Let’s cut to the chase. If you haven’t seen Paul McCartney live before, go see him. Please. Heck, even if you have seen him before, go see him again. If you need someone to give you a reason why, think of it as going to see the Grand Canyon or Michelangelo’s David in Florence. No matter what you think the experience will be, actually being there in their presence, with all five senses taking in the moment, is precisely the thing that makes being alive worth it. Paul McCartney is Yosemite or Banff or the Eifel Tower. He’s music’s greatest national park, its remaining 7th Wonder Of The World.

Macca will turn 80 years old in about a month. But you wouldn’t know it in Los Angeles on Friday night. Performing in front of a packed SoFi Stadium that just hosted the Super Bowl, he made his way through 36 songs over the course of 2.5 hours of music. He didn’t take many breaks, occasionally slowing things down to tell a story about one of his old friends John or George, or thanking director Peter Jackson for cutting some Get Back footage for the tour. As someone with parents near his age, or as someone with a President also near his age, seeing what McCartney can still do on stage is miraculous. For someone with as much timeless music in his catalog, no one ever expected he’d also become timeless as a performer.

But while I can go over the many highlights of the show, from the pyro spectacle that accompanied “Live And Let Die” (the heat warmed up the stadium’s floor section so much, I was legitimately worried about the former Beatle) to his memories of the civil rights movement inspiring “Blackbird,” there were few moments that didn’t feel special. And particularly following a strong couple of years for McCartney-led musical endeavors (aside from the Disney+ Get Back film taking over social media for a week last year, there was his recent McCartney III solo album, reissues of RAM and Wild Life, and a collection of his lyrics, appropriately titled THE LYRICS: 1956 to the Present), the evening’s presumed nostalgia still felt as relevant as possible, as one of the world’s best living songwriters is still finding ways to connect to fans and keep his work in the cultural conversation.

On this night, though, I often found myself looking around, away from the stage. The joy that permeated the massive stadium (which, though I have been for a few football games, I have to acknowledge SoFi is also a pretty great sounding and comfortable location for a big show, instantly placing itself as the area’s best option for the size) was unmistakable and contagious. I saw a pair of grandparents walking in their young child of maybe six years old, with the kid gleefully excited and quizzing their elders about the times they had seen Macca previously. Another kid next to us knew the lyrics to Beatles songs better than I did. A security guard for the show was next to me in line for merch, buying up t-shirts for his family, clearly not treating this like another day at the office. The influencers were out taking selfies with Paul performing in the background, while another person in a wheelchair couldn’t help but swerve his device through the aisles to the music, swept up in the songs and dancing the best way he knew how.

There is a bit of melancholy involved with the concert, too. And maybe that’s what really highlights the beauty and joy of McCartney in 2022. From his wife Linda to his producer George Martin to his old bandmates John and George, Paul McCartney has lived to see many of his closest friends and loved ones pass on. And while he gave many of them their shine and paused for audience applause, he also seems to know that the best thing he can do for their legacy is continuing on, playing these songs for tens of thousands, living a life that honors all those that have lived closely with him.

The Grand Canyon is 6 million years old. The sculpture of David has been standing for more than 500 years. And McCartney is nearing 80, with some of his songs having been heard for more than 50 years. These things are all eternal, as much as anything is; as long as there are people to witness them, they will still exist. But we, the audience, have a finite time. If the last few years of the pandemic have taught us anything, it’s how fleeting this time can be, and how much we take it for granted. So don’t waste YOUR time. Go experience these things while you can. Especially Paul.

Amazon already previewed The Boys‘ introduction of ripped (but exhausted) Jensen Ackles in a Season 3 teaser trailer. Naturally, we saw many other new developments, including Billy Butcher gaining Supe powers and Homelander (still completely screwed-up) sourcing his milk fetish in a dubious new way. The show also gave a glimpse of the musical episode on the way, but don’t expect anything wholesome from this show, and this new Season 3 trailer is here to reinforce that vibe, at least for the coming season.

Naturally, the way that the head-exploding show teased this trailer’s arrival is on point.

