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The numbers are stacked against young men when it comes to finding love on dating apps. They outnumber women 2 to 1 on the platforms, making the competition pretty tough. A new study finds that they’ll make things even harder for themselves if they admit to listening to the “Joe Rogan Experience” podcast in their profiles.

A new poll by Change Research surveyed 1,033 registered voters between 18 and 34 to ask about their political leanings and dating preferences. It discovered that women’s biggest red flag when looking for a relationship is a date revealing they’re a MAGA Republican, with 76% of women saying it’s a turnoff. The second biggest red flag for women is people who “have no hobbies” (66%), and the third is those who say “All Lives Matter” (60%).

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Fifty-five percent of women say it’s a big turnoff for potential partners to listen to the Rogan podcast. They also have a problem with people who “refuse” to see the “Barbie” movie (53%).

When it comes to men between the ages of 18 and 34, the biggest turn-off is people who identify as “communist” (64%), and they also have problems with those who have no hobbies (60%) as well as MAGA Republicans (59%).

Other turnoffs for men include being interested in astrology (41%) and saying “All Lives Matter” (41%).

Interestingly, people with no hobbies are a big red flag to people of both men and women. The common assumption is that people with no real hobbies or interests will rely on their partners to bring fun into their lives. Also, a lack of hobbies can mean a person lacks passion and may not have many personal goals.

When it comes to having too many hobbies, both men and women agree that it isn’t a big problem. The poll found that only 8% of women believe that having too many hobbies is a red flag and 6% of men agreed.

When it comes to green flags in a relationship, both men and women overwhelmingly agreed that they are very interested in potential partners who read. Ninety-five percent of women and 91% of men saw reading as a green flag. So, if you’re crafting an online dating profile, you may want to show some photos of you reading a book or list some of the books you’ve read recently.

They also agree that they are interested in people who research the best deals and rates before buying things. Eighty-eight percent of women listed being a smart consumer as a green flag, and men were close behind at 85%. Men (63%) and women (51%) also agreed it’s a green flag when someone looks better in person than in photos online.

Those of you looking to be in the dating pool during the upcoming presidential election should know there is a discrepancy between the genders regarding political affiliation among the 18 to 34 crowd. Although most people in this age range are moderate to liberal politically, there is a significant difference between genders.

This article originally appeared on 9.14.23

Imagine for a moment you messed up your friend group so badly that Jon Hamm and John Slattery have to step in and do a dramatic retelling of your explosive cast-member fight. You would take some time to reflect and maybe see a therapist, right? Even just a few weeks off to do a Mad Men rewatch? Seemingly, Tom Sandoval did some time reflecting, though it was on a different reality show, so it doesn’t really count.

Now that the new season of Vanderpump Rules is in full swing and fans are getting to see the consequences of last year’s scandal unfold, you would think that Sandoval would keep a low profile and try to stay out of the drama. Instead, he did a New York Times profile and subsequently inserted himself into even more drama by comparing himself to O.J. Simpson. He is a reality star after all, so what would we expect? Luckily, the world isn’t letting Sandoval return without making a few more jokes at his expense.

John Oliver took some time in a segment about “pig butchering” (a real scam!) to call out Sandoval on Last Week Tonight. “Pigs are awesome,” Oliver began. “They’re one of the most intelligent animals on the planet. They’re smarter than dogs, most three-year-olds, and Tom Sandoval.” It sounds extra painful with Oliver’s accent, much like Sandoval’s boss, Lisa Vanderpump. He’s used to being berated by posh Brits.

That’s not all! Sandoval was the butt of another joke over the weekend, though this one is weirder than pig butchering if you can believe it. On SNL’s Weekend Update, Marcello Hernandez appeared as a frozen embryo in reference to the jarring Alabama Supreme Court decision which declared that frozen embryos are legally people. He told anchor Colin Jost, “I don’t have a brain. I don’t have a heart. I’m like Tom Sandoval,” the “embryo” stated, adding that even without eyes, he can see that Tom is a “pure narcissist.”

