I love El Pollo Loco, it’s one of the few fast food joints on the market making Mexican-inspired fast food that actually tastes like Mexican food. For that alone, I want them to win. Their fire-grilled chicken is the best in the fast food landscape, their beans are savory and delicious, and do I even need to talk about the avocado salsa? It’s amazing.
But alas… I’ve been burned before. When El Pollo Loco rolled out its birria menu, I was sadly disappointed to see that a trend that has taken the US by storm was being done so poorly by one of my favorite chains. Now, whenever El Pollo Loco rolls out a new dish I’m struck with excitement tinged with some trepidation.
This brings us to the new El Pollo Loco Burrito Grillers.
The new burritos, which will join the menu nationwide from now until February 22nd, are inspired by the Northern Mexico State of Sonora, and feature meat (either grilled chicken or shredded beef) Monterey Jack cheese, cilantro, and onion all wrapped in a tortilla and then grilled. The burritos are served with a new savory side sauce that El-PL is calling “Loco Sauce.” So… let’s get crazy! Here is our review of the new Loco Burrito Grillers.
Loco Burrito Grillers (Beef and Chicken)
Dane Rivera
Tasting Notes:
Before I even bite into a burrito we need to talk about what El Pollo Loco means when they call these burritos “Sonoran-style.” A typical Sonoran-style burrito consists of seasoned beef, refried beans (though not always refried), cheese, and salsa wrapped in a giant super thin, and stretchy flour tortilla and grilled, either on a skillet or straight on the fire.
The Burrito Grillers are not that.
First of all, these things are tiny, they don’t have beans, and while they are grilled, they aren’t grilled on a skillet or the fire. Instead, they’re placed in some sort of burrito press which results in faint grill marks that don’t add the sort of texture you’d expect from hearing the words “grilled burrito.” Also, a Sonoran tortilla is a distinct thing that evokes certain qualities — made from just water, salt, fat, and flour. Generally, they’re known for being huge. I don’t know what El Pollo Loco’s tortillas are made from for this burrito, but it’s not what comes to mind when talking about the cuisine of Sonora.
Basically, this is Taco Bell-level shit and I expect more out of El Pollo Loco.
Having said all of that — these things taste f*cking great. Let’s start with the chicken, it combines tender, fire-grilled charred chicken breast with the perfect medley of savory onions and cilantro with nutty and creamy cheese. Each bite is a perfect balance of fresh and citrusy notes with a prominent charred aftertaste. Dipping the burrito in the Loco Sauce adds some fatty and savory qualities and truly elevates the flavors of this burrito into something mouthwatering and special.
Dane Rivera
The shredded beef version might be even better, the amount of beef El Pollo Loco packs in this tiny burrito is kind of amazing, and with its beefy slightly sweet flavor and tender melt-in-the-mouth texture, it pairs even better with the Loco Sauce. I love these burritos.
The texture from the burrito press is kind of a joke, as I hinted at before. It doesn’t add very much texture at all but this could be a result of the El Pollo Loco restaurant I visited. If the burrito spent a little more time in the press it might have a better texture, but for me, it was too faint to make a difference or even be noticeable.
The Bottom Line:
Issues with the concept aside, I think both the chicken and beef version of this burrito are fantastic. The only thing that holds this burrito back is El Pollo Loco’s own conceptual branding, but in terms of flavor, this delivers on all fronts. The Burrito Grillers are great fast food burritos and if El Pollo Loco would put all of these same ingredients in a bigger tortilla with some beans and grilled it right on a cast iron skillet, it would dunk on Chipotle, easily.
Until then, it’s a great snack-sized burrito that packs a lot of flavor in a tiny package.
As wholesome and nourishing an activity as reading is, it has a hard time competing against screens for a child’s attention. However, some communities are bringing new life to reading by encouraging kids to embark on an interactive, never-ending literary treasure hunt.
In Braidwood, a small town in New South Wales, Australia, kid-friendly titles like “Goosebumps” and “Diary of a Wimpy Kid” are sealed in plastic bags then hidden around town, ready to be found in unsuspected places like shop windows, trees and nearby parks.
Inside the bag, in addition to the book, is a piece of paper that reads:
“You are the lucky finder of this book. Read it, enjoy it, and then hide it again for someone else to enjoy. Please reuse this bag. Add your name inside the cover and let’s see how many can find it!”
After reading, kids write their name in the book, then re-hide it or give it to a friend, adding an additional layer of fun involvement.
