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Former Nickelodeon Star Drake Bell Is ‘Considered Missing And Endangered’ With Police Asking For Tips On His Whereabouts

Former Nickelodeon Drake & Josh star Drake Bell has gone missing after last being seen in Daytona Beach, Florida, and cops are asking for any help in tracking him down. All of this appears to be happening very fast, given that TMZ reports that law enforcement is “deeply concerned” for the actor who was last spotted less than 24 hours ago.

Hollywood Reporter revealed that the Daytona PD declined to provide specifics regarding the missing persons report or the reasons why they are concerned. However, the police department’s Facebook page revealed that the actor, born Jared Drake Bell, “should be traveling in a 2022 grey BMW and his last known location is potentially the area of Mainland High School on 4/12/2023 just before 9p.m.” They added, “He is considered missing and endangered.” Further, the department commented that “this is a legitimate post,” which appears to be a response to Internet speculation of a hoax.

TMZ’s report adds background of Bell’s troubled past, which includes a bankruptcy filing as well as a 2-year probation sentence (issued in July 2021) following a guilty plea over allegations of child endangerment after a female accused him of exchanging salacious online messages with her when she was 15 years old, as well as allegedly, subsequently engaging in a sexual act with her. Previously, Bell also received a four-day jail sentence after his 2015 arrest for a DUI.

The Daytona Police Department requests that all tips be directed to Detective Jayson Wallace, who can be contacted at 386-671-5207.

(Via TMZ & Hollywood Reporter)

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The Weeknd’s Controversial ‘The Idol’ TV Series Will Make Its Debut At The 2023 Cannes Film Festival

It’s been almost two years since Variety broke the news that The Weeknd and Sam Levinson were developing a drama for HBO. There was serious doubt whether The Idol would ever actually premiere on HBO after Rolling Stone published a troubling report on March 1 about the workplace culture on the set.

Today, April 13, the lineup for the 2023 Cannes Film Festival was revealed on its official website, and The Idol is slated to premiere in the Out Of Competition category alongside James Mangold’s Indiana Jones And The Dial Of Destiny, Kim Jee-woon’s Cobweb, and Martin Scorsese’s Killers Of The Flower Moon. The 2023 Cannes Film Festival will be held from May 16 to May 27.

“HERE WE GO,” The Weeknd tweeted.

Yesterday, April 12, The Weeknd teased The Idol Vol. 1 with a tweet showing him in the studio listening to swelling orchestral music. “THE IDOL VOL. 1 [CD emoji] coming soon (double fantasy & jealous guy just a taste,” he wrote.

According to IMDb, The Idol follows “a self-help guru and leader of a modern-day cult [The Weeknd] enters a complicated relationship with a rising pop idol [Lily-Rose Depp].”

The Weeknd tweeted a clip from the series in response to Rolling Stone‘s bombshell report, which, among many things, alleged that working on The Idol was “a sh*tshow” and “Levinson’s scripts contained disturbing sexual and physically violent scenes between Depp and [The Weeknd]’s character.”

Watch that clip below, or watch a teaser trailer above.

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Kid Cudi Lives Up To His Nickname In The ‘Crater’ Trailer For Disney Plus

Kid Cudi has always called himself “The Man on The Moon,” even going as far as using the title for three of his albums (most recently in 2020), but he really lives up to his nickname in the trailer for the upcoming Disney+ original film, Crater.

A throwback to the kids’ adventure films of the ’80s and ’90s, Crater follows a group of five teens as they take a road trip to a mysterious crater at the behest of one kid’s dad, played by Cudi. Oh, by the way, that crater is on the moon, where they live. The classic formula gets a cool sci-fi update, transplanting the usual danger-laden road trip to the future, when mankind has colonized the Earth’s moon via a massive dome on its surface.

Cudi encourages his movie son to visit the crater, far outside the safety of the dome, and his voiceover throughout the trailer seems to suggest that the point is the journey, not necessarily the destination. Along the way, the kids encounter potentially deadly meteor showers, play a game of low-G baseball — that home run hit is definitely out of the park — and experience some young love. It looks very nostalgic and futuristic at the same time and utterly delightful as a way for millennials to bond with their own kids.

Crater is just one of the many, many projects on Cudi’s docket for the year, which include even more movie and television projects, a tour, and a new album. Check out the trailer above.

