LeBron James announced that he’s quitting social media for the “time being” in a post on X (formerly Twitter) on Wednesday afternoon. He had just shared a post from Rich Kleiman, in which the entrepreneur complained about negatively in the sports world while praising the rare sincerity of JJ Reddick and LeBron James’ short-lived Mind the Game podcast.

“With so much hate and negativity in the world today, it confuses me why some of National sports media still think that the best way to cover sports is through negative takes,” Kleiman wrote. “We can all acknowledge that sports is the last part of society that universally brings people together. So why can’t the coverage do the same? It’s only click bait when you say it. When the platform is so big, you can make the change and allow us all an escape from real life negativity. I for one find it all a waste of breath. The Olympics and JJ and Bron’s show was the future of what this can and should all be.” After reposting the statement, James wrote: “And with that said I’ll holla at y’all! Getting off social media for the time being. Y’all take care.”

Read More: LeBron James & Bronny Sued For Alleged Involvement In 2022 Car Accident

LeBron James Warms Up With Bronny Nov 1, 2024; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (left) watches guard Bronny James (right) warm-up before the start of the game against the Toronto Raptors at Scotiabank Arena. Mandatory Credit: John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images

Fans quickly brought up the nepotism accusations LeBron’s son, Bronny, has faced online. One user in the replies joked: “The only reason you’re even on the Lakers is because of your son. You’re a complete nepotism signing. You weren’t even good enough to make a college basketball roster.” While more brought up the constant criticism of Bronny, others cited the NBA’s recent dip in ratings and more possible reasons for LeBron to want to log off.

LeBron James Leaves Social Media

LeBron’s departure from social media comes and the Lakers announced that Bronny will be competing on and off with the team’s G-League affiliate. Check out LeBron James’ full statement on leaving social media below.

AMEN!! @richkleiman pic.twitter.com/OZr9e1CVbY

— LeBron James (@KingJames) November 20, 2024

And with that said I’ll holla at y’all! Getting off social media for the time being. Y’all take care

— LeBron James (@KingJames) November 20, 2024

Read More: Bronny James Won’t Travel For G League Games, Sparking Even More Nepotism Accusations

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Young Thug is finally able to put his legal issues behind him for now following a long, chaotic trial. The rapper accepted a plea deal last month and was soon released from prison. He’ll spend 15 years on probation, and must abide by various release conditions. Regardless, his supporters are thrilled that he’s back home. They’re eager to hear what music he has up his sleeve, and glad to see him enjoying his freedom.

Unfortunately, however, the same can’t be said for his former co-defendant Yak Gotti. The artist reportedly refused a plea deal around the same time Young Thug accepted one, and he remains behind bars. At the time, his attorney Douglas Weinstein told FOX 5 Atlanta that his client “fully intends to take this to the jury and get our not guilty verdicts and go home.” Now, he’s reportedly secured at least one legal win, according to @ThuggerDaily on X.

Read More: Yak Gotti Refuses Plea Deal Amid YSL RICO Trial

Judge Grants Yak Gotti’s Motion For Directed Verdict On Three Charges

The Judge has GRANTED the defense’s motion for directed verdict on 3 of Yak Gotti’s charges.

Yak Gotti will no longer be able to be found guilty for the possession of the switch/drugs found at Young Thug’s home! pic.twitter.com/UK6DmHxxCD

— THUGGERDAILY ひ (@ThuggerDaily) November 20, 2024

Reportedly, Judge Paige Reese Whitaker granted the defense’s motion for directed verdict on three drug and weapon charges, meaning he cannot be found guilty. “I do not believe that, even viewing in the light most favorable to the prosecution, there’s evidence upon a rational trier of fact could find the essential elements of possession of those particular items,” she explained. As for his other charges, it will be up to the jury to decided whether or not he’s guilty, per journalist Meghann Cuniff on X. The other charges he’s facing include alleged Conspiracy to violate Georgia’s RICO Act, Murder, Participation in criminal street gang activity, and more.

Aside from Yak Gotti, the only other remaining defendant is Shannon Stillwell. Fox 5 reports that the jury will return tomorrow (November 21), and could begin deliberation as early as this week. Stillwell is facing gun, gang, and murder charges. Last year, he was stabbed multiple times by a fellow inmate and has since made a full recovery.

Read More: Young Thug Trial: Co-Defendant Takes Plea Deal

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It goes without saying that years of drug and alcohol use will surely catch up to anybody, and according to Denzel Washington, he’s no exception. Luckily, the award-winning actor and producer never let his vices get too out of hand and has made his health a top priority as he approaches 70. During a recent interview with Esquire Magazine, he opened up about the “damage” he’s done to his body in the past by getting hooked on wine and occasionally “shooting dope.”

“Things are opening up for me now — like being seventy. It’s real. And it’s OK. This is the last chapter — if I get another thirty, what do I want to do? My mother made it to ninety-seven. I’m doing the best I can,” he told the outlet. Washington went on to open up about how his wine habit began, and exactly when he realized it was becoming a problem.

Read More: Denzel Washington Elaborates On Kissing A Man In Cut Moment From “Gladiator 2”

Denzel Washington Recalls “Damage” He’s Done To His Body

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“Wine is very tricky. It’s very slow. It ain’t like, boom, all of a sudden. I never got strung out on heroin. Never got strung out on coke. Never got strung out on hard drugs. I shot dope just like they shot dope, but I never got strung out,” he explained. “And I never got strung out on liquor. I had this ideal idea of wine tastings and all that — which is what it was at first. And that’s a very sub­tle thing. I mean, I drank the best.”

Ultimately, Washington started to think he might be addicted when he got his own wine cellar in his house. Despite this, he says he was never under the influence while working or preparing for a role. “I never drank while I was working or preparing. I would clean up, go back to work — I could do both. However many months of shooting, bang, it’s time to go. Then, boom. Three months of wine, then time to go back to work,” he shared.

Read More: Denzel Washington Reveals He Will Be In “Black Panther 3”

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Digital Nas went on a fiery rant about working with Kanye West and Ty Dolla Sign on the hit song, “Carnival,” on social media. In doing so, he shared an email from A&R Matt Geffen, who allegedly wrote that producers Traxster, 88-Keys, and Morning Estrada “were not able to verify” his involvement in making the track. In response, Nas labeled the group “vultures” and advised followers to shy away from a career in music.

“I’ma give you context to how these vulture-ass n****s work. Fritz [Owens, engineer] text me, ‘Ye and Carti need you.’ I go there. ‘Nas, what do we need done to ‘Carnival’?’ I tell them n****s everything that needs to be done, told Ye to change his verse. ‘Carnival’ gets nominated for a f*cking Grammy, it goes number one. They’re doing the paperwork, this f*cking guy Matt Geffen comes out of nowhere, tries to regulate sh*t.”

