Category: News

On Tuesday night (September 13), Karol G unlocked a new achievement in her career with her sold-out concert at New York’s Madison Square Garden. The Colombian superstar also performed her hit “Gatúbela” for the first time alongside Puerto Rican rapper Maldy.

Following the release of her debut album Unstoppable in 2018, Karol G toured the US for the first time on a club tour. In under a few short years, she performed at Coachella in April and now she’s touring the country with her first solo arena tour. During her concert at Madison Square Garden, Karol G got emotional reflecting on her journey to reach that iconic stage.

“Ten years ago in 2012, I came to New York City to study English,” she said in Spanish. “I sat outside the Madison Square Garden waiting for someone to sit next to me to practice English with. I dreamed of singing here. And today is the first time I fill it after ten years. Dreams do come true. Yes you can.”

Karol G’s show at Madison Square Garden also had a few surprise guests. She brought out ex-Plan B member Maldy to perform “Gatúbela,” their collaboration that debuted within the top 40 of Billboard‘s Hot 100 chart. Ozuna also emerged as another surprise guest. Alongside the Puerto Rican singer, they performed their hit remix of “Caramelo.”

Karol G’s Strip Love Tour will continue visiting arenas across the US throughout September and October. “Gatúbela” and her other smash hit, “Provenza,” are expected to be included on her fourth studio album that’s due out soon.

Now that Baz Luhrmann is too tired to give us the four-hour cut of Elvis, it’s time for another biopic. Whitney Houston is a legend, with an unrivaled range that made her one of the best-selling recording artists of all time. Sony Pictures just released the trailer for its upcoming Houston biopic, I Wanna Dance With Somebody, aka Kendall Roy’s least favorite song. The film stars Naomi Ackie (The End of the F***ing World) as Whitney Houston. The film’s cast also includes Italian-American icon Stanley Tucci, Ashton Sanders, Tamara Tunie, Nafessa Williams, and Clarke Peters.

Here’s the official synopsis, per Sony Pictures:

I Wanna Dance with Somebody is a powerful and triumphant celebration of the incomparable Whitney Houston. Directed by Kasi Lemmons, written by Academy Award® nominee Anthony McCarten, produced by legendary music executive Clive Davis and starring BAFTA Award® winner Naomi Ackie, the film is a no-holds-barred portrait of the complex and multifaceted woman behind The Voice. From New Jersey choir girl to one of the best-selling and most awarded recording artists of all time, audiences are taken on an inspirational, poignant—and so emotional—journey through Houston’s trailblazing life and career, with show-stopping performances and a soundtrack of the icon’s most beloved hits as you’ve never heard them before. Don’t you wanna dance?

The film is directed by Kasi Lemmons (Harriet) with a screenplay by Oscar-nominee Anthony McCarten (Bohemian Rhapsody) with executive producer Clive Davis. I Wanna Dance With Somebody comes to theaters on December 21.

While on his Long Live Montero Tour for his Grammy-nominated debut album Montero, Lil Nas X previewed a new song for audiences called “Star Walkin’.” Little was known about the song or when it’d get an official release, but today, Nas announced its release date — along with a new partnership whose launch is timed to the release.

Nas is pretty well-known for his brand partnerships; in the three years since he became practically a household name, he’s teamed up with Wrangler, Grindr, Taco Bell, and M&Ms. Each time, he’s shown off his flair for the dramatic — for instance, Taco Bell made him Chief Impact Officer, a made-up but significant role expansion from when he first worked for the fast food chain.

His latest pairing will be with Riot Games, the creators of the popular video game League Of Legends. This time, he’ll take on another impressive-sounding role: President of League of Legends, which will involve “creating explosive musical moments, an ingenious League champion skin, and a spectacular live Worlds performance,” according to the press release. He’ll kick off the League Of Legends World Championship with a performance of “Star Walkin’” on September 29 in Mexico City, then debut a new skin he helped design for a new character in the game, K’Sante the Pride of Nazumah (say that five times fast).

This isn’t the first time Riot has collaborated with rappers. Like competitors/colleagues Epic Games (creators of Fortnite), they’ve incorporated hip-hop organically into their game’s world through creations like in-game band True Damage, made up of real performers, and recruiting JID to work with Imagine Dragons on the theme song for the League Netflix spin-off show Arcane. They even previously worked with Lil Nas X to create a hype video for one of the competing teams in last year’s Worlds.

