Year: 2022

In our final conversation with King Von, the late Chicago rapper who was killed mere days after, we asked who he makes music for. “Everybody who f*ck with the music, man,” he concluded. His music has reached many people, probably for this reason. It’s for anybody and it’s easy to enjoy. His posthumous album What It Means To Be King exemplifies this, and it was released last week after the rollout of singles like “Don’t Play That” with 21 Savage and “War.” It featured plenty of collaborations with other rappers, including Lil Durk, G Herbo, and A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie.

Today, the video for the quick, scorching track “Too Real” was unleashed. It’s speculated to be a response to NBA YoungBoy who he had been feuding with: “Rap beef turn to homicide / You diss then we gon’ slide,” he spits. Of course, it helps that in the video he’s swinging around a massive flamethrower. That is one way to settle rap beef.

Though King Von had a knack for diss tracks and rap beef songs, he also wrestled with more serious topics like the shortcomings of the justice system on the 2020 single “How It Go.”

Watch the video for “Too Real” above.

Deion Sanders’ Jackson State football team went 11-2 this past season, winning the SWAC title in the process, and the trajectory of the Tigers football program only seems to be going up after they signed the nation’s No. 1 recruit this offseason.

However, while all of that was going on, Sanders was dealing with a health situation that was far more severe than was initially reported. Sanders had foot surgery that kept him off the sidelines for weeks before ultimately returning with a knee scooter to get around, but he apparently dealt with a far greater scare than surgery that ultimately required the amputation of two toes. In the latest episode of “Coach Prime”, Sanders detailed the femoral arterial blood clots that were running from his calf to his feet that doctors called life threatening and amputation of his leg from the knee down was on the table.

“The hardest thing of it all was to look down there and see that and understand, once upon a time you was this type of athlete and you don’t even know if you gonna walk, because all you feel is pain and you just want to get out of this hospital,” Sanders said.

Sanders is on the road to recovery now and hopefully he’ll be able to be back on the sidelines again at full strength next fall.

A banshee cry … a siren song … When a woman uses her voice, it carries enough power to change the world.

America witnessed an extraordinary potency in the 19th century with the speeches of women’s rights activist Sojourner Truth. And we experience it today in the poetry of Amanda Gorman. Both these women’s words teach, inspire, challenge and move us toward better days. Perhaps most important of all, they help encourage a future generation of women to speak freely, know their value and go after their dreams.

Amanda Gorman teaches everyone the power of poetry

International Women’s Day, celebrated annually on March 8, was created to commemorate the cultural, political and socioeconomic achievements of women. So it seems fitting that CARE, a global organization dedicated to empowering women and girls, just released a powerful video that echoes and magnifies the strength of the female voice.

#HerVoice | International Women’s Day 2022

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In the video, young girls recite the iconic words of feminist trailblazers both new and old, including Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Vice President Kamala Harris, Gloria Steinem and Venus Williams, to name a few. Seeing these young girls channel those who paved the way before them is a heartwarming reminder of how far we’ve come, and how the compassionate, courageous acts of a single person can affect the lives of many. Among them are a few familiar voices; Sophia Bush, Laura Dern and Saniyya Sidney—all powerhouse actresses and feminism advocates in their own right—lend their vocal talents.

The video is so much more than a touching tribute to the past. It kicks off CARE’s #HerVoice Campaign, developed to explore new solutions to address equality in modern times. The campaign features virtual conversations led by today’s history makers, including activist Vanessa Nakate and filmmaker Zuriel Oduwole. CARE is also partnering with the Obama Foundation to provide school access and opportunities to more than 500,000 girls around the world.

“CARE believes in the power of women, today and every day. This International Women’s Day, we are especially proud to feature legacy voices and rising leaders across industries uniting for change. The past few years have been extremely challenging, highlighting the need for not only more women leaders but women led solutions. The #HerVoice campaign honors the extraordinary acts of women that enable us to continue to advocate for our communities, and push for real change worldwide.”

