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“So, I couldn’t work out today,” Wonho casually says with a chuckle, as we wrap up a 40-minute conversation. “I tried to put it in between my schedule today, but I didn’t have time. So, I’m planning to do it after the Zoom calls.”

If you don’t know Wonho, it’s very Wonho of him to say that. After all, he is K-Pop’s Adonis — known to be an avid gym rat and a walking thirst trap to many. But beyond the strong looks, chiseled muscles and perfectly toned figure, Wonho’s thoughts on his music and work on this call are only a small, refreshing glimpse to how simple yet thoroughly eloquent he can be.

Seated in a conference room, dressed in a grungy black and white striped long sleeve, and occasionally shifting his gaze from the camera to elsewhere, out of frame — to what seems to be my face projected on a television screen, Wonho’s getup coincides with the sounds of his new lead single “Don’t Regret,” off of his single album Bittersweet. The song takes a shift from his usual pop, dance and electric sounds and leans toward a mesh of rock and ballad. Nonetheless, the “Open Mind” singer is in a good mood to take on this night-long press junket. And it has only just begun.

But he’s used to it by now, considering he’s been in the industry for over seven years. Not to mention, just successfully ended his first-ever European tour last month. (“Besides working out, I like sightseeing the streets of the particular place when flying abroad.”) His tone and tenor contains a sense of excitement, knowing he has new music to release just five days away.

Bittersweet is the name of his newest single album, and it contains two tracks, “No Regret” and “On & On,” both co-written by him. Ahead of the release, Uproxx got a chance to catch up with Wonho to discuss the album, the process and how it feels to be standing strong in the K-pop industry.

In the process of going from tour to preparing for your comeback, how do you do it all?

When it comes to my work schedule, the distribution of the work schedule is always well-coordinated by our company. For example, I came back to Korea and I practiced and then right before this interview, I had to film the promo – those liners and content and other Korean content/video contents that I had to shoot. Now, I’m on Zoom right now.

What made you want to name it Bittersweet?

So, it’s just about my story. I just wanted to tell my story – put my story in it. I was thinking of what kind of performances I can show myself while being trendy so I tried to incorporate those too in my mind.

Compared to your last releases, “Don’t Regret,” is more of a rock ballad, how did this come about?

So, I’ve always loved the genre of rock and I really enjoy it more these days because I know that rock is pretty trendy and famous in the music industry. I’m enjoying the music of 5 Seconds of Summer and Fall Out Boy at the moment!

Would you say “Don’t Regret,” is a personal motto you follow?

It’s a saying to myself that makes me look at the person rather than dwelling on the past itself. And it’s like a new challenge, from now on, to move forward as an artist and as a person too.

So, “Don’t Regret” is more of celebrating one’s self and “On & On” is more of moving on?

I would say it depends on how the listener and you interpret it? It is one of the themes that the song (“Don’t Regret”) has. Different people perceive it so I’m very happy that you interpreted it a particular way. It’s another interesting thing to me and you’re right on track about “On & On,” it’s talking about the past, moving forward.

And speaking of “On & On,” I actually made this song thinking about YUNHWAY from the beginning. I contacted her saying I really wanted her to do a collaboration with me. And the process itself was very smooth. The idea just came in, then the speed of the whole process of making this song was very quick.

What would you say is the best part of preparing for this release overall then?

I was very happy that I could give out the songs with this – the lyrics itself and super happy that I’m able to give out 2 songs to my fans. Before the release, so my fans wouldn’t know it right away but once they hear the song and see the lyrics, I’m pretty sure they will be happy.

For the lead track, I usually have the melody and the song itself. And I would often have the basic ideation of the lyrics so I would put it into the song itself that I needed first.

Any struggles?

When it comes to using different words or unique phrases that I wouldn’t often use, I find it kind of difficult. I still have a lot to say, still have a lot to share. It’s one of my agonies and I keep thinking to myself how would I express this in my music?

Since you just talked about expressing, you’ve been replying to your fans a lot on Twitter. How important is communication to you as an artist?

