Victoria Monét established herself as far more than just an Ariana Grande collaborator (although that’s an outstanding achievement as is) with her 2020 project Jaguar. Now she is back with her first new material since then, the sexy single “F.*.C.K.”
The title stands for “Friend U Can Keep,” and on the sultry track, she outlines a casual intimate situation, singing, “Is your favorite color blue? ‘Cause you’re somethin’ like my kryptonite / I think I want you to maybe meet me at my crib tonight / Might not be the one but I’m definitely the prototype / Let’s get down and get it on the floor.”
Monét says of the track:
“‘F.*.C.K. is a nod to the millennial and gen Z mindset. We do not have to be confined to traditional commitment ideals, and instead, embody the freedom to be intimate when and with whom we mutually, please! I wanted to give that non-binding friendship intimacy an official name…the way we see it, if you’re never in a relationship, you technically can never break up. It’s forever fun, it’s playful, it happens. So…F.*.C.K. it!”
Meanwhile, Monét is fresh off earning a nomination at the 2021 GLAAD Media Awards, where she will be up for Outstanding Breakthrough Music Artist against a roster of nominees that includes Phoebe Bridgers, Orville Peck, Arca, and Rina Sawayama.
Since last May, David Lynch has been uploading daily weather reports to his YouTube channel. They’re useless to anyone who doesn’t live in Los Angeles, and yet I, a Texas resident, can’t stop watching them. “Here in LA, by golly, we’ve got rain, gray, and gloomy with a slight breeze. Very dense fog with this rain,” the filmmaker says in one video. “This should, I hope, burn off by this afternoon and we’ll have sunshine back and 70 degrees. Have a great day.” Thank you, David Lynch, I will have a great day.
In yesterday’s video, Lynch, after getting through the weather report (“Here in LA, partly cloudy, a strong breeze blowing, around 46 degrees Fahrenheit,” etc.) teased that he will “have an announcement to make” on February 1. Hey, that’s today! Is Lynch making another season of Twin Peaks? Filming a new movie? Blowing up Thomas Jefferson’s face on Mount Rushmore and replacing it with Laura Dern? It’s David Lynch. It could be literally anything or, as it turns out, nothing.
“This is a day I was going to announce that I was going to take a break from doing the Weather Report and picking the number of the day,” Lynch said (he also picks a number of the day). “But then I read the comments yesterday and it hit me once again what a great group you all are who subscribe or visit the David Lynch Theater. So thoughtful and so kind you are, and I’m so thankful there are people like you in this world. So, we’re going to continue on and I wish, no matter what the weather is, I wish for all of you blue skies and golden sunshine internally all along the way. Everyone, have a great day.”
David Lynch has done a lot of incredible things in his 75 years on this planet — Twin Peaks, Mulholland Drive, this photo — but his most impressive achievement is inspiring the one good comments section on the internet. And some wonderful reactions.
Keeping track of all the new albums coming out in a given month is a big job, but we’re up for it: Below is a comprehensive list of the major releases you can look forward to in February. If you’re not trying to potentially miss out on anything, it might be a good idea to keep reading.
Friday, February 5
45 Adapters — Now Or Never EP (Siren Records)
A.J. Croce — By Request (Compass Records)
Aaron Lee Tasjan — Tasjan! Tasjan! Tasjan! (New West Records)
Aliceissleeping — Completely Fine (Mandrone Records)
Apollo LTD — Nothing Is Ordinary, Everything Is Beautiful (Residence Music Group)
Archie Shepp And Jason Moran — Let My People Go (Archieball)
Daniel Robertson — Peace Chord (Unheard Of Hope)
Danny Kroha — Detroit Blues (Third Man Records)
Deacon Blue — Riding On The Tide Of Love (earMUSIC)
Dylan Dunlap — Soldier On EP (Nettwerk Records)
Editrix — Tell Me I’m Bad (Exploding In Sound Records)
Ezinma — Classical Bae EP (Decca Records)
Femi Kuti And Made Kuti — Legacy+ (Partisan Records)
Foo Fighters — Medicine At Midnight (RCA)
Hounds — Cattle In The Sky (BMG)
Jeremy Zucker And Chelsea Cutler — Brent II EP (Fool’s Gold Records)
Jimi Somewhere — Nothing Gold Can Stay (Ultra Music)
John Carpenter — Lost Themes III (Sacred Bones Records)
K Michelle Dubois — The Fever Returns (Baby Robot Records)
Miss Grit — Imposter EP (self-released)
Nana Yamato — Before Sunrise (Dull Tools)
Nick Schofield — Glass Gallery (Backward Music)
Nubiyan Twist — Freedom Tales (Strut)
Octo Octa — She’s Calling EP (T4T LUV NRG)
Odette — Herald (EMI Music Australia)
Oh OK — The Complete Reissue (Collectors’ Choice Music)
Pooh Shiesty — Shiesty Season (1017)
Psychedelic Porn Crumpets — SHYGA! The Sunlight Mound (P-VINE)
Puma Blue — In Praise Of Shadows (Blue Flowers Music)
Rick Margitza — Sacred Hearts (Le Coq Records)
Roy Montgomery — Island Of Lost Souls (Forced Exposure)
Ryan Allen — What A Rip (Dad Pop Records)
Sarah Mary Chadwick — Me And Ennui Are Friends, Baby (Rice Is Nice)
For the first time, MLB The Show 21 will bring the beloved baseball franchise to Xbox players, as the exclusive license with PlayStation ended last year.
