Category: News

Not even a full day after its release, Taylor Swift‘s 10th studio album, Midnights, is already smashing records. Today (October 21), Spotify announced that Midnights had broken the record for the streamer’s most-streamed album in one day.

The music-streaming giant shared the news today in a tweet that read, “And before the clock could even strike midnight on October 22nd, Taylor Swift broke the record for most-streamed album in a single day in Spotify history.”

Swift shared the tweet and expressed her excitement, saying, “How did I get this lucky, having you guys out here doing something this mind blowing?! Like what even just happened??!?!”

Midnights is already proving to be one of Swift’s most exciting eras to date. Hours before Midnights‘ release, Swift revealed the album will be accompanied by a series of music videos, guest starring big names like Jack Antonoff, Haim, and Laura Dern. Three hours after she dropped the album, Swift released the “3 a.m. Edition” of her album, featuring seven additional songs.

Next week, Swift will appear on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon on Monday (October 24). On Tuesday, she will premiere the next music video from the album.

Midnights is out now via Republic. Stream it here.

Cardi B has won her court battle over the cover art for her 2016 debut mixtape, Gangsta B*tch Music, Vol. 1, according to a report from Rolling Stone. The “Up” rapper was sued by a marketing manager at RVCA named Kevin Brophy for $5 million, claiming Cardi used his likeness on the mixtape’s cover art. On the cover art, Cardi appears to be receiving oral sex from a tattooed man, who Brophy says was modeled in his likeness with a similar back tattoo. Today (October 21), a Santa Ana jury found that Cardi did not use Brophy’s likeness, nor did she portray him in a negative light.

“It felt like my Michelangelo was stolen off the wall and just literally ripped off and robbed and just put wherever these people wanted to put it,” Brophy originally testified. “It looks like I’m giving oral sex to somebody that’s not my wife, somebody that’s not my partner, and an image that I never signed off on, ever.”

According to Law And Crime, Cardi also testified this week, saying, “There is not one evidence where people believe it’s actually him… hasn’t gotten fired from his job. He hasn’t gotten a divorce. How has he suffered? … Please tell me how he’s suffered.”

Representatives for Cardi did not immediately return our request for comment.

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

Florence And The Machine show no signs of recovery from Dance Fever. While currently on their global tour in support of their fifth album, Dance Fever, Florence Welch and crew have teamed up with Idles and shared an updated version of “Heaven Is Here,” a fan-favorite from Dance Fever.

Rife with flashy synths and intoxicating drum loops, the Idles remix of “Heaven Is Here” is immersive and encapsulates the feeling of freeing oneself on the dancefloor.

Welch and Idles took to Instagram earlier to share how their collaboration came about.

“Idles are one of my favorite bands and I’ve been wanting to work on something together for a while,” said Welch. “It might be strange for people to think but I see a lot of symbiosis in what we do in terms of live performance. Connection above all else. Joyful rage and togetherness. A lot of people wished that ‘Heaven Is Here’ was longer. And I think Idles have done the perfect job at turning it into a much-demanded dance track that loses nothing of the hex at its heart.”

“Dance Fever is quite a cathartic album for me,” added Idles’ Mark Bowen, “speaking a lot to the yearning for the release of performing but also introspecting on the need itself. It lives on the line of tension between the need for release and getting it (is that not the best bit?), no more is this encapsulated on ‘Heaven Is Here.’ I wanted to sit with that tension but then also lavish in the release on this remix.”

Check out “Heaven Is Here (Idles Remix) above.

It started with a 2019 statistic showing nearly a third of men under 30 had not had sex in the previous year, which spurred a strange discussion about “incels” and debates over whether or not people—and men in particular—have a “right to sex.”

You can read the original (widely panned) Twitter thread from Alexandra Hunt here, and an op-ed response (“Involuntary celibacy is a genuine problem, but a ‘right to sex’ is not the answer”) from Guardian columnist Zoe Williams here, but the crux of the discussion is that some people seem very concerned that men who want to have sex aren’t having it and someone or something must be to blame.

It’s the kind of social discourse that seems to mark our time, with ample opportunity to scratch our heads, roll our eyes and mutter “WTF” under our breath. But Trevor Noah, as he so often does, has come riding in like a knight during a “Daily Show Between the Scenes” segment, elevating the conversation above the fray and tapping into a broader issue.