Read More: Kanye West & Ty Dolla Sign’s “CARNIVAL” Expected To Go No. 1 This Week

Kanye West Performs At Rolling Loud With Ty Dolla Sign INGLEWOOD, CALIFORNIA – MARCH 14: (L-R) Rappers Kanye West & Ty Dolla $ign perform onstage during the “Vultures 1” playback concert during Rolling Loud 2024 at Hollywood Park Grounds on March 14, 2024 in Inglewood, California. (Photo by Scott Dudelson/Getty Images)

Nas continued: “I’m showing y’all this to let y’all know how many vultures are in this music industry […] These n****s are fighting over crumbs. ‘Carnival’ made $47,000 publishing. These n****s is old as f*ck, don’t have no talent. But they use young n****s’ sound and then they try to say they did something on the record when they didn’t do sh*t! But the n****s who actually did sh*t on the record, they take them n****s off! When it’s small records like ‘Paperwork,’ ‘Oh yeah, leave Nas on that.’ But when it’s big records that went number one, ‘Nah, he ain’t do sh*t on that.’ F*ck all y’all n****s!”

Digital Nas Speaks Out On Working With Kanye West

Kanye and Ty Dolla Sign dropped “Carnival” back in February 2024, before it peaked at number one on the US Billboard Hot 100. It’s up for Record of the Year and Song of the Year at the 67th Annual Grammy Awards. Check out Digital Nas’ full comments on working with Kanye West below.

Digital NAS talking about Vultures, Carnival, etc. this morning pic.twitter.com/TtZt5A9GZl

— YEFANATICS (@yefanatics) November 19, 2024

Read More: Kanye West & Ty Dolla $ign’s “CARNIVAL” Slides Into The No. 1 Slot On Billboard Hot 100

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The Air Jordan 5 is making a much-anticipated return in the Fire Red “Black Tongue” colorway, with an expected release date now set. This iteration features a crisp white leather upper, delivering a timeless and versatile look. Bold black and red details enhance the design, with the standout black tongue providing a striking contrast to the clean white base. Inspired by the original Fire Red colorway, this version pays homage to its roots while offering a fresh twist. The combination of white leather, black accents, and vibrant red highlights creates a visually stunning sneaker that captures attention.

Renowned for its comfort and performance, the Air Jordan 5 remains a staple among sneaker enthusiasts. This model includes the signature Air cushioning for responsive support, ensuring a smooth fit for everyday wear or on-court action. Classic elements like the iconic mesh side panels and reflective tongue stay true to the design’s heritage. With anticipation growing for the Fire Red “Black Tongue” release, fans are already buzzing about its potential impact. This latest drop reinforces the Air Jordan 5’s legacy, blending nostalgic elements with modern updates to captivate sneakerheads once again.

Read More: Big Return Set For Air Jordan 1 High OG “Shattered Backboard”

“Black Tongue” Fire Red Air Jordan 5

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The sneakers include a semi-transparent rubber outsole paired with a red midsole featuring black fighter jet-inspired accents. The uppers are made from white leather and complemented by coordinating overlays. Clear mesh panels decorate the sides, accompanied by white laces. Red highlights appear on the Jordan logo on the tongues, while black branding is visible on the heels.

Sneaker Bar Detroit reports that the Air Jordan 5 Fire Red “Black Tongue” will be released on July 26th, 2025. Also, the retail price of the sneakers will be $210 when they drop. This release combines timeless design with bold new details, making it a standout for 2025. The anticipation around this iconic colorway continues to grow as fans gear up for its return.

Read More: Expected Release Date Set For Travis Scott x Fragment x Air Jordan 1 Low OG

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Getty Image/Merle Cooper

Thanksgiving is one of the biggest holidays on the calendar, and it provides the perfect opportunity for bourbon pairings as you prepare to enjoy a full meal. Plus, let’s face it, you might need a drink (or two) just to get through the day.

Whether you’re celebrating the traditional way, enjoying it with friends for a more modern “Friendsgiving,” or keeping things simple with a “Turkey Day” dinner — whiskey helps. With that in mind, we put together this list so that you can maximize the festivities by pairing a different bourbon with every stage of your evening.

To break down the “stages,” we’re going to set you up with an initial pour, the “welcome to the party” pour, which will help you settle in on a light note. Next up, you’ve got the all-important “dinner pour,” which is something that will pair well with the bold, savory flavors of your meal. After dinner, you’ll need an “intermission pour” to help reset your palate and bridge the gap between all those heavy flavors from dinner and the lighter, sweet notes of dessert. Once dessert is done, we’ll help you find the ideal pairing for a “game time pour,” which is the best bottle to enjoy while football is on, a movie is playing, or the at-home games get going. Finally, we’ll close out with a “farewell pour,” which will be the best bourbon of the evening so you can end the festivities on a high note.

Are you ready to find your perfect Thanksgiving bourbon pairings? Keep reading to see our full list!

Also Read: The Top 5 UPROXX Whiskey Posts The 50 Bourbons You Need To Try Before You Die, Ranked The 21 Most Important Bourbons Of All Time, Ranked We Power Ranked The Best Barrel Proof Bourbons Of 2024 These Are The Best New Whiskeys To Buy Right Now (Nov. 2024 Edition) The Most Iconic Bourbon Drinkers In Film History (And The Bottles They Loved Best) The “Welcome to the Party” Pour — Michter’s US*1 Bourbon Michter's

ABV: 45.7%
Average Price: $42

The Whiskey:

While this expression doesn’t feature an age statement, consumers would be well advised to know that they use 8-year-old bourbon for these small-batch blends, which include up to 20 barrels in each batch. After undergoing the brand’s proprietary filtration process, the bourbon is brought to bottling proof with Kentucky limestone water.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: Michter’s US*1 Bourbon has a dense aroma bouquet that immediately appears well-refined. Notes like honeysuckle, brown sugar, raisins, and youthful oak fill the air, with each well-developed layer greeting the olfactory senses warmly.

Palate: On the palate, what’s immediately remarkable about this bourbon is the texture, as it gently coats your tongue with moderate warmth, and before you know it, the taste of brown sugar, raisins, and walnuts is suddenly everywhere on your tongue. That deceptively viscous texture works well here and is a credit to Michter’s proprietary filtration process and their atypical proof-point.

Finish: The finish here is brief, with brown sugar and cinnamon coexisting harmoniously alongside new oak and clove, making for a gentle send-off after every sip.

