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ESPN has about a year to figure out how it’s going to handle Inside the NBA. As part of Warner Bros. Discovery’s deal to remain in the NBA’s media ecosystem, it was announced that Turner will continue to produce Inside, but license it out to ESPN, which solves the network’s longstanding issues trying to put together a pregame, halftime, and postgame NBA show that viewers enjoy.

An unsurprising question that popped up after this was whether Stephen A. Smith — who is in the middle of some high-profile contract negotiations with ESPN — would find a way onto the show. Smith is the guy ESPN has built its NBA coverage around, and while that has come under plenty of criticism, he’s famously close with the Inside crew and has appeared on it in the past. But apparently, as of now, the network doesn’t have any intetion of putting Stephen A. on their newest property.

“We have no plans to do that,” ESPN content president Burke Magnus told Jimmy Traina of Sports Illustrated. “And that’s because, frankly, the construct of the deal really doesn’t — that’s not how it was conceived. What is conceived is that Turner, as they have always done with this show, with this cast, with the people involved behind the scenes, are going to continue to do what they’ve always done. And we’re going to distribute it on the ESPN platform. Frankly, that’s exactly what we want. We don’t want to change it. We don’t want to interject new talent into it. We don’t want to really do anything to it.”

It is worth mentioning that the scuttlebutt around Smith’s contract negotiations revolves around him wanting to do more NFL stuff for ESPN, but considering how big Inside is and his relationship with the guys, it is fair to wonder if he’d want to have any sort of presence on the show as part of a new deal (if, of course, he comes to terms with the network on one). For now, the complexities of the deal with Turner gives ESPN a way to say they have no plans of putting him on Inside in any capacity, but we’ll certainly be waiting to see if that changes as Smith and ESPN sit down at the negotiating table.

(Via Awful Announcing)

Everything changed for Oxlade in 2022. The Nigerian afrobeats singer, who already had quality records in his discography, climbed to heights that few afrobeats artists have seen. That year, he released his “Ku Lo Sa” single with COLORS Studios where it instantly went viral. Today, more than two years after that song’s release, “Ku Lo Sa” tallied over 200 million views on YouTube combined thanks to the COLORS Studios performance video, the song’s official music video, and the song’s remix video with Camila Cabello. On Spotify, the numbers are even higher with the three version of “Ku Lo Sa” reeling in over 400 million streams.

Thanks to “Ku Lo Sa,” Oxlade and his music reached corners of the world previously unimagined to him. He joined artists like Wizkid, CKay, and Rema on the shortlist of afrobeats artists who released absolute smash hit songs over the past few years. “Ku Lo Sa” meant a brand new era for Oxlade and he took full advantage of hit to tell a new story and a new goal on his debut album Oxlade From Africa.

With the album out now and sure to end up as a top afrobeats release by year’s end, Uproxx caught up with Oxlade to talk about his Oxlade From Africa debut, the globalization of afrobeats, telling African stories, and more.

How did you decide on the direction, sound, feeling — everything — for this album? Did it take a while to settle on a plan or you knew all along that your debut would sound like this?

When “Ku Lo Sa” went crazy viral, I was like, “Yeah, goddamn, it’s time for me to drop an album.” I shot myself in the foot when I said I’m going to name the album Oxlade From Africa. Shout to Spax, he’s the Quincy Jones to my Michael Jackson, he’s my executive producer. I set him a playlist [with] like 20 songs, I was gassed, I was like, “Yeah bro, I killed them,” and then he goes, “This is not the album,” and I lost all the excitement I had for the project. He told me that if I’m going to name the project Oxlade From Africa, I have to make a project that has the aesthetics of Oxlade from Africa and not just naming a project because you feel like naming it and dropping different sonics that contradict the name of the project. So, I had to incline myself for more classic songs that I listened to growing up, and then just blend them with modern-day afrobeats.

Oxlade From Africa is truly a global album with features from people all over the world. Dave, who’s Nigerian and living in the UK. Popcaan in Jamaica, Fally Ipupa in Congo, Wande Coal & Flavour in Nigeria, and Sarkodie in Ghana. Why was it important for you to have different cultures play a part in your debut album?

