A day after the pre-save link for Doja Cat’s new single “Attention” was apparently leaked early, Doja has shared the official artwork for the single (or possibly even her album, rumored to be titled Scarlet) herself. On both Instagram and Twitter, Doja posted the artwork, which features a triangular shape drawn in red ink, evoking the “scarlet” theme and even suggesting — as some fans noted — blood. Considering Doja’s proclivity for provocation, all those associations are likely intentional. Accompanying the cover art is the date 6/16/23, this Friday, so we won’t have long to wait.
The rollout for Doja’s fourth album has been fraught with chaotic energy — something Doja credited to her ADHD. At one point, she insisted that the album was called Hellmouth but since then, she’s claimed that she has changed the title multiple times. Last year, she stated that the album would lean more into rap than her previous efforts, but just months later, she had changed her mind, saying it would be an R&B album instead.
Then, early this year, she said the album would be more punk-oriented before flip-flopping on Twitter over whether to quit music altogether. Now, it looks like this wild ride is nearing its destination and Doja’s next album — whatever it’s called and however it sounds — will be out sooner rather than later.
With the Denver Nuggets winning their first NBA championship on Monday night, Tuesday morning on sports television was all about reaction to Denver’s title and the always popular “way too early” look ahead to the 2023-24 season, despite the draft and free agency still weeks away.
On First Take, this meant unleashing Chris “Mad Dog” Russo to list out his top 5 contenders for the 2024 title, which I’m not sure you could find a single soul that would have the same list.
Stephen A.’s facial expressions throughout this segment are really incredible, but none more than when Mad Dog starts out with the Oklahoma City Thunder as his No. 5 contender, citing Chet Holmgren and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, aka “what’s his name there, the guard, I always forget.” He then goes to the Kings, saying they’ll only get better while explaining he can’t put the Suns on his list because Kevin Durant is “bad karma,” which is an incredible reason to be out on the Suns. After that he puts his only East team on the board with the Bucks before getting to the current champs in Denver, who he compares to Warriors and Blazers teams from the 1970s which is the most Mad Dog thing in history.
His No. 1 team is the Warriors, who he says “has got one more championship in their bones before they all fade away and discard,” which is an incredible thing to say about a sports team. It’s a true masterclass in takesmithing, and leaving Stephen A. in the side box the entire time is inspired production work because his mute reaction to every Mad Dog tangent is wonderful.
In addition to discussing the infamous cast sleepover, the one in which a not-invited Ryan Gosling sent a Scottish man in a kilt to recite the Braveheart speech, stars Margot Robbie, Issa Rae, America Ferrera, and Kate McKinnon talked about their personal connections to the pop culture icon.
When she was a kid growing up in Australia, Robbie received a Barbie Dreamhouse for Christmas. It meant so much to the actress that she requested — nay, demanded — that Greta Gerwig include it in the movie.
“I’ll follow your vision. Whatever you want this Barbie movie to be, let’s do that. Except I just have one favor,” she recalled telling the director. “Please, please, please can we have a Dreamhouse where she has a slide that goes from her bedroom down to her pool, because that is my goal in life.”
Steven Yeun is known for his lengthy acting credits appearing in The Walking Dead, Nope, and more. However, it wasn’t until the entertainer could showcase his love for music until Netflix’s Beef.
Yeun’s performance of the classic hymn “Amazing Grace” moved viewers, but his cover of Incubus’ 1999 song “Drive” truly blew fans’ minds. When the series’ official score was released in April, it didn’t make the cut. Now, the full version of the cover has hit streaming platforms as part of Beef: The Bonus Tracks.
During an appearance on the podcast Skip Intro, host Krista Smith asked Yeun about his love for music, to which he replied, “As an immigrant kid growing up in the Midwest, that was really my only real safe space. There was another reality happening [in Korean church] where maybe how we couldn’t assert ourselves in wider America, we could at least feel for ourselves in that particular place.”
Other tracks featured on the bonus album include “The Birds Don’t Sing, They Screech In Pain,” “I Am Inhibited By A Cry,” “Such Inward Secret Creatures,” “I Am A Cage,” “Just Not All At The Same Time,” “Figures Of Light,” and “The Drama Of Original Choice,” all of which are performed by Bobby Krllic.
Listen to Yeun’s “Drive” cover above and the full soundtrack below.
