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Tom DeLonge Sent Matt Skiba A Touching Message Thanking Him For His Time In Blink-182

Tom DeLonge is back in Blink-182, which could actually be bittersweet news for fans who enjoyed the band’s last two albums, on which Alkaline Trio’s Matt Skiba stepped in to take DeLonge’s place. DeLonge certainly doesn’t seem to discount Skiba’s contributions to the group, as he indicated in a message shared with him.

DeLonge posted the message on his personal Instagram page yesterday (October 13) and it reads, “Hi Matt- Tom DeLonge here. I wanted to take a minute and say thank you for all that you have done to keep the band alive and thriving in my absence. I think you are enormously talented (I still love to listen to your band to this day). You have always been so kind to me, not only in the press, but also to others. I really noticed. Emotions between the three of us in blink have always been complicated, but Mark’s cancer really put things in perspective. But to be honest, the band would not even be here today if it were not for your ability to jump in and save the day. So from my heart to yours, thank you for being a member of our band.”

DeLonge also captioned his post, “I sent this to Matt personally, but it’s important for the world to know that I honor him. Thank you, @matttskiba.”

As for Blink’s newly reformed classic lineup, they released a new song, “Edging,” a few hours ago.

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The Biggest Takeaways From ‘Atlanta’ Season 4, Episode 6

(SPOILERS for this week’s Atlanta will be found below.)

It appears that the characters of Atlanta are getting spotlight episodes to close the final season of the series. Two weeks ago, we followed Earn and his family through a turbulent Sunday that included a battle between Earn’s mom and aunt over the care of their dad. Last week, we followed Vanessa through her time at a TV production studio. That resulted in her daughter Lottie getting several acting opportunities on set, but too many too fast for Vanessa’s liking. This week, Earn and Darius are back into the mix, but the spotlight is mostly on Paper Boi as the main character in the latest episode of Atlanta.

In this week’s episode, titled “Crank Dat Killer,” Earn and Darius notify Paper Boi about a murderer who’s been dubbed the “Crank Dat Killer.” The individual in question is so annoyed by the dances to Soulja Boy’s “Crank Dat (Soulja Boy),” as well as its remixes like “Crank Dat Super Mario,” “Crank Dat Batman,” and “Crank Dat Aquaman” (yes, these exist), that they decide to murder anyone they find who made a dance to it. Unfortunately, Paper Boi made one to a record called “Crank Dat Jimmy Neutron” and this is where things get wild. However, leave it to Earn and Darius to get into a mess of their own.

Here are some of the biggest takeaways that we have after season four’s sixth episode.

Soulja Boy Is The First Rapper To Have An Killer To Be Somewhat Named After Him

If you’ve followed Soulja Boy on social media over the past few years, you’re pretty aware that the rapper is the first to allegedly do a lot of things. Soulja Boy has long proclaimed that he is the first rapper to: be with Kim Kardashian, knock out Logan Paul, have his own game console, go to Atlanta’s Icebox jeweler, photobomb Kobe, take a selfie, and so much more (see the rest here). We can now add being the first rapper to have a killer to be ~somewhat~ named after him. In episode six of season four of Atlanta, Paper Boi learns about the “Crank Dat Killer,” and being that he made “Crank Dat Jimmy Neutron” a decade ago, is life is more or less at risk. Thankfully, he makes it out of the episode unscathed. But to have a whole killer named after your most popular song? Soulja Boy’s influence is there, for better or for worse.

If Soulja Boy Is Worried, You Should Be Too

It’s only right that Soulja Boy appear in the “Crank Dat Killer” episode, right? He checks in halfway into the episode when Paper Boi calls him for advice on the Crank Dat Killer. Real-life Soulja Boy isn’t afraid to go toe-to-toe with anyone as we’ve seen him spar with Kanye West, The Breakfast Club (Draaake???), Tyga, and others. Despite all of this, Soulja Boy makes it clear that he has no intention of sticking around to meet the Crank Dat Killer as he quickly packs his things to move to somewhere safer. It’s at this moment that Paper boi realizes that the situation is much more serious than he initially thought. I mean, if Soulja Boy is worried, shouldn’t you be too?

