Category: News

The Indianapolis Colts fell to 3-3-1 on the season with a loss to the Titans on Sunday (their second loss to their divisional rival this season), and it was once again due to a dismal offensive performance from Matt Ryan and company.

The Colts, which traded Carson Wentz to Washington and then traded for Ryan after the Falcons failed to land Deshaun Watson this summer, were hoping for more consistency with the veteran Ryan under center. Instead, he has struggled mightily with turnovers, throwing nine interceptions and losing three of his 11 fumbles on the year, while accounting for just nine passing touchdowns in seven games. Indianapolis’ offense has been among the worst in the NFL, scoring 16.1 points per game, and in Sunday’s loss Ryan once again struggled with turnovers and could not do much of anything positive against the Titans, who weren’t exactly tearing it up themselves in a 19-10 win.

On Monday, Frank Reich made the official announcement that the Colts were making a quarterback change, benching Ryan — who is dealing with a shoulder sprain — and starting Sam Ehlinger against the Commanders. However, this isn’t just a one-week change, as Reich noted this is now the planned quarterback depth chart for the rest of the season, via Colts.com.

“Right now the move is for Sam to be the starter for the rest of the season,” Reich said.

Reich said it was an “extremely difficult” decision to change starting quarterbacks. But he said he’s been “particularly impressed with Sam this year in practice,” and pointed to the “special sauce” Ehlinger brings as a playmaker in the offense.

“It’s a big step but we think he’s ready,” Reich said. “This guy’s special. … Sam, he’s got that about him. He plays, he practices in a way he’ll be ready.”

Reich noted that the Colts hadn’t held up their end of the bargain with Ryan, as they’d promised a great O-line and great running game and that hasn’t been delivered, but moving onto Ehlinger gives them someone more mobile who can maybe deal with a worse line than Ryan, who has taken 24 sacks already this season and simply does not provide any escapability out of the pocket.

In the midst of the plethora of K-pop comebacks this month, Monsta X’s Kihyun and his first solo EP is one of them. But what makes him a standout compared to the rest? How the message of his single invites listeners to take a step back from our busy lives and remember our own youth.

Releasing today (October 24) at midnight, the MX power vocalist switches his balladeer gears and takes a trip down memory lane in an upbeat, alternative pop rock single that will make you feel like you’re back in your room, jamming out to emo music.

“‘Youth’ is about my current perspective on my youth and my determination as a solo artist,” Kihyun says in a press release from Starship Entertainment. “The lyrics include the things I want to tell myself, both in the past and present. Even though this album is my personal story after 7 years as an artist, I think many people can relate to my emotions because everyone reflects on their youth at some point in time.”

The lead single comes from Kihyun’s EP of the same name, and consists of five tracks.

Checkout the full tracklist to YOUTH below.

1. “Youth”
2. “Bad Liar”
3. “STARDUST”
4. “Where Is This Love”
5. “‘Cause Of You”

The dust is still settling from the chaos that was House of the Dragon’s season one finale but, like the gluttonous content consumers that we are, fans are already looking ahead to where the Dance of the Dragons might be headed in season two. Of course, we’ll likely have to wait two years before we see more dragons, one-eyed war criminals, and just plain bad wigs, but the silver lining of that long hiatus is that it gives us plenty of time to theorize which book storylines might be adapted when the Targaryen civil war picks up again.

Here are some of our predictions on which events from George R.R. Martin’s Fire & Blood source material might make the cut in season two and, more importantly, why.

Blood & Cheese

No, Blood & Cheese is not the title of Aegon II’s debut rap album – although, if anyone was going to use their royal clout to drop a hip-hop EP, it’d be this usurper. Instead, these seemingly innocuous words represent one of the most disturbing (and bloody) events in the coming Dance of the Dragons. In the books, they’re the names of two assassins, sent by The White Worm on Prince Daemon’s behalf to murder one of Aegon’s children. (Show watchers will remember he has twins Jaehaerys and Jaehaera, and eventually a younger son, Maelor, with his sister-wife, Helaena.) The agents of chaos draw out their kill order, forcing Helaena to choose which boy to sacrifice, delivering on a promise made to Rhaenyra by the Rogue Prince: “An eye for an eye, a son for a son.” The show would do well to launch its second season with the story of Blood & Cheese for a few reasons. First, it deals a blow to Team Green, evening the score a bit as, up until now, Rhaenyra has suffered the most in this Civil War. Second, it establishes that both sides of the conflict are willing to commit horrible crimes in the name of power, adding a nuance to the “good vs. bad” battle waging between House Targaryen and House Hightower. And finally, it pushes Helaena’s character to the brink – something that will likely come back to haunt Rhaenyra if/when she finally takes the Red Keep during the war.

