Grammy Award-winning crooner Leon Bridges is known for his evocative vocals and swooning melodies. The singer has released a handful of collaborations this year. But his track “Sweeter” with Terrace Martin is his most poignant, as it was written from the perspective of a Black man reflecting on his life as he takes his final breath. Now, Bridges returns with a sun-drenched visual that commemorates his roots.
Directed by Rambo Elliot, the visual is a snapshot of Bridges Forth Worth, Texas hometown. “I wanted to shine a light on the Black community in Fort Worth, and specifically my childhood community from the Southside of Fort Worth,” Bridges said of the video. “I had my friends and family with me; this is a celebration of our Blackness.”
Alongside the tracks’ release, Bridges reflected on the racism he faced throughout childhood: “Growing up in Texas I have personally experienced racism, my friends have experienced racism. From adolescence we are taught how to conduct ourselves when we encounter police to avoid the consequences of being racially profiled. I have been numb for too long, calloused when it came to the issues of police brutality. The death of George Floyd was the straw that broke the camel’s back for me. It was the first time I wept for a man I never met. I am George Floyd, my brothers are George Floyd, and my sisters are George Floyd. I cannot and will not be silent any longer. Just as Abel’s blood was crying out to God, George Floyd is crying out to me. So, I present to you Sweeter.”
Watch the “Sweeter” video above.
A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie is releasing the deluxe edition of his album Artist 2.0 this Friday, so naturally, he wanted to give his fans a sneak peek of what they could expect from the new project, sharing the ominous banger “Bleed” as well as its new video. Unlike his more pop-leaning singles such as “Reply,” “Swervin’,” and “Look Back At It,” “Bleed” is a more aggressive banger, giving a glimpse into the darker side of A Boogie’s Highbridge, Bronx environment.
“I swear I don’t need love, that sh*t is so, so petty,” he asserts on the melodic hook, choosing to instead focus on his associates who are locked up, the shootouts that have left him paranoid, and the shifting loyalties of team members who switch up when facing a sentence. The imagery of the video reflects the somber content, as police officers interview a witness, shooters ambush enemies in restaurants and empty parking lots, and A Boogie himself trains for a potential fight in the gym, delivering punches and elbows to the heavy bag while still draped in jewelry.
Watch A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie’s “Bleed” video above.
Artist 2.0 Deluxe Edition is due 6/19 on Atlantic Records.
A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
New Zealand indie rockers The Beths are gearing up for their sophomore record Jump Rope Gazers. With the record, the four-piece group aims to tackle themes of anxiety and self-doubt. The newly-released single “Out Of Sight,” takes a prudent approach to those themes with serene tones and earnest lyrics.
Vocalist Elizabeth Stokes says the band allowed themselves to be more fragile on the single: “The band playing on ‘Out Of Sight’ is more fragile than we usually allow ourselves to be. We are trying to listen more deeply and be more open ended, it was confronting to do and sometimes even frustrating. But it came out great, Ben’s bass playing especially is beautifully melodic and gives the song a unique texture.”
The accompanying “Out Of Sight” video, directed by Ezra Simons, was filmed using a Super 8 film camera and depicts the band birdwatching amongst the New Zealand brush. Simons was able to track down archival footage of birds native to New Zealand and wove clips throughout the visual. “The goal was to create a nostalgic and timeless roadtrip video where the band goes off in search of native birds, but instead finds each other,” Simons said.
Watch “Out Of Sight” above.
Jump Rope Gazers is out 7/10 via Carpark. Pre-order it here.
This week, pop musicians issued many strong contenders for best new pop music designation. Chloe x Halle released their highly-anticipated album, Maren Morris shared two reworked tracks, and Jorja Smith offered an exuberant cover of a jazz song.
Each week, Uproxx rounds up the best new pop music. Listen up.
Chloe x Halle — “Forgive Me”
Chloe x Halle, the sister duo signed to Beyonce’s record label, released their sophomore record this week. On the lush track “Forgive Me,” their far-reaching vocals melt together over a rolling beat, forging a captivating tune and earning the sisters the top slot on Uproxx’s best new pop list.
Maren Morris — “Just For Now”
As break-out country singer Maren Morris spends the majority of her time at home like the rest of us, the singer elected to revisit some of her back catalog. The singer shared an updated version of “Just For Now,” a song recorded during the session for her 2017 album Hero. Sharing the revised version to social media, Morris wrote: “GIRL has been out over a year & has been one of the most transformative periods of my life. During this time off the road, I had the opportunity to polish up 2 older songs of mine that I couldn’t wait for you to hear.”
