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With the release of NBA 2K25, fans have been able to get a little head start on the 2024-25 season. While a lot of attention is paid to the MyPlayer career mode, plenty of fans use the game to build their ideal roster for their favorite team.

Kevin Durant recently sat down with Sauce Gardner to do battle in 2K, and Durant got asked how he would build his ideal team in the game. The “in the game” aspect is important, because video game basketball is not real life basketball, but KD’s starting five did have a surprising inclusion.

Durant, as one would expect, put himself on there, a long with LeBron James. Those are not controversial, and neither was his selection of Joel Embiid at center. At guard, he went with a pair of Dallas Mavs, but not the two you’d expect, as he put Luka Doncic and Klay Thompson, not Kyrie Irving, together.

Thompson is the only real stunner, but in the game Thompson’s two-way versatility is still a benefit and the game is perhaps a bit kinder to Klay when it comes to consistently finding his best level. As KD notes, Thompson’s size at 6’7 earns him the nod, as Durant clearly wants as tall a lineup as possible with no one under 6’7 on his squad. Still, not opting for Stephen Curry, Kyrie Irving, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, or his Suns teammate Devin Booker is a bit of a surprise, but KD clearly has a ton of love and respect for his former teammate in Golden State.

Justin Timberlake’s Hamptons DWI situation is finally resolved.

As NBC New York reports, Timberlake appeared at a Long Island courthouse today, September 13. There, he pleaded guilty to driving while ability impaired, a downgrade from the DWI with which he was initially charged. Driving while ability impaired is a non-criminal offense.

Timberlake will have to pay a fine, and while the amount hasn’t been determined, driving while ability impaired typically carries a fine between $300 to $500, along with a 90-day driver’s license suspension.

The judge also said Timberlake has to make a public statement warning against the dangers of drinking and driving. Timberlake will also have to do between 25 and 40 hours of community service, with the final number depending on how his public statement goes. Per NBC News, Timberlake will volunteer at a nonprofit of his choosing.

Timberlake’s forthcoming statement will be his first time publicly addressing the situation directly; He said at a concert shortly after the incident, “We’ve been together through ups and downs and lefts and rights, and it’s been a tough week, but you’re here, and I’m here, and nothing can change this moment right now. I know sometimes I’m hard to love, but you keep on loving me and I love you right back, thank you so much.”

Sometimes love is a losing game. Joey Badass has certainly expressed this thought a time or two before in his music. But so has Uproxx cover star Chlöe. So, it is only right that the two (at times) skeptics of love come together to air out their grievances.

On Joey Badass’ new song, “Tell Me” featuring Chlöe, romantic paranoia takes center stage. “More money, more problems” has been an anecdotal fixture in rap tracks, but so has more famous, more lustful eyes. Joey Badass carefully navigates this tightrope all across “Tell Me.”

“Tell me, why you in love with me / Is it money or the fame / Or the fact that I’m livin’ in a lab, but it’s luxury / Tell me why all of suddenly you wanna come kiss up with me / Used to pass a n**** by like tumbleweed / Used to play me by the side ’til I got a little buzz like a bumblebee / Now you can’t get enough of me / Why you fallin’ in love with me,” raps Joey.

Chlöe echoes this inquisitive spirit through the chorus, repetitively singing: “Tell me why you really in love.”

The only thing left to wonder is if the track will be green lit for an official video. Joey Badass previously guest starred in Chlöe’s visual for “Cheat Back.” Now, fans are curious if round two of their on-screen chemistry is on the way.

Listen to Joey Badass’ new song “Tell Me” featuring Chlöe above.

Dave Bautista has always been a big guy because you sort of have to be if you’re going to be throwing punches for a living. Recently, he has made it clear that he is done with wrestling and has trimmed down intentionally after gaining more weight for a role, and fans grew concerned over his drastic weight loss.

