Pop

Adam McKay Gushes Over Ariana Grande And Kid Cudi’s Acting Performances In ‘Don’t Look Up’

by
Ariana Grande Kid Cudi Don't Look Up
Netflix

Ariana Grande and Kid Cudi’s involvement with Don’t Look Up doesn’t stop at their song “Just Look Up,” as they also have substantial parts in the film. Furthermore, Adam McKay has heaped praise on the two for their performances in the movie.

McKay said of Grande, “It made sense to have the biggest pop star in the world play the biggest pop star in the world. We got her on set for her first scene with [Leonardo DiCaprio] and [Jennifer Lawrence], and she’s improvising lines. I knew she’d nail the song, but I didn’t know she could improvise.”

He spoke more about Grande’s improvisational skills in a recent video from Netflix about the movie’s improv, starting at 4:19 into the video.

Grande also offered a quote about McKay, saying, “Adam’s one of my comedy heroes. I was jumping out of my skin when he pitched me the idea of playing this pop star in this yucky tabloid frenzy. Playing this little part and getting to work with Adam and this beyond incredible cast was such a special experience.”

McKay also had compliments for Cudi, saying, “[I] knew who Kid Cudi was, but in meeting Scott Mescudi, I was completely taken aback. He can really act. He was immediately natural on set and such a humble guy. Scott was incredibly open and collaborative.”

Of course, it makes sense that both Cudi and Grande would be comfortable on a set, as they’ve both spent plenty of time in that environment. Before music, Grande was known for playing the character Cat Valentine in two Nickelodeon series, Victorious and Sam & Cat. As for Cudi, he been in the main cast of shows like How To Make It In America, Comedy Bang! Bang!, and We Are Who We Are.

Normani Says She’s So ‘Bad’ At Social Media That Even Her Grandma Gives Her Tips

by
normani.jpg
Getty Image

Normani may be close to finishing up her debut album, but she’s still riding the success of her 2021 Cardi B collaboration “Wild Side.” As Normani knows, part of being a chart-topping pop star is being an expert at promoting yourself and your music on social media to some extent. But while Normani is great at crafting bangers like “Wild Side,” she admits her strengths don’t quite lie in the art of social media — and that’s where her grandmother comes in.

Normani recently sat down for a conversation with Ciara on The Ellen DeGeneres Show where she spoke about the viral success of “Wild Side,” which was turned into a TikTok dance challenge, the status of her debut album, and the fact that her grandma is better at using social media than she is:

“I’m really bad with social media — it’s bad. My grandma at this point has me beat. She’ll be sending me TikToks and videos and people doing the dance challenge. […] She’s better than me. I’m the grandmother. It’s terrible, we’ve reversed roles.”

Of course, Normani also gave some updates on the status of her new music, saying she’s “almost done” with her debut album. The singer knows fans are impatient to hear her songs, but Normani says “people really underestimate” how much work really goes into one body of work. “Coming out of a girl group, there was a lot I had to figure out about myself; fears I had to deal with head-on. I was always so safe being in a girl group,” she said. “I remember when I was little, my mom was like, ‘Why do you want to be in a girl group so bad? Is it because you want to hide?’ And I think that was pretty much the answer. But God had other plans for me.”

Watch a clip of Normani’s conversation with Ciara above.

Cardi B is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

Glass Animals And Sofi Tukker Will Headline San Diego’s CRSSD Festival In Spring 2022

by
crssd spring 2022
CRSSD

CRSSD Festival, which took a year off in light of… well… you know, is returning to San Diego’s Waterfront Park in spring 2022, announcing its lineup and event dates, March 5 and 6. While the festival was originally held semi-annually showcasing the latest and greatest in electronic and house music, the coming year’s lineup has expanded to include acts like Glass Animals, a rock band, and R&B singer Cautious Clay. However, it’ll also stick close to its roots with the addition of electronic duo Sofi Tukker, among others.

With three stages and dozens of artists, the festival will offer a wide selection of experiences, from London house stapes Four Tet and Ben UFO b2b Joy Orbison to global techno favorites. Pre-sale for past ticket buyers begins Tuesday, January 4 at 11 am PT, while general sale opens on January 5. You can find more information here. Check out the flyer and full lineup below.

CRSSD spring 2022 flyer
CRSSD

CRSSD Spring 2022 Lineup (ABC):
070 Shake
Absolute.
Adam Beyer
Ben UFO b2b Joy Orbison
Blu DeTiger
Cautious Clay
Chet Faker
Dan Shake
Eli Brown
Felix Da Housecat
Four Tet
Franc Moody
Get Real
Glass Animals
Gorgon City
Ilario Alicante
Jeff Mills
Joris Voorn
Kyle Watson
Lastlings
Maxinne
Danilo Plessow (MCDE)
Miane
Nina Kraviz b2b Helena Hauff
Parcels
PAX
Sam Paganini
SG Lewis
SOFI TUKKER live
+ More To Be Announced

Lizzo Tried Putting Yellow Mustard On An Oreo In A TikTok And It Went Exactly As Expected

by
lizzo.jpg
Getty Image

Not only has Lizzo mastered the art of creating the perfect pop banger, but she’s also mastered the art of creating the perfect TikTok. The singer has been on the social media app for a few years now and has already racked up 20 million followers. While she definitely posts raunchy content, like when she used her booty as a paintbrush, the singer also gets real about her mental health struggles. She also definitely has one thing down — the TikTok challenge.

Earlier this week, Lizzo hopped on the seemingly unappetizing yellow mustard and Oreo trend that’s been circulating the app. The trend is fairly simple for those who can stomach it. As the name of the challenge suggests, it’s just putting yellow mustard on an Oreo and eating it. Some people on the app say the taste isn’t too bad, so Lizzo tried it out herself.

“Tiktok made me try mustard & oreos,” she wrote in the TikTok’s caption. The video shows the singer opening up a brand new pack of Oreos and slathering the top of one with a healthy serving of yellow mustard. Once Lizzo eats the unsavory food combo, she looks a little confused. Lizzo never actually says whether or not it tastes good, but she does go in for a second Oreo.

@lizzo

Tiktok made me try mustard & oreos

♬ original sound – lizzo

Watch Lizzo attempt the mustard and Oreo TikTok challenge above.

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

Taylor Swift Has Again Filed A Motion To Dismiss Her ‘Shake It Off’ Case

by
taylor swift
Getty Image

Just two weeks after a judge declared that the “unprecedented” copyright case against Taylor Swift for allegedly using the lyrics to the 2001 3LW hit “Playas Gon’ Play” in her own 2014 hit “Shake It Off” could move forward, the singer has again filed a motion to dismiss the case, with her attorneys warning of dire consequences for the music business at large should it proceed. Billboard reported the filing, in which Davis Wright Tremaine LLP attorney Peter Anderson wrote, “Plaintiffs could sue everyone who writes, sings, or publicly says ‘players gonna play’ and ‘haters gonna hate.’ To permit that is unprecedented and cheats the public domain.”

The case, which was filed in 2017 by 3LW’s songwriters Sean Hall and Nathan Butler, asserts that the use of the refrain “players gonna play, play, play, play, play and the haters gonna hate, hate, hate, hate, hate” infringes upon Hall and Butler’s previous use of “playas, they gonna play, and haters, they gonna hate.” Because the usage of both phrases — often in conjunction, as they are seen in both songs — is so common, Swift’s lawyers previously argued that the case should be thrown out and won, only for the plaintiffs to successfully reopen the case and U.S. District Judge Michael W. Fitzgerald to refuse their initial motion on December 9, saying, “Even though there are some noticeable differences between the works, there are also significant similarities in word usage and sequence/structure.”

In the new filing, Anderson and co. argue Fitzgerald failed to apply an “extrinsic test” to the ruling, filtering out material that isn’t covered under copyright laws before comparing two works. Again, the phrases “playas gonna play” and “haters gonna hate” are not covered by copyright since they are commonly used phrases in the public domain. “The presence of versions of the two short public domain statements and two other tautologies in both songs … simply does not satisfy the extrinsic test,” argued Swift’s lawyers.

So, it looks like the judge will have one more chance to look at the case before it proceeds to trial, with seemingly all past and future references to players playing and haters hating hanging in the balance. Stay tuned for more updates.

Rico Nasty, Kali Uchis, And Charlie Puth Are Set To Perform For TikTok’s New Year’s Eve Livestream

by
rico-nasty.jpg
Getty Image

2022 is right around the corner and while the Omicron COVID-19 variant might force many to once again stay home on New Year’s Eve, several musicians have teamed up with TikTok to make their fans feel a little less lonely this year. The app, which just surpassed Google as the most popular website in 2021, has tapped artists Rico Nasty, Kali Uchis, and Charlie Puth to put on some epic performances alongside TikTok’s top creators.

The TikTok New Year’s Eve celebration kicks off the evening of the holiday and is set to have eye-catching sets by some of the most popular artists on the app. Puth, a Grammy-nominated musician and producer, was one of the most-viewed artists on TikTok this past year. Kali Uchis, whose 2020 album Sin Miedo Y Otras Demonios was nominated for a Grammy this year, had her song “Telepatía” go ultra-viral on the app. Rico Nasty, who recently dropped the stand-out album Nightmare Vacation, saw her track “Smack A B*tch” used in over half a million videos on the platform.

Each musician’s performance will take place on a different floor on TikTok Towers, a studio designed to mimic an apartment building, which will be outfitted to go hand-in-hand with every individual set. Along with appearances by Puth, Nasty, and Uchis, TikTok has invited their creators like averagefashionblogger, scarlet_may.1, tracy.oj, cristiandennis, tyshonlawrence, and 8illy to host.

@riconasty

Join us for @TikTok New Year’s Eve Live, one night only! Dec 31st @ 9 PM ET/6PM PT! ✅

♬ original sound – Riconasty

The full TikTok New Year’s Eve livestream event kicks off on 12/31 at 6 pm PST. Tune in here.

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

Madonna Isn’t Happy Tory Lanez Sampled Her Song ‘Into The Groove’ Without Permission

by
tory lanez
Getty Image

Despite heavy scrutiny on him as the case against him for shooting Megan Thee Stallion looms, Canadian rapper Tory Lanez has continued with business as usual, releasing his sixth studio album Alone At Prom under his One Umbrella Records imprint earlier this month. However, it now looks like he might be in hot water with another female music star as a result, with his song “Pluto’s Last Comet” coming under scrutiny by Madonna for illegally sampling her 1985 Desperately Seeking Susan soundtrack cut, “Into The Groove.”

As noted by Pop Crave, Madonna commented on Tory’s recent Instagram post, warning him to check his DMs. “Read your messages for illegal usage of my song get into the groove,” she wrote.

“Into The Groove,” which was written and produced by Madonna and Stephen Bray for the film Desperately Seeking Susan, appeared on the 1985 worldwide re-issue of Madonna’s second studio album, Like a Virgin. Meanwhile, “Pluto’s Last Comet,” which was produced by Chaz Jackson and Orlando Tha Great, interpolates the intro and instrumental loop from the upbeat dance song for Tory to deliver his take on a track you might find in The Weeknd’s sessions for After Party. Lanez hasn’t responded to Madonna’s comment, and Madonna herself has yet to release any official statement on whether or not she’s taking legal action. Historically, Madonna has been amenable to hip-hop samples of her hits, but usually artists and their producers have the good sense to clear the samples first.

2021’s Most-Liked Instagram Posts Were From Ariana Grande, Billie Eilish, And A Mermaid

by
Ariana Grande The Kelly Clarkson Show 2021
Getty Image

Musicians are major players in the realm of social media, and that remained true in 2021: A good chunk of the most-liked Instagram posts from the past year were by musicians or were music-related.

Ariana Grande has the top post among musicians and the second most-liked one overall, as a May 26 post featuring photos from her wedding with Dalton Gomez has over 26 million likes (according to Wikipedia, with data accurate as of December 23 and updated by Uproxx on December 27 for this post). It could be argued, though, that Billie Eilish actually fared better on the list: While the aforementioned Grande post is her only one in the top ten, Eilish has two posts on the list, the most among musicians. A post revealing her blonde hair ranks at No. 4 with 23 million likes and a photo from her Vogue photoshoot is No. 6 with 22.1 million likes.

Other musicians make cameos on the list as well. Kylie Jenner’s pregnancy announcement post from September, in which she tagged Travis Scott, is No. 3 with 24.6 million likes. Meanwhile, Iron Shore Mermaid, a professional mermaid performer, had a post in the top ten, a video set to The Kid Laroi and Justin Bieber’s “Stay.”

Cristiano Ronaldo and Georgina Rodriguez had the honor of having the year’s top post, as their pregnancy announcement racked up over 32 million likes since it was shared in late October. Meanwhile, Lionel Messi had three posts in the top ten, making him the person with the most top-ten posts this year.

In terms of the people involved, this year’s list looks similar to the 2020 ranks, as Ronaldo, Messi, Grande, and Jenner all had some of last year’s top posts, too.

Check out the top ten list of the year’s most-liked Instagram posts below.

1. Cristiano Ronaldo and Georgina Rodriguez — pregnancy announcement (October 28; 32.3 million likes)
2. Ariana Grande — photos from her wedding with Dalton Gomez (May 26; 26.7 million likes)
3. Kylie Jenner — second pregnancy announcement (September 8; 24.6 million likes)
4. Billie Eilish — blonde hair reveal (March 17; 23 million likes)
5. Lionel Messi — First post after signing with Paris Saint-Germain F.C. (August 11; 22.1 million likes)
6. Billie Eilish — Vogue photoshoot (May 2; 22.1 million likes)
7. Lionel Messi — photo with the Copa América trophy (July 11; 22 million likes)
8. Lionel Messi — post announcing his departure from Barcelona during a press conference (August 8; 21.2 million likes)
9. Mermaid Montana — Iron Shore Mermaid (August 18; 20.2 million likes)
10. Tom Holland — birthday post for Zendaya (September 1; 19.6 million likes)

Lizzo Threw A Karaoke Christmas Party And Went To Town Singing Eminem

by
lizzo-tf.jpg
Getty Image

No matter what you did on Christmas, can it top a karaoke party at Lizzo’s house? Sure, you might’ve had a golden glazed ham or a feast of seven fishes with the fam, but where does rank next to tequila shots and matching jammies with Lizzo? And even though Lizzo might’ve made herself up as a Christmas Grinch last week, she proved at her party that she’s more like the reformed version of the Grinch who gets down with all of Whoville in the end.

At Casa de Lizzo on Christmas night, the soon-to-be guest judge on RuPaul’s Drag Race hosted an intimate affair with friends and karaoke. In a video series that she posted on Instagram, she begins by singing Nat King Cole’s “The Christmas Song,” in front of a gigantic karaoke projector screen. She closes it out singing “Lose Yourself” by Eminem and she’s doing exactly that, belting the lyrics “Snap out to reality, oh there goes gravity!” with perhaps a few of those tequila shots in her system.

But midway through the Instagram post, we hear her singing a song called “Mrs. Grinch,” with lyrics that are a callback to the captions from the Grinch photoshoot that she posted last week. Some basic internet sleuthing, indicates that “Mrs. Grinch,” is actually a song by Shelby Swain, who has been Lizzo’s hairstylist for years. It’s definitely a Christmas banger and had we known about it earlier, it definitely would’ve been included in our roundup of “Best New Holiday Music That You’ll Actually Want To Listen To.”

Watch Lizzo’s Christmas karaoke party clips on Instagram above and listen to Shelby Swain’s “Mrs. Grinch” below.

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

Bad Bunny Helps Homer Win Marge Back In The ‘Simpsons’-Themed ‘Te Deseo Lo Mejor’ Video

by

Last year Bad Bunny was quite prolific, releasing not one, not two, but three albums. He kicked off the year with his second album, Yo Hago Lo Que Me Da La Gana in February, and followed that up a few months later with Las Que No Iban A Salir
as a surprise album in May, and finally finished off the year in December with his surprise third project, El Último Tour Del Mundo. That third project became the first Spanish-language album to ever top the Billboard lbums chart, following up Yo Hago Lo Que Me Da La Gana‘s positioning at No. 2 on the Billboard albums chart before that.

With that many albums out in one year, it’s no surprise that the Puerto Rican rapper, born Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, is still in the process of sharing videos from the projects with his fans. Yesterday, Ocasio dropped the “Te Deseo Lo Mejor” video, which was directed by David Silverman, the filmmaker behind The Simpsons Movie. In the clip, Homer is once again on the outs with his wife Marge, and wanders Springfield running into the Puerto Rican rapper (transformed into a Simpsons character, of course) several times, before stumbling into a Bad Bunny concert where, with Ocasio’s help, he wins Marge back. Check out the clip above.