This campaign strikes at the heart of what’s important: that while giant strides have been made for equality, there is still a long way to go. In recent times, the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic have made that even more evident. In a report titled “She Told Us So,” CARE provided some illuminating and heartbreaking statistics that show how the pandemic has affected and exacerbated gender inequality.

Since 2020, negative impacts have increased in almost every area of life for women. Their needs in the following areas were found to be high:

1. Mental health (63%)

2. Food security (59%)

3. Livelihood (55%)

4. Cash (54%)

5. Health services (47%)

As these numbers show, mental health and food security (both core needs) are the biggest concerns. And the two are deeply correlated.

In terms of food scarcity, the report finds that women are opting to skip meals to provide more nourishment to their families. One woman in Umbeda, Sudan shared her own experience as the sole head of her household during the pandemic. “It affected my body [but] I prefer to feed my children instead of myself … I have no money to support my family” she told CARE.

Daily struggles like this lead to a decline in mental health. The report showed how many of the underlying reasons for mental stress revolve around childcare—making sure little mouths are fed (again, when food is scarce) and taking on all household chores without payment.

As one women’s group representative noted: “If any opportunity appeared, the man would be the favorite, and for this reason, the man’s role was the strongest. This psychologically affected many women, as they turned to household work which included preparing food and cleaning only.” As the data shows, this idea that caretaking is a woman’s job is still pervasive, with potentially toxic effects.

We hear the phrase “the future is female,” but without actively empowering mothers and daughters in real-world situations, those words carry no meaning. During this time of unprecedented change, we have an opportunity to include everyone in the desire for a better tomorrow and strive to make equality the “new normal.”

Some holidays are meant for remembrance. Others, like International Women’s Day, can also be a call to action. This is why CARE is encouraging everyone to not only repost this video, but share what #HerVoice means to them. Visit care.org/hervoice to learn more, donate and support women’s voices by signing your name to a pledge.

After finishing her short film Bao, for which she’d eventually win an Oscar, Domee Shi started pitching a feature-length film to Pixar and, she says, it was her weirdest pitch that caught their attention, which she was pitching as, “It’s a girl going through magical puberty and turns into a giant red panda.” And, honestly, that’s a pretty great pitch for what would eventually become Turning Red. And she’s right, it’s a pretty weird movie.

Mei has her friends in school, but is mostly treated as a dork by her “cool” classmates, and having a very overprotective mother isn’t helping her social life much. Set in 2003, Mei’s dream is to see the hot new boy band, but her mother won’t let her go. Then, yes, one day she turns into a giant red panda. Which, yes, is a metaphor, but the movie does something pretty interesting by also directly addressing menstruation, which stands out because movies aimed at younger people frankly don’t really do that and it’s a great thing this movie does discuss this – which as Shi confirms ahead, was by design because we don’t really see this discussed much in movies aimed at younger people.

Two of my questions were going to be why this is set in the early 2000s and why it’s set in Toronto. And then I read your Wikipedia page and I figured it out.

[Laughs] Yeah.

I’m guessing some Mei’s friends in this movie are based on real people?

Oh, definitely. The spark or the inspiration behind the movie, it definitely came from a personal place and then kind of grew into its own thing. But yeah, I was very much Meilin in the early 2000s, in Toronto. My mom is in Ming, but also a lot of the strong women who raised me – like my grandmas, my aunties. Then, also, in Mei’s friends too, each of them I think, represents a specific friend that I’ve had that I think a lot of girls and kids have growing up. Like Miriam being the rebellious friend, you’ve got the gothy deadpan friend, the cute and angry friend in Abby. I mean, all of this is trying to ground this movie in a way that audiences could relate to while we were showing crazy, red panda magic.

Are you still in touch with these people? Are you expecting some phone calls after this comes out?

Well, my mom hasn’t seen it yet.

There’s one call.

I know. I’m inviting her to the Toronto premiere. And my dad. And I think I’m going to be watching her more than the movie itself. Just to be like, “Oh, you see? This is how I felt back then.” And she’ll be like, “Oh, you’re exaggerating!” No, I’m excited for her to see it.

This sounds like this is going to be like therapy. Is that what’s going to happen?

