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Lionel Messi may be on the move for the first time in his legendary career, as the footballing superstar has reportedly informed Barcelona, the club with which he’s been with since he was 13 years old, that he would like to leave.

The report comes from Argentina’s TyC Sports, indicating Messi plans to utilize a clause in his contract that allows him to leave the club for free — as opposed to another team needing to pay the 700 million Euro release clause. The question is whether that clause is still active, as it was set to expire on May 30 when the Champions League final was supposed to take place. The pandemic obviously changed a lot of things in the soccer world, but whether Messi’s key contract dates are included in that is not known.

This all comes with a variety of caveats, including Messi having threatened to leave Barcelona in the past in order to push the club to acquiesce to his demands, but it seems this may be different. Messi, 33, just saw Barcelona get railroaded by Bayern Munich in an 8-2 loss in their latest early exit from the Champions League and subsequently fire manager Quique Setien.

Further indication this seems very real is that Messi’s former Barcelona teammate Carles Puyol offered him well wishes and support.

Maybe the bigger question is whether there’s a club out there that can make the financials work for Messi, who commands a massive salary and a potentially historic transfer fee from Barcelona (pending whether his opt-out clause is extended or not) — which is made all the more difficult amid the COVID-19 pandemic that’s cut profits for Europe’s top clubs tremendously with no fans in stadiums. Manchester City has been the team most widely speculated to be a landing spot for Messi should he push his way out of Barcelona, as they employ his former manager Pep Guardiola and are England’s biggest spenders, and they have reportedly been eyeing the Argentinian legend for some time.

Should Messi be determined to leave Barcelona, it would end one of the greatest eras in club soccer history between a star and organization. Whether that’s this offseason or at the end of next season when his contract officially runs up, it would rock the footballing world and any team that got his services would gain not just one of the best players on the pitch in the world, but also pick up support from his legions of fans around the world.

Decades after Kurt Cobain’s death, he and his work with Nirvana continue to be beloved. Just this year, Post Malone raised millions of dollars with a Nirvana cover set livestream, James Blake offered a lovely rendition of one of the band’s classics, and Cobain memorabilia is selling for huge amounts of money. Now another one of Cobain’s admirers, Kid Cudi, has paid tribute to the late musician, having done so with a new tattoo.

The ink of is Cobain wearing a t-shirt featuring the album art of Johnston’s 1983 album Hi, How Are You, like he did at the 1992 MTV VMAs. Cudi shared the arm tattoo and wrote, “4 Kurt and salute to Daniel.”

Cudi has long been public about his admiration for the Nirvana leader. One of the first tweets on Cudi’s Twitter account, from February 2011, reads simply, “kurt cobain.” Later that year, he shared a video of himself visiting the park that was right near where Cobain died in Seattle. A few months after that visit, he tweeted, “Im obsessed with Kurt Cobain. I wish he was still here, so he could teach me guitar tricks.” He also tweeted in 2015, “Never not thinkin’ about Kurt Cobain.” More recently, he and Kanye West sampled Cobain on a Kids See Ghosts track in 2018.

Following the breakout success of her debut record Hold On, Fenne Lily is gearing up for her sophomore release. Now sharing a label with the likes of Phoebe Bridgers and Khruangbin, the singer continues to preview the upcoming effort with a collection of introspective singles. With “Solipsism,” the singer aims to unpack her anxieties with a critical eye.

Directed by Tom Clover, the “Solipsism” visual depicts the singer wandering through a dystopian grocery store. Lily seems aimless, that is, until she discovers her face is on nearly every brand in sight.

About the song, the singer said it was a reflection on how her anxiety makes her fee “uncomfortable” in many situations, especially when she’s stoned at the grocery store:

“A lot of situations make me uncomfortable — some parties, most dates, every time I’m stoned in the supermarket. ‘Solipsism’ is a song about being comfortable with being uncomfortable and the freedom that comes with that. If you feel weird for long enough it becomes normal, and feeling anything is better than feeling nothing. I wanted this video to be a reflection of the scary thought that I’ll have to live with myself forever. It’s surreal to realise you’ll never live apart from someone you sometimes hate. Dad, if you’re reading this you killed it as shopper number 2.”

