Doja Cat is putting it all on the table. Tonight (September 22), the multitalented rapper/popstar dropped her much-anticipated fourth studio album, Scarlet.
On Scarlet, Doja touches on several topics, including her complicated relationship with her fans, and the rumors that have plagued her throughout her career. Over the course of this era, many listeners and viewers have expressed disdain toward the imagery she’s used in her music and visuals. On a new song called “Skull And Bones” from Scarlet, Doja addresses these comments and rumors.
What does Doja Cat’s “Skull And Bones” say about satanism?
On the first verse, Doja seemingly refutes the idea that she sold her soul for fame or success.
“The only thing that I sold was a record / The only thing I folded under was pressure / Can I say I digress? You the aggressor / Now y’all say y’all impressed I’m the successor / I don’t need no intervention or one of ya lectures,” she raps.
On the second verse, she makes it known that she’s God’s favorite, and that she doesn’t need to tamper with satanic forces in order to achieve what she has in her career.
“Trust me baby, God don’t play with hate like that / So you gonna be real upset when he pick Cat / to be the one up on them charts all over the map,” she raps.
You can listen to “Skull And Bones” above.
Scarlet is out now via RCA. Find more information here.
Just a year after dropping her second album, You Can’t Kill Me, it appears 070 Shake is kicking off her new era. Tonight (September 22), Shake dropped a new single called “Black Dress” — a song she’s been teasing and previewing at shows and festival appearances over the course of the past year.
On “Black Dress,” Shake comes face-to-face with her triggers, attempting to move forward from a past love.
“Even when it’s dark / I still can see your bone structure / I can see the light in you / Even when it’s dark / I still can see your bone structure,” she sings on the pre-hook.
On the chorus, she dives deeper into the titular black dress, which brings back haunting and loving memories for her.
“My baby was in a black dress when she married me / I’m the reason that you walked that way / And you do with me,” sings Shake on the song’s chorus.
In the song’s accompanying video, Shake is seen after surviving a plane crash. She floats through air and runs through lush feels, on a mission to unite with a special love.
While it hasn’t been too long since Shake dropped music, she always aims to be timely with her work. In an interview with Our Generation Music, she said she knows her music will always arrive to those who need it.
“The people that understand my music don’t underrate it,” said Shake. “I’m exactly where I’m supposed to be, and the people that need my music will always have it.”
With his music, Jean Dawson seeks peace and equilibrium. At the age of 27, he’s accomplished quite a bit — from touring with Brockhampton, performing at Coachella and Lollapalooza, and garnering a large following with viral tracks through TikTok. Tonight (September 22), Dawson has shared “No SZNs” a collaboration with SZA which he’s been teasing since May.
On “No SZNs,” Dawson opens up detailing his complicated relationships with the individual seasons.
“I decided I don’t like fall / I decided summer doesn’t feel the same anymore / In winter, it makes me melt / Lose my shell / Mail myself overseas in the spring / And all my fears died in the summer,” sings Dawson on the song’s opening verse.
SZA then chimes in, singing of a special type of love that transcends all seasons. On the song’s chorus, the two show love to California, where they find peace in the stability and regularity of the climate.
“In the spring, I can’t hear a thing / All the birds and bees, nobody thinks / In the summertime, people off the brink / In California, we ain’t got no seasons / It’s all the same to me / ‘Cause in the heat, like to press repeat / Every day is every day,” they sing on the song’s chorus.
Bakar continues to deliver timeless classics. Tonight (September 22), the British singer-songwriter has dropped his sophomore album, Halo. But day-one Bakar fans may notice that the album’s tracklist boasts a familiar fan-favorite.
On the album is a remix of “Hell N Back,” a track that was originally featured on his 2019 EP, Will You Be My Yellow?. On this special updated version is Summer Walker, who, in her special way, revives the song, carrying its way through the treacherous love Bakar first depicted in the Yellow cut.
Bakar’s first verse remains the same as that of the 2019 original, but Walker’s verse continues the story, as the two sail on toward love.
