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Taylor Swift’s Taylor’s Version series of re-recorded albums have been a massive hit, and fans might have Kelly Clarkson to thank for that: Back in 2019, she tweeted, “@taylorswift13 just a thought, U should go in & re-record all the songs that U don’t own the masters on exactly how U did them but put brand new art & some kind of incentive so fans will no longer buy the old versions. I’d buy all of the new versions just to prove a point.”

Clarkson doesn’t want to take credit for the idea to re-record the albums, though, as she told Andy Cohen in an interview, “She’s brilliant, she would’ve come up with that on her own, and she maybe already had before I even tweeted it.”

She also spoke about how, her perspective, it looked like Scooter Braun, who bought Swift’s master recordings, may have taken offense to her suggestion. Clarkson said:

“I think Scooter took offense to it, because we ran into each other, and I think he reached out at the time to my manager. I was like, ‘It wasn’t anything against him.’ I just… when she came out and said that and I heard about it, I was like, ‘Whatever. Re-record them. Your fans will support you.’ Uh, they did! She has like every top record right now in the charts.

He didn’t say anything to me. I think he called my manager at the time, I heard, and I don’t know what happened or what was said, but I think he thought I was attacking him. I was like, ‘I honest to God didn’t even realize who had the [rights].’ I didn’t even know all the information. All I heard was, ‘Man, I really want to own,’ and I was like, ‘Man, that song… She writes everything. It’s so important to her. She’s a businesswoman.’ It felt wrong that she didn’t have the opportunity, right? That’s the thing: If you have the opportunity and you choose to not pay that much money, that’s one thing, but to not have the opportunity to own something that is really important to you [is another].”

Clarkson, by the way, has a new album, Chemistry, out today (June 23).

Check out the interview clip above.

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

Once it was confirmed that the Titanic-exploring submersible that went missing on Sunday with five people on board suffered a “catastrophic implosion,” killing everyone on board (including a teenager who reportedly didn’t want to be there), CNN spoke to James Cameron about what happened.

The frequently aquatic director of Titanic, The Abyss, and Avatar: The Way of Water, who traveled to the deepest part of the ocean in 2012 in a vessel that didn’t require a video game controller, told Anderson Cooper that once he heard the sub had disappeared, he knew what the outcome was going to be.

Cameron reached out to members of “the deep submergence community,” and with their help, “tracked down some intel that was probably of a military origin, although it could have been research — there are hydrophones all over the Atlantic — and got confirmation that there was some kind of loud noise consistent with an implosion event. That seemed to me enough confirmation. I let all of my inner circle of people know that we had lost our comrades. And I encouraged everybody to raise a glass in their honor on Monday.”

Cameron was “hoping against hope” his conclusion was wrong, “knowing in my bones that I wasn’t (wrong),” he said Thursday. “I couldn’t think of any other scenario in which a sub would be lost where it lost comms and navigation at the same time, and stayed out of touch, and did not surface.”

You can watch the CNN interview with Cameron above.

(Via CNN)

It was announced last year that Once Upon A One More Time, a new Broadway musical based on the songs of Britney Spears, was on the way. Now, it has arrived and Spears herself has revealed that, despite not being involved in the creation of the show, she’s a fan.

In an Instagram post shared yesterday (June 22), Spears wrote, “Good luck to the hardworking cast and crew of ‘Once Upon a One More Time’ on opening night tonight !!! I’ve seen the show and it is so funny, smart and brilliant !!!”

The show’s website describes the musical, “When our storybook heroines gather for book club, they always discuss the same book, Grimms’ Fairy Tales — because as far as they know, it’s the only book that’s ever been written. That’s until a rogue fairy godmother drops The Feminine Mystique into their corseted laps. From now on, ‘happily ever after’ will never be the same. Once Upon a One More Time weaves the chart-topping hits of the undisputed Princess of Pop, Britney Spears, into a brand-new kind of fairy tale.”

Deadline notes that the songs in the show were “fully authorized and licensed by Britney post-conservatorship,” per production notes. The publication also says of the musical, “Smart, funny, splendid to look at and all with a beat you can dance to, this tribute to the Brothers Grimm, the sisters of the Second Wave and, not least, the indomitable Ms. Spears, is a delight.”