Why Is This The Perfect Pairing?

The first pour of the evening should be a greeting, a sign of things to come, and a satisfying sipper that your guests will want to enjoy all night if need be. It should also be something that eases you into the evening, which means an approachable ABV coupled with corresponding flavors. There’s no better option for all of the above than Michter’s US*1 Bourbon.

Michter’s US*1 Bourbon brings a ton of flavor to the table, but it doesn’t overpower your palate, and it surely won’t detract from any hors d’oeuvres you may be serving or small talk that’ll break the ice. On the contrary, this bourbon will elevate everything about the early stages of your Thanksgiving meal, making it the ideal choice as a welcome-to-the-party pour.

The “Dinner” Pour — Elijah Craig Barrel Proof Batch B524 Heaven Hill

ABV: 65.3%
Average Price: $85

The Whiskey:

Elijah Craig Barrel Proof is often heralded as the single best value in all of bourbon. Why? Because it’s a consistent product, released three times a year, that clocks in at full barrel strength and aged for at least 11 years. This year’s “B” Batch, B524, was aged for 11 years and two months.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: My initial nosing notes say, “This is just dope.” I hope that begins to explain what’s going on here. The aroma of buttery croissants and cinnamon reaches the nose, along with some hazelnut spread, sticky toffee, and honey brioche buns.

Palate: The palate finds earthy toasted almond notes coming together with decadent dark chocolate and more buttery, flaky, croissant flavors. Excuse my French, but pain au chocolat ain’t got shit on this. The texture is well-fused and oily, which causes it to stick to your teeth despite the high-octane proof point, which makes this one dangerous pour.

Finish: The finish is pretty lengthy and introduces a bit of walnut meat, hazelnut, and a few shakes of clove and nutmeg to the palate. All in all, it’s a really satisfying send-off.

Why Is This The Perfect Pairing?

Once it’s time for dinner, you know you’ll be in for a world of flavors unlike any meal all year. With so many sumptuous dishes floating around, you’ll want a stout bourbon capable of standing up to all of those rich flavors and countering them with some rich flavors of its own. Enter Elijah Craig Barrel Proof.

Elijah Craig Barrel Proof comes in three batches yearly, with each batch offering something slightly different despite generally hueing toward a similar profile. For 2024, the best of the bunch is Batch B524, which delivers the sort of luxurious, full-bodied experience that perfectly complements the decadent flavors in your dinner dishes.

The “Intermission” Pour — Widow Jane 10-Year Bourbon Widow Jane

ABV: 45.5%
Average Price: $73

The Whiskey:

For their flagship 10-Year Bourbon, Widow Jane blends whiskey distillate from three different states in bespoke 5-barrel batches before proofing it down with mineral water from their Rosendale Mines in New York. The barrels from each blend hail from distilleries in Kentucky, Indiana, and Tennessee.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: Widow Jane has a captivating nose of fresh cherries, orange oil, mature oak, and milk chocolate paired with more unique notes like waxy plums, coconuts, and pears.

Palate: Immediately, you’ll notice that this is a really rich whiskey that punches way above its modest proof point. That exceptional mouthfeel brings a complex web of all the notes above, with the red cherries, chocolate milk, and coconut aspects featuring most prominently across the palate while maple candy and cinnamon creep in more subtly.

Finish: Again defying its modest proof point is the finish, which lingers for quite a while, leaving mature oak and milk chocolate with a touch of plum on the palate, priming you for your next sip.

Why Is This The Perfect Pairing?

With the main event out of the way, you’ll need a really high-quality bourbon to serve as a bridge between dinner and dessert. The ideal choice would be something to reset your palate, stand in as a conversation piece (since all the small talk and discussions about your personal life should be winding down by now), and offer a more mellow flavor profile as you transition to the end of the night.

Your go-to here will be Widow Jane’s 10-Year Bourbon.

Because Widow Jane hails from New York, utilizing sourced bourbon from three different states in super small batches, there’s a lot to unpack just with the back story. Once you pop the top, however, this bottle’s delicate yet delicious flavors will do all the talking, allowing you to prime your palate for one last round of eating.

The “Dessert” Pour — Four Roses Small Batch Select Bourbon Four Roses

ABV: 52%
Average Price:

The Whiskey:

Four Roses Small Batch Select Bourbon is one of the brand’s more recent innovations, springing directly from the mind and blending prowess of Master Distiller Brent Elliott. For this expression, Elliott blends six (OBSV, OBSK, OBSF, OESV, OESK, and OESF) of Four Roses’ ten signature recipes to create an end product aged for six to seven years that showcases his preferred flavor profile.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: On the nose, Four Roses Small Batch Select offers cola nut, bright red cherries, black pepper, nutmeg, and clove with some oak and caramel tones following behind those initial top notes. It’s robust and inviting, with a lovely baking spice presence that displays a ton of balance.

Palate: Four Roses Small Batch Select hits the palate with a full-bodied richness that coats your tongue and sends you mining your taste buds to discover the flavor of jammy cherries, nutmeg, black pepper, and honeyed black tea. The texture would count as its defining quality if it weren’t for the impressive balance of the flavors ever-so-slightly outperforming the viscous mouthfeel.

Finish: The lingering finish is where you’ll find vanilla extract, raspberries, brown sugar, and a light mint note — which reminds you that this is a robust Four Roses bourbon.

Why Is This The Perfect Pairing?

With all of the sweet notes found in your dessert dishes, now is the perfect time to plug in a bourbon with a slightly higher rye content. That higher rye bourbon will offer some lovely baking spice notes to cut through the sweetness of the dessert, but the beauty of selecting Four Roses Small Batch Select is that it also brings some sweetness of its own. The fruit-forward flavors in this bourbon will pair well with literally any dessert you set in front of guests, but the balanced spice notes will help to counterbalance that sweetness and elevate the dishes.

Simply put, there are few bourbons that work better as a dessert pour than Four Roses Small Batch Select.

The “Gametime” Pour — Russell’s Reserve 10-Year Bourbon Wild Turkey

ABV: 45%
Average Price: $45

The Whiskey:

Russell’s Reserve’s 10-Year Bourbon was initially released in 2001 as an age-stated, 101-proof expression. In 2005, much to the chagrin of Wild Turkey fans, the ABV was brought down to its current level, making this a 90-proof expression.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: The nose on Russell’s Reserve 10-Year-Old Bourbon contains varying vanillas, from ice cream to vanilla extract. There are also pastry notes and the aroma of brioche buns, along with a touch of salted caramel, warm oak, and fresh nutmeg.

