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Marcus Smart is a paradox. He swiftly says he doesn’t own a connection to art. Yet immediately after, he deems basketball his artistic outlet, shares that he participated in choir and theater arts in high school, jovially bugs his agent to land him some movie cameos, and takes pride in the fact he dyed his hair Boston Celtics green for last year’s playoff run.

“Nobody saw it coming,” Smart says of his green locks.

Whether it’s the green hair, his passing panache, or his subtle pursuits as a rapper, Smart considers creativity a prominent component of his ethos. It’s part of why he elected to partner with Tres Generaciones Tequila and its “Get Up Tres” campaign, which aims to motivate artists, creators and fans as they progress through their respective journeys.

On behalf of Tres Gen, Dime caught up with Smart last week to discuss his relationship to art, how his upbringing shaped his basketball persona and a host of other topics.

What do you have going on with Tres Gen and why are you excited about it?

I was partnered with Tres Gen and we’re doing this platform, “Get Up Tres.” It’s kind of crazy because, as I was being introduced to the whole Tres Gen movement and the “Get Up Tres” platform, the perseverance, the grit, and the determination that goes into making the best of the best, the bottle, the way that you can tell the time that was taken to make it, it’s just funny because that’s everything that embodies me. Just the way I play, from the grit, my determination, my perseverance through my life, on and off the court. It’s ridiculously crazy, and I just feel it connected right away. And I wanted to be able to be a part of something that reminds me of myself.

I read that perseverance, creativity, and purpose are the pillars of your partnership. How are those things so integral to your identity?

Well, so, for me, and it’s crazy, like with the creativity, my hair is one of those things to be able to, just the way I came out last year in the playoffs and just dyed my hair green, also a Celtics color, it was like, nobody saw it coming. Nobody thought about it who played or plays for Boston to think about actually dyeing their hair. So, that creativity and the perseverance part was really one of the things that had drawn me to it. Because throughout my life, like I said, I’ve always had to persevere and overcome certain obstacles, such as my mom passing away, my brother’s passing away, injuries within basketball, losing in the Finals, all type of things. So, it was just a unique way for me to express myself the same way that it was a unique way for Tres Gen to express themselves as well.

Part of this movement is to help inspire artists, creators and all people, why is that inspiration important to you?

Because for me, growing up, when I was a little kid, being able to see people that you either looked up to, you wanted to look up to or that just intrigued you, I never really had that as much for me. Everybody’s going to the basketball camps, I wasn’t really going to these top basketball camps until I got into about my senior high school. And I felt I wanted to be that voice. I wanted to be somebody that can change the way a young kid looks at an artist, looks at a performer, looks at an athlete or looks at somebody who they idolize, and understand that we’re just like them. We’re human, we go through the same things that they go through. And we see them. We want to be able to connect with them in a way that they connect with us and what better way than actually getting out there, putting your face to something, and allowing them to hear and see you.

The art component is something I latch on to. Do you have a relationship or a background with with art? Is there a way that you try to connect with with art?

I actually don’t, besides basketball being the art of mine. And it’s funny. I’m not, I wouldn’t say as much as like art, but yes, at the same time, I took choir. I took theater arts when I was in high school, I love to act. I’ve been trying to tell my agent get me into some movies, things like that. I rap a little bit. So, it’s just a little bit of everything artistic-wise, the uniqueness of it, the simplicity of my art that I do. And some things that people probably wouldn’t even think I would, such as choir and things like that.

Yeah, I certainly had no idea, so that’s a cool tidbit. Thank you for the insight there. You mentioned perseverance in your life, one of which was going through that Finals loss last year. Both collectively as a team and individually, what did you learn from that experience that you’ve tried to apply this year?

I think for me individually, I learned what it took in the sense of, growing up, I’ve won high school championships, I won an AAU championship, but we’re talking about the world championship at the highest level of highest athletes, of players in the sports world. This is where every person in their field of the athlete world dreams of, is being here, in this championship. We played a team that knew exactly what it took, they’ve been there, and they understood it. For us, we understood it. But it’s a difference when you play somebody who’s actually been through it multiple times. And they taught us a good lesson that it can happen. But you just got to stay focused. You got to play it all the way out. We didn’t finish it. We had two games left. And we left two games on the table.

