Shakira has had some major moments over the past few years. In 2020, she and Jennifer Lopez co-headlined the Super Bowl Halftime Show. In 2023, she had two top-10 singles with the Bizarrap collaboration “Shakira: Bzrp Music Sessions, Vol. 53” and the Karol G link-up “TQG.” Unfortunately, though, it’s been a minute since Shakira’s last full length album, 2017’s El Dorado.
The wait is almost over, though: Today (February 15), Shakira announced the release of Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran, her upcoming 12th album. It is set for release on March 22.
In a statement, Shakira said of the project, “Making this body of work has been an alchemical process. While writing each song I was rebuilding myself. While singing them, my tears transformed into diamonds, and my vulnerability into strength.” A press release also describes the album as “a dazzling testament to Shakira’s resilience and strength and music’s power to transform even the most trying experiences into precious moments.”
There’s no announced tracklist yet, but a press release notes the album “boasts 16 tracks, 8 new plus a remix, and 7 previously released smash hit singles.” That includes the two aforementioned 2023 hits, along with “Te Felicito” with Rauw Alejandro, “Copa Vacía” with Manuel Turizo, and others.
Shakira’s Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran Album Cover Art
Sony Music Latin
Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran is out 3/22 via Sony Music Latin. Find more information here.
The Killer Mike Grammy drama continues. For some background, there’ve been a few outspoken folks with very large platforms who were disappointed to learn that Mike swept the rap category (more or less) at this year’s Grammys, beating out some… shall we say, “more popular” candidates like Drake and Travis Scott.
Their opinions prompted very cranky reactions from their elders (does Joe Budden have any other kind?) but during his media victory tour, Mike seemed undaunted by the less-than-friendly reception to his win from younger rap fans, even joking on the Breakfast Club that he was really familiar with their game, either.
During his appearance on The Breakfast Club, Mike joked that he made a lot of money selling brooms online to celebrate his sweep, crediting their popularity to the kids’ complaints. “Shout out to the streamers and the youth,” he said. “Y’all done taught me a lot. I know my man Kai [Cenat] was upset… Hey, man, I didn’t know who the f*ck you was, neither!”
The jovial Mike then amiably requested an appearance on the 22-year-old’s stream, pointing out that Cenat has had Offset, another Atlanta rapper and a common ally between them, on in the past. “I ain’t hatin’ on none of y’all,” Mike said. “I ain’t on no n****s. I wanna see you win. I wanna see you happy.” He showed appreciation for Travis Scott, but showed the competitive spirit that has driven hip-hop for the past 50 years. “I will rap a motha*fcka under the table.”
You can watch Killer Mike’s full interview up top.
When Do Jennifer Lopez’s This Is Me… Now The Tour Tickets Go On Sale?
As per press release, there are several pre-sales. The JLo Fan Club pre-sale is scheduled for Tuesday, February 20, beginning at 9 a.m. local time. The Citi pre-sale will allow Citi cardmembers to access pre-sale tickets for US dates here beginning on Tuesday, February 20, at 10 a.m. local time. Verizon customers can also enjoy exclusive pre-sale tickets “for applicable US dates” via Verizon Up from Tuesday, February 20, at 10 a.m. local time through Thursday, February 22, at 10 p.m. local time.
The general public on-sale is scheduled for Friday, February 23, at 10 a.m. local time. Find more information here.
