Plenty of people making their way through the music industry have some family members who have already fared well in it. Among those is 15-year-old Grace Franklin, whose grandmother is the iconic Aretha Franklin. She auditioned for the current season of American Idol, but, despite her lineage, she did not make it past the audition stage.
In a pre-taped segment, Franklin said, “I feel like people expect me to sing exactly like her, but I am my own artist and I have my own voice.” She then got to showing off that voice with a rendition of Roberta Flack’s “Killing Me Softly” (inspired by the Lauryn Hill cover). While Lionel Richie was happily reminiscing about Aretha before Franklin sang, he commented on her perceived nervousness after the song. Meanwhile, Luke Bryan thought the performance was “sleepy and subdued” and Katy Perry called it “soft.”
Perry encouraged Franklin to take another crack at it, so she tried again with her grandmother’s “Ain’t No Way,” which she sang with more force than she used for “Killing Me Softly.” Perry was more receptive of that performance and so was Bryan, although he wasn’t completely swayed. Both Richie and Bryan encouraged Franklin to develop her voice more.
When it came time for the vote, Perry gave Franklin the go-ahead, while Richie and Bryan both passed, even after Perry’s fervent campaigning and playfully storming off set in disagreement.
Every second of a show’s season finale is precious, especially when it’s a show with such a jam-packed plot and massive audience like Euphoria. This is why watchers found it funny and a little weird that Dominic Fike, playing the role of Elliot, took up a whole scene performing a song.
When Rue (Zendaya’s character) visits Elliot, she’s coming to forgive him for snitching on her; his response is to play a song he wrote on acoustic guitar… for five whole minutes. The song, which remains untitled, is about creating distance from someone you care for with the hope that they’ll use the time to improve themselves and return as a better person.
While many fans were fawning over this emotional moment, most were posting memes to Twitter about how he was getting too much screen time for promoting his own music rather than being his actual character. (A lot of fans were also wondering what happened to the plotline with the suitcase…). All in all, the online conversation made Fike and other Euphoria-related keywords trending topics on Twitter.
sam levinson after leaving half the storylines this season unfinished while still managing to spend 3 whole minutes of the finale having dominic fike sing an original song unprompted pic.twitter.com/pTqKk0v8ZV
To be fair, Fike has previously said that his character Elliot is “exactly like me.” So maybe Elliot is just the type of guy to break out into song at the most inappropriate of times. You know the type. The situation, at least, provided a lot of meme content, so check out some more of that below.
They sacrificed Kat’s entire storyline for a 4 minute Dominic Fike spotify unplugged performance I’m gagging
Not Dominic Fike tryna plug his music career right now when all we want is to see Maddy beat Cassie’s ass after that perfect slap #Euphoriapic.twitter.com/MyEOy5ENva
Will Smith won the Screen Actors Guild award for Best Actor for his role as Richard Williams in the film King Richard. In a tearful speech, Smith highlighted the win as “one of the greatest moments” of his career and touched on what it meant to portray Williams.
“Richard Williams is a dreamer like no one you’ve ever known,” said Smith. “He has a power of belief that borders on insanity and sometimes tips over the border, which is absolutely necessary to take something from impossible to possible.”
In the win, Smith won over Andrew Garfield, Benedict Cumberbatch, Javier Bardem, and Denzel Washington. Speaking with PEOPLE, Smith highlighted special words he received from Washington in the recent time they have spent together. “This is your year,” Smith said Washington, his mentor, told him.
“He just hugged me and he said, ‘I’m so happy for you. Just love who you’re becoming,’” Smith said. “He knew me years ago, I would go to Denzel for advice so he’s seen me through the years and he was just telling me how proud he is of who I’ve become and what I’ve become. He was saying that he felt like a weight was lifted off of his shoulders somehow.”
Tonight is an important night for film and TV — it’s the 2022 SAG Awards. After the last several months of canceled events and virtual appearances, an in-person red carpet is a treat for stylists, who are back at work, and all the artists and creatives who are eager to celebrate their work together once more. Especially during a time when unease is spreading in other ways, due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, it’s a welcome distraction for some. However, plenty of other artists and actors are more than willing to show their support for the suffering of the people in Ukraine, and Lady Gaga is one of them.
