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In 2005, Josh Homme (of Queens Of The Stone Age and Them Crooked Vultures) and musician Brody Dalle (known for her work in the bands The Distillers and Spinnerette) got married. In 2019, though, Dalle filed for divorce from Homme after he allegedly, as she claimed in 2022, headbutted her so hard that she “saw stars.” She revealed that during a trial involving domestic violence restraining orders Dalle and Homme had filed against each other. In his filing, Homme claimed Dalle “angrily slammed her car door into my body, causing significant bruising” and punched him in the face on “several occasions.”

Following the divorce were legal proceedings involving their three children. A lot has been said about the situation over the past few years, and now, Homme has offered a lengthy statement about it.

A statement shared by Homme’s publicist today (March 27) begins, “Out of respect and concern for his minor children and their well-being, Joshua Homme has previously refrained from making public statements about his family to the media. In light of the continued falsehoods, the repeated invasions of the children’s privacy, and the resulting emotional harm, it is time that the truth be told. Our hope is that this will end the enquiries and speculation and provide the family the privacy and consideration they deserve.”

From there, the statement claims Homme and Dalle were “were able to amicably co-parent their three children in a healthy and functional way” for “more than a year after the conclusion of their divorce proceedings,” but “the situation took a dark turn when Dalle violated the 50/50 custody agreement by withholding the children from seeing their father.”

The statement also notes Homme was later awarded “sole legal custody of all three children.” It continues, “Joshua Homme will remain the sole legal guardian of all minor children until a custody hearing in the fall of 2023, at which point a more permanent solution will be determined by the Los Angeles Family Court,” and notes, “on March 16, 2023, The Los Angeles Family Court ordered a permanent restraining order against Brody Dalle for a period of 1 year and 11 months.”

The reports of Homme’s children filing restraining orders against him were also addressed. In regards to this, the statement makes mention of Dalle’s boyfriend Gunner Foxx, saying, “It was reported in the fall of 2021 that Homme’s sons had filed a restraining order against their father and that it was signed by their mother. It has since been revealed in court proceedings that this restraining order was drafted and filed by Gunner Foxx, who forged Dalle’s signature on the document. […] It was reported that Homme’s daughter filed a restraining order against him. This was also filed by Gunner Foxx who took the minor child to court without the presence of either one of her parents. Prior to the hearing on this matter — at the child’s request and through her own counsel — the order was rescinded.”

The statement concludes, “The Homme family is grateful to the Los Angeles County Courts, minor’s counsel, local law enforcement, DCFS and court-ordered monitors for their time and continued attention and care. The goal of the Los Angeles Family Court System and Joshua Homme’s sincere hope is that the conclusion of this matter will result in the ability for both Homme and Dalle to co-parent their children peacefully.”

Find the full statement below.

“Out of respect and concern for his minor children and their well-being, Joshua Homme has previously refrained from making public statements about his family to the media. In light of the continued falsehoods, the repeated invasions of the children’s privacy and the resulting emotional harm, it is time that the truth be told. Our hope is that this will end the enquiries and speculation and provide the family the privacy and consideration they deserve.

For more than a year after the conclusion of their divorce proceedings, Joshua Homme and Brody Dalle were able to amicably co-parent their three children in a healthy and functional way. The situation took a dark turn when Dalle violated the 50/50 custody agreement by withholding the children from seeing their father. Despite multiple orders by the Los Angeles Family Court to return the children, as well as being found in contempt of court, Dalle continued to violate the custody agreement. The situation was exacerbated by the inappropriate actions of her boyfriend Gunner Foxx.

In March 2022, the Los Angeles Family Court awarded Joshua Homme sole legal custody of all three children, and they are currently under the care of their father and paternal grandparents. Dalle was granted supervised visitation with their youngest child in the interim. Joshua Homme will remain the sole legal guardian of all minor children until a custody hearing in the fall of 2023, at which point a more permanent solution will be determined by the Los Angeles Family Court.

Recent actions by Brody Dalle and Gunner Foxx have not only caused the children emotional harm, but have also put them in great danger. As a result of these actions, on March 16, 2023 The Los Angeles Family Court ordered a permanent restraining order against Brody Dalle for a period of 1 year and 11 months. This Domestic Violence Restraining order was granted to protect (and on behalf of) the Homme family, including Joshua, his three children, and Joshua’s parents, Michael and Irene Homme.

