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Jorja Smith announced her second studio album, Falling Or Flying, back in May, and this week, she revealed the tracklist and features. The album will be 16 tracks long and feature Lila Iké and J Hus, whose album Beautiful And Brutal Yard she appeared on in July. The album will also include the single “Little Things,” for which she released a rave-set video in May.

She also released a video for the title track, “Falling Or Flying,” which you can see above. In the video, Jorja sings in an underground lab set up like a hospital room, with the lyrics evoking the pining restlessness that comes from her uncertain standing in an undefined relationship. While she’s unsure that investing would be worth it, playing it cool has its drawbacks as well.

Falling Or Flying, the album, is due 9/29 via FAMM. It’s Jorja’s first full-length project since 2018’s Lost & Found and follows the 2021 EP Be Right Back, which featured the singles “Addicted,” “Bussdown,” “Come Over,” and “Gone.”

1. “Try Me”
2. “She Feels”
3. “Little Things”
4. “Flights Skit”
5. “Feelings” Feat. J Hus
6. “Falling Or Flying”
7. “Go Go Go”
8. “Try And Fit In”
9. “Greatest Gift” Feat. Lila Iké
10. “Broken Is The Man”
11. “Make Sense”
12. “Too Many Times”
13. “Lately”
14. “BT69 JJY”
15. “Backwards”
16. “What If My Heart Beats Faster?”

The Morning Joe crew could not contain their laughter while covering Ted Cruz‘s latest stunt. Despite being a wealthy United States senator who got caught fleeing to Cancun while a snowstorm crippled his state, the Texas politician desperately wants to be seen as your average, beer-drinking everyman. A real salt of the earth guy.

Unfortunately for Cruz, he’s not the greatest actor. While appearing on Eric Bolling’s Newsmax show, The Balance, Cruz fired back at new federal guidelines that could recommend that people cut back their alcohol consumption to two drinks a week. Keep in mind, this is nothing more than health advice with absolutely zero enforcement behind it of any kind. But that didn’t stop ol’ Ted from grabbing a beer with his best buds and pretending to chug it like a rootin’ tootin’ ranch hand who’s tired of Joe Biden telling him how to live his rugged life.

“Well, I’ve gotta tell you, if they want us to drink two beers a week, frankly they can kiss my ass,” Cruz said in the clip, which had the Morning Joe crew giggling at the ridiculous posturing.

“It’s just, the acting is so bad,” Willie Geist said while laughing. “That’s where the director calls cut, and steps in and says, ‘OK, that was a great first take. What we’re trying to do is simulate human behavior. So let’s try that again, the way people actually actually behave.’”

Via The Wrap:

“I totally disagree. That was Emmy-worthy stuff,” Sam Stein mocked. “It seemed really natural to me. This is what I do when I go out and drink with my buddies. I have them line up behind me, I grab the beer, and then when I drink, they subsequently drink in synchronization. And that’s usually how it’s done. I don’t know what kind of bars you go to in New York, Willie.”

After getting in a few more shots at Cruz, panelist Jennifer Palmieri wrapped things up by calling a spade a spade. “Fake outrage executed badly,” she said.

(Via The Wrap)

Uproxx’s latest cover star, pop singer Ashnikko, is giving fans the space to let their green thumb flourish. Seemingly inspired by the nature of their new album Weedkiller (which features tracks “Dying Star,” “Cheerleader,” and more), the musician has teamed up with Roblox and One Tree Planted for a partnership approved by Mother Nature herself.

Beginning today (September 1) at 3 pm ET, users of the game will have access to the singer’s new activation within Harmony Hills. After they’ve had the opportunity to explore the virtual world, they are encouraged to plant virtual trees in Ashnikko’s Community Garden. With each virtual tree planted, users are granted access to exclusive Ashnikko-inspired rewards, including free limited UGC (User-Generated Content) items.

The actions users take within the digital space will also have benefits in the real world, as each tree planted in Ashnikko’s Community Garden will support One Tree Planted’s restoration efforts. Proceeds from Ashnikko’s Weedkiller pre-orders will also go toward One Tree Planted’s mission.

