MUSIC

Vlade Kay and DJ Snake Team Up on “All This Lovin'”

Their combined talents heat up the winter.

DJ Snake & Vlade Kay

Press Photo

Russian pop prodigy Vlade Kay linked up with DJ Snake to deliver "All This Lovin" after the two met at a L.A. writing camp.

A household name in Russia, Kay recently performed at the Dubai International Music Festival and the Bravo International Music Awards, while DJ Snake released his sophomore album, Carte Blanche, featuring big guns like Eptic, Tchami, Malaa, Mercer, and ZHU.

All This Lovin

With a joint effort with Martin Garrix as his next single, Kay is making all the right moves. "All This Lovin" rides an infectious dance groove topped by Kay's soulful, honeyed voice. "So baby, blend your heart with mine and ain't nobody else / This time we can't stop all of this loving."

Follow Vlade Kay Instagram | Twitter | Spotify

Sports

THE OPTION | France's Victory  Calls VAR's Efficacy Into Question

France Won the World Cup Yesterday, But Some of Their Goals Were Questionable at Best.

In a decisive bout with Croatia, Kylian Mbappè and Antoine Griezmann led the French squad to victory, giving the country its second World Cup victory ever. While Croatia possessed the ball for nearly 70% of the game and looked to be the more dynamic team, France was far more efficient and managed to sneak four goals past Danijel Subašić, who didn't play a particularly inspired match.

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Sports

THE OPTION | The World Cup Semifinals Start Tomorrow

With Just Four Teams Left, We Look at Each Country's Chance to Win.

Unfortunately for soccer fans around the globe, the World Cup is coming to a close this week. That said, we still have a few more games left before a champion is crowned. Tomorrow, France will take on Belgium to determine which squad gets to play in the finals on Sunday. On Wednesday, England and Croatia will do the same.

This group of four is interesting when you consider the teams that have been eliminated so far. With Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay, Germany, and Spain all eliminated, almost every perennial frontrunner is gone. France has had a fair bit of World Cup success, but the other three teams have but one win between them, and it came from England in the 1960s. Belgium, by virtue of being in the semifinals has already tied their best World Cup run ever. Croatia has also never made it out of this round. We're likely to see something miraculous this week, but who's going to win this thing?

Croatia

When Croatia plays against England, Luka Modrić will probably be the single most talented player on the pitch, but it takes more than one guy to win at this stage of the tournament. In their game with Russia, Croatia looked exhausted, and if it weren't for Russia's horrific performance in PKs, Croatia wouldn't have made it this far. Luckily for Croatia, FIFA wipes the bookings of players after the quarter final round. This means the four players who collected yellow cards against Russia don't risk missing the final if they're penalized in this game. Still, Croatia is a team that very nearly got outmuscled by a Russian squad that had no business making it so far. It'll be interesting to see if they can turn it around against one of the tournaments' best teams on Wednesday, but the chances of them winning two more games seem pretty slim.

England

England - probably more so than any other team on this list - is a cohesive unit. This probably has something to do with the fact that every player plays in the EPL and the entire roster is only spread out between 10 professional teams, all of whom play each other twice every year. In short, the closeness of these players shows on the field. Led by Tottenham forwards Harry Kane and Deli Alli, the squad has looked dynamic throughout the entire tournament. Like France, they drubbed their quarterfinal opponent, and have yet to play a game in which they look like the lesser team. If they play to their potential, England will beat Croatia. The question that remains is whether or not they can beat France or Belgium.

Belgium

In a lot of ways, the Belgian team is like the English. They're a cohesive unit that relies on depth rather than individual star power. They left the group stage undefeated, and managed to outplay Brazil, the tournament favorites, in the quarter finals. Now, they'll face their toughest test. The French juggernaut, led by Kylian Mbappé and Antoine Griezmann has been eviscerating their opponents in the knockout stage, outscoring them 6-3 and consistently looking like the most convincing team on the pitch. That said, Belgian goaltender Thibaut Courtois is slightly better than France's Hugo Lloris, and France's defensive blunders late in their game with Argentina exposed a few chinks in their armor. For all their talent, the French team has trouble clamping down once they have a lead.

