Category: News

The Super Bowl is over and despite the fact that I was born and raised in LA, I’m not going to gloat. To me, the Super Bowl isn’t about some game, it’s not about who’s team wins and who’s team loses. It’s not about local pride. It’s all about celebrating the only day of the year where it is socially acceptable to be excited about commercials.

Ads aren’t anyone’s favorite thing, I get that. They’re intrusive, obnoxious, and really easy to forget exist, especially if you have an ad-blocker. But during the Super Bowl, they take on a special importance and significance. They reflect our cultural needs and obsessions. They make us feel like we’re a character in Mad Men.

It’s the one day of the year where ad companies try to flex their Draper-level shit, and nobody is as good at it as the food brands. From market staples to fast food brands to liquor labels, they bring their A-Game and often drop the day’s most memorable commercials. So we rounded out all our favorites for your viewing pleasure before life resumes to normal and you go back to rightfully being annoyed by them again.

Let’s watch!

Taco Bell — “The Grande Escape”

Taco Bell, Doja Cat, Doja Cat covering Hole’s Celebrity Skin, what’s not to love about this commercial? Oh, right the clowns. Look, I won’t pretend to understand what the hell is going on in this commercial. But we see Doja Cat, at some sort of clown university, peel out in an open-top car with some of her clown buddies going to a Taco Bell parking lot where they eat taco and shitty hot sauce and drink Baja Blasts.

Oh, I get it. They’re saying Taco Bell fans are clowns.

Frito Lay’s — “Push It”

There’s something funny to me about this commercial. No, it’s not the beatboxing animals eating chips dusted in chemicals that are banned in Europe. It’s that Frito Lay’s paid a lot of money for it — a lot of money to clear Salt N Pepa’s Push It, a lot of money to get Megan Thee Stallion and Charlie Puth to do teasers for it. Hell, the very fact that the commercial had teaser trailers, to begin with, is hilarious to me. All in an effort to sell more Flamin’ Hot chips.

Don’t we already love Flamin’ Hot chips as it is?

Pringles — “Stuck In”

I feel for the dude in this ad because who amongst us hasn’t gotten our hands trapped in a Pringles can for a second and thought ‘will I have to live my whole life like this?’ Oh is that not a thing that happens to anyone? Anyway, this dude gets his hand stuck in a Pringles can and lives the whole rest of his life like that, which means to answer the question we know you’re wondering. Yes, he has sex with it on.

Hilarious.

Avocados From Mexico — “Always Good”

A bunch of Romans tailgate at a gladiatorial game but the party doesn’t really start until someone busts out the avocados from Mexico. Sounds about right. Burn the history books, this is all we need. Avocados from Mexico. In Ancient Rome.

Well, at least we get to see Andy Richter as Julius Ceasar, so it gets a pass.

Lay’s — “Stay Golden”

This year Lay’s brought us the Paul Rudd/Seth Rogen buddy movie we never knew we needed. We see them singing ballads in a drop-top. They almost die in a plane crash. They get kidnapped by stalkers. They get involved in a turf war. Seth buys a haunted house, and then marries a demon? Give it to us now.

Hellmann’s — “Mayo Tackles Food Waste”

I have to give it to Pete Davidson, he’s a good sport. He knows there’s something inherently distasteful about himself (doesn’t it just boil down to jealousy?). He’s always willing to be the butt of a joke. Not only does he get tackled by an unhinged Jerod Mayo in this commercial, but he also pokes fun at himself for his close relationship with his mom. He also admits he has a very hittable face.

Bless you, Pete Davidson. Oh and apparently, Hellman’s is doing something about food waste. That’ll save us.

Michelob Ultra — “Welcome To The Super Bowl”

Steve Buscemi at a bowling alley? We’re in. Forget all the other famous people, all we want to really see is some kind of spiritual sequel to The Big Lebowski. If we have to drink Michelob Ultra to get it, we’re in.

Cutwater Spirits — “Here’s To The Lazy Ones”

The black and white sentimental ad that attempts to celebrate hard-working people is the biggest Super Bowl ad cliche, and this offense is usually committed by big liquor brands. So we congratulate Cutwater Spirits by poking fun at the trend with their own black and white sentimental ad that celebrates lazy people.