Jennifer Lopez’s 2024 Tour Dates: This Is Me… Now The Tour
06/26 — Orlando, FL @ Kia Center
06/28 — Miami, FL @ Kaseya Center
07/02 — Austin, TX @ Moody Center
07/03 — Edinburg, TX @ Bert Ogden Arena
07/05 — San Antonio, TX @ Frost Bank Center
07/06 — Dallas, TX @ American Airlines Center
07/09 — Phoenix, AZ @ Footprint Center
07/11 — Los Angeles, CA @ Kia Forum
07/13 — Anaheim, CA @ Honda Center
07/16 — San Francisco, CA @ Chase Center
07/17 — Sacramento, CA @ Golden 1 Center
07/19 — Palm Springs, CA @ Acrisure Arena
07/20 — Las Vegas, NV @ T-Mobile Arena
07/22 — Denver, CO @ Ball Arena
07/24 — Tulsa, OK @ BOK Center
07/26 — Rosemont, IL @ Allstate Arena
07/27 — Indianapolis, IN @ Gainbridge Fieldhouse
07/30 — Pittsburgh, PA @ PPG Paints Arena
07/31 — Detroit, MI @ Little Caesars Arena
08/02 — Toronto, ON @ Scotiabank Arena
08/05 — Montreal, QC @ Bell Centre
08/07 — Boston, MA @ TD Garden
08/09 — Belmont Park, NY @ UBS Arena
08/10 — Newark, NJ @ Prudential Center
08/13 — Philadelphia, PA @ Wells Fargo Center
08/14 — Washington, DC @ Capital One Arena
08/16 — New York, NY @ Madison Square Garden
08/20 — Cleveland, OH @ Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse
08/22 — Nashville, TN @ Bridgestone Arena
08/24 — Raleigh, NC @ PNC Arena
08/25 — Atlanta, GA @ State Farm Arena
08/27 — Tampa, FL @ Amalie Arena
08/30 — New Orleans, LA @ Smoothie King Center
08/31 — Houston, TX @ Toyota Center
Nostalgix position in the dance music scene has truly exploded as of late. Born in Iran and deeply rooted in the Canadian electronic music scene after a youth spent in Vancouver, the multi-hyphenate has emerged as a modern-day incarnation of the ‘90s “It Girl.” A triple threat in the industry — wearing the hats of producer, writer, and rapper.
As a producer, she continues to shatter glass ceilings in the dance space, being one of the only female acts to ever play the mainstage at EDC Las Vegas and also one of the first female acts to perform at the Circuit Grounds stage at EDC Orlando in November of 2021. Having spent the last six years of her life finding her voice as an artist and perfecting her sound, Nostalgix is now ready to support her five-track EP, Star City.
Out via the esteemed dance label Monstercat, the EP delivers the highest octane bass house — brimming with spunky ‘90s edge while layering on collaborations with vaunted rap star Rico Nasty, UK MC Scrubfizzer, Southside Diddy, and DEV.
“Star City is a world for those who aren’t fully accepted by the real world,” Nostalgix said. “A world that accepts everyone for who they are and for who they aspire to be. A world where pain does not exist and hurt is turned to self-empowerment…Ain’t nothing getting in the way of us living our best lives. It’s our world, we get to be who we wanna be, dress how we wanna dress, and we’re gonna live it up!”
Currently, Nostalgix is gearing up to embark on her first major headlining tour, hitting stages in Nashville, Washington, D.C., Chicago, Phoenix, Denver, and of course Vancouver and Nelson in her home region of British Columbia. To reconnect with her childhood roots in Vancouver, we asked her to build her personalized guide and recommendations for where to eat, sleep, party, and play in Vancouver.
Best Place To Wakeup & Sip Caffeine
You must go to Analog Coffee in Yaletown. They’re a really cute cafe in a great part of town. It’s such a beautiful space and the coffee is amazing!! When I lived in Vancouver I used to go there with my laptop and make music while sipping on a vanilla latte. In fact, I actually made my song “Mind Tricks” (feat. Way) in this coffee shop!!
Best Hotel To Stay In
It’s clearly the Pan Pacific Vancouver. I love staying at the Pan Pacific, it’s such a beautiful hotel! It’s located right by the seawall so it has such a beautiful view of Vancouver. It’s so nice waking up early in the morning to go for a run on the seawall, especially during the summer!
Best Part Of The City to Stay In
NOSTALGIX
I love Yaletown! It’s such a beautiful part of the city. There are so many beautiful shops, vintage stores, restaurants, bars, coffee shops, etc. If you’re also big into working out, there are tons of gyms and workout classes nearby. You truly get a bit of everything.
Favorite Lunch Spot
Growing up in North Vancouver, my parents always took me to the best Persian restaurants. Cazba in North Vancouver has always been one of our favorites. Whenever I visit town for a bit, I love going back to Cazba and getting the Chicken Kebab.
