“Poor Cynthia Erivo” might seem like an odd thing to think about a Grammy-winning, Oscar-nominated superstar whose film Wicked is edging its way toward billion-dollar box office returns. But if I had to suffer through civilians singing my own meme-making vocal runs back at me in public, I might be willing to trade it all back.
Erivo told Jimmy Kimmel during her appearance on the late-night show last night that fans have, indeed, been singing her iconic run from “Defying Gravity” to her… usually, without asking. “I’m still trying to figure out how [to react to it],” she admitted. “Sometimes it’s really delightful, sometimes it’s really wonderful. I think what’s wonderful is that people are willing to try anyway. If the emotion has moved you to do that without even introducing yourself, then I think we’ve done something right. I’m just going to go with it.”
Still, please confirm you actually have the chops to hit the soaring high note — let alone the breathtaking melisma Erivo deploys in the uplifting scene.
It might all be worth it for Erivo this awards season; she’s just an Oscar away from becoming the youngest-ever EGOT winner in history (which’ll beat Jennifer Hudson, the youngest woman and second Black woman to rack up all four awards). She’s nominated for Best Actress, putting her up against Demi Moore, Mikey Madison, Fernanda Torres, and Karla Sofia Gascón — stiff competition to be sure, but she’s also in the most solid crowd-pleaser of the field.
You can watch Erivo’s full interview with Jimmy Kimmel above.
Washington, DC-born alt-R&B singer Kelela is best known for blending spacey takes on soul and R&B with glitzy, futuristic EDM, but on her upcoming live album, she’s taking a different tack. In The Blue Light, which is due on February 11 via Warp Records, was recorded during Kelela’s May 2024 residency at the legendary New York City jazz club The Blue Note, and as such, features jazzy, stripped-down reworkings of fan favorites like “Bank Head,” “Blue Light,” “Take Me Apart,” and her second album Raven, along with a cover of Joni Mitchell’s “Furry Sings The Blues.”
The first single is “Better,” from her 2017 debut Take Me Apart, which you can listen to below. Much of the percussion and the pulsating synths are removed, allowing her vocals to shine over a moody electric organ. The message of the lyrics may have gotten lost in the toe-tapping original, but here, they’re allowed to flourish, with more acoustic instrumentation. If you listen carefully, you can even hear the crowd respond as they’re moved by Kelela’s honeyed voice and the emotion of the moment. At the end, she even introduces her father, who attended the show and whom she credits for instilling her with an appreciation of jazz music.
You can listen to “Better (unplugged)” below, and see the tracklist for In The Blue Light, due 2/11.
Indie music has grown to include so much. It’s not just music that is released on independent labels, but speaks to an aesthetic that deviates from the norm and follows its own weirdo heart. It can come in the form of rock music, pop, or folk. In a sense, it says as much about the people that are drawn to it as it does about the people that make it.
While we’re at it, sign up for our newsletter to get the best new indie music delivered directly to your inbox, every Monday.
FKA twigs – Eusexua
When FKA twigs was in Prague filming the 2024 remake of The Crow, she got really into techno. Whereas the British auteur previously shed tears in the club on the 2022 mixtape Caprisongs, her new proper studio LP, Eusexua, captures twigs’ rush of, well, euphoria. Through her portmanteau of “euphoria” and “sex,” twigs has crafted a neologism that already feels deeply entrenched in the cultural milieu. Fortunately, the music itself transcends it. From the filtered FM synth stutters of “Girl Feels Good” to Koreless’ pulverizing electronic percussion on “Drums Of Death,” Eusexua marks twigs’ masterful pivot to the dancefloor.
