Category: News

Sufjan Stevens’ two most recent songs, “America” and “My Rajneesh,” both ran for over ten minutes. That’s a format in which Stevens works well, but he also thrives in a more traditional runtime. He has proven so today with his latest single from The Ascension, “Video Game.”

Stevens says of the song, a synthy indie-pop track:

“It’s unfortunate that we live in a society where the value of people is quantified by likes, followers, listeners and views. So many people are seeking attention for the wrong reasons. I think we should all be doing our best work without looking for accolades or seeking reward.

The main takeaway of ‘Video Game’ for me is: your worth (invaluable) should never be based on other people’s approval (ephemeral). Just be yourself. Keep it real. Keep it moving. Do all things with absolute purity, love and joy. And always do your best.”

He went on to praise choreographer and video star Jalaiah Harmon (who is famous for creating the viral “Renegade” dance), saying, “Jalaiah epitomizes all of this and I’m truly inspired by her. So I thought, ‘what if we could get Jalaiah to star in a ‘dance video’ about not wanting to star in a ‘dance video?” I’m so honored she agreed. She clearly owns it, and her work here is beautiful, poignant and true. Her dance shows incredible energy, work-ethic and spirit. She is dancing for herself, not anyone else. Her choreography is sophisticated, nuanced, and fun. She is a star. She keeps it real. She keeps it moving. She keeps it true. What a blessing!”

Stevens described the goal of his upcoming “lush, editorial pop album,” saying, “My objective for this album was simple: Interrogate the world around you. Question anything that doesn’t hold water. Exterminate all bullsh*t. Be part of the solution or get out of the way. Keep it real. Keep it true. Keep it simple. Keep it moving.”

Watch the “Video Game” video above.

The Ascension is out 9/25 via Asthmatic Kitty Records. Pre-order it here.

The Orlando bubble is unlike just about anything we’ve seen in league history. But its unique circumstances have created opportunities for the NBA to experiment with unconventional ideas, similar to how the G-League acts as a testing ground for rule changes and other innovations that the league itself might adopt in the future.

One of the biggest novelties of the bubble, is its play-in format, as fringe playoff teams are currently being forced to battle it out for a postseason berth. The Wizards quickly rendered that a moot point in the East after losing six straight games in Orlando, but the situation in the West has remained loaded with intrigue right up to the finish line.

The Grizzlies entered the bubble with a comfortable cushion in the No. 8 seed, but multiple losses, a healthy Blazers squad, and a streaking Suns team have all threatened to upend their playoff hopes. Heading into Tuesday’s slate, we laid out all the different scenarios for how each team could earn their spot in Saturday’s play-in game.

The three teams that had to win took care of business and kept their playoff hopes alive, with only the Grizzlies losing, dropping to a tie for ninth with Phoenix and San Antonio in the process and adding all sorts of drama to Thursday’s action. The standings currently look like this — with Memphis holding the tiebreaker over both Phoenix and San Antonio, and the Suns holding the tiebreaker with the Spurs.

8. Portland
9. Memphis (0.5 back)
10. Phoenix (0.5 back)
11. San Antonio (0.5 back)

As you can see, it’s still very much up for grabs, and all four are in action on Thursday. Here’s what’s at stake in each of those four matchups, with a brief primer for what each team needs to accomplish to secure a chance in the play-in game and a shot at the postseason.

Blazers-Nets (9 p.m. ET)

Since his tiff with Paul George, Pat Beverley, et. al, Damian Lillard has been a man possessed. He’s scored 111 points in the past two games — both wins — and put the Blazers firmly in control of their own destiny. If they win this game, they’ll secure the No. 8 seed, meaning they’ll only need to win one play-in game to make the playoffs.

If the Blazers lose, and any two of the Grizzlies, Spurs, or Suns also lose, they’ll get the No. 9 seed, meaning they’ll have to win two play-in games to make the playoffs. If Portland loses and any two of those other teams win on Thursday, they’ll be eliminated. Should they lose and all three other teams lose, then they hold onto eighth. On the other end, the East playoff picture is set, and the Nets are locked into the No. 7 seed, so they have nothing at stake in this game.

