Month: August 2020

Rising New Zealand star Benee had a breakout year in 2019. The 20-year-old’s Gus Dapperton-featuring single “Supalonely” got some traction in the US and became her first Platinum single in the country. After releasing a pair of EPs last year, Benee is gearing up to drop her debut album, which she has previewed today with “Snail.”

The thumping pop tune is quite literally about snails, as she adopts a rhythmic and infectious cadence to sing on the chorus, “I’m like a snail, you’re a guy / Kinda mad I can’t fly / When it’s day, hide away / But come out when it rains.” Benee said of the song:

“When we were in lockdown, I was fascinated by snails. There wasn’t really a lot to be doing, so I would spend a lot of time outside looking at snails and would think about how they’re doing their own little thing and they’re all free. I just played around with the idea of being kind of like a snail and how I come out in the rain. Being stuck inside because of COVID, it’s kind of my lockdown song.”

An interest in snails isn’t some hat Benee is temporarily wearing for the sake of this song. She discussed her love for the creatures in a July interview (before “Snail” was announced), saying, “I think if I was to be anything other than a human, I think it would have to be a snail. […] I’ve just had a weird obsession with them since I was, like, five years old. I really, really hate it when I step on them on accident, like, it really, really crushes my soul. I also think they are cute, which is an unpopular opinion, I think.”

Listen to “Snail” above.

NLE Choppa‘s long-awaited debut album dropped on Friday, and to keep the buzz going, the 17-year-old Memphis mic menace followed up with the video to one of the project’s standout tracks, “Top Shotta Flow.”

The video is relatively straightforward, with standard scenes of Choppa rapping in front of a crowd, including fellow Memphis viral star BlocBoy JB, performing with a car burning rubber behind him, and dancing with all his usual exuberant, youthful energy. The performance sequences are accentuated by some eye-popping visual effects, including digital clones of Choppa dancing alongside him, slow-motion bullets firing from his imaginary guns, and flames overtaking the dancing teens. Throughout, the focus remains on Choppa, a magnetic force who can’t help being the center of attention.

In addition to his album release this past weekend, Choppa is also the subject of an Uproxx Video documentary, Who Is NLE Choppa?, detailing his viral rise to stardom and following him as he navigates his newfound fame. Check out a teaser below.

Top Shotta is out now via NLE Choppa Entertainment and Warner Records. Get it here.

Watch NLE Choppa’s “Top Shotta Flow” video above.

NLE Choppa is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

We’ve already run through the highest-scoring bottles of bourbon from this year’s Ultimate Spirits Challenge and now we’re fixing our gaze on the highest scoring añejo tequilas. The judges at the Ultimate Spirits Challenge (USC) have been judging the world’s best spirits for 10 years and they take booze seriously. So seriously, in fact, that they didn’t let a global pandemic stop them from convening over two full months at a state of the art tasting facility in Hawthorne, New York, to sample booze from over 45-spirit producing nations.

The result of all that spirits tasting is a carefully curated list of the best spirits in any given category, and a wonderful resource for anyone blindly buying bottles of alcohol. Below, we’ve collected the top 10 scoring añejo tequilas and included tasting notes from the USC or the bottlers themselves. Before we dive into the list, we should mention that this rundown doesn’t include the highest-scoring Añejo, 818. Winner of the USC’s highest honor, the Chairman’s Trophy, 818 isn’t available to purchase in the states and has absolutely no online presence.

According to the USC, 818 Añejo has “earthy aromas of pine and yellow fruits mixed with vanilla. Sweet on the palate with brown sugar, vanilla syrup, and spicy cinnamon… Hints of roasted agave come through on the long spicy-sweet finish.” But since you’re probably not getting offered a sip of that elixir anytime soon, here are the highest-scoring Añejo Tequilas from the Ultimate Spirits Challenge that you actually can track down.

