18-year-old Olivia Rodrigo has done things that most people her age haven’t — releasing a chart-topping single jumps out as a prime example. She has also had some more typical teenage experiences, though, like when she graduated high school recently. He also just had another high school experience, although it wasn’t exactly traditional: She surprised fans at their homes and asked them to go to prom with her.
Lucky fans who got visits from Rodrigo shared videos and photos of those moments online. Each time, Rodrigo showed up with a bouquet of flowers, gifts of merch, and a handmade sign that reads, “Prom would be brutal without you.”
That’s seemingly a reference to Rodrigo’s Sour opening track “Brutal,” which could suggest that Rodrigo is teasing the song as her next single. It wouldn’t be surprising to see “Brutal” released as a single, considering Rodrigo called it her favorite song from Sour in a late-April interview. She also said of it in a different conversation:
“I told everyone that I wanted to make ‘Brutal’ the first track on the record, and they were like, ‘Girl, are you sure?’ Just ’cause it’s kind of a little polarizing, I think, but I absolutely love it. It’s a really angsty song I suppose, and I sort of just talk about everything that I’m upset about in the song, to put it very plainly and broadly.
I think it’s funny that we wrote the first track on the record kind of last minute, but it’s one of my favorites … I wrote [‘Brutal’] — and most of my songs — with my producer, Dan Nigro. He’s awesome. We were in the car listening to a bunch of old ’90s songs and really liked that energy. Then he came up with this awesome riff.”
hi, i love u. @Olivia_Rodrigo ur literally so sweet ?? thank u for the merch and the hugs and the COMPLIMENTS? of course i’ll go to prom with u pic.twitter.com/aqmu1q6JKW
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At least that’s what he says. Or maybe, as he later notes from the patio of his spacious new rental in the hills of Silver Lake, his worldview changes from year to year. If this sounds confusing, it’s just a reflection of what many creators and artists are dealing with coming out of a global pandemic, forced to reevaluate and recontextualize everything the know about how their art exists in the world. When pressed, the Los Angeles-based indie rock upstart is able to nail down his own personal philosophy to a certain golden-ish rule: Do no harm.
“I think I’m trying hard,” he says, pausing to give a question about his personal ethos the consideration it deserves. “I was just about to say I’m trying really hard, and then I realized that I don’t know if I’m trying really hard. My goal is to like myself enough so that I can do as little damage to the people and world at large around me as possible.”
It’s the kind of self-reflection that comes with a burgeoning career. And over the past year-and-a-half, both in the music space and in a wildly successful comedic TikTok account, a career is exactly what Petey is finding. But the Midwestern native is determined not to lose sight of how he got to where he is, and not to let these wins come at the cost they often do.
“It was a scary realization,” he says. “Once you start signing contracts and getting teams together, it’s a deep breath, late-night anxiety moment to realize, ‘Damn. I might have to hurt some people’s feelings.’ That’s a really, really, really difficult thing for me to grapple with and do. I’ve avoided a lot to avoid that… So through these last couple years, it’s been can I pursue and be successful in this space? And can I live a fulfilling life while also doing the least amount of damage as possible to people in my surroundings?”
So far, the answer has been yes. It’s not bad for a guy who moved to California based on a love of The O.C. and little else, and who is announcing his debut full-length (Lean Into Life, due September 3 on Terrible Records) today. Born Peter Martin in suburban Detroit, Petey spent his formative years in Chicago, playing in bands and forming deep connections with “10 or so artists” that remain embedded in his own creative DNA. After attending college at Loyola in New Orleans, The O.C. remained a siren song for the rudderless young man. “I had no real ambitions of doing music stuff or even art stuff,” he remembers. “My only goal when I was 21 and moved out here was just to survive and be in California.” Petey still describes himself as lacking ambition, but in these early days, he was content just to survive, and avoided anxiety about the future by simply not worrying about it. Still, he also admits to knowing deep down that artistic pursuits were likely his calling, even if he didn’t want to admit it to himself at the time. He would work as a session and touring drummer while spending his days in a mailroom job with no upward mobility, the idea of leading his own creative pursuits hardly realistic or even desirable.
But it was during a session drumming gig at Tropico Beauty recording studio that things changed. Feeling comfortable in the surroundings, Petey popped a question to the recording engineer, Phil Hartunian, to see if he could book some studio time for himself, too. Like many people who now make up his circle, the pair hit off a quick connection, with Petey booking a day of recording and laying down “California” and “Apple TV Remote” in a single session (Hartunian would go on top co-produce Petey’s album). In the winter of 2019, Petey went home to Chicago for the holidays and played the pair of songs for a friend he’d often see when he returned to town, Will Crane, the kind of friend with whom you “talk about your dreams and fantasies.”
