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All The Best New Music From This Week That You Need To Hear

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Getty Image/Derrick Rossignol

Keeping up with new music can be exhausting, even impossible. From the weekly album releases to standalone singles dropping on a daily basis, the amount of music is so vast it’s easy for something to slip through the cracks. Even following along with the Uproxx recommendations on a daily basis can be a lot to ask, so every Monday we’re offering up this rundown of the best new music this week.

This week saw Beyoncé officially enter her country era and Dua Lipa exit “training season.” Yeah, it was a great week for new music. Check out the highlights below.

For more music recommendations, check out our Listen To This section, as well as our Indie Mixtape and Pop Life newsletters.

Beyoncé — “Texas Hold ‘Em”

Beyoncé hijacked the Super Bowl with her commercial that teased a new country era for her. She launched it shortly after with two new singles, “Texas Hold ‘Em” and “16 Carriages,” which indeed have more of a country-fried sound than Beyoncé’s previous work. Of course, Beyoncé knows what she’s doing and operates confidently in this new genre space.

Dua Lipa — “Training Season”

Dua Lipa was all-in on disco for the Future Nostalgia era, and while she’s in a different aesthetic place lately, she’s still delivering funky, dance-ready tunes. Such is the case with last week’s “Training Season,” which sees her exhausted by fruitless romantic situations.

Ariana Grande and Mariah Carey — “Yes, And?”

Grande and Carey are perhaps the two most technically revered singers of their respective generations, so finally getting them on the same track is a pretty big deal. They deliver on a new “Yes, And?” remix, with Carey delivering a new verse that slots perfectly into the self-confident banger.

Schoolboy Q — “Yeern 101”

Schoolboy Q’s Blue Lips is one of the most-anticipated hip-hop releases of Q1 2024, and it’s now just a couple weeks away. He teased it a few days ago with “Yeern 101,” on which he eschews a hook and gets into his rap bag with some rapid-fire bars.

Karol G and Tiësto — “Contigo”

Tiësto had to pull out of his gig as in-game DJ at the Super Bowl, but he returned last week with a new Karol G collab, “Contigo.” Built on an interpolation of Leona Lewis’ “Bleeding Love,” the romantic tune was perfectly timed for a release on Valentine’s Day, which was also Karol’s birthday,

Vampire Weekend — “Gen-X Cops”

For the first time in five years, Vampire Weekend is back with new music. On “Capricorn” and “Gen-X Cops,” the band storms back with a relatively raw sound that’s enough of a stylistic departure from Father Of The Bride to keep things interesting without straying too far from the reliable path.

Waxahatchee — “Bored”

Katie Crutchfield is gearing up to drop Tigers Blood in about a month, but she shared “Bored” last week. She described the writing process as a “challenge” for her, but she sounds fantastic and self-assured on the twangy folk-rocker.

Tierra Whack — “27 Club”

The “27 Club” features celebrities like Janis Joplin, Kurt Cobain, and Amy Winehouse who faced premature deaths at 27 years old. This concept is the inspiration between Whack’s tune of the same name, which sees the rapper (who’s 28, by the way) getting vulnerable and introspective.

Gunna — “Bittersweet”

After a strong 2023, Gunna is back in 2024 with last week’s “Bittersweet.” Uproxx’s Aaron Williams notes of the track, “Over a slow-simmering guitar riff from producers Dystinkt Beats and 1SRAEL, Gunna laments the bumps in the road he’s experienced and warns listeners of the pitfalls that face anyone pursuing similar goals.”

Idles — “Roy”

UK rock favorites Idles have returned with Tangk, which arrives two years and change after its predecessor, late 2021’s Crawler. It sees the group continuing to push their aesthetic boundaries, like on the smoldering, effects-laden “Roy.”

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

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Usher Insists There Was Nothing ‘Bad’ Or ‘Perverted’ About His And Alicia Keys’ Intimate Super Bowl Embrace

Alicia Keys Usher Super Bowl Halftime Show 2024
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Alicia Keys was one of the handful of guests who joined Usher for the Super Bowl Halftime Show earlier this month, and the two generated some buzz when they looked really comfortable with each other sharing an intimate hug. Now, though, Usher is setting the record straight.

In a recent Breakfast Club interview with Charlamagne Tha God, Usher explained, “In no way anything that was done there should have been viewed as bad or in any way perverted or anything like that, no. It was literally about having fun because of a song that me and Alicia made many years ago, and we celebrated because of the legacy of it. And no disrespect to anybody or anything like that.”

Charlamagne then asked if he, Keys, and husband Swizz Beats have “shared a laugh” about the situation, and Usher replied, “Absolutely we laughed about it. It’s crazy how people… it’s all about how you present things, man. But it’s all love.”

Swizz himself doesn’t seem too worried, as he previously wrote, “Y’all talking about the wrong damn thing!!! y’all don’t see that amazing dress covering the entire stadium? Tonight’s performance was nothing but amazing with 2 amazing giants. Congrats @usher and my love @aliciakeys that song is a classic. We don’t do negative vibes on this side we make history.”

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The All-Star Game Isn’t A Serious Event, So The NBA Should Embrace That And Have Some Fun

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INDIANAPOLIS — After a year of demanding that the NBA All-Star Game get more competitive after a lackluster event in Salt Lake City, Adam Silver stood on the court in Indianapolis clearly appalled at what he’d just witnessed with the East winning a 211-186 “basketball game” in the event’s return to it’s long-time format.

