Categories
News Trending Viral Worldwide

All The Best New R&B Music From This Week

Sometimes the best new R&B can be hard to find, but there are plenty of great rhythm-and-blues tunes to get into if you have the time to sift through the hundreds of newly released songs every week. So that R&B heads can focus on listening to what they really love in its true form, we’ll be offering a digest of the best new R&B songs that fans of the genre should hear every Friday.

Since the last update of this weekly R&B column, we’ve received plenty of music and news from the genre’s artists.

Snoh Aalegra continued to journey toward her upcoming fourth album with “Wait A Little Longer” while Tinashe did the same for her forthcoming BB/Angel album with “Needs.” Jessie Reyez and Miguel connected for “Jeans” and Davido recruited Latto for a remix of “Unavailable.” Elsewhere, Usher and Kelly Rowland stirred up some controversy with their “Boyfriend” video, Brent Faiyaz dropped a video for “Jackie Brown,” Jamila Woods shared a visual for “Boomerang,” and Blxst and Bino Rideaux announced Sixtape 3.

Oh, and Victoria Monét dropped a phenomenal video for “On My Mama.”

Here are some more releases on the new music front that you should check out:

Ciara — CiCi

Ciara dives head first into her “R&B era” with her new EP CiCI. Released four years after Beauty Marks, Ciara delivers seven songs with features from Chris Brown, Lil Baby, and Big Freedia that she says should “make you feel like you’re at an old school house party vibing to R&B.”

Leon Thomas — Electric Dusk

Leon Thomas has this week’s best R&B release with his debut album Electric Dusk. Through 12 songs and contributions from Victoria Monét, Benny The Butcher, and Ty Dolla Sign, Leon dives into topics that include love, heartbreak, and growth through excellent production, impressive songwriting, and crisp vision that makes for one of this year’s best R&B (and overall) albums.

Amaka — Oasis

Months removed from the official conclusion of VanJess, Jess — or Amaka as she goes by now — begins a new era with the release of her debut solo EP. Oasis arrives in collaboration with Kaytranada as a six-track project that Amaka says is “about feeling yourself and owning your confidence in peak form.”

Elhae & Xavier Omar — “Favourite”

Just a couple of years after coming together for “Sick Of Playing,” Elhae and Xavier Omar strike the match once again for “Favourite.” Their latest release is a heartfelt record dedicated to the special woman in their respective lives.

Dylan Sinclair — “Fly Girl”

Toronto singer Dylan Sinclair keeps his foot on the pedal in 2023 with the release of his “Fly Girl” single. The new record is dedicated to a “fly girl” he has in his life, one he has perfect chemistry and is enamored with thanks to her effortless style which he admits has her “geeked.”

Jozzy — Songs For Women, Free Game For N****s (Deluxe)

After releasing her Songs For Women, Free Game For N****s (Deluxe) EP at the top of the year, Jozzy checks back in with a deluxe edition of the project. With it comes four new additions: two new songs with “Like Me” and “Since 21,” a remix of Commotion, and a sped-up version of “Favorite Shirt.”

Lyfe Harris — “Sunkiss”

With his upcoming project SAGE (Such A Good Experience) on the way, Lyfe Harris arrives with “Sunkiss.” The warm record hones in on the feelings of love and lust for a record that questions whether the sun can provide the same warmth and love that Harris’ love can.

Ballad — “Stories”

Massachusetts singer Ballad is back with another vibrant and captivating single with “Stories.” With the new single, Ballad addresses a past lover by telling them to check his Instagram Story if there’s ever a point that they miss him. Life is better without them in his world and he prefers to keep it that way.

Samaria — “Tight Rope”

Centered in a moment of uncertainty, singer Samaria gets all the answers she needs on her new single “Tight Rope.” She says the record is a “final plea to make something work at the time that was showing me exactly why it absolutely would never work,” and with lovelorn lyrics on wax, Samaria makes it clear that she’s acknowledged and accepted this undesired outcome in love.

