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More than four months have passed since the L.A. Clippers imploded in the Western Conference Semifinals. Many weighed in on the autopsy of the Clippers blowing a 3-1 lead to the Denver Nuggets, and the Clippers also overhauled their on-court product in the offseason. Tyronn Lue is now at the helm, the roster features Serge Ibaka, Luke Kennard, Nic Batum and others in key positions, and the Clippers are now flying under the radar, at least to some extent. However, the Clippers still feature the dynamic pairing of Kawhi Leonard and Paul George, with that duo fueling everything for the organization.

Through 17 games, the Clippers sport a 13-4 record that features an active seven-game winning streak. Even while acknowledging that the schedule has been reasonably soft during the winning spree, L.A. boasts a tremendous statistical profile. The Clippers are No. 2 in the NBA in offense, scoring 116.8 points per 100 possessions, and they have a top-three net rating (+7.7) in the early going. L.A.’s offensive explosion isn’t too shocking in the aggregate, but the Clippers lead the NBA in three-point shooting (42.3 percent), and the team is generating a ridiculous 122.1 offensive rating during the seven-game winning streak.

As you may expect, Leonard and George are playing at a fantastic level. Both are sporting 50/40/90 shooting lines and, when the two play together, the Clippers are outscoring opponents by a blistering 17.7 points per 100 possessions. George was harshly criticized for his playoff downturn but, after shooting just 40 percent from the floor and 33 percent from beyond the arc in the postseason, he has captured his old self on the offensive side.

Beyond the top two, L.A.’s new acquisitions are doing damage. Batum has been an unexpectedly positive story, scoring 10.0 points and grabbing 4.8 rebounds per game while shooting 50 percent from the floor and 45 percent from long range. Those numbers may not continue, but the Clippers acquired the veteran forward at a bargain-basement price, and he fits well in the team’s scheme as a versatile player defensively and an effective, low-usage ball mover offensively. From there, Ibaka’s arrival is paying real dividends, and the addition of Kennard helps to take some heat away from early-season struggles from veteran Lou Williams.

Within the 17-game sample, there is some statistical noise that indicates (slight) regression could be in the offing for the Clippers offensively. At the same time, they are absolutely bludgeoning the opposition when their best players are on the floor, and that includes a +25.4 (!) net rating with their starting lineup deployed together. That kind of dominance may not persist in full, but there is reason to believe that the Clippers are, in fact, the dominant team that simply evaporated for a few days in the 2020 playoffs.

Like the Milwaukee Bucks in the East, the Clippers are at a point where only the postseason “matters” for their broad evaluation, and that makes the regular season feel less significant. Beyond that, the Clippers may not be at full strength for a while, with both Leonard and George currently in the NBA’s health and safety protocols. Still, it is undoubtedly encouraging to see L.A. playing at an obscenely high level to begin the 2020-21 campaign, and they remain the biggest threat to the Los Angeles Lakers in the West as a result.

Where do the Clippers land this week in our DIME power rankings? Let’s explore the space.

1. Los Angeles Lakers (14-4, Last week — 1st)

The Lakers were actually threatened by the Cavs on Monday but, eventually, LeBron did LeBron stuff. Los Angeles remains the clear favorite to repeat and, even if they weren’t, the Lakers have the best record in the league. There is no reason to drop them.

2. L.A. Clippers (13-4, Last week — 2nd)

L.A. may not be able to maintain their current form while George and Leonard are sidelined. In the grand scheme, all that matters is how they look when the full crew is available, and the early returns are exceptional.

3. Utah Jazz (12-4, Last week — 3rd)

Utah made a big leap last week and they haven’t slowed down. The Jazz came out this week and won all three games by double-digits, extending their winning streak to eight games. That seems pretty good and, at present, Utah is a top-five team on both offense and defense.

4. Milwaukee Bucks (10-6, Last week — 5th)

Milwaukee’s won five of the last seven, with the only losses to the Lakers and Nets. The Bucks also maintain the NBA’s best offensive rating and they have the best statistical profile in the East right now. In other words, things are pretty normal.

