Month: November 2021

There are a lot of great things happening in Tennessee when it comes to whiskey. While the conversation about Tennessee whiskey has been dominated by George Dickel and, of course, Jack Daniel’s, there is so much more going on now with new brands and those old-school classics changing up their own lines. It’s an exciting time to follow and drink Tennessee whiskey, and that’s why we’re blind-tasting some of our favorites below.

The keyword there is “favorites.” We’re not tasting every single Tennessee whiskey on the shelf. We’re tasting six Tennessee whiskeys that we dig. Three of these TN whiskeys are sourced. The other three are made and bottled under their own labels. One of them was one of my favorite whiskeys of the year back when I tasted in the early summer. Will it still stand up? Let’s find out.

Our lineup today is:

• George Dickel Bottled-in-Bond, Fall 2008
• Nelson’s Green Brier Sour Mash Tennessee Whiskey
• Uncle Nearest 1884 Small Batch
• Bib & Tucker Small Batch 6-Year-Old
• Heaven’s Door Redbreast Master Blender’s Edition
• Gentleman Jack

It’s a small but powerful grouping of whiskeys. Let’s see which one comes out on top!

Part 1: The Tasting

Taste 1

Tasting Notes:

The nose on this one is mildly sweet with almost earthy maple syrup next to pecans from a pie with a touch of dried apple and old leather. The taste runs deep with vanilla leading the way next to a touch of apple and pecan crumble. The mid-palate takes a turn away from all of that and dives into a candied cherry that’s dusted with dark chocolate and a ground-up fruit Neco Wafer or Flintstone’s multivitamin (that’s also cherry-flavored) before the finish gets this browned butter vibe with a touch of soft, sweet oak.

Taste 2

Tasting Notes:

This is heavy on the apples and leather on the nose with a touch of cinnamon cutting through the apple and just a hint of caramel sneaking in. The taste holds onto the apple/cinnamon but attaches it more to a toast with plenty of brown sugar that then turns into rich and almost chewy cherry tobacco by the mid-palate. The finish leans into the spicier side of that tobacco as a subtle note of sweet and wet cedar lingers on your palate.

Taste 3

Tasting Notes:

This is all Cinnamon Pecan Sandies, sweet grass, and leather on the nose. The palate is equal parts sweet vanilla cream pie and tart apple pie with walnuts and plenty of spice. The end brings back the leather on the tongue as mild florals lead towards a thin cherry/chocolate mix.

Taste 4

Tasting Notes:

This starts out earthy and leathery with hints of wet cedar next to woody vanilla. The texture is very light and has this matrix of spicy apple cider next to touches of ginger snaps and a minerality. The finish really leans into the spicy apple but with more of a tobacco vibe to it.

Taste 5

Tasting Notes:

The nose on this one is huge with meaty dates next to rich marzipan, worn leather, sweet Gala apples, dry cedar, and bright red cherries. The palate has this vanilla and eggnog latte vibe with a walnut background until the mid-palate comes in with a moist and heavy vanilla pound cake bespeckled with poppy seeds next to orange-infused marzipan covered in dark chocolate that leads towards a hint of dry cherry tobacco and a final note of chocolate-covered raisins.

Taste 6

Tasting Notes:

This starts with an apple nut bread with plenty of spice that then turns into a soft suede that someone spilled cherry pie filling on with the faintest whiff of vanilla tobacco lurking in the background. The taste starts with a spiced cedar box next to a banana cream pie made with vanilla pudding and topped with whipped cream that’s dotted with dark chocolate flecks. The mid-palate has this apple-caramel-tobacco vibe that leads towards a soft leather and a touch more of that cherry pie filling.

Part 2: The Ranking

6. Bib & Tucker Small Batch Bourbon Whiskey Aged 6 Years — Taste 4

ABV: 46%

Average Price: $60

The Whiskey:

Bib & Tucker pulls barrels of Tennessee whiskey from an old and quiet valley in the state. They then blend those barrels to meet their brand’s flavor notes. While they are laying down their own whiskey now, this is still all about the blending of those barrels in small batches.

