GoneTrending

Everyone’s still reeling from yet another mass shooting, this time at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas but the only thing that can make this situation feel even more helpless is hearing politicians claim they have absolutely no power to change things.

That would apply to Congresswoman Lauren Boebert here, who took to Twitter to weigh in on the tragedy at Robb Elementary School. Currently, the death toll has risen to include 19 children and two adults. That figure is shocking and heartbreaking, mostly because those deaths could’ve been prevented with stricter gun laws, but don’t’ tell that Boebert and her fellow NRA groupies. On Wednesday morning, the Republican representative tweeted this a hollow sentiment in response to calls for gun legislation:

Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is doing the work of telling Boebert and the rest of her “pro-life” set to shut up.

“Why even be in Congress if you don’t believe in doing your job?” AOC questioned in response to Boebert’s tweet. “Just quit and let someone who actually gives a damn do it instead of acting like a useless piece of furniture when babies are shot with AR15s that we let teen boys impulse buy before they can legally have a beer.”

It’s a good question, and Boebert has yet to respond.

Over the past few years, Mura Masa (real name Alex Crossan) has established himself as an artist people want to work with; His list of collaborators includes Charli XCX, ASAP Rocky, Clairo, Damon Albarn, and so many others. That’s thanks largely to the strength of his two album, 2017’s self-titled debut and 2020’s RYC. Now, he’s continuing to build momentum by announcing a new album, Demon Time.

That’s set for release on September 16, but ahead of then, he dropped a new single, “Blessing Me,” a bouncy tune that features Pa Salieu and Skilliben.

Press materials note that when making the album, Crossan had one question in mind: “What’s the most fun thing we can do?” The “we” references the collaborators who helped him make the album, a list that includes Shygirl, Channel Tres, Erika De Casier, Nao, Bayli, Isabella Lovestory, and others. A press release also notes of Crossan’s approach to Demon Time, “For previous albums, Crossan busied himself compiling documents of musical references, moodboards, and various thoughts and ideas to steer his creation process. This time, he was inspired by a note on his phone that just said one word in capital letters: FUN.

Crossan also says of the album title, “It’s devil on the shoulder type fun. Not necessarily the most wholesome, but it’s a really good time.”

Listen to “Blessing Me” above.

Demon Time is out 9/16 via Polydor Records. Pre-order it here.

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

Before Squid Game became one of the most popular streaming shows in 2021, breakout star Jung Ho-yeon was afraid that she actually ruined the show. The model-turned-actress landed the her first-ever acting role on the massively popular (and massively violent) series, which earned her critical acclaim and several award nominations. But after she watched herself on screen for the first time, Jung actually apologized to the director for her performance.

In a new roundtable interview with the Hollywood Reporter, Jung is accompanied by other iconic women of Hollywood, Sandra Oh, Emmy Rossum, Rosario Dawson, Lily James and Christina Ricci, who reflect on their triumphant roles from the last year. The Squid Game star, who played the resilient Kang Sae-byeok, recalls that she was not confident about her character and her acting skills after watching the final cut.

JUNG We watched Squid Game before it came out. The actors did because we had to do promotion and events and stuff, and I thought … am I allowed to swear?
OH Yeah.
JUNG I thought I f*cked up.
JAMES Oh my God, you’re great.
JUNG I thought I totally messed up. My first message to director Hwang after I watched Squid Game was, “I am so sorry. And thank you so much for casting me.” I’m going to cry. It was so stressful. I was trying to prepare for the bad reactions and everything.

Jung then got emotional describing her anxiety and life after the show. “I’m reading a lot of scripts and just starting to educate myself. Like, do you want to tell people about this woman’s life? Or this woman’s life? And then the other side, I’m thinking, ‘I just want to try everything so that I can have more of a sense of what I like, what I want to do.’”

The actress added, “But for now, I just have to keep going even though I make mistakes. Even though I just cried right now. I don’t even know why I cried, but I just have to fight with my anxiety and keep learning and trying.”

Now, Jung has a SAG award and worldwide praise, so she can coast for a little while. Next up, she is set to star in A24’s The Governesses, and an upcoming Apple TV series Disclaimer alongside Cate Blanchett. Most importantly, though, she starred in a music video for The Weeknd earlier this year, which is the mark of a true superstar. Just ask Jim Carrey!

Following last week’s release of Harry’s House, Harry Styles is gearing up to take the proverbial show on the road. Styles’ Love On Tour begins in Europe in June before descending upon famed American arena-sized venues beginning in August, like his upcoming 15-night run at New York City’s Madison Square Garden, five nights at Chicago’s United Center and Austin’s Moody Center, followed by the grand finale 15-night run at the Kia Forum in Los Angeles.

