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06 Jan 2023

Damar Hamlin Awakens, Shows “Substantial Improvement”

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Buffalo Bills v Jacksonville Jaguars

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The Buffalo Bills issued a statement on the condition of Damar Hamlin, citing doctors who state that he’s improving remarkably since suffering cardiac arrest during a game on Monday night (Jan.3rd).

Days after suffering cardiac arrest on the field during the Monday Night Football game against the Cincinnati Bengals on ESPN, Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin is beginning to awaken in his recovery. Doctors at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center also announced that Hamlin was beginning to move his hands and feet.

Dr. Timothy Pritts addressed the media along with his colleague, Dr. William Knight IV on Thursday (Jan. 5th). They confirmed that Hamlin was unable to speak, but was able to communicate by writing. Dr. Pritts said that Hamlin wrote a note asking who won the game on Monday night. “The answer is yes, Damar, you won. You won the game of life,” Pritts stated. He continued by saying that the 24-year-old, who was sedated and intubated upon his arrival at the hospital, had also shown some more positive signs by moving his head although they were unable to analyze his speech due to the breathing tube.

Dr. Knight credited the swift response of medical personnel on the field after Hamlin’s cardiac arrest as a factor in his neurological improvement, saying that a physician was by his side within a minute of his collapse.  “When we talk about neurologically intact, it’s a very gross term of big motor movements and following commands,” Knight said. Dr. Pritts continued: “So, we know that it’s not only that the lights are on, we know that he’s home. And that it appears all cylinders are firing within his brain.”

Dr. Pritts did state that Hamlin is still considered critically ill even with the marked improvements, cautioning that there are many phases to his recovery ahead of him. Their aim is to get him home and observe how he recovers. The medical team didn’t offer any more insight into what caused Hamlin to suffer cardiac arrest during the game. Dr. Knight also stated that it was too early to estimate whether Hamlin could return to football after a process of rehabilitation.

That improvement continued on Friday morning (Jan. 6th) as the Bills issued another statement through social media saying that Hamlin’s breathing tube was removed successfully overnight.

06 Jan 2023

Colin Farrell Teases Big Things For ‘The Penguin’ Series On HBO Max

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Academy Of Motion Picture Arts And Sciences 13th Governors Awards

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Matt Reeves’ The Batman was the surprise hit of 2022 and with rumors that James Gunn plans on integrating the character in his new vision for the DCU, Colin Farrell might’ve added more fuel to that fire with his recent comments on his villainous character, The Penguin.

According to Variety, Colin Farrell opened up about the future of The Penguin who’s slated to have his own spinoff series on HBO Max, and from the sounds of things, the classic Batman villain won’t be going away anytime soon. In fact, we may be seeing a lot more of one Oswald Chesterfield Cobblepot.

While attending the Palm Springs International Film Festival Awards Gala Thursday night (Jan. 5), the Golden Globe Award-winning actor admitted he didn’t think The Penguin would end up getting his own show, but now that he has, we can expect more to come in the foreseeable future.

“The only thing I had an idea was that I wasn’t nearly getting to explore the character as much as I wanted to,” Farrell said on the red carpet. “Because there was all this extraordinary work done by [makeup artists] Mike Marino and Mike Fontaine and his team, and I just thought it was the tip of the iceberg, pardon the pun, that we were getting to do the six or seven scenes that we did in the film. I was grateful for them, but I wanted more.”

And indeed he got more as HBO Max has ordered the spinoff series which will explore The Penguin’s rise to crime boss of Gotham City. As to whether or not he’ll continue to play the character in Matt Reeves’ The Batman 2, that’s up in the air as of now as no leaks or rumors about where they intend to go with the character have been revealed.

It will be interesting to see how Gunn plans on moving forward with the Batman world that Reeves has established and how it plays into his bigger reboot of the struggling DCU after angering fans with the news that Henry Cavill is out as Superman just weeks after Cavill announced that he’d return for Man of Steel 2.

Meanwhile, rumors have been circling that Warner Bros. may indeed bring back the controversial Ezra Miller as The Flash even though he’s been involved in all kinds of bar fights and even allegedly grooming minors in the past few years alone. For the record, no one would shed a tear if Miller was let go as The Flash as his performance as the lightning quick superhero left much to be desired. No shots.

