Category: News

In February, Netflix introduced a top 10 feature that allows subscribers to see the most popular titles on the streaming service. “In addition to the overall top 10 list, you’ll also be able to see the top 10 most popular series and top 10 films when you click on the movies and TV shows tabs,” the press release boasted. Tiger King was on the list for weeks, while The Queen’s Gambit is still there, despite coming out in October, and The Office is a permanent fixture. But none of those shows, nor The Umbrella Academy, or Ozark, or Avatar: The Last Airbender, was Netflix’s most-popular in 2020. Folks, it’s Cocomelon.

As parents everywhere are already aware, Cocomelon is a cheaply-animated, song-heavy series aimed at kids. It’s one of the biggest things on YouTube, and it’s huge on Netflix, too. Variety reports that since the streamer began airing episodes earlier this year, “it has spent 104 days on Netflix’s top 10 ranker, more than any other program except “The Office.” But when you look “at how consistently high each program ranked on Netflix, assigning the most points to No. 1, Cocomelon winds up as the most popular show since February (when the top 10 most-watched lists began) on the streamer.”

Cocomelon amassed 572 points since late February (if it’s number one for the day, it gets 10 points; if it’s number 10, it gets one point), followed by The Office with 438 points, The Queen’s Gambit with 431 points, Tiger King with 382 points, and Ozark with 377 points. Netflix should apologize to every parent for subjecting them to this.

If Cocomelon does a chess episode, it’s over for everyone.

(Via Variety)

In a Jimmy Kimmel Live! interview from last night, Taylor Swift said of Folklore, “I was too afraid to even unveil the title of the album to even my closest teammates and management. I didn’t tell anybody the album title until right before it came out.” It’s not clear if she surrounded her other 2020 surprise album, Evermore, with the same level of internal secrecy. Whatever the case may be, Paul McCartney knew about the album weeks before the music-listening public.

During a recent interview with Howard Stern (as Billboard notes), McCartney was discussing the Beatles’ friendly rivalry with the Rolling Stones and how the groups would coordinate their release dates so as to not step on each other’s toes. It turns out Swift offered McCartney the same courtesy with the upcoming McCartney III, so she told him about Evermore weeks ago. McCartney said:

“I did the Rolling Stone cover with Taylor Swift and she just emailed me recently and she said, ‘I wasn’t telling anyone, but I’ve got another album,’ what’s it called… Evermore? ‘So I was going to put it out on my birthday,’ which I think was the 10th. And then she said, ‘But I found out that you were going to put [McCartney III] out on the 10th so I moved to the 18th.’ And then she found out we were coming out on the 18th, so she moved back to the 10th. So, you know, people do keep out of each other’s way. It’s a nice thing to do.”

Ultimately, Swift released Evermore on December 11, a couple days before her December 13 birthday, while McCartney III will be released on December 18.

Swift briefly discussed her Rolling Stone feature with McCartney during the aforementioned Kimmel interview, saying of the cover, “That’s what all the walls [in my home] are gonna be made of. I’m building a whole new home with just that on every wall. Every brick has a little mini-picture of that. None of the old homes are going to work anymore because they don’t have enough of that on them.”

Ahead of the Christmas Day release of Wonder Woman 1984, WarnerMedia has partnered with Comcast to make it even easier for Xfinity customers to access HBO Max original programming and movies. While cable customers have been able log in to the HBO Max on their streaming devices if HBO is part of their package, the app is now directly available on Xfinity set top devices, according to the joint announcement:

X1 and Flex customers will be able to access the HBO Max app over the Internet by saying “HBO Max” into the Xfinity Voice Remote or, for example, by saying the name of a desired title (like, “The Flight Attendant”). Xfinity customers will also be able to find the HBO Max app content library integrated throughout the X1 and Flex experience, including in current and evergreen collections such as “Best of 2020,” “Kids and Family,” “Black Film & TV” and more.

