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Sometimes the best new R&B can be hard to find, but there are plenty of great rhythm-and-blues tunes to get into if you have the time to sift through the hundreds of newly released songs every week. So that R&B heads can focus on listening to what they really love in its true form, we’ll be offering a digest of the best new R&B songs that fans of the genre should hear every Friday.

Since the last update of this weekly R&B column, we’ve received plenty of music and news from the genre’s artists.

Lucky Daye made his return with his steamy “That’s You” single and SZA revealed how her “Slime You Out” collaboration with Drake came together. Ty Dolla Sign’s “multi-stadium listening event” with Kanye West for their upcoming album was reportedly delayed and The Roots teamed up with LL Cool J to make an anthem for the NBA’s inaugural in-season tournament. Elsewhere, Jazmine Sullivan and HER were among the artists who honored Chaka Khan for her Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame induction.

Here are some more releases on the new music front that you should check out:

Majid Jordan — Good People

Majid Jordan’s third album, 2021’s Wildest Dreams, arrived four years after their second album. This time around, the Canadian duo only took two years to deliver another body of work. It’s a short one with just nine songs, but Majid Jordan makes the most of it from start to finish.

Ciara — “How We Roll (Remix)” Feat. Lil Wayne & Chris Brown

This past summer, Ciara delivered her CiCi EP and now she’s back with an update to one of the project’s standout records. “How We Roll,” which featured Chris Brown, now gets an update with an additional verse from Lil Wayne as he kicks off the remix with a string of slick bars.

Robert Glasper — In December

Legendary producer Robert Glasper gets a jump on the Christmas season with this Apple Music exclusive project In December. For this seven-song project, Glasper mixes classics like “Joy To The World” and “Little Drummer Boy” with a set of originals. “The intention for this album was less about Christmas songs and more about songs that feel good during the holidays,” Glasper said about the album.

Ne-Yo — “Link Up (Remix)” Feat. Fabolous

Days after summer came to an official close, Ne-Yo checked in with his summery single “Link Up.” A little over a month later, he’s back with a new remix alongside Fabolous. It feels like the mid-2000s with a Ne-Yo and Fabolous collaboration, but we’re here for the nostalgia.

Eric Bellinger — “All For Me”

Certified R&B workhorse Eric Bellinger pours his heart out to a special lover on his new single “All For Me.” He declares his love for the woman in question and celebrates the fact that she’s all for him to enjoy.

Ryan Trey — Streets Say You Miss Me

St. Louis, Missouri’s own Ryan Trey checks in with his third project Streets Say You Miss Me. Across 14 songs and features from Mariah The Scientist, Vory, NoCap, and Chase Shakur, Trey guides us through the ups and downs of romance with R&B- and hip-hop-inspired sounds.

Q — Hello, Everyday Changes

Months after sharing his Soul, PRESENT project, Brooklyn singer Q keeps the fire alive with a new batch of tunes. His Hello, Everyday Changes EP is his latest genre-bending presentation in a year that also saw him hit the road with Baby Rose.

Jon Vinyl — Heartbreak Hill

Toronto singer Jon Vinyl arrives with his debut album Heartbreak Hill. Through eight songs, Vinyl experiences a variety of emotions on his Heartbreak Hill, but his silky smooth vocals make for a soothing experience for listeners. Heartbreak Hill is a coming-of-age love story that runs through fear, regret, and impulsive thoughts with brute honesty.

Dee Gatti — “No Favors”

I hope that Dallas native Dee Gatti has a project on the way, and her newly released single seemingly confirms that possibility. Gatti drops “No Favors” as follow-ups to “Either Way” and “Timeless” and as a record bathed in honesty as she questions a former lover’s continued presence in her life despite them failing to prove that they can be the supportive companion she needs them to be.

Titose — “Star”

With her All Things Considered EP out later this month, Botswana singer Titose delivers another preview of the project with “Star.” The tender and optimistic single takes a moment to honor her companion’s effortless shine while also showing her commitment to their growing relationship.

FrvrFriday — “Reach U”

Four months after dropping his Cruise Control project, Rwandan-Canadian singer FrvrFriday returns with his second single since the project’s release. “Reach U” captures FrvrFriday’s attempts to strike up some romance with a woman who he feels has yet to experience love in the right way.

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

(WARNING: Spoilers for the most recent Power Book IV: Force episode will be found below.)