“The ones who make the most of their time are the ones ahead of it.” We couldn’t agree more.

Bud Light Seltzer Hard Soda — “Land Of Loud Flavors”

I’m not sure what kind of world Bud Light Seltzer is trying to depict here. Is a world where everyone dresses like and submits to the will of Guy Fieri a good or bad thing? On the one hand, everyone has to dress like Guy Fieri, on the other hand, everyone has to dress like Guy Fieri. See the issue here?

Leave it to Jimmy Butler to deliver one of the only concise messages about crypto ahead of this year’s Super Bowl commercial onslaught which featured celebrity endorsements from just about everyone, including a present day LeBron James visiting a younger, CGI version of himself in the past, and from Butler’s current teammate and best friend, Kyle Lowry.

Butler was part of an anti-celebrity celebrity endorsement campaign for cryptocurrency exchange, Binance, that included UFC Featherweight Valentina Shevchenko and Colombian musician, J Balvin. The three shared different videos but the message was the same: celebrities don’t know anything about cryptocurrency, so why would you take advice from them about it?

On a call with Dime, Butler, direct on the floor as he is in the faces of wayward opponents, shared his thoughts on crypto and making the right investing decisions for yourself. He also talked about the Heat’s approach to the rest of the season, the intuitive way he and Lowry work the floor (and what Lowry brings to the locker room, and everybody’s lives), his upcoming 6th All-Star appearance, and how to be ready for luck, when it comes.

You’re in pretty good company with this campaign. UFC’s Valentina Shevchenko, who is tough as hell, and musician J Balvin, who might come close to you for how candid he can be. Do you feel like it’s kind of the anti-celebrity dream team for this campaign?

I think so. A bunch of great individuals who are learning, just like I am, about crypto, but more than anything some genuine individuals. So they are people that are really going to say what they mean and mean what they say.

You’ve established yourself as a person who appreciates tangible things, I think. Obviously your game, but also playing dominoes, learning closely the intricate process of coffee, same with wine, and now being a dad too. Does that perspective come into play with something like crypto, and how you approach it?

It does. And it’s funny because I don’t think parenting is anything like crypto, don’t get me wrong, but I think being a dad is kind of like, you know what’s best for you and your child. There’s really no right or wrong way to do anything. And that’s what I get from all the research that I have been doing on crypto — and tell everybody else to do the same. Only because your decision is your decision. It could be right for you, it may not be right for you. But I can’t let anybody else tell me what to do. And I go about being a dad the exact same way.

Does it ever come down to instinct?

Instinct is everything. You know. I don’t know, Spidey, tingle, senses — whatever you want to call it — you’ll know what’s right for you. Especially if you’re reading up on it and you’re paying attention to what’s going on.

You’re also someone who seems to like to learn everything about the hobbies they get into or interested they pursue. The crypto space can be overwhelming and a bit reckless, where did you start to get information about it for yourself?

I’ve read countless books. I sit down and I have conversations with a lot of my friends who call themselves “experts” at it — and they’re not. There are so many other individuals that call themselves experts at it — and they’re not. But I will say I actually do pay attention. I do want to do what’s right for me. But I feel like when Super Bowl rolls around and everybody’s telling you to do that, and do this, it’s really tough because you do see those individuals all the time, and you do want to listen to them and what they say, but once again, I just don’t think it’s a good look. I think you should figure out what’s good for you and not good for you, and you ride with that decision.

I’ve heard you say that the approach you’re taking this year with the Heat’s road to the postseason is that it’s an entirely different year, it’s a different team, there’s no point in looking back and comparing yourselves to that team last season. Why is it important to you to shed any previous comparisons, or expectations?

Because every day, in every year, man, nobody even knows what tomorrow brings let alone what you were last year, or two years ago. Now we have a completely different team, everybody’s in a different role. There are just so many things that change from day-to-day. Talking about the trade deadline, it could change again. Who knows.