5. Brooklyn Nets (11-8, Last week — 4th)

It was kind of a weird week for Brooklyn. The Nets were swept (?) by the Cavs, but then bounced back to sweep the Heat in a two-game set. Monday’s win over Miami wasn’t exactly a portrait in beauty, but the Nets made the plays they needed to make and, obviously, the talent is undeniable.

6. Philadelphia 76ers (12-6, Last week — 6th)

A cursory look at Philadelphia’s profile would reveal an eyebrow-raising loss to Detroit in their last outing. I would simply point out that Joel Embiid didn’t play in Detroit. Otherwise, the Sixers won the three previous games, including a two-game sweep over Boston.

7. Boston Celtics (10-6, Last week — 7th)

Jayson Tatum is back and the Celtics are in a solid position despite all kinds of weirdness in the early going. Boston did lose both games to Philly this week, though, so they can’t jump over the Sixers in our rankings.

8. Denver Nuggets (10-7, Last week — 14th)

Denver had a fantastic week. The Nuggets are 4-0 since our last check-in, with three straight road wins over Phoenix and Dallas. That is quite impressive, and Denver is now third in offensive rating and fifth in net rating this season. The early-season struggles seem to be behind them.

9. Memphis Grizzlies (7-6, Last week — 8th)

Unfortunately, Memphis didn’t play all week due to postponements and Wednesday’s scheduled game is already postponed. The Grizzlies are still technically on a five-game winning streak, though, so that’s something in the encouraging column.

10. Indiana Pacers (10-7, Last week — 12th)

The Pacers are a top-10 team in net rating that is slightly above-average on both ends of the floor. Is there anything more Pacers than that? Indiana also picked up a nice win over Toronto on Monday, even with Domantas Sabonis leaving the game early with a knee issue.

11. Phoenix Suns (8-7, Last week — 9th)

Phoenix has technically lost four of five, with three postponements in between. There is no reason for panic, as the last two losses came to the scalding-hot Nuggets. From there, the Suns still have a solid statistical profile and a deep, talented roster. That usually helps.

12. San Antonio Spurs (9-8, Last week — 13th)

This isn’t a new phenomenon, but the Spurs have been flat-out better without DeMar DeRozan and/or LaMarcus Aldridge on the floor. San Antonio’s net rating is -6.5 with Aldridge and -5.5 with DeRozan, though the team’s overall net rating is positive on the way to 9-8. Maybe it’s early-season noise, but it’s not ideal to be worse with your most prominent players on the court.

13. Golden State Warriors (9-8, Last week — 11th)

Steve Kerr shook things up on Monday in bringing James Wiseman off the bench. That probably wasn’t the reason Golden State toppled hapless Minnesota, but it’s something to watch. Oh, and Steph Curry remains pretty good.

14. Atlanta Hawks (8-8, Last week — 16th)

After a badly needed three-game winning streak, the Hawks ran into a buzzsaw in Milwaukee on Sunday. Of course, Atlanta could point to the absences of Trae Young and Clint Capela in that game to explain the double-digit defeat. Now, though, the Hawks face an interesting back-to-back against the Clippers and Nets on Tuesday and Wednesday, even if the first match-up lost some luster with Kawhi Leonard and Paul George sidelined.

15. Toronto Raptors (7-10, Last week — 15th)

Toronto is rounding into form with five wins in the last seven games. No one should’ve been worried that the Raptors were suddenly terrible, but they’ll need to continue this upward trajectory to get where they want to go. For one thing, Toronto is only league-average on defense so far this season, and that will need to improve.

16. Portland Trail Blazers (9-7, Last week — 10th)

Losing to Oklahoma City at home on Monday isn’t the end of the world, but it maybe wasn’t the best sign for Portland. The Blazers are going to struggle without CJ McCollum and Jusuf Nurkic. The only question is just how much they’ll struggle and how it will impact their overall pursuits.

