Category: Worldwide

Smokey Robinson recently found himself at the wrong end of a hilarious misunderstanding. “Wrong end” might not be the right phrasing, actually: There was no ill intent behind his Cameo video confusion about “Chanukah,” which he didn’t realize was an alternate spelling of “Hanukkah” and pronounced “chuh-noo-kah.” After the video made the rounds online, the legendary artist is being a good sport about the situation and has vowed to re-record the viral video.

Last night, Robinson tweeted at Jeff Jacobson, who ordered the video for his mother, writing, “Hey @jeffjacobson – in the spirit of 2020, I’m gonna need a do-over! Please DM your mother’s phone number so we can try this again [laughing emoji].” Jacobson was happy to oblige, responding, “Coming right up, Smokey but you owe her and us nothing. We love you!”

Before that exchange, Jacobson pointed out what many people probably figured: He wasn’t upset about the mistake because he and his family got a great and memorable story out of it. He tweeted, “By the way, @smokeyrobinson can pronounce it any way he damn well pleases. He is a true legend whose music has been with me since birth. His kindness and generosity of spirit has already made this most-unusual 2020 Chanukah one of my family’s most memorable. Also, my mom says hi.”

Donald Trump Jr.’s been on a (disturbing) roll lately, alright. He recently appeared on Fox News is such a weird, amped-up state that people wondered if an intervention was in order. He also denied rumors that he was blitzed out of his mind at the RNC, and it’s hard to ignore those previous suspicious instances while beholding his weekend rant about Hunter Biden that led to a lot of “Motel 6” jokes and the masses wondering exactly what’s going on with the sitting president’s eldest son.

In the video, Don Jr. didn’t appear to be all-there while slurring his words and moving his mouth all strange-like while seemingly struggling to push out words. Of course, the video has been preserved for posterity by the Internet with both a #Motel6 hashtag and a reference toward the David Hasselhoff burger-eating debacle of 2007. Amid all of the jokes, Don Jr.’s ex-mistress, Aubrey O’Day (a Danity Kane singer who appeared on The Celebrity Appearance in 2011, and who was discovered exchanging “sexy” text messages with Don Jr. by his wife at the time, Vanessa), also saw the mess.

At first, Aubrey had one word to describe the video: “wtf.”

Then came the inevitable question from a Twitter user: “[W]as he always like this?… i guess we all have lapses we regret.” To that, Aubrey replied, “He wasn’t that. trust me.”

Still, Aubrey can’t get the video out of her mind. Two days later, she posted a bewildered GIF in response to Don Jr.’s amped-up state on Fox News.

As of now, there’s been no official response from Don Jr.’s camp on the “Motel 6” video.

Just a week after his controversial remarks on Russell Brand’s podcast, Matthew McConaughey is dipping his toes into political waters again. This time around, the Magic Mike star stopped by Good Morning Britain where he opined on “cancel culture” while talking to host Piers Morgan, who, for the record, is not the pigeon lady from Home Alone 2. (He gets that a lot.) During the conversation, McConaughey criticized what he calls the “illiberal left” for preventing necessary confrontations by silencing opposing views. Via Deadline:

“We need liberals, what I don’t think we need is illiberals,” he told hosts Piers Morgan and Susanna Reid. “What I don’t think some liberals see is they’re being cannibalized by the illiberals. There are extremes on both sides that I think are unfair… the extreme left and extreme right completely illegitimize the other side. They exaggerate the other side’s stance into an irrational state that makes no sense. That’s not fair.”

According to McConaughey, confrontation is key to making democracy work “really well,” and in his opinion, we’re not seeing enough of it. “I would argue we don’t have true confrontation right now, confrontation that gives some validation and legitimizes the opposing point of view. We don’t give a legitimacy or validation to an opposing point of view, we make it persona non grata, and that’s unconstitutional.”

The actors comments echo his concerns from last week when he appeared on Russell Brand’s podcast and chastised the illiberal left that “absolutely condescend, patronize, and are arrogant towards the other 50 percent.” While McConaughey’s remarks are in the context of not mocking Trump voters for refusing to accept the results of the 2020 election, his proposed solution works in any situation. “Let’s get aggressively centric,” he told Brand.

(Via Good Morning Britain on Twitter)

Twitter can be both a gift and a curse, depending on who’s using it, when, and why they’re using it. Fortunately for all of us, R&B living legend Dionne Warwick has been a true blessing for the past few weeks, using her profile to engage with fans and tease the young generation of artists currently ruling the charts. One of those artists was Chance The Rapper, who told Stephen Colbert during his appearance on The Late Show last night that getting roasted by Warwick has led to the two collaborating on new music together.