“He was like, ‘What do you want to do with these?’ Petey recalls. “I was like, ‘Put them on SoundCloud and fucking kill myself? I don’t know, nothing? I just like them.’ Then, I go back to LA and he calls me probably two weeks later just being like, ‘Hey! I’m here with our other friend William [Croghan].’ Can we help you, and can you not fuck this up?’ (Those two, known simply as The Wills, currently manage Petey, with Crane being the collaborator on his TikToks.)
Philip Cosores for Uproxx
Whether Petey fucks it up remains to be seen, but with a small team in place, he filmed a music video for “California” and then amassed a cool 60,000 streams on the follow-up, “Apple TV Remote.” With no interest in being just a home recording artist, Petey knew that a label deal was the next step. “I’m not a label guy,” he says. “I know nothing about them. but I do know that they give you money to make records. And that’s what I needed.” Having been told Terrible Records might be a good fit, Petey’s team reached out and a deal quickly fell into place. Petey seems both perplexed and amused when recounting this humble origin story, aware that there is almost a Forrest Gump quality of things falling into place cosmically, something that is underscored by his surprising foothold as a social media breakout.
With the pandemic hitting just as Petey was launching his music career, a secondary avenue appeared out of necessity. “The only reason why I started doing [TikTok] is because I signed this record deal, essentially starting me off on a new chapter, and then COVID happened and we couldn’t do it,” he says. “So we had to figure out something to do. I came up with a skit and we did it and it worked right away, like, super quick, almost to the point where I was like, ‘Does this just work for everyone?’ (It doesn’t.)
The TikTok content is another aspect of his personality, a little less emotionally vulnerable than his music, but in his words, “equally rooted in sadness.” Still, to the uninitiated, it feels like if the Safdie Brothers directed sketch comedy, with a number of Petey’s interacting with each other rapidly, with quick cuts and clever gags all set to the tone of absurdity. In a little over a year, he’s accumulated nearly a million followers and 100 million views, just bonkers numbers. He even managed to parlay some fake sponsored content into actual sponsored content, earning a modest living and garnering fans like Fred Durst along the way (who, no joke, did a pair of TikToks, one for each of their channels, together). “He wanted to make some funny shit. So, we did!” Petey says, referring to Durst as a “great dude” and a “sweet guy,” alluding to the possibility of future comedic collabs together.
The serendipity that has allowed Petey to record songs, build a TikTok audience, partner with like-minded people on the label and management side, and even pull in a few famous fans along the way is all predicated on the quality of his output. Citing Modest Mouse, Kanye West, Death Cab For Cutie, and Say Anything as influences, traces of each can be heard on the debut LP, which pairs a handful of previously released highlights with a spattering of new material. But the influences feel like a drop of ink in the jar of Petey, whose own idiosyncratic personality and precise taste level push the projects he works on into rare air, where humor sits comfortably next to insightful observations, and emotional, tuneful songcraft often gives way to big, cathartic climaxes. Petey’s early music is keen on keeping you aware of the details and also making sure the listener receives their due payoff.
Bits of his self pop up throughout the music, too. It’s hard not to think of his O.C.-indebted origins when he’s literally relaying the plot of the series on “Don’t Tell The Boys,” or even professing his love of his current home on “California,” which becomes surprisingly biographical when put into the context of his move here. “I’d rather be depressed in California / Oceans got the only blues I need,” he sings as the song trucks steadily forward, its internal momentum matching the artist’s personal journey.
On the title-track — a highlight of the new material — Petey somehow showcases a four-on-the-floor beat, vocal manipulation, his beloved Brock-ian yelp, drug references, and reflective moments that hit on the carefree uncertainty of youth without cluttering the tune. “One night I had a thought / What if we all did anything we want / We quit our jobs, we went outside / No one can tell us how to live our lives,” he sings, deftly balancing humor and yearning. There’s an understanding of both the sanctity and futility of life throughout, all through a revelatory lens that feels like an entirely new perspective that might wear off once the druggy haze lifts.
Coming out of the pandemic, Petey will surely have to get out of his comfort zone — he notes that live shows still intimidate him — and make adjustments to evolving expectations. He quit drinking and smoking during Covid times, but notes with a chuckle that he’s currently back on both. He’s appreciated the time to hone his craft in relative solitude, but he’s also a social person that’s looking forward to reemerging in the world. Most importantly, his music and his comedy have to remain on his own terms. It’s the best-case scenario for an artist still perfecting his own voice and adjusting his worldview in real-time. Still, Petey knows to trust his own instincts, willing to see just how far they will take him.