The thing is if I named the album Oxlade From Lagos or like Lagos To The World it would have been easier for me, but I set myself up and I named the album Oxlade From Africa, so I have to bring African elements from all sides of the Earth into it. Like Fally Ipupa representing the French African, people don’t even know that we have more French-speaking African countries than English-speaking African countries. That’s a very untapped market for even Nigerian afrobeats. “Ku Lo Sa” broadened my eyes to different markets that I didn’t even understand or know I needed. This ton of success presented new perspectives on how I create music and who I create music for.

As much as you are introducing yourself officially with your debut, this album’s title also lets me know that you’re also trying to paint an image of Africa to your listeners. What did you hope they saw and heard about the homeland?

That’s a very good question. As much as we’re scared of the Western world narrating or giving the afrobeats narrative, we also need to be the ones telling the stories. We also need to be the ones countering any fallacy or lies about the genre and try and protect [it]. We have to also give them quality right from the source. For me, it’s a legacy thing, not a trend thing. When you hear the name Oxlade, the standard of music has to be A1. No mediocre — experiments are allowed, but it has to be intentional. I’m also trying to build a legacy for myself with my sonics and also with the brand. I evolved from Boy Ox, which was a boy, to Oxlade From Africa. With every album, new sides and new phases of me will show.

What is one thing that you wanted to showcase for fans through the music on this album that you may not have done on previous songs and projects?

Yeah, definitely. I had a song on the album called “Olaitan.” I feel like the song should have come out earlier because it’s prophesying my mantra [and] what I live by because that’s my name and it means unending wealth and favor from God. This album is also an introduction album and a new update for those who have already been tapped into the brand Oxlade. It also serves as a reminder to those that believed in me, and to give them a reminder to why they believed in me from the jump. It’s reality music, it’s so penetrating, [and] it’s relatable. Songs like that, with the thanks of the platform the album is giving me, would be really, really, really useful in the future. I also do impactful music, like conscious music, like “Blessed” with Popcaan. It’s not every time you gotta sing about ass-shaking checking. Occasionally, we have to give thanks to The Most High. Albums like this give me space to be able to chip in songs like that.

This album is another entry of the successful highs you’ve experienced globally, going back to “Ku Lo Sa” blowing up. How did the massive success of that song confirm or change anything about your approach as an artist and the next steps you took?

I feel like that moment quenched and silenced every doubt I had in my future, my brand, and my craft. We artists, we’re also critics of our art, but ground-shaking success stories like that just make you fearless. Now, I’m just doing this because I love it and I want to do it. Before, I was probably trying to prove people wrong, but the only person I should be proving wrong is myself by outdoing myself. So like, you know. It changed my perspective on what I should be focusing on. I don’t know how to explain it, but that’s literally what is going through my head right now. It gave me the trajectory towards how I should even name the songs on my album. I’m trying to make an African album. I’m not trying to steal anything from a borrowed language that English gave us. So when you hear me say “Ku Lo Sa”, I’m not trying to say “closer.” If you hear me say “Asunasa,” I’m trying to say “as soon as I,” but in an African form. So “Ku Lo Sa” actually affected the entire trajectory and aesthetics of the album. It gave me the whole picture of what or how I should create or carve out some important details of the album.

What do you enjoy most about writing love songs? There are many on this album, like “Intoxycated,” “IFA,” and “Ovum,” and love songs often end up being your best outputs.

I just feel like humanity needs more love and I’m just aiding in preaching the gospel of love because greed is the downfall of our race, if I’ve been honest. If you can share love amongst each other, it could be through songs [and] it could be through good days. As long as you’re preaching love, you’re helping humanity. Also, I love, love. I was raised in love. My family raised me with love and I learned that love is as important as the air we breathe. So, it might be 75% of what you hear me think about because I’m pushing a course to heal humanity. In as much as I could be in realms where I want to sing about violent stuff, I don’t think that is how I want to announce my craft or my debut into the album world. That’s why I’m centering on love and positivity.

Your love for music and your faith in success and prosperity going forward are very obvious when listening to your songs. Have there been moments where that love and faith weakened, and even in those moments, what pushed you to keep it alive and strong?

