Category: Viral

Apple TV+‘s Silo continues to be nothing short of ambitious heading into the third season of adapting Hugh Howey’s Wool omnibus and followup books. To date, showrunner Graham Yost’s worldbuilding has been both striking and intricate, and Howey’s characters sprang to life with nobody suggesting even for a moment that a better Juliette could be found than Rebecca Ferguson.

The tech giant’s streaming service previously renewed the show for two final seasons to be filmed back to back, and the third season will be when the series takes a real pivot, as readers of Howey’s Shift novel are aware. Let’s descend into the underground on what to expect from Silo‘s third season.

Cast

Rebecca Ferguson will return as Juliette with Steve Zahn still in the cards as Solo even though the pair parted ways during the most recent season finale. Will Tim Robbins be back as Bernard? Given that he intentionally set himself on fire the last time we saw him, it’s not looking good there. The same goes for Iain Glen as Juliette’s father, Dr. Nichols, who sacrificed himself in an explosion.

However, Common’s Leather Jacket will surely return as Sims, and we can look forward to seeing more of Harriet Walter (as Martha), Avi Nash (as Lukas), Chinaza Uche (as Paul), and Alexandria Riley (as Camille).

New characters? There should be plenty, including those two mysterious additions previewed in the second season’s final moments. Ashley Zukerman will portray Daniel, a “young and hungry congressman” who will be pivotal to future and past events. And Jessica Henwick will be on hand as Helen, a “whip-smart reporter” who also appeared in the books.

Plot

Get ready because the third season will embark upon bringing parts of Hugh Howey’s Shift novel to life after the second season already adapted a healthy chunk of the voluminous novel. As viewers will recall, that source material followed Juliette traveling to Silo 17 and meeting Solo. Yet since the second season also bounced back and forth between Juliette and Solo’s exploration of Silo 17 and Juliette’s home base of Silo 18, it’s no wonder that Yost and Apple TV+ decided to split Shift (which is an admittedly discombobulating book) into the second and third seasons. There was just too much going on already, and rest assured that there will be plenty of Silo 18 in the third season after Juliette returned home (and since Ferguson remains the star of this series).

Do you want proof of that for reassurance? Apple TV+ posted an Instagram photo that shows Ferguson looking (as always) impossibly cool (and calmly rocking out) with a simple message: “That’s a wrap on Season 3.”

Who are Donald and Helen, exactly? They hail from times closer to our own, and without getting too spoilery, the duo is vital in unveiling the “how,” “why,” and “who” of the silos’ creation. Do expect some changes of scenery when the show dives into that abyss, and when the foundational secrets arrive, they will be jarring. Shift, as a book, reads as intentionally unsettling while parceling out this information, but given how Yost has been gracefully bouncing between silos and unwieldy subject matter, I have confidence that he will also keep the third season moving as smoothly as possible.

To that end, Yost told Space.com that less than a third of the season will focus on “Daniel and Helen” (although that label cloaks so many secrets, it’s not even funny) while keeping most of the action in Silo 18 once Juliette reenters the building:

“It’s about a third of the season of what we call the “Daniel and Helen” story and following them. The rest of it is that Juliette has come back with this big information about maybe there’s a way to stop them from being able to kill us. But we make following up on that incredibly difficult, because the bad guys are smart, is all I’ll say. Apple has been so incredibly supportive. It’s not a cheap or simple show to do. We’ve got the best cast and the best crew and the best writers and the best directors. To work with these people is just an absolute joy.”

Additionally, Rebecca Ferguson expressed her happiness on being able to finish telling the stories in Howey’s Shift and the third novel, Dust. Via an Apple TV+ statement:

“I have always felt passionately about telling the entire story contained within Hugh Howey’s books, so I couldn’t be happier that audiences around the world have enthusiastically embraced the show. Alongside our parters at Apple, Graham, and the entire cast and crew, I cannot wait to dive into these final two thought-provoking seasons that will beautifully conclude this dystopian tale.”

Release Date

Although no precise release date has been publicized by Apple TV+, the excellent news is that third and fourth season filming (which will conclude the series) were scheduled to run fairly close “with no hiatus” other than pre-production and the third season now wrapped. It’s possible that late 2025 could happen, but early 2026 feels equally likely.