The activation will be available in Roblox until September 28. Find more information here.

Weedkiller is out now via Parlophone Records. Find more information here.

Ashnikko is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

The RX is Uproxx Music’s stamp of approval for the best albums, songs, and music stories throughout the year. Inclusion in this category is the highest distinction we can bestow, and signals the most important music being released throughout the year. The RX is the music you need, right now.

Humility is often painted as a superpower that has its strength in being a cornerstone for one’s success. For it to work best, it’s sad that other dominant qualities must be submissive in its presence. Confidence works hand-in-hand with it while pride takes a back seat. The alleged beauty behind humility has been professed in numerous ways by many for centuries upon centuries. Confucius called humility the “solid foundation of all virtues” while Rick Pitino said it’s the “true key to success.” Though these examples are not wrong per se, a more accurate one, arguably, can be credited to William Law who said humility is “nothing else but a right judgment of ourselves.”

The “right judgment” portion of that quote is as subjective as ever and on her new album Jaguar II, Victoria Monét declares her own judgment of self and the world around her. The irony here is that through the project’s 11 songs, Monét’s right judgment of self actually sheds the humility that has lived beside her in a career that’s lasted over a decade. For years, Monét was known for her songwriting as she penned records for Diddy, Ariana Grande, Chris Brown, Fifth Harmony, Chloe X Halle, Blackpink, and more – all while working on her own music. It wasn’t until recently that the scales of both seemed to even out, something she wished for back in 2020. “[My] songwriting took off before my [own music] so it wasn’t like I made a decision, I was trying to do both,” she explained in Wonderland Magazine interview. “Now I’m just trying to even the playing field.”

Successful songwriters are often left to live in the shadows of the background making for a disconnect between that and their own releases. That hasn’t been the case as of late for Monét. If her 2020 EP Jaguar was the connection and spark, her debut album Jaguar II is the electric field and bright lights that rightfully resulted. Monét shines with blinding radiance on songs that find her as confident as ever from start to finish on her latest release. Whether it be through the shimmering dance number that is the Kaytranada-produced “Alright,” or the sexy and uplifting “Party Girls,” Monét finds a way to be simultaneously jaguar-like in her fearless approach and as sleek and classy as the luxury vehicle that shares her album’s namesake

At the very center of this album, comes multiple swipes at humility. Monét specifically calls out the extinction of humility in her world moments into “On My Mama.” She pierces through each line with unfiltered cockiness while allowing not an inch of doubt to creep into her statements so as to not invalidate them. More indirectly, we see Monét pop the collar of her fur coat on “Cadillac (A Pimp’s Anthem) while mocking the idea that women can’t be pimps. The tone of disgust is prominent on “Stop (Asking Me 4Shyt)” as she’s in disbelief at the requests a man makes to her for money and other items. Lastly, in what is one of the best moments on the album, Victoria Monét paints herself as a flawless gem on “I’m The One,” perfect in all ways and specifically crafted for a lover who fails to see her as this fairytale love story. Humility often calls for a level of timidness and reservation in how one presents themselves, but for Monét this moment had been over a decade in the making. There isn’t room for dimming the light that she wired tirelessly to make shine.

The Victoria Monét that lives throughout Jaguar II isn’t new by any means. Her bold approach was at the center of Jaguar where records like “Ass Like That” and “Moment” marvelously presented her worth as a diamond in the rough. Much of the same is present on Jaguar II, just refined and crafted to a level that makes the multitalented singer’s artistry more pristine than ever. With heavy production from D’Mile, who has laced irresistible and pleasing records for the likes of Ty Dolla Sign, Snoh Aalegra, Lucky Daye, HER, Mary J. Blige, Silk Sonice, and more Victoria Monét had the necessary tools, both internal and external, to achieve that excellence that is Jaguae II. As she boldly proclaimed on her latest project, Victoria Monét is the one. So yes, humility to the wind and everything else like it. Her blinding radiance looks better and makes for the ideal ingredient in her recipe for success.

Jaguar II is out now via RCA Records/Lovett Music, Inc. Find out more information here.