It seems like we may never be free from Sandoval’s grasp. The only thing that would potentially make this all worth it would be another dramatic reading of various Vanderpump scenes starring the cast of Breaking Bad. They are great at ad-libbing.

(Via EW)

When I stayed at The Inn At Serenbe, a historic family farm turned luxury retreat, I quickly fell in love with the nature of it all. Nestled in the rolling Chattahoochee Hills on the edge of Atlanta, The Inn At Serenbe has a rich history dating back to 1905 as a historic farm. From there, it evolved into a sprawling wellness community that both feels like a throwback to simpler times and a glimpse into the future of how societies should develop — with greater flexibility and an emphasis on sustainability and personal well-being.

For short-term visitors, The Inn At Serenbe offers a unique urban getaway mixing rustic charm with refined elegance. The focus on wellness permeates everything, from the amenities and offerings to the food. But a stay at the property is also a chance to witness the permanent community in place — eclectic, with a heavy European influence, where people with creative and wellness backgrounds live closely and collaborate often.

The spa is… well, we’ll get to that. But spoiler: It’s on a whole other level — offering a holistically-minded range of services for guests to fully unwind — and the activities are endless. Hiking trails, horseback riding, outdoor games, canoeing, yoga… if you like soft adventure, this is your dream spot.

WHY IT’S AWESOME

I visited over a cold January weekend but the property surrounding The Inn maintained its beautiful, rustic appeal. The Inn itself is the former family home of the Nygrens, the family driving all things Serenbe. The home has been updated, expanded on, and turned into a commercial venture, striking the balance between providing luxury in the country without losing any charm.

From the window of The Inn, you can revel in expansive countryside featuring restored farm buildings full of character, manicured gardens, the Serenbe lake, and horses roaming the hills. Once you venture outside of The Inn, you can spend hours wandering the surrounding property or choose one of the many hiking trails that wind through the community, taking you past waterfalls, pockets of the town, and the Serenbe Farm.

Added bonus: a golf cart comes with the stay. Outside of walking and hiking, golf carts are how the community travels for daily activities, keeping life convenient while still feeling connected and communal. Plus, as anyone who has driven a golf cart knows: They’re a blast.

IN-HOUSE FOOD & DRINK

The Inn at Serenbe is home to The Farmhouse restaurant. Known as Atlanta’s original farm-to-table restaurant, The Farmhouse and head chef Nicholas Bour have a laser focus on sourcing fresh organic ingredients from Serenbe Farms and local Chattahoochee Hills producers. Farmhouse guests are seated in what used to be the summer dining room of the Nygren’s home, which creates intimacy balanced with an expectation of fine dining.

(You might notice that I’m using the word “balance” a lot in this review — that’s intentional. The property deftly manages the feelings of luxury, rustic community, wellness retreat, and more without ever losing its identity.)

The moment we checked in, we began a Farmhouse food and beverage tour that truly educated us on what the future of food can (and likely should!) look like. We kicked things off by signing up for the Farmhouse wine tasting. There, the sommelier led us through four distinct wines served at Farmhouse and set the tone for the level of service, friendliness, and expertise exemplified throughout The Inn. The wine selection varied by regions and blends and showcased the well-curated selection of the restaurant. The tasting came complete with a lovely charcuterie board — complete with locally sourced meats, cheeses, and fresh honeycomb that tied it all together.

We could not help but devour the entire board while sipping on vino.

We then transitioned to drinks on the wraparound porch where live music played and we enjoyed getting to know Garnie Nygren, Serenbe COO, and Monica Olsen, Serenbe CMO, to learn more about the rich and unique history of Serenbe, the vision behind it, and what the future holds in store. Live music, heaters, and The Farmhouse Bar Old Fashioned completed the ambiance and had us feeling giddy.

For dinner, we were treated to multiple courses in The Farmhouse’s main dining room as well as a special visit from chef Nicholas Bour who treated us to a specially prepared sushi plate while discussing his time shaping the restaurants and all the restaurants of the Serenbe community. Our main courses of Blue Nose Snapper and Barbecue Short Rib were exquisite. The short rib was the best I’ve ever had — it’s a dish that can often get too dense, too rich. This version was perfectly… you know the word that’s coming… balanced.

