retweets alone. People are enjoying this very much. You might enjoy it, too. These are stressful times. We take what we can get.

After pushing back his upcoming album, Me Vs. Myself — to the dismay of many of his fans — A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie has made an effort to make amends by returning to his roots with an intimate performance at the Apollo Theater in New York City.

The New York rapper announced via Instagram Thursday morning, hinting that this affair will be a night to remember.

“New York…This is going to be special,” he wrote with a black heart emoji. “Tickets on sale tomorrow 10am.”

After a series of album delays, beginning with Drake and 21 Savage’s Her Loss getting pushed from October 28 to November 4 (due to Drake’s longtime producer and collaborator Noah “40” Shebib getting COVID), the “Swervin” rapper didn’t want to compete and ultimately decided it was best to push his upcoming project back to December 9.

The rapper again took to social media to share the news with his fans, writing, “Sorry, but [the] album dropping in December now, Drake was dropping the same day and I’m not with that.”

A Boogie is definitely in album mode — along with the performance at the Apollo, the rapper recently released his latest single, “B.R.O. (Better Ride Out)” featuring Roddy Ricch, this past October.

Me Vs. Myself is out 12/9 via Atlantic Records. Pre-save it here.

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

While Donald Trump is reportedly throwing an epic temper tantrum over the “humiliating” performance of the candidates he backed for the midterms, and allegedly even blaming Melania for encouraging him to back Jersey Boy Dr. Oz, there’s been no indication that he’s opted not to make whatever his “big announcement” might be on November 15th.

The guess, of course, is that the former president will officially announce his plans to run for president once again in 2024 — despite some conservative media outlets turning on their former MAGA god, who they’ve rebranded a “loser.” But Trevor Noah is desperately hoping that Trump’s dispatch from Mar-a-Lago will indeed be what we all think it is — mostly because he can’t wait to witness the carnage that will result from Trump’s escalating war of words with Ron DeSantis.

On Wednesday night, The Daily Show host noted that the “red wave” so many people predicted did not occur — he likened it more to the Republicans getting “the hand job version of ‘winning’” — and declared abortion rights the big winner. “And it looks like the big loser… was none other than Donald ‘Jump the Shark’ Trump,” Noah said. “Because so far it looks like many of the candidates he endorsed ended up being un-endorsed by the voters.” At the same time, Trump nemesis — and possible presidential challenger — Ron DeSantis delivered a scorching defeat to keep his seat as Florida governor with nearly 60 percent of the vote. As Noah explained:

It was a bad night for Trump and a GREAT night for his rival, ‘Ron DeSanctimonious,’ who absolutely crushed it in Florida. I mean like CRUSHED it — like bath salts crushed it. And judging by this post on his knock-off Twitter, Trump is not taking it well. He wrote: ‘Shouldn’t it be said that in 2020, I got 1.1 million more votes in Florida than Ron D got this year — 5.7 million to 4.6 million? Just asking?’

Oh, wow! You see what you’ve done Ron DeSantis, huh? You see what you’ve done?! You made Trump so mad he’s doing math!… Even sounding like Shakespeare in that: ‘Shouldn’t it be said? And hitherto forth?’

Noah is admittedly really excited about how this rivalry will ultimately play out, because, as he explained, the combination of “DeSantis’ success combined with Trump’s failures is already causing chaos in the Republican party. Because now, Republicans are asking themselves: ‘What do we do? Do we stick with Trump, who has screwed up two elections now but still controls all of the hardcore Republicans. And is also completely toxic with everyone else? Or, do we go with Ron DeSantis, who’s clearly the upgrade of Trump?’ But then you risk losing Trump and then he burns down the entire GOP.

Noah loves watching conservatives — who only care about being on the winning side — try and work out this dilemma for themselves. And is already stocking up on popcorn in order to watch and see how it all plays out over the next several months.

You can watch the full clip above, beginning around the 5:00 mark.

Super Bowl LVII halftime performer Rihanna has pumped the brakes on album talk. “Super Bowl is one thing, new music is another thing. Do you hear that, fans?” she told the Associated Press earlier this week. But there is some new music, which is more than we’ve been able to say since 2016’s chart-breaking ANTI album.

RiRi officially marked her return to music with the release of “Lift Me Up” from the Black Panther: Wakanda Forever soundtrack. The emotive ballad, a tribute to the late Black Panther star Chadwick Boseman, was co-written by Rihanna, Tems, Ludwig Göransson, and director Ryan Coogler. “Lift Me Up” debuted at No. 2 on Billboard‘s Hot 100 chart.

And now, with Wakanda Forever hitting theaters tomorrow (November 11), we know that Rihanna double-dipped on the Wakanda Forever soundtrack. It was first reported following the highly anticipated sequel’s Los Angeles premiere that Rihanna had two songs listed on the Wakanda Forever soundtrack: “Lift Me Up” and “Born Again.” The initial soundtrack released to the public did not include “Born Again,” but the second ballad has since been added in territories where it’s already November 11.

“Born Again” was produced by Göransson and The-Dream, as noted by Genius, and it’s just as lyrically evocative as “Lift Me Up”: “I’d give my heart to this place / I’d give my whole soul and whatever it takes, never run away / And I’d relive this just to see your face again / I know that you’d do the same, born again.”

See early reactions to “Born Again” below.

Fever Ray hasn’t released an album since 2017’s Plunge, but the Karin Dreijer-led act is poised to make the next chapter in the band worth the wait. Fever Ray announced today the release of Radical Romantics, the band’s third album which is due out on March 10th of 2023. Radical Romantics marks the first time that Dreijer and their brother (and bandmate in The Knife) Olof Dreijer have written music together in eight years and the album’s crop of producers also features Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross.

Along with the album announcement, the new single “Carbon Dioxide” is an apt figurehead for the album’s central themes of love and false notions of functional love. The song has an arresting club thump, with Dreijer’s abrasively evocative vocals singing on the hook, “Holding my heart, while falling.” It’s radical, but nothing less than what we’ve come to expect from the shape-shifting Dreijer and Fever Ray: Avant pop of the highest order.

Listen to “Carbon Dioxide” above and check out the album artwork and tracklist below.

1. “What They Call Us”
2. “Shiver”
3 “New Utensils”
4. “Kandy”
5. “Even It Out”
6. “Looking for A Ghost”
7. “Carbon Dioxide”
8. “North”
9. “Tapping Fingers”
10. “Bottom Of The Ocean”

Radical Romantics is out 3/10/2023 via Mute Records. Pre-order it here.