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Khalid’s career is off to a hot start: After establishing himself as one of the most promising up-and-comers with his 2017 debut album American Teen, he had his first No. 1 album with 2019’s Free Spirit. Now he’s working on his third album, Everything Is Changing. That album was given an approximate release window of this fall, but now it appears that may be in jeopardy.

On Twitter today, Khalid revealed that he’s feeling “overwhelmed” trying to finish the album, saying, “I only wanna be the artist I want to be, because creating is what keeps me from losing my my mind but my passion goes away a little more every day. I just want to finish this album and it’s really driving me crazy at this point.”

He went on to suggest that the album may be released later than initially anticipated (without explicitly announcing a delay), writing, “I’m gonna refocus, finish this album without stress, and put out something that I truthfully believe in. I’ma be me at the end of the day, that’s all I can be.”

Find Khalid’s tweets below.

“I only wanna be the artist I want to be, because creating is what keeps me from losing my my mind but my passion goes away a little more every day. I just want to finish this album and it’s really driving me crazy at this point. I ain’t even wanna come on here ranting but I gotta get this out of me lol.

I’m really sorry to keep you guys waiting for this album because I want it to be out more than anyone, so much that finishing it has became overwhelming and I need to find that joy again. I started this album and I felt free, like creativity was pouring out of me. I have some songs on here I know will change my life. I need to get back to making music how I want to make. the people who have gotten to know me over the years, I have faith that you’ll feel this music because it’s been authentic to me.

from American Teen until now I’ve made it my initiative to remain authentic to myself and who I am as an artist/person even when I had no idea what I was doing, I always trust my intuition. I write all this music from my soul, and will continue to do so. The only album I’m putting out is an album that I’m 100 percent in love with. I just can’t change myself to please anybody, I gotta live with myself at the end of the day so ima do what I want to do. when it gets to the point that the music I want out comes out… I got so much faith that it will resonate with you guys.

I’m gonna refocus, finish this album without stress, and put out something that I truthfully believe in. I’ma be me at the end of the day, that’s all I can be. I LOVE YOU GUYS. coming on here and speaking to you guys reminds me how much love we mutually have for each other. Thank you for supporting me because none of the success was possible without you guys holding me down. and that’s why ima keep doing this sh*t!”

Just as the NBA Finals were getting set to begin, a bombshell story emerged about internal dysfunction at ESPN that dated back to the Orlando Bubble when Rachel Nichols made comments on a live mic to a PR exec about Maria Taylor, claiming she only got her role hosting Finals coverage because she was Black and ESPN had issues with diversity.

The fallout from that was swift, as Nichols was removed from sideline duty for the Finals, with Malika Andrews taking her place, while Taylor eventually left ESPN for NBC as soon as the Bucks won the NBA title. Nichols offered an apology on her first episode of The Jump following the story becoming public and hosted the show through the Finals, but has not been on the airwaves recently, with Andrews hosting the show’s schedule release special, raising some questions about Nichols’ future with the network.

On Wednesday, ESPN confirmed that Nichols would not be returning to their NBA coverage this coming season, with The Jump being cancelled and a new NBA afternoon show taking its place — although there are no specifics on that show in terms of format or host at this time. ESPN’s David Roberts confirmed the news to John Ourand of the Sports Business Journal in a statement.

“We mutually agreed that this approach regarding our NBA coverage was best for all concerned,” ESPN Senior VP/Production David Roberts said in a statement emailed to SBJ. “Rachel is an excellent reporter, host and journalist, and we thank her for her many contributions to our NBA content.” Roberts took over as the production exec overseeing ESPN’s NBA coverage two weeks ago, and this marks his first big move to reset how the network covers the NBA. Many more changes are coming, particularly on the studio side, sources said.

It is a major shift for ESPN’s NBA coverage, as Nichols has been one of the faces of the network’s NBA coverage for years and will now be off TV completely, likely through the remainder of her contract which has one year remaining, per SBJ. What comes next will be fascinating to see, as there will be an entirely new NBA studio show created in the next couple months, which one would anticipate launching just prior to the new NBA season tipping off in October, and as Ourand notes, a number of other changes to come as they still need to replace Taylor on the NBA Countdown desk and more.

