Category: News

Like Joe Rogan before him, Elon Musk has moved to Texas.

The Tesla CEO (and Rick and Morty quote made flesh) made the announcement on Tuesday, with the Wall Street Journal reporting that “relocating made sense with Tesla’s new factory being built in Texas. He lamented that California, in his view, had become complacent with its innovators.” It also helps that there’s no state income tax in Texas, I’m sure. Musk inspires a level of bro-fandom teetering on cult-like, and his fleeing California for the Lone Star State has inspired podcast host Adam Carolla to consider doing the same.

The former-The Man Show star appeared on Tuesday’s Tucker Carlson Tonight from a remote van, “and as soon as I’m done with this hit, I’m going to commandeer this van and drive it to Houston,” Carolla said. “Let’s do this simple thought experiment. I just heard Elon Musk was moving to Texas. So, the smartest man on the planet is deciding to move away from the dumbest governor in the United States… What’s that say to the rest of us?” He compared Los Angeles, where he lived (lived?) to a “house that’s riddled with termites” after George Gascón was sworn in as the city’s new progressive-minded district attorney. “Did you know the movie Escape from Los Angeles with Kurt Russell? That has now become a reality show,” Carolla told Carlson, sounding proud of himself.

How long before Rogan, Musk, and Carolla are spotted eating tacos together? Maybe with Alex Jones too? Maybe at one of Dave Chappelle’s pandemic residency shows?

Cobra Kai‘s gearing up for Season 3 on Netflix soon, and this new trailer makes good on Ralph Macchio’s previous promise to us: “The best is yet to come in this series! And I believe in that.” Those first two seasons are a tough self-act to follow, but Cobra Kai creators Jon Hurwitz, Josh Heald, and Hayden Schlossenberg are clearly committed to doing right by The Karate Kid franchise, and Heald previously told viewers that the franchise full-The Matrix on everyone. Whew. So, what about this new trailer?

We’ve got fight moves and a lot of heart, proving that this series is sticking with what has made this franchise great. So, after Johnny and Daniel’s combined bad moves contributed heavily to Miguel landing in a hospital bed, Johnny’s looking for redemption. While he does the hard work in the hospital — and Kreese re-takes the dubious reigns of the Cobra Kai dojo, which makes me worried about him instructing Hawk to be even more of an anger-bear monster — though, Daniel-san heads to Okinawa, where an old rival is ready for him. As previously teased, yes, we’ve got the return of The Karate Kid Part II‘s Chozen (portrayed by Yuji Okumoto). From the synopsis:

Season 3 finds everyone reeling in the aftermath of the violent high school brawl between their dojos, which has left Miguel in a precarious condition. While Daniel searches for answers in his past and Johnny seeks redemption, Kreese further manipulates his vulnerable students with his own vision of dominance. The soul of the Valley is at stake, and the fate of every student and sensei hangs in the balance.

Yesterday, the show’s Twitter account invited viewers to forget this horrible year when this show returns. I’m here for it.

Cobra Kai will return for Season 3 on Netflix in January.

Saturday Night Live‘s Chloe Fineman dropped by The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon last night where she showed her uncanny impersonation skills by reading ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas” as various celebrities (and one British politician). While sitting down with a copy of the book and waiting for the names to pop up on screen, Fineman tackled Reese Witherspoon, Drew Barrymore, Margaret Thatcher, Nicole Kidman, Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Timothée Chalamet, and Meryl Streep. The Chalamet impression had to be slightly awkward for Fineman, considering he’ll be hosting SNL this weekend.

While some were better than others, Fineman absolutely knocked it out of the park with Barrymore, Nicole Kidman, and Meryl Streep. And while Fineman didn’t quite nail Waller-Bridge’s voice, she hit the signature fourth wall break perfectly. Of course, Fineman has had lots of practice with Barrymore, which is why her impression had Fallon almost falling out of his chair. Fineman went viral over the summer after sharing an impression of Barrymore on Instagram that was so spot-on, Barrymore herself became obsessed with it. Not only did she regram the post, but Barrymore made it a point to get Fineman on her talk show as soon as possible. Via People:

“You brought so much joy. I immediately reposted that and then I was afraid I was going to drive you away,” Barrymore told Fineman. “I’m not kidding, I was like, ‘Now she knows I’m onto her she’s going to move on, she’s going to lose interest.’ “

You can watch Chloe Fineman’s viral Drew Barrymore impression below:

(Via The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon)

Year after year, claims that “R&B is dead” makes its way around the music world. The validity of this statement gets challenged by those that have become acclimated to the genre’s changes, all for their argument to be countered by its traditional fans. However, if there’s one thing that 2020 has proven, it’s that no genre in any corner will be “dead.” For many of us, releases from our favorite artists and new discoveries provided memorable timestamps to a year that felt more like a song stuck on repeat.

