This year in music was filled with surprise album releases, jaw-dropping collaborating, and shocking reunions. At Coachella 2024, No Doubt pulled off the latter. Back in April, the “Don’t Speak” musicians rekindled their musicial flame onstage with a headlining set.
Despite the band’s performance magic for frontwoman Gwen Stefani, it was “overwhelming” to take in. During a chat with Britain magazine HELLO!, Stefani opened up about the performance.
“Incredible,” she said. “Performing at Coachella and feeling all that love for us after all this time was kind of overwhelming. We hadn’t done anything together for so long, so to do that and be there for each other, with all of our families, meant so much to me. It had been so long but it was as if we had never been apart.”
However, Stefani still feels “incredibly lucky” to have had the opportunity and the group’s overall success.
“Just incredibly lucky I have been and still am,” she said. “I look back at that little dyslexic girl from Orange County and I think she did okay. To be able to sing and write songs is all I ever wanted to do. It’s all I’m good at. I feel so blessed to still be out there sharing the music.”
Both Kendrick Lamar and SZA treated fans to brand new full-length albums before 2024 came to a close. They even squeezed in collaborations on each other’s releases. For SZA’s SOS Deluxe: Lana that was track “30 For 30.” On Kendrick’s GNX, SZA appeared on “Luther.” Still, the Grammy Award-winning musicians’ fans supporters want more.
In a now-viral TikTok video (viewable here), one fans begged for the acts to drop a joint EP. Well, SZA say the clip and subtly co-signed the request by reposting it to her Instagram stories.
“I speak for all Kendrick and SZA fans when I say – we need an EP bro,” yelled the fan. “We need an entire project of Kendrick and SZA collabs. Because this chemistry is undeniable at this point! Every time they get together it’s a hit, bro!”
Shortly after the duo announced their joint Grand National Tour, users online began to theorize that a collaborative album could be in the works. Although nothing has been confirmed at this time, SZA’s coy response was all supporters needed to further fuel the speculation.
With Kendrick Lamar and SZA’s Grand National Tour slated to kick off on April 19, 2025, there is still plenty of time for the TDE alum to make the joint venture a reality.
As the year comes to a close, music fans are looking forward to what 2025 has in store. Well, in hip-hop heads should expect the joint album trend to continue. In a post on Instagram (viewable here), Yasiin Bey (formerly known as Mos Def) announced his official return to rap.
Earlier in the month, Bey held a livestream performance where he debuted all new music. However, many supporters believed it was a one-off set. But, according to his recent upload he has more where that came from. Next year, Yasiin Bey’s first full project in over six years will arrive, thanks to his collaborative efforts with famed producer The Alchemist.
As the newly formed super duo Forensics, Yasiin Bey and The Alchemist will drop a new album in 2025. “FORENSICS is His project with legendary producer The Alchemist. Although details surrounding the forthcoming release are limited, the post’s caption provide limit insight. On January 25, 2025, the pair will host a private world premiere party at the Le Trianon theater in Paris. There attendees will be treated to a preview of Yasiin Bey and The Alchemist’s secret tracks.
The Alchemist’s production plate has been full this year having worked with J. Cole, Uproxx cover star Big Sean, and with in bid in to work on Young Thug’s next project.
Bey, on the other hand, has been much more reclusive which builds the anticipation surrounding the project. Bey’s last solo album (or sound installation) Negus was released in 2019 and could only be enjoyed in-person at the Brooklyn Museum. But in 2022, he reconnected with Talib Kweli as Black Star for No Fear of Time.
Yasiin Bey’s return to rap will show where his daughter Laila! got her artistic gene from.
But behind-the-scenes, Charli XCX has been making the rounds as an anonymous film critic. Yesterday (December 27), fans leaked Charli XCX’s Letterboxd account. While the platform has many purposes, based on her profile activity Charli XCX was keen on not only listing out her top movies but penning her thoughts on new releases.
Some of Charli XCX’s favorite films are 1995’s The Addiction, 2000’s Charlie’s Angels, 1974’s Céline and Julie Go Boating, and 1935’s Bride of Frankenstein.
