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June is Pride Month in many countries, including the U.S. Canada, Australia, Brazil, Spain, Germany and the United Kingdom. It’s an entire month dedicated to uplifting LGBTQ voices and celebrating their culture, history and rights.

It’s also a time of year when anti-LGBTQ voices can be the loudest, as evidenced last year by boycotts of major companies such as Target, Kohls, North Face and Anheuser Busch.

And speaking of major companies, Pride Month also erupts in rainbow colors on social media when major brands and corporations give their logos Pride-themed makeovers. However, this doesn’t sit well with some LGBTQ activists who see this as rainbow washing or disingenuously using Pride branding for their gain or to give themselves a deceptive air of often-derided as “virtue signaling.”

In 2024, it also seems rather perfunctory for major companies to celebrate Pride Month, because failure to do so could result in them being accused of bigotry.

It’s commendable when companies use their capital and platforms to generously and genuinely support LGBTQ organizations. But there’s something duplicitous about companies that jump on the bandwagon during Pride Month to curry favor with those who support LGBTQ rights and do little more.

One major company is getting called out by liberals and conservatives alike during Pride Month for very different reasons. BMW is taking heat from LGBTQ rights supporters for its public admission that it doesn’t celebrate Pride in the Middle East because of “cultural aspects.” Many right-wing people on Twitter who don’t support Pride Month are enjoying the schadenfreude of seeing a company openly admit to empty virtue signaling.

Remember, @BMW is proud member of Pride movement. pic.twitter.com/LoinB8wL53

— Joni Helminen (@helminen_j85339) June 3, 2024

It all started when someone on Twitter asked why BMW doesn’t turn its logo rainbow-colored for its Middle Eastern Twitter feed during Pride Month. “How come you don’t proudly display your logos pride colors on your Middle East posts ???” they asked.

How come you don’t proudly display your logos pride colors on your middle east posts ???

— deziner (@deziner1323605) June 1, 2024

The car company’s response was cold and corporate. “This is an established practice at the BMW Group, which also takes into consideration market-specific legal regulations and country-specific cultural aspects,” BMW’s Twitter account responded.

This is an established practice at the BMW Group, which also takes into consideration market-specific legal regulations and country-specific cultural aspects (4/4)

— BMW (@BMW) June 1, 2024

The response begged a big question: If you don’t support LGBTQ rights in places where they are persecuted, do you really support them at all? In some countries in the Middle East, including Iran and Saudi Arabia, LGBTQ people can be punished by death.

Many accused BMW of hypocrisy for only supporting gay rights where it’s good for business.

So we can take from this that if market conditions made the oppression of gays profitable that little rainbow of yours would disappear pretty quickly here yeah?

— Dennis Noel Kavanagh (@Jebadoo2) June 2, 2024

As a lesbian, I would prefer you don’t pretend to take a moral stance on my human rights that is dependent on market conditions. Just drop the flag and go sell some cars.

— Ani O’Brien (@aniobrien) June 2, 2024

Then remove it from your western markets, as clearly you don’t believe in gay rights if you’re not prepared to display it globally.

— Sense Certain (@SenseCertain) June 2, 2024

Many thought that if BMW genuinely cared about LGBTQ rights, it would promote them where it matters most.

The only place to have your rainbow logo is on the Middle East where they are not tolerant. Everywhere else it is unnecessary. Stop.

— Kathryn (@kbean511) June 2, 2024

This is called ‘fair-weather allyship’ and it’s actually pretty gross, which is why you catch so much flack for it. The places you’re avoiding allyship, are the places that need it the most. Terrible job at understanding the situation outside of dollar signs.

— Charlie’s Peefeet (@charliespeefeet) June 3, 2024

Some thought that BMW’s Pride Month logo gesture was rendered meaningless by its approach to the Middle East.

BMW is proud to support lgbt rights in places where they already exist.

— River Parrish (@RiverParrish1) June 2, 2024

So…you missed the entire point of Pride? At least you are honest about it 🤷‍♂️

— Andy Stevens 🇺🇸 (@mrandystevens) June 3, 2024

The fact that U.S. companies converted their logos to rainbow-themed during Price Month shows how far this country has come in the last 55 years since the Stonewall Riot kicked off the LGBTQ movement in the U.S. in 1969. However, the fact that companies are afraid to change their logos to rainbow-colored in some parts of the world shows how far we still have to go to guarantee those same rights across the globe.

