GoneTrending

In the next few weeks, Pharrell will kick off the second edition of his Something In The Water music festival. He first debuted the showcase back in 2019 in his hometown of Virginia Beach, and while he intended to hold it again in the years that followed, some outside forces caused a second edition to be delayed until this year. The COVID pandemic forced cancellations in 2020 and 2021, and towards the end of the latter year, he announced that the festival would no longer be held in Virginia Beach due to the city’s “toxic energy” following their response to his cousin’s murder by a police officer.

Months later, Pharrell announced Something In The Water would bring its warm energy to Washington DC, and now, it appears that he may also perform a new song for the first time there. That’s because just a week before the festival kicks off, Pharrell will release “Cash In Cash Out,” his upcoming collaboration with Tyler the Creator and 21 Savage. The song is set to arrive on June 10 and Pharrell shared the news about it in an announcement that also provided a pre-save link for fans. The post also comes complete with artwork that presents animated versions of Pharrell, Tyler the Creator, and 21 Savage.

Pharrell’s announcement comes after Tyler won a Grammy for Best Rap Album for Call Me If You Get Lost earlier this year. As for 21 Savage, it comes after he brought his talents to the Coachella stage last month.

You can view the announcement for the song in the post above.

Everyone is on TikTok, including Pink Floyd. They joined yesterday, which was no ordinary day — it was the 50th anniversary of the first recording session for their 1973 classic The Dark Side of the Moon. Their first post had “Breathe (In the Air)” playing in the background while the video was their prism logo rotating.

The band said in a statement: “In giving the global platform access to their music, Pink Floyd encourages innovative film making through these unique mediums.”

Earlier this year, the band pulled their music from Russian streaming services. They made a statement about it on Twitter, saying, “To stand with the world in strongly condemning Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the works of Pink Floyd, from 1987 onwards, and all of David Gilmour’s solo recordings are being removed from all digital music providers in Russia and Belarus from today.”

They also recently performed together again for their first original song in 26 years with “Hey, Hey Rise Up,” featuring Andriy Khlyvnyuk, the singer of the Ukrainian band BoomBox. All of the proceeds from the track went to the Ukrainian Humanitarian Fund. It was a momentous release, as the last time Pink Floyd release original music was 1994’s The Division Bell.

You can view Pink Floyd’s TikTok in the post above.

Netflix is the streamer that started it all, but its hot streak may have come to an end. The service has been losing subscribers left and right, to the point where they’ve done the unthinkable: threaten to launch a cheaper, ad-supported version to lure back those who vamoosed over their ever-rising prices. (Those angry over its stable of comics who keep making trans jokes may not be sated by that one.)

Another solution they’ve been daring to try: cut down on password sharing. That hasn’t happened in the U.S. yet, but Netflix has for the last two months been effectively beta testing it in three Latin American countries, namely Costa Rica, Chile, and Peru. And judging from a recent report that examined the latter nation, those efforts have been going pretty terribly.

As caught by Insider, Rest of World spoke to over a dozen Netflix subscribers in Peru, where they’ve found confusion over one of the main rules of password sharing: the idea that you can only share it with your “household.” Some think it means your family, who may not live in the same home. Alas, Netflix really does define “household” as people living in the same house, related or not. That confusion, though, has put people at risk of breaking the rules.

Mind you, Netflix subscribers in those three nations can share their passwords; they just need to add an additional monthly fee to their subscription — about $2 or $3 per person not in their household.

Thing is, even people who are still sharing passwords across “households” (that is, Netflix’s definition of the term) have yet to actually be penalized. So no one appears to be minding the store. And who’s to say how many subscribers they’ll lose once they start doing that.

(Via Rest of World and Insider)

As we reach the end of May, a month to celebrate the Asian American Pacific Islander community, we are highlighting inspiring artisans with origins from Asian countries, celebrating their work and culture. This month is a chance for us to celebrate the diversity of the Asian diaspora and to uplift those in the AAPI community and beyond, all year round but, especially this month. At Upworthy, we are lucky to have an incredibly diverse team and we are honoured to share some personal stories by the creators and their collections at our store, where purchasing beautiful products directly goes towards supporting these artisans.