Lonnie Holley – “Protest With Love”
Lonnie Holley has spent his storied career blurring the line between songwriting and oration. On 2023’s Oh Me Oh My, the interdisciplinary artist recounted his traumatic experiences at the Alabama Industrial School for Negro Children during the 1960s, which required its occupants to engage in physical labor, including cotton-picking. The way he weaved the innocence of youth through the horrors of child labor and racism struck a deep chord. That album’s forthcoming follow-up, Tonky, remains just as resonant. On the D’Angelo-adjacent funk of lead single “Protest with Love,” Holley flaunts his artistic versatility and virtuosity in tandem. It’s the work of a true storyteller.
Scowl – “Not Hell, Not Heaven”
Hardcore rides hard for Scowl. The Santa Cruz punks broke through after an immediately classic show in 2022 at a Sonic Drive-In — and shot on film by hardcore documentarian hate5six — catapulted them to the uppermost echelons of their scene. Arriving with their first LP for Dead Oceans, Scowl freshly expands their sound on the forthcoming Are We All Angels to include shimmery ’90s alt-rock melodies while retaining their acerbic bite. “Not Hell, Not Heaven” recalls contemporary punk luminaries like Mannequin Pussy and Turnstile thanks to Will Yip’s punchy production and the band’s knack for indelible songwriting. Their incendiary riffs and pulverizing drums make it instantly clear that Scowl is at the vanguard of hardcore’s latest wave.
Hannah Cohen – “Earthstar”
Some of life’s most rewarding treasures lie in the unknowable. Love, for instance, relies on a sense of mystery. Learning about someone and appreciating their many layers of depth and complexity carry a degree of risk, given the sundry forms heartbreak can take, but it’s ultimately part of being human. Hannah Cohen suggests as much on her forthcoming fourth album, Earthstar Mountain, a paean to the inscrutable and how that inscrutability presents itself in the places and people we love. Quasi-title track “Earthstar” chronicles Cohen’s new life in the Catskills, where she has lived since 2018, through its lush guitars and ambling bassline. Here, the singer-songwriter posits the idea that love is as natural as the blue sky and towering trees above us.
Real Lies – “Towards Horses”
It must be impossible for Real Lies to make a bad song. After breaking through with their second album, Lad Ash, in 2022, the English electronic duo has kept up a steady stream of singles and EPs. The latest in that line, “Towards Horses,” is another banger fit for the club. Its throttling four-on-the-floor bass and atmospheric synths swirl around you like smoke in a dark room. With their new single, Real Lies maintain their impressive track record.
Alicia Rytlewski – When We Were Bears
Milwaukee composer Alicia Rytlewski’s debut album is a marvel. When We Were Bears, arranged for piano, merges conventional songwriting forms with a classical approach. Rytlewski’s compositions range from grand suites, such as the “Three Sisters Farm” triptych featuring her mesmerizing vocals, to intimate, bucolic snapshots like “Mushrooms And Pink Roses.” Across its 14 tracks, When We Were Bears captures Rytlewski’s majestic dynamism, highlighting both her careful ear for fine detail and resplendent totality.
Open Head – What Is Success
Toeing the line between sampladelic hip-hop and arty prog, Hudson Valley’s Open Head present a forward-thinking vision for the evolution of post-punk. What Is Success, their latest album, sees the group apply Model/Acrtiz’s danceable rhythms to Squid’s knotty labyrinths. The end product lies somewhere between throwing out your guitars and buying turntables and throwing out your turntables and buying guitars. “N.Y. Frills” recontextualizes ’80s Sonic Youth for the modern age, and “House” positions polyrhythmic Phil Selway-esque grooves against metallic guitar scrapes. What Is Success is a stirring statement from Open Head. It’s a record that draws from so many touchpoints that it results in something all the more original.
Sumac & Moor Mother – “Scene 1”
Each experimental in their own ways, Sumac and Moor Mother still seem like a strange collaboration on paper. The former, a post-metal supergroup, and the latter, a jazz-oriented rapper and orator, flout conventions within their respective genres, but on their debut joint album, The Film, they find common ground as outré obsessives. Lead single “Scene 1” finds Moor Mother weaving her poetry on colonialism throughout Sumac’s doomy tapestry of spacious guitar distortion. Noisy and dense, “Scene 1” doesn’t shy away from its own intensity. In their own catalogs, both artists showcase a predilection for cutting-edge, challenging work. “Scene 1” sees them unite their gifts for confrontation.
