Category: Viral

The 2025 VMAs proved what we’ve known all along: music videos belong on TV.

The show posted a 42% year-over-year surge, with 5.5 million viewers across CBS, MTV, and Paramount+, its best performance since 2019.

That’s the influence and impact of music videos. These aren’t “content” made to be lazily engaged with and fill feeds. These provide significant connections to fan-favorite artists and songs, as well as substantial statements from iconic creative visionaries.

Music videos command attention and fuel obsession. Because fans care, they watch, remix, and debate. They show up on prime time not just for spectacle, but because they’re emotionally invested.

And the VMAs translated that energy. That full-choir moment with Alex Warren? That was a cultural moment made possible by music videos – their reach, their resonance, their relevance.

Even up against a network juggernaut, music videos performed, going head-to-head with Sunday Night Football. Most shows would’ve been buried, but music videos gave people a reason to choose culture over sports competition.

Beyond the Broadcast

What happened on CBS was only the start. The real story played out across YouTube, where fans surged to Warner Music Group artist channels powered by UPROXX:

– Sombr: video views up +150%, from ~80M in a typical week to 200M+ weekly views

– Alex Warren: up +43%, hitting 25M+ weekly views as he took home Best New Artist

– Busta Rhymes: up +23%, climbing past 15M weekly views tied to his Visionary Award moment

These aren’t background bumps — they’re massive spikes in video consumption tied directly to cultural heat. The broadcast made headlines, but the viewership wave carried across platforms.

Why Brands Should Care

Music videos have become the new sports highlights (only better): short, high-impact, replayed endlessly, and commanding full-screen attention. On Connected TV, they turn the living room into a stadium of sound and visuals.

But unlike sports, music videos don’t follow a rigid schedule. They’re evergreen and breaking news at the same time, giving brands the chance to plug into culture every week, not just during a 17-game season.

WMG Artist Domination

The awards themselves reinforced it: Warner Music Group artists swept the night.
Song of the Year – ROSÉ & Bruno Mars “APT.”
Best New Artist – Alex Warren
Best Collaboration – Lady Gaga & Bruno Mars “Die With A Smile”
Best Alternative – Sombr “Back to Friends”
Best Rock – Coldplay “All My Love”

These are the same superstar artists that anchor UPROXX’s premium CTV and YouTube inventory — the cultural gravity brands can tap into every week.

The Bigger Picture

Missed the VMAs? You didn’t miss the movement.

Music videos don’t happen once a year on CBS — they happen every day, every week, and they live forever. With UPROXX, brands don’t gamble on adjacency. They get guaranteed access to the Warner Music Group catalog — Bruno Mars, Dua Lipa, Ed Sheeran, Cardi B, Linkin Park, and more.

If sports own Sundays, music videos own culture the rest of the week. And with UPROXX, your brand gets front row access.

Maryland rapper IDK is well-known for loving to infuse his gritty street raps with ’90s-esque jazz flair. His albums like F65 and Bravado + Intimo have often employed plenty of brass and loose drumming inspired by the greats, and today, he gets to return the favor to one of jazz’s hottest rising stars.

In Theo Croker’s new “My Friend” video, IDK wanders the streets of Los Angeles, his adopted home, reeling off his ruthless worldview, in which ski masks are a necessity, not a hypebeast’s accessory. Meanwhile, Croker and Sector 202, the band that backed IDK’s most recent NPR Music Tiny Desk Concert, continue to push the boundaries of their blend of jazz, hip-hop, and electronic music, building to a magnificent crescendo.

“My Friend” is the latest single from Croker’s forthcoming Dream Manifest (Deluxe). It’s due on October 24 via Dom Recs, with features from anaïs, Theophilus London, Nosajthing, Natureboy Flako, and more. The original version of Dream Manifest, released on June 13 this year, is also now available for the first time on vinyl via Fat Beats. Meanwhile, the Grammy-nominated trumpeter, composer, and producer will return to Los Angeles in December for two nights at the recently opened Blue Note Jazz Club.

Watch Theo Croker’s “My Friend” video with IDK above.

Dream Manifest (Deluxe) is due on 10/24 via Dom Recs. You can find more info here.

BigXthaPlug sits down with UPROXX Chief Visionary Officer will.i.am for a powerful discussion about purpose.

Kelly Osbourne is currently hosting the new TV series Lego Masters Jr., which premiered in August. Of course, she’s also going through a difficult time at the moment with the recent death of her father, Ozzy Osbourne. This week’s episode of Lego Masters Jr. was surely an emotional one for her to watch back, then, as Ozzy makes a cameo. Billboard notes this is Ozzy’s first posthumous TV appearance.

