There’s little that’s funny about Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which hasn’t gone as smoothly as the aggressor nation must have wanted. Russian forces have been with strong resistance, including from President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who refused an offer to be evacuated, saying, “I need ammunition, not a ride.” There’s still humor to be found in the febrile situation. The Lincoln Project targeted Putin-supporting Republicans in a new parody ad. And SNL’s Weekend Update managed to get in some zingers, mostly by targeting Trump and Tucker.
“It’s a tough subject to make jokes about,” Michael Che joked at one point. “In my lifetime I’ve seen footage of attacks like this on other countries, but never a white one.”
“Russia began their invasion of Ukraine,” Colin Jost said at the segment’s start. “President Putin launched the attack with support from allies like Belarus and Tucker Carlson.”
“Many analysts were surprised that Putin went through with the invasion, even though it was obviously going to be a colossal mistake,” Jost later joked. “But he couldn’t back down after all that build-up.” He then shivved his own network, cracking, “Kind of like NBC still had to go through with airing the Winter Olympics.”
Che also praised the Ukrainian people, including comedian-turned-president Zelenskyy. “I’m very impressed by all the Ukrainian citizens signing up to defend their country, even the famous ones,” he said. “Imagine that here? If you ever read on the news that Michael Che joined an American war, we have just lost that war!”
Jost, meanwhile, brought up former president Donald Trump’s widely condemned comments about the invasion. “Donald Trump praised Vladimir Putin for moving troops into the Ukraine, saying ‘This is genius!’…though ‘This is genius!’ is also how he sarcastically introduces Eric,” he joked.
The segment also featured bits about President Joe Biden’s new Supreme Court nominee Ketanji Brown Jackson, New York City mayor Eric Adams, Prince Andrew, and a man who got AA batteries stuck inside his wang.
You can watch the latest Weekend Update in the video above.
If you’ve been keeping up with Season 2 of Euphoria, you’ve probably been on that emotional roller coaster for the past few weeks. Since the start of the show, Euphoria has always been known for its stunning cinematography and innovative approach to music. Sam Levinson’s vision in each character for Season 2 wouldn’t have been possible without Labrinth’s innovative scoring, resulting in another successful season. The 33-year-old singer-songwriter-producer is known for his ability to span across hip-hop, R&B, gospel, among other genres, allowing him to innovate storytelling, giving each scene a unique moment of its own. Over the past two seasons, Labrinth’s thrilling score earned him a 2020 Emmy win for Outstanding Music and Lyrics for “All For Us” as well as a Music Composition for a Series nomination.
It only went up from there as Season 2’s record-breaking launch had the strongest digital premiere of any episode of an HBO series and dominated Billboard’s Top TV Songs chart. The hype for the show’s original music only grew stronger as Spotify streams on the official Euphoria score increased by 260 percent since the Season 2 premiere and with listeners creating more than 600,000 Euphoria-related playlists on Spotify. Surprisingly, the show’s capability to bring back older music and mix it with current artists elevated this season in a modern and fresh way, which was interesting to see Gen Z engage and revive these old hits on their TikTok videos. Levinson’s script seamlessly blends with Labrinth’s experimental approaches, bringing back the season that was worth the wait. From the montages to the intense plot lines we’ve seen with our favorite characters, here are the top ten iconic music moments that were as powerful as the characterizations and storylines.
Check out the unranked list of the best songs from Euphoria Season 2 below.
Notorious B.I.G. — “Hypnotize” (Episode 1)
The beginning of Season 2 lived up to what we were all waiting for…a lit party. The first episode brought back a series of hip-hop classics as it kicked off the high-energy NYE party, exposing a lot of new and continuing storylines like the Cassie-Nate-Maddy situation, the start of ‘Fexi,’ Rue meeting Elliot, and many others. Choosing this ’90s classic hit was on-point as it gave a hint of nostalgia, feeling like a memory of high school even though our parties looked nothing like it…
Laura Les — “Haunted” (Episode 2)
In an interview with Paper Magazine, Laura Les discussed the inspiration behind hyper-pop hit “Haunted” which is about “getting overwhelmed by a feeling and how it changes things around you.” For people that love Lexi and are 100 Gecs fans, this song caught fans by surprise as she threw in her headphones and blasted this song to pump herself up for her bike ride to Fez’s store. It was interesting choice as revealed more of Lexi’s unique personality and it was definitely one of her more relatable moments.
