Month: October 2020

Netflix delivered a peek at Henry Cavill’s new Geralt of Rivia armor on Monday, and they’re keeping the ball rolling with a fresh glimpse of how Ciri will look in Season 2. We don’t know precisely when the show will return, but Season 2’s been back in production for over a month, so we hopefully won’t have to wait too far into 2021 to see grumpy Geralt guzzling potions again to beat back elves and whatnot. As viewers will recall, though, Geralt and Ciri’s fates finally intersected during the last season finale, which means that all those warring timelines should disappear. Also, these stills sure make it look like Geralt’s ways (and skills) are rubbing off on the princess.

In an Instagram post, The Witcher account asks, “And what will destiny bring tomorrow?” This suggests, of course, that we’ll see some Yennifer action this week, and if we’re really lucky, Jaskier will cut in line and steal the spotlight, like he tends to do. The pressure is certainly on for actor Joey Batey, though. His self-declared Humble Bard is expected to keep delivering more insidious bangers like the “Toss A Coin” earworm, and I wouldn’t be surprised to see Netflix gift the show’s loyal audience with a snippet of some nefarious tune to tide people over until the next round.

Rest assured, The Witcher universe shall soon come raging back on Netflix. There will be an animated, feature length movie called Nightmare of the Wolf and a live-action prequel series called The Witcher: Blood Origin. Jason Momoa has enjoyed rumors of his involvement in the latter and (one can only hope) would be ideal to deliver some serious bathtub action. That would lead to tweets like this:

Future Islands are just days away from the release of their new album, As Long As You Are. Ahead of then, though, they’ve offered another preview of it with a video for “Born In A War.”

The clip features a cavalcade of puppets and animations walking across the screen while loosely interpreting the lyrics. The group says of the visual, “We first met with Wayne White back in 2014 to discuss collaborating on a music video. We’ve been wanting to work with him since then. We’re stoked that we were finally able to work together on the video for ‘Born In A War.’ We love the puppets he created and his unique interpretation of the song.”

Meanwhile, the band’s Samuel T. Herring recently told Uproxx of making As Long As You Are, “This one was really about us capturing our vision and how we heard things and taking the time to do that. The Far Field was just so rushed that we didn’t want to have that happen again, that there was a deadline that decided when the album was done. We wanted to decide when the album was done.”

Watch the “Born In A War” video above, and revisit our interview with Future Islands here.

As Long As You Are is out 10/9 via 4AD. Get it here.

The RX is Uproxx Music’s stamp of approval for the best albums, songs, and music stories throughout the year. Inclusion in this category is the highest distinction we can bestow, and signals the most important music being released throughout the year. The RX is the music you need, right now.

The first thing that happens when a listener presses play on Savage Mode II is a double-take. “Is that… Morgan Freeman?”

Yes, yes it is.

And so, you’re now all the way locked in, expectantly prepared for whatever other curveballs Atlanta co-conspirators 21 Savage and Metro Boomin want to throw your way. This is exactly what should happen when the concept of a sequel project to a beloved album/mixtape — or to any creative work, really — is announced. Fortunately for our heroes, not only do they leave the gate strong, but they also stick the landing as Savage Mode II lives up to all the hype of its predecessor — then surpasses it, easily.

It probably does seem easy to make all this appear so effortless. Maybe it’s Savage’s laconic flow or the steady confidence with which Metro pushes the boundaries of his sonic experimentation. But the truth is so many “sequel” efforts in hip-hop ofent fall flat, failing to reach the heights promised by the sequential naming convention. I’ve written about this before — multiple times — but the axiom remains as true as ever: Exceptions to the rule are (mostly) few and far between. While I’m not sure what it says that Savage Mode II released within a month of Big Sean’s Detroit 2, it’s clear that as the music business flounders in the wake of massive shutdowns, further artists will probably see the 2K franchise model as a quick boost of income. So long as they follow the blueprint laid by these two projects, that shouldn’t be (too much of) a problem.

