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‘John Wick Chapter 4’ Becomes The Highest-Grossing Film In The Franchise, No Thanks To Mario And Luigi

Keanu Reeves is not one to phone it in, as the kids say. In every role he takes, he gives the performance of a lifetime, whether it be as a depressed action figure in Toy Story 4 or in real life kissing his girlfriend with his eyes open. It’s not weird when he does it! Even when the actor was tricked into starring as a serial killer, he pulled it off without complaining (but never spoke of the movie again). So it’s no surprise that people want to see this man on the big screen. A lot of people, actually!

The latest installment in the John Wick franchise has already beaten John Wick Chapter 3 at the global box office, raking in $349.7 million since hitting screens just over a month ago. For reference, Chapter 3 managed to secure a measly $329 million at the box office back in 2019.

Unfortunately, John Wick couldn’t use his martial arts skills to take down Mario and Co., who dominated the box office once again last week and is inching closer to that $700 million mark. As the saying goes, no matter how hard you try, no matter how many dinosaurs you might throw at him, Chris Pratt will never fail.

There is only one logical next step here, which is to add Reeves to the cast of the eventual Super Mario Bros Movie sequel. But who would he play? Obviously, that would be Cappy, Mario’s hat when it gets possessed by a helpful little ghost. The Academy won’t even be able to wait to give him an Oscar then.

(Via Deadline)

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Fans Called Doja Cat’s Tattoo ‘Demonic,’ So She Gave Them An Art History Lesson

A year after Doja Cat joked about getting a tattoo to troll fans with an epic thirst trap, she debuted the real things at the Grammys this year. She offered a closeup look at another one on Instagram over the weekend, but not everyone was feeling it, prompting Doja to give an impromptu art history lesson when fans associated it with Satanism.

As noted by Vibe, some fans perceived the tattoos as “demonic,” with one writing, “Used to love you but you clearly sold your soul to the devil. Unfollow.” In a later post, Doja shared more reference photos of images from 15th-century artist Fortunio Licenti, the inspiration for her tattoo, along with an explanation from the Public Domain Review’s Instagram detailing his influences and motives. “Your fear is not my problem,” Doja wrote.

Doja has been active on social media lately, calling out fans who criticize her new, short-haired look and attention-grabbing cosmetic statements. ” I make hit after hit after hit and you all want me to look f*ckable for you so that you can go home and jerk your c*cks all day long while you live in your mothers basement,” she wrote on Twitter. “Go f*ck yourselves.”

On the music side, Doja’s verse on the remix of SZA’s “Kill Bill” has drawn praise for its fiery, focused approach to the sort of hardcore rap Doja grew up listening to.

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Ron ‘Pudding Fingers’ DeSantis Is Threatening To Build A Prison Right Next To Disney World

After being publicly humiliated in his attempt to take control of the special land agreement where Disney World sits in Florida — and trashed by returning CEO Bob Iger — pudding cup enthusiast Ron DeSantis is pursuing a new avenue to punish the entertainment giant for opposing his “Don’t Say Gay” bill.

Confirming reports that he’s now focused on the land next to Disney, DeSantis revealed during a press conference on Monday that he’s exploring all kinds of options of what the state could put on the land. Options like, let’s say, a prison perhaps because why not go full Lex Luthor in your all-out war against a cartoon mouse?

Via Raw Story:

“And so, you know, it’s like, okay, kids, I mean, people have said, you know, maybe, maybe have another, maybe create a state park, maybe try to do more amusement parks.”

“Someone even said, like, maybe you need another state prison,” DeSantis added. “Who knows? I mean, I just think that the possibilities are endless.”

While all of this might seem diabolical, DeSantis also admitted that he didn’t even realize the state controlled the nearby land until just recently.

“So if you look at this whole special district, well, Disney Corporation obviously owns a lot of it, but the district owns other land,” DeSantis told a crowd of reporters. “And you know, quite frankly, I wasn’t even thinking about that land.”

Of course, it remains to be seen how voters will respond to a governor who’s willing to sabotage the largest employer in his state and kneecap a significant portion of the state economy while he’s at it. America just had a vindictive president, do we really want to go through that again?

(Via Raw Story)

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The Absolute Best Scotch Whiskies At Every Price Point Between $20-$500

There’s a lot of great Scotch whisky on the shelves these days. You have so many opportunities to try peated and unpeated malt, special oak cask finishes, cask strength offerings, blended this and that, and limited releases that it can all feel dizzying. Today, I’m going to help you cut through all the crap and call out the absolute best Scotch whisky — single malt, blended, or otherwise — at every single price point from $20 all the way up to $500.

For this list of Scotch whiskies, I’ve taken the number one whisky bottle from every one of my “best price point” Scotch whisky articles this year. That gives you 15 scotches to choose from. These whiskies really do range from simple mixers to some of the most sought-after and beloved (and awarded) whiskies in the world. In short, there might be a whisky on this list that becomes your “forever whisky.”

Since this is by price point, I’m not ranking these whiskies. The ranking is inherent in the price. As much as I love, say, the Glenmorangie 10-year, there’s no point in pretending it’d beat out Ardbeg 19 or The GlenDronach 21. One is made for making highballs and the other two are world-class sippers that transcend any category.

