Sabrina Carpenter is less than a year removed from her 2024 album Short N’ Sweet, but she might be teasing something with a new video shared on social media today (June 2).
The video sees Carpenter standing on the side of a dusty road in the middle of nowhere, wearing a white, long-sleeve shirt, heels, and denim shorts that don’t cover much. She sticks her thumb in the air as a truck passes by, but it doesn’t stop, ignoring the hitchhiking Carpenter. She tries again with another car but that one also keeps going. The video is silent except for the very end, when Carpenter lets out a quiet laugh and says, “Oh boy.”
At the moment, there’s no clear indication what this video could mean.
Meanwhile, Carpenter is one of many celebrities who signed a new letter in support of LGBTQ+ youth suicide prevention programs. It reads in part, “As artists, creators, and public figures, our platforms come with responsibility. And today, that responsibility is clear: we must speak out to protect the mental health and lives of LGBTQ+ youth. We will not stay silent. […] This is about people, not politics. At a time of deep division, let this be something we as people can all agree on: no young person should be left without help in their darkest moment. Stripping away this lifeline leaves LGBTQ+ youth with the message that their lives are not worth saving. We refuse to accept that message.”
Over a decade has passed since True Detective‘s first season landed on HBO in 2014. In doing so, anthology series not only leveled-up Woody Harrelson and Matthew McConaughey’s onscreen chemistry but provided proof of so-called “water cooler” TV’s survival. The greatness of that duo also meant that future seasons could never reach the same bar, although the season starring Mahershala Ali, Stephen Dorff, and Scoot McNairy’s mustache did come closer to finding magic than the sophomore effort.
Then a fourth installment, Night Country, reinvigorated interest in the anthology series despite the season’s flaws. Viewers were drawn to the well-crafted relationship between the season’s central detectives (portrayed by Jodie Foster and Kali Reis), along with the sufficiently compelling murder mystery and cosmic horror references. HBO also proudly noted increasing viewership that was at times higher than the first season, and they swiftly renewed the series with Issa López coming back as showrunner, director, and writer, so let’s explore what to expect from the fifth season.
Plot
Before we head into discussing more Night Country, it’s worth mentioning that original series creator Nic Pizzolato recently mentioned having “another story” in mind for McConaughey’s Rust Cohle and Harrelson’s Marty Hart, and “who knows, maybe we’ll do it one day.” Of course, Pizzolatto has also been vocal about his distaste for Night Country, which didn’t attempt to land the same beats as the debut but made cult-spiral references (and even drew a Rust Cohle fatherly connection) to connect to the franchise’s overall universe.
Will that revival of the original detective duo happen? Nobody knows, but more Night Country is definitely in the works, and tidbits have slowly tricked forth, including the fifth season’s location. That would be according to HBO EVP Francesca Orsi, who revealed to Deadline that the fifth season is “set in New York, in Jamaica Bay.” She added, “Issa has a lot to say, not unlike she did with Night Country. It’s a different milieu but just as powerful.”
Although Jamaica Bay is a neighborhood in Queens and obviously isn’t as tropical (at all) as Jamaica (the Caribbean nation), NYC is considerably warmer than Ennis, Alaska with Iceland standing in for a filming location. Orsi further revealed that the season’s scripts (written by López with “a small writers room”) received notes from HBO, and from here, “It’s all about casting and getting this ready.”
Late last year, López told Page Six that “there’s going to be some important connections between everything that happens in Ennis, Alaska, and the characters in Ennis, Alaska, and what happens in the new [season].” Viewers should expect “Really f***ed up stuff” to happen, too, and the fifth season will also point toward the first season to maintain an overarching universe:
“It’s very important for me, and I worked a lot in ‘Night Country’ about this, to create the feeling that this is the same universe; that the events that happened in the first season, and the weird s**t that happens in the first season affects this sensation of, ‘There’s something bigger than us and darker than what we can imagine behind the scenes,’” she explained.
“And that is happening in this [next] season too. And it’s connected to the original idea … this dark reality behind the scenes of what we think is our reality.”
Ideally, a synopsis will arrive sooner rather than later, along with a subtitle for this upcoming season.
Cast
López has been upfront about a completely new cast for the coming season, but viewers wouldn’t be mad about a cameo by Jodie Foster or Kali Reis.
Release Date
HBO’s Francesca Orsi expects this season to arrive in 2027.
Trailer
Since footage likely won’t surface until 2026, a look back at the first season is never a waste of time. Instead of the usual “time is a flat circle clip, however,” car conversations between Rust and Marty were always ripe with fruits of a glorious dynamic. Maybe Pizzolato’s world should come back, too?
