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Young Thug Has Pled Guilty To Racketeering In Exchange For His Release

Young Thug BET Hip Hop Awards 2021
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Young Thug will at last be released from custody after accepting a plea deal in his racketeering case. According to Billboard, Thug agreed to plead “no contest” to racketeering and pled guilty to possession of drugs and firearms, and was sentenced to 15 years probation. He will serve no prison time; he was jailed for over two years as his trial dragged on, becoming the longest in Georgia state history.

Thug opted for a non-negotiated guilty plea after several days of closed-door negotiations with prosecutors. This allowed Judge Paige Reese Whitaker to determine the sentence herself after she found herself losing patience with the prosecutions’ antics. The trial, which didn’t even start in earnest until earlier this year, would have called nearly a hundred witnesses, and with just the first handful necessitating days of delays, stalled testimonies, secret ex parte meetings, a criminal contempt charge against the defense (since rescinded), and not just one, but two judges’ recusals, it’s probably fair to say that all parties involved were ready to get this thing over with.

The trial had already drawn heavy backlash for its application of Georgia’s state Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act and use of lyrics as evidence, which some observers criticized for racist motivations. Meanwhile, prosecutors wanted Thug sentenced to 25 years in prison, with another 20 on probation, accusing him of leading a criminal organization responsible for a wave of violent crime in the Atlanta area. The District Attorney’s office alleged that Thug’s record label, Young Stoner Life (YSL), was secretly a front for a street gang, Young Slime Life, with a list of violations including murder, attempted murder, robbery, assault, and distribution of drugs.

Several other co-defendants, including YSL rapper Yak Gotti, declined the plea deal, however; they will continue to stand trial for crimes including the alleged 2015 murder of a supposed rival gang leader, Donovan Thomas.

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‘Silo’ Season 2: Everything To Know So Far About Rebecca Ferguson’s Next Sci-Fi Challenge Underground (Nov. 2024 Update)

silo-s2-rebecca-ferguson
Apple TV+

Silo, as a book series from Hugh Howey, unfurls through three expansive novels that grow progressively more ominous as the author reveals this world’s mysterious living arrangements. The narrative is complicated, and the story’s structure could have proved unwieldy to film, and although Apple TV+’s upcoming Neuromancer will soon take on the supposedly “unfilmable” challenge under the highest expectations, I previously feared the same for Silo.

Fortunately, those fears were unfounded because Showrunner Graham Yost (Justified, Slow Horses) clearly lived and breathed Howey’s creations while painstakingly building an extreme underground world. In the first season, the show introduced Rebecca Ferguson‘s Juliette, a brilliant, autistic, and no-nonsense mechanic was more essential to keeping the silo running than any other single person. To oversimplify what followed, Juliette was exiled during the most recent season finale with a cliffhanger ending revealing that Juliette discovers the existence of many more silos. Let’s sum up what has been revealed thus far about her next moves.

Plot

To kick things off on a fun note, Apple TV+ posted a video of Ferguson acknowledging that she and the writers are very aware of those Silo fan theories. She addresses several here, including the “Common’s Leather Jacket” situation: “Dude, I don’t know, I’ve asked the same question.”

On more concrete notes, viewers will recall that the first season saw Juliette recruited as her silo’s mayor, and it wasn’t long before Bernard (Tim Robbins) and Sims (Common) put a target on her back. Bernard, of course, wanted that power, and Juliette’s curiosity and tendency to dig too deep into the silo’s mysterious history (including a murder case) didn’t help matters. Bernard had expected her to die like every other person who went outside, but to his horror, Juliette not only refused to ritualistically “clean” (the show did issue an ominous teaser with a message from the Order: “In the case of failed cleaning, prepare for war) but disappeared over the hillside. And we began to see how Bernard was losing his sh*t while Juliette began to seek new shelter.

