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The 2022 MTV VMAs have been rolling out the announcements for nominees, performers, and Video Vanguard honorees all month. Today, we learn who will be hosting the show on August 28: Jack Harlow, LL Cool J, and Nicki Minaj. The press release makes it a point to say that they’ll emcee the event, “taking a more innovative and unique approach to the traditional ‘host’ gig.” That’s some intriguing wording and could mean that the show’s producers have thrown in a few surprises.

So far, the performers who have been announced include Anitta, BLACKPINK, J Balvin, Jack Harlow, Lizzo, Marshmello & Khalid, Nicki Minaj, and Panic! At The Disco. The nominations are led by Jack Harlow, Kendrick Lamar, and Lil Nas X with seven apiece, while Doja Cat and Harry Styles have six each. Other artists nominated for awards include Billie Eilish, Drake, Dua Lipa, Ed Sheeran, Taylor Swift, and The Weeknd, who are all nominated for five awards each.

In addition to her emceeing and performing duties, Nicki Minaj is set to be awarded the Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award for her decade-plus of innovation at the forefront of the music video format.

The 2022 MTV Video Music Awards will air live from Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey at 8 pm ET on 8/28.

Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

Angel Olsen’s new album Big Time was a refreshing, powerful pivot to country that grappled with grief and gratitude. The singer has been promoting the album with an awesome tour and late-night television performances. She’s back with more of the latter; last night she brought “All the Good Times” to The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.

The performance is bewitching as Olsen sways on stage and hypnotizes the audience with her silky voice. She ends the song by thanking Fallon and Demi Lovato in her theatrical voice, as well as wishing Lovato a happy birthday.

She announced in May that she will be releasing an accompanying film for the album, writing, “At the time of my mothers passing I kept having these super visual dreams about time travel. Later on I decided I’d name the record Big Time, not only because of the song but also as a kind of wink to time expansion and change. When I approached Kimberly Stuckwisch about making these videos, I thought it would be cool to include the storyline of one of the dreams I’d had, and really use it as a way to tell the story of the songs.”

Watch her performance of “All the Good Times” above.

Nicki Minaj fans haven’t heard from her Roman Zolanski alter ego in a while, but every so often the character pops back up. Most recently Nicki dusts off the Roman flow for an extended “Roman Remix” of her new single, “Super Freaky Girl.” While the Rick James-sampling beat remains the same and she uses the same pre-chorus, she restructures the song to add a third rapid-fire verse that sees her continue the spelling exercise from the hook and boast about her career longevity. “Don’t nobody wanna hear that weak sh*t, ho,” she crows. “In the game, fifteen, ain’t peak yet, ho.”

It’s an especially timely assertion, considering she’s soon to be honored with a Video Vanguard Award at the upcoming 2022 MTV VMAs. Her Barbie-pink colorful aesthetic and imaginative videos have proven to be inescapably influential on the modern generation of rap girls, so it’s fitting that she should receive the award, which was most recently awarded to Missy Elliott. However, that iconic pink look has also caused trouble for one of her brand partners; Mattel is suing Rap Snacks over its Nicki-themed “Barbie-Cue” flavor.

She’s also putting together a performance of fan-favorite hits — likely to also include “Super Freaky Girl” — and presumably has a new album on the way. Even without the album, she’s got plenty of irons in the fire; a docuseries about her life and career, Nicki, has a yet-to-be-announced release month pinned down, and she’s once again recording her Queen Radio podcast.

One of Uma Thurman’s inspirations for playing The Bride in Kill Bill: Vol 1. and Vol. 2 was Michelle Yeoh‘s performance in Supercop, the third film in Jackie Chan’s Police Story series. So, why didn’t Quentin Tarantino cast the Everything Everywhere All at Once great in either of the movies? Because no one would believe that she could lose a fight.

“I asked Quentin the same question,” she told Town and Country about not being in Kill Bill. “He’s very smart.” Tarantino’s answer: “Who would believe that Uma Thurman could kick your ass?” Fair enough!

Yeoh (who went by Michelle Khan at the time) credits Tarantino with inspiring her to continue acting after she fractured her vertebrae while filming 1996’s The Stunt Woman. “I must say, Quentin, he’s persistent. He is who he is today because he’s full of passion and love, so he wore me down,” she said. “Suddenly we became animated. So then I thought, Maybe I’m not ready to give up on this.”

