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One of the best baseball players in the world isn’t leaving the Big Apple. Early on Wednesday morning, it was reported that reigning American League MVP Aaron Judge will stick with the New York Yankees after a tense couple of days that made it sound like he was strongly considering leaving town, with the San Francisco Giants mentioned as a potential destination.

It’s not uncommon for a star athlete in a city to do something big that gets the media looking for reactions from other star athletes in the same city that play different sports. As such, Brooklyn Nets star Kevin Durant — who is never shy to share his thoughts on things that happen outside of the world of basketball — was asked his thoughts on Judge sticking around after the team picked up a 122-116 win over the Charlotte Hornets on Wednesday night. In response, Durant gave an objectively hilarious answer.

“I’m a Nationals fan, I really don’t care about Aaron Judge at all,” Durant said.

While this is, again, an extremely funny response, Durant took to Twitter and walked things back a bit, expressing that it was a joke that “came out colder than I intended.”

A quick hop onto Instagram shows that Durant and Judge follow one another, so we’ll take KD at his word on this one.

To say that Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky are a study in contrasts would be an understatement. If we want a simple example, we can look at how Zelensky refused an offer (from President Biden) for a ride out of Ukraine after Russia’s February 2022 invasion. Whereas reports indicate that Putin has been hatching a plan to flee from Russia if he loses the war and gets booted from power.

As one would expect, Putin’s also not thrilled about his army’s shortcomings as Ukraine has made a series of stunning advances against the odds. Putin did try to downplay the sophisticated bombing of a key Russian asset, but Putin couldn’t deny (as USA Today now reports) that this was is turning into a longer affair than he previously imagined it would be.

Meanwhile, Putin continues to be the butt of shirtless horseback jokes while trying to look big, bad, scary, and strong, so TIME naming “Zelensky and the spirit of Ukraine” as Person of the Year was bound to ruffle Kremlin feathers, too.

As TIME notes, “Zelensky’s success as a wartime leader has relied on the fact that courage is contagious.” The publication pointed toward how presidents (and there are many examples of this) tend to leave the building when similar invasions happen. Here’s how the Kremlin has officially responded, via USA Today

“The magazine’s editorial directives remain within the boundaries of the pan-European mainstream, which is totally short-sighted, anti-Russian and vehemently Russophobic,” Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.

Putin has yet to directly comment on the TIME move, but he did resurrect his talk of using nuclear weapons. As CNN reports, Putin didn’t deny the possibility of being the first to whip out nukes. He stayed very vague, too, by mentioning that “we have a strategy… namely, as a defense, we consider weapons of mass destruction, nuclear weapons – it is all based around the so-called retaliatory strike.” What does this mean? “That is, when we are struck, we strike in response.” He doesn’t define “struck,” of course, but again, the differences between himself and Zelensky are looking pretty stark these days.

(Via Time, USA Today & CNN)

Here’s a little treat for your Thursday: a practical penis stunt.

In the third season of The Boys, which aired this past summer, we witnessed something unlike anything ever seen on television before: Herogasm. Heroagasm is, essentially, exactly what it sounds like: a big Supe get-together/orgy where they have sex and do weird Supe sex stuff. The Boys never hesitates to push the limit, and thusly, Herogasm included a penis that was on fire. According to The Boys series creator and showrunner Eric Kripke, that penis was a practical effect meaning that, yes, The Boys set a penis on fire, literally. The things we do for art!

During a For Your Consideration conversation moderated by Metacritic, Kripke described the special effect used in the sixth episode of season three, titled, if you can believe it, “Herogasm.”

“That’s practical; that guy did that for real,” Kripke said. “The gel is so good in terms of how it doesn’t burn you that it was a stuntman, and I was like, ‘Really? Are you sure that he’s going to do that?’ And our stunt coordinator John Koyama, who’s also amazing, said, ‘Oh yeah, no, it’s going to be fine.’ So he got one of his stunt guys to rub all of that fire gel all over his junk and lit it — take after take after take. I couldn’t get over it.”

