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While millennials and Gen Zer’s often get lumped together as the “young group,” they are certainly not the same. (Although, it is kind of hard to tell with all the Y2K fashion floating around.)

But speaking as a millennial, we definitely have different approaches to life, a lot of which seems to come down to a sense of self-assuredness. That goes for shopping, socializing, self expression…and even going to the hair salon, apparently.

Alexis Rex (@rex.artistry), hairstylist and owner of Rex Artistry Salon in Maryland, gave a brilliant (and hilarious) demonstration of some key personality differences between her millennial clients and her Gen Z clients in a now viral TikTok video.

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First, Rex played her Millennial Customer.

Millennial Customer gently knocks on the door and immediately expresses her gratitude. “Hey girl! So good to see you! So excited!”

But at the same time, Millennial Customer wants in no way to be an inconvenience, so she immediately comes back with, “Where should I put my purse? It’s okay, I’m just going to shove it in my own personal space so it’s not in your way. At all.”

Never one to demand attention, Millennial Customer wants a very subtle hair color change. Really, “it shouldn’t even look like I got my hair done.” Not “super bold,” not “in your face.”

Then after flooding the hair stylist with compliments, Millennial Customer (ever wanting to be a good student) will ask a bunch of follow-up questions about how to maintain the style.

@rexartistry Millennial V Gen Z getting their hair done #hairstylist #hairstylisthumor ♬ original sound – Alexis Rex

Then, Rex played her Gen Z Customer.

Gen Z Customer bolts through the door with a “Hey queen!” like a hurricane (who has time to knock?!) and is ready to plop her stuff down anywhere. Unlike her millennial counterpart, Gen Z Customer is perfectly fine to take up space unapologetically and even show up with hair that “hasn’t been brushed in a month.”

Gen Z Customer also knows exactly what she wants, and it’s anything but subtle. “I wanna do like in-your-face, bold contrast…I wanna look like a different f**king person. Let’s do it.”

The confidence…it’s…palpable.

Gen Z Customer has a different approach to complementing her hairstylist: “Oh my god! F**king Queen! You did that! God I love you.”

No further questions. Gen Z Customer already knows her brand of hair care products, and it’s “Olaplex. All Olaplex.”

Rex’s post quickly racked up 8.6 million views, generating literally thousands of comments discussing how spot on her imitations were.

Millennials in particular chimed in, many of whom couldn’t help but applaud its accuracy of depicting how millennials seem to constantly be apologizing for simply existing.

“I’m a millennial and once I missed the armhole for a sec when putting the cape on. I was convinced I had ruined the appointment,” wrote one person.

Another added, ‘I’m sorry for my hair. I’m sorry my hair takes so long. I’m sorry I had to move my head, omg I’m sorry. You offered me a drink? I will say yes. And then sorry.”

Many were also quick to applaud how Gen Zer’s seemed to have no issues in this arena.

“Gen Z just fully owning the ability to take up space,” one person commented.

“As a millennial I love Gen Z so much. They’re so free to be themselves and so open,” wrote another.

While there may be differences between generations, we can all learn something from one another. And we all enjoy getting our hair did.

By the way, Rex didn’t leave out her Gen X or Boomer clients. She has plenty videos of her imitating them, as well as some nifty style predictions on her TikTok, found here.

This article originally appeared on 2.23.23

(Fear The Walking Dead spoilers from seasons past will be found below.)

Alicia Clark’s zombie bite on Fear The Walking Dead turned into a surprisingly long-winded affair. She didn’t straight-up die from the bite, as most people eventually do, but she grew unmistakably ill and suffered fevers, etc. When she got contaminated blood all over her, that similarly caused anguish, given that Alycia Debnam-Carey was a huge draw for viewers. In the end, however, Alicia’s fate was left ambiguous when she decided to stay behind on the beach after all that PADRE build-up. Presumably, the actress left the show (after a good, and perhaps exhausting, seven-season run) to pursue other projects like The Lost Flowers Of Alice Hart and Saint X.

However, the AMC spinoff’s most recent trailer (for Season 8B) confirmed that the show was bringing back several characters for last hurrah/full circle returns before the show ends. This includes Victor Strand, which should be well-received because Colman Domingo is far too watchable, even if I’m not quite sure that Madison should trust him, despite the fact that they go way back in a mostly good way. Additionally, we will surprisingly see a not-dead Troy, whose motives appear to be clearly evil. As well, the trailer showed Madison inquiring about the whereabouts of her daughter, so could Alicia actually make a return, too?

