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Things are not going well in Russia. Granted, things are better in Russia than they currently are in Ukraine (due to Vladimir Putin’s big, dumb war), but still, it’s all a freaking mess. And the resulting confusion couldn’t be more evident from how the Russian government released a seemingly semi-random list of American public figures who will be permanently banned from having the pleasure of entering Russia. Granted, a lot of the names — like Hillary Clinton, Joe Biden, Kamala Harris, and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Vide President — do make sense when it comes to a list of perceived Russian enemies, given that Russia’s awfully sore about sanctions.

The list truly grew weird, however, with the appearance of the late John McCain, who passed away in 2018 from brain cancer and obviously would never be traveling to Russia in the first place. Then came Morgan Freeman, who was apparently banned because he narrated a clip (alleging “cyber warfare” on behalf of the Kremlin) within The Committee To Investigate Russia, a 2017 project directed by Rob Reiner, also of This Is Spinal Tap and The Princess Bride. Well, we haven’t yet seen a response from Freeman, but Deadline spoke with Reiner, who went the satirical/sarcastic route:

The veteran filmmaker, who was a surprise inclusion on a list published by Russia over the weekend, quipped to us: “No comment. Except to say that I’m heartbroken and will have to live with the disappointment.”

Yup, it’s time to adjust those (nonexistent) vacation plans. Then again, there’s probably no one heading into Russia for fun and pleasure these days, and this (confusing) list won’t help future tourism one bit. And the Kremlin sure can hold a grudge.

(Via Deadline)

Kendrick Lamar’s Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers was one of the year’s most anticipated albums. Now that it’s out, it has unsurprisingly dominated the charts, landing at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 with the biggest streaming week of 2022. It’s Kendrick’s fourth No. 1 album — even more impressive when you consider that it was his first album in nearly five years, with DAMN. releasing in 2017. Perhaps just as impressive is the fact that every song on the 18-track album has entered the Billboard Hot 100, a feat last accomplished by Drake with Certified Lover Boy at 21 tracks and J. Cole’s The Off-Season — which only had 12 tracks.

Of those, four landed in the top 10, making him one of seven artists to accomplish this feat (including Bad Bunny, Drake, Future, J. Cole, Juice WRLD, and Lil Wayne). While Jack Harlow held down the No. 1 spot for the third week with the frothy “First Class,” Kendrick took No. 3 with “N95,” No. 5 with “Die Hard,” No. 7 with “Silent Hill,” and No. 8 with “United In Grief.”

Meanwhile, the only other artists to have charted more than 13 songs are Drake, with the aforementioned 2021 release and with 2018’s Scorpion; Post Malone, who landed 14 tracks with 2019’s Hollywood’s Bleeding and 2018’s Beerbongs & Bentleys; and Lil Uzi Vert, who got 13 Eternal Atake tracks on the list in 2020. For a full list of Kendrick’s Mr. Morale Hot 100 rankings, see below courtesy of Billboard.com.

Hot 100 Rank, Title:
No. 3, “N95”
No. 5, “Die Hard,” with Blxst & Amanda Reifer
No. 7, “Silent Hill,” with Kodak Black
No. 8, “United in Grief”
No. 11, “Father Time,” feat. Sampha
No. 13, “Rich Spirit”
No. 16, “We Cry Together,” with Taylour Paige
No. 19, “Worldwide Steppers”
No. 20, “Count Me Out”
No. 22, “Purple Hearts,” with Summer Walker & Ghostface Killah
No. 23, “Savior,” with Baby Keem & Sam Dew
No. 33, “Rich (Interlude)”
No. 40, “Mr. Morale,” with Tanna Leone
No. 41, “Crown”
No. 47, “Auntie Diaries”
No. 51, “Savior (Interlude)”
No. 55, “Mirror”
No. 59, “Mother I Sober,” feat. Beth Gibbons
No. 77, “The Heart Part 5” (down from its No. 15 debut)

Presumably as part of his conversion to becoming a Republican — or at least looking like he’s becoming a Republican — Elon Musk is now complaining about birth rates in the United States, which the Tesla CEO feels are too low. Of course, bringing up this subject couldn’t come at a worst time as the Buffalo mass shooter was acting upon replacement theory, which Musk seems to be toying with here. It sounds like Dogwhistle Central.

