Month: January 2023

Kaleidoscope is a pretty cool idea on paper. You’ve got a heist show fronted by Giancarlo Esposito. He’s doing one last job and he’s putting together a team. He’s got guys who can get things and guys who crack safes and guys who drive. There are FBI agents with grudges and mushrooms being grown in prisons and lots of people in wigs and sunglasses and trenchcoats and, again, really just everything you could ask for out of a heist show. On paper.

It’s also got a gimmick that seems kind of interesting, where you can watch every episode except the last one in any order you want, kind of like a game of Choose Your Own Adventure with television, with the theory being that your experience of the show can change depending on the order you consume it. One character’s motivations might play out differently if you watch things one way, another backstory might hold more weight if you have a different set of facts in place when you uncover it, and so on. The only rule in the first season is that you watch the final episode — the actual heist — last, because, in theory, you’ll have all the information you need by then, however you went about acquiring it.

This is also really cool on paper. We can and should screw around with the form of these things sometimes. We have a slew of new and different delivery systems for television shows now — weekly shows on television, binge releases online, weekly releases online, these hybrid “three at once then once a week things” that sneak in there, the thing where sometimes Steven Soderbergh or whoever will be like “I shot 10 12-minutes episodes on a flip phone and you need to solve a Rubik’s Cube to watch them” — and it’s fun to explore the boundaries of that space a little. Get weird. Have fun. Break stuff a little and see if you can put it back together. I support all of this.

The trick when you’re doing this, though, is that it has to… work. The thing you’re doing has to be worth the gimmick. I don’t think Kaleidoscope got there, at least not for me. I think it could have worked. I think if it had been presented in a linear fashion — or at least semi-linear with flashbacks and a little structured timeline-hopping — I could have ended up digging it, the way I’m inclined to dig almost any heist-adjacent television series or movie. I watched multiple seasons of Leverage on TNT about a decade ago. It was fine. It was fine! I promise my complaints here are not about me being a snob. Kaleidoscope could have just been a basic cable Giancarlo Esposito heist show and I would have been a happy man.

The gimmick kind of took away from it all, though. Part of it was the thing where I tried to figure out the best order to watch it before I started and part of it was the thing where it was all just good enough to enjoy once through but not mind-melting enough to merit multiple rewatches in different orders to see how things changed as you presented the story differently. It felt like a show that is designed to be Googled more than enjoyed, which is maybe what some people are looking for in the meteorological goo of January, but not something that appealed to me in the moment. I came away from it thinking that it didn’t matter at all what order I watched the episodes in, and not in the fun puzzle-box way I think they intended.

But again — and I promise I do not intend this as a snide little pat on the head — good for them for trying something. Trying things is good! If we never tried anything then every show on television would be a workplace sitcom with a laugh track or a police procedural about a loose-cannon detective solving murders at the beach. (Which, to be clear, are also fine!) Trying stuff is how we got the whole Peak TV revolution, with The Sopranos and Community and a slew of other shows that were deeply weird and original and tilted the whole world of television about 40 degrees to the side. I still don’t think we’ve all fully processed that three of the best shows in history aired on AMC, a network that was previously best known for running Tombstone on weekday afternoons.

There’s something to be said for screwing with the form, too, as I alluded to upfront. The CYOA of Kaleidoscope didn’t work for me because it didn’t hook me enough to make me explore the alternatives, but something like The Afterparty did work for me. A lot. Did you watch The Afterparty? God, that was a fun show. A murder mystery comedy that structured each episode from a different character’s perspective and presented them all as entirely different genres of storytelling. There was a rom-com episode and an action movie episode and a psychological thriller and so on. Motivations changed, facts changed, and things revealed themselves in different manners… it pretty much did what Kaleidoscope set out to do, but it guided the viewer through things in a designed order. Also, there was one scene where two characters had an intense showdown at a urinal to see who could pee longest. This, to me, is television.

What are our takeaways from all of this? There are a few, as far as I can tell. The first one is that, if we’re going to have a zillion outlets for television shows that we can watch on screens of varying sizes, it’s nice to take a big swing on stuff here and there, just to see if something connects. It won’t all the time, or even most of the time, but I’d rather we do that than bury ourselves in cookie-cutter content from now until the sun swallows the Earth. The second one is that, if you’re going to structure your whole thing around a gimmicky premise, you really need to go ahead and make it all worth it because, like, while a show like Burn Notice is nice every now and then, the thing that’s nice about it is not having to do a bunch of research before, during, and after each episode. The juice has to be worth the squeeze or else what are any of us doing, you know?

