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Unrivaled tipped off its inaugural season this past weekend, as the new women’s 3-on-3 league saw all six of its teams play twice in their new Miami home. It was, by all accounts, a successful debut weekend. There were some exciting games — headlined by the opener between the league’s co-founders, as Napheesa Collier’s Lunar Owls beat Breanna Stewart’s Mist, 84-80 — the stars showed out, and fans seemed to enjoy the fast-flowing nature of the games.

While the inaugural season runs through March 17, the league is already thinking ahead to their second season, which will look to build on this first year. The hope is to keep adding stars, with Caitlin Clark and A’ja Wilson as the biggest names not currently signed on for the first season, while Paige Bueckers signed to an NIL deal and expected to play next year once she is a pro. If they can get more stars that might mean expansion beyond six teams, but while that’s still to be determined, what is already being worked out is how to take the league on the road next year.

Right now, all games are being played in Miami in their 850-seat arena built specifically for Unrivaled. Next year, the plan is to still have a home base but also take some games on the road to four cities, per The Athletic’s Ben Pickman.

This season, all 10 weeks of action take place at the Florida facility, but a tour model for competition is planned for next year. The locations are yet to be determined but Unrivaled is targeting non-WNBA cities and college towns. Bazzell said it wouldn’t visit more than four cities and the league will still have a home base. The operational cost, Bazzell said, would be similar as it’s likely only four teams would travel to a given stop. Important to maintaining a premier player experience, the league would use charter airfare to transport its players..

If I were to venture a guess, Gampel Pavilion in Storrs, Connecticut, home of the UConn Huskies, would be a near lock for one of those trips with Paige Bueckers coming on board and the two co-founders of the league being Huskies legends. If Caitlin Clark joins, I have to imagine Iowa City would be a place they’d look to take a game, while other women’s college basketball strongholds in Columbia, SC, Knoxville, TN, and elsewhere figure to be on the short list of potential destinations for 2026 (and beyond).

Targeting college towns and non-WNBA cities makes a ton of sense, as you can allow fan bases to see some of their former stars back where their road to stardom began. Those games would be huge draws and would allow them to expand their footprint by bringing the league to fans who are already invested in women’s hoops. It certainly sounds like Unrivaled is approaching their early years with a very smart plan of not over-extending themselves (hence a 6-team launch) but has a very coherent and savvy plan on how to build on the early buzz and create even more for their second season and beyond.

Folks in Richmond, Virginia are in for a treat later this year: Today (January 21), the lineup for the Iron Blossom Music festival was announced, and it boasts a great, short-but-sweet lineup.

The fest runs from September 20 to 21 at Midtown Green (formerly Training Center On Leigh), and it’s headlined by Vampire Weekend and The Lumineers. Beyond them, the lineup also features Khruangbin, Rainbow Kitten Surprise, Teskey Brothers, Watchhouse, Futurebirds, Medium Build, Dexter & The Moonrocks, The 502s, Paper Kites, Butcher Brown, Kate Bollinger, Hazlett, Friko, Palmyra, Improvement Movement, Holy Roller, Jack Stepanian and Catie Lausten.

Besides the music, the fest also offers “incredible local and regional eats, plus an artisan bazaar from the regional maker community that highlights the unique spirit of Iron Blossom Music Festival,” per a press release.

As for tickets, there’s an email/text pre-sale, sign-ups for which can be found on the festival website. Following that will be the general on-sale starting January 23 at noon ET.

Festival organizers say in a statement, “We’re thrilled to bring Iron Blossom back to Richmond for its third year. The energy and love from the community has made this festival something truly special. Year three is all about bringing the very best to Richmond and setting the new standard for the region. We can’t wait to create an unforgettable experience for fans, old and new.”

Hook-filled hardcore band Scowl have announced their first album since signing with Dead Oceans, the home of Mitski, Phoebe Bridgers, and Japanese Breakfast. Are We All Angels (out April 4th) is described as grappling with the group’s “newfound place in the hardcore scene, a community that has both embraced the band and made them something of a lightning rod over the past few years.” (Scowl was bizarrely accused of being an “industry plant.”)

On Are We All Angels, Scowl — made up of Kat Moss (vocals), Malachi Greene (guitar), Mikey Bifolco (guitar), Bailey Lupo (bass), and Cole Gilbert (drums) — were inspired by everyone from punk favorites Negative Approach, Bad Brains, and Hole to unexpected sources like Billie Eilish, Radiohead, and Julien Baker.