In a new interview with reporter Chris Van Vliet, Bautista confirms that his weight loss was partially inspired by his ever-growing list of acting roles. He explained, “I started trimming down for a particular reason. One, I started trimming down because I just got fat. I got really big for a role and it was uncomfortably big,” he said, referring to his Knock at the Cabin role. “I got really big. I was like around 315 pounds and I put the weight on really fast,” he said, adding that he packed on pounds by eating lots of french fries.

The actor then admitted that only had a short amount of time in between films to gain some pounds, which is why he expedited the process in order to “to look like a great big guy.” Then he ended up being uncomfortable in his own skin. “Looking back at it, I probably over did it,” Bautista said. “I was probably a little too big, but at the time, I was just thinking, I gotta get big. And I put on an uncomfortable amount of weight, and it took me forever to shed it off.”

As soon as he started losing the weight, Bautista felt that he felt better and looked better on camera next to actors, but he was shocked by the response to his weight loss. “People say, ‘God, you’re skinny.’ I’ve even seen online, some people worried about my health. And when I say it out loud, ‘I’m 6’4″ 240 pounds,’ which sounds like I’m a big person,” he added, before mentioning that his former profession required him to be bigger. He continued, “People have seen me so much bigger over the years that they think I’m like anorexic, but I’m still just a large human being next to your typical actor. It looks like a gorilla and it’s distracting.”

Bautista says he isn’t done yet either, and still wants to shed a few more pounds… but if you ever feel the need to gain over 60 pounds for a job, consider talking to a doctor instead! It’s not worth it.

(Via Deadline)

You can never have enough Rebecca Ferguson in movies or on TV shows. Fortunately, we’re going to receive several heaping helpings of the Mission: Impossible and Dune franchise star over the next few years. She will soon appear in Silo‘s second season and recently joined the Peaky Blinders movie cast, and then there’s Mercy, which will co-star Chris Pratt, who is also attempting to be several places at once lately. Most recently, Pratt has been working on the second Terminal List season (and its Dark Wolf prequel) along with voicing the lead animated role in any number of blockbusters.

The tried-and-true stars have united for Mercy, a film that will hail from Wanted director Timur Bekmambetov as a theatrical release from Amazon MGM Studios. Oppenheimer producer Charles Roven is behind the project along with screenwriter Marco van Belle, who recently commented upon the project’s humble beginnings “from a spec script I wrote at my wobbly desk on an ancient laptop to a studio project with the most incredible talents I could hope for making it real.”

Let’s talk about what we can expect from Mercy.

Plot

Timur Bekmambetov is known for blending intentionally over-the-top, thrilling action with a variety of genres, not only with Wanted but also Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter and Night Watch. The director hasn’t revealed if he will stick with that trademark or his penchant for stylized visuals, but we do know that no matter what the behind-the-scenes approach will be for Mercy, nobody will dare yell at Rebecca Ferguson unless it’s part of the script.

Bare bone plot details reveal (via Deadline) that the movie is “set in the near future when capital crime has increased. A detective (Pratt) has been accused of a violent crime and is forced to prove his innocence.” Hopefully, Amazon MGM Studios will tease some more tidbits before too much time passes.

Additionally, Chris Pratt admitted to getting carried away while recently filming an action scene. On Instagram, he posted a photo of his busted up ankle after he “caught a metal post” on the fourth day of filming. He wrote, “I have such a great stunt team! AND I sometimes try to get in there and do some of my own stuff.” Ouch. Relax and let the pros do the stunt-ing, Chris.

Cast

Ferguson and Pratt headline the cast with Annabelle Wallis (Peaky Blinders) in an undisclosed role. Additionally, boxer-turned-True Detective Season 4 star Kali Reis signed onto this film in the immediate lead-up to filming.

The movie also stars Kylie Rogers (young Beth on Yellowstone), Chris Sullivan (This Is Us, The Knick), and a character who is fetchingly called “Tattooed Sleazebag” as portrayed by Noah Fearnley.

Release Date

Mercy is building toward theatrical release on August 15, 2025.

