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Sturgill Simpson has had a chameleonic career, putting out albums filled with everything from traditional country to straight-up rock and roll. His latest, 2019’s Sound & Fury, falls in the latter camp, but with his next effort, he’s going in a decidedly different direction. Yesterday, the musician announced his next album, Cuttin’ Grass Vol. 1: The Butcher Shoppe Sessions, which will feature bluegrass interpretations of some of his past material.

The 20-track album features songs from his first three albums — High Top Mountain, Metamodern Sounds In Country Music, and A Sailor’s Guide To Earth — as well as songs from his previous band, Sunday Valley. This was meant to be a surprise release, but info got out early on a streaming site. Simpson shared the cover art and wrote on Instagram, “Welp,..was hoping to surprise everybody on Thursday but somebody somewhere (Germany) got all excited and just couldn’t hold their horses.”

Check out the Cuttin’ Grass art and tracklist below.

1. “All Around You”
2. “All The Pretty Colors”
3. “Breakers Roar”
4. “I Don’t Mind”
5. “I Wonder”
6. “Just Let Go”
7. “Life Ain’t Fair”
8. “A Little Light”
9. “Life Of Sin”
10. “Long White Line”
11. “Living The Dream”
12. “Old King Coal”
13. “Railroad Of Sin”
14. “Sitting Here Without You”
15. “Sometimes Wine”
16. “The Storm”
17. “Time After All”
18. “Turtles All The Way Down”
19. “Voices”
20. “Water In A Well”

Cuttin’ Grass Vol. 1: The Butcher Shoppe Sessions is out 10/16.

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

It’s been a while since Kanye West released any new music, so fans were excited to receive a new freestyle from him, even if it wasn’t quite what they’ve been hoping he’d drop since he began his one-man war against the music industry. Instead, he and his team were apparently feeling “energized,” as he put it in the tweet containing the freestyle video, so he set the freeform rap to a video of a UFC knockout and shared it with his followers.

The freestyle came after Kanye shared a screenshot of election poll results from Kentucky showing him leading both Joe Biden and Donald Trump, which was later clarified as a test of reporting code. Of course, Kanye wouldn’t care that the results aren’t valid because he’s Kanye and he believes what he wants, so the claims he makes on the song should be taken with a grain of salt. He does, however, reference the popular Star Wars “high ground” meme, along with a sample of the infamous line from Revenge Of The Sith. He also talks a bit about his recording industry beef.

Check out the new Kanye West tune above, and keep an eye out for Donda, Kanye West’s long-delayed new album.

With the 2020 presidential election not far away, a lot of people are looking for a change. Among those is Demi Lovato, who has released a scathing criticism of Donald Trump with her new song, “Commander In Chief.”

Lovato sings on the ballad’s chorus, “Commander In Chief, honestly / If I did the things you do / I couldn’t sleep, seriously / Do you even know the truth? / We’re in a state of crisis, people are dyin’ / While you line your pockets deep / Commander in Chief, how does it feel to still / b`upre able to breathe?

In a CNN interview, Lovato said of the song:

“It’s very important for me that I get to use my platform for something much bigger than just singing. There’s been so many times where I wanted to write the president a letter or sit down with him and ask him these questions. And then I thought, I don’t really actually want to do that, and I think one way that I could do that is writing a song and releasing it for the whole world to hear, and then he has to answer those questions to everybody and not just me.”

She also spoke about voting, saying, “We have to show up, we have to turn up and vote because it’s so important that our voices are heard. And, honestly, for me, whether you are a Republican or Democrat, just get out and vote. Just get out and vote so that at the end of the day, whatever happens, whoever wins, we can actually look and say, ‘Well, you know what? At least everyone got out there and voted and did their part, and our country spoke.’”

Meanwhile, Finneas, who co-wrote and co-produced the track, also noted on Instagram, “I think people underestimate the bravery it takes to put out a song like this when your platform is as large as Demi’s is. But I’m sure if you asked her, she’d tell you it was her responsibility. It was an Honor to produce this one for the wildly talented Demi Lovato.”

