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[This post contains spoilers about Stranger Things 4]

The Stranger Things creators didn’t remember poor Will’s birthday, but they’re making it up to him by talking him up as the show’s most important character (with the possible exception of Eleven).

In the final moments of season four of the Netflix-breaking show, Will feels a familiar tingle on his neck, and looks up to the sky; he’s the first to notice that the Upside Down has started to invade Hawkins, Indiana. It’s an important reminder of Will’s significance to the overall arc, and leads to the “biggest” question heading into the final season.

In an interview with Deadline, co-creators Matt and Ross Duffer were asked about how long they’ve been waiting for the scene where Vecna explains to Eleven how he “encountered” the Mind Flayer. “It’s been a long time coming,” Ross answered. “We knew we wanted to get there with this season and that’s obviously the big bombshell in the volume two. We really wanted to give the audience a lot of the big answers. There’s still a few of the question marks that remain.”

Such as?

“The biggest one being we set up in the volume one finale how the Upside Down is stuck in time on the day of Will’s disappearance. That’s something we don’t answer in volume two, and that is really the key plot point, the key question that is going to drive our final season as we try to wrap up this story and give the rest of the answers out.”

As we learned earlier in season four, the Upside Down is stuck on November 6, 1983, the day Will disappeared. Max was still two years from running up that hill, and no puppets would be mastered for three more years. The reason why time stopped the day after Alexa Chung was born and the day before Adam DeVine came into the world effects the rest of the story in the final season. I bet it involves his terrible haircut.

Stranger Things is expected to return in “mid-2024.”

(Via Deadline)

The meals being served at Russia’s new McDonald’s replacement aren’t leaving customers too happy.

Earlier this year, the fast-food franchise pulled out most of its business in protest of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. While that war continues, a new chain of burger joints has cropped up to co-op former McDonald’s-owned sites and the locals are not lovin’ it. The chain is called Vkusno & Tochka (which stand for “tasty and that’s that”) and it’s being accused of serving moldy bread and serving up insect legs in its Happy Meals (which are now labeled as Combos). A handful of customers have shared nauseating images of mold-covered buns, bug-infested cheese slices, and burgers with insect limbs dangling from the sides, all courtesy of the Kremlin’s McDonald’s successor.

“It looks like they don’t quite honor the standards of McDonald’s, at least in terms of product quality control,” TV personality and Russian opposition leader Ksenia Sobchak said on her Telegram channel (via Daily Mail). “Today alone, at least three cases have been recorded when burgers with moldy buns were sold to catering customers. Guys, you’ll figure it out. You don’t need to poison people.”

Other complaints site out-of-date sauces being served and video footage of birds attacking a stack of burger buns outside an outlet as proof that Russia’s blase attitude towards replacing the beloved fast-food chain has been a mistake.

McDonald’s has operated in the country for over three decades, opening its first store shortly after the Berlin Wall was knocked down but despite promises that this new, Russian-owned version would be “the same but better,” the reality is that anyone craving a burger and fries will just have to accept moldy buns and bug cheese so that Putin can continue to gleefully commit war crimes.

(Via The Daily Mail)

On The Up is Uproxx’s monthly column that brings you a round-up of the best new artists that you need to be listening to. Some of these musicians might be brand new, some might have been making music for a while and are starting to hit a major stride, but they’re all destined for bigger things in the very near future. Our July edition features a UK soul singer that crushed it at Glastonbury, an unreal vocalist, the second coming of The Roots, a singer-songwriter evoking shades of Elliott Smith, and Flying Lotus’ latest vocal muse. Check it out.

Greentea Peng

Neo-soul and R&B singer Greentea Peng has a style that harkens back to the ’90s British boombap R&B heyday. While the Londoner’s debut album Man Made dropped last year, she collaborated with UK garage innovator MJ Cole and Gorillaz/Jorja Smith/Ezra Collective drummer Femi Koleoso on the brand new “Stuck In The Middle.” Peng operates over psych-jazz and hip-hop instrumentation from her band, the Seng Seng Family, and drops metaphysical lyrics like, “I believe in magic because I’ve seen it,” (on “Nah It Ain’t The Same.”) She just left an indelible mark at Glastonbury and has appearances on deck at other UK summer festival staples like All Points East and End Of The Road.

