Category: Viral

In terms of solo songs, we haven’t heard from Sharon Van Etten since 2020 (although she and Angel Olsen linked up on the fantastic “Like I Used To” last year). Now, though, Van Etten has returned with a new single, “Porta.” In the clip for the energetic tune, Van Etten and Stella Cook, of Base Pilates in North Carolina, get their pilates on.

Van Etten says of the song and her relationship with Cook:

“[‘Porta’ was written in 2020] at one of my lowest lows. For most of my adult life I have struggled with bouts of depression and anxiety and coping mechanisms, and I sometimes let those dark moments get the best of me. During this time I felt very dissociated. Not connected to my body and I felt out of control. […]

I was seeking a friend, someone to talk to who understands what finding the core means but also knows what my weaknesses are and can help me work around them and find my other strengths. I knew I was entering a no judgment zone and I needed to be held accountable for my actions and Stella helped me step up. We would meet once a week on Zoom, have a catch up on life over a quick coffee and then get to work. Then, a day or two later she would send another video my way so I had something to work towards the end of the week. She was encouraging, but not pushy. If life got in the way, I didn’t feel like I let her down — but I loved our sessions. I looked forward to them. I started feeling closer to her, and closer to myself, and it helped things seem hopeful. And I just wanted to share that with the world. Instead of the darkness. Instead of my fears. My message is to work through them. Even when it’s hard. Even when it hurts. Reach out. Reach out to that friend who helps you reach out towards yourself.”

Watch the “Porta” video above. Van Etten also announced a run of European tour dates (ahead of her joint tour with Angel Olsen and Julien Baker), so check that out below.

05/31 — Lisbon, PT @ Aula Magna
06/05 — München, DE @ Muffathalle
06/06 — Antwerp, BE @ Openluchttheater Rivierenhof
06/07 — Hamburg, DE @ Markthalle
06/13 — Berlin, DE @ Metropol
06/14 — Utrecht, NE @ TivoliVredenberg Grote Zaal
06/15 — Paris, FR @ La Cigale
06/17 — London, UK @ O2 Brixton Academy
06/18 — Birmingham, UK @ O2 Institute
06/19 — Leeds, UK @ 02 Academy Leeds
06/21 — Glasgow, UK @ Barrowlands
06/22 — Dublin, IE @ Vicar Street

This week in pop music saw the return of some buzzing pop artists. Rosalia fired off an empowering tune, Tate McRae turned envy into a banger with a new single, and New Zealand pop star Benee shared a breezy new track.

Each week, Uproxx rounds up the best new pop releases. Listen up.

Rosalia — “Saoko”

After officially announcing her Motomami album with a nearly nude photo of her as cover art, Rosalia shared the rhythmic single “Saoko.” Flexing her clever lyrics and pumped-up beats, “Saoko” gives Rosalia fans a taste of the dynamic and innovative songs they can expect to hear on her upcoming project.

Tate McRae — “She’s All I Wanna Be”

Certifying her pop star status, Tate McRae returns with the fired-up single “She’s All I Wanna Be.” The track is about the all-too-familiar feelings of jealousy in a relationship. Over a upbeat tempo, McRae leans on her smokey vocals to sing of comparing herself to another woman who’s “got everything” that she doesn’t have, like a perfect smile, a big house, and a nice car.

Benee — “Beach Boy”

Benee’s career may have started with a breakout song on TikTok, but she’s back to flex her songwriting talents with the new track “Beach Boy.” Officially announcing her upcoming project Lychee, “Beach Boy” boasts dreamy chords, catchy refrains, and Benee’s sun-drenched voice.

Flume — “Say Nothing” Feat. May-A

Grammy-nominated Aussie producer Flume announced his anticipated album Palaces this week, his first full-length project since 2016. To celebrate, the electronic producer teamed up with singer May-A for the tantalizing tune “Say Nothing,” a song that beautify combines May-A’s soaring vocals and Flume’s intricate beat-making. “This song is about feelings of post relationship clarity,” Flume said about the single.

