Category: Viral

Taylor Swift, who became the best-selling musician in 2019, has been more than generous with her money recently. At the onset of the pandemic, the singer covered rent for a worried NYC photographer and donated millions of dollars to relief funds following Tennessee’s devastating tornado in early March. Now, Swift continues her give back by covering a large portion of a fan’s tuition costs.

18-year-old Vitoria Mario launched a GoFundMe page after receiving an offer to study math at the UK’s prestigious University Of Warwick. Mario emigrated from Portugal four years ago to attend school in the UK, but since she doesn’t have citizenship status, she’s not eligible to receive scholarships from the university. On Thursday, Mario was halfway to her goal of £40,000, roughly $52,500, until Taylor Swift came across her fundraiser page.

The singer decided to give her enough money to reach her goal, which ended up being over $30,000. “Vitoria, I came across your story online and am so inspired by your drive and dedication to turning your dreams into reality,” Swift wrote on Mario’s GoFundMe page. “I want to gift you the rest of your goal amount. Good luck with everything you do!”

Mario was over the moon upon seeing Swift’s generous donation and shared a video to Twitter in order to thank the pop star. “Thank you so much Taylor for your big impact in my campaign and in my life, and for being so generous and so kind towards me.”

Watch Mario’s message thanking Swift for her large donation below.

COVID-19 has turned the act of going to the grocery store from a necessary annoyance — or a pleasure, depending on who you ask — to a frightening anxiety-ridden experience as you dart through aisles and dodge other shoppers while trying your hardest not to touch anything. Do you have any idea how frustrating it is to eye-ball a ripe avocado? We’ll take any opportunity to be able to do our shopping from the safety and comfort of our own home. That’s why we’re happy that we can now add Beyond Meat to the list of items we can get from our couch, alongside cannabis and booze.

The Beyond Meat store officially opens its digital doors today with a selection of the most popular Beyond Meat products as well as online-exclusives. According to a press release announcing the store, the site will also act as a test kitchen for future products and will allow the company to get insight directly from consumers about limited edition items, trial packs, and the latest plant-based foods from Beyond.

In keeping with the brand’s eco-conscious ethos, each order will be shipped in insulated shipping boxes that are fully recyclable and will be sent through UPS’s carbon-neutral two-day shipping option, which offsets emissions of the shipment’s transport by supporting projects related to reforestation and wastewater treatment.

Currently, the store features just five options that include the Burgers and Beef combo pack, a Brats and Beef Combo Pack, a six-pound bulk pack of Beyond Beef, the Breakfast Sausage Variety Pack, and the obvious winner, the Go Beyond Trail Pack, which consists of one package of Beyond Burgers, Beyond Beef, Beyond Sausage Original Brat, and Beyond Breakfast Sausage. It’s a Beyond buffet!

Pro tip: don’t sleep on hitting that store. For today only, all shoppers can save $5 off their order when they checkout using the code GOBEYOND. And with the cheapest option at $49.99, we’ll take any chance we can get to save some bread.

Coming off the release of his 2020 album, > Music (“Greater Than” Music, get it?), Baltimore upstart Shordie Shordie brings his catchy crooning to UPROXX Sessions with a passionate performance of his new song, “Know You.” Shordie eschews fancy props and even exuberant gestures for a more intimate, stripped-down showing that paints the portrait of an artist immersed in his craft.

Shordie Shordie first rose to local prominence as a member of the trio Peso Da Mafia, where he earned the nickname Captain Hook referring to his penchant for crafting earworm-y hooks that draw the listener in and give them something to relate to. He later used the nickname as the title for his 2018 solo EP, spawning the hit song “Bitchuary.” He spent the past two years polishing his craft, delivering > Music in April this year and judging from “Know You,” has gotten right back in the studio to work on new music.

Watch Shordie Shordie’s UPROXX Sessions performance of “Know You” above.

UPROXX Sessions is Uproxx’s new performance show featuring the hottest up-and-coming acts you should keep an eye on. Featuring creative direction from LA promotion collective, Ham On Everything, and taking place on our “bathroom” set designed and painted by Julian Gross, UPROXX Sessions is a showcase of some of our favorite performers, who just might soon be yours, too..

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

In a roundtable on ESPN this morning, the executive committee of the WNBA Players’ Association came together to announce the league would not play games again on Thursday, though executive committee president Nneka Ogwumike made sure to clarify that this is not a strike or a boycott, but a “day of reflection” for the players, and, they hope, fans as well.

“People forget that we’re athletes, but we’re not machines,” executive committee VP Layshia Clarendon said. “We needed a pause. … It’s been really heavy and difficult to deal with every day.”

In the same gym where ESPN’s Holly Rowe interviewed the executive committee, every player in the league stood with their arms linked to stand in solidarity with the decision and the efforts on the part of the league, teams and players.