Following rumors that Freevee has been secretly filming a secret courtroom series, James Marsden has been confirmed as the lead actor for the show that is reportedly a “semi-improvised” comedy. The free, ad-supported Amazon channel confirmed the news to Deadline, but details on the series are being kept closely under wraps.

What is known is that the docu-style series will mirror Sacha Baron Cohen’s approach to Borat, and in fact, two producers for Borat Subsequent Moviefilm and Who Is America? are working on the Marsden show. Via Deadline:

In the case of the Freevee series, we hear Marsden and a group of largely up-and-coming actors with improv background performed alongside civilians in the comedy about being summoned for jury duty. We hear the show was filmed in a real courtroom south of Los Angeles, with regular and addition shooting partially scheduled around Marsden’s Westworld schedule.

The confirmation of the Freevee series continues Marsden’s streak of being one of the busiest actors in Hollywood. Even during the pandemic, he kept busy with both Sonic the Hedgehog films, a new adaptation of The Stand, the aforementioned filming on Westworld, and Disney’s Disenchanted, the highly anticipated sequel to 2007’s Enchanted starring Amy Adams, Patrick Dempsey, and Idina Menzel.

Marsden’s charm is always a welcomed addition to any project, but it will be interesting to see his improv skills at work in the secretive new Freevee series whenever it arrives.

(Via Deadline)

Last time on Scenes, St. Petersburg hip-hop group Nü Age Syndicate kicked off the season with their refreshing sense of individuality and style. In this new episode, we’re featuring Van Buren Records, a Brockton, MA-based hip-hop entourage that have a lot to show the world.

“Van Buren Records is a brotherhood — a collective of thirteen strong, independent, hungry Black men from Massachusetts trying to make a way,” explained one member named Ricky Felix. “Confidence plays a big role.” Along with confidence, the group uses their connections with each other to their advantage, thriving together as a whole while simultaneously treasuring their individuality. Each of them has something to bring to the table, which was obvious on their 2021 debut album Bad For Press.

“There’s a lot of different personalities,” another member, Meech Bold, added. “Van Buren is deeper than rap and it’s just beautiful to be a part of that, as you can see.” Their chemistry is evident, and it definitely helps that they all make sure to prioritize artistic freedom above everything else. Each of them has clocked time in all sorts of different projects, but Van Buren is where they can come together and express themselves in a new, refreshing way.

Meet the Van Buren Records crew in the video above, and keep an eye out for future Scenes episodes.

The Utah Jazz moved the two cornerstones of their franchise this offseason. A few months back, Rudy Gobert was sent to the Minnesota Timberwolves for a monster haul of draft picks and young players, and at the beginning of September, a similarly gigantic package was sent to Utah by the Cleveland Cavaliers in exchange for Donovan Mitchell’s services.

Utah’s stash of draft capital should be further bolstered by a few more trades, as veterans like Bojan Bogdanovic, Jordan Clarkson, and Mike Conley are believed to be available if the team’s asking price is met. It’s quite the pivot from the Jazz, which long tried to compete in the Western Conference but opted to blow things up this offseason, with team executive Danny Ainge saying it stemmed from the fact that Utah had “a group of players that really didn’t believe in each other.”

In an interview with Brian Windhorst of ESPN, Mitchell pushed back on that assertion. He even went as far as to say that, after the season, he expressed the desire for the franchise to run it back with himself and Gobert.

“I don’t think we didn’t believe [in each other],” Mitchell said to ESPN. “I said at the end of the season, don’t trade [Rudy Gobert]. Let’s figure this out, let’s do. And that didn’t happen. For him to say that after six months around the team, I disagree. But you know, at the end of the day, that’s his decision.”

Much has been made over the years of the relationship between Gobert and Mitchell, to the point that people wondered if there was anything to be made of how infrequently Mitchell passed the ball to Gobert.

One of the more enjoyable aspects of the very intense, endlessly watchable The Bear happens to be how viewers lusted after Carmy (portrayed by Shameless‘ Jeremy Allen White) as the so-called (and first declared by comedian Sarah York) “Sexually Competent Dirtbag.” The irony there is that Carmy never got it on, but there’s always room for him to have sex in Season 2. Surely, he can spare a few moments to do so? I have faith in him. And that vibe is why people loved being reminded of The Bear‘s existence when White and Ayo Edebiri (who played Chef Sydney) appeared onstage at the Emmys.

