“I love them!”

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On a quest to fill my stay-at-home time with something good to watch, I chose a show called Upload on Amazon Prime. It’s about the afterlife, the future, and seemed to be a little disturbing while also romanticly comedic, so it fit right within my taste. For two days, my phone was down, and my attention was fully on the life of Nora Antony, played by Andy Allo, an Angel at Horizen, who helps privileged dead people adjust to their new lives in a digital heaven.

Honestly, it was the Mary J. Blige song “Family Affair” playing as Nora got off a crowded New York City subway train to get to her call center job that made me stay. The gorgeous presence of Nathan Brown (played by Robbie Amell), was just icing on the cake. Though set in the future, the setting was all too familiar; I could relate and was easily able to put myself into Nora’s shoes.

I am positive that I’m not the only one who has been immediately enchanted by Andy’s charm — the late, great, Purple One, Prince, was captivated by her charm too, as he embraced her as a guitarist and vocalist for his backing band, the New Power Generation, in 2011. Not only that, her 2012 sophomore debut, Superconductor, was executively produced by him and she has released a total of five albums with Prince as her mentor. Before Prince, she banged out as Allo and the Traffic Jam on Sacramento’s bustling historic J Street.

“I think he knew before I truly did of the potential I had,” Allo recalled of her time working with Prince. “I feel like he saw it.”

Now, she plays an angel in Upload and though she has another acting project titled 2 Minutes Of Fame coming out this summer starring Kat Williams and Keke Palmer, music is still a priority.

Shortly after it was announced that Upload would be renewed for a second season, Uproxx spoke with Allo about the ever-evolving human experience, music and what kind of digital afterlife Prince would be into if he were an upload.

I watched Upload the first day it came out and binged it in two days. I’m obsessed with it. I’ve been telling all my friends to watch it. It reminds me of The Good Place and I love movies and shows like that. What was it for you about the script that kind of drew you in?

Well, I really love sci-fi and I’m a sucker for romantic comedies and the script just….the world that Greg [Daniels] built is so layered and so balanced, it kind of has the best of all worlds and the characters are so, so beautifully crafted, especially Nora. When I read the script, I instantly connected with her and I was like, “Oh, I’m obsessed. I have to play this character.”

I feel like everybody’s probably obsessed with Nora and how down to earth she is, and like, not so perfect, but trying to make it. I also noticed the different classes and I feel like you’re right. It feels like this could be a reality, this could actually happen.

Like it is happening. I think about like, man, I feel like I am living Nora’s life right now.

With all the technology and the way that things are going on, for sure. The show definitely plays on the idea of existentialism and human’s natural fear of death, paying to live a little bit longer. Have you ever consciously dealt with those things in real life? Has being part of this show been transformative for you at all?

I mean, for me, Nora’s mission is getting her father to upload because she wants to stay connected to him forever. As I’ve gotten older and so have my parents, I too would be like, of course I want to stay connected to my loved ones forever. That totally hit me and it makes me wish we did have something like upload in Lakeview to stay in touch with the people that mean so much to us. Definitely.

The ending got kind of weird where I was in love with Nora and Nathan’s relationship, then it just hit me, I was like, wait, Nathan’s dead. If something like this were to happen, there could be love that happens between the dead and the living and it’s kind of weird, but finding your forever partner could be the new normal. Nora’s dad wanted to meet her mom in heaven. When you say heaven now, you don’t know if that’ll happen, but with this you’re like, yeah, it’s a for sure thing. What are your thoughts on that?

Well, I think about kind of what’s happening now and how we spend so much time using FaceTime and Zoom to connect to people. I have friends that are still dating and using apps to meet people and they’re going on these virtual dates through FaceTime.

So in a way it’s like using technology to connect to somebody. When you’re not in front of someone face-to-face, it’s hard to gauge that physical connection. Yet, now because of what’s happening in the world, you kind of have to rely on FaceTime and getting to know somebody through this medium and trust that, I’m getting to know you, as you, without the physical, which can distract you from really getting to know somebody.