Oh, I mean, making the movie was kind of like therapy. I did it instead of going to therapy. And I think, in making it, I think my perspective changed a lot. Like when I first started the movie, I think I was more on Mei’s side. I was on the side of the kid.

Right…

Who felt like their parent was a prison warden. I think I grew to understand my mom and what she was going through and why she was being so kooky and overprotective and obsessive.

So, how does this work? You directed the short film, Bao. When you made that did you know it would play before Incredibles 2? Which basically everyone saw.

No, no. I thought it was going to be in front of Coco. which I thought would have been really cool. But, yeah, I had no idea that it was going to be attached to Incredibles 2. And it was going to be seen by so many more people than I thought.

So then it becomes, “Hey, I want to make a full movie now.” Is that how the conversation goes?

I mean, it was back in 2017. I just finished Bao. I don’t think Incredibles 2 came out yet, but I think the studio was excited about my voice and the stories I wanted to tell. So, they offered me the chance to pitch three ideas for a feature film. And I’ve always loved coming of age stories and I’ve always wanted to make a coming of age story. So all three of my ideas were that, but Turning Red was the most personal. And the weirdest, probably. I was pitching like, “It’s a girl going through magical puberty and turns into a giant red panda.” And they identified with that, somehow.

That is a fantastic pitch. How could anyone ignore that?

But they haven’t seen that before. Magical puberty brought to life in a Pixar film.

Speaking of the puberty part, at first I see the red panda and I’m thinking, “Well, that’s a metaphor.” But then the mom starts asking Mei directly about having her period. I’d never really seen that before in a movie aimed at kids and I thought that was great.

I mean, it’s true. You don’t see that very often in movies and TV shows. And I think that’s precisely why we wanted to put it in the movie. I mean, this movie is actually is for 13-year-old Domee that was in a bathroom, horrified, thinking that she had crapped her pants. And too afraid to tell her mom or ask anybody about what was going on. It’s so weird because it happens to every woman, every girl, but you just don’t hear about it or talk about it and it’s awkward and crazy, but we all go through it. But in that moment you feel so alone. So, it’s just my attempt to just help these girls and women feel seen in that way. And guys go through like even bigger changes during puberty. I feel like boys just shoot up and then deal with other liquids as well.

So bringing that up directly in the film, is that to ensure that people know the movie is a metaphor? As opposed to having people just wondering the whole time is this what it’s about?

It’s funny. I think it just came from wanting to tell an authentic story of a girl going through puberty and that being the type of story that came up over and over again. When we were talking to a lot of women on the crew, a lot of the female leadership, we were all sharing battle stories from the grounds of puberty. And there was always this kind of story where it happened and there was confusion and embarrassment. And it just felt like if we wanted to talk about, or if we wanted to tell a story about a girl going through puberty, we had to talk about her getting her period. We had to talk about her having weird fantasies about mermen. Like all of that, it’s just so essential in telling this story about a tween girl.

And you mentioned Toronto, which I love. Did you have to fight to set it there?

I feel like it’s always in movies but disguised as New York.

That’s true.

And I think it added to the specificity and the charm of the original pitch, that it was about a Chinese-Canadian girl. It just added a uniqueness to it. And I think Americans are very delighted by and amused by Canadians and things. And I think it was very exciting for Pixar to be like, Oh, we can put more Canadian Easter eggs and explore Canadian culture on the big screen. Yeah, and I just love how diverse Toronto is. And that was really an exciting thing to kind of tackle and explore in this movie. Just seeing how much diversity we can put in the movie. Just to make it feel like the neighborhoods and the school that I grew up in and the friends that I had growing up. So, it was just a really cool opportunity.

Obviously, a boy band plays a big part in this story. Were you NSYNC or Backstreet Boys? Or someone else?

I was NSYNC, but that’s where the story stops being autobiographical because I wasn’t super, super into boy bands.

Ah, okay.

I never got to go to the concerts. So, I’d always have this image in my head of what concerts could be. And I had classmates coming back from concerts with their Backstreet Boys or their NSYNC swag that they bought at the merch store. And I was like, wow, last time I saw them, they were just girls, but now they’re like women. And something must have happened at the concert.