Bottom Line:

I actually wrote, “this is pretty good” in my notes next to this one. The thing is, as good as it was it just didn’t quite live up to the rest on this list. There was thinness at play that just couldn’t break through.

5. Uncle Nearest 1884 Small Batch — Taste 3

ABV: 46.5%

Average Price: $49

The Whiskey:

This whiskey is built from a batch of barrels that are a minimum of seven years old. Nearest’s Master Blender, Victoria Eady-Butler, builds the blend according to classic flavor notes first put into Tennessee whiskey by her ancestor, Nearest Green, back in the 1800s.

Bottom Line:

This suffered very much like the Bib & Tucker above. It’s really tasty but thin. There was a bit more going on but it felt a little small.

4. Nelson’s Green Brier Sour Mash Tennessee Whiskey — Taste 2

ABV: 45.5%

Average Price: $32

The Whiskey:

Nelson’s Green Brier is a heritage brand that has a great comeback story. The family’s shingle was killed by Prohibition until descendants of the former owners stumbled upon the old distillery. Now, they’re making one of the finest, wheated Tennessee whiskeys at one of the most accessible price points of any whiskey.

Bottom Line:

This had a lot going on but, again, it was a little light comparatively. Still, it was pretty damn delicious all-around and definitely a solid candidate for sipping or mixing.

3. Gentleman Jack — Taste 6

ABV: 40%

Average Price: $41

The Whiskey:

This bottle was introduced (in its current iteration) in 1990. The key to this expression is that it’s good ol’ Old No. 7 Jack Daniel’s that is passed through sugar maple charcoal — the famed Lincoln County Process that defines Tennessee whiskey — twice before proofing with Jack’s iconic cave water and bottled.

Bottom Line:

I would have put good money on this being in last place. I really didn’t like this that much when I last drank it (about a year ago). I had been using it in cocktails but that was about it. Now, I’ve changed my attitude on this given that I put it at third today. This was really tasty and unique. But it was also super easy to drink while being very distinct.

2. George Dickel Bottled-in-Bond Fall 2008 — Taste 1

ABV: 50%

Average Price: $45

The Whisky:

Nicole Austin has been killing it with these bottled-in-bond releases from George Dickel. This year’s release is a whiskey that was warehoused in the fall of 2008. Eleven years later, this juice was bottled at 100 proof (as per the law) and sent out to the wide world in late 2020, where it received much adoration.

Bottom Line:

This is just straight-up delicious. It’s complex yet approachable. It’s unique yet familiar. This is a winner all around.

1. Heaven’s Door Redbreast Master Blender’s Edition — Taste 5

ABV: 50%

Average Price: $104

The Whiskey:

The juice in the bottle is Heaven Door’s low-rye 10-year-old Tennessee bourbon. They take that whiskey and fill it into Redbreast whiskey casks that had previously aged Irish whiskey for 12 years. After 15 months of final maturation, those barrels are vatted and slightly proofed down with soft Tennessee spring water.

Bottom Line:

This wasn’t a surprise at all. This expression is damn near perfect. It’s so deeply hewn with pronounced flavors that feel like coming in from the rain and sitting next to a warm fire. This is a stellar whiskey.

Part 3: Final Thoughts

I think the biggest surprise for me today was the Gentleman Jack scoring so high. I really didn’t think I liked that whiskey that much. That’s why I love these blind taste tests, you’ll always be surprised what you pick and don’t.

As for the rest, I wasn’t overly shocked. That Heaven’s Door expression is just pure fire. It remains one of my favorite pours of the year for sure — as does the Dickel. I guess I have to say that I was a bit surprised Uncle Nearest didn’t rank higher given all the awards love it receives. But it was just a bit thin for me today. Maybe I’ll put it up against only other small batches next time and see how it fares. Until then, I’m going to be sipping on that Heaven’s Door.

