The Welsh actor made the remarks in an interview with "The Telegraph" published October 2. Fox News and the "Daily Mail" reported on them October 4, linking his comments to questions about political expectations of gay people and the relationship between identity and acting roles.

What Evans said

“Just because you are gay yourself doesn’t mean you have to be woke,” Evans said, according to "The Telegraph". He added: “Your sexuality is one part of who you are, but our opinions on society and life differ in every single person.”

Evans said his gay friends do not all share the same outlook, telling the newspaper: “I’ve got very woke gay friends and very unwoke gay friends. We don’t all agree on the same thing.”

The reports frame the statement as a rejection of the assumption that LGBTQ+ identity automatically entails a particular set of political beliefs. Evans’s remarks describe his own view; they do not establish what gay people generally believe, nor do the reports provide polling or other evidence about political attitudes among LGBTQ+ communities.

Identity and acting roles

The interview also addressed Evans’s experience playing characters whose sexuality differs from his own. He said he had played mostly straight, masculine roles during his career and had enjoyed doing so.

Evans argued that limiting gay actors to gay characters would have restricted his own opportunities. At the same time, he acknowledged a lack of opportunities for gay actors to play gay characters and for transgender actors to play transgender characters, according to the coverage of his interview.

He also said that he believed the time had passed for prominent Hollywood actors to play transgender characters, and that such roles should no longer go to them.

The comments put two points alongside each other: Evans’s opposition to restricting performers to roles that match their identities, and his view that transgender performers should have greater access to transgender roles. The reports attribute these positions to Evans; they do not describe a new industry policy or a formal change to casting practice.

The project behind the discussion

The interview took place as Evans discussed "The Party", an upcoming ITV drama. Fox News connected his comments about identity and politics to the show, while the BBC separately reported that Evans had found himself a leading role in the drama.

The available coverage does not suggest that Evans was announcing a political affiliation or endorsing a specific party or policy. Rather, his quoted comments challenge the expectation that sexuality should determine a person’s views on society and life.

They’re distressed by news that a female actor — the Oscar-winning Meryl Streep — will be voicing the role of Aslan the lion in “Narnia: The Magician’s Nephew.” Aslan is considered a literary representation of Jesus Christ in the seven Narnia books by British Christian author C.S. Lewis, published in the 1950s. The books depict the lion as male, with a glorious mane.

Filmmakers routinely take license in adapting books — compressing timelines, combining characters and more. Gerwig herself is resetting “The Magician’s Nephew” from around 1900 to the 1950s.

The casting of Streep doesn't necessarily mean that Aslan will be depicted as female. But to conservative Christian critics, even the possibility of portraying a divine Christ figure as anything but male goes beyond artistic license. They deem it an attack on their faith, noting that the Bible and ancient creeds speak of God the Father and Jesus as the Son of God.

“This is a well-known ploy of the enemies of God, to subvert and destroy symbols of Christianity in an effort to win a war of attrition for the heart of the culture,” wrote Seth Udinsky in a column for the Christian Post, an evangelical news website. He contended that Gerwig is turning Aslan “transgender,” citing a newly released photo from the movie’s promoters, depicting the lion with rainbow-tinted whiskers.

Similar comments, and rebuttals, appear in numerous replies to Netflix's posting about the casting on Instagram.

Some Lewis scholars and aficionados are taking a wait-and-see approach. The Netflix production is scheduled for theatrical release in February.

Kat Coffin, a New York-based writer and scholar of Lewis, said she has questions about the casting decision but added: “I am far more disturbed by the people who are violently opposed and angry at the idea that the incarnation of God could be anything even hinted toward feminine.”

Gerwig wanted a ‘profound but not pretentious’ voice

Gerwig, in public statements, hasn’t addressed the gender question directly, but did say she saw Streep as one of the few actors who could meet her criteria for Aslan’s voice.

“I wanted someone who was profound but not pretentious, who had gravitas but not morose self-seriousness,” Gerwig said. “Someone who could communicate depth and pathos as well as joy and delight. I wanted someone who was older than 70, so there was a wisdom of experience, but who also had the capacity of fresh wonder, like a child. And also to be one of the greatest actors to ever do it.”