Unfortunately for Belgium, they'll be without defenseman Thomas Meunier who picked up a second yellow card against Brazil and has to sit out this contest. This game will undoubtedly come down to the wire, but without their full defensive unit, Belgium will be hard pressed to come away with a win. Should they beat France however, Belgium is a slight favorite against England and a huge favorite against Croatia.

France

France has been the most impressive team in the tournament so far. They haven't lost a match, and their two games in the knockout round were both huge displays of dominance. That said, while France has played against plenty of great players, (Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez, Sergio Agüero) they have yet to play against a truly stellar team. Belgium presents an interesting challenge for the Frenchmen. Eden Hazard and Romelu Lukaku are very good players, but neither of them are at the level of a Messi or a Suarez. The Belgian team isn't like the Argentinian or Uruguayan squads. They aren't missing any pieces. With players like Mousa Dembélé, Jan Vertonghen, and Nacer Chadli, Belgium's midfield and defense are solid. This means, Kylian Mbappé probably won't be able to run roughshod all over them, scoring at will. France is going to be forced to do something they really haven't had to do yet this tournament. That is, play a tight game that goes the full 90 minutes. If they prove themselves against Belgium though, France is the clear favorite in the finals, no matter who their opponent is.


Matt Clibanoff is a writer and editor based in New York City who covers music, politics, sports and pop culture. His editorial work can be found on Popdust, The Liberty Project, and All Things Go. His fiction has been published in Forth Magazine. Website: https://matthewdclibanoff.journoportfolio.com/ Twitter: @mattclibanoff


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Sports

THE OPTION | World Cup: Who's Still Got a Chance?

As Perennial Favorites Get Knocked Off Left and Right, it Seems Like it's Anyone's Game.

This weekend, Russia stunned Spain and knocked them out in the round of 16.

France also sent home Messi and his fellow Argentinians on Saturday. The Netherlands didn't make the World Cup this year, and the Germans choked in against South Korea in the group stage. There are no finalists from the last two World Cups left in this year's tournament, and because of this it's becoming increasingly difficult to predict what's going to happen next.

At the beginning of the tournament, no one would have predicted Russia making the quarterfinals, yet there they are. Croatia has absolutely dominated the field. And Belgium seems to be the team to beat. There are still too many teams left in this World Cup to narrow the story lines to one particular club. With this in mind, I've decided to look at everyone remaining and discuss their chances of becoming world champions.

France

France is flying high from their victory over Argentina this weekend, and for good reason. 19-year-old Kylian Mbappé singlehandedly demolished last year's runner-up, torching Argentina's plodding defense and going on to score a brace. If France has one problem though, it's closing out when it counts. Even when they took a two goal lead late in Saturday's match, it never really felt like they had control. Argentina was able to score in the final minutes and managed to setup several close shots. Speed alone won't be enough to beat Uruguay's stout defensive unit. France will need to grab the lead and hold it if they're going to make it out of the next round.

Uruguay

Of all the teams in the tournament, Uruguay is perhaps the most complete looking. When they beat Portugal, they grabbed the lead and let their defense do the work. When Portugal tied it back up 1-1 in the second half, Edinson Cavani authoritatively buried a second goal, putting a cap on his brilliant performance. Unfortunately for Uruguay, there are reports that Cavani could miss up to a month of playing time due to an injury he sustained late in Saturday's game. Uruguay still has Suarez, making them an incredibly formative opponent, but Cavani has been their leader on offense. His loss significantly hurts Uruguay's chances.

Croatia

When one thinks of soccer, Croatia probably isn't a country that comes to mind. That said, they have a very quiet roster of stars, including Luka Modrić and Mario Mandžukić. They steamrolled through the group stage and knocked off Denmark in PKs yesterday. They play Russia in the next round and don't have much legitimate competition on their side of the bracket besides England. Sometimes an easy path to the championship is just as important as having the best players.