Yep, this show won’t calm down anytime soon. After all, this season will deliver the “Herogasm” episode, and Chace Crawford has already admitted that he wondered whether he’d work again after what The Deep does in this third installment. And the trailer begins with Homelander (as expected) obviously not being in a good place after the last season finale’s events, which left him yanking his own chain from atop a skyscraper, with god only knows what effects after that stuff headed to Earth’s surface. He’s never been sane (or safe), but somehow, he’s even more off his rocker than usual while launching into a media redemption tour. It’s hard to imagine him being even more of a loose cannon than he already was while leaving an entire plane of people to die, but Homelander seems keen to one-up himself.

His number could be up, too, what with Queen Maeve finally having enough from him and helping Butcher gain those Supe powers. As promised, this trailer also raises questions about Ackles’ Soldier Boy and Payback:

Long story short, Soldier Boy’s arrival could help introduce another group of Compound V-powered Supes called Payback. They’re led by Soldier Boy (who’s a riff on Captain America), and in the comics, Stormfront factored huge into the group. However, viewers will recall that Stormfront was reduced to a blabbering as a burned-up mess (due to Homelander’s kiddo really letting her have it) in the Season 2 finale and was assumed to be out of commission forever. Will that assumption stick in the TV show? No clue there, but in the comics, Payback directly antagonizes The Boys, and Butcher’s ready for them. Not only that, but Payback members are all failed previous candidates to join the Seven, so if they factor heavily into the season, expect the umbrages to be real.

The Boys are back (that’s obligatory phrasing) on June 3.

The best new hip-hop this week includes albums, videos, and songs from Kendrick Lamar, Lil Baby, Post Malone, and more.

For all longtime readers, I would like to introduce myself. My name is Armon Sadler and I’ll be taking this column over. I’m extremely excited to bring you all the best new hip-hop every week, and hopefully, I can put you on to some good stuff.

Here is the best of hip-hop this week ending May 13, 2022.

Albums/EPs/Mixtapes

Kendrick Lamar — Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers

Kendrick Lamar’s long-awaited return comes in the form of an 18-song double-disc, though slightly shorter than the double discs we have experienced in the past. His TDE farewell, Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers boasts features from Blxst, Summer Walker, Sampha, Ghostface Killah, Kodak Black, and more. Lamar opens up about therapy, father issues, having relations with the other sex, and much more in his latest offering.

Blac Youngsta — 4Life

The Memphis rapper returns with his third studio album, loaded with car-rattling production, humorous yet cocky bars, and energetic features as per usual. 21 Savage especially shows out on “Nobody” and 42 Dugg on “Threat.”

Leikeli47 — Shape Up

Leikeli47 brings big energy and bars galore to her third studio album, with the sole feature of Miss J Alexander. Shape Up is led by “Chitty Bang, ” “BITM,” and “LL Cool J” but “Secret Service” may be the standout out of everything present.

Quelle Chris — Deathfame

Quelle Chris brings his soulful rapping and love for lo-fi production back outside across Deathface‘s 14 tracks. Pink Siifu, Navy Blue, and more join the lyrical exhibition as well.

Lil Eazzyy — Too Eazzyy

Chicago spitter Lil Eazzyy came through with a 10-piece this week. He is as menacing as ever, adding NLE Choppa and Shoebox Baby to the mix just to ensure they aren’t taken lightly either.

Cantrell — Beware II: The Clowns Perform EP

Cantrell provides a buffet of records in the new EP Beware II: The Clowns Perform. Popular journalist Rob Markman, Vada Veli, and Retro Landy add their own flavors to Cantrell’s second iteration of the Beware series.

