Category: Trending

Bryson Tiller has been lingering. Since the October 2020 arrival of Anniversary, Tiller’s most recent studio album, fans have gotten pieces of him — alongside Diddy on “Gotta Move On” or with fellow Louisville rapper Jack Harlow on stage last year — but Tiller is ready to return in full force.

In September 2022, Tiller breached a return to his solo limelight by dropping “Outside.” He’s diving headfirst today, March 20, with the announcement of his headlining Back And I’m Better Tour with special guest DJ Nitrane.

“It’s simple, we back!” Tiller wrote on Instagram. “Taking a trip to the past and giving y’all a glimpse of the future. 5 whole years without touring. Time really does fly… See y’all soon!”

Per press release, Tiller’s Back And I’m Better Tour will mark his first US tour in six years and hit “intimate theaters” across 25 US cities. The first batch of tickets will be available via the Live Nation presale on Wednesday, March 22. The general public sale is scheduled to begin Friday, March 24, at 10 a.m. local time.

All ticket information can be found here.

Tiller’s warm-up will come on April 11 as a special guest for Nav’s Never Sleep Tour stop at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto.

Below, see the official Back And I’m Better Tour poster and all of the dates.

05/04 — San Diego, CA @ House Of Blues San Diego
05/06 — Las Vegas, NV @ Lovers & Friends Festival
05/08 — Denver, CO @ Fillmore Auditorium
05/10 — St. Louis, MO @ The Pageant
05/11 — Milwaukee, WI @ The Rave
05/13 — Chicago, IL @ Radius Chicago
05/15 — Detroit, MI @ The Fillmore Detroit
05/17 — Boston, MA @ Citizens House of Blues Boston
05/18 — Montclair, NJ @ The Wellmont Theater
05/20 — New York, NY @ Manhattan Center Hammerstein Ballroom
05/21 — Philadelphia, PA @ The Fillmore Philadelphia
05/23 — Washington, DC @ The Fillmore Silver Spring
05/25 — Charlotte, NC @ The Fillmore Charlotte
05/26 — Atlanta, GA @ Coca Cola Roxy
05/28 — Miami, FL @ Oasis Wynwood
05/29 — Orlando, FL @ House of Blues Orlando
05/31 — New Orleans, LA @ The Fillmore New Orleans
06/01 — Austin, TX @ Stubb’s Waller Creek Amphitheater
06/02 — Houston, TX @ House of Blues Houston
06/04 — Dallas, TX @ House of Blues Dallas
06/06 — Phoenix, AZ @ The Van Buren
06/07 — Las Vegas, NV @ Brooklyn Bowl Las Vegas
06/08 — Los Angeles, CA @ The Wiltern
06/10 — San Francisco, CA @ The Masonic
06/12 — Seattle, WA @ Showbox at The Market

Even though being a Dunkin’ Donuts ambassador seems like a full-time job, you might be surprised to know that Jennifer Lopez’ new husband, Ben Affleck, likes to dabble in movies. Affleck and Mat Damon’s production company Artists Equity is already hyping up its next project, and it seems like they have enlisted Mrs. Affleck for a starring role.

The untitled project will tell the inspirational story of real-life wrestler Anthony Robles, who was born with one leg and went on to win the National Championship. This is the second movie from Artists Equity, with the first being the Nike sports drama, Air. Moonlight’s Jharrell Jerome is expected to play Roble, while Lopez will appear in an undisclosed role, according to Deadline.

Damon and Affleck sat down with CBS Sunday Morning to discuss their company and confirmed that Lopez would star in the movie. Despite seeming grumpy at times, Affleck is ecstatic to bring his wife on board the project. “What fun, what a joy to do something with her, see her be great, go to work with your wife, go to work with your best friend,” Affleck told CBS. “If you don’t like who you’re working with, and if you have difficulty or trouble at work, I think it’s one of the things that can really cause depression, anxiety and pain for people.”

Of course, casting your wife in a movie seems like a bit of marital nepotism, but Affleck knows what he’s doing. “We always hire the very best performers,” the actor/producer said. “And in this case, I can say every single person that’s been cast so far I think is the very absolute best choice.”

Lopez most recently starred in Shotgun Wedding, but she and Affleck have a long history of working together, so this should be a very fun project. As long as she is gifted with a glazed donut while on set every morning.

(Via People)

Radiohead’s most recent album is 2016’s A Moon Shaped Pool. Couple that with how active Thom Yorke and Jonny Greenwood’s band The Smile has been lately (it was just announced today that they’re playing Pitchfork Fest this summer), and Radiohead’s future feels really up in the air at the moment. Now, though, one of the band members had offered hope.

In a recent interview (as NME notes), drummer Philip Selway said:

We’re always talking about stuff. But in terms of an actual kind of collective project, beyond the Kid A and Amnesiac stuff that we’ve been doing [2021’s Kid AMnesia reissue project and interactive exhibition], it’s kind of further down the line for us when that will happen. We’re talking about that, but at the moment everybody’s doing their own thing.

When the pandemic happened, we’d always planned to take a veer off from Radiohead around that, so we could get on with other stuff. But that just meant that those other projects kind of grew, so we’re allowing time for all of those projects to go where they need to. But yeah, we’ll get together soon and in the next couple of years there will be something there, of some sort.”

Check out Uproxx’s recent interview with Selway here.

The two rappers are renowned for their collaborations but tracks featuring both Lil Uzi Vert and Playboi Carti are few and far between. Most of their official collaborations took place shortly after both began garnering attention in earnest in 2016, with tracks like “Lookin,” “Wokeuplikethis,” and “Shoota” showing off their rambunctious chemistry, and a string of leaks online fueling fans’ hunger for more.

But they haven’t released that much music together over the years, especially after seemingly falling out after they failed to drop their highly anticipated rumored joint mixtape 16*29 and canceled the adjoining tour. That might change in the near future, though, as Uzi appeared to tease a new collaboration between the two rappers on Instagram. Posting a grainy closeup of what looks like a Renaissance painting, he tagged Carti and wrote, “Me and my luv about 2 take over the world.” Complex got a screenshot:

Fans worried that the two rappers might have some sort of disagreement after they spent much of 2020 trolling each other over their respective projects. However, in 2021, Carti brought out Uzi during his set at Rolling Loud in New York, proving that all is well and their trolling was likely all in good fun. With this announcement, fans have reason to be excited — although they’ll probably be a bit more skeptical now too, considering how many times these two have teased new projects that never materialized.

Lil Uzi Vert is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

Adam Sandler received the prestigious Mark Twain Prize for American Humor on Sunday night, but before the Saturday Night Live alum turned movie star could accept the award, he was dutifully roasted by some of the biggest names in comedy. On hand to roast Sandler were his longtime friends and collaborators Judd Apatow, Jennifer Aniston, Drew Barrymore, Ben Stiller, Steve Buscemi, Dana Carvey, Chris Rock, and Conan O’Brien. (David Spade was reportedly briefly in attendance.)

O’Brien, who was already a writer at SNL when Sandler was hired in 1990, kicked off the proceedings by taking a crack at the comedy star for always working with the same people. Via The Hollywood Reporter:

How nice it was that so many people had made the trip to D.C. to honor Sandler, but “have you asked yourself why so many of Adam’s friends were available? Because if Adam isn’t working, they aren’t working.” O’Brien established his credibility, however, by pointing out that Sandler has never put him in any of his movies, and so he “doesn’t owe him a damn thing.” Rather, O’Brien said he was thrilled to help honor Sandler for the “first award he’s ever received where he hasn’t been slimed.”

Naturally, Rock tore up the stage by working in two shots at the infamous Oscars slap, one of which involved a very bold hat tip to Paul Pelosi, who was in the crowd.

“Paul Pelosi is the only guy here who knows just how I feel — it’s just me and you, Paul!” Rock joked before turning things back to Sandler. “Nobody works as hard as the Sandman! Those folks at the Oscars, man… they’re f*cking a**holes.”

This isn’t the only very prestigious comedy award Sandler has received this month. From an extremely rare sit-down interview he did last week with The Washington Post:

On a recent Friday afternoon, the bearded Sandler enters the room with a slight limp courtesy of hip replacement surgery he had in the fall. A few days earlier, he was in Boston, helping Sadie look at colleges. The next day he’ll go to the Nickelodeon Kids’ Choice Awards with his daughters who will watch him receive the King of Comedy Award and submit to the inevitable sliming. (Sandler is the first person to receive the top comedy honors from Nickelodeon and the Kennedy Center, let alone receive them in the same month.)

Congrats to The Sandman.

(Via The Hollywood Reporter)

Pitchfork Music Festival wasn’t dampened by three days of rain in Chicago’s Union Park last July. “People don’t come to Pitchfork for Instagram-able moments or to sport glittery festival outfits,” Uproxx’s review surmised. “They come to lose themselves in muddy mosh pits set to the tune of left-of-the-dial artists they won’t hear on mainstream radio.”

This morning, March 20, the 2023 Pitchfork Music Festival lineup was announced, and it’s full of acts primed to provide the same respite at Union Park in Chicago.

The headliners are The Smile, Big Thief, and Bon Iver — in that order. The Smile will handle headlining duties on Friday, July 21, followed by Big Thief on Saturday, July 22, and Bon Iver on Sunday, July 23. Per press release, Pitchfork Music Festival will serve as The Smile’s US festival debut.

Friday’s lineup also includes Alvvays, Perfume Genius, Leikeli47, Nation Of Language, Roc Marciano & The Alchemist, Youth Lagoon, Ric Wilson, Grace Ives, Jlin, Axel Boman, Mavi, Sen Morimoto, and Contour.

In addition to Big Thief, Saturday’s performances will come from Weyes Blood, King Krule, Snail Mail, Panda Bear & Sonic Boom, Julia Jacklin, Charlotte Adigéry & Bolis Pupul, Vagabon, MJ Lenderman, Yaya Bey, Black Belt Eagle Scout, 700 Bliss, Palm, and Deeper.

Bon Iver’s punctuation on Sunday will be supplemented by Kelela, Koffee, Killer Mike, Jpegmafia, Hurray For The Riff Raff, Mdou Moctor, Illuminati Hotties, Jockstrap, Soul Glo, Florist, Lucrecia Dalt, Rachika Nayar, and Ariel Zetina.

“We’re excited to be back at Union Park with a lineup of artists responsible for some of the very best music of the past year — Alvvays, Kelela, Yaya Bey, Charlotte Adigéry & Bolis Pupil, Grace Ives, 700 Bliss, and more — alongside a few special moments with indie icons,” Pitchfork editor-in-chief Puja Patel said in a statement. “For one, this year will mark the very first time that Thom Yorke and Jonny Greenwood (as The Smile) and Bon Iver will perform at the Chicago festival. And Big Thief will complete their tour of the fest’s stages over the years with a headlining set, their first at a festival this size.”

Tickets are available now, and you can find all ticket information here.

See the official 2023 Pitchfork Music Festival lineup poster below.

Amanda Bynes was scheduled to make her first public appearance since the end of her conservatorship at a 1990s-themed convention this weekend, alongside former All That co-stars Kenan Thompson, Kel Mitchell, and Lori Beth Denberg. But according to Page Six, the actress had to cancel due to an undisclosed illness.

Mitchell asked the ’90s Con crowd to “send a prayer” to Bynes for her to “feel better.” He also told ET Online that he’s been “praying” for her. “It’s awesome to see she’s doing better,” he said. “We’re just continuing to pray for her on her journey, and it’s answered prayers that she’s doing a lot better.”

She announced her hiatus from acting in 2010 when rumors of substance abuse surfaced. Following a very public breakdown, she was put under a conservatorship in August 2013. The What I Like About You alum then enrolled at the Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising in 2014 and graduated in 2019. Her conservatorship then concluded last year and she entered cosmetology school to become a licensed manicurist.

Also at ’90s Con, Kenan and Kel announced that they’re making a sequel to Good Burger, which is to All That as Wayne’s World is to SNL (if, uh, there was more than one All That movie).

(Via Page Six and Entertainment Tonight)

We’re on day 105 since Chat GPT arrived and things will never be the same. From initiating new spikes in plagiarism to writing an episode of South Park to sending millions into both panic & utopian fervor, there’s a whole list of reasons every investor is scrambling with y2K-era chaotic energy to get in on the AI craze. And it doesn’t seem like the hype is slowing any time soon.

On March 14th, OpenAI unveiled their new creation, GPT-4. Its improvements are, for a lack of better words, impressive. Here’s what you should know about the latest update:

IT’S EVEN SMARTER:

ChatGPT just underwent an intense 80s-themed training montage where it hit the books hard. For one, GPT-4 has absorbed the souls of Dr. Seuss, Shakespeare, and Steinbeck, to upgrade its creativity.

While GPT-3.5 was undoubtedly witty, logical problems tended to send it into confusion. No longer. The child’s grown into a monster.

Oh, and if you thought Chat GPT was smart before, it’s raised its scores in all academic fields. Notably, where it once scored in the bottom 10% of those to take the Bar Exam, now it’s in the top 90%. Cue the intro to “Push It to the Limit.”

IT CAN ANALYZE IMAGES:

Another revolutionary addition to the GPT technology is its ability to interpret images along with text. Open AI stated, “GPT-4 is a large multimodal model (accepting image and text inputs, emitting text outputs) that, while less capable than humans in many real-world scenarios, exhibits human-level performance on various professional and academic benchmarks.”

Basically, the supercomputer now has eyes. Soon, we might all be able to ask GPT “how do I look?” and after five seconds of careful calculation, it will generate the perfect answer.

