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Many years ago, Willow launched her music career with an R&B-inspired sound, first on the hit 2010 single “Whip My Hair” and later on her albums through to 2019’s Willow. Things changed, though, on 2021’s Lately I Feel Everything, when Willow pursued a decidedly more rock- and pop-punk-oriented aesthetic. That shift worked out well for her: The album was her first to rank on the Billboard 200 chart and lead single “Transparent Soul” was her first song since 2011 to pop up on the Hot 100.

However, Willow says there was some hesitance about her stylistic pivot and she believes a big reason for it is her race.

In a new Glamour UK interview, she said:

“When I wanted to do a rock album, there were a lot of executives that were like, ‘Hmm.’ If I had been white, it would’ve been completely fine; but because I’m Black, it’s, ‘Well… maybe let’s just not,’ and making it harder than it needs to be. […] If I go through that, every single other Black artist is getting the pushback, [too].”

She also noted, “I love all different kinds of music, I don’t like to box myself into anything. I was trained to be an R&B singer so I went in that direction, but I’ve always had a huge affinity for rock music ever since I was just a wee bean.”

Read the full interview here.

Elton John and Britney Spears’ collaboration “Hold Me Closer” is doing pretty well, as it just went No. 1 on the Australian chart and it could emerge on top in the UK ranks, too. (How it fared on the US charts will be revealed next week.) Given that this was Spears’ first recording in a while, though, John says there was one thing he was unsure about when it came to Spears.

Speaking with Apple Music’s Zane Lowe yesterday (September 1), John said (as Billboard reports):

“She did it so well and so easily, and I’m sure a lot of people thought, ‘Well, can she still sing?’ Well, I knew for a start that she could sing because if you go back and look at the old footage, she was the biggest artist in the world and she could sing, she could dance, she could do everything. So I wasn’t worried about that. What I was worried about is if she would be so nervous because she hadn’t done it for a while, but she came through it with flying colors.”

He also noted, “I’m really happy for Britney, especially because having her on this record is such a gas, for start. But this is someone who has been through hell, who needed some love in her life, a lot of love from a lot of people, and she’s getting it. And she hadn’t really made any music since 2016, so it’s all about her for me. Life unfolds on an incredible speed, and I don’t know what will happen, but I’m so thrilled this is happening because I love the record. I love the fact that it’s ‘Tiny Dancer’ because it’s one of my favorite songs. I’m a lucky man. Listen, what can I say? The record’s taken off. 75 years of age and having the time of my life, and it proves that you can still be modern and be old at the same time if you care to take an interest in what’s going on.”

This November is the two-year anniversary of Alex Trebek’s death, which is hard to believe. It seems like it was only yesterday he was making fun of nerds and being “insensitive” about a pygmy goat. To honor the long-time Jeopardy! host, producers are planning a tribute that will “break the internet.”

In the latest episode of the essential Inside Jeopardy! podcast, executive producer Michael Davies revealed, “Overall, we owe him a fantastic episode of Jeopardy! on that day,” referring to November 8, the day of Trebek’s death (and Election Day). “It may well break the internet. I don’t want to give too much away.”

Elsewhere in the episode, producer Sarah Whitcomb Foss spoke to current Jeopardy! hosts Ken Jennings and Mayim Bialik, who discussed the upcoming season, the show’s 39th. ““It’s very exciting and especially exciting to get to share this honor and this platform with Ken who is such a legend and it’s very exciting, it’s overwhelming but in a really good way,” Bialik said. Jennings added, “I’m just such a fan of the show, to this day, I feel like a fan, I wouldn’t be the person I am without all the Jeopardy! I watched as a kid, and then, of course, it changed my life in a big way 20 years ago, it’s just an honor to be associated with the show in any way, and now with Mayim double the perks.”

Jeopardy! returns with new episodes later this month.

(Via TV Insider)

Mild spoilers for The Boys will be found below.

I hear you. You’ve been hearing from friends who have told you that The Boys is an incredible show. They’ve been tossing out names like Homelander and The Deep and talking about something called Vought International, and Supes seem to be different than the superheroes that people have grown to love in Disney/Marvel Studios’ MCU and (in a very different way) the Warner Bros. DC movies. Well, that’s a correct assumption. You’ve never seen “heroes” like these, and yes, you should stream The Boys on Amazon. Let’s move through a brief lowdown of what you need to know before beginning this raunchy trip.