Lady Gaga spoke in an Italian accent for “nine months” to get into character as Patrizia Reggiani for Ridley Scott’s House of Gucci, but apparently it wasn’t enough.

“I feel bad saying this, but her accent is not exactly an Italian accent, it sounds more Russian,” actress and Gucci dialect coach Francesca De Martini told the Daily Beast. De Martini was brought on board to help Salma Hayek accurately mimic Giuseppina Auriemma, and she was surprised to learn that “there wasn’t a dialogue coach on set.”

After shooting her scenes with Gaga for one day, Hayek asked for some help. “What happened was this: Salma shot for one day and then asked for a dialogue coach,” De Martini shares. “I think she heard the accent wasn’t right and she was worried — she wanted to do well… I was noticing when I was on set, because I had earphones working with Salma and hearing what she was saying so I could help her to get it right, so I could hear Lady Gaga as well.”

While lightly critical of Gaga’s Mario-by-way-of-Natasha from Rocky and Bullwinkle voice, De Martini praised Hayek for being able to “nail the Italian accent” during improvisational scenes. The interview doesn’t mention her thoughts on whatever the heck Jared Leto is doing in the trailer, so I’ll assume she also thinks that Paolo Gucci should have been played by the car guy from I Think You Should Leave.

House of Gucci comes out on November 24.

(Via the Daily Beast)

Following the death of Chadwick Boseman, Marvel and Black Panther director Ryan Coogler has been steadfast in their decision not to recast the role of T’Challa. While that choice was undoubtedly an obstacle for the sequel Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, Marvel Studios and Coogler have committed themselves to the task. However, they might not have the full support of Black Panther fans who have been making waves on social media in favor of recasting T’Challa. It’s to the point where Marvel Vice President of Development Nate Moore has issued a response.

While calls to recast T’Challa have popped up before following Boseman’s death, they resurfaced last week after a report that Black Panther actress Letitia Wright’s unvaccinated status could cause a significant delay to the sequel if the production doesn’t find a way around recent travel restrictions. The situation prompted speculation for recasting Wright’s character; after all, Shuri, who as T’Challa’s sister, could become the next Black Panther. But fans didn’t stop there. Some began calling for a recast of both T’Challa and Shuri, so the films could restore the two main characters to their glory and do right by the Black Panther legacy.

While talking to The Ringer-verse podcast over the weekend, Moore shot down any talk of recasting T’Challa and reiterated Coogler’s stance on honoring Boseman:

Via Newsweek:

Speaking on the Ringer-Verse Podcast on November 13, Moore explained: “We couldn’t do it. I will say, when Chadwick passed, it was a real conversation we had with Coogler about ‘what do we do?’

“And it was a fast conversation—it wasn’t weeks it was minutes of, ‘we have to figure out how to move the franchise on without that character.’”

While Marvel is in a tough situation in moving forward with the Black Panther franchise, unfortunately, some fans didn’t agree with Moore’s latest remark. On Monday morning, T’Challa started trending on Twitter as Black Panther fans respectively argued that the character is larger than Boseman, and that future fans shouldn’t be denied a chance to see T’Challa in action as the Black Panther.

While fans voiced their disapproval of T’Challa not coming back, others latched onto Moore’s interesting choice of words, which seemed to open the door to a Multiverse solution to the Black Panther conundrum:

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever hits theaters on November 11, 2022.

(Via Van Lathan Jr. on Twitter)

Dexter: New Blood brought us a whole “new” Dexter Morgan last week, although by the end of the episode, he’d internally given up the Jim Lindsay title. The impetus for that return to “normalcy” was twofold: (1) Dexter killed again; (2) Harrison showed up to greet dad for the first time in nearly a decade (nothing like a little father-son bonding at a crime scene, right?). And the cleanup for both these developments isn’t an easy job, which is wonderful to see because (let’s face it) Dexter let us all down, years ago, and he’s got a lot of making-up-for-lost-time to do.