But the fiery penis was not the only crazy thing at Herogasm. Kripke explained that they wanted every frame to contain something, and the writers took inspiration from existing superheroes: for example, in the episode, a woman is using a lasso like Wonder Woman, but for bondage, since this is an orgy. “We had to pack the frame so that everywhere you looked, you could freeze frame and see 10 insane things,” Kripke said. Call Kripke Ethan Hunt because the seemingly impossible mission of Herogasm was accomplished, and no penises were burnt in the process.

(Via Metacritic)

If there’s something worth noting about the best K-Pop albums of 2022, it’s that a lot of music came out of the woodwork. Whether you were a boy group, a girl group, a solo act of either gender, a new group, a group reuniting for an anniversary — a lot has happened. But that happens every year, really. This year, we heard the sounds of rock, Latin, and R&B all blended into the colorful palette of Korean pop music. Concepts that either followed the Y2K aesthetic, ’80s retro, or futuristic cyberpunk dominated and became fashion trends.

With that being said, choosing the best K-Pop albums of 2022 was not an easy task. As dozens of releases happen every month, deciphering through it all was fun and exciting, yet stressful as artists and producers surely did not come to play in the year of our lord 2022. However, looking at it from afar, when it does come down to see what’s topping the charts in South Korea, what songs everyone was listening to, or what everyone’s talking about (or dancing to) on TikTok and Twitter, it’s safe to say that the girlies came through and conquered 2022. We even saw it on our own lists this year as well. Without further ado, we celebrate the best K-Pop albums and EPs of 2022 that had no right to go this hard but had us feeling good and dancing on our own wherever, whenever.

Check out UPROXX’s Best K-Pop Albums of 2022 below.

Blackpink — Born Pink

We all know Blackpink is composed of a bunch of baddies that go by the name of Jennie, Jisoo, Rosé, and Lisa. When the group released their second studio album Born Pink this year, it felt like all their feelings were out in the open in the form of eight tracks. The YG Entertainment quartet shows off their duality with hard-hitting and bass-heavy tracks like “Pink Venom” and “Shut Down” and seamlessly counteract it with mellow and soft serves with “The Happiest Girl,” “Tally,” and Rosé’s solo “Hard To Love.” Dropping F-bombs and expressing the pain and gains of love throughout, YG Entertainment’s in-house producer Teddy and Blackpink deliver their signature sounds that Blinks all over the world love.

Key – Gasoline

Key understood the assignment, and aced it with his second studio album, Gasoline. He knew what he was doing — channeling his inner retro ’90s baby with some love for haunted horror nights of the ’80s, in a collection of dark pop tracks. Everything about this album and concept was perfectly packaged from album cover to song titles and lyrics. (Check out “VILLAIN,” “Burn,” “Guilty Pleasure,” and “Another Life.”) After being in the industry for over a decade, delivering perfection was always in his musical repertoire.

KIHYUN – YOUTH

If you’re a K-Pop fan who went through the alternative/emo rock to K-Pop pipeline, then KIHYUN’s album is something you want to listen to. Monsta X’s power vocalist released his YOUTH solo EP that brought nothing but nostalgia. (In a good way, of course.) The title track of the same name is a feel-good rock pop song that invites listeners to take a trip down memory lane and remember the greatest times of our lives — our youth. The following four tracks can be interpreted as moments in our youth where we experience feelings such as anger, heartbreak, loss, and love. But to sum it all up, KIHYUN’s ode to our YOUTH is a timeless masterpiece worth having on loop.

LE SSERAFIM – FEARLESS

There’s a saying that there’s a song or album made for every mood there is. However, in LE SSERAFIM’s case, their debut EP was made to make the world your oyster. (Just like the first track off the album.) From beginning to end, FEARLESS serves as a sonic introduction to LE SSERAFIM’s sophisticated pop tones and tenor. The EP oozes with confidence and roars with range in the form of bass-bumping pop tracks throughout, delivering a refreshing and mature take on K-Pop that suits everyone’s taste. You may want to grab a listen to “FEARLESS,” “Blue Flame,” and “Sour Grapes” to get the gist of what LE SSERAFIM is all about.

