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Over the weekend, Donald Trump launched into a seemingly random late night rant about Howard Stern, who used to frequently interview the reality star before he inexplicably became President of the United States. While Trump’s tirade focused on Stern’s recent declaration that he’s proud to be woke, the shock jock has a good idea what Trump is really mad about.

“I never, ever thought anyone would care that I’m saying this,” Stern said (via Mediate) about his woke revelation. “It shocks me how the dumbest sh*t that I talk about becomes somehow news. It’s weird.”

However, that dumb sh*t was noticed by Trump, and Stern has a theory that somebody was jealous of the attention.

“My thought was — What? Imagine you got to be the 45th president of the United States and you’re sitting and writing about Howard Stern. Whether he’s woke,” Stern said. “You know, all of a sudden Trump saw me being discussed on all his conservative media things and he got charged up. And I’m disloyal? I stole the excitement for a minute or two.”

Trump also accused Stern of losing his friends, which also isn’t true. Despite having beef with Bill Maher last week, Stern revealed that he and the HBO host talked things out over the weekend. Crisis averted.

“I said to him basically at the end of the conversation, ‘I think what you do on HBO is so important.’ It was it was like the Writers Guild. We reached a tentative agreement,” Stern said. “So we’re back on on good terms.”

(Via Mediaite)

The last new episode of SNL aired on April 15th. The long break is due to the usual summer hiatus, as well as three episodes being canceled due to the Writers Guild of America going on strike. So much time has passed, one of the most recent guest hosts is maybe, possibly dating Taylor Swift. But now that the WGA has reached a tentative agreement with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers after nearly 150 days on the picket lines, SNL could return as soon as early October.

Deadline reports that the sketch series “is now likely to return on either October 7 or 14, pending a vote by the WGA. Essentially, the WGA negotiating committee are expected to recommend the agreement and send it to the WGA West Board and WGA East Council for a vote, likely scheduled for Tuesday. This could potentially lift the restraining order and allow writers return to work as the deal is waiting to be ratified.”

The complicating factor here is if SAG-AFTRA remains on strike.

SNL, like the daily late-night shows and reality shows such as Dancing with the Stars, is covered under SAG-AFTRA’s Network Code, which means that theoretically everyone could come back to work. However, given SAG-AFTRA is still waiting to return to talks with the AMPTP and is still on strike, certain cast members may be unwilling to go back to work until that is resolved (which is thought to be at least 2/3 weeks away at the earliest).

SNL could try to find a workaround by hiring non-acting hosts. For instance, instead of Brie Larson coming on to promote Lessons in Chemistry, it could be someone like Drake, whose new album is set for release on October 6th. One thing’s for sure: Drew Barrymore won’t be hosting the first episode back.

(Via Deadline)

When it comes to flavored whiskey, I’m very on the record as a detractor. A bordeline hater, even. Look back at our coverage of flavored whiskeys and it’s not hard to parse that I haven’t been a fan of the genre over the years. But I have to say… that has gradually begun to shift.

There are simply some great flavored whiskeys these days and they deserve respect. To prove the point, I’m going to conduct a blind taste test of some newer flavored whiskeys to find a few that you might enjoy too.

Below, I’ve compiled 10 flavored whiskeys that range from classics to brand-new expressions. To be painfully clear here, there is some grey area when talking about “flavored” whiskeys. Some whiskeys are flavored with liqueurs or even sugar syrups. Others are flavored with wood blocks that are soaked in, say, honey or coffee. Some literally have coffee beans, honey, or citrus in the whiskey while it ages (you could theoretically call the bourbon vanilla in your baking drawer a flavored whiskey, FWIW).

Then you have the pre-made cocktail whiskeys (Ready To Drink or RTD adjacent bottles) that use sugars and “natural flavors.” These are flavored whiskeys but not necessarily called that — which makes zeroing in on a single clear-cut definition of “flavored whiskey” a little sketchier than the definitions for “straight bourbon” or “single malt Scotch whisky.”

For this, I’m looking at a little bit of everything. There are “natural flavor” whiskeys, whiskeys aged with flavor blocks, and even cocktail-ready whiskeys (that still need water), plus whiskeys flavored with actual ingredients.