Noah explained his perspective that the issue isn’t really that men aren’t having sex, but rather that men are missing out on intimacy. He began by pointing out that “the expectation of sex was often set by a society controlled by men, and women were just subject to it,” and that has set up some weird dynamics with men when it comes to sex.

“‘Men aren’t having the sex that they want to have.’ Like, how much sex do they think they’re supposed to have?” Noah asks. “Let’s start there.

“And secondly, do they think they’re entitled to the sex?”

Both excellent questions.

“And third and most importantly for me—and I really feel like we don’t speak about this enough—is people don’t realize how often men are experiencing a lack of intimacy,” he continued. “And the only place that they can experience that intimacy is through sex.

“We’ve created a society where men are so afraid to be vulnerable with each other; to be sensitive with each other; to care for each other; to love each other. You know even saying that, as a guy … you can’t just say, ‘I love you,’ you have to say, ‘I love you, dawg.’”

Noah points out that this is something women have done a much better job at than men—”being there for each other intimately but not necessarily sexually.”

“I think we take for granted how much in society men who say sex is the thing they’re not getting are actually struggling with a lack of companionship, of intimacy, of being in a space with a person where they’re sharing everything from serotonin to endorphins to what humans need to feel,” he said. “And I hope we can change that conversation just a little bit more. I hope we get to the place where guys go ‘Oh, I actually didn’t need the sex. I needed to be held, and I live in a society where it’s hard to be held unless I’m having sex because as guys you can’t just go to a guy and be like, ‘Just hold me.'”

It’s five minutes worth watching:

u201cUnpacking the conversation around sex and a society where men are afraid to be vulnerable. #BetweenTheScenesu201d

— The Daily Show (@The Daily Show)
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It’s no secret that the U.S. military has been battling a suicide problem. Since 9/11, more U.S. military personnel have died by suicide than have died in combat. Suicide rates among U.S. military personnel are higher than the civilian population and have been steadily increasing for the past two decades. In fact, a study released in 2021 reported that “2018, 2019, and 2020 have consecutively marked the worst years of active service member suicide since the previous peak year in 2012.”

However, the numbers since 2020 tell a different story—one that offers a glimmer of hope.

According to a new Pentagon report and preliminary data for 2022 reported by PBS News, there has been a dramatic decrease in suicides among active duty military in the past 18 months. The Air Force and Marine Corps saw a more than 30% drop from 2020 to 2021, while the Navy saw its numbers of suicides decrease by 10%. The Army had a slight increase from 2020 to 2021, but has had a 30% decline during the first six months of 2022 compared to the first six months of 2021.

The numbers in different branches have gone up and down in the past 18 months, leaving questions on the table about whether those downward trends are likely to continue, but according to Beth Foster, the executive director of the Pentagon’s Force Resiliency Office, the 15% drop across the board leaves Pentagon officials “cautiously encouraged.”

The biggest question, of course, is what is driving these numbers. There have been concerted efforts to increase mental health awareness and support in the military, such as required counseling visits, education about stress relief and recreational outings, according to PBS News. However, such efforts have also been an uphill climb due to mental health personnel shortages and stigmas surrounding help-seeking.

As Dr. Dorothy Kaplan wrote in her guidance for clinicians in 2019, “Mental health stigma in the military is strongly grounded in military culture and is linked to a desire to handle problems on one’s own.”

“Interestingly,” she added, “service members who report psychological health concerns are most likely to perceive stigma and anticipate negative outcomes for seeking care, including career harm.”

Maj. Gen. Eric Little, head of manpower and personnel for the National Guard, told PBS News that security clearance and flying eligibility can be affected in some cases when service members report seeking counseling, but officials are working to change such policies.

More successful mental health interventions and changing attitudes toward mental health treatment in general may be contributing to the drop in active duty military suicides. However, 2020 and 2021 also had a big confounding factor: the COVID-19 pandemic.

Suicides overall in the U.S. declined in 2019 and again in 2020 before climbing again in 2021. The active duty military numbers do not appear to parallel that trend, so it’s difficult to say what impact the pandemic may have had on active duty personnel suicides. Causes of military suicides are multifaceted and figuring out how to address them is complex.