A new trailer confirms that Bernard will, in fact, learn that silo occupants are figuring out that Juliette is still alive despite his attempts to brainwash everybody. Additionally, Yost recently told Entertainment Weekly that Juliette survived due to Martha Walker (Harriet Walter)’s contributions to the cleaning suit, and the season premiere will see Juliette pulling out the “engineering” stops “to stay alive.” Along the way, the episode will show us past efforts of those that went outside to stay alive, which will lead Juliette to “follow the trail of bodies that will lead her into a dead silo.”

Back at home, more trouble will be brewing, according to Yost:

“There’s the beginnings of a call for rebellion, because Juliette went over the hill, so maybe it’s safe outside. And yet what we saw over in the other silo is what can happen if the rebellion goes wrong and all the people died, so that’s the basic tension of the season.”

A new preview clip reveals that Juliette’s apparent survival (from an inside-the-silo POV) is causing an uprising that might drive Barnard nuts. Good.

From there, the season will split into dueling stories between Juliette’s home silo and the one where she is taking refuge.

As potentially complicated as dueling settings sound, this is actually a simpler structure than Howey’s second book, Shift, and it sounds like Yost and Apple TV+ could be splitting that book into two seasons, although that is a mere guess on my part. This would jibe with Ferguson previously telling Collider that Apple TV+ has a four-season plan for the show:

“I believe that the show has an ending, and I know when that is. So that’s the answer. You will find out when the show is done. To be honest, I don’t think it’s a secret. The books are the books. It’s three books, and the three books are divided into four seasons. So I believe, unless any Apple person is gonna jump on, I think we’re absolutely fine with saying Season 1, we’ve done. Season 2 is shot and coming out, and we’re now looking at green-lighting Seasons 3 and 4. And I think we would film them maybe together, and that would be the end.”

Before that happens, however, the below character will surface, and those are Steve Zahn’s unfriendly-looking eyes:

Apple TV+

Readers will know exactly what’s up with Solo, but to avoid spoilers, Zahn and Ferguson have simply revealed to Variety that he is a “scary and weird” dude. And I will tease that whatever you might be envisioning from Solo (as a visual), you aren’t expecting what will materialize onscreen.

Cast

Steve Zahn has indeed arrived to portray Solo, one of the best characters of the Hugh Howey book series. Rebecca Ferguson will be back in both expansive and claustrophobic confines as Juliette, and Common’s infuriating wardrobe stable will be back on Sims’ bod. Additionally, Harriet Walter returns as Martha Walker with Tim Robbins as Barnard.

Additional Silo cast members include Chinaza Uche, Avi Nash, Billy Postlethwaite, Alexandria Riley, Caitlin Zoz, Shane McRae, Rick Gomez, Remmie Milner, and Clare Perkins.

Release Date

A ten-episode season begins on Friday, November 15, 2024 with weekly drops through January 17, 2025.

Trailer

This first full second season trailer shows the drama unfolding in two silos.

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SNX: This Week’s Best Sneakers, Feat. The Air Jordan 14 Black Toe, JJJJound X ASICS GT-2160 & More

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Uproxx

Welcome to SNX DLX, your weekly roundup of the best sneakers to hit the internet. This week is Halloween, which means the glut of gimmicky Halloween-themed releases is finally behind us! Now we can get back to the sneakers that are worthy of being worn year-round.

Unfortunately, that means we’ve only got one month of the sneaker year left before the big brands shift away from new releases and start unloading their lesser backlog. That means there is a chance that the year’s best sneaker may release in the next four weeks, but… we’re not holding our breath.

But enough doomsaying, let’s dive into the best sneakers of this week!

Nike Air Flightposite Black and Metallic Gold

Nike

Price: $240

The Air Flightposite is back in its original colorway! The sneaker features a holographic iridescent design in a mix of black and metallic gold with a zip-up shroud and stretchy inner sleeve that is designed to contort with your movement.

If you’re looking for a court-ready sneaker that is oozing Y2K-era vibes, this is the sneaker for you.

The Nike Air Flightposite Black and Metallic Gold is out now for a retail price of $240. Pick up a pair via the Nike SNKRS app.

Nike
Nike

Nike Book 1 Leather Halloween

Nike

Price: $140

The Devin Booker Book 1 is getting its first Halloween-themed sneaker! Let’s hope this becomes a new yearly tradition.