The whimsical idea was brought to Braidwood by a mom named Samantha Dixon, who had seen other communities with thriving hidden book projects online and noticed how positively kids responded to a previous trend of finding colorfully painted rocks scattered throughout the neighborhood. She saw a book hunt as a fun and creative way to keep kids from relying too much on technology.
“I enjoy the fact these books are being read and are not just being left on the shelves and that kids are outside finding them not on screens,” Dixon told ABC News Australia. “It’s lovely to watch the little kids’ faces when they find the books. It’s a bit magical.”
Indeed, the kids seem to love it—whether they’re simply visiting town and happen upon a book, or have found several. The community has a very active Facebook community filled with children sharing their finds.
Growing up as a techless bookworm, escaping into good books are some of my fondest childhood memories—and I know I’m not the only one. It’s crazy to think that future generations might miss out on that butterflies-in-the-stomach type of excitement that happens when you pick up a new book, or the pure joy of turning pages and allowing words to transport you to imaginary places.
And while there is nothing inherently wrong with reading a book from a digital device like an iPad or Kindle, especially for adults, there is something to be said for how it affects a child’s development as they are learning to read.
Print often encourages more slow reading, rather than fast scrolling for the sake of social entertainment, which comes with screens. And print definitely doesn’t have incessant pop-ups, making it easier to slowly absorb material without distraction. As Naomi Baron wrote in her book “How We Read Now: Strategic Choices for Print, Screen and Audio,” excerpted in The New York Times, “There are two components, the physical medium and the mind-set we bring to reading on that medium — and everything else sort of follows from that.”
It might be hard to break away from the convenience and instant gratification of technology, but hidden book hunts remind kids what’s so fun about reading in the first place. And fun is usually a great place to start with most things.
There are many reasons to worry about climate change’s effects and whether the world’s leaders are brave enough to make the bold decisions necessary to abate the growing crisis. But a new report from the United Nations shows that when people come together and follow the science, it’s possible to stop environmental disasters before they happen.
An executive assessment from the UN has found that the hole in the Earth’s ozone layer is on track to be completely healed within the next two decades. If current policies remain in place, the ozone layer should recover to 1980 levels by around 2066 in the Antarctic, 2045 in the Arctic and 2040 throughout the rest of the world.
The hole was first discovered by scientists in 1985 above Antarctica and it caused immediate worry. According to Discover magazine, the ozone layer acts as the planet’s sunscreen and without it, we’d be exposed to harmful ultraviolet rays that cause skin cancer and cataracts. The radiation is also harmful to marine life and plants and would cause a major disruption to the world’s food supply.
“In the upper stratosphere and in the ozone hole we see things getting better,” Paul A. Newman, co-chair of the scientific assessment panel of the Montreal Protocol, said according to the Associated Press. He added that the two biggest contributors to the hole, chlorine and bromine, have dropped from their peaks in the ’90s.
That bromine and chlorine levels “stopped growing and is coming down is a real testament to the effectiveness of the Montreal Protocol,” Newman said.
The Montreal Protocol is an international agreement signed in 1989 that helped eliminate 99% of ozone-depleting chemicals including chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs). At the time, these were found in spray cans, refrigerants and air-conditioning units.
u201cGood climate news: The ozone layer is on track to recover within 4 decades.nnThe healing of the Earth’s invisible shield is an inspirational example of how the world can come together to address global challenges like the climate crisis.nnMore from @WMO: https://t.co/Dh0h8kkPnYu201d
Although much of the world has stopped using CFCs, they can linger in the atmosphere for a century.
“The protocol marks an important milestone for the future quality of the global environment and for the health and well-being of all peoples of the world,” former President Ronald Reagan said after the agreement was signed in 1988. “Unanimous approval of the protocol by the Senate on March 14th demonstrated to the world community this country’s willingness to act promptly and decisively in carrying out its commitments to protect the stratospheric ozone layer from the damaging effects of chlorofluorocarbons and halons, but our action alone is not enough.”
“It’s a bit like waiting for paint to dry, you just have to wait for nature to do its thing and flush out these chemicals,” David Fahey, a scientist at National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, said according to The Guardian.
u201cGood news from #AMS2023: The ozone layer is on track to recover within four decades.nnPress release u27a1ufe0f https://t.co/htPbNDJ9VUnnExecutive summary u27a1ufe0f https://t.co/yO6o2dVOd3nnPartners ud83eudd1dud83cudffd @UNEP, @NOAA, @NASA, @EU_Commissionu201d
— World Meteorological Organization (@World Meteorological Organization) 1673276414
If political leaders hadn’t taken action back in the ’80s, we would be having some serious problems in 2023. World leaders should take the positive lessons learned by the fight against ozone depletion and use them toward fixing climate change before it becomes irreversible.