It was reported in the fall of 2021 that Homme’s sons had filed a restraining order against their father and that it was signed by their mother. It has since been revealed in court proceedings that this restraining order was drafted and filed by Gunner Foxx, who forged Dalle’s signature on the document. Dalle later testified in court to having known at the time that Foxx had forged her signature, while doing nothing to set the record straight legally or in the media.

In August of 2022, Joshua Homme and his two sons were granted a restraining order protecting them from Gunner Foxx, preventing him from making any contact with them whatsoever for a period of five years. Foxx’s requests for a restraining order against Homme were denied by two separate courts.

It was reported that Homme’s daughter filed a restraining order against him. This was also filed by Gunner Foxx who took the minor child to court without the presence of either one of her parents. Prior to the hearing on this matter — at the child’s request and through her own counsel — the order was rescinded.

All allegations made against Joshua Homme by Brody Dalle and Gunner Foxx or on behalf of the Homme children have been repeatedly investigated by local law enforcement, Los Angeles DCFS and the Los Angeles County Courts. Additionally, the children are represented and their best interests are ensured by their own court-appointed legal counsel, DCFS and the Los Angeles Court system. It was subsequent to these investigations, as well as 24-hour, court-appointed monitoring (at both parents’ homes over many months) that the Los Angeles Family Court determined it is in the best interest of the children to remain in the care of their father.

The Homme family is grateful to the Los Angeles County Courts, minor’s counsel, local law enforcement, DCFS and court-ordered monitors for their time and continued attention and care. The goal of the Los Angeles Family Court System and Joshua Homme’s sincere hope is that the conclusion of this matter will result in the ability for both Homme and Dalle to co-parent their children peacefully.”

Flavor Flav had been hoping to meet Taylor Swift, wearing a special “Willow”-themed shirt that read “I come back stronger than a ’90s trend,” from her 2021 song, to last night’s 2023 iHeartRadio Music Awards.

He then went on to praise her during one of his red carpet interviews.

“I love me some Taylor Swift, man. Always did, you know what I’m saying. Word up,” he said. “Yo, check this out. I heard Taylor Swift keeps her clock on 12. Just like mines. And the reason I keep my clock on 12, is because 12 o’clock points straight up. Everyday, I’m straight up with you.”

“I always loved Taylor Swift’s music. I’m here to support her. I’m here to support my girl,” Flav added. “I got good blood. I ain’t got no bad blood, today. I got the good blood, you know what I’m saying. Word up. On the strength. But I want to meet her, too, one day…I hope to meet her. I just want to shake her hand. I just want to shake her hand, take a picture with her. Let her know I’m from Long Island just like you. I love all of her music, man.”

The two eventually crossed paths, posing for some sweet photos at the event. Fans online are also excited at the interaction.

“flavor flav fangirling over taylor swift at the i heart radio music awards, wearing a shirt with lyrics from willow, and having his clock necklace set to midnight is just …. everything. and i am happy he got to meet her. if one of us got to, im glad it was him,” one wrote.

Continue scrolling for some additional fan reactions.

It’s no secret that one of Ed Sheeran‘s biggest hits was initially written for Rihanna. But after his label convinced him to keep “Shape Of You” for himself, Sheeran workshopped the song until it was perfect.

In an article for Rolling Stone, which featured outtakes from an extensive profile that was published earlier this month, Sheeran shared that he wanted Jay-Z to add a verse to “Shape Of You.”

“We were in touch,” says Sheeran. “I sent him the song, and he said, ‘I don’t think the song needs a rap verse.’ He was probably right. He’s got a very, very good ear. He usually gets things right. It was a very natural, respectful pass.”

And indeed, Jay did get it right, as “Shape Of You” sat at the top of the Billboard Hot 100 for 12 weeks in 2017.

Sheeran is gearing up to release his fifth studio album, —. Last week, he shared the album’s lead single, “Eyes Closed,” a song inspired by grief and loss. Yesterday, he shared a stripped-back version of the song, featuring himself joined by an orchestra, along with Aaron Dessner, who produced — on piano.