Gerwig said she first read “The Magician’s Nephew” as a child, falling in love with the story and its enchanted world.

Gerwig is known for bringing feminist interpretations to her acclaimed movies "Barbie” and “Little Women,” also based on intellectual properties that have long been popular with children.

Further raising hackles is a report in the movie magazine Empire that Gerwig took inspiration from the pop artist David Bowie, known for his gender ambiguity, in depicting the lion with different-colored eyes and “bold red-striped visage.”

“The Magician’s Nephew” — published in 1955, eight years before Lewis’ death — tells the story of two children, Digory and Polly, who are sent to parallel worlds by evil magic. They ultimately arrive in the newly created, fantastical land of Narnia, but they inadvertently bring with them the evil witch, Jadis. In this and subsequent Narnia books, Aslan leads his young followers in combating and defeating evil.

Critic says Gospel themes can't be treated like ‘The Odyssey’

For Ted Baehr, having a woman portray Aslan is a direct challenge to Christian doctrine on the nature of God.

Baehr is founder and publisher of Movieguide, which advises Christian parents on what to watch.

“This movie could do very well, but the better it does, there’s a lot of Christians who will be concerned for their children and grandchildren,” said Baehr, who led a company that produced a 1979 animated television version of another Narnia book.

Baehr praised Gerwig’s directing skills but said she may not understand the issue's importance to many Christians. While Lewis said his Narnia books are not allegories, they do closely parallel biblical stories and concepts. Baehr said they can’t be adapted as readily as the recent Christopher Nolan movie “The Odyssey” did with Greek myth.

"The Gospel is not a myth," he said.

The criticisms reflect the deep bond that many Christians, particularly evangelicals, feel with Lewis, who promoted Christian teachings and themes through fiction and nonfiction.

Narnia has a broad reader base, with reported sales of 120 million books worldwide since the first volume's publication 75 years ago this month. Its Christian readers feel a particular sense of ownership.

“I know a lot of people who are genuinely concerned, because the original stories mean so much to them,” said Christin Ditchfield Lazo, an author of books on Lewis.

The Narnia series has “had a profound impact on the lives of millions of people — especially people of faith, who love the spiritual truths in these stories and want them to be faithfully represented,” she said.

Ditchfield Lazo urged Christians to reserve judgment.

“There’s a huge difference between a woman voicing a male character and the director changing the gender of the character,” she said. “It could be problematic, but we won’t know until we see the film.”

She noted that men and women have often played or voiced each others’ roles, from Shakespearean drama to modern animations.

Lewis family statement supports Gerwig's work

Many evangelicals did embrace the early 2000s movies based on the first three Narnia books, with actor Liam Neeson providing the deep, masculine voice of Aslan.

Coffin said that God has been portrayed with feminine characteristics in other literary works — including Narnia itself, where Aslan also appears as a lamb with a “sweet milky voice.”

“I would describe that as a feminine presentation,” Coffin said.

A statement from the family of Lewis’ late wife, Joy Davidman Gresham, praised Gerwig for her “sincere passion” for the Narnia works.

“We saw this enthusiasm during our visit to the set in London,” said the statement, provided by Netflix. “We are thrilled to be working with such a talented and accomplished director and production team, and are keen to continue working with them on future projects.”

The C.S. Lewis Co. — holders of Lewis intellectual property rights and producers on the film — stated: “It’s incredibly moving to see how deeply Greta Gerwig has embraced C.S. Lewis’ world, and infused ‘Narnia: The Magician’s Nephew’ with joy, heart, and genuine love for the story.”

Boone said he had no separate backstage bathroom and did not realize the restroom available to him was shared with the audience. “Anyone in the audience could be in the bathroom I was in, and I didn’t know that,” he said, according to "People" and "Billboard".

He recalled being in the middle of using the restroom when someone came in. Boone said he initially assumed the person was a friend and did not turn around; after hearing a gasp, he realized it was a fan.