Ali Gatie — “Perfect”

After winning fans over with his swooning voice and tender love songs heard on his two previous albums, Ali Gatie is back with the new ballad “Perfect.” The piano-laden song leaves room for Gatie’s endlessly captivating vocals as he sings emotionally-charged lyrics about a less-than-perfect relationship. The single is Gatie’s first of the year and previews the intimate performance he’s expected to deliver at this year’s Coachella.

Jim-E Stack, Lucky Daye — “Next To Me”

After captivating audiences with his fun production and laundry list of collaborations, Jim-E Stack now teams up with R&B crooner Lucky Daye for the elevated single “Next To Me.” Both chilled and invigorating, “Next To Me” perfectly combines Daye’s honeyed vocals with Stack’s ornate production to craft a captivating collaboration.

Sofi Tukker — “Original Sin”

Duo Sofi Tukker bring their refreshing pop sound to the new track “Original Sin,” officially announcing the sophomore album Wet Tennis. The single features a bouncy beat and wildly catchy verses about the importance of staying true to yourself. Describing the song, the duo say it’s meant to be an anthem for letting your freak flag fly. “It says: we aren’t meant to be saints. We aren’t born sinners,” Sofi Tukker said. “We’re just a bunch of freaks who make mistakes and keep trying to do our best.”

Yeule — “Bites On My Neck”

Innovative pop singer Yeule officially released their album Glitch Princess this week, showing off their ability to write deliriously catchy music. The song “Bites On My Neck” is emblematic of Yeule’s artistry, combining buzzing synths and breathy vocals for an intriguing tune that leaves you wanting more.

K.Flay — “The Muck”

Acclaimed hitmaker K.Flay returned with revved-up album Inside Voices / Outside Voices, showing off her wide range of songwriting talent with collaborations from the likes of Tom Morello and Travis Barker. Her track “The Muck” gives fans a taste of her inviting vocals and electrifying chords as she sings of feeling stuck.

Trip Carter — “Excuses”

LA-based multi-faceted musician Trip Carter showed off his funky songwriting this week with the perpetually playful tune “Excuses.” Emulating Shaggy’s era-defining hit “It Wasn’t Me,” “Excuses” brings the musician’s cheeky style of songwriting to a new generation of fans, adding on a groovy bass line and soaring vocals.

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

In case you thought The Batman would be a happy movie with a very normal Bruce Wayne, think again. “I’ve definitely found a little interesting thread. He doesn’t have a playboy persona at all, so he’s kind of a weirdo as Bruce and a weirdo as Batman, and I kept thinking there’s a more nihilistic slant to it,” star Robert Pattinson told GQ about the Matt Reeves-directed superhero film, which he called a “sad movie.”

You can watch the sad movie (the emo eyeliner speaks for itself) for yourself on March 4 — or a few days early if you look closely at the IMAX poster below.

See it? Prepare to [Super Troopers voice] enhance.

Focus on the space between Batman and Colin Farrell’s Penguin in the middle of the poster. There’s a bit.ly link that leads to a website with information about advance fan screenings of The Batman in IMAX (I’ll save you the hassle). The showtimes begin on March 1, and you can purchase tickets (which come with a copy of Batman: The Long Halloween by Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale) now.

Outside of the passively ripped Pattinson, The Batman also stars Zoë Kravitz, Paul Dano, Jeffrey Wright, John Turturro, Peter Sarsgaard, and Andy Serkis.

Trevor Noah recently couldn’t believe that he found Joe Rogan’s Covid-misinformation apology (in response to Spotify’s decision to add a “content advisory” warning to his podcast) to be “pretty dope” and “refreshing.” In the process, The Daily Show host stressed that this wasn’t a defense of Rogan’s habit of dropping misinformation, only that he appreciated the thoughtful pledge to do better. However, Noah certainly didn’t climb onboard with Rogan’s subsequent apology, which followed Page Six‘s reporting on a viral compilation of Rogan using the N-word, uh, a lot.