“The majority of us were really not proficient musicians when this band started,” Moss explained. “It was very Germs-esque in that way, like baby’s first hardcore band, which is awesome. But now, we still might not know what we’re doing, but we have a better idea of what we want to do.” Greene added, “Hardcore and punk have sculpted how we operate, what we want to do as a band, and how we participate. At our core, we are a punk and a hardcore band, regardless of how the song shifts and changes.”

You can listen to first single “Not Hell, Not Heaven” above, and check out the album cover and tracklist for Are We All Angels below.

Scowl’s Are We All Angels Album Artwork

Scowl’s Are We All Angels Tracklist

1. “Special”
2. “B.A.B.E”
3. “Fantasy”
4. “Not Hell, Not Heaven”
5. “Tonight (I’m Afraid)”
6. “Fleshed Out”
7. “Let You Down”
8. “Cellophane”
9. “Suffer The Fool (How High Are You?)”
10. “Haunted”
11. “Are We All Angels”

Are We All Angels is out 4/4 via Dead Oceans. Find more information here.

Welcome to the Crumbl Cookie Report. We can’t hide it, we’re pretty psyched for this week’s lineup. Partly because one of our favorite Crumbl treats, the Tres Leches Lotus Biscoff cake, is coming back alongside our bi-weekly favorite, the Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chip, and there is a whole cookie inspired by Mother’s Circus Animal cookies, so even if the remaining 5 cookies aren’t any good, at least we have these three! This is in stark contrast to the last couple of weeks, where the Crumbl lineup has looked bland and uninspired.

But it’s not just the three that we’re excited about, the rest of the lineup looks pretty promising too, so we’re excited to see whether anything can top the Lotus Biscoff Tres Leches. So let’s stop talking about it and just get to the cookies. Here is every cookie dropping at Crumbl this week, ranked from least essential to most delicious.

8. Peanut Butter ft. Reese’s Pieces

Thoughts & Tasting Notes:

I once called Crumbl’s Peanut Butter ft. Reese’s Pieces the brand’s “best utilization” of peanut butter, but that was last year when I first started covering Crumbl and wasn’t aware that the brand constantly churns out peanut butter cookies. I’ve had a few better than this one, and so now I don’t see it in the same light.

This went from a great cookie, to merely a fine one. Built on a nutty peanut butter base dotted with Reese’s Pieces candies, this chocolate offers a sweet and toasty quality with the occasional creamy milk chocolate note.

The Bottom Line:

A fine peanut butter cookie. If you’re into peanut butter, just wait for another week, surely Crumbl will have a more worthwhile variation on the flavor.

7. Rob’s Backstage Caramel Popcorn Cookie ft. The Jonas Brothers

Thoughts & Tasting Notes:

I don’t know who Rob is, I don’t know how the Jonas Brothers are involved in this cookie (nor do I care to look into it) but what I do know is that this is one of the week’s worst cookies.

That isn’t to say it is bad though, this is a great week at Crumbl because every cookie is good. Rob’s Backstage features a butter cookie smeared with caramel-infused cream cheese frosting, a caramel drizzle, and caramel popcorn garnish. The popcorn throws things off a bit flavorwise, but it makes for an eye-catching garnish, so I’m not against it.

Overall, the flavor is a mix of sweet buttery, and toasty caramel flavors.

The Bottom Line:

Great for hardcore caramel fans, but easily the weakest cookie of the lineup.

6. Triple Berry Cobbler

Thoughts & Tasting Notes:

The Triple Berry Cobbler features a tangy and tart housemade berry jam base, topped with layers of cinnamon streusel and a scoop of vanilla bean mousse. Or at least it’s supposed to feature a scoop of vanilla bean mousse, but mine didn’t. This isn’t the first time a whole ingredients has been missing from a pasty I bought at Crumbl, and I don’t fault the employees at all. The real issue is the brand, which now forces its employees to make two additional cookies instead of the classic six.

I’ve said time and time again that eight weekly cookies is too many. Not because it makes it harder to choose, but because it increases quality control issues.

Anyway, I won’t hold the lack of vanilla bean mousse against this treat for this ranking. I can imagine that the creamy vanilla would be a nice counterbalance to the tart and tangy flavor and would’ve paired excellently with the cinnamon.

The Bottom Line:

A mix of tangy, tart, sweet, and mildly spicy flavors.

