Month: March 2025

When Keanu Reeves comes up in the context of sequels these days, that discussion has been absurdly fixated on whether John Wick 5 will happen. Do people not remember what, you know, happened to Wick? And do they not care about Keanu’s knees? He does. Besides, these discussions ignore the fact that an even more tantalizing sequel project is coming up from Hell. No, we are not talking about another Bill And Ted movie because those dudes already had their Bogus Journey and are over it, unlike a certain other character who was destined to dance in a more hard-boiled way with Lucifer’s kind again. So, which sequel, again?

That would be a followup to 2005’s Constantine, which achieved cult-favorite status and could frankly mop the floor with most other comic book movie or TV adaptations of nearly the past two decades. No offense to James Gunn’s budding DCU, but the Reeves movie (based upon DC Comics’ Hellblazer series) was not only superior but both grim as Hell and ethereally beautiful as Heaven could ever hope to be. The movie also arguably contained the best damn exorcism scene in cinematic history. Seriously, John Constantine punched a demon and gave it the finger, and that only enhanced the vibe.

You ready to talk about what to expect from the impending sequel? Hell yeah.

Plot

Constantine‘s very existence as a movie, despite how underappreciated it was upon release, felt like a gothic dream, complete with Tilda Swinton’s exquisite, incisive delivery of archangel Gabriel. But to get down to hard-boiled brass tacks, the first film introduced Reeves’ conman/occult magician, who was suffering from terminal lung cancer and working to avoid his own damnation by vanquishing demons. He paired up with Rachel Weisz’s Angela to prove that her identical twin, Isabel, didn’t commit suicide. And unlike John Wick, John Constantine survived his most recent movie starring Keanu.

Sequel talk finally got serious in 2022 when Warner Bros. formally hit the greenlight with Reeves reprising his antihero’s brand of self-loathing with director Francis Lawrence and screenwriter Akiva Goldsman. The studio, according to Reeves while speaking to Inverse, simply said “okay” to their pitched story, which paved the way for the real magic to start happening.

Plot details are top secret, but Reeves previously alluded to a script draft and admitted to Comic Book that he was too afraid to read it, lest his heart be broken if it wasn’t as good as hoped. He finally read it, but apparently (via the aforementioned Inverse interview), that was only one phase, because they’re heading back in for a final script. Prior to these teases, Akiva Goldsman revealed that the sequel would stay true to the original film’s themes, and “and the wonderful and authentic noir where there is a world behind the world of good and evil coexist with our world right up close.”

Further, Francis Lawrence recently told Collider, “I will say we are closer than ever to being able to do a sequel, which is a great thing. And Akiva, Keanu and I are super, super excited about it.” The project will take advantage of the accumulating comic lore but will also be a story that hails from this trio:

“We have gone through a bunch of the comics over the years and looked at things. I will say that there’s probably grains from things that we’re pulling, but in truth, most of it is just coming from the three of us, you know, loving the character, loving the world, having it sort of in the back of our minds for 20 years and just kind of percolating on ideas, and stories and characters we love, and ideas we love.”

Will this movie have anything to do with James Gunn’s budding DCU for WBD? Not at all, according to Keanu: “We’re not going off that. John Constantine’s going to be tortured even more.”

Cast

Constantine 2 will star Keanu Reeves. Is that all that’s necessary? For now, yes. No word has surfaced on who could return, including Rachel Weisz (primarily as twin Angela but also the dead Isabel), Tilda Swinton (as Gabriel), Djimon Hounsou (as Papa Midnite), Peter Stormare (as Lucifer), and Shia LaBeouf (as Chas Kramer, who didn’t survive) among the initial cast.

However, Swinton doesn’t believe that a return is in the cards: “Unless they’re very late in calling me, I don’t think Gabriel will be flapping his/her wings.”

Release Date

Even with development and script writing finally hitting its stride, this looks like a 2027 release.

(Original) Trailer

Honest question: do they make trailers like this anymore?

