Category: Viral

Next month will mark the one year anniversary of FKA Twigs’ critically acclaimed sophomore album, Magdalene. The project arrived four years after her debut album, LP1, but thanks to a recent interview the singer did, fans may not have to wait as long for her third album. Sitting down with the Grammy Museum’s Programs at Home series for a virtual chat, the singer revealed that she recorded an entire new album during quarantine and is “just finishing” the project.

“I ended up, in actual fact, making a whole album in quarantine,” Twigs said at the beginning of the interview. “I just decided one day. It was kind of, maybe one-third of the way through and I just said, ‘you know what, I’m just going to make an album,’ and I just went and did it.”

She also revealed that she created the album with artist and producer El Guincho as well as other collaborators she worked with via FaceTime.

“And it was really amazing because I worked predominantly with an amazing artist and producer called El Guincho,” she said. “I did the whole thing with pretty much all of the collaborators over FaceTime.”

Twigs would later elaborate on her experience with creating the album through FaceTime.

I was working with people I’d never met in real life and we were doing the whole thing over FaceTime and it was great because I couldn’t go in the studio at the beginning. So I was getting beats and having to work from MP3s, and then I would writing melodies in the day with [El Guincho] and then in the night I would call some of my friends in America who made music and I would have a glass of wine and chill and write lyrics and talk about what the song’s about.

The interview arrives after FKA Twigs flaunted her impressive swordsmanship skills in her “Sad Day” video last month. You can watch her interview for the Grammy Museum’s Programs at Home series here.

The Washington Football Team entered Sunday dealing with some quarterback drama after Dwayne Haskins was moved from starter to third string after a 1-3 start to the season. Kyle Allen was elevated to starter and Alex Smith, who has not played in two years since suffering a gruesome compound fracture of his right leg that required 17 surgeries, had an infection that nearly cost him his leg, and a lengthy rehab, was set as the backup.

In the second quarter against the L.A. Rams, Allen took a helmet-to-helmet hit on the sidelines from Jalen Ramsey that forced him out of the game and, as such, Smith was thrust into action for the first time since November of 2018.

His first play was a quick swing pass to the running back for a six yard gain, as the Football Team clearly wanted to get him a low stress attempt for his first throw back in live game action.

From there he almost made an incredible completion for a first down on the run as he climbed the pocket to avoid the rush, but it was ruled incomplete. His third play was another dropback in which he took his first hit in two years, as he hasn’t done any contact in practice, when Aaron Donald got to him and jumped on his back for a sack.

It wasn’t the most spectacular of opening drives, but given how long it took for Smith just to walk again after his injury, that he is playing in an NFL game again is truly one of the more incredible stories of the 2020 NFL season and a testament to how much work he put in to his rehab.

The NASCAR Playoffs roll into Charlotte on Sunday for a trip around the Roval, Charlotte Motor Speedway’s road course, as they whittle the playoff field from 12 to 8 before the next trio of races in Kansas, Texas, and Martinsville.

For Alex Bowman, who is starting fifth on Sunday, he needs a solid finish to hold onto his position in seventh and advance to the next round of playoff races so he can keep his championship hopes alive. Bowman’s had one win and 11 top 10s thus far in a strange 2020 season, but is in position to finish off his tenure in the 88 with a strong playoff finish before taking over another legendary Hendrick car next season, when he moves to the 48 to take the place of the retiring Jimmie Johnson.

On Sunday, a couple hours before the green flag drops at the Roval, Bowman talked with Uproxx Sports about the stress of playoff racing — particularly on a rainy day in Charlotte — and the excitement of moving his team to the 48 car and a new sponsor in Ally.

First off, how are you feeling heading into today’s race?

[The Roval] is a tough racetrack, obviously. It’s definitely a stress and anxiety filled weekend. I don’t think anyone knows what to expect with the weather and how much it’s rained and how wet it’s going to be. So trying to learn as we go and have a good solid day, and we should be OK.

How interesting is it having the Roval as one of the playoff races, being a place y’all have run in the series, one time before, right?

Yeah so we’ve run here twice, both times have been a playoff cutoff race so it’s always been that way, but it’s definitely — to come here without any practice and then to add rain to the situation, it’s definitely interesting. It’s a very interesting racetrack in that it’s so narrow and there’s so little room for error. You make one little mistake and you can ruin your day and take yourself completely out of it. So, it’s tough and to not have any experience in the rain and be trying to learn how a race car reacts in the rain on a track that you basically can’t mess up at is going to be really tough.

This has obviously been a season like no other where, as you mention, you come into races without any track time or time in the shop. I’ve talked to guys, especially early on, about how strange it was not having the time in the garage and around your guys. What have you learned from this season and can take forward from what has been such a unique situation?