The first full week of the college football season is upon us, and it has already delivered a wild ending in Nebraska-Minnesota — a game that featured some truly terrible turnovers, 23 total points, a Catch of the Year candidate, and a walkoff field goal from 47 yards out. It was a near-perfect way to ring in the college football season (unless you’re a Husker fan) and a lovely appetizer as we approach our first Saturday of wall-to-wall football of the year.

As always, Week 1 features a handful of high profile games, spread out across Labor Day weekend as the college game takes advantage of its lone week not playing alongside the NFL to have games on Sunday and Monday night as well, and an awful lot of games featuring lopsided spreads as teams look to ease into the season. That makes the watch guide a bit tricky, as there aren’t clear great games in each window, but we’re going to do our best to steer you towards the ones most likely to produce some entertainment, even if not being all that competitive. Without further ado, let’s get into the Week 1 Watch Guide.

Colorado (+20.5) at TCU, 12:00 p.m. ET (FOX)

Week 1 is partially about seeking out rubbernecking opportunities, as sometimes you just can’t help but check out a potential trainwreck. Colorado will begin the Coach Prime era down in Fort Worth against a TCU team that is coming off a Playoff appearance but is turning over a lot of key pieces on offense. Even so, the Horned Frogs are three touchdown favorites against a Colorado team that has more transfers than anyone else in the country. The Buffs roster isn’t supposed to be good but we’ll find out exactly how not good they are in a Big Noon Saturday spot on Fox, which can’t really lose no matter how this game goes. If Colorado makes this surprisingly entertaining, that’s a win because folks will tune in. If TCU runs them out of the building, Deion Sanders has put a firm target on his back and people will want to watch his early demise.

Fresno State (+3.5) at Purdue, 12:00 p.m. ET (Big Ten Network)

This figures to be the most competitive game in the early window, at least based on the bookmakers projections. It’s not one that necessarily jumps out at you, but the Boilermakers are looking to start the Ryan Walters era off with a win. They will have to do so against a good Fresno State team that’s pushed Big Ten teams to the brink on the road before (they took Minnesota to overtime in 2019 when the Gophers were ranked 10th). This will be a good measuring stick for Purdue and while they aren’t a top team in the conference, the Bulldogs will absolutely want to say they took down a Power 5 team to open the season.

Utah State (+23.5) at Iowa, 12:00 p.m. ET (FS1)

I’m not suggesting you keep this one on the whole day, but given how bad Iowa’s offense was a year ago and how much chatter there is about improvement with former Michigan signal caller Cade McNamara under center, this is a fairly intriguing game (at least early on). Last year, Iowa opened the season with a 7-3 win over South Dakota State. They got to that seven via two safeties and a field goal. The team scored 30+ one time (against Northwestern) all season. For most teams, running up the score on a lesser opponent isn’t a big deal, but if Iowa can pile up points, even against a middling Mountain West squad with a bad defense, that’s a genuine step forward. If they can’t, it’ll be kinda funny to watch them once again try to win games via field goals, defensive scores, and elite punting via All-American punter Tory Taylor.

Boise State (+14) at Washington, 3:30 p.m. ET (ABC)

Washington has some high hopes in their final season in the Pac-12, but they aren’t starting with a cakewalk. They’ll welcome Boise State into town, and while the Broncos aren’t what they were in their heyday, this is a game that could test the Huskies if they aren’t at their best. Taylen Green is a dynamic quarterback and he’ll provide a good benchmark for how dialed in the Washington defense is early on in the season. The Huskies, meanwhile, boast their own star QB in Michael Penix Jr., who had a sensational first year in Seattle after transferring in from Indiana last summer. Washington should win this game and eventually pull away from the Broncos, but I won’t be surprised if this is still in doubt heading into the fourth quarter.

Ohio State (-30) at Indiana, 3:30 p.m. ET (CBS)

Along with Alabama, Ohio State is one of the hopeful title contenders with big questions at quarterback after C.J. Stroud’s departure to the NFL. The good news is, they open their season against one of the Big Ten’s worst teams in Indiana. Kyle McCord will get the start and it’ll be interesting to see just how much he’s cemented himself in that starting role over Devin Brown. We’ll know the answer to that by how much burn Brown gets in this game, particularly if he gets some first half snaps. The bad news for Indiana is they’re likely going to be getting an Ohio State offense that’s engaged for all four quarters, because even if this is a blowout, Brown will be looking to show his stuff with the second unit.