Nayeon – IM NAYEON

As 2022 marked the seventh year for TWICE, it also marked the beginning of solo projects for the group. Nayeon’s IM NAYEON EP is a double entendre that plays as a reintroduction to her as a person and an artist. The five-track EP explores how Nayeon defines pop by blending in R&B (“Love Countdown” and “All Or Nothing”), dance (“No Problem”), and a bit of ballad and jazz (“Sunset”) all in one go. Her lead single “POP!” grabs inspiration from the sounds of second-generation bubblegum K-pop, an era she was personally a fan of. Successfully navigating through seven years and some to release her debut EP, IM NAYEON has set the standard for what’s to come and what to look out for with future solo projects from TWICE.

NewJeans – New Jeans

If you haven’t heard or listened to the music of NewJeans, then what are you doing? It’s just amazing how much NewJeans has grabbed the attention from everyone within the span of a few days over the summer. Prior to the official release of their first self-titled EP, NewJeans initially introduced themselves by dropping music unannounced like Beyonce’s self-titled album in 2013. Except, NewJeans were newcomers that became overnight celebrities that brought modern nostalgia with their Y2K concepts and dreamy pop tracks like “Attention,” “Cookie” and “Hype boy.” Their songs and choreography were instantly loved by all, sung by all, and even covered by all. With a comeback gearing for the beginning of 2023, NewJeans has not only become K-Pop’s youngest “It” girls but a promising new act that can spread K-Pop’s global presence.

PIXY – Reborn

A K-Pop girl group that debuted last year under AllArt Entertainment, and successfully completed a whole European tour with some US appearances this year, can arguably be considered the underdogs or one of the hidden gems in the K-Pop industry. PIXY, a five-piece ensemble, thrive and take pride in bringing dark pop into the K-Pop sphere, shifting gears quite a bit in their 2022 EP, Reborn. With a funky, bass-bumping lead single that kicks off the EP, “Villain” showcases the range to welcome more listeners into their world. In a span of seven tracks, PIXY balances their signature dark pop aesthetics with more funk (“Natural”), rock (“Swan Song”) and even acoustic (“Greetings”) sounds. Although they may not be as big as the other artists on this list, PIXY’s music and concept are promising with a lore worth dissecting in each release.

SEVENTEEN – 4th Album Repackage ‘Sector 17’

SEVENTEEN makes music for everyone. The repackaged version of their fourth studio album is like meeting an old friend, kicking it back, and having a good time. Songs like “_WORLD” and “Darl+ing” feel like the warm embrace when you first meet with their lighthearted melodies and lyrics, while “HOT” and “DON QUIXOTE” are the songs you listen to at a party, cracking a cold one while dancing. This all goes to say that Sector 17 continues to prove that although SEVENTEEN continues to grow in age and music, their songs and concepts are still deeply rooted in what makes them SEVENTEEN, the versatile and timeless artists they are.

STAYC – YOUNG-LUV.com

What’s great about STAYC is that they’re consistent with releasing hit after hit, and powerful b-side after powerful b-side that hit just the same. The K-Pop group’s second EP YOUNG-LUV.com was the epitome of that. On top of its lead single “RUN2U,” the six-track EP highlights STAYC’s ability to adapt to a blend of different genres K-Pop usually offers. Considering the group is housed under producer duo Black Eyed Pilseung, K-Pop’s top-producing hitmakers, YOUNG-LUV.com does an exceptional job at showcasing every member’s talent whether it be singing, rapping, or even both.

Stray Kids — Oddinary

Something was in the water for Stray Kids to go off when they released Oddinary. One can argue this album was the turning point for the octet’s transition from being boys to men in terms of sound. If you were one of the lucky ones to attend the group’s sold-out Maniac Tour, you’d agree the choreography is sexually aggressive – especially for songs like “Venom“ and “Charmer.” Other than that, the sixth EP from Stray Kids showcases their range as two b-side tracks like the ‘90s hip-hop-inspired “Muddy Waters” and the rock ballad “Waiting For Us” are sung by two sub-units for the project.