Alessia Cara — “I Choose”
Alessia Cara makes her acting debut as the lead voice of Jane in the recently-released animated movie The Willoughbys and the singer co-wrote “I Choose” as the lead song from the film. Staying true to her sound, Cara flaunts her soaring vocals in the empowering track about self-love and the importance of family.
Jorja Smith — “Rose Rouge”
Jorja Smith teamed up with iconic Jazz label Blue Note Records to cover a classic song as part of their compilation Blue Note Re:Imagined. Originally penned by the French jazz musician St Germain in 2000, Smiths’ “Rose Rouge” cover is a silky-smooth showcase of her smoky vocals.
Kiana Ledé — “Dear Mr. President”
This week, Kiana Ledé borrowed “Dear Mr. President,” the 2006 track from Pink and the Indigo Girls, and reworked it into a fitting anthem for today. In a statement about the cover, Ledé said: “Through all the crying and pleading, all the protesting and donating, I wanted to do something that is therapeutic for me – singing. I came across the song ‘Dear Mr. President’ by P!nk and realized so many of the lyrics are STILL relevant today. This song was originally released 14 years ago. I hope this song drives people to VOTE because Trump is a symbol of racism and we are facing the impending doom of his re-election.”
Nea — “Drunk Enough To”
While Nea has already made a name for herself as a songwriter for other musicians, the singer is ready to write songs of her own. Nea shared her debut EP this week, which boasted the irresistible track “Drunk Enough To.” In a statement, Nea said the song is about “that flirty, tipsy feeling when someone has caught your eye and you’re trying to work up the courage to make a move.”
Kierra Luv — “Worth It All”
18-year-old Kierra Luv’s breakout arrived when one of her covers earned a co-sign from Cardi B. Now, she’s gearing up for her anticipated debut mixtape Take It Or Leave It. Ahead of the EP’s debut, Kierra Luv shared the breezy number “Worth It All.” “When you listen to me, I want you to know you’re not alone,” she said about the track. “It’s all about having a winners’ mindset. I hope to give that to everyone so they know tomorrow will always get better.”
Aluna — “Warrior” Feat. SG Lewis
Aluna, one half of acclaimed electronic duo AlunaGeorge, is turning a new page as a solo artist. Following the release of her debut solo track “Body Pump,” Aluna teams up with SG Lewis for the shimmering effort “Warrior.” Immaculately layered, the thumping song stands as the start of a strong era for the singer.
UMI — “Pretty Girl Hi!”
Ahead of her EP Introspection, timed perfectly to the next full moon’s position in Cancer, UMI has shared the single “Pretty Girl Hi!” “It’s a song about freedom, following my journey of self-acceptance,” UMI said alongside the track. “This song feels like painted in golden hues. Now more than ever, music is a form of healing to the world.”
Ella Henderson — “Take Care Of You”
Ella Henderson has come a long way since her career started with a sixth-place finish on The X Factor in 2012. A No. 1 single and handful of awards later, Henderson is signaling the beginning of a new era. Her first release of the new year, Henderson’s “Take Care Of You” is an uplifting preview of what’s to come from the UK singer.
Some of the artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
On the latest episode of T.I. & Tiny: Friends & Family Hustle, viewers finally saw T.I.’s daughter Deyjah’s response to his ill-advised comments last year about accompanying her to the gynecologist. Deyjah found herself at the center of a hurricane of controversy and heated debate when T.I. casually joked on the Ladies Like Us podcast that he used her doctor’s visits to confirm her hymen was still intact.
While many voices online and elsewhere stepped in to criticize or defend his comments — including Planned Parenthood, Kanye West, and the hosts of Red Table Talk — the one voice that was conspicuously absent from the discussion was Deyjah’s. She laid low throughout most of the controversy, but admitted that being thrust into the spotlight in such a way left her “hurt, angry, and embarrassed” on the family’s VH1 show.
“I’m scrolling on Twitter and I’ve see I’ve been tagged in a post,” she recalls in the clip. “The only word I saw was ‘gynecologist.’ I didn’t even need to read the whole title cause I just knew. My heart sank. I’m embarrassed, for sure. I’m trying to put it in the back of my mind so I’m not really thinking about it. I know it’s not healthy. But I’ve been doing that since I was a child.”
