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Taylor Swift’s new tenth studio album, Midnights, opens with the track “Lavender Haze” — which she had teased as an important song, prior to the full record’s release. “I’m damned if I do give a damn what people say / The 1950s sh*t they want from me / I just wanna stay in that lavender haze,” she sings. “All they keep asking me is if I’m gonna be your bride / The only kinda girl they see is a one night or a wife.”

Seemingly alluding to her longtime partner Joe Alwyn, Swift pulled inspiration from the 1950s, particularly a phrase used about Don Draper being in love on an episode of Mad Men.

“I happened upon the phrase ‘Lavender Haze’ when I was watching Mad Men and I looked it up because I thought it sounded cool, and it turns out that it was a common phrase that was used in the ’50s where they would just describe being in love,” Swift said in a teaser social media video last month.

“And I think a lot of people have to deal with this now — not just, like, quote-unquote public figures — because we live in the era of social media and if the world finds out that you’re in love with somebody, they’re gonna weigh in on it,” she continued.

The answer is, we don’t know. In “Lavender Haze,” Swift seems to be poking at the constant engagement and marriage rumors surrounding them, to be a “no we’re not,” but only the two of them truly know about their official relationship status.

Midnights is out now via Republic. Buy/stream it here.

Colombian producers The Rudeboyz are making their debut as lead artists. Yesterday (October 20), the duo released the sexy music video for “Ojalá” featuring Maroon 5 singer Adam Levine and Maluma.

The Rudeboyz have worked with Maluma since the beginning of his career. The duo is comprised of Bryan “Chan El Genio” Lezcano Chaverra and Kevin “Kevin ADG” Mauricio Jiménez Londoño. They’re behind Maluma’s global hits like “Felices Los 4,” “Chantaje” with Shakira, and “Hawái,” which The Weeknd later jumped on. Earlier this year, The Rudeboyz signed with hit-maker Tainy’s NEON16 label and now they’re stepping out as artists.

“As producers, we always dreamed of having an album,” Chan El Genio told Uproxx. “We’re very happy. We’re confident in the work that we did on this song. Since the first time we heard the song, we liked it a lot. It’s a reflection of everything we planned with this project.”

The song that Chan El Genio is referring to is “Ojalá” with Levine and Maluma. The duo revealed that when they were in a meeting with NEON16 about the single, they promised Maluma’s participation and looked to the label to get an artist “that’s as big or even bigger than Maluma.” NEON16 came through with Levine. The Rudeboyz produced the reggaeton-pop romp remotely from Medellín, Colombian. The collaboration marks the first time that Levine sings in Spanish.

The Rudeboyz met Levine in person when they shot the “Ojalá” video that directed by Diane Martel. Despite a few technical difficulties and unexpected weather conditions that delayed the filming, they said Levine was a good sport.

“We felt a little bit unattractive to be alongside Adam and Maluma,” Kevin ADG joked with a laugh. “We were very comfortable. When we saw the final video, it felt like a dream come true.”

About the experience of working with Levine, Chan El Genio added, “We got to know him well in person. Perhaps because he’s a legend, you might think he would be different, and he surprised us because he was a very humble person and he was very fond of the project.”

“Ojalá” will be included on The Rudeboyz’s debut album that’s 70 percent completed. The duo is ready to move from the recording studio to centerstage.

“Now we want to show the world that we’re getting out of comfort zone,” Chan El Genio said. “We’re experimenting with different and strange rhythms and collaborations like with Adam and Maluma that people have never seen before.”

On what they want to achieve as artists, Kevin ADG added, “We want to keep representing Colombia proudly, unite cultures, and we hope to keep going even further.”

It’s hard to log onto social media these days without being hit with a firehose of misinformation, especially when it comes to COVID-19. Getting accurate information during a global pandemic with a novel virus that keeps mutating is a challenge, and people’s (sometimes understandable) distrust of the government, the media and various institutions certainly doesn’t help.

But that doesn’t mean there’s no such thing as accurate information. A lot of what’s floating around out there about COVID-19 is simply and verifiably wrong. As Kaiser Family Foundation President and CEO Drew Altman said, “It just isn’t enough for us to be in the business of putting out good information. We have to now also be in the business of countering misinformation and deliberate disinformation as well.”

