Category: Worldwide

The 2020 Emmy nominations rolled out today, and boy, were they something. Right away, Rhea Seehorn fans grew furious that she was somehow left on the side of the road again, and it’s very strange to not see Larry David receive more nods for being a lovable curmudgeon on HBO, but perhaps he’s topped out with a lifetime total of 27 Emmy nominations and 2 wins. We could also talk about numbers mattering, which is good news on the HBO front, with Watchmen and Succession scoring 26 and 18 nominations, respectively, and Disney+ scooping up 15 nods for The Mandalorian, although sorry, Baby Yoda, you are somehow not eligible for acting awards.

That’s not as satisfying, though, as talking about the real winners and losers, which is a fine tradition here. Please do not consider this to be a complete list of wronged-and-righted parties (for example, I cannot even begin to understand why Desus and Mero got the shaft, which shouldn’t have happened), but let’s get this ball rolling, shall we?

WINNER: Great Netflix shows that no one expected to be great

When it comes to Ozark, I kind-of get why people don’t want to give this show a shot at first. The bizarre insistence upon a blue filter goes a long way, for example, or the fact that it arguably fine-tunes the Walt-Jesse dynamic from Breaking Bad — yes, that might grind some gears. Yet all of those concerns don’t matter once you surrender to the setting and watch Jason Bateman lose his sh*t in consistently captivating ways. The acting nominations here were all well deserved, as was the Outstanding Drama series nod, especially with that cliffhanger. I do look forward to one day seeing Julia Garner win her 15th Emmy in, like, 2045, but let’s also shout out Dead To Me. That little Netflix series also been recognized once again despite (probably) being intended as a trash-comfort watch. Yet it works surprisingly well to stir up a wide range of emotions and affirm humanity in the process. Also, recognition for Linda Cardellini will never get old. Now she can forget that Capone came out this year.

LOSER: Reese Witherspoon is doing fine, but not fantastic

Let’s make one thing clear: Reese is doing just fine. In fact, she’s likely doing wonderful. However, her prestige TV turns have gone unrewarded for this year’s ceremony. Whereas Jennifer Aniston received a nod for Apple TV’s The Morning Show, Reese didn’t walk away with the same honor for her performance as an unruly spitfire of a co-host. Her Hulu and HBO roles, in Little Fires Everywhere and Big Little Lies, also went unrecognized. I can only guess that there simply wasn’t enough room for all the BLL ladies, and although her ruffling of Adam Scott was convincing enough, neither she nor Nicole Kidman could beat out Laura Dern and Meryl Streep’s extremely unhinged turns on the show. Still, Reese will not walk away from 2020 empty-handed. Quibi paid her $6 million to narrate a wildlife series, and you gotta respect that hustle.

WINNER: Nerds

Yes, I did suggest that numbers don’t matter, but c’mon. Not only did The Mandalorian receive 15 nods, but Watchmen scored 26. The best part about Damon Lindelof’s show gathering so many decorations, though, is that no one even asked for a Watchmen TV series to be made. Alan Moore’s graphic novel was always considered to be unfilmable (and Zack Snyder made the case there), but Lindelof did it anyway. He recontextualized the whole story against the backdrop of a long-buried U.S. atrocity and hid Doctor Manhattan in the body of a Black man. He put the damn squid in there, included Jeremy Irons’ fart face, made Regina King walk on water (or not), and inserted a Lube Man. Watchmen could win no Emmys at all, and it’d still be the winner for all those things.

LOSER: The Better Call Saul cast, mostly

This one is a puzzler. The Emmys nominated Bob Odenkirk in 2019, 2017, 2016, and 2015, but he somehow came up short this year for his lead role in AMC’s Breaking Bad spinoff that landed on the top of our best shows of the year (so far) list. Even if one considers that his category was stacked — and let’s be honest here, it wasn’t airtight because Steve Carell‘s The Morning Show role felt more like a supporting role than a lead — it’s hard to ignore how the Emmy’s almost entirely shut out the Saul actors. And really, how does one justify continuing to leave Rhea Seehorn on the side of the road with an arc like the one she had this season? With those finger guns… and everything? It just doesn’t make sense, but I guess at least Gus Fring is getting his due.

