Shakira can (famously) make a man wanna speak Spanish. She can also sell a lot of tickets, too many for the venues she was scheduled to play in during the North American dates of her Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran World Tour. So, the “Soltera” singer is “elevating” from arenas to stadiums in 2025.
“To my dear fans, your incredible support since my tour announcement has truly been extraordinary, and it’s already making this the biggest tour of my career,” Shakira wrote in an Instagram Story. “As Live Nation communicated earlier, the demand for tickets and more shows has reached the point that our tour now requires stadiums in the USA and more dates so I can see as many of you as possible. “The production of my show is also now so much larger and unlike anything I’ve done before. As a result, we’re elevating my North America run from arenas to stadiums and the dates will be shifted to May 2025, right after my Latin American tour.”
She continued, “I know many of you made big efforts to be a part of these shows. Thank you so much for supporting me through this. Your understanding and love means the world to me and helps me to continue breaking barriers. I’ll be waiting for all of you with great anticipation. I promise to make it worth the wait and deliver the best show of my life!
The new dates and cities will be announced on Monday, October 21.
Rising New York rapper Fergie Baby wears Harlem on his sleeve, as his recently released EP Harlem River Drive: North reveals. Additionally, also wears the New York borough’s music history on that same sleeve. It’s an undeniable element that comes alive through the project’s six songs. Whether it’s the introspection and storytelling of “Friday Night” or the smooth romancing of “What You Need” boastful raps of “Harlem Rievr Drive,” it’s hard to miss the pride Fergie Baby holds for his hometown.
Harlem River Drive: North is another big moment for Fergie Baby in what’s been a growing collection of them over the last year. The rapper went viral for his On The Radar freestyle “Trueys, BBs, and Canes” while other records like “Suburbans” only boosted his prominence. “The only word to describe my emotions is blessed,” Fergie Baby said in response to the praise he received for “Trueys, BBs, and Canes.” “I’m blessed by my team and everyone who was involved to make this possible.” These are just the arly days for Fergie Baby, and the sky is the limit for the Harlem rapper.
A few weeks removed from the release of Harlem River Drive: North, Fergie Baby gets the spotlight as this week’s Uproxx Music 20 artist. Scroll down to read our interview with the Harlem rapper and to learn more about his inspiration, aspirations, and influences.
My earliest memory of music was being at home with family. Music was always around. From the age of 4, I was a mega Michael Jackson fan. I used to have made-up concerts where my mom and grandma used to be the audience and I’ll come to perform for them as if I were Michael Jackson. I would change clothes every time the song changed. My mother made me a custom glove with rhinestones and a hat. I was raised in 3 households, one with my mother and grandmother, one with my father, and one with my grandfather. My mother used to play music like Dru Hill, New Edition, Big Daddy Kane, & Donell Jones. My Grandma used to be in the living room playing Al Green, The Temptations, Whitney Houston, and Teddy Pendergrass. When I went to my father’s house, he played Nas, Scarface, 50 Cent, and Jay-Z. At my grandfather’s house, he played just James Brown.
Who or what inspired you to take music seriously?
The people around me inspired me to take music seriously. I used to see music as a hobby because my friends did it as a passion. If not for them pushing me to do my first studio session, I wouldn’t be an artist today. They saw the talent in me before I did.
Do you know how to play an instrument? If so, which one? If not, which instrument do you want to learn how to play?
I do not play any instrument. I would love to learn the piano and violin.
What was your first job?
My first job was at McDonald’s. The worst job in America haha.
What is your most prized possession?
My most prized possession is God, my mother, my family, and my friends. As cliché as it sounds, it’s true. Without them, I wouldn’t be here at all!
What is your biggest fear?
My biggest fear is doing all this for no reason and not getting anywhere.
You get 24 hours to yourself to do anything you want, with unlimited resources: What are you doing? And spare no details!
If I had 24 hours to do whatever with unlimited resources, I would take my mom wherever she wanted to go and pay her and my bills first and foremost.
What are your three most used emojis?
, , and .
What’s a feature you need to secure before you die?
Kendrick Lamar & Busta Rhymes.
If you could appear in a future season of a current TV show, which one would it be and why?