Crater will stream on Disney+ beginning May 12.fall

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Diar DeRozan Won’t Join The Bulls In Miami Because DeMar Doesn’t Want Her Missing Another Day Of School

The MVP of the Chicago Bulls’ 109-105 win over the Toronto Raptors on Wednesday night in the 9-10 play-in game was not Zach LaVine, DeMar DeRozan, or anyone else who took the floor for Chicago. Instead, that distinction went to Diar DeRozan, the daughter of the Bulls star who joined the team and played a role in the Raptors going 18-for-36 from the free throw line. Diar was frequently heard screaming in an otherwise very quiet Scotiabank Arena when Toronto’s players would head to the charity stripe, to the point that she got her own highlight reel after the game.

DeMar was, unsurprisingly, asked about all of this after the game, and explained that she wanted to join him in Toronto because she remembered going to games there when he was on the Raptors. And while he did not want her to miss school, he eventually relented.

“I almost said no because she in school back home,” DeMar said. “She kept asking. She was adamant about coming to support and I just said that you can miss one day of school and come to a game. I’m glad I did. I owe her money from school.”

Now, the Bulls will head to Miami to play the Heat with the 8-seed in the Eastern Conference on the line. That spot goes to the winner of the game, while the loser’s season will end. And if the Bulls do end up winning, it’ll happen without their biggest fan in attendance.

“Nah,” DeRozan said when asked if Diar will make the trip down to South Beach. “She gotta go back to school.”

Chicago and Miami will square off on Friday night at 7 p.m. EST on TNT. The winner will play the Milwaukee Bucks in the 1-8 series in the Eastern Conference.

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A Beloved ‘Stranger Things’ Character Will Rock Once Again In A New Novel Based On The Show

Season four of Stranger Things had one fan-favorite character who inspired several viral internet trends and even made long hair cool again, and his name was Eddie Munson. Unfortunately for fans, Munson was never able to graduate high school and was killed after a particularly gruesome battle with a bunch of demon dogs, but not before shredding one last legendary guitar solo. It’s the best way to go, considering. But the fans aren’t really letting it go anytime soon.

Despite his untimely demise, it seems like he might get one more storyline, this time in the form of a prequel novel. Stranger Things: Flight of Icarus is the upcoming novel from author Caitlin Schneiderhan, who is also a writer for the final season of the Netflix series, so you know it’s going to be well thought out and not just the type of fan fiction that ends up in TikTok edits.

Flight of Icarus will drop on Halloween, and take place two years before the events of season four. According to the plot description, the story will follow Eddie as he gets a chance for his band to secure a record deal…as long as he raises enough money. Who among us hasn’t had to scheme a little bit in order to make it big in the music industry? It happens!

Schneiderhan told EW: “The Eddie Munson we meet at the beginning of Stranger Things 4 is the protective shepherd to the nerdy lost sheep of Hawkins High. But taking on that mantle wasn’t such a cut-and-dry decision,” the author explained. “I’m so excited for fans to go with him on his journey towards becoming a hero, to experience the messy and uncomfortable decisions that led him to become the brave misfit we all know and love.”

As for Joseph Quinn, Munson’s real-life counterpart, the actor said he would “love to” return to Hawkins, but it would be hard since Eddie is really, truly dead. But you know what will never die? Rock and roll, baby!

(Via Entertainment Weekly)

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Chloë Said Steve Lacy ‘Inspired Me To Be Fearless’ As He’s Named Among ‘Time’s ‘100 Most Influential People’

Time magazine unveiled its annual “100 Most Influential People” list today, April 13. The cover stars are Doja Cat, Michael B. Jordan, Jennifer Coolidge, and Bob Iger. But within the artists’ section of nominees is also Steve Lacy.

Chloë wrote Lacy’s entry, as found on Time‘s website:

“What I admire most about Steve Lacy is that he’s always himself — a good person who loves to make music. In a world where everything’s so contrived, he just wants to nerd out and be free, and that makes him a force to be reckoned with.

From his performances onstage to his clothes to his lyrics, he’s open to expressing what’s real. That’s why people gravitate toward him so much, because in a time when everybody’s trying to be what other people want them to be, he’s saying, ‘I’m gonna make music — and if you like it, that’s cool.’ He has inspired me to be fearless, to trust that whoever my music is meant for will find it.

He has the biggest, warmest smile. And he reminds me that you don’t need to have all the bells and whistles to make good music. What you need is yourself, your ideas, and your heart.”