Hmm. It was heavily suggested that Alicia had expected to finally succumb to death but did not. Additionally, the show recently went in heavy on radiation’s possible effect on walker bites, and that had led June to form a hypothesis that Alicia’s experiences could be linked to a cure. That idea, of course, went off the rails with June being forced by Shrike into conducting ghastly experiments, and all of this could be have been some clumsy foreshadowing pointing towards a future Alicia appearance, or perhaps not. Maybe she will simply show up for a reunion with mom.

Given that Madison obviously cannot reunite with Nick again, I suspect that FTWD viewers would be thrilled to see her reunite with her other child, who happens to be one of the show’s most enduringly popular characters. Madison went through an awful lot with PADRE to get to that point, too, although heck, maybe Madison will be un-rewarded for what she did to help PADRE. Yet I think Madison still retains enough goodwill that people will want to see her happy in an embrace with Alicia.

Here’s the Season 8B synopsis:

Now that Shrike (Maya Eshet) and her influence are gone, Madison (Dickens) sets sights on transforming PADRE into the safe haven the old Stadium was meant to be. But in doing so the island becomes a target as well as a beacon as word of Madison and this land of resources spreads, attracting unwanted attention that puts PADRE back in peril and questions whether our heroes even deserve to save it.

Fear The Walking Episodes returns for its last batch of episodes beginning on October 22.

Taylor Swift’s record-breaking Eras Tour is now breaking box office records. The Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour concert film is expected to earn between $100 and $125 million in its opening weekend. That would immediately make it the highest-grossing concert film of ever — and one of the biggest movies of 2023.

It’s a boon not only for theaters (and popcorn bucket manufacturers), but also everyone who wasn’t able to see the Eras Tour in person. I was lucky enough to attend the opening night show, as well as the 1989 announcement show, so if you’ll tolerate it, I would be enchanted to tell you the 13 (of course) moments from the concert that I would love(r) to see on the big screen.

1. When was the moment I knew the Eras Tour was going to be “the most impressive stadium show ever conceived”? Was it when Swift broke Ticketmaster? (No.) Or seeing the catwalk stage for the first time? (Nope.) It wasn’t even the first song, no offense to the abridged version of “Miss Americana & the Heartbreak Prince.” It was the cathartic shrieks that greeted song number two, the Lover cult favorite-turned-genuine hit, “Cruel Summer.” If you can see Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour in an IMAX or Dolby Cinema, do so. You’ll feel the same chills I did and make Christopher Nolan proud.

2. The Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour trailer describes the film as a “once-in-a-lifetime concert film experience with a breathtaking, cinematic view of the history-making tour.” Does that include behind-the-scenes footage? Will we see Swift getting into her janitor cart (allegedly)?

One of the reasons why Martin Scorsese’s The Last Waltz is number one on my list of best concert films is seeing the boys in The Band — Robbie, Levon, Rick, Richard, and Garth — dicking around backstage, playing “cut throat” pool and smoking cigarettes. I don’t expect that level of access, but it would be fascinating to see Swift in the moments before she appears on stage in front of 70,000 people.

3. “1, 2, 3, let’s go bitch.”

4. Like a lot of Swift fans, I didn’t know what to think when “Look What You Made Me Do” was released. It was a moody, defensive pivot away from the beach and seagulls vibes of 1989. Swift came out of the woods, then raced back in. But I’ve grown to appreciate “Look What You Made Me Do” in the same way I enjoy “Shake It Off.” It’s a high-concept novelty song, the first single that establishes the themes of the album to the the broadest audience possible. It’s not the best Rep song, but it’s a lot of fun — especially live.

“Look What You Made Me Do” was one of my favorite performances on the Eras Tour. And a fine showcase for the backup dancers who are trapped in glass boxes as former versions of Taylor. If you’re still looking for a Halloween costume idea (or something to wear to Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour), might I suggest curly-haired Taylor?