— is out 5/5 via Atlantic. Find more information here.

Ed Sheeran is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

Mae Martin is dropping their first Netflix special this week. Directed by Abbi Jacobson of Broad City fame, the special is material that Martin worked on during the pandemic and while trying out their acting skills in the dramedy series Feel Good. The performance also name drops Dave Chappelle, who has spent recent years courting controversy with his transphobic remarks.

In a new interview with Rolling Stone, Martin opened up about why they pushed back at the anti-trans underbelly of the stand-up community and how they were extremely hesitant to do so.

“When you’re someone who’s part of the trans community, it can feel like a lose-lose,” Martin said. “Because as soon as I start talking about it, people are like, ‘Ugh, these people are constantly whining.’”

However, Martin feels it’s ultimately the right thing to do:

It’s also a very crucial time to present a counterargument to the very loud people with huge platforms who are weighing in in bad faith about things that have real-life consequences. It’s a very difficult tone to hit because I do care about it so deeply, and could so easily rant for hours about how annoyed I am. So if it’s in any way helpful for people to see someone speaking about their lived experience and cutting through the endless debate about whether trans people deserve to be happy, then hopefully it’s worth it.

Martin also revealed that they tried doing the show without specifically naming comedians like Chappelle, but it just didn’t work.

“It just felt like I was trying to be coy,” Martin told Rolling Stone. “I feel confident about what I’m saying, so I might as well just name them.”

At the same time, Martin would appreciate a little more help from bigger comedians.

“The main thing I wish is that straight allies with bigger platforms would be brave enough to weigh in as well,” Martin said. “Because it’s easy to dismiss queer people as being constantly up in arms about something.”

Mae Martin: SAP premieres March 28 on Netflix.

(Via Rolling Stone)

Blueface has now been sued in civil court over his connection to a Las Vegas strip club shooting that happened back in October 2022. CBS 8 News, the city’s local channel, has reported that a woman named Jasmine Brooks filed it, claiming that he injured her at the Euphoric Gentlemen’s Club on Oct. 8.

The lawsuit notes that Brooks “sustained injuries to her body, specifically her face as a result of defendants’ inadequate, unreasonable, and egregiously deficient security of the property.” She is seeking a jury trial and at least $15,000 in damages.

This incident also happened after the initial shooting target had commented about Blueface talking to “some females in a cheap vehicle.” Because of this, Blueface’s friends hit the man “multiple times” and then shot at his car when he drove away. The man also was shot in his left hand.

Blueface was also arrested in Clark County’s detention center for attempted murder but was released on $500,000 bail. Still, the case continues.

Blueface has claimed he’s innocent, but the reported club owner closed due to “gang-related activities” according to HipHopDX. The owner has also said that he wants the LA rapper to spend “the rest of his life in prison” or “pay us until the day he leaves this earth.”

Larry June and The Alchemist are getting ready for the release of their highly anticipated new album The Great Escape coming later this month. So far, “60 Days,” “89 Earthquake,” and “Palisades, CA” were released with music videos, but people are looking forward to a lot of other tracks on the record, especially because of all of the features.

Some notable guests on The Great Escape include Action Bronson, Big Sean, Ty Dolla Sign, Joey Badass, and more. Meanwhile, June recently announced a tour called Larry’s Market Run Tour, a 47-date North American journey that’s sure to be a great time. Hopefully, some of the artists appearing on The Great Escape will surprise fans by joining him onstage.

Check out the full tracklist below.

1. “Turkish Cotton”
2. “89 Earthquake”
3. “Solid Plan” Feat. Action Bronson
4. “Palisades, CA” Feat. Big Sean
5. “Summer Reign” Feat. Ty Dolla Sign
6. “Orange Village” Feat. Slum Village
7. “Porsches in Spanish”
8. “Art Talk” Feat. Boldy James
9. “Ocean Sounds”
10. “Left No Evidence” Feat. Evidence
11. “What Happened To The World?” Feat. Wiz Khalifa
12. “Éxito” Feat. Jay Worthy
13. “60 Days”
14. “Barragán Lighting” Feat. Joey Badass & Curren$y
15. “Margie’s Candy House”

The Great Escape is out 3/31 via Empire.

