Month: December 2022

Bad Bunny is continuing to break records in 2022. Yesterday (December 1), Billboard revealed that the Puerto Rican superstar was the top touring artist of the year. That marked the first time that a Latin artist has taken that title, which is based on concert ticket sales.

On Billboard‘s Boxscore recap, Bad Bunny finished the year at No. 1 on the year-end Top Tours chart. Along with being the first Latin artist to reach the summit, he is also the first act that doesn’t perform in English to do. Bad Bunny pulled ahead of Ed Sheeran and Elton John with a total touring gross of $373.5 million. That data was pulled from 65 concerts and 1.8 million tickets sold.

Bad Bunny also became the first artist to have two separate tours gross over $100 million each during a given year. In February, he toured arenas across the US with El Último Tour del Mundo 2022. That was his first post-pandemic tour in support of his albums YHLQMDLG and El Último Tour del Mundo. In August, he moved to stadiums with the World’s Hottest Tour. Bad Bunny sold out concerts across the US once again and now, his tour in support of his Un Verano Sin Ti LP is visiting Latin America.

Metro Boomin’s new album, Heroes & Villains, is out now and already garnering enthusiastic responses from fans. And while the music, which features such collaborators as ASAP Rocky, Don Toliver, Future, Gunna, John Legend, Takeoff, The Weeknd, Travis Scott, 21 Savage, Young Nudy, and Young Thug, is rightfully receiving most of the attention, Metro’s commitment to the concept of the title also shines through. The intro, which features John Legend, is punctuated by a sample of the very embodiment of the hero/villain dichotomy: The Boys‘ Homelander, who masquerades as the former while acting very much like the latter.

In the show (and the comic book series it’s based on), Homelander is a patriotic-themed, corporate hero in the vein of Captain America and Superman (his most immediate analogs), but like both of those institutions, he’s actually corrupt, selfish, and vain. The sampled speech in question comes from the second episode of the third season, long after Homelander has gone “mask off” with his closest associates. In it, he declares himself superior to the common person (physically if not morally) and rails against “cancel culture,” because of course he does.

Fans were very much here for the sample, praising Metro for hitting that nail right on the head (unfortunately, any message that he may have had gets muddled, since the very next song features Chris Brown, Black music’s own Homelander if ever there was one). Clearing the speech must have cost a fortune, but then again, that’s probably why it’s on the intro — the track most likely to rack up enough streams to make that fee worth it in the end. Check out some of the fans’ responses below.

The people have spoken: Paddington 2 is the greatest film of all-time.

[checks notes]

Correction: Paddington 2 deserves to be considered the greatest film of all-time, but it was left off the prestigious Sight and Sound list entirely. Instead, the long-running poll, as voted on by “1,639 participating critics, programmers, curators, archivists, and academics,” named Jeanne Dielman, 23 quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles the greatest film ever. The 1975 drama, from director Chantal Akerman, follows a widow (Delphine Seyrig) over the course of three days as she does monotonous chores around the house; she also has sex with male clients to provide for her and her son.

Jeanne Dielman, 23 quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles is the first film directed by a woman to top the list. In the 2012 edition, only two films from female filmmakers made the top 100; there are now 11, including Céline Sciamma’s stunning Portrait of a Lady on Fire at #30. If you want to watch Jeanne Dielman, 23 quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles, you can do so on Criterion, as well as Amazon Prime Video and Vudu.

Here’s the top 10:

1. Jeanne Dielman, 23, quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles (Chantal Akerman, 1975)
2. Vertigo (Alfred Hitchcock, 1958)
3. Citizen Kane (Orson Welles, 1941)
4. Tokyo Story (Ozu Yasujiro, 1953)
5. In the Mood for Love Wong Kar-wai, 2001)
6. 2001: A Space Odyssey (Stanley Kubrick, 1968)
7. Beau travail (Claire Denis, 1998)
8. Mulholland Dr. (David Lynch, 2001)
9. Man with a Movie Camera (Dziga Vertov, 1929)
10. Singin’ in the Rain (Stanley Donen and Gene Kelly, 1951)

You can read the full list here.