Vallejo, California rapper Mac Dre is known in the Bay Area as one of the region’s rap legends, a titan of the scene who passed far too soon, way before gaining the national recognition of peers like E-40 and Too Short. Fortunately, another pair of Bay Area legends has stepped into the gap to ensure that Mac Dre gets all the recognition that Northern Californians know he deserves.

That will come by way of a documentary about Mac Dre, produced by Hall Of Fame-bound Golden State Warriors guard Steph Curry and Oakland native NFL running back turned movie star Marshawn “Beastmode” Lynch.

The project is being produced by Marshawn’s Beastmode Productions and Steph’s Unanimous Media with input from one of the best primary sources on the subject: Mac Dre’s mom, who “explores the life and death of her son, the birth of a cultural movement, and the generational impact that a Bay Area emcee had on the world,” according to the press release.

In the press release, Steph and his Unanimous co-founder, Erick Peyton, offered, “We’re excited to join forces with Marshawn Lynch and Beastmode Productions to tell the story of Mac Dre, a cultural and Bay Area icon whose creativity knows no bounds. Alongside his mother, Wanda, we’ve assembled a group of creatives who are honored to have the opportunity to tell Mac Dre’s life story for fans and the Bay Area community alike.”

Beastmode’s press statement was given by co-founder Diaunte Thompson, who said, “We at Beastmode Productions are thrilled to partner with Unanimous Media to produce and celebrate the extraordinary life of Mac Dre. He is not only a Bay Area icon, but also a trailblazing independent hip-hop pioneer whose influence resonates globally. At Beastmode Productions, our mission has always been to tell real, authentic stories that create a lasting impact beyond the screen. This project is more than just a film; it’s our responsibility and duty to honor Mac Dre’s legacy. Partnering with his mother, Ms. Wanda, is an incredible honor, and we are dedicated to executing her vision with the utmost respect and care.”

It’s that time of year again in the fast food universe — fish sandwich season, baby! Look, straight up, I’m not catholic, but a fried fish sandwich just hits differently during Lent (which this year begins today, March 5th). We suspect that has less to do with Lent, and more to do with the fact that the big fast food brands take this time of year to pay special attention to their fish offerings. That means new recipes, new builds, and limited-time-only offerings that instantly refresh and elevate the stock menu. It’s like McRib season, but for people who like fried fish!

But as we hit spring, when the fish is freshest (we’re guessing, we don’t actually know and don’t care to look into it), and you get that insatiable craving for fried fish, where is your money best spent? We set out to find out by sampling the best fish sandwiches from all the big fast food chains.

While those looking for the best of the best should immediately proceed to our number one pick, there are a few other gems across the various fast food restaurants that while not the best, offer something noteworthy or interesting, so be sure and hit up our tasting notes for each entry. Let’s dive in.

8. Dairy Queen — Wild Alaskan Fish Sandwich

Thoughts & Tasting Notes:

There are people out there who ride for DQ’s Wild Alaskan Fish Sandwich, and I can’t figure out why. Is it just the novelty that a fast food restaurant known and beloved for its desserts has a fish sandwich in the first place the draw? Because I’m not seeing what makes this sandwich good. It tastes pretty damn mediocre in all fronts.

The sandwich is made with wild Alaskan pollock, coated in a light layer of panko and paired with lettuce and tartar sauce and served on a toasted bun. The best part of the sandwich is the bun itself. It has a nice buttery flavor and a soft chew, but the filet is virtually flavorless, and the breading is under-seasoned.

Most of the flavor comes via the tartar sauce, which, I’ll admit, has a nice tang to it and a creamy body.

The Bottom Line:

Someone has to say it — why the f*ck are you even ordering a chicken sandwich at Dairy Queen?

7. Carl’s Jr — Redhook Beer Battered Fish Sandwich

Thoughts & Tasting Notes:

Carl’s Jr’s Redhook Beer Battered Fish Sandwich certainly sounds appetizing, but it fails to deliver. The fish filet has a nice, crispy crunch that is pleasing to the ear but tastes a bit too faint. The lettuce is downright unappetizing, with a wet and soggy texture, and the tartar sauce is runnier than a lot of the competition.