Wonho: If I didn’t have that, there’s no point in being an artist for me. I love hearing phrases like “I will always be by your side, Wonho.” Those are the most memorable notes I keep from my fans and having it brings me full support, strength, and energy. One of the driving motivations for me.

Every time you make a comeback, is there even any pressure or no? Or is it gone because you’re such a pro now?

Whenever I make my comeback, I wonder if this is like a new challenge or if this is the right challenge for me. But when I’m in front of my fans, giving a new song, I really have this confidence in my mind that WENEE will like this.

Do you feel like you have more to prove of yourself than what’s already out there from you?

There’s nothing to prove more. I think I’ve shown enough of what song, what dance, and what stage I can show to my fans. But one of the things is how to prove my love towards WENEE.

Your Instagram bio changed quite a bit. You’ve listed dates of the comeback and then a line that says “the last stop of one’s journey.” What does that mean?

My Instagram profile, I put it as a travel guide for myself. It’s my journey with my fans, sharing my journey through photos taken and from abroad. And it’s similar to my album, it’s sharing my sole journey with the fans. The meaning of “the last stop of one’s journey” would mean that with this album, it’s one of the – I’m putting a conclusion for my first journey and I’m ready to make another move forward.

In this new chapter of my journey, I am thinking about making my own world with WENEE, just WENEE and myself. And making new things, facing new challenges with WENEE.

Because you’re in your seventh year in the industry, considered a legend, what would you like to be remembered as?

So, I want to be remembered as a comfortable person. Someone who can reach out very easily and you can easily come and talk to me. Share stories.

Now, if you were in my position, what would you ask yourself?

“Are you happy right now?” I would say, “Yeah.”

There’s actually a line in “Don’t Regret,” where you sing “‘cause I’m happier than ever in this moment, I have no regrets.” So why are you happy with where you’re at right now?

There’s three things to mention. One of them is that I’m super happy that I’m doing well as a singer and artist. Second of all, I’m happy that I’m able to eat my favorite food — ramen and frozen yogurt — and learn and taste other delicious food. And third, I’m happy being on the Zoom call with Lai.

After this, what’s to come? Anything you want to say? Speak now or forever hold your peace.

My biggest happiness is having more and more songs in the world. So I would just like to say please look forward to what’s more to come and continue to support and wait for me.

Thank you so much for reading this article, my WEENEES. I hope we can have a great time together when I come back again. Please look forward to me, love me, and please keep your attention on me. So maybe next time we can do another Zoom call?

After getting into it with Latto on Twitter over her supposed shade of the younger rapper, Nicki Minaj has found herself being confronted by her own old tweets and upstart behavior at the outset of her career. Fans took some of Nicki’s responses to Latto and turned them around on her, reminding her of her own missteps and transgressions — especially the ones that seemed to contradict her defenses of herself.

One fan resurrected an old Nicki tweet that read “Y’all don’t feel corny when you post a private dm or text someone sent you?” after Nicki did just that to deny Latto’s claims that she tried to resolve the issue out of the public eye. “Also Nicki Minaj once said this,” the fan (a Cardi stan, it should be noted) wrote. “I guess she’s corny for showing the world a private dm between her a Latto. She’s acting like an entitled, spoiled brat over a Grammy submission.”

In another tweet, a fan took issue with Nicki characterizing Latto as “a Karen” (a tasteless shot at Latto’s biracial heritage, for which the younger rapper has been critiqued in the past) after “bullying” another performer in defense of her “Boyz” collaborator Jesy Nelson of Little Mix, who was accused of “blackfishing” over her general presentation.

Meanwhile, good old @DearBelcalis pointed out another discrepancy in Nicki’s defense when she flamed Latto for saying she was older than her mother (i.e. too old to be throwing a tantrum on Twitter over her Grammy Award category). “Age shaming when you look like YOU the one pushing 40,” she sneered at Latto. “Am I having a fever dream?” wondered @DearBelcalis. “Nicki Minaj crying about age shaming like she didn’t do that to Lil Kim? Everything she did to Kim coming back to her 10 fold.”