If I could appear in a future season of a current TV show, it would be Power or Top Boy.
Which celebrity do you admire or respect for their personality and why?
Teyana Taylor. She’s from Harlem, and she is a goddess in her own right. So many people slept on her and disregarded her craft because she is a woman. She overcame all the hate and it’s similar to what I went through so far in my music career. She does literally everything down to being a songwriter, a musician, a choreographer, a director, a scriptwriter, an actress, a stylist, a designer, etc. She is just a free human being, who has great energy, and determination, and most of all she is unapologetically herself. I see a lot of myself in here.
Share your opinion on something no one could ever change your mind about.
An opinion I have that someone can never change my mind about is being me. No one can ever convince, manipulate, or try to change me from being me. I got myself here by staying true to myself. I also encourage others to follow their true selves. This music industry has a way of changing people for an image and clout.
What is the best song you’ve ever heard in your life and what do you love about it?
The best song I ever heard in my life is Michael Jackson’s “Rock with You.” As soon as the beat comes on, you feel it. Before he even sings, the beat attracts you. Down to the song composition, the aura, and its Michael at that, I can say confidently that’s the best song ever.
What’s your favorite city in the world to perform, and what’s a city you’re excited to perform in for the first time?
My favorite city in the world to perform right now is obviously my town (Harlem). As a runner-up, I’ll say LA. When I performed for the first time in LA, the audience and vibe were at an all-time high for me. One place I’m excited to perform in is Japan.
You are throwing a music festival. Give us the dream lineup of 5 artists that will perform with you and the location where it would be held.
My dream lineup for a music festival would be Playboi Carti, Travis Scott, Michael Jackson, DMX & Busta Rhymes. I would have it in Paris or Egypt.
What would you be doing now if it weren’t for music?
I honestly don’t know what I would be doing if it wasn’t for music to be honest. If I wasn’t an artist, I would be an A&R or a manager. I just love music so much.
If you could see five years into the future or go five years into the past, which one would you pick and why?
Five years into the future. Just to know how all this turned out.
What’s one piece of advice you’d go back in time to give to your 18-year-old self?
One piece of advice I would go back in time to tell my 18-year-old self is to not give up and remain yourself at all times.
It’s 2050. The world hasn’t ended, and people are still listening to your music. How would you like it to be remembered?
I would like to be remembered as an icon and mogul. Not only for this music but known in the fashion world and for giving back to the community.
Harlem River Drive: North is out now via Groove Gods Unite The Label. Find out more information here.
Grimes is a successful and respected musician, but no matter what, for better or worse, her former relationship with Elon Musk, the world’s wealthiest person, will forever be a part of her story (especially since they have three children together). Given that Musk has become an increasingly controversial figure in recent years, Grimes’ association with him is seemingly starting to wear on her.
In response to a now-deleted tweet today (October 18), Grimes wrote, “I’ve been making art abt ai since my first album, I’ve been obsessed w it since I first learned about the butlerian jihad when I was 8 or 9. Ive always done my own art, so I’m only replacing myself. If ur gonna complain abt me I’d appreciate a less sexist approach.”
One user wondered what the deleted tweet said, and Grimes responded, “Just saying my ex made me obsessed with tech and ai. My arts always been full of refs – and I’ve always tried to stay on the cutting edge of tech for art. I did Astro bio and stuff in college. I was also constantly in trouble for being controversial long before e. Everyone’s lens just shifted to suddenly see all the same things but decide to attribute them to a man.”
Meanwhile, another user responded to Grimes’ initial tweet, “girl everything’s changed so much since your relation with that man. you talked about those same themes in [the 2020 album Miss Anthropocene] which is my fav album of yours, and then everything declined so fast and became so generic. you can do way better and you have done it.” Grimes replied, “I have three kids. He also sued me and I just spent a year in court. U know what sucks? Getting endlessly roasted for associating with someone or not putting out art while in reality I’m desperately fighting for my kids and my freedom.”