Per Andrew Marchand of the New York Post, the new NBA show is going to be modeled after NFL Live.

As for Nichols, her future seems very much in doubt as it seems likely she’s done at ESPN after her contract runs up and where she goes from there remains to be seen.

After it was reported that Kanye West’s upcoming Donda listening event at Chicago’s Soldier Field stadium would not require proof of COVID-19 vaccinations or proof of a negative COVID test, representatives for the stadium told TMZ that Soldier Field will do on-site vaccinations the day of the event. ASM Global Management, which runs Solider Field, partnered with the city of Chicago to secure 1,500 doses of vaccines split between the two-shot Pfizer version and the one-shot Johnson & Johnson formula. For anyone getting the Pfizer dose, Department of Health officials will help set up a second appointment.

A similar program at the Atlanta Mercedes-Benz Stadium, where Kanye held the first two listening events, reportedly only yielded a small number of vaccinations, but with the Delta variant spreading, perhaps Chicagoans will be more eager to inoculate themselves. Other safety measures will include a reduced capacity — only 38,000 will be allowed into the 63,000-capacity venue.

Fans have been led to expect a more elaborate production than those who attended the Atlanta show as well, as Kanye is apparently pulling out several of the stops to ensure his hometown event has much more to see — including a replica of his childhood home that was reportedly being built on the stadium field. Hopefully, with this third event, he’ll be more satisfied with the version of the album he’s putting forth because any more delays may end up costing him more than just stadium rental fees.

After she landed a role in the upcoming erotic thriller, The Voyeurs, Sydney Sweeney’s grandmothers came to visit her on set in Montreal, so Sweeney did what any actress in a steamy movie would do: she got both of them roles. If you’re wondering if Sweeney kept things safe, and had her grandmothers appear in some of the Amazon Original’s less risque scenes, nope. They’re both in a scene that includes some provocative imagines of the actress. “I was like, ‘Nana, this is going to be iconic,’” Sweeney laughingly told Variety at the film’s Monday night premiere.

Speaking of The Voyeurs premiere, Sydney of course scored her grandmothers’ invites seeing as they’re a part of the cast, except she wasn’t expecting them to turn it into a family affair, which made for an interesting evening. Via Variety:

“Yeah, it’s probably not the most grandma-friendly movie to watch,” Sweeney said. “But then my grandma also thought it would be great to bring her son – my uncle. I couldn’t say no. So it’s my uncle, my aunt, my two grandmas, my mom and a couple of friends who are here. I did tell them there are going to be some moments where you have to cover your eyes and ears. They did. Actually, my Nana sat there going, ‘Whoa!’”

Starring Syndey Sweeney and Justice Smith as a young couple who become dangerously obsessed with their neighbors, The Voyeurs, written and directed by Michael Mohan, starts streaming September 10 on Amazon Prime Video.

(Via Variety)

Netflix wants us to ease into fall with the least amount of stress in our lives. That’s a formidable feat, given that humanity is pretty darn stressed out these days with the delta variant out there in the wild. Fortunately, there is a plethora of fresh new streaming content from the service, including the continuation of multiple beloved properties. This includes more shenanigans from the Devil in Lucifer, more roasting of social conventions in Sex Education, and more revisiting of an 1980s classic in another new He-Man series. In addition, if you’ve ever wanted to see Bear Grylls dress up like a Game of Thrones character (while also including jeans in his ensembles), you’re in luck.

Meanwhile, Netflix is also adding the Jaws movies to its vast library and some Saved By The Bell and Nutty Professor action, along with a fresh true-crime documentary and a comedy special with Rob Lowe. Here’s a heads-up, too: Cobra Kai is on the way soon for Season 4, but September is the last month that The Karate Kid movies will be available to stream on Netflix, so fans will want to get down with binging because some callbacks are coming with the return of Terry Silver.

Here’s everything coming to (and leaving) Netflix in September.