I feel like every human has downtimes [and] every human loses faith. As far as commitment is concerned, anything you’re committed to will make your emotions flow into it because challenging times are definitely bound to come. There’s this mindset that I have, it’s called: the bigger the level, the bigger the devil. You can’t be overly ambitious and not expect obstacles to come your way. You just have to be fixated on the positives and improve from your mistakes because mistakes are the best lessons. They’re the best teachers. These downtimes actually inspired me to go harder and looking back now at previous episodes, it even gave me more reason to not be scared of whatever challenges I might be facing now.

With this album as your first block in your legacy, what do you hope or want your legacy to be in the afrobeats space?

The legacy already started because if we’re looking at it from all human perspectives, I’m not meant to be where I am today because where I was coming from, people who have that bravery of guts or an unending urge for success, they’re so comfortable. So, having to take out time to do my craft and still go for my dreams, it’s a legacy on its own. Having people like Wizkid, Davido, [and] Burna [Boy] do it right before us and show us how it’s meant to be done, and then passing the torch [and] legacy to us, it’s like a full cycle. It’s a lineage of greats You just have to uphold your own destiny and fulfill it. For me, where I envision myself or what I want my music to do to humanity is heal them. That’s always been my whole purpose. There was a time my profession on my Instagram bio was “doctor” and people would ask me, “Why would I call myself a doctor?” My purpose for doing music is to heal souls. I feel like melodies touch parts of our body that X-ray scans can’t even see, which is the subconscious. Music heals people, music has stopped people from committing suicide, it’s that powerful. People don’t deep the power of art itself. I just feel like my sole purpose to humanity and music is to make songs that humans need.

What is one thing that you hope your listeners, especially the ones who aren’t new to the Oxlade experience, take away from listening to this album?

They were right all along. They invested in the stock and it wasn’t the wrong move. It’s just more bragging rights for them [and] when they defend me. This is all I make music for, to make people happy, to make people that always believed in me prouder of me, to heal more souls, to change more people’s mindset about human music or African music generally, the best way I can. So help me God.

Oxlade From Africa is out now via Troniq Inc./Epic Records/Sony Music Entertainment. Find out more information here.

Luca Guadagnino has made two critically-acclaimed movies with a score from Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross this year, but only one stars Omar Apollo.

The “Evergreen (You Didn’t Deserve Me At All)” singer makes his on-screen debut in Queer, which stars Daniel Craig as an American ex-pat living in Mexico City in the 1940s who makes a meaningful connection with a younger student, played by Drew Starkey. Apollo also provided a song for the soundtrack: “Te Maldigo” is a tender ballad produced by — you guessed it — Reznor and Ross.

Apollo previously discussed what it was like preparing for a sex scene with James Bond. “Yeah, I had to get on the soup diet,” he told Starkey in a conversation for Interview. “Luca did not tell me to lose weight, but when you’re about to have a sex scene with Daniel Craig, you’re like, ‘Oh, dude, I can’t be looking off.’ I was at 200 pounds, because I’m 6’5″. It’s around where I should be, honestly. But I got down to 181 when the movie came. I lost 20 pounds because I read in the script that my character had a flat brown stomach. I was like, ‘Damn, I’m actually not flat right now.’ I had to get it together, and I was on tour with SZA. Luckily, I didn’t have that many lines.”

You can watch the Guadagnino-directed music video above.

A24’s Queer opens in theaters on November 27.

It’s still 2024, but the 2025 music festival season has already arrived. Which is to say, the Coachella lineup is here.

On Wednesday evening, America’s preeminent music festival released the poster for next year’s bill, including headliners Lady Gaga, Green Day, Post Malone, and Travis Scott. Further down, there’s everyone from Charli XCX to Basement Jaxx, Anitta to GloRilla, Keshi to Kraftwerk. It’s a stacked lineup, one that invites a few questions. Let’s begin with the most pressing matter…

1. Did One Band Make History On The Coachella Poster?

The first name that drew my attention on the Coachella 2025 poster wasn’t headliners Lady Gaga, Green Day, Post Malone, or Travis Scott. It wasn’t Megan Thee Stallion, in a victory lap from her mighty 2024, or FKA twigs, who will put on a high-concept spectacle, or Japanese Breakfast, even though her inclusion means we should be getting the follow-up to 2021’s excellent Jubilee next year. It was The Misfits. Specifically, The Misfits logo. Is this the first time a band’s font has appeared on a Coachella poster? The closest other examples I can think of are AC/DC in 2015 and Prince in 2008, but this is more unusual. Unprecedented even. Those were symbols; this is a specific font. Hopefully there’s plenty of french onion soup to go around.

