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Gloria Groove celebrated her birthday this week with one of her most explosive releases. On Wednesday (January 18), the Brazilian drag pop star released the music video for “Proibidona” featuring Anitta and Valesca Popozuda.

“Proibidona” is one of the songs from Groove’s upcoming album Futuro Fluxo. She puts a futuristic spin on the funk carioca genre, which is also known as Brazilian funk. Groove teamed up with two women in Brazil who have helped globalize the genre, Anitta and Popozuda. In the sexy funk banger, Groove and her collaborators sing about living their best lives with X-rated lyrics in Portuguese. The song’s title translate to “Forbidden” in English.

“The song is a partnership with Anitta and Valesca Popozuda, mainly celebrating the history of these women in funk and the aesthetics they helped to create,” Groove said in a statement.

Earlier this week, Groove performed “Proibidona” for the first time at Anitta’s Ensaios Da Anitta event in São Paulo. Anitta and Popozuda joined Groove for the fierce performance. The theme of Anitta’s pre-Carnival event was “Warriors,” so the three artists looked like they were ready for battle. The official video is of that full performance in all its spectacular glory.

Next month, Anitta will find out if she wins Best New Artist at the 2023 Grammy Awards. She recently revealed that her next album will explore her Brazilian funk roots.

Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

Aaron Gordon is perhaps the most high-profile runner-up in the history of the Dunk Contest. Gordon has put forth two of the best efforts in the competition’s history but came up short both times — in 2016, Gordon battled against Zach LaVine, and in 2020, Gordon competed against Derrick Jones Jr. and lost. That second one, in particular, was pretty controversial, and led to Gordon expressing that he would never participate in the event again.

As it turns out, Gordon is open to doing the Dunk Contest again, but it comes on one condition. In an interview with Rohan Nadkarni of Sports Illustrated, Gordon doesn’t want Saturday night to be his only busy evening during All-Star weekend.

“If I’m in the All-Star Game, I’ll do the dunk contest,” Gordon told SI.

Gordon’s push to make the All-Star Game is warranted, as he has been a crucial piece for a Denver Nuggets squad that sits atop the Western Conference at this point in the campaign. Gordon is averaging 16.5 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 2.6 assists in 29.9 minutes per game this year and is connecting on a career-best 58.8 percent of his shots from the field and 37.6 percent of his attempts from three.

The Dunk Contest field is already shaping up to be awfully competitive this year, as high-flying rookie Shaedon Sharpe of the Portland Trail Blazers is a confirmed participant while reports indicate KJ Martin of the Houston Rockets and Mac McClung, the first G League participant in the event’s history, will also be in the event.

Labeled by the New York Times as the “hottest technology in the tech industry,” it’s no wonder why Microsoft is planning to invest an additional Ten Billion Dollars into OpenAI’s groundbreaking GPT Chat Bot. But what is GPT technology? Short for “generative pre-trained transformer,” it’s essentially an AI assistant that’s studied everything and will provide answers to any written request you make. The newest version, Chat GPT, has been trained on billions of text samples before 2021 and, based on what you ask, it can transform that into what it predicts to be useful results in text.

More often than not, the prediction is… pretty damn solid. Its results sound like they’ve been written by a human, and the huge variety of requests you can make is what makes this technology so fascinating.

Feedback from users have been mixed. Some think it’s a neat toy, while other believe it’s the biggest bombshell in history, but everyone agrees its damn impressive. To try it out, all you have to do is look up OpenAI, click try, signup for free with an email, and you’re ready to explore.

It’s important to note: Since its release at the end of November, so many people have signed up and are using it every day (millions) the site often pauses for them to scale. Whether or not it’s running at the particular time you want to try is now a game of chance. If it doesn’t work, just have a go later. While at the moment it’s free, soon there will be a paywall. Basically, everyone’s getting their first hit for free.

Assuming you catch it when it’s running, here are just a few examples of ways you can use Chat GPT.

Brainstorming:

Say goodbye to writer’s block. With access to a parameter count of over 170 billion, this is the perfect tool to spin the wheel for potential ideas. Since Chat GPT has absolutely no shame, it will rattle off bizarre idea after bizarre idea if you continue asking. Sometimes there’s brilliance.