---

Matta Nandrakwang’s Story

“My name is Matta Nandrakwang, I was born and raised in Chiang Rai, the northernmost province in Thailand next to the border with Myanmar (Burma). I grew up appreciating this naturally beautiful area, home to rich and diverse cultures as well as many ancient ethnic tribes. Since the area is rich with gems and the main activity was their trade, I began to learn and develop a passion for the various gemstones. I realized I had much to learn about gems and jewelry, and decided to enroll in gemology school. There I learned all about gems and jewelry making. I learned on my own about bead-making. This passion is still with me after many years. I have opened my own studio now, and I derive great joy from sharing my enthusiasm and knowledge of gems and jewelry with my visitors.” – Matta Nandrakwang

View Artisan Collection

www.novica.com

Ying and Joy’s Story

“Hello! We are Ying and Joy, co-founders of a small clothing workshop in Chiang Mai. We create woven, knitted, hand-embroidered, and dyed garments. We were born and raised in Chiang Mai. We studied and worked here and were friends since working together at a clothing company. Our new chapter began with an unexpected change, but we turned crisis into opportunity in order to build our new home where our friends and family could live together. After the company closed, a group of women with different skills in our old factory had to return to their homes located in different parts of Chiang Mai. Some of them went back to longan farming. Most of them were over 40, so it was hard to find other garment factories to work in. Our project was the best way to help them. We used our contacts from our old company and started to develop our own pieces. Ying comes up with designs and marketing strategies. Joy performs quality control, exports, and contacts the leader of each women’s group. Our designs are inspired by love, nature, positive thoughts, happiness, our experiences, love, and passion. We hope you will love them.” – Ying and Joy

View Artisan Collection

market.upworthy.com

Danai Leosawathiphong’s Story

“My name is Danai Leosawathiphong. I was born March 20, 1949 in northern Thailand. My grandfather was a Chinese immigrant from the Canton province. He emigrated to Thailand at the end of the 19th century when he was in his early twenties. He was a very hard working person trading goods all along the river and during that time he met my partner’s grandfather. In 1976, Ilkay and I came back to Thailand. Originally my family and partner’s family planned to get into mining. And in order to analyze the rocks, ores and minerals, we needed to set up a lab. Then my partner’s father suggested that we could also use the lab to create something representative of the area, and we came up with the idea of covering natural products such as exotic flowers and plants with gold. Well, the easiest way was to experiment with copper. I think our creations have a lot of potential.” – Danai Leosawathiphong

View Artisan Collection

www.novica.com

Wayan Buana’s Story

“My name is I Wayan Buana. I was born in Sukawati, Bali in 1974. My father was a civil servant while my mother was a food seller. I’m the oldest child of four children. I remember my childhood was so happy. My parents really loved and took care of their children well. Because our family’s economic condition was so limited, I worked after school so I could pay the school fees of my siblings, and also help my parents. In Sukawati, most of the villagers are wood carvers, silversmiths and clothing sellers. It’s also famous because of its rich culture and arts. For those who are looking for inspiration, you can find tons of ideas amid Bali’s tranquil atmosphere and beautiful scenery.

My enthusiasm for silver jewelry crafting started when I was still in the 6th grade. The father of well-known featured artisan Komang Wijayana was the one who taught me. Once I was around 15, I was finally able to create jewelry by myself and help out with orders from clients. Another thing I love about making silver jewelry is because I can also preserve my ancestral culture. Most of my designs are influenced by Balinese traditions, and also the beauty of nature on the island.

When I received an award as your best-selling artisan in Bali, that motivated me to make even better jewelry. Since joining you in 2006, a lot has changed in my life. I now own a house where my family and I live, and this has been completely life-changing. One thing I can do to repay this is to give you my very best work.” – Wayan Buana

View Artisan Collection

cdn11.bigcommerce.com

Thatsanee and Ramphan’s Story

Thatsanee and Ramphan are two Thai artisans who have formed a very profitable alliance. Thatsanee, the business savvy woman behind this operation is very outgoing and engages easily in a conversation about her passion for celadon. Her background is in banking and management, but her heart fell for celadon production. She began a small celadon production business with a partner and has flourished for more than three decades. The fruits of her passion are now well evident.

Ramphan, quiet and reserved, is Chiangmai Celadons’ best artisan. Not only does her friendship with Thatsanee span many years, their unique skillsets produce exquisite products that span generations of Thai art and decoration. Ramphan started out as a student with a burning desire to learn more and the drive to constantly advance her skills. Today her unique “story-telling” style shows her exquisite attention to fine detail. After watching her work, I’m amazed at the concentration and attention required for the tiny, perfectly painted lines, swirls, and splashes to come together into fine Thai art.