The weather is heating up, and we’ve got the whiskey to match it.
The rise of so-called “hazmat bourbon” has been well-documented, and nowadays there are more options available than ever. What is hazmat bourbon, you might ask? Simply put, it’s bourbon that, through the maturation process, has risen above 140 proof. The appeal of bourbon at such a high ABV is that it loads up on the flavor and delivers a piquant punch that a ton of American whiskey enthusiasts love.
Surveying the landscape, one might also wonder, are hazmat whiskeys better than other high-proof whiskeys? Not by definition, but with a higher alcohol content (and presumably “more flavor“), the appeal of these potent, proofy pours persists. With this in mind, I decided it was high time to round up the absolute best hazmat bourbon here on UPROXX.
Far from a comprehensive list (a multitude of brands have jumped on the trend with mixed results), the following list contains only the best hazmat American whiskeys currently available or soon to be available.
We’re on the brink of summer, but these scorching hot whiskeys are keeping pace with the rising temperature with a ton of flavor that’s surprisingly easy to enjoy. These are the best hazmat whiskeys for 2025!
Elkwood Reserve Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey is a single-barrel series of 15-year whiskey, sourced from Kentucky (yes, it’s a confirmed “Buff-Turkey” release), and bottled at full cask strength. This particular bottle comes from barrel #137 which clocks in at 146 proof.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose on this whiskey is faintly indicative of its heat, with a ton of brown sugar pairing with cayenne spice, dark chocolate, fresh blueberries, and black pepper notes. The aroma profile becomes slightly more spice-laden as tajin and nutmeg notes become more assertive, in lockstep with a rise in the dark chocolate notes.
Palate: Once on the palate, this one has a reserved, austere mouthfeel that slowly unfurls to reveal flavors of dark chocolate, brown sugar, cooked blueberries, and semi-bitter cinnamon bark. It’s an instantly familiar, classic, bourbon flavor profile that adds a kick of caramel and vanilla to boot.
Finish: The finish is fairly long, and produces a flourish of peppercorn and brown sugar notes before some stewed apple sugar flavors draw each sip to a close.
Bottom Line:
As one of the numerous “Buff-Turkey” offerings to hit the market, this one stands out from a sea of rather similar competitors thanks to its picante proof, sure, but also its outstanding quality. I’ve had a bunch, not all, of these Frankenbourbons, but I can confidently say that this is easily among the best of them. Jam-packed with flavor and coupled with a strong dose of spice, this is one tasty, balanced pour.
9. Augusta Distillery Buckner’s Aged 13 Years Single Barrel Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
Augusta Distillery is a rising star in the non-distilling producer (NDP) lane, sourcing well-aged bourbon from across the state of Kentucky and bottling it, undisturbed, at full cask strength. This expression fits that description, and was matured for 13 years before bottling without any additional components.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Notes of dark chocolate, roasted peanuts, and raisin bread pudding rise out of the glass to greet the senses at first. Once those aromas have ample time to spill over the rim and delight your nostrils, you’ll also pick up a wealth of leather and barrel char notes that begin to give an indication of the impending heat on the palate.
Palate: This whiskey kicks off with honey-roasted walnuts on the palate, as the flavor of dark chocolate slowly coats the roof of the mouth, and caramel-coated red pepper flakes gently prickle the tongue. Caramel, polished leather, and stewed plum notes add layers of depth to this robust and densely packed flavor bomb.
Finish: The finish is impressively lengthy and full of those caramel and red pepper flake notes found earlier in each sip. Cacao nibs and mouth-drying oak leave the final mark as this liquid leaves your palate.
Bottom Line:
Augusta Distillery has been winning awards left and right, and its 13- and 15-year expressions are both so delectable that you hardly even detect the heat on them. This 13-year version definitely packs more of a punch, but with a bounty of flavors to be discovered behind its dulled punch, this is a bourbon that the boldest enthusiasts will absolutely fall in love with.
Kings County has put out very few hazmat bourbons, but each of them has come with critical acclaim. This special single barrel used the brand’s standard 80% New York corn, 20% malted barley grain recipe, and was matured in a 15-gallon barrel for 8 years and 70 days with a barrel entry proof of 112.8. The final result produced a scant 90, 200ml bottles, which were priced at $60 a pop.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Molasses meets butterscotch on the nose with an underlying meatiness reminiscent of Kansas City style bbq that’s hard to turn away from. Nectarines, barrel char, tart rhubarb, and a medley of baking spices from cayenne to oregano can also be found, furthering the layers of spice and savoriness present in every whiff.
