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Netflix’s biggest surprise hit The Night Agent keeps outdoing itself. While the series has been gaining traction on the streamer for the last month, Nielsen finally released its first-week numbers, and they are equally as impressive. Almost as impressive as a lonely night agent taking down the government. Almost!

Nielsen reported that the Netflix series was watched for 2.6 billion minutes (!!!) in its first four days of availability (March 20-26th). This makes the show the 38th most-watched streaming title in a weekly measurement since 2020, according to Nielsen. By Netflix’s own measurement, the series is already the streamer’s sixth most popular English languest series of all time, and there is no sign of stopping. Look out, Bridgerton.

Shadow and Bone clocked in at No. 2 with 1 billion minutes watched in its first full week, followed by the little engine that could South Park, which just wrapped up its 26th season, seemingly on the road to outdo The Simpsons by simply never ending.

The Night Agent stars Gabriel Basso as Peter Sutherland, a young FBI agent who is thrown into the world of wide-scale political conspiracies while working in the White House. The series, based on the novel of the same name, has already secured a second season, which is currently being written, according to creator Shawn Ryan.

What’s different with The Night Agent and, say, Stranger Things is the obvious difference in target demographic. The series drew in an older crowd, with 60% of viewers over age 50. This must be where all of the Yellowstone fans are hiding out until Kevin Costner chooses to return to set, if at all.

(Via Variety)

Talking to Will Anderson is pretty funny if you’ve ever watched him play football. Anderson, the former Alabama star who was a consensus All-American edge rusher each of the last two seasons, is kind, funny, and constantly has a smile on his face. Of course, there’s a lot for him to be happy about right now, as he is almost certainly going to go in the top-5 of the 2023 NFL Draft when it rolls around next week.

The reason he is going so high is because the jovial nature that comes through in interviews goes away the nanosecond he steps on the football field. Anderson is perhaps the most tenacious player that Nick Saban has produced in his pro factory in Tuscaloosa in some time, as evidenced by his 58.5 tackles for loss and 34.5 sacks in three years. Whenever Alabama has needed someone on its defense to come up with a big play over the last few years, Anderson has been able to consistently find another gear. It’s made him into a big-time NFL prospect, the sort of defensive game-changer that every team covets as part of a rebuild.

Before the Draft rolls around, Uproxx caught up with Anderson as part of his partnership with Courtyard by Marriott that will give him a chance to interact with fans the day before the Draft. Beyond that, we discussed his competitive drive, going up against Bryce Young in practice every day, and much more.

What do you got going on with Courtyard?

Yeah, so, Courtyard by Marriott, the official hotel of the NFL, Courtyard is hosting a VIP fan zone at the NFL Draft with 32 fans, with tickets handed out by me in downtown Kansas City at 4 p.m. And I’ll be down there, and there’s gonna be a good turnout, hopefully a lot of fans come out, get to meet some fans, and have a good time. So, that’s what we got going on.

Speaking of the NFL Draft, has it hit you that you’re one week away from finally being an NFL player? Or do you think that’s not coming until you’re on stage shaking Commissioner Goodell’s hand?

Honestly, I really don’t think it gonna be ’til next week. I mean, now I know that time is getting closer, but it still hasn’t hit me just yet. Like, it hasn’t hit me at all, for real.

Let’s say you’re talking to an NFL team, and they want to know the case for why they should draft Will Anderson. What is the case that you make for yourself?

Yeah, so I’m just saying, like, I’m a very versatile player, I can play in both schemes, 3-4 or 4-3. I’m also a high character guy that will get his job done. And I’d be a good person, on and off the field, and I bring others along with me. And I think that’s what separates me from a lot of people, I can connect with guys but I can also go out there and lead by example, do my job, work hard, have a good work ethic, and really just be an all-around athlete, all-around player, for real. And I think that’s one of the biggest things about me, just my relentless mindset, my relentless motor that I have and what I bring to the game.

I’m talking to you right now and I see you’re such a nice guy. And then I watched your tape, and you’re nasty out on the field. Where does that competitive drive, mindset, spirit come from?

It has been instilled in me, kind of my whole life. My dad, my coaches, just being at Alabama, and for me, I’ve always said nothing needs to get you motivated to go out there and play the sport that you love. And I love football so much. When I get out there, it’s go time. I’m saying it’s time to flip that switch, go out there and attack and go do your job, fly around and jump up and down with your teammates, and hit people. And that’s what I’m all about. That’s how much I love the game. That’s how I get myself ready to go out there and do what I need to do.

And I watch your film and you’ve got your hand in the dirt, you’re standing up, you’re rushing off the edge and you’re blowing by a tackle. You’re blowing up a guard and getting a running back for a loss. Have you always been someone comfortable doing everything? Or do you feel like there’s an area where your game has really grown since getting to college?

