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Out of nowhere last night, Britney Spears shared a 22-minute recording of herself talking about her conservatorship and her journey through that process (although the YouTube upload of the recording has since been made private). She really dug deep and among the reveals she made is that she turned down interviews with Oprah Winfrey and others.

Spears said (as Billboard reports):

“I’ve had tons of opportunities — Oprah, interviews — to go on a platform and share the hardships and just really anything that’s going on in my mind. I really don’t think any of that is relevant, getting paid to tell your story. I feel like it’s kind of silly. I haven’t honestly shared this openly too, as well, because I’ve always been scared of the judgement and definitely the embarrassment of the whole thing, period, and the skepticism and the cynical people and their opinions of what people would actually think, [but I’m] in a place now where I’m a little bit more confident that I can be willing to share openly my thoughts and what I’ve been through.”

She later added, “I get nothing out of sharing all of this. I have offers to interview with Oprah and so many people, lots and lots of money, but it’s insane. I don’t want any of it. For me, it’s beyond a sit-down, proper interview.”

Find more about the Spears recording here.

Spoilers for House of the Dragon will be found below.

House of the Dragon has only aired two episodes thus far, but the Game of Thrones prequel has already taken a turn for the icky. We saw maggots and King Viserys I picking a new bride, which led him to (very) briefly indulge the possibility of marrying (incredibly) young Laena Velaryon before declaring that he had chosen Alicent Hightower (much to the disappointment of Princess Rhaenyra). Let’s just say that the king was distracted, and he was also dragging his feet on the issue of the Crabfeeder, so that freed up space for other powers that be to maneuver in the background.

That’s the name of this spinoff’s game, at least in these early stages, and we’ve already named this episode’s Contenders and Defenders, but let’s check in on what the people want, which is what they’re getting. Messy Prince Daemon Targaryen came together with Coryls Velaryon to forge a powerful alliance that was infused with their respective saltiness towards Viserys. Daemon, of course, feels jilted by not being named heir, and he’s not thrilled what went down this week at Dragonstone. Whereas Coryls is upset about his daughter being turned down as a prospective Viserys bride (along with the king’s aforementioned foot dragging).

The alliance arrived with a twist, though. Daemon didn’t shy away from letting Coryls know that only one of them is allowed to “talk sh*t” about Daemon’s brother.

Beyond that incredible detail, let’s just say that people are pretty thrilled to see Daemon and Coryls team up at all and can’t wait to see what happens to that Crabfeeder.

The celebrations continued with some (arguably) apt comparisons.

Episode 3 should be fun!

House of the Dragon airs at 9:00pm EST on Sundays.

Megan Thee Stallion has been expanding her acting resume lately. Earlier this month, she guest-starred in P-Valley and earlier this year, it was revealed she had been cast in the movie F*cking Identical Twins. In recent months, it was rumored Meg would be making the leap to join the Marvel Cinematic Universe: Earlier this year, stunt performer Marche Day added being Megan’s stunt double on She-Hulk: Attorney At Law to her resume.

Now, we have some more concrete confirmation of that role: A new Meg profile from The Cut notes she has indeed been cast in She-Hulk. Meg also noted of her acting ambitions, “When I look at them [Queen Latifah and Ice Cube], it inspires me to take it further than just music. I don’t feel like I’m only going to be an actress — I feel like I’m also going to be a director and I’m also going to be a producer.”

She also spoke about her upcoming album Traumazine, saying of it, “Everybody has gone through their own trauma in their own way, and to me, Traumazine is me facing the things that I’ve been running from about myself. […] It’s comforting to know that other people are going through the same thing that you might be feeling. When something happens to people, they feel like, ‘Oh my gosh, this is only me. This is not normal, or I’m probably the only person in the world that feels like this.’ But to hear somebody else talking about something that you’re probably feeling, it’s more comforting and more familiar. That’s why people resonate with hearing other people’s stories.”

Read the full feature here.

Even when Game of Thrones was at its lowest (i.e. most of the last season), there was one thing that viewers could still look forward to every week: the opening credits. I didn’t realize how much I missed the theme song, in particular, until it popped up briefly in the series premiere of spinoff series House of the Dragon, and more prominently during episode two, “The Rogue Prince.” The Game of Thrones score, including the main title theme, was composed by Ramin Djawadi, who returned for House of the Dragon.

“We very much wanted to keep the DNA alive for House of the Dragon from the original show,” he told Entertainment Weekly. “We will hear themes that we remember from the original show, but because it’s all new characters, this is 200 years before, there is a ton of new material I’ve written, a lot of new themes that we will hear.”

