Category: News

Similar to ceremony held earlier in the year, the competition at the 2025 iHeartRadio Music Awards was stiff.

While, Taylor Swift and Morgan Wallen lead the nomination pack with 10 nods a piece, Kendrick Lamar, Post Malone and Sabrina Carpenter followed closely with nine for each of them. But Billie Eilish, Doja Cat, Jelly Roll, SZA and Teddy Swim didn’t do so shabby with five nomination each. So as the ceremony was broadcasted live on FOX, fans were locked in to see which of music’s biggest names would walk away on top.

Elsewhere in the program Lady Gaga received the 2025 iHeartRadio Innovator Award. Mariah Carey was also honored with the 2025 iHeartRadio Icon Award. Outside of her nominations for the evening, Swift’s The Eras Tour was named Tour of the Century (and celebrated by airing an exclusive performance from the record-setting tour).

Continue below for the full winners list.

Artist of the Year

Billie Eilish
Doja Cat
Jelly Roll
Kendrick Lamar
Morgan Wallen
Post Malone
Sabrina Carpenter
SZA
Taylor Swift
Teddy Swims

Album of the Year

Hit Me Hard And Soft — Billie Eilish

Song of the Year

“A Bar Song (Tipsy)”- Shaboozey
“Agora Hills”- Doja Cat
“Beautiful Things”- Benson Boone
“Espresso” – Sabrina Carpenter
“Greedy”- Tate McRae
“I Had Some Help” – Post Malone featuring Morgan Wallen
“Lose Control” – Teddy Swims
“Lovin on Me” – Jack Harlow
“Not Like Us”- Kendrick Lamar
“Too Sweet” – Hozier

Best Collaboration

“Die With a Smile” – Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars
“Fortnight” – Taylor Swift featuring Post Malone
“I Had Some Help” – Post Malone featuring Morgan Wallen
“Like That” – Future, Metro Boomin and Kendrick Lamar
“Miles on It” – Kane Brown and Marshmello

Producer of the Year

Julian Bunetta
Jack Antonoff
Evan Blair
Mustard
Dan Nigro

Songwriter of the Year

Josh Coleman
ERNEST
Ashley Gorley
Amy Allen
Justin Tranter

Pop Song of the Year

“Agora Hills” – Doja Cat
“Beautiful Things” – Benson Boone
“Espresso” – Sabrina Carpenter
“Greedy” – Tate McRae
“Too Sweet” – Hozier

Pop Artist of the Year

Billie Eilish
Chappell Roan
Sabrina Carpenter
Tate McRae
Taylor Swift

Best New Artist (Pop)

Benson Boone
Chappell Roan
Gracie Abrams
Shaboozey
Teddy Swims

Country Song of the Year

“A Bar Song (Tipsy)” – Shaboozey
“Cowgirls” – Morgan Wallen featuring ERNEST
“I Am Not Okay” – Jelly Roll
“I Had Some Help”- Post Malone featuring Morgan Wallen
“World on Fire”- Nate Smith

Country Artist of the Year

Jelly Roll
Kane Brown
Lainey Wilson
Luke Combs
Morgan Wallen

Best New Artist (Country)

Ashley Cooke
Dasha
George Birge
Shaboozey
Tucker Wetmore

Hip-Hop Song of the Year

“Like That” – Future, Metro Boomin and Kendrick Lamar
“Lovin on Me” – Jack Harlow
“Not Like Us” – Kendrick Lamar
“Rich Baby Daddy”- Drake featuring Sexyy Red and SZA
“TGIF” – GloRilla

Hip-Hop Artist of the Year

Drake
Future
GloRilla
Kendrick Lamar
Travis Scott

Best New Artist (Hip-Hop)

310Babii
BigXthaPlug
BossMan Dlow
Cash Cobain
Jordan Adetunji

R&B Song of the Year

“ICU” – Coco Jones
“Made for Me” – Muni Long
“Sensational” – Chris Brown featuring Davido and Lojay
“Water” – Tyla
“WY@”- Brent Faiyaz

R&B Artist of the Year

Chris Brown
Muni Long
SZA
Usher
Victoria Monét

Best New Artist (R&B)

4Batz
Ambré
Inayah
Josh X
Maeta

Alternative Song of the Year

“Dilemma” – Green Day
“Landmines” – Sum 41
“Neon Pill” – Cage The Elephant
“The Emptiness Machine” – Linkin Park
“Too Sweet” – Hozier