The DMV area was one that was long overlooked in hip-hop through its first 30 or so years, but in the early 2010s, it rose in prominence and has been climbing ever since thanks to the efforts of rappers like Wale, IDK, Rico Nasty, and Shy Glizzy. However, one of Washington DC’s foremost pioneers had been missing out on the region’s boom.
Fat Trel, who first broke out in 2012 thanks to his Nightmare On E Street mixtape, spent much of the latter half of the 2010s in prison due to a string of arrests and possession of a weapon. Now, he’s out and looking to restart his career in earnest with the mixtape Nightmare On E Street 2. He details his impending comeback in a new mini-documentary titled The Road To Nightmare On E Street 2.
Trel was initially locked up in 2016 for using counterfeit currency and driving while intoxicated. In 2018, though, he was arrested for possession of a so-called “ghost gun” and sentenced in 2021 to two years and six months in federal prison (he was released later that year thanks to time served). After a probation violation in December, he served out another 11 months before being released in November.
The documentary details Trel’s love for music and recommitment to the art form as he works to stay out of trouble and enjoy the fruits of his labor as DC, Maryland, and Virginia finally start to see more popularity. Trel’s peers like Shy Glizzy and Wale appear in the doc, as he recounts his rise to stardom and expresses his hopes for the future.
Watch The Road To Nightmare On E Street 2 above.
Fat Trel is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
“There are times pop music is the end result when I’m in the studio, but I don’t really go in and say, ‘Today I am going to make a pop song,’ but it can happen,” Post Malone reportedly once said. While the rapper isn’t on this list, a lot of other pop artists likely feel the same way about how their songs just sort of materialize into a hit.
Continue scrolling for Uproxx’s Best New Pop guide from this week.
Rosalía — “Tuya”
Rosalía is completely in her romance era and honoring her boyfriend, Rauw Alejandro, with a special song about their relationship’s moments. “Exploring is part of who I am as a musician and in the case of ‘Tuya,’ inspirations such as reggaeton, Japanese instruments, flamenco, and gabber techno coexist at the same level,” she shared in a statement.
BTS — “Take Two”
BTS’ hiatus isn’t stopping them from treating fans to some new music to hold them over until a return. Their new “Take Two” addresses their Army directly, speaking to how they’re all living in the moment together, “Yeah, wе never felt so young / When together sing the song… Yeah, we never felt so right / When I got you by my side.”
Niall Horan — “The Show”
The title track from Niall Horan’s new album finds him reflecting on how life’s mistakes make us who we are at the end of the day. “If everythin’ was simple, how would we know? / How to fix your tears, how to fake a show / How to paint a smile, yeah, how would we know? / How good we have it, though?” he asks in the chorus.
Sam Smith, Madonna — “Vulgar”
Sam Smith brought Madonna on to be the most fitting option to turn up the drama on their new song, “Vulgar.” The duo recorded it reportedly the day after the Grammy Awards. “If you f*ck with Sam tonight, you’re f*cking with me / So watch what you say or I’ll split your banana,” Madonna fires back during her turn on the track.
Shawn Mendes — “What The Hell Are We Dying For”
With a viral cover art that features an image from the recent wildfires, most had wondered how he was able to turn something around so fast. Before the release, Mendes shared he had just finished it a few hours before — and it also seems to possibly give some insight into his relationship/breakup with Camila Cabello.
PinkPantheress — “Angel”
Another hit in the making from the Barbie soundtrack that has yet to miss, PinkPantheress’ “Angel” is the next drop to hype audiences up to go see the blockbuster next month. While the instrumental is just as bubbly as the rest, lyrically, she is haunted by a lost love.
Renée Rapp — “Snow Angel”
While actress Renée Rapp is set to star in an upcoming Mean Girls adaptation, she is also keeping her musical side just as sharp to prepare, as she welcomes a new era with “Snow Angel.” The track finds her trying to push as best as she can through emotional battles.
Janelle Monáe — “Phenomenal” (feat. Doechii)
“Dance ’cause there ain’t nobody else in this b*tch like you,” Monáe and Doechii sing in the bridge of “Phenomenal.” The collaboration, which appears on her new album, The Age Of Pleasure, finds the two musicians reveling in their self-worth — making it an anthem to lift fans up.
