Barack Obama is in the midst of unveiling his year-end lists of favorite stuff, and so far he’s shared his round-ups of movies, books, and today, songs. As is usually the case, the former POTUS’ playlist features some diverse picks.
Indie favorites are well-represented on the list, which includes Courtney Barnett’s “Write A List Of Things To Look Forward To,” The War On Drugs and Lucius’ “I Don’t Live Here Anymore,” and Mitski’s “The Only Heartbreaker.” Hip-hop is also included via songs like Lizzo and Cardi B’s “Rumors,” Isiah Rashad’s “Headshots (4r Da Locals),” and Lil Nas X’s “Montero (Call Me By Your Name).” Beyond that, there are picks from all across the musical spectrum, including tracks from Mdou Moctar, Jon Batiste, and Bad Bunny.
I’ve always enjoyed listening to a wide variety of music, so it’s no surprise that I listened to a little bit of everything this year. I hope you find a new artist or song to add to your own playlist. pic.twitter.com/g6kBzAbrZG
The list has a lot of Grammy firepower, including Obama himself, as his audiobook A Promised Land is up for Best Spoken World Album at the 2022 ceremony. Aside from him, artists on the list who are also Grammy-nominated in 2022 are Esperanza Spalding, Brandi Carlile, Spice, Sean Paul, Shaggy, Jon Batiste, Nas, Allison Russell, Lil Nas X, Bad Bunny, Yebba, Morray, and Cardi B.
If you like what you see, there’s an official Spotify playlist that features all of Obama’s picks, so check that out below.
Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
RuPaul fans are looking forward to the new year, as the 14th season of RuPaul’s Drag Race is set to premiere on January 7, 2022 on VH1. Today, the show unveiled its guest judges and there’s a lot of musical firepower on the roster.
Appearing on the show next season (as TVLine notes) are Lizzo, Jennifer Lopez, Alicia Keys, and Sarah McLachlan, as well as Taraji P. Henson, Andra Day, Loni Love, Christine Chiu, Ava Max, Nicole Byer, Ts Madison, Alec Mapa, Dove Cameron, and Dulce Sloan. Some of them also appear in a new teaser video for the upcoming season.
Fans of both Lizzo and Drag Race know that the artist and the show have a strong preexisting relationship. She was a guest judge on the show in 2018 and told Rolling Stone of the experience, “To work with RuPaul is a dream. It was a bucket list [item]. I’m very fortunate to have been in the same room as RuPaul. You learn so much just by watching the way RuPaul operates. Apparently there are some petitions for me to be a permanent judge [laughs].” In 2019, she also recruited a bunch of drag queens from the show for a new “Juice” video.
Lizzo is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
Lizzo loves to flirt. The singer took the stage at the Art Basel festival in Miami on Saturday where she delivered a cover of Erykah Badu’s “Tyrone.” The track comes from Badu’s 1997 album Live, and for her performance, Lizzo decided to put her own spin on the track. During her cover, she altered some of the lyrics so she could name-drop both Chris Evans and Drake.
During her cover, Lizzo sang, “Maybe I should call Chis Evans / Maybe Captain America could put another bun up in my.” She followed that up by singing, “Or maybe I should call Drake?”
It’s not the first time that Lizzo has mentioned Chris Evans or Drake in public. In her most recent single, “Rumors” with Cardi B, Lizzo sings, “Readin’ sh*t on the internet / My smoothie cleanse and my diet / No, I ain’t f*ck Drake — yet.” She later explained that mentioning Drake in the song was her way of flipping the script.
As for Evans, Lizzo joked earlier this year that she was pregnant with his child. “This is something that I’ve been really trying to keep personal and private between me and the father of my child,” she said in a TikTok video. “But since we’re airing out all the rumors today, I’ve been sucking in. We’re gonna have a little America!” Evans played along with the joke and later DM’ed Lizzo about their “little bundle of joy.”
You can watch a clip of her performance above.
Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
International art fair Art Basel is once again taking place in person in Miami this year. Along with exhibitions from artists across the globe, this year’s event will also feature a special musical performance by none other than Lizzo. To promote her upcoming set this weekend, Lizzo got creative. Taking inspiration from the experimental nature of the works seen at Art Basel, Lizzo made a painting of a butterfly using her booty as a paint brush.