Trailer

Since no trailer exists yet, we can instead have some fun with this compilation of Ferguson describing the hell of not being able to wink, no matter how hard she tries. Please let her have an eyepatch in this movie, too.

This March, Suki Waterhouse welcomed a daughter, her first child with fiancé Robert Pattinson, two days after turning in Memoir Of A Sparklemuffin, her double-LP out now via Sub Pop. “It was a sense of urgency, which I think actually always helps me artistically,” Waterhouse told Uproxx over Zoom in the weeks leading up to the album’s release.

Ironically, Waterhouse’s versatile career benefitted most from patience. The British multi-hyphenate’s star power first manifested as a model in her teens, and she grew into acting — most recently starring as keyboardist Karen Sirko in the Emmy-winning series Daisy Jones & The Six. But all the while, Waterhouse was developing as a singer-songwriter under everybody’s nose.

“When I got to a place after writing tons and tons of songs where I finally put out the first song in 2016, I’d already made a bunch of songs before that,” Waterhouse says. “There was so much work that went in, so much trial and error, and so much of gradually gaining my confidence. I’m so glad that I didn’t make an album when I was 20 or 21. It takes a long time to discern your tastes.”

Across 18 tracks on Memoir Of A Sparklemuffin, it’s evident that Waterhouse knows herself — and she’s ready for the world to truly know her.

Below, Waterhouse touched on the process of making Memoir Of A Sparklemuffin, flipping the script on public perception with “Model, Actress, Whatever,” and showing her daughter the world on her The Sparklemuffin Tour.

I’ll have an idea and write it down, and then I like to wait to see if it still lingers or nags at me in two or three months before I tell anyone. When did you know that what we now know to be Memoir Of A Sparklemuffin was an idea that could not be ignored?

I probably came upon it about halfway through into making the record. I started noticing a theme of what I was talking about and where it was taking me. I just find myself reading so many people’s memoirs. It’s my favorite thing to do. I love hearing somebody’s story from their own mouth. I’m obsessed with Liz Phair’s Horror Stories: A Memoir.

And then, I was on Google late one night and found this Sparklemuffin spider, which has a ridiculous name, and thought, I would love to have that in an album title. I started fleshing out the story around the Sparklemuffin and writing out each song connected to the story. The Sparklemuffin in my world explores this turbulent journey entangled in webs of self-destructive choices. It sort of mirrors the lifecycle of a spider, and it starts with an allure of dangerous liaisons. There are certain songs that depict initial attachment, and then there’s entrapment — there’s a whole narrative that progresses. I guess it’s my journey and struggle to break free from consequences of my actions and also a kind of deep sense of self-reflection. I just love the idea of this little Sparklemuffin on the quest of redemption, with me as the Queen Sparklemuffin.

I like how you’ve compared it to your life in the public eye. Is music the one place that allows you to forget that you’re being observed and just play?

I don’t know if you could say that you’re forgetting that you’re going to be observed because, if there’s anything I love about music, it’s that you take something very internal and you’re able to externalize it. When I’ve finished the song and feel like it rings so truthfully, there’s such an excitement for me in that I know it’s going to be shared. There’s that dream that it connects with everyone else, and then you kind of get to throw this party, which is going on tour, and everyone comes together, and it’s not really my song anymore. It’s everybody else’s. When you get a song that connects to other people, and then you get to be the host of this place where you just get to exorcise those feelings together, I’m always like, This is the coolest job ever.

When you get to do that, it flips the script on how you’ve always felt visible and observed and nitpicked.

Yeah, there’s things that can always be difficult. You might be misunderstood, or you might just be at fault, and I guess you’re more available to have those moments. But also, it’s no one’s right in public to always have a seamless experience.

It can’t be understated how incredible it is that you turned in the album two days before giving birth to your daughter. What about this album — this material — demanded you to get it off your chest and work your ass off on it even while pregnant? Why couldn’t it wait?