From tableware to modern art, Thai celadon has made the leap into Thai Heritage Collections and art pieces. Thatsanee admits her products are no longer for everyday use but are specifically created to preserve the long-held techniques of the artisans and the culture of bygone Thai generations.

View Artisan Collection

www.novica.com

Even before the show aired, Lucasfilm warned Obi-Wan Kenobi actress Moses Ingram that she may be the target of racism from the worst corners of the Star Wars fanbase. Sure enough, she was. After the spinoff premiered over the holiday weekend, Ingram was, like John Boyega and Kelly Marie Tran before them, pelted with bigoted online attacks. On Tuesday, the Star Wars team formally stood by her, and later that day, so did star/executive producer Ewan McGregor.

The actor began the message by thanking people for making Obi-Wan Kenobi the “most-watched Disney+ premiere of all time.” He then shifted to the attacks on Ingram, which he unequivocally condemned, even calling out those angry that a franchise that has always included Black actors in prominent roles is still doing it.

“It seems that some of the fan base has decided to attack Moses Ingram online and send her the most horrendous, racist DMS. I heard some of them this morning, and it just broke my heart,” he said. He continued:

“Moses is a brilliant actor. She is a brilliant woman. And she is absolutely amazing in this series. She brings so much to the series, she brings so much to the franchise. And it just sickened me to my stomach that this had been happening. I just want to say as the lead actor in the series, as the executive producer on the series, that we stand with Moses. We love Moses. And if you’re sending her bullying messages, you’re no Star Wars fan in my mind. There’s no place for racism in this world. And I totally stand with Moses.”

On Obi-Wan Kenobi, Ingram plays the relentless and exacting Inquisitor hunting down Jedi, who are now considered illegal under Sith rule. New episodes drop on Disney+ every Thursday.

Last week, Top Gun: Maverick which stars Tom Cruise, Miles Teller, Jennifer Connelly, and more, became available to watch in theatres and it wasted no time breaking box office records. Thursday night’s showing of Top Gun: Maverick was the highest preview sales ever recorded for a Memorial Day weekend as the film brought in $19.3 million. The movie also had the biggest opening weekend in Cruise’s career as he had yet to cross the $100 million-mark for a weekend in in his star career. The success of Top Gun: Maverick is also affecting those like Kenny Loggins who is seeing his 1986 record “Danger Zone,” which appeared in the original Top Gun film, shoot back up the iTunes thanks to its inclusion in the film.

During a recent interview with Variety, Loggins revealed that he recorded a new version of “Danger Zone” for Top Gun: Maverick, but it was left out of the new film. He explained why during the sit-down.

“I tried to do a re-recording where it was sounded, if not exactly like the original, as close as possible — but with better audio and sounds,” Loggins said. “Because that was 36 years ago and the audio had only gone so far. But he wanted the original vibe that song had.” He continued, “It was recorded at Musicland Studios so it was well-recorded, but it would have had a lot more punch if I could have done it in 5.0, but that said, he wanted to keep it reminiscent of the first “Top Gun” and set that mood right from the beginning.”

It remains to be seen if we’ll ever hear the new version of “Danger Zone,” but until then, you can revisit the original in the video above.

A couple of months ago, Arcade Fire finally released the long-awaited, new album We, following the 2017 album Everything Now. Along with the unveiling of the album, there was the unexpected announcement that Will Butler had exited the band. “I left at the end of last year, after the new record was complete,” he wrote. “There was no acute reason beyond that I’ve changed—and the band has changed—over the last almost 20 years. Time for new things. I’m working on a new record; booking some shows this summer. I’m working on music for a David Adjmi play (which is so good). A few other projects percolating.”

One of those projects has already materialized; he has released “A Stranger’s House” and “Nearer To Thee,” his first new solo material since 2020’s Generations. He has also announced a small tour in August, kicking off in Cambridge, MA at The Sinclair and ending in Philadelphia, PA at Johnny Brenda’s.

Listen to “A Stranger’s House” above and “Nearer To Thee” below. Find the full tour dates below.

