Category: Worldwide

The Lakers, for the second straight time to open the season, were featured on TNT in a loss to a Western Conference contender, this time losing 103-97 to a Clippers team that never felt like they were really going full speed.

While it was a better showing from the Lakers in the sense that they battled back from a big first half deficit to make it competitive and even take a brief fourth quarter lead, the weaknesses of this roster were on full display. The team shot 9-of-45 from three, with their three point guards — Russell Westbrook, Patrick Beverley, and Kendrick Nunn — combining to go 1-of-25 from the field. It was a horrific shooting performance, but that doesn’t feel like an outlier for this team as LeBron noted after their opening night loss to the Warriors that they simply don’t have many shooters.

Charles Barkley, who has already demanded the Lakers trade Russ for killing his joy for the game (something Paul George seems to agree with), once again ripped Rob Pelinka and the Lakers management for putting another “embarrassment” of a roster around James.

However, he also had a challenge for LeBron, which was to publicly call out Anthony Davis and demand that the Lakers lone star in his prime step up to be the best player on the team.

As Barkley notes, LeBron at 38 is still great but he can’t be expected to carry a team that has a star that was once considered a potential future face of the league (and was somehow named to the NBA’s 75 Greatest Players list). Charles’ point about Davis’ slide down the list of the league’s best is notable, as he was someone that many thought could become a perennial MVP contender, but instead he has been surpassed by a lot of guys and isn’t even considered on that shortlist for a variety of reasons.

Health is among them, and Davis took another bump on Thursday with a hard fall that left him bruised up and moving a bit gingerly in the second half, but he’s also just taken a step back since the Bubble, where he looked, briefly, like the final form many thought he could be. For the Lakers to have any chance, they certainly need to make a trade and upgrade the roster, but Barkley is probably right that they also need Davis to be more than just a sidekick and at least share the reins with James as an equal.

The Clippers beat the Lakers on Thursday night in their season opener, pushing the Lakers to 0-2 on the season after opening week losses to two of the West’s top contenders.

The result isn’t a surprise, but what remains fairly jarring is just how bad things are with Russell Westbrook. After an offseason in which the Lakers tried to Westbrook to no avail, all while saying they were crafting a plan for how to work him in better, the result has been a lot of the same in the first two games, with Russ struggling to find his place on a Lakers roster that is just not built for him (or the team as a whole) to succeed right now.

On Tuesday night, this led Charles Barkley to plead with the Lakers to trade Westbrook, saying they’ve taken all of the joy out of his life. Two days later, Westbrook’s former teammate Paul George concurred with Barkley after watching his friend have an 0-for-11 shooting night against his Clippers, diplomatically noting the disastrous roster construction of the Lakers and hoping that at some point Russ can find that joy again because he hates seeing him like this, via Dan Woike.

“I’m always a huge Russell supporter. I won’t undermine the great moments we had in Oklahoma. He was tremendous for my career. Honestly, I don’t get the shade or the hate or the stuff that’s thrown at him. He’s one of the best players to ever play this game. It’s hard when you’ve got the pressure they’re putting on him here. Quite frankly, it’s not the team that’s very…it’s not geared for him, with the roster they have as well. Like, it’s got to work both ways. He was very easily a 30-10-10 guy when he had the keys to the team. We can’t forget about that. For me, I just want him to keep having that joy, keep having that excitement, that fun. That’s what makes him special, the fact that he can do that on a nightly basis. I hate to see that it doesn’t look like it’s there for him. But, you know, hopefully in the end, it works out for him in his favor.”

That is the general consensus around the league, and at this point it’s pretty painful watching Westbrook and the Lakers. While Russ’ struggles get the majority of the headlines, the team as a whole is just a catastrophe shooting the ball, going 9-of-45 from three-point range in a six-point loss to the Clippers. The other Lakers point guards combined for a 1-for-14 night, as Patrick Beverley and Kendrick Nunn were equally bad offensively, and after correctly noting that the team doesn’t have enough shooting after the opener, LeBron has resigned himself to his fate this year.

