Some trends come along on social media that make you scratch your head in confusion. But as the old saying goes, there’s something out there for everybody. This new live social media trend is definitely something for someone—or a lot of someones, since it seems like people are raking in up to $4,000 a month on it.
You may be curious what people are doing to make that much money on a livestream. They’re pretending to be Artificial Intelligence (AI) or Non-Playing Characters (NPCs). They aren’t teaching people anything or talking about their daily life. The creators simply stand or sit with their hands held in camera view as they sway back and forth reacting to the “gifts” people send them.
On the short video app, during live videos, people can send “gifts,” which are virtual items that appear in front of your face on the screen. These items range from sunglasses and cowboy hats to ice cream and corn.
This may seem like a fun thing to send someone while they’re busy interacting with their fans, but these “gifts” cost real money, which the creator gets a portion of. But the creators pretending to be AI aren’t conversing with their followers. They’re strictly reacting to the virtual gifts that pop up on their screen as if they’re computer generated characters, saying things like, “Oh, ice cream,” then slurping loudly as if they licked the ice cream cone.
I’m bout to get this money #greenscreen #pinkydoll #pinkydollreal #ailivestream #tiktoklive #cherrycrushtv
Since it has been revealed that creators are making thousands a month, and Winter has since confirmed that her first livestream pretending to be AI brought her $700 in three hours, other creators have hopped on board. The trend has been popular in Asian and anime communities on TikTok and has since crossed over into America’s general TikTok feed.
While some people are annoyed by their feeds filling up with AI livestreams, no one is upset with TikTok creators getting creative to earn extra money. Another creator, Alluringskull, tried out the trend and made around $350 for a collective 2.5 hours of livestreaming.
Overall, it seems like the creators are having fun while pretending to be NPCs, and they’re making a little extra money on top of it. Even if the concept of the entire trend is confusing, it’s certainly fascinating to see what people come up with—and it’s not like making an extra four grand a month is something to scoff at.
Nas and Hit-Boy have been on quite the run. Their musical partnership began in 2020 with King’s Disease, and since then, the cross-generational duo has released three more albums. Two were follow-ups to King’s Disease, while the third was a “break” between them titled Magic. They distinguished Magic by making it much shorter than the other albums, with grittier production and a rawer approach to the lyricism — taking it back to the streets, as it were.
Today, they announced their fifth collaborative project, Magic 2, which will presumably be similar to the first, a palate cleanser before they drop another installment of the King’s Disease series. The partnership has utterly rejuvenated Nas, who has finally been able to shake off some of his “lead ear” reputation over past beat choices, and given Hit-Boy a second life as a well-respected producer for legacy acts as well as blog-era favorites.
The latest announcement has plenty of fans wondering just when the California beat maker has time to sleep. In the past four years, he’s released three other collaborative projects (with Pacman da Gunman, Dreezy, and Musiq Soulchild), as well as two solo projects under the Surf Or Drown banner. The latter features multiple appearances from Hit-Boy’s father, Big Hit, who spent nine years behind bars but has come back strong, picking up where the duo left off in 2014 with “Grindin’ My Whole Life.”
A new campaign ad from the Ron DeSantis Super PAC, Never Back Down, has dove headfirst into the artificial intelligence controversy. The spot features an “audio recording” of Donald Trump attacking Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds. There’s just one small problem, Trump never spoke the words in the ad.
Politico has confirmed that Never Back Down used AI to generate the “recording” of Trump. Granted, the text is pulled from a Truth Social post written by the former president, the AI audio plunges the campaign ad into murky, ethical waters:
Political ads have used impersonation before, and the Trump-generated voice in the Never Back Down ad does not sound entirely natural. Still, the spot highlights what could be the next frontier of campaign advertising: The use of AI-generated content to produce increasingly difficult to identify, so-called deepfakes.
The $1 million spot that will run across Iowa is intended to both highlight Trump’s disrespect for his party members as well as weaken him in the primary state. The DeSantis campaign recently sent out a secret memo touting its new strategy of building momentum in early states like Iowa and New Hampshire. An AI ad is certainly one way to go about it.
As for how the Trump campaign is reacting to the controversial campaign spot, they are understandably not thrilled. It takes some real effort to make Trump look like the victim in any situation, yet somehow DeSantis’ people pulled it off. Nice work?