And it’s actually funny because I feel like there’s more and more stuff that comes up that you can learn about crypto every other day too. So what was okay a year ago, it’s not the same today or tomorrow. So I feel like I can compare almost anything and everything with basketball. And as much studying as I do on the opponent I’m going to play against tomorrow night, whether they be left handed, right handed, left wing, right wing, a lot of that same — probably not as much, because basketball is my job — a lot of my focus goes in on learning about crypto as well.

You like the floor to be organized. You’ve never been shy about being the most vocal leader out there. Bam is like that, Spo’s like that. But now — I’m biased, I’m in Toronto, full disclosure — you’ve got Lowry. Have you felt that responsibility shift from yourself at all, now that you have Kyle?

No. I think Kyle’s like the perfect — I mean that’s my brother, godfather to my child, like all of that good stuff — he’s the perfect counterbalance for me because the points that I get across, are from zero to one hundred. And I’m at the hundred. Like yo, I don’t have time for this. There’s cuss words, there’s yelling that’s going on, and Kyle walks in so calm and collected and he’s just like, everything’s going to be okay guys. Don’t listen to Jimmy he’s just yelling, he’s on one. So I really respect him for what he brings to the table. Along with Bam and Spo and everybody else, but Kyle, I’m telling you he’s the perfect counterbalance, point guard, Hall of Fame player that can really get everybody to rally around him.

That was the point I was going to make. It looks so intuitive, the two of you working in tandem.

He’s definitely one of the more brilliant basketball minds that I’ve been around, but not only that, he actually cares about people. Not just on his team. All across the world, across the league, the fans. Everybody. He just wants everybody to be happy. He’s there to put on a show for everybody that’s watching, and I think you really respect that about Kyle. Because he is a champion, he is a gold medalist, he’s done everything that you can think of when it comes to having a basketball career, and he’s still the same guy. Every single day he comes in, works hard, tries to uplift everybody else. But more than anything he just tries to win.

We really miss him.

Y’all can’t have him back.

I had a feeling that would be the answer, but, congratulations on All-Star! This will be your 6th appearance and I know you appreciate getting picked to be a part of it every time. What are the things that end up standing out for you most with each All-Star that you’re in?

Just how much everybody that’s picked for All-Star has accomplished in this league, and what they’ve done that particular season. And those players, those individuals, have put in a lot of time that nobody gets the opportunity to see. But they’re a big part in why their team is winning. Very huge part in so many other individual’s lives that they don’t even know, just because they’re so good at what they do. I just have so much respect for everybody that has an opportunity to be on the All-Star roster — not just on the roster, in the league as a whole — but definitely on the roster because they’ve been playing at an extremely high level to that point. And I know they’re gonna continue to do it. And those are the teams and the players you’re going to see in the playoffs come April.

You’ve talked before about how much luck plays a factor not just in a career, but in life. I think it’s something people don’t necessarily recognize enough. Luck and timing. How have you learned to stay ready, or to prepare yourself, for luck when it comes?

Honestly, I just keep doing the same things I’ve been doing every single day to get me to whatever point I am in life. But for things that go as close to perfect as they can, cause there’s no such thing as perfect, the stars have to align or however you want to put it, but if you’re doing the same thing every day, you’re definitely going to be comfortable. You’re going to know where you stand whenever adversity hits, or when something gets really, really difficult. And then it’s just like, yo, luck comes around just at the perfect place, the perfect time, and it just takes you over that edge. And now you’re at a point where like, man, all this hard work has really been paying off, but more than anything this is the moment that I’ve been waiting on. And you’re going to capitalize because you’ve been focused, you’ve been planning on it all the time. And then, boom, the luckiness sets in, the right timing sets in, and everything that you really wanted, you’ve got now.

The story of the NBA All-Star Draft was the Brooklyn Nets trading James Harden to the Philadelphia 76ers for Ben Simmons (and more), leading to some hilarity on that night’s draft featuring captains LeBron James and Kevin Durant.

Durant was asked about the trade to open the show and was as diplomatic as possible, while also offering a telling nugget by saying “everybody got what they wanted” about the deal. Later, as the reserves were getting picked, Charles Barkley egged LeBron James into forcing Durant to choose between Rudy Gobert and Harden with his final pick, as Durant deftly said he needed “size” and selected Gobert while the entire studio and LeBron cackled with laughter. It was quite the scene, and LeBron even questioned if Harden would be on his team with his hamstring injury that kept him out for a week from the Nets prior to the trade — which led Barkley to joke he’s feeling fine now that he’s been traded.