It’s Okay, And Somtimes Better, To Say No

In “Crank Dat Killer,” Earn, Paper Boi, and Darius were all made offers to things that they didn’t really want to do. Paper Boi has been avoiding a rapper named Some Guy Named Doug who desperately chasing a feature from Paper Boi, who thinks Doug isn’t good enough for a song. Rather than just saying no, Paper Boi goes to grat lengths to avoid working with Doug. This includes pouring alcohol on the recording studio’s mxiing board to fry the system, as well as saying the WiFi in the studio went out. Paper Boi is successful in his attempts until Doug saves him from getting shot, leaving him no choice but to work with him on a song (which turn out to be a bad one).

As for Earn and Darius, they set out to buy a pair of Nike Miracles, and after a long search, they discover a reseller who has two pairs of the shoes in his van. Earn and Darius are more than ready to pay cash for the sneakers, but the seller requests that they kiss for eight minutes in exchange for the pairs. Earn is completely against it, but Darius really wants the shoes, so the two decide to kiss for a reduced time despite Earn’s strong objections. It all proves to be pointless as the seller is shot and killed by the same person that was chasing Paper Boi. Long story short, it’s okay to say no.

It Could Always Be Worse

This phrase is pretty much one you can say after every wacky episode of Atlanta. This week, Earn, Darius, and Paper Boi were all pushed to do things they really didn’t want to. Luckily for them, they made it out unscathed. Paper Boi gets chased down and shot at by someone that we initially assume is the Crank Dat Killer, but at the end of episode, Paper Boi reveals that it was actually someone from high school that he had beef with. Earn and Darius have to kiss for some Nike Miracles, but luckily for them, the length of their kiss is cut short when their reseller is shot and killed in front of them. It was a pretty wacky day for the Atlanta, which pales is comparison to Vanessa’s day with Lottie, from last week, and for that the trio should be a bit grateful because it could’ve been much worse.

FX’s ‘Atlanta’ airs on Thursdays at 10:00pm EST.

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Blink-182 Broke Down ‘Edging’ And Its Various (Sometimes NSFW) Meanings

Blink-182 just released “Edging” (their first song with Tom DeLonge in a long while), and now it’s time to wonder what the tune means. It’s especially mysterious since the word “edging” doesn’t actually appear anywhere in the song’s lyrics. Now, though, the band has offered some clarity (but not really).

A video shared on the band’s TikTok yesterday is captioned, “What does edging mean to you?” DeLonge starts the clip, “Obviously, perverts like you know it’s all about having an orgasm.” It then cuts to Hoppus, who says, “Oh, it’s easy: edging is lawn care.” Barker wraps up with a nod to Kourtney Kardashian: “Fun fact: my wife and I invented edging.”

It appears this video was shot on the set of the band’s upcoming visual for “Edging” that’s set to drop today: The band is wearing the same clothes they are in a photo they shared last night to tease the video. Given that they’re posing with Cole Bennett in the photo, it appears it will be a Lyrical Lemonade production.

As for “Edging” the song, the band did offer some statements on that. Barker, who produced the track, said, “I wanted to imagine as a listener what I wanted to experience and at the same time as a band member what we wanted to make and say, and most importantly how it would sound production-wise in 2022.” Hoppus added, “I’m so happy to be back in the studio creating new music and looking forward to a giant world tour.”

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Blink-182 Officially Launch Tom DeLonge’s Comeback With ‘Edging,’ A Vigorous New Single

Earlier this week, it was revealed that at long last, Tom DeLonge has rejoined Blink-182. When that news was shared, it was also revealed that the band has a new album and tour on the way, with a fresh single, “Edging,” preceding those. It’s the band’s first new song with DeLonge in over ten years and it’s out now.

The track has the classic Blink dynamic of DeLonge and Barker alternating to sing lead vocals. DeLonge sings on the chorus, “No way, no, I leave them broken-hearted / Oh no, look at the mess we started / Oh no, I lеave the broken hearts this way / Whatcha say? Wanna play?”