“Life been lifin’ lately, so I save you if you save me / I was up and out, I had enough, then I found you / I was no doubt, stressed out without you / All we got is us, when nobody does, I got you,” she sings on her verse.
While the original song is over four years old, its jazzy production and fresh new remix give the song an evergreen feel.
You can listen to the “Hell N Back” remix above.
Halo is out now via Epic Records. Find more information here.
Doja Cat‘s new album, Scarlet is finally here. Over the course of the album rollout, Doja has explored some new avenues in terms of her sound. Scarlet‘s lead single, “Attention” has a more melodic influence to it, while “Demons” and her No. 1 single “Paint The Town Red” feature her stepping into her rap and rock bags. But tonight (September 22), Doja reminds us of her sweet side with her new single, “Agora Hills.”
On “Agora Hills,” Doja is undeniably in love, and reminds us once again of her multifaceted musical talents. Much of the song is her delivering soft-tinged vocals as she sings “I wanna show you off” about her man, but she also reminds us of her fire rap skills throughout
“Front seat chillin with the window down / I be ten toes down on the dash, getting fast food / Hope you can handle the heat / Put your name in the streets / Get used to my fans looking at you,” she raps, explaining how she wants to make this special man part of her world.
In the song’s accompanying video, directed by Hannah Lux Davis and Doja herself, Doja is seen talking to her lover on the phone in her colorful pink bedroom. Elsewhere in the video, she is joined by her girlfriends, as they dance throughout the city until sunrise in Agora Hills.
You can see the video for “Agora Hills” above.
Scarlet is out now via RCA. Find more information here.
The world would be a much better place if humans weren’t so … human. We all fall short of perfection. Common sense is, sadly, not too common. And there’s one guy out there who always manages to screw things up when things start getting good.
Call it Murphy’s law. Call it the great “reason we can’t have nice things.” Call it entropy. It feels like a whole lot of pain could be avoided if we all had just a little bit more sense.
But what if there was one rule that we all agreed to follow to make everyone’s life better? What would this magical rule be?
A Reddit user who goes by the name P4insplatter came to this realization and asked the AskReddit subforum, “What simple rule would fix the world if everyone actually followed it?” They received dozens of simple rules that if everyone got behind would make the world drastically better.
It’s no shock that most of them felt like a variation of the Golden Rule. It’s funny that a lot of folks believe the world would seriously improve if we could just abide by a simple saying that we all learned in kindergarten.
Also known as the “ethics of reciprocity,” the Golden Rule is so innate to humans that versions of it have been found in religions and cultures throughout the world.
Here are 17 of the best responses to P4insplatter’s simple, but world-altering question.
1. Let go
“Let go or be dragged” an old zen proverb I heard at a meditation class. Really changed the way I let myself worry about things.” — civagigi
2. Simple, but true
“Don’t be a dick.” — WuTangLAN93
3. The Golden Rule
“Treat others how you want to be treated.” — AlbanyGuy1973
4. It starts with you
“I read somewhere that if you want to change the world, you have to change the community, to change the community change your relationships, and to change your relationships change yourself.” — cagibaxii
5. Simple Earth math
“Don’t use more resources than what the Earth is capable of renewing.” — DaethSpiral321
6. Bill and Ted’s rule
“Be excellent to each other.” — pnotar
7. The law of Lebowski
“Fuck it, Dude. Let’s go bowling.” — Bonhomme7h
8. Signal
“Use your turn signal(s) properly.” — futilelord
9. The principle of non-agression
“Simple, the non-aggression principle. You don’t do, initiate or threat any harm unto others, unless acting in true self defense.” — ufrag
10. It works for everything
“Leave it better than you found it.” — Narcoid
11. Generosity and humility
“Be generous and humble. Being generous and kind encourages us to perceive others in a more positive light and fosters a sense of community. Humility teaches you to improve and make a positive impact on the world.” — SuvenPan
12. STFU
“If you are not educated on the subject, sit down and stfu. Let the experts with years of education and experience talk.” — Ch3m1cal420
13. Fairness first
“Everyone gets a chance at one [thing] before anyone gets seconds.” — ehsteve23
14. Permanent daylight
“Obviously making daylight savings permanent.” — ObviousINstruction18
15. Two ears, one mouth
“Listen more, talk less.” — TryToHelpPeople
16. Turn off the lights
“All empty buildings should not have any lights/ac/heating on at night or after business hours depending on the nature of the work. their ac/heating and lights if necessary should only be turned on before the start of the day. This will not only help with energy costs but also with light pollution.” — hadrainsgate
17. Don’t tread on anyone
“You cannot do ANYTHING without consent.” — DeepCompote
Doja Cat’s fourth album Scarlet is finally here. While the rollout for Scarlet has proven somewhat controversial, fans have shown their loyalty, especially as they’ve helped the single “Paint The Town Red” hit No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100. But some aren’t fans of the aesthetic Doja is going for in this era. Many have deemed this video, along with the video for “Demons” as “satanic.” On the album cut “Skull And Bones,” Doja seemingly addresses this controversy.