Lucifer: The Final Season (Netflix series streaming 9/10)

The Devil is back for one last dance-of-a-rodeo, and naturally, Lucifer Morningstar is still a total pain in the ass, and you’ll love him for it. Fortunately, he’s no longer attempting to be a detective, but here’s the complicating detail: Lucifer is now God, and he’s not sure that he wants to do the job. It’s so much more fun to be naughty, after all, and if Lucifer doesn’t get with the new program, he’s liable to trigger the apocalypse. This is one last hurrah for a Netflix-resurrected series, and Neil Gaiman’s creation will live on in fans’ hearts and, most likely, their pants as well. (Hey, dump the bad man, Chloe!)

You vs. Wild: Out Cold (Netflix film special streaming 9/14)

Bear Grylls can’t stop punishing himself with interactive specials, in which viewers can choose the most entertaining paths for him after he sets out to survive harsh elements, this time in ice-ravaged mountains. There’s a narrative here, involving an amnesia-stricken Bear, who’s following up on the events of his plane crash…. what? He’s asking the audience to help him (and his pilot) get out of harm’s way, but who knows what will really happen? Well, you will know when you decide whether Bear will survive run-ins with wildlife and journeys through freezing tunnels. Do we think Bear Grylls will try to drink his pee and discover it is frozen while dressed like a Thrones character? I can’t wait to find out.

He-Man and the Masters of the Universe (Netflix series streaming 9/16)

Kevin Smith’s recent Masters of the Universe: Revelation sequel series sparked some overwrought backlash after continuing He-Man and Skeletor’s story in a way that some nerds didn’t enjoy, given that there was plenty of focus (like the original series) on other characters. Well, here’s a kid-appealing update of the classic ’80s cartoon, and this one has a much different feel with a He-Man-focused story, so maybe that will make the angry people happy? It’s got a whole lot of dude-on-bony-dude battling, looks like, while they fight for the ultimate control of Eternia and Castle Grayskull.

Sex Education: Season 3 (Netflix series streaming 9/17)

This Gillian Anderson-starring series returns, so that the X-Files and The Crown actress can continue embarrassing the heck out of her TV son, Otis (Asa Butterfield), who is apparently now having casual sex. Jemima Kirke is officially onboard, too, as a headteacher named Hope, who desperately wants to restore Moordale Secondary School to its former sterling reputation. Uh, good luck with that? The same goes for the announcement that Anderson’s character is pregnant. Oh, Mom.

Monsters Inside: The 24 Faces of Billy Milligan (Netflix film streaming 9/22)

The 1970s serial rapist who claimed multiple-personality disorder as a defense to his heinous crimes gets the spotlight here. The defendant in question claimed no memory of the sexual assaults, and psychiatrists weighed in with a determination that Milligan contained dozens of “multiples.” This led to a gripping trial that eventually pronounced Milligan innocent by reason of insanity, yet plenty of questions remain, including whether Milligan was simply a mastermind of a narcissistic sociopath, or whether his charisma and notoriety should have had any bearing on his fate.

Attack of the Hollywood Clichés! (Netflix comedy special streaming 9/28)

The notoriously handsome Rob Lowe hosts this one-off special that deep-dives into the Hollywood clichés that directors simply can’t quit. From “Wilhelm Scream” to “Walking Away from an Explosion” to “Meet-Cute” to “Females Running in Stilettos,” expect everything to be montaged and skewered for your movie-loving pleasure. Will we get a “We’re Not So Different, You And I” segment as well? Fingers crossed, and expect plenty of A-Listers on hand to enjoy this ride through oft-traveled cinematic history.