Yeah, most definitely. As soon as I got to Alabama, they were using me everywhere. My freshman year, I was playing a 4-I, my freshman year, it was kind of just a mix of everything. It was just sprinkling me around, here and there. As I kept going, that’s when they started stationing me in certain games, you’re facing certain things there. And for me, I always looked at it as creating value for myself. Playing on the edge is always great, and I love to do that, that’s kind of like what my baby is, that’s where I’d be more comfortable, not really the 4-I. But playing on the edge is where I feel like … I want to keep improving my game, but that’s my strong point in my game.

What’s more important as a pass rusher, is it being bigger, faster, stronger, and having the best technique? Or is it having that drive and that fire where you’re not letting anyone stop you from getting to a quarterback, no matter what they try to do?

As a pass rusher, as far as size, some of the guys in the NFL are 6’2, 6’1, it’s really just about that mindset that you have. And yes, technique plays a big part, especially at the next level. So, technique really does have a lot to play in it. But being a pass rusher, I think I just have a relentless mindset to get to the quarterback and it’s really all about your first bit, your first step sets up everything. So, you have that mindset, and a good game plan, and some good technique behind that, you’re gonna be really special, really good.

You have plenty of great games from your time in Tuscaloosa. But if you want people to watch a specific game to see the very best of Will Anderson, what would you tell them to watch?

They can really turn on any game. You know what I’m saying? Each game, I’ve always — besides two, but we’re not gonna talk about that [laughs] — but you can really watch any game. I feel like as an edge guy, as a defensive end, any of those things, there’s so much more that people, I feel, some people don’t see. It’s just not about going out there and getting a sack. When you really hone in on the tape, and really watch, playing the run, using hands, shedding blocks, all that good stuff, getting to the ball. I think I do all those things really well and showed that in every game that I played in.

I always love asking dudes about teammates in the Draft, and if I did that with you for every Alabama guy in the Draft, we’d be here for an hour. But I want to ask about Bryce. What was it like in practice where it’s an offense led by the Heisman Trophy winner at quarterback, and the defense led by the best dude in the country at getting to a quarterback in you?

Yeah, it was very competitive, very competitive. We couldn’t hit Bryce in practice, so that’s really why he talks smack all the time. We would literally get to him and sack him, and since we couldn’t touch him, he’d be like, “That’s not a sack! That’s not a sack! That’s not a sack!” And it’d have us so hot. And I think that just drove the competitive practices, but it was always fun. Both of us did a really good job as a leader on both sides of the ball, the guys responded really well to us. I think they just see how hard we worked and how much it meant to us. We were all bought into it, we just want to go out there and have fun.

I spoke to Bryce last year, and in talking to you now, I see that same professionalism, that same dedication to putting in the work to be great. How did he make you a better football player? And how did you make him a better football player?

Honestly, our minds are so similar. We share so much of the same thing. It really was just us feeding off of each other, because he was a big competitor, I was a big competitor. Preparation meant a lot to him, preparation means a lot to me. The love that we have for the game, it was just kind of easy to be teammates. I wouldn’t say both of us were already polished, but once we had to become a leadership group, and once we became so close, we were just, bro, we’re just alike. You help me, I help you, because we already know how it’s going to be.

My final two questions. First one, who are your favorite edge guys to watch in the NFL right now and why do you pick them?

I like Khalil Mack, Von Miller, and Nick Bosa. All of those are speed-to-power guys that know how to work off speed-to-power, bull rush, swipe, all the little things. Stuff like that, inside moves. So that’s really why I watch them and try to emulate my game.

And then my last question, I know your nickname is The Terminator. And I read something in 2021 where you said you’ve never seen the movie. It’s been two years, have you seen The Terminator yet?

[laughs] I still haven’t seen it yet!

Well, next time you get down to Tuscaloosa, I’m sure Coach Saban would love to take three hours out of his day and sit down and watch it with you. Because I know if there’s one thing that guy loves to do, and it’s not focus on football 24/7.

[laughs] Yeah, he probably won’t do that, though.

Talking to Will Anderson is pretty funny if you’ve ever watched him play football. Anderson, the former Alabama star who was a consensus All-American edge rusher each of the last two seasons, is kind, funny, and constantly has a smile on his face. Of course, there’s a lot for him to be happy about right now, as he is almost certainly going to go in the top-5 of the 2023 NFL Draft when it rolls around next week.