Honorable Mention

IVE – After LIKE

Even if it’s just been singles from them, there is no denying IVE’s impact in 2022. Their second single “LOVE DIVE” has taken the industry by storm and still charts despite it being released early in the year. Their follow-up single-album After LIKE, however, houses the lead single of the same name that is the epitome of a ballroom pop hit. Sampling the instrumental hook to Gloria Gaynor’s “I Will Survive,” “After Like” is an instant one-stop shop for a K-pop bop. The supporting single “My Satisfaction” highlights IVE’s fluidity to seep into dark and grungy pop, balancing the upbeat tempo from the track prior.

ITZY – CHESHIRE

ITZY really has perfected the formula of what it takes to become a top-performing, versatile pop group. Releasing at the end of November, CHESHIRE highlights ITZY’s playful side in a four-track EP. The lead single “Cheshire” takes inspiration from Alice In Wonderland’s Cheshire Cat, a mischievous and mysterious character. The following track “Snowy” starts with a melody, briefly sampling Beethoven’s “Fur Elise” that follows the riddle-like concept of the album. As you move along to the last two tracks (“Freaky” and “Boys Like You”), the album gears away from the dark pop “girl crush” sounds and ends with livelier beats.

Paramore made a crashing comeback with the sardonic “This Is Why,” the lead single and title track from their forthcoming album arriving in February. The unhinged, TikTok-viral performances have been helping as well, whether they’re protesting the Don’t Say Gay law in Florida or keeping their humor intact while trying to break up a fight in the crowd.

They’re finally back today with the second This Is Why single, a spunky, frustrated anthem called “The News,” which was first teased on TikTok. Like “This Is Why,” it expresses irritation towards journalism, especially on the bridge when she starts something of a chant: “Exploitative, performative / Informative and we don’t know the half of it,” she deadpans. In the video, she’s seemingly hypnotized, her eyes glazed over almost in a possessed Stranger Things kind of way.

About the track, Williams explained in a press release, “‘The News is one of those songs that came together pretty quickly and felt exciting from the start. It feels like a happy medium between classic Paramore angst and bringing in some influences we’ve always had but never exploited. Watching Zac track drums for this one was one of my favorite memories from the studio. Lyrically, it probably explains itself. The 24-hr news cycle is just impossible to comprehend. And I feel a pang of guilt when I unplug to protect my headspace. The common reaction, or non-reaction, seems to be dissociation. Not one of us is innocent of that and who could blame us?”

Paramore doesn’t offer a solution to this crisis, and instead implies that it’s inescapable as Hayley Williams sings the final line of the track: “Shut your eyes, but it won’t go away / Turn on, turn off the news.” Still, it’s sonically invigorating and catchy through and through, quite obviously inspired by Bloc Party, which Williams stated months ago on her Everything Is Emo podcast.

Watch the video for “The News” above.

This Is Why is out 2/10/2023 via Atlantic. You can pre-save it here.

Paramore is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

Only a couple of years after the Golden Globes were essentially blacklisted due to a long history of scandal and questionable practices, they’re back on NBC, baby! The Hollywood Foreign Press Association announced on Thursday that Emmy-winning comedian Jerrod Carmichael (an improvement from frequent host Ricky Gervais) will host the 2023 ceremony, which will air live on NBC with a streaming option on Peacock, on Tuesday, January 10.

“We’re so excited to have Jerrod Carmichael host the historic 80th Golden Globe Awards. His comedic talents have entertained and thrilled audiences while providing thought-provoking moments that are so important in the times we live,” Helen Hoehne, HFPA president, in a statement per Deadline. “Jerrod is the special kind of talent this show calls for to kick off the awards season.”

“Jerrod is a phenomenal talent with a fresh perspective and excellent comedic style,” Jesse Collins, executive producer and CEO of Jesse Collins Entertainment, said in a statement, also via Deadline. “We’re all thrilled to have him host this year’s show.”