Alternative Artist of the Year

Cage The Elephant
Green Day
Linkin Park
Sum 41
Twenty One Pilots

Best New Artist (Alt and Rock)

Djo
Fontaines D.C.
Good Neighbours
Myles Smith
The Last Dinner Party

Rock Song of the Year

“A Symptom of Being Human” – Shinedown
“All My Life” – Falling In Reverse and Jelly Roll
“Dark Matter” – Pearl Jam
“Screaming Suicide” – Metallica
“The Emptiness Machine” – Linkin Park

Rock Artist of the Year

Green Day
Linkin Park
Metallica
Pearl Jam
Shinedown

Dance Song of the Year

“360” – Charli xcx
“Chase It (Mmm Da Da Da)” – Bebe Rexha
“I Don’t Wanna Wait” – David Guetta and OneRepublic
“Make You Mine” – Madison Beer
“Water” – Tyla X Marshmello

Dance Artist of the Year

Calvin Harris
David Guetta
Dua Lipa
Kylie Minogue
Tiësto

Latin Pop / Urban Song of the Year

“Brickell” – FEID X Yandel
“LA FALDA” – Myke Towers
“Perro Negro”- Bad Bunny featuring FEID
“Qlona” – Karol G featuring Peso Pluma
“Si Antes Te Hubiera Conocido”- Karol G

Latin Pop / Urban Artist of the Year

Bad Bunny
FEID
Karol G
Myke Towers
Shakira

Best New Artist (Latin Pop / Urban)

Christian Alicea
Cris MJ
Ela Taubert
FloyyMenor
Kapo

Regional Mexican Song of the Year

“Alch Si” – Grupo Frontera and Carin León
“El Beneficio De La Duda” – Grupo Firme
“FIRST LOVE” – Oscar Ortiz and Edgardo Nuñez
“La Diabla”- Xavi
“Tu Perfume” – Banda MS de Sergio Lizárraga

Regional Mexican Artist of the Year

Grupo Frontera
Intocable
Los Ángeles Azules
Peso Pluma
Xavi

Best New Artist (Regional Mexican)

Chino Pacas
Iván Cornejo
Luis R. Conriquez
Tito Double P
Xavi

K-pop Artist of the Year

aespa
ATEEZ
ENHYPEN
Jimin
Lisa

K-pop Song of the Year

“Chk Chk Boom” – Stray Kids
“Magnetic”- ILLIT
“Supernova” – aespa
“Who”- Jimin
“XO (Only If You Say Yes)”- ENHYPEN

Best New Artist (K-pop)

BABYMONSTER
BADVILLAIN
ILLIT
NCT WISH
TWS

Breakthrough Artists of the Year

Gracie Abrams

World Artist of the Year

Burna Boy
Central Cee
Tems
Tyla
YG Marley

Favorite Soundtrack

(fan-voted category)

Back to Black
Bad Boys: Ride or Die
Bob Marley: One Love
Challengers
Deadpool & Wolverine
Descendants: The Rise of Red
Emilia Pérez
The Book of Clarence
Twisters
Wicked

Favorite Broadway Debut

(fan-voted category)

Adam Lambert – Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club
Ariana Madix – Chicago
Barbie Ferreira – Cult of Love
Charli D’Amelio – & Juliet
Grant Gustin – Water for Elephants
Kit Connor – Romeo + Juliet
Lola Tung – Hadestown
Nicole Scherzinger – Sunset Blvd
Rachel Zegler – Romeo + Juliet
Robert Downey Jr. – McNeal
Sebastián Yatra – Chicago
Shailene Woodley – Cult of Love

Favorite K-pop Dance Challenge

(fan-voted category)

“GGUM” – Yeonjun (TXT)
“MAESTRO” – Seventeen
“Magnetic” – ILLIT
“Smart” – LE SSERAFIM
“Sticky”- Kiss of Life
“Supernova” – aespa
“Touch” – KATSEYE
“UP” – Karina (aespa)
“WORK” – ATEEZ
“XO (Only If You Say Yes)” – ENHYPEN

Favorite Surprise Guest

(fan-voted category)

Charli xcx bringing out Lorde
Coldplay bringing out Selena Gomez
Future & Metro Boomin bringing out Travis Scott
GloRilla & Megan Thee Stallion bringing out Cardi B
Jennifer Hudson bringing out Cher
Kendrick Lamar bringing out Ken & Friends
Luke Combs bringing out the “Twisters” Cast
Morgan Wallen bringing out Travis Kelce & Patrick Mahomes
Niall Horan bringing out Shawn Mendes
Olivia Rodrigo bringing out Chappell Roan
Peso Pluma bringing out Becky G
Taylor Swift bringing out Travis Kelce