Corazon De Agave Anejo, (95 Points)

ABV: 40%
Distillery: Casa San Matias Distillery
Average Price: $34.99

The Tequila:

At just $35 a bottle, Corazon De Agave is the best Ańejo tequila you can find for under $50. Produced at the Casa San Matias Distillery, Corazon de Agave is made from blue Weber agave hand-harvested and distilled in the red soil highlands of Jalisco and aged using a process that has been developed and perfected over the brand’s 130-year history.

Each bottle of Corazon de Agave’s Anejo tequila is aged for 16-18 months in American oak barrels resulting in a beautiful even-toned amber color. This expression was a finalist, a “Great Value” pick, and one of the contest’s Top 100 Spirits.

Tasting Notes: (Ultimate Spritis Challenge)

Cinnamon, soft vanilla, tobacco, and earthy agave notes are playful and integrated on the nose. In the mouth the flavors are grassy, flanked with caramel and cigar box spice. The smooth texture is punctuated by piquant spice throughout.

Tattoo Organic Anejo (94 Points)

ABV: 40%
Distillery: Imported from Mexican by Anarchy Brands
Average Price: $49.99

The Tequila:

Born in a tattoo shop by label heads Tequila John and master distiller Ruben Rodriguez, Tattoo Tequila features a dressed-in-black biker aesthetic. If you’re all about the appearance of a clear bottle of earth-toned añejo, we don’t blame you for wanting to look elsewhere. That would be a mistake when it comes to flavor though — inside the blacked-out bottle, you’ll find a deep amber tequila with bright golden highlights worthy of the most transparent labeling.

Tattoo’s Añejo Tequila is crafted using 100% organic USDA-certified blue agave and aged in American oak barrels for a full year.

Tasting Notes: (From Tattoo Tequila)

A white-wine appearance with golden highlights. The aromas are nuanced, with yeast, white peach, and toasted hazelnut. Understated flavors of banana, orange zest, and toasted oak are striking in their soft entry. This is an elegantly aged tequila with grace and finesse.

Cierto Reserve Collection Anejo (94 Points)

ABV: 40%
Distillery: La Tequileńa
Average Price: $375

The Tequila:

At $375 a bottle, Cierto Reserve is a tequila designed to be sipped. Straight from the town of Tequila, Cierto Reserve relies on the expertise of master distillers Enrique Fonseca and Sergio Mendoza, two fourth and fifth-generation agraveros who have spent years honing their craft, continuing a legacy of Tequila that stretches back to the 1800s.

For Cierto Anejo, Fonseca and Mendoza give the tequila the time it needs to age to perfection in French Limousin oak, resulting in an expression with a smooth as silk texture and a glittering golden color.

Tasting Notes: (From Cierto Tequila)

This smooth expression opens with luxurious orange and oak aromas and finishes with a complex array of coffee, chocolate, and caramel flavors. Best when served on the rocks and savored slowly.

Azunia Black Private Reserve Extra Aged Anejo (94 Points)

ABV: 40%
Distillery: Rancho Miravalle
Average Price: $120

The Tequila:

Azunia’s Private Reserve is made using 100% pure Weber blue agave right from the heart of the Tequila Valley, and undergoes a natural open-air wild borne-yeast fermentation and bottling process, resulting in a field-to-bottle ańejo that produces a strong sip after a hard day’s work. With agave harvested by hand and roasted for 36 hours in traditional clay hornos, Aznuńia Black is then aged for two years in American Oak barrels, resulting in a deep amber finish before finally being bottled and personally signed by Master Distiller Salvador Rivera Cardona.

Tasting Notes: (From Distiller)

Azuñia’s añejo adds mature woody tones to its nose of spicy agave and green olive tapenade. Spice and wood surge on the palate, with white pepper giving way to black, cinnamon bark retaining its grip and spiced Mexican chocolate emerging on the lush finish.

