GoneTrending

George R.R. Martin isn’t a fan of his new Game of Thrones spinoff, House of the Dragon, being pitted against Amazon’s upcoming Lord of the Rings series. But, if a clash has to go down, Martin hopes House of the Dragon does just a little bit better. Both shows will arrive within days of each other at the end of summer, so naturally, it didn’t take long for that to set the stage for an epic conflict that Martin would rather do without. He just wants to see good sci-fi and fantasy on TV, and he genuinely hopes both shows do well. However, Martin does admit he hopes his baby comes out slightly ahead.

The Game of Thrones author’s remarks appeared in a preview for a much longer interview with The Independent, which will arrive later this week:

“I know a lot of articles, the minute the dates were announced, it’s: ‘Oh, the battle for fantasy supremacy. It’s Rings of Power versus House of Dragon, who will win?’ I don’t know why they always have to do that.”

He added: “I hope both shows succeed. I’m competitive enough. I hope we succeed more. If they win six Emmys, and I hope they do, I hope we win seven. But nonetheless, it’s good for fantasy. I love fantasy. I love science fiction. I want more shows on television.”

Despite his congenial view of the clash to come, Martin, a lifelong Tolkien fan, did have some concerns about what exactly The Rings of Power will entail given the limited rights Amazon purchased in a “weird deal.”

“They didn’t get Lord of the Rings, they didn’t get The Hobbit, they didn’t even get The Silmarillion,” Martin told The Independent. “I don’t think they got Farmer Giles of Ham or Leaf by Niggle, but they got the appendices, I guess, and they’re constructing a Second Age story about that. There’s a lot of myth about that, so it’ll be interesting to see what they did.”

House of the Dragon premieres August 21 on HBO followed by The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power on September 2 on Amazon.

(Via The Independent)

Bright Eyes has been touring the United States since the end of March, but apparently, things haven’t been so luminary for select attendees. Last night (May 22), they had a Houston stop at The Lawn at White Oak Music Hall. The show was cut short just two songs in after Conor Oberst walked off the stage, forcing the band to engage the crowd in karaoke which eventually stopped as well. The venue declared they would issue refunds, Jezebel Senior Reporter Caitlin Cruz live-tweeted.

Another attendee shared this footage of the karaoke, where fans were actually brought on stage:

Here’s what others had to say:

This situation drew a revelation from a past tour stop attendee that Oberst exhibited concerning behaviors at the indie rock band’s Nashville stop and shared accounts of his Cleveland show. Oberst was noted as making obscene comments and admitting he injured himself by falling off a stage in Detroit. The attendee cited he appeared inebriated.

None of the band members have made any comments about the situation. Bright Eyes is set to be in New Orleans this evening at Orpheum Theater and Stone Pony Summer Stage in New York City on June 3. They last released a companion version of St. Ides Heaven back in March, featuring the title track and “Contrast and Compare.” Stay tuned for more updates on Oberst and the band.

The Eastern Conference Finals have become something of a war of attrition, as both the Celtics and Heat have dealt with considerable injury absences since the start of the series, when Boston was down Marcus Smart and Al Horford and Miami was without Kyle Lowry in Game 1. In every game since, each team has been without a rotation piece for at least a portion of the game, whether that be Robert Williams and Derrick White for the Celtics, or Jimmy Butler and PJ Tucker for the Heat.

Unfortunately, it doesn’t seem like we’ll be getting these two teams at full strength for Game 4 either, as Sixth Man of the Year winner Tyler Herro was announced as out for Game 4 with a groin injury suffered in Game 3, which was why he sat out the fourth quarter as Miami clung to their lead to take a 2-1 series lead.

Herro had an ice pack on his thigh down the stretch on the bench, but most of the concern in the moment was on Jimmy Butler, who sat out the second half with knee soreness. Butler is expected to play, although still listed as questionable, which is critical for the Heat given how much he’s provided them offensively, but Herro’s absence is considerable as well since he is one of three players (including Lowry who certainly doesn’t seem at 100 percent with his own muscle issue) that can create for themselves on the Miami roster.

According to Billboard, Atlanta rapper Gunna is being accused of directing gang members to commit violent acts in the ongoing racketeering case against Gunna’s label, YSL Records. Prosecutors have called the label part of a hybrid street gang, blaming dozens of incidents of violence on the gang’s activity.

Billboard‘s Jewel Wicker reported on the case from the Fulton County court via Twitter, writing that a judge denied Gunna’s bond request as prosecutors described his alleged role in the suspected gang as a “command” role in which he’d “direct their troops” to commit violent acts. Wickers reports, “The judge said his biggest concern was witness tampering.”