Favorite Tour Tradition

(fan-voted category)

Benson Boone – Backflips
Chappell Roan – Teaching “HOT TO GO” dance
Charli xcx + Troye Sivan – “Apple” Girl (dance)
Morgan Wallen – Walk out song
Niall Horan – Heaven pose
Nicki Minaj – Fans sing
Olivia Rodrigo – Encore tank
Sabrina Carpenter- “Juno” position
Tate McRae – Soundcheck covers
Taylor Swift – “22” Hat
Taylor Swift – Surprise songs
Usher – Feeding cherries

Best Lyrics

(fan-voted category)

“Beautiful Things” – Benson Boone
“Birds Of A Feather” – Billie Eilish
“Espresso”- Sabrina Carpenter
“Exes” – Tate McRae
“Fortnight” – Taylor Swift featuring Post Malone
“Good Luck, Babe!”- Chappell Roan
“I Had Some Help”- Post Malone featuring Morgan Wallen
“I Love You, I’m Sorry” – Gracie Abrams
“Not Like Us” – Kendrick Lamar
“Saturn” – SZA
“We Can’t Be Friends (Wait For Your Love)” – Ariana Grande
“Who”- Jimin

Best Music Video

(fan-voted category)

“APT.” – ROSÉ and Bruno Mars
“Beautiful Things” – Benson Boone
“Die With A Smile” – Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars
“Espresso” – Sabrina Carpenter
“Fortnight” – Taylor Swift featuring Post Malone
“Houdini” – Dua Lipa
“Houdini” – Eminem
“I Had Some Help” – Post Malone featuring Morgan Wallen
“LUNA” – ATL Jacob X FEID
“Not Like Us” – Kendrick Lamar
“Please Please Please” – Sabrina Carpenter
“Rockstar” – Lisa

Favorite Tour Style

(fan-voted category)

Billie Eilish – Hit Me Hard and Soft
Chappell Roan – The Midwest Princess
Charli xcx and Troye Sivan – Sweat
GloRilla and Megan Thee Stallion – Hot Girl Summer Tour
Nicki Minaj – Pink Friday 2 Tour
Olivia Rodrigo – GUTS
Sabrina Carpenter – Short n’ Sweet
Tate McRae – Think Later
Taylor Swift – The Eras Tour
Usher – Usher: Past Present Future

Favorite Tour Photographer

(fan-voted category)

Adam Degross – Post Malone
Alfredo Flores – Sabrina Carpenter
Baeth – Tate McRae
Christian Tierney – Niall Horan
David Bergman – Luke Combs
Henry Hwu – Billie Eilish
Lucienne Nghiem – Chappell Roan
Miles Leavitt – Olivia Rodrigo
Pooneh Ghana – Noah Kahan
RAYSCORRUPTEDMIND – Travis Scott
Sanjay Parikh – Shinedown
Yasi – Kacey Musgraves

Favorite On Screen

(fan-voted category)

Are You Sure?! (Jimin and Jungkook)
Child Star (Demi Lovato)
Elton John: Never Too Late (Elton John)
Gaga Chromatica Ball (Lady Gaga)
I Am: Céline Dion (Céline Dion)
Lainey Wilson: Bell Bottom Country (Lainey Wilson)
Megan Thee Stallion: In Her Words (Megan Thee Stallion)
Olivia Rodrigo: GUTS World Tour (Olivia Rodrigo)
Pop Star Academy: KATSEYE (KATSEYE)
Road Diary: Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band (Bruce Springsteen)
Taylor Swift | The Eras Tour (Taylor’s Version) (Taylor Swift)
Thank You, Goodnight: The Bon Jovi Story (Bon Jovi)

Will Smith has come a long way from his time growing up in West Philadelphia. Hell, the Bad Boys star has even made tremendous strides outside of his career as a musician. But, later this month Smith will step back into hip-hop with the release of his upcoming studio album, Based On A True Story.

Today (March 17), Will Smith revealed that to support the forthcoming body of work he will embark on a string of international show as part of his Based On A True Story Tour–his first-ever headlining run.

“I’M GOING ON TOUR THIS SUMMER,” he wrote on Instagram. “We’re hitting up UK & Europe to bring U all the hits, some new joints, and a few surprises 😉 All these years, I’ve NEVER done a headline tour and I can’t wait to see you guys!!”