2. Green Day Over Charli XCX?

No offense to Green Day, who are out on the road playing a pair of all-time classics (Dookie and American Idiot) from front to back, but it’s a little surprising that they got the Saturday headliner slot over Charli XCX. Over 30 years after releasing their first album, Billie Joe Armstrong & Co. are still more recognizable to the general public than Charli XCX, but for the Coachella crowd, the queen of Brat is a bigger and more zeitgeist-defining draw. I’m sure Green Day will put on a great show — they always do — and in the long run, they have the lead in historical significance. But right now, it’s Charli, baby.

3. Can Lady Gaga Top Her 2017 Headlining Set?

It’s been an up and down year for Lady Gaga. Joker: Folie à Deux flopped at the box office, and “Disease,” the first single from her upcoming album, stalled at #27 on the Billboard Hot 100. Yet, even with those speed bumps, she helped kick off the 2024 Olympics and her collaboration with Bruno Mars, “Die With A Smile,” is one of the most-streamed songs of the year. Gaga previously headlined in 2017 (this was also the year she filmed scenes for A Star Is Born on the Empire Polo Club grounds), albeit as a replacement for Beyoncé. This time, she has months to prepare for “a massive night of chaos in the desert.” Gaga will find a way to one-up herself.

4. What Is Travis Scott Up To?

All the bottom of the poster, even below the smallest-font Sunday acts (shout out to Yulia Niko), it reads, “Travis Scott Designs The Desert.” What does that mean? Well, according to a press release, the “Mo City Flexologist” rapper is “headlining the main stage on Saturday night where he will debut an entirely new era of music to the world.” He will also “curate a fully immersive and experiential world within the desert.” Scott was supposed to headline in 2022, but he was dropped from the bill following the Astroworld tragedy.

5. Who Will Post Malone Bring Out As Special Guests?

This year alone, Post Malone has been on songs with Taylor Swift, Beyoncé, Morgan Wallen, Dolly Parton, Brad Paisley, Luke Combs, Lainey Wilson, Jelly Roll, and Chris Stapleton, among many others. It’s a near-certainty that he’ll be joined on Sunday by some surprise famous faces. Probably not Taylor or Beyoncé (Posty popping up during the Cowboy Carter Netflix halftime show on Christmas is more likely), but nonetheless, get ready for a star-studded set.

6. Can We Expect A Blackpink Mini-Reunion?

In a recent interview with Billboard, Lisa was asked how the members of Blackpink keep in touch during their respective solo careers. “We know each other so well and know how much energy we have to put into every single project,” The White Lotus star said. “So we want to support and say, ‘You did really well!’ Like, Jennie and Rosie just released their own songs, and we’re on texts, we’re on FaceTime. They’re like family.” Will Coachella double as a Blackpink family reunion? Lisa gets a prime spot on Friday, while Jennie is scheduled to perform on Sunday. What, no Rosé on Saturday?

7. Yo Gabba Gabba?

Yo Gabba Gabba.

8. Who Will Be This Year’s Knocked Loose?

Metalcore greats Knocked Loose went viral in 2023 for their wild Coachella set. To quote one tweet, “Influencer babes are stage diving during Knocked Loose’s Coachella set.” Billie Eilish was there, and she was vibing. So was everyone in the circle pit. But who will be this year’s Knocked Loose, the heavy band that captivates Coachella beyond their usual audience? My money’s on either Gel, who released the heavy-and-hook-filled Persona EP over the summer, or Australia’s Speed. They have Only One Mode and it’s ferocious.