Trailer

No trailer exists yet, but this video of Steve Zahn freaking out about Solo’s rooms is really something. Although cluttered, his space is so much cleaner than the books suggested (whew) and overall rad to behold.

Stormzy back! Big Mike’s newest release, a freestyle video called “Sorry Rach!” brings him back to his chest-beating roots, spitting a seemingly endless stream of witty boasts and brain bending double entendres over a straightforward beat. No frills, no fuss, no high-concept storytelling and world building, just good old-fashioned roadman raps in the style in which Stormzy first introduced himself to the world. Hallelujah.

The unexpected return to Stormzy’s gritty roots comes as he’s climbed to the heights of pop culture dominance; he was one of the Black dandies at this week’s Met Gala (his second time appearing on the carpet), he’s starred in commercials for the Golden Arches, and he’s been caught up in dating rumors with R&B’s hottest stars.

It has been three years since the release of Stormzy’s last album, This Is What I Mean, which featured the singles “Hide & Seek” and “Firebabe.” However, he hasn’t been totally off the music radar since then, releasing “Toxic Trait” in June 2023 and “Angel In The Marble” two months later. Still, it’s high time for a new Stormzy album, and hopefully, “Sorry Rach!” is the first signal that he’s got something new on the horizon.

You can watch Stormzy’s “Sorry Rach!” freestyle video up top.

Last month, A24 announced A24 Music, which is… we’re not sure, exactly. Could it be a record label? Or a dedicated streaming service for soundtracks and scores? There’s no details yet, and an Instagram post only says to “stay tuned.” But based on the indie studio’s track record of cinematic excellence, including a pair of Best Picture winners, it’s an exciting development.

It also gives us an excuse to reflect on the use of music in A24’s films. Below, you’ll find the best needle drops in the studio’s filmography, arranged chronologically from a pop queen in Spring Breakers to an indie favorite in I Saw The TV Glow. To reiterate: it’s existing songs only, no scores (The Brutalist, Hereditary, and The Witch will get their due another time).

Wouldst thou like to listen deliciously? Then let’s go!

Spring Breakers

Britney Spears — “Everytime”

Never trust a white guy with dreads — unless he’s praising Britney Spears. James Franco’s rapper/drug dealer Alien calls the pop star “one of the greatest singers of all time” and “an angel if there ever was one.” He then serenades ski mask-wearing college students Brit (Ashley Benson), Candy (Vanessa Hudgens), and Cotty (Rachel Korine) with a beachside cover of “Everytime” on piano, leading into the actual song itself. It’s a genuinely touching moment in an otherwise chaotic (complimentary) film.

The Bling Ring

Azealia Banks — “212”

There’s a recurring joke on BoJack Horseman where the characters sing “generic decade songs” with on-the-nose lyrics to establish when a scene is set. Director Sofia Coppola could have gone this route and made Emma Watson look into the camera to say “this is a song from the Obama administration, the administration which is currently is” during a much meme’d scene in The Bling Ring. Instead, she established that era through cultural signifiers: an early Facebook layout, using the flash while taking a selfie, and Watson popping-and-locking to “212.” No song could have established that time and that place more.

Ex Machina

Oliver Cheatham — “Get Down Saturday Night”

When was the first moment you noticed Oscar Isaac? Was it Drive? Inside Llewyn Davis? Robin Hood, when he apparently played the King of England? (Probably not that one.) For many folks, it was Ex Machina, specifically the scene where Isaac tears up the “f*cking dance floor” to “Get Down Saturday Night” with Sonoya Mizuno (who also makes a striking impression). The song is fun and funky, but it sounds evil being played in an environment as sterile as a reclusive CEO’s bunker. Another thing ruined by tech bros.

Green Room

Creedence Clearwater Revival — “Sinister Purpose”

For an intensely violent horror movie about a punk band, Green Room is often quiet. Disconcertingly so, which of course is the point: it makes the moments that interrupt the silence — often screams of pain — sound as deafening as standing directly in front of the speaker at a hardcore show. But despite the punk-heavy soundtrack, it’s a song (“Sinister Purpose”) from a meat-and-potatoes rock band (Creedence Clearwater Revival) that plays over the end credits that shatters the eardrums the most profoundly.

