A common criticism gun rights activists levy toward gun legislation advocates is that many people who push for stricter gun laws don’t know a lot about guns themselves. That’s not wholly accurate—there are plenty of gun enthusiasts who support reasonable gun laws—but it’s true that many people who are horrified by our nation’s gun culture are not well-versed on the specifications of our nation’s 393 million guns.
Not every American is an active part of American “gun culture.” Some of us have never shot a firearm, for fun or otherwise. Some of us really are ignorant about guns themselves.
That can’t be said for anyone in the military, however. And it definitely can’t be said for a former Major General of the U.S. Army.
That’s why an explanation of the difference between an AR-15 and military-style firearms from retired Major General Paul Eaton has gone viral. Major General Eaton was the commander in charge of training Iraqi soldiers during Operation Iraqi Freedom, so he definitely knows what he’s talking about when it comes to weaponry.
He wrote:
“As the former Commanding General of the Infantry Center at Fort Benning and Chief of Infantry, I know a bit about weapons. Let me state unequivocally — For all intents and purposes, the AR-15 and rifles like it are weapons of war. A thread:
u201cThose opposed to assault weapon bans continue to play games with AR-15 semantics, pretending thereu2019s some meaningful differences between it and the M4 carbine that the military carries. There really arenu2019t. 2/u201d
— Major General (ret) Paul Eaton (@Major General (ret) Paul Eaton) 1654209731
Those opposed to assault weapon bans continue to play games with AR-15 semantics, pretending there’s some meaningful differences between it and the M4 carbine that the military carries. There really aren’t.
The military began a transition from the M16 to the M4, an improved M16, some years ago. The AR-15 is essentially the civilian version of the M16. The M4 is really close to the M16, and the AR-15.
So what’s the difference between the military’s M4 and the original AR-15? Barrel length and the ability to shoot three round bursts. M4s can shoot in three round bursts. AR-15s can only shoot a single shot.
But even now, you can buy AR-15s in variable barrel lengths with Weaver or Picatinny rails for better sights and aiming assists like lasers. Like the military, but w/o the bayonet.
But our troops usually use single shot, not burst fire. You’re able to fire a much more accurate (deadly) shot, that way. Note: you can buy our Advanced Combat Optical Gunsight on Amazon. So troops usually select the same fire option available on AR-15.
That is why the AR-15 is ACCURATELY CALLED a ‘weapon of war.’ It is a very deadly weapon with the same basic functionality that our troops use to kill the enemy. Don’t take the bait when anti-gun-safety folks argue about it. They know it’s true. Now you do too.”
Eaton is not the only former military leader who has spoken out in support of gun legislation. In 2019, a group of 13 influential retired military leaders wrote a letter to Congress, pushing it to pass the Bipartisan Background Check Act.
“Each of us has, at some point in our lives, made the choice to risk our lives for our fellow citizens and place ourselves in harm’s way,” they wrote. “We were trained, we were coached, and we were prepared for the dangers that we chose to face. This is not the case for most Americans, yet they continue to face danger on the sidewalk, in their homes, at school, and at work. It is in the same spirit that led us to serve in the armed forces that we ask you, our elected leaders, to help protect the American people from gun violence here at home. We urge you to support this legislation.”
Police leaders have also voiced strong support for gun legislation, which makes sense considering how much harder and more dangerous our free-for-all gun culture makes their jobs. The International Association of Chiefs of Police, the largest professional association of police leaders in the world, has a position paper that outlines the gun safety laws it supports, including firearm offender registration, waiting periods, closing the gun show loophole, banning semiautomatic assault weapons, armor-piercing ammunition, bulletproof body armor and more. The IACP states that these are “common sense policies that would assist in reducing gun violence, while upholding the second amendment.”
Yep, the largest police leader association supports banning semiautomatic assault weapons like the AR-15. Here’s what it has to say about that:
“First passed in 1994, the assault weapons ban required domestic gun manufacturers to stop production of semi-automatic assault weapons and ammunition magazines holding more than ten rounds except for military or police use. While the ban was in place, it was remarkably effective in reducing the number of crimes involving assault weapons. In the period of the ban, (1994-2004) the proportion of assault weapons traced to crimes fell by a dramatic 66 percent.”
If those who oppose gun legislation don’t want to listen to people who don’t know enough about guns to speak authoritatively on them, that’s fine. Perhaps they should listen to these military and police leaders who not only know guns inside and out, but who also have the firsthand experience on both sides of the barrel to speak authoritatively on what can help minimize America’s gun violence.
When was the last time you thought about Tucker Carlson? It’s probably been awhile since he’s no longer spewing his wild conspiracy theories every night on Fox News. It seems the public at large has also forgotten about Carlson, based on the number of copies a biography about him sold.