8/11 – Cambridge, MA @ The Sinclair
8/12 – Montreal, QC @ Theatre Fairmount
8/13 – Toronto, ON @ Lee’s Palace
8/14 – Pittsburgh, PA @ Club Cafe
8/19 – Brooklyn, NY @ Brooklyn Made
8/20 – Washington, DC @ DC9
8/21 – Philadelphia, PA @ Johnny Brenda’s

A couple of months ago, Arcade Fire finally released the long-awaited, new album We, following the 2017 album Everything Now. Along with the unveiling of the album, there was the unexpected announcement that Will Butler had exited the band. “I left at the end of last year, after the new record was complete,” he wrote. “There was no acute reason beyond that I’ve changed—and the band has changed—over the last almost 20 years. Time for new things. I’m working on a new record; booking some shows this summer. I’m working on music for a David Adjmi play (which is so good). A few other projects percolating.”

One of those projects has already materialized; he has released “A Stranger’s House” and “Nearer To Thee,” his first new solo material since 2020’s Generations. He has also announced a small tour in August, kicking off in Cambridge, MA at The Sinclair and ending in Philadelphia, PA at Johnny Brenda’s.

Listen to “A Stranger’s House” above and “Nearer To Thee” below. Find the full tour dates below the video.

8/11 – Cambridge, MA @ The Sinclair
8/12 – Montreal, QC @ Theatre Fairmount
8/13 – Toronto, ON @ Lee’s Palace
8/14 – Pittsburgh, PA @ Club Cafe
8/19 – Brooklyn, NY @ Brooklyn Made
8/20 – Washington, DC @ DC9
8/21 – Philadelphia, PA @ Johnny Brenda’s

Like fellow Twilight alum Robert Pattinson, Kristen Stewart is no stranger to challenging fare. The actress and hopeful future director even won a César, the French equivalent of an Oscar, for her work in Olivier Assayas’ enigmatic Clouds of Sils Maria — then teamed up with him again for the even more mysterious Personal Shopper (the one where she seems to text with a ghost). But her latest may be too much even for fans of her franchise where she can’t decide if she’s in love with a vampire or a werewolf — or, really, for anyone.

That film is Crimes of the Future, the latest from body horror master David Cronenberg (who hasn’t done full-on, gross-out body horror in quite some time). Cronenberg himself has speculated that the movie will prompt mass walk-outs in the first five minutes alone, and no wonder: Its trailer features characters talking about how “surgery is the new sex.” But if are among those who run fleeing from the theater, sounds like Stewart will be cool with that. Indeed, she may even kind of enjoy it.

“Everyone loves to talk about how his movies are difficult to watch and it’s fun to talk about people walking out of Cannes screenings,” Stewart said last week at a presser for the film’s Cannes premiere.

But Stewart, who told Insider she and her fellow actors were unclear what they were doing while filming it, says she’s really into what Cronenberg does, saying that “every single gaping, weird bruise in his movies, it makes my mouth open. You wanna lean in toward it. And it never repulses me ever. The way I feel, it is through really visceral desire and that’s the only reason we’re alive. We’re pleasure sacks.”

Let’s say you agree with Stewart and you really dig all the vomit-sack shots of scalpels slicing human flesh and scientists creating weird organs. Well, there’s a large back catalog of Cronenberg shockers to feast upon, from Shivers to The Brood to Videodrome to his take on The Fly to Naked Lunch to the one Stewart herself watched at a way too young age — all of it featuring a plethora of sights unfit for print here.

Crimes of the Future opens in limited release on June 3.

(Via Insider)

There have been a few records set on Apple Music this year. Kendrick Lamar broke the record for the most first-day streams for an album released on the platform in 2022 with Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers. Elsewhere, Harry Styles broke the record for the most first-day streams for a pop album in 2022 in just two hours with Harry’s House. That trend continues thanks to BTS who broke Apple Music’s record for the biggest radio show in 2022. The platform shared the news today just three days after BTS held the inaugural episode for BTS Radio: Past & Present, their weekly limited series, on May 28.

BTS Radio: Past & Present will only have three episodes that will air weekly leading up to the release of the band’s upcoming anthology album Proof which arrives on June 10. For the first episode, the band gave listeners an exclusive look into songs including “Intro: The Most Beautiful Moment in Life,” “Epilogue: Young Forever,” “I Need U,” “No More Dream” and “We Are Bulletproof, Pt. 2.”

Apple Music’s announcement was one of two big things that happened to BTS today. In other news, the band made a stop at The White House where they held a discussion about anti-Asian hate and Asian representation. BTS later appeared at a White House press briefing where they shared their gratitude for the meeting. “We thank President Biden and The White House for giving this important opportunity to speak about the important causes, remind ourselves of what we can do as artists,” RM said.

You can view Apple Music’s announcement in the post above.