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Squid’s third album opens with a song about cannibalism. In the disturbingly titled “Crispy Skin,” vocalist and drummer Ollie Judge assumes the mind of a character from Tender Is The Flesh, a 2017 novel by Argentine writer Agustina Bazterrica. “The blood drips faster than you can think,” he sings during its harrowing finale. Judge has previously described Cowards as a book of dark fairy tales, and its grim (or should I say Grimm?) backdrop befits the art-rock quintet’s knotty, dense arrangements.

Like the most disquieting fairy tales, Cowards vacillates between light and dark; harmony and dissonance; peace and violence. It’s the way in which they both balance and wield this tension that lies at the crux of the record. Through this juggling act, Cowards shines with an emboldened panache.

Following the record’s release on Friday, Judge sat down with Uproxx to talk about singing Nine Inch Nails with tech bros, getting a Twin Peaks tattoo, not being worried about AI and music, and more in our latest Q&A.

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

Music made by us.

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?

With frustration because you can’t eat vinyl, tapes or CDs.

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

Probably Mark Hollis… or Kate Bush.

Where did you eat the best meal of your life and what was it?

We had some great artist catering at Roskilde festival; it was in the posh bit that we weren’t supposed to be in but Laurie managed to sweet-talk us in. I don’t remember much of the meal but the experience was fun.

Tell us about the best concert you’ve ever attended.

Probably Nine Inch Nails at Primavera LA. It was a disastrous trip because Virgin Atlantic lost all of our equipment and we played a pretty rubbish show with hired gear. Nine Inch Nails made up for that, though. It was probably the best-sounding gig we’ve been to. Highlight was standing down the front shouting along to “Head Like A Hole” with a bunch of LA tech bros. The power of music, huh?

What song never fails to make you emotional?

Probably “Hurt” by Nine Inch Nails, but the Johnny Cash cover has a bit more weight behind it.

What’s the last thing you Googled?

Potato Croquettes

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

We stayed in a cheap hotel off the motorway in Milan. We quickly realised it was primarily a sex hotel with mirrors on the ceiling and secret corridors.

What’s your favorite city in the world to perform and what’s the city you hope to perform in for the first time?

Manchester or Glasgow always have great crowds. I’d love to play in Mexico.

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

Keep doin’ what you’re doin’, no regrets.

What’s one of your hidden talents?

I can spin a basketball on my finger and also change the finger it’s spinning on whilst it’s spinning.

If you had a million dollars to donate to charity, what cause would you support and why?

Ummmmm probably a split between Medical Aid for Palestine, Shelter (Housing), Beat (eating disorders), OTR Bristol (young persons’ mental heath), Cats Protection (cats).

What are your thoughts about AI and the future of music?

I don’t think we need to be worried.

You are throwing a music festival. Give us the dream lineup of 5 artists that will perform with you and the location it would be held.

Talk Talk, These New Puritans, Kate Bush, Joanna Newsom and Nine Inch Nails. I’d like it to be very near to my house.

Who’s your favorite person to follow on social media?

Catatonic Youths or Jakerswhite

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

I got a Twin Peaks tattoo from my friend Katie in Brighton. Louis was there; we were sat in their garden drinking beers in the afternoon sun. Great stuff.

What is your pre-show ritual?

Sometimes we do a bit of clapping.

Who was your first celebrity crush?

Maggie Gylenhall or Brienne of Tarth.

You have a month off and the resources to take a dream vacation. Where are you going and who is coming with you?

Japan and my partner Natalie.

What is your biggest fear?

People putting their head out of train windows.

Cowards is out now via Warp Records. Find more information here.

For the past couple of years, eclectic producer and DJ Kenny Beats has made a name for himself for his collaborations with left-of-center rappers like Denzel Curry, Rico Nasty, and Vince Staples. His The Cave YouTube series features those rappers and more joining him in the studio as he makes custom beats for them and then performing freestyles to those beats. It’s pretty cool.

His latest collaboration, though, is a bit of a swerve. On Toro Y Moi’s “Daria,” Kenny and Chaz Bear craft a fuzzy pop rock anthem in the vein of 2006 indie pop classic “Young Folks” by Peter Bjorn & John. An infectious drum loop backs up a propulsive, forceful bassline, over which Toro details a relationship with a girl who might just be a drug dealer.