The first ingredient, naturally, is a fan-favorite, possibly even introductory project. The original Savage Mode qualifies. Released in 2016 in the wake of 21’s buzzy The Slaughter Tape and Slaughter King mixtapes, it was many fans’ first chance to observe the monotone, horror-obsessed rapper on top-flight production — a prospect made all the more exciting by Metro’s own, parallel rise to prominence after contributing multiple hits to Future’s extensive, explosive catalog. After producing the Monster mixtape and 11 tracks on What A Time To Be Alive, fans were intrigued to see what he could do with burgeoning, unpolished talent.

The result wasn’t just a fan favorite, it was also a launching pad for 21 Savage’s impending superstardom. While the lanky, laid-back rapper has always secretly been pretty funny and much more expressive than he’s given credit for being, Metro’s guidance helped bring his personality to the foreground — especially on the Future-featuring “X,” which also proved that he could touch on topics of the heart without describing it as a potential target for .223 caliber bullets. Now, five years, five projects between the two of them, and a whole Grammy win later, both of those traits are in full evidence on the highly-anticipated sequel.

So, about Morgan Freeman. To put it plainly, having the most recognizable voice in all of entertainment (he’s been God how many times now?) narrate the project is a stroke of genius. The message it sends to the listener — that this is a classy, big-budget operation — doesn’t just elevate the work, it clears the “improves on the original” bar right from the outset. Freeman’s presence is so head-spinning and entertaining — hearing GOD explain the difference between snitches and rats makes such a world view seem not only logical but morally correct somehow, even though you know it’s just foolish-ass street talk — that it’s almost impossible to feel let down.

Then, there’s the music. Metro digs deep into his sample bag, coming up with the eerie, ghostly chant of the menacing “Runnin,” the earwig, iconic 50 Cent chorus on “Many Men,” and the soulful, RZA-esque hum on “Said N Done.” When he sticks to original sounds, he crafts the angelic, perky synths on “Mr. Right Now” featuring Drake, the old-school bop of “Steppin On N****s,” and a sparkling violin solo on “Rich N**** Sh*t” with Young Thug. It’d have been easy for him to rest on his laurels — instead, he steps his game up to remind listeners why those producer tags still nab our attention after all these years.

21, who’s had five years of growth as an artist since their first outing, no longer needs Metro’s guidance to craft charismatic hooks or draw that clever, quirky humor out of him. He’s also got plenty more fodder for content since being arrested and held by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents early last year for having an expired visa, dating and breaking up with Slutwalk proprietor Amber Rose, and winning a Grammy for Best Rap Song for “A Lot” with J. Cole. He succinctly addresses the former on “My Dawg”: “N****s keep talkin’ that UK sh*t like I don’t got AKs / Like, ’cause I was born overseas, these motherf*ckers ain’t gon’ spray-spray.” He also tackles his relationship woes on “RIP Luv”: “Got my first taste of love and I thank you / Savage, never let another woman taint you / Fallin’ victim to my feelings, something I can’t do / Get revenge on every bitch, even if it ain’t you.”

With Savage Mode II, the two Atlanta mainstays stage a family reunion that’s as insightful as it is entertaining. We see how they’ve developed as artists and how they’ve grown as men, as well as how those changes have strengthened and evolved their working chemistry. While they’re as synchronized as ever, their individual growth informs the output, making it more personal, more polished, and more poignant, expanding their range beyond just hood shootouts and flexing on haters over cavernous, 808-driven production. The five years between projects makes all the difference, but the experience and wisdom they gained in that time still matter more. So whatever happens in the next five years, let’s all hope there’s enough to drive a Savage Mode III that continues to live up to the name.

Savage Mode II is out now via Slaughter Gang, LLC/Epic/Boominati Worldwide/Republic. Get it here.