It’s a big deal for those that have Xbox consoles but have wanted to be able to play the only MLB simulation game on the market — there are arcade options, like RBI Baseball — and this April, that opportunity will be there. On Monday, we got our first teaser for MLB The Show 21, which revealed that Padres star shortstop Fernando Tatis Jr. will be the cover athlete for the game. The campaign leans into Tatis Jr.’s flair for the game and occasional “controversies” he’s found himself in, which effectively boil down to some not appreciating how expressive he is on the field and that sometimes he hits home runs when the other team thinks he shouldn’t.
As he says in the teaser, they’re never going back to the old ways and for The Show that is also indicative of the game’s move to a wide release rather than being a PlayStation exclusive. The 2021 edition will drop on April 20 for PS5, PS4, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S. We’ll surely get more gameplay trailers and details on features coming to the game, but for now, fans can circle April 20 on their calendars for when The Show will be made available.
As the GameStop stock fiasco unrolled last week, Elon Musk entered into the mix by supporting the Reddit day traders who coordinated a wide-scale maneuver against hedge funds that were shorting shares of the video game retailer. However, the situation became so volatile that the popular investment trading app Robinhood blocked users from buying GameStop stocks on Thursday, which led to a severe backlash and threats of congressional hearings. While the ban was only temporary, people want answers, and that includes Musk, who arranged an early Monday morning interview with Robinhood CEO Vlad Tenev on the audio streaming platform Clubhouse. After getting Tenev into the chat, Musk immediately started grilling him.
“Spill the beans, man,” Musk said right out of the gate. “What happened last week? The people demand an answer, and they want to know the details and the truth.” While Musk seemed fired up at the start, the Tesla CEO became more sympathetic as Tenev explained that Robinhood was under intense pressure from the National Securities Clearing Corporation, a regulatory agency, which demanded a $3 billion deposit at 3 a.m. Thursday morning due to the volatility around the GameStop stocks. Ultimately, Robinhood was able to bring that number down to $700 million, but as Tenev claimed, not before putting a temporary block on buying the stocks. Via the New York Post:
“I guess people really just want to know — if you had no choice, then you had no choice, it’s a gun-to-the-head situation. And then that’s understandable,” Musk told Tenev. “But then whoever put that gun to your head should be willing to answer to the public.”
When Musk began to suggest that there was some “shadiness” to the NSCC’s request, Tenev shot down that characterization, which prompted Musk to ask if the Robinhood CEO is being held hostage. Tenev assured him he wasn’t.
Sometimes the best new R&B can be hard to find, but there are plenty of great rhythm and blues tunes to get into if you have the time to sift through the hundreds of newly released songs every week. So that R&B heads can focus on listening to what they really love in its true form, we’ll be offering a digest of the best new R&B jams that fans of the genre should hear every Friday.
Brent Faiyaz – “Gravity”
That’s right. Brent Faiyaz and Tyler The Creator are on the same song. It’s titled “Gravity” and it’s glorious. Brent brings on his melodic toxicity while Tyler adds his ingenious energy. Produced by DJ Dahi, “Gravity” is in collaboration with adidas original as part of their ‘Songs From Scratch’ series.
Summer Walker – “Body”
“Body” is a fan favorite off Summer Walker’s well-recieved debut album Over It and it now has a music video with the R&B singer showing off her baby bump. Simple and serene, Summer’s mostly black and white visual features her relaxing in a luxurious cabana near the sea.
PARTYNEXTDOOR – Colours
Yes, PARTYNEXTDOOR’s highly-celebrated SoundCloud-only project Colours is now available on DSPs everywhere. Come get into “Peace of Mind,” “Freak In You,” and the rest of Colours like it’s the very first time.
Trevor Jackson – “Just Friends”
Trevor Jackson drops off his music video for his song “Just Friends” and does an amazing interpolation of Ludacris and Usher’s early 2000s hit “Lovers And Friends.” Based on “Just Friends” and music from Trevor’s past releases, there’s definitely more to look forward to.
