Regardless of where you live and how clean you keep your home, some level of mold is going to be present. You will never get rid of all of it. However, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) does report that too much exposure can be harmful to your health.
Mold is unsightly and can make you sick, so it’s important to know how mold grows and how to keep mold away as much as possible.
Mold is a fungus and comes in a variety of colors that can be fuzzy or slimy in appearance. It can be black, white, or gray, and it will always have a musty smell.
Mold loves moisture, so whenever there is a lot of water, mold is likely nearby.
Mold will grow just about anywhere, including damp surfaces such as concrete, wood, and even glass. Mold will digest the material it grows on, which is why it’s important to catch it early.
Mold can lead to respiratory infections and even asthma.
Water-damaged areas should be dried within 48 hours to avoid mold growth.
Humidity should be kept low.
Never install carpet in damp/wet areas so you don’t have to worry about mold growth.
Insulation can help to prevent condensation.
If you find mold, clean it up with a mold/mildew disinfectant cleaner.
Address where the water is coming from, whether it’s a leaky pipe or insufficient ventilation.
If you find that mold grows no matter what you do, it might be necessary to call in a professional.
A teaser seen at this year’s Camp Flog Gnaw festival seemed to tease an official release of the long-lost Mac Miller album Balloonerism. Now, we know for sure: Today, an official release of Balloonerism was announced, set for January 17, 2025.
There’s also an accompanying film to be released, a trailer for which is above.
“Many of Malcolm’s fans are aware of Balloonerism, a full-length album that Malcolm created around the time of the release of Faces in 2014. It is a project that was of great importance to Malcolm — to the extent that he commissioned artwork for it and discussions concerning when it should be released were had regularly, though ultimately GO:OD AM and subsequent albums ended up taking precedence.
We believe the project showcases both the breadth of his musical talents and fearlessness as an artist. Given that unofficial versions of the album have circulated online for years and that releasing Balloonerism was something that Malcolm frequently expressed being important to him, we felt it most appropriate to present an official version of the project to the world. With that in mind, we’re happy to announce that Balloonerism will be released on January 17th, 2025.”
The official tracklist has not yet been revealed, but for an idea of what it is likely to look like, there’s a tracklist from a version of the project that surfaced in 2021 (via Genius). However, while that has 16 tracks, the new release has 14 tracks (per Apple Music).
Mac Miller’s Balloonerism Album Cover Artwork
Warner Records
Balloonerism is out 11/17/2025 via Warner Records. Find more information here.
Each week our staff of film and television experts surveys the entertainment landscape to select the ten best new/newish shows available for you to stream at home. We put a lot of thought into our selections, and our debates on what to include and what not to include can sometimes get a little heated and feelings may get hurt, but so be it, this is an important service for you, our readers. With that said, here are our selections for this week.
The acclaimed anime Dan Da Dan is about Momo, a high school girl from a family of spirit mediums, and her classmate / occult fanatic Okarun, who begin talking after she saves him from getting bullied. However, an argument ensues between them: Momo believes in ghosts but denies aliens, and Okarun believes in aliens but denies ghosts. It’s a real Mulder and Scully dynamic, if they were both Mulder (and there was a Turbo Granny). Dan Da Dan, which is getting a weekly release, comes from animation studio Science Saru, who also made last year’s shockingly good Scott Pilgrim Takes Off.
Bill Lawrence might be rebooting Scrubs, and working on more Ted Lasso, and he has big plans for Bad Monkey season 2, but for now, he — and fellow creators Jason Segel and Brett Goldstein — is focused on Shrinking. The mental health comedy returns for another season with Segel as grieving therapist Jimmy and Harrison Ford as his cranky co-worker Paul. But the show’s real MVP is Jessica Williams.
The animated series on Netflix from creators Christian Linke and Alex Yee is based on League of Legends, but trust me, even if you know zilch about the multiplayer online role-playing game, you can still enjoy Arcane. Season 1 premiered all the way back in 2021 (it’s somehow been an even longer wait than Stranger Things), but the strikingly stylish show is now back for its second season… which is also the final season. The voice cast includes Hailee Steinfeld and Ella Purnell, the queen of the video game show.