9. Where’s The Country?

Since the beginning of July, the top of the Billboard Hot 100 has been dominated by three artists: Post Malone, Morgan Wallen, and Shaboozey. Some combination of that trio has had the No. 1 song in the country for every week but one, when Kendrick Lamar’s “Not Like Us” took over the world. That’s an incredible run, and Post Malone and Shaboozey are playing Coachella. But they’re the only country or country-adjacent acts on the bill. No Cody Johnson, no Kacey Musgraves. Maybe Coachella didn’t want to double-book with Stagecoach, which takes place later that month, but you would think arguably the biggest genre of 2024 would be better represented.

10. What Will Be The Most Talked-About Non-Headliner Set Of The Weekend(s)?

Somehow, Missy Elliott — one of the most electric, unique, and influential artists in hip-hop history — has never performed at Coachella. To make up for the long-overdue slight, she gets second billing on Friday night. Elliott played all the hits during her first-ever headlining tour earlier this year: “Sock It 2 Me,” “Get Ur Freak On,” “Work It,” “Gossip Folks,” “WTF (Where They From),” “Lose Control.” Expect a crowd-pleasing set from an icon.

Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors have been one of the best teams in the NBA this season, improving to a West-leading 11-3 with a win over the Atlanta Hawks on Wednesday night. That wasn’t the expectation for this Warriors team after seeing Klay Thompson depart for Dallas and failing to land a second star despite numerous trade rumors this summer, but Curry continues to play at an extremely high level to lead the way and Golden State’s depth is shining in the early season.

In his 16th season, Curry has kept evolving as a player, adapting to new teammates around him and continuing to stress defenses with his other-worldly shooting ability. Off the court, Curry has evolved plenty as well, becoming a major figure not only in the sports space but in the world of entertainment and general pop culture. This season, Curry is partnering with Rakuten and his stylist Jason Bolden on an initiative to highlight Black and Brown designers through his tunnel fits, and allowing fans to purchase the same pieces he wears to games in a curated hub on Rakuten and get cash back and rewards (available here).

Earlier this month, we got to talk with Curry and Bolden about the partnership, the evolution of Curry’s style from his first game “Peaky Blinders” outfit to now, finding himself suddenly at things like the Met Gala, looking beyond the big designers to find things that speak to your personal style and expression, and how he’s grown to have a greater appreciation for the work that goes into fashion now that he has Curry Brand.

Stephen, how would you say your style has evolved since you came into the league? You’re now 16 years in. When you look back at where you were in 2008, 2009 to where you are now in terms of your style and your approach to fashion, what’s changed for you?

SC: I think, just a little bit more intentional now than I was back in the past. I tried a lot of stuff over the years. My favorite fit, anytime anybody asks, I had my Peaky Blinders debut for my first NBA game, with the Kangol hat, the vest with the open button, almost like a tweed color material.

So like all the way from that to what I’m wearing now, and the different … usually stay on trend most the time, take some chances, but always for me, just want to be as comfortable as possible. And the intentionality is obviously why we’re talking around like the tunnel walk and how the energy in the league has changed. I never thought I’d be a participant at the Met Gala. Stuff like that has just, it’s evolved dramatically. My wife has a lot to do with that, and kind of her pushing me in different ways, and you know, her eye for fashion. So it’s been cool to just experiment and try new things and be in a place now where you kind of are expected to show up a certain way, and that’s kind of dope.

Jason, I mean, when you when you work with guys, something that’s fascinating for me is, fashion is such a personal expression thing, and as a stylist, how do you tap into that? And what are the conversations you have with people you’re styling about what they want to do, but also how you can kind of push them in directions that you think will accentuate their own personal styles?

JB: Using Stephen as an example, it’s just like you just watch his day-to-day life, and then to know him as a person, his style point of view is just, it’s classic, it’s easy. It’s what most guys lean towards. Like he has this kind of a classic Americana feel to him, but it’s super relatable. And I think for me, when I first met him, it was very obvious. Like, he liked fashion, but it wasn’t like a sole focus. And then it became this thing, speaking of the Met, it became this thing, like I saw the evolution of his excitement — [Curry laughs] — and being around other like minds. Fashion can be very intimidating, like basketball could be very intimidating for some people, and this was like a new world. But to see him, kind of collect friends and come back from the Met and talk about the people that he met and talked to, and it’s just like there’s that commonality.