WINNER: Unconventional Characters That Feel New To TV

Zendaya could become the youngest winner of the Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series award for her turn in the provocative Euphoria. The drug-fueled series about teens isn’t an easy watch by any stretch, but it’s a relevant one, and Zendaya’s finally receiving the dramatic material that her talents deserve. On the Ramy side of things, it’s nice to see more affirmation that this is the best show that you’re not currently watching. It’s a little disheartening to not see the show’s actresses gain recognition while their characters are finally coming to the forefront, but it’s hard to argue with the possibility of creator Ramy Youssef adding an Emmy to his Globe win for this dramedy about Muslim-Americans. Also, Mahershala Ali getting a nod for his Hot Sheikh means that at least something’s right in our current universe (after that Green Book mess).

WINNER: Limited Series That Start With Un-

Young women challenging institutions are where it’s at this year. Even though Watchmen will (and should) walk away with the Outstanding Limited Series category, I’m thrilled to see two insurgent-feeling shows, Unbelievable and Unorthodox, make the shortlist. Kaitlyn Dever should have also been nominated in the acting department for her turn as a rape survivor who was treated like a criminal, due to being an “imperfect victim,” but the show as a whole deserved the nod that it received for being taking such a feminist approach to crime-drama storytelling. And I’m pumped to see Unorthodox‘s Shira Hass pop up with an Outstanding Lead Actress In A Limited Series nod (she’s up against Regina King and Cate Blanchett), as well as seeing recognition for the stunning miniseries’ exploration of a young woman’s flight from Hasidic Judaism.

LOSER: Al Pacino, maybe for the first time in his life

Pacino’s first regular TV role in Amazon Prime’s Hunters was a highly anticipated one, but sadly, the show (despite plenty of enticing ingredients like Jordan Peele producing and, you know, the killing of Nazis), didn’t hit the mark. Honestly, yeah, it was messy, and Pacino’s accent work managed to be one of the weirdest parts of a very weird show. It’s not worth too many words to rehash what happened there, for it’s enough to say that Pacino’s already won two TV-movie Emmys for You Don’t Know Jack and Angels In America. He’s also notched an Oscar win (in 1993 for Scent of a Woman) and eight Oscar nominations (including in 2020 for The Irishman). He doesn’t necessarily need to win at TV shows, too!

You can see the full list the Emmy nominations here.

Indie music has grown to include so much. It’s not just music that is released on independent labels, but speaks to an aesthetic that deviates from the norm and follows its own weirdo heart. It can come in the form of rock music, pop, or folk. In a sense, it says as much about the people that are drawn to it as it does about the people that make it.

Every week, Uproxx is rounding up the best new indie music from the past seven days. This week we got new music from Samia, the dance-ready new album from Jessy Lanza, and a pair of charming b-sides from Andy Shauf.

While we’re at it, make sure you sign up for Indiecast, our new weekly podcast featuring Steven Hyden and Ian Cohen, bringing you all the best new indie music and conversations.

Jessy Lanza — All The Time

We’ve been awaiting Jessy Lanza’s new album since she released “Face” back in April. The single set the stage well for the full-length, a collection of numbers that will surely get you up out of your chair to dance along. With the world on fire around us, All The Time gives us 38 minutes of reprieve to let loose.

Katie Dey — mydata

Katie Dey’s latest LP is experimental as ever, but also follows a narrative thread. mydata explores a long-distance relationship and the ways that communication is both fostered and fettered by the accessibility of the internet. It’s glitchy, but cinematic, making for one of the most interesting listens in recent memory.

Skullcrusher — Skullcrusher

After forcing her way onto our radar with a series of singles, Skullcrusher’s debut self-titled release for Secretly Canadian lives up to the promise. Delivered with restraint, the four tracks expand upon the world that welcomed us into the singles, one that you won’t be eager to retreat from.

Taking Meds — The Meds You Deserve

If you’re looking for something a bit heavier, let me introduce you to Taking Meds. The Brooklyn-based band shares members with defunct post-hardcore group Such Gold, and you can hear it in the heavily down-tuned guitars that comprise the new EP The Meds You Deserve. But where Such Gold’s songs took on a more aggressive vocal approach, Taking Meds put more of an emphasis on big rock hooks and melodies. Case in point: the vocal melody of opening track “Sucks To Be Me” is almost reminiscent of “Kids In America,” at points.