The Aubrey Plaza-starring My Old Ass is the kind of movie that will make you say: wow. During a mushroom trip on her 18th birthday, Ellliott (played by Maisy Stella) comes face to face with her 36-year-old self (Plaza). But when her “old ass” starts giving her advice based on 20 years of experience, Elliott begins to rethink her life during a transformative summer. It’s Gen Z’s defining coming-of-age comedy.
The final season of Cobra Kai was split into three five-episode chunks, beginning with Part I in July. Part II arrives this weekend, followed by Part III later this year. “The stakes are set at the end of the first five,” star William Zabka, who plays Johnny Lawrence, previously said about the final season. “I think if it was just a movie, it’s a great ending that would beg for a sequel, which fortunately is coming in a few months.” It’s here now.
You know who rocks? Rebecca Ferguson, that’s who. She rocks in Mission: Impossible. She rocks in Dune. And she rocks in Silo. The future-set Apple TV+ sci-fi series is about a community of people who live in an underground silo due to the toxic conditions of the outside world. Literally toxic, not “social media is bad for your mental health” toxic. Ferguson is joined by Tim Robbins, Common, Harriet Walter, and new addition Steve Zahn.
The true star of Emilia Pérez isn’t Zoe Saldaña or Selena Gomez. It’s Karla Sofía Gascón. In Jacques Audiard’s musical crime-drama, the actress, who is trans, plays a feared cartel boss who undergoes sex reassignment surgery with the hope of beginning a new life free from the past. Emilia Pérez has been getting Oscars buzz since it premiered at the Cannes Film Festival in May, with special attention paid to Sofía Gascón’s performance. Could she make history?
Deadpool & Wolverine is the second highest-grossing movie of the year behind only Inside Out 2 with a box office gross of over $1.3 billion. Which is to say, you’ve probably already seen it. But if you want to rewatch the bus fight scene with Ryan Reynolds’ Deadpool and Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine fighting a mini-army of Deadpool variants, or turn the closed captioning on to figure out what the heck Channing Tatum’s Gambit is saying, now you can.
There’s a lot that could be said about Landman. That it’s the latest show from one-man empire Taylor Sheridan; that it’s based on the Boomtown podcast; that it stars Billy Bob Thornton, Ali Larter, Demi Moore, and Jon Hamm. Instead, I’ll let this scene do the talking.
Silicon Valley’s Jimmy O. Yang stars as Willis Wu, a background character who is trapped in a police procedural called Black & White. As he goes through the motions of his on-screen job, he witnesses an unlawful act and begins to unravel a criminal web in Chinatown, along with his own family’s history. Interior Chinatown is based on Charles Yu’s novel of the same name, and also stars Ronny Chieng, Chloe Bennet, Lisa Gilroy, Archie Kao, and Diana Lin.
There’s decades of expectations that come with playing the female lead in an Alien movie; Sigourney Weaver probably would have become a star no matter what, yet Ripley made her an icon. But Cailee Spaeney crushes it in Fede Álvarez’s Alien: Romulus. She commands the screen when she’s shooting a big gun at a bunch of wet aliens, and her scenes with David Jonsson’s robot brother Andy are genuinely touching. Plus, she looks cool as hell.
Malcolm Washington (Denzel’s son) makes his directorial debut with The Piano Lesson. From Netflix: “Set in 1936 Pittsburgh during the aftermath of the Great Depression, The Piano Lesson follows the lives of the Charles family in the Doaker Charles household and an heirloom, the family piano, which documents the family history through carvings made by their enslaved ancestor.” It’s the latest August Wilson play to be adapted into a movie, following 2016’s Fences and 2020’s Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, and stars Samuel L. Jackson, John David Washington, Ray Fisher, Michael Potts, Erykah Badu, Skylar Aleece Smith, Danielle Deadwyler, and Corey Hawkins.