Bobby Darin — “Call Me Irresponsible” (Episode 3)
The lyrics of this timeless jazz song fits with Rue’s intention of not staying clean as she dances around her bedroom. Initially watching Rue’s blissful moment led up to showing the reality of how her choices will affect the people she loves and cares about the most. Zendaya told Decider: “Those moments remind us of why she does it in the first place… When we live inside of her brain that’s joyous and beautiful until we zoom out and remember what’s happening. There’s a very harsh reality to what’s happening to her. “
Townes Van Zandt — “I’ll Be Here In The Morning” (Episode 4)
Episode 4 starts with Rue’s love note to Jules — a visually stunning montage — portraying pop culture’s most iconic love stories and artwork – including Annie Leibovitz’s famous photo of John Lennon and Yoko Ono, Titanic, and Snow White. “I’ll Be Here In The Morning” flowing through the montage signifies Rue’s real love for Jules as she states: “This may be the greatest thing that’s ever happened to me.”
Labrinth — “I’m Tired” (Episode 4)
In a scene that was reminiscent of Rue’s overdose in the Season 1 finale, Rue continues her downward spiral, having a drug-induced hallucination of her own funeral, powerfully executed with Labrinth’s gospel-inspired vocals. Labrinth’s “I’m Tired” lyrics correlate with Rue and her journey with substance-abuse as this scene almost feels close to horrible, inevitable consequences. This ethereal scene was beautifully crafted as it constantly switched between Rue embracing Labrinth and her father, depicting how much the loss of Rue’s father has affected her.
Labrinth — “Left Behind” (Episode 4)
Even though this song isn’t officially released yet, I had to include this. After Cal’s confrontation to his family, the sequence at the end of Episode 4 showed the lowest points of all the characters. While we see Cassie feeling trapped, and the state of Kat and Ethan’s relationship, Rue’s narration returns, continuing her love note to Jules from the beginning of the episode. Creator Sam Levinson told Vanity Fair the visuals throughout the sequence was inspired by “Mexican murals from the turn of the century.” Once again, this proved that a Levinson/Labrinth collab always delivers as a masterpiece.
Labrinth — “Yeh I F*ckin’ Did It” (Episode 5)
This was where fans called for Zendaya to win another Emmy after her incredible performance. Even though it was devastating to see Rue hitting rock bottom, the overall episode stood out and further pushed boundaries from anything else on TV right now. Adding Labrinth’s single “Yeh I F*ckin’ Did It” had all of us at the edge of our seats as it added to the feelings of Rue’s helplessness and anxiety. At this point, we are patiently waiting for another Labrinth album.
INXS — “Never Tear Us Apart” (Episode 3)
We finally see Cal’s backstory in this season which reveals his secret relationship with his best friend Derek. INXS’s “Never Tear Us Apart” describes that instant connection with two people which further represents the significance of Cal and Derek’s story and how it’s affected him over the years.
Tove Lo — “How Long” (Episode 4)
Tove Lo’s featured track “How Long” is about love, denial, and betrayal. Season 2’s ongoing theme in our favorite friendships and relationships revolves around secrets. Whether it’s Rue and Jules’ relationship or Cassie/Nate/Maddie love triangle, this song perfectly depicts the good and bad of keeping secrets from the people you love and care about the most.
James Blake — “(Pick Me Up) Euphoria” Feat. Labrinth (Episode 4)
The collaborative “(Pick Me Up) Euphoria” track is unique in its own way as it relates to every character. Lyrics including “no control,” “escape,” and “sweet relief” are expressed through dissonant pitches and Blake’s falsetto, reflecting the different emotional extremes that we see each character throughout the show.
All in all, there were definitely more notable moments throughout the season that were done effortlessly. Labrinth previously stated, “Euphoria gave me the freedom to be whatever artist I want to be.” From the innovative music and cinematography to the revival of old classics, Euphoria is crafted from pure inspiration. Check out the full playlist below.
Some of the artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
Last week, the conflict between Russia and Ukraine reached a fever pitch when the former launched a “full-scale invasion” into the neighboring country. President Vladimir Putin might have believed that invading the nation would be an easy feat, but that has not been the case, as Russian soldiers have been met with strong resistance. Ukraine has made it clear that they won’t go out without a fight and the country’s president Volodymyr Zelenskyy is leading the charge on that front, having chosen to fight with his people instead of escaping.
The support for Ukraine has been strong. One example was on full display during last night’s episode of Saturday Night Live. Rather than their usual comedic cold open, the cast and crew of SNL welcomed the Ukrainian Chorus Dumka Of New York to begin the show. Following an introduction by SNL cast members Kate McKinnon and Cecily Strong, the choir sang “Prayer for Ukraine.” The chorus also performed in front of a table with candles that spelled out “Kyiv,” Ukraine’s capital.