The Based On A True Story Tour pre-sale is scheduled to begin on Wednesday, March 19 at 10 a.m. local time. Based on availability a general sale will follow on Friday, March 21 at 10 a.m. local time. Find more information here. Continue below to view the performance schedule and official tour poster.

Will Smith 2025 Tour Dates: Based On A True Story Tour

06/25 — Rabat, MA @ Mawazine
06/28 — Le Barcarès, FR @ Les Déferlantes Festival *
07/03 — Gran Canaria, ES @ Granca Live Fest *
07/12 — Wolfsburg, DE @ Sommerfestival der Autostadt *
07/13 — Hamburg, DE @ Stadtpark Open Air *
07/15 — Hannover, DE @ Gilde Parkbühne
07/18 — Frankfurt, DE @ Festhalle
07/19 — Berne, CH @ Gurtenfestival *
07/23 — Nyon, CH @ Paléo Festival *
07/25 — Massa, IT @ BIG ART Festival *
07/26 — Marbella, ES @ Starlite Occident
07/31 — Orange, FR @ POSITIV Festival *
08/01 — Orange, FR @ POSITIV Festival *
08/02 — Monte Carlo @ Salle des Étoiles
08/05 — Braine -le-Comte, BE @ Ronquières Festival *
08/07 — Skanderborg, DK @ Smukfest *
08/09 — Almeria, ES @ Dreambeach Festival *
08/15 — St. Pölten, AT @ Frequency Festival *
08/17 — Charleville-Mézières, FR @ Cabaret Vert
08/22 — Drammen, NO @ Ypsilon Festival *
08/24 — Scarborough, UK @ Scarborough Open Air Theatre
08/25 — Cardiff, UK @ Bute Park
08/27 — Manchester, UK @ Victoria Warehouse
08/28 — London, UK @ Brixton Academy
08/30 — Wolverhampton, UK @ The Halls
09/02 — Paris, FR @ Zénith

* – festival appearance

Will Smith’s Based On A True Story Tour poster

Based On A True Story is out 3/28 via Rave In The Wasteland/SLANG. Find more information here.

Things between Drake and UMG are heating up. Today (March 17), UMG clapped back at the “Gimme A Hug” rapper’s defamation lawsuit with a filing of its own–a dismissal motion. In court documents asking for Drake’s case against them to be tossed out, the label accused Drake of misusing the justice system because he’s upset that his rap battle with Kendrick Lamar didn’t pan out in his favor.

Well, Drake has issued a response to UMG’s claims and its newly filed motion. In a statement provided to TMZ, Drake’s lead attorney Mike Gottlieb slammed UMG.

“UMG wants to pretend that this is about a rap battle in order to distract its shareholders, artists and the public from a simple truth,” he wrote. “A greedy company [UMG] is finally being held responsible for profiting from dangerous misinformation that has already resulted in multiple acts of violence.”

He continued: “This motion is a desperate ploy by UMG to avoid accountability, but we have every confidence that this case will proceed and continue to uncover UMG’s long history of endangering, abusing and taking advantage of its artists.”

When Kendrick Lamar dropped his chart-topping (now multiple Grammy Award-winning) record “Not Like Us,” hip-hop fans could not have predicted it resulting in this intense legal dispute.

You gotta hand it to Netflix. The streaming service committed to a series about author Michael Connelly’s maverick criminal defense attorney (portrayed by Matthew McConaughey for a single film), and that appeal has stretched for many more miles of Lincoln Town Car wheeling and dealing. Now, a fourth season of The Lincoln Lawyer is on the way, and the show will further improve on their previous decision to bring back Neve Campbell as Mickey Haller’s first wife, Maggie McPherson. She will be more involved in this fourth season, so let’s not waste any more time on what to expect.

Plot

Mickey Haller will need to recover from that god-awful (for him) season finale, in which he was busted for (unknowingly) driving around with Sam Scales’ (Christopher Thornton) body in his trunk. That episode, “The Gods Of Guilt,” took its title directly from Connelly’s novel that was adapted for the season.