In addition to denying Gunna’s bond request, the judge also set the rapper’s trial date: January 9, 2023.

Gunna, real name Sergio Kitchens, was one of 28 suspected gang members arrested, along with fellow rapper and YSL Records founder Young Thug. The 88-page indictment against YSL cites 56 counts of various offenses ranging from armed robbery to murder, with both big-name rappers accused of conspiracy to violate the federal Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act, explicitly using lyrics from their records to show their ties to the group.

The case has been criticized by YSL associates like Metro Boomin, who insisted that “YSL is not a gang and never been a gang.” The arrests came weeks before New York’s State Senate passed a bill that would limit the use of lyrics in criminal trials. The bill is currently awaiting approval of the State Assembly before going to the state’s Governor to be signed into law.

A new level of reggaetón music festival is hitting Grant Park in Chicago for the first time next month. On May 28 and 29, the Sueños Festival is bringing together acts who represent the genre’s legacy, present, and future. Among the heavy-hitters on the line-up are reggaetón legends Wisin y Yandel, Colombian superstar J Balvin, and Puerto Rican hit-maker Ozuna. There’s also a new wave of artists who are refreshing the genre and pushing it to new places like Jhay Cortez, Sech, and Blessd. It’s a massive undertaking, but not something totally new for founder Aaron Ampudia.

Ampudia is also one of the founders of Baja Beach Fest, one of the biggest reggaetón music festivals happening on Mexico’s Rosarito shores. After a few years of success with that event, he decided to bring the genre into the states with Sueños Festival. Sueños translates to “dreams” in English, something reflected in this lineup for reggaetón music fans.

“I feel super proud to be able to put on a Latin festival like Sueños in Chicago for all the Latinos and everyone else who enjoys our culture and music,” Ampudia says. “To my knowledge, Chicago has not seen anything like this in the Latin space yet, so it’s an honor to make this one happen with all our partners. It wouldn’t be possible without them.”

Sueños Festival will be one of the last times that reggaetón fans will be able to see Wisin y Yandel live as a duo. After nearly 20 years of hits together and helping put the genre on the map, they’re taking a final victory lap this year with La Última Misión (The Final Mission) Tour. Growing up in Río Piedras, Puerto Rico, singer Jhay Cortez was a child of the genre who has seen artists like Wisin y Yandel, Daddy Yankee, and Don Omar break the mold for reggaetón.

“Imagine that you’re a kid listening to Wisin y Yandel’s music, seeing their work and their trajectory,” Cortez says. “To be in the same place as them, performing on the same stage, and in front of the same audience, for me that’s major. Like the name of the event, it’s a dream for me to be a headliner.”

Two artists who were instrumental in ushering the second wind of reggaetón’s success in the past decade are also on the lineup: J Balvin and Ozuna. Ozuna has proudly represented reggaetón’s Caribbean roots and has managed crossover success with reggaetón fusion tracks with acts like Selena Gomez, Cardi B, DJ Snake, Megan Thee Stallion, and Blackpink’s Lisa. Likewise, J Balvin has led the Colombian wave of reggaetón stars that further globalized the genre like Maluma and Karol G. With his albums, 2016’s Energia and 2018’s Vibras, Balvin gave the genre an alluring electronic glow. The latter LP featured the global hit “Mi Gente” with French Producer Willy William that Beyoncé eventually jumped on. Balvin also helped jump-start Cortez’s career by featuring on a remix of his breakthrough hit “No Me Conoce” with Bad Bunny.

“It’s great to be on a line-up with my friends, like Balvin, who I vibe with and is like a brother to me for life, and like Sech, who I respect so much. It’s like a family,” Cortez adds. “The genre is like a family.”

Cortez, Sech, Myke Towers, and Blessd are among the new wave of reggaetón stars who are keeping the genre going strong, each with their own unique spin. Sech hails from Panama, another Caribbean country where reggaetón is rooted. With his soulful voice, he’s given the genre a fresh R&B spin in his global hits like “Otro Trago” and “Relación.” Myke Towers from Puerto Rico is giving reggaetón and Latin trap music an edgier sound with his fierce rapping skills and cool flow. Like J Balvin’s beginnings, Blessd is another Medellín native who is leaving his Colombian touch on reggaetón. Then there’s Cortez who is pushing reggaetón into a more electronica-infused direction. In 2020, his song “Dákiti” with Bad Bunny hit No. 5 on Billboard‘s all-genre Hot 100 chart. On his latest album Timelezz, he collaborated with Skrillex in “En Mi Cuarto.”