17. Houston Rockets (6-9, Last week — 24th)

We’re giving the Rockets a bump after what they did to Dallas in a 25-point win on Saturday. It’s quite possible (likely?) that Houston will go back to the bottom-10 next week, but DeMarcus Cousins put together a 28-point, 17-rebound effort that was a lot of fun in that matchup.

18. Dallas Mavericks (8-9, Last week — 17th)

Dallas is 2-5 in the last seven games. More troubling, though, is the fact that the Mavericks essentially have a league-average offense right now. After leading the league comfortably in offensive rating last season, that is a problem. Dallas has to be very good, maybe even elite, on that end to enjoy the success they’re seeking.

19. Miami Heat (6-10, Last week — 18th)

It is hard to flat-out punish the Heat for losing to the Nets (twice) and Raptors on the road. However, Miami’s slow start continues at 6-10 and they may be digging a hole that will impact them in the playoffs. Jimmy Butler’s return will help, but the Heat have been a bad team statistically this season, which is worth acknowledging.

20. Cleveland Cavaliers (8-9, Last week — 21st)

Cleveland turned some heads in challenging the Lakers on Monday evening, but LeBron put the game away late to end some of the excitement. Prior to that, the Cavs suffered a (very) ugly loss to the Celtics but, even then, Boston is a good basketball team, and Cleveland opened the week in beating Brooklyn twice. Cleveland is 25th in net rating, but they are better than that.

21. New York Knicks (8-10, Last week — 22nd)

New York’s season has been marked by runs. After starting 2-3, the Knicks won three in a row. Then, the Knicks lost five in a row, only to win three in a row, and then arrive here by losing the last two games. The baseline is somewhere in the middle, of course, but this is still a top-five defense statistically and that helps a lot.

22. Chicago Bulls (7-10, Last week — 20th)

This might just be what the Bulls are. There have been ebbs and flows, but Chicago is 7-10 and on the fringe of play-in contention. That almost feels right, especially with a net rating (-3.5) that is currently 24th in the Association.

23. Charlotte Hornets (7-10, Last week — 23rd)

It’s been a little bit rough for the Hornets lately. Charlotte has lost five of six, with the only win coming against Orlando, only to give it back the next game. That isn’t the end of the world, but they were closer to moving down the rankings than moving up this week.

24. Oklahoma City Thunder (7-9, Last week — 25th)

Oklahoma City’s second unit is pretty rough and this team probably isn’t going to win more games than it loses. The Thunder are still competitive, though, and they showed that again with a win over Portland on Monday. Oklahoma City did lose five of the previous six games, but even those losses came to playoff-caliber teams. They’re respectable.

25. Orlando Magic (8-10, Last week — 27th)

We could focus on Orlando’s bottom-five offense and real creation issues on the perimeter. Those are worthwhile conversations. Instead, we’ll spin it positive to showcase the stellar play of Nikola Vucevic. The standout center is carrying Orlando’s offense to the tune of 23.5 points and 11.1 rebounds per game, and he’s connecting on 43.5 percent of his three-pointers. Imagine where the Magic would be without his tremendous contributions.

26. Washington Wizards (3-9, Last week — 26th)

The Wizards have taken the floor for one game in the last two weeks. It was a road loss to San Antonio. Washington is still without several key pieces, and it is really difficult to evaluate their on-court product when taking everything into account. We’ll learn more about the Wizards in the coming days.

27. Sacramento Kings (6-10, Last week — 28th)

Sacramento is still in a tier of their own defensively, and not in a good way. The Kings have the worst defensive rating in the NBA by four points per 100 possessions, and that explains their overall performance. There wasn’t much to take from this week, though, as Sacramento split its only two games due to postponements.

28. Detroit Pistons (4-13, Last week — 29th)

Detroit snapped a four-game losing streak with a win on Monday and it was a microcosm of their season. The Pistons lost all four games by single digits and, while they have the worst win-loss record in the NBA, Detroit is only 22nd in net rating (-3.0). Make no mistake, the Pistons are pretty bad, but they aren’t completely wretched.