Tarantino’s admiration encouraged Yeoh to once again get back to work… She signed on to her first English language lead, in the James Bond movie Tomorrow Never Dies, and in 1997, the world was officially introduced to Michelle Yeoh, her actual last name.

Three years later, she starred in Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, the first foreign-language film to make over $100 million in the United States. Yeoh wasn’t nominated for an Oscar, but hopefully the Academy doesn’t make the same mistake with Everything Everywhere All at Once.

(Via Town and Country)

For his Yeezy Gap Engineered By Balenciaga line of clothing, Kanye West has received some criticism when it comes to the in-store presentation: The items are kept in large, black bags that have been likened by some to trash bags. Now, Ye has addressed the criticism, using a Fox News interview to do so.

On Fox & Friends today (August 18), the show’s Eric Shawn spoke to West at the Gap store in Times Square and asked, “Do you understand some people have felt that putting clothes in bags is insensitive, perhaps, to homeless and other people?” West answered, “Look, man: I’m an innovator, and I’m not here to sit up and apologize about my ideas. That’s exactly what the media tries to do: Make us apologize for any idea that doesn’t fall under exactly the way they want us to think.”

He went on to note, “This is, like, not a joke. This is not a game. This is not just some celebrity collaboration. This is my life, you know? I’m fighting for a position to be able to change clothing and bring the best design to the people.”

Shawn also reported Ye told him his goal was to make clothing that’s “more egalitarian and not as pretentious,” and that people shouldn’t “clown the creators” because that will “make innovators and other designers” “less brave.” Shawn also noted that West wants to “make life easier and informal so that we can all, basically, dress in the dark.”

Check out the interview above.

The RX is Uproxx Music’s stamp of approval for the best albums, songs, and music stories throughout the year. Inclusion in this category is the highest distinction we can bestow, and signals the most important music being released throughout the year. The RX is the music you need, right now.

Niki, also known as Nicole Zefanya, has the kind of voice that can put someone in a trance. The 88rising artist, though, has been changing up what she does with it. Her past albums focused on an R&B sound that brought her success; she has millions of followers on social media ready to support whatever she does, and her hit “Lowkey” is mega-viral at over 200 million Spotify streams. That track hypnotized listeners with rapped verses and an intimate chorus that flaunted her alluring lilt. But with her new album Nicole, she’s leaving the flows behind and turning to a vulnerable brand of alternative pop.

The singles all showcased a softer direction that zoned in on her knack for storytelling. “You hid me in your dorm room / It was Halloweekend, I just flew across the globe / Twenty-two hours just to see you,” she sings on the lead single, “Before,” which is also the opening track, immediately throwing the listener into her life without warning. She continues, “Just to barely fit on your twin-sized bed / And talk about your cool new friend / Who I never met, who you dated as soon as I left.” If you’re chronically online, this might bring to mind the notorious TikTok controversy known as Couch Guy, a college boy whose girlfriend surprised him by showing up at his school, which prompted a suspicious reaction from him as he seemed not very excited and had his arm around another girl (unless he actually didn’t, it’s hard to say, whatever). So this detailed mention of disillusionment and heartbreak is very relevant, and a perfect way to draw in Zoomers.

The following singles were “Oceans & Engines” and “High School In Jakarta.” Both are bittersweet and mid-tempo, with the latter having more energy with sputtering synthesizers and catchy melodies. That song, “High School In Jakarta,” is one example of Zefanya’s preoccupation with the past. It doesn’t come across as nostalgic or sentimental; “High School In Jakarta” watches her literally living in her teenage years: “You don’t text at all and only call when you’re off your face / I’m petty and say, ‘Call me when you’re not unstable’ / I lie and tell you I’ll be getting drunk at Rachel’s,” she intones, and it’s not hard to believe for a moment that she actually is inside of these moments. At 23, she’s not too far removed from them. But she’s wise for her age — she reflects on these memories with a newfound sense of maturity. “The Goo Goo Dolls are dead to me the way you should be, too / But you bring them up along with how much I f*cking miss you,” she confesses on the resentful “Backburner,” a song grappling with a relationship where love and hate are intertwined.