The evolution of candles from lighting necessity to scented ambience creator is kind of funny. For thousands of years, people relied on candles and oil lamps for light, but with the invention of the light bulb in 1879, fire was no longer needed for light. At that time, people were probably relieved to not have to set something on fire every time they wanted to see in the dark, and now here we are spending tons of money to do it just for funsies.

We love lighting candles for coziness and romance, relishing their warm, soft light as we shrink from the fluorescent bulb craze of the early 2000s. Many people use candles for adding scent to a room, and there are entire candle companies just for this purpose (Yankee Candles, anyone?). As of 2022, candles were an $11 billion business.

With their widespread use, you’d think we’d know a thing or two about candles, but as a thread on X makes clear, a whole bunch of us have been burning candles wrong our entire lives without knowing it.

A post from @kktweetshaha started the education session: “Just learned that my fiancé, who buys candles all the time and we literally always have candles burning, did not actually know how they work and blew out a medium first burn candle 30 minutes after I lit it when I wasn’t paying attention and ruined it.”

Many people had no idea what she was talking about, so she explained.

— (@)

“If a candle is not burned for long enough on first burn to melt edge to edge it will create a ‘memory ring.’ Once a candle has a memory ring, it will continue to tunnel and never burn all the way across.”

This is why you should not light a large candle at night, which is unlikely to burn all the way across before you need to blow out to go to bed. Allow at least one hour per inch of candle width

— (@)

“This is why you should not light a large candle at night, which is unlikely to burn all the way across before you need to blow out to go to bed. Allow at least one hour per inch of candle width,” she went on.

So that’s why candles always end up with a hole in the middle, making us think the candle companies are just running a scam to make us go through candles faster. Nope. It’s user error, and many people were flabbergasted by this realization.

“This is the most useful information I’ve been given my entire adult life,” wrote one person.

“This skill should be taught in schools,” shared another. “The amount I’ve wasted on half burnt candles is outrageous, the amount of times I’ve used Algebra since leaving school = 0.”

“When I worked at Pier 1 in the 90s I got to go to some candle workshop that taught us the correct way to use (and therefore sell) candles and that is probably some of the most useful knowledge I’ve carried in my head this long life,” shared another.

Some people suggested wrapping aluminum foil around the rim of the candle to help recover a candle that’s been tunneled or to speed the process of melting the wax across the entire candle. Other suggested melting the candle down in the oven to even it back out again. The original poster pointed out that sometimes candles aren’t wicked properly. According to Lone Star Candle Supply, if a candle is more than 4 inches in diameter it may become necessary to have two wicks.

@CompostTraining There are a few things you can try to improve it even if not fixing entirely. The popular fix is wrapping the candle in tin foil to increase the temperature across the surface.

— (@)

The candle posts also prompted a separate discussion about candles and indoor air quality and the volatile organic compounds that are released when they are burned. Some people equated burning candles with having a small engine running in your living room, though according to the Cleveland Clinic, there’s scant evidence that the amount of toxins released by burning candles is actually hazardous to your health, especially if you use high quality candles in a well-ventilated area.

How do you know if a candle is “high quality”? First, check the wick for metal. Lead in wicks is not nearly as common as it used to be, but best not to risk it if you find metal in the wick. Second, choose soy, beeswax, palm or coconut wax candles instead of paraffin, which is petroleum-based product and more likely to put off soot and smoke particles. Everyone reacts differently to different amounts of particulates in the air, so if you find yourself getting headaches or respiratory symptoms when using candles, it’s probably best to avoid them. But if you tolerate them, feel free to enjoy as recommended,—just make sure that first burn melts the wax all the way to the edges to avoid the dreaded tunneling.

This article originally appeared on 3.29.24

At this point, it would be fairly shocking if JJ Redick is not the next head coach of the Los Angeles Lakers. The problem for both parties is, Redick has to call the NBA Finals for ESPN this week, and as such the Lakers are dragging out their coaching search until he is done with his broadcasting duties.