5. Strawberry Milk ft. Pirouline

Thoughts & Tasting Notes:

The Strawberry Mik ft. Pirouline cookie may just be the best strawberry cookie I’ve ever had. The base is made from soft strawberry streusel and topped with a refreshing strawberry mouse, some whipped cream, and the Pirouline wafer cookie straw.

The straw is a bit of a throwaway gimmick, but the cookie is great. It’s crumbly, sweet, and features a lot of soft strawberry flavors.

The Bottom Line:

Imagine a strawberry milkshake in cookie form, and you’ve got a good idea of what the Strawberry Milk ft. Pirouline cookie tastes like.

4. Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chunk

Thoughts & Tasting Notes:

A perfectly executed balance of brown sugar, buttery, and rich semi-sweet chocolate. I’m also tasting the slightest hint of cinnamon, while a pinch of sea salt reigns in some of the richness, adding a nice layer of complexity.

The Bottom Line:

Our all-time favorite chocolate chip cookie. Buy it for sure if this is your first time at Crumbl. If you’re a regular, use your Crumbl reward points on this one.

3. Brookie

Thoughts & Tasting Notes:

The Brookie is the sort of cookie that was made for people who can’t make a decision. It’s one half chocolate chip cookie, one half chocolate cookie, offering the best of both worlds in one simple cookie.

The chocolate chip half tastes pretty identical to the Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chip, it features the same rich brown sugar and butter flavor with chunk of chocolate chips in every bite. The chocolate half features a rich and decadent chocolate brownie flavor. The biggest challenge is figuring out how to eat this cookie while getting both flavors at the same time.

The Bottom Line:

A great cookie for someone who wants a classic chocolate chip cookie with a unique twist.

2. Sugar ft. Mother’s Circus Animal

Thoughts & Tasting Notes:

Call it nostalgia, but I fully knew the Sugar ft. Mother’s Circus Animal cookie was going to be one of my favorites of the week before I even tried it. I love Circus Animal cookies, so if you share that love, it’s safe to say you’re going to like this cookie a whole lot too.

The cookie base features a sugar cookie flavor infused with rainbow sprinkles and topped with a heavy smear of white drops, more sprinkles, and a Circus Animal cookie garnish. Which means you’re technically getting two cookies with this one.

I wouldn’t say this cookie tastes like a giant Circus Animal Cookie if that’s what you’re expecting. Instead, the flavor merely echoes that classic cookie while offering something a bit more elevated.

The Bottom Line:

If you love Circus Animal Cookies, this will blow you away.

1. Tres Leches Cake ft. Lotus Biscoff

Thoughts & Tasting Notes:

I was open to another cookie taking the top spot this week, but one forkful of this moist tres leches cake was enough to convince me that it simply can’t be beat.

Made in collaboration with Belgian snack food brand Lous Biscoff, this cake features a spicy cinnamon base soaked in creamy tres leches and topped with whipped cream, cookie butter topping, and crumbles of Lotus Biscoff cookies.

The dominant flavor is a mix of cinnamon and brown sugar notes, with the ultra moist texture you expect from tres leches.

The Bottom Line:

Sweet, buttery, cinnamon-rich and a bit milky, this cake practically melts on the tongue.

AMC’s Interview With The Vampire refashioned Anne Rice’s most infamous vampire lovers to be even campier (and satisfyingly pulse pounding) than the 1990s movie did. The unintentional yet lukewarm chemistry of Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt’s Lestat and Louis didn’t hold a candle to the flat-out randy versions being embodied by Sam Reid and Jacob Anderson, and AMC knew a good thing when they aired it. A second season threw these vamps, along with their daughter, Claudia, into turmoil as the story advanced into Rice’s Théâtre des Vampires lore.

The second season finale was as fiery as expected from Louis, who has had enough of this sh*t (from nearly everybody), but the show unexpectedly chose to bring Lestat and Louis back together to close out the season. Together, they processed the death of Claudia and beautifully reconciled, and in turn Louis also reconciled with his own status as vampire.

That episode was titled, “And That’s The End of It. There’s Nothing Else,” and the series actually could have ended there with closure, but last summer, AMC announced a third season of debauchery.

When Will Interview With The Vampire Season 3 Come Out?