Finally, in a truly low blow, another fan resurfaced an old Nicki Minaj tweet declaring “people who abuse children should be stoned to death in public,” replying, “This you mama???” The implication, of course, was obvious. Nicki has been associated with abuse for the past few years after her brother was found guilty of predatory sexual assault against a child and endangering the welfare of a child in 2017, receiving a 25-year sentence in 2020. It doesn’t help that her husband, Kenneth Petty, is on the sex offenders’ registry and was recently sentenced to a year of house arrest for failing to update his address. Nicki was accused of helping him to harass his 1995 rape victim to change her testimony and faces a lawsuit.

Whether Nicki is right or wrong in her comparisons to Latto, she’s seeing some of her past words boomerang right around to hit her in the face. Will it make her a little less catty in the future? The signs point to “no,” but with so many female rappers flourishing these days, the good news is there are plenty of options for fans of women rapping to listen to.

Marshmello featured on Juice WRLD’s Legends Never Die, his first posthumous album from July 2020, with the eerie track “Come & Go” and “Hate The Other Side” featuring The Kid Laroi and Polo G. This June, the enigmatic DJ and producer teased more unreleased music was on the way.

“We made a ton of music together. In person. All the time,” Marshmello told Z100 New York. “We made a bunch of music, … and they’re gonna see the light of day.”

Today (October 14), Marshmello made good on that promise with the ethereal single “Bye Bye.” The Stripmall-directed music video follows a teenager into an abandoned arcade, where he spots a “Bye Bye” video game. He puts a quarter in, and the machine comes to life — including an animated Juice singing the chorus, “I’m out of pills / You’re out of lies / It stays dark outside / Even when it’s daytime / Like, bye-bye.” According to Marshmello’s statement via press release, “Bye Bye” was made the night he met Juice.

The verse features a reference to Percocet, which is especially heartbreaking because Juice (real name Jarad Higgins) died from an accidental overdose of oxycodone and codeine on December 8, 2019. Lil Bibby later claimed that the 21-year-old emo-rap star had agreed to enter rehab shortly before his death.

“My main thing with everything that me and Juice did is I’m keeping it the same way it was when he was alive and we were both sitting there, like, ‘We like this,’” Marshmello added during his Z100 New York appearance, calling Juice “probably the most talented person I’ve ever met.” He added, “I’m not changing it. I’m not remixing it. I’m adding stuff. No, I’m just keeping it that same way. … What we both agreed on in the studio, we like this, that’s what’s gonna come out.”

Legends Never Die hit No. 1 on the Billboard albums chart. Fighting Demons, Juice’s second posthumous album, dropped last December around the release of the HBO documentary Juice WRLD: Into The Abyss. The latest album included collaborative tracks with Justin Bieber, Polo G, Suga from BTS, and Trippie Redd.

Watch the video for “Bye Bye” above.

The Discovery show “MythBusters” delighted investigative junkies and movie buffs alike in the years following its launch in the early 2000s. The stunt-filled show featured special effects experts Adam Savage and Jamie Hyneman testing out the validity of everything from duct tape islands to mechanical sharks using scientific methods.

Back in 2007, 39-year-old John Galvan was 21 years into serving a life sentence for a crime he didn’t commit, when he caught a rerun of “MythBusters” on the prison television.

The episode, “Hollywood on Trial,” which originally aired in 2005, shows Hyneman and Savage failing to light a pool of gasoline using a cigarette—a classic action film trope.

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In September 1986, a fire broke out in a two-flat apartment building in southwest Chicago, killing two brothers—one of whom was suspected to be involved in a gang called the Latin Kings. Their siblings managed to escape and told police that a female neighbor had threatened to burn the building down as retaliation for her own brother’s death, an act supposedly committed by the gang.

The woman denied involvement and instead pointed the blame at Galvan, along with other neighbors interviewed by the police. Although Galvan had been asleep at his grandmother’s the night of the fire, he had no other evidence proving his innocence, and was arrested. He was only 18 years old.