Silver could only muster “You scored the most points, well … congratulations” as he handed Giannis Antetokounmpo the All-Star Game trophy in the least enthusiastic trophy presentation I can ever recall.

The NBA and Silver have been trying in vain to make the All-Star Game matter in a way it never really has for this generation of players. There was once a time where All-Star Weekend provided a stage for players to make themselves household names — and make themselves a lot of money. Showing out against the league’s best was a chance to earn fans, endorsements, and a bigger contract for players playing for a smaller market team. But with social media and every game from every team being available to watch, the incentive for the players no longer outweighs the risk, as they all have national endorsement deals and large followings. The result is 24 guys going half-speed for 48 minutes.

Some are more shameless than others about the effort level, with Luka Doncic, Nikola Jokic, and Anthony Edwards really laying bare how unserious the entire thing is this year. Others are a little better about faking it, but there wasn’t a player on the floor in Indy that truly took things seriously — the closest being Tyrese Haliburton and Damian Lillard dueling for MVP honors.

The truth is, it’s hard to blame them.

The last great All-Star Game took place in Chicago in 2020, but the circumstances around that game must be remembered. Kobe Bryant had tragically died a month beforehand, and with the All-Star Game being the first major leaguewide event, there was a concerted effort by everyone involved to honor him and the result was a wildly entertaining game where the Elam Ending format’s race to 24 points provided a tense final quarter where the two teams played honest to goodness basketball until the game was decided.

However, that game also was a reminder of why guys go through the motions, as playing through a knee injury in that game was the beginning of the end of Kemba Walker’s NBA career. What was once a chance to showcase your talents on a rare national stage (which then pushes the established stars to make sure they don’t end up being a punchline) is now an exercise in toeing the line. Most of the players want to put on a show (a few truly do not care, but most of them understand they need to give the fans something), but not for 48 minutes. They want to play the hits, do some big dunks, knock down some deep threes, and get out of there unscathed to go enjoy a few days off before returning for the stretch run.

The NBA, meanwhile, wants to make it a great television event. I think there’s a way to do that, but it will never be in the form of a competitive, full basketball game. The challenge is that the TV partners want a spectacle and an event that, at minimum, fills that same allotment of time, which means the league is going to have to get a bit more creative to pull it off.

It’s not all that different from what the NFL has gone through with the Pro Bowl, where players were so clearly just trying not to get hurt (in a more physical sport) that the league had to completely change the event format and not even play actual football. The result is the Pro Bowl Games, which is now a weekend long event where various side competitions earn the two conferences varying point values that factor into the final score of the flag football game they play in one quarter increments. The result has been an improvement over what the Pro Bowl had been, largely because it tries to be more fun without presenting itself as a serious football event.

The NBA could certainly try to give players a financial incentive to play harder in the All-Star Game, but even with that they will never get them playing at peak effort. That’s why I think going the route of embracing fun is the much better way to go about it all (with a financial element almost certainly needing to be a part of it to get full buy-in). Basketball lends itself to side competitions far better than football does, and if they take cues from what the NFL does — namely having the competitions include just members of the Pro Bowl team — there’s a pathway to doing that.

You could make the Skills Challenge (which needs to just go back to the old format), Three-Point Contest, and even the Dunk Contest (maybe with some big tweaks to it) contribute to the final point total of the weekend for the East and West, and only include players from the actual rosters (which you could expand to 14 each). If players are worried about getting embarrassed in the current format of the Dunk Contest, which is understandable given how Jaylen Brown was received, you could just make it a “Best Dunk” competition where each roster nominates three guys to do their best dunk and then move it along — that’s basically what happens in the All-Star Game anyway. And, if guys want to not take it seriously, they can send Luka out there to get stuffed by the rim trying to go off the backboard, which would be funny and fairly entertaining too.

On Sunday, play four games to 24 (keeping with the Kobe theme they’ve given All-Star by naming the MVP award after him) with other games and competitions happening between quarters to allow fans to forget they’re watching guys mostly go through the motions in the actual game — like the NFL does with the flag football game. The games themselves would be snappy, and because of that it wouldn’t drag in the same way the All-Star Game does now.

In between, they could do a halfcourt shot competition where each team tries to make the most halfcourt shots in three minutes, and that’s worth five points to the final score. They also could have each team nominate one player for a HORSE competition (but, just play to like three letters and call it ASW or something) which is where you might actually get an engaged Luka and/or Jokic. Yes, I know they tried HORSE once on Saturday night, but if it’s a much shorter competition with just two guys, I think there’s some legs there.

And finally, you have them all play a 24-man game of knockout from the three-point line. If you stacked the lineup to put guys behind each other you know they wouldn’t want to lose to (LeBron/Steph, Luka/Jokic, Jayson/Jaylen, etc.) they’d absolutely make it entertaining, trying to knock the ball away and taunting after knocking someone out, and by the time you got to the end it would for sure get competitive.

Do all of that and have the players on the winning team getting $100,000 each and the losing team getting $50,000 each (or whatever number they can get covered by sponsors), and you won’t get a great basketball game but you might have a chance at doing something more entertaining that engages a larger portion of your fanbase.