SNL. The Comeback. The Office. Parks and Recreation. Brooklyn Nine-Nine. The Good Place. Rutherford Falls. What do all these shows have in common? Michael Schur. Regis Philbin’s son-in-law (it’s true) has either written for and/or created all of them. He’s one of the most important names in comedy this century, and he has a new show on Netflix. A Man on the Inside follows retired widower Charles, played by Cheers and The Good Place legend Ted Danson, who goes undercover in a retirement community to solve a mystery.
Is Saoirse Ronan capable of giving a bad performance? (No.) The actress gives one of her best in Blitz, the new film from director Steve McQueen. The story follows a young boy, played by Elliott Heffernan, who is sent to the English countryside for his safety by his mom (Ronan) during World War II, and the journey they go on to reunite. Another Oscar nomination, her fifth, is possible.
Rising indie artist, Deyaz, knows the importance of home. The London-born, self-taught artist and producer busked the streets of Camden as a teenager, often couchsurfing and earning his keep playing popular hits by ear for a few quid a day. Back then, home was a safe space he couldn’t always count on, which might be why his viral cover of a popular folk song from Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros hit so hard with fans on social media. Beneath the soft crooning and acoustic guitar strings, there’s raw emotion and a sense of life lived in the singer’s voice, enough to connect with millions of people all over the world. Literally.
Deyaz’s cover of “Home” racked up nearly 10 million listens on Spotify and even more views on TikTok when he shared it just a few months ago. Since then, he’s been to LA and Austin, playing his original music at local venues and festival stages. But, his most nervewracking performance to date might have just happened in this Texas couple’s new backyard.
Partnering with Zillow and UPROXX, Deyaz surprised first-time homebuyers with an intimate rendition of his viral hit, serenading the couple and some of their closest friends who had gathered for one epic housewarming party. Joking that he was more anxious to perform for the small crowd than the huge numbers at his Austin City Limits set, Deyaz set the mood for the evening with a touching, almost nostalgic ode to home and the people that make it. It was a fitting end for the couple’s homebuying journey, soundtracked by a true creative who’s on the brink of defining the next stage in his own life and career.
It’s always concerning when you’re driving down the road and see the red and blue flashing lights in your rearview mirror. As you pull over, all you can think of is what you possibly did wrong.
As the police officer approaches your vehicle, they’re likely to do something – reach out and touch your taillights. Why is this done?
It’s not just a quirk of a random officer. There are actually a few reasons why it’s done.
Documentation
When a police officer touches the taillights, they have documented the interaction. While small, they have left behind their fingerprints on the vehicle as physical evidence of stopping.
In the event there’s ever a dispute about an officer actually pulling you over, that’s their evidence.
Traffic stops are unpredictable, so officers approaching the vehicle never know what to expect from the driver or the passengers. Touching the taillight is the evidence needed to help investigators piece together what happens if something goes wrong – such as the driver choosing to speed off before the officer can talk to them.
Deterrence
Drivers will see the officer touch the vehicle. This serves as a silent warning that the officer is already documenting everything that’s going on. The driver would be wise not to do anything dangerous, such as hiding or disposing of contraband.
Authority
For some, the touching of the taillight shows authority. The officer is in charge of the scene and has already started the interaction. Once the taillight is touched, many officers will have a full routine that includes looking into windows and signaling to the driver to roll down the window. By touching the taillight first, it reminds them that everything else must be done, too.
Ultimately, an officer may or may not touch your taillight during a stop. If they do, you know that it’s for documentation purposes and for the safety and routine of the officer.
The video for Jack Harlow’s new song, “Hello Miss Johnson,” is a neat one: Shot by Shadrinsky, the visual was filmed in a suburban cul-de-sac, entirely on security cameras and doorbell cams.
Over a samba-inspired instrumental, Harlow courts a special someone, and on the chorus, he delivers a message for his interest’s mother:
“Hello, Miss Johnson, you know why I’m callin’
You know I’ve been fallin’, fallin’ for your daughter
I think about her often, correct mе if I’m wrong, but
Was it you that gave the eyes to her I be lost in? Thought so
Tell her I said hello if you can, and also
That I can’t wait to see her again, and also
Tell her call me when she get a chance
‘Cause I got so much to say, and I appreciate you, ma’am”
Meanwhile, a press release teases, “Jack is working on a new project right now. More on this to follow…”
The new project will follow Harlow’s latest album, 2023’s Jackman. As for what else Harlow has going on, next week, he’ll be heading back to his home state of Kentucky for a pair of special performances with the Louisville Orchestra.
