GoneTrending

We’re about to wrap up year three of the COVID-19 pandemic, and it’s been a weird ride, to say the least. These years have been hard, frustrating, confusing and tragic, and yet we keep on keeping on.

Except the keeping on part isn’t quite as simple as it sounds. Despite the fact that COVID-19 is still wreaking havoc, we’ve sort of collectively decided to move on, come what may. This year has been an experiment in normalcy, but one without a testable hypothesis or clear design. And it’s taken a toll. So many people are feeling tired, exhausted, worn thin (“like butter scraped over too much bread,” as Bilbo Baggins put it) these days.

But why?

Psychologist and speaker Naomi Holdt beautifully explained what’s behind the overarching exhaustion people are feeling as we close out 2022, and it makes perfect sense.

In a post on Facebook, she wrote:

“A gentle reminder about why you are utterly exhausted…

No one I know began this year on a full tank. Given the vicious onslaught of the previous two years (let’s just call it what it was) most of us dragged ourselves across the finish line of 2021… frazzled, spent, running on aged adrenaline fumes…

We crawled into 2022 still carrying shock, trauma, grief, heaviness, disbelief… The memories of a surreal existence…

And then it began… The fastest hurricane year we could ever have imagined. Whether we have consciously processed it or not, this has been a year of more pressure, more stress, and a race to ‘catch up’ in all departments… Every. Single. One. Work, school, sports, relationships, life…

Though not intentionally aware, perhaps hopeful that the busier we are, the more readily we will forget… the more easily we will undo the emotional tangle… the more permanently we will wipe away the scarring wounds…

We can’t.

And attempts to re-create some semblance of ‘normal’ on steroids while disregarding that for almost two years our sympathetic nervous systems were on full alert, has left our collective mental health in tatters. Our children and teens are not exempt. The natural byproduct of fighting a hurricane is complete and utter exhaustion…

So before you begin questioning the absolutely depleted and wrung-dry state you are in- Pause. Breathe. Remind yourself of who you are and what you have endured. And then remind yourself of what you have overcome.

Despite it all, you’re still going. (Even on the days you stumble and find yourself face down in a pile of dirt).

Understanding brings compassion… Most of the world’s citizens are in need of a little extra TLC at the moment. Most are donning invisible ‘Handle with care’ posters around their necks and ‘Fragile’ tattoos on their bodies…

Instead of racing to the finish line of this year, tread gently.

Go slowly. Amidst the chaos, find small pockets of silence. Find compassion. Allow the healing. And most of all… Be kind. There’s no human being on earth who couldn’t use just a little bit more of the healing salve of kindness.”

Putting it like that, of course we’re exhausted. We’re like a person who thinks they’re feeling better at the end of an illness so they dive fully back into life, only to crash mid-day because their body didn’t actually have as much energy as their brain thought it did. We tried to fling ourselves into life, desperate to feel normal and make up for lost time, without taking the time to fully acknowledge the impact of the past two years or to fully recover and heal from it.

Of course, life can’t just stop, but we do need to allow some time for our bodies, minds and spirits to heal from what they’ve been through. The uncertainty, the precariousness of “normal,” the after-effects of everything that upended life as we knew it are real. The grief and trauma of those who have experienced the worst of the pandemic are real. The overwhelm of our brains and hearts as we try to process it all is real.

So let’s be gentle with one another and ourselves as we roll our harried selves into another new year. We could all use that little extra measure of grace as we strive to figure out what a true and healthy “normal” feels like.

You can follow Naomi Holdt on Facebook.

This article originally appeared on 12.23.22

Making friends as an adult is definitely not like making friends as a kid.

Remember how easy it was to make a new friend when you were young? Five minutes sharing a slide and suddenly you’re bonded for life.

But as we grow older, making friends can become much harder. So hard, in fact, that some people equate having a large group of close friends to a miracle.

Friendships are an important part of life at any age.

Most everyone wants and needs friends, and research shows that friendships can have a huge effect on our physical and mental health. There’s not much we can do about friendships that diminish and change as we age — people move, start families and new careers, and shift to new social circles — but it’s important to keep forming meaningful, long-lasting connections with people throughout life, whether you’re 25 or 80.

u201cNobody talks about Jesus’ miracle of having 12 close friends in his 30su201d

— LEGO Joseph Smith (@LEGO Joseph Smith)
1521411752

It’s something that affects us all.