According to Publisher’s Weekly, Tucker by Chadwick Moore sold a measly 3,227 hardcover copies in its first week of release. That puts it outside the 500 best-selling books on Amazon (it’s currently #614). Tucker isn’t even #1 among Television Performer Biographies; it’s trailing behind books from Trevor Noah, Jennette McCurdy, and Matthew Perry, all of which have been out for awhile.
Striking passages include Carlson denying being racist but saying to be so is not a crime, and the host’s defense of using the word “c*nt”, a preference which came up in the Dominion case regarding a description of Sidney Powell, a lawyer advising Trump about supposed electoral fraud. In Moore’s biography, Carlson says the abusive term is “one of my favorite words … super naughty, but it’s to the point.”
I can think of two reasons why Tucker isn’t selling: Tucker Carlson saying the word “naughty.” And this cover:
Victoria Monét’s long-awaited album Jaguar II is mere weeks from its scheduled release date. In just hours, the singer’s supporting The Jaguar Tour sold out across the country, and her stylish new video for the single “On My Mama” showed why fans were eager to grab their tickets. When the record was first shared in June, users online gushed over how she sampled Chalie Boy’s 2008 southern classic “I Look Good.”
So, in the video, Victoria was sure to feature a surprise cameo from the musician, her mother, and her sweet toddler daughter. But that is just the tip of the iceberg regarding what’s honored in the visual. There’s no part of the visual that doesn’t pay homage to Black Southern culture and entertainers. From the oversized white tees, Girbauds jeans, loose durags, letterman jackets, grills, and more, Victoria honors several fashion trends birthed in the South.
That intense attention to detail shows up in the downright excellent choreography cooked up by Sean Bankhead as the pair found a way to incorporate the nostalgic 2000s dance crazes the heel-toe, chicken head, walk it out, crank dat, swag surf, and more without being overly cheesy. Everyday Southern culture is also in the video, including tricked-out rides, Black D9 fraternities, and sororities syncretize strolls (line dances) originated at historically Black colleges and universities, and more.
During an interview with the BBC, the music discussed what motivated her to write the track, saying, “It was the first song I wrote after giving birth that I liked. And that I felt affirmed me and my identity as a beautiful woman. Still valuable. Still worthy.” But, honestly, speaking thanks to the video “On My Mama” has propelled far behind Victoria’s initial self-serving needs.
Watch the video for “On My Mama” above.
Jaguar II is out 8/25 via Lovett Music/RCA Records. Find more information here.
Vladimir Putin must be so upset about the lack of respect coming his way. No longer is he a Russian “superman.” He’s also been driven to flip out on those who resist his massive drafts. People make fun of his shirtless photos and his pickle hideout, sometimes not in that order. It’s not good.
This week, Putin found another wartime low when the Russian ruble stumbled in relation to the U.S. dollar. Much of this, no doubt, is delayed fallout from Western sanctions over Putin’s war atrocities. Yet the ruble being “worth less than one cent” is quite a kick in the Kremlin’s cajones. Now, a hacker is having some fun by modifying a Russian news ticker (from SIA-Press) atop a building, as detailed in a clip tweeted by the Financial Times‘ Max Seddon, who provided the following insight:
As the ruble plummets below 100/$ today, Russian officials are saying there’s nothing to worry about.
But not everyone is convinced: in Surgut, a Siberian oil town, someone hacked this news ticker to say “Putin is a d*ckhead and a thief. 100₽/$ – you’ve lost your f*cking mind”
Business Insider passes on word from indie Russia outlet The Insider (not affiliated with each other), which quotes SIA-Press founder Taras Samborsky:
“The evidence that this is a planned provocation comes not only from the video recording made by an outside observer, but also from the timing of the hack: today, August 13, coincided with a summer festival happening in the heart of Surgut. The attackers clearly made a point to publish the controversial message as citizens were leaving the public event.”
Putin must be incensed over this display, and of course, the Kremlin’s mouthpieces already attempted to blame Russia’s central bank for the ruble mess. That may or may not work out for them.
Without a doubt, the chicken sandwich (I’m aware this is an article about chicken tenders, let me cook!) has come to dominate the fast food space. It’s not hard to see why, the typical chicken filet is breaded in a medley of flavors, it’s fried, and gives a satisfyingly audible crunch with every bite before revealing juicy tender meat. Sandwich that between some bread with the right sauce, pickles, and maybe cheese, and you’ve got a flavor bomb — an addictive culinary creation that can inspire riots.
But don’t forget that the fried chicken tender walked so the fried chicken sandwich could fly. While ia great chicken sandwich is expected on your typical fast food menu in 2023, before the sandwich became a staple (thanks entirely to Popeyes), the premium fast food fried chicken option was the tender. And some days, I feel like a great chicken tender can be even better than a sandwich.
