Month: November 2022

We love TV. And we love movies. And we love buying gifts for people who love TV and movies, which is why we scoured the web, searching for the best deals so that we could pull together a line-up of absolute treasures in every price range that will impress even the toughest critics on your list. From tech-forward options like the sound bar to unique streaming subscriptions, film festival tickets, Stranger Things merch, and more — there’s something for every kind of entertainment fan here.

A Martin Scorsese Masterclass

Price: $190

Whether the person you’re shopping for is an aspiring filmmaker or a lifelong Marty Scorsese fan, this Masterclass subscription offers a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to learn from one of cinema’s most prolific visionaries. Scorsese deconstructs his method over the course of 30 mini-lessons which add up to a total run time of just over four hours. From scriptwriting to developing his style, recalling his personal influences, and breaking down iconic scenes from his own work, everything you could ever want to learn from the legendary filmmaker is here, though probably not a rundown of his favorite Marvel movies.

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Tár (Music from and Inspired by the Motion Picture)

Price: $25.99

This concept album based on Cate Blanchett’s latest Oscar-worthy project is the gift to give if you want to prove your cinephilic prowess, featuring a collection of beautiful, moving, and powerful orchestral tracks curated and composed by Icelandic musician Hildur Guðnadóttir whose work you might recognize if you loved the sound of Todd Phillips Joker.

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House of the Dragon: The Complete First Season

Price: $59.99

The wait for the second season of HBO’s House of The Dragon is rumored to be long — two years long in fact — but you can help the fantasy fan on your shopping list pass the time with this Blu-ray collectible box set. George R.R. Martin has promised that dozens of deleted scenes that couldn’t fit into the show’s streaming run-time can be found here, along with commentary from the cast and crew, deep dives into the creation of certain scenes, and an illustrated guide to House Targaryen narrated by the author himself. I think we can trust him on this one.

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JBL Bar 5.1 Surround

Price: $599.95

While we can’t do much to help you see in the dark when it comes to certain scenes on certain shows that may have already been named on this list, we can definitely suggest amping up one of your other senses by adding a capable sound bar to your home entertainment setup. This JBL sound bar comes with a 10-inch wireless subwoofer and Bluetooth compatibility to make streaming from your phone or tablet easier. Seriously, with so many films going directly to streaming or hitting VOD after a limited theatrical run, you’re still going to get a lot out of trying to bring the theater experience home.

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Stranger Things x Butcher Billy Posters

Price: $25 each

The power of Stranger Things was reinforced this summer as we all fell in love with Kate Bush’s music all over again and cheered on as … spoilers. Still. Anyway, Netflix has shown a continuing commitment to giving fans what they want when it comes to licensing a bunch of cool toys and collectibles around the show, and these prints from Brazillian pop art illustrator Butcher Billy are the latest cool addition. Each piece visually recaps one of the season’s nine episodes in vivid, imaginative detail. Pick a favorite for the fan on your list — we love chapter four’s “Dear Billy” — get it framed, and enjoy getting credit from your family and friends for not going the easy route and just buying a Hellfire Club t-shirt.

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The Silmarillion: Illustrated by J.R.R. Tolkien

Price: $39

Speaking of TV shows everyone was watching in 2022, Amazon Prime’s Rings of Power series managed to transport us all back to Middle Earth while giving us new characters and storylines (and price tags) to marvel at. Whether the person on your shopping list is a Tolkien fan, or a newcomer to his fantasy verse by way of Amazon’s newest hit, this illustrated edition of Tolkien’s The Silmarillion is a must-buy. Not only does it feature stunning artwork done by Tolkien himself, but it also maps out the backstory that fueled the premise for The Rings of Power. This is the gift for TV fans who like to do their homework once they’ve finished streaming their favorite show.

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Sundance Film Festival 2023 Tickets

Price: $150 – $750

Film festivals aren’t just for industry insiders and professional critics, they’re for fans too. The Sundance Film Festival is one of the most prestigious, filmmaker-beloved events on the circuit and it also happens to be one of the easiest for everyday cinephiles to attend. Beginning in January of this year, fans can purchase tickets for the online portion of the festival which allow attendees to stream multiple feature selections and award-winners (depending on which package you buy). But, if you really want to impress the person on your to-buy-for list, you might want to shell out for an in-person experience where they can enjoy the snow-covered atmosphere of the festival and rub shoulders with A-listers while taking in some of the best films of the year.

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Homesick x Star Wars Collection

Price: $132

Homesick is the candle company that has somehow managed to distill the most niche of scents into wick form. If you’ve smelled any of their state-specific scents, you know they nail that olfactory nostalgia every time. Which is why their latest Star Wars collab is so exciting. Now, you can enjoy streaming Disney+’s latest spin-off, Andor, while burning one of these babies for an immersive, 4D experience. Because really, can you appreciate Cassian Andor leading a revolution against the Galactic Empire without knowing exactly what it smells like on the Death Star?

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Movie Screenplays

Price: Varies

For movie fans who like to dive deep into the art of filmmaking (but who maybe aren’t in that $200 Marty Scorsese experience bracket), a physical copy of the screenplay of their favorite film is not just a great collectible, it’s a thoughtful gift that shows you truly get them and pay attention to their tastes. But while you can buy paperback screenplays for hundreds of different films on Amazon and Barnes & Noble, if you really want to impress, go with a classy, beautiful gift that looks great on a coffee table like one of the scripts from A24’s meticulously-bound hardcover collection.