The singer described his pants as being “fully at my ankles” and said the fan recognized him. Boone said he asked whether the fan was coming to the show, then pulled up his clothes and shook the fan’s hand before washing his own.

Boone characterized the encounter as awkward and said he was “horrified.” He also described the fan as understanding and said they had a pleasant interaction after the initial surprise.

When the incident took place

The encounter itself was not recent. Boone said it happened about two and a half years before he recounted it on the podcast, during the first show of a tour, according to "Billboard" and "People".

"Billboard" noted that the encounter occurred during the early stages of Boone's touring career, long before his transition to major arena shows. In the interview, Boone did not identify the specific venue, city, or date of the bathroom encounter, emphasizing instead how early it was in his performance history.

The distinction matters: the new development is Boone’s public retelling in a podcast interview, while the bathroom encounter he described dates back roughly two and a half years. Reports published Oct. 2 by "People", "Billboard" and "Entertainment Weekly" all describe the same interview and recounting.

What remains unclear

The published accounts do not establish where the concert took place, the identity of the fan, or the venue’s restroom arrangements beyond Boone’s recollection that the bathroom was shared with audience members. Those details should not be inferred from the tour description alone.

Katie Rose Clarke will play Parton, reprising the role from the musical’s Nashville production. Carrie St. Louis will portray Parton as a young singer-songwriter seeking a break in Nashville, and 11-year-old Norah Nunes will play “Little Dolly,” representing Parton’s childhood.

John Behlmann will play Carl Dean, Parton’s husband, and Gabriel Ebert will portray country performer Porter Wagoner, an early collaborator who introduced Parton to a national television audience.

The five-person announcement identifies the principal roles, rather than a complete company roster; Deadline said additional casting and other production details would be announced later.

From Nashville to Broadway

The show is scheduled to begin previews at Broadway’s St. James Theatre on Dec. 7, with opening night set for Jan. 19, 2027. The opening date would have been Parton’s 81st birthday, a connection also reported by Billboard and USA Today.

Before its Broadway transfer, the musical had its world premiere in Nashville, Parton’s hometown. The production tells Parton’s story through her words and songs, and its score includes new music as well as familiar hits such as “I Will Always Love You,” “Jolene,” “Coat of Many Colors” and “9 to 5.”

Parton shared the book-writing credit with Maria S. Schlatter, while Bartlett Sher is directing. The production’s music team includes music supervisor Stephen Oremus, music director Charity Wicks, orchestrator John Clancy, and musical consultant Kent Wells, among other collaborators.

A student-ticket plan

Alongside the casting news, the producers announced a plan, developed with the New York City Department of Education, to make 30,000 free tickets available to New York City public school middle and high school students during the show’s first year on Broadway. Consequence also reported the proposed ticket initiative, noting that further details were still to come.

The announcement adds an education-access element to a production centered on Parton’s life and music. Its scale and eligibility are specified in the initial reporting: the plan covers 30,000 tickets for public middle and high school students in New York City during the musical’s first Broadway year. The reports do not yet provide details about how students or schools can obtain the tickets.

A production shaped by Parton’s choices

The casting announcement presents Parton’s involvement as central to the Broadway production: multiple outlets report that she personally chose the five performers before her death. Clarke’s return from the Nashville production connects the upcoming Broadway staging with the show’s earlier incarnation, while St. Louis and Nunes are assigned distinct stages of Parton’s life.

The production is scheduled to open in January 2027, following its December preview performances at the St. James Theatre. Until further casting and ticketing information is released, the announced five leads and the student-ticket plan are the principal new details confirmed in the Oct. 2 reports.

“I think my understanding is that queerbaiting is when someone is falsely portraying themselves as queer,” Innanen said. He added that Paul Baker is “pretty fluid to the core” and said that quality had resonated with people.

Innanen also acknowledged that some viewers had criticized the storyline for placing a bisexual or fluid man in a heterosexual relationship. He said the love triangle felt accepted, natural and true to the character, concluding: “I think that there wasn’t much queerbait to him.”

PinkNews and Elite Daily published coverage of the remarks on October 1. Both reported that Innanen’s comments came in the "Variety" interview and highlighted the tension he described between Paul’s relationships with women and men.