“Making friends is hard for everyone,” says Ellen Hendriksen, clinical psychologist and author of “How to Be Yourself,” a guide on learning to tame social anxiety. “It’s not just you.” But knowing you’re not alone isn’t going to get you the friend circle you want.

Here are five tips to getting into the mindset of making friends — and then going out and doing it.

1. Relax (aka the hardest step).

In college, my abnormal psychology professor told us about a guy who wanted to make friends — five friends (because we all seem have an arbitrary number of pals we think is appropriate). He went to a party and met five people he liked and got their numbers. This guy was so excited that he started calling his new friends immediately, asking them to do things and inviting them for coffee nearly every day.

Of course, his overexcitement became clingy, his new acquaintances suddenly started making excuses, and he ended up being a negative example for a group of undergrads learning about problems in human behavior.

“You can’t make friends like a poacher,” Hendriksen says. “Focus on being open and curious and thoughtful. Ask questions, listen when others respond, be friendly, and when you slowly inch into the mix, be intentional.”

Allow yourself to be in the moment and ask questions that come up naturally. If someone says they’re having a hard week at work, ask them about it. If someone tells you they’ve recently been on a trip, commit to asking something more than just “how was it?” Be interested.

2. Repetition is key.

Most articles about how to make friends suggest that people find a hobby, join a group, or volunteer. But Hendriksen says that’s not a fail-safe solution.

Ultimately, it’s not the activity that matters — although it should be something you enjoy — it’s the fact that you’re finding a place where other people can get to know you over time. In fact, since more and more research shows that making friends takes longer than previously thought, it’s important to give it some time; Hendriksen suggests giving it a season.

You don’t have to join an official group or club. Hendriksen once turned an acquaintance into a good friend when the two bonded over their mission to try every Mexican restaurant in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The key is to engage in something that allows you to get to know other people and lets them to get to know you.

“You can go to the same dog park every morning,” Hendriksen says. “You can join an Ultimate Frisbee team. You can walk your kids to the bus stop every day and chat with the other parents. Or you can start something with repetition. Have a weekly viewing party for your favorite TV show, start a writer’s group, start a new mom’s playgroup or a boozy book club.”

Really, whatever works for you as long as other people are involved.

3. Disclose, but don’t confess.

Imagine you’re meeting someone for the first time. You ask them how they’re doing, and they say “fine.” There’s not much to work with because the other person hasn’t disclosed anything. What else is there to say?

Now imagine a different person. You ask them how they’re doing and their response is one of sheer distress: “Nothing is going right in my life. Parking was hell, my job kills me, and I’m still not over my ex.” I imagine your response to this diatribe wouldn’t be particularly positive.

And why should it be? These are things you’d tell to a very close friend, not just someone you’ve met at your new book club.

This doesn’t mean we can never say anything negative — after all, we all have bad days. But your goal is to keep the connection on even footing. Sharing a little bit about yourself is fine, but the goal is to lead to further conversation rather than a deep emotional connection right off the bat.

Why doesn’t confession work? Because it’s too much, too soon. The goal of confession can be to foster a sense of kinship, but when that strong emotional connection has new acquaintances wondering whether you’re looking for a friend or a therapist, the relationship is already off balance. You can get closer, but give it time first.

“Don’t let them see all of the mess right away,” Hendriksen says, “but let them see a little peek at the mess. What do you do? How do you spend your time? What do you think about? What are you like? Where are you from? What’s your story?”

She notes that disclosing things about yourself may feel weird and even “selfish” at first, but it’s just because you’re not used to it. Keep trying.

4. Don’t fear the follow-through.

All of this meeting new people and sharing interests is leading somewhere, right? You also want to make more lasting connections with some of your new acquaintances.

To do that, you must initiate a plan and then follow through.

Sometimes, you’ll be lucky and someone will ask you to do something first. But most people are a little bit terrified about stepping outside their comfort zone. And that means making the plans and following through can be tricky — for everyone.