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Bridgerton Season Two (Netflix Series Soundtrack)

Price: $39.99

Soundtracks have become a big selling point when it comes to a show’s popularity. A good score isn’t just vital for a series’ plot, it’s a way for fans to draw deeper connections with their favorite characters, storylines, and seasons. All that is to say, the vinyl disc set for the second season of Netflix’s streaming behemoth, Bridgerton, is the gift that keeps on giving. Curated by composer Kris Bowers, this vinyl contains full versions of the best orchestral covers that popped up during Anthony Bridgerton and Kate Sharma’s slow-burn, enemies-to-lovers arc. We’re talking string covers of Alanis Morissette ’90s classics, stripped-down versions of Harry Styles chart-toppers, and a scene-stealing ode to a Madonna hit.

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The Mandalorian and The Child (Deluxe) Collectible Set

Price: $315

We’re big fans of Hasbro’s Star Wars Black line, which are about 1/10th price of the Hot Toys figurine you see here. But if you’re looking to really blow someone away with a premium Star Wars collectible, you can’t go wrong with this museum-caliber deluxe piece, 1/6 scale of Baby Yoda (aka The Child, aka Grogu) and Mando. Sure, the price is a budget buster, but can you put a price on giving someone the jewel of their collection and all the pressure it’s going to put on them to go ALL IN when it comes time to get you something in return?

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Streaming Subscription

Price: Varies

Mark this down as one of the more thoughtful gifts you can give to the entertainment lover in your life. It’s almost impossible to keep up with all of the different streaming services available right now and, chances are, the person you’re buying for is only subscribed to a few choice platforms. If you know of a big streamer they have yet to buy into — think Hulu, HBO Max, Apple TV+, or AMC+ — then just gift that. But, if you’re fairly certain they’ve got the basics covered, level up their streaming game by introducing them to a service like the Criterion Collection or MUBI Go. These streamers boast curated film line-ups that are fit for a connoisseur and offer some serious perks for their members.

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The Fill-In Filmography

Price: $198

This massive mapping of cinema’s best offerings is the perfect gift for movie lovers who like to model their binge-watching habits after SAT prep. You can customize the list of films and genres based on your preferences (and class things up a notch by getting the poster framed) but the result is still the same: an exhaustively thorough guide to the best films in movie history that, once completed, will challenge even the most knowledgeable of film fanatics.

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Cocktails of the Movies: An Illustrated Guide to Cinematic Mixology

Price: $14.95

The only thing better than enjoying a great film from the comfort of your own home is doing so with a themed cocktail in hand. That’s where this handy recipe guide comes in. Not only does this book break down the recipes for iconic on-screen libations like The Big Lebowski’s White Russian, but it also educates fans on the history of the drink and details its place within the movie it belongs to. It’s the perfect movie-night companion, whether you’re watching solo or entertaining a few guests.

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Ted Lasso AFC Richmond Personalized Jersey

Price: 69.95

It’s World Cup season, so of course we had to suggest a bit of Ted Lasso merch. And while choosing between cozy puffer jackets, cutesy tea mugs, and Jason Sudeikis’ trademark visor was difficult, in the end, this replica jersey won out. Why? Because it’s fully customizable and it makes you feel like a futbol fan worthy of taking to the pitch with the AFC Richmond Greyhounds whenever you put it on.

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Gourmet Popcorn Giftbox

Price: $48.95

Store-bought bags of popcorn are a little too basic when it comes to gift-giving. Instead, deliver this gourmet selection of artisanally made snacks to their door stop knowing you’ll dazzle their tastebuds with unique flavors — blueberry scone, anyone? — while leaving them hungry for more.

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Avatar Funko Pop

Price: $12.90

This adorable Funko Pop is the more affordable option for those wanting to gift a collectible figurine without breaking the bank. Bonus: the latest series is modeled after James Cameron’s next installment in the franchise which is set to drop just a couple weeks before Christmas. So, as soon as fans start clamoring for these little guys, you’ll be able to surprise the person on your list with one — convincing them of your gifting prowess and your psychic abilities.

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AMC Stubs A-List Gift Membership

Price: $284.99

As Nicole Kidman once said, “Heartbreak feels good in a place like this.” She was talking about an AMC movie theater hence why this top-tier membership to the chain of cinemas is an unbeatable gift. With it, you can make free online reservations to up to three in-theater showings per week (Dolby Cinema and IMAX included) plus money back on food and drink purchases. Make Nicole proud.

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As the Republican Party continues to turn on Donald Trump, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell has finally issued remarks on the former president’s controversial dinner with known white supremacist Nick Fuentes. (A dinner that may or may not have been a setup, depending on how far you trust Fuentes and provocateur Milo Yiannopoulos.) In an odd statement considering the GOP’s well-documented history of voter suppression, Back the Blue mentality, and its very public turn towards “anti-wokeness,” McConnell denounced white supremacy without directly mentioning Trump or Fuentes.

“First, let me just say that there is no room in the Republican Party for anti-Semitism or white supremacy,” McConnell told reporters. “And anyone meeting with people advocating that point of view, in my judgment, are highly unlikely to ever be elected president of the United States.”

Naturally, Trump wasted no time firing back at McConnell in a statement to Fox News:

“Mitch is a loser for our nation and for the Republican Party who would not have been re-elected in Kentucky without my endorsement, which he begged me for because he was going down,” Trump said. “His well-financed opponent had $93 million ready to spend when I drove him from two points down to 21 points up in a matter of days.”

Despite taking a stance against Trump, McConnell’s words rang hollow on Twitter where his remarks were roundly criticized as hypocritical. Not only does the Republican Party have a history of discriminatory policies that accelerated during the Trump years, but McConnell recently voted against the Respect For Marriage Act, which will protect interracial as well as same-sex marriage. McConnell’s vote is particularly egregious considering he’s literally in an interracial marriage.

You can see McConnell getting dragged below:

(Via Acyn on Twitter)

Welcome to Uproxx’s inaugural Golden Bag Awards — where we shout out and roast all the best and worst fast food to drop this year. While fast food hasn’t had a Popeyes Chicken Sandwich-sized moment since 2019, this year was far from boring for hardcore fast foodies. From food hacks to new menu items to the return of some fan-favorite classics, 2022 brought all sorts of innovation to the fast food space and we’re here to shout it out and celebrate it.