Paul Baker’s storyline

"Variety" describes Paul Baker as a newer member of the show’s central friend group and says that the second season places him at the center of a love triangle involving Issa, played by Amita Rao, and Anton, played by Owen Thiele. The interview characterizes Paul as “sexually fluid” and describes the relationships as part of the season’s story.

The coverage distinguishes the character’s on-screen sexuality from Innanen’s identity: "Variety" frames the question around Innanen as a straight actor portraying Paul, while the character is sexually fluid. PinkNews likewise reported that distinction and described the criticism as focused partly on a fluid male character being involved in a relationship with a woman.

In the interview, Innanen said some viewers had told him that Paul’s story helped them learn about their own sexuality. He recalled people saying they had discovered they were fluid rather than bisexual, and described feeling a “representative responsibility” while being glad the experience could be represented.

Those comments describe what Innanen said viewers shared with him; they do not establish how widely the character’s storyline has affected audiences. The interview provides no audience survey or broader measure of the show’s impact.

What the coverage establishes

The reporting supports a specific account of Innanen’s position: he does not think Paul Baker’s story amounts to queerbaiting because the character’s fluidity is explicit and shapes the plot, while acknowledging that viewers questioned a fluid male character’s involvement with a woman. The comments are Innanen’s interpretation of the term and of the show’s character—not a ruling on the meaning of queerbaiting or proof that every viewer agrees with his assessment.

Elite Daily also situated the discussion within broader online debate about queerbaiting and cited a dictionary definition emphasizing the deliberate teasing of LGBTQ+ characters or relationships while keeping their identities ambiguous. That framing differs from Innanen’s brief explanation, which focused on someone falsely presenting themself as queer. The sources therefore document his answer and the criticism he acknowledged, rather than a shared definition of the term.

Innanen’s interview also touched on what might come next for Paul and Anton. He said he hoped there would be stability for the pair, while noting he did not know whether that would happen. The interview did not confirm a future storyline.

“Crisco,” the country star's 11th studio album, is a collection of boogie-forward tracks, buoyed by sweeping strings and what sounds like a wink from the dance floor. It's out Friday.

“I’ve spent a lot of my career with fiery songs and heartbreak songs and this record just has a lot of joy on it, and I think that’s just where I am right now in life, too,” Miranda says.

The title track is almost a mission statement: “Baby, we’ve been cookin’ with Crisco/Ain’t we mixin’ country and disco/Stir it around, give it a spin/And it’s a rhinestone world we’re livin’ in.”

“I’ve just never explored that before. I really am a Merle Haggard girl, you know what I mean? I just love three chords and the truth,” says Lambert. “I just felt like I, maybe at this point, earned the creative freedom to try something fun and try something different.”

Lambert has reasons to be smiling

The album release caps a special few months that include getting seven Country Music Association Awards nominations, a disco ball-filled performance at the Academy of Country Music Awards that got attendees up and boogying, and making history as co-writer of the crossover-smash “Choosin’ Texas.”

That tune sung by Ella Langley has gone six times platinum, been crowned Billboard’s official 2026 Song of the Summer and helped her become the only woman to simultaneously hit No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, Hot Country Songs and Country Airplay charts. It was just named the longest-running No. 1 hit in the U.S.

“We never would have thought just sitting there, on a back porch with a couple of beers and guitars, writing a country song, that it would take over like it has,” Lambert says.

“I’m thrilled that ‘Choosin’ Texas’ is a country song and the world is loving it. Like that makes me happy. I’ve dedicated my entire adult life to country music so that alone is like so much happiness for me.”

Lambert and Langley wrote “Choosin’ Texas” with Luke Dick and Joybeth Taylor. It's a song exploring what it feels like when someone is falling out of love with you and Lambert can only guess why America has fallen so in love with it.

“It kind of feels like something fresh, but something you’ve also heard before. When you hear it, you’re like, ‘I kind of want to sing along to this, even though it’s the first time you heard it.’ You know what I mean?”