Chlöe has adopted Lacy’s unbothered attitude during the rollout of her debut solo studio album, In Pieces, culminating in her displaying nasty comments people have tweeted about her as part of her set design on the first night of her In Pieces Tour.

Lacy’s 2022 breakout was fueled by “Bad Habit,” his first-ever No. 1 single on the Billboard Hot 100. The single was also nominated for Record Of The Year, Song Of The Year, and Best Pop Solo Performance at the 2023 Grammys, where Lacy won Best Progressive R&B Album with Gemini Rights.
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DannyLux Tells Us About His Full-Circle Coachella Debut, Sad Sierreño Songs, And Coldplay’s Co-Sign

DannyLux is charming fans around the world with his sad sierreño songs, as the rising Chicano star is putting an alternative twist on the age-old Mexican genre. After scoring multiple hits and receiving a co-sign from Coldplay, DannyLux will have a full-circle moment at Coachella this weekend. The Desert Hot Springs native is one of the Latin performers on the line-up this year.

“When I was growing up, I would always hear people say, ‘Oh, there’s traffic because it’s Coachella weekend and all these artists are gathering,’” he recalls. “I remember I would always want to go. It’s such a sick feeling that my first time going is going to be for me performing.”

DannyLux is leading the new wave of Gen-Z musicians on both sides of the Mexican-US border who are redefining corridos and sierreño music for a younger generation. After gaining momentum on TikTok, he landed a big hit in 2021 with “Jugaste y Sufrí,” a collaboration with Eslabon Armado. As the sole songwriter of the emo breakup song, he reached No. 1 on Billboard‘s Latin Songwriters Chart, pushing Bad Bunny to the runner-up spot.

Last year, Coldplay handpicked DannyLux to open for the band’s Music Of Spheres World Tour in dates across Mexico. He also signed with Warner Music Latina and released his breakthrough album Perdido En Ti. In between rehearsals for Coachella, DannyLux talked with Uproxx over Zoom about Latin representation at the festival, his performance, and what’s coming next.

How do you feel to be performing at Coachella this year?

It just feels like such a big blessing, and honestly, I just feel so honored to be alongside so many other talented artists. It’s crazy because my dad, he used to work for a company that would pick up the trash. They would book him to pick up the trash at Coachella. It feels so sick to be able to take my dad back to Coachella, but this time he is going to be backstage with me.

What can we expect from your performance?

Honestly, these performances are probably going to be the most energetic ones we’re doing. We’re putting screens in the back. We have visual effects. We have surprise guests. It’s going to be sick.

What do you think about Bad Bunny making history as Coachella’s first Latin headliner?

I feel like it’s such a sick thing because it kind of represents the whole Latin community. It just goes to show how far we can actually get to. It’s so sick to be even be playing at the same place as him. It’s an honor.

We’re also seeing more Mexican and Mexican-American acts like yourself, Becky G, Bratty, and Conexión Divina on the line-up this year.

I feel like it’s such a beautiful thing to see how much our community is slowly taking over. We’re slowly coming up and it’s such a sick feeling to be a part of that. I’m going to be looking out for them.

Where did the idea come from to create these sad sierreño songs that you’re known for?

A lot of people ask me, “Why Spanish music? Why regional Mexican music if you were born here in the United States?” I feel like regional Mexican music and Latin music in general, you can add so much emotions to it. Obviously in English music you can too, but Spanish to me is just such a romantic language. Maybe a phrase that you say in Spanish doesn’t really hit the same in English.

When you opened for Coldplay in Mexico, did you get to talk with the band?

That was such a sick conversation. They heard about me because one of the heads of Warner just told them about me and they really liked my story and that’s how they thought about me to open up their shows in Mexico. They were just telling me stories of how they started. It was sick! We literally loved it.

What inspired you to dabble with bachata music in your song “El Hombre Perfecto”?

I wanted to make a song that people could just dance to. I’ve been listening to a lot of bachata. Literally any song you listen to [in that genre] just makes you want to dance. The rhythms that they have and everything. I just wanted to do my own take on bachata.

What can you say about your upcoming single “Te Extraño y Lo Siento”?

I wrote this song a while ago. I feel like there’s so much emotion in this song. I really hope people enjoy it. There’s just so much that I put into that song.

What can we expect from your next album that you’re working on?