To really grab our attention, fast food needs to be three things — convenient, delicious, and exciting. That last one isn’t always easy in a space that is primarily dominated by burgers and sandwiches. Yet the big brands continue to surprise us by dropping subtle remixes and new flavor combinations.

Most of the food we’re going to be talking about in this article is still readily available but since this is a year-end list there are going to be a few entries on limited-time items that you sadly won’t be able to get your hands on anymore. Hopefully, by expressing our enthusiasm we’ll be able to bring some of these limited items back to menus in 2023. Please, by all means, feel free to bug the sh*t out of these brands on Twitter until they bring ’em back. It worked for Wendy’s Spicy Nuggets and Taco Bell’s Mexican Pizza!

Here is the best and worst of fast food in 2022.

Best New Burger: Wendy’s — Italian Mozzarella Burger

Why It Deserves The Award:

Unlike most award shows, we’re starting our list with the big guns! Our award for the best new burger in fast food goes to Wendy’s Italian Mozzarella Burger, which dropped in the middle of this month. While its lack of lettuce looks admittedly unappetizing, this burger brings together the perfect combination of flavors that manages to taste just like a burger but also like one you haven’t ever tried.

Gone is the mayo, special sauce, or ketchup, instead replaced with a layer of bright and herbal marinara sauce which pairs perfectly with the herbed garlic knot bun and fried chunk of mozzarella cheese. Couple the flavors of a freshly dipped mozzarella cheese stick with Wendy’s savory and salty burger patty and you have one of the most decadently delicious burgers of the year.

The Bottom Line:

It takes the best of mozzarella cheese sticks and a cheeseburger and marries them together.

Find your nearest Wendy’s here.

Best New Fried Chicken Sandwich: Shake Shack — Hot One’s Chicken Sandwich

Why It Deserves The Award:

In 2019, Popeyes launched the best chicken sandwich in all of fast food but it’s 2022 now and Popeyes’ chicken sandwich, as delicious as it is, doesn’t have sh*t on the Shake Shack Hot One’s Chicken Sandwich. Made in collaboration with Sean Evans’ Hot Ones, everything about this sandwich is an improvement over what Popeyes has to offer. The chicken filet is significantly juicier and more tender, with a better ratio of meat to breading and the sandwich is topped with bacon and jack cheese, and slathered with a Hot Ones enhanced ShakeSauce that brings the heat.

So it’s meatier, more flavorful, and spicier than Popeyes’ sandwich — what more can you ask for? The flavors are wonderfully layered here, with sweet and tangy notes with a smokey aftertaste that begs you to take another bite. It didn’t have the big cultural moment that Popeyes had — probably because Shake Shack isn’t as nationwide — but it’s a clear improvement over the old GOAT.

The Bottom Line:

An improvement over Popeyes’ amazing chicken sandwich on every level. And I didn’t even need to mention how much better the potato bun is over the Popeyes brioche!

Find your nearest Shake Shack here.

Best New Fry Order: Taco Bell — 7-Layer Nacho Fries

Why It Deserves The Award:

At Uproxx, we love fries (who doesn’t?) so any time a fast food brand decides to remix their fries, we’re there to see if they’ve made the right move. An easy way to improve the world’s greatest side dish is to treat it as a meal in itself, and Taco Bell did just that with this year’s 7-Layer Nacho Fries. Featuring layers of beef, black beans, tomatoes, cheese, guacamole, nacho cheese sauce, sour cream, and chipotle sauce over a bed of crispy fries seasoned with paprika, chili powder, garlic, and onion powder, and salt, the 7-Layer nacho fries provide a medley of shifting flavors that never gets boring.

Each bite is equal parts zesty, salty, tangy, buttery, spicy, and savory. Our only complaint is that Taco Bell isn’t generous enough with the layers. Hell, we’d take five layers if Taco Bell would just serve them with a heavier hand.

The Bottom Line:

Taco Bell takes its already delicious Nacho Fries and makes them taste even better by actually making them like, you know, nachos.

Find your nearest Taco Bell here.

Worst Celebrity Meal: Papa John’s — Shaq-A-Roni Pizza

Why It Deserves The Award:

Given the success of McDonald’s Travis Scott and BTS meals, celebrity-branded meals are just something we have to deal with in fast food now. I mentioned in the intro to this piece that great new fast food needs to be exciting but, sadly, and celebrity meals challenge that very idea. They are never innovative (aside from Megan Thee Stallion’s Hottie Sauce Chicken Sandwich from Popeyes). In fact, most of the celebrity-branded dishes out there are simple remixes of what is already on the menu.

Papa John’s Shaq-A-Roni barely counts as a remix though. This is the most low-effort menu item in all of fast food. Ever.

The Shaq-A-Roni is simply a big pepperoni pizza. That’s it. It’s built on dough stretched 16 inches and topped with Papa John’s marinara sauce, extra cheese, and extra pepperonis. Sure, it’s delicious, it’s a f*cking pepperoni pizza, but that’s all it is. It has nothing to do with Shaq aside from his name being attached to it, and they could’ve done so much with the Shaq branding. They could’ve loaded this stuff up with meats and veggies, they could’ve stretched it even wider, they could’ve made the box look like a rattling rim after a missed free throw… SOMETHING. But they simply chose to not.

The Bottom Line:

If you ever needed proof that celebrity meals were the worst thing to happen to fast food, the Shaq-A-Roni fits the bill.

Find your nearest Papa John’s here.