This only made people think about a second season with renewed fervor because, for some reason, watching White, Edebiri, and Ebon Moss-Bachrach stress out is very entertaining. In the meantime, we are still seeing fallout from the Internet’s lust for Carmy, and apparently, he knows all about this. It’s not clear whether he intentionally follows memes, but they must be hard to dodge. This includes how Twitter decided that White resembles Gene Wilder of Blazing Saddles and Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory fame. Specifically, the term “Ketamine Gene Wilder” has entered the discourse.

As White recently told InStyle during a video interview, he’s up to speed on this situation, and he’s keeping a healthy sense of humor:

“Yeah I’ve been made aware of some of the stuff out there. There’s one in particular: everyone’s decided I, uh, look a lot like Gene Wilder, which I agree. But I guess someone called me ‘Ketamine Gene Wilder.’ Or called Carmy ‘Ketamine Gene Wilder,’ which I thought was weird and funny.”

You can watch this moment shortly after the 2:30 mark below.

The Bear is currently streaming on Hulu.

Quinta Brunson is killing it right now. The Abbott Elementary star and creator is gearing up to release the second season of the hit show next week while celebrating multiple Emmy wins, including Outstanding Writing For A Comedy Series and Outstanding Supporting Actress In A Comedy Series for Sheryl Lee Ralph.

When she’s not playing Janine, the lovably optimistic second grade teacher, Brunson likes to take on smaller projects in order to not overwork herself. “Right now, I don’t really have time, unless I wanted to work myself to death, to focus on anything but Abbott, and I’m OK with that,” she told Variety after winning her Emmy. But she did have time to make a quick cameo in Weird: The Al Yankovic Story.

Brunson was approached to have a small role as Oprah interviewing Weird Al, though she didn’t feel like she was up for the challenge at first. “When I first had the Weird Al script, I was like, ‘I can’t play Oprah!’” Brunson explained. Once she realized just how wonderfully silly the movie was, she was in. “Then I read it and I was like, ‘Oh, this is the exact way I was born to play Oprah.’ Quick, easy, silly, fun, but still respectable. I just admire her so much,” she says. Brunson also admitted she spoke to Winfrey for the role, though she didn’t reveal what the talked about.

Starring Daniel Radcliffe as the titular musical parody artist, Weird will debut on the Roku Channel in November, but the screening at TIFF was a hit. “It was a comedy that I hadn’t seen in a long time,” Brunson gushed. “I love Daniel Radcliffe, and Weird Al — I got to meet him — such a sweetheart. I really enjoy doing things I only have to do for one day outside of Abbott.”

As for other smaller roles beyond Abbott, Brunson will also appear in the upcoming Party Down season, which is not a reboot! “I’m a big fan of Adam Scott and got to meet him. I love that it’s not a reboot — it’s a continuation.” It’s safe to say we will be seeing Brunson around for quite a while.

(Via Variety)

Earlier this year, Father John Misty, real name Josh Tillman, released his latest album Chloë And The Next 20th Century after unveiling alluring singles and music videos. He’s back today with the new Live at Electric Lady EP on Spotify, which includes reimagined tracks from that recent LP as well as a cover of Stevie Wonder’s “I Believe (When I Fall In Love It Will Be Forever).”

The cover is a visceral, piano-driven ballad that Tillman has no trouble making into his own. His voice fits naturally as he sings the poetic and hopeful lyrics; he sounds heartfelt and sincere.

This follows the June release of the “Buddy’s Rendezvous” music video directed by Tillman’s wife Emma Elizabeth Tillman who said about it, “‘Buddy’s Rendezvous’ is a world unto itself. It is a place out of time. My dream for the video is that it would surrender itself to the power of the song… Although the video and the song can be considered love letters to Los Angeles, the themes are universal. Disappointments, regrets, forgiveness, tenderness, perseverance, and love. The incredible performances by Arrow, Craig, Gilbert, and David Haley all coalesce to bring this vision to life.

Listen to his cover of “I Believe (When I Fall in Love It Will Be Forever)” below.

We’re getting closer and closer to the start of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. Thursday ended up being a big day on the road to the World Cup, as Nike announced the kits that its 13 participating teams will wear as they take the pitch this winter.

Some of them are pretty good, while others are very, very bad. To celebrate the occasion, we decided to rank all 13 of the kits that Nike announced.