R&B and its many shades and colors brought us a world balanced by both vibrancy and gloom. New and old friends made their way onto the scene with each finding their own way to deliver bodies of works that centered on love, pain, and everything in between. 2020 saw the return of beloved acts like Bryson Tiller, PartyNextDoor, and Ty Dolla Sign who each dropped their respective Anniversary, PartyMobile, and Featuring Ty Dolla Sign projects. We also saw the rise of newer names like Giveon, Chloe x Halle, Victoria Monet, and Kiana Lede, who each dropped albums that created unforgettable moments for listeners and solidified their spot in the music world.

Then there’s the more mainstream names like The Weeknd who dropped his fourth album After Hours back in the spring and watched it spend four weeks atop the album charts. Kehlani also saw tons of success with her second album, It Was Good Until It Wasn’t, and watched it become a cherished release to her many listeners.

This genre runs deep and in a year where the world came to a standstill, R&B found a way to progress forward. Sure, it may have some problems within it, but what genre doesn’t? All in all, R&B is alive and well. Still not convinced? Scroll down and check out 20 phenomenal R&B projects from 2020 and give the unfamiliar albums a first listen while revisiting your favorites as well.

For additional year-end coverage, make sure to check out our Best Albums Of 2020 and Best Songs Of 2020 lists.

20. Teyana Taylor — The Album

Two years following her critically-acclaimed album K.T.S.E., Teyana Taylor offered The Album, another critically-acclaimed project that showcases the broad talent the Harlem native has to offer. Complete with musicianship, storytelling, and lots of character, The Album landed on the Billboard 200 chart, becoming her first top 10 album. On “Lowkey” she vibes with Erykah Badu for some advice and charms with Kehlani on the dewy “Morning.” It’s clear Teyana put her creative foot into The Album and it should be respected as such from her incredibly detailed visuals to the smooth use of her vocals on each track. Teyana developed The Album into an experience that is deserving of museum placement.–Cherise Johnson

19. Brandy — B7

Brandy took a moment to create a thoughtful project with her seventh studio album B7. With records like “Baby Mama” featuring Chance The Rapper and “Borderline,” the Grammy award-winning singer uses her purifying vocals to share the most vulnerable parts of her with fans. At the 62nd Grammy Awards, the track “Love Again” featuring Daniel Caeser was nominated for Best R&B Performance while the album itself hit the Billboard 200 chart, proving that Brandy Norwood still has the motion even after more than two decades in the game.–C.J.

18. Justine Skye — Bare With Me

Bare With Me: The Album is Justine Skye moving on. Vibrant with jazzy elements and her crystal clear vocals, Bare With Me stars numbers such as “Too Much” and “When You’re Ready.” The sequence in which Bare With Me was put together is concise and thematic as it is inspiring for any woman who has gone through trauma in a romantic relationship. “It’s part of that cycle of emotions,” she told Uproxx. “It’s part of that process. I kind of just wanted to finish that so that I can move forward from it.”–C.J.