Westbrook is at the center of it all and he (and a pair of future first round picks) likely hold the key to potentially making this at least some better in a trade, but until the Lakers pull the trigger on a deal to bring in some real talent, we’re going to get this on a nightly basis, and Russell Westbrook won’t be the only one whose joy for basketball is stripped away during Lakers games this season.

In the midst of already scheduled and highly-anticipated new K-pop music this month, the roster of releases only grew bigger when ITZY announced a surprise pre-release English single last Sunday (October 16).

On Friday midnight (1 p.m. KST), the leading performance K-pop group unleashed their inner pop punk princess for their single “Boys Like You,” alongside a Halloween-themed music video to celebrate spooky season. With an addictive chorus that will get stuck in your head, and lyrics that will help you call out a boy playing games with you (“Boy, gonna diss me? / Boy, I’m so pissed / Boy, gonna miss me, / Boy, you are dismissed / ‘Cause I don’t fall for boys like you”), ITZY’s pre-release single is a pop track that further proves how relatable they can be.

The music video, on the other hand, follows the enemies to friends trope when Yeji, Lia, Ryujin, Chaeryeong, and Yuna all turn against each other until they found out they were all getting played by the same guy and seek revenge.

ITZY’s “Boys Like You” releases ahead of the group’s US leg of their ITZY First World Tour: Checkmate. The K-pop quintet will kick off their US tour next Wednesday, October 26 at the YouTube Theater in Los Angeles, CA. Check out the full tour dates below.

Taylor Swift‘s 10th studio album, Midnights is finally here. As Swifties are wont to do, fans are already picking apart the tracks. One of the tracks that have already proven to be buzzy is “Midnight Rain.”

On the album’s sixth track, Swift sings of the lingering effects of heartbreak, recalling the comfort that led to the demise of a relationship.

“He was sunshine I was midnight rain / He wanted it comfortable I wanted that pain / He wanted a bride, I was making my own name / Chasing that fame, he stayed the same / All of me changes like midnight,” she sings on the song’s chorus.

Throughout the song, listeners hear a low voice, singing portions of the song’s chorus.

Fans have already taken to Twitter to guess who the person behind the voice could be.

“what’s that voice on midnight rain is it just modulated voice or is it someone else,” asked one Twitter user.

“Who is this singing on Midnight Rain?!? Is this just Taylor’s voice with effects?” asked another.

A source close to Taylor confirmed to Uproxx, “That is Taylor’s voice pitched down on Midnight Rain”

Check out “Midnight Rain” above.

Midnights is out now via Republic. Stream it here.

Though she announced her 10th studio album, Midnights, at the MTV Video Music Awards back in August, Taylor Swift had not released a lead single to kick off the era. Until tonight, that is, upon the album’s release. On the album’s lead single, “Anti-Hero,” Swift recalls various tales, in which she always seems to root for the stories

“It’s me, hi, I’m the problem, it’s me / At tea time, everybody agrees / I’ll stare directly at the sun, but never in the mirror / It must be exhausting, always rooting for the anti-hero,” she sings on the song’s chorus.

Elsewhere in the song, she sings, “I have this dream my daughter-in-law kills me for the money / She thinks I left them in the will / The family gathers around and reads it and someone screams out / ‘She’s laughing up at us from hell!’”

Of course, this particular line has sent the Swifties into a frenzy, as Swift has never mentioned having a daughter-in-law, nor even a child.

“I’m gonna need an explanation on how Anti-Hero is from someone else’s POV cause WHO IS THIS DAUGHTER-IN-LAW” said one Twitter user.

“You’re allowed to freak out that she’s dreaming about having a daughter in law,” said another Twitter user.

Check out “Anti-Hero” above.

Midnights is out now via Republic. Stream it here.

Roddy Ricch may still be out on the road with Post Malone, but he’s still making time to drop heaters. On his latest track, “Aston Martin Truck,” Roddy details his luxurious life over a glimmery beat.

On the Teddy Walton-produced track, Roddy expresses gratitude for his lifestyle, while maintaining a boastful demeanor.