How To Spend A Day In Vancouver
NOSTALGIX
Vancouver is such a beautiful place for hiking and being in nature! I love working out and being in the mountains, so whenever I have time I love going to Deep Cove and either hiking up Quarry Rock or just going for a run in the area. It has such a special place in my heart! During the winter, I love going up Cypress Mountain in Vancouver or making a quick trip to Whistler to go snowboarding.
Best Place To Grab Dinner
Cactus Club Cafe at English Bay has a special spot in my heart. The restaurant is located right on the beach, so it has the most beautiful view and sunsets. You can enjoy a lovely dinner and then sit on the beach and soak in the beauty of Vancouver. I love getting the chicken lettuce wraps which are so delicious.
Where To Party
NOSTALGIX
Celebrities Nightclub is such an iconic venue in Vancouver. I grew up going to shows there and saw so many incredible artists perform there such as WHIPPED CREAM, REZZ, Felix Cartal, Dr. Fresch, AC Slater, Bijou, and more. I would strongly recommend going there for a night out in the town! It’s always such a great time.
I also love performing at Celebrities Nightclub — Vancouver always has so much hometown love!!
Jennifer Lopez has announced her first tour in five years. The This Is Me… Now The Tour kicks off on June 26 following the release of J-Lo’s new album This Is Me… Now, which drops this Friday, February 16. Tickets go on sale February 23 at 10 AM local time on Live Nation, and of course, there are all the requisite presales for fan club members and Citicard holders before that. But how much are the tickets?
Unfortunately, the prices haven’t been made available just yet, and as J-Lo’s last tour was in 2019 — before a number of events caused some pretty sizable fluctuations in ticket prices across the industry — it’s hard to judge. But looking at pop concert prices at some of the same venues she’s playing should givve us an idea how much they might be. For instance, Madonna’s Celebration Tour at Kia Forum in Los Angeles runs from about $85 to $506, so that range should be comparable. We’ll learn more next Friday. For now, you can check out the dates and venues below.
Jennifer Lopez’s 2024 Tour Dates: This Is Me… Now The Tour
06/26 — Orlando, FL @ Kia Center
06/28 — Miami, FL @ Kaseya Center
07/02 — Austin, TX @ Moody Center
07/03 — Edinburg, TX @ Bert Ogden Arena
07/05 — San Antonio, TX @ Frost Bank Center
07/06 — Dallas, TX @ American Airlines Center
07/09 — Phoenix, AZ @ Footprint Center
07/11 — Los Angeles, CA @ Kia Forum
07/13 — Anaheim, CA @ Honda Center
07/16 — San Francisco, CA @ Chase Center
07/17 — Sacramento, CA @ Golden 1 Center
07/19 — Palm Springs, CA @ Acrisure Arena
07/20 — Las Vegas, NV @ T-Mobile Arena
07/22 — Denver, CO @ Ball Arena
07/24 — Tulsa, OK @ BOK Center
07/26 — Rosemont, IL @ Allstate Arena
07/27 — Indianapolis, IN @ Gainbridge Fieldhouse
07/30 — Pittsburgh, PA @ PPG Paints Arena
07/31 — Detroit, MI @ Little Caesars Arena
08/02 — Toronto, ON @ Scotiabank Arena
08/05 — Montreal, QC @ Bell Centre
08/07 — Boston, MA @ TD Garden
08/09 — Belmont Park, NY @ UBS Arena
08/10 — Newark, NJ @ Prudential Center
08/13 — Philadelphia, PA @ Wells Fargo Center
08/14 — Washington, DC @ Capital One Arena
08/16 — New York, NY @ Madison Square Garden
08/20 — Cleveland, OH @ Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse
08/22 — Nashville, TN @ Bridgestone Arena
08/24 — Raleigh, NC @ PNC Arena
08/25 — Atlanta, GA @ State Farm Arena
08/27 — Tampa, FL @ Amalie Arena
08/30 — New Orleans, LA @ Smoothie King Center
08/31 — Houston, TX @ Toyota Center
Jennifer Lopez announced a new tour for her This Is Me… Now album, which will find her making arena stops across North America. Lopez will kick things off at Orlando, Florida’s Kia Center in June, and the leg will run through August. As of right now, no international dates have been announced.