Reality Club FOX shared the clip on TikTok. In the scene, Kelly recruits her dad, who appears remotely via video, to give contestants a warning that they have one hour left to finish their current build. She asks her father, “Hi dad, we need someone to scare a few of the kids. Would you mind?” With some menacing laughs, Ozzy tells the kids about their remaining time as the on-set lights turned a scary red.

Meanwhile, Kelly recently addressed her emotional status with an Instagram Story post of her with a bird perched on her hand. She wrote over the photo, “In all my sadness & grief I have found something that truly makes me happy! I never thought I would find my smile again through falconry but I did. I absolutely love being with the birds!”

Check out our recent ranking of the best Black Sabbath songs.

Kali Uchis checked in a few months ago with Sincerely,, a new album she dropped in May. She has more to say on that front, as she just announced a deluxe edition, titled Sincerely: P.S..

Among the new offerings is a collaboration with Ravyn Lenae, “Cry About It!.” The pair also performed the song on The Tonight Show yesterday:

Uchis previously said that the original Sincerely, album was inspired by a “life-altering event,” saying, “The album is about the complexities of life and finding ways to find joy in life despite the world. Finding ways to appreciate every moment and not take life for granted. Treat every day special. It’s my most existential and honest work. It’s definitely the most beautiful body of work to me, and it’s going to be, for me, the most meaningful and impactful.”

Listen to “Cry About It!” above. Check out the Sincerely: P.S. cover art below, along with Uchis’ upcoming tour dates.

Kali Uchis’ Sincerely: P.S. Album Cover Artwork

Kali Uchis’ 2025 Tour Dates: The Sincerely, Tour

09/11 — New York, NY @ Madison Square Garden
09/12 — New York, NY @ Madison Square Garden
09/14 — Boston, MA @ TD Garden
09/16 — Laval, QC @ Place Bell
09/17 — Toronto, ON @ Scotiabank Arena
09/19 — Baltimore, MD @ CFG Bank Arena
09/20 — Philadelphia, PA @ Wells Fargo Center
09/22 — Chicago, IL @ United Center
09/23 — Chicago, IL @ United Center
09/25 — Denver, CO @ Ball Arena
09/27 — San Jose, CA @ SAP Center
09/28 — Inglewood, CA @ Intuit Dome
10/23 — Highland, CA @ Yaamava Resort & Casino

Sincerely: P.S. is out 9/26 via Capitol. Find more information here.

Last year, it was announced that Lil Dicky’s beloved FX show Dave was on pause. Well, Andrew Santino, who plays Dicky’s manager Mike on the show, is pretty certain that the actual fate of Dave is that the series is finished.

In a new interview with Variety, Santino was asked about the show being on “pause” and he answered:

“That’s not on pause. That thing is gone. I don’t even know why that narrative is out there, that’s not true. We’re not doing the show. I think people said it was on pause to protect the relationship of the show, but that’s all nonsense. The show is done. We are all going our own way and doing our own thing. It was a great run, and we all enjoyed it very much. It ran its beautiful little course, and that was a wonderful moment in time. I’m happy I was a part of it, but in no world do I think the show would ever come back.”

When asked if it was the network’s decision to end the show, he continued, “I was a hired gun. That was between Dave Burd, Jeff Schaffer and FX. I had no power over what was happening. I kind of found out when everybody else found out that it wasn’t coming back. But people saying, ‘Perhaps we’ll pause it and come back’… I know better. Dad left to get cigarettes. He’s not coming home.”

Check out the full interview here.

Doja Cat has been all-in on the 1980s nostalgia for the rollout of her upcoming album, Vie. Its lead single, “Jealous Type,” borrows liberally from the New Wave sound, while its video is awash in the decade’s opulent aesthetics. Doja also tapped an ’80s icon, Kenny G, to help her in her MTV Video Music Awards performance of the song, along with breakdancers in 8-ball jackets and flattop haircuts. And now, she’s pulled out another ’80s deep cut to announce the deluxe edition of Vie, which will be an iTunes exclusive.

In a new video on Instagram, Doja dons the demeanor of cult icon Max Headroom, “the first computer-generated TV presenter.” Bedecked in the character’s signature boxy black suit and standing in front of the neon line-adorned blue screen that first brought Max Headroom to life, Doja announces, “My new deluxe album is up for pre-order on iTunes now.” The pre-order promises teases of new songs, exclusive content ahead of the album release, and a surprise when it comes out. And it just wouldn’t be a Max Headroom-style promo if she didn’t glitch out a little in the middle.

For those who might be too young to catch the reference, Headroom was the star of a British TV movie, Max Headroom: 20 Minutes Into The Future in 1985, where the “AI” is created using the brainwaves of an unconscious journalist and satirizing TV presenters of the time. Later, the character hosted a variety show, and starred in an American drama series, as well as becoming a spokesperson for New Coke. The character was previously referenced in hip-hop Eminem, who donned the Max Headroom persona in his “Rap God” video.