I knew it was going to be much harder postpartum than being pregnant. I moved everything into my house for the last two months. I just didn’t really want to go anywhere. You kind of know what your whole year is going to look like, with touring. I mean, I couldn’t go on tour without having my new record out. That would be boring.

In a way, even though it was crazy, and maybe next time I would do it differently, there was something really magical about having two new things coming into my life. Obviously, the excitement of having my first child. At the same time, being able to keep working on this album, which has been my entire life for the last year and a half. I would call it a privilege to be able to keep doing both. Your brain doesn’t stop ticking just because you’re pregnant.

You told British Vogue that when deciding to try to have a baby, you thought to yourself, “What can make more chaos?” Is there a particular day or aspect of the unique chaos of expecting your first child while making a double album that makes you smile when you think back on it?

Probably those last few weeks of just sitting at home in a giant Muumuu. I think, in some ways, the limitations that were on my body toward the end — I actually look back and go, Oh, the album wouldn’t have been like that if I wasn’t pregnant. Because it literally forced me to sit for six weeks. There was something about having my producer just basically live at my house.

I guess what makes me smile is the day that we finished, which was a couple of days before [my daughter was born], suddenly going like, “We really need to move everything out now and get rid of these speakers and these hundreds of boards that are everywhere.” Watching all of the stuff be unloaded into the car and turning around, suddenly going, “Oh, my God, there’s a baby room now.” That room has completely changed, and an album is done, and it makes me smile because I knew that I was about to just enter into this completely different reality. It was like, And now, we’re basically going to Mars.

“Model, Actress, Whatever” is in my top three for several reasons. You sing about hoping people would know your name and you’d have a story, but then getting everything you thought you wanted and realizing that people’s perception of you and your story would be out of your control. What do you want for yourself now that it’s all been demystified?

I feel like I’m in a place that I didn’t really ever think that I would be in, where I’m able to make this music, make this art, and go on tour. When I put out my first record [2022’s I Can’t Let Go], I made it independently. Honestly, I had super low expectations. I’ve been putting out music for ten years, just uploading it myself on DistroKid or whatever. [Signing with] a label, people listening to it, or even doing interviews about it like this, I never for a second thought that was a remote possibility. I’m so mystified and grateful that this is even happening, so I really want to just be able to keep doing that.

You mention low expectations. There’s a line in “Nonchalant” where you sing, “I don’t like to talk a lot / I don’t want the shoe to drop / ‘Cause then you’ll know me.” Does Memoir Of A Sparklemuffin represent you being ready to let the shoe drop and let people truly know you

In the whole story that I wrote out for the Sparklemuffin, that song is almost like me adopting a facade of detachment to shield myself. That song almost has a defensive stance. It depicts me being at the beginning of a gradual opening up to intimacy and comfort or the spider emerging from its cocoon, kind of curious, but apprehensive at the danger that might meet me.

I understand it’s a character, but I’m also curious about the song’s opening line: “Sometimes, I’m so damn nonchalant / That I can’t get to what I want.” Is there something that you’re shamelessly indulging now that you would’ve been maybe too worried about admitting you liked in the past?

I mean, I feel like “Model, Actress, Whatever.” That was a song that I wrote and then literally put to the side. It’s almost like I’ve been working so hard to — it was a big struggle to get a label to reply. All of those labels that said, like, “Oh, no, we can’t because she’s this or she’s that.” And I was like, Oh, you can’t put this song out. You’re just going to make everyone think that again. But if there’s something I’m indulging in now, it’s almost being able to laugh at that and make fun of it and write a song like that that also feels like you’re owning all of that. It feels kind of empowering. When you see the music video, it’s not like “woe is me.” It’s very much hilarious, like, let’s enjoy this and laugh at ourselves.

Is there an additional message you wanted to send with the “Model, Actress, Whatever” video?

There’s a scene at the end where I’m like, “Oh, did my makeup look okay?” I guess it’s exaggerating those perceptions of what people think you might be like. It’s really for people to enjoy. I feel like there’s a lot of heaviness around things about the industry sometimes, and I think I really enjoyed making it quite lighthearted.