This episode straddles those two subjects quite well, but once again, I’m getting ahead of myself here because I’ve so far neglected to mention this week’s glorious episode title: “Storm Of F*ck.” How marvelous is that one? It’s somehow better than the greatest — including I May Destroy You‘s “Ego Death,” Arrested Development‘s “The Immaculate Election,” Lucifer‘s “The Good, the Bad and the Crispy” and “Trip To Stabby Town,” and countless Better Call Saul and Breaking Bad offerings — out there. Surely, you can think of your own favorite episode titles, which are in plentiful supply out there and increasing daily because there’s so much TV. Yet “Storm Of F*ck” is a fine utterance, and it’s something that I aim to use on a regular basis.

It’s short, visceral, and to the point, and as Dexter writer Warren Hsu Leonard declared on Twitter, this week’s episode guarantees that “I’ll be forever associated with the phrase Storm of F*ck whenever anyone Googles me.” He added, “Exactly what my parents hoped for when I graduated from Harvard Law School. Hope you enjoy it!” Dude, be proud of what you’ve accomplished here.

The title actually harkens back to an O.G. Deb-ism: “Dex, we are in a storm of f*ck.”

Granted, “Storm Of F*ck” doesn’t have the same cadence as other Deb-isms, including “Where in Fucktopia are You?” and “Motherf*cking suck bag, you c*ck munching f*cking f*ck nugget!” Yet it will do, and my goodness, can you imagine what would happen if “Storm Of F*ck” receives an Emmy nod for writing? If that doesn’t happen for sheer effect, there’s no justice in this world.

That nomination announcement would be even better than The Boys submitting that whale clip. Further, I need to hear Jennifer Aniston and Reese Witherspoon present this category at next year’s ceremony. Don’t let me down, Television Academy.

Elsewhere, this episode largely served to move chess pieces into place ahead of next week’s episode, which turns up the heat on the title character. Here’s what I enjoyed most about this episode.

– The “You Got Big” moment: Part of what’s so fun about this revival is that Dexter is truly out of his element, and the awkwardness won’t stop. He can’t propel himself into action as the local Iron Lake blood-spatter specialist. He can only pull a few strings, here and there, since he’s dating a cop and lives in the forest where Matt Caldwell “disappeared” and turned into a Dexter Morgan victim. Amid the law enforcement investigation, Dexter’s attempting to re-connect with Harrison (after dumping him with Hannah in Argentina), despite the better judgment of Debra, and of course, he drops a clunker of a declaration with “You got big.” For his part, Harrison seems as well adjusted as he could possibly be, having been raised by a poison-happy serial killer and discovering that his own dad willingly abandoned him and also feared that Harrison could harbor “dark tendencies.” Honestly at this point, I feel like Dexter could have confessed his own serial-killer status to Harrison, and the kid would not be too shocked. I figure that he’s seen some sh*t after living with Hannah during his formative years, and he has to realize that an alias did not happen for no good reason.

The Dexter-Harrison relationship, as ill-advised as it seems, is actually rather sweet. You can see Dexter hoping that he can become like Harry and raise his son, keep him alive, etc. Dexter finally comes clean about a few vague things like “demons” and how he didn’t want to corrupt the “sweet, smart, trusting little boy with a huge heart.” And Dexter’s visibly affected by news of Hannah’s death, although fortunately, that moment doesn’t go overboard. It needed to be a believable amount of emotion, and the writers reeled things in appropriately. As of now, Harrison may or may not accept his dad’s explanation of abandoning him because he felt “lost.” What choice does the kid have, though? In the meantime, Iron Lake now has a new high school student who had a pet called “Vincent Van Goat.” Anything is truly possible here.

