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Rihanna’s performance at Super Bowl LVII was a rarity among Super Bowl halftime shows: there wasn’t a single guest. Will that be true for Usher, too?

At the moment, he’s the headliner — and the only announced performer — for Super Bowl LVIII, which goes down on February 11, 2024 at Nevada’s Allegiant Stadium. But according to the Daily Mail, the “Yeah!” singer is trying to get a “yeah” confirmation from Justin Bieber to join him.

“Usher has been doing his residency in Vegas and has most of his ideas ready for his big halftime show performance,” a source said. “He really wants to prove himself worthy of such an honor because he definitely sees that the excitement level for him doing it is not at an all-time high. He has asked some of his friends who are artists to help him out and join him on stage, and he has thrown a few ideas towards Justin.”

Usher helped Bieber sign his first record deal and became his music industry mentor, but the “Love Yourself” pop star had to cancel his Justice World Tour earlier this year after he was diagnosed with Ramsay Hunt syndrome. “After getting off stage, the exhaustion overtook me and I realized that I needed to make my health a priority right now,” Bieber explained on social media. “So I’m going to take a break from touring for the time being.” He hasn’t appeared on stage since March 2023 when he joined Don Toliver at Rolling Loud.

Bieber is reportedly flattered that Usher reached out “but he is leaning towards letting Usher do his thing and Justin would rather have the opportunity to do the Super Bowl on his own in the future if he were to be asked,” the source added. Maybe in 2025 (assuming Taylor Swift doesn’t want it).

Republican Mike Johnson of Louisiana was elected speaker of the House on Wednesday, which begs the question: who the heck is Mike Johnson?

Besides having the most nondescript name ever, he’s also a “far-right election denier” who was “one of the architects of the efforts to overturn the 2020 election results,” as Seth Meyers pointed out during Late Night on Wednesday.

Meyers has a theory of why Republicans picked the relative unknown: “I think they’re hoping to bore everyone into forgetting how extreme he is.” The New York Times called Johnson “maybe the most conservative speaker in U.S. history” who “closely aligned himself with Trump’s efforts to overturn the 2020 election results based on false claims of election fraud.” When a reporter asked him about his failed attempt to do so, a group of Republicans booed her. “Oh grow up,” Meyers said. “You’re booing like a bunch of kids at a production of ‘Paw Patrol on Ice’ when Mayor Humdinger comes out.”

He continued, “Can you imagine having the gall to boo someone for asking a simple question after you paralyzed the government for three weeks of spectacle and humiliating incompetence, where you screamed and yelled at each other like a bunch of street pigeons fighting over a french fry?” Speaking of humiliating incompetence, one of the Republicans doing the booing was Rep. Lauren Boebert. “Do I boo you when you vape and get too handsy at Beetlejuice: The Musical?” Meyers joked. “No, I get an usher, like an adult.”

You can watch the Late Night clip above.

This summer brought fantastic news for fans of The Beatles: Paul McCartney said in an interview, “[Peter Jackson] was able to extricate [John Lennon’s] voice from a ropey little bit of cassette. We had John’s voice and a piano and he could separate them with AI. They tell the machine, ‘That’s the voice. This is a guitar. Lose the guitar’ So when we came to make what will be the last Beatles’ record, it was a demo that John had [and] we were able to take John’s voice and get it pure through this AI. Then we can mix the record, as you would normally do. So it gives you some sort of leeway. We just finished it up and it’ll be released this year.”

Now, there’s some more concrete information on that front: today (October 26), The Beatles revealed the song, titled “Now And Then,” is set to arrive on November 2.

It appears there’s also going to be a short film about the creation of the track as the band shared a trailer for it today. The 30-second video features archival clips of the band members with voiceovers of them talking about “Now And Then.”

“Now And Then” is available for pre-save and pre-order here.

Beyoncé is bringing her Renaissance Tour film to theaters this December, with an exclusive concert movie deal with AMC. Before it does, the pop star will be holding two special premieres for it.

The US premiere of Renaissance: A Film By Beyoncé will take place in Los Angeles on November 25. Then, the European premiere will be held in London on November 30. Of course, locations for both have not been revealed.

Earlier this month, Taylor Swift held the premiere of her The Eras Tour concert film at AMC at The Grove in Los Angeles, where she selected fans and press to attend. Given both stars have massive deals and films connected to the theater chain and have just been longtime friends, Beyoncé made a surprise appearance to support.

Because of this, it’s possible hers would be held at the same spot.