“I was very surprised that she knew who I was,” Chance admits. “But it was awesome. We’re working on a song.” The incredulous Colbert stopped him for confirmation that the two artists really are collaborating, leading Chance to call the opportunity “a huge, immense honor.” He then detailed how her Twitter shout-out led to the connection, although he conveniently left out the part where she prodded him with the question “If you are very obviously a rapper why did you put it in your stage name?” However, she did also say “Holy,” his collaboration with Justin Bieber, is one of her favorite songs, so it’s clear her teasing was out of love.

“It feels like my first taste of fame,” Chance joked. “I went to Starbucks the other day and they’re like, ‘Are you the guy who got tweeted by Dionne Warwick?’” The guest and host also spent some time reminiscing about Chance’s first mixtape 10 Day, how he and his wife Kirsten are being “defeated” by their two little girls in quarantine, and the open mic that launched Chicago’s group of peers, including Noname, Saba, and Vic Mensa, as well his reissue of Merry Christmas Lil’ Mama.

Watch Chance’s interview with Stephen Colbert above.

Megan Thee Stallion had a role in one of the year’s biggest songs by collaborating with Cardi B on “WAP.” She had a monster single of her own as well, though, as “Savage” was another popular chart-topper. What Meg doesn’t have under her belt yet, though, is a Christmas song. She changed that on last night’s episode of The Late Late Show, as she and James Corden gave the song a holiday-themed remix.

The new version of the song is all about Santa Claus (with Corden playing Santa) and their performance takes place on a Christmas-y stage, dubbed “Santa’s Twerkshop.” Meg brings some delightful new lyrics to the track, including gems like, “Bought a PS5 ’cause he’s good at online shoppin’ / If you sit on Santa’s lap, then you’ll see what else is poppin’,” and, “Naughty, got a thick body / Rosy red cheeks, people think he’s Pavarotti.”

The pair presumably shot this bit when Meg was a guest on the show last week. During their chat, they discussed Meg’s prosperous 2020 and her origins in music. On top of that, Meg performed a medley of “Savage” and her new single “Body” on the show.

Check out “Savage Santa” above.

Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

Of Peter Jackson’s three Lord of the Rings films (non-The Hobbit edition), he was nominated for Best Director at the Oscars twice: The Fellowship of the Ring, which he lost to Ron Howard (A Beautiful Mind), and The Return of the King, which he won. Why he was snubbed for The Two Towers? Good question, considering it has arguably the series’ most impressive set-piece, the Battle of Helm’s Deep. But The Two Towers holds a special place in Jackson’s heart — one scene, in particular, is his precious.

When asked by Stephen Colbert to name his favorite scene in the trilogy, Jackson replied, “We were shooting Two Towers and it was introducing Gollum. A key thing with Gollum is that most people know he’s Sméagol and he’s Gollum, it’s like a split. But we hadn’t got a scene where you really got the idea of, ‘This guy is two people.’ So we knew that we needed it but we had no time to shoot it.” Jackson’s co-writer and co-producer Fran Walsh “wrote a scene where Sam and Frodo are asleep, so they can be just lumps in the bed, we don’t even have to have Elijah [Wood] and Sean [Astin]. We didn’t have anyone to direct it, so I said to Fran, ‘You wrote it, you should shoot it.’ So she went in for a day and she wrote and directed a scene which has become pretty famous now.”

It’s a great scene for Gollum saying “sneaky little Hobbitses” alone.

(Via the Independent)

Taylor Swift’s surprise album Evermore dominated pop music this week, but there were still a handful of other talented artists with big releases. Britney Spears made a bouyant return, Shawn Mendes tapped girlfriend Camila Cabello for a cutesy Christmas jingle, and Noah Cyrus served up an introspective ballad.

Each week, Uproxx rounds up the best new pop music. Listen up.

Taylor Swift — “No Body, No Crime” Feat. Haim

Of course, any new Taylor Swift release will surely earn Uproxx’s best new pop stamp of approval — especially when it’s a collaboration with Haim. Swift tapped the sister trio for the twang-infused femme fatale anthem “No Body, No Crime,” whey they harmonize of using instincts to catch a killer in his tracks.

Britney Spears — “Matches” Feat. Backstreet Boys

This week also saw a release from a major pop star. Britney Spears released another deluxe version of her album Glory and it included to brand-new song “Matches.” The Backstreet Boys collaboration not only offers nostalgia for the early aughts, but its bouncy beat makes it a surefire bop in any decade.

Shawn Mendes, Camila Cabello — “The Christmas Song”

Following the massive success of their 2019 collaboration “Señorita,” musical sweethearts Shawn Mendes and Camila Cabello have teamed up for another duet. This time, they’re getting in a cozy holiday mood with the sing “The Christmas Song,” a swooning piano ballad which raised funds for the non-profit organization Feeding America.