Singles/Videos

Lil Baby — “Dark Mode”

Lil Baby said he already got his Rookie of the Year award and now he’s ready for his MVP in the new black and white video “Dark Mode.” What makes the bars hit even harder is who stars in the visual powered by Beats By Dre: Memphis Grizzlies sensation Ja Morant, a fellow Rookie of The Year recipient. The two take turns grilling the camera and practicing their jump shots as the “We Paid” artist delivers his usual impassioned,

Reason — “Churchill Downs Freestyle”

TDE’s Reason popped out this week with his take on Jack Harlow’s “Churchill Downs” featuring Drake, a standout record from his sophomore album Come Home The Kids Miss You. Reason spoke on how he’s drinking water and partying less, losing brothers, fighting trauma from his father, and he doesn’t engage with Geminis anymore. Though he’s isolating 1/12 of his fanbase with such a statement, surely his core is happy to hear from the artist and anticipating more music.

Kota The Friend — “Up”

Kota The Friend sounds determined as ever, proclaiming he’s going up over an illustrious church organ and simple drums. His flow molds itself easily to the mid-tempo anthem bursting with confidence.

Dreezy ft. Coi Leray — “Balance My Lows”

Dreezy and Coi Leray trade melodic flows reflecting on the ups and downs of life in “Balance My Lows.” Through it all, they keep winning and have much to celebrate in this fun record.

Rick Hyde ft. Rome Streetz — “Poza”

Rick Hyde and Rome Streetz bar up over The Alchemist’s signature production on “Poza.” It’s too easy for two seasoned pros like them, especially when given such an alley-oop of a beat.

King Combs ft. Dreamdoll — “Gas You Up”

King Combs’ affinity for flipping classics continues, as he taps Dreamdoll for “Gas You Up.” The upbeat bop samples Lil Mama’s “Lip Gloss,” maintaining the same tempo to recapture that 2007 feeling and simply add a modern spin. Combs and Doll list all of the great qualities of the objects of their affection, saying it’s only right they gave them such praise. Depending on marketing, this could do something in the summer.

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

Geeks are back, have you heard? They didn’t really go anywhere but…Netflix announced that Geeks are back, so Geeks are Back! For its second annual Geeked Week, Netflix will be giving first looks and behind-the-scenes teasers for some of their highly-anticipated projects in the works. It seems like the term “geek” is pretty loose here. Here is the official description:

Netflix’s Geeked Week is back on June 6-10 with its five-day live virtual fan fest. The event will celebrate Netflix’s genre slate with exclusive news, sneak peeks, talent panels and more from our genre films, series, and games. Join us for Geeked Week everyday June 6th – 10th

Some of the projects include Resident Evil, Umbrella Academy, and Cyberpunk: Edgerunners. Of course, there is an entire day dedicated to Netflix’s favorite child, Stranger Things, which drops its fourth season next week.

There will also be a first look at the highly-anticipated adaptation of Neil Gaiman’s The Sandman starring Tom Sturridge as Dream and Gwendoline Christie as Lucifer. There were also some quick glimpses at Shadow and Bone, Sweet Tooth, Gray Man, First Kill, and plenty of others. Perhaps The Geeks will be the ones to save Netflix, since they have been having some trouble keeping their dedicated fans happy as of late.

Check out the trailer above. Geeked Week takes place virtually from June 6th-10th.

It’s a great time for emo. My Chemical Romance, who infamously broke up in 2013, just released “The Foundations Of Decay,” their first song in years, and now 90s icons Sunny Day Real Estate have announced their long-awaited reunion tour. Rumors of this circulated earlier this year, plus the band was on the lineup for Riot Fest and Furnace Fest; this tour, though, goes over the whole country and features fellow cult-followed emo group The Appleseed Cast.

The tour begins in Lawrence, Kansas in September and ends in Seattle, Washington at the Moore Theatre. The band lineup retains the same vocalist, guitarist, and drummer, but not the original bassist. Check out the full dates below.