Asiahn — “My World”
This week, Asiahn comes through with a dreamy visual for her song “My World,” off The Interlude EP. Trust, the visual looks just as gentle and musing as the song sounds. Since the release of her debut EP, Asiahn has popped up on both Billboard’s Emerging Artist Spotlight list and chart.
Otis Kane — “Without You”
Otis Kane is back with another love-filled R&B jam in the form of “Without You.” As the follow-up to Kane’s previously released songs “Lost” and “Fight For You,” “Without You” is just another example of what fans can expect when his project releases in February.
Pink Sweats — “At My Worst (Remix)” Feat. Kehlani
Who knew that Pink Sweats and Kehlani on the same song would be so magical? Their latest collaboration “At My Worst” is just that. In the meantime, his upcoming project Pink Planet is still on the way.
Marvin Gaye — What’s Going On: Deluxe Edition
In celebration of the late Marvin Gaye and his musical contributions, there is now a deluxe version of his album What’s Going On available. This edition of What’s Going On features various versions of the album’s titled track, that still remains relevant 50 years later.
Alana Soul – “Moment Of Time”
Alana Soul’s latest, “Moment Of Time,” is here. “This song is about feeling loved unconditionally with pure intentions and no fear of the other person judging you – really just enjoying every moment,” the London-based singer said in a statement. “Why can’t we let our flaws show?”
Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
For Black History Month 2021, Spotify is rolling out a massive slate of new programming aimed at honoring the history and cultural contributions of Black Americans in music, podcasts, and even visual art. As usual, the Black History Is Now hub will be the center of all the relevant programming, with playlists curated by influential Black artists and other public figures, new hip-hop playlists, and a slew of new podcasts from commentators like writer Danyel Smith, reporter Van Lathan, and political analyst Bakari Sellers.
As far as the visual component, Spotify licensed work from Black photographers like Adrian Octavious Walker, Adreinne Waheed, Doug Segars, and Shawn Theodore to cover new playlists such as “Soul Coffee,” “Black Love Mixtape,” “Power to the People,” and “Black History Salute.” Meanwhile, other playlists like “I Love My HBCU” and “Queen” will be guest-curated by celebrities 2 Chainz and Keke Palmer. Several existing hip-hop playlists are receiving new names; “Cali Fire” is now “Westside Story,” “The Realest Down South” is now “No Cap,” and the “Off The Strength” playlist for buzzing underground artists is now “Out The Mud.”
In addition, there are four new playlists aiming to highlight standout new releases (“New Joints”), the burgeoning drill movement and its major hubs (“City To City”), and women in hip-hop (the aptly-titled “Door Knockers”). Finally, new podcasts include offerings that address women’s contributions to the music business, current events, politics, and more.
You can find out more at the Black History Is Now hub here.
However, another future Hall of Famer who hit free agency this offseason is staying put, as Diana Taurasi, the WNBA’s all-time scoring leader and three-time champion, will remain in Phoenix, agreeing to a multi-year deal with the Mercury according to Shams Charania of The Athletic.
WNBA news: Three-time champion Diana Taurasi is signing multiyear deal to return to the Phoenix Mercury, sources tell @TheAthletic@Stadium.
Taurasi has been in Phoenix for her entire professional career, playing all 16 seasons since she was drafted out of UConn after a legendary college career, and will continue to do so for what one would assume to be the remainder of her career. Taurasi, at 38 years old, is still a dominant force in the league, as she averaged 18.7 points, 4.5 assists, and 4.2 rebounds per game in the Wubble last season, shooting 36.5 percent from distance. The GOAT will be back and a multi-year deal will keep her in the WNBA into her 40s, but there’s no reason to believe she can’t continue playing at a high level.
Phoenix went 13-9 at IMG a year ago, earning the 5-seed and advancing to the second round, where they lost a heartbreaker to the Lynx by one point. With Taurasi returning, along with Brittney Griner and Skylar Diggins-Smith, the Mercury will bring back a strong core and will look to fill out depth and talent around them, as they still have some pending free agents, headlined by restricted free agent Shatori Walker-Kimbrough.
Keeping up with new music can be exhausting, even impossible. From the weekly album releases to standalone singles dropping on a daily basis, the amount of music is so vast it’s easy for something to slip through the cracks. Even following along with the Uproxx recommendations on a daily basis can be a lot to ask, so every Monday we’re offering up this rundown of the best new music this week.
This week saw Selena Gomez continue to tease her first Spanish-language project and a couple artists releasing new material via deluxe albums. Yeah, it was a great week for new music. Check out the highlights below.