Lambert co-produced Langley’s album “Dandelion,” the first time she's produced another artist, something she says she enjoyed. Langley returns the favor by being featured on the swaggering opening “Crisco” song “Snakeskin Boots.”

“I think the reason that we are drawn to each other is because I see a lot of my young self in her,” Lambert says of Langley. “She’s definitely a pistol. She’s fiery. She knows exactly what she wants. She’s a true artist and songwriter and she’s an inspiring person to be around.”

Lambert also has good news about another fellow country artist, squashing any lingering beef she had with Kacey Musgraves. The two collaborated on “Horses and Divorces” — “Maybe we’re more alike than we think,” they sing — on Musgraves' new “Middle of Nowhere” album.

Miranda points to the “crazy grind of this business” for prompting ebbs and flows in their relationship and the stress during “early stages of your career, trying to really plant your feet in the ground, plant your stake in the ground, and say, ‘This is my spot.’”

“Sometimes it gets tricky when you're navigating that with other female artists and it was really cool to just come together and talk about it and it's, as we say, whiskey under the bridge now.”

‘Crisco’ and how disco and country fused this time

“Crisco” came to life after she and Chris Stapleton wrote and recorded the lovely “A Song To Sing,” their version of “Islands in the Stream,” which earned two Grammy Award nominations.

“We wrote this song a few years ago and it really opened up my mind to exploring different sounds. I think it set us on the path to explore more and got me really curious about parts of country music I hadn’t explored yet, which eventually inspired the entire record,” she says.

The video features Lambert and Stapleton in matching red suits at a roller rink. If you look carefully, you'll see she's wearing a pair of Dolly Parton’s hoop earrings lent out by the late superstar and he's got on a Kenny Rogers necklace.

“I feel like I’ve got to thank her a little bit for this record because that song, that video, that whole day, having a little piece of her around me all day, definitely inspired me for this whole project.”

Grammy Award-winning songwriter Natalie Hemby, who has cut some 40 songs with Lambert over 20 years collaborating, co-wrote and played on five tracks this time, including “Snakeskin Boots.”

“Every record has just been completely different from the next, but I would say this is the most fun era that I’ve had, as far as writing for a project of hers,” says Hemby. “Her star is just shining so bright, as big as Texas, if you will.”

Miranda says country music is in a great spot right now, reminding her of the 1990s when there was something for everyone and a lot of female artists.

“There is finally room for everyone,” she says. “We’re not fighting for like only 30 spots on the chart. And people find music all different kinds of ways now. That has allowed for there to be all kinds of voices out there within our genre.”

Clarkson made her case during the show’s “I Don’t Think So, Honey” segment, where she offered a brief argument about AI. She said she was “very into it artistically” and enjoyed experimenting with it, but objected to AI artists “competing on a chart with humans.”

“I think there should be a separate chart,” Clarkson said. She described AI as “welcome to the table” and said it could enable people who “maybe can’t do certain things” to create music.

Her position, as reported from the podcast, was not a call to exclude AI from music altogether. Instead, she argued that human and AI-generated work should be distinguishable and that each could have an audience. “We can’t lose human,” she said, while adding that “there could be an appetite for both.”

Clarkson compared the prospect of AI artists competing against human performers to robots competing with people in the Olympics, asking rhetorically who would throw an object farther. The analogy framed her objection as one of categories and comparison, rather than a rejection of all AI-assisted creativity.

A debate over categories and disclosure

Clarkson’s comments arrive as the music business grapples with how to identify and account for songs made with AI. On August 25, "Billboard" said it was committed to greater transparency around AI use, including identifying songs using AI on its charts and in its editorial coverage.

That announcement described an identification and transparency approach; it did not announce that AI-generated music would be placed on separate charts. "The Hollywood Reporter" likewise reported that AI-generated music had not been banned from "Billboard" and noted the publication’s commitment to identifying songs that use AI.

The distinction matters: labeling a song’s use of AI can inform audiences and chart readers, while assigning AI-generated music to a separate chart would change how those songs are ranked against one another. Clarkson’s comments addressed the latter question, but her proposal does not itself establish a charting policy or indicate that "Billboard" will adopt one.

