For the most part, when people get tattoos, they tend to keep them at neck-level or below. It seems that increasingly, though, tattoos on the head or face are becoming more and more commonplace. Kid Cudi is part of the head tattoo club now, as he just revealed.
Cudi shared some photos of his latest piece on Instagram today (March 1). The tattoo is of a flower crown in black ink, and it looks to be about a couple inches tall. The ink doesn’t venture onto Cudi’s forehead, but other than that, it goes all the way around his skull. Per Cudi’s tag in the post’s caption, the tattoo was done by Los Angeles tattoo artist Dr. Woo.
Meanwhile, Cudi recently revealed what he plans for his next couple years to look like. On X (formerly Twitter) a few days ago, he shared the outline, writing, “My next album is already about 80% done, and itll be out in 2026. As always, were takin it someplace new. Just wanted to let yall know, expect an album from me every other year. next year is all about filmin. Got a bunch of stuff I need to get done. Film and tv. So I take a year off of music to do it all.”
The music video-to-Oscars pipeline has been a recurring phenomenon for decades now. David Fincher, known for a classic filmography that includes Fight Club, Se7en, and The Social Network, got his start directing videos for everyone from Rick Springfield and Aerosmith to Madonna and Billy Idol. Spike Jonze directed iconic videos for Sonic Youth and the Beastie Boys before he went on to make full-length feature films like Being John Malkovich and Her. Paul Thomas Anderson, the auteur behind Punch-Drunk Love, There Will Be Blood, and Phantom Thread, has a storied history with Fiona Apple, Radiohead, and Haim.
More recently, though, that phenomenon has become even more prevalent. Last year, Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert, together known as the Daniels, swept the Academy Awards, including Best Picture, with their universe-hopping action comedy Everything Everywhere All At Once. Before they became Oscar darlings, they were music video directors, famous for “Turn Down For What” by DJ Snake and Lil Jon, “Simple Song” by The Shins, and several Manchester Orchestra videos. At this year’s Oscars, there’s another music video director in the midst. It’s the guy who made Jamiroquai’s “Virtual Insanity.”
Jonathan Glazer’s The Zone Of Interest is up for a total of five Oscar nominations, including Best Sound, Best Director, and the coveted Best Picture. The WWII-era film, adapted from Martin Amis’ novel of the same name, follows the Hӧss family, whose patriarch, Rudolf, is a commandant of Auschwitz. They move next to the camp itself in an idyllic house that looks like it was plucked straight out of the suburbs, complete with a verdant garden and even a small swimming pool. Although we never see the inside of the concentration camp itself, it frequently lingers at the edge of the frame, the electric fences and gray concrete walls juxtaposing the domestic pleasantries. It’s a harrowing, disturbing watch, one where the most atrocious scenes are never leveraged for sheer spectacle but instead relegated to literal background noise.
Throughout the film, you can faintly hear gunfire, screams, and barking orders from Nazi officers. These disquieting noises soundtrack everything from a petty argument between Rudolf and his wife, Hedwig, to a tour that Hedwig gives to her mother of her expansive, lush garden. Glazer’s use of contrast — gorgeous visuals with disturbing sounds — is masterful. The Zone Of Interest, solely from an audiovisual perspective, is a tour de force. Mica Levi, who first worked with Glazer as a composer for his eerie sci-fi film, 2013’s Under The Skin, reprises their role. For Glazer’s latest, Levi has created yet another disquieting score that augments the director’s multisensory fixations. There’s much to be said about the banality of evil, a concept coined by philosopher and political theorist Hannah Arendt that underlines the mundanity that so much systematic harm requires. It may feel like a cliche at this point, but that doesn’t make it any less true; you can see it today with the general apathy people have for Israel’s genocide against Palestinians, for example. Glazer’s ingenious use of audiovisual components keeps the film from ever feeling trite.
