Category: News

Though she’s already found her niche as an actress, and like most Gen-Z stars has been blowing up on TikTok, 2022 is the year that Dove Cameron breaks out as a musician. With numerous roles in the Marvel universe and in the Descendants series, Cameron got her start on the Disney Channel, like plenty of other present day pop stars (Ari and Selena, anyone?). Though she’s released several soundtrack albums, a handful of singles, tons of pop covers, and even gone out on tour, her latest song, “Boyfriend,” feels much more focused than her past work. And Dove herself agrees.

“In writing ‘Boyfriend,’ I feel like I finally found my sound, my perspective and myself in a way I wasn’t sure I ever would,” she said in a press release. “I am so immensely happy to have this song and this part of me out in the world. I hope you feel access to yourself when you listen to it too.”

Highlighting her queerness, the new single emphasizes the speaker telling the object of their affection just how much better a partner they’d be than their current boyfriend. As in, maybe what the girl in question needs… is a girlfriend. It’s dramatic and dark, and hits like a queer James Bond anthem. “Boyfriend” will definitely put Dove on the map in a new way, and might just turn her into one of your new favorite rising pop stars.. Check it out above.

Nicki Minaj is wasting no time going to work in 2022. After going nearly a year without any new music, Nicki is back in action and she’s gearing up to release her long-awaited fifth album, and she takes another step in promoting it with her second single of the year. Nicki reunites with Lil Baby for “Bussin,” their second collaboration of the year. The track, which was previewed at the end of Nicki’s music video for her previous single, “Do We Have A Problem?” with Lil Baby, sees her laying down a quick rap flow over a hard-hitting beat. On it, she brags about the surplus of money, luxury cars, and more.

So far, Nicki is off to a great start in 2022, which was kicked off by the release of “Do We Have A Problem?” The song was released with a lengthy music video that also featured an appearance from Joseph Sikora who plays Tommy Egan on Power and Power Book IV: Force. After she released the single, Nicki had a few highlight moments in the entertainment world in the week that followed.

During an appearance on The Late Late Show With James Corden, Nicki delivered quite the impressive Adele impression. She also cleared the air with City Girls’ JT and Yung Miami after the artists spent the last few years not seeing eye to eye.

You can scroll up to watch the video for “Bussin.”

Nobody loves a holiday release more than Kim Petras. The pop star is infamous for her Halloween projects, but this year, she decided to be sweet and drop a little something for Valentine’s Day. Her new EP, Slut Pop, is heralded as a “sex-positive” release and dropped in full tonight. Packed with gems such as “Treat Me Like A Slut, the title track “Slut Pop,” “XXX” and “Throat Goat” — which sounds like a Slayyyter song tbh — this new material is definitely in line with her latest single, “Coconuts,” which is, uh, not about fruit.

Still, it should be clear for fans who are familiar with Petras’ very prolific release style that “Coconuts” and the single she used to kick off her new era and signing to Republic Records, “Future Starts Now,” are from her upcoming album. None of the Slut Pop material is part of that more official release. According to a press release, this is just a reminder of how no one should be stigmatized for being sexual. Kim teased the new release with a tweet yesterday that shared the cover art and tracklist on a very retro CD. She also teased the title track “Slut Pop” on Twitter. Check out “Slut Pop” up above or stream the full EP below.

(Spoilers for Netflix’s Inventing Anna will be found below.)

Shondaland’s newest show, Inventing Anna, has arrived on Netflix, and with it, the story of Anna Sorokin, a.k.a. “Anna Delvey.” It’s a fascinating portrait of a con artist as a young woman, and Julia Garner’s great in it. She’s got a very un-Ozark-like accent going on, mostly German-sounding but with a touch of Russian, and this dramatized story is inspired by Jessica Pressler’s New York magazine piece called “How Anna Delvey Tricked New York’s Party People.”

The series actually shows Anna going further than that. She tricks bankers and high-society mainstays that aren’t necessarily party people. She even tricks Vivian (who’s based upon Pressler) into empathizing with her plight, and this was all part of a long game that eventually landed Anna in prison. Her many victims (including friends, investors, mentors, and hotels) were left with unpaid debts while Anna supposedly went to pay her debt to society at large. What’s going on with Anna Delvey now, though?