This spooky take on the Book 1 features a black suede upper, Clay Orange accents, and glow-in-the-dark details for ultimate nighttime visibility. All of that alone would’ve made for a dope sneaker that works in every season, but to really drive the Halloween theme home, the sneaker features an exposed-stitched Swoosh that blends into the upper.

It’s the only outright creepy detail on the sneaker, and while we welcome to Halloween theme, we kind of think the sneaker would’ve looked better without it. Either way, overall this is a cool take on the Book 1.

The Nike Book 1 Leather Halloween is out now for a retail price of $140. Pick up a pair via the Nike SNKRS app or aftermarket sites like GOAT and Flight Club.

Nike
Nike

Nike Air Max 90 Black and Dark Russet

Nike

Price: $140

If you’re digging the iridescent design of the Flightposite but like a sneaker that’s a bit more retro and less, well, weird, than the Air Max 90 Black and Dark Russet is for you.

The Black and Dark Russet features a synthetic leather upper in a mix of red, green, copper, and pewter, riding atop the iconic Max Air cushioning with TPU accents throughout. Despite its retro look, the colorway manages to make the sneaker look slightly futuristic. Like a late ‘80s version of what the year 2000 might look like.

The Nike Air Max 90 Black and Dark Russet is set to drop on October 31st at 7:00 AM PST for a retail price of $140. Pick up a pair via the Nike SNKRS app.

Nike
Nike

New Balance Made in USA 990v6 Dark Ember

New Balance

Price: $199.99

As we’ve entered the fourth quarter of the year, New Balance has been relatively quiet, so this new dropout of the premium Made in USA line is very welcome for us hardcore NB-heads.

The 990v6 Dark Ember features an off-white mesh upper with red and black suede and synthetic overlays, reflective accents, a TPU back tab, and an ENCAP midsole. It’s nothing new or particularly radical from New Balance, but it looks great, and most times that’s all you need to get sneakerheads hyped.

The New Balance Made in USA 990v6 Dark Ember is set to drop on October 31st at 7:00 AM PST for a retail price of $199.99. Pick up a pair at New Balance.

New Balance
New Balance

JJJJound x ASICS GT-2160

JJJJound

Price: 150

This week might be light on big, high profile sneakers, but that doesn’t mean its completely devoid of a good ‘ol brand collaboration. Minimalist design house JJJJound has linked up with ASICS for the GT-2160, a sneaker that combines JJJJound’s aesthetics with design details from Asics’ 2010s’ GT-2000.

The sneaker features a mesh upper with grey overlays, reflective details — including reflective mesh — and a segmented midsole, with two different color options. In terms of which colorway we think is best, it’s kind of a toss-up. We like the stealthy quality of the black pair, but the white offers a really nice pop of contrast on the tongue and heel.

That means that no matter what colorway you end up being able to cop, you’re going to feel like a winner because the core design is so strong.

The JJJJound x ASICS GT-2160 is set to drop on October 31st for a retail price of $150. Pick up a pair exclusively at the JJJJound website.

JJJJound
JJJJound

Air Jordan 14 Black Toe

Nike

Price: $210

You can always count on Jordan to drop a great sneaker week-to-week, but this week’s Jordan 14 is a bit of a surprise. Lately, the double-digit Jordans haven’t been getting as much attention as the single-digit, so it’s great to see the 14 get love from Nike.

The Black Toe is one of the silhouette’s most iconic colorways. It features a mix of white, black, and Varsity Red premium leather with a low-profile cut, and a Jumpman logo at the collar.

The Air Jordan 14 Black Toe is set to drop on November 2nd at 7:00 AM PST for a retail price of $210. Pick up a pair via the Nike SNKRS app or aftermarket sites like GOAT and Flight Club

Nike
Nike

Nike Dunk Low Pale Ivory and Baltic Blue

Nike

Price: $125

The Dodgers have won the World Series! What better where to show your Dodger pride than with this LA-branded Dunk? Of course, Nike didn’t know LA would win when they announced this sneaker, and had they lost, this shoe would’ve served as a sad consolation prize. But now, it feels like a trophy!

