Usher is mourning the death of his beloved Grandmother, Tina. The crooner took to social media to reveal the loss of his late grandmother with his 10.6 million followers. “I LOVE U MORE,” he captioned a series of photos the late matriarch. 

“It’s taken me a few days to come to grips with the fact that my Grandma Tina is no longer with me. I’m praying for clarity and strength for all whom relied on her. Her daily devotion was to help those in need and she did just that. It was her life’s work. She was truly a prayer warrior for me and so many others. I feel a bit lost right now.” 

LOS ANGELES, CA – FEBRUARY 23: Usher is seen at “Jimmy Kimmel Live” on February 23, 2022 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by RB/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images)

Read More: Usher Recalls Early Days Hanging With Diddy & More

Usher’s ode to his grandmother didn’t end there. He opened up about how he’s coping with the traumatic loss. “Part of me is trying to be strong, for others. Her belief was that GOD always has a plan. I’m trying to understand that right now. And the other half of me continues to break silently. We were just laughing days ago. I really thought we had more time.”

 Ernestine Carter died in her Chattanooga home on Christmas Eve. She was 87 years old. “When I was lost, she was always there,” Usher continued. I needed the perfect Bible verse to suit the reality of what I was facing at the time she’s provided it.”  The Grammy Award winning singer ended the heartfelt message with a quote from a friend. 

“Someone told me just today, ‘Keep in mind that it’s only sad b/c we miss them and that’s us being selfish and rightfully so but it’s really a congratulatory celebration b/c they’re at the ultimate place forever!’ I believe that. She will be missed very much.”

The news of Miss Ernestine’s passing comes on the heels of Usher announcing that 50 more shows will be adding to his Las Vegas Residency in 2023. Our thoughts and prayers are with the singer at this time. 

Skip Bayless is a generational hater. It isn’t common for someone to be as much of a hater as Skip is. However, Bayless is a one-of-a-kind individual. Whether or not that is for better or for worse, is really up to you to decide. Regardless, it has made Bayless some big bucks.

Bayless typically loves to hate LeBron. Although, with LeBron looking to retire in a few years, Bayless needs a new target. For now, it seems like that target is Luka Doncic of the Dallas Mavericks. No matter how well he does in a particular game, you can be sure Bayless will say something about it.

Sports Commentor Skip Bayless attends the 16th Annual Webby Awards on May 21, 2012 in New York City. (Photo by Jamie McCarthy/WireImage for The Webby Awards)

Skip Bayless Vs. Luka

Last night, Doncic scored 60 points while notching 21 rebounds and 10 assists. No player in the history of the NBA has ever had this statline. Even Wilt Chamberlain has never accomplished this. However, it still was not enough to make Skip happy as he delivered a baffling take on Undisputed.

“I’ll go to an 8 on the impressive scale. We have to take into account the opposition, which was an embarrassment. The Knicks were overmatched against Luka,” Bayless said. “Four of the five best players weren’t even playing for the Knicks. The Knicks played all of OT with the same 5 guys. They were overpowered and overmatched, it’s shameful.”

Instead of giving Luka props, he decided to just blame the other team for his great performance. Overall, it is yet another case of some amazing generational hating from Bayless. At this point, you just have to expect it.

If you actually appreciate quality basketball, then you can see Luka’s best highlights, below. Let us know what you thought of Luka’s game, in the comments section.

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Sam Smith has refused to share the secret formula for the perfect song – but only because that formula, they’ve admitted, doesn’t actually exist.

READ MORE: Sam Smith – ‘Love Goes’ review: pop balladeer leans even further into heartbreak than before

In a new episode of Spotify’s Song Start series, Smith opened up about the perceived deification of certain songwriters, and why – try as some might to act like every song they write will be an immediate hit – there is no one clear path to success as an artist. 

“Absolutely no one knows what they’re doing,” they said. “Even the biggest writers in the world, who have written so many hits, they can pretend like they do, but they don’t know. They don’t know the magic.”

As for their own success, Smith said that their staunch determination came in clutch, stressing to budding artists that they should “never lower [their] standards”. They continued: “You know what you need. And if you don’t know what you need, you need to ask yourself what you need. And then do not stop until you get that.”