Using violence, torture and deception tactics (which remain legal in 46 states), Detective Victor Switski eventually coerced Galvan into signing a confession after threatening that he could face the death penalty and end up “laying next to” his late father.

Galvan’s signed statement claimed he had started the fire by throwing a bottle filled with gasoline at the building and then tossing a cigarette into the pool of gasoline on the porch to ignite it. Which, again, is scientifically impossible.

Galvan immediately called his lawyer Tara Thompson, who had serendipitously been watching the same episode. Thompson and Galvan had been working on his third post-conviction petition, and both were thrilled to have stumbled upon some compelling evidence in the most unlikely of places.

“I remember I was excited, I was extremely happy because that just added to the other things that were coming together at that time. I felt like finally this is starting to all come out,” Galvan recalled.

Thompson added, “It was honestly shocking to me … I feel like all of us have seen movies — like Payback is a famous one — where they light the gasoline in the street with a cigarette and a car explodes, and I really had never given much thought to whether or not that might be real.”

“When I watched this MythBusters episode, as a lawyer, it made me realize that there are things you have to look deeper into — you can’t assume that you understand the science until you’ve looked into it,” she added.

The show’s findings were echoed by experiments conducted by the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). It made more than 2,000 attempts to ignite gasoline with a cigarette under various conditions and every attempt failed.

It wouldn’t be until 2017 that Galvan got his evidentiary hearing on his post-conviction claims. Thompson not only presented their findings, but also seven witnesses—including those who attested to also being tortured by the same detective who had interrogated Galvan, and an arson expert who testified that what Galvan falsely confessed to was scientifically impossible.

Despite the overwhelming evidence, prosecutors still denied that the science was correct.

“Even then, they really did not want to accept that this was not possible,” Ms. Thompson recalled. “I find that very telling about the state of science and the law … that these things that we probably should accept as true in the legal space, the system does not always want to accept.”

Galvan would have to wait until 2022—and after several appeals—to gain his freedom. He was exonerated largely based on the fact that he was abused into involuntarily signing his confession, rather than any changes to the science of the case.

Rebecca Brown, director of policy for the Innocence Project, says it speaks to “the critical importance of establishing mechanisms for people to get back into court when science changes or evolves, or when experts repudiate past testimony.”

“A ‘change-in-science’ statute here would have allowed for a presentation reflecting those changes in arson science and could have likely expedited Mr. Galvan’s exoneration,” she explained.

Adjusting to a new life outside the prison walls after 35 years has been no easy task, but Galvan is nonetheless taking his newfound freedom in stride. He’s most looking forward to having his own space to call home and getting back to drawing and painting. If you would like to support Galvan, check out his Amazon wish list.

It is truly a joyous time to be a Blink-182 fan: Tom DeLonge recently rejoined the group, they just dropped a new video for “Edging,” they have a new album on the way, and they’re going on a world tour starting next year. When it comes to that tour, though, it’s giving some fans headaches due to the frustrating (and expensive) process of buying tickets. It’s been such an issue, in fact, that Mark Hoppus himself addressed it.

In a message shared on his Discord server yesterday (October 13), Hoppus wrote, “Yes I understand that the ticketing can be frustrating. I bought tickets for two of our shows myself just to see what the experience was like. I had tickets yoinked from my cart and the whole thing crash out. Dynamic pricing. I’m not in charge of it. It’s meant to discourage scalpers. We’re trying to bring you the best possible show for the best price. This is a tour celebrating new music and the band getting back together. Thank you for your enthusiasm and I hope to see all of you at the shows.”

Fans have taken to social media to share their thoughts on the situation, so check out some reactions below.

Halsey had two major announcements yesterday during her appearance on The Zach Sang Show. The first was that they were releasing a new orchestral version of “So Good,” which elevates the song’s emotional and heartfelt backstory — written about her partner Alev Aydin. It is available exclusively on Amazon Prime. Meanwhile, the original version of the song, which was released in June, featured a heavily pop-focused production by Max Martin.