I kind of feel like, Nora really gets this chance to find something that she’s been yearning for, which is having seen her parents romance play out almost like a fantasy and all the way until the end with her mom passing. That’s her example of what love is and she’s searching for that. She’s looking for it in all the wrong places with the wrong people. I think it’s because they really got a chance to just get to know each other and become friends. And I think that really opened her up to be like, “Oh wow, okay. I actually…I just like you.”

Have you seen that Netflix show, Love Is Blind? Where they have to be in these pods before they can meet a person?

Yes!

I feel like that was a precursor to coronavirus. It was the warm-up. The warning.

I love it. Love Is Blind. I know, Love Is Blind, but what was the other one? Too Hot To Handle?

Too Hot To Handle, yeah.

Where they can’t touch each other.

Yeah, exactly. If they do, they get charged a lot of money.

I find these shows interesting, definitely are the way things are now of getting to know each other and getting to know people separately and without relying on, “Oh yeah. You’re just really good looking and I’m just attracted to in that way.” That stuff doesn’t last and it’s more so the deeper stuff that really connects you with somebody. I think it’s really beautiful and I love that Nora and Nathan, through this kind of unfortunate circumstance of him being dead, getting to know each other that way.

I also thought it was interesting how he didn’t know he was a douchebag. You know what I mean? Like you just think, oh my God, he’s such a great person and then you realize, whoa, those memories weren’t there so he wasn’t able to know that about himself and be that. It was kind of like how your past defines you. He didn’t have that to define himself, which was interesting to me.

Yeah. I love that this show kind of brings up that question, which is, who are you really? Are you the person that can define themselves and say, no, this is who I am now. Or are you defined by your past and what you’ve done or who you’ve been. Can you change? Are you given that opportunity? I think it’s such a beautiful journey for Nathan. Who kind of starts out one way and then learns to be better and learns to appreciate certain things, especially through his relationship and friendship with Nora. As for Nora, she gets to appreciate the beauty in her own situation. I love the scene when she shows him around her office and he’s like, “Wow, this is amazing.” And she’s like, “No, are you kidding?” And then he comes back into his world and he brightens up the stars and it’s like, this is amazing. So I feel like they really get to show each other the beauty of where they both are.

And for Nora to watch Nathan grow and initially being like, yeah, he’s a douchebag, but then giving him the chance to get to know him. At the end, really accepting him for who he is and who he’s shown her to be and believing that versus what the past has been.

I definitely think the show really disrupts that the idea of what life could be in the future. We think of certain things, like we’ll still have our same little quirks, but this, I feel like [Greg] really showed out with this. Especially highlighting the whole classism thing how your job is connected to what could happen to you when you’re dead and even showing capitalism at work with the Taco Bell thing. Even though these people are dead, they can still enjoy Taco Bell? Wow, okay.

Right. They’re still trying to sell stuff and make money, even in afterlife, which is just crazy.

Would you be an upload?

Oh yes. 100%. I thought about it a lot and I view it as a second chance. Ideally, I would want to upload closer to my older years. I’ve done everything I want to do here. Seeing it as a second chance to do stuff that I maybe wasn’t able to get to, or didn’t have the resources for, or the time for, and really just continue kind of growing and expanding and experiencing afterlife.

I know that you had this really great relationship with Prince. Do you think Prince would want to be a resident of Lakeview?

Oh, I don’t know if it’s his style. I feel like he’s more of like a Caribbean type vibe.

So if there was a Caribbean heaven, that’s where Prince would be?

Yeah, I think so. Some kind of exotic type place. That would be his vibe. Where there are amazing musicians and concerts and things happening. And you could just roll up anytime and just rip out a solo.

Would Paisley Park be on that island as well?

100%. There would be a version of Paisley’s that would be on there so he could record music and be releasing records even in afterlife.