Drew Brees‘ lengthy NFL career came to an end back in March of 2021. While he tried to move into the world of broadcasting, Brees left NBC Sports after a year in an effort to pursue other opportunities. On Friday, we learned that one of those opportunities was an ad campaign with a sportsbook that involved him pretending to get hit by lightning.

This video started to makes its way around Twitter on Friday morning, and appeared to show Brees on the set of a commercial. While he was getting mic’d up, there was a big bolt of lightning, and the implication is that it hit Brees and caused him to have a very bad time.

It doesn’t look real, but hey, crazier things have happened. People started to wonder if Brees was, you know, dead, but Katherine Terrell of ESPN texted Brees in an effort to figure out what was going on. Surprise: It was an ad.

For further proof that this is not real, here is a video that PointsBet posted shortly after the original video started going viral. It involves Brees sitting in an ambulance in a PointsBet jersey. Brees claims he is in Venezuela in “the most active hotspot for lightning strikes in the world,” which leads to the ad read about free lightning bets this weekend.

So, there you go, Drew Brees is alive.

At this point, BIBI is like Beyoncé in the sense she’s been releasing a music video to almost every track off her first studio album, Lowlife Princess: Noir. (Though it isn’t all at once like Yoncé‘s self-titled album in 2013, BIBI’s still feeding her fans, the BIBItans, very well.)

In a new video released today at midnight (December 2), the South Korean R&B soloist goes monotone in a black-and-white utopian music video for her song “철학보다 무서운건 비비의 총알 (Blade).” Penned by BIBI herself with the production help from THE NEED, the electronic hip-hop song is a metaphor for words being like weapons that can be sharp as a blade. “What’s scarier than a razor-sharp way of speaking or attitude? / I am the blade, I’m that weapon,” BIBI sings at the end of the second verse.

“Blade” is the second track off of BIBI’s first studio album Lowlife Princess: Noir. Prior to this week’s video release, BIBI dropped a music video for her song “JOTTO” last week, and for her lead single “BIBI Vengeance” the week prior. So far she has released a total of six music videos, including pre-release videos to “Animal Farm,” “Sweet Sorrow of Mother,” and “Motospeed 24.”

Lowlife Princess: Noir was released last month on November 18, under Feel Ghood Music in partnership with 88Rising Records, with a tracklist containing 12 songs.

At the moment, BIBI is set to perform at 88Rising’s Head In The Clouds in Jakarta, Indonesia this weekend, December 3rd and 4th.

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

Pushing back The Pink Tape‘s release date seems to be paying off for Lil Uzi Vert. The rapper shared that they needed to find a new creative direction for the project so that, in their words, “it wouldn’t suck.” That search landed the Philadelphia native an irresistible new single, “Just Wanna Rock.”

The track produced by Synthetic has quickly become one of TikTok’s most used sounds. Rooted in Jersey club music, the song has fueled several dance battles online and in-person — most recently at the Wells Fargo Center. In a viral clip, a fan attending a Philadelphia 76ers game at the arena captured an epic dance battle soundtracked by the song.

Two fans bust out their best choreography to win over the crowd which included a lot of hip rocking, swift footwork, and tutting. We consider the lighthearted showdown to be a draw.

Based on the high energy shown by their hometown crowd, Lil Uzi Vert won’t have much to worry about when they hit the road. Uzi announced in October, that in addition to a new album fans will have the catch them live in a supporting headline tour.

Lil Uzi Vert is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

It’s rye whiskey time! There’s something about the fruity, herbaceous, and funky whiskey made with a majority of rye grain that just feels wintry. Maybe it’s the adjacency to spiced holiday cakes or maybe it’s the darker fruit vibes that come with the whiskey that makes it feel like a good pour to have right about now. Or maybe it’s that rye whiskey always makes the best Manhattan cocktail and winter is definitely classic Manhattan season.