Andy Shauf — “Judy/Jeremy’s Wedding”

Andy Shauf has said that he initially wrote 50 songs for his most recent effort The Neon Skyline, which was released earlier this year and details one crazy night at a local dive bar. That 50 was eventually whittled down to merely 11, but now Shauf has started rolling out some of the cuts that didn’t make the album. “Judy” and “Jeremy’s Wedding” both “emanate Shauf’s soft-rock sound,” writes Carolyn Droke for Uproxx, but he decided that they didn’t flow well with the remainder of the narrative of The Neon Skyline and ultimately decided to exclude them from the album.

The Avalanches — “Wherever You Go”

Since The Avalanches took a 16-year break between their first and second albums, they have been very productive in the way of new music. We’ve already received a handful of songs so far in 2020, including collaborations with Blood Orange, Rivers Cuomo, and more. “Wherever You Go” is another collaboration, this time featuring Jamie xx, Neneh Cherry, and Calypso, and showcases the staying power of the Australian duo’s renewed creative power.

Sylvan Esso — “Ferris Wheel”

Sylvan Esso’s first album in three years, Free Love, is set for release in September, and “Ferris Wheel” is a promising first taste of what’s to come. The minimalist electronic number is about “discovering your power and awkwardly figuring out how to wield it,” the band wrote in a statement.

Fenne Lily — “Berlin”

With the release of her new album, Breach, coming up quick, Fenne Lily has shared a second preview with “Berlin.” The single is what Derrick Rossignol calls for Uproxx “a mid-tempo, shoegaze-borrowing track that comes from a withdrawn place,” and certainly sets the stage nicely for what can be expected from the remainder of Breach.

Samia — “Big Wheel”

Samia is prepping her debut album The Baby after spending 2019 workshopping new music with indie artists like Hippo Campus. “Big Wheel” is the latest in a long line of singles, a floating number with mellotron lines that’s “about avoiding conflict at any cost,” Samia wrote in a statement. “It’s a passive confession of harbored resentments buried in a laundry list of gratitude.”

Elvis Perkins — “The Half Life”

“The Half Life” heralds Elvis Perkins’ new album Creation Myths with a country twang and intimate lyrical storytelling. Perhaps this knack for storytelling is informed by Perkins’ work as a film composer, though his solo work takes on an additional dimension by adding an imaginative visual component. It’s a cool exercise, one that Perkins welcomes you to conduct through his music.

Joe Wong — “Day After Day”

Another film composer, Joe Wong’s new track “Day After Day” was inspired by Marianne Faithful and features cinematic instrumentation beneath Wong’s entrancing baritone vocal. Wong’s new album Nite Creatures is set for release in September and features collabroations with the likes of Ex Hex’s Mary Timony, The War On Drugs’ Jon Natchez, The Flaming Lips’ Steven Drozd, and more.

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

Maurice Ellis, his wife Caroline Leslie-Ellis, and their daughter, Amara, immigrated to Ontario, Canada from Jamaica to create a better life for their family.

Maurice works two jobs to support his family and put his wife through college. Caroline has earned top marks in the hospitality and tourism management program at Fanshawe College, but the expenses are tough for the family to manage.

Even though Maurice has his hands full with work and family, he joined Dad Club London to develop a closer bond with other fathers in his community. Dad Club is a “go-to resource for fathers and pending fathers, where they can network with other like-minded dads, give and receive help, and become more involved in their community.”

In addition to providing a place for fathers to come together for support, the non-profit has also raised over $90,000 for local causes.

“Like many other local fathers, he found us on our Facebook group, came out to an event, and fell in love with what we do,” club member Ryan Blake told Good News Network. Blake is also proud of the group’s diversity. “[Maurice] isn’t the first Black dad in the club. We have members from all races and backgrounds, including gay dads.”

On June 2, the Dad Club London’s Facebook page posted a link to a local London, Ontario Black Lives Matter group that was looking for donations to provide supplies such as “masks, hand sanitizer, water, and signs to attendees.”

