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Rock, pop, and now, country — it’s safe to say that Avril Lavigne has done it all. Last night (June 9) at CMA Fest 2023, Miranda Lambert brought out Lavigne during her performance at Nissan Stadium in Nashville.

Before introducing Lavigne, Lambert said she was about to “make more badass happen right now.” She then noted her “new bestie” was about to arrive to the stage, welcoming Lavigne to the performance.

Lavigne and Lambert then performed “Kerosene,” which is one of Lambert’s earliest hits. Maintaining the throwback vibe, “Kerosene” smoothly transitioned to Lavigne’s 2002 breakthrough hit, “Sk8er Boi.”

In fan-shared footage, the audience is heard cheering with nostalgia after hearing the songs that made them fans from the beginning.

In recent years, Lambert has experimented with her sound, going from country, to folk, to rock. In an interview with CNN, she revealed she’s become more comfortable switching up her musical stylings.

“There were some moments where I was being pushed in directions that I just wasn’t comfortable,” Lambert said. “So I stood my ground, but as I’ve gotten older and more into the industry, I’ve kind of relaxed in that.”

You can see some clips of the performance above.

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

Donald Trump has long loved releasing propaganda videos that make him look both strong and attacked by powerful elites. He dropped a new one Saturday, featuring a two-minute montage of the former president looking powerful while a speech — about a talented person being built up by the public only be torn down — plays on the soundtrack. If the voice sounds familiar, that’s because it’s Matt Damon. If the monologue sounds familiar, it’s because it’s from the movie Air.

The speech comes from the home stretch of the docudrama, which details Nike successful attempts in 1984 to court the collegiate Michael Jordan with both money and a shoe designed in his honor. It’s not hard — if you remove all the details about Jordan’s life — for a narcissist with a martyr complex to see how the speech could be about him, too:

“People are going to build you up, and God are they going to, because when you’re great and new, we love you. Man, we’ll build you up into something that doesn’t even exist. You’re going to change the f*cking world. But you know what? Once they’ve built you as high as they possibly can, they’re gonna tear you back down. It’s the most predictable pattern. We build you into something that doesn’t exist, and that means you have to try to be that thing all day, every day. That’s how it works. And we do it again, and again, and again. And I’m going to tell you the truth. You’re going to be attacked, betrayed, exposed and humiliated. And you’d survive that. A lot of people can climb that mountain. It’s the way down that breaks them, ’cause that’s the moment when you are truly alone. And what would you do then? Can you summon the will to fight on, through all the pain, and rise again?”

In the film, this plays over images of the real-life Jordan, as he quickly becomes an NBA superstar, as he’s raked over the coals for matters now mostly forgotten by history, as his father is murdered, etc. In Trump’s ad, this plays over images of him looking mighty and defiant — as opposed to looking like a dingleberry, which happens way more often.

It’s not clear if the Air audio clip was properly licensed, but let’s assume that it wasn’t. Let’s also assume that neither Damon, a noted Democrat, nor the film’s director Ben Affleck, who also plays frequently barefooted Nike honcho Phil Knight, would appreciate that a guy who just got indicted — again — was using their work for his own benefit.

Being associated with Donald Trump rarely pays off. Just ask his Diet Coke guy.

Air now streams on Amazon Prime.

(Via The Daily Beast)

At long last, Janelle Monáe is back with new music. Yesterday (June 9), the “Lipstick Lover” artist released her fourth album, The Age Of Pleasure, which marks her first album in five years. Fans everywhere are raving over Monáe’s new liberating and unapologetically queer and sexual collection of music. Of course, with new music comes anticipation for a tour, and fans are dying to find out when they’ll get to see her live.

Is Janelle Monáe going on tour for The Age Of Pleasure?

Janelle Monáe will, in fact, be hitting the road for The Age Of Pleasure on a North American tour beginning this August. She will kick things off at the WAMU Theater in Seattle, will go until October, where she will wrap things up in Inglewood, California.

Fans are able to purchase tickets here. You can see the list of tour dates below.