Yeah, I took it as: I know that this is what you think about me, and I want you to know that I can laugh at that.

Yeah, yeah.

The song itself hits on how people normally describe you or how they have described you in the past. How does that description differ from how you describe yourself or how you wish people would describe you?

I don’t think I mind. People can describe me however they want, really. To be honest, it’s always crazier and it’s always more conflicted in your own brain. Everyone else probably isn’t thinking about you as much, you know what I mean? But it’s about what’s going on in your head. You probably have that feeling about something, too. Like, Oh, I’d love to do this, but no. Whatever people know me as, I won’t be able to break out of that. It would be impossible.

Sometimes, there were things that felt like confirmations in the world that were coming back to me, and if you have that in your head, it just takes a long time. But I’m also really glad that it took a long time to break out of that, because it also gave me ten years of making music and putting out things that I thought were cool. When I got to a place after writing tons and tons of songs where I finally put out the first song in 2016, I’d already made a bunch of songs before that. There was so much work that went in, so much trial and error, and so much of gradually gaining my confidence. I’m so glad that I didn’t make an album when I was 20 or 21. It takes a long time to discern your tastes and find people that you collaborate with that you absolutely adore and bring the best out of each other. There’s no part of the process that I wish had been different in the grand scheme of things.

It almost worked to your favor that all those people were distracted by their perceptions of you because it allowed you the space to become who you actually were or wanted to be without the pressure of expectation, like you mentioned earlier.

Yeah, I think so.

You described “Supersad” as trying “to write a nineties song you could hear playing at the mall in Clueless or as an opening track for Legally Blonde.” First of all, you succeeded. But secondly, which nineties movie plot best mirrors your life at the moment?

Oh, my God. What do we think? I would love to say Almost Famous, but not quite because I guess I’m not in a side-stage, kind of groupie phase. I’m at my own show, but maybe it’s somewhat similar.

What are you most looking forward to about The Sparklemuffin Tour with your daughter?

I kind of have this romantic idea of watching the world go by. She loves looking out the window, and looking out of a tour bus window is really quite fun. I guess my romantic version of it will be just showing her [the world], going through America and her peeking out the window — being excited by that. She’s at that point now where everything’s super interesting.

Do you think you experienced vulnerability while making this album in a way you hadn’t necessarily before?

I mean, it’s always an incredibly vulnerable state to be in making a record. Even the fact that I got to make another one. Or even that there was an anticipation and [I] have fans that wanted another one. That was a new thing I would never have known that when making the first one.

When it’s all done and you feel happy about it, you kind of forget that there are so many peaks and troughs. There are moments where you just think, I want to throw the whole thing out. It’s like making any piece of art: There are times when you feel incredibly frustrated or think, Is this any good? That happens all the time, and it’s only up until you don’t have control to change it anymore that you make peace with it. After I made the first one, when you’ve turned it in, at the time, you kind of have this sense of completion and you’re like, Oh, that’s everything that I have to say about everything. And then, life happens. And now, the slate is clean again.

The box-office returns for FKA Twigs’ remake of The Crow are pretty disappointing for the film’s creators, but Twigs is already moving on, returning to her day job with Eusexua, the avant-garde artist’s third full-length album. Kicking off the project’s rollout, Twigs shared the lead single, the album’s pulsating title track.

Ahead of its release, Twigs shared a video promoting it and explaining the title’s meaning. “Eusexua is like a feeling of ‘I’m that bitch,’” explains one person in the video. Another describes it as “a feeling of trust in your body,” while another says it “takes over who you are.”

In January, Twigs explained the inspiration behind the album to fans on Discord, as reported by DJ Mag. “I moved to Prague a couple summers ago [and] fell in love with techno,” she wrote. “The album isn’t techno but the spirit is there fr. It’s deep but not sad. I’m not sad anymore.”