“I’m a loyal lover of deep house, so for me it was easy to combine those genres,” Cortez says. “We’re only getting started with that. I love to evolve. My set will be very active, very energetic. It’s for dancing. It’s going to include all my hits like ‘Sensual Bebé’ and ‘Dákiti,’ that whole rundown.”

Outside of reggaetón, Sueños Festival is including more Latin genres that are starting to make noise around the world. Among the top headliners is Dominican powerhouse El Alfa, who is helping globalize his country’s dembow sound. The rapper recently released his album Sabiduria, in which he’s got artists like French Montana featuring in “Máquina de Dinero” and Lil Pump in “El Jablador.” Tokisha is another rising star from the Dominican Republic who is extending dembow’s reach. Spanish pop star Rosalía tapped her for “La Combi Versace” on her MOTOMAMI album and J Balvin featured her on “Perra” on his Jose album. Mexico is represented on the line-up as well with Natanael Cano and Fuerza Regida, who are pioneers in corridos tumbados, a movement that’s giving traditional Mexican corridos a hip-hop update and edge.

“People can expect a true, authentic Latin festival,” Ampudia adds. “This includes everything from the drinks and music to the activations, food, and, of course, lots of perreo! We take a lot of pride in making our festivals extremely unique for the fans, so I hope everyone in Chicago loves Sueños as much as we do already.”

Sueños Festival is one of the many Latin music festivals that have sprung up this year. With Latin music festivals happening all over the country now, it’s reflective of how music in Spanish and reggaetón, in particular, have captured a global audience, regardless of language or cultural boundaries.

“It’s been like 30 years and reggaetón won’t stop,” Cortez says. “It’s impressive. I want it to keep growing. It’s the youth who are keeping the genre alive by dancing to it in the clubs or going to events like this one [Sueños Festival].”

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

Stephen Curry scored 31 points and dished out 11 assists in Game 3 of the Western Conference Finals to lead the Warriors to a 3-0 stranglehold on the series against the Mavericks, but the talk of the NBA world afterwards was not about the future Hall of Famer but instead Andrew Wiggins, who continues to impress this series, playing as arguably the Warriors second best player.

Wiggins had 27 points and 11 rebounds in Game 3, including six on the offensive glass as he led the way for another big night of second chance opportunities for Golden State, who are just outworking the small-ball Mavs on the offensive boards through three games. His defensive effort as the primary defender for Luka Doncic has been noted, making it at least hard work for Doncic to put up a 40-point night, but he’s really shined offensively as the most consistent secondary scorer to Curry, as Jordan Poole and Klay Thompson have been a bit streaky in this series.

On Sunday night, Wiggins put forth his best game and punctuated it with one of the best dunks of the season when he threw down the hammer on Luka Doncic — who fell to the floor to accentuate Wiggins off arm hitting him slightly on his way by.

That initially drew a foul, but Steve Kerr wisely challenged it and won, reinstating Wiggins dunk and kindly giving us an excuse to watch it over and over again on the broadcast. It was an exclamation point in the fourth quarter, albeit not the dagger as that belonged to Jordan Poole in the final minute after the Mavs cut the lead to five, and after the game even Doncic had to give Wiggins his props.

Doncic notes that he did get hit, trying to dodge the flopping allegations, but notes it was an incredible dunk and, like all of us, notes that “I wish I had those bunnies.” We all do, Luka. We all do.

After three very long, pandemic-filled years, Stranger Things 4 is finally arriving on Netflix this week, and if the first reviews are anything to go by, the show is absolutely swinging for the fences as it prepares to bring its epic story in for a landing in Season 5. However, in The Duffer Brothers’ quest to deliver what they call they’re “Game of Thrones season,” the episodes in Stranger Things 4 are significantly longer than usual.

This time around, the average Season 4 episode runtime for Part 1 is around 75 minutes, which stretches even further in Episode 7, the “midseason finale” if you will. That episode clocks in at 98 minutes, and things only get longer from there. When Stranger Things 4 returns for Part 2, those final two episodes will be 85 minutes and 2 hours and 30 minutes, respectively.

The good news is that the reviews for the first batch of Stranger Things 4 episodes are mostly positive. That said, there are some notable concerns about the episode lengths and what they say about the creative direction of the series as a whole. While diehard Stranger Things fans probably won’t mind the extra runtime, others might be missing the tighter episodes of previous seasons, which generally clocked in around 50 minutes. It’ll be interesting to see the audience reaction when the highly anticipated season drops this Friday.