Lastly, this list gets into rare whisky that’s highly allocated (released only in specific markets to specific retailers, restaurants, and bars). Prices are going to vary depending on your region and what’s available there. Thems just the breaks, folks. Let’s dive in!

Also Read: The Top 5 UPROXX Scotch Whisky Posts of The Last Six Months

$20-$30 — Naked Malt Blended Malt Scotch Whisky

Naked Malt
Edrington Group

ABV: 43%

Average Price: $29

The Whisky:

The whisky in the bottle is a blend of sherry-cask-finished whiskies from The Macallan and Highland Park. The whisky is then cut down to a very accessible 80-proof and then bottled in a nicely understated bottle.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: There’s a sweet malt buried under a buttery scone dripping with raspberry jam with a touch of light spice lurking in the background.

Palate: The sherry really kicks in on the palate with big notes of dates soaked in black tea next to creamy caramel, vanilla cake, and a touch of dry raisins.

Finish: The end doesn’t overstay its welcome and leaves you with a lovely note of chocolate-covered cherries with a sweet/dry vibe.

Bottom Line:

This is the closest you’re going to get to a sipper at this price point. You can pour this over a big glass of rocks and it’ll be pretty tasty (a truly solid “B” whisky). But you really want to mix this into whisky-forward cocktails or highballs more than anything else.

$30-$40 — Glenmorangie The Original Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky Aged 10 Years

Glenmorangie 10 Year
Louis Vuitton Moët Hennessy

ABV: 43%

Average Price: $36

The Whisky:

The Glenmorangie is a classic Highlands single malt. The juice is created on the tallest stills in Scotland, which allows more spirit creation along the way as it’s boiled. The whisky then spends ten years mellowing in ex-bourbon barrels. Finally, the whiskey is vatted, proofed, and bottled.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: The nose opens with soft grains next to a rush of dried fruits and supple leather with a floral hint that leans toward dry hibiscus and fresh woodruff.

Palate: The palate is gentle with hints of wet malts next to powdered dark spices, fresh honeycombs, and a thin line of vanilla oils just touched with orange zest and maybe a twinge of grapefruit.

Finish: The end arrives with a soft honeyed sweetness that feels like it’s drizzled over an orange cake with a hint of malted cracker graininess next to an echo of old apple chips.

Bottom Line:

This is a solid single malt that really does shine on its own. Yes, you can mix a mean cocktail with it, but you can also 100% enjoy this over a rock or two and feel like you’re drinking a really good simple Scotch whisky.

$40-$50 — Glenmorangie Quinta Ruban Highland Single Malt Scotch Whiskey Aged 14 Years

Glenmorangie 14
Louis Vuitton Moët Hennessy

ABV: 46%

Average Price: $46

The Whisky:

Glenmorangie’s 14-Year expression spends 10 years resting in used American oak casks. Those barrels are vatted and the whisky is re-barreled into Quinta Ruban port wine casks from Portugal for another four years of mellowing before batching, proofing, and bottling as-is.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: The nose draws you in with a sense of burnt orange layered into dark chocolate and then melted over a singed marshmallow with a hint of malted vanilla cookie tying it all together.

Palate: That dark chocolate drives the palate with a hint of waxiness and woody winter spice next to whole black peppercorns, fresh tangerine, and a whisper of mint chocolate chip ice cream.

Finish: The dark chocolate, woody spice, bright orange, and sharp spearmint all collide on the finish with a sense of soft malted sweetness and faint old oak staves.

Bottom Line:

Delicious. It’s perfect neat, on the rocks, or mixed into your favorite whisky cocktail. This is an exceptional whisky at this price point.

$50-$60 — Ardbeg Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky Ten Years Old

Louis Vuitton Moët Hennessy

ABV: 46%

Average Price: $56

The Whisky:

This is Ardbeg’s signature bottle and a true gateway to the peaty style of single malt scotches. The real highlight of this expression is the peat smokiness filtered through sherry casking. The phenol count tends to be on the higher end with this expression, so you’ll know you’re drinking a smoky whisky from the first nose. But it won’t absolutely floor you.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: The nose is classic Ardbeg with hints of BBQ smoker ash full of fat, tart red berries, lemon pepper, and a touch of creamy dark chocolate.

Palate: The palate follows the nose’s lead while layering in sea-salt brined pork fat, hints of bourbon vanilla, and an echo of Nutella.

Finish: The finish has that deep salted black licorice vibe leading to a slow fade through the peppery smoked fat, charcoal ash, chocolate nuttiness, and finally smoked red berries with a sweet/tart edge.

Bottom Line:

This is bold and fun whisky that’s wonderful served over a single large rock in a big ol’ rocks glass. That said, it also works nicely in a cocktail (think citrus and honey or even Coke). But if you want to get the full thrust of the Islay peatiness with that seaside smoker vibe, then stick with the big cube of ice.

$60-$70 — Johnnie Walker Green Label Blended Malt Scotch Whisky

Diageo

ABV: 43%

Average Price: $69

The Whisky:

Johnnie Walker’s Green Label is a solidly crafted whisky that highlights Diageo’s fine stable of distilleries across Scotland. The whisky is a pure malt or blended malt, meaning that only single malt whisky is in the mix (no grain whisky). In this case, the primary whiskies are a minimum of 15 years old, from Talisker, Caol Ila, Cragganmore, and Linkwood.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: Soft notes of cedar dance with hints of black pepper, vanilla pods, and bright fruit with a wisp of green grass in the background.