The Bottom Line:

Weak flavor, great crunch. We’re going to call this one a skip.

6. McDonald’s — Filet-O-Fish

Thoughts & Tasting Notes:

The Filet-O-Fish isn’t the best-tasting fried fish sandwich out there, but I get the appeal. There is a certain purity to the flavor: the pollock is clean, the breading is flaky, the tartar sauce is tangy and heavy on the relish, and the American cheese accentuates the creaminess of the sauce while adding a salty top note to everything.

But it tastes noticeably cheaper than a lot of the other options out there. There is a rushed, pre-made quality to this sandwich. It lacks freshness, but it has its own distinctive flavor and character, much like McDonald’s other famous staples, like the McNugget, Quarter Pounder, and those famous fries.

When you eat this sandwich, you know it’s not the best, but there is something wonderfully comforting about it at the same time. Maybe that’s nostalgia talking, but when I hear the words “fast food fish sandwich,” this is the sandwich that comes to mind.

The Bottom Line:

Not the best, but it’s kind of iconic. I’ve never had a Filet-O-Fish I haven’t enjoyed.

5. Burger King — Big Fish

Thoughts & Tasting Notes:

Most of BK’s food is pretty gargantuan so I find it kind of ironic that the “Big Fish” sandwich is one of the brand’s smaller sandwiches. Name aside, this is a pretty solid, albeit not very interesting, fish sandwich.

The fish here is White Alaskan Pollock breaded in a thick layer of airy panko, served with tartar sauce, lettuce, and pickles on a toasted bun. The build is pretty standard, but the pickle adds an extra layer of complexity to the otherwise clean flavor of pollock. The batter is nicely seasoned with a bit of salt and provides a nice crunch throughout.

The tartar sauce is slightly sweeter than I’d like, but the finish is savory and really helps to bring the flavors alive.

The Bottom Line:

A solid and tasty fish sandwich, but there are better options out there.

4. Arby’s — King’s Hawaiian Fish Deluxe

Thoughts & Tasting Notes:

The Arby’s King’s Hawaiian Fish Deluxe tastes like an elevated version of McDonald’s Filet-O-Fish. Some of the key ingredients here are a bit more thought out and high quality, and it makes for a significantly better sandwich.

The filet is small and condensed but features a nicely seasoned panko breadcrumb coating, with a layer of sharp Cheddar cheese over shredded lettuce, tomato, and tartar sauce on a sweet King’s Hawaiian roll.

The fish filet tastes bright with a hint of sweetness and creates an interesting combination when paired with the tang and earthy flavor of the cheddar. The tartar sauce gives the sandwich a savory finish, which is complemented by the sweetness of the Hawaiian roll. The only real weak points here are the lettuce (wilted) and the tomato, which adds a weird umami quality to the sandwich that doesn’t quite work.

The Bottom Line:

Sweet, bright, and mild, with some earthy complexity and a sweet and savory finish.

3. Long John Silver’s — Fish Sandwich

Thoughts & Tasting Notes:

I love the thick breading this fish sandwich is battered in. It’s wonderfully flaky and crunchy, housing a clean, tender Alaskan Pollock filet. The sandwich is completed by a few pickles and some runny but deliciously tangy tarter sauce and served on a soft and spongy bun.

It has a bare-bones build, which looks like it leaves a lot to be desired, but it nails the execution. Think of it as the fish sandwich equivalent to Chick-fil-A’s chicken sandwich. Simple, but effective.

The Bottom Line: Long John Silver’s Fish Sandwich shows strength in simplicity. It’s mild, buttery, clean, and well-balanced.