On Monday, Harden arrived at the Sixers facility for the first time and was spotted doing on-court work, but the team announced that afternoon that he would be out through the All-Star break and would not play in Sunday’s game, meaning Adam Silver has a third injury replacement to pick for Team LeBron.

It’s not a shock and the Sixers only have two games this week, home against Boston and away at Milwaukee, prior to the break, so they won’t be without their new star for too much longer. As for Harden’s replacement, one would expect Cavs center Jarrett Allen to get strong consideration after LaMelo Ball was the first injury replacement from the East, but we won’t know that officially until the NBA announces the commissioner’s selection.

Following Kanye West‘s now-deleted Super Bowl Sunday rant about Pete Davidson who’s reportedly been dating Kim Kardashian, it’s fair to ask if the Saturday Night Live star and reality TV mogul are even still together. The answer, as of this writing, is yes. Just hours after Kanye’s Instagram tirade, Kardashian and Davidson were photographed going to dinner in Brooklyn, far away from Kanye who was reportedly attending the Super Bowl with daughter, North, and son, Saint. Via Daily Mail:

There was no missing Kim in her opulent fringe coat, silver dress and metallic boots while her boyfriend kept it considerably more casual with his crisp baggy jeans and flannel shirt. Ever the doting boyfriend, Pete held the car door open for Kim as they arrived to the eatery together in an SUV.

Shortly after she hosted SNL in October 2021, rumors of Kardashian and Davidson started spreading like wildfire through the tabloids. While the couple initially kept things quiet, it wasn’t long before they were stopping to pose with fans in public. Things took a notably serious turn in early February when Davidson began officially referring to Kardashian as his girlfriend. However, that development was followed by Kanye’s latest meltdown.

The rapper has not been a fan of the relationship and has already threatened to beat Davidson along with harassing Kardashian by claiming to have a second sex tape of her and Ray J. (Both parties have denied a second tape exists.) In short, while Kardashian and Davidson are currently dating, Kanye is doing everything in his power to put an end to the relationship even though he’s acknowledged that it would take an “act of God” for Kardashian to get back together with him.

(Via Daily Mail)

As the fallout from Joe Rogan’s racial slur scandal continues to settle, another famous podcaster with a similar name still has words for the controversial comedian/host. During a recent livestream on Instagram, Fat Joe addressed the comedian’s faux pas, as well as the backlash that it incurred, calling Rogan a “piece of sh*t” but explaining why he wouldn’t join the slew of musicians removing their music from Spotify in protest.

“Shoutout to everyone that’s better than me and taking their music off of Spotify,” he said. “I’m not, because all my people know Joe do charity, Joe will open a business in the hood and give out jobs, Joe will give computers to the school, but Joe got to get to his bag. Joe ain’t crazy.”

However, he did question the platform for continuing to host the Joe Rogan Experience podcast, for which it paid $100 million for the exclusive hosting rights in 2020. “Spotify is made up of Black music, whether it’s R&B, whether it’s rap, trap, reggaeton, all that fall in there,” Fat Joe pointed out. “Because our music is on that platform, and they make their money from Black people, do you think it should be allowed for a guy to be talking racist sh*t on their platform?”

The artists who removed their music in protest include Neil Young, Joni Mitchell, and more.

For viewers of Last Week Tonight, John Oliver’s declaration that Bridgerton is the show with “[l]ots of jizzing in blankets” will never leave their minds. That group of TV watchers, however, is not separate from those who are looking forward to Shondaland bringing back the sultry, smart, and scandalous series for a second round. And so, we have a new teaser with the cementing of Penelope Featherington (Nicola Coughlan) as Lady Whistledown (voiced by Julie Andrews). What’s she reporting upon this time around?