Moonlight

Jidenna — “Classic Man”

Moonlight is one of two A24 films to win Best Picture at the Oscars (the other appears later on this list). There’s any number of gorgeously lit scenes in the Barry Jenkins masterpiece that might have pushed it over the top, but one of the most personal is a moment shared between Chiron (played as an adult by Trevante Rhodes) and Kevin (André Holland). The two childhood friends have just reconnected after a decade apart, and there’s romantic tension between them. Chiron is apprehensive to become romantically vulnerable, so he instead lets a chopped-and-screwed version of “Classic Man” say what he can’t. He’s a classic man, an old-fashioned man, who just happens to be in love with another man.

20th Century Women

Black Flag — “Nervous Breakdown” and Talking Heads — “The Big Country”

It’s the late 1970s. In order to better understand her son Jamie, Dorothea, a single mother from an earlier generation played by Annette Benning, listens to one of his records: “Nervous Breakdown” by Black Flag. She attempts to make sense of the lyrics (“Is that interesting?”), and even awkwardly bops along to the razor-sharp song with her middle-aged tenant William (Billy Crudup). Neither of them is able to lock in, so they try a different song: “The Big Country” by Talking Heads. This one, they understand. In 20th Century Women, writer and director Mike Mills brilliantly depicts the minor differences between two bands that hail from the same punk ecosystem, albeit different coasts. As Greta Gerwig’s anti-establishment feminist accurately puts it after some Black Flag fans spray paint the family car with a slur because Jamie listens to Talking Heads, “The punk scene is very divisive.”

Lady Bird

Dave Matthews Band — “Crash Into Me”

“Guilty pleasure,” as a concept, should be retired, and the Dave Matthews Band scene in Greta Gerwig’s Lady Bird is why. It’s a perversely corny song, a take that I, someone who posted on the DMB-focused Ants Marching message board in high school, am allowed to have. But in the right context, like seeing your crush kiss another guy, it can be the emotional catharsis you need. “I f*cking love this song,” a popular snob tells Saoirse Ronan’s free-spirited Lady Bird. Gerwig’s DMB-loving stand-in replies, “I love it.” There’s nothing guilty about the pleasure she finds in “Crash Into Me” (other than maybe the “hike up your skirt a little more” line).

Under The Silver Lake

R.E.M. — “What’s The Frequency, Kenneth?”

If any A24 title was to get a Room 237-style documentary on fans analyzing (or possibly over-analyzing) the film for hidden meanings, it’s Under The Silver Lake. There’s an entire Reddit thread about the surreal noir movie’s use of “What’s The Frequency, Kenneth?”, the colossal first single from R.E.M.’s CD classic Monster. Is it meant to mimic the paranoid journey that Sam, the directionless character played by Andrew Garfield, goes on to find a missing woman? Or is the title, a reference to a question newscaster Dan Rather was asked while being mugged, a clue to his state of mind? And the Kurt Cobain connections can’t be a coincidence, right? It could be all three, or none of the above. One thing’s for sure, though: Thank you, David Robert Mitchell, for picking “What’s The Frequency, Kenneth?” over the clichéd “It’s The End Of The World As We Know It (And I Feel Fine).”

Waves

Frank Ocean — “Seigfried”

It’s no surprise that Trey Edward Shults was entrusted to direct The Weeknd’s lightly autobiographical movie Hurry Up Tomorrow. The filmmaker previously made Waves, which features a mood-setting soundtrack. There’s tracks from Animal Collective, Kendrick Lamar, SZA, Radiohead, and Alabama Shakes. There are also multiple Frank Ocean songs, including “Seigfried” during a road trip scene. The seamless pairing of sound and vision left Edward Shults in tears. “I felt like I had finally lived it emotionally,” he said.

