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Earlier this week, Drake and J. Cole announced their joint It’s All A Blur Tour: Big As The What? Named after a line from the duo’s For All The Dogs collaboration “First Person Shooter,” it marks the first time they have toured together, building on the chemistry they’ve built throughout the year with appearances at each other’s concerts. Perhaps after Drake co-headlined Cole’s Dreamville Festival and Cole appeared at Drake’s original It’s All A Blur Tour stop in Toronto to fill in for 21 Savage, it was inevitable that the two frequent collaborators would decide to tour together. We’ve compiled everything you need to know about the tour below.

What Are The Dates For The ‘It’s All A Blur Tour — Big As The What?’

The tour kicks off on January 18 in Denver, Colorado, and ends in Birmingham, Alabama on March 27. You can see the full schedule below.

When Do Tickets For ‘It’s All A Blur Tour — Big As The What?’ Come Out?

Tickets will go on sale on November 17 at 11 am local time. A two-day presale runs from November 15 at 11 am to November 16 at 10 pm for Cash App Card users.

How To Buy Tickets For The ‘It’s All A Blur Tour — Big As The What?’

For more information on the Cash App Card presale, fans can click here. For the general sale, you can check drakerelated.com.

How Much Are Tickets For The ‘It’s All A Blur Tour — Big As The What?’

The lowest seats available on Ticketmaster.com are $400 while floor seats are a little under $1000.

Will The ‘It’s All A Blur Tour — Big As The What?’ Have An Opener

While no opening acts have been announced yet, Sexyy Red did open the previous tour.

01/18/2024 — Denver, CO @ Ball Arena +
01/19/2024 — Denver, CO @ Ball Arena
01/22/2024 — San Antonio, TX @ Frost Bank Center
01/25/2024 — Oklahoma City, OK @ Paycom Center
01/29/2024 — New Orleans, LA @ Smoothie King Center +
01/30/2024 — New Orleans, LA @ Smoothie King Center
02/02/2024 — Tampa, FL @ Amalie Arena
02/07/2024 — Nashville, TN @ Bridgestone Arena +
02/08/2024 — Nashville, TN @ Bridgestone Arena +
02/12/2024 — St. Louis, MO @ Enterprise Center
02/16/2024 — Pittsburgh, PA @ PPG Paints Arena
02/20/2024 — Columbus, OH @ Schottenstein Center +
02/21/2024 — Columbus, OH @ Schottenstein Center
02/24/2024 — Cleveland, OH @ Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse
02/27/2024 — Buffalo, NY @ KeyBank Center
03/02/2024 — Kansas City, MO @ T-Mobile Center
03/05/2024 — Memphis, TN @ FedExForum
03/10/2024 — Lexington, KY @ Rupp Arena
03/14/2024 — Belmont Park, NY @ UBS Arena ~
03/18/2024 — State College, PA @ Bryce Jordan Center ~
03/23/2024 — Sunrise, FL @ Amerant Bank Arena ~
03/27/2024 — Birmingham, AL @ The Legacy Arena at BJCC ~

+ Rescheduled dates
~ Without J. Cole

In the golden age of romcoms, it was assumed that the leads were probably getting together, though that concept just got messier and messier. So, in recent years, actors in romcoms have done a complete 180 and barely even acknowledge each other so that people would not accuse them of having affairs. Being a celebrity must be great!

Earlier this year, Glen Powell and Sydney Sweeney began filming their upcoming movie Anyone But You, which brings back the “We Hate Each Other But Must Date” trope that Ryan Reynolds loves so much. But rumors that the duo were getting too close caused a frenzy.

“When all that stuff happened, you know, publicly, it felt disorienting and unfair,” Powell recently told Men’s Health. “But what I’m realizing is that’s just a part of this gig now.”

It quickly became a viral rumor after other social media users jumped on the bandwagon. Powell and his partner Gigi Paris seemingly split just weeks after filming began, though Sweeney is still with her fiance (allegedly). The duo never confirmed anything, though the upcoming press cycle for Anyone But You is sure to be interesting.

Powell then detailed his “low of lows” following the breakup, but it inspired him to adopt a dog named Brisket. “I saw Brisket’s face and fell in love.” Maybe we should have fewer movies about falling in love and more movies about the joys of adopting dogs who need homes! This way, everyone wins.