Now, Mickey must defend himself on murder charges if co-showrunners Ted Humphrey and Dailyn Rodriguez stick with that detail from the next book, The Law Of Innocence. And it’s safe to say that they will do so because the series has stayed pretty close to Connelly’s writings in previous seasons. Humphrey, for his part, confirmed to Netflix that Mickey has found himself in “the biggest cliffhanger of all,” which can only be resolved through a season-long trial. Also, Mickey will need to learn how to take his own advice:

“All the advice he’s given clients over the years, now he has to give himself — and he realizes how hollow some of it sounds when you’re the one it’s bouncing off of,” says the co-showrunner who is directing the first two episodes of Season 4. ‘He’s got to deal with how this impacts not just him but also his family and loved ones, not to mention his business! But don’t worry — he’s going to have help from some of the people our audience loves the most, as well as some familiar faces who will be cropping up along the way — some helpfully… some perhaps not so helpfully, and a few new ones as well.’”

Netflix hasn’t provided a fourth season synopsis yet, but we can guess a key difference from the Law Of Innocence book synopsis on Connelly’s website:

Mickey elects to defend himself and must strategize and build his defense from his jail cell in the Twin Towers Correctional Center in downtown Los Angeles, all the while looking over his shoulder–as an officer of the court he is an instant target.

Mickey knows he’s been framed. Now, with the help of his trusted team, including Harry Bosch, he has to figure out who has plotted to destroy his life and why. Then he has to go before a judge and jury and prove his innocence.

That difference will be a lack of Harry Bosch, which shouldn’t be shocking, since Netflix has previously declined to include Mickey’s half-brother (whose streaming home remains within Prime Video/Amazon’s Bosch universe) throughout this series, but Mickey can find help elsewhere.

Conveniently, Netflix announced that Maggie will appear in all ten episodes, and she will surely help Mickey strategize against his case’s prosecutor (a former DA colleague of Maggie’s) known as “Death Row Dana,” who is known for bending the rules in her favor. Furthermore, Mickey will be facing a hostile judge, so he’ll need all the help that he can get, which takes us into the next section.

Cast

Manuel Garcia-Rulfo is now and forever Mickey Haller (sorry, McConaughey). As already noted, Neve Campbell will return as Maggie, and they will be joined by Jazz Raycole (Izzy), Becki Newton (Lorna), and Angus Sampson (Cisco).

New faces will include “Death Row Dana” Berg, portrayed by Constance Zimmer. Deadline recently reported other new characters, including Yannick Bamba (Marcus Henderson), “a former gang member and the man in the cell next to Mickey’s,” who will help Mickey stay alive behind bars. Grace (Gigi Zumbado) will surface as a paralegal classmate of Izzy’s that joins the defense team. And KTLA Reporter Kacey Montoya will appear as herself.

Release Date

Netflix usually doesn’t hold back on releasing this show when it’s ready to roll. With May 2022, July/August 2023, and October 2024 being the previous release windows, The Lincoln Lawyer is sure to return by late 2025.

Trailer

With no trailer to speak of yet, it’s worth taking a trip back to the first season when Mickey caught Ken Schwartz (Mark Bloom) flat-out lying in open court, which led to Mr. Schwartz’s entire life falling apart before his eyes.

Kendrick Lamar‘s “Not Like Us” was (and continues to be) a cultural phenomenon, but technically, it’s not the biggest hit of his career. That distinction belongs to “Luther,” which has topped the Billboard Hot 100 for a fourth week in a row. That breaks a three-way tie with “Not Like Us” and “Like That” at three weeks a piece, while his other No. 1’s — “Squabble Up,” “Humble,” and Taylor Swift’s “Bad Blood” — were at the top for a single week.

“Luther” is joined in the top 10 by “Not Like Us” at No. 3 and “TV Off” at No. 5.

Billboard adds that SZA also extends her longest No. 1 Hot 100 stay after “she previously topped the chart for a week each as featured on Drake’s ‘Slime You Out’ and with her own ‘Kill Bill,’ both in 2023.” She was also in a hit movie released this year, which is something Lamar can’t say… for a few months at least.

You can check out the top 10 of this week’s Hot 100 below.

Billboard Hot 100 For Chart Dated March 22

1. “Luther” by Kendrick Lamar and SZA
2. “Die With A Smile” by Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars
3. “Not Like Us” by Kendrick Lamar
4. “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” by Shaboozey
5. “TV Off” by Kendrick Lamar ft. Lefty Gunplay
6. “Apt.” by Rosé and Bruno Mars
7. “Pink Pony Club” by Chappell Roan
8. “Nokia” by Drake
9. “Birds Of A Feather” by Billie Eilish
10. “Lose Control” by Teddy Swims

Dexter Morgan is alive and (physically) well after being saved by the snow (don’t ask, he already defeated a hurricane), and Dexter: Resurrection has been filming up a storm while doing the drip-drip on casting news. In rapid succession, Krysten Ritter, Peter Dinklage, Eric Stonestreet, and David Dastmalchian (who is perfect for this franchise) were announced to join Michael C. Hall in a cast that already included Uma Thurman and returning cast members James Remar, David Zayas, and Jack Alcott.