The song appears on the Japanese version of his 2024 eighth studio album, Hole Erth. Inspired by late ’90s MTV pop-punk and alt-rock and suburban youth culture, the album also featured unexpected, seemingly incongruous appearances from Kenny’s rapper brethren like Don Toliver (“Madonna“), Duckwrth (“Reseda”), Kenny Mason (“Smoke”), and Kevin Abstract (“Heaven“), meaning “Daria” fits right in. Toro is currently on tour promoting the album, with dates in Boston, New York, Philadelphia, Washington, D.C., Raleigh, Nashville, and Atlanta coming this month.

Listen to Toro Y Moi’s new single “Daria” with Kenny Beats above.

When Mereba named her new album The Breeze Grew A Fire, she had no idea how prophetic those words would turn out to be. The nomadic R&B singer has resided in Los Angeles for the past decade — just long enough to be as shocked as the city’s natives by the devastating, unseasonal wildfires that claimed several neighborhoods, historic recording studios, and the homes of some of her closest friends.

“When I tell you, when that title came to me, I really was like, ‘Okay, I don’t really get it, but I’m going to find the meaning of it,’” she told Uproxx in a chuckle-filled Zoom interview about the new project — her first full-length solo release since 2019’s The Jungle Is The Only Way Out.

In the interim, she appeared on Atlanta-based supergroup Spillage Village’s 2020 pandemic paean, Spilligion, and released Azeb, the 2021 EP that constitutes her last music before having her first child.

Born in Montgomery, Alabama, the singer, whose name comes from her Ethiopian heritage, grew up in North Carolina before moving to Atlanta for college. It was there she befriended Spillage Village members JID, 6lack, and Earthgang. She was folded into the group’s official lineup before too long, leading to her own deal with Interscope. While it’d prove mostly successful, resulting in the aforementioned releases, in 2024, she signed with independent label Secretly Canadian and commenced the rollout for her latest.

Mereba’s propensity for releasing new music during unprecedented, world-shaking events aside, The Breeze Grew A Fire isn’t a completely comprehensive overview of her artistic growth over the past four years (there’s a noticeable reduction in the amount of raps, which she jokingly blames on her newfound mom status). It is, however, an elegant, pretty-sounding recapitulation of the things she’s learned and experienced, the healing she’s done, and her hopes for the future. She also flexes her production skills, something she’s proud to share in our conversation, which you can read below.

I think the last time you released something was 2021. What have you been up to since then? What have you been doing? What’s life like?

Yeah, I’ve been making a lot of music, for sure, but I also became a mom, and I’ve been momming.

So yeah, the first couple years is just really taking that time to adjust and be present in that transition in life, but always still, obviously, making music and focusing more on collaborating and features that have come out in the in-between time and stuff like that. But I just wanted to really, really live for a little bit, because so much of my life has been journeying on this pursuit of music. And so when I had my son, I was like, I think this is actually the first time in life that I’m supposed to live outside of that pursuit and just see who I am outside of that. And I had a lot more to write about when I came back to music.

Does he have a favorite song or favorite songs from the new project?

He likes all of them because he likes Mommy’s music, but he definitely gravitates towards certain ones. Right now, he loves “Phone Me.” And it’s interesting because I’m pretty explicit, so hearing my son sing it, I’m like, “Relax.”

Obviously, there’s a lot of pressure and there’s timing to consider, and so I always love to ask artists: why now? What makes now the time for this project? Because you record so much, you can have three or four projects ready to go at any given moment, and there’s something about the time that demands the project that you’re putting out.

I didn’t want to take this long. There were other reasons why it took long outside of having my child: changes in labels, changes in management… a lot of big things changed. For me, it was just a restlessness: I love giving music to the world and I love connecting with my fans. I never imagined that after so many years of trying to get people to care about my music, once they did, I disappeared. But oops, I did not mean to take that long. So, on my level, it was just like, “I’m ready, I have the music, my mind’s right, I’ve got everything figured out, and I can move back into this.”

But I think on the spirit side of it, I couldn’t necessarily have planned the timing of it. I didn’t know what 2025 would feel like coming into it, but it came in very hot. I live in LA. I’ve lived in LA for 10 years. As soon as the year started, it felt like we were just boxing. I think in general in this country and just the world at large, I know what I’m called to do with music has to do with healing and restoration and comfort and calm. I could have released the album earlier maybe, but on the spirit side, I do think it feels like divine timing. Not to mention the title of the album is very interesting, in retrospect.

Ancestors was like, “Hey, girl. Hey, girl, get ready.” They were trying to warn us.