The group also wanted to raise funds for “future events and so that we can establish ourselves as an official BLM Chapter that continues to enhance and support the local black community.”

via Dad Club London / Facebook

The Dad Club’s support for the Black Lives Member movement meant a lot to Maurice who had been the target of racial slurs while working his second job.

“It’s not just me that it happens to,” Maurice told The London Free Press. “If you’re not mentally strong it can take a toll.”

Dad Club London founder and president, Jeremy McCall wouldn’t accept that type of racism happening in his town, so he organized a secret fundraiser for local community groups to show their support for the immigrant family.

The group raised over $7,000 from 76 families, the local police union, and numerous businesses.

The group called a socially-distanced meeting for group members in a local parking lot in support of the family, but the Ellis family had no idea it was for them.

At the meeting, the group gave Amara the biggest LEGO set they could find, Maurice was given a prepaid Mastercard to help the family with living expenses and to have some money to spend on himself because “you always put your family first.”

Finally, Caroline was given a check to help with her college tuition.

“What happened to you doesn’t represent this community,” McCall said, referencing the racist incidents, in a heartfelt speech to the family.

“We don’t stand for that,” he added. “When you said, ‘I guess that’s the way the world is,’ it broke our hearts because it can’t be that way, and we won’t let it . . . We, together, stand as a community against racism.”

**FINALLY SOME GOOD NEWS**

www.youtube.com

We are two months away from the release of NBA 2K21, which is currently the only simulation NBA video game on the market. The series has had its highs and lows, and like so many games has issues with too heavy a reliance on microtransactions, but it has become the standard for hoops video games and prides itself on realism (even though the medium naturally lends itself to some unrealistic happenings).

As such, if the goal of the game is to replicate NBA life for its gamers, particularly in its MyCareer mode, I would like to formally request 2K begin working on a “The Bubble” game mode that could be DLC for the game early in 2021. A hat tip to Lang Whitaker, who helped spark the idea by asking for the Bubble arena to be added to the game.

The next three months will see NBA players vying for the championship in the Disney bubble, and this lends itself to an even better version of “The Neighborhood” and “The Park” than what 2K currently has. We’ve seen players hit the links for golf together, become very into bass fishing, and do all sorts of other activities together now that they’re all stuck in what has basically become NBA summer camp in Orlando. The idea of 2K’s entire online presence is “what if players all lived in the same place and could play pickup,” but what we’ve learned is there’s opportunity for so much more.

Now that 2K has the PGA Tour golf franchise, they have the ability to put a basic golf game inside NBA 2K so you and your buddies could take your MyPlayers to the links. We already know they can handle the graphics for fishing in the game given that in 2K18 part of your storyline was going fishing with Paul George. You could add other mini-games like cards, cornhole, and other activities to really round out the experience — and, yes, even throw in an outdoor court for “The Park” for pickup games online. The Neighborhood already has disc golf around its perimeter and puts on gigantic events all the time, the folks at 2K can surely find space for all of this in the gigantic 2K world.

There’s some incredible opportunity here for 2K to expand what they offer in the game and, where some of this may have once been unrealistic to imagine guys all doing this, it’s now the reality of a very weird situation. The NBA has tried to make the most of the bubble restart and what they’ve managed has been pretty entertaining to watch, both in the games on the court and what players are doing to entertain themselves off of it. For a video game franchise that has had its struggles in really recreating the NBA lifestyle experience in its career mode, this honestly offers a way to be realistic while doing things easily translatable to a video game, and could make for some very fun online co-op modes.

Also, if there is fear that this won’t be relevant in early 2021, given what we’ve seen with baseball trying to play in home stadiums, it’s not out of the realm of possibility that they might have to consider another bubble for next season if there’s not a vaccine in place by the time the league wants to restart for the 2020-21 campaign. If bubble life is going to be a constant in basketball in the near future, the video game most closely associated with the NBA might as well lean all the way in.

Giancarlo Esposito only briefly appeared in the season finale of The Boys, but it was clear from just those few moments that the actor would have a much greater impact on the gleefully brutal superhero satire when it returned for its second season. (You don’t just cast Gus Fring for a bit part.)