El Tesoro Anejo (94 Points)

ABV: 40%
Distillery: La Alteńa
Average Price: $54.99

The Tequila:

Family owned and operated for over 80 years, El Tesoro ages its ańejo tequila in ex-bourbon American Oak barrels for two to three years, which boosts the oak-influenced flavors of vanilla, caramel, and maple, for a stunningly complex Tequila with a hint of darkness.

Harvested from Weber Blue Agave from the Camarena estates, the piñas used in El Tesoro are chopped with precision and given a consistent shape to ensure every agave is cooked to perfection, in a 48-hour slow-cooking process that helps to intensify the natural flavors.

Tasting Notes: (From El Tesoro)

Floral jasmine and oaky character with agave back notes. Sweet agave balanced with pepper, oak, and floral tones

Familia Camarena Anejo (93 Points)

ABV: 40%
Distillery: Casa Camarena
Average Price: $29.99

The Tequila:

Even if you aren’t picking up a USC-recognized bottle of Añejo, the tequila produced by Familia Camarena is some of the best you can find on a budget. So the fact that you can pick up this bottle of award-winning Añejo tequila for just $30 feels too good to be true. It isn’t. Introduced just last year, Camarena’s Añejo relies on a proprietary method that mixes traditional oven roasting with more modern techniques, resulting in a remarkably consistent tequila ideal for enjoying neat and cheap enough to warrant using in your favorite tequila-based cocktail without feeling like you’re missing the point.

Tasting Notes: (Ours)

It’s doubtful you’re going to find the rich intensity of flavors present in the other bottles on this list, but Camarena’s Añejo holds its own with flavors of citrus and vanilla punctuated by hints of smokey oak that give it an almost Mezcal quality. A sip of this will provide a slightly bitter burn before mellowing out and letting the more interesting flavors take the center stage.

Storywood Speyside 14 Anejo (93 Points)

ABV: 40%
Distillery: Distiller La Cofradia
Average Price:£29.00

The Tequila:

Storywood is one of the more interesting brands on this list, aging its tequila in single malt Scotch whiskey oak barrels hailing all the way from Scotland. Don’t get it twisted though, Storywood still pulls their 100% blue agave from the lowlands of Jalisco, harvested at full 10-year maturity, and marries them with the natural spring water from the Volcan de Tequila. Then they pour the distillate into a Scotch cask for 14 months to give it a toasted oak and roasted nut finish.

Unfortunately, Storywood’s unusual process means that a bottle still isn’t available in the states.

Tasting Notes: (From Storywood Speyside)

Toasted oak, roasted nuts, and treacle toffee.

Tequila Ocho Añejo (93 Points)

ABV: 40%
Distillery: La Alteña
Average Price: $64.99

The Tequila:

Tequila Ocho takes its agave sourcing very seriously, marking each bottle with the precise field from which it was sourced on the Los Altos De Jalisco family farm to ensure consistency. Tequila Ocho’s Añejo utilizes eight-year-old matured blue agave that is hand-harvested, producing a tequila that is then aged in ex-American Whiskey barrels for a full year, resulting in a tantalizing golden hue.

Tasting Notes: (Ocho Tequila)

It initially opens up to cinnamon, brown sugar, apricots, and toasted almonds. In the middle comes some plum, lavender and black olives. This complex tequila finishes with coffee and cacao accents.

Bribon Anejo (92 Points)

ABV: 40%
Distillery:
Average Price: $28.99

The Tequila:

Using a more modern process, Bribon harvests its blue agave at 7-10 years and cook it at 100 degrees Celsius for a full 18 hours before shredding it and leaving it to ferment in tanks. Bribon then lets their tequila age in Bourbon casks for 18 months resulting in a dark amber hue that is beautifully shown off thanks to the brand’s minimalist approach to labeling, a welcome trait for a brand that produces a spirit this eye-catching.

If that wasn’t enough — Bribon is cheap too, which makes it an easy favorite for us.

Tasting Notes: (Bribon)

Layers of oak and vanilla. The palate is rich, with a slightly sweet tone and a woody character. Best served neat.