I feel like sports, music, and fashion kind of have that commonality where people can actually connect on. So when it came to his style point of view, it was pretty easy. He likes classic, conventional, smart clothing, and I think you can look at like a lot of his tunnel walks that you see. He gives a point of view. He loves a tank top to layer. He loves to layer. Like, he loves the play on all of his sneakers, and, like, ripping colors from the sneakers, and how we kind of play with what we base that back to. I believe most people have a style point of view. They just need a little direction. And I think that’s exactly what we found with our relationship.

What was that process like for you, Stephen? You mentioned the intentionality now, and if it’s not something that was kind of front of mind at the beginning, how did that kind of evolve for you in terms of thinking more about it and having those conversations with someone like Jason? Because, like, it’s not something I think you necessarily think about, like, ‘What is my style?’ until it’s presented to you.

SC: No, for sure, even now, you see the adjectives he used, they make the most sense of how to explain what I tend to gravitate towards if I see something on the rack. And that’s kind of how the whole process was. He used the Met Gala as an example, but it was like the intimidating factor of, okay, there are so many different options. Obviously we went with Versace, but like, OK, what does that actually look alright? There’s all these different materials. How loud do you want to go? What kind of fit do you want? All those kind of questions. I’m great if I get to see it and like, Oh, I like this. I like that. I don’t like that. And then allow looks to kind of formulate from there. And that process has become pretty fun. But like, Jason will tell you, from the first fitting when you come in, you get overwhelmed with stuff.

JB: Oh, we have that recording, right? He looks — [laughs] oh, that’s a good one, I’m gonna use that against him.

SC: And now I kind of look forward to it, because the hard work’s done, because I know he knows me and knows exactly — not to say he’s going to force me to wear certain things, but it’s like, there’s a meet me halfway. Like, these are the kind of things I had in mind for you from a color perspective, a material perspective, a fit perspective. It might push me over my boundary, or whatever you want to call it, like the threshold I probably would have thought with some fits, but it’s like, when I look back, I’m like, I’m glad I tried that, because it was something different. So that whole process has been cool, and it’s been fun to now, in this partnership with Rakuten, and being able to do this where we can elevate and put some Black and Brown designers on the map, and allow their talent to shine with this relationship and the tunnel walk perspective. And for me, it just gave me another opportunity to have some fun and do something meaningful in the process.

Jason, you mentioned that Stephen’s style is pretty relatable. As you look at this partnership where people can buy those fits and what people would be able to do with it if they want to kind of copy that look, or get some things from that look. What do you think people from the outside can take away from what this will be, and kind of the things that you work on with him, in terms of styling and putting outfits together and bringing designers together and looking at different pieces?

JB: I think the special thing about this particular relationship with Rakuten is it’s so authentic to him, and just the way that he approaches everything with intentionality. There’s these moments of being so relatable, but there’s that piece of aspiration there too. So, to be in a relationship like that, where you’re able to service people in so many different ways, and give people opportunity to, kind of like live out their dreams and hopes and aspirations through clothing, right? But doing it in such a relatable way, but on such a huge stage. We get to see these looks go up and down the tunnels, and it’s like being able to celebrate these people or introduce new brands to consumers who may not know. So I think it just feels really good, and it feels very authentic. And the relationship with Stephen, Rakuten, myself and these other brands, I feel it’s needed, and it’s special, and why not celebrate it when you have these spaces and these opportunities to do it?

At a broad level, I think a lot of the focus in fashion is around the big brands and the big designers. How important is it, as somebody who … we talk about this is a thing of expression, and being able to show people you can find things from different designers, from people who have different perspectives that can maybe speak more to you authentically, as opposed to necessarily just trying to follow trends and big brands? And how important is that in something like this to show people like there’s great stuff you can find from all over and different kinds of people and different kinds of designers?

JB: I think fashion in itself is just, it’s a bonus to self expression, right? And being able to use these other brands that may not have the opportunity to have, you know, this massive, big brand exposure, I think it’s the perfect opportunity to constantly show people in a different way expression does not need to be from such a massive box. You can express yourself from so many different ways. And this particular partnership is just to kind of increase the visibility for that type of life, just for individuality.