Also new: the title sequence. Instead of a three-dimensional map of Westeros and beyond, like on Game of Thrones, the House of the Dragon opening credits sees a river of blood flowing through Old Valyria. It’s pretty rad, but it’s also harder to parse than its predecessor series. Thankfully, A Song of Ice and Fire fan “Woofer22222” on the House of the Dragon subreddit broke down the meaning of each of the twirling dials, which signify different members of the Targaryen family (and those in their orbit).

You can watch it below.

Last night (August 28) was all about the 2022 MTV VMAs, but shortly before the ceremony began, Britney Spears made some noise by sharing a 22-minute audio recording (which has since been made private) in which she dives deep into her conservatorship. Among the noteworthy breakouts from the clip is Spears describing the hectic scene that kicked of her conservatorship in 2008.

Spears explained (as Billboard notes):

“There was a SWAT team in my home, three helicopters. I remember my mom’s best friend, and my two girlfriends, we had a sleepover the night before. They held me down on a gurney. Again, none of it made sense. Literally the extent of my ‘madness’ was playing chase with paparazzi, which is still to this day one of the most fun things I ever did about being famous. I don’t know what was so harmful about that. I remember my mom was sitting on the couch, and she said, ‘We heard people are coming here today to talk to you. We should probably go to a hotel or something.’ I never really understood what she meant. I didn’t believe her. Like, is a lawyer coming here? Who is coming here? Four hours later, there were over 200 paparazzi outside my house video-taping me through a window of an ambulance, holding me down on a gurney.

I know now it was all premeditated. A woman introduced the idea [of a conservatorship] to my dad, and my mom actually helped him follow through and made it all happen. It was all basically set up. There was no drugs in my system, no alcohol, nothing. It was pure abuse. And I haven’t even really shared half of it.”

Read more about the video here.

House of the Dragon pulled off a streaming miracle on debut night while crashing servers at HBO Max, and there are already plenty of Defenders and Contenders for the throne. That fight will undoubtedly play out for multiple season, but in the meantime, there will be plenty of Game of Thrones callbacks. A few very pointed moments got things rolling in that direction, but the premiere episode also contained a quieter reference to the Westeros we’ve known before (or rather, after in the chronology) in the form of a Weirwood tree ^^^ at King’s Landing.

Hmm, that’s an unexpected but curious development. While Rhaenyra Targaryen and Alicent Hightower chattered together, that tree — with its distinctive carvings and bright red leaves — stood out in the background like an Old God’s thumb. As the George R.R. Martin-written lore dictates, those Weirwood trees were considered sacred to those who worshipped those gods, and the Children of the Forest are said to have carved faces into these trees. All of that is good and well, but the odd thing about this particular tree is that we never saw any Weirwood trees at King’s Landing during the events of Game of Thrones. And since the prequel takes place about 170 years before the flagship series, what gives?

As any Westeros devotee knows, the Weirwood trees carry plenty of significance, and there’s no way that this tree simply appeared as an unintentional detail like that Starbucks cup. The tree’s existence at King’s Landing was clearly deliberate and, given that it appears in the premiere episode, this could be a signal that it carries plenty of thematic heft for the seasons to come. It’s worth noting that the Weirwood tree at Winterfell was a place that coincided with Bran Stark’s greenseer visions. He could see the future and the past in conjunction with that tree, and as we already know, Bran ended up on the Iron Throne in the end, so that adds another layer.

Does this tree tell us that Rhaenyra does, in fact, end up on the Iron Throne (like Bran) in lockstep with her father’s declaration that she is the royal Targaryen heir? Perhaps. The tree’s presence might also clue us into a devastating event that leads the tree to no longer stand, long after it survived the Andal invasion that occurred thousands of years prior to (and after thousands of years of peace between the Children of the Forest and the First Men) the events of this HBO franchise. The timeline is a bit whack, I realize, but certainly, we’ll see some battles go down at King’s Landing as this show wears forth. I can only hope that these battles will be a lot more visible (to the streaming audience) than the famed “Battle of Winterfell.”

Then there’s the foreshadowing that occurred in House of the Dragon‘s exposition from King Viserys I, who told Princess Rhaenyra about the winter to come. The tree also evokes memories of the Night King’s Weirwood tree connections. He first underwent his transformation after being tied to one of the trees, and during the Battle of Winterfell, Arya Stark killed him with Valyrian steel (gifted to her by Bran) in nearly the same way he was “born” (by stabbing him right through the heart, although it initially occurred by way of dragonglass) in front of a Weirwood tree.

At the beginning of House of the Dragon, Prince Daemon gifts Rhaenyra with a Valyrian steel piece of jewelry. This may or may not have anything to do with the Weirwood tree reference, but it might not not have something to do with it. Regardless, it will be a joy to see how all of this connects as this event TV continues.

HBO’s ‘House of the Dragon’ airs on Sunday nights at 9:00pm EST.