It’s nice to hear that she isn’t sad anymore, especially after her March admission that “being abused changes the whole of your nervous system.” She revealed her abuse at the hands of ex Shia Lebouf in a 2020 lawsuit detailing his alleged mistreatment.

You can watch the video for “Eusexua” above.

In the words of Tsu Surf, rap is like basketball. Rick Ross and Meek Mill already claimed the “Shaq & Kobe” as the metaphoric comparison for their musical relationship.

Now, Eminem and 2 Chainz have staked ownership in another sports powerhouse pairing. Today (September 13), Eminem shared their latest collaboration “Kyrie & Luka,” which is featured on The Death of Slim Shady (Coup De Grâce): Expanded Mourner’s Edition.

Dallas Mavericks stars Kyrie Irving and Luka Dončić’s ability to bounce back from obstacles on the court serve as the track’s inspiration. 2 Chainz kicks the boastful track off rapping about just how far he’s come after being counted out earlier in his career. “School of hard knocks, I can f*ck around and teach you / License to kill, and I just got ‘еm renewed / Spokе to Def Jam and they talkin’ ’bout a renote / Spoke to Ghazi, and he can pay me in crypto,” rapper 2 Chainz.

Eminem takes the lyrical assist in another direction seemingly addressing the pushback from his previous line about Megan Thee Stallion.

“Hold up / Spit syllables on the mic in the booth / Like I’m at Drew’s, even if I win or lose / I’m in the news, even my interviews / Get like five million views, I get accused of misogyny because I will massage any bitch just like a masseuse,” he ended his verse.

Listen to Eminem’s latest song “Kyrie & Luka” featuring 2 Chainz above.

The Death of Slim Shady (Coup De Grâce): Expanded Mourner’s Edition is out now. Find more information here.

Bands at HBCU Homecomings are a cornerstone of the celebration, embodying the spirit, culture, and tradition of these institutions. Known for their high-energy performances, intricate choreography, and powerful music, HBCU bands play a vital role in creating an electric atmosphere that unites alumni, students, and the community. They do more than just perform; they tell the story of the school’s history and pride through every beat, step, and melody. These bands are a source of inspiration, showcasing the rich heritage and artistic excellence of HBCUs, making Homecomings an unforgettable experience that goes beyond just a football game.

There are always different experiences at Homecoming when you ask the “bandheads”, those students that were in the band and love nothing as much as band performances. Jabari Johnson, a former member of the Mighty Marching Hornet Band of Alabama State and certified “bandhead”, says the approach to Homecoming from the band’s perspective is about celebrating across generations. “It’s dependent on how the different Student Government Associations would like to incorporate their festivities, along with the time constraints the bands have now. The mentality of the band at Homecoming is not as aggressive as ‘Classic’ games due to tradition.”

HBCU Classic football games are special matchups between historically Black colleges and universities, often featuring long-standing rivalries and celebrated traditions – like Grambling vs. Southern in the Bayou Classic. They typically are held at neutral site venues and are large events in their own right, but have a different vibe than Homecoming. For Homecoming, there are a great number of people you have to account for, and to a degree appease, because of the number of people that come back to celebrate and the personal nature of what Homecoming represents. Johnson went on to add from his experiences as a member that most bands, including his, would “pay homage to the ‘old school’ within the show, possibly [with] an Alumni Band, spell the University’s name, a ‘special guest’ performance, or old school dance routine, and then get back to battling in the stands.”

Just like HBCUs in general, each band comes in different shapes, sizes, and styles. While the focus is often on the big-name bands like the Human Jukebox at Southern or the Marching 100 at Florida A&M, the band still shows out at Homecoming for smaller institutions too. I recently spoke with Torre C. Goodson, Interim Director of Bands at Clark-Atlanta University, about the “Mighty Marching Panthers” perspective during such a festive and important time for HBCUs. When asked about the mentality and approach of the band at Homecoming considering what it represents to HBCU students and alums, Goodson spoke to that same unique balance of the past and present at Homecoming as Johnson.