When you say they really understood it, what does that mean? Is that a sense of valuing every possession or what does that look like?

Every possession, they valued. They understood that when things didn’t go their way, that it was still OK. You can’t get too high or too low. They didn’t let the moment, I guess in a sense, seize them. They seized the moment and that’s why they’re champions. And that’s why they have what they have, the rings and the legacy that they got going.

What did you learn individually on the court, beyond some of the intangibles?

Just learned more and more about my teammates. Where they like the ball at, where they like to score at, their favorite positions on the court, and how to get them the ball and get them easier shots. That’s what that Finals run really taught me individually and I try to bring it to this year’s team, and I have. I’m leading the team in my career[-high] in assists, so I’m doing a good job there. So, just got to continue to work.

Yeah, I wanted to ask about your passing too. You obviously have a prominent ball-handling role and there’s some flair to your passing. Where does that come from? Was there anyone you watched growing up or study now that influences you?

I was always, as a kid, like a little daredevil. Like, I love tumbling. So like, I’m doing flips all kinds of flips. I’ve flipped off houses, I’ve flipped off swings, I’ve flipped off cars, I’ve flipped off other people’s back. I’ve flipped off almost anything. For me, when I get on the court, I like to try stuff. I like to try things. I love to try things that are unconventional at times. Obviously, we all watched Magic [Johnson] growing up. We’ve seen the way he passed the ball and the flair he had with him. You just take all that and bring it into your game and then make it your own. That’s kind of what I did.

With that risk-taking, you play with almost a reckless abandon, where you’re always willing to put your body on the line. You’re known for a lot of different hustle plays. Is there a certain type of hustle play that’s your favorite?

Yeah, a loose ball. So, if it’s like me and one other person for just a loose ball that we need, where I can go full speed and literally just lay out for it, if I can get it, that’s just one of the things that just gets me going, gets my team going. I think it’s fun. Some people might look at it as crazy, but I think it’s fun.

Do you have a favorite loose ball you’ve tracked down in your career?

Yeah, definitely. I’ll never forget. It was my first game, actually, first game, think it was a preseason game my first year against the [Brooklyn] Nets. Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce were just traded to the Nets and they came back and played. I remember it was a loose ball between me, Garnett, Jared Sullinger and, oh, I forgot his name. Ah! I forgot his name. And I was the first one to the ground. I beat KG to the ground. I made a pass to Jeff Green, he dunks it on the fast break. Nets call a timeout. [Garnett] gets up, taps me on my chest, and he goes, that’s the type of [expletive] I like to see, young fella.

That’s awesome, since you were kind of the torchbearer from KG as the heart and soul of the Celtics, so that’s a cool moment to hear. Defensively, one of the things that stands out to me is your ability to play bigger than your stature. Where does that stem from?

I think that originated from being the youngest. I’m the youngest of all boys. So, when you got all boys who play sports and everybody’s a competitor, competitive, you gotta really hold your own. I was always the last to get everything growing up. I didn’t have a bedroom. I slept on the couch. So, it was like, I’m the last in the bathroom. Everything’s last. So, for me, I always had to fight or it wouldn’t end well for me. So, I just, as I grew up, that confidence just stayed with me. And I think that’s what I can contribute the way that I play. Because I’ve always played against older guys, my brothers were always older. I’d play with them and their friends.

Oh, yeah, I can imagine how that shaped you. Is there a team you really enjoy preparing for defensively?

Probably the Bucks, just that team in general. That’s a really good team with some really good players. We have a lot of respect for those guys and what they bring to the table, and it’s always a bloodbath with those guy. It’s always fun playing them, so I’d probably say the Bucks.

Sitting in the No. 2 seed out East right now, what’s what’s worked so well for you all to allow for a fairly seamless transition, at least from the outside, from one head coach to the next?