The singer shared a video showing the painting’s process on TikTok. “Hey y’all, it’s your girl Lizzy Picasso here,” she announced, adopting the new moniker to create her masterpiece. The video shows Lizzo creating her colorful painting on an easel before an assistant lathers her backside in royal blue paint.
“I think I need to make more ass art,” she wrote in the caption alongside her video.
There’s good new for those who want to own Lizzo’s actual painting. During a livestream of her performance at Art Basel on December 4, fans will be able to bid on the artwork and one lucky buyer will get to take it home.
Watch Lizzo paint a picture of a “bootyfly” above.
Lizzo is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
Adele is only a few short days away from the release of her highly anticipated album 30. So far, the singer has only released one single in an official capacity, “Easy On Me,” but the singer did give a preview of her upcoming release with a showstopping televised concert over the weekend on the steps of LA’s Griffith Observatory. Fans weren’t the only ones excited to see the filmed show. Lizzo and Oprah bonded over their love for the singer from the sidelines of the concert.
As Adele took the stage to perform her most popular tracks and also help a fan pull off a heartwarming proposal, Oprah and Lizzo were having the time of their lives in the crowd. As soon as Adele broke into a rendition of her hit song “Hello,” Oprah and Lizzo were on the same page about their love of the track, belting out the lyrics in unison. “@adele had us at hello! @lizzo what concert are we going to next?!” Oprah wrote alongside a video.
Of course, the entire reason for Adele’s concert was in part thanks to Oprah. The Adele: One Night Only special aired alongside an interview with Oprah where the singer got real about some of the things she struggled with after her divorce.
Watch Oprah and Lizzo sing along to “Hello” at Adele’s concert above.
Lizzo is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
Earlier today, Missy Elliott received her well-deserved star on Hollywood’s Walk of Fame. The iconic rapper not only inspired other Black women to follow their dreams of music industry stardom, she also inspired decades of rappers to work with Timbaland and then to copy the fish lens effect of her “The Rain (Supa Dupa Fly)” video. Ok, I kid, but it is true. She’s a stylistic innovator and Monday morning’s ceremony featured Lizzo, Ciara and Mona Scott-Young all honoring Elliott.
But it was Lizzo’s speech that hit the strongest chord. The pop singer fought back tears as she professed her adulation for Elliott, telling her that “I saw a superstar in you, but I’d also seen myself. I’d never seen myself and you lived so boldly and so beautifully and so unapologetically and so out loud.”
Lizzo honors Missy Elliott at her Hollywood Walk of Fame ceremony:
“You are the brightest star in the universe. I watched you my entire life and I saw a superstar in you, but I also saw myself… You live so boldly and so beautifully.” pic.twitter.com/7zLTDGcegH
Lizzo moved from emotional to elated, frequently yelling uncontrollably as she was overcome with emotions. “I only have one thing to say to Hollywood Blvd: You’re welcome!” she began. She stopped herself early on to let the Hollywood Blvd crowd know that she hadn’t prepared a speech since she thought she “was just coming to hang out.” Then she added “And now I’m about to cry!,” before delivering this impromptu, yet incredibly moving speech:
“You are the brightest star in the universe Missy. I’ve watched you my entire life. And I saw a superstar in you, but Ive also seen myself. I’d never seen myself and you lived so boldly and so beautifully and so unapologetically and so out loud. You have no idea what you have done for so many Black girls. We don’t deserve you. We don’t deserve Missy Elliott and still you continue to give to us, and given with your heart. Your genius. Let me just drop some words: Genius! Icon! Queen…queen of hip-hop! Visionary! I want to thank you so much for helping me in my career. I never in a million years thought I’d get to meet you and not only did I get to meet you, but we worked in the studio together! Thank you for making my dreams comes true. You have no idea what you mean to all of us Missy. We love you. We celebrate you. God Bless You. This is more than deserved. Let us continue to celebrate all of your accomplishments and your influence forever. We love you so much Missy. Congratulations.”
Watch Missy Elliott’s star on the Hollywood Walk Of Fame be unveiled below.
An emotional @Lizzo delivered a speech st @MissyElliott‘s Hollywood Walk Of Fame ceremony: ‘You have no idea what you have done for so many Black girls.’ https://t.co/QZlUwWCFeX
We were promised a return to normal. Or, actually, we probably weren’t. But it sure felt like with the defeat of Donald Trump and the vaccine rollout and a stream of festival and tour announcements, that by the fall of 2021, we would be back to some version of normal. But that’s definitely not how it has felt. Instead, we keep redefining a new normal, adjusting our expectations to the reality that many people won’t be getting vaccinated, that indoor masks are here to stay, that safety from Covid is not a guarantee, regardless of the actions we take.