From there, her movie will be available to watch for fans starting on December 1. As it is an international release, tickets for locations including Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe, South America, and the Caribbean, will go on sale starting November 9. Tickets for North America are currently available. More information can be found here.

Check out the early trailer for Renaissance: A Film By Beyoncé before it comes out.

Beyoncé attended Taylor Swift’s Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour movie premiere in Los Angeles on October 11. Sure, she was there to support Swift, but she might have also been there to scope out The Grove as a potential site for her Renaissance: A Film By Beyoncé premiere.

This morning (October 26), The Hollywood Reporter exclusively shared that Renaissance: A Film By Beyoncé will enjoy a US premiere in Los Angeles on November 25 and a world premiere in London on November 30.

“The events will take place days before Beyoncé’s Parkwood Entertainment and AMC Entertainment debut the film in theaters on December 1,” THR relayed. “Tickets for international territories — including Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe, South America and the Caribbean — will go on sale November 9 at BeyonceFilm.com.

The December 1 theatrical release is limited to North America, but as evidenced by the aforementioned report, global dates will follow. Beyoncé’s Renaissance World Tour began in Stockholm, Sweden on May 10 and wrapped in Kansas City, Missouri on October 1.

She announced her Renaissance concert film on October 2 with a two-minute trailer. The video starts with Beyoncé stretching backstage with her daughter-turned-backup-dancer, Blue Ivy, and spending time with her twins, Rumi and Sir. She says, “When I am performing, I am nothing but free. The goal for this tour was to create a place where everyone is free, and no one is judged.”

“RENAISSANCE: A FILM BY BEYONCÉ accentuates the journey of RENAISSANCE WORLD TOUR, from its inception, to the opening in Stockholm, Sweden, to the finale in Kansas City, Missouri,” the official description reads. “It is about Beyoncé’s intention, hard work, involvement in every aspect of the production, her creative mind and purpose to create her legacy, and master her craft. Received with extraordinary acclaim, Beyoncé’s RENAISSANCE WORLD TOUR created a sanctuary for freedom, and shared joy, for more than 2.7 million fans.”

Watch the trailer above.

Netflix knows that you are ready to collapse into your couch for hibernation season. We’re not quite there yet, but at least the streamer is providing plenty of content to keep you busy throughout the month and Thanksgiving holiday weekend. Expect the return of a ridiculously popular Netflix survival drama series, only as a reality show. Additionaly, the crown jewel of Netflix will reach its final tragic crescendo in The Crown with the death of Princess Diana and the fallout that ruffled a monarchy.

The streamer is also going in hard on anime library additions, including Scott Pilgrim Takes Off, BLUE EYE SAMURAI, Onimusha, Akuma Kun, My Daemon, and Onmyoji. Perhaps that’s a new horizon that you would enjoy exploring while new content slows down a bit during the continuing actor’s strike. However, the Cobra Kai guys also have a new comedy coming your way, and there’s a cinematic legend starring in his own documentary, too. Also, a little Sam Raimi ditty called Drag Me To Hell arrives in the library to keep the Halloween spirit cruising into another month.

Here’s everything coming to (and leaving) Netflix in November.

Squid Game: The Challenge (Netflix series streaming 11/22)

This controversial reality series bases itself upon the South Korean survival drama, which found its inspiration within the real-life financial forces that are plaguing the world as we speak. Still, a contestant will eventually make their way towards a $4.56 million reward, but of course, they will have to beat out 455 other real players while playing ghastly games like the ones in the original series. No problem?

The Crown: Season 6 (Netflix series streaming 11/16)

The final season of this royal soap opera is upon us. The story will partially focus upon the courtship of Prince William and Duchess Kate after they met at university. Charles will marry his former mistress, Camilla, and Diana will move on as well. Sadly, the world already knows how a car chase between the paparazzi and Diana/Dodi Fayed ended. Thus, the Queen will enjoy her Golden Jubilee while a “fairy tale” ends and another one begins.

Obliterated (Netflix series streaming 11/30)

The Cobra Kai creators concocted a more adult action/comedy series that takes place in Vegas, where things will not stay in Vegas if an elite special forces team doesn’t properly diffuse a deadly threat. Unfortunately, they believe that they do the job and then proceed get wasted, only to realize that the terrorist threat in question has not been eliminated. Cue the tipsy search for the real nuke — gotta hate it when that happens.

Sly (Netflix documentary streaming 11/3)

A whole lot of Sylvester Stallone has been going on these days on TV (Tulsa King) and reality TV (The Family Stallone). This film reveals how a “rocky” younger life led Stallone to become Rocky Balboa, a role that has lasted for decades and has made him a living legend.