Laufey

There are gorgeous voices, and then there’s Laufey. The Icelandic-Chinese singer, violinist, and pianist now lives in Los Angeles and when you hear her sing, it feels like you cozied up to a fancy piano bar and stumbled into a jaw-dropping vocalist. Her music is cinematic, instantly elegant, and even a bit showy. “Fragile” hums with pronounced strings painting a canvas for Laufey’s delivery, which will legit send chills down your spine. Her debut album, Everything I Know About Love is due out on August 26th and Laufey’s U.S. headlining tour that begins in September is almost entirely sold out.

Butcher Brown

If you’re a fan of The Roots, then Butcher Brown is for you. You might’ve heard the Richmond, VA jazz and hip-hop five-piece led by MC/multi-instrumentalist Tennishu with their rendition of Little Richard’s “Rip It Up” as the theme music to Monday Night Football for the 2020 NFL season. They’ve established their prowess in a series of albums, but are now embarking on the more expansive big band jazz sound with the Triple Trey album due out on September 16th. Tennishu comes across like golden era rap legend J-Live, as drummer Corey Fonville lays groundwork for a horn section, synths and Andrew Randazzo’s sick sax solo on “Liquid Light.” Finger snaps, bells, and even tuba pop up everywhere, and it’s clear that these dudes are master jazz-hop instrumentalists. Butcher Brown is on the festival circuit this summer, including appearances at Afropunk, Pitchfork Fest, and the Blue Note Jazz Fest in Napa.

Blondshell

The solo project of indie singer-songwriter Sabrina Teitelbaum, we highlighted Blondshell’s debut single, “Olympus,” in June. Skillfully produced by indie superproducer Yves Rothman, the song has heavy, visceral lyricism, where Teitelbaum confesses her helplessness in a destructive relationship. “I wanna save myself, you’re part of my addiction. I just keep you in thе kitchen while I burn,” she sings. Moments like this seethe with shades of Elliott Smith’s dark honesty and you root for her to come out on the other side. More music is on the way soon and the LA-based, New York City-raised Blondshell is undoubtedly one to watch.

Devin Tracy

Probably the same spark that went off for Flying Lotus when he discovered LA future-soul vocalist Devin Tracy at a recent session, is what hearing Tracy for the first time will do to you. Tracy was FlyLo’s vocal muse of sorts on their mid-June collaborative double single release, “The Room” and “You Don’t Know.” Tracy floats in wavelengths over Lotus’ silos of strings on the former and rides a controlled wormhole of snare drums on the latter. He just appeared on Sango’s new Great Lakes Series mixtape, soaring on the dance floor batucada of “Winter All Year.” There’s a sensual androgyny to Tracy’s voice that’s just irresistible, and we want to hear more of it stat.

It’s the year 2022, and movie theaters are back! TikTok teens are wearing suits to see the latest Minions flick, Tom Hanks and his subpar accent are starring in Elvis, and there is a Buzz Lightyear-themed movie that is currently pulling some weak numbers at the box office. What more could you ask for?

As it turns out, Hanks wanted to “go head to head” with Tim Allen, the original voice of Buzz, but he was unable to do so thanks to Chris Evans, who voices Lightyear in the movie that is not actually about a toy, a fact that most people are completely missing, including, apparently, Hanks.

In an interview with CinemaBlend, Hanks said, “I actually, I wanted to go head to head with Tim Allen and they didn’t let Tim Allen do it. I don’t, I don’t understand that.” To be fair, it wouldn’t really make sense for Allen to do it. Besides, he’s busy being Santa Claus (again).

Hanks then went on to say that it doesn’t really matter who voices who, as long as people are still seeing movies. “Here’s the thing,” Hanks explained, “As long as people come back to the motion picture theater…I want to go back into the theater with a bunch of strangers and leave with something in common. That’s what I want to do.”

Instead of dueling his former co-star, he actually wants to head to the theaters with him. “Going to see a movie with him — I’m looking forward to that,” Hanks concluded. Perhaps they will be in the front row for Greta Gerwig’s Barbie movie.

