HBO Max intended for Love Life to be one of a handful of shows to launch the streaming service, and then you-know-what happened, which pushed production schedules into disarray. Still, executive producer Paul Feig had reason to celebrate the show’s solo-act success while speaking with us, and Season 2 is finally happening after other HBO Max shows followed Love Life‘s lead. Last season, for the most part, didn’t treat Anna Kendrick’s Darby too kindly in the love department (girlfriend has a bad picker, which happens), but a new teaser reveals that things appear to have worked out for her.
Maybe? Darby got married, and she’s downing a shot, so read into that what you will. However, Darby departs the frame, and a new show lead immediately walks into view.
Enter Marcus Watkins, portrayed by William Jackson Harper (and his Jacked Chidi arms), who’s hitting the bar in this teaser. According to the season synopsis, Marcus has emerged from a long-term relationship with the lady who he believed “was going to be his person.” Yeah, Marcus needs to take a break, right? Well, a break doesn’t always make for interesting TV, so it sounds like Marcus is going to find a whole lot of drama after being “plunged back into the search for the romantic fulfillment that he thought he had already found.”
There’s no telling whether we’ll keep seeing Anna Kendrick make appearances, but she’s on board to executive produce alongside Harper and Feig. Three episodes from Season 2 will stream on October 28, followed by three more on November 4 and four on November 11. Let’s hope that Darby didn’t end up with an a-hole of a spouse, and the same sentiment goes for Marcus during his ongoing search for love.
The RX is Uproxx Music’s stamp of approval for the best albums, songs, and music stories throughout the year. Inclusion in this category is the highest distinction we can bestow, and signals the most important music being released throughout the year. The RX is the music you need, right now.
I’m your cherry blossom baby, don’t let me float away
Following up a universally-acclaimed, award-winning album is difficult in normal circumstances — doing so when the breakout record was a golden love story and the next chapter is one of heartbreak and separation is another thing entirely. In the case of Kacey Musgraves, though, the romantic context seems to have little impact on her ability to create a classic album. The sequel to Golden Hour is fraught with more than just industry pressure, but her fifth album Star-Crossed manages to excavate the subject of divorce with the same grace that Musgraves once used to explore love. The country star dubbed the album “a Greek tragedy in three acts,” and across fifteen tracks it hews pretty close to the build-up, conflict, and resolution model.
Writing about her relationship with now ex-husband Ruston Kelly is what catapulted Musgraves from the realm of cult favorite country artist to international superstar, earning her a coveted Album Of The Year award at the Grammys, a lavish amount of praise from critics, and well-deserved recognition from peers like Harry Styles. Operating in that same elevated domain with a potentially downbeat breakup record seemed like a challenging undertaking, but if anyone could take the subject of divorce and make it feel fresh, it’s Kacey. Confronting the subject head-on, the record doesn’t shy away from details or particulars at all, quite the opposite, actually — the record and accompanying film is almost entirely focused on the subject. Weaving together pop, vintage synths, and trace elements of country, Musgraves expands her sound far past the songwriter style of Golden Hour into a full-fledged psychedelic landscape that stands apart from other pop stars and modern country artists alike.
From the woozy, title track intro, Musgraves chose to lead listeners directly into her emotional turmoil with the synth-driven second single, “Justified,” both tracks indicating a major sonic shift from the country-pop of her past. But listening to the record as a whole, the album is more sonically cohesive than these two early releases suggest. The trusting vulnerability of “Good Wife” takes it “back to the beginning,” as Musgraves narrates, already indicating trouble in paradise in what might be a more one-sided relationship than this album’s predecessor suggested. “Cherry Blossom” might be the standout on the whole album, a buzzy, moment-in-time love song that hints at the ephemeral with its namesake symbol. It’s the quintessential example of how Musgraves excels at writing songs filled with mixed emotions (“Happy & Sad,” “Lonely Weekend”), that get at the heart of how relationships actually feel.