Our lineup today features the following flavored whiskeys:

• Dough Ball Cookie Dough Whiskey
• Elvis Midnight Snack Peanut Butter, Banana & Bacon Flavored Whiskey
• Garrison Brothers Lady Bird Texas Straight Bourbon Whiskey Infused with Honey and Finished in Cognac Barrels
• Hotel Tango ‘Shmallow Toasted Marshmallow Bourbon
• Starward (New) Old Fashioned Made with Starward Whisky, Tawny Port, Cacao Syrup & Bitters
• Crown Royal Golden Apple Made with Whiskies Aged 23 Years
• Stillhouse Black Bourbon Blended Bourbon Whiskey Mellowed in Coffee Beans
• Ballotin Chocolate Whiskey Peanut Butter Chocolate
• Duke & Dame Salted Caramel Flavored Whiskey
• Jameson Orange Jameson Irish Whiskey with Natural Orange Flavors

After the tasting, I’m going to rank these. One factor that is crucial in flavored whiskey is “texture” or “mouthfeel.” While depth and balance are crucial, the texture of the flavored whiskey has become just as important and often what makes or breaks a great flavored whiskey. I’m also looking at how clearly the “flavor” presents — after all, this is the whole point.

Let’s dive in!

• The 100 Best Bourbon Whiskeys From Kentucky, Ranked
• The Absolute Best Bottle Of Whiskey From Each Of The 50 States
• The ‘Smoothest’ Bourbons On The Market, Blind Tasted And Ranked
• The ‘Smoothest’ Bourbons Under $100, Blind Tasted And Ranked
• The 100 Best Bourbons Under $100 Right Now, Ranked

Part 1 — The Flavored Whiskey Blind Tasting

Taste 1

Tasting Notes:

Nose: The nose is very clearly cookies and cream with a hint of standard bourbon warmth permeating throughout the sweetness.

Palate: The palate is a deep and creamy cookie dough that meets cookies and cream Blizzard that’s been cut with a bourbon.

Finish: The creaminess creates a lush mouthfeel on the finish that lets the sweetness mellow as a hint of woody spice from the whiskey arrives at the very end.

Initial Thoughts:

Okay, I’m a big cookies and cream ice cream guy, so this is right up my alley. It’s not overly sweet (but it’s ~pretty~ sweet). The whiskey does come through, which is a nice touch.

Taste 2

Tasting Notes:

Nose: Banana powers through on the nose to the point of those yellow banana marshmallow candies you get in the discount aisle before a hint of cheap peanut butter sneaks in late.

Palate: The banana candy carries through on the palate in a strong way with smooth peanut butter (that’s still a bit candy-forward) before notes of whiskey spice arrive.

Finish: That whiskey spice blends with the bright and candied banana and peanut butter with the faintest hint of smoked bacon on the very end.

Initial Thoughts:

If that whisper of smoky bacon hadn’t arrived on the finish, this would have felt a little one-note — it’s so banana-forward. That means this offers a little something extra but it’s still very banana-heavy.

Taste 3

Tasting Notes:

Nose: This opens with a clear sense of a garden shop in springtime — fresh flowers, fresh bales of straw, and piles of ready-to-grow garden plants — next to the richest and clearest tobacco I’ve ever smelled on a nose before the dark whiskey kicks in with honey-laced dark chocolate bars speckled with brandy raisins and maybe some plum.

Palate: The whiskey truly shines through with dark winter spice in mulled wine with more of that honeyed dark chocolate over brandy-soaked cherries, figs, dates, and prunes next to a silky AF mouthfeel.

Finish: Milk Duds, honey from summer wildflowers, and cigars soaked in cognac drive the finish toward a lush and warm finish.

Initial Thoughts:

This is fantastic. It’s honeyed bourbon with the deepest depth so far. It’s also so luxurious that it’s like the purest and softest silk on your senses.

Taste 4

Tasting Notes:

Nose: Cotton candy dominates the nose with a very light sense of whiskey lurking in the background.

Palate: Cotton candy continues on the palate with a light sense of “red” flavoring that hints toward cherry before a moment of woody whiskey spice sneaks in.

Finish: That woody spice disappears on the finish and you’re left with red cotton candy.

Initial Thoughts:

This is very cotton candy sweet. It’s not bad, it’s just very one note.

Taste 5

Tasting Notes:

Nose: The nose opens with a mix of fresh orange, dark cherry, and confit cherry tomatoes (very umami-forward) with a soft sense of well-aged whiskey with a touch of mulled wine spices.

Palate: The mouthfeel is extraordinarily lush with a sense of dark chocolate-covered espresso beans, botanical bitters, stewed cherry, and dark orange rinds.

Finish: The end just gets more and more lush with a deep sense of orange, brandy-soaked cherry dipped in good chocolate, and lovely whiskey vibes.