The reason he is going so high is because the jovial nature that comes through in interviews goes away the nanosecond he steps on the football field. Anderson is perhaps the most tenacious player that Nick Saban has produced in his pro factory in Tuscaloosa in some time, as evidenced by his 58.5 tackles for loss and 34.5 sacks in three years. Whenever Alabama has needed someone on its defense to come up with a big play over the last few years, Anderson has been able to consistently find another gear. It’s made him into a big-time NFL prospect, the sort of defensive game-changer that every team covets as part of a rebuild.

Before the Draft rolls around, Uproxx caught up with Anderson as part of his partnership with Courtyard by Marriott that will give him a chance to interact with fans the day before the Draft. Beyond that, we discussed his competitive drive, going up against Bryce Young in practice every day, and much more.

What do you got going on with Courtyard?

Yeah, so, Courtyard by Marriott, the official hotel of the NFL, Courtyard is hosting a VIP fan zone at the NFL Draft with 32 fans, with tickets handed out by me in downtown Kansas City at 4 p.m. And I’ll be down there, and there’s gonna be a good turnout, hopefully a lot of fans come out, get to meet some fans, and have a good time. So, that’s what we got going on.

Speaking of the NFL Draft, has it hit you that you’re one week away from finally being an NFL player? Or do you think that’s not coming until you’re on stage shaking Commissioner Goodell’s hand?

Honestly, I really don’t think it gonna be ’til next week. I mean, now I know that time is getting closer, but it still hasn’t hit me just yet. Like, it hasn’t hit me at all, for real.

Let’s say you’re talking to an NFL team, and they want to know the case for why they should draft Will Anderson. What is the case that you make for yourself?

Yeah, so I’m just saying, like, I’m a very versatile player, I can play in both schemes, 3-4 or 4-3. I’m also a high character guy that will get his job done. And I’d be a good person, on and off the field, and I bring others along with me. And I think that’s what separates me from a lot of people, I can connect with guys but I can also go out there and lead by example, do my job, work hard, have a good work ethic, and really just be an all-around athlete, all-around player, for real. And I think that’s one of the biggest things about me, just my relentless mindset, my relentless motor that I have and what I bring to the game.

I’m talking to you right now and I see you’re such a nice guy. And then I watched your tape, and you’re nasty out on the field. Where does that competitive drive, mindset, spirit come from?

It has been instilled in me, kind of my whole life. My dad, my coaches, just being at Alabama, and for me, I’ve always said nothing needs to get you motivated to go out there and play the sport that you love. And I love football so much. When I get out there, it’s go time. I’m saying it’s time to flip that switch, go out there and attack and go do your job, fly around and jump up and down with your teammates, and hit people. And that’s what I’m all about. That’s how much I love the game. That’s how I get myself ready to go out there and do what I need to do.

And I watch your film and you’ve got your hand in the dirt, you’re standing up, you’re rushing off the edge and you’re blowing by a tackle. You’re blowing up a guard and getting a running back for a loss. Have you always been someone comfortable doing everything? Or do you feel like there’s an area where your game has really grown since getting to college?

Yeah, most definitely. As soon as I got to Alabama, they were using me everywhere. My freshman year, I was playing a 4-I, my freshman year, it was kind of just a mix of everything. It was just sprinkling me around, here and there. As I kept going, that’s when they started stationing me in certain games, you’re facing certain things there. And for me, I always looked at it as creating value for myself. Playing on the edge is always great, and I love to do that, that’s kind of like what my baby is, that’s where I’d be more comfortable, not really the 4-I. But playing on the edge is where I feel like … I want to keep improving my game, but that’s my strong point in my game.

What’s more important as a pass rusher, is it being bigger, faster, stronger, and having the best technique? Or is it having that drive and that fire where you’re not letting anyone stop you from getting to a quarterback, no matter what they try to do?

As a pass rusher, as far as size, some of the guys in the NFL are 6’2, 6’1, it’s really just about that mindset that you have. And yes, technique plays a big part, especially at the next level. So, technique really does have a lot to play in it. But being a pass rusher, I think I just have a relentless mindset to get to the quarterback and it’s really all about your first bit, your first step sets up everything. So, you have that mindset, and a good game plan, and some good technique behind that, you’re gonna be really special, really good.

You have plenty of great games from your time in Tuscaloosa. But if you want people to watch a specific game to see the very best of Will Anderson, what would you tell them to watch?

They can really turn on any game. You know what I’m saying? Each game, I’ve always — besides two, but we’re not gonna talk about that [laughs] — but you can really watch any game. I feel like as an edge guy, as a defensive end, any of those things, there’s so much more that people, I feel, some people don’t see. It’s just not about going out there and getting a sack. When you really hone in on the tape, and really watch, playing the run, using hands, shedding blocks, all that good stuff, getting to the ball. I think I do all those things really well and showed that in every game that I played in.

