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The influence of both Future Classic and PC Music labels on electronic music and pop is undeniable. Now Flume and Caroline Polachek’s latest track, “Sirens,” co-written and produced by PC Music’s Danny L.Harle, represents the glorious union of the two. Polacheck indeed sounds like a siren, humming through Flume’s thumping progression that feels nothing short of heavenly; the type of music that’d be playing while you relax on a pillowy cloud.

“I was living by myself in London, and it was the darkest time in the pandemic,” Polachek said in a statement. “I was really going through it, feeling so small, unable to control anything in the world, and the lyric ‘sirens’ was in reference to constant ambulances I was hearing.” Polachek soon left London, but the lyric stayed with her when she moved to L.A. and bumped into Flume, who she already knew, but was now living down the street from.

Now the song will appear on Flume’s upcoming album, Palaces, out on May 20th. “We started playing weekly games of Magic The Gathering with A.G. Cook and a few friends,” Flume explains of his new neighborly activities. “We started doing a session, and Danny L Harle showed me a voice note from Caroline with some very early stages of vocals. I loved it and went back in on it during the pandemic.”

Listen to “Sirens” above and check out Flume’s newly announced tour dates below.

Palaces comes out on 05/20 via Future Classic/Transgressive. Pre-order it here.

Pusha T’s been having a great 2022 year so far. He kicked it off by releasing “Diet Coke,” his first official single since the summer of 2019. The track was co-produced by Kanye West and 88 Keys and it also arrived with a black and white video that featured Pusha and Kanye dancing together. The song was the presumed lead single from his upcoming fourth solo album It’s Not Dry Yet, but before giving us more music from that project, Pusha teamed up with DJ and fashion designer Nigo for their song “Hear Me Clearly,” which they just released a music video for.

The new visual for “Hear Me Clearly” is led by Pusha and it kicks off with him walking onto what seems like a normal construction site. Soon, we see that the site is actually a drug operation center and it’s one that Pusha seems to be in charge of. For the remainder of the video, Pusha stacks his collections of drugs high while enjoying his time with friends and a cast of women.

“Hear Me Clearly” was one of four singles that was released prior to the arrival of Nigo’s sophomore album I Know Nigo! The project dropped with 11 songs and features from Tyler The Creator, ASAP Rocky, Gunna, Pharrell, Lil Uzi Vert, Kid Cudi, and more.

You can watch the video for “Hear Me Clearly” above.

I Know NIGO! is out now via Republic Records. You can stream it here.

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

There have been a number of medically dubious “alternatives” in the fight against COVID, some of them touted by a certain former American president. But one was perhaps more infamous than them all. That would be ivermectin, an antiparasitic drug used on humans and livestock alike. Its professed ability to combat a virus that has killed millions has been touted by far right commentators and belittled by others. And now, after a major study, it appears that, when it comes to the novel coronavirus, it doesn’t really do diddly-squat.

As per The New York Times, a large clinical study published on Wednesday revealed that it showed “no sign of alleviating the disease,” effectively ruling it out as a form of COVID treatment. The study looked at more than 1,300 people infected with the virus in Brazil, leading experts to conclude that there’s “really no sign of any benefit” of taking the drug, often used to de-worm horses, to treat humans suffering from the highly transmissible disease.

In the early days of the pandemic, ivermectin was one of thousands of drugs researchers experimented on to combat COVID, and some studies suggested it might block the coronavirus. Some of those tests proved to be flawed and the Food and Drug Administration never claimed it could be used to treat those afflicted. Some doctors began prescribing it anyway and, by last summer, it was gaining steam among vaccine skeptics. Among them was Rogan, who casually mentioned using ivermectin among a dense cocktail of drugs he took after testing positive, leading to much backlash.

Even with the new study’s findings, testing into ivermectin’s COVID efficacy remains ongoing. But one infectious-disease expert isn’t holding his breath. “I welcome the results of the other clinical trials and will view them with an open mind,” Dr. Paul Sax, of Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, told NYT, “but at some point it will become a waste of resources to continue studying an unpromising approach.”