– Ghost Debra is simply the best: I know not everyone was a fan of her during the O.G. show, but I love her even more now. She’s balls-out crazy, shattering windows and making Dexter swallow a bullet and go into freak-out screaming mode in his truck. She’s maniacally laughing and taunting the hell of out of Dexter as he clumsily tries to clean up his messy return to murder. Somehow, Dead Deb is a juicier role than Alive Deb ever was, and honestly, he deserves all the jeers that she’s giving him after that watery grave.

And then there’s this disturbing development…

– Who’s the kidnapper? There’s a side plot that hasn’t melded with the bigger arcs of the show yet, but we saw a young girl being held captive, although she didn’t figure out the dire nature of her situation (being locked in a hotel-like room and recorded on camera) until later in the episode. Absolutely no clues reveal who’s watching her, and this all feels meant to distract us from the larger purpose of Dexter becoming reacquainted with both Harrison and his Dark Passenger. All we can do there is wait for more developments to unfurl and appreciate the “Storm Of F*ck” for what it is: a much cooler storm that that damn hurricane could ever hope to be.

Showtime’s ‘Dexter: New Blood’ airs on Sundays.

Well, Steve Bannon won’t be side-eyeing Marjorie Taylor Greene on his “War Room” podcast anytime soon because, Steve Bannon is actually under arrest by the FBI. The former Trump chief strategist turned himself in at the FBI Washington Field Office on Monday following multiple contempt of charges for ignoring the subpoena from the House committee that’s investigating the January 6 insurrection. Upon his arrival at Arrest City, the scene was remarkable. Bannon (who has freely admitted that he did, in fact, help to plot the failed MAGA coup) looked quite pleased with himself.

Bannon also uncharacteristically looked as though he’d even washed his hair for the occasion, which should give James Carville more fodder for commentary. Oh hey, and this very unsubtle “Coup Plotter’ sign lingered in the background.

As CNN’s Jim Acosta and The Daily Beast’s Zachary Petrizzo both reported on Twitter, Bannon showed up (and he was indeed smiling) while a protestor brandished this sign.

The sign even managed to distract attention from Bannon’s freshly showered (for him) appearance and his “air of suave sophistication.”

Here’s some footage from the scene (courtesy of CNN’s Manu Raju):

The #CoupPlotter hashtag immediately took off.

Who created this straightforward sign for the ages? Credit appears to go to Bill Christeson.

Christeson’s been known to brandish signs of this styling and has been tweeting about the “coup attempt,” and over the weekend, he celebrated (with a hamburger photo) a milestone moment: Trump selling the Trump International Hotel (to an owner that will surely change the building’s name).

So far, Taylor Swift has recruited quite the roster of Hollywood favorites for her Red (Taylor’s Version) videos. Her “All Too Well” short film stars Sadie Sink and Dylan O’Brien, while her new “I Bet You Think About Me (Taylor’s Version) (From The Vault)” video that’s out today is directed by Blake Lively and co-stars Miles Teller. In the clip for the Chris Stapleton-featuring track, Teller plays a just-married groom who can’t help but notice Swift, the maid of honor, at his wedding reception.

Yesterday, Swift said of the video, “I finally got to work with the brilliant, brave, & wickedly funny @blakelively on her directorial debut. Join us as we raise a toast, and a little hell.” She added today, “The reddest video EVER is out now. Directed by @blakelively who SMASHED it just like I smashed this cake.”

Swift also recently said of the song, “‘I Bet You Think About Me’ is a song I wrote with Lori McKenna, who is one of my favorite singer-songwriters ever. I’d always wanted to work with her. And I wrote this with her at her house when I was playing Foxboro Stadium on the Speak Now tour [in June 2011]. We wanted this song to be like a comedic, tongue-in-cheek, funny, not caring what anyone thinks about you sort of break-up song, because there are a lot of different types of heartbreak songs on Red. Some of them are very sincere, some of them are very stoic and heartbreaking and sad. We wanted this to be the moment where I was like, ‘I don’t care about anything.’ And we wanted to make people laugh with it, and we wanted it to be sort of a drinking song, and I think that that’s what it ended up being.”

