Even though The Idolreceived a standing ovation at Cannes Film Festival this week (at this point, who doesn’t get a standing ovation over there?) the actual content of the show is polarizing viewers. The show, from Euphoria creator Sam Levinson, focuses on a fictional pop star named Jocelyn, played by Lily-Rose Depp, and her tumultuous rise to fame.
In the pilot episode, there is a small reference to ’90s pop icon Britney Spears, and many viewers are wondering if the show is loosely based on the singer and her publicized breakdown. Levinson told the critics at Cannes (Via Variety) that while the show’s themes might mirror Spears’ life, they are telling a different type of story.
“Look, I was a kid of the ’90s, and [Britney’s] one of the greatest pop stars of all time,” co-creator Levinson began during the press junket. “And, no, we’re not trying to tell a story about any particular pop star. I think we’re looking more at how the world perceives pop stars, and the pressure that it puts on that individual. It’s a lot of pressure to constantly have to be on, and to have to be what everyone wishes you to be. I also think that it’s a lonely life.”
Depp then said that The Idol is not “telling anybody else’s story,” since it is a work of (perhaps over-the-top) fiction. “I think something we wanted to do with the character is make her feel simultaneously like a pop star of our time, but also like she existed in her own plane, in a way,” the actress concluded.
While Spears’ might not be directly involved in the production, the singer was previously in talks to appear on the show, though it’s unclear if she will show up at this time. The Weeknd has mentioned his love for the star in the past, so perhaps we can expect some sort of collaboration there…unless Abel Tesfaye kills him first.
The Idol premieres on June 4th on HBO and will be available to stream on Max.
Atlanta rapper Hunxho stops by UPROXX Sessions this week to deliver a heartfelt performance of his penitent song “True To My Religion.” The track, which appears on Hunxho’s March album 22, finds him lamenting his inability to stick to his principles due to his precarious circumstances. Reminiscing on his rough upbringing, Hunxho worries that he’ll be unable to remain true to his religion if he wants to make it out.
22 was released on a super-tight turnaround from Hunxho’s previous project, Humble As Ever, which he dropped just two months before, in January. Humble As Ever came out only six months after Xhosen, Hunxho’s 2022 mixtape named after his son. In an interview with Uproxx for that mixtape, Hunxho explained how he keeps up such a relentless pace.
“If I could, I would drop another tape this week,” he said. “I be putting some of the most recent sh*t on the tape, but while I’m putting the tape together, I’m still making the music. So, I might start something new and put something else on there… It’s important for me to keep making music.”
Watch Hunxho’s performance of “True To My Religion” above
UPROXX Sessions is Uproxx’s performance show featuring the hottest up-and-coming acts you should keep an eye on. Featuring creative direction from LA promotion collective, Ham On Everything, and taking place on our “bathroom” set designed and painted by Julian Gross, UPROXX Sessions is a showcase of some of our favorite performers, who just might soon be yours, too.
Much has been made about Janelle Monáe’s upcoming album, The Age Of Pleasure, specifically as it relates to her often-NSFW rollout of the project. Now, they’re back with more, via the newly revealed CD and vinyl editions of the album that continue to put breasts on display.
In a post shared on Twitter this afternoon (May 23), Monáe posted photos of the vinyl edition. On the front is alternate cover art, a warm-colored portrait of Monáe. When the packaging is opened up, revealed is a painting of breasts (presumably Monáe’s, given how eager she’s been to show them off lately). Monáe’s tweet with photos of the vinyl packaging can be found here.
Meanwhile, the CD edition of the album also shows off some skin. The cover art is the same underwater shot as the original cover, but the art on the CD features a different photo from that same shoot, in which Monáe is also topless in a pool.
Far-right congresswoman Lauren Boebert had her first child at age 18 and dropped out of high school in the process. She now has four sons with soon-to-be-ex-husband Jayson Boebert, and Lauren will soon be a grandma at age 36. She previously praised teen pregnancy because young mothers “understand the preciousness of a life that it’s about to be born.”
With that said, Boebert also participated this week in a House Committee on Oversight and Accountability hearing to address the cost of prescription drugs. After inquiring toward a pharmacy manager on whether people will leave prescribed drugs at the pharmacy because they cannot afford them, Boebert relayed how this has happened to her, too, in the past. Then she told a “fun little story” about how she came to be pregnant:
“I left a prescription at a pharmacy once. I went to get birth control, and I was there at the counter and went to pay for it, and the price was very, very high. I said, ‘Wow, is this a three-, six-month prescription?’ ‘No ma’am, it’s one month.’ I said, ‘It’s cheaper to have a kid.’ And I left it there, and now, I have my third son… It turned out to be a great thing, but I’ve personally experienced that when times were tough.”