Kelcey Ayer – “Don’t Look Down”
Last year, Local Natives co-vocalist, co-founder, and keyboardist Kelcey Ayer announced that he would be leaving his longtime band. Although Ayer has helmed his Jaws Of Love project for a while, he’s now putting out music under his own name for the first time. “Don’t Look Down,” his debut solo single, marks a new direction for the LA songwriter. A syncopated, swung groove ushers in waves of soft horns, and Ayer’s hypnotizing voice rises into the mix like vapor from the sea. Whatever he has in store, it seems incredibly promising.
The Head And The Heart – “Time With My Sins”
Alt-folk staples The Head And The Heart have a new album in the works. Although they have yet to reveal more details, such as its name and release date, the Seattle group has shared “Arrow” and, now, “Time With My Sins.” In a press release, vocalist-guitarist Jonathan Russell says it’s a “song about vulnerability and hard truths that can feel scary to put out in the open like this, but I’m glad we did.”
For the past few months, there have been rumblings coming out of Sacramento that De’Aaron Fox was considering his options for the future outside of northern California. The Kings fired Mike Brown as head coach early in the season in an apparent effort to appease Fox and change things up to save their season and chances of keeping their All-Star point guard long-term.
While the Kings have turned things around since then and are firmly in the Play-In mix in the West, that seemingly is not enough in the eyes of Fox. On Tuesday, multiple reporters (including Shams Charania and Sam Amick) brought word that the Kings were open to trade talks on Fox as the deadline approaches, and that the star guard has a particular destination in mind. Immediately, there were a handful of teams that made sense as potential landing spots. The Heat and the Lakers regularly find their ways onto these lists for unsurprising reasons, while the Magic and Rockets are young teams on the rise that look to be an All-Star point guard away from being real threats.
The question for the Kings becomes what their priorities become without Fox. They still have some veteran talent on the roster, headlined by Domantas Sabonis and the recently signed DeMar DeRozan. That makes a full scale rebuild difficult — and that hasn’t seemed like something ownership is interested in — so they might prefer a combination of players and picks rather than a full-on asset heavy package. A potential deal could send Chris Paul, Keldon Johnson, and multiple first round picks to Sacramento for Fox, or the Kings could push for rookie Stephon Castle to be the centerpiece of a deal, as he wants to play point guard and would certainly not be the point guard of the future in San Antonio if Fox were to arrive.
The “star player pushing out of a smaller market” routine has become a seemingly annual tradition in the NBA, but I’ll give Fox credit for not just looking to head to a big market but having a destination in mind with long-term on-court success on his mind in trying to pair with Wembanyama in San Antonio.
Sometimes the best new R&B can be hard to find, but there are plenty of great rhythm-and-blues tunes to get into if you have the time to sift through the hundreds of newly released songs every week. So that R&B heads can focus on listening to what they love in its true form, we’ll be offering a digest of the best new R&B songs that fans of the genre should hear every Friday.
Since the last update of this weekly R&B column, we’ve received plenty of music and news from the genre’s artists.
SZA, who will join Kendrick Lamar for his Super Bowl LIX performance, provided plenty of entertainment with Keke Palmer as they promoted their No. 1 movie One Of Them Days. Elsewhere, Mereba unveiled her new single “Phone Me” while Anderson .Paak and Stevie Wonder joined a talented cast of artists who will perform at the FireAid Benefit Concert in support of the Los Angeles wildfire victims.
JoJo — NGL
This year is shaping up to be a big year for JoJo as she gets the ball rolling with her new EP NGL. The project arrives with eight songs and no guest features, as JoJo takes over the show to display her resilience and celebrate her ability to overcome adversity.