The Pale Ivory and Baltic Blue features a canvas upper with leather panels, a cloudy midsole, and breezy splashes of blue. The sneaker looks like a straight-up cloud, and we love it for that. And no, I’m not just saying that because I’m from LA.

The Nike Dunk Low Pale Ivory and Baltic Blue is set to drop on November 2nd at 7:00 AM PST for a retail price of $125. Pick up a pair via the Nike SNKRS app or aftermarket sites like GOAT and Flight Club.

Nike
Nike

Disclaimer: While all of the products recommended here were chosen independently by our editorial staff, Uproxx may receive payment to direct readers to certain retail vendors who are offering these products for purchase.

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Pascal Siakam Celebrated Halloween By Dressing As Andre 3000 And Recreating The Iconic ‘Hey Ya’ Video

pascal siakam hey ya
Pascal Siakam/Instagram

The Indiana Pacers got off to a bit of a bumpy start to the 2024-25 NBA season, as the team found itself on a 3-game losing streak before knocking off the Boston Celtics in overtime on Wednesday night. It’s not ideal for a team that has aspirations of making it back to the Eastern Conference Finals, but it’s still very early in the season, and as we saw last year, when this team gets hot, they can take it to anyone.

Their best player to this point has been Pascal Siakam, who has looked like the exact sort of star forward the team envisioned when they acquired him midway through last season and especially after they handed him a lucrative contract extension this summer. And with the Pacers having an off night on Thursday before a matchup with the Pelicans in New Orleans on Friday, Siakam decided to have a little fun away from the court by dressing up for Halloween as Andre 3000 in the video for “Hey Ya!”

It is an absolutely fantastic costume, but Siakam wanted to take things a step farther. Not only did he dress up like 3 Stacks, he actually recreated a portion of the iconic music video.

Halloween isn’t necessarily a competition among NBA players or anything like that, but it is always fun to see the lengths guys will go to in order to have the most elaborate costume. I think we can safely say that, as of this point, Siakam has set the bar pretty high for the best costume in the league this year.

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Adidas Created An Incredible Halloween Ad For Anthony Edwards

adidas-ant-top
adidas

The best active sneaker campaign for an NBA player is what adidas is doing with Anthony Edwards. While they’ve taken their time developing the second edition of his signature sneaker, the AE1 has continued to be a hit and they’ve continued to support it with new colorways in both lowtops and midtops, and a tremendous ad campaign.

They’ve steered into Ant’s bravado and authentic personality with the campaign, which is largely why it’s been such a hit. Recently, they put Ant on a lie detector test and for Halloween they cooked up something special for Ant with kids telling ghost stories about “the scariest player in the game.”

It’s a refreshingly simple campaign built around one of the NBA’s best personalities and players, and having kids tell ghost stories around a camp fire about what “the Ant Man” does to opponents on the court is just a great Halloween addition. Edwards certainly doesn’t shy away from the expectations on him, and that only makes these better as he’s not afraid to proclaim himself the best in the game. Eventually, he’ll have to find the team success to back that up, but for now he’s enjoying the climb and adidas is doing an incredible job creating something authentic around their star.

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A ‘Wheel Of Fortune’ Contestant Had The ‘Worst Guess’ Since Ryan Seacrest Took Over As Host

wheel
Sony Pictures Television

Ryan Seacrest has been the host of Wheel of Fortune for less than two months, and on Wednesday’s episode of the game show, he witnessed what’s being called the “worst guess” of his brief tenure.

To set the scene, the category was “Same Name” and the board read “CAR & IN_INIT_ POOL.” Instead of solving the puzzle or asking for an “F” or “Y,” contestant Sharay guessed “B.” As noted by TV Insider, “Silence filled the studio as Vanna White crooked her head in sympathy, and Seacrest shared that there was no ‘B.’” Someone clearly isn’t familiar with the films of director Brandon Cronenberg; otherwise, she would have known it was “CAR & INFINITY POOL.” Not, uh, “CAR & INBINITY (or INFINITB) POOL”?