Many young pop stars make the mistake of trying to find hits in vague anthems full of generalizations in an attempt to be universal, but Zefanya is not interested in that. Through specificity, she connects with her fans and comes across as completely relatable, proving that despite fame she’s also just a person. And Nicole dives into the depths of her heart, even if what’s there isn’t totally pretty. “I wish I never met you / You are the worst thing that I’m still keeping tabs on / For some stupid reason,” she sings on the peppy “Keeping Tabs,” a track buoyed by an exuberant rhythm.

In the press release, Zefanya said, “During the pandemic I did a deep dive of the archived videos from the YouTube channel I started in middle school, and realized that those songs are where my heart is. I wasn’t trying to ace an assignment; I didn’t care what constitutes a radio hit.” These two elements — ruminating on the past and not aiming for radio hits — make Nicole an album that feels like a warm welcome. Her recollections of high school can make the listener feel like they’re her old friend, and Zefanya is catching them up on what they’ve missed. Her reckonings with love are often so simultaneously thoughtful and whimsical, approaching Taylor Swift-level genius: “I ripped my heart out and put it in your hands in hopes that you’d put up a fight / How paradoxical since now all I can think about is when will we stop trying,” she sings on the 1989-esque “Autumn.”

The album, the singer has said, is about her first major heartbreak, followed by leaving her hometown for college. It pulsates with this youthful intensity — the way it feels like life-or-death at the time. The switch from high school student to university student is invigorating but also intimidating, and paired with a breakup it’s life-changing. It can feel like going through a weird metamorphosis. This sensation is present on “Milk Teeth,” a brief serenade that has the lush, gentle texture of Phoebe Bridgers’s Punisher The song portrays a relentless paranoia in the midst of deep love: “What if I make you pancakes / But you choose to skip breakfast / What if when you’re fully awake / You come to your senses?” She sounds as if she’s had her heart broken millions of times and has lived countless lives, with soft-spoken, sharp insights.

The record ends with the five-minute “Take A Chance With Me,” a ballad moved along by perky plucking and enchanting lyrics overflowing with affection. The chorus consists of Zefanya’s isolated, earnest vocals singing in something of a plea: “Why can’t we for once / Say what we want, say what we feel / Why can’t you for once / Disregard the world and run to what you know is real / Take a chance with me.” Zefanya is practically begging for communication and honesty in a way that’s endlessly relatable. After all of the songs dealing with frustration and longing, “Take A Chance With Me” is the perfect ending, finding the right words and saying them as clearly as possible. Though the lines are posed as questions, they feel like answers and resolutions that close the album on an inspiring, satisfying note.

WARNING: Spoilers for She-Hulk: Attorney at Law Episode 1 below.

She-Hulk: Attorney at Law has only been streaming on Disney+ for a few hours, and already, Marvel fans are freaking out over a revelation that was dropped in the end credits scene: Steve Rogers did not go into the ice as a virgin. Captain America got laid in his first movie, folks, and it’s now canon.

Early in the episode, Jennifer Walters (Tatiana Maslany) goes on a road trip with her cousin Bruce Banner (Mark Ruffalo) where she repeatedly brings up her theory that Steve Rogers was a virgin. Like most civilians in the MCU think Cap is dead or living on the moon following the events of Avengers: Endgame, which Bruch doesn’t correct because his cousin isn’t a superhero. Yet.

Following a car accident, Jennifer is exposed to Bruce’s blood transforming her into She-Hulk, and the two take off to his secluded beach cabin where Bruce tries to teach her to control her powers. Of course, this is easier said than done considering his student is a lawyer and Jenn’s transformation seems to be different than what Banner experienced. More importantly, in the first episode’s end-credit scene, a drunken Jenn is arguing her “Steve Rogers is a virgin” theory again. Only this time, she’s practically crying at the thought of “America’s Ass” never having sex. So Bruce lets her in on a secret.

Steve Rogers lost his virginity during a USO tour in 1943.

Here’s the thing: Jenn really wasn’t crying. She played her cousin, and triumphantly yells, “Captain America f—” right as the scene clips off the word that would’ve given She-Hulk a TV-MA rating. The moment went over huge with Marvel fans who have been freaking out on Twitter.

You can see some of the Steve Rogers reactions below:

She-Hulk: Attorney at Law streams new episodes Thursdays on Disney+.