Yeah it’s definitely been quite a bit different than what we’re used to, we just kind of show up and race. We’re used to three and four hours of practice a weekend and long drawn out weekends with all kinds of stuff going on, that it’s kind of been a little bit refreshing to just show up and race and we’ve shown the on-track product isn’t really effected. So, it’s been cool to just have to be on your game right off the truck, and we’ve kind of learned how our team can best prepare for this situation and how our team needs to work together to do the best we can in this situation. It’s been good for us. I feel like it’s effected some guys differently than others. I feel like most of the time we were typically racing what we were unloading anyways even with a couple hours of practice, that it hasn’t effected us too much, and it’s been good.

And it’s got to be part of the advantage to being at a team like Hendrick that not only has the resources but also you have three teammates you can bounce information off of and in the moment even be in conversation. How much does that play a role in being at a place like Hendrick at allowing some of that comfort even in the chaos?

Absolutely, I think that’s a big part of the success of teams like Hendrick and being at HMS. It’s been really good. I feel like we have a lot of experience on our side in Jimmie and Chase, and William and I. We all bring a different perspective and something different to the table, so being able to lean on each other has been a big help, but there’s such a depth of knowledge at HMS between everybody that works there. The crew chiefs do a really good job, but everybody through the organization is so sharp that it really developed ways to best prepare in these situations and done a really good job of it. So, being able to lean on my teammates and everybody at HMS has been really good.

Next year you’re gonna be moving from the 88 to the 48 and this is something you’ve done before, but having raced with Jimmie, what does it mean to be able to take over the legacy of that number that he made so iconic?

Yeah, it’s really cool, and to have Mr. H and Jimmie and Ally and everybody have faith in me to take over that car is really special. I’m excited to do that and to work with Ally and to, honestly, carry my team over to the 48 is really special. It’s definitely special for my crew chief Greg [Ives], and I think all of the guys are really excited to work on that car. It’s essentially a partner change and a number change, but I’m looking forward to it and hopefully we can add to the great success that number’s already had.

You mention Greg [Ives], who was on that car previously. Have you talked with him about what it means to go back to a car he had so much success with as an engineer?

Yeah, I think he’s definitely pumped up about it, and it’s a special number for him. It meant a lot for his career and he was obviously part of what was arguably the most successful run in our sports history and that we’ll ever see. So to be able to have him go from that to crew chiefing that car is really cool for him.

And for you, you’re in a playoff chase this year. What are the things you’ve been able to learn from Jimmie in your time at Hendrick and the things he’s told you about racing for championships and competing in the playoff format?

I think the biggest takeaway from Jimmie is how he approaches race weekends and his work ethic, as well as how he treats people and handles every situation with — he’s just a pro at absolutely everything. Even if it’s a rough situation or a bad day he’s still really positive about everything. He’s such a humble guy and it’s been cool to get to learn from him and reach out to him for advice. He’s been a great teammate and friend, and it’s definitely special to take over that car from him with everything he’s done for my career.

Prior to last week, Scarface’s 2020 was unfortunately similar to that nearly eight million Americans as the famed Houston native confirmed he was diagnosed with coronavirus earlier this year. Luckily, Scarface was able to get through his battle with the virus, one he was quite open up about.

Unfortunately, though, the health issues have not concluded for him as he took to Twitter earlier this week and made a plea to his fans.

“I need a kidney y’all any volunteers?” Scarface asked his followers. “B+ blood type.” The tweet saw a number of comforting responses filled with well-wishes and optimistic remarks, but T.I. and Fat Joe are taking things a step further in order to get Scarface the help he needs.

Upon seeing Scarface’s request, T.I. reposted his tweet to his Instagram page with the hopes of finding a donor for the Houston rapper. “Love & Prayers To Da Homie @brothermob,” he said in post’s caption. “We got a bag for a volunteer… who B+? Serious inquiries only hit my dms to verify ya B+ blood type.”

Fat Joe followed suit and delivered a similar message with a post of his own to Instagram. “This real sh*t right here prayers for the legend @brothermob we gotta bag for any volunteers,” he said in the caption, tagging T.I. as well to show that the two rappers simple wants to get Scarface the help he needs as quickly as possible.

The release of Wonder Woman 1984 is still up in the air as the movie industry continues to grapple with the COVID-19 pandemic, but we already know that Patty Jenkins-led universe is expanding once movies can happen safely again. We also now know that Gal Gadot and Jenkins will continue working together on a new project.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, the duo will helm a Cleopatra project once their Wonder Woman project is officially out.

Jenkins will direct the drama based on a script penned by Laeta Kalogridis, with Charles Roven of Atlas Entertainment, Gadot and Jaron Varsano of Pilot Wave Motion Pictures banner producing.