Let’s take this impending scenario: What to do for that special someone on Valentine’s Day?

Collaboration is the key to unlocking Chat GPT’s true power. The more specific you are with questions, and the further you engage with its answers, the better. Let’s see what happens when we ask it to explain option three further: A “breakup” themed dinner.

There’s a chance Chat GPT didn’t come up with this idea, but even so, it’s intriguing. Instead of having to manually dig through articles for ideas, you can now just type it up and Chat GPT will fetch information and personally repackage it (copyright on that seems murky, which is one of the concerns about this product in the first place). It’s also kinda funny that Chat GPT realizes this could be hit or miss.

Learning:

Essentially, any question can be answered by Chat GPT (not ones like “what am I wearing?”). You might say, “So what? Google does the exact same thing.” While that may be true, you can’t ask google to explain or summarize things in a simpler or more creative way. Let’s try this very dry question, “what is tort reform?”

Alright, if you skipped that, I don’t blame you. In summary, accurate, but… kinda dense. Now watch what happens when you ask it to rephrase it for a ten-year-old.

So, I wanted to know what Tort Reform was. So what? Sue me. Chat GPT doesn’t care.

Essentially, you can turn this tech into your own personalized teacher. Imagine how much better at math or science kids can be if their teacher is able to explain it in a way that makes sense to them? Like a ten-year-old, like a surfer, like Snoop Dog, like a supervillain, the possibilities are endless.

This can be applied to your daily life to understand literally anything you want to learn more about. And while there may be some thorny ethical issues about replacing teachers and tutors with AI, Google does the same essential thing in a less user-friendly way.

Translating:

This is a language processing model, and if you thought it was just working with English, think again Dorothy…

It might be too early to declare that Google Translate is dunzo, but the number one search engine is probably sweating bullets as Microsoft pumps billions into this.

Coding:

I’ll go out on a limb and say most people don’t know how to code. But we’re looking at a future where the barrier to make computer magic happen might simply be the ability to write a sentence. This code below went on for much longer, but here’s just an idea of what its response looks like.

Many coders have pointed out GPT’s script is often buggy. But if you’re just starting out, this is a great tool to accelerate learning and problem shoot. Also, as more versions come out, it’s possible the sword of coding will be available to all us simpletons.

Writing Tedious Letters:

While deep down you know it’s the right thing to do, writing a thank you letter can be a pain in the neck. If you really can’t muster the will, Chat GPT’s more than happy to bare the burden.

Now, if you really want to show you care and are thankful for a wedding gift, it’s not the worst idea in the world to add that human connection. But sometimes in life, you just need to get the ball rolling however you can, like for a job application.

Venting/Advice:

On a more serious note, life can often deliver a huge plate of misery. It’s therapeutic to just have someone or something to listen to you vent. What if you’re all alone? Chat GPT has zero judgment and will offer you logical advice and support based on swaths of self-help text. It might be just AI, but if you don’t feel like you have a lot of outlets, Chat GPT could be a very practical solution.

Exploring Recipes:

Another useful way to use Chat GPT is to quickly find new recipes. If you want to go ham, you can narrow its parameters to specific ingredients, ask for step-by-step cooking procedures, and even find recipes with a specific calorie or protein count. Like earlier, instead of searching through mountains of articles and cookbooks, Chat GPT will simply lay it out.

There are endless ways to use this technology, so try it out and explore what’s possible. Soon, folks will be paying top dollar for this super assistant. Whether we like it or not, for now, all we can do is try to figure out how this can aid us in our quest to lead more productive and fulfilling lives.

Donald Trump got smacked around in court this week thanks to his now-officially frivolous lawsuit against Hillary Clinton. That lawsuit was dismissed back in September 2022 by order of a scathing 65 page rebuke from the judge. However, Trump’s loss didn’t end there. On Thursday, a district judge approved the request for sanctions by Clinton and others named in Trump’s lawsuit. The judge’s decision put Trump and his attorneys on the line for nearly $1 million in fines for the “abusive litigation tactics.”