The faux heiress is no longer out there passing $100 bills to anyone with whom she comes into contact. She’s also no longer asking her marks for money to cover these supposedly generous acts while claiming that she’s waiting on a wire transfer or clearance on a multi-million-dollar bank loan for the Anna Delvey Foundation while piggybacking from victim to victim. Instead, Anna Delvey is still in custody. Mind you, she’s not in prison any longer (she was sentenced to 4-12 years behind bars with credit for time already served). She ended up at both Rikers Island (19 months) and Albion Correctional Facility (21 months following her sentence, beginning in 2019), and then she emerged to declare that time to (as she told Insider) “a huge waste of time.”

Anna emerged on parole in February 2021, but she’s not a free woman. Instead, she landed at an ICE detention center in New York after she overstayed her visa. In January, she tested positive for Covid-19 and declared, “I’m sure I’ll live, but I haven’t been this sick in years.” She currently remains in ICE custody.

Inventing Anna is streaming on Netflix.

With less than two hours remaining until the 2022 NBA Trade Deadline, the Brooklyn Nets and Philadelphia 76ers agreed to a swap that sent James Harden to Philadelphia and Ben Simmons to Brooklyn. In an interesting bit of timing, Kevin Durant was captured on television shortly after the trade as part of the NBA All-Star Draft, indicating he was “excited for (his) team” and also saying “I think everybody got what they wanted” in the deal. It appears as if Durant was not alone among Nets players in sharing an upbeat outlook and relief that the entire saga was over, as Blake Griffin had a couple of interesting comments following Brooklyn’s road loss to the Washington Wizards on Thursday.

Prompted about Durant’s comments, Griffin backed up his teammate and trumpeted the notion that the Nets want players “that want to be here.”

Griffin didn’t say explicitly that Harden didn’t want to be in Brooklyn, but he and Durant both strongly hinted at there being a recognition within the locker room that Harden wasn’t exactly happy with his situation. Still, within the same media availability, Griffin stated plainly that he believes the Nets “got better” in the deal to acquire Simmons (and Seth Curry and Andre Drummond) in Harden’s place.

Of course, the jury is out on whether Brooklyn actually improved in the deal. Even if Simmons can quickly recapture his All-Star form, the Nets do lose some offensive firepower, and that is particularly true for as long as Kyrie Irving is limited to part-time duty. Simmons could also unlock other features of Brooklyn’s roster and, through a positive lens, the optimized version of Simmons could be a superior fit alongside Durant and Irving.

At the same time, it seems as if the team’s vibes are improving in the aftermath. The Nets did lose their tenth (!) straight game on Thursday but, with Durant potentially returning after the All-Star break and Simmons on the way to, eventually, add a different element of versatility and defense, optimism could reign in Brooklyn.

Mike Krzyzewski and the Duke Blue Devils are off to a strong start this season, posting a 19-4 record and a 9-3 mark in ACC play to earn a top-10 national ranking. However, Duke fell short in its last game, losing at home to an underwhelming Virginia squad, and the Blue Devils aimed to right the ship with a road trip to Clemson on Thursday. For the most part, it was a positive evening for the Blue Devils, with Duke eventually picking up an 82-64 victory over the Tigers, but the most memorable moment of the evening wasn’t so friendly in that it involved an incredibly dangerous play from Clemson guard David Collins.

Duke junior Wendell Moore Jr. came up with a steal late in the first half and looked to have an easy bucket in transition. Rather than allow a dunk, Collins sprinted back, but what transpired was a reckless foul that was eventually ruled a Flagrant-2 and an ejection.

Rather than contesting the shot, Collins made no play on the ball, instead shoulder-blocking Moore in mid-air and causing him to flip off of the rim and onto his back. Fortunately, Moore was able to stay in the game and avoid serious injury, but even the Clemson broadcast immediately acknowledged the severity of Collins’ actions.

The baseline angle paints a particularly disturbing picture.

Coach K was rightly livid and, as the ESPN broadcast described, this very easily could have turned into a full-on brawl. Collins did go over and speak with Coach K, who gave him a hug and things seem to get smoothed over at that point.

It will be interesting to see if Collins receives any additional punishment, but the senior guard was rightly ejected for a hideous play.

Most of the time it’s tough to know if someone is flirting with you because they have to be subtle. They can’t be too obvious because if the feeling isn’t mutual it can be pretty embarrassing. It’s also tough to detect if someone is flirting because most of the time it’s someone you don’t know very well.

Do they like me or are they normally friendly?

It hurts to imagine the number of times we’ve all missed signals that someone was interested in us and a potentially wonderful romance never happened. However, studies show that it happens more often than not.

A study on heterosexuals published in Psychology Today found that women were only 18% accurate in recognizing men’s flirting, while 36% of men were accurate about women’s flirting. However, we’re really good at knowing when people aren’t flirting with us.