09/13 — Lawrence, KS @ Liberty Hall
09/14 — Omaha, NE @ The Admiral
09/17 — Chicago, IL @ Riot Fest*
09/18 — Detroit, MI @ St. Andrew’s Hall
09/20 — Asheville, NC @ The Orange Peel
09/22 — Orlando, FL @ House of Blues
09/23 — Atlanta, GA @ The Masquerade
09/24 — Birmingham, AL @ Furnace Fest
09/26 — Silver Spring, MD @ The Fillmore
09/27 — Cleveland, OH @ House of Blues Cleveland
09/29 — Brooklyn, NY @ Brooklyn Steel
09/30 — Brooklyn, NY @ Brooklyn Steel
10/01 — Philadelphia, PA @ The Fillmore
10/03 — Boston, MA @ House of Blues
12/03 — Salt Lake City, UT @ The Depot
12/04 — Denver, CO @ Ogden Theater
12/06 — Austin, TX @ Emo’s
12/07 — Houston, TX @ Warehouse Live
12/08 — Dallas, TX @ Studio at The Factory
12/10 — Phoenix, AZ @ The Van Buren
12/11 — San Diego, CA @ The Observatory SD
12/12 — Los Angeles, CA @ The Wiltern
12/14 — San Francisco, CA @ Regency Ballroom
12/16 — Portland, OR @ Roseland Theater
12/18 — Seattle, WA @ The Moore Theatre
* no the Appleseed Cast

Find ticket information here.

The Phoenix Suns played their worst game of the season on Sunday night, which was a bad time to do so considering it was Game 7 of the Western Conference semifinals. They now will head into their offseason trying to figure out what could’ve been and what needs to happen for them to get back to the NBA Finals next year.

Their biggest decision has to do with Deandre Ayton, who is a restricted free agent after they would not give him a max extension this offseason, and Ayton’s benching after 17 minutes of play in Game 7 only raised questions about his future in Phoenix. However, not retaining Ayton would leave a massive hole in the middle, so barring a sign-and-trade, it’s hard to imagine the Suns would just let him walk. Of bigger concern is how old Chris Paul suddenly looked after turning 37 after Game 2 of the series, as the combination of Mavs ball pressure with the work the Pelicans made him do in the first round appeared to catch up with him quickly.

The team is built around the idea that they have two elite shot creators with he and Booker, but Paul was not able to find that same gear in the series — with it being reported after Game 7 he had a nagging quad injury. Paul will turn 38 next postseason, and it’s fair to wonder how much he has left in the tank. If you ask some around the league, like longtime foe Patrick Beverley, he’s already cooked, as Beverley went to New York on Monday for ESPN’s Get Up! and went scorched earth on Paul, yelling about how he can’t guard and is a “cone” on defense, to the dismay of Stephen A. Smith.

Any time someone can leave Stephen A. speechless, it’s an impressive television performance, and Beverley very clearly enjoyed the opportunity to get these Chris Paul takes off his chest.

He doubled down on that take later in the show when opposite JJ Redick, saying Paul should’ve been benched instead of Ayton since he was getting attacked over and over, with Redick noting that if Beverley had a point, particularly if Paul was going to be as passive as he was on offense.

Beverley isn’t exactly an objective voice when it comes to Chris Paul, so I’m not sure you can quite take him as the unquestioned voice of other NBA players here, but his critiques, while presented with an added flair here, are valid and he’s certainly not alone in believing this. Paul’s defense has certainly waned and, particularly for Luka Doncic and the Mavs, he was the target on that end of the floor and their willingness to go at him over and over seemed to wear him down over the course of the series to where he was unable to hold up.

However, Beverley wasn’t done with his performance, as he, Smith, and Redick took it over to the First Take studio across the hall and he had more material in the bag, this time bringing Paul George into the fold by saying they were talking last night about how no one was scared of the Suns.

It’s good to know that Beverley is as much of an instigator in the TV studio as he is on the court. However, it’s objectively funny that he and Paul George, two players eliminated from the playoffs currently, were commiserating over how they wanted to play the Phoenix Suns in a playoff series that they never got to because they were, again, eliminated before having that opportunity.

With Donald Trump’s chances of returning to Twitter going down in flames thanks to Elon Musk showing signs that he could be backing out of the acquisition, the former president is now stuck promoting his own sorely neglected social media company, Truth Social. Unfortunately, that involves Trump being able to actually say the words, “Truth Social,” which is clearly not his strong suit.