No matter what that tough-to-pin-down feeling is about, rye whiskey and winter work well together. So it’s high time for yet another blind taste test of brand-new ryes.

For this round of blind tasting, I’ve grabbed eight rye whiskeys that just dropped. These bottles are either brand-new, never-before-seen expressions, or this season’s newest batch. All of these were released over the last days and weeks, which makes them so new that some of these bottles haven’t even hit shelves outside of the distillery yet (they’ll go wide soon enough).

When it comes to ranking these brand-new rye whiskeys, the taste is what matters most. I’m giving you my professional tasting notes and then looking at what runs the deepest with the best overall flavor profile. Sometimes it’s that easy. The issue was — minor spoiler alert — that these rye whiskeys were all pretty goddamn tasty. They really broke into two categories: “really good” and “great.”

The lineup today is as follows:

• Templeton Rye Stout Cask Finish
• Woodinville Straight 100% Rye Whiskey Finished in Port Casks
• Old Ezra Straight Rye Whiskey Aged 7 Years
• FEW Straight Rye Whiskey Bottled In Bond
• Stellum Rye The Lone Cypress
• Sagamore Spirit Rye Barrel Select Aged 7 Years Creator’s Cask 2022 Barrel 158
• Blue Run Emerald Kentucky Straight Rye Whiskey Winter Batch
• Keeper’s Heart Whiskey Irish + American 110 Proof

Let’s dive in!

Also Read: The Top Five Rye Whiskey from the Last Six Months on UPROXX

• The Single Best Bottle Of Whiskey From Each Of The 50 States
• The Winning Scotch And Bourbon Whiskeys From This Year’s Ascot Awards
• The Best Whiskeys In The World, According To The John Barleycorn Awards
• The Best Bourbons And Ryes From The 2022 American Whiskey Masters Awards
• The Absolute Best Whiskeys We Tasted At This Year’s Bourbon & Beyond Festival

Part 1: The Tasting

Taste 1

Tasting Notes:

There’s a mix of cherry candy and dried chili pepper on the nose next to a hint of creamy dark chocolate and maybe a hint of marmalade and dried apricot. The palate has a lushness that’s accentuated by chocolate-dipped black cherry next to Amaretto-spiked mocha lattes and a hint of dark red chili next to old vanilla pods. The end leans into the bitter espresso with a dark chocolate vibe countered by vanilla tobacco, rum raisin, dried figs, and a hint of winter spice.

This is really nice. It feels very “stout” orientated with all that coffee and chocolate but still has a nice fruitiness with a serious chili pepper spiciness.

Taste 2

Tasting Notes:

There’s a spiced plum jam feel to the nose with a hint of dried nasturtiums and a dash of old boot leather and dry cedar bark. The palate dips some dried sour cherries into salted dark chocolate with a hint of rye bread crusts just kissed with caraway and fennel leading to a mild line of apple cores and stems. The end has a soft mix of vanilla fruit cake with plenty of cloves, nutmeg, and cinnamon next to raisins, dates, and prunes with a hint of chili pepper warmth.

This feels super wintry with all that dried fruit and winter spice layered with vegetal spice and dry woody barks. It’s really good and complex is what I’m getting at.

Taste 3

Tasting Notes:

Hints of old leather and burnt citrus drive the nose toward fresh honey and vanilla cake with a hint of old oak and cellar funk. The palate leans into the soft vanilla with a dash of burnt orange and leathery spice before some ABVs start buzzing on the tongue. The end has a nice layer of orange and clove tobacco with a hint of old oak and vanilla honey cookies.

This was pretty nice overall. It was a little high on the ABVs but it didn’t blow out the palate entirely.

Taste 4

Tasting Notes:

The nose opens with a mix of salted black licorice, cherry root beer, and mint chocolate chip next to old porch wicker and boot leather. The palate has a nice balance of cinnamon candy with dark milk chocolate just kissed with dried chili flakes and woody allspice before a hint of black cherry tobacco kicks in. That tobacco vibe continues on the finish as the allspice, sweet cinnamon, and cherry counter a slight sense of whole black peppercorns.