The thing is, waiting only makes it clearer that Redick is the target. If they were hiring James Borrego or a different assistant who isn’t part of Boston or Dallas’ staffs, there would be no need to wait until the Finals are over to do that. As such, Redick will face questions about the Lakers job from now until a decision is made — and I must say, it’d be extremely funny if they wait until late June and announce Borrego instead of Redick. The player turned podcaster/broadcaster did not exactly extinguish the reports he is the guy in an appearance on GoJo and Golic on Wednesday, noting his focus is on the NBA Finals but “as for Shams, that will be addressed once the season’s over. That’s all I’ll say.”

Redick has been in podcasting too long not to tease out the announcement like a surprise big guest on his show. We’ll see how quickly he tires of the questions about the Lakers as he does various media hits over the next couple weeks, but the chatter won’t be quieting. Also, with his former teammate Luka Doncic in these Finals, who already was busting him about rumors he was in the mix for the Hornets job earlier this postseason, I’d bet we get a pretty funny soundbite from the Mavs star about Redick’s future in L.A.

The circumstances behind 4Batz’s sudden breakout remain mysterious, but that isn’t stopping him from capitalizing on it. The “Date @ 8” crooner has announced the dates for his first-ever headlining tour, Thank U, Jada, kicking off in Chicago on July 29 at Avondale Music Hall and concluding on August 10 at KMEL Summer Jam in Oakland, California. Naturally, the show to watch out for will be his hometown stop in Dallas at The Echo, where he’s sure to receive a warm welcome as he returns the conquering hero.

Tickets for the tour go on sale on Friday, June 7, with a presale beginning the day before at 10 AM local time. You can find more info here.

2024 has turned out to be one crazy year for 4Batz, whose early single, “Act II: Date @ 8,” caught the attention of none other than Drake. The Canadian star’s appearance on the song’s remix supercharged 4Batz rise to stardom, as did Drake’s signing him to a promotional deal with OVO Sound for the release of his debut EP, U Made Me A St4r. To find out when you can see this newly minted star in a city near you, check out the tour dates below.

07/29 — Chicago, IL @ Avondale Music Hall
07/31 — Boston, MA @ Brighton Music Hall
08/01 — Brooklyn, NY @ Music Hall of Williamsburg
08/02 — Washington, DC @ Howard Theater
08/04 — Atlanta, GA @ The Masquerade
08/06 — Houston, TX @ White Oak Music Hall
08/07 — Dallas, TX @ The Echo
08/09 — Los Angeles, CA @ Echoplex
08/10 — Oakland, CA @ KMEL Summer Jam

Denzel Curry has announced his new album, King Of The Mischievous South Vol. 2, scheduled to arrive next month. The album is a sequel to his critically-acclaimed breakthrough mixtape, King Of The Mischievous South, Vol. 1

The album will comprise of various collaborations, primarily from southern rap artists, including That Mexican OT, Juicy J, Project Pat, Maxo Kream, Ski Mask The Slump Dog, and more. Ahead of the album’s release, Curry shared the lead single, “Hot One,” a blazing collaboration with TiaCorine and Ferg.

Later this summer, Curry will embark on a North American tour in support of the album

You can listen to “Hot One” above and see the King Of The Mischievous South Vol. 2 artwork, tracklist and tour dates below.

1. “KOTMS II Intro” feat. Kingpin Skinny Pimp
2. “Ultra Shxt” feat. Key Nyata
3. “Set It” feat. Maxo Kream
4. “Hot One” feat. TiaCorine & A$AP Ferg
5. “Black Flag Freestyle” feat. That Mexican OT
6. “Headcrack Interlude” feat. Kingpin Skinny Pimp
7. “G’z Up” feat. 2 Chainz & Mike Dimes
8. “Lunatic Interlude”
9. “Sked” feat. Kenny Mason & Project Pat
10. “Choose Wisely Interlude” feat. Kingpin Skinny Pimp
11. “Cole Pimp” feat. Ty Dolla $ign & Juicy J
12. “Wishlist” feat. Armani White
13. “Hit the Floor” feat. Ski Mask the Slump God
14. “Hoodlumz” feat. A$AP Rocky & PlayThatBoiZay
15. “KOTMS II Outro” feat. Kingpin Skinny Pimp