5. It’s silly to care about spoilers for a concert film, but I’m going into Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour blissfully unaware about which surprise songs made the cut. That information is out there (including on this very website), but it’s more fun not knowing. Would you have wanted to know Brad Pitt is a figure of Edward Norton’s imagination before seeing Fight Club for the first time? (If I spoiled Fight Club for you just now, you’re welcome to ruin the surprise songs in return. It’s only fair. Also, come on. It’s been 24 years.)

6. The two-song surprise set isn’t the most startling thing about this section of the concert. As part of the transition to the Midnights era, Swift dives into a hole in the stage, which is made to look like rippling water, and “swims” away. There are gasps every time. We’ve since learned how it works, but I’m curious what angle the movie will take to keep up the allusion.

7. Over 100 celebrities attended the Eras Tour, from possible boyfriends (Travis Kelce) to Swift music video stars (Sadie Sink, Mariska Hargitay, etc.) to Emma Stone (Emma Stone, multiple times). But who’s in the movie? Like the surprise songs, this information is already out there, and I’m sure there’s a detailed night-by-night “Celebrities Who Attended the Eras Tour” slideshow on People’s website. I am once again pleading ignorance, but it would be funny if the only non-Taylor famous person in the movie was Karlie Kloss.

8. Evermore is the black sheep of Swift’s discography. It’s the album that many Swifites (too many imo) are certain that she dislikes; she even defended the follow-up to Folklore — not a sequel or B-sides to Folklore — during the first night of the tour. I love Evermore, and I would love Evermore even if it was only one song long. As long as that song was “Champagne Problems.” As the Eras Tour went along, a tradition was born: give “Champagne Problems” the ovation it deserves for as long as possible. By the final night of the U.S. leg, Swifties were cheering for eight minutes. Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour better include the entire ovation (if only for the opportunity to run to the bathroom).

9. Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour isn’t just for people who didn’t get tickets to the Eras Tour. It’s also for everyone with obstructed view seats. This isn’t an individual moment, per se, I’m very happy that these “guys and gals and non-binary pals” will be able to see the Eras Tour the way it was intended (without half a stage in their sightline). At least they’re used to looking at a screen?

10. Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour is rated PG-13 for “suggestive material.” The suggestive material:

11. AMC’s website has a long list of things people going to Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour should know. Friendship bracelets are encouraged, the lengthy runtime, and so on. The theater chain also encourages “dancing and singing throughout this concert film event, but please do not dance on our seats or block other guests from viewing, safely walking or exiting the auditorium.” As a proud but obnoxious Alamo Drafthouse season pass holder, I’m normally opposed to talking — let alone singing — during a movie, but an exception will be made to find out which lyric gets sung the loudest. My money’s on “what a shame she’s f*cked in the head, they said.”

12. One of the more magical moments during the Eras Tour was the snow drifting down from the ceiling during the 10-minute version of “All Too Well.” It was like living in a snow globe (as long as the snowman is wearing a red scarf). I take back something I said earlier: don’t see Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour in IMAX or Dolby Cinema; go to an interactive 4DX theater. Snow falling during “All Too Well,” water being blasted into your eyes to simulate crying during “My Tears Ricochet,” the seat rumbling during the goat-like screams in “I Knew You Were Trouble.” Now that’s how you experience the Eras Tour.

13. It wasn’t that long ago that we were trapped in our homes, the vaccine still months away. But life, after nearly losing all its meaning, got back to normal. Or at least normal-ish. Live events like the Eras Tour helped us get there.

I bring up our shared pandemic trauma not to wallow in it, but to offer a suggestion: take a moment while watching Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour, maybe during one of the crowd-pleasing sing-alongs to “Love Story” or “Style” or “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together,” and look around the theater. Notice the joy that Taylor Swift’s songs bring to people. That collective exuberance was my favorite part of attending the Eras Tour, and it’s the moment from Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour that I’m most looking forward to experiencing again.

The holiday season hasn’t even been kicked into high drive, but rock fans’ plans for the New Year might already be confirmed. Today (October 13), iHeartRadio announced the official lineup for their 2024 ALTer Ego Festival. Next year, Paramore, The 1975, and The Black Keys will serve as headliners.

The event, tailored to alternative rock music lovers, is set to take place on January 13, 2024, at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California. Other notable acts slated to perform at the festival include Thirty Seconds To Mars, Bush, Sum 41, Yellowcard, lovelytheband, and The Last Dinner Party. Woody of iHeartRadio ALT 98.7’s nationally syndicated The Woody Show has been unveiled as the host.

