New this week: Lady Gaga, ‘Space Force,’ Ghibli films on HBO
MUSIC
Lady Gaga: After taking a departure from her electro pop sound with 2016’s “Joanne” and 2018’s “A Star is Born,” Lady Gaga is ready to just dance with her new albumoutFriday.“Chromatica” features the upbeat singles“StupidLove”and“Rain onMe,”withArianaGrande. Elton John and K-pop girl group Blackpink also make appearances on the album, which was originally supposed to be released in April but was pushed backed because of the coronavirus pandemic.
Rap bars from behind bars: While serving time at San Quentin State Prison, music producer David Jassy taught inmates how to write and produce music. Now an album of those songs recorded at the prison and backed by J. Cole, Common and Kim Kardashian West will be released Friday. In 2010, Jassy was convicted of murder, assault with a deadly weapon and aggravated battery. Earlier this year his sentence was commuted by California Gov. Gavin Newsom, who said in his letter that Jassy had been “extremely committed to his rehabilitation.” The new album is called “San Quentin Mixtape, Vol. 1” and features 17 young rappers telling their stories. Read AP’s story about the album and our interview with Jassy here.
#OUTLOUD Raising Voices: Originally planned to debut at the South by Southwest festival, #OUTLOUD Raising Voices is coming to Facebook this week to kickoff Pride month, which technically starts Monday. The 10-episode, five-week concert series will include performances from Kesha, Greyson Chance, Betty Who, Wrabel, the Aces, Allie X, Candis Cayne, Vincint and more. The series will air on Facebook on Wednesdays and Thursdays at 8 p.m. EDT.
— Music Editor Mesfin Fekadu
FILM
Studio Ghibli Marathon: HBO Max will have many films available when it launches Wednesday, but arguably the most exciting is its Studio Ghibli library. It’s the first time the animated classics from Hayao Miyazaki and Isao Takahata have been available on a streaming platform in the U.S. There are enough greats to keep the family occupied for weeks. But a few Miyazaki-savvy pre-teens recommend “My Neighbor Totoro,” “Spirited Away,” “Porco Rosso” and “Ponyo” to get you started.
“The Vast of Night”: Friday night, head over to Prime Video to check out a debut feature that’s earned its director, Andrew Patterson, comparisons to a young Christopher Nolan. Set over the course of one night in 1950s New Mexico, the film follows two teenagers who notice an unusual audio frequency on the radio and take it upon themselves to investigate.
“Rolling Stone” critic David Fear said, “It knows exactly how to work its retro ‘Twilight Zone’ mojo without feeling like a third-generation copy of film-brat nostalgia.”
“The High Note”: Also available Friday for rental from Focus Features is a new feel-good musical starring Tracee Ellis Ross as a world-famous singer (no, she’s not playing her mom) feeling confined by societal expectations around her age, and her personal assistant (Dakota Johnson) who has bigger ambitions for herself.
“Uncut Gems”: And if you missed Adam Sandler’s much-praised performance as a diamond district dealer in “Uncut Gems” in theaters earlier this year, the high-octane thriller from the Safdie Brothers hits Netflix on Monday. — AP Film Writer Lindsey Bahr
TELEVISION
“Prideland” — Actor DyllonBurnside(“Pose”)hostsa six-part digital series exploring LGBTQ life in the South and the region’s changing attitudes. Burnside isn’t an outsider:Inthefirstepisode, heshareshisexperienceasa “queer boy” who left his native Pensacola, Florida, to be what he calls his authentic self. Returning to the region,heisbothheartenedby whathefindsandclear-eyed aboutremainingchallenges. The series debuts Tuesday on “PBS Voices,” a new documentary-focused YouTube channel.Burnsidealsohosts a companion special airing June 12 on PBS (check local listings) and PBS.org.
Steve Carell, the hapless boss of “The Office,” is back with a new comedy series. In Netflix’s 10-episode “Space Force,” he plays Mark R. Naird, a four-star general whose dream job is running the Air Force. Instead, he’s chosen to lead the newly formed military branch charged with putting Americans back on the moon and, by the way, dominating space. Carell heads a cast that includes John Malkovich and Lisa Kudrow and Jimmy O. Yang among the co-stars. The comedy is out Friday, accompanied by “Inside Joke: Space Force,” a behind-the-scenes podcast hosted by Yang and with new episodes released on Mondays and Thursday.