After being cut out of the Flynn family organization and a partnership with her brother Vic, Claudia Flynn has been left to fight on her own to establish a name for herself in the Chicago. It was a struggle at first but thanks to a partnership with Elise, a friend from the past who is also her new lover, as well as Shanti, a leader in the Chicago drug game, Claudia has been able to bounce back on her feet in season two of Power Book IV: Force. One thing that’s helped her is a an established presence in Chicago’s Viagra Triangle, but where is that exactly?

Where Is Chicago’s Viagra Triangle From Power Book IV: Force?

The Viagra Triangle is a district in Chicago’s Gold Coast neighborhood in the city’s north side. The triangle is formed by State and Rush streets coming together with Bellevue Street being its base. Viagra Triangle got its name as it has always been known as a place where “older” men in the upper class would either hang out or go on dates with younger women in their 20s and 30s. It’s this area and this demographic that Claudia uses to re-establish her presence in the city’s drug game.

Claudia’s expansion into the Viagra was first introduced in episode seven of season two as an idea from Elise. Claudia initially turned it down saying, “My father always stayed away from those clubs because of a deal with one of his old cronies.” Elise reminded her that Walter is dead and added that her mother is a silent parter at the club and just like that Claudia was all in. Shanti was later informed about the move, and she was initially upset that Claudia and Elise did not tell her about it first before making a decision. Nonetheless, she signed on and trio got the ball rolling.

New episodes of ‘Power Book IV: Force’ are available on the STARZ app on Fridays at 12:00 am ET/PT and on the STARZ TV channel at 8:00 pm ET/PT.

On Sunday Stephen A. Smith was in Philadelphia to watch the Eagles beat arguably their biggest rival, the Dallas Cowboys, with a final score of 28 to 23. Good for him (and them)! Unfortunately, Smith did it while wearing a particularly mockable form of headwear.

Per Complex, the ESPN star and Swiftie posed for a photo with a Philly sports die-hard who was clad in Eagles regalia. Smith, meanwhile, was wearing a Jordan brand baseball cap. Why was he wearing a basketball hat to a football game? Alas, that wasn’t the sartorial choice that nabbed people’s attention. It was a) the size of the cap, which was clearly too big for his head, and b) the insanely sculpted brim, which looked like Smith had spent the last few hours pressing it until it looked like a perfect V.

Smith’s brim drew a lot of jokes.

Others dwelled on the immense bagginess of the hat, which seemed large enough to consume his head.

All in all the hat didn’t make Smith look like a normal sports fan.

As for Smith, he didn’t notice or care that he had on an ill-fitting hat, and just went on enjoying the Eagles crush the Cowboys, as one does.

(Via Complex)

November 7, 2020 was a day that shall always live in infamy, thanks to Rudy Giuliani’s committed status to undoing his reputation as America’s Mayor. That fateful day in history was when he, while representing the Trump campaign, called an important press conference during his boss’ quest to overturn democracy.

This, of course, was very funny stuff. Presumably, they meant Four Seasons hotel, but for some reason, Rudy mucked things up, and the Trump campaign showed up at Four Seasons Total Landscaping in Philly. There’s a sex shop next door, and now, the place is now infamous as a tourist attraction. They also sold merch, and good for them on milking a lasting effect.

That day, however, was quite a trip. Screenshotted Donald Trump tweets show how his “Four Seasons” tweet was updated from an 11:00 am time slot to 11:30 at the “Four Seasons Landscaping!” He did that like nothing was amiss, but that extra 30 minutes was presumably to allow the press and MAGA attendees to scramble to a different venue than was very clearly the original intended destination.

Today is the third anniversary of that momentous event, and the (alleged) Four Seasons Total Landscaping Twitter account is enjoying people tagging them in celebratory fashion: “Will always be funny no matter how old we get… Like a well-timed fart.”

Another relic from that day: Carly Aquino’s fabulous TikTok vid, in which she couldn’t stop laughing while attempting to recount what Rudy did.

It’s still contagious.

Drake’s love of basketball is well-documented, from his friendships with NBA stars to his noted gambling habit to his alleged purchase of $100,000 rings to celebrate a championship win in his rec league.

So, it’s only natural that his clothing line with Nike, NOCTA, would eventually get a line of basketball apparel and gear, along with a campaign featuring NBA all-star Kevin Durant. Durant previously appeared in Drake’s “Laugh Now, Cry Later” video featuring Lil Durk, which was shot at Nike’s Oregon headquarters campus. Here’s how you can get your hands on the new collection before it inevitably sells out and ends up on StockX for triple the price.