Russia

The fact that Russia is still in this tournament is nothing short of a miracle. In a lot of ways, their team is like the American team, comprised of a bunch of players no one has ever heard of, most of which play in an inferior professional league. They beat perennial favorite Spain in PKs, but it's worth noting how Uruguay brought them back to Earth in the group stage. It's only a matter of time before the Russian team gets sent packing.

Belgium

As the tournament favorites have fallen by the wayside, Belgium remains, dominating the competition so far. These guys are the real deal, and have a relatively cushy matchup against Japan later today. That said, they're in a tough bracket. To get to the championship, they'll need to beat Brazil and then the winner of Uruguay v France. They certainly have the toughest road to the championship, but they also have one of the toughest teams. Still, they haven't faced a real challenge yet in this tournament. It will be interesting to see how they match up against the elite teams.

Japan

Realistically, Japan has no chance. They barely made it out of an inferior group and now they have to play Belgium, one of the best teams in the tournament. For some countries, making it to the world stage is a victory in itself.

England

This is the first English team in a long time that seems to have some teeth. Harry Kane has scored 5 goals so far, and is leading the entire tournament, and partnered with his Tottenham teammate Deli Alli, he's sure to score a few more. England plays Colombia tomorrow, and should have an easy go of it. They also ended up in the easy side of the bracket, and their only real competition moving forward is Croatia. These guys are a lock for the semifinals.

Colombia

Colombia made it into the knockout stage on a technicality. They committed two fewer yellow cards than Senegal and made it through the group stage on a bizarre tiebreaker. Their team is full of talented players, but they haven't really gelled this World Cup. If they beat England tomorrow, it'd be a massive upset.

Sweden

Sweden managed to smack Mexico around in the group stage and played a relatively tight game against Germany before losing in the 95th minute. They're on the weaker side of the bracket, but that doesn't necessarily mean they're safe. They play Switzerland next round in what should be, despite Switzerland's FIFA rank of 6th, an even matchup. Still, even if they win, Sweden doesn't have the fire power to go toe-to-toe with either England or Croatia.

Switzerland

Switzerland played what was perhaps their most important game during the group stage. Granit Xhaka and Xherdan Shaqiri came to Switzerland as Albanian refugees from Kosovo. When Xhaka scored Switzerland's first goal, he put his hands in the shape of the Albanian eagle, an act of political antagonization that FIFA later fined him for. While the Swiss team clearly has a lot of heart, they'll be hard pressed to get past Croatia or England. I do think they'll beat Sweden and head to the semi-finals though.

Brazil

After beating Mexico this morning, Brazil seems to be in top form, and are the clear favorites going forward. Between Marcelo, Neymar, and Thiago Silva, they have too much talent for most teams to handle. They're on the harder side of the bracket, and will most likely have to face Belgium next round, but Brazil remains the team to beat right now. That said, Neymar constantly rolling around the field crying is a bad look. Brazil is the best team in the tournament, but they're pretty tough to root for.


Matt Clibanoff is a writer and editor based in New York City who covers music, politics, sports and pop culture. His editorial work can be found in Pop Dust, The Liberty Project, and All Things Go. His fiction has been published in Forth Magazine. Website:https://matthewdclibanoff.journoportfolio.com/ Twitter: @mattclibanoff


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Sports

THE OPTION | The World Cup: Group by Group

The Group Stage is Coming to a Close. Who's Set to Advance?

This year's World Cup has been full of surprises, and has served as reminder that the United States doesn't sit at the center of the international sports community.

The tournament is no worse for the wear without the involvement of the stars and stripes. That said, American soccer fans don't really have any skin in the game, and many viewers are looking for someone to root for. Some have suggested that we root for Mexico due to geographic proximity, and, sure, if someone besides us has to win, it might as well be our neighbors to the south, but it's not the same. Enough complaining though.

For those of you unaware with how the World Cup works, it's relatively simple. At the start of the tournament, there are eight groups of four. Each team plays everyone in their group once. The top two teams in each group move on to the round of 16. The tournament then progresses in a way similar to March Madness. As we head into the third game of the group stage this week, there are too many story lines to keep track of. I've decided to give you a rundown of each group, so you can decide what day to take an extra long lunch and watch.