That would be so fire. That would be so crazy now that I’m thinking about it. Then going into your musical relationship with Prince and your role as a singer and guitarist with the New Power Generation, what was it like having him as a mentor? I’m pretty sure it was very, very fun and interesting.

I think about it now sometimes, I’m like did that really happen? It’s so wild. I learned so much and he gave me so many tools of how to live and create as an artist. He would be up all night just writing. Every morning, he would have a new song that he wrote. By the end of the day it would be recorded and it would sound amazing.

Art and music just flowed through him and he really showed me what it means to be a vessel and embody art. He really set a standard of when you aim to do something and want to do something, to be the best, show up, be the best version of yourself and always having integrity in what you do. They’re just music lessons, but life lessons as well, that I’ve taken and carry with me with everything I kind of walk into.

Love that. Is that one of the things that he’s told you that you often go back to it for advice, or has there ever been one thing where you’re like maybe doubting yourself and then you hear Prince’s voice in your head?

I think he knew before I truly did, of the potential I had. I feel like he saw it. He would say certain things and those were the moments that we would butt heads because he was a very strong personality and so was I, and we were both extremely stubborn. When I wanted something one way then, and he wanted it the other way and we would get into these amazing discussions about it. So, I think he saw a lot of himself in me and I don’t think I quite knew my own potential, but some of the things that he had said, or encouraged me, or pushed me to do that I wasn’t quite ready for, or didn’t understand. I have those kinds of a-ha moments now where it’s like, oh, you knew. You sneaky! You knew! It’s nice having those moments now.

That’s very sweet. Now I also know that you had a band, Allo And The Traffic Jam, that you did in Sacramento. I feel like that’s very Prince-ish. What was that experience like for you and what made you put yourself out there like that?

I loved the music. I loved playing. I loved performing. There was nothing else I wanted to do and we had this funk band. It’s so funny you say that. I hadn’t really thought of it that way, but yeah, it was when we played funk songs and jammed and play on the street of these art walks. We put on concerts and that was one of my first bands and that was so much fun. Now that you mention it, it is very Prince-esque.

That’s probably what he saw. Are you still making music nowadays or what’s going on with that?

I am. It’s been really cool actually, being at home so much, I’ve been playing a lot more. I started doing these Facebook Lives every Monday. I call it Music Monday at noon. I play little short concerts. I’m working on some new music as well. Hopefully, we’ll start putting out some goodies toward the end of this year.

I can’t wait for that! I just saw that Upload got a season two already. How excited are you about that?

Yes. I can’t believe it. In one week. It’s been out one week.

Like I said, I watched it in two days, okay? I am already ready for season two!

I love that. I know, I’m ready too. I’m like, can we just start filming? But I’m so excited. It feels like such a dream. Hopefully, we’ll be able to start filming the second season and get that out to people because I know they’re hungry for it.

Upload is now available on Amazon Prime. Watch it here.

Rina Sawayama flexed her matured songwriting with her recently-released sophomore record Sawayama. The effort is packed with commentaries, some aimed at societies and others directed inward. Sawayama’s track “Bad Friend” is an example of a song inspired by an introspective dive into her past actions. Now, the singer returns with a visual accompanying the reflective track.

Directed in a film noir style, Sawayama’s “Bad Friend” video depicts her as a quiet local bar regular. Sawayama encounters a rowdy old friend and her gritty true colors appear at the video’s close, concluding with regretful violence.

In a statement accompanying her visual, Sawayama says it was inspired by the feeling of realizing she had played a role in the dissolution of a friendship:

“The ‘Bad Friend’ video was one of the last videos we shot before UK lockdown with director Ali Kurr. We had so much fun making this, as it was my first time doing stunts and being in prosthetic makeup. The song is about the heartbreak of losing a friendship and realizing that you were the cause of the breakdown. When you hear the song this is not the video you imagine – but that’s exactly what we wanted. The music video is a reimagining of the themes in ‘Bad Friend’; of longing, loss, self hate and ultimately self love. Choosing a slow, film noir style focuses all the attention on performance and acting, which was definitely very daunting but I had so much fun making a video that is so wildly different from my previous videos.”

Watch Sawayama’s “Bad Friend” video above.

Sawayama is out now via Dirty Hit. Get it here.

TDE rapper Reason channels The Purge in his menacing video for “Pop Sh*t” featuring Schoolboy Q, donning a light-up mask in the style of the leering villains from the film series’ third installment, Election Year. Directed by Jon Primo, the video sees Reason and a squad of jumpsuited goons invade a fancy party hosted by… Reason. The double role leads to a mirror-style reveal as “Purge Reason” kidnaps “Fancy Reason” at gunpoint, tossing him in the trunk as the video ends on a fearful closeup.

Reason’s been on a tear as he builds anticipation for his “official” TDE debut album after the label re-released his independently released debut album There You Have It in 2018. Since then, he’s only grown his fanbase after terrorizing his and Dreamville’s respective label bosses on the Revenge Of The Dreamers III standout, “Lambo Truck” alongside Dreamville’s West Coast rep Cozz, dropped a South Park-esque stream of Slim Shady-style insult raps in his “Might Not Make It” video for TDE Week, and solidified his presence as TDE’s next big star with Ab-Soul and Boogie on “Trapped In.” Meanwhile, he’s also been teasing a collab album with Jay Rock in addition to his debut, making him one of the label’s most anticipated breakout stars.

Watch Reason’s “Pop Sh*t” video above.

It is a truth universally acknowledged that the Muppets are good. Maybe the only good thing. Have you ever met someone who doesn’t like the Muppets? No, of course not, they don’t exist, but if you were to meet this hypothetical (non-cookie) monster, you would have no choice but to whack them in the head with a boomerang fish. Anyway, Disney+ has a decent selection of Muppets content, including The Muppet Movie, The Muppet Christmas Carol, and Muppet Treasure Island, as well as the two recent films and ABC’s ill-fated The Muppets, but still no The Muppet Show. How come, Chief Iger?

We are, however, getting a new Muppet show, one that premieres this summer.

Muppets Now is an unscripted series that shows Kermit and the gang “like never before.” According to Disney, “In the six-episode season, Scooter rushes to make his delivery deadlines and upload the brand-new Muppet series for streaming. They are due now, and he’ll need to navigate whatever obstacles, distractions, and complications the rest of the Muppet gang throws at him.” There will be “surprising guest stars and more frogs, pigs, and bears (and whatevers) than legally allowed.” What about beakies?

What a great show. Muppets Now premieres on Disney+ on July 31.

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One of the defining scenes from the second season of HBO’s Succession was when Kendall Roy (played by Jeremy Strong) decided to honor his father Logan Roy at a 50th work anniversary celebration with a song. The song, of course, was a cringeworthy rap titled “L To The OG.” The scene was an instant hit with fans, and now, months after the episode first aired, a full studio version of the song has been released.

Strong said in a recent interview that he really went to bat against the song at first, but eventually came around to the idea:

“We were doing a table read in Glasgow, Scotland, and got to the point in the script where we were at the tribute for my dad. Some painfully awkward lines read: ‘Kendall does a rap. ‘Yo MC, kick it.” And there was a lyric that sounded like it was from a bad Bar Mitzvah. I lobbied hard to cut it. I thought it was going to be stupid and let’s think of something else. […] It was amazing and serious. I said to Nick, ‘I love hip-hop and it seems in the idiom of Kendall and the show.’ I had to pull it off.”

He also noted that his performance actually got some love from Frank Ocean: “It became apparent when people were dressed for this thing as Halloween, and I did get a text from Frank Ocean that said, ‘L to the OG’ with a crying face emoji. I took it as the highest possible compliment because he’s one of my heroes. It was small props but it meant the world.”

Listen to “L To The OG” above, and revisit the original scene below.

