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Billie Eilish has likely landed a track or two on music fans’ year-end favorite songs lists, but what’s on her own list of 2020’s top tracks? She actually laid out her rankings in a recent interview with Australian radio station Triple J, and her top pick didn’t exactly take the world by storm this year: “At The Door” by The Strokes.

Eilish said of the track, “I wish I could put this whole album [The New Abnormal] as my first choice. It’s been my favorite album in many years. There is something about The Strokes, I don’t know what it is, man. I love ‘At The Door,’ I love the melodies, I love the lyrics, I love everything about it. The Strokes hit a nerve.”

“At The Door” was the lead single from The New Abnormal, released back in February. It failed to appear on any Billboard charts (while fellow album tracks “Bad Decisions” and “The Adults Are Talking” at least found their way onto the Alternative Airplay chart) but is part of the core of The Strokes’ strong comeback album.

Beyond “At The Door,” Eilish’s list also includes James Blake’s “Are You Even Real?,” Phoebe Bridgers’ “Savior Complex,” Cyn’s “Drinks,” Drake’s “Time Flies,” Dominic Fike’s “Chicken Tenders,” Tekno’s “Kata,” Bruno Major’s “To Let A Good Thing Die,” and Jorja Smith’s “By Any Means.”

Netflix and Charlie Brooker haven’t been churning out episodes of its twisty, sci-fi series lately, last giving us three less-than-stellar episodes in the summer of 2019. Brooker is currently working on a mockumentary of the year 2020 narrated by Hugh Grant, so don’t expect any new episodes anytime soon, either, although there have been a number of imitators to come along in the wake of Black Mirror’s success. There have been great ones (Years and Years on HBO), decent ones (Upload on Amazon Prime), and bad ones (Weird City on YouTube Premium). Meanwhile, Jordan Peele’s uneven Twilight Zone feels more like a pale imitation of Black Mirror than it does the original Twilight Zone, to which Black Mirror owes a great deal of its own success.

The latest Black Mirror-esque show to come along, Soulmates, is not just one of the best of the bunch, but the one most similar in tone and spirit to Black Mirror. That’s, in part, because it comes from creator and writer Will Bridges, who wrote a couple of memorable episodes of Black Mirror, most notably USS Callister. Bridges’ writing partner and co-creator on Soulmates is Brett Goldstein, a writer on one of the best shows of 2020, Ted Lasso, on which Goldstein also plays aging soccer player Roy Kent.

The wrinkle in Soulmates, and what makes it different from Black Mirror is that it takes a futuristic concept, and instead of building one episode around it, the AMC series creates 6 different anthology episodes (with different characters) around the same premise. Set 15 years into the future, that premise entails an algorithm that can pair anyone with their “soulmate” with 100 percent accuracy. The idea sounds like something out of the “Hang the DJ” episode of Black Mirror, but Soulmates smartly comes at the premise from a number of different angles.

In the first episode, for instance, Nikki (Succession’s Sarah Snook) and Franklin (High Fidelity’s Kingsley Ben-Adir) are a happily married couple who seem to have it all, but can’t help but be tempted by the Soulmates algorithm. Paired with their soulmate, could their life be even better? Should they risk a great marriage for an even better one?

In “The Lovers,” Alison (Sonya Cassidy) takes advantage of the algorithm in order to trick the happily married David (David Costabile) into a torrid affair, but her motivations may not be pure. In “Layover,” Mateo (Bill Skarsgård) falls in love with Jonah (Nathan Stewart-Jarrett) while he’s searching for his soulmate in an unfamiliar country; Charlie Heaton and Malin Akerman star in “Break on Through,” which is about a cult devoted to those whose “soulmates” are dead; and in “The Ballad of Caitlin Jones,” a character played by Betsy Brandt wonders why she’s been paired with a murderer. It turns out, however, that the algorithm knows her better than she does.

