Category: News

Today is April Fools’ Day, the day when you can’t trust anything you see on the internet. (That’s maybe not the best description because by that logic, every day is April Fools’ Day.) Companies love to get a good gag in for April Fools’, and they usually fall in one of two categories: a stunt that attempts to deceive, or a stunt that’s just silly and fun. NPR Music went with the latter approach this year, by sharing a new Tiny Desk Concert from… Kevin Hart.

As his rap alias Chocolate Droppa (or rather, “Kevin Hart” is Droppa’s alter ego, per NPR), Hart and a backing band delivered a ten-minute, four-song set consisting of “ATL RAP,” “West Coast,” “Love Song,” and “Don’t F*ck With Dem.” During the first break between songs, Hart insisted the whole set it “off the dome.”

Hart fans know that Chocolate Droppa is nothing new. Under the alias, Hart released an album — Kevin Hart: What Now? (The Mixtape Presents Chocolate Droppa), to accompany his stand-up special Kevin Hart: What Now? — in 2016. He got some real firepower to contribute to the project, as collaborators include Lil Yachty, Nick Jonas, T.I., Migos, Trey Songz, Big Sean, 2 Chains, Metro Boomin, Wale, PnB Rock, and many others.

Check out the Tiny Desk Concert above.

Spring has supposedly sprung, and the streaming services are more than happy to oblige if you’re doing the seasonal cleaning thing. Let’s get real, though, there’s a good chance that you are browsing this list after the Reacher and Severance finales and could use some bingewatching distractions while waiting for more. So, don’t let my introductory chatter stop you from diving into this incoming sea of seasons in order of their releases.

Here are the must-see shows for April 2025.

Pulse: Season 1 (Netflix series 4/1)

Willa Fitzgerald (Reacher) and Jessie T. Usher (The Boys) star in this medical drama that should appeal to The Pitt viewers. Literally heart-pounding action will revolve around a Level 1 Trauma Center, where residents still somehow have time to get randy. Additionally, the customary life-or-death situations will be further complicated by a natural disaster. No matter how much stress comes down the professional line, however, expect these fledgling doctors’ personal lives to deliver even more messiness.

The Bondsman: Season 1 (Prime Video/Amazon series 4/1)

Kevin Bacon stars as a demon-hunting bounty hunter in this series that turns horror conventions on their heads. He portrays Hub Halloran, who rises from the grave with regrets involving love and lost musical dreams. Perhaps one of those missed goals is within his grasp, but he’ll have to keep the Devil satisfied while getting his country groove back on during spare moments. This show looks like a hellaciously fun time, and few people can say no to Bacon.

The Handmaid’s Tale: Season 6 (Hulu series 4/8)

Gilead’s Most Wanted is gearing up to make a final push for the resistance in the Elisabeth Moss-starring Hulu flagship series. The above trailer teases a new “reformer” phase for Serena Joy while June and her fellow rebels are gearing up to make sure that Commander Lawrence regrets this entire sordid societal experiment. In the meantime, series creator Bruce Miller has moved aside as showrunner, so that he can develop follow-up series The Testaments, which will be based upon Margaret Atwood’s companion novel.

Hacks: Season 4 (Max series 4/10)

Comedy queens Jean Smart and Hannah Einbinder return as Deborah and Ava, respectively, to make the most of Ava’s awe-inspiring turning of the tables in the most recent season finale. In the process, the pair will have to work for the survival of Deborah’s new late night show. Of course, Ava only believes that she “beat [Deborah] at her own game,” as revealed in the above trailer, and expect this further meeting of the minds to get ugly. Hold on, Ava, you’re in for more than you ever imagined.

Black Mirror: Season 7 (Netflix series 4/10)

The technological nightmare continues with a new supply of terrorized characters portrayed by Paul Giamatti, Emma Corrin, Rashida Jones, Chris O’Dowd, Issa Rae, Billy Magnussen, and Harriet Walter, for starters. The Penguin‘s Cristin Milioti also reprises her Nanette Cole role in a followup to the infamous, Twilight Zone-inspired “USS Callister” episode, but don’t expect to see Jesse Plemons because, well, you know.

