GoneTrending

Julien Baker is working her way towards dropping a new album. In October, she announced that Little Oblivions will be released in February. She shared “Faith Healer” when she made that announcement, and last night, she brought the track to The Late Show With Stephen Colbert.

Baker and her band took to the Nashville venue Exit/In for the performance, which was a gradually swelling affair until it reached its climactic end. Baker is one of the most powerful vocalists in all of music when she really belts it, and she got to show some of that off to a national TV audience last night.

Baker previously said of the song:

“Put most simply, I think that ‘Faith Healer’ is a song about vices, both the obvious and the more insidious ways that they show up in the human experience. I started writing this song 2 years ago and it began as a very literal examination of addiction. For awhile, I only had the first verse, which is just a really candid confrontation of the cognitive dissonance a person who struggles with substance abuse can feel — the overwhelming evidence that this substance is harming you, and the counterintuitive but very real craving for the relief it provides. When I revisited the song I started thinking about the parallels between the escapism of substance abuse and the other various means of escapism that had occupied a similar, if less easily identifiable, space in my psyche.

There are so many channels and behaviors that we use to placate discomfort unhealthily which exist outside the formal definition of addiction. I (and so many other people) are willing to believe whomever — a political pundit, a preacher, a drug dealer, an energy healer — when they promise healing, and how that willingness, however genuine, might actually impede healing.”

Watch Baker perform “Faith Healer” on Colbert above.

Little Oblivions is out 2/26 via Matador Records. Pre-order it here.

History has proven the saying “you don’t know what you have until it’s gone” to be true more times than not. However, just in case you need an additional piece of evidence, Melii and 6lack have provided just that for you through their new video for “You Ain’t Worth It.”

The track itself finds both artists dismissing their old flames and the visual falls right in line with the song’s theme. It begins with Melii locked into an argument with what becomes her ex all to pick up her things to join her new lover who seems to treat her much better than her past lover. The two go on their separate paths until they run into each other at a basement party. Melii is cozied up with her new partner while her old one stands afar and watches another man enjoy what was once his.

As for 6lack, the Atlanta singer stays out of the mess and resorts to a rooftop to sing from the perspective of the new man who picked up what another one fumbled. At the end of it all, Melii’s ex is left to regret his mistakes while the singer herself moves on to enjoy the greener pastures ahead of her. In a press statement, Melii explained why she chose 6lack for the song. The reason I chose 6LACK was because the beat was very much his vibe,” she said. “I wanted somebody that would bring a chill-type of vibe but still spit in that sh*t.”

Well, based on the song and video, it’s clear she made the right choice as “You Ain’t Worth It” lines up to be the perfect launching pad towards her upcoming sophomore project.

You can watch the “You Ain’t Worth It” video above.

The dominoes keep falling for Trump’s inner circle, and the latest casualty in his spectacularly inept contention of the 2020 presidential election is none other than whackjob lawyer Sidney Powell.

Powell joined Trump’s “legal strike force” late last year as the president, along with Rudy Giuliani, launched a widespread campaign to instill distrust in the voting process. Powell took things a step further, promoting a truly wild conspiracy theory alleging that Dominion, the company supplying voting machines in Georgia, was initially created to help rig elections for the late Venezuelan dictator Hugo Chavez. Powell tried to make the link that foreign nations were involved in switching Trump votes to Biden votes during the general election — an accusation that was proven to be unfounded and based on doctored documents. Powell also accused election officials in Georgia who confirmed the vote count of accepting kickbacks from Dominion.

And now, the company is hoping she pays for her fearmongering and baseless claims, in court, to the tune of $1.3 billion, according to The Daily Beast.

Dominion is suing Powell for slandering the company’s reputation and putting its employees’ lives at risk. The suit alleges that Powell’s conspiracy theories led to death threats being received by members of the company and politicians that supported the validity of the vote count and that her repeated appearances on TV tarnished how people viewed the company and the voting process at large. They’re hoping putting a $1.3 billion price tag on her attack campaign might set a precedent for other demagogues looking to wield agents of the law to topple our democratic process.

This sounds a lot like what people call a “f*ck around and find out” move.

(Via The Daily Beast)

The final episode of Jeopardy! with Alex Trebek as host airs on Friday, closing a legendary chapter in the syndicated game show’s history. Trebek died in November after a battle with pancreatic cancer, leaving behind a show that will continue without his enormous presence.

Tributes to Trebek have come from all over in recent days. The show itself paused airing new episodes for a two-week tribute to Trebek’s travels around the world, and basically everyone involved in the show — even Ryan Reynolds — has something kind to say about Trebek. That includes James Holzhauer, the record-breaking Jeopardy! champ who competed in 2020’s Greatest Of All Time Tournament.

Holzhauer shared a brief Twitter thread where he paid tribute to Trebek, starting with a very funny promo poster of Trebek looking like James Bond.

“It’s easy to forget that Jeopardy is basically “Let’s watch these three strangers take a GED test, except they have to pretend THEY’RE asking US the questions because reasons,” Holzhauer wrote. “Alex made that concept into the biggest thing on TV, into a lifelong dream for prospective contestants.”