Unfortunately, the fight against climate change is more difficult because greenhouse gasses stay in the atmosphere much longer than CFCs and asking people to change their refrigerants is a lot easier than asking them to stop driving cars.
“CO2 is another order of magnitude when it comes to its longevity, which is sobering,” Fahey said. “Getting every person on the planet to stop burning fossil fuels is a vastly different challenge.”
Much has been written about The Menu (our review). Its cultural impact has truly been deep as food lovers (like me) recreate the iconic cheeseburger from the film while others note the possible influence it has had on the industry, with globally renowned chef René Redzepi deciding to close NOMA (again). Plus, it’s one of those films that seems to have made most critics’ “best of 2022” lists — means the discourse is just ramping up as we head into awards season. But one thing that feels like it’s been missed by most critics and the public discourse is the deeper meaning and theme of the film.
PLEASE NOTE: This post will 100% spoil the film. Head over to HBO Max and watch it first if you don’t want it spoiled.
While there are a lot of folks calling The Menua remake of Ratatouille, that comparison is a bit flimsy. Yes, Ratatouille’s Remy has to let go of all his “training” and cult-like adherence to the dictates of a master chef and cook what he loves to be a truly great chef — the theme being “be yourself to succeed” which is true Disney fare. But The Menu’s Chef Slowik — the exec chef at the island-located restaurant Hawthrone — is already miles beyond that when we meet him. He feels victimized by the world of fine dining to such a degree that he’s going to burn it all down and take all the people around with him — not even Anton Ego in Ratatouille is that far off the deep end.
At the climax of The Menu, Margot — the sex worker who’s brought along at the last minute by one of Chef Slowik’s fanboys named Tyler (whom he actually loathes) — gets Slowik to cook him something he loves before he finishes his “masterpiece” of destruction. But cooking a beloved dish doesn’t change Slowik the way it changes Remy or Ego in Ratatouille. Instead, the theme that drives the The Menu is actually about re-finding pleasure through an act of service. The “Ratatouille” scene — if you want to call it that in the way the sense memory evoked when Chef Slowik cooks the cheeseburger echoes the sense memory evoked when critic Anton Ego tastes Remy’s ratatouille — is not a return to a childhood love of food for Slowik. Instead, it’s a return to the joys of pleasuring a customer.
Beyond the theme of hating particular customers to the point of wanting to murder them vs. a return to actually pleasing the customer, Slowik doesn’t have an arc in The Menu. Margot does, however — it’s her movie after all since she’s who we see first, last, and follow through the whole narrative. And it’s in Margot’s arc that the true crux of the movie lies. It’s about finally choosing to truly be part of the service industry (in this case, as a sex worker) and using her skills to help a broken-down old chef find one moment of true pleasure before he dies.
Like the old creep who wanted to be told he was “good” while he masturbated (more on him later), Chef Slowik just wants to be told he’s “good” not at cooking but at pleasing the customer.
PART I — THE SETUP
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The film sets this up via the two exchanges that Margot and Slowik have on their own in the film (before the finale). The first one comes at about the 37-minute mark when Margot is in the restroom and Slowik accosts her. He bluntly asks her “I’d like to know specifically what you don’t like about the food. You’ve barely eaten any. Why? I need to know. Why don’t you eat?”
Margot replies, “Why do you care?”
Slowik comes back with, “I take my work very seriously and you’re not eating. That wounds me.”
This is setting up the finale in that it is teaching Margot (and us) that Slowik does actually want to bring people the joy of a good bite of food for real, not just show off his elite kitchen skills. It also draws Margot closer to Slowik with her literally opening a door that was between them and addressing him face to face (though still in a stand-off-ish manner — shouts to her for not being afraid of him for a second).
Slowik continues to interrogate Margot by asking “who” she really is and where she’s from for which Margot offers her escort cover story. Slowik senses this is a cover and straight up tells her “No, not who you want me to think you are. Who are you?” Margot holds to her story and there’s a moment of true concern on his face when Slowik says, “You shouldn’t be here tonight.”
Margot says, “Please, get the fuck out of my way” and the scene ends.