The key is to be specific. “Do you want to hang out sometime?” seems like a nice, safe question that gets to whether someone wants to spend more time together, but it doesn’t work. Even if the person says yes, you have no concrete timeline in place. You’ve thrown the ball into their court and are now at the whim of their schedule.

“Do you want to go see a movie on Saturday?” for instance, or “do you want to take a hike with me on Sunday?” are both great options to feel out if someone’s interested in a specific activity on a specific day. If they say yes, then you’re good to go.

If they say no? Well, they might come up with an alternative activity.

5. Allow yourself to be anxious. And then go for it anyway.

We’ve all been there: Someone invites you to an event, and you get excited, but when the day of the event comes, you’d rather be doing anything else. After all, comfort zones are … well, comfortable.

Although the urge to cancel may be strong, recognizing that these feelings are normal is the first step to overcoming them.

Your brain, Hendriksen says, comes up with worst-case scenarios — What if you say something foolish? What if the other person is only doing it to be nice? What if you have nothing in common? — to keep you safe. “But really, it’s a false alarm.”

Remember when you were terrified about that presentation in class or that important meeting you were leading at work? Did it end up going OK, even if it was hard? Then why shouldn’t this? After all, if you don’t try, you’ll never be ready.

Though most of us would rather, as Hendriksen says, cocoon ourselves away and hope that we’ll emerge as beautiful social butterflies, the truth is that experience is the only way we can get there. So keep moving forward. You just have to take the first step.

This article originally appeared on 07.05.18

When crisp, clear, so-high-they-might-reach-heaven notes are sung well, it feels like an otherworldly event. And when a guy is able to pull it off…whoa.

But Brazilian singer Gabriel Henrique made it all look so easy during his performance of Whitney Houston’s “Run to You” for “America’s Got Talent.”

It feels safe to say that you better be prepared to deliver if you pick a song made famous by someone dubbed “The Voice,” and Henrique certainly did, leaving both the judges and the crowd completely stunned.

Despite being a little shy at first (plus there was a small language barrier—this was Henrique’s first time in the United States and he had a translator come up on stage with him to make introductions), once he showed off his angelic tenor tone, all bets were off. And then those high notes…holy moly.

“If Whitney Houston and Mariah Carey had a baby, it would be Gabriel!” proclaimed judge Heidi Klum. After picking her jaw off the floor, that is.

The other judges shared the same enthusiasm for the male pop diva. Sofia Vergara called his audition the moment she had “been waiting for” before granting him a Golden Buzzer.

Watch, and be amazed:

For the millions of fans who already follow Henrique online, his ace of an audition comes as no surprise. He’s certainly no stranger to American music, covering several other Whitney Houston songs, as well as other high-note icons like Christina Aguilera, Minnie Riperton and Celine Dion.

Just goes to show that music is a universal language. And Henrique’s incredible voice speaks directly to our heartstrings.

In late July, The Chicks began the North American leg of their 2023 world tour with Ben Harper, Maren Morris, and Wild Rivers taking turns as the opener.

Unfortunately, shows in Nashville, Tennessee (which was supposed to take place on July 27), Knoxville, Tennessee (July 29), Greensboro, North Carolina (July 30), and Columbia, Maryland (August 2) have had to be rescheduled “due to an ongoing illness.” The Chicks were also forced to cancel their scheduled stop at Bethel Woods Center For The Arts in Bethel, New York.

The band revealed on Instagram that they will now visit Greensboro on August 8, Columbia on September 20, Knoxville on September 21, and Nashville on September 23. All forthcoming dates can be found here.

It’s possible that more shows are impacted by the ongoing, unspecified illness within The Chicks’ tour party, but prepare for their return to the stage by studying their setlist below. It’s based upon the setlist chronicled on setlist.fm from The Chicks’ July 25 concert at KFC Yum! Center in Louisville, Kentucky.