08/07 — Nashville, TN @ Bridgestone Arena
08/09 — Birmingham, AL @ BJCC Arena
08/10 — Atlanta, GA @ State Farm Arena
08/13 — Houston, TX @ Toyota Center
08/14 — Dallas, TX @ American Airlines Center
08/16 — San Antonio, TX @ Frost Bank Center
08/17 — Austin, TX @ Moody Center
08/19 — Denver, CO @ Fiddler’s Green Amphitheatre
08/20 — Denver, CO @ Fiddler’s Green Amphitheatre
08/27 — Sacramento, CA @ Golden 1 Center
08/28 — San Francisco, CA @ Chase Center
08/30 — San Diego, CA @ Pechanga Arena San Diego
09/03 — Los Angeles, CA @ Crypto.com Arena
09/04 — Anaheim, CA @ Honda Center
09/06 — Las Vegas, NV @ MGM Grand Garden Arena
09/07 — Phoenix, AZ @ Footprint Center
09/08 — Phoenix, AZ @ Footprint Center
09/10 — Albuquerque, NM @ Isleta Amphitheater
09/11 — Oklahoma City, OK @ Paycom Center
09/15 — Raleigh, NC @ PNC Arena
09/17 — Baltimore, MD @ CFG Bank Arena
09/19 — Philadelphia, PA @ Wells Fargo Center
09/20 — Elmont, NY @ UBS Arena
09/21 — Newark, NJ @ Prudential Center
09/23 — Toronto, ON @ Scotiabank Arena
09/24 — Montréal, QC @ Place Bell
09/25 — Boston, MA @ TD Garden
09/27 — Cleveland, OH @ Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse
09/28 — Buffalo, NY @ KeyBank Center
09/29 — Pittsburgh, PA @ PPG Paints Arena
10/01 — Cincinnati, OH @ Heritage Bank Center
10/02 — Detroit, MI @ Little Caesars Arena
10/04 — Indianapolis, IN @ Gainbridge Fieldhouse
10/05 — Kansas City, MO @ T-Mobile Center
10/06 — St. Louis, MO @ Enterprise Center
10/08 — Chicago, IL @ United Center
10/09 — Milwaukee, WI @ Fiserv Forum
10/10 — Minneapolis, MN @ Target Center
10/11 — Lincoln, NE @ Pinnacle Bank Arena

King Of The Mischievous South Vol. 2 is out 7/19 via Loma Vista. Find more information here.

After spending the better part of the last few months lighting up his previously unspoken rival Drake, it looks like Kendrick Lamar has some free time on his hands now that Drake waved the white flag. Which means fans now wonder if he’s got a new album up his sleeve. After all, what was this all for, if not promoting music that actually matters?

Well, it looks like he has indeed been in the studio working … something … according to his frequent collaborator and producer, Terrace Martin. The multi-instrumental musician told fans during an Instagram Live stream that he’s “excited” for Kendrick’s new album, whenever it’s slated for release.

“Let me tell y’all the records I’m excited for,” he said. “I’m excited for YG’s album, I’m excited for Mustard’s album. I’m excited for a lot of people, but there’s two albums, I’m going crazy, I can’t wait ’til they drop: Roddy Ricch album and whenever Kendrick drops his album. I’m excited for those two. Those two Compton artists is like, I’m excited.”

Martin’s work has figured heavily into Kendrick’s rise to prominence; as a producer or a musician, he’s had a hand in a number of Kendrick’s projects, especially the critically hailed To Pimp A Butterfly, while Kendrick has appeared on Martin’s projects Here, My Dear and 3ChordFold.

Might we finally be getting new music from Lorde in the near future? It’s been three years since her last album, Solar Power. But yesterday (June 4), the New Zealand native singer took to Instagram, seemingly teasing her fourth record.

In a photo carousel, Lorde is seen standing at a balcony in one photo. Another photo features a hand, carrying a capsule that reads “spit.” In another pic, she is seen wrapped up in a towel by a pool.

Though there isn’t a whole lot of context to the photos, Lorde may have hinted at her upcoming album in the post’s caption.

“Use the existing tools wherever possible,” she said. “If the tools do not exist you are spiritually obliged to create them.”

Perhaps she is alluding to the fact that she has found inspiration for new music within the world around here. Also in the post’s caption are multiple symbols, representing the letter L and the number 4, seemingly hinting that her fourth album — which has been given the placeholder name L4 by fans. — is on the way.

It is also worth noting that this post is currently the only post on her Instagram page, as many artists like to archive their posts ahead of a new era.