Palate: The palate really delivers on that soft cedar woodiness while edging towards a spice-laden tropical fruit brightness.

Finish: The finish is dialed in with hints of cedar, spice, and fruit leading toward a briny billow of smoke at the very end.

Bottom Line:

This is a whisky that’s so much greater than its equally great parts. This is one of the best blended malt whiskies you’ll ever find, full stop. It shines as a cocktail base and slaps as a simple everyday sipper. You can’t lose.

$70-$80 — Oban West Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky Aged 14 Years

Diageo

ABV: 43%

Average Price: $79

The Whisky:

This is a great gateway to both Oban and scotch, in general, to have on hand. The whisky is classically made and then matured in the Oban storehouses for 14 long years — all within a stone’s throw of the sea. The whisky barrels are then blended and proofed by Oban’s tiny distillery team (only seven people work there) before bottling.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: Citrus, salt, and a whisper of briny peat smoke open this one up on the nose as this sense of dry orchard fruits at the end of fall mingle with soft honey drizzled over spiced malted crackers with a hint of smoked orange saltwater taffy lurking in the background.

Palate: That smoked citrus carries on as a foundation for mild winter spices as a note of honeycomb, hints of fresh pears, and plummy dried fruits with a fatty nuttiness mingle on the palate.

Finish: The oaky spice and extremely mild peat smoke meet at the end with a slight malty sweetness, old pear, and the faintest whisper of dried seaweed.

Bottom Line:

This is flawless whisky. It’s perfectly suited to neat or on the rocks sipping while also being a killer cocktail base. You cannot go wrong with this bottle.

$80-$90 — Cragganmore Distillers Edition Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky

Diageo

ABV: 40%

Average Price: $88

The Whisky:

Cragganmore is an iconic Scottish distillery. The whisky is matured in sherry casks for 12 years. It’s then transferred into American oak casks that held port for a final maturation phase before proofing and bottling.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: Fennel leads to dried fruits — sultanas, prunes, dried fig — and fresh apples on the nose with a hint of tartness and skin next to savory (almost oily) herb branches and leaves.

Palate: The taste, on the other hand, leans into sweet oak, pear candies, fresh figs, and a softness that’s almost hard to believe while this medley of caraway, fresh fennel, and sweet cardamom dance together on your palate.

Finish: The end is full of sweet fruits — think ripe pears, green tomatoes, and star fruit — and has just the right touches of soft oak, oily vanilla, and savory green herbs as it fades towards a final note of wet wicker right after a rain storm.

Bottom Line:

There’s something about the funky green herbal and orchard notes of this whiskey that keeps calling me back for more. It’s unique but nostalgic. It’s like silk but still full of surprises. It also truly blooms with some water added, leading you through herb gardens, fruit orchards, and creameries on a sunny day.

$90-$100 — Lagavulin Single Islay Malt Whisky Aged 16 Years

Diageo

ABV: 43%

Average Price: $97

The Whisky:

This is the most recognizable Lagavulin out there. The malts are smoked just down the road from the distillery at Port Ellen and the mash is crafted expertly by the sea at Lagavulin Distillery. The whisky then spends 16 long years mellowing in old American and Spanish oak before vatting, proofing, and bottling.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: Imagine a beach fire that’s using dried seaweed as fuel next to mugs of honeyed black tea and a clump of wet moss on the nose.

Palate: The taste of this dram meanders through dried pipe tobacco smoke laced with hints of vanilla and tart apple while notes of briny caramel lead towards an oyster shell minerality.

Finish: The finish is pure silk as the seaweed grows wetter and the smoke sweetens towards that caramel, vanilla, and apple.

Bottom Line:

This is the perfect balance of approachable peated whisky and deep Islay flavors that are welcoming to all. Yes, this has deep peated vibes, but those are subtly layered into a bigger idea of this whisky’s orchard notes, creamy sweetness, and honeyed bitterness with a soft briny aura. It all just works, which makes this an essential advanced whisky to have on your bar cart. Plus, you need this around to make Smoky Cokeys — so don’t skip this one.

$100-$125 — Talisker Single Malt Scotch Whisky The Distillers Edition

Talisker Distillers Edition
Diageo

ABV: 45.8%

Average Price: $119

The Whisky:

The 2022 Distillers Edition is a classic Talisker that’s aged by the sea and finished for six months in Amoroso sherry casks. The whisky was distilled in 2012 and bottled at 10 years old. It was then finished in another Amoroso sherry cask, making it “double cask” matured.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: The nose runs deep on this whisky with mild hints of beachside campfire smoke whispering in the background as hints of red fruit, wet driftwood, and green peppercorns draw you in.

Palate: The palate embraces the red berries with a slight tartness next to the sweetness as the peat remains dry and distant and tied to the brine of the sea with an almost oyster liquor softness.

Finish: The finish lingers for just the right amount of time as sweet berries and dry peat lead towards soft dark cacao powder with a tiny note of vanilla and one last spray from the sea.

Bottom Line:

This is as close to a perfect whisky as you can get at this price point. It’s sophisticated, dynamic, and delectable.