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

DJ Drama has released the next installment of his Juice remake promoting his upcoming album I’m Really Like That, really leaning into the nostalgia with the help of rappers Jim Jones and Chinese Kitty. This time around, he duplicates the “Picking Up Vinyl” scene in which Omar Epps’ character, Q, distracts an employee at a record store by flirting with her (remember asking for phone numbers???) as his friends Raheem, Steel, and Bishop steal records.

Making the scene even more fun, the characters of Raheem and Steel and played by their original actors, Khalil Kain and Jermaine Hopkins respectively. This continues a trend from Drama’s previous scene recreation, which cast Queen Latifah in her film role as the Ruff House MC. The shop girl is portrayed by rapper/model Chinese Kitty, while Jim Jones takes over the Bishop role from Tupac Shakur. The music, of course, is updated to a more modern trap beat (a Roddy Ricch song from the upcoming album) from the New Jack Swing track from the movie. The whole thing is cool.

With two Juice remake clips out, Drama still hasn’t revealed the tracklist for his new album, which drops on 3/31 via Generation Now and Atlantic, so stay tuned — there’s definitely more to come.

DJ Drama is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein’s first feature film together as directors was 2015’s Vacation. A movie that, today, a lot of people have come around to, but at the time earned itself a Rotten Tomatos score in the 20s, but actually did wind up doing okay at the box office. (For the record: I am a huge fan of their Vacation.) But for Daley and Goldstein, there was a disconnect because they thought they had made a really funny movie, so why was it being savaged by critics? The pair, ahead says their followup, Game Night, was a response to the criticism levied at Vacation. Game Night was a critical success and the film earned about what Vacation did, against the same budget, but now the optics completely changed. They did a stint on The Flash before finally settling on a huge IP that has no real established characters, so it can be anything really, Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves.

The reason for the history lesson of a first paragraph is the fact that Vacation also informed how they approached Dungeons & Dragons, as it pertains to IP. They feel it’s the IP and nostalgia of the prior Vacation movies that got them into hot water with that project and they aren’t going to go down that road again. Again, a property like D&D let them do basically anything they want – in this case they decided to make it a heist movie – but are still careful to respect the rules of Dungeons & Dragons. And what they made was a really funny movie, in their style, that isn’t a parody of what a movie like this should be.

Chris Pine plays Edgin, a bard and thief who leads a ragtag bunch to steel treasure, with the rule that no one gets hurt. He and Holga (Michelle Rodriguez) are captured and imprisoned. A member of his crew, Forge (Hugh Grant), agrees to raise Edgin’s daughter, which he does, but also has turned her against her father and, with the help of an evil wizard, Sophina (Daisy Head, who is great and legitimately sinister) has amassed great power and fortune. Now Edgin must put together a new crew to break into Forge’s lair and win back his daughter and in the process, steal all Forge’s treasure. This movie is the definition of “good fun.”

But as we went on, it’s apparent the reaction to Vacation still bugs Daley and Goldstein. (To be fair, I don’t blame them. It’s a very funny movie.) But, then again, there’s nothing wrong with having a chip on one’s shoulder about a perceived slight to use for greater success. And they have an idea for a Vacation director’s cut that I do hope they get to do.

Before we start, I have to mention I am a big fan of your Vacation. I’ve written about this.

John Francis Daley: I remember that. Thank you for defending it. I think each of our movies that end up doing well will give retroactive legitimacy to Vacation.

Which brings me to my point, since this is before Game Night, I want my credit.

John Francis Daley: Okay!

Jonathan Goldstein: You were probably the only pull quote the trailers could use.

John Francis Daley: “UPROXX calls it amazing.”

I saw it again in theaters and made my girlfriend go…

Jonathan Goldstein: Oh God. I thought she was going to break up with you.

No, she’s just in the other room right now.

John Francis Daley: Oh, good. It all worked out.

Okay, so what was both your relationship with Dungeons & Dragons before making this?

Jonathan Goldstein: If you make this all about Vacation, I’d love it.

John Francis Daley: Yeah, me too.

Trust me, I could. I don’t think the good folks at Paramount would be very happy, but I could definitely do it.