Avail. TBA
Elena Knows
The Railway Men
Replacing Chef Chico

Avail. 11/1
13 Going on 30
13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi
60 Days In: Season 5
The Addams Family
The Big Lebowski
The Change-Up
Desperado
Downsizing
Drag Me to Hell
Hurricane Season
Locked In
Love in the Wild: Season 1
Madea’s Family Reunion
Mysteries of the Faith
The Mummy (2017)
Nuovo Olimpo
Paul Blart: Mall Cop
Paul Blart: Mall Cop 2
Pitch Perfect
The Scorpion King
Scott Pilgrim vs. the World
Sherlock Gnomes
Six Feet Under: Seasons 1-5
Sixteen Candles
The Social Network
Ted 2
Till Murder Do Us Part: Soering vs. Haysom
Victorious: Season 3
Whiplash
Wingwomen

Avail. 11/2
All the Light We Cannot See
Cigarette Girl
Higuita: The Way of the Scorpion
Onimusha
Unicorn Academy

Avail. 11/3
BLUE EYE SAMURAI
Daily Dose of Sunshine
Erin & Aaron: Season 1
Ferry: The Series
NYAD
Selling Sunset: Season 7
Sly
The Tailor: Season 3
Vacaciones de verano

Avail. 11/4
The Amazing Race: Season 17
The Amazing Race: Season 31
Insidious: The Red Door
Lopez vs. Lopez: Season 1

Avail. 11/7
Face Off: Seasons 4-5
The Improv: 60 and Still Standing

Avail. 11/8
The Billionaire, the Butler and the Boyfriend
The Claus Family 3
Cyberbunker: The Criminal Underworld
Escaping Twin Flame
Robbie Williams

Avail. 11/9
Akuma Kun
Temple of Film: 100 Years of the Egyptian Theatre

Avail. 11/10
At the Moment
The Killer
Team Ninja Warrior: Season 2

Avail. 11/11
Laguna Beach: Season 3

Avail. 11/14
Criminal Code
Dubai Bling: Season 2
How to Become a Mob Boss
The Netflix Cup: Swing to Survive
Suburræterna

Avail. 11/15
Feedback
First Wives Club: Seasons 1-3
Matt Rife: Natural Selection
Million Dollar Decorators: Season 1

Avail. 11/16
Best. Christmas. Ever!
The Crown: Season 6 Part 1
Downton Abbey
Harriet
In Love and Deep Water
Lone Survivor

Avail. 11/17
All-Time High
Believer 2
CoComelon Lane
The Dads
The Queenstown Kings
Rustin
Sagrada Familia: Season 2
Scott Pilgrim Takes Off
Stamped from the Beginning

Avail. 11/20
Shahs of Sunset: Seasons 1-2

Avail. 11/21
Leo

Avail. 11/22
Crime Diaries: The Celebrity Stylist
High on the Hog: How African American Cuisine Transformed America: Season 2
Squid Game: The Challenge

Avail. 11/23
Love Island USA: Season 3
My Daemon
My Little Pony: Make Your Mark: Chapter 6

Avail. 11/24
A Nearly Normal Family
DOI BOY
I Don’t Expect Anyone to Believe Me
Last Call for Istanbul
My Demon
Wedding Games

Avail. 11/27
Go Dog Go: Season 4

Avail. 11/28
Comedy Royale
Love Like a K-Drama
Onmyoji
Verified Stand-Up

Avail. 11/29
American Symphony
Bad Surgeon: Love Under the Knife

Avail. 11/30
The Bad Guys: A Very Bad Holiday
Family Switch
Hard Days
Obliterated
School Spirits: Season 1
Virgin River: Season 5 Part 2

And it’s your last chance to stream these titles:

Leaving 11/3
The Amazing Race: Season 5
The Amazing Race: Season 7

Leaving 11/6
Jerry Seinfeld: Comedian

Leaving 11/10
Laguna Beach: Seasons 1-2

Leaving 11/15
Accepted
Jeff Dunham: All Over the Map
Loving

Leaving 11/22
Hard Kill
Love Island USA: Season 1

Leaving 11/29
Disappearance at Clifton Hill

Leaving 11/30
About Last Night
Arrival
Basketball Wives: Seasons 1-2
Dear John
Fences
Hook
LEGO: Friends: Seasons 1-4
New in Town
Peppermint
Stuart Little
Stuart Little 2
Superbad
Surf’s Up
The Punisher
Up in the Air

Netflix knows that you are ready to collapse into your couch for hibernation season. We’re not quite there yet, but at least the streamer is providing plenty of content to keep you busy throughout the month and Thanksgiving holiday weekend. Expect the return of a ridiculously popular Netflix survival drama series, only as a reality show. Additionaly, the crown jewel of Netflix will reach its final tragic crescendo in The Crown with the death of Princess Diana and the fallout that ruffled a monarchy.