Radha Blank is conflicted. As would anyone in her position be right now. Way back at Sundance in January, her breakout film, The 40-Year-Old Version (which is in the process of being rebranded as The Forty-Year-Old Version, in an effort to avoid confusion from people completing on-demand purchases who were looking for the 2005 Judd Apatow comedy) debuted to rave review and accolades and nothing was going to stop Blank now. And then, of course, the whole world basically stopped. And her film, ripe with comedy and a sure-fire crowd-pleaser, would not be able to play in front of any crowds. Or, at least, the big raucous crowds she had envisioned. So here we are, at the biggest moment of her career, but it’s not how she saw things playing out. None of us did, really.

Her film – in which the title is a play on The 40-Year Old Virgin because, as Blank puts it, there are enough movies about white guys trying to figure their lives out; Blank says she even appropriated Apatow’s notoriously long-running time – stars herself as a middling Harlem playwright whose new play has been workshopped to the point she doesn’t even recognize it anymore. To take out her creative frustrations, she enlists the help of a Brooklyn musician, D (Oswin Benjamin), as she embarks on a new career in hip-hop.

When I spoke to Blank she was in Baltimore where Netflix had given her a socially distanced, limited capacity premiere, which will have to do for now. (Her film hits Netflix this week.) Though she’s been promised that once things return to normal she’ll be given her theatrical run on gorgeous 35mm print of the film. This interview turned out to be somewhat impromptu, originally scheduled for a future day, the film’s publicist asked if I could just do it right then, which led to maybe a more freewheeling conversation since we were both just kind of going with the flow. And, as it turns out, Blank is especially great at going with the flow.

Where in the world are you right now?

I’m in Baltimore. I live between here and Harlem.

So, I saw this movie at Sundance with a crowd in a theater…

Oh, the olden days.

It seems like six years ago.

Oh yeah. Ages ago. A whole other time.

When I watched this at Sundance, I’m like, “Oh my gosh, I miss New York. I want to go back.” And then I watched this again today and I had similar feelings even though I have not left New York City since February.

Boy, if we knew and could do it all over again, I’m sure we’d be in a different place. The funny thing is, the other day I walked outside without a mask and I felt like a pariah. I walked outside and I walked up the block going to my juice spot. And, I was like, “Oh no!” And I ran back inside. I didn’t want to be the person not following the rules.

Something similar happened to me. I wanted to shout, “No, no, I’m not a no-mask guy. I just forgot.”

“I’m a good person.”

Right. I’m a good person.

It’s where we are. The movie opens in theaters Friday, and I can’t lie and say I’m not conflicted about it. Here is the biggest moment of my career as a filmmaker, and because we’re in a pandemic, I can’t really fully celebrate it. But, Netflix is so cool. The film is not showing in theaters in New York.

They’re not even open here.

Right. Netflix supported me in doing a really cool friends and family, socially distant, very socially distant screening in Baltimore. And my friends, they have their trepidations, but we’re the COVID test crew. I’m like four tests in. Netflix has been very supportive in helping me to have some kind of moment. Honestly, I am in a better place than other filmmakers. There were some people who did not get to show their films in a festival because the festival was canceled.

Yeah, you were at one of the last ones.

Right. Exactly. I don’t take my six screenings lightly. It also was an opportunity to learn more about the film. I’m that kind of writer. I spend so much time with the words or the world that I’ve been creating that I don’t really know what it is until I hear it or see it or watch people watching or hearing or seeing it.

I know the movie’s a little different now than the one I saw in January…

Just a little bit.

You got to use the audience to probably make some of those choices.

I will say, though, that artists, storytellers, the industry is doing their best to respond to that. Netflix has been a great partner in trying to give me the best first filmmaker experience as I possibly can. You don’t shoot a 35mm film with the intention of people watching it on a tablet or on the iPhone. But, I will get some of that cinema experience, and we’re hoping next year, as we close out our campaign, that we get to do some special screenings in New York of a purely black-and-white 35mm screening.

If it makes you feel better, I think most people are watching on their big-screen TVs now. I know it’s not a theater, but it’s better than a phone.