Watch the “I Bet You Think About Me” video above.

Red (Taylor’s Version) is out now via Republic. Get it here.

No Time to Die won’t make $1 billion at the box office like Skyfall did in 2012 (it helps that Skyfall wasn’t released during a global pandemic), but it’s still breaking records. The 25th James Bond movie is up to $700 million global and $558.2 million worldwide, making it the highest-grossing Hollywood movie of the pandemic era at the international box office. The previous pandemic-best earned overseas was F9 with $549 million.

It goes to show, the 1970 Dodge Charger R/T has nothing on the Aston Martin DB5.

No Time to Die is Universal’s top earner of all time in the U.K., Ireland, Netherlands, and Switzerland. Also in the U.K. — home of EON — No Time to Die is the fifth-highest grossing film of all time after passing up Avengers: Endgame. No Time to Die opened this weekend in Australia, its last major market. The film grossed an impressive $8.2 million, by far a pandemic-era best.

F9 is still ahead of No Time to Die in the total gross ($721 million to $708 million), but among 2021 films, they are both way behind the worldwide total of the year’s two biggest blockbusters: The Battle at Lake Changjin ($874 million!) and Hi, Mom ($822 million).

In another interesting wrinkle, only two Hollywood movies have crossed the $200 million mark at the domestic box office in 2021: Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings and Venom: Let There Be Carnage. (No Time to Die is stuck around $150 million.)

Are you thinking what I’m thinking? That’s right: let Venom be the next Bond.

(Via the Hollywood Reporter)

It’s not a particularly great time to be a rock band on the festival circuit. As rock has continued to decline in popularity on the Top 40 and be dominated in the streaming world, it has understandably taken a backseat at the big, multigenre festivals across the country (worry not internationally, rock still crushes in Europe and Latin America). Of course there are exceptions, as artists like Vampire Weekend and Phoebe Bridgers have become festival mainstays, but the vast majority of the big rock acts you’d catch at night at a festival are bands whose roots go back to the early aughts (The Strokes, The Killers) or even earlier (Foo Fighters, Green Day, Rage Against The Machine will close out a Coachella night next year).

If you’re looking for a rock act that’s genuinely made the jump to closing out the biggest fests, you have Tame Impala and not much else. But with the release of their latest album, I Don’t Live Here Anymore, The War On Drugs could conceivably be the next act to follow suit.

You don’t need to squint to see the similarities. Both Tame Impala and The War On Drugs are essentially bands with singular creative figureheads, and both draw on past sounds for updated, very vibey interpretations. And both are pretty absent from the social media-driven cult of personality that seems to boost so many other acts into the mainstream. But where they differ, and where The War On Drugs most have their work cut out for them, is in who they appeal to, and how. Tame still seems to skew young in their reach, boosted by cosigns from figures like Travis Scott and Lady Gaga. But, as noted on a recent episode of Indiecast, The War On Drugs’ leader Adam Granduciel has yet to make the same inroads, despite what should be easy access through their Atlantic Records affiliations.

On Friday night at Desert Daze at Lake Perris, CA, The War On Drugs headlined a modest, feisty festival for their first proper show since the pandemic, and first in support of the new record. It also provided a bit of a test for the band as bona fide festival marquee acts. Sure, it’s not the first time they’ve headlined an event, but it is the first time they’ve done so where it looks like it should be commonplace in coming years. Funny enough, Tame Impala was booked for the same spot at the same fest in 2018, shortly before they headlined Coachella in 2019. No, I don’t think The War On Drugs will follow that exact path, but other, more on-brand events could definitely be in their future, especially after they wrap their initial 2022 run that will see them perform at Madison Square Garden.