While this latest news is well and good for Xfinity subscribers, it only further highlights HBO Max’s glaring absence on Roku devices. The two sides are still at an impasse and have yet to reach an agreement thanks to the contentious issue of how the HBO Max app should be available to Roku users, and more importantly, what the revenue share will look like. However, WarnerMedia CEO Jason Kilar recently shared a promising update on the negotiations during an interview with Variety. “We do respect each other and we are having productive conversations,” he said. “I do have optimism that something gets done.”

When the NFL added two more playoff games to their Wild Card Weekend slate this season by expanding the playoffs to 14 teams, it set up the opportunity to get their TV partners to bid on the rights to two additional playoff games.

One of those games is headed to CBS, which will stream the game on CBS All Access and also do a simulcast on Nickelodeon that will be a “kid-themed” broadcast. That was previously announced, but we got more details on what that will entail on Tuesday, when CBS announced how the game will look different on Nick, with superimposed slime in the end zones on touchdowns, much more colorful graphics, various filters like googly eyes on replays, and, of course, plenty of SpongeBob SquarePants.

The pregame show will be a SpongeBob special, hosted by Von Miller of the Broncos, with play-by-play duties handled by a booth with Noah Eagle, Nate Burleson, and Gabrielle Nevaeh Green, with Lex Lumpkin as a reporter during the game. CBS ran a test run of their Nick broadcast during Eagles-Packers earlier this year to iron out the kinks and figure out the timing of getting Nick graphics and all of the filtered replays back to the truck from Nick Studios and are apparently pleased with how that went.

It’ll be interesting to see what kind of audience the Nickelodeon broadcast is able to pull in, as the NFL is clearly trying to open itself up to a very different and much younger audience. If this is successful, you can expect this to not just be a one-time deal and might become a more regular setup going forward in CBS and the NFL’s partnership.

While a handful of teams haven’t taken the floor in a regular season game for nine-plus months, other NBA franchises likely can’t believe the 2020-21 regular season is about to begin. After all, organizations like the Los Angeles Lakers and the Miami Heat were playing competitive basketball into October and, well, this is a quick turnaround.

Still, the regular season is coming whether everyone is prepared or not, and one of the grand traditions before tip-off is evaluating the league through the prism of regular season win totals. This is something of a cottage industry at this point but, to explain briefly, each team is given an over/under for their win-loss record, with sportsbooks rushing to beat one another to the punch to present the quickest/best numbers.

This year, the NBA is scheduled for a 72-game season and a few books (DraftKings, etc.) are actually posting numbers based on winning percentage, likely because they foresee potent postponements. From there, other books are mandating that teams play at least 70 games for bets to be “action” and, while it is always wise to know your sportsbook’s official rules, that is especially true in this case.

With that out of the way, we are offering a six-pack of “best bets” and, importantly, we’re using more than one shop to grab our lines. A lot of people are certainly evaluating these for entertainment purposes but, if you want to attempt to profit, having multiple outlets to choose from is the way to go.

Here we go with the picks, coming to you in alphabetical order with the sportsbook vendor listed.

Atlanta Hawks OVER 34.5 wins (FanDuel)

The Hawks missed the bubble entirely, finishing 20-47 last season. As such, this is a very substantial jump to forecast and, under normal circumstances, that would be pretty scary. Lloyd Pierce’s team has a lot going for it, though, and it starts with the presence of a true star (Trae Young), another top-50 incumbent (John Collins) and a massive investment in the offseason. Atlanta signed Bogdan Bogdanovic and Danilo Gallinari, both of whom are starting-caliber players with offensive punch, and the Hawks also get a healthy Clint Capela after trading for him in February. Atlanta’s defense is still a concern, which may scare some people away, but this is a team with five top-100 players in the NBA, all kinds of depth, and real star power with Young. They may not crash the top six in the East but, if you shop and get the right number, they don’t have to.

Indiana Pacers UNDER 39.5 wins (Westgate)

It’s a credit to Indiana that they have played as well in recent years as they have. The Pacers haven’t been a team that blows you away from a roster standpoint but, in 2019-20, Indiana was a top-eight defense and they rode Domantas Sabonis to glory. This is a reasonable number but, at the same time, the Pacers benefited greatly in the win column last season when compared to their actual metrics. From there, Victor Oladipo is a (very) uncertain asset right now, and the Pacers had a coaching change that adds a level of uncertainty. Indiana was a stay-away for me until word broke that TJ Warren wasn’t healthy, but that sent me over the edge. Give me the Under.