Boebert: I actually have a fun little story, my staff is probably going to talk to me about this later. I left a prescription at a pharmacy once… pic.twitter.com/6p1g25cpYk
Surely a joke about relative cost, yes? At the very least, Boebert was exaggerating. Birth control pills can be pricey, although even without insurance, they cost less than a monthly supply of diapers.
Boebert’s point wasn’t immediately clear from this anecdote, although the committee is examining the role of pharmacy benefit managers in setting drug prices. It’s worth noting that the Affordable Care Act did set out to require health insurance plans to cover birth control pills at no out-of-pocket cost to patients. This House committee now plans to address whether pharmacy benefit managers are inflating the price of drugs with the suggestion of bilking the federal government. Again, Boebert didn’t explain why she told her story, but perhaps we’ll hear more on that when she takes to Twitter later.
There’s no disputing the appeal of the IPA. While it might not technically be the most popular beer in the world (that honor belongs to the pale lager — the domain which most of the nation’s most popular beers fall under), it’s arguably the most visible style, especially in the US. But what makes it different from other beers? At a base level, the IPA is simply a pale ale that has had its hops ramped up. But there’s so much more to it than that.
Compared to a classic American pale ale, your average IPA has more hop aroma and flavor, higher alcohol content, and higher IBUs (international bittering units), in general. But depending on the version of IPA (New England-style, West Coast, or others), the hop bitterness, ABV and IBUs can vary wildly. Why is this and what really sets this style apart from lagers, wheat beers, sour ales, stouts, and other styles?
Keep reading as we take a deep dive into the IPA.
The Myth of the Overly Bitter IPA
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If you’re just a casual beer drinker, you might have one of two reactions when you hear the word “IPA.” Either it’s happiness that you’re about to indulge in a hoppy, flavorful beer or annoyance, as you assume all IPAs are uncomfortably bitter. But this is definitely not the case. While some IPAs are bitter, some are only slightly bitter, some have more hop aroma than flavor, and others (in the case of many hazy IPAs) have little to no bitterness at all.
The IPA family is much more than the sometimes aggressively bitter West Coast IPA.
What is an IPA?
Cigar City
As we mentioned earlier, the simplest way to define an IPA is that it’s a pale ale with more hops. That’s the easiest explanation. Unlike some spirits and even some other beer styles, there are no specific rules about what differentiates a pale ale from an IPA. It’s really up to whoever is brewing it to decide. Sometimes it’s a simple judgement call.
The differences are easily observed when you get into higher ABV, high IBU, more heavily-hopped, dry-hopped, and hazy IPAs. If your beer fits this criterion, it’s pretty difficult to still call it a pale ale as opposed to an IPA. But the IPA style runs the gamut from non-alcoholic and session-able IPAs up to double and triple IPAs with 12 to 13% ABV and beyond.
Okay, but… what is a Pale Ale?
If you want to truly “get” what an IPA is, you have to first learn the definition of a pale ale. When the beer was first created back in the 1700s, a “pale ale” was a term used to describe a light-colored, top-fermented beer. That definition has evolved over the centuries. Today, the term is used both for English pale ales, English bitters, and the hoppier American pale ale style made famous by Sierra Nevada when it first released its now iconic pale ale back in 1980.
That beer directly helped spark the hop-driven IPA era that so many Cali breweries are known for.
What is the IPA’s History?
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IPA stands for India Pale Ale. Perhaps you’ve never really thought about what the name means. But the “India” portion of the name literally comes from India. In the 1700s, as Great Britain was colonizing India, the soldiers wanted fresh beer to drink. It was much too hot to brew in India. They tried to send porter to the colonies, but it didn’t last the six months at sea it took to get there.
George Hodgson from Bow Brewery in London came up with the idea of adding extra hops to a beer called October Ale in an effort to keep it fresh. Not only did it stay fresh for the whole trip, but the soldiers enjoyed the flavor, and even though many changes were made over the years, the IPA as we know it was born.
How is an IPA Made?