(Via CinemaBlend)

Mitski’s Laurel Hell came out earlier this year and it saw the artist delving deeper into synth-laden late-’80s and early ’90s pop production at a number of turns. While not everyone was blown away with the output, it’s undeniably still a reflection of Mitski’s ability to write about the immeasurable while always making it relatable to fans.

“Love Me More” was one of the album’s singles and Mitski said in January that it “went through the most iterations out of all the songs on the album,” adding, “It’s been too fast, too slow, and at some point, it was even an old-style country song.”

Well now it has yet another iteration, an official one at that, with a new remix by avant garde electronic producer Clark. On the remix, the disco-pop original gives way to dark and ominous electronica, yielding an entirely new feel to the track. Any shade of flowers and glow from before have now become visceral, carnal emotions. It’s quite the flip.

“Clark’s music, specifically his album Death Peak, was what opened my eyes to contemporary electronic music,” Mitski said in a statement. “It showed me how emotive it could be. So when I was asked to do a remix, he was the first and only person that came to mind for the job.”

Listen to Mitski’s “Love Me More (Clark Remix)” above.

Last month, Rolling Stone shared their list of hip-hop’s 200 greatest albums. Naturally, it’s practically impossible to do something like that without upsetting some legion of rap fans in some corner of the world. In fact, it happens with yearly lists (check out Uproxx’s Best Of 2022 So Far lists while you’re here) so you can only imagine what the reaction would be towards a list filled with albums from the last half-century. One of the talking points from the Rolling Stone list was Cardi B’s debut Invasion Of Privacy. Many felt that the album, which was ranked at No. 16, was placed too high on the list.

During a recent interview on Angela Yee’s Lip Service, Cardi spoke about the list and how she felt it was a “setup.”

“They was dragging me like ‘How dare them put Cardi before Nas,” she said around the interview’s 52-minute mark. “I was like, oh my goodness. I just woke up and I’m getting my ass dragged. I didn’t even ask for this.”

Despite this, Cardi made sure to remind people are the album’s impact.

“I understand that but it’s like, b*tch, I ain’t motherf*cking ask for it,” she added. “You know, I understand that people feel a certain type of way. But don’t try to disrespect me or my work or my album because your mother was listening to my sh*t, your b*tch was driving, listening to f*cking ‘Be Careful.’ All y’all b*tches, all y’all hoes. So it’s like, don’t even try it.”

Still, Cardi wasn’t too pleased with how the list disrupted her peace.

“Of course they’re gonna use a b*tch like me. […] It’s gonna start a stir,” Cardi said. “Yeah, it was, like, a setup. […] Rolling Stone, you trying to set me up. You got my ass dragged on a f*cking Tuesday for no reason.”

You can watch Cardi’s full interview on Lip Service above.

Cardi B is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

Saucy Santana is once again going viral. This time, in the form of a TikTok sound. The aforementioned sound features vocals from Santana’s hit single “Material Girl,” which, itself, has received several rotations on TikTok, over the instrumental track of Danny Brown’s “Ain’t It Funny.”

Brown has caught wind of the sound, and it’s safe to say, he is a fan.

“I’ve noticed that you sound incredibly similar to @SaucySantana_,” said Twitter user @ReyDG23, with a video clip embedded, containing the sound.

Brown quote-retweeted the clip, saying, “this is incredible.”

Last year, Brown, 40, teased a new project called Quaranta, a reference to his age, as “quaranta” means “40” in Italian. He spoke about the project during an interview with Antony Fantano.

“We’re just waiting on the right timing,” Brown said. “But it’s not called ‘40’, it’s called ‘Quaranta’. You know what I’m saying, it’s a… I don’t wanna give away too much why, but y’all will figure it out.”

He confirmed that MixedByAli of Top Dawg Entertainment will handle the album’s final mix, which includes some production work by The Alchemist. In another interview with HotNewHipHop, Brown described the sound of Quaranta as “just all over the place,” and also, “it’s going to be fun.”