Palate: The palate on Russell’s Reserve 10-Year Bourbon is distinctly earthy at first, with toasted walnuts, apple leather, and mature oak leading the charge. As you chew the bourbon, you’ll notice that those notes grow in prominence with the oak and walnut flavors outpacing the restrained fruitiness and baking spices like clove and cinnamon become more pronounced. The mouthfeel is middle of the road, which serves well to carry all of those earthy flavors without being overly slick and distracting from them.

Finish: The finish is marked by more vanilla tones, think vanilla pod more so than vanilla extract, and there’s more hazelnut flavor to be discovered alongside oak and red apple skin. It’s a medium-length finish that works well because it fades before that mature oak begins to dry out the back of your palate.

Why Is This The Perfect Pairing?

This isn’t meant to be a pejorative term, but Russell’s Reserve 10-Year Bourbon is the perfect “background whiskey.” It’s damn good on its own, and it will certainly earn some double-takes for its deliciousness in between downs if you’re watching the football games, but it’s also mellow enough to simply be enjoyed without any comment.

As a game-time pour, that duality makes Russell’s Reserve 10-Year Bourbon such a delightful pairing as the night winds down. This is a whiskey that strikes a perfect balance.

The “Farewell” Pour — Russell’s Reserve Single Rickhouse Camp Nelson B Wild Turkey

ABV: 60.1%
Average Price: $305

The Whiskey:

Always the product of barrels from a single rickhouse, thus the name — 2024’s Russell’s Reserve Single Rickhouse focuses on the brand’s Camp Nelson B rickhouse. Also of note: this is the highest proof offering to ever come from the Russell’s Reserve lineup at 120.2 (landing just shy of Wild Turkey Generations’ 120.8 for the highest proof from a Wild Turkey offering).

Tasting Notes:

Nose: The nosing notes open with a ton of cinnamon, nutmeg, dates, and some savory bacon. With a second whiff, you pick up the aroma of Tahitian vanilla with candied ginger and a touch of milk chocolate.

Palate: Wow, a ton of ginger candy and apple galette notes spring onto the palate, with cinnamon and brown butter in spades. The liquid itself is really active on the palate, especially on the roof of the mouth, with spice and nougat notes thrumming throughout.

Finish: The finish seemingly lingers forever, with the vanilla and cinnamon tones blending with cardamom and nougat for a satisfying send-off.

Why Is This The Perfect Pairing?

You need to end the night off on a high note, and that means it’s time to pull out the best bourbon you’ve got. Also, it’s Thanksgiving, so it doesn’t hurt to put one more Turkey on the table, right? For this selection, you’ll ideally want to go with something from Wild Turkey, but while the brand has a lot of excellent options, this year’s Single Rickhouse Camp Nelson B expression is your best bet.

This is one of the best bourbons to come out all year, so how’s that for ending on a high note? Furthermore, offering a pricier bottle to guests before they go on their merry way is a great way to show appreciation for their company. Some folks may be tapped out by this stage (which keeps more of this delicious bourbon in your home bar), but for those who have been enjoying every other pour, this bottle, above all others, will serve as the perfect cherry on top.

Netflix

(SPOILERS for Cobra Kai Season 6 Part 2 will be found below.)

A few genuine surprises were in store for Netflix viewers within the most recent Cobra Kai episodes. First, ultimate karate supervillain Terry Silver surfaced in a hot tub (a fitting callback) to distract everybody from the Sekai Taikai Tournament in Barcelona. Believable? Who cares. What’s important is how confidently this show rolls with it.

Silver’s arrival surely contributed to John Kreese’s increasingly erratic state of mind, which led to a knife being left on the mat, which was bound not to end well, even in this enduringly cheery series. That weapon led to the series’ darkest turn when Kwon nabbed the knife, which then — through a series of chaotic tournament moments — ended up inside his own body as Miyagi-do friends and fam looked on horror from across the globe during a pizza-watch party because Anthony LaRusso needed screen time, dammit.

From there, will the global competition continue? And will Silver and Kreese take a cue and bury their hatchet after their rivalry killed someone? Daniel LaRusso and Johnny Lawrence recently gave up their squabbles for good, so anything is possible, but first, we need to know when this could happen.

When Does Cobra Kai Season 6 Part 3 Come Out On Netflix?

Netflix revealed that the final five episodes of this spin off will stream on February 13, 2025.

Co-showrunner Hayden Schlossberg promised TV Insider that, unlike Part 2, “[T]he last five will end in resolution. There is no big cliffhanger at the end of the last five episodes.” He further added, “This is where all the questions get answered. All the characters reach their full arcs. All the mysteries get solved.”

From there, Karate Kid: Legends will move towards its release date of May 30, 2025.

The first full five Cobra Kai seasons, along with 10 sixth season episodes (for now), are available on Netflix.

Just days after being announced as an opener on Denzel Curry’s Mischievous South tour, Atlanta grunge-rap upstart Kenny Mason has released a new mixtape, Angel Eyes, along with a video for its song, “Intuition.”

The black-and-white video takes clear inspiration from Heath Ledger’s Joker in the 2008 Batman movie The Dark Knight, as Kenny hangs out the window of a speeding car on a late-night drive, rapping the eerie song’s introspective lyrics.

Angel Eyes is Mason’s second full-length project of 2024; he released 9 in March, touring on the new project throughout the spring on his Route 9 tour.

You can watch the “Intuition” video above.

Angel Eyes is out now via RCA. You can find more info here.

