Cooking fried chicken at home is a sure way to wow at any family meal or party with your crew. Yes, it takes a little bit of time, but the results tend to be spectacular. That means that mastering fried chicken at home is a must for any budding home cook.
Below, we’re going to help you nail easy fried chicken at home. This is a somewhat time-consuming recipe but it’s not that hard. The real key is just taking your time to brine the chicken, dredge, and then fry off in batches. And ho-boy is it worth the effort. And while there are a ton of recipes out there (fried chicken is one of those foods that’s part of almost every culture worldwide), we’re keeping this one very “classic” in the Southern U.S. sense of the dish.
What does that mean, in specific? Buttermilk brining, white flour dredging, and a lot of seasoning both in the meat and in the crispy coating. The best part of that base recipe is that you can go in a lot of directions with the seasoning to make it your own — which your family will adore.
The key steps you always need to adhere to for great and easy fried chicken that’s as juicy as it is delicious are the following:
Always brine overnight — dry brine or wet brine, it doesn’t matter. This will deeply season your meat.
Season the dredging flour too. The meat and breading both need to pop with flavor — a bland dredge will pull out seasoning from the meat.
Don’t over dredge. One run through the flour mixture is enough for crispy fried chicken at home.
Don’t overspend on oil. Standard vegetable oil is fine and costs far less than peanut oil and will yield a very similar result. (You only start to notice a significant difference when you start using animal fats — beef tallow, duck fat, lard, etc.)
140F is safe for food but you want to hit 160F for fried chicken (it’s the right texture and juiciness). Anything over 170F and your chicken will start to dry out significantly.
Always season with salt when it comes off the oil.
Take your time. Good chicken isn’t rushed.
Okay, we have the semantics out of the way. Let’s get frying so that you can really wow your fam this weekend when you bring this amazingly delicious fried chicken to dinner.
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A quick note on the chicken. I bought a standard fresh whole “fryer” chicken from my local Kroger. It was about $10. You can of course buy a chicken already cut into pieces. Or you can go all legs and thighs. Do what feels right for your family dinner. I also used fresh local buttermilk, but anything in your dairy aisle will do.
What You’ll Need:
Kitchen knife
Cutting board
ZipLock bag
Cookie sheet with drying rack
Wok, large pot, or dutch oven
Slotted spoon/spatula/spider
Method:
The night before you fry, brine the chicken. Using a kitchen knife, remove the spine from the bird. Then use the tip of the knife to cut off the thighs, legs, wings, and breasts. Then cut the breasts in half again and remove the legs from the thighs.
Add the buttermilk, 1 tbsp. salt, plenty of black pepper, 1 tsp. garlic powder, 1 tsp. onion powder, 1 tsp. paprika, 1 tsp. oregano, and a pinch of cayenne to the ZipLock bag and make sure it’s well-mixed. Add the chicken pieces and seal the bag. Roll everything around until it’s nicely coated and place in the fridge overnight.
The next day, get another ZipLock bag ready with the flour, 1 tbsp. salt, plenty of black pepper, 1 tsp. onion powder, 1 tsp. garlic powder, 1 tsp. paprika, and a pinch of cayenne. Make sure the spices and flour are completely integrated.
Grab the bag from the fridge, set up the cookie sheet with a drying rack, and then start the dredging process. Take two pieces of the chicken from the brining bag and place them in the flour and spice mix, seal the bag, and shake until the chicken is well-coated, remove the chicken piece from the bag (shake off excess flour back into the bag), and place the piece on the drying rack. Repeat until all the chicken pieces are dredged and breaded.
While the chicken is resting, heat the oil to 375F (I like to use a wok for plenty of space). Once the temp is hit, gently lay the chicken into the oil (facing away from you). Do not overcrowd the pot/wok/dutch oven — so fry two to four pieces at a time. Each piece will take 6 to 8 minutes to fully cook for the dark meat and wings and a full 10 minutes for the breast pieces.
Set up a new cookie sheet with a drying rack for draining the cooked fried chicken while the first batch is frying.
Use the slotted spatula or spider to flip the chicken if it starts to get too brown on the underside. Remove the fried chicken from the oil (check the internal temp if you’re unsure — you’ll want it to be at 160F as it’ll carry over a few degrees as it rests).
As soon as you remove the chicken, hit it with a pinch of salt.
Repeat in batches until done.
Lastly, serve the chicken with a dipping sauce or hot honey for each guest to add at will.
Bottom Line on the Fried Chicken:
Zach Johnston
Oh, yes. There’s nothing like fried chicken with a crunchy exterior and a delightfully seasoned and juicy interior. That exact piece above came out of the oil at about 158F and hit 162F as it rested (see image below), which is exactly what you want. Look at how juicy it is!
