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Beyoncé released a new album recently and unless you’ve been asleep for the past few weeks, you’ve likely heard about it. While everyone knew she was going to make a more significant splash into the country music genre, the details of the album were scarce until it’s release. To many people’s surprise it wasn’t simply a country album, it was a genre bender that somehow seamlessly transitioned country, pop, R&B and rap all in one album, Cowboy Carter.

Country music legends like Willie Nelson and Dolly Parton made an appearance, with Parton introducing Beyoncé’s cover of her infamous song “Jolene.” While the spin on that country classic has the internet abuzz over the lyric changes that take the singer from begging to assertively telling Jolene to stay away, it’s “Blackbird” that many can’t get enough of.

“Blackbird” was originally written by Paul McCartney and sung by a little band he was in named The Beatles. Maybe you’ve heard of them. The song topped the charts in the 60s and will likely make its way to the charts again with Queen Bey’s cover of it. But it’s the meaning behind the song that has people talking.

The song was written at the height of the civil rights movement, and that 60s boy band from Britain never shied away from tackling social movements in their music. Fans of Bey’s version of “Blackbird” are just becoming aware of McCartney’s reason for writing the song in resurfaced interviews. The retired Beatle explains he wrote the song about seeing Black girls desegregate schools in the south, and more specifically, The Little Rock 9, a group of Black students that desegregated Little Rock Central High School.

The children brave enough to desegregate all white schools were met with verbal and physical violence. Ruby Bridges speaks about parents pulling their children from the classroom, leaving just her and the only teacher that would teach her.

McCartney reveals in the book, Many Years From Now, by Barry Miles, “I had in mind a Black woman, rather than a bird. Those were the days of the civil rights movement, which all of us cared passionately about, so this was really a song from me to a Black woman, experiencing these problems in the States: ‘Let me encourage you to keep trying, to keep your faith, there is hope.”

The revelation of the reason behind the song is evoking emotion and think pieces from Beyoncé fans. One woman shared a clip of the song along with the caption, “Beyonce does everything with such intention. Finding out that Paul McCartney wrote Blackbird to show support to Black women during the Civil Rights movement and Beyoncé decided to add Black country women to feature on the song.”

“I already loved Blackbird, and this cover, but knowing this history makes it so much more meaningful, another user captioned her video.

One person wrote in the comments praises, “The Beatles get a lot of hate but they always stood on business! They refused to play segregated shows.”

Another commenter marvels, “Then to have 4 black female country singers trying to integrate into country music and also waiting for their moment to arise as to sing with her, layers on layers.”

Garrison Hayes gives a succinct breakdown of the song, the imagery and the civil rights movement all in one video, which you can watch below. If you were unaware of the original meaning of the song, now you know. One bonus that people continue to note is that it sounds like Beyoncé is singing over the original Beatles track.

@garrisonhayes

Oh, an excuse to talk about Beyoncé AND Black history?? Count me in. Paul McCartney’s inspiration for the song Blackbird was actually the images of “black girls” integrating schools across the American south during the civil rights era. More specifically, he was inspired by the images of the Little Rock 9 in Arkansas, being assaulted and jeered by an angry mob. Beyoncé’s rendition takes this idea of Black girls being free and pushes it to the next level.

PartyNextDoor is a lot more low-key than his OVO Sound benefactor Drake, but like his fellow Torontonian, he knows how to get people talking. In this case, they are talking about the cover for his upcoming album, PartyNextDoor 4, which has fans split between turned on and grossed out with its NSFW photo.

The photo, which you can view on Party’s Instagram, depicts a nude woman on all fours (heh) from behind, insinuating that it was taken mid-coitus. Her lower back bears a “tramp stamp” tattoo with a number 4. While some fans are celebrating it as an indication of a fully unhinged, hedonistic album on the way, others think it’s so raunchy it has to be an April Fools’ joke.

Party announced the album’s upcoming release date after sharing a pair of singles, “Resentment” and “Real Woman.” The album is due on April 26, over four years since the release of his last album, Partymobile.

Party explained the long delay between albums in an interview with Billboard, ironically blaming it on romantic entanglements, the very thing that fuels his his music’s popularity. “I get into relationships and then music becomes second,” he explained, before vowing, “I think I’m going to take a break from relationships, a long break, and just get back to making music.”

PartyNextDoor is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

Caitlin Clark and the Iowa Hawkeyes are heading to the Final Four. Iowa took on the LSU Tigers in a rematch of last year’s national championship game and watched Clark put forth one of the most emphatic performances of her decorated career, as the Hawkeyes picked up a 94-87 win behind 41 points on 13-for-29 shooting from the field and 9-for-20 shooting from three with 12 assists and seven rebounds from their superstar guard.