I hope so. I was inspired by Roy DeCarava in terms of making sure you see the difference between my skin tone and Peter Kim who plays Archie, his skin tone, as well as Oswin Benjamin, who plays D. It’s been a real labor of love. And I think that those 35mm screenings, when they happen, hopefully in 2021, as a part of this awards campaign, it’ll be a moment to celebrate cinema in a theater. You know what it’s like when you’re in the theater in New York? And it’s dark and you go to a screening? God bless Lincoln Plaza Cinemas. Ugh, God, that’s heartbreaking that that place isn’t there anymore, but that’s where I used to go.

I used to go there all the time.

Oh my God, I remember when I discovered it was closed. I was across the street and it was like being in a ghost town and seeing this saloon, this place I used to frequent. Letters were practically hanging off of the marquee. I cried.

I loved that escalator ride down, that you’re still kind of outside and then you’re being enveloped by the theater.

Right. To get to the hallway or to get to the bathroom or even to get in the aisle, you had to kind of squeeze yourself in front. I went to see Dancer in the Dark with my mom, who was the first major cinephile in my life. I remember sitting in that theater, and it’s always the same thing. It’s like a routine. It’s choreographed. You sit down, and there’s the older couple ahead, and he’s coughing and she gives him a mint. And, then there’s the older women behind us, the widowers who are just like, “Is this going to be any good? My daughter said this was great.” I miss that so much.

When I was rewatching it today, speaking of the way things used to be, the scene where you get shamed on the New York City bus stood out. Everyone who lives in New York has that moment where someone with a leg cast is getting on the bus and you think, “Oh my God, this is going to take 20 minutes and I’m late.” But, then you feel like such an asshole for thinking that. And it’s such a great scene.

Thank you! This is based on a true story of me taking the Bx19 across town. It’s stopping at every stop. I got on that bus and it felt like it took me an hour to go what I think is a 25 minute ride. Initially, we meant to shoot a third beat at that, but we didn’t really need it especially for New Yorkers, like yourself, who have been through that experience. You already know that that scene could have gone on for another 10 minutes.

Much longer than that.

Much longer. You know what I love about that, which is why New York will always be my home? I’ve grown very, very romantic and nostalgic about the Upper West Side because I find that even though there’s some economic disparity between where I live in Sugar Hill, it still is what it is. I don’t know that that place could be gentrified in the way that other parts of New York are gentri-fried: like all new businesses, new buildings going up, new cultural hubs. When I go to the Upper West Side, especially by the park or by the museum, I love walking through that neighborhood. I can count on my New York elders walking around hands in hands, sitting on a park bench. Every once in a while, there will be that homeless guy who has an opinion and is waxing poetic.

It sounds like you were hesitant at first about selling to Netflix because the theatrical experience means so much to you. Do you look back at that decision now with what’s happened in the world and go, “Oh, thank goodness.” Instead of being in limbo, you’re in this group of movies directed by yourself, Aaron Sorkin and David Fincher…

Charlie Kaufman.

Right, and Charlie Kaufman.

Well, it’s one of those things. When my mom passed away, one of my friends said, “You know, one day you’ll see the beauty in this moment.” My inkling was to punch him in the dick. I didn’t do that.

I lost my dad in 2017, and people would say that. I was like, “That is not what I want to hear right now.”

“Fuck you. First of all, fuck you.”

Yes.

It’s usually people who haven’t gone through the experience.

It’s people who lost a grandparent. And I’m like, it’s not the same.

It is not the same, especially when you’re so close. My relationship with my mother, she really was the Sophia to my Dorothy Zbornak. We really were close. We share the same birthday. When I lost my mom, my life was pretty devastated because it was like, how am I going to call myself an artist when my biggest fan or champion is not in the audience? We were best friends. I bring up that thing of the beauty of the moment. because when we started those meetings, those quiet clandestine meetings in the cloak of night in the Sundance mountains with all the interested parties – the reality is that everyone doesn’t have an art-house cinema in their town. But everybody has Netflix. If you have WiFi, you have Netflix. It did turn out to be the best thing because now also people can return to it over and over again if they want to. It’s something I do with films I really love. I will pause it, and go have tea or whatever and come back and revisit. There’s a show on HBO max, Ridley Scott’s Raised by Wolves.

