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Beabadoobee is gearing up to release Fake It Flowers, her highly anticipated debut album, in a month from now. Before fans get the whole album, though, the 20-year-old offers another teaser of it today with a video for “Worth It.” The video sees Beabadoobee in a rundown motel room, dancing around and ignoring attempts at contacting her as she, as press materials put it, “captures the emotions of letting go of the nostalgic sentiments and mistakes that still haunt us from a previous time in our life.”

During the YouTube premiere of the video, Beabadoobee noted of the shooting process, “This was so mentally draining to film but it was so fun I really hope you like it.” She also previously said the song is “simply about teenage infidelity and the mistakes one can make when they’re tempted to do things.” She continued, “It’s a bit of a confession song but also an understanding that it’s a part of life.”

If all goes well, fans will be able to see this song and others performed on stage in 2021: This time next year, Beabadoobee is planning on being in the midst of a UK/Ireland tour.

Watch the “Worth It” video above.

Fake It Flowers is out 10/16 via Dirty Hit. Pre-order it here.

The concept of Slowthai‘s “Feel Away” video has been done before — notably in the movie 1994 sci-fi comedy Junior — but Slowthai uses it to flip the the mood and and get contemplative instead of outrageous or funny. Where usually the UK grime upstart would be raging and flailing, here he uses an elaborate and surreal dream sequence to process his feelings about losing his baby brother. He prefaced the video’s release with an Instagram post dedicated to his brother the day before, announcing the song’s title and guests, James Blake and Mount Kimbie.

As befits those two features, the overall tone is morose, as Slowthai’s visit to the maternity ward with his girlfriend turns into a bizarre fantasy, with Slowthai becoming pregnant instead and giving birth as his girlfriend marries someone else. He wakes up and sees the baby, which turns out to be made of cake — I guess that particular quarantine craze got to all of us, in one way or another. Slowthai explains the video’s concept in statement: “This song is about the doubts we have whether it be within friendships, your partner or with our family,” he says. “It’s about putting yourself in the other person’s shoes so you have a better understanding of the situation.”

Earlier this year, Slowthai appeared in the video for Disclosure’s “My High” with Aminé and released the video for “BB (Bodybag).”

Watch Slowthai’s “Feel Away” video with James Blake and Mount Kimbie above.

The Miami Heat only needed nine games to advance to the Eastern Conference Finals, sweeping the Indiana Pacers in four games and knocking off the top-seeded Milwaukee Bucks in five. Now they face a stiff test in the Boston Celtics, a team that entered the season with defensive questions, particularly in the frontcourt, but have more than proven their capabilities on that end during their playoff run.

Boston suffocated the Sixers in the opening round and continued to be salty on defense against the Toronto Raptors in a seven-game slugfest. Facing the Heat, though, will present a wholly different challenge than anything they’ve seen in this postseason. Miami has been the best offensive team in the Eastern Conference playoffs thus far, despite facing two teams with strong defensive identities. Their varied dynamic, with an ability to score efficiently inside and out, makes them a stern test for this Boston defense.

Where Toronto’s offense often became a slog in the halfcourt, the Heat are far more comfortable and effective thanks to their floor balance. Goran Dragic and Jimmy Butler take much of the on-ball responsibility, attacking favorable 1-on-1 matchups and taking advantage of having an elite screen man in Bam Adebayo, who is great at creating enough space for them to drive to the rim and make decisions from there with the defense collapsing around them. The Celtics were very good at keeping the Raptors guards out of the paint, but Adebayo presents an entirely different dynamic as a roll man compared to Serge Ibaka and Marc Gasol (who were often popping to the perimeter). The Celtics will have plenty to think about defensively, from staying in front of Dragic and Butler to staying attached to Miami’s various shooters.

The first question for the Celtics is how they will decide on matchups for this Miami team — and maybe more importantly, how they shift those assignments as the game wears on. Boston has a ton of versatile perimeter/wing defenders, but how they deploy those players and picking their spots for who to get the most grueling matchups (and thus expend the most energy) will be important.