Biggest Swing And A Miss: El Pollo Loco — The Birria Menu

Why It Deserves The Award:

Bless El Pollo Loco, they really tried. Birria tacos are now a sensation in America, it seems like people can’t get enough of this gooey savory consommé-dipped spin on tacos, the trend is so pervasive that even El Pollo Loco jumped on the bandwagon adding a whole birria-section to their menu which consists of tacos, burritos, and quesadillas. Sadly, it’s the most watered-down version of birria I’ve ever tasted.

What makes birria so amazing is that the food is often dipped in the earthy spicy broth before it’s actually fried, this presents a flavor that is savory, juicy, and straight-up luscious. El Pollo Loco just gives you a side of birria broth for you to dip your feed in after it’s already cooked and calls it a day — it doesn’t match the experience of real actual birria. Like I said, birria is all the rage in America right now with new birria spots opening up in cities nationwide on a monthly basis. Do yourself a favor and try one of these places before hitting up El Pollo Loco.

The Bottom Line:

If you’ve never had birria don’t let El Pollo Loco’s version be your first experience.

Find your nearest El Pollo Loco here.

Best Returning Menu Item: Taco Bell — Enchirito

Why It Deserves The Award:

This year a fan-vote Taco Bell brought back the Enchirito, which was first introduced all the way back in the ‘70s and hasn’t been on Taco Bell’s menu since 2013. The Enchirto features seasoned beef, beans, and onions wrapped in a flour tortilla and doused in Taco Bell’s red sauce and layers of melted cheddar cheese. It is quite simply Taco Bell’s version of the wet burrito and it works!

It’s savory, beefy, and umami-rich with a strong tomato-forward sauce that features a hint of spice on the back end. Taco Bell’s menu consists of a bunch of the same foods in different form factors, but the Enchirto actually comes across as something different than what the rest of the menu offers.

Yes, I’m fully aware that the Mexican Pizza also rejoined the Taco Bell menu this year but the Enchirito is better in every way. Both are examples of Taco Bell taking feedback from its fans and actually listening, which is why the chain stays winning.

The Bottom Line:

Wonderfully beefy and savory. Even better than the Mexican Pizza.

Find your nearest Taco Bell here.

Best Menu Expansion: Pizza Hut — Oven Baked Pastas

Why It Deserves The Award:

Nobody asked Pizza Hut to start offering pasta but they did, and surprisingly, it’s pretty damn good. Is it going to compare to your favorite mom-and-pop Italian spot? Not a chance, but it adds some needed variety to the menu.

The best of the oven-baked pastas is the Chicken Alfredo, which features a bed of penne smothered in tasty garlic-forward creamy Alfredo sauce with a sprinkle of oregano and some tender baked white meat chicken. Pizza Hut sprinkles some parmesan cheese on top of this dish and overall it’s a bit more cheesy than it is saucy, but for a quick oven-baked pasta from a national pizza joint, it gets the job done.

The Bottom Line:

A menu innovation that no one asked for that manages to exceed expectations.

Find your nearest Pizza Hut here.

Dumbest Menu Expansion: McDonald’s — Hacked Menu

Why It Deserves The Award:

McDonald’s is one of the biggest fast food brands in the world and as a result, anytime they do anything new, they do the bare minimum while trying to please the most people. Case in point, the Official Hacked Menu, a series of hacked dishes that absolutely failed to deliver. The idea is amazing, McDonald’s allowing fans to order fan-favorite menu hacks by name shows a brand that pays attention to the habits of their customer base. But the fact that McDonald’s made you self-assemble the hacks was downright insulting.

The Official Hacked Menu featured the Crunchy Double, a cheeseburger with nuggets inside of it, the Hashbrown McMuffin, a McMuffin with a hash brown in it, and the infamous Land, Air & Sea Burger, a combination of a Big Mac, chicken sandwich, and fish filet sandwich. McDonald’s could’ve easily stacked this for you, but instead, they just sold the food as individual items and forced you to build it yourself. As a result, the presentation suffers, and you’re left with all sorts of excess waste from the various food containers.

McDonald’s could’ve saved us some time and been more responsible stewards to the environment had they just assembled the stuff for us.

The Bottom Line:

A good idea gone wrong.

Find your nearest McDonald’s here.

Most Surprising New Menu Item: Burger King — Ghost Pepper Whopper

Why It Deserves The Award:

Burger King consistently ranks at or near the bottom of our various fast food rankings. The chain is so consistently bad I often wonder how it’s still even in business — so when Burger King unveiled the Ghost Pepper Whopper as part of the Halloween season, I was surprised to find that not only was it delicious, but it improved upon the brand’s flagship burger.

The Ghost Pepper Whopper features a quarter-pound hamburger patty topped with ghost pepper cheese, bacon, queso sauce, and the greatest ingredient of all, crispy fried jalapeños. It’s incredibly spicy, smokey, and meaty with a shifting flavor palette that tickles and waters the taste buds. It’s incredible. Turns out that all Burger King was missing all this time was heat!

The Bottom Line:

It takes the Whopper, a burger that tastes like burnt meat, and makes it spicy, savory, and delicious.

Find your nearest Burger King here.

Best Overall Brand: Chipotle

Why It Deserves The Award:

Chipotle gets a lot of well-deserved criticism for being a pale imitation of Mexican food. With its fully customizable menu, it can come across as bland and flavorless. But this year, the fast-casual chain consistently pumped out brand-new protein options that seriously elevated the menu.

Guajillo Steak, Pollo Asado, Smoked Brisket, Plant-Based Chorizo — Chipotle managed to keep its menu exciting throughout the entire year and no other fast food brand can lay claim to that feat. My personal favorite was the Guajillo steak which featured a wonderfully earthy roasted garlic flavor that started off sweet, shifted into something spicy, and ended with a fresh pepper cilantro finish.

Frustratingly, Chipotle only offered these protein options for a very limited time, but if they treat 2023 the same way they treated this year, we’re in for a hell of a delicious ride.