On the cinematic “If This Was A Movie,” Kacey muses about the way things could’ve gone right if her life was following a pre-ordained script where love always wins, painting a picture of small gestures that could’ve righted the ship. Similarly, “Hookup Scene” laments letting a good relationship go, noting that the small things that were going wrong don’t hold a candle to how depressing it is to go back to loveless physical flings. “Angel” and “Easier Said” both grapple with how hard love is in the lived-in, day-to-day moments, the former from a self-deprecating folk ballad perspective, the latter channeling Phil Collins-esque ‘80s reverb dripping with regret and occasionally punctuated by acoustic guitar flourishes.
But as much as Musgraves shoulders her fair share of the blame for a love that didn’t last, there’s no mistaking the stomping, nü-feminist classic “Breadwinner,” another standout that skewers the double standards surrounding high-earning women and the men who think they can handle them. “He wants your dinner, until / He ain’t hungry anymore,” Musgraves sings, voice completely neutral while her lyrics simmer with disappointment. On a record that trends toward quieter songs, this is the closest thing to hell hath no fury here, and it’s guaranteed to be a crowd pleaser during Kacey’s upcoming arena tour. Even if Star-Crossed is mostly even-handed when it comes to the breakup that inspired it, this song points to the pressures her career success put on her love story, a dynamic that continues to crop up for powerful women despite recent strides.
The back half of the record ventures into more general moving on themes — the jaunty “Keep Looking Up” is a lesson in resilience and one of the more country-leaning songs here, and “What Doesn’t Kill Me” registers like a throwback ‘90s pop anthem — before Kacey goes rogue into disco acid trip territory on “There Is A Light.” Recalling the left-field electronica of “High Horse” on her last album, this flute-heavy song is further proof that no one genre can ever contain or define Musgraves. But, toward the beginning of the record, she strays off topic just for a moment on the glitchy “Simple Times,” a song nostalgic for the easy intimacy and carefree days of childhood. Without feeling like an outlier, it’s still one of the strongest songs on the project, and proof that from true love, to divorce, to weekday ennui, Kacey excels writing about any topic she wants. Fans will be pleased to hear her recent heartache didn’t crush her, and as much as Star-Crossed feels like a necessary step to process that situation, its strength will likely have listeners looking forward to what’s coming next.
Star-Crossed is out now via Interscope/MCA Nashville. Get it here.
The John Wall era in Houston appears to be racing towards its conclusion. According to Shams Charania of The Athletic, Wall and the Rockets are in the midst of working together on finding him a new team, as the team is in the midst of a rebuild and the veteran guard would like to seek greener pastures.
Charania reports that there is no buyout option on the table — Wall has two years remaining on his contract and just a tick under $92 million headed his way — while the two sides have met to discuss how things could work moving forward, with Wall reporting to training camp but not playing in any games once the season begins.
In a meeting between Wall and the Rockets recently, Houston officials explained to Wall the direction of the franchise and that the team wants to protect the veteran guard’s health. The Rockets explained that the team does not want to jeopardize Wall’s fitness, and the sides agreed on the route that won’t complicate his ability to continue playing at a high level.
Wall joined the Rockets ahead of the 2020-21 season via a trade that sent Russell Westbrook to the Washington Wizards. After missing the second half of the 2018-19 campaign and all of the 2019-20 seasons due to injuries, Wall was given the opportunity to ease his way back into form for a team that, following the James Harden trade, shifted its focused towards the long-term. Wall averaged 20.6 points, 6.9 assists, and 3.2 rebounds in 32.2 minutes per game for the Rockets.
St. Vincent is fresh off a new album, Daddy’s Home, but now she’s already hard at work promoting a new project. That project, of course, is her and Carrie Brownstein’s movie The Nowhere Inn. A trailer for the film was released a month ago, and now we’re getting a first look the score/soundtrack, which features new St. Vincent music. Today, she shared a video for the title track, a cinematic and evocative number that serves as a sort of theme song for the movie.
The soundtrack is set for release on September 19, a couple days following the film’s premiere.
“I’m so amazed and thrilled that somebody let us… gave us money to make a crazy film about me, sure, but also just about identity and the pitfalls when someone starts to believe in their mythology and floats off into outer space, or becomes craven in an attempt to hold onto their little idea of things. […]
I am not doing the convention of what these things normally do which is endear you to a pop star. That’s not the purpose of this film, and maybe that’s dangerous in this day and age. And that’s good. Theoretically we only have one life, why do it half-assed? Let’s do something crazy that people won’t forget. I think art is supposed to be dangerous. I think it’s supposed to be scary sometimes. It’s supposed to help us go to the crevices and recesses of our minds, and be a place where we can play with fire safely.”