29. New Orleans Pelicans (5-10, Last week — 19th)

The Pelicans lost to the Wolves this week so, honestly, I thought about putting them 30th. That is an ugly sign overall for a team that had real expectations, but three losses in a row puts New Orleans closer to the bottom than the playoff picture. There is still talent on the roster and time to right the ship, but it’s not going all that well.

30. Minnesota Timberwolves (4-12, Last week — 30th)

In 132 minutes, the Wolves have a +6.1 net rating when Karl-Anthony Towns is on the floor. When he’s off the floor, the team’s net rating craters to -11.9, and KAT has been out for a while. As such, Minnesota has the worst statistical profile in the league and they remain in the basement this week.

It’s tempting when making a quick stop at the ATM, to leave your car running. After all, you’ve got the heater adjusted just right, the engine’s already warmed-up, and your phone’s Bluetooth has already taken the extra 15 seconds to connect to the car’s stereo. But leaving your vehicle running when you’re not in it is a dangerous proposition no matter how quick your errand — something Ludacris has, unfortunately — and ironically, considering his role in the Fast & Furious films — learned the hard way.

Atlanta’s NBC affiliate reported the rapper was forced to flag down police late yesterday afternoon after someone jumped in his Mercedes-Benz while he was using an ATM and sped off, leaving the rapper stranded. He didn’t see the thief, but police were able to track the car electronically and eventually located it at an apartment complex in Midtown. The car was returned about five hours after it was stolen and some of Luda’s property from inside was retrieved at another location in northwest Atlanta.

Atlanta police said that of the 99 cars stolen this year so far, 76 had keys in the ignition or were running at the time, so keep that information in mind when you have errands to run. In any case, Luda is far from the only rapper to have to deal with brazen midday theft. In 2019, Young Dolph’s Benz was broken into at a Cracker Barrel, resulting in $500,000 worth of jewelry being stolen, and in 2018, someone stole a hard drive full of Quality Control music from an engineer’s car. So, lock those doors, take the keys with you, and never leave anything valuable in plain view.

Former senior counselor to the President of the United States Kellyanne Conway abruptly resigned from the White House last fall due to conflict at home, which involved her 16-year-old daughter, Claudia, announcing that she would be seeking emancipation from her parents (her father is George Conway, who co-founded The Lincoln Project). At the time, Claudia had tweeted that she wasn’t seeking emancipation because of Kellyanne’s job but, instead, “because of years of childhood trauma and abuse.” Late last week, the situation appeared to have intensified once more with TMZ reporting that law enforcement had carried out a welfare check on Claudia (who often posts on TikTok) after the teen had “secretly recorded and posted a video showing her mom screaming and swearing at her.”

Now, Variety is reporting that Twitter is investigating an incident in which Kellyanne has been accused of posting a topless photo of Claudia. The posting in question is said to have occurred on Twitter’s Fleets feature (in which posts evaporate after 24 hours), and Twitter users reportedly documented the Fleet before it was removed. Variety has more on Claudia’s TikTok confirmation that the photo was real and her appeal to fellow social media users:

On TikTok, Claudia Conway on Monday posted videos confirming that the picture was authentic; those have since been deleted from her TikTok account but Twitter users reposted copies of the videos. In the videos, a visibly upset Claudia Conway speculated that her mother may have accidentally posted the image. “I’m assuming my mom took a picture of it to use against me one day and then somebody hacked her or something,” she said. “I’m literally at a loss for words. If you see it, report it.”

In one of the TikTok videos, Claudia Conway said that “nobody would ever have any photo like that, ever. So, Kellyanne, you’re going to fucking jail.”

Claudia’s response surfaced on Twitter in this video, in which she confirms the photo’s authenticity and says it was on her phone, which she says has been taken away by Kellyanne on multiple occasions.