This whole ordeal sets up a ticking clock wherein Margot has to decide if she’s with the staff or the diners, i.e. a giver or a taker. More violence ensues. And finally, the ticking clock ends and Margot and Slowik take refuge from the chaos in his office so she can make her decision.
This scene, which is around the 55-minute mark (basically the mid-point of the film), is where Margot and Slowik connect in a way that demonstrates — or “foreshadows” if you want to get all screenwriter-y about it — the finale. Glass Onion does the same thing around the 33-minute mark when Ed Norton’s Miles literally lays out beat-by-beat how Janelle Monae’s Helen “disrupts” everything in the finale. (It’s a common trope, is the point.)
Margot starts off by telling Slowik what she thinks he wants to hear about her not belonging there and him being “brilliant.” Slowik asks her to cut the shit immediately with, “You’re not sure I’m brilliant so don’t say it. It’s false.”
Margot rolls her eyes and says, “Fine, you’re not brilliant.” To which Slowik almost hisses, “Oh, I expected more of you…” before softening with, “You belong here, with your own breed.” Margot asks what he means and he plainly says, “With the shit shovelers. Oh, you think I couldn’t tell? I know a fellow service industry worker when I see one.”
Searchlight
This starts to melt Margot’s facade and she sits down next to Slowik when he asks about another patron at the restaurant, “Mr. Leebrand.” Then Margot tells Slowik about her time as an escort for the billionaire (which sets up the “pleasure” of it all). Margo first tells him he liked to “jerk off” in front of her while holding eye contact. Then she goes into more detail about what he wanted her to say while “servicing” him as a sex worker. This is where Margot and Slowik connect in a “we’ve all been there” sort of way.
Slowik asks Margot, “Do you enjoy providing your services?” She takes a beat and replies, very honestly, “Yes. Or… I used to.” Then asks, “Do you enjoy providing yours?”
The openness between the two in this half of the scene is palpable as Slowik says, “Oh, I used to but…I haven’t desired to cook for someone in ages. And one does miss that feeling.” Again, the brilliant acting — little flourishes of half grins and even the tearing up of Ralph Fiennes’ eyes — helps this scene land as something real between two providers of a service.
This is also clearly setting up the finale, in that both Margot and Slowik are true-born service industry folks — providing their own brand of pleasure — who’ve lost their love for their game. It’s clear she’s barely putting up with Tyler’s shit during the first half of the movie (playing into her loss of enjoyment in her life). This is their connection and this is what Margot will give Slowik to allow her to escape later in the film. It’s the door she’s tasked with opening but she doesn’t have the key to open it just yet.
PART II — THE PAYOFF
Searchlight
The next sequence between Slowik and Margot isn’t private but lays the groundwork for the finale. Slowik tasks Margot with fetching a barrel from the smokehouse. The stern host, Elsa, disagrees with Slowik’s seeming trust in Margot and follows her as she breaks into Slowik’s cottage. After a struggle, Margot ends up killing her with a boning knife before returning bloodied and rolling the barrel into the kitchen.
In between all of that, Margot spies an old photo of Slowik when he was very young. In the photo, he’s truly happy and flipping hamburgers at Hamburger Howie’s back in the late 1980s. This lovely little plant is paid off later and is the key that Margot needs to open up that lock and set herself free in the finale — though Margot doesn’t realize this just yet. In fact, she finds a radio and calls for help. Which is, of course, thwarted by Slowik’s well-constructed plan.
Still, that photo plays into the key theme of pleasure derived from serving people. A thing we know Slowik feels has been stolen from him. Even though each set of characters at the dinner seems unique as individuals (good writing!), to the chef they represent archetypes who have stolen his joy and love of the kitchen in one way or another:
Slowik’s mother introduced him to cooking, which led him to his demise, essentially showing him joy/pleasure but leading to this all-encompassing pain.
Lillian (the critic) and Ted (the publisher) suck the pleasure of cooking by making it for their own gain and bringing pain to so many who just want to nourish people.
The finance bros funnel money into their own pockets instead of helping to create a system where the staff is paid a fair wage in the industry, creating the illusion of constant famine that rules the service industry.
The “angel investor” uses money as a carrot and stick to commodify any pleasure of the people who love(d) cooking in the first place. And also trojan horse’s his “angel investing” into a more intrusive sort of partnership.
The billionaire patrons only dine at Hawthorne to boast about their status.
The food blogger/influencer who knows nothing about food but thinks he does because he’s watched Chef’s Table and performs pleasure when eating. Freaking Tyler.
Chef hates them all. Which comes out, either via tortillas (seriously) or Slowik flat-out saying it.