The Charlotte Hornets held the first real decision of the 2023 NBA Draft, as they had to decide between Scoot Henderson and Brandon Miller with the second overall pick after the Spurs took Victor Wembanyama. Ultimately, Charlotte chose Miller, the 6’9 sharpshooting forward out of Alabama, as he is a clearer fit alongside LaMelo Ball than Henderson.

While most evaluators had Henderson as the best player available, Miller is certainly a strong prospect given his size and skills as a shot-maker. He did have some questions coming in for teams to dig into, namely about a deadly shooting in Tuscaloosa back in January where police claimed he brought the gun to teammate Darius Miles that was ultimately used in the tragic event. After the Draft, Hornets GM Mitch Kupchak was asked what made Charlotte comfortable with Miller, a question seemingly pointing to both his on-court skillset and the off-court incident, and Kupchak gave an incredibly bizarre answer that he stopped mid-thought after deciding better of it.

“Well, everything that we…every answer we got to every question,” Kupchak says. “I would say, he is a freshman, right? So he’s a little bit, I would say younger than…excuse me I wouldn’t even say younger — Nah, I better not even go in that direction actually. I’ll just back off.”

Alright! That’s certainly a number of words that Kupchak put together into almost sentences.

Kupchak had stated earlier that Miller was their “favorite all along,” although there was “spirited discussion” debating whether to take Miller or Henderson before landing on Miller.

Prior to the Draft, Kupchak confirmed the final decision on the pick would be Michael Jordan’s, even though Jordan is in the process of selling his majority stake in the franchise and won’t be the primary owner when the season rolls around. When paired with Kupchak’s odd answer here to a fairly straightforward question (and one he should’ve been expecting), one can’t help but wonder if he wasn’t all-in on Miller given his apparent difficulty offering a coherent defense of the pick.

Last week, Young Thug announced a mysterious release titled “Business Is Business” with a countdown timer set to end the following week. True to its word, the countdown concluded with the release of Thug’s new album Business Is Business. It arrived with 15 songs and features from Drake, Future, Travis Scott, Yak Gotti, 21 Savage, Lil Uzi Vert, BSlime, Lil Got It, and Nate Ruess. The album opened with a record titled “Parade On Cleveland” which features Drake, and on it, Thug delivers a quick message from jail.

Following a verse from Drake, the Toronto rapper presumably accepts a collect call to the Cobb County Adult Detention Facility from Thug himself. “Wassup my brother, talk to me, what’s the word?” Drake asks and Thug replies, “Uh, I ain’t doin’ sh*t, man. Just pushin’ more Peter, more sweeter, more completer than any Peter pusher around. See what I’m sayin’ Slime?”

For what it’s worth, it seems like Thug is in good spirits based on that phone call, which is good to hear considering that the rapper has been in jail for over a year now.

You can listen to “Parade From Cleveland” in the video above.

Business Is Business is out now via YSL/300 Entertainment/Atlantic Records. Find more information here.

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

We are less than a month out from the movie event of the summer. In tandem with its in-theater premiere, Barbie will be accompanied by a star-studded soundtrack called Barbie: The Album. Tonight (June 23rd), Nicki Minaj and Ice Spice have shared the latest taste of the soundtrack with their sweet and spicy collaboration, “Barbie World.”

On “Barbie World,” Ice’s producer and frequent collaborator RiotUSA takes a sample of Aqua’s “Barbie Girl” and gives it a Brooklyn drill update for the times. Minaj and Ice go back-to-back delivering bars, matching each other’s fiery energy.

“I’m bad like the Barbie / I’m a doll but I still wanna party / Pink ‘Vette like I’m ready to bend / I’m a ten, so I pull in a Ken / Jazzie, Stacie, Nicki / All of the Barbies is pretty / All of the Barbies is bad / It girls, and we ain’t playin’ tag,” the two rap line-by-line in the song’s chorus.

Barbie: The Album promises to be a hit so far, especially as songs by Karol G, PinkPantheress, and Dua Lipa have garnered many streams.