Just our ability to lean on one another. We know things aren’t gonna be perfect. We know we’ve been in a drought. But we can bounce back quicker than anybody in the league. So, for us understanding that we are a good team, we are one of the top teams and just continue to play like that.

This interview has been lightly edited for clarity.

Pharrell Williams’ Something In The Water festival is coming back to Virginia Beach next month. Over the course of three days, festivalgoers will be able to see performances from Latto, Kehlani, Kaytranada, Grace Jones, Mumford And Sons, and more.

With all of these exciting acts, fans are eager to get their hands on tickets.

Where can fans buy tickets for Something In The Water?

According to a tweet from the festival’s official Twitter account, fans can purchase tickets from the Something In The Water website. However, it appears only “a limited number of passes are still available.”

Those who aren’t able to get tickets will be able to live stream full performances via Williams’ YouTube channel.

This year’s festival is presented by Walmart, who is committed to helping communities thrive.

“Strengthening local communities is core to Walmart’s DNA,” said Cedric Clark, executive vice president, store operations for Walmart US. “By investing in our associates and in the communities we serve, we help build a foundation where people can live their full potential every day. We’re excited to team up with Something In The Water, returning to a special place to Walmart, Virginia’s Hampton Roads, to help celebrate and empower this community we’re so proud to be a part of.”

Find the full lineup of performers below.

Some of the artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

Chipotle has finally rolled out its first new protein option of the year! The brand spent much of 2022 dishing out new meat options, from the garlic guajillo steak, to the pollo asado, and it helped to keep its bare-bones menu interesting throughout the year. We were big fans of the new meats, but unfortunately, each was only available for a limited time. Which left us wondering, what does the brand have in store for us this year?

Well, three months into the year they’ve finally given us an answer (and a new delicious fajita quesadilla) with the new Chicken Al Pastor! We have to say we’re a little torn about this. On one hand, we’re happy Chipotle has brought us something new, but on the other hand… we really liked some of last year’s options and were hoping Chipotle would reintroduce them to the menu and give at least a few permanent menu statuses.

Maybe the Chicken Al Pastor will be delicious and that won’t matter, but it seems insane to have something as good as the Smoked Brisket locked away. Does Chipotle think they’re Prince or something? Hits this good shouldn’t sit in a vault!

The new Chicken al Pastor features grilled chicken marinated in adobo spices, seared morita chili peppers, ground achiote, and a splash of pineapple juice and finished with lime and cilantro. The new option is available at Chipotle’s worldwide, which is dope, because it means everyone can get it, but what’s not cool is… this isn’t exactly al pastor.

Aside from being chicken instead of the traditional shavings of pork shoulder slow-cooked and shaved off a trompo (the big spit you see at the taco stand) this is just… well, grilled chicken that’s chopped up. It’s not even chicken shwarma! Now, there is no rule that says al pastor has to be shaved pork or cooked on a rotating spit, in fact ‘al pastor,’ which translates to ‘shepherd’s style’ was traditionally made with roasted lamb and introduced to Mexico via Lebanese immigrants (which is why I mentioned shwarma), but there is an implication that comes along with ‘al pastor,’ and Chipotle isn’t quite meeting that.

The flavor profile is similar, but without the trompo and the unique seared edges it provides on the meat, I think the name is a bit of a stretch here, which means Chipotle’s worldwide will be introducing ‘al pastor’ to a vast audience while not at all capturing the magic of what people should expect from al pastor.

But that’s judging a book by its cover (and its name) — how does this stuff actually taste? We found out by testing it out in a burrito and fajita quesadilla, here is our verdict!

Chicken al Pastor

Tasting Notes:

For this taste test, I tried the Chicken al Pastor in a burrito (salsa, beans, rice, lettuce, cheese, chicken) and a fajita quesadilla (chicken, fajitas, cheese). In terms of versatility, the protein works great in both. The chicken has an initial burst of mild spicy flavors before bringing on some earthy smoked notes and finishing with a punch of sweetness that dances nicely on the taste buds alongside a hint of lingering heat. The pineapple notes are just barely there, but not in a tart or intrusive way, instead I think the pineapple’s main use is as a simple tenderizer. This chicken is incredibly tender, with a soft mouthfeel that is easy to chew through and bursting with flavor.