Palate: It has an immediately oily mouthfeel that almost sizzles up the palate and spreads like napalm with bits of heat darting in every direction. A pink eraser note that transforms into juicy fruit gum, which then transforms into a sort of aloe vera-like green note, paints the roof of the mouth. The BBQ style curiously turns into more Memphis than Kansas City as the deep sweetness of the nose is supplanted by a more subtle sweetness that melds well with the heavy barrel char, slight leather, overripe black cherry, and baking spice that flourishes on the palate.
Finish: The finish is lengthy and lingers with the flavor of smoky molasses and creamy caramel corn with a robust backbone of barrel char and sweet oak, leaving the final impression.
Bottom Line:
Kings County has intermittently used smaller barrels throughout its history (though the brand is incorporating more “standard size” 53-gallon barrels than ever these days), but the results of some of those early miniature casks have been phenomenal. This bottle right here is an exemplar of that statement, and it should go without saying that if you see any hazmat releases from Kings County, they’re probably well worth your money.
7. Dark Arts Whiskey House x Liquid Ministry “Omnia Vanitas” 15-Year Single Barrel Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
This 15-year bourbon, believed to be from the voluminous stock of “Buff-Turkey” barrels on the market this year, was bottled at full cask strength and selected by the folks behind Liquid Ministry from Dark Arts Whiskey House.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose is full of sugarplums, nougat, orange blossom, and honey graham cracker notes. It’s a surprisingly bright and impressively harmonious aroma set, with green apples and allspice lurking beneath the surface.
Palate: On the palate, this whiskey is buttery and mouth-coating, with orange blossom, honey, and caramel notes landing assertively, before clearing out to make space for green apple, black pepper, and barrel spice notes. White pepper and a touch of menthol mark the transition to the finish. As a final note, this one drinks way below its proof, which is perhaps why those flavors are so accessible.
Finish: The finish is slick and lengthy, with baking spice notes of peppercorn and nutmeg standing out as orange rind, caramel, and vanilla bean flavors cap things off.
Bottom Line:
As one of those purported “Buff-Turkey” bottles floating around this year, this one is particularly off-profile among the bunch that I’ve tried. It has a very balanced and overall lightly sweet profile that gently incorporates its bruising heat to the point you barely notice it until all of those delicious flavors have seeped into your palate. That’s why this one is such an impressive winner.
6. Jack Daniel’s 2021 Single Barrel Special Release Coy Hill High Proof
The whiskey in this bottle is the classic Jack Daniel’s mash of 80% corn, 12% malted barley, and 8% rye, but kicked way up to 74.15% ABV thanks to its top-floor location in rickhouse 8 of Jack’s “Coy Hill” barrel warehouse. The whiskey in this release was filtered through Jack’s drip-drop sugar maple charcoal system, utilizing the Lincoln County Process, which makes it a Tennessee whiskey that also adheres to all the rules allowing it to be called a bourbon.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose on this whiskey begins with a potent wave of boozy maple syrup, caramel corn, cherry syrup, and a lit clove cigarette. Cola nuts, nutmeg, and raw cinnamon bark are also expressive on the nose.
Palate: Once on the palate, this whiskey explodes with lush smoked caramel, cherry cordials, and brown sugar in spades. The taste of apple chips, dipped in maple syrup, crops up at mid-palate while black pepper and cayenne spice curbs the sweetness before barrel char cleans the slate and allows for the flavor of maple candy to emerge as it transitions to the finish.
Finish: The finish on Jack Daniel’s inaugural Coy Hill release is lengthy as hell and showcases some brown butter, a bit of salted caramel, and a touch of menthol to go with barrel char and apple leather.
Bottom Line:
While this release initially dropped a while ago, there are still bottles of the stellar 2021 expression floating around. While Jack Daniel’s put out two subsequent “Coy Hill” releases, it’s this one that deserves the highest praise as a hazmat bourbon — though we should note that last year’s Coy Hill Barrelhouse 8 expression might be even better than this one. It landed just shy of hazmat proof at 67.35% ABV.