The streamer is also going in hard on anime library additions, including Scott Pilgrim Takes Off, BLUE EYE SAMURAI, Onimusha, Akuma Kun, My Daemon, and Onmyoji. Perhaps that’s a new horizon that you would enjoy exploring while new content slows down a bit during the continuing actor’s strike. However, the Cobra Kai guys also have a new comedy coming your way, and there’s a cinematic legend starring in his own documentary, too. Also, a little Sam Raimi ditty called Drag Me To Hell arrives in the library to keep the Halloween spirit cruising into another month.

Here’s everything coming to (and leaving) Netflix in November.

Squid Game: The Challenge (Netflix series streaming 11/22)

This controversial reality series bases itself upon the South Korean survival drama, which found its inspiration within the real-life financial forces that are plaguing the world as we speak. Still, a contestant will eventually make their way towards a $4.56 million reward, but of course, they will have to beat out 455 other real players while playing ghastly games like the ones in the original series. No problem?

The Crown: Season 6 (Netflix series streaming 11/16)

The final season of this royal soap opera is upon us. The story will partially focus upon the courtship of Prince William and Duchess Kate after they met at university. Charles will marry his former mistress, Camilla, and Diana will move on as well. Sadly, the world already knows how a car chase between the paparazzi and Diana/Dodi Fayed ended. Thus, the Queen will enjoy her Golden Jubilee while a “fairy tale” ends and another one begins.

Obliterated (Netflix series streaming 11/30)

The Cobra Kai creators concocted a more adult action/comedy series that takes place in Vegas, where things will not stay in Vegas if an elite special forces team doesn’t properly diffuse a deadly threat. Unfortunately, they believe that they do the job and then proceed get wasted, only to realize that the terrorist threat in question has not been eliminated. Cue the tipsy search for the real nuke — gotta hate it when that happens.

Sly (Netflix documentary streaming 11/3)

A whole lot of Sylvester Stallone has been going on these days on TV (Tulsa King) and reality TV (The Family Stallone). This film reveals how a “rocky” younger life led Stallone to become Rocky Balboa, a role that has lasted for decades and has made him a living legend.

Avail. TBA
Elena Knows
The Railway Men
Replacing Chef Chico

Avail. 11/1
13 Going on 30
13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi
60 Days In: Season 5
The Addams Family
The Big Lebowski
The Change-Up
Desperado
Downsizing
Drag Me to Hell
Hurricane Season
Locked In
Love in the Wild: Season 1
Madea’s Family Reunion
Mysteries of the Faith
The Mummy (2017)
Nuovo Olimpo
Paul Blart: Mall Cop
Paul Blart: Mall Cop 2
Pitch Perfect
The Scorpion King
Scott Pilgrim vs. the World
Sherlock Gnomes
Six Feet Under: Seasons 1-5
Sixteen Candles
The Social Network
Ted 2
Till Murder Do Us Part: Soering vs. Haysom
Victorious: Season 3
Whiplash
Wingwomen

Avail. 11/2
All the Light We Cannot See
Cigarette Girl
Higuita: The Way of the Scorpion
Onimusha
Unicorn Academy

Avail. 11/3
BLUE EYE SAMURAI
Daily Dose of Sunshine
Erin & Aaron: Season 1
Ferry: The Series
NYAD
Selling Sunset: Season 7
Sly
The Tailor: Season 3
Vacaciones de verano

Avail. 11/4
The Amazing Race: Season 17
The Amazing Race: Season 31
Insidious: The Red Door
Lopez vs. Lopez: Season 1

Avail. 11/7
Face Off: Seasons 4-5
The Improv: 60 and Still Standing

Avail. 11/8
The Billionaire, the Butler and the Boyfriend
The Claus Family 3
Cyberbunker: The Criminal Underworld
Escaping Twin Flame
Robbie Williams

Avail. 11/9
Akuma Kun
Temple of Film: 100 Years of the Egyptian Theatre

Avail. 11/10
At the Moment
The Killer
Team Ninja Warrior: Season 2

Avail. 11/11
Laguna Beach: Season 3

Avail. 11/14
Criminal Code
Dubai Bling: Season 2
How to Become a Mob Boss
The Netflix Cup: Swing to Survive
Suburræterna