Dragic has been sensational for Miami this postseason, averaging 21.1 points per game and providing Miami with a much-needed creator capable of breaking down defenses to get to the rim, making scoring opportunities for himself and collapsing defenses to open up the Heat’s bevy of shooters. The point guard matchup in this series, with Dragic against Kemba Walker, could very well be a deciding factor, but a luxury Boston has is sending different looks at Dragic rather than having Walker take that responsibility all to himself.

Butler has been the unquestioned closer for the Heat this postseason, dominating key fourth quarters and elevating himself to the title of “best player on the floor” no matter the opponent. He’s averaging 7.4 points per fourth quarter this postseason, hitting 58.6 percent of his shots (and 50 percent of his threes) on a robust 31.7 percent usage rate. The Heat are outscoring their opponent by 30 points per 100 fourth quarter possessions with Butler out there. Butler’s been great all postseason, averaging 21.8 points per game on a 25.5 percent usage, but those numbers also illustrate how much more aggressive and assertive he is in the final quarter.

Early in the game, Butler seems far happier to let Dragic initiate and let the Miami offense play with its egalitarian flow, as the ball pops around the perimeter in search of the open man. In the fourth quarter, though, it shifts far more to Butler being on the ball, creating for himself and others (his assist percentage also jumps from 19.8 overall to 25 in the final quarter). That means a defense must adapt too, and that’s among the key challenges for Boston’s defense.

Expect Marcus Smart to be the player that draws the assignment of Jimmy Butler in the fourth quarter, but the question is whether Brad Stevens will be willing to deploy Smart on Dragic early in the game to apply ball pressure. Milwaukee found its greatest defensive success in the Miami series when they had Eric Bledsoe press up on Dragic and try to make him uncomfortable, compared to when they sagged off and played soft on Dragic to wall off driving lanes. The same could be said in the Toronto series for Boston against Kyle Lowry, but Stevens wasn’t always quick to send Smart after the Raptors lead guard early in the game. Jaylen Brown also figures to get some time on Dragic and Butler, as the Celtics will look to show both some different looks throughout the game.

Beyond the deployment of Smart, there’s the question of how they choose matchups on the Miami shooters, namely who draws the assignment of chasing Duncan Robinson around the court. Defending Robinson is, in effect, a full-time job and can be physically draining due to the fact that he never stops moving and work off of screens to try and create enough space for a catch-and-shoot look or a dribble-handoff opportunity with Bam Adebayo. Those Robinson minutes might be when Stevens deploys some of his bench wings, letting someone like Semi Ojeleye expend their energy chasing the sharpshooter around the floor rather than tiring out his offensive stars like Brown or Jayson Tatum.

Tyler Herro likewise requires constant attention, but isn’t quite as consistent a mover as Robinson, although he is a far greater on-ball threat. I’d expect him to see an awful lot of Brown and Tatum, particularly because any time they can get Herro on one of those two in transition or semi-transition, that’s going to be a major win for Boston on the offensive end. When Jae Crowder and Andre Iguodala are on the floor, Walker will likely pivot to one of those two given they are the least concerning offensive threats for the Heat, with Smart or Brown taking on the Dragic assignment.

In the frontcourt, Stevens has shown a willingness to roll with whomever has the hot hand in a matchup, as he’s bounced from Daniel Theis to Robert Williams to even playing Grant Williams at the five down the stretch in Game 7 against Toronto. Adebayo should have a significant advantage over any of those, but Stevens finding the right matchup who can at least keep Adebayo off the offensive glass, where he’s dominated this postseason (OREB% of 9.5 in the playoffs, fifth among players averaging 20 minutes per game). Theis will get first crack at Adebayo, but the more athletic Williams might see extended burn in this series as well in an effort to come closer to matching Adebayo’s burst and athleticism.