Hear me out here:
Aside from the tender having fewer carbs, calories, and an overall smaller footprint, a great chicken tender has a more focused and pronounced flavor than a chicken sandwich, which can be loaded up with too many distracting elements (this bread sucks, the filet is dry, these pickles are too tangy, etc) and is generally juicier (more… tender). They’re also more dippable than a chicken sandwich, so it’s a lot easier to up the sweet, spicy, or savory notes.
Plus, a chicken tender is the only food that can inspire a person to break out into this song. For that alone, we can’t deny our love for this wonderful finger food.
To celebrate the mighty chicken tender, we’re ranking more chicken tenders than we ever have in the past for the ultimate fast food chicken tender ranking. It’s been a full year since our last chicken tender ranking and a lot has changed — we have new tenders on the scene and (I’m going to go ahead and spoil this for you now) a new number one entry.
Let’s dive in!
Also Read: The Top 5 UPROXX Food Rankings From The Last Month
I’m genuinely surprised that Del Taco’s Crispy Chicken Strips, a recent addition to the menu, are still available. Seeing them on the menu, I assumed that Del Taco was either selling a lot of these strips or that they’d revamped the recipe to taste better, so I tried them again.
I’m sorry to report that it’s definitely not the latter. These are still the worst chicken strips in all of fast food.
It hurts to admit this because I love Del Taco, I think it’s significantly better than Taco Bell, but I visit for a decent approximation of Mexican Food (it’s really Cal-Mex), not for f*cking fried chicken. The issue here is the construction, the breading works as a sort of loose sleeve, if you bite into this chicken tender and pull you can actually separate the meat from the breading. That’s… not great.
The flavor also doesn’t deliver, the meat is rubbery and devoid of flavor, and the breading itself is a simple mix of salt and pepper. Chicken tenders are easy to make well, the fact that Del Taco can’t nail them blows my mind. Especially when they’re so good at everything else they make.
Best Dipping Sauce Available:
Del Scorcho, the hottest hot sauce on hand at Del Taco, only to drown out the flavor of the chicken. In fact, skip the chicken and just eat a bunch of Del Scorcho sauce packets outside by the dumpster. It’s a better experience.
You’ve had these before, even if you’ve never been to a Sonic. They taste identical to freezer aisle chicken tenders from the grocery store. The chicken is dry, a bit stringy, and the flavor is a mix of neutral flour notes and black pepper.
They also tend to be over-fried. That leads to a nice crunch, but these chicken tenders are impossible to eat without sauce.
Best Dipping Sauce Available:
Sonic’s Signature Sauce, hands down. The sauce is a golden BBQ, offering smokey sweet notes with a bit of honey mustard tang and brightness.
The Bottom Line:
Sonic has much better sides. Order the mozzarella sticks, onion rings, or chili cheese fries instead.
First of all, don’t call your chicken tenders “chicken fingers,” it’s weird. Second, look, Arby’s, I know you want to have a diverse menu, but you shot yourselves in the foot being all “we have the meats,” and now your menu looks limited as a result because you refuse to have interesting vegetable sides.
Just add some sweet potato fries or cheddar-stuffed potato wedges to the menu, because these chicken fingers are not it and only weaken the menu as a whole. That’s going to make some people mad because I know a handful who think these tenders are great and love to add them to their meal. Well,sorry fam, but you’ve got bad taste.
The chicken is dry and sports that familiar flour and black pepper flavor. Give me something Arby’s == garlic, a kiss of onion powder, PAPRIKA — something to make these things edible aside from sauce!
The chicken tender needs its Popeyes Chicken Sandwich moment. A brand needs to drop a chicken tender that is so undeniably good that it forces every other brand to go back to the lab and come up with a better recipe. We’re not there yet, which is why the bottom of this list is populated with so many forgettable chicken tenders.
Dairy Queen’s chicken tenders aren’t too bad, they’ve meatier than the tenders ranked lower on this list, and the chicken isn’t dry and stringy, but it still has a pretty bland flavor that needs sauce in order to be edible.
Best Dipping Sauce Available:
Get the Country Gravy. It adds a savory element to each bite and turns this otherwise inedible chicken tender into a socially acceptable way to have too much gravy.
The Bottom Line:
Why are you at Dairy Queen eating the food? Get a Blizzard and eat it while you’re in the drive-thru of another fast food restaurant. (Unless you’re at a DQ that still has the deep fried burrito.)
I feel like I’ve brought this up in too many articles, so I’ll just say this — Jack in the Box used to have great chicken tenders and then they changed the recipe during the pandemic and now they’re awful.
