Category: Worldwide

Move over Ariana Grande, there’s a new pop star fragrance in the works. Billie Eilish shared that she’s been working on her debut fragrance for years, which is titled “Eilish,” and it’s expected to hit the shelves very soon.

Eilish officially announced the new fragrance in a teaser posted to Instagram. Along with revealing the bronze bottle design, which is shaped like a bust of her, the singer shared her overwhelming excitement about her “dream” scent:

“i am SO EXCITED to finally share my debut fragrance ‘Eilish’ with you!!!!!!!!!!!!!! AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!! this is a scent that i’ve been chasing for years and years. this is my favorite smell in the WORLD. fragrance has always been such an enormous part of my life and existence since i can remember, and it was a dream to create this scent and bring my ideas to life. this has been one of the most exciting things i’ve ever done. i can’t wait for it to be yours so soon!!!!!”

The Eilish fragrance is expected to come later this fall. The perfume’s website doesn’t offer much more information, but prompts users to sign up for exclusive details.

Check out Eilish’s fragrance teaser above and sign up for updates on her website here.

Hours ahead of he and the team’s 2021-22 regular-season debut, Jonas Valanciunas agreed to a two-year, $30.1 million contract extension with the New Orleans Pelicans, according to Andrew Lopez of ESPN.

New Orleans acquired Valanciunas this summer when they sent Steven Adams and the 10th pick of the 2021 NBA Draft to the Memphis Grizzlies in exchange for Valanciunas and the 17th selection. The contract extension will keep him in the Big Easy through 2023-24 after he was initially slated to become a restricted free agent following this season. This also marks the second consecutive year the Pelicans have traded for a pending free agent center (Adams in 2020) and subsequently extended him prior to the start of the regular season.

Unlike the Adams extension, though, this looks to be a sound team-building decision. Valanciunas is a much better player, squarely in his prime at 29 years old and brings New Orleans a reliable interior scorer outside of Zion Williamson, which they’ve needed in recent seasons. While spacing beyond the arc is probably the ideal complement alongside Zion, someone who can create for himself, provide adequate drop coverage defensively in pick-and-rolls and owns the glass is quite beneficial too.

Valanciunas, who averaged 17.1 points on 63.6 percent true shooting last season, gives Brandon Ingram and Devonte’ Graham a viable pick-and-roll partner and can help buoy non-Zion minutes. He fits rather well on this team and now, he’ll be around for at least three years.

After being convicted of sex trafficking and racketeering in a New York court last month, R. Kelly’s local trial in Chicago has been set for August of 2022 according to Billboard. In that case, the singer stands accused of charges related to child pornography and obstruction of justice for alleged witness tampering and intimidation. Set to begin on August 1, the new trial is expected to last three to four weeks. R. Kelly will be defended in his second trial by his original attorneys Steve Greenberg and Michael Leonard after they abandoned the New York case before it went to trial.

Greenberg also noted during today’s scheduling hearing that the singer had been placed on suicide watch after being found guilty in New York, but was since cleared. Kelly’s sentencing case in that trial is set for May 4, 2022, and the singer faces up to life in prison. Statements made by Greenberg during the scheduling suggested that he would be “revamping” his legal team for an appeal once sentencing was complete. Kelly was present at the scheduling hearing via video call but Billboard notes that he was “unable to unmute himself to answer when asked by the judge to confirm the status of his legal team.”

Kelly’s wish to revamp may be related to reports that his team in New York was disorganized and unprepared.

When Ruby Rose announced her surprise departure from Batwoman, which essentially left the show without a star going into its second season, the actress and unnamed sources hinted that there was more to the story that was being told in public. In the almost 18 months since her departure, Rose has been amicable and supportive of the show as it cast Javica Leslie as her replacement, but now, the actress is breaking her silence on what really went down behind the scenes of The CW show.

In a new Instagram Story, Rose alleges that the Batwoman set was a dangerous working environment that left her injured and a production assistant paralyzed. She specifically accuses producers of instructing her to minimize her injuries to avoid production delays and she recalls one of the horrific injuries that she witnessed on set.

Via Polygon:

According to Rose, the behavioral issues on the set of Batwoman extend from managerial malpractice to cut corners that led to physical issues for crew members. Besides her own injuries — “the broken neck, “the broken rib split in two,” “the tumor,” and a “cut in the face so close to my eye in a stunt I could have been blind,” as she details in the story — Rose describes a situation in which a crew member’s “whole body” was burned. “We were given no therapy after witnessing his skin fall off his face but I was the only one who sent him flowers and cards,” she writes, “and then were told we had to do a sex scene without a minute to process.”

Rose also called out former co-star Dougray Scott, who she claims was verbally abusive on set and basically a menace who producers refused to rein in. “Dougray hurt a female stunt double he yelled like a little bitch at women and was a nightmare,” Rose wrote. “He left when he wanted and arrived when he wanted he abused women and in turn as a lead of a show i sent an email out asking for a no yelling policy, they declined.”