The Last of Us: Season 2 (HBO series 4/13)

The acclaimed video-game adaptation returns with Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey back as Joel and Ellie following their quest through the Cordyceps-afflicted United States. They will be joined by Kaitlyn Dever as Abby, and ideally, the toxic fandom can give it a rest and actually focus on the experience of watching these survivors thrive even while inside and outside peril continues.

Government Cheese: Season 1 (Apple TV+ series 4/16)

Prepare for the surreal in this 1969-set comedy series that heads into San Fernando Valley. An unconventional “family” has come together, which shatters the coming-home dreams of David Oyelowo’s character, Hampton Chambers, after he leaves prison. In response, Hampton fires up even more chaos, which adds up to a storytelling gamble from creators Paul Hunter and Aeysha Carr as Apple TV+ beefs up its comedy roster that recently includes hits like Shrinking, Bad Monkey, and Platonic and will bring back Ted Lasso for another Jason Sudeikis-infused season.

Law & Order: Organized Crime: Season 5 (Peacock series 4/17)

Excellent news: following a too-long official renewal wait, Elliot Stabler can now utter “the F-word” while letting his hotheaded self fly in between pursuing baddies within the criminal underworld. This season will pick up with Stabler attempting to maneuver away from crime-family vengeance after events in Rome while high-tech terrorism is threatening to explode stateside, and at some point, Olivia Benson will surface. As has become customary with this series, the overarching story of this show will be fueled by longer-running arcs, which should be better served in its new streaming home.

Ransom Canyon: Season 1 (Netflix series 4/17)

Netflix’s quest for more Yellowstone-appealing content fires up with this adaptation of Jodi Thomas’ book series about “a romance-fueled family drama and contemporary Western saga that charts the intersecting lives of three ranching families, all set against the rugged expanse of Texas Hill Country.” Josh Duhamel and Minka Kelly headline as their community, Ransom, fights back against past secrets that are stirred up by the arrival of a mysterious cowboy. If you’re looking for even more Neo-Western selections on Netflix, American Primeval and Territory should scratch that same itch.

Andor: Season 2 (Disney+ series 4/22)

The greatest Star Wars show will return with Diego Luna’s Cassian Andor. The second season will take place over four years while Cassian continues his rebel-hero evolution in the face of the imperial threat as the show pushes forth toward Rogue One territory. In addition to Luna, this story will continue with Ben Mendelsohn (as Orson Krennic), Forest Whitaker (as Saw Gerrera), Stellan Skarsgård (as Luthen Rael), and Denise Gough (as Deedra Meero) among the ensemble cast.

You: Season 5 (Netflix series 4/24)

Will Joe Goldberg’s carefully constructed stalker world finally come crashing down around him? He’s dancing with fire by returning to his blood-drenched old stomping grounds of Mooney’s bookshop, where his “rare books” cage still exists to imprison new targets. Of course, old ghosts always haunt him, and he’s bound to (again) poorly cover any homicidal tracks that he throws down. Memories of Geneviere Beck, Love Quinn, and Gabrielle will surely fly while his obscenely rich wife, Kate, and her family will likely throw up obstacles to Joe’s sanity. And do not forget about Dr. Nicky still languishing behind bars while ready to jump at vengeance. Netflix has made no secret of this being Joe’s final stand, so expect this to be a banger of a finale.

Back in November 2024, Megan Fox announced she was pregnant with her and Machine Gun Kelly’s first child together. (The two both have other children from previous relationships.) Well, it’s been a few months since then, and sure enough, the child has arrived.

On March 27, the day of the child’s birth, MGK shared a short video of his newborn daughter holding onto one of his fingers and wrote, “she’s finally here!! our little celestial seed 3/27/25.”

Naturally, as people are wont to do, they started looking for clues about any info related to the newborn. Some suspected that given MGK’s caption, the baby’s name is Celestial Seed, to the point that some have outright said that assuming it’s true. Once MGK caught wind of this, he cleared up any confusion. In a post shared on his Instagram Story yesterday (March 31), MGK shared a screenshot of a video that misnames his child and wrote, “wait guys…her name isn’t ‘Celestial Seed’ [crying-laughing emoji] her mom is gonna tell you the name when we’re ready.”