All-Star Weekend’s greatest value right now is how much kids absolutely love it. It is a phenomenal place for kids to come and see their favorite players, whether it’s at brand stuff, practices, or the events, and that really does matter. That said, I understand why the league wants to put on an event that its most fervent fans enjoy.

The problem is, that event can’t be just a basketball game. Too much is at stake in the big picture to risk it at All-Star by giving it their all for an exhibition. So instead, it’s got to be something more that embraces the fun and doesn’t require guys to be serious. A pathway is there, but the league has to stop pretending there’s some sanctity to the All-Star format that must be upheld. It’s time to embrace the fun.

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Error Fares, Hacker Fares, And Super Cheap Flights For You To Book This Week: February 19-25, 2024

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MERLE COOPER/UPROXX

Post-Valentine’s Day got you in the feels? No need to stress. If you’re fiending for a last-minute winter escape or a warm and sultry desert destination, let us help you. We’ve scouted all the major booking sites and aggregators to secure the cheapest nonstop flights out of nine major cities in the United States.

Scroll down to see Uproxx’s top picks of cheap nonstop flights — international and domestic — today through Sunday, February 18th. You might even secure these flight deals for an even better price by using these strategies for earning and redeeming credit card and flight points. See you in the air!

Departing New York City, NY

new york city, flight deals
EMILIANO BAR

Miami, FL
February 24th-28th
Spirit Airlines
Price: $93
Book Here

Asheville
February 22nd-25th
Allegiant Airlines
Price: $175
Book Here

Chicago
February 22nd-28th
Spirit Airlines
Price: $194
Book Here

San Juan, Puerto Rico
February 24th-March 1st
Spirit Airlines
Price: $213
Book Here

Punta Cana, Dominican Republic
February 23rd-29th
JetBlue Airlines
Price: $298
Book Here

Aruba
February 23rd-March 1st
JetBlue Airlines
Price: $319
Book Here

Departing Chicago, IL

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PEDRO LASTRA

Atlanta, GA
February 24th-27th
Frontier Airlines
Price: $112
Book Here

Dallas, TX
February 24th-27th
Frontier Airlines
Price: $164
Book Here

Cancún, Mexico
February 24th-March 1st
Frontier Airlines
Price: $173
Book Here

New York, NY
February 23rd-26th
Spirit Airlines
Price: $198
Book Here

Denver, CO
February 24th-27th
Frontier Airlines
Price: $207
Book Here

Departing Miami, FL

miami, flight deals
ANTONIO CUELLAR

Atlanta, GA
February 22nd-25th
Frontier Airlines
Price: $38
Book Here

New Orleans, LA
February 24th-27th
Spirit Airlines
Price: $91
Book Here

New York, NY
February 21st-25th
Frontier Airlines
Price: $167
Book Here

Raleigh, NC
February 24th-28th
American Airlines
Price: $202
Book Here

Nassau, Bahamas
February 22nd-29th
American Airlines
Price: $264
Book Here

Departing Denver, CO

denver, flight deals
ACTON CRAWFORD

Minneapolis, MN
February 24th-27th
Sun Country Airlines + Frontier Airlines
Price: $48
Book Here

Salt Lake City, UT
February 25th-27th
Frontier Airlines
Price: $87
Book Here

Portland, OR
February 22nd-25th
United Airlines + Frontier Airlines
Price: $119
Book Here

Phoenix, AZ
February 25th-27th
Frontier Airlines
Price: $137
Book Here

Departing San Francisco, CA

San Francisco, flight deals
JOSHUA SORTINO

Phoenix, AZ
February 25th-28th
Frontier Airlines
Price: $78
Book Here

Miami, FL
February 24th-27th
American Airlines + United Airlines
Price: $272
Book Here

Fort Lauderdale, FL
February 23rd-28th
JetBlue Airlines + Alaska Airlines
Price: $269
Book Here

Kahului, HI
February 24th-29th
United Airlines
Price: $289
Book Here

Taipei City, Taiwan
February 22nd-29th
United Airlines
Price: $848
Book Here

Departing Los Angeles, CA

los angeles, flight deals
JAKE BLUCKER

Las Vegas, NV
February 24th-27th
Spirit Airlines
Price: $48
Book Here

Fort Lauderdale, FL
February 24th-27th
Spirit Airlines
Price: $115
Book Here

Puerto Vallarta, Mexico
February 23rd-March 1st
JetBlue Airlines
Price: $266
Book Here

Departing Houston, TX

houston, flight deals
KEVIN HERNANDEZ

New Orleans, LA
February 24th-27th
Spirit Airlines
Price: $86
Book Here

San Salvador, El Salvador
February 23rd-28th
Vuela El Salvador Airlines
Price: $159
Book Here

Cancún, Mexico
February 24th-March 1st
Spirit Airlines
Price: $167
Book Here

Las Vegas, NV
February 25th-28th
Spirit Airlines
Price: $203
Book Here

Mexico City, Mexico
February 24th-29th
Volaris Airlines
Price: $237
Book Here

Departing Phoenix, AZ

phoenix, flight deals
CHRIS TINGOM

Las Vegas, NV
February 24th-27th
Frontier Airlines
Price: $100
Book Here

San Francisco, CA
February 22nd-27th
Frontier Airlines
Price: $103
Book Here

Dallas, TX
February 24th-28th
Frontier Airlines
Price: $133
Book Here

San Diego, CA
February 22nd-27th
Frontier Airlines
Price: $171
Book Here

Denver, CO
February 23rd-27th
Frontier Airlines
Price: $244
Book Here

Departing Philadelphia, PA

philadelphia, flight deals
ACTION VANCE

Miami, FL
February 25th-28th
Frontier Airlines
Price: $92
Book Here

Nashville, TN
February 25th-29th
Frontier Airlines + Spirit Airlines
Price: $140
Book Here