The somber cold open was reminiscent of the first SNL episode, which also featured little in the way of humor, following the September 11 terrorist attacks back in 2001.
(SPOILERS for this week’s Power Book IV: Force will be found below.)
Despite his hopes to start fresh and new in Chicago, Tommy Egan’s past in New York City has caught up to him on multiple occasions in Power Book IV: Force. This first example came with his first run-in with Liliana, who tried to kill him after she assumed he came to the city to kill her. Thankfully for both, Tommy and Liliana are still alive and well, but the same cannot be said for a few members of the Serbian Mafia who came to attack not only Liliana but Tommy as well.
What Happens Between Tommy And The Serbs In ‘Power?’
Tommy has a long history with the Serbs, which dates back to the original Power series. He and the now-deceased James St. Patrick, a.k.a. “Ghost,” are responsible for killing two of the mafia’s members: Jason Micic and Milan. Liliana also has a long history with the Serbs as she stole a batch of cocaine from them. They eventually track her down to retrieve their product, but soon enough the Serbs learn that she reconnected with Tommy and they set their eyes on getting revenge for the deaths in the group. The Serbs kidnap Liliana, but she’s rescued by Tommy after he frees her and kills two of their members.
Eventually, a meeting between the Serbs and Tommy occurs. Here, he returns the batch of cocaine to the group, and while Tommy sees that as being enough, they desire to kill either him or Liliana in exchange for Tommy being responsible for 4 deaths in the Serbian Mafia. As expected, Tommy rejects their wishes but he goes a step further and kills three additional Serbian Mafia members, including the woman in charge of the drug pipeline in Chicago.
New episodes of STARZ’s ‘Power Book IV: Force’ are available to watch on Sunday at 12:00am EST.
(SPOILERS for this week’s Power Book IV: Force will be found below.)
Tommy Egan has rubbed nearly everyone he’s met the wrong way since he moved to Chicago in Power Book IV: Force. One person that’s not included in that group is Diamond, the leader of the CBI gang that was recently released from prison after serving a 15-year sentence. After successfully completing drug deals together, Diamond and Tommy continue working together as they aim to create a situation that will bring in more money for both of them. Things are smooth sailing between the two until Tommy suggests a plan that Diamond isn’t down to participate in.
Are Tommy And Diamond Still Working Together In ‘Power?’
For now, after episode 4, the answer is no. After Liliana is kidnapped by the Serbian Mafia and nearly killed, Tommy comes to her rescue and saves her life. Tommy himself has a long history with the Serbs (this dates back to the original Power series). Keeping this in mind, Tommy comes up with a plan to remove the Serbs’ position in the Chicago drug game and runs the idea by Diamond in hopes of receiving help from him. Unfortunately, Diamond wants no part of Tommy’s plan, leaving him to get the job done with Liliana who’s turned into a sidekick for Tommy.
New episodes of STARZ’s ‘Power Book IV: Force’ are available to watch on Sunday at 12:00am EST.
SNL has been on the air for almost half a century. In that time, what was once an elite group — namely the “Five-Timers Club,” aka the group of performers who’ve hosted the show at least five times — has became quite a bit less exclusive. At this point, there are about 25 members. So when John Mulaney was finally inducted into its ranks on Saturday’s episode, his colleagues wound up questioning if it’s even special anymore at all.
Mulaney — who was once a lowly staff writer before he became a stand-up deity, emerging with some very good stories, including one about Mick Jagger — was joined by a smattering of fellow five-timers, including Steve Martin, Candice Bergen, Tina Fey, newbie Paul Rudd, even Elliott Gould, who hosted six times in the first five seasons alone.
“Let me be the first person to say ‘who are you’?,” joked Bergen, the show’s first-ever female host, whose five stints came between 1975 and 1990. Mulaney replied, “You wouldn’t know me but if you have a niece or a son who’s bad at sports, they might.”
Rudd spent the sketch lamenting his aborted fifth hosting gig in mid-December, which saw most of the cast and crew and musical guest staying home amidst a sudden spike in Omicron-related COVID cases. Martin, meanwhile, noted that the once tiny group had gotten too big. “What we’re all trying to say is that this has become not special,” he said.
At that point, Conan O’Brien burst into the room. Was he a five-timer? Nope! He was, like Mulaney, a staff writer but he’s only hosted once, back in 2001. “John, don’t listen to them, this is very, very special. I was in the very first five-timers special,” O’Brien said, noting that he had a bit part in the first sketch about the club, when Tom Hanks joined the ranks. “John and I were never supposed to be on TV. We’re hideous.”