So, while it’s not rare for celebrities to give their children uncommon names, this kid isn’t named “Celestial Seed.” There’s a good chance the baby has a relatively typical name, given MGK and Fox’s histories with naming children: Fox’s previous three children are named Noah Shannon Green, Bodhi Ransom Green, and Journey River Green, while MGK’s first daughter is named Casie Colson Baker.

For months now, it has been rumored that set to star in Sam Mendes’ upcoming four-pack of movies about The Beatles are Paul Mescal as Paul McCartney, Harris Dickinson as John Lennon, Joseph Quinn as George Harrison, and Barry Keoghan as Ringo Starr. That cast has been all but confirmed for a while now, and it turns out the rumors were correct: At the end of Sony’s CinemaCon presentation last night (March 31), Mendes himself took the stage to make the reveal (as NME notes). All four cast members were present as well.

Furthermore, he also revealed that all four of the movies are scheduled to arrive in April 2028. Collectively, the films are referred to as The Beatles – A Four-Film Cinematic Event and Mendes called them the “first binge-able theatrical experience,” per Variety.

Mendes also said (via Deadline) he “had been trying to do a film for years, but I finally gave up” because he felt the “story was too big for one film” and a TV series didn’t seem right. He continued, “There had to be a way to tell the epic story for a new generation. […] I can assure you there is still plenty left to explore and I think we found a way to do that.”

Emerging from the smoking wreckage of 2024, Drake has been frantically trying to right the ship after picking the wrong fight(s) last year. While his efforts to curtail the spread of Kendrick Lamar’s “Not Like Us” onslaught through legal means seem like a case of “too little, too late,” Some Sexy Songs 4 U, his recently released joint album with Partynextdoor, seemingly put him back in good standing with his core fans. Meanwhile, the video for that album’s standout track, “Nokia,” might just be another step in the right direction.

Gone are the moody visuals and tough guy posturing of much of his For All The Dogs video output. Instead of pouting his way through a dystopian tableau or posing with Albanian mobsters, Drake puts on a lively show in the “Nokia” — albeit in cinematic grayscale, which honestly, might fit the theme for those of his fans old enough to remember playing Snake under the desk in class on their trusty gray brick phones.

Flanked by fleets of dancers evoking the dot matrix of those phones’ old two-color screens and bopping along like he doesn’t have a care in the world, Drake looks and sounds like he’s actually having fun again — which, lest we all forget, is when he’s usually at his best. Of particular note are the facts that he released the video via his “burner” YouTube, which could signify a reset for him, while the video itself was reportedly shot in IMAX, which is at least a cool tidbit that shows he’s still got grander visions for his career. The video also stars Canadian NBA star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, proving Drake still has a few supporters in the league — in this case, an MVP candidate.

Perhaps he can bring this more upbeat vibe into his next project and shake off the funk from having his greatest rival thrash him during the biggest television event of the year.

Watch Drake’s “Nokia” video above.

Back in 2022, it was announced that Kendrick Lamar, Dave Free, and the creators of South Park, Trey Parker and Matt Stone, were developing a comedy film about a slavery re-enactor who discovers that his girlfriend’s family once owned his. Last year, the release date was set for this Independence Day, July 4, 2025.

However, in December, Kendrick announced his Grand National Tour with SZA, which kicks off on April 19 and runs through mid-June, which means Kendrick wouldn’t be available for the film’s press tour. Which could explain why Deadline reports that the live-action comedy has been rescheduled to March 20, 2026. As Deadline notes, this leaves the summer schedule a bit more wide-open this year for blockbuster hopefuls Jurassic World Rebirth and Superman.

Little is known about the film beyond the above tagline, although Stone did chat with Bloomberg about the movie, calling it “funny” that the release date would have pitted the comedy against the latest installment of the Jurassic Park franchise. The movie will be Kendrick Lamar and Dave Free’s first film as producers, expanding the rapper’s run of pop culture dominance that included performing at the Super Bowl, securing yet another No. 1 album on the Billboard 200, GNX, and garnering a new No. 1 Billboard Hot 100 hit in “Luther” with SZA.