Here’s the full list of titles coming to Netflix in September:

Avail. 9/1
How to Be a Cowboy
Turning Point: 9/11 and the War on Terror
A Cinderella Story
Agatha Christie’s Crooked House
Barbie Big City Big Dreams
Blade Runner: The Final Cut
The Blue Lagoon
Chappie
Clear and Present Danger
Cliffhanger
Cold Mountain
Crocodile Dundee in Los Angeles
Dear John
Do the Right Thing
Freedom Writers
Green Lantern
House Party
House Party 2
House Party 3
The Interview
Kid-E-Cats: Season 2
Labyrinth
Letters to Juliet
Love Don’t Cost a Thing
Mars Attacks!
Marshall
Mystery Men
The Nutty Professor
The Nutty Professor II: The Klumps
Once Upon a Time in America
Open Season 2
Rhyme & Reason
School of Rock
Tears of the Sun
Welcome Home Roscoe Jenkins

Avail. 9/2
Afterlife of the Party
Final Account
Q-Force

Avail. 9/3
Dive Club
Money Heist Part 5: Volume 1
Sharkdog
Worth

Avail. 9/6
Countdown: Inspiration4 Mission to Space

Avail. 9/7
Kid Cosmic: Season 2
Octonauts: Above & Beyond
On the Verge
Untold: Breaking Point

Avail. 9/8
The Circle: Season 3
Into the Night: Season 2
JJ+E

Avail. 9/9
Blood Brothers: Malcolm X & Muhammad Ali
The Women and the Murderer

Avail. 9/10
Firedrake the Silver Dragon
Kate
Lucifer: The Final Season
Metal Shop Masters
Pokémon Master Journeys: The Series
Prey
Yowamushi Pedal
Yowamushi Pedal Grande Road

Avail. 9/13
Countdown: Inspiration4 Mission to Space

Avail. 9/14
A StoryBots Space Adventure
Jack Whitehall: Travels with My Father: Season 5
The World’s Most Amazing Vacation Rentals: Season 2
You vs. Wild: Out Cold

Avail. 9/15
Nailed It!: Season 6
Nightbooks
Saved by the Bell: Seasons 1-9
Schumacher
Too Hot To Handle Latino

Avail. 9/16
He-Man and the Masters of the Universe
Jaws
Jaws 2
Jaws 3
Jaws: The Revenge
My Heroes Were Cowboys

Avail. 9/17
Ankahi Kahaniya
Chicago Party Aunt
The Father Who Moves Mountains
Sex Education: Season 3
Squid Game
The Stronghold

Avail. 9/19
Dark Skies

Avail. 9/20
Grown Ups

Avail. 9/21
Go! Go! Cory Carson: Chrissy Takes the Wheel
Love on the Spectrum: Season 2

Avail. 9/22
Confessions of an Invisible Girl
Dear White People: Volume 4
Intrusion
Jaguar
Monsters Inside: The 24 Faces of Billy Milligan

Avail. 9/23
Je Suis Karl

Avail. 9/24
Blood & Water: Season 2
Ganglands (Braqueurs)
Jailbirds New Orleans
Midnight Mass
My Little Pony: A New Generation
The Starling
Vendetta: Truth, Lies and The Mafia

Avail. 9/28
Ada Twist, Scientist
Attack of the Hollywood Clichés!

Avail. 9/29
The Chestnut Man
Friendzone
MeatEater: Season 10 Part 1
No One Gets Out Alive
Polly Pocket: Season 3 Part 1
Sounds Like Love

Avail. 9/30
Love 101: Season 2
Luna Park
The Phantom

Avail. TBA
Coming Soon
Baki Hanma
Bangkok Breaking
Crime Stories: India Detectives
Kota Factory: Season 2

Here’s the full list of titles leaving Netflix in September:

Leaving 9/1

Leaving 9/3
Kicking and Screaming

Leaving 9/6
Midnight Special

Leaving 9/7
Ripper Street: Series 1-5

Leaving 9/11
Turbo

Leaving 9/12
I’m Sorry: Seasons 1-2

Leaving 9/14
Pawn Stars: Season 2

Leaving 9/15
Angry Birds: Seasons 1-2
As Above, So Below
Scott Pilgrim vs. the World