In a new interview with Comicbook.com, The Boys actor Anthony Starr reveals that Esposito’s character Edgar is a higher-up at Vought Industrial, if not the higher-up. As fans of the show know, Vought controls the superhero team Seven (a dark parody of the Justice League), and the corporation is sitting on a trove of mysterious experiments that could potentially keep even its stronger “hero,” Starr’s Homelander, in check. According to Starr, this dynamic will put Homelander in an unusual place after the character just spent the first season basically doing whatever he wanted to whomever he wanted with very little inference. Until now.

Via Comic Book:

“Homelander thinks he’s the most important player in the game, so to speak, but Edgar very much comes from a different angle. He represents a big corporation and he really puts Homelander into a very interesting position for a superhero that is used to getting his own way and being so strong and in control. Edgar really throws the cat amongst the pigeons there and it sets old Homey off on a bizarre trajectory.”

Landing Esposito is obviously a huge get for the Amazon series. The Better Caul Saul actor is coming off an Emmy nomination for his work as Moff Gideon on The Mandalorian, and he recently made a huge splash in the world of gaming when Ubisoft revealed he’d be playing the big bad in Far Cry 6. Esposito was featured prominently in the trailer, and he’ll be bringing his signature blend of cool, calculated villainy to a whole new audience when the game hits consoles in February 2021.

The Boys season two starts streaming September 4 on Amazon.

(Via Comic Book)

Despite the speculation earlier this week about one possible lineup for the next Verzuz hits battle, it looks like the next contestants were already on board. Today, the Verzuz social channels confirmed that the next two big names to square off are 2 Chainz and Rick Ross. Their duel will commence Thursday, August 6 at 8pm EST/ 5pm PST on both the Verzuz Instagram and on Apple Music.

“Y’all will see very clear how it makes sense,” Verzuz co-creator Swizz Beats commented on the Instagram announcement. It’s pretty easy to figure out; as two of the more well-known figures of Southern hip-hop, 2 Chainz and Rick Ross are fairly evenly matched in regard to their respective catalogs. In addition, the two rappers have distinctive sounds and approaches to very similar topics — namely, the “luxury rap” style both helped shape throughout the 2010s. Both are also in the de facto Renaissance stages of their respective careers after each underwent a name and label change (from Def Jam/Slip-N-Slide for Ross/Teflon Da Don and from Disturbing Tha Peace for 2 Chainz/Tity Boi) and experienced success after revamping their sound.

They’re also vets of the same era who didn’t blow up until relatively late in their careers, when they began dominating radio with hits like “I’m Different,” “Birthday Song,” “Spend It,” and “No Lie” for 2 Chainz and “Hustlin’,” “BMF,” “The Boss,” and “Here I Am” for Ross. They also have deep bags of standout guest verses to dip into, which leaves plenty of surprises for each to pull their 20-song rotations from. As usual, the winner won’t be one of the contestants, but those of us watching, and hip-hop as a whole.

Tune in 8/6 at 5pm PST/ 8pm EST.

In 2019, Game of Thrones season eight was nominated for 14 Primetime Emmys, three more than any other series (it won two). That was also the final season of Thrones, leaving an opening for this year’s title of Most Nominated Show. Would it be Better Call Saul? The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel? The Big Bang Theory rising from the dead to terrorize us once again? Nope, nope, and not-bazinga (nope). Another HBO series, the fantastic limited series Watchmen, leads all programs with 26 (!) Emmy nominations.

The list includes Outstanding Limited Series, Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited Series or Movie (Regina King), Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited Series or Movie (Jeremy Irons), Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited Series or Movie (Jean Smart), and Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited Series or Movie (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Jovan Adepo, Louis Gossett Jr.). For reference’s sake, the Watchmen movie was nominated for Scream Song of the Year at the 2009 Scream Awards. It lost.

Abdul-Mateen II reacted to the happy news on Twitter, where he shared the rare iPhone note that isn’t an apology. “To the Television Academy and my peers who voted, THANK YOU so much. And thank you to Damon [Lindelof], [director Nicole Kassell], REGINA — my HBO Main Thang — the entire writing staff and creative team and especially the FANS of our show who watched every week and engaged in the important discourse.”