The new chicken is meatier than the old flat strips, which is a good thing, but the flavor is all off. The chicken is thick and not too dried out but totally flavorless, it’s all texture and the breading is one note: salty.
Best Dipping Sauce Available:
Frank’s Red Hot. It’s not technically a dipping sauce, but this hot sauce brings a lot of flavor to this otherwise very bland but meaty chicken.
The Bottom Line:
I’ve accepted that Jack in the Box will never bring back its old chicken tender recipe, but I can’t pretend these are good or worth ordering.
You could argue that these aren’t chicken tenders at all, and, fair point, but it’s the closest thing to a chicken tender Burger King has and what other fast food ranking can these things appear in if not a chicken tender ranking? It’s certainly not a nugget!
This is fast food chicken at its worst. The texture of the meat is pretty much just sludge. Having said that, I kind of like the breading. It’s a zesty mix of paprika, black pepper, and onion powder. Dip it in some sauce and I can’t lie, eating chicken fries is an enjoyable experience.
Best Dipping Sauce Available:
The smokey sweet flavor of bbq sauce really compliments the zesty slightly spicy flavor of the breading.
The Bottom Line:
If you can get passed the sludge-like meat, the chicken fries are guilty-pleasure-worthy.
So it turns out dousing chicken tenders in lots of sauce is all you need to make them delicious. Dairy Queen’s Honey BBQ Sauced & Tossed turns the brand’s barely passable tenders into something legitimately good. Each bite is meaty and satisfying and begins with a sweet peppery flavor and ends with a nice kiss of smoke.
Best Dipping Sauce Available:
Dip it in ranch and you’ll add a savory slightly tangy note to a medley of smokey and sweet flavors.
Carl’s Jr’s hand-breaded tenders are a significant improvement over all the chicken ranked below this entry. They’re a bit over-battered, but the flavor is great, offering a mix of onion and garlic powder, and black pepper. The breading offers a nice audible crunch but can come across as a bit too dusty and flour-heavy if the tenders aren’t piping out.
Our advice is to eat these as soon as you order them, the longer they sit the drier they taste. While I think Carl’s Jr goes a little too hard on breading these tenders, that craggy surface serves as the perfect sponge for your favorite sauce.
Best Dipping Sauce Available:
Sweet Bold BBQ, it’s easily Carl Jr’s best sauce offering a slightly spicy flavor with some deep brown sugar sweetness.
The Bottom Line:
Not the best chicken tender you’ll ever have but significantly better than everything ranked lower on this list.
Light and crispy, Long John Silver’s chicken tenders don’t have the typical heavy batter associated with chicken strips. The breading is very crispy and airy as if it was breaded in corn or potato starch rather than flour. The chicken is a juicy cut of white meat chicken. Unfortunately, I feel like these taste a little fishy and funky.
That makes sense when you consider LJS probably fries this chicken in the same oil as its fish.
Best Dipping Sauce Available:
Louisiana Hot Sauce to distract from the fishy flavor.
The Bottom Line:
An interesting chicken tender that tastes a little bit too fishy for my liking.
It’s as advertised, these chicken tenders have that same garlic-forward pepper-heavy flavor that makes Rally’s fries a favorite amongst many. The zesty spice mix isn’t quite as strong here though, but that’s probably because the seasoning is encasing a juicy thick piece of white meat chicken rather than a thin julienned potato.
Be warned though, like the fries, these chicken tenders are incredibly greasy, so greasy that you shouldn’t be surprised to find a small puddle of grease in the packaging.
Best Dipping Sauce Available:
BBQ is the winner here, but some people swear by Rally’s Honey Mustard. I prefer sweet smokiness over the sharp tang of honey mustard though, so I’m going BBQ all the way.
The Bottom Line:
If you love Rally’s fries it’s safe to assume you’re going to love these.
A marked improvement over the regular fry-seasoned tenders, the Buffalo version adds sweet and sour elements to the zesty breading with a spicy aftertaste that smolders on the palate. I can’t imagine ordering the non-buffalo version over these unless of course you just don’t like buffalo sauce.
Best Dipping Sauce Available:
No sauce is necessary. If your goal is to approximate the experience of eating hot wings, go ahead and dip these in ranch.
The Bottom Line:
Significantly better than the plain Fry-Seasoned Tenders.
As the name would suggest, these chicken tenders are incredibly crunchy. While the breading is heavy, it has a sort of light airiness to it that makes each bite crispy. The flavor is a blend of earthy black pepper notes, a bit of salt, and a hint of garlic with a slightly sweet aftertaste.
It’s not quite as complex as KFC’s Original Recipe, but until they make OG recipe tenders, this is the best we’re going to get, and as it stands, it’s pretty damn good.