For those looking to go, here’s what to know.
How To Buy Tickets For Jennifer Lopez’s This Is Me Now… The Tour
Those in Jennifer Lopez‘s fanclub will be able to purchase presale tickets starting on Tuesday, February 20 at 9 a.m. local time, followed by a presale for Citi and Verizon customers opening that same day at 10 a.m. local. More information about the Citi one can be found here, and the Verizon presale’s info is here.
From there, a general sale will open to the public on Friday, February 23 at 10 a.m. local time.
Continue scrolling to view the complete list of tour dates.
Jennifer Lopez’s 2024 Tour Dates: This Is Me… Now The Tour
06/26 — Orlando, FL @ Kia Center
06/28 — Miami, FL @ Kaseya Center
07/02 — Austin, TX @ Moody Center
07/03 — Edinburg, TX @ Bert Ogden Arena
07/05 — San Antonio, TX @ Frost Bank Center
07/06 — Dallas, TX @ American Airlines Center
07/09 — Phoenix, AZ @ Footprint Center
07/11 — Los Angeles, CA @ Kia Forum
07/13 — Anaheim, CA @ Honda Center
07/16 — San Francisco, CA @ Chase Center
07/17 — Sacramento, CA @ Golden 1 Center
07/19 — Palm Springs, CA @ Acrisure Arena
07/20 — Las Vegas, NV @ T-Mobile Arena
07/22 — Denver, CO @ Ball Arena
07/24 — Tulsa, OK @ BOK Center
07/26 — Rosemont, IL @ Allstate Arena
07/27 — Indianapolis, IN @ Gainbridge Fieldhouse
07/30 — Pittsburgh, PA @ PPG Paints Arena
07/31 — Detroit, MI @ Little Caesars Arena
08/02 — Toronto, ON @ Scotiabank Arena
08/05 — Montreal, QC @ Bell Centre
08/07 — Boston, MA @ TD Garden
08/09 — Belmont Park, NY @ UBS Arena
08/10 — Newark, NJ @ Prudential Center
08/13 — Philadelphia, PA @ Wells Fargo Center
08/14 — Washington, DC @ Capital One Arena
08/16 — New York, NY @ Madison Square Garden
08/20 — Cleveland, OH @ Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse
08/22 — Nashville, TN @ Bridgestone Arena
08/24 — Raleigh, NC @ PNC Arena
08/25 — Atlanta, GA @ State Farm Arena
08/27 — Tampa, FL @ Amalie Arena
08/30 — New Orleans, LA @ Smoothie King Center
08/31 — Houston, TX @ Toyota Center
Tell me if you’ve been in this situation: you’re hungry, you roll up to your favorite fast food drive-thru, order your go-to combo meal, unwrap your food, bite into it, and “bam!” you’re disappointed. Something just isn’t hitting right — maybe the cheese on your cheeseburger isn’t melted, maybe a certain staleness permeates your chicken tenders or french fries, maybe the fountain drink syrup hasn’t been changed, maybe you’re eating something that was clearly cooked well before you even ordered it…
It happens to the best of us. While fast food is always convenient, it isn’t always consistent. I’ve met people who insist on going to a specific Wendy’s to order food, even if it isn’t the closest one to their homes. While I think that’s a step too far, I get it, if you’re spending money on food you’re going to want it to live up to a certain standard. Which got us thinking — on average, which fast food restaurants are the most consistently good from a quality control standpoint?
A multitude of factors can weigh on the consistency of fast food. It could be a location-specific thing, or it could be a time of day thing, but in covering fast food at Uproxx for over four years, I’ve had all manner of experiences. I’ve eaten at Burger King restaurants more times than I care to count! I need to do something with all this information stored in my head, so we decided to rank all our favorite fast food restaurants based only on consistency.
*I should note — “consistently good” wins the day, not “consistently trash.” I know that seems obvious, but this is the internet.
Instead of going the usual numbered ranking route, we decided to separate all of the restaurants into three tiers: poor consistency, average consistency, and excellent consistency. Keep in mind that this isn’t a ranking of how delicious each of these fast food chains is, rather it’s an examination of how consistently the food comes out the way that it should at each restaurant, i.e. hot and made to order.