Thanks to Taika Waititi revitalizing the Thor movies with 2017’s Thor: Raganarok, the anticipation has been through the roof for the director’s follow-up, Thor: Love and Thunder. Not only does the film reteam Waititi with star Chris Hemsworth, but it brings in Natalie Portman to play Mighty Thor, a fan-favorite character introduced in Marvel Comics. Christian Bale is also along for the ride as Gorr the God Butcher, which is turning heads due to the actor making the leap from playing Batman to joining the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Of course, the big question is: Does Love and Thunder deliver the goods as well as Ragnarok? Judging by the first round of reviews, not quite. While there’s no shortage of praise for Love and Thunder, there is an overwhelming consensus that it doesn’t quite hit the same mark as Ragnarok. Whether that’s crucial to the overall experience or not depends on the critic, but you can see from the snippets below that the reviews are definitely mixed.

Mike Ryan, Uproxx:

I do like Thor: Love and Thunder, but not quite as much as Ragnarok. And the more I think about it, the more I think Waititi’s irreverent style works best when a good chunk of the movie is self-contained at the Grandmaster’s palace. The tone of Ragnarok remains, the actual plot of Love and Thunder doesn’t feel as structured. There’s a lot of fun, zipping around the galaxy, but at times I had to remind myself, wait, what’s going on here again? And then I had to ask, does it matter? Then I decided, yes, it does matter at least somewhat.

Brian Truitt, USA Today:

There is more than enough magic, music and muscle to go around – everybody’s so ripped, “Love and Thunder” often seems like a Frank Frazetta painting come to life. Waititi is equally adept at crafting the MCU’s answer to “Flash Gordon” with “Ragnarok” or delivering defining, dazzling work such as “Jojo Rabbit.” And here he gives us a surprisingly personal superhero jam with extraordinary depth, infusing the delightfully fizzy narrative with queer characters, religious themes and a compelling conversation about the differences between mythic gods and all-powerful good guys.

David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter:

Dipping less rewardingly from the same well in Thor: Love and Thunder, Waititi pushes the wisecracking to tiresome extremes, snuffing out any excitement, mythic grandeur or sense of danger that the God of Thunder’s latest round of rote challenges might hope to generate. Chris Hemsworth continues to give great musclebound himbo, but the stakes never acquire much urgency in a movie too busy being jokey and juvenile to tell a gripping story.

Valerie Complex, Deadline:

The beauty of Ragnarok is its focused storytelling and poignant message, while Thunder is a little all over the place. But Waititi’s comedic timing, and talent for creating dynamic action scenes, is too good to ignore, though it’s missing crucial elements that would push the superhero movie from being good to great.

Brian Lowry, CNN:

The impressive mix of tones and styles that director Taika Waititi pulled off in “Thor: Ragnarok” largely fizzles in “Thor: Love and Thunder,” which isn’t as funny as it wants to be, as stirring as it needs to be or romantic as it ought to be. Although well paced at just under two hours, instead of the hoped-for fireworks this comes a little too close to feeling like a post-Fourth of July dud.

Tom Jorgensen, IGN:

He’s been part of saving the universe for a long time now, and Thor: Love and Thunder has no illusions about needing to push the character in a new direction. And that’s fine; Love and Thunder succeeds in honoring his journey, even if it doesn’t offer much new for the MCU at large.

Owen Gleiberman, Variety:

Like “Thor: Ragnarok,” the movie was directed and co-written by Taika Waititi, the New Zealand sleight-of-hand-prankster-who-is-also-a-serious-filmmaker, and it builds on the earlier film’s highly winning tone of skewed flippancy. But it also, like “Ragnarok,” possesses an offbeat humanity that justifies the japery. Waititi has the wit to see that if you aren’t mocking a Marvel movie as you’re making one, you might be taking it more seriously than the audience does.

Scott Mendelson, Forbes:

Marvel’s Thor: Love and Thunder tells a tale of a title character who has lost his drive, his purpose and his mojo. Frankly, it shares those core problems and becomes a metaphor for Marvel’s entire “Well, what now?” Phase Four. It has the feel of a party that no one wants to be at, or a film that only exists because Marvel needed a safe sequel amid franchise starters, with the head DJ furiously shouting at the guests to dance, laugh and act like they are having a fun time.