Again, this was really nice overall. It didn’t jump out at me but it’s still solid and well-rounded.

Taste 5

Tasting Notes:

There’s a light pine resin vibe on the nose with a bushel of dried savory green herbs — think sage, thyme, rosemary, tarragon — next to old leather and dried sour cherries tossed in kosher salt. The palate has a note of that pine with a soft orange rind next to a spiced winter cake with dried fruit, walnuts, and wintry spices. The end is slightly warm thanks to high ABVs with a sense of those salted cherries and pine resin leading to a dry finish.

This was interesting. I feel like I need to spend more time with this to plumb its deeper nuances.

Taste 6

Tasting Notes:

This nose is outstanding with a sense of dark and spicy fruit cake full of dried figs, dates, and prunes next to cinnamon, nutmeg, and clove with a dash of candied citrus and tart blackcurrant with this whisper of fresh dill and mint lurking in the background with a spiced apple cider vibe. The palate has a pecan waffle and maple syrup feel next to black tea and malted chocolate shakes with a hint of rye bread crust, caraway, and vanilla beans. The end leans into the fruit cake spices with a woody edge before rum-raisin, spice apple tobacco, and old cedar boards round things out.

This is a great rye whiskey.

Taste 7

Tasting Notes:

Woody winter spices — clove, cardamom, nutmeg, cinnamon — lead on the nose with a hint of creamy toffee and vanilla cake that’s countered by chili spices and a pinch of cumin, almost like a garam masala. The palate has a thick buttery caramel sweetness with a sharp chili pepper fresh spiciness next to stewed apples and pears with sultanas, woody winter spice, and cut with a hint of clove brandy. The end has a leathery vibe with a buttery apple crumble tobacco vibe with a hint of old cedar bark and spiced barks rolled up with burnt orange and dried tart cherry.

This is excellent as well.

Taste 8

Tasting Notes:

Oatcakes and vanilla wafers mingle with raisins, bushels of apples, and gingerbread with a hint of honey and I want to say mango skins. The palate leans into the soft and powdered winter spices with a soft orange citrus note that leads to apple nut oatmeal with plenty of fresh honey and raisin next to spicy apple cider and ginger snaps. The end has a maltiness that’s followed by sweet winter spices, honey, and nuttiness.

This is clearly a rye blended with a very soft and fruity whiskey. It’s very tasty though.

Part 2: The Ranking

8. Keeper’s Heart Whiskey Irish + American 110 Proof — Taste 8

ABV: 55%

Average Price: $35

The Whiskey:

The latest release from Irish-American whiskey brand Keeper’s Heart blends Irish grain and pot still whiskeys with American rye whiskey (all aged over four years). Unlike the previous releases from the brand, this expression ramps up the rye whiskey and ABVs with a higher proof and only a touch of water in the final blend.

Bottom Line:

This wasn’t a bad whiskey at all. It was pretty goddamn tasty truth be told. It was the lightest whiskey on this panel though and that’s the only reason it’s ranked last. Taste-wise, this is a winner, especially if you’re looking for an orchard fruit and honey-nut-forward dram.

7. Old Ezra Straight Rye Whiskey Aged 7 Years — Taste 3

ABV: 57%

Average Price: $89

The Whiskey:

This brand-new rye whiskey from Old Ezra, which usually focuses on bourbons, is a seven-year-old rye blend. The whiskey is a batch of barrels from a 51% rye whiskey and a classic 95% rye that aged for seven long years before bottling at full proof with charcoal filtration.

Bottom Line:

This was another good whiskey. The citrus was nice and bright and added to the overall rye vibe. It’s only a little lower today because it was a tad one note.