Few players had a more difficult night than Hailey Van Lith, the high-profile transfer guard from Louisville who joined the Tigers this past offseason. Despite being under the weather and needing an IV before the game, Van Lith drew the Clark assignment for much of the game, with Clark, as she is wont to do, usually getting the better of her opponent.

At one point, the cameras caught Van Lith having an extremely understandable reaction to Clark knocking down a jumper. With the national player of the year celebrating a jumper that put her team on the verge of making the Final Four, all Van Lith could do was shrug.

Iowa will now prepare for a trip to Cleveland this upcoming weekend, where they’ll play either USC or UConn with a spot in the national title game on the line.

Caitlin Clark and the Iowa Hawkeyes are headed to the Final Four for the second consecutive season. In the most anticipated game of the 2024 NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament to this point, Iowa and LSU squared off in a rematch of the 2023 national final and, while the game was both riveting and competitive throughout, Clark finished with 41 points and 12 assists to lead Iowa to a 94-87 victory.

The first half more than lived up to the billing, as the two teams exchanged haymakers for the opening 20 minutes of the game. While Iowa managed to race out to a 17-9 lead, LSU’s size eventually began to overwhelm them, particularly Angel Reese.

After the Hawkeyes found their footing a bit — and Reese went out due to what appeared to be an ankle injury — much of the first half occurred with both teams within four points of one another. With less than two seconds left in the frame, Flau’jae Johnson scored to send both teams into the locker room tied at 45.

Clark and Reese lived up to the star billing in the first half, with the Iowa sensation putting up 19 points and 5 assists, while LSU’s standout stuffed the stat sheet with eight rebounds, three assists, two steals, and two blocks.

The Hawkeyes once again raced out of the gates in the third quarter, led unsurprisingly by Clark. She got absolutely nuclear hot to start the frame as the team opened things up with a 18-7 run.

Iowa built a 69-58 lead after three quarters, and, while LSU scored the first five points of the fourth quarter to cut the lead nearly in half, Clark wasn’t ready to cede control. By the five-minute mark of the fourth quarter, Clark had tied a career high (and tournament record) with nine triples, and Iowa’s lead was back to 11 points.

Nothing was assured at that juncture, but the run LSU needed never materialized. With 2:29 remaining, Clark set up Hannah Stuelke for a layup to give Iowa a 12-point lead, and it was all but academic from there.

The Hawkeyes will now head to Cleveland to face either USC or UConn the national semifinal on Friday. Iowa certainly won’t be satisfied with anything but a national title given the team’s No. 1 seed and the presence of Clark, but it was a monumental performance for both player and team.

The Detroit Pistons and Memphis Grizzlies squared off on Monday evening in a battle between teams navigating difficult seasons. The Pistons entered with the NBA’s worst record at 13-61 and, while the Grizzlies were 11 games ahead of Detroit in the standings, Memphis also ranked seventh-worst in the league in winning percentage. As such, the game wasn’t heavily consequential from a win-loss standpoint, but both teams are evaluating for the future, and the matchup intriguing young big men in Jaren Jackson Jr. for Memphis and Jalen Duren for Detroit.

Unfortunately, the pair collided in the first quarter, and the result was particularly rough for Duren. In short, Duren had a tooth knocked out and went directly to the locker room.

The slow-motion replay clearly showed Duren’s tooth flying out and onto the floor, which isn’t the easiest thing to watch and was certainly even more difficult to experience. Detroit initially listed Duren as questionable to return, but he was ruled out just a few moments later.

Fortunately, Jackson Jr. was able to stay in the game and the hope would be that it is only a short-term absence for Duren. Still, this isn’t something that is super fun for anyone, and it marred what was otherwise a strong first half for the Pistons as they built a 13-point lead by the break.

Do you have an insatiable craving for spicy chicken? Because, same. We love a big crunchy juicy chicken sandwich that burns the tastebuds (also, don’t sleep on grilled chicken sandwiches).

The fast food universe has a lot of different chicken sandwich options — which can make wading through the garbage and mediocre sandwiches a bit tough — so rather than serve you up a big sprawling ranking of 20+ different sandwiches (though we have that too if you want it), we’re going to point you in the direction of three of the best spicy chicken sandwiches you can order right now.

Now let us be clear, this isn’t a ranked list — just three variations on a spicy chicken sandwich that offer vastly different-yet-equally delicious flavor experiences. Let’s Dive in!