Stephen, now that you have your own brand in Curry Brand, how has that changed how you think about fashion and design? Because now you are involved in that even more, and what has that relationship to the industry kind of brought to your mindset when you look at pieces and you look at kind of putting things together?

SC: I mean, beyond just the sense of pride of that, you realize how hard this industry is to be successful, to create a standard that you have to keep executing on and delivering, you know, every season. I think for me, the biggest thing is just the design team — the designers, the people that Jason was just talking about — from Curry Brand side, there’s so many people behind the scenes that are having to, you know, from scratch, source the material, create these looks, create the trends, create, just the design language of what it means to rock Curry Brand. And like, how much goes into that is insane.

And so there’s an appreciation for the art of it. There’s an appreciation for the work that goes into it. And then, when you see somebody in the wild wearing your stuff, like, it’s just a visual for the amount of time, investment, and passion that people pour into this. So I’ve seen it, like you said, on my side with our brand, and now it reflects, I’m sure, to another level, what these designers that we’re repping with this partnership. So it’s just an overall appreciation, for sure, of how hard it is to do this.

Pharrell had one of the year’s most notable movies with Piece By Piece, a biopic animated in the style of Lego. He’s not finished telling his story through film yet: It was just revealed he’s teaming up with Michel Gondry on Golden, a movie set for 2025 that was inspired by his childhood.

The cast is led by Kelvin Harrison Jr. and Halle Bailey. Bailey isn’t the only noteworthy musician in the movie, as the film also features Janelle Monáe, Anderson. Paak, and Missy Elliott. The cast is rounded out by Da’vine Joy Randolph, Brian Tyree Henry, and Quinta Brunson.

Of the movie, Pharrell tells Empire:

“Piece By Piece is about my life, whereas Golden is about a neighborhood that I grew up in. This is very different. It’s a musical expedition, set in the summer of 1977 in Virginia Beach, Virginia, with the spirit of the music [of that time]. You know how in Dirty Dancing and Grease, the music was almost a character? That’s what it’s like in this film. It’s a coming-of-age story about self-discovery and pursuing your dreams, but it’s so much more magical than that. It’s a celebration of Black life, Black culture, and most importantly, Black joy.”

The film was originally titled Atlantis, after the housing development where Pharrell grew up. Of the name change, Pharrell explains, “It just speaks to the narrative, the area, the energy and literally everything about [the film, which is] this analysis of what being ‘golden’ is. Children and grown-ups with inner children within them can connect to it and realize that there’s a golden aspect to them too, whether it’s realized or latent.”

In recent months, Selena Gomez has made some comments that have perhaps left fans of her music discouraged. In September, she described music as “just a hobby that went out of control,” and a few days ago, when asked about making a new album, she said, “We’ll see, you never know.”

Now, Gomez has eased some concerns about the future of her music career, while also explaining what she prefers about the acting ecosystem.

In a new interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Gomez said, “I think I’ve done just as much as I wanted to do in music, but it’s exciting because I feel like I haven’t even started in film and TV, even though I know I’ve been a part of some great projects and I’m really proud of them. I like that I have to earn my position, and I love storytelling. So, I’m excited to do more of that.”

The interview then prompted, “When you say you’ve done what you wanted to do with music…,” and Gomez clarified, “Almost done. Music isn’t going away. I just set it down for a second.”

She was then asked, “What do you get from acting that you don’t from music,” and Gomez’s answer was “sanity.” She explained:

“You go into a room [to do junket press], and it’s really scary to talk about music that maybe has been a part of your story and isn’t anymore. And it’s really hard to sit there and talk about myself. It’s draining. But every interview I’ve done for this movie, there’s not been one personal question asked, and I’ve wanted to kiss every single reporter in the mouth and just say “thank you,” because it’s been so refreshing, and I think that that’s a space that is safer for me.”

Find the full interview here.

Last night was the 2024 CMA Awards, which featured performances from Post Malone and Chris Stapleton, Shaboozey, and Luke Combs. Kacey Musgraves was also in attendance at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena, and she played “The Architect,” a beautifully delicate track from Deeper Well (which was nominated for Album Of The Year; it lost to Johnson’s Leather).

