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Paquita La Del Barrio, the regional Mexican music queen of the kiss-off anthem, has offered some words of advice to Shakira. After Shakira’s fiery “BZRP Music Sessions #53” was compared to Paquita La Del Barrio’s classics, the Mexican icon reached out to her through Instagram on Monday (January 16).

Last week, Shakira roasted her ex Gerard Piqué and his current girlfriend Clara Chía Marti with “BZRP Music Sessions #53,” her collaboration with Bizarrap. While singing that Piqué needed to “work out” his brain as much as his time spent in the gym, she implied that his relationship with Marti was a downgrade. Shakira compared herself to a Ferrari while saying that Piqué settled for a Twingo car.

“I heard that you had a problem with your family,” Paquita La Del Barrio said. “I am with you because I am a woman, and if anyone in life knows about these things, it is your friend. What can I tell you? That you give it your best shot. The important thing is that you have your children, you have someone to live for, and you have your whole life, mija, so don’t worry.”

In the video, Paquita La Del Barrio sang a piece of another one of her kiss-off anthems, “Las Rodillas.” She also offered her support to Shakira.

“Don’t be down,” Paquita La Del Barrio added. “Give it a go, as I told you. You have someone to live for, just like me. That’s what keeps us standing: Our family, children. Give it your all. I am in Mexico. If you need anything from me, with pleasure, know that I’m here to help. Sending you a big hug, and may God bless you.”

Throughout her career, Paquita La Del Barrio released songs where she lyrically cut down men who did her wrong. One of her classics is called “Rata De Dos Patas,” or “Rat With Two Feet,” where she compared her cheating partner to the rodent. Becky G and Karol G referenced the song in their breakup anthem “Mamiii” last year. Many memes were created that likened Shakira’s diss track to Paquita La Del Barrio’s song. Paquita La Del Barrio sent sweet words to Shakira in a video on Instagram.

It’s finally happening: Boygenius (the supergroup consisting of Phoebe Bridgers, Lucy Dacus, and Julien Baker) is reuniting to release their first full-length album, The Record. The trio shared the news today, along with fascinating tales about how some of the album’s songs came to be. One track, for example, started with Dacus and Bridgers on drugs, lying in bed and holding each other’s faces as Dacus cried and sang.

In a press release about the album, an excerpt about “We’re In Love” reads:

“Lucy first sang ‘We’re In Love’ a cappella to Phoebe, in Phoebe’s bed, on New Years Day in 2022. They were holding each other’s faces: a function of totally legal drugs. Lucy was weeping and did not blink. Later, in the studio, Julien thought the song was too… long. In retrospect, Julien hadn’t been ready to engage. When the truth sank in, the truth of a love song, she went away for six hours. (Julien: ‘It’s still a learning process to know the difference between being scrutinized and being seen.’) Then she came back. She was ready.”

The release also notes, “The Record is about recapturing joy — about the wasteful detour that turns out not to be the most important thing.” That’s in reference to the story behind a song called “Leonard Cohen”: “Once, when boygenius was on a road trip in Northern California, Phoebe asked Julien and Lucy to listen to a very important song, and pushed play, and got on the freeway headed in the wrong direction. The song was ‘Trapeze Swinger’ by Iron & Wine — about a dead person telling the living how he wants to be remembered. It was impossible to interrupt this ten-minute-long song. Because of how the exits were spaced, ‘Trapeze Swinger’ added an hour to their travel time. Phoebe felt like an idiot. Lucy turned that drive into the song ‘Leonard Cohen.’”

The Record is out 3/31 via Interscope. Pre-order it here.

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 really 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.

While the industry is still working its way out of the holiday season, there’s still a good amount of new R&B music, news, and more to enjoy so far in 2023. SZA shared her long-awaited video for “Kill Bill” and PARTYNEXTDOOR made his return with “Her Old Friends.” The Weeknd also got on the video wave with one for “Is There Someone Else?” and Kaash Paige shared her video for “All Girls Cry.”