Expresiones Del Corazon De Agave Thomas H. Handy Sazerac Anejo (92 Points)

ABV: 40%
Distillery: Casa San Matiás
Average Price: $79.99

The Tequila:

Over 130 years, Corazón Tequila has perfected a process that brings the tastes and smell of their tequila to the forefront, resulting in a sweet and floral blend produced by artisans who put their whole heart into each step of the process, hence this Tequila’s name, “Expressions of the heart.” Aged exclusively in Sazerac whiskey barrels for 19 months, Expresiones Del Corazón is an unusually light añejo with a light gold hue, setting it apart visually from every bottle on this list.

Tasting Notes: (Caskers)

Complex notes of red pepper and cinnamon spice, dark chocolate, burnt caramel, and smoldering oak.

Sometimes the best new R&B can be hard to find, but there are plenty of great rhythm and blues tunes to get into if you have the time to sift through the hundreds of newly released songs every week. So that R&B heads can focus on listening to what they really love in its true form, we’ll be offering a digest of the best new R&B jams that fans of the genre should hear every Friday.

This week, The Weeknd released a new song with Juice Wrld, Victoria Monet released her latest project Jaguar and Paloma Ford dropped X Tapes. Check out the rest of the best new R&B this week below.

The Weeknd — “Smile” Feat. Juice Wrld

Juice Wrld always wanted to work with The Weekend and this week the Toronto singer released their collaborative effort “Smile.” Its accompanying video features a painting of Juice, commemorating his life, and Abel as well.

Victoria Monet — Jaguar

Victoria Monet has been releasing sweet tunes such as “Dive” and “Moment” since the top of the year and now her full-length project Jaguar is here. The project is 9 songs deep with a sole feature from Khalid on the track “Experience.”

Paloma Ford — X Tapes

Los Angeles singer Paloma Ford delivered her latest release X Tapes this week. The project features 7 tracks including the Rick Ross-assisted “All For Nothing.”

Omarion — “Can You Hear Me?”

Omarion and T-Pain synced up for O’s single “Can You Hear Me?” and this week he released the visual for the uptempo track. The music video is a compilation of dancers showing off their skills as a way to spread joy.

Kyle Dion — “That Don’t Mean A Thing”

Kyle Dion released two fresh tracks this week including his feel-good vibe “That Don’t Mean A Thing.” The other single, “Stressed Out,” is a melodic expression of what everyone is going through during the pandemic.

Joy Denalane — “Top Of My Love”

Motown Records signee Joy Denalane shared the live session video to her soulful cut “Top Of My Love.” “Self-doubt and loneliness are not acceptable for the protagonist in the long run,” Joy says of the song via email.

Check out this week’s R&B picks, plus more on Uproxx’s Spotify playlist below.

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

Back in April, Will Forte told us (while promoting Netflix’s The Willoughbys) that he was waiting for Peacock to officially greenlight the highly anticipated MacGruber TV series, and it’s finally happening. So, it looks like even if Tenet doesn’t make it into theaters as planned in a few weeks, die-hard fan Christopher Nolan has something else to be excited about, and the world could use any good news right now that it can get.

It’s also worth remembering that Forte warned promised fans that the MacGruber series, as written by himself, was too “filthy” for network TV, so thank goodness for streaming services, right? Between Brave New World‘s sex-rave scenes and Intelligence‘s foul-mouthed version of David Schwimmer, a filthy Forte character should feel at home on Peacock. In a Monday announcement, NBCUniversal’s streaming service revealed that the cult-favorite character of the iconic SNL parody sketch (who also spawned a 2010 feature film) is officially a thing. Forte, obviously, will don the aviator sunglasses and at least eight action-and-comedy packed episodes. He’s executive producing again, and the project still has the same logline as previously reported. From a press release:

After rotting in prison for over a decade, America’s ultimate hero and uber patriot MacGruber (Will Forte) is finally released. His mission: to take down a mysterious villain from his past—Brigadier Commander Enos Queeth. With the entire world in the crosshairs, MacGruber must race against time to defeat the forces of evil — only to find that evil… may be lurking within.