Uncut Gems

Billy Joel — “The Stranger”

As noted in the intro, scores were ineligible for this list. But if they hadn’t been disqualified, there would be so many — too many! — to choose from: Colin Stetson’s sinful-sounding drones in Hereditary, Emile Mosseri’s lovely compositions for Minari, Oneohtrix Point Never’s nervy synths in Good Time. But the Safdie Brothers are represented here with their other A24 crime thriller, Uncut Gems, starring Adam Sandler as the most in-over-his-head character in cinema history. Billy Joel’s whistling intro in classic rock radio staple “The Stranger” has never sounded more ominous than it does when jeweler/gambling degenerate Howard Ratner stops at his mistress’ Manhattan apartment — with his wife and kids in the car, including a son who desperately needs to use the restroom. The Safides know New York, and few artists are more New York than Billy Joel.

Zola

Migos — “Hannah Montana”

Zola is so much better than “a movie based on a Twitter thread” has any right to be. A large reason for that is the perfectly cast performances from Taylour Paige and Riley Keough as strippers Zola and Stefani; Colman Domingo as Stefani’s controlling pimp X; and Nicholas Braun as Derrek, the quintessential white guy trying too hard to be Black. The first time we see the four of them together, they’re driving from Michigan to Florida, while dimwit Derrek uses his phone to record them rapping along to “Hannah Montana” by Migos. It’s the high-energy beginning of a long trip before Zola and “this bitch” fell out.

Red Rocket

NSYNC — “Bye Bye Bye”

If I had a nickel for every time a movie this century used “Bye Bye Bye” in the opening credits, I’d have two nickels. Which isn’t a lot, but it’s weird that it happened twice, right? Three years before Ryan Reynolds danced his way to one billion dollars in Deadpool & Wolverine, Red Rocket kicked off with NSYNC’s signature song. In the indelible portrait of modern America, Simon Rex plays a washed-up porn star who returns to Texas from Los Angeles after nearly two decades, back when “Bye Bye Bye” was a modern hit. The song is a signifier of his stunted adolescence and a bit of a flex on writer and director Sean Baker’s part. “It was almost like casting an A-lister in my film,” he said. After winning all those Oscars for Anora, hopefully he’ll have his pick of top-10 hits in his next film.

Everything Everywhere All At Once

Nine Days — “Absolutely (Story Of A Girl)”

Everything Everywhere All At Once is the other Best Picture winner in the A24 canon. More importantly, it’s also the only Best Picture winner in Oscars history to feature not one, not two, but three versions of the same power-pop song. Nine Days had a modest hit with “Absolutely (Story Of A Girl)” in 2000, enough to wriggle itself into the brain of EEAAO writers and directors Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert. They reached out to singer John Hampson to ask permission to use his lyrics in their script. He did them one better by recording multiple new versions of the song, which becomes an important motif in the multiverse saga.

Aftersun

Queen and David Bowie — “Under Pressure”

Charlotte Wells’ astonishing directorial debut Aftersun has a few essential scenes that involve music, and they will all make you cry. There’s Calum (played by Paul Mescal) refusing to sing “Losing My Religion” with his 11-year-old daughter Sophie (Frankie Corio) during a karaoke night. There’s Calum gently stroking Sophie’s forehead to Blur’s hymn-like “Tender.” And most of all, there’s the use of “Under Pressure.” In adult Sophie’s memory, it’s the last happy moment she shared with her father before tragedy occurs.

Beau Is Afraid

Mariah Carey — “Always Be My Baby”

“Running naked over glass before confronting a knife-wielding unhoused man and then getting hit by a truck” isn’t the worst thing that happens to Beau (Joaquin Phoenix) in Beau Is Afraid. Past the two-hour mark in Ari Aster’s misunderstood follow-up to Midsommar, he reconnects with childhood crush Elaine (Parker Posey) after learning he’s late for his mother’s funeral. They have sex — in his mom’s bed — to the middle school dance classic “Always Be My Baby,” but she dies midway through an orgasm while still on top of him. “He’s a bit older in his life when [his first sexual experience] is happening,” producer Lars Knudsen explained. “There’s nothing better than a Mariah Carey song playing while that’s happening.” And there’s nothing worse than what happens while it’s playing.