Listen to “Commander In Chief” above.

Showtime’s Shameless will finalize the Chicago-based Gallagher stories with the upcoming Season 11, quite like the U.K. version of the show. With Emmy Rossum’s Fiona departing over a year ago, and the rest of the siblings starting to grow their own families, the time feels right to let them all venture off in their own directions (though I’m still sort-of rooting for a certain character to win a spinoff). Season 11 will premiere on December 9, and here’s where things left off in January:

– Gallovich officially happened with Ian and Mickey finally tying the knot despite plenty of misgivings on both ends. They were terrible cellmates in prison, so will they fare any better with a little more breathing room (and a bathroom with a closing door)?

– Lip fell off the wagon in a big way at the wedding ceremony, which became a funeral for his sobriety Tami’s verbal barbs arguably went too far. Watching him down stiff drink after stiff drink was heartbreaking, and I hope the show brings him back from this cliff. Things are never as real for anyone else on Shameless than they’ve been for Lip.

– Debbie’s on the run from the law after Julia’s mom reported Debbie for statutory rape. According to series creator John Wells, she’ll be required to register as a sex offender, which will complicate things at home, to say the very least.

Heading into Season 11, the show did rewrites before heading back to the set, and Shameless will integrate the pandemic into its various arcs. Here’s Showtime’s synopsis:

The final season of Shameless finds the Gallagher family and the South Side at a crossroads, with changes caused by the COVID pandemic, gentrification and aging to reconcile. As Frank confronts his own mortality and family ties in his alcoholic and drug induced twilight years, Lip struggles with the prospect of becoming the family’s new patriarch. Newlyweds Ian and Mickey are figuring out the rules and responsibilities of being in a committed relationship while Deb embraces her individuality and single motherhood. Carl finds an unlikely new career in law enforcement and Kevin and V struggle to decide whether a hard life on the South Side is worth fighting for.

Noel Fisher, who plays Mickey, has shared some masked set photos.

Well, Shameless has always been a relatable show, which is why it’s so beloved, so it does makes sense for them to confront COVID head on. Granted, I wouldn’t have minded watching the Gallaghers exist in a world where viruses don’t exist, but the show was one of the first to return to production during our current situation, so yes, they’re gonna do this thing. And is Carl really gonna become a cop? Oh boy.

Shameless will return on December 9.

To talk about Amy Adams is to talk about how she’s been nominated for six Oscars, but has never won. And she wasn’t even nominated for arguably her best performance (Enchanted rules; I would also accept the “Me Party” scene from The Muppets).

Will Hillbilly Elegy (with The Terminator reference coming at around 1:30 in the above trailer) be the movie to break the streak?

It certainly fits the criteria: the Appalachian-set drama, based on a “powerful personal memoir that offers a window into one family’s personal journey of survival and triumph,” is directed by Academy favorite Ron Howard and co-stars Glenn Close (who laughs at Adams’ zero-for-six; she’s zero-for-seven!). Also, Adams plays a makeup-free addict, and you know the Oscars love those. But if Hillbilly Elegy doesn’t work, there’s always Nightbitch, the turning-into-a-dog movie. I’m rooting for that one, personally.

Here’s the official plot synopsis:

J.D. Vance (Gabriel Basso), a former Marine from southern Ohio and current Yale Law student, is on the verge of landing his dream job when a family crisis forces him to return to the home he’s tried to forget. J.D. must navigate the complex dynamics of his Appalachian family, including his volatile relationship with his mother Bev (Amy Adams), who’s struggling with addiction. Fueled by memories of his grandmother Mamaw (Glenn Close), the resilient and whip-smart woman who raised him, J.D. comes to embrace his family’s indelible imprint on his own personal journey.

Hillbilly Elegy premieres on Netflix on November 24.