Here’s more about the new releases that are worth your time and worth the listen:

PARTYNEXTDOOR — “Her Old Friends”

The last we heard from PARTYNEXTDOOR was at the end of 2022 when he guest appeared on Diddy’s “Sex In The Porsche” single. However, prior to that, PARTYNEXTDOOR’s musical releases were sporadic at best, especially after the release of his third album PARTYMOBILE. Lucky for us, the Toronto native is back in action with “Her Old Friends,” a record PND uses to air his frustrations about the friends of a past lover who interfered with and eventually ruined the relationship they had.

Chiiild — “Good For Now” Feat. Lucky Daye

In less than two months, Chiiild will release his third album Better Luck In The Next Life. The 12-track effort gets previewed with its latest single, “Good For Now” featuring Lucky Daye. “This song is a reminder that whatever happens, we should be present in the moment because we don’t know what tomorrow brings,” Chiiild says about the new record. Better Luck In The Next Life will also feature Alina Baraz, Caitlyn Scarlett, and Charlotte Cardin.

VEDO — Mood Swings

For the fifth consecutive year, VEDO is back in action with a new project. The singer returns with his sixth album Mood Swings and it touches down with 13 songs and guest appearances from Chris Brown and Tink. “The music speaks for itself, and we just want to you feel,” VEDO says about the album, “whatever the emotion or mood is.”

Kelz — “Good 2 Me”

New York Kelz caught some eyes in 2022 with the release of his “Sinner” and “Why” singles. He received co-signs from Pharrell, Drake, Jack Harlow, Jorja Smith, Brent Faiyaz, and more last year, and for 2023, he’s wasting no time getting to work. Kelz returns with “Good 2 Me,” a song he describes as an “ode to East NY.” “I wanted to give an uptempo meaning to the block,” he added. “My mission is to create a sound out of NY no one has heard before.”

Stormzy — “Hide & Seek (Remix)” Feat. FLO

Stormzy concluded his 2022 year with the release of his long-awaited third album This Is What I Mean. The highlight from that project is “Hide & Seek,” the album’s lead single, and months after its release it gets updated with a remix featuring FLO. The fellow London-based trio adds a tender and elevated experience to the song as FLO dazzles with their vocals to bring the song to a new level.

Savannah Ré — “Closer (Remix)” Feat. Nonso Amadi

The Toronto R&B music scene is in good hands and Savannah Ré is one example of why that is. In the fall of 2022, she released her second ep No Weapons, and to kick off the new year, she returns with a remix of one of the project’s most vibrant songs. “Closure” gets updated with a verse from Nonso Amandi who provides a male perspective to Savannah’s requests for one last moment of reciprocation within a relationship.

RealestK — “Wish You Well”

While some may take some time off after the release of a project, Toronto singer RealestK is getting right back to work. He’s back with “Wish You Well,” a somber record that captures the moments he says goodbye to a lover who did him wrong and hurt him in more ways than he could imagine. The track follows the release of his Dreams 2 Reality mixtape.

Ledisi — “I Need To Know”

It’s been three years since Grammy-winning singer Ledisi released an original new album, but all of that is going to change this year. She kicks things off with the luscious “I Need To Know,” a stirring single that finds Ledisi frustrated with a partner who refuses to communicate their issues to her. The song is off her upcoming tenth solo album which is out in late spring.

Dende — Before We Crash

Of all the rising R&B artists making their steps upward in the genre, Dende is certainly one to keep an eye on. The Texas native started the new year with his fifth project Before We Crash. The EP is riddled with passionate and raw records that impressively showcase Dende’s thoughts and emotions in their most unapologetic form. Through its six songs, Before We Crash presents features from Deante’ Hitchcock and Erykah Officer.

Derrick Milano — Remember What You Said

Towards the end of 2021, Derrick Milano set out to establish his solo career following success as a songwriter. A little over a year later, he’s back with Remember What You Said, his first project project since 2020. It arrives with nine songs and a lone feature from Dazzy.

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

Boygenius is back! After a few long years, the indie supergroup consisting of Phoebe Bridgers, Lucy Dacus, and Julien Baker announced their debut album, The Record, together. In celebration of their official return and album announcement, Boygenius also shared three new songs.

The first, “$20,” opens on a high note with an electric guitar-forward instrumental and the group harmonizing with Baker’s lead vocals. It also ends with Bridgers screaming — a callback to her popular solo song, “I Know The End.”