(Via Ruby Rose on Instagram, Polygon)

The New Orleans Pelicans will begin their regular season on Wednesday night against the Philadelphia 76ers, and much like the Sixers, they’ll go into that game without the services of their former No. 1 overall pick. Zion Williamson underwent foot surgery during the offseason, and while the Pelicans stressed their belief that he would be able to start the year, that hasn’t come to fruition, and the big fella will watch the game from the sidelines as he rehabilitates.

Foot injuries are always concerns, particularly with players as big and explosive as Williamson. And according to a new piece by Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report, there are elevated concerns within the Pelicans’ organization as Williamson’s weight has gotten above 300 pounds during points this offseason.

He’s since reached north of 300 pounds this offseason, sources said, again fueling concerns among New Orleans staffers similar to the months leading up to his rookie debut. When he joined the Pelicans’ recent preseason trip to Minnesota, several league personnel on hand were struck by his heavier appearance than his listed playing weight last season of 284 pounds. “I know Zion at 280, and he was not 280,” said one observer.

“These are the injuries you have to be the most concerned about, a foot injury for a guy with noted weight issues,” said one Western Conference executive.

There is no timetable for when Williamson will be able to make his debut this season, but it is expected he will get updated scans on his foot in the next week or so.

As someone who went from an underground rapper to one of today’s biggest pop stars, Lizzo has had to deal with living in the public eye. And while the paparazzi definitely have a reputation of being harassing, aggressive, and invasive, Lizzo says the average smart phone user is just as bad. The singer compared toxic paparazzi to social media today, saying the prevalence of camera phones has made the average person just as destructive as the paparazzi.

In a recent TikTok, Lizzo spoke about her experience being constantly captured on camera. She urged fans to look in the mirror and hold themselves to the same moral standard they try to enforce on celebrities:

“The media definitely is still out of line. I saw a lot of comments on that post talking about, ‘Oh my god, the paparazzi in the ‘90s were so terrible. They ruined people’s lives.’ You do realize this is called social media for a reason, right? Everybody has a phone and everybody has a camera on it. From my personal experience, I see more camera phones than I see paparazzi.

And it’s not just celebrities. Anybody can catch that smoke now. Anybody at any time can be filmed or photographed without their permission and put on the internet to be ridiculed, harassed, and bullied. A lot of people are driven to self harm, anxiety, depression. I see a lot of people posting their ‘hot takes,’ their opinions on the internet, their cruel jokes, just for likes and engagement and clout. A lot of people holding others to a high moral standard that they themselves don’t even live to. We are the media now, look around. Let’s be better to each other than they were back then. Let’s do better than they did in the ‘90s.”

Watch Lizzo’s full video comparing social media to toxic paparazzi above.

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

Following a messy public battle that’s already resulted in one employee being fired, Netflix has softened its stance on the ongoing employee revolt over the streaming service’s handling of the Dave Chappelle controversy. The comedian’s latest special, The Closer, has been heavily criticized for its transphobic and homophobic messaging, which has sparked an employee walkout on Wednesday October 20.

At issue is Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos‘ repeated defense of Chappelle’s special, which he argued does not cause “real-world harm.” Notably, the employees organizing the walkout do not want Netflix to remove the special, but instead, for the company to enact specific efforts towards ensuring more inclusive voices are involved in decision-making processes. The group also wants warning labels placed ahead of content similar to Chappelle’s special.

After firing the organizer of the walkout for allegedly leaking internal documents to the press, Netflix issued a statement supporting the walkout that’s scheduled for today. Via Variety:

“We value our trans colleagues and allies, and understand the deep hurt that’s been caused. We respect the decision of any employee who chooses to walk out, and recognize we have much more work to do both within Netflix and in our content.”

In addition to supporting the walkout, Sarandos conceded on Tuesday that he “screwed up” with his defense of Chappelle. “I should have first and foremost acknowledged in those emails that a group of our employees were in pain, and they were really feeling hurt from a business decision that we made,” Sarandos told The Hollywood Reporter. “Instead of acknowledging that first, I went right into some rationales. And so first of all, I’d say those emails lacked humanity, in which I like to and I do generally communicate with our teams.”

Sarandos also acknowledged that he was wrong to say that content can’t have real-life consequences, but he defended Netflix’s decision to air Chappelle’s special. He said the company always tells employees upfront that “some of the content on Netflix you’re not going to like.”

(Via Variety)

At long last, director Denis Villeneuve’s sci-fi pièce de résistance Dune is here. Following its red carpet premiere last month, the first entry in the potential saga has already been called everything from an “epic masterpiece” to a “boring disappointment,” meaning the best way to judge it is simply by watching it yourself. Luckily for all of you who have been waiting literal years to finally do so, the wait it almost over — if you’re streaming it on HBO Max, that is.