I’m putting so much emotion into it. There’s so much effort going into all these songs, so much production, and so much everything. It’s going to have 15 songs and each song has their own vibe. I feel like if you don’t like one song on the album, you’re going to for sure like another vibe that I added into the album. I just wanted to add a little bit of everything.

Who do you want to collaborate with next?

I really want to do a song with Maná. That’s still like my dream collaboration right there. I would love to collaborate also with Rawayana. They’re like all geniuses. I don’t know how they come up with all those songs. I literally listen to their songs like everyday. Whenever I’m driving, I just put on their songs and it just fits the vibe.

What do you want to achieve with your music?

More than anything, I want to inspire people. I want to reach a certain level where everybody knows who I am. I want people to be like, “Your music really helped me,” or “It’s because of his music that I’m doing what I love to do as well.” I just want everybody to know that literally anything is possible. That you can do anything.

DannyLux and Coldplay are Warner Music acts. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

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We Blind Taste Tested Fast Food Chicken Nuggets — And The Crown Goes To…

You’d think after blind taste testing 62 different dipping sauces across a 40-piece order of chicken McNuggets that I’d be tired of fast food. But nope, I’m still here! Sure, I never want to touch another high-fructose-pumped dipping sauce in the immediate future, but I still ride hard for the drive-thru food. But around nugget 37 of that endeavor, I got to thinking. Does McDonald’s make the best chicken nugget in the fast food universe? After so many nuggets and dipping sauces, I really wasn’t sure anymore.

So in an effort to investigate, I decided to put the mighty McNugget to the blind taste test by pitting it against five other fast food classics. Since I was immediately burned out on McNuggets and I wanted to give them a fair shot, I took a one-week break from all things fast food and all things fried. For the last week, I’ve been eating salads, a whole lot of hummus, grilled meat, and rice bowls and now after a full seven days, I’m ready to dive back into the fast food pool!

So I grabbed nuggets from some of the biggest fast food chains, donned my trusty blindfold, and got to tasting!

Part 1: Chicken Nugget Tasting Methodology

Nugget Blind
Dane Rivera

Nuggets cool down at a faster rate than cheeseburgers and chicken sandwiches. If you’ve followed our blind taste tests this year, you’ll know that I’ve been obsessed with making sure I can try all the food as hot as possible in order to come to the fairest conclusion. So for this blind taste test, I hit up three fast food chains in close proximity and sent my girlfriend to hit up another three so we could meet up back at home at roughly the same time without the food suffering the dreaded cooldown. For six different chains and seven different chicken nuggets, I think we did a pretty good job, each of the seven nugget orders was warm to hot.

Here is our tasting class:

  • Burger King — Chicken Nuggets
  • Carl’s Jr — Chicken Stars
  • Chick-fil-a — Chicken Nuggets
  • Jack in the Box — Chicken Nuggets
  • McDonald’s — Chicken McNuggets
  • Wendy’s — Chicken Nuggets
  • Wendy’s — Spicy Chicken Nuggets

Since a few of these nuggets could be instantly identified, I donned my blindfold and had my girlfriend bring me a plate of nuggets at random (all photos were taken by her). For the most part, I had no idea which nuggets I was eating, though the chicken stars and spicy nuggets were admittedly easy to pick out. Here were the results.

Part 2: The Chicken Nugget Tasting

Taste 1:

Nugget Blind
Ashley Garcia

Tasting Notes:

Wendy’s Spicy Nuggets! I know these are the spicy nugs because they are noticeably spicy. After a single bite, my palate was ignited with a strong cayenne pepper kick. It’s a really pleasing experience and for some reason, I find it more enjoyable with the blindfold. After the initial kick, the flavor finishes with a prominent black pepper flavor. The nugget is crispy and has a great mouthfeel, a real winner.

Taste 2:

Nugget Blind
Ashley Garcia

Tasting Notes:

This one is strangely flavorless. Did the spicy nuggets burn my taste buds off? I took a few sips of water and ate another nugget but still nothing. I like the texture a lot, the breading is very light, airy, and crispy as if the chicken was dredged in cornstarch. Unfortunately, that crispy outer is the only good thing about this nugget. The chicken itself is strangely spongey and kind of wet. Despite not tasting like much, the wet meat really grosses me out.

Taste 3:

Nugget Blind
Ashley Garcia

Tasting Notes:

A bit buttery and very tender, but the outer coating seems soggy to me. That’s not a time issue, these nuggets are still hot, but there is no crisp here. The flavor is fine, but it kind of feels like wet styrofoam in my mouth.