17. THEY. — The Amanda Tape

This year was one for the duos. In addition to Chloe x Halle and Dvsn shining with their respective projects, Drew Love and Dante Jones of THEY. are both beyond worthy of recognition for their own work. Their second album, The Amanda Tape, is a concise and sonically pleasing body of work that shows the growth of the duo while expanding on their acoustic trapsoul sound while leaving listeners excited for their future thanks to songs like “Mood Swings” and “On And On.”–Wongo Okon

16. Trey Songz — Back Home

Trey Songz returned to his hometown of Petersburg, Virginia where he was born and raised to record his album Back Home. Trigga is a bit more mature on this one and attempts to use his words as a metaphorical paintbrush with songs such “Cat Got My Tongue” and “Rain” featuring Swae Lee. The R&B heartthrob also stayed true to his roots with “Circles,” “Save It,” and “On Call” with Ty Dolla Sign. Above all, as Trey welcomed his son, Noah, into the world, the song that means the most to him is the dedicated “I Know A Love.” “I feel this is my best project to date,” Trey told Uproxx. “A lot of people are saying it feels like the old me, and no disrespect to that because I did want you to have that feeling, but old me couldn’t sing the way I can sing now.”–C.J.

15. Kaash Paige — Teenage Fever

Teenage Fever is Kaash Paige’s way of capturing an angst-filled moment in time, brimming with love and solitude. She’s Dallas’ rising R&B star who is more than just her viral hit “Love Songs.” With Teenage Fever, Paige is solidifying her presence in the music space. The project includes hazy standouts such as “London” and “Pull Up.” “My music makes you feel a certain type of way,” she told Uproxx in an exclusive interview. “I love when you can listen to a song and you can feel high or feel sad or feel happy. That’s capturing music. It just captures a moment in your life where you have emotion.” Kaash certainly accomplished that with her dreamy collection of songs on Teenage Fever.–C.J.

14. Bryson Tiller — Anniversary

Pen Griffey — more commonly known as Bryson Tiller — hit an absolute home run back in 2015 with his Trapsoul album. After a tepid follow-up and staying away from the game for some time, Bryson returned with his third album, Anniversary, and proved to fans that while it may not be as massive as his signature collection, he can certainly still reach the heights of his past. Songs like “Outta Time” with Drake and “Next To You” proved the Louisville native did not lose his touch, a sentiment that will become truer with future releases.–W.O.

13. Queen Naija — Misunderstood

Like a diary, Queen Naija opens up about her personal life and love on her debut Missunderstood. After auditioning for American Idol and not making it, the young singer never gave up on her dreams of making it big and accomplished just that with a YouTube channel she ran with her now ex-husband surrounding her family, that boasted over 2 million subscribers. On Naija’s debut Missunderstood, she melodically narrates her journey on “Too Much To Say” and moves on proving why she’s capable of procuring catchy singles like the “Pack Lite,” “Lie To Me” with Lil Durk and “Butterflies Pt. 2.” She’s also able to deliver deeper cuts wrapped in her rich voice like “Say What You Mean” and “Pressure.” Upon listening to Missunderstood, it becomes easier to see why it’s not the path in which Queen Naija got here, but that she’s here.–C.J.

12. Kiana Lede — Kiki

Kiana Lede revels in self-discovery on Kiki, a sweet-sounding debut that earned her an entry on the Billboard 200 chart. On “Mad At Me,” Kiana sounds more sure of herself than ever before and “Forfeit” featuring Lucky Daye reiterates the notion. “You must be some kinda f*cked up,” she sings on the somber track. “To be talkin’ to me crazy / You be tryna call me anything / But you know, n****, that don’t phase me, I guess I’m ’bout to have to lay it down.” Kiki is an introspective look at what it’s like to date in the social media age for women as evidenced by tracks like “Feel Away” and “Good Girl.”–C.J.

11. Victoria Monet — Jaguar

Victoria Monet has shined brightly in the music business for years at this point. However, it came from behind a curtain as her pen served as the catalyst for some of today’s biggest songs — most coming from her good friend Ariana Grande. Monet released a group of projects prior to 2020, but nothing seemed to stick the landing like Jaguar. The nine-track effort — which boasted highlights like “Ass Like That,” “Moment,” and “Go There With You” — proved that the rising singer found her pocket, a place that will only produce more amazing work like we received on Jaguar.–W.O.

10. Che Ecru — Projection

R&B newcomer Che Ecru delivered a truly transformative release with his debut Til Death and was 2020’s best-kept secret. Everything about this album is robust from the production to his voice. Til Death sits on the edge of the experimental and innovative, aided by comforting ’90s-esque melodies. If his vibe feels familiar, Che is the sound infused on Chris Brown’s 2019 hit song “No Guidance” featuring Drake. “Trippin” and “Last Chance” are examples of the futuristic old school sound Che offers.–C.J.