$125-$150 — Mortlach Single Malt Scotch Whisky Aged 16 Years

Diageo

ABV: 43.4%

Average Price: $134

The Whisky:

This tiny and iconic Dufftown distillery is the whisky aficionado’s distillery. The whisky in this bottle is distilled almost three times (2.81 times to be exact) through various types of pot stills. The juice is then aged for 16 years in sherry casks before it’s, vatted, proofed, and bottled.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: You’re met with a bowl full of stewed plums with anise, clove, and cinnamon in the mix, next to a slight sense of dry moss.

Palate: The taste has a faint vanilla edge next to velvety honey, sharp spice, old leather-bound books, and a touch of bruised apricot.

Finish: The end is very long, holds onto the spice and fruit, and leaves you with a sense of creamy vanilla honey.

Bottom Line:

This is an expressive whisky that’s also very pointed. It’s clear-cut and bold at the same time. If you’re looking to really get into Scotch single malt, this is a must-try step in the right direction.

$150-$200 — Talisker Single Malt Scotch Whisky Aged 18 Years

Talisker 18
Diageo

ABV: 45.8%

Average Price: $194

The Whisky:

This is a classic single malt that also happens to hold the title of “Best Single Malt Whisky in the World” from the World Whiskies Awards. The iconic whisky is rendered in Talisker’s bespoke stills and then spends nearly two decades resting in both ex-bourbon and ex-sherry barrels, like most of the true classic single malts.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: The nose has a light yet clear sense of ripe plums, orange oils, buttery toffee, and an almost sour apple next to a distant whiff of briny campfire smoke from one beach over.

Palate: The orange oils remain on the palate as eggnog spices peek in gently, with hints of that butter toffee driving a rich silkiness.

Finish: The smoke remains in the distance as the spices warm your senses and the meaty fruit takes the edge off on the slow and satisfying fade.

Bottom Line:

The general consensus is that this is the “Best Single Malt Whisky in the World” and I have absolutely no desire to argue with that. This is my house pour. It should be yours too. It’s cliched but I have to say it — if you buy one bottle on this list, this should be it.

$200-$250 — Caol Ila Aged 25 Years Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky

Caol Ila 25
Diageo

ABV: 43%

Average Price: $218

The Whisky:

This is the first official Caol Ila 25 Year that was bottled with a good dose of proofing water (previous 25-year limited editions were bottled at cask strength). This whisky is made from Caol Ila’s famed briny peated malts. The whisky spent 25 years mellowing right next to the sea on Islay until a few barrels were just right.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: Smoked vanilla pods and salted black licorice lead on the nose with a sense of burnt toffee, burnt stout, and the darkest of chocolate cut with oyster liqueur, beach rocks, and a fleeting (almost inexplicable) sense of freshly mown lawn.

Palate: The palate is luxuriously silken with a soft salted toffee next to a whisper of bourbon caramel next to old leather pouches that held spiced pear tobacco and old maritime ropes with a touch more of that oyster brine.

Finish: The end has a balanced and subtle spiced maltiness that then leans toward the vanilla, toffee, and licorice candy sweetness with a hint of plum and apricot next to a soft summer sea breeze carrying a sense of blooming wildflowers.

Bottom Line:

This is one of the truly great whiskies in the world. It is perfect. It is delicious. It should be on your bar cart if you consider yourself a whisky connoisseur and have the means.

$250-$300 — The GlenDronach Parliament Aged 21 Years Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky

Brown-Forman

ABV: 48%

Average Price: $279

The Whisky:

Don’t let the name fool you. The “parliament” in this case is the collective noun for rooks — a type of European crow that nests above the distillery. That dark essence is rendered in the whisky through 21 long years of maturation in Oloroso and Pedro Ximenez sherry casks exclusively.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: There’s a lot going on with this nose, starting with blackberry brambles hanging heavy with ripe fruit leading towards a well-spiced oatmeal cookie, soft marzipan cut with hints of orange zest, a light sense of dark chocolate with a creamy edge, and soft vanilla cookies sprinkled with mint and lavender.

Palate: A sticky toffee pudding sweetness arrives (heavy on the black tea-soaked dates and nutmeg with a well-salted toffee drizzle) with flourishes of bitter dark chocolate notes and a sharp holiday spice matrix that leans into bark and berry botanicals with a dash of sweet nutmeg.

Finish: The end is very long and very velvety with hints of dark fruits, winter spice barks, soft marzipan, and a fleeting sense of a wildflower orchard.

Bottom Line:

This is a perfect whisky. No faults. It’s just delicious.

$300-$400 — Ardbeg Traigh Bhan Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky 19 Years Old

Louis Vuitton Moët Hennessy

ABV: 46.2%

Average Price: $360

The Whisky:

This is Ardbeg’s yearly release of special batches of 19-year-old peaty malt. The whisky is Ardbeg’s signature, heavily peated whisky that’s bottled during a “haar.” That’s a thick and briny foggy morning on Islay, which imparts that x-factor into the whisky before it goes into the bottle.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: A soft smokiness comes from smoldering lime leaves that lead to a hint of sour cream bespeckled with fennel seeds and wrapped up in cold-smoked salmon with a hint of pine resin and black tea in the background of the nose.

Palate: The palate has this soft and sweet hint of grilled pineapple that works the taste toward salted dark chocolate fudge, orange zest, and dried lavender with a whisper of wet granite and sea-soaked charcoal.