Shay Lia — “Upside Down”

On October 20, French-Djiboutian singer Shay Lia will release her Facets LP. Ahead of its arrival, she delivers “Upside Down” which strikes as an upbeat and lively record that was meant for the dancefloor. “It’s an expression of the fun that comes with the freedom I dream of,” Lia says of the record. “I took the time to discover what love can look like if I don’t focus on the challenges and fear of pain – UPSIDE DOWN is all about going back to ourselves and being authentic.”

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

Categories
News Trending Viral Worldwide

Some Billie Eilish Fans Are Super Not Pleased After Jesse Rutherford Seemingly Slammed Her In A New Song

Last November, Billie Eilish gushed to Vanity Fair about her then-boyfriend, Jesse Rutherford, whom she split from in May.

“I’m really happy about it. I managed to get my way to a point in my life where I not only was known by a person that I thought was the hottest f*ckin’ f*cker alive, but pulled his ass,” the 21-year-old phenom said about the 32-year-old The Neighbourhood singer last fall. “Are we kidding me? Can we just [claps] — round of applause for me. Thank you. Jesse Rutherford, everyone. I pulled his ass, all me. I did that sh*t. I locked that motherf*cker down.”

There was public critique about Eilish and Rutherford’s age difference, which Finneas promptly dismissed, but some think that Rutherford weaponized it in his new solo song, “POV.”

To start, Rutherford (as Jesse®) sings, “I’m at the top, you’re at the bottom,” and someone on X (formerly known as Twitter) accurately pointed out that very few people can claim to be above Eilish in terms of popularity, and that list does not include Rutherford.

“She been listening to me since 2013 / I know she’s got daddy issues, welcome to the family,” Rutherford sings in the second verse (as chronicled by Genius). “She said, ‘Jesse, baby, won’t you write a song about me?’ / I said, ‘I got a whole album, I could drop it next week.’”

Again, Eilish fans and the general public alike didn’t take kindly to the distasteful remarks they believe are aimed at her.

For what it’s worth, Eilish addressed her and Rutherford’s breakup while answering fan questions on her Instagram Story last week. She said she’s not dating anyone (“NO SIRRRRRR”) and noted that she’s “very very good friends only” with Rutherford, adding, “My homie forever.”

In May, an Eilish representative confirmed to various outlets that Eilish and Rutherford “split amicably and remain good friends” and denied any rumors that infidelity was the cause.

“POV” is included on Rutherford’s recently released &ONE project.

Categories
News Trending Viral Worldwide

How LA Changed The Course Of Hip-Hop History

Categories
News Trending Viral Worldwide

Here Are The Evolution Festival Set Times For 2023

This weekend, a new festival, Evolution, kicks off in St. Louis, Missouri. Despite its title, it has no relation to the defunct Evolution Festival that used to take place in the UK. Instead, it’s taking over Forest Park on August 26-27 with two stages and a “Sauce Magazine Lounge,” where bourbon and barbecue experts will stage showcases of their knowledge and techniques.

The overall vibe of the fest seems to be a combination of soulful R&B, bluesy rock, and old-school hip-hop, with a very guitar-centric Saturday (Brittany Howard and The Black Keys) giving way to a seemingly out-of-place Ice Cube performance on Sunday. However, the festival looks to finish strong with performances by Ben Harper and Brandi Carlile, as well. Add in the barbecue and bourbon, and it’s looking like a fantastic time in the park. The doors will open at 2 PM both days; you can see the set times below.