“Another year, another dope lineup, and another stunning display of misplaced confidence by the people running this company asking me to host such an event. My team and I can’t wait to get out there and pretend like we know what we’re doing,” said the media professional.

In a statement, Lisa Worden, Program Director for ALT 98.7 and Vice President of Rock and Alternative for iHeartMedia, shared her excitement for the event. “We can’t think of a better way to start the new year than with our seventh annual iHeartRadio ALTer Ego. Representing all genres across alternative and rock, we bring together the hottest artists for one incredible night. We’re beyond thrilled to bring the show to the Honda Center for the first time! We’re excited and thankful for all these artists to come together on January 13th for a beautiful night,” said Worden.

The Capital One cardholder presale for the 2024 ALTer Ego Festival will start on Tuesday, October 24, at 10 a.m. PT. Several exclusive cardholder-only perks will also be made available at that time. Find more information here.

For fans unable to attend, iHeartRadio’s alternative and rock stations will broadcast the event live in their local markets and on iHeartRadio.com.

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

Deadpool 3 already had a world of expectations on its back thanks to the film officially introducing Ryan Reynolds‘ Merc with a Mouth to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. But then the film just had to take it to the next level by, somehow, talking Hugh Jackman into returning as Wolverine after delivering a critically acclaimed final chapter for the character in Logan. It was a curveball fans did not expect, and now the hype is through the roof.

With Deadpool 3 set to hit theaters next year, here’s everything we know about the highly-anticipated sequel:

Plot

Like all Marvel projects, the plot details for Deadpool 3 are being kept tightly wrapped. However, we do know a few things thanks to the creative team’s comments. For starters, there will some sort of multiverse shenanigans as Jackman’s Wolverine in the film will not be the same Wolverine seen in Logan or the X-Men films. However, he will have the same surly attitude, which will not mesh well with Deadpool. “We’re opposites, hate each other,” Jackman told the Empire podcast.

Despite officially being a part of the MCU, Deadpool 3 will still be R-rated. Director Shawn Levy assured fans it will have all the violence and profanity they’ve come to expect.

“It is such a blast to laugh every day,” Levy told Collider. “It is so delicious to hear and write and come up with these scenes where people are just talking foul. And the violence is in your face and hardcore, and it’s very much a Deadpool movie.”

Cast

Obviously, Reynolds and Jackman are on board as Deadpool and Wolverine, respectively. But they’re not the only actors reprising their roles from the Fox movies. Jennifer Garner is reportedly set to return as Elektra, who was last seen in her 2005 solo movie that took place after the events of Daredevil.

As for newcomers to the MCU, The Crown‘s Emma Corrin has reportedly been cast as Deadpool 3’s villain, and Succession‘s Matthew Macfadyen is playing a secret role who will have some considerable screen time with Reynolds and Jackman.

Release Date

Deadpool 3 currently has a May 3, 2024 release date. However, we should note that this seems pretty ambitious given production has been stalled since the start of the actors strike in mid-July. At the time of this writing, an end to the strike has not been negotiated, so maybe don’t get too attached to that date.

Trailer

With production stalled and a ways to go until Deadpool 3‘s release date, there isn’t much in the way of a trailer or even a teaser for Deadpool’s big MCU debut. However, Reynolds and Jackman did film a cheeky little promo to announce the latter’s return as Wolverine.

You can watch it below:

Deadpool 3 will slice into theaters on May 3, 2024.

With Damian Lillard in Milwaukee and Jrue Holiday in Boston, there is just one more major domino left on the NBA’s trade market as the season approaches. James Harden remains a member of the Philadelphia 76ers despite his trade request and, by all accounts, is not being disruptive in Sixers camp as he hopes to eventually be sent to the Clippers.

The problem is, unlike Lillard, there are not any other teams out there that we know of that are interested in Harden if he were to open his request up to the entire league. That makes it difficult to get much in negotiations, and the Clippers are well aware of their position as the only real suitor for Harden’s services. As such, they are looking to split their 2028 pick into two protected picks from somewhere else, according to Adrian Wojnarowski, in an effort to get Philly a pair of picks but will not part with Terance Mann or two of their own picks in a trade.