In other words, if you still somehow haven’t gotten your free, safe, and effective COVID vaccine — to say nothing of a booster — maybe now’s the time to do so before the next wave hits.

(Via NYT)

The fallout from Will Smith’s Oscars slap continues apace, and there’s word that it may take weeks, if not longer, for the Academy of Motion Arts and Sciences to figure how to reprimand the star, if at all. But while the Board of Governors on Wednesday revealed they’ve “initiated disciplinary proceedings” against Smith, they also claimed they tried, and failed, to take steps earlier.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, the Academy released a statement in which they tried to clarify something about Sunday night’s proceedings. Earlier it was claimed that by the time that ceremony administrators tried to do something after Smith struck presenter Chris Rock, who had made a joke about his wife, Jada Pinkett Smith, Smith had already won his Oscar and started giving his speech.

But now they’re claiming that’s not true. Now they’re saying Smith was “asked to leave the ceremony and refused.” They added that they “could have handled the situation differently.”

In the days since the incident, many have come out against Smith’s actions. Co-host Amy Schumer has said she’s “still triggered and traumatized” by the sudden outburst, while Zoë Kravitz, who was present, joked, with deep and angry sarcasm, that people at the Oscars are “apparently assaulting people on stage now.” Others, like Joe Rogan, are worried about how Smith’s antics could inspire others to attack comedians for jokes.

(Via THR)

Going rogue since 2005, a flamingo named Pink Floyd has been spotted in Texas of all places. Wading in the shallow waters of Cox Bay near Port Lavaca, NPR reported that a man named David Foreman took a video that was posted by the Coastal Fisheries – Texas Parks and Wildlife Facebook page. “Looks like Pink Floyd has returned from the dark side of the moon!,” the agency commented.

You see, flamingos can’t be found anywhere in the wild in the US besides South Florida, but this particular flamingo has an incredible story: Pink Floyd — also known as “No. 492” — came to Wichita’s Sedgwick County Zoo in 2003 as part of a 40 flamingo flock. The flamingos are kept from flying away by routinely having their wings clipped — basically like a haircut. But in a momentary lapse of reason, when Pink Floyd and another bird, named No. 347, had missed their scheduled final cut appointments, they escaped the zoo and flew out into the wild (no word on whether they were charged for cancelling with less than 24 hours advance notice.)

Pink Floyd was actually first brought into public consciousness when they were spotted in Texas for the first time in 2018, according to The New York Times. “I’m no expert, but I’m pretty sure flamingos aren’t native to Texas,” an intern for the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department said back then. But just like in 2018, Pink Floyd was sporting an uncanny tag above their knees, making it an easy to spot this past month on March 10th. Pink Floyd is said to be 27 years old and Pink’s preferred pronouns are they/them, as there is no way to tell what sex they are.

Flamingos are said to be able to live for 30 years in the wild, so it looks as though Pink Floyd will be touring for at least another few years. As for No. 347, they were spotted flying North in 2005, was never seen again, but Pink wishes they were here.

Disclaimer: While all of the products recommended here were chosen independently by our editorial staff, Uproxx may receive payment to direct readers to certain retail vendors who are offering these products for purchase.

Welcome to SNX DLX your weekly roundup of the best sneakers to hit the market. This week we’ve got another big one before us with Nike heavily dominating our picks by bringing the air — Air Force 1s, Air Jordans, and Air Max 90s — so if you like to get high… it’s a good week. Aside from the Air family, we have the latest Dunks, including Union LA’s highly anticipated Argon and Court Purple colorways but Nike isn’t the only brand bringing the heat. Adidas is hitting us with the latest sneaker from pro-skater and fashionista Blondey McCoy and Asics is dropping a brand new collaboration with Kiko Kostadinov.

If you’re looking for a fit to complete the look (it’s spring, after all, time to get out there!) be sure to hit one of our Euphoria style round-ups or check out the latest from our current crop of favorite streetwear brands.

Let’s dive in!