Before this eye-popping run of shows begins (15 nights in NY and LA is some serious stuff!), Styles played two comparatively intimate “One Night Only” shows in New York, and last night in London at the 5,000 person capacity 02 Brixton Academy. He played Harry’s House front to back, before sprinkling in hits like “Watermelon Sugar,” of course. But it was a special birthday song to a fan that might’ve been the most pleasant surprise of the night.

Styles notices that a fan near the front is celebrating a birthday and asks them how old they’re turning. They respond “22,” to which Styles almost instantly breaks out into the a song dance to the chorus of Taylor Swift’s “22.” The crowd went wild and the brief pop music clash of titans moment was captured by a fan at the show. Your moment of zen is below.

Following the Texas school shooting that left 21 people dead, including 19 kids, Texas gubernatorial candidate Beto O’Rourke tweeted, “These massacres aren’t natural disasters, acts of God, or random. They are totally predictable, direct consequences of the choices made by Greg Abbott and the majority of those in the legislature.” The democrat later called on gun-loving Governor Abbott to “immediately withdraw” from the (gun-free) National Rifle Association’s annual convention in Houston this weekend.

On Wednesday, O’Rourke attended a press conference at Uvalde High School, where he approached and criticized Abbott (and his GOP cronies) in person for doing nothing after yet another mass shooting. “You’re offering us nothing. You said this is not predictable. This is totally predictable,” he said. “This is on you until you choose to do something different! This will continue to happen. Somebody needs to stand up for the children of this state, or they will continue to be killed, just as they were in Uvalde yesterday.” His comments were greeted by those on stage with jeers of being told to “sit down” and that he’s “out of order.” The same man also called O’Rourke a “sick son of a b*tch” for making the mass shooting a “political issue.”

O’Rourke was led out of the auditorium by security. Watch it below.

Meanwhile, this was Abbott’s response to the shooting.

O’Rourke’s justified confrontation is being praised on Twitter.

Pristine beaches, sunset views, and endless sunshine make Southern California the perfect location for a weekend full of live music. The BeachLife Festival proved this to be true, as it embraced all things SoCal with a beach-inspired lineup of music, art, and culinary experiences. The waterfront festival took place in Redondo Beach in Los Angeles County from May 13 to 15 (after being cancelled twice because of the pandemic), making for the ultimate summer kickoff event.

The eclectic list of performers featured long-time beloved artists including Weezer, The Smashing Pumpkins, Steve Miller Band, Sheryl Crow, Stone Temple Pilots, Capital Cities, 311, Vance Joy, Black Pumas, and more. With classic live music, tasty food vendors, and DAOU Family Estates as the official wine of BeachLife Festival, it’s safe to say the good vibes kept flowing throughout the weekend-long event.

For a peek into what went down at BeachLife Festival, scroll through the photos below. The scenes and style choices of the weekend are sure to leave you daydreaming about your next California beach trip.

ALSO READ:

• These Outfits From CRSSD Fest Will Get You Hyped For Festival Season
• These Photos From Get Lost Miami Are Sure To Brighten Up Your Week
• A Celebrated New Orleans Executive Chef Shares His Absolute Favorite Food Spots In Town
• Zach Hood’s Guide To Gulf Shores, Alabama — Just In Time For Hangout Music Festival
• These Photos From Nite Rinse’s Three-Year Anniversary Event Will Put You In The Mood To Party

Senior class president Zander Moricz was given a fair warning: If he used his graduation speech to criticize the “Don’t Say Gay” law, then his microphone would be shut off immediately.

Moricz had been receiving a lot of attention for his LGBTQ activism prior to the ceremony. Moricz, an openly gay student at Pine View School for the Gifted in Florida, also organized student walkouts in protest and is the youngest public plaintiff in the state suing over the law formally known as the Parental Rights in Education law, which prohibits the discussion of sexual orientation or gender identity in grades K-3.

See on Instagram

Though well beyond third grade, Moricz nevertheless was also banned from speaking up about the law, gender or sexuality. The 18-year-old tweeted, “I am the first openly-gay Class President in my school’s history–this censorship seems to show that they want me to be the last.”

However, during his speech, Moricz still delivered a powerful message about identity. Even if he did have to use a clever metaphor to do it.

---

Moricz told the audience, “I must discuss the very public part of my identity. This characteristic has probably become the first thing you think of when you think of me as a human being…”

“As you know, I…have curly hair,” he quipped, nonchalantly taking off his grad cap as the crowd began to clap.

If it’s not obvious now, it will soon become clear that “curly hair” is a euphemism for being gay. But it’s also about so much more.

“I used to hate my curls,” he continued. “I spent mornings and nights embarrassed of them, trying to desperately straighten this part of who I am. But the daily damage of trying to fix myself became too much to endure.”