This rush of news helps to distract people from whether Dexter: Original Sin might be renewed, but something truly strange happened during the course of the revival going to town. Word surfaced that the character of Arthur Mitchell, otherwise known as The Trinity Killer, would appear in Resurrection. And John Lithgow is definitely returning as Mitchell, who isn’t dead. Say what?

The fourth-season Dexter antagonist previously “died” at Dexter’s hammer-wielding hands after Mitchell killed Harrison’s mom, Rita, and nobody really questioned his status. And sure, universe architect Clyde Phillips is developing a Trinity Killer prequel series for Paramount+, but the dude has been considered a goner for many years. Supposedly.

Is Dexter: Resurrection Really Bringing Back John Lithgow’s Trinity Killer… Alive?

It’s happening. And I can’t even get mad at how silly Mitchell’s return will be because if Dexter’s tush is still alive, then anything is possible. Here’s what Lithgow told Variety while discussing his upcoming Dumbledore role in the Harry Potter series:

In another reveal, Lithgow also spilled details about his unexpected return to “Dexter,” despite his character, the Trinity Killer, meeting his end in Season 4.

“I just went back to do a day,” Lithgow disclosed. “They’re rebooting the entire Michael C. Hall version of ‘Dexter.’ And it turns out he didn’t die after all. I come back sort of as a phantom, as he gradually comes to life on a hospital bed.”

Maybe Dexter can get the job done this time. We’ll find out when Dexter: Resurrection surfaces sometime this summer.

Welcome to the Crumbl Cookie Report! Crumbl loves to join in on the holidays in an effort to sell us stuff, giving us an all-pie lineup for Thanksgiving, heart-themed cookies for Valentine’s day, and now, on St. Patrick’s Day, the brand isn’t just delivering Irish-themed cookies, but offering a major discount and as fans of cheap food and great deals, we’re here for it!

For whatever reason, Crumbl is unveiling what it calls “Luck Week,” where you can pick up four cookies for the price of six all week long. We’re not entirely sure why Crumbl is offering such a significant discount (nearly $10) for St. Patrick’s Day and not any of the other holidays, but whatever, we’ll take it! Despite the deal, this week is a little un-even in its offerings. We’ve got some cookies we’re legitimately excited about, and way too many repeats. Which begs the question — is it actually worth it to buy a six-pack box? In any other week, we’d say no, but maybe that’s the genius behind Luck Week!

Here is every cookie at Crumbl this week, ranked from least to most essential.

7. Cookies & Cream Brownie

Thoughts & Tasting Notes:

We’re willing to call it now — Crumbl’s Dessert Of The Month initiative was a good idea, but in practice, we’re not digging it. This is now the third week in a row that the Cookies & Cream Brownie has been on the menu, and each week it has felt less and less essential.

Don’t get us wrong, this is a great-tasting dessert; it’s rich, moist, and well-balanced between sweet chocolate and creamy cookies and cream notes, but by now, we’re sick of it. This is an easy skip this week.

The Bottom Line:

If you haven’t had it yet, it’s worth including in the six-pack box. But if you’ve had it this month and it didn’t absolutely blow you away, there is no need to repeat the experience.

6. The Original Pink Sugar

Thoughts & Tasting Notes:

The famous Pink Sugar cookie was last on Crumbl’s menu just a month ago, so while we love this cookie, we think it’s a bit too soon to bring it back. That said, if you haven’t had this cookie, you need to try it, it’s the best sugar cookie you’ll ever eat.

The Original Pink Sugar features an almond sugar cookie base topped with a thick layer of almond frosting, resulting in a cookie that is nutty, creamy, and sweet, with gentle notes of cherry.

The Bottom Line:

It’s worth buying a bunch and freezing to have all year round, but we’re a little more psyched on a few other options this week.

5. Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chunk

Thoughts & Tasting Notes:

There are far too many recent repeats this week at Crumbl, but if we could have only one it would be the Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chunk. And yes, we’re fully aware that this cookie is available bi-weekly, but there is a reason for that. Chocolate Chip is the only cookie that deserves a bi-weekly repeat, anyone who says otherwise is just taking this amazing cookie for granted.

Each bite of the Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chunk offers a perfect balance of brown sugar, toasted butter, and chocolate flavors. A small pinch of sea salt helps reign in the flavors from coming across as too sweet.

The Bottom Line:

Our favorite chocolate chip cookie of all time.

4. Wildberry Sugar

Thoughts & Tasting Notes:

The Wildberry Sugar cookie allows you to pretend you’re making a healthy choice because of the real fruit included in here. Don’t full yourself, this stuff is packed with so much sugar that reading the nutritional facts alone are enough to raise your blood sugar.

The Wildberry Sugar features a light and delicate vanilla cookie base infused with strawberries and blueberries. The berries combine to deliver a sweet, tart, and dark berry blast of flavor in each bite.

The Bottom Line:

A fruity sugar cookie that tastes best warm.

3. Milk Glaze ft. Fruity Pebbles

Thoughts & Tasting Notes:

Whether or not you like this cookie entirely depends on if you like Fruity Pebbles. There just isn’t any getting around that artificial fruity flavor here, as this cookie is covered and infused with the cereal.

The cookie’s base is cereal-milk flavored, it has a light creaminess to it that hovers over intense sweetness. The cookie is lightly glazed with a thin milky frosting, and covered in sweet and crunchy Fruity Pebbles. The light and crispy texture of this cookie is incredibly appetizing.

The Bottom Line:

If you’re the sort that likes Fruity Pebbles dry, you’re going to love this cookie.

2. Chocolate Mint Cake ft. Andes

Thoughts & Tasting Notes:

All of Crumbl’s Andes collaborations are delicious, and while this one isn’t our personal favorite (that honor goes to the Andes Mint cookie sandwich), it’s hard to bite into this cake and not be filled with joy.

This cake features two layers of moist chocolate cake topped with two layers of semi-sweet chocolate ganache, mint cream cheese frosting, and bits of Andes mints. It tastes, unsurprisingly, like an elevated Andes mint, and that’s not a bad thing.

The Bottom Line:

This one is a no-brainer. If you love Andes mints, this is an easy pick-up. A delicious, rich, and minty chocolatey treat.

1. Mallow Creme ft. Lucky Charms

Thoughts & Tasting Notes:

Maybe it’s the St. Patrick’s Day spirit talking, but the Mallow Creme might just be the best cookie to drop at Crumbl this year. Now granted, we have 9 more months to go, but still, this cookie is so damn delicious that it’s worth a trip to Crumbl immediately.

The Mallow Creme features a sweet sugar cookie base infused with white drops, topped with vanilla marshmallow frosting, and a handful of Lucky Charms marshmallows. The marshmallows don’t add too much to the actual flavor, but that’s okay because the base cookie is delicious thanks to its delicate blend of vanilla and white chocolate.

The cookie tastes like what you remember Lucky Charms tasting like, rather than the sugary mess that is the actual cereal. It uses nostalgia as an effective means of bringing you in but delivers an elevated and delicious experience that, pun-intended, comes across like magic.

The Bottom Line:

It’s magically delicious!

Despite releasing his last album, Santiago, two years ago in 2023, the Jersey-born, Atlanta-based rapper has kept busy in the intervening years. In 2024, he went on his It Was You All Along Tour and made an appearance in M. Night Shyamalan’s musical thriller film Trap.

Now, he’s back with a new album, Wild, his sixth album of a career that has included some impressive career milestones to date. The former Uproxx cover star shared a moody trailer for the album in which he’s seen driving down a deserted highway in a convertible, passing a “leaving Santiago” sign, and previewing some of the new songs as he skips around on the car stereo. When he finally gets to his destination, a dirt path marked “W!LD,” he gets out of the car and issues an exasperated expression before continuing his trek.

Today he followed up with another post, giving fans their first look at the album’s artwork. Unlike the expressive, colorful cover art for Santiago, Wild features a minimalistic, almost totemic illustration of an animal, calling to mind the artwork for his breakout 2017 album There’s Really A Wolf. Perhaps this means a “back to basics” approach for Russ, who has prided himself through the years on his independent status — and on his success. According to captions, the album is due in spring/summer 2025, so we won’t have long to wait to find out what he’s been working on all this time.

It was only a matter of time until Universal Music Group filed a motion to dismiss Drake’s defamation lawsuit against the label for promoting Kendrick Lamar’s “Not Like Us.” But what a doozy of a response it is, even going as far as using Drake’s own words against him.