Kenny Mason 2025 Tour Dates: Mischievous South

02/21/2025 — Brisbane, AUS @ The Tivoli
02/22/2025 — Sydney, AUS @ The Hordern Pavilion
02/27/2025 — Auckland, NZ @ Shed 10
03/01/2025 — Wollongong, AUS @ Yours & Owls
03/02/2025 — Melbourne, AUS @ Palace Foreshore
03/04/2025 — Perth, AUS @ Metro City
03/31/2025 — Phoenix, AZ @ The Van Buren
04/01/2025 — Albuquerque, NM @ El Rey Theater
04/03/2025 — Houston, TX @ Bayou Music Center
04/04/2025 — Austin, TX @ Stubb’s Haller Creek
04/05/2025 — Dallas, TX @ The Factory Deep Ellum
04/08/2025 — Tampa, FL @ Jannus Live
04/10/2025 — Atlanta, GA @ The Eastern
04/11/2025 — Raleigh, NC @ The Ritz
04/12/2025 — Nashville, TN @ The Pinnacle
04/14/2025 — Washington, DC @ The Fillmore Silver Springs
04/16/2025 — New York, NY @ Terminal 5
04/17/2025 — Boston, MA @ Roadrunner
04/18/2025 — Philadelphia, PA @ Franklin Music Hall
04/20/2025 — Toronto, ON @ History
04/21/2025 — Pittsburgh, PA @ Stage Ae
04/22/2025 — Columbus, OH @ Kemba Live!
04/24/2025 — Detroit, MI @ Royal Oak Music Theatre
04/25/2025 — Chicago, IL @ The Salt Shed
04/26/2025 — Minneapolis, MN @ Fillmore Minneapolis
04/28/2025 — Kansas City, MO @ Uptown Theater
04/30/2025 — Salt Lake City, UT @ The Complex
05/02/2025 — Seattle, HA @ Showbox Sodo
05/03/2025 — Vancouver, BC @ Pne Forum
05/04/2025 — Portland, OR @ McMenamins Crystal Ballroom
05/06/2025 — Oakland, CA @ Fox Theater
05/09/2025 — Los Angeles, CA @ Shrine Expo Hall
06/03/2025 — Amsterdam, NL @ Melkheg Max
06/05/2025 — Barcelona, ES @ Primavera Sound
06/09/2025 — Prague, CZ @ Roxy
06/10/2025 — Munich, DE @ Theaterfabrik
06/11/2025 — Berlin, DE @ Huxleys
06/13/2025 — Porto, PT @ Nos Primavera Sound
06/18/2025 — London, UK @ O2 Academy Brixton
06/20/2025 — Glasgow, UK @ O2 Academy Glasgow
06/23/2025 — Dublin, IE @ National Stadium
07/01/2025 — Frankfurt, DE @ 200M
07/02/2025 — Cologne, DE @ Carlswerk Victoria
07/03/2025 — Vienna, AT @ Gasometer
07/07/2025 — Vilnius, LI @ Lukiskes Prison 2.0
07/09/2025 — Hamburg, DE @ Grosse Freiheit

Getty Image

Benny Blanco and Selena Gomez seem about as happy as they could possibly be dating each other. It turns out that the start of their dating life was a surprise to Blanco, even as it was happening.

On a recent stream (here’s a clip), Kai Cenat was chatting with Blanco and he asked him how he initially asked Gomez out. Blanco responded, “She asked me out! It was crazy, it was crazy. She literally asked me out. We were just talking and then she was like, ‘Oh, you want to get dinner?'”

He then told Cenat he wasn’t nervous because he and Gomez had been friends for years before that. He continued:

“We were just talking, and then she was like, “Oh, let’s go get dinner tomorrow,’ and I was like, ‘Oh, I’m going to this thing with my friends. Why don’t you come hang out with me first, and then we’ll go link for dinner.’ So we just went and we got a drink first, and I didn’t even realize we were on a date! And she was like, ‘I would have worn something different to this date.’ I was like, ‘Wait, what? We’re on a date?’ I had no idea! No idea we were on the date!

She left early ’cause she had to go somewhere, she had to film a video the next day, and then we hung out two days later, and then I was like, ‘Yo, I think she likes me.’ And then I literally just kissed her, and then the rest is history.”

He then gleefully described what their lives look like now, saying, “Every day together. Every day together. Like, as many days as we can. Every day. Yeah, she’s my best friend. Actual best friend.”

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How did Jason Bradley DeFord get the name he uses professionally, Jelly Roll? “My mother named me that whenever I was a little chubby kid,” the “I Am Not Okay” singer once explained on The Bobby Bones Show. “Been fat my whole life. I spent the next 30 years trying to grow into the name, I think I’ve done it. I obviously look the part.”

That’s beginning to change, however.

Jelly Roll has lost over 100 pounds this year alone, including 60 to 70 pounds since his Beautifully Broken Tour kicked off in August. “The battle was with the food addiction, changing the way I’ve looked at food for the last 39 years,” he shared to People. “I’ve never had a healthy relationship with food, so that was the hard part. But once you get into that discipline and commitment, it’s like an avalanche. Once that little snowball started rolling, it was on its way.”

He continued, “It’s cool because there was once a time in life that the culture I built on tour was the opposite. It revolved around alcohol and drugs. And now our tour culture is around good eating and around exercising and doing emotional check-ins with our crew every day… I hope I continue to lose this weight.”

Next year, Jelly Roll is hitting the road with Post Malone on The Big Ass Stadium Tour. You can see the dates here.

Earlier this month, Tyla released a video for “Push 2 Start,” a new song from her deluxe edition of Tyla. Now she’s back with more new music, as today (November 20), she shared “Tears.”

On the track, Tyla wants to take on a loved one’s burden as she sings on the chorus, “Give all your tears to me / Give all your tears to me / If you try and you try and nothing works / Baby, you don’t have to hurt / Give all your tears to me / And I’ll cry them for you.”

Tyla released the song in collaboration with Coke Studio. She’s also set to perform the track live for the first time in a hometown concert (in collaboration with Coke Studio and Spotify) in Johannesburg, South Africa on December 4.

Meanwhile, after starting her 2024 by canceling tour dates, the year went on an upward trajectory for Tyla. She shared a video for her Travis Scott-featuring remix of “Water,” she collaborated with Becky G on “On My Body,” she unveiled her self-titled debut album and followed it with a deluxe edition in September, she connected with Spinall and Omah Lay on “One Call,” and she performed at the 2024 BET Awards.

Listen to “Tears” above.

Getty Image/Merle Cooper

Tyler, The Creator’s Camp Flog Gnaw Carnival is already one of the best festivals in the world. So, for the festival’s tenth anniversary, how could the rebellious Los Angeles native possibly improve what is as close to perfection as it gets? The only way he knows how: By focusing on the fans to give them the experience he would want for himself. While that includes top-down conceptualizing like the always-excellent curation of the festival’s lineup of artists Tyler actually enjoys, it also means ensuring that everything from the facilities to the food stands out, meeting the best-in-class standard Flog Gnaw has set for the past ten years — and will hopefully continue to do so for many more. Here are five takeaways from the tenth Flog Gnaw.

Philip Cosores Getting To The Festival Is A Breeze

Tyler rarely puts out environmental messages or talks about civic duty — that would be at odds with his image as a devil-may-care, mischievous menace — but his priorities are plain from the moves he makes in support of the Flog Gnaw festivities. This year, the festival partnered with LA’s local public transit network to provide a free shuttle from the city’s historical Union Station to the festival grounds at Dodger Stadium, where the fest returned for the fourth year. While Metro itself sort of dropped the ball with this due to some needed improvements on one of the rail lines (specifically, the one I use to get to Union Station), necessitating an additional transfer, the shuttle service somehow managed to corral those hundreds of exuberant 20-somethings (and one grumpy 40-year-old) and keep things moving along fairly efficiently. There aren’t too many other local festivals as ideally situated, but I would love to see more of them duplicate similar services.