Atlanta, GA
February 24th-28th
Frontier Airlines + Spirit Airlines
Price: $146
Book Here

Boston, MA
February 22nd-27th
Frontier Airlines
Price: $162
Book Here

Cancún, Mexico
February 25th-March 1st
Spirit Airlines
Price: $182
Book Here

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Vince Staples Tells Fans That ‘Peer Pressure Works’ And Wants Netflix To Renew ‘The Vince Staples Show’

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Vince Staples recently encouraged fans to help boost the success of his recent Netflix series, The Vince Staples Show, so the streaming platform will renew it for more episodes. As of right now, there are only five — and the program is a limited series.

His post started after a fan asked where the rest of the episodes were, as it seemed like a smaller number than the average show gets on the site.

“Netflix didn’t buy anymore episodes so make sure you hit that double thumbs up,” Staples wrote. “Peer pressure works and I’m tryna re up.”

Since he put the post out, fans have started tagging Netflix in tweets to hopefully get them to reconsider. “gf and I watched all 5 yesterday, hit the double thumbs up immediately,” one user replied to Staples. “Really hope they order at least 20 more episodes.”

“That season deserves an Emmy IMMEDIATELY,” another added.

The series uses Staples’ life as an inspiration. “That’s just the opportunity that we got, so we just try to make the best out of the opportunity,” Staples told Uproxx about how the show moved from YouTube. “Hopefully, it performs well and we are able to keep it going. That’s kind of how we got situated over here with Netflix, and I think it came out good. I feel like no matter how it ends up, we gave a round story and gave it some closure, some context. So I think we’ll be good either way.”

View Staples’ post about his Netflix show above. Below, find some more fan reactions who are hoping for a Netflix renewal.

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The Best Beers For Après Ski, Ranked

Bale Breaker/Dru Bru/Montucky Cold Snacks/Telluride/istock/Uproxx
Bale Breaker/Dru Bru/Montucky Cold Snacks/Telluride/istock/Uproxx

After a long day of skiing and snowboarding, we want nothing more than to get out of our snow gear, kick off our boots, and sit as close to a roaring fire as possible. Of course, we also want to finish our day on the slopes with a beer, a glass of wine, or a boozy cocktail. This alcohol-based post mountain activity is so popular it even has a name — après ski.

Après ski translates from French to “after ski” and it basically just means getting lit after you’re done riding. It’s not super complicated. While we enjoy a nice glass of crisp rosé or an Aperol spritz after a day shredding snow, we especially love a frosty, refreshing beer. Keep reading to see eight of our favorite après ski beers to drink this winter, ranked.

8.) Montucky Cold Snacks

Montucky Cold Snacks
Montucky Cold Snacks

ABV: 4.1%

Average Price: $8 for a four-pack of 16-ounce cans

The Beer:

When it comes to crisp, crushable, no-frills beer perfect for winter sports, it’s tough to beat the appeal of Montucky Cold Snacks. Made simply with barley, yeast, water, and hops, this throwback American lager is known for its refreshing, easy-drinking flavor profile.

Tasting Notes:

There’s nothing overall exciting about this beer’s nose and that’s not such a bad thing. Sweet corn, citrus peels, honey, and floral hops are noticeable. There’s more of the same on the palate with corn, cereal grains, caramel, light fruit, and floral, lightly bitter hops.

Bottom Line:

Montucky Cold Snacks is the epitome of a no-frills, crushable lager. It’s perfectly simple after a day on the slopes.

7.) Telluride Face Down Brown

Telluride Face Down Brown
Telluride

ABV: 5.7%

Average Price: $12 for a six-pack

The Beer:

This award-winning beer is a mix of an English and American-style brown ale. It gets its name from what will happen to you if you aren’t paying proper attention while skiing. Well known for its nutty, caramel, malty flavor and hop bitterness, it’s a very balanced beer.

Tasting Notes:

On the nose, you’ll find notes of freshly baked bread, roasted malts, caramel candy, and light coffee beans. The palate adds to this with brown bread, sticky toffee, roasted malts, and a gentle hint of bitter, floral, earthy hops at the finish.

Bottom Line:

Instead of simply being a sweet, nutty brown ale, this wintry beer has a nice kick of hop bitterness to tie everything together nicely.

6.) Road House Loose Boots Après IPA

Road House Loose Boots Après IPA
Road House

ABV: 5%

Average Price: $11 for a six-pack

The Beer:

There are few ski and snowboard beers more aptly named than Road House Loose Boots Après IPA. This low ABV, citrus, pine, and caramel-malt centric IPA was literally created to be enjoyed after a day out in the snow. This hazy IPA gets its hop presence from the use of Citra and Simcoe hops.

Tasting Notes:

An inviting nose of freshly baked bread, orange peels, honey, and flora, earthy, piney hops greet you before your first sip. There are more bready hops, caramel, lemon zest, orange peel, honey, and dank, piney hops on the palate. The finish is gently bitter and memorable.