08/30 – Seattle, WA @ WAMU Theater
08/31 – Vancouver, BC @ UBC – Doug Mitchell Thunderbird Sports Centre
09/02 – Portland, OR @ RV Inn Style Resorts Amphitheater
09/06 – Salt Lake City, UT @ The Complex
09/07 – Morrison, CO @ Red Rocks Amphitheatre
09/09 – Kansas City, MO @ The Midland Theatre
09/11 – Minneapolis, MN @ Armory
09/13 – St. Louis, MO @ Stifel Theatre
09/14 – Chicago, IL @ Byline Bank Aragon Ballroom
09/17 – Boston, MA @ MGM Music Hall at Fenway
09/18 – Philadelphia, PA @ The Met
09/20 – Montreal, QB @ Mtelus
09/21 – Toronto, ON @ Massey Hall
09/24 – Washington, DC @ The Anthem*
09/26 – New York City, NY @ Radio City Music Hall
09/28 – Brooklyn, NY @ Kings Theatre
10/02 – Charlotte, NC @ Skyla Credit Union Amphitheatre
10/03 – Nashville, TN @ Ryman Auditorium
10/04 – Birmingham, AL @ Avondale Brewing Company
10/06 – Atlanta, GA @ Fox Theatre Atlanta
10/09 – Dallas, TX @ The Pavilion at Toyota Music Factory
10/10 – Houston, TX @ Bayou Music Center
10/11 – Austin, TX @ Moody Amphitheater
10/15 – Phoenix, AZ @ Arizona Financial Theatre
10/17 – San Francisco, CA @ Bill Graham Civic Auditorium
10/18 – Inglewood, CA @ YouTube Theater

The Age Of Pleasure is out now via Atlantic. Find more information here.

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

[This is your spoiler warning that you shouldn’t keep reading if you care at all how Transformers: Rise of the Beasts ends.]

At the end of Transformers: Rise of the Beasts, again, set in 1994, Anthony Ramos’s Noah is on yet another job interview. There’s a whole subplot about how Noah had to leave the U.S. military to take care of his little brother, who is ill and has medical bills. Michael Kelly plays the man interviewing Noah for what appears to be another throwaway job, but seems to know a lot more about Noah than would be normally possible and knows that Noah had been in Peru recently hanging out with the Autobots.

Noah plays innocent and claims he has no idea what this is about. Kelly’s character tells Noah he likes that answer then explains a war is coming and his team is looking for people like Noah. And if Noah changes his mind, well, “Here’s my card.” Kelly’s character then opens a secret door on the office wall and enters what appears to be an airport hanger. Noah looks at the card and it reads, “G.I. Joe.”

A couple of things: Obviously the Transformers and G.I. Joe crossover comics have been a thing since the mid-’80s and it’s actually surprising it took until now to even tease such a thing with these movies. In the original G.I. Joe comic run of the ’80s, the G.I. Joe base was a very large underground bunker called The Pit that was located on Staten Island. (This may be where this interview takes place.) And as Transformers director Steven Caple Jr. says, yes, this would be a complete reboot of G.I. Joe and have nothing to do with the prior three movies and goes on to explain at least what he can explain so far about this crossover.

I did not see the G.I. Joe twist coming at the end. Michael Kelly plays it so straight.

Yeah, no, nice to be forward as well and try to keep it close. I feel like Michael Kelly was a nice sort of surprise. As we go into it, we wanted to make sure whoever we use isn’t like a full-blown Nick Fury. When you start to do the compare and contrast to the other franchise. So, for me, it just felt like there was a way to bring in Michael. He’s a phenomenal actor. And so to have him in the mix and be able to build a team out would’ve been really cool. But you could go any direction with him. If he wanted to be a villain, if he wanted to be a good guy, if he wanted to be down for the cause, you just don’t know. So he just felt valuable that way.

Is he a G.I. Joe character we know?

Yes, he is someone we know. He does have a relationship with someone in the past, but not necessarily in the franchises. But not the movies…

I’m assuming this is going to kind of reboot things. Is that the plan, to reboot G.I. Joe?

Yes. 100 percent. That is my plan for sure.

Okay you said “my plan” and that you’ll be involved in the future. So do you want to do more Transformers or do G.I. Joe?

I think that’s one we have to wait on. But I’m always Transformers. I want to say always Transformers. But, I mean, between you and I, I know you’ll read this later, but when you look at it, there is a Transformer, G.I. Joe collaboration in the comic books. And I read it years ago and I thought this idea would always been cool. So I’m not going to say I’m staying true to that storyline, but the fact that it was more so G.I. Joe stepping into their world was interesting to me.

You can contact Mike Ryan directly on Twitter.

Is Donald Trump really done for? They call him “Teflon Don” for a reason, so possibly not. Still, being federally indicted on 37 counts for allegedly mishandling classified government documents isn’t small potatoes. And he’s not the only one who may be going down: As per CNN (in a bit caught by Intelligencer), also indicted was Trump’s Diet Coke guy.