The Bottom Line:

Chipotle made a name for itself with fresh ingredients rather than innovation, but in 2022 they constantly f*cked with the menu in the most delicious way. We’re excited to see what the brand has in store for 2023.

Find your nearest Chipotle here.

‘Twas music lovers’ favorite time of the year! Music streaming platform Spotify has rolled out their annual Spotify Wrapped lists. The lists generated by user-specific data points help paint a clearer picture as to what artists, albums, and song truly dominated the year.

Despite not securing a spot in the top five most streamed artists on the platform, Harry Styles’ hit single “As It Was” rested comfortably in the No. 1 spot for most streamed global songs. This should came as no surprise for fans of the British heartthrob, given the fact the song featured on his sophomore album, Harry’s House, spent 15 weeks at No. 1 on Billboard‘s Hot 100 chart.

Coming in at No. 2 was “Heat Waves” by Glass Animals. The song, originally released in 2020, spread like wildfire online. The public’s obsession with the track resulted in the UK group’s dethroning of The Weeknd’s previously held record for longest-charting song in Hot 100 history.

Australian melodic rapper The Kid Laroi grabbed the third slot for most-streamed song for his Justin Bieber-assisted single, “Stay.” Thanks to a push from TikTok users, the song rose to the No. 1 spot on the Billboard Hot 100 chart for a few weeks.

Rounding out the last two spots is Latin music phenomenon Bad Bunny. The Puerto Rico native’s fourth studio album, Un Verano Sin Ti, was a global success, with songs “Me Porto Bonito” featuring Chencho Corleon and “Tití Me Preguntó” locking in spots four and five, respectively.

If you have Spotify account, you can generate a #SpotifyWrapped list based on your streaming history. Click here to learn more.

Spotify has just revealed the streaming platform’s biggest songs of the year. While a catchy beat and a hypnotic melody are usually what draws people in, the lyrics are what make a long-lasting impact.

Such is the case for Spotify’s Songs With the Most Shared Lyrics Globally, in which many higher-ranking songs were released before 2022. Coming in at No. 5 is Keane’s “Somewhere Only We Know,” which came out in 2004. A version of the song went viral on TikTok earlier this year in a trend where the user sends a message to their younger selves.

Coinciding with the 10th anniversary of her debut album, Born To Die, Lana Del Rey came in at No. 4, with her breakthrough hit, “Summertime Sadness.”

Coming in at No. 3 is “I Love You So,” by The Walters. This 2014 indie jam also went viral on TikTok, in which users shared how they interpreted a particular line — “‘but I love you so, please let me go.”

The second song with the most globally shared lyrics was Conan Gray‘s “Heather,” whose namesake became a viral term on TikTok in which users would describe a beautiful woman.

Glass Animal’s “Heat Waves” was the most lyrically alluded-to song of 2022, two years after its official release. Because sometimes, all we think about is this great song, which proved to be the longest-charting song in Hot 100 history.

Some of the artists mentioned are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

A common criticism of Avatar in the 13 years since it came out is that it left no cultural impact, even though it’s the highest-grossing movie of all-time, and there’s Pandora: The World of Avatar at Disney World, to say nothing of the famously dedicated fans. And yet, the debate rages on. James Cameron is aware of the discourse — but he wants everyone to hold their judgement until after Avatar: The Way of Water comes out.

“There’s skepticism in the marketplace around, ‘Oh, did it ever make any real cultural impact?’ Can anybody even remember the characters’ names?’” Mr. Get the F*ck Out of My Office told the Hollywood Reporter. Jake and Neytiri are no Luke and Leia, but Cameron makes the point that Avatar is only one movie into the franchise; A New Hope, The Empire Strikes Back, and Return of the Jedi were all released between 1977 and 1983, or less than half the time between Avatar and Avatar: The Way of Water.

“When you have extraordinary success, you come back within the next three years. That’s just how the industry works. You come back to the well, and you build that cultural impact over time. Marvel had maybe 26 movies to build out a universe, with the characters cross-pollinating,” he continued (that’s the nicest thing he’s ever said about the MCU). “So it’s an irrelevant argument. We’ll see what happens after this film.”

Avatar: The Way of Water opens on December 16. Do not be the guy who says “that left no cultural impact” right as you leave the theater.

(Via the Hollywood Reporter)

There was definitely a significant moment in time in the early 2010s that was dominated by YA misadventures, both in books and on the screen. After the world collectively moved on from vampires and werewolves, the next wave of popular tropes arrived: brooding teenage boys in dystopian sci-fi movies. And what a time it was!

Before Theo James was nonchalantly bearing all in front of Aubrey Plaza, he was acting alongside Shailene Woodley in the Divergent series, a popular book franchise turned movie series. James played Woodley’s love interest for three of the films, though after a slight box office flop, the planned fourth film was axed. Even though they never got to finish out the series, James was not mad about it!

Speaking with Vanity Fair, James said that it’s hard to be attached to certain projects for so long, as it often leaves actors to become typecast as their most popular role. “You do a certain type of film and you sign contracts where you are beholden to those roles for a certain period of time and people see you in a certain light that you have to wrestle your way out of,” James explained. “That is a hundred percent the case with actors — and it was definitely the case with me.” The Divergent series was a moderate hit, though it never took off the way The Hunger Games and other popular franchises did.

Even though the final film was scrapped, James had trouble breaking out of that love interest box over the next few years. “I felt I didn’t have the fluidity to move in the directions that I wanted. You’re very much in a certain type of role — and those roles can be pretty f*****g boring.”

After all of the “boring” roles (sorry to The Time Traveler’s Wife), James was eventually cast as the much too overconfident Cameron in season two of The White Lotus, who doesn’t mind getting aggressively naked all of the time. And if that’s the type of role that James wants, then it will be the type he gets!