Depending on which pundit you ask, the Blazers are one of the biggest sleeper threats if they make it into the postseason, and after last weekend’s high-profile run-in with the Clippers, Dame is as motivated as ever. However, a postseason showdown with the Los Angeles Lakers would likely require a repeat of last season’s Cinderella run to the West Finals, a tall order for a team that is scrambling to qualify for the postseason but is certainly finding its rhythm with health now on their side.

Spurs-Jazz (6:30 p.m. ET)

The Spurs have to win, we know that. But there’s still a path to the postseason, however dwindling the odds. San Antonio can sneak into the No. 9 seed if they win and any two of the Suns, Blazers, and Grizzlies lose. The No. 8 seed is even more of a long shot, requiring both a win on their part, and losses by all three of the other teams. Crazier things have happened.

But it isn’t just a playoff berth that’s at stake for the Spurs. San Antonio has made the postseason for 22 straight years, which is both an NBA record and the longest active playoff streak in any of the major North American sports. For the Jazz, it no longer matters as they face Denver in the first round next week. After OKC beat the Heat on Wednesday — subsequently ensuring a showdown with the Rockets — and the Clippers beat Denver, the West standings above eight were set in stone.

Suns-Mavs (4 p.m. ET)

The Suns have been the feelgood story of Orlando, so far, and Devin Booker has led the charge with his phenomenal play. They moved to 7-0 in the bubble with a win against Philly to keep their playoff hopes alive, behind 35 points, nine rebounds, and seven assists from Book. If that wasn’t enough to win your hearts, the organization surprised the team before the game with adorable video introductions from their family members.

But as good as they’ve been, their path to the postseason is anything but clear. A loss on Thursday means they’re out. But if they win, and the Blazers and Grizzlies both lose, they can land the No. 8 spot. A win by them and a loss by one of the Grizzlies or Blazers would mean the No. 9 seed.

Grizzlies-Bucks (4 p.m. ET)

If you’re a Grizzlies fan, you can’t be too happy about how things have panned out in the bubble so far. They came into Orlando with a comfortable foothold on the No. 8 seed in the West, but have watched that evaporate as the losses (and injuries) quickly piled up during that brutal opening week, leading us to where we are now with the play-in series scramble for position.

Still, despite all of that, the Grizzlies control their destiny. Win and you’re in, but seeding matters a lot. Memphis can still snag the No. 8 spot, but it will take a win combined with a Blazers loss. They’ll end up in ninth if they and Portland both win, no matter what the Suns and Spurs do. They’ll be eliminated if they lose and either of the Suns or Spurs win.

For the Grizz and presumptive Rookie of the Year Ja Morant, this was supposed to be something of a coming out party, the first of many playoff appearances to come for one of the league’s up-and-coming darlings. But with the way they’ve stumbled out of the gate, combined with a devastating knee injury to Jaren Jackson Jr., they’ll be fortunate to get in at all and would likely be first-round fodder for the Lakers anyway.

The Bucks, for their part, don’t have anything to lose here. They’re locked into the No. 1 seed in the East and could potentially choose to dial this one in and avoid risking injury to their star players. They’ll also be without Giannis, after his headbutt on Moe Wagner earned him a one-game suspension, which is at least a minor blessing for a Memphis team that could desperately use a good break in Orlando.

When XXL revealed its hotly anticipated and always controversial Freshman Class list for 2020 yesterday, some fans were disappointed to find out that Travis Scott associate Don Toliver was not included among the 12 artists expected to break out to mainstream stardom by the magazine. Even Uproxx included him in our list of seven other artists to watch who didn’t make the list due to his appearances on the Cactus Jack Jackboys EP and his well-received album, Heaven Or Hell.

However, according to XXL Editor-In-Chief Vanessa Satten, Toliver has only himself to blame for his absence from the coveted cover story. Stopping by Hot 97’s The Breakfast Club yesterday, Satten explained that the original version of the list contained both Toliver and the late Pop Smoke. While Pop Smoke was removed for obvious reasons, Toliver was a completely different story. According to Satten, “Don Toliver came up and he said he didn’t want to take part in any of the concerts or anything. He would just stand there for the cover. He didn’t want to do freestyles, he didn’t want to do cyphers. [He] just said, ‘I’m not gonna do anything. I’m just going to stand there for the cover.’”