Barker produced the song and he says, “I wanted to imagine as a listener what I wanted to experience and at the same time as a band member what we wanted to make and say, and most importantly how it would sound production-wise in 2022.” Hoppus added, “I’m so happy to be back in the studio creating new music and looking forward to a giant world tour.”

DeLonge didn’t share a statement with the track, but after rejoining the band, he did write, “What if I was to tell you we just made the best album of our career.”

Listen to “Edging” above.

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10 things that made us smile this week

Have you ever pondered the simple power of a smile?

Research shows that smiling is contagious. We tend to mimic the facial expressions of those around us, so if someone around you is smiling, you’ll probably feel a natural urge to smile as well. And even if you were feeling grumpy at the time, that act of smiling can actually positively influence your own emotions and make you feel happier.

In other words, “Smile and the world smiles with you” actually has some truth to it. And the more reasons we can find to smile, the better everyone around us will feel.


That’s one reason why we pull together these roundups of smile-worthy delights each week. Not only are they uplifting and entertaining, but they have the potential, however small, to make the world a better, brighter, happier place for everyone around us.

Here are 10 things that made us smile this week. Hope they make you and those around you smile, too.

1. Adorable baby has the world’s cutest reaction to her mom finally understanding her.

That final breathless “Ses!” Seriously, give that baby alllll the strawberries, plus anything else she wants, forever and ever, amen.

2. This strangely moving time-lapse of a Eurasian blue tit mama raising her family

Did not expect to get emotional at watching birds fly the nest in two minutes flat, yet here we are. The way the mama got her nest all cozy for her surprisingly large family. And those tiny little yellow mouths! Man, they grow fast, and then one day [gulp] they leave. Phew, all the feels.

3. Desperate mom asking to borrow an orange cat for her Garfield-loving kiddos is so pure.

Ah, the things we do for our offspring. I’d pay money to see this lasagna dinner actually happen. “Cat will not be required to eat lasagna if contraindicated” is my favorite part. Definitely need a follow-up on this one.

4. Dog freezes in the middle of a bunch of fake Halloween cats and it’s hilariously impressive.

At first, it’s hard to tell if this dog is even real. How can he hold so perfectly still for so long, right down to his tail? Good boy Maverick here appears to be a lab pointer mix, and pointers do this as part of their hunting behavior. He doesn’t even twitch until his owner comes close and reassures him. Totally hilarious among a bunch of fake cats.

5. Monkey meticulously picking every string off a banana is soooo relatable.

Banana strings are disgusting, but I’d never have guessed that monkeys would be finicky about them. The way it picks the string off the baby’s head and then tosses another string off the tree stump, like, “Ew, get away, gross banana string!” is so relatable. I’m feeling that common ancestor here, monkey.

6. Dog’s Halloween costume looks like two people struggling to carry a pumpkin.

How do humans come up with such clever things? This is just nonstop entertainment. (Check out more hilarious dog costume ideas here.)

7. Wee one doing his sister’s cheer routine alongside her is all kinds of awwww.

That kick at the end! He’s got the moves, and how sweet that they gave him poms so he could participate.

Speaking of little brothers…

8. The way this baby looks at big sis would be enough, but then the little head snuggle.

Why is everyone trying to make me want a baby?!? Why???

OK, one more brother and sister thing…

9. You know you’re a mom when finding the 115th “butt” in your house is a sweet, touching moment.

First of all, hilarious. Second of all, how sweet is it that a brother would go to such lengths just to make his sister laugh? These are the kinds of things families remember forever. So silly, but so memorable.

10. Let’s fly into the weekend with the verve and humor of this flight attendant who makes it impossible to ignore the flight safety presentation.

Someone was a drama kid. Gotta love it. But in all seriousness, he probably made all of those passengers safer with his comedy routine. Read the full story of why here.

That’s it, folks! Hope you enjoyed this week’s list and come back next week for another roundup of joy. (And if you’d like to get these posts in your inbox each week, subscribe to our free email newsletter, The Upworthiest, here.)

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Girl In Red Fondly Recalls A Past Romance On Her New Song, ‘October Passed Me By’

Following her infectious ballad, “We Fell In Love In October,” Girl In Red has dropped the song’s sequel. Her latest single, “October Passed Me By,” features the Norwegian singer/songwriter reflecting on a previous romance. Though the two are no longer together, Girl In Red will always remember her former flame fondly.