(Via IndieWire)

If the start of 2022 already consisted of spectacular moments, the second half continued in full swing by raising the bar. Beyoncé returned with Renaissance, marking her first new studio drop in six years — and what many suspect is part of a trilogy. Bad Bunny broke records this summer by becoming only the seventh artist to have an album spend ten weeks at No. 1, right before he embarked on his World’s Hottest Tour. And how could we forget Harry Styles, who has hosted residency shows in Los Angeles, Austin, and more., giving fans a welcome invitation to Harry’s House.

Before it gets closer to officially ringing in the new year, and without spoiling everything on this list, let’s reminisce on all the pop records we’ve been blessed with this year. Here are the Best Pop Albums Of 2022. (And check out our full list of Best Albums Of 2022.)

Anitta – Versions Of Me

Anitta emerged as a global pop star this year with her album Versions Of Me. The Brazilian superstar impressively sings on the 15-track LP in Portuguese, Spanish, and English. She embraces the Brazilian funk sound of her country in her red-hot collaboration “Me Gusta” with Cardi B and Myke Towers and pop-inflected “Faking Love” featuring Saweetie. Anitta reminds people that Brazil is a part of Latin America with her reggaeton romp “Envolver.” She also looks to the future of pop music with her punk-influenced anthem “Boys Don’t Cry.” Anitta’s best version of herself is when she’s not afraid to try everything. – Lucas Villa

Bad Bunny – Un Verano Sin Ti

Bad Bunny gave the world the soundtrack for the summer with his album Un Verano Sin Ti. The Puerto Rican superstar celebrates the music of the Caribbean throughout the 23-track LP, while returning to his reggaeton roots in club anthems like “Me Porto Bonito”
alongside Chencho Corleone and “Party” with Rauw Alejandro. But he keeps fans on their toes when he takes the genre to new places with alternative acts like The Marías in “Otro Atardecer” and Bomba Estéreo in the dreamy “Ojitos Lindos,” and samples the sounds of the Dominican Republic in the merengue-infused “Después De La Playa” and the dembow-driven “Me Preguntó.” Bad Bunny continues to prove that his sound has no borders or limits. – L.V.

Beyoncé – Renaissance

Since the release of her Lemonade in 2016, Beyoncé fans from all over waited patiently (and then impatiently) for her next solo album. They wondered when it would arrive, how it would sound, and what they would love most about it. Finally, those questions were answered with the arrival of Renaissance this past summer. Through 16 songs, Queen Bey brought listeners on an electric ride through dance-pop and disco tunes that honored and celebrated the qualities and history of Black and brown queers and trans individuals while giving them, and others, a unique soundtrack to enjoy the freedom they so rightly deserve. – Wongo Okon

Blackpink – Born Pink

We all know Blackpink is composed of a bunch of baddies that go by the name of Jennie, Jisoo, Rosé, and Lisa. When the group released their second studio album Born Pink this year, it felt like all their feelings were out in the open in the form of eight tracks. The YG Entertainment quartet shows off their duality with hard-hitting and bass-heavy tracks like “Pink Venom” and “Shut Down” and seamlessly counteract it with mellow and soft serves with “The Happiest Girl,” “Tally,” and Rosé’s solo “Hard To Love.” Dropping F-bombs and expressing the pain and gains of love throughout, YG Entertainment’s in-house producer Teddy and Blackpink deliver their signature sounds that Blinks all over the world love. – Lai Frances

Charlie Puth – Charlie

Surprise! The perennial producer used TikTok to his advantage to craft Charlie. Charlie Puth’s perfect pitch and uncannily trained ear are still his engines. “Left And Right” featuring BTS’ Jung Kook and “Light Switch” maintain his reputation as an effortless radio-friendly pop machine. But tracks like “That’s Hilarious,” “Charlie Be Quiet!” and “Loser” provide the anecdotal vulnerability Puth had admittedly been faking before. Puth’s third LP is self-titled because he wishes it were his debut. In most ways, Charlie is his earnest introduction. – Megan Armstrong

Charli XCX – Crash

“I’m about to crash into the water / Gonna take you with me,” Charli XCX declares on the opening lines of Crash’s title track. The hyper-pop star follows through on her promise, with her highest-charting and most headline-making era to date. By leaning heavily into an “I don’t care” persona on songs like “Yuck” and including brilliant collaborations with Rina Sawayama, Christine And The Queens, and Caroline Polacheck, the album consists of nothing less than pure hits. – Lexi Lane

Conan Gray – Superache

Conan Gray enlisted producer Dan Nigro (Olivia Rodrigo) for his 2022 record and the results paid off tremendously. Gray’s autobiographical songwriting style is placed at the forefront of the album, as his soft vocals carry listeners through heartbreaking tracks like “Family Line” and “Astronomy.” He also shows off a rock-influenced duality on “Jigsaw” that makes it the standout of Superache. – L.L.

Ethel Cain – Preacher’s Daughter

Preacher’s Daughter blended the conceptual and concrete versions of Hayden Silas Anhedönia’s alter-ego Ethel Cain to create her debut album. As religious themes are woven throughout, she pulled inspiration from her real religious background growing up in the South. There are tales of longing on “A House In Nebraska” and a Bonnie-and-Clyde-esque couple heading for California on “Thoroughfare.” And, at the end of it all, the tension and trauma end in Cain’s destructive demise. Ending with the somber “Sun Bleached Flies,” she realizes that praying wouldn’t save her, chalking it up to “if it’s meant to be, then it will be.” – L.L.

Feid – Feliz Cumpleaños Ferxxo

Despite his LP leaking a few months ahead of time, Feid made the most of it by releasing it as Feliz Cumpleaños Ferxxo Te Pirateamos El Álbum. The cheekiness of the album’s title is reflected in the feel-good title track “Feliz Cumpleaños Ferxxo,” with Feid serving up the nostalgia and sentimental side behind his Medellín-made reggaeton across the 15 tracks. – L.V.