Bottom Line:

This is a light, sessionable IPA that was created to be enjoyed après ski. It definitely fits the bill with a nice mix of malt sweetness, citrus, and hops.

5.) Half Acre Pony

Half Acre Pony
Half Acre

ABV: 5.5%

Average Price: $13 for a four-pack of 16-ounce cans

The Beer:

Who doesn’t want a crisp, easy-drinking pilsner after a long day skiing or snowboarding? This year-round 5.5% ABV pilsner is just as perfect during the humid summer months as it is in the middle of winter. This is thanks to the bready, sweet malts and Noble hops included in the recipe.

Tasting Notes:

The nose is a nice mix of hay, grass, lemon peels, bready malts, cracked black pepper, and floral hops. Drinking it reveals notes of cereal grains, corn sweetness, honey, hay, grass, lemon peels, pepper, and floral, earthy hops.

Bottom Line:

This is a complex, crisp, very well-balanced beer. The malt flavor starts everything off on the right foot and the Noble hops finish things strong.

4.) Deschutes Red Chair NWPA

Deschutes Red Chair NWPA
Deschutes

ABV: 6.2%

Average Price: $12 for a six-pack

The Beer:

This winter seasonal is brewed with Pale, Crystal, Munich, Carapils, and Pilsner malts. It gets its hop aroma and flavor from the use of Cascade and Centennial hops. The result is one of the most balanced winter beers on the market.

Tasting Notes:

This Northwest Pale Ale begins with a nose of tangerines, grapefruit, caramel malt, and a nice kick of pine needles. The palate is a mix of bready malts, toffee sweetness, dried stone fruits, orange zest, grapefruit, tangerine, and a lot of dank, floral pine. The finish is a nice mix of sweetness and hop bitterness.

Bottom Line:

This winter pale has a lot of citrus and pine flavor. It’s a great, balanced beer to enjoy after a day on the slopes.

3.) Dru Bru BruSki Patrol

Dru Bru BruSki Patrol
Dru Bru

ABV: 4.8%

Average Price: $13 for a six-pack

The Beer:

Not all après ski beers are crisp and crushable. Some have a little more substance. Dru Bru BruSki Patrol is still light at 4.8% ABV, but this award-winning German-style dark lager is brewed with malted barley and German hops to give it a nice mix of malt sweetness and floral hop aroma and flavor.

Tasting Notes:

On the nose, you’ll find scents of freshly baked bread, caramel, coffee, and light floral hops. The palate is rich, sweet, and filled with toffee, yeasty bread, chocolate, coffee, and floral, herbal hops. The finish is bittersweet and nicely hoppy.

Bottom Line:

While still sessionable, this sweet, malty, lightly hoppy winter brew has more substance than some of the crisper, more crushable beers on this list.

2.) Bale Breaker High Camp

Bale Breaker High Camp
Bale Breaker

ABV: 7.3%

Average Price: $13 for a four-pack of 16-ounce cans

The Beer:

Bale Breaker High Camp is a 7.3% ABV winter IPA that gets its name from the ski lodge situated at the top of White Pass Ski Resort. Brewed with Chocolate and Rye malts, it gets its notable hoppy flavors from being dry-hopped with Mosaic, Simcoe, and HBC 630 hops.

Tasting Notes:

A lot is going on with this beer’s nose. There are notable aromas of candied orange peels, tangerine, mango, caramel malts, and a ton of floral, herbal, piney hop scent. Sipping it brings forth notes of juicy orange, grapefruit, pineapple, toasted malts, caramel candy, and dank, lightly bitter pine needles.

Bottom Line:

This winter beer has everything IPA fans enjoy. It’s balanced, flavorful, and has a nice kick of 7.3% ABV to warm you after a cold day of snowboarding or skiing.

1.) Highland Park Timbo Pils

Highland Park Timbo Pils
Highland Park

ABV: 5.8%

Average Price: Limited Availability

The Beer:

All in all, when it comes to après ski beers, we opt for crisp, easy-drinking pilsners above all else. We also enjoy at least a little hop bite. Highland Park Timbo Pils is a West Coast pilsner brewed with Citra and Mosaic hops that ticks all the boxes. It’s known for its mix of tropical fruit, citrus, and dank pine.

Tasting Notes:

The nose is filled with scents of caramel, pineapple, grapefruit, tangerine, and floral hops. The palate is a mix of bready malts, cereal grains, caramel, pineapple, orange peel, hay, honey, and grassy, floral, gently bitter hops.

Bottom Line:

This unique, crushable pilsner isn’t the light lager you expect. It’s like a mix between a West Coast IPA and a classic European pilsner. It’s awesome and deeply delectable after a day on the slopes.

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Trump Finally Broke His Silence On Alexei Navalny…By Comparing The Late Putin Critic To Himself

Donald Trump Court New York Fraud Trial
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What on earth is going on between the American GOP and Russia? Aren’t they supposed to be on the same side? On one hand you have Donald Trump openly admiring the nation’s notorious leader, Vladimir Putin. Ditto most of his cronies, among them Tucker Carlson and a chunk of the House. On the other, you have Putin and his team openly mocking MAGAland. Now there’s another unexpected twist: Trump seems disturbed by the mysterious death of Putin critic Alexei Navalny, sort of.