13. United States

When multiple players take to social media to talk about how upset they are about these before they are even announced, you know something went wrong. Most of my thoughts can be read right here, but one more thing: What the heck is up with that bib on the white kit? Nike went with this on a number of these, and in my opinion, it does not work. Also, per Brian Straus of Sports Illustrated:

According to Nike, the minimal design flourishes on the white jersey are supposed to evoke other popular American team sports. The company’s logo is on each sleeve rather than the right breast, and so is intended to reflect American football jerseys. The centered U.S. Soccer crest is “akin to basketball jerseys,” Nike said, while the shoulder and sleeve seams are supposed to resemble those found on hockey uniforms.

Just make soccer jerseys.

12. Canada

Canada is wearing the shirts they wore during World Cup Qualifying, which saw them come in first place in CONCACAF. They are boring. This is your first trip to the World Cup since 1986! It’s your second time ever making it! Your best players — Alphonso Davies, Jonathan David — are some of the coolest players in the world! These can, and should, be so much better.

11. Poland

Similar issue to Canada, these are just a little better, with the sleeves giving them the edge. Still, boring.

10. The Netherlands

Again, the bib, what are we doing here? As for the home kit, they look like they are made out of satin. Hard pass.

9. South Korea

This is the only photo I could find of the South Korea kits. I don’t have too much to say about them. Son Heung-min is going to wear them, which helps them a lot, because he rocks. I can say that because his team did not play my team this past weekend due to the passing of Queen Elizabeth, and because of his poor form this season mixed with his general ability to terrorize Manchester City, he was -100000 to score twice in a Tottenham win if the game went on.

8. England

God, these are so close. If they didn’t do the gradient thing (or anything!) on the shoulders of the home kit and stayed away from the — just making up a color here — thermonuclear blue on the away kits, I would adore both of these, especially because a clean shirt with a collar is something I will love 100 times out of 100. Instead, both of those things lead to these kits getting knocked down. If only “lots of potential but ultimately comes up short” described literally anything else about England’s national team.

7. Australia

My main gripe here is the crest is just way too big, but that’s a general gripe with what the Socceroos wear. The bib on the away kit is an issue that exists with a number of these, but here it works so much better because of the contrasting blues. The yellow and green on the home kit is sensational. If only the goalkeepers were wearing them so their ultra-annoying and extremely funny national hero Andrew Redmayne could wear it, too.

6. Portugal

Portugal’s cream-colored away kit has really grown on me since they were first dropped — it’s a unique design with colors that work together, even if I wish the sleeves didn’t have the black ring on the end of them. They are legitimately very good. The home shirt, however, is a big “absolutely not” from me. It’s meant to mimic the country’s flag, and I guess the bet they made was this would look better than actually doing a vertical stripe, a la Portugal’s flag? I don’t know, just doesn’t work, especially the fact they tried doing it on both the shirt and its right sleeve.

5. Saudi Arabia

I am a sucker for a green/white color scheme and these scratch that itch in a big way. The home kit is a little boring but generally works, the away kit is spectacular, as the dark green base with light green accents really, really pops. There is a non-zero chance that Saudi Arabia does not earn a single point and it would take a whole lot of things breaking their way for them to make it out of their group, but they do have some really solid kits, which indeed counts for something.

4. Qatar

The hosts are participating in the World Cup for the first time by nature of being the host country, and they’ll do it in some pretty good threads. It’s a bit of a controversial opinion, but I love a good centralized crest, and Qatar’s home kit mixes that with design on the sleeve that evokes their flag. They’re getting knocked a touch because I’m not in love with the away kit blending white and the shade of yellow that is meant to mimic sand, but otherwise, these are great.

t-2. Brazil, Croatia

Both of these run into the exact same issue. One shirt (the yellow home shirt for Brazil, the blue away shirt for Croatia) is phenomenal. The Croatia shirt, specifically, is absolutely unreal, to the point that I am considering purchasing it. But while the blue Brazil shirt and the checkerboard Croatia shirt are both very good on their own, there’s just a little too much messing with perfection going on here — the ultra-vibrant green on the sleeves of the former and the fact it’s not a solid checkerboard on the latter knock them both down a peg. Generally, though, these are spectacular.

1. France

Clean, classic, timeless. The defending World Cup winners are going to look as good as ever in Qatar this year. Honestly, if every country took cues from France on how to take their standard shirts and add a few little tweaks — the landmarks and little nods to the French flag on the white one, specifically — my job would have been much more difficult here.