Initial Thoughts:

This is good. It’s balanced, deep, and has an amazingly polished mouthfeel.

Taste 6

Tasting Notes:

Nose: Fresh bushels of fall apples pop on the nose with a deep sense of Martinelli’s Apple Cider, Apple Jolly Ranchers, and apple juice concentrate with a hint of salted caramel and fall spice mixes.

Palate: Lush vanilla drives the palate back toward a bombardment of apples — stewed, candied, dried, cidered — with a hint of nutmeg and cinnamon next to whispers of old oak.

Finish: The caramel and spice create a foundation of even more apple on the finish.

Initial Thoughts:

This is an apple bomb that … works. There is depth here but that apple is so prominent that you could be forgiven for calling it “one note.”

Taste 7

Tasting Notes:

Nose: The nose is pure unaged corn whiskey and not much else.

Palate: Bitter espresso and more unaged corn whiskey and that’s about it.

Finish: The end feels like drip coffee cut with your granddad’s cheap bourbon.

Initial Thoughts:

This was the thinnest pour by far (so far). It was clearly coffee-flavored but that’s about it.

Taste 8

Tasting Notes:

Nose: This smells like a bag of Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups on the nose with a hint of whiskey on the side.

Palate: That peanut butter cup dominates the palate with a lovely mouthfeel that’s soft and decadent next to a lightly spiced whiskey vibe.

Finish: The end stays true to the nose and palate and finishes with a creamy and vibrant Reese’s PB Cup feel through and through.

Initial Thoughts:

I’m also a pushover of Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, so I dig the devotion to hitting that nail perfectly on its head.

Taste 9

Tasting Notes:

Nose: This is clearly salted caramel on the nose with a mild sweetness and a hint of vanilla and spice.

Palate: The palate is buttery and, well, full of salted caramel.

Finish: The end is very sweet but that sweetness stays attached to that caramel before getting a tad medicinal at the very end.

Initial Thoughts:

This is good and clear but kind of veers off into medicinal territory at the end.

Taste 10

Tasting Notes:

Nose: On the nose, the orange is more like a powdered orange drink with a hint of cinnamon candy thrown in.

Palate: The palate is largely the same with that fake orange drink vibe carrying on with a touch of minerality that’s more vodka than whiskey.

Finish: The finish is sweet and full of “orange” and “cinnamon” with a slight graininess and a touch of vanilla.

Initial Thoughts:

This never felt like a real orange — more like the can of orange concentrate juice you get out of the freezer section. And there wasn’t a whole lot else going on. It was also pretty thin all things considered.

Part 2 — The Flavored Whiskey Ranking

10. Stillhouse Black Bourbon Blended Bourbon Whiskey Mellowed in Coffee Beans — Taste 7

ABV: 40%

Average Price: $26

The Whiskey:

This starts off with a classic bourbon that’s aged in new oak and then charcoal-filtered before being re-barreled. Freshly roasted coffee beans are added to the new barrel as the whiskey continues to age. Finally, the whiskey is batched and proofed for canning (yes, this is presented in a can instead of a bottle).

Bottom Line:

This was the thinnest in both flavor and mouthfeel. I have to say I’d pass on this one.

9. Jameson Orange Jameson Irish Whiskey with Natural Orange Flavors — Taste 10

ABV: 30%

Average Price: $21

The Whiskey:

This 2022 release from Jameson is built for old fashioned cocktail lovers. The Irish tipple in the bottle is cut down with natural orange flavors to mimic the orange in that cocktail. The juice is also cut down with plenty of water to bring it to a low proof of only 60.

Bottom Line:

This was so one-note on orange but never felt like a real orange in any way. That said, it was bolder than the last entry by a country mile on its flavoring. I’d pass on this. If someone brings you a bottle, mix it with fizzy water and garnish with a big orange slice and it’ll be totally fine.

8. Hotel Tango ‘Shmallow Toasted Marshmallow Bourbon — Taste 4

ABV: 30%

Average Price: $29

The Whiskey:

This bourbon whiskey is loaded with “natural flavors” from Indianapolis that are meant to mimic toasted marshmallows over the campfire.

Bottom Line:

This felt way more like cotton candy than toasted marshmallows. But those two sugar-based treats are so close that I can forgive that. So if you’re looking for a (very) sweet treat whiskey, this will be your jam.