And the third thing, which is probably the most important in all of this, is that we should probably make more shows where Giancarlo Esposito puts together a team to steal something. Or many things. For all my quibbles with Kaleidoscope and my hopes that it could have been more, that part was still pretty cool. Let Giancarlo steal things. Chronologically. Get Pierce Brosnan and maybe Ludacris in there, too. Again, there are no rules here. Give them lasers or something. Let’s keep throwing stuff against the wall to see what sticks.

If there’s a group who knows how to be more extra in an already extra situation, it’s SEVENTEEN. If we want to get more specific, it’s SEVENTEEN’s sub-unit, BSS, or BooSeokSoon.

Known as SEVENTEEN’s gag trio who tends to always bring in the laughs and good times amongst the 13-member K-pop ensemble, members Seungkwan, DK, and Hoshi are set to reunite for a single-album after five years.

The news comes after the group’s social media accounts uploaded a teaser image yesterday (January 8) featuring a track and field with text that reads “Ladies and gentlemen, they call us BSS.” Rather than using an image containing a red carpet to announce the cordial comeback, the trio takes the humorous route.

The self-titled singe-album is set to release next month on February 6 and will mark the sub-unit’s first single-album ever.

Five years ago, Seungkwan, DK, and Hoshi released their first pop rock single “Just Do it” as BSS. According to the description under YouTube channel 1theK, who housed the music video, BSS is best described as “the bubbly energy of three guys with unexpected charms who target your heart without hesitation.”

Though no further information in regards to more teasers and track list have been provided, Carats (SEVENTEEN’s official fan club name) have flooded social media platforms to share their excitement for BSS’ return.

If you’re still brainstorming resolutions for the new year, may we suggest adding “Watch More TV” to the list? Why? Because 2023’s streaming and network line-up is filled with some must-see originals and returning award-winners that just can’t be missed. (Well, obviously, you can miss them. No one’s tying you to a chair, peeling your eyes open with some Scotch tape, and forcing you to watch these shows. But if you don’t, what will you talk about with your friends and family this year?)

Our team of critics voted on the most anticipated series dropping throughout 2023 — from Marvel follow-ups to Rian Johnson weekly whodunnits, prestige crime dramas, and a long-awaited video game adaptation that just might be HBO’s next Game of Thrones. Here’s what to keep on your streaming radar this year.

Honorable mentions/others receiving votes: BMF, Bridgerton, Bel-Air, Hello Tomorrow!, Buffalo

8. (tie) Loki

In a time when films and shows only get more exhausting and increasingly similar, Loki, which premiered its first season in 2021, was fresh and singular. The series feels more like Mad Men with time cops than a Marvel Cinematic Universe project. Even with a buoyant but well-played cameo from Jonathan Majors as the supervillain Kang, the show is grounded: a television show rather than filler in between movies. Tom Hiddleston has chemistry with everyone who breathes the same air as him and over a decade into playing Loki, manages to add new layers to the mischief god, proving his journey is far from over even though the character has, technically, been dead for years. In season two, we can expect Loki (and all the other Lokis) to get even more emotional. Hopefully, Alligator Loki will return. — Carrie Wittmer

8. (tie) Futurama

Futurama is going for a record that even The Simpsons, the longest-running primetime scripted show in the U.S. ever (among many other longevity achievements), won’t break: the TV show with the most series finales. Futurama has been brought back from cryogenic freeze yet again — not that we mind, especially since John DiMaggio is back as the voice of Bender. There are still plenty of stories left to tell in the year 3000-something. — Josh Kurp

8. (tie) Power Book II: Ghost

Power Book II: Ghost, the first of three spins-off in the Power universe, is probably the most beloved series out of the three. For some, it’s because of the nostalgia that it has for the original Power series. For others, Tariq’s growth as a character to despise to a character to root for has been a rollercoaster journey that keeps us wanting more. Then there’s the rest who really enjoy watching Method Man and Mary J. Blige in their roles. Regardless of what keeps you coming back for more, the third season of Power Book II: Ghost is set to take all of that and more to greater heights. New drug operations, new enemies, new obstacles, new (and old) relationships, and more all while running from the past are just the start of what we’ll see for season three of Power Book II: Ghost. — Wongo Okon