(Also very important: This is a weekly series when it airs, and that’s for the better. It’s best when it’s incrementally watched and digested, but also feel free to binge it hard.)

Source Material: Garth Ennis penned The Boys comic book series, which launched like a bullet in 2005 with a hyper-cynical look at superhero culture (with a hefty amount of political allegory in addition to entertainment value). Like the show, the comic was unapologetically shocking, mega-violent, and drenched in blood and other bodily fluids. Anyone who’s read Preacher or watched it on AMC (by the grace of executive producers Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg, who also have a heavy hand in The Boys with Rogen appearing onscreen multiple times throughout three seasons). The show’s largely faithful to the comic, and showrunner Eric Kripke does a fine job bringing the grossest moments from the page to the screen in a believable way.

The Supes: Although the show is named after that other group (who we will discuss), The Seven is filled with parody versions of characters that you’ve loved or loathed in the past. Homelander is a bit of Superman and Captain America (and the latter descriptor also goes for the eventual arrival of Soldier Boy, who’s a blast from the Payback past); the Deep is a super raunchy version of Aquaman who actually f*cks ocean dwelling animals; Queen Maeve is a play on Wonder Woman, and so on. Translucent is invisible, Black Noir never speaks, A-Train can’t control his speed. Let’s just say that they’re a mess, and Starlight is the new lady on the block who goes through some hell. She’s the one with one foot out the door at all times, even if all the Supes do work for Vought International’s PR machine. The less you initially know about that, the better.

The Boys: Enter the vigilante group who’s got more than a little bit of superhero burnout. They’re sick and tired of the Supes getting away with sh*t, and they’re led by Billy Butcher, who’s got a personal score to settle with Homelander. Hughie arrives all freshly un-doe-eyed by the trauma that he experiences very early on in the series. There’s Frenchie and Kimiko and Mother’s Milk (the grounded one), all of whom bring different strengths to the table as they all deal with their own respective ghosts and reasons for fighting against the Vought machine. As they peel back the layers of their targeted onion, they only find that things grow more rotten and corrupt as they dig into the core.

The Spinoffs: The flagship series arrived as such a juggernaut that Amazon couldn’t resist putting offshoots and spinoffs into production. The first new series, Diabolical, arrived in R-ish-rated animated form and serves to not only provide standalone stories (that involved Compound V but aren’t directly related to the main series) but also fill in some blanks, including Homelander’s backstory and how he first got involved in The Seven. This was a nice way to tide fans over during the wait between Seasons 2 and 3 of The Boys. The flagship series is currently filming Season 4, and we don’t know if more Diabolical is coming, but we do know that another spinoff is currently filming…

Gen V will be one to watch. We can expect this to arrive before The Boys Season 4, and Gen V is billed as a college-age version of the flagship series. This spinoff stars Patrick Schwarzenegger, and if you’re wondering if this show is as outrageous as the O.G. series, here’s a clue: when Patrick showed some set photos to his dad, Arnold, the Commando star asked, “What the f*ck are you filming?” That’s a ringing endorsement in and of itself, and yep, I cannot wait to see Gen V and much more of The Boys.

The Boys is currently streaming Seasons 1-3 on Amazon.

Britney Spears’ Instagram has been deactivated for a short while now, during which time she has instead been more active on Twitter. Now, though, Spears has returned to Instagram and in her first post back shared last night (September 1), she addresses her sons Jayden and Preston, telling them about her nude photos, their father Kevin Federline, motherhood, and more.

She starts, “I’ve tried my best at being the best person I can be … to be basically held hostage in homes under nurses and bullsh*t I hope my kids one day understand my reasoning of my play in water revealing myself as any woman would being held under blankets and supervision under the conservatorship !!! Finally at 40 without the restraints of what my family did to me …”

Spears also noted of Federline, “I helped your father who hasn’t had a job in 15 years … I assume it is easier for you guys not to have someone check on you to make sure you’re doing your homework !!!! I’m sure the standards of your dad smoking weed every day benefits your daily life at 15 and 16 to partake in a VERY COOL GENERATION !!!”

Read Spears’ full post below.