Per Variety, Hoehne promises that the new HFPA is just that: new, and modern. “This is really not the old HFPA anymore,” she said.” Over the past 18 months — almost two years now — we took a deep look inward and listened to the criticism. The changes that we’ve made were the expansion of our voting body, the universal gift ban. We are one of the only awards shows that has a universal gift ban. And we built a new infrastructure that transformed our organization and the awards show into something that is more diverse, transparent and responsive. We are the only major awards show that is voted on by a majority of women and by a majority of voters who self-identify as ethnically diverse. There are also a lot of voters who self-identify as LGBTQIA+. What I would like the industry to know is that this is not the finish line. It’s a journey that will continue in the years to come.”

No matter what they do or say, Brendan Fraser will not be attending. George and Mayan Lopez will announce the nominees for the 80th Golden Globe Awards on Monday, December 12.

(Via Deadline)

As the story goes, in true royal fashion, Prince William met his future wife Kate Middleton while they were both studying at a prestigious Scottish university, until one fateful night when Kate modeled in a school-sponsored fashion show titled “The Art of Seduction” and the two began their whirlwind romance. Really!

There have been books, TV movies, and fan fiction about this meeting (probably) and the two remain a happily married couple with more power than anyone else in the world. Meanwhile, William’s brother Harry met his wife the old-fashioned way: through Snapchat.

Even though he might be a royal with every resource at his fingertips, Prince Harry needed some social media engagement too. Sometimes you just need some clout, even if your grandmother was one of the most influential people in your home country.

When Prince Harry was scrolling through his social feed back in 2016, he, like so many other men at the time, became enamored with a certain actress wearing the historically significant dog filter on Snapchat. “I was scrolling through my feed, and one of my friends and someone who was a friend had this video of the two of them, like a Snapchat,” Prince Harry says in his new Netflix docuseries Harry and Meghan. He added, “I was like, ‘Who is THAT?’” Modern romance is NOT dead when a real-life prince can find his own princess through the fuzzy animal filter! Meghan Markle is just like us!

Markle’s friend then said that “Prince Haz” wanted to meet her, but she wasn’t impressed. “I said, ‘Who’s that?’” Markle recalled. As with any millennial-adjacent, she then insisted to see his Instagram….probably after noticing that he had millions of followers. “I asked if I could see his feed. That, to me, was the best barometer,” Markle added. “So I went through, and it was just like beautiful photography and all these environmental shots and this time he was spending in Africa.”

But it didn’t begin and end there, since Markle really wanted to live it up and not be tied down to a literal Prince. She had her own stuff going on! “I had a career, I had my life, I had my path, and then along came H. Talk about a plot twist,” she said. The duo then got married in 2016 and eventually left the Royal family in 2020, only to inspire more than one Lifetime movie about their epic romance, which would not be possible without the trusty use of the Snapchat dog filter. The world’s true leader!

Harry and Meghan Volume I is now streaming on Netflix.

(Via Page Six)

Pharrell looks to save the polar bears with his latest collaboration, a partnership between MINI USA and Pharrell’s design label, Icecream. Dropping an exclusive merch collection on NTWRK featuring a variety of Icecream products emblazed with MINI’s new Mini Electric car, Pharrell and MINI are donating 100 percent of the proceeds to Polar Bears International, the non-profit polar bear conservation organization. The MINI x ICECREAM Save the Polar Bears Collection includes a keychain, a hoodie, and a t-shirt, retailing for $150 — a price point meant to draw attention to the polar bears’ habitat, Antarctica, is losing 150 billion tons of ice per year. The collection goes on sale on December 15 at 4 pm ET/1 pm PT.

In addition to his conservation and philanthropic efforts, Pharrell has kept busy on the music front this year, contributing production and vocal work to projects from Omar Apollo, Pusha T, Jack Harlow, Nigo, and Murda Beatz. He also put out several more direct collaborations, including “Cash In Cash Out” with Tyler The Creator and 21 Savage and “Down In Atlanta” with Travis Scott. He also has a BTS collaboration on his upcoming album.

Pharrell also brought back his Something In The Water Festival where Pusha T and Malice performed together as Clipse for the first time in over a decade. Check out images of the merchandise drop below and purchase here on 12/15.