7. (tie) Snowfall

This is it for Snowfall. The show is entering its sixth and final season with plenty of unanswered questions. Is Alton alive? If not, did Teddy kill him? What repercussions, if any, will there be for Franklin’s epic revenge spree against Jerome and Louie? That’s just the half of it, but what we do know is that season six will be a war on many fronts. Franklin will continue his search and fight against Teddy, presumably all while fending off Jerome, Louie, the feds, and anyone else who looks to take him down. There’s Cissy’s intel who will surely throw a wrench in Franklin’s plans for the future and much more. For its final season, Snowfall will hopefully answer one question above all others: Does Franklin Saint walk out on top, or do the powers that be knock him off his throne? — Wongo Okon

7. (tie) Mrs. Davis

Before we get started here, let’s remember that few people found the idea of a Watchmen TV series to be necessary, even from a showrunner and writer of Damon Lindelof’s caliber, and even after he made a lot of Lost finale detractors shush by delivering The Leftovers. Yet with HBO’s Watchmen, he not only blew the Zack Snyder movie out of the water but also (arguably) the Alan Moore graphic novel, too. That show ended up being a masterpiece that recontextualized the source material, informed millions about the Tulsa Race Massacre, and added a Lube Man, who somehow made more sense than anyone would have believed from his description alone.

What I’m saying is this: Lindelof can make anything work if he sees a project worthy of exploring. So even if you aren’t immediately excited about the idea of a nun who fights a possibly demonic Algorithm, then hang tight and give this one a shot. Lindelof co-writes this upcoming Peacock drama series (showrunning duties go to Tara Hernandez of The Big Bang Theory), so you know that he’s going to give us an intricately layered ditty that includes an exploration of humanity and lack thereof. There will be much more on tap beyond the bare-bones description is what I’m saying, and I look forward to the unspooling of the Lindelof web. The fierce nun is portrayed by Betty Gilpin (so good at going ridiculously hard as Liberty Belle in GLOW), who we already know can be both ferocious and funny (when the moment is right), so we are in for a treat. — Kimberly Ricci

6. White House Plumbers

David Mandel, executive producer and showrunner of Veep, directing an HBO series about Watergate goons E. Howard Hunt and G. Gordon Liddy, who will be played by Woody Harrelson and Justin Theroux. Yes, this will work. That’s all you really need to know to start getting excited. There’s more, though, if you want it, like the thing where the rest of the cast features Domhnall Gleason and Kiernan Shipka and Kathleen Turner and freaking Judy Greer. Watch this show. It looks fun. And it kind of counts as education because it’s about an important historical event. Blammo. Two birds with one stone. — Brian Grubb

5. Poker Face

What we have here is Natasha Lyonne starring in a television series from Rian Johnson where her character solves a new mystery each episode, kind of like we all finally decided to up and recreate Columbo in 2023 and put the star of Russian Doll and the creator of Knives Out in charge of the whole thing. That sentence was probably too long and maybe not grammatically perfect but it is still one of the best collections of words you are going to see. Good for them. Good for everyone involved in making this happen. But good for us, mostly, because we’re the ones who get to watch it. — Brian Grubb

4. The Last of Us

It seems like every week, there’s a new TV show based on a video game. Some are good, the majority are bad, but few are based on one of the most acclaimed video game series of all time. The Last of Us is HBO’s first attempt at turning a video game into prestige TV; the zombie series is overseen by Craig Mazin, the Emmy winner behind Chernobyl, and Neil Druckmann, who created the source material. The ensemble is led by Pedro Pascal, who plays Joel, and Bella Ramsey, who was cast as Ellie, as well as Nick Offerman, Gabriel Luna, Melanie Lynskey, and Murray Bartlett. The Last of Us has all the makings of a Game of Thrones-sized hit, as long as viewers can stomach looking at Clickers every week. — Josh Kurp

3. (tie) Barry

The brilliance of Barry’s third season isn’t, merely, in the slow destruction of its main character’s sloppily constructed alternate life, it’s in the way it splintered its primary supporting characters from main while still cementing them as some of TVs most compelling. We know where Barry is going to be situated (though how he reacts to that will be incredibly interesting), but what of Sally now that she’s left LA? Gene now that he’s reformed his reputation and exacted revenge? Hank now that he’s gone full commando in the name of love? We’ve said it many times, Barry writers seemingly love writing themselves into a corner, but it seems like they’ve got multiple escape routes mapped out going into this pivotal fourth season. — Jason Tabrys