“I love this reimagining of ‘So Good’ – the song’s production originally had an orchestral element and it generates this powerful emotional undercurrent,” Halsey shared in a statement via AltPress.

This version of “So Good,” in addition to the original and the previously-released “stripped” rendition, emphasizes the all-the-more special meaning. Before the first release, Halsey had documented tense discussions with their record label, who pushed for the pop version and TikTok content — over her original plans for the song to be slow and more delicate.

“Basically i have a song that i love that i wanna release ASAP but my record label won’t let me…ive been in this industry for 8 years and ive sold over 165 million records…i deserve better tbh,” Halsey wrote, according to NME.

Halsey’s second announcement was that they will be hosting a new radio show, Halsey: For The Record. Airing on Amp, it will feature both music and discussions from Halsey. The first episode premieres on October 17.

“We have been working on this for almost a year now! For The Record gives me a chance to connect in a truly personal way with the people who listen to my show, to share music that has shaped who I am, and to let the fans hear from some very special people in my life,” Halsey continued.

“So Good (Orchestral Version)” is out now on Amazon Music.

In response to the January 6 committee unanimously voting to subpoena Donald Trump, the former president fired off a rambling 14-page response on Friday that plays of all his greatest hits. Case in point, it opens with the all-caps proclamation, “THE PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION OF 2020 WAS RIGGED AND STOLEN!” before recycling almost every single claim that Trump has made since losing to Joe Biden. He also refers to the House committee as “hacks and thugs” while barreling through the lengthy screed that’s already being roasted on Twitter.

George Conway, whose wife Kellyanne Conway famously worked for the Trump administration, went right for the jugular by joking that Trump makes the Unabomber seem sane by comparison.

“The Unabomber’s manifesto had more coherence to it,” Conway tweeted.

Andrew Weissmann, a prosecutor for Robert Mueller’s special counsel investigation, took a more lawyerly approach to Trump’s 14-page rant, but not even he could resist insulting the former president. (Yes, that’s a chicken emoji at the end.)

“Just like during Special Counsel investigation: Trump’s refusing to actually say this under oath and subject to follow up questions,” Weissmann tweeted. “If he believes this, why not testify to it. What a ”

Despite Trump’s bombastic written response, Maggie Haberman has reportedly heard from sources that Trump wants to testify in the front of the Jan. 6 committee, but only if he can do it “live.” While that would almost certainly be disastrous, at least one of Trump’s lawyers is actually looking into it. Trump already sounds like the Unabomber in writing. Now, imagine that live in front of cameras as he’s the center of attention. It speaks to the current quality of Trump’s legal team that everyone isn’t on board with making sure he doesn’t talk to the House committee on live television.

(Via Raw Story)

The NFL’s roughing the passer rule is under scrutiny this week due in part to a game-changing flag that occurred in Sunday’s game between the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Atlanta Falcons. Tom Brady dropped back on a third down and got sacked by Grady Jarrett, which would have led to a punt and given Atlanta’s offense a chance to cap off a fourth quarter comeback.

Instead, the referees hit Jarrett with a roughing the passer penalty for what seemed like a pretty innocuous takedown of Brady. Tampa Bay would go on to kill the remainder of the clock and win the game, 21-16.

While that penalty got a ton of attention, some folks wondered why Brady was able to avoid a penalty for his little kick Jarrett as he was getting up. As it turns out, Brady is going to get fined for the incident, as the NFL announced on Friday afternoon that the former Super Bowl MVP will receive a fine of $11,139.

It will be interesting to see if Brady — whose career earnings top $300 million, will make $30 million this season, and will join Fox when his NFL career comes to an end on a contract worth a reported $375 million — can afford to pay this.