Clover, the visual’s director, urges fans to watch the illustrations closely as to not miss any intentional details: “I asked Fenne what products she wanted to be and then worked backwards from there with the illustrators. Most of the references came from Asian Supermarket packaging – they are way more interesting. The most important thing was making sure that it reflected upon Fenne’s personality — there’s a bunch of details you might miss on the first watch!”

Watch Fenne Lily’s “Solipsism” video above.

Breach is out 9/18 via Dead Oceans. Pre-order it here.

Earlier this year, partially due to quarantine-related timing and partially due to a slew of bonkers twists, Netflix’s documentary series Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem and Madness became a viral sensation, and it seemed like no less than 100 shows and movies were quickly being developed to capitalize on its fame. Now, one of them is actually happening.

Saturday Night Live star Kate McKinnon is officially locked in for a new Tiger King series that will air across NBC, USA, and Peacock. McKinnon will play Carole Baskin, the eclectic animal activist whose feud with zoo owner Joe Exotic led to his arrest and conviction after he attempted to have Baskin killed in a murder-for-hire plot. However, Baskin also has some skeletons in her closet when it comes to the mysterious disappearance of her husband. Via Variety:

Based on the Wondery Podcast of the same name, the show centers on Carole Baskin (McKinnon), a big cat enthusiast, who learns that fellow exotic animal lover Joe “Exotic” Schreibvogel is breeding and using his big cats for profit. She sets out to shut down his venture, inciting a quickly escalating rivalry. But Carole has a checkered past of her own and when the claws come out, Joe will stop at nothing to expose what he sees as her hypocrisy. The results prove dangerous.

Baskin recently made headlines after she bashed Megan Thee Stallion and Cardi B’s latest video for “WAP.” Baskin claimed that if the tigers featured in the video weren’t a visual effect, then the animals mistreated. Her criticism prompted a reaction from Cardi B that finished the work Joe Exotic started because this sure sounds like a murder.

“I’m not gonna engage with Carole Baskin on that. Like, that’s just ridiculous you know? Oh, Lord,” Cardi told i-D Magazine. “Like, girl you killed your goddamn husband.” Allegedly, Cardi B. Allegedly.

(Via Variety)

This was supposed to be the Summer of Dev Patel, with the actor starring in two of the season’s most anticipated indie films: The Personal History of David Copperfield and The Green Knight, both of which had their release dates pushed back due to the pandemic. Unfortunately, A24’s foray into medieval fantasy hasn’t been rescheduled yet, but David Copperfield is scheduled to come out this week, on August 28.

Based on Charles Dickens’ novel and not the magician, The Personal History of David Copperfield was written and directed by Armando Iannucci and stars Patel as the titular character. The Skins actor was originally confused why the Veep creator wanted him for the role — David Copperfield is typically depicted as white, and Patel is of Indian descent — and as he told IndieWire, his first question to Iannucci was, “Are you sure?”

He was sure:

“When I knew I was making the film, I could only think of Dev playing David,” he said. “I just thought, that’s how I must cast the whole film, cast who you think is the best person for that role.”

Patel hopes that Personal History leads to more colorblind casting. “There’s so much more opportunity out there, and I’m very grateful for that. I think Armando is really keeping the doors open on this, and hopefully there’s some other brave filmmakers that will follow in his footsteps,” he said. If Steve Buscemi can play a Soviet politician without using a Russian accent, Patel should be able to play whoever the heck he wants.

You can watch the The Personal History of David Copperfield trailer below.

(Via IndieWire)

Spotify has revealed its most-streamed songs of the summer and to no one’s surprise, the top song is one that has remained in plenty of fans’ rotations since its release. It’s DaBaby’s “Rockstar” featuring Roddy Ricch, the TikTok dance favorite. The Blame It On Baby single also has a Black Lives Matter remix and has remained near the top of the ‘Billboard’ Hot 100 all summer. The song racked up more than 380 million global plays on Spotify from June 1 to August 15.