Finish: The end has a slight sweet ash vibe that’s more fruity than peaty with a sense of seawater-soaked wood smoldering away and roasting some marshmallows.

Bottom Line:

Ardbeg hit a pinnacle with their 19-year Traigh Bhan yearly limited release. It’s a masterpiece of peated audaciousness and one of the best peated malts from Islay, full stop.

$400-$500 — Springbank Aged 18 Years Campbeltown Single Malt Scotch Whisky

Springbank
J and A Mitchell and Company

ABV: 46%

Average Price: $449

The Whisky:

Springbank 18 is a 50/50 single malt blend of whiskies that mellowed in both bourbon and sherry casks. The 18-year-old barrels are masterfully vatted, proofed, and bottled as-is.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: The nose feels like it’s viscous with hints of thick golden syrup next to a slight earthiness, floral honey, meaty dates, and ginger cake with caramel icing.

Palate: The palate meanders through salted black licorice and walnut shells as smoked maple syrup leads to a mid-palate full of ripe and sweet red berries with a hint of the bramble underneath.

Finish: The finish becomes creamy like a malted chocolate milkshake with pencil shavings and wet BBQ charcoal on the back end.

Bottom Line:

This is funky perfection. It’s familiar yet new. It’s deep yet understandable. It’s really just that good. It’s also a pretty insane show-off bottle to have on your bar cart given the rarity of these bottles.

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All The Best New Music From This Week That You Need To Hear

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 Ice Spice and SZA both come through with big-time collaborations. 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.

Ice Spice and Nicki Minaj — “Princess Diana”

Back in 2020, Ice Spice joked that Nicki Minaj had followed her on Twitter. Two years and change later, it actually happened. Things escalated quickly from there, as last week, Minaj joined Spice on a remix of “Princess Diana,” a thumping number that was accompanied by a twerk-filled video.

SZA — “Kill Bill” Feat. Doja Cat

SZA has one of the year’s biggest albums with SOS, and her single “Kill Bill” is also a massive success, so far peaking at No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. But speaking of high-profile collaborations, she breathed new life into the song last week by recruiting Doja Cat for a remix. The track starts with the newness right away, as Doja opens the track with a fresh verse that builds on the song’s themes of revenge.

Dominic Fike — “Dancing In The Courthouse”

After getting a season of Euphoria under his belt, Dominic Fike pivoted back to music last week with “Dancing In The Courthouse.” The single is a warm and breezy number, propelled by a relaxed rhythm and vibe that’s going to be perfect for lazy summer afternoons in the coming months.

Post Malone — “Chemical”

Posty just delivered one of the first big surprises of Coachella 2023’s opening weekend by popping up during Bad Bunny’s set. Before that, though, he dropped “Chemical,” his first single of the year, a pop- and rock-leaning tune with a propulsive rhythm on which he confronts his vices and struggles.

Angel Olsen — “Forever Means”

Not long after last year’s Big Time, Angel Olsen is coming back with a new collection of music, an EP dubbed Forever Means. The title track came out last week and the song, as Uproxx’s Danielle Chelosky notes, “possesses the endearing twang of her last LP, as well as the intimate, vulnerable ambiance.”

The National — “Your Mind Is Not Your Friend” Feat. Phoebe Bridgers

The National and Phoebe Bridgers have become friends in recent years, but they have an opposite sort of relationship with their inner workings on “Your Mind Is Not Your Friend,” the latest from The National on which Bridgers features. It’s a melancholic, piano-driven number on which Matt Berninger sings, “Don’t you understand? / Your mind is not your friend again / It takes you by the hand / And leaves you nowhere.”

Daniel Caesar — “Valentina” Feat. Rick Ross

Caesar is only days removed from the release of Never Enough but he already bounced back with a deluxe edition of the album. The expanded version includes a new collaboration with Rick Ross on “Valentina,” a sultry number that builds upon its initially brief runtime by adding some punch with Ross’ new verse.

Kelly Clarkson — “Mine”

Excluding a 2021 Christmas album, the last full-length we got from Kelly Clarkson was 2017’s Meaning Of Life. Now, though, the talk show host and singing competition judge is getting back in the saddle with Chemistry, which is set to land this summer. It’s gearing up to be a personal album that addresses her divorce, as she sings on “Mine,” “You know I question every motive, everything you say / Thought with you maybe my heart wasn’t meant to break / Can’t believe I let you in, I can’t believe I stayed / As long as I stayed, yeah.”

Lauren Spencer-Smith, Gayle, and Em Beihold — “Fantasy”

Gayle had a massive 2021 and 2022 with “ABCDEFU” and the subsequent A Study Of The Human Experience EPs. The personality she infuses in her music played a major role there and it’s also clearly present in “Fantasy,” a big and bold new song in collaboration with Lauren Spencer-Smith and Em Beihold.

Metallica — “Sleepwalk My Life Away”

Metallica had a huge 2022 thanks to a “Master Of Puppets” needle drop in Stranger Things. Now, they’re also making an impact in 2023 with a new album, 72 Seasons. The band has been at it since the ’80s and while they’re very much veterans, they don’t yet come across as old, as there are still plenty of punishing riffs and strong songwriting on the new LP, their 11th.

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

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What Was Jai Paul’s Coachella Setlist For 2023?