What’s interesting about Soulmates is that there is nothing faulty about the algorithm. The people who are matched are each others’ soulmates, but the series asks the simple question: Does being with the person that you love the most make you the happiest? The answers are usually surprising. The series, which has been renewed for a second season already, boasts a stellar cast, strong writing, and a tone that could easily be confused with Black Mirror. While Soulmates — like most anthology series — has some episodes that are better than others, of the first six episodes, there’s really only one less the stellar episode of that bunch (that’s “Little Adventures,” for those who might want to skip it). The series is definitely worth checking out.

‘Soulmates’ is available on AMC on Demand, AMC+ or AMC Premiere.

Today, December 8, is the one-year anniversary of the death of Juice WRLD, aka the most-streamed US artist on Spotify this year. A posthumous single with Benny Blanco dropped a few days ago, on what would have been his 22nd birthday, and now there’s another new Juice track. To mark the tragic occasion, The Kid Laroi shared a song he and Juice made together, “Reminds Me Of You.”

As Laroi notes, the song is based on Kim Petras’ “Reminds Me,” and Juice sings on the emotional track, “Fightin’ for my heart and baby, I never lose / No, I can’t get high, ’cause it reminds me of you / If you ever needed me, girl, I was flyin’ to you / Told you that I loved you, girl, I wasn’t lyin’ to you.”

In a message from this summer, Laroi paid tribute to Juice, writing in an Instagram post, “before we even met you were my favourite artist, and I still think everyday how cool it was that I got to b damn near family with my idol. you took me all over the world on a f*cking private jet and showed me a whole different side of life that not many people get to see. from all the months you let me live at your crib, to all the nights I spent watching and learning from you in the studio, to all the concerts and tours I got to witness.. I got to learn from a real life legend. it’s not even in my character to write long ass sh*t like this but f*ck it our song [‘Go’] is about to come out and I just wanna say how much I wish you were here with me to enjoy this sh*t. we all love and miss you back here.”

Listen to “Reminds Me Of You” above.

Rudy Giuliani joined Donald Trump’s legal team in April 2018, but he didn’t come into his own as a ooze-leaking, fart-emitting, bumbling idiot until the 2020 presidential election (the collusion stuff seems so quant now). During Monday’s episode of The Late Show, host Stephen Colbert fired off a list of Rudy’s many triumphs since early November.

“So, for just a partial list of Rudy’s achievements since the election: He’s lost 48 lawsuits, he melted on camera, he farted in court, he got COVID, and he shut down a state legislature. The only thing more embarrassing would be if he married his own cousin. He what?!” Colbert joked (to be fair, Regina Peruggi is Rudy’s second cousin). That leaves out the Four Seasons Total Landscaping debacle, asking a witness to remove her mask while she was sitting next to him, and asking Trump for a “preemptive pardon,” a normal thing for an innocent person to do. At least he brought the wild wine lady into our lives.

Rudy was a hot topic on The Daily Show, too, where host Trevor Noah said that the former-NYC mayor only has “himself to blame for this. I mean, this dude was going all over the country refusing to wear a mask. What do you expect? If I go around licking car windshields, I can’t be shocked if I get bird flu. Or if I go around drinking at bars until 3 a.m., I can’t be surprised when I go home with yo mama!” Watch the clip below.

Earlier this year, rapper Megan Thee Stallion penned a powerful op-ed for The New York Times honoring and uplifting other women of color called “Why I Speak Up For Black Women.” The essay came during a year that re-prioritzed calling out and fighting back against the systematic racism in America, and it didn’t go unnoticed by other Black women who work in the public eye. Maxine Waters, a congresswoman from California, took the time to write a letter to Megan to let her know how the letter impacted her.

Megan, too, was equally impacted by having her voice acknowledged, and shared the letter in full in an Instagram post today. “One of the highlights of my year was getting a letter from Congress Woman @repmaxinewaters,” she wrote in the caption. “I am so honored to be recognized by such an amazing woman and I promise to keep using my voice and encourage others to use theirs!”

Read the letter below.