Following up on the global list is The Weeknd’s “Blinding Lights,” the late November After Hours single which the singer revealed is about drunk driving for a booty call and being blinded by streetlights (he dislaimed that he does not condone this behavior). “Blinding Lights” trailed “Rockstar” by about 40 million plays. After that, comes rap&B genre-bender Saint Jhn’s “Roses,” Jason Derulo and Jawsh 65’s “Savage Love,” and Harry Styles’ inescapable “Watermelon Sugar.”

Both the full Global list and US list can be seen below.

Global Top 10

1. DaBaby — “Rockstar” feat. Roddy Ricch
2. The Weeknd — “Blinding Lights”
3. SAINt JHN — “Roses – Imanbek Remix”
4. Jason Derulo & Jawsh 685 — “Savage Love (Laxed – Siren Beat)”
5. Harry Styles — “Watermelon Sugar”
6. Powfu, beabadoobee — “Death Bed (Coffee For Your Head)”
7. Lady Gaga — “Rain On Me” feat. Ariana Grande
8. Drake — “Toosie Slide”
9. Topic, A7S — “Breaking Me”
10. Tones And I — “Dance Monkey”

US Top 10

1. DaBaby — “Rockstar” featuring Roddy Ricch
2. Lil Mosey — “Blueberry Faygo”
3. StaySolidRocky — “Party Girl”
4. The Weeknd — “Blinding Lights”
5. Harry Styles — “Watermelon Sugar”
6. Jack Harlow — “What’s Poppin”
7. Juice WRLD — “Wishing Well”
8. Kid Cudi & Travis Scott (aka The Scotts) — “The Scotts”
9. Roddy Ricch — “The Box”
10. Juice WRLD & Marshmello — “Come & Go”

As the world went into lockdowns and quarantines barely two months into 2020, The Daily Show with Trevor Noah was one of the first broadcasts to switch to an “at home” format featuring Noah on his couch wearing a comfortable hoodie. Jokingly rebranded as The Daily Social Distancing Show, Noah became a go-to for insightful commentary and information in the early days of the pandemic. His surprisingly no-nonsense and engaging interview with Dr. Fauci before he became a Saturday Night Live sketch, and political target, has been viewed over 11 million times.

Unfortunately, the coronavirus wasn’t the only major news event that broke during the spring. The killings of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor sparked nationwide and global Black Lives Matter protests in late May. At the time, The Daily Show was on a two-week hiatus, which Noah appreciated for a simple and insightful reason.

“I was glad that we weren’t on the air. I couldn’t speak. I had to listen,” Noah explained to Variety. The time absorbing the protests also caused Noah to rethink details like his wardrobe when the show returned to cover the growing movement. “I wore a black hoodie for a while. Not to build it up, but I just — I didn’t feel like color, you know? Every day, when I walked into the closet, it didn’t feel like a purple day; it didn’t feel like a green day; it didn’t feel like a red day. It felt like a black day.”

It’s that type of thinking that led Jon Stewart to recently praise The Daily Show for being “better” with Noah behind the desk, especially when it comes to bringing more diverse opinions to the show. While admitting his own failings at not making The Daily Show more inclusive, Stewart had nothing but praise for Noah while talking to Howard Stern. “It took 16 years to change it at a glacial pace. Because that kind of mindset to me, because I didn’t grow up in it… it’s not a part of me,” Stewart said. “For Trevor, it’s a part of him. It flows from him naturally… It makes it better. The show is better.”

(Via Variety)

Back in mid-2019, it felt like fantastic news to hear that Stephen King’s The Stand was getting the remake treatment with a limited series at CBS All Access. Then six months passed, and you-know-what happened, and suddenly, this show seemed like the victim of unfortunate timing. Yes, King’s book is widely considered to be one of the best post-apocalyptic works of fiction, but perhaps a revisiting of the Captain Trips virus that obliterated 99% of Earth’s population isn’t such a great idea in 2020. Well, CBS All Access has thought this through, and they still got production back on track to move ahead with a December 17 release.