Cal (-6.5) at North Texas, 4:00 p.m. ET (ESPNU)

I have so many questions for how this game got scheduled for Cal, but I’m not complaining because while the 3:30 slate could see those two marquee games turn into blowouts, this has the chance to produce some funny “what’s going on with Cal” reactions when people see scores scroll by. The newest soon-to-be members of the ACC (which, lol) will head down to Denton where it is going to be really hot and they are going to have to deal with both the elements and a North Texas team that is capable of putting up some points in a hurry (and giving them up just as quickly). Cal was a bit flammable on defense last year, a departure from recent history, and we’ll find out if they’ve shored that up or not against the Mean Green.

UTSA (-1.5) at Houston, 7:00 p.m. ET (FS1)

Last year, the Roadrunners became a darling of college football fans, as they went 11-3 on the backs of a high octane offense. Quarterback Frank Harris is back for a fifth season in San Antonio and as such expectations are again high for UTSA, so much so that they’re favored on the road against Houston to open the season. The Cougars are now in the Big 12 and are prone to finding themselves in high-scoring shootouts, which should make this a highly entertaining contest.

Army (-9) at ULM, 7:00 p.m. ET (NFL Network)

If that’s not your cup of tea, how about Army trying out a new, non-flexbone option offense for the first time in forever and having to do so on the road. Even against a bad Sun Belt team, that should be fascinating to watch just to see how that goes and for people who have wondered “what would happen if Army just threw the ball,” here is your chance to see it in action.

North Carolina (-2.5) vs. South Carolina, 7:30 p.m. ET (ABC)

The battle of the Carolinas will take center stage in the primetime slate and should be an entertaining showdown between Drake Maye’s Tar Heels and Spencer Rattler’s Gamecocks. Both of these offenses can pile up points, although we’ll find out whether there’s some growing pains for UNC with a new offensive coordinator, and both defenses seem to always be standing on shaky ground. Like UTSA-Houston, this should be a game that delights those that enjoy seeing lots of touchdowns.

West Virginia (+20.5) at Penn State, 7:30 p.m. ET (NBC)

Penn State night games always look cool and this will be the first game of NBC’s new Big Ten package. It’s also going to be our first real look at Drew Allar, the highly touted sophomore quarterback for Penn State who takes over for Sean Clifford. He should bring a more dynamic passing element to the Nittany Lions offense, but also will be making his first career start and could see some hiccups along the way. West Virginia’s got lots of questions in the passing game, but is solid on both lines and could muck this up and make it sweaty. We’ll know how Allar is performing if Penn State fans like my colleague Bill DiFilippo have tweeted “Drew Allar hit me with a shovel daddy” or not by halftime.

South Alabama (+6.5) at Tulane, 8:00 p.m. ET (ESPNU)

Can I interest you in the best non-Power 5 matchup of the weekend? The Jaguars head to New Orleans to face a Green Wave team that beat USC in the Cotton Bowl last year, but are inside a full touchdown on the line. On top of being a matchup of two of the best G5 teams in the land, it also has the distinct honor of being the Week 1 game featuring the pettiest uniform, as South Alabama will don “Home of Mardi Gras” helmets to remind the folks of New Orleans that their beloved celebration started in Mobile, Alabama.

Old Dominion (+16) at Virginia Tech, 8:00 p.m. ET (ACC Network)

How many times does Virginia Tech have to lose to ODU and ECU before they stop scheduling them? After losing to the Monarchs last year, the Hokies will run it back and seek some revenge in Blacksburg this year. They’re expected to get it, but if this game’s close in the second half, things might get a little tight for the Hokies.