3. (tie) Justified: City Primeval

When Timothy Olyphant reads a script featuring a marshal with a weird name who wears a hat, it’s an automatic yes. The actor leaves Tatooine and returns to the United States for his most iconic role (sorry Cobb Vanth) as U.S. marshal Raylan Givens in Justified: City Primeval. FX’s Justified, which ran from 2010-2015, is an underrated gem, combining serialized storytelling with procedural elements. In this continuation of Raylan’s story inspired by Elmore Leonard’s novel “City Primeval: High Too in Detroit,” Raylan and his cowboy hat find themselves in Detroit, pursuing a criminal known as The Oklahoma Wildman. There is still no indication that Walton Goggins will return as Boyd Crowder, but I will wait patiently (that’s a lie I am very impatient about this). — Carrie Wittmer

2. Yellowjackets

In 2021, Showtime gave fans an unexpected treat, a survivalist drama of the Lindelof-ian tradition that blended 90s nostalgia, teenage angst, occult symbolism, fake book clubs, and just a hint of cannibalism. With some stroke-of-genius casting, a riveting central mystery, and a weekly release schedule that kept fans salivating over hidden clues, Yellowjackets became more than just a breakout hit, it turned into a damned pop culture phenomenon. In season two, the series dives even deeper into its own mythology, promising answers to some confounding questions – Who is the Antler Queen? What happened to Javi? Who kidnapped Natalie? Where is Shauna’s baby? – while threatening to pose even more maddening ones in the process. Get ready Citizen Detectives, because Yellowjackets is about to take over your lives again. — Jessica Toomer

1. Succession

TV’s most satisfying watch just keeps getting better and more daring, closing last season with such flair that it might render you speechless for the artistry of its final knife twists and its masterful performances. An empowered Tom, a soulless Greg, entitled adult nepo babies in a state of collapse, and the hubris of Logan Roy, cutting off their wings and continuing to act like he’s going to huff and puff forever. The clamor for the shifting allegiances, fresh power plays, and delicious revenge is off the charts. The most exciting question posed by the coming season is how can they possibly top themselves. — Jason Tabrys

RBD member Maite Perroni is pregnant! The Mexican singer and actress revealed the news in a sweet way on Día De Los Reyes Magos (January 6).

Ahead of RBD’s reunion later this month, Perroni revealed in a post on Instagram that she is expecting a baby with her husband Andrés Tovar. She made the announcement on Día De Los Reyes Magos, or Three Kings Day. It’s traditional for Mexican families in Mexico and the US to celebrate the holiday with a rosca that has a small baby Jesus figurine hidden inside. Instead of finding the figurine, Maite cut into her rosca and found a note that said, “Now we’re 3.”

The video also included a scene of Perroni’s fireplace with three stocking hangings. The third stocking included a message that said, “Andrés and Maite left their letter under the tree and their greatest wish came true: they are going to be a mom and dad!”

In the comments of the post, Perroni’s RBD bandmates showered her with words of love and support. “Baby, we are waiting for you with all the love in the world, your aunts and uncles,” Anahí wrote. “We will love you from the first second and I will always be here for you.” Dulce María added, “Ay ay ay congratulations!! How exciting!” Christopher von Uckermann commented, “What a beautiful video.” After leaving multiple heart emojis on Perroni’s post, Christian Chávez wrote, “I ran out of emojis.”

RBD’s reunion will be taking place on January 19. The only original member who opted out of the reunion was Alfonso “Poncho” Herrera, who is focusing on his acting career.

Despite being convicted of helping Jeffrey Epstein traffic and abuse underage girls, Ghislaine Maxwell is reportedly attempting to rebrand herself as a feminist role model while serving time in a Florida prison. The Epstein sidekick has taken it upon herself to teach an etiquette class and lessons on (we hope you’re sitting down for this one) “female empowerment.” Keep in mind, Maxwell is currently serving a 20-year sentence for exploiting young girls at the behest of the uber-wealthy Epstein, but one might argue that she has experience in… how not to get targeted by people like her?

In case this situation wasn’t weird enough, the Daily Mail reports the class is a hit:

It’s proven so popular that the notorious madam is hosting classes in both English and Spanish with the help of a Colombian inmate acting as a translator for the prison’s sizable Hispanic population.