Dear Megan,
I read the op-ed you wrote that appeared in the New York Times recently and I can’t thank you enough for bringing much needed attention to the plight of Black women, not just here in the United States — but everywhere. You are so right that Black women have paved the way and have done so by leading with courage and bravery. There is also this notion, which you touched upon, that we as Black women have the ability to bear a heavier burden than everyone else in society. That notion contributes to the lack of care and attention to the issues that specifically affect us. While we are too often overlooked, there is no doubt that Black women are the glue for our families and communities, and a crucial part of the fabric of this country. We see that — in your career and your tremendous success, despite the obstacles that have come your way.

I write all this to say that I’m so incredibly proud of you and how you have used your voice to uplift Black women. I know that Black women and girls everywhere thank you for the way you so fiercely have their back. I want you to know that I have your back, too. I hope that during these trying times you take comfort in knowing that I’m fighting for you, and all Black women, every single day. Stay well, keep fighting, and take care. We need your voice in this fight.

Warm Regards,

Maxine Waters
Member of Congress

LeBron James and Kyrie Irving’s partnership in Cleveland was, at times, tense, as the young guard wasn’t always quick to embrace James’ dominant leadership style, but the two did combine to lift the Cavaliers to their first championship in 2016 in their historic comeback from 3-1 down against the 73-win Golden State Warriors.

A year later, Irving would issue a trade request that landed him in Boston as he seemed determined to break off on his own to take on the starring role he believed he was destined for, while James spent one more year in Cleveland before heading to Los Angeles. This year, James’ Lakers are once again the favorite in the West and to repeat as champs, while Irving’s Nets are among the favorites in the East now that he and new star teammate Kevin Durant are both healthy.

There’s certainly going to be a feeling out process for Durant and Irving, but the two friends are very excited to play together. Earlier this offseason, Irving joined Durant on his The ETCs podcast and made a comment that raised some eyebrows, in which he indicated that Durant will be the first teammate he fully trusts to defer to and take some of the same shots in clutch situations.

“I felt like I was the best option on every team I’ve played for down the stretch,” Irving said. “This is the first time in my career where I can look down and be like, that motherf*cker can make that shot too and he’ll probably do it a lot easier. I feel like, yo, it’s not so much deferring, because in past situations if I didn’t take the last shot I felt guilty. I was like I want this game-winning shot but you want to trust your teammates — not to say I didn’t have the trust in my teammates — but I felt like I was the best option. And now, 10 seconds down, OK, K, get us a f*ckin bucket, I don’t care. I’m going to crash the offensive glass.”

Naturally, everyone’s first reaction was to be rather surprised by the comment given that he played with LeBron who is among the best players to ever play, and it was a comment that even caused LeBron to be taken aback. James addressed it on the Road Trippin’ Podcast with Richard Jefferson and Allie Clifton, noting that he waited until he could get the full transcript to make sure it hadn’t been taken out of context, but once he saw that was indeed how it came off he was “kinda hurt” by Irving’s comments.

The relationship between James and Irving has always been a fascinating one, as Kyrie never seemed keen to taking on the role of young player being brought along under LeBron’s wing, balking at the idea that he was a little brother or something of the sort. Irving’s relationship with Durant is clearly different and built out of longtime friendship, rather than a sudden pairing as happened with he and LeBron in Cleveland. It’s clear that LeBron wanted to have something different with Irving, as noted by his saying the two never aligned, and this is the latest instance of him being a bit hurt by that not being the case. As he said, it isn’t something that made him mad or upset, but clearly made him feel some type of way and a little disappointed that Kyrie doesn’t see him in that same light.

On one hand, it’s legitimately terrifying that an outgoing president is trying to overturn an election. On the other, Donald Trump is doing such a bad job at it that it’s been amusing, as well as scary. From his Keystone Kops legal team bumbling through one creatively failed presser and hearing after another to a guy whose father and wife he insulted promising to come to his rescue, it’s been a lot. But surely few people imagined that it would come to this: Lou Dobbs almost made Stephen Miller cry.