Coastal Carolina (+14.5) at UCLA, 10:30 p.m. ET (ESPN)

The nightcap will see UCLA starting a new quarterback for the first time in forever, as Dorian Thompson-Robinson is now delighting Browns fans in the preseason, and Coastal Carolina playing under a new head coach in Tim Beck. The Chanticleers have been one of the best G5 teams in the country the past couple years, and could give the Bruins some problems. That said, UCLA has plenty of talent and Chip Kelly will look to see what his three QBs can do, with Ethan Garbers starting but Collin Schlee and Dante Moore all taking snaps in the opener. If the Bruins offense is humming, this could get out of hand and allow you to go to bed at a reasonable hour. But as they say, if you have three quarterbacks then you don’t have one, and if UCLA can’t get out of first gear because of constantly swapping in and out signalcallers, the Chants might make this interesting.

SUNDAY

Northwestern (+6.5) at Rutgers, 12:00 p.m. ET (CBS)

Have you ever wanted to watch a football game that looks as hungover as you feel on a Sunday morning? Well friend, do I have a treat for you. Northwestern, a team that went 1-11 last year and just fired its longtime coach over a hazing scandal, is headed to the birthplace of college football to face a Rutgers team that went 4-8. This should be a rock fight, as the point total is a robust 39.5, and it’s a great way to ease into your Sunday with some truly hideous football.

Oregon State (-16.5) at San Jose State, 3:30 p.m. ET (CBS)

SJSU will be playing its second ranked Pac-12 squad of the year when they welcome the Beavers to San Jose, still licking their wounds after a 56-28 loss (but a cover) against USC in Week 0. The Spartans aren’t a pushover and could keep this interesting, while Oregon State is looking to just get to focus on the field after they (like Washington State) find themselves as the odd programs out in the Pac-12’s demise.

LSU (-2.5) vs. Florida State (in Orlando), 7:30 p.m. ET (ABC)

The game of the week is Sunday night, as LSU and FSU do battle in Orlando in a top 10 showdown. Both teams have Playoff aspirations and while a loss here won’t completely derail those, a win would do wonders for their chances. There’s an awful lot of optimism about both teams and last year when they played we were treated to one of the dumbest endings to a game in recent memory when LSU tied the game after forcing a fumble on the goal line, marched 97 yards for touchdown on the last play of the game, and then had the extra point blocked to lose by one. We can only hope for an encore.

Earlier this year, Chvrches celebrated the 10th anniversary of their debut album The Bones Of What You Believe. Now, bandleader Lauren Mayberry is stepping out on her own with her first-ever solo song “Are You Awake?” shortly after announcing her first-ever solo tour.

The piano-driven track has a melancholy aura. In a statement, she explained she was thinking about “loneliness and homesickness.” Read what she said:

“’Are You Awake?’ is a song that started on a rainy day last December with Tobias Jesso Jr. I was thinking a lot about loneliness and homesickness, and as soon as Tobias started playing the chords, the lyrics and melody came to me really quickly. I finished the song with my friend Matthew Koma, who really understood what I was trying to say.

For a long time, I couldn’t imagine doing anything outside of Chvrches but I think some things that I needed to write had to be done from purely my own point of view. I never really thought I’d write a piano ballad, or a solo album full stop, so life really is full of surprises. I am really looking forward to this chapter and can’t wait for people to hear more of the music.”

Listen to “Are You Awake?” above.

Although Teezo Touchdown isn’t quite a household name yet, his unique look and interesting approach to music ensures that he’s well on his way. Plenty of other recording artists also seem to love him, so he’s got a lot of support in the community. Case in point, Janelle Monáe is having a moment courtesy of their new album The Age Of Pleasure, but still found time to support Teezo on his new song, “You Thought.”

The latest single from Teezo’s upcoming major-label debut album, How Do You Sleep At Night?, “You Thought” finds the Beaumont, Texas native getting into the heads of those around him, addressing their misconceptions and using them to do a little light flexing. “You would’ve thought that I finally made drum major, the way I play with the bands,” he jokes at the top. “You would’ve thought that I worked at the venue, the way that I pack out the stands.”

Despite his surprisingly extensive list of contacts, the hardware-clad rapper’s album will only include one other feature, R&B singer Foushée. It’s due September 8 via Sony Music Entertainment, RCA Records & Not Fit For Society.