In a video statement, Rogan expressed his regret and shame over the video and admitted that this “looks f*cking horrible, even to me,” but he insisted that that compilation was gathered “out of context” from 12 years of his content. At around the 2:00 min mark above, though, Noah confirmed that he’s not buying that train of thought, especially since the use of the N-word by Rogan was so voluminous. The Joe Rogan Experience host was “dropping the N-word like he bought it in bulk at Costco,” as Noah described things, and he continued:

“If there’s ever a video of you saying the ‘N’ word that many times, you better pray one of two things: Either, you’re a Black person or you’re a dead man from history. Because then the worst thing they can do is take your statue down… and move it into a museum.”

Noah also took a moment to point out a part of video compilation where Rogan discussed going to see Planet of the Apes, and boy, that discussion took a turn. As Rogan discussed the neighborhood where he saw the film, the host proclaimed, “We walked into… Planet of the Apes. We walked into Africa. We walked into the film, and there was no white people.” And in response, Noah declared, “That’s O.G. racism… That’s on the Mount Rushmore of racism. ‘Black people are apes’ is right next to burning crosses and every Bugs Bunny cartoon from the 1940s.”

Watch the full Noah response above.

Nick Cannon has seven kids with four women, spawning the meme among fans that he’s notoriously prolific. For instance, when Cannon responded to Saweetie’s tweet about wanting kids with a raised hand emoji, commenters lit up Twitter with jokes about keeping him away from her. While he insisted the tweet was innocent fun, it looks like no one is taking chances. Now, one of Cannon’s fellow multi-hyphenate standup veterans is also stepping up to help slow down the hip-hop Genghis Khan.

Kevin Hart, who previously trolled Cannon with a billboard sharing his phone number while offering his services as a fatherhood advisor, sent Nick a Valentine’s Day gift to help him keep his child support payments under control: a vending machine loaded with condoms. Cannon posted a photo of the gift to Instagram, although he didn’t initially reveal who sent it to him. “Looks like somebody just sent me an early Valentine’s Day gift!!” he wrote. “Vending Machine full of Magnums!”

Of course, Hart wanted to make sure everyone knew who was responsible, so he reposted Cannon’s pic with his own caption. “I see u got my gift @nickcannon,” he gloated. “GOTCHA BITCH!!!!!! ….Now u don’t have an excuse because the condoms are free.”

It looks like the next move in the duo’s ongoing prank war belongs to Nick, but he’ll have to work hard to top this.

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 return of Red Hot Chili Peppers, the anticipated new album from Mitski, and a return to form for Animal Collective. Check out the rest of the best new indie music below.

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

Mitski – Laurel Hell

Mitski was very close to quitting music altogether after the conclusion of the Be The Cowboy tour in 2019. Lucky for us, she has graced us with another new project just three years later, featuring some of her poppiest songs to date created in collaboration with Dan Wilson, one of the top hired guns in the business whose past credits include tracks with Adele and Taylor Swift. Laurel Hell as an album seems to revolve around a central conflict, according to Steven Hyden for Uproxx: “Is this a full-blown bid for pop superstardom? Or is it a subversive spin on the idea of a pop record akin to Mitski’s other work?”

Animal Collective – Time Skiffs

It’s been 13 years since Animal Collective released Merriweather Post Pavilion, and the newly released Time Skiffs might be their best record since. “After two difficult (though in my estimation underrated) records, Time Skiffs is the sequel to Merriweather Post Pavilion that many fans probably would have wanted a decade ago,” Steven Hyden wrote for Uproxx. All told, Time Skiffs features some of Animal Collective’s most straightforward music to date, that might allow them to win over new fans while still satisfying the veterans.

Black Country, New Road – Ants From Up There

Despite some release week drama, Black Country, New Road’s hotly anticipated sophomore album Ants From Up Here has finally arrived, and it is a stunner. The album sounds quite unlike anything that has been released in recent memory, and is reminiscent of Arcade Fire’s Funeral in terms of its grand vision and evocative execution that leaves the listener feeling an overwhelming sense of wonder even after the album concludes.

Red Hot Chili Peppers – “Black Summer”

You have to respect Red Hot Chili Peppers’ commitment to the bit. “Black Summer” is the first preview of Unlimited Love, the legendary band’s first new album since 2016’s The Getaway, and their first with guitarist John Frusciante in the fold since 2006’s Stadium Arcadium. But all that being said, is Anthony Kiedis singing in an Irish accent here? Are the Chili Peppers trying to capitalize on the TikTok sea shanty trend, more than a year after the fact? It doesn’t matter either way, it’s just great to hear the band back in action again with slick riffs and Flea’s signature funky bass lines.