Via CNN:

“This case should never have been brought. Its inadequacy as a legal claim was evident from the start,” US District Judge Donald Middlebrooks of the Southern District of Florida wrote. “No reasonable lawyer would have filed it. Intended for a political purpose, none of the counts of the amended complaint stated a cognizable legal claim.”

According to The Daily Beast, the sanctions from the Clinton lawsuit has reportedly put Trump in “full retreat mode.” On Friday, he withdrew his lawsuit against New York Attorney General Letitia James. The lawsuit was roundly criticized by legal scholars a “bald-faced delay tactic.” The former president and his legal team quietly backed out of the effort following the Clinton decision:

The filing, made in Palm Beach County court, was curt—it merely stated that Trump “hereby voluntarily dismisses his claims in this action.” There was no explanation given.

But the cryptic move comes as Trump’s legal woes are mounting: judges have increasingly taken tougher stances against him for misusing the nation’s court system to slow down legitimate law enforcement efforts against him.

Of course, losing in court should be old hat to Trump by now. His numerous legal attempts to overturn the 2020 election results were routinely slapped down by judges, and he has been facing increased legal jeopardy as James continues to target the allegedly dicey business practices of the Trump Organization. In short, not a lot of winning. Coming up awfully short in the winning department.

(Via CNN, The Daily Beast)

It’s been quite a long time since we’ve had an update on Invincible, not the 2006 sports drama starring Mark Wahlberg, but Amazon’s animated superhero comedy. It’s easy to confuse the two! Invincible (the show) was renewed for a second and third season almost two years ago, but today we finally received an update that another season is definitely coming soon…ish!

A new teaser features Steven Yeun’s Mark (not Wahlberg) and Seth Rogen’s Allen the Alien poking fun at the long hiatus while sitting in a diner. “I think everyone agrees it’s been like a little ridiculous how long it’s been,” Allen exclaimed, before asking: “The real question is: when are you going back out there? The world needs more Invincible.”

The clip then goes a little meta by having Mark/Invincible explain what was taking so long: “I’ve been busy writing, designing, storyboarding, voice acting, key posing, in-betweening, cleaning up, color slapping, comping the whole thing, and all that for, you know, roughly thousands of shots. So, it’s kind of a lot.” After some pressing, Mark promises that Invincible, both the superhero and the show, will get back out there in “late 2023.”

Invincible stars Yeun as a teenager who just so happens to have an ultra-powerful superhero as a dad, voiced by JK Simmons. The show also features the vocal talents of Sandra Oh, Gillian Jacobs, Andrew Rannells, Zazie Beetz, Mark Hamill, Walton Goggins, Jason Mantzoukas, Zachary Quinto, and Mahershala Ali.

While no specific date has been set, it’s safe to assume we will be getting more from Mark before 2023 is over. Or before the world ends! Hopefully.

(Via Variety)

Last year, rock legends Metallica announced their new album 72 Seasons. “72 seasons. The first 18 years of our lives that form our true or false selves,” James Hetfield said in a statement. “The concept that we were told ‘who we are’ by our parents. A possible pigeonholing around what kind of personality we are.”

The band returned today with a new single from that record, “Screaming Suicide,” to follow the lead single “Lux Æterna.” “Screaming Suicide” stays true to their classic sound that they’ve been maintaining for decades; it’s a ripper with caustic riffs and lyrics that normalize dark topics that often go undiscussed as a way to help struggling fans feel seen.

“‘Screaming Suicide’ addresses the taboo word of suicide,” the band explained in a statement. “The intention is to communicate about the darkness we feel inside. It’s ridiculous to think we should deny that we have these thoughts. At one point or another, I believe most people have thought about it. To face it is to speak the unspoken. If it’s a human experience, we should be able to talk about it. You are not alone.”

Listen to “Screaming Suicide” above.

72 Seasons is out 4/14 via Blackened Recordings. Pre-order it here.

BMG Rights Management, the label behind The Black Eyed Peas‘ second-stage career explosion and owner of much of the group’s publishing, is suing MGA Entertainment, the company behind the Bratz dolls, over a parody of “My Humps,” which MGA used to promote a line of pooping unicorn toys.