While Dune releases in theaters nationally Friday, October 22, if you just can’t wait to get watching and have a subscription to HBO Max, it turns out you can start watching the film Thursday, October 21 starting at 6 PM ET/3 PM PT. According to HBO Max, the early release is part of a “special preview” for Dune, and coincides with all the early showings of the film that will be playing in select theaters on October 21.

However, there is a catch to watching Dune via HBO Max — well, other than Villeneuve being disappointed in your preferred viewing method. Dune will only be available on the streaming service for “31 days from its theatrical release,” meaning by late November the only way you can watch the movie will be by purchasing a ticket and heading to your local theater. While this is sure to please Villeneuve, it’s definitely something folks still understandably hesitant about visiting theaters should consider.

Regardless of how you watch Dune, the sci-fi spectacle based on the book by Frank Herbert However and featuring a star-studded cast of Timothée Chalamet, Rebecca Ferguson, Oscar Isaac, Josh Brolin, Stellan Skarsgård, Dave Bautista, Zendaya, Charlotte Rampling, Jason Momoa, Javier Bardem, and a very big worm will be waiting for you this weekend.

A process server tried to serve Dr. Dre divorce papers at the worst imaginable time — at his grandmother’s funeral — according to a report from TMZ. TMZ’s sources say that Dre was at the cemetery in Los Angeles when he was approached, although sources differ on exactly when it happened. Dre’s people say the producer was standing next to the casket at the burial site, while Nicole Young’s say Dre was served in the parking lot after the funeral — which is decidedly less tacky, but still pretty tacky.

Dre reportedly wouldn’t take the documents by hand as a result, prompting the server to either leave them at the gravesite or in the parking lot, depending on which source you ask. According to TMZ, the papers contained the judge’s final orders regarding the payment for Nicole’s lawyer fees. The two parties had apparently disagreed on just how much Dre owed, with Dre’s side saying the $325,433 he paid already should have paid the balance in full. However, the judge apparently agreed with Nicole’s side — that Dre owed $1,550,000.

Dre, who recently recovered from a brain aneurysm, is set to play the Super Bowl Halftime Show next year, along with Eminem, Kendrick Lamar, Mary J. Blige, and Snoop Dogg.

For the better part of two decades, Liverpool outfit Clinic have been pumping out some of the coolest, most inventive alternative music available. Now, the band is gearing up to release their ninth studio ablum, Fantasy Island. Chock full if literary references, Fantasy Island is comprised of twelve tracks that explore time, music, and entertainment atop funky bass tracks and drum machines.

To celebrate the new album, Ade Blackburn sat down to talk Echo And The Bunnymen, wearing scrubs on stage, and more in the latest Indie Mixtape 20 Q&A.

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

Fun, exotic, subversive and danceable.

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

As something unique that wasn’t just following the trends of the day or based on money making

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

San Francisco.

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

Richard Brautigan, his humour and childlike observations have always been a big inspiration.

Where did you eat the best meal of your life?

In Crosby, Liverpool at Marsh’s bakers, which has sadly closed down. They were the best bakers on Merseyside and made delicious pizzas.

What album do you know every word to?

Probably none. The closest would be Wings — Band On The Run. That was my dad’s favourite album and I grew up with that on heavy rotation

What was the best concert you’ve ever attended?

Echo and The Bunnymen’s 1984 Crystal Day concert in Liverpool. It was a really inventive one-off gig, with a full day of weirder events.

What is the best outfit for performing and why?

We always wear scrubs so they’re the best but we do have a range of accessories. This time we’ve got some nice tropical additions to the outfits.

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

I don’t have a personal Twitter or Instagram account. If I did I’d follow the San Francisco group The Residents. I’m sure they’ve got a good take on social media.

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

Randy and the Metrosquad – Trouble at the Cup, a shambolic yet tremendous performance from a gig in L.A.

What’s the last thing you Googled?

The moons of Saturn. My son is heavily into the solar system.

What album makes for the perfect gift?

Pebbles Vol. 3, it’s got everything. Sci-fi sound effects, primitive rock ‘n’ roll and unhinged song structures. And a disturbingly memorable sleeve

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

The Tally Ho Inn, it was in the mid-west and had an unnerving Psycho feel to it. Much better than the standard travel stops!

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

I haven’t got any tattoos. I’m not sure about committing to something that can date so easily.

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

Eyesore and The Jinx, Prison Behaviour and Vanishing Twin

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

My family taking me seriously when I said I wanted to write music.

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

Enjoy yourself but don’t join a band. Things aren’t always what they seem!

What’s the last show you went to?

Star Spangled Banana in Liverpool, they’re a great band led by the legendary Bob Parker, formerly of The Mel-O-Tones and The Walking Seeds.

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

Carry On Abroad, it probably hasn’t aged well but still a nice slice of ’70s nostalgia, warts and all!

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

Fish fingers, chips and peas.

Fantasy Island is out 10/22 via Domino Records. Pre-order it here.