“I keep the letters that you wrote in a secret place / Every now and then, I go down memory lane / October passed me by just like any month / But I still think of the times you took the breath out of my lungs,” she sings over shimmery guitar strings.

In an interview with The Guardian, she expressed gratitude that her songs resonate with her LGBTQ+ fans, however, hopes that the act of coming out will eventually become a thing of the past.

“If my songs can in any way shape or form normalize queerness then that’s amazing,” she said. “I think in the next 40 years we’re going to see a big difference. I listened to this podcast that said a lot of people feel like there’s no threshold [anymore], there’s nothing to come out of. I think we’re moving in the right direction for that, at least in some places in the world.”

Check out “October Passed Me By” above.

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Pink Sweat$ And A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie Share A Sensual New Collaboration, ‘Lay Up N Chill’

Pink Sweat$ has teamed up with A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie for a steamy new collaboration. On “Lay Up N Chill,” Pink looks forward to an evening in with his wife, enjoying wine, connecting intimately, and reminding each other why they fell in love.

“I just wanna lay up and chill / Sippin’ on that Rosé, really get you in your feels / I just wanna stay up all night /Starin’ in your eyes, take a deep dive in your mind,” sings Pink on the song’s chorus, over a hypnotic drum loop.

A Boogie turns up the heat on his verse, as he rap-sings, “You’ve been havin’ problems tryna trust / It was 6 p.m. in Hermès / She like, ‘Why you even thinkin’ about sex right now?’ / Are you out of your mind? / Look at my life, look where I’m at right now.”

Last December, A Boogie spoke with Billboard, saying he wants to master all sorts of genres, from hip-hop, to pop, to R&B.

“I just want everybody to know that I can do anything,” he said. “Before I was just aiming at things one at a time when it comes to the genres, but now, it’s to a point where anything you throw me on, I’ma body that sh*t. I’m bodying anything you throw at me.

Check out “Lay Up N Chill” above.

Pink Sweat$ and A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

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Nicki Minaj Calls Latto A ‘Karen’ As The Two Have A Heated Exchange

Latto has responded to Nicki Minaj saying that if “Super Freaky Girl” is moved to the Grammys’ pop categories, the Recording Academy should follow suit with Latto’s hit, “Big Energy.”

Latto appeared to initially agree with Minaj, as the latter shared a screenshot of a private message from Latto, which read, “I agree w you however because of where we left off ion think u need to bring my name/song up to prove your part.”

“This Karen has probably mentioned my name in over 100 interviews,” said Minaj in a tweet that contained the screenshot. “Says she waited in line for [Nicki Minaj’s debut album] Pink Friday w|her Barbie chain on, bangs, pink hair…but today, scratch off decides to be silent; rather than speak up for the black woman she called her biggest inspiration.”

Latto caught wind of the tweet and reiterated that she admired Minaj, however, was upset about alleged cryptic tweets from the past.

“1st of all I texted u cause I didn’t wanna do the internet sht w sum1 I looked up to,” Latto said. “Just like the 1st time I DMed u asking about ur ongoing subtweets. I wanted to speak up cuz like I said I do agree but the way u going about it seems malicious esp. after how we left off.”

Latto continued, saying, “I’ve ignored countless subtweets since March and instead addressed u in the dm. You’re asking why I didn’t speak up in ur defense… it’s the same answer I gave u when u asked why I didn’t congratulate you. Ur literally older than my mom tryna be a bully.”

Minaj responded, “All this time I thought you was at least 35.”

Shortly after, Latto shared an alleged subtweet of Minaj’s from earlier this month, but said she would “start from the beginning.”

Minaj denied the tweet was about Latto, and said, “It goes to show she made up these “subtweets” in her head simply b/c she sent me 2 songs I declined to do features on. They all do this.”