Through and through, Taylor Swift was the biggest surprise of last night’s MTV Video Music Awards. First, she just showed up to the show, making a surprise appearance. Then, while accepting the evening’s last award (for Video Of The Year), she ended her speech by saying, “I had sort of made up my mind that it might be a fun moment to tell you… my brand new album comes out October 21st. And I will tell you more at midnight.”

That was also the info she offered at that moment, but as she indicated, she quickly took to social media to reveal more.

The album is called Midnights and Swift shared the cover art for it. It features a photo of Swift looking at a lighter she’s holding, and next to that is a perhaps-temporary tracklist, as it notes 13 songs labeled “Track One,” “Track Two,” etc. (although it is possible those will be the actual song titles and not just placeholder names).

She also explained the nature of the LP, writing:

“We lie awake in love and in fear, in turmoil and in tears. We stare at walls and drink until they speak back. We twist in our self-made cages and pray that we aren’t — right this minute — about to make some fateful life-altering mistake.

This is a collection of music written in the middle of the night, a journey through terrors and sweet dreams. The floors we pace and the demons we face. For all of us who have tossed and turned and decided to keep the lanterns lit and go searching — hoping that just maybe, when the clock strikes twelve … We’ll meet ourselves.

Midnights, the stories of 13 sleepless nights scattered throughout my life, will be out October 21. Meet me at midnight.”

Find Swift’s post below.

Midnights is out 10/21 via Republic. Pre-order it here.

Multiple times per week, our TV and film experts will list the most important ten streaming selections for you to pop into your queues. We’re not strictly operating upon reviews or accrued streaming clicks (although yes, we’ve scoured the streaming site charts) but, instead, upon those selections that are really worth noticing amid the churning sea of content. There’s a lot out there, after all, and your time is valuable.

Tie: 10. Harley Quinn (HBO Max series)

This show started out as a sleeper and turned into an animated comic book series that even non-comic book lovers enjoy. It’s raucous and witty and as inappropriate as one would expect, and hopefully, the Warner Bros. Discovery rollout won’t mean that Harley, Ivy, King Shark, and the rest of the henchmen won’t be heading into the Gotham sunset. After all, we do need some DC energy that isn’t gritty and full of gloom, and this show delivers a Batman who’s neither of those things either.

Tie: 10. See (Apple TV+ series)

Jason Momoa got the hell beat out of him last season by Dave Bautista, but the good news is this: Baba Voss survived and is back to give us a third and final season of Warrior Momoa In Fur Coats. His Warrior Hunkiness somehow exists (for the audience, apparently) in a world where barely anyone can behold how he looks. However, nature is healing, and babies are now beginning to see again, so maybe someone will gasp in recognition, just for fun? Take it away, Masturbating Queen.

9. Prey (Hulu movie)

The central female Comanche warrior is doing the thing here. Not only is she defending her tribe against an enormously hostile and murderous alien creature, but she’s also hoping to stop the invading powers that be from colonizing her people. That subtle political bent does not take a darn thing away from the entertainment value of this film. Rather, we receive a down and dirty franchise installment that showcases a female protagonist who’s not only tough as hell physically but smart as heck.

8 Elvis (Warner Bros. film on Amazon and other PVOD outlets)

Get all shook up with this biopic direct by Baz Lurhmann and starring Austin Butler. Tom Hanks (Hanx!) is (for once) not the best part of this movie, which follows the short life of Elvis Presley and the legendary career vibes that followed. The film is chaotic and a Luhrmann production, through and through, and Butler should earn some awards for his transformative ways and really going there to show of all facets of the King.

7. She-Hulk (Disney+ series)

This series is already telling us so much about the rest of the MCU, and Orphan Black‘s Tatiana Maslany Hulks out like a pro. Yes, there’s a lot of CGI, but it’s actually pretty good, and this show does a nice job of tying together some loose threads of the currently uneven MCU. There’s nothing uneven about that Steve Rogers reference, and may Jennifer Walters bring both mayhem and order to the court.

6. Untold: The Girlfriend Who Didn’t Exist (Netflix documentary)

Catfishing still somehow happens on a regular basis, but back in 2009, Heisman Trophy runner-up Manti Te’o caught a heck of a fish during his Notre Dame years. The woman in question turned into (obviously unbeknownst to him at the time) a fake girlfriend for the ages. For quite some time, details on this scandal remained shrouded in secrecy, but the moment has come for the airing of (justified) grievances. What emerges is a fascinating portrait of online romance that turns into anything but that. Some things never change!

5. selena + chef (HBO Max series)

Selena Gomez is crushing it, man. She’s not only starring in the Only Murders In The Building (and doing a fine job alongside two comedy legends, Steve Martin and Martin Short), but Selena has also (during the pandemic) pumped out several seasons where she virtually hangs with a real chef and learns more about how to cook delightful dishes to the benefit of her attending friends. The show now heads into Season 4 with no signs of slowing the heck down. The same goes for Selena’s career.