While Ogwumike said WNBA players expected to return to play on Friday after agreeing at an overnight vigil that they wanted the season to resume, the players wanted to reaffirm the purpose of the season and draw attention back to voting, filling out a census, contacting local officials, and being a force in people’s own sphere of influence.

Executive committee VP Sue Bird reiterated the pain being felt in locker rooms and communities across the WNBA and the country, and encouraged those watching to “take that pain, that frustration, that energy to the polls.”

All season, the WNBA has been aggressive about highlighting the Say Her Name campaign and female victims of police brutality as well as raising money and awareness around social justice and systemic racism, even as they played a condensed schedule in their Bubble. This day of reflection gave them the space to rededicate the season toward those issues.

One of my favorite movie scares this year is from Host, the Zoom-set horror movie that’s better than it has any right to be. Without giving too much away, the scene involved a face (spoiler here), and it was both goofy and chilling, as the best horror movie scares often are. Come Play takes that idea, and makes an entire movie of it.

Directed by Jacob Chase, Come Play stars Gillian Jacobs (Britta!) and John Gallagher, Jr. as the parents of a young autistic boy named Oliver who uses his tablet to communicate with others, including Larry, a “tall and pale and thin” monster who’s glimpsed mostly through screens (hence the comparison to Host). Larry “just wants a friend,” which is bad news for Oliver and Oliver’s parents, who have to protect their son.

Here’s the official plot synopsis:

Newcomer Azhy Robertson stars as Oliver, a lonely young boy who feels different from everyone else. Desperate for a friend, he seeks solace and refuge in his ever-present cell phone and tablet. When a mysterious creature uses Oliver’s devices against him to break into our world, Oliver’s parents (Gillian Jacobs and John Gallagher, Jr.) must fight to save their son from the monster beyond the screen.

Come Play opens on October 30.

After a day that saw the NBA and WNBA strike and multiple MLB teams follow suit, many NFL teams have canceled practices and team activities scheduled for Thursday, just two weeks before the start of its season. So far, the Colts, Jets, Titans, Cardinals, Bears, Packers, and Washington have canceled practices, while Adam Schefter of ESPN reported he expects more to do the same.

The Colts said they would “use the day to discuss and work toward making a lasting social impact and inspiring change in our communities.”

Cardinals head coach Kliff Kingsbury gave his usual practice day media availability, but used the opportunity to discuss his perspective on the latest national uprising in the wake of the police shooting of Jacob Blake. In his virtual call with reporters, Kingsbury highlighted a conversation with his father, a military veteran, and reiterated that kneeling or demonstrating against social injustice “doesn’t reflect a lack of patriotism or respect for the military in any way.”

Kingsbury went on to say that demonstrations like kneeling during the national anthem or canceling games and practices are “about increasing awareness that racism exists” and that “police brutality against people of color continues to happen.”

Other teams like the Baltimore Ravens and New Orleans Saints opted to practice while also coming together in their own way, with Saints cornerback Janoris Jenkins wearing Jacob Blake’s name across his helmet.

The Ravens practiced, but following their workouts, met to sketch out a plan for how their team will contribute to “continued social justice reform efforts.”

NFL games don’t start for a couple of weeks, but the league and its players are already showing that they will be part of ongoing athlete protests this season.

Grammy-winning singer HER teamed up with another Grammy winner, Robert Glasper, for a melodic new single: The singer joined forces with Glasper and Meshell Ndegeocello for the jazzy “Better Than I Imagined.”

Set to appear on Glasper’s forthcoming effort Black Radio 3, which is slated for a 2021 release, “Better Than I Imagined” boasts HER and Ndegeocello’s soaring harmonies over Glasper’s impeccably dreamy instrumentation. “I realize you’re the only number / I know by heart / Last time I was here / We were together, remember?” HER elegantly croons.

In a statement about the single, Glasper wrote that it’s important to uplift and showcase healthy relationships in music:

“Black lives matter and so does black love; no one wants a life without love, but we have generations of people in our community who haven’t had the tools to actually be in healthy relationships. It seems like people are finally ready to open their eyes to systemic racism in this country, and if we’re going to talk about it, we have to also talk about how it affects our relationships — how we communicate, how we see ourselves, how we treat each other. It’s not always good, even though maybe it could be.”

Ahead of “Better Than I Imagined,” Glasper lent a hand on Leon Bridges and Terrace Martin’s moving track “Sweeter,” which the pair performed at this year’s virtual Democratic National Convention.

Listen to “Better Than I Imagined” above.

Chris Stapleton made a lot of music in 2017, the year he released a pair of albums, two volumes of From A Room. He’s done a few things here and there since then as well, like work with Ed Sheeran and Pixar. Now he has revealed his plans for 2020 and beyond, and one of them is a new album: Starting Over comes out on November 13.