Kiko Kostadinov x Asics UB3-S Gel-Nimbus 9

Asics has just announced that it will be continuing its collaboration with the Kiko Kostadinov studio, and for the duo’s latest collaboration we’re getting a brand new UB3-S Gel-Nimbus 9.

Featuring patent leather overlays atop mesh underlays and synthetic paneling, the Asics UB3-S Gel-Nimbus 9 features design touchtones from the typical Gel-Nimbus 9 with some elements borrowed from archival silhouettes.

It’s a significant step up from the previous Kiko Kostadinov collars, so here is to a fruitful collaboration that brings us even better kicks in the future.

The Kiko Kostadinov x Asics UB3-S Gel-Nimbus 9 is out now for a retail price of $166. Pick up a pair via select sneaker retailers like Wood Wood or Sneaker District.

Nike Air Force 1 Off Noir

Black Air Force 1s are a classic look, but if you’ve already owned a pair, it’s a little hard to get excited about buying another. Enter the Off Noir colorway, which paints a nubuck leather upper in a matte black finish with a matching all-black swoosh and sits atop a Summit White midsole.

Now you can buy another pair of black Air Force 1s without feeling like you’re retreading old ground. Plus, and I’m going to explode a lot of sneakerhead brains here — the Off Noir looks even better than a classic black AF-1. I said it!

The Nike Air Force 1 Off Noir are out now for a retail price of $130. Pick up a pair via the Nike SNKRS app.

Sacai x Nike Blazer Low Black Patent Leather/White Patent Leather

After a constant stream of Vaporwaffle collaborations, Chitose Abe’s Sacai label Sacai is finally taking a crack at a different silhouette and we’re all for it. Featuring exposed foam lingers, stacked tongues, double lacing, and a patent leather upper, Sacai’s low-top Nike Blazer manages to take the classic ‘70s silhouette and make it feel modern and contemporary.

The sneaker is available in both a black and white patent leather colorway. Both are dope, but we’re leaning toward the white pair as the favorite for its monochromatic presentation.

The Sacai x Nike Blazer Low Black Patent Leather and White Patent Leather are set to drop on March 31st for a retail price of $120. Pick up a pair via the Nike SNKRS app.

Union LA x Nike Dunk Passport Pack

Los Angeles-based streetwear retailer and label Union LA is returning this week with a continuation of last year’s “passport pack,” a Dunk collection inspired by rare colorways from around the world. The Court Purple iteration is inspired by a classic Japanese Dunk colorway (dubbed City Pack) and features a bold ripstop upper and design elements by label head Chris Gibbs. The other colorway, Argon, is also inspired by a Japanese Dunk colorway that Gibbs brought back with him to the States.

Both sneakers win our award for worst press shots ever!

The Union LA x Nike Dunk Passport Pack is set to drop on March 31st for a retail price of $150. Pick up both pairs exclusively via at Union’s LA webstore.

Nike Dunk Low Halloween

If you’re a hardcore Nike fan you’ve probably noticed that the brand’s release calendar is all fucked up. Most of the time this isn’t a problem, a few releases will suddenly get delayed for a few months, no big deal. But sometimes this hits the brand’s seasonal kicks, which makes the eventual release date feel out of place.

Enter this week’s Dunk Low Halloween. Yes, the word Halloween is actually in the name, and the sneaker even has a spooky eye graphic at the heel, making the design completely out of step with current seasonal trends.

That doesn’t make it a bad sneaker though, the mix of black, off-white and orange tones looks dope, but we can’t figure out why Nike didn’t just hold this one back 6 more months and give it to us when it’s more seasonally appropriate.

The Nike Dunk Low Halloween is set to drop on April 1st (for some reason) for a retail price of $110. Pick up a pair via the Nike SNKRS app.

Air Force 1 Flax

As dope as the Off-Noir AF-1s are, they lean a bit on the fancy side. If you’re looking for something more rugged and utilitarian that matches your Carhartt fits than the Air Force 1 Flax is for you.

Featuring a suede upper inspired by construction boots, this sneaker features metal grommets and other accents that land the design somewhere between a boot and a classic sneaker.