You can listen to “Barbie World” above.

Barbie: The Album is out 7/21 via Atlantic. Find more information here.

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

For the past month, we have known that the San Antonio Spurs were going to take Victor Wembanyama with the first overall pick in Thursday night’s NBA Draft. That was their reward for winning the lottery back in May, and the rest of the teams in the top-14 have spent the remaining time trying to game out who might be available when they’re picking and building out a board for every scenario.

What I suggest is the NBA embrace chaos and deliver a television spectacle unlike anything else in sports by holding the lottery at 7:30 p.m. ET on Draft night, still starting the Draft at 8 p.m. ET. This is an idea I tweeted out as I watched ESPN’s pre-Draft coverage talk about the same things we’d been talking about for a month and realized this could all be so much crazier, and thousands of people seem to agree with me.

Imagine the tension in the air if we’d gotten all the way to Draft night waiting to find out where Wembanyama was going, and then the fallout for teams like Portland, Detroit, and others who had to make more sudden pivots and shifts with what they wanted to do. It’d be sensational.

I also don’t think it would really change too much of the pre-Draft process for these teams, who already invite 60-plus players to their facilities for workouts. It would mean top guys would have to do more visits than they do currently, but otherwise, these teams are already putting together big boards and profiles on everyone, just in case they have opportunities to move up and down. Everyone is already planning on various outcomes and contingencies, what’s a few more added to the mix. Let’s see what front offices and scouting departments are really dialed in, and embrace some chaos to get the festivities going.

This year’s Draft featured a top-10 filled with teams that everyone knew wanted to move out, and the result was, like in 2021, a mostly stagnant start as teams struggled to find the deals they wanted. Maybe with less time to get paralysis by analysis, we’d free things up for some moves as we’ve seen that when teams are presented with a deadline, they tend to move quicker and a little looser — just look at the three-team deal from the other night where, with 90 minutes to salvage a Kristaps Porzingis trade, the Celtics made an even bigger deal by sending Marcus Smart to Memphis.

In a perfect world, we get all 30 GMs in the same room and have it be like NBA Wall Street, haggling with each other on the Draft floor to make deals and try to move up and down to land the player they wanted. Instead of having to hear from Shams and Woj about who was talking to who and what deals might be on the table, imagine if we could just see Sam Presti walk over to Rob Pelinka and start having a chat.

I’m not saying this is a perfect idea — and you can bet the teams have no interest in this change — but the time in between the lottery and the Draft, we lose a little bit of the juice and this would make for an incredible night. Teams can still do all their preparation they normally do, just casting a slightly wider net. You’d still see the same trades happen, because those typically involve picks later in the first round that are already set, as has been the case so far this offseason. Trades involving lottery picks usually don’t happen til those teams are on the clock, anyways, as everyone wants to see who will be available.

The NBA is an entertainment product first, something they remind us of all the time. Let’s embrace that and really kick the tension of Draft night up a few notches by doing the lottery right before it.

Young Thug has released his new album, Business Is Business tonight (June 23). On the album, which he dropped from jail, Thugger is joined by a set of heavy hitters, including Nate Ruess, Lil Uzi Vert, and Drake. The latter joins him on a track called “Parade On Cleveland.”

On the track, Thug and Drake show off their vocal chops, delivering smooth sounds over an R&B-influenced beat. Drake opens the song, making it known that “Soon as I’m fresh out the box like a Tic-Tac / We having sex soon as I get my b*tch back / It ain’t gonna be sexy when I get my lick back.”

Before Thug’s verse, a voice recording indicating that a phone call is coming in from Cobb County Adult Detention Facility plays. Thug then rests fans assured that he will be home soon.

“Hands down / Yeah, the big dog coming back / Think you good?…Pants down, you smoking crack,” he raps.

On the outro, Thug repeats the phrase “business is business,” setting the overall mood for the hotly-anticipated album.

You can see the “Parade On Cleveland” lyric video above.

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

Three of the hottest rappers in the game right now have linked up for a summer hit. Finesse2tymes has recruited Kali and Sexyy Red for his pro-stripper anthem, “Shiesty.”