Skepticism might be the initial reaction to this decision, but this is Stephen King we’re talking about. People know to expect a darkened (and possibly darkly humorous) tone from him. Even HBO’s The Outsider contained a Spanish Flu reference around the same time that Covid-19 was heating up, so there’s that. And King had already written a new ending for the series, so there’s some curiosity-fueling potential for this remake starring Alexander Skarsgard as Randall Flag, James Marsden as Stu Redman, and a vast ensemble cast that includes Marilyn Manson as an unknown character.

Variety quotes The Stand showrunner Benjamin Cavell about why the time might still be right for this remake, despite it feeling all-too-eerily relevant:

“During the two years we spent making ‘The Stand,’ we all felt the responsibility of adapting what may be the most beloved work of one of the world’s most beloved storytellers, but none of us could have imagined that Stephen King’s 40-year-old masterpiece about a global pandemic would come to be so eerily relevant. We’re honored to tell this sprawling, epic story, including a new coda that Stephen King has wanted to add for decades. We’re so proud of this show and its attempt to find meaning and hope in the most uncertain of times. We can’t wait to share it with the world.”

Back in March, James Marsden revaled how unsettling it felt to be on set when anyone displayed symptoms like coughing, but it appears that everyone rallied to get this remake’s footing back on solid ground for a launch. And who knows, this might actually draw in some wild TV ratings, depending upon several factors, including where the U.S. stands on putting Covid-19 to sleep for good.

Recently, King’s son, NOS4A2 author Joe Hill, told us that he sometimes talks with King about our current situation. Hill quoted King as saying, “The thing about this particular scenario is that imagination is this incredibly vital tool that’s used to make a living, but it can also turn against you.” Clearly, both father and son are in the business of horror, and they do it well, and the genre can provide therapeutic experiences for audiences. We’ll find out more in December when The Stand remake launches.

(Via Variety)

Budding songwriter Samia is gearing up for the release of her debut album, The Baby, which arrives in full Friday. So far, the singer has teased the upcoming release with a handful of powerful singles. Giving fans one last taste of the project, Samia shares a visual to “Triptych,” a final single which showcases her moving and wistful songwriting.

Directed by Fred Hechinger, the visual depicts Samia finding unexpected love with a ventriloquist dummy. The pair share intimate and at times awkward moments on Samia’s journey to self discovery, underscored by the tender ballad.

In a statement alongside the visual’s release, Samia said she was inspired to write the song after reading a book about a medieval lord:

“I wrote ‘Triptych’ sobbing in a green room in Denver. I’d just read the story of Francis Bacon and his lover/muse, George Dyer, whose chaotic lifestyle served as Bacon’s artistic inspiration. George Dyer overdosed in the bathroom of a hotel room paid for by Bacon, who famously painted a triptych of his lover’s final moments. I had just been through a pretty tough breakup and felt I might be purposefully getting myself into dicey situations to justify my big feelings and write about them. ‘Triptych’ was a pretty blatant cry for help and an opportunity to confess my fear of being misunderstood.”

Watch Samia’s “Triptych” video above.

The Baby is out 8/28 via Grand Jury Music. Pre-order it here.

The first American sports league to return to play in a bubble this summer was the NWSL, which held its Challenge Cup in Utah where the Houston Dash emerged victorious. It was the first real proof point of how sports could return to action and that the bubble system works, which the MLS, WNBA, NBA, and NHL have all shown further in recent months.

Now, they will look to build off of the success of the Challenge Cup with their upcoming Fall Series, in which the league’s nine teams will be broken into pods — West, Northeast, and South — with each team getting four games. The pods concept is in an effort to limit travel and keep teams as safe as possible. The pods are broken up as follows.

WEST: OL Reign, Portland Thorns, Utah Royals FC
NORTHEAST: Chicago Red Stars, Sky Blue FC, Washington Spirit
SOUTH: Houston Dash, Orlando Pride, North Carolina Courage

The schedule for the games and complete format for the Fall Series will be announced next week, but what we do know is games will run from September 5 to October 17, with a game each Saturday in September on CBS and on CBS Sports Network in October. Getting games on the main network is, obviously, a big win for the league to get even greater exposure on a major network station, with CBS broadcasting other games on their CBS All Access platform.