Alexei Druzhinin/Russian Presidential Press and Information Office/TASS
Russia still doesn’t seem to have gotten the memo that it’s not 1991 in Hollywood. For years, the country has pedaled former action “star” and noted creepSteven Seagal as the poster boy for a kinder, gentler relationship between the U.S. and Russia. In late 2016, the Under Siege actor was granted Russian citizenship. In 2018, Russia named Seagal a special envoy to the United States. And now, as The Wrap reports, the 69-year-old Lansing, Michigan native has been asked to join A Just Russia – Patriots – For Truth, a pro-Vladimir Putin organization with lots of oddly spaced dashes.
On Saturday, the group released a video of Seagal, decked out in his signature shades, being inducted into its ranks. The organization, which only came into existence earlier this year, is made up of three previously existing pro-Putin parties.
Seagal, clearly touched by the invitation to join his fellow Putin-heads, shared a few words to mark the moment—though mostly about how he’d like to arrest more people when it comes to businesses that damage Russia’s precious environment.
“Without being able to arrest people, when we just fine them, they are probably making more money of the production of the things that are defiling the environment,” Seagal said.
The man, of course, knows what he speaks. In addition to his “acting” work, Seagal—who has praised Putin as “one of the great living world leaders”—has logged some time in law enforcement. Seagal was a reserve deputy chief in the Jefferson Parish, Louisiana; though the position was largely ceremonial, it became the basis for Steven Seagal: Lawman, the A&E reality series no one asked for. None of which gives Seagal any authority to arrest anyone—companies, individuals, or otherwise—in Russia… but who knows what appointment Seagal will receive next.
It was revealed over the weekend that Olivia Rodrigo has landed her first No. 1 album with Sour. Also over the weekend, she chatted about the release on the Zach Sang Show. During the conversation, she spoke about album highlight “1 Step Forward, 3 Steps Back,” which famously interpolates Taylor Swift’s “New Year’s Day.”
Rodrigo revealed why she ended up borrowing from the Swift song, saying:
“We interpolated ‘New Year’s Day,’ which is Taylor’s song from Reputation. I came up with the ‘1 Step Forward’ concept and I sort of wrote a verse and a chorus, and when I got home… I was in the car on a road trip, and when I got home, I decided to sing it over the chords of ‘New Year’s Day.’ I think they’re really beautiful chords. I was lucky enough to get that approved, and it’s on the record now.”
She also said of the song, “I really sort of loved that concept of ‘1 Step Forward, 3 Steps Back.’ Somebody texted it to me once, and I was like, ‘Ooh, that’s really interesting. I’ve never heard somebody say something like that.’ I thought it would be a cool way to describe this toxic, sort of manipulative, relationship.”
Billie Eilish is set to share a new single this week, as she declared on Friday. When she made the announcement, she wasn’t forthcoming with info about the song, but now she has offered what seems to be a not-so-subtle hint at what the new song will be.
Taking to Instagram to share a couple different photos of herself and one of a car wheel, Eilish wrote, “nothing but a lost cause.” Since the Happier Than Ever tracklist features a song called “Lost Cause,” it appears Eilish is strongly suggesting that “Lost Cause” will be her next single.
Whatever the new song is, Eilish is perhaps hoping it will be a bit of a bounce-back (by her lofty standards, at least): Her latest single, “Your Power,” wasn’t a major chart hit, as it has so far only peaked at No. 10 on the Billboard Hot 100. Her other two Happier Than Ever singles, “My Future” and “Therefore I Am,” achieved peaks of Nos. 6 and 2, respectively.
Meanwhile, Eilish recently figured out what she’s going to be doing for a healthy chunk of 2020: Earlier this month, she announced a months-long stretch of tour dates.
Happier Than Ever is out 7/30 via Interscope. Pre-order it here.
Naomi Osaka has become one of the biggest stars in all of tennis, but the current No. 2 player in the world in the WTA rankings will not be playing any further in the second major championship of the year.
On Monday, Osaka announced she would be withdrawing from the French Open after winning her first match in straight sets, the result of a weekend of debate surrounding her initial announcement that she would not be doing any press availability during the championships. Osaka had cited protecting her mental health as the reason she did not want to participate in press conferences, particularly post-match, during the tournament and went into further detail about the anxiety she deals with in those situations in her announcement that she would be withdrawing.