9. PartyNextDoor — PartyMobile

A number of artists made their return to the music world in 2020. One of those is PartyNextDoor, who after almost four long years graced fans with his third album, PartyMobile. The release finds the Toronto native thriving in the dark and gritty R&B lane that he helped usher into the music industry. Plus it has a great Rihanna feature, someone we haven’t heard from in what feels like centuries.–W.O.

8. Giveon — Take Time

Giveon’s baritone and powerful voice made him an easy catch for the year when he arrived on Drake’s “Chicago Freestyle.” Weeks later the Long Beach native proved that his stay in music wouldn’t be a strictly 2020 thing thanks to his Take Time EP. The project was an early standout thanks to tracks like the comforting “The Beach” intro and the heart-wrenching truth of “Like I Want You.” Giveon won us over in 2020 and the singer has a growing fan base that wants to see him win even more in his career.–W.O.

7. Ty Dolla Sign — Featuring Ty Dolla Sign

In the last three years, if you say Ty Dolla Sign’s name, it was probably attached as a feature to some gold or platinum-selling song. The Cali native quickly became known for his quality-boosting guest appearances on tracks, so much so that he named his third album Featuring Ty Dolla Sign. The 25-track effort is highlighted by club bangers (“Freak,” “Double R,” and “Powder Blue”) and silky smooth R&B (“Nothing Like Your Exes,” “Universe,” and “Everywhere”) — a collection that shows the Beach House artist has a great argument for being the game’s most multi-talented act.–W.O.

6. Brent Faiyaz — F*ck The World

Brent Faiyaz has the voice of an angel, but his music stays on demon time. On his 2020 release F*ck The World, Faiyaz sings the chilling truth about romantic relationships in the most beautiful way. On the gospel-inspired cut “Clouded,” he croons pure toxicity: “All my b*tches know I’m leavin’ at some point / Whether there’s a reason or not / Don’t try givin’ me reasons to stop.” Throughout the project, Brent gives a peek inside his world, including his love for the streets which happens to come with a side of emotional unavailability. “Don’t give my shit away,” he sings on “Been Away.” “I’m just tryna get my people straight.” The album’s title track “F**ck The World (Summer In London)” also offers an air of emotional disconnect, the total opposite of what R&B is traditionally known for. On the fan-favorite “Rehab (Winter In Paris),” Brent sings of his addiction to a woman like being addicted to drugs, and gifted social media with lines such as “I got too many hoes, but they ain’t you” and “If you ain’t nasty, don’t at me.” In fact, F*ck The World is 2020’s most polarizing R&B album.–C.J.

5. Dvsn — A Muse In Her Feelings

Dvsn’s first two albums proved the Toronto duo made flawless music when they dove into their bag of bedroom symphonies. However, with their third album A Muse In Her Feelings, the Toronto duo prove that their palette is much larger than a California king size bed. Daniel Daley and Nineteen85 take listeners to the islands with “Dangerous City” and “So What” and introduce their take of New Orleans bounce with “‘Flawless’ Do It Well, Pt. 3” while bringing their trademark late-night ballads to the table with “Greedy” and “Between Us” for what is their best and most complete project to date.–W.O.

4. Jhene Aiko — Chilombo

Jhene Aiko’s Chilombo is truly a spiritual experience. Like a shaman, Jhene immerses this album in sonic healing properties aligned with frequencies that target the chakras, offering a one-of-a-kind trip only she can administer. Beginning with “Triggered (Freestyle),” Aiko reveales to listeners what a cathartic release filled with honesty sounds like before coming together with her love, Big Sean, on “None Of Your Concern.” Only Jhene can make sneaky links sound as magical as she does on “P*$$y Fairy (OTW).” Songs like “B.S.,” “Magic Hour” and the deluxe addition “All Good,” are like the therapist we all need. The R&B enchantress brings her journey full circle with “Happiness Over Everything (H.O.E.),” a revisit from her 2011 debut mixtape Sailing Soul(s) with Miguel and Future while maintaining her love for tree with “Tryna Smoke.” Aiko does all of the things that made listeners into fans, but at an elevated level. Everything about Chilombo is magical.–C.J.