A growing number of videos are cropping up of Trump struggling to pronounce the name of his own company. Here he is calling it “Troth Social.”

Catching wind of Trump’s inability to say the words truth and social together in a sentence, The Daily Show‘s Desi Lydic went to town on the platform they’re now calling “TrothTruthSenchal.”

Over the weekend, Trump attempted to downplay his excitement over rejoining Twitter by mocking the social company and chiding Musk for buying too many “bad stocks.” Trump touted Truth Social as the superior platform, which was an interesting development considering he’d been ignoring it for months amidst reports of frequent crashes. Jimmy Kimmel recently quipped that it’s “the social media equivalent of Radio Shack.”

However, The Hollywood Reporter recently revealed that Trump is contractually obligated to post on Truth Social first and must wait six hours before using any other platform. The former president is essentially chained to his own social media company regardless of whether his Twitter ban is reversed. No wonder Trump can barely say the name Truth Social. It’s his prison, his curse…

(Via The Daily Show, Acyn on Twitter)

Keeping up with new music can be exhausting, even impossible. From the weekly album releases to standalone singles dropping on a daily basis, the amount of music is so vast it’s easy for something to slip through the cracks. Even following along with the Uproxx recommendations on a daily basis can be a lot to ask, so every Monday we’re offering up this rundown of the best new music this week.

This week saw Kendrick Lamar dominate all conversation in the music world with his feverishly anticipated new album. Yeah, it was a great week for new music. Check out the highlights below.

For more music recommendations, check out our Listen To This section, as well as our Indie Mixtape and Pop Life newsletters. Also find our Uproxx HQ Spotify playlist, which is updated weekly with the best new music, at the end of this post.

Kendrick Lamar — “N95”

Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers was the most anticipated hip-hop album since probably the 2017 release of Lamar’s Damn. The album has been out for a few days now and thousands of hours have surely been spent listening to and dissecting it. After the LP dropped, Lamar put the focus on one track in particular by dropping a video for “N95,” a cinematic and eventful clip.

Post Malone — “Cooped Up” Feat. Roddy Ricch

Last week was indisputably all about Lamar, but Post Malone had himself a nice run, too: He stopped by The Tonight Show ahead of his appearance on Saturday Night Live, where he performed the new single he released last week. The song is the Roddy Ricch collaboration “Cooped Up,” a song that perhaps could have been called “Pooped Up.”

The Smile — “Thin Thing”

While Radiohead proper hasn’t had an album since 2016’s A Moon Shaped Pool, two of the band’s primary figures — Thom Yorke and Jonny Greenwood — teamed up with Sons Of Kemet drummer Tom Skinner to form a new band, The Smile. A year after making their public debut in May 2021, they’ve released their debut album, A Light For Attracting Attention. Uproxx’s Steven Hyden notes of final pre-album single “Thin Thing,” “[Skinner’s] machine-like Motorik groove on ‘Thin Thing’ accentuates the song’s robo-funk amid the splashes of sci-fi synths.”

Tate McRae — “What Would You Do?”

Pop up-and-comer Tate McRae has a new LP, I Used To Think I Could Fly, on the way, which she previewed last week with “What Would You Do?.” As has become more common in pop over the past couple years, McRae works a rock influence into the single, which plays well with her pop melodies.

My Chemical Romance — “The Foundations Of Decay”

Since MCR’s 2013 break-up, Gerard Way had tremendous success in the comic book world, creating The Umbrella Academy (which was adapted into a Netflix series) and co-creating Peni Parker, an alternate version of Spider-Man who would later appear in Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse. So, it seemed he was fully over MCR, or at least too busy to revisit it. However, the group reunited in 2019 and last week returned with their first comeback single, “The Foundations Of Decay,” a six-minute, in-your-face epic.

Bartees Strange — “Hold The Line”

Bartees took on a powerful topic on his latest single, saying of the song’s inspiration, “I remember watching George Floyd’s daughter talk about the death of her father and thinking wow — what a sad introduction to Black American life for this young person. It was painful to watch her grow up in that moment, like all Black kids eventually do.”