Watch the “The Nowhere In” video above and check out the The Nowhere In soundtrack art and tracklist below.
It’s been nearly three years since we last saw Idris Elba throw on the red tie and jacket and take to the crime-filled streets of London in the BBC’s hit series Luther, and it turns out, all our patience is being rewarded generously. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Elba is reprising his role as the decidedly too dedicated detective John Luther in the series’ fifth-installment and first-ever full-length feature. The upcoming movie is part of a partnership between the BBC and Netflix, and will come exclusively to the streaming service upon release.
In Luther, Elba plays Detective Chief Inspector John Luther, a brilliant officer who is somewhat of a cross between Sherlock Holmes and blue-collar homicide detective Columbo. However, what truly sets Luther apart from other officers is quite simply his sheer force of will, and the dark places it often takes him all in the name of “justice.” Throughout the show, his inability to rest until a case is closed often becomes a burden to both him and those closest to him, and it looks like things aren’t about to be any easier for him in the upcoming movie.
In addition to Elba, two new stars have signed on to star in the film, and both of them are here to make Luther’s life just a bit more difficult. In Netflix’s Luther, Cynthia Erivo (Harriet, Bad Times at the El Royale, Genius) will be playing “a detective who is also Luther’s nemesis” while Andy Serkis (Lord of the Rings, Rise of the Planet of the Apes, Black Panther) is the story’s main criminal mastermind. With trouble on the streets and back at the precinct, it’s looking like a uniquely stressful time lies ahead for Detective Chief Inspector Luther.
However, there is a silver lining: long-time Luther fans will be thrilled to know the show’s creator and writer Neil Cross is on board to write the upcoming film, and will be producing alongside Elba, Peter Chernin, Jenno Topping, and David Ready of Chernin Entertainment. As of right now, no release date is attached to the upcoming film. Here’s hoping we find out more early next year.
After releasing her standout 2018 album Tell Me How You Really Feel, Australian indie rocker Courtney Barnett is preparing the release of its anticipated follow up, Things Take Time, Take Time. She announced the LP and shared the pacifying single “Before You Gotta Go” last month and now, Barnett returns with a stunningly scenic video.
Barnett’s “Before You Gotta Go” video poises the singer as an ethnographer out on a field recording mission across various locations in her Australian hometown. Armed with a recording device, Barnett captures audio clips of plants, animals, and the rolling waves.
In a statement about the visual, director Claudia Sangiorgi Dalimore described the filming process:
“Making this clip was an interesting experience for me. I love how brilliantly simple Courtney’s idea was, it brought real joy shooting part of it together, just me, her and my DOP with the other part being two long days directing over zoom across the Tasman Sea. I watch it now and feel that sense of peace, that potent calm you can only get immersed in the beauty of nature.”
Along with sharing the new visual, Barnett unveiled a website that allows fans to custom mix her new songs. The interactive program gives her listeners the opportunity to isolate, mute and mix different instruments and vocal-parts on her “Rae Street” and “Before You Gotta Go” tracks.
Watch Barnett’s “Before You Gotta Go” video above and visit her stem mixer website here.
Things Take Time, Take Time is out 11/12 via Mom + Pop Music / Marathon Artists. Pre-order it here.
Kehlani, the Bay Area singer who helped to launch a revival of R&B with her mixtapes Cloud 19 and You Should Be Here and continued to carry the flag while breaking new ground with albums SweetSexySavage and It Was Good Until It Wasn’t, is preparing to release her new album, Blue Water Road, this winter. She announced the album with a beguiling trailer which is sure to spark curiosity for what appears to be a highly conceptual project.