“The blatant use of AI to fabricate President Trump’s voice is a desperate attempt by Always Back Down and Jeff Roe to deceive the American public because they know DeSanctimonious’ campaign is on life support,” a senior Trump advisor told Politico. “After losing big donors and slashing their staff, they have now outsourced their work to AI just like they would like to outsource American jobs to China.”
Don’t be surprised if Kim Kardashian’s SKIMS-wear brand starts marketing itself as the “shapewear that saves lives,” because it does. Or at least it did for one Kansas City woman who’s now touting Kardashian’s bodysuits as “body armor for women.”
Page Six reports that Angelina Wiley was shot four times on January 1st, 2023, while waiting for a Lyft to take her home after a New Year’s celebration with friends. The drive-by gunfire left her with a ruptured bladder and a cracked pelvis, but according to Wiley, the damage could’ve been much worse. In a now-viral TikTok, Wiley revealed it was her SKIMS bodysuit, which she was wearing under her dress at the time, that staunched much of the bleeding — probably saving her life.
“It was so tight on me that it literally kept me from bleeding out,” Wiley says in the video before urging others to purchase a body suit for protective purposes. And her story was so incredible that it eventually caught her savior’s eye. After reposting Wiley’s TikTok as an Instagram story, Kardashian commented, “wowww” before adding a praying hands emoji.
Wiley is now fundraising to pay her extensive medical bills as she continues her road to recovery but fans are urging Kardashian to include her in the next SKIMS campaign. Or, at the very least, send her a new bodysuit as Wiley explained that detectives have her original shapewear in custody as part of an ongoing investigation.
Indie music has grown to include so much. It’s not just music that is released on independent labels but speaks to an aesthetic that deviates from the norm and follows its own weirdo heart. It can come in the form of rock music, pop, or folk. In a sense, it says as much about the people that are drawn to it as it does about the people that make it.
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Palehound — Eye On The Bat
Using only four words, Palehound mastermind El Kemper describedEye On The Bat: “Anxious, horny, empathetic, emo.” This formula has been working for Palehound for years, and it’s especially warm and inviting on this new record. Opener “Good Sex” is as vivid and poetic as a film scene; closer “Fadin’” is a bittersweet ballad that leaves the listener in their feelings. From complicated familial ties to moments of intense intimacy, Eye On The Bat is a headfirst dive into the complexity of relationships with others as well with oneself.
Claud — Supermodels
Claud’s highly anticipated sophomore album Supermodels is here, not without a music video starring Paul Rudd to accompany it. The album is predictably confessional and delicate, staying true to the charm that fans loved on their debut Super Monster. “Glass Wall” provides a rewarding blip of nostalgic rock, bleeding into the emotional “It’s Not About You.”
The Front Bottoms — “Emotional”
So far, the singles from The Front Bottoms’ forthcoming album You Are Who You Hang Out With have been reminiscent of their early, stripped-down material. This new single, characteristically titled “Emotional,” shows a new direction, forward-looking and ambitious. Autotune and unfiltered hooks — “Ask if I’m emotional / F*ck yeah” — make for a memorable anthem.
Cherry Glazzer — “Soft Like A Flower”
“Soft Like A Flower” by Cherry Glazzer is some of their best stuff yet. The grungy, brooding track has a perfect hook accompanied by addictive guitars: “I like you killing me,” Clementine Creevy drawls. It’s a cathartic, nostalgic whirlwind of alt-rock that successfully lingers in the listener’s head well past its ending.
Snõõper — Super Snõõper
Snõõper are known for rapid-fire, playful punk. Based in Nashville, TN, the band shared their new album Super Snõõper, which contains 14 tracks that clock in at a little over 20 minutes. They don’t waste any time, and the songs fit aside one another in perfectly orchestrated chaos. With absurd lyrics and unforgettable bassline, Super Snõõper is a refreshing dose of mayhem.
Another Michael — “Angel” & “Pick Me Up, Turn Me Upside Down”
To follow 2021’s enchanting debut New Music And Big Pop, Another Michael are releasing not one, but two albums, Wishes To Fulfill coming in September and Pick Me Up, Turn Me Upside Down arriving early next year. The singles “Angel” and “Pick Me Up, Turn Me Upside Down” are shimmering glimpses into what’s to come. The latter track is heartfelt piano ballad whose vulnerability feels colossal.