At Desert Daze, the appearance felt less like a coronation than a warm-up, but that had more to do with the festival returning with reduced capacity and stages than prior incarnations, as well as less production than the band will surely have on their own tour. But what stood out most was just how the musicianship of the band connects with audiences. The crowd ranged from teens to grandparents, but the music in these settings proves pretty undeniable, as Granduciel’s regular solos soar without the need for a dramatic spotlight or lasers. That said, flourishes of that nature will surely be welcome when they arrive.

Coming after sets from bands like Ty Segall and Diiv, whose in-the-moment lack of polish is worn like a badge of honor, The War On Drugs blew the competition away. The songs were mostly just a couple of weeks into the world, with the exception of “Pain” and “Under The Pressure,” and struck as the equivalent of radio hits thanks to the strength in the songwriting and the tightness of the performance. For those that wanted to wander the grounds and trip out of the psychedelic art installations, the tunes provided a perfect soundtrack. And the compositions made up for the fact that the band doesn’t do much for stage banter, that there were no video screens, that they were only given a 70-minute slot. There’s a life to a War On Drugs song that reveals itself like the plot of a movie, that rewards attention as to not miss out on the fully-conceived twists and turns.

In a world where passive listening thrives, The War On Drugs works on both levels, much like Tame Impala. Whether they can successfully follow that blueprint will be seen over the next few years, but regardless of the trajectory, no band today strikes me as comfortable in their own skin. They are an ambitious band that lets the music do the talking. They let their songs cut through the pop culture noise. They might not inspire selfies with themselves in the background, but they will inspire throwing the album on again for the drive home after the concert. The War On Drugs are a band solely about the music, in a time when very few can say the same.

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

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 Taylor Swift bring Red to 2021 and Bruno Mars and Anderson .Paak absolutely deliver on all the hype they generated for the debut Silk Sonic album. 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.

Taylor Swift — “All Too Well (Ten Minute Version) (Taylor’s Version)”

Despite not being a single, “All Too Well” became a defining song from Red, and now, it’s one of the key tracks from Red (Taylor’s Version), too. That’s due to the new ten-minute version, which is how Swift originally wrote and envisioned the song before truncating it for the album. She’s pushing this version hard, too, as she shared a cinematic short film for it and performed it on Saturday Night Live.

Silk Sonic — “After Last Night” Feat. Bootsy Collins and Thundercat

For months, “Leave The Door Open” was the only Silk Sonic available for fans to enjoy. Sure enough, though, Bruno Mars and Anderson .Paak gradually shared more songs, and last week, they shared all of them by releasing An Evening With Silk Sonic. The album is mostly just Mars and .Paak (because who needs more than those two?), but as far as collaborators, they got a couple of them (Thundercat and album narrator Bootsy Collins) on the highlight “After Last Night.”

Rosalía and The Weekend — “La Fama”

The dynamic duo behind the Latin-flavored 2020 remix of “Blinding Lights” has reunited, as The Weeknd and Rosalía linked up on “La Fama” last week. The track is the first one from Rosalía’s upcoming album Motomami, and if the smooth new number isn’t enough for some reason, the video has a wonderful Danny Trejo cameo.

Beyonce — “Be Alive”

Whenever Beyonce drops a new song (or does just about anything), there is much rejoicing. So, last week, there was much rejoicing when she dropped “Be Alive” last week, her spirited and punchy contribution to the movie King Richard that finds itself a strong groove and runs with it.

Juice WRLD — “Already Dead”

Juice WRLD seems to have left a ton of music behind because last week, the late rapper’s team announced that his second posthumous album, Fighting Demons, is on the way later this year. Alongside that announcement arrived the eerily titled “Already Dead,” on which Juice sings, “Voices in my head / All I can hear them say / is everyone wants me dead / B*tch, I’m already dead / I’ve been dead for years.”