I love Rally’s — I feel like I’m going to preface that with a lot of entries in this category — but eating here is a straight-up toss-up. The food that seems to suffer here the most are the fries. I’ve had some that are stale, some that are soaked in grease, and some that have been fried multiple times. I can’t count on Rally’s to be good, which forces me to order large fries every time in the hopes that they’ll have to drop a fresh order in the frier because they don’t have any sitting around in the bin.
And that’s a huge problem because the fries are easily Rally’s best menu item.
The Bottom Line:
Great flavor is held back by poor quality control.
Burger King
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Thoughts:
Every time I make a big fast food list I have to sh*t all over Burger King’s name. I don’t want it to be this way, but BK makes it too damn easy. In my history of writing about fast food for Uproxx, on multiple occasions I’ve had to re-order food from Burger King just so I can give this restaurant a fair shot.
There isn’t any specific dish that suffers from poor quality control at Burger King, it’s just a general thing, from the fries to the burgers, to the chicken sandwiches.
The Bottom Line:
One of the many problems holding Burger King back from greatness is how often their food comes out lukewarm.
Here is the thing about DQ — if you want great desserts, this place is going to consistently deliver. But the food? It’s almost inedible. Everything here that is fried or cooked on a flattop grill has a gas-station-food quality to it.
The Bottom Line:
If it’s not dessert, it’s probably an afterthought, so avoid DQ for hot food. Unless… apparently… it’s a fish sando in Kentucky!
I’m going to get a lot of hate for this one. Trust me, I love Popeyes just as much as you. The restaurant routinely ranks highly amongst our various fast food rankings, from chicken tenders to chicken sandwiches. And let me take this time to shout out those cajun fries — I love them, and on some days they’re my absolute favorite…
But Popeyes varies in quality so wildly that it breaks my heart.
It’s not any specific restaurant’s fault, it’s just the nature of how the food is prepared at Popeyes. Nothing is made to order here, everything is churned out in anticipation of the next customer. Sometimes this works, you’ll get piping hot sides, chicken that has just exited the frier, and soft buttery biscuits, but just as often you’ll get something from an old batch.
It’s just something I’ve come to expect from Popeyes and it’s a reason I rarely roll up near closing time.
The Bottom Line:
Popeyes is amazing, but the risk that you’re going to get some chicken or sides that have been sitting a bit too long under the heat lamp is high.
I’m begrudgingly putting Carl’s Jr. in the “Average Consistency” tier but I feel like I should mention that in my experience, this fast food chain seems to be moving in the wrong direction when it comes to consistency.
Lately, I’ve noticed the quality of its chicken tenders has dipped. What used to make these tenders special was that they were hand-breaded in restaurant, giving it a sort of quality more in line with places like Raising Cane’s or Chick-fil-A rather than its closer contemporaries like Burger King or McDonald’s.
I think the tenders are still hand-breaded but not as heavily as in the past, and oftentimes times I get chicken tenders that look shriveled and have a stale flavor. The fries also suffer from what tastes like unclean or rancid oil. I’ve experienced poor-quality fries at all sorts of different hours of the day.
The Bottom Line:
Carl’s Jr. is an improvement over similar restaurants like Burger King or Rally’s, but just barely.
KFC
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Thoughts:
I don’t know what KFC is doing that Popeyes isn’t, but from my experience KFC’s food is more consistently hot and fresh-tasting than what I encounter at Popeyes. The chicken is more often than not hot, the sides always deliver, and certain menu items like the Secret Recipe fries or Original Recipe nuggets taste made to order.
Having said that, I would rather eat at Popeyes than KFC knowing this. But I have to give credit where credit is due.
I don’t love Jack in the Box and I think dropping its “We Don’t Make It Til You Order It” policy is the chain’s biggest misstep. You’d think that by dropping that policy, JiB would land squarely in the “Poor Consistency” tier but every time I come here, the food is hot and the milkshakes are thick and luxurious.
We can debate about the quality of flavor in its burgers, sandwiches, and sides, but one thing is certain, if you’re ordering JiB you’re going to get hot food, and that goes a long way for some people. Me included.