UPROXX and Sparkling Ice kept the good times rollin’ with a stop in Austin, TX on our SPARKLING SESSIONS Festival Kickoff tour. After chilling by the pool ahead of Coachella and lighting up Chicago ahead of Lollapalooza, we touched down in the live music capital of the world to pre-game Austin City Limits. Setting up at the exclusive Inn Cahoots, we transformed the boutique hotel’s secret garden into the weekend’s hottest concert venue.
Soundtracking the unforgettable evening was rising country artist Dasha, who had attendees flocking to the dancefloor with her viral single, “Austin,” while R&B duo THEBROSFRESH crooned some of their biggest hits earlier in the evening. DJ Le Chev popped by to spin a set for guests too with electric beats that paired nicely with some fresh and flavorful fall cocktails courtesy of Sparkling Ice. Outfitted in metallic cowboy hats and fueled by local bites, partygoers bounced between hair-braiding and flash tattoo stations, a taco bar, lawn games, and an Instagram-worthy photo-booth complete with a rodeo saddle that felt right at home with Austin’s “Keep It Weird” vibes.
Check out the official recap video above and scroll through more photos from UPROXX’s latest collab with Sparkling Ice.
Andrew Garfield has been very open about dealing with the grief of losing his mom to cancer in 2019. He discussed her death on The Late Show, calling it “unexpressed love,” and the topic came up again during a recent episode of Sesame Street.
The actor sat down with Elmo and talked about how much he misses his mom. But “that sadness is kind of a gift,” Garfield said. “It’s kind of a lovely thing to feel in a way because it means you really loved somebody when you miss them. And when I miss someone, I remember. When I miss my mom, I remember all the cuddles I used to get from her. All the hugs I used to get from her. It makes me feel close to her when I miss her, in a strange sort of way. So, I’m happy to have all the memories of my mom and all the joy she brought me. And the joy she brought my brother, and my dad, everyone she ever met, everyone around her. When I miss her, I remember it’s because she made me so happy. I can celebrate her and I can miss her at the same time.”
This is where I’d usually make some comment about Elmo being mean to poor Rocco, but I’ll let it slide this one time.
You can watch (and cry along to) the video above.
Garfield is out there promoting We Live in Time, his new movie with Florence Pugh (now in cardboard cutout form). They play Tobias and Almut, who are “brought together in a surprise encounter that changes their lives,” according to the official plot summary from A24. “As they embark on a path challenged by the limits of time, they learn to cherish each moment of the unconventional route their love story has taken.”
As if October wasn’t already a busy month for Megan Thee Stallion, the “Neva Play” rapper had added another project to her full plate.
On Halloween (October 31), some lucky Hotties will have the chance to party with Megan at her annual Hottieween charity event in Chicago, Illinois. For those not in attendance, they can spend their evening watching the Grammy Award winner’s Prime Video documentary Megan Thee Stallion: In Her Words. Well ahead of those occasions, Meg will treat fans to a new body of work.
Today (October 18), Megan announced the official release date for her album, Megan: Act Two. “MEGAN: ACT II. OCTOBER 25 [butterfly emoji],” wrote the rapper on X (formerly Twitter).
Similar to Megan, which dropped in June, the cover draws inspiration from an animal. Instead of a snake, Megan is re-imagined as a butterfly. Despite the empowering message of the visual and nostalgic call back to late-1990s/early-2000s rap designs, Megan’s followers aren’t fond of it.
“GAG US, but this better not be the cover,” wrote one user.
“Fire the graphic designer immediately,” wrote one user.
Megan also drew the same backlash. Eventually, the rapper gave into fans’ demand and had its artwork changed. Now, they are hoping she does the same this go around.
Megan: Act Two is out 10/24 via Hot Girl Productions. Find more information here.
Marvel’s Agatha All Along miniseries is rolling along, and now Japanese Breakfast has found an in: Today (October 18), Michelle Zauner shared a song she recorded for the show, “The Ballad Of The Witches’ Road (Pop Version).”
She worked on the recording with Jack Antonoff, and it’s based on a recurring song in the show, written by Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez (who also co-produced the new Japanese Breakfast rendition). Zauner’s release is dubbed the “pop version,” but stylistically, it’s really more closely akin to a ’70s rock ballad.