I always love asking dudes about teammates in the Draft, and if I did that with you for every Alabama guy in the Draft, we’d be here for an hour. But I want to ask about Bryce. What was it like in practice where it’s an offense led by the Heisman Trophy winner at quarterback, and the defense led by the best dude in the country at getting to a quarterback in you?

Yeah, it was very competitive, very competitive. We couldn’t hit Bryce in practice, so that’s really why he talks smack all the time. We would literally get to him and sack him, and since we couldn’t touch him, he’d be like, “That’s not a sack! That’s not a sack! That’s not a sack!” And it’d have us so hot. And I think that just drove the competitive practices, but it was always fun. Both of us did a really good job as a leader on both sides of the ball, the guys responded really well to us. I think they just see how hard we worked and how much it meant to us. We were all bought into it, we just want to go out there and have fun.

I spoke to Bryce last year, and in talking to you now, I see that same professionalism, that same dedication to putting in the work to be great. How did he make you a better football player? And how did you make him a better football player?

Honestly, our minds are so similar. We share so much of the same thing. It really was just us feeding off of each other, because he was a big competitor, I was a big competitor. Preparation meant a lot to him, preparation means a lot to me. The love that we have for the game, it was just kind of easy to be teammates. I wouldn’t say both of us were already polished, but once we had to become a leadership group, and once we became so close, we were just, bro, we’re just alike. You help me, I help you, because we already know how it’s going to be.

My final two questions. First one, who are your favorite edge guys to watch in the NFL right now and why do you pick them?

I like Khalil Mack, Von Miller, and Nick Bosa. All of those are speed-to-power guys that know how to work off speed-to-power, bull rush, swipe, all the little things. Stuff like that, inside moves. So that’s really why I watch them and try to emulate my game.

And then my last question, I know your nickname is The Terminator. And I read something in 2021 where you said you’ve never seen the movie. It’s been two years, have you seen The Terminator yet?

[laughs] I still haven’t seen it yet!

Well, next time you get down to Tuscaloosa, I’m sure Coach Saban would love to take three hours out of his day and sit down and watch it with you. Because I know if there’s one thing that guy loves to do, and it’s not focus on football 24/7.

[laughs] Yeah, he probably won’t do that, though.

British singer RAYE is only a couple of months removed from the release of her debut album, My 21st Century Blues, but is already dropping new music. Her latest release is a remix of “Flip A Switch” from the album, this time with Coi Leray contributing a verse.

The track is about cutting off a disinterested partner, as in: “Flip a switch on a prick, then I / Come alive in the nighttime.” RAYE is through with this noncommital jerk, so she hits the club to dance her cares away. She’s also willing to sic her gangster girlfriends on him, warning, “Got bitches, if they see you in the street, you’re gettin’ slapped.”

On the remix, Coi jumps in to reinforce the anti-f*ckboy energy, turning up the threats while sticking to the theme of “flipping the switch”: “Diamonds look like Cape Cod / We attach the switch if they come and try to take ours.” Illegal weapons modifications aside, Coi makes the perfect partner on RAYE’s boundary-setting, bad boy-blocking anthem.

Coi Leray set a boundary of her own upon hearing Latto’s new single “Put It On Da Floor.” In the song, Latto boasts that she’s “Smokin’ on that gas, blunt big as Coi Leray.” Coi seemed to take it personally, responding via Twitter, “Latto bye. Here you go taking about my body. Please do not come on here and talk about nobody BODY.”

Of course, considering her emphasis on reiterating the term “body” over and over again, along with the fact that she’s currently promoting an upcoming single titled “Body,” it could just be that she’s using the moment to feed her promotion cycle. After all, beef before a new release is a time-honored tradition.

Listen to the “Flip A Switch.” remix above.

Eighteen months after cinematographer Halyna Hutchins was fatally shot on the Rust set, prosecutors have dropped criminal charges against the film’s lead (as well as producer), Alec Baldwin. This has been a long and winding saga involving Alec’s continued insistence that he never fired the gun despite an investigation to the contrary. At this time, however, Baldwin is off the hook for involuntary manslaughter, due to prosecutors becoming aware of “new facts” that will receive “further investigation and forensic analysis.”

As well, charges do get dropped if prosecutors don’t have enough evidence for a solid case, so there could be technicalities involved, some of which the general public is not aware. No matter the cause, though, Lauren Boebert made sure to air her disgust over this outcome, which she suggests is proof that “[l]iberal privilege is real.”