Instead, the majority of sweetness seems like it’s coming from the achiote, it has a certain floral and nutty characteristic that becomes incredibly addicting. For that reason, I think the Chicken al Pastor tastes better in the burrito, it needs more ingredients to distract from it, I found the quesadilla to be just a bit too sweet for my liking.

Dipping the quesadilla in sour cream, salsa, and guacamole fixes that issue, but it’s something to keep in mind if you don’t dip!

Now that I’ve had the Chicken al Pastor, my best guess is that this protein would serve a bowl incredibly well. That allows for maximum ingredient mixing with each forkful.

The Bottom Line:

Chipotle has done it again! The brand has no consistently released new protein options that absolutely dunk on what’s on the permanent menu. The Chicken al Pastor is more flavorful than Chipotle’s stock chicken and is absolutely worth a trip to your nearest Chipotle. We get it Chipotle, you know how to marinate meat, now give us some damn nachos!

Find your nearest Chipotle here.

2 Meats No Bun

KFC originally announced the KFC Double Down sandwich in a press release they put out on April Fool’s Day, which makes a lot of sense, being that it seems like a joke that people just sort of kept going for the novelty value of it all. The sandwich, featuring two fried chicken breast “buns” housing two pieces of cheese, two bacon strips, and sauce was the hot punchline during its initial run in 2010.

Before planking before the Ice Bucket Challenge before Kony 2012, there was the KFC Double Down, being eaten for laffs on YouTube by people who weren’t even yet known as “YouTubers.” Its status as a novelty pop culture phenomenon was cemented when Stephen Colbert ate one on his show on Comedy Central, which was a “channel” on a thing called “basic cable” back then, which we all had on our TVs, which was the style at the time.

“I don’t think there has ever been a more obvious sign of profound psychotic behavior than KFC’s new double down sandwich,” Colbert joke-ranted. “It is breaded insanity! It is a sandwich that lacks all sandwichness!…This is the warped creation of a syphilitic brain!”

This was clearly a food designed to be ridiculed all the way to the bank, even before “outrage bait” had been coined as a strategy. Presumably to be washed down with an original recipe Four Loko (which would first be banned in several states later that fall).

The Double Down was originally envisioned as a limited-time menu item but lasted much longer before quietly phasing out. It was basically gone by 2014.

That is… UNTIL NOW.

The Double Down returned to KFC menus on March 6th this month, supposedly for a limited run. I did have one 13 years ago, but I also used to regularly drink original recipe Four Loko so let’s be honest, those memories are fuzzy at best. We figured it was high time for a reappraisal of the KFC Double Down. Are punchlines still as funny 13 years later?

—

I dutifully sat in the drive-thru lane just after noon at my local KFC on a rainy day in Fresno, California. The Double Down comes two ways, regular, which comes with mayo, and spicy, which comes with spicy mayo. I ordered one of each, plus fries and a drink.

It was a long(ish) wait for fast food, which actually gave me hope. If it took that much time to make, I figured, maybe it would be fresher? A man can hope.

I received my order and headed for home. The first bad omen was that the fries were very bad. Nicely seasoned, but stale tasting, like they’d been sitting there for a while and/or weren’t very good in the first place. Sort of like seasoned cardboard. I stopped after four or five, and believe me when I say that fries have to be pretty bad for me to stop eating perfectly available fries while driving. I could probably mow down a whole KFC bucket full halfway decent ones.

Five to 10 short minutes later, I was safely at home popping these bad boys out of the bag.

The Review:

They looked… honestly pretty appetizing. The breading looked crunchy, though not daunting. The cheese was nicely melted, and the bacon looked… well, like fast food bacon usually looks. Probably unnecessary, but I suppose I can’t really ding a KFC Double Down for being excessive.

I took a sniff, like I was nosing a fine wine or celebrating a loud fart in front of the kids. It smelled fried and good, like the Colonel’s blend of 11 herbs and spices.