It’s mid-October, which means Halloween is weeks away, which means it’s already time to ignore it and all other upcoming holidays and start counting down to Christmas. Foo Fighters leader Dave Grohl is certainly in the holiday spirit, as he has joined The Bird And The Bee — Greg Kurstin (who produced Foo Fighters’ Concrete And Gold) and Inara George — for a cover of a holiday classic: “Little Drummer Boy.”

Yes, Grohl plays drums on the track, which naturally takes on a more rocking vibe than most Christmas music. The recording will appear on Put Up The Lights, an upcoming holiday album from The Bird And The Bee that features covers and original songs.

George said of the album, “Working on a holiday record during summer is always strange, no matter what the circumstance. But working on a holiday album during the summer, and a global pandemic, worldwide civil rights protesting, historical wildfires and the lead up to the most important election of our lives is really, really strange. Although I have to admit, it felt like such a sweet little momentary escape singing ‘Chestnuts roasting on an open fire…’ all alone in my closet. It was a little respite from reality.”

This isn’t the first time Grohl and The Bird And The Bee have collaborated, as they covered Van Halen’s “Ain’t Talkin’ Bout Love” together on The Late Late Show in 2019. Both Kurstin and George also contributed to Foo Fighters’ Concrete And Gold track “Dirty Water.”

Listen to The Bird And The Bee and Grohl’s “Little Drummer Boy” cover above.

The 2020 presidential election isn’t until November 3, but early voting is an option in many states. Residents of Minnesota, Virginia, South Dakota, and Wyoming have been able to vote since mid-September, while the polls are open, or will be open later this week, in Georgia, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, North Carolina, Rhode Island, Tennessee, and Texas. You can find the complete Early Voting calendar here, or better yet, stare at the photo below of Michael B. Jordan encouraging his millions of social media followers to vote, then check out the calendar. You might need a drink between the two activities, however, since MBJ’s snap will leave you feeling… thirsty.

“Vote Early,” the Creed star tweeted, along with a shirtless photo and a green checkmark and the little-used ballot box emojis. He also did the Lin-Manuel Miranda lip bite (what would Coach Taylor say?). The replies are what you’d expect. “Thirst trapping for the greater good, by any means necessary,” one person wrote, while another responded with a photo of Idris Elba on The Office saying, “I am aware of the effect I have on women.” Timothée Chalamet also uploaded a selfie to his social media accounts on Tuesday, and while his photo isn’t as horny as MBJ’s, don’t tell that to Armie Hammer.

Three eggplants, five sweat droplets, four hearts, four fires. But no peaches?

Billie Eilish’s look is defined in part by the baggy clothes that she often wears. As the singer has noted, the way she dresses is a calculated decision, as she said in 2019, “What I like about just dressing like I’m 800 sizes bigger than I am is it kind of gives nobody the opportunity to judge what your body looks like.” As she has grown older, though, she has let her guard down somewhat in terms of revealing her body, like when she posted some bikini videos earlier this year. Now, a body-shamer has set their sights on Eilish, but the singer’s fans swooped to her defense, so much so that Eilish was a trending topic on Twitter today.

A couple days ago, a Twitter user posted a paparazzi photo of Eilish, in which she is wearing shorts and a body-hugging tank top, and commented, “in 10 months Billie Eilish has developed a mid-30’s wine mom body.”

Naturally, that take prompted a lot of responses. One person commented, “body shaming a 18 year old girl must make you feel soooo confident and manly,” while another added, “Just admit you’ve never seen a woman’s body before and go.”

Somebody else noted, “Body-shaming Billie Eilish is the main reason she wears baggy clothes. This sh*t is just weird and objectively wrong. She looks beautiful and most importantly, healthy. Let people develop confidence… on God most people wish they looked like her, like damn y’all see a lil tummy and people think you obese… this MAN is pushing 30 as well. Embarrassing.”

Check out some other reactions below.