Taste 4:

Nugget Blind
Ashley Garcia

Tasting Notes:

This one is strangely dusty, I feel like little granules of breading are separating from the nugget. My hand was dusty with crumbs after this one, and the texture was a bit dry but I like the flavor. It’s black pepper forward and the chicken is tender and very easy to chew threw, it almost melts in the mouth.

Taste 5:

Nugget Blind
Ashley Garcia

Tasting Notes:

Significantly denser than any of the other nuggets I’ve had so far, but still tender. I’m getting a much meatier bite here and there are little tendrils of fried breading that give off a satisfying snap, but it’s not a consistent experience. I’m not sure if that’s a bad thing or not. On crispiness, it’s middling, but flavor-wise it’s in a whole other class. I’m tasting onion and garlic powder, pepper, something earthy, and the slightest hint of peanut. Really delicious.

Taste: 6

Nugget Blind
Ashley Garcia

Tasting Notes:

Oh, these are the chicken stars. I can tell as soon as I picked one up. These are kind of strange, they have a bright buttery flavor and a great heavy breading that provides a lot of texture, but it’s impossible to eat these without being just a little grossed out. I know most nuggets are a blend of chicken meat, but no other nugget makes it more obvious than this one. Still, I kind of like them. I have a weird relationship with this one.

Taste 7:

Nugget Blind
Ashley Garcia

Tasting Notes:

Another starchy, airy, and crispy batter. There is a certain flatness to this nugget, it has flavor but it desperately calls for sauce. I can’t believe I’m saying that. The dominant flavor here is salt and cheap chicken with a hint of white pepper. It tastes like what you expect a nugget to taste like, it’s not bad by any means, but it does make you wish you could just eat a chicken tender instead.

Part 3: The Chicken Nugget Ranking

7. Jack in the Box Chicken Nuggets — Taste 2

Nugget Blind
Ashley Garcia

The Chicken Nugget:

Jack in the Box has had an issue with its chicken for a while. The brand has been mixing things up and changing its recipes and unfortunately, not for the better. I’m not sure what the worst thing about this nugget was, the fact that it was essentially flavorless, or the weird wet texture. Whatever it was, it made this nugget far and above the worst.

The Bottom Line:

If you want a nugget that is all texture (wet) no flavor, go to Jack in the Box.

Find your nearest Jack in the Box here.

6. Wendy’s Chicken Nuggets — Taste 3

Nugget Blind
Ashley Garcia

The Chicken Nugget:

It’s weird to me that Wendy’s offers two very different nugget experiences, spicy and boring. Why would anyone choose boring? I’m not saying that spicy food is always better, but when you’re dealing with chicken nuggets you’re dealing with cheap processed meat, and spice makes all the difference! In addition to the boring flavor, this nugget came across as too soggy. Maybe I got a bad batch, but that sounds more like Wendy’s problem, not mine.

The Bottom Line:

A fine-tasting but ultimately boring chicken nugget with a soggy coating.

Find your nearest Wendy’s here.

5. Burger King Chicken Nuggets — Taste 4

Nugget Blind
Ashley Garcia

The Chicken Nugget:

Look at Burger King landing in the middle of the list! I’m always dunking on this brand, so I’m proud of it for not coming in last place. These were the strange dusty nuggets. Weird texture aside, I really like the black pepper-forward flavor. They were also surprisingly tender, almost melting in the mouth. Okay, this is the nicest I’ve ever been to Burger King so I’m just going to end it here before I say something really crazy and give my editor the idea to make me taste-test the whole menu.

The Bottom Line:

Burger King’s nuggets are dusty but delicious. Okay maybe not delicious, but very good.

Find your nearest Burger King here.

4. Carl’s Jr Chicken Stars — Taste 6

Nugget Blind
Ashley Garcia

The Chicken Nugget:

Yeah, I know, it’s weird to rank Chicken Stars this highly but what can I say, I like the flavor! I can just imagine these bright-tasting heavily battered nuggets dunked in BBQ sauce and if any chicken nugget can bring me back to the idea of using dipping sauces, I can’t complain. While the star shape is disturbing, the crunchy texture makes it all worth it.

The Bottom Line:

Chicken Stars are weird, but fun. You can bite off each leg of the star one by one and turn the nugget into a shape that feels less weird to consume. Who doesn’t love food you can play with?

Find your nearest Carl’s Jr. here.