Unfortunately, that wasn’t going to work for XXL, because that would have made for a horrible-looking rollout. No artist is bigger than the cover, but fortunately for Toliver, not every artist actually needs it. Artists who missed out or turned down the cover and wound up becoming big stars anyway include ASAP Rocky, Drake, Juice WRLD, Nicki Minaj, Post Malone, and Young Thug, so Toliver is in good-ish company — for now. He’ll have to prove he made the right choice the hard way, foregoing the exposure provided by Freshman Class appearance and build an audience from the ground up. Judging by the fan response to his absence, he’s already well on the way.

The 2020 XXL Freshman Class list is out now. Find out more here. Watch Vanessa Satten’s Breakfast Club interview above.

Movie theaters in select U.S. cities are still (apparently) on schedule for Christopher Nolan’s Tenet to start screening on Labor Day weekend. There’s really no telling (until it happens) how many people will feel safe risking Covid-19 exposure to head out to the nearest multiplex. That blockbuster release will include IMAX theaters, which are roomier than the norm but still not a place where it’s the best idea to sit (for nearly three hours, if one factors in several trailers) near people who don’t live inside your own home. And weeks before Tenet is due to arrive, AMC is reopening its doors to screen some blockbusters-of-yesterday at prices so low that it truly feels unbelievable.

According to the Associated Press, over 100 AMC locations (which do have a mask-on policy) will open on August 20, and the first day will happen at “Movies in 2020 at 1920 Prices.” In other words, they’re talking about a price — 15 cents per movie — that matches up to what it cost to see a movie shortly after the Spanish Flu pandemic. While 100 theaters only represent about one-sixth of AMC’s total U.S. locations, the price is obviously meant to entice as many people as possible to attend.

Granted, Warner Bros.’ Tenet will still be going for full-on pricing when it eventually arrives in multiplexes. The 15-cent tickets will apply only on August 20 and only to catalog movies including Back to the Future, Black Panther, Ghostbusters, and so on. And after August 20, tickets for these titles will go for $5. Meanwhile, Russell Crowe’s Unhinged is about to pop up at some North American locations, including Las Vegas. Stay safe, everyone.

(Via Associated Press)

Coming off her May EP No Saint, Dej Loaf returns with a black and white visual for the EP’s title track. Dressed in black from head to toe, the rapper moves back and forth from a photography studio and her Chevy Impala parked outside while dishing out chilling bars on her legacy and presence in the rap game, reminding listeners that she may have been gone for some time, but she certainly did not quit.

Dej Loaf arrived in 2014 by way of Detroit with her debut single, “Try Me.” The song quickly boosted the rapper to stardom and showed signs of a promising career as the single helped her land features with big names like Lil Wayne, Big Sean, Eminem, T.I., and more. However, things did not pan out as fans may have thought as the singer would eventually jump into the R&B lane in 2017 with her “Changes” and “No Fear” singles as well as her collaborative mixtape with Jacquees, F*ck A Friend Zone before taking a her foot off the gas the following year. After showcasing her bars once again with 2018’s Go Dej Go, Vol. 1, Dej looks to get things in order before her upcoming project with a new video.

The new video arrives as Dej promises to deliver her Sell Sole 2 album at some point this year. In an Instagram post, the rapper teased its release with a caption that simply read, “The album Is Coming. ?/?/20.” Its release would come about six years after its predecessor, a project that helped break her out of the underground world.

Watch the video for “No Saint” above.

No Saint is out now via Yellow World and BMG Rights. Get it here.

After 130-plus episodes, Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. came to an end last night. The ABC series was never more popular than it was in the early seasons, when Marvel Cinematic Universe stars Samuel L. Jackson (Nick Fury) and Jaimie Alexander (Sif) dropped by and there was a tie-in to a dramatic reveal in Captain America: The Winter Soldier. But after a mid-series dip in quality, S.H.I.E.L.D. quietly had a creative rebound in its final season, which largely dealt with the ramifications of time travel.

As with all things time travel, it’s confusing to explain exactly what happened out of context (and even in context…), but basically, Leopold Fitz returned after a season-long absence. Turns out, he was in a different timeline from the rest of the characters. “You went back in time and then you branched off. But we can travel through something called the Quantum Realm. So we can go in between timelines,” he explained. The Quantum Realm is the show’s most direct connection to Avengers: Endgame, as well as Ant-Man and the Wasp, as it was used by the Avengers to undo Thanos’ universe-upsetting Snap.