Dobbs, of course, is one of the president’s most stubborn cheerleaders. Miller, of course, is one of Trump’s most hated minions. They both adore 45. They both hate immigrants. But on Monday night — hours after a report emerged that Trump bungled an attempt to vaccine more Americans early and often — Dobbs turned on Miller. And people on social media found it glorious.

Miller came ready to parrot some familiar and dodgy (and in many cases already debunked) claims of voter fraud. But Dobbs wasn’t having it. He thought the president’s Senior Advisor was just another Republican letting him down, allowing him to get humiliated in one failed court case after another, ready to go down as a disgraced one-timer.

“The president warns for months and months and months about mail-in ballots and the potential for fraud, and the Republicans do nothing, Stephen. Nothing,” Dobbs scolded. “What’s wrong with the Republican party?!”

Miller tried to get in some moth-ridden talking points, even saying America had become a “banana republic,” but not because they elected a potential authoritarian who won’t concede an election he didn’t come close to winning. But Dobbs wouldn’t let him get very far.

“The reality is that this president right now is fighting — and let’s be straightforward about it — he’s fighting all alone,” Dobbs averred. “And Ted Cruz has stepped up to say he’ll argue before the Supreme Court. Why on God’s green Earth wouldn’t the White House jump on it?”

When Miller again tried to save himself with canned lines, Dobbs blew up. “No, no, Stephen. I’m not going to let you do this! I’m not going to let you do that!” Dobbs shouted. “I asked a question. You and I, we’re reasonably smart and decent fellows. Why don’t you answer me? That’s all I’m asking here, Stephen. Why don’t you guys jump and salute Ted Cruz and say, yes, we want you on the team now? My God, this is not a time for internecine nonsense on the part of the Republican party which is watching its blood drain into the streets because they’re gutless!”

Dobbs may have intended to energize Miller into taking a bolder stand, even though, at this point, the administration has done almost everything it could to overturn the election, without success. Instead Miller retreated into himself, looking as though he was about to cry.

Besides, the only people energized were people who dislike Lou Dobbs and Stephen Miller.

And truly, it was a big deal that Lou Dobbs — who regularly gives Republicans a hard time, but not people so close to the president — blew up on Stephen Miller.

At one point Dobbs floated the idea of hiring Marc E. Elias, who’s been defending the Democratic side of the election, and quite well at that. Elias himself found that quite amusing.

Still, he had to turn the handsome offer down.

Some were worried about Lou Dobbs.

Others basically said, “Let them fight.”

But maybe what they are is a new comedy team. After all, Republicans definitely need more funny people.

Anyway, barring some bizarre plot twist, Stephen Miller will be out of a job in a month-and-a-half, at which point we can all go back to thinking the most famous person with his name is an old rock musician with a bunch of hits. But will Lou Dobbs stay at the increasingly hated-by-Trump Fox News syndicate? Or will he jump ship to Trump’s revenge channel?

While Trump was campaigning for November’s presidential election, he was faced with a problem: Musicians kept suing him for playing their songs at rallies. Neil Young was among those to take legal action, suing the president in August for playing “Rockin’ in the Free World” and “Devil’s Sidewalk,” even after Young repeatedly told him to stop. However, it will not go to court as Young has now officially dropped the lawsuit, and for a good reason.

This comes from Rolling Stone, which reveals that the decision to dismiss the case was because, well, Trump lost his 2020 presidential bid to Joe Biden over a month ago. This could mean the lawsuit was perhaps symbolic in nature, though Young’s team has not commented on the musician’s intentions.

The original lawsuit filed against Trump stated that Young did not want his music to be a part of a “divisive” movement. “This complaint is not intended to disrespect the rights and opinions of American citizens, who are free to support the candidate of their choosing,” the court documents state. “However, Plaintiff in good conscience cannot allow his music to be used as a ‘theme song’ for a divisive, un-American campaign of ignorance and hate.”