Have a listen to Smith’s full episode of Song Start below:

Meanwhile, Smith is gearing up to release their fourth album, ‘Gloria’, on January 27. It’ll feature singles ‘Love Me More’ and ‘Unholy’ (featuring Kim Petras), the latter of which recently made Smith the first openly non-binary artist to top the Billboard Hot 100. The record will also feature appearances from Ed Sheeran, Jessie Reyez and Koffee.

A short while after they release ‘Gloria’, Smith will embark on a tour of the UK and Europe. They’ll also perform at next year’s Mad Cool festival, joining the likes of Liam Gallagher, The Prodigy, The Black Keys, Queens Of The Stone Age and Lil Nas X.

The post Sam Smith says no songwriters “know the magic” behind writing the perfect song appeared first on NME.

Pete Doherty and collaborator Frédéric Lo teamed up for a cover of The Pogues‘ Christmas classic ‘Fairytale Of New York’ on French television – check their performance out below.

READ MORE: Pete Doherty and Frédéric Lo on how French serenity and being drug-free shaped their new album 

The pair have been working together extensively this year, releasing an album called ‘The Fantasy Life of Poetry and Crime’ in March, which they then took on tour later in the spring.

Now, they have capped off a busy year with this festive cover, which they performed accompanied by an orchestra on a stage covered in snowy fir trees.

Watch the performance below:

The Libertines and Babyshambles frontman and the French musician spoke to NME earlier this year about their album, which they made in lockdown.

Discussing the sources of lyrical inspiration for the album, Doherty said: “A lot of it was inspired by films and the few years I was in Margate before I ended up in lockdown in Normandy and then completely separated from England and from addiction. I was getting clean. I suppose there was just so much recklessness for such a long period of time and not really caring what anyone else thought that it reverses and all of a sudden you go from having no pressure to being hyper-sensitively aware of this new expectation.

“I think the creative process is like an addiction in itself. I need to write songs, and I’ve never really got to the bottom of it.”

In a four-star review of ‘The Fantasy Life of Poetry and Crime’, NME wrote: “Doherty’s folky 2019 album with The Puta Madres was the sound of the former kid in the riot staring out to sea and looking for a little peace. Here with Lo, it feels like he’s truly found it. Now more than ever, this record is truly Arcadian.”

The Libertines are currently working on their fourth album. They offered NME’s In Conversation an update on its progress, with frontman Carl Barat saying: “Sonically, we want to do something we haven’t done before… I think we’ll be looking to do something with a different energy than before. But we’re not at that stage yet.”

The post Watch Pete Doherty and Frédéric Lo cover ‘Fairytale Of New York’ appeared first on NME.

2023 is nearly here, and with it comes a drove of new releases. Several colorways of the Nike Dunk High are, of course, on the way, including but not limited to this recently unveiled, Spring-ready colorway.

Following a formula many are familiar with, this Dunk High starts with a two-toned, leather-constructed base. White shades make up the unders — painting the toe box, mid-panel, and collar — while light tans dress the overlays. Branding, from the Swoosh to the Nike logo printed onto the tongue label, is instead clad in a much bolder yellow, giving the pair a look more appropriate for warmer weather.

For a closer look at this forthcoming Dunk High, check out the detailed imagery below. A firm release date has not yet been revealed, so sit tight for future updates.

In other news, a Palace Vans Half Cab is helping close out the year.

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First rumored in early October, the Women’s Air Jordan 3 “Lucky Green” has recently emerged in another set of in-hand images ahead of its expected April 2023 release.

Akin to an Air Jordan 2 prepped for Jordan Brand’s Spring 2023 retro collection, the unreleased sneakers indulges in a predominantly “White” finish across its leather upper. The titular “Lucky Green” tone, then, arrives via the eyelets and detailing around the heel, ostensibly harkening back to one of Michael Jordan’s most formidable foes, the Boston Celtics. Nearby elephant print takes on a standard “Cement Grey” makeup, delivering a layout and cut more closely resembling the pair from 1988. The “Sail”-colored midsole underfoot further nods to past decades with its “aged” look, although the Jumpman logo on the spine serves as a reminder of the Air Jordan proposition’s newness; the “JORDAN” text on the outsole (clad in “Varsity Red”) does the same.

Enjoy another detailed look at the pair ahead, courtesy of Private Selection, while you wait for official nike.com launch details.

For more sneaker news, check out the Nike Ja 1, the latest signature sneaker from Nike Basketball.

© Sneaker News, 2022.
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