(Via Vanity Fair)

For those in the military, sleep can mean the difference between life and death. But shut-eye can be very hard to come by, especially during active conflict.

According to Sharon Ackman, the U.S. Navy Pre-Flight School developed a scientific method to help its pilots fall asleep. Through this technique, 96% of the pilots were able to fall asleep in two minutes or less.

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If pilots could fall asleep during war, you should be able to use it to knock out in the comfort of your bedroom.

Here’s how to do it:

Step 1: Relax in your seat

Given the space restraints of a typical plane, the pilots were taught to sleep in a seated position. They put their feet flat on the ground, while relaxing their hands in their laps.

Breathe slow, deep breaths while relaxing every muscle in your face and letting your forehead, cheeks, mouth, tongue, and jaw go limp.

Step 2: Relax your upper body

Let your shoulders drop as low as you can. Allow the muscles in your neck go lifeless.

Starting with your dominant side, let your bicep feel like it’s falling off your body. Then move to your forearm, hand, and fingers. If a muscle isn’t relaxing, tense it first, then let it go loose.

Slowly exhale your tension.

Step 3: Relax your lower body

Tell your right thigh muscle to sink, then move down your leg, saying the same thing to your calf, ankle, and foot. Your leg should feel like it has sunk into the ground. Then move on to your left leg.

The final step is to clear your mind for ten seconds. You can do this by paying attention to your breath as it moves through your nostrils or holding a static image in your mind.

Once your body is relaxed and your mind quiet, you should slip away into darkness.

For more information on this sleep technique, check out Ackman’s Medium blog.

This article originally appeared on 04.11.19

Shakespeare once asked, “What’s in a name? Would a rose by any other name not smell as sweet?” Well, he may be right about roses, but when it comes to people, your name can play a significant role in your life economically, socially and psychologically.

Unfortunately, even though our names significantly impact our lives, we don’t get to choose them.

When it comes to economics, people with easy-to-pronounce or common-sounding names have a greater chance of getting hired than those whose names are less common and harder to pronounce.

According to Psychology Today, having a different-sounding name can also cause us trouble socially. “It has long been known that grade-school children with highly unusual names or names with negative associations tend to be less popular than kids with more desirable names, and later in life, unattractive or unpopular names lead to more rejection by potential romantic partners in online dating sites,” Frank T. McAndrew Ph.D. writes.

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Conversely, one of the positive aspects of having an uncommon name is impulse control. “They actually benefit from that experience by learning to control their emotions or their impulses, which is, of course, a great skill for success,” Dalton Conly, sociologist and author of “Parentology: Everything You Wanted to Know about the Science of Raising Children but Were Too Exhausted to Ask,” told the BBC, quoting a study from New York University.

If research shows that having an uncommon name can be a burden, a recent Reddit thread shows that many parents out there have given little thought to their kids’ well-being before leaving the neonatal unit.

A Redditor named Corollo_Bro_91 asked the online forum for people to share some of the most unbelievable names they’ve ever heard and boy, did they deliver. We tallied up 17 of the funniest and here they are.

1. Moronica

“I do contract-based IT work. Implementation when hospitals buy each other out, stuff like that. Last week, I was working with an office manager named MORONICA.” — Ko_DaBomb

2. Dextrose

“Wife worked in a bank. Had a regular customer named Dextrose. Always wondered if he had siblings Sucrose and Fructose.” — akgt94

“Meet cousin glucose. She’s really basic.” — Stoleyetanothername

3. Orange

“It’s not a translation or a nickname, but after the fruit itself. People keep thinking his name is George and he’s just too young to pronounce it correctly but nope, his parents got their inspiration from the produce department.” — Philhardingshotpants

4. Dracula

“The parents were young meth heads and thankfully the nurses said Drake sounds much better and it’s a short version of Dracula after the boy was born. Drake is alive and well, now 18 years old, parents quit the meth years ago, kinda still a messed up family.” — Alturistic-Cut9795

5. Pikachu

“When my child was born, the people in the room next to us named their kid Pikachu. You read that right. Pikachu. After the Pokemon.” — [Deleted]