The Air Force 1 Flax is set to drop on April 1st for a retail price of $130. Pick up a pair via the Nike SNKRS app or aftermarket sites like GOAT.

Women’s Air Max 90 Siempre Familia

Seriously Nike, what the hell is going on over there? Yes, those are bone graphics you see on this sneaker’s upper, the Siempre Familia Air Max 90 is inspired by, and clearly intended for, Dio De Los Muertos, a holiday that falls on the 1st and 2nd of November.

And here it is… dropping on April 1st, five months later. Cool. The silhouette is highly textured with embroidered details and a mixed upper inspired by the animal spirit guide Xoloescuincle, who is tasked with guiding people through the mythological Aztec underworld Mictlãn.

It’s a dope and authentic design that was fully authorized by the National Institute of Anthropology and History in Mexico. Would’ve been dope if it dropped any where near Dio De Los Muertos, good job Nike.

The Women’s Air Max 90 Siempre Familia are set to drop on April 1st for a retail price of $130. Pick up a pair via the Nike SNKRS app.

Air Jordan 1 High ’85 College Navy

Few sneaker drops can eclipse the excitement of a Union Nike collaboration, but this high-top ’85 College Navy Air Jordan 1 is our obvious pick of the week. Featuring a premium leather upper with the AJ-1s classic ’85 detailing, this sneaker combines College Navy blue panels over a pristine white upper.

It’s not the flashiest design but it’s just *chef’s kiss* perfect. You don’t need a lot of heavy lifting to make a Jordan 1 look dope, and the College Navy colorway proves that.

The Air Jordan 1 High ’85 College Navy is set to drop on April 2nd for a retail price of $200. Pick up a pair via the Nike SNKRS app or aftermarket sites like GOAT and Flight Club.

Being lactose-intolerant can be expensive and Sir Paul McCartney is out here to look out for the millions of folks out there who have trouble digesting milk. While he’s at it, eating foods free of animal byproducts can also be expensive and Macca is looking out for those people with those diets as well. In a letter penned by McCartney in partnership with PETA and posted via Billboard, McCartney urged Starbucks CEO Kevin Johnson to stop charging extra for plant-based milk.

“It recently came to my attention that Starbucks in the USA has an extra charge for plant based milks as opposed to cow’s milk,” McCartney’s letter began. “I must say this surprised me as I understand that in other countries like UK and India, there is the same charge for both types of milk and I would like to politely request that you consider this policy also in Starbucks USA.”

The message comes ahead of McCartney’s early May tour stops in Seattle, which is where Starbucks is based. Johnson’s last day as Starbucks CEO is on April 4th, so perhaps McCartney is nudging the executive to leave one last mark on the legacy of his reign? “Sir Paul is asking Starbucks to end its surcharge on plant milks,” reads the letter’s definitive tagline.

Power to Macca and PETA on this mission. No word yet from America’s Dairy Farmer’s, but something tells us they won’t be streaming any Beatles albums anytime soon.

Read the full letter below:

Dear Mr. Johnson,

It recently came to my attention that Starbucks in the USA has an extra charge for plant based milks as opposed to cow’s milk. I must say this surprised me as I understand that in other countries like UK and India, there is the same charge for both types of milk and I would like to politely request that you consider this policy also in Starbucks USA.

My friends at PETA are campaigning for this to happen and I have agreed to support them with the quote: “Sir Paul is asking Starbucks to end its surcharge on plant milks,” and I sincerely hope that for the future of the planet and animal welfare you are able to implement this policy.

Many thanks.

All the Best,

Sir Paul McCartney

Earlier this week, fans of the popular Marvel show Falcon And The Winter Soldier noticed that some of their favorite bloody scenes had been discretely censored, and naturally, they took to Twitter to air out their confusion.

Fans added to the thread with photos of guns, blood, and various violence being cut out of the episodes of the popular series, which premiered last year, starring Sebastian Stan and Anthony Mackie. As it turns out, Disney+ had uploaded the alternate cut “by mistake.” According to EW, they are working on rectifying the mix-up and restoring it to its original, bloody mess.