Gadot will play Cleopatra, the Queen of Egypt role made famous by Elizabeth Taylor in the 1963 classic.

That Taylor-led Cleopatra was an expensive project that ultimately was the highest-grossing film of 1963. It also earned nine Oscar nominations and won four. It’s unclear if this film will be related to the other film in any way, or if it is simply covering the same subject matter and will not be a true remake.

Either way, Gadot following up Wonder Woman with a turn as Cleopatra is impressive, and under Jenkins she’s thrived both critically and commercially. Considering all the trouble the Wonder Woman sequel has had in getting to the public it’s just nice to know that more movies are coming. You know, eventually.

There is an art to sneaker unboxing, one that YouTubers and social media influencers have spent years mastering as they learned how to create the perfect sneaker videos.

There’s a certain patience required to build anticipation, gently opening the box so has not to disturb the wrapping, then doing a little peek for yourself and making a facial reaction to the camera, and then finally pulling the shoe out to present it to the masses and deliver your initial impressions upon first look. And then, there’s the Dennis Rodman way of unboxing sneakers, which has all the chaotic energy you would expect from The Worm, that will provide a certainly level of anxiety to those who love sneakers and, especially, for those who keep their boxes nice and tidy.

On Saturday, Rodman posted a video of him receiving a couple pair of Yeezys, and we learned that he does not open boxes how they are designed, but instead just grabs in some random place and rips the cardboard until he can reach in and pull out one of the shoes.

I have not been able to stop thinking about this video since I first saw it, because as someone who keeps his shoe boxes stacked in the closet, this both pained me but also showed me what real freedom is like, not caring if the boxes stay pristine and just wanting to see the goods.

I think we all could use a bit more of that energy, but in the meantime we can watch, amazed, at the sheer DGAF-ness of Rodman literally tearing into Yeezy boxes to see what’s inside.

If you’ve taken a glance at Cardi B’s Instagram page, you’ll notice that the Bronx native is in quite the lighthearted and happy mood. That’s because Sunday marks Cardi’s 28th birthday and she took to Las Vegas to celebrate the new year of life. That isn’t the only thing the “WAP” rapper has to celebrate, however, as Cardi also announced her new limited edition sneaker with Reebok. The Club C Cardi sneaker is slated for an official release on November 13, but Cardi opted to kick off her birthday weekend with an early gift to her fans.

“I’m kicking off my birthday weekend by announcing I am officially dropping my first ever Reebok x Cardi Footwear Collection on 11/13,” she said in an Instagram post. She then revealed that she would release limited pairs for her “loyal fans” on Sunday, more than a month before their official release.

The new Club C Cardi sneaker is just Cardi’s latest endeavor in the fashion world, her most recent one coming in September when she was announced as the latest face of Balenciaga. The company made the reveal with a colorful ad that finds Cardi laying on a large piece of artificial grass in a silky navy blue dress as various yellow items surrounded her. The new campaign also gave Cardi a large billboard that was placed on the side of The Louvre museum in Paris.

You can get a glimpse of the Club C Cardi sneaker in the post above. For more information on Cardi’s new sneaker or to make a purchase, click here.

Cardi B is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

Game 5 of the NBA Finals was an instant classic, with Jimmy Butler and LeBron James each putting up incredible performances as the Heat came away with a 111-108 win to push the Lakers to Game 6.

Down the stretch, both James and Butler made play after play for their teams, trading the lead back-and-forth, with Butler handing Miami a 109-108 lead with around 16 seconds to play. This meant the Lakers had time to draw up a play of their own, and what they dialed up got the ball to James to get him moving downhill and take advantage of the fact that the Heat would collapse on him to make anyone else beat him. The result was a Danny Green three that was very open from the top of the key, even factoring in an aggressive, but somewhat late, closeout from the weakside.

Green’s shot came up short, barely drawing the front of the rim. From there, Markieff Morris grabbed the rebound and then threw something between a pass and a shot over the head of Anthony Davis and out of bounds, allowing the Heat to knock down a pair of free throws and put the game on ice. It was certainly not the way Green, Morris, LeBron, or Frank Vogel envisioned the close of the game, but they got a good look and simply missed it. However, as happens all too often, Green became a target for angry Lakers fans, as his offensive play this postseason has not been as good as his reputation as a big game shooter over his career has given him.

On Sunday, as the Lakers spoke to the media in the morning prior to Game 6, Green explained that he and his fiancee both received death threats on social media since he missed the shot.

It is the unfortunate reality of the social media era that players who make a key mistake not only have to hear criticism, but also have to deal with fans that go way too far and wish death and other horrible things upon them and their family members. As Green said, he understands he’s and easy target here for criticism after his miss, but it doesn’t change that it’s despicable to levy death threats at someone and their family members over a basketball game.