Then there’s John Leguizamo’s “Movie Star” who made a bad movie that wasted one of Chef Slowik’s only days off with a terrible comedy called “Calling Dr. Sunshine” (hilarious). Slowik wanted a moment of pleasure away from work but was instead assaulted with a terrible film that wasted his time and chance at having a moment of pleasure. So John’s gotta die — he represents an artist who doesn’t care, which chef can’t abide either.
The point of all of these characters/villains (in Slowik’s eyes) is that they’ve taken pleasure from him, and he’s had enough. This is all supported by a staff who’ve seen the same ringer destroy their dreams and pleasure and are ready to burn it all down too. Even the stabbing between Katherine (the female chef who stabs Slowik) and Slowik plays into all pleasure being drained from life via an awkward flirtation and rebuke. Every single turn in the script is about pleasure being destroyed or denied in one way or another. All of these side characters are simple window-dressing for that running theme.
At this point in the story, Margot has realized that calling for help is futile. So she starts to think of how to get out of the final course of this dinner from hell. You see her thinking, her wheel’s turning in her head as the camera inches toward her, and, finally, it hits her. The “I know a fellow service industry worker when I see one”; the “I haven’t desired to cook for someone in ages”; and the image of Slowik truly happy flipping burgers all lock into place.
She’s a service worker, a shit shoveler, so she jumps to work. Serving Slowik.
Margot stands up, claps like Slowik to get everyone’s attention, and tells Slowik the “truth” about his food and that he’s an obsessive. Slowik insists they/he always cooks with “love” and Margot calls his bullshit out. Both Slowik and we, the audience, know this to be untrue because he told Margot (and us) that he lost his love for cooking a long time ago.
Once Slowik is put in his place, Margot pivots to the service part of it all with a cutting, “And the worst part is that I’m still fucking hungry.”
This “wounds” him, truly. Then Margot really starts “servicing” Slowik to bring him pleasure. Not by looking into his eyes while he jerks off and saying she’s his daughter and that she loves him as with the billionaire Leebrand but by looking into his eyes and asking him to feed her and to be a customer that he can nourish with his “love.”
The scene plays out like a mini-play of a john and escort negotiating their terms before the act.
Slowik: “You’re still hungry?”
Margot: “Starved.”
Slowik: “Well, what are you hungry for?”
Margot: “What do you have?”
Slowik: “Everything…”
Margot: “Do you know what I’d really like?”
Slowik: “Tell me…”
Margot: “A cheeseburger.”
The camera moves into a close-up, Ralph Feinnes cracks a crooked smile of desire and says with a raspy, anticipatory voice, “We can do a cheeseburger.” She’s getting him off. Slowik cooks the cheeseburger with ease, because of course. But more importantly, Slowik cooks — something we’ve yet to see him actually do. Something he’s told us/Margot he’s lost the desire for.
Now, the desire is back and he’s loving it. He’s experiencing pleasure. His sense memory is firing (just like Anton Ego!).
Margot acts the scene perfectly by really laying on the fake joy of eating. She even giggles and moans as she eats like she’s watching someone finish in front of her. Look at his face when she says his burger is good.
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He’s happy. He found that moment of pleasure that has eluded him for so long thanks to Margot literally servicing him. This is the face of a happy customer.
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Thanks to the “service” that Margot provided, Slowik lets her go. She is truly a shit shoveler. She’s not a taker. She’s a giver to her core. This earns her her freedom.
From the sex worker’s perspective, the fact that Slowik’s pleasure is via a cheeseburger is nothing more than Margot figuring out Slowik’s kink and letting him get off on it. He flat-out says as much with a sly smirk after she challenges him to make a real, no-bullshit cheeseburger and he says, “I’ll make you feel you’re eating the first cheeseburger you ever ate. The one your parents could barely afford.”
He may as well be a john telling a sex worker he’s actually going to make her climax while she services him. It’s that on the nose.
In the end, though Slowik still kills the patrons (his cooks all commit suicide, as does Tyler — thereby allowing him to be “one of them” in death), this film isn’t a tragedy, really. Margot gets a happy ending by giving Slowik one last moment of pleasure. She plays the role she needed to free her and save her life — a role she was not as willing to play with Tyler earlier in the film because Tyler sucked and we all know it.
She truly became a shit shoveler and she has a damn good burger to enjoy for all her hard work. Also, she’s not dead.