1. “Gaslighter”
2. “Sin Wagon”
3. “Texas Man”
4. “Julianna Calm Down”
5. “The Long Way Around”
6. “My Best Friend’s Weddings”
7. “Sleep At Night”
8. “Ready To Run”
9. “Travelin’ Soldier” (Bruce Robison cover)
10. “Wide Open Spaces”
11. “Tights On My Boat”
12. “Daddy Lessons” / “Long Time Gone”
13. “Cowboy Take Me Away”
14. “Landslide” (Fleetwood Mac cover)
15. “Rainbowland” (Miley Cyrus cover)
16. “Don’t Let Me Die In Florida” (Patty Griffin cover)
17. “March March”
18. “For Her”
19. “White Trash Wedding”
20. “Everybody Loves You”
21. “Not Ready To Make Nice”
22. “Goodbye Earl”

NewJeans dropped their 2nd EP ‘Get Up’ on July 21, days after sharing their video “Cool With You,” which featured cameos from Hoyeon Jung and Tony Leung. By so doing, they ratcheted up what feels like constant hype around the K-pop group. The tone had been set in January, though, when “Ditto” debuted at No. 96 on the Billboard Hot 100 and became their first entry on the chart, as per Billboard.

Get Up earned NewJeans more first-time achievements. Billboard reported on Wednesday, August 2, that NewJeans’ six-track project became their first-ever Billboard 200 entry by debuting at No. 1 on the chart dated August 5.

The EP spawned two more Hot 100 entries, with “Cool With You” debuting at No. 93 and “ETA” at No. 81.

“The set earned 126,500 equivalent album units in the U.S. in the week ending July 27, according to Luminate, mostly driven by CD sales of the album,” Billboard‘s Keith Caulfield relayed.

Caulfield continued, “The Korean quintet brings a second all-female group to No. 1 on the Billboard 200 in less than a year, following Blackpink’s Born Pink last September. They are the only two albums by all-female groups to reach No. 1 in the last 15 years. (Before Blackpink, the last all-female group to lead the tally was Danity Kane with Welcome to the Dollhouse in April of 2008.)”

Behind Get Up is the star-studded Barbie: The Album debuting at No. 2. That album also saw Ryan Gosling enjoying his first-ever Billboard Hot 100 entry with “I’m Just Ken” debuting at No. 87 on this week’s chart.

The Barbie soundtrack is a Warner Music release. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

We’re nearly three weeks into the SAG-AFTRA strike, which saw more than 170,000 actors joining the already picketing WGA. It’s not clear how long it will last, but actors are furious about issues including sinking residuals and the possibility that they could be replaced by AI. Many striking actors aren’t rich, and not having steady paychecks is already a problem. At least there’s been some help from some of the biggest players in Hollywood.

Already it’s been reported that Dwayne Johnson and Seth MacFarlane opened up their wallets with gigantic donations to the SAG-AFTRA Foundation, which provides financial assistance to workaday actors. As per The New York Times, others have joined them. In fact, George Clooney and Meryl Streep helped lead a campaign that sought donations from some of the wealthiest thespians in the industry. In fact, now there’s a Google doc tracking who’s given:

Eight more stars (Matt Damon, Leonardo DiCaprio, Hugh Jackman, Dwayne Johnson, Nicole Kidman, Julia Roberts, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Oprah Winfrey) gave $1 million or more, along with two star couples: Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck and Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively.

Between them they’ve amassed $15 million over the last three weeks.

“I remember my days as a waiter, cleaner, typist, even my time on the unemployment line,” Streep said in a statement. “In this strike action, I am lucky to be able to support those who will struggle in a long action to sustain against Goliath.”

The two-pronged strike is the first time the two guilds have gone on strike together since 1960. Fran Drescher is the president of SAG-AFTRA, but do you know who had her job then? None other than GOP titan Ronald Reagan.

(Via NYT)

In January, The Kid Laroi teased his debut album, The First Time. He’s subsequently released singles such as “I Can’t Go Back To The Way It Was (Intro),” “Love Again,” “Kids Are Growing Up (Part 1),” “I Guess It’s Love,” and “Where Does Your Spirit Go?”

Uproxx called The First Time one of the most anticipated albums of Spring 2023, but August just began, and the album still hasn’t arrived. On Wednesday evening, Laroi jumped on Instagram to explain the delay.