John Francis Daley: Okay, the relationship with D&D? Well, I first discovered it as a teenager on Freaks and Geeks. My character was supposed to be a big fan of it. So we played a quick campaign with the cast.

Oh yeah, James Franco plays it and winds up liking it. Am I remembering this correctly?

John Francis Daley: That’s the episode. That’s right. And it was called “Discos and Dragons.” It was my favorite episode, not because of the Dungeons & Dragons component, but because we got to see Jason Segel do a disco dance. Then I picked it back up as an adult about two years before we started on this movie. And I played a campaign with my adult friends and I played as a kid. I remember the game was so different from anything I had played. My older brother’s a Dungeon Master. Just that you make it up, you do things on graph paper, you create a dungeon. It was really cool to me.

I always thought it was a video game until I was invited over to play once and I was lost. Though I loved the Saturday morning cartoon in the ’80s, and they’re in this movie.

Jonathan Goldstein: They are! Yeah.

How many people get that reference? It took me a second but I was like, “Oh, there’s Eric.”

John Francis Daley: Everyone in Brazil…

Jonathan Goldstein: 30 million people in Brazil and 12 million in the UK and a handful here.

Wait, what does that mean?

John Francis Daley: Well, we did a Comic-Con in Brazil, in San Paulo, and it played like gangbusters because we showed the scene in the maze where we revealed those ’80s characters. I guess it was huge there. Don’t ask me why, but I don’t think it has that same resonance in America. I think it’s a little more fringe out here for whatever reason.

Jonathan Goldstein: We knew it meant a lot to a certain piece of the audience so we wanted to give a little visual shout-out.

I’m going from memory, but I think Eric was voiced by Donny Most? Is that right?

Jonathan Goldstein: My gosh.

John Francis Daley: We’re the wrong person to ask.

Jonathan Goldstein: That sounds about right.

Their leader was Willie Aames.

Jonathan Goldstein: The All-Star team.

It was a Saturday morning staple.

John Francis Daley: That’s right. But it’s tricky when you’re trying to depict cartoon characters in an otherwise semi-grounded-looking world. And so we muted the colors a little bit.

Jonathan Goldstein: We also cast a small muscular man instead of a boy as Bobby.

I feel Dungeons & Dragons is an interesting piece of IP because you can do anything. There are no real characters, but people know what it is.

Jonathan Goldstein: It gave us a way in to making a movie that we could retain our, sort of voice in, but on a great big scale. So it’s almost, in some ways, a Trojan horse for us to do what we do elsewhere, just in a great fantasy world.

John Francis Daley: That’s not to say we’re just slapping the Dungeons & Dragons title on this movie. It is very much D&D to players of D&D, who are in the know of the unique sensibility and tone of the game.

Jonathan Goldstein: But you don’t have to know anything.

John Francis Daley: Yeah, so we’re not adapting anyone’s story, but we’re definitely adapting the rules and the magic and the bizarre locations and creatures as well as that sense of fun and whimsy that you don’t often find in the fantasy space.

So take me through this. After Game Night, was this something you wanted to do? Or were you approached?

Jonathan Goldstein: Someone came to us. I mean, we had left The Flash movie looking for our next thing. We questioned it first because there has been stuff connected to D&D that is not necessarily considered the finest onscreen adaptations. But then we read the script that Michael Gilio wrote, and we saw the potential of what it could be. He had fashioned it as a heist movie, which was really appealing to us. And we thought, all right, that’s a way into this world.

John Francis Daley: Yeah if people aren’t familiar with fantasy movies, they are at the very least familiar with heist films.

I am curious what you two were feeling after Vacation. Were you worried? I’m assuming it didn’t get the reaction you were expecting.

John Francis Daley: It certainly didn’t get the reaction we wanted [laughs]. But look, you’ll learn from each of these experiences. “You never stop failing because the moment you do you fail.” [Note: This is a quote from a big moment during Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves, that you probably haven’t seen yet.]

Right, but you made a funny movie, then didn’t get the response I’m sure you expected…

John Francis Daley: We’re incredibly proud of it. And the thing is, it taught us that you have to treat IP like that with great care.

Jonathan Goldstein: Great care.

Okay, so is that where you feel some of the negativity came from? The IP?