Although Charli XCX didn’t write anything overly critical, the stark differences between her reviews demonstrate what films she truly favored.
“There were a lot of songs in this,” write Charli about A Complete Unknown.
While her spoiler-filled authored piece about Nosferatu read more like a love letter. “Ok wow there is so much I love about this movie,” she wrote. “I just really loved it, and I’ll probs watch it another 2 times this month. Go off Robert Eggers.
In her updated description (viewable here courtesy of Pop Crave), she had a laugh about fans discovering her profile. “My account got leaked I guess,” she wrote.
Now, Charli XCX’s once anonymous page has amassed over 75,000 followers. So much for a peaceful place to pick apart featured films.
The Dallas Mavericks and Phoenix Suns were both in action on Friday night, and it was the renewal of one of the newer rivalries in the NBA. Even though both teams were down a star with Luka Doncic and Devin Booker out, things still got heated as Jusuf Nurkic and Naji Marshall got in a squabble after Nurk picked up an offensive foul.
Nurkic didn’t appreciate something Marshall said to him after he bulldozed through Daniel Gafford and confronted him, eventually slapping/shoving Marshall in the face. Naji took exception to that and swung on Nurkic, appearing to catch him in the side of the face with a punch, with Nurkic then going to the ground after also getting a shove from PJ Washington.
Jusuf Nurkic, Naji Marshall and P.J. Washington were all ejected after this scuffle in Mavs-Suns. pic.twitter.com/A3Gk7eBYlI
Unsurprisingly, Nurkic and Marshall were ejected, with Washington also getting tossed for his role in pushing Nurkic to the ground. It was more actual action than we typically see in an NBA scuffle, as things rarely get past the pushing and shoving stage, but Nurkic swatting Marshall in the face escalated things quickly and the Mavs forward returned the favor with a punch that didn’t seem to connect cleanly. Luckily that was where things ended as the two were quickly separated, but both teams found themselves even more shorthanded than they already were with most of the second half still to play.
Yellowstone has come to an end, but the Yellowstone saga will continue with The Madison and without Matthew McConaughey. Taylor Sheridan has also managed to build up a healthy supply of standalone series like Lioness and Tulsa King, but currently, the Sicario scribe’s audience is all about Landman starring Billy Bob Thornton as oil-field wheeler and dealer Tommy Norton.
This series will carry on through the new year, and the former 1883 actor-turned Sheridan muse (that is an unofficial term, but it’s fun, much like Landman) is hitting his stride as the ten-episode season rolls on.
When Does Landman Season 1 Episode 8 Come Out?
This weekend’s episode will stream on December 29 on Paramount+ with the following description: “Tommy gets connected to the National Guard; Rebecca becomes increasingly suspicious of Cooper.” Exactly what the National Guard will have to do with Tommy’s varied daily duties remains to be seen, but if it’s in line with the rest of this season, this could involve clean-ups on the messes that have erupted thus far on Landman.
How Cooper (Jacob Lofland) has been enduring these horrors without overwhelming inner trauma remains to be seen. We do know, however, that Tommy has been not only flirting with professional danger but personal havoc in reuniting with his ex-wife, Angela (Ali Larter), and Ainsley (Michelle Randolph) is a ticking time bomb in her own way as the season grinds forth.
Three more episodes remain in the first Landman season, and the world-weary Tommy Norton will surely make ’em count.
Two years ago, the Sacramento Kings were the darlings of the NBA. With De’Aaron Fox and Domantas Sabonis in starring roles and Mike Brown at the helm in his first year as head coach, the Kings earned the 3-seed in the West and pushed the Warriors to 7 games in the first round. That seemingly signaled Sacramento joining the ranks of the playoff contender class in the West, but after falling to the Play-In last year (and not making it out of that) they have slipped even further off the pace to start this season.