"Billboard" said that greater transparency from artists and creators, combined with reliable tools for identifying AI-generated music, would be important to its effort. It also pointed to the development of tools and initiatives, including Luminate’s announced AI-detection program.

The chart question therefore involves more than a proposed division between human and AI work. Identifying the presence of AI, deciding how much AI use merits a label, and determining which songs qualify for a given chart are related but separate issues; the sources reporting Clarkson’s remarks and "Billboard"’s policy announcement describe transparency commitments, not a settled universal standard.

What Clarkson said—and what she did not

Clarkson described AI’s potential in broad, positive terms, saying it could be “really cool and creative” and pointing to its possible use by people who may not be able to do certain things without such tools. She also said AI was not going away and praised its use in scientific work.

At the same time, she said she did not want AI artists competing with human performers on the same chart. Her proposed solution was a separate ranking, allowing listeners to engage with both forms of music without treating them as directly interchangeable in a single chart category.

The available reporting does not establish that Clarkson’s comments were a formal policy proposal to a chart company, nor does it report a response from "Billboard" to her specific suggestion. Her remarks were made in a podcast conversation, and the separate-chart idea should be understood as her stated view rather than an announced industry change.

For now, the contrast is between Clarkson’s preference for separate chart categories and "Billboard"’s stated commitment to disclose AI use in its charts and coverage. The conversation highlights an unresolved question for the music industry: how best to make AI’s role visible while ranking music made through different creative processes.

The release comes as the play begins its limited engagement at the Hammersmith venue. The production opened on September 26 and is now scheduled to run through November 28.

Schnapp, best known for playing Will Byers in "Stranger Things", is making his stage debut in the production. Janette Manrara, known for "Strictly Come Dancing", appears alongside him; the ensemble also includes Rupert Young, Juliet Cowan, Wallis Currie-Wood and Donald Sage Mackay.

A run extended to November 28

The newly released images accompany news that the show’s booking period has been extended. London Theatre reported that the production added a week to its run, with performances now scheduled through November 28.

The extension was attributed by the production’s coverage to ticket demand. West End Theatre reported extra performances on October 4 and November 3, while BroadwayWorld also reported that the limited engagement would end on November 28.

The date matters because the original booking period had been announced to end on November 21. The additional week moves the scheduled closing date to November 28.

The play’s subject

Written and directed by Andy Sandberg, "Affluenza" is set among wealthy families in the Hamptons and centres on a teenager whose drunken drive ends in devastation. The play’s central question, as described in coverage and production materials, is whether extreme affluence can be used to explain—or excuse—a person’s inability to understand the consequences of their actions.

The work is described as inspired by true events and a legal defence related to a Texas teenager. Time Out’s London theatre listing characterizes the premise as drawing on a teen’s successful legal defence that his privileged upbringing left him unable to comprehend the consequences of drunk driving.

The sources describe the play as raising questions about privilege, moral accountability and the justice system. Those are descriptions of the production’s themes, rather than conclusions about the legal case or the people involved in it.

Schnapp’s stage debut

For Schnapp, the production marks a move from screen work to live theatre. Variety reported in August that he was set to make his world stage debut in London, and recent production coverage confirms that the engagement is now underway.

The production’s October 2 photo release places that career milestone in the context of the show’s current run: Schnapp is appearing in a newly opened play whose booking has been extended, with further performances scheduled at Riverside Studios through November 28.

The Grammy-nominated rapper is moving forward with fatherhood, healing and a sense of purpose. Now a father to a daughter, he says that growth is at the heart of his new album "QRÖMELIFE,” out Friday. The 14-track offering is executive produced by Pharrell Williams, who Quavo says helped him tune out the noise and return to the melodic instincts that made him a defining voice with the rap group Migos.

The album features appearances from Justin Timberlake, Tyler, The Creator, A$AP Rocky, Future and Lil Baby. It also reunites Quavo with Offset after the two repaired their relationship following a public falling out in 2022 and grew closer in the years since the death of Quavo’s nephew and fellow Migos member Takeoff.