6. Scotthew

“I worked in labor and delivery. We had a pair of stoners who couldn’t decide between Scott or Matthew, so they just merged the two. Honestly, it’s just one of many dumb ones I encountered.” — Archeranne

7. Cinnamon

“I knew triplets named Cinnamon, Rosemary, and Paprika. People called them ‘The Spice Girls.'” — Upper-Job5130

8. Tequila Mockingbird

“In my career working at Public Schools I’ve had two separate children named Tequila Mockingbird. Absolutely unrelated, across the state from each other, but it’s weird that it happened twice.” — mjn73178

“If I had a nickel for every time I taught a kid named Tequila Mockingbird, I’d have two nickels, which isn’t a lot but it’s weird that it happened twice.” — INreallife120001

9. Felonie

“I’ve been downvoted a lot on Reddit for sharing this because people never believe it’s a real name someone would give a kid.” — FartAttack911

“Hopefully when she’s old enough she downgrades it to Miss Demeanor.” — Electroleum

10. Pubert

“Middle school objective: Survive.” — [Deleted]

“Difficulty level: Maximum.” — [Deleted]

11. Lice

“Lice. Pronounced ‘lih-say.'” — Wet_Artichoke

12. Velveeta Cheese Scott

“A friend worked in medical records in a hospital and a couple named their daughter Velveeta Cheese Scott.” — mmarkmc

13. Tyger Jellybean

“My bff from high school (who is a huge hippie) named her girl Tyger Jellybean Jardine.” — Enviornmental-Hat-86

14. Mary

“I rode the bus in high school with boy/girl twins named Clark and Candy Barr. On the same bus were four sisters: Mary Ann, Mary Catherine, Mary Patricia, and Mary Louise.” — Wheelie423

15. Trivia

“Nice girl. Terrible name.” — Euphoric-Blueberry97

16. Anakin

“I know someone who named their kid Anakin! And their last name is Walker.” — WearJunior9739

“I know some twins named Luke and Leia.” — DailyMustard

“Knew a kid named Chewbaca back in grade school, not a nickname, actually Chewbaca.” — Esqualatch12

17. KVIIITLYN. Kaitlyn

“This joke will never be IVgotX.” — SillyFlyGuy

Sheep are hardy, resilient animals. Depending on the breed, they thrive in the driest of desserts and snowiest of planes. But being highly social animals, one thing they cannot tolerate is isolation.

So imagine poor Fiona, a sheep who spent more than two years in solitude at the bottom of a cliff in Scotland.

Dubbed Britain’s, then the world’s “loneliest sheep,” Fiona had become something of a local legend—first spotted by a kayaker in 2021, and then again two years later, not malnourished and in good condition, but with badly overgrown fleece and in need of a good shearing.

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How exactly Fiona became stuck at the bottom of a cliff was a mystery. But hauling her out was an even more confounding problem.

Despite over 50,000 people signing a petition to rescue Fiona, the Scottish SPCA called the safety logistics “incredibly complex” due to the terrain being so inaccessible, not to mention any human interaction likely causing extreme stress for the stranded rescuee.

That’s when a group of five farmers—including sheep farmer and BBC presenter Cammy Wilson, and Youtube star Graeme Parker— took things into their own hands.

With a whole lotta rope, and a whole lotta patience, the team successfully found Fiona in a cave (a little overweight, perhaps eating her lonely feelings a bit) and hoisted her up the steep cliff to safety.

Watch the harrowing resc-ewe mission below. Gotta say, the drone footage makes it look even more epic.

Fiona was then taken to Dalscone Farm Fun, a new forever home, where her new owner, Ben Best, dubbed her healthy and relaxed, even if she “could lose a few pounds.” (“As it Happens, CBC Radio)

Though animal rights activists did show concern with Fiona’s new living situation, likening it closer to a “petting zoo” than the sanctuary she deserved, Best affirmed that was not the case, saying “It’s effectively a farm where people can go and visit the animals, but they don’t go in amongst the animals.”

He also added that she would be kept away from the public eye for five-to-six months, and not step into the limelight until she’s ready for it.

And there you have it, folks. Fiona might have once been the world’s loneliest sheep, but now she’s living it up like the star she is.

Billie Eilish was not “Happier Than Ever” about her blond hair.