Leaving 9/16
Penny Dreadful: Seasons 1-3

Leaving 9/18
Beauty & the Beast: Seasons 1-4

Leaving 9/26
The Grandmaster

Leaving 9/30
Air Force One
Austin Powers in Goldmember
Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery
Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me
Boogie Nights
Cradle 2 the Grave
Evil: Season 1
Fools Rush In
Insidious
The Karate Kid
The Karate Kid Part II
The Karate Kid Part II
Kung Fu Panda
Kung Fu Panda 2
No Strings Attached
The Pianist
Prom Night
The Queen
Star Trek
Star Trek: Enterprise: Seasons 1-4
Star Trek: Seasons 1-3
Star Trek: Voyager: Seasons 1-7
The Unicorn: Season 1
Why Do Fools Fall in Love

In what’s becoming a growing trend amongst conservatives who either downplayed the pandemic and/or refused to get the vaccine, attorney John Pierce, who once represented Wisconsin shooter Kyle Rittenhouse, is reportedly in the hospital and on a ventilator after being diagnosed with COVID-19. Pierce’s condition was revealed during a hearing on Wednesday for Capitol rioter Shane Jenkins. Pierce was notably absent and his office had sent a replacement without first notifying the court, which prompted his condition to be disclosed. Via Raw Story:

“Mr. Pierce is in the hospital, we believe, with COVID-19, on a ventilator, non-responsive,” the attorney from his office reportedly told a judge.

The judge ultimately continued the hearing until next week, saying, “Send our best wishes to Mr. Pierce and his family.”

Just a week ago, Pierce was tweeting his anti-vaccination views, which include telling the military to reject the COVID vaccine just like he allegedly did with an experimental during his time with the 82nd Airborne.

He was also railing against the vaccine back in July as the Delta variant began to rear its head in America.

Pierce’s diagnosis arrives shortly after the death of conservative radio host Phil Valentine, who also railed against COVID mitigation efforts and refused to get the vaccine. However, once hospitalized, Valentine quickly reversed his stance and began telling family members to get the vaccine.

As of this writing, there has been no such movement from Pierce’s family or representatives.

(Via Raw Story)

After multiple delays and years of anticipation, it started to feel like we were never going to get to play the next game in the Halo franchise. However, the most recent delay appears to have gotten the game on track. Information has been slowly coming out over the last year, and during Gamescom Opening Night Live, we finally got the information many of us have been waiting on: Halo Infinite will release on December 8.

The game will be available in two different ways. There will be free-to-play multiplayer that anyone with an Xbox or PC can play, but anyone who wants to see what’s going to happen next with Master Chief and Cortana will need to pay full price to play the campaign. The announcement of the release date coincided with a trailer for Season 1 of the free-to-play multiplayer and a shiny Halo Infinite-themed Xbox Series X.

The multiplayer campaign was interesting because it makes it sound like they’re going to be trying to tell a story outside of Master Chief’s. Technically, all those multiplayer games everyone loves like Fortnite and Apex Legends do have stories to background why they’re all fighting each other, but they’re usually there as nothing more than a background. Perhaps 343 Industries is going to use this as an opportunity to expand the lore of he Halo universe.

Prior to 2020, Aaron Dessner was known mainly for his work as the guitarist in The National. But after producing two albums for Taylor Swift, the musician career saw a healthy boost of attention. He’s just about to release an album as part of Big Red Machine, his project with Bon Iver’s Justin Vernon, which features more Swift collaborations. While some might be surprised that Swift is leaning into indie music, Dessner thinks that the genre has now become “a myth.”

Dessner recently spoke with The Irish Times ahead of Big Red Machine’s How Long Do You Think It’s Gonna Last? album, which is out his Friday. He detailed the LP’s writing process and his experience working with Swift. While many were shocked at the pop/indie rock crossover on Swift’s Folklore and Evermore albums, Dessner wasn’t fazed. To him, genres have been shifting for some time now:

“The boundaries between genres have been melting a long time. Indie music or alternative music is kind of a myth now. It used to be that way. But working with Taylor – we didn’t have any outside influence at all. There was never a moment when… I mean her record company didn’t even know [about the collaboration] until a few days before [release date]. There was no compromise in terms of what we were making.”