Gaga is up for several nominations for her work as Patrizia Reggiani in her second starring role in a major feature film, House Of Gucci, but still had plenty of time to discuss foreign politics on the red carpet. When E! correspondent Laverne Cox approached Gaga about the event, her succinct response acknowledged both the impact of Covid-19, and the situation in eastern Europe. “What story are you telling us tonight with this gorgeous, gorgeous ensemble?” Cox asked.
“The story I’m telling is the truth, which is that I’m just really honored to be here,” Gaga said. “This is a beautiful night when we get to celebrate art together, and celebrate each other. There’s so much going on in the world, and my heart really goes out to Ukraine. I think tonight we should all sit in the gratitude of this.”
Meanwhile, Gaga stans are on the exact same page as Mother Monster:
Sorry about the lack of updates, got arrested at a #UkraineRussiaWar protest in Moscow
Who’s excited to see Lady Gaga tonight at the #SAGAwards?
What else should he be proud of achieving? Enlisting LCD Soundsystem as his guardian angels! Well, it was just for a sketch on the show, but the “Subway Churro” episode, which is, of course, also somehow a musical, casts Mulaney as a newsstand worker in a subway station. At one point, he adopts the stylings of Fiddler On The Roof to wax poetic on the joy of going off the grid, and as more characters emerge, LCD shows up as “Guardian Angels” a group who emerged in reaction to the lawless atmosphere in the New York subway during the ’80s. It’s a perfect casting choice for the rockers, and puts them at the center of one of the funniest sketches of the night. Check it out above.
Netflix has announced a premiere date for the final episodes of its hit show, Ozark.
The fourth and final season of the Emmy Award-nominated crime drama consists of 14 episodes that have been split across two parts, with each volume consisting of seven episodes.
The drama series’ final seven episodes will premiere on April 29th.
The first part of season four debuted at number one on the streaming platform with 77-million hours viewed in just three days.
Season Four Part One of Ozark followed Marty and Wendy Byrde, played by Jason Bateman and Laura Linney, working toward ending their family’s association with the Mexican cartel.
An ominous trailer on what’s to come was released by Netflix.
If you’ve been keeping up with Season 2 of Euphoria, you’ve probably been on that emotional roller coaster for the past few weeks. Since the start of the show, Euphoria has always been known for its stunning cinematography and innovative approach to music. Sam Levinson’s vision in each character for Season 2 wouldn’t have been possible without Labrinth’s innovative scoring, resulting in another successful season. The 33-year-old singer-songwriter-producer is known for his ability to span across hip-hop, R&B, gospel, among other genres, allowing him to innovate storytelling, giving each scene a unique moment of its own. Over the past two seasons, Labrinth’s thrilling score earned him a 2020 Emmy win for Outstanding Music and Lyrics for “All For Us” as well as a Music Composition for a Series nomination.
It only went up from there as Season 2’s record-breaking launch had the strongest digital premiere of any episode of an HBO series and dominated Billboard’s Top TV Songs chart. The hype for the show’s original music only grew stronger as Spotify streams on the official Euphoria score increased by 260 percent since the Season 2 premiere and with listeners creating more than 600,000 Euphoria-related playlists on Spotify. Surprisingly, the show’s capability to bring back older music and mix it with current artists elevated this season in a modern and fresh way, which was interesting to see Gen Z engage and revive these old hits on their TikTok videos. Levinson’s script seamlessly blends with Labrinth’s experimental approaches, bringing back the season that was worth the wait. From the montages to the intense plot lines we’ve seen with our favorite characters, here are the top ten iconic music moments that were as powerful as the characterizations and storylines.
Check out the unranked list of the best songs from Euphoria Season 2 below.