David Ehrlich, IndieWire:

“Love and Thunder” is clouded by its uncertain place in the universe from the moment it starts. And yet, the same thing could be said about Thor, whose mega-swole aimlessness mirrors that of his new movie in a way that sometimes allows this chapter of the MCU to feel more intimate and personal than many of the 28 installments that came before it. Even moving, on occasion.

Leah Greenblatt, Entertainment Weekly:

If Thunder, with its cheerful melee of starry cameos, in-jokes, and Cliffs-Notes mythology, feels a lot like franchise fatigue, it also has frequent moments of gonzo charm, thanks largely to the Technicolor lunacy of writer-director Taika Waititi and a cast that seems inordinately game to follow his lead.

Thor: Love and Thunder opens in theaters on July 8.

At last, summer is here. And for many people, that means it’s time for heading to the beach and maybe even catching some waves. Surfing is a quintessential summertime activity for those who live in coastal communities—it’s not only really fun and challenging, it’s also a great way to celebrate Mother Nature’s beauty. Even after a wipeout, the cool water mixed with warm sunshine offers a certain kind of euphoria. Or, you know, just hanging back on the sand is plenty fun too. Simply being outdoors near the ocean is its own reward.

Let’s protect the places where outdoor adventure happensAll photos provided by Pacifico

However, it’s well known that our beautiful beaches are suffering the consequences of overcrowding, pollution and littering. What was once a way of playing in nature is now slowly destroying it. And of course, this affects beachgoers everywhere. The sad truth is—without taking action to preserve all the natural joys the earth provides, we will eventually lose them.

But there is hope. Two popular brands that both have roots in surf culture have teamed up to help make trips to the beach a more sustainable pastime. The best part? You don’t have to know how to hang ten in order to participate.

Pacifico^®, a pilsner-style lager originally brought to the U.S. by surfers, and Quiksilver, an iconic apparel company loved by both surfers and beach goers alike, have created a brand-new range of clothing and accessories with sustainability in mind.

Take a look below. These threads are great for all kinds of fun in the sun, without compromising the environment.

Ready to make some waves

The collection launches on July 5 and includes tees and woven shirts, boardshorts, hats, flip-flops and a special beach towel and tote bag. The unique collaboration features the vibrant, colorful designs that are the hallmark of Quiksilver combined with Pacifico elements, created to make a positive impact.

Each item has been thoughtfully curated to minimize an environmental footprint and protect the outdoors. The hats, for example, are made from NetPlus® by Bureo®, a raw material created from South American recycled fishing nets. Additionally, the board shorts are made from recycled plastic bottles, and tees are made with 100% organic cotton. Pretty rad stuff, to put it in surfer lingo.

The prices on these pieces are equally rad, ranging from $28 flip-flops to $60 boardshorts.

In keeping with the sustainable ethos and protecting the places we play, Pacifico and Quiksilver will celebrate the products’ launch by hosting two beach cleanups. The first is on July 5 at Sunset Point in Malibu, California, from 4-5:30pm, and the second is on July 9th at Deerfield Beach in Florida from 8:30 – 10:30am.

Cleaning up and looking good while doing it

Theses beach cleanups are open to anyone over the age of 21 who’s ready to have some fun while taking care of nature’s playground.

Those who can’t make it to the beach (bummer, dude) don’t have to miss out on all the fun. The new collection will be available on July 5th at www.quiksilver.com/mens-collab-pacifico. And even if you don’t surf, never plan to surf, have no desire to even be near a surfboard, rest assured, the apparel is still cool. Plus sustainable choices are always good fashion.

Our planet provides us with an endless supply of beauty and adventure. But without more mindful actions from humanity, its natural wonders will eventually diminish. Fortunately Pacifico and Quiksilver are making it easier than ever for people to enjoy the great outdoors without jeopardizing it. That’s a wave worth riding.

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.