“Football Homecoming is a cornerstone of the HBCU experience; our primary mentality is that we have a legacy to honor, enhance, and elevate. There’s a two-pronged approach to our contribution to the Homecoming experience: enhancing the current students’ collegiate experience and providing the alumni with an opportunity to reminisce on an integral part of their life. We make it a point to prepare music that is relevant to the current atmosphere and culture as well as providing consistency for the returning alum. It’s a very busy week for the band in general: there are on campus events to perform for, alumni take the time to come back and engage with the current students, and it provides us with an opportunity to reflect on the legacy of those that came before us.”

There is also a concerted effort to bridge the gap with that engagement musically. As Johnson noted, there’s an “old school” element to Homecoming shows, but the bands will also mix in hits from today. Hugh Douglas spoke with us for our previous piece about how the football team loves hearing the latest songs from the band while playing and how that impacted his play. I guarantee you this year because of the popularity, Kendrick Lamar’s hit song “Not Like Us” will be blaring through instruments all Homecoming season

Whether at the biggest programs or smaller Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Director Goodson’s perspective reminds us how the bands play a central role in the Homecoming experience, embodying the spirit and pride of their institutions. Though these schools may not have the vast resources of larger universities, their bands are no less passionate or impressive. These ensembles pour heart and soul into their performances, delivering electrifying halftime shows that blend traditional marching band precision with vibrant, contemporary music. Their performances are a source of pride for the entire community, uniting alumni, students, and local supporters in a celebration of culture, history, and school spirit.

The bands at these smaller HBCUs often become the highlight of Homecoming, showcasing their talent and creativity in a way that resonates deeply with everyone in attendance. However, there is a pressure that comes along with the expectation to be one of the most memorable parts of the Homecoming experience, and Director Goodson spoke to how they try to embrace that pressure.

“There is definitely an extra pressure to perform. Homecoming is a time where the alumni-people who have done this before and given their blood sweat and tears to do so and are able to observe and revel in their collegiate experience. As a bandsman, there is tremendous pressure to not let the alumni down. These are people that come and give back to the program and the University, and you always want your stakeholders to feel pride and see the return on their investment. But when it comes to the Mighty Marching Panthers, we stay ready so we don’t have to get ready. The pressure is palpable, but it’s not anything we aren’t prepared for.”

HBCU bands at Homecoming are more than just musical ensembles; they are a vital cultural force that brings together generations of alumni, students, and communities in celebration of tradition, pride, and excellence. Their electrifying performances, marked by precision, creativity, and energy, elevate the Homecoming experience beyond a football game, turning it into a dynamic display of artistry and unity. From the pulsating rhythms of the drumline to the high-stepping majorettes, HBCU bands embody the spirit of their schools, carrying forward a legacy of empowerment, resilience, and joy. Their presence at Homecoming showcases the rich cultural heritage of historically Black colleges and universities, creating memories that resonate for a lifetime.

Janet Jackson is one of the most esteemed performers in music history. Given just how often she’s taken the stage at this point in her career, though, it makes sense that she’s dealt with at least a handful of issues during a performance. One such instance arrived with terrible timing: Jackson once had a wardrobe malfunction while performing for the Queen of England.

In a British Vogue video shared yesterday (September 12), Jackson talks about some of her most iconic fashion choices from over the years. When she get to one look, she explained:

“Funny story about this outfit: I was performing for the Queen of England, and we were doing Rhythm Nation. Sure enough, as soon as I squatted, my pants split right in my booty crack. I couldn’t believe it happened. I thought, ‘Oh my god.’ And then I started feeling air back there, so I knew it had really happened [laughs]. And the whole time, it was fine until, no, you’re going to perform for the Queen of England. So I never turned my back to her, which, some of the choreography, I was supposed to. I just faced forward.”

Beyond that, the video offers a fun look at Jackson’s career through the lens of her clothes, so check it out above.