That wasn’t the case when Portland was shopping Jrue Holiday, though, as the star defensive guard was hotly pursued by most contenders before being sent to Boston. Per Woj, the Clippers offered much more and were more aggressive in their pursuit of Holiday, but ultimately couldn’t beat the Celtics offer. That offers an understanding of how Harden is being valued right now, even by the team he claims to want to join. Part of that is the market, where Holiday was being chased by a lot of teams and Harden isn’t, but it’s also an indicator of where Holiday’s value is in relation to Harden, with contenders being much more interested in his defense and ability to mesh with other stars compared to Harden who is a superior offensive threat but has a much more domineering style on offense, requiring others to adapt to him rather than the other way around.

We’ll have to see if the Clippers splitting their pick into two from another team is enough to get Philly to budge, because as Woj and Zach Lowe note, they will feel they have time on their side here to keep evaluating and, if push comes to shove, they could set their sights on Malcolm Brogdon (who they almost acquired in a deal with Boston prior to free agency).

After establishing herself as one of contemporary music’s most powerful vocalists as part of Alabama Shakes, Brittany Howard went at it alone in 2019 for her debut solo album, Jaime. Now, four years later, she returns with news of her sophomore effort: Howard announced What Now today and shared the title track.

The album doesn’t yet have an announced release date but the title track is here now, and it’s a funky, rhythmic rocker with a strong groove. Howard says of the song, “‘What Now’ is maybe the truest and bluest of all the songs. It’s never my design to hurt anyone’s feelings, but I needed to say what was on my mind without editing myself. I like how it’s a song that makes you want to dance, but at the same time the lyrics are brutal.”

A press release describes the album, “Endlessly unpredictable, the album finds the artist bringing her singular musicality to a shapeshifting sound encompassing everything from psychedelia and dance music to dream-pop and avant-jazz — leaning into an exploration of retro future afroism.”

Watch the “What Now” video above and find the What Now cover art below. Howard also announced some new tour dates for 2024, so find all her upcoming shows below.

11/06/2023 — Birmingham, AL @ Iron City Bham *
11/07/2023 — Nashville, TN @ Ryman Auditorium *
11/09/2023 — Knoxville, TN @ Tennessee Theatre *
11/10/2023 — Memphis, TN @ Minglewood Hall *
11/11/2023 — Atlanta, GA @ The Eastern *
11/14/2023 — Houston, TX @ House of Blues *
11/15/2023 — Dallas, TX @ The Factory in Deep Ellum *
11/17/2023 — Mexico City, Mexico @ Corona Capital
02/06/2024 — Chicago, IL @ Thalia Hall ^
02/09/2024 — Toronto, ON @ The Danforth Music Hall ^
02/12/2024 — Boston, MA @ The Wilbur ^
02/16/2024 — New York, NY @ Webster Hall ^
02/20/2024 — Washington, DC @ 9:30 Club ^
02/23/2024 — Asheville, NC @ The Orange Peel ^

* with L’Rain
^ with Becca Mancari

Chelsea Cutler can’t suppress the grin spreading across her face. The best part is that she’s not smiling because everything is going according to plan. Quite the opposite. Adorably, her mom interrupts our Zoom. Someone arrives at her New York City apartment to pick up her dogs for their walk. Her seven-month-old puppy is behaving like a seven-month-old puppy. Cutler’s reflex now is to smile because, during the two-year process for Stellaria, her third LP out today (October 13), she practiced appreciating the beauty in everything around her.

“Stellaria means starlike, but more importantly, it’s the Latin name for chickweed,” the platinum-certified producer and singer-songwriter says. “This whole album is about noticing and being present and seeing what’s right in front of you. If you see chickweed in nature, it actually looks pretty sick, even though it’s considered a weed and undesirable.”

Contrastingly, I’d burst through my apartment door, frazzled from my first appointment with a dietitian after relapsing in my eating disorder, moments before my scheduled time with Cutler. Like Cutler sings on the surprisingly sonically upbeat “No One Hates Me More,” “How does anybody / Learn to be alone / When you hate your home,” I felt overwhelmed (and terrified) to confront what was right in front of me. I had no idea the comfort I’d find in the company of Cutler, someone on the other side of relinquishing control. Making Stellaria served Cutler’s healing, and listening to it is supplementing mine, as it will for many others. Read how below.