Daemon Recruits Dragon Riders

Sure, Daemon is a bit too gung-ho to go to war in House of the Dragon’s season one finale but, unlike the rest of his kin, he’s actually seen battle atop a dragon and he knows what that kind of firepower can mean in an all-out conflict. He may be stepping out of bounds by pushing Rhaenyra to harness their biggest weapon so early in the Dance, but he’s not wrong. Team Black has dragons and they should use them. The only problem? A dragon needs a rider. In Martin’s book, Daemon makes it his mission to recruit dragon seeds – low-born men and women with either Valyrian ancestry or the ability to tame dragons– to serve as dragon riders in their fight against The Greens. He succeeds too, finding illegitimate children belonging to both House Targaryen and House Velaryon to claim dragons such as Vermithor and Seasmoke. It feels pretty crucial to HOTD’s future storylines to have Daemon, and later Jacaerys Velaryon, campaign for more dragon riders to join Team Black. After all, the show promised fans we’d see more dragons, and more dragons fighting each other, than we ever did in Game of Thrones.

Cregan Stark Arrives

One fan-favorite character from Martin’s book that we’ve yet to see is the Lord of Winterfell, Cregan Stark. While Game of Thrones devoted plenty of time to that house just south of The Wall, House of the Dragon has avoided introducing most of the great lords north of the Riverlands in order to focus on the main players in the Dance. Still, House Stark swore an oath to support Rhaenyra Targaryen’s claim and they’d be a valuable ally in her war against the Hightowers, which is why she sends her eldest son Jacaerys to Winterfell to treat with its young lord. In the book, Cregan Stark is described as an expert swordsman with a formidable air and a strong sense of loyalty to Team Black. He proves instrumental in the succession rights of Rhaenyra’s sons during the latter half of the dance but season two would be a great chance to introduce the character and build his friendship with Jace before things get bloody for both men.

Rhaenys Enters The Fight

Until this point, The Queen Who Never Was has been happy to sit on the sidelines, sipping her wine and watching her family squabble over a crown that was rightfully hers. Rhaenys has seen so much loss in her short life that she’s vehemently against killing for killing’s sake. And yet, she supports Rhaenyra’s claim, all but ensuring a Civil War will break out because she views her cousin as the realm’s best chance at peace. Still, just because Rhaenys prefers a pacifist response to conflict doesn’t mean she won’t jump on her dragon and burn sh*t to the ground if need be. She’s a vital member of Rhaenyra’s war council in the book, even taking over operations with her husband, Lord Corlys, after Rhaenyra’s grief gets the better of her. And Rhaenys doesn’t waste her dragon either, entering Meleys into the fray during a battle at Rooks Rest – a port Team Black hopes to hold hostage to cripple the Hightowers’ supply chain. Whether that bloody confrontation happens in season two or not is still anyone’s guess, but we’d like to see more of Rhaenys taking the reigns and showing every Westerosi lord who voted against her succession just how stupid their misogyny made them look.

A Queen’s Landing Finale

Rhaenyra may be down for the count after House of the Dragon’s season finale, but she’s not out of the game for the Iron Throne just yet. In fact, despite suffering some terrible losses in season one, her campaign to retake King’s Landing is successful … for a time. Team Black’s dragon count, and their allies in the north, help them to build an army that takes full advantage of some of Team Green’s biggest strategic blunders, eventually leading Rhaenyra to return to the Red Keep and sit on that sword-covered seat. Plenty of battles happen before then of course, but as far as possible season two finales go, Rhaenyra’s Kings Landing comeback seems like a frontrunner.