Sadly for enthusiasts of The Duke, it does not appear that we’ll be seeing a surprise return of Regé-Jean Page (as Simon Basset), which certainly isn’t news, but curiously enough, we see a few shots of Phoebe Dynevor returning as Daphne Bridgerton. Apparently, she’s paying a visit (and Simon’s off smoldering somewhere by his lonesome?) while this season focuses upon Anthony Bridgerton (Jonathan Bailey) looking for his own match. This was all part of the plan, since the series is following the template laid out by Julia Quinn’s books. From the synopsis:

[T]he second season of Bridgerton follows Lord Anthony Bridgerton (Jonathan Bailey), the eldest Bridgerton sibling and Viscount, as he sets out to find a suitable wife. Driven by his duty to uphold the family name, Anthony’s search for a debutante who meets his impossible standards seems ill-fated until Kate (Simone Ashley) and her younger sister Edwina (Charithra Chandran) Sharma arrive from India. When Anthony begins to court Edwina, Kate discovers the true nature of his intentions — a true love match is not high on his priority list — and decides to do everything in her power to stop the union. But in doing so, Kate and Anthony’s verbal sparring matches only bring them closer together, complicating matters on both sides. Across Grosvenor Square, the Featheringtons must welcome the newest heir to their estate while Penelope (Nicola Coughlan) continues to navigate the [town] whilst keeping her deepest secret from the people closest to her.

Following the first-season success of this series, Netflix swiftly renewed the production for four more seasons, but will people keep clicking in The Duke’s absence? We should find out soon enough.

Bridgerton (along with Lady Whistledown) returns on March 25.

There are two things I need to be extremely clear about before I dive into a discussion about the slate of commercials from the 2022 Super Bowl. The first is that I am not taking into account the quality or worth of the product the commercials are advertising. That’s not what I’m doing here. I’m commenting strictly on the ads themselves, and whether I enjoyed them. Please do not yell at me.

The second thing is that I’m a big idiot. Huge idiot. I still think the funniest commercial I’ve ever seen was the one where the guy form tackled a shopping cart to prevent it from crashing into his car. So… that’s the kind of analysis we’re dealing with here. Again, please do not yell at me.

Below, please find my picks for the good, the bad, and the ugly from this year’s Super Bowl commercials. Any commercial I do not include either fell between “good” and “bad” or I just forgot about it. Again, I’m an idiot. I cannot stress that part enough.

THE GOOD

Yes, of course, Zendaya. Very good. Great. But I gasped a little when Andre 3000 showed up. And then I giggled when I saw this tweet.

I don’t ask for much, people. This’ll do.

Look, I’m on record as being a huge sucker for the classic “I’m retired”/“You’re the best there ever was” scene, so this was out of my hands. Having a baby do it just added to it. If they had thrown in a “we’re not so different” or two, I might have cried tears of joy. I’m okay with it.

You could have these two do anything and I’d probably enjoy it, up to and including them cracking wise while full-on soccer kicking me in the shins.

So many commercials are like “here’s to the heroes and hard workers who just want to put in a solid day in the field and then hit the open road and/or grab a beer with the boys” so it’s nice to have one that speaks to the lazy corner cutters out there. These are my people. I choose to believe the people making the ad procrastinated so badly that they finished editing it just as it was starting.

To me, this is canon now. AJ and Meadow survived and they still see each other and Meadow has figured out better ways/places to park. I hope she’s the head of the crime family now. I do not want them to make that show but I do enjoy imagining it.

Also, while we’re on the subject…

Has very little to do with anything but I thought you should know.

So many crypto ads this year. So, so many. And while I do not understand crypto well enough to have an opinion on it beyond “more like crapto,” I will say that this is an effective way to advertise it. Larry David throughout history is an excellent concept. This is a television show I would watch. Larry David with a time machine. Do it in the next season of Curb Your Enthusiasm.

Jennifer Coolidge is the greatest. This is my full review of this commercial.

Two things worth noting here:

• It has always been my position that Guy Fieri thinks Flavortown is a real place, like with a fire department and sewage system and everything, so it was nice to see that brought to life
• Guy Fieri was wearing this exact outfit at the game

Here, look.

This is fascinating to me. As is the thing where Martha was up in the booth with the snobs and Guy was on the ground with the people. This sums up both of their vibes so well.