“I think that I’m really strange,” he says, “I think that I’m really strange and a lot of people close to me tell me that I’m really strange. And I think that the music that I make is strange. Strange and not strange. And even the not strange, sometimes it’s strange how not strange it is. And with the TikTok too, because like I said, it’s just sort of all in the same bubble for me, I just sort of dive into what’s authentic about me, what I think makes me super weird. I realize how many people that resonates with and how many people are also super weird in the way that I think I’m super weird, which is why this is awesome and why this feels really good.”
Lean Into Life is due September 3 via Terrible Records. Get it here.
This is Conan O’Brien’s final week as the host of Conan, and he’s in complete “f*ck it” mode. He didn’t bring back the Bugatti Veyron Mouse or play the master recording of “Satisfaction” by the Rolling Stones, but he did smoke weed during a live taping. Not just anyone’s weed either, but Seth Rogen’s weed. That’s like catching a touchdown from Tom Brady, or masturbating with the Masturbating Bear. A once in a lifetime opportunity.
“You seem like a guy who’s relaxed, centered, like you know who you are,” Conan observed about Rogen. “I’m going to have a lot of free time on my hands now for a while. We’re going to start something else up, but I’m going to have some downtime, and honestly, I’m not even kidding, I don’t really know what to do with downtime.” The Pineapple Express star offered a predictable suggestion on how to pass the hours. “I would suggest — this is going to be hilariously on-brand — try smoking a lot of weed for a long time,” he said. Conan doesn’t smoke pot, which you can tell by him calling marijuana a “fine herb,” but “the couple of times I’ve tried, nothing really happened.”
Rogen saw this as a challenge.
TBS
“This is the kind of thing you do when you know it’s over for you,” Conan said before taking a hit from the joint (he initially held the joint the wrong way), delighting Rogen to no end. “I’m so happy with what just happened,” he said. “I wasn’t expecting any of this.”
Before the 2021 NBA Playoffs began, few would have projected an Eastern Conference Finals matchup between the Atlanta Hawks and the Milwaukee Bucks. Both teams were betting underdogs in at least one series, and both needed seven games to topple opponents perceived to be superior in the second round. However, the Bucks and Hawks begin their best-of-seven clash on Wednesday at Fiserv Forum, with a berth in the 2021 NBA Finals on the line.
The Hawks enter the series as the underdogs, which is a role Nate McMillan’s team is familiar with at this juncture. Trae Young is enjoying a fantastic playoff run, averaging 29.1 points and 10.4 assists per game, and Atlanta has done just enough to get by offensively. Still, it is the defensive effort from the Hawks that is at least partially responsible for their run, as Atlanta is allowing only 107.7 points per 100 possessions through two series. They will have a challenge in the series against a talented Bucks team, but McMillan has found success with a jumbo lineup featuring Danilo Gallinari, John Collins and Clint Capela playing together. That group is +27 in 55 minutes and, if Bogdan Bogdanovic continues to operate in a limited capacity, Atlanta may be forced to lean on their size.
Milwaukee’s defense has also carried its water to this point, with the Bucks leading the playoffs in allowing only 1.02 points per possession. That is a staggering figure when remembering the Bucks faced the Nets in the previous round, and Milwaukee leads the postseason in defensive rebound rate, free throw rate allowed and points allowed in the paint. Beyond the numbers, the Bucks seemingly have the overall talent advantage, particularly if Giannis Antetokounmpo can play at his optimal level. The Hawks do have options to slow him down, but Atlanta doesn’t have perfect defenders to deploy against Khris Middleton, and Milwaukee could find success against a more traditional defensive scheme after scuffling against Brooklyn’s switch-based attack.
Game 1 TV Info
Tip Time: Wednesday, June 23; 8:30 p.m. ET TV Network: TNT
Game 1 Betting Lines (via DraftKings Sportsbook)
Series Prices: Bucks (-480), Hawks (+350) Spread: Bucks -8 (-110), Hawks +8 (-110) Total: Over 225.5 (-113), Under 225.5 (-109) Money Line: Bucks (-360), Hawks (+285)
Game 1 Player Scoring Props (via DraftKings Sportsbook)
“Help us end this unjustice!” the fan wrote. “Use your voice! #FreeBritney.” They probably not expecting that one of the celebrities would respond.
“I have written so many angry, over the top [tweets],” Cher responded on Twitter. “But they have changed nothing. I will try to call. Might not get through… but I will try. #FreeBritney.”