As with any beer, IPAs begin with malting, milling, and mashing of grain. This is all before the hops are added during the kettle boil portion of the process. The hops and malts are brewed together to create the aroma and flavor IPA drinkers enjoy. Many brewers also dry-hop their beers. This is when they add hops later in the brewing process. This can be either in the fermentation or conditioning processes.
What Are The Common Types of IPAs?
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West Coast IPA
Probably the most well-known IPA variety, the West Coast IPA is known for its over-the-top hop aroma and flavor. It’s known for its citrus and pine-centric flavor profile and sometimes aggressively bitter hop flavor due to a larger number of hops added during the kettle boil.
First created in 2004 at Vermont’s The Alchemist by brew John Kimmich when he created the now iconic Heady Topper, the New England-style IPA is known for its hazy appearance and juicy, tropical fruit and citrus flavor with little to no hop bitterness depending on the beer.
The term “session” is used to describe any beer under 5% ABV. It’s a reference to a beer that’s lower in alcohol content so you can enjoy a few in a drinking session. The session IPA is simply a lower ABV IPA between 4 and 5% ABV.
You might be confused about the difference between an imperial IPA and a double IPA. We’re here to tell you not to worry because they’re interchangeable. Compared to a regular IPA, they usually have more malt and hop aromas and flavor and are higher in ABV (around 8-9% AB). They’re usually a little more bitter than regular IPAs, too.
The Triple IPA takes everything one step further. More malts, more hops, and an even higher ABV (9.5% and up). The flavors are so intense, they almost feel heavier than their lesser ABV counterparts. As these IPAs ramp up, the bitterness usually does as well.
When it comes to differentiating IPAs from other brews, it’s all about the hops. While it’s obviously more complicated (as you’ve seen above), the simplest way to explain what makes an IPA different from other beers is the number of hops added during the kettle boil. This creates beers that are aromatic and flavorful and sometimes (but not always) end with a bitter (sometimes aggressively so) flourish.
Ultimately, while brewing is a science, it’s also an art — meaning that even in the definitions of terms and which beers get what designation, there’s going to be some judgement calls getting made.
Anjimile is back and is kicking off a new era. Today (May 23), he has shared a new song called “The King,” the title track from his upcoming second album.
On “The King,” Anjimile is joined by a choir, as he delivers poignant metaphors and accounts alluding to being Black and trans in America.
“What don’t kill you almost killed you / What don’t fill you / pains you / drains you,” Anjimile sings.
Over the course of the song, instrumentals build up, creating a feel of tension and unease.
The King, which arrives this fall, serves as a continuation of the story Anjimile told in his 2020 debut album, Giver Taker.
“If Giver Taker was an album of prayers, The King is an album of curses,” Anjimile said.
The album comprises of vocals and guitar instrumentation primarily from Anjimile. Justine Bowe, Brad Allen Williams, Sam Gendel, and James Krivchenia of Big Thief also contributed instrumentation to the project.
The King is the result of Anjimile living in Los Angeles and working alongside producer Shawn Everett.
You can see the lyric video for “The King” above and The King‘s cover art and tracklist below.
Kieran Culkin’s performance in the ninth episode of this final season of Succession, “Church and State,” left me feeling like I wanted to punch a hole through a wall. Every emotion I felt after losing my own father, suddenly (keep this part in mind, I think it’s important here for this performance), came roaring back to life in a way I, frankly, did not particularly enjoy, but also realize only a truly magnificent performance like this one could achieve.
Here’s maybe something surprising: the third episode of this season, “Connor’s Wedding,” did pretty much nothing for me. Sure, I read all the accolades, but didn’t find it particularity realistic as the Roy siblings passed around a phone to say goodbye to their father who was probably already dead. And let me be clear here, when I say this I am talking about situations where someone is fine one moment and the next moment they are gone. This was my experience. It’s a very different thing to watch a parent go through a long illness and I do realize in that situation the passing around the phone is most likely a poignant reminder. (And people who have gone through that tell me I got off lucky. Honestly, that may be true.) But, in reality, when people die like my father did, of a heart attack, having a goodbye session like that isn’t really possible. So I just felt like Succession was trying to have their “surprise” death, while also giving everyone their dramatic goodbyes and I kind of resented the notion. I didn’t get to say goodbye. I woke up to a bunch of text messages saying I needed to call. I called. I was given the news, then that was that. (Though, the one part that I found interesting was Roman making the case they’ve seen no physical evidence Logan had died. I remember thinking that at first, too. Then it hit me, since my dad didn’t want a funeral, even now, I still haven’t seen any physical evidence.)