Holzhauer eloquently stated the importance of Trebek to the show, not in the impact it has had on him personally but also in Trebek’s dedication to the program, right until the final days of his life.

“I feel very grateful for the time we had together—not just in the studio but also in my living room, where he’s felt like a member of the family for 30+ years,” Holzhauer wrote. It’s a lovely tribute to Trebek for sure, and in a week that’s been troubling to say the least, the final on-camera moments of Trebek’s life will bring an additional sadness to millions watching. More tributes will come, but it will be tough to beat this one.

Steven Yeun is on the precipice of becoming the first Asian-American to be nominated for Best Actor in 93 years thanks to his outstanding performance in Minari. The film about a Korean-American family that moves to an Arkansas farm to live the American Dream is generating awards buzz for Yeun, but the former The Walking Dead star recently revealed that Hollywood is still struggling to properly tell stories about the Asian-American experience. “We don’t have that space of understanding carved out in society yet on what an Asian American story feels and sounds like,” Yeun told Variety.

While looking back at his early years as a Korean immigrant and an inspiring actor, Yeun opened up about his experiences with poor Asian representation that started all the way back with his first theater audition where he was asked to do an over-exaggerated accent:

The first audition I had in Chicago was called “Awesome 80s Prom,” which was an immersive improvised show, where you have this John Hughes spectrum of characters like Ferris Bueller. Then you have your “Long Duk Dongs,” and I auditioned with Ferris Bueller’s opening monologue. And they said, “that was good. Can you do that all again in an Asian accent?” And I’ll be honest with you. I knew that I didn’t want to do that. The system had no clue that’s not what I wanted. We were just in a different time. And so I remember I did a shitty accent and phoned it, and they still wanted me anyway because that’s how far and few between Asian actors were.

Despite landing his first audition, Yeun couldn’t stomach that it required doing the accent and he turned the offer down, which did not go over well. “Oh, that’s not a good first step in this business,” Yeun recalled. “I pissed somebody off.” Fortunately, things worked out as Yeun went on to land a fan-favorite role on The Walking Dead and now he’s looking very good for an Oscar nomination for Minari.

(Via Variety)

Heading into Wildcard Weekend in the NFL, the Associated Press announced its All-Pro team as voted on by 50 media members across the country who cover pro football. This year’s teams were highlighted by two unanimous selections, Rams defensive lineman Aaron Donald and Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce, as well as two players who were named to their sixth All-Pro teams in Donald and Seahawks linebacker Bobby Wagner.

While the NFL Pro Bowl often misses out on naming the best talent, the All-Pro team tends to be a more accurate snapshot of the best players in the league in any given season, and this year’s team includes players from across the league, both young and old.

Mainstays like Aaron Rodgers and Jalen Ramsey are here, while first-time honorees such as Derrick Henry and Stefon Diggs are on the list as well.

Here is the full team:

Offense

QB: Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay Packers

RB: Derrick Henry, Tennessee Titans

WR: Stefon Diggs, Buffalo Bills and Tyreek Hill, Kansas City Chiefs

TE: Travis Kelce, Kansas City Chiefs

LT: David Bakhtiari, Green Bay Packers

LG: Quenton Nelson, Indianapolis Colts

C: Corey Linsley, Green Bay Packers

RG: Brandon Scherff, Washington Football Team

RT: Jack Conklin, Cleveland Browns

Defense

EDGE: T.J. Watt, Pittsburgh Steelers and Myles Garrett, Cleveland Browns

DT: Aaron Donald, Los Angeles Rams and DeForest Buckner, Indianapolis Colts

LB: Fred Warner, San Francisco 49ers; Bobby Wagner, Seattle Seahawks; and Darius Leonard, Indianapolis Colts

CB: Xavien Howard, Miami Dolphins and Jalen Ramsey, Los Angeles Rams

S: Tyrann Mathieu, Kansas City Chiefs; Minkah Fitzpatrick, Pittsburgh Steelers; and Budda Baker, Arizona Cardinals

Special Teams

K: Jason Sanders, Miami Dolphins

P: Jake Bailey, New England Patriots

KR: Cordarelle Patterson, Chicago Bears

PR: Gunner Olszewski, New England Patriots

ST: George Odum, Indianapolis Colts

LS: Morgan Cox, Baltimore Ravens

Nigerian pop stars Wizkid and Burna Boy’s last official collaboration was in 2013 on Burna Boy’s L.I.F.E album cut “Jahs Love Is True.” Since then, though, both have become international superstars, been nominated for Grammys, and released well-received albums here in the US, propagating their Afro-fusion style beyond their home country. Now, they’ve reunited on Wizkid’s new album, Made In Lagos, and today, they released the video for their collab, “Ginger.”

The video is relatively straightforward, featuring the two artists performing in a massive studio as models dance and pose in front of the camera. They also share a game of Oware — otherwise known as mancala — atop a classic automobile.