First the Australian star posted an Instagram carousel with the caption, “I’m sorry I’ve been a bit silent. Been going through a lot recently. I’m good but I’ve just needed space to focus on processing my feelings & work. Here to let you know that a lot of videos have been shot these past couple weeks, I shot the album cover & I’m working with the label to get you a date. I also added more songs to the record. It’s done though. I love you. Thanks for staying with me.”

About an hour later, Laroi went live on Instagram to continue teasing what to expect from The First Time. He said that “all the music is done” except for mixing and mastering. The multi-platinum-certified artist “turned in a version of the album a couple months back” but added more songs to it at the last minute, and he estimated that the finished product will feature 20 tracks — “rap sh*t, alternative sh*t, kind of pop sh*t on there, too, R&B” — as well as an accompanying short film, which is “almost done.”

“It’s f*ckin’ exciting for me because I feel like I haven’t done this in a long time. I’m a little scared, but I’m ultimately super happy that you guys are gonna get to hear this new space that I’m heading in,” Laroi said at one point while seated in a studio. “I’m not saying this because I know everyone says this before they drop a new project, but I genuinely do think this is the best music that I’ve made. I’m positive of that.”

He continued, “It’s kind of crazy to me that the only thing you guys have is F*ck Love because, as much as I’m very grateful for that project and grateful that you guys like it, I think that I’m sort of past that — just musically and topic-wise.”

Laroi noted he played the album yesterday for renowned director and Lyrical Lemonade creator Cole Bennett, who he said “has been a very integral part of me doing what I’ve done.” He said that he set the scene for Bennett by describing The First Time as the culmination of “everything that I listen to in my car when I’m driving around” in terms of genre and influence.

Before signing off the brief Instagram Live session, Laroi showed fans a new tattoo on his thigh that appropriately reads “THE FIRST TIME” but held back from giving away the story behind the ink just yet. All in due time.

Trippie Redd began 2023 with Mansion Musik, an album billed as “an ode to Chief Keef’s Mansion Musick mixtape.” Shortly after its January release, Redd told Apple Music’s Zane Lowe why he rushed the album, saying, “I was held for ransom on my project. They wanted me to pay them a million dollars because they had all my records. Every single last one, all the features.”

Now Redd is expected to drop A Love Letter To You 5 on Friday, August 4, although he might wind up taking more time.

According to the Twitter accounts @OnThinIce and @SaintBraggs, the Apple Music pre-release listing for A Love Letter To You 5 is no longer available. “Quavo postponed his album to August 18th out of nowhere. What are the OVO boys cooking up?” the latter tweeted.

Meanwhile, On Thin Ice speculated that Quavo’s confirmed delay and Redd’s suspected delay could be to make way for Drake’s forthcoming album, For All The Dogs, which he’s been teasing during his ongoing It’s All A Blur Tour with 21 Savage.

This doesn’t mean that the album has been delayed, but it does raise eyebrows. It should be noted that Redd hasn’t said anything to suggest A Love Letter To You 5 won’t be delivered as scheduled on August 4.

A Love Letter To You 5 is out 8/4 via 1400 Entertainment/10K Projects. Find more information here.

Many people know Michael C. Hall for his award-winning lead role in the drama series Dexter. But they might be surprised to learn Hall also fronts the synth-wave trio Princess Goes. And perhaps even more surprisingly, the band totally rips.

Princess Goes’ music manages to be both touching and visceral with a collection of mesmerizing songs led by Hall’s arresting voice. The band — composed of Hall alongside Blondie keyboardist Matt Katz-Bohen and acclaimed drummer Peter Yanowitz — first won over indie listeners with their 2021 debut Thanks For Coming, a dance-y LP that toes the line between industrial rock and synth-pop.

But now, Princess Goes are ready for their next chapter. After announcing their sophomore release Come Of Age, which is slated to arrive September 15th, the band kicked off their new era with the stunning lead single “Shimmer.” True to its title, the atmospheric track features glistening production as Hall’s vocals imbue the song with a dream-like quality.

Ahead of the release of Come Of Age — and their next single “Blur” arriving on 8/16 — Princess Goes sits down with Uproxx to talk environmental unity, Daft Punk, and rearranging furniture in our latest Q&A.