Jonathan Goldstein: Oh, I think people brought to the movie resentment that we had touched this franchise. And when you go back and you watch the original Vacation movies, they’re pretty raunchy.

John Francis Daley: And mean-spirited.

Jonathan Goldstein: Totally mean-spirited in a lot of ways. And that’s what they accused us of – of being raunchy and mean-spirited. And I don’t know that it was.

John Francis Daley: Not necessarily any more than the original, which we, by the way, we revere and were paying homage to in every way. But Game Night was kind of our reaction to that. We had no gross-out jokes in that movie because apparently some people don’t like those.

Jonathan Goldstein: Critics don’t.

John Francis Daley: Critics namely. And we didn’t want to get beaten up, honestly. And so we were like, all right, let’s do a hard pivot and let’s make this thing look really different from your typical comedic fair. We love both movies in different ways, but it was funny to see how the perception of Game Night was so vastly different from Vacation when we both love each of those movies in their own way.

Everything that comes out of Chris Hemsworth’s mouth is gold in Vacation. And I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention the guy with a “pet rat” on his shoulder who doesn’t know it’s there gets me every time.

John Francis Daley: I do want to go on the record though, and say that if we were to do a director’s cut of Vacation, it would probably be a little bit shorter than the theatrical cut, because we took a lot of swings and admittedly, some of them are hit-and-miss.

Don’t cut the rat.

John Francis Daley: Not the rat! But it’s kind of what you have to do with that kind of movie. And so, obviously there are parts that we…

Jonathan Goldstein: We’d do differently, but we’re proud. We’re really proud of the movie. When I watch it now, I laugh. I still laugh a lot.

John Francis Daley: Me, too.

Jonathan Goldstein: I think it’s as funny as many movies that have come out during that time that got a whole lot more acclaim.

John Francis Daley: Now it’s just sounds like we’re griping.

You’re preaching to the choir.

John Francis Daley: [Laughs] The one person.

‘Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves’ opens on March 31st. You can contact Mike Ryan directly on Twitter.

“I know someday I’m gonna meet her, it’s a fever dream… She’ll know the way and then she’ll say she got the map from me,” Taylor Swift sings on her 2021 Red (Taylor’s Version) vault track, “Nothing New,” which feels like a current manifestation, despite it seemingly being written in 2012 — when she was just 22.

Now, at 33, Swift kicked off her massive The Eras Tour last week, after months of intense anticipation and a roller-coaster ride with Ticketmaster.

She’s also setting a serious precedent with the tour by shining a spotlight on entirely women-led, non-binary, and POC musicians as opening acts on a national (and, potentially, global) stage. While this shouldn’t come as a shock in 2023, many major music festivals still struggle to bill more than a few representational artists, especially in headlining spots.

Still, Swift is pushing things forward. In recent years, she has become a mentor of sorts to artists like Gracie Abrams, Olivia Rodrigo, and Sabrina Carpenter — the first of which is opening for her in New Jersey.

“She’s as spectacular a person and friend as she is an artist, writer, director. She’s really that great,” Abrams told Billboard. “To be able to lean on her in any capacity really means a lot. The opportunity is so outrageous – it’s a funny thing to talk about, having not done it yet, because I feel like I don’t even really believe it’s real… To see her up close in that way and be able to study that is the greatest gift.”

Before announcing the opening acts, many fans had wondered who Swift would be bringing along with her, given that having a chance to open on a stadium tour for someone of her magnitude is a massive achievement.

By selecting artists like Gayle, known for her 2021 viral song, “Abcdefu,” Muna, and Girl In Red, Swift shows off her business-savvy nature once again. In recent years, TikTok’s impact on propelling new musicians to the top of the charts has been undeniable — with Gayle and others including Coi Leray and Bella Poarch being more recent examples.

This allows younger social media users to feel represented by seeing their favorite internet-influential performers as opening acts.

Gayle has recognized just how much this means as well. As she opened both in Glendale and this weekend’s shows in Las Vegas, she was overwhelmed at the opportunity. It gave those who might have doubted her abilities as a musician from her single the chance to be proven wrong — as her cover of Alanis Morissette’s “You Oughta Know” from Arizona made the rounds online.