At the end of 2020, I wrote about Giveon and how his heart quite literally opened and closed with the world that year. The Long Beach native was receptive to romance with his debut EP Take Time, all to watch it depart from his life some seven months later with the release of When It’s All Said And Done. Through it all, we were introduced to Giveon’s charming ways thanks to earnest records like “The Beach,” which doubles as an ode to his Long Beach home, and “Like I Want You.” His baritone-baked lyrics also came from a man who has his own fair share of toxic tendencies, an undeniable aspect that “Favorite Mistake” and “Still Your Best” both make very clear. Nonetheless, through both his good and bad actions, Giveon has been left empty-handed without someone to call his own and hold at night.

Nearly two years removed from the aforementioned projects, it appears that Giveon has realized that love is somewhat transactional. Not so much in the sense of only doing things for a loved one when something is guaranteed in return, but more so in light of the Golden Rule. “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” It’s a revelation that Giveon stumbles upon during a conversation with his mother at the end of his newly-released debut album. “Love will give you what you need / But also, take what you don’t appreciate,” he says to conclude “Unholy Matrimony.” It’s this conversation that provides insight into the title of Giveon’s debut album: Give Or Take.

Prior to the release of Give Or Take, we’ve known Giveon to be someone that can love hard and hold on tight to what he hopes is a fleeting romance. Much of that is true through the music on Give Or Take, but there is a new presence within these baritone soliloquies: fear. It causes him to run for the door when the time for commitment arrives and it even leads to him building walls to unconquerable heights to ensure that he can avoid attending to his heavy baggage. To his benefit, Giveon admits to being battered and bruised by romance at several points on the album. “Scarred” comforts a partner who is emotional and frustrated at their failed attempts to get Giveon to commit to a relationship. “I just don’t want you same way you want me,” he sings. “I can’t give you my heart ‘cause it’s broken.” He delivers this message point-blankly while also suggesting that the pain he’s endured in the past pales in comparison to what his partner will experience due to his rejection.

Through the 15 songs that appear on Give Or Take, Giveon’s past traumas result in indecisiveness that brings stagnation to his journey of progressing from his past and moving toward a freer future. While Giveon seems set on blaming his past failures with love for his current missteps and unpreparedness, there is also a lack of determination to conquer his mountains on his part. On “This Will Do,” he settles for intimate moments for a fan he meets at a show despite knowing it’s not what he truly wants. Two songs later on “Tryna Be,” Giveon presents loyalty and staying faithful as an extraneous task that’s made further difficult due to his occupation as a popular and touring mainstream artist. Even with the discernment that he presents throughout the album, like we hear on “For Tonight,” Giveon sometimes opts to stick within the exhausting cycle of failed love. Perhaps this occurs due to his fear – there it is again – of searching for something new all to end up in the same position sometime later.

Within the rollercoaster ride of Give Or Take, Giveon also experiences a love that moves way too fast for his liking. A freefall from the heavens can only result in a fatal crash on Earth and Giveon is quite aware of this. It’s why he sings “slow it down, don’t wanna miss a moment” on “Make You Mine,” a message he reiterates on “July 16th” adding, “Goin’ too fast, it won’t end well.” Finally, as Giveon’s discernment told him so many times that it would, he and his partner’s speeding bullet towards a lifelong love slams into a wall, bringing everything to an abrupt end. It’s a dramatic explanation of a failed relationship, but as he explains on “Unholy Matrimony,” it comes through the realization that a lifelong commitment to each other is far from the best decision they could make for themselves. “All we’re waiting for behind these chapel doors,” Giveon sings, “is a crashing course to a bad divorce.”

At 27 years old, Giveon discovers the double-edged sword that is love. Its beauty, as well as its harsh and ugly truths, are brought forth to the light, forcing him to accept its never-ceasing presence. It’s through romance that he also learns that the back he stabs within it can return the favor with little remorse. The biggest thing for Giveon on Give Or Take is how he struggles with control in the realm of love. Giving control ends with him stumbling into something he’s not ready for while taking control results in him not receiving a fair chance to find someone to truly call his own for the long haul as his past pains arrive to interrupt that process. Giveon is still trying to find his balance in love, but it would certainly help him a whole lot if he let go of his old baggage to rediscover his footing and make some progress on his journey.

Give Or Take is out now via Epic Records. You can stream it here.