Philip Cosores Dodger Stadium Is The Perfect Venue

In the four years since the festival moved to Dodger Stadium from Exposition Park, gradual improvements to its layout and grounds have made it the ideal venue for such an event. Last year, someone figured out that sticking all three stages in the north parking lots offered the best version of the layout, and this year, that stuck, with the Camp Stage situated in the center of the event space, flanked by the Flog stage to the west and Gnaw to the east. There’s still plenty of space to move around, and the landscape is dotted with even more rides and games, giving the festival a true carnival feel. While in line for the shuttle, I overheard nearby attendees discussing whether VIP passes were worth it, ultimately coming to the conclusion that there’s plenty of bang for your buck thanks to the VIP-exclusive rides, which had shorter lines — although only two stages have dedicated VIP sections (Gnaw is situated in such a way that it really wouldn’t make sense to add one there).

Themed Pop-Up Restaurants Even Make Eating Fun

While browsing social media posts about the festival, I saw quite a few posts responding to the MF DOOM’s MM..FOOD Diner menu with skepticism and derision. I assume most of these posts were just from commenters salty they weren’t at the fest and didn’t get to try the food for themselves. Consisting of items named after tracks from DOOM’s 2004 concept album, the menu was similar in price to the other concessions around it, and each item offered enough food to feed two people. My partner and I ordered the Rap Snitch Kniches, which turned out to be chicken and waffles with a twist — the chicken was INSIDE the waffle. This is momentous stuff. This needs to be a real restaurant, stat. Another artist-themed offering was Pusha T’s Grindin coffee, which cleverly tied into the artist’s persona in a similar way.

Meanwhile, even with the usual assortment of festival foods, we never waited in line for anything for longer than 10 or 20 minutes (the line for MM..FOOD was the longest, but the meal was in our hands almost as soon as we ordered it). The food booths are also ideally located to keep lines from overlapping any of the activations or stage crowds, so it was as close to a hassle-free experience as it gets. I would like to see more tables, but logistically, I understand potential safety hazards.

Philip Cosores The Merch Is Enviable And Actually Looks Great

Flog Gnaw has always presented enviable merch options in comparison to a lot of other festivals. While it’s likely that not everybody in the fest’s target demographic can justify the cost of a $100 sweatshirt commemorating their attendance, the designs are undoubtedly among the coolest I’ve seen at the 20 or so fests I’ve covered in my time at Uproxx. My partner came away with one that cheekily reads “Save The Bees,” which doubles as both another ironic-but-sincere environmental message endorsed by Tyler and a reference to the cover of his 2017 breakout album Flower Boy. I still have yet to come away with a stuffed Tyler toy (there are all kinds of different ones, from his ski-masked Goblin alter ego to more recent album era-inspired looks), but perhaps next year will be my year. Meanwhile, even the general stores dotting the grounds had some unexpected treats; I haven’t seen another festival selling collapsible stools before, but I wouldn’t be surprised if they started showing up at more events in the future — and let me tell you, they are lifesavers no matter how old you are.

The Music Remains The Star Of The Show

The thing that makes Tyler so distinctive as an artist is that he’s such a huge fan of music, in general. Too often in hip-hop, there’s this cool-guy mindset: “I don’t really listen to music.” And I guess it’s an effort not to look cringe or like you’ve been inspired by someone else — you’re a one-of-one, completely original — which is why T not doing that is so dang cool (and kind of ironic, considering his seeming abhorrence of anything cringe or too sincere). He listens to everything; you can experience a sampling of his personal playlist by hanging around the Camp stage between sets. And he knows that just because you enjoy the jazz styling of André 3000’s latest album, doesn’t mean you won’t also get absolutely wrecked to Playboi Carti or Denzel Curry’s approach to thrash rap.

Philip Cosores

The same crowd that vibes out to Omar Apollo can get roasted by Vince Staples (do not, under any circumstances, forget that rap is Black music). Syd and Orion Sun can offer dreamy R&B, Raye can demonstrate her vocal virtuoso, Earl Sweatshirt can get deeply lyrical, and Mase can bring out the hits — some of which are older than half of Flog Gnaw’s attendees — and all of them can resonate with the diverse, eclectic crowd (some more than others, true). The weekend’s standouts, in addition to the above-mentioned names, were Doechii, who continued her campaign for rap’s upper echelons, and Sexyy Red, who made believers of even the most skeptical listeners, according to the results of my recap-related ear hustling. Oh, yeah, Tyler performed a bunch of his new songs from Chromakopia, and I can’t wait for that tour. “Sticky” is a hit.

Undoubtedly, the coolest part for me was seeing a full orchestra paying homage to the masked man who unexpectedly inspired so many of the artists who appeared on this bill, MF DOOM. There’s no way to describe it for those who weren’t there, but the vibes were immaculate — and elevated by an appearance from Erykah Badu, fresh off her main stage set, to reproduce the interpolation from his signature hit “Doomsday.” Also, yes, there was an actual accordion. For me, the set encapsulated the best thing about Camp Flog Gnaw: acknowledging the past, enjoying the present, and imagining a(n Odd) future where both can coexist and complement each other. That future is always on the way, thanks to Tyler The Creator.

Philip Cosores Check out exclusive photos from Camp Flog Gnaw 2024 below. Daniel Caesar Philip Cosores Philip Cosores Denzel Curry Philip Cosores Philip Cosores Doechii Philip Cosores Philip Cosores Philip Cosores Earl Sweatshirt Philip Cosores

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Christoffer Zetterlund and Emilia Jagerman

One of the best EPs of the year goes to Girl Scout. The Swedish indie rockers, fresh off the release of their third EP, Headache, reckons with the pains and pleasures of young adulthood, which can result in a splitting headache pithily described by vocalist Emma Jansson as “AAAAAAAAH!!!!!!” in press materials.

Composed of fuzzed-out basslines, succinct songwriting, and Alex Farrar’s pristine production, Headache captures the four-piece in their most compelling form yet. Let’s hope there’s a full-length record in the works soon.

Following the EP’s release earlier this month, Jansson sat down with Uproxx to talk about Nathan Fielder, Paul McCartney, Gothenburg, and more in our latest Q&A.

What are four words you would use to describe your music?

Playful, earnest, very good.

It’s 2050 and the world hasn’t ended and people are still listening to your music. How would you like it to be remembered?