Avail. 11/15
Feedback
First Wives Club: Seasons 1-3
Matt Rife: Natural Selection
Million Dollar Decorators: Season 1

Avail. 11/16
Best. Christmas. Ever!
The Crown: Season 6 Part 1
Downton Abbey
Harriet
In Love and Deep Water
Lone Survivor

Avail. 11/17
All-Time High
Believer 2
CoComelon Lane
The Dads
The Queenstown Kings
Rustin
Sagrada Familia: Season 2
Scott Pilgrim Takes Off
Stamped from the Beginning

Avail. 11/20
Shahs of Sunset: Seasons 1-2

Avail. 11/21
Leo

Avail. 11/22
Crime Diaries: The Celebrity Stylist
High on the Hog: How African American Cuisine Transformed America: Season 2
Squid Game: The Challenge

Avail. 11/23
Love Island USA: Season 3
My Daemon
My Little Pony: Make Your Mark: Chapter 6

Avail. 11/24
A Nearly Normal Family
DOI BOY
I Don’t Expect Anyone to Believe Me
Last Call for Istanbul
My Demon
Wedding Games

Avail. 11/27
Go Dog Go: Season 4

Avail. 11/28
Comedy Royale
Love Like a K-Drama
Onmyoji
Verified Stand-Up

Avail. 11/29
American Symphony
Bad Surgeon: Love Under the Knife

Avail. 11/30
The Bad Guys: A Very Bad Holiday
Family Switch
Hard Days
Obliterated
School Spirits: Season 1
Virgin River: Season 5 Part 2

And it’s your last chance to stream these titles:

Leaving 11/3
The Amazing Race: Season 5
The Amazing Race: Season 7

Leaving 11/6
Jerry Seinfeld: Comedian

Leaving 11/10
Laguna Beach: Seasons 1-2

Leaving 11/15
Accepted
Jeff Dunham: All Over the Map
Loving

Leaving 11/22
Hard Kill
Love Island USA: Season 1

Leaving 11/29
Disappearance at Clifton Hill

Leaving 11/30
About Last Night
Arrival
Basketball Wives: Seasons 1-2
Dear John
Fences
Hook
LEGO: Friends: Seasons 1-4
New in Town
Peppermint
Stuart Little
Stuart Little 2
Superbad
Surf’s Up
The Punisher
Up in the Air

We are now less than 24 hours away from one of the year’s most-anticipated albums: Taylor Swift’s 1989 (Taylor’s Version). Swifties have long been known to be an enthusiastic bunch who love to engage with Swift and her work in any way possible. With that in mind, there’s an easy way for fans to make their own custom version of the 1989 (Taylor’s Version) album cover.

How To Make Your Own 1989 (Taylor’s Version) Album Cover

Taylor Nation, an official X (formerly Twitter) account for all things Swift, shared a tool earlier this week that allows users to use their own photos to create a custom 1989 cover artwork. As far as how to use it, the first step is to visit the album pre-order/pre-save link. On the bottom of that page is a “Let’s Go” button to get into the tool. After reading the terms and conditions and filling out some basic information, you then enter your name as you want it to appear on the art, upload a photo of yourself (or of whatever you’d like, really), adjust the zoom and rotation of the photo, hit the “Submit” button, and then you’ll be able to either download your image or start over and create a new one.

A video in the Taylor National post offers a more visual walkthrough of how the process works, so check that out below.

Welcome to the first installment of Rivals Revisited, a semi-regular column in which I will discuss rivalries involving musical artists both historic and contemporary. I come to this project after writing a book on the topic as well as hosting a podcast. I love writing and talking about music rivalries because 1) conflict is always interesting and 2) it’s a fascinating vehicle for exploring the abstract ideas that these feuds represent. Believe it or not, but there are still a lot rivalries I haven’t covered yet, starting with the one involving two of the best American rock bands of the 1980s: R.E.M. and The Replacements.

This is not a random selection. Both bands are the subjects of worthy reissues this fall. In September, Tim (Let It Bleed Edition) revived one of the most beloved Replacements albums ever with a new remix that made a classic sound like new again. Next month, a 25th anniversary edition of 1998’s Up will cast a new spotlight on R.E.M.’s most underrated LP. These archival releases offer an ideal excuse to talk about two great rock groups, and the rivalry they had during the Reagan era.

