Category: News

Black Country, New Road are back with a new album, Forever Howlong, their first since the departure of singer Isaac Wood in 2022.

The vocals on Forever Howlong, which was produced by Gorillaz, Depeche Mode, and Fontaines DC collaborator James Ford, are now shared by May Kershaw, Tyler Hyde, and Georgia Ellery. “It created a real through line for the album, having three girls singing,” Ellery said in a statement. “It’s definitely very different to Ants From Up There, because of the female perspective – and the music we’ve made also compliments that.”

You can listen to baroque indie-pop first single “Besties” above, and check out the tracklist and artwork for Forever Howlong below, as well as Black Country, New Road’s 2025 tour dates.

Black Country, New Road’s Forever Howlong Album Cover Artwork

Black Country, New Road’s Forever Howlong Tracklist

1. “Besties”
2. “The Big Spin”
3. “Socks”
4. “Salem Sisters”
5. “Two Horses”
6. “Mary”
7. “Happy Birthday”
8. “For The Cold Country”
9. “Nancy Tries To Take The Night”
10. “Forever Howlong”
11. “Goodbye (Don’t Tell Me)”

Black Country, New Road’s 2025 Tour Dates: Forever Howlong Tour

05/13 — Salt Shed @ Chicago, IL ^
05/14 — Slowdown @ Omaha, NE +
05/16 — Mission Ballroom @ Denver, CO *
05/17 — Kilby Block Party @ Salt Lake City, UT
05/19 — The Observatory @ Santa Ana, CA ~
05/20 — The Wiltern @ Los Angeles, CA ~
05/22 — The Warfield @ San Francisco, CA ~
05/23 — Roseland Theater @ Portland, OR ~
05/24 — Moore Theater @ Seattle, WA ~
06/07 — Barcelona, ES @ Primavera Sound
08/15 — Paredes De Coura, PT @ Paredes De Coura
08/17 — Biddinghuizen, NL @ Lowlands Festival
08/28-31 — Dorset, UK @ End Of The Road
09/11 — Nottingham, UK @ Rock City
09/12 — Manchester, UK @ Albert Hall
09/15 — Dublin, IRE @ Olympia
09/18 — Glasgow, UK @ Barrowlands
09/20 — Gateshead, UK @ The Glasshouse
09/22 — Bristol, UK @ Beacon
09/24 — Cambridge, UK @ The Corn Exchange
10/09 — Paris, FR @ Casino De Paris
10/10 — Nantes, FR @ Stereolux
10/12 — Amsterdam, NL @ Paradiso
10/14 — Cologne, DE @ Gloria
10/15 — Berlin, DE @ Astra
10/17 — Copenhagen, DK @ Vega
10/18 — Stockholm, SWE @ Fallan
10/19 — Oslo, NO @ Sentrum Scene
10/21 — Hamburg, DE @ Mojo
10/22 — Prague, CZ @ Roxy
10/23 — Lausanne, SWI @ Les Docks
10/25 — Milan, ITA @ Magazzini Generali
10/26 — Lyon, FR @ Epicerie Moderne
10/28 — Brussels, BE @ Ancienne Belgique
10/30 — Brighton, UK @ Brighton Dome
10/31 — London, UK @ O2 Brixton Academy

^ Friko & Nora Brown with Stephanie Coleman
+ Friko
* supporting St. Vincent
~ Nora Brown with Stephanie Coleman

Forever Howlong is out 4/4 via Ninja Tune. Find more information here.

It doesn’t seem possible, but it’s been three years since Tom Holland starred in a movie. 2022’s Uncharted wasn’t a Spider-Man: No Way Home-style blockbuster (few films are), but it did quite well at the box office: a worldwide total of $407.1 million, sixth all-time among movies based on video games.

Naturally, a second Uncharted film has been announced, and while it might be a few years before it comes out (hanging out with your future-wife Zendaya >>> going to work), some details about the sequel have been revealed.

Here’s everything we know about Uncharted 2.

Plot

The mid-credits scene for Uncharted sets up the potential villain for the sequel (crime lord Gabriel Roman), but more importantly, it introduces Sully’s video game mustache. A mustache that will stick around for the sequel.

“I just got a call today that they got the script in,” star Mark Wahlberg, who plays Nathan Drake’s frequent companion, told Screen Rant last year. “I can’t grow a real beard and mustache, but they said, ‘Start growing your moustache. It’s gonna take a while.’ I’d be interested to see what the story’s like, and where that adventure takes us. But I’m excited. I know audiences really loved the first one, so we’ll see.”

