Last year during the early throes of the Coronavirus sweeping across America, mega popstar Pink shared that both her and her three-year-old son, Jameson, suffered severe cases of COVID-19. She called the experience “terrifying” back then, and recently she’s shared even more specifics about just how worried she was about her health.
“This is going to sound crazy, but we had COVID last year, very early in March, and it was really, really bad and I rewrote my will,” Pink told Heart Radio host Mark Wright,. “You know, at the point where I thought it was over for us, I called my best friend and I said, ‘I just need you to tell Willow how much I loved her.’”
Thankfully, the singer made a full recovery, but part of the gravity of her loss stuck with her. She said the experience caused her to reconsider her role as a mother, and what kind of legacy she’s leaving behind and teaching her kids. “What am I teaching them?” she remembers thinking. “And are they going to make it in this world, this crazy world that we live in now? And what do I need to tell them if this is the last time I ever get to tell them anything?”
This led her, naturally, to write a song reflecting on the experience. “All I Know So Far” is going to be released this Friday, and will be featured in the singer’s upcoming documentary Pink: All I Know So Far. The track is dedicated to Pink’s daughter, Willow.
Check out the full emotional interview above and look for the new song in a few days.
Dominic Fike had the honor of being chosen by Paul McCartney to participate in his McCartney III Imagined project, which saw other artists transform his songs. Fike’s contribution was a cover of “The Kiss Of Venus,” which he performed on The Late Late Show last night.
Before the song, Fike chatted with Corden about how working with McCartney was special for him, especially considering that The Beatles were one of the first things he and his girlfriend bonded over. He said, “On our first date, there wasn’t really much to talk about. I didn’t know her, we didn’t meet through mutual friends. I saw her in a movie and I was like, ‘Wow, she’s really hot.’ And then I messaged her and she asked me to go on a walk. And there was nothing really to talk about, so we just went through all the motions, like ‘What movies are you into,’ ‘What kind of music are you into?’ And she immediately [said], ‘Do you like The Beatles?’ I said, ‘I like Paul McCartney.’ She said that’s her favorite artist. I was always trying to do things to impress her, make music to impress her. Then when this opportunity happened, I was like, ‘Wow, she’s going to fall in love with me.’”
Watch the clips from Fike’s Late Late Show appearance above.
Anderson Cooper’s debut as a Jeopardy! guest host is off to a rough start. On his first day at the podium, the CNN Silver Fox pulled in the lowest ratings yet for a guest host, just narrowly losing to Dr. Oz’s controversial debut. In Cooper’s defense, he had to follow football star Aaron Rodgers, who brought in a ratings spike for the game show that’s still in the middle of choosing a permanent host to replace Alex Trebek. Via The Wrap:
The 5.1 rating for Cooper’s first week dropped “Jeopardy!” out of the top game show spot, falling behind “Family Feud” which pulled in a 5.5 rating. Cooper’s 5.1 was just below Dr. Oz’s 5.2 rating for his debut week, which had been the previous low for a “Jeopardy!” guest host. Rodgers, the (for now) Green Bay Packers quarterback, began his run with a 5.6; his second week drew a 5.5 rating.
While that’s not the most auspicious start for Cooper, The Wrap notes that Oz averaged a 5.1 rating for his run that caused over 600 former Jeopardy! contestants to sign an open letter urging producers to nix the “miracle cure” purveyor from the show. So there’s still plenty of time for Cooper to pull ahead, and at the very least, best the guy who caused a revolt from former contestants.
In the meantime, fans are eagerly anticipating LeVar Burton finally getting a crack at the Jeopardy! podium as an outpouring of support has pushed the beloved Reading Rainbow host near the top of the list of potential replacements for Trebek.
Welp, that didn’t last long. No sooner had I hit “publish” on this last post about fans’ speculations than J. Cole announced the release date for his upcoming album, now titled The Off-Season, and shared its cover. The album is due next Friday, May 14. Check out the cover below.
Cole previously teased the project on Instagram, writing that he’d just finished giving it the “car test” in his Story and saying that he was “too excited” for fans to hear it. This came just days after his Dreamville labelmate Bas seemingly teased a release date two weeks away — which turned out to be an accurate prediction (although, with all the false starts and release rumors that have circulated around the project, you never know). It’s been over three years since the release of Cole’s last album, K.O.D., so it’s understandable that fans were antsy for any and all new information about the upcoming follow-up, but the sudden announcement was still a surprise, even with all the clues.