The cinematic clip shows a snippet of a larger, magical narrative, opening on a closeup of a demolished statue and pulling away to the singer nursing a bloody leg injury as she traverses a barren landscape via a deserted dirt road. She encounters a buzzing insect, which she catches, but the bug bursts into flame, causing her to drop it on the ground. When it lands, a group of vines bursts from the gravel to collect its remains, then Kehlani is overshadowed by something that rises up in front of her off-camera before a smash cut to black and title cards reading “Blue Water Road. Coming This Winter.”
NBA 2K22 officially dropped last week, which means it’s time for an age-old tradition: Gamers playing it and posting videos of weird things that popped up in the game to social media. One example of this, from @ChrisPesos_ of Knicks Gaming in the NBA 2K League, shows that it is apparently impossible to try and dribble in the game against Indiana Pacers guard T.J. McConnell, who is apparently capable of putting the clamps on anyone.
Bro 2K who’s career is this because it can’t possibly be mine … Am i playing TJ McConnell or prime Gary Payton ??? pic.twitter.com/2T0vMHb6li
The video ended up making its way to TikTok, where he explained that he ran into this issue in MyCareer. His player’s ball handling rating is a 99 and possesses the unpluckable badge, and yet McConnell is not just able to force turnovers at a crazy rate, he straight up broke the NBA’s steals record in this game with 12.
In fairness, McConnell’s a crazy good on-ball defender, both in real life and in NBA 2K22. While he is a 78 overall, some of his defensive stats are ridiculous — McConnell has a 97 steal rating, a 95 pass perception rating, and an 82 perimeter defense rating. So if anything, let this be a lesson to everyone who is still in the early days of playing 2K22 that if you’re playing the Pacers, dribbling near TJ McConnell is a terrible idea.
While imitation might be the most sincere form of flattery, that kind of flattery does not bode well for huge cinematic endeavors such as Denis Villeneuve’s upcoming science-fiction space opera Dune — and therein lied the team’s biggest challenge. In an interview with The Wrap, Villeneuve revealed the iconic status of Star Wars saga ultimately wound up being a slight problem for him as he was trying to discover Dune‘s unique visual language. According to Villeneuve, tackling Dune as a bunch of “Star Wars kids” forced him and his team to take on the “fun challenge” of finding their own identity:
“The main…I will not say ‘enemy,’ was Star Wars. It’s well known that Star Wars has been deeply inspired by Dune, and here we are, making a Dune movie, and we are Star Wars kids. To find our own identity and bring something that we are hoping is fresh and new for the audience, it was a fun challenge.”
Luckily for Villeneuve — who has said repeatedly that creating a Dune movie was his “Holy Grail” — his reverence for the film’s source material ended up helping him quite a bit in isolating what makes Dune, well, Dune, and not just another science-fiction film. Villeneuve said that while working on Dune, he often went back to his childhood dreams, and “worked alone with [his] storyboard artist to figure out what would be the visual language of the movie.”
“I had such powerful source material. All the detail made by Frank Herbert is so rich and precise, the dream was the people who loved the book will feel we put a camera in their mind and brought back images that will feel like what they imagined when they read the book.”
After over a year of delays, Villeneuve’s Dune finally hits theaters — and HBO Max, much to the director’s dismay — on October 22.
Sometimes the best new R&B can be hard to find, but there are plenty of great rhythm-and-blues tunes to get into if you have the time to sift through the hundreds of newly released songs every week. So that R&B heads can focus on listening to what they really love in its true form, we’ll be offering a digest of the best new R&B songs that fans of the genre should hear every Friday.
This past week, singles dominated the new releases in the R&B world. Chloe Bailey made her long-awaited solo debut with her new single, “Have Mercy,” a track she just performed at the 2021 MTV VMAs. Ari Lennox also made her return with new music, that being her fun and free-spirited new single “Pressure” while The Internet’s Syd calls for help from Smino for their bouncy collaboration, “Right Track.”
Chloe Bailey — “Have Mercy”
Last year, Chloe Bailey, along with her sister Halle Bailey, combined to be one of the year’s most impressive acts as they dropped their equally impressive sophomore project, Ungodly Hour. This year, Chloe is stepping out on her own and her new single “Have Mercy” marks her first steps as a solo act. The Murda Beatz-produced track is flirtatious, confident, and fierce, all being things we can expect Chloe to bring to the table for her upcoming debut album.