Over a trippy, ominous beat, Doja dismisses the idea that she sold her soul for fame.
“The only thing that I sold was a record / the only thing I folded under was pressure / Can I say I digress, you the aggressor / Now y’all say y’all impressed I’m the successor,” she raps on the song’s opening verse.
Elsewhere on the song, she more explicitly addresses the rumors, as well as her complicated relationship with her fans.
“Y’all been pushin satan this, and satan that / My fans is yellin ‘least she rich,’ you need that pact / Lookin like I got some things you hate I have / And trust me baby, God don’t play with hate like that / So you gon be real upset when he pick Cat,” she raps.
You can listen to “Skull And Bones” above.
Scarlet is out now via RCA. Find more information here.
Another lawsuit has reportedly been filed against Lizzo. According to Rolling Stone, Asra Daniels, who worked for Lizzo during her 2023 Special 2our as a wardrobe designer, filed a lawsuit against Lizzo, her wardrobe manager Amanda Nomura, and her tour manager Carlina Gugliotta today (September 21) in a Los Angeles court.
The suit reportedly accuses Lizzo and her team of “racial and sexual harassment, disability discrimination, illegal retaliatory termination, and assault.”
According to Rolling Stone, Nomura is at the center of the lawsuit, and Daniels has accused Nomura of making “racist and fatphobic comments” toward Lizzo’s dancers.
The suit also alleges that “Nomura would also refer to Black women on the tour as ‘dumb,’ ‘useless,’ and ‘fat.’”
In the suit, it is also noted that “Nomura expressed that she would ‘kill a b*tch if it came down to it’ if anyone threatened her job. Lizzo’s management was well aware of this pattern of behavior. Carlina Gugliotta, Lizzo’s Tour Manager even requested Plaintiff to record Nomura without her knowledge, which Plaintiff did not do as it was both unethical and possibly unlawful.”
Elsewhere in the suit are details of Lizzo’s management “sharing graphic and disturbing images of male genitalia” in a 30-person group text, as well as an incident in which Daniels describes Nomura rolling “a heavy clothing rack over Daniels’ foot, causing serious pain, but Nomura merely ignored it and pushed Daniels into the rack, causing a more severe injury.”
Daniels was reportedly fired abruptly from the tour, and claims to have suffered mental and physical health issues as a result of her time working with Lizzo and her team.
The news arrives as Lizzo is preparing to receive the Quincy Jones Humanitarian Award presented by the Black Music Action Coalition.
Ahead of the awards ceremony, Ron Zambrano, who is representing Daniels and three of Lizzo’s former dancers, issued a statement, saying:
“The timing of this award’s announcement stinks of an architected PR stunt by Lizzo’s team aimed at trying to repair the damage done to her brand. It won’t work. With Lizzo’s attack on the other plaintiffs, we’ve heard from more than two dozen former Lizzo employees sharing similar stories of abuse and harassment who could be potential new plaintiffs. This is not going away. Lizzo is the boss so the buck stops with her. She has created a sexualized and racially charged environment on her tours that her management staff sees as condoning such behavior, and so it continues unchecked. Lizzo certainly knows what’s going on but chooses not to put an end to this disgusting and illegal conduct and participates herself.”