Gus Dapperton — “Sunset”
“Your light is like the beacon I will never see / Killed the flame, I’m divin’ deeper in the darkness / Burned every bridge, now there’s nothin’ left to spark it,” Dapperton sings on his newest, “Sunset.” The pining pop track is set to appear on his upcoming album, Henge, which arrives next month.
Noah Kahan — “Dial Drunk”
Noah Kahan’s “Dial Drunk” has already become a viral sensation on TikTok even before its official release. Now, the song has the potential to become a charting hit, as fans are loving the folksy tale of a bad guy’s point-of-view.
Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
Haim played the Gov Ball music festival in NYC over the weekend. However, even after years in the industry, men still have something to say about the band’s performances.
“Is it me or is that bassist just acting?” Lakeshore Records’ A&R director Eric Craig commented on one of NME‘s Instagram posts of Este Haim playing, according to People Magazine.
The group eventually caught Craig’s comment and had some thoughts to respond. “I’m so used to seeing this sh*t on every f*cking video of us playing ever, but I’m so over it. Don’t ever say we don’t play our f*cking instruments,” they replied — posting a screenshot of it to their IG story.
It’s also not the first time Este Haim has received these misogynistic remarks about her playing bass. “I get [told], ‘I love that you don’t care what you look like when you play. I love that you don’t care what your face looks like when you play. I love that about you,’” she told NME in 2019. “God, thank you so much. Like, f*ck you.”
“Even the other day we were doing an interview, and it was a male journalist,” she shared with L’Officiel the following year. “He was like, ‘I want to ask you about your song ‘3AM,’’ and I was like ‘Great, love! Let’s talk about it.’ And he was like, ‘The bass line is incredible, you know? Who played it?’ And I was concerned, ’cause I was like, ‘Oh sh*t, was there a discrepancy on the credits?’ He was like, ‘Oh, I haven’t seen the credits.’”
Since Haim pushed back on IG, fans have flooded the NME post’s comments with lots of love for Este.
Ex-President Donald Trump’s newest criminal indictment (and we do now live in a world where there’s more than one) has not left the GOP in a graceful state. Rep. Lauren Boebert promptly lashed out, Sen. Lindsey Graham got snippy, and over at Fox News, Brian Kilmeade’s spirit deflated on live TV.
How are the Trump kids doing following news of the Mar-a-Lago bathroom photos? Ivanka has essentially been a vapor trail and has said nothing about her father, several days after the indictment of 37 charges landed. Don Jr., on the other hand, is all too happy to talk. Well, sort-of talk and kind-of listen.
Don Jr. made another one of his bizarre appearances, which in the past has resulted in amped-up Fox News rants and slurry missives that have left people wondering if he needs an intervention. This is not to mention his glassy-eyed, “Motel 6” rant, which really made people wonder how he’s feeling behind the scenes. And now, the eldest boy appeared on his Rumble Triggered program to discuss his dad’s latest legal mess.
In this first clip, posted to the MAGA Inc Room PAC’s Twitter account, Don Jr. looks simply shifty while listening to attorney Kash Patel attempt to discredit Special Counsel Jack Smith due to prior alleged actions by his deputy, Karen Gilbert. Consider this clip to be an appetizer.
Jack Smith’s deputy, Karen Gilbert, was once almost fired from the DOJ due to being part of a scheme to illegally wiretap a defense attorney. pic.twitter.com/DHF731Inc2
The full video appeared on Rumble, and attorney/podcaster Ron Filipkowski posted a zoomed-in snippet, in which Don Jr. seems to be having more a more intense moment. His watery eyes dart around everywhere while he can’t seem to sit still, and he does rub his nose.
Fans of Playboi Carti and YoungBoy Never Broke Again are convinced that the two controversial rappers are working on a joint album. The speculation was prompted by Carti making an unexpected return to social media with an Instagram Story post with a photo of YoungBoy wearing an inverted cross pendant on his chain. Sacrilegious symbolism is kind of Carti’s thing, so naturally fans wondered whether YoungBoy rocking the Atlanta genre-bender’s signature iconography — and Carti posting it — was a sign.
Even more evidence of an incoming collaboration appeared on the Instagram profile @jewelryunlimited, where celebrity jeweler Wafi amin Lalani noted the chain and pendant were a gift from Carti to YoungBoy, “ahead of their new collab album.”