Aemond Embraces His Villain Era

So far, House of the Dragon has painted Aemond Targaryen with a much more forgiving brush than Martin’s source material. In the book, Aemond is a raging sociopath with violent tendencies and impulse control issues. (Okay fine, so he’s not that much different.) But on the show, some of Aemond’s most significant character-defining moments have been humanized. His claiming of Vhagar felt less like an intentional slight to Laena Velaryon’s memory and more like the desperate attempt of a boy to prove himself to his family. His obsession with training and swordplay – and his tendency to draw steel to settle every conflict – felt less homicidal and more like the insecure actions of a man who was never truly loved by his parents, and viewed as a monster by his court because of his disfigurement. Even Aemond’s kinslaying moment was called into question when the show made it seem like his dragon, Vhagar, disobeyed his commands and decided to treat herself to a Team Black snack. But, if Aemond – and by extension, the HOTD writers – is smart, he’ll claim that death as a victory for Team Green, convincing everyone he meant to do it to add to his already intimidating reputation. Aemond doesn’t have to be a straight-up villain, but he needs to appear to be one to his enemies because, right now, he’s the only wild card Team Green’s got.

Better Wigs

Our final prediction for season two has less to do with storylines and more to do with a defining feature of House Targaryen. We’re talking about the wigs, you guys. Can everyone pull off fine silver locks that wisp down one’s back like Ewan Mitchell? Of course not, but there’s no reason for some of the heinous hairstyles fans were treated to in season one. From Daemon’s early looks to those poor Velaryon children and even Rhaenys’ up-dos, the real war crimes committed on this show happened in the hair and makeup department. Let’s do better, HOTD.

Big Sean just revealed that he and Jhené Aiko are still determining names for their little bundle of joy.

The pair announced they were expecting a baby boy earlier this year during a performance at the Greek Theater in Los Angeles. A few weeks ago, the couple hosted a baby shower where they were surrounded by their closest friends and family with a NASA-themed party to celebrate the baby boy. It has been estimated that Aiko’s due date is around this December or January 2023.

By all accounts, the expectant couple seems to be enjoying their first steps into parenthood. Sean noted that he and the singer are still picking out baby names but haven’t quite settled on one yet.

“Well, I’m definitely taking some time for it to just be us,” Sean told TMZ when asked about paternity leave. “You can’t really put a time limit on it.”

The couples seem to not be putting a rush on many things lately, namely 2016’s Twenty88. When asked about a release date for the project, in an Instagram live with Queen Naija for their single, “Hate Our Love,” the rapper noted that while he and Jhene are working on a follow-up, they have not yet completed the project.

“We’ve been working on it for a little bit,” Sean said. “It’s coming along, though.”

Holly Humberstone’s past and present collide on Can You Afford To Lose Me?, an 11-track “extended collection” out today (October 24) via Darkroom/Geffen/Polydor. Ten of its songs are cherry-picked from the tracklists of her previously released EPs, last year’s The Walls Are Way Too Thin and 2020’s Falling Asleep At The Wheel, but the opener is a brand-new title track. The ballad is the pinnacle of her vulnerable songwriting that cuts like a knife.

The burgeoning UK star delivers a perfect blend of hushed and soaring vocals over an evocative piano and synth soundscape. It’s a statement in self-worth and demanding accountability in a relationship. “Go ahead and do your worst, but don’t you go and cry when it hurts,” she sings in the chorus. “Can you afford to lose me? / Go ahead and pack your bags / But once you’re gone, you can’t come back.”

Humberstone dropped the Can You Afford To Lose Me? trailer last week and explained the purpose behind the project in the YouTube description.

“The past couple of years have been a whirlwind and I rarely get the chance to reflect on everything that’s happened,” it reads. “Over the past few months I’ve been looking back at the music I’ve made, the people I’ve met, the incredible experiences we’ve shared together and where I’m heading on a personal level. Playing my songs on tour, seeing them out in the world, and how they’ve affected people differently has made me want to give them another life so much so that I’ve put them together in the order I would listen to them in now: a fresh evolution of my first two EPs.”

It continues, “I’ve also added a brand new song called ‘Can You Afford To Lose Me?’ which is probably one of my favorite songs I’ve ever written. I feel like I’ve changed quite a lot since releasing some of my tracks, so I decided not to include a couple of them. While I’ll always love those songs, I wanted to highlight the ones that resonate the most with where I’m at in my life at this moment. I hope you guys can listen to these songs in new ways, just like I have.”