Saturday, August 26

Missouri Stage

3:35p – 4:05p — Modern English
4:45p – 5:20p — Cautious Clay
6:00p – 7:00p — Brittany Howard
7:55p – 9:00p — The Black Crowes
9:30p – 10:45p — The Black Keys

Lindenwood University Stage

3:00p – 3:30p — Punk Lady Apple
4:10p – 4:40p — The Knuckles
5:25p – 5:55p — Sugarhill Gang
7:05p – 7:50p — Nikki Lane

Sunday, August 27

Missouri Stage

3:35p – 4:05p — Michigander
4:45p – 5:20p — Morgan Wade
6:00p – 7:00p — Ice Cube
7:55p – 8:55p — Ben Harper
9:25p – 10:45p — Brandi Carlile

Lindenwood University Stage

3:00p – 3:30p — Yard Eagle
4:10p – 4:40p — Smidley
5:25p – 5:55p — Carriers
7:05p – 7:50p — The Nude Party

Categories
News Trending Viral Worldwide

Bill Belichick Praised Taylor Swift’s Toughness After Seeing The Eras Tour, But Won’t Call Himself A Swiftie

Bill Belichick doesn’t often like talking about his life away from the football field, but every once in awhile we get a glimpse at the things that the legendary Patriots coach enjoys doing when he’s not in the facility or pouring over tape.

On Monday morning, Belichick joined The Greg Hill Show on WEEI in Boston and revealed that he had gone to Taylor Swift’s The Eras Tour stop at Gillette Stadium, and had some high praise for the pop icon’s toughness, taking note of Swift nailing her performance in driving rain (via Mediaite).

“That was pretty impressive,” Belichick said. “She’s tough, man. Stood out there and played right through it.”

Belichick was then asked if he’s officially a Swiftie, which led to him asking what that even means. The host then noted that Aaron Rodgers is one, which didn’t get Bill any closer to an answer, asking if that means he has a sweatshirt or something. As for Bill’s favorite Taylor song, well it’s naturally “You Need To Calm Down” given that’s a message he can really get behind.

“Well look, I’m definitely on the ‘You gotta calm down,’” he said. “That’s pretty good. Like, you gotta calm down. There’s a lot of times when that’s very appropriate. Just gotta calm down.”

It’s extremely on brand for Bill Belichick’s big takeaway from watching Taylor Swift to be that she’s got good toughness playing through the rain. I absolutely believe the first time the Pats end up playing in some kind of weather he is going to tell his team that Taylor Swift didn’t miss a single beat performing in the rain so they have no excuses for turnovers. I also hope he ends up on the sideline one day in a cutoff Eras Tour sweatshirt, making his Swiftie turn official.

Categories
News Trending Viral Worldwide

Against All Odds, Billy McFarland Is Selling Tickets To Fyre Festival 2

You know how there are two separate, competing documentaries about the monumental disaster that was the Fyre Festival? What if I were to tell you that Billy McFarland, the mastermind behind said disaster, has not only been planning a second Fyre Festival, but is also now selling tickets to the show? I promise you, I am not joking.

As noted by Stereogum, McFarland made the announcement on his TikTok, where he’s been promoting his efforts to get Fyre Fest 2 off the ground, despite not apparently having any acts, a venue, or event the credibility to launch an event after spending four years in prison on wire fraud charges.

@pyrtbilly

FYRE Festival 2 is LIVE! 🔗 in bio

♬ original sound – Billy McFarland

In the video, McFarland says:

It has been the absolute wildest journey to get here, and it really all started during the seven-month stint in solitary confinement. I wrote out this 50-page plan of how it would take this overall interest and demand in Fyre, and how it would take my ability to bring people from around the world together and make the impossible happen, how I would find the best partners in the world to allow me to be me while executing Fyre’s vision to the highest level… In the meantime, we’ll be doing pop-ups and events across the world. Guys, this is your chance to get in. This is everything I’ve been working towards. Let’s f*cking go.

Honestly, you sort of have to be impressed. McFarland is basically single-handedly responsible for sparking an entire genre that has become streamers’ bread-and-butter — the “true life” biopic of a charismatic scammer, a la Elizabeth Holmes of Theranos or
Adam Neumann of WeWork — and yet, here he is, fresh out of prison and doing it all over again. That’s moxie.