At 13-18, the Kings are 12th in the West, three games back of the three-way tie for the 8-10 spots in the conference between the Warriors, Timberwolves, and Suns. On Thursday night, the Kings lost in gutting fashion to the Pistons after giving up a four-point play to Jaden Ivey while up three, and that loss was the final straw for ownership and the front office, as they fired head coach Mike Brown on Friday afternoon, per ESPN’s Shams Charania.
Brown went 107-88 in his 2.5 seasons with the Kings, guiding them to that playoff appearance in 2022-23 that saw them snap the NBA’s longest playoff drought and saw him win Coach of the Year. However, there is ample pressure on the Kings to not just replicate but build on that success, with De’Aaron Fox applying pressure to prove they’re serious about winning earlier this season when discussing looming contract extension talks. After signing DeMar DeRozan this summer, the Kings felt they’d put enough talent together to be a real threat for a playoff spot, even in a loaded Western Conference, but they’re well off the pace and clearly don’t feel like Brown was maximizing this group’s talents.
And just like that, we went from Batman surpluses to deficits. But maybe that’s only natural.
According to Deadline, Warner Bros. is moving Matt Reeves’ The Batman 2 from October 2, 2026 to October 1, 2027. Those looking forward to Andy Muschietti’s (It) different Batman film, The Brave And The Bold (which is set to be a part of James Gunn’s DCU reboot), are also feeling the cold slap of disappointment. Comic Book is reporting that Muschietti recently said that film has been “postponed a little bit” during an interview on California Secreta.
Why the Dark Knight dry spell? Who knows. Scripts take time to finesse, scheduling matters happen, etc. Maybe this frees Reeves up for season 2 of The Penguin?
Realistically, going five years without isn’t even that extreme. It took four years between Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight and Dark Knight Rises. We’ve just gotten used to being inundated by capes, cowls, and super synergy with Batmen appearances in 2016 (Batman V Superman: Dawn Of Justice AND Suicide Squad), 2017 (Justice League), 2021 (Zack Snyder’s Justice League re-cut), 2022 (The Batman), and 2023 (The Flash). That’s a lot, and that doesn’t even count the 100 episodes of FOX’s Gotham, which ran from 2014 to 2019, the 30 episodes spent telling the origin story of Batman’s butler, Alfred, from 2019 to 2022 in MAX’s Pennyworth, or the canceled Batgirl film.
How many of those appearances were good and/or memorable?
It’s not like DC fans are going to be left dry. Gunn’s aforementioned Superman is on the horizon, releasing July 11, 2025. There’s also Peacemaker season 2 and the first season of the Aaron Pierce/Kyle Chandler starring Lanterns series. That’s a less breakneck rollout than we’ve become accustomed to, but what we were getting accustomed to was an oversaturated marketplace where projects were coming out cursed by sameness only to get lost in the crowd. Allowing a breath and a more deliberate pace isn’t necessarily a bad thing. It’s just a little hard to adjust to.
An interesting thing to ponder, especially right now in the time of year when we don’t have a lot of things to dissect, is whether we’re actually going to see Robert Pattinson play the part of The Batman again. This is, I will caution, the height of hollow speculation based on zero actual evidence. The answer to the question posed is likely, “of course we are, just be patient!” But come along with me and let’s waste some time.
October 2027 is a long way away – nearly three years. Pattinson is an in-demand actor. He’s already filmed Bong Joon-ho’s sci-fi film Mickey 17 and found a way to work in a role in Nolan’s upcoming re-telling of The Odyssey along with half of Hollywood. I’m finding it hard to believe the recent rumor du jour that Nosferatu director Robert Eggers would actually remake Jim Henson’s Labyrinth, but his Lighthouse star, Pattinson, would make an interesting Goblin King, wouldn’t he? What I’m saying is, Pattinson has a habit of working with the best and most interesting filmmakers, and an actor only has so many roles to play. Maybe the timing starts to become more a square peg for a round hole. This is both conjecture and a valid point. I’ll also say I can’t imagine the Reeves films surviving a casting change. Not in this superhero fatigued climate.
As it is, the idea of having multiple Batman franchises at a time when there’s a target on the backs of these kinds of projects feels a little suboptimal. Certainly less optimal than when Gunn picked up the baton for the DCU with much fanfare and an ambitious slate that’s still coming together. One that was confirmed almost two years ago in January of 2023.