Madison Beer — “Boysh*t”

Fresh off a handful of releases and her appearance at this year’s VMAs ceremony, Madison Beer returns with the cutting track “Boysh*t.” Over a thumping beat, Beer sings of finally breaking off a toxic relationship once-and-for-all.

Noah Cyrus — “All Three”

Noah Cyrus may have released her debut album this year, but that doesn’t mean she’s done releasing new music. Cyrus returned this week with “All Three,” a heartbreakingly personal ballad about the ups-and-downs of tumultuous relationship.

JP Saxe, Julia Michaels — “Kissin’ In The Cold”

JP Saxe and songwriter Julia Michaels were another pair of musicians who were getting into the holiday spirit this week with the soaring collaboration “Kissin’ In The Cold.” The tender collaboration follows the artists’ previous collaboration “If The World Was Ending,” which earned the pair Grammy nomination for Song Of The Year.

SG Lewis — “Time” Feat. Rhye

Ahead of his long-awaited debut album due out this February, SG Lewis linked up with Rhye for the club-ready single “Time.” “‘Time’ is a song that is central to the album thematically and sonically,” SG Lewis said about the track. “Rhye has one of the most unique and distinctive voices out there, and I’ve been a fan for so long.”

Alexander 23 and Jeremy Zucker — “Nothing’s The Same”

Two of pop’s sweethearts got together for an earnest single. With “Nothing’s The Same,” Alexander 23 and Jeremy Zucker croon of the woes of getting older and moving on from past relationships.

Shaed — “Once Upon A Time”

Shaed returned for their third single of the year with “Once Upon A Time,” a cathartic reflection on young love. “‘Once Upon A Time’ is about the tragic nature of being young and in love,” Shaed said in a statement. “First relationships are filled with intense feelings of love, hope, doubt, and regret. In the blink of an eye, you go from believing you’ll die in a person’s arms to watching the walls of the foundation you build crumble around you.”

The Avalanches — “The Divine Chord”

Feat. MGMT and Johnny Marr

Veteran electronic duo The Avalanches released their album We Will Always Love You this week, their first full-length effort in four years. While the 25-track record boasted a number of captivating tracks, one standout is undoubtedly their sparkling collaboration with MGMT and Johnny Marr.

Some of the artists covered here are Warner Music Artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

For his debut music video, “To The Moon,” Quinton Brock thought of every detail down to the well-worn sneakers on his feet. He didn’t just roll up on a bike as his Pixies-esque power chords rang out, but did so shirtless and in dark Levi’s — a nod to one of his idols Pharrell Williams from N.E.R.D.’s “Provider” clip. The rose he burns at the end of the song is a symbol of unrequited love, an image he hopes to work with as he develops his own merch line. And he didn’t lace up just any pair of kicks, but black Converse Chuck Taylors, which he considers to be the “original rock star shoe.”

“It’s all about those Converse sneakers,” he says when asked above his favorite pieces in his closet. “When I think of rock music, I think of Converse, the Ramones, Julian Casablancas — all these great artists. That’s why in ‘To the Moon,’ the very first time that you see me, I swing my leg over that bike and I flip my ankle out so you see that Converse logo. I really wanted to make sure that everyone knows that was the shoe that was chosen, that classic Black converse.”

Brock — an up-and-coming rocker who’s eyeing the release of his full-length debut in 2021 — has been preparing for, and dressing for, this moment his whole life. He has a keen eye, one he’s honed as a fashion-forward thinker who’s modeled for Vogue and elsewhere, and seeks to imbue everything he creates with layers of meaning, from his music videos down to his merch. Born and raised in Buffalo, Brock credits his hometown, and its proximity to the U.S.-Canadian border, for his sartorial spark.

“We really get it in on the fashion tip, because everyone’s always coming up from New York and [down] from Toronto with all the different clothes,” he says. “While we’re not as early as New York, I’d get stuff six months, seven months after. It was a huge influence growing up, just watching the fashion shows and making my own brands. We’d always paint on our own t-shirts when we didn’t want to buy t-shirts and everything. It’s all a piece of it.”

They’d hit the thrift store, too, which is a regular destination Brock mines for inspiration. A fervent believer in the power of a high-low mix, Brock is less about the brands and more about meshing cheap and tagless finds — like the Levi’s 511 jeans he scored for $11, or his “Nickelodeon shirt,” a no-name blue, purple, and orange button-down — with Comme des Garçon tees, as he wears in the “To the Moon” video, or designer scores. He appreciates a hand-me-down Wrangler jean jacket as much as he does a beautifully tailored suit, and if he had the chance to play Madison Square Garden tomorrow, he’s work in a costume change or two to rock both looks.