T.I. is close to celebrating 20 official years in the music world, with next year marking two decades since he released his debut album, I’m Serious, back in 2001. There’s no signs of the Atlanta native slowing down. In fact, he’s about to release his eleventh album, The L.I.B.R.A. (The Legend Is Back Running Atlanta). With the lead single, “Ring” with Young Thug, in rotation and just three days left until its arrival, T.I. took to Instagram to reveal its artwork and tracklist.

The L.I.B.R.A. falls in line with the star-studded formula of his most recent albums. Across its 20 tracks, there will be guest appearances from Young Thug, Lil Baby, Snoop Dogg, Rapsody, Conway The Machine, Rick Ross, his son Domani, Benny The Butcher, Jadakiss, Killer Mike, John Legend, 21 Savage, and more. The upcoming album will also serve as his first full-length project since 2018’s Dime Trap.

You can find the artwork and tracklist for The L.I.B.R.A. below.

01. “The L.I.B.R.A. Introduction” Feat. Ms. Pat
02. “Hit Dogs Holla” Feat. Tokyo Jetz
03. “Ring” Feat. Young Thug
04. “Pardon” Feat. Lil Baby
05. “On The Hood” Feat. 42 Dugg & Mozzy
06. “Moon Juice” Feat. Jeremih & Snoop Dogg
07. “Air & Water (Interlude)” Feat. Rapsody
08. “Hypno” Feat. Rahky
09. “1/2 Ticket” Feat. London Jae & Conway The Machine
10. “Respect The Code” Feat. Rick Ross
11. “Put Some On It”
12. “Family Connect” Feat. Domani
13. “Make Amends” Feat. Benny The Butcher & Jadakiss
14. “Fire & Earth (Interlude)” Feat. Ernestine Johnson Morrison
15. “Pantone Blue” Feat. Alec Beretz
16. “Horizons”
17. “How I Feel” Feat. Eric Bellinger & Killer Mike
18. “We Did It Big” Feat. John Legend
19. “Thank God” Feat. 21 Savage
20. “Deyjah’s Conclusion”

The L.I.B.R.A. is out 10/16 via Grand Hustle/EMPIRE.

Wanna feel old? The Jussie Smollett mishegoss began almost two years ago. Even more incredibly, we still — still! — don’t have an answer on what happened to the actor on the night of January 29, 2019, when he claimed he was attacked by two bigoted Trump fans. There began untold hairpin turns, still ongoing, perhaps ongoing for the rest of recorded history, even as Smollet has, though thick and thin, maintained his innocence. And yet, even though his name is in no way close to being cleared, he’s moving on with his life. In fact, he’s going to direct a movie.

This comes from Deadline, who say the former Empire actor will make his directorial debut with an adaptation of B-Boy Blues, based on the best-seller by James Earl Hardy, which has been so popular, especially among the African-American community, that it’s spawned a series. The film will go into production very soon, on Oct. 17, in New York City. The plot, as per Deadline:

B-Boy Blues follows the tumultuous relationship between Mitchell Crawford, a 27-year old journalist, and Raheim Rivers, a 21-year old bicycle messenger and B-boy (banjee boy). They meet in a gay bar in Greenwich Village in the summer of 1993. The B-boy hangs out on street corners, cool and menacing. Raheim is the third B-boy in Mitchell’s life, but underneath the former’s tough exterior, Raheim is smart and talented and a loving parent to his five-year-old son. But Raheim has a violent streak.

Deadline also tries to summarize where he’s at now in the ongoing case:

Smollett continues to face numerous legal challenges and cases stemming from the alleged January 2019 “hate crime” attack in Chicago. After a police investigation seemingly revealed all was not as Smollett reported, the matter turned into one of sharp-elbowed civic politics with the Empire star at the center. With charges initially dropped, new indictments, and unsuccessful appeals, the matter has since evolved into numerous lawsuits with a special prosecutor appointed to reevaluate the core case and the conduct of local prosecutors. Following grand jury proceedings earlier this year, Smollett last month filed to have charges against him dropped yet again.

Anyway, we’ll bet you didn’t see this one coming.

(Via Deadline)