Oh yeah.

I’m up to maybe episode seven, and I really love this show. I’m just refreshed by it, and the production value is so damn high. There was a moment in there where I had to rewind this thing eight times. You can always go back and just play, like me and The Wiz. It’s a childhood treasure for me, mainly for the musical numbers. And, it’s so funny, because Sidney Lumet is one of my heroes. And that’s a film that, when it came out, got trashed. But, for Black children the world over, it is a classic.

I’ve seen it again recently. It’s very entertaining.

It’s so entertaining when you see what these artisans, how they transform these street scenes into something really mystical and magical. The messages, there’s a song in there, “You Can’t Win,” by the late, great Michael Jackson. I know he has a, you know, cloak over him. But at this particular time, he was definitely a celebrated artist. If you listen to the words of that song and how it relates to Black pathology in America, I mean, my God. I did not appreciate that as a kid, but as an adult – I think I was on mushrooms at the time – I heard that song in a way I had not heard before. “You Can’t Win” is that self-hating voice that has come out of years of oppression and white supremacy in this country that a lot of Black people walk around with day to day. That darker self-defeating voice we don’t all adhere to. Sidney is someone who, I think the reason I love him so much is because he’s an actor’s director. He really trusts the people that he hires.

He worked with Vin Diesel, which is still so weird.

I wonder what he would say about that now? But yeah, it’s very crazy. He trusts himself. And when asked, when someone said, well, wait a minute, your films are all over the place. But then he said, “No, the running theme is the dissenter.” The person who says “no.” Whether it’s Serpico or Henry Fonda in 12 Angry Men or Sean Connery in The Hill. It’s the person who’s pushing up against something. He is a God to me. He was an influence. Robert Townsend was an influence. Hal Ashby, John Cassavetes. My mom turned me on to all these people.

I’d embarrassingly never seen Hal Ashby’s Shampoo until recently. That movie is amazing.

What a voice. I don’t know if you saw the Hal doc on him and his life?

I did.

What a storyteller. Harold and Maude? Come on. What I got from Hal is fearless. To leave a camera lingering on an actor for that long and to trust an actor, not cutting away, not cutting away. It’s like theater. Christopher Guest was an influence just in terms of… I’m obsessed with mockumentary. I do want to make a straight-up, cold mockumentary.

There are moments in this that feel like that, little exchanges you have.

Great. The first film for a lot of people, they put everything in there or they’re experimenting. And, that is something I do want to do at some point.

Did anyone try to talk you out of the title? I’ll admit when I first heard people saying it I thought they were saying 40-Year-Old Virgin.

Yeah, absolutely. And, that whole thing of, oh, version, in your head… And I’m being quite explicit about my appropriating Judd Apatow’s title. While there are numerous films about white guys trying to figure their lives the fuck out, this for me and people who look like me, I appropriated his title and appropriated his running time. Why not? And why not make it two hours? You know? I’m going to be honest with you. I didn’t set out to make a two-hour movie, but for me it was what was required to tell this big, epic New York story. I had potential producers at the time telling me, “You need to change that title.“ I actually think it’s one of the best things about the film, because now I have this acronym, “FYOV.” Know what I mean?

Well, I’m looking forward to your version of The Sing of Staten Island.

And when are you going to be at The Comedy Store?

I’m doing open mic next week.

I can’t wait. I’ll be there, front and center.

‘The 40-Year-Old Version’ streams via Netflix on October 9. You can contact Mike Ryan directly on Twitter.

There’s famous. Then there’s one-name famous.