You were off all social media from March to June. What most noticeably bubbled to the surface?

I would say the most prominent emotion I had was probably acute awareness that all of my goals for the album revolved around data and quantifiable things — a Grammy nomination, what number I’d debut at on a Billboard chart, how many streams — instead of qualitative things. When I was able to take a step back from seeing everybody else’s careers, accolades, and commentary, I could look at this album and ask myself what I wanted to make and why I wanted to make it. The goals for this album are honestly entirely different than they were when I first set out to make it two years ago. I watched a lot of Rick Rubin interviews and left with a more passionate belief that I needed to make music that I thought was cool. That’s where longevity exists.

Looking at a third album, it was really important for me to make something that I felt could start defining my legacy. I want to be touring in 10 years. I want to be touring in 20 years. I want people to look at me as a long-term artist here to stay. I wanted something that I could look back on and still want to play.

Playing off of “You Don’t Think About Me At All,” did you wrestle with fear of being forgotten during this process?

The second you start envying someone who looks like they’re in the hot seat, they’re out, and the next person’s in. Something that someone like Taylor Swift has done so well is continually reinventing and crafting a different marketing plan every single album. Look, anyone with a public-facing job must experience thoughts of struggling with feeling irrelevant. That would just be bizarre if someone wasn’t sensitive to how they’re perceived and sensitive to the cyclical nature of the industry.

I’ve been off cycle for two years. I put [When I Close My Eyes] out on October 15, 2021. I had this conversation with my team about how I had to take a step back and look at it on a macro scale and recognize, You’re a silent assassin right now. You’re working quietly. When the time is right, you’re going to show the world what you’re working on. In the meantime, let someone else take up space in the industry. And when it’s time to go, it’ll be go time.

What is your No. 1 overall draft pick for favorite fan moment around “Your Bones” and the viral reaction to such a visceral love song?

I mean, it’s kind of lit that Millie Bobby Brown used it in an Instagram Reel.

Period.

Right? Pretty good. I think that means she might be a fan. Who knows?

A little birdie named Jesse [Coren, Cutler’s manager] told me that “You’re All I Ever Dreamed Of” is about those special early days of dating your girlfriend, Tilly, and now I must know the backstory.

We had only had boyfriends up until meeting each other. We told a couple close friends, but for the most part, every time that we hung out was in a hotel. I was still living with my parents after dropping out of college, and she was a senior. I’d either get us a hotel in New York City, or we’d meet in Boston while she was in school in Rhode Island. There was such a sacred nature to those experiences that we shared when we were in hotels. We felt really anonymous and really safe to explore this beautiful new and scary thing. And then, you’d leave the hotel room and go into public. Suddenly, this really, really special thing didn’t feel so safe and didn’t feel so normalized. I wanted to write a song that delicately and carefully recreated that feeling of these fragile early days of a queer relationship when you’re both terrified and so happy at the same time. And I think the song sonically feels as haunting as those moments.

How does Tilly help you see yourself the way she sees you?

I mean, she’s remarkably supportive. I really do believe that your significant other is the most important choice you can make in your life.

That’s why I haven’t made it.

Take your time! It’s an important choice. A lot of what I’ve done the last five years wouldn’t be possible if I were with a partner who was not as supportive as she is. Her words, not mine: She’d tell you that I’m the coolest person she knows, which I don’t understand because being in a relationship with someone is just progressively getting weirder and more uncool by the day. Every day of the last five years has just been like, What new weird accent can I speak in today? How far can I push you? But her belief in me and the way she sees me has never changed, never wavered, from day one.

Candidly, I recently relapsed in my eating disorder and have struggled with body dysmorphia since elementary school, so “I Don’t Feel Alive” and “No One Hates Me More” hit home hard. What compelled you to specifically make “I Don’t Feel Alive” so explicitly vulnerable about your body?

Prior to COVID, I honestly had no thoughts about eating or my body at all. It was literally never something I experienced or dealt with, which is such a blessing. Post-COVID, I went through a process of gaining weight and then running a half marathon, working out a lot, and losing weight, and a lot of the residual effects of not feeling good in my body remained. I posted an Instagram of myself in my underwear the other day, jokingly saying I was dropping in some sex appeal before the album. It’s funny — a few of the comments were like, “You’ve been holding out on us under your baggy clothes!”