While T.I. insisted that he “embellished” story during his Red Table Talk interview, Deyjah admitted during the show that she didn’t confront the issue because “it’s easier” while being given advice by her cousins. She does, however, point out the double standard in how men treat their daughters and sons and vows to be “more connected mentally and emotionally” as a parent herself.
Watch the clip of Deyjah talking about her reaction to T.I.’s comments above.
Last night, WWE released a statement confirming that a member of their developmental program had tested positive for COVID-19, prompting the company to test everyone for the coronavirus. Since then, more information has come out about WWE’s talent and management’s reactions to the case.
The original email stated that after “the company’s performers and staff, all talent, production crew and employees on site at the training and production facilities” are tested for COVID-19, “WWE plans to proceed with its normal television production schedule.” This large-scale testing, however, has temporarily impacted TV production. According to POST Wrestling, WWE canceled its tapings today in order for everyone to get tested for the virus and plans to resume filming tomorrow.
The talent I’ve spoken to say that they found out about the positive COVID-19 test when the rest of the world did. Last time they were informed via a talent relations app about five days before news broke.
— Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful.com (@SeanRossSapp) June 16, 2020
According to Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful, WWE talent “found out about the positive COVID-19 test when the rest of the world did,” which was during the last half hour of last night’s Raw, when the news was spread by Pro Wrestling Sheet’s Ryan Satin and an email from WWE Public Relations. In contrast, Sapp says that last time there was a coronavirus case in WWE, back in April, “they were informed via a talent relations app about five days before news broke.”
This test result comes as, for last night’s Raw, WWE quietly started allowing non-staff, along with Performance Center talent, to be a part of the Raw audience for the first time in months. It was reported that these spectators had to sign a waiver saying that they wouldn’t hold WWE liable if they caught coronavirus.
Bryan Alvarez of the Wrestling Observer has now reported that he was “told by multiple sources that WWE would not allow anyone in the crowd at the RAW taping Monday to wear masks,” one of the most widely recommended methods, along with social distancing, of preventing the spread of COVID-19. The audience members were local wrestling fans and friends of WWE talent, and according to the Observer, “They just told people, ‘If you want to wear a mask. Don’t come.’”
Despite the fact that the U.S. has apparently tossed up its hands in resignation and decided that coronavirus was so last month, we are still in the middle of a global pandemic. More than 110,000 Americans have died from COVID-19 in just the past three months. We have 5% of the world’s population and a whopping 25% of the world’s COVID-19 cases and deaths. (Is this the “so much winning “we were supposed to get tired of?)
The death toll is harrowing enough. But what we don’t hear about as much is what happens to the people who get sick with COVID-19 and don’t die. Once a person’s symptoms have begun improving and they test negative twice for the virus, they are considered “recovered.” But that’s not even close to the whole story for many who wage a weeks- or months-long battle with this illness.
A nurse shared on Twitter how “recovered” doesn’t mean what many of us think. Cherie Antoinette wrote:
“COVID 19 is the worst disease process I’ve ever worked with in my 8 years as an ICU nurse. When they say ‘recovered’ they don’t tell you that that means you may need a lung transplant. Or that you may come back after d/c with a massive heart attack or stroke bc COVID makes your blood thick as hell. Or that you may have to be on oxygen for the rest of your life. COVID is designed to kill. It is a highly intelligent virus and it attacks everything. We will run out of resources if we don’t continue to flatten the curve. I’m exhausted.”
Another nurse chimed in with her own experience of catching the virus and how it impacted her at 24.
“I am a nurse on a COVID floor, I caught it. I am a relatively healthy 24 year old & could barely walk up a half flight of stairs. My blood pressure skyrocketed, chest pain was debilitating. I’m 8 weeks out and still feeling the chest pain and shortness of breath. This is no joke,” she wrote.
Other people added their own experiences:
“I’m just getting over a “mild” case after over two months. There’s scarring in my lower right lung and my stomach and digestion are a mess like never before. But I’m coughing way less and can take walks again.
And, btw, this is the third time in two months that I’ve ‘gotten better’. I’m just hoping it’s the last and it doesn’t all come back AGAIN.”
Many people report severe, lasting fatigue that lingers and returns in waves.