Smashburger — Mango Habanero Chicken Sandwich

Why You Need To Try It:

Of the three sandwiches we’ll be talking about, Smashburger’s Mango Habanero is the newest. This sandwich features a simple build: a fried breast filet tossed in mango habanero sauce, a single leaf of lettuce, mayo, and Smashburger’s iconically soft slightly sweet bun. But despite its lack of thrills, this sandwich packs a whole lot of flavor and most importantly, heat.

The chicken breast filet is relatively thin, but that thinness helps the sandwich stay tender and juicy. The sauce is the star of the show, it begins with a floral, almost creamy sweetness that finishes citrusy. This isn’t the sort of sandwich that is going to ignite your tastebuds at first bite though, it’s a heat that builds slowly as it interacts with your palate, making each bite more addictive than the last.

By the end of the sandwich, your mouth will be watering. Trust.

The weak links are the mayo and the lettuce. The mayo because you don’t need it, and the lettuce because it’s not quite a fit to balance the bitterness of lettuce with the sweet heat of the rest of the sandwich. There is a perfect remedy for this though — order your sandwich with grilled Anaheim chilies.

The grilled chilies won’t add that much heat, so don’t worry if you have a low spice tolerance, but what they will offer is a strong vegetal note and some extra crunch.

The Bottom Line:

The Mango Habanero Chicken Sandwich is worth a trip to Smashburger. With our easy hack, it offers a sweet, spicy, and vegetal character that is unlike every other chicken sandwich out there on the market.

Find your nearest Smashburger here.

Dave’s Hot Chicken — Spicy Chicken Sandwich

Why You Need To Try It:

If what you’re after is blazing hot heat, look no further than Dave’s. The Nashville-inspired hot chicken chain offers 7 different levels of heat (we suggest starting with ‘hot’ and working your way up) that’ll smack your tastebuds to attention and cause you to develop some sweat on the brow.

I love the build here, you’ve got a mix of cabbage and kale, thin but crunchy pickles, optional cheese, a thick chicken tender tossed in spices, and a drizzle of savory and tangy sauce. The blend of spices on the chicken includes chili powder, cayenne pepper, garlic, onion powder, white pepper, and probably some sort of proprietary mix of “spices.” Whatever it is, it all works, the sandwich is flavorful, spicy, and tender.

I do have one complaint though. Dave’s uses a giant chicken tender instead of a breast filet, and I find that there is never enough bread for all your chicken, so you’re going to have a few essentially naked bites, which means no bread, no slaw, no sauce, no pickles. Luckily the chicken is good enough that this isn’t too big of a problem.

The Bottom Line:

If you’re looking for blazing hot heat, this chicken sandwich will more than deliver. It is legitimately the spices sandwich on the market right now.

Find your nearest Dave’s Hot Chicken here.

Popeyes — Signature Hot Crispy Chicken Sandwich With Bacon

Why You Need To Try It:

If you haven’t had Popeyes’ chicken sandwich yet — what the hell are you doing? Seriously, there is a reason this chicken sandwich garnered so much hype, and while hype tends to oversell things, it’s well-deserved here. Popeyes simply makes the best chicken sandwiches in fast food right now.

Even if you have had this sandwich before, you’re probably not aware that there are many variations to it right now that are even better than the original. Our current favorite right now is the Signature Hot Crispy Chicken Sandwich with Bacon.

What you get here is that thick, juicy, buttery, cajun-seasoned chicken filet topped with a slice of mild Havarti cheese, thick and juicy pickles slices, bacon, and hot sauce. The hot sauce is a fairly new addition to Popeyes’ menu, it has a strong cayenne-backed heat with a bit of floral sweetness to balance it out. It’s not blazing hot like what you’ll find at Dave’s, but it’s better than Popeyes’ spicy mayo and complements the cajun spices better.

It’s a must order. Especially if you love the original.

The Bottom Line:

An elevated version of Popeyes’ ultra-hyped chicken sandwich. It’s not the spiciest sandwich on the market, but it has enough heat to satisfy spice-heads and more importantly, it’s delicious, so you can’t go wrong.

Find your nearest Popeyes here.

Actor and comedian Ramy Youssef pulled off an incredible feat in his March 30, 2024 Saturday Night Live appearance, mixing religion, politics and humor in a way that disarmed and united people. Some people are calling it one of the best SNL monologues ever, and it’s genuinely impressive to watch.

How often have you seen someone manage to talk about religion, prayer, the upcoming election, and something like the bombardment of Palestine in a way that isn’t offensive, obnoxious, or overwrought and that’s also funny? Never, right?