L.A. Clippers OVER 45.5 wins (Westgate)

Don’t overthink this. The Clippers went 49-23 last season and, from a point differential perspective, they were actually unlucky and “should have” finished 50-22. Despite their lackluster Bubble showing, L.A. isn’t really worse on paper than they were a year ago, and this number is low, simply because of what happened… in a playoff setting. The Clippers don’t even need to replicate all of their success from last year to hit the Over, and they could clear the bar with ease if things break right.

Minnesota Timberwolves UNDER 29.5 wins (FanDuel)

Defense still matters. Minnesota does have offensive talent, headlined by Karl-Anthony Towns, and they could put together a pretty interesting offense this season. However, the Wolves aren’t guaranteed to be awesome on that end of the floor after a bottom-10 showing a year ago, and they will need to be near-elite to hit the Over here. I say that because Minnesota might be flat-out dreadful defensively. They do have some supporting guys who can defend, but if the Wolves rely on Towns, D’Angelo Russell, Anthony Edwards, Malik Beasley and others to juice their offense, it comes at a cost.

Phoenix Suns OVER 37.5 wins (FanDuel)

If Chris Paul stays remotely healthy, it will be a significant surprise to me if this goes Under. Now, it is important to shop this, because some outlets are hanging more lofty numbers and that gets scary. With that said, the Suns could be the No. 8 seed in the West and still hit this over, doing so with relative easy. Paul joins Devin Booker to form one of the NBA’s best backcourts, and the Suns have underrated supporting talent, ranging from Deandre Ayton to Mikal Bridges. There is a lot to like here.

Portland Trail Blazers UNDER 41.5 wins (Westgate)

The Blazers should be notably better this year than they were in 2019-20. I’ll grant that after the investments in Robert Covington and Derrick Jones Jr., coupled with Jusuf Nurkic entering the season healthy. However, Portland has to be a lot better to go Over this total after finishing with a 35-39 mark last season. The Blazers were certainly bit by the injury bug, but Damian Lillard was absolutely unbelievable a year ago, and CJ McCollum played 70 games and gave Portland a lot. It’s a credit to Dame and Terry Stotts that the number is this high, but it shouldn’t be seen as a slight to Portland to think they might just win 40 games instead of 42. The West is a gauntlet.

Wonder Woman 1984 is like eating dessert. There’s really nothing here that’s particularly healthy or substantial – even for a superhero movie. There’s no secret green bean hidden under all the gooey, colorful, and brightly lit frosting. No, Wonder Woman 1984 is pure sugar. But here’s how I’m looking at it: Dammit, we all deserve dessert right now. And for the first, oh, 30 minutes of Wonder Woman 1984 I felt that sort of guilt – you know, “Well, I guess I’ll have to exercise even harder tomorrow.” But, them, I just gave myself over to the whole thing. I just stuck my head right in that delicious, sweet morsel … and I ate the whole thing. And then after my sugar rush was over, I slept well that night.

When we last left Diana Prince (Gal Gadot), she was the hero of the first World War. The first Wonder Woman, directed by Patty Jenkins, hit at a time that felt very unique. It was 2017, there was a sense of dread of the unknown, and the future seemed bleak (and that wound up being fairly accurate). It just felt comforting, and a little unusual, to have a True North character of pure good show up at our movie theaters. (Let’s not tell our 2017 fiends what happens to those.) It felt like “the movie we needed now,” a line that has become quite a cliché over the last few years. But with that first Wonder Woman, it felt true. It felt needed.

There’s quite a tonal shift with Wonder Woman 1984. But there kind of has to be. Diana is no longer in the trenches of World War I, she’s in 1984 listening to Frankie Goes to Hollywood and people are wearing parachute pants. It’s not a “grim” setting. And the device that runs the whole plot of this movie is quite bizarre.