6. FEW Straight Rye Whiskey Bottled In Bond — Taste 4

ABV: 50%

Average Price: $55

The Whiskey:

This brand-new rye from Illinois’ FEW Spirits is a follow-up to last year’s Bottled in Bond Bourbon from the brand. The whiskey is made from a mash of 70% rye, 20% corn, and 10% malted barley. That hot juice is then mellowed in both standard 53-gallon barrels and smaller 30-gallon barrels for about four years before batching, proofing, and bottling.

Bottom Line:

This felt classic and standard. It really felt like the perfect cocktail rye that also works as a sipper on the rocks when you’re looking for an easy drinking experience on a weekday evening.

5. Stellum Rye The Lone Cypress — Taste 5

ABV: 57.67%

Average Price: $99

The Whiskey:

Named for one of the world’s most famous trees, this whiskey is all about finding the funky forest in the flavor profile of a brand-new rye whiskey. The blend was created by the awesome team at Barrell Craft Spirits to accentuate woodier notes before it was bottled at cask strength.

Bottom Line:

This was dank and kind of funky, which is a lot of fun. That pine resin dankness was bold though, which pushed this a little bit down the ranks today. Still, this is unique and inviting, so don’t skip it.

4. Woodinville Straight 100% Rye Whiskey Finished in Port Casks — Taste 2

ABV: 45%

Average Price: $70

The Whiskey:

Following in the footsteps of Woodinville’s beloved Port Cask Finished Bourbon, this year’s Woodinville 2022 Harvest Season selection is a 100% Washington rye whiskey finish in Ruby Port Casks for four months of additional mellowing. Finally, those barrels are batched, proofed, and bottled.

Bottom Line:

This is where we get into the “great stuff” mentioned above. This is just really good whiskey with a nice and deep flavor profile that’s also a bit convivial and fun. I can see sipping this over some rocks but it really feels like the perfect Manhattan base.

3. Templeton Rye Stout Cask Finish — Taste 1

ABV: 46%

Average Price: $55

The Whiskey:

This year’s brand-new Stout Cask Finish from Templeton out in Iowa is a classic 95/5 rye/malted barley whiskey. Those barrels are vatted and re-barreled into chocolate coffee stout casks for an additional three months before batching, proofing, and bottling.

Bottom Line:

This came out of nowhere to nearly win the whole panel. It was so well-made and deeply flavored with a nice change of pace. There was no rye funkiness, but the stout vibes more than made up for it. I’d definitely use this in cocktails first but can see it working perfectly well as a sipper over some rocks.

2. Blue Run Emerald Kentucky Straight Rye Whiskey Winter Batch — Taste 7

ABV: 58.35%

Average Price: $110

The Whiskey:

The latest release from Blue Run is their second rye release, Emerald Rye. The whiskey is contract distilled at Castle & Key in Frankfort, Kentucky. The limited run yielded only 189 barrels that were expertly blended and bottled as-is.

Bottom Line:

This is delicious whiskey. It works wonders neat with enough depth to really dig into. The overall vibe was easygoing and fun with a sense of rye that leans into orchard fruits and woody spices in just the right balance.

1. Sagamore Spirit Rye Barrel Select Aged 7 Years Creator’s Cask 2022 Barrel 158 — Taste 6

ABV: 55%

Average Price: $70

The Whiskey:

This is a brand new line from Sagamore Spirit out in Maryland. The very first Creator’s Cask is a blend of a high-rye whiskey single barrel selected by social media whiskey influencers WhiskyNomad, TheBrewBrotha, TheEducatedBarFly, and ThatOneDudeRyan that’s batched lower-rye whiskey to create this one-of-a-kind whiskey.

Bottom Line:

This was delicious. It’s deep, fun, and fresh. This is definitely worth getting your hands on for winter sipping and Manhattan-making.

Part 3: Final Thoughts

Overall, this was a great panel of whiskeys. I can recommend all of them. Scroll through those tasting notes and find one that speaks to you.

That said, the Sagamore Spirit Creator’s Cask Rye or Blue Run really are the ones you want to spend your hard-earned money on. They’re both truly exemplary bottles of whiskey you might never see again.

Going into the Thanksgiving holiday, Amy Robach and T.J. Holmes weren’t exactly household names. Granted, the two were co-anchors on Good Morning America‘s GMA3 stage, but they didn’t share the high level of fame of other morning talk show hosts. That all changed less than a week after Thanksgiving when the Daily Mail published photos of them looking very cozy over the holiday break. The two were papped having a romantic drink together, holding hands in an Uber, and at one point, Holmes could be clearly seen grabbing Robach’s butt. There was just one small problem: As far as anyone knew, the GMA anchors were married to other people.

As the photos went viral on social media thanks to what appeared to be the worst attempt to hide an affair, Robach and Holmes scrambled to control the narrative. They both deactivated their social media accounts and an “inside source” reached out to PEOPLE to set the record straight on their respective marital statuses. Or more specifically, the lack thereof.

“This was two consenting adults who were each separated. They both broke up with their spouses in August within weeks of each other,” the insider adds. “The relationship didn’t start until after that.”

According to PEOPLE, the photos looked so incriminating because the two were essentially going public with their relationship. “She’s got nothing to hide,” the source said. “They were both separated so they felt very comfortable dating in the open after that. Their spouses had moved out, even! So they were not hiding anything.”

However, the story isn’t that cut and dry. PEOPLE also reported that rumors of Robach and Holmes having an affair were already kicking around a year ago. Robach and Holmes chemistry and “mutual affection” raised eyebrows, but it was chalked up to being friends outside of work. In an awkward revelation, the two often went on double dates with their now ex-spouses. Yikes.

As for ABC’s reaction, the network is reportedly loving it. An ABC staffer told Page Six that the situation has been “ratings gold” and there was a concerted effort to ensure Robach and Holmes were on-air after the story broke. They’re definitely not hiding anything now.

(Via Daily Mail, People)

Lana Del Rey doesn’t wait much time in between albums. After putting out the critically-acclaimed Norman F*cking Rockwell, the singer unveiled Chemtrails Over The Country Club and Blue Banisters the following year. Now, it seems like she’s ready to give her fans even more material.

A clip has been circulating social media, depicting an interview with HOLA TV in which she says: “I won’t tell you when it’s coming out, but I can tell you I’m making an announcement about it on the 7th, so what do we have, a week? Seven days? I’m very excited.” This means we have to keep an eye out on December 7.

In October, the “Summertime Sadness” performer shared with fans that her backpack was stolen, which contained her laptop, camcorders, and hard drives of material she had been working on. “Despite that, people are still able this week to remotely access my phone and leak our songs and personal photos,” she explained. “I just want to mention that despite all of this happening, I am confident in the record to come. And despite so many safety factors in so many different levels, I really want to persist and make the best art I can.”

It has been over four years since Cardi B released her critically-acclaimed, Grammy-winning debut album Invasion Of Privacy. Although she’s fed her fanbase pretty well since then with one hit single after another (“Up,” “WAP,” “Hot Sh*t”), they are understandably feeling a little antsy for a follow-up. The Bronx bombshell gave them restored hope during her recent appearance on The Breakfast Club, though, saying the album could be released as early as spring next year.

“I have no choice, I have to put it out,” she told Charlamagne The God in response to his query about whether she had a release date yet or not. “I have a couple of songs that are definite, I don’t know. I don’t know what’s going on with me. I need to just make up my mind and put it out.” The holdup, she says, is that the project is “missing something.” Even so, she admitted that with her fans champing at the bit to get a full body of work, “I gotta put it out next year.”

Thanks to Charlamagne, there may even be a timeline for when to expect it. He suggested Cardi drop the new album on the fifth-anniversary date of her first, April 6, 2023. She seemed amenable. One thing we do know is that she might take over hosting The Breakfast Club temporarily after the impending departure of Angela Yee ahead of the album’s release.

You can watch the full interview above.