In a recent interview, Zauner spoke about new music she’s been working on, saying (translated from Korean), “The third album was all about happiness, and we used a lot of instruments, especially horns and strings. Because of that, I didn’t play the guitar much during the performances for that album — I just focused on singing. I really missed playing the guitar. This new album, though, has a lot more guitar, and it’s much more melancholic. […] I got tired of happy themes, haha. So, I returned to a more somber theme. I think it’s a bit more mature.”
Listen to Japanese Breakfast’s Agatha All Along song “The Ballad Of The Witches’ Road (Pop Version)” above.
The Memphis Grizzlies are trying to get back to the top of the Western Conference. After a difficult 2023-24 campaign where the team was absolutely annihilated by injuries, Memphis has its core back and largely healthy. And on top of that, the team made one of the more interesting picks in the 2024 NBA Draft when it selected Purdue center Zach Edey with the ninth overall pick.
Memphis had a gigantic hole at center, and are turning to Edey — the 7’4 two-time national college player of the year from Purdue — to fill it. While there are concerns about his ability to keep up with guards on the perimeter, Edey’s size, scoring touch, rim protection, and rebounding are all undeniable, to the point that Kevin Garnett decided to bestow a nickname onto him during the latest episode of Ticket and the Truth: Zach Alcindor.
“Who you like early on in the preseason?” Garnett asked his co-host, Paul Pierce. “Man, listen, I got one. I don’t know what we gonna call him for the whole year, but Zach Edey? Look like god damn Zach Alcindor.”
Garnett went on to compare Edey to Yao Ming, then praised him for his performance against the Indiana Pacers, where Garnett said that he took it to Myles Turner and compared Edey’s performance to what it looks like when Pierce plays against his son in the backyard. In the end, both hosts ended up agreeing that the Grizzlies are a team to watch as the season plays out.
Kendrick Lamar is famously social media averse, but every so often, he does pop up on the apps when he feels something is important enough to speak on. Apparently, Doechii’s debut mixtape, Alligator Bites Never Heal, is one of those things. The Compton rapper reposted Doechii’s mixtape cover from her post on his Instagram Story, giving his assessment in a simple, three-word caption: “The hardest out.” Kendrick Lamar and Doechii were briefly labelmates on Top Dawg Entertainment.
Kendrick isn’t the only one showing appreciation for Doechii’s multifaceted rap skills. Pop star Katy Perry tapped the Florida rapper for a single from her new album, 143, “I’m His, He’s Mine,” debuting the song during her performance at the 2024 MTV VMAs as she was honored with a Video Vanguard Award. Meanwhile, Doechii’s Alligator Bites Never Heal Tour has been receiving rave reviews on social media for its elaborate staging and polished performance, which she had plenty of opportunity to practice when she opened for Doja Cat’s Scarlet Tour last year.
In addition to giving editorial praise to Doechii on Instagram, Kendrick Lamar also gave her more exposure via his PgLang agency, which cast her in its latest short film for Cash App’s “This Is Money” campaign. In “The Barbershop,” Doechii explains how to make use of interest to ensure that her money is working for her.
You can listen to Alligator Bites Never Healhere, courtesy of Top Dawg Entertainment.
Mamoudou Athie doesn’t mind taking risks. In fact, he’s rarely tempted to say “yes” to something that’s a sure thing.
That doesn’t mean he hasn’t landed everything from streaming indies and Emmy nominations to franchise features and animated Oscar winners. He stays booked in hip-hop musicals like Netflix’s The Get Down, psychological horrors like Archive 81, and prestige mini-series like FXX’s Oh Jerome, No. Most recently, he landed a new gig opposite Robert Pattinson and Zendaya in an A24 romance that will likely break the internet thanks to its star power.
But the success Athie’s seen in his career isn’t strategic. It’s just the byproduct of his very simple philosophy of what acting should be: fun.
“There’s 1,001 different reasons to do a movie,” he tells Uproxx. “It’s not just about, ‘How does this get me to the next lily pad?’ Look, that’s a way to do it, and some people do that successfully, but it’s just not as fun. And if I’m going to be an actor, I better be having fun.”
Of course, Athie’s idea of fun might be slightly different from others.