The full Farmhouse dining experience would not be complete without the next morning’s breakfast for guests of The Inn. Locally sourced eggs, bacon, fresh fruit, and, of course, warm biscuits from scratch, are an ideal way to get going on a relaxing (if cold) January morning.

AMENITIES

• Two on-site restaurants
• Bar & Lounge
• Country breakfast
• Sweets upon arrival
• Two pools
• Two hot tubs
• Wraparound porch
• Concierge services
• Fitness center
• Animal village
• Trampoline
• Treehouse
• Outdoor games (basketball, bocce, croquet)
• Lakeside views
• Canoeing
• 16 miles of hiking trails
• Stone labyrinth
• Golf cart rental
• Pool butler
• Spa
• Goat yoga
• Horseback riding

ROOM TYPES

The Inn at Serenbe boasts the comforts and feel of a high-end bed and breakfast while offering the spacious environment of a much larger property, given that it’s nestled on a 36-acre farm. The Inn has completed several expansions and renovations, building out more rooms and conference areas off of the main house and adding in modern comforts like large updated bathrooms. Two pools, each with its own hot tub, sit close to the main house.

We stayed in a deluxe room in the Main House, complete with a king bed, plenty of square footage, a walk-in closet, a spacious updated bathroom with two sinks, and a bay window bench overlooking the gardens and the farm.

The Main House is a luxurious take on the bed and breakfast experience. The rooms have outdoor views, access to cozy lounges, and sit above the The Farmhouse restaurant. The restored 1905 Farmhouse includes 15 rooms all fitted with king beds, a common sitting area, and a shared kitchenette. The kitchenette was especially convenient for ice, refrigerator spaces, and simple provisions. The Main House is adult-only and — in addition to romantic getaways — has been crafted to accommodate company retreats with multiple conference rooms and outdoor spaces designed to breathe new life into the idea of off-site company meetings.

The Cottages are close by and offer more space and privacy on the grounds. The views include horse paddocks, the Animal Village, and the Serenbe Lake.

There are also 25 houses and townhomes within the community to rent. Spanning one to eight bedrooms, you can experience what life is like to be a Serenbe resident while enjoying all the amenities and services The Inn has to offer.

BEST THINGS TO DO WITHIN A 15-MINUTE WALK

You could pack your schedule with week’s worth of activities available throughout the Serenbe community and in walking distance of The Inn. But as someone who loves to experience my yoga practice in all-new settings, our private Restorative yoga class with Heather at Serenbe Yoga was just about all the activity I needed. I’ve visited plenty of studios and this one is as open and freeing as any I’ve seen, creating an atmosphere of serenity complimented by glimpses of the surrounding hills through the windows.

The restorative class, focusing on becoming in tune with one’s body, is especially fitting for a weekend retreat focused on relaxation and wellness.

There’s also a trail for any hike, walk, or adventure you’re feeling on a given day. Some of the trails hug the community closely and allow for a simple stop into the general store of The Blue Eyed Daisy bakery, while others will take you deep into the woods. Take your pick of farmland, lakeside views, and trails for horseback riding. Even in well below-freezing temperatures, I made a point to go on a short hike to the waterfall, which offered some peaceful and beautiful quiet time during our filled schedule, all while making mental notes of the full trail runs I plan to take advantage of on my next visit.

BEST THING TO DRIVE YOUR GOLF CART TO

Food was one of the top themes of the weekend. Two other anchor restaurants in the Serenbe community — both a quick golf cart ride from The Inn — are must-visits to both get some excellent grub on while also experiencing the extended community.

A fresh and clean lunch at Halsa, right after yoga was just what we needed to reenergize. We replenished on an assort of made-to-order dishes including kale smoothies, a chicken curry sandwich, and brussels sprout chicken tacos.