It is an unfortunate end to a controversy that never should’ve been as big as it got. Osaka takes responsibility for announcing her plan to not do press in the wrong manner, and notes that she’s had private conversations with tournament officials about it and hopes to have more moving forward after this year’s event ends. That she felt the only way to end it was to withdraw completely is a shame, not just for Osaka as she looked to make a deep run at one of the major’s she’s yet to reach the quarters in, but for fans who won’t be able to watch one of tennis’ great talents because her request not to do press became such a story she felt she couldn’t perform without being a distraction.
There are absolutely conversations to be had, as she notes at the end of her statement, on how to make the press-player relationship work better for all parties, and hopefully this can be a starting point for that even if it begins with an unfortunate situation that seemed avoidable had her initial statement been handled and taken differently.
South Park‘s Eric Cartman has a distinct way of speaking, and ever since the show debuted back in 1997, his voice has been a commonly impersonated one. It’s easy to do a Cartman impression, but it’s hard to do it well. It turns out musician Fernando Ufret has a strong impersonation, though, which he shows off in a video of himself covering Linkin Park’s “In The End” as Cartman. The clip has gained traction on TikTok and has led to Linkin Park becoming a trending topic on Twitter today.
He reacted to the immediate attention his cover has brought him, tweeting this morning, “I just started a TikTok 2 days ago, and some of the posts are going insanely viral! Thank you, guys!”
I just started a TikTok 2 days ago, and some of the posts are going insanely viral! Thank you, guys!https://t.co/R1t4NNIE0S
— Fernando M. Ufret (@Fernando_Ufret) May 31, 2021
Ufret just uploaded his first TikTok video a few days ago and his account already has over 33,o00 followers. Other Cartman impression highlights from his page include covers of “Pure Imagination” from Willy Wonka And The Chocolate Factory and Green Day’s “Good Riddance.”
For the record, Ufret can do more than just a Cartman impression. He’s a talented vocalist with a natural rasp to his voice (in which you can actually hear a bit of his Cartman). For example, here’s a video from earlier this year in which he covers Foo Fighters’ “Times Like These.”
Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
While Miles Teller and his wife, Keleigh Sperry Teller, have been sharing posts of the seemingly paradisical Hawaiian vacation the two recently took with Shailene Woodley (Miles’s frequent co-star) and her fiancé/Super Bowl MVP/Jeopardy! host extraordinaire Aaron Rodgers, the getaway wasn’t 100 percent fun-filled.
On Friday morning, TMZ reported that the Top Gun: Maverick star had gotten into a physical altercation with someone while in the bathroom of Maui’s Monkeypod Kitchen restaurant, where Miles was dining with his wife. Keleigh posted about the incident on her Instagram stories that evening, which prompted People to track down the official police report. That report indicated that the “police responded to a report of an assault that occurred at a West Maui restaurant involving a male victim and one responsible party. The incident is currently under investigation; no further information is available at this time.”
Though Teller — who was just announced as Armie Hammer’s replacement in The Offer, a series documenting the making of The Godfather — initially remained silent on the event, a joke made at the actor’s expense by Sirius XM host Pat McAfee finally elicited a reaction, along some small details about what happened:
I got jumped by two guys in a bathroom. Never met them before in my life but ya cool wrestling segue bud
The story, however, didn’t end there. Early Saturday morning, TMZ posted yet another story, this one claiming that while Teller may not have known the men who attacked him, there could be a connection between them. According to the site, “One of the men who allegedly put hands on Miles is married to a wedding planner, and the wedding planner seems to have history with Miles and his wife, Keleigh. Keleigh mentioned in a Vogue article she worked with the company to plan the nuptials.”
According to TMZ’s article, the Tellers still owe the wedding planner in question $60,000 from their 2019 wedding—a statement that Keleigh vehemently denied, stating:
“The story reported about Miles being punched in the face by @TMZ over ‘MONEY’ is completely false. Miles was jumped by 2 men we have never met after they trapped him in a bathroom… It seems these same men have done this to many people and we appreciate your support Maui. This is now a criminal investigation.”