It’s always a trip to hear about bad pitches from the 1980s and ’90s. Ralph Macchio, for example, told us about a Karate Kid/Rocky pitch that he endured, and of course, Arnold Schwarzenegger had a little fun discussing a franchise from the same era. It’s a story that makes it seem like Kyle Reese’s “come with me if you want to live” line could have been seen in a different light once the mid 1990s hit. (Surely, I’m not the only one who would have felt that way.)
This discussion isn’t something that James Cameron appears to relish, however. Back in 2019, Arnold (the former Stallone frenemy) went and told The Independent that “it was actually O.J. Simpson who was the first-cast Terminator.” He continued while declaring that Cameron “felt that he was not as believable for a killing machine,” and that’s when Arnold got the gig. He added, “That’s really what happened.”
Fast forward to Cameron’s continuing Avatar: The Way Of Water tour, and Variety follows up with excerpts from HBO Max’s Who’s Talking To Chris Wallace, and Cameron admits that the pitch came his way, but it was an early one, and he shot it down.
“Very early on, a highly placed person at one of the two studios that funded that film had a brilliant idea and called me up and said, ‘Are you sitting down?’ I said, ‘Well, no, I’m not.’ He said, ‘Are you sitting? O.J. Simpson for the Terminator!’ I said, ‘I actually think that’s a bad idea.’ It didn’t go anywhere.”
So, is that the final word? Let’s hope, although Simpson has been known to weigh in on what he hears, so he may very well do some talking.
The 2023 Coachella lineup has been announced and among some truly historical moments — the lineup features both the first K-pop girl group and Latin music headliners, cementing both genres’ rising prominence in the American pop cultural landscape — one question hangs over everything else: Where are all the rap artists?
To be certain, rap has been a fixture at the festival, even though it started out as a rock-centric event, for the past few years. I’ve written about it a few times, including last year, when the festival returned after a two-year hiatus caused by COVID-19. Coachella added its first rap headliner with Jay-Z in 2010, and since then, Outkast, Eminem, Drake, Dr. Dre with Snoop Dogg, and Outkast have all delivered iconic moments (Travis Scott, billed to perform in 2020, was removed from the 2022 lineup when the event returned in the wake of his disastrous Astroworld Festival in 2021).
In 2022 alone, rap music dominated the lineup, from stars like Doja Cat, Lil Baby, and Megan Thee Stallion in the second line, to up-and-coming acts City Girls, Denzel Curry, JID, and Vince Staples peppered throughout the three biggest stages. This year, hip-hop barely cracked the second line, limited to a handful of big-name acts like A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie (whose name was shortened for space), Pusha T, and hitmaker Metro Boomin. Hip-hop is technically still the most popular genre in the world, so what gives?
However, scratching the surface might actually present one of the more interesting opportunities for some lesser-known names to climb the marquees of other festivals throughout the year and gain the sort of recognition that can see their tour venue caps jump up a level if they play their cards right. For one thing, there are the underground and indie favorites, many of whom Uproxx has covered pretty extensively as they built a buzz just below radar level. Those would be your AG Clubs, IDKs, and Tobe Nwigwes, the artists whose fans won’t shut up about them, even as they have yet to truly gain a toehold on the pop charts.
It looks like Noname is making her return to the Coachella stage after threatening retirement, while Doechii, GloRilla, Flo Milli, and Latto’s presences are making this year’s hip-hop offerings at Coachella something a women’s empowerment forum — something the rap scene sorely needs after the latter half of 2022 devolved into a maelstrom of counterproductive bickering among the top names.
Meanwhile, with producers like Kaytranada and Metro Boomin near the top of the bill, surprises could abound. Metro Boomin is almost certain to bring along the usual assortment of collaborators, the possibilities of which range from Atlanta trap mainstays like 21 Savage and the surviving Migos members to a potential impromptu ASAP Rocky sub-headlining set fueled by their extensive collaboration on Don’t Be Dumb. Kaytranada’s work with everyone from Anderson .Paak to IDK to Phonte Coleman to his own brother Louie Phelps could see him joined on stage by a who’s-who of some of rap’s most respected. Kenny Beats is up there too, opening the doors for Rico Nasty, Zack Fox, and many, many more to shock fans with unannounced cameos.
Even the Gorillaz, whose work has defied categorization for nearly 20 years, has a Rolodex of rappers ranging from the newly liberated De La Soul and other ’90s mainstays like Bootie Brown, Del The Funky Homosapien, Mos Def (aka Yasiin Bey), and Snoop Dogg, to British grime breakouts like Slowthai and Octavian (as well as contemporary faves Danny Brown, Little Simz, Schoolboy Q, Vince Staples, and more). So while the big names in hip-hop might well be taking a break from the desert this year, there will be just as many opportunities for discovery and the possiblity of more surprise appearances that might drop as many fans’ jaws as bars.
