Sesame Street has an astounding history of celebrity guest stars, so much so that appearing on the show is something of a right of passage. Well, some more folks are about to join the club.
A new season, the show’s 55th, debuts on January 16 via Max. Featured guests were announced, and they include Reneé Rapp (on the January 16 episode), Michael B. Jordan (January 23), Samara Joy (February 6), Noah Kahan (March 6), SZA (April 10), Chris Stapleton (July 24), Jonathan Van Ness (August 21), and Billie Jean King (August 28).
As for what to expect from the upcoming season, executive producer Sal Perez says in a statement, “New episodes of Sesame Street will help young viewers understand and express their feelings, learn new mindfulness practices, and as always, have a blast with their favorite furry and funny friends. Whether it’s taking a volcano breath when angry, learning to give yourself a hug when frustrated, or wiggling it out when disappointed, we are empowering children with the strategies to help build resiliency and the foundational skills for emotional well-being.”
SZA shared a photo from the Sesame Street set back in March 2024 and she was beyond excited, writing, “GODS TIMING !!! FOLLOW YOUR DREAMS AND SAY THEM OUTLOUD !!NEVER GIVE UP !! ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE I BELIEVE IN YOU !!”
The song, from 1990 classic Fear Of A Black Planet, “is a protest song extracted from the Watts rebellion, coined by the magnificent Montague in 1965 against inequality when he said ‘burn baby burn’ across the air,” he wrote on Instagram. “We made mind-revolution songs aimed at a one-sided exploitation by a industry. Has nothing to do with families, losing everything they have in a natural disaster. Learn the history. Godspeed to those in loss.”
In the caption, Chuck D wrote, “PRAY 4 LA.”
The California fires have displaced over 130,000 people, including many musicians. “Me and my children’s home is gone,” Jhené Aiko wrote on Instagram. “Burned to the ground with all our things inside. Lord have mercy. Thankful we still have each other. Starting from scratch. My heart is so heavy.” A GoFundMe was launched for DIIV frontman Zachary Cole Smith after his house burned down, while Speedy Ortiz’s Sadie Dupuis put together a spreadsheet for music industry folks who have been affected by the fires.
The shows are primarily in Asia (including a tour-opening, three-night stint at Seoul’s KSPO Dome), but there is a run of North American tour dates in March and April, with two-show stops in Brooklyn, Chicago, Mexico City, San Antonio, Oakland, and Los Angeles. Ticket information about the US shows has not yet been made available.
Meanwhile, J-Hope also teased new music, seemingly coming in March, with a new teaser video, above.
Find the full list of tour dates below.
J-Hope’s 2025 Tour Dates: Hope On The Stage
02/28 — Seoul, South Korea @ KSPO Dome
03/01 — Seoul, South Korea @ KSPO Dome
03/02 — Seoul, South Korea @ KSPO Dome
03/13 — Brooklyn, NY @ Barclays Center
03/14 — Brooklyn, NY @ Barclays Center
03/17 — Chicago, IL @ Allstate Arena
03/18 — Chicago, IL @ Allstate Arena
03/22 — Mexico City, Mexico @ Palacio De Los Deportes
03/23 — Mexico City, Mexico @ Palacio De Los Deportes
03/26 — San Antonio, TX @ Frost Bank Center
03/27 — San Antonio, TX @ Frost Bank Center
03/31 — Oakland, CA @ Oakland Arena
04/01 — Oakland, CA @ Oakland Arena
04/04 — Los Angeles, CA @ BMO Stadium
04/06 — Los Angeles, CA @ BMO Stadium
04/12 — Manila, the Philippines @ SM Mall of Asia Arena
04/13 — Manila, the Philippines @ SM Mall of Asia Arena
04/19 — Saitama, Japan @ Saitama Super Arena
04/20 — Saitama, Japan @ Saitama Super Arena
04/26 — Singapore, Singapore @ Singapore Indoor Stadium
04/27 — Singapore, Singapore @ Singapore Indoor Stadium
05/03 — Jakarta, Indonesia @ Indonesia Arena GBK
05/04 — Jakarta, Indonesia @ Indonesia Arena GBK
05/10 — Bangkok, Thailand @ Impact Arena
05/11 — Bangkok, Thailand @ Impact Arena
05/17 — Macau, China @ Galaxy Arena
05/18 — Macau, China @ Galaxy Arena
05/24 — Taipei, Taiwan @ NTSU Arena
05/25 — Taipei, Taiwan @ NTSU Arena
05/31 — Osaka, Japan @ Kyocera Dome Osaka
06/01 — Osaka, Japan @ Kyocera Dome Osaka
Steven and Ian begin with a quick Sportscast about their respective favorite NFL teams — the Packers and the Eagles — facing off in the playoffs in the weekend. They also review the (unlikeable) programs left in the College Football Playoffs. From there, they discuss the recent album announcement by Japanese Breakfast and whether they like her new single. They also look at the lineup for this year’s Bonnaroo and whether it confirms Steven’s suspicions about festivals being in a downturn. Then they review the latest release by Ethel Cain, Perverts, and whether it is deliberately aimed at alienating her more pop-minded fans.