More time and data will be needed to determine whether this drop in suicide numbers is a trend or a blip. However, the Defense Department continues to address the issue through various channels across the different branches of the military. According to CBS News, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin created a Suicide Prevention and Response Independent Review Committee earlier this year and will be presenting a report on its progress to Congress in February 2023.

“Every death by suicide is a tragedy that impacts our people, our military units and our [combat] readiness,” Austin said in a statement on October 20. “That’s why we remain committed to a comprehensive and integrated approach to suicide prevention. Going forward, we are standing up a dedicated prevention workforce to strengthen our efforts to address suicide and other challenging areas. The scale of this workforce is unprecedented and reflects our commitment to make lasting change.”

It’s great to finally see some more positive news on the military suicides front. Hopefully we’ll keep seeing those numbers drop.

I don’t know what it is about impersonations that are so fascinating to people but they’re often hilarious, and Jack Black impersonating The Rock does not disappoint. From the 2018 clip you can’t tell what prompted the impersonation but “Screen Junkies” interviewer looks to Black and asks him about his workout routine as if he’s Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson.

The comedian adjusts himself in his seat and doesn’t break character the entire time and somehow the interviewer is able to maintain a serious face throughout the process. Kevin Hart and the actual Dwayne Johnson cannot keep it together while Black does his impression of his co-star.

Black obviously knows the workout routine of the 6-foot, 5-inch muscular Black Samoan demigod and it starts out with 27,000 rip curls at 5 a.m. At least, that’s the “School of Rock” alum’s best guesstimate, and judging by Johnson’s size, that seems about right.

But his ribbing of his co-star didn’t stop there. As Johnson and Hart are practically wheezing with laughter, Black continues with his impersonation adding in Johnson’s philosophy on life. If you’re curious about that, it involves blood, sweat, tears and sucking life deep.

Yeah, I don’t know what that means either but you should check out the video below because it’s pretty impressive and might just brighten your day.

Nearly everyone—usually involuntarily, and usually in the middle of the night—has been serenaded by a symphony of meows. But never quite like this.

Even before the days of memes and viral videos, cats have been the subject of human fascination, serving as whiskered muses for all kinds of art. People in the 1800s were particularly cat-crazed—believing that felines were responsible for everything from shifts in weather to curing epilepsy.

So it’s probably no wonder that in that time period, an entire opera was written about two chatty cats, composed entirely of “meows.”

The real kicker, however, is that the music is actually good. Especially when sung by two choir boys.

The absolutely silly opera, called “Duetto Buffo Di Due Gatti,” or “Funny Duet For Cats,” is clearly about … well … a cat fight. A friendly cat squabble, if you will, as indicated by all the different variations of “meow” in the piece.

If you thought the Meow Mix commercial was an earworm, wait till you get a load of this.

As the boys sing mew and yowl (with impressive skill, mind you) audience members can barely contain their laughter before erupting into applause at the end of the performance. Perhaps some cat ears would have added to the production value, but other than that—10/10. No notes.

People in the YouTube comments were quick to admit that no matter how bonkers the song is, it’s hard not to be captivated by the boys’ mesmerizing voices. “The only time ‘you sound like a cat when you sing’ is a compliment,” one person wrote.

Others jokingly praised the performers for not splitting their sides mid-meow. “The way they both sing through the entire song with completely straight faces cracks me up every single time,” one person quipped.

Perhaps the best comment, however, was written by a cat parent:

“When my cat dies, I’m gonna play this at her funeral.”

Acclaimed Italian opera composer Gioachino Rossini often gets credited for “Duetto Buffo Di Due Gatti.” However, many historians agree that Rossini only heavily influenced the feline-inspired piece. Regardless, it’s a classic kitty-centric musical number adored by opera singers far and wide.

Check out these professional singers not only nail the musical portion, but fully commit to their cat characters. It’s meowvelous.

You’re welcome for the bizarre bit of musical history, and a song that’s sure to be stuck in your head for the rest of your life.

Top Dawg rapper Ab-Soul is back with another thought-provoking track. On “Do Better,” which features his labelmate Zacari, Ab-Soul looks back on his life choices and how they’ve affected the people around him.

“Shades stuck to my face, hoodie glued to my head / Hidin’ from the same world that made me who I am / Depressed, can’t even get out of bed / Too blessed to be so stressed / I do all this shit, just to say, ‘Get off my d*ck’ / Mixed emotions, prohibit my focus,” he raps.