For one thing, J. Cole spent most of 2020 lying low and promoting his Puma sneakers more than his music. Aside from a handful of tracks, there was little to suggest that the album was incoming — it’s not like he’d put “Snow On Tha Bluff” on the tracklist after the commotion it caused. However, it seems Cole put that time to good use, not only pursuing a basketball career but also changing his album’s title from The Fall-Off to a more basketball theme-appropriate one — drawing the parallel between his early, hoop-oriented releases and hopefully, shucking the “grumpy old man” vibes of his most recent album.
The Off-Season is due 5/14 through Interscope and Dreamville.
With just one tweet, J. Cole has validated the hype for his upcoming album in the eyes of many and set social media abuzz with anticipation. Although his Dreamville labelmate Bas teased something coming in two weeks at the end of April, there was always a possibility that the teaser could have been invalid or plans might have changed. However, now that the notoriously social media shy Cole has checked in — even without actually sharing any real information — fans are convinced that the release of his new music is imminent, even though all he wrote was, “Is this thing on?”
Cole, who originally teased a 2020 release date for his new album way back in 2019 at Day N Vegas, pushed back the release as a result of the coronavirus pandemic and subsequent shutdown of the live entertainment infrastructure like many other big-name artists. He postponed his Dreamville Festival and went more-or-less into seclusion for most of 2020, popping up to offer a handful of singles, including the ill-advised “Snow On Tha Bluff,” which prompted a tesy back-and-forth between J. Cole and Noname. And while members of Cole’s crew, including Earthgang’s Olu, continued to tease Cole’s upcoming project — tentatively titled The Fall Off — he seemed more interested in chasing his hoop dream than rapping.
However, after a long, uncertain wait, Cole crossed off one item from his list after another, and now, here we are. Perhaps the full album will release, or just the video for “The Off-Season,” but it looks like Cole’s fellow Dreamers are going to be watching his newly reactivated account intently for the foreseeable future.
Some parts of the world are slowly starting to awaken from a long pandemic slumber. That means travel restrictions that have been in place since March 2020 are starting to ease. We’re beginning to see headlines like “E.U. Set to Let Vaccinated U.S. Tourists Visit This Summer” from the New York Times or “Greece opens its doors to Covid-free tourists” from CNN.
Those headlines certainly inspire hope for a battered travel industry. But in the light of day, they rarely tell the whole story. The New York Times had to adjust their original headline in a follow-up article about the E.U. with a headline that read, “Vaccinated Tourists May Soon Travel To Europe.” And yes, Greece is open to tourism but there are a lot of “ifs” and regulations for people making that trip from the United States, as of right now (more on that below).
After compiling this list, it became abundantly clear that we’re a long way from the freedom of movement enjoyed since the fall of Communism in Europe. In truth, that might take a fair bit of time to fully return to. The reality of mandatory health declarations, digital or physical vaccine passports, pre-paid accommodations, PCR tests before departure, on arrival, and before returning home, and health insurance requirements are very real and going to be part of traveling abroad for some time.
So what is going on with travel to Europe? Not a whole lot right now if you’re a U.S. citizen. There are a lot of plans from places like Spain, France, and Italy — Europe’s travel mainstays — to reopen summer travel for Americans as soon as possible. We’re likely to see new protocols for travel to those nations arrive within weeks. For now, they’re closed but we’ll be updating this list as new rules roll in.
That said, remember that the E.U. only represents 27 out of 50 European nations. Their rules, recommendations, and regulations will only apply to that economic bloc. Instead of focusing there, today we’re looking at each country in Europe and where they stand on letting in U.S. citizens for tourism. To compile this information, we’ve used the U.S. State Department’s U.S. embassy information from each European country. The U.S. embassies in each nation tend to update their entry/exit requirements for Americans along with COVID details and regulations consistently.
A reminder for the would-be traveler: Just because a country is open to U.S. tourists doesn’t mean it’s a good time to go. While CNN is reporting that Greece is “open” to U.S. tourists, Greece still has a lot of restrictions. Do you want to go all the way to Athen just to sit at a hotel, find most clubs closed, and eat take-out? Looking at the current status of some of the countries that are open to U.S. tourism, it becomes clear that they’re hoping things get much better and lockdowns ease off by the time the heavy summer tourism season arrives (July and August).
It’s like floating a check. They want the bookings now, it hopes that things will unlock soon. If you’re comfortable taking that risk when making your bookings, that’s up to you.