If Abdul-Mateen II and Smart wins, they should replace the Emmys trophy with… something else.

Just like Baby Yoda took the internet by storm, The Mandalorian is making its presence felt at the Emmys in a big way. The groundbreaking, live-action Star Wars series scored an impressive 15 Emmy nominations, which is huge for Disney+. The streaming service isn’t even a year old, and already, its very first original series is locking down industry awards.

Thanks to its revolutionary filmmaking process that pushed the boundaries of visual effects from everything to location shots to the insanely life-like Baby Yoda animatronic, a badass musical score by Ludwig Göransson, Pedro Pascal‘s voice-over work, and the chilling performance of Giancarlo Esposito as Moff Gideon, the accolades came rolling in. Via Deadline:

The Mandalorian scored noms for Best Drama, Outstanding Character Voice-Over Performance, Production Design for Narrative Program (half-hour), Cinematography for Single Camera (half hour), Fantasy/sci-fi costumes, 3 single-camera Picture editing for a drama series, Prosthetic make-up, music composition, a guest actor in a drama series nod for Giancarlo Esposito, 2 sound-editing in a comedy/drama half hour series, outstanding special vfx, and stunt coordination for a drama series, limited series or movie.

In celebration of its Emmy success, The Mandalorian was quick to share the news on its official Twitter account below:

Despite the pandemic, The Mandalorian fans will be happy to know that season two is currently on track for its fall release on Disney+. The upcoming season is rumored to include appearances by Rosario Dawson as Ahsoka Tona, Temuera Morrison as Boba Fett, along with other surprise characters including Timothy Olyphant in a mystery role. On top of bringing in the new episodes on time, pre-production on season three has also begun, which means there’s still plenty more The Mandalorian adventures on the way, and most importantly, a lot more Baby Yoda.

Granted, the little guy is going to have his real name revealed soon, but he’ll always be Baby Yoda around here.

(Via Deadline)

This week was a big one for the best new pop music. Not only did One Direction celebrate their 10-year anniversary, but many of today’s biggest pop stars shared new music. Taylor Swift dropped a surprise album, Maroon 5 shared a moving ballad, and J Balvin teamed up with Dua Lipa for a shimmering single.

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

Taylor Swift — “Cardigan”

When one of today’s biggest global artists drops a surprise album, it’s sure to make Uproxx’s best new pop list. This week Swift shocked fans with Folklore, the 16-track album where she collaborated with indie artists like Bon Iver and The National’s Aaron Dessner. In a statement, Dessner spoke about his experience working with the seasoned pop singer: “She is one of the most talented, hardworking, and deeply caring artists I’ve ever encountered. There’s a palpable humanity and warmth and raw emotion in these songs that I hope you’ll love as much as I do.”

Maroon 5 — “Nobody’s Love”

Even though Maroon 5 has been releasing music for nearly 20 years, they still know how to perfect a pop song. The group shared “Nobody’s Love” this week, and it marks their first new release of the year. Vocalist Adam Levine used the song’s video to make a statement and draw attention to how the enforcement of cannabis laws disproportionately falls on people of color.

J Balvin — “Un Día (One Day)” Feat. Dua Lipa and Tainy

Both J Balvin and Dua Lipa released albums at the onset of the pandemic lockdown, but that doesn’t stop them from releasing even more music. This week, Balvin teamed up with the Grammy Award-winning pop star for “Un Día,” as a pulsing and lovelorn ballad. “I hope this song transports you to an island somewhere…,” Lipa wrote alongside the track’s release. “Even if only for a moment.”

Loren Gray — “Alone”

Breakout star Loren Gray continues to make a name for herself in the world of pop with “Alone.” Following her bubblegum pop single “Cake,” Gray gets introspective with the new but equally buoyant number. “‘Alone’ is the first love song I’ve ever written,” Gray said in a statement. “I’m so happy it’s out in the world and I hope my fans aka my angels love ‘Alone’ as much as I do.”