For our second dinner in Serenbe, we were treated at the other fine-dining establishment in the community, The Hill. It’s a lively dinner atmosphere with an in-town vibe. Kicking off the experience with the Hill Old Fashioned was definitely the right choice — a classic take blending Bulleit and Elijah Craig with just enough demerara and smoke complimented to balance sweet and smokiness. Sweet potato samosas were the right call for starters and would recommend them to any first-time diners. From there we experienced splitting Salmon Risotto that did not miss while also sharing a few bites of the Hill Stack Burger, which came highly recommended thanks to specially prepared Serenbe Sauce and bacon jam. That was a meal I’d be happy to run back again and again.

BED GAME

Our main cabin room at The Inn featured a cozy king bed that whispered “sleep in as long as you can” to us. This room and the bed are where you really feel like you’re in a luxury bed and breakfast — all the quaint touches you want to feel without sacrificing comfort and elegance.

Rating: 8/10

VIEWS & PIC SPOTS

It was insanely cold when we were there so we didn’t spend too much time outside to pose for photos. The property boasts incredible views of the rolling hills and you can find some scenic hideaway woods spots.

Rating: 7/10

BEST SEASON TO VISIT

You can’t pick a bad season to visit for a weekend getaway, extended stay, or larger group gathering, but Spring is the ideal season with the property in bloom, full usage of the pool and lake, prime hiking weather, and — you guessed it — being able to buzz around in your golf cart to everywhere convenient when the days are longer.

IF I HAD TO COMPLAIN ABOUT ONE THING

The property, activities, and especially the people adapted nicely, but it was a record low-temperature weekend when we visited which limited a few of the activities. We’ll be back in the spring/summer to make up.

BOOK HERE:

Rooms start at $400 per night at The Main House and within The Cottages. Prices for renting homes within the community vary depending on size.

BOOK HERE

INSTAGRAM IMAGES TAKEN AT THE INN AT SERENBE:

Wheel of Fortune fans are once again fuming over a prize ruling after contestant Tamara lost out on $50,000 during the Bonus Round on the most recent episode. Pat Sajak had to deliver the bad news after Tamara just missed the final answer, but some fans are convinced that she should’ve been given the win.

According to Decider, the situation went down during the final moments of the Friday, February 23 episode. The board read “_ _ _ N _ NG A B _ _ K _ _ _ B,” and Tamara was struggling to solve the puzzle as the 10-second timer hit. However, with seconds to spare, she blurted out “book club” before yelling “running a book club” as the timer went off.

An apologetic Sajak said Tamara “got there a little late, unfortunately” before revealing that she would’ve walked away with $50,000.

The reactions started flying on social media as Wheel Watchers were convinced that Tamara solved the puzzle in time. One fan even went so far to call the proceedings “bullsh*t.”

However, if you go back and watch the clip, time wasn’t the only thing going against Tamara. The correct answer was “joining a book club” not “running a book club,” and eagle-eyed fans stepped up to defend the ruling.

The ordeal brought back memories of a recent controversial ruling at the end of January when contestant Megan just missed her Bonus Round prize by answering too late. The correct answer was “pink orchid,” and some fans argued that Megan said it in time. However, others claimed that she actually said “something orchid,” which was not the correct answer.

It’s a divisive time to be a Wheel Watcher. What can we say?

(Via Decider)

When Lisa Ann Walter got dolled up for the 2024 SAG Awards, the Abbott Elementary had a specific goal in mind: Land a date. Her red carpet look certainly turned heads thanks to her sparkling and revealing dress. However, before she left the house, Walter’s son decided to roast his mom, but in a sweet, confident-boosting way.

“My son never notices how I’m dressed, ever,” Walter told Entertainment Tonight via PEOPLE. “When I was leaving, he just turned around and walked away. I said, ‘What, I’m trying to get a date,’ and he replied, ‘You’re going to get a date, you’re dressed like Dua Lipa.’”

Clearly, Walter appreciated the (slightly back-handed) compliment because she had no trouble sharing the moment on the red carpet. You can watch her gush about the mother-son moment below:

As for Walter’s love life, the actress recently got candid about how she didn’t realize that young guys sliding into her DMs were hitting on her. Her co-stars had to fill her in on what was happening after Walter thought the interactions were simply sweet fans sending her positive vibes. While she appreciates the compliment, she prefers men her own age.