Musgraves recently shared that she wrote “The Architect” with Shane McAnally and Josh Osbourne in Nashville, and “it was around the time or a couple weeks after the insane Covenant School Shooting that happened there, and the community was just reeling and it felt just so off and scary.” She continued, “And you know, we got together to write a song, and we even felt guilty just being able to meet up and write a song and get to do something so pleasant as that when something so crazy had just happened. It sparked this very real conversation about life and how it’s really confusing how there’s so much suffering — there’s also so much beauty at the same time, so it’s this great weird duality of being a human, especially in these modern times.”

Musgraves was nominated for five 2025 Grammys including Best Country Album for Deeper Well and Best Country Song and Best Country Solo Performance for “The Architect.”

Watch Musgraves’ performance above.

There have been rumors about the Coachella 2025 lineup for the past few days now, but yesterday (November 20), it was officially revealed: Lady Gaga, Green Day, and Post Malone are headlining, while Travis Scott is billed as a special guest.

After the lineup was officially revealed, Gaga wrote on social media:

“I have long dreamed of throwing a massive night of chaos in the desert. I’ve had a vision I’ve never been able to fully realize at Coachella for reasons beyond our control but I wanted to come through for music fans. I have been wanting to go back and to do it right, and I am. I’m headlining and starting the weekend off at Coachella. Can’t wait to hear you all singalong and dance dance DANCE till we drop.”

Gaga has a nuanced history with Coachella. Gaga first performed at the fest in 2017, as a replacement headliner for Beyoncé, who bailed after announcing she was pregnant.

Then, while delaying her album Chromatica, Gaga revealed she had a surprise performance planned for the canceled 2020 Coachella festival, writing, “I had so many fun things planned for us to celebrate together… I had a secret Coachella set lined up, and a lot of other fun surprises, some of which I’m still planning to share with all of you very soon!”

Capturing the nightlife scene is nothing too novel. Making it look natural and raw? Well, that’s a different story. If anyone has mastered this art it would be Frank Weyrauther, who has been capturing the ever-thriving Ibiza scene since 1999.

The art of capturing the essence of the dancefloor should garner a gold medal. Few can do it like Weyrauther (Cobrasnake, who cut his teeth by posting candid photos of the world’s “coolest kids” and Hollywood stars online, comes to mind). While Instagram and TikTok allow just about anybody to take photos and post them online, the art of using a true camera and capturing a sweaty-dancefloor-moment-in-time from the point of view of a clubgoer is something of a lost art.

But Weyrauther is keeping it alive. If you go to his Instagram profile, you’ll see he highlights what he calls “Ibiza flashbacks since 1999,” cementing the fact that Ibiza has been an extraordinary, world-class partying destination for over two decades.

Originally working as a graphic designer for record labels in Germany, it was when Weyrauther came to Ibiza in 1998 as a true electronic music lover that he saw his life and career blossom. With a request from a Holland magazine editor wanting “sexy girls dancing in the club for Playboy,” he smuggled his camera in his pants and got some of the most iconic party shots to ever be seen and published in Playboy. From there, he started taking exclusive Ibiza club content for DJ Mag, Dance Mag, and other publications around the world to capture the the coveted Ibiza partying scene at the tail end of the millennia.

Today, Weyrauther works five nights a week at basically every club on the white island. With every subgenre of EDM dedicated to a specific night each week during the summer season, every night looks completely different.

“I’ve been to a lot of parties over the years,” Weyrauther tells Uproxx. “Jamie Jones residencies full of beautiful dancers, Amnesia’s famous opening and closing parties, tINI & the Gang’s colorful and women-centered parties…I adapt to each one. Every show might get a different shooting style, whether it be in candid style, black and white, or only behind-the-scenes. I say I’m an “embedded photographer” where I’m there to close the clubs. I’ve been embedded in the scene for 25 years at this point.”

To commemorate over two decades of capturing the rise of Ibiza’s as the globe’s most famous party island, Weyrauther curated nearly 50 photos that capture his passion for the moments and people that make up his life’s work.