Experimental producer Arca is anything but conventional. Back in February, Arca teased a new era by releasing the hour-long stand-alone single titled “@@@@@.” Now, Arca returns to divulge details about her fourth album and share a video accompanying a new single, “Time.”

Arca’s lush “Time” video follows her lead single “Nonbinary,” which offered a glimpse of her forthcoming record Kick I. Directed by MANSON, Arca’s “Time” visual shows the producer artfully seducing the devil. Following her avant-garde style, the visual depicts Arca as a half-cyborg, half-human character parading the streets with her newfound nefarious lover.

Alongside her captivating visual, Arca shares details about Kick I. Unveiling the cover art, tracklist, and official release date, Arca teases a handful of big-name features. Included on her tracklist are artists like Rosalía, Björk, and fellow producer Sophie. In a statement about the album’s sound, Arca explained that she aims to remain free genre confines: “I don’t want to be tied to one genre,” said Arca. “I don’t want to be labeled as one thing.”

Listen to “Time” above and find Arca’s Kick I cover and tracklist below.

1. “Nonbinary”
2. “Time”
3. “Mequetrefe”
4. “Riquiqui”
5. “Calor”
6. “Afterwards” Feat. Björk
7. “Watch” Feat. Shygirl
8. “KLK” Feat. Rosalía
9. “Rip The Slit”
10. “La Chíqui” Feat. Sophie
11. “Machote”
12. “No Queda Nada”

Kick I is out 6/26 via XL. Pre-order it here.

The 2020 Major League Soccer season had just barely begun when the global coronavirus pandemic forced it to a halt in March. LAFC winger Carlos Vela, who was named the league’s 2019 MVP and won the Golden Boot, started off this season strongly, helping the team advance to the CONCACAF Champions League quarterfinals and scoring the game winner in the season opener against Inter Miami FC.

With the league on hiatus, though, Vela has been working out at home in Los Angeles, spending quality time with his family, and sharpening his NBA 2K skills — the Mexican international is one of MLS’ premier talents, but he is a well-documented NBA fan as well. Vela spoke with Uproxx on behalf of BODYARMOR about how he’s been staying healthy at home, how MLS teams are slowly working their way toward a season restart, and what he learned from ESPN’s The Last Dance.

How are you and how have you been spending this extra time at home?

Really great. I think like everyone else I have been trying to handle quarantine the best way possible. I would say I have been active and spending quality time with my family. I have a son that’s 3 years old and a pregnant wife, so there’s positive things right now and that is what I’ve been focused on. I’ve just been enjoying the time I have with them and finding ways to stay in shape to be prepared for when it is time to train again.

Since the MLS season has been suspended, how have you been staying positive and fit at home?

Obviously I would like to be training with my teammates and playing this season, but that’s life. You must take it as a new challenge there is no excuse to not keep training. I will usually go out for a run or I will train with the club even though we are training individually, but we’re going back to our routine. But like I said, always looking for a way to stay active, stay in shape, and always be prepared. Even though the coronavirus is going on right now, there is always a solution. You can always train and prepare your mind and body for when it is time to get back out there.

Earlier this month, LAFC began running individual training sessions. I am sure they don’t feel quite normal, but how have the training sessions have been so far?

Obviously, it is not something we thought would happen within our teammates but to be able to go to the facilities and being able to go back to our routine is something positive. Training alone, not running with my teammates, working on drills like passes against the wall is not something every player enjoys but it is a step forward. It is also a step closer to being able to play the game. It gives me pure joy to train and being able to prepare myself for the game. Like I said, take things positively and just enjoy it.

I know you are also a big basketball fan. Did you watch any of The Last Dance on ESPN and if so, what did you think about it?

Of course, I never missed an episode. They were sacred moments. Obviously, I always admired Michael Jordan and after watching this the way he played to be the best and to win championships, it’s something that motivates me to try to win the league and be a part of history. I think it is a way for many athletes to look at themselves in a mirror and just see all the dedication and hard work he put into every game and practice is something to admire. I hope every athlete can — not like him, because it is impossible — leave a mark and make history.