3. McDonald’s Chicken McNuggets — Taste 7

Nugget Blind
Ashley Garcia

The Chicken Nugget:

The ‘ol classic, the McNugget has a really nice airy texture and an interesting blend of seasonings that tastes unlike anything else in the fast food universe. On crispiness alone, this one deserves the third-place spot, although it is a bit bland. It’s light and flavorless in a good way, like a canvas for dipping sauces. I used this nugget in the 62-sauce test for a reason, it’s just a natural pair for dipping and retains its crispiness for the longest amount of time.

The Bottom Line:

A good chicken nugget with a great texture.

Find your nearest McDonald’s here.

2. Wendy’s Spicy Nuggets — Taste 1

Nugget Blind
Ashley Garcia

The Chicken Nugget:

I really liked this one, it was a great way to start the tasting and packed so much flavor thanks to the blend of cayenne and black pepper. It also has the crispiness you want. The breading is thick but still snappy. And while the meat tastes very cheap, it’s tender and the spice is strong enough to distract from the texture. If we didn’t have our number one choice in the lineup, this would’ve taken the top spot easily.

The best part of Wendy’s Spicy Nuggets is that they actually deliver on the heat. This isn’t a gentle kick of spice, it’s pretty intense, and we love Wendy’s for going bold.

The Bottom Line:

If you can’t handle spice, you can’t handle these nuggets. A whole lot of flavor in a small package, the only chicken nugget that doesn’t need to be dipped to enhance the experience.

Find your nearest Wendy’s here.

1. Chick-fil-A Chicken Nuggets — Taste 5

Nugget Blind
Ashley Garcia

The Chicken Nugget:

I kind of saw this one coming and the blindfold confirmed it, Chick-fil-A’s chicken nuggets, which are made from actual whole chunks of chicken, are in another class. This is real, unprocessed chicken. It’s tender, juicy, and imperfect in the way actual chicken is. Sure, you don’t get a consistent crunch across this nugget, or a consistent shape, but you get so much more flavor here than in any other nugget.

The chicken is marinaded, giving this nugget a depth of flavor that the others just can’t compete with. And that’s just talking about the meat, the breading contains more seasoning than everything else, with notes of garlic, onion powder, and black pepper. If Chick-fil-A made a spicy nugget, it would’ve absolutely dominated this menu and beat out Wendy’s.

I don’t like to give Chick-fil-A praise. But credit where credit is due, this is some damn good chicken.

The Bottom Line:

Easily the best chicken nugget in this taste test.

Find your nearest Chick-fil-A here.

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Jack Black’s Oscar-Eligible ‘Mario’ Ballad ‘Peaches’ Could Become The Biggest Song Of His Career

Harry Styles, Jennifer Lopez, Eminem, Prince, and Beyoncé are the only artists who had the number one movie and song in the country in the same week. Jack Black won’t quite get there, but he’ll come closer than anyone expected. Even though we probably should have, because there’s nothing the Tenacious D singer can’t do (including playing Batman, hopefully).

The Super Mario Bros. Movie is expected to finish #1 at the box office for a second straight weekend, while “Peaches,” the Oscar-eligible ballad sung by Bowser (voiced by Black), is climbing up the charts. “The song got off to a strong start in streaming and sales, and has only grown in the days since, as the movie has conquered theaters nationwide,” according to Billboard. “It’s risen from 218,000 daily official on-demand U.S. streams and about 500 digital song sales on April 7 in its first full day of release to 961,000 and 1,000 in streams and sales on April 10 – gains of 342 percent and 104 percent.”

“Peaches” could appear on the Billboard Hot 100 “within the next week or two” (it’s rapidly rising on the global Spotify chart), which would be a first for Black as a solo artist. With Tenacious D, he and Kyle Gass reached #78 with “POD” from The Pick of Destiny. (“Tribute,” the second single from the D’s first album, peaked at #4 in Australia, but failed to chart in the United States.)

Come on, TikTok, do your thing, and get “Peaches” on the Hot 100. And while you’re at it, make “Kyle Quit the Band” go viral, too.

(Via Billboard)

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Davido Proves That He’s Worthy Of A Crown In Any Era On The Conquering ‘Timeless’

The RX is Uproxx Music’s stamp of approval for the best albums, songs, and music stories throughout the year. Inclusion in this category is the highest distinction we can bestow, and signals the most important music being released throughout the year. The RX is the music you need, right now.