Exactly. Because when I tell you, when that title came to me, I really was like, “Okay, I don’t really get it, but I’m going to find the meaning of it.” Because God said, “This is the title of this album.” There’s some things I don’t ask too much about. I just feel it. I think that’s why the timing worked out the way that it did.

If you were going to be introducing someone to Mereba, the concept of Mereba, who Mereba is as an artist, one time with one song from this album, which song would that be?

Ooh, that’s such a hard question. That’s a really hard question just because there are elements of my artistry that are not as present on this album, i.e. rapping. I rapped on “Counterfeit.” I rapped on “Hawk.” But yes, that is some feedback that I’m definitely getting. I knew that I would, and I will get back to rapping, but I explained that having a baby and a toddler is just not very rapperly energy that you’re in.

So, I didn’t want to force it, but I sprinkled a little bit. But I will say that that is a big part of my artistry that isn’t as present, but I honestly think sentiment-wise and sonically, I think “Heart Of A Child” is a pretty strong representation of what I care most about with music. It has a message to it. It feels timeless to me, and it feels like a song that kid me would’ve wanted big me to make.

What is your hope for the result of this album release? This time next year, what do you want to be able to say about it?

I definitely want this album to be a grand reintroduction of my artistry to the world. I just anticipate all the places we’ll go with it, all the cities and the countries that we’ll go to with this. Definitely my first full world tour, going to places I’ve never been. The timing of my career with the pandemic was an interesting one, where I feel like a lot of things that it might seem like I would’ve already done, I haven’t. The way that things worked out for me, a lot of those things were happening in 2020, and then things changed. So, I just look forward to really standing consistently in my artistry for the next year and really showing people what it is I have to give without any interruptions.

I do hope that one or more of these songs just connects with people in a large way, just really spreads around the world. I feel very blessed because my fan base is a very passionate one, but I definitely would like to grow my fan base and reach more people that maybe wouldn’t expect to connect. Something surprising happening would be nice because I really feel like the energy of this album and this music is so loving and tender and sweet, and I do think that that’s missing in certain ways in the world, and I just want to be of service.

I always ask artists: What’s one of those questions that you wish somebody would’ve asked you? If you had the mic and you asked you, what’s the question that you would want to be asked that you want to talk about that you never get to talk about?

I feel like one thing that I never get to talk about is the fact that I produce my own music. Getting into music production was the game-changer for me. I do believe that that’s how things came together for me to finally introduce a sound that I felt confident in.

And obviously, we’ve heard it is more rare for women to produce their music. We’ve heard the stories about women trying to and men being like, “Ah, you don’t know what you’re doing. Do you even know what a four-count is?” We know all those stories. “Do you know what a snare is?” I will say, yes, I experienced those things, but I also experienced my community, my friends, my male friends, all of my friends really uplifting me and believing in that part of me, even before I really considered myself a producer.

Other than performing, I think producing is probably just the most fun. I’m running around the room, I’m excited, I’m playful. It feels like being in a sandbox as an artist. I’m just looking forward to producing more for other people, too. I’m coming up on my 10-year anniversary of learning how to produce, and I would love to encourage more women to get involved in that side of the artistry because it’s so gratifying, and it’s so cool to hear your production on record.

The Breeze Grew A Fire is out 2/14 via Secretly Canadian. Find more information here.

The Dream Is Over. Morbid Stuff. The Unraveling Of PupTheBand. Those are the titles of Canadian punk band Pup’s last three albums; even their 2020 EP is named This Place Sucks Ass. Are Pup OK? Actually, yes, they’re doing great, and they have a new album to prove it.

Described as the band’s “most immediate, no-frills, and hard-hitting full-length yet,” Who Will Look After The Dogs? was recorded over the course of three weeks. The 12 tracks, including “Paranoid,” find frontman and lyricist Stefan Babcock exploring “his life’s relationships — romantic, with his bandmates, and most ruthlessly, his relationship to himself.” And, for once, it sounds like Pup actually had fun making the album.

“When I first started writing the lyrics for this record, everything felt really heavy,” Babcock said in a statement. “By the time we recorded it, even those dark songs felt light and fun. We didn’t even really fight while making this record. It all just felt f*cking awesome.”

You can watch the video for “Hallways” above, and check out the album cover and tracklist for Who Will Look After The Dogs? below.