Here’s how we will proceed: I will begin by explaining the beef between R.E.M. and The Replacements. Then we will explore the metaphorical significance of their dynamic. After that, I will make — with the dispassionate finesse of a trial attorney — an argument for both bands in this feud. Finally, I will declare a winner.

The Beef

Oftentimes, rivalries between artists or bands only exist in the minds of the public. The most obvious example is The Beatles vs. The Rolling Stones — the bands were publicly friendly in real life, but their relationship took on a metaphorical significance in the collective imagination as the musical personifications of good and evil. They were rivals because we needed them to be rivals. It made for better rock mythology.

This is not the case with R.E.M. vs. The Replacements. They were friends, kind of. But there were also authentic gripes at play, though they were pretty much entirely one-sided. Let’s review them.

1. R.E.M. “stole” The Replacements’ road manager

As detailed in Bob Mehr’s indispensable Replacements biography Trouble Boys, Peter Jesperson managed the Mats and functioned as Paul Westerberg’s greatest cheerleader early on. He was also an R.E.M. fan who bonded with Peter Buck during the band’s frequent trips to the Twin Cities in the early ’80s. This duality would not be permissible in the Replacements camp for long. It came to a head in the summer of 1983, when R.E.M. needed a tour manager and inquired if Jesperson would fill in temporarily. He asked the Replacements for their blessing and they said “yes.” But in classic passive-aggressive Midwestern fashion, they actually meant “no.” When Jesperson mistakenly took their words at face value and went on the road with R.E.M., it was viewed by The Replacements as an unpardonable act of betrayal. As Westerberg told Mehr, “For him to just up and leave us for a prettier girl — it was never the same after that, really.”

2. Paul Westerberg saw himself as the antithesis of Michael Stipe

Describing R.E.M. as “a prettier girl,” clearly, says more about Westerberg’s inferiority complex and tendency to project it outward than it does about R.E.M. For R.E.M.’s part, they were quick to praise The Replacements publicly, and Buck gamely agreed to play the guitar solo on possibly the greatest Mats song ever, “I Will Dare,” which at the time raised the lesser-known band’s profile. But Westerberg still viewed R.E.M., and particularly Michael Stipe, as his band’s more bookish (and presumably less rock ‘n’ roll) counterpart. “Stipe was definitely more of an intellectual than myself,” he says in Trouble Boys, “so I’d play the guttersnipe to his more cultured hoo-ha.”

3. R.E.M.’s audience didn’t like The Replacements when they opened for them

Again, we see Westerberg’s projected insecurities: As any Replacements fan will testify, a core strength of Westerberg’s songs is the witty wordplay evidencing his unmistakable literary sensibility. (The same can be said of a phrase like “I’d play the guttersnipe to his more cultured hoo-ha.”) But he’s right about the ways in which Westerberg and Stipe (and their respective bands) were perceived. And that was confirmed when R.E.M. and The Replacements briefly toured together in the summer of 1983, with R.E.M. as the headliner. Audiences gave a cool reception to The Replacements, which only encouraged their worst self-destructive impulses. At one show, Westerberg and Bob Stinson acted out by pouring beer on R.E.M.’s monitors. Tommy Stinson (who was 16 at the time and didn’t drink) was so frustrated that he almost quit; instead, he was persuaded to stay and coped by swilling vodka on the regular.

4. The Replacements viewed R.E.M. as goody-goody hypocrites

On that tour, most of R.E.M. partied with The Replacements and kept up the pace when it came to backstage debauchery. And yet on stage, R.E.M. could still present themselves as a reliably professional outfit while The Replacements remained a public shambles. And, in Tommy Stinson’s view at least, that made R.E.M. seem “a bit phony,” as he relates in Trouble Boys. “We didn’t hide the fact that we did drugs and drank and were fucked up. We wore our shit on our sleeve, and they hid their shit. Those guys hid it pretty well. And we know that, because we did their drugs and drank with them.” The Replacements subsequently outed Buck (sort of) on the maligned Tim deep cut “Lay It Down Clown,” which is supposedly about doing speed with the R.E.M. guitarist.

The Metaphor

It’s my theory that for a musical rivalry to truly matter, it has to function as a proxy battle between opposing ideas. Again, we circle back to Beatles vs. Stones — when people compare them, they’re really having a conversation about what they value in a band. Do you prefer musical innovation or archetypal “rock ‘n’ roll-ness”? Should a band appeal to everyone or should it consciously alienate the “right” people? Is a functional band boring, or is a dysfunctional band merely inept? Is it more artistically valid to be inherently beautiful or deliberately ugly? Is “fucked up” an attribute or a defect? Is it better to burn out or to fade away?