Lucy Dacus – “Kissing Lessons”

Lucy Dacus took an innovative approach to releasing her new single, “Kissing Lessons,” opting to make the song only available via phone call before sharing it widely on streaming services. The songs is what Derrick Rossignol calls for Uproxx “a brief one, clocking in at under two minutes, and Dacus uses that time to tell a story about learning the ins and outs of smooching from a childhood friend.”

Illuminati Hotties – “Sandwich Sharer”

Illuminati Hotties released one of 2021’s best albums with Let Me Do One More. Now, ahead of the band’s anticipated headlining tour in support of the album, Sarah Tudzin has released another new song to celebrate the tour’s kick-off. “Sandwich Sharer” tells the story of Tudzin searching for someone to match her chaotic energy, and fittingly “teeters between slow and sparse and quick-tempoed and bombastic,” writes Carolyn Droke for Uproxx.

Arlo Parks – “Softly”

After her debut album, Collapsed In Sunbeams was awarded a Mercury Prize and nominated for a Grammy, Arlo Parks has returned with her first new music of 2022. “Softly” is “about how it feels to brace yourself before the blow of a break up and reminisce about the days where it all felt luminous,” Parks explained in a statement. Despite the tentative subject matter, the track unfolds in an upbeat fashion with gorgeous production flourishes and pristine storytelling.

Sasami – “Call Me Home”

Sasami’s self-titled 2019 debut was marked the Los Angeles singer-songwriter as a force to be reckoned with, and she is now ready to follow it up with Squeeze. “Call Me Home,” the latest offering from the LP, is what Derrick Rossignol calls for Uproxx “a perfect blend of folk-rock serenity and shoegazing heaviness.” It’s a song about the tendency to blow one’s life up just to trick their brain into feeling something after a long period of emotional vacancy.

Young Guv – “Good Time”

Despite making a name in the pummeling hardcore punk scene, Ben Cook’s music released under the name Young Guv is nothing but pleasant. The forthcoming Guv III is comprised of driving power-pop numbers that will surely be great soundtracks for spring drives when the weather starts to warm up. “Good Time” is a beautiful love song that features instantly enveloping vocal harmonies reminiscent of classic Laurel Canyon artists of the ’70s.

Glacier Veins – “Autonomy”

Portland, Oregon dream punk outfit Glacier Veins have announced their sophomore album, Lunar Reflection, which is due out in March. Over a wall of guitars (and an eventual guitar solo! Nice!), the album’s single “Autonomy” illustrates the band’s pristine production and the power of Malia Endres’ vocals, firmly establishing Glacier Veins as a band to watch in 2022.

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

Gosh, what a story for CODA, a movie about the children of deaf parents. It’s been over a year since it premiered at the virtual Sundance Film Festival. At the time, it received dynamite reviews, but was there really any chance it could come out of this all virtual film festival (back when we weren’t really used to that) and maintain enough chatter to even have a shot at something from the Academy Awards? But, here we are and CODA has been nominated for three Academy Awards, including Best Picture.

Director Sian Heder says she had dreams the last two nights that her film did not get nominated. (To be fair, that is a much better scenario than the opposite, wherein the dreams they get the nominations, then nothing in reality.) And talking with her this morning, she sounds, well, pretty flabbergasted. She joked her daughter would make fun of her for all the Q&As she did in support of this film over the last few months. Well, guess what, those Q&As paid off and now she’s the director of a Best Picture nominee. (It’s pretty hard not to root for a film like CODA.)

How are you? Oh yeah, you’re good actually. Why did I even ask that?

Really good. Such a funny question.

I know. That was my fault.

What if I was like, “I don’t know. Today kind of sucks”? It’s also hilarious. I’m trying to celebrate, but also make my kid’s school lunch. And she needs a hundred things to take to school today because it’s the hundredth day of school. So I’m trying to count a hundred beans. As we’re celebrating an Oscars nomination.