On their steamy collaboration, Finesse2tymes is searching for a woman on her worst behavior — “F*ck all that nice sh*t,” he says in the song’s intro.

He continues, rapping on the chorus, “Ooh she shiesty / I hit it for free / Ooh she pricey / Ooh she righteous / Let her sit on my face / Ooh she like it.”

Matching Finesse2tymes’ scorching energy are the ladies. Kali chimes in, reminding the listener of her “toxic chocolate” status, and making it known that she’s looking for someone equally as shiesty.

“He rich / That sh*t don’t move me / He spend / We make a movie,” she raps.

“Pound Town” hitmaker Sexyy Red closes the song warning her man, “B*tch, pick up that phone / You know I’m crazy / Like, what you be on.”

In the video, the three are seen partying in a strip club, having a ball while throwing stacks of money.

You can watch the video for “Shiesty” above.

Finesse2tymes and Kali are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

The 2023 NBA Draft had no questions about who would be the No. 1 overall pick, but from there nothing was certain until the picks were made — including who would be making them.

Much like the 2021 Draft, none of the teams in the top 10 were able to make major trades to get veteran players, leading to most everyone staying put in the lottery, with a few smaller deals that saw teams jostle positions to move up or down a few picks to land the player they coveted most. That means some teams have some very interesting decisions to make in the coming weeks after failing to land immediate veteran help — cough, Portland, cough — but after a wild week of trades, things were almost oddly calm during the proceedings, with no major current players changing hands.

With that in mind, we kept tabs on all 30 first round picks, grading them as we went. This year didn’t feature many teams making dramatic reaches that left evaluators scratching their heads, so most of the grades are pretty solid, although there were certainly teams that fared better than others.

1. San Antonio Spurs — Victor Wembanyama, A+: The Spurs had a bit of good fortune in the lottery to even have the chance to draft Victor Wembanyama, so this isn’t exactly the product of incredible scouting work, but he’s the best prospect in the draft by a wide margin and one of the best prospects to enter the league in the in decades. Of course, that doesn’t ensure anything once he arrives, but the tools are virtually unprecedented and San Antonio has a franchise centerpiece.

2. Charlotte Hornets — Brandon Miller, B-: It isn’t a surprise to see Miller come off the board at No. 2 overall, but Scoot Henderson is the better prospect, which knocks Charlotte’s grade down a bit. With that said, Miller is a worthy No. 2 overall choice in most drafts with a combination of size and shooting that provides a strong median outcome.

3. Portland Trail Blazers — Scoot Henderson, A: In the majority of drafts over the last two decades, Henderson would’ve been the No. 1 overall prospect. With Victor Wembanyama involved, that wasn’t the case in 2023, but Henderson slipping to No. 3 on the board provides incredible value for Portland. Granted, the Blazers may have some interesting decisions to make in the future with Damian Lillard, but Henderson is too good to pass on with this pick.

4. Houston Rockets — Amen Thompson, B+: Thompson isn’t without flaws by any means, but he brings tremendous upside to the table. Amen projects to be immediately be one of the best athletes in the NBA on arrival, and his combination of on-ball playmaking and defensive potential is tantalizing. The big question is whether he’ll develop a solid jump shot, which could determine his ultimate ceiling.

5. Detroit Pistons — Ausar Thompson, B-: For many evaluators, the No. 5 spot represents the first slot with real, tangible uncertainty. Ausar doesn’t quite match the obscene athleticism of his brother, Amen, but he is a tremendous athlete in his own right with size and versatility. At this juncture, Ausar plays more like a wing and could provide key flexibility for Detroit on both ends of the floor.

6. Orlando Magic — Anthony Black, B: This was a tricky spot for Orlando. Not only did the Magic enter the night with two of the top 11 picks, but some of the top-rated players remaining on the board were somewhat duplicative with Paolo Banchero and/or Franz Wagner. As a result, Anthony Black is the choice, and he is a versatile, talented perimeter player. Black’s primary question mark on the offensive side is his perimeter shooting, which could be a clunky fit in Orlando, but Black gives the Magic another ball-handler with the size to be a menace defensively.