What’s interesting is, with a few years of perspective on this, I’m not a particularly easy cry when it comes to these types of story beats, even though I kind of assumed I was. What I’m starting to realize is I’m the opposite. It actually takes a lot. Any little hint of phoniness will take me right out of it and wind up just watching with scorn. And this is why Kieran Culkin’s irrational outbursts really got to me, because that isn’t phony. That performance is way too real. And I’ve not seen a more realistic performance of what it’s like in the days after losing a father suddenly. Where your brain is trying to process that everything has gone from fine to terrible in an instant. That there’s never going to be closure. There was not one last time to say your peace. Roman’s last words to his father were a voicemail calling his father some pretty terrible things. My last communication with my father was a somewhat annoyed text message saying I didn’t think I’d have time to come back to Missouri for the holidays that year and why couldn’t people come visit me for once? And that was that. (I think having a dad you want approval from, but also resent in certain ways, plays a factor here, too.)
The thing that really gets me about Culkin’s performance isn’t just the grief, but the randomness of it. I’ve seen a lot of people try to guess what exactly caused Roman’s emotions, but remembering that era, there was no structure to any of it. I could be fine one moment and a mess the next, to the point I just wound up staying at home a lot because it was too embarrassing to be the person crying in public again. Roman, early on, declaring he was fine because he pre-grieved was a good moment. I’m pretty sure my initial reaction was to just go play Star Wars: Battlefront II, which was released the day my dad died.
The moment that rang way too true was during Roman’s negotiation with Alexander Skarsgård’s Lukas Mattson during “Kill List” when he blurts, “I’m fucking … I’m gone. I’m like, I’m on the fucking … I’m dead. It’s over for me. It’s okay. It’s fine.” This right here is the frozen concentrate of everything I remember from that time period. I blurted stuff out like that all the time, especially when someone was pissing me off because I just didn’t have the mental headspace to deal with anything else. I have no idea if this was the line as written or Culkin added in some extra flair or dramatic false stops but this, to me, is the most accurate representation of what that time period was like.
I like to think I have, somewhat, a handle on the whole thing these days. I finally got to the point where I decided just pushing it all deep down was the best course of action because the thing I want, closure, can’t happen. I mean, at least Roman Roy got to attend a funeral. I’m envious. So what’s the point on dwelling on the impossible? And you know what? It’s mostly worked. And maybe that’s why fictional deceptions have a hard time getting to me. It’s too far down. I won’t let anyone get there anymore. It takes a truly special performance to unbottle any of that … and Kieran Culkin finally got through my defenses. Without question the best depiction of that minefield of sadness, ambivalence, rage, uncertainty, despair and defeat, while at least trying to function as a human being.
According to the festival’s official website, Zedd was scheduled to perform at the Kinetic Field on Saturday, May 20, from 1:48 a.m. to 3:03 a.m. — so, technically, Sunday, May 21 — which is a strangely specific set time, even for a DJ. It’s almost reminiscent of the unpredictability of when someone is born.
“I heard someone gave birth at the stage DURING MY SHOW,” Zedd tweeted on Tuesday, May 22, with the mind-blown emoji. “Can someone pls help me find the person? I’d like to reach out!”
In short order, someone on Twitter named Cristina Celis replied with a photo of the newborn and the simple confirmation, “It was me.”
“CONGRATS!!!!! So happy you’re both healthy and that I had the honor to be the soundtrack,” Zedd tweeted back with a red heart emoji.
A quick trip to Celis’ profile provides the full backstory across four tweets:
“Thank you @PasqualeRotella was able to enjoy 1 1/2 days of @EDC_LasVegas. Went into early labor during @Zedd set on Saturday and had to leave. Had a beautiful baby girl. She’s a premie but is doing amazing. She wanted to have fun with us at the festival. sad we are missing day 3 but super happy to have our baby girl safe happy and healthy with us. Thank you to the first aid team for all your help, you were all super helpful and caring. This was going to be our last EDC for the next couple of years. Can’t wait to show our little raver the ways lol.
“And can’t wait to take her to a show as soon as we can and know it’s safe thank you again for everything @EDC_LasVegas please help get this to @PasqualeRotella so he can see how great full [sic] we are for everything. Also, after the support and suggestions from the rave community we decided to change her middle name to Daisy. Thank you all again and can’t wait to come back to the rave scene in a while now going to live stream my boys.”