That’s great.

Like they have this glow about them. This movie is kind of just me fulfilling that tween fantasy.

‘Turning Red’ will premiere via Disney+ on March 11th. You can contact Mike Ryan directly on Twitter.

When the late, iconic director John Singleton created his FX series, Snowfall, he proudly proclaimed that he wanted it to be the “ghetto version” of Game of Thrones. Well, he’s on his way. As the series rides high on its fifth season, star Damson Idris has revealed that Snowfall is officially the “most watched show” across all FX networks. According to Idris, even “bootlegging” can’t stop the series (set against the real-life ’80s crack epidemic) from reeling in millions of viewers week after week.

Along with the news that Snowfall has become a powerhouse for FX, Idris made it a point to credit Singleton for bringing the show to life.

“Snowfall is officially FX networks most watched show and that is thanks to you guys, the fans,” Idris tweeted. “Nearly 5 million viewers a week. Not to mention yall that be bootlegging. I see you . Nonetheless, thank you to everyone for riding with us. It’s all for John Singleton. ”

Here’s the official synopsis:

Los Angeles. 1983. A storm is coming and its name is cocaine. Snowfall is a one-hour drama set against the infancy of the crack cocaine epidemic and its ultimate radical impact on the culture as we know it. The story follows numerous characters on a violent collision course, including: Franklin Saint (Damson Idris), young street entrepreneur on a quest for power; Gustavo Zapata (Sergio Peris-Mencheta), a Mexican wrestler caught up in a power struggle within a crime family; Teddy McDonald (Carter Hudson), a CIA operative running from a dark past who begins an off-book operation to fund the Nicaraguan Contras; and Lucia Villanueva (Emily Rios), the self-possessed daughter of a Mexican crime lord.

Snowfall Season 5 is currently airing Tuesdays on FX.

(Via Damson Idris on Twitter)

Indie music has grown to include so much. It’s not just music that is released on independent labels, but speaks to an aesthetic that deviates from the norm and follows its own weirdo heart. It can come in the form of rock music, pop, or folk. In a sense, it says as much about the people that are drawn to it as it does about the people that make it.

Every week, Uproxx is rounding up the best new indie music from the past seven days. This week we got the new album by Band Of Horses, a new era for Red Hot Chili Peppers, and a snappy new Haim track.

While we’re at it, sign up for our newsletter to get the best new indie music delivered directly to your inbox, every Monday.

Band Of Horses — Things Are Great

Band Of Horses was undoubtedly one of the most talked about bands of the mid-aughts and they’ve now made a triumphant comeback with Things Are Great, their first album in six years. The 10-track release saw the band returning to their roots, with vocalist Ben Bridwell not afraid to play his “sloppy, weird style of guitar.” Bridwell told Uproxx in a recent interview that Things Are Great was his chance to spearhead the production and finally make the record he wanted to.

Nilüfer Yanya — Painless

UK musician Nilüfer Yanya took the world by storm when she released her debut album Miss Universe in 2019. Now armed with a new perspective, Yanya brings her refined sound to her sophomore LP Painless. Through groovy licks and vibrant synths, the record revolves around emotion. Yanya copes with loneliness and isolation while she dives headfirst into emotional vulnerability.

The Weather Station — How Is It That I Should Look At The Stars

After making waves with the 2021 album Ignorance, The Weather Station drops the companion LP, How Is It That I Should Look At The Stars. The piano-laden album as a whole examines similar themes to the previous one, seeing vocalist Tamara Lindeman sharing musings on disconnection, conflict, love, and climate anxiety. Lindeman herself calls the project “a quiet, strange album of ballads.”

MICHELLE — AFTER DINNER WE TALK DREAMS

NYC’s buzzworthy collective MICHELLE prove they live up to the hype with their LP AFTER DINNER WE TALK DREAMS, which beautifully infuses soulful melodies with R&B-inspired beats and tender lyrics. The six-piece group’s connection in tangible on each song, capturing each four singers’ soaring harmonies and ability to pen tender yet invigorating songs.