“Is this the worst guess in the history of #wheeloffortune?” one Wheel of Fortune viewer wrote on X. In the replies, another person added, “That was the absolute worst!! where would that even fit in at.” A separate tweet was equally bewildered at her guess. “Bruh, this lady only had the f & y missing in infinity on wheel of fortune & she asked for a b… a b where ma’am,” the Wheel fan wrote. Poor Sharay should probably just get off social media for now.

You can watch the Wheel clip here.

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Snoop Dogg Unwraps The Condom-Inspired ‘Missionary’ Cover Art And The Feature-Packed Tracklist

Snoop Dogg 2024 Olympics
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Snoop Dogg is, understandably, going all in on the sexual themes for his upcoming Dr. Dre-produced album, Missionary, a spiritual successor to his classic Doggystyle. Snoop dropped a funny teaser video yesterday (October 30), and today, he has unveiled the cover art (as seen on streaming platform album pages). Of course, it was made to look like a condom wrapper, complete with a parody Trojan logo but with the person smoking one of those funny cigarettes.

The tracklist is here, too, and the album is full of features: Credited features include 50 Cent, Eminem (those two are on the same track), Tom Petty, Jelly Roll, Dre, Sting, Jhené Aiko, BJ The Chicago Kid, and more.

Check out the cover art and tracklist below.

Snoop Dogg’s Missionary Album Cover Artwork

Death Row/Aftermath/Interscope Records

Snoop Dogg’s Missionary Tracklist

1. “Fore Play” Feat. BJ The Chicago Kid
2. “Shangri-La”
3. “Outta Da Blue” Feat. Dr. Dre And Alus
4. “Hard Knocks”
5. “Gorgeous” Feat. Jhené Aiko
6. “Last Dance With Mary Jane” Feat. Tom Petty and Jelly Roll
7. “Pressure” Feat. Dr. Dre and K.A.A.N.
8. “Another Part Of Me” Feat. Sting
9. “Skyscrapers” Feat. Method Man and Smitty
10. “Fire” Feat. Cocoa Sarai
11. “Gunz N Smoke” Feat. 50 Cent and Eminem
12. “Sticcy Situation” Feat. K.A.A.N. and Cocoa Sarai
13. “Now Or Never” Feat. Dr. Dre and BJ The Chicago Kid
14. “Gangsta Pose” Feat. Dem Jointz, Stalone, and Fat Money
15. “The Negotiator”

Missionary is out 12/13 via Death Row/Aftermath/Interscope Records. Find more information here.

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What To Watch For In The NFL, Week 9

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As we arrive at the midway point of the 2024 NFL season, and there are very different vibes in the NFC and AFC when it comes to the playoff race. In the AFC, the top teams have already separated from the pack. There are really only nine teams that qualify as “in the hunt” for the seven playoff spots, with the Bills, Chiefs, and Texans in commanding leads already in their divisions. In the NFC, it’s much more condensed with 11 teams at .500 or better and two more teams at 3-4. Only the Saints, Panthers, and Giants feel firmly out of the hunt, and no team holds more than a 1-game advantage in their division. As we shift towards the second half of the season, we’ll have to see if anyone can create separation in the NFC, while in the AFC, we might know the seven playoff teams by Christmas.

Primetime Game of the Week: Buccaneers at Chiefs (8:15 p.m. ET, Monday Night Football, ESPN)

It’s not the best primetime slate this week, but Monday Night Football will bring the game that has the most potential for fun. The Bucs have been in shootouts seemingly every week, with six of their eight games finishing with point totals of 49 or more, including last week when both Mike Evans and Chris Godwin were out. Now, they welcome in an undefeated Chiefs team that has been dragging teams into the mud each week and asking them to out-execute Patrick Mahomes and company late in games. No one’s been able to do that yet, and if there were ever a time for the Chiefs offense to breakout for a big scoring week, it’s against a Bucs team that is giving up a ton of points this season.