On Mad Men, Jon Hamm delivered one of the best performances any size screen has seen. As the womanizing, intelligent, melancholy, and mean Don Draper, Hamm had to carry a sprawling ensemble cast while playing a hot asshole with an enormous amount of bottled-up anger. Both Hamm’s undeniable good looks and inherent charm made the audience, at precisely the right moments, feel bad for Don. This made Don’s most emotional moments such as the dreaded Hershey’s pitch (men will literally tell an entire conference room that they grew up in a brothel instead of going to therapy). Although nominated every year, Hamm finally won an Emmy for his performance in 2015 for his role in the seventh and final season. It was long overdue, and so is his post-Mad Men career.

Since Mad Men ended in 2015, Hamm has been around, appearing in supporting roles in films like Baby Driver and on television shows like Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt. More recently, Hamm appeared in Top Gun: Maverick. He didn’t do much in the role, but we love to see it nonetheless. Essentially, Hamm has not quite become the star we want him to be. Perhaps this was by Hamm’s own design: playing Don Draper for nearly a decade does sound exhausting.

Beyond supporting roles across film and television, Hamm’s most consistent presence since Mad Men ended in 2015 has been as the voice of Mercedes-Benz commercials. I cannot complain, because Jon Hamm has the voice of a god (not that I would know, but I can guess). That was until earlier this year when Jon Hamm made his debut as the star of…. a series of Progressive commercials. In the ads, Hamm plays himself. In the Progressive Commercial Universe, Jon Hamm is in love with his old flame Flo from Progressive played by Stephanie Courtney, who coincidentally appeared in the first season of Mad Men as Marge, a switchboard operator at Sterling Cooper. Flo is more interested in selling Hamm insurance than pursuing anything romantic, a concept that is impossible to imagine.

Even in the mostly bleak Mad Men, which had its share of comedic moments, Hamm indicated he is not only an incredibly attractive and gifted dramatic actor, but he is also very funny in roles such as Drew Baird, a pediatrician with hot person privilege on 30 Rock. The role proved he is self-aware, sharp, down to clown, and willing to make jokes at his own expense.

In the comedy Confess, Fletch, which came out quietly in September, Hamm is at his most Hamm. And he’s finally the lead again. As Fletch, an investigative journalist who finds himself at the center of a murder investigation while visiting Boston, Hamm gets to combine Don Draper with his lighter, comedic side. Like Don, Fletch is intelligent but a smart ass, he’s unpredictable to the point that at times, you wonder if he did commit the crime. But he’s also goofy, charming, and physical in a performance that benefits everyone sharing a scene with him. At long last, Jon Hamm is in his hamming-it-up era.

Fletch is exactly the kind of role that Jon Hamm has been waiting for since he let Don Draper go, a blend of his ability to be kind of mean and simultaneously melt your heart. If the Progressive ads – which honestly let Hamm do the same – will help get another Confess, Fletch film made, please, let him do them in peace.

I’ll admit that I was skeptical about the House Party remake when I first heard about it last year. It’s been in the works for some time but it always seemed like one of those Hollywood versions of Dr. Dre’s Detox — rumored but never completed, forever stuck in development hell. However, it’s finally come to fruition; today, the first, red band trailer for the comedy remake dropped and I’m not afraid to admit that I’m willing to believe I was wrong. This thing looks hilarious.

For one thing, it comes up with one hell of a hook; the titular house where the promised shindig will take place belongs to none other than NBA star LeBron James. When the two house cleaners tasked with keeping the place up while Bron’s away on a meditation retreat decide to throw one hell of a hootenanny to raise funds to send one of their daughters to private school (this is becoming sort of a go-to plot device, but for now, it works), they have to somehow make all this happen without James finding out and having the party shut down.

While LeBron doesn’t show up in the trailer in person, he does appear as a hologram of himself designed to give him compliments and reaffirm his life choices — including that big one in 2010. Also, a plethora of rappers show up including GaTa, Kid Cudi, Lil Wayne, and Snoop Dogg, as well as (of course) Kid N’ Play, stars of the original House Party, promising that our heroes will have a hard time keeping things under wraps for very long. As an example of just how out-of-control this one’s about to get, toward the end of the trailer, the boys get a koala high. Yeah, this thing looks awesome. Check out the trailer above and catch the film on HBO Max on December 9.