As I bit in, yes, it was a little hard to get my mouth around, as compared to a normal sandwich, but it was doable. I think they cut the breasts in half horizontally rather than using two whole breasts, which seems like the right move. It’s a little rough on the roof of your mouth, without the soft bun to cushion all that breading. A little mayo squirted through a hole in the chicken onto my hand like I was eating a giant gusher candy, which added an element of surprise and disgust.

Taste-wise, it was… okay. There’s lots of smoky bacon flavor and creamy cheese, and the chicken is fine. It’s chicken breast, so it’s not particularly juicy, but it’s not too overcooked or overfried, so dryness isn’t really a factor. The more I chewed and the more bites I took, the more I realized what a salt bomb this thing is. While it has crispy breading, there’s also no fresh crunch — this thing was positively dying for some pickles or maybe some sliced onions in there. I actually thought the spicy sauce was pickles at first glance and I was immediately disappointed that it wasn’t.

The bacon flavor is slightly overwhelming at first, but it’s bacon, so that’s not so bad. The regular mayo is nice too (chicken and mayo being a solid combination) and the spicy sauce is surprisingly spicy. If I had to choose a worst component, it’d actually be the cheese. It tastes like that white American, which contributes little flavor beyond bland milkiness and there’s way too much of it. This definitely doesn’t need two slices, and they mostly seem to deaden the flavors, coating your mouth and neutralizing all the acids.

I understand why Stephen Colbert took one bite and thought “Hey, this actually isn’t bad.”

That was sort of my first thought as well. But then the more bites you take, the worse it gets and the worse you feel. There’s nothing fresh in there, just breading and bacon and mayo and cheese. It’s got no restraint, which is to be expected, but also no pizzazz. One bite is basically enough, there’s nothing else to discover.

I would have to be extremely drunk and/or stoned to finish an entire one of these, and I can’t even imagine the hangover. I got maybe a quarter of the way through the sandwiches and then I called it. This is still more of a prank than it is a meal.

Final Thoughts:

I don’t think fried chicken breasts as sandwich buns is that “out there” of an idea, or even so beyond the pale, nutritionally. In fact I think I’d rather put fast food fried chicken filets in my body than whatever is in the buns. That’s kind of a tough one.

In any case, the biggest issue with the Double Down is that these chicken filets are seasoned like they’re going to be the center of a sandwich (because presumably, they are, for KFC’s other sandwiches), surrounded by fresh and unsalted or not-very-salted ingredients. The Double Down loses all those fresh and unsalted ingredients, doubles the chicken, and adds bacon, cheese, and mayo. That’s too much salt, son! My capillaries were tumescent. I worried I would have to call over a young Mormon boy to read me an essay about Moby Dick. They could definitely improve this by cutting the seasoning level on the chicken in half.

The filling also feels like it isn’t really adding much. The bacon adds a smoky element (fun fact: the halal version subs bacon for a slice of smoked, processed chicken), but it also worsens the seasoning issue. The mayo is welcome, but the cheese doesn’t add anything but a binding. It also desperately needs something fresh in there, even if that’s pickles (which feature into most fast food joints’ chicken sandwiches).

All of which is basically to say: I believe in the potential of the KFC Double Down, but it doesn’t seem like the execution ever got beyond the “stunt food” phase.

Vince’s Fantasy World Galaxy Brain Remix:

If I were rethinking this, I’d cut the cheese (heh) to one slice and use swiss, cheddar, havarti… instead of whatever milky crap this is. I’d also definitely add pickles, and maybe onion and tomato. That’s going to make the sandwich too big, so I’m cutting out one of the chicken filets and wrapping the whole thing in lettuce so that you can hold it — holdability being a key consideration in sandwich artistry.

I’m keeping the bacon, just because.

So it’d be: fried chicken cutlet, melted (real) cheese, bacon, mayo, pickles, tomato, and onion in a lettuce wrap. Now, you might argue, that’s basically just an In N Out protein-style burger with fried chicken instead of a burger patty. To which I’d ask… is that a bad thing? You could even switch the bacon to ham and call it “cordon bleu style.” Remember chicken cordon bleu? Those were the days.