7. Washington Wizards — Bilal Coulibaly, B: This is an aggressive move and choice from Washington. While this range of the draft is perceived as relatively flat, Coulibaly was seen as a fringe first-round pick only a few weeks and months ago before a meteoric rise. His athletic and physical tools are outstanding, and Coulibaly could be a tremendous defender as a result. The questions come more on offense, where he has operated in a very small overall role playing with Metropolitans 92.

8. Indiana Pacers — Jarace Walker, B+: Indiana was able to extract extra capital from Washington and still got the player they likely would have taken at No. 7. Walker isn’t a terribly sexy prospect offensively, but he is a very strong passer for his size with an emerging skill level that brings on intrigue. His primary appeal is defense, with an NBA-ready physical strength and feel to defend multiple positions, which is one of the Pacers biggest needs.

9. Utah Jazz — Taylor Hendricks, A-: Utah is in an interesting phase with a ton of picks, both this year and in the future, to complement a young roster that is still rebuilding. Scouts are split on Hendricks’ overall upside, but he brings definite intrigue as a defender and floor spacer with size. He projects as a potentially devastating role player that can fit just about anywhere.

10. Oklahoma City Thunder — Cason Wallace, B: The fit could be a bit of a challenge for Wallace in OKC with a backcourt that is already quite full with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Josh Giddey, Lu Dort, and others. In a vacuum, Wallace is a solid pick here, though, as he might be the best perimeter defender in the draft. There are some questions about his offensive ceiling, particularly as a shooter, but the overall package is encouraging.

11. Orlando Magic — Jett Howard, C+: This is probably the most surprising pick of the draft to this point, but it also makes some sense. Orlando is in need of shooting and, while Gradey Dick was a higher-rated prospect for most scouts, Howard brings size and shooting. His defensive questions could also be insulated within Orlando’s structure.

12. Dallas Mavericks — Dereck Lively, B+: Things worked out well for Dallas. The Mavericks moved down two spots and picked a guy they could’ve very reasonably taken at No. 10. Lively isn’t a finished product, but he was a defensive monster in the second half of the college season. Dallas needs that kind of defensive presence, and Lively’s offense should be unlocked as a low-usage guy next to Luka Doncic and, perhaps, Kyrie Irving.

13. Toronto Raptors — Gradey Dick, A-: This is a good value and a good fit. Dick is one of the best shooters in the class with good size for a wing and the ability to move off the ball and shoot on the move. Defensively, he probably won’t be a big plus, but Dick improved as the season went along, and Toronto’s roster could use the infusion of floor spacing.

14. New Orleans Pelicans — Jordan Hawkins, B: New Orleans doesn’t have a ton of glaring needs, but more shooting is something the Pelicans can use. Hawkins brings it as the best off-ball mover in the class and a proven, dynamic shooter. He’s not a great defender and has limited size on the wing, but the offense should play.

15. Atlanta Hawks — Kobe Bufkin, A-: It felt as if Atlanta might once again benefit from medical questions to nab a falling prospect like Cam Whitmore, but Bufkin is a very strong pick for the Hawks. He checks a lot of boxes on both ends of the floor with shooting guard size and point guard skills. Bufkin has strong basketball feel and he is already a quality defender that could continue to improve as he gets stronger.

16. Utah Jazz — Keyonte George, B-: Utah has the freedom of three picks, and George is an intriguing player from an upside standpoint. He was a consensus top-10 guy coming out of high school and, while Baylor didn’t go perfectly, he can score and make shots off the bounce. He also has strong craft off the bounce, though George isn’t an elite athlete and could struggle on defense.

17. Los Angeles Lakers — Jalen Hood-Schifino, B: Hood-Schifino’s efficiency at Indiana left a lot to be desired this season, which is definitely worth noting. There are caveats, including the fact that Indiana’s offensive structure was not conducive to his individual success, and Hood-Schifino does have very good tools when it comes to size and pick-and-roll ability. He’s also a stout defender, and if he can figure out the offensive side within a smaller role, the Lakers can maximize him.