Well, we’re in the home stretch: the winter holidays are now a matter of weeks away. Hopefully, you’ve done some exemplary planning and all your gift-buying has been done for months now. If that’s not the case, no need to worry: We got you covered.

If there are any music fans in your life whose names haven’t yet been crossed off your shopping list, our rundown of gift ideas is a strong place to start. Whether they could use some new headphones, if they’re more of a reader, or if something offbeat would perk their ears up, there’s bound to be at least one winning option here.

So, let’s get into it.

Grateful Dead Dancing Care Bears Little Playmate 7 Qt Cooler

In terms of animals, this season is all about reindeer, but now’s a great time to give bears a look, because two of the most iconic ones ever have come together for a collaboration: the Care Bears and the Grateful Dead bears. They’ve united under the Igloo banner for a cooler that’s good for holding 7 quarts (or up to nine cans) and comes in a lovely pink color.

Get it here.

Adidas RPT-02 SOL Headphones

There are almost too many options when it comes to headphones, but this offering from Adidas is particularly compelling, especially for eco-conscious consumers. In addition to sounding great and being sweat- and splash-proof, the RPT-02 SOL headphones are actually powered by light and built in part from 87 percent recycled plastics.

Get it here.

Metallica x Stranger Things Merch

Metallica had one of 2022’s biggest musical moments thanks to a memorable placement in Stranger Things, and now fans who want to spend a bit more time in Hawkins can. The band and Netflix teamed up for some exclusive merch based on the show and the band, including a version of the now-iconic Hellfire Club shirt that’s been given a taste of Metallica.

Get it here.

Skullcandy Push Active True Wireless Earbuds

Skullcandy has become an industry leader in headphones and they sure have packed a lot of features into their new earbuds. Aside from the sound and build quality customers have come to expect, the Skull-iQ Smart Feature Technology inside offers hands-free voice control, making these a supreme pick for the more active among us. If you tend to misplace things, Skullcandy thought of that, too, as they have Tile technology built in.

Get it here.

Cameo

Cameo has changed the game when it comes to giving everyday folks access to famous people. There is a rich roster of musicians on the platform, too, so if somebody in your life would appreciate a personalized video message from a musical favorite, options include Wayne Coyne of Flaming Lips, Kenny G, Bootsy Collins, Royce Da 5’9″, Gata, Alice Cooper, Dave Mustaine, Lupe Fiasco, and almost countless others.

Get it here.

Rolling Stones 60th Anniversary Collections

Soon, there will be no doubt about what luggage on the airport carousel is yours. That is, if you get an item or two from the new Rolling Stones anniversary collection, which has their iconic mouth logo on everything from rolling luggage to duffel bags to backpacks, all of which will bring a distinct aesthetic to travel adventures.

Get it here and here.

Loop Experience Earplugs

If the constant flow of stories about musicians losing their hearing hasn’t made this clear: It’s important to protect your ears at concerts (and other loud environments). Ear plugs are a concert/festival must-have and Loop earplugs offer a volume reduction of 18 decibels while keeping the sound natural. So, if you or a loved one don’t already have a hearing protection solution, this is your sign to get one (specifically, this one).

Get it here.

Ultimate Ears UE Drops

There are almost as many earbud/headphone manufacturers out there as there are songs to listen to through their products. When it comes to high-end choices, though, Ultimate Ears has an offering worth considering. The UE Drops are about as bespoke as you can get, too: The buying process includes taking a custom impression of your ear, meaning the earbuds you end up with should fit better than any pair you’ve ever worn before.

Get it here.

33 1/3: Kendrick Lamar’s To Pimp A Butterfly book

The esteemed 33 1/3 series has been pumping out high-quality and super-focused books about classic albums for years now. This year, author Sequoia Maner took on Kendrick Lamar’s iconic album To Pimp A Butterfly, making this the perfect opportunity to get granular and learn about one of this era’s defining releases. And if that one doesn’t pique your interest, maybe one of the other books from this series will, which range from Cat Power to Duran Duran.

Get it here.