Quickly, those who responded to Boebert came at her from a few places. That includes Kyle Rittenhouse’s “not guilty” verdict after he did pull the trigger (and claimed self-defense) on the gun that killed Kenosha protesters in 2020. As well, Fox News’ Tucker Carlson has lauded Rittenhouse as “bright, decent, sincere, dutiful, and hard-working.” So a few sarcastic replies surfaced towards Boebert.

People also wonder why Boebert is arguably glossing over her own arrest record and that of her husband, Jayson, who exposed himself in a bowling alley.

Boebert and her husband seem to be doing just fine despite their former legal troubles and more recent allegations that Jayson Boebert tried “to fight with everyone” during a neighborhood conflict.

Some also brought up the report about how Boebert’s eldest teen son, Tyler, skipped a court mandatory date related to a September 2022 car accident, which resulted in misdemeanor charges. Tyler had accepted a plea deal that reduced his charges for the accident that put a friend in the hospital. There’s been no further news about the allegedly skipped court date (for which a Boebert source claimed that she wasn’t aware of), and people are scratching their heads in light of Boebert’s comments on “liberal privilege.”

Meanwhile, Boebert might be concerned about her return rival, Adam Frisch, going in hard on fundraising after barely losing to her in 2022. Overall, she’s not having the best week.

HER (real name Gabriella Wilson) was a producer for Mary J. Blige’s Good Morning Gorgeous, including on the title track, earning her a few nominations at the 2023 Grammys. She didn’t win any this year, but that’s OK: She already has five Grammys.

Wilson also has an Oscar for “Fight For You,” written for Judas And The Black Messiah, and she won at the Children’s And Family Emmys last year for her contributions to We The People, a Netflix animated series.

It appears she’s zeroing in on EGOT status.

According to Billboard, Wilson “has joined the production team of Here Lies Love.” The publication additionally noted, “If Here Lies Love were to win best musical at the 77th annual Tony Awards in June 2024, HER would become an EGOT. Not only that, but she would become, at 26, the youngest EGOT by more than a decade.”

In January, Variety reported that Here Lies Love will debut with preview performances beginning on June 17 and opening night on July 20 at the Broadway Theatre in New York and “will be produced in the fully immersive, mostly standing-room format,” which is how it was staged initially at the Public Theatre a decade ago as well as in London and Seattle.

Playbill sums Here Lies Love as “the immersive disco-pop musical based on the rise and fall of Imelda Marcos and the People Power Revolution of the Philippines” and will feature scoring from David Byrne and Fatboy Slim.

Wilson provided a statement, as relayed by Billboard, “Filipinos are a global people. We come in all colors and build bridges across cultures. I am beyond excited to produce my first Broadway musical and forge a unique and meaningful partnership with Here Lies Love.”

Wilson made history last December as the first Black and Filipina woman to portray Belle on-screen. She starred as the iconic Disney princess for ABC’s Beauty And The Beast: A 30th Celebration television special.

As Ron DeSantis edges closer to entering the Republican presidential primary, the Florida governor’s people skills, or lack thereof, has become a recurring theme. This time around, fellow Republican David Trott has come forward with his impression of DeSantis after working next to him in Congress when Trott was still a Michigan representative. In a nutshell, Trott doesn’t think the Florida governor has the personality to compete in a national election.

“If you’re going to go into politics, kind of a fundamental skill that you should have is likability. I don’t think [he] has that,” Trott told Politico. “He’s just a very arrogant guy, very focused on Ron DeSantis.”

Trott pointed to Florida Republicans endorsing Trump over their own governor as further proof that DeSantis has likability issues:

“He wasn’t really liked when he was in Congress. And now it’s coming home to, you know, prove out as some of the Florida delegation endorsed Trump and and some of the donors, you know, think he’s kind of awkward in terms of how he interacts with them,” Trott said. “If his pre-presidential campaign was playing out differently, then I’d say, ‘Well, maybe he just didn’t like me.’ But I think there’s something more at work here.”

Trott then offered a blunt assessment of DeSantis’ problem: “I think he’s an asshole.”

Getting slammed by his own party is starting to become a recurring theme for DeSantis. After getting outsmarted by Disney in his ongoing feud with the entertainment giant, even Fox News is turning on the Florida governor after previously touting him as the best alternative to Trump. Unless the former president is severely kneecapped by his legal troubles, DeSantis’ chances in the Republican primary aren’t looking so hot right now.

(Via Politico)

Iron Man 2 is widely considered to be one of the worst movies in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. It also wasn’t much fun to make, with a rushed script, casting issues, and a rumored feud between stars Scarlett Johansson and Gwyneth Paltrow. The messy screenplay is real (sole credited screenwriter Justin Theroux was so stressed that “his back gave out, causing him to require bed rest”), but the actresses claim their alleged tiff was made up.