Minaj then addressed Latto’s comments calling her a “40-year-old bully,” saying, “Age shaming when you look like YOU the one pushing 40. Age shaming but was BEGGING for a feature. Imagine what dem genes gon do in 10 years.Oh so you in your 20’s. Oh ok then. At least it match your album sales. You sold 20K right? Mad u flopped. That’s why u rlly mad.”

Afterwards, she threatened to leak demos of reference tracks apparently written for Latto by ghostwriters, and accused her of trying to piggyback off of Nicki and her fans. “she used me & the Barbz in every interview until that album sold double wood. now she wiping that spray tan off & being a Karen. They black when it’s beneficial chi.”

Minaj later shared screenshots of conversations in which Latto appears to ask for a guest verse, however, Minaj appeared to want to save it for another time.

Latto also appears to have asked Minaj where some perceived shade came from and continued to express that she’s still a fan.

Later on, Latto said that Minaj is “meticulous” with shade, purposely leaving her tweets open to interpretation, that way she can claim they weren’t about the person people are assuming they’re about.

This is a developing story and will continue to be updated.

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Doechii Processes Her Youth On Her New Single, ‘Stressed’

Just two months after releasing her major-label debut EP she/her/black b*tch, Doechii has another hit in her hands. On her latest single, “Stressed,” Doechii shows off both her singing and her rapping chops over a moody, percussion-heavy beat.

“I must be lost in my regrets / I must be down, I must be stressed / I’ve got like thirteen years of age that I ain’t still got off my chest /It must be so much more to life, if I had diamonds and baguettes,” she sings on the song’s chorus.

In the song’s second chorus, we hear Doechii layering her vocals flawlessly, poignantly expressing her pain as she processes her youth. Earlier this week, Doechii shared the song in a performance on A COLORS Show. With the new song, fans get a taste of Doechii’s upcoming sounds, as she gears up for the release of her debut full-length album.

In an interview with Complex, Doechii says her upcoming album will be comprised of eclectic sounds.

“All I know is I just want it to be of the heart,” she said. “Undoubtedly, it could sound like anything in the world, as long as it feels like gospel and it feels like it’s lifting them up. Or even if it’s taking them down, I don’t know how to describe it. It’s like Solange’s When I Get Home or A Seat at the Table. It feels like gospel. It’s not gospel music, but every time you listen to it, it lifts you up. But sometimes you listen to it and it takes you down. Either way, I just want my album to guide them through their own unpacking. I want the album to constantly grow and evolve with them in their life.”

Check out “Stressed” above.

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In Totally Unsurprising News, Bill O’Reilly Endorsed A Real Estate Venture That Turned Out To Be A Ponzi Scheme

If an investment sounds too good to be true, it probably is. And if an investment sounds too good to be true and has Bill O’Reilly is endorsing it: run for the hills! As The Daily Beast reports, a company called National Realty Investment Advisors — which O’Reilly shilled for via Facebook ads and enormous billboards in the New York City area — is reportedly nothing but a Ponzi scheme.

The company, which was purportedly a real estate investment company, let people sink as little as just a few thousand dollars into the company, and promised returns of 12 percent and higher. Which would, of course, be great — if it were true. As The Daily Beast’s Pilar Melendez wrote:

The U.S. Attorney’s Office in New Jersey announced an 18-count indictment, including charges of securities and wire fraud, against Thomas Nicholas Salzano and Rey E. Grabato II for their role in the almost four-year-long alleged scheme. The pair also allegedly tried to evade $26 million in taxes. Salzano was also charged with aggravated identity theft, tax evasion, and subscribing to false tax returns. Prosecutors said he was arrested on Wednesday, while Grabato was on the lam. Lawyers for Salzano did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Gee, we can’t imagine why.

On Thursday, the SEC filed charges against the organization, claiming they had stolen money from approximately 2,000 investors by promising that their “investments” would be used to purchase and develop high-end properties. “The group solicited investigators with promises of returns ‘of up to 20 percent,’” writes The Daily Beast. “Among the investors were 382 retirees who contributed more than $94.8 million from retirement accounts.”

While O’Reilly has not been named in the lawsuit, a big image of his mug was used to encourage others to invest — on TV, in magazines, and via Facebook ads — meaning that Bill certainly isn’t totally blameless in all of this.