Read our Top Chef Power Rankings here. Vince Mancini is on Twitter.

An A24 film reigned over the 2023 Oscars. Could an A24 TV show do the same at the Emmys? If there’s one that’s going to do it, it’s Beef, a dark comedy series starring Steven Yeun and Ali Wong that will make you think twice about giving the finger to a stranger the next time you’re behind the wheel.

Here’s the official plot description for the A24/Netflix co-production: “A road rage incident between two strangers — a failing contractor and an unfulfilled entrepreneur — sparks a feud that brings out their darkest impulses.” You can watch the trailer above. Also, a note to TV and film editors everywhere, please set more trailers to Smashing Pumpkins songs. Thank you.

“Ali Wong, Steven Yeun, A24, and Netflix. It’s a dream team, and I’m honored to be collaborating with them,” Lee said in a statement. “I’m also grateful to the guy who yelled at me in traffic three years ago. I did not let it go, and now we have a show.” It’s unclear if the “bitch-ass handyman pissing on my hardwood floor,” as Wong fumes in the trailer, is based on someone, too.

Beef, which also stars Joseph Lee, Young Mazino, David Choe, Patti Yasutake, Maria Bello, Ashley Park, Justin H. Min, Mia Serafino, Remy Holt, Andrew Santino, and Rek Lee, premieres on Netflix on April 6th.

Pete Davidson has been awfully quiet lately. He’s still bopping around and doing his comedy thing, but relatively speaking, he’s been laying low, especially compared to this time last year. It’s good that he took some time away from the spotlight after….everything. But don’t worry! Much like a phoenix rising from the ashes, you can never keep him away from TV for too long.

The former SNL cast member is starring in a new series Bupkis, loosely based on his life growing up in Staten Island. You might be thinking hey, didn’t he already do this? While that’s true, this show has Edie Falco, so that already makes it more appealing.

According to Peacock, the series “combines grounded storytelling with absurd elements from the unfiltered and completely original worldview for which Pete is well known” and will feature a slew of guest stars, including Charlie Day, Brad Garrett, Simon Rex, Ray Romano, Kenan Thompson, and Chase Sui Wonders.

Davidson stars alongside Falco, who will portray his mother, and Joe Pesci as his grandfather. This is Pesci’s first series since starring in the short-lived comedy series Half Nelson in 1985. A lot has changed since then. Falco told Entertainment Weekly that she doesn’t really know why she was asked to do the show…but she went for it anyway. “I’m still not quite sure that he meant to cast me,” she admitted, adding that he might have thought she “was somebody else or something.”

Still, Falco was smitten by Davidson, as most people are. “Pete’s really exceedingly charming and self-effacing and humble. The jokes are always on him, and it’s very, very easy to be charmed by that,” she told the mag. By the looks of the photos, it seems like they worked pretty well together!

All eight episodes of the comedy series will premiere on Peacock on May 4th.

(Via Entertainment Weekly)

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are trying to figure out the future of their quarterback position. With Tom Brady retiring for the second time (maybe!) and Blaine Gabbert hitting free agency, the only quarterback on the team’s roster is 2021 second-round pick Kyle Trask, who has thrown a total of nine passes in his NFL career.

But apparently, the Bucs have found a potential replacement for Brady on the free agent market. According to multiple reports, Tampa Bay and former Cleveland Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield have agreed to a 1-year contract that will pay the former No. 1 overall pick $8.5 million for a year of work.

Mayfield’s career has gone off the rails a bit in the last year. After spending his first four seasons with the Browns, Mayfield got traded to the Carolina Panthers due to Cleveland’s decision to go all-in on Deshaun Watson. That did not go especially well for Mayfield, who was released in December and ended the year with the Los Angeles Rams, for whom he started four games before becoming a free agent. Now, the soon-to-be 28-year-old quarterback will get a chance to compete for a starting gig in a division he got to know a little bit last season.

The RX is Uproxx Music’s stamp of approval for the best albums, songs, and music stories throughout the year. Inclusion in this category is the highest distinction we can bestow, and signals the most important music being released throughout the year. The RX is the music you need, right now.