Both stars have seen their profiles rise in the US over the past few years, largely as a result of their collaborations with stars here who’ve been tapped into their sound. Wizkid worked with Drake on “One Dance” in 2016, with Wale on his Shine album in 2017, and with GoldLink on Diaspora in 2019. Meanwhile, Burna’s path was less conventional; a coincidental song title mixup in 2018 led to an explosion of popularity, giving him a platform from which to launch his albums African Giant and Twice As Tall.

Watch the “Ginger” video above.

Burna Boy is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

Throughout the past year, athletes around the country have taken front and center in the fight for equal justice. They’ve led marches, made their voices heard on social media, contributed money to various initiatives, and used their platforms and their considerable influence to raise awareness and institute change.

In response, they’ve been vilified and targeted by those who would seek to stifle their efforts, they’ve been called un-American and un-patriotic (and worse), and they’ve been told by many on the right that they should simply “stick to sports.” Thankfully, they’ve listened to it all and kept moving forward.

And after the events in Washington this week, when radical, violent Trump supports stormed the United States Capitol building in a failed and short-lived — but no less horrifying — coup attempt, athletes around the country have called out the utter hypocrisy in the way they’ve been criticized in light of how the predominately white rioters in Washington were able to proceed mostly unabated.

On Friday, they put words and images to those sentiments in a powerful new ad for the More Than a Vote campaign.

IT WAS NEVER ABOUT WHAT WE DID, IT’S ABOUT WHO WE ARE! @morethanavote pic.twitter.com/LGsGXmvZKE

— LeBron James (@KingJames) January 8, 2021

In the ad, they promised never to simply “shut up and dribble” and instead press on in their quest to help the disenfranchised have their voices heard. During the November election, More Than a Vote made a huge impact on voter registration in this country, where people of color have roundly been subject to widespread suppression tactics.

They also promised to keep the fight going. Even with the incoming Joe Biden administration, there is still plenty of work to be done, and athletes will once again be at the center of those efforts in the future, exercising their most American of rights to demand justice from those in power and to help those who have been victimized by our institutions for far too long.

A giant in the world of Major League Baseball has died. In news first reported by TMZ and ultimately confirmed by the club with which he has become synonymous, former Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers player and manager Tommy Lasorda passed away on Friday. He was 93 years old.

In one capacity or another, Lasorda spent 71 years as a member of the Dodgers organization, the longest tenure one person had with one club in the sport’s history. The Dodgers called him “one of the sport’s most popular ambassadors” in their statement, an accurate phrase that also somehow undersells the Hall of Fame inductee’s impact on baseball as a whole.

In a follow-up tweet, the Dodgers released statements from owner Mark Walter, team president Stan Kasten, and perhaps the only man as well-known for their time with the franchise as Lasorda himself, iconic broadcaster Vin Scully.

A native of Pennsylvania, Lasorda’s playing career included a number of stops, and while he spent a few years as a member of the Dodgers organization as a player, he only made one start for the franchise in 1955. Ultimately, he returned to the Dodgers as a scout in 1961, moving up the ranks in the organization until he became its manager in 1976. His tenure in L.A. included a pair of World Series wins, one in 1981 and one in 1988, along with a number of trips to the postseason and his number two retired by the organization. Following his managerial career, Lasorda moved into a front office role in L.A.

Beyond this, Lasorda was revered for being a big, affable personality with an infectious love for the game of baseball. His 1,599 wins as a manager are the 22nd most in the history of the majors.

Vanessa Kirby’s promoting her grief-filled (and award-tipped) performance in Netflix’s Pieces Of A Woman, but of course, she’s also fielding questions about the challenging Mission: Impossible 7 production. The film’s back from holiday break in a beefed-up location with even more enhanced COVID protocols due to the U.K.’s spike in cases. And of course, no one will ever forget on-set tirade that Tom Cruise launched at crew members who weren’t taking masking and social distancing protocols seriously. Some mixed feelings surfaced about that rant’s delivery, but overall, people were like, “Hell yeah, Tom” regarding the message.

Well, The Crown star is feeling about the same. She discussed the subject with Extra while declaring, “I think being safe is the message for everybody, really.” She also discussed how her sister’s on the crew and was one of the first back on sets this summer, which “gave me hope” in industry that was almost fully shuttered for much of the year. Kirby also expressed excitement for how “the stunts get riskier, and there’s ones on this that have been terrifying.” And she told Collider more about the “beautiful” sight of people being able to work again:

“My sister’s also a member of the crew on the film. She’s an AD. She was on the first film back up, Jurassic World, in July I think and so I got to see her do it and it was such a wonderful moment because the industry had to shut down and cinemas are closed; to see the films that are getting back up and running and people being able to work was a really beautiful thing.”

Kirby also confirmed that protocols are “rigorous,” with everyone being tested up to four times per week. It sounds like things are working out for Mission: Impossible 7 again after several setbacks. The film is scheduled for a November 19, 2021 release.

(Via Collider & Extra)