This comes shortly after the streaming service announced its updated parental controls due to Netflix’s Marvel content being migrated over to Disney+. The site prompted each user to set their own parental controls beginning on March 16th. “This includes the option to select content ratings restrictions for each profile as well as to add a PIN to lock profiles,” Disney+ said in a statement. “Those that choose to keep their settings the same will continue to enjoy Disney Plus as they always have within a TV-14 content rating environment, with the option to make changes at any time under Profile settings.”

While the new alternative cut of Winter Soldier theoretically shouldn’t have affected anyone who didn’t opt for stricter controls, it seems the glitch made everyone’s accounts gore-free. Just in time for Moon Knight!

Earlier today, word broke that Bruce Willis had been diagnosed with aphasia, a cognitive disorder that leads to the inability to comprehend or formulate language. (It’s the same disease that afflicted Monty Python’s Terry Jones in his later years.) As such, he’s retiring from acting, at only 67. Social media was soon filled with appreciations for the beloved actor. Even some people with whom Willis has had beef stood up to issue apologies.

As per Variety, Kevin Smith — who directed Willis in the 2010 buddy comedy Cop Out, along with Tracy Morgan (who’s had his own health issues) — issued a mea culpa to his former colleague. The two famously clashed during the film’s shoot, with Smith trash-talking him while doing press. Now, 12 years later, he’s finally expressing regret.

“Long before any of the Cop Out stuff, I was a big Bruce Willis fan – so this is really heartbreaking to read,” Smith posted about the news. “He loved to act and sing and the loss of that has to be devastating for him. I feel like an asshole for my petty complaints from 2010. So sorry to BW and his family.”

Back in 2010, Smith unloaded to the press about his experiences making the studio comedy. “It was difficult,” he said, claiming Willis “wouldn’t even sit for a f*cking poster shoot” and that “were it not for Tracy, I might have killed either myself or someone else in the making of f*cking ‘Cop Out.’”

News of Willis’ diagnosis and retirement were first shared by Demi Moore, his ex-wife, with whom he has three daughters. “This is a really challenging time for our family and we are so appreciative of your continued love, compassion and support,” Moore wrote in an Instagram post. “We are moving through this as a strong family unit, and wanted to bring his fans in because we know how much he means to you, as you do to him.”

(Via Variety)

In a twist that will surprise absolutely no one, it seems Representative Madison Cawthorn’s bizarre tale about cocaine-fueled orgies happening all over Capitol Hill is a lie he made up for attention.

We know. We’re shocked too.

The North Carolina Republican and rookie Congressman made some wild claims while guesting on a podcast earlier this week. After comparing his time on the Hill to the Netflix drama House of Cards, he told host John Lovell that he’d been invited to “orgies” by fellow lawmakers and he had witnessed people doing “key bumps” of cocaine ” right in front of him. Now, we’re assuming he was referring to his Republican colleagues because Cawthorn is the kind of loud-mouthed MAGA supporter most Democrats in Washington D.C. actively avoid, but, in any case, his lurid tales of White House adjacents engaging in sex parties and blow have made everybody on Capitol Hill look bad. That’s why House GOP leader Kevin McCarthy gave him a stern talking to this week.

McCarthy called Cawthorn to his office for a “tense” meeting that ended with the young Republican admitting he greatly exaggerated some of the more scandalous details he revealed on the podcast.

“In the interview, he claims he watched people do cocaine. Then when he comes in he tells me, he says he thinks he saw maybe a staffer in a parking garage from 100 yards away,” McCarthy told Axios reporters. “It’s just frustrating. There’s no evidence behind his statements. I just told him he’s lost my trust, he’s gonna have to earn it back, and I laid out everything I find is unbecoming. And, you can’t just say ‘You can’t do this again.’ I mean, he’s, he’s got a lot of members very upset.”

McCarthy says he hasn’t ruled out harsher disciplinary action against Cawthorn for spreading lies about his party but he’s waiting to see how the rookie representative will handle the situation before delivering an official punishment.

(Via Axios)