“I just want to kiss someone, have great sex, and protect my knees,” Walter wrote for Cosmopolitan. “It’s very important at my age—you don’t have Megan Thee Stallion knees anymore past a certain point.”

(Via PEOPLE)

Extra Innings is hosting their festival again this weekend in Tempe, Arizona, and they just released the set times for those attending. With Chris Stapleton, Dave Matthews Band, and Noah Kahan headlining the two-day fest, there are a ton of other acts to catch in the jam-packed lineup. For additional information, visit their website.

Here’s what to know about when they’ll be performing.

Extra Innings Festival Set Times For 2024: Friday, March 1

On the Home Plate stage, The Takes are on from 12:35 to 1:05 (all times local and p.m.), Kaitlin Butts is on from 1:35 to 2:20, Christone “Kingfish” Ingram is on from 3:05 to 4:05, Elle King is on from 5:10 to 6:10, Ryan Bingham is on from 7:20 to 8:20, and Chris Stapleton is on from 9:30 to 11:00.

On the Right Field stage, Goodnight Texas is on from 1:05 to 1:35, Donavon Frankenreiter is on from 2:20 to 3:05, Shane Smith & The Saints are on from 4:05 to 5:05, Charley Crockett is on from 6:15 to 7:15, and Turnpike Troubadours are on from 8:25 to 9:25.

Extra Innings Festival Set Times For 2024: Saturday, March 2

On the Home Plate stage, Jade Bird is on from 1:20 to 2:05 p.m., Richy Mitch & The Coalminers are on from 2:50 to 3:35, Sheryl Crow is on from 4:40 to 5:40, Noah Kahan is on from 6:50 to 7:50, and Dave Matthews Band is on from 9:00 to 11:00.

On the Right Field stage, Ben Goldsmith is on from 12:35 to 1:20, Josiah & The Bonnevilles are on from 2:05 to 2:50, Larkin Poe is on from 3:35 to 4:35, Gin Blossoms is on from 5:45 to 6:45, and Morgan Wade is on from 7:55 to 8:55.

Find the full set times schedule below.

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

Have you ever wanted revenge? I’m not talking about hardcore John Wick-style you-killed-my-puppy-revenge, I’m talking about the petty kind. The sort of situation that sounds like a plot point from a Curb Your Enthusiasm episode. Maybe someone stretched out your favorite sweater, maybe they borrowed something and didn’t return it, or hell, maybe you just don’t like them but can’t seem to get away from them.

In these situations, you have to ask yourself, “What would Larry do?”

That seems to be what thousands of Redditors are asking each other after a post went viral over the weekend in several cities across America. The post entitled, “Looking for a mildly expensive awful restaurant to recommend to someone I don’t like, any suggestions?” has inspired many copycats.

From what we can tell the thread first started one week ago on r/newhampshire posted by u/Environmental3rdEye (though an earlier version with slightly different wording was posted to r/LosAngeles two years ago). The post has been replicated in various cities’ Reddit pages like r/Seattle, r/Kansascity, r/Minneapolis, and more and has even jumped across the pond to r/Sheffield and r/Glasgow.

The suggestions are wonderfully petty, r/OrangeCounty’s top recommendation reads “Javier’s at Irvine Spectrum. Uninspiring food, expensive as all out, and cherry on top is the long wait times. Bon appetit!” As a Southern California native I can confirm that this poster is spot on [it’s is a perfectly inspired choice! — ed]

If you’re visiting Cincinnati and someone suggests you visit the rooftop restaurant Eighteen, they just might be your enemy. This reasoning from one user sounds downright diabolical.

Bad food, bad service, audible terror, and roaches? Say less.

If your enemy is rolling through New Mexico it looks like the consensus bad pick on r/albuquerque is the Mexican restaurant El Pinto.

At Washington DC’s Urban Roast, not only will your frenemy encounter big crowds and mediocre food, but they won’t be able to get a decent Instagram photo out of the experience.

Has this viral thread brought out the worst in people? Maybe, but it’s a lot of fun reading through the suggestions, especially if you have a connection to the city in question or have first-hand experience with its dining scene.