In the age of the internet, Meet Me @ The Altar is ahead of the game. Though the pop-punk band delivers a nostalgic sound – one that has been missing from the landscape for nearly two decades – they are symbolic of what the future of rock can be; women of color making waves in a predominately male scene, and having pure fun while doing it.

With their debut album, Past // Present // Future, the ladies of Meet Me @ The Altar shine as voices of their generation, dealing with heartbreak, navigating online trolls, and handling the ups and downs of growing up in the modern age.

The band – vocalist Edith Victoria, guitarist and bassist Téa Campbell, and drummer Ada Juarez – formed by way of online auditions in 2017, as each of them was living in a different state. When they all moved in together in 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic brought them closer together, even as other bands were forced to work apart.

“No matter what happened, we would have been fine because we already worked like that,” says Victoria. “We had already been sending music via the internet, FaceTime, and texts. It would have been really easy for us, even if we didn’t move in together at that point, because that’s how we already operated. Everyone was freaking out, but I know we would have been completely fine.”

Before moving in together, Campbell would record her bass and guitar loops via FL Studio and Reaper. Juarez would record her drum parts on “Logic, exclusively,” while Victoria describes herself as a “GarageBand girly.”

The internet was a vital tool in the band’s formation, as well as their rise, as a co-sign from Alex Gaskarth of All Time Low and Dan Campbell of The Wonder Years led to them signing a record deal with Fueled By Ramen in October of 2020. But as they’ve grown as a band, they’ve become accustomed to the downsides of fame.

On “Say It (To My Face),” the lead single from Past // Present // Future, the band recount the hate they’ve received from online trolls.

“I’m a b*tch and my band is an industry plant / at least that’s what it says on the internet / Think you know who I am, you say you’re not a fan / but you got all my songs playing in your head,” sings Edith on the song’s opening verse. The song’s accompanying video sees the trio tracking down a troll, to discover he is living in his mother’s basement.

In real life, the Meet Me @ The Altar say they have a “love-hate relationship” with the internet, and admit they’re still learning how to handle negativity online.

“I feel like a lot of it is just people trying to get a reaction,” says Juarez. “Like, just trolling and not even listening to the song, and saying, ‘Oh, these are some girls, let’s post something really mean and untrue’ just to get some reactions and laughs – when really…just say it to my face.”

As women of color, the band often finds themselves at the forefront of these conversations – conversations about being pigeonholed in the industry, and conversations about the issues women in music are facing in this day and age. And while they admit having to talk about these things can be exhausting, they do feel that speaking on these topics is an important step to diversifying the landscape.

“We just want to exist and let that be enough, and let the music speak for itself,” says Campbell. “But obviously, it’s important to talk about it, because it’s not as normalized as it should be. In an ideal world, we won’t even need to have these conversations anymore, because it’ll just be so normal for women to be in rock, and to be respected in rock specifically.”

Over the course of the album’s 30 minutes, the listener will feel young again – in ways that are both cheerful and also traumatic. Songs like “Kool” touch on the awkward feelings of having a crush.

“It’s Over For Me” features Victoria recalling a break-up, and the signs she realized it was over. Luckily, she seems affirmed in her decision, as she sings, “I wiped all our pictures off my phone / I forgot the smell of your cologne / Thank God, I kinda hated it.” By now, Victoria has grown to become more aware of her dating icks, and she tells us that someone “wearing Axe cologne” is one of them.

Of course, they look out for the same red flags any reasonable person would – like listening to Joe Rogan or Andrew Tate – but they say their biggest turnoff is having bad taste in music. Or, even worse, not listening to music at all.

“It’s actually psychotic,” Victoria says of the idea of not listening to music.

“Yeah, it’s like, I see now we wouldn’t even be able to have a conversation,” adds Juarez. “What are we going to talk about, just sitting in the car in silence?”