Johansson was a recent guest on The Goop Podcast hosted by Paltrow, who told her guest that people often ask her if it’s true that they didn’t get along. “Is that a rumor?” Johansson replied (via Variety). “You were so nice to me on that movie. I was so petrified. You were so nice to me! You could’ve been awful. I was so out of my comfort zone on that movie. I’d never done anything like that before. Plus, you had established such deep friendships.”

Paltrow was “so happy to have another woman around” while making Iron Man 2 (justice for Leslie Bibb in Iron Man). “You kept telling me that,” Johansson responded. “Then I experienced that later on. When I did Avengers, I was one of the few [women]… It was like a big sausage party.”

The pair also discussed their future in the MCU:

“I’m done,” Johansson said. “Chapter is over. I did all that I had to do. Also coming back and playing a character again and again, over a decade of time, is such a unique experience.” When Johansson asked Paltrow if she was done with Marvel movies, Paltrow answered: “I think so. I mean, I didn’t die so they can always ask me.”

Paltrow wouldn’t remember if she’s in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, anyway.

You can listen to the podcast below.

(Via Variety)

Eddie Benjamin and I last met in February 2022 at a rehearsal studio tucked away in North Hollywood, California, days before Benjamin would embark across North America as an opener for Justin Bieber and his Justice World Tour. In the parking lot, he excitedly showed me his tour bus. Being in motion had always calmed his anxiety.

Benjamin can’t sit still, but he’s never been one to move erratically, dating back to his adolescence in Australia — hyper-focused on practicing scales and performing wherever he could in Sydney — and especially since relocating to LA with his family in 2019. He has co-written songs alongside the likes of Shawn Mendes, Meghan Trainor, and Ryan Tedder, released his four-track Emotional EP in 2021, and learned under Bieber.

The Justice World Tour exacerbated Benjamin’s trajectory from steady climb to sudden catapult for the better part of 2022, until his close friend was fatally shot amidst it all, and for once, everything stopped.

“Stargirl,” his single out now via Vol. 1/Epic Records, surfaced during Benjamin’s standstill grief. I’m finding Benjamin at another inflection point. “Stargirl,” according to the 21-year-old singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist, serves as “an appreciation to be able to sit above the war zone of existing” and a “transition piece.”

“It’s a circle, though, isn’t it?” he adds. “The next few records after this, the story that’s being painted is just a cycle of human emotion.”

Below, Benjamin further unpacks the cycle he’s endured over the most intense year of his life.

You don’t move without intention, and you won’t release songs without carefully considering each one. Why is “Stargirl” a song you want to release?

“Stargirl” is a really interesting piece of music to me. Sonically, it’s a bit of, dare I say, an experiment. This sound is an interesting kind of mesh of sound, so it intrigued me. Also, it was the last song I wrote about my ex-girlfriend, [Maddie Ziegler]. It’s getting released with a [Starface Pimple Patches] campaign, which is funny because the arrangement of the song is pretty dense, but I just love powerful music. I think it has that punchiness that I’m always looking for. But yeah, it’s special to me in a few different ways. After I made it, I definitely knew it was one of the ones that I would give to people.

What are those ways it’s special to you?

I think as an artist, one of the things you do have to let go [of] is trying to impress yourself for a good piece of art. Like, I heard Daniel Caesar — it’s crazy because I was about to go in the studio with him the other day with some of my friends, and this is not a diss of him; I love his music. He was like, “It’s just gotta impress me or else it doesn’t grab me.” And I just feel like, I don’t know if that’s how emotions work, and this song is a bit of a mixture.

Sometimes, complex things come out of your brain, and I think you can tell when that is a natural force or it’s being forced upon the music. I know that’s the vaguest thing ever. To give you the longest, most drawn-out, bullsh*t answer of all the time, it encapsulates my brain in a myriad of ways and is also so emotional. Now, I’ll give you a real answer: I was in such a low place at that time. My co-creator, [the Grammy-nominated producer] Kid Culture, who’s one of the best in the world, it was a hard time for us to make this song. I was really going through it. And he was like, “Damn, dude, you are just heavy.” But it’s quite a bright song, so in that juxtaposition is a really interesting place to sit.

The impression I’ve always gotten from you is that, first and foremost, music is about emotional release in the moment and not necessarily whether anyone is impressed with it – even yourself. But, of course, that perfectionism beast lives within us all.

Exactly. And sometimes, it’s really hard because the things you feel aren’t creating a song. This is the thing: Creating a song is structure; emotions don’t have structure. [With me], it’s just a complete throw-up of emotions, always. It just is. I look for the things that just are, in the center of my chest, and shoot it outward as hard as I can. It feels like you’re dying, if not.