Spellling — “Cherry” & “Under The Sun”
Eerie artist Spellling — real name Chrystia Cabral — received recognition for her idiosyncratic 2021 masterwork The Turning Wheel, and these new songs “Cherry” and “Under The Sun” prove she hasn’t lost her haunted appeal. “Cherry” twinkles and broods and builds with unsettling whispers, growing into an evil anthem, sounding like a scene from a horror movie.
Strange Ranger — “Wide Awake”
The Strange Ranger singles from their forthcoming album Pure Music have been dreamlike and sporadic. “Wide Awake” is a skittish, atmospheric experience with hypnotic vocals. The band’s Isaac Eiger said in a statement: “I was thinking about these flashes of memory that stick in your head forever. Bursts of senses that return every now and again but don’t lead anywhere beyond themselves like a GIF in your brain.” The song captures this bizarre sensation, packed with sounds that are almost tangible and colorful.
Taking Meds — “Outside”
New York-based band Taking Meds have a new album called Dial M For Meds arriving in September, and “Outside” is a taste. The pop-punk anthem may call to mind The Menzingers or Iron Chic; the anthemic riffs are aplenty, and the hooks might make you laugh: “Workwear and fisheye lens / Bleached hair and hash oil pens.”
Mutual Benefit — “Little Ways”
The magic of Mutual Benefit’s sweet ballad “Little Ways” is subtle and becomes more apparent with each listen. Buoyed by soft guitars, the song is uplifting and hopeful: “I thought of picking the weeds that sprouted / Between a row of flowers when I wasn’t looking there / But they do what they can in a hostile land / And I can’t help but admire all their thorns.” With a music video featuring turtles and mushrooms, “Little Ways” is a nice moment of gratitude.
Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
Two of Compton’s finest are not only linking up for an album, but they’re also heading out on tour. Tyga and YG announced their joint album during Tyga’s performance at Rolling Loud LA earlier this year, and since then, there’s been a steady stream of hood-certified new singles, including “Platinum” and “West Coast Weekend.”
Now, they’ve announced the routing for their Str8 To The Club Tour, on which they’ll be joined by YG’s rumored boo, Saweetie. Sounds like a winning lineup. And look, I can’t speak for the venues outside of California, but they’ve clearly dodged the “why are artists canceling tours” conversation with this routing. Leave it to Compton to know where the money resides. I don’t know about the club, but clearly, the California Hispanic community still messes with Tyga despite his “Ay Caramba” faux pas.
Tickets go on sale to the public on Friday, July 21 at 10 am local time at www.str8totheklub.com.
09/21 — Sacramento, CA @ Golden 1 Center
09/22 — San Francisco, CA @ Chase Center
09/23 — Las Vegas, NV @ Thomas & Mack Center
09/27 — Glendale, AZ @ @ Desert Diamond Arena
09/28 — Tucson, AZ @ Tucson Arena
09/29 — Ontario, CA @ Toyota Arena
10/4 — Tacoma, WA @ Tacoma Dome
10/5 — Vancouver, BC @ PNE Forum
10/6 – Vancouver, BC @ PNE Forum
10/7 — Portland, OR @ Moda Center
10/10 — Denver, CO @ Ball Arena
10/12 — Dallas, TX @ The Factory in Deep Ellum
10/14 — San Diego, CA @ Pechanga Arena San Diego
11/22 – Los Angeles, CA @ Kia Forum
Saweetie is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
Tom Cruise has climbed a skyscraper, clung to the side of an airplane, and ridden a motorcycle off a cliff. But there’s been few underwater sequences in the Mission: Impossible franchise. In fact, as far as I can remember, there’s only been one. But it’s a doozy. In Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation, Ethan Hunt (Cruise) is tasked by Ilsa Faust (Rebecca Ferguson) to… something something about an underwater vault and switching a security profile? It doesn’t really matter. What does matter is that the scene rules — and that Cruise holds his breath underwater for six minutes, a then-record for a feature film.
“I had to prove to everyone that it was actually safe,” Cruise said at the time of the film’s release. “Not only is it safe, but it’s better that I know how to hold my breath, because I’m going to be very relaxed. No one’s going to have to rush in, no one has to panic.” It was a remarkable achievement, but the hyper-specific record has since been broken by Kate Winslet in Avatar: The Way of Water (if anyone knows how to deal with water in a James Cameron film, it’s her). The Oscar winner held her breath for seven minutes and 47 seconds.