“Emily I’m Sorry” slows down the pacing to emphasize on the lyricism. “Take me back to Montreal / I’ll get a real job,” Bridgers sings.

As for Dacus, she carries the newly released “True Blue,” where she drops the attention-grabbing line, “You f*ck around and find out.”

Baker shared more about the album’s creation process in a press statement, noting that they spent ten-hour days throughout January 2022 recording the record. “We are all at least one type of the same psycho. The Venn diagrams overlap in ‘Every day for a month,’” she said.

Continue scrolling for The Record‘s complete album art and tracklist.

1. “Without You Without Them”
2. “$20”
3. “Emily I’m Sorry”
4. “True Blue”
5. “Cool About It”
6. “Not Strong Enough”
7. “Revolution 0”
8. “Leonard Cohen”
9. “Satanist”
10. “We’re In Love”
11. “Anti-Curse”
12. “Letter To An Old Poet”

The Record is out 3/28 via Interscope. Pre-order it here.

The rumor mill in the NBA with less than a month to go before the trade deadline hasn’t featured a ton of big names. For months, though, one name that has popped up every now and then is Jakob Poeltl, the veteran center who is slated to become an unrestricted free agent this summer and doesn’t quite fit on the timeline of a team that is taking a long-term approach.

Earlier this week, Shams Charania of The Athletic reported that while the Spurs have an offer on the table for a Poeltl extension, the former first-round pick wants to “compete on the highest levels.” Charania went on to say that the Boston Celtics and Toronto Raptors have plenty of interest in Poeltl, but “the Spurs will hold a high price threshold for any deal.”

That price, according to Jared Weiss of The Athletic, is indeed quite high, as the Spurs want a similar return to what they got when they traded Derrick White to the Celtics last year.

The sticking point has been, as always, price. San Antonio has made it known to interested parties throughout the league the Spurs want two first-round picks for Poeltl, according to team and league sources, which was the same stance they took on Derrick White last season.

Considered one of the best defensive centers in basketball, Poeltl has averaged 12.3 points, 9.3 rebounds, and 1.3 blocks in 26.4 minutes per game this season while connecting on 63.4 percent of his attempts from the field.

Although the NBA has really embraced hip-hop in the past decade or so (especially compared to its earlier regard to the culture), few of the league’s franchises are as closely entwined with their city’s rap culture as the Golden State Warriors. Bay Area rap legends like E-40 and Too Short and rising stars like P-Lo aren’t just regulars on the courtside seats, they are an integral part of the team’s operations, often partnering for events in the area meant to strengthen the Dubs’ community ties and participating in the recent championship parade.

In fact, they are so much a part of the team that they were even invited to join the Warriors for their White House visit earlier this week. E-40, Too Short, and Mistah FAB, as well as Bay radio mainstay Sway Calloway, posted photos from the event, posing with Vice President Kamala Harris, former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, and of course, the portrait of President Barack Obama.

E-40 and Too Short recently teamed up with fellow California rap pioneers Ice Cube and Snoop Dogg to form Mount Westmore, releasing two albums in 2022. However, the Northern California half of the group currently appears to have the upper half in their intrastate basketball rivalry. While both the Warriors and Snoop and Cube’s beloved Lakers are both absolutely struggling in the Western Conference compared to recent seasons, the Lakers are currently 11 games out of playoff contention at the moment, while the Warriors sit in the 6th seed, ahead of the Clippers and Mavericks.

Award season is in full swing. Although the Grammy Awards aren’t until February 5, some of the biggest musical acts have found their works nominated at other industry ceremonies including the Golden Globes. However, for entertainer Common there’s only one event that has his focus and that’s the Tony Awards.

The rapper, actor, and producer is well on his way to becoming a member of the coveted EGOT club (having a Emmy Award, Grammy Award, Oscars, and Tony Award) and currently only needs a Tony Award to seal the deal. During his visit to Late Night With Seth Meyers yesterday (January 17), Common talked about his EGOT journey and his role in the Broadway production Between Riverside And Crazy.

The Chicago native remained humble, saying, “I’m very grateful for just being on Broadway, man. And to be a part of the theater community itself, that was a dream of mine at some point. The fact that I’m actually doing theater now — I’m just in the spirit of that. I’m trying to give my best every night.”