It remains the most fookin’ fitting TV tidbit of the year that Peaky Blinders will achieve “Six Seasons And A Movie” long before Community does. As a result, the continuing Birmingham gangster saga has been filming throughout England, including Birmingham itself, where Cillian Murphy was photographed on a horse and wearing “a dusty black coat” (and probably a Red Right Hand under those gloves) as Tommy Shelby OBE. The Netflix/BBC production has also been active in Bradford’s Little Germany area for the WWII-set chapter directed by Tom Harper and written by series creator Steven Knight.
Mystery roles will be portrayed by Rebecca Ferguson (of Apple TV+’s currently running Silo) and Tim Roth (a talented slo-mo walker from Reservoir Dogs), but which original characters/cast members will be returning, and which won’t? Let’s do this in bulletpoints for Shelby friends, fam, and frenemies:
Ada Thorne: For sure, Sophie Rundle will return as Tommy’s (probably) sole source of unconditional family love.
Arthur Shelby: Unconfirmed, but it doesn’t look good. With the radio silence from production, it would be safe to assume that Paul Anderson’s legal troubles have kept him out of this game. His attorney certainly didn’t help by essentially blaming a Boxing Day altercation on… Arthur Shelby.
John Shelby: Nope. Joe Cole’s character died in a hail of mafia bullets in the fourth season. As for his widow, Esme? Hold that thought.
Polly Gray: No. Helen McCrory passed away during early sixth season filming, although we will likely see a tribute of some form.
Michael Gray: No (and yay). Finn Cole’s character was killed by Tommy during the series finale, and honestly, it should have happened sooner.
Finn Shelby: Harry Kirton’s youngest Shelby brother couldn’t keep his mouth shut and got ousted. If he returns, it will be for vengeance, but also, he didn’t seem motivated (or competent) enough to execute such a plan.
Lizzie Shelby: Unconfirmed. Natasha O’Keeffe hit the road as Tommy’s second wife late in the sixth season, although it would be nice to see her thriving or at least enjoying several stiff drinks.
Esme Shelby-Lee: Unconfirmed. However, if any Shelby wife appears primed for a return, it would be Aimee-Ffion Edwards’ gypsy, who is useful in a pinch for the inside dish on any random curses.
Linda Shelby: No? Kate Phillips’ role is surely dependent upon whether Paul Anderson returns as Arthur.
Grace Shelby’s Ghost: Unconfirmed, but it would be unusual if Tommy didn’t spend a few scenes talking aloud to Annabelle Wallis’ character.
Duke Shelby: Conrad Khan portrayed the Tommy’s illegitimate son, but theories abound that Barry Keoghan is stepping in as the aged-up version.
Charles Shelby: Billy Jenkins is probably too young to return as Tommy and Grace’s son after a time jump, although a replacement hasn’t been publicized.
Alfie Solomons: A surprise appearance from Tom Hardy feels obligatory for loyalists, although Netflix and Knight are staying deliciously mum.
May Carleton: Tom Hardy’s IRL wife, Charlotte Riley, would be missed if she didn’t appear with some horse-related wisdom.
Stephen Graham: Yup. Count him in as Hayden Stagg once more (Graham will also soon appear in Knight’s A Thousand Blows about another infamous gang).
Charlie Strong: Yep, Ned Dennehy will embody the Shelby uncle and Peaky bloke.
Johnny Dogs: Packy Lee is still going to be on hand to make you wonder about his many wives, including one named Esmerelda.
Curly: Ian Peck will remain the most eager gatherer of hand grenades in Birmingham. Clearly, he’ll do whatever is needed.
Jeremiah Jesus: No return from the street preacher. Actor Benjamin Zephaniah passed away in late 2023 after suffering a brain tumor.