Past Lives

John Cale — “You Know More Than I Know”

You would never mistake Past Lives for The Taking Of Pelham One Two Three, but there are moments of genuine tension. After Nora (Greta Lee) excuses herself to use the bathroom, a lot is left unsaid between her husband Arthur (John Magaro) and could-have-been lost love Hae Sung (Teo Yoo) — and it’s not only because they’re not fluent in each other’s language. The initial anxious silence between the two men, soundtracked only to the hum of a New York City bar and John Cale’s pristine “You Know More Than I Know,” is snapped when they eventually connect over a shared admiration for the same woman. “[It’s] the perfect song for them because that’s what it is,” director Celine Song shared. “Part of it is the mystery that they have for each other, and they’re actually making room for that mystery for each other and in each other.” They both know they want the same thing: what’s best for Nora.

Civil War

Suicide — “Dream Baby Dream”

“Dream Baby Dream,” once memorably covered by Bruce Springsteen, plays over the final scene in Alex Garland’s alarming Civil War. During a siege on the White House, stony photojournalist Jessie (Cailee Spaeny) — having just basically caused the death of her once-mentor — is tasked with taking a picture of soldiers shooting and killing the president. She gets what she’s there for, but there’s no look of satisfaction once she gets the shot, only the woozy, drone-like clicks of “Dream Baby Dream.” Jessie has just realized the American dream (baby dream) is more of a nightmare.

I Saw The TV Glow

Yuele — “Anthems For A Seventeen Year-Old Girl”

The centerpiece of the I Saw The TV Glow soundtrack is a song that bookends the trans-coming-of-age film, a cover by Yeule of Broken Social Scene’s timeless “Anthems For A Seventeen Year-Old Girl.” It plays as young Owen (Ian Foreman) finds refuge under a gym-class parachute in a swirling mix of the bi and trans flags, and again when Owen, now an adult (Justice Smith), cuts open their chest to reveal the TV glow inside themselves. Director and writer Jane Schoenbrun wanted “Anthems For A Seventeen Year-Old Girl” because it’s “a very early version of this thing that now a lot of queer artists do, through hyperpop,” they explained, and “it has always struck me as this low-key queer anthem.” It’s never sounded more anthemic than it does in I Saw The TV Glow.

Sound Check host Jeremy Hecht already has a perfect record of guessing guest artists’ life anthems, from Big Sean to The Lox, but in this week’s episode, he has to take on the multifaceted streamer-turned-rapper DDG, which offers a unique challenge of its own.

For the newbies, here’s how it works: Jeremy plays two songs for the guest artist, who has to choose one and explain their choice. After seven rounds, Jeremy then has to guess the artist’s life anthem, the song they’d take to a desert island, which the guest wrote down earlier. Here’s the twist: our production team has also given him a decoy song, and Jeremy has to guess which is correct based on what he’s learned in the previous rounds.

For DDG, he pits 50 Cent against Lil Wayne, Drake against Big Sean, Kanye West against Future, and DDG’s fellow streamers KSI and Unotheactivist against each other. DDG also has to choose between two of his own songs, “Trickin” and “Moonwalkin In Calabasas,” and his answer may surprise you. Then, it’s time for Jeremy to make his choice between two unexpected tracks: SZA’s “Nobody Gets Me” and Keyshia Cole’s “Love.” Olivia Rodrigo’s “Traitor” even makes an appearance! Can Jeremy keep his perfect record alive?

Watch DDG take the Sound Check challenge up top to find out.

What is the future of BMF? Nobody can say for sure, but executive producer 50 Cent has perhaps been leaning into that question. The frequently beefing TV mogul recently threatened to boot Demetrius “Lil Meech” Flenory Jr. from the Starz series, and Rick Ross responded to that dust-up by calling the series “lackluster” and proclaiming that he’d like to make a BMF movie.

50 Cent also recently dropped some fighting words about Power co-creator Courtney A Kemp’s upcoming Netflix series, Nemesis, which adds more drama on top of the brand already arising within 50 Cent’s TV universe. However, BMF fans can currently take comfort in knowing that a fourth season is definitely coming on Starz. And it won’t be long before that happens.

When Will BMF Season 4 Come Out?

Sunday, June 6. So yeah, beefing or not, the show must go on.