2. Wendy’s — Crispy Panko Fish Sandwich

Thoughts & Tasting Notes:

Most fast food restaurants keep their fish sandwiches simple, relying on the naturally sweet and mild flavor of Alaskan pollock and the tartar sauce to do all the work. Wendy’s is built differently. This Alaskan pollock is generously seasoned. I’m tasting garlic, onion, and a bright, slightly sweet, buttery fish flavor, with a salty finish.

The tartar sauce is savory and tart, and is joined by briney pickles and a slice of American cheese. We love the crispy breading here and the soft spongy bun. We have no complaints!

Unfortunately for Wendy’s, while they make an excellent sandwich, they don’t make the best one.

The Bottom Line:

Generously seasoned with a sweet and savory finish.

1. Popeyes — Spicy Flounder Fish Sandwich

Thoughts & Tasting Notes:

Popeyes Spicy Flounder Sandwich is fish at its finest. The fish filet begins with a sweet, delicate, and mild flavor with a clean and sumptuous buttery finish. The fish alone is already markedly more delicious than the competition, but Popeyes kicks it up a notch with a spicy mayo spread. The sauce has smokey paprika notes with a sharp cayenne kick at the finish, which pairs very nicely with the thick and tangy pickles.

This is the only sandwich that I felt sufficiently addicted to bite after bite, and probably the only fish sandwich we ate this year that didn’t make us wish we were eating a chicken sandwich instead.

The Bottom Line:

Like Popeyes’ chicken sandwich, the Spicy Flounder Fish Sandwich tastes significantly more leveled up than the competition. It’s bigger, more flavorful, flakier, crispier, and spicier than every other fast food fish sandwich out there. A must order.

Do you know why Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross’ score for Challengers wasn’t nominated for an Oscar? Because I sure don’t! As we wrote in our Best Albums Of 2024 list, “The result is the best bridge we’ve had yet between both of Reznor and Ross’ worlds: an album that’s as cinematic as it is cohesive.”

Thankfully, you might be able to hear “Challengers” performed live: Nine Inch Nails has enlisted artist-producer Boys Noize, who released a thrilling remix album of the score, to open for them on the Peel It Back World Tour.

You can check out the full dates below.

Nine Inch Nails’ 2025 Tour Dates With Boys Noize: Peel It Back World Tour

06/15 — Dublin, Ireland @ 3Arena
06/17 — Manchester, UK @ Co-op Live
06/18 — London, UK @ The O2
06/20 — Cologne, Germany @ Lanxess Arena
06/21 — Dessel, Belgium @ Graspop Metal Meeting^
06/24 — Milan, Italy @ Parco della Musica Novegro
06/26 — Zurich, Switzerland @ Hallenstadion
06/27 — Vienna, Austria @ Wiener Stadthalle
06/29 — Amsterdam, Netherlands @ Ziggo Dome
07/01 — Berlin, Germany @ Uber Arena
07/03 — Gdynia, Poland @ Open’er^
07/07 — Paris, France @ Accor Arena
07/10 — Madrid, Spain @ Mad Cool^
07/12 — Oeiras, Portugal @ NOS Alive^
08/06 — Oakland, CA @ Oakland Arena
08/08 — Portland, OR @ Moda Center
08/10 — Vancouver, BC @ Rogers Arena
08/12 — Seattle, WA @ Climate Pledge Arena
08/14 — West Valley City, UT @ Maverik Center
08/15 — Denver, CO @ Ball Arena
08/17 — Saint Paul, MN @ Xcel Energy Center
08/19 — Chicago, IL @ United Center
08/20 — Chicago, IL @ United Center
08/22 — Detroit, MI @ Little Caesars Arena
08/23 — Toronto, ON @ Scotiabank Arena
08/26 — Baltimore, MD @ CFG Bank Arena
08/27 — Philadelphia, PA @ Wells Fargo Center
08/29 — Boston, MA @ TD Garden
08/31 — Cleveland, OH @ Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse
09/02 — Brooklyn, NY @ Barclays Center
09/03 — Brooklyn, NY @ Barclays Center
09/05 — Raleigh, NC @ Lenovo Center
09/06 — Nashville, TN @ Bridgestone Arena
09/09 — Duluth, GA @ Gas South Arena
09/10 — Tampa, FL @ Amalie Arena
09/12 — Houston, TX @ Toyota Center
09/13 — Fort Worth, TX @ Dickies Arena
09/16 — Phoenix, AZ @ Footprint Center
09/18 — Los Angeles, CA @ Kia Forum
09/19 — Los Angeles, CA @ Kia Forum