Stefan Friedman, a representative for Lizzo, has issued a statement to Rolling Stone has issued a statement coming to the singer’s defense, saying:
“As Lizzo receives a Humanitarian Award tonight from the Black Music Action Coalition for the incredible charitable work she has done to lift up all people, an ambulance-chasing lawyer tries to sully this honor by recruiting someone to file a bogus, absurd publicity-stunt lawsuit who, wait for it, never actually met or even spoke with Lizzo. We will pay this as much attention as it deserves. None.”
Lizzo is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
Picking the right tequila as a base for a classic, flavorful Margarita might seem like a no-brainer. But it’s a little more complicated than simply staying away from the bottle shelf plastic handle. Do you want to go simple and pick a classic blanco, add an extra dimension with a cristalino, or evoke a smoother experience with a longer-matured reposado or añejo?
Beau Huizinga, bartender at CHICA in Las Vegas believes that blanco is the sweet spot when it comes to Margarita bases. “Blanco tequila is best for a margarita because it is a great example of an agave spirit. It is unaged so it shows how green, grassy, and earthy a tequila can be. With great citrus notes it helps the fresh pressed lime juice and agave play a part in a great and simple cocktail.”
Martin Guiterrez, bar manager at Joia Beach in Miami disagrees. “I prefer reposado tequila in my margarita because it is smoother,” he says. “To be reposado tequila, it needs to be aged for at least two months and up to twelve months in oak barrels. I usually lean toward spicy margaritas but prefer to stay away from anything sweet.”
Since there seems to be a debate about which style (and brand) of tequila is the best base for a margarita, we decided to turn to the professionals for help. We asked a few well-known bartenders to tell us their favorite tequilas to mix into Margaritas and why. Keep scrolling to see what they said.
El Mayor Cristalino tequila seamlessly blends the features of aged and unaged tequilas. While it undergoes aging like an añejo, it’s filtered to have the clear appearance of a blanco tequila.
Tasting Notes:
Its flavor profile encompasses the depth of an añejo, marked by notes of caramel, oak, and vanilla, while retaining the freshness of a blanco. This unique balance can give your margarita a distinct, richer flavor.
Margarita with El Tesoro Blanco Tequila is a must. When crafting the perfect margarita, we turn to the exceptional El Tesoro Blanco Tequila. You can count on El Tesoro to add a delightful twist to your classic Margarita.
Tasting Notes:
Its sweet and peppery notes, derived from fresh agave and white pepper, create a unique and outstanding flavor profile.
Real Del Valle Blanco
Real Del Valle
Alex Barbatsis, head bartender at The Whistler in Chicago
Our Margarita at The Whistler uses Real Del Valle Blanco. It’s made with 100% Blue Weber agave and has no additives. You get a full and pure tequila flavor, which is exactly what you want in a margarita.
Tasting Notes:
It has great notes of roasted agave and papaya, which really come through when combined with fresh lime and orange liqueur.
Casamigos Cristalino
Casamigos
Tsuru Goto, food and beverage manager at Society Cafe in New York City
We’ve been playing with Casamigos Cristalino in our Margaritas. Cristalino is aged, giving it a bit more depth in flavor, but since it has also been charcoal filtered it takes off the harsh edge that you often have in a tequila blanco.
Tasting Notes:
This means we can use a more delicate agave and less citrus in the cocktail, giving you a more delicate and sippable Margarita that is a little less punchy and harsh.
For me I’d have to say Real Azul Blanco. In the Blanco you’ll notice the slight taste of sweet, cooked agave, honey, and herb as the flavor evolves with a pleasant taste on the palate.
Tasting Notes:
When you balance it with a bit of fresh lime juice, a premium orange liqueur, and a touch of agave, it provides you with a perfectly balanced Margarita.