On one of the album’s standout tracks, “A Few Tomorrows,” Victoria sings of a heartbreaking loss. Upon first listen, one may gather that the song is about a breakup, but Victoria reveals that the song was partially inspired by her dog, who died while they were writing the album. The band wanted a song that was “hopeful and depressing at the same time,” which they said proved to be a challenge at first.

“We wrote a song about losing someone, and it wasn’t good enough,” says Victoria. “So then we’re like, ‘Ok, well, if we’re gonna replace it, let’s replace it with something that has the same meaning. So we went and wrote ‘A Few Tomorrows,’ and it was one of the last songs we wrote that went on the record. It could be anything you want it to be – a breakup, losing someone, or someone passing away. But it’s like, this isn’t a real goodbye. I’ll see you later at some point. I’ll see you soon.”

After reliving all of our past traumas for the past half hour, the album arrives on a happy note with its penultimate track, “Rocket Science,” which serves as a reminder to the listener not to overthink life.

“I know part of you is scared of trying / But don’t hold back or you’ll regret you didn’t start / Taking that risk, start learning to live / Start doing exactly what you want / It isn’t rocket science / Life isn’t meant to be so hard,” sings Victoria on the song’s chorus.

As artists, sometimes tapping into that vulnerability can be a challenge, but the group say that sitting with their emotions and feeling every feeling that comes their way allows them to arrive at a place of peace.

“Even if it’s bad in the moment, life is so fluctuating,” says Campbell, “and it will get better and there’s some peace in knowing that when you’re in those tough moments.”

“It’s not rocket science, baby,” adds Juarez. “Like, don’t worry about it. You’ll get through it.”

Past // Present // Future is out know via Fueled By Ramen. Find more information here.

Meet Me @ The Altar is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

FKA Twigs is one of the newest faces of the fashion brand Calvin Klein. The multi-hyphenated musician has joined the ranks of Michael B. Jordan, Blackpink’s Jennie, Kendall Jenner, and Aaron Taylor-Johnson in the brand’s new spring 2023 Calvins Or Nothing campaign. Calvins Or Nothing aims to spotlight dynamic talent across industries, including fashion, television, and music, for which Twigs is the perfect muse.

For the “Killer” singer’s individual promotional video filmed in grayscale, FKA Twigs effortlessly floats around the open set as she shows off her masterful dance skills. Sporting several pieces from the designer, including a black lace intimates set, the singer unabashedly shows off her toned physique as an unreleased song of her plays in the background.

In a post on Twitter, FKA Twigs shared her excitement to be featured in the campaign, writing, “It’s an honour to be the new face of
Calvin Klein and to have worked so closely with some of my dearest friends to create something that I believe reflects me as a woman and artist.”

FKA Twigs’ last project, Caprisongs, was released early last year and received praise from fans and critics alike, but based on the feedback from fans after hearing the unreleased track, new music will certainly be welcomed.

Watch FKA Twigs’ Calvin Klein spring 2023 campaign video above. To see the other celebrity ambassadors that star in the campaign, continue below.

While Maya Hawke is most known for her part on Netflix’s Stranger Things, the daughter of actors Uma Thurman and Ethan Hawke also has a musical side. In a recent appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, Hawke performed “Thérèse” from her 2022 album, Moss.

Joined by a full band, Hawke quietly runs through the lyrics and enchantingly moves around the stage — keeping with the witchy, mysterious energy of the song.

“I go see Thérèse dreamin’ / She’s stretchin’ out her sore shoulder / Leanin’ back, eyes closed, reachin’ up / She’s wishin’ she was older,” Hawke sets the tone of a dreamscape in the opening verse.

Halfway through the performance, the band shifts styles to introduce a fuzzy electric guitar and added drums in a powerful instrumental break.

“‘Thérèse’ is about the secret spaces we build where we are free to be ourselves, in a world that is always intentionally or systematically misunderstanding us,” Hawke previously told IndieWire, upon the music video’s release. “How hard we have to fight against internal and external forces just to love each other, love ourselves, love our bodies. ‘Thérèse’ is a call to return to the beginner’s mind. A reminder, if only to myself.”

Check out Maya Hawke’s “Thérèse” performance on Fallon above.