Shaquille O’Neal has been notoriously hard on active NBA players during his time as an analyst with TNT. Big men in particular have had to reach an incredibly high bar to impress him, with a very select few earning his respect as the self-appointed “Supreme Leader” of the Big Man Alliance.

However, for all the criticism Shaq has levied, he is willing to dole out some extremely high praise when he feels it’s been warranted. He loves Nikola Jokic and the way the three-time MVP plays the game and can dominate inside, but his favorite player is, somewhat ironically, one of the smaller players in the NBA — Stephen Curry. Shaq is a massive fan of Curry, always quick to drop a “Stephortless” during a Warriors highlight, and after the Warriors beat the Knicks on Tuesday night as Curry had 28/9/7 in the Garden, Shaq decided it was time to get something off of his chest.

For years, the debate about the greatest NBA player of all time has revolved around Michael Jordan and LeBron James, with some others receiving votes like Kobe Bryant (or Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Bill Russell, depending on your age). Shaq believes Curry belongs in that conversation as well, demanding that fans bring up Curry’s name when they argue about who is the GOAT.

Shaq notes that he played against Jordan, played with and against Kobe, played with and against LeBron, and believes Curry is at least close to that same tier if not firmly in it, explaining “I ain’t never seen nothing like that before, and nobody has.” Curry’s resume is certainly up there with anyone’s, with four championships, two MVPs, and a Finals MVP — something only six players have ever done. His Olympics performance this past summer was a reminder that, even on a team with the very best in the world, he can separate and do things no one else can, and with Jimmy Butler alongside, the Warriors certainly look the part of a threat to the Thunder in the West (along with LeBron and the Lakers and Jokic and the Nuggets).

“I just wanna flirt with a girl in broad daylight on the street,” Miya Folick sings at the top of the chorus of “Erotica,” the opening track of her third album, Erotica Veronica. The quasi-title track is a tidy summation of what the ensuing record explores: sexual confidence; sapphic romance; and self-acceptance.

Whereas the Los Angeles singer-songwriter’s first two records wrestled with that process of discovery, Erotica Veronica concerns itself with that journey’s enlightening endpoint. It might just be her finest work yet.

Following the album’s release on Friday, Folick sat down with Uproxx to talk about Floating Points, Greg Uhlmann, Japan, and more in our latest Q&A.

What are four words you would use to describe your music?

Warm, tender, heavy, ascendant.

It’s 2050 and the world hasn’t ended and people are still listening to your music. How would you like it to be remembered?

I don’t care. I just hope people are listening to music they love. Legacy is not something I worry about.

Who’s the person who has most inspired your work, and why?

Corny, but me. My music is influenced by my own curiosity and interest.

Where did you eat the best meal of your life and what was it?

Ohara, Japan. A vegetarian meal of local produce. Sublime.

Tell us about the best concert you’ve ever attended.

I don’t really do bests or favorites. The first thing that comes to mind is watching Greg Uhlmann play his composition Arpy for the first time at ETA in Los Angeles. I cried my eyes out. That or watching Floating Points perform Promises at the Hollywood Bowl.

What song never fails to make you emotional?

Olivia Kaplan – “Two Red Chairs”

What’s the last thing you Googled?

I looked up Joshua Idehen because his track “Mum Does the Washing” was suggested to me on Tidal.

Where’s the weirdest place you’ve ever crashed while on tour?

An Airbnb in Washington D.C. where there was a literal hole in the wall the size of a garage door and the host told us “Baby raccoons might come in at night. There’s cat food if you want to feed them.”