Lastly, we’ve added vaccination rates for each country as they currently stand, according to Reuter’s COVID-19 tracker. The vast majority of the countries that are open have an extremely low vaccination rate. That means that they are nowhere near herd immunity. Since the CDC is very clear that there are a lot of unknowns as to whether vaccinated people can still contract and spread COVID or its variants, there are serious ethical concerns at play (particularly when visiting countries with low vaccination rates). It’s on you to make informed choices that don’t put others at risk, especially in countries with heavily strained resources.
Albania has opened its international borders for now. However, direct flights from the U.S. don’t exist, meaning you’d have to travel via another country in Europe that might be closed to U.S. citizens, vaccinated or not, even if just transitting. Moreover, there’s a nationwide curfew at the moment which has shut bars and restaurants and restricts all public movement between certain hours.
Land borders are still closed and information is sketchy. Add in social tensions on the streets, and it’s unclear if now is the time to go to this very reclusive nation.
There are no direct flights to Croatia, meaning you’ll have to transit through a third country (which may not be accepting U.S. citizens). Moreover, there are a lot of restrictions in place due to ongoing lockdowns.
Negative PCR test required no more than three days before arrival.
Medical document showing you have recovered from COVID-19 90 days before travel or an official certificate showing a final dose of COVID-19 vaccine was taken at least 14 days before arrival.
Test on arrival at traveler’s own expense ($40 to $150 depending on the port of entry).
Documentary evidence of an accommodation paid in advance and in full.
These rules will slightly vary from the Turkish-controlled to Republic-controlled sides of the island. Also, there are some severe lockdown conditions currently in place on both sides of the island.
Iceland is probably the most ahead of the game heading into summer. They’re accepting travelers that are fully vaccinated, have travel plans paid for and fully planned in advance, and are willing to be kept track of during their stay.
Still, most places are operating at 50 percent capacity indoors and outdoors with varying levels of soft lockdowns across the country at the moment.
You can technically travel to Ireland as a U.S. citizen. However, you’ll have to arrive with a negative test and self-quarantine at a pre-paid quarantine hotel for 14 days. Being fully vaccinated does not exempt you from the 14-day quarantine. This is basically Ireland saying to stay away without having to outright ban people.
Moreover, arriving in Ireland without a PCR test (showing you’re negative) and refusing to take a test within 36-hours of arrival will be subject to a €2,500 fine or six months in prison for each offense. Plus, everything is still under severe lockdown restrictions nationwide.
Vaccination does not exempt travelers from any requirements.
The penalty on conviction for not abiding by Irish regulations, including mandatory 14-day quarantine, PCR testing requirement, completing the Passenger Locator Form, and wearing a face covering is up to €2,500 (nearly $3,000) and/or six months in prison.
The State Department has this to say: “The health situation continues to deteriorate. U.S. citizens report equipment shortages and a lack of space available at local and regional hospitals. It is possible that regional and European land and/or air border restrictions could be re-imposed with little notice.”
That combined with Kosovo’s virtually non-existent vaccine status should translate to you not going there even if you technically can.
According to the State Department: “Effective April 29, 2021, The National Public Health Emergency Commission in Moldova has issued a national State of Public Health Emergency. The Chisinau International Airport is open, although service is limited and commercial airlines will make independent decisions about when they will resume service in Chisinau.”
All things considered, you should not be planning to travel to Moldova right now.
Entry into Monaco is based on France’s rules, which are currently restricted for U.S. travelers — with some caveats for family members and essential travel.
While Montenegro is fairly open to U.S. tourists who’ve been fully vaccinated, they remain in a pretty wide lockdown with a long list of restrictions across every sector of the country.
Enter with either an official vaccine card showing you’ve been fully vaccinated at least seven days before arrival or a negative PCR test taken no more than 72 hours before arrival (with 14-day quarantine on arrival) or an official test showing recovery from COVID-19 at least 30 days before arrival.
PCR test upon arrival.
Nationwide curfew from midnight to 5 am.
Intercity travel is banned from Friday at 11 pm to Monday at 5 am.
Masks (indoors and outdoors) and social distancing enforced.
North Macedonia is open with almost no restrictions for entry for U.S. citizens (as long as they’re not entering the country via Africa). However, the country is rolling in and out of curfews and lockdowns currently. Per the State Department: “Parliament has extended the nationwide state of crisis through June 30, 2021, to effectively manage state resources during the coronavirus pandemic.”
Like Monaco above, San Marino has lifted most restrictions for entry. But, since you have to enter the country through Italy, you’re not getting in. When Italy opens up, we’ll update this entry too.