But you’ve been warned, tread lightly if you suddenly get unsolicited restaurant suggestions from someone you thought was your friend.

André 3000 may not be rapping much anymore, but as a member of the pioneering Atlanta hip-hop duo Outkast, his legacy — and that of his partner-in-rhyme, Big Boi — is secure. That legacy is being celebrated in new ways all the time — and the latest will give fans a chance to play out their Outkast reunion fantasies, at least in miniature. Super 7, the collectibles company that has been commemorating pop culture since 2001, announced a new set of Outkast action figures capturing their likenesses from the cover of the duo’s 1996 album ATLiens.

The 3.7″ scale figures come with microphone accessories, while Big Boi’s features a removable chain. The cardback package also features a reproduction of the iconic album cover by illustrator DL Warfield, which imagines the duo as comic book superheroes — fitting for the translation to action figures. You can find more about the figures on Super 7’s website.

The group previously revisited ATLiens in 2021, with an animated video for the standout single “Two Dope Boyz (In A Cadillac).” While the duo hasn’t announced any plans to reunite for the foreseeable future, the roots of their Dungeon Family tree run strong. Killer Mike, their frequent collaborator, swept the Rap Grammys categories this year for his album Michael, which features one of André’s first verses in years on “Scientists & Engineers.”

Finally, a reason to watch the Oscars: Variety has confirmed that Ryan Gosling will sing Barbie power ballad “I’m Just Ken” at the 96th Academy Awards.

There was a question about whether he would as recently as earlier this month, when Gosling revealed that he hadn’t been asked yet. “It might be too much of a risk to have me do it,” he said. “I don’t know how that would work. But I’m open to it.”

“I’m Just Ken” is one of two songs from Barbie nominated for Best Original Song, with “What Was I Made For?” by Billie Eilish and Finneas O’Connell as the other. That song is nice and all, but does it have one of the stars from The Nice Guys having an existential crisis about his “blonde fragility”? Exactly. Give it to Gosling. The other songs in the category are “It Never Went Away” from American Symphony, “The Fire Inside” from Flamin’ Hot, and “Wahzhazhe (A Song for My People)” from Killers of the Flower Moon.

Gosling is also up for an Oscar for Best Supporting Actors alongside Sterling K. Brown (American Fiction), Robert De Niro (Killers of the Flower Moon), Robert Downey Jr. (Oppenheimer), and Mark Ruffalo (Poor Things).

The 2024 Oscars air on ABC on March 10.

(Via Variety)

Look up the term “genre” in regards to music, and you’re likely to land on a straightforward definition. Merriam-Webster refers to it as a category of artistic musical or literary composition characterized by a particular style, form, or content — a description that leaves little to the imagination. When it comes to the reality of genre in the overall music landscape, however, the connotation is a bit more complicated.

Back when popular music first hit radio airwaves, “genre” quickly became more than just a simple characteristic of sound. Instead, it became a way to determine what listeners of certain frequencies might want to listen to, often based on which personal characteristics of the musicians programmers thought they’d relate to. That marketing of music placed artists into neat little boxes, some based on racist categorization of artists, with little thought to the style, form, or content of their music. One example of these musical microaggressions was Tina Turner’s 1966 song, “River Deep — Mountain High.” The seismic pop number was pushed out of radio play because — as her ex-partner and producer Ike Turner revealed in the HBO documentary Tina — it was “too white for Black jockeys and too Black for white jockeys.”

Unfortunately, five decades later, as seen in the 2024 Grammys ceremony, that problem reared its head again. This time. SZA, an artist whose sound falls into alternative, pop, and R&B categories depending on the track, scooped up multiple wins in the R&B category, snagging Best R&B Song for “Snooze” and Best R&B Album for SOS. The same juxtaposition of hip-hop-inspired lyrical delivery with melodic harmonies is present in another album track, “Ghost In The Machine” featuring indie genius Phoebe Bridgers, but that song was relocated to a “pop” category and picked up the Grammy Award Best Pop Duo/Group Performance. Does one alternative rock artist plus one R&B artist equal a pop duo? What was it about that song in comparison to every other song on SZA’s SOS that relegated it to pop?