4. Day Shift (Netflix documentary)

These days, it feels like Netflix action flicks starring prominent names are a dime a dozen (although they cost Netflix a lot more than that). This one stands apart from the pack, though, as Jamie Foxx portrays a vampire hunter in an incredibly fun and ridiculously silly action comedy. Jamie’s character, Budd, ends up being disavowed from the vampire hunter’s union, which means that vamp killers are pretty much blue collar workers. If that doesn’t sound like a good time, then I don’t know how to help you.

3. Welcome To Wrexham (FX series on Hulu)

As legend has it, Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney didn’t really know each other but still decided (mid-pandemic) to go ahead and buy a soccer team together. This turned into their co-ownership of the Wrexham A.F.C. football club. They have no idea what they’re doing, so they took the next logical step: decided to make this journey into a TV show (as one does, especially in the age of content). Ted Lasso would be proud!

2. The Sandman (Netflix series)

There’s no guarantee that we’ll see a second season of this dark fantasy masterpiece even though Neil Gaiman is here for that, and the show’s been sitting at the top of the global streaming charts for weeks. In other words, get to streaming in order to send a message to Netflix. There’s even a bonus episode (featuring the “Calliope” story), so what are you waiting for? Get swept up in the tales of the Endless as well as Dream’s quest to recover his tools and repair all the damage of his century-long imprisonment. Also, get ready for the most beautiful TV episode and a very different (but spectacular) spin on the Death character from Kirby Howell-Baptiste.

1. House of the Dragon (HBO series on HBO Max)

A Season 2 renewal is already in the can for this prequel that (so far) is a worthy successor to Game of Thrones. We’ve already pegged some Contenders vs. Defenders, and the series has already dug into the Targaryen lineage with callbacks and echoes of iconic moments from the flagship series. Paddy Considine, Matt Smith, and Millie Alcock are killing the family dynamic so far, and the characters of the latter are perhaps a little too close, but we are talking about the Targaryens here. Enjoy this event TV all over again by streaming it to your fire-breathing heart’s content.

There was some serious intrigue shortly before the 2022 MTV VMAs kicked off. There were rumors that Taylor Swift would be making an appearance, and she actually did, first showing up on the red carpet. It wasn’t clear at the time if she would be performing or just attending as a fan, but it turns out she was there to enjoy the show (well, and to accept the awards for Video Of The Year and Best Long Form Video).

Oh, and she announced a new album.

Swift accepted the final award of the night for Video Of The Year, and while doing so, she noted she had decided that if she won, she would announce that she has a new album on the way, set for release on October 21. Swift said, “I had sort of made up my mind that it might be a fun moment to tell you… my brand new album comes out October 21st. And I will tell you more at midnight.”

Swift had a big night with nominations, as she was one of the most-recognized artists with five nominations in total: Video Of The Year, Best Longform Video, Best Cinematography, Best Direction, and Best Editing, all for “All Too Well (10 Minute Version) (Taylor’s Version).”

It was a star-studded affair, as artists who performed during this year’s show included Nicki Minaj, Jack Harlow (both of whom are also co-hosting alongside LL Cool J), Lizzo, Blackpink, Bad Bunny, Måneskin, Anitta, Panic! At The Disco, Kane Brown, Marshmello x Khalid, Snoop Dogg with Eminem, J Balvin, and 2022 MTV VMAs Global Icon Award recipients Red Hot Chili Peppers.

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

Still hot off the release of his fourth studio album, Un Verano Sin Ti, Bad Bunny just delivered a fire performance at the 2022 MTV Video Music Awards.

Taking the VMAs stage at Yankee Stadium in the middle of his World’s Hottest Tour, Bad Bunny performed “Tití Me Preguntó,” on a beach set-up in the middle of a set designed to resemble the towns of his home country, Puerto Rico. Surrounded by Puerto Rican and Latinx dancers, Bad Bunny radiated fiery Puerto Rican energy, with everyone in the audience dancing and singing every word.

Bad Bunny was nominated for two awards tonight, including Best Latin for “Tití Me Preguntó,” and Artist Of The Year, winning the latter. He was given his moon person following his performance.

Aside from Bad Bunny, Nicki Minaj, Jack Harlow (both of whom are also co-hosting alongside LL Cool J), Lizzo, Blackpink, Måneskin, Anitta, Panic! At The Disco, Kane Brown, Marshmello x Khalid, Snoop Dogg with Eminem, J Balvin, and 2022 MTV VMAs Global Icon Award recipients Red Hot Chili Peppers, also performed during this year’s show

Since its release this past May, Un Verano Sin Ti, has topped the Billboard 200 chart for nine non-consecutive weeks.

Check out Bad Bunny’s performance above.

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