This template can be applied to numerous other musical rivalries, but it especially works for R.E.M. (The Beatles) and The Replacements (The Stones). R.E.M. was more musically innovative, they appealed to more people, and they were probably the most functional (i.e. well-run and psychologically sound) band of their era. Meanwhile, The Replacements were the most rock ‘n’ roll rock ‘n’ roll band of the 1980s American underground. They pissed off lots of people, they were unabashedly dysfunctional, and they made being fucked up seem like an art form. Only on the “burn out vs. fade away” equation were the roles reversed: The Replacements (like The Beatles) flamed out, while R.E.M. (like the Stones) eased into middle age (and beyond). And that might be the most essential difference of all. The conversation about R.E.M. vs. The Replacements is really an inquiry about whether you want a rock band to be professionally admirable or romantically un-admirable.

The Case For R.E.M.

Throughout the ’80s and ’90s, R.E.M. essentially was perfect. Their knack for seemingly always making correct decisions was both uncanny and surprisingly not annoying. (Unless you were in The Replacements.) R.E.M. was easy to cheer for. When they formed, they decided to evenly split their publishing, an ingenious move that instantly exempted them from the typical tensions that derail most bands. Their rise to mainstream popularity was steady and methodical; their fifth album was the first to go platinum, at which point no one could accuse them of not paying their dues or otherwise begrudge their success. When they became superstars in the early ’90s, they were making the most experimental records of their career. Like The Beatles, they stopped touring for several years to focus on studio work. On the business side, they finagled the largest recording contract in history right before the commercial collapse of alternative rock in the mid-’90s, ensuring their lifetime financial security even as many of their peers slipped into obscurity. When they finally decided to break up in 2011, they did that perfectly, too — they claimed they were still friends but didn’t want to be rock stars any longer. There would be reunions in the future, they insisted, and (so far) it looks like they meant it. Today, you can find some members of R.E.M. on the road playing songs about baseball. They seem happy. It’s a perfect retirement.

There is disagreement on what constitutes R.E.M.’s “golden” era. Old-school stalwarts will argue that it was over once they left the indie world in the mid-’80s. Others claim that Automatic For The People marks the end of their best work. The exit of founding drummer Bill Berry is another commonly cited departure point. Personally, I put it slightly after that, with the release of Up, which I think is their last truly great LP.

Up represents another kind of perfection — it is perhaps the best and truest rock album ever about processing the trauma of your friend leaving the band you started together. Unlike virtually every other rock band that has lost an essential member — including The Replacements — R.E.M. did not pretend like it was business as usual on their next record. (They actually didn’t make a conventional rock album for another 10 years.) On Up, they deliberately leave holes in the middle of the songs as constant reminders of who is not there. Drums either are absent or replaced with drum machines. R.E.M. doesn’t even sound like a band much of the time; sounds are layered in a manner that recalls the late-’60s Beach Boys, one of the album’s obvious influences. (Another touchstone is OK Computer, though Up ultimately sounds like a prequel to Kid A.)

What’s apparent is R.E.M.’s thoughtfulness about rethinking their musical milieu in the wake of becoming a trio, and how correct their choices seem. They absorbed a critical loss and somehow spun it forward as the next logical step in their creative evolution. The resulting record simultaneously mourns the version of R.E.M. that no longer exists, while also positing that this latest incarnation is a perfect next step. That the next two albums were less successful reiterations of Up shouldn’t diminish this achievement. (Especially since those records, 2001’s Reveal and 2004’s Around The Sun, are better than their reputations suggest.) Even when R.E.M. fell apart, the pieces fell in all the right places.

The Case For The Replacements

This is how the argument for R.E.M. ends: They made an album like Up, a.k.a. an excellent mid-career work that is unlike anything they put out before. And this is how the argument for The Replacements begins: They didn’t make an album like Up, a.k.a. a rueful record that is unmistakably the work of a “mature” rock group.

The Replacements collapsed long before they had the chance to record their 11th album because they weren’t perfect and they didn’t make great decisions and they had no clue how to evolve over the course of several decades. And these short-term deficiencies have paid unexpected long-term dividends. The greatness of R.E.M. feels settled in a way that it does not for The Replacements. Which means that liking them seems more interesting, particularly for younger listeners. And bands that are more interesting for younger listeners to like have a way of growing in esteem the further we get from the past.