“USA birth rate has been below min sustainable levels for ~50 years,” Musk tweeted before bragging about his virility. “Contrary to what many think, the richer someone is, the fewer kids they have. I am a rare exception. Most people I know have zero or one kid.”

Musk appears to be playing a game here, and he’s being thoroughly roasted on social media for using replacement theory as a trolling mechanism. The Buffalo shooter wasn’t the first to cite the racist theory in his manifesto, and Musk is arguably bringing it up to his millions of followers, which is a recipe for disaster. There’s also the issue of Roe v. Wade being overturned on the line, and Musk is stirring up that debate by backing right wing anti-choice theories that the U.S. isn’t making enough babies. These are very delicate and incendiary topics that Musk is gleefully juggling instead of treating them like the live grenades they are.

For some background, Musk’s troll game has been cranked up to 11 after being accused of allegedly propositioning a Space X employee for sexual favors, so the question might not be, “Does Elon Musk really believe in replacement theory?” Instead, it could be “What new, damaging story is he trying to distract from now?”

You can see the reactions to Musk’s birth rate tweet below:

(Via Elon Musk on Twitter)

For a series like Star Wars, where the smallest plot point can have an unnecessary amount of backstory, it’s kind of remarkable how much we still don’t know about Obi-Wan Kenobi. Here’s a character who appeared in the first six movies and had a starring role in four of them (and even got Sir Alec Guinness a Best Supporting Actor nomination for the original Star Wars) and we really don’t even know what planet he’s originally from. (Yes, a quick internet search will bring up the planet of Stewjon. If you read a little further you will learn this was invented in 2010 when Jon Stewart asked George Lucas this very question and then Lucas inverted Stewart’s name.) We don’t really know anything about Obi-Wan Kenobi other than he seems like a nice man and, at one point, was a great Jedi Knight. When Deborah Chow (who directed all six episodes) and her writers tried to crack this story, that’s what they were always drawn back to: Who, exactly, is Obi-Wan Kenobi? (Of course, once again played by Ewan McGregor.)

Starting this Friday, we are going to find out.

Before this interview, and as I type this, I have seen as many episodes of Obi-Wan Kenobi as you have (unless you work for Lucasfilm, then I assume you have seen more), so the chance for any spoilers is pretty low. Though (as we posted last week), Chow does confirm that the droid in the trailer shooting at Obi-Wan is not fan-favorite 4-LOM, but a new droid named 1-JAC.

Ahead, we spoke to Chow about the upcoming series and she told us what she wanted to accomplish and why it’s been so difficult to get the story right about this period in the life of Obi-Wan Kenobi.

Why is it so hard to crack an Obi-Wan Kenobi story? There was a movie that never happened, then when this show was starting, the original scripts were scrapped and restarted from scratch. Why is it so difficult with a character that is so beloved?

You know, I think it is because that character is so loved.

I see.

It is this hugely iconic legacy character and we’re also in between two trilogies, and it’s just tough. Everybody knows what happened to this character before and after so you’ve got to figure out how to tell the middle acts of their lives. And, also, we’re starting a series where we’re coming out with a directive, “watch over the boy.” So you have to just…you know what I mean?

Right. That seems like the obvious answer: Well, he’s just hanging out, watching a kid in the desert. What do you do with that?

We don’t want a six-part series of him just watching over the kid for the whole thing. It’s just challenging… it was a challenging story to tell. But I think, for me at least – obviously, when I came on there was development before me – but from the point that I came on, I was grateful actually that they gave us the time and they gave us the support. Because this is the sort of story that you really want to feel confident going into production – that you’ve done everything you can to try to get it right.

He’s hiding from the Empire. Do we learn why he changes his name from Obi-Wan to Ben, but keeps the Kenobi?

I think in a large part of those… there are also questions obviously about Skywalker and keeping that. Those are questions for George. For me, I’m just respecting the canon on all those decisions. But I think for us, if you just think about it in a metaphorical way, which is not really going to answer your question. One of the things with our series that we were trying to do is, in a lot of ways, we were interested in Ben, because we were interested in not just the Jedi, but the man.

I’m glad you said that because, obviously Ewan’s great in the Prequels, but even after three of those movies we still don’t really know much about Obi-Wan personally.

Yeah. I mean that really, for us, both the writer and I, we felt the same way. And actually the more research we did on it and the more we got into it. He is a character that everybody knows and loves, but there really isn’t that much about him. So it was a really interesting thing to take this character that was so beloved, and to have some room actually where we didn’t know every single thing about him. So that was something that we were really, really interested in doing. Really exploring more about the character and having more depth.

The new Obi-Wan comic has a flashback with him as a kid, which even that felt like new information.

I mean, that was definitely our intention, to really have this series be about him first and foremost. And also, him at a point in his life, which is a really interesting point, dealing with everything and the history that came out in Revenge of the Sith, and the prequels, which was a very intense dark period. And then moving forward. So one of the things, I think, the biggest question, and one of the biggest questions we always looked at was how did he go from the warrior standing on the banks of Mustafar screaming, to the sort of the zen and the calm of Sir Alec Guinness in A New Hope. And obviously something happened in that character to change. And I think, in large part, that’s why we felt we had a story to tell.

Does this series allow more after this? I know how long it took for this to get made. But is the door open for more Obi-Wan Kenobi after this? Or is this its own thing and that’s it?

We definitely conceived it as one big story: beginning, middle, and end. And there was no thought of going beyond it. Who knows though, in the future. Obviously, we are in the middle. So there are 10 years before A New Hope, so there are obviously still years to go, but really, for us at this point, we were just conceiving it as this show.

We see 4-LOM in the trailer… Actually, is it pronounced 4-LOM or Four El Oh Em?

It actually is pronounced 4-LOM…

That’s what I’ve always said…

It’s actually not 4-LOM though.

Oh?

It’s different. It is actually a different droid named 1-JAC.

Really? Okay.

Yes. Everyone thinks it’s 4-LOM.

It looks like 4-LOM?

It’s similar.

So it’s like IG-11 and IG-88 situation in that they are similar?

Yes. You’re the first person and the only person to ask that, actually.

Okay, 1-JAC.

1-JAC.

What’s 1-JAC’s deal? Is he a bounty hunter?

That you’re going to have to wait and see.

He looks like he’s bad news.

[Laughs] They usually are.

Well, at least we cleared up the pronunciation of 4-LOM?

I know. But honestly, I will always refer you to Pablo Hidalgo. He knows exactly. He’s your guy. I may not always be correct, so I will always refer you to Pablo. (Who I did ask on Twitter about this and he did give his clarification, “That’s the Canadian way of saying it. Honestly say it however you want. I go by the old Kenner TV ad that spelled it out. “Four-Elloem.”)

One of the episodes you directed of The Mandalorian won an Emmy for cinematography. But there’s something about the Obi-Wan Kenobi trailer that looks even more cinematic than what we saw from the prior series. As far as I know, it’s the same filming technology, but has anything changed to achieve this look?

Oh, that’s great to hear. Thank you. We use kind of the same tools. Amazing stagecraft. So it’s a mixture. It’s some location, some stagecraft, some backlot and some studio. So it just depended on the scene. But it was something I was definitely trying to do. It feels like an epic story to me. So as much as I could, I was trying to make it feel epic. Obviously, I’m incredibly fortunate on The Mandalorian in that Greg Frazier won that cinematography award and he won the Oscar for Dune. So I had a very good cinematographer. You know what I mean?

Right.

And I had a fantastic cinematographer on this one, Chung-hoon Chung, who was amazing as well. So a lot of that is their credit.

You can contact Mike Ryan directly on Twitter.

Wet Leg, whose self-titled debut album was released less than two months ago, is already earning a reputation as your favorite artist’s favorite artist. Foo Fighters leader Dave Grohl recently spoke about how much he loves “Chaise Longue” and declared Wet Leg is “about to take over America.” Now, the group also has Harry Styles’ attention, as he swung by the BBC Radio 1 Live Lounge and delivered a cover of “Wet Dream.”

Styles and his band keep their rendition mostly faithful to the original recording. If anything, the rock elements of the song are actually amped up a bit here, as the guitars feel a bit more aggressive and forward in the mix.

Wet Leg’s Rhian Teasdale previously told Uproxx of recording Wet Leg, “As soon as we signed to Domino, we went into recording the album, just because of the times. We couldn’t gig. And so the way to make use of the time was to go straight into the studio and record the album. Maybe in the, I don’t know, in the ’80s or whatever, maybe that you could do that. But I know that now it’s certainly like a different landscape. When you get signed, maybe the label will send you on like a little tour so that you can get your material up to scratch, and tried and tested. And we took out loads of random stuff out of a Dropbox folder that we had going, and like, ‘This one? Yeah. This one? This one. Okay, let’s do this one.’ It’s a bit of a different approach.”

While Wet Leg have been getting love from their music forebears, Styles has had essentially the opposite experience lately, as he’s fresh off facing criticism from Mick Jagger.

Watch Styles cover “Wet Dream” above.

Indie music has grown to include so much. It’s not just music that is released on independent labels, but speaks to an aesthetic that deviates from the norm and follows its own weirdo heart. It can come in the form of rock music, pop, or folk. In a sense, it says as much about the people that are drawn to it as it does about the people that make it.

Every week, Uproxx is rounding up the best new indie music from the past seven days. This week we got new music from Tame Impala, Soccer Mommy, Angel Olsen, and more.

While we’re at it, sign up for our newsletter to get the best new indie music delivered directly to your inbox, every Monday.

Charlie Hickey — Nervous At Night

21-year-old songwriter Charlie Hickey has finally released his debut album Nervous At Night via Phoebe Bridgers’ Saddest Factory label. The acoustic guitar-driven 11-track album showcases his ballad-like songwriting. Both wistful and comforting, Nervous At Night navigates the relatably confusing time between teenage years and adulthood.

Fanclubwallet — You Have Got To Be Kidding Me

After turning heads with a 2021 EP and several singles, Fanclubwallet, the moniker of Ottawa-based musician Hannah Judge, shared the debut album You Have Got To Be Kidding Me. Throughout the album, Judge writes punchy and endearing songs which act as vignettes of her life at a time when it felt as though it was unraveling. Toeing the line between indie rock and bedroom pop, You Have Got To Be Kidding Me is a record filled with witty humor, honesty, and boundaries.

Mary Lattimore, Paul Sukeena — West Kensington

Back in 2020, acclaimed harpist Mary Lattimore teamed up with her neighbor, guitarist Paul Sukeena, to issue reflections of time and memory through music. What resulted is the eerie and impactful experimental new album, West Kensington. Each of the songs on the six-track record were completely improvised and written in Lattimore’s kitchen. “We accidentally caught our moods at the time, inner monologues of the moment,” Sukeena said.

Tame Impala, Diana Ross — “Turn Up The Sunshine”

After some teasing, Tame Impala teamed up with legendary singer Diana Ross for the Jack Antonoff-produced groovy and disco-inspired track “Turn Up The Sunshine.” The high-energy song is set to appear on the soundtrack to the upcoming movie Minions: Rise of the Gru, which is expected to have a similar feel-good enthusiasm.

Soccer Mommy — “Bones”

Soccer Mommy continues to roll out her new era of music this week by sharing the sparkling single “Bones.” Previewing her upcoming third album Sometimes, Forever, the song pairs ’90s grunge-inspired angst with washed-out vocals and melodic guitars. “’Bones’ is a song about struggling with the parts of yourself that you don’t like in a relationship,” said Soccer Mommy in a statement. “It’s about wanting to become better for someone and feeling like you’re standing in your own way.”

Angel Olsen — “Through The Fires”

Angel Olsen is right around the corner from the release of her next LP Big Time, and this week, the singer shared the soulful number “Through The Fires.” The downtempo song is a cinematic reflection on freedom and, according to Olsen, was written to remind herself that “this life is temporary, the past is not something to dwell on.”

Ian Sweet — “Fight”

Leaning into the dream-pop sound laid out in her recent LP Show Me How You Disappear, Ian Sweet shares the shimmering single “Fight.” Jam-packed with emotion, “Fight” details a pandemic relationship that didn’t pan out as expected. “The song plays into both the monotony of the relationship and the catastrophe that I went through after it ended,” she said.

Sudan Archives — “Selfish Soul”

Sudan Archives has been leaning into her groovy side with her recent music, and her latest track “Selfish Soul” follows the upbeat trend. A celebration of the versatility of Black hair, “Selfish Soul” creatively mixes a stomping beat with soothing synths while also leaving space to showcase the musician’s talents on violin.

Sylvan Esso — “Sunburn”

After releasing the stand-out 2020 album Free Love, embarking on a global tour, and earning a 2022 Grammy nomination, the duo Sylvan Esso drop a blistering new single. The droning, electronic number “Sunburn” is a pop-leaning tune with a gritty bass that evokes hot summer days filled with melted popsicles and swimming pools.

Giant Waste Of Man — “Summer, After”

LA-based group Giant Waste Of Man have been releasing a number of nostalgia-inducing tracks this year, and their latest “Summer, After” is no different. Armed with an atmospheric string section, acoustic guitar, and breathy vocal delivery, “Summer, After” showcases the band’s tender, ballad-like songwriting.

George FitzGerald — “Cold”

British producer George FitzGerald quickly proved himself a groundbreaking electronic artist with his 2018 debut All That Must Be. Now with his new album Stellar Drifting, FitzGerald is once again getting inventive. He turned telescopic images of the of planets and stars into synthesizer oscillators with the track “Cold,” allowing listeners to literally hear space on the new single.

Living Hour — “Feelings Meeting” Feat. Jay Som

Canadian quartet Living Hour gained notability with their recent 2019 album Softer Faces, and they’re now preparing for their third studio LP, Someday Is Today, which is due out in September. Building anticipation with the subdued and somber lead single “Feelings Meetings,” the band links with Jay Som’s Melina Duterte to craft an impeccable soundscape. “The song is about struggling with internal worlds, habits, and daily circumstances,” the band noted.

Horsegirl — “Dirtbag Transformation (Still Dirty)”

Rising Chicago indie rock trio Horsegirl are just about a week away from the release of their anticipated debut album Version Of Modern Performance, which they once again previewed with the bold track “Dirtbag Transformation (Still Dirty).” Drawing on ’90s post-punk influences, the song is a hazy and melodic deluge of electric guitars.

In 2015, Donald Trump called himself “the least racist person you’ve ever met.” In 2018, in response to a report that he referred to Haiti and African nations as “sh*thole countries,” Trump said, “I am the least racist person you have ever interviewed.” In 2020, in a debate with Joe Biden, Trump… you can guess where this is going. The only people who have to defend themselves this hard against accusations of racism are, usually, racists, but Newsmax weirdo Greg Kelly thinks that’s obviously not the case with Trump.

“You may have heard him say, ‘I am the least racist person you’ll ever meet.’ And it’s true,” Kelly said on Monday night (via Mediaite). Many Republican candidates don’t “have much in the way of diversity in their background in terms of friends and associates until it’s time for the campaign,” he claimed, unlike Trump, who’s had “people, friends from all over the place.” His defense: a PowerPoint-level photo montage of Trump with Black icons, including Muhammad Ali, Michael Jackson, Rosa Parks, and Snoop Dogg.

That’s right, Kelly is using the “some of my best friends are Black” defense. Here’s more:

“Michael Jackson, who, by the way, he still speaks fondly of. And the allegations against Michael Jackson, I believe, are fake. And well, is that Snoop Dogg?! Yes, it is Snoop Dogg. And of course, Oprah Winfrey. But everywhere Donald Trump went, ‘Do you condemn White supremacy? Do you condemn White nationalism?’ The question is insulting. It really is, as if we wouldn’t, as if we don’t. I don’t like the question.”

In related news, Kelly was caught deleting racially-charged tweets.

(Via Mediaite)

On what would’ve been The Notorious B.I.G.’s 50th birthday, his friend and collaborator Diddy took to Twitter Spaces alongside Jay-Z and Fat Joe (per HipHopDX) and shared stories about the late rapper. Often known for their debauched, lavish music videos, Diddy recalled the shoot for “Hypnotize.” When speaking of the video, Diddy revealed the shooting of the video was the first time the two tried ecstasy.

“I mean, it was an experience, you know what I’m saying?,” said Diddy. “Ayo, Biggie’s 50. Check this out, we have nothing to hide. That was a long time ago… it was the first time. It was just a little nibble, it was all right. It was a little nibble. But we was in extra high, high spirits. Yeah, this breaking news and sh*t. F*ck it. On his 50th birthday, I wanna let y’all know that.”

During a special dinner on Biggie’s 50th birthday, his Junior M.A.F.I.A. collaborator Lil Kim told People she believes Biggie would still dominate hip-hop if he were alive today.

“It’s always important to honor the king. He’s the king. The king lives on,” Kim said. “He’s just an amazing person, amazing artist. […] His legacy. It’s just great. Like, I mean, look at the catalog. Look at everything that he’s accomplished, even at such a young age.”

It’s the dream of many veterans: a safe and swift return to the security of home – to a place where time can be spent with family while becoming part of a community and creating new memories. With the partnership of non-profit Operation Homefront, Pillsbury is helping give military families the opportunity to do just that.

For many of our American soldiers, the dream of making a comfortable return to civilian life is often dashed by harsh realities. Pew Research Center reports that 44% of veterans who have served since Sept 11, 2001 noted having a difficult time re-adjusting. From re-entering into the workforce to finding healthcare services, returning to civilian life can be a harrowing transition. While serving in the military is incredibly stressful, it also provides routine, structure and purpose that is not easily replicated in civilian life. Couple this with a lack of helpful resources for veterans, and the hope for a brighter future can be easily derailed.

However, some companies and organizations are stepping in to show support and provide resources. Operation Homefront, an organization dedicated to helping military families transition back to civilian life, launched its Transitional Homes for Veterans (THV) Program in 2018. The program places veteran families in safe, secure, rent-free single-family homes for a period of two-to-three years while providing financial coaching and training to reduce debt, increase savings, and prepare for independent home ownership. Since the THV’s inception, Operation Homefront has defrayed more than $500K in mortgage costs to military families.

To sweeten the deal, Operation Homefront partnered with Pillsbury in 2020 to help support the THV program. The company famous for its smile-inducing and festive cookie dough believes that what matters most is made at home and that every family deserves a place to make memories together. To put this belief into action, Pillsbury and Operation Homefront have joined forces to support military families in their return to civilian life by providing them with stable housing so they can build a foundation for their future.

You can almost smell freshly baked cookies right now, can’t you?

Since the partnership began, Pillsbury has donated more than $5.6 million towards the THV program. Each home will be in rotation among numerous military families for up to 20 years, providing rent-free living to these veterans and their families as they make the transition back to civilian life. Most recently, a home was built in the Dallas-Fort Worth area for a veteran family who was displaced after an unexpected medical discharge. Pillsbury and Operation Homefront organized a ceremony, which was attended by other THV recipients, to officially welcome the family into their new community.

And since nothing says “home, sweet home” quite like fresh baked cookies, Pillsbury has also created brand new Salute to Service cookies. Each sugar cookie has a patriotic flag design on top, celebrating the military families that Pillsbury is committed to supporting.

These cookies are ready to bake and ready to help

Are these beloved Pillsbury cookies tasty? Sure. Are they adorable? As always. Are they a hit for holiday gatherings? You betcha. But this time, these Pillsbury cookies also serve a cause.

This summer, you can help make the world a better place for veterans and eat cookies at the same time. From now until August 31, 2022, Pillsbury will donate $.10 for each code entered to Operation Homefront up to $150,000.* With this partnership, Pillsbury and Operation Homefront hope these men and women who have served truly feel like they’ve come back to the home of their dreams.

If you would like to learn more about this amazing collaboration – and participate yourself – you can find more info at: https://www.pillsbury.com/mission

*Pillsbury will donate 10 cents to Operation Homefront for each code entered by August 31, 2022. Maximum total donation up to $150,000 based on eligible codes submitted. Open to legal residents of the U.S. and D.C. who are 18+. For more information about the program, complete Terms and Conditions, and to enter the code, visit Pillsbury.com/mission. Limit of 5 codes may be entered per household.

Mxmtoon is letting her music speak for itself. Literally and figuratively. Ahead of the release of her second album, Rising, she is protecting her delicate, soft-tinged voice while on tour. But even if you’ve never spoken with her, you feel a connection with her by listening to her music.

Each track from Rising feels like a scene from the coming-of-age film that is the 21-year-old singer and instrumentalist’s life. From the introspective “Mona Lisa,” to the poignant “Victim Of Nostalgia,” to the bittersweet “Sad Disco,” and the appropriately-titled closing track, “Coming Of Age,” the album, largely recorded by Mxmtoon in the guestroom of her parents’ Oakland home, shares anecdotes of loss, grief, self-actualization, and queer joy.

Having first built a following online by drawing cartoons on Instagram, then diving into music by sharing covers on YouTube, Mxmtoon’s music has evolved alongside these platforms, making her a voice of her generation. On the release week of Rising, we catch up with Mxmtoon (via email, of course. Gotta protect those vocals) to talk about the process of making the album and growing up in the age of the internet.

You first came to fame drawing cartoons, many for strangers, on Instagram. Do you still keep up with some of your OG followers?

I’m not sure if anyone from my early Instagram days still follows me. I was 11 then and only had 200 followers, so the odds are pretty low! I do keep up with listeners that started following me around 2017/2018 though.

How did you feel when you first went viral for your music?

It was honestly really scary. It’s terrifying when someone becomes so much bigger than you ever imagine, especially when you’re just a teenager. I felt so vulnerable having millions of people critiquing, complementing, or criticizing me for art I had just made in my own bedroom when I was 17. It was simultaneously very exciting and also scary.

Who would you say have been good mentors to you in music?

My middle school music teacher for sure. Teachers have always had some of the largest impact on me growing up, and my music teacher was no exception. He taught me the basics of ukulele and songwriting, and witnessing his genuine love and enthusiasm for making music was so inspiring to me when I was learning how to make my own.

Other than music and drawing, what would you say is beneficial to your mental health?

I love movies. I think I’m fascinated by storytelling in all forms, and TV or movies are a huge way that I understand the world. If I didn’t end up in music, I think I may have tried to do something in that field instead. I find myself rewatching shows I love when I’m anxious, taking myself to a movie when I’m struggling to motivate, and recommending shows or films to people I love constantly.

So, what shows are you currently streaming?

I loved Severance on Apple TV+, and I’ve been rewatching Community on Netflix. Both are so good!

Tell us about your writing process for Rising. How did it differ from that of your previous projects?

I think I really focused on making music that I loved first and foremost. In the past, I’ve been very conscious of not wanting to shock or disappoint my audience by trying something new. I feel like I’m at a place in my life now that I have enough confidence to prioritize my own creative curiosity, and I definitely did that with Rising.

I really love “Mona Lisa.” It’s a very raw, personal track. How did it come together?

It came together very naturally! I had the idea of wanting to make a song that could reference a bunch of famous artists and their art, and I took it and ran. I worked alongside producer Pom Pom and artist Rosie to make “Mona Lisa,” and we wanted it to be a power anthem for young women to see the power of self-love.

I think “Sad Disco” is a great song too. I feel a lot of people throw “Sad Discos” for themselves, but don’t really talk about them. What compelled you to bring these feelings to life in the form of a song?

I completely agree with you. Solo dance parties are probably one of the most common human occurrences that we may not talk about openly, but we all know and love them. I have always really enjoyed making music about seemingly mundane and private moments from my own life and shining light onto them. “Sad Disco” is about those midnight dance parties you have in your own room, with your headphones on, and your imagination making everything around you feel like a movie.

Which song on Rising was the toughest to write?

“Haze” for sure. I wasn’t entirely sure what I was writing about when I first made it, and usually I like having a very concrete idea and sentiment that I can solidify through lyrics. It was hard for me to find the core message in “Haze” when it was in its early stages, but I came to realize that uncertainty is really what the song is about. It’s about being lost, being unsure, and feeling foggy about who you are and who you will become.

You’re very well-versed in technology. The internet has been very instrumental in helping you build your following and fanbase. Does maintaining a constant online presence ever get exhausting?

Absolutely. I find myself burning out quite often when I’m constantly online every waking second of my day. Being online is something that is really positive for me but also has the potential of becoming too much! It’s like eating a piece of candy versus an entire bag. In moderation it’s great, but if you overload, that’s when it gets bad.

What do you do when you feel overwhelmed by the internet and social media?

I try to step away for a while and focus my interactions on being with people in my physical day-to-day. I spend time with my partner, I watch movies with my friends, and I play video games with my brother. Having people that keep you grounded in your sense of self is really important.

What would you say is the most pressing issue independent artists are facing right now?

I definitely feel like there should be better tools for independent artists to advocate for support on DSPs! Things like editorial playlisting can be so much harder to achieve without the proper tools or team support, and even harder when you aren’t signed to a label. There are many things that can improve for independent artists, but leveling the playing field on DSPs for people who are working independently is definitely a start.

Rising is out 5/20 via AWAL. Stream it here.