In Recommendation Corner, Ian talks about the “Ozark Mountain emo” band Pomfret while Steven recommends the new solo record by Geese singer Cameron Winter.
New episodes of Indiecast drop every Friday. Listen to Episode 221 here and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. You can submit questions for Steve and Ian at [email protected], and make sure to follow us on Instagram and X (formerly Twitter) for all the latest news. We also recently launched a visualizer for our favorite Indiecast moments. Check those out here.
Earthgang is less than three months removed from their latest album, Perfect Fantasy, but it doesn’t look like they have any intentions of resting on their laurels in 2025. Today, they released the video for “Electric,” the fourth official music video from the album following “Blacklight,” “U Gotta” featuring Q-Tip, and “Love You More” featuring T-Pain. This time around, they’ve recruited Palm Beach rapper Cochise as their support, and demonstrate some “electric” chemistry alongside him in a clip filled with trippy visuals.
The video opens with an expensive-looking green screen shot, but Olu isn’t feeling the proximity of the camera to his face. When he protests, he sets off a dispute with the director that brings his partner-in-rhyme to his aid. Leaving the studio, the two Atlanta rappers stroll through the city before they get a ride from Cochise. All around them, special effects enhance their performances, with floating cars, cracking walls, and of course, arcs of electricity accentuating every moment. They end the video with a Southern rap staple: a trip to the strip club, where they work out the last of their frustrations before returning to the studio in a much better mood than when they left.
You can watch Earthgang’s “Electric” video featuring Cochise above.
Perfect Fantasy is out now via SinceThe80s / Dreamville / Interscope. You can listen to it here.
Debí Tirar Más Fotos, the title of Bad Bunny’s new album released earlier this week, roughly translates to I Should Have Taken More Photos. Naturally, in the spirit of that sentiment, the video for “Baile Inolvidable” (“Unforgettable Dance”), which he released today, follows the Puerto Rican superstar as he takes classes to learn one of the traditional dances of Latin American culture: Salsa.
The class is a joyful experience for all involved — even if Benito’s expression suggests more self-consciousness than his classmates. However, as he envisions himself paired with a gorgeous partner on a spotlit dance floor, he summons the suavemente to put on a performance worthy of the ballroom kings who combined mambo, Rumba, swing, and tap into a pillar of community and culture.
Speaking with Zane Lowe on Apple Music, Bad Bunny said “Baile Inolvidable” is his favorite track from Debí Tirar Más Fotos. “The whole composition, it was in my mind way before the song was created,” he said. “The whole song is made with new young musicians from Puerto Rico. All of them are 20 years old, 21, 22 they’re really young kids, straight from the Escuela Libre de Música, it’s like the public music school from Puerto Rico.”
You can watch Bad Bunny’s “Baile Inolvidable” video above.
Debí Tirar Más Fotos is out now via Rimas Entertainment. You can listen to it here.
Thousands of residents of northwest Los Angeles County have been evacuated from their homes as a result of a group of unseasonal wildfires ravages the area. Among them is singer Jhené Aiko, who shared via Instagram that her home has burned down, leaving her “starting from scratch” (you can see the posts here).
“Me and my children’s home is gone,” she wrote. “Burned to the ground with all our things inside. Lord have mercy. Thankful we still have each other. Starting from scratch. My heart is so heavy.”
Over the past few years, California’s regular brush fires have worsened as a result of climate change, as well as droughts that have dried the area out more than usual. The fires currently burning have taken over areas that would normally not see such powerful fires due to the Santa Ana winds carrying burning embers at high speeds.
Exacerbating the issue were recent cuts made to Los Angeles’ wildfire preparedness by its current city administration in favor of funding for the LAPD. The fires have also burnt down landmarks such as recording studios where fan-favorite albums by Nicki Minaj and Doja Cat were created, and longstanding institutions are being threatened. If you are in Los Angeles or would like to help, Uproxx has compiled a list of resources here.
The NFL announced on Thursday that it will be moving Monday night’s Vikings-Rams Wild Card game to Arizona due to the ongoing fires that are ravaging the Los Angeles area.
In the interest of public safety, Monday’s Vikings-Rams Wild Card game has been moved from SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, CA to State Fram Stadium, the home of the Arizona Cardinals, the NFL announced today.