He shared the title track today, an upbeat, acoustic-driven tune in which he yearns for a new and better life. Stapleton is also hoping he’ll be able to tour by next spring, as he announced a huge run of tour dates that span from April to November 2021.

Listen to “Starting Over” above, and below, find the Starting Over art and tracklist, as well as Stapleton’s upcoming tour dates.

01. “Starting Over”
02. “Devil Always Made Me Think Twice”
03. “Cold”
04. “When I’m With You”
05. “Arkansas”
06. “Joy Of My Life” (John Fogerty cover)
07. “Hillbilly Blood”
08. “Maggie’s Song”
09. “Whiskey Sunrise”
10. “Worry B Gone” (Guy Clark cover)
11. “Old Friends” (Guy Clark cover)
12. “Watch You Burn”
13. “You Should Probably Leave”
14. “Nashville, TN”

11/21/2020 — Arlington, TX @ Globe Life Field*
04/21/2021 — Toledo, OH @ Huntington Center†
04/22/2021 — Columbus, OH @ Schottenstein Center†
04/24/2021 — Lexington, KY @ A Concert For Kentucky – Kroger Field‡
06/05/2021 — San Bernardino, CA @ Glen Helen Amphitheater§
06/10/2021 — Boise, ID @ Ford Idaho Center Arena#
06/11/2021 — Portland, OR @ Sunlight Supply Amphitheater#
06/12/2021 — George, WA @ The Gorge Amphitheatre#
06/17/2021 — Bakersfield, CA @ Mechanics Bank Arena#
06/18/2021 — Sacramento, CA @ Toyota Amphitheatre#
06/19/2021 — Mountain View, CA @ Shoreline Amphitheatre#
06/24/2021 — Salt Lake City, UT @ USANA Amphitheatre^
06/25/2021 — Denver, CO @ Pepsi Center^
06/26/2021 — Denver, CO @ Pepsi Center^
07/08/2021 — Milwaukee, WI @ Summerfest At American Family Insurance Amphitheater+
07/10/2021 — Camden, NJ @ BB&T Pavilion°
07/17/2021 — Chicago, IL @ Wrigley Field%
07/23/2021 — Holmdel, NJ @ PNC Bank Arts Center**
07/24/2021 — Syracuse, NY @ St. Joseph’s Health Amphitheater At Lakeview**
07/28/2021 — Gilford, NH @ Bank NH Pavilion††
07/29/2021 — Gilford, NH @ Bank NH Pavilion††
07/31/2021 — Minneapolis, MN @ U.S. Bank Stadium‡‡
08/05/2021 — Cuyahoga Falls, OH @ Blossom Music Center°
08/07/2021 — South Bend, IN @ Notre Dame Stadium§§
08/12/2021 — Charlotte, NC @ PNC Music Pavilion°
08/13/2021 — Raleigh, NC @ Coastal Credit Union Music Park At Walnut Creek°
08/19/2021 — Des Moines, IA @ Iowa State Fair^^
08/20/2021 — Tulsa, OK @ BOK Center##
09/18/2021 — Biloxi, MS @ Mississippi Coast Coliseum++
09/23/2021 — Knoxville, TN @ Thompson-Boling Arena++
10/01/2021 — Atlantic City, NJ @ Jim Whelan Boardwalk Hall++
10/02/2021 — Mansfield, MA @ Xfinity Center++
10/08/2021 — New York, NY @ Madison Square Garden++
10/14/2021 — Columbia, MO @ Mizzou Arena++
10/15/2021 — Lincoln, NE @ Pinnacle Bank Arena++
10/16/2021 — Sioux Falls, SD @ Denny Sanford PREMIER Center++
10/22/2021 — Nashville, TN @ Bridgestone Arena++
10/23/2021 — Nashville, TN @ Bridgestone Arena++
10/28/2021 — Lubbock, TX @ United Supermarket Arena°°
10/29/2021 — Albuquerque, NM @ Isleta Amphitheater°°
10/30/2021 — Phoenix, AZ @ Ak-Chin Pavilion°°
11/04/2021 — Austin, TX @ Frank Erwin Center°°
11/11/2021 — Estero, FL @ Hertz Arena**
11/12/2021 — Orlando, FL @ Amway Center**

* with Willie Nelson & Family, Jamey Johnson, and Yola
† with Margo Price and Yola
‡ with Willie Nelson & Family, Sheryl Crow, and Yola
§ with Dwight Yoakam And The Dirty Knobs with Mike Campbell
# with Margo Price And The Dirty Knobs with Mike Campbell
^ with Sheryl Crow And The Dirty Knobs with Mike Campbell
+ with Sheryl Crow
° with Elle King and Kendell Marvel
% with The Highwomen, Mavis Staples, and Mike Campbell
** with Sheryl Crow and Kendell Marvel
†† with Elle King and Nikki Lane
‡‡ with George Strait and Little Big Town
§§ with George Strait and Brothers Osborne
^^ with Nikki Lane
## with Willie Nelson & Family and Yola
++ with The Marcus King Band and Yola
°° with Jamey Johnson and Yola

Starting Over is out 11/13 on Mercury Records Nashville. Pre-order it here.

Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

With Donald Trump officially set to accept the Republican nomination on Thursday night, The Daily Show with Trevor Noah decided to take out a full-page ad offering the president their “legal services,” should he lose the upcoming election.

The parody ad, which is no doubt at a dig at Trump’s infamous full-page ad demanding the death penalty for the Central Park Five in the 1990s, appeared in The New York Times, Los Angeles Times, and Washington Post on Thursday morning. The faux-legal services include several references to the president’s pending legal troubles and his propensity for encouraging people to drink bleach. The ad also includes a not-so-subtle dig at the president’s alleged affair with porn star Stormy Daniels: “We’ll get you off… and you won’t even have to pay us $130,000.”

In an amusing twist, the phone number on the ad actually works. Dialing the number leads to a pre-recorded prompt where you press 1 if you’re the president, and 2 if you’re not. Via Entertainment Weekly:

The option for Trump leads to a personalized message from Noah offering to send him to Uganda. “Hello, Mr. President. I’m Trevor Noah, managing partner of Trevor Noah & Associates & Sons,” he begins. “Have you ever been to Uganda, sir? It’s a beautiful country with a strong goat-based economy. And most important, it does extradite to the United States. At any time on or before Jan. 20, 2021 I can transport you and any members of your family you actually like to Uganda. I can provide this service for, I don’t know, $10 million. Let me know.”

The second option congratulates you for not being the president and provides a handy PSA on how and where to vote.

You can see the full page ad below:

(Via Entertainment Weekly)

Samia has been on our radar for a few years now, with a string of impressive singles and short-form projects spanning back to 2017. Now, she’s gearing up to release The Baby, her debut full-length, which revels in learning how to be yourself, with no one’s help but your own. On The Baby, Samia’s world is lush and ambient, filled with biting lyrics delivered across a spectrum of different vocal stylings. The album was produced by Jake Luppen, along with Hippo Campus’s Nathan Stocker & Caleb Hinz and engineered by Lars Stalfors, whose credits include work with Foster The People and Soccer Mommy. The result is an album that’s truly special, and one that’s sure to stay in rotation for months to come.

To celebrate the new album, Samia sat down to talk 50 First Dates, the late-night sandwich that changed her life, and Miley Cyrus in the latest Indie Mixtape 20 Q&A.

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

Apologetically yodeling my feelings.

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

I hope it still feels like a conversation. I hope anyone who’s listening feels they’re being heard in some way.

What’s your favorite city in the world to perform?

Tulsa, Oklahoma.

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

Father John Misty. I was obsessed with him in college and his writing gave me permission to tell the whole story. I would print out all his lyrics and skip class to sit at my desk and annotate them.

Where did you eat the best meal of your life?

In 2018 I had a sandwich in Pittsburgh at 3am and it had fries in it and it has ruined everything I’ve eaten since.

What album do you know every word to?

I Love You, Honeybear and Burn Your Fire For No Witness.

What was the best concert you’ve ever attended?

Every Kitten show I’ve seen. She’s the greatest performer of all time.

What is the best outfit for performing and why?

I just like to wear long pants because I generally do a lot of moving around on the ground and I’ve really done a number on my knees. If it were up to me I’d wear the same thing every day in every situation for the rest of my life!!

Who’s your favorite person to follow on Twitter and/or Instagram?

@pantspants and @party_harderson.

What’s your most frequently played song in the van on tour?

“Springsteen” by Eric Church

What’s the last thing you Googled?

The lyrics to “Start All Over” by Miley Cyrus.

What album makes for the perfect gift?

Repave by Volcano Choir.

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

Somebody’s freshman dorm room. I slept next to a stranger’s used condom and didn’t realize until the sun came up.

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

I had my grandmother write “habibi” in Arabic on a napkin the week before she passed and I got it on my hip!

️What artists keep you from flipping the channel on the radio?

Doja Cat!!

What’s the nicest thing anyone has ever done for you?

My mom had a c section!!

What’s one piece of advice you’d go back in time to give to your 18-year-old self?

It’s ok if you have nothing to say sometimes!

What’s the last show you went to?

Sister James!

What movie can you not resist watching when it’s on TV?

50 First Dates

What would you cook if Kanye were coming to your house for dinner?

Prefer not to answer.

The Baby is out August 28 on Grand Jury Music. Pre-order it here.