The seven-time Grammy winner has frequently changed the color of her hair since releasing her first single in 2015 — my favorite remains the vibrant green — including going blonde. Looking back at the change two years later, Eilish told the Los Angeles Times, “I was really excited for the blonde era — like, Blonde Billie is gonna be so cool. But it did not go how I wanted it to go.”

The “What Was I Made For?” singer said that she “completely had no idea who I was. I came up with this whole aesthetic, and I just got swallowed up into it.” She tried being a brunette, but “I look back at that and I’m like, ‘Who is this brunette?’ A brunette! That wasn’t me.” Eilish is now back to black hair.

Elsewhere in the interview, Eilish discussed reading Kurt Cobain’s suicide note. “It’s horrifying. I mean, all of it is the most tragic sh*t I’ve ever heard. He was such a pure person and talent, and I feel so much deep, deep, deep sorrow for him and his life and where it went,” she said about the Nirvana singer. “In the letter he’s like, ‘I have everything in the world, and I absolutely hate it.’ He was so ashamed that he wasn’t enjoying it.” Eilish added, “And I get why he was feeling that way. It’s just not what you think it’s going to be.”

Madi Diaz brought on Kacey Musgraves to deliver a country-pop collaboration on “Don’t Do Me Good,” a single from Diaz’s forthcoming album, Weird Faith. The emotional track details struggling with a relationship ending, with a slowed-down instrumental to match the dramatic feelings.

Musgraves appears in the second verse, as the two’s vocals do an incredible job of complimenting each other.

The music video finds Diaz wandering through her emotions on a long drive, with stunning shots of the sunset and her going through the yellow lights of a tunnel.

“I wanted this song to feel like calling your friend,” Diaz shared in a statement. “That moment of needing to commiserate and to have that person say ‘yeah, I’ve been there’ and share that experience with you.”

“I am so happy Kacey said ‘yes’ when I asked her to sing on ‘Don’t Do Me Good,’” she added. “This song would have been so awfully lonely without her and I am so grateful I get to hear her voice on this with mine.”

Previously, Diaz dropped the album’s lead single, “Same Risk,” and fans have been excited to hear the rest of the record.

Check out “Don’t Do Me Good” above.

Weird Faith is out 2/9/2024 via Anti-. Find more information here.

Afro Nation, the biggest Afrobeats festival in the world, is returning to Portugal in 2024 with a stacked lineup featuring some of the biggest names in African music. The first wave of announced performers include Rema, Asake, J Hus, Ninho, Tyla, Omah Lay, Flavour, and more. As usual, a second stage will highlight some of Amapiano’s hottest DJs, including Uncle Waffles and Major League DJz. The festival takes place at the Algarve in Portimão on June 26-28, 2024. Tickets go on sale on November 23; you can find more information at afronation.com.

The 2024 performers include some of the genre’s biggest rising stars. Rema enjoyed increased public standing in 2023, performing for the NBA’s 2023 All-Star Game, on The Tonight Show, and at Broccoli City Fest. He also teamed up with hip-hop’s fastest-rising star, Ice Spice, for “Pretty Girl,” which the duo teamed up to perform on SNL.

Meanwhile, Tyla became the first South African musician to chart on the Billboard 200 in fifty years thanks to her hit song “Water” going viral on TikTok. She too made her US television debut recently, in addition to being nominated for the 2024 Grammy Awards. Asake and J Hus both dropped new albums, as well, establishing themselves as forces in the Afrobeats scene.

More performers will likely be announced as March nears, so stay tuned.

This week saw the release of a ton of great new pop music. K-pop powerhouse group and Uproxx cover stars aespa returned to bring the heat on their new mini-album. Dua Lipa is ushering in her new era with a magical song. And so much more.

Check out the rest of Uproxx’s Best New Pop Music roundup below.

Dua Lipa — “Houdini”

After teasing fans for a few months about her new album, it might all have been part of Dua Lipa’s planned tricks, driven home by the fact that her new single is called “Houdini.” The video finds Lipa channeling her inner magician, as she moves through a kaleidoscopic world in the song’s music video.