Vladimir Putin would like everyone to believe that he’s swaggering through his Ukraine war, but the Botox-filled wannabe tsar isn’t having the easiest time toppling Volodymyr Zelensky and his people. Reportedly, Putin’s lost half of his army to death or serious injury, and that doesn’t even begin to account for the many top generals that have gone missing or have been killed. Not only that, but Russian troops also nearly blew away their top commander early on in the conflict.

In short, no one seems to want to fight in Putin’s war. Not only is he recruiting soldiers from Russian prisons known as “hell holes,” but troops also consider the actual conflict to be “hell” because everything is so poorly planned and executed. Clearly, it’s chaos, and a (speedy) new memoir from a Russian paratrooper further reveals how Putin’s guys aren’t really his guys. Via Business Insider, 33-year-old Pavel Filatyev wrote how “[s]omeone began to shoot himself in the limbs … to get 3 million rubles and get out of this hell.” The Guardian was first to report on the horrors to surface in this memoir:

Filatyev describes his unit, as the war dragged on, being pinned down in trenches for nearly a month near Mykolaiv under Ukrainian artillery fire. It was there that a shell blasted mud into his eye, leading to an infection that nearly blinded him.

As frustrations grew on the front, he wrote about reports of soldiers deliberately shooting themselves in order to escape the front and collect 3 million roubles (£40,542) in compensation, as well as rumours of acts of mutilation against captured soldiers and corpses.

That certainly says a lot about how Russian troops feel flat-footed and ill-prepared, likely through no fault of their own. Early reports of stranded Russian convoys (who ran out of fuel because they didn’t think they’d need that much, meaning that they probably didn’t think they’d meet much resistance) still prevail, and Ukraine has been going in hard within Crimea because Putin considers this to be a “holy land,” especially after illegally claiming the Black Sea peninsula back in 2014.

In other words, Russia’s easy win isn’t so easy, and even his troops don’t want to be there, suggesting that Putin’s planned fall victory is anything but certain.

(Via The Guardian & Business Insider)

In recent years, much has been made of the mandatory military service that must be carried out by able-bodied men in South Korea between 18 and 28 years old (or 30 if you’re a K-pop star) due to the impact this has on BTS, whose members are in that age range. Now, though, a prominent South Korean politician has proposed the group be granted an alternative to, but not exemption from, the service.

As NME notes, Park Heong-joon — the mayor of Busan, South Korea’s second-most populous city with about 3.4 million people — has made a formal proposal, requesting the presidential office consider granting BTS members an alternative form of military service that’s already available to athletes and artists who have “helped elevate national prestige or cultural advancement.”

Part of Park’s enthusiasm about the issue is due to BTS’ role as ambassadors for Busan’s bid to host the World City Expo in 2030, arguing their involvement in an “aggressive promotional drive” would give the city an edge over its “increasingly fierce” to host the Expo.

Park said, “I do not mean to give BTS the privilege of exemption from military service. If BTS is allowed alternative military service, its members will be assigned with national duties as heavy as military service and will serve the nation in their unique capacity. [I am] very well aware of the symbolic meaning of military service in Korea.”

Soccer Mommy‘s latest album Sometimes, Forever was a sprawling exploration of experimental sounds — so who better to remix a track from it than the glitchy, idiosyncratic Magdalena Bay? The hyperpop star helped make a new version of the stunning single “Shotgun,” transforming it into a pulsating, otherworldly song with synthesizers warping it and an exuberant beat giving it an extra kick.

Sometimes, Forever was unveiled in June and was produced with Daniel Lopatin, also known as Oneohtrix Point Never. In our interview with singer Sophie Allison about the album, she explained the meaning behind “Shotgun”: “It’s about this sense of fear and the overhanging of something bad because it’s about the beginning of falling in love — the really exciting feeling, but also you don’t know where it’s going. But that kind of sense of just giving your heart over to someone — it feels not too scary, just intense in general. I compare it to uppers — this kind of sense of heart racing, on edge, never knowing what’s going to happen next. There’s this uncertainty and nervousness and fear. But it’s also just supposed to be about that fun feeling, that excitement.”

Listen to Magdalena Bay’s hypnotizing remix of “Shotgun” above.