Sony Pictures executive Steven O’Dell confirmed that Uncharted 2 is in development in June 2024. When asked for an update, producer Charles Roven told Deadline, “We’re working on a script, but we’re going to have to wait now for Chris Nolan’s movie [2026’s The Odyssey] that Tom and Zendaya are doing. And then right after that, he and Zendaya are doing Spider-Man. I think both those movies are releasing on the same day or the week after each other or something. It’s another potential Barbenheimer.”

Hopefully Tom Holland has an easier time making the sequel. “I never realized how lucky I am that Spider-Man wears a mask, because when he’s bouncing around and flying from buildings, that’s all CG,” he told GQ about the physical requirements of working in the MCU. “In Uncharted, it’s just me in a henley and cargo pant. That film absolutely broke me.”

Just wait until he has to do this insane setpiece.

Cast

Until reported otherwise, expect the main cast from Uncharted to return: Tom Holland as Nathan Drake, Mark Wahlberg as Victor “Sully” Sullivan, and Sophia Ali as Chloe Frazer. Hopefully we get Elena Fisher in the sequel.

Release Date

You think the wait between 2012’s Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception and 2016’s Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End (the best game in the series IMO) was long? It’s going to be even longer for Uncharted 2, which doesn’t have an official release date. Neither does another property based on a Naughty Dog property: The Last of Us season 2 (but it’s probably going to be late April 2025).

Trailer

Check out the trailer for the first Uncharted movie (or better yet, play the Uncharted games).

The world got a taste of what GloRilla is like as a live performer earlier this month when she was the musical guest on Saturday Night Live. For those who liked what they saw, Glo has some good news, as she just announced The Glorious Tour. The shows run for a few weeks in March and April.

A fan pre-sale starts January 30 at 10 a.m. local time, followed by a general on-sale starting January 31 at noon local time. More information is available on Glo’s website.

Find GloRilla’s upcoming tour dates below.

GloRilla’s 2025 Tour Dates: The Glorious Tour

03/05 — Oklahoma City, OK @ The Criterion
03/06 — Dallas, TX @ South Side Ballroom
03/07 — Houston, TX @ 713 Music Hall
03/09 — Jacksonville, FL @ VyStar Veterans Memorial Auditorium
03/10 — Fort Lauderdale, FL @ War Memorial
03/12 — Atlanta, GA @ Coca-Cola Roxy
03/13 — Charlotte, NC @ Bojangles Coliseum
03/14 — Washington, D.C. @ The Anthem
03/19 — New York, NY @ Hammerstein Ballroom
03/20 — Boston, MA @ MGM Music Hall at Fenway
03/22 — Cincinnati, OH @ The Andrew J Brady Music Center
03/23 — Chicago, IL @ The Salt Shed
03/24 — St. Louis, MO @ The Factory
03/26 — Milwaukee, WI @ Eagles Ballroom
03/27 — Minneapolis, MN @ Armory
04/06 — Raleigh, NC @ Dreamville Festival
04/11 — Coachella, CA @ Coachella Weekend 1
04/12 — Las Vegas, NV @ The Theater at Virgin Hotels Las Vegas
04/13 — Stateline, NV @ Tahoe Blue Event Center
04/16 — Oakland, CA @ Fox Theater
04/18 — Coachella, CA @ Coachella Weekend 2
TBD — Memphis, TN @ TBD

Ringo Starr has had quite the life, from being one of the world’s biggest rock stars as a member of The Beatles to enjoying sustained solo success in the decades that followed. That said, one of life’s finest experiences, something many people enjoy frequently, has eluded the music icon (or rather, he’s eluded it): Starr has never eaten pizza.

Starr was a guest on Jimmy Kimmel Live! yesterday (January 29), and during the interview, Kimmel asked Starr about some rumors about him. The first item on the agenda was the rumor that Starr has never eaten a pizza. He responded, “I’ve never had a pizza… never had a pizza.”

The audience offered a shocked reaction and Starr said, “All those people in the back going, ‘What?’”

He continued, “Or a curry. I’m allergic to several items, and with pizza, you don’t know what you’re putting in it half the time. Or the curry. So I’m pretty strict with myself because it makes me ill immediately.”

That said, Starr hasn’t let his aversion stop him from getting that “Big Pizza” money: In 1995, he starred alongside The Monkees in a Pizza Hut commercial. In the ad, he finds himself holding a slice, but indeed, he never actually takes a bite.

The NBA is never shy about tinkering with rule changes, but for the most part, they have left the general structure of games alone. However, Adam Silver indicated on Wednesday that he would be open to a substantial change to shorten games in the interest of making the game a better TV product.

In an appearance on The Dan Patrick Show, Silver said he’s “a fan” of the idea of playing 10-minute quarters, noting the NBA is the only league in the world that plays 12-minute quarters.