Unfortunately, studies of Facebook and Twitter have found that misinformation and disinformation spread faster and are more likely to be shared than true information. So, let’s sort through some of the myths and facts about one of the biggest topics out there right now—COVID-19 vaccines and children.

Myth: The CDC is adding the COVID-19 vaccine to the mandated vaccine schedule for kids who attend school.

Fact: The CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) recommended updating the 2023 childhood and adult immunization schedules to include additional information for approved or authorized COVID-19 vaccines. That is not the same as adding the vaccine to school vaccine requirements. The immunization schedule is a best practice recommendation, not a requirement.

u201cMisinformation. The CDC does not decide which vaccines are mandatory for school attendance in kids. That’s left to each state, which is why they are not uniform across the country.u201d

— Dr. Tara C. Smith (@Dr. Tara C. Smith)
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In fact, the CDC can’t require kids to get vaccines. State and local jurisdictions decide what vaccines are required for school entry, not the CDC. States do look to the CDC’s recommendation for guidance in making decisions, but just because a vaccine is recommended by the CDC doesn’t mean schools will automatically require it. (For example, flu shots aren’t required for most schools even though they’re recommended by the CDC for school-aged children. And the HPV vaccine has been on the CDC’s recommended schedule since 2006, yet only four states require it for school.)

Myth: The CDC added the COVID-19 vaccine to the Vaccines for Children program, which means kids will have to get it.

Fact: The ACIP unanimously voted to add the COVID-19 vaccine to the Vaccines for Children program, but that doesn’t mean it’s required. Vaccines for Children is a program that provides free vaccines to kids from low-income and uninsured families. Adding the COVID-19 vaccine just means it’s included in that free program so more parents who want their kids to get it will be able to.

u201cToday @CDCgovu2019s independent advisory committee voted to include the COVID vaccine in the Vaccines for Children program, which provides free vaccines to 1/2 of US children, including those in Medicaid & those who are uninsured. This program helps reduce disparities in access. 1/5u201d

— American Academy of Pediatrics (@American Academy of Pediatrics)
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Myth: The COVID-19 vaccine is dangerous and kids are dying from it.

Fact: No, they’re not. Let’s look at the specific claims on this front.

First, the myocarditis question. Let’s go to the experts at the American Heart Association for that one. According to its website, the most recent studies have shown that the risk of myocarditis from the vaccine is low and the risk from myocarditis is very low (all cases were considered mild and all recovered). But most importantly, studies have shown that the risk of myocarditis from COVID-19 infection is higher than it is from the vaccine.

If parents are concerned about the risks of myocarditis from the vaccine, they hopefully have even more concern about the risks of it from COVID-19 itself, since we know that COVID-19 can damage the heart.

Second, the “young people are dying suddenly at an alarming rate” claim. There are multiple ways in which this rumor has spread multiple times, so it’s hard to tackle all of them at once. But if you’ve heard that vaccines are causing SADS (Sudden Arrhythmic Death Syndrome, which some have erroneously referred to as “Sudden Adult Death Syndrome”), read this fact check and the accompanying links. Also, note the fact that the SADS Foundation—an organization literally dedicated to this syndrome—recommends everyone with conditions linked to SADS get the COVID-19 vaccine.

People don’t need to trust the government or the media to not fall for misinformation and disinformation about the COVID-19 vaccines. The most telling thing to me is that every reputable medical organization and association in the U.S. that I’ve checked recommends the COVID-19 vaccine. Every single one.

In fact, in July, the American Medical Association, the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Academy of Family Physicians issued a joint letter urging families to get the vaccine for kids ages 6 months and up. These organizations are not the government or the media or the pharmaceutical companies. They are the nation’s top experts on medical care for families. They’re the ones we should be looking to for guidance on medical decisions, not politicians, social media influencers or cable news hosts.

The wait for Midnights, Taylor Swift’s 10th studio album, is over, but the wait for a true Lana Del Rey and Swift collaborative track unexpectedly rages on. Swift revealed Del Rey as the album’s lone featured artist during her “Midnights Mayhem With Me” series earlier this month, so expectations were high for “Snow On The Beach.”

The swirling song is ethereal, and Del Rey’s contributions are ephemeral. Fans were expected a full-blown Del Rey verse. Instead, they fewer than 20 interspersed words uttered by Del Rey, echoing Swift as an almost harmonized whisper. The clearer vocalization from Del Rey comes in the simplistic and repetitive post-chorus, “Like snow on the beach.”