3. Kehlani — It Was Good Until It Wasn’t

Kehlani’s It Was Good Until It Wasn’t is a phenomenal body of work in the sense that it eloquently shows how normal of a lover she is. Songs like “Serial Lover” and “Hate The Club” highlight the pretty and ugly sides of her relationships, but they’re all situations many of us have dealt with at some point. Unfortunately, due to her fame, her love life gets much more attention than necessary, but this album proves that at the end of the day, Kehlani loves with a heart just like ours.–W.O.

2. The Weeknd — After Hours

The road to After Hours began with “Heartless” and “Blinding Lights,” which were released within days of each other in late November 2019. The latter became the biggest hit of The Weeknd’s career; it’s still hovering around the top of the Hot 100 a year after its release. The singles accurately foreshadowed the quality of their parent album, a nighttime pop journey that brings synthwave to the modern age.–Derrick Rossignol

1. Chloe x Halle — Ungodly Hour

Chloe x Halle really outdid themselves with their debut album Ungodly Hour. Breaking out of their perceived innocence, “Don’t ask for permission, ask for forgiveness,” is how Chloe and Halle Bailey decided to open up their album before diving into fan-favorite “Forgive Me.” The Bailey sisters certainly needed zero permission to give fans and listeners life with their angelic trill. It’s “Do It” that instantly hits a chord of relatability, though. “I beat my face / Moving fast ’cause the Uber on the way,” Chloe pipes. “Taking pictures, make sure you can’t see no lace / That wig secure like the money in a safe / I look like bae.” Accompanied by an easy-to-do TikTok dance, “Do It” was one of the girls’ largest records this year. There’s also “Tipsy” and the title track “Ungodly Hour” that make up the essence of these two incredible musicians. Chloe and Halle bring listeners into their fold while baring their souls throughout Ungodly Hour, showing promise as they continue to enhance their unstoppable and undeniable talent, through proper artists development thanks to Beyonce’s ingenious Parkwood Entertainment.–C.J.

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

Every year, Google unveils its lists of the year’s top-trending searches — which is specifically about “top-trending” searches and not just top searches overall, as they explain, “Lists are based on search terms that had the highest spike this year as compared to the previous year.” Elements of the music world tend to make their way onto these lists, and this year, Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion’s “WAP” is a dominating force.

Globally, the lyrics of “WAP” trended more than any other song, ahead of songs like Tekashi 69’s “Gooba,” BTS’ “Dynamite,” and Jack Harlow’s “What’s Poppin.” “WAP” also topped the US lyrics list, and it was also the top-trending definition search in the US.

Elsewhere on the Global list, Kanye West was the 7th top-trending person as far as Google searches go, Eddie Van Halen was No. 10 on the “Loss” list, and The Umbrella Academy (based on Gerard Way’s comic book series) is fifth on the TV Shows list.

Kanye also made the list of top-trending people in the US at No. 9, while Shakira placed above him at No. 7. “Antebellum” was one of the top-trending definitions, presumably in light of the Lady A controversy. Van Halen also placed on the US Loss list, as did rappers King Von and Pop Smoke. The US Musicians And Bands list is led by Shakira and also includes Adele, Doja Cat, Grimes, Van Halen, Lizzo, and Tory Lanez.

Speaking of Grimes, she tops the US Babies list… well, technically, the top-trending search was “Elon Musk baby.” Other music babies to make the list include those of Nicki Minaj, Katy Perry, and Ed Sheeran.

Check out the data for yourself here.

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

Let’s take a look at Nicolas Cage’s upcoming projects, shall we?

There’s Pig, where he plays a “reclusive truffle hunter in Oregon whose prize hunting pig is kidnapped, forcing him to return to old stomping grounds in Portland and confront his past” (yes). And Prisoners of the Ghostland, the “wildest movie” he’s ever made (YES). And Willy’s Wonderland, in which he fights evil animatronics (YESSS). And The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent, a meta movie that has Cage being forced to play his old characters at “the birthday party of a Mexican billionaire” who’s also a “drug cartel kingpin who has kidnapped the daughter of a Mexican presidential nominee” (YES YES YES). And let’s not forget Amazon’s Tiger King show and the alcoholic dragon animated series Highfire, described as “True Detective by way of Pete’s Dragon” (yes?). And now the latest addition to his wild filmography, Netflix’s History of Swear Words (FUCK YES).