In documents filed earlier today, according to Variety, UMG said Drake only filed his lawsuit because he “lost a rap battle that he provoked and in which he willingly participated.”

“Instead of accepting the loss like the unbothered rap artist he often claims to be, he has sued his own record label in a misguided attempt to salve his wounds,” it continued. “Plaintiff’s Complaint is utterly without merit and should be dismissed with prejudice.”

Elsewhere, UMG’s legal team notes that Drake himself co-signed a 2022 open letter condemning the literal interpretation of rap lyrics for legal purposes. “Drake was right then and is wrong now,” the motion reads, suggesting that Drake is trying to have it both ways when it comes to literal reading of lyrics. “Complaint’s unjustified claims against UMG are no more than Drake’s attempt to save face for his unsuccessful rap battle with Lamar.”

Universal had previously called the lawsuit “illogical” in its initial response, pointing out how the label had “invested massively in his music and our employees around the world have worked tirelessly for many years to help him achieve historic commercial and personal financial success.” Drake himself maintains that Kendrick’s diss has done damage to his public reputation, from prompting a football arena full of people to sing Kendrick’s “A minor” line to getting him roasted during the otherwise unrelated Oscars broadcast.

Anyone who’s been to enough festivals knows: The music is only half of the experience. Food is a big part of the other half (the rest is split between standing and walking, ha). And whether you’re a festival vet or enjoying your first fest, you gotta eat.

Which is why Uproxx is bringing you this list of the best bites from Rolling Loud California 2025. We wanted to highlight local establishments, the sort of places with offerings beyond the typical festival food, as well as being accessible outside the fest.

The five establishments we tried are all either established institutions or well on their way to reaching that status. So, while waiting to catch ASAP Rocky’s gravity-defying set or fueling up to rage out with Playboi Carti, here were the best bets for the best bites at Rolling Loud California 2025.

Prince Street Pizza

Best known as one of New York’s favorite places to grab a pie, Prince Street sets itself apart in a city replete with options thanks to its square slices. Prince Street officially came to Los Angeles just after the city reopened post-pandemic (if there is such a thing), with a new location in the Arts District. Then, in 2024, the chain expanded, taking over the iconic Arby’s drive-thru on Sunset Blvd., recommissioning the drive-thru to sling pies for pickup. The sauce is sweet, the pepperoni is liberal and spicy, and the crust is crispy. Prince Street is a hit.

Poutine Brothers

Until I started working at Uproxx, I knew I would never try poutine without venturing to the Great White North. The Canadian dish is one of our northern neighbor’s iconic staples; french fries, smothered in gravy and cheese curds, it’s a take on loaded fries that just doesn’t get enough credit for its ingenuity stateside. But thanks to a pair of literal brothers who played hockey in Canada, Poutine Brothers’ food truck makes what once took a lengthy plane ride to become as easily accessible for Angelenos as vegan burgers and Erewhon smoothies. While the menu offers a ton of different toppings, from beef short rib to chicken tikka masala, the Uproxx team opted for the classic. It’s like mashed potatoes and gravy, but crispy.

Kogi BBQ

Is it cheating to highlight a decades-old Los Angeles institution? No. Honestly, it should be mandatory to get Kogi anytime one finds oneself within, let’s say, 10 miles of one of Kogi’s fleet of trucks. Chef Roy Choi founded Kogi BBQ back in 2008, seeking to combine the beloved Korean cuisine of his upbringing with the taco truck concept that permeates the streets of LA that he grew up in. On Saturday, the Uproxx team split tofu tacos, which combined the best of both worlds: sweet, spicy, and satisfying.

Wise BBQ

People who complain you can’t find good Texas-style barbecue in LA have a reasonably good excuse; it’s mobile. The Wise BBQ food truck finds itself working locales as far-flung as Calabasas, and in addition to gigs for Rolling Loud and Netflix, it’s got a packed calendar that may or may not be updated online. For my money, though, it produced some of the best spare ribs I’ve had since Bludso’s moved out of Compton. “Fall off the bone” doesn’t even begin to describe how tender they were.

Afters

A local ice cream chain that spans from Sherman Oaks to Temecula, Afters puts out one hell of a flavor spread. While the pictured flavor, Cookie Monster, is a vanilla-based ice cream with chocolate chip cookies, crushed oreos, and chocolate fudge, the Triple C is a go-to favorite for this writer, thanks to its combo of chocolate chips, chocolate fudge, and caramel in a vanilla base. The perfect desert after stuffing your face at Rolling Loud’s array of food trucks.