The Bottom Line:
They may have dropped the “we don’t make it til you order it” policy, but the food here still comes out nice and hot.
For a place where the food isn’t made to order, El Pollo Loco has some pretty great consistency. The chicken is flame-grilled on site and in my experience always comes out tender and juicy. The sides are hot and the salsas taste fresh.
The only weak aspect of this menu is the tortillas, which can often be stale.
The Bottom Line:
Great chicken, great sides, poor tortilla quality.
Wendy’s
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Thoughts:
More often than not if you’re eating at Wendy’s you’re going to get some good food, especially if you’re order a cheeseburger. But the same can’t be said for the chicken. A stale chicken nugget is downright inedible, and it happens often. You’re probably ordering nuggets as a side anyway, so it’s not the sort of thing that can ruin your meal.
The real gamble is the chicken sandwiches. Wendy’s chicken sandwiches are great when they’re hot, but there have been a handful of times when I’ve ordered a sandwich and the filet is re-fried or has been sitting around for too long. Once these chicken filets sit, the meat becomes tough. Because of this I almost always defer to ordering a cheeseburger because I know it’s going to deliver the big flavors.
The Bottom Line:
You can’t go wrong with a burger, but getting any sort of chicken is a gamble.
McDonald’s
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Thoughts:
Like Wendy’s, if you’re getting a burger from McDonald’s, it’s going to taste the same as any other McDonald’s in any city, at any time of day. Same with the breakfast, McDonald’s burger and breakfast game is top tier.
But we need to be honest about the fries. They may be the most delicious in fast food, but they aren’t always hot, and when they aren’t hot the quality suffers. The same thing goes for the chicken nuggets. A cold nugget is not fun.
The Bottom Line:
At McDonald’s stick to the breakfast or the burgers if you want consistency. Unfortunately with the fries it’s a toss-up, but when they’re good, they’re great.
From an overall quality standpoint, I’d say Chipotle ranks incredibly high. The food is delicious, the ingredients are high quality, and more often than not, the consistency is pretty solid, but not all the time, so for that we’re going to have to leave this on the high end of the Average Consistency tier.
In my experience, the worst times to hit up Chipotle are right when it opens, and near closing. I’m not sure what the deal is with the early hours of Chipotle, but the quality of the beans, fajitas, and meat is at its lowest at this time and by the end of the day you’re going to encounter the worst guacamole you’ve ever seen.
Luckily, at Chipotle you can see all of the ingredients — so if something looks off to you or old, don’t order it.
The Bottom Line:
Chipotle should get credit for its high-quality ingredients, but sometimes the food sits a bit too long under the heat lamp.
For a chain restaurant that has a lot of food sitting under heat lamps, Panda Express is incredibly consistent. I’ve never had a dish or side here that is cold. The restaurant is constantly tossing a new batch of food in the wok and will even cook a portion specifically for you if you ask them to.
The only thing that suffers here is the fried rice, which can sometimes taste a bit too dry.
The Bottom Line:
Don’t let the heat lamps fool you, Panda Express’ food is remarkably consistent.
Whatever the hell Chick-fil-A is doing needs to be studied by every other fast food restaurant in America. No drive-thru moves as quickly as Chick-fil-A’s and to accomplish that task you’d think that the quality of the food must suffer as a result, and yet… somehow, it doesn’t.
The chicken sandwiches, nuggets, and tenders are always top-tier quality. I’ve never been disappointed by the quality of my main dish, the only thing that ever disappoints is the waffle fries. It doesn’t happen often but I’ve had an order or two that taste a bit lacking. But that’s nothing a good dip can’t remedy.
The Bottom Line:
I’m not sure what sort of magic Chick-fil-A is doing in the kitchen that makes their food come out so consistently top-tier, but it’s working.
Taco Bell
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Thoughts:
This might come as a shock to some people but Taco Bell always tastes exactly as it should. Sure, the food is never hot, I’d say it’s lukewarm, but I’ve never been disappointed by anything I’ve ordered at Taco Bell. The tacos, Crunchwraps, and nachos always taste the same as the last time I ordered them.
Maybe it’s because all the food is ready-made and just needs to be put together and heated up. I’m not sure, but I know that I can always count on Taco Bell to scratch that Taco Bell-itch.