What are four words you would use to describe your music?

Katz-Bohen: Visceral, Transcendent, Danceable, Ecstatic.

It’s 2050 and the world hasn’t ended and people are still listening to your music. How would you like it to be remembered?

Katz-Bohen: As the soundtrack to international environmental unity.

What’s your favorite city in the world to perform?

Katz-Bohen: Difficult to say and ever changing, but at the moment: Glasgow, because they sing their own songs to YOU onstage, plus I cannot understand their version of English; Mexico City; Baltimore (they are just filthy), Salt Lake City Utah.

Who’s the person who has most inspired your work, and why?

Hall: Myself. I’ve always been around. And Lao Tzu. For unnamable reasons.

Where did you eat the best meal of your life?

Hall: Hanoi, Vietnam.

What album do you know every word to?

Hall: Our new album, Come Of Age.

What was the best concert you’ve ever attended?

Hall: Radiohead, Madison Square Garden, Kid A tour.

What is the best outfit for performing and why?

Katz-Bohen: Anything by Walter Van Beirendonck (for obvious and naughty reasons).

Who’s your favorite person to follow on Twitter and/or Instagram?

Yanowitz: One of my oldest friends in the world, Money Mark (@moneymark). His Instagram is a combo platter of his unique creative soul, 1 finger keyboard songs, homemade instruments he builds out of literally anything. His daily Covid Jams were one of the things that got me through the pandemic.

What’s your most frequently played song in the van on tour?

Yanowitz: The noise rock band the Boredoms from Osaka, Japan. Their 1999 album Vision Creation Newsun is a masterpiece of harmony, tribal beats, 2 drummer jams, and thrusting sonic propulsion.

What’s the last thing you Googled?

Hall: How long before incandescent light bulbs are outlawed?

What album makes for the perfect gift?

Yanowitz: You really can’t go wrong with any album by Daft Punk.

Where’s the weirdest place you’ve ever crashed while on tour?

Yanowitz: In Natalie Merchant’s tiny bunk on her tour bus.

What’s the story behind your first or favorite tattoo?

Yanowitz: I met Scarlett Johansson right before she got famous. She had just finished filming Lost in Translation and was back in NYC. She used to come see my old band Morningwood play because she grew up with Paula, who was Morningwood’s singer’s best friend. I ended up hanging out with Paula and Scarlett a couple times, and I was immediately smitten with Scarlett. One night, when we were getting stoned on my patio in Greenwich Village, I remember telling them about a tattoo I imagined getting on my biceps… on one bicep would be the “LV” from the Louis Vuitton logo, on the opposite bicep would be “OE” in the same font style.. so if u drew an imaginary X crossing through my heart it would spell “LOVE”. One night I shared a cab with Scarlett back downtown. I was dying to ask for her phone number, but something made me hesitate and I never saw her again. Yet hanging with her those brief moments awoke something in me. I hadn’t been smitten like that in forever. I’d forgotten what it even felt like. But those couple of hangs with Scarlett reminded me that I wanted to feel that with someone, that I shouldn’t settle for anyone unless I felt that way. So, a few weeks after that I went and got that tattoo on both arms, and 4 months later – on a Tribeca rooftop – I met the absolute love of my life, Lisa, and we’ve been together 20 years.

What artists keep you from flipping the channel on the radio?

Hall: Dylan, Fela Kuti, Gillian Welch, Philip Glass.

What’s the nicest thing anyone has ever done for you?

Hall: Thrown me a pitch to hit.

What’s one piece of advice you’d go back in time to give to your 18-year-old self?

Yanowitz: If you ever find yourself alone in a taxicab with Scarlett Johansson, definitely ask for her number!

What’s the last show you went to?

Katz-Bohen: Iggy Pop at Crystal Palace in London. No wait, it was actually my friend Greko’s birthday bash at Silver Lining in NYC. Dammit! No, it was Deadtooth at Brooklyn Made.

What movie can you not resist watching when it’s on TV?

Katz-Bohen: Zoolander.

What’s one of your hidden talents?

Hall: Rearranging furniture.

Come Of Age is out 9/15 via SO In De Goot. Find more information here.