Vie is due on 9/26 via RCA Records. You can find more info at DojaCat.com.

Coldplay are on fire with their Music Of The Spheres Tour, so much so that it looks like they’re about to extend it into 2027. All eyes are on Chris Martin and company right now, and that includes those of modern shoegaze favorite Wisp.

Today (September 10), she shared a cover of one of the band’s most iconic songs, “Yellow.” Naturally, Wisp’s version introduces massive-sounding, overdriven guitars while also retaining much of the tenderness of the original recording.

Wisp says of the song, “‘Yellow’ to me is a childhood memory that I wanted to rendition into my present life. A song that I never understood the depth of, to now relating to the lyrics and singing them with the emotion of my romantic journeys this past year.”

Listen to the “Yellow” cover above and find Wisp’s upcoming tour dates below.

Wisp’s 2025 Tour Dates

09/10 — Chicago, IL @ Metro
09/11 — Saint Paul, MN @ Amsterdam Bar & Hall
09/13 — Denver, CO @ Marquis Theater
09/16 — Seattle, WA @ Neptune Theatre
09/18 — Vancouver, BC @ The Pearl
09/19 — Portland, OR @ Revolution Hall
09/21 — San Francisco, CA @ The Regency Ballroom
09/23 — Los Angeles, CA @ The Fonda Theatre
09/26 — Phoenix, AZ @ Crescent Ballroom
09/27 — El Paso, TX @ Lowbrow Palace
09/29 — Dallas, TX @ The Factory in Deep Ellum
09/30 — Austin, TX @ Mohawk
10/01 — Houston, TX @ Numbers
10/03 — Atlanta, GA @ Variety Playhouse
10/04 — Durham, NC @ Motorco Music Hall
10/06 — Nashville, TN @ The Basement East
10/07 — Saint Louis, MO @ Off Broadway
10/08 — Kansas City, MO @ recordbar
10/22 — Glasgow, UK @ The Garage
10/23 — Manchester, UK @ Deaf Institute
10/24 — London, UK @ EartH
10/25 — Paris, FR @ Maroquinerie
10/27 — Brussels, BE @ Botanique
10/28 — Cologne, DE @ Luxor
10/29 — Amsterdam, NL @ Melkweg Old Room
10/31 — Hamburg, DE @ headCRASH
11/01 — Berlin, DE @ Urban Spree
11/02 — Warsaw, PL @ Klub Hybrydy

If Not Winter is out now via Music Soup/Interscope. Find more information here.

Militarie Gun became one of the buzziest rock bands following the release of their 2023 debut album Life Under The Gun. They’re looking to keep the momentum going on their upcoming sophomore release, God Save The Gun.

They offered another look at the project today (September 10) with “Throw Me Away.” The band’s Ian Shelton says of the song, “‘Throw Me Away’ is about the feeling of only being valued when you’re visible or useful and the desperate need to hold onto that. What someone loves about you one day might be cited as a reason they hate you now. It’s the desire for external validation and also the deep resentment of it.”

Shelton previously said of the album:

“I’m well aware that being this vulnerable turns my personal trauma into a marketing hook for this album. But I’m fine with it, if not provoking it. Over the past couple years, as I spoke about addiction from the perspective of someone affected by it, I became the one struggling with it. There’s a farcical logic to entering a situation, fully knowing the consequences, and doing it anyway – but that’s where my head was when I started leaning on drinking.”

Watch the “Throw Me Away” video above. Below, find the God Save The Gun cover art and tracklist, as well as Militarie Gun’s upcoming tour dates.

Militarie Gun’s God Save The Gun Album Cover Artwork

Militarie Gun’s God Save The Gun Tracklist

1. “Pt II”
2. “BADIDEA”
3. “Fill Me With Paint”
4. “Throw Me Away”
5. “God Owes Me Money”
6. “Daydream”
7. “Maybe I’ll Burn My Life Down”
8. “Kick”
9. “Laugh At Me”
10. “Wake Up And Smile”
11. “I Won’t Murder Your Friend”
12. “Isaac’s Song”
13. “Thought You Were Waving”
14. “God Save The Gun”