Pup’s Who Will Look After The Dogs? Album Cover Artwork

Pup’s Who Will Look After The Dogs? Tracklist

1. “No Hope”
2. “Olive Garden”
3. “Concrete”
4. “Get Dumber”
5. “Hunger For Death”
6. “Needed To Hear It”
7. “Paranoid”
8. “Falling Outta Love”
9. “Hallways”
10. “Cruel”
11. “Best Revenge”
12. “Shut Up”

Who Will Look After The Dogs? is out 5/2 via Little Dipper/Rise Records. Find more information here.

Yesterday brought some tragic news in the world of fictional language-learning app mascots: the Duolingo owl is dead.

In an official statement shared on social media, the company wrote:

“It is with heavy hearts that we inform you that Duo, formally known as The Duolingo Owl, is dead.

Authorities are currently investigating his cause of death and we are cooperating fully. Tbh, he probably died waiting for you to do your lesson, but what do we know.

We’re aware he had many enemies, but we kindly ask that you refrain from sharing why you hate him in the comments. If you feel inclined to share, please also include your credit card number so we can automatically sign you up for Duolingo Max in his memory.

We appreciate you respecting Dua Lipa’s privacy at this time.”

Lipa, who has previously expressed an interest in learning more languages, responded to the shout-out with some online mourning, writing, “Til’ death duo part,” followed by a broken heart emoji.

Meanwhile, Duolingo got some Drake trolling in when responding to people asking who could have committed such a crime, responding, “Authorities are looking into a Canadian rapper currently.”

Duolingo is also teasing on their TikTok more information about Duo’s death, so more information on this make-believe crime is coming soon.

One of America’s longest-running music festivals is back for another year. Summerfest 2025 is held in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, over the course of three weekends: June 19 to 21, June 26 to 28, and July 3 to 5. This year’s headliners include Hozier with Gigi Perez in weekend 1, Megan Thee Stallion with Flo Milli in weekend 2, and The Lumineers with Hippo Campus in weekend 3.

The lineup also features The Killers, Lainey Wilson with Lukas Nelson, Benson Boone, James Taylor with Jason Mraz and Tiny Habits, Def Leppard with Tesla, BossMan DLow, The Avett Brothers, Japanese Breakfast, Cake, The Head And The Heart, Riley Green, Gary Clark Jr., Young the Giant, Babymetal, Loud Luxury, Offset, Jack’s Mannequin, Lindsey Stirling, Whiskey Myers, Billy Corgan And The Machines of God, Ayra Starr, Richard Marx, Porter Robinson, Dirty Heads, The Fray, Natasha Bedingfield, Devo, Motion City Soundtrack, Betty Who, Snow Tha Product, Bone Thugs-N-Harmony, and many more.

“As an independent music festival, Summerfest delivers a one-of-a-kind experience, bringing fans together from all backgrounds to enjoy incredible performances and Milwaukee’s vibrant energy,” Sarah Pancheri, President and CEO, Milwaukee World Festival, Inc., shared in a statement. “Today is an exciting day as we unveil this year’s lineup with over 160 artists spanning all genres of music.”

Tickets for Summerfest 2025 are on sale now. You can find more information here.

Shakira is launching the North American leg of her Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran World Tour this year. That kicks off in May, but before that, she just started the tour overall in Brazil last night (February 11).

So, for North American fans wondering what they can expect when Shakira hits US shores in a few months, the setlist from yesterday’s show (via setlist.fm) might be telling.

Check out the setlist and Shakira’s upcoming North American tour dates below.

Shakira’s Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran World Tour Setlist

1. “La Fuerte”
2. “Girl Like Me”
3. “Las De La Intuición/Estoy Aquí”
4. “Empire/Inevitable”
5. “Te Felicito/TQG”
6. “Don’t Bother”
7. “Acróstico”
8. “Copa Vacía/La Bicicleta/La Tortura”
9. “Hips Don’t Lie”
10. “Chantaje”
11. “Monotonía”
12. “Addicted To You/Loca”
13. “Soltera”
14. “Cómo Dónde Y Cuándo”
15. “Última”
16. “Ojos Así”
17. “Pies Descalzos, Sueños Blancos”
18. “Mama África”
19. “Antología”
20. “Poem To A Horse”
21. “Objection (Tango)”
22. “Whenever, Wherever”
23. “Waka Waka (This Time For Africa)”
24. “She Wolf”
25. “BZRP Music Sessions #53”