In the same study, women were 83% accurate in seeing nonflirting as nonflirting, and men performed about the same, 84%.

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Jeffery Hall, an assistant professor of communication studies at the University of Kansas in Lawrence, says there are five main styles of flirting: physical, traditional, polite, sincere and playful.

Physical flirting involves “communicating sexual interest” to a potential partner. Traditional flirting is a tactic primarily used by introverts, where men tend to take the lead and women assume a passive role. Polite flirting involves the use of “proper manners” and is a cautious way of showing you like someone.

Sincere flirting involves telling the person you’re interested, and playful flirts like joking around but their efforts rarely turn into substantial relationships.

A Reddit user, who has since deleted their profile, asked a great question on the AskReddit subforum that should be a big help to those who have a hard time spotting flirtation. They asked, “People who are good at flirting, what are some social cues us oblivious people should watch out for?”

A large number of people who responded to the thread gave practical advice on the behaviors that are a giveaway that someone is flirting. The most popular responses are eye contact and laughing at your jokes, even if they aren’t funny.

Here are 15 of our favorite social cues that show someone is interested.

1. The dance of plausible deniability.

“Everyone is giving good advice, but flirting didn’t click for me until i heard it described not as a set of behaviors to look out for, but as an escalation of suggestive behaviors couched in plausible deniability.

“Put practically, if someone is doing something to engage you that feels extra (lots of touching, looking at you in a way that feels a bit to long, or doing a lot of poking fun and complimenting you), then that might be flirting or it might not. That’s the whole point. Plausible deniability. They can safely disengage at any time.

“If you want to know if someone’s flirting, you need to test it. You do that by escalating things, but just a bit, so that now you have plausible deniability (touch them back in a comfortable way, maintain eye contact, or joke-compliment them back). If they escalate back and continue to do so as you escalate in turn, that is flirting. Eventually one of you will break cover and do something with clear intent (a kiss, an approach + ask for a number, or straight up telling them what you think of them and that you’re interested). Otherwise, if you escalate and they don’t change their behavior or they back off, then they were probably just being friendly and you should take the hint and do the same.

“Dunno if that’s something obvious to people, but it was definitely not for me, and college parties would have been way less fun had i not known. Hopefully this can help someone else too :)” – three_furballs

2. Give ’em a chance to be alone.

“If you’re in a group of friends (new or old), find a natural opportunity to hang back. Someone who’s interested in you will notice and take the opportunity to talk to you in private. Now this isn’t full proof but it’ll at least give you the opportunity to feel for any chemistry between you.” – Kagamid

3. Conversation should be two-sided.

“Be wary of a one-sided conversation. If your responses are met with mostly “yeps” and “uh huh” and nothing without meat, its probably not going well.” – ViciousKnids

4. Ignoring their friend.

“If they look directly at you while talking to their friend it’s a good sign.” – yassis_bru

5. The reaction shot.

“I read once that if someone looks at you after someone (doesn’t have to be you) said something funny and everyone is laughing, they like you. From personal experience, it’s true.” – luv_sicK

6. Lots of eye contact.

“They make a lot of eye contact. They are interested in what you have to say and ask you lots of questions. They laugh at your jokes, even the lame ones. They initiate physical contact. They try to find space where you can talk more privately (this does not always mean sex but it often means they wish for more quality time with you).” – TheSurfingRaichu

7. Trust then test.

“In my experience, almost everyone can get a sense that someone is into them, but most people second guess themselves until they convince themselves it’s nothing. I say trust that sense. It’s based off all of these factors that we pick up consciously and subconsciously, and almost always it’s not a coincidence.

“When you think someone likes you, you can test that theory in a few ways. A subtle but effective example is inviting them to something you know they can’t or don’t want to attend. If they express interest in rescheduling or finding some other way to spend time with you, they like you. Otherwise they’ll just say no, sorry I can’t make it … Of course, you could also just ask. In my experience anyone worth getting intimate with is mature enough to deal with that question.” – MildlyWyld

8. Mirroring.

“Does their body turn toward you or away from you when you talk? Do they mirror your body language?” – Perfect_Draw516

9. They touch you.

“Physical contact. Granted, not everyone flirts the same way but a good sign is if they touch your arm (or the like) or you find them smiling the whole time that you’re talking to them.” – Cosmic_Marman

10. Special eye contact.

“When you’re in a public space, the direct eye contact (for a beat or two too long) and the look away. One of my go-to moves that always yielded results.” – LuLu42

11. Bad jokes.

“Seriously tell a bad joke – look for laughter and smiles that should not be there but are. Then it’s you they are into, definitely not what you said.” – YukonBrawler