More nurses added to the chorus of those saying that what they’ve seen as they treat patients is downright scary.
And some are describing lasting symptoms even with cases that were considered “mild” or “moderate.”
Cherie Antoinette responded to a woman who said she’d gone into acute kidney failure and acquired asthma, chronic cough, and an irregular heartbeat, saying that most of her patients had the same issues. “I am traumatized working in this environment,” she wrote.
She also shared a tweet she’d written back in March saying that people needed to be more concerned about the flu. After two months treating COVID patients, she’s changed her tune.
It’s true that many people either don’t get symptoms or do get truly mild cases. But none of us knows how it’s going to affect us. And because we don’t get to go to COVID units or people’s homes after they leave the hospital, we don’t see how difficult many people’s recoveries are or how long-lasting the impact can be.
As one healthcare worker wrote, “without people actually seeing these scenes they honestly just don’t believe it. The public believes as a whole that this only kills old people with heart problems or big complications.”
Indeed, there’s a whole lot of misinformation about the virus still floating around, from “it’s no worse than the flu” to “it’s all planned by Big Pharma and Bill Gates.” Someone even asked Antoinette who paid her, as if the countless stories we’re seeing from doctors, nurses, and patients who have had first-hand experience with this virus are being paid to push an agenda. [Insert world’s biggest eye roll here.]
Some responded that most people do not have severe symptoms and chastised the nurse for fear-mongering. But it’s not fear-mongering to state the truth that many people will suffer greatly from this disease, even if they don’t die from it. It’s not fear-mongering to point out that there’s still so much that we don’t know about how the virus works and why it ravages some people’s bodies while leaving others virtually unscathed. It’s not fear-mongering to share accounts from the front line workers who are the only ones who can tell us what COVID-19 is capable of.
We all need to continue to be diligent and careful, as the pandemic hasn’t gone anywhere. As businesses and communities keep opening up, we still need to wear masks in public spaces, keep our distance from others as much as possible, and take the virus seriously.
Sean Durkin made one of the more acclaimed indie movies of the early 2010s with Martha Marcy May Marlene (featuring a breakout performance from future MCU star Elizabeth Olsen), but no feature films since. He’s stayed busy on other projects, like directing Channel 4’s Southcliffe and Sharon Van Etten’s “Your Love is Killing Me” music video, but nothing on the scale of MMMM. Until now. Durkin is back with The Nest, starring Jude Law and Carrie Coon as Allison and Rory, a couple who leave “suburban America and return to his native England.” Their marriage (story) was already unraveling before the across-the-pond move — now Allison can no longer ignore what’s obvious: her husband, who favors wealth over stability, is a “poor kid pretending to be rich.”
Here’s the official plot synopsis:
Rory (Jude Law), an ambitious entrepreneur and former commodities broker, persuades his American wife, Allison (Carrie Coon), and their children to leave the comforts of suburban America and return to his native England during the 1980s. Sensing opportunity, Rory rejoins his former firm and leases a centuries-old country manor, with grounds for Allison’s horses and plans to build a stable. Soon the promise of a lucrative new beginning starts to unravel, the couple have to face the unwelcome truths lying beneath the surface of their marriage.
The Nest comes out in theaters and on VOD on September 18.
A flurry of instruments open Khruangbin’s latest single “Pelota,” setting a lively tone for the spirited number. The single arrives as yet another preview of their forthcoming third record, Mordechai, and marks a distinctive pivot from much of their hazier catalog.
Alongside the new track, Khruangbin share a captivating animated video directed by Hugo Rodrigues Rodriguez that centers around the universal nature of a sphere. Of the genre-bending track itself, Khruangbin says they pull from several cultural influences: “A Texan band with a Thai name singing a song in Spanish, loosely based on a Japanese movie.” This medley of influences can be heard through the rhythm-forward production and bassist Laura Lee Ochoa trying her hand at vocals, something that wasn’t seen on much of the band’s former projects.
Ahead of the new single, the band unveiled the funk-forward singles “Time (You And I),” and “So We Won’t Forget” off Mordechai, but the album won’t be their first release of this year. Back in February, the trio teamed up with Texas crooner Leon Bridges for the EP Texas Sun, which stood as a soulful tribute to their home state and marked the first time the band used vocals on nearly every track.
Watch Khruangbin’s animated “Pelota” above.
Mordechai is out 6/26 via Dead Oceans. Pre-order it here.