ME, BEFORE SEEING THIS COMMERCIAL: I bet I wouldn’t care if a robot dog ran out of battery.

ME, WATCHING THIS COMMERCIAL: [sobbing] Someone help him! He’s a good boy! Let me into the television! GOD! COME ON. PLUG HIM IN.

It’s fine.

Good for Lindsay.

THE BAD

I did not appreciate having Evanescence back in my head after many years of trying to jettison it from my memory. This will be a problem.

What are we doing here? You drink this carb-free libation and then the ground opens up underneath you in a diner and sucks you into some sort of subterranean party? No thank you. I’ll just eat my patty melt in peace.

While I understand the importance of health screenings and appreciate celebrities lending their appearances to getting the word out, I cannot in good faith support any commercial that makes me contemplate Mary J. Blige’s mortality.

I don’t know, man. There was a time when I would have loved this, the singing and dancing jungle animals and the rascal sloth making off with the fiery salty snacks. Maybe I’m getting old and jaded. But this one all felt… forced. Again, I don’t know. I have a feeling I’ve moved out of the Dorito target demo, though, so take that with about 2000mg of sodium.

Too many goats. No thank you.

This one hurts. I love Anna Kendrick. She should be in more commercials. Most of them, really. Get her and that little robot dog a whole campaign together. For anything. Popeyes, maybe. This, though… not so much. I’m glad the check cleared, though.

THE UGLY

Here’s the problem: imagine meeting this lady in real life and she just goes on and on and on about freaking Carvana all the time, in every conversation, over and over while you’re just trying to watch, like, Baby Yoda fly a spaceship. It would be maddening. I would never use Carvana just on principle.

I am willing to tolerate quite a bit of pandering. Most of this Super Bowl was people and corporations nudging us and asking us if we remembered and enjoyed the years between 1997-2005. Which is fine. But this was too much for me, for reasons I still am not able to articulate. Maybe it’s all the jokes being exactly the same as the movie. Maybe it’s two decades of Austin Powers references eating away at my soul. But I groaned audibly as it was developing and I don’t feel any better about it today. Less of this.

The lesson here, if I understand it, is that when you get older, you lose all value and worth to society and will be forgotten by everyone who loves you and left alone to fade away in sadness and your only outlet for human interaction and joy will be an imaginary world you escape to through goggles that block out the bleak hellscape the real world has become.

Cool. Great. Thanks for that.

Two problems here:

• It was boring and confusing and I did not like it
• I do not have the energy to understand it

Please do not try to get this cute. Just give the people a montage of idiots wiping out on an obstacle course and then flash the name of your business or product on the screen. It doesn’t matter if it has nothing to do with your pitch. People will appreciate it. I am trying to help.

Please make a note.

Keeping up with new music can be exhausting, even impossible. From the weekly album releases to standalone singles dropping on a daily basis, the amount of music is so vast it’s easy for something to slip through the cracks. Even following along with the Uproxx recommendations on a daily basis can be a lot to ask, so every Monday we’re offering up this rundown of the best new music this week.

This week saw collaborations lead the week, with pairings of Ed Sheeran and Taylor Swift as well as Saweetie and HER. Yeah, it was a great week for new music. Check out the highlights below.

For more music recommendations, check out our Listen To This section, as well as our Indie Mixtape and Pop Life newsletters.

Ed Sheeran — “The Joker And The Queen” Feat. Taylor Swift

Sheeran and Swift have been pals for a good while now, and the friends got to reunite on a new track last week, with Swift (as was rumored for months in advance) featured on a new version of Sheeran’s “The Joker And The Queen.” The video was nostalgic for many reasons, which led to both pop stars to reminisce about the ride they’ve been on as best buds.

Saweetie and HER — “Closer”

Fans are still waiting for Saweetie’s delayed Pretty Bitch Music album, and while the release date for the project remains TBD, she did link up with HER on “Closer” last week. Uproxx’s Aaron Williams calls the tune “a flirtatious, dance-ready piece of disco-pop” on which “the two performers — who share Bay Area roots and mixed Black-Filipino heritage — revel in the warm, fuzzy vibes of a new relationship.”