Best Dipping Sauce Available:
Dipping sauce? Come on, you’re at KFC, dip these babies in some mashed potatoes and gravy if you want a truly delicious experience.
The Bottom Line:
Great, not a top-tier tender but close and a major step above everything ranked lower.
Crispy and slightly buttery with a pronounced garlic and onion powder flavor. I’ll get more into what I don’t love about these chicken tenders when we talk about the spicy version, but for now, it’s all love! These tenders are wonderfully crispy — admittedly, Popeyes goes a little nuts during the buttermilk and breading process, resulting in a chicken tender that is sometimes more breading than meat, but it’s hard to complain when the flavor is this good.
Best Dipping Sauce Available:
Honey is the way to go, it emphasizes the buttery flavor with some nice floral sweetness.
The Bottom Line:
Take a look at the chicken behind the cash register, if the non-spicy tenders are piled high, they’re fresh, and that’s a green light to order them. But if the spicy pile is taller, that’s definitely the better move.
Unlike any other chicken tender in the fast food space, Jollibee approaches its seasoning blend differently. Instead of the usual mix of black pepper, garlic, and onion, this chicken tender has a slightly sour and sweet flavor with a nice bit of salt that keeps them addicting. The meat itself is juicy and tender, but not quite top-tier.
The breading is light, airy, and crispy, resulting in a louder crunch than the competition.
Best Dipping Sauce Available:
Jollibee’s gravy is the obvious choice here. It adds a savory flavor that compliments the buttery notes of the breading.
The Bottom Line:
If you haven’t been to Jollibee yet, let these delicious tenders be an excuse to go.
People are going to kill me for this one but, bring it on! Look, clearly, I love Popeyes Spicy chicken tenders, they’ve in the top five of fast food chicken tenders, but compared to the top three, the quality of the chicken here is noticeably lacking.
The breading is unbeatable, it’s crunchy and has a nice blend of garlic and onion notes, with some buttery elements and a nice kick of cayenne pepper on the backend. But the meat itself is… well, weird. It has this texture that flakes apart like fish and comes across as slightly processed.
Best Dipping Sauce Available:
As with the non-spicy version we’re going to say honey!
The Bottom Line:
Popeyes bone-in chicken and fried chicken filet are of higher quality. The flavor delivers here, but the texture of the chicken leaves something to be desired.
This year we put some of our favorite chicken tenders to the blind taste test and Chick-fil-A came very close to winning that competition. This tender is incredibly juicy and practically melts in the mouth before you even start chewing it. Sure the breading isn’t craggy and crunchy, but it’s full of rich and earthy black pepper notes, a hint of sweetness, and a floral aftertaste.
Unfortunately, as much as I like these chicken tenders, the nuggets are juicier, and the breast filet used for the sandwich is in another league entirely, making this Chick-fil-A’s worst chicken product.
Best Dipping Sauce Available:
Chick-fil-a sauce is the basic choice, so we say add a little sweet and sour complexity by dipping it into the Polynesian sauce.
The Bottom Line:
When you’ve eaten too much Chick-fil-A and you’re tired of bouncing between the nuggets and sandwich, give these a try — they won’t disappoint.
Our original number one choice was knocked back to number two. So, what went wrong? Well, I can’t confirm this through any official channels, but I did speak to a Raising Cane’s manager recently who informed me that a few years ago the chain exclusively used chicken tenders, and now it uses a mix of tenders and breast filets cut into a chicken tender shape. That has led to a lot of inconsistency in both flavor and size.
Raising Cane’s uses never-frozen chicken that is marinated for a full 24 hours before being hand-battered and fried to a perfect golden brown. The chicken is flavorful and juicier than a lot of the competition, but the breading is a bit boring and bland, tasting like a simple mix of salt, garlic, and onion powder with a buttery aftertaste and the slightest hint of lemon.
You can elevate this flavor by peppering the tenders with pepper packets but seasoning always adheres better when it’s part of the breading process. It hurts to see our original number one choice knocked down a peg but it goes to show that once brands get lazy 9or cheap), it shows.
Best Dipping Sauce Available:
Cane’s Sauce, but you don’t really have a choice. Luckily, this is some good sauce, it’s a classic come-back style (mayo, ketchup, Worcestershire, spices) that adds a savory umami quality to every bite.
The Bottom Line:
Delicious, but if you’re a Cane’s die-hard and you’ve noticed that these aren’t quite as good as you remember, you’re right.
New restaurant Dave’s Hot Chicken is hands down one of the best Nashville-style hot chicken chains in the country. And before you get all crazy on me because this brand originated in Los Angeles, I hear you but also there isn’t another hot chicken chain that is as widespread as this brand — it’s taking over fast food as one of the fast-growing chains of 2023!