Well, that just goes to show that social media remains one of the best ways to get the attention of famous people. If an advocate like Cher can help Britney in any way, it sounds like she’s going to try. And if it gets her back onstage and performing, even better.
While the eyes of the NBA universe were on the eyes of the Western Conference Finals series between the Phoenix Suns and Los Angeles Clippers, news hit the internet about Los Angeles Lakers guard Alex Caruso’s arrest at his alma mater. According to arrest records, Caruso was arrested while visiting Texas A&M and charged with a pair of misdemeanors: possession of marijuana under two ounces and possession of drug paraphernalia.
It appears Alex Caruso has been arrested for marijuana possession by Texas A&M University Police. pic.twitter.com/smztqTb2f3
Caruso, an unrestricted free agent this summer, was arrested at the airport on the school’s campus. Via Ramona Shelburne of ESPN:
Lieutenant Bobby Richardson of the Texas A&M Police Department told ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne that around 2 p.m. local time, Caruso tried to board a flight at McKinsey Airport, which is located on the A&M campus.
The Transportation and Security Administration searched Caruso’s bags and found a herb grinder that contained marijuana, Richardson said.
Further reporting indicates “marijuana residue” in the grinder led to the arrest.
UPDATE: University police tell me Caruso was arrested at Easterwood Airport after TSA agents found a grinder with marijuana residue. A&M PD made the arrest b/c the airport is on A&M property.
The arrest led to plenty of jokes on social media, in large part because Caruso did this in one of the increasingly few states that have harsh rules about marijuana. Even LeBron James got in on the fun, joking that he was going to pay “straight cash” to get Caruso out.
The Suns turned the ball over down one with under 10 seconds to play on everyone’s least favorite situation, the slow-motion review of a strip that, because of how physics work, technically touches the offensive player last as it leaves their hand. From there, Paul George got sent to the free throw line to try and put the Clippers up by three, but missed both free throws to give the Suns a full playbook to open up for a game-winner.
The first attempt was a clean corner three look for Mikal Bridges that went begging, but was tipped out of bounds by L.A. with 0.9 seconds to play on the baseline. As that review, requested by Terance Mann and the Clippers was ongoing, Monty Williams drew up an absolute beauty, having Jae Crowder toss a lob to Deandre Ayton, who was sprung free of Ivica Zubac by a Devin Booker screen.
It was a gorgeous play and one that Suns fans are quite familiar with, as they pulled off the same play in a game-winning situation with under a second on the clock three years ago with Tyson Chandler playing the role of Ayton.
While it’s been in the Suns rotation before, that was obviously with a different coach (Jay Triano) and for Monty Williams, he took his inspiration for the play from his old boss in Philadelphia, Brett Brown.
Monty Williams said the alley-oop out of bounds game-winning play was “stole” from Brett Brown and Joe Prunty.
The secret to the play is that there can’t be goaltending or basket interference on an inbounds pass because the ball isn’t live when it leaves the inbounder’s hands, only when it touches someone on the court. As such, it’s not a shot that they are interfering with and can be tipped in or dunked without fear of it being over the cylinder.
“I’ve tried to keep it a secret. It’s not a secret anymore.” — Jay Triano, who knew Tyson Chandler couldn’t be called for goaltending on the decisive play. pic.twitter.com/l7N9setQ6a
It is a play rarely gone to by coaches because it requires so many moving parts to work perfectly, and there isn’t a Plan B should something go wrong. The pass has to be perfect, the screen has to be strong enough from a small on a big to create separation for your center, and then your big man has to be able to catch and finish under pressure. That’s a dangerous proposition, but the Suns executed it to perfection once again, taking advantage of the rulebook and getting exactly what they needed from Crowder, Booker, and Ayton to get a win and move two games away from the NBA Finals.
The greatest moment of Deandre Ayton’s young NBA career occurred on Wednesday night. The Phoenix Suns won Game 2 of the Western Conference Finals against the Los Angeles Clippers, 104-103, thanks to an alley-oop with fractions of a second left by their former No. 1 overall pick. As a result, Phoenix is up in the series, 2-0, with both wins coming despite Chris Paul being sidelined due to the league’s health and safety protocols.
Much of the game was defined by two things: Cameron Payne and Ayton looking like they were going to win this for Phoenix, and Los Angeles just not letting them do that. Having said that, both Payne and Ayton were magnificent all game — the former led the game with 29 points and pitched in nine assists, while the latter had 24 points and 14 rebounds, along with one moment that no one in Phoenix will forget any time soon.