Lorne Michaels is onboard as an executive producer, a title also held by Forte. And in other Peacock news, there’s also weekly topical late-night series hosted by Larry Wilmore and Amber Ruffin on the way as well, so Peacock’s definitely showing that they’re all in on these streaming wars.

CBD, or cannabidiol, one of the many active compounds found in the cannabis plant, is having a moment. Beloved for its numerous therapeutic benefits, CBD’s popularity has skyrocketed in recent years — growing from a niche health alternative touted by West Coast hippies making tinctures, oils, and potions, to a nationwide craze, with hemp-derived CBD products now legal in all 50 states.

Though there aren’t as many definitive studies published as one might hope, there is some solid medical evidence for CBD’s effectiveness in treating certain medical conditions (including insomnia and anxiety). Beyond that, its popularity mostly stems from its perceived efficacy among users. And perhaps its versatility as an ingredient — lending itself to oils, tinctures, balms, capsules, drinks, vape cartridges, edibles and even some strains of weed.

According to a survey conducted by SingleCare in 2020, 33% of American adult participants reported using CBD once or more, and a 2019 Gallup poll found that at least 64% of Americans were in some way familiar with CBD or CBD-containing products. Meaning CBD is so big, your grandparents probably know about it. And they still say “the YouTube!”

We’ve collected some of our favorite CBD-containing products below, along with some still-active deals from National CBD Day (August 8th). These are products we’ve tried and liked in an era when finding a little extra chill feels very helpful.

Charlotte’s Web CBD Gummies

CBD brand Charlotte’s Web makes all sorts of CBD products, from topicals to oils to CBD for your dog, but one of their best products are their CBD Gummies. The Gummies come in three varieties: Sleep, which features raspberry-flavored gummies, and an added dose of melatonin to help get your sleep schedule in order; Calm, which is a lemon-lime mix of lemon balm, L-theanine and CBD; and Recovery, a ginger flavor that targets exercise-induced inflammation. All three products are full-spectrum extracts, meaning they contain all of the naturally occurring phytocannabinoids, terpenes, and flavonoids of the cannabis plant.

As a company, the brand keeps things fairly natural — using US grown hemp in their gummies, and natural ingredients, avoiding additives or dyes.

Secret Nature CBD Vapor Cartridge — Gelato

Secret Nature CBD’s vape cartridges are made with CBD live resin extract, providing a full spectrum extract that brings the terpenes to the forefront, so if you’re all about the flavor you’re going to love Secret Nature. The brand has a variety of strains but for familiarity’s sake, we went ahead and decided to recommend the Gelato, a hybrid strain with a berry and sweet cream flavor profile that will relax you without weighing you down.

If you’re not a hybrid person (but seriously, who isn’t a hybrid person?) by all means reach for any other strain. All of Secret Nature’s vapor extracts come in 700 mg or 1200 mg capsules and are 3rd party lab tested for heavy metals and pesticides.

Penguin CBD Gummies Sour Worms

CBD products tend to have this stuffy “artisan” aesthetic — Penguin CBD Gummies definitely isn’t that. Instead, this brand is all for the fun. The gummy worms are made with a pure CBD isolate, so while you won’t get any of the herbal flavors you’d find in a full or broad-spectrum extract, the sweet and sour flavor of the gummies really shine. Remember though, these aren’t regular gummy worms, each worm packs up 10mg of CBD so if you consume them all at once — tempting as that might be — you might get a little too sedated.

KIVA CBD/THC Chocolate Bars

Not all KIVA bars contain both CBD and THC (choose accordingly), but every KIVA bar is pretty damn tasty. Each KIVA chocolate bar is prepared using a cold-water extract, enabling the terpenes to be preserved for a full flavor experience. Since KIVA bars use full-spectrum extracts, expect to be greeted by an herbal smell and flavor, luckily unlike sour candy and cannabis, chocolate and cannabis make a very palatable pairing.