There’s not many musical artists who achieve the level of popularity where they don’t need a last name for everyone in the world to know who they are: Beyoncé. Madonna. Selena. There’s a reason the other pop star Selena (Gomez) was named after her: the “Como la Flor” singer, who was tragically murdered when she was 23 years old, helped popularize Tejano music in the United States and was (and continues to be) an influence and icon to millions. She’s also the subject of Netflix’s Selena: The Series, starring Christian Serratos (Rosita from The Walking Dead) as the Queen of Tejano Music.

“When I was younger, I remember hearing her music in the house,” Serratos told Entertainment Weekly about her history with Selena. “When I got older, YouTube became a big thing and I discovered this video of her performing ‘Que Creias.’ Whenever I would talk about Selena, that was the video I showed every one of her. I was able to perform that song on the show, and I was so nervous and excited! I didn’t want to speak to anyone because that was my special moment with her. It was incredible!”

Selena: The Series premieres on Netflix on December 4. Watch the teaser above.

R&B star Trey Songz has tested positive for coronavirus, according to a video he posted to Instagram in which he implores fans to take the virus seriously and criticizes Donald Trump’s response to contracting the virus himself.

“Here with a very important message to let you know I tested positive for COVID-19,” he says. “I’ve taken many tests as I’ve been out protesting, food drives, of course, I have a very young son at home, so I get tested periodically and this time it, unfortunately, came back positive. I will be taking this seriously. I will be self-quarantining. I will be in my house until I see a negative sign.”

Trey notes that his grandfather died earlier this year from he believes was an undiagnosed case of COVID-19, warning viewers to take precautions. “I’ve always taken it serious, and if you come into contact with COVID, please do the same.” He concludes the video with an example of what not to do, saying, “Don’t be like the president.”

The shot at Trump refers to the former game show host’s insistence on leaving Walter Reed National Military Medical Center after receiving treatment for COVID-19 for a photo op, then posing for another photo mask-less at the White House. This was, of course, after Trump spent several months purposely downplaying the severity of the virus and who continues to do so despite contracting it himself.

Trey Songz recently released the song “2020 Riots: How Many Times” before being accused of sexual misconduct.

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

The War On Drugs have earned a reputation as a stellar live band over the years, and now, for the first time, they’re offering that experience in the form of a live album: Live Drugs will be released on November 20 via Adam Granduciel’s Super High Quality Records. To mark the announcement, the band shared the live version of “Pain” from the album.

The 10-track release is described as “a collection culled from over 40 hard drives of recorded live shows spread out across years of touring behind multiple albums” that “is sequenced to reflect how a typical 70-minute show would flow.” Granduciel says of the collection:

“As a band leader, I always want to know where a song can go. Even though we’ve recorded it, mastered it, put it out, and been touring on it, it doesn’t mean that we just have to do it the same way forever. It feels like it’s kind of a reset, to be able to put something out that’s a really good interpretation of the way we interpret our music live. Even though this recording is from a year of tours, this is really how these six guys evolved as a band from 2014 to 2019.”

Beyond that, press materials also note that the band has been working on a new studio album “over the last six months,” so perhaps fans will have something else to look forward to soon, especially since A Deeper Understanding is upwards of three years old now.

Listen to the live version of “Pain” above and find the Live Drugs art and tracklist below.

1. “An Ocean Between The Waves (Live)”
2. “Pain (Live)”
3. “Strangest Thing (Live)”
4. “Red Eyes (Live)”
5. “Thinking Of A Place (Live)”
6. “Buenos Aires Beach (Live)”
7. “Accidentally Like A Martyr (Live)”
8. “Eyes To The Wind (Live)”
9. “Under The Pressure (Live)”
10. “In Reverse (Live)”

Live Drugs is out 11/20 via Super High Quality Records. Pre-order it here.