The Bottom Line:
Taco Bell always tastes exactly as Taco Bell-ish as you remember it. And that’s a good thing.
In-N-Out
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Thoughts:
It’s no secret that In-N-Out is great. It’s so praised that some people swear it’s overrated. They’re wrong, it’s not.
In-N-Out makes perfect cheeseburgers, hand-spins its milkshakes to order, and is one of the few restaurants that peels and cuts its french fries in restaurant. At In-N-Out, you’re guaranteed to get fresh food no matter which location you’re visiting. I’ve had In-N-Out in major cities in multiple states, and even at rest stops in the middle of California.
Every time, the food tastes identical — mind-blowingly delicious.
The Bottom Line:
I’ve never had an In-N-Out burger that wasn’t up to standard.
I love Raising Cane’s. The menu is incredibly simple: chicken tenders, fries, and Texas Toast, and everything is dropped in a frier or grilled on the flat top to order. They even fresh squeeze their lemonade and mix their Cane’s sauce daily. It doesn’t get better than that!
The Bottom Line:
The best chicken chain in all of fast food. Incredibly consistent.
Shake Shack
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Thoughts:
I have some gripes with Shake Shack. I think the fries could be better, I wish the burgers were a little bigger, and they consistently introduce new menu items only to take them away. I wouldn’t say this is my favorite burger chain, but without a doubt, they have the best ingredients of any burger chain.
The produce is perfect, it’s crisp, fresh, and flavorful. The beef is unparalleled, it’s savory, meaty, and cooked to perfection. And it’s one of the only fast food burger restaurants that tries to elevate its core product. Want fried shallots on a burger? You’ll find it at Shake Shack. Looking for some sort of truffle aioli? You’re going to find it at Shake Shack. Are you a big pickle fan? Shake Shack has the best.
Couple a burger with a malted milkshake, and you’re going to have a perfect meal every time.
The Bottom Line:
Shake Shack makes fast food with restaurant-quality attention to detail.
Suits ran for nine full-on seasons on the USA Network. Years later, the show somehow still became the streaming rage of 2023, and NBC decided to get back in the game by greenlighting a spinoff that will be based in Los Angeles. This came as well-received news for those who had only recently become hooked on the legal drama that is oft lumped into the comedy (including by Netflix, where the binging has mostly been happening) category, too.
Perhaps the newfound obsession arose with Meghan Markle crossing over into a certain famous family, but whatever the cause, NBC answered the call. The Suits: LA spinoff is officially in the works with a leading man and everything. Also, questions exist, and a plot has received clarification. What else?
Plot
Viewers will be very interested to see whether Mike and Harvey will surface in this spinoff, at least to pass the torch, but ongoing would surely be preferable. NBC hasn’t answered with a “yes” or “no” on that question, but hints have surfaced. Gabriel Macht (Harvey Specter) recently told The Hollywood Reporter, “I think it’s in a world where some characters could in fact come [back].” Co-star Patrick J. Adams (Mike Ross) agreed, “The Suits-iverse as it’s referred to.”
Additionally, NBCUniversal did not discourage speculation by reuniting four Suits cast members (Adams, Macht, Gina Torres, and Sarah Rafferty) for a Golden Globes presentation, and a Super Bowl spot provided opportunity for Macht and Adams to also suit back up and offer “advice” to the spinoff’s cast. That suggests that there could be some mentor-type appearances from the pair, but we shall have to wait and see whether confirmation surfaces.
In the meantime, a pilot has been fast tracked. Former Heels Starz star Stephen Amell will portray the newest hot-shot star lawyer, Ted Black, who has been described as a “charismatic force of nature who puts his own needs above others.” Additionally, Amell recently told PEOPLE, “I’m very excited. It’s something very new and different for me — talky-talky, not punchy-punchy.”
NBC has also received an official logline, which sets up the show as such:
Ted Black, a former federal prosecutor from New York, has reinvented himself representing the most powerful clients in Los Angeles. His firm is at a crisis point, and in order to survive he must embrace a role he held in contempt his entire career. Ted is surrounded by a stellar group of characters who test their loyalties to both Ted and each other while they can’t help but mix their personal and professional lives. All of this is going on while events from years ago slowly unravel that led Ted to leave behind everything and everyone he loved.