Fivio Foreign — “City Of Gods” Feat. Kanye West and Alicia Keys

Kanye West finds himself in the news just about every other hour these days, but towards the end of last week, one such instance was actually music-related. No, it didn’t have to do with Donda 2: He and Alicia Keys joined Fivio Foreign on “City Of Gods,” which is carried by drill production and Alicia Keys’ interpolating of The Chainsmokers’ “New York City” for the hook, but perhaps defined by Ye dropping references to everything from Pete Davidson to the Chicago Bills.

Pusha T — “Diet Coke”

It was actually a big week for new Kanye music, as he and 88 Keys produced the latest from Pusha T, “Diet Coke.” Ye even found his way into the song’s video, maintaining a background role like he does on the song itself as Pusha T drops bars that aren’t about a reduced-sugar soda.

Nicki Minaj and Lil Baby — “Bussin”

Minaj and Baby is a combo so nice they did it twice. Earlier this month, the pair linked up on “Do We Have A Problem?,” and they followed that up quickly with “Bussin.” On the new single, Minaj goes in and flexes the wealth she’s been able to accumulate over the years.

Caroline Polachek — “Billions”

If you’ve spent any time on TikTok lately, you’ve likely heard Polachek’s 2019 single “So Hot You’re Hurting My Feelings,” which has gone viral years after its release. Well, new Polachek fans who heard the newfound hit and wanted more were in luck this week, as Polachek dropped “Billions,” which Uproxx’s Caitlin White calls “a flickering, glitchy distillation of Polachek’s most experimental instincts.”

Big Thief — “Red Moon”

Big Thief’s massive new album Dragon New Warm Mountain I Believe In You is out now, and among the 20 tracks, virtually all of them are highlights, but “Red Moon” stands out. Uproxx’s Steven Hyden called the new album a “masterpiece” and noted of “Red Moon” specifically, “The sweeping country rock of ‘Red Moon’ (featuring excellent fiddle playing by Mat Davidson, among the small handful of non-band members appearing on the album) carries with it the dust of the Arizona desert.”

Jack White — “The Fear Of The Dawn”

Jack White has an album two albums coming out in the coming months: Fear Of The Dawn is scheduled for April 8, then Entering Heaven Alive is set to drop on July 22. He previewed it last week the the former album’s title track, a brief but energetic rocker for White dropped a now-on-brand very blue video.

Orville Peck — “C’mon Baby, Cry”

Peck, perhaps country music’s favorite mysterious masked cowboy, has a new album, Bronco, coming out on April 8. When he announced that last week, he also shared “C’mon Baby, Cry,” another fine example of Peck’s throwback country balladry.

Raveena — “Mystery”

Raveena is one of pop’s most intriguing up-and-comers, which she proved again last week with “Mystery,” a delightfully catchy highlight from the just-released album Asha’s Awakening. Uproxx’s Caitlin White recently noted of Raveena, “Even in a world that is striving to offer better representation and center women of color, it’s still rare to see an Indian woman in the pop mainstream, so Raveena’s proud centering of her intersectional identity is part of what makes her music so special and important.”

Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

If you had told NBA fans in 2014 that Andrew Wiggins would be headed to the 2022 NBA All-Star Game, no one would’ve batted an eye. The former No. 1 overall pick out of Kansas was expected to reach these heights in his career, but after seeing his career stagnate in Minnesota, seen as a scorer but little more, his first All-Star appearance as a member of the Warriors comes as a rather stunning turn of events in his eighth season in the NBA.

Wiggins was dealt to the Warriors alongside a first round pick (which became Jonathan Kuminga) for D’Angelo Russell at the 2020 trade deadline as Golden State was desperately trying to figure out their future and had recognized that Russell wasn’t a longterm fit alongside Stephen Curry. Most anticipated Wiggins would eventually be moved again, as his max contract would help the Warriors package picks to go get a disgruntled star once Klay Thompson was back in the fold. Instead, Wiggins has become a key cog in the Warriors starting lineup alongside Curry and Thompson, as Golden State has managed to tap into his potential on both ends of the floor and both the team and Wiggins are thriving because of it.