When asked if he deserves to become a EGOT member, he jokingly gave the host a look of certainty before saying, “For me, also it’s like, every [award] you just named, which I’m super grateful to have those awards you just mentioned, but everything, whether I was doing music or whether I was acting in a film or creating a song for a film, I just went in it with my heart and soul, put my spirit into it, and gave my best. Whatever results happen, that’s icing on the cake.”

He then closed with, “To be recognized by people in theater would be an amazing feat, but I’m just happy right now that I’m on that stage with Stephen McKinley Henderson and this incredible cast doing Stephen Adly Guirgis’ play. This is stuff I dreamed of and I didn’t know I would be able to do it with this group of people and at this level.”

Last year, singer Jennifer Hudson joined after taking home a Tony Award and prior to that musician John Legend become the youngest person and first Black man to earn that highly-respected title.

Watch Common’s interview above and below.

When seeking inspiration for his sixth album Smalltown Stardust, King Tuff — aka musician Kyle Thomas — turned to nature. But not like how Björk just made an entire album dedicated to mushrooms. Rather, Thomas looked to the spiritual side of nature. “If you were to ask me what my religion is I would say three things: Music, Art, and Nature. Those are the things I’ve dedicated my life to and which bring me the purest of joy,” he says.

The influence of the outdoors is more than tangible on the surface of Smalltown Stardust — just take album titles like the opener “Love Letters To Plants” or “Pebbles In A Stream.” But the inspiration also runs deep; the music evokes images of blizzards, lush mountaintops, and the distinct forlorn feeling that comes with a rainy day. Each song is mystical and entrancing, perfect for a meditative walk through the woods or as means of escaping a city’s concrete jungle.

To celebrate the upcoming release of Smalltown Stardust, Thomas sits down with Uproxx to talk sleeping in a treehouse, wearing capes, and Stevie Wonder in our latest Q&A.

What are four words you would use to describe your music?

Watermelony, gnomish, maple-like, chompable.

It’s 2050 and the world hasn’t ended and people are still listening to your music. How would you like it to be remembered?

As a jolly fellow who’s music brought joy to many and whom also had an unquenchable thirst for orange juice.

What’s your favorite city in the world to perform?

I played in Athens Greece once and it blew my dang mind. You can’t turn a dang corner without bumping into something ancient. There were all these fat and lazy street dogs lounging about everywhere, they were everybody’s dogs, that’s why they were so fat because everyone was constantly feeding them. So I played a show amidst all this ancient sh*t for all these legendary dogs and a couple really nice people too.

Who’s the person who has most inspired your work, and why?

Probably my dad, for turning me onto Hendrix at a young age, then taking me to punk and metal shows as a teen, and just being my biggest fan and supporter in general.

Where did you eat the best meal of your life?

I’d like to combine parts of all my favorite meals into one meal… steak from Brazil, ice cream from France, bagels from Montreal, tomatoes from New Jersey, and my mom’s stuffed cabbage.

What album do you know every word to?

Every Beatles album and Green Day’s Dookie.

What was the best concert you’ve ever attended?

Too many! Bob Dylan on his most recent tour, AC/DC at Dodger Stadium, The Strokes at Pearl Street in September 2001, Sun Ra Arkestra led by Marshall Allen… I could go on.

What is the best outfit for performing and why?

Capes. I can’t explain it, but I feel so free when I wear a cape.

Who’s your favorite person to follow on Twitter and/or Instagram?

I just love that Ringo Starr takes weird pictures of his feet and puts them on IG.

What’s your most frequently played song in the van on tour?

“Pomp And Circumstance.”

What’s the last thing you Googled?

Types of arched doorways.

What album makes for the perfect gift?

Probably Songs In The Key Of Life by Stevie Wonder. He’s just the best there ever was. He’s the top for me. If you don’t like Stevie, I’m sorry, there’s probably something really wrong with you.

Where’s the weirdest place you’ve ever crashed while on tour?

On-time I slept in a very small treehouse meant for a child, not a 6-foot-tall man. My feet were comically dangling out of the little doorway all night.