“I’ve tried my best at being the best person I can be … to be basically held hostage in homes under nurses and bullsh*t I hope my kids one day understand my reasoning of my play in water revealing myself as any woman would being held under blankets and supervision under the conservatorship !!! Finally at 40 without the restraints of what my family did to me …

I say to my son Jayden that I send all the love in the world to you every day for the rest of my life !!!! My love for my children has no boundaries and it deeply saddens me to know his outcry of saying I wasn’t up to his expectations of a mother … and maybe one day we can meet face to face and talk about this openly !!!! Maybe dear child YOU can explain to me why our family would do that to anyone !!!!

I helped your father who hasn’t had a job in 15 years … I assume it is easier for you guys not to have someone check on you to make sure you’re doing your homework !!!! I’m sure the standards of your dad smoking weed every day benefits your daily life at 15 and 16 to partake in a VERY COOL GENERATION !!! I completely understand your need to live with your father as I had to play the perfect role for 15 years for absolutely nothing. I’m so happy I was able to carry 4 tours, judge X Factor and WAAAY more … I did that for you.

And Preston … I’m aware of your gift … I know you’re a teacher in my life and dear child I’m a teacher for you as well !!! It’s horrible to see your dad be a hypocrite and say the media is horrible yet he has you talking about personal matters to them !!! If you could pause for a second remember where you came from !!! I hope you can look in the mirror and remember … you are my child and always will be !!!! Since Preston didn’t speak, I send my love !!! I would love nothing more than to see you two face to face. Keep playing your gift on the piano … you and your brother both are brilliant and I’m so proud to call you both mine.

As for my mental health … my dear child understand you must learn to pick up a book and read one before you resort to even thinking about my intellect sweetheart !!! Tell your father to go try and at least mow the lawn …

Psss if you can honestly sit back and say with your sensible brilliant mind what memaw and paw paw did to me was fine and call them not bad people … then yes I have failed as a mother and hopefully that’s a chat for you and your father to sit face to face and try to learn WHAT’S GOOD.”

While Freddie Gibbs’s recent headlines have focused on his intense back-and-forth over social media with Benny The Butcher, the Indiana rapper has clearly not lost a step when it comes to the booth. The “Too Much” video finds the Bandana artist celebrating his excess wealth surrounded by beautiful women playing slots. With money in mind, it made perfect sense to throw Moneybagg Yo into the mix for a guest appearance.

The two traverse the casino while security watches with fury through their security cameras. It is a unique foray for Gibbs, as the production is more trap-focused and he utilizes autotune on his vocals. As for Moneybagg, this beat is right in his usual brooding yet high-energy pocket.

“Too Much” marks Freddie Gibbs’s first release of 2022 and comes with the announcement of his forthcoming album $oul $old $eparately set to release on September 30. “Too Much” follows Gibbs’s deluxe edition of Piñata, released in 2021. The 40-year-old is coming off of a major year after Alfredo, fully produced by The Alchemist, was nominated for a Grammy at the 2021 award show.

Moneybagg Yo has stayed present, notably joining his label CMG The Label for their compilation album Gangsta Art. He was also featured on Offset’s recent single “Code” and the two appeared on Trippie Redd’s “Big 14” in August.

Check out the video for “Too Much” above.

$oul $old $eparately is out 9/30 via ESGN and Warner. Pre-order it here.

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

Though many rappers excel just fine on their own, there is something about when they link up with industry veteran DJ Drama that brings out a whole new side of them. The latest rapper to get the Drama Midas touch is none other than trap legend Jeezy. Their new collaboration “I Ain’t Gon Hold Ya” is an uptempo party record, but the bars are as present as their dance moves.

The video trades between scenes of the two dancing in the Magic City parking lot and sitting in a white room clad in all-black outfits. As Jeezy raps with the urgency of a college student trying to finish a paper before a midnight deadline, he appears cool, calm and collected as he delivers line after line.

For DJ Drama, this single follows his August collaborative project Misguided with OMB Peezy. The month prior, he went the same route with Badda TD for The World Is Yours: Gangsta Grillz. The Philadelphia producer has been riding a huge wave since his 2021 Grammy-winning project Call Me If You Get Lost with Tyler The Creator.