I’m a big advocate of body neutrality, but for me, getting my body back to a place where I feel confident and sexy has been really important. And it’s so interesting how I still really struggle to not wear baggy clothes or to see myself as a sexual being worthy of being seen, admired, or appreciated. Writing “I Don’t Feel Alive,” I just felt so sick of it. I hit a wall. It felt so cathartic to write that song and talk about how getting undressed to be intimate with the person who’s loved me for five years is still really challenging for me, especially being a forward-facing figure. I have to see myself on camera all the time. I have to think about how I look all the time, and every human being does, but it’s something that I struggle with. I was just so exhausted that I didn’t even care anymore to keep it private.

That exasperation comes through in lines like, “Stepping on a scale I keep in the bathroom” and “I’m writing feelings in a journal / ‘Cause that’s what people who have their sh*t together seem to do.”

Oh my God, dude. We ran a half marathon, and my two primary reasons for wanting to run a half marathon were 1) I thought I would look amazing and 2) to show myself I could do it. We trained for five months. We did it, and I felt sore and achy and all my joints hurt. “I Don’t Feel Alive” was such a culmination of things like that where I was doing all of these things people were telling me to do, and nothing actually felt good.

There’s often a false perception of finality associated with healing. Have you given yourself permission to stop chasing that made-up finish line?

I’ve become more aware of the fact that the finish line is made up, but it is really challenging to accept that life just is, and you just are a work in progress. I think it’s possible to give yourself that permission while also being in a place where you’re still processing that permission even exists. An interesting example is, before COVID, I did two sold-out nights at Terminal 5 in New York. I had a little whiteboard where I wrote goals. I had Hammerstein and Radio City Music Hall. By the time I was 26 or 27, I fully expected I’d be playing MSG. And I remember on my 26th birthday, I was crying to Tilly about the fact that I thought, by 26, my career would look so different. It’s been a really long process of learning how to grieve that things went differently than you thought they would.

The hook from “I Don’t Feel Alive” is, “If I could, I’d wake myself up when I am somebody that I’m proud of.” What is one way you’re proud of yourself today?

You just reminded me what I’m supposed to do for therapy tomorrow. I would say one thing that I’m proud of is, honestly, just what we’re talking about. I feel proud that I can recognize the commercial success of my art is not controllable. My only job as an artist is to make the best possible art that I can, expressing how I see the world through my one-of-one lens. If I think it’s sick, and I put it in the world, maybe other people will think it’s sick. The music is either going to hit or it’s not, and unfortunately or fortunately, it doesn’t have anything to do with me.

The one place where you still have total control is in engineering, producing, and writing your songs. You’ve previously said you want paving the way for women in production to be a cornerstone of your legacy. Where are you with that now?

It’s still a big priority for me. Even when my production was bad in the beginning, I didn’t care what anyone thought because I wanted to be the one doing it. With Stellaria, I had my hand in 13 of the 15 songs. I just taught a class for Studio, and I think I was the first woman to teach a production class [for the platform]. I don’t feel like there’s been significant progress in the industry, which is a bummer. But change like this probably takes a lot longer.

How did you know it was time to let Stellaria go?

We pushed the album date back three times, at least. I’m really grateful everyone around me was honest enough and believed in me enough to push me to keep writing. At the same time, you have to draw the line. At a certain point, I’ve got to put the pen down. I kind of was just like, “Alright, no more.” Because I’ll write forever. I’m going to spend the rest of my life writing songs.

Stellaria is out now via Mercury Records/Republic Records. Find more information here.

This interview has been lightly edited for clarity.

The 2022-23 season was a strange one for the Chicago Bulls. Despite having pretty good health among their starters (well, not including the Lonzo Ball situation), Chicago’s campaign was defined by fits and starts — a three-game winning streak led to a four-game losing streak, which led to back-to-back wins, which led to three losses, etc. For a team that has gone all-in on a core that prominently features three veterans that have made the All-Star Game, that sort of thing is just not supposed to happen.