His name is Walt Nauta, and he’s one of the many underlings whose life has been put in jeopardy thanks to their association with the former president. The day after his latest indictment was made public, Trump took to his rinky-dink Twitter clone Friday to reveal that Natua, too, was facing indictment. (CNN later verified this as true.) Trump called Nauta a “wonderful man” who “served proudly with me in the White House” before transitioning to private life.

“They are trying to destroy his life, and the lives of so many others, hoping that he will say bad things about ‘Trump,’” he wrote, once again putting his name in quotation marks. “He is strong, brave, and a Great Patriot. The FBI and DOJ are CORRUPT!”

The unsealed DOJ document revealed that Nauta had been charged with conspiracy to obstruct justice, withholding a document or record, corruptly concealing a document or record, concealing a document in a federal investigation, scheme to conceal, and false statements and representations.

A Navy vet, Nauta worked his way up the Trump administration, starting as a White House cook only to become one of his valets. He gained notoriety for a very specific part of his job, as The Washington Post reported last year:

Not long after Trump took office, Nauta left the mess to become one of Trump’s valets, spending some of his workday in a small passageway that connects the West Wing to a private dining room. From there, he had access to a small refrigerator stocked with Diet Cokes, which he brought to the president in the Oval Office when Trump pressed a call button on his desk, said a former White House staffer who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss activities inside the White House.

That Trump allegedly lives on Diet Coke, even having a Diet Coke button (since removed), means Nauta must have been very busy. He was also a gofer, fetching other, non-Diet Coke items and tidying things up in a place infamous for having key documents clog toilets.

Nauta was kept on the Trump payroll as part of his Save America PAC, but last summer he spoke to the FBI. At first he tried to protect his old boss, but the things changed, as per the Post:

When FBI agents first interviewed Nauta, he denied any role in moving boxes or sensitive documents, the people familiar with the situation said in interviews before Nauta’s name became public. But as investigators gathered more evidence, they questioned him a second time and he told a starkly different story — that Trump instructed him to move the boxes, these people said.

Trump appears to have forgiven Nauta for telling the feds the alleged truth; sources told CNN he was at Trump’s Bedminister, New Jersey club when he got the news of the indictment. It’s unclear if he still fetches him his Diet Cokes, but there’s a chance he might have to do that from the slammer.

(Via CNN, Intelligencer and The Washington Post)

This past week, an early version of Lil Tjay and 6LACK‘s “Calling My Phone” surfaced online. This version featured a verse by SZA, which was ultimately left off of the final version.

Until yesterday (June 9), it was unclear why SZA’s verse didn’t end up on the official release. The “Kill Bill” hitmaker took to Twitter to explain the she actually didn’t turn in her verse.

“I’m mad y’all leaked it .. but glad y’all liked it,” she said. “I punked out of turning it in … happens a lot actually. I be feeling like I can’t add anything to songs that are already fire. Respect to @liltjay + @6LACK.”

Fans responded to SZA, urging her to let go of her nerves and to have more confidence in her craft. Though, SZA indicated that adding to a song of that caliber makes for a lot of pressure.

“It’s more a respect thing to the artist,” she said. “I literally only wanna give the best of me especially if the song is already popular. If I can’t magnify it I fall back.”

6LACK caught wind of the leak, however, he jokingly suggested that he couldn’t listen to it.

“ngl i listened with my hands over my ears cz it felt like a sin,” he said. “sound like butter tho.”

SZA then sent a message of reassurance to 6LACK and Tjay, letting them know, “y’all ATE.”

The WGA strike has been going on since early May, and in that time the picket lines have been graced with its share of celebrities. Some, like Pete Davidson, have merely shown solidarity (by bringing strikers top shelf south Brooklyn pizza). Some, like Mandy Patinkin, have struck alongside them. On Friday, as per Deadline, the Simpsons team — past and present — showed up. And boy, were their signs excellent.

The Simpsons has been home to its share of legends, some of whom were there. The one who started it all, Matt Groening, showed up. So did co-honcho (and excellent filmmaker in his own right) James L. Brooks. Arguably its most famous former staff writer, Conan O’Brien, was present, as were Dana Gould, Al Jean, and current showrunner Matt Selman.

And the signs — they mined from a long history of Simpsons excellence. Selman, for instance, recreated Kirk Van Houten’s misbegotten attempt to draw “dignity,” which Selman’s caption turned into a dig at Warner Bros. Discovery top dog David Zaslav.