You can pull up (heh) on Nocta.com to check out the options currently in stock, which include basketball jerseys (of course) and shorts (absolutely), basketballs (naturally), shoes (they are Zoom Flight 95s, fam, just get those instead), base layer tops (why not), shooting sleeves (alright), socks (sure), and a “sideline trench” jacket (oh… kay). There are also tights, briefs, and caps if you want to go all out on the Drake-branded apparel thing, and a $400 Goretex rain jacket, which — where the hell are you planning to play? The usual assortment of sweats, tees, and the like are also on display, including pants with a Swarovski crystal Swoosh logo.

Dog, I swear, if you show up at a run with those on, you better play like Kevin Durant. Guys around my way aren’t having it.

Starting November 8 at 7 am PT / 10 am ET, you can also grab everything (except those crystal pants, I’m warning you, don’t do it) on the SNKRS app.

Even though Greta Gerwig is still riding high on the Barbie wave, her next project is already getting some buzz. Not only because it’s her follow-up to Barbie, but also because it’s going to be an adaptation of the beloved children’s series The Chronicles of Narnia, and fans of fantasy novels are notoriously calm and chill. Hopefully, the Barbie chaos prepared her for it.

Gerwig is teaming up with Netflix for not one but two films in the Narnia universe. Scott Stuber, Head of Netflix Film, mentioned the upcoming movie in a new interview with Collider. “Well, I think people know that we’re aspirationally trying to get Greta Gerwig’s [The Chronicles of] Narnia together and get that movie, which will be next year,” he said when asked about new projects. It’s still early on in production, so it will be quite a while until we get any more news, but they haven’t forgotten about it, which is a good sign for Netflix.

Studer also confirmed that the streamer is looking to acquire more author catalogs for stories. “We went out and got the C.S. Lewis library. We went out and got [Roald] Dahl, so we have an opportunity to make some of those animated features around Charlie and some of those great titles,” he explained.

This means that any of the seven Narnia books are up for a new adaptation, and Gerwig will be making two of them. And the odds are good that Saoirse Ronan will show up in at least one of them! And Timothee Chalamet too, for that matter.

(Via Collider)

A school district in Florida has banned more than 300 books over the past year as part of Governor Ron DeSantis‘ tireless efforts to convince people to never want to move or visit the Sunshine State. He’s doing a good job. The list of titles affected by the alarming ban includes literary classics like Anna Karenina, Slaughterhouse-Five, and On the Road, as well as works from authors Stephen King, Judy Blume, Mary Higgins Clark, Neil Gaiman, Toni Morrison, Joyce Carol Oates, and Steve Martin. Yes, that Steve Martin, the comedian, actor, and musician who published a novella, Shopgirl, in 2000.

In response to the ban, the Only Murders in the Building star wrote on Instagram, “So proud to have my book Shopgirl banned in Collier County, Florida! Now people who want to read it will have to buy a copy!”

I haven’t read the novella, but the movie it’s based on includes “several sex scenes, some delicate and others overtly comic (one features handcuffs); stereotypically busty rock groupies; a brief image of a man masturbating (his hand inside his boxers), and discussion/images of condoms.”

No wonder DeSantis is trailing behind Trump in every poll — he’s too busy saving Florida’s youth from overtly comic sex scenes.

Tempe, Arizona music fans have yet another reason to look forward to the new year, as Innings Festival has announced the dates for its 2024 sixth annual event. Returning to Beach Park & Arts Park on February 23-24, 2024, Innings Festival will be headlined by Red Hot Chili Peppers and Hozier, with a lineup including Greta Van Fleet, Jimmy Eat World, Macklemore, Third Eye Blind, and more.

Red Hot Chili Peppers recently wrapped up the 2023 tour for the band’s new albums, Unlimited Love and Return Of The Dream Canteen. Hozier, meanwhile, has been taking audiences to church all across the globe, headlining such festivals as Shaky Knees and Sound On Sound (which also included the Peppers) and is billed on the 2024 High Water Festival, as well as all three South American Lollapaloozas in Argentina, Brazil, and Chile.

Meanwhile, this year, Innings will be followed by the inaugural Extra Innings Festival the following weekend, March 1-2, with headliners Chris Stapleton and Dave Matthews Band. The lineup includes Elle King, Noah Kahan, Ryan Bingham with The Texas Gentlemen, Sheryl Crow, and Turnpike Troubadours, and allows us to make some awesome “double header” jokes (at least until they are inevitably overplayed).

You can find tickets and more information about Innings and Extra Innings at inningsfestival.com. Check out the lineup flyers below.