What would y’all like to see from Matt Reeves’ The Batman franchise? Should characters like The Penguin and Catwoman continue to get more burn in the DCU? Let us know in the comments section below.

06 Jan 2023

First Spin: The Week’s Best New Dance Tracks From Tiësto, Skrillex & More

And we’re back, baby. As we ease into the new year, the dance world is coming hot out the gates with a week of action dominated by the Return of Skrillex via a pair of new tracks (more on that below) and the announcement of his first solo album in nine (NINE!) years. The one and only Sonny Moore also played a very hot, extremely sold out b2b2b last night in London with fellow greats Fred again.. and Four Tet.

Beyond that — there is, of course, always new music. Ready for 2023? Let’s dig in.

Tiësto, “Lay Low”

While most tech house producers mine ‘90s and 2000s R&B hits to craft killer club hooks, Dutch hero Tiêsto digs into the amber-hued harmonies of the ‘60s to bring a haunting bit of bass-driven atmosphere. “Lay Low” is both fiercely modern and nostalgic, pitting a deep vocoder against an angelic chorus that feels reminiscent of The Mamas & The Papas. It’s a song about having “a real good time” set in a minor key, pulling at your heartstrings while encouraging you to close your eyes and get lost on the dancefloor. It’s a real winter mood to kick off Tiësto’s 2023. Let it warm you to the bone. – KAT BEIN

Skrillex, “Way Back”

We’ve gotten more solo Skrillex action in the past seven days than the past few years combined, with the producer announcing his forthcoming album project on New Year’s Day, then stoking the fires of internet hype by following that news with the new Fred again.. and Flowdan collab “Rumble,” then a b2b2b set in London with Fred and former collaborator Four Tet. And now, we have another new single: “Way Back.” Clearly extremely comfortable working with collaborators, the track unites Skrill with viral electro-pop phenomenon PinkPantheress and star rapper Trippie Redd. But whereas “Rumble” explored the murkiest realms of the low end, this one is nearly effervescent, with a bouncy production evoking D&B and finishing with a warm sax solo that once again demonstrates there’s little Skrillex can’t do. — KATIE BAIN

Alex Lustig feat. Sølv, “Fade”

Alex Lustig had a pretty eventful 2022: Beyond releasing his debut album Fate, he co-produced tracks for Lil Wayne (“Anti-Hero” feat. Lil Tecca) and Gunna (“idk that b*tch” feat. G Herbo). He also helped guide Drake through his full-length dance-floor detour, Honestly, Nevermind, by co-producing five of the LP’s tracks, such as the Ibiza-transporting “Falling Back” and “Overdrive.” 

For now, though, Lustig is ready to reassume his place in the spotlight. The Toronto-based producer has released a new single, “Fade,” as the first taste of his forthcoming album Fate (B-Sides). “Fade,” which features London singer Sølv, is slightly more upbeat than his usual fare, but it’s still the kind of music you want soundtracking a 2:00 a.m. joyride to clear your head: deep and driving, with atmospheric synths and elegantly enveloping bass that flip the haziness of your mind into a vibe.

“’I love warm analog pads,” says Lustig. “My goal is to always add depth to whatever sound I’m trying to create, to get lost in that world. ‘Fade’ is an introspective glimpse into the insecurities of a relationship and the way love makes you vulnerable. It encompasses the duality of fear and faith, two polar opposites which are both experienced simultaneously when you open your heart.” — KRYSTAL RODRIGUEZ

Buy Now x PARISI, “Church”

Last year Steve Angello and Sebastian Ingrosso quietly relaunched their house/techno project Buy Now, which existed as Swedish House Mafia was forming back in 2008. Amidst The Great Swedish House Mafia Comeback of 2022, the duo also delivered some genuine Buy Now heat, most notably with the bright-as-hell, sleek-as-chrome Salvatore Ganacci house collab “Let You Do This.” Angello and Ingrosso this week get much darker with the techno-leaning single “Church,” a hypnotic four minutes of kick drum, looped vocal samples and some laser-like synths that altogether evoke 3:00 a.m. on a pitch dark dancefloor — indeed, a place so many of us go to worship. — K. Bain

RuPaul, “Black Butta”

Racers, start your engines: alongside a new season of RuPaul’s Drag Race, RuPaul is back with a new album, Black Butta. As previous singles “Show Me That You Festive,” “Star Baby” and “A.S.M.R Lover” show, Black Butta is a runway-ready, pop-R&B-dance confection coated in pastels and affirmations. (House fans especially will notice prolific producer Eric Kupper’s feature on closer “Courage to Love.”) Beyond the LP’s catchy lyrics and uplifting piano-house melodies, its title track trades in the runway for more rave-inspired sounds with a dreamy, drummy, bass-heavy ode to a hottie at the club: “gifted, slim, thick, thin waist, still got thickness, so blessed,” Ru sing-speaks. “Oh my gosh,” indeed. — K.R.

Manila Killa Feat. Nevve, “Everyday, Everyday” (Live Edit)

The start of a new year is the perfect time for forging ahead with new plans, but it’s also a great time to reflect on the past. After all, how can you know where you’re going if you don’t take stock of where you’ve been? At the turn of this fresh start, Manila Killa takes a moment to celebrate his own past with the official release of a live edit that’s been central to his career so far. 

“Five years ago, I put out a little song called ‘Everyday, Everyday’ featuring Nevve. It changed my life,” Manila Killa says on Twitter. “I decided to make a live [edit] of it that I’ve been playing out over the last year, and it’s finally coming out. So, so excited for you to have this!!”

The original is light and sweet, with hard-hitting synth drums and neon sounds, but the live edit wrings out every last drop of emotional weight from Nevve’s vocals with a slowed-down tempo, half-time beat and acoustic piano intro. It’s still got all the hands-in-the-air grandiosity fans know and love. It’s just even more epic and cinematic. Use it to soundtrack your own fresh start in 2023. – K. Bein

06 Jan 2023

Rep. Cori Bush Says GOP Is Pushing Token Black For Speaker Role

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House Freshmen Representatives Meet On Front Steps Of Capitol Building

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Rep. Cori Bush is currently making waves in the U.S. House of Reprensativies amid the ongoing debacle that is the Speak of the House selection process. After Rep. Kevin McCarthy repeatedly failed to gain support from his Republican Party cohorts, Bush claims that a Black Republican congressman is being used as a “prop” by the MAGA faction of the party.

Rep. Cori Bush, 46, is one of the rising star members of Congress after assuming office back in 2021 and is known for her outspoken views and unwavering critique of the GOP. The Democratic Party congresswoman fired a shot toward the opposing party after McCarthy failed yet again to assume the Speaker role due to some fringe members of the Republican Party withholding their vote over dissatisfaction with some of his positions.

Bush took to Twitter to blast Republican Congress members for attempting to push a Black candidate among its ranks for the Speaker role in Rep. Byron Donalds. In the tweet, Bush wrote, “FWIW, @ByronDonalds is not a historic candidate for Speaker. He is a prop. Despite being Black, he supports a policy agenda intent on upholding and perpetuating white supremacy.”

Bush continued with, “His name being in the mix is not progress—it’s pathetic.”

Donalds’ little feelings were hurt and tweeted back, “FWIW, nobody asked @CoriBush her opinion on the matter. Before you judge my agenda, let’s have a debate over the policies and the outcomes. Until then, don’t be a crab in a barrel!”

Rep. Dan Bishop, getting in the middle of Black people’s business uninvited, called Bush racist for her jab at Donalds.

And as of this writing, Rep. McCarthy is still not the Speaker of the House.

—

Photo: Getty

06 Jan 2023

How SZA’s ‘S.O.S.’ Cut Through the Holiday Noise to Rule the Charts

The holiday season is usually a wash when it comes to new music releases: the charts are dominated by the likes of Brenda Lee, Mariah Carey, Michael Bublé and Bing Crosby, and carols are dominating the radio on just about every channel. But this year has been different: while the top 10 of the Hot 100 has been full of the usual suspects, the Billboard 200 has been dominated by SZA’s S.O.S., the first album by the alt-R&B singer/songwriter in five years that roared out of the gate upon its Dec. 9 release with the fifth-biggest debut of 2022 and that has ruled the Billboard 200 for three straight weeks, bridging the gap between the holiday season and the opening of 2023. (And the Hot 100 found room for 20 songs from the album for good measure.)

The success of that release has been no accident. SZA’s fans have been patiently — or not so patiently — waiting for the follow up to her critically and culturally acclaimed 2017 album CTRL for years and, over the course of 2022, have been eating up each single that SZA has released, with “I Hate U,” “Shirt” and, lately, “Kill Bill” all seeing huge success not just at streaming but also at radio as the release date crept nearer. And the payoff was worth it: S.O.S. is now the first R&B album by a woman to spend three weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 in a decade, since Beyoncé’s self-titled album accomplished that feat in 2013. And it helps make TDE president Terrence “Punch” Henderson Billboard’s Executive of the Week.

Here, Punch breaks down the rollout of the album, the way that both RCA and TDE helped build anticipation for the release and how the quality of SZA’s music helped push a hotly-anticipated album into commercially-successful and universally-acclaimed territory once again. “S.O.S. is what the fans have been waiting on and they’ve shown that. It’s been so much love and support since it dropped,” he says. “But it literally takes an army to make this whole thing work. It starts with SZA — she wrote and sang these songs with her whole heart and mind and soul and pain and life and her whole being. She put everything she had into it.”

This week, SZA’s S.O.S. spent its third week at No. 1 on the Billboard 200. What key decisions did you make to help make that happen?

The key decisions were picking the songs and literally putting them out. The people have been waiting for SZA’s next offering for a long time. It takes time to create quality art that will last and really stand the test of time. That’s what we aim to do every time. Once it got to a comfortable space, we put it out and the people responded.

It’s been more than five years since SZA’s last album. How did you roll this out differently, with how much things have changed in that time?

Everything is the rollout. Every time we drop a single we attach another record to it just to keep people engulfed in what’s to come next. That’s something we’ve been doing since 2014. Once we got the album concepts pretty much locked in, I wanted to start sending out some clues for the core fan base. So we loaded the “Shirt” visual with a bunch of bread crumbs hinting at what’s to come. Then the Morse Code thing to further the conversations surrounding the album. Mix that with the amazing promo videos that SZA shot, and it was a good recipe. Even the spats online. Though they be real — and a bit out of context [Laughs] — it’s still all about the conversation surrounding the album.

December is traditionally a tough month to release an album, given the holiday music that often dominates. How did you set this up before its release to help it cut through the holiday noise?

There was talk of possibly pushing to January for that very reason. But personally, I’m not scared of the holiday season at all. To me, if everyone is thinking the same thing about NOT dropping during the holidays, that just means it’s wide open. [Laughs] We dropped “Good Days” on Christmas! The main issue was radio during that time, but with streaming it’s different; you don’t have to wait on programming, etc. The furthest I would’ve pushed it to was Dec. 30th. And that’s because it was mentioned in Billboard that we were dropping in December. Once a date is said, I’m sticking to it.

“I Hate U,” “Shirt” and “Kill Bill” all succeeded on both streaming and on radio. What did you do to help those songs cut through?

Again, the main thing we can do is provide the music. It does what it does after that. The streaming team and radio team do a great job at pushing the records, but they need the records first.

How have you been able to keep the album’s momentum going through the New Year and keep it atop the charts?

Most of the work comes in the setup and it carries over from there. First, you have to have great records and then you have to know where you can get the records from. You have to know that the album is out. [RCA execs] Zay [Isiaih Bonds] and Tío Matty [Matt Bernal] have to be engaging the DSPs. Jordan [Blaugrund] has to have a sales strategy. Baby Sam [Selolwane], Keith [Rothschild], LG [Lori Giamela] and Inca [Kevin Valentini] have to be on the phones with radio people. Camille [Yorrick] need to be speaking to directors and producers to make sure we good to shoot visuals through the holiday season. Ashley [Monae] has to be on with photographers and videographers and BTS people to make sure the images are right for exclusives, etc. I know it’s a ton of people I’m missing who played a role in this, but all of these things and people were in place to deliver the record.

S.O.S. is the first R&B album by a woman to spend three weeks at No. 1 in a decade, since Beyoncé’s self-titled project in 2013. It also had the fifth-biggest debut week of all of 2022. What is it about her, and this project, that have made those stats a reality?

S.O.S. is what the fans have been waiting on and they’ve shown that. It’s been so much love and support since it dropped. But it literally takes an army to make this whole thing work. It starts with SZA — she wrote and sang these songs with her whole heart and mind and soul and pain and life and her whole being. She put everything she had into it. Then you have all of the producers involved laying the soundscape. You have MeLisa Heath on the management side of things making sure everything is streamlined and running how it’s supposed to run. The whole TDE staff and the whole RCA staff on the front lines. The executive branch with [RCA’s] Peter [Edge] and Fleck [John Fleckenstein], Top [Dawg] and myself. Miss Carolyn [Williams] overseeing everything. Theola [Borden] overseeing press and TV, etc. And the fans. It literally takes an army of people. It’s also a full circle moment being that Beyoncé was the first person of that caliber to reach out to SZA and have her come in to work. Now to be mentioned in the same breath as her is truly amazing.

06 Jan 2023

Watch BLACKPINK Run Through Born Pink World Tour Rehearsals in ‘Born Pink Memories’

2022 is over, but BLACKPINK is continuing to share the biggest and brightest highlights of the past year through the group’s “Born Pink Memories” video series, with the newest episode premiering on Friday (Jan. 6).

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This sixth installment sees members Jennie, Jisoo, Lisa and Rosé kicking off a series of promotional events to support the release of Born Pink in the United States. The visual starts with the quartet touching down in Los Angeles for Spotify and BLACKPINK present Born Pink: The Pop-Up Experience, and concludes with the girls in the beginning stages of the Born Pink World Tour rehearsals, which, in this latest installment, are now in full swing.

Rosé is the the first up in solo practice, and plans out dance moves and vocals for her tracks “Hard to Love” and “On the Ground,” but perfection does not come easy. “I think you need to arrive earlier and you can take your time,” she directs her dancers. The notes pay off by the end, as Rosé later tells the group, “I think this looks better, I think we’re OK.”

Jennie and her dance for “You and Me” also goes fairly well, but she also has notes of her own. “It’s definitely better here,” she tells choreographers. “For the beginning, having three is better.”

After Lisa’s solo rehearsal, which sees her hopping on a pole for “Lalisa” — “It’s been a year since I grabbed these poles for the last time … we didn’t see each other for a while and now we’re reunited” — group rehearsal then take place, with the girls gathering as a group to practice. The main event — concert day — finally kicks off, and the K-pop group has everything polished for fans to witness and marvel at.

Watch the new installment of “Born Pink Memories” in the video above.

06 Jan 2023

Taylor Swift Confirms Eras Tour Rehearsals Are Underway & Fans Have Some Thoughts

It’s happening, Swifties. It’s really happening. Taylor Swift recently confirmed that rehearsals for her highly anticipated Eras Tour, which kicks off this March, have officially begun.

“It’s me! Hi!” the 33-year-old pop star wrote on her Instagram Story Thursday (Jan. 5), referencing her No. 1 single “Anti-Hero.” “I’m taking a break from tour rehearsal to tell you…”

Swift went on to promote her 12-hour flash sale of exclusive digital copies of Midnights, which included bonus “behind the song” material for four of the album’s tracks. The sale has since ended, but that’s not the part that caught Swifties’ eyes.

“I knew taylor was in tour rehearsals but her TELLING US just makes it feel even more real,” tweeted one of the many Swifties who caught on to that part of the “All Too Well” singer’s message.

“taylor saying the words tour rehearsal alone it’s all starting to feel real we literally see taylor in 2 and a half months,” wrote another.

The Eras Tour will mark Swift’s first tour in about five years, her last trek being 2018’s Reputation Tour. Since then, she’s released four new albums (Lover, Folklore, Evermore and Midnights) and two re-recorded albums (Fearless and Red), making the 11-time Grammy winner’s return to live performance one of the biggest tickets in show business this decade.

So big, in fact, that the fan presale for Eras Tour crashed Ticketmaster’s website after millions signed on to purchase tickets. The level of demand led to the cancelation of the general sale, a public statement made by Swift against Ticketmaster, and lawsuits leveraged by disgruntled Swifties against the ticketing company.

Meanwhile, Dylan O’Brien — Swift’s friend and the star of her All Too Well short film — could serve as a choreography consultant for the Eras Tour backup dancers, if a new TikTok is any indication. The 31-year-old actor appeared expertly dancing alongside the Knicks City Dancers in a video on their account, which captioned the clip, “We’ll remember this all too well.”

Check out some of the fan reaction to Taylor Swift saying she’s rehearsing for tour:

06 Jan 2023

Dolly Parton Honors Leslie Jordan During a Surprise Appearance on ‘Call Me Kat’

Dolly Parton honored her friend, the late actor-comedian Leslie Jordan, by making a surprise appearance on the television series Call Me Kat — on which Jordan co-starred — on Thursday (Jan. 5).

The country icon spoke to Jordan during her pre-taped message, which introduced a collection of the actor’s most memorable moments on the Fox comedy that stars Mayim Bialik as Kat.

According to TV Line, Parton began her message by singing a portion of “Where the Soul Never Dies,” which the show tweeted a brief clip of.

“I know usually at a memorial people talk about somebody. Well, I’m going to talk to you, because there is that place on the other side and I’m certainly going to see you there, little brother,” she then said. “You left a lot of people here with a lot of precious, precious memories. Everybody loved you, but I doubt many of them loved you more than I did. I just want you to know that we all love you.”

“We all miss you, and I bet you’re having a big laugh over all of us being sad and sorrowful, and I know that would be the last thing you would want us to be.”

“You made us happy while you were here and we’re happy that you’re at peace,” she added. “I just want you to know that I will always love you. Goodbye, my sweet Leslie. See you over there.” Parton ended by singing a bit of her hit “I Will Always Love You.”

In 2021, the actor-singer released the album Company’s Comin’, which featured a collaboration with Parton on “Where the Soul Never Dies.”

Jordan died Oct. 24, 2022, at age 67, following a car accident in Hollywood, Calif. He was known for his work on shows including Call Me Kat, Will & Grace, The Cool Kids, and The Book of Queer.

See Call Me Kat‘s brief Twitter clip of the tribute:

06 Jan 2023

North West Transforms Into Dad Kanye West in a TikTok With Kim Kardashian

It’s been a while since Kim Kardashian and Kanye West have been publicly spotted together, and considering the rapper’s recent, repeated antisemitic hate speech and his criticizing the reality star on her parenting, that probably won’t change anytime soon. But in a new TikTok shared by the Skims founder with their 9-year-old daughter North, fans got the next best thing.

In a Friday (Jan. 6) video posted on the mom-and-daughter duo’s shared account, Kim looks glamorous as ever standing behind her eldest child, draping an arm lovingly around her firstborn. North, however, looks less like the little girl and more like — no, almost exactly like — her father, thanks to an oversized hoodie, knit beanie and special effects makeup.

Channeling Ye’s intimidating signature death stare, North faces the camera with eyebrows thickened by makeup, a faux goatee and an artificial hairline drawn on her forehead to match her dad’s. She and her mom vibe to West’s 2013 track “Bound 2,” the words “Bound Baby” written in black text on the video.

Fans have long pointed out how similar North looks to the “Donda” rapper, but the little girl’s latest TikTok takes things to a whole new level. The comments under the video are disabled, but many fans have taken to Twitter to share their disbelief over the uncanny resemblance.

“This is kinda freaking me out a lil..,” wrote one person who shared Kim and North’s video.

“I’m deceased,” tweeted another. “North is really Kanye’s twin.”

The new clip comes shortly after Kardashian and North posted a separate TikTok that shocked fans for an entirely different reason. The duo filmed themselves having a dance party to “Shake It Off” by Taylor Swift, with whom Ye has long been feuding.

Check out Kim Kardashian’s TikTok with Kanye North West below:

06 Jan 2023

‘Not Dissimilar to Hysterical Fans at a Boy Band Concert’: Inside the Skrillex, Four Tet & Fred again.. Set Last Night in London

Entering London’s evocative Electric Ballroom last night (Jan. 5), we surpassed a queue snaking down two blocks of Camden High Street. The space, which opened in 1978 and typically hosts live acts, suited the surprise event surprisingly well. Perched on the balcony above, we had a clear view to overlook the interaction between the three rather unexpected friends on the bill: Skrillex, Four Tet and Fred again...

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We arrived at 9 p.m. and the crowd was already oozing peak-time enthusiasm. The excitement was obvious, and rightly so — the show had sold out within 10 minutes of being announced via the artists’ Instagram stories hours before the show. (Rather adorably, Fred also posted a story of himself slipping into Skrillex’s hotel yesterday and waking up the sleeping producer, who’d just arrived from L.A., so he could get up and post the event to his own IG.)

There was no support act last night, just a four hour back-to-back between the three artists. Together, the trio have a web of collaborations between them — with U.K. master Four Tet working on Fred again..’s June 2022 track “Jungle” and the 2021 Skrillex and Starrah collab “Butterflies,” and the dance scene’s premier ascendent star Fred collaborating with Skrillex on “Rumble,” released the day before the show (Jan. 5) as the Skrillex hype machine fires to life ahead of his forthcoming album.

Last night, the collision of the three artists’ styles was apparent from the jump; throughout the night you could confidently guess who was behind the selection of each track.

The hosts regularly interacted with the eager, Thursday night crowd, checking in by throwing a singular cordless mic between each other. At one point, Fred jumped on to the mic to ask, “Do you all have enough room to dance?” His rhetorical question was answered by squeals and screams — not dissimilar to hysterical fans at a boy band concert. The sea of people rippled as one, as people stayed put on the dancefloor for the entire set.

At around 9.30pm, a vocal from Disney’s Frozen‘s famous “Let It Go” was laid over the familiar growls and thrums of Skrillex’s signature sound. This was a foreshadowing of the rest of the evening; after all, this clash of styles was bound to present the dancers with some curveballs — we came knowing to expect the unexpected. With the crowd putty in their hands from early on, the three DJs made the most of their playful selections.

Skrillex, a.k.a. Sonny Moore, was bounding around the stage during the performance, hyping up the crowd from the table that also hosted the decks. Below him, Fred and Four Tet (Kieran Hebden) slinked between each other, achieving almost seamless transition between their staple sounds.

The crowd fizzed when any Fred again.. tune was about to be brought in. It perfectly demonstrated his fans’ loyal and impressive knowledge of his back catalogue; tracks such as “Hannah (the sun)” and “Strong” were warmly received. Phone screens peaked up through the sea of heads, as everyone wanted to capture their favorite Fred track.

Four Tet’s recognizable, ethereal vocals blended with grinding bass excited the older, headsier side of the crowd — as the Skrillex sound brought the millennials in the audience right back to our teenage years. This was certainly a whirlpool of old and new, a melting pot of sounds and cultures, a combination of flamboyant American excitement and quiet British confidence. Skrillex even informed the crowd that he had put some money behind the bar, making it very apparent they were hosting what felt like a huge house party.

Bringing us back to the present day, PinkPantheress’ TikTok hit “Just for Me” caused a wave of joy, teased ahead of the release of Skrillex’s own collaboration with the U.K. star and Trippie Redd, “Way Back,” which landed last night as the show was happening. Although many may recognize Skrillex as an artist who was an early influence for many current dance fans, this new release further demonstrates his ability to evolve successfully and authentically, collaborating with fresh and exciting talent here across the pond.

Whether this unlikely trio continue their seemingly unstoppable ascent, or if yesterday’s event was just one of those crazy nights of legend, the collective fanbase of these three huge acts is indisputable. In an age where artists can interact with their fans more closely than ever before, there was a knowing intimacy between the audience and the three conductors that felt like a new wave of dance music fandom.

Tracks featured:

Fred again…, “Hannah (the Sun)“
Eskuche, “Passion” (Extended Mix)
Hamdi , “Never Let You Go Edit” (Original by Sammy Virji)
Romy & Fred again.., “Strong“
KH, “Looking at Your Pager”
Hackney Parrot, “Tessela” (Remix)
PinkPantheress, “Just for Me“
Skrillex, “Cinema“
Adam F, “Circles” (Pola & Bryson Bootleg)
Fred again.., Four Tet & Skrillex, “Baby Again..“
Fred again.., “Jungle”
Skrillex, Fred again.. & Flowdan, “Rumble”