Green says he’s learned to just avoid social media after losses like Friday’s while a member of the Lakers. Frustration from fans is understandable, including some anger in the moment, but to have it be anything to the level of death threats or wishing harm on a person is so far beyond what should be acceptable.

Per their original schedule, the most recent episode of Saturday Night Live was supposed to have country singer Morgan Wallen as its musical guest. Reports from an Alabama publication found that Wallen ran up a fairly high coronavirus risk for the show after he was spotted at a college party, however, and as a result he was dropped from the show. Coming in as a well-prepared substitute for the late scratch, Jack White was announced as Wallen replacement on Friday.

Proving to be a smooth transition from artist to artist, Jack White took the SNL stage backed by a small band that was comprised of drummer Daru Jones and bassist Dominic John Davis.

For his SNL performances, Jack White delivered some of his best hits while putting a new spin on some of them. Playing three songs for viewers during his set, White’s highlight performance came with his closing track. Reaching back to his 2014 sophomore solo album, Jack White delivered a performance of “Lazaretto,” one that found him performing with an Eddie Van Halen model guitar, honoring the legendary guitarist.

Prior to his SNL set, White revealed in an Instagram post that he would use the model guitar during his performance. “I thought it could be a nice gesture for me to use this blue eddie van halen model guitar for one of the songs tonight on SNL,” White said in his caption. “Eddie was very kind to me and saw to it that this guitar was made for me to my specs. i wont even insult the man’s talent by trying to play one of his songs tonight. thanks again eddie for this guitar and rest in peace sir.”

Elsewhere in his SNL performance, White played a small piece of “Don’t Hurt Yourself,” his Lemonade collaboration with Beyonce, before moving on to “Ball And Biscuit.” The track, which comes from his 2003 album Elephant with The White Stripes, was reworked to include lyrics from a traditional gospel song, “Jesus Is Coming Soon,” a track that was centered around the 1918 Spanish Flu and was once performed by Blind Willie Johnson. The reworked performance of “Ball And Biscuit” with the lyrics from the traditional gospel song proved to be just as relevant today as it was at the time of its release:

“The noble said to the people/Close your public schools/Until death passes you by you better close all your churches too/ I’m done talkin/ Yes I’m walkin’/ God is coming soon,” White sang. “The great disease was mighty and people were sick everywhere/ It was an epidemic and it traveled through the air.”

Considering that a “lazaretto” is a quarantine hospital for people with infectious diseases, it’s clear White themed the performances for life during a pandemic as well as to pay tribute to a legend with his guitar. You can watch Jack White’s performances in the videos above.

Even Kate McKinnon seems to be struggling to cope with the current stresses of life during a pandemic. The Saturday Night Live mainstay did her best to bring the laughs on Weekend Update but even she had to break character and be honest about how tough it is to keep things together these days.

McKinnon appeared midway through the segment, which was tough on Donald Trump and the coronavirus pandemic as usual. But her doctor character, Dr. Wenowdis, gave her a grey mustache and hairdo and left her pondering things as Colin Jost set her up. The segment was goofy and awkward, and it seemed that McKinnon was primarily interested in making Jost uncomfortable.

That’s a recipe for success on Weekend Update for sure, but at around the 2:40 mark Wenowdis decided to give Jost an “exam,” where things got very strange: McKinnon started singing “blood pressure” to the tune of Queen’s “Under Pressure” and squeezing a fake medical tool that made a goofy noise. Giggling, Jost asked a clearly struggling McKinnon directly, not Dr. Wenowdis, if she was OK.

“Kate. Kate,” Jost said, stopping the bit in its tracks. “Are you OK?”

“I’m obviously not,” McKinnon said, with no accent, drawing applause from the crowd. She then explained that Dr. Wenowdis is a character she made up to cope with the realities of the pandemic, even if it’s not working as well as she hoped.

“I’m sorry you guys. It’s such a crazy time and this is something I started doing to cope,” she said. “I have a lot of wigs and mustaches at my disposal and it’s a nice way to escape, you know, it’s refreshing to play a character who, um, know dis.”

She then went on to list a few things we don’t know, such as when the pandemic will end, who will win the election and what will “happen to the world.” It’s a sincere moment that seems to have been a scripted breaking of the fourth wall, but there was a moment of unexpected levity when McKinnon leaned on the Weekend Update podium and accidentally set off the joke medical tool, which squeaked and made everyone break again.

“The one thing that we do know is that…” McKinnon offered before changing her mind, “No we don’t know dis.”

The sketch did end on a more positive note, but it was nice to see that even the pros are having trouble in what’s been a sad and oftentimes disturbing year. There’s a lot we don’t know, but at least we’re all in that together when you really think about it.