The 2025 Dreamville Festival headlined by Lil Wayne and the Hot Boys is swiftly approaching, but there’s plenty to do before this weekend. The festival has released the schedule for Dreamville Fest Week, detailing all the free public events in downtown Raleigh leading up to the festival’s final show. Starting Wednesday with the Dreamville Fest Pop-Up Shop and including Dreamville Public Access, a series of panels, the activities on offer run the gamut from health and wellness classes to game nights and car shows.

Fans looking to learn how to break into the music business can attend Dreamville University at Shaw University, with courses breaking down the basics on Thursday, while standup fans can check out “Punchanella Comedy Clash” with Doctur Dot of Earthgang. Meanwhile, the Dreamville Public Access panels have talks on music production, from sampling to engineering, with hitmakers like T-Minus, Boi-1da, Easy Moe Bee, and Large Professor.

Along with one of its most star-studded lineups yet (Erykah Badu, GloRilla, Ludacris, PartyNextDoor, Tems, and more are on the bill), the final Dreamville fest is going to feature its largest food lineup yet, with more than 75 local vendors. You can see the full schedule for Dreamville Fest Week below and find more info here.

Stagecoach has quite the lineup for 2025, featuring everybody from Lana Del Rey to Shaboozey to Nelly to Zach Bryan to Creed to Backstreet Boys. The festival is set for the end of April, but now attendees can start planning their days, as organizers have shared the day-by-day set times.

Stagecoach 2025 Set Times For Friday, April 25

Highlights from the first day include Zach Bryan at 9:30 (all times p.m. and PT) on the T-Mobile Mane Stage, T-Pain at 11:10 on the Palomino Stage, Lana Del Rey at 8:10 on the Palomino Stage, and Diplo at 6 at Diplo’s Honkytonk.

Stagecoach 2025 Set Times For Saturday, April 26

Day 2 features Jelly Roll at 9:30 on the T-Mobile Mane Stage, Sturgill Simpson at 8 on the T-Mobile Mane Stage, Creed at 11:10 on the Palomino Stage, Nelly at 7:20 on the Palomino Stage, and Shaboozey at 5:30 on the T-Mobile Mane Stage.

Stagecoach 2025 Set Times For Sunday, April 27

Closing out the final day are Luke Combs at 9:30 on the T-Mobile Mane Stage, Backstreet Boys at 11:10 on the Palomino Stage, and DJ Pee .Wee (Anderson .Paak) at Diplo’s Honkytonk.

Find the full set times below.

Stagecoach 2025 Set Times

Stagecoach 2025 Lineup

30rack
49 Winchester
Abby Anderson
Abi Carter
Alana Springsteen
Alexandra Kay
Angel White
Anne Wilson
Annie Bosko
Ashley McBryde
Austin Snell
Avery Anna
Backstreet Boys
Blessing Offor
Brent Cobb
Brothers Osborne
Bryan Martin
Carly Pearce
Carter Faith
Chase Manhattan
Chayce Beckham
Chromeo (DJ set)
Colby Acuff
Conner Smith
Coral
Creed
Crystal Gayle
Dasha
Diplo
Diplo’s Honkytonk
DJ Pee .Wee (aka Anderson .Paak)
Drake Milligan
Dylan Gossett
Dylan Scott
Famous Dave
Flatland Cavalry
George Birge
Goo Goo Dolls
Honky Tonkin’ in Queens
Jelly Roll
John Morgan
Kashus Culpepper
Kermie J Rock
Kevin Bolt
Koe Wetzel
Lana Del Rey
Lanie Gardner
Lauren
Louie TheSinger
Luke Combs
Maddox Batson
Mae Estes
Midland
Myles Kennedy
Nelly (25 Years of Country Grammar)
Nikki Lane
Niko Moon
Noeline Hofmann
Paris Hilton
Rick
Sammy Hagar
Scotty McCreery
Shaboozey
Shaddix
Sidepiece
Sierra Ferrell
Slim Mcgraw
Sofi Tukker
Sturgill Simpson
T-Pain
Tanner Usrey
The Bacon Brothers
The Castellows
The Wilder Blue
Tiera Kennedy
Tigerlily Gold
Tommy James & the Shondells
Tracy Lawrence
Treaty Oak Revival
Tucker Wetmore
Vavo
Vincent Mason
Waylon Wyatt
Whiskey Myers
Zach Bryan

Erykah Badu has a long history of challenging fans with both her music and her wardrobe, and at this past weekend’s Billboard Women In Music Ceremony, she did so yet again. The “On & On” singer, who recently announced that she’s working on her first album in 15 years with producer The Alchemist, donned an eye-popping knit bodysuit that sparked a BBL-related debate.