It’s not fair to compare the Tim box set with the Up reissue, because Tim is commonly regarded as one of the best (if not the best) Replacements albums while Up does not come close to achieving that distinction in R.E.M.’s catalog. But as someone who has dutifully kept up with archival releases from both bands, I think it’s fair to say that the Replacements reissues have consistently been more revelatory than the ones from R.E.M. And this, perversely, is related to how well-made R.E.M.’s greatest records are. My main takeaway from listening to all of the outtakes and all of the remixes on all of the R.E.M. reissues is that the original albums can’t really improved upon. The extras add little to my appreciation of the records, because my appreciation was already deep and, more importantly, complete.

The Replacements, however, have benefitted greatly from the reissue industry. The remix of Tim transformed an album I already loved into something even greater than it was before. The Dead Man’s Pop box set, which reimagined 1989’s Don’t Tell A Soul, similarly put a sonically flawed album in a more vibrant context. Unlike R.E.M., The Replacements’ music feels incomplete in a manner that invites contemporary listeners to finally “solve” (or resolve) it. And that gives their records a weird kind of recency bias over R.E.M., where their old albums magically sound like “new” albums.

And then there’s the matter of mystique. That “archetypal rock ‘n’ roll-ness” thing The Replacements have has only grown more unique as the years go by. If that is what you are looking for, there are very few modern bands that credibly operate in that lane. And yet, paradoxically, The Replacements’ mystique also seems attainable for any new band that wears flannel shirts and drinks too much. (The very few modern bands that operate credibly in this lane are essentially copying The Replacements.) “Copying The Replacements” will be a staple pose for young rock bands for as long as there are rock bands, because it’s easy and also because it’s fun. (Even if it won’t actually make you as good as The Replacements.)

Put another way: Emulating a band made up of four extraordinarily talented and level-headed individuals who recorded (at least) 11 great albums while making more money than virtually any rock group who ever lived is basically impossible. Acting like The Replacements, in comparison, is as easy as drinking beer for breakfast.

Who Won?

I love both bands. I suspect that most people who love one also probably love the other. So I will attempt to answer this question diplomatically without skimping on the truth.

In Trouble Boys, Westerberg is quoted as saying the following about R.E.M.: “I’ve had to mention them in every interview I’ve done since 1981. The problem is, they don’t have to mention [The Replacements]. They simply don’t have to acknowledge us anymore. They won.”

This is an honest, and insightful, accounting of The Replacements’ public relationship with R.E.M. It also describes a common dynamic in musical rivalries — whoever has the upper hand plays a central role in the subordinate’s narrative, while the actor in the subordinate role is usually absent from their counterpart’s story. It’s impossible to find a recounting of Pearl Jam’s story in which Nirvana doesn’t play a significant role, and yet Pearl Jam rarely if ever comes up in books and documentaries about Nirvana. Britney Spears must be mentioned with discussing Christina Aguilera’s rise, but Christina is not integral to Britney’s arc. Jay Z is a major foil in the saga of Nas, but Nas need not make a cameo in the epic that is Jay Z’s life story. I could go, but the examples are endless.

By that standard — and many others — R.E.M. won. But by losing The Replacements … also won? They won because they didn’t want to be R.E.M., and they succeeded at not being R.E.M. They won because they set out to lose. R.E.M.’s achievements are heightened when compared to the haphazard path taken by The Replacements because it illustrates how hard it is to be R.E.M. But this binary also benefits The Replacements, because they’re more relatable than R.E.M. The more cultured hoo-ha elevates the guttersnipe, and vice versa.

Jay-Z is one of the most esteemed rappers in hip-hop history, but in recent years, he hasn’t exactly been prolific: His most recent album, 4:44, came out back in 2017. (Counting collaborative projects, he and Beyoncé released Everything Is Love as The Carters in 2018.) Naturally, fans have been wondering since then when Jay’s next album is going to drop. We don’t know that yet, but based on Jay’s CBS Mornings interview with Gayle King, we know what it’ll take for him to think about making another project.

In a new clip from the interview shared on social media yesterday (October 25), King asked what it would take for Jay-Z to get back in the studio. He answered, “I’ll say I want to make music, but it has to be something important. I don’t want to just make a bunch of tunes. That’s not gonna serve me. It won’t feed me, first of all.”

King asked what he meant by the “feed me” part of his response and he continued, “I have to be saying something important. It has to mean something, you know? It has to mean something to a larger society. Like 4:44, for example, was a personal story, but the amount of vulnerability in there allowed for a lot of people to explore the space.”

More from the interview is set to air on CBS Mornings today and tomorrow. In the meantime, check out the clip above.