Notorious B.I.G. — “Hypnotize” (Episode 1)
The beginning of Season 2 lived up to what we were all waiting for…a lit party. The first episode brought back a series of hip-hop classics as it kicked off the high-energy NYE party, exposing a lot of new and continuing storylines like the Cassie-Nate-Maddy situation, the start of ‘Fexi,’ Rue meeting Elliot, and many others. Choosing this ’90s classic hit was on-point as it gave a hint of nostalgia, feeling like a memory of high school even though our parties looked nothing like it…
Laura Les — “Haunted” (Episode 2)
In an interview with Paper Magazine, Laura Les discussed the inspiration behind hyper-pop hit “Haunted” which is about “getting overwhelmed by a feeling and how it changes things around you.” For people that love Lexi and are 100 Gecs fans, this song caught fans by surprise as she threw in her headphones and blasted this song to pump herself up for her bike ride to Fez’s store. It was interesting choice as revealed more of Lexi’s unique personality and it was definitely one of her more relatable moments.
Bobby Darin — “Call Me Irresponsible” (Episode 3)
The lyrics of this timeless jazz song fits with Rue’s intention of not staying clean as she dances around her bedroom. Initially watching Rue’s blissful moment led up to showing the reality of how her choices will affect the people she loves and cares about the most. Zendaya told Decider: “Those moments remind us of why she does it in the first place… When we live inside of her brain that’s joyous and beautiful until we zoom out and remember what’s happening. There’s a very harsh reality to what’s happening to her. “
Townes Van Zandt — “I’ll Be Here In The Morning” (Episode 4)
Episode 4 starts with Rue’s love note to Jules — a visually stunning montage — portraying pop culture’s most iconic love stories and artwork – including Annie Leibovitz’s famous photo of John Lennon and Yoko Ono, Titanic, and Snow White. “I’ll Be Here In The Morning” flowing through the montage signifies Rue’s real love for Jules as she states: “This may be the greatest thing that’s ever happened to me.”
Labrinth — “I’m Tired” (Episode 4)
In a scene that was reminiscent of Rue’s overdose in the Season 1 finale, Rue continues her downward spiral, having a drug-induced hallucination of her own funeral, powerfully executed with Labrinth’s gospel-inspired vocals. Labrinth’s “I’m Tired” lyrics correlate with Rue and her journey with substance-abuse as this scene almost feels close to horrible, inevitable consequences. This ethereal scene was beautifully crafted as it constantly switched between Rue embracing Labrinth and her father, depicting how much the loss of Rue’s father has affected her.
Labrinth — “Left Behind” (Episode 4)
Even though this song isn’t officially released yet, I had to include this. After Cal’s confrontation to his family, the sequence at the end of Episode 4 showed the lowest points of all the characters. While we see Cassie feeling trapped, and the state of Kat and Ethan’s relationship, Rue’s narration returns, continuing her love note to Jules from the beginning of the episode. Creator Sam Levinson told Vanity Fair the visuals throughout the sequence was inspired by “Mexican murals from the turn of the century.” Once again, this proved that a Levinson/Labrinth collab always delivers as a masterpiece.
Labrinth — “Yeh I F*ckin’ Did It” (Episode 5)
This was where fans called for Zendaya to win another Emmy after her incredible performance. Even though it was devastating to see Rue hitting rock bottom, the overall episode stood out and further pushed boundaries from anything else on TV right now. Adding Labrinth’s single “Yeh I F*ckin’ Did It” had all of us at the edge of our seats as it added to the feelings of Rue’s helplessness and anxiety. At this point, we are patiently waiting for another Labrinth album.
INXS — “Never Tear Us Apart” (Episode 3)
We finally see Cal’s backstory in this season which reveals his secret relationship with his best friend Derek. INXS’s “Never Tear Us Apart” describes that instant connection with two people which further represents the significance of Cal and Derek’s story and how it’s affected him over the years.
Tove Lo — “How Long” (Episode 4)
Tove Lo’s featured track “How Long” is about love, denial, and betrayal. Season 2’s ongoing theme in our favorite friendships and relationships revolves around secrets. Whether it’s Rue and Jules’ relationship or Cassie/Nate/Maddie love triangle, this song perfectly depicts the good and bad of keeping secrets from the people you love and care about the most.