That’s all to say that the return of Outside Lands to Golden Gate Park in San Francisco wasn’t a one-for-one replica of the festival of old. After undergoing multiple postponements due to the pandemic, the fest finally returned to action more than two years after its 2019 installment, shifting from its typical mid-summer dates to Halloween weekend. Funny enough, the weather on the west side of San Francisco really isn’t that different any time of year, so aside from the costumes that grew denser as the weekend went on, the date switch had little effect on the actual feeling of the festival.
So what was different? There were vaccine/testing checks, all done efficiently using the Clear app, utilizing wristbands that made entry a breeze, even better than before the pandemic. There were mask requirements indoors, and despite general mask recommendations for the rest of the grounds, a good portion of the crowd opted to enjoy the crisp, cool air. There were also more lineup changes than usual, most notably Young Thug canceling a set Saturday evening on the main stage, which isn’t exactly uncommon in a normal year, and should only be more common as everything from supply chain issues to general health affect touring.
Philip Cosores
But mostly, Outside Lands 2021 felt like the return to normal we’ve been craving, the type of place you can go and temporarily forget about the horrid previous 18 months. Sunday closer Tame Impala exemplified that with their multisensory experience around their pre-pandemic offering, The Slow Rush. Seeing the fans in the front row absolutely lose their shit with the faux commercial for the drug Rushium — some clearly questioning whether the psychedelic video was druggy in production or just druggy because they were, in fact, on drugs — was equally hilarious and endearing. The band’s decision to announce that Tame Impala had been replaced by The Wiggles, and then showing up dressed like the kids’ entertainers for their Halloween set, only added to the joyous insanity of it all. But frills aside, Tame Impala was the act of the weekend that best bridged the fest’s dueling demographics, where OSL veterans and the next generation of Zoomers could enjoy one of contemporary rock’s best bands together.
Lizzo’s infectious personality also managed to unite the OSL audience; she’s the kind of pop star that can attract a crowd out of sheer curiosity as much as because of actual attachment to the music. And it’s a good thing, because witnessing a Lizzo concert is to become a fan, with the catchy tunes joining forces with a captivating stage presence that just screams stardom. Her rise from daytime small stages at festivals to the marquee act has been a pretty wonderful storyline over the last half-decade, and if she can continue to turn out hits, she’ll be doing the same for a long time.
Philip Cosores
In fact, of the headliners, only The Strokes that disappointed. It’s tough to say what’s going on there, but it’s easy to say that the responsibility falls solely on leader Julian Casablancas. His interest in his main band has seemed slight for literally decades, with him much more artistically and, seemingly, emotionally invested in his side work with The Voidz. On this night (and, through conversations, other nights of the current run), Casablancas seemed to hold his audience in contempt, baffled by why anyone would care about his music and giving them little reason to while on stage. It says something about the undeniability of their catalog that even with a lead singer phoning it in, they still entertained and showed flashes of greatness. Still, it was clearly the least attended headlining set of the weekend.
Philip Cosores
Outside of the headliners, the highlights were many. Vampire Weekend might as well have been a closer, as few bands that are still at their creative peak can fill a festival set with more recognizable tunes. Angel Olsen and Sharon Van Etten got together to play their great recent single “Like I Used To,” while also offering career-spanning sets that presented versions of themselves less tied to particular album cycles. More in the hip-hop lane, Rico Nasty and Nelly both showed off polar-opposite appeals, one with inviting abrasiveness, the other with a stream of tunes deeply ingrained in the public consciousness. And then there’s Khruangbin, the ideal festival band for 2021 that can tap into decades of hits from other artists as well as their own hyper-vibey psych-funk, becoming the ultimate communal band.
Outside Lands also remembers that festivals should be about music discovery. That’s why getting there early is essential, to make sure you take in people like Bartees Strange, whose anthemic indie rock is on a trajectory for bigger rooms as soon as next year. Or people like Dijon, whose silky voice is buoyed by a stage persona that’s hard to take your eyes off, his face contorting and eyebrows furrowing to exemplify the passion of his music. And then there’s my beloved Petey, who opened the Twin Peaks stage on Sunday to a small but mighty crowd, showing off his unique blend of clever songwriting and absurdist humor. He’s the absolute best.