You can see the post above.

This Independence Day weekend, spend time with an adult film star trying to make it big in Hollywood. What’s more American than that? A24 has released a new trailer for MaXXXine, the third film in director Ti West’s X trilogy.

The trailer begins with Maxine (played by Mia Goth) getting blood on her hands — literally — on the set of a low-budget indie horror movie. Later, she’s worried she’s being pursued by the “the devil,” a.k.a. the Night Stalker, a real-life serial killer who terrorized Californians in the mid-1980s. You can watch it above.

“I see MaXXXine as a superhero movie – that’s how I read the script,” Goth told SFX Magazine last year. “Maxine, as a character, has come a long way. She’s a survivor, she’s gone through a lot. When we meet her again, in this new world that she’s in, she’s really fought for everything that she has, and she’s not about to give that up. She’s going to fight for what she has. She’s a badass… And she’s a really proactive, determined, focused woman. She goes after what she wants, and she’s not really going to take no for an answer.”

Here’s the official synopsis:

In 1980s Hollywood, adult film star and aspiring actress Maxine Minx finally gets her big break. But as a mysterious killer stalks the starlets of Hollywood, a trail of blood threatens to reveal her sinister past.

MaXXXine, which also stars Elizabeth Debicki, Moses Sumney, Michelle Monaghan, Bobby Cannavale, Halsey, Lily Collins, Giancarlo Esposito, and Kevin Bacon, opens in theaters on July 5.

At the beginning of the year, months after she released her debut project Like..?, Ice Spice announced her debut album and revealed that it would be called Y2K. The title aligns with the rapper’s birthday which falls on January 1, 2000. At the time, Ice Spice said that Y2K would arrive at some point this year, and true to her word, the rapper revealed that the project will indeed come out this summer.

In posts she shared on her social media pages, Ice Spice announced that Y2K will be released on July 12. “HIIIII >.<,” she wrote in her posts. “THE ALBUM WILL BE DROPPING JULY 26TH !!!! pre-save now ;*.” Ice Spice shared a pre-save link to the project and also unveiled the album’s artwork which depicts her standing in front of a wall of concrete block by subway stairwell with her back facing the viewer. “Ice Spice” is written in graffiti font on the cover, as is “Y2K” which appears on a trash can beside her.

So far, Y2K is led by one single, “Gimme A Light,” which Ice Spice released last month. The track sampled Sean Paul’s 2002 hit “Gimme The Light” with a similar ode to dancefloors and weed, but with a spicy twist. Prior to that, she jumped on Cash Cobain and Bay Swag’s “Fisherrr” for a new remix and released “Think U The Sh*t (Fart)” which she later confirmed was a Latto diss.

You can view Ice Spice’s announcement for Y2K in the post above.

Y2K is out 7/12 via Columbia Records. Find out more information here.

Earlier this week, Kanye West was levied with claims of sexual harassment from his former assistant as well as accusations of breach of contract, wrongful termination, and hostile work environment. Lauren Pisciotta, who began working with West after meeting him during is Donda era, says the musician and fashion designer sent her several vulgar texts during her employment under him. Now, West is responding to those claims and shared plans to countersue Pisciotta for her accusations.

TMZ reports that Kanye’s legal team gave them a statement in response to Pisciotta’s claims. “In response to these baseless allegations, Ye will be filing a lawsuit against Ms. Pisciotta, who actively pursued him sexually to coerce employment and other material benefits, then engaged in blackmail and extortion when her advances were rejected,” West’s team told the publication. “It is evident that Ms. Pisciotta leveraged her association with Ye and his company, and her proximity to him, to seek material gains, clout, and employment through inappropriate means.”

They also accused Pisciotta of attempting to steal West’s phone in order to delete evidence that would prove her accusations were false. This evidence includes nude images that Pisciotta allegedly sent to West as well as her attempts to solicit him for sex and requests for a luxury items like a Birkin bag and a Lamborghini that were both denied.

Kanye’s legal team also denied Pisciotta’s wrongful termination claim, saying that her work with Kanye came to an end because she was unqualified, made outrageous salary demands, and engaged in “lascivious, unhinged conduct.” They go on to say that once her requests were denied, Pisciotta attempted to extort and blackmail Kanye and his team with demands in the tens of millions of dollars prior to her lawsuit.