The dosage of THC and CBD varies between each bar, if you’re looking for a recommendation we love the 5:1 CBD Dark Chocolate and Espresso dark chocolate.

Recess Sparkling Water

White Claw, Truly, and La Croix fans rejoice — there is a sparkling CBD product out there for you. Recess pairs their broad-spectrum hemp extracts with natural ingredients like ginseng, l-theanin, and lemon balm and real fruit flavorings for a refreshing sparkling beverage that rivals all other fizzy drinks marketed towards adults, because only this one has CBD.

Each can contains about 25 calories, 5g of sugar, and 10mg of broad-spectrum hemp extract and comes in six flavors including coconut lime, peach ginger, blackberry chai, pomegranate hibiscus, black cherry, and blood orange. If you can’t choose a flavor, Recess makes a sampler pack with all six, which we highly recommend.

Right now, if you check out using the code SUMMER20 at the Recess website, you’ll receive 20% off your order — a nice holdover from National CBD Day.

Blue Ridge Hemp Mandala Chocolate Bar

One of the most familiar CBD products on the market, the Blue Ridge Hemp Mandala bar is popular or a reason. Each bar is packed with 60mg of CBD and features a mix of Reishi, Chaga, stone-ground cacao, coconut sugar, Celtic sea salt, and Tahitian vanilla, for a bar that is more than just a regular CBD edible.

In celebration of National CBD Day, Blue Ridge Hemp is holding a sale, slashing the Mandala bars price from $25 to $15, so if you’ve never experienced a Mandala Chocolate bar, now is the time.

Potli Premium CBD Raw Honey

Potli produces just a handful of products, but their first and best product, but their Potli Raw Honey is one of the best edible CBD pantry products on the market. Each jar features 120mg of hemp-derived CBD, which equals out to about 10 mgs per tablespoon — made with raw wildflower honey harvested from the East Bay of Northern California. Spread it on a slice of toast, or put a spoonful in your coffee, tea, or whatever else you use honey in the kitchen for.

EDITOR’S PICK: Medical Mike’s Full Spectrum CBD Oil And Salve

It feels a little anti-climactic to end this piece with a tincture and salve — two of the OG CBD products and not nearly so fun as gummy worms — but this brand passes my personal litmus test with flying colors, so I’ve stayed loyal to it.

As the industry has exploded, CBD brands have upped their game considerably in the production department. Medical Mike’s is 3rd party tested for potency and is all organic. The mint flavor is light and the tincture itself is carried in coconut oil, which is pleasant on the palate.

While this can’t compete for coolness with gummies or chocolates, it’s a nicely concentrated product with impeccable production standards. The salve is literally the first salve I’ve tried that felt like it legitimately eased soreness.

…Or maybe I just naturally trust hippie-adjacent products made in Vermont.

— Steve Bramucci

Post Malone’s ever growing collection of tattoos is impressive and attention-grabbing, but there comes a point where getting new ink just isn’t as exciting as it used to be. Every piece deserves a story, so apparently, Post wanted to make sure his latest one had one of the more interesting stories he could manage — the tale of that time he got inked during a dentist appointment.

That’s right, while visiting his dentist in Beverly Hills, Post also got inked on his calf. Both the dentist’s office and the tattoo artist posted photos of the moment, which depicted Post as all-smiles while dressed in what looks like a knee-length T-shirt as the artist, Ganga, shaves Post’s leg in preparation while his dentist, Dr. Thomas Connelly, looks on in amusement, holding up a phone for a FaceTime call.