On Monday, the former president — who’d earlier been baited by GOP rival Nikki Haley over his silence over Navalny — finally piped up. Did he make it all about himself? You betcha:

The sudden death of Alexei Navalny has made me more and more aware of what is happening in our Country. It is a slow, steady progression, with CROOKED, Radical Left Politicians, Prosecutors, and Judges leading us down a path to destruction. Open Borders, Rigged Elections, and Grossly Unfair Courtroom Decisions are DESTROYING AMERICA. WE ARE A NATION IN DECLINE, A FAILING NATION! MAGA2024.

Let’s try to unpack this. Trump didn’t mention his good pal Vladimir Putin, who’s believed to behind Navalny’s death. And yet here Trump was, implying that Russia is on a steep decline, just like he claims America is. Is he also suggesting Russia has problems with immigration, with rigged elections, with legal corruption? Mind you, of the three main problems he listed, only one is remotely close to being accurate: Even Democrats admit there’s a problem with the border. They even want to fix it. Republicans, however, under Trump’s sway, do not.

But why waste time trying to make sense of what the worst president in United States history, per Fox News, thinks?

Anyway, here’s what Haley said on Fox & Friends less than a half hour before Trump’s deranged post.

It’s amazing to me how weak in the knees he is when it comes to Putin, because you look at the fact, he is yet to say anything about Navalny’s death, which, Putin murdered him. It’s what he does to his political opponents. He’s yet to say anything about seizing Russian assets and allowing that money to go to Ukraine. Why would you not want to have those assets seized? It’s sitting in Congress, he should be calling for that. He doesn’t talk about anything. All he does is go on late-night rants, talking about his court cases.

And Steve, that’s the problem. We have Russia sitting there doing things, they are now surrounding the Baltics. Which, if they go and invade the Baltics, those are NATO countries. That puts America at war. We have to prevent war. We’ve got China doing these cyber attacks. We’re seeing all of these things happen, and Trump’s doing late-night rants about his court cases? He’s going to be in court for the rest of the year. We can’t be distracted. But more of that.

That’s why I continue to say if Donald Trump is the nominee, he can’t win. He won’t win a general election. And the focus we need to have is how do we protect Americans? How do we prevent more? How do we get the border secure? How do we get our economy back on track? Not his personal grievances.

(Via Mediaite)

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aespa Will Be Playing Shows Around The Globe On Their ‘SYNK: Parallel Line’ Tour Starting This Summer

aespa
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K-pop group and Uproxx cover stars aespa announced that they will be heading out on a global tour this year, titled the SYNK: Parallel Line Tour. Starting in Seoul, South Korea this June, the girls will spend the summer then heading to stops in Japan, Singapore, Australia, Thailand, and more countries.

Details including the specific venues where aespa will be playing in each city, and how to purchase tickets, will be announced at a later date. Right now, only the general locations have been revealed, giving fans more time to prepare the funds to spend on tickets or travel if needed to catch one of their shows. More dates are also set to be announced, so if your city isn’t on the schedule yet, keep an eye out for updates.

“As much as we showed a new side of ourselves through these songs, I want it to also be another [form of] expression,” band member GISELLE shared about their music and trajectory last year. “I don’t know if that’s the right way to say it. But we have way more sides of us to show. And to this day, we still haven’t been able to express ourselves fully yet. We want our MYs to know that, and to keep the anticipation. Just ’cause we come back, doesn’t mean our next comeback is going to be the same.

Continue scrolling for a complete list of aespa’s SYNK: Parallel Line Tour dates for 2024.

aespa 2024 Tour Dates: SYNK: Parallel Line Tour

06/29 — Seoul, South Korea
06/30 — Seoul, South Korea
07/06 — Fukuoka, Japan
07/07 — Fukuoka, Japan
07/10 — Nagoya, Japan
07/11 — Nagoya, Japan
07/14 — Saitama, Japan
07/15 — Saitama, Japan
07/20 — Singapore, Singapore
07/27 — Osaka, Japan
07/28 — Osaka, Japan
08/03 — Hong Kong, China
08/10 — Taipei, Taiwan
08/24 — Jakarta, Indonesia
08/31 — Sydney, Australia
09/02 — Melbourne, Victoria
09/21 — Macau, China
09/28 — Bangkok, Thailand
09/29 — Bangkok, Thailand

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

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Travel Influencers And Experts Divulge Their Best Budget Hacks

budget hacks
MERLE COOPER/UPROXX

Everyone wants to travel. But having the financial means to do so? That’s a different story.

These days, it’s next to impossible to scroll Instagram without seeing the “travel the world” folks. It might make you stop and wonder exactly how these people travel as much as they do. While many of these beautiful people may have unlimited funds due to old family money or trust funds, are financed by rich partners or modeling agencies, or can bring in brand money thanks to their account size — not all of us have those same set of privileges. (Attractiveness privilege is the motor that powers social media.)

For the majority of us, it’s how you stretch and make the most of your cash that will get you wandering. And if you’re smart about navigating money, we truly believe that you can see a whole lot of this world for a whole lot less cash than you might think.

With “Loud Budgeting” emerging as the new savings trend and increased opportunities for work exchanges and house-sitting gigs, traveling doesn’t have to be expensive. Add in scouting ultra-cheap airfares and maximizing your everyday purchases with the right credit cards and… well, you might just have a recipe for traveling the world on the cheap.