Sunday Funday Game of the Week: Lions at Packers (4:25 p.m. ET, FOX)

The NFC North is the best division in football by a healthy margin, and the best game of the week pits the top two teams in that division against each other. The Lions have been an absolute buzzsaw, but Jared Goff tweaked an ankle in practice and we’ll have to see if that has any impact on his movement on Sunday. The Packers, meanwhile, just keep finding ways to win games. It’s not always pretty, but here they are at 6-2 and can move into first in the division with a win over Detroit. I expect a fun one in Lambeau, where the elements might play a role, as the forecast calls for a high of 51, rain, and winds at 14 miles per hour.

Under the Radar Banger: Chargers at Browns (1:00 p.m. ET, CBS)

If you’re a fan of defense, this is the game for you this week. The Browns defense held the Ravens explosive offense to 24 last week and there’s suddenly some juice in Cleveland with Jameis Winston under center on offense. The Chargers, meanwhile, have been the stingiest defense in football this season, allowing just 13 points per game and are fully committed to playing Har-ball on offense, which is to say, running the ball and working clock. I’m not sure this will be a game that you’ll want to lock in on for all 60 minutes, but I do expect it to be tight in the fourth quarter and watching both of these offenses trying to score in crunch time should be fascinating and/or hilarious to watch.

Who Won The MVP Last Week: Jameis Winston

Deshaun Watson has never thrown for a 300 yard game as a member of the Browns and Jameis Winston stepped in and did that in his first game starting, throwing for 337 yards and three touchdowns to beat the rival Ravens (and lead the league in passing for the week). Now, it should be said that, being Jameis, he did actively try to throw multiple interceptions that the Ravens dropped (including one by Kyle Hamilton that would’ve won the game for Baltimore), but that’s all part of the experience. Having a quarterback with some life in his arm and a willingness to trust a read and throw it was all it took for the Browns offense to come back to life.

Best Bet (4-4): Saints at Panthers OVER 43.5 (1:00 p.m. ET, CBS)

We will be betting NFC South Overs until proven otherwise. We smashed it last week in Falcons-Bucs and we’re going right back to the well with Saints-Panthers. The Saints went over this number by themselves in Week 1 against Carolina, and while I know neither of these offenses have looked great of late, their defenses are both bad enough to give up points — especially the Panthers. The only teams not to score 28 on the Panthers this season are the Chargers and Raiders (who both still scored 26 and 22 respectively), and those two teams actively hate the concept of scoring points. Derek Carr is back and I know Saints fans don’t love him, but he can carve up this Panthers team and I expect New Orleans to get into the 30s and for Carolina to do enough themselves to take us home.

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The New Nintendo Music App Isn’t Spotify, For Better And Worse

nintendo spotify 1024
Nintendo/Spotify/Derrick Rossignol

A Google search of Reddit posts mentioning both Nintendo and Spotify yields over 24 million results. On at least the first couple pages, many of the posts are by people wondering why the heck Nintendo hasn’t made its music library, its decades of classic video game soundtracks, available on Spotify or other streaming platforms: They already have the music, it’d be easy money!

For years, the primary options for listening to Nintendo’s music have been either getting your hands on obscure CD soundtrack releases, hoping your desired games have a Super Mario 3D All-Stars-like jukebox feature, or checking YouTube for unofficial uploads (which Nintendo has been cracking down on in recent years).

Now, there’s a new option, and it’s direct from Nintendo: Last night (October 30), the company announced Nintendo Music, a new app for phones and smart devices that’s available right now. It’s cheap, too: It’s only available to users with a Nintendo Switch Online subscription, which might be Thwomp groan-inducing at first. But, that’s less than $2 a month if you’re on an annual plan, and anybody who would be interested in Nintendo Music likely already has NSO anyway.

Nintendo Music is what it sounds like: an app for listening to Nintendo music. At first glance, the user interface looks essentially like a direct copy of Spotify (albeit with more Yoshi). So, here’s a question: Why did Nintendo take the time to create their own Spotify, instead of just putting their music on existing streaming platforms? Instead of speculating about the thoughts of people I don’t know, here’s a better question: What are the evident appeals of each approach?