Youssef somehow did all of that in an 8-minute stand-up comedy routine that was equal parts warm, genuine, heartfelt and humorous.

He started off talking about it being a holy weekend, with Ramadan, Easter and Beyoncé’s “Cowboy Carter” album dropping. “There’s just so many religions celebrating at once,” he quipped. “I’m doing the Ramadan one,” he added.

Youssef is a Muslim and he shared that one of the things people don’t always know about Muslims is how loving they are. After some giggle-worthy examples, he pointed out that there’s “all this division, but it’s not where you think it is.” He spoke about his fear as a Muslim who speaks Arabic in rural upstate New York, yet made it funny. He referenced the Biden campaign in a way that poked fun of identity politics. He celebrated the idea of having a transgender woman president, but what really got people talking was how he ended his monologue.

To wrap it up, he took a more serious—and yet still somehow funny—turn towards prayer for the suffering of the people of Palestine, the hostages in both Palestine and Israel along with his friend’s divorce and dog. It’s truly a masterclass delivering meaningful commentary with smart, relatable humor.

Watch:

People on YouTube are raving about it.

“Ramy proving you can be irreverent and funny while also spreading love instead of hate,” wrote one commenter.

“Ya know…. comedy about religion is touchy…. and he nailed it. Nice work, sir,” wrote another.

“Gave me chills. The silence when people realized the depth…and Ramy’s generosity in bringing us back with Mr. Bojangles…*perfection*,” shared another.

“I have nothing but heart emojis for this man,” shared another.

Some people said the monologue brought tears to their eyes. Others remarked at how impressive it was that he covered so many topics that would normally have people gunning for him, but his endearing manner and calm, tactful delivery tempered negative reactions to those topics.

Youssef played a role in the Oscar-nominated “Poor Things” film and had an award-winning special on Hulu, but many SNL watchers still weren’t familiar with him. “Don’t know who that guy is, but he performed like standup like a vet. Very impressive. Congrats to him,” wrote one person. “No idea who this kid is but I’m impressed.. owning that stage is no small feat. Kid did great,” wrote another. (Youssef is 33, so not really a kid by most measurements, but still.)

It’s a very narrow line to walk to successfully pull off either religious or political humor, especially in a time of high tensions, so the fact that he nailed both with near flawless balance is really something.

You can follow Ramy Youssef on Instagram.

Given the rapidly changing cost of living in the United States, lifestyle options that once seemed luxurious are now starting to look like good deals. A growing trend is that retirees are choosing to spend their golden years on cruise ships instead of living in a retirement community.

The latest examples of this trend are John, 76, and Melody Hennessee, 64. Before retiring, John was a doctor and the couple also owned an art gallery in Stuart, Florida. In 2021, the couple sold everything and purchased an RV to see the country, but after a few years, they were exhausted.

“The constant maintenance, fueling, and planning,” he told Realtor.com.

So, instead, the couple, who had extensive boating experience, decided to cruise the world. In March 2021, they began boat hopping, moving from one cruise ship to another. “I’ve been a sailor all my life, and we love cruising and traveling,” John told The Daily Mail.

Every day, they wake up in a new location. According to Realtor.com, their favorite spots are Bora Bora, Santorini and Croatia.

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The couple even found that it was cheaper to cruise-ship hop than live on land.

“We now have a telephone bill, a ship bill, and a few credit card bills for when we go ashore, but that’s it,” John told SkyNews. “We no longer have a mortgage or the expense of homes. We no longer have vehicle insurance, property insurance, or utility bills. The list goes on. We are certain cruising is cheaper.”

“Right now, it is probably close to half of what it was when we lived on land,” he added. The couple is currently booked on cruises through December 2024, and in 2027, they will embark on the cruise of a lifetime. They have purchased a $2.9 million 600-square-foot cabin on the MV Narrative, a residential cruise ship. They will own the cabin as long as the ship is afloat.

Single 225-square-foot studio residencies on the boat start as low as $597,000.

The ship boasts 20 dining and bar concepts, a theater, 18 decks, laundry service, gyms, and hobby areas and it has a doctor and dentist on hand for emergencies.

Discover the inspiring story of John and Melody Hennessee, who chose a life of adventure on cruise ships. They believe it could be half as expensive as living on land. Read more at: https://t.co/cS9quZtfq8

— (@)

The couple loves the hassle-free convenience of living on a cruise ship and they also get to see the world as well. “[The MV Narrative] is gonna take three and a half years to go around the world and every stop, they’ll spend at least three to five days, which on a cruise ship you have just a few hours. We really love that concept,” John said.