Isaiah Jesus: Jordan Bolger left the series after the fourth season, and Daryl McCormack hasn’t yet been confirmed to return as Jeremiah’s son, and he previously suggested that he was out of the loop.
Gina Gray: It’s highly doubtful that we will see Anya Taylor-Joy reprise her unpopular role, given Taylor-Joy’s packed schedule and Michael Gray’s death.
Sir Oswald Mosely and Lady Diana Mosley: Against the backdrop of WWII, there’s near zero chance that Sam Claflin and Amber Anderson would not return to bow to fascism, especially after Hitler attended the wedding.
The Peaky Blinders movie (which is still untitled) will release in late 2025 or early 2026.
ESPN has about a year to figure out how it’s going to handle Inside the NBA. As part of Warner Bros. Discovery’s deal to remain in the NBA’s media ecosystem, it was announced that Turner will continue to produce Inside, but license it out to ESPN, which solves the network’s longstanding issues trying to put together a pregame, halftime, and postgame NBA show that viewers enjoy.
An unsurprising question that popped up after this was whether Stephen A. Smith — who is in the middle of some high-profile contract negotiations with ESPN — would find a way onto the show. Smith is the guy ESPN has built its NBA coverage around, and while that has come under plenty of criticism, he’s famously close with the Inside crew and has appeared on it in the past. But apparently, as of now, the network doesn’t have any intetion of putting Stephen A. on their newest property.
“We have no plans to do that,” ESPN content president Burke Magnus told Jimmy Traina of Sports Illustrated. “And that’s because, frankly, the construct of the deal really doesn’t — that’s not how it was conceived. What is conceived is that Turner, as they have always done with this show, with this cast, with the people involved behind the scenes, are going to continue to do what they’ve always done. And we’re going to distribute it on the ESPN platform. Frankly, that’s exactly what we want. We don’t want to change it. We don’t want to interject new talent into it. We don’t want to really do anything to it.”
It is worth mentioning that the scuttlebutt around Smith’s contract negotiations revolves around him wanting to do more NFL stuff for ESPN, but considering how big Inside is and his relationship with the guys, it is fair to wonder if he’d want to have any sort of presence on the show as part of a new deal (if, of course, he comes to terms with the network on one). For now, the complexities of the deal with Turner gives ESPN a way to say they have no plans of putting him on Inside in any capacity, but we’ll certainly be waiting to see if that changes as Smith and ESPN sit down at the negotiating table.
Everything changed for Oxlade in 2022. The Nigerian afrobeats singer, who already had quality records in his discography, climbed to heights that few afrobeats artists have seen. That year, he released his “Ku Lo Sa” single with COLORS Studios where it instantly went viral. Today, more than two years after that song’s release, “Ku Lo Sa” tallied over 200 million views on YouTube combined thanks to the COLORS Studios performance video, the song’s official music video, and the song’s remix video with Camila Cabello. On Spotify, the numbers are even higher with the three version of “Ku Lo Sa” reeling in over 400 million streams.
Thanks to “Ku Lo Sa,” Oxlade and his music reached corners of the world previously unimagined to him. He joined artists like Wizkid, CKay, and Rema on the shortlist of afrobeats artists who released absolute smash hit songs over the past few years. “Ku Lo Sa” meant a brand new era for Oxlade and he took full advantage of hit to tell a new story and a new goal on his debut album Oxlade From Africa.
With the album out now and sure to end up as a top afrobeats release by year’s end, Uproxx caught up with Oxlade to talk about his Oxlade From Africa debut, the globalization of afrobeats, telling African stories, and more.
How did you decide on the direction, sound, feeling — everything — for this album? Did it take a while to settle on a plan or you knew all along that your debut would sound like this?