So you’re not going to pull a George C. Scott and refuse the nomination?

Yeah, not really my style.

I saw this at Sundance a year ago. Do you think about that experience, and then leading to today at all? Because it’s even hard for me to wrap my head around all that had to happen.

I mean, I was thinking about that today. The night before our Sundance premiere, where I was just roaming nervously around my house, feeling like, God, I hope this movie sells. I hope it sells to someone. I hope one buyer wants it. Yes, it’s so insane to think about the journey it’s taken over the last year. And also it was just such a scrappy movie to make. I mean, it was such a hard film to make. And it was a little indie movie and the crew just busted their asses to make this movie happen and people poured their hearts into it. It’s just so exciting to see this happen.

With the virtual Sundance, a lot of people saw this movie last year. I wonder if that also helped. Does that make sense?

It was like the democratization of Sundance. It was such a beautiful thing, because Sundance is often this kind of elite industry thing that the people who can come to Park City participate in and nobody else can. And yes, it was amazing to have a Sundance where my parents and their friends were at Sundance. The captain of the boat that we used in Gloucester and his entire fishing family got to be at Sundance. And so I think in a way, especially for a film like this that has touched so many different people and tapped into so many different audiences, I think it was an amazing way to watch.

If you just say the plot of the movie out loud before people knew about it, some people might think, “Oh, this is a drama.”

It’s hilarious. It’s hilarious. How do you get people to invest in a deaf fishing musical?

Because people might think it sounds like it’s going to be a movie that you’re going to be a better person after you watch it, but maybe not realizing it’s so accessible and so funny. And you have to get that across.

I just wanted to make a film. I think I never want to make a film that’s messaging something to people. You just want to tell a great story about characters that people fall in love with and I think the subversive part of this film is that the reason it feels like a step forward in terms of representation is because these characters are relatable and funny. And this dad feels like your dad, or your friend’s dad. I think it’s the normalizing of this family – and making them feel specific and flawed and messy in the way that real families are – that has touched people and made them connect with it. And by connecting with it, suddenly they’re connecting with deaf culture and with ASL, and this community that hasn’t been part of mainstream culture.

So take me through last night. How were you feeling? What were you thinking the odds were? Were you feeling okay?

Oh my God. I didn’t believe. I’ve had a dream for the past two nights that we got nothing. Both nights.

Well, this way’s better, right? It’s worse to have the dream you get it and then it doesn’t happen.

You’re right, you’re right. Totally, totally. Yes, I think my subconscious was preparing me. It just felt too big to be real, and also I was just trying to mitigate. I was like, “I don’t care, I don’t care, I don’t care.” Oh my God, I care so much!

Right.

So, yesterday, I think it just hit me how much I did want this to happen, and especially for Troy. I think I remember finishing the film and thinking, God, I wish this film would make Troy Kotsur a star. If I could do one thing, I would want that to happen from this film. And to see that happen and to get to FaceTime with him this morning and dance in our kitchens and cry together.

Oh, that’s great.

It’s such a beautiful thing. And for my whole cast, this is so big. People really believed in this project and worked really hard to make it happen, but nobody saw us ending up here.

How did you keep this movie in the conversation for basically a year to get to this point?

I mean, every time I’m leaving the house, my six-year-old says to me, “Where are you going, mom, a Q&A?”

Well, you know what? It paid off.

It was actually pretty joyful. Because I think, look, this movie came out during the pandemic. We never got to celebrate together. We never got to enjoy as a team talking about the film and sharing our experience. This is a cast that genuinely loves each other. And so it feels like a family. And the fact that we did get to go and talk about the film and be together and share our journey, and it’s a journey that I wanted to share because I really want to model how this kind of process can happen. How you can create an accessible set where hearing artists can work with deaf artists and everyone can be communicating and making something together.

And so sharing our process felt really important, because it felt like we were modeling a way that it can be done. I didn’t really have that model going into this process. We had to discover a lot on our own about how it could work, and so I think to create that environment on a set and realize how successful it can be, and hopefully inspire other people to do the same.

CODA is currently streaming via Apple TV+. You can contact Mike Ryan directly on Twitter.