Harry Styles – Harry’s House

Whether or not you believe he’s the new king of pop, based solely on the historic records he holds, you can’t deny that Harry Styles is certainly leading the pack. If his debut solo album was a mere strike of luck, then Harry’s House proves Styles has a firm understanding of what he’s doing. In a cycle of microwaveable pop music, the intentionality of song selection on Harry’s House ensures a lasting shelf life. The 13-track project is light, airy, fun, and charismatic which makes for an easy listen every time. Mindful of his vocal range, on Harry’s House, Styles has found his octave pocket to which the listener is a benefactor. – Flisadam Pointer

Le Sserafim – Fearless

Lizzo – Special

After two years of being trapped inside amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Lizzo knew it was “About Damn Time” to get out and dance. Her second major-label album, Special, is filled with therapeutic bangers, celebrating female friendships (“Grrrls”), nights out with your chosen family (“Everybody’s Gay”), and grand returns to the dance floor (“About Damn Time”). This collection of 12 soulful, punchy tracks is exactly what we needed to get our groove back this year. – Alex Gonzalez

Maggie Rogers – Surrender

Maggie Rogers returned this year with her highly-anticipated sophomore album, Surrender. Slowing down the synth sound that was present on her debut record, Rogers instead opts for emphasizing her emotions on alternative anthems. The album’s lead single, “That’s Where I Am,” instantly set the tone with an incredibly addictive drum beat and a guitar breakdown before the bridge. However, it’s the fan-favorite, “Anywhere For You,” that finds Rogers at her strongest so far, as the song builds in electrifying intensity. – L.L.

Muna – Muna

Fresh out of a deal with RCA, Muna kicked off their indie era by demonstrating a wide range of queer emotions on their self-titled third album. On their first release under the Phoebe Bridgers-helmed label, Saddest Factory, Muna embrace the second adolescence we as queer people go through, by way of intimidating crushes (“Silk Chiffon”), debauched nights out (“What I Want”), and questioning the right choice to make with a lover (“What I Want”). On Muna, the trio both revel in and lament their newfound freedom. – Alex Gonzalez

Nayeon – IM NAYEON

As 2022 marked the seventh year for TWICE, it also marked the beginning of solo projects for the group. Nayeon’s IM NAYEON EP is a double entendre that plays as a reintroduction to her as a person and an artist. The five-track EP explores how Nayeon defines pop by blending in R&B (“Love Countdown” and “All Or Nothing”), dance (“No Problem”), and a bit of ballad and jazz (“Sunset”) all in one go. Her lead single “POP!” grabs inspiration from the sounds of second-generation bubblegum K-pop, an era she was personally a fan of. Successfully navigating through seven years and some to release her debut EP, IM NAYEON has set the standard for what’s to come and what to look out for with future solo projects from TWICE. – L.F.

Niki – Nicole

Earlier this year, 88rising star Niki unveiled her visceral, intimate debut Nicole, an album that packs every song with engrossing storytelling and striking songwriting. At only 23, Niki has proven herself as one of the most interesting pop artists, devoted to her craft and definitely only going to get better from here. She encapsulates zoomer angst with concise wit and unapologetic emotion: “I wish I never met you / You are the worst thing that I’m still keeping tabs on / For some stupid reason,” she sings on “Keeping Tabs.” –Danielle Chelosky

Noah Cyrus – The Hardest Part

At the 2017 iHeartRadio Music Awards, Miley Cyrus said she wanted to be like Noah Cyrus when she grew up. Well, Noah Cyrus grew up and realized she might like to be Noah, too. The Hardest Part is an evocative folk-pop confrontation of comparison-riddled adolescence and prescription pill addiction. She brought an acoustic guitar and a mirror into battle and won. Cyrus’ devastating opening line is, “When I turned twenty, I was overcome / With the thought that I might not turn twenty-one,” and “Noah (Stand Still)” reappears later featuring Billy Ray Cyrus. Her grappling with aging as the album progresses (“Hardest Part,” “Loretta’s Song”) is brave because she’s envisioning getting older at all. – M.A.

Omar Apollo – Ivory

Omar Apollo fully leaned into who he is for his debut album Ivory. He blends the R&B and alternative sound that he’s known for with his Mexican-American roots and his experience as a queer singer-songwriter. The result ia one of the most authentically refreshing LPs of the year. Apollo is unafraid to use male pronouns to describe his love interest in the sweeping “Evergreen (You Don’t Deserve Me At All)” and pushes his R&B to otherworldly places in “Invincible” featuring Daniel Caesar. The most poignant track on the LP is the heartbreaking “En El Olvido,” where he put a soulful spin on Mexican ranchera music and emerges as a promising pop star with no limits to his artistry. – L.V.

Rosalia – Motomami

Rosalía has created her own lane in pop music that wasn’t bound to any language barriers. Having positioned herself as a global pop star, her 16-track LP experiments with genres from around the world like electronica, reggaeton, flamenco, and bolero. She revs into her new era with “Saoko,” a cyberpunk joyride with a jazz detour. Elsewhere, Rosalía reflects on the toxicity of fame in bachata-infused “La Fama” alongside The Weeknd. She also lets her hair down with the delectable “Chicken Teriyaki” and the bouncy “Bizcochito” that is reminiscent of a Nokia phone ringtone. On MOTOMAMI, Rosalía races into the future with her newfound sound. – L.V.

Sabrina Carpenter – Emails I Can’t Send

The opening song to Sabrina Carpenter’s Emails I Can’t Send finds her reflecting on how familial infidelities have impacted her relationships before ending with the line, “As they say in Chicago, ‘He had it coming.’” This pattern of vengeance and sympathy works out in her favor, from the biting “Vicious” to the tragic “How Many Things.” By the album’s end, Carpenter appears to relish in the acceptance of closure (“Decode”) and continuing love’s cycle by moving on — in the record’s best sequencing of “Nonsense” into “Fast Times.” – L.L.