Teremana Blanco
Teremana
Resa Mueller, bartender at R&D Philly in Philadelphia
The most important thing to consider when choosing a tequila for a margarita is flavor profile. Ideally, you want clean and straightforward agave notes backed up by something that makes it a little interesting to play around with. I like to use Teremana Blanco.
Tasting Notes:
Teremana Blanco is crisp and citrusy with a hint of herbaceousness due to its small batch production methods that allow the character of the agave to really shine through. The resulting Margarita is one that will satisfy even the most stringent purist but has enough character to make it memorable.
Espolon Reposado
Espolon
Jared Bailey, bar manager at Soho Cigar Bar in New York City
At the current price, Espolon Reposado makes for a very refreshing Margarita that won’t break the bank account.
Tasting Notes:
Espolon has time and time again proven to be not only reliable, but extremely versatile with subtle notes of wood, vanilla, and amazing Blue Weber agave.
123 Certified Organic Tequila Reposado
123 Tequila
Alex Pisi, lead bartender at The Wells in Washington, DC
The best tequila for Margaritas is Tequila Numero 2 (123 tequila). Aged in white oak barrels for six months, it’s nuanced and complex enough to stand up well in a Margarita.
Tasting Notes:
It’s a reposado tequila with notes of vanilla and maple that allow you to hold back on the sugar without losing balance, adding complexity with deep earthy tones.
Siete Leguas Blanco
Siete Leguas
Dana Lachenmayer, head bartender at The Wesley in New York City
There are a lot of great tequilas for Margaritas out there, however, I am drawn to Siete Leguas Blanco. It is fuller-bodied with a complex flavor profile that highlights the zestier side of tequila.
Tasting Notes:
Notes of cooked agave, bell pepper, cracked black pepper, basil, and mint contrast the sweetness of orange liqueur or syrup, creating a balanced margarita.
La Gritona Reposado
La Gritona
Kyle Bobkowski, beverage manager at the Crossroads Hotel in Kansas City
La Gritona Reposado mixes a wonderful Margarita. This tequila ages in previously used barrels so that time is only spent mellowing and resting. La Gritona is female-owned and operated, uses fully matured agave plants, and produces their bottles from recycled glass. What’s not to love?
Tasting Notes:
What comes out after aging is a spirit with very light honey notes, a little bit of floral herbs, and a punch of agave flavor.
El Tequileño Platinum
El Tequileño
Steven Dinsmore-George, bartender at The Pembroke in Washington, DC
El Tequileño Platinum stands out as the ultimate choice for crafting the perfect margarita. Made from 100% Blue Weber Agave and without any additives, this tequila follows a process that is free of shortcuts from the cultivation of the agave to the distillation of the tequila. Additionally, the finished product avoids artificial sweetness. Its distinctive flavor profile makes it my preferred choice for Margaritas.
Tasting Notes:
It’s not too sweet, and its finish is clean and crisp, all while retaining a robust agave flavor. The subtle undercurrent of pepperiness further elevates its complexity, making for a more interesting tequila than some of the more prominent brands.
Blackpink is killing the game. Nearly a year after the release of their sophomore album Born Pink, they continue pulling in accolades, most recently at the 2023 MTV Video Music Awards, where they won the Group Of The Year award. Despite their buzz and popularity, there are rumors about a potential breakup circulating the internet, as their contract with YG Entertainment reportedly remains up in the air.
Will Blackpink renew its contract with YG Entertainment?
Korean outlet Sports Seoul is reporting that Blackpink is expected to “continue its activities ‘in the same way’.” The outlet also reports that only Rosé, one of the four members of the K-pop girl group, has opted to renew her contract. Meanwhile, members, Jennie, Jisoo, and Lisa are reportedly in “last minute discussions” of a “separately yet together” strategy to record, perform, and work as Blackpink for six months out of the year.
According to a report from NBC, shares of YG Entertainment have dropped 13.28% after reports of three of the women of Blackpink not renewing their contracts began to surface.
Reuters also reported this drop in shares, while also noting that talks between the ladies and the label are “still ongoing and nothing has been confirmed.”
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