What’s the story behind your first or favorite tattoo?

My favorite tattoo is a tiny outline in green of the state of Vermont on my middle finger.

What artists keep you from flipping the channel on the radio?

Pretty much anything without autotune, sorry I’m old.

What’s the nicest thing anyone has ever done for you?

Given me a hug when I really needed it.

What’s one piece of advice you’d go back in time to give to your 18-year-old self?

I never had a lot of confidence in my looks so I would tell myself that I’m actually hot as hell.

What’s the last show you went to?

Rough Francis absolutely ripped on New Year’s Eve.

What movie can you not resist watching when it’s on TV?

Jerry McGuire.

What’s one of your hidden talents?

I can almost play “Auld Lang Syne” on the saxophone.

Smalltown Stardust is out 1/27 via Sub Pop. Pre-order it here.

With John Larroquette making his return to the beloved role of Dan Fielding on the new Night Court series, the longtime actor is opening up about his early days in Hollywood and a persistent rumor that has been following him around for years. As film buffs know, Larroquette narrated the opening for the original low-budget version of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre at the very start of his career. According to legend, director Tobe Hooper paid Laroquette in marijuana instead of cash, and the actor has finally confessed to the smoky exchange.

“Totally true,” Laroquette told Parade. “He gave me some marijuana or a matchbox or whatever you called it in those days. I walked out of the [recording] studio and patted him on the back side and said, ‘Good luck to you!’”

Hooper and Larroquette reportedly met in the summer of 1969 when the not-yet-actor was working as a bartender at a Colorado resort. Via Parade:

“I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do with my life.” Hooper happened to be working in town on a project, and the two struck up a friendship.

Four years later, Larroquette had uprooted to Los Angeles to jumpstart his fledgling acting career. “Tobe heard I was in town and asked for an hour of my time to narrate something for this movie he just did,” he says. “I said ‘Fine!’ It was a favor.”

The Night Court star would go on to voice introductions for later installments in the Texas Chainsaw franchise, but for an actual paycheck. However, he also admits that he’s never watched a single one of them because he’s “not a big horror movie fan.”

Night Court airs Tuesdays on NBC with episodes streaming the next day on Peacock.

(Via Parade)

Anna Kendrick’s haunting drama Alice, Darling will soon debut in theaters, and the film focuses on a young woman in an emotionally abusive relationship, which is something that Kendrick has been through and openly discussed in the recent past.

Kendrick also recently opened up about the experience of making the movie and how it impacted her emotionally, as a survivor of abuse. “I actually was surprised that I’ve been finding the press much more challenging than making this movie,” the actress told Rolling Stone this week. “I figured that out relatively quickly and made some changes.”

Despite the intense subject matter, Kendrick has been sharing her story of fleeing an abusive relationship in order to help others. She mentions that one of her former co-stars and close friends, Aubrey Plaza, was one of the people to help her remove herself from an abusive relationship, thanks to their unique friendship. “I was texting with her this week. I think she’s brilliant and we’re both avoidants, so I think it’s hard for two avoidants to maintain a friendship, but I also think that’s why our friendship has endured, in a sense. We can both give each other a ton of space,” the actress explained.

Kendrick then recalled Plaza encouraging her to get out of the toxic relationship. “I do remember talking to her a little bit about what was going on. But even then, I bet if I read through those texts I could see that I was testing the waters about how much I could say before she tells me, ‘You really have to get out’ — which at that time, I’m embarrassed to say, was unacceptable to me,” Kendrick explained. Alice, Darling shows the toll abuse has on the body and mind after being in a toxic relationship for so long. In the film, Alice’s friends make an effort to help her get away from her boyfriend, which is similar to what happened with her friends in real life.

Even though Kendrick didn’t listen to her advice at first, looking back, she knows that her friends were right, “I was always trying to tell people what was going on in a way where they’d give me some magic piece of advice, but not to where they’d give me the truth, which was: ‘You have to leave.’ I just couldn’t hear it.”

Today, Kendrick seems to be on a creative hot streak. Her project The Dating Game is moving forward, which she found out about after being stuck in an elevator at TIFF. Things can only go up from here. Or down, in the elevator situation.

(Via Rolling Stone)