The English filmmaker honed those chops while directing music videos, including ones for Britpop mainstays Blur, The Verve frontman Richard Ashcroft, and Jack White and Alison Mosshart’s The Dead Weather. As an art form, the music video is a fortuitous combination of sound and sight, and Glazer’s decade-plus foray into the medium feels like foreshadowing for his latest work. For instance, take his 1998 video for “Rabbit In Your Headlights” by Unkle and Thom Yorke, in which a man staggers through a tunnel, walking in the middle of the road, as cars whiz past him. He mutters something unintelligible, repeating it like a mantra as if to save himself from getting hit by one of the many cars on the road. Here, the song itself almost feels like it’s in service of the video itself, rather than the other way around. Yorke’s spectral vocals ring out into the distance, secondary to the loud automobiles that graze (and often kill) our protagonist repeatedly. In the “Rabbit In Your Headlights” video, Glazer implies that sound design is nearly just as important as the visual storytelling itself.
In his 1996 video for Radiohead’s The Bends closer, “Street Spirit (Fade Out),” Glazer’s black-and-white aesthetic mirrors the night-vision sequences in The Zone Of Interest. Although he doesn’t specifically use thermal imaging, its eerie, barren landscape offers little to look at. He accomplishes a similar feat in the video for Nick Cave And The Bad Seeds’ plaintive, piano-led “Into My Arms,” and this time the background is a complete black void, save for Cave’s pallid, otherworldly figure and other recurring characters. Just as Glazer centers the lone girl placing apples in the trenches in The Zone Of Interest, he focuses on the people in “Into My Arms” and nothing else. His penchant for brutal heartbreak and isolation is perhaps best captured in his 2006 video for “Live With Me” by trip-hop luminaries Massive Attack, which opens with a brief black-and-white prologue before segueing into something darker: a young woman who drinks herself into a stupor alone in her apartment. It makes Terry Callier’s crooning vocals hit that much harder: “I’ve been thinking about you, baby / I want you to live with me.” Like The Zone Of Interest, it’s not easy to watch. It’s a painful but accurate portrait of the perils of alcoholism and addiction in general.
Still, it would be difficult for Glazer to pull off the contrast he does in The Zone Of Interest without first establishing a sense of visual splendor, such as the beautiful close-ups of Hedwig’s flowers that slowly morph into a blood-red screen. His most famous and influential video, the one for “Virtual Insanity” by Jamiroquai, is by and large the best example of Glazer’s capability to, frankly, show off a bit. There’s no Nolan-esque, “look-at-this!” showboating to be found in The Zone Of Interest, but that doesn’t mean Glazer doesn’t know how to flaunt his filmmaking prowess. “Virtual Insanity” is a technical marvel; even when you know how it works, it doesn’t make the video any less impressive. As vocalist Jay Kay dances around the room, his gaze fixed to the camera, the floor and couches move seemingly of their own accord. It’s an optical illusion. There are a lot (amazingly software-free) technicalities at play here, and even then, it’s hard to wrap your head around it. Glazer ensures that you never doubt his skill for [ahem] visual insanity.
Glazer may just be the latest addition to an ever-growing legacy of Oscar-nominated filmmakers with a background in making music videos, but he has carved out his own niche within that realm. As The Zone Of Interest shows, no one quite possesses his eye, nor his ear, for affecting contrast. His variegated skillset as an artist, especially when it comes to juxtaposing aural and aesthetic themes concurrently, is unmatched. If anything, he reinforces the music video as an essential art form in its own right, one where two senses, sight and sound, can enhance the other’s meaning. He has been honing his cinematic signifiers for a while now in his music videos. In The Zone Of Interest, Glazer weaves them into an unnerving whole.
Sexyy Red is, for lack of a better term, an absolute menace for anyone in a relationship with her — at least judging by her musical output so far. While dating Red promises frequent trips to “Pound Town,” it apparently also comes with jailhouse drama, a “Rich Baby Daddy” she doesn’t seem too fond of, and other assorted mess that comes from dealing with an unabashed “Hood Rat” who truly doesn’t give a… you know.