There’s just no stopping Latin superstar Bad Bunny. If fans thought they saw a lot of the rapper/singer in 2022, they might want to brace themselves for what’s coming in 2023. After weeks of speculation, it has finally been confirmed that the “Tití Me Preguntó” rapper will headline Coachella this year on Friday, April 14, and Friday, April 21. This makes the musician the first-ever Latin artist to do so.
This year’s festival is set for the weekends of April 14 to 16 and 21 to 23 at Indio, California’s Empire Polo Club. Pre-sale for tickets starts on Friday, January 13, at 11 a.m. PT. For more information about tickets, visit the Coachella website.
Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
History is being made again at Coachella because Blackpink is in the area.
As the highly-anticipated festival released its full lineup today (January 10), the reception is beyond compare as the list of performers contained a diverse amount of acts across the globe. But the most exciting part of it all? Seeing the name “BLACKPINK” as the main headliner for Coachella’s Saturday lineup (April 15 and 22). Having the pioneering K-pop act spearhead one of the three days of Coachella is a win on all counts. In other words, Blackpink will become the first ever K-pop group, let alone Korean act, to headline the festival, as well as the first-ever girl group to do so.
This comes after Blackpink became the first ever K-pop act to be in the Coachella lineup in 2019, three years after their debut in 2016.
Just like Bad Bunny (who is headlining the Friday lineup) and the Latin community, Blackpink’s return to the desert will continue to break barriers for the Korean music industry in hopes to diversify the western and global festival markets more. (Peep DPR Live, DPR Ian, and Jackson Wang on the setlist!) We’ve seen it with J-Hope and TXT at Lollapalooza last summer, as well as Dreamcatcher at Primavera Sound in Spain last June, it’s only a matter of time festivals include more global acts for diversity.
Coachella is set for the weekends of April 14 to 16 and 21 to 23 at Indio, California’s Empire Polo Club. Pre-sale tickets starts on Friday, January 13 at 11 a.m. PT/2 p.m. ET. More information about tickets is available on the Coachella website.
The world said goodbye to Holly Butcher, a 27-year-old woman from Grafton, Australia.
Butcher had been battling Ewing’s sarcoma, a rare bone cancer that predominantly affects young people. In a statement posted on Butcher’s memorialized Facebook account, her brother, Dean, and partner, Luke, confirmed the heartbreaking news to friends.
“It is with great sadness that we announce Holly’s passing in the early hours of this morning,” they wrote on Jan. 4, 2018. “After enduring so much, it was finally time for her to say goodbye to us all. The end was short and peaceful; she looked serene when we kissed her forehead and said our final farewells. As you would expect, Holly prepared a short message for you all, which will be posted above.”
Butcher’s message, which Dean and Luke did, in fact, post publicly shortly thereafter, has brought the internet to tears.
We believe her powerful message — which has amassed an incredible 72,000 Likes and 56,000 shares across the world so far — deserves to be spread far and wide.
Butcher used her final post to reflect on what she’s learned in her short but beautiful life, offering some advice to those of us who are willing to listen.
“It’s a strange thing to [realize] and accept your mortality at 26 years young,” she began. “I always imagined myself growing old, wrinkled and gray — most likely caused by the beautiful family (lots of kiddies) I planned on building with the love of my life. I want that so bad it hurts. That’s the thing about life; It is fragile, precious and unpredictable and each day is a gift, not a given right.”
Butcher’s poignant post is definitely worth reading in full. But here are 16 especially powerful points:
1. “I just want people to stop worrying so much about the small, meaningless stresses in life and try to remember that we all have the same fate after it all, so do what you can to make your time feel worthy and great, minus the bullshit. … Those times you are [whining] about ridiculous things (something I have noticed so much these past few months), just think about someone who is really facing a problem. Be grateful for your minor issue and get over it. It’s OK to acknowledge that something is annoying but try not to carry on about it and negatively affect other people’s days.”