5. Mugen Spirit Yokai Series: The Tengu Single Barrel Bourbon (Barrel 1)
Yokai are a lineage of fantastic creatures, tricksters, and warriors, and it’s from that mythology that this new whiskey brand, Mugen Spirit, draws inspiration for its inaugural bourbon release. This limited run produced fewer than 100 bottles of 9+ year, hazmat bourbon sourced from Bardstown, Kentucky.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose on this whiskey is full of bright red cherries, pie crust, brown sugar, cloves, and mature oak. It’s a fairly classic, albeit exceptionally well-developed aroma profile that leans heavily into the dark, sweet notes and casts them against a bed of dense, woodsy notes.
Palate: On the palate, this whiskey becomes far more dynamic as it coats your palate and springs to life with notes of cherry cobbler, caramel, cacao nibs, and sweet oak. Along the edges of the palate, you’ll pick up most of the oak, and it’s seasoned with a shake of freshly cracked black pepper, while the flavor of vanilla buttercream crops up before the transition to the finish.
Finish: The finish on The Tengu is one of its defining features, as it lingers on the palate for a nice, long time and is capped off with a flourish of vanilla frosting, dark cherry, and caramel tones.
Bottom Line:
Woah, talk about coming out of nowhere. This brand-new expression from a fresh brand comes with a striking label, a mouth-watering proof point, and, at the end of the day, it all makes for some incredible bourbon. While Mugen Spirit might be new on the whiskey scene, with a thoughtful launch like this, it’s clear that they’ve got the chops to make some waves this year, and potentially even in the long term.
Seek them out immediately.
4. Willett Family Estate Single Barrel Bourbon “Trinidad Sour” Barrel #5222
Willett Family Estate Bourbon is well-known as some of the most exclusive, exorbitantly priced, and, yes, excellent bourbon on the market. Drawing barrels from various sources (including their self-distilled whiskey, which is now approaching its teenage years) and maturing them at the distillery’s property in Bardstown, Kentucky, is part of the magic, making every single barrel akin to a snowflake: unique and never to be seen again. This particular barrel produced just 124 bottles and was selected by Bill Thomas for the Jack Rose Dining Saloon in D.C., who was famously among the first three people to select a single barrel from Willett.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The aroma is immediately evocative of this single barrel’s nickname, as the scents of dunder, maple candy, cinnamon sugar, lime rind, and mocha waft upward to greet the nose.
Palate: The palate welcomes more of the same, with some mocha, brown sugar, toasted coconut, torched orange wheels, and crème brûlée flavors washing over the tongue and pooling at midpalate with some serious staying power. Cinnamon, clove, and pops of barrel char give this whiskey an earthy grounding that allows those earlier sweet notes a base from which to tease the edges of the tongue.
Finish: The finish on this whiskey is prominently lengthy, with the torched orange wheel flavor extending a trunk that allows brown sugar, toasted coconut, vanilla extract, and cinnamon to branch off.
Bottom Line:
Willett Family Estate Bourbon enjoys a venerated space near the top of bourbon’s ever-changing Mount Olympus — and for good reason. This has been both one of the hardest to find and the most high-quality bourbon lineups on the market for the past ten years, and I don’t expect that to change anytime soon.
Binder’s Stash isn’t sitting at your local big box chain store yet, but if the hype around the brand continues to grow, that may not be far off. Binder’s Stash is currently built on the idea that people want excellent, curated single-barrel whiskey, and time and again, they’ve answered the call. This 15-year-old single-barrel bourbon, sourced from Indiana and nicknamed “Maiden Voyage,” was part of their inaugural release and yielded fewer than 70 bottles.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Toasted coconut, melted dark chocolate, and gooey caramel come rushing out of the glass at first pass, followed by dense oak, leather, a touch of mint, and sugar cane.
Palate: Binder’s Stash bourbon is full-bodied with bitter dark chocolate and rich, chewy caramel hitting the palate at first before barrel char, tobacco leaf, and roasted plantain kick in. The toasted coconut combines with maple syrup and hazelnut at mid-palate and lingers there for quite a while before a hint of black pepper leads the transition toward the finish.
Finish: The finish becomes increasingly chocolatey, with some walnuts and nutmeg appearing through its lengthy conclusion.
Bottom Line:
As part of the original batch of Binder’s Stash single-barrel bourbons to hit the market, the folks behind this brand must’ve known they had a monster on their hands with this incredible 14-year expression. This early release is an absolute home run and should quiet any of the naysayers who think non-distilling producers can’t hang with the big boys of the bourbon world.
Binder’s Stash is currently breaking the internet with the news that they’ve been absorbed by Willett, the distillery with a mythical status among informed enthusiasts and a cult-like following. Upcoming releases are expected to include liquid from the famed Bardstown, Kentucky, distillery, which metaphorically gives this brand a ton of juice.
If Binder’s Stash isn’t already a part of your collection, it needs to be as soon as possible.
2. Nashville Barrel Company x Travel Bar Barrel Strength Rare Cask Collaborative Bottling Straight Bourbon Whiskey
This bottle, technically part of the brand’s Collaborative Bottling series, is one of the highest-proof bourbons ever released by Nashville’s premier non-distilling producer, Nashville Barrel Company. Producing fewer than 25 bottles in total, this expression will be a distillery-exclusive release, with proceeds benefiting charity in the near future.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The aroma of blueberry parfait with graham crackers, vanilla custard, and a drizzle of honey hit the nose on first pass. The heat is almost imperceptible as accents of black pepper spice, leather, and black cherry syrup bolster the initial wave of aromas and give this whiskey the indication of being well-aged (seemingly 8+ years).
Palate: On the palate, this whiskey absolutely detonates with black cherry, clove, candied walnuts, and brown sugar, swiftly coating the entire inside of the mouth — and staying there. As those flavors slowly recede, they leave hints of barrel char, toasted coconut, and a silky milk chocolate note throughout. Allspice and menthol can also be found at midpalate, but it’s the lush, sweet notes that dominate.
Finish: The finish is long, but not overly so, as the milk chocolate leaves a strong impression along with a rise in the allspice and oak notes. Finally, there’s a semi-sweet hazelnut spread flavor that sings the last note on the palate.
Bottom Line:
This is flat-out mindblowing bourbon. As soon as I first tried this one, at the distillery in Nashville, I felt like it could be a whiskey of the year contender, and I begged NBC co-founder Mike Hinds to let me take a sample home for editorial consideration. He looked at me, perplexed, and insisted I didn’t need to beg. After explaining the limited nature of this one and emphasizing that its release would be to benefit charity, he shot me a toothy grin and said, “We love it too.”
1. Rare Character Abstract Impressionistic Total Annihilation Single Barrel Bourbon
Initial details are scant on this release, which was only bottled this week, but here’s the gist of it: this “hyper-proof” series of single barrel bourbons, from a yet-undisclosed source, are all well in excess of 140 proof. How’s that for heat? This particular, pre-release bottling clocks in at 153 proof.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The aromas of crisp, ripe apples, polished oak, honey, and corn pudding all really pop on the first pass. Nougat and well-aged oak notes begin to become more assertive as you continue to swirl the glass and allow this one to evolve. Giving the liquid one final sniff, salted toffee and cinnamon bark stand out at last.
Palate: Once in the mouth, this whiskey opens with some of those ripe apple notes before deferring to clover honey, nougat, dried apricot, and spiced orange flavors. That citrus quality grows in prominence as the heat of this whiskey sizzles up the roof of your mouth, bringing in additional flavors of nutmeg, vanilla frosting, and black pepper. Curiously, the texture of this whiskey mellows out dramatically over time, making this an incredible delight to enjoy 15 minutes after it’s been poured, and those flavors have an opportunity to settle in the glass.
Finish: The finish is bold and lengthy, with oak, red pepper flakes, caramel, and vanilla bean flavors gently numbing the tongue at first before black pepper spice, candied hazelnuts, and apple juice notes close things out.
Bottom Line:
Rare Character co-founder Pablo Moix has said that this series of single barrels deserves to be among the best bourbons of the year…in any year. Taking him up on his challenge, I tried this one blindly next to the second-place bourbon in this ranking. While the Nashville Barrel Company hazmat bourbon was initially my favorite, upon revisiting the two, twenty minutes later, I found that this whiskey had evolved so dramatically in the glass that it warranted further inspection.
With its rounded edges smoothed out, a silky mouthfeel, and an astounding depth of flavor, there’s no doubt in my mind that this whiskey does indeed warrant “bourbon of the year” consideration. Who gives a shit that we’re only halfway through? This is more hardcore from 2025’s hottest bourbon brand, a series that enthusiasts will be feverishly seeking out both when it drops, and for years to come.
Lizzo was among the performers at Outloud’s LGBTQIA+ Pride festival in West Hollywood Park this past weekend. During her time on stage, she took a moment to shout out the trans community in a powerful way.
Lizzo shared a video of the moment on Instagram, and it starts with her telling the audience:
“This is dedicated to you, and more importantly, the Black trans women who, without their fight, we would not be able to celebrate today. And we still in some sh*t, right? But hopefully one day, beyond this motherf*cking rainbow, b*tch, we will see a place where we no longer have to fight to exist. This is for you.”
She then sings a forceful rendition of the Wizard Of Oz classic “Over The Rainbow,” complete with a lovely flute solo.
In the post’s caption, she also wrote:
“Happy Pride to the beautiful LGBTQIA+ community. As this month begins let us remember there would be no pride without the black trans women & trans women of color who fought against the systems that tried to erase them. In honor of that fight we have to continue to take a stand against that very same system that threatens our rights to bodily autonomy and liberation. We ain’t free till we all free. I love you.”
George R.R. Martin hasn’t held back on how he feels about the Game of Thrones franchise’s current HBO offshoots. For one thing, he has expressed frustration on how House of the Dragon has omitted elemental aspects of key scenes. That has contributed to existing tensions ahead of the third season, although to be fair, Martin has shouldered plenty of criticism against himself, too, including how Game of Thrones‘ eighth season might not have gone off the rails so hard if he had, say, finished writing Winds of Winter.
He still hears those grievances on a regular basis, but guess what? Martin is feeling fantastic about the next Game of Thrones prequel, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms. This more grounded story will feature no dragons or white walkers, and Martin has called himself “so so happy” upon observing filming for the series that is “[n]inety per cent … set in a field, surrounded by tents.” This spin off picks up after HotD‘s events and around 90-100 years before GoT, but what’s also important is when viewers can plan on watching the series.
Does A Knight Of The Seven Kingdoms Have A Release Date?
Not yet. In fact, this series was expected to arrive in 2025, but HBO recently announced that the story of Ser Duncan the Tall and his squire, Egg, has been pushed back to a 2026 release. However, Variety reports that “HBO content chairman and CEO Casey Bloys narrowed that down further … by saying the show was coming in the ‘winter’ … indicating an early 2026 release.”
Showrunner Ira Park hasn’t issued a further statement, so it’s best to hang tight for further word. In the meantime, here’s the series description:
A century before the events of Game of Thrones, two unlikely heroes wandered Westeros … a young, naïve but courageous knight, Ser Duncan the Tall, and his diminutive squire, Egg. Set in an age when the Targaryen line still holds the Iron Throne and the memory of the last dragon has not yet passed from living memory, great destinies, powerful foes and dangerous exploits all await these improbable and incomparable friends.
A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms could run for three seasons if all goes well. That would take the series further into the release schedule than the planned four seasons for House of the Dragon, which is also scheduled (for now) for a 2026 return. Also, the super-prequel about Aegon’s Conquest is also in the works to take the Targaryens back to where they began. So many blondes.
“Ordinary” has been a massive breakout hit for Alex Warren, and now the 24-year-old has done something most artists never have: On the new Billboard Hot 100 chart dated June 7, “Ordinary” has risen to No. 1 for the first time.
The song is now Warren’s first chart-topper, a feat that happened for him gradually: This is the song’s 16th week on the chart following its early February release. It knocks Morgan Wallen and Tate McRae’s “What I Want” out of the top spot after one week.
“We wrote ‘Ordinary’ in December last year, started teasing it in January, and released it in February. In the music industry, that’s a crazy fast turnaround, but we did that because we knew immediately how good it was. I’ve never had a song so quickly ‘click’ and I just had to put it out as soon as possible.”
He added, “I grew up Christian, and listened to lots of gospel music with my family, so hints of worship music definitely make their way into my songs. I pull influences from a lot of different things in life to build out my music, and that’s definitely one of them.”
Warren also said of his music journey, “I wanted to be a singer since I was a kid and my dad bought me my first guitar. Funny enough, I didn’t start writing until he passed [when I was 9]. Music became an outlet for me to process my trauma.”
Playboi Carti’s set on The Weeknd’s After Hours Til Dawn Tour brought Travis Scott to Chicago’s Soldier’s Field. Travis and Carti have collaborated often, and performed several of their songs together during Carti’s opening set. After playing a string of songs from his new album, I AM MUSIC, Travis surprised the crowd, joining Carti for a mini-set including their joint hits “Goosebumps,” “Crush,” and “Fe!n” from Travis’ last album, Utopia. You can check out some fan videos of the performance here.
Carti also reportedly again teased a new project, despite having released Music just three months ago, to a warm fan reception. In addition to that supposed new album, fans can also look forward to Carti’s performance at the 2025 BET Awards, which he’s billed to play, along with Lil Wayne, GloRilla, and Leon Thomas.
You can check out the remaining tour dates on The Weeknd’s After Hours Til Dawn Tour with Playboi Carti below.
06/05 — East Rutherford, NJ @ MetLife Stadium
06/10 — Foxborough, MA @ Gillette Stadium
06/14 — Minneapolis, MN @ U.S. Bank Stadium
06/21 — Denver, CO @ Empower Field at Mile High
07/05 — Las Vegas, NV @ Allegiant Stadium
07/08 — Santa Clara, CA @ Levi’s Stadium
07/12 — Seattle, WA @ Lumen Field
07/15 — Vancouver, BC @ BC Place
07/19 — Edmonton, AB @ Commonwealth Stadium
07/24 — Montréal, QC @ Parc Jean Drapeau
07/27 — Toronto, ON @ Rogers Centre
07/28 — Toronto, ON @ Rogers Centre
07/30 — Philadelphia, PA @ Lincoln Financial Field
08/02 — Landover, MD @ Northwest Stadium
08/12 — Nashville, TN @ Nissan Stadium
08/15 — Miami, FL @ Hard Rock Stadium
08/21 — Atlanta, GA @ Mercedes-Benz Stadium
08/24 — Orlando, FL @ Camping World Stadium
08/27 — Arlington, TX @ AT&T Stadium
08/30 — Houston, TX @ NRG Stadium
09/03 — San Antonio, TX @ Alamodome
A particularly memorable South Park episode for Disney fans came in 2009, when Mickey Mouse was depicted brutally attackingUproxx cover stars the Jonas Brothers. The trio was relatively young at the time, and it turns out the way Joe Jonas sees it, he was the only one of them who appreciated the episode.
In an upcoming episode of Mythical Kitchen’s interview series Last Meals set to launch on YouTube on June 3 (Entertainment Weekly has an exclusive clip), Jonas explains:
“I think I was the only brother that loved it. […] Our skin was not as thick back then, and I thought it was hilarious because I watched South Park and I was like, ‘This is so funny, I know what they’re doing, they make fun of everyone.’ And great comics… to be made fun of by a comic is usually a sign that they give a sh*t and they care and it’s funny, and you got to be able to take a… I mean, they really went for us. I think they were going more so on like the idea of what it is. […]
What an honor to get my ass kicked by Mickey. […] I think it’s one of my favorite episodes, and later on, now we just laugh. I love that, I think it’s so great. Definitely claim to fame for me.”
Outlander fans have been dealing with another “Droughtlander” again, although this one won’t last too long. The Blood Of My Blood limited prequel series will debut this fall with the twin stories of Claire and Jamie Fraser’s parents getting it on. Then all eyes will look toward the future (er, past) when the flagship bodice-ripping series finishes adapting Diana Gabaldon’s saga after completing filming last fall. There’s also the chance that a Lord John Grey spin off could be part of this franchise’s long-term plan, but let’s back up and talk about what to expect from Outlander‘s eighth season.
Cast
Starz
To state the obvious: Caitriona Balfe and Sam Heughan will finish their mutual run as Claire and Jamie Fraser, respectively.
The final season will also bring back César Domboy as Fergus Fraser and Lauren Lyle as Marsali Fraser, who haven’t been seen in a minute (years, actually, since they did not appear in the seventh season). More returns will include include John Bell as Young Ian, David Berry as Lord John Grey, Sophie Skelton as Brianna Fraser, Richard Rankin as Roger MacKenzie, Charles Vandervaart as William Ransom, Kristin Atherton as Jenny Murray, and Izzy Meikle-Small as Rachel Hunter.
Plot
Diana Gabaldon is heavily involved in this Starz series as consultant, but as viewers realize, she hasn’t finished writing the tenth Outlander book yet, so this final season will be unpredictable on plot points until a synopsis drops. Most likely, we’re in for a wait on that until Blood Of My Blood airs this summer. Additionally, there will be almost too many Outlander threads to pull together before the show ends, but little tidbits like the confirmed return of Fergus and Marsali Fraser should spawn some theories (and perhaps confirmations) as the final season draws closer.
Clearly, Claire and Jamie’s story will remain at the forefront, so it’s a damn good thing that Claire “decided not to die” from her gunshot wound. She has also requested to return “home” (i.e., Fraser’s Ridge) when that becomes possible. Then there’s the matter of that cliffhanger, in which Claire and Jamie’s stillborn daughter, Fanny, appears to… have actually lived? This revelation left viewers, whether they’ve devoured the books or not, understandably shocked, and co-showrunner Matthew B. Roberts provided some context during an interview with TV Line on taking that cliffhanger forward:
“There’s a blurb in Book 9 that gave us the idea of, ‘Hey, what if?’ And we ran with it. You’ll get the answers in Season 8. Obviously it’s a cliffhanger, but hopefully we tie it up in a bow with the answers and the explanations and what happens and the ramifications of all that on Jamie and Claire.”
When further pressed on how this will resolve, considering that Gabaldon’s source material involves Jamie explaining to Claire that Fanny couldn’t have survived (and the TV series did not do this), Roberts only responded, “You’ll see, visually, how it ties up.” Naturally, Roberts is not able to divulge the full explanation of what happens in the eighth season regarding Fanny, he did explain that Diana Gabaldon is good with what has been decided:
“If we went down this path and she said, ‘Don’t, I wish you wouldn’t,’ we wouldn’t have. That’s happened in the past, where we’ve proposed something to her and she’s like, ‘I wish you wouldn’t,’ and then we don’t.”
Additionally Caitriona Balfe and Sam Heughan spoke with Hollywood Reporter, which also brought up the Fanny cliffhanger. They are digging it with Heughan responding, “It’s a huge moment for them to find out that their daughter potentially lived, and now they have this grandchild in their life. It’s a great cliffhanger — one that I think book and non-book fans are going to be surprised by.” To which Balfe added, “I just love it when you are given a scene and you read it, and it’s like, ‘Ooh, that’s really good.’ But in the playing of it, when the hairs on your arms are standing up, it’s pretty brilliant.”
There will be more to come on this subject and others, no doubt.
Release Date
Although Outlander‘s final season doesn’t have a specific date yet (2026 is probable), Outlander: Blood Of My Blood will premiere on August 8, and from there, we should receive hints.
Trailer
Likewise, Starz will probably save Outlander sneak peeks for when Blood Of My Blood airs, but for now, here’s a teaser trailer for that prequel series:
Keeping up with new music can be exhausting, even impossible. From the weekly album releases to standalone singles dropping on a daily basis, the amount of music is so vast it’s easy for something to slip through the cracks. Even following along with the Uproxx recommendations on a daily basis can be a lot to ask, so every Monday we’re offering up this rundown of the best new music this week.
This week saw Tate McRae continue the F1 dominance and Lorde deliver a powerful statement. Yeah, it was a great week for new music. Check out the highlights below.
Lorde has been raw during her ongoing Virgin era, and that’s especially true on “Man Of The Year.” The video illustrates this, too, as a shirtless-but-tape-covered Lorde dances around a dirt-filled room.
Alex G — “Afterlife”
Alex G has been going for a while now, but he finds himself at the start of a new journey: Last week, he announced Headlights, his first album on a major label (RCA Records, specifically). So far, so good: He also shared “Afterlife,” a catchy Americana number with a fun video.
Addison Rae — “Fame Is A Gun”
Rae is best known for her social media fame, yeah, but lately, she’s been making impressive headway as a pop star. She’s had quite the run since “Diet Pepsi,” and her latest bop, “Fame Is A Gun,” sees her explore the impact of her celebrity.
Obongjayar — “Holy Mountain”
Obongjayar enjoyed a strong debut era, with his debut album Some Nights I Dream Of Doors performing well on the UK charts and the Fred Again.. collab “Adore U” nearing the top of the singles chart there. Now he’s onto his sophomore LP, Paradise Now, and songs like the head-bobbing “Holy Mountain.”
d4vd — “Where Did You Go?”
d4vd already dropped Withered but he had some unfinished business to take care of on the new deluxe edition. Using the digital audio workstation app BandLab, he made some songs, and some of those found homes the Petals To Thorns EP, but now “Where Did You Go?” is finally out via the deluxe.
Ava Max — “Lovin Myself”
Many love Ava Max and it turns out she loves herself, too. She makes that especially clear on “Lovin Myself,” which sounds like it’s about something more intimate than just self esteem.
Conan Gray — “This Song”
Uproxx cover star Conan Gray followed the announcement of his album Wishbone with “This Song.” The song is a romantic one and it comes with an equally heartwarming video.
Clipse — “Ace Trumpets”
Clipse announced the title of their reunion album nearly a year ago, and finally, last week, they shared the lead single. The song is “Ace Trumpets,” which, like the rest of the album, is produced by Pharrell.
Leon Thomas — “Not Fair”
Mutt has proven to be a breakout hit for Thomas, and fortunately, he had more to share on the new deluxe edition, dubbed Heel. That includes “Not Fair,” produced by James Fauntleroy.
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