Elsewhere in the conversation, Dessner described the differences between working with Matt Berninger on The National and Vernon on Big Red Machine. “Matt, he’s much more of a performer. He gets lost in the emotion of it,” Dessner said. “It’s fairly crazy, I guess, where he eventually goes to. Whereas Justin kind of sinks into the music. In a way, he’s taking lots of risks musically. They’re just very different. Justin takes a long time between Bon Iver records. He doesn’t make stuff to make it. He has to feel really inspired.”

Read Dessner’s full interview with The Irish Times here.

How Long Do You Think It’s Gonna Last? is out 8/27 via Jagjaguwar/37d03d. Pre-order it here.

On August 21, Paul “Paulie” Veneto began a historic journey from Logan Airport in Boston to downtown Manhattan in New York City. As a retired flight attendant of 30 years, it’s a trip he’s taken too many times to count, but this time he’s doing it on foot.

In three weeks it will be the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks. To commemorate the airline personnel that lost their lives on that tragic day, Veneto is pushing a bar cart 200 miles from the 9/11 memorial at Logan Airport to the Ground Zero monument in Manhattan. His journey is appropriately named “Paulie’s Push.”

Veneto is walking 10 to 20 miles a day and hopes to reach Ground Zero on September 11.

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At the time of the attacks, Veneto worked for United Airlines and was routinely on Flight 175 from Boston to Los Angeles, the flight that was rerouted by terrorists into the World Trade Center.

Veneto had the day off on September 11, 2001 and has had to live through the guilt of being a survivor.

“That day sent me into a tailspin of opiate addiction that almost cost me my life,” he wrote on his website where he documents his journey. “After almost 15 years of numbing myself out from the thoughts of that day, I have finally been freed from addiction since 2015. I can now finally give tribute to my fallen crew members.”

Veneto hopes that his journey will bring attention to the sacrifice the crew members made on a day that will never be forgotten.

“I am doing this because I want these crew members’ families to know how courageous they were that day,” he wrote. “I want the public to understand that under those conditions that morning, what those crew members did, nobody could have trained for. They really need to be recognized as Heroes. They were the very first First Responders.”

On the top of the bar cart, he has the photos of his fellow attendants on Flight 175. He says he won’t have any problem finding inspiration during his long push. All he needs to do is take a look at their pictures.

“I look at their faces smiling back at me,” Veneto said.

September 11 is a day of pain for Veneto but also a reason to celebrate. On September 11 he will celebrate his sixth year of sobriety. “I turned my life around to be able to recognize these guys who were never recognized,” Veneto said. “We all can tell this country and the world that these crew members were heroes on 9/11.”

Paulie’s Push will benefit the families of his former colleagues as well as Forward 25, a nonprofit that assists people dealing with addiction.

Donations can be made at the Paulie’s Push website and checks can be sent to Paulie’s Push, in care of First Republic Bank, 160 Federal St., 8th floor, Boston, MA 02110. Attention: Cam Clifford.

22-year-old Los Angeles native Jaxxon D. Silva has been releasing music since 2017, bouncing from grungy alt-rock to low-fi, throwback hip-hop and collaborating with stars like Lil Peep and Skepta. Most recently, he dropped the five-song EP I Wasn’t Born With Enough Middle Fingers in April, continuing his streak of new releases and stretching his creative muscles to include references to grime and Chicago drill.

This week, he’s Uproxx’s latest edition to the Sessions performance canon, playing a moody rendition of his synthy 2020 trap anthem “Out Here On The Otherside.” The defiant lyrics exult in his status as an outsider and a rebel, inviting the listener to join him in going against the grain. “I’m out here on the otherside,” he croons on the hook. “Why don’t you try and cross the line?”

Watch Jaxxon D. Silva’s “Out Here On The Otherside” performance above.

UPROXX Sessions is Uproxx’s performance show featuring the hottest up-and-coming acts you should keep an eye on. Featuring creative direction from LA promotion collective, Ham On Everything, and taking place on our “bathroom” set designed and painted by Julian Gross, UPROXX Sessions is a showcase of some of our favorite performers, who just might soon be yours, too.