Red Hot Chili Peppers — “Poster Child”

Last month, Red Hot Chili Peppers teased a return by announcing the upcoming Rick Rubin-produced album Unlimited Love, which is due out in April. After noting that their only goal on the project was to get lost in music, the group dropped “Poster Child,” their funkiest single to date. It proves Red Hot Chili Peppers can still have fun making music after nearly three decades, spotlighting Anthony Kiedis’ recognizable vocals spitting enigmatic and tongue-twisting lyrics.

Haim — “Lost Track”

After Haim sister Alana starred in Paul Thomas Anderson’s latest film Licorice Pizza, the musical trio shared the tune “Lost Track,” an impromptu song which spawned during a photoshoot with the director. The snappy single came out naturally, laying Danielle’s urgent vocals over sparse-yet-shimmering instrumentals. “We were inspired by the idea of someone doing something so drastic to get out of a situation they felt uncomfortable in,” the band explained in a statement.

Bartees Strange — “Heavy Heart”

Newly signed to the label 4AD, indie favorite Bartees Strange celebrated his music’s new home with the track “Heavy Heart.” The song is Strange at his most vulnerable, delivering lyrics about coping with guilt; guilt about his family; guilt about touring; and guilt about his musical success. All these emotions leave him with a heavy heart, which he explores over gripping electric guitars.

Wet Leg — “Angelica”

With just a handful of singles, Wet Leg continue to prove that their witty and quirky music make them one of the most compelling bands in indie music right how. Their new track “Angelica” fits perfectly into their catalog, combining shimmering guitars and rollicking refrain with tongue-and-cheek lyrics and drumming up anticipation for their self-titled debut album.

Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever — “Tidal River”

Aussie rockers Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever are bringing their explosive and exuberant sound to a new era of music with their upcoming album Endless Rooms. Their new track “Tidal River” gives fans a taste of what’s to come featuring propulsive guitars and lyrics speaking to a sense of confusion and urgency. “‘Tidal River’ is a little snapshot of living in a place at a time when it feels like there is no-one at the wheel,” vocalist Tom Russo said about the song.

Sharon Van Etten — “Used To It”

With her second ambitious single of the year, Sharon Van Etten shares the ethereal number “Used To It.” The song expands on the singer’s typical acoustic-leaning guitars, composing a sprawling mix of keys and harmonies to create a comforting soundscape. The song was originally written for Baby God, an HBO documentary centering on a fertility specialist who impregnates women with his own sperm.

Alex Cameron — “K-Hole”

Alex Cameron is notorious for adopting a new persona with each album rollout, and with his upcoming LP Oxy Music, the singer is critiquing self care culture. His single “K-Hole” is a dreamy, earnest neo-lounge track that takes aim at our world’s reliance on the internet, and how that’s certainly not helping our collective mental health.

Kevin Morby — “This Is A Photograph”

Following up on his pastoral 2020 LP Sundowner, Kevin Morby heralds his upcoming seventh studio album with the nostalgia-inducing title track, “This Is A Photograph.” The song was inspired by him flipping through a box of old family photos and is a poetic ballad that pieces together imagined narratives from the faded pictures.

The Linda Lindas — “Talking To Myself”

Teen rockers The Linda Lindas experienced their breakout moment when their kiss-off tune “Racist, Sexist Boy” went viral. Now armed with a debut album about the joys and pitfalls of growing up, the group fired off the new track “Talking To Myself.” Like much of their other music, the song is both playful and edgy, showing off the girl group’s natural talents.

SALES — “Moving By Backwards”

It’s been a few years since Orlando duo SALES released a full-length project, but after having an unexpected viral moment on TikTok with their oftentimes misquoted song “Pope Is A Rockstar,” the band are back with the endlessly dreamy tune “Moving By Backwards.” With a warm-toned guitar creating the song’s backbone, the band penned a comforting and lush tune.