To help you hit the road without waiting for a windfall, we asked travel writers and experts for their best budget hacks ever.

EDITOR’S PICKS: Steve Bramucci (@steve_bramucci): Read Uproxx & Always Eat Street Food

taco
Via steve bramucci

The first pick is my bias showing. “Read Uproxx” is my fix or hack for a lot of things. But this year, in particular, our travel section has been an absolute treasure trove for travelers looking to do more while spending less. These pieces have all been published in the past 30 or so days:

There are more too, including budget-focused guides, etc. So… come hang with us. Follow @UproxxLife on IG! Comment on articles you want to see! Also…

Eat street food.

I’ve been saying this since the start of my career, more than 20 years ago. From a pure health standpoint, street food is cooked fast and hot. “Hot” is a bacteria killer; “warm” (as in the warming lamps used as tourist traps) is a bacteria breeding ground. But more than that, street food is the food of the people. It represents the flavors and dishes most sought out in any given place. You literally can’t come to know a culture’s foodway without knowing what its vendors serve from their carts and stalls.

When it comes to the pure budget aspect, not only is your cost per dish less, but you’re supporting a vast network of locals — from vendors to fishermen to farmers and beyond. So dive deep into the street food and save your restaurant meals for a big splurge. Not only will you be traveling cheaper but you’ll also be getting to know the local culture better.

Genni Franklin (@travelingfranklins): Use Google Flights Explore

If you’re looking for a destination on a budget, use Google Flights Explore! It’s one of my favorite budget travel hacks and it amazes me how many people don’t know about it. Explore is a tab in Google Flights that shows you flight pricing but on a map view. So you can browse around the globe and see flight prices to each destination all at once. You can track prices, set a budget, and see when it’s the best time to visit with the best activities. I like to make it a game. I’ll choose a date and price range and then see what the map shows me. Maybe even close your eyes and just point to a spot on the map!

Bonus: You can also see what people ask Google about the destination.

Chloe Caldwell (@bychloecaldwell): Fly Tiny Airlines

This is a money-saving tip for luxury travelers who want to live that G-L-A-M-O-R-O-U-S first-class lifestyle without actually spending the big bucks. Instead of a classic business class airline tickets, consider flying with a semi-private airline, such as JSX. Flights start at just $199 one-way, which completely surprised me considering that’s less than many coach major airline tickets.

The convenience of this flight type is the best part. With JSX, for instance, you can valet your vehicle and arrive just 20 minutes before your flight to breeze through a crowd-free security process. Once you’re on the flight, you get a spacious seat (there are no middle seats) as well as complimentary cocktails and snacks, so you’re saving extra cash by avoiding overpriced airport food. Not to mention the free wifi!

Will this “hack” always save you money? No. But in cases where the price is right, the time savings and other elements will make a big impact while feeling luxe.

Ed Olebe (@edolebe): Make Your Credit Card Rewards Work For You

Ed Olebe
ED OLEBE

2024 is set to be a record year for travelers and, as the recent Loud Budgeting trend has shown us, some consumers are more willing to cut back on spontaneous, out-of-budget expenses in favor of spending those dollars on more valuable experiences such as travel.

One of the easiest tips to stay within budget and make those experiences a reality is simply to make your credit card rewards work for you. Using your credit card for everyday expenses can help you earn points or cash back that can be redeemed to get you closer to making your dream trip a reality, from flights and upgraded hotel stays to rental car reservations and unique experiences at your destination. Last year, Chase cardmembers redeemed more than $2 billion worth of Ultimate Rewards points on air travel, and we expect to see it grow.

And don’t forget that either purchasing or redeeming rewards for a vacation with your Chase credit card gives you added benefits like trip delay insurance and lost luggage reimbursement that can offer the ultimate peace of mind – especially when traveling internationally.

Jessica Kelly (@adventures.are.waiting): Buy From Local Markets & Street Food Vendors

My favorite budget travel hack by far, especially when solo traveling, is to hit up all the local markets and street food vendors. Having done quite a mix of luxury, adventure, wildlife, and culinary travel, I’ve experienced all the lows and highs and can tell you that sometimes the food from a street vendor who knows what they’re doing is truly better than a sit-down, seven-course meal.

I’d trade a caviar bump and a glass of champagne for the creamy AF pad thai I had at a floating market in Bangkok, Thailand for 40 baht ($1.12) any day, and I’m still dreaming about the bao buns and chili crab I had in Singapore. So good and so inexpensive! Some of the Hawker Center vendors in Southeast Asia have Michelin stars for a reason. They’re simply the best!

Emilia Salomão (@blackgermantraveler): Stay In The Neighborhoods Where The Locals Live

A lot of countries have lower income and cost of living than Germany, my home country. So, when I travel, I try to stay and go where the locals go and spend money like they do.

So, my best budget travel tip is to stay in the neighborhoods where the locals live. It’s most of the time cheaper than tourist areas, and you often get more value for your money. While you could stay in your own room with a bathroom in the local area, in a tourist area with the same amount of money you would get like… a bed in an 8-bed dorm in a hostel.

Plus, staying where the locals are allows you to experience the country and culture differently and see unique perspectives. The locals know the best places to visit, things to do, and where to eat. Just make sure the area where you choose to stay is safe and trust your instincts. Also, don’t walk around showing your valuables, and respect the local culture.