The Heat present such a different level of stress for a defense compared to the Raptors, and Boston will have to match their energy and effort across the board. However, while Milwaukee had a stubborn attachment to their scheme and system, Boston is far more adaptive as a group. Stevens isn’t afraid to go to different matchups and try different things in a series, and the coaching matchup in this one — much like Celtics-Raptors — figures to be excellent. Erik Spoelstra has to find balance between putting his best offensive lineups on the floor and having enough wing defenders to keep Boston’s offense in check. Stevens’ task is more about deployment of his usual rotation and trying to find opportunities to take Walker and Tatum off of Miami’s toughest assignments in order to get the most out of them on offense.

That chess match begins on Tuesday, but expect adjustments and counters from both teams on a nightly basis in this series.

Lil Nas X has proven he can dominate the Billboard charts, but now he’s about to see if he can exhibit the same mastery over the New York Times Best Sellers list: The rapper announced today that he’s releasing a children’s book, C Is For Country. The book, illustrated by Theodore Taylor III, is intended for readers aged 3 to 7 years old and is set for release on January 5, 2021.

The pre-order page for the book describes it as an “ABC picture book” in which the rapper and “Panini the pony” embark on “a joyous journey through the alphabet from sunup to sundown”:

“Parents who play Grammy winner Lil Nas X’s 12-times platinum single Old Town Road on repeat will want to take their kids and ride on over to this ABC picture book from the music mega-star!

A is for adventure. Every day is a brand-new start!

B is for boots — whether they’re big or small, short or tall.

And C is for country.

Join superstar Lil Nas X—who boasts the longest-running #1 song in history—and Panini the pony on a joyous journey through the alphabet from sunup to sundown. Experience wide-open pastures, farm animals, guitar music, cowboy hats, and all things country in this debut picture book that’s perfect for music lovers learning their ABCs and for anyone who loves Nas’s signature genre-blending style.

Featuring bold, bright art from Theodore Taylor III, with plenty of hidden surprises for Nas’s biggest fans, C Is for Country is a celebration of song and the power inside us all.”

Pre-order C Is For Country here.

There are a number of celebrities who are huge basketball fans, but there are only a select few that really interact with their fellow diehards. There’s no team with more superstar fans than the Lakers, but only a few (like Red Hot Chili Peppers bassist, Flea) really seem to let their fandom fly on their Twitter account.

However, with the NBA in the Disney Bubble, even the most famous fans are having to watch games like the rest of us rather than being seated courtside for the playoff action, and some are itching for that fan camaraderie. During this postseason, Halsey, she of chart-topping pop hit fame, decided to create a Twitter account that is dedicated solely to basketball so she could join NBA and Lakers Twitter without subjecting her millions of fans to her extremely strong basketball takes. The result is @halseyandone, and her entry into the NBA Twitter space this week has been a true joy.

During Game 5 of Rockets-Lakers, Halsey was, truly, one of us, firing off takes, memes, and jokes at the expense of Rockets fans everywhere.

She’s sat in the virtual courtside seats for the Lakers, all while tweeting through it like every other fan, living and dying on every Rondo pass, Davis shot, and LeBron block.

On Sunday, she reveled in the Clippers Game 6 meltdown like any good Laker fan would and even has geometry jokes.

Not only is she live-tweeting games like a veteran, but she’s also firmly aware of the sports media space!

Shoutout to basketball Halsey, an immediate legend.

Back in August, Olivia Wilde signed on to direct a female-centered Marvel movie (for Sony) with a hero that’s currently under wraps, but is widely assumed to be Spider-Woman. The move signaled Marvel’s commitment to putting diverse voices both behind and in front of the camera, which began in earnest with Disney’s Black Panther and Captain Marvel. While the details are still scarce on Wilde’s upcoming Marvel project, she recently sat down with Entertainment Weekly to discuss adding a female perspective to the superhero genre.