How many artists can say their first-ever live performance of any kind happened at Coachella? At least one, and his name is Jai Paul.

After releasing Leak 04-13 (Bait Ones) on vinyl last week, Paul took to the Mojave Stage on Saturday, April 15, ahead of Blackpink’s historic headlining set on the main stage later in the night. Paul’s performance was not included in Coachella’s YouTube livestream, but Uproxx was there to relay what went down:

“The UK artist gained popularity over a decade ago but took an extended hiatus after his music was leaked online. In 2019, the artist returned to drop his music in an official capacity. Because Jai Paul isn’t used to performing in front of a crowd, much less to a crowd of thousands at one of the biggest festivals in the world, it was clear he had some understandable nerves.

Unlike seasoned performers like Blackpink or Charli XCX, Jai Paul didn’t address the crowd during his set or try to hype up the audience. Instead, he walked out on stage and launched straight into the music. Even still, his dance-y beats and impressive falsetto vocals were enough to win over the crowd as he played fan-favorite tracks like ‘Jasmine,’ ‘BTSTU,’ and ‘Str8 Outta Mumbai.’”

Check out Paul’s full setlist below, courtesy of setlist.fm.

1. “Higher Res” (Big Boi cover)
2. “He”
3. “Crush” (Jennifer Paige cover)
4. “100,000”
5. “So Long”
6. “Chix”
7. “All Night”
8. “Do You Love Her Now”
9. “Jasmine”
10. “BTSTU”
11. “Str8 Outta Mumbai”

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

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Jennie Fans Are Hyped To See Her In HBO’s ‘The Idol’… But Some Only Plan To Watch The Fancams On Twitter

The Idol, the upcoming HBO series from The Weeknd and Sam Levinson, has had some controversy. What it also has now is a release date: It was confirmed today (April 17) that the show is set to debut on Sunday, June 4 at 9 p.m. ET. A new teaser also arrived today and this excited Blackpink fans, since we got some glimpses of Jennie, who has a role in the show.

One enterprising fan already compiled the Jennie clips into a video and in all, they account for about 3 seconds of screen time:

Reactions to this teaser are so far somewhat mixed. Of course, there’s plenty of excitement for Jennie’s high-profile acting role. However, this comes after a March Rolling Stone report about the show, in which a production source claimed, “It was like three or four lines per episode for her. They didn’t let her talk that much. Her job was to sit there [and] look pretty, basically.”

So, there are fans who think the show is just using Jennie and her K-pop clout to get butts in seats.

There are also those who plan to just watch Jennie’s scenes, calling on fan pages to make fancam videos so they don’t have to sit through the whole show. (For those unfamiliar, Urban Dictionary defines “fancam” as “a video that follows a specific person performing on stage/a video that focuses on a person performing.”

In a previous interview, The Idol co-creator Sam Levinson called Jennie “so professional and hardworking” and added, “Watching her learn a full dance routine in about an hour and then perform it flawlessly 10 times in a row was amazing, and of course that’s just a tiny piece of her talent and ability.” Jennie herself also noted, “We got to meet and talk about the possibilities [of] me being in the show, and it worked out magically.”

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Ranking The NBA First Round Series From Least To Most Exciting After Game 1

NBA fans were treated to a pretty great weekend of playoff basketball as the first round of the 2023 postseason got underway with Game 1s in every series on Saturday and Sunday. There were a few duds, but for the most part we got competitive action and a few truly spectacular games, which is all we can really ask for.

As we get set to move forward in the first round, we wanted to take stock of the weekend and rank each series based how excited we are to watch the next 3-6 games based on what we saw in the opener.

8. Boston Celtics (1-0) vs. Atlanta Hawks (0-1)

Game 1 ended up not being the blowout we expected when the Celtics went up 74-44 at the half, but that still felt fairly representative of the talent gap between these two teams. Atlanta should shoot some better going forward, but they weren’t a particularly good three-point shooting team all season and also shot the third-fewest threes in the league. It’s tough to see how the Hawks make this a series if they are operating at a deficit in the three-point battle all series and Boston has the two best players overall in Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown. Trae Young has to be a lot better than he was in the opener for things to turn around, but the Celtics have a number of players that do all of the things on defense that bother him and follow the script Miami used so successfully a year ago. The intrigue in this series seems mostly to be whether it’s a true sweep or just a gentleman’s sweep in favor of the Celtics.

7. Denver Nuggets (1-0) vs. Minnesota Timberwolves (0-1)

The last of the first round games was also the most lopsided, as Denver blew the doors off of Minnesota in a 109-80 final. The Wolves could try to make the excuse of a Play-In hangover, but that’s a tough sell considering the Heat won their opener on the road against the Bucks coming off of the exact same rest schedule as Minnesota. While the Wolves aren’t 30 points worse than the Nuggets, it did feel like there is just a sizable gap between the two teams that Minnesota is going to have a really tough time closing down — particularly when you consider Nikola Jokic had a fairly pedestrian night and it didn’t matter. I’m not ready to guarantee this is a sweep, as the Wolves could shoot their way into a win somewhere, but with how sharp Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr. looked in the opener, it’s hard to see Minnesota keeping pace for very long in this series.