Her new video for “I Might” with Summer Walker details her latest misadventures in romance, threatening to call up her side piece when her baby daddy starts acting up. She even takes sinister glee in pitting the two men against each other, which in the song means chuckling that her baby daddy “gon’ leavе you leakin’ in a alley” if he finds out about her infidelity. In the video, she takes the mischief a step further, cackling from the sidelines with her third option as her jilted boo thang confronts her number two, only to find himself swiftly outnumbered and surrounded by his rival’s fellow hooligans. Cinema, truly.
Summer Walker turns out to be a perfect pairing, as she’s always been with starting a fight on record, but brings the softness to the track that makes it deceptively catchy. Seriously, it’s a great song, but if I ever run into either in person, I’m running the other way.
Watch Sexyy Red’s “I Might” video with Summer Walker above.
Uproxx cover stars Paramore’s latest visual masterpiece has arrived. The group’s single new “Thick Skull” was a fan favorite from their album This Is Why. Thanks to the directorial work from Turnstile’s Brendan Yates, the video is available for all to enjoy.
Paramore’s music is known for its stinging punch, so the visual for “Thick Skull” had a lot to live up to. Fortunately, that wasn’t a problem for the band or Yates. Across the video, Paramore finds themselves in a series of unfortunate events, but isn’t that the reality of life? As they gear up to begin their journey, the coast appears clear, but they are on a crash course by the end.
The visual ends both viewers and the group in a wreck. No resolve. There is no fairy tale ending. You know, because sometimes things just don’t work out for your good. This depressing ending drives home the core of the record.
In a statement, singer Hayley Williams shared the true metaphoric meaning behind the record. “Just like a house can be a metaphor, so can a band,” she said. “Paramore has been the vehicle by which me and my friends have learned our toughest lessons. It has kept us close, and it has nearly killed us. You also have these metaphors in your life: What holds you back — what gives you courage — what force compels you to grow even when it’s uncomfortable or embarrassing.”
Williams went on to talk about the group’s recovery from the wreckage. “As for Paramore, the band, not the metaphor: We have crashed the van,” she said. “We’re finding new ways. We have new maps. We are starting from point zero. And this time, we’re reading the fine print.”
Watch the “Thick Skull” video above.
This Is Why is out now via Atlantic. Find more information here.
Paramore is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
I’m so proud of them. The clip comes from a new promo for Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire, which better have at least one song on the soundtrack where a comically large animal roars over a Green Day song. I will also accept Kong and Godzilla riding (and potentially jumping off) a Dune sandworm.
Here’s the official plot synopsis:
The epic battle continues! Legendary Pictures’ cinematic Monsterverse follows up the explosive showdown of Godzilla vs. Kong with an all-new adventure that pits the almighty Kong and the fearsome Godzilla against a colossal undiscovered threat hidden within our world, challenging their very existence—and our own. Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire delves further into the histories of these Titans and their origins, as well as the mysteries of Skull Island and beyond, while uncovering the mythic battle that helped forge these extraordinary beings and tied them to humankind forever.
Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire, which stars Godzilla, Kong, and some humans (including Rebecca Hall, Brian Tyree Henry, Dan Stevens, and Kaylee Hottle), opens in theaters on March 29.
Camila Cabello, Normani, Lauren Jauregui, Dinah Jane, and Ally Brooke wrapped up their time together as Fifth Harmony in 2018 (Cabello left the group a little before that, in 2016). Since then, there have been murmurs here and there about a reunion. On that front, there is some promising news.
Will Fifth Harmony Reunite In 2024?
Page Six reports that according to “a source,” the five-piece is “in talks to reunite,” and that Cabello is included in these conversations. The artists’ interest in reuniting was apparently sparked after songs like “All In My Head (Flex)” went viral on TikTok.
The relationship between Cabello and her former bandmates wasn’t great after she left the group, but in 2022, she said, “We have been supportive of each other through like DMs and stuff. I’m in a really good place with them.”
Then, in an October 2023 interview, an E! News host said to Brooke, “I do feel like, in the future, we’ll get all the girls together.” Brooke responded, “A hundred percent. We may be working on something.” Brooke later clarified on X (formerly Twitter), though, “I’m thrilled to see there’s a lot of interest surrounding Fifth Harmony. Reunion has many meanings and while there’s no official band reunion happening at the moment, some beautiful friendships and relationships are slowly reuniting in a healing and empowering way.”
If the reunion doesn’t end up happening, at least Normani and Cabello have new solo music on the way.
As the nation helplessly watches our highest halls of government toss justice to the wind, a 2nd grader has given us someplace to channel our frustrations. In a hilarious video rant, a youngster named Taylor shared a story that has folks ready to go to the mat for her and her beloved, pink, perfect attendance pencil.
Instagrammer @tabgeezy shared a video of her daughter telling the story of how she put her perfect attendance pencil—the pink one that she had legitimately earned—in the classroom box of pencils to be sharpened. But when she went to retrieve it from the sharpened pencils box, all she found were plain yellow pencils. That’s because Lizzie—who, by the way, had not earned a perfect attendance pencil because she had gone to CANADA—was using it. And not only that, but Canada Lizzie then lost Taylor’s pencil in her desk, and her teacher was no help.
You have to hear Taylor tell it to understand why this travesty of justice has gone viral.
If you think this pencil battle is of no consequence whatsoever, think again. People on Twitter got hold of the video, and folks are rallying behind Taylor as if that pink pencil is our democracy and Taylor and Lizzie are the House and Senate.
If somebody ever takes my childu2019s perfect attendance pencil which SHE earned cuz she didnu2019t even go to Canada, the entire school getting shut down.
— Charlotte Clymer ud83cudff3ufe0fu200du26a7ufe0fud83cuddfaud83cudde6 (@Charlotte Clymer ud83cudff3ufe0fu200du26a7ufe0fud83cuddfaud83cudde6) 1580482234
“Lizzie” was trending on Twitter as people called out the little girl who went to CANADA and then dared to take Taylor’s perfect attendance pencil.
Me and the crew showing up to school the next day looking for Lizzie and getting to ride out for Tayloru2019s Perfect Attendance Pencil https://twitter.com/_FemGod/status/1223105472393121793u00a0u2026pic.twitter.com/3Hw7ASVmpX
— Matthew A. Cherry (@Matthew A. Cherry) 1580483395
All I am saying is that if Lizzy wanted a pink Perfect Attendance pencil then she shouldn’t have gone to CANADA.nn#JusticeForThePencil
There were some shout-outs to Taylor’s classmate who understood what that pencil meant to her.
shout out to reece who was the only one who understood the gravity of the situation. don’t let me see lizzie in the streets! https://twitter.com/_FemGod/status/1223105472393121793u00a0u2026
— in charge of the girls (@in charge of the girls) 1580474444
But Taylor’s teacher certainly wasn’t getting any love.
Me writing an email to my babyu2019s teacher saying that messy ass Lizzie better come up with a perfect attendance pencil or sheu2019s going to be going back to Canadapic.twitter.com/ZbcjpwBvUr
People had so. many. feelings. about baby girl getting back her pencil, about the way her mom and teacher dismissed it as “just a pencil,” and about poor little Lizzie who probably still doesn’t understand what all the fuss is about.
Why do we care so much? Adorableness aside, we’re all a little burned out on politics and the methodical dismantling of our country’s checks and balances, so maybe getting charged up over an adorable little girl’s pencil injustice somehow feels cathartic.