Philip Cosores
Of course, there were all the rest of the activations and eats that make Outside Lands one of the best live events in the world. Maybe most notable is Grasslands, which thanks to California’s legalized weed laws, actually has areas now designated for consumption. Pair that with the self-explanatory Beerlands and Winelands, and well, you have yourself a nice time in the park. The cuisine was expertly curated with some of the best of the Bay, with a special shoutout needing to go to both the wonderful sticky buns from The Chairman and the delicious BBQ from Vegan Mob. But the overall sense of Outside Lands 2021 wasn’t a band or a song or a bite, it was being among tens of thousands of people and losing sight of the greater world narrative for a moment. Live music is a place to lose yourself and find it again. It felt more essential than ever this year.
Lizzo absolutely dominated her Outside Lands Festival headlining set in San Francisco this past weekend. She proved with flying colors that she was absolutely worthy of the top billing at large-scale music festivals. While the final opportunity of 2021 to see Lizzo play live was previously only at her Las Vegas New Year’s Eve show at the Virgin Hotel, she has now announced a widely accessible performance as part of the American Express Unstaged series, streaming live from Miami on December 4th.
Flute solos and twerking go together like Lizzo and #AmexUNSTAGED. Lovas and haters, get your livestream tix now! Terms apply.
Unstaged has already produced performances this year with SZA, Dua Lipa, Shawn Mendes, Maroon 5, Alicia Keys, and Sam Smith. Now fans will have a chance to experience the bombastic performance from Lizzo. In a statement, the R&B/rap/pop star swooned on getting another opportunity to share her live set with people:
“Performing is one of the most realistic interactions of love that I get to experience with fans and to be able to close out this year with a special live American Express UNSTAGED performance for my fans all around the world is truly incredible. Connecting authentically with my audience matters to me and I can’t wait for them to see what we have planned for this amazing performance.”
Lizzo’s AmEx Unstaged performance takes place on December 4 at 9 p.m. ET and is available worldwide. Tickets are available now here for $9.99 general admission. There are also a range of VIP packages that include signed t-shirts, photos and mobile second-screen experiences.
Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
Musicians are creative folks who have costume budgets that let them go beyond Spirit Halloween’s offerings, so they tend to really show up with killer looks during spooky season. This year was more of the same on that front, as a lot of the world’s favorite artists delivered some Halloween costume excellence in 2021.
The Weeknd is no stranger to prosthetic make-up, as he proved in his “Save Your Tears” video, and he was at it again this weekend with an impressive Don Corleone from The Godfather look.
Meanwhile, Rihanna absolutely nailed her Gunna outfit by emulating a classic fit.
The newly engaged Travis Barker and Kourtney Kardashian also came through with a couple of couples looks. Over the weekend, they paid tribute to the movie True Romance and a few days ago, they dressed up as Sid Vicious and Nancy Spungen.
Anderson .Paak went hard, too, sharing photos of himself as Silk Sonic cohort Bruno Mars, Prince, and Stevie Wonder.
Meanwhile, Taylor Swift has puts Cats behind her and has moved on to being a squirrel.
All the rumors are true: When it comes to Halloween costumes, few come to play the way Lizzo does. The pop star decided to go as a beloved internet character this year, donning full Baby Yoda aka Grogu garb for a look that has fans of the Disney+ Star Wars television series The Mandalorian absolutely losing their minds. Appearing at a Spotify Halloween party in LA (where was my invite??), as well as several other locations, the rapper posted photos and videos of her costume all over social media with playful captions:
A representative from Grogu’s publicity team has issued a statement regarding the paparazzi photos taken last night:
Grogu aka Baby Yoda aka The Child has no recollection of these events. I’m fact, these events never happened *jedi hand wave* pic.twitter.com/ssoAkPakkE
Of course, celebrity Halloween costumes have become an ever popular form of content during the social media era, and a chance for us to see how the most powerful and popular among us can flex their creativity. So many celebrities only do it for the ‘gram though, and don’t take their costumes out into the real world. As you can see above, this is not the case for Lizzo, who remains realer than ever even on the spookiest holiday of the year. Just like she stands up to bullying and always congratulates her peers on their success, Lizzo is the queen of Halloween, too, and I wouldn’t be surprised if she doesn’t have more costumes coming this weekend.
WHO WANTS A BOOTYFLY?
WATCH ME PERFORM IN MIAMI LIVE – TIX HERE: 
SING
: 