Group A (Russia, Uruguay, Egypt, Saudi Arabia)

The talent disparity in this group is wide. Many fans are wondering how much Putin paid FIFA to put Saudi Arabia and Egypt in the same group as his Russian national squad. That said, as I write this, I'm watching Uruguay absolutely dominate their Russian opponents, exposing them as a second-rate team.


Uruguay: First

Russia: Runner-up

Egypt: Out

Saudi Arabia: Out

Game to watch: None

Group B (Spain, Portugal, Morocco, Iran)

This is another two team group. Christiano Ronaldo has scored every goal for team Portugal thus far in the tournament, and seems committed to dragging his nonscoring companions into the next round. Spain, on the other hand, is dominating the group stage like they always do.

Spain: Tied for first. Advances with a tie, win, or Portugal loss (depending on goal differential)

Portugal: Tied for first. Advances with a tie, win, or Spain loss (depending on goal differential)

Iran: Advances with a win OR a tie and a Spain loss (depending on goal differential)

Morocco: Out

Game to watch: Iran v Portugal 2:00pm, EST 6/25

Group C (France, Denmark, Australia, Peru)

So far, France and Denmark have managed to control the group, but with those two teams playing each other tomorrow, Australia has a chance to sneak into the next round.

France: Tied for first. Advances with tie, win, or Australia loss.

Denmark: Tied for first. Advances with tie, win, or Australia loss.

Australia: Advances with win AND Denmark or French loss (depending on goal differential)

Peru: Out

Game to watch: France v Denmark 10am, EST 6/26

Group D (Argentina, Croatia, Iceland, Nigeria)

Every tournament, there's a group that's so evenly matched that good teams get left behind. Group D is this year's group of death. Argentina, last year's tournament runner-ups, find themselves at the bottom of the table, and only Croatia has guaranteed their spot in the knockout round. Because of this, the scenarios surrounding advancement are a bit complicated. Stay with me.

Croatia: First

Nigeria: Advances with a win OR a tie and Croatia win/tie or loss (depending on goal differential)

Iceland: Advances with a win AND Argentina win or tie (depending on goal differential)

Argentina: Advances with a win and a Croatia win, or tie OR with a win and Croatia loss (depending on goal differential)

Game to watch: Argentina v Nigeria 2pm, EST 6/26

Group E (Brazil, Serbia, Costa Rica, Switzerland)

While Brazil should be dominating this group, Switzerland has been a thorn in everybody's side, beating Serbia and tying the Brazilians. The Serbs, for their part, are still hanging around as well.

Brazil: In with win or tie OR loss and Switzerland loss (depending on goal differential)

Switzerland: In with win or tie OR Serbia loss OR loss and Serbia tie (depending on goal differential)

Serbia: In with win OR tie and Switzerland loss (depending on goal differential)

Costa Rica: Out

Game to watch: Serbia v Brazil 2pm EST, 6/27

Group F (Germany, Mexico, Sweden, South Korea)

Germany was the tournament favorite back at the beginning of the month, but after being stunned by Mexico, their stock has fallen a bit. Without that late Toni Kroos goal this Saturday, Germany would be in pretty bad shape. As it is, the defending champs look ready to head into the knockout round. All that stands in their way is South Korea.

Mexico: Advance with a win or tie OR Germany loss OR with a loss and Germany victory (depending on goal differential)

Germany: Advance with a win OR a tie with Sweden loss OR a tie with Sweden tie (depending on goal differential) OR a loss with Sweden loss (depending on goal differential)

Sweden: Advance with a win and German loss or tie OR with a tie and German loss OR with a loss and German loss (depending on goal differential) OR with a win and German win (depending on goal differential)

South Korea: Out

Game to watch: Sweden v Mexico 10am EST, 6/27

Group G (England, Belgium, Tunisia, Panama)

Both England and Belgium have absolutely dominated their group and are the only teams in Group G with wins. They face off on Wednesday to decide who comes in first. The teams are tied by every differentiator though, so if they tie in their matchup, the deciding factor will be fair play (the amount of yellow cards each team gets). The top half of the knockout bracket however is pretty stacked, with both Germany and Brazil as potential opponents. This gives each team incentive to foul one another, so they end up in the bottom half. This matchup is shaping up to be a violent one.