The seasoning came through on the meat very nicely and was accented by a very crunchy and similarly seasoned crust with a hint of spice (I don’t go hard on the cayenne but you can if you want more heat). This was so good that I devoured two pieces before I had to stop myself. There’s something supremely satisfying about home-fried chicken that rocks.
The best part is that the white meat is super juicy and well-seasoned as well. There wasn’t a hint of dryness in a single bite of the whole batch. My family of four killed this batch of chicken in silence around the lunch table.
All told, the prep took maybe 20 minutes (partitioning the chicken and getting it in the brine bag). The actual dredging and frying took another 45(ish) minutes. Really though, you’re going to want to set aside an hour for the whole cooking process. Is it worth it? Hell yes. This fried chicken rules — and is a perfect way to show friends and family that you care.
When was the last time you had a burger from Red Robin? If the answer is “years” or even “decades,” well… you probably haven’t heard that the chain just revamped its burger menu this month. And we’re not talking about adding a few new burgers to the roster — we’re talking big changes here!
New ingredients! New preparation methods! Reimagined builds! These shifts are so radical that unless you’ve been to the restaurant in October 2023, you can’t really say you have any idea of what a Red Robin burger tastes like. Seriously, you’re out of the loop.
Don’t worry if you’re not currently part of the RR Illuminati, though. We’ve tasted them all and we’re breaking down the winners (and losers) for you. But first, let’s talk about some of those changes:
In the past, Red Robin cooked its burgers through some type of conveyor belt oven (you know, like Burger King…). That’s gone now.
Instead, each burger is cooked the way it should be, on a flat-top grill resulting in burgers that are juicier and have that delicious Maillard crust.
They’ve upgraded their bacon, mayonnaise, and produce, brought in new brioche buns.
The brand now has an abundance of housemade sauces.
Looking back to the heyday of chain restaurants, Red Robin has always billed itself as a producer of “Gourmet Burgers.” Having tried the fully updated menu, I can tell you that they’re making good on that promise right now. Here are all 18 of the new burgers, ranked from least successful to most delicious. Let’s eat!
19. Turkey Burger
Dane Rivera
The Build:
Seasoned turkey patty, pepper-jack cheese, chipotle aioli, lettuce, and tomato
Tasting Notes & Thoughts:
The turkey patty is tender with a mildly spicy flavor and a heavy dusting of earthy black pepper. The chipotle aioli emphasizes the mild spice flavor while adding some sweet smokey notes to the mix which pair nicely with the pepper-jack cheese.
Overall, this burger is getting most of its flavor from the spicier elements of the build, while the meat itself is kind of flavorless and neutral. Giving the Turkey Burger the bottom spot feels mean but it is what it is. A real burger is always going to beat a turkey burger — still, if for some reason you’re opting for turkey burgers over the real thing, you’ll be glad to know that the turkey patty can be subbed into any burger on Red Robin’s menu, giving you a nice variety of flavors to explore.
The Bottom Line:
It’s good… for a turkey burger.
18. Red Robin Gourmet Cheeseburger
Dane Rivera
The Build:
Pickle Relish, onion, pickles, lettuce, tomato, mayo, and cheese (I went with American).
Tasting Notes & Thoughts:
There is a strong sweet tang to this burger that hovers over the beef flavor, with a pleasing, acidic aftertaste. It reminds me of the best McDonald’s cheeseburger, but significantly elevated.
It’s a great burger but at the end of the day, it feels a little boring compared to everything else on the menu. If you want a straight-up delicious cheeseburger, start here, but if you want something more interesting or adventurous, every other burger on the menu will get you there.
The Bottom Line:
A standard cheeseburger with a strong tangy flavor. It’s fine but every other burger offers a lot more than this.
17. Monster
Dane Rivera
The Build: Two beef patties, choice of cheese, onion, pickle relish, lettuce, tomato, and mayo
Tasting Notes & Thoughts:
It’s the Gourmet Cheeseburger but with double meat and cheese. The flavor is slightly different from the single patty version, there is less emphasis on that pickle relish tang and a greater focus on the meaty flavor of the beef and the salty flavor of the cheese.
Altogether this burger is beefy and salty with a slight tang and a sweet aftertaste. Still, I’m not in love with this double cheeseburger form factor. Don’t get me wrong, I love a double but this is jaw-dislocatingly-thiccccccc.
The Bottom Line:
Any of Red Robin’s burgers can be given the Monster treatment, which is great if you’re really hungry, but for most appetites, this burger is simply too big. At least it earns its name.