Sounds like Harvey would be a convenient helper for that crisis planning. And as if we haven’t had enough teasing, the man who portrayed the former-and-possibly current Mike Ross (Adams) put this out there to Variety: “If I got the phone call, I’d be ready to suit up again. I loved the show, I loved the character and I loved working with all these people.”
Mostly, however, we can count on this not being a non-reboot/non-revival, and according to Suits creator Aaron Korsch, an extension of the world that viewers have already gotten to know. So, like CSI and the inexplicably popular NCIS, this will be a spinoff that occurs in the same reality as the original series, only in different cities.
Cast
Only a solitary certainty exists regarding the original cast: Meghan Markle will not be involved in this spinoff. While speaking with The Hollywood Reporter, Macht and Adams confirmed that they’d had zero contact with the duchess regarding the show’s sudden resurgence and spinoff news. (Well, it could be worse — ask Piers Morgan.)
Gina Torres also previously let fly to Variety that the old cast members have a text chain, but Markle does not participate. In fact, “We don’t have her number.”
Supposedly a fully new cast, but there is surely no way that NBC wouldn’t want to encourage viewership to be as high as possible by involving somebody, anybody, from the original cast. Seriously, bring back Gabriel Macht and Patrick J. Adams. Gina Torres and Sarah Rafferty would be nice as well. They can talk smack about the Rachel character.
Release Date
Filming is set to begin this March in Vancouver. That’s for the pilot, and if a full season receives the okay, expect to see this surface as soon as humanly possible. On an NBC weekly basis, too. Imagine that!
Trailer
We’re in the early days here, so there is zero chance of a teaser or trailer yet. Since that’s no fun, let’s speculate on whether this might be the scene that bothered Prince Harry after watching.
Todd Phillips gave fans a Valentine’s Day treat by revealing a slew of new photos from the highly-anticipated Joker: Folie à Deux. The film brings back Joaquin Phoenix in the title role, but this time around he’s joined by Lady Gaga who will put a new spin on the Joker’s iconic sidekick Harley Quinn.
“Hoping your day is full of love,” Phillips wrote on Instagram alongside three new photos from the Joker sequel. In James Gunn-style, Phillips also fielded a few fan questions. Most notably, he responded to a comment about when to expect a trailer for Joker 2. Turns out fans are in for a bit of a wait, but not too long.
“Been getting this question a lot,” Phillips responded via ScreenRant. “The movie comes out in October. So our first teaser won’t be out until mid April.”
You can see the new Joker: Folie à Deux photos below:
Set after the events of the first Joker movie, which saw Phoenix’s Arthur Fleck fully transform into the classic DC Comics character and murder a late night host on live TV, not much is known about the sequel’s plot outside of the introduction to Gaga’s Harley Quinn. There has been talk of the sequel being a musical, but that aspect has recently been downplayed by cinematographer Lawrence Sher.
Joker: Folie à Deux dances into theaters on October 4, 2024.
Karol G used her birthday (which falls on Valentine’s Day) to treat fans to a gift of their own: releasing her new “Conmigo” single. A collaboration with the DJ Tiësto, the two have once again proved exactly why they keep working together. In total, this marks their third partnership.
The Spanish song interpolates Leona Lewis’ “Bleeding Love” to craft an electronic-inspired romantic hit. In the video, Young Miko plays Karol G’s love interest, giving it an even-sweeter touch to incorporate LGBTQ+ representation.
Before the release of “Conmigo,” Karol G teased some of the lyrics on social media, which translate to, “I don’t want anything if it’s not with you,” according to Billboard. She also used her Instagram Story to express her gratitude to the fans at her recent concert in Mexico.
“My fans in Mexico City had a surprise for me, where they wrote the phrase on a gigantic banner, without them knowing it was part of my new single,” she wrote. “I got really emotional and couldn’t hold back from sharing the news that this song comes out on my birthday, Feb. 14. Thanks to everyone who got together for this surprise, and my team for helping them make this possible.”
Check out “Conmigo” above.
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