Social media users also documented Claudia’s TikTok posts, in which she continued to react and posted in Morse Code. Translations appear to point toward pleas of “Please get people to talk about this,” “Im okay but scared AF spread awareness pls,” and “Please spread awareness AB this because I cant.”

The New York Post contacted Kellyanne (by phone), who stated that she was “sitting here with Claudia,” before declaring, “We have no comment” and disconnecting the call.

(Via Variety, TMZ & New York Post)

Demi Lovato got her start as a child actor in the children’s series Barney & Friends, but her acting and singing career alike took flight with the success of the Disney Channel hit movie Camp Rock with the Jonas Brothers. Lovato’s most recent acting project was her role in the Will Ferrell and Rachel McAdams-starring movie Eurovision Song Contest: The Story Of Fire Saga. Now, Lovato is once again pivoting to television, as she’s been cast in the lead role in a new NBC sitcom.

A pilot has been secured for the series Hungry, which will star Lovato and a several of her friends who all belong to an eating disorder support group. Per a report from Variety, the sitcom will follow the tight-knit group on their adventures in dating, love, success, and healing.

Along with starring in the series, Lovato will be the show’s executive producer. She’ll work closely with writer and executive producer Suzanne Martin, who has won several Emmys for her time on Fraiser and the revival of NBC’s Will & Grace.

Lovato has been vocal about her personal struggles with an eating disorder and addiction. Last year, the musician opened up to Ellen about how a recent relapse was fueled by her over-controlling former management. “I lived a life for the past six years that I felt like wasn’t my own, because I struggled really hard with an eating disorder, yes, and that was my primary problem, and then it turned into other things,” she said. “My life, I felt, was so — and I hate to use this word — but I felt like it was controlled by so many people around me. If I was in my hotel room at night, they would take the phone out of the hotel room so I couldn’t call room service, or if there was fruit in my room, they took it out because it was extra sugar.”

Proportionately to all the artists who have ever seriously pursued music, very few of them ever get to perform on national television. So, Bartees Strange joined an exclusive club last night when he made his TV debut on Late Night With Seth Meyers.

For the show, he and his band performed Live Forever highlight “Boomer” in a pre-taped performance. He and his band took to a mint-colored room and confidently ran through the track in front of a wall adorned with things like a human rib cage, animal skulls, and other anatomical decorations.

Bartees has been rightfully excited about making his TV debut, as he was hyping it up on social media in the preceding days. He made the announcement a couple days ago, writing, “Yo this is crazy – but on Monday at 12:35am ET I’ll be making my TV Debut. S/o to @latenightseth for rocking w/ Live Forever, and for having us on to play Boomer. We went all out for this, so don’t miss it.” Last night, he added, “Excited to play Boomer w/ the boys tonight on @latenightseth. Steal your grandmothers Hulu live. Tell your ex you love them, so you can get their dad’s cable login. Do whatever you have to do to watch us play boomer. It’s gonna be a trip. thanks @sethmeyers for having us on.” Meyers gave Bartees some praise in response to a tweet as well, tweeting, “One of my favorite songs off one of the best albums of last year! Can’t wait, @Bartees_Strange!”

Watch Bartees Strange perform “Boomer” on Late Night above.

Following the passing of Larry King, tributes have been pouring in for the legendary talk show host. While the vast majority have been praising King for his signature style of interviewing, Conan O’Brien put together a touching (and hilarious) tribute that showcased an underrated side of the venerable TV man: his comedic chops. In a heartfelt intro, O’Brien revealed how King was an eager partner at the start of O’Brien’s late night career, and the CNN host was up for anything. Literally anything.

“When our show first went on the air, I think in ’93 or ’94, Larry came on and he loved to try jokes out and comedy out with us,” O’Brien said. “And that relationship started and then it just kept going. And I think for 27, 28 years, Larry would come on our show and we’d have a weird idea, and he’d say, ‘Love it! I wanna do it!’”