Currently, AMC hasn’t provided a release date, but the first and second seasons landed in October 2022 and May 2024, respectively, so late 2025 is entirely possible. They could even swing a Halloween season release, but first, if you missed the promised crossover on Mayfair Witches, that episode is there for the taking over on AMC+. As for what will happen in the third Interview season, AMC will take the world into Lestat’s Rock Star Era:

In Season 3, resentful of the perfunctory portrayal in the trashy bestseller “Interview With The Vampire,” the Vampire Lestat sets his story straight in a way only the Vampire Lestat can — by starting a band and going on tour. Gabrielle. Nicholas. Magnus. Marius. Those Who Must Be Kept. They join Louis, Armand, Molloy, Sam, Raglan, Fareed and others we can’t tell you about yet on a sexy pilgrimage across space, time and trauma. No Auto-Tuning. No Trigger Warnings. All Feels Amplified.

Hmm. Is anybody else thinking about Tom Cruise in Rock Of Ages now? Now you will never unsee it.

Chance The Rapper‘s penchant for dense, poetic wordplay shows up in force on his latest writing exercise, “Quiet Storm.” An uncompromising reflection on the shortcomings of the culture around us, “Quiet Storm” is presented as a call-in to a late-night radio show to request “something to remind her of her missions and militias.” It’s clear by mid-verse that the “extra special listener” to whom he’s dedicating this theoretical slow jam is America herself — and Chance’s goal is to remind her of her shortcomings and hold her to her promises.

“I know your specialties; espionage, sabiotage,” he intones. “I know your tendences; crashing out, caviar / You like the finer things, designer things / China things, things from Africa / You so good at f*ckin’ findin’ things” — as in, the exploitation of resources from developing nations. “I dedicate this song to Miss Congeniality,” Chance rhymes. “Double-lifing pageant queen living two realities.”

Chance’s writing exercises and singles have been creating a trail of breadcrumbs leading up to the release of his second album, Star Line, which he’s been teasing for some time. In 2024, he released a handful of singles and held listening events for the album at Miami Art Basel, so it sounds like it’s closer than ever to its eventual release.

Listen to Chance The Rapper’s “Quiet Storm” above.

Tyler, The Creator, Kacey Musgraves, and Lana Del Rey have been revealed as the headliners for the Hinterland Music Festival, which is scheduled for Friday, August 1, through Sunday, August 3, in St. Charles, Iowa. Other big-name acts include Clairo, The Marías, Still Woozy, Bleachers, Sierra Ferrell, and Scowl.

The pre-sale for the 2025 edition of Hinterland Music Festival begins Thursday, January 23, at 11:00 am CT (sign up for the code now on the festival’s website), while tickets for the general public go on sale on Friday, January 24, at 11:00 am CT. Hinterland is also offering a new feature called the “90 Degree Guarantee,” in which “ticket holders the option to request festival admission ticket returns for any day that is predicted to reach 90 degrees or higher.” You can find more information here.

Check out the complete Hinterland lineup below.

Hinterland Music Festival 2025 Lineup

Friday, August 1

Tyler, The Creator
Clairo
Remi Wolf
Royel Otis
Rebecca Black
Good Neighbours
INJI
Scowl
+ Campfire Stage TBA

Saturday, August 2

Kacey Musgraves
The Marías
Still Woozy
Role Model
Glass Beams
Gigi Perez
Willow Avalon
hey, nothing
+ Campfire Stage TBA

Sunday, August 3

Lana Del Rey
Bleachers
Sierra Ferrell
Wyatt Flores
Michael Marcagi
Evan Honer
Orla Gartland
Sam Austins

Indie music has grown to include so much. It’s not just music that is released on independent labels, but speaks to an aesthetic that deviates from the norm and follows its own weirdo heart. It can come in the form of rock music, pop, or folk. In a sense, it says as much about the people that are drawn to it as it does about the people that make it.

Every week, Uproxx is rounding up the best new indie music from the past seven days. This week, we got new music from Lucy Dacus, Anxious, Perfume Genius, and more.

While we’re at it, sign up for our newsletter to get the best new indie music delivered directly to your inbox, every Monday.

The Weather Station – Humanhood

Tamara Lindeman has long been enamored of human connection. On recent albums like 2021’s Ignorance and its companion piece, 2022’s How Is It That I Should Look At The Stars, the Toronto musician underlined the necessity of climate activism through a deep appreciation for the natural world and the ways in which we share it. Humanhood, her seventh album as The Weather Station, adopts a decidedly humanistic viewpoint. In an age of technocrats and (de)generative AI, Humanhood isn’t a balm so much as a reminder of why we should preserve everything — and everyone — that is precious to us. Who knows when it could all be lost?