So you made “Stargirl” with Kid Culture, but to borrow your phrase and ask the most bullsh*t question of all time: When and how did this song come to be?

Right after [opening on Bieber’s Justice World Tour], I did Jimmy Kimmel Live!, and one of my really good friends was murdered. He got shot three times. It was really heavy. Perhaps my therapist would say I went into an isolation stage, but I went to the studio [in Los Angeles] by myself for quite a while. No one knew. It was on my own dime and time because that’s the only thing that could make me vaguely comfortable. I made the arrangement and beat — the verse section and the chorus section — in a really, really old studio with one of the rarest recording boards in the world. It’s one of seven in the world.

I think I made 70 pieces of music. That was one of them. I would have a few friends stop by. Justin Lee Schultz played some stuff on this song. We sat with it. I took it to New York, and Kid was like, “Wow, this is really special.” When I made that arrangement before I brought it to him, the title of the song was “Stargirl,” and there were no lyrics, no melody. I think that sums it up, you know? Some things feel like they’re made before they’re finished — like they’ve always been made.

With a song like “Weatherman,” it’s clear the weather is a metaphorical device for your mood and your will to take control back over it. And then, there’s the hovering storm cloud and rain in the video for “Only You” featuring Alessia Cara. Does “Stargirl” add another layer to your Weatherman character?

We’re still in the Weatherman era. This is kind of like a bridge of sounds, if you will. It’s a little more organic but still has that power, punchy pop sound. Also, in this journey, we’re gonna need the Weatherman to come back and save this guy. Not to be too character-y and hyper-egotistical, but I do think everyone has really intense parts to themselves. I know I do. [But] the Weatherman era EP is coming out before the debut album.

It’s important to you to bring embedded meaning into pop music. Where do you feel that you are right now in advancing toward that goal?

I still find so many close-minded people. I just wanna f*cking roast some people. Go back to pre-classical music when Bach was writing. If you look at a perfect cadence, it’s just an ending of a phrase chord. They were all the same. And people at that time were like, “Oh, everything has been done! Every harmony’s been made, every song’s been made. This is it!” That was 600 or 700 years ago, and people say that today. I had a conversation with this guy, and he’s like, “I just feel like everything’s been made.” And I’m just like, “Oh, my God.” I couldn’t imagine living in a prison like that.

That says more about people being lazy than it is about ideas to be had, right?

Who knows what it is, but it’s a mindset that actually occurs more than not. So, to find people that are f*cking brave enough to want to push forward is really hard and amazing. This next EP is my first strike at creating that sound. I’m making my debut album right now, and I kind of always knew where I was gonna take it, but there’s still a ways to go — so many textures, so many tempos, so many conversations that need to be had.

You know, I only have eight songs out, but I think you can hear that transition of organic textures with that kind of abrasive chorus texture. Again, they’re just ideas, but I think what I’m making now is more inclusive. I’m so obsessed with textures and arrangements from so many different eras. I made these songs when I was 19. I’m 21 now. Life gets you, and I think you can hear that. I study music so much — too much! — but at the end of the day, it completely dissolves into a feeling. That sonic goal that I’m after, I do think it will be reached, but I’m right in the middle of that.

When I say the words “debut album,” where does your mind immediately go?

Oh, I’m just beyond excited to even have the opportunity to write an album. It’s important to acknowledge that, as artists, we run so fast sometimes, and, for me, it’s really hard to be grateful. I think a lot of people associate it with pressure. “The album’s so important, there’s so much pressure!” But those are just ideas. I’m so extremely confident in what I want to say and who I am as a person. I could really give a f*ck. Of course, your brain will get you and throw you into a hole occasionally and tell you are the worst. And that’s just also part of creating.

I remember being at one of your final tour rehearsals with you days before the Justice World Tour opening night. I remember thinking that we were toward the end of a precious, private time before you crossed the point of no return — trekking across the country and having more and more people want a piece of you. Do you miss your anonymity?

You’re catching me in the middle again. Interactions change between you and people, of course. I just also feel quite early in this. I try not to think about how 99% of the people I interact with start with a question about my work. But at the same time, I’m really grateful. You’re catching me in a time where I’m just trying to focus on being a human. Just a person.

Honestly, there was a moment, I think it was at Wembley [last June for Capital’s Summertime Ball]. I had been on the road for five months, and that first single came out, and there was a moment in time where I was finding it a little hard to sit down with my friends and be able to enjoy that. Because you’re in such a high state of being seen that your nervous system makes it really hard for you. I was struggling to connect and be grounded, but I think that probably happens if anyone goes traveling for half the year.