And the plot device that runs Wonder Woman 1984 doesn’t make a whole lot of sense. But I don’t think it’s a movie that’s really trying to make a lot of sense? I think there’s a difference. When a movie makes no sense, but thinks it makes sense (*cough,* The Rise of Skywalker), that’s when we run into problems. Wonder Woman 1984 establishes its plot device early and just goes with it. And it’s an insane plot device.

(I’m hesitant to say what it is because of “spoilers,” but it’s literally the plot of the entire movie so I am going to discuss it. So, if you don’t want to know, this would be a good time to check out. And, look, no hard feelings. We’ll meet again another day.)

After a pretty killer opening sequence set at a local mall (a sequence that isn’t quite as silly as the Superman III opening sequence, but owes some of its style and humor to that) we learn Diana now works at a museum. She befriends Barbara (Kristen Wiig), a socially awkward woman who just started at the museum. Diana likes Barbara because she’s funny. Barbara like Diana because Diana is everything Barbara wants to be. One day a mysterious artifact shows up that, we learn, has the power to grant wishes. And this item has a kind of Monkey Paw’s effect and leads to a whole host of problems for the numerous people who ask for their wishes to be granted. Barbara wants to be more like Diana, but she gets more than she bargained for with that wish. And Diana, well, if you saw the first film, you can probably guess what she wants.

A man who really wants this artifact is Pedro Pascal’s Maxwell Lord, a businessman who might not be quite as wealthy as he appears to be (and a character with a somewhat complicated history in the comics). Let’s talk about Pedro Pascal in this movie for a moment, because he is DYNAMITE. There is little doubt that Pedro Pascal read the script for Wonder Woman 1984 and thought to himself, “Oh, this is a movie about a magic rock that grants wishes and it’s set in 1984 … stand back, because I am going to do A THING.” In other words, Pascal knows he’s in a crazy movie and he amps up the craziness of the plot of this film in every scene he’s in. And, frankly, he’s in a lot of scenes. And every time he’s on the screen with his Simon Le Bon haircut I found myself smiling. (This year has not offered up a lot of reasons to just smile, but every second of Pedro Pascal’s performance made me do this and I think I’ll be forever grateful.) He is truly going for it.

And, well, that’s pretty much the whole plot of the movie: Wonder Woman and Steve Trevor (Chris Pine) are trying to stop Maxwell Lord, who is the true antagonist of Wonder Woman 1984, from wishing his way to becoming a powerful billionaire. Kristen Wiig’s Cheetah is certainly around, but disappears from time to time during the two and a half hour running time. And her main character motivation seems to be that she wants Maxwell Lord to succeed because then she gets to keep the wish she was granted.

One last note: I do wonder how this would have played in a theater (which you can, technically, still do instead of just watching it on HBO Max.) Because this is a movie of “hijinks” and the actual plot is pretty drawn out. I do wonder if I’d have gotten antsy in a theater, as opposed to sitting on my couch at home where I could have watched another hour of Wonder Woman and Maxwell Lord having a blast. But, that’s not reality right now. And I’m looking at Wonder Woman 1984 as a sort of gift to help all of us get through the pandemic-year holidays. It’s a perfect thing for those of us who can’t make it back home to watch.

And, again, Wonder Woman 1984 is pure sugar. There’s little nutritional value. But we all deserve dessert right now.

‘Wonder Woman 1984’ will be in theaters and stream on HBO Max starting on Christmas Day. You can contact Mike Ryan directly on Twitter.

Indie music has grown to include so much. It’s not just music that is released on independent labels, but speaks to an aesthetic that deviates from the norm and follows its own weirdo heart. It can come in the form of rock music, pop, or folk. In a sense, it says as much about the people that are drawn to it as it does about the people that make it.

Every week, Uproxx is rounding up the best new indie music from the past seven days. This week we got a new surprise album from Sturgill Simpson, a live album from Belle And Sebastian, and an extremely good new song from Sun June. Check out the rest of the best new indie music below.