Zacari delivers his signature, soft-tinged vocals throughout, as he sings “I’m dyin’ / But I’m gone with the wind / And I’m gone with the wind, you leave / You feel me on your skin.”

In the video, he is seen in his neighborhood, dealing with issues in the home, and on the streets. He jumps from the ledge of a building, and is later rescued and supported by his community.

Ab-Soul hasn’t spoken much about his upcoming fifth studio album, however, in a teaser for “Do Better,” shared this past Wednesday on Instagram, he said the song and video were “Inspired by true events” and that “we’ll get into it later.”

He did reveal that his upcoming album is “done” in another Instagram post.

Check out the “Do Better” video above.

In a clear-skied canvas of tangerines and fuchsia stretching endlessly over the softly swaying waters of Central California’s mostly -majestic Modesto Reservoir, the Monday dawn is met with thousands of melancholic faces all departing the eighth edition of Dirtybird Campout. All sad because it’s over, but also awash in gratitude for the moments they shared.

Here the summer camp-themed music festival reached new heights as artists like Roni Size, Goldie, Honeycomb, and Mr. Carmack delivered high-octane performances on the fan-favorite stage, The Bass Lodge. Then, representing the next generation of ceiling-smashing talent, the label also marshaled hard-hitting acts like Chocolate Sushi, Nala, Mike Kerrigan, VNSSA, and N808 to the main stage, The Birdhouse. Claude VonStroke aka Barclay Crenshaw aka DJ Tree played six (!) sets over the weekend. Weird-o-meters in the campgrounds were topping out at a solid 11 as crews assembled from Costa Rica, Ukraine, France, Mexico, and more with over 20 separate renegades in full, unfettered swing. The festival’s first all-night stage, affectionately called ‘The Hideout’, added icing to the cake as “camp counselors” (the crew behind the event) gathered to throw their own soirée.

2022 was punctuated with operations that were smoother than our editor on a greased-up slip N slide. The festival achieved faster build times, more robust stage designs, and was accompanied by some of the coolest and weirdest kids the small-town folks in Modesto may ever see. During the event, campers competed in obstacle courses, dodgeball, archery, game show-style bingo, and so much more. Perhaps the most surprising part of the weekend was how effortlessly dance music fans at the event combined wide-eyed nostalgia with relentless sex appeal.

To relive the weekend or glimmer a bit of what you missed, take a few moments to peruse the pics below. And, buckle up, because if festival fashion, twerk-offs, and lap dancing can be a vehicle for communal seduction, then you’re definitely in for a wild ride.

Maggie Rogers is going on tour next year in support of her sophomore album, Surrender. The North American “Feral Joy” Tour marks Rogers’ first North American tour since 2019.

The “Feral Joy” tour will kick off in Boston and take place over the course of 13 dates, before concluding in San Francisco.

Pre-sale for members of Rogers‘ fan club will begin on Wednesday, October 26, and fans can register for their pre-sale code here. General on-sale begins Friday, October 28.

While Rogers enjoys touring, she said to Elle this past summer that recording Surrender while in quarantine during the COVID-19 pandemic was a nice repreive.

“I started this record at my parents’ garage, and I got to have a studio space for one of the first times in a long time,” she said. “I got to have a real creative practice. I had that in high school, but in college I used school studios, which weren’t always open, and then I was on tour, so I was always cobbling it together. The idea of being stationary, as someone who is a touring musician, just makes my mouth water.”

Check out the tour dates below.

02/11 — Boston, MA @ Roadrunner
02/13 — Washington, DC @ The Anthem
02/15 — New York, NY @ Radio City Music Hall
02/17 — Chicago, IL @ Byline Bank Aragon Ballroom
02/18 — Minneapolis, MN @ The Armory
02/19 — Milwaukee, WI @ The Riverside Theater
02/22 — Atlanta, GA @ The Eastern
02/24 — New Orleans, LA @ Orpheum Theater
02/25 — Houston, TX @ 713 Music Hall
02/26 — Dallas, TX @ The Factory in Deep Ellum
03/01 — Los Angeles, CA @ The Shrine Auditorium
03/02 — San Diego, CA @ The Rady Shell at Jacobs Park
03/05 — San Francisco, CA @ Bill Graham Civic Auditorium