The six-episode series will examine a specific curse — “f*ck,” “sh*t,” “bitch,” “d*ck,” “p*ssy” and “damn” — with Cage as host. Special guests include Joel Kim Booster, DeRay Davis, Open Mike Eagle, Nikki Glaser, Patti Harrison, London Hughes, Jim Jefferies, Zainab Johnson, Nick Offerman, Sarah Silverman, Baron Vaughn, and Isiah Whitlock Jr, and Cage will interview linguists and professors, as well. I can’t f*cking wait.

History of Swear Words hits Netflix on January 5.

It was reported this summer that Ariana Grande was working on a deal to bring a Sweetener tour movie to either Netflix or YouTube, with Netflux apparently approaching Grande with an offer of $5 million. Nothing is official on that front yet, although both Grande and Netflix seem to be hinting that they have something Sweetener-related in the works.

Yesterday, Grande shared a trio of photos taken during her Sweetener tour, then responded to the tweet by tagging Netflix. The streaming platform replied with, “excuse me, i love you,” which is rumored to be the title of the film. A Grande fan page on Twitter noted yesterday that for some users, visiting netflix.com/excusemeiloveyou directs to a placeholder page for something that is tagged with genres related to documentaries and music.

There’s certainly a precedent for a Sweetener documentary from Grande. In 2018, she released the docuseries Dangerous Woman Diaries on YouTube (all four episodes of which are now available to watch for free). Additionally, she has already released a live album from the Sweetener tour, K Bye For Now (SWT Live), which came out around this time last year.

Meanwhile, it’s already been a great December for Grande and her fans, as she linked up with Mariah Carey for a new holiday collaboration.

Donald Trump’s lawyer Jenna Ellis, who had the unfortunate honor of sitting next to Rudy Giuliani (“POOTY GHOULIANI”) when he ripped a fart during a hearing, has tested positive for COVID-19. It’s hard to imagine how she caught it! Ellis, who once tweeted, “There is no pandemic,” attended a “Christmas party designated for senior staff on Friday,” according to CNN. “She regularly does not wear a mask when she is at the White House… Giuliani and Ellis have frequently appeared maskless while crisscrossing the country in recent weeks to advance Trump’s baseless election fraud claims.”

It was prime material for the late-night hosts to, ahem, rip into, including Jimmy Kimmel Live! host Jimmy Kimmel who joked, “Rudy Giuliani tested positive over the weekend, and today we learned that Trump’s other lawyer, Jenna Ellis, seen here seated virus-adjacent, has COVID, too. Did she get it from Mayor Tooty? Well, we’ll never know, I guess.” Kimmel also brought up that some senior Trump officials are upset that she attended the party, but “why were they at the party?! Why did you have the party in the first place?! Of course, this Jenna Ellis, just a few months ago she tweeted, ‘There is no pandemic.’ So… I’m starting to think the virus may have a sense of humor about all this.”

You can watch the clip above.

Look, I like George Clooney as an actor. I know this does not come off as a particularly profound nor controversial statement, but I do think he’s taken for granted – which I get is a weird thing to say about one of the most famous actors on Earth. But Clooney hasn’t stared in a movie since 2016’s Money Monster. Did anyone really notice? Obama was still the president the last time George Clooney was in a movie. I’m sure some people noticed – and Clooney has certainly been around – but I never saw the outcry for more George Clooney movies. Well, for what it’s worth, I noticed and I missed him. And the reason I said Clooney gets taken for granted is that people think of him as a kind of template “leading man” and miss the warmth and compassion and sly humor he brings to his roles. But it’s kind of nuts the last great Clooney starring role was now way back in 2011 with The Descendants. It’s like he starred in the box office disappointments The Monuments Men (which he also directed) Tomorrowland, Hail, Caesar! (a good movie!) and Money Monster and decided, eh, who needs it.