Highlights: “Porcelain,” “Start Over” & “One Last Time”
Jordan Adetunji — A Jaguar’s Dream
Belfast singer Jordan Adetunji continues his breakout run with his new project A Jaguar’s Dream. The 10-track project features contributions from Kehlani, Bryson Tiller, and Lil Baby for a body of work that celebrates his evolution and rise. “A Jaguar’s Dream is an entry into my love life and my world of thoughts through sound and emotion,” Adetunji said in a press release. “A real manifestation of my dreams I wish to make reality.”
In less than three weeks, Mereba will release her second album The Breeze Grew A Fire. Following the project’s first single “Counterfeit,” the singer returns with “Phone Me” which is just another dazzling piece of the puzzle that adds to the soon-to-be-acknowledged beauty of The Breeze Grew A Fire.
Sailorr & Summer Walker — “Pookie’s Requiem (Hehe Look Y’all I Made It Longer)”
Sailorr, a rising Vietnamese singer out of Florida, lands a major co-sign from Summer Walker through a remix of her breakout track “Pookie’s Requiem.” The new take receives the cheeky title of “Pookie’s Requiem (Hehe Look Y’all I Made It Longer)” as Sailorr and Walker combine their lalents to add a new layer to the breakup anthem.
Chase Shakur — “Fairytales In Midtown” Feat. TyFontaine
Next week, Atlanta singer Chase Shakur will release his debut album Wonderlove, which he’s slowly previewed with a growing collection of singles. That trend continues with his latest release “Fairytales In Midtown” alongside TyFontaine. A nod to his hometown, Shakur and TyFontaine craft a slow jam for the early stages of a relationship where desire clouds all the senses.
Jawan.mp3 — Reverie
Nearly four years after releasing his The Abstract EP, singer Jawan.mp3 releases his second full-length project Reverie. “This is six years in the making and I’m glad I took my time,” Jawan.mp3 said about the project which delivers 14 songs and features from Elijah Dai, Mal Saunders, and BeMyFiasco. ” “As urgent as music feels sometimes, I believed it was more important to be proud of the work and sure that it matched what I needed to express.”
Highlights: “Loved That Way” & “Cause & Effect,”
Kacy Hill & 6LACK — “Time’s Up”
Kacy Hill is a name you probably know from her feature on Travis Scott’s “90210” from his Rodeo album, but the Phoenix singer has built a strong discography over the years. The latest entry into it is “Time’s Up” alongside 6LACK. The laid-back record boasts a soothing melody and sweet lyrics balanced by Hill’s airy vocals and 6LACK’s distinctive flow.
Mabel & King Promise — “All Over You”
UK singer Mabel teams up with Ghanaian singer King Promise for their new collaboration “All Over You.” The record blends R&B with afrobeats for a heartfelt expression of love and adoration. “It represents my reconnection to a side of me that I haven’t explored musically in a while,” Mabel said about the song in a press release.
Aqyila — “Focus”
Canadian singer Aqyila kicks off her 2025 year with the release of “Focus.” It’s an upbeat R&B record that you can surely jam out to as Aqyila unloads lyrics filled with confidence and determination as she speaks to someone she desires. “Focus” is all about feeling confident and knowing my worth – that’s the energy I’m bringing to 2025,” she said about the song in a press release.
Charlie Bereal — Walk With The Father
Death Row Records signee Charlie Bereal unveils his debut album Walk With The Father complete with 13 songs without a guest feature. Walk With The Father, which was self-produced by Bereal with co-production help from Josef Liemberg, arrives with warm melodies and themes of love, creating a sweet world to indulge in as Valentine’s Day nears.
Highlights: “Never Gonna Take Away My Love,” “Walk With The Father” & “Hope”
ABIR — “Butterflies”
Moroccan-born and Los Angeles-bred singer ABIR make her return to the music world with her new single “Butterflies.” The new record is a sweet blend of pop and R&B as ABIR showcases her vulnerability as she sings about a new love and the thrill that comes with it.