Stray Kids — “Lalalala”

Stray Kids‘ “Lalalala” finds them grooving along and rocking out to the “rhythm of the world,” according to a Genius lyrical translation. It appears on the band’s new album, fittingly titled Rockstar (in English).

aespa — “Drama”

aespa’s new mini-album is guided by the title track, “Drama,” which finds the girl group showing off their fierce side. “I bring all the drama,” they declare, with a music video that is just as sassy with its energy.

Jonas Brothers — “Strong Enough” (feat. Bailey Zimmerman)

The Jonas Brothers brought along country singer Bailey Zimmerman to deliver their uplifting and romantic new song, “Strong Enough.” “He’s such a talented artist who’s had an amazing year, so it’s been a blast collaborating with him,” the band shared about their collab in a statement.

David Guetta, Kim Petras — “When We Were Young (The Logical Song)”

David Guetta brought Kim Petras along for a new collab, “When We Were Young (The Logical Song).” It serves as a continuation of Guetta’s interpolation series, with this latest edition using Supertramp’s 1979 hit to transform into a modern club-ready take.

The Kid Laroi — “Sorry”

The Kid Laroi dropped his new album, The First Time, over the weekend. The record opens with “Sorry,” a vulnerable take about the musician struggling with fame at 19 — dealing with everything from fake friends to relationship drama, and how he always has to keep working.

PinkPantheress — “Blue”

PinkPantheress put out her debut album, Heaven Knows, recently — with one of the highlights being “Blue.” The song blends the pop star’s signature electronic production sound, as the lyrics focus on someone who’s not in her life anymore.

Gracie Abrams — “Cedar”

Gracie Abrams contributed a new song, “Cedar,” for Apple TV+’s series, The Buccaneers. It finds her reeling through the emotions of a dishonest relationship. “You told me that you felt the same / When I told you how I needed space / But I think it was a lie / It was a lie,” she sings.

Dove Cameron — “Sand”

“’Sand’ is very emblematic of a lot of Alchemical: Volume 1 because this volume is very focused on the fallout of a very important relationship in my life and the journey I took to rebuild myself,” Cameron told People Magazine about her emotional release.

Bella Poarch — “Bad Boy”

“I’ve always had a love and hate relationship with my body since childhood,” Bella Poarch shared on Instagram about her empowering “Bad Boy” song, where she regains control of her body. “I’ve felt insecure about parts of myself, have hid my scars with tattoos, and have fallen into the pressure of looking a certain way.”

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

You can take the boy out of the high school musical, but you can never take the high school musical out of the boy. In this case, our boy is Zac Efron, who stars in the hefty new flick The Iron Claw. Efron recently revealed during a Q&A at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences that his fellow jacked-up costars decided to loosen up the mood on set by singing some classic tunes.

The Iron Claw star Stanley Simons started singing High School Musical songs while the crew was filming a party scene. Simmons explained, “I sung [some of ‘Breaking Free’] to Zac when I was playing my music scene. That was definitely a life experience that I’ll never forget,” Simmons confessed, though Efron wasn’t super impressed with the singing. “When I was singing the song, he was like, ‘Oh, you’re not hitting it, you’re not hitting it.’ I was like, ‘Oh,’ and I redid it. And I think I did a good job!” he added. He should have sung “Get Your Head In The Game” but that’s not his fault since it’s more of an ensemble track.

Efron chimed in, “Goddamn it, Stanley! I do remember that being one of the most fun days of filming that we had. Filming a house party could go one way or the other. It’s a lot of people that are stuck in one room for many days, it can be kind of daunting. But this one was just electric. It felt like a high school party in a really rad way. It was really special.”

The Iron Claw tells the triumphant and tragic story of the Von Erich family of wrestlers. Simons plays Mike, one of the five brothers in the wrestling family. “We really bonded and got to hang out,” Simons added at the event. “When we got on set it just felt natural. They were really welcoming to me, not just my brothers but all the cast members. So it was a little nerve-racking, but they just were very open.” Jeremy Allen White, Holt McCallany, Lily James, Maura Tierney, and Maxwell Jacob Friedman also star in the film.

It’s a shame that there will be no basketball musical numbers in the upcoming sports drama, but you’ll have to settle for some cool wrestling moves and embarrassing hairstyles. It was the ’80s!

The Iron Claw arrives in theaters on December 22.

(Via EW)