I’ll give you a second.

The toys, Poopsie Slime Surprise, spewed sparkling slime and in an animated promotional video released last year, the unicorns performed a version of “My Humps” in which the lyrics were revised to reference, well, poop. Here’s an example: “Whatchu gonna do with all that poop? All that poop?”

BMG claims that MGA didn’t get permission to use “My Humps,” ignoring multiple cease-and-desist orders. Also, there’s an argument that the lead unicorn resembles Fergie — which… okay. BMG wants $10 million for “My Poops,” as it owns 75% of the composition copyright of the original “My Humps” according to Reuters.

Of course, all of this is pretty hilarious because “My Humps” sounds like a parody of a Black Eyed Peas song itself and was a big part of the reason the general public turned on the band in the mid-2000s (at least, if stand-up comics count; the song did go double platinum, so someone must have liked it). Also there’s this:

It’s also pretty funny because this sort of thing has been pretty well decided by no less an authority than the Supreme Court. I wrote about it here. If Roy Orbison couldn’t stop 2 Live Crew, I doubt the Court — especially as currently constituted — is going to want to hear a case about pooping unicorns.

If we’re being honest, Vladimir Putin has bore a striking resemblance to a bloated corpse for quite a while now. So it really isn’t too much of a stretch to think that the Kremlin might be pulling a Weekend at Bernie’s on the world. But Volodymyr Zelensky is feeling the full wrath of Russia’s top people after admitting that he sort of has a feeling Putin is no longer with us.

As The Daily Beast reports, Zelensky shared those thoughts with all the fancy-schmancy world leaders gathered in Davos, Switzerland. While discussing the challenges of trying to come to some sort of resolution in the current war with Russia, the Ukraine president said:

“I don’t quite understand who to speak with and about what. I’m not sure the president of Russia, who sometimes appears against a green screen, is the right one. I don’t quite understand if he is alive, if he is making the decisions, or who is making the decisions there.”

Zelensky’s remarks did NOT go over well in Russia, where Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov issued a quick response — but very noticeably didn’t really address the matter of whether Putin’s heart is still indeed beating: “Clearly, Zelensky would prefer for neither Russia nor Putin to exist. The sooner he realizes that Russia exists and will exist, the better for such a country as Ukraine.”

Notice that he only said that Russia is and will exist — but not Putin? Hmmmm…

Zelensky isn’t just pulling these thoughts out of thin air. For months, there have been rumors that Putin’s health was failing — or that it had failed completely. The Russian dictator hasn’t done himself any favors by not showing up in person for pretty much anything (when he does attend a meeting or event, it’s via a video link). Even more suspiciously, Putin canceled his annual end-of-year press conference in December (a tradition he has had for 10 years), nor did he address the Federal Assembly, as he always does. All of this came after he reportedly fell down some stairs and sh*t all over himself in December.

As The Daily Beast’s Allison Quinn writes:

While Putin did take a trip to St. Petersburg this week and appeared publicly for several events, the Kremlin stoked further suspicions about Putin’s health Thursday with the announcement the Russian leader had taken a dip in icy waters to mark the Orthodox Christian feast of Epiphany, in keeping with his yearly tradition—but said no one would ever see proof he’d done so.

Peskov didn’t help to alleviate suspicion when he stated that: “This time there are no photos or videos. We are just informing you that he followed his tradition.”

(Via The Daily Beast)

Hey all!

We’re back with another roundup of joy this week and we’ve got some sweet, sweet finds. Enjoy!

1. An angel flight attendant went above and beyond for a woman who was anxious about flying.

Delta flight attendant Floyd Dean-Shannon explained to the woman what all the different sounds and movements of the plane were to help ease her anxiety. And when it all got to be too much for her, he sat down in the aisle and held her hand. Incredible customer service and simply beautiful human-to-human understanding. Love to see it. Read the full story here.