18. Miami Heat — Jaime Jaquez Jr., B: I’m a sucker for Jaime Jaquez, and I’ll admit that. This is a substantial rise from where most had him during the season but, well, this is about where I had him the entire time. Miami is also a wonderful landing spot because the Heat do a fantastic job putting players in positions to succeed. Jaquez’s toughness and feel for the game fit beautifully with the Heat.

19. Golden State Warriors — Brandin Podziemski, B-: This is a better grade than any other team would’ve received in taking Podziemski, but it’s a good fit. His feel is very good and Podziemski is a dynamic shooter. As a very limited athlete, there are defensive concerns and the chance that he just can’t hold up, but Golden State was the appropriate team to take that risk.

20. Houston Rockets — Cam Whitmore, A (or Incomplete): From the outside, we can’t know how to evaluate this. Whitmore’s precipitous fall is shocking amid rumblings of shaky medicals. If you remove that, this would be a total and complete heist for Houston. At a certain point, nabbing a very clear top-10 talent is worth the risk for a player they were considering at 4 early in the process.

21. Brooklyn Nets — Noah Clowney, B: This is a solid value for Clowney, especially from an upside perspective. His defensive potential is clear with his length, athleticism, and feel, and Clowney has the potential to shoot and space the floor on offense. If the shooting doesn’t pop, he may be a center with some overlap next to Nic Claxton, but this is the point of the draft where you can simply take the best player available. Clowney is a reasonable bet on that.

22. Brooklyn Nets — Dariq Whitehead, A-: While the medical talking point of the draft was Cam Whitmore’s fall, Whitehead’s pre-draft process was marked by medical questions. He was limited during the season and then had another surgical procedure when the season ended. If the medical is clear, though, Whitehead is a former top-five high school prospect in this class, and he is a worthy risk for Brooklyn.

23. Portland Trail Blazers — Kris Murray, A-: Portland’s overall direction is quite interesting right now after the selection of Scoot Henderson and how that meshes with Damian Lillard. The selection of Murray works in any context, though, as he is a versatile combo forward that can shoot and defend. Yes, he’s older than most first-round prospects, but that is why he’s available now. It’s a very good value.

24. Dallas Mavericks — Olivier-Maxence Prosper, B+: Dallas could use a two-way forward, much in the way that most teams could and used their second trade of the Draft to find one. Prosper fits the bill as a high-quality defender who can also space the floor. He also doesn’t need the ball to succeed on offense, which fits nicely with the Mavericks’ system.

25. Detroit Pistons — Marcus Sasser, B: This isn’t a flashy selection by any means, but it’s an appropriate landing spot on the board for Sasser as Detroit traded back into the first round to nab him. His pull-up shooting is intriguing on offense, and Sasser is a very strong on-ball defender. He’s limited in size and won’t give much in terms of penetration, but Sasser profiles as a rotation guard.

26. Indiana Pacers — Ben Sheppard, B-: What a rise for Ben Sheppard. He was almost entirely off the mainstream radar during the season, but the upperclassman from Belmont brings a dynamic overall skill set. He is a modern player with his shooting and movement skills.

27. Charlotte Hornets — Nick Smith Jr., B+: Smith Jr. falling this far would’ve been quite shocking before the season. He struggled, at least relatively, at Arkansas with injury and performance, but the talent is there as a natural creator. Charlotte may not be the perfect place for that skill to blossom, but it’s a good value here.

28. Utah Jazz — Brice Sensabaugh, B: There are some injury and defensive concerns with Sensabaugh, but he is a bucket. He is a fantastic shooter that could average buckets of points in the right situation. He doesn’t offer much else right now, but this late in the draft, the value is strong.

29. Denver Nuggets — Julian Strawther, B-: This might be a bit early for Strawther in a vacuum, but Denver can be trusted to maximize his skill set. He is a fantastic shooter and has the size that Denver seems to covet. Defensively, it’s an adventure right now, but there is room to grow with his tools.

30. L.A. Clippers — Kobe Brown, B-: Brown has the pieces to be a very solid role player in the NBA. He fits within the Clippers’ structure as a result, and if his shooting uptick from 2022-23 is real, Brown could be a steal with the final pick of the first round.