Now that you had some more free time, have you been playing a lot more NBA 2K and working on your skills?

I think I can beat any player and if you like I can demonstrate it to you.

Who is your favorite team to play with?

I love the Lakers because I am a big fan of LeBron, but in NBA 2K I prefer playing with the Brooklyn Nets.

As a professional athlete you have to be very conscious about what you eat and drink — can you tell us why you like BODYARMOR and how it helps you as an athlete?

I think a lot of people think that as an athlete all we need to do is work out and we are all set but that’s not reality. After we train, we must take care of our nutrition most importantly, our health because it is something that is important to maintain a healthy body. That is why BODYARMOR is the best because it is tasteful, but it also does not use artificial ingredients. I think that is the best way to keep a healthy body by using natural ingredients. That is what helps with my post workout. The way it tastes makes it easier to stay hydrated and enjoy a good drink.

Can you talk a little bit about the new BODYARMOR campaign, #OnlyYouCan?

I think this campaign is very important because it has been made for everyone. It does not matter where you come from, what is most important is the motivation, the attitude, and the dedication you put. That is something that grabs people’s attention which is something the campaign is about. The campaign is something we all want everyone to be a part of. So, if you are hardworking and dedicated you can achieve anything you put your mind to. I recommend for the fans to be a part of this and for everyone to enjoy what was created.

With The Walking Dead currently on hiatus, its long-time special effects guru, executive producer, and frequent director Greg Nicotero has had an opportunity to expand the audience for his reboot of Stephen King’s horror anthology series, Creepshow, a series that he obviously loves enough to include an Easter Egg for it in The Walking Dead. The series originally aired on AMC’s niche horror streaming service, Shudder, but to help fill the void left behind after 40 uninterrupted episodes from The Walking Dead universe were interrupted by the pandemic, AMC has begun to air the series on Monday nights (it’s also AMC On Demand now). It’s very good — worth the Shudder subscription, in fact — and for the time being, it helps scratch that The Walking Dead itch.

Of course, since Nicotero is the boss over on Creepshow, he gets final say. Meanwhile, over on The Walking Dead, Nicotero gets plenty of input, but the final word is that of the showrunner, and Nicotero hasn’t always agreed with their decisions. For example, Nicotero “vehemently disagreed” with Robert Kirkman’s decision back in season 2 to let Rick kill Shane instead of allowing Carl to kill Shane, as he did in the comics.

More recently, in the season finale of season 8 — which is when the All-Out War between Rick’s group and Negan’s group ended — Nicotero wanted to end the episode in a completely different way that would have had long-lasting effects on the series, as he told the Collider podcast, The Witching Hour.

“When Rick cuts Negan’s throat,” Nicotero said. “I think Maggie should shoot him. I think Maggie should either kill Negan or shoot him, or do something, because she’s right there.”

“It was a really hard moment to shoot,” Nicotero — who directed that episode — continued. “Knowing that Maggie collapses to her knees when Rick spares Negan’s life. I had pitched this idea to [Scott Gimple]: ‘Why doesn’t Maggie shoot him? Why doesn’t Maggie kill him?’ But obviously, Negan had more of a journey, and there was a lot more going on.”

If viewers had known that Nicotero had lobbied for Negan’s death at the end of season 8, I think nearly everyone would have backed him. Two seasons later, however, and a redeemed Negan is one of the best things about The Walking Dead, which Nicotero acknowledges. “I think that [showrunner Angela Kang] has done a wonderful job. And I think with Samantha [Morton] and Ryan [Hurst], and all the actors, Jeffrey [Dean Morgan] and Melissa [McBride] and Norman [Reedus] and everybody, the last two seasons have been really, really fun … the story really, really moves.”

The Walking Dead will return later this year with its finale, which will feature the return of Lauren Cohan’s Maggie.

(Via Collider)