Florist – “Have Heaven”

Florist’s music has always leaned into a spellbinding mysticism. Gentle, homespun tunes about friendship, such as those on their 2022 eponymous album, and the wintry folk tunes that embody 2019’s Emily Alone showcase a hypnotic quality to Florist’s work. For Jellywish, out April 4, the New York four-piece are no longer being subtle about it. They embrace the fantastical more than ever. “Have Heaven” is the type of song that a reclusive sorcerer would make, its bucolic acoustic guitars and whimsical hand percussion conjuring images of dense fog blanketing a mysterious yet peaceful forest. If Florist’s previous songs merely hinted at the supernatural, then the enchanting milieu of “Have Heaven” makes it all the more real.

Perfume Genius – “It’s A Mirror”

Reuniting with longtime collaborator Blake Mills, Perfume Genius’ Mike Hadreas returns with “It’s A Mirror,” the lead single of the forthcoming Glory. Whereas 2022’s Ugly Season predicated itself on classical arrangements literally fit for a ballet, “It’s A Mirror” signals a homecoming to the densely rich indie rock terrain of 2020’s masterful Set My Heart On Fire Immediately. Accompanied by earthen guitars that yield to bursts of distortion, Hadreas succumbs to his inner saboteur. “It’s a mirror, holy terror / Taking focus off the horizon,” he sings. Strangely enough, he sounds resolved and focused, delivering one of his most confident vocal performances to date.

Lucy Dacus – “Limerence”

Lucy Dacus has taken off in the four years since her last solo album, Home Video. Alongside Julien Baker and Phoebe Bridgers, Dacus’ star power ascended to new heights with 2023’s The Record, accruing Grammys, arena shows, and late-night television appearances. Forever Is A Feeling, her fourth studio record, takes cues from classicism and Baroque stylings; ornate paintings and harpsichord; Blake Mills and orchestral strings. It’s the kind of left turn that stays true to Dacus’ work while incorporating elements completely new to her songwriting. “Limerence” underscores the obsession with obsession itself (a true Dacusism if there ever were one) atop twinkling piano and swooning violins. At its heart is heartbreak, one of her greatest muses. “Is there a difference between lying to you / If it feels just as bad as telling the truth,” she asks in the second chorus. The romantically tragic instruments in the background hold the answer.

Anxious – “Some Girls”

When emo quintet Anxious released their 2022 debut LP Little Green House, it was immediately clear that there was something special about this band. They possess a certain je ne sais quoi that sets them apart from their peers. Every single from the forthcoming Bambi has only further affirmed that. The latest preview, “Some Girls,” is the additional proof that we didn’t need to know that Anxious are of their own ilk. Drawing from the sugary sweet hooks of Bleed American, the Connecticut group stacks thick, double-tracked power chords on top of Jonny Camner’s dense drums. There may not be a house on the cover of this one, but this is pristine emo through and through. This is music brimming with raw feeling.

1010benja – “Incent”

The chameleonic singer-songwriter-producer 1010benja is back with another one-off single. “Incent” sees the Kansas City-based artist locking into a syncopated groove with his characteristic bravado, toeing the line between growling ad libs and a soothing R&B falsetto. The biggest surprise comes when everything breaks out into a fiery shredder of a guitar solo that’d make John Frusciante proud. “Incent” simultaneously contains everything we’ve come to love about 1010 while pushing his artistry forward.

Horsegirl – “Switch Over”

The second Horsegirl album is less than a month away now, but the Chicago trio have given us another tidbit of what’s to come. “Switch Over” continues the band’s recent spate of tunes featuring jangly, bright guitars and steady percussion. Members Gigi Reece, Penelope Lowenstein, and Nora Cheng drive forward with the unity of a single organism. They already sounded cohesive on 2022’s Versions Of Modern Performance, but “Switch Over” sees the three musicians lock in their playing like never before.

Porridge Radio – “Don’t Want To Dance”

Pour one out for Porridge Radio. They’re officially calling it quits. But on Feb. 21, the Brighton post-punk group are sharing one more EP, The Machine Starts To Sing, before they leave forever. Taken from the recording sessions of last year’s excellent Clouds In The Sky They Will Always Be There For Me, lead single “Don’t Want To Dance” contains ringleader Dana Margolin’s signature warbly vocals, which skate atop warm acoustic guitars and ambling drums. Even though Porridge Radio will soon break up, it’s a gift to receive one more batch of wonderful songs from them.