The included songs are “Overkill,” “Scarlett,” “Please Don’t Leave Just Yet,” “Deep End,” “Haunted House,” “Thursday,” “Vanilla,” “The Walls Are Way Too Thin,” “Falling Asleep At The Wheel” and “Friendly Fire.”

Watch the trailer below and stream Can You Afford To Lose Me? here.

Another round of performers for the 2022 Latin Grammy Awards was revealed today (October 24). Puerto Rican icon Marc Anthony will be hitting the stage next month along with reggaeton star Nicky Jam and regional Mexican music singer Ángela Aguilar.

Last week, the first round of performers were revealed. Puerto Rican singer Rauw Alejandro, who is one of the top nominees with eight nominations, was announced as a performer. Colombian pop star Sebastián Yatra, who has four nominations, will be performing as well.

Joining Alejandro and Yatra is salsa music star Marc Anthony. In addition to his previous seven Latin Grammy wins, he is nominated for Album Of The Year for Pa’lla Voy. The title track is nominated for Record Of The Year. Anthony also has three Grammy Awards wins to his name.

Nicky Jam will also be performing. The Puerto Rican singer has two nominations this year. He’s up for Best Reggaeton Performance for “Bzrp Music Sessions, Vol. 41” with Argentine producer Bizarrap and Best Urban Song for “Ojos Rojos.”

Two rising stars in the regional Mexican music scene are joining the line-up. Mexican singer Carin León will be performing. He is nominated for Best Regional Mexican Song for “Como Lo Hice Yo” alongside Matisse. Ángela Aguilar, the daughter of superstar Pepe Aguilar, will be hitting the stage as well. Her nominations include Best Rancho/Mariachi Album and Best Regional Mexican Song.

Other acts added to the performers line-up include Banda Los Recoditos and Sin Bandera. Bad Bunny is the most nominated artist of the year with 10 nominations. The 2022 Latin Grammy Awards will take place in Las Vegas on Thursday, November 17. The ceremony will be broadcast live on Univision.

Following the promotion schedule released that week, it looks like BTS member Jin’s “The Astronaut” is set to launch right on time.

In support of the new single, anticipation continues to grow as Big Hit Music dropped two teaser images consisting of portrait shots of the BTS member in what’s called the ‘Lunar Eclipse’ concept. Dressed all in black in a leather jacket, a pair of classic white Converse hi-tops, hair brushed back, and accessorized, Jin gives off a simple, modern look to your ordinary greaser.

Earlier today, it was reported Jin has left South Korea to fly out to Buenos Aires, Argentina to meet with Coldplay for their live broadcasted concert on Friday, October 28. The Mr. Worldwide Handsome member will be making his live performance debut of “The Astronaut” at the rock band’s show, the same day it releases.

The news comes after a promo teaser revealing Coldplay’s involvement in the single in a text exchange with the BTS member. The band is credited as the co-writers of “The Astronaut” alongside Jin.

However, this isn’t the first time the two parties have collaborated. Last year, BTS and Coldplay teamed up for their hit single “My Universe,” in which Jin himself was able to show a bit of his fanboy side next to the band.

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

As the backlash against Kanye West for his antisemitic comments continues, the Los Angeles Times reports that he’s been dropped by Creative Artists Agency, one of the biggest talent agencies in the entertainment business. He had previously been represented by CAA since 2016 but was represented by CAA prior to that since early in his career (he temporarily switched to UTA in 2015).

Earlier today, the CEO of UTA called on employees in an internal memo to support a growing industry boycott against Kanye after an incident this morning in which a hate group displayed a banner reading “Kanye West was right about the Jews” over the 405 freeway in Los Angeles, highlighting the potential harm in his whirlwind hate speech tour over the last few weeks.

Other groups that have dropped Kanye as a result include Vogue and its publisher Anna Wintour, who counted Kanye among her industry associates for some years, Balenciaga, which announced it was nixing any future projects with Kanye, JP Morgan, which closed his accounts, and even Donald Trump, once one of Kanye’s loudest cheerleaders (and vice versa), who reportedly distanced himself from the increasingly toxic Kanye West brand. Meanwhile, Kanye is also facing a $250 million lawsuit from the family of George Floyd for disparaging Floyd’s death as the catalyst for the 2020 uprisings against police brutality.

Karol G made to close out her two consecutive sold-out concerts in LA on a high. On Saturday (October 22), the Colombian superstar brought out Becky G as a surprise guest to perform their hit “Mamiii.”