Naika — Layers”
French-Haitian singer Naïka shares her new single “Layers.” The track is a strong message of self-discovery and acceptance as she grapples with her self-identity before arrive at the conclusion that identity can be more than a singular layer, but rather, the culmination of one’s many layers.
A bombshell report a little more than a week out from the NBA’s trade deadline indicates that Sacramento Kings star De’Aaron Fox could be on the move. According to Shams Charania of ESPN, the Kings are preparing to open up trade talks for their All-Star guard, although Charania noted that Fox may have a destination in mind if he were to hit the market.
“The Sacramento Kings are expected to open up talks to potentially deal All-Star De’Aaron Fox ahead of Feb. 6 trade deadline, sources tell ESPN,” Charania wrote on Twitter. “There will be plenty of suitors, but it’s believed that Fox has a target destination in mind ahead of 2026 free agency.”
Chris Haynes confirmed that there is one particular, unnamed team that Fox wants, and wrote that “Interested teams will likely be discouraged from trading for him being he’s set to become UFA in 2026.”
Fox is in the middle of another terrific season, but as Charania noted, he’s slated to hit free agency in about 16 months. He’s already declined an extension with the Kings — one that would give him $165 million over three years — as he could be eligible for a 5-year supermax worth up to $345 million by the time he can hit the open market.
On the year, Fox is averaging 25.2 points, 6.2 assists, five rebounds, and 1.5 steals in 37.3 minutes per game.
Slowly but surely, the NBA is rolling out the list of players who will have a role in All-Star weekend this year in San Francisco. The league announced the starters for Sunday’s game last week, and on Monday, we learned the field for the Dunk Contest this year, which is headlined by Mac McClung’s quest to win for a third straight year.
On Tuesday, the NBA announced the players who will be eligible to play in its biggest event on Friday night: the Rising Stars Challenge. Here’s who made the teams:
Rookies
Bub Carrington, Washington Wizards
Stephon Castle, San Antonio Spurs
Tristan da Silva, Orlando Magic
Zach Edey, Memphis Grizzlies
Dalton Knecht, Los Angeles Lakers
Jared McCain, Philadelphia 76ers
Yves Missi, New Orleans Pelicans
Zaccharie Risacher, Atlanta Hawks
Alex Sarr, Washington Wizards
Jaylen Wells, Memphis Grizzlies
Sophomores
Bilal Coulibaly, Washington Wizards
Gradey Dick, Toronto Raptors
Keyonte George, Utah Jazz
Scoot Henderson, Portland Trail Blazers
Trayce Jackson-Davis, Golden State Warriors
Jaime Jaquez Jr., Miami Heat
Dereck Lively II, Dallas Mavericks
Brandon Miller, Charlotte Hornets
Amen Thompson, Houston Rockets
Cason Wallace, Oklahoma City Thunder
Victor Wembanyama, San Antonio Spurs
NBA G League
JD Davidson
Mac McClung
Bryce McGowans
Leonard Miller
Dink Pate
Reed Sheppard
Pat Spencer
There will be a few injury replacements, as a few guys on here (Lively, McCain, Miller) have either been ruled out for the season or are dealing with longer-term injuries. The most fascinating thing here, however, is Wembanyama‘s inclusion, not because he is an undeserving choice, but because he will presumably be named an NBA All-Star when the reserves are announced on Thursday. The league changed up its All-Star format this year to resemble the Rising Stars Challenge, with players broken up into three teams and playing a series of shorter games. But this will include whichever team wins the Rising Stars Challenge as the fourth team on Sunday, and while Wembanyama will presumably join the All-Stars, it sure would be something to see him lead the Rising Stars into at least one game against a collection of the best basketball players in the world.