Some of the artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

Tony Hawk is the most famous skateboarder in the world. But if you’re like me, someone who learned the little that they know about skateboarding from Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 2 (and Betty), you might not know much about the legend himself. Tony Hawk: Until the Wheels Fall Off will change that. The HBO documentary is a “wide-ranging, definitive look at Hawk’s life and iconic career, and his relationship with the sport with which he’s been synonymous for decades,” according to the official description. There better be at least 20 minutes dedicated to his cameo in Weird Al’s “Smells Like Nirvana” music video.

“I was just thrust into adulthood,” Hawk says in the trailer above. “I never thought I’d be famous. But it’s the worst drug.” Here’s more:

Hawk, born in San Diego, Calif., is a pioneer of modern vertical skating and one of the most influential skateboarders of all time. The documentary features unprecedented access, never-before-seen footage, and interviews with Hawk, and prominent figures in the sport including Stacy Peralta, Rodney Mullen, Mike McGill, Lance Mountain, Steve Caballero, Neil Blender, Andy MacDonald, Duane Peters, Sean Mortimer, and Christian Hosoi.

Tony Hawk: Until the Wheels Fall Off premieres on HBO Max on April 5.

Kanye West is trying out a new form of expression lately, sharing visual poems on his Instagram (after deleting all his other posts again) expressing his feelings on “DIVORCE” and on death with his latest, “DEAD.” Ye, who is legally separated from Kim Kardashian, reflected on the couple’s ongoing divorce with his last poem, which found him comparing the feeling to having “full-blown COVID” and rolling his ankle on the first play of the Super Bowl.

In his latest, he imagines being dead without knowing it — a la the ghosts from The Sixth Sense, I suppose — and the world going on without him, despite his best efforts to continue participating in life. He also spells “prayed” as “pread,” so it’s a pretty typical Kanye work in that sense (remember when he had us all going along with “apologin’?”). He also, apparently begrudgingly, offered the following by way of explanation of the poem/rap, lest it be taken out of context. Still, I don’t think any of us would complain if he took a break and reached out to a therapist. You can read the poem in full below.

“I feel already compromised that I have to justify my expression after over 20 years of art that I’ve contributed to the planet but I also see the need to make sure we as a species are allowed to still feel anything Men not allowed to cry celebrities not allowed to cry I will not explain this new piece for the explanation destroys the mystery and magic of true love and puts it in a box that can be counted Art is subjective Art only works when it is the artist absolute truth Someone’s truth can be another persons lie We don’t all have to feel the same because we are not the same With out further ado I present to you my latest creation it is called DEAD”

“No one wanted to tell me I was DEAD / And only people that would talk to me were in my head / No one wanted to tell me I was DEAD / Only people who loved me would visit in their dreams instead / They would come to my grave and sprinkle some bread / So on my tombstone the birds would be fed / I would give new requests but nothing was said / Cause no one wanted to tell me that I was DEAD / They ran through my account like the sign said free bread / But no one wanted to tell me I was DEAD / My kids would dance for me in a home I once led / But kids see ghosts and didn’t know I was DEAD / Every thing was wrong in the press that I read / Cause nobody would tell me that I was DEAD / I realized when people spoke to me was only when they pread / Cause nobody would just tell me / Bro you been DEAD / Won’t anyone listen to one word I said / Of course not sir / You know how long you been DEAD / Funny it’s been a long time since I bled / You think someone who prides being smart as me would have known that he’s DEAD / So now every idea only exists in my head / I guess that’s how people treat people who are DEAD / I found out one day at the newsstand in purgatory, there was a front page article of my murderers story / I was so surprised at what it said / This info is for the living/ And surprise … You’re DEAD.”

Nostalgia is often viewed as a limitless ratings well when it comes to television.

Networks bank on it with remakes and reboots, creators capitalize on its ability to make characters, settings, and storylines wistfully relatable. But, as much as it’s relied on to help new shows break through the crowded streaming landscape, it’s notoriously difficult to wield effectively. After all, how many throwbacks, prequels, and adaptations have we seen fail to capture the essence and flair that made their originals so popular?

That track record is what makes Showtime’s Yellowjackets that much more impressive.