The decision was made in consultation with public officials, the participating clubs, and the NFLPA. The game will be televised on ESPN, ABC, ESPN+, and ESPN Deportes at its scheduled 8:00 p.m. ET time.
Tickets will go on sale at 10 a.m. PT Friday morning through Seatgeek.com for Rams Season Ticket Members and Noon PT to the general public. More information on ticket sales will be provided as soon as possible.
It is a wise decision given the ongoing uncertainty about the fires, which have caused significant damage in a number of neighborhoods, forcing more than 180,000 residents to evacuate, and destroying thousands of homes and buildings. Considering how many fans would be traveling in for the game, making the announcement prior to the weekend gives fans time to change plans and look to adjust flights and hotels for Arizona. It also allows the teams time to prepare for a new travel schedule.
The NFL is the latest sports league to adjust its schedule for the fires, as the NHL and NBA have each postponed games this week due to the catastrophic fires.
Today, a judge granted her request, issuing a five-year restraining order against Tory during which he cannot contact her — or direct others to do so, as she said he has done. Rolling Stonereporter Nancy Dillon broke the news from Los Angeles Superior Court, including a photo of the restraining order and quoting the Houston rapper as saying via video call, “I want my restraining order because I haven’t been at peace since I [was] shot… I’m just a nervous wreck all the time.” Meg reported that people yelling “Free Tory” at her in public, which mainly consists of her own concerts as she rarely leaves home except for work.
While Tory’s attorney argued the restraining order would be “unfair,” the judge sided with Meg, noting that as a victim of a violent crime, she deserves protection, saying, “We have a shooting that took place, & with a violent act like that, there’s a ripple effect that continues on. Ms. Pete’s testimony is that the ripple effect has been significant.”
Meanwhile, Meg still has a pending defamation lawsuit for someone she alleges was Tory’s accomplice in her harassment, YouTuber Milagro Gramz.
The fierce California wildfires that have ignited the Palisades, Pasadena, Altadena, and Sylmar areas will go down as the most destructive fires to ever hit the Southland. As of Thursday afternoon, January 9th, 180,000 people in the LA area are under evacuation orders, the Palisades, Eaton, and Hurst fires have yet to be contained and over 350,000 people are without power.
If you’ve caught scenes of the devastation on social media or witnessed the destruction firsthand, the damage is apocalyptic. For those in need, several of Los Angeles’ less affected communities have stepped up to offer help, providing food or shelter for evacuees and first responders.
We’d like to shout out chef José Andrés especially for deploying a relief team from his World Central Kitchen to provide water and sandwiches to firefighters at the scene, as well as Yeastie Boys Bagels for sending its fleet of food trucks to offer free bagels at evacuation centers.
A few organizations and hotels have also banded together to offer temporary housing at free or discounted rates for those affected. Below is a running list of resources for evacuees and first responders.
Guerilla Tacos will be offering free food for evacuees and first responders. The taco spot is also working with IHC and Nativo to accept food donations to be dropped off at the Rose Bowl for first responders until 3 P.M.
The LA Regional Food Bank is working with nonprofits, government agencies, and faith-based partners and has a network of more than 600 partner agencies that have food pantries across the city offering food assistance.
Using the Food Pantry Locator, you can find where food is available or whether the agencies are still operating near evacuation areas.
Blaze Pizza at the Glendale Galleria, located at 100 W Broadway, Glendale, CA 91210 is giving away free 11-inch pizzas from 10:30 Am to 8:00 PM for those affected by the fires.
211 LA has teamed up with Airbnb’s non-profit wing, Airbnb.org to offer free stays for those forced to evacuate. As of now, only a limited number of stays are available and only open to those who have been displaced, currently reside in evacuation zones, have an active Airbnb account (or create one), and be aged 18 or older.
If you meet those requirements, fill out the form here.
Air Venice
Air Venice is offering a 50% discount on accommodations to evacuees. Book here.
Pierside Hotel
Santa Monica’s Pierside hotel is offering 25% off for those affected by the fires. Book here.
Hotel Per La
Downtown LA’s Hotel Per La will be offering 25% off to all LA residents displaced from the ongoing fires. Book here.
Long Beach’s Queen Mary is offering discounted rooms for fire evacuees at $189, with all pet fees waived. People with a reservation will also receive a voucher for a breakfast buffet for two. Book here.
Visit Anaheim:
Visit Anaheim is offering evacuees discounted rates at local hotels in 33 different locations. For the full list, click here.
Transportation:
Uber:
Residents under evacuation orders will receive a $40 credit for transportation to active shelters using the code “WILDFIRE25.”
Lyft:
Using the code CAFIRERELIEF25, those affected by the fires can get a $25 voucher from now until midnight of January 15.
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