As you’re probably aware, Kendrick Lamar was selected as the halftime show performer for Super Bowl LIX. What you might not know, however, is that the “Not Like Us” rapper has teamed up with fashion designer Willy Chavarria on a limited collection to commemorate the event.
The collection (see it here) includes a hoodie, t-shirt, gym shorts, and a bomber jacket, featuring an “embroidered NFL patch, appliqués, quilted lining with Japanese nylon shell, chunky cotton poly rib at cuff and neck,” according to WWD.
“I partnered with Kendrick Lamar’s pgLang and the NFL because of the opportunity to reach an audience that feels familiar to me — geared up with the Super Bowl on, making it an annual holiday,” Chavarria said. “Kendrick performing is so monumental given his voice on the empowerment of brown and Black people and I love his pure L.A. heart. This project was an intimate collaboration with the pgLang team. We spent a lot of time on the fits and the vibe, and Kendrick tied in everything to get it spot-on. Working with Kendrick is an important cultural moment for the two of us. We both have an unwavering voice when it comes to our people.”
The Kendrick Lamar x Willy Chavarria collection goes on sale on Wednesday, January 29, across various platforms, including Lamar and Chavarria’s respective websites and the NFL Shop. Proceeds go towards organizations and individuals impacted by the Los Angeles fires.
Saturday Night Live has had a broad variety of musical guests over the decades, and while the performances mostly go well, sometimes, there’s friction. Some (in)famous appearances have reportedly led to artists being banned: Acts like Sinéad O’Connor, Rage Against The Machine, David Bowie, and a few others have gone down in SNL lore for supposedly earning a seal of disapproval.
That said, per Lorne Michaels (who has been running SNL since the beginning), no musician has ever actually been banned from the show.
In the new Questlove-co-directed documentary Ladies & Gentlemen… 50 Years Of SNL Music, Michaels explained (as Consequence notes):
“I’ll read it sometimes in the Post: ‘So and so’s banned for life.’ We’ve never banned anyone. We’re way too crass and opportunistic. If something’s hot, we’re going to go for it and have it on.”
O’Connor, of course, generated controversy for tearing a photograph of Pope John Paul II during a 1992 episode. Meanwhile, in 1996, RATM attempted to perform while displaying upside-down American flags, but they were removed before the band’s performance. Elsewhere in the new documentary, Tom Morello reveals some more behind-the-scenes info about the episode, including how the band ended up being locked in their dressing room by the Secret Service.
WNBA free agency got started with a blockbuster trade on Sunday, as the Storm, Aces, and Sparks agreed to a three-team deal that sent Jewell Loyd to Las Vegas, Kelsey Plum to Los Angeles, and the No. 2 overall pick to Seattle.
On Tuesday, we got our second major trade of the week when word broke from ESPN’s Alexa Philippou that longtime Connecticut Sun star Alyssa Thomas was going to the Phoenix Mercury in a trade. Thomas was set to be an unrestricted free agent this offseason, but was given the core designation by the Sun meaning she would have to get moved via a trade. As for what the Sun are getting in return, that remains a mystery for the moment.
Thomas, who has finished in the top-5 in MVP voting in each of the last three years, is a 5-time All-Star and has led the Sun to a pair of Finals appearances in her 11 seasons in Connecticut. She is one of the best defenders and passers in the WNBA, and will bring one of the league’s most unique skillsets and toughest personalities to Phoenix. Thomas will join a very talented Mercury roster, headlined by Kahleah Copper, Natasha Cloud, and (until she says otherwise regarding retirement) Diana Taurasi. Brittney Griner, meanwhile, is a free agent, and adding Thomas signals the Mercury aren’t going to wait around for their longtime star center to make a decision to add reinforcements to the roster — even if they certainly could bring her back as well.
The challenge for second-year head coach Nate Tibbetts will be figuring out how to best get all of those players in their preferred spots, but adding Thomas gives them a superstar caliber addition and will make them a threat to other top teams in the WNBA in 2025.
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