Ari Lennox — “Pressure”
Two years ago, Ari Lennox left us impressed with her phenomenal debut album, Shea Butter Baby. Last year, she cooled things down and delivered a few solo tracks and guest features to keep her supporters happy. This year, it appears her sophomore album could be on the way as she steps forward with her brand new track, “Pressure.” The song features help from Bryan Michael-Cox, Johnta Austin, Jermaine Dupri, and Jai’Len Josey for what amounts to a lively new single.
Syd — “Right Track” Feat. Smino
My hope is that Syd has a full body of work on the way, but until that’s confirmed, enjoying the music she gifts us is probably the best bet for the time being. The singer returns with her third single of the year with “Right Track” featuring Smino. On it, Syd pleads for her partner to stick to their course toward success in love while Smino steps in to amplify Syd’s message.
Tems — “Crazy Tings”
It’s been amazing to watch Tems’ rise over the past 12 months. Last fall she released her excellent EP, For Broken Ears. The following month she connected with Wizkid for “Essence,” a track that would grow to be one of this year’s song of the summer contenders. Now, she’s back to the solo route and it comes with “Crazy Tings,” her groovy new single. The track is the lead single to her upcoming EP If Orange Was A Place which will arrive with five songs and a lone feature from Brent Faiyaz.
Aaliyah — Aaliyah
Blackground Records continues to upload old albums from artists who were on their label in the early 2000s. This week’s release is a fan-favorite with Aaliyah’s self-titled album. The project featured heavy songwriting from Static Major and production from Timbaland, Eric Seats, Rapture, and more. Now, all of Aaliyah’s official albums are available on streaming services ending a wait that’s lasted well over two decades.
Yebba — Dawn
Yebba has impressed with her work this year, whether it be her collaboration with Lucky Daye or delivering her own interlude on Drake’s Certified Lover Boy. Now, the Arkansas-based singer is stepping out with her own body of work through her debut album, Dawn. It comes equipped with 12 songs and guest appearances from ASAP Rocky and Smino.
Eric Bellinger — New Light
One of the game’s most consistent and active singers is back with a new album. In what makes for his second project of 2021, following this year’s 1-800-HIT-EAZY with Hitmaka, Eric Bellinger arrives with New Light. It’s 15 tracks are amplified by appearances from Dom Kennedy, The Game, Sevyn Streeter, Brandy, Teedra Moses, and Kierra Sheard.
Kyle Dion — “Parmesan”
In less than a week, Kyle Dion will drop off his third album Sassy, and so far, the West Coast singer has delivered three singles for the upcoming project: “Purr” with Kari Faux, “Placebo” with Ja Rule, and “Money.” Now, he’s back with “Parmesan,” and it’s a record dedicated to his flashy appeal and sauce that’s like no other, but one that’s perfect for the parmesan companion in his life.
Alicia Keys — “LALA (Unlocked)” Feat. Swae Lee
In what arrives as an unexpected collaboration between the two artists, Alicia Keys and Swae Lee joined forces for their new single “LALA (Unlocked).” The slow-tempo finds the two artists singing back and forth about the growing feelings a couple possesses for each other and how their love is altered, for the better, but outside substances.
Kevin George — Everybody’s In My Ear
Kevin George is back in action with Everybody’s In My Ear, his sixth project since 2018. Comprised of seven songs and a guest appearance from Johan Lenox, George’s EP blends multiple genres that include R&B, melodic rap, and even pop. In a press release, the singer explained how the effects of “social media, perception, [and] opinions” brought him to this new era of his career. “I had forgotten my real purpose in this sh*t & for the first time since I was 15 I stopped making music completely for about 4 months,” he said. “I had to find a way to heal and move forward, but this time with absolute confidence and awareness in myself and who I am & why I even create.”
RIMON — Digital Tears
A year after impressing with her I Shine, U Shine EP last year, RIMON returns another project to display her growing artistry. Her Digital Tears EP arrives with six songs and a lone guest appearance from Earthgang. While the project delivers the up and down emotions of life that we can expect from her, it’s dipped in this sort of cyber aesthetic that makes an enjoyable listen that will stand out in her discography.
Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
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(@ChrisPesos_) 