Pia Mia — “Hot”

Pia Mia has been making music since she was a teenager and her hard work has paid off. The 23-year-old has collaborated with major musicians like YG and Tyga, and is approaching an impressive one billion streams as an artist. Now the singer shares the new anthem “Hot” in time for the warmest days of summer. Breezy chords open the track before Mia’s sugar-sweet vocals arrive in the hook, detailing the intoxicating nature of a budding relationship. “Wait I get a high trippin on your love / That’s why I need it daily,” she sings.

Noah Cyrus — “Dunno”

Noah Cyrus is making a name for herself separate from her infamous family with her new music. The singer quietly released her debut album The End Of Everything earlier this year and continues to show-off her soulful style with a Mac Miller cover. “Mac was such a beautiful and respected artist, and his loss was felt around the world,” Cyrus said about the cover. “His legacy lives on through his incredible music. I’m so proud to cover his record ‘Dunno’ and support the Mac Miller Fund in his honor.”

Kylie Minogue — “Say Something”

Known affectionately as the “Princess of Pop,” Australia’s Kylie Minogue is the country’s highest-selling female artist and has an impressive 14 albums in her catalog. Now, the singer is ushering in a new era with “Say Something,” which she recorded with longtime-producer Biff Stannard, who is known for co-writing the Spice Girls hit “Wannabe.”

Charlotte Lawrence — “Slow Motion”

20-year-old singer Charlotte Lawrence continues to craft brooding pop hits with her new single. “In my heart, I’m a person who leans towards sad songs,” she told NME about the song. “That’s the music I’m obsessed with, but I’m also someone who loves to dance and to be able to move to a song. I’m always split between the two. I wrote this song on the piano and wanted to keep that sad feeling attached, but also to be able to smile and move to it.”

Little Mix — “Holiday”

Girl group Little Mix got their start in the same way as One Direction. The four singers formed in the eighth season of The X Factor and have stayed active ever since. “Holiday” marks the second single of the group’s still-untitled sixth album and boasts everything you need in a pop song: Valient vocals, lighthearted lyrics, and a bouncy beat drop timed perfectly at the chorus.

Jeremy Zucker — “Supercuts”

When Jeremy Zucker left his New Jersey hometown to got to college in Colorado, he had big plans for his career. Before he even finished the four-year program, the singer had already signed a major label record deal with Republic Records. Following a handful of singles and EPs, Zucker shares “Supercuts,” the feel-good single which he noted is about “the fear of being complacent and ending up where you started, which for me was a small town in the suburbs of New Jersey.”

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

Around the time Mike Hadreas released his new Perfume Genius album Set My Heart On Fire Immediately, he announced a video competition for the song “Without You.” He asked fans to submit ideas for a visual for the song, and three winning directors were given $1,000 to make the video, along with $1,000 to be donated to a charity of their choosing.

Today, Perfume Genius has shared the first winning video, which was directed by Liz Lian. The video begins with a forager who finds a cassette tape of the song in the brush, which mysteriously starts playing as she holds it up. She goes on to find more unexpected objects and dance along to the song in the visually captivating clip.

Lian, whose chosen charity is The ACLU of Southern California, said in a statement about the video:

“This song, and Mike’s artist’s statement about it, reassures me that moments of comfort and clarity are just as certain to appear as confusing, lonely moments are. It reminds me to be patient and to turn toward conflict within myself and view it as a beautiful, imperfect metamorphosis, rather than hide from it. This music video is about the exploration and discovery of self through the natural world. I aim to depict the unfamiliar, abstract, and jumbled parts of ourselves through elements of surrealism and magical realism. Narratives of self-discovery in media often center around coming-of-age stories of young white people as they enter adulthood. But self-discovery and reinvention occur throughout our lifetimes. Seeds of change sown within us can blossom into exciting, life-altering experiences when we least expect it. Annie Tezuka, who stars in this video, did a beautiful job embodying this experience. I wanted to shine a particular light on the experience of women who, as they age, are increasingly seen as they are in relation to others – mothers, wives, grandmothers – and for this video to be a tribute to the complexities and constant change within all of us, especially those women.”

The two other winners were Samantha Mitchell, whose video will debut on August 4, and Kristin Massa, whose clip will come out on August 11.

Watch the first “Without You” video above.

Set My Heart On Fire Immediately is out now via Matador Records. Get it here.