We’re talking about his work in the latest entry in the Yorgos Lanthimos’ Weird Cinematic Universe, Kinds of Kindness, which you can stream on Hulu. The baffling, darkly comedic trio of fables sees Athie playing a variety of roles – a swim instructor, a coroner, a cop – while navigating everything from cults and cannibalism to, what might be, one of the year’s most uncomfortable sex scenes.
With Kinds of Kindness, a film so rooted in grotesque absurdism you’re psychologically clawing your way to its hours-long finish line, Athie’s a steadying presence, someone relatable and empathetic in the modern mythic trilogy of monsters and the men who become them. It’s unlike anything he’s done before, a project that practically terrified him at times. That’s exactly why he was so quick to dive in.
“There’s a kind of dignity and self-respect that you have to have as a human being and a particular kind of shamelessness as an actor to be able to do what’s required of some characters,” he explains, noting that a Yorgos film requires plenty of the latter. “If I want to be my fullest self as an actor, then I can’t hold myself back by commenting on something that’s scary to me or undesirable or even disgusting.”
Athie says he felt “tremendously self-conscious” filming some of the more graphic, outlandish scenes. He credits Yorgos’ approach to rehearsals, something the director is famous for holding weeks ahead of filming, for helping to strip him of any ego that might’ve made all the group sex and wound-licking and limb cutting less impactful.
“It was very reminiscent to me of clown class,” he says. “That was one of the best gifts I’ve ever received as an actor, getting to go to Chris Bay’s clown class while I was at school because it just frees you from your ego. It’s now ‘How good can I get it?’ or ‘How interesting am I?’ It’s like, ‘Where’s the fun? Where’s the need of this character, and how do I fully express that?’
“It’s very silly,” he’s quick to assure me. “We’re all grownups doing the most ridiculous things. I enjoy and really do respect my job, but I do understand that there’s a level of ridiculousness involved in it, and you have to be okay with it, otherwise, it’s not going to work.”
Few actors Athie’s age seem to love their craft in the same way. When rattling off influences, the names the Yale drama school grad tosses out are older, more established, often viewed as character focused. They’re the Sally Hawkins, the Vincent Cassels, the Sam Neills, the Courtney B. Vances of the world, plenty of whom he’s gotten the chance to study under in projects like Netflix’s Uncorked, the watery Kristen Stewart thriller, Underwater, and a Jurassic World sequel. Kinds of Kindness co-star Willem Dafoe makes that list too, someone Athie says is always game to “go there.”
“The reason he’s so interesting is because he’s not really trying to be interesting,” he says. “He just genuinely loves acting. No matter what he feels or looks like, he’s just going to do it because of the job.”
It’s here, as Athie starts to spout off words like “dramaturgical” and “facsimile” that he stops himself.
“I sound like such a fucking acting nerd,” he laughs. “I’m intolerable.”
Along with being charmingly self-deprecating, Athie’s also quick to deflect praise. When I bring up how Essence recently named him “Hollywood’s Next Leading Man,” he insists he’s flattered, then he lists out all of the things he finds more important about his job than fame, then he claims the fridge in his AirBnB is making an odd sound, then he changes the subject to talk about the importance of diverse storytelling and indie filmmaking.
“You need to make room, a lot of room, I would say the most room for original stories,” he says. “This is how you move the medium forward. If everything’s all about money, then you’re not going to have much left. There’s not going to be niche stories that, by the way, are the ones that connect with the widest audiences. But if you try to sanitize a script and make it just palatable to all 8 billion people on the planet, then you’re not going to have much.”
That brings us back to the idea of risk, the notion that nothing is a sure thing, especially in the moviemaking business, so why not create freely, push relentlessly, and invite fans to appreciate the end result instead of chasing algorithms and dollar signs.
“Independent filmmakers are some of the most driven people,” he explains. “To make a movie is insanely difficult. And to get a lot of people to agree to help you make that movie, it takes a lot of ambition and courage. So, they will find a way, but I’d like us, as a business holistically, to help. Let’s just make movies and accept that there’s inherent risk in making them.”
That train of thought jogs Athie’s memory just before we end the conversation.
“Oh, there’s somebody who just approached me about doing a movie. I owe him a call.”
Kinds of Kindness is now streaming on Hulu.
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