In the meantime, you can check out what the critics are saying about Stranger Things 4 below:

Amy Charles, BBC:

Three years is a long time to wait in the world of television. But, as with the new series of Stranger Things, the show about supernatural goings-on in the small American town of Hawkins, Indiana, there are some things that are definitely worth waiting for. … Throughout these first six episodes given out for review, threads and storylines from previous series are coming together, finally giving fans some answers to long-asked questions about just what on Earth is going on.

Charles Pulliam-Moore, The Verge:

In this fourth installment though, Stranger Things embraces a newfound sense of itself as something more than a stylized tribute to the creature features and coming-of-age classics that packed theaters decades ago. Stranger Things 4 is bigger, bloodier, and much more intense than the seasons that came before it, but it also feels like a natural evolution of the sprawling epic the Duffer Brothers have been telling from the very beginning.

Kristen Baldwin, Entertainment Weekly:

When season 4 volume 1 — seven episodes, all but one over 70 minutes long — dropped in my Netflix press account, I’ll admit that excitement was not my first emotion. What a pleasure it is to be wrong. Fresh locales, appealing new characters, and a rewarding expansion of the mythology give the new season of Stranger Things a jolt of joyful energy, just when the series needed it most.

Daniel Fienberg, The Hollywood Reporter:

The fourth season of Stranger Things is the biggest, scariest, most ambitious Stranger Things season yet. It’s also the least charming, least funny and least inventive season yet, which doesn’t mean that those elements are wholly lacking, just that the effort to concentrate on moments of human relatability often gets overwhelmed by the attempts at scale.

Alex Stedman, IGN:

It’s incredibly ambitious – and are there a few moments where you can feel it struggling under the weight of that ambition? Sure. But for the most part, it very much works by leaning on a lot of what’s paid off in previous seasons while also taking some exciting new swings that prevent it from feeling like a greatest-hits rehash.

Caroline Framke, Variety:

After becoming Netflix’s first real behemoth of a pop culture hit, the Duffer Brothers’ increasingly ambitious series both echoed the rapid expansion of its network and clearly informed the way it moved forward with other projects that might scratch similar itches. … Season 4, given all the time and money it could want, represents just how exponentially “Stranger Things” has grown and how much it’s allowed to indulge its every instinct, so long as it keeps subscribers logged in just a few (hundred) minutes more.

Ben Travers, IndieWire:

Arguably, the scariest part of “Stranger Things 4” is how thoroughly it embodies the worst habits of the streaming era — with the only real competition being how much time it takes to fit them all in. Prolonged Season 4 episodes have been sold as an attribute when they’re anything but; splitting the season in two may “event-ize” Netflix’s blockbuster series, but — with only two super-sized episodes left for Part 2’s release in July — it’s no favor to fans.

Robert Brian Taylor, Collider:

For the first time since its breakthrough inaugural season, Stranger Things makes some big changes to its formula. The show expands its story to a number of locations outside of Hawkins and puts characters together in groups that remain segregated from each other throughout the season’s first seven episodes. It also cranks up the series’ more horror-based elements, giving us a central villain who is closer to Freddy Krueger than he is the Lovecraftian, beast-like monsters of the show’s earlier seasons. Stranger Things 4 actually feels like a real sequel and not just a slightly remixed version of what’s come before.

Stranger Things 4 Part 1 premieres May 27.

This year, The xx’s Oliver Sim has been focusing on himself as he’s so far released two solo singles: “Romance With A Memory” and “Fruit.” He dropped another new one, “Hideous,” today, along with a substantial personal reveal: Sim, who is 32 years old, has been living with HIV since he was 17.

In a lengthy statement about the song, Sim writes in part, “Two thirds in, having a good idea of what the record was about, I realised I’d been circling around one of the things that has probably caused me the most fear and shame. My HIV status. I’ve been living with HIV since I was 17 and it’s played with how I’ve felt towards myself, and how I’ve assumed others have felt towards me, from that age and into my adult life.”

Beyond that, he also revealed his upcoming solo album is called Hideous Bastard and it’s set for release on September 9.

Check out the song above and find the Hideous Bastard art and tracklist below. Also read Sim’s full statement below.

1. “Hideous”
2. “Romance With A Memory”
3. “Sensitive Child”
4. “Never Here”
5. “Unreliable Narrator”
6. “Saccharine”
7. “Confident Man”
8. “GMT”
9. “Fruit”
10. “Run The Credits”

“Early on in the making of my record, Hideous Bastard, I realised that I was writing a lot about fear and shame.

I imagine that might paint a picture of a dark, ‘woe is me’ sounding album, but in recent years I’ve become a firm believer that the best antidote to these feelings can be bringing them to the surface and shedding some light on them.

I haven’t written the record to dwell, but rather to free myself of some of the shame and fear that I’ve felt for a long time. So, I hear a lot of the music as joyous, because the experience of writing and recording it has been the complete opposite of what fear and shame have been for me.