Eating there, it’s easy to see why. The menu is simple and focused, they sell chicken tenders, either by themselves or between bread, with some delicious carb-heavy sides that complement the spices. Dave’s Hot Chicken has seven different spice levels, I think the “Hot” is the best way to go.
As soon as you bite into this chicken tender your salivary glands kick into overdrive as they try to fight against the intense heat. After the initial kick, sweet notes start to take over are finish smokey, taking your tastebuds on a journey of flavors that is addicting and straight-up fun to experience. That’ll pull you back for another bite, even if your spice tolerance is low.
The chicken is also pretty substantial, a single tender is thicker and longer than a baby’s arm. Yes, I’m aware that that is a weird way to measure the size of a chicken tender but the description still stands!
Best Dipping Sauce Available:
Dave’s sauce, it’s your only option.
The Bottom Line:
All hail the new king! If you have a higher spice tolerance, consider going “extra hot,” for a more drool-inducing flavor.
Rage Against The Machine’s Tom Morello recently dropped by the picket line outside of Paramount Studios to support the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes. To keep the energy high, he performed a surprise set of themed songs, including “This Land Is Your Land,” “Union Song,” “Hold The Line,” and “Union Town.”
“They’re making history here on the sidewalk in front of Paramount Studios, and I’m here to support them and express my solidarity,” Morello told NME just before the performance. “In the United States right now, we have the biggest wave of strikes and organizing in about 40 years.”
“I’ve made music throughout my entire life to be played on picket lines and on the front lines,” he added. “So today is just one more day at the office with regards to that.”
For more context, the Writers Guild Of America (WGA) and the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) are both on strike, not working on any new film- or television-related projects until the Alliance Of Motion Picture And Television Producers (AMPTP) and major studio companies agree to a fair deal. Right now, the largest goals that the WGA and SAG are looking for are higher residuals and studios not turning to AI for jobs.
Check out a clip from Morello’s set below.
Tom Morello singing the final verse of union bop This Land is Your Land to an energized WGA/ SAG AFTRA picket line pic.twitter.com/WO9o8HUiMd
This week, like most, marked a wonderful one for new pop releases. As the fall approaches, many artists on this list are either dropping or building anticipation for a new record. Which means there will be a ton of great tunes to listen to — even if some are brilliantly built on a bad idea. Am I right? Obvious Olivia Rodrigo joke aside, a major theme of these recent pop songs seems to be about relationships in all forms, through the good and the tough times. Even if it’s about encouraging the hottest versions of ourselves.
Continue scrolling for Uproxx’s Best New Pop roundup.
Olivia Rodrigo — “Bad Idea Right”
It’s actually Olivia Rodrigo’s summer and we’re all just living in it. With her latest “Bad Idea Right,” Rodrigo ignores her friends’ warnings about reconnecting with an ex, complete with a pop-punk inspired instrumental and an equally-entertaining music video from Petra Collins. Not that it comes as any surprise, but the pop star knows how to perfectly package each of her single drops.
Karol G – “Mi Ex Tenía Razón”
Karol G’s “Mi Ex Tenía Razón” finds her dissing an ex, but also thanking her for allowing her to find someone better. (Many have suspected it’s about her ex Anuel AA and new boyfriend, Feid.) “Dijo que no iba a encontrar uno como él y me llegó uno mejor, que me trata mejor,” she sings.
Rauw Alejandro — “Hayami Hana”
In the wake of Rauw Alejandro and Rosalía ending their engagement, he has dedicated a song to her with “Hayami Hana.” Throughout the track’s run, he addresses the struggles and complications that led to their split while also making it clear that cheating wasn’t a cause.
V — “Love Me Again”
As an early preview from his upcoming album, Layover, BTS’ V proves he can shine just as bright as a solo artist with the emotionally reflective, “Love Me Again” — where he is reeling and hoping to repair a relationship.
Chappell Roan — “Hot To Go!”
“I wrote this song so I could live out my cheerleader fantasy!” Roan dished about her confident new “Hot To Go!” song. “I just wanted to make something simple and silly that I could do with the audience because I’m a huge fan of audience participation. Also, selfishly (and shamelessly) wanted to bounce around on stage singing a song about being hot.”
Kelsea Ballerini — “How Do I Do This”
Kelsea Ballerini‘s Rolling Up The Welcome Mat was a personal early highlight of 2023’s releases. Now, with her extended version, Ballerini finds herself looking at the songs with a happier perspective. “How Do I Do This” is one of the new additions, where she details what it was like trying to date again after a years-long marriage ended.