Bonus: When you stay where the locals are you make more authentic travel experiences, spend less money and maybe find friends for life from different parts of the world.

Olivia (@olivia.isoutofoffice): Rent A Camper

As budget travelers we always squeeze the most out of every trip, exploring as much as we possibly can while sticking to a tight budget. Although we can almost always find a good deal on accommodations, renting a car on every trip significantly increases the cost of our travels.

On a recent vacation, we approached this problem from a different perspective and decided to try renting a converted campervan. This allowed us to combine our two biggest expenses, transportation and accommodations. Staying in the campervan brought extra adventure to our trip, and added flexibility to our itinerary. Without hotel bookings to worry about we were free to come and go as we pleased and were able to change our plans on a whim.

By utilizing the included cookware and propane stove we could make very inexpensive meals as another way to save money on our adventure. Not only did we save a considerable amount of money by staying in a campervan, we made the best memories!

Melanie Gordon (@livinginflowco): Use Public Transportation

There are a million nifty budget travel hacks, so we’re taking it back to basics: use public transportation.

It may not be the most glamorous experience, but you’ll get from point “A” to point “B” for cheap and get a taste of the local vibe while you’re en route.

In many cases, the bus or train is cheap enough to pay in coins, which means it was free, right? Travel math. Plus, taking the bus instead of ordering an Uber – yes, even an Uber Green – is giving you some good travel karma. Let’s do it for the wallet and the planet. Deal? Deal.

Emily Hart (@emilyventures): Understand Your Credit Card Benefits And Use Them

Emily Hart
EMILY HART

As a – very – frequent traveler, I am a hawk when utilizing my credit card benefits. I use a couple of cards in conjunction, taking time to ensure I am utilizing all the available benefits. I save on travel insurance (much is included with one of my cards), baggage fees (included), airport lounge access (yep, you guessed it), upgrades and credits at some hotels, hundreds of dollars of airline credit per year, cashback offers, and Uber credits.

Of course, some hefty annual fees accompany these cards, but I’ve found that I’ve made back the fee and at least double it each year in travel benefits. Besides benefits, of course, there are points! Using my cards for everything – and paying them in full each month – has netted me thousands of points for airfare hotels and helped me achieve airline status, which has netted me even more money-saving benefits.

Vivian Tu (@your.richbff): Travel During Shoulder Seasons

Vivian Tu
VIVIAN TU

Try and travel during the shoulder seasons. When booking for peak seasons, it’s going to be very busy full of tourists, and expensive. Everyone wants to go on vacation but if you are a single person, you can request a break whenever. Travel right before or after the holidays. Early December is a key sweet spot, as people are getting back from Thanksgiving and staying put until Christmas. You can score some great deals on cool places this way.

Michele Lowery (@fancytravelpointers): Take Advantage Of Airport Lounges

Michele Lowery
MICHELE LOWERY

One of my favorite ways to save money while traveling is airport lounges. Before we had access to airport lounges we’d easily spend $50+ every time we were at the airport. The best thing about airport lounges is that you don’t need to be a business class traveler or a frequent flyer to access them – you simply need to hold the right card for access.

My favorite credit card for lounge access is the Capital One Venture X. We live in Denver and the new Capital One lounge at Denver airport is incredible (they also have Capital One lounges at DFW & IAD). I love that you can have your pre-flight (or layover meal) at an airport lounge to save money. But what is unique about Capital One lounges is that they also offer a “to go” section, with sandwiches, salads, snacks, and bubbly water. This is so helpful if you have a long flight because you are going to need something to hold you over.

Best tip: Capital One Venture X allows you to add up to four authorized users for free – and they get the same lounge access you get (you + 2 guests). This is very helpful if you have a large family. You pay 1 annual credit card fee but add your spouse as an authorized user to allow for additional lounge access.

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GloRilla Got A Photo With An NBA All-Star, But She’d Like More Than Just The Pic: ‘I Want Him’

GloRilla 2024
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NBA All-Star Weekend doesn’t just bring out the world’s best basketball players, as celebrities usually turn up to check out the finest collection of the game’s talent in person. GloRilla was among the recognizable figures to flock to Indiana this weekend, where she met Damian Lillard… and made it clear she’d like to get to know him even better.

The rapper posed for a photo with the Milwaukee Bucks star, shortly after he won the All-Star Game MVP award. Glo used the photo to shoot her shot, sharing it and writing on X (formerly Twitter), “Who n**** dis is ? Cause I want him #GetEmGlo.” She added in a follow-up tweet, “Whoever she is can’t whoop me so I really dgaf.”

Lillard hasn’t publicly responded to GloRilla’s post, but he’d presumably at least be up for talking about hip-hop with her: As Dame D.O.L.L.A., Lillard has four rap albums to his name and has worked with collaborators like Lil Wayne, Snoop Dogg, and Lil Durk.

As for Lillard’s relationship status, he married his wife, Kay’La Lillard, in 2021. The two met while in college and they have three children together. However, towards the end of 2023, Lillard filed for divorce. In a February interview, he spoke about the challenges that has presented, saying, “As much as I love basketball, and I love my job, I don’t care about it more than I care about my kids. Of course you carry it with you. People say, ‘When I hoop I ain’t thinking about nothing,’ but I’m not 21. I got three kids. I’m tight with my family and I’m going through a divorce.”