Categories
News Trending Viral Worldwide

How To Watch USA Basketball At The 2023 FIBA World Cup

The United States will enter the 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup as favorites. While the Americans are not the defending champions — last time around, the team registered a disappointing 7th-place finish — the team will enter the tournament with their perpetually high expectations. It certainly helps that the U.S. has looked very good in its pre-World Cup tune-up games, as the team went 5-0, beating Spain, Slovenia, Puerto Rico, Greece, and Germany in its pre-tournament tour.

Now, the Americans are on their way to the Philippines, as the team will play all three of their games in Group C at Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay. They are the overwhelming favorites to win their group, and would be expected to make it through the second round of the tournament with relative ease (as they are -125 favorites to win the World Cup). But that is for another, day, and for now, here’s everything you need to know about when the United States will play their group games.

Saturday, August 26

USA vs. New Zealand
8:30 a.m. ET
ESPN2

Monday, August 28

USA vs. Greece
8:30 a.m. ET
ESPN2

Wednesday, August 30

USA vs. Jordan
4:30 a.m. ET
ESPN2

Almost every other game that will occur in the tournament will be aired on ESPN+, with one quarterfinal, one semifinal, and the championship game all taking place on ESPN (one would expect those to be all USA Basketball games, so long as they avoid elimination). For the rest of the World Cup schedule, click here.

Categories
News Trending Viral Worldwide

All The Best New Music From This Week That You Need To Hear

Keeping up with new music can be exhausting, even impossible. From the weekly album releases to standalone singles dropping on a daily basis, the amount of music is so vast it’s easy for something to slip through the cracks. Even following along with the Uproxx recommendations on a daily basis can be a lot to ask, so every Monday we’re offering up this rundown of the best new music this week.

This week saw Quavo drop his first solo album in a minute and Lil Uzi Vert team up with a superproducer. Yeah, it was a great week for new music. Check out the highlights below.

For more music recommendations, check out our Listen To This section, as well as our Indie Mixtape and Pop Life newsletters.

Mike Will Made-It — “Blood Moon” Feat. Lil Uzi Vert

Producer extraordinaire Mike Will Made-It links up with Lil Uzi Vert on his latest, “Blood Moon,” on which Uzi delivers raspy verses about the fortune he’s amassed. J. Cole, by the way, isn’t heard on the track, but he actually had a role on the production side.

Charlie Puth — “Lipstick”

Puth gets in a sexy groove on his latest, “Lipstick.” The song, released last week, sees Puth wanting to make things official with a special someone: “Baby, I think it’s time we post a picture / Tell your momma and your sister you got a man / ‘Cause I’m your man.”

aespa — “Better Things”

aespa just launched their SYNK: Hyper Line World Tour earlier this month, and now they have a fresh song to play on the road. Last week, they dropped “Better Things,” a smooth pop anthem about moving on after a breakup.

The National — “Space Invader”

The National are still riding the wave of their April album First Two Pages Of Frankenstein, but that didn’t stop them from dropping new music the other day. They actually unveiled a pair of new songs, a couple of slow-burners in “Space Invader” and “Alphabet City.”

Doechii — “Booty Drop”

Over a sample of Uniiqu3’s 2018 song “Bubble Gum,” Doechii delivers a confident strip club anthem on her latest, “Booty Drop.” The track arrived last week with a video, too, which basically sees Doechii and her cohorts turn a boat into a club-like environment.

Fifty Fifty — “Cupid (Twin Version — Remix)” Feat. Sabrina Carpenter

“Cupid” earned Fifty Fifty a lot of free TikTok real estate this summer. Now, they’ve given the song a fresh update with a new remix, which brings Sabrina Carpenter into the fold for a verse on the sugar-sweet tune.