‘It’s less about balancing books on heads and being ladylike, and more about having confidence in yourself – how to behave and talk in a professional manner, the secrets of success in the corporate world, that sort of thing,’ dished an insider.

According to the insider, Maxwell has thrown herself into teaching the course, which has already been approved for a second round.

“Miss Maxwell’s message is, so what if you’re a woman and a convicted felon, you’re not a second class citizen,” the insider told the Daily Mail. “She’s an unlikely role model but she’s very passionate about this.”

(Via Daily Mail)

The Green Bay Packers were eliminated from the playoffs on Sunday night by the Detroit Lions, as Detroit’s 20-16 win ensured neither NFC North squad would be heading to the postseason after Seattle’s win earlier in the day.

It was a tight game throughout, with the Lions emerging on top thanks to a late touchdown drive that got some assistance towards the end by one of the most bizarre unsportsmanlike conduct penalties of the season. After D’Andre Swift got clobbered at the 10 yard line, the Lions training staff trotted out on the field to tend to the running back. As a third member of the staff got to him, Packers rookie Quay Walker was standing over Swift and the trainer had to push past him to get in to check on him. Walker then gave the trainer a two-handed shove in the back, earning a 15-yard penalty and an ejection that had everyone, from Packers coach Matt LaFleur to the NBC booth stunned at what they’d seen.

That penalty pushed the Lions down to the five yard line for first-and-goal, and they would eventually punch it in for the game-winning score as Walker had to leave the field. On Monday morning, Walker took to Twitter to own up to what was a low moment for him and apologize to the Lions training staff, his team, and Packers fans for his costly penalty.

Walker was seen distraught in the tunnel as he left the field and he also explained that it wasn’t anger at the call, but anger with himself over making a dumb decision and costing himself a chance to have a role in the outcome of the game.

It’s clear that Walker feels awful about what happened and seems well aware of how stupid that push was. He’s an incredibly talented young player and hopefully he’ll have plenty of chances to erase this as the standout memory of his Packers tenure thus far. He also hopefully won’t be scapegoated as the reason the Packers lost that game, as there were plenty of mistakes made by the team, including a couple bad interceptions thrown by Aaron Rodgers, that played just as large a role in falling short of the playoffs.

Three weeks after being found guilty of assault in the shooting of Megan Thee Stallion (as well as two other charges) and facing up to 20 years in prison, Tory Lanez has reportedly tapped a new defense lawyer for his upcoming appeal. According to Meghann Cuniff (aka “Meghann Thee Reporter,” as fans dubbed her for her coverage during the trial), Lanez traded in George Mgdesyan for David Kenner, who previously represented Death Row co-founder Suge Knight and Snoop Dogg.

“Regarding Tory Lanez’s Tuesday court date, yes, there is a date listed on the jail roster,” Cuniff wrote on Twitter. “It’s not on Judge Herriford’s calendar, and he’s got a bunch of other stuff at the time. Attorney David Kenner confirmed to me last week he’s now representing Tory.” In a follow-up tweet, she noted that while Kenner is an experienced defender, “he’s joining the case a bit late: Before trial would have been better.”

She was careful to point out that “everything we’re discussing here is standard and expected post-conviction litigation – asking judge to reduce to misdemeanors, requesting new trial based on perceived issues with evidence/witnesses – but David Kenner only recently got on the case. Give it time.” She also confirmed that Tory’s January 10 hearing is to formalize the switch to Kenner.

What Cuniff didn’t point out (but hinted at) is that Mgdesyan turned out to be a bit of a disaster for Tory’s defense. A witness called to help clear Tory of firing the shots that wounded Megan Thee Stallion (or at least cast doubt as to whether Tory or Kelsey Harris, Megan’s friend who was with them at the time, did so) all but confirmed that the “smaller guy” both held and fired the gun — enough to establish the assault charge and related negligent discharge of a firearm count. Tory was convicted on all three charges (including possession of a firearm in a motor vehicle).

And while his supporters, including his father, who blamed the whole thing on Jay-Z for some reason, think Tory was railroaded, in truth, when his own defense lawyer pretty much sealed his fate, it’s hard to argue that anyone is to blame than Tory — whether for shooting at Megan in the first place or for not vetting his representation more thoroughly before the trial.

Megan Thee Stallion is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

Over the weekend, The Weeknd commemorated one year of Dawn FM with a video for “Is There Someone Else?.” Coupled with the video’s release was this tweet: “I wonder… Did you know you’re experiencing a new trilogy?” Before we walk with The Weeknd into an enticing future, there’s reason to revisit his past.