Why did you want “Who The F*ck Is Eddie Benjamin?” featured so prominently on your tour bus and merch?

Because it’s just taking the piss out of the hyper-attention, grabby vibe we’re all in. I sound like Matty Healy. But he’s right! Also, I love Mick Jagger, and he literally did the exact same print.

South Park is one of my favorite shows as well, but around that time, my team brought me that idea. I was actually at the creator of South Park‘s house, driving around on his ATVs. I’m a bit of a f*cking troll. He’s like the king of trolling. I was like, you know what? I wanna do that. He would do that. Again, I just like that juxtaposition. I’m introducing myself to the world. I’m quite a bright energy, so what’s the opposite of that?

You experienced a load of “firsts” at once during last year’s tour run. Do you have a favorite first from the last year?

That’s a crazy question because, holy f*ck, there were so many firsts for me. Daily. There were a couple of moments that really had me emotional that I still think about. Toronto was the first show where I lit the whole arena up, and it happened three times in a row. As a supporting act, it was a special moment to happen three times in a row. I’ve envisioned that for so long, and I think that was just a really beautiful moment. When you’re trying to focus and stay stable, you maybe can’t take it in, but that was a moment on stage where I really was so present. That was really meaningful.

It’s poignant to me that something that you’ve been imagining for yourself for so long actually happened for you, and you’re riding that high. Then, the unimaginable happens to your friend shortly thereafter. Those are polar opposite experiences and extreme emotions to go through in such a condensed period of time.

It’s interesting for you to even observe that because I wish some people around me that say they’re close to me could observe that, too. My dopamine receptors are shattered. Not really, but that was a really, really intense year for so many reasons — such an amazing year and terrifying at the same time — so I’m still going through the process to try and understand.

Even the line in “Star Girl,” “You’re right next to heaven / Hell is no place to be.” You were in heaven and hell, back-to-back.

Yeah, exactly. In music, you get subtle notes from yourself. And Kid’s perspective, someone who knows me so well and loves me, he was like, “What is this energy?” There are moments where it’s so ego-driven and so competitive, and then the polar opposite, the loss of someone. It’s a jarring place to be because you have to process all of that, [but] the light and the dark being so close together for me was an amazing experience — to feel the depth of my emotions. Selfishly, I guess, it impacted my music in such a crazy way. Even thinking about “Weatherman” and to think about where I’m at now musically with this album I’m making, you’ve caught me in a place where I’m making these songs about that time.

What are you the most obsessed with right now?

Someone asked me the other day, “Where’s your energy?” And It’s always been the same since I was a baby. It has never changed. Sometimes, Justin [Bieber] will be like, “What’s your mission statement?” But the core of me and what I need to do, what I want to express, and what I’m obsessed with has just never changed. It’s just always been these extreme emotions. How do I display them and show them with sound as best as possible? It’s just working on the tools to be the best at that. Quite honestly, as I’m growing and life is happening, it makes music mean way more and gives so much context.

How has Justin been a shoulder for you to lean on during this past year, especially touring together?

He’s the person I can call when I’m really going through it. And the same for him. He’s really been through a lot, even him getting sick [with Ramsay Hunt syndrome] last year. But the best piece of advice, he says, “Don’t choke it.” He’s like, “Man, you’re in there too long. You’re working too much. Don’t kill it before [it has a chance].” Essentially, just don’t overthink it. Give yourself relaxing moments. You have to experience life for this to even make sense.

This interview has been lightly edited for clarity.

If you push play on Vic Mensa‘s new song “Swish” above expecting to hear a redux of his and Chance The Rapper‘s 2021 reunion “Shelter,” you’re going to be sorely disappointed. While the first two names involved, Vic and Chance, might suggest a thoughtful or contemplative vibe, “Swish” seems to be taken from the oeuvre of their third collaborator, G-Eazy.

It’s actually a frantic club song, over which Chance, Vic, and Gerald rap praise to the twerkers while boasting the trappings of their wealth, from name-checking Rick Owens, The Ramones, and Al Capone to comparing their fists to Thanos — because they have too many stones, you see.

Honestly, if Chance and Vic are entering their party-boy era as both approach 30, you kind of have to give it to them. They spent their early 20s as the avatars of poetic, introspective rap, then got shunted into two lanes that wound up disappointing some of their earliest fans; Vic went through both a punk-rock phase and became the latest flag-bearer for so-called “conscious” rap, while Chance became known as the wife guy, whether fairly or not.

We know from the social media kerfuffle earlier this week that Chance likes to let it all hang loose once in a while, and frankly, it’s nice to see them shed their buttoned-up, super-serious professional presentation for at least a little bit. Check out “Swish” above and stay tuned.