The crime drama’s new trailer, which you can watch below, previews Lil Meech and Terry Flenory launching their music label while falling into a brotherly power struggle and expanding further into the illicit drug trade. Starz’ synopsis further teases how “the brothers must overcome insurmountable obstacles — from the growing police presence to their revenge-driven oldest rival, it’s hard to trust anyone… even each other. As the pressure and tension mount, it leads to explosive conflict and resentment between the brothers.”

This season, The Shield‘s Michael Chiklis joins the cast as a DEA agent who rapidly adds to the enemy list of Meech and Terry, and Eric Kofi-Abrefa will also return as arch nemesis Lamar Silas. They will, of course, join Demetrius Flenory, Jr. (as Meech) and Da’Vinchi (as Terry Flenory) along with Russell Hornsby, Michole Briana White, Myles Truitt, and Steve Harris.

During Usher’s Las Vegas residency and his last tour, one of the R&B vet’s signature moves was picking a lucky lady in the crowd and suggestively dipping a cherry into her open mouth.

Well, after Monday’s Met Gala, it became apparent that the tradition continued, even in a room full of well-dressed celebrities. Thanks to Getty Images, we also know which of the women in attendance Usher chose for his cherry trick: Sabrina Carpenter, who is herself no stranger to salacious onstage antics.

Carpenter, who was dressed by Louis Vuitton head designer Pharrell Williams for the gala, has had her fair share of pearl-clutching moments on tour, from her tradition of “arresting” attendees like Salma Hayek and Millie Bobby Brown for being “too hot” to her literal reenactments of the positions from her hit song “Juno.” Her risqué stagecraft has sparked complaints from concerned parents about her barely-there ensembles and suggestive choreography, but that hasn’t stopped her from doubling down on her dirty jokes.

Maybe that’s what prompted Usher to pick her from the finely-coiffed crowd to keep his own suggestive stage tradition alive. Perhaps they’ll be able to put any chemistry they’ve conjured up from the interaction to use in the studio for a coy collaboration.

Beyoncé has become a massively influential figure in R&B, pop, and beyond over the years, and that influence was felt on SZA’s album SOS, too, to the point where Beyoncé is actually owed some money over it. SZA knows this, but she says Beyoncé hasn’t actually gone as far as to demand compensation.

As People notes, in an April 28 video from influencer Zuhaila Jama (here), Jama jokes about the amount of writers credited on Beyoncé songs, joking that Beyoncé will give a songwriting credit to anybody who was even tangentially involved in creating a song. Jama also captioned the post, “She makes sure everyone and their mum is credited just for people to turn around and discredit her #beyonce.”

SZA took to the comments section to write, “I literally owe her half my publishing off interpolation alone on SOS and she never pressed me lmao a generous QUEEN [crying emoji].”

Towards the end of the SOS title track, SZA sings, “And I cried and cried / Said what’s on my mind.” This interpolates Beyoncé’s “Listen” from the movie Dreamgirls, the part that goes, “And I’ve tried and tried / To say what’s on my mind.” SZA’s track doesn’t credit Beyoncé or any of the credited writers of “Listen.”

Miley Cyrus and Spotify hosted an event last night (May 6) to preview and promote her upcoming album, Something Beautiful. It’s a project Cyrus is proud of, saying at the event that it’s both her greatest and LGBTQIA+-forward so far. She said (as Pop Crave notes), “It’s not only my best album, but my gayest.”

She also discussed her house burning down in 2023, saying (here’s a video), “When my house burned down, a lot of my relationships also burned down. What I would tell my younger self is to appreciate those darker times because they’re only leading you to the light.”

In an interview from November 2024, Cyrus described the project as “hypnotizing and glamorous” and said of it, “It’s a concept album that’s an attempt to medicate somewhat of a sick culture through music. […] It was inspired by Pink Floyd’s The Wall. […] My idea was making The Wall, but with a better wardrobe and more glamorous and filled with pop culture.”

Meanwhile, it was recently reported that Cyrus features on Lil Wayne’s upcoming album Tha Carter VI, as do Andrea Bocelli, Machine Gun Kelly, Elephant Man, Wyclef Jean, Wheezy, Kameron Carter (Wayne’s son), U2 singer Bono, and maybe Kanye West.