As you’re probably aware by now, a COVID-stricken President Trump departed Walter Reed on Monday and returned to the White House. In doing so, he posed for posterity after ripping off his mask — an act that left him gasping, huffing, and puffing for all the world to see. He entered the structure twice, reshooting the moment so that he could be filmed at the most optimal angle for a campaign video. And he dangerously tweeted (about a disease that’s killed over 210,000 in the U.S.), “Don’t be afraid of Covid. Don’t let it dominate your life. We have developed, under the Trump Administration, some really great drugs & knowledge. I feel better than I did 20 years ago!”

Well, COVID long-hauler Chris Cuomo (who sweated it out on his nightly show for weeks and is still feeling the virus’ lingering effects) is calling out these bizarre, choreographed actions, which Trump is carrying out less than a month before the general election. The CNN host is blasting Trump’s theatrics as “propaganda” as well as being blind to the fact that he had access to the best treatments and was still visibly struggling to breathe.

Cuomo then speculated on what Trump was thinking: “I hold rallies, and I tell you to ignore masks. I’m going to rip mine off as I vanquish the virus because I am a leader!” Well, the host probably wasn’t too far off the mark, but then he got real. “What a bunch of bullsh*t,” Cuomo declared. “He didn’t just walk in the White House one time with no mask tonight. He had his video crew capture that stupid scene again so he could put out propaganda.”

Beyond the obvious staging of the situation, Cuomo also wished to clarify why Trump’s words are so reckless:

“Don’t be afraid of Covid? 10,000 have died in the last 13 days. Don’t be afraid of Covid? It just took down the most powerful and protected person in the world… his continued recklessness makes it impossible to be sympathetic.”

In case you missed Trump’s performance art on Monday, here’s the CNN broadcast.

Rihanna’s recent Savage X Fenty fashion show was a spectacle, but it didn’t go off entirely without a hitch. Rihanna received backlash from some of her Muslim fans over a song called “Doom” that played during the show. The track featured a sample of a Hadith (a reading of sacred texts), which some saw as Islamic cultural appropriation. Fans said Rihanna should have known better and accused her of using the Muslim faith as an “aesthetic.” Rihanna has heard the complaints and responded with an apology.

This morning, Rihanna expressed gratitude that the mistake, which she called a “huge oversight that was unintentionally offensive,” was pointed out. She also apologized, writing in an Instagram Story:

“I’d like to thank the Muslim community for pointing out a huge oversight that was unintentionally offensive in our savage x fenty show. I would more importantly like to apologize to you for this honest, yet careless mistake. We understand that we have hurt many of our Muslim brothers and sisters, and I’m incredibly disheartened by this! I do not play with any kind of disrespect toward God or any religion and therefore the use of the song in our project was completely irresponsible! Moving forward we will make sure nothing like this ever happens again. Thank you for your forgiveness and understanding, Rih.”

Find Rihanna’s post below.

On November 10, the first next-generation consoles will be made available to the gaming public as the Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S hit stores, with the PlayStation 5 not far behind with a November 12 release date. As such, the anticipation for the next-generation of games is reaching a fever pitch, with various gameplay trailers being released at Sony and Microsoft events in recent months, but for fans of the NBA 2K franchise, they’ve been patiently waiting any sort of details about what will be new with the next-gen game.

Tuesday brought our first answers in the form of a gameplay trailer that shows the incredibly lifelike nature the game will bring thanks to the upgraded performance abilities of next-gen consoles. The trailer shows 90 seconds of an exhibition matchup between the Golden State Warriors and Dallas Mavericks, showing off the incredible graphics that will be on display, as well as enhanced realism and flow to the on-court product.

It’s certainly an impressive upgrade, which is further evidenced by this side-by-side image 2K provided of Zion Williamson — the next-gen cover athlete — from last year’s game and the upcoming edition of NBA 2K21 for the Series X/S and PS5.

We will be getting more information soon, as 2K promises some updates on expansions to the MyPlayer builder, next-gen AI, MyCareer, the WNBA, MyGM, MyLeague, and online gameplay — which they note is what is “formerly known as the Neighborhood” indicating some major changes there.