The incident sparked further discussion of the fan-player dynamic in stadiums, one that has been on display across the various incidents this postseason amid the backdrop of arenas being opened to near-full capacity again. Kevin Durant called out the fan in his postgame press conference, as did Charles Barkley on Inside the NBA following the game. While the fans in Philly, New York, and Utah were given bans from those three arenas for their actions, the fan who threw the bottle at Irving faces something far more severe, as ESPN reported that he has been arrested and charged with assault and battery with a dangerous weapon.
According to Boston Police, a witness says the suspect — 21-year-old Cole Buckley of Braintree, Massachusetts — threw a Dasani water bottle at Irving. Buckley is charged with assault and battery by means of a dangerous weapon and will be arraigned Tuesday in Boston Municipal Court.
That this incident came after Irving publicly noted his concerns about how he’ll be received in Boston, noting that he hopes there won’t be any racist comments directed at he or his teammates, only serves to validate his worries entering this weekend’s set of games. That the fan is facing legal consequences beyond being banned from the arena will hopefully create a greater deterrent for others in recognizing that throwing things at players is not just crossing the line but is grounds for charges to possibly be pressed against you.
It was around this time last year that Machine Gun Kelly and Megan Fox publicly declared that they were dating. Since then, the twists and turns of their relationship have formed quite the story, with the occasional headlines showing observers that their romance isn’t like most others.
Now, the story continues: Over the weekend, Fox joined Kelly on stage at a concert. Kelly was performing at a Barstool Sports Indy 500 party at Grand Park in Westfield, Indiana on Friday. As E! notes, the crowd chanted for Fox, and eventually, she took the stage. Standing with Kelly, the musician puffed on “what appeared to be a cigarette,” then he passed it to Fox, who also took a puff. Then, Kelly performed “I Think I’m Okay,” with Fox hanging out towards the back of the stage during the song. Later, the pair was apparently seen cuddling backstage.
Before this, the couple’s most recent public appearance of note came at the 2021 Billboard Music Awards a week ago. For the occasion, Kelly decided to paint his tongue black, and ahead of the ceremony, he showed off his oral modification by engaging in some PDA with Fox on the red carpet. Kelly also left the show with two awards: Top Rock Artist and Top Rock Album (for Tickets To My Downfall).
The Los Angeles Lakers saw the Phoenix Suns reclaim homecourt advantage on Sunday afternoon, as the Suns ran away from L.A. in the third quarter of Game 4 in L.A. before fending off one last LeBron James-led surge late to earn a comfortable win to even the series at 2-2. A significant reason for the Suns being able to put distance between themselves and the Lakers in the third quarter was the absence of Anthony Davis, who left Game 4 in the second quarter with a groin injury and would not return.
Without Davis, the Lakers’ offense struggled in the non-LeBron minutes (and especially during a stretch without James or Dennis Schröder) and their lack of rim protection was noticeable in Phoenix’s run. On Monday, we learned a bit more about the severity of Davis’ groin injury from The Athletic’s Shams Charania, who reports that the superstar big man is “unlikely” to play Game 5 in Phoenix but the hope is that he is able to return later in the series.
Lakers star Anthony Davis is unlikely to play in Game 5 vs. Suns on Tuesday due to strained groin, sources tell @TheAthletic@Stadium. There’s optimism about Davis‘ status as series continues and as he is evaluated day-to-day.
Davis’ expected absence opens the door for the Suns to reclaim the lead in this series as they are currently 5-point favorites in Game 5 due to a combination of being back home, AD’s injury issues, and the continued improvement of Chris Paul’s shoulder. There is no replacing Davis for the Lakers, although they certainly have ample experience this season in playing without him as he missed significant time with an Achilles issue. Frank Vogel has tried just about everything in Davis’ stead in terms of a frontcourt rotation, from Andre Drummond to Marc Gasol to Montrezl Harrell, all of whom give L.A. something different but also have a unique weakness as well.
Gasol performed the best of that trio in Game 4, and it would stand to reason that he will see the biggest minutes increase of anyone in Davis’ absence. Hopefully a few days of rest can have AD ready to go for an elimination game on either side in Game 6, but groin injuries can be a bit fickle and that remains to be seen.