But despite this, the Suns just could not put the Clippers away. L.A. always seemed to have this within a few points, thanks in part to players like Luke Kennard coming in off the bench and hitting just enough shots to stem the tide — Kennard, in particular, scored all 10 of his points in the fourth quarter.
And then, down the stretch, it became the Paul George vs. Devin Booker show. After a Kennard jumper with just under 90 seconds left, the Suns went down and gave the ball to Booker. A controversial offensive foul call in which Booker raised his arm and Patrick Beverley appeared to embellish gave it back to Los Angeles, George hit a pair of free throws on the ensuing possession, the Suns got nothing, and then, George did this.
George, once again, had an answer. The Clippers got the ball into the hands of their star man and he rewarded their faith, hitting a jumper over Jae Crowder.
While Booker turned the ball over on the next possession — the ball was poked away by Beverley and it grazed the Suns’ star’s hand on the way out — George left the door open by missing a pair of free throws.
Mikal Bridges missed a wide open corner jumper the next time down, but the ball went out of bounds and there was just enough time left. And then, Ayton made magic happen off the ensuing inbounds play, as Crowder threw a picture-perfect lob and the big man did the rest.
After much confusion due to the constant need for the referees to remind us they are, indeed, on the floor during basketball game, 0.7 seconds were put back on the clock. George caught the full-court inbounds pass, but was unable to get a shot off before regulation expired.
Beyond the huge games by Payne and Ayton, Booker dropped 20 with five rebounds and four assists, while Cam Johnson and Dario Saric both pitched in 11 off the bench. For Los Angeles, George was the man of the evening with 26 points, six rebounds, and six assists, with Jackson pitching in 19 points, Ivica Zubac having 14 points and 11 rebounds, and Kennard throwing in 10 off the bench.
Game 3 of the Western Conference Finals takes place on Thursday evening at 9 p.m. EST from Staples Center.
Conan O’Brien is in the final week of his TBS late night show, and just as he turned the last lap of his Tonight Show stint back in 2010 into a “f*ck it” free-for-all, so is he going mad with this one. On Monday night’s show, he bid a proper, tuxedo-clad adieu to Paul Rudd’s long-running Mac and Me joke. (Perhaps that, too, will return, in some fashion, for O’Brien’s forthcoming HBO Max show.) How to top it?
By getting high with Seth Rogen.
On Tuesday night’s Conan, the actor-turned-filmmaker-turned-author did what looked like a pre-rehearsed bit. Rogen asked him what he planned to do with his downtime before he returns. He then proceeded to whip out a joint. But when O’Brien tried to light up right there, with the cameras rolling, he got a talking to.
“Don’t smoke that now!” Rogen warned him. “Or do, this will be a great, weird show for all of us.” His guest then advised him to keep it to “one hit.”
“This is the kind of thing you do when you know it’s over for you,” O’Brien joked, as he fumbled with the joint. “I really don’t know what the fuck I’m doing,” he said, which didn’t appear to be a joke.
O’Brien still has some episodes left, and now that he’s crossed “get high in front of cameras like Elon Musk once did with Joe Rogen” off his Bucket List, what’s next?
If there’s anything active social media users know, it’s the powerful presence of Beyonce’s biggest fans. The Beyhive, as they’re known, will rush to the singer’s defense whenever they deem it’s been slandered. So it’s no surprise that Trick Daddy felt their wrath after he questioned her singing abilities. “Beyoncé ain’t trying to give back to music and Beyoncé don’t write music,” he said during a conversation on Clubhouse. “Beyoncé can’t sing.”
The Beyhive quickly pounced, but others chose to handle it a bit differently.
On Tuesday, Trick Daddy’s restaurant, Sunday’s Eatery, was hit with a number of one-star reviews that seemed to be written by Beyonce’s fans. “The food was appalling!!” one person named Corey Goodman wrote. He added, “I’ve never in my life tasted such filth. The Lemonade, on the other hand, was divine” — a reference to Beyonce’s 2016 album.
One person wrote, “Disgusting food. Seriously though. The service was so subpar. Definitely do not recommend this restaurant, they can’t even sing.” Another added, “The food was undercooked but tasted overcook the restaurant smelled like wet dog, but there was a delightful bee’s nest outside waiting.” The reviewers also made sure to show their allegiance to the singer by adding a bee emoji to the end of their comments. In the end, they brought the restaurant’s rating down to a 2.6 out of 5 on Google.
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#soursurprise pic.twitter.com/XkGsClQBOz
pic.twitter.com/aqmu1q6JKW
: ESPN 