See all the tweets below.
I heard someone gave birth at the stage DURING MY SHOW . Can someone pls help me find the person? I’d like to reach out! https://t.co/rLWiOPRVok
missing day 3 but super happy to have our baby girl safe happy and healthy with us. Thank you to the first aid team for all your help, you were all super helpful and caring. This was going to be our last EDC for the next couple of years. Can’t wait to show our little raver the…
Scientific discoveries and technological advancements have always been a double-edged sword. Nuclear fission gave us a powerful source of clean energy and as well as the most destructive weapons humanity has ever seen. The internet gave us unparalleled access to the entire library of human knowledge and also unparalleled exploitation and porn. Social media has connected people around the world in ways previous generations barely dreamed of and also resulted in a toxic online culture that threatens to shred the fabric of society.
Now, after several dozen movies imagining the best and worst-case scenarios, we’re at that fork in the road with Artificial Intelligence. The sudden leap in AI tech hitting the mainstream has us all wondering what comes next. But for all the AI fear and uncertainty, there are some pretty incredible, humanity-boosting ways it is being used that may signal some hope for that future.
For instance, AI is allowing facial expressions to control computers. Case in point: a project inspired by quadriplegic video game streamer Lance Carr, whose rare form of muscular dystrophy only allows him to control his face and head movements. Carr had been using a head-tracking mouse (an expensive piece of accessibility equipment controlled by head movement) for gaming, but after his house caught fire during a livestream on Twitch in 2021, he lost everything.
Carr got connected with some folks at Google to co-design Project Gameface, a fittingly-named tool that allows users to use facial movements as game controls. Linking several different AI models together, the project uses a mesh of 468 points on your face and converts them into telemetry to make mouse movements and clicks. For instance, raising your eyebrows can make the mouse drag or click and opening your mouth can move the cursor.
The best part is that since the project is open source and only requires a webcam for input, it will be widely accessible to people who want or need to use it. And for those who don’t have full use of their limbs, it may be a game-changer as it has been for Carr.
“Muscular dystrophy takes, and this actually added an ability,” he said. “So it’s the first time I’ve gained something in a physical sense.” He shared that the technology is so precise that he’s able to write his name in cursive using only his face through a webcam.
Watch:
Though Google says it’s still in development, they have made it available for preview through GitHub for people who want to give it a spin and help contribute to its improvement.
The potential dangers of AI may be making people nervous, but let’s be sure not to throw the baby out with the bathwater. In the hands of people who are focused on helping humanity progress wisely and responsibly, AI can be a powerful, life-changing tool that makes people’s lives better.
As Lance Carr said, “My hope is to definitely give this technology to everybody who could use it,” the gamer added. “I just want to make a lot of people’s lives better and easier.”
Here’s to those using ever-advancing technology for good.
One of the most anticipated pop records of the summer is finally on the way. This upcoming Pride Month, Kim Petras will finally drop her debut album, Feed The Beast.
Today (May 23), Petras took to Instagram to share the album’s cover art. On the cover, Petras is seen topless, with her hands covering her breasts. In the background is a mysterious figure, who has a chain wrapped around the Grammy Award winner.
Additionally, Petras has also revealed the album’s tracklist. On the album is her Alice Deejay-sampling Nicki Minaj collaboration, “Alone,” as well as her chart-topping Sam Smith duet, “Unholy.” Fans can also expect a collaboration with Banks.
In an interview with Vice this past February, Petras revealed that she had been working on the album for three years.
“It’s been a transition from being an independent artist to being at a major label now,” she said. “And obviously, life has changed quite a bit since then. I have a wonderful team that really wants me to make my best work. So I’m just excited about people hearing this music – I listen to my own music all the time, it’s so lame, but it’s gonna be really really fun.”
You can see the cover art and tracklist below.
Republic
1. “Feed The Beast”
2. “Alone” Feat. Nicki Minaj
3. “King Of Hearts”
4. “Thousand Pieces”
5. “UhOh”
6. “Revelations”
7. “Bait” Feat. Banks
8. “Sex Talk”
9. “Hit It From The Back”
10. “Claws”
11. “Minute”
12. “Coconuts”
13. “Castle In The Sky”
14. “Brrr”
15. “Unholy” Feat. Sam Smith
Feed The Beast is out 6/23 via Republic. Find more information here.
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. Thank you all again and can’t wait to come back to the rave scene in a while 
now going to live stream my boys 