“Aston Martin truck, ride it, tail out / Had to get a new butler, four new maids to clean my house / Got my mama, my daddy… a key to my house / Make $500,000 every time you see me out,” he raps on the song’s chorus.

“I’m about my money, about my cake, about my cream,” he raps elsewhere on the track.

In the song’s accompanying visual, Roddy is seen boarding private helicopters, spending time in Queens, New York, buying jewelry, and more.

The track is set to appear on Roddy’s upcoming album, Feed Tha Streets 3, which he says will be a more personal effort.

“I want to be closer to my fans and show all the sides no one ever sees,” said Roddy in an Instagram post. “I want to show my album process, my new journey of fatherhood and all the things that comes with the life of being RR.”

Check out “Aston Martin Truck” above.

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

The Carolina Panthers are in the midst of a full teardown, with the organization recently moving on from head coach Matt Rhule and jettisoning Robbie Anderson to Arizona between Week 6 and Week 7. However, Carolina took another giant step on Thursday evening, with ESPN’s Adam Schefter reporting the Panthers will trade star running back Christian McCaffrey to the San Francisco 49ers in exchange for draft compensation.

Shortly after, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reported that the Panthers were discussing McCaffrey deals with both the 49ers and the Los Angeles Rams, ultimately agreeing with San Francisco on a deal that includes four picks.

McCaffrey, who is still only 26 years old, is one of the most dynamic offensive weapons in the NFL, though he has struggled to stay on the field in recent years. McCaffrey has appeared in only 16 games since the start of the 2020 season but, when he is on the field, the former Stanford standout is always effective. In fact, he has 7,272 yards from scrimmage in 64 career games with 50 career touchdowns in less than six seasons.

On the San Francisco side, McCaffrey brings an intriguing element alongside Deebo Samuel, Brandon Aiyuk, George Kittle, and a creative offensive design under Kyle Shanahan. McCaffrey is best utilized as a versatile piece, headlined by elite receiving ability for a running back, but he also projects as the top ball carrier on a team that has used Jeff Wilson and Elijah Mitchell in prominent roles in recent months.

It remains to be seen as to whether McCaffrey can stay healthy but, if he does, San Francisco could have one of the best skill position groups in the NFL, making life easier for Jimmy Garoppolo. For Carolina, this is arguably the biggest step yet in the moves toward the future, and no one is safe from the trade block.

After teasing her “surprise projects” over the past week, Taylor Swift has revealed that her 10th studio album, Midnights will be accompanied by a series of short films. She announced the appropriately-titled “Midnights Music Movies” during the third quarter of the New Orleans Saints vs. Arizona Cardinals football game on Prime Video’s Thursday Night Football.

The videos will feature appearances by Jack Antonoff, Laith Ashley, Mike Birbiglia, Laura Dern, Pat McGrath, Mary Elizabeth Ellis, Dita Von Teese, and all three Haim sisters, Alana, Danielle, and Este. The “Midnights Music Movies” were directed by Swift herself, with cinematography by Rina Yang, who previously worked with Swift on the short film for “All Too Well (10 Minute Version)”

“I love storytelling, I love songwriting, I love writing videos, I love directing them,” said Swift in an introductory clip that played before the trailer. “…So we really wanted to challenge ourselves to do different things this time around and stretch, and I’m really proud of what we made and I really hope you like them.”

At the time of writing, it is unclear when she plans to release all of the visuals for Midnights, however, fans can expect the “Anti-Hero” video at 3 a.m. EST.

Check out the trailer for “Midnights Music Movies” above.

Midnights is out 10/21 via Republic. Pre-save it here.

Klay Thompson’s journey to being one of the NBA’s greatest shooters in history started in Pullman, Washington where he starred at Washington State for three years. In his junior year, which was his last year before entering the NBA Draft, he averaged 21.6 points per game and had the Cougars on the precipice of the NCAA Tournament when he got a pulled over and cited for weed possession late in the season.

It became national news and a question about his character going into the 2011 Draft where the Warriors ultimately took him 11th overall. At the time, Thompson didn’t find it particularly funny but looking back now he can only laugh about it, as evidenced by the hilarious way he told the story to Stephen Jackson and Matt Barnes on the All The Smoke podcast.

When asked for his favorite college memory, Thompson laughs and goes “You wanna hear a funny one? When I got rolled for a dime bag in my driveway.” He proceeds to lament how weed became legal two years later in Washington, but he ended up on the national news for “the only time” that year because he was trying to enjoy a night of Rock Band with “a nice little sack” and ended up just worrying that his mom and dad were gonna be disappointed in him (32:30 mark of the video).

The Rock Band anecdote kills Barnes, who brings it up multiple times, while Klay recounts getting suspended for the UCLA game, which he calls the second biggest regret of his basketball career, and having to apologize to Wazzu fans for letting them down. It really is an incredible story made funnier by the fact that Klay keeps noting how absurd it was that he got popped for weed when now you can just get it delivered to you.

If it had any impact on his draft stock, it turned out to be a positive in the end because he ended up with the Warriors which has obviously been great for both he and the team, and he has a pretty funny story he can tell now that he’s 10 years removed from the incident.

Odds are, if you were a teenager in the early 2000s, Christina Aguilera’s “Beautiful” was an anthem for self-acceptance. The iconic music video—which featured a more grounded, less pop diva Aguilera—touched on themes of distorted body image, gender identity and LGBTQ issues while sending a clear message of “you’re perfectly fine, just the way you are.”

It’s a message that still bears repeating today, especially for teens. It’s no secret that social media does real harm when there’s too much exposure, and younger generations in particular are flooded with images that seem to say anything but “you are enough.”

On October 19, 20 years after the original music video was released, Aguilera marked its anniversary with an updated version. Though it takes on a modern spin, the song’s inspiring message still rings true.

Aguilera herself does not appear in the video. Instead, viewers witness a slew of various teens, nearly all staring blankly into their phones. Each group is affected somewhat differently—a group of young dancers apply makeup under a ring light and obsessively find their best pose, another young woman surrounded by photos of voluptuous models contemplates breast implants, a boy watches an older, hypermuscular man lift weights, another girl stares into a vending machine filled with diet supplements, a teen boy sits alone in a mental health facility while staring at a razor and pills.

We also see a group of five very young girls awaiting plastic surgery, as indicated by the black marks on their faces, juxtaposed between a series of “before-and-after” shots. While the video itself is jarring, the sad reality is that there’s little exaggeration in it.

The video does end on a more hopeful note, concluding with the same kids playing together on a grassy field. You know, actually getting to be kids. And that kind of freedom, without a doubt, is truly beautiful.

However, the very last few frames are still rather sobering, depicting blood ominously flowing out of a cellphone, with the warning, “Social media has transformed our relationship with our bodies, and in turn, our mental health. Research suggests that time spent on social networking sites is associated with body image issues, self-harm and disordered eating in children and teens. This needs to change.”

Aguilera posted a short version of the music video onto her Instagram page, along with the caption:

“We are Beautiful, no matter what they say ❤️A message I will always stand by and a message I prioritize to instill in my own children through every chapter of their lives!”

“Today, it’s harder than ever to hear our own voice amongst so many others infiltrating our feeds and minds with mixed messaging… ultimately leading us to tune-out our own truth and self worth.

“The original ‘’Beautiful’ video set out to bring awareness and a sense of compassion in the face of judgment, criticism, and outside opinions. It still carries an important message to remember our core values outside of what’s being fed to us…to find a sense of balance and accepting ourselves for who we are.”

See on Instagram

I can still vividly remember how much this original song meant to me as a teenager drowning in feelings of unworthiness, caused largely in part to being told how I didn’t measure up to standards projected by the media (namely magazines, in my time). Where I wish that young people today didn’t have to endure a similar kind of subliminal attack to their self-esteem, hopefully this video can offer them the same empowering reminder to not let toxic messaging bring them down.