When you have a new baby people come in with all sorts of advice that is often conflicting. Things like, don’t hold the baby all day or they’ll never learn to self soothe but also, if you want to get stuff done you need to strap the baby to your body like a tiny kangaroo. Which is it? Do you hold them all day to get work done or do you not hold them all day so they can learn to self soothe?

This perpetual contradiction of parenting advice has been baffling parents for decades and “It’s a Southern Thing” created a video that hilariously shows the contradictions in action. It’s a realistic view of what it’s like to not only have a baby but to attempt to take the advice given by well-meaning friends and family.

The video starts out with a couple sitting on the couch holding an infant explaining that they’ve “unlocked the secrets to having a happy calm baby.”

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The baby was not calm at all. In fact, after they finished their sweet family intro, you see the woman with the baby strapped to her chest to bring you tip number one.

“Wear him. If your baby is anything like our little Devin, he’s the most calm when he’s being held. But holding your baby 24/7 is totally unsustainable,” she says. “That’s why a baby carrier, like this one is a literal life saver.”

Of course it’s suggested that you could get things done around the house while wearing the baby, which quickly results in the baby crying when the woman tries to clean out a bottle. It was also impossible for her to unload the washing machine while wearing the little guy. In the next tip, the husband talks about keeping the baby on a sleep schedule but every time he attempts to lay the baby down for a nap, it starts crying. That is until her reaches success after multiple tries. Then…the doorbell rings and the dogs bark, which of course wakes the baby.

The entire video is so accurately hilarious if those stages are in your rearview. For those still in the thick of it, maybe the video can show you just how contradictory some of the tips you’ll receive can be. People in the comments found the video to be extremely accurate.

“This should be part of all high school human growth and development classes,” one person writes.

“This needs a trigger warning for accuracy! The only thing worse is having a second and managing all that WITH a toddler. Took my youngest being 8 years old before I even remotely liked the sight of a baby again. haha,” someone adds.

“As a parent expecting the child in a few weeks, I am both laughing and crying over the accuracy and expected loss of sleep,” a soon to be parent confesses.

“I still vividly remember having to sit in my son’s room until he fell asleep and then slowly slowly scoot myself toward the door while holding my breath for fear of waking him up again,” another writes.

Well if anything, maybe this can be shown in high school classes and freshman orientation at colleges for…science. Yeah, science. Good luck to all the new parents out there, babyhood only lasts a short time. Watch the scary accurate video below and maybe go hug one of your parents.

Joshua Cauldwell, known as @imjoshfromengland2 on TikTok, often posts humorous videos detailing his observations about American culture—everything from the country’s aggressive driving habits, “exotic” animals and of course, signature foods.

Previously Cauldwell has gushed about dishes like “authentic Texas BBQ” and beef jerky, but in a recent viral clip, he lists the three foods that truly exceeded his expectations.

First up, the good ol’ American corndog.

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“Let’s be honest, they do not look appetizing at all,” Cauldwell says of the deep fried sausage on a stick. “You take one look and you think, ‘no thank you!’”

But his tune apparently changed after dipping it in mustard and ketchup.

“It tastes absolutely wonderful!” he exclaims in the clip.

Next: gumbo. A staple stew dish of Louisiana, usually made of multiple meats—seafood, chicken, sausage—along with spices, some veggies and rice. Which, when mixed together, does sort of produce a sloppy brown mess.

“When I first had it I thought…that the guy in the back had just scooped it out the bin,” Cauldwell says, suggesting it looks like something found at the bottom of a trash can.

“However,” he admits, when he took a bite, “it tasted divine.”

Saving the best (and ugliest) for last, Cauldwell noted that biscuits and gravy surprised him the most.

“This straight up looks like vomit, mate. However, you try it, and it is the best American food. It is incredible! I love it!” he says in the clip.

Watch Cauldwell’s enthusiastic review of American foods below:

@imjoshfromengland2

AMERICA, THESE ARE THE BEST! 😍🇺🇸

♬ Monkeys Spinning Monkeys – Kevin MacLeod & Kevin The Monkey

Funny enough, Cauldwell isn’t the only Brit to go viral for his shock at how great biscuits and gravy are. Back in June 2023, a group of British schoolboys were equally delighted at the classic Southern breakfast item.

In fact, many weren’t surprised at all that biscuits and gravy were mentioned. One person even commented that “I knew biscuits and gravy would be here.”

It’s alway interesting to see how the mundane, everyday things you might take for granted can seem completely new and fascinating to someone not accustomed to them. Truly, this is the beauty of exploring other cultures. May we all get to explore the wonderful sights, sounds and tastes that humanity has to offer.