7. Duke & Dame Salted Caramel Flavored Whiskey — Taste 9

ABV: 35%

Average Price: $24

The Whiskey:

This starts with a blend of 100% corn whiskeys with a couple of two-year-old bourbons. That whiskey is mixed with “natural flavors” of salted caramel to create the final product. Amazingly, they’ve made a sweet-flavored whiskey that only holds to 1 gram of sugar per serving as well.

Bottom Line:

This was a winner until the finish. That medicinal turn was a little out of character for me. That said, this is very clearly salted caramel and delivers in every other way.

6. Elvis Midnight Snack Peanut Butter, Banana & Bacon Flavored Whiskey — Taste 2

ABV: 35%

Average Price: $54

The Whiskey:

This is the new Elvis Whiskey from Tennessee. It is naturally flavored with peanut butter, banana, and smoked bacon.

Bottom Line:

This would have been lower on the list had it not been for that smoked bacon finish. That really elevated this into something more complex. That said, it is so banana-forward until that point that you’re really going to have to be patient to find that end note.

All of that said, if you’re looking for a banana-forward whiskey with more depth than your average banana whiskey, this is the one to get.

5. Crown Royal Golden Apple Made with Whiskies Aged 23 Years — Taste 6

ABV: 40%

Average Price: $299

The Whiskey:

This whiskey is a Canadian blend of 23-year-old barrels of Crown Royal’s famed apple whisky. That sounds incredible because it kind of is.

Bottom Line:

Apple, apple, apple! This gets a bump up because this is very complex while still being one note. What I mean by that is that it has so many different apple vibes going on with whisky notes that support that apple vibe that it just works.

I’d pour this over some rocks with a splash of club soda and be pretty happy about it. Or I’d make a hot toddy if the weather supported that.

4. Ballotin Chocolate Whiskey Peanut Butter Chocolate — Taste 8

ABV: 30%

Average Price: $25

The Whiskey:

This is whiskey blended with “all-natural” chocolate and peanut butter “flavors” to create a peanut butter cup whiskey.

Bottom Line:

This delivers it’s promise in spades. It’s so clearly a peanut butter cup whiskey from top to bottom. It’s also lush and feels like something to enjoy in many ways — over ice cream, in creamy cocktails, over some rocks.

3. Dough Ball Cookie Dough Whiskey — Taste 1

ABV: 35%

Average Price: $29

The Whiskey:

This California whiskey is made with natural flavors and caramel coloring to re-create a cookie dough vibe in whiskey form.

Bottom Line:

This is another whiskey that delivers on its promise (it almost over-delivers with cookies and cream and cookie dough). I can see drinking a few of these in a red cup over some shitty ice and not being mad about it for a second.

2. Starward (New) Old Fashioned Made with Starward Whisky, Tawny Port, Cacao Syrup & Bitters — Taste 5

ABV: 32%

Average Price: $34

The Whiskey:

Starward starts off with their award-winning red-wine-finished whisky to create a nearly ready-to-drink old fashioned. The whisky is juked with natural flavors of orange, bitters, and cherry to create a bespoke flavored whisky.

Bottom Line:

The mouthfeel on this one is spectacular. It’s so silky smooth with a truly deep flavor profile. It also really delivers a balanced sense of old fashioned flavor notes. All that you’ll need for this is a big ol’ rock.

1. Garrison Brothers Lady Bird Texas Straight Bourbon Whiskey Infused with Honey and Finished in Cognac Barrels — Taste 3

ABV: 57%

Average Price: $259

The Whiskey:

This Texas whiskey starts off with a batch of four- to five-year-old bourbons that are re-barreled in new barrels with honey-soaked oak cubes in the barrel. After nine months of resting, those barrels are batched and re-barreled again in French XO cognac casks for another three years of aging before bottling.

As a side note, $5 of every bottle sold is donated to the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center which helps preserve indigenous wild plants around North America.

Bottom Line:

This was the deepest, boldest, and most delicious pour of flavored whiskey on the list by a country mile. It was also a luscious sip of whiskey that felt like silk from top to bottom. Pour this over a big rock and take your time enjoying all this has to offer.

Part 3 — Final on the Flavored Whiskeys

I’d focus on the top five of this ranking. Those are the whiskeys that deliver the best options in the flavor and texture department. They also 100% deliver on what’s promised on the label.

Beyond that, the Garrison Brothers Lady Bird is beyond reproach. It’s a fantastic flavored whiskey and the clear winner of this blind panel. It’s fresh, funky, and so damn good. Yes, it’s pricey. But it’s so goddamn tasty that you’ll want another pour as soon as the first one’s drained.

The ladies of The View got the week off to a raucous start. The table tackled the notorious U.K. dating show, Naked Attraction, which just made its jump to Max where U.S. viewers can experience the series in all of its full-frontal glory.

Right out of the gate, co-host Sunny Hostin sheepishly revealed that she and her husband were immediately hooked on the saucy dating game and finished it in one sitting.

“I have to admit — and I’m very embarrassed to admit — that Manny and I got so obsessed with this show that we binged it yesterday and we watched all eight episodes,” Hostin said. “I learned things I had never heard of in my life. Have you heard of a Prince Albert piercing? I didn’t know about that!”

After Ana Navarro joked that the show should be called Naked and Well Lit, Whoopi Goldberg set the conversation flying off the rails.

“Naked and Well-Hung,” Goldberg joked as the audience lost it.

However, Goldberg’s joke would turn out to be pretty tame compared after Sara Haines’ remarks. The co-host said she’d never go on the show because she doesn’t like being naked, nor does she like looking at certain body parts, male or female.

“The human body, there are parts that are beautiful,” Haines said. “A penis is not one of them. And I would say the vagina is barely above that. You guys, be honest with yourselves. Not are you sexually attracted to them — when you look at them, are they pretty?”

Hostin jumped by saying there have been some “pretty penises” on the show, which prompted Whoopi to shut the conversation down by ringing her bell.

“I just want to say, you were worried about me?” Whoopi joked to the off-camera crew.

(Via Decider)

Like the Pyramids of Giza, the Lost City of Atlantis, and the exact recipe for the TikTok Pink Sauce, the origins of the Kevin James meme currently holding our timelines hostage is a mystery worth solving.

The photo of James, dressed in drab plaid, shoulders raised in a half-hearted shrug with a sly smirk directed to camera, has become the internet’s go-to translator. It’s littering our feeds with users personifying the actor’s “kid-caught-in-the-cookie-jar” pose to set up situational comedy bits that feel both relatable and designed to earn clicks. The meme itself isn’t extraordinary — it hails from a still of James in character from his beloved 90s sitcom King of Queens — but the fact that this man, a D-list celebrity who built his empire on laugh-tracked reruns and Adam Sandler sidekick gigs, has become the unlikely face branding the next hot form of pop culture currency is. It’s so extraordinary in fact that, we’ve done a bit of investigating into exactly why the guy who gave us not one but two Paul Blart: Mall Cop movies would be trending on social media on the same day that the Taylor Swift/Travis Kelce dating rumors proved true.

According to Know Your Meme, the first usage of the Getty photo was via this tweet by a podcaster sent on September 21st, 2023:

A fairly innocuous bit of clickbait that just happened to go live on the 25th anniversary of the show itself, which James celebrated with an Instagram post shouting out his co-stars Leah Remini and Jerry Stiller. Was it a coordinated push or do King of Queens stans really exist in the wild? We just don’t know, but here our some of our favorite tweets using the now-iconic meme:

And, lest one doubt James’ meme mojo, yet another image is now being circulated of the actor, this time from his Netflix movie Home Team. You’d likely have to be a regular on Football Twitter to get the joke, but it has something to do with Denver Broncos coach Sean Payton (who James played in the film) and his team’s embarrassing 70-20 loss to the Miami Dolphins this weekend.

There really is a Kevin James meme for every occasion it seems.

(Via Yahoo)

As the seasons change, there are certainties that come with it. The air gets colder, the leaves change colors, and your favorite streaming service will try some new in order to squeeze just a few more bucks out of you in the coming year. It’s the American way.

The latest culprit is Amazon Prime, which is joining Disney+, Netflix, and Max in bringing in commercials to their formerly ad-free shows. Streaming sounds more and more like cable these days, yes? Amazon is gearing up to include “meaningfully fewer ads than linear TV and other streaming TV providers” on Prime Video, though the main difference is that the ad-supported tier will now be the default, and if you want no ads, you’ll have to pay a little more.

The update will begin early next year, and your normal Prime payment won’t increase, though if you want to go ad-free, the price will jump an extra $2.99 per month, or about $36 per year. Right now, the annual payment is $139 for no ads and an unlimited view of John Krasinski’s face if that’s what you so choose to do. Ads will also be shown during movies, though Amazon claims that there will only be a “limited” number, and hopefully, they won’t interrupt the horror movie jump scare you’ve been waiting for.

The good news is that Freevee, Amazon’s free ad-tiered streaming service is still kicking with no changes, other than the fact that they recently took Mad Men off the service. You can’t win ’em all.

(Via The Hollywood Reporter)

All dogs go to heaven. But some dogs, like the one that allegedly got kicked by Ron DeSantis at Tucker Carlson‘s house, live in Hell.

In his book, The Fall: The End of Fox News and the Murdoch Dynasty, author Michael Wolff detailed the time that DeSantis and his wife Casey were invited to Carlson’s house. All the Florida governor had to do was act normal, and maybe he would have the then-Fox News hotshot’s blessing as he prepared to run for president. That, however, proved to be too difficult of a task.

“The Carlsons are dog people with four spaniels, the progeny of other spaniels they have had before, who sleep in their bed,” Wolff wrote. “DeSantis pushed the dog under the table. Had he kicked the dog? [Tucker’s wife] Susie Carlson’s judgment was clear: She did not ever want to be anywhere near anybody like that ever again. Her husband agreed. DeSantis, in Carlson’s view, was a ‘fascist.’ Forget Ron DeSantis.” At least he’s used to being forgotten about.

Carlson later denied the incident, telling Insider, “This is absurd. He never touched my dog, obviously.” Which is weird, because Wolff claims the dog-kicking anecdote came from Carlson.

“The source on this is Tucker himself,” the author said on Mediaite‘s The Interview podcast. “I just reflect what he told me.” Wolff continued:

“I don’t know, maybe he exaggerated. Maybe he lied. I don’t know. Maybe he regrets saying that. I have no idea… I think what I am accurately reflecting is his feelings about Ron DeSantis, and at the moment he seemed to have felt that he kicked the dog. I can’t tell you whether that happened or not. I can tell you with the greatest authority that that’s what he said happened.”

The biggest stories in U.S. politics over the past few weeks include Lauren Boebert getting groped while vaping at the Beetlejuice musical, John Fetterman wearing hoodies, and Ron DeSantis possibly kicking Tucker Carlson’s dog. Maybe the government should shut down. Everyone needs to chill out and, like, spend the day at a water park.

(Via Mediaite)

Every Monday, Billboard unveils the top 10 songs on the latest Hot 100 chart. The most recent rankings, for the chart dated September 30, are out now, so let’s run down who had this week’s biggest hits.

10. Dua Lipa — “Dance The Night”

The Barbie movie has come and gone, but Dua Lipa’s soundtrack highlight is sticking around. It previously peaked at No. 6 and is still managing to hang with the rest of the big dogs in the top 10.

9. Gunna — “F*kumean”

After topping out at No. 4, Gunna is still going strong with “F*kumean,” which recently got the cover treatment from Chlöe.

8. Morgan Wallen — “Last Night”

Earlier this summer, “Last Night” became the biggest solo song in Hot 100 history in terms of weeks at No. 1, with 16 total. It’s now tied for second all time, behind just Lil Nas X’s “Old Town Road.” This week, though, it finds itself at No. 8.

7. Olivia Rodrigo — “Vampire”

Rodrigo just made some history of her own, as “Vampire” returned to No. 1 after a wild nine weeks away from its previous stint on top. That was short-lived, though, as the track is back down to No. 7 this week.

6. Taylor Swift — “Cruel Summer”

While Swift is currently embracing fall and the football that comes with it, there’s still some summer left for her, as her four-year-old song is No. 6 right now.

5. Zach Bryan — “I Remember Everything” Feat. Kacey Musgraves

Bryan and Kacey recently had their first No. 1 with their collaboration from Bryan’s new self-titled album, and the song’s still doing quite well as it remains in the top 5.

4. Luke Combs — “Fast Car”

Combs’ rendition of the Tracy Chapman classic is yet another country song that has spent time at No. 1 in 2023, and like Wallen’s hit, it was one of Billboard‘s songs of the summer.

3. SZA — “Snooze”

“Snooze” had a major week: It previously peaked at No. 7, and after ranking at No. 8 last week, it vaulted up to a new high at No. 3 in the latest frame.

2. Doja Cat — “Paint The Town Red”

“Paint The Town Red” was No. 1 a couple weeks ago, but it hangs onto the silver medal at the moment as it rests comfortably at No. 2.

1. Drake — “Slime You Out” Feat. SZA

What a week for SZA: “Snooze” is No. 3, and now she has herself another No. 1 by linking up with Drake on “Slime You Out,” which debuts on top. The song is significant for Drake as his sixth No. 1 of the 2020s, tying him with BTS for the most this decade.

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

As part of a stop-gap measure to paper over the lack of new shows thanks to the (hopefully resolved) writers’ strike, Paramount Global got creative and decided to see what