John Delaney dropped out of the race… Meh!nnThereu2019s a Presidential impeachment… Yawn. nnSomeone stole a little girlu2019s perfect attendance pencil. nnMe:pic.twitter.com/aXBot4y58G
Whether you’re a horror aficionado or your scary threshold is at a level 2, you’re bound to be familiar with at least a couple of iconic horror movies. The horror genre is a huge part of our culture, allowing us to explore the darkest depths of the human psyche within the safety and comfort of home—or a theater, if you dare.
As counterintuitive as it might sound, watching horror movies can be more than stimulating entertainment for some people. It can act as a form of exposure therapy, helping reduce anxiety levels. Of course, this is not the case for everyone, but it certainly helps explain why the genre is so well loved and continues gaining popularity. Even in 2020—arguably an anxiety-inducing year for everyone—horror movies were the only ones to actually see a surge in ticket sales. Sometimes it’s just more cathartic to see an actual monster wreaking havoc in a fictional world than it is to think about all real-world worries that haunt our imaginations.
Still, not everyone can shake off that scary feeling that a horror movie elicits, and therefore might not partake in watching. Nonetheless, they might enjoy seeing the edge taken off with a bit of lighthearted humor. After all, it’s often recommended to watch a little comedy after a horror flick to clean out the heebie jeebies.
Jimmy Fallon asked folks to “take a horror movie and add one word to change the plot and tag it with #AddAWordRuinAHorrorMovie for his ever-popular Hashtags segment on “The Tonight Show.” Granted, some people took liberties with the rules—occasionally replacing a word in the title, for example—but nonetheless, grammatical fun was had. And well-known horror movie plots did undergo hilariously drastic changes.
Below are 23 of the best ones. Enjoy, because even those who can’t handle anything too scary deserve a little spooky entertainment.
1. “The Blair Witch Project Manager” – @ ite_mumma
Dance is a unique art form in that the medium it utilizes is the human body itself. Simply through purposeful and graceful control of movement, dancers can express and evoke joy, sadness, fear, confusion—the whole range of human emotion. And when dancing is done well, it’s utterly mesmerizing.
Such is the case with Mariandrea, a 14-year-old from Mexico who auditioned for America’s Got Talent in July of 2023 and wowed both the judges and the audience with her dance performance. She has been dancing since she was 5, and as Simon Cowell pointed out, it’s clear that she was born to do this.
After showing off her sparkling personality during the pre-performance interview, Mariandrea danced to a cover of Tears for Fears’ “Mad World,” personifying the song in her performance. But it wasn’t just her intentional movement that reflected the emotional complexity of the ever-popular hit. Her facial expressions, ranging from subtle fear to a clown-like smile to genuine sorrow to angry defiance, change on a dime, adding an acting element to her routine that takes it to the next level.
Add in the incredible control she has of her body as it twists and turns and seems to defy gravity, both gracefully flowing and disturbingly contorting, and it’s easy to see why she earned a standing ovation and enthusiastic praise from all four judges.
Watch:
For someone so young to have such a strong grasp of her craft is quite extraordinary, and people were wowed by her talent as well as her showmanship.
“I had to watch this more than once. Her smile, energy, and face reminds me of a young Natalie Portman. You can tell she is more than a dancer also, very intelligent, expressive, talented, yes acting too. Wow! Congratulations!” shared one commenter.
“This young lady has a very bright future ahead of her! The passion that she emanated while dancing was above and beyond what we have seen in half the dancers that are older than her… Can’t wait to see what she does next!!!” wrote another.
“Stunned. I would have given her a golden buzzer. The sharpness, flexibility, timing, theatrics, and costume use. 10/10,” shared another.
One commenter pointed out that her dance felt like a monologue, and another person called it “absolute art.” Many people expressed disappointment that she didn’t receive the Golden Buzzer, which would propel her immediately to the final round. But if her other performances are anything like this one, she’s got a pretty decent chance of making it to the finals without it.
This article originally appeared on 9.18.23
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