Here’s more:

In all his explanations about saving their timeline, Fitz used words like “our world” and “multiple dimensions” to describe their current situation. As such, he distinguished the main MCU timeline as their world, which indicates it is their universe and their timeline. Although the season played with the idea of multiple dimensions… this is the first real confirmation of the fact this timeline is new and different from the MCU.

“When we first started talking about it, it was before Endgame had been released,” co-showrunner Jed Whedon told The Wrap about keeping Fitz off-screen (actor Iain De Caestecker had scheduling conflicts). “We knew that there were certain things we could not do… It’s one universe and we tried to be true to it.” He added, “We didn’t want to play the same game that they were going to play.” Still, tying into the greater Marvel Cinematic Universe was a fitting way for Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (probably the last non-Disney+ Marvel show, with the exception of Hulu’s standalone Helstrom) to go out on.

(Via the Wrap)

We’re now inside a month away from the launch of NBA 2K21, which for the first time in its history will be launching in the midst of an NBA playoff run rather than in the lead up to a new season. Last week, 2K offered a first look at a gameplay trailer for 2K21 and on Thursday we got our first detailed explanation of gameplay changes that gamers can look forward to in the current-gen game — details on the next-gen version for the PS5 and Xbox Series X figure to come out closer to the launch of those systems. .

The biggest change and upgrade for this year’s edition is the evolution and expansion of the Pro Stick (right joystick) to give you more full control of both dribble moves and shooting. The goal was to make for more dynamic usage of the stick and also making it so that, rather than pointing the stick in any direction to shoot, you have to hold it down to allow for more advanced dribble moves and stick usage. 2K announced the control changes for the Pro Stick, which are as follows.

Hold RS down = jump shot
Hold RS left or right = escape dribble moves
Hold RS up = signature size-ups
Tap the RS = quick 1-to-1 dribble moves
Tap the RS with Sprint held = quick momentum dribble moves

They’ve added more signature moves after working with Nate Robinson on motion capture as well as bringing more moves from NBA stars into the game. The shot stick also is going to be more dynamic for shooting, with them bringing back something akin to 2K17’s shot stick aiming — which they admit didn’t work as intended — but upgraded and tweaked to be more intuitive and give players more control. NBA 2K gameplay director Mike Wang outlined exactly how the Pro Stick shooting will function, both on full shots and on layups at the rim.

For NBA 2K21, when you shoot with the Pro Stick, the shot meter changes from a timing bar to a targeting system. So instead of trying to stop the shot meter when you reach the perfect release window, you adjust the Pro Stick in real time to hit the ideal center aim point. The target window resizes dynamically based on player ability, shooting range, and how well the shot is contested and can also shift to the left or right based on the shot’s degree of difficulty. If you miss the target too far to the left or right, your shot will miss in that direction. And as I mentioned above with the new slider sets, even the slightest degree might be the difference between a make and an airball on Hall of Fame, while it’s quite a bit more forgiving on the easier difficulties. You also won’t be penalized for using the entire shooting motion to find the sweet spot. In other words, you don’t have to time your release when you’re shooting with the Pro Stick. But if you want to take it to the next level and know your release, you can lock in your timing and aim by either centering the Pro Stick or by tapping one of the triggers when you reach the apex of the shot. The lock in will be indicated by a brief flash on the shot meter. If you can time AND aim well, you will give yourself the best chances at making the shot.

The aiming concept also applies to finishing layups, replicating the idea of having “good touch” around the rim. As you’re driving you can still hold the Pro Stick in any direction to start a layup, but this year, you’ll want to quickly swing the stick to move the aiming tick to the center of the target. Aiming layups well can help overcome shot contests and help you finish through contact. Personally, it has been hard for me to go back to the Shot Button after getting used to Pro Stick shooting. And because shooting with the stick offers a bit more complexity than just holding and releasing a button, it also carries a greater risk/reward. If you can master shooting with the Pro Stick, you’ll have a higher ceiling for getting greens and making tough shots, so I’m pretty sure it’s going to be the shot method of choice for many competitive 2K players. But since I know some will ask… yes, there is an option to disable Shot Aiming if you really want to go back to last year’s controls.