The video for Davido’s “Unavailable,” an early highlight from his fourth album Timeless, begins with a radio message that announces the long-awaited return of the “King Of Afrobeat.” That figure is Davido himself, who went two and a half years without a project and minimal releases outside of that.

Though that isn’t all that long, the absence was noticed as his contemporaries – Burna Boy and Wizkid – elevated to new heights. Burna dropped an award-winning album while Wizkid released a magnum opus while newcomers in afrobeats arrived to define the new class of artists that would lead the way.

Five years ago, Davido was at the forefront of afrobeats’ mainstream takeover, firing off records like “If,” “Fall,” and “FIA” that were played so frequently that fans grew tired of them being the only afrobeats records to play in outdoor spaces. To start 2023, Davido was that same star but had yet to insert his defining project into the massive ring that afrobeats created for itself in this current decade.

That’s what makes Timeless the perfect title for Davido’s fourth album. Yes, it continues the theme of time that served as the foundation of the afrobeats singer’s last two albums, A Good Time and A Better Time, but by definition, it accurately describes Davido’s music in today’s afrobeats space – “not affected by the passage of time or changes in fashion.”

With Timeless, Davido proves himself to be a limitless artist with enough strength to always find a way to finish at the top. The same singer who arrived with the electric and raw “Dami Duro” can use that same joy and energy in a different way for another party-friendly record, like “Unavailable,” more than a decade later. Between the two records, the similarities and differences are clear, above all, they speak to the timeless nature of Davido and his artistry.

Timeless caters to those who were assured that its awaited arrival would be nothing short of monumental while also sneering at those who had doubts about its potential. Davido re-emerges from one of the lowest points in his life as a rejuvenated man with a new sense of appreciation, value, and vigor. Defeat is not a part of Davido’s ministry and it’s a message that couldn’t be any clearer on the album’s opener “Over Dem.”

He boasts about his ability to win no matter the circumstances, singing, “Over dem all / If dem wan turn Goliath / I be David for life / Oluwa dey my side.” Davido delivers these lines with such certainty and little doubt that not only are we convinced of his strength, but it’s also enough to make listeners believe in their own. Davido re-establishes this connection with a higher power just three songs later on “Godfather.”

“All of thе blessings wey dey come my way / They are all from God,” he sings with the certainty and confidence that only the God he sings of could supply. “And if dem try to talk / E go burn them like hot water oh.” To loosely translate: “All of the blessings that come my way / They are all from God / If they try to talk against them / It’ll burn them like hot water.”

As much as he flaunts his strengths, Davido also embraces the losses and the moments of uncertainty. A broken heart and questions for the woman who split it in two are the foundation of “E Pain Me.” Davido croons his pleas to this woman, begging for their return and showcasing the pains of a loss that he can’t seem to wrap his head around. “Wetin I no do for you? / Shey you promise say you no go let me go?” Davido asks. “And last night you told me that it’s all over / E pain me oh.”

The trend continues in the second half of the album with “For The Road,” a record that swaps sadness for disappointment while still finding itself in the realm of love. It’s upended by a well-played double meaning that comes alive with his request for one last night of intimacy “for the road” with a girl who has no desire to be confined by the limitations of a relationship – in other words, she’s “for the road” in Davido’s eyes.

Davido bravest moment in the face of loss comes through “LCND (Legends Can Never Die),” a song dedicated to the people he’s lost in his life, which presumably includes his three-year-old son David Ifeanyi Adeleke Jr. Davido proves that he found life through death, a concept that couldn’t be more representative of the theme behind Timeless.

Davido’s Timeless stretches its arms to touch on areas that pertain to the singer and the world he finds himself in. It boasts the confidence of a man who considers his music and impact to be timeless as well as the fight and focus to prove this case to those who doubted. It’s crafted with the precision that will have it be remembered as one of the best afrobeats albums to come out of the genre’s most spotlighted era while offering moments where Davido is forced to accept his time with an experience was paused, or worse, cut short, whether it be through love, friendship, parenthood, or his career.

The lesson here is to value the time with something or someone while you do have it. With that, Davido is able to produce the tunnel-visioned “Precision,” the besotted “No Competition” with Asake, and the infatuated “In The Garden.” With Timeless, Davido reduced the force that is time into a feather-like obstacle that a king like himself can effortlessly knock down.

Timeless is out now via Davido Music Worldwide/Sony Music. You can stream it here.