Clooney is back in The Midnight Sky, which he also directs, and, frankly, it’s an honorable effort, but I kind of wish Clooney hadn’t directed this time. There’s something that feels like it needed an extra oomph and with Clooney wearing so many hats in the production of this film, I kind of wish I could see what it looked like if all he was concerned about was his performance (hold this thought). And I honestly think Clooney is terrific here as a scientist in the near future named Augustine Lofthouse, one of two people left at an Arctic research station, which is now, temporarily (in a bad way), one of the last habitable places left on Earth after an unspecified disaster.

We spend time with Clooney’s Augustine, now sporting a Letterman-esque beard, and he fully captures the loneliness, staring out his window at the icy terrain, that feels all a bit too familiar to a lot of us these days. There’s a connection here that was appealing. It’s like, yes, here’s a character who gets it. A character that, eventually, has to put on a mask every time he goes outside or the air might kill him. I get it, Augustine. He’s also trying to communicate with a spaceship that’s returning from a mission to one of Jupiter’s moons. He’s attempting to warn them not to return to Earth and to turn around and start a habitat on the moon they just left. But the stalactite dish is too weak and he must make the dangerous journey to another outpost. And he must make this journey now with a young girl (Caoilinn Springall) who was accidentally left behind when the research station was evacuated. This is a good movie.

The problem is half the movie takes place on that said spaceship. In fact, most of the third act takes place there. And it’s not that this part isn’t a good movie, it’s just a different movie. The plot there focuses on Felicity Jones and the rest of the crew (David Oyelowo, Demián Bichir, Kyle Chandler, Tiffany Boone) and their quest to return to Earth, even though they haven’t heard from Earth in a distressing amount of time. But it’s just a strange juxtaposition between Augustine, where everything is so bleak. Like, The Road bleak. Then we go back to the spaceship and the gang is singing along to Neil Diamond’s “Sweet Caroline.”

Over these last few months of watching movies at home, I can’t quite figure out if I’m more or less forgiving. It’s for sure one of those – or maybe a combination of the two that changes how I look at everything. At first I was for sure more forgiving because any entertainment was “good.” Now, I’m not so sure. Because when I was going to movie theaters I could at least say, “well, it got me out of the apartment.” Now, when I’m watching something I don’t like, I know I can easily, within seconds, put on something that I do like.” The reason I mention this is, despite what I didn’t like about it, Clooney’s side of the story had me riveted enough that I wanted to see how it all turned out for him. And, again, I hadn’t seen him in a movie in four years, I felt like I needed to soak it all up because who knows when the next one might be.

George Clooney doesn’t seem like an actor who needs a renaissance of any kind, but when you look at the last few years, yeah, maybe he does? And he’s never really done bad work, but for whatever reason the last few films didn’t click. If nothing else, in The Midnight Sky, we see those glimpses of what we love about George Clooney. And when I mentioned earlier I wish Clooney hadn’t directed, here’s what I mean: Clooney wants to direct actors who aren’t himself, which I’m sure is why we spend so much time with the crew of the spaceship. But if Clooney weren’t directing, that director would have probably realized that the story thrives in those small moments with Clooney. It’s almost like the director George Clooney is the actor George Clooney’s worst enemy.

‘The Midnight Sky’ will be in theaters this weekend and begins streaming on Netflix on December 23rd. You can contact Mike Ryan directly on Twitter.

Earlier this summer, Troye Sivan premiered the video for “Easy,” a standout track off his new EP, In A Dream. Troye directed and starred in that video, and now it looks like a new remix of the track will include a brand new video, featuring none other than Kacey Musgraves and possibly Mark Ronson.

In a super charged new version of the track shared this week, Sivan rocks a shaggy mullet and appears alongside Musgraves for a sleazy-gorgeous new clip. This is definitely the new music that Kacey herself was teasing just a few days ago, and though the visual clip shared doesn’t confirm if Mark Ronson will appear in the new video or not, the new audio of the song’s remix definitely has his Midas touch on it.

But all of this new information only raises more questions: Why did Troye remix “Easy” and go so far as making a whole new video? Will this be billed as a Troye song, or is the remix going to appear on a new project from either Kacey or Mark? And does this superstar trio have more than just one song up their collective sleeve? Well, now we have a release date for the song too, it’s coming tomorrow, December 9. At least we’ll have a few answers in just 24 hours. And until then, this preview will be on loop.