Life is easy for residents of the NV Narrative because it’s all-inclusive. You never have to pull out your wallet, except for the occasional special meal. The all-inclusive fees start at around $2500 per month per adult.

“We’re so excited. We just love the idea of having our own residence on a residential ship,” Melody told The Daily Mail. We are beside ourselves. We’re really, really looking forward to it because, like we said, we’re cruising now; we have 45 more cruises booked.”

Seriously, can there ever be too many spy series on TV? No such thing.

Especially in the streaming age, these shows are particularly apt to be binged, and every variety of current spy series — from The Night Agent to Slow Horses — proves that viewers cannot get enough of their espionage addiction. Now, those wintery True Detective fourth-season vibes are already returning with a must-see show starring Elisabeth Moss, who cannot seem to quit Hulu or FX.

The Handmaid’s Tale star gets to whip out her inner secret agent in The Veil, so let’s get down to what we can expect from this series.

Plot

Steven Knight (Peaky Blinders, Taboo) created and wrote this (officially, but we’ll see) limited series about MI6 agent Imogen Salter (Moss), whose name evokes Angelina Jolie’s double-agent character (Evelyn Salt) of yesteryear, but the two are apparently of no association. As Moss recently told Vanity Fair, Knight initially described the lead character as “playing 100 different roles and being 100 different people–how she was a shape-shifter–and how that was a good thing, not a cover for something else.”

As such, Salter jumps from alias to alias, and her life becomes intertwined with another woman, Adilah El Idrissi (Yumna Marwan), who is suspected of being “a notorious ISIS commander.” Salter works to get her to a safer place, which leads them roaring across Europe with the help of multiple intelligence agencies. Motives and true backgrounds remain unclear, and their dynamic grows more complex, which apparently acts as a metaphor of international relations in its current chaotic incarnation.

As well, it’s not quite clear from the below trailer if these two will ever trust each other, or if the audience can trust them, either. If that wasn’t enough, Knight described the series (to Vanity Fair) as being partially inspired by “Thelma and Louise–the way that the journey reveals the character,” so it’s a road-trip story in a sense. From the show’s synopsis:

FX’s The Veil is an international spy thriller that explores the surprising and fraught relationship between two women who play a deadly game of truth and lies on the road from Istanbul to Paris and London. One woman has a secret, the other a mission to reveal it before thousands of lives are lost. In the shadows, mission controllers at the CIA and French DGSE must put differences aside and work together to avert potential disaster.

Cast

Elisabeth Moss stars as Imogen Salter, and fellow cast members include Yumna Marwan, Josh Charles, Dali Benssalah, Alec Secareanu, and James Purefoy.

Release Date

The Veil debuts on Hulu on April 30 with two episodes and weekly editions.

Trailer

Moss with a British accent — who could resist?

Not even 24 hours after its release, Beyoncé’s soulful, genre-bending “Cowboy Carter” album broke records on Spotify, becoming the platform’s most-streamed album in a single day so far this year.

With 27 tracks—ranging from thought-provoking covers to an eclectic array of originals—there’s a little something for everyone. There’s even a more whoopass version of Dolly Parton’s “Jolene.”

But there’s one tune in particular that’s striking a cord with parents. Not to mention making them shed a few tears.

In “Protector,” there’s a quick snippet of Bey’s youngest daughter Rumi asking mom for a “lullaby.” The heartfelt acoustic ballad proceeds to be just that, and more.

The tender lyrics touch on the special love oath a parent makes to their child—both to shield them from the world, and help them shine in it.

This can most clearly be seen in the chorus, which says:

“And I will lead you down that road if you lose your way / Born to be a protector, mm-hmm / Even though I know someday you’re gonna shine on your own / I will be your projector.”

“I first saw your face in your father’s gaze,” she sings, perhaps referencing the love shared between them that helped create their child. (excuse my while I wipe a tear)

“Protector” is such an emotional bullseye that one person on X dubbed it this year’s “Mother’s Day anthem.”

Another listener agreed, “Bey gave us Protector right in time for Mother’s Day.”

Of course, there were many more reactions where that came from. Especially from new parents.

“Listening to protector while rocking my 7 month old son to sleep….. Beyonce you gonna need to start paying for my therapy cause the way these tears are flowing,” one person shared.

Another added, “Just bawled my eyes out listening to Protector… as a new mom that one hit different Beyoncé.”

But that doesn’t mean childless folks weren’t moved.“I don’t even have kids and Protector on #COWBOYCARTER has me like this on my drive to work,” read one X post.

If you’re one of the very, very few who haven’t heard it, grab some tissues and give it a listen below. Then go call your mom, if you can: