The coronavirus pandemic has put the mental and physical health of an already vulnerable group at far greater risk.

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Phoebe Bridgers just announced her forthcoming sophomore LP Punisher. While the singer’s upcoming solo effort is highly-anticipated by fans, Bridgers is also known for her frequent collaborations. The singer has been apart of her Conor Oberst collaborative project Better Oblivion Community Center and worked with singer/songwriters Julien Baker and Lucy Dacus for Boygenius. As Bridgers prepares herself for a new era of music, the singer reflected on her dream collaborations and said she would love to work will Billie Eilish.

In an interview with Hanuman Welch on Apple Music’s Beats 1, Bridgers detailed her upcoming album and some of her frequent collaborators. Bridgers offered some names of musicians she would like to collaborate with, namely some musicians who intimidate her. And Billie Eilish was at the top of the list.

“I guess just people I’m really scared of, like [I] would be intimidated by, which includes Nick Cave, Tom Waits, Billie Eilish,” she said. Elaborating her admiration of Eilish, Bridgers says she thinks the pop singer is motivated by her own creativity:

“You just can tell that definitely a giant record label is helping it, but she’s the boss. I think it probably wasn’t easy along the way to just be like, ‘Fuck you. This is my idea.’ And it’s so cool that she got proven right. I like that she just did what she wanted and tell that it really, really paid off. No matter what you feel about her music, I think Taylor Swift was kind of a similar thing, where it was like Taylor Swift had this giant infrastructure behind her. But if she wasn’t talented, it wouldn’t be so giant. And Billie is kind of like the coolest possible version of that, where it’s like they monetize her ideas. She just has crazy ideas.”

Elsewhere in the interview, Bridgers explained her album’s title, Punisher. According to Bridgers, a “punisher” is a person you don’t want to encounter at a party:

“I’m constantly afraid I’m doing it to people, and people definitely do it to me. [Its] where you run into someone at a party and they’re very nice. Or, like, your friend starts dating someone. And you end up cornered with your friend’s new boyfriend and they’re talking to you about whether AT&T or Verizon is better or worse. And they’re sweet, but it’s been 45 minutes… It’s not a mean person, but it’s someone who just doesn’t know they’re punishing you.”

Listen to Bridgers’ full interview on Apple Music’s Beats 1 here.

Punisher is out 6/19 via Dead Oceans.

An absolutely gigantic trade has occurred in the WNBA. In a move first reported by Howard Megdal of High Post Hoops, the New York Liberty have opted to send team legend Tina Charles to the Washington Mystics in a trade that also includes the Dallas Wings.

The Liberty eventually confirmed the full details of the trade. In exchange for Charles, New York received fourth-year guard Shatori Walker-Kimbrough and four picks from the Mystics: first-round selections in each of the next two drafts, along with second and third-round picks in 2021. The Liberty then took that 2021 first and their own 2021 second-round pick, called up the Wings, and acquired veteran guard Tayler Hill along with a pair of picks in the upcoming draft.

It is a stunning haul for the Liberty, which now possess gobs of draft picks as part of a gigantic rebuild. While it is presumed they will use the No. 1 pick to select former Oregon standout Sabrina Ionescu, they now control the first round of the draft based on the sheer number of first-round selections they possess, which could be used to load up on young talent or acquire talent some other way.

Of course, this comes at a steep price, as Charles, a Queens native, is one of the best to ever suit up for the squad. After getting selected No. 1 overall by the Connecticut Sun in the 2010 WNBA Draft, Charles joined her hometown squad in 2014, making five All-Star game appearances in six years and earned a trio of All-WNBA first-team selections. Now, Charles will get the opportunity to compete for a title as a member of the reigning champs, while we’ll get the chance to see what the Liberty do with their treasure trove of picks during Friday’s draft, which will be held virtually.

Not too many stars are keen to let fans see their burner accounts on social media, but Summer Walker has a slightly different philosophy. While she does use her @summerwalker account for official business, she makes little effort to hide her identity behind the @galactawhore account, on which she posts memes, news clips, conspiracy theories, and thirst traps with her face conspicuously visible. She also occasionally plays music, such as a soulful, acoustic cover of Drake’s ‘Summer’s Over Interlude’ from his 2016 album Views.

Of course, Drake and Summer go back a bit, since the Canadian superstar contributed a verse to the singer’s breakout hit, “Girls Need Love.” Drake also counted Walker as the inspiration behind two of his recent songs, which he wrote in the middle of the night after hearing her song “Fun Girl.” It’s only natural that she would add one of her favorite Drake songs to the growing collection of covers and she’s worked on, including Justin Beiber’s “Yummy.”

Although the singer promised that she would stop performing, then doubled down by vowing to stop making new songs of her own after 2020, it’s nice to know that fans will still be able to catch her performing in a medium she’s obviously much more comfortable with. She’s also got an appearance on the upcoming DVSN album to help hold fans over.

Watch Summer’s cover of Drake’s “Summer’s Over Interlude” above.

After a number of event cancellations, complete and controversial changes to the way they produce television, and a WrestleMania event with no fans, it was only a matter of time before WWE would be forced to make some major, serious cuts. Not even tens of millions of dollars and being deemed an “essential business” could prevent them.

On Wednesday afternoon, Vince McMahon held a conference call with WWE employees that announced furloughs and cutbacks for WWE staff, the company, and its independent contractors (i.e., you know, the wrestlers), said to be, “hard decisions that reflect the current reality.”

Per the call (with a h/t to Mike Johnson over at PWI), McMahon stated that WWE would cut back on pay for board members and executives and cut the overall number of employees, including many of the Superstars themselves. Some will be let go outright and some will go on furlough, and they’ll find out which one they are via text. WWE will also be delaying the move of their headquarters to a new building in Stamford as a cost cutting measure.

WWE released the following statement to investors:

“Given the uncertainty of the situation, the Company also identified headcount reductions and made the decision to furlough a portion of its workforce effective immediately. The decision to furlough versus permanently reduce headcount reflects the fact that the Company currently believes the furlough will be temporary in nature.”

The statement also notes that WWE, “has substantial financial resources, both available cash and debt capacity, which currently total approximately $0.5 billion, to manage the challenges ahead,” which makes the warning of major cuts across the board feel odd. Not to mention the talent who have literally put their health and lives on the line to keep WWE programming on TV amid a global pandemic, only to find out by text a week later that you’ve been furloughed.

While no releases have been announced yet, we’ll make sure to let you know who makes the cut, and who doesn’t. The Revival was cut last week ahead of the announcement. No matter what, this is set to be a major change in the landscape of professional wrestling and WWE’s order of operations going forward, and we wish everyone affected by the announcement the best.

We’re all suffering from a considerable amount of cabin fever right now. It’s spring. We should be outside, hitting up early music festivals, bar hopping, and spending time with our friends. You know, all the things we can’t do right now. Instead, we’re stuck inside, endlessly binge-watching whatever Netflix or Hulu throws at us, cycling through intermittent panic spirals, random bouts of creativity, and the inexplicable desire to bake focaccia.

Though it’s a tricky time to promote travel — both because the lockdown is continuing and because a huge swath of the nation is financially depleted — it does feel like a nice dose of escapism is in order right about now. So we tapped professional travel photographer Myles McGuinness for a little visual inspiration. Myles was all too happy to help and shared a gallery of images with us from a place he loves dearly: Tahiti (with a few from neighboring Mo’orea and Bora Bora thrown in for good measure).

Myles has seen his photos published and exhibited in National Geographic, The Smithsonian, and the California Surf Museum, among others. He’s made a name for himself by capturing the extreme and stunning beauty of natural environments in a way that seems at once personal and epic in scale. When laying out the images below, he provided captions to help immerse us in each photo plus sage travel advice for the second you’re ready to plan a trip of your own.

Let’s dive into this visual travel guide of Tahiti, curated by Myles McGuinness, and start dreaming of that day when we can hit the road again.

Where can we find the best hiking in Tahiti?

We drove up Mount Marau, which is that peak you see in the lead-off photo, the one with the purple sky and the couple walking out through the ferns. We did that at sunrise and you can hike that or you can drive up to the top. It’s kind of a sketchy drive. The road was one of the scariest I’ve ever been on — it’s a one-way road and the client’s like, “Hey, we got to get out of here before it gets dark.” And I’m like, “Why?” She’s like, “Oh, you remember that road we came up? Well, we’ve got to get back down that in the dark.”

And I’m like, “Oh my gosh.” Of course, two cars meet on the corner where there is a bend in the road and it’s only one car wide and I’m like, “I’m hopping out of the car while you guys shimmy back and forth on this one.”

But it’s a great place to see the sunset or sunrise.

We did the off-road adventures with the ATV’s on Mo’orea and that’s pretty easy to find. There’s a bunch of people that do that. On the main island of Tahiti, they have adventures that go into Papenoo Valley — which is kind of a must-see. That’s where the waterfalls are.

What are some of the must-see sites in the Papenoo Valley?

The main fall with the couple above, and the one with the guy with his arms outstretched — that’s literally right off the road leading into the valley. Supposedly there are eels in that lake, but I didn’t see any.

What’s the best way to stumble upon a secret watering hole or waterfall?

Ask a local. That seems obvious, but that was key for sure. I mean, you can see countless waterfalls in the distance from some of the main roads. But some of the better ones in Papenoo Valley you’ll need someone to take you there.

What spots would you recommend for taking in a great sunrise or sunset if you’re not down for a hike?

Anywhere on the west coast facing the setting sun. I really enjoyed Teahupo’o, which is the end of the road where the waves are, but it’s a great relaxing tranquil spot and you’re away from all the noise of the city.

What is one thing everyone should do when visiting Tahiti?

I’ve been there three times now and I really want to swim with the whales — they come through later in the summer, I think. I’m always there in the middle of the summer, so I’ve missed that. The sharks here were from Bora Bora, but you can also see these guys on Mo’orea too.

Do Tahiti’s water bungalows live up to the hype?

I mean, you’ve got to do that. They invented the water bungalow and now everyone kind of copies the Tahitians. What allows them is there’s an outer reef that protects the island, the atoll, so that surf doesn’t really come in and affect everything. It’s kind of like a lagoon between the beach and the ocean. So the bungalows are nice and calm. There’s not generally surf and crashing waves or anything like that. It’s a pretty tranquil place.

What’s your favorite thing about visiting Tahiti?

Ah, all of it. I mean, it’s like going back in time. I’ve been to Hawaii before, but it’s Hawaii 50 years ago and it’s still quiet and real and the Polynesian culture is still strong and intact and hasn’t been kind of diluted down, and they really do embrace it. It’s not a just put on for the tourists. There is this really cool, authentic culture still intact. The people there are just amazing.

It’s no secret that WWE has ties to Republican politics. Quite the opposite in fact, since the current President of the United States is in the WWE Hall of Fame. Not only are Vince McMahon and Donald Trump old friends, but Vince’s wife Linda McMahon is a former member of the Trump Administration and currently runs a SuperPAC in support of the President and his reelection bid this year. So it’s no great surprise when a Republican like Florida Governor Ron DeSantis declares WWE an essential business, allowing them to keep broadcasting live shows from that state despite the COVID-19 pandemic shutdown.

However, it’s starting to sound like there may be a more direct connection than that. Orlando-based journalist Stephanie Coueignoux pointed out on Twitter that Linda McMahon’s aforementioned SuperPAC, promised to spend 18.5 million dollars in Florida, which ought to give the economy there a significant boost. They announced the spending plan as part of a larger effort in multiple battleground states, but the amount going to Florida is more than twice as much as they’re spending in any other state.

That announcement came on April 9th, which is the same day that Governor DeSantis amended his stay-at-home order to establish that “pro sports” including WWE are essential businesses and can remain open. The very next day, WWE declared their intention to return to live TV. There is no direct evidence of a specific quid pro quo here, nor does Coueignoux claim that there is, but it’s certainly interesting timing.

Last week, social media began to fill up with something familiar yet totally warped, like looking down at a fish swimming underwater on a sunny day. It was the annual Coachella wave, which would normally be flooded with people packing up their cars, stopping at In-N-Out or in Cabazon for a date shake, boomerangs of windmills, and blurry images of Billie Eilish or Marshmello billboards shot at 80 mph. Every April, music fans turn their attention to one spot on the globe regardless of whether they can attend or not, a moment some people love to revel in as much as others adore to scoff at.

But this year, thanks to an unprecedented global pandemic, Twitter and Instagram instead swelled with memories of Coachella past, with longing disappointment of the friends that won’t be seen and the memories that won’t be created, and, probably the biggest, with collective mourning about the music that will not be witnessed. Sure, Coachella was one of the first major music festivals to completely reschedule their event in light of COVID-19, but its absence was still felt deeply over the last week, as people shared stories and photos from Coachella’s last 20 years. Coachella will surely return and life’s current pause is obviously temporary. But still, the polo field-sized hole that its postponement has left in the music world is difficult to fill.

But, Coachella tried to do just that with the release of its documentary on Friday, Coachella: 20 Years In The Desert. Offered up at the exact time that the gates would open for the festival, viewers were given a never-before-seen view at how the festival originated, evolved, and became the cultural behemoth it is today. As Goldenvoice has been filming their event for 20 years (as well as other GV events from the decades that preceded it), the footage is expectedly incredible, featuring moments like the Pixies reunion, Beychella, Jay-Z breaking through as the first hip-hop headliner, and Kanye West’s numerous unforgettable appearances, all with unparalleled access and context. It’s a great story, of how a punk promotor became the ultimate music curator, and it gives insight into why Coachella remains on the cutting edge in the music world (spoiler: it’s because the festival is always looking towards the future while maintaining reverence to its identity and past, while never getting caught trying to recreate or relive previous successes). But the lasting impression remains strongly rooted in the music.

This has been an oft-repeated criticism of Coachella in recent years, though I’ve been hearing the same knock for almost a decade, that Coachella is no longer “about the music,” but has become just a place to be seen, snap selfies, and generally disregard the music that should be the lifeblood of the event. And that’s not to say that there isn’t an element of truth behind such a critique, but that speaks more toward a general cultural shift that includes new technology and evolving societal norms. The idea that “Coachella has changed” isn’t inherently wrong, but the idea this is implicitly a bad thing might be. As the documentary explains, Coachella’s early festivals and musical focuses reflected the times and always looked forward to what was next, be it the rave and underground culture of the ’90s and aughts and into the worlds of hip-hop, pop, and international music of recent years. If Coachella was simply booking the same music for the same people for the last couple of decades, not only would it have not survived, but it would have wound up pleasing few along the way.

And where the criticism of Coachella’s changing musical focus falters is in the idea that by booking Ariana Grande or Calvin Harris to close out their event, they have somehow made their event not “about the music.” It’s a weird sort of rockist mentality, that the music that a prior generation of Coachella attendee is somehow purer or more authentic than the current one. Or, that the fans of Radiohead are somehow more invested in the music they adore than the fans of Beyonce. It’s an unfortunate side effect of aging that people tend to look at music and fans that way, that what’s next is always somehow worse than that which came before. But the beautiful thing is in how little the younger generations care about that. Coachella was never meant to be everything to everyone, but, as Beck puts in during an interview in the doc, more a sort of state of the union of what is happening in the music world. Coachella is meant to appeal to the music fans of right now, and those fans are always changing.

Coachella: 20 Years In The Desert presents the festival’s history as a through-line, where the logic of creating a festival to highlight The Rapture and Bjork is the same that in recent years has seen standout moments from Blackpink and Pharrell Williams. Once dominant genres like techno and punk haven’t been eradicated from the festival, but have been given their own standalone tents, where they can still highlight the best of worlds that have less appeal to the youthful Coachella attendees. Travis Scott is presented as the natural offspring of punk ideals, a Bigbang reunion as the 2020 version of getting Bauhaus or Jane’s Addiction to reform. The characters may change over time, but the ideals remain the same.

Make no mistake, Coachella is an experience that extends beyond music. Its food scene is unrivaled. It is stunning to look at with art installations extending to every horizon. And, yes, there is a culture of beauty and celebrity that is intrinsic to its Southern California home. And all of these are pretty much glossed over in the doc, save for a shot of Danny DeVito hugging Amy Winehouse to display how Coachella eventually grew into attracting stars to both their stages and their audience. It’s not that Coachella doesn’t recognize these pieces as crucial to the overall ethos of their event. It’s that they know that they all exist in service to the music and that the music is the tie that binds everything together.

One of my favorite moments of the film is a section that tracks Tyler The Creator from youthful Coachella attendee to main stage performer. His ascent is symbolic in a way, how the people that come out to the desert for a weekend can somehow rise not only to take the stage at the event but to create their own impact on the festival’s story. Whether it is Steve Aoki recalling how influential a Daft Punk Coachella performance was on his life or seeing the next generation of promoters in Rene Contreras taking a similar step from the punk scene of Pomona to the Coachella grounds that founder Paul Tollett did, the festival remains not just a reflection of the contemporary music scene, but a breathing entity that can push music scenes into new directions. It’s a true symbiotic relationship that few, if any, other festivals can match. As much as Coachella has grown into something its founders could never have dreamed of, there is no doubt that music remains the star around which all other things orbit. It’s enough to make October, or whenever Coachella returns, feel like it will be worth the wait. It might even better because of it.

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Doja Cat is well-known for giving her quirky sense of humor free reign on her social media channels, leading to both conflict and comedy. While a recent tweet put her squarely in the sights of Nicki Minaj’s Barbz, over on TikTok, Doja’s shenanigans are much more appreciated. Late on Monday, quarantine boredom prompted her to try to spark a new social media challenge and with Doja being Doja, it’s naturally completely off-the-wall and a wild departure from the usual attempts.

Rather than cooking up a new dance routine for a song from Hot Pink — like the fan-created dance for “Say So” that Doja put into the official music video — Doja instead came up with an arm-flailing performance to Xzibit’s 2002 Man Vs. Machine cut, “Choke Me, Spank Me (Pull My Hair)” while employing a face-distorting filter. She dubbed the “challenge” the #ChokeMeChallenge. She then re-posted the video to Instagram with the caption: “I’m sorry I know I been wilin but I wanted to make a challenge cuz I’m bored as f*ck f*ck u.”

The LA-based rapper and singer also recently used social media to make some semi-controversial statements about the ongoing coronavirus crisis, stating that she was unafraid of the virus. It’s just fortunate for her that she’s proven immune to social media’s habit of “canceling” controversial acts, but in the meantime, maybe she should stick to being a comedian.

Watch Doja Cat’s goofy “Choke Me Challenge” video above.