“Beats x Kim” Beats Fit Pro Earbuds

Beats is both one of the trendiest and most respected brand in headphones, and this year, they teamed up with Kim Kardashian for a line of flesh-colored earbuds that look wonderfully understated. Celebrity partnership aside, these have three listening modes (Active Noise Cancelling, Transparency Mode, and Adaptive EQ) and the Apple H1 chip, which allows for “automatic switching, audio sharing (with another pair of Beats headphones or Apple AirPods), and ‘Hey Siri.’”

Get it here.

Meta Quest 2 and Beat Saber

If you haven’t gotten on board yet, here’s some news: VR is here. Furthermore, Beat Saber is one of the most engaging music experiences on the platform and the game introduces new content all the time: In just the past few months, song packs from The Weeknd and Lizzo were added, bringing some of today’s biggest bops to the saber-swinging realm.

Get it here.

Snoop Doggie Doggs

It’s hard to believe this wasn’t already a thing, but in November, Snoop Dogg finally introduced a line of dog products, Snoop Doggie Doggs. The focus here is dog clothes, including jerseys, hoodies, shirts, bandanas, collars, harnesses, leashes, and tricked-out water/food bowls. There’s even a boom box chew toy that plays Snoop’s signature “bow wow wow, yippie yo, yippie yay” line from his 1993 classic “Who Am I (What’s My Name)?.”

Get it here.

A Creative’s Guide To Living An Artistic Life: Words + Music In 6 Seconds Deck

As a creative person, ruts happen. Grammy-winning artist/songwriter/producer Dan Wilson (of Semisonic) has something to help with those trying times, though: a 75-card deck of cards that feature advice about creativity, collaborating, and more. If an artist finds themselves stuck, they can pick a random card or flip through the deck, letting the wisdom contained within start them on the path to their next hit.

Get it here.

Harry Styles — Harry’s House Vinyl

It could be argued that Harry Styles had a bigger year than anybody else in music, with “As It Was” spending 15 weeks at No. 1 on the Hot 100, making it one of the longest-running chart-toppers ever. With that in mind, Harry’s House is a definite vinyl buy, especially if you opt for one of the exclusive colors (orange and seaglass green) available on his webstore.

Get it here.

For The Birds: The Birdsong Project

The Birdsong Project is massive — For The Birds: The Birdsong Project is a five-volume benefit compilation consisting of 242 tracks by everybody from Jeff Tweedy to Damon Albarn to Tilda Swinton. This literally is for the birds, by the way, as the project benefits the National Audubon Society.

Get it here.

Blondie: Against The Odds 1974-1982 Vinyl Box Set

If your vinyl library doesn’t have any Blondie in it, this box set is probably the best possible place to start your collection off right. It has the band’s first six albums — Blondie, Plastic Letters, Parallel Lines, Eat To The Beat, Autoamerican, and The Hunter — as well as four additional LPs that feature outakes, B-sides, and other exclusive rarities that add up to 124 total studio tracks.

Get it here.

Eilish No. 2 Eau de Parfum

Billie Eilish has been in the perfume game for a bit now, and her releases stand out due to the eye-catching bust container they come in. As for her latest fragrance, it’s described, “An alluring aroma which opens with the freshness of Italian bergamot and apple blossom. It flows into a woody, earthy spiciness of papyrus and black pepper with a contrast of wild wet poppy flowers. A base of woody palo santo and ebony are expertly wrapped in a metallic, nuanced veil of skin musk.”

Get it here.

Vinyl Me, Please

Time and time again, Vinyl Me, Please comes through when it comes to exclusive, appealing vinyl pressings. Pictured above is a gorgeous reissue of Interpol’s Turn On The Bright Lights (grab it here if that’s what you want), but their entire inventory is worth perusing to find the right album for your giftee. They also offer different options for gift memberships, so sending a loved one on that journey could be the way to go and the gift that keeps on giving.

Get it here.