There were appearances from familiar faces, like Moe and Disco Stu.

Also the chain-smoking monkeys trying — and failing — to write the greatest novel known to man (but only succeeding in creating a failed ripoff of A Tale of Two Cities).

And references to other classic Simpsons bits.

There were good pins.

And classic Simpsons merch.

And famous faces.

And, of course, donuts.

(Via Deadline)

A Taylor Swift fan has reportedly been arrested after stalking, harassing, and intimidating the “Karma” singer for months.

According to a report from CNN, 36-year-old Mitchell Taebel was booked into LaPorte County Jail last Friday (June 2), on charges of stalking, intimidation, invasion of privacy, and harassment.

Taebel was alleged to have sent threatening messages to Swift, her team, and management, dating back to this past March.

CNN notes that the affidavit, which they obtained from LaPorte County Jail, does not directly mention Swift herself, however, there are several mentions of the Eras Tour, Swift’s management team, 13 management, Joe Alwyn, who is one of her most recent exes, and a song from Swift’s Midnights album.

The affidavit also reportedly notes that Taebel sent a voice message to Swift via Instagram back in March, claiming that “he would happily wear a bomb if he cannot be with his soul mate.”

Taebel reportedly also sent messages to Swift’s father, as well as her dancers.

In May, Taebel is said to have traveled from Long Beach, Indiana, to Swift’s home in Nashville, and was immediately escorted off of the property. Later that day, he reportedly showed up to Nissan Stadium, where Swift was performing that night.

According to CNN, the affidavit notes that Taebel was placed on a security threat/concern list, barring him from purchasing a ticket, however, he was reportedly able to purchase a ticket through a third-party seller. The venue’s security reportedly recognized him as he entered the stadium and escorted him offsite.

13 Management’s legal counsel requested a temporary restraining order on May 11, which was then served to Taebel on May 13. However, Taebel is said to have violated the restraining order, as he reportedly continued to send messages to Swift up until the 18th.

Taebel was reportedly arrested with a $15,000 bond in place, and is set to appear in court on July 27 at 8:30 a.m.

Kid Rock and Donald Trump go way back. In the early days of his presidency, Trump invited the rap-rocker, real name Robert Ritchie, to the White House. There, Ritchie alleged, Trump busted out a bunch of probably classified maps, asking him how to handle North Korea. Ritchie told this story last year in a chat with Tucker Carlson. Now that Trump has been federally indicted for his handling of classified documents, people are wondering if Kid Rock will one day be asked to take the stand.

On Friday, the Department of Justice unsealed their indictment of the former president. Among the shocking details is that Trump allegedly showed a “classified map related to a military operation” to an unnamed member of his political action committee at his Bedminster, New Jersey golf club who did not have security clearance.

This person, obviously, was not Kid Rock, who is neither a representative of Trump’s PAC nor was, far as we know, at Bedminster in 2021. But because Ritchie’s story also involves Trump showing classified materials to someone without clearance, it came back in the news.

Indeed, and again, Ritchie told the story — with clear bewilderment — last year to Tucker Carlson, while Trump was still holding onto hundreds of government documents.

Ritchie’s story is not part of the federal indictment, so it’s unlikely he’ll be called to testify about his longtime bud. And yet people still fantasized about that happening.

Buried under the lede is another shocking story: That the voice of reason between a president of the United States and Kid Rock is Kid Rock.

(Via The Daily Mail)

City Girls have dropped their much-anticipated single, “Piñata,” just in time for the summer. Yung Miami and JT first previewed the song during their set at Rolling Loud in California back in March. Now, they are gearing up for the release of their third album, having released a two-pack of songs over the course of 24 hours.

Hours after dropping “I Need A Thug,” the girls surprise-released “Piñata.” On the song, the girls rap with some Spanish-inspired flair.

“I’m wet like agua / got him bussin’ like a choppa / P*ssy make him do the cha-cha / He wanna hit it like a piñata,” rap the girls on the chorus.

In an interview with Complex published earlier this week, the girls spilled the tea on their new era. While they have several playful hits in their cannon, Miami and JT are determined to deliver a classic with their third album.

“It’s just a perfection thing right now,” said JT. “I don’t want to put out nothing corny. I feel like we’ve been here too long, and I don’t even want to play how we used to. I want the music to be good and hit. It’s still p*ssy rap, like it’ll be fun, but much more elevated. It’s elevated p*ssy rap.”

You can listen to Piñata above.