She also made a notable quip about Marvel mega producer Kevin Feige:

“All I can say is that this is by far the most exciting thing that’s happened to me because not only do I get to tell a story that — listen to me, trying to avoid Kevin Feige’s pellet gun. We are seeing this incredible influx of female directors and storytellers getting to take hold of this genre, this superhero space, and infuse it with their own perspective. Not only do I get to tell the story as a director, but I get to develop the story and that was what made it so incredible for me.”

Wilde also namechecked screenwriter Katie Silberman, who she already worked with on the critically acclaimed Booksmart. She’s thrilled to take their partnership from “a story about female friendship in high school to this other stratosphere,”

Here’s where things get nerdy. While Wilde is technically directing a Marvel movie, she’s actually working in the Sony Pictures Universe of Marvel Characters. That would be the shared universe of films based on Spider-Man characters like Venom and Morbius, which were previously considered separate from the larger, more well-known Marvel Cinematic Universe featuring The Avengers, Guardians of the Galaxy, etc. However, if Kevin Feige is involved and overseeing Wilde’s project, that would suggest that her film and the upcoming slate of Spider-Man spinoffs could have significant ties to the MCU going forward.

In short, the separate Spider-Man universe might not stay so separate for long.

(Via Entertainment Weekly)

Justice has been partially served for the family of Breonna Taylor. The city of Louisville, Kentucky has agreed to pay the family $12 million to settle a wrongful death suit.

Taylor, a 26-year-old EMT, was murdered by plainclothes police serving a “no-knock” narcotics warrant in her home on March 13. The police intrusion took her boyfriend, Kennet Walker, a registered gun owner, by surprise.

Assuming the intruders were attempting to rob them, Walker opened fire and shot one of the officers in the leg.

The police returned fire killing Taylor. No narcotics were found in the apartment.

Taylor’s murder led to months of protests in Louisville and across the country as part of the overarching Black Lives Matter movement. Activists have been unrelenting in their quest for justice for Taylor and her family.

“I cannot begin to imagine Ms. Palmer’s pain, and I am deeply, deeply sorry for Breonna’s death,” Louisville mayor, Greg Fischer said in a press conference, referring to Taylor’s mother, Tamika Palmer.

In addition to the settlement, Fischer announced a series of policy reforms aimed at improving police transparency, increased social worker support, and new search warrant procedures.

“We won’t let Breonna Taylor’s life be swept under the rug,” said Ben Crump, an attorney for Taylor’s family, on Tuesday.

Crump believes the settlement is potentially the largest payout ever in America for a Black person murdered by the police.

“As significant as today is, it’s only the beginning of getting full justice for Breonna,” Palmer said at the press conference. “We must not lose focus on what the real drive is, and with that being said, it’s being time to move forward with the criminal charges, because she deserves that and much more.”

“Her beautiful spirit and personality is working through all of us on the ground, so please continue to say her name: Breonna Taylor,” Palmer added.

None of the three officers involved in the shooting have been charged with a crime, although one of them, Brett Hankinson, was fired in June for “wantonly and blindly” firing ten rounds into Taylor’s apartment.

The killing is still being investigated by the state of Kentucky, as well as the FBI.

“My office is continually asked about a timeline regarding the investigation into the death of Ms. Breonna Taylor. An investigation, if done properly, cannot follow a specific timeline,” Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron tweeted last week.

Until Freedom, a social justice organization that has protested in Louisville released a statement regarding the settlement.

“No amount of money will bring back Breonna Taylor,” the group said. “We see this settlement as the bare minimum you can do for a grieving mother. The city isn’t doing her any favors. True justice is not served with cash settlements. We need those involved in her murder to be arrested and charged. We need accountability. We need justice.”

Madonna has had as noteworthy career as just about anybody in music, and now that story will be told in an upcoming biopic. Furthermore, it was confirmed today (by Variety) that Madonna herself will be sitting in the director’s chair.