Drop Nineteens – “Mayfield”

Boston shoegazers Drop Nineteens are mere weeks away from the official release of 1991, a treasured predecessor to their 1992 masterpiece Delaware. The latest preview, “Mayfield,” is another glimpse into the noisy, enveloping world the group constructed ahead of their magnum opus. Even casting its successor aside, this iteration of Drop Nineteens is special on its own terms. Colloquially known as “Mayfield” among fans, this quasi-title track unearths the foundation that makes this band an enduring touchstone for many. Stirring, cacophonous guitars tend to steal the show, but Greg Ackell’s wistful vocal delivery is another key factor of their appeal. Submerged beneath a sea of rich, swoonworthy effects pedals, Ackell’s voice never fails to rise to the surface, radiating like a lighthouse in the distance.

Jasmine.4.t – You Are The Morning

The first detail you notice is jasmine.4.t’s voice. Meeting the middle point between Mike Hadreas’ wavering coos and Phoebe Bridgers’ colloquial delivery, jasmine.4.t sounds vulnerable and self-assured. She’s the first British signee on Bridgers’ Saddest Factory Records, and her debut LP, You Are The Morning, was produced by Bridgers alongside her boygenius bandmates Julien Baker and Lucy Dacus. But Jasmine’s voice is a singular force of its own. Alongside members of the Trans Chorus of Los Angeles, Jasmine documents her varied experiences as a trans woman, and how identity itself is often a conduit for a deeper understanding of community and belonging. Adorned with finger-picked guitars and ornate string arrangements, You Are The Morning is a transfixing opening statement from a talented songwriter.

It’s been a while since we’ve had a Grammy Awards ceremony that was hosted by somebody other than Trevor Noah. Well, that streak won’t end this year: It was just announced that Noah is returning to host the 2025 Grammys, as Variety reports.

Recently, there were rumors this year’s ceremony would be postponed, but a letter from Harvey Mason Jr. (Recording Academy CEO) and Tammy Hurt (the chair of the Academy’s board of trustees) refuted that, saying in part, “This year’s show, however, will carry a renewed sense of purpose: raising additional funds to support wildfire relief efforts and honoring the bravery and dedication of first responders who risk their lives to protect ours. In challenging times, music has the power to heal, comfort, and unite like nothing else. The Grammys will not only honor the artistry and achievements of our music community but also serve as a platform to amplify the spirit of resilience that defines this great city of Los Angeles.”

In a 2022 interview, Noah explained why he continues to host the Grammys, saying, “I’m enjoying the fact that we’re juggling flaming swords. Just putting it all together, combining different genres, getting the musicians in sync with each other and the audience, keeping the audience in tune with what’s happening. One of my favorite things about the Grammys as a whole is it is one of the few places where you get to experience artists in their rawest element, which is performing their music live. Brandi Carlile performing a song live and you’re hearing her voice and listening to her play her instruments — there’s nothing like it. You develop a deep appreciation for what these people are doing beyond just the music that they make.”

It looks like Joey Badass is still feeling just as ornery as he was earlier this month when he released “Ruler’s Back.” In his new video for “Sorry Not Sorry” — which appears to be a possible response to Ray Vaughn’s “Crashout Heritage” — Joey doubles down on his combative comments from that song over a pair of jazz-infused Conductor Williams beats, refusing to back down or apologize for seemingly looking to reignite coastal divisions.

“51 Hart Street, 193 Vernon Avenue / N****s Wit Attitude mad I’m bigging up my city, that’s something I had to do,” he jests, obliquely referencing the competitive reactions from West Coast natives like Vaughn to his New Year’s declaration of supremacy. And in the spirit of keeping the same energy, he tosses in a nod to J. Cole’s halfhearted Kendrick Lamar diss record: “Might Deletе Later, I know damn sure that Joey won’t,” he vows.

Joey’s latest releases have adopted the tried-and-true promo strategy of courting controversy for views, but fortunately for him, he’s got the bars and the track record to actually make it worth fans’ whiles to pay attention. I wouldn’t be surprise if it turns out that all this was just a prelude to an album announcement — and that a new album would be his most commercially successful yet, beef or no. The only real potential loser here is J. Cole, who is probably going to be catching strays all 2025 for waving the white flag last year. The winner? Conductor Williams, whose soulful samples have backed two of the most viral standouts of the year.

Watch Joey Badass’ “Sorry Not Sorry” video above.