Let’s start with Nintendo just putting its years of Mario and Zelda music up on Spotify. That would have certainly been the easier, low-lift approach from Nintendo: Just click the “upload” button and wait for the pennies of royalties to start rolling in. From a user’s perspective, this would have meant one less app to juggle, and it would have been effortless to integrate the Splatoon soundtrack with their existing music library.

On top of that, having Nintendo music on Spotify would mean it’d be part of the platform’s ecosystem of intricacies. It could participate in the AI playlist feature, so users could find non-game music that’s similar in nature. Users could get game-inclusive “daylists.” Animal Crossing could dominate your Spotify Wrapped!

Now, onto the pros of Nintendo doing its own thing, and this is the time to highlight how Nintendo Music is setting itself apart from Spotify: with bespoke features that are specific to game music.

Perhaps the most notable feature is the ability to extend the length of some songs. It’s not just playing the same three-minute track on a loop, but it actually makes a longer version of the song, so it sounds like how it would if you just stayed in a game level for an extended time and just listened to the music. I know I’ve lingered on a game screen for an extra beat because I was digging the music, and this feature speaks to that part of me.

As I write this, I’m playing “Aquatic Ambiance” from Donkey Kong Country: not the default 3-minute-27-second version, but the hour-long version. A few minutes in, I forgot I was listening to it, which illustrates the value of video game music as background music. Especially in its extended form, these songs are perfect for setting a mood and keeping you in them without distraction, for essentially as long as you’d like, without moving on to a new song or the current song noticeably looping. It’s a seamless and unobtrusive experience.

(Important to note, though, is that not all songs have extended versions: I was really hoping the upbeat “Becoming Stronger” from Pokémon Scarlet and Violet did, but it sure doesn’t.)

Another unique, gamer-focused feature is spoiler prevention, which allows users to filter out music from certain games, such as ones they haven’t played yet and therefore don’t want to hear from. This and the extended songs are examples of things Nintendo couldn’t have done, or at least couldn’t have had as much control over as they’d like, had they gone the traditional streaming route.

This is also just a very Nintendo thing to do: Fans have been clamoring for news of a Switch successor, so naturally, Nintendo… released an alarm clock and then a music app. It’s another classic example of Nintendo’s signature unpredictability and whimsy.

Nintendo is keen on keeping tight control over its intellectual property. Never again would they be burned by third parties after the questionable live-action Mario movie from 1993, or the laughable Zelda CD-i games, which also first arrived in 1993. So, if Nintendo was going to officially release its music, it was inevitable that it would be via a mechanism like this. There are some drawbacks to the walled garden approach, yes, but ultimately, Nintendo Music is a perfect fit for its target audience.

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Bartees Strange Celebrates Halloween And His Album ‘Horror’ With The Creepy ‘Too Much’ Video

Bartees Strange has a new album called Horror coming in February, but he couldn’t let Halloween pass without delivering something. So, today, he shared a new single, “Too Much.” The song itself isn’t particularly creepy, but Bartees went all in on the video, as the grainy, black-and-white clip sees Bartees playing the song as he navigates a haunted house.

Bartees says of the song in a statement, “This is the sonic thesis of the album. I feel like if you like this you’ll love everything else. This record is about things that scare me. And this song is about that feeling of being overwhelmed by life. This song is about those feelings. Too much to hold, Heaven to touch.”

He also says of the album:

“In a way I think I made this record to reach out to people who may feel afraid of things in their lives too. For me it’s love, locations, cosmic bad luck, or that feeling of doom that I’ve struggled with for as long as I can remember. I think that it’s easier to navigate the horrors and strangeness of life once you realize that everyone around you feels the same. This album is just me trying to connect. I’m trying to shrink the size of the world. I’m trying to feel close — so I’m less afraid.”

Listen to “Too Much” above.

Horror is out 2/14/2025 via 4AD. Find more information here.