When “Ku Lo Sa” went crazy viral, I was like, “Yeah, goddamn, it’s time for me to drop an album.” I shot myself in the foot when I said I’m going to name the album Oxlade From Africa. Shout to Spax, he’s the Quincy Jones to my Michael Jackson, he’s my executive producer. I set him a playlist [with] like 20 songs, I was gassed, I was like, “Yeah bro, I killed them,” and then he goes, “This is not the album,” and I lost all the excitement I had for the project. He told me that if I’m going to name the project Oxlade From Africa, I have to make a project that has the aesthetics of Oxlade from Africa and not just naming a project because you feel like naming it and dropping different sonics that contradict the name of the project. So, I had to incline myself for more classic songs that I listened to growing up, and then just blend them with modern-day afrobeats.
Oxlade From Africa is truly a global album with features from people all over the world. Dave, who’s Nigerian and living in the UK. Popcaan in Jamaica, Fally Ipupa in Congo, Wande Coal & Flavour in Nigeria, and Sarkodie in Ghana. Why was it important for you to have different cultures play a part in your debut album?
The thing is if I named the album Oxlade From Lagos or like Lagos To The World it would have been easier for me, but I set myself up and I named the album Oxlade From Africa, so I have to bring African elements from all sides of the Earth into it. Like Fally Ipupa representing the French African, people don’t even know that we have more French-speaking African countries than English-speaking African countries. That’s a very untapped market for even Nigerian afrobeats. “Ku Lo Sa” broadened my eyes to different markets that I didn’t even understand or know I needed. This ton of success presented new perspectives on how I create music and who I create music for.
As much as you are introducing yourself officially with your debut, this album’s title also lets me know that you’re also trying to paint an image of Africa to your listeners. What did you hope they saw and heard about the homeland?
That’s a very good question. As much as we’re scared of the Western world narrating or giving the afrobeats narrative, we also need to be the ones telling the stories. We also need to be the ones countering any fallacy or lies about the genre and try and protect [it]. We have to also give them quality right from the source. For me, it’s a legacy thing, not a trend thing. When you hear the name Oxlade, the standard of music has to be A1. No mediocre — experiments are allowed, but it has to be intentional. I’m also trying to build a legacy for myself with my sonics and also with the brand. I evolved from Boy Ox, which was a boy, to Oxlade From Africa. With every album, new sides and new phases of me will show.
What is one thing that you wanted to showcase for fans through the music on this album that you may not have done on previous songs and projects?
Yeah, definitely. I had a song on the album called “Olaitan.” I feel like the song should have come out earlier because it’s prophesying my mantra [and] what I live by because that’s my name and it means unending wealth and favor from God. This album is also an introduction album and a new update for those who have already been tapped into the brand Oxlade. It also serves as a reminder to those that believed in me, and to give them a reminder to why they believed in me from the jump. It’s reality music, it’s so penetrating, [and] it’s relatable. Songs like that, with the thanks of the platform the album is giving me, would be really, really, really useful in the future. I also do impactful music, like conscious music, like “Blessed” with Popcaan. It’s not every time you gotta sing about ass-shaking checking. Occasionally, we have to give thanks to The Most High. Albums like this give me space to be able to chip in songs like that.
This album is another entry of the successful highs you’ve experienced globally, going back to “Ku Lo Sa” blowing up. How did the massive success of that song confirm or change anything about your approach as an artist and the next steps you took?
I feel like that moment quenched and silenced every doubt I had in my future, my brand, and my craft. We artists, we’re also critics of our art, but ground-shaking success stories like that just make you fearless. Now, I’m just doing this because I love it and I want to do it. Before, I was probably trying to prove people wrong, but the only person I should be proving wrong is myself by outdoing myself. So like, you know. It changed my perspective on what I should be focusing on. I don’t know how to explain it, but that’s literally what is going through my head right now. It gave me the trajectory towards how I should even name the songs on my album. I’m trying to make an African album. I’m not trying to steal anything from a borrowed language that English gave us. So when you hear me say “Ku Lo Sa”, I’m not trying to say “closer.” If you hear me say “Asunasa,” I’m trying to say “as soon as I,” but in an African form. So “Ku Lo Sa” actually affected the entire trajectory and aesthetics of the album. It gave me the whole picture of what or how I should create or carve out some important details of the album.
What do you enjoy most about writing love songs? There are many on this album, like “Intoxycated,” “IFA,” and “Ovum,” and love songs often end up being your best outputs.