Both the expanded dribble moves and shooting are supposed to provide more control and opportunity for advanced players should they choose to use it, and 2K promises it will be intuitive once you play a few games with it.

The other major update is that point guards in MyPlayer are now allowed to be as tall as 6’8 at the request of cover athlete Damian Lillard, who offered some other feedback they say helped inform gameplay decisions and updates. So, even if you don’t want to do that, you can fully expect to see an awful lot of extra tall point guards in The Park this year.

Cardi B and Megan The Stallion’s video for their new collaboration “WAP” has been perhaps the biggest pop culture happening of the past week, so naturally, it’s about time for the parodies to start rolling in. Indeed they have, and Cardi is a big fan of at least one of them.

Monday’s episode of The Late Late Show featured a faux behind-the-scenes look at the video and Cardi thought it was hilarious. She shared a clip of the segment tweeted by the Late Late Show Twitter account and wrote, “LmmmmffaaOOOOOOOO Yooo you is funny.”

The segment starts with clips from the video before getting to Corden, who sits at a desk in one of the rooms in the colorful and busy house. He is trying to get some work done but is bothered by the noise level of Cardi and Megan’s song. The scene where the rappers and backing dancers splash around in a shallow pool apparently also caused water to leak through the ceiling, which Corden was not happy with.

In another episode of the show from this week, Corden tasked his parents — who often make entertaining appearances on the program — with watching the “WAP” video and sharing their reactions. They got a real kick out of the statues with water coming out of certain body parts, and one of the more explicit parts of the video elicited an “Oh dear me.” At the end, Corden’s dad offered his take on the clip: “I mean, it’s boobs and ass, isn’t it, basically?” He also added, “I think that song might have been about sexual intercourse.”

Watch the clips from The Late Late Show above.

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

Drake has been nonstop this year, whether he’s dropping Dark Lane Demo Tapes or jumping on other people’s songs. After he released Dark Lane, though, Drake said that a new album was soon to follow. Now it appears he is set to mark the official start of a new album cycle, based on a teaser video he shared last night.

On social media, Drake posted an 11-second video of himself riding a jet ski and wrote simply, “TMRW MIDNIGHT.”

Signs suggest that the new Drake material will be a single. In the comments of the post, Hit-Boy tagged producer G-RY and wrote, “Song hard asl @g.ryomo,” followed by a wave emoji. Additionally, an Instagram user tagged Cardo (who produced “God’s Plan”) in a comment calling the song a “lead single,” and Cardo responded by tagging Yung Exclusive, a Cardo collaborator who also co-produced “God’s Plan.”

It’s not a big surprise to see that something new is on the way. At the end of July, Drake’s friend and engineer, OVO Noel, he shared a photo from in the studio and suggested that Drake’s next album was 90 percent completed. Regardless of what drops on Friday, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Drake break more chart records.

Tom Holland is best known for playing your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man, but he cuts an imposing figure in The Devil All the Time. Based on Donald Ray Pollock’s book of the same name, the Netflix psychological thriller stars Holland as a good ol’ boy turned “sinner” after he’s gifted his father’s gun on his birthday. The plot, which stretches from World War II to the Vietnam War, is far more complicated than that, however, so you might as well watch the trailer above, if only to see Robert Pattinson as a righteously furious (and sweaty) preacher. And what he’s preaching might not sit well with God. When Bill Skarsgård says there’s a lot of “no-good sons of bitches out there,” believe him.

Here’s the official plot synopsis.

In Knockemstiff, Ohio and its neighboring backwoods, sinister characters — an unholy preacher (Robert Pattinson), twisted couple (Jason Clarke and Riley Keough), and crooked sheriff (Sebastian Stan) — converge around young Arvin Russell (Tom Holland) as he fights the evil forces that threaten him and his family. Spanning the time between World War II and the Vietnam war, director Antonio Campos’ The Devil All the Time renders a seductive and horrific landscape that pits the just against the corrupted. Co-starring Bill Skarsgård, Mia Wasikowska, Harry Melling, Haley Bennett, and Pokey LaFarge, this suspenseful tale is adapted from Donald Ray Pollock’s award-winning novel.

The Devil All the Time premieres on Netflix on September 16.