Swift praised Del Rey, in part, as “the most influential artist in pop” in December 2019, so maybe she thought subtle contributions from Del Rey were enough to elevate a song. And she wouldn’t be wrong for believing that. Fans aren’t satisfied, though they should still take solace in Swift describing snow at the beach as “weird, but f*cking beautiful” and All Too Well: The Short Film star Dylan O’Brien drumming on the track alongside Jack Antonoff, who co-wrote “Snow On The Beach” with Del Rey and Swift.

See a sampling of the hilariously unhinged reactions below.

It may not be a complete remix of their album with beats made of cat sounds, but Run The Jewels’ next project sounds like a pretty wild experiment anyway. While Killer Mike and El-P did say that they are already recording what could end up being their fifth group album, they were apparently still not done reworking their fourth album, even two years after its release.

Today, they announced RTJ Quatro, a fittingly titled reimagining of RTJ4 featuring a lineup of Latin recording artists coming next month via Jewel Runners / BMG. Featuring contributions from Latin acts like Brazilian rapper Baco Exu do Blues, Venezuelan MCs Akapellah and Apache, and longtime collaborator Zack de la Rocha, the album’s release will coincide with RTJ’s performance at Mexico’s largest music festival, Corona Capital, on November 18th.

In a statement, El-P said, “We are honored and delighted to have had the opportunity to work with the amazing producers, vocalists, musicians, and artists who made this album happen. We set out to make a remix album, but we consider the end result of RTJ CU4TRO to be more than that. It’s a reimagining of RTJ4 through the lens of collaboration and a fusing of numerous musical cultures and influences… a rare chance for us to connect, create and be inspired by people who we may never have had the chance to get down with if we weren’t lucky enough to be in a position to put it all together. We thank them for all their generosity, energy, and creativity. this is a piece of music filled with love, respect and craft and everyone truly gave it their all, genuinely humbling us in the process.”

You can check out the first single from the reimagined project, “Caminando en la Nieve” (“Walking In The Snow”) featuring Akapellah, Apache, & Pawmps, above. RTJ Quatro drops 11/11. Preorder it here.

Recent clips of Snoop Dogg competing on an episode of Celebrity Wheel of Fortune have resurfaced because, well, they feature a possibly high Snoop Dogg trying to solve word puzzles. What’s not to love?

The two-minute compilation clip features the D-O-Double-G squaring off against fellow competitors Amanda Seales and Mark Duplass as the trio tries to guess words in categories like “Person,” “Occupation,” and “What are you doing?” That last question is probably one Snoop asked himself after he tossed out a string of hilariously wrong answers.

In the aforementioned “What are you doing” category, Snoop answered “Baking Onions” when the correct guess was “Baking Brownies,” an embarrassing miss for someone who, as Seales cackled, has made that his “whole bag.” Host Pat Sajak even got in on the ribbing, telling Snoop his pal Martha Stewart was “going to be disappointed” he got that one wrong.

Here are a few other Snoop guesses that should make it into the show’s Hall of Fame for spectacularly bad answers.

When the “Person” category popped up, Snoop shouted out “Toilet Atlas.” The correct answer: “Talented Artist.”

In the next “What are you doing” category, Snoop guessed “Swallowing the not.” The answer was “Sweetening the pot.”

Under “Occupation,” Snoop made the valiant effort of “Airport Teacher,” but was thwarted by the actual answer of “Acting Teacher.” He was getting closer, and he performed well again in the “Event” category, offering “Underwater Stunt,” when the right answer was “Publicity Stunt.”

Snoop finally guessed right in the “Rhyme Time” category — which, fitting — but it sounds like Twitter didn’t mind his losing streak all that much.

The lesson here seems to be clear: Put Snoop Dogg on more gameshows.

(Via The TODAY Show)

The week began with head-scratching involving an egg-yolk omelette, and the James Corden restaurant-drama saga ain’t over yet.

The fed-up, famed New York restauranteur Keith McNally kicked off this matter by revealing that he was banning the outgoing late-night host. Corden, of course, takes an almost aggressively cheery on-air demeanor and is known for his “Carpool Karaoke” segments, but McNally alleged that Corden was not only a “tiny cretin” but also “the most abusive customer” (who reportedly yelled, “You can’t do your job! You can’t do your job! Maybe I should go into the kitchen and cook the omelette myself!”) that he’s seen in his 25 years running Balthazar.