Two thirds in, having a good idea of what the record was about, I realised I’d been circling around one of the things that has probably caused me the most fear and shame. My HIV status. I’ve been living with HIV since I was 17 and it’s played with how I’ve felt towards myself, and how I’ve assumed others have felt towards me, from that age and into my adult life.

So, quite impulsively, I wrote about it on a song called ‘Hideous.’ I thought I could release it into the world and be done with it. After playing the song to my mum, being the protective and wise mum that she is, she gave me some of the best advice I’ve ever received. She suggested that I spend some time having conversations with people in my life first. Either people I hadn’t told yet, or people I had told but hadn’t wanted to talk much further on it with. Since writing Hideous, I’ve spent the past two years having those conversations, which was difficult and uncomfortable to start with, but has allowed me to feel a lot freer and has only strengthened my relationship with myself and with the people in my life.

One of the most special relationships I’ve gained from this has been with Mr. Jimmy Somerville. I knew for Hideous I wanted a guardian angel to appear in the song and sing to me the words I needed to hear. Not only has Jimmy been such a powerful voice around HIV and AIDS for decades, but the man quite literally sounds like an angel. I reached out to him as a complete fan boy, but now consider him a real good friend. He encouraged me to do the song for myself. He taught me ‘glamour’ is a Scottish word. And, most importantly, he reminded me to not take myself too seriously, no good comes from that!

‘Am I Hideous?’ feels far less like a question I’m asking the world now. I know the answer. As scary as it still feels, I’m excited to share this music with you, and I hope you enjoy it. Lots of love, Oliver xx.”

Hideous Bastard is out 9/9 via Young. Pre-order it here.

Billie Eilish, Coldplay, Charlie Puth, Shawn Mendes, Chloe x Halle, and 5 Seconds Of Summer have signed Global Citizen’s new open letter to end extreme poverty, which is part of its 2022 campaign. It calls for “breaking systemic barriers that keep people in poverty” and “empowering young women and girls across the world,” demanding that global leaders focus on these urgent issues, especially climate change.

Other celebrities who signed the letter include Adam Lambert, Alessia Cara, Alok, Bill Nye, Billy Porter, Camilo, Cathy Freeman, Connie Britton, Criolo, Cyndi Lauper, DJ Cuppy, Duran Duran, Ebuka Obi-Uchendu, Femi Kuti, Finneas, Hugh Jackman and Deborra-Lee Furness, Lali, Lang Lang, Made Kuti, Måneskin, Muzi, Nancy Isime, Nile Rodgers, Nomzamo Mbatha, Padma Lakshmi, Rachel Brosnahan, Ricky Martin, Sabrina Elba, and Tropkillaz.

Eilish in particular is known for her devotion to bringing awareness to climate issues. Next month, she’ll be hosting a climate change seminar in London that will span six days and include fellow musicians like Vivienne Westwood, Girl In Red, Glastonbury co-organizer Emily Eavis, and more. She also had an inspirational ad campaign that addressed how young people can use technology for good by connecting with each other, inspiring grassroots activism, and pressuring large corporations to be more sustainable. “We all have the potential to make a positive impact on our planet, and I’m hopeful our generation will use their platforms to collaborate and communicate and make a difference,” she said in a video.

Today, Time revealed the 2022 Time100 list made up of the 100 most influential people in the world and music was well represented. Mary J. Blige, Jazmine Sullivan, Questlove, Adele, Jon Batiste, Miranda Lambert, and Michelle Zauner have all been selected for this year’s grand recognition. For the list’s 19th iteration, each nominee has been paired with a guest contributor tapped to write about them, and that list also boasts some big names in James Corden (Adele), Quincy Jones (Jon Batiste), Nas (Mary J. Blige), Elle King (Miranda Lambert), Amber Riley (Jazmine Sullivan), Jimmy Fallon (Questlove), and Bowen Yang (Michelle Zauner).

Blige, the “Queen of Hip-Hop Soul,” has been selected as one of the cover stars, joining Zendaya, Tim Cook, Mia Mottley, and Simu Liu. “Mary came up the way we all did. She was a voice for us, but she wasn’t like other R&B artists at the time. She became a household name early because she was a hip-hop artist who also sang. The industry needed someone like that,” Nas wrote of Blige. Jon Batiste is set to be one of the speakers at the Time100 Summit on June 7 in New York City. Oprah Winfrey, Quinta Brunson, Zoe Kravitz, and Ketanji Brown Jackson are among other notable names, as this year’s list features 49 women. Check out the full list here.

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