“Something else I’m a fan of — and I’m probably in the minority — as we get more involved in global basketball, the NBA is the only league that plays 48 minutes,” Silver said. “I am a fan of four 10-minute quarters. I’m not sure that many others are, and putting aside what it means for records and things like that, I think that a two-hour format for a game is more consistent with modern television habits.”

Silver acknowledged it’s a “dramatic change” and he’s not sure there would be considerable support for it through the rest of the league, and also pointed out that it’s very much a TV-centric consideration and not something fans going to games are worried about. Still, that the commissioner of the league is saying that he’s a fan of shortening games to be more in line with the Olympics, college basketball, international basketball, and the WNBA is worth earmarking as we move forward and the league’s decision-makers discuss potential changes. So much of the NBA’s revenue now comes from the TV broadcast contracts that it would not be surprising if they explored this option seriously — if the networks believe a shorter game window would lead to more viewers.

I personally am skeptical that cutting eight minutes of game time would lead to a significant shift in viewership. I think the best argument for it is that it’d lead to a higher percentage of the game with stars on the floor, not that people have shorter attention spans so two hours is better than two-plus. Overall, I don’t think the games need to be shorter (if anything, I’d advocate for cutting back on the number of games, not how long they are but that’s likely never going to happen) and I think players would push back pretty strongly, if for no other reason than what Silver noted about averages going down and records becoming, effectively, unbreakable.

Even so, this is certainly something to keep in mind as the NBA moves forward with their quest to get more eyes on games themselves as part of the new, massive TV deal.

Although one of the men suspected of killing Young Dolph in 2021 was convicted last September and sentenced to life in prison in November, a few questions remained. One was the fate of another man, Shundale Barnett, who was released just a day after his arrest in 2022, and arrested again earlier this week. Barnett was arrested alongside his cousin Justin Johnson in February 2022, but was released the next day. The U.S. Marshals then issued an arrest warrant after realizing that he may have been involved in the high-profile murder case.

According to local news, though, it now appears Barnett should not have been charged as an accessory after-the-fact and that the warrant for his arrest was never reversed due to a clerical error. His case has since been dropped. Barnett was re-arrested Monday after the warrant was originally issued in February 2022, but released on Tuesday.

As Shelby County District Attorney Steve Mulroy explained on Tuesday, “During the investigation of Justin Johnson, Shundale Barnett was found with Johnson at the time of his arrest in Indiana. Based on this and other facts, a task force officer with the U.S. Marshals determined there was probable cause to charge Barnett with Accessory After the Fact, and an arrest warrant was issued as part of standard procedure. As the investigation progressed, the DA’s Office determined that Barnett was not involved in the case and chose not to pursue charges, indicating the charge would be withdrawn. However, a delay in recalling the warrant left it active in the system. This clerical issue has now been resolved, and the charges against Barnett have been officially dismissed.”

Two other members of the plot were Jermarcus Johnson, Justin’s brother, who has since pled guilty and was sentenced to six months probation; and Hernandez Govan, who is suspected of planning the murder. Govan is expected to go on trial in July.

Post Malone didn’t perform the Super Bowl Halftime Show last year, but he did have quite the “big game”: He sang “America The Beautiful” before the game, and he also starred in a Bud Light commercial.

It remains to be seen exactly how he’ll be involved in this year’s proceedings, but we do know one thing: It was announced today (January 29) that he’ll be performing at the official Super Bowl Tailgate hosted by YouTube. His performance will be livestreamed exclusively via YouTube and it’s set to start at 4 p.m. ET, shortly before kickoff at 6:30 p.m. ET.

Malone got a bit of a practice run in a few weeks ago, when he joined Beyoncé for her Christmas Day NFL halftime show.

Beyond this, Malone has a couple of other significant obligations coming up in 2025. Recently, he was revealed as the official Record Store Day ambassador for 2025. In April, he’s also set to headline Coachella, alongside Lady Gaga and Green Day.

As for this year’s Super Bowl music, Kendrick Lamar of course has the honor of performing the halftime show, alongside recently announced guest SZA. Jon Batiste found his way into the festivities, too, as he’ll deliver a performance of the national anthem.

The NBA struck gold at its All-Star Saturday Night in 2024 by putting on a shooting competition between Steph Curry and Sabrina Ionescu. While the league has come under criticism for its Saturday slate growing a bit stale — in large part due to a less than stellar Dunk Contest field most years — the competition between Curry and Ionescu was legitimately great, with the Golden State Warriors star just coming out on top.

The hope, per reports, was that the league would be able to build on this and expand the competition for All-Star in San Francisco this year, with the ideal field featuring Curry, Ionescu, Klay Thompson, and Caitlin Clark. But unfortunately, that will not happen, as Shams Charania of ESPN brought word on Wednesday that Clark is turning an invitation to participate from the NBA down.

“Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark will not participate in NBA All-Star special 3-point shootout in San Francisco and ‘wants her first three-point contest to be at WNBA All-Star in Indianapolis this summer,’ her representatives at Excel Sports said today,” Charania posted to his Twitter account.

The news comes one day after Tom Friend of Sports Business Journal reported that Clark was “disinclined to participate” in the event, citing the fact that the Indiana Fever star would prefer not to shoot off of a rack. It’s a big blow for the NBA, as a shooting competition with those four would be legitimately fantastic, but we’ll see if the league has anything else up its sleeve to get the Splash Brothers, Ionescu, and another W standout together.

Over the past month, the NBA’s two new broadcast partners, NBC and Amazon, have been hard at work making hires for their broadcast teams going into the 2025-26 season. Amazon has brought in Ian Eagle and Kevin Harlan for play-by-play duties, added Cassidy Hubbarth as their top sideline reporter, and built out a studio crew of Taylor Rooks, Blake Griffin, and Dirk Nowitzki, with plenty of analyst hires still to come.

NBC, meanwhile, has been a bit more patient in their hiring process, but that is in part because they have a number of people already on their NBC Sports team that will take on large roles. Mike Tirico and Noah Eagle will be their top play-by-play commentators, while Maria Taylor figures to be in the mix for their studio host role. Still, they need analysts both for game coverage and studio shows, and as January neared a close, the only hire publicly known on the NBC side was Jamal Crawford. That changed on Wednesday when word broke from Front Office Sports’ Ryan Glasspiegel that they were going to add Reggie Miller as their top color commentator.

The former Pacers sharpshooter is poised to be a top color commentator when the NBA returns to NBC next season, sources told Front Office Sports. He will call games alongside play-by-play broadcasters Mike Tirico and Noah Eagle.

It’s not entirely clear yet exactly how NBC will divvy up gave coverage between Tirico and Eagle during football season and beyond. Tirico is their lead NFL man on Sunday nights (and also handles hosting duties for golf coverage and other major events), while Eagle is their top voice for Big Ten Saturday night games. Given Glasspiel notes Miller will call games with both, it stands to reason that both Tirico and Eagle will call NBC’s top games depending on the schedule during the regular season, with Tirico eventually taking the lead come playoff time.

Miller will give NBC a known commodity in their top booth and bring his energy and enthusiasm for the game to their broadcasts. Even with Reggie on board, there are still some big names out there in the mix for color commentator or studio analyst gigs. Stan Van Gundy, Vince Carter, Candace Parker, and others currently at TNT figure to be available, while recently retired stars like Carmelo Anthony and Dwyane Wade have reportedly had talks with networks about roles.

The 2025 edition of the Slam Dunk Contest at NBA All-Star Weekend will be pretty light on the “star” portion of the equation. As has been the case for much of the last decade, the league has not been able to secure any of the league’s top players for the contest. Instead, they are hoping that a young field can deliver a surprisingly fun contest, as they’ve tapped the reigning two-time champ, Mac McClung, Spurs rookie Stephon Castle, Bucks second-year wing Andre Jackson Jr., and Bulls rookie Matas Buzelis for this year’s contest.

It is, on paper, not a contest field that really gets fans all that excited. McClung has been fantastic in the contest the last two years, but he’s a G League player who is something of a Dunk Contest ringer at this point. The other three all have plenty of bounce and could be very fun, but are not household names. The lack of big names in the Dunk Contest has been an issue for the NBA for about a decade, but the flip side of that is the Dunk Contest can push a young player into being a star with a legendary performance.

Zach LaVine is maybe the best example of that, as he became a two-time Dunk Contest champ years before he was an All-Star. The 2015 and 2016 winner of the contest now is offering some mentorship to his young teammate, Buzelis, on the contest, and teased on TikTok that he’s still got it and might have to make a triumphant return at some point.

Getting LaVine to do another Dunk Contest would be huge for the NBA, but what they really need is one of these young players to use the contest as a trampoline to being a bigger name the way LaVine did (and Aaron Gordon, even though he lost twice in gutting fashion). What would really tip the scales back in favor of the Dunk Contest is if the league can get one of the big-name youngsters to do it early in their career. That used to be when you got star names in the contest, but the league hasn’t been able to get players like Zion Williamson or Anthony Edwards to do it early in their careers before they become All-Stars themselves — see: Blake Griffin, Vince Carter, Kobe Bryant.

Perhaps this year Castle, Jackson, or Buzelis will be able to put their name on the map via the Dunk Contest. At the very least, Buzelis has an excellent mentor to lean on for advice and maybe some dunk ideas in LaVine.