Fred Again.. — “Adore U” (feat. Obongjayar)
“Finally got to sit in the room and hear this beautiful man sing these words right there. And it really felt magical. What a f*ckin guy man,” Fred Again gushed about his latest track, “Adore U,” which lets Obongjayar take center stage on vocals. The two performers used it as a sweet dedication to their siblings.
Sofia Valdés — “Silvia”
The title track of Valdés’ new EP, “Silvia” serves as a tribute to the musician’s grandmother. It also doubles as her grappling with emotions after moving from Panama to Los Angeles during the pandemic.
Ilsey — “Yellow Roses”
“‘Yellow Roses’ has the deepest emotional resonance for me,” Ilsey shared in a statement, about the dreamy-but-heartbreaking lyrics that make the song what it is. “Longing for love that you can’t have is really the touchstone of the heartbreak of the album. That’s the root of my personal heartbreak.”
Äyanna — “Say You Love Me”
Discovering Äyanna’s “Say You Love Me” was such a blessing. Throughout the song’s run, she shows that she can vocally tackle both a gentler, emotional instrumental and a faster-paced pop one in the chorus. The music video leans into the romantic themes in a very entertaining way — plus her makeup rules in it too.
Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
It’s been an up-and-down past few weeks for Tori Kelly, but thankfully, things are trending in a positive direction now. After being hospitalized with blood clots, she quickly came back with a new single, “Cut.” Now she’s taking that song and others on the road, as Kelly just announced The Take Control Tour.
As it stands now, the trek is a quick one spread out over a couple weeks. It starts on September 10 in Toronto. From there, it hits New York, Boston, Atlanta, Chicago, Denver, and San Francisco before ending on a two-night stand in Los Angeles, at the Troubadour on the 25th and The Roxy on the 26th.
As Kelly indicated in her tweet, head to the tour website for more information on tickets. The website has an RSVP option for “Don’t see your city?,” which may be an indication that additional dates for the The Take Control Tour could be announced in the future.
Check out the full list of tour dates below.
09/10 — Toronto, ON @ Axis Club
09/11 — New York, NY @ Bowery Ballroom
09/13 — Boston, MA @ Brighton Music Hall
09/17 — Atlanta, GA @ The Loft
09/18 — Chicago, IL @ Lincoln Hall
09/21 — Denver, CO @ Ophelia’s
09/24 — San Francisco, CA @ The Independent
09/25 — Los Angeles, CA @ Troubadour
09/26 — Los Angeles, CA @ The Roxy
In a statement shared with the press, a representative for the singer emphasized that despite their tireless effort, some dates were canceled due to reasons out of their control. “Getting all shows rescheduled was the number one priority. Unfortunately, due to scheduling conflicts, a few shows noted below will be canceled. Madonna regrets the inconvenience to fans and hopes to make it up to those markets in the future,” said the rep.
Those dates include her shows in Tulsa, Oklahoma (previously scheduled for July 27), Nashville, Tennessee (previously scheduled for December 22), San Francisco, California (previously scheduled for January 15, 2024), and one of her Las Vegas, Nevada appearances (the concert previously scheduled for January 18, 2024).
Ticketholders for impacted dates will be contacted by Ticketmaster with the next steps. For those who were unable to secure a ticket, advance sales begin on Tuesday, August 29. Public ticket sales will start on Friday, September 1 at 10 a.m. ET. Find more information here.
View the full Celebration Tour schedule below.
10/14/2023 — London, UK @ The O2
10/15/2023 — London, UK @ The O2
10/17/2023 — London, UK @The O2
10/18/2023 — London, UK @The O2
10/21/2023 — Antwerp, BE @ Sportpaleis
10/22/2023 — Antwerp, BE @ Sportpaleis
10/25/2023 — Copenhagen, DK @ Royal Arena
10/26/2023 — Copenhagen, DK @ Royal Arena
10/28/2023 — Stockholm, SE @ Tele2 Arena
11/01/2023 — Barcelona, ES @ Palau Sant Jordi
11/02/2023 — Barcelona, ES @ Palau Sant Jordi
11/06/2023 — Lisbon, PT @ Altice Arena
11/07/2023 — Lisbon, PT @ Altice Arena
11/12/2023 — Paris, FR @ Accor Arena
11/13/2023 — Paris, FR @ Accor Arena