“QRÖMELIFE” arrives as Quavo and Takeoff's 2022 ”Hotel Lobby" performance fuels a flood of AI-generated videos featuring everyone from Barack and Michelle Obama and Spider-Man to soccer stars Erling Haaland and Jude Bellingham — even dogs and cats.

In an interview with The Associated Press, Quavo spoke about the meaning behind “QRÖMELIFE,” how Pharrell helped him tune out the algorithm, the viral resurgence of “Hotel Lobby” and a new Migos project.

Remarks have been edited for brevity.

AP: What does "QRÖMELIFE” mean to you? What does that actually look like as a lifestyle?

QUAVO: When it comes to a lifestyle, it’s a way of life. When you get up, got to go to work every day, and something happened in your life, but you still have to go hit that nine-to-five, you come in qrome. That’s your qrome state.

I feel like God put you through those states to make you qrome. It’s in your chromosomes. … Everybody go through ups and downs, but what’s gonna make you come out strong? What’s gonna make you come out qrome?

AP: You talked about becoming a father changing “the motive to the mission.” How has fatherhood changed you?

QUAVO: You got mouths to feed. You got little people of yours that look up to you. What you gonna do to add or take away from what you didn’t learn from your parents, or what you didn’t have?

For instance, I didn’t have a dad. So me being a father, it’s important to me because my dad died when I was 4 … I just want to be there the whole step of the way.

AP: What did Pharrell bring out of you while making this album?

QUAVO: Just to challenge my versatility. The “Stir Fry” Quavo, the “Congratulations” Quavo, the “Apeshit” Quavo.

You master that with one of the greatest producers of all time. … Sometimes the student passes the mentor. But in this case, it’s still light-years. I gotta catch up to him from a business standpoint.

AP: “Hotel Lobby” has become this huge AI phenomenon. Did you ever imagine you and Takeoff standing in that orange room, sharing one microphone, would become this viral moment four years later?

QUAVO: I just look at it as God. Losing (Takeoff), I just know that he's in a better place. And then coming through it at a time like this, the week before I’m rolling out my album. ... Then this hit.

It just let me know like, “Bro, I’m here. I’m here with you. I got you.”

The viralness of it made me feel like it was something bigger than just a click of a button or internet sensation. Everybody just started doing it, man. From the corporate of the corporate down to the streets.

I’m proud of it. I thank you for keeping my brother and his name alive.

AP: Some fans love the videos. Others feel uncomfortable seeing AI manipulate Takeoff’s image after his death. Where is the line for you between celebrating his legacy and going too far?

QUAVO: You can’t control it. I can’t spend all day trying to find someone that got a phone in their hand or sitting behind a desk. It don’t help me mentally. Don’t help me emotionally.

When I see it, I just say, “All right,” and go by it. You just got to be strong to be able to look at stuff and move on.

AP: You’ve talked about eventually doing one final Migos project. What would another Migos album mean to you now?

QUAVO: It means the world to me. Obviously, we miss one, and it won’t be the same without him.

I’ve been honored to be his uncle since the age of 3. So just having that relationship with him and knowing how he move and think, I kind of feel like he's in my body.

I talk to him about it. Be like, “I don’t want to do it if you ain’t got the vision for it.”

I know I can take the music that he got and get the Migos album ready. It just depends on how we want to honor the legacy. Because I want this music to benefit us and the estate.

AP: When you and Offset work on Migos music now, how do you make something that still feels like all three of you?

QUAVO: We’re cooking right now, and the chemistry is always gonna be there. We always learned to do four, five, six songs dolo and bring them to each other. But right now, we're just dumping the bags and seeing what we can put together.

AP: Has the work you’ve done through the Rocket Foundation helped you process your own grief?

QUAVO: It helped me just realize that this could happen to anyone. You would feel some type of way, but you don’t feel it till it hit home.

And when it hit home, I thought when it got to me everybody is gonna stop. But it still kept going.

You can go into a hole and not do nothing, or you can stand up and try to change and do something.

Seeing other families go through what I go through, I feel like I’m turning into this superhero to be a therapist to a family where I need a therapist.