As for Jeezy, “I Ain’t Gon Hold Ya” breaks his two-year hiatus since his 2020 album The Recession 2.

Check out the video for “I Ain’t Gon Hold Ya” above.

Kali Uchis is tuning out everyone else, except one special interest on her new single, “No Hay Ley.” Over a hypnotic house-inspired dance track, Uchis sings about the “cosas magicas” she wants to do with her lover.

“I wrote this song about putting love above all else,” said Uchis in a statement. “‘En el amor no hay ley’ means ‘there are no laws to love.’ Be with who makes you happy, and don’t listen to what anyone else has to say about it because it wasn’t their business in the first place!”

On the song’s chorus, she sings, “No matter what we do / No matter what they say / No importa lo que digan / Yo te besaré otra vez.” In an echoing refrain, she shuts out all the background noise, repeating, “La-da-di-da-da-do.”

In an interview with Mitu last year, Uchis revealed that she had begun to work on her new album, despite still riding the highs of her breakthrough hit, “Telepatia.” She revealed that the album would tap embrace various aspects of her roots.

“It’s still a lot of Spanglish, but it’s predominantly English,” Uchis said. “My plans are to go back and forth. Make an English album, make a Spanish album, and not limit myself to just one language ever. It’s definitely the body of work that I’m most proud of.”

Check out “No Hay Ley” above.

Lil Baby has been on the run of a lifetime, but it appears he wants to recalibrate. He asserts in his new single “Detox” that he doesn’t want to see the current lady in his life for the next few days, his preference for a minimal lifestyle, and how he continues adding skills to his arsenal. In a fan favorite NBA reference, he says he is wearing six rings like Michael Jordan, six-time NBA Finals champion with the Chicago Bulls.

This record comes in what has been another active year for Baby who has made his presence felt in a multitude of ways. On the solo front, he has shared singles “Frozen,” “Right On,” and “In A Minute” all in 2022. Collaboration-wise, he doubled up with Nicki Minaj on “Bussin” and “Do We Have A Problem?” in addition to tapping 42 Dugg and Veeze for “U-Digg” and appearing on Nav’s “Never Sleep” alongside Travis Scott. Most recently, he joined Drake on DJ Khaled’s lead single for God Did, “Staying Alive” and Future on “Big Time” upon the album’s release.

In 2021, the “Freestyle” artist appeared on multiple major releases, namely Kanye West’s Donda, Drake’s Certified Lover Boy, and J. Cole’s The Off-Season. Baby hasn’t shared a full solo project since 2020’s multiplatinum My Turn anchored by “Woah” and “We Paid,” though he and Lil Durk did linkup for a two-man power trip back in June 2021 on Voice Of The Heroes.

The anticipation is high for a new Lil Baby album, especially with Migos seemingly downsizing to Unc & Phew amidst contract issues between Quality Control and Offset. The 27-year is fully ready to grab the football and continue leading QC to success, claiming he has GOAT qualities on 2021’s “Wants And Needs” with Drake. “Detox” is another indication as to why.

Check out the video for “Detox” above.

Just less than a week after DJ Khaled dropped his 13th studio album, God Did, Fivio Foreign has shared a freestyle of the album’s title track. Despite only putting out one major label album, Fivio has become one of the most prolific rappers in the game right now, by way of his several guest verses.

The Brooklyn drill rapper has collaborated with several of hip-hop’s heavy hitters, and he lists some of his most notable collabs in his freestyle.

“I did Drake / I did Ye / I did Nas / I did Alicia Keys / I did Mary J. Blige / I did Nicki Minaj / I went verse for verse with the top legends and survived,” he raps.

He also takes time to remind us that he has a fan in none other than the Queen Bey herself, Beyoncé.

“I even sampled one of Beyoncé’s best,” he raps, referring to the fact that he sampled Destiny’s Child’s “Say My Name” on his B.I.B.L.E. cut, “What’s My Name?” He also shouted Bey out for using one of his catchphrases, “demon time,” on the “Savage” remix with Megan Thee Stallion.

Elsewhere in the freestyle, Fivio thanks Khaled for coining the “God Did” catchphrase on a song called “B.I.B.L.E. Talk” from Fivio’s B.I.B.L.E. album.

Check out Fivio Foreign’s “God Did” freestyle above.