IT CAN GET DEEPER INTO CHARACTER:

Next is an improvement to what OpenAI deems “Steerability.” This is essentially the ability to set its tone, worldview, or limitations to customize the experience. Essentially, you can now assign Chat GPT an anchor of sorts (by describing those directions in the “system” message). It’s kind of like the the tokens in the movie Inception that keep dream intruders in touch with what’s real, or like that episode of SpongeBob where he’s instructed to only focus on “Fine dining and breathing.”

And yet… IT’S STILL NOT PERFECT:

There are a few reasons GPT-4 is still flawed.

1. “Alignment” the idea that AI’s intentions will align with humanity’s best interests is still yet to be fully understood. OpenAI stated, “Unaligned AI could pose substantial risks to humanity,” saying, “There is currently no known indefinitely scalable solution to the alignment problem. As AI progress continues, we expect to encounter a number of new alignment problems that we don’t observe yet in current systems.” Basically, as smart as GPT-4 is, it’s still not able to analyze its most existential flaw, potentially escaping the grasp of humanity.
2. While significantly more accurate (40% more likely), GPT-4 can still be prone to “hallucinations” or giving false information or buggy code. For this reason, it’s not advised to use GPT technology for high-stakes situations without human intervention.
3. GPT operates with limitations, however, it’s still possible to “jailbreak” these boundaries, such as violent and inappropriate remarks. It’s in these moments of jailbreaking that we can see GPT’s potential threat.

IT AIN’T FREE:

Sadly, AI is so in demand, they’ve opted to put GPT-4 behind a paywall. However, for only $20 a month, you get access to ChatGPT Plus, the world’s greatest, most up-to-date super assistant with lots of perks including the new update.

As for image analysis, this function isn’t even accessible to ChatGPT Plus users. There’s a waiting list, but if you’re lucky, conduct research, or perhaps run a large business, you can jump to the front.

Only 105 days out from launch, OpenAI is proving it has no plans to take its foot off the gas. Stay tuned for updates. There will be more.

If anyone thought Vladimir Putin would think differently about his alleged war crimes after being the subject of an arrest warrant, they thought wrong. Russia responded with a toilet paper joke when (as reported by NPR) the International Criminal Court issued the warrant “for the war crime of unlawful deportation of population (children) and that of unlawful transfer of population (children) from occupied areas of Ukraine to the Russian Federation.”

Instead of fretting over a warrant, Putin has been spending time attempting to persuade Russian billionaires into pouring their money into the economy, which is flagging due to sanctions and companies pulling their business from Russia due to the war. And Putin’s also the focus of scrutiny regarding dozens of critics and ex-associates suffering mysterious “suicides” like wandering out of skyscraper windows. So, hearing the Kremlin’s official “meh”-like response to the arrest warrant seems to be on brand:

“The very question itself is outrageous and unacceptable,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said. “Russia, like a number of other states, does not recognize the jurisdiction of this court, and therefore any of its decisions are insignificant for the Russian Federation from a legal viewpoint.”

In other words, Putin isn’t sweating the warrant. In fact, he spent part of the subsequent days in Ukraine to visit Mariupol, where Russian troops have found rare success amid a largely disastrous invasion that has led to Ukraine taking back most initially claimed territory from Russia.

In Ukraine, Putin was not welcome by all, as one can imagine. That includes (according to the BBC), Mariupol’s exiled mayor, Vadym Boychenko, who declared Putin to be a “criminal” who decided to “return to the scene of the crime.” Boychenko further declared, “He’s come to see what he will be punished for.” And the International Criminal Court agrees.

(Via NPR & BBC)

Rolling Stone reports The Weeknd has settled a copyright infringement lawsuit filed against him over his 2018 single “Call On Out My Name.” The lawsuit was filed in September 2021 by the electro duo Epikker, who claimed that “Call Out My Name” was significantly similar to their unreleased song “Vibeking.”

According to Billboard, Epikker — which consists of Suniel Fox and Henry Strange — claimed to have evidence that The Weeknd (Abel Tesfaye) had heard the song. Email correspondence between Epikker and Tesfaye’s “playback engineer” appeared to confirm that he’d “listened to and liked” the original song.

In a statement filed with the Los Angeles court on Friday, the plaintiffs’ attorneys wrote, “The parties have reached a settlement in principle of this action. Because the parties are still in the process of formalizing, executing, and consummating that settlement, Plaintiff respectfully requests that the Court take all dates off calendar and set a date in 30 days for the parties to file a joint status report if the case has not already been dismissed.”

This isn’t the first time The Weeknd was sued by other songwriters for allegedly copying their work. In 2019, he was sued over his Starboy track “A Lonely Night” while in 2020, the band Yeasayer sued both The Weeknd and Kendrick Lamar over their Black Panther song “Pray For Me.” However, that suit was dropped a month later. The Weeknd is currently one of the celebrities named in a class-action suit over the promotion of NFTs.