Stray Kids – Oddinary

Something was in the water for Stray Kids to go off when they released Oddinary. One can argue this album was the turning point for the octet’s transition from being boys to men in terms of sound. If you were one of the lucky ones to attend the group’s sold-out Maniac Tour, you’d agree the choreography is sexually aggressive – especially for songs like “Venom“ and “Charmer.” Other than that, the sixth EP from Stray Kids showcases their range as two b-side tracks like the ‘90s hip-hop-inspired “Muddy Waters” and the rock ballad “Waiting For Us” are sung by two sub-units for the project. – L.F.

Tate McRae – I Used To Think I Could Fly

Pulling the album’s title from an emotional voice memo, I Used To Think I Could Fly finds Tate McRae managing her way through growing pains. She copes with toxic players the way any rising pop-rock star would: by telling them off on “I’m So Gone” and “Boy X.” At times throughout the record, however, it is the slower-paced takes like “Chaotic” that truly allow her powerful voice to fly to soaring heights… even if McRae physically can’t. – L.L.

Taylor Swift – Midnights

Taylor Swift came out swinging for her tenth studio album, Midnights. A collection of songs written about her self-described “sleepless nights,” she dazzles on tales of daydreams (“Paris”), nightmares (“You’re On Your Own, Kid”), and everything in between (“Mastermind,” “The Great War”). And it appears to stand as one of the most cohesive bodies of work in Swift’s discography. As fans have put it, there are truly no skips. Even “Karma” grows on you. –L.L.

The Weeknd – Dawn FM

The Weeknd is one of the biggest pop acts of the past decade, but above that, he’s an artist. While After Hours was bursting with No. 1 hits, Dawn FM was a more overtly conceptual endeavor, as the Jim Carrey narrations and recurring allusions to purgatory evidence. Of course, this is a Weeknd project, so it’s also packed with memorable showstoppers like “Take My Breath” and “Out Of Time.” All in all, Dawn FM sees The Weeknd yet again striking an ideal balance between pop hit-making and innovative artistry, but perhaps better here than he ever has before. – D.R.

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

‘Tis the season where everyone ditches their astrological personalities and shares their music and listening personalities on social media.

Today (November 30), Spotify unleashed its annual Spotify Wrapped feature that provides insight to individual listening habits throughout the year. In a press release, the music streaming giant analyzed every users’ listening behaviors and revealed the top K-pop artists who were most streamed globally. In order, BTS, BLACKPINK, TWICE, Stray Kids, and SEVENTEEN were listed as the top K-pop artists on this year’s Wrapped trends.

Global superstars BTS released their three-disc album Proof back in June and held Permission To Dance concerts in South Korea and Las Vegas earlier this year. YG Entertainment’s leading act BLACKPINK released their second studio album Born Pink in September and immediately followed album promotions with a world tour. The pop quartet just finished the US leg of their tour and will embark on their European tour soon after, followed by dates in Asia until mid-2023.

South Korea’s national girl group TWICE places third on the list after releasing their eleventh EP, BETWEEN 1&2. The nine-piece ensemble completed South Korea and US world tour dates in the first half of the year which included a two-night sold out encore show at Los Angeles’ Banc Of California Stadium. Fellow JYP Entertainment artists Stray Kids have been on a roll this year with releasing two EPs — ODDINARY and MAXIDENT! — with one of them breaking the record of receiving 2.24 million pre-order units. The octet is currently continuing their MANIAC World Tour and are set to hold a two-night sold out encore show at Banc Of California Stadium next March.

And finally, 13-member supergroup SEVENTEEN places themselves in the fifth spot after releasing their fourth studio album Face The Sun over the summer, followed by a repackaged version titled Sector 17. The group completed the US leg of their Be The Sun world tour and are currently on their Asian leg of tour.

Other than being listed as the most-streamed K-pop artists on Spotify Wrapped, BTS was also listed as most-streamed artists globally at No. 5 and most viral artists globally at No. 4.

Vladimir Putin waged war in Ukraine nine months ago and doesn’t appear to be leaving anytime soon. That appears to be the case even if he loses his entire army after advising them to stuff tampons in bullet wounds to stop the bleeding. Because I cannot resist a touch of dark comedy, I imagine the Russia president soothing himself with Botox, so that no one can see his cry face, but on a more serious note, analysts believe that Putin’s sitting at a more “vulnerable” stage than ever before now, so we can expect some wild maneuvers from him. That’s especially the case because he fears being killed for losing this war, but also, he simply does not want to admit defeat.

As CNBC reports, September appears to have been a turning point for Putin’s state of mind. That’s according to R.Politik founder/non resident Carnegie scholar Tatiana Stanovaya, who declared, “From the moment on 24th of February, Putin launched this war, he has become more vulnerable than he has ever been.” From there, Stanovaya believes, “I don’t see a scenario where he could be a winner,” and “we can say that he is politically doomed.” Additionally, a political scientist pointed out that Putin won’t give up until Russia’s forcibly ejected from Ukraine:

“The very fact that Russia is still waging this war, despite its apparent defeats in March [when its forces withdrew from Kyiv], indicate that Putin is desperate to not lose. Losing is not an option for him,” Ilya Matveev, a political scientist and academic formerly based in St. Petersburg, told CNBC on Monday.

How long will this continue? There’s no telling, but I’m crossing fingers for the Ukrainian grandmas to hop into those abandoned Russian tanks while wielding Molotov cocktails to get the job done. Either that, or Putin’s troops will finally follow through with blowing up their leadership. That’s morbid, but so is war.

(Via CNBC)