Keeping up with new music can be exhausting, even impossible. From the weekly album releases to standalone singles dropping on a daily basis, the amount of music is so vast it’s easy for something to slip through the cracks. Even following along with the Uproxx recommendations on a daily basis can be a lot to ask, so every Monday we’re offering up this rundown of the best new music this week.
This week saw Eminem tap some young guns for a new remix and DMX and Juice WRLD pad out their posthumous legacies. Yeah, it was a great week for new music. Check out the highlights below.
Eminem — “Killer (Remix)” Feat. Jack Harlow and Cordae
One way Eminem has adapted to the times is by dropping new material with no advance warning. He’s done that with increasing frequency over the past few years and did so again last week by dropping a new version of “Killer,” which contributions from two leaders of rap’s new generation: Jack Harlow and Cordae.
DMX — “Hood Blues” Feat. Westside Gunn, Benny The Butcher, and Conway The Machine
Exodus, DMX’s first album since 2012, comes via morose circumstances, as it’s his first posthumous release. It’s a fitting celebration of the rapper’s life, though, and the tracklist reads like a guest list with all the features (including Westside Gunn, Benny The Butcher, and Conway The Machine on “Hood Blues“). Fans of the project may also have something else to look forward to, as a second posthumous DMX album appears to be completely possible.
Juice WRLD — “Lucid Dreams (Remix)” Feat. Lil Uzi Vert
Speaking of posthumous releases, since his death, Juice WRLD has had more material drop than many rappers who are still with us. His latest is a rework of “Lucid Dreams,” which now features Lil Uzi Vert and arrived with a slick 3D animated video.
Modest Mouse — “Leave A Light On”
A new Modest Mouse album is an event these days, considering they’ve released just two of them since 2007, counting that year’s We Were Dead Before The Ship Even Sank. At last, they have a new full-length on the way and early looks at it have been promising. Last week brought “Leave A Light On,” a lightly psychedelic mid-tempo rocker.
Earthgang, Wale, and Coi Leray — “Options (Remix)”
Between their 2019 major label debut album Mirrorland and their 2020 Spillage Village album, the duo behind Earthgang have been busy. They’re not resting in 2021, either: They have a project called Ghetto Gods on the way. Ahead of that, though, they revisited “Options” with a new remix, adding Coi Leray to a track that already featured Wale.
Bachelor — “Back Of My Hand”
Jay Som’s Melina Duterte and Palehound’s Ellen Kempner took some time away from their main projects to team up for an album as Bachelor. Highlights like “Back Of My Hand” sound like two friends having a blast, and that’s apparently because that’s how making the project went. Duterte recently told Uproxx, “We really love each other, truly and genuinely. The hardest part of making this record was just laughing so much that sometimes we couldn’t get stuff done.”
Future and Hotboii — “Nobody Special”
It’s been a busy past few days in terms of Future addressing his relationships through song. Over the weekend, he had some words for and/or about Lori Harvey and Michael B. Jordan on a leaked “Maybach” verse. In terms of officially released material, though, he linked up with Hotboii on “Nobody Special,” on which both rappers decide exclusivity isn’t for them.
RMR — “Vibes” Feat. Tyla Yaweh
Locking down a sweet setting for a video is important, and RMR nailed that task with his “Vibes” visual. In the video, he is tasked with house-sitting for Jamie Foxx, an opportunity RMR seizes as a chance to throw a party. Foxx himself makes an appearance in the clip and all in all, it’s good fun.
Erica Banks — “Toot That” Feat. DreamDoll and Beat King
“Buss It” was a huge, career-defining moment for the Texas rapper, which also made it a tough act to follow. She’s done a fine job at that herculean task, though, like with her latest output: a remix of “Toot That,” originally from her self-titled mixtape. This time, she brought DreamDoll on board, who contributed a confident new verse.
Koreless — “Joy Squad”
Koreless (Welsh producer Lewis Roberts) has been making a name for himself over the past decade; For example, he re-worked a track for Perfume Genius’ remix album from earlier this year. Now he’s got his own album on the way, which he teased last week with “Joy Squad,” a glitchy, dark, and at times unsettling piece of electronica.
Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
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