On one hand, the death of the genre has been greatly exaggerated. On the other, healthy genres don’t need to pump the brakes after a period of over-drive or herald the arrival of past-gen comic book movie auteurs like Gunn and the Russo Bros as saviors.
People still show up and feel a buzz over these projects. Deadpool & Wolverine’s box office showed that, as did the reception for The Penguin and the success of Reeves’ first Batman film. But the Kraven box office and the critical and commercial failure of Joker: Folie à Deux reminds us there are limits. That last one, which feels more aligned with the darker tone and higher creative ambition of Reeves’ universe, might be key.
There’s an assumed vibe to Gunn’s DCU, one with more lightness and comic book fidelity. Assumed is doing a lot of listing, but Reeves’ Gotham world wouldn’t easily crossover… in as far as we can tell from a movie, a season of television, and a trailer. And that’s fine, it’s exciting.
As has been pointed out and demonstrated, people are down to explore comic book-based shows and films with multiple tonal flavors. Multiverse and Elseworlds stories that use these characters to tell fantastic stand-alone stories are something of a nerd dream, lifted directly from the comics. It’s also a potential saving grace for the overall creativity of the genre in that it can unshackle filmmakers from the larger mission statement of these interconnected universes. But… the rightness of all that doesn’t mean studio executives are able or willing to understand or trust it, especially when the track record is prone to skips and stutters. Especially when the studio in question has cancelled near-completed films and fumbled the transition from one universe to another so epically across multiple films.
More than likely, these delays should be taken at face value and we’ll see both Battinson and whomever Gunn, Muschietti, and company pick to be frustrated by Batman’s bastard son Damian in Brave And The Bold and other in-universe larks sometime in the next few years. But… it’s hard to not at least question the sturdiness of a future pushed further away, all things considered.
In a recent interview, Eminem was asked if he’d be interested in making a full album with longtime collaborator and friend 50 Cent. He responded, “That would be great. I think we just gotta stop bullsh*tting and just do it. […] I would never say it’s not possible.”
Well, it turns out 50 is on the same page.
On Instagram, 50 shared a news story about Eminem’s quote and he wrote in his post, “Looks like I’ll be back in the booth after all ! Just gotta do this residency in Vegas first.”
This comes after a recent interview in which 50 spoke about why he doesn’t make a lot of new music anymore, saying, “My ideas are getting so big that it’s changing even how I can deliver things. I have to be conscious of what I’m saying or what I’m doing because the idea — it’s going to disrupt my idea. A lot of the music, if you listen to the music that’s out right now, I have to tap into my stupid. I have to tap into the stupid side of me to write the right thing when it comes time to write the music. This is why I haven’t created as much content as I was creating in the past.”
Cinema’s greatest monster is back. No, not Nosferatu, but Feathers McGraw.
The evil penguin, who first appeared in 1993’s Oscar-winning The Wrong Trousers, returns in Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl. Directed by Nick Park and Merlin Crossingham, the meticulous claymation film from Aardman Animations finds Feathers enacting revenge on Wallace and Gromit for getting him locked up in prison by reprogramming Wallace’s robotic garden gnome.
Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl (which has a perfect 100 percent “fresh” rating on Rotten Tomatoes) premiered in the U.K. on Christmas on BBC One, but when will the film be out everywhere else? Thankfully, it’s a short wait: Vengeance Most Fowl premieres on Netflix on January 3, 2025.
Here’s more:
Aardman’s four-time Academy Award-winning director Nick Park and Emmy Award-nominated Merlin Crossingham return with a brand new epic adventure, Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl. In this next installment, Gromit’s concern that Wallace is becoming too dependent on his inventions proves justified, when Wallace invents a “smart” gnome that seems to develop a mind of its own. When it emerges that a vengeful figure from the past might be masterminding things, it falls to Gromit to battle sinister forces and save his master… or Wallace may never be able to invent again!
You can watch the delightful trailer below.
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