No, it wasn’t because it was particularly revealing (Badu already jumped that benchmark ages ago). Instead, the suit was designed to resemble a full-figured woman’s body, drawing comparisons to both enslaved 19th-century Khoisan performer Sarah Baartman and the ongoing Brazilian butt-lift trend in hip-hop. Badu herself fueled speculation about the ensemble’s intent by studiously avoiding explanations online, instead captioning an Instagram post debuting the suit, “A lil Hippy. Rise of the dark divine feminine. – a short film by E. Badu.” She also noted that it was designed by Texan designer Myah Hasbany, who was described as using their creativity to “to convey necessary messages about body and gender dysmorphia and how to overcome them with confidence and acceptance.”

The reactions to the outfit as videos and photos hit social media ranged from comparisons to ancient sculptures like the Venus of Willendorf to arguments that she was mocking women who get cosmetic surgeries to appear more voluptuous. One thing is for sure, though: It’ll sure be interesting to see what Ms. Badu wears when she performs at the Dreamville Festival this weekend.

Last summer Taco Bell dropped the Cheesy Street Chalupa and we liked it so much that we called it “essential.” And, of course, like Taco Bell often does with its best dishes, they took it off the menu (see the brand’s delicious but frustrating Nacho Fries and discontinued than revived Mexican Pizza). We’ll never understand why Taco Bell does this so often, but hey, we’re not in the fast food business, we’re in the fast food eating business!

Maybe there is genius to the strategy, to us, it’s just frustrating.

Which is why when Taco Bell revealed its new Toasted Cheddar Street Chalupa, we didn’t know how to feel. On the one hand, we like the Cheesy Street Chalupa, but on the other, changing the recipe runs the risk of reintroducing an inferior dish, and forever dooming any chance we get the OG back. Well, we’re happy to report that the new Toasted Cheddar Street Chalupa took a delicious dish and made it significantly better.

So far, 2025 is proving to be a good year for Taco Bell fans. Here are our full thoughts on the new dish.

Toasted Cheddar Street Chalupa

Thoughts & Tasting Notes:

The Toasted Cheddar Street Chalupa differs from last summer’s Cheesy Street Chalupa in a few key ways. Gone is the double-layer flatbread, instead replaced with a single layer that has been encrusted with grilled cheddar cheese. This swap is a marked improvement that adds considerably more crunch to the dish. A single layer helps the overall flavor come across as more focused and allows the inner ingredients to cut through the dish better. While we miss the layer of melted mozzarella and pepper jack, the cheddar adds a lot more zest and tang to the dish, which helps to elevate the base flavor.

Inside the chalupa is your choice of Taco Bell’s Cantina Slow Roasted Chicken or Steak (we suggest the chicken, it’s tender with a zesty and herbaceous flavor), a serving of bright and tangy chile-lime cream sauce (instead of the OG’s jalapeño ranch sauce, again, an improvement), and fresh cilantro and onion. Biting into the chalupa treats your taste buds to a symphony of shifting salty, sweet, herbaceous, and zesty flavors with a very, very mildly spicy finish.

The only thing that could improve on this already delicious dish is more spice. Getting heat at Taco Bell is always a challenge, for true spiceheads, the brand just isn’t hot enough. We’re not sure it ever will be, but hey, we didn’t see the Cheesy Street Chalupa coming either, so maybe Taco Bell still has a few tricks up its sleeve.

The Bottom Line:

We really love the way this dish balances a cheesy crunch with a medley of indulgent savory flavors. The Toasted Cheddar Street Chalupa is a future classic if Taco Bell just lets it stay on the menu. It ranks among the very best from the brand, every bit as good as the Mexican Pizza and Crunchwrap Supreme.