The duo had never previously collaborated but both have proven to be very popular among younger hip-hop fans despite aggressive opposition from traditionalists and less-than-sterling histories with women. If the rumor does turn out to be true, it’ll mean that Carti is extra busy working on collaborative projects this year; in March, Lil Uzi Vert teased that they and Carti were also working on a collab project and “about to take over the world.”
Carti is also billed to appear at Rolling Loud Miami and Lyrical Lemonade’s Summer Smash this year, so he’s got a pretty full schedule for 2023. YoungBoy, meanwhile, has raised his proile with a string of big-name collaborations (and beefs) but is currently stuck in Utah on house arrest for the foreseeable future.
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.
While we’re at it, sign up for our newsletter to get the best new indie music delivered directly to your inbox, every Monday.
Fiddlehead — “Sullenboy”
Fiddlehead’s discography is a sprawling exploration of grief and life. 2018’s Springtime And Blind was a colossal masterwork of a debut; 2021’s Between The Richness was an introspective, amplified follow-up. Now, the Boston-based band is back with the announcement of Death Is Nothing To Us, and the lead single “Sullenboy” encapsulates their ambitious post-hardcore greatness. When Patrick Flynn shouts empathetically to replace fear with love, his voice is saturated with hope and understanding.
Feeble Little Horse — Girl With Fish
Singles like “Tin Man” and “Steamroller” were bewitching slices of Feeble Little Horse’s delightfully weird album Girl With Fish. Mixing blared-out indie rock with elements of twang and hyperpop is a formula for success. The record moves mesmerizingly like a medley, floating between captivating sounds, unpredictable.
Pup — “How To Live With Yourself” & “Smoke Screen”
Last year, Pup unleashed the explosive album The Unraveling Of PupTheBand. The punks have returned with B-sides from the mayhem. The infectious melodies, the unhinged instrumentation, the big build-ups are retained on these new songs “How To Live With Yourself” and “Smoke Screen.” The love for Pup is simple — they shred.
Sharon Van Etten — “Quiet Eyes”
Sharon Van Etten’s music has always had a haunting and beautiful texture not unlike an A24 film, so it makes sense that she made a song for Past Lives. “Quiet Eyes” showcases her otherworldly, evocative vocals, while grappling with ideas of longing, loss, and identity.
PJ Harvey — “I Inside The Old And Dying”
“This delicate and beautiful song eluded us until the very last day in the studio,” legend PJ Harvey said about her singular new ballad “I Inside The Old And Dying.” It does sound made up of magic; her voice is angelic. She describes the result as “the ethereal and melancholic longing I was looking for,” and there’s no better way to put it.
Soft Kill — Metta World Peace
Soft Kill’s Canary Yellow was an overlooked gem of last year, released on Halloween and containing some of the best indie-rock earworms you’ll ever hear, like the triumphant “Magic Garden.” They’re already shared another album, the elusive Metta World Peace, which returns to the dark, synth-based sound they started off with. “Trouble” is a highlight, capturing their eerie magic.
The Front Bottoms — “Punching Bag”
The New Jersey-based group The Front Bottoms have been celebrating the 10-year anniversary of their emo classic Talon Of The Hawk. Since then, they’ve been teasing You Are Who You Hang Out With, which draws from that early material by sticking to an intimate, stripped-down sound and detailed lyricism, especially on this vulnerable new track “Punching Bag.”
Lydia Loveless — “Toothache”
Lydia Loveless is back with the announcement of Nothing’s Gonna Stand In My Way Again out this fall. The lead single “Toothache” vibrates with the brazen confidence of that album title; her tone is unafraid against a flirty bassline as she sings: “How many times have you said that it’s never too late / What about a heartbreak?”
Wombo — Slab
Wombo are masters in post-punk. This is especially true on the song “Slab.” It explodes with colorful riffs and energetic rhythms, topped off with Sydney Chadwick’s deadpan delivery. However, the rest of the Slab EP explores new territory as they float through softer sounds on “Thread” and “Wolfe Ave 40.”
Restraining Order — “Misled”
Restraining Order’s songs are just bursts of energy — like the unexpected explosion of illicit fireworks or the invigorating feeling of driving well over the speed limit. 2019’s This World Is Too Much remains a hardcore masterpiece, and their new single “Misled,” from their forthcoming record Locked in Time, is a massive supernova.
Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
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