Other musicians who’ve taken legal action against the Trump campaign include Phil Collins and Leonard Cohen’s estate. Tupac’s family also had a tiff with the administration, though not over a MAGA rally. Rather, Tupac’s family bashed Trump’s campaign for using the late rapper’s name to mock Vice President-elect Kamala Harris.

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

Over the last handful of years filmgoers have been demanding more diverse representation in movies, and Charlize Theron has been more than happy to star in them. In Atomic Blonde, she played a bisexual spy whose main relationship is with another woman. In this year’s The Old Guard, it was strongly implied her centuries-old warrior had been involved with a female colleague. Theron has been proud to be a queer icon, and when a fan floated an idea for another high concept LGBTQ+ actioner, she was game.

Over the weekend, someone on Twitter had a great pitch: “Lesbian Christmas rom coms are all well and good but what I REALLY want is a Die Hard where Charlize Theron goes on a rampage to save her wife,” wrote a “PhD historian/interpretation writer” with the handle “Francis O.” Theron wasn’t tagged, but the Oscar-winning actress found the tweet regardless, and in a quote tweet she wrote, “Where do I sign.”

As it happens, Theron did just ink a two-year first look deal with HBO and HBO Max. Perhaps she can take this person’s advice and float a Die Hard clone — or, why not an actual Die Hard reboot? — in which she runs around a skyscraper or an airport or New York City, shooting baddies, cracking quips, and maybe even smoking a Guinness number of cigarettes, all while trying to save her wife. If so, she’ll have someone to credit with a great idea. Maybe by the time it’s made HBO Max will even be on Roku.

Few non-Trump supporters have ever bought his lines about the great job he says he’s done battling the virus that he himself caught, which is currently seeing record spikes, largely in places that voted for his failed second term. On Monday, there emerged another confirmation of his tragic and bumbling mishandling of a once-in-a-century public health crisis. According to The New York Times, months ago Trump made a decision that will almost certainly delay vaccinations in the country he will soon no longer lead.

In late summer, sources tell the Times, Pfizer — one of two companies that are very close to okaying a COVID-19 vaccine — approached the Trump administration, offering to sell America additional doses. Trump said no. But other nations said yes. And now, with Pfizer’s vaccine on the cusp of authorization, the Time says the company “may not be able to provide more of its vaccine to the United States until next June because of its commitments to other countries.”

Mind you , that’s caused Trump — who has spent the majority of the last month lodging baseless claim after baseless claim of voter fraud in the election he lost to Joe Biden — to actually, finally do something to help a nation destroyed by an out-of-control virus. Per the Times:

As the administration scrambles to try to purchase more doses of the vaccine, President Trump plans on Tuesday to sign an executive order “to ensure that United States government prioritizes getting the vaccine to American citizens before sending it to other nations,” according to a draft statement and a White House official, though it was not immediately clear what force the president’s executive order would carry.

That included whether it would expand the U.S. supply of doses beyond what is spelled out in existing federal contracts.

But it may be too little too late. A spokeswoman for the Department of Health and Human Services told the Times, “We are confident that we will have 100 million doses of Pfizer’s vaccine as agreed to in our contract, and beyond that, we have five other vaccine candidates.” Meanwhile Pfizer that any additional doses beyond the previously agreed-upon 100 million would require “a separate and mutually acceptable agreement.” But those additional doses may not be available until June.

The news of Trump — who had a ghost-writer pen a bestseller entitled The Art of the Deal — screwing up a deal had people wondering if he was the savvy businessman he claimed to be.

Others were just livid.

There is, however, a possible silver lining that could fix Trump’s epic screw-up.

On the same day news broke of Trump’s failed Pfizer deal, it was also reported that Justin Trudeau, prime minister of Canada, had arranged for a first batch of Pfizer vaccines to hit his nation as soon as next week.

When vaccines do arrive on these shores, there will likely be more than one. The Pfizer vaccine requires two doses at separate times. The other, by Moderna, is also expected to be approved very soon. When struggling Americans will receive them is another story.

(Via The New York Times)