Something Beautiful is out 5/30 via Columbia Records. Find more information here.

To paraphrase a quote often attributed to Benjamin Franklin, in this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death, taxes, and Shakira‘s hips not lying. To celebrate the 20th anniversary of her signature song, the singer dropped by The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon with Wyclef Jean to move her body in a way that makes a man wanna speak Spanish.

“Hips Don’t Lie” was released as the lead single from Shakira’s 2005 album Oral Fixation, Vol. 2. It reached the top of the US Billboard Hot 100, and eventually became one of the highest-selling singles of all time.

“The reason why I named that song that is because, when I’m in the studio, I know when a song is ready and it can be taken out of the oven, and it’s exactly when my hips start moving,” Shakira once told Women’s Health about the song’s origin. “When my body reacts physically to a song, I know, if it’s a dance song, that song is done. So I used to say to my musicians, ‘my hips don’t lie! Are they moving? They’re not moving! So this is not ready.’ And that’s how I came up with it, the idea of the song.”

You can watch Shakira perform “Hips Don’t Lie” on The Tonight Show above.

Samia kept busy following the release of her 2023 album Honey: She toured with Boygenius and Bleachers, and last month, she released another new album, Bloodless.

The album is quite the statement, as it sees Samia dive deep into unsolved mysteries as she performs everything from stripped-down folk to more lush indie-pop. It’s an adventurous project, both thematically and aesthetically.

Following the album’s release, Samia sat down with Uproxx to talk about Fiona Apple, the best sandwich of all time, space, and more in our latest Q&A.

What are four words you would use to describe your music?

Rumpelstiltskin, angry then sorry.

It’s 2050 and the world hasn’t ended and people are still listening to your music. How would you like it to be remembered?

I hope it’s soundtracking memories. I hope the words resonate profoundly with a few people and it makes them remember how it felt to live through some indelible moments.

Who’s the person who has most inspired your work, and why?

Fiona Apple, probably. I think her lyricism exemplifies the perfect combination of craftsmanship and honesty.

Where did you eat the best meal of your life and what was it?

Primanti Bros in Pittsburgh has the best sandwich of all time.

Tell us about the best concert you’ve ever attended.

I’m obsessed with Heaven Is A Junkyard by Youth Lagoon — I listened to it every day of 2023 on my bike — so I used all my miles to fly to New York to see it live, and it was one of the best experiences of my life. I’m pretty shy and not one to talk to strangers, but I made two friends at that show through being fans of his and got to talk to so many people there about that album. The band was perfect and his voice is nuts live — it was one of those rare, perfectly fulfilling experiences that exceeded all expectations.

What song never fails to make you emotional?

“Wicked Little Town” reprise from Hedwig (the movie version).

What’s the last thing you Googled?

Aimee Lou Wood.

Where’s the weirdest place you’ve ever crashed while on tour?

We stayed at a terrifying hotel in Louisiana once — there was blood all over my bed and the walls.

What’s your favorite city in the world to perform and what’s the city you hope to perform in for the first time?

New York is great because it’s home — I’d love to play in Mexico City or Berlin.

What’s one of your hidden talents?

I can do a baby freeze.

If you had a million dollars to donate to charity, what cause would you support and why?

Right now I’d give it to RAINN or the Anti-Recidivism Coalition.

You are throwing a music festival. Give us the dream lineup of 5 artists that will perform with you and the location it would be held.

OK, it’s in Portland, Maine and the lineup is Dan Reeder, The Happy Children, Brittany Howard, Bjork, and Fiona Apple.

Who’s your favorite person to follow on social media?

My friend Esther, @polyesther71.

What’s the story behind your first or favorite tattoo?

I have habibi in my Sittoo’s handwriting in Arabic on my hip.

What is your pre-show ritual?

I do the Wim Hof YouTube breathing exercises and warm up for 30-45 minutes.

Who was your first celebrity crush?

Kate Winslet.

What is your biggest fear?

Space.

Bloodless is out now via Grand Jury Music. Find more information here.