The categorization confusion hasn’t been lost on SZA, who told Alternative Press last year that the lack of R&B sounds on her latest album initially confused fans. “I definitely felt like half of the people [were] like, ‘I wish this was R&B, and it’s not, and I hate it.’ And I was like, ‘Aww, I’m sorry, but also I don’t know…’ It is what it is,” she said, adding, “Sometimes you can’t fault people for putting you in a box if you don’t at least show them, and I definitely had to take responsibility for showing people who I was.”

She also told Consequence in 2022, that she was “so tired of being pegged as [an] R&B artist.” “I feel like that’s super disrespectful because people are just like, ‘Oh, ’cause you’re Black, this is what you have to be’ — like, put in a box. And I hate that,” she added. She went on to say that she found the label “lazy” and that although she loved making “Black music, period,” that didn’t mean that Black music unequivocally meant R&B. “We started rock ‘n’ roll,” she said. “Why can’t we just be expansive and not reductive?” SOS debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200, proving that fans, even the ones who may have been surprised by her direction, could handle an album that traveled into gospel, grunge, pop-punk, and rap soundscapes fearlessly.

There’s an energy in the industry that does seem to be moving in diverse, expansive, and less reductive directions. Take, for instance, women sweeping most wins in major categories at the Grammys this year or Paramore becoming the first female-fronted band to win the award for Best Rock Album. There were also the predictions of SZA making history with SOS and hopes that she’d pick up the Best Album of The Year award, making her the first Black woman in 25 years to do so. All the signs were there: a record-breaking, 10-week No. 1 spot on the Billboard 200 (marking the longest-running No. 1 album released by a woman in nearly seven years), 11 billion streams (and counting), and groundbreaking moments like her No. 1 hit “Kill Bill.” Fellow record-breaker Taylor Swift took home the ultimate win that night with her album Midnights, which also nabbed her the win for Best Pop Vocal Album. Despite Swift getting her start in country music, she’s had little issue shifting her category of genre, and with it, the associated radio stations and Grammy categorizations. Is this something allotted to all artists? What is it about SZA’s sound that doesn’t allow the same level of sonic shapeshifting?

Speaking of country and sonic shapeshifting, Beyoncé is currently ramping up to release an album filled with so much twang, so much aesthetically oversized cowboy paraphernalia, that it’s hard to keep a straight face while saying the album will be pop and not country. In fact, many fans, catching wind of the R&B, hip-hop, and definitely pop superstar being pushed off of country radio play called into stations, asking why the star’s two tracks “Texas Hold ‘Em’” and “16 Carriages” weren’t hitting the airwaves. When Oklahoma’s country music station KYKC decided not to play Beyoncé’s new songs, one fan who reached out received the response that the station wouldn’t be playing the track because “we are a country music station.” But when the Beyhive reached out to the station, they added it to the rotation. Now, both tracks are dominating the Hot Country Songs chart with “Texas Hold ‘Em” at No. 1 and “16 Carriages” at No. 9.

The idea of genre as an appropriate categorization of music is being challenged with each passing release week. Still, non-Black artists can move into new sonic territory with an ease not given to their Black counterparts. It’s an unfair limitation that impacts sales, accolades, and promotions, barring these artists from access to larger, more diverse audiences. It also denies those fans the opportunity to be exposed to groundbreaking artists.

So maybe the issue of genre categorization based on race could be solved by an outpouring of disgruntled fans like the Beyhive calling it out or an artist like SZA blatantly stating the obvious when it comes to the alternative leanings of their sound. Perhaps it’s something that can be dismantled as we shine a light on the issue itself, and demand better fitting alternatives.

Or maybe genre itself has become an archaic way of describing music, limiting multi-faceted artists who’ve already pushed past the limitations forced on them from marketing and categorization, because much like SZA recently said herself via X, “I’m complicated and aware it can be annoying. So grateful for those that take time to learn me love me and accept me.” Maybe we all just have more learning to do.