Shakira’s 2025 North American Tour Dates: Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran World Tour

05/13 — Charlotte, NC @ Bank of America Stadium
05/15 — East Rutherford, NJ @ MetLife Stadium
05/20 — Montreal, QC @ Bell Centre
05/22 — Detroit, MI @ Little Caesars Arena
05/26 — Toronto, ON @ Scotiabank Arena
05/29 — Boston, MA @ Fenway Park
05/31 — Washington, DC @ Nationals Park
06/04 — Orlando, FL @ Camping World Stadium
06/06 — Miami, FL @ Hard Rock Stadium
06/11 — Arlington, TX @ Globe Life Field
06/13 — San Antonio, TX @ Alamodome
06/15 — Houston, TX @ Toyota Center
06/20 — Inglewood, CA @ SoFi Stadium
06/22 — Phoenix, AZ @ Footprint Center
06/26 — San Diego, CA @ Snapdragon Stadium
06/28 — Las Vegas, NV @ Allegiant Stadium
06/30 — San Francisco, CA @ Oracle Park

Induction into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame is one of the biggest and most enduring honors in music. Now, we know who has a chance to get in next, as the Rock Hall announced its 2025 class of nominees today (February 12).

The full list includes Bad Company, The Black Crowes, Mariah Carey, Chubby Checker, Joe Cocker, Billy Idol, Joy Division/New Order, Cyndi Lauper, Maná, Oasis, Outkast, Phish, Soundgarden, and The White Stripes.

A good handful of those acts are nominated for the first time this year: Billy Idol, The Black Crowes, Bad Company, Chubby Checker, Joe Cocker, Maná, Outkast, and Phish. The list of inductees is expected to be revealed in April.

Carey got her first nominations last year, and after not getting in, she quipped in an interview, “Everybody was calling me going, ‘I think you’re getting in,’ and so I was excited about it. But then it didn’t happen. My lawyer [Allen Grubman] got into the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame before me.

Meanwhile, after getting nominated last year, Oasis’ Liam Gallagher tweeted, “F*ck the Rock n Roll hall of fame its full of BUMBACLARTS LG x. […] I don’t need some wank award by some geriatric in a cowboy hat.”

It may sound like an exaggeration, but many music lovers are going into debt to see their favorite acts live. From the ticket’s value to online merchant fees and pricing models, supporters are stuck between a rock and a hard place. However, many artists are finding ways to reduce admission costs. Yesterday (February 11), Jack White’s name was added to that growing list.

In a post on Instagram (viewable here), the “Taking Me Back” musician announced a block of tickets for each of his remaining No Name tour stops would be available for just $20. But, there are few stipulations in order to snag a discounted ticket.

“For every stop on the No Name Tour, a limited number of student tickets will be available to purchase in-person only at each venue’s box office on show day,” he wrote. “These tickets will be sold on a first come, first served basis with a valid student ID (1 ticket per student ID).”

White closed the message by encouraging followers to visit their local venue’s website for further details as it relates to that particular facility. This news is on the heels of Jack White’s surprise No Name Live EP release.

Jack White isn’t interested in hosting long concert. However, based on the reception to the project, fans are pleased with how Jack White utilizing the time he does spend on stage.

No Name Live EP is out now via Third Man Records. Find more information here.

Since the 1990s, Usher has warned the public not to leave their lady lover around him. However, now that the “Good Good” singer is happily married man he wants to rehabilitate his lover boy public image. Today (February 11), Usher started with clarifying a viral moment at his Las Vegas residency in 2023.

During his appearance on Baby, This Is Keke Palmer, Usher begged the host to set the record straight about her controversial outfit. “Did I send you that dress,” Usher jokingly asked Keke Palmer regarding her risqué look which caused a tizzy online.

Earlier Palmer laughed off how them being “showmen” led to conflict with her ex-partner and son’s father, Darius Jackson.

“Hold on,” Usher interjects. “Did I have anything to do with what was going on in your home.”

Ultimately, Usher wants to have the “woman steal” allegations removed from his jacket. “I can not be responsible for how people choose to react to my experience as an entertainer,” he chimed. “I am not deliberately trying to do anything that is going to rock anyone’s [relationship].”

Despite his statement, users in the comment section refuse to give Usher the benefit of the doubt. In fact, many have outrightly said they would leave the one they are with for a moment with Usher, if given the opportunity.

Watch Usher’s full appearance on Baby, This Is Keke Palmer above.