6. Philadelphia 76ers (1-0) vs. Brooklyn Nets (0-1)

The Nets just have to work too hard just to keep things close. Mikal Bridges was sensational, but he can only do so much and doesn’t have enough help to overcome the amount of offensive talent the Sixers have at their disposal. That is doubly the case if Tobias Harris is going to shoot the ball like he did in Game 1, because when he’s rolling, there’s just not a lot you can do against this Sixers offense. Philly was outright bad finishing at the rim in the opener, a testament to the effort put in by the Nets to contest everything inside, but also probably just a weird outlier night for the Sixers. Their shooting was also hotter than it usually is, and while that will come back to earth some, it’s also a product of wide open shots courtesy of the Nets having to double team Embiid every time he touches it cause they don’t have anyone big enough to pretend to defend him 1-on-1. It’s all just a nightmare matchup for Brooklyn. While I enjoy watching them play because, truly, they work very hard on both ends and Bridges has become a tremendous scorer, it is very hard to see how they make Philly feel genuinely uncomfortable in this series.

5. Miami Heat (1-0) vs. Milwaukee Bucks (0-1)

This was not a series I anticipated being in this spot, but Miami came out red-hot in the opener and with Giannis Antetokounmpo now dealing with a back injury that knocked him out of Game 1, the outcome of this series no longer feels as a mere formality for the 1-seed. Now, Miami (probably) won’t shoot nearly as well as they did in the opener from three, but Jimmy Butler absolutely can take over consistently and if Bam Adebayo is willing to be assertive offensively when given space, as will be the case all series, they can have some success against this Milwaukee defense. On the other side, the Bucks looked pretty awful in the halfcourt aside from Khris Middleton, but that’s also not exactly new for them in the playoffs. Milwaukee should get better and I would expect they still win this series, but the likelihood of this thing dragging out to six or seven games is now much higher than originally expected.

4. Los Angeles Lakers (1-0) vs. Memphis Grizzlies (0-1)

I want to be clear that there is a fairly sizable gap between the 4 and 5 spots in these rankings, and that the top four all exist in their own tier. Ja Morant’s status looms large going forward after his hand injury in the fourth quarter of the opener, and if he misses significant time, that puts a serious damper on what has the makings of a tremendous series, which is what knocks this to the fourth spot.

Still, this has the potential to be a very fun first round series, with a young Grizzlies team looking to make a name for itself by knocking off LeBron James and the Lakers. In the opener, the Lakers were carried down the stretch by the unlikeliest of sources, as Rui Hachimura and Austin Reaves combined for 52 points on the afternoon and 23 in the fourth quarter, as LeBron and Anthony Davis took a backseat. That was unforeseen, and it’ll be interesting to see if the Grizzlies adapt their defensive strategy at all or if they continue daring the Lakers others like Hachimura to knock down open shots as Jaren Jackson Jr. roams to dissuade Davis and James from driving.

On the other end, Memphis needs its shooters to be better. Desmond Bane (3-of-10) and Luke Kennard (1-of-4) were simply not good enough from deep, while Dillon Brooks was a willing shooter (2-of-9) to the delight of the Lakers. The positive takeaways for Memphis are that Jackson was tremendous offensively and the final score wasn’t indicative of how close things were before the Grizzlies started spiraling in the final three minutes. The reason this ends up A bounceback performance in Game 2, with or without Morant, is necessary, but if it happens we may be in for a long, very fun series.

3. New York Knicks (1-0) vs. Cleveland Cavaliers (0-1)

Knicks-Cavs is some old-school Eastern Conference basketball, but with two backcourt stars capable of creating big buckets all on their own. Jalen Brunson and Donovan Mitchell have both moved East but still have once again found each other in the first round. Like last year between Dallas and Utah, they put on a show in the opener, with Brunson’s Knicks getting the edge on Mitchell’s Cavs in the opener.

How both teams adjust will be very interesting, because neither will feel like they had their best in the opener. Cleveland needs Darius Garland to get going, because he’s vital to creating for their frontcourt and wing players. The fifth spot in the starting and closing lineup also remains a key issue for Cleveland, as they opted for Cedi Osman over Isaac Okoro down the stretch in the opener hoping to get some offensive boost, but ended up giving up their best point-of-attack defender against Brunson. New York, meanwhile, will need Julius Randle and RJ Barrett to either be better or be more willing to play within themselves, because those two once again struggled with playoff scoring efficiency. The good news is, New York’s bench was much more settled in than Cleveland’s and the efforts of Josh Hart and Isaiah Hartenstein were huge in helping the Knicks get the win.

The margins in this series, like the three that will follow it, feel razor thin, and that makes for playoff excitement. Every great play and every big mistake feels magnified, and this series, maybe more than any other, seems to show the nerves of the postseason. Both teams have players either in their first postseason, trying to learn how to handle the pressure, or with past playoff struggles, trying to overcome the internal and external pressures all at once. That adds further to the drama of this series, and while it’s not free-flowing basketball like some of the West series, the tension is spectacular and I hope we get a long, back-and-forth affair.