What’s your favorite city in the world to perform and what’s the city you hope to perform in for the first time?

Los Angeles, baby. Hometown shows are the best. I would love to play in Mexico City or Tokyo.

What’s one piece of advice you’d go back in time to give to your 18-year-old self?

Start writing music. You’re gonna like it.

What’s one of your hidden talents?

I don’t have any hidden talents. Except maybe that I give good back scratches and massages.

If you had a million dollars to donate to charity, what cause would you support and why?

I would probably just split the money into 200k portions and give it to families who needed it. That’s a life-changing amount of money.

What are your thoughts about AI and the future of music?

I think music made by humans will always be necessary and desired. AI is not something that I’m very interested in at all.

You are throwing a music festival. Give us the dream lineup of 5 artists that will perform with you and the location it would be held.

Floating Points, Mannequin Pussy, Arooj Aftab, Nilüfer Yanya, Sam Austins.

Japanese countryside.

Who’s your favorite person to follow on social media?

Mandy Patinkin.

What’s the story behind your first or favorite tattoo?

My first tattoo is Laura Nyro lyrics “Sidewalk and Pigeon” from New York Tendaberry.

What is your pre-show ritual?

I drink tea, sometimes wine. I do a little yoga or go for a walk. Warm up my voice.

Who was your first celebrity crush?

I didn’t really have celebrity crushes as a kid. I think my first celebrity crush was Simona Tabasco from White Lotus.

You have a month off and the resources to take a dream vacation. Where are you going and who is coming with you?

There are so many places I haven’t been. I have never been to Africa. Which seems pretty wild, as I’ve travelled quite a bit, to have never been to the entire continent of Africa. I also haven’t spent much time in South America. The only country in Asia I’ve been to is Japan. I have a lot of places I’d like to go! I know these are very broad answers, but it’s hard to know where to begin when I have entire continents I haven’t been to.

What is your biggest fear?

Losing my curiosity. Losing people I love.

Erotica Veronica is out now via Stop Talking. Find more information here.

In the wake of Russia’s attack on Ukraine, many American companies initiated boycotts and refused to do business in Russia, including Universal Music Group. However, that apparently hasn’t stopped one of the label’s artists from announcing a concert in Moscow.

According to Rolling Stone, Atlanta rapper Offset posted a link to a Russian ticketing website for an arena show in Moscow, apparently breaking UMG’s boycott. Offset is signed to Motown, a subsidiary of UMG, after leaving his group deal with Quality Control Music as part of Migos to sign directly with QC’s direct parent.

Offset is currently promoting his upcoming album, Kiari, having released two singles so far this year, “Swing My Way” and “Ten.” Both songs seemingly address his recent high-profile breakup with Cardi B, which came just as Cardi announced the impending birth of the couple’s third child together.

Unlike his ex, the Atlanta rapper has rarely addressed political issues or current events in his music or his public timelines, preferring to stick to the usual “rapperly” topics of money, street life, and women. As far as what this means for his current label situation, perhaps there were behind-the-scenes changes that were not previously revealed. For now, neither Offset nor UMG have made any statements regarding the announcement.

Forget chicken or fish. One groom picked beef on his wedding day — Kendrick Lamar’s beef with Drake.

On March 1, Adler Marchand and Shamar Marchand got married at the Hilton Miami Aventura in Florida. Congratulations to the happy couple! To make the day extra special, Marchand walked down the aisle to a special wedding-themed remix of Kendrick Lamar’s “Not Like Us,” complete with choreography from his Super Bowl halftime show performance.

“The response from our guests was absolutely incredible — they went wild, hyping me up the entire way down the aisle,” Adler told People. “Many friends and family members mentioned that they expected nothing less, given my energy and creative talents.” He was originally going to “casually” walk down the aisle to Young Thug and Gunna’s “Hot,” but “after thinking about it more, I decided to remix Kendrick’s Halftime performance lyrics and reached out to my friend and producer Danny Ramirez, to see if he could rap and create it for me. Once he sent it back perfectly, I shared it with my fiancée at the time, and she approved. Then, I ran it by my best man, and he liked it, too.”