Playful, earnest, very very good.

Who’s the person who has most inspired your work, and why?

I wouldn’t say there’s one singular person who has inspired us; it’s an amalgamation of so many people I don’t think I could accurately answer that question (Paul McCartney).

Where did you eat the best meal of your life and what was it?

Tuna Belly Sushi at Tsukiji Fish Market and a Big Mac at any McDonald’s ever.

Tell us about the best concert you’ve ever attended.

Bad Nerves are the best live act every time they play anywhere.

What song never fails to make you emotional?

“Du Måste Finnas” by Helen Sjöholm.

What’s the last thing you Googled?

Tsukiji Fish Market spelling.

Where’s the weirdest place you’ve ever crashed while on tour?

Every tour van I’ve ever been in.

What’s your favorite city in the world to perform and what’s the city you hope to perform in for the first time?

My favorite is probably Gothenburg because so many of my old friends are based on the west coast of Sweden. And the crowd always sings along and makes it a great show. I would love to play in New York at some point though!

What’s one piece of advice you’d go back in time to give to your 18-year-old self?

Do the band thing and don’t starve yourself.

What’s one of your hidden talents?

I can put my whole fist in my mouth and I can open beer bottles with my teeth.

If you had a million dollars to donate to charity, what cause would you support and why?

I’d probably have trouble choosing one and donate a big slab of money to several after consulting my butler.

What are your thoughts about AI and the future of music?

I think most people listen to music to feel something, and the easiest way to feel something is to listen to a human being feeling something. Really digging the Paul McCartney AI covers though!

You are throwing a music festival. Give us the dream lineup of 5 artists that will perform with you and the location it would be held.

Coachella but it’s just us, Pavement, The Beatles, Stevie Nicks, Elliott Smith, and Charli XCX.

Who’s your favorite person to follow on social media?

Nathan Fielder.

What’s the story behind your first or favorite tattoo?

Me and Kevin got matching tattoos after our last show in Gothenburg! (Very very drunk).

What is your pre-show ritual?

Lose track of my in-ears and get lost on the way from the dressing room to the stage. And a group huddle.

Who was your first celebrity crush?

Woody from Toy Story.

You have a month off and the resources to take a dream vacation. Where are you going and who is coming with you?

Book a worldwide Girl Scout tour and finally have no expenses to pay :’)

What is your biggest fear?

The music industry.

Headacheis available now via 235 Music. Find more information here.

Getty Image/Merle Cooper

It’s a week before Thanksgiving, which can only mean one thing: Year-end list season is upon us. Some lists have already dropped, more will pop up next week, and then there will be a deluge of retrospective ranking throughout December. It’s the most wonderful time of the year, especially if you like seeing numbers next to pithy paragraphs.

I make my own list every year, and I contribute to the Uproxx list that will post here in a few weeks. But I also pay attention to all the other lists, and like music nerds everywhere I’m curious about which records will emerge as “Album Of The Year” contenders according to the critical consensus.

Some years it’s hard to predict which albums will achieve that distinction. And then there are years like 2024, which (I expect) will be pretty predictable. With that in mind, I decided to do some sports book-style speculation on this year’s AOTY crop. These are not necessarily the albums that I think are the best; they’re the ones I think critics overall will love the most. This is not about personal taste. I am acting as a cold-blooded prognosticator.

How is consensus determined? You can look at things like Uproxx’s annual critics poll (which arrives in January) or my friend Rob Mitchum’s less formal compilation of year-end lists. You can also chuck science out the window and simply go with your gut, i.e. these are the same damn albums I see at the top of every list!

Whatever the case is, here are eight serious AOTY challengers as I see them, along with odds that they will ultimately be the consensus No. 1.

Charli XCX, Brat

Odds: -1200

Pros: It’s hers to lose. She captured the zeitgeist. (The whole Brat summer thing, etc.) She dominated music media coverage for months. She currently has the highest score on Metacritic. And there’s an ocean of goodwill from critics, who have been calling her “the future of pop” for more than 10 years. There’s a sense from the commentariat that they really want to crown her, and Brat has the cultural heft to make that crowning a foregone conclusion. Practically foregone, anyway.

Cons: My friend and podcast partner Ian Cohen recently posited an interesting counter-theory about how the election might affect how Brat is perceived. The thinking goes like this: “Kamala is Brat” is an extremely obvious and ingrained signifier of the various factors that made the ultimate result of the 2024 presidential campaign turn out as it did, particularly the mistaken belief that putting stock in celebrities and ephemeral pop-culture trends would be more important than, say, making a convincing case to the electorate that alleviating inflation is best handled by someone who is not a convicted felon. Put another way: Brat could potentially be tied inextricably to the most embarrassing parts of 2024, which none of us will want to remember one second after 2025 commences, similar to how nobody since 2016 has dared to play “Sensual Pantsuit Anthem” or “I’m With Her”.

I think there’s some truth to that, though Brat clearly is way less cringy and overtly political than those Hilary era songs. I just don’t think this feeling will truly set in until well after list season ends. For now, I’ll make a sports analogy: Brat has that thing Michael Jordan had in the nineties and Patrick Mahomes has now — victory feels, no matter what, inevitable.

Beyoncé, Cowboy Carter

Odds: 4-to-1

Pros: It’s Beyoncé. She’s the S&P 500 of contemporary critical favor — betting on her to do well on a year-end list has to be the safest and most reliable investment there is. She’s like Bruce Springsteen in the 1980s, Radiohead in the late 1990s and early aughts, or Kanye West pre-The Life Of Pablo. Music writers just never get sick of writing about how great she is. At the same time, incredibly, she has an underdog narrative: Cowboy Carter could be her first LP to win the Grammy for Album Of The Year. Expect the music press to lead the cheering section if that happens.

Cons: Hey Beyhive, is that Queen Bey and Jay doing something incredibly glamorous and expensive in the far distance? You better go take a look!

[whispers while the Stan army is temporarily distracted]

Let’s be real: Cowboy Carter is way too long. And the conversation about it died down dramatically within a week or two of the release. Of the albums she’s put out during her “prestige” era — which began with 2013’s Beyoncé and peaked in cultural relevance with 2016’s Lemonade — Cowboy Carter must be counted as the weakest and least impactful. It will definitely get some year-end list love regardless, but that feels more like muscle memory than genuine enthusiasm.

MJ Lenderman, Manning Fireworks

Odds: 8-to-1

Pros: Feels like the leading “indie rock” AOTY candidate. The people who like him tend to love him. And those that love him view him as a generational talent in the process of creating an all-time body of work. Weirdly, given his unassuming nature, he also has a cult of personality that feels like the flipside of Charli XCX — in both instances, however, fans like the idea of hanging out with the artist as much as listening to their music. Never underestimate the power of parasocial charisma on allegedly high-minded music critics. It’s a potent intoxicant!