Militarie Gun’s 2025 & 2026 Tour Dates

09/10/2025 — London, UK @ Bread & Butter (Clash Live Presents)
09/11/2025 — London, UK @ Bermondsey Social Club
09/18/2025 — Brooklyn, NY @ Alphaville
09/19/2025 — Chicago, IL @ Riot Fest ^
09/20/2025 — Chicago, IL @ Riot Fest Late Night Show at Metro #
09/24/2025 — Oxnard, CA @ The Elks Lodge ^
09/25/2025 — Bakersfield, CA @ Temblor Brewing ^
09/26/2025 — San Luis Obispo, CA @ Humdinger ^
09/27/2025 — Oakland, CA @ New Parish ^
09/28/2025 — Sacramento, CA @ Cafe Colonial ^
09/30/2025 — Tacoma, WA @ Real Art Tacoma ^
10/01/2025 — Bellingham, WA @ Make.Shift ^
10/02/2025 — Portland, OR @ High Limit Room ^
10/03/2025 — Boise, ID @ Shrine Basement ^
10/04/2025 — Salt Lake City, UT @ Soundwell *
10/05/2025 — Fort Collins, CO @ Aggie Theater ^
10/25/2025 — Palm Springs, CA @ Hotel Zoso %
10/26/2025 — Henderson, NV @ Grey Witch %
10/29/2025 — Lawrence, KS @ The Bottleneck %
10/30/2025 — Des Moines, IA @ xBk %
10/31/2025 — Louisville, KY @ Camp Spaceman %
11/01/2025 — Columbus, OH @ Dirty Dungarees %
11/02/2025 — Pittsburgh, PA @ Bottlerocket Social Hall %
11/04/2025 — Troy, NY @ No Fun %
11/06/2025 — Worcester, MA @ Palladium Upstairs %
11/07/2025 — Amityville, NY @ Amityville Music Hall %
11/08/2025 — Lakewood, NJ @ Maggie’s Bar & Grill %
11/09/2025 — Baltimore, MD @ Ottobar %
11/11/2025 — Richmond, VA @ The Warehouse %
11/12/2025 — Asheville, NC @ Eulogy %
11/14/2025 — Columbia, SC @ New Brookland Tavern %
11/15/2025 — Hattiesburg, MS @ Fat Cat %
11/16/2025 — New Orleans, LA @ Gasa Gasa %
11/18/2025 — Houston, TX @ Secret Group %
11/19/2025 — San Antonio, TX @ Paper Tiger %
11/21/2025 — Oklahoma City, OK @ Resonant Head %
11/22/2025 — Albuquerque, NM @ Launchpad %
01/21/2026 — Porto, PT @ Casa De Musica~
01/22/2026 — Lisbon, PT @ Sala 2~
01/23/2026 — Madrid, ES @ Sala Corpernico~
01/24/2026 — Barcelona, ES @ La Nau~
01/25/2026 — Lyon, FR @ La Marquise~
01/27/2026 — Bern, CH @ ISC Club Bern~
01/29/2026 — Munich, DE @ Backstage Club~
01/30/2026 — Cologne, DE @ MTC~
01/31/2026 — Hamburg, DE @ Molotow~
02/01/2026 — Berlin, DE @ Mikropol~
02/03/2026 — Stockholm, SE @ Debaser Bar Brooklyn~
02/04/2026 — Oslo, NO @ Parkteateret~
02/05/2026 — Copenhagen, DK @ Ideal Bar (Vega)~
02/07/2026 — Tilburg, NL @ Ladybird Skatepark~
02/08/2026 — Brussels, BE @ Rotonde – Botanique~
02/09/2026 — Paris, FR @ La Maroquinerie~
02/11/2026 — London, UK @ Electric Ballroom$`
02/12/2026 — Portsmouth, UK @ KOLA$
02/13/2026 — Cardiff, UK @ CIwb Ifor Bach$
02/14/2026 — Leeds, UK @ Brudenell Social Club$
02/15/2026 — Glasgow, UK @ Beech Avenue Social Club$
02/17/2026 — Dublin, IE @ Button Factory$

# with Alkaline Trio
^ with Death Lens and Milly
* with Fleshwater & Angel Dust
% with Liquid Mike and Public Opinion
~ with Spite House
$ with White Reaper
` University (opener London only)

God Save The Gun is out 10/17 via Loma Vista Recordings. Find more information here.

Sudan Archives‘ last few singles may have shown off the Midwestern violinist’s rap skills, but on her latest, “Come And Find You,” her production and instrumentalism take the spotlight. Blending elements of Afropop, electronic, and jazz music, “Come And Find You” creates an ever-evolving backdrop for a song about seeking connection and chasing down a romantic interest.

According to the press release, Sudan Archives built the beat around a loop created by one of her stylists, Umesi. Instrumentation was added in real-time, building out the melodies, while another friend later added the drums. Sudan herself contributed the vocals, singing, “Come to me now my dear /
I don’t need my belongings / You drive me mad, so mad / I can’t help it, I want to know why / Everything is so clear / I don’t fear / Even though this will end / It all ends / We all sin / We all win.”

“Come And Find You” is just the latest single from Sudan Archives’ upcoming album, The BPM. Each of the previous singles — “Dead”, “My Type,” and “Ms. Pac Man” — offered a different, upbeat perspective of the upcoming project, but with the latest, she shows that it’s even more multifaceted than anyone could have expected.

You can listen to “Come And Find You” above.

The BPM is due on 10/17 via Stones Throw Records. You can find more info here.