12. Facial gestures.

“According to Sherlock: licking lips, eyes cast down towards the other persons lips, quirky smile of the lips, dilated eyes. And if the person has long hair, tucking it behind their ear or other fidgety behavior.” – fandomfangirl1

13. Mimicking body language.

“In the case of someone who likes you, while interacting, watch for repetitious patterns and mimic their body language. Eventually, if you cross your arms and the person whose attention you are seeking does the same, for example, you can rely on that being a good sign.” – flungkle

14. Little adjustment.

“I’ve noticed that women will do a little adjustment to you, like brushing off a little piece of lint off your lapel or moving a stray hair off your face while talking to you. At least they did back in my rogue days.” – robfrankel1

15. Take your shot.

“If you’re at a bar and a woman makes eye contact for more than a second without looking away, shoot your shot.” – sle7in360

With the release of Netflix‘s latest psychological thriller, The Woman In The House Across The Street From The Girl In The Window many are wondering…is this show…funny? Scary?

One thing is for certain, the show is a rollercoaster of unhinged suspense and drama.

The Woman In The House Across The Street From The Girl In The Window is Netflix’s satirical take on several women-led physiological dramas, like The Woman In The Window and The Girl On The Train, mixed in with some unreliable narrator perspective and a whole lot of red wine. So, yes, while it is a mystery-drama, it’s also making fun of mystery-dramas. Oh, and there is some graphic sex in there, so don’t watch with a parent.

The show stars Bell as Anna Whitaker, an artist who takes time off to process after the death of her daughter and her messy divorce. She suffers from “ombrophobia” (fear of the rain, which is supposedly a real thing), which causes her to stay inside all day, until she ultimately believes she witnesses a murder across the street and has to get others to believe her.

While there are some scary moments, it’s more like a Hallmark movie level of suspense, with some classic Kristen Bell jokes sprinkled in there to ease the tension. While the name is confusing, it is, in fact, a comedy. Though, understandably, some watchers were confused.

Yo Gotti’s Collective Music Group (CMG) label, which he founded back in 2012, currently holds one of the best rosters of hip-hop talents. Moneybagg Yo, Blac Youngsta, 42 Dugg, and EST Gee are all signed to the label. It remains seen what the future holds for CMG, but so far, it’s promising. On Thursday, Yo Gotti and the label’s respective acts help a press conference to announce some big news regarding CMG. It was here that 42 Dugg and EST Gee delivered a special announcement to their fans.

The rappers announced that they are finishing their joint album. “Last one’s left,” 42 Dugg said during the press conference. “Me and Gee, you know, that sh*t coming soon. We finishing it up right now. Just be ready for it.” They even revealed that the project, which is titled Last One’s Left, is slated for a tentative release on February 18, giving everyone just one week to gear up for its release.

42 Dugg and EST Gee’s announcement comes after they both had a successful 2021. 42 Dugg released his third project Free Dem Boyz which was highlighted by “Maybach” with Future. EST Gee released his fifth project Bigger Than Life Or Death last year which featured the standout “5500 Degrees” with Lil Baby, Rylo Rodriguez, and 42 Dugg.

In addition to the album announcement, Yo Gotti also revealed that Mozzy has joined the CMG roster. Mozzy’s last project came last year with he and YG’s Kommunity Service.

You can watch videos of the announcements above.

42 Dugg is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

Much has been made of the rise of super-champs over on Jeopardy! in recent months (and that includes both Amy Schneider and Matt Amodio). And this week, it seems that the trend is spreading over to Wheel Of Fortune, where even host Pat Sajak can’t believe that two contestants (Lisa Kramer and Mark Baer) raked in the nearly unheard-of $100,000 grand prize on two consecutive nights.

That accomplishment was already a historic one, and now, it’s happened for a third night in a row. Bree Yokouchi won the $100,000 Bonus Round with a “Just You Wait” puzzle answer, and this brought her to $121,000 total for the game. As for Sajak, he mock-walked off the stage. “I’m outta… that’s it, I’m through,” he declared while tossing his card into the wind. “$121,000, I’m outta here.”

For her part, Bree did what any of us would do by jumping up and down in excitement. And Sajak hopped onto his phone for a video chat with his daughter (and the show’s correspondent), Maggie Sajak, to express his continuing disbelief: “I’m running out of words to describe my reactions: stunned, surprised…”

He comes by his shock honestly. Sajak’s been hosting this whole shebang, officially as of December, for 40 years, and this sort of thing doesn’t happen. Never say never, though!