That inconsistency followed them to the Play-In Tournament, where they knocked off the Toronto Raptors before losing to the Miami Heat and getting sent home before the playoffs even started. It was a perfect encapsulation of Chicago’s season, a step forward being followed up by a step back. But the most fascinating part of it all is what came next, as the team decided to essentially run it back for 2023-24. Will last year’s struggles be the sort of thing they learn from, or should Bulls fans prepare for another season of … whatever last year was?

Biggest Question: Can Their Offense Find A Spark?

A strange thing about the Chicago Bulls last season is that despite building their team around DeMar DeRozan, Zach LaVine, and Nikola Vucevic — who aren’t exactly considered defensively stour — their defense was far better than their offense. Chicago was fifth in the league in defensive rating and 24th in offensive rating, and this happened despite one of the linchpins of their defensive success in 2021-22 (Ball) not playing a single game.

Regardless of whether Billy Donovan and the Bulls coaching staff can build a stout defense again, the team’s offense needs to be better. Chicago just does not shoot threes (they were 30th in the league in makes and attempts last season), are not an especially good offensive rebounding team (28th in offensive rebounding percentage), and were 24th in free throw attempt rate. They hammer teams inside the arc — DeRozan, LaVine, and Vucevic were all in the top-30 in the league in two-point field goals made per game — but it’s nowhere near enough to offset everything else.

Those 4-5 offensive possessions a game that they’d get off of Ball doing something on defense, getting the ball, looking up, seeing LaVine streaking down the floor, and throwing a picture perfect pass all in the span of 1.5 seconds just were not there last year. His willingness and ability to let fly from three were missed, too. The tricky thing with this version of the Bulls and any potential spark on offense is that they’re still built around those three guys and will need to bank a whole lot on internal development for younger players like Ayo Dosunmu, Dalen Terry, Coby White, and Patrick Williams — their two main free agent signings, Jevon Carter and Torrey Craig, are what they are.

X-Factor: Patrick Williams

Maybe one day the answer here will be someone else! For now, Williams just turned 22 and is on the verge of a gigantic season, as he’s slated to hit restricted free agency next summer and is eligible for an extension right up until the day before this season starts. His fit on the Bulls still makes a ton of sense: They need a jumbo, two-way wing to take on the opposing team’s best wing and add some more floor spacing alongside DeRozan. Continuing to round out his game and get better at putting the ball on the floor, or becoming a more disruptive player on defense, or becoming a more imposing rebounder would certainly be welcome.

The big question is what his ceiling even is at this point. The comparisons to Kawhi Leonard that he received coming into the league are pretty clearly out the window. Is he a crucial member of a starting lineup for a good playoff team? Is he a fifth starter for a team that maxes out as a 6-seed? Is he a rotation dude who primarily comes off the bench? He’s only 22 and wanting to bet on him makes sense, but at a certain point, taking a major step forward would be huge. Shooting a good clip from three last year (41.5 percent) on increased volume (3.4 per game, by far the best mark of his career) was a good start, but continuing to progress could be the difference between a nice payday and a monster one.

Holiday traditions are very important. You can’t have Halloween without certain essentials like pumpkin carving, watching various spooky movies, and making a preemptive appointment with your family dentist. It’s just like you can’t have Christmas without the annual Santa/ M&M commercial that has been playing without fail for the last 27 years. There are some things that just have to go along with the season, and the Peanuts Halloween special is definitely one of them.

Unfortunately, ABC lost the coveted rights to those iconic and beloved Peanuts holiday specials, including It’s The Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown, A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving, and A Charlie Brown Christmas back in 2020, and a group of dedicated Peanuts fans have been fighting to get it back ever since. Good grief, am I right?

Ever since it was announced that ABC would not air the annual specials, there has been a Change.org petition to get them back. It should be noted that 1) the specials are still on AppleTV+ and 2) Change.org can’t really do much when it comes to, you know, television rights. But it does look good for organizing! The petition has amassed neatly 300,000 signatures over the years, though ABC has not put Charlie back on the schedule as of yet.

If you don’t have AppleTV+, you can still participate in the Snoopy-approved fun: this year, fans can watch It’s The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown for free from Oct. 21 through Oct. 22 on Apple TV+, without a subscription. Is it the same thing as your mom calling you at 8 p.m. and telling you to “put on ABC!! Snoopy is on!!!” even though you don’t have cable? Not quite, but it will hopefully tide you over until Charlie and his buddies unionize.

(Via Decider)