16. Bacon Cheeseburger
Dane Rivera
The Build:
Bacon, lettuce, tomato, mayo, and any cheese of your choice.
Tasting Notes & Thoughts:
Here is the thing, Red Robin has to have a standard bacon cheeseburger. If it didn’t, the menu would feel like it’s missing something. And for a bacon cheeseburger, it’s good, the bacon is crispy, smokey, perfectly cooked, and slightly sweet, and the lettuce, tomato, and mayo combination is classic.
But this is far from the best burger Red Robin serves that has bacon on it. As such, we can’t rank it higher than we have it here.
The Bottom Line:
Your standard bacon cheeseburger. Again, Red Robin is at its best when it’s being adventurous and this is just too by the books to stand out.
15. Red’s Double
Dane Rivera
The Build:
Red’s Secret Tavern Sauce, American cheese, lettuce, and tomato.
Tasting Notes & Thoughts:
It should be pretty clear now that the more basic a burger build is, the lower it’s going to rank on this list, which makes the Red’s Double a bit tough for me to rank. On one hand, the build is too simplistic to be notable, but on the other, the “tavern” form factor is my favorite on the menu.
Red Robin’s ‘Tavern’ burgers feature smaller patties and are served on a sesame seed brioche bun. I like the smaller patties, it helps to create a better bread-to-meat ratio without being too filling and overwhelming.
But the Red’s Double is the weakest burger of the excellent Tavern line. It’s essentially a smaller version of the Gourmet Cheeseburger, featuring the same build in a smaller footprint.
The Bottom Line:
Significantly better than the almost identical Gourmet Burger but the weakest of the Tavern line.
14. Bleu Ribbon
Dane Rivera
The Build:
Steak sauce, bleu cheese crumbles, fried onions, and chipotle aioli.
Tasting Notes & Thoughts:
This one smacks your tastebuds with a sharp tang at first bite. The fried onions add some sweetness and deepen the savory quality of the beef patty, working as a nice counterbalance against all that tang while the chipotle aioli brings in some mild smokey spice that builds on the aftertaste.
I don’t know that I’d ever seek out a bleu cheese burger, but I can’t deny the experience of eating one is incredibly enjoyable.
The Bottom Line:
For hardcore bleu cheese fans. Tangy, savory, and a bit spicy.
13. Whiskey River BBQ
Dane Rivera
The Build:
Whiskey River BBQ Sauce, fried onions, cheddar, lettuce, tomato, and mayo.
Tasting Notes & Thoughts:
Sweet, smokey, and rich, this is a fairly standard BBQ barbecue burger featuring a classic build. Red Robin’s Whiskey River BBQ leans on the sweet and rich side with little to no spice.
The Bottom Line:
It’s a good BBQ burger but Red Robin covers similar ground on a few other builds and does it better than what this offers.
12. Royal Red Robin
Dane Rivera
The Build:
Over-easy egg, bacon, American cheese, lettuce, tomato, and mayo.
Tasting Notes & Thoughts:
It’s breakfast in a burger! The egg ups the savory quality of this burger and pairs perfectly with the crunchy, sweet, and slightly smokey bacon and the beef patty. The lettuce, tomato, and mayo are fine accompaniments, but the real star is that egg, which oozes all over the burger at first bite.
That egg soaks nicely into the brioche bun, resulting in a mess of a burger — given the flavor, we’re willing to give it a pass.
The Bottom Line:
Whether or not you like this burger is going to come down to the egg. If you want an egg on your burger, this is fantastic, and all the ingredients are complementary. If you’re not down for a fried egg on your burger, this isn’t going to win you over.
11. Smashed Avocado n’ Bacon
Dane Rivera
The Build: Smashed avocado, bacon, Swiss cheese, onion, lettuce, tomato, and mayo.
Tasting Notes & Thoughts:
Red Robin’s preparation changes have greatly improved the Smashed Avocado n’ Bacon burger. The old burger used pre-made guacamole that was squeezed out of a pouch but this new version is topped with avocado that is freshly smashed daily in the restaurant, allowing you to taste all that addictive buttery flavor.
That creamy quality pairs nicely with the beef patty and even better with the bacon, giving you a flavor that is buttery, smokey, and wonderfully savory. I like the choice of Swiss here as well, it adds a nice nutty character to the burger.
My only issue is that I don’t think this burger needs the mayo. The avocado does more than enough.
The Bottom Line:
Delicious. Avocado fans rejoice, this is one of the best bacon avocado burgers in the restaurant space.
10. Smoke and Pepper
Dane Rivera
The Build: Black-peppered bacon, cheddar, lettuce, dill pickles, and Smoke & Pepper ketchup.
Tasting Notes & Thoughts:
This burger is deceptively simple. The build suggests that Smoke and Pepper is pretty standard stuff, but everything here is elevated just a bit. The black pepper adds some earthy floral notes to the smokey bacon, and the briney pickles are complemented nicely by the slightly smokey and peppery ketchup.
Each beefy bite has an interesting woody finish to it.
The Bottom Line:
Smokey, floral, and earthy, Smoke and Pepper makes the case that simple black pepper is one of the most underrated seasonings.
9. Sautéed Shroom
Dane Rivera
The Build: Fresh sautéed garlic mushrooms, Swiss cheese, garlic aioli.
Tasting Notes & Thoughts:
A garlicky umami bomb bursting with flavor! The Sautéed Shrrom goes heavy on the mushrooms, it’s hard to taste much else aside from the one-two punch of shroom and garlic, but if you strain to taste the Swiss, you’ll get some of the creamy nuttiness mid-bite. But by the finish that mushroom flavor takes over completely.
The Bottom Line:
Delicious and umami-rich, but if you aren’t in love with mushrooms, you probably won’t like this one.
8. Banzai
Dane Rivera
The Build:
Teriyaki-glazed patty, grilled pineapple, cheddar, lettuce, tomato, and mayo.
Tasting Notes & Thoughts:
Bright, tangy, and sweet, the Banzai burger is super juicy and meaty. The teriyaki is nicely caramelized on the beef which brings considerable brown sugar sweetness to each bite which is balanced out by the bright tangy pineapple notes. The pineapple itself is very fleshy, which gives the burger a nice decadent quality.
Once again, I don’t think Red Robin needs the mayo here, it’s not adding much to the burger and gets lost in the combination of teriyaki and pineapple.
The Bottom Line:
A delicious sweet and tangy burger that is decadent and satisfying without coming across as overwhelming.
7. Haystack Double
Dane Rivera
The Build: American cheese, Campfire Mayo, crispy onion straws.
Tasting Notes & Thoughts:
The build is incredibly simple, you have the American cheese providing some salty notes, the proprietary Campfire Mayo bringing some smokey tang into the equation, and crispy onion straws adding sweetness, crunch, and accentuating the savory beefy quality of the meat patty.
Yes, it’s not as inventive as some of Red Robin’s other burgers, but it’s a delicious double cheeseburger, and when done right that’s hard to beat. Once again, Red Robin’s Tavern line continues to impress me.
The Bottom Line:
One of Red Robin’s simplest burgers, but also one of its most delicious. A standard double cheeseburger that stacks up well against any of your favorites.
6. Cheesy Bacon Fondue
Dane Rivera
The Build:
Bacon, American cheese, mayo, side of Cheesy Bacon Fondue for dipping.
Tasting Notes & Thoughts:
Heavy on the salt and cheesy flavor, the magic of this burger is in the fondue dip. On its own, its a simple bacon cheeseburger, but once dipped the salty and smokey notes are turned up to ten.
The fondue also makes a fantastic dip for french fries.
The Bottom Line:
Super salty with a sweet smoked finish. If you love cheese and bacon, this burger is for you.
5. BBQ Burnt Ends ’n Bacon Burger
Dane Rivera
The Build:
Smoked burnt ends, fried onions, Whiskey River BBQ sauce, cheddar cheese, black peppered bacon, pickles, and mayo.
Tasting Notes & Thoughts:
The initial bite is smokey and sweet before hitting deep beefy savory territory. A bit of earthy brine and sweet and spicy notes from the pickles and onions serve as a counterbalance to the sweetness, taking your tastebuds on a nice journey through several sensations.
The burnt ends add a rich smokiness to the finish and make the whole thing a bit chewier as you’ll find yourself working on the ends long after the beef has melted in your mouth. This burger is only available for a limited time, so if you hit up Red Robin soon, it’s definitely worth the pickup.
The Bottom Line:
Very smoky and sweet, a great take on a barbecue burger and vastly superior to the Whisky River BBQ burger.
4. Pig Out Double
Dane Rivera
The Build:
Bacon, bacon crumbles, brown-sugar-glazed patties, American cheese, lettuce, tomato, and mayo.
Tasting Notes & Thoughts:
The best Tavern-style burger on the menu, the Pig Out Double doubles down on the bacon and beef, resulting in a savory burger that is very sweet with a pronounced smoky finish.
That sweetness comes from the patties being cooked in a brown sugar glaze which deepens the flavor of the beef, adding a richness to every bite that is addicting.
The Bottom Line:
Smokey, crunchy, and sweet, the Pig Out Double is another simple build that delivers flavor greater than the sum of its parts.
3. Scorpion
Dane Rivera
The Build:
Pepper jack cheese, fried jalapeños, Scorpion Pepper sauce, pickles, red onions, lettuce, tomato, roasted garlic aioli.
Tasting Notes & Thoughts:
A strong kick of heat immediately overwhelms the taste buds with a subtle sweet and garlicky finish. All the ingredients in this burger work together nicely, the pepper jack cheese brings on a slight nutty flavor which pairs nicely with the smokey and strong Scorpion pepper sauce, while pickles and red onions bring in some briney sweetness to combat some of the spice.
But be warned, the pickles and onions can only do so much, this burger is dangerously spicy. It’s one of Red Robin’s most popular menu items and it’s easy to see why — everything from the flavor to the crunch of this burger feels designed to please the senses.
The Bottom Line:
Red Robin’s spiciest burger. If you love strong heat and big flavors, this is the burger for you.
2. The Southern Charm
Dane Rivera
The Build:
Brown-sugar-glazed patty, bacon, Whiskey River BBQ sauce, cheddar, caramelized onion, lettuce, and tomato.
Tasting Notes & Thoughts:
As you can tell from the build, the Southern Charm covers a lot of the same ground as a lot of other burgers on Red Robin’s menu, but of all the BBQ bacon burgers on the menu, the Southern Charm does the flavor best.
That’s all because of the caramelized onions. Where the other BBQ bacon burgers go for decadence, adding crispy onions, burnt ends, and any other crunchy and salty ingredients to enhance crunch and flood the tastebuds with salt, the Southern Charm leans on the sweet notes of the Whiskey River BBQ sauce with caramelized onions which deepened the savory notes, and add some natural spicy sweetness to each bite.
The caramelized onions mixed with the brown-sugar-glazed patties is a perfect combination, resulting in a rich beefier burger that melts in your mouth with each bite.
The Bottom Line:
If you love BBQ and bacon, the Southern Charm does it better than any other Red Robin burger. It’s sweet, rich, and wonderfully satisfying bite after bite.
It was nearly a tie between our second place and first place pick but I had to give the top spot to Burning Love. This burger captures all of the spicy magic of the Scorpion but takes a step back from the decadence.
The combination of fried jalapenos and a big grilled jalapeno at the top of the burger adds a mild spice that is wonderfully vegetal and pairs nicely with the smokey notes of the Chipotle aioli, the mild spice of the pepper-jack cheese, and the umami-rich flavors of the house-made salsa.
The mild spice is hot enough to satisfy the tastebuds but not overwhelming to the point that eating the burger feels like a challenge. It strikes a nice middle ground between hot and savory.
The Bottom Line:
Red Robin’s best burger. A gourmet experience that takes the familiar flavors of a great cheeseburger and elevates it to new heights.
Everyone wants to know how long they will live and there are many indicators that can show whether someone is thriving or on the decline. But people have yet to develop a magic formula to determine exactly how long someone should expect to live.
However, a doctor recently featured on the “Today” show says a straightforward test can reveal the likelihood that someone aged 51 to 80 will die in the near future.
NBC News medical contributor Dr. Natalie Azar was on the “Today” show on March 8 and demonstrated how to perform the simple “sit to stand test” (aka sit-rising test or SRT) that can help determine the longevity of someone between 51 to 80.
The test is pretty simple. Go from standing to sitting cross-legged, and then go back to standing without using any parts of your body besides your legs and core to help you get up and down. The test measures multiple longevity factors, including heart health, balance, agility, core and leg strength and flexibility.
You begin the test with a score of 10 and subtract points on your way up and down for doing the following:
Hand used for support: -1 point
Knee used for support: -1 point
Forearm used for support: -1 point
One hand on knee or thigh: -1 point
Side of leg used for support: -1 point
None
— (@)
A 2012 study published by the European Society of Cardiology found a correlation between the SRT score and how long people live. The study was conducted on 2002 people, 68% of whom were men, who performed the SRT test and were followed by researchers in the coming years. The study found that “Musculoskeletal fitness, as assessed by SRT, was a significant predictor of mortality in 51–80-year-old subjects.”
Those who scored in the lowest range, 0 to 3, had up to a 6 times greater chance of dying than those in the highest scores (8 to 10). About 40% of those in the 0 to 3 range died within 11 years of the study.
Azar distilled the study on “Today,” saying: “The study found that the lower the score, you were seven times more likely to die in the next six years.”
“Eight points or higher is what you want,” Azar said. “As we get older, we spend time talking cardiovascular health and aerobic fitness, but balance, flexibility and agility are also really important,” she stressed.
One should note that the people who scored lowest on the test were the oldest, giving them an elevated risk of death.
Dr. Greg Hartley, Board Certified Geriatric Clinical Specialist and associate professor at the University of Miami, told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution that we should take the study with a grain of salt. “Frailty, strength, muscle mass, physical performance—those things are all correlated to mortality, but I would caution everybody that correlation doesn’t mean causation,” he said.
And of course, the test doesn’t take into account injuries or disabilities that may make doing the test impossible. But one of the study’s authors says that the study is a call to take our mobility seriously.
“The more active we are the better we can accommodate stressors, the more likely we are to handle something bad that happens down the road,” Dr. Claudio Gil Araujo, told USA Today.
As sure as the sun will set, the tides will rise and the seasons will change, so too will the once young and hip age group become all things cringe. Boomers and millennials can certainly attest to this. Gen X, not so much—but then again they’re used to being ignored.
And now it seems that Gen Z can also feel the inevitable approaching. Yes, already.
A TikTok creator by the name of Tyler, aka @tyler.benderr, recently posted a video playfully pointing out all the little quirks that Gen Z’s predecessors, Gen Alpha (those born between the early 2010s and mid-2020s) will make fun of in the coming years, writing that her age group was “next on the chopping block.”
In the now-viral clip, Tyler pretends to be a Gen Alpha as she calls out well known Gen Zisms, like having an “era” for literally everything or giving strangers pet names like “bestie” and “queen.”
Folks who watched couldn’t help but note how many Gen Z phrases will simply replace what’s currently being made fun of, which came with a sigh of relief from millennial viewers, who, especially as of late, have been relentlessly ribbed for everything from side parts to their self-deprecating humor to pausing before recording a video.
“‘I’m just a 23-year-old teenage girl’ is the new ‘adulting is hard,’” one person wrote.
Another added, ‘The it’s…for me’ is gonna be the new ‘I did a thing.’”
Pretty soon other suggestions came rolling in, like the way Gen zer’s start their videos with shaky cam, using the word “delulu” to mean being delusional and waving their hands in front of their face while screaming silently.
In other words, Gen Alpha will have a lot of “material to work with”, as one viewer pointed out.
Tyler ended up posting even more segments of her Gen Alpha persona ragging on Gen Z things, like their constant use of the words “girlypop” and “it’s giving,” as well as infantilizing themselves, vaping round the clock, and labeling any and all things into a “core.” Which is similar to the whole era thing. But slightly different…somehow.
Generational differences are a part of life, and social media has made it abundantly clear that what one age group finds cool will seem alien to those who came before them, and lame to those who come after.
Just look at Gen Alpha, already well versed in their own meme culture that many of us find confusing, and just a touch unsettling. Like, oh, I don’t know, evil singing toilet creatures set in an apocalyptic war, for example.
Went down a YouTube shorts algorithm rabbithole and found out what Gen Alphas slenderman is pic.twitter.com/Pydc1Ulnjv
For one night, Breaking Bad turned into Drake-ing Bad (sorry).
Rapper Drake, who released his eighth studio album For All the Dogs earlier this month, turned 37 years old on Tuesday. To celebrate, he held a birthday party at Casadonna in Miami, Florida, with two celebrity bartenders: Breaking Bad actors Bryan Cranston and Aaron Paul. According to TMZ, “the two stars showed up floral shirts and all to Drake’s Miami bash… which likely served as an easy promotion for Bryan and Aaron’s Dos Hombres mezcal brand.”
In a video shared on Instagram by Drake’s producer BNYX, Paul can be overheard telling someone that a “Negroni is the easiest drink to make.” What about a Vodka Red Bull? Actually, never mind. I’m not going to argue with Jesse Pinkman. He’s been through enough.
“It’s important for Bryan and I, as founders of this company, that [our business partners] know that we are doing the work. We don’t want to just slap our names on something and let other people do the work,” Paul told MSNBC about Dos Hombres. “This is our baby, and we’re incredibly proud of our baby.” He added, “It’s brutal, but we have a good time doing it.”
Please enjoy Bryan Cranston getting loose on the dance floor. You deserve it.
Aaron Paul & Bryan Cranston serving up drinks and dancing last night at Drake’s 37th birthday party in Miami. pic.twitter.com/z0NlDbMJch
Now that her Renaissance World Tour is wrapped up for 2023 — at least, until she heads down south for the South American leg — the singer has turned her attention to other endeavors. While her fans were convinced her next move would be a hair care line, it turns out she’s gone a more traditional route, announcing a new fragrance, Cé Noir.
The perfume is already for sale on beyonce.com, while her Instagram announcement promises that the fragrance will ship in November — giving it enough time to arrive for the holidays.
Per Harper’s, the scent is “both floral and gourmand,” with clementine, rose, and honey notes. Fans can get 1.7 oz bottles for $160.
Cé Noir is Beyoncé’s third fragrance, after launching Heat in 2010. Heat was followed by Heat Rush; both were created by Coty.
Beyoncé is just one of many, many stars who’ve released their own branded fragrances including Jennifer Lopez, Rihanna, Ariana Grande, Billie Eilish, and Dolly Parton.
Despite having a seemingly full slate already with all these new businesses launching within a month of each other, Beyoncé still had time to show appreciation for her hypothetical rival Taylor Swift, popping out at the premiere of Swift’s Eras Tour film, even though she’s got a competing concert film coming soon.
Back in 2020, ABC shook up the drama on Dancing With The Stars (which is already full of shakes during Jive Week) by firing longtime host Tom Bergeron. At the time, Bergeron said he wasn’t really bummed about the news, which he had seen coming, but now, the host is looking back on it and, as it turns out, he’s pretty pissed off at what went down!
Bergeron told The Hollywood Reporter that in the weeks leading up to the show’s 28th season in 2019, he had meetings with several unnamed producers to ensure that they wouldn’t cast any political figures on the show. A few weeks later, two producers told him that they had cast former White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer on the show. This didn’t sit well with Bergeron.
The host tried to talk them out of it. He explained, “And I said, ‘Guys, this is exactly what we said we wouldn’t do!’ And I would have responded the same way if they had booked Hillary Clinton, whom I voted for,” Bergeron explained. He told the producers, “‘Don’t go there. This is not the right time. Play to our strengths. Be the show that gives people a break from all this bullshit.’ So, I was furious.” Furious enough to ask for a season off, but the producers offered to let him out of his contract altogether. Then, in August 2019, he blasted them on Twitter, which was still Twitter back then.
When asked about the initial tweets, Bergeron said that he only wanted to get back at the company for going against his word. “They screwed me, I’m gonna screw them,” adding that he wanted the producers to know that he wasn’t happy. “I wanted the viewers to know this was a step too far. This was a step too far on the cusp of an election year.” He added,
I wrote the statement that I wrote, that did not name anybody, that did not name a political party. It merely said, ‘I was told certain things when I was asked my opinion, they agreed, and now they’ve thrown a curveball.’ They’re the producers of the show. If that’s what they want to do, they are entitled to do that. We will have to agree to disagree.
Still, the host stayed with the show for another season before throwing in the dance towel.“It wasn’t about my political beliefs. It was about my feeling about the show,” Bergeron said. “What is this show at this best? And what was happening was we were suddenly becoming this show at its worst,” Bergeron left the series after 15 years. Dancing With The Stars then became hosted by Tyra Banks, who left the show earlier this year, and now Julianne Hough is stepping in.
As for Spicer, he was eliminated after eight weeks but the memory of his neon green ruffled shirt will be ingrained in the brains of innocent victims for eternity.
Joy Behar just set a new record for The View. The co-host managed to have producers scrambling for the censor button three times while talking to Capitol Police Officer Harry Dunn, who was on hand to promote his new book on witnessing the January 6 insurrection.
Like all political conversations, things went quickly downhill when Behar brought up Donald Trump, the man responsible for the “Stop The Steal” rally that infamously ended with the Capitol being breached. Unfortunately, The View watchers at home didn’t get to hear what Behar had to say because it was apparently too strong for daytime TV.
“What if Donald Trump wins again, would you…” the 81-year-old asked, though the show’s audio cut out before she finished. When it returned, Behar’s cohosts laughed around the table as Alyssa Farah Griffin — a former Trump associate — said, “Give me a stiffer drink.”
“You got anything stronger?” Dunn asked before he was censored for saying something as well.
“We need heroes like you all the time,” Behar continued, to which Dunn replied, “I’ve always said I’ll address that issue when we cross that bridge, but…” before the show seemingly suspended the audio feed for a third and final time.
But that wasn’t Behar’s only wild moment. The View co-host was on one during Tuesday’s episode as she also voiced some strong opinions about Taylor Swift.
“This addiction to Taylor Swift has to stop!” Behar exclaimed (via Decider) during a panel discussion on ticket prices for Swift’s Eras Tour.
Talking politics is one thing, but criticizing Taylor Swift? Joy was playing with the hottest fire of them all, folks.
Check out the rest of Uproxx’s Best New Pop Music roundup below.
The Kid Laroi, Jung Kook, Central Cee — “Too Much”
As BTS is still on hiatus, the members are keeping busy with solo songs. Jung Kook teamed up with The Kid Laroi and Central Cee for “Too Much,” which finds them reflecting on past choices. Given each of the three performers is from a different country, it has serious potential to be a global hit.
Charli XCX, Sam Smith — “In The City”
In their new collaboration, Charli XCX and Sam Smith find themselves aiming to tackle the nightlife “In The City.” The dazzling duo find themselves shimmering under the club lights, proving it was worth the wait — as Charli teased it months ago.
Beabadoobee, Laufey — “A Night To Remember”
Another brilliant duo on this week’s list, Beabadoobee and Laufey decided to work together on “A Night To Remember” after becoming friends and bonding in London. The result is a classical-inspired song that brings serious jazzy vibes — so much so that you’ll be transported back in time.
Sabrina Carpenter — “I Knew You Were Trouble”
Sabrina Carpenter covered Taylor Swift’s hit, “I Knew You Were Trouble,” adding another layer to their close relationship. Compared to the original, Carpenter slowed down the song’s pacing to place an emphasis on the lyricism.
Anitta — “Mil Veces”
Anitta truly set the tone for “Mil Veces” by tapping Maneskin’s Damiano David to play her love interest as the two turn up the heat. The song serves as a follow-up to her recent album, Funk Generation, and finds her discussing a tumultuous relationship that has gone through tough times.
Slayyyter — “Monster”
Slayyyter’s “Monster” arrived just in time for Halloween, as she put a new spin on Lady Gaga’s song for Spotify Singles. “It’s one of my favorite pop songs of all time,” she shared in a statement. Given that Gaga has been a huge inspiration to her, it feels like a sweet full-circle moment.
Kali Uchis — “Te Mata”
Kali Uchis kicked off her new Orquíedas album announcement with the single, “Te Mata.” As promised, Uchis would be dropping both an English record and a Spanish one — and now the latter is on the way. Lyrically, she is reclaiming her power after a breakup, and getting stronger by doing so.
Holly Macve, Lana Del Rey — “Suburban House”
“Ever since I heard Holly’s music I knew she had one of the most beautiful singing voices in the world,” Lana Del Rey shared about her “Suburban House” collaboration with Macve. “Her flawless, emotional vocals have inspired me over the last six years and I love her songs, and I’m especially proud of featuring on this one.”
Dove Cameron — “Lethal Woman”
Dove Cameron’s “Lethal Woman” was written about a girl that the pop star met at a party. As it opens the first half of her debut album, Alchemical: Vol. 1, Cameron observes from afar — complete with some spicy lyrics.
Griff — “Into The Walls”
Griff recently dropped her new three-song EP, Vert1go Vol. 1. One of the highlights is “Into The Walls,” an emotional take on the singer’s growing pains. While she changes day by day, she also details how her present state isn’t doing very well.
Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
Spooky season marks the start of the holiday season, but for music streaming giant Spotify, it signifies the end of the streaming year. Just as Uproxx rounds up the top music critics for our year-end best-of lists (see our 2022 albums selections here), Spotify rolls out their Wrapped series for users. The data collection effort shows listeners their favorite bodies of work, singles, and genres, amongst other things.
Last year’s most streamed album on the server came from Bad Bunny, Harry Styles, Olivia Rodrigo, Ed Sheeran, and Doja Cat. The most streamed artists were Bunny, Taylor Swift, Drake, The Weeknd, and BTS. But Spotify Wrapped is personalized for each user, so when does the software stop tracking your listening history?
Today (October 24), news aggregator Pop Base tweeted a reminder to its followers. “One week from today, Spotify will stop counting users’ streams for Spotify Wrapped 2023,” read the post.
1 week from today, Spotify will stop counting users streams for Spotify Wrapped 2023. pic.twitter.com/KHNu8ojnKg
According to Newsweek, this timeline is accurate. Spotify reportedly collects users’ data for the personalized experience between only data from January 1 to October 31 each year. Brendan Codey, associate director for Creator Growth and Programs at Spotify, explained the rationale behind the discussion in 2021.
“We have this hard cut-off just for the sake of campaign logistics. We need to QA the site and finalize assets for Wrapped, all of which takes a while. You throw Thanksgiving into the mix, and we have even less time,” said Codey.
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