A major criticism of Florida’s new law is that it potentially further discriminates against an already marginalized group. This can be especially damaging to mental health, and for young people in particular. It can be confusing to have a part of one’s reality so heavily politicized, not to mention at a time when that reality isn’t fully understood.

Moricz proceeded to praise a teacher who answered his questions when he didn’t have “other curly haired people to talk to,” highlighting the important role that an accepting community plays in shaping our identity and self-esteem.

“So, while having curly hair in the state of Florida can be difficult, due to the humidity, I decided to be proud of who I was, and started coming to school as my authentic self,” he shared.

Getting emotional, Moricz lamented, “There are going to be so many kids with curly hair who need a community like Pine View and they will not have one. Instead, they’ll try to fix themselves so that they can exist in Florida’s humid climate.”

The use of code words is sadly not a new concept for the LGBTQ community. And while Moricz made good use of clever wordplay, he still found the experience to be “dehumanizing.” Luckily, his speech was met with an outpouring of love from fellow students, who gave him a standing ovation.

Despite the disheartening challenge, Moricz considered the speech a “great finale” to his high school years and is more determined than ever to continue his advocacy by studying government at Harvard. Sometimes when you have something important to say, silence isn’t an option.

As Tom Cruise gets ready to fly into theaters with Top Gun: Maverick, the actor has been making the promotional rounds where he tries to provide the most humble answers possible to questions like, “Why do you almost kill yourself in every movie?” and presumably, “Do you even age, man?” During a recent interview with Bella magazine, Cruise opened up about his tireless work ethic, which he claims comes easily because his job doesn’t feel like work. When asked what he does on his days off, Cruise revealed that he has no idea because he never takes one.

“This is a day off for me, because I am not shooting!” he told Bella (via Contact Music). “I’m just chillin’ now. I don’t have days off. Look, I’m fortunate, I’m lucky. I’ve spent my life on movie sets and traveling the world, which is what I always wanted to do. So this is not work – I’m living the dream.”

Cruise’s claim that he doesn’t take a day off jibes with a recent anecdote from director Doug Liman who not only worked with, but actually lived with the intense star while filming American Made. According to Liman, Cruise’s birthday was coming up, and instead of planning a big bash or taking the long weekend, the actor scheduled an eight hour aviation meeting. For fun.

“He said, ‘Yes, that’s what I want for my birthday. I want to be making a movie. That’s the best birthday present,’” Liman told Deadline. “There was no blowing out candles, either. Cake? No, Tom doesn’t eat cake.”

Top Gun: Maverick opens in theaters on May 27.

(Via Contact Music)

Perhaps Kendrick Lamar’s music may soon be in rotation on Lorde’s Solarsystym station on Sonos: Today, in an email sent to fans, the “Solar Power” singer shared an update with her fans, just over two weeks after her US tour for Solar Power came to an end.

She shared some of the books she’s been reading, including Fleur Jaeggy’s Sweet Days Of Discipline and Danyel Smith’s Shine Bright: A Very Personal History Of Black Women In Pop. Additionally, she let us know the music she’s been listening to lately, which includes Kendrick Lamar’s new album, Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers.

“I’m loving Kendrick,” she said. “I cannot get over the most popular and influential artist in modern music displaying a working nervous system, admitting mistakes, trying to process intergenerational trauma and prejudice. I love the way the album opens, the pace and heat of the first few songs, and later ‘Count Me Out,’ the build and strings in ‘Auntie Diaries’ … special.”

Could this mean a collab between the two is in order? Perhaps. But given the fact that both artists love to take long hiatuses in between projects, it’s best not to get our hopes up that we’ll hear a collaboration in the near future.

Last month, Kehlani released their third album, Blue Water Road, marking their first album put out since coming out to the world as Queer. The singer had teased the fact that Blue Water Road was, “…vastly different than anything I’ve ever created.” And while there’s a new sense of confidence in these passionate tunes, to long-time fans, it’s still that same sultry vocalist from hits like “Gangsta” and “Nights Like This.”

With the new video for “Melt,” we get the first intimate look at Kehlani’s relationship with their new partner, rapper 070 Shake. In the clip, the pair are in Brazil, sitting at an idyllic outdoor café at opposite tables. They each swig their cachaça at the same time and then meet up in a jungle abode to romance each other.

Speaking on the track itself, Kehlani said in a statement, “It’s about the feeling of laying up with someone, cuddling, or even being sexually intimate, and you want to fall in their skin.” And lyrics like “I can’t tell where your hair ends and mine begins,” and, “Across the bed feels way too far,” really raise the stakes for a pure depiction of their intimacy in the beautifully shot clip that also captures the essence of the pace of life in Brazilian so well.

Watch the video for “Melt” above.

Blue Water Road is out now via Atlantic. Get it here.

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