From there, we saw days of drama, which could have ended with Corden initially apologizing (and being unbanned), but the matter yielded to other stories about Corden allegedly behaving badly, on a plane and in public. Yet all of this might have eventually blown over, but Corden spoke with the New York Times‘ Dave Itzkoff, who broached the subject and received Corden backpedaling on his own apology. “I haven’t done anything wrong, on any level,” Corden insisted before adding, “I feel so Zen about the whole thing. Because I think it’s so silly. I just think it’s beneath all of us. It’s beneath you. It’s certainly beneath your publication.”

So essentially, Corden doesn’t care that people care about how he treats food service workers. It’s “silly,” and he’s denying wrongdoing, which led to McNally firing back at the Cats star. Here’s what McNally wrote on Instagram, and he wants a public admission and staff apologies:

STORM IN A RESTAURANT TEACUP.

I’ve no wish to kick a man when he’s down. Especially one who’s worth $100 Million, but when James Corden said in yesterday’s NY Times that he hadn’t done “anything wrong, on any level,” was he joking? Or was he denying being abusive to my servers? Whatever Corden meant, his implication was clear: he didn’t do it.
Although I didn’t witness the incident, lots of my restaurant’s floor staff did. They had nothing to gain by lying. Corden did.
I wish James Corden would live up to his Almighty initials and come clean. If the supremely talented actor wants to retrieve the respect he had from all his fans (all 4 of them) before this incident, then he should at least admit he did wrong. If he goes one step further and apologizes to the 2 servers he insulted, I’ll let him eat for free at Balthazar for the next 10 years.

You can see McNally’s latest Instagram post below. Your move, Corden.

While arriving for his sentencing hearing after being found guilty of contempt of Congress, Steve Bannon was peppered with yells of “traitor” and “fascist pig” as he made his way inside the courtroom. Bannon was staring down the barrel of at least a $200,000 fine plus possible jail time after he refused to comply with a subpoena to appear in front of the January 6 House select committee.

Despite the jeers, Bannon put on a smiling front and even greeted reporters as he walked to the hearing on Friday morning.

After Bannon arrived in court, the proceedings moved very quickly. According to NBC News, prosecutors for the Department of Justice argued that Bannon has shown no remorse for his actions. In a blow to Bannon, Judge Carl Nichols agreed. The judge also rejected Bannon’s lawyers request for probation after he made it clear that the charges carry a mandatory minimum sentence of one month in prison. Ultimately, Nichols would sentence Bannon to four months in prison and impose a $6,500 fine despite DOJ attorneys requesting the maximum amount of $200,000.

While the judge rejected Bannon’s claims of executive privilege, he does believe Bannon was acting on the “overly aggressive” advice of his lawyers. Nevertheless, Nichols felt jail time was warranted. Via NBC News:

Nichols said that while Bannon poses a “very small risk of recidivism with regard to congressional subpoenas,” there was a need to remind the public to cooperate with congressional investigations.

“Others must be deterred from committing similar crimes,” Nichols said.

For anyone hoping for a perp walk, that won’t be happening. Nichols agreed to stay the sentence provided an appeal is filed in a timely fashion.

(Via NBC News)

Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks picked up their first win of the season on Thursday night. The Bucks went into Philly to take on the 76ers and came out on top, 90-88, with Antetokounmpo putting forth an MVP-caliber effort — Milwaukee’s All-NBA standout led the way with 21 points, 13 rebounds, eight assists, three blocks, and a steal in 36 minutes of work.

It was a good first night at the office, especially considering the Sixers’ star big man, Joel Embiid, did not play as well as he’s getting into the flow of the regular season. This was also the first time that Antetokounmpo and Embiid stepped on the floor together since starring in a Google Pixel commercial with one another.

A number of other hoopers — LaMelo Ball, Jalen Green, Candace Parker, Kelsey Plum, Jayson Tatum — and celebrities are in the ad. Apparently, Antetokounmpo is pretty happy with how the final product looks, because during his postgame press conference after the game, he noticed the commercial was on out of the corner of his eye and stopped talking to the media to provide play-by-play.

The way his face lights up when he realizes it’s his commercial is terrific, while you can feel the disappointment as he comes to terms with the fact that this is not the version that has him and Embiid paying 1-on-1 with one another.