I just feel like humanity needs more love and I’m just aiding in preaching the gospel of love because greed is the downfall of our race, if I’ve been honest. If you can share love amongst each other, it could be through songs [and] it could be through good days. As long as you’re preaching love, you’re helping humanity. Also, I love, love. I was raised in love. My family raised me with love and I learned that love is as important as the air we breathe. So, it might be 75% of what you hear me think about because I’m pushing a course to heal humanity. In as much as I could be in realms where I want to sing about violent stuff, I don’t think that is how I want to announce my craft or my debut into the album world. That’s why I’m centering on love and positivity.
Your love for music and your faith in success and prosperity going forward are very obvious when listening to your songs. Have there been moments where that love and faith weakened, and even in those moments, what pushed you to keep it alive and strong?
I feel like every human has downtimes [and] every human loses faith. As far as commitment is concerned, anything you’re committed to will make your emotions flow into it because challenging times are definitely bound to come. There’s this mindset that I have, it’s called: the bigger the level, the bigger the devil. You can’t be overly ambitious and not expect obstacles to come your way. You just have to be fixated on the positives and improve from your mistakes because mistakes are the best lessons. They’re the best teachers. These downtimes actually inspired me to go harder and looking back now at previous episodes, it even gave me more reason to not be scared of whatever challenges I might be facing now.
With this album as your first block in your legacy, what do you hope or want your legacy to be in the afrobeats space?
The legacy already started because if we’re looking at it from all human perspectives, I’m not meant to be where I am today because where I was coming from, people who have that bravery of guts or an unending urge for success, they’re so comfortable. So, having to take out time to do my craft and still go for my dreams, it’s a legacy on its own. Having people like Wizkid, Davido, [and] Burna [Boy] do it right before us and show us how it’s meant to be done, and then passing the torch [and] legacy to us, it’s like a full cycle. It’s a lineage of greats You just have to uphold your own destiny and fulfill it. For me, where I envision myself or what I want my music to do to humanity is heal them. That’s always been my whole purpose. There was a time my profession on my Instagram bio was “doctor” and people would ask me, “Why would I call myself a doctor?” My purpose for doing music is to heal souls. I feel like melodies touch parts of our body that X-ray scans can’t even see, which is the subconscious. Music heals people, music has stopped people from committing suicide, it’s that powerful. People don’t deep the power of art itself. I just feel like my sole purpose to humanity and music is to make songs that humans need.
What is one thing that you hope your listeners, especially the ones who aren’t new to the Oxlade experience, take away from listening to this album?
They were right all along. They invested in the stock and it wasn’t the wrong move. It’s just more bragging rights for them [and] when they defend me. This is all I make music for, to make people happy, to make people that always believed in me prouder of me, to heal more souls, to change more people’s mindset about human music or African music generally, the best way I can. So help me God.
Oxlade From Africa is out now via Troniq Inc./Epic Records/Sony Music Entertainment. Find out more information here.
The “Evergreen (You Didn’t Deserve Me At All)” singer makes his on-screen debut in Queer, which stars Daniel Craig as an American ex-pat living in Mexico City in the 1940s who makes a meaningful connection with a younger student, played by Drew Starkey. Apollo also provided a song for the soundtrack: “Te Maldigo” is a tender ballad produced by — you guessed it — Reznor and Ross.
Apollo previously discussed what it was like preparing for a sex scene with James Bond. “Yeah, I had to get on the soup diet,” he told Starkey in a conversation for Interview. “Luca did not tell me to lose weight, but when you’re about to have a sex scene with Daniel Craig, you’re like, ‘Oh, dude, I can’t be looking off.’ I was at 200 pounds, because I’m 6’5″. It’s around where I should be, honestly. But I got down to 181 when the movie came. I lost 20 pounds because I read in the script that my character had a flat brown stomach. I was like, ‘Damn, I’m actually not flat right now.’ I had to get it together, and I was on tour with SZA. Luckily, I didn’t have that many lines.”
You can watch the Guadagnino-directed music video above.
A24’s Queer opens in theaters on November 27.
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Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