The wedding entrance has gone viral (Michael Scott would be proud) with over 18 million views on TikTok. You can watch the video here.

For a Jason Isbell fan, it can be a challenge to pick his signature song. Stalwarts might go with something from the Drive-By Truckers era (“Decoration Day” or “Outfit,” perhaps), or one of his defining tunes about southern identity, like “Alabama Pines” or “Speed Trap Town.” Judging by audience responses at his live shows, “Cover Me Up” or “Elephant” also seem like logical picks.

But in terms of streaming numbers, there is but one choice: “If We Were Vampires,” the ballad where Isbell pines for a fantasy about love lasting forever — even in undead, blood-sucking form — is easily his most popular track, with nearly 138 million plays on Spotify. (“Cover Me Up,” his second most popular, trails by around 60 million streams.) Originating on the 2017 album The Nashville Sound, “If We Were Vampires” has garnered a reputation for being the ultimate tearjerker from a songwriter who has penned more than his share of devastating emotional haymakers. But whereas the majority of Isbell’s most famous numbers address matters of life, death, addiction, and other everyday calamities, “If We Were Vampires” is romantic, sentimental even, about the tenuous but soul-sustaining bonds of marriage and the sad knowledge that these unions eventually must end, as all things do.

On countless nights, Isbell performed the song with his wife and bandmate, Amanda Shires, and it naturally was interpreted as a public expression of their till-death-do-us-part commitment to one another. “It’s knowing that this can’t go on forever,” goes one especially potent cry-line. “Likely one of us will have to spend some time alone.”

Of course, a lot of marriages also end due to the other big D-word. So it goes for Jason Isbell, who announced in late 2023 that he was filing for divorce from Shires after 11 years of matrimony. In a subsequent interview, he hinted that a legal agreement restricted him from being too open about the particulars of the split. But anyone who heard his two most recent albums, 2020’s Reunions and 2023’s Weathervanes — or watched the uncomfortable HBO documentary Running With Our Eyes Closed, about the making of the former record — could sense the obvious portents of marital discord scattered throughout those works.

And now comes Foxes In The Snow, an album that, in typical Isbell fashion, doesn’t shy from the unavoidable elephant in the room that is his private life. Anyone looking for lyrical allusions to his broken marriage won’t have to look hard. In “Eileen,” a wistful breakup song, Isbell casts a sideways glance to “If We Were Vampires” in the form of a letter left by a departed lover: “It said ‘forever is a dead man’s joke,’” Isbell sings, “and that’s the only thing it said.” In case that’s too subtle, there’s also the stickiest verses from “Gravelweed,” which appears to address both Shires and his own most judgmental fans simultaneously. “I was a gravelweed / and I needed you to raise me / I’m sorry the day came when I felt like I was raised / and now that I live to see my melodies betray me / I’m sorry the love songs all mean different things today.”

Crucially, Isbell made Foxes In The Snow without his usual backing band, The 400 Unit, opting instead to accompany himself only on acoustic guitar, a gesture that immediately links the album to iconic “breakup” records like Bob Dylan’s Blood On The Tracks and Joni Mitchell’s Blue. (Isbell’s previous two records sounded more like Bruce Springsteen’s Tunnel Of Love, which continues to be a north star in terms of the lyrics and themes.) But as the pointed reference in “Gravelweed” to “the love songs [that] all mean different things today” suggests, Foxes In The Snow ultimately plays like a meta exercise. Isbell’s own past songs are the most important reference points.

So much of Isbell’s public-facing artistic persona for the past decade-plus has been informed by his relationship with Shires. The pivotal album of his career, 2013’s Southeastern, is anchored by songs like “Cover Me Up” and “Traveling Alone” that mythologize their love affair as Isbell’s personal redemption. Subsequent numbers such as “If We Were Vampires” and “Flagship” — where Isbell contrasts his relationship with the loveless couple at the bar who no longer speak to each other — fortified their unique connection.