The two reportedly met in September, when Gayle performed the song at the Nashville Songwriter Awards. “She was just like, ‘You did a great performance — I’m gonna call you,’” Gayle also told the publication. “Now I’m here, and I can’t believe it. I feel like I’m lying. I feel like this is a dream. I don’t know where I am. I don’t know what I’m doing.”

Both Gayle and the other Vegas opener, Beabadoobee, received shoutouts from Swift during her three-hour performance. Swift and her opening act picks are so close behind-the-scenes that she even shared a conversation that she had with Bea, which led to her choosing her 2006 song, “Our Song,” as one of the surprise selections.

On the other side, Swift included her longtime friends and industry veterans in Paramore and Haim to join her as well. Her relationship with the former’s lead singer, Hayley Williams, goes back to their Nashville days — as they were two young female artists in the scene at the time.

“I was like 18 at the time, and it felt kind of lonely, to be that young and to be doing things, like the Grammys and all that.,” Williams said while on stage at Glendale’s opening night, including a touching moment from Swift’s mom, Andrea. “And I met someone as I was leaving. And she said to me, ‘My daughter, she just played, she’s just getting started and she doesn’t really know anybody in the business. And I just really want her to be around people her age that are doing the same thing, and so I got her number.”

The only man on the tour is Owenn — who also has years of trust in Swift as both a boss and a friend. He served as a backup dancer on her previous tours for 1989 and Reputation, and co-starred in her “Lover” music video, before making his foray into music. Swift had also helped him sign to his first record label.

“Honestly I have no words and I can’t believe I’m announcing this… I’m so blessed and grateful for this opportunity,” he wrote on Instagram.

Some fans, before the tour announcement, had thought that Swift might bring some of her recent collaborators. This has been partially true, as Phoebe Bridgers is set to open in Jersey, while also giving space for others like Aaron Dessner and The National or Jack Antonoff to join in other cities. (During Swift’s second night in Vegas, she brought out Marcus Mumford to perform “Cowboy Like Me” together.)

This representation also carries into other aspects of Swift’s tour, not only the openers. During her headlining set, the backup dancers come from a range of backgrounds. As one fan pointed out in a thread, they also have impressive and unique resumes, with past tours including Dua Lipa, Janet Jackson, The Weeknd, Lady Gaga, and work with Disney through TikTok.

Outside of The Eras Tour, Swift’s push for self-ownership in music has served as a warning to younger artists, especially re-recording her first six albums. The previously-mentioned Rodrigo made serious waves in the industry with her 2021 debut album, Sour. It was also entirely owned by her and her alone. As a certified Swiftie from childhood, Rodrigo cited seeing Swift’s battle to own her masters (and now re-recording her first six albums) as something she looked out for when signing her contract.

As Swift approaches being in the business for two decades, she has made it clear that her success and longevity aren’t slowing down anytime soon but have only gotten stronger — purely through her willingness to mentor new artists amid a changing industry and push for artist ownership to help rising musicians in all genres.

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

There is a lot of family drama and even a little bit of hoopla in the final season of Succession, though the off-screen method acting debate rages on! If you need a quick recap: Brian Cox has been vocally critical of Jeremy Strong’s acting approach over the last few years (he “doesn’t put up with that American sh*t” as he calls it). Strong doesn’t really mind Cox’s critiques (they’re family, after all), and now Kieran Culkin has gotten in on the dramatics, as all the younger siblings tend to do when they aren’t getting enough attention.

When asked if Strong’s approach affected their working relationship, Culkin shrugged it off. “We’re professionals,” he told Esquire. “We like to go to work and do the thing. I don’t think it affected the way he did his work at all. Wouldn’t have affected mine. I think it was fine.” Strong definitely has enough award nominations to prove that it worked out in his favor. The actor insists the whole thing is blown out of proportion, and he doesn’t really walk around as Kendall in his off time (yet!).

Earlier this year, Strong said that his acting approach is just a personal preference and anyone can think however they want about it, including his on-screen siblings. “I also think Brian Cox, for example, he’s earned the right to say whatever the f**k he wants. There was no need to address that or do damage control… I feel a lot of love for my siblings and my father on the show,” he told GQ last month.

We will see how long that sibling love lasts throughout the final season of Succession, which airs Sundays at 9 pm.

(Via Variety)