Howard Stern has been a vocal critic of anti-vaxxers, even going so far to call out Meat Loaf‘s family for not pushing people to get vaccinated following the singer reportedly dying of COVID. It’s an issue that Stern has been relentless about, so naturally, the shock jock took a shot at getting the Super Bowl to encourage people to get the jab.

While hosting Al Michaels on a recent episode of his show, Stern asked the veteran sports broadcaster to kick off his Super Bowl broadcast by encouraging the big game’s millions of viewers to get vaccinated. Via Mediaite:

“No one’s there to hear your opinion I get all that — but Al please, when you’re on there and you got 100 million people tell them to get vaccinated for Christ’s sake, you know what I mean?” Stern pleaded. “Don’t you ever wish you could just like sort of break out and say what you feel? Wouldn’t it be great to advocate a bit?”

Unfortunately, Stern’s suggestion fell on deaf ears. Despite the public healthy benefits, Michaels argued that’s not what that audience wants to hear on Sunday night.

“You’re right when people tune in to watch the game, they want to watch the game,” Michaels said while shutting Stern’s suggestion down. He later explained, “The structure of what’s happening in the middle of the game doesn’t allow you to do that. And all that would do is piss a lot of people off if you go in that direction.”

(Via Mediaite)

Just 24 hours after comedian Leslie Jones said she would stop posting her popular (and hilarious) Olympics commentary, NBC has stepped in to clear the air.

“We have resolved the situation. She is free to do her social media posts as she has done in the past,” Hughes told The Associated Press. “She is a super fan of the Olympics and we are super fans of her.”

Jones tweeted earlier this week that her popular Olympics live-tweeting had been routinely taken down and reported on the site. NBC sites a “3rd party error” for the mistake, as they crack down on copyrighted videos over social media. Fans of the Saturday Night Live alum tweeted out their frustration wit the network for not letting her continue her popular Tweet series, which she has been doing since the 2016 Rio Olympics.

Jones has been an outspoken fan of the games and was even invited to the 2016 and 2018 games as an official correspondent. “I have watched olympics since I could walk lol. Me and my dad. So this is from my heart. Y’all should be asking @NBCSports why they don’t see that. And think they can replace me with just anyone. Again not saying I was first just saying it’s frustrating. @TeamUSA”

From now on, it looks like Jones will be free to continue with her outspoken commentary, hilariously filming herself discussing the competitions outfits, rules and sometimes absurdity of the games. On of her videos recently went viral again when she watched the athletes compete in luge, commenting “What sweet madness is this?”

The saga of Kanye West’s feud against his ex-wife’s family continued as Kanye posted a demand for a public apology from the Kardashians over allegedly not being told where his daughter Chicago’s birthday party was being held. He’s been fuming about this for a few weeks now, but today, he vented his frustration on Instagram, writing, “I still need a public apology from the entire family for this. You [give] everything you got to someone then they try to bully you and then say they won’t apologize. It’s up till they all take accountability. Every woman there including Cory [Gamble, Kris Jenner’s boyfriend].”

In addition to the caption, Kanye attached a screenshot of a text conversation, presumably one of the Kardashians or Jenners, in which he wrote, “I still need an apology for you not giving me the address to my daughter’s party.” Per Buzzfeed, he not only tagged several members of the extended family but also accounts such as Barack Obama’s, The Ellen DeGeneres Show‘s, Hillary Clinton’s, Jeff Bezos’, and Kamala Harris’. Kanye then deleted the post moments later.

The latest round in the tiff was sparked over Kanye’s complaint that Kim and their daughter North have a shared TikTok account from which they post trivial content like them dancing to trends or North savagely roasting her mom. However, when Kim noted her belief that Kanye’s online attacks would be more harmful to their daughter than allowing her to wear makeup and post videos online, Kanye ramped up his own campaign, accusing her of putting a hit on him and that she wouldn’t allow him to take their kids to a basketball game in his hometown.

Kanye’s behavior has drawn mixed reactions from social media personalities like Candace Owens, who defended his stance against TikTok, and Azealia Banks, who railed against him and the people “making excuses” for his behavior.