Mitski — “The Only Heartbreaker”

Mitski season is approaching and it’ll fully arrive in early 2022 when she drops her new album, Laurel Hell. She announced that LP last week, at which time she also shared “The Only Heartbreaker,” a driving rocker that sees Mitski confronting some realizations she’s had in her romantic life.

Saweetie — “Get It Girl”

Saweetie dropped a preview of “Get It Girl” in a Beats By Dre commercial last month, and while many figured the full track would appear on her upcoming album, it’s actually going to be on the Insecure soundtrack. That news came as the full song was shared last week and it’s a confident dispatch ahead of Saweetie’s SNL appearance this weekend.

Rick Ross — “Outlawz” Feat. Jazmine Sullivan and 21 Savage

Rick Ross has a new album, Richer Than I Ever Been, on the way, and fans who wanted an early look at it got one last week with “Outlawz,” which features contributions from 21 Savage and Jazmine Sullivan. Uproxx’s Wongo Okon notes of the track, “The song is carried by soulful production supplied by producer AraabMuzik. Hard-hitting drums and soaring vocals sit under Ross and 21 Savage slick raps and Sullivan’s show-stealing hook.

Polo G — “Bad Man (Smooth Criminal)”

Hall Of Fame was Polo G’s first No. 1 album this summer, and he’s ending the year with even more of it: Hall Of Fame 2.0 is set to drop in December and it’s a deluxe edition of the original album that boasts 14 new tracks. He shared one of those last week with “Bad Man (Smooth Criminal),” which will sound instantly familiar as it samples the Michael Jackson classic referenced in the title.

Beach House — “Once Twice Melody”

The last we heard from Beach House was their 2018 album 7, but 2022 will bring more goodies from the defining dream-pop duo. Indeed, said goodies will be plentiful, as the group’s upcoming album, Once Twice Melody, boasts a hefty 18 tracks. The group plans to share the songs in periodic chunks ahead of the album’s release and they started last week with “Once Twice Melody,” “Superstar,” “Pink Funeral,” and “Through Me.”

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

Dogleg established themselves as one of indie’s most promising up-and-coming groups with their well-received 2020 album Melee. However, the narrative about the group, specifically about singer Alex Stoitsiadis, has shifted in recent days, as he has currently faces multiple allegations of emotional abuse in romantic relationships (like this one and this one). These accusations were made public over the past week or so, and now Stoitsiadis has shared a statement, which also serves as an announcement that Dogleg is now in hiatus.

The statement begins, “I have spent the last several days hearing from those that I have wronged, and reading their statements of how my negative behaviors have affected them. I have struggled to adequately address these legitimate concerns about my actions. In romantic relationships, I would get inappropriately possessive. When I realized a relationship was ending, I would text and call obsessively. I would lie when asked directly if I was seeing other people.”

After confirming the hiatus, Stoitsiadis concluded, “At this point, I need to reflect and actively work on recognizing and managing these negative patterns of behavior. I am sorry to those I have hurt. I want to thank my bandmates, my closest friends, my family, and the community all for holding me accountable.”

Find Stoitsiadis’ full statement below.

“I have spent the last several days hearing from those that I have wronged, and reading their statements of how my negative behaviors have affected them. I have struggled to adequately address these legitimate concerns about my actions.

In romantic relationships, I would get inappropriately possessive. When I realized a relationship was ending, I would text and call obsessively. I would lie when asked directly if I was seeing other people. In my friendships and relationships, I would selfishly divert conversations to be about my own issues, and would not give ample time or care to the issues of other people. In both cases, I would routinely put myself over others.

My past, my fears, and my traumas do not warrant me to be hurtful to other people. My selfishness, obsessiveness, and dishonesty are unacceptable and undeserving of a platform in their current state.

Dogleg will be taking a hiatus. At this point, I need to reflect and actively work on recognizing and managing these negative patterns of behavior.

I am sorry to those I have hurt. I want to thank my bandmates, my closest friends, my family, and the community all for holding me accountable.

-Alex.”