The time-hopping series about a group of teenage soccer stars stranded in the wilderness following a freak accident is a melting pot of some of TV’s most addictive tropes: survival stories born from mysterious plane crashes, nature-infused mysticism, nonlinear timelines, and ’90s nostalgia. It sees-saws between the past and the present, following its younger cast as they try to endure the unforgiving wilds and catching up with its older cast 25 years later, as these now-grown women struggle to keep the past buried. The show is filled with the kind of plot twists and central mysteries that double as conspiracy-theory catnip for Reddit subs and hashtag fandoms. But the wildest swings – the secret societies and ritualistic sacrifices and shroom parties – work because its creators, Ashley Lyle and Bart Nickerson, aren’t trying to exploit nostalgia – they’re paying homage to it.

And, besides Yellowjackets’ killer (pun intended) soundtrack, nowhere is that more evident than in its casting choices.

The ’90s gave us plenty of gifts: Tamagotchi’s, grunge, the hit NBC comedy Friends, and the internet. The decade also marked a time when Hollywood became more heavily influenced by the indie boom, leading to more bold and interesting storytelling across the board. Suddenly, teen romcoms were borrowing from literary classics, slashers were self-aware, and few topics were off-limits, illuminating stories about coming of age awkwardness that explored experimentation and puritanical pushback. Hell, the times even gave us a cult-classic about conversion camps that would one day age surprisingly well. Big names came from the era too: Sandra Bullock, Brad Pitt, Leonardo DiCaprio, Kirsten Dunst, and George Clooney all sprouted to A-list level heights during the decade, playing heartthrobs and shirtless hunks, quick-witted action heroines and murderous baby vampires.

But even though the ’90s could be considered Hollywood’s alt-era, there were actresses that still felt on the fringe – even more “alt” than the mainstream “alt.” They crafted careers based, not on prospective box office success, but on boundary-pushing material that interested and challenged them. They were riot grrrls, punk feminists subtly embracing third-wave feminism on-screen, playing serial killers and deranged teenagers and morbidly-curious young women. They were weirdos and misfits and proud of it.

If you hadn’t guessed by now, they were Juliette Lewis, Christina Ricci, and Melanie Lynskey.

The leading ladies of Yellowjackets’ adult ensemble (along with the inimitable Tawny Cypress) play mature versions of the kind of teen oddballs they regularly depicted on-screen in the ’90s. Their film catalogs offer more of an intentional mix of dark, complicated characters thrust into dangerous situations, less action-packed blockbuster or crowd-pleasing rom-coms, though there’s some of that too (because these women can play anything). In their early days, Ricci, Lynskey, and Lewis seemed more interesting in telling the stories no one else seemed to be telling, playing women who were wild, wounded, fiercely independent, and just a bit different from everyone else — not unlike the group of characters their new series has assembled. It’s that through-line that makes their casting, and the show’s use of their clout, so genius. While Yellowjackets relies on its younger cast to physically embody that all-important nostalgic hook with chic mullets, oversized letterman jackets, and plaid – so much plaid – the series’ older cast gets to flaunt their roots. Their performances as psychotic nurses and relapsed addicts and blood-thirsty housewives feel all the more believable (and familiar) because of the roles they popularized decades earlier.

There’s a bit of vindication in seeing their success on the show, too. Lewis was an undeniable talent when she first got her start. As The Guardian once wrote, her characters were often an enthralling mix of “volatile and vulnerable” whether they were the teenage love interest of a homicidal con-man in Cape Fear or one-half of a serial killing Bonnie & Clyde in Natural Born Killers. Lewis possessed a raw magnetism on-screen, an unbridled sense of freedom, and a rebellious streak that made her unpredictable yet endlessly watchable. She seemed to choose stories that gave her space to explore her instincts on-screen, consistently playing women society would rather cast off and ignore. She gave those characters a voice. But the roles that aligned with her best qualities as an actress never felt like the kind of roles that would catapult her to “movie star” status. At least, not the clean-cut, wholesome, America’s Sweetheart kind that some of her contemporaries enjoyed.