England: First place with win OR tie (depending on very strange fair play tiebreaker)

Belgium: First place with win OR tie (depending on very strange fair play tiebreaker)

Tunisia: Out

Panama: Out

Game to watch: England v Belgium 2pm EST, 6/28

Group H (Japan, Senegal, Poland, Colombia

Japan is the odd standout of this year's tournament. They weren't expected to make much of a splash, but they've proven that they have what it takes to win in this extremely competitive tournament. That said, they still have to prove themselves against Poland before they can advance to the knockout stage.

Japan: Advances with win OR tie and Colombia tie or loss OR with Colombia

Senegal: Advances with win or tie OR loss and Japan loss (depending on goal differential)

Colombia: Advances with win OR tie and Japan loss (depending on goal differential)

Poland: Out

Game to watch: Senegal v Colombia 10am EST, 6/28


Matt Clibanoff is a writer and editor based in New York City who covers music, politics, sports and pop culture. His editorial work can be found in Pop Dust, The Liberty Project, and All Things Go. His fiction has been published in Forth Magazine. Website:https://matthewdclibanoff.journoportfolio.com/ Twitter: @mattclibanoff


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MUSIC

PREMIERE | Abhi the Nomad drops new single "Planes"

10 cities, 8 states, 4 countries, 1 Abhi.

Adderall - Abhi The Nomad [Official]

A man with no place.

Abhi the Nomad has lived in 10 different cities, in 8 different states, and in 4 different countries since leaving his native Madras, India. His new LP Marbled out February 9th tells the story of his journey. His journey doesn't sound unfamiliar to others who immigrated to the US. In fact, it sounds a lot like many of my international friends and colleagues I went to school with. Part of Abhi's journey was being denied another visa after college due to immigration laws. Abhi was torn from his job, girlfriend, and friends and forced back to India due to this hitch in the road. He quickly relocated to France and was able to come back to the US thanks to acceptance into a graduate program. Though frustrating and isolating, Abhi has always had music to turn to throughout these tumultuous times and Marbled is a product of that.

Abhi is no stranger to having to up and move at a moment's notice. He didn't add the modifier "The Nomad" to his name in this latest case of relocating but when he was very young. From a young age because of his father's job, Abhi has had to reluctantly move 8 times over the course of 18 years. From Madras, India to Beijing, to Hong Kong, to New Delhi, to the Fiji Islands, to New Delhi again, then finally in Thousand Oaks, California where he finished high school. Throughout these years, he's been writing songs that eventually became the outline to Marbled.

Listen to "Planes."

While Abhi continued to fines and work on Marbled, he released "Floors" and "Underdog" and created a buzz online. He eventually signed with Tommy Boy Records creating the opportunity to release Marbled that has ultimately been a lifetime in the making. Today Abhi the Nomad premieres with us his latest single from the highly anticipated LP. "Planes" has a certain smoothness and swagger to it. It's soothing in a way. The funky, groovy bass-line has a way of saying, "it's going to be alright." I love the instrumentation as a whole. Not only does it work incredibly well in tandem, each individual line takes you by surprise at just the right time. Abhi the Nomad has been compared to Childish Gambino. In ways, he also reminds me of Donnie Trumpet and this particular tracks rapping style gives me hints of the unapologetic delivery of Broadway hit Hamilton.

Listen to "Marbled" here.

If you can't wait for Marbled which Hot New Hip Hop calls, "funky, lyrical, and slightly weird," you can check out some of Abhi's other singles that have been released in anticipation for the album. So far he has released the title song "Marbled", "Sex n' Drugs", and "Mama Bling."

If you love Abhi the Nomad follow him on Facebook | Instagram


Anie Delgado is a contributor to Popdust and is an actress and musician based in NYC. Follow her on Instagram | Facebook | Twitter and check out her music on Spotify. Press inquiries here.


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