Turkey is fairly open to U.S. travelers. However, there’s a major lockdown/curfew right now. The State Department says there’s a “full-time curfew throughout ALL of Turkey, starting at 19:00 on Thursday, April 29, 2021, and ending at 05:00 on Monday, May 17, 2021, encompassing weekdays and weekends.”
According to the State Department, “Ukraine is under an adaptive quarantine until June 30, 2021.” There isn’t clear information on what “adaptive quarantine” means. But with the extremely low vaccination rates and Russian military buildup, this is probably not a fit for many travelers.
Entry requirements are changing quickly and vary depending on if you’re entering Scotland, Wales, England, or Northern Ireland. Currently, Americans can enter but are still required to quarantine for ten days and take at least two PCR tests while doing so at their own expense. This all could literally change in a matter of weeks or even days.
When Lil Nas X released his internet-breaking “Montero (Call Me By Your Name),” he was facing criticism from two sides. Several conservative and religious viewers clutched their pearls at the sight of the musician twerking up on Satan. Another side questioned his queer identity entirely. Prior to coming out, Lil Nas X would have listened to his haters as he used to be concerned about alienating his straight fans, but now, he’s just being his most authentic self.
Speaking in an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Lil Nas X opened up about the recent controversy surrounding his “Montero (Call Me By Your Name)” video. The musician knows that those criticizing him and his music weren’t supporters in the first place. “At first I was really afraid of alienating any of my straight fans,” he said. “But then it was kind of like, if they feel offended, they were never really here for me. They were here for whatever version of myself they made up in their head.”
Another aspect that’s changed for Lil Nas X since his rise to fame is how he’s able to playfully confront haters. When he was first blowing up, the musician would simply block anyone trash-talking him online. But now, he has no problem clapping back:
“I’m very much a chaotic, good person. I almost never want to start shooting at somebody who didn’t bring it to my doorstep, you know? But I kind of live for when somebody tries to get me and I’m ready to throw it back at them tenfold. Do I feel bad about it sometimes? Every now and then, but I feel less bad knowing that I didn’t start it. I try to never throw stones, but if somebody throws one at me, I’m throwing an entire house.”
For her directorial debut, Natalie Morales made an R-rated sex comedy. But Plan B isn’t your “typical teen quest movie,” as the Parks and Recreation star explained to EW. Instead of following a white dude as he’s trying to get laid (there’s no 3 Doors Down on the soundtrack), it’s about “two girls who live in South Dakota, and they’re not rich and they’re not white, and one of them loses their virginity and they have to get their asses across the state to the one Planned Parenthood that is open to get the Plan B pill.”
Plan B stars Kuhoo Verma (The Big Sick) and Victoria Moroles (Teen Wolf), who Morales praised as having an instant connection — even though their pandemic-era chemistry test was over Zoom. “You know when you watch Fleabag and the Hot Priest? And you’re like, ‘Oh, that’s chemistry, I’ve just never seen chemistry before’? I was looking for something close to that,” she said. “I mean, without the romance or the sexual energy. I needed people that jump off the screen when they’re together.”
Based on the trailer above, she found the right leads. Here’s the official plot summary:
After a regrettable first sexual encounter, a straight-laced high school student (Kuhoo Verma) and her slacker best friend (Victoria Moroles) have 24 hours to hunt down a Plan B pill in America’s heartland.
Plan B, which was written by Prathi Srinivasan and Joshua Levy and produced by Cobra Kai creators Jon Hurwitz, Hayden Schlossberg, and Josh Heald along with Dina Hillier, premieres on May 28 on Hulu.
Indie music has grown to include so much. It’s not just music that is released on independent labels, but speaks to an aesthetic that deviates from the norm and follows its own weirdo heart. It can come in the form of rock music, pop, or folk. In a sense, it says as much about the people that are drawn to it as it does about the people that make it.
While we’re at it, sign up for our newsletter to get the best new indie music delivered directly to your inbox, every Monday.
Manchester Orchestra – The Million Masks Of God
Manchester Orchestra has gone through many evolutions over the last fifteen years. What started as an emotive and volatile post-hardcore outfit has become what Steven Hyden called for Uproxx “expansive and philosophical indie rock.” The Million Masks Of God features the outfit’s grandest vision to date, delivering an ornate collection of a songs inspired by the death of guitarist Robert McDowell’s father.