Death Cab For Cutie — “Roman Candles”

Ben Gibbard and company have been going at it for decades now, and soon they’ll reach the decade milestone in terms of albums, as they recently announced their tenth LP, Asphalt Meadows. Alongside that news came “Roman Candles,” a rock-forward track that’s a strong introduction to the album, both by itself and in that it’s structured like a two-minute album-opener.

Burna Boy — “Last Last”

African music is having a major moment right now; Tems recently became the first African artist to debut at No. 1 on the Hot 100, for example. Burna Boy, perhaps the biggest artist to ever emerge from Nigeria, made his voice heard last week with “Last Last.” Uproxx’s Wongo Okon notes that on the song, “Burna conquers heartbreak and reinforces the claim that he is the best of the best.”

Vic Mensa and Chance The Rapper — “Wraith (Writing Exercise #3)”

Chance has kept busy since 2017’s The Big Day, but not necessarily with new music. Fans are still awaiting a new album and while one hasn’t been announced yet, he’s been more active on the musical front this year. After dropping “Child Of God” in March, he popped up alongside fellow Chicago favorite Mensa on “Wraith (Writing Exercise #3),” which sees the pair just straight-up rapping for two minutes and change.

Florence And The Machine — “Dream Girl Evil”

Last week was a tough one for releasing an album if your name isn’t Kendrick Lamar, because inevitably, that’s where all the attention went. Nonetheless, Florence And The Machine had an anticipated release of their own: Their fifth album, Dance Fever. Included on the LP is “Dream Girl Evil,” a classic example of the group’s storied combination of soaring instrumentation and equally lofty vocals from Florence Welch.

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

Since their debut in early 2021, Silk Sonic has been a welcomed helping of nostalgia in an era where too many artists lean on the magic of yesteryears. For their 2022 Billboard Music Awards performance debut, Anderson .Paak and Bruno Mars delivered a cover of Con Funk Shun’s “Love’s Train” accompanied by backup vocalists and live instrumentalists. Clad in red suits, .Paak sported the same laid hair he sported at this year’s Grammys as he and Mars sang their hearts out. It didn’t just stop at vocals, as they also had tight choreography to fully push the barbershop quarter-like showing.

Though the duo did not bring home any awards together, Bruno Mars did walk away with Top R&B Tour recognition for his work at Park MGM. This likely wasn’t too disappointing as they won every Grammy they received a nomination for at the April show, namely Best R&B Performance, Best R&B Song, Song of The Year, and Record of The Year. Their long-awaited album An Evening With Silk Sonic was released in November 2021, backed by successful singles “Leave The Door Open,” “Skate,” and “Smokin Out The Window.” Given their popularity and talent, one could say the door is left wide open for many more awards down the road if this album wasn’t a one-and-done situation.

Check out their performance of “Love Train” at the 2022 BBMAs above.

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

After Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings officially cemented Simu Liu as a Marvel superstar, the Canadian actor had his choice of roles. One project he immediately jumped on was the live-action Barbie movie starring Margot Robbie and directed by Greta Gerwig. During a recent interview in London where the film is shooting, Liu revealed how he ended up in the star-studded production thanks to an agent who went HAM over the Barbie script. Via GQ:

He was on a group call with his entire team, who ran him through an array of prospective big-budget studio films for him to star in. None of them particularly stood out, until one junior agent spoke up, describing one of the best scripts he’s ever read. “He literally said this verbatim,” Liu recalls. “He was like, ‘If I could stake my career on any one script, it’s the Barbie script. I really think you should do it.’”

According to Liu, he made Gerwig laugh during the audition, which helped him locked down the role that will apparently involve a lot of dancing. Gerwig found it hilarious that Liu had a background in competitive hip-hop dancing, and that was enough to get him on the project. “She audibly guffawed, she giggle-screamed – and then I got the part,” Liu said.

Liu joins an all-star cast that includes Robbie as Barbie, Ryan Gosling as Ken, and a strong comedic presence thanks to Issa Rae, Michael Cera, and Will Ferrell rounding out the production.

(Via GQ)