Janelle Monáe is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

Russian propagandist Vladmir Solovyov is really on one this week. While playing clips of Tucker Carlson‘s unhinged appearance on Adam Carolla’s show, which featured the former Fox News host accusing Barack Obama of having “sex with men” and smoking crack, Solovyov told his Russian state TV audience that Carlson would be assassinated.

The moment came after Solovyov showed Carlson saying the Republican and Democratic parties are “insane,” and that a war between the U.S. and Russia will start next year.

“Who says that? A dead man walking!” Solovyov exclaimed. “He sincerely believes that the next step after the accusations and the declaration of impeachment will be an assassination of Trump. But this man, who is currently the most popular English-speaking journalist, signed his own death warrant!”

As for why Solovyov thinks Carlson will be killed? He wants to interview Putin. Via The Daily Beast:

“They will not forgive him for the fact that he strives to interview our president and post the footage on a platform that has no censorship!”

For years, head of RT Margarita Simonyan had promoted the idea of granting Carlson’s long-standing wish to interview Putin. Last Sunday, she again reiterated her plea, describing the fired Fox News host as “the most popular host in the history of the United States” and hoping out loud that someone from the Presidential Administration will hear her message.

Of course, making outlandish claims is Solovyov’s whole thing, so no wonder he admires Carlson. Just this week the Kremlin propagandist openly called for Russia to nuke Eastern Europe in response to a series of Ukrainian drone strikes.

(Via The Daily Beast)

50 Cent’s current The Final Lap Tour is a chance for fans to reflect on his colossal rap career, although these days, he’s much more known for his contributions to film and television. With each performance of his smash songs, concertgoers and the entertainer get to relive his start in the industry. Unfortunately, that isn’t the only part of 50 Cent’s past that has shown itself on the road. According to TMZ, flares of the musician’s former gangster rapper persona made a guest appearance during his Los Angeles concert on August 30 when he tossed a malfunctioning microphone onstage.

Although he didn’t intend to hit anyone, the object did, and now the outlet is reporting that he could potentially face battery charges because of it. However, 50 Cent’s lawyer, Scott Leemon, maintains his client’s innocence because there was no motive behind the mic toss. “Let’s be very clear, as I told LAPD this afternoon, my client Curtis (AKA 50 Cent) would never intentionally strike anyone with a microphone. Anyone saying something different doesn’t have all the facts and is misinformed,” Leemon told TMZ.

But in images shared exclusively on The Neighborhood Talk, the alleged victim, Power 106‘s host Bryhana Monegain’s extreme bodily injuries to both her forehead and just above her right eyebrow can not be ignored.

It is unclear if Monegain has pressed charges against 50 Cent, as details surrounding this case are still developing.

During a rant about the U.S. Open Court smelling like marijuana, Tucker Carlson replacement Jesse Watters — who claims he recently talked to his black garbage man about Trump’s mugshot that he’s been slobbering over — used his new soapbox to tell Fox News watchers that weed makes him dumb. It was an odd tangent, to say the least, but it was a nice departure from Watters’ latest schtick of how attracted he is to Donald Trump’s mugshot even though the Fox News host has an “unblemished record of heterosexuality.”

“Some people either are good at it or not good at it. I was never good at it,” Watters said before aping Bill Clinton and claiming he “never inhaled.”

“I never inhaled for many, many years. Never inhaled,” Watters claimed. “But I was just one of those people that, you know, your eyes like this (squints), and you’re stupid and you wake up late the next day. You’re bad at math the next year. So it’s not for me. And I don’t want my son or daughters to be doing it either.”

Watters ended his rant by saying he doesn’t mind other people smoking weed even though the whole rant started out mocking the smell of marijuana in a courtroom.

“It’s a free country,” Watters said. “Do what you want if you’re over 18, 21. Watters household, it’s not our thing.”

As the clip bounced around Twitter, the jokes started flying as people noted it’s not the weed that’s making Watters dumb. You can see some of the reactions below:

(Via Decoding Fox News on Twitter)