Matt Sweeney & Bonnie “Prince” Billy – Superwolves
The last time Matt Sweeney and Bonnie “Prince” Billy collaborated, the world was very different. Yet 2005’s Superwolf had the staying power to remain relevant as the planet continued to spin. With Superwolves, the duo “maintained the same singular mood of the first record, even as they’ve opened up their partnership, on three tracks, to the thrilling Tuareg guitar hero Mdou Moctar and his crack band,” writes Steven Hyden for Uproxx.
Origami Angel – Gami Gang
After finding some breakthrough success with their debut 2019 LP Somewhere City, Washington, DC-based emo duo Origami Angel widened their lens and set their sites on a new project that would surely take them to the next level. Gami Gang is a punk masterpiece, fraught with intricate guitar insanity and impressive vocal hooks that forecast massive potential for the band’s growth.
Charlie Martin – Imaginary People
Charlie Martin is one-half of the excellent lo-fi indie project Hovvdy, and his debut solo album fills the gap we’ve felt since the band’s last studio release in 2019. “I want people to hear the songs and feel comforted or lifted up,” Martin said in a statement. “That’s always my goal.” The thirteen tracks that make up Imaginary People certainly achieve the goal.
WILLOW – “transparent soul” (ft. Travis Barker)
Willow is just 20 years old, but she already has four albums to her name. Her latest track “transparent soul” marks a stylistic shift in the direction of artists like Paramore and Avril Lavigne, and gets a little help from Travis Barker, who knows a thing or two about pop punk. “With expressive vocal delivery, Willow leans on raucous guitars to serve up a scathing critique of someone’s character,” writes Carolyn Droke for Uproxx.
Half Waif – “Swimmer”
Just over a year after releasing the excellent album The Caretaker, Nandi Rose is back with another brand new album called Mythopoetics. After a string of standalone singles over the last few months (all of which are featured on the album), “Swimmer” marks the LP’s first proper single. It’s a massive and dramatic electro-pop track that was written after Rose visited her aunt, who has Alzheimer’s and can only truly be reached through the power of music.
Squid – “Pamphlets”
Buzzy experimental UK outfit Squid are gearing up to release their new album Bright Green Field, and “Pamphlets” is the final single before the full album drops. At over eight minutes, the track protests the proliferation of propaganda being placed in people’s mailboxes, and “establishes a quick and consistent pace early before embarking on a frenetic post-punk journey,” writes Derrick Rossignol for Uproxx.
Mannequin Pussy – “Perfect”
Though Mannequin Pussy previewed their new EP Perfect with the excellent alt-rock track “Control,” they had to make sure that fans didn’t think they lost their edge with “Perfect.” The EP’s title track is a bombastic hardcore punk rocker that clocks in at just over one minute long — the perfect length for a punk song, IMO.
Faye Webster – “Cheers”
Faye Webster’s forthcoming album I Know I’m Funny Haha might have the greatest title of all time, and it doesn’t hurt that the music itself is also pretty great. “Cheers” is the first taste of the new album, which is “grittier than much of the tracks heard on Webster’s breakout 2019 album Atlanta Millionaire’s Club,” writes Carolyn Droke for Uproxx. “It’s held up by grumbling guitar chords which offer an intentional contrast to Webster’s airy vocals.”
Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
Part of what makes sports so great is the history that gets passed down from generation to generation, stories told from fathers and mothers to their sons and daughters of the greats they saw. Today, that often means showing highlight reels on YouTube, which has an endless supply of videos of the best from today and compilations put together from yesteryear.
While the generations are often split on the GOAT debates based on who they saw play when they were younger, being able to appreciate greatness is nearly universal among sports fans. Some players, like LeBron James, have careers that span multiple generations and part of what makes his legacy so incredible is that he’s continuing to dominate nearly two decades into his NBA career. That so many have been able to witness his greatness in person or at least live on TV is going to make him a figure discussed, debated, and revered long after he eventually retires.
It also means there’s quite the backlog of LeBron highlights to show this current generation of kids who may only know of Laker LeBron, which is exactly what Drake did with his son Adonis, posting a video of his son absolutely locked in and enthralled by some of James’ best highlights from his younger days.
Drake had to put his son onto some of @KingJames‘ best highlights
It’s they type of thing almost every sports fan can immediately relate to, that sense of awe and disbelief as a child watching the very best do seemingly superhuman things. It’s what folks of my generation born in the early 90s had the first time we saw Michael Jordan, surely having similar “OMG” moments as we, knowing the late-career Jordan, first got introduced to some of his early highlights via VHS tapes. Drake’s love of basketball and sports in general is not a secret, and part of the joy of parenthood is finding things to share and enjoy with your kids, which it seems he and Adonis will be able to do with hoops.
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