“It doesn’t matter if it costs $3 or $3,000 — if it’s dope, it’s dope,” he says of honing his thrifting shops in his hometown. “The kids will hang around all the expensive stuff, but then if they see something, or they see somebody walk up, and they’re like, ‘You got that out the thrift? That’s hot.’ I found this Dior pullover at a thrift store for $13. It’s incredible.”

Buffalo’s hip-hop scene offered endless inspiration to Brock, who constantly turned to Westside Gunn, Conway The Machine, and Benny The Butcher — a.k.a. rap collective Griselda — for their streetwear and strong merch game. For him, a tee or sweatshirt copped at a show is more than a garment: it’s a chance to elevate your art to another medium instead of treating it as a wearable advertisement.

“The way [Westside Gunn] has taken on the merch game, the way he’s taken on the design, the fashion, his clothing, he’s created something that’s more popular than Supreme,” he says, “It’s culture; it’s a piece of that. That’s what I hope to inspire. I want to bring a piece of that hip-hop fashion culture to rock music, because rock music has never felt it before.”

Brock eventually made his way to Brooklyn, where he’s currently plotting and planning for the rollout of his debut album, the shows he’ll play to support it, and what will fill the merch table. Unsurprisingly, his notebooks are brimming with sketches and ideas, and he’s quick to gush about his friends and collaborators. The stunning yet simple silver necklace Brock wears in “To the Moon” is a KHYRIE piece, and Brock is looking forward to teaming up with Jameel Mohammed, its creator, to craft his own jewelry. He approaches these projects with the same intensity he does his music: no production is complete without a compelling visual, and Brock wants every aspect of his live show to be as flawless and eye-catching as the fashion-forward pieces he’s dreaming up in the meantime. He’s gone so far as to create an Instagram filter that corresponds with the lighting design and visuals that play behind him during his set. As it was with “To the Moon,” every last detail counts.

“Aspects of my personality are shown through the music and the aesthetic value of what I bring, just who I am,” he says. “What you see is what you get with me. I got a literal chip tattooed on my shoulder. My next tattoo, I’m gonna get my heart on my sleeve. I just want to do everything I can in the best way.”

Following the news that Zack Snyder’s upcoming version of Justice League will probably be R-rated thanks to Batman dropping a F-bomb, Shazam! director David F. Sandberg had a little fun with that information. In a hilarious video posted to Twitter, Sandberg tweaked an infamous exchange between Ben Affleck’s Batman and Henry Cavill’s Superman that shows how a well-timed bleep can dramatically change even the grittiest of scenes.

You can watch the video from Sandberg below:

Of course, any nerd will tell you that this scene is actually from Batman V Superman, not Justice League, but don’t worry, Sandberg is way ahead of you. “Since this is the internet: Yes, this is the wrong movie,” he wrote in a follow-up tweet. “This is a joke, not a slight against Snyder. I look forward to finally watching his JL. But yes, I suck and Shazam! is a Deadpool wannabe movie for babies, etc.”

Sandberg’s joke stems from a new interview with Snyder where he reveals why thinks the MPAA will slap his four hour director’s cut with an R-rating before it debuts on HBO Max. Via Entertainment Weekly:

Asked for details about what makes the new footage explicit, Snyder reveals, “There’s one scene where Batman drops an F-bomb. Cyborg is not too happy with what’s going on with his life before he meets the Justice League, and he tends to speak his mind. And Steppenwolf is pretty much just hacking people in half. So [the rating would be due to] violence and profanity, probably both.”

Snyder also shared his hopes for releasing the “Snyder Cut” theatrically, which might be a tad optimistic. Has he looked at the news lately?

(Via David F. Sandberg on Twitter)

What the best song of the year was is up for debate. What’s not quite as open to interpretation, though, is what the most impactful song of the year was, which has to be Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion’s “WAP.” It’s the most talked-about single of 2020, even months after its summer release. Now Tame Impala’s Kevin Parker has weighed in, and he’s a fan.

Parker was profiled for a recent Triple J feature, and his thoughts on the song from that interview didn’t make it into that piece, although it was used in a new Megan Thee Stallion feature. In the story, Parker is quoted as saying of “WAP,” “For me, it’s the most memorable song of 2020. I just think it’s a perfect song. It feels great, the lyrics are great, the production fits. It’s so outlandish and brave.”

The Tame Impala leader isn’t the only big-time artist to discuss the song lately. Snoop Dogg recently shared some critical thoughts about the track, although he later walked that back, clarifying on Instagram, “Stop wit the bullsh*t press I love Cardi b and Meg. Music period point blank and they know that I’m n full support of the female. M. C. Movement so stop trying to make me a hater. U.F.D.H.B. Now carry on Before u get this. L.A. D. [laughing emoji]. That song 6xs platinum talk about that.”

Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.