Addison Rae — “2 Die 4” Feat. Charli XCX

Speaking of being big on the internet: Social media star Addison Rae is kicking her music career into high gear with a new EP, AR. She brought in some tried-and-true pop firepower to help, as she collaborates with Charli XCX on “2 Die 4.”

Sufjan Stevens — “So You Are Tired”

Sufjan Stevens has been incredibly busy lately: He announced Javelin last week, which will be his fifth album since 2020. He shared “So You Are Tired” from the project and it makes good use of his lullaby-like vocals and an equally comforting instrumental.

Polo G — “Barely Holdin’ On”

Polo G gets vulnerable on his latest, “Barely Holdin’ On.” As Uproxx’s Alex Gonzalez notes, “Polo delivers a tear-jerking ballad over an emotional piano instrumental, as he sings of his hopes to live long and make an impact while he’s still with us.”

Quavo — “Hold Me”

It’s been a minute since we got a Quavo solo album, with his last being 2018’s Quavo Huncho. He’s back with Rocket Power, though, and among the highlights is “Hold Me,” which sees the rapper pay tribute to his late Migos bandmate Takeoff.

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

Categories
News Trending Viral Worldwide

Ryan Gosling Gave Greta Gerwig The Giggles While Performing ‘I’m Just Ken,’ As Seen In A Behind-The-Scenes Video

Unlike his Ken in Barbie, Ryan Gosling’s job is not just beach. Gosling nearly did it all for the Greta Gerwig-directed phenomenon, including sing.

I’m Just Ken,” Gosling’s power ballad featured on Barbie: The Album, became his first-ever entry on the Billboard Hot 100. On Monday morning (August 21), Atlantic Records amplified Gosling’s Ken-ergy by sharing a behind-the-scenes glimpse into the making of “I’m Just Ken.”

The nearly four-minute video shows Gosling in the studio and on the Barbie set with Gerwig, Margot Robbie, and several other castmates. At various points, Gerwig can’t contain her amusement — covering her mouth in a failed attempt to conceal her giggles. The “I’m Just Ken” dance number is also totally deconstructed.

Similarly, Dua Lipa and Mark Ronson recently posted candid footage from their process of making Lipa’s “Dance The Night,” the Barbie theme song that cracked the top-10 of the Billboard Hot 100 and Pop Airplay charts.

Ronson executive produced the star-studded Barbie soundtrack. Throughout the movie’s marvelous promotional cycle, he has shared the DM that initiated Lipa taking on “Dance The Night” and the moment he recognized Gosling as “a vocal powerhouse” (as told to Vanity Fair).

Watch the behind-the-scenes “I’m Just Ken” video above.

Dua Lipa is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

The Barbie soundtrack is a Warner Music release. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

Categories
News Trending Viral Worldwide

Charles Martinet Is ‘Stepping Down’ As The Voice Of Mario, And The Chris Pratt Jokes Are Flying

Charles Martinet will no longer be able to say “it’s a-me, Mario.”

After over 30 years as the voice of the most famous video game character of all-time, as well as Luigi, Wario, and Waluigi, Nintendo has revealed that Martinet is “stepping down” from voice acting.

“Charles Martinet has been the original voice of Mario in Nintendo games for a long time, as far back as Super Mario 64. Charles is now moving into the brand-new role of Mario Ambassador. With this transition, he will be stepping back from recording character voices for our games, but he’ll continue to travel the world sharing the joy of Mario and interacting with you all!” the video game company wrote in a statement. “It has been an honor working with Charles to help bring Mario to life for so many years and we want to thank and celebrate him. Please keep an eye out for a special video message from Shigeru Miyamoto and Charles himself, which we will post at a future date.”

Martinet replied:

Nintendo fans knew something was up when Mario sounded different in the trailer for Super Mario Bros. Wonder, which comes out in October. Now it’s official. No replacement voice has been announced yet, but the jokes about Chris Pratt, who voiced Mario in this year’s The Super Mario Bros Movie, are flying higher than Mario in a Tanooki suit.