Questlove — Music Is History book

Questlove is an established author at this point, and while The Roots drummer’s Music Is History book actually came out in 2021, it received some attention recently when the audiobook version earned a 2023 Grammy nomination in the Best Audio Book, Narration, And Storytelling Recording category. As for what the book’s about, it serves as a fascinating look at both Questlove’s encyclopedic mind and music history more broadly, via an exploration of one track per year from 1971 to 2021.

Get it here.

There is a lot of mistrust surrounding the implementation of artificial intelligence these days and some of it is justified. There’s reason to worry that deep-fake technology will begin to seriously blur the line between fantasy and reality, and people in a wide range of industries are concerned AI could eliminate their jobs.

Artists and writers are also bothered that AI works on reappropriating existing content for which the original creators will never receive compensation.

The World Economic Forum recently announced that AI and automation are causing a huge shake-up in the world labor market. The WEF estimates that the new technology will supplant about 85 million jobs by 2025. However, the news isn’t all bad. It also said that its analysis anticipates the “future tech-driven economy will create 97 million new jobs.”

The topic of AI is complex, but we can all agree that a new story from England shows how AI can certainly be used for the betterment of humanity. It was first covered by Tom Warren of BuzzFeed News.

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Here’s a write-up on @BuzzFeed
Let me introduce you to Ben AKA “Dave” 😀https://t.co/8f7IEwPjHr

— Danny Richman (@DannyRichman) December 6, 2022

Danny Richman, 60, developed a friendship with plumber Ben Whittle, 31, a year ago after he came to his home to repair a bathroom leak. Richman, a search engine optimization consultant, became a mentor to Whittle and encouraged him to expand his business, which led to him opening a pool company.

However, Whittle’s professional development was hampered by dyslexia, making it difficult for him to communicate professionally. Dyslexia is a learning disorder that makes reading and writing a challenge because people with it have difficulty decoding how speech sounds relate to letters and words.

“To start with, I was reading and writing my bits, and then Danny was editing for me,” Whittle told BuzzFeed News. “And then he realized, there’s probably a much quicker way to do this.”

So in just 15 minutes, Richman developed an AI app that could correct Whittle’s writing and turn it into polite, professional-sounding British English. It’s based on OpenAI’s GPT-3 artificial intelligence tool.

He described the app’s creation on Twitter.

I mentor a young lad with poor literacy skills who is starting a landscaping business. He struggles to communicate with clients in a professional manner.

I created a GPT3-powered Gmail account to which he sends a message. It responds with the text to send to the client. pic.twitter.com/nlFX9Yx6wR

— Danny Richman (@DannyRichman) December 1, 2022

The entire process took less than 15 minutes to create. No coding required. Flow: Gmail>Zapier>GPT3>Gmail

— Danny Richman (@DannyRichman) December 1, 2022

I also helped him use GPT3 to prepare an estimate, create a contract and respond to client enquiries. He just secured his first contract worth £220,000. This would not have been possible without this tech.

— Danny Richman (@DannyRichman) December 1, 2022

Since Richman’s tweet went viral he has been approached by countless charities and educators about developing an app that can help people with various language difficulties. He believes that going forward, these apps can be made available free of charge for those who need assistance.

“My hope is that this can be achieved at zero cost to users and without the need for any form of commercialization,” he told Buzzfeed News.

Tabitha Goldstaub, a tech entrepreneur and co-founder of CognitionX, a market intelligence platform for AI, has dyslexia and relies on AI-enabled apps such as SwiftKey and Grammarly to help her communicate. So she understands firsthand the benefits that come with AI and the potential drawbacks. She was overjoyed by Richman’s creation.

So many GPT3 powered creative, sadistic, silly and glorious uses being shared but this one really tickled me this morning

No code required, small business using AI to simply enhance process, improve customer engagement and confidence! (Read thread) #TechThatHappensToDoGood https://t.co/kX1V4Ahhi8

— tabitha goldstaub (@tabithagold) December 6, 2022

Goldstaub believes that we can have the best of both worlds if we make sure that humans are part of the implementation process. “I only ever advocate for AI systems in the workplace if they have a Human in the Loop approach. HITL is a way to build AI systems that makes sure there is always a person with a key role somewhere in the decision-making process,” she told The Guardian.