The film is still in its early stages: The title, cast, and production timeline have all yet to be announced. What we do know is that Universal Pictures secured the rights to the movie and Diablo Cody is co-writing the script alongside Madonna. A few weeks ago, Madonna shared a video of herself and Cody together.

Madonna says of the project, “I want to convey the incredible journey that life has taken me on as an artist, a musician, a dancer — a human being, trying to make her way in this world. The focus of this film will always be music. Music has kept me going and art has kept me alive. There are so many untold and inspiring stories and who better to tell it than me. It’s essential to share the roller coaster ride of my life with my voice and vision.”

Producer Amy Pascal also says of the movie, “This movie is an absolute labor of love for me. I have known Madonna since we made A League of Their Own together, and I can’t imagine anything more thrilling than collaborating with her and Diablo on bringing her true-life story to the big screen with Donna and our partners at Universal.”

The movie won’t be Madonna’s directorial debut, but it will be the first film she’s directed in a while: She previously directed (and co-wrote) 2011’s W.E. and 2008’s Filth And Wisdom.

“We always have money for war. We never have money for the war fighter.”

Jon Stewart’s on Capitol Hill again, the week after the public learned about a 9/11 program (that he championed) being siphoned by the Trump Administration. In that regard, he spent part of 2019 emotionally ripping into members of Congress when they failed to show up for hearings about 9/11 first-responder health care. He later stood alongside first-responder advocates when the U.S. Senate voted to renew permanent authorization of September 11th Victim Compensation Fund. Now, he’s leading a renewed fight for federal benefits to help war fighters exposed to toxic burn pit fumes.

Stewart hopes to secure this aid by supporting a bill (sponsored by Sen. Kirstin Gillibrand) aimed toward U.S. troops who were exposed to toxic pits (portions of a military base that include open-air waste burning that’s accelerated by jet fuel) during the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. These vets are now suffering with conditions that include cancer, pulmonary disease, and asthma, and Stewart is angry that help hasn’t happened yet because time is of the essence. “Welcome to another exciting episode of ‘When is America going to start acting like the great country we keep telling ourselves we are?’” he declared. “Our veterans lived 24/7 next to toxic smoke… It’s bullsh*t.”

During the above news conference, Stewart made reference to his previous battle for the 9/11 compensation fund for first responders. He believes that history is now repeating itself, and he believes that Congress has the duty to remain accountable for veterans’ health, including when they responded to the 9/11 attack on behalf of the U.S.

“When it was done, we thought it was done,” Stewart continued. “But it turns out that the warfighters that were sent to prosecute the battle based on the attack on 9/11 now suffer the same injuries and illnesses that the first responders suffer from, and they’re getting the same cold shoulder from Congress that they received. And so the fight starts again.”

(Via NBC News, Now This News & The Hill)

Fried chicken is rapidly passing the cheeseburger as the icon of American fast-food culture. The Popeye’s Fried Chicken Sandwich was a full-on phenomenon — leading to the sort of insanity once reserved for celebrity sightings and streetwear drops. Which fast-food chain is growing nationwide the fastest? Love them or hate them, it’s Chick-fil-A, proof that fried chicken, whether in nugget, tender, or sandwich form, is to a new generation of fast-food eaters what the burger and fries were to the Boomers.

For the most part, we know our favorite fast-food chicken. We’ve already crowned a best chicken sandwich, a best chicken tender, and even the best chicken nugget. We felt settled on the matter. Until last week, when McDonald’s launched their Spicy Chicken McNugget along with the Travis Scott Meal. It was a move that practically demanded we put the McD’s entry to a test against our current nugget champ: Wendy’s spicy nugget.

To see which of the two entries into the fast-food chicken game is best, we’ve scored both by taste, texture, and heat on a 5-point scale. Place your bets now and let’s dive into the madness.