11/15/2023 — Cologne, DE @ Lanxess Arena
11/16/2023 — Cologne, DE @ Lanxess Arena
11/19/2023 — Paris, FR @ Accor Arena
11/20/2023 — Paris, FR @ Accor Arena
11/23/2023 — Milan, IT @ Mediolanum Forum
11/25/2023 — Milan, IT @ Mediolanum Forum
11/28/2023 — Berlin, DE @ Mercedes-Benz Arena
11/29/2023 — Berlin, DE @ Mercedes-Benz Arena
12/01/2023 — Amsterdam, NL @ Ziggo Dome
12/02/2023 — Amsterdam, NL @ Ziggo Dome
12/05/2023 — London, UK @ The O2
12/06/2023 — London, UK @ The O2
12/13/2023 — Brooklyn, NY @ Barclays Center
12/14/2023 — Brooklyn, NY @ Barclays Center
12/16/2023 — Brooklyn, NY @ Barclays Center (previously MSG) *
12/18/2023 — Washington, DC @ Capital One Arena
12/19/2023 — Washington, DC @ Capital One Arena
01/08/2024 — Boston, MA @ TD Garden
01/09/2024 — Boston, MA @ TD Garden
01/11/2024 — Toronto, ON @ Scotiabank Arena
01/12/2024 — Toronto, ON @ Scotiabank Arena
01/15/2024 — Detroit, MI @ Little Caesars Arena
01/18/2024 — Montreal, QC @ Bell Centre
01/20/2024 — Montreal, QC @ Bell Centre
01/22/2024 — New York, NY @ Madison Square Garden Arena
01/23/2024 — New York, NY @ Madison Square Garden Arena
01/25/2024 — Philadelphia, PA @ Wells Fargo Center
01/29/2024 — New York, NY @ Madison Square Garden Arena
02/01/2024 — Chicago, IL @ United Center
02/02/2024 — Chicago, IL @ United Center
02/05/2024 — Pittsburgh, PA @ PPG Paints Arena
02/08/2024 — Cleveland, OH @ Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse
02/13/2024 — Saint Paul, MN @ Xcel Energy Center
02/17/2024 — Seattle, WA @ Climate Pledge Arena
02/18/2024 — Seattle,WA @ Climate Pledge Arena
02/21/2024 — Vancouver, BC @ Rogers Arena
02/24/2024 — Sacramento, CA @ Golden 1 Center
02/27/2024 — San Francisco, CA @ Chase Center
02/28/2024 — San Francisco,CA @ Chase Center
03/01/2024 — Las Vegas,NV @ T-Mobile Arena
03/02/2024 — Las Vegas, NV @ T-Mobile Arena
03/04/2024 — Los Angeles, CA @ Kia Forum (previously Crypto.com Arena) *
03/05/2024 — Los Angeles, CA @ Kia Forum (previously Crypto.com Arena) *
03/07/2024 — Los Angeles, CA @ Kia Forum (previously Crypto.com Arena) *
03/09/2024 — Los Angeles, CA @ Kia Forum (previously Crypto.com Arena) *
03/11/2024 — Los Angeles, CA @ Kia Forum
03/13/2024 — Palm Desert, CA @ Acrisure Arena
03/16/2024 — Phoenix, AZ @ Footprint Center
03/19/2024 — Denver, CO @ Ball Arena
03/24/2024 — Dallas, TX @ American Airlines Center
03/25/2024 — Dallas. TX @ American Airlines Center
03/28/2024 — Houston, TX @ Toyota Center
03/29/2024 — Houston, TX @ Toyota Center
01/04/2024 — Atlanta, GA @ State Farm Arena
04/04/2024 — Tampa, FL @ Amalie Arena
04/06/2024 — Miami, FL @ Kaseya Center
04/07/2024 — Miami, FL @ Kaseya Center
04/14/2024 — Austin, TX @ Moody Center
04/15/2024 — Austin, TX @ Moody Center
04/20/2024 — Mexico City, MX @ Palacio De Los Deportes
04/21/2024 — Mexico City, MX @ Palacio De Los Deportes
04/23/2024 — Mexico City, MX @ Palacio De Los Deportes
04/24/2024 — Mexico City, MX @ Palacio De Los Deportes
Polo G‘s last album, Hall of Fame, was released in June of 2021 (and reissued as Hall of Fame 2.0 in December) so it’d be understandable if fans of the Chicago rapper were getting a little antsy waiting for a follow-up. Fortunately for them, it looks like they’ll be getting one sooner than later, as he subtly announced with the launch of a YouTube livestream revealing the album’s title and release date. It’s called Hood Poet and is due one month from this writing on September 15.
Polo celebrated the announcement with the purchase of a new chain from Icebox bearing a massive heart-shaped pendant bearing the album’s title alongside a goat (as in GOAT — Greatest Of All Time — the title of his second album), a microphone, and a hand holding a pen. Naturally, the whole thing is absolutely drenched in diamonds. In addition to watching the creation of a massive mural featuring a similar design, the livestream has also been periodically previewing some of the songs from the album, with a countdown to each preview so you can check in. As of publication, the next one is a little under 90 minutes away.
Hood Poet is due on 9/15 via Columbia records. You can get more info here.
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