Cons: He’s way less famous than the artists I’ve already mentioned, which sadly must be counted as a negative. Also, there is a significant number of writers who will always be skeptical of the “White Male Guitar-Playing Critics Darling” archetype, partly as a delayed reaction (and “correction”) to the aforementioned praise once lavished on the Springsteens and Radioheads of the world. Lenderman is the first artist in a while who fits that description, and it is definitely a double-edged sword.

Taylor Swift, The Tortured Poets Department

Odds: 10-to-1

Pros: She is the most brilliant songwriter of our time. Her run of albums is virtually unparalleled in music history. Anything she does is automatically era defining. Taylor Swift is the kindest, bravest, warmest, most wonderful human being I’ve ever known in my life. Am I saying this while blind-folded and tied to a chair in a pitch-black basement at an undisclosed location? Of course not! Just please don’t hurt me!

Cons: If I were not tied to this chair, and I was doing an impersonation of a meanie music critic, I would say this: By Taylor Swift standards, The Tortured Poets Department was not terribly well reviewed. Nor did it deserve to be: It is a long, monotonous, and frankly boring record. Plus, her relentless self-promotion and ruthless grade-grubbing on the album charts finally registered as craven to at least some segments of the music press, which otherwise has rubber-stamped much of her work lately.

Nevertheless: She still has plenty of fans in the critical community, so you can’t ever count her out. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m about to water-boarded.

Cindy Lee, Diamond Jubilee

Odds: 15-to-1

Pros: Hands down the year’s most appealing indie-rock underdog story. A double album composed of 32 spooky and expertly written retro pop songs is posted to an obscure Geocities site by a mysterious composer and guitarist who performs in drag, and within weeks it becomes one of the best reviewed releases of 2024. The music is alluring and magnetic, but the circumstances inevitably make cynical media people feel warmly nostalgic about a less corporate era of the internet. (I am talking about myself but not only myself.)

Cons: Diamond Jubilee came out in late March, and not long after Cindy Lee canceled a nationwide tour midway through. Aside from a beguiling collaboration with Panda Bear, it’s been radio silence ever since. That silence makes Diamond Jubilee feel distinctly like an early 2024 phenomenon, which might as well be a whole different year. Even those who love this record might have trouble remembering it in light of more recent and visible releases.

Waxahatchee, Tigers Blood

Odds: 16-to-1

Pros: In the indie realm, Waxahatchee has Beyoncé-levels of critical esteem. It’s just hard to imagine Katie Crutchfield not doing very well on a year-end list, no matter the album or the year. She’s even crossed over to “nominated for an Americana Grammy” status. (It helps that she delivers consistently good albums, of course.)

Cons: I’m not sure I can quantify this, but anecdotally I get the feeling that Tigers Blood is viewed as a worthy and well-made but ultimately lesser sequel to the previous Waxahatchee record, 2020’s Saint Cloud, one of the finest and most beloved indie releases of the decade so far. There’s also the matter of MJ Lenderman — who appears throughout Tigers Blood, including the standout single “Right Back To It” — and whether Manning Fireworks will undermine the Waxahatchee voting bloc.

Billie Eilish, Hit Me Hard And Soft

Odds: 16-to-1

Pros: Of all the big superstar pop albums I have already mentioned, Hit Me Hard And Soft feels like the least heralded. But in terms of album reviews, it actually performed nearly as well as Brat and Cowboy Carter, and significantly better than the Taylor Swift record. For years, Eilish was the pop star to which rock-minded people gravitated — if Dave Grohl or Billie Joe Armstrong or Eddie Vedder namechecked a recent hitmaker in an interview, it was bound to be her. She’s moving out of that category now (Olivia Rodrigo and Chappel Roan have now assumed that role) but Eilish still seems like the pop star of choice for those who don’t take other pop stars seriously.

Cons: Are there really many critics (or any critics) who don’t take pop stars seriously at this point? Note that I said that Hit Me Hard And Soft was “nearly” as loved by critics as Brat and Cowboy Carter. That means it drags ever so slightly behind, which I would expect to also be true on year-end lists.

Sturgill Simpson/Johnny Blue Skies, Passage du Desir

Odds: 18-to-1

Pros: In 2009, Chuck Eddy of The Village Voice bemoaned what he saw as too many indie records at the top of the newspaper’s annual “Pazz and Jop” poll by making up a cruel-but-funny MOR caricature he called Kevin McFrench. This person was “a fake daily-paper hack from Ohio with the corniest, rootsiest, stodgiest, most clichéd and clueless white-bread biz-sucking middle-aged middlebrow Midwestern Springsteen-to-Wilco do-gooder dad-rock critical tastes you ever saw.” Funny enough, Eddy was complaining that there weren’t enough of these writers represented in the poll. (That’s how much he disliked Animal Collective, I guess.)

Anyway: The modern version of Kevin McFrench — with whom I am aligned musically and philosophically in many ways, shoutout to daily-paper hacks from flyover country — would definitely love the Johnny Blue Skies record. (Jack White’s No Name could also go in this slot.)

Cons: If 2009 had a shortage of Kevin McFrench’s, 2024 likely will have a full-on McFrench drought.

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According to TMZ, sources with direct knowledge of the 2025 Coachella lineup have confirmed that the festival’s headliners next year will include Lady Gaga, Post Malone, and, as a sign of his ultimate redemption, Travis Scott. Green Day is also rumored to join the bill.

The closest Scott came to headlining the festival was in 2021, when he was initially booked to perform for 2022, but dropped from the bill after his disastrous closing set at his own Astroworld Festival that November, which resulted in 10 deaths, hundreds of injuries, several hundred combined lawsuits, and the upheaval of the festival industry in the years since. In 2022, Kanye West promised to bring Travis out for his own headlining set, which itself was canceled when Ye pulled the plug on negotiations over unreasonable staging demands. Scott settled instead for promoting his then-upcoming album Utopia with billboards along the freeway to Coachella.

That album’s release in August 2023 brought with it the first signs that, while legal proceedings continue, many fans have already forgiven Scott for his missteps at Astroworld, driving the album to one of the best streaming totals of the year. This August, he followed up with the re-release of his breakout mixtape, Days Before Rodeo, to DSPs, again leading hip-hop’s streaming totals for the year. Travis’ return to Coachella will be his first since 2017, when he sub-headlined before being rumored for the canceled 2020 edition.