But, alas, Isbell and Shires were not really lovestruck vampires, after all, and this was eventually borne out on the records, too. Isbell’s “Running With Our Eyes Closed” and “King Of Oklahoma” chipped away at that old, idealized façade, as did Shires’ own “Fault Lines,” a startling ballad from 2022’s Take It Like A Man that not-so-delicately mocked the “wife guy” image forwarded in “Flagship.” But Foxes In The Snow represents the most overt accounting of how, it seems, the reality of life in the Isbell-Shires household didn’t always square with the art.

(I’m going to pause here to state, for the record, that I don’t know any of these people personally, and that songs don’t exactly present a thorough, journalistic representation of facts and figures. I recognize this. And I don’t pretend to know more about what I don’t know and have no right to know. However, Isbell has been open about plumbing his personal life for material, which therefore makes discussing his art without at least nodding gingerly to difficult personal matters all but impossible. My promise is to proceed with sensitivity and tact.)

In the best and worst ways, Foxes In The Snow feels like the project of a man who is still processing a seismic change in his life. Melancholy, naturally, is the predominant mood. But there are also palpable undercurrents of anger and confusion. Normally a studious craftsman, Isbell is blunter and more impulsive here. On “True Believer,” he blusters into “Idiot Wind” territory, lashing out about how “all your girlfriends say I broke your fucking heart / and I don’t like it.” On the title track, he flips the script, presenting himself as a passive victim of how love can bruise even while it soothes: “I love her well and I love her sick /I love the carrot but I really like the stick.”

While the f-words are more plentiful on Foxes In The Snow than normal, so are some unfortunate clichés. (I cringed a little when I heard Isbell sing, “God said, ‘Hold my beer’” in the otherwise strong “Ride To Robert’s.”) The music is also less memorable, a byproduct of him banishing The 400 Unit from the proceedings. An excellent guitar player, Isbell mostly sticks to a workmanlike strum to underpin his emotionally fraught words.

But what these songs lack in polish they make up for in urgency. For the first time, Isbell seems to be taking cues from one of his most famous disciples, Zach Bryan, who typically prioritizes naked emotional authenticity and stripped-back instrumentation over careful songwriting and full-bodied musical arrangements. At the heart of this album are sad but resigned songs in which Isbell takes fresh stock of the “forever” he wrote about “If We Were Vampires.” He’s no longer fantasizing about living out an eternal Nosferatu-like existence with his beloved; he’s now trying to appreciate fleeting moments of happiness, even from a newly pained, bittersweet point of view observed in hindsight.

“All that I needed was all that I had,” he sings in one of the album’s best songs, “and it was good while it lasted.” In the cold, hard light of day, vampires simply can’t survive. But at least they had the night.

Last summer, JID’s manager Barry Hefner joked that the Atlanta rapper’s next album was never coming out after being told by TDE President Punch Henderson that “holding albums back” was the secret to the California label’s success.

Fortunately, it seems, that wasn’t the case; although, JID’s recent announcement that the album has been submitted for publishing was a relatively long time coming (his last album, The Forever Story, was released in August 2022). In a recent interview with I-D for the magazine’s social media coverage of Paris Fashion Week, JID was asked about the status of his long-awaited fourth studio album.

“It’s done,” he confirmed. “It’s turned in. It’s coming really f**king soon. It’s been a long time in the making. All the ‘T’s are crossed, and the ‘I’s are dotted. I think we’re in a good position to build this new world that I’ve been working on for the past couple of years.”

While he did confirm that the album was done, he didn’t distinguish which of the projects fans have been waiting on for long was finished. In addition to his follow up to The Forever Story, JID also announced a project produced by Metro Boomin back in 2023; a year later, the St. Louis trap stalwart assured a concerned fan the album was “still a thing.” Are they the same album at this point? Who knows, but it’s still nice to know that the seemingly interminable wait for JID’s ascension may finally be over soon.