While the photos don’t reveal exactly what Post got inked on his leg, it’s sure to be a session no one involved will forget. The posts also forego info on just what kind of procedure was done on his teeth, but that’d be a HIPAA violation anyway. Post’s got plenty of reasons to smile these days anyway: His 2019 album Hollywood Bleeding is still hanging around the Billboard 200 top ten, his single from the album, “Circles,” has spent a longer time in the Hot 100 top ten than any song ever, and his various business endeavors seem lined up to be just as successful as his music, including a rosé brand and a face mask company.

Check out photos of Post getting a new tattoo above.

The RX is Uproxx Music’s stamp of approval for the best albums, songs, and music stories throughout the year. Inclusion in this category is the highest distinction we can bestow, and signals the most important music being released throughout the year. The RX is the music you need, right now.

Practice makes perfect — or, at least as close as possible. It’s a saying drilled into our minds from the earliest moments of our lives and resides with us through the gray-haired finale. It’s also a saying that explains the success of songwriters-turned-artists at any point in music history. People like Bruno Mars, Lucky Daye, Ne-Yo, Lady Gaga, and Kacey Musgraves all struck gold as songwriters long before the general public knew their names, but the undeniable success in their respective careers can be credited to the practice they put forth before receiving their turn in the spotlight. It’s this same practice that is rooted in the polished quality of Victoria Monet and her latest effort, Jaguar.

Monet has lived between the lines, quite literally, of some of our favorite songs over the past few years. Chloe X Halle’s “Do It” and Ariana Grande’s “Thank U, Next” and “7 Rings” have each been graced with Monet’s pen. Granting multiple artists moments of their own, thanks to her help, Monet’s spotlight began to grow with the release of her late 2019 single, “Ass Like That.” The track boasts a provocative bounce that moves in sync with her hips as she walks through a crowd and leaves them in awe of her dollar sign-like figure. “He wanna know how she get that ass like that,” she croons on the song’s hook. The answer the unnamed gentleman seeks doesn’t come from a place of doubt or a desire to demean her, but rather, it’s rooted in their appreciation and awe for the bodily improvements she now flaunts as eye candy, and deservingly so.

Jaguar roars with a boldness similar to that exhibited on “Ass Like That.” Its nine songs present Monet in the driver’s seat at all times, progressing with sharp turns and a pedal to the floor, which creates an overall thrilling experience that — despite the increased heart rate and shortened breath that comes with it — swiftly calls for a second round. Built as the first edition in a three-part series, this hair-raising experience is detailed on “Moment,” as Monet balances a sultry invitation with a dominating command singing, “Life is but a dream that you manifested slowly / So f*ck a fantasy, this your motherf*ckin’ moment.” The moment she teases is one surely anyone will succumb to, but it’s the uncertainty it entails that draws them in most.

The highlight of Jaguar arrives at its closing moments. Cruising with ease, Monet once again steers towards the desired destination of her current relationship on “Go There With You.” Fearful of the relationship’s impending demise, Monet attempts to avoid the eventual fall with a call for improvement. “Let’s put them arguments on layaway,” she requests. “All I wanna do is lay away / I’m tryna get laid today.” Closing the album with an indirect response to an unknown — but fairly obvious — lover, “Touch Me” is an enticing call to action as Monet lays in the comfort of her own home and beckons for the return of an old flame. “You so good with your hands like a player with the ball,” she says. “So next time you use your touch screen / You know who you should call, baby.” Though she may have hated the club, Monet ensures her female partner that her company is always welcome.

Victoria Monet is the epitome of a go-getter. The Sacramento native is bold in her approach to all things in her life. Proudly accepting the dominating role in her various relationships, Monet either takes command and wills her way to desired endpoints or opens the door for her respective partners to find what she knows they desire: Monet herself. On Jaguar, she does a similar thing for her listeners, presenting herself in an extremely polished and provocative light. With a sharp-as-ever pen and a sound that has been tweaked to accentuate her artistry, the body of work far exceeds her previous releases. Jaguar is the manifestation of determination, leaving room to inspire fans with a much-needed confidence boost.

Jaguar is out now via Tribe Records. Get it here.