James Blake — “(Pick Me Up) Euphoria” Feat. Labrinth (Episode 4)
The collaborative “(Pick Me Up) Euphoria” track is unique in its own way as it relates to every character. Lyrics including “no control,” “escape,” and “sweet relief” are expressed through dissonant pitches and Blake’s falsetto, reflecting the different emotional extremes that we see each character throughout the show.
All in all, there were definitely more notable moments throughout the season that were done effortlessly. Labrinth previously stated, “Euphoria gave me the freedom to be whatever artist I want to be.” From the innovative music and cinematography to the revival of old classics, Euphoria is crafted from pure inspiration. Check out the full playlist below.
Some of the artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
Last week, the conflict between Russia and Ukraine reached a fever pitch when the former launched a “full-scale invasion” into the neighboring country. President Vladimir Putin might have believed that invading the nation would be an easy feat, but that has not been the case, as Russian soldiers have been met with strong resistance. Ukraine has made it clear that they won’t go out without a fight and the country’s president Volodymyr Zelenskyy is leading the charge on that front, having chosen to fight with his people instead of escaping.
The support for Ukraine has been strong. One example was on full display during last night’s episode of Saturday Night Live. Rather than their usual comedic cold open, the cast and crew of SNL welcomed the Ukrainian Chorus Dumka Of New York to begin the show. Following an introduction by SNL cast members Kate McKinnon and Cecily Strong, the choir sang “Prayer for Ukraine.” The chorus also performed in front of a table with candles that spelled out “Kyiv,” Ukraine’s capital.
The somber cold open was reminiscent of the first SNL episode, which also featured little in the way of humor, following the September 11 terrorist attacks back in 2001.
As Black History Month comes to a close, the 2022 NAACP Image Awards cap off a month celebrating black contributions to society. After the ceremony on Saturday, February 26, the celebrating will continue in a big way with DJ Cassidy’s special Reggae edition of Pass The Mic following the 53rd NAACP Image Awards. The special, DJ Cassidy’s Pass The Mic: BET Afterparty 2022, brings together Reggae and dancehall icons, celebrating Reggae’s influence on hip-hop and global culture.
DJ Cassidy sat down with The Source to talk about the show, whose lineup includes artists such as Shaggy, Maxi Priest, Super Cat, Barrington Levy, Ini Kamoze, Sister Nancy, Junior Reid, Patra, and more.
The inspiration for the show came from his past experience DJing, the overwhelming success of Pass the Mic, and his passion for a wide variety of musical genres.
He describes how the overwhelming emotional response to the first Pass the Mic in July 2020 inspired him to continue and he immediately began envisioning future installments of the concept.
“Looking back, I see now that each vision was a derivative of my former record crates that I carried to each deejay gig around the world,” he explains. “Before technology changed the game, I loaded six to eight one hundred pound steel cases that each held about 100 pieces of vinyl into every New York City taxi and onto every airplane. I categorized each crate by some form genre or era of music. From the very beginning of my Pass The Mic journey, I dreamed about a Reggae edition, a manifestation of that coveted Reggae record crate. As a hip-hop kid growing up in New York City, incorporating Reggae into my deejay sets was second nature. Dancehall stars were also hip-hop stars.”
He explains how when he first began conceptualizing this edition, he “wanted to represent those iconic dancehall records that played a special role in that crate, in my repertoire, and in my life in general.”
He also emphasizes how he really wanted to represent the various diverse facets of Reggae music, unbound by era, year, or decade, stating that “each of the sixteen songs featured on this show not only holds a special place in my heart, but holds a special place in the history of Reggae music and its massive influence on hip-hop, R&B, and pop music. Some dominated the hip-hop airwaves of radio stations like Hot 97 in the 1990s, while others topped the Billboard Pop Charts in the 1980s. Some fused with R&B and achieved massive commercial success, while others remain the most sampled songs of all times. Simply put, each of these records changed the game.”
While the show will definitely have many of the Pass the Mic trademark staples, Cassidy is also quick to note that viewers are in for a special treat with some of the differences that this show promises.