You can watch Mulaney’s big moment in the video above.
(SPOILERS for this week’s Power Book IV: Force will be found below.)
After making the move from New York City to Chicago, it didn’t take long for Tommy Egan to find new love. In fact, he found it in the first episode of 50 Cent’sPower Book IV: Force. Gloria, who is a bartender at a local bar, caught Tommy’s attention and things between the two have been hot and steamy from the jump. However, their fling didn’t come without complications, since Gloria also has a romantic history with Vic Flanagan, who isn’t too fond of Tommy for multiple reasons. However, when Tommy and Vic set aside their differences to work together, it causes a change in Tommy’s relationship with Gloria.
What’s Tommy And Gloria’s Relationship Status In ‘Power?’
Halfway into this week’s episode, Tommy is forced to break things off with Gloria. While he certainly enjoys her presence, Tommy’s main reason for being in Chicago is to make as much money as possible. With a new deal in place between him, Vic, and Diamond, Tommy isn’t about to let the love triangle that is him, Vic, and Gloria mess things up.
Gloria is accepting of Tommy’s reason to end things, but who knows, maybe later on in the season, we’ll see Tommy and Gloria reconnect and pick up where they left off.
New episodes of STARZ’s ‘Power Book IV: Force’ are available to watch on Sunday at 12:00am EST.
The last time John Mulaney hosted SNL, back in October of 2020, the world — and his life — were very different. Donald Trump was still president (and Mulaney made a, uh, controversial joke about him). Vaccines were still a few months away. Jan. 6 hadn’t yet happened. And Mulaney was a matter of weeks from an intervention about his drug problems. He entered rehab and now he’s clean, sober, back on the stand-up circuit, and a father. He didn’t shy away from talking about his struggles on his fifth job hosting a show for which he used to be a lowly writer.
“For many, many reasons, I’m grateful to be here tonight after a very complicated year,” he told the crowd, joking, “It’s always great to be somewhere that’s always emphasized sobriety and mental health.”
Mulaney then acknowledged that since his last hosting gig, “different things happened.” He then discussed when he was confronted by loved ones, which he’s talked about before, back in December of 2020. “It was an intervention, for me — my least favorite kind of intervention,” he joked. “Do you know how big of a drug problem you have to have if you open a door and see people gathered, your first thought is that this is probably an intervention about my drug problem?”
He also talked about one of the key parts of rehab: when a counselor sits down with you and makes you break up with your drug dealers. That requires texting them first, informing them of your sobriety, and then blocking their number.
But when Mulaney tried to split with his dealer, he was too slow to block him, and he wound up having a bittersweet, if somewhat confusing exchange with him as they parted ways. Indeed, his dealer reminded Mulaney that he was his only client — that he’s a painter whom he somehow met, who wound up buying good drugs for him so he wouldn’t get bad ones. He also said he was going back to not dealing drugs, as he did before his and Mulaney’s paths crossed.
“There are many tales of drug dealers turning innocent people into drug addicts,” Mulaney said, “but I might be the first drug addict to turn an innocent man into a drug dealer.”
He also talked about his 10-week-old son, whom he had with his girlfriend, Olivia Munn. You can hear him open up, in his patented comical way, in the video above.
Booking Saturday Night Live is a chance to start 2022 off on a high note, as the indie legends had a disappointing end to 2021 when the Omicron variant forced them to halt a much-hailed residency at Brooklyn Steel in New York. Though the band was willing to keep taking the risk of performing, eventually the threat of the new variant was so strong they had to shut down a few nights early. Watching them return to the SNL stage is a good reminder that live shows are what they do best, and hopefully there will be many more chances to see them perform in the coming months. For now, get your fix by watching their performance above.
A few weeks ago, John Mulaney decided to let the world know that he’d be hosting Saturday Night Live in the very near future — and that indie legends LCD Soundsystem would be the musical guests. This is just the second time James Murphy and co. are appearing on the late night show, which seems unbelievably given how intrinsically tied the are to music in New York over the last two decades. But they made the most of their time on the show tonight, kicking things off with a performance of “Thrills.”
The band definitely knows their audience will appreciate such a deep cut — “Thrills” is taken from their 2005 self-titled album, and they opted to go deep, for this first tune at least, rather than perform something newer. It’s nice for the band to have a high night in early 2022, since they had to end 2021 on a dismal note by canceling the rest of their residency at Brooklyn Steel due to the rampant spread of Omicron.
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