The WNBA and Twitter announced today an renewed partnership to stream WNBA regular season games. The social media platform will stream WNBA games for the fourth consecutive year, as the league continues to find various ways to put more of their games on national platforms — ESPN already picked up 13 more games for their national TV schedule late last month.

The WNBA and Twitter began this partnership in 2017 and is set to air 10 games beginning Wednesday, August 12th when Breanna Stewart and the Seattle Storm take on Elizabeth Williams, ROY candidate Chennedy Carter and the Atlanta Dream at 10 p.m. ET.

“Twitter continues to be an integral part of the WNBA’s media landscape, providing innovation on their platform during this unique season will elevate fan engagement to a whole new level,” WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert said in the announcement. “This continued partnership enables our passionate supporters and fans to connect directly to our game and to experience WNBA basketball from wherever they are.”

Basketball analysts LaChina Robinson and Ros Gold-Onwude will be on the call for the Twitter broadcasts, and the full schedule for the upcoming set of Twitter streamed games can be found below.

Wednesday, Aug. 12: Atlanta Dream at Seattle Storm, 10:00 p.m. ET
Friday, Aug. 14: Connecticut Sun at Chicago Sky, 7:00 p.m. ET
Wednesday, Aug. 19: Phoenix Mercury at Los Angeles Sparks, 10:00 p.m. ET
Friday, Aug. 21: Los Angeles Sparks at Atlanta Dream, 7:00 p.m. ET
Sunday, Aug. 23: Atlanta Dream at Minnesota Lynx, 4:00 p.m. ET
Sunday, Aug. 30: Connecticut Sun at Washington Mystics, 4:00 p.m. ET
Thursday, Sept. 3: Las Vegas Aces at Connecticut Sun, 8:00 p.m. ET
Friday, Sept. 4: Chicago Sky at Washington Mystics, 7:00 p.m. ET
Saturday, Sept. 5: New York Liberty at Phoenix Mercury, 8:00 p.m. ET
Sunday, Sept. 6: Dallas Wings at Washington Mystics, 4:00 p.m. ET

The college football season should be beginning in a few weeks, but there is steady progress towards at minimum postponing the fall season until the spring happening across the country. After the MAC announced its decision over the weekend to cancel its fall season with an eye towards spring football, the Big Ten, Pac-12, and others all seemed to move much closer to the same result.

On Monday, word emerged that Big Ten presidents had voted 12-2 to cancel the fall season as well, becoming the first Power Five conference to call off the season, per a report from the Detroit Free Press among others. The Pac-12 is expected to follow suit, although they have not had a formal vote yet, while the Big 12, SEC, and ACC seem to want to press forward — or, at minimum, kick the can a bit further down the road.

The two dissenting votes came from Iowa and Nebraska, who clearly weren’t able to rally much support to their side as all of the power schools in the conference reached the same conclusion: a fall season simply isn’t tenable. According to the Free Press, Big Ten commissioner Kevin Warren “prefers” playing a spring season, but to this point no firm decision has been made about that.

A spring season would allow schools to recoup some of the financial losses of a canceled fall season — and, possibly, make more than they would in a fanless fall season should a vaccine be readily available that would allow fans in the stands for spring football. There are obvious downsides to spring football, such as top players not playing if the NFL is unwilling to budge on their draft date, but one would think not playing at all would be worse.

Complicating matters is the budding players union movement taking place in college football, as Trevor Lawrence, Justin Fields, and many others from all five major conferences announced their “We Want To Play” initiative late Sunday night. In it, they call for uniform health and safety protocols across the Power Five, along with being allowed to have representation (which is crucial given the waivers and such players are being asked to sign), as well as starting a players union for all P5 college football players.

College football’s powers that be will buck back at the idea of a CFB union, and may be willing to cancel an entire season to eat those losses if it means killing the unionization movement in the process — because that inevitably leads to players being paid and the recognition of them as employees.