Billboard revealed its newest Hot 100 chart (dated January 14) today, January 9. It’s unsurprisingly that Taylor Swift’s “Anti-Hero” has returned to No. 1 for a seventh total week after debuting there in late October, but it is surprising to see The Weeknd’s 2016 Starboy hit “Die For You” at No. 8 — which is now his 16th top-10 single on the chart.

“The Weeknd’s ‘Die for You’ vaults 26 to 8 on the Hot 100, led by 67.3 million in airplay audience (up 3%) and 9.9 million streams (up 10%),” the publication additionally relayed. “The song hits the Hot 100’s top 10 over six years after its original release on The Weeknd’s album Starboy, sparked by interaction on TikTok (which does not presently contribute to Billboard‘s charts). That buzz helped lead to the song’s airplay promotion and prominence, as the track holds at its No. 4 Radio Songs high.”

The Weeknd owns six career No. 1 Hot 100 singles, including the record-breaking “Blinding Lights” and “Starboy” (the latter featuring Daft Punk). Fellow Starboy track “I Feel It Coming” (also featuring Daft Punk) peaked at No. 4 on the chart.

“Die For You” isn’t the only The Weeknd song in this week’s Hot 100 top 10, either. His collaborative track “Creepin’” with Metro Boomin and 21 Savage, off of Metro Boomin’s December No. 1 album Heroes & Villains, sits at No. 6. It peaked at No. 5 last month.

There’s no denying that Hugh Jackman gets absolutely jacked whenever it’s time for him to strap on the claws for Wolverine, the role that literally made him a star. You can see it right on the screen that the guy gets super ripped, and his upcoming appearance in Deadpool 3 will be no exception. However, as much as Jackman loves playing the rage-filled mutant, he doesn’t love the part enough to risk using steroids to muscle up for the role.

While talking to CNN’s Chris Wallace, Jackman made it clear that he gets bulked up the natural way so that everything remains, um, intact. Via Entertainment Weekly:

“No,” Jackman said when asked about steroid use on Sunday’s episode of Who’s Talking to Chris Wallace. “I love my job, and I love Wolverine. I got to be careful what I say here, but I had been told anecdotally what the side effects are of that. And I was like, ‘I don’t love it that much.’ So no, I just did it the old school way.”

Unfortunately, Jackman’s workout plan does involve eating an unholy amount of chicken. “I’m so sorry to all the vegans and vegetarians and to the chickens of the world,” Jackman said. “Literally the karma is not good for me. If the deity has anything related to chickens, I’m in trouble.”

According to Jackman, he’s got six months to get ripped for Deadpool 3, and eating mountains of chicken aside, he’s excited to return to the character after seemingly ending his run with the critically acclaimed Logan.

“There’s also a dynamic that I’ve never really got to do before as Wolverine and I just thought this is gonna be fun, something I’ve never done before,” Jackman told Wallace. “And I can’t wait.”

(Via Entertainment Weekly)

On the first Billboard Hot 100 chart of 2023, Mariah Carey’s “All I Want For Christmas Is You” was still the No. 1 song in the country. Now, though, we have some clear distance from the holiday season, as it’s been over a week since New Year’s Eve/Day. Sure enough, the Christmas songs have left the charts and things are starting to look less festive: On the new chart dated January 14, Taylor Swift’s “Anti-Hero” returns to the top spot for the seventh total week.

The song, which rose from No. 8 on last week’s rank, is now tied for the longest-running No. 1 of Swift’s career, as “Blank Space” also racked up seven total weeks at No. 1, in 2014 and 2015.

Elsewhere in the top 10, Sam Smith and Kim Petras’ former leader “Unholy” is back up to No. 2, while SZA’s “Kill Bill” has returned to its previously achieved peak at No. 3. Also notable is David Guetta and Bebe Rexha’s “I’m Good (Blue)” reaching a new high at No. 4 (its first time in the top 5), as well as The Weeknd’s 2016 Starboy cut “Die For You” climbing to No. 8, hitting the top 10 for the first time over six years after its initial release.

As for Carey, “Christmas” has fallen off the Hot 100 entirely this week. It’s the only song to ever go from No. 1 to off the chart completely and it’s now done so three times (previously doing so after the 2019 and 2021 holiday seasons).