Following the intro, O’Brien played a series of clips that showed King mixing it up like an old pro. He’d banter back and forth, dress up as Wolverine for a sketch, interview guests on the fly, do stand-ups, break bricks, and even sit up in the rafters. And his timing was perfect. You can absolutely tell that King loved coming on the show and having a blast with whatever Andy and Conan cooked up that night. It takes skill to be that good of a comedy partner, and King clearly had it in spades.

You can watch Conan’s tribute to Larry King above.

One of Tomi Lahren’s favorite topics of conversation is Colin Kaepernick, the former-San Francisco 49ers quarterback who was essentially blacklisted from the NFL for kneeling during the National Anthem in 2016 to protest racial injustice and police brutality. The conservative chatterbox made the huge mistake of coming after Beyonce and Kaepernick in a widely-ridiculed tweet, and she was mocked equally hard for this doctored photo. Lahren brought up Kaepernick again on Monday in response to a viral tweet that pointed out how it’s “funny [that] people can separate Tom Brady’s politics from his game, but struggle to do the same when it comes to Kaepernick.” (Brady had a “Make America Great Again” hat in his locker while he was on the New England Patriots; he’s since said that he grew “uncomfortable” with his friendship with Donald Trump.)

“So Kaepernick is trending because Tom Brady (a skilled quarterback) hasn’t been canceled due to his friendship with Donald Trump. Yep, makes sense,” Lahren tweeted, adding her preferred hashtag #LiberalismIsADisease. That was merely the appetizer to the main course, however. Thirty minutes later: “Here’s a wild guess, if Tom Brady suddenly started sucking at football and was benched for a better starting QB, chances are he wouldn’t cry racism, wouldn’t kneel for the flag and anthem and pass it off as a social justice moment.” Lahren’s had a lot of scorching hot takes over the years, but this one is top-five, maybe even the GOAT. It’s the Tom Brady of bad tweets.

In Kaepernick’s final season in the NFL, he threw for 16 touchdowns and four interceptions, and added 468 yards and two touchdowns as a runner (the 49ers were terrible that season, but it was not entirely Kaep’s fault; blame head coach Chip Kelly). He did not suddenly start “sucking at football.” He was a good quarterback who was a victim of collusion. But it’s much easier for Tomi to make a false equivalence.

She’s the Tom Brady of those, too.

“Whoopty” rapper CJ can safely say his 2021 is off to a great start. The Staten Island native’s breakout hit is tearing up the airwaves, climbed to No. 21 on the Hot 100 this month, and signed a deal with Warner Records off the strength of the song’s buzz. Now, he’s following up with another relentlessly catchy drill anthem, “Bop,” which arrived today complete with a flashy video that shows him sticking to his roots while enjoying his newfound success.

The video is a classic New York street anthem clip, complete with shots of CJ’s posse hanging out in lobbies and parking garages, with the star draped in a crimson fur coat to signify his breakout status. He also cruises Times Square in Rolls Royce, hanging out the window and flexing his chain for the world to see. Honestly, it’s just great to see the young group having fun, especially with the ominous air that surrounds drill artists outside their music.

According to the press release for “Bop,” CJ has a slate of singles on deck for the new year as he grows his fanbase, so stay tuned. His first two singles have shown he has all the makings of a potential star.

Watch CJ’s “Bop” video above.

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

Clairo has been more open than most musicians about mental health and the toll hers sometimes takes on her. She shared more about that on Instagram last night with a new song, “Just For Today.”

Posting the lo-fi acoustic track on Instagram, Clairo wrote, “not sure about you, but my mental health has taken a major dip since quarantine started- at times I feel like i’ve never felt worse. new medication, hotlines, and one scheduled appointment with a psychiatrist later and i’m feeling more like myself again. I wrote this last night and i feel there’s no real reason I should hold onto it. Hope you enjoy the song and Joanie’s squeaks. thank you.”

Alongside the phone number for the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (800-273-8255), Clairo also shared the song’s lyrics. Clairo’s words are especially personal here, with lyrics like, “I blocked out the month of February for support / At least I have this year I won’t be worrying anyone on tour / As we speak, I’m here to meet devils for tea, peering ’round the corner of my life / I throw my drink in the face of my demise.”