Sturgill Simpson – Cuttin’ Grass – Vol. 2

Last week, with no warning, Sturgill Simpson fulfilled his wish of surprise-releasing a new album. Cuttin’ Grass – Vol. 2 dropped out of the sky on Friday, featuring re-recorded versions of songs from throughout Simpson’s discography. With this second volume, Simpson made a point to record “everything I was too afraid to do on Volume 1,” he explained in a statement. The result is a collection of bold and imaginative versions of tracks.

The Avalanches – We Will Always Love You

Since The Avalanches took a 16-year break between their first and second albums, they have been very productive in the way of new music. We Will Always Love You is the Australian group’s second album in less than five years, delivering a staggering 25 songs with guest spots from Blood Orange, Leon Bridges, MGMT, Johnny Marr, Karen O, Rivers Cuomo, and more. Although the album runs more than an hour, the ideas never seem to stale, and each track feels fresher than the last.

Belle And Sebastian – What To Look For In Summer

After the release of new live albums from Arctic Monkeys, The Postal Service, Deafheaven, and more, Belle And Sebastian have joined the trend with What To Look For In Summer. The double live LP is culled from the band’s 2019 tour and “Boaty Weekender” cruise concerts, existing as a reminder why they should be considered “twee-pop legends,” as Steven Hyden called in the December 7 issue of the Indie Mixtape newsletter.

Osees – Panther Rotate

Ever prolific, Panther Rotate is the third release of 2020 from Osees, after Protean Threat and Metamorphosed. Despite its labeling as an outtakes collection, the LP shows how strong and versatile the band are as songwriters, even for those songs that were ultimately left on the cutting room floor when putting together the final album. There are two songs that span more than six minutes, and some that last less than one minute.

Rostam – “Under Control” (The Strokes cover)

Few things are more Meet Me In The Bathroom-core than an original member of Vampire Weekend covering The Strokes. Both bands were born on the streets of New York City, but represented very different parts of New York life. Rostam’s cover of The Strokes’ Room On Fire works really well and shows the shared blood of both bands, but the piano-driven cover also puts into perspective the difference in sensibility between the two bands.

Another Michael – “I Know You’re Wrong”

The forthcoming debut LP from Philadelphia trio Another Michael is one of my most anticipated releases of 2021. “I Know You’re Wrong” is the album’s first proper single, and is the type of lo-fi indie-pop jam that you will find yourself humming for days and weeks to come. But good luck hitting those high notes on the sparse chorus.

Sun June – “Bad Girl”

Two years removed from their debut LP Years, Sun June are already gearing up for their sophomore effort. The band has been teasing Somewhere with a series of singles, and “Bad Girl” is the strongest of all. The track takes on a soft, somber tone, telling the story of Laura Colwell’s desire to return to the recklessness of her childhood, “back when being bad was cool and being cool was everything,” they wrote in a statement.

Justus Proffit – “Peace From Medication”

Although Justus Proffit has been focusing much of his attention during the pandemic on his new low-key fashion label, that doesn’t mean he hasn’t had time to create some new music. “Peace From Medication” is a standalone single that serves as an extension of the sound that Proffit presented on his excellent 2019 effort L.A.’s Got Me Down, driven by synths and drum machines for an infectious, relatable sound.

Proper. – “Don’t”

Proper.’s first song since the 2019 LP I Spent The Winter Writing Songs About Getting Better was co-written with The Wonder Years’ Dan Campbell, and serves as a call for justice in the name of those Black individuals who have recently been killed at the hand of police. “When the news broke of Elijah McClain’s passing, for a split second I truly believed it was my bandmate, Elijah, on my phone screen,” vocalist Erik Garlington wrote in a statement. “The last names don’t even match but the resemblance was uncanny enough to make me doubt for a split second, and that split second was horrifying.” It’s not an easy listen, but it’s an important listen.

Avery Springer – “Earlybird”

During the pandemic, Retirement Party’s Avery Springer has been working on a collection of solo work. “Earlybird” showcases one of Springer’s best vocal performances to date, and examines the reality of being a generally nervous person surrounded by very confident people. Relatable!

Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

Instead of sharing Christmas music this holiday season, Dave Grohl and Greg Kurstin have decided to spotlight various Jewish artists each day of Hanukkah with their cover series The Hanukkah Sessions. So far, the duo have taken on music by Beastie Boys, Peaches, and Drake. Now, they’re pulling from Bob Dylan’s iconic catalog.

Giving their faithful rendition of Dylan’s 1966 classic “Rainy Day Women #12 & 35,” Grohl manned the drum kit as Kurstin provided the keys and harmonica. Sharing the cover on social media, the Foo Fighters vocalist wrote, “So now everybody must get stoned (not in the Law of Moses sense) as we put some blood on this track.” The quip referred to Dylan’s verse: “And they’ll stone you when you’re there all alone / But I would not feel so all alone / Everybody must get stoned.”

The cover arrives fallowing a big piece of news from Dylan: the singer recently sold his entire musical catalog for a huge sum of money. The sale to Universal Music Publishing Group includes over 600 songs that span over 60 years. While the exact number of the sale was not disclosed, some reports theorized it was nine figures, which checks out considering Taylor Swift’s Big Machine catalog recently went for $300 million.

Watch Grohl and Kurstin’s “Rainy Day Women #12 & 35” cover above.

Jay-Z’s Roc Nation brand has gone from a label producing records and managing artists to a full-on media conglomerate, expanding into sports management, social justice, and now, even book publishing. Today, Roc Nation announced its partnership with Random House to form the publishing imprint Roc Lit 101 to publish books from “a wide range of subjects such as music, sports, pop culture, activism, and art.” Several books are slated for release within its first year, including books from rappers Fat Joe, Lil Uzi Vert, Meek Mill, and Young Gotti, baseball player CC Sabathia, and music journalist Danyel Smith.

Incidentally, Lil Uzi Vert and Meek Mill are signed to Roc Nation management. Uzi’s book is described as “illustrated fiction” in the press release (fingers crossed for a superhero comic featuring Uzi with superpowers), while Meek’s is a “personal narrative telling a ‘story of criminal justice and survival.’” Fat Joe, Sabathia, and Yo Gotti are contributing memoirs, while Smith’s Shine Bright will tell the story of Black women as the foundation of American pop music. Roc Lit 101 also plans to release children’s books and cookbooks, as well as works that “defy genre altogether.”

Chris Jackson, publisher/editor-in-chief of Random House imprint One World Books, and Jana Fleishman, Roc Nation executive VP, will oversee the new imprint, which Jackson says “isn’t just about the books – it’s also about audiences: we want to find new voices and new stories, but also new readers.”

Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

Just over two years ago, LeBron James attended the grand opening of his I Promise School in Akron, Ohio, the culmination of years of giving back to the community where he grew up. As the school continues to grow and serve a once underserved community, the LeBron James Family Foundation has been able to hear more of the issues facing that community and recognize further opportunities to help.

On Tuesday, James announced in Time Magazine as part of his being named 2020 Athlete of the Year that his foundation was breaking ground on a new community hub in Akron that will be called House 330, and will provide everything from job training to financial literacy assistance to youth sports access for Akron families.

“House 330 is going to be a sanctuary for our families,” says James. “It’s going to be a place where all our families can grow and learn. This will be a hub for everything possible our families will need.”

The name is in reference to Akron’s area code and looks to address issues they’ve heard families tell them about after talking with the folks that moved into the I Promise Village, the school’s new housing transition complex. The LJFF is working with a number of partners to provide services for the families, with JPMorgan Chase creating a space where bankers will work with families to assist with financial literacy advice and services, and Dick’s Sporting Good’s taking the top level of the parking garage in the complex they bought and building a recreational sports facility with basketball courts and soccer fields.

They will also provide a place for parents and kids to get job training, whether it’s working at the Old El Paso restaurant that will be in the complex or getting training in “plumbing, heating and cooling, food service, merchandising, accounting and event planning” at the facility. The goal for James is to create a safe space for families, but also one where they can acquire the skills and knowledge that goes beyond what is taught in schools to provide them with training that can help them get better jobs and have a better understanding of finances so they can budget and save and build a financial well-being.

The 60,000 square foot facility is planned to open and be fully operational in 2022.