2. A man found an abandoned newborn squirrel in his driveway and raised it. Their relationship is flippin’ adorable.

@robertsquirrel

From an interview on Newsner who has 30 million followers in 11 languages

Robert T. Squirrel (the “T” stands for “The”) has quite the life! He has his own squirrel family now as well—his “wife” Barbara Ann and four youngsters named Peepers, Jeepers, Creepers and Sneekers—who live in his backyard squirrel house. (I know. My heart can’t take it, either.)

3. This artist’s animal ‘portraits’ made from foraged, natural materials are absolutely stunning.

Hannah Bullen-Ryner creates one of these creatures each day in the fields near her apartment in the U.K. and each one seems miraculous. They don’t last—they are left shortly after being made to be blown away by the elements—but she does capture them on camera before they return to nature. See more of Bullen-Ryner’s ephemeral animal portraits and learn more about her process here.

4. Actor F. Murray Abraham’s reaction to the crowd cheering for him is so wholesome.

See on Instagram

Abraham gained recognition playing Antonio Salieri in the 1984 film “Amadeus,” a role for which he won an Academy Award and a Golden Globe, but he’s not exactly a “household name” kind of actor. He is a prolific film, television and stage performer, however, and it’s so sweet to see a career actor like him be so excited for fans to cheer him on.

5. Elementary students led the charge to raise $300,000 for inclusive playground equipment for their classmates.

u201cHopkins, Minnesota: nnGlen Lake Elementary.nnMaybe take a momentu2026u201d

— Rex Chapmanud83cudfc7ud83cudffc (@Rex Chapmanud83cudfc7ud83cudffc)
1673659745

Dang it, where is that box of tissues? What a wonderful story of support and inclusivity. Read the full story here.

6. Plain White T’s singer surprises Delilah, who has been fighting cancer for four years, with her favorite song.

See on Instagram

Such a special gift from Tom Higgenson. The power of music truly can’t be underestimated.

7. Man shares his sweet story of how he built his entire family from a single dollar bill.

See on Instagram

Swipe through to see the dollar bill framed. Awww. Anyone else want to see this rom-com?

8. Women are finding inspiration in this picture of Jamie Lee Curtis and Michelle Yeoh at the Golden Globes.

“Ladies, this is your vibe for 2023: unabashed hype woman,” wrote Erin Gallagher as the opening of an empowering post about women supporting other women’s successes instead of seeing one another as competition. It’s an awesome read inspired by an awesome moment. Check it out here.

9. Four guys, one guitar and an awesome cover of Queen’s ‘Another One Bites the Dust’

See on Instagram

These guys are too fun. And that voice! Dang. See more of Adam and the Metal Hawks on Instagram.

10. Do we need to see a baby kangaroo hug its mama? Yes, yes we do.

u201cA mother and her child nhttps://t.co/eDOH1ZrAnku201d

— Science girl (@Science girl)
1673871290

That’s just pure oxytocin right there.

Hope that brought you some much-needed joy!

Did you know you can get these roundups of joy delivered to your inbox each week by signing up for our free newsletter, The Upworthiest? Subscribe here.

Detroit rapper Boldy James has had a remarkable breakout in the past few years after spending much of the early part of his career out of the spotlight. Yet, just as things were finally coming together for him, he almost lost it all, even his life, after a “serious” two-car collision in his hometown. He racked up a truly scary number of injuries, including broken vertebrae, requiring “extensive surgery” on his neck.

But the hustle never sleeps and if nothing else, Boldy James is a hustler’s hustler. Although he’s already dropped a slew of projects in 2022, each with a different producer, and even an EP earlier this week (ADU with Real Bad Man), he’s still going, surprising fans with another new album today, Indiana Jones with producer RichGains. Consisting of 17 tracks with multiple appearances from longtime collaborator Sir Michael Rocks of The Cool Kids, Indiana Jones continues Boldy’s tradition of quality, stuffy-nosed street-centric raps.

The album’s release bodes well for the future, even as fans await news of Boldy’s updated condition. The Detroiter received well wishes from the likes of Eminem, a hometown hero, and other rap peers. Even with Indiana Jones out today, there’s still more to look forward to from Boldy James, including his long-awaited J Dilla-produced album. For now, you can listen to Indiana Jones below.