Becky G and Karol G scored one of the biggest hits of the year when they collaborated for “Mamiii.” After being released in February, the empowering breakup anthem reached No. 15 on Billboard‘s all-genre Hot 100 chart. On Spotify, their song has over 498 million streams. In April, Becky G was a surprise guest during Karol G’s set at Coachella. There the two Latina artists performed “Mamiii” for the first time.

Karol G is currently the touring the US on her Strip Love Tour. She sold-out the Crypto.com Arena twice on Friday and Saturday night. For her final night in LA, Karol G reunited with Becky G, who is a native of the area from Inglewood. This marked the first time that Karol G and Becky G performed “Mamiii” together on her tour. The crowd went wild as the two artists sang the song onstage together.

After the concert, Karol G reflected on the experience of performing with Becky G in her Instragram Stories. With a picture of Becky G during the performance, she wrote in Spanish, “My queen has arrived! The female boss of the night.” Karol G made sure to include a crown emoji next to Becky G’s name.

At the 2022 Latin Grammy Awards, Becky and Karol G are nominated for Best Urban Song for “Mamiii.” Karol G is also nominated for Record and Song Of The Year for her smash hit “Provenza.”

The White Lotus returns on Sunday, giving HBO another strong Sunday night viewing option now that the House of the Dragon has wrapped its first season. Given how well the first season of the Mike White-led show was received, there was always going to be some skepticism that the show would be able to match the tension and intrigue that Season One delivered.

The major changes for the show’s second season start with a location switch: from a tropical Hawaiian paradise to the Sicilian coast. And while Jennifer Coolidge returns from Season One, the show largely sports a new cast with Aubrey Plaza, Michael Imperioli, F. Murray Abraham and Theo James playing major roles. That’s a lot of turnover, of course, and another introspective look at the wealthy having a bad time in a beautiful place may be a bit tired these days.

Monday, however, brought us the first reviews of the show’s second season, and the early returns are that we’re in for a lot of fun overseas this fall. And, well, some very steamy TV. As our very own Carrie Wittmer wrote, the show continues to showcase great acting and improve on a story arc that paid off big in Season One:

Season two of HBO’s The White Lotus wasn’t supposed to exist, yet it feels more essential and intentional than anything else on television this year. The excellent, biting first season was a sharp, uncomfortable by-design analysis of class dynamics in America. Rather than doing the same thing twice, White took his perfect formula and made something new with it. Season two is still about class, but within that, it is also about relationships both professional, familial, platonic, and romantic. But more than anything it is a study of the human impulse.

The Guardian‘s Nick Hilton says there’s “nothing more enjoyable to watch on television right now” and raved about the show’s comedic and dramatic tension alike:

It’s a brilliant cast, one that mixes undoubted comedic clout with dramatic chops. The highest possible compliment to offer The White Lotus is that it never matters to the viewer which of these threads is on-screen. Whether it’s under-sexed Harper and Ethan (“What’s with the boner?”), Bert talking about geriatric intimacy (“It’s a penis, it’s not a sunset”), or Valentina chasing Lucia through the hotel (“She’s one fast slut!”), the show is a sheer joy.

Angie Han of the Hollywood Reporter praised White’s ability to write interesting, if not still awful, characters:

Thankfully, the season is no less lucid in its observations or its sense of empathy. As a creator, White has a special talent for mining the gap between the people his characters want to see themselves as and the people they can’t help being. Here, he uses it to tap into a nebulous anxiety over whether it’s even possible to know what we truly want when we’ve spent our whole lives being told what to want.

Variety‘s Caroline Framke called the show “meandering” at times but also made it clear that “sex lies thick and heavy in the air” basically at all times during the first five hours of TV critics got to screen:

Making any prediction beyond “an orgy, probably?” seems unwise, so I won’t bother. Instead, I’ll just say that “The White Lotus” remains one of TV’s most purely visceral, evocative shows as it digs each of its guests up by their roots, and leave it to the rest of the season to reveal what lies beneath.

Missing from all these reviews, of course, is the final two episodes of the season. So right now few people know if Season Two can reach the finish line still triumphant. But given what we’ve heard on Monday, there’s a lot to like over the next few weeks as the newest ‘Lotus’ story unfolds.