Winslet’s message to Cruise after setting the record: “Poor Tom.”
She continued, “I mean, I don’t know Tom at all – I’ve never met him in my life – but I’m sure he’s getting very fed up of hearing this story of how I broke his record.” Winslet was joking, but this is no laughing matter for Cruise. You know he wants the record back. So, if much of Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part Two takes place underwater, as I’m guessing it will considering (mini-spoiler) where Part One leaves off, will he have the chance?
Mission: Impossible director Christopher McQuarrie told Collider that much of Dead Reckoning Part Two was shot ahead of the double strike, “except for the biggest set piece, the central set piece of the film, which is massive and unlike anything we’ve done, and, I think, unlike anything you’ve seen.”
The underwater scene in Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation was filmed in a man-made tank. Could a natural body of water be next? It’s dangerous, it’s stupid, it’s expensive. It’s exactly the kind of stunt Tom Cruise was born to do.
If prices have to go up, this is the best case scenario.
According to Variety, Peacock is raising prices on its Premium service by $1 to $5.99 a month, but let’s just call it 6 bucks and forget the psychological trickery. Likewise, Peacock Premium Plus is going up $2 to $11.99 a month. Their Premium service includes ads, and the Premium Plus is mostly ad-free.
So, prices going up is bad, but things are also growing exponentially for Peacock and their audience. Over three years of existing, the streamer has added 80,000 hours of content, but they plan to add 100,000 more in the next year alone. Subscribers will also get the chance to see Universal movies at home during a specific release window for an individual rental-style fee.
Peacock currently has 22 million subscribers (a 60% jump since last year), but it’s also deep in the hole. Its projected to hit losses of $3 billion for NBCUniversal this year, so it’s little wonder they’re trying to claw some money back at what may be the tail end of the initial growth phase.
Unlike other streaming services that are more well-established, Peacock has found a sweet spot creating interesting shows like Poker Face, Bupkis, and Yellowstone that create a lot of buzz and loyal fans. Maybe they’ll be willing to shell out $12 a year to maintain access to their faves.
With Oppenheimer set to explode into theaters, Christopher Nolan fans are no doubt curious about how the runtime for his latest historical epic starring Cillian Murphy as the film’s titular physicist. We got you covered.
Oppenheimer will clock in at exactly three hours, or 180 minutes if you want to get technical. Here’s the official synopsis for the film that will center on the father of the atomic bomb:
Written and directed by Christopher Nolan, Oppenheimer is an IMAX®-shot epic thriller that thrusts audiences into the pulse-pounding paradox of the enigmatic man who must risk destroying the world in order to save it.
The film stars Cillian Murphy as J. Robert Oppenheimer and Emily Blunt as his wife, biologist and botanist Katherine “Kitty” Oppenheimer. Oscar® winner Matt Damon portrays General Leslie Groves Jr., director of the Manhattan Project, and Robert Downey, Jr. plays Lewis Strauss, a founding commissioner of the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission.
In addition to the already considerable star power of Murphy, Blunt, Damon, and Downey Jr., the film will also star Florence Pugh, Josh Hartnett, Rami Malek, and Kenneth Branagh.
Oppenheimer marks Nolan’s first R-rated film since 2002’s Insomnia, so be prepared for some saucy content involving the film’s title character. As for what that means, don’t expect an answer from Murphy. “I’m under strict instructions not to give away anything,” he recently told The Guardian.
“This isnt the greatest i know so i hope no one minds me turning the comments off for my head but this was the best, most sincere moments with lose you to love me,” Gomez captioned the video.
“Making of… me getting to know myself,” she also wrote in the video as an added piece of text.
This isnt the greatest i know so i hope no one minds me turning the comments off for my head but this was the best, most sincere moments with lose you to love me
While fans couldn’t share their thoughts in the TikTok comments, they did take to Twitter to praise her vulnerability. “is the way she sounds good but y’all always find a way to discredit her for no reason…” one user wrote.
Others have pointed out that the video was reportedly first recorded back in 2019 during the making of the song.
“This song was inspired by many things that have happened in my life since releasing my last album,” Gomez previously said in a statement at the time of the track’s release. “I thought it was important to share the music, as I know many can relate to the fact that the road to self-discovery generally comes through the scars in one’s life.”
Check out Gomez performing “Lose You To Love Me” above.
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