Wiggins’ stat line isn’t gaudy, as he’s averaging 18.0 points, 4.3 rebounds, 2.1 assists, and 1.0 steals per game this season, but it’s his leap in efficiency and impact on the defensive end that’s been most impressive and earned him the All-Star nod from the fans. He’s posting the best shooting splits of his career at 48.3 percent from the field and 41.6 percent from three (on 5.5 attempts per game), the latter of which is truly unbelievable considering his best three-point shooting season in Minnesota came in 2016-17 when he hit 35.6 percent of his threes on 3.5 attempts per game. His leap in efficiency from deep is a combination of considerable work he’s put in to make his three-point stroke more consistent, as well as the types of shots he’s getting on the Warriors compared to Minnesota.

By being off the ball far more in Golden State, Wiggins is able to space the floor as a corner shooter more than he ever did with the Wolves. On average, just 15.4 percent of Wiggins’ threes came from the corner while in Minnesota, as the vast majority of his shots came from above the break where, around the league, shooting percentages are lower. With the Warriors this season, 28.3 percent of Wiggins’ three-point attempts are coming from the corners where he’s shooting a lights out 48.1 percent (up from an average of 40.5 percent from the corners in Minnesota). He’s also getting more catch-and-shoot looks, with 89 percent of his threes being assisted, up from 80.6 percent during his time with the Wolves, as he’s embraced his role in an admirable way playing alongside Curry (and now Thompson as well).

What’s maybe most impressive is the buy-in from Wiggins on the defensive end. He has always had the physical profile of someone who should be an above-average wing defender, with great length as someone who moves very well, but in Minnesota the flashes of brilliance on that end rarely aligned with consistency in effort and attention to detail. That’s changed in Golden State, where Draymond Green and company demand those things, and Wiggins has become a key piece of the Warriors’ league-leading defense thanks to his switchability and physicality on the wing.

Wiggins’ All-Star appearance is, in a number of ways, a matter of a player capitalizing on circumstance. There are certainly some things that were working in Wiggins advantage to make this a perfect storm to get him into the All-Star lineup. It’s been a year in which some of the mainstays on the Western Conference All-Star roster in the frontcourt missed significant time, and Wiggins has been a consistent producer on one of the NBA’s best teams. He got plenty of assistance from a Warriors fanbase that has a rabid following — plus some assistance from a surprising source: K-Pop Twitter — elevating him to third in the West fan voting. Those undeniably played a major role in getting him to Cleveland, but he also deserves ample credit for adapting his game to a new situation and recognizing the opportunity that had presented itself for him to change the narrative about himself as a player.

For a player thought to be stubborn during his time in Minnesota, he’s been incredibly adaptable in Golden State on both ends of the floor, embracing his new team and the ideals that have guided them to championships in the past. The result is the best season of his career, a walking example of the importance of fit and circumstance to a player’s success.

Last night’s Super Bowl halftime show drew its fair share of both praise and controversy, as West Coast hip-hop legend Dr. Dre took to the field with a cadre of superstar associates including 50 Cent, Anderson .Paak, Eminem, Kendrick Lamar, Mary J. Blige, and Snoop Dogg. While some conservative pundits offered the probably disingenuous criticism of the show as depicting “sexual anarchy,” another lightning rod during the performance was Eminem taking a knee in solidarity with Colin Kaepernick and all the other players who protested police brutality during the 2016 season.

Ahead of the performance, it was reported that the NFL had apparently shot down the idea when he pitched it during planning and rehearsals, as well as flagging Dr. Dre’s “still not loving police” lyric from “Still D.R.E.” as possibly “divisive” moments. However, that report didn’t stop either performer from going ahead as planned, although Kendrick Lamar did censor the “we hate po-po” lyric from “Alright.”

A report shortly after the performance in the New York Times suggests new information from a league spokesman who insinuated that all those possibly controversial moments were cleared in rehearsals. Brian McCarthy said league officials “watched it during rehearsals this week” and didn’t mention receiving any notes. He also said that players and coaches were cleared to demonstrate before the game, although it didn’t seem that any of them did.