Selena Gomez — “Baila Conmigo”
Selena Gomez recently announced her first full-blown Spanish-language project recently, which she introduced with “De Una Vez.” She continued the promotional cycle last week with “Baila Conmigo,” a collaboration with Tainy and Rauw Alejandro. The reggaeton track puts Gomez’ voice in a context that’s outside of her usual wheelhouse, but one in which she thrives.
Lil Durk — The Voice (Deluxe)
Lil Durk’s latest album, The Voice, is barely over a month old at this point, but as has been tradition lately, the rapper is back with a quick deluxe edition. The expanded album adds basically an album of new material (12 tracks), including “Kanye Krazy” and the Lil Baby-featuring “Finesse Out The Gang Way.”
Jpegmafia — “Fix Urself!”
In 2020, Jpegmafia dropped EP!, so naturally, he’s bringing a follow-up titled EP2! to 2021. He made that announcement last week as he shared “Fix Urself!.” Jpegmafia, ever one to switch up his style, explores nighttime emotional hip-hop on his latest.
Arlo Parks — Collapsed In Sunbeams
Arlo Parks hasn’t been releasing music professionally for all that long, but she’s already made quite the name for herself, like when she earned the favor of Phoebe Bridgers fans by joining her for a BBC piano performance. Now she has dropped her debut album and it features gems like the touching “Hope.”
FKA Twigs, Headie One, and Fred Again — “Don’t Judge Me”
Last year, FKA Twigs featured on an interlude from Headie One and Fred Again’s GANG mixtape, but that wasn’t the end of “Judge Me.” For 2021, they expanded the track beyond its original 2-minute length into its own track, also expanding the title to “Don’t Judge Me” and giving FKA the primary credit.
Hayley Williams — “My Limb”
Getty Image
Somehow, Hayley Williams managed to find a new way to release a song: She put “My Limb” on a CD and hand-delivered it to a fan’s house, giving them permission to leak it, which they did. Funny enough, the song actually isn’t available anymore, as the YouTube upload has been blocked by Williams’ label on copyright grounds.
Pink Sweats — “At My Worst (Remix)” Feat. Kehlani
Pink Sweats’ Pink Planet project is coming soon, but in the meantime, he remixed a recent single, “At My Worst.” This time, he brings Kehlani into the fold, and the two bring warmth together on the summery, chilled-out track.
Brent Faiyaz — “Gravity” Feat. Tyler The Creator
Tyler The Creator has kind of laid low since Igor, but he’s popped up on tracks here and there. The latest is a featured spot on Brent Faiyaz’s “Gravity,” a smooth tune on which the duo request that their significant others move on.
The Killers — Imploding The Mirage (Deluxe)
After dropping Imploding The Mirage last summer, The Killers apparently had some mirage left to implode, as they’ve returned this year with a deluxe edition. Two of the additional songs are alternate versions of album tracks, but there’s a lone original: “C’est La Vie,” which is likely just a precursor to the new music the band has teased recently.
Ty Dolla Sign — “Spicy (Remix)” Feat. J Balvin, YG, Tyga, and Post Malone
Ty Dolla Sign is such an active collaborator that the title of his most recent album, 2020’s Featuring Ty Dolla Sign, was a play on that fact. Sure enough, he’s back in the lab with some musical friends. This time, he took “Spicy,” which already featured Post Malone, and added J Balvin, YG, and Tyga to the proceedings on a new remix.
Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
The Weeknd is headlining the Super Bowl halftime show, but every year, there are always a ton of music events surrounding the big game. This year, for example, Verizon is hosting The Big Concert For Small Business, and they’ve secured quite the lineup: The event will be hosted by Tiffany Haddish and will feature performances from Miley Cyrus, Alicia Keys, Brandi Carlile, Brittany Howard, Christina Aguilera, HER, Jazmine Sullivan, Eric Church, and Luke Bryan.
The Roc Nation-curated show starts after the Super Bowl, on February 7 at 11 p.m. ET and will be livestreamed on Twitter, Twitch, YouTube and TikTok; broadcasted on BET, CBS Sports Network, CMT, MTV2 and MTV Live; and aired on iHeartRadio and SiriusXM.
Keys says of the event, “Small businesses are so important and we need to do whatever we can to keep them alive; our communities can’t recover without them. I’m excited to be partnering with Verizon and the rest of these amazing artists to not only be able to take the stage and bring that good music and light but to do it for such a meaningful cause.”
The show is part of Citizen Verizon, which the company describes as its “responsible business plan for economic, social and environmental advancement.” Tami Erwin, CEO of Verizon Business, adds, “For small business owners today, we know that opening a digital front door is as important as a physical one. This multi-year effort underscores the role financial assistance, technology and training will play in rebuilding small businesses for both short-term and long-term economic recovery.”