Listen to “Just For Today” above.

This week in the best new pop music saw some electric releases from stars and up-and-coming artists alike. Billie Eilish and Rosalía teamed up for a slow-burning tune, Sabrina Carpenter shirked critics in a carefree single, and Ellie Goulding hopped on a song with Mark Ronson and Diplo.

Each week, Uproxx rounds up the best new pop music. Listen up.

Billie Eilish — “Lo Vas A Olividar” Feat. Rosalía

After months of teasing, Billie Eilish and Rosalía‘s “Lo Vas A Olividar” collaboration is finally here and it’s earned Uproxx’s best new pop stamp of approval. The single is relatively stripped-down compared to both of the singers’ recent offerings, featuring atmospheric synths which craft a wide-open space for their somber musings.

Sabrina Carpenter — “Skin”

A few weeks ago, Olivia Rodrigo penned her debut single “Drivers License,” which was seemingly taking a dig at her ex and High School Musical: The Musical: The Series co-star and his new muse Sabrina Carpenter. The song opened the flood gates for pop diss tracks, and Carpenter has finally responded with her own. It features a fluttering beat alongside lyrics about not letting others get under her skin.

Silk City — “New Love” Feat. Ellie Goulding

Silk City, the Grammy-winning duo of Diplo and Mark Ronson, returned with their first song since 2018. Tapping Ellie Goulding, the trio served up the catchy song “New Love.” “The song is about losing yourself on your own, not needing to be seen, knowing that the one that got away could be just as happy as this too,” Goulding said about the collaboration. “The main concept is dancing on your own not needing to be seen.”

Griff — “Black Hole”

Pop up-and-comer Griff penned the shuffling anthem “Black Hole” this week, underscored by moody synths and her far-reaching vocals. “I wrote this song as a bittersweet heartbreak track,” Griff said of the track. “I actually love how melodramatic it is, as there’s obviously not ‘a big black hole where my heart used to be,’ but the melodrama of the lyrics – over a really interesting beat – keeps the song fun, and not too serious.”

Elio — “Charger”

Electropop songwriter Elio released the 7-track EP Can You Feel Me Now? and on it arrived the irresistible tune “Charger.” Along with her stunning track “Charger,” the EP’s songs were penned at different stages in Elio’s life. “I feel like writing this EP has been such a journey for me,” she said of the project.

Kali — “Lucy”

At just 16-year-old, Kali already knows how to craft a bouyant earworm. “Lucy” officially announces Kali’s debut EP Circles, boasting cascading synths and Kali’s earnest-yet-upbeat delivery.

Wylde — “Castles”

LA-based singer Wylde released her debut EP Castles this week. Following the project’s release, Wylde spoke to Uproxx about her EP. “All of the songs were inspired by the realizations and discoveries that made me grow as a person,” she said. “The lyrics are very introspective and the theme behind most of these songs is self-transformation.”

Glaive — “Cloak N Dagger”

North Carolina-based artist Glaive first started making music during quarantine, expeditiously gaining a cult following with his SoundCloud uploads. After releasing the 2020 EP Cypress, Glaive shares his first new music of 2021 with the driving track “Cloak N Dagger.”

Slayyyter — “Troubled Paradise”

Slayyyter has garnered much attention with the maximalist pop tunes heard on her early aughts-inspired self titled mixtape. But now, the singer returns to tease her debut album with the saccharine title track “Troubled Paradise.” With a soaring beat, Slayyyter offers more vulnerable lyrics about losing someone close to her.

Tash Sultana — “Sweet & Dandy”

Sharing the fifth preview of her impending LP Terra Firma, Tash Sultana shared the swaying tune “Sweet & Dandy.” About the single, Sultana said: “I didn’t realize that I needed to create a space and home for myself to feel like a person again. I just went inward and found a really peaceful place and wrote an album, and I feel really happy with it.”

Some of the artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.