Wendy’s Spicy Chicken Nugget

A few years back, Wendy’s tried to eliminate its Spicy Chicken Nugget from the menu, much to the dismay of many a chicken nugget fan. After months of pestering from fans spamming the historically snarky Wendy’s Twitter account — including Chance The Rapper, with a tweet that has since received 33.9 thousand retweets, 1.1 thousand quote tweets, and 220.9 thousand likes — Wendy’s finally caved and brought back the spicy nuggets, aka, the best 99¢ you can spend at the restaurant.

Taste: 5

The spicy batter Wendy’s uses is phenomenal. It’s a mix of cayenne pepper, paprika, and big flaky pieces of black pepper — giving you a very legit opportunity to use the word “zesty.” The flavor of a single nugget can linger through a whole meal, which would be frustrating if Wendy’s nuggets didn’t taste so damn good.

Texture: 3

This is Wendy’s weak point. The batter on the spicy nuggets is thick and coarse — like if someone dipped the chicken in a mix of flour and egg, and then proceeded to roll each nugget up and down the driveway. It’s a texture so notable (and such a departure from other brands) that a person might be tempted to peel the batter from the chicken, just to investigate. Don’t do this. Underneath the batter is a piece of spongey processed chicken that looks like a naked, shivering creature of some sort.

Though the taste clearly makes up for this weakness in my rankings, I do think that if you threw a Wendy’s Spicy Nugget at somebody hard enough you could draw blood.

Heat: 4

Wendy’s real saving grace is the heat packed in each nugget. Once the flavor of cayenne and the pepper subsides, you’re left with a lingering burn that activates your tastebuds. Spice has layers and levels and certain spices linger while others seem to pass quickly — Wendy’s hits all these notes nicely.

Overall Score: 12

Mcdonald’s Spicy McNugget

Sometimes fast food brands make weird choices. Taco Bell will chop out fan favorites, In-N-Out still refuses to add bacon to their menu, and, for whatever reason, McDonald’s hasn’t brought a new flavor of McNugget to the United States since 1983, even though it doesn’t take a genius to figure out that a spicy McNugget would slap.

C’est la vie. The Spicy McNugget is here now, so let’s see how it stacks up.

Taste: 3

Hmm. Well, it’s not better than the traditional non-spiced McNugget, and from a pure flavor perspective, the mix of cayenne, and chili peppers don’t have anything over Wendy’s cayenne, paprika, and pepper-based seasoning. While McDonald’s subtle flavor makes a great pairing with sauce, the nugg eaten alone doesn’t linger in a pleasing way like the black pepper of Wendy’s nugget does.

Texture: 5

This is the Spicy McNugget’s strength. Part of what makes the Chicken McNugget so beloved is its tempura-like batter. The crispy-flaky crunch that each Spicy McNugget offers is so audibly pleasing that we’re finally starting to understand the appeal of Mukbang and ASMR.

Heat: 3

McDonald’s could’ve really had something if they’d just trusted their customers a little bit more. The truth about spicy food is that it’s not for everybody. Some people can handle the heat and some can’t. Wendy’s respects that the audience for their Spicy Nugget comes in wanting spice. McDonald’s played it safe and tried to have it both ways with a McNugget that’s only slightly spicy.

In short: it’s not spicy enough to turn any beginners off, but it leaves nothing for spice-heads to really appreciate.

Overall Score: 11

The Final Verdict

It’s going to take a little bit more than cayenne, chili pepper, and good texture to snatch the title of “Best Chicken Nugget” from Wendy’s. While the overall scores are close, Wendy’s eeks out a win thanks to their emphasis on flavor and, most importantly, heat.

In its defense, McDonald’s seems to know that their nuggets could be spicier. Along with the new McNuggets comes the release of “Mighty Hot Sauce” — a buffalo-style sauce consisting of crushed red peppers, spicy chilies, and garlic. This sauce, which is McDonald’s first new dipping sauce in three years, greatly enhances the experience of eating their Spicy McNuggets (but still not to the point that they taste better than what Wendy’s offers for a lower price).

Until McD’s spices up their actual nugget, Wendy’s keeps the championship belt.