The same can be said for Ricci, who, like Lewis, got her start young. Before the rest of us hit puberty, she had already acted opposite Cher and Wynonna Ryder and crafted an iconic interpretation of Wednesday Addams in two successful adaptations. A prepubescent goth maniac who harbored an intense fascination with death and enjoyed burning blonde-haired future girl-bosses at the stake, Wednesday was an alt-girl role model – a kind of feminist mascot for young girls in heavy black eyeliner, ripped jeans, and combat boots. Ricci’s career is filled with similar anarchists and outsiders, ax-wielding murderers and social outcasts – so many in fact that she’s earned a reputation for bringing exciting, hard-to-translate characters on-screen, making even their worst traits entertaining to watch.

And those same kind of on-the-periphery characters also make up many of the highlights in Lynskey’s portfolio of work.

A sorely underrated character actress who got relegated to wacky neighbor sitcom roles for a time, Lynskey got her break in the Peter Jackson-directed Heavenly Creatures. Starring opposite a young Kate Winslet, Lynskey played one-half of a murderous friendship – a young girl from a working-class family who develops an unhealthy obsession with Winslet’s affluent, eccentric Juliet. Even in her earliest role, Lynskey displayed the same quiet intensity and inner turmoil that would make her Yellowjackets character, Shauna, so exciting to watch. But, like Lewis and Ricci, her career is filled with on-the-cusp performances, roles in reimagined fairy-tales, and LGBTQ dark comedies that are only just now getting the mainstream recognition and praise they deserve. She didn’t always gravitate towards the social outcast roles or the off-beat anti-heroines that Ricci and Lewis did, but she performed best when she was able to disappear into a character — to get to the meat of what made a role different, challenging, or even terrifying to act out on-screen.

These women have always made the more exciting choice when it comes to the stories they tell on TV and film, and audiences are now getting a fresh reminder of their talent or, in some cases, an introduction to it thanks to the success of Yellowjackets. Not just in terms of the mind-boggling number of people fawning over the show, but also the critical consensus that its pitch-perfect casting doesn’t just hook viewers, it elevates central storylines within the drama.

Lewis, Ricci, and Lynskey were ’90s anti-heroines. They played flawed and complicated characters who taught us that yes, women could be sadistic, unhinged, reckless megalomaniacs too. In Yellowjackets, they inhabit some of those same traits. Ricci’s take on Misty as a lethal, manipulative sociopath echoes some of the best choices she made as Wednesday Addams and Lizzie Borden. Lewis’ Nat is impulsive, brash, and broken, kind of like Kate in From Dusk Till Dawn and Mallory in Natural Born Killers while Lynskey’s Shauna, an unfulfilled housewife seemingly living her best friend’s fantasy, harnesses the same reserved savagery and endless emotional depth that made Pauline in Heavenly Creatures and Michelle in Togetherness so entertaining to watch.

It’s as if Yellowjackets recognizes the clout these women should have, the talent we maybe forgot about and gives them the kind of scenery to chew on as lunatics and nonconformists, outlaws, exiles, and eventually, criminals – roles women have only recently begun to inhabit in higher-profile projects. They’re also the kind of roles we owe to Lewis, Lynskey, and Ricci, who were playing them long before it was cool to be screwed-up and unlikable on-screen.

A video of a young Ukrainian girl singing “Let It Go” in a bomb shelter has been making the rounds on the internet as the world watches the horrifying events unfold in Ukraine. During a small moment of hope, a young girl is seen performing a stunning rendition of the inspirational song, which has now been seen by millions.

The video recently caught the attention of Idina Menzel, aka Elsa from Frozen. Menzel shared the video with the caption: “We see you. We really, really see you” along with yellow and blue hearts.

The video was shared on Facebook by Marta Smekhova, a woman who has been staying in the shelter with other families. The young Ukrainian girl, named Amelia, sang the iconic song in her native language, which included the lyrics “I’m not afraid of anything anymore,” and brought the group of adults in the room to tears, as she performed standing on a chair. “She told me that she loves to sing,” Smekhova said in a Facebook post. “From her first word in the bomb shelter, there was complete silence. … Everyone put down what they were doing and listened to the song.” Other Frozen stars also shared the video, including Josh Gad, the voice of the lovable snowman, Olaf.