2. Los Angeles Clippers (1-0) vs. Phoenix Suns (0-1)

The opener in Phoenix had a little bit of everything. Both teams made huge runs — L.A. jumping out to a 19-point lead, Phoenix charging back to go up nine in the third — before both teams settled in to a tense, back-and-forth battle. The Clippers came out on top thanks to Kawhi Leonard’s brilliance (38 points) and Russell Westbrook’s frenetic final minute where all of his best qualities were on display — he also shot 3-of-19 and had a halftime confrontation with a fan, but that’s all part of the experience. For Phoenix, they saw Kevin Durant and Devin Booker both play well, combining for 53 points, with Durant facilitating well (11 assists) and Booker having one of his best defensive games ever. The game really came down to the Clippers getting four cracks at their final possession of the game, thanks to two Westbrook offensive rebounds and another that bounced off the Suns out of bounds. That is how tight this series feels, particularly if Leonard is playing at the level he was on Sunday night. The stretch of the fourth where we watched Durant and Leonard go back-and-forth hitting outrageously difficult, contested shots was an absolute treat, and I hope we get at least a few more tight games down the stretch because this series features three of the best tough shotmakers in the entire NBA.

1. Sacramento Kings (1-0) vs. Golden State Warriors (0-1)

I was hopeful for this series, but carried a cautious pessimism into it because I was concerned the Warriors might be able to flip a switch and hit a gear Sacramento doesn’t have. After the opening win by the Kings, I came away feeling much better about this being the series everyone hoped it could be, because nothing really felt fluky about the performance on either side.

De’Aaron Fox proved he is really that guy and that his shot-making from the regular season was absolutely going to translate — and we learned Golden State doesn’t have anyone that can stay in front of him. Malik Monk’s 32-point outing was unexpected, but while he may take a step back, I think the other shooters on the Kings will get their legs under them after a nervy first game and even things out. Domantas Sabonis came out hot but struggled with Kevon Looney’s size and patience, which will be a matchup to watch all series long. The Kings’ frenetic pace seemed to speed up the Warriors, who also like to play fast but seemed to fall into the Kings’ trap of taking early clock shots rather than running their sets to get really good looks against a Sacramento defense with plenty of holes.

For the Warriors. Stephen Curry was very good but has to work hard every time Davion Mitchell is on the floor. Andrew Wiggins looks like he hasn’t missed a beat, albeit he missed a couple key threes late but that seems like shot variance, not rust. Klay Thompson is still not shy about shooting, and one of these games, a lot more of those threes he put up in Game 1 will fall. Draymond was Draymond, and Looney gave the aforementioned terrific defensive effort on Sabonis. All of it just feels sustainable, with the understanding that a lot of these games will simply come down to shot variance on both sides. That is going to make for a very fun series that is as aesthetically pleasing as they come, because of the pace these teams play at and how both are capable of making a big run at seemingly any time.

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A ‘Simpsons’ Star Thinks The Show Will Last Until At Least Season 40 (And Possibly Much Longer)

The next episode of The Simpsons will be its 746th. That’s as many episodes as Grey’s Anatomy and ER, two famously long-running shows, combined. The record-breaking animated series, which would have to take a 10-year break for Law & Order: Special Victims Unit to catch up, has already been renewed through 2025, taking it through seasons 35 and 36, and over 800 episodes.

Will we ever be able to imagine a world without The Simpsons?

“I wonder about that, too,” star Hank Azaria told People at The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel season five premiere (psh, only five seasons) about The Simpsons eventually (?) ending. “We’re doing season 35 and 36. I would guess that it would probably go to 40. It seems to be doing well.”

Azaria noted that the “standards of what doing well means has changed so much for network television in the last 10 to 15 years. But whatever the standards are now, we seem to be doing well. People still enjoy making it. They seem to want the show. So I imagine we keep going.” He continued:

“The voices don’t really age. So we can keep doing it. And the animation doesn’t age. The animation does get better — and quicker.”

To paraphrase a movie that came out four years after The Simpsons premiered, “I get older, Homer and Marge stay the same age.”

(Via People)

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The Reviews Are In: Everyone Loves NoHo Hank’s Festive New Look On ‘Barry’

There were a number of things you could have been doing this past Sunday night. Succession, as per usual, dominated the conversation, while Netflix tried (and failed) to bring its Love Is Blind reunion live to viewers at home, and suddenly you were faced to confront the fact that a lot more people watch that show than you had thought. But the real peak TV event of the night was actually the season four premiere of Barry, as any seasoned television connoisseur will no doubt tell you. And with that came the return of cultural icon Noho Hank.

Since the end of season three, Hank and Cristobal have been doing their best to live off the land in the middle of the desert, which is hard when there is a sand shortage. Art does imitate life sometimes. The duo toy with the idea of smuggling in some sand with a new business deal, but the conversation doesn’t really matter as much as Noho Hank’s flawless outfit. Just look at this man, who has never done anything wrong in his life before. For the most part.

noho hank
hbo

His Coachella-ready outfit did not go unnoticed by fans, who have collectively decided that he should get his own spinoff show. Anthony Carrigan, NoHo Hank’s real-life counterpart, understands the appeal of his character, as he recently told The New York Times. “He’s a lovable scorpion. He doesn’t want to sting anyone, he doesn’t want to hurt anyone. But that’s just his nature,” Carrigan said, adding. “I’m playing the bad guy, but making him likable, making him winning.” Even if he isn’t winning, Hank sure has a bright future as an Instagram influencer:

Isn’t this much better than the boring plain baseball cap that a certain fighting family seem to love so much??

Barry airs Sundays at 10 pm on HBO.