2. “Once you do that, get out there and take a freaking big breath of that fresh Aussie air deep in your lungs, look at how blue the sky is and how green the trees are; It is so beautiful. Think how lucky you are to be able to do just that — breathe. You might have got caught in bad traffic today, or had a bad sleep because your beautiful babies kept you awake, or your hairdresser cut your hair too short. … I swear you will not be thinking of those things when it is your turn to go. It is all SO insignificant when you look at life as a whole. I’m watching my body waste away right before my eyes with nothing I can do about it and all I wish for now is that I could have just one more birthday or Christmas with my family, or just one more day with my partner and dog. Just one more.”
3. “I hear people complaining about how terrible work is or about how hard it is to exercise — be grateful you are physically able to. Work and exercise may seem like such trivial things…until your body doesn’t allow you to do either of them… Appreciate your good health and functioning body — even if it isn’t your ideal size. Look after it and embrace how amazing it is.”
4. “Give, give, give. It is true that you gain more happiness doing things for others than doing them for yourself. I wish I did this more. Since I have been sick, I have met the most incredibly giving and kind people and been the receiver of the most thoughtful and loving words and support from my family, friends and strangers; more than I could ever give in return. I will never forget this and will be forever grateful to all of these people.”
5. “This year, our family agreed to do no presents and despite the tree looking rather sad and empty (I nearly cracked Christmas Eve!), it was so nice because people didn’t have the pressure of shopping and the effort went into writing a nice card for each other. Plus, imagine my family trying to buy me a present knowing they would probably end up with it themselves … strange! … but those cards mean more to me than any impulse purchase could. … Anyway, moral of the story — presents are not needed for a meaningful Christmas.”
6. “Use your money on experiences … or at least don’t miss out on experiences because you spent all your money on material shit. Put in the effort to do that day trip to the beach you keep putting off. Dip your feet in the water and dig your toes in the sand. Wet your face with salt water.”
7. “Try just enjoying and being in moments rather than capturing them through the screen of your phone. Life isn’t meant to be lived through a screen nor is it about getting the perfect photo.”
8. “Listen to music … really listen. Music is therapy.”
9. “Cuddle your dog. Far out, I will miss that.”
10. “Talk to your friends. Put down your phone. Are they doing OK?”
11. “Travel if it’s your desire, don’t if it’s not.”
12. “Work to live, don’t live to work.”
13. “Seriously, do what makes your heart feel happy.”
14. “Don’t feel pressured to do what other people might think is a fulfilling life. You might want a mediocre life and that is so OK.”
15. “Tell your loved ones you love them every time you get the chance and love them with everything you have.”
16. “Oh and one last thing. If you can, do a good deed for humanity (and myself) and start regularly donating blood. It will make you feel good with the added bonus of saving lives. Blood donation (more bags than I could keep up with counting) helped keep me alive for an extra year — a year I will be forever grateful that I got to spend here on Earth with my family, friends and dog. A year I had some of the greatest times of my life.”
Butcher may be gone, but her impact will live on in the hearts and minds of people around the world.
“Never [met] her, but I am very touched and in tears,” one Facebook user commented. “Such a bright light for a seemingly dark world at times,” another chimed in. “Beautiful.”
“What a wise soul she is,” someone concluded. “I’m off to donate my blood.”
Rest in peace, Holly. You made this world a better place. ❤️
Thanks to Republicans’ inability to elect a Speaker of the House for four whole days, C-SPAN had unfettered access to the proceedings. As the drawn out process reached a boiling point, the cameras caught a particularly wild moment where Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz almost got his clock cleaned by Alabama Rep. Mike Rogers. Gaetz had personally torpedoed the 14th round of voting for Kevin McCarthy, and Rogers had to be physically restrained in the aftermath.
With McCarthy now installed as Speaker, the cameras are now back to their usual government regulated positions, and surprisingly, Gaetz is pushing back. According to the Florida congressman, his constituents loved seeing the real-time fracas (which, again, almost led to him being throttled) and who is he to deny giving the people what they want? In response, Gaetz has pushed an amendment that would restore C-SPAN access to all of their Speaker of the House glory.
“I’ve received a lot of feedback from constituents about how interesting it was, and that you were able to see in real time how our government is functioning, what alliances are being created, what discussions are being had, what animated moments drive the action,” Gaetz told Fox News Digital in an interview. “And the pool view of the Congress is antiquated and a little boomer-fied.”
Of course, this latest move can also be seen as another attention-seeking move by Gaetz who has been making headlines due to his surprising ability to hold the Speaker of the House vote hostage with just a small handful of GOP members of Congress. Not to mention, he seems to be keen on trolling his own party instead of legislating, so turning the House into Bum Fights: Capitol Edition is on-brand for Gaetz right now.
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