“Sixteen iconic records are featured in this show, more records on one show than ever before,” he explains. “There were simply so many definitive songs I wanted to celebrate. This edition brings the rapid-fire pace of Pass the Mic to new heights.
Cassidy has also partnered with some major industry names to make the upcoming show a success. In addition to superstar television producer, Jesse Collins (who recently produced the iconic hip-hop Superbowl Halftime show) and legendary music impresario, Steve Rifkind (founder of Loud and SRC Records), Cassidy partnered with renowned Reggae renaissance woman Sharon Burke and her team of Judth Bodley and Debrina Smith. “As a producer, promoter, and manager, Sharon has been at the helm of countless iconic Reggae moments over a span of decades. I knew that with her by my side, we would create something truly special that would go down in music history”, says Cassidy.
As for the future, Cassidy has no plans to limit his Pass the Mic experience to the western hemisphere, especially since over the course of the first eight editions of Pass the Mic, one of his signature catchphrases has become, “passing the mic all over the world.”
“Through Pass The Mic, I’ve always sought to create global connections between artists and fans and build bridges between both genres and viewers. Never has that mission been more fulfilled than in this installment,” he says of the upcoming performance.
“Witnessing the massive global response that Pass The Mic: Volume One and Pass The Mic: Volume Two received, I was overwhelmed by the international influence of classic hip-hop and R&B,” he says. “I always sought for the series to connect people musically on an international level, and no edition represents that mission more effectively than this upcoming special. In the future, as Pass the Mic continues to grow both on television, the stage, and beyond, I hope to constantly expand on that mission. As Afrobeat and Reggaeton’s cultural influence continues to explode, I would love to pass the mic to the icons, past, present, and future, that shaped their global impact. During President Biden’s televised Inauguration, I passed the mic to Ozuna and Luis Fonsi in front of 40 million viewers with two records that dominated global music charts, “Taki Taki” and “Despacito.” The sky’s the limit. I’d also love to celebrate Brazilian music and pass the mic to one of my greatest musical heroes, Sergio Mendes.”
He concludes by saying that “at the end of the day, no matter the category, genre, or era of music, each installment of Pass The Mic celebrates the greatest artists and greatest songs of all time by connecting those artists to their fans in a more intimate way than ever before.”
An era came to an end recently when after 25 years on the air, the series finale of beloved children’s show Arthur aired last week. The long-running cartoon has been a major part of meme culture in recent years, including the idea that John Legend bears a striking resemblance to the animated titular aardvark. Now, that situation could actually come full circle: In a new interview, Marc Brown, who created the Arthur show and wrote the books it’s based on, noted an Arthur movie “might” be the in the works, and furthermore, it seems he’d really like Legend to be involved.
Brown said:
“My son Tolon has been a producer on the show almost since it started, and he’s working with me, as Peter Hirsch is, on this new show Hop. But he had this idea several years ago about wouldn’t it be interesting to do a live-action version of Arthur. I couldn’t wrap my head around it completely, but it’s an intriguing thought. There might be a feature film in the works soon, too, about Arthur. I’m so excited [laughs]. There was one maybe 15 years ago, and the right people weren’t coming together, so I pulled the plug on it. But now, we’ve got a great idea. I think it’s going to be intriguing for kids. It’s going to be helpful to kids. The subject matter is very timely, and maybe there is even a really interesting person involved… I mean, if I could pick one person I would love to be a part of this project, it might be John Legend.”
He also referenced Legend earlier in the interview when answering a question about the series finale being for both kids today and the now-adults who grew up with Arthur, saying, “I was really happy because I mean, I see myself as Arthur a lot. Sorry, John Legend. We’re going to have to share him here [laughs]. You know, he’s a lot of me when I was in third grade. And I think if I were in third grade now and I was thinking about a career, a graphic novelist made sense. It put my loves together: telling stories, being an artist, and using pictures. So I was really happy that Peter [Hirsch, a writer on Arthur] came up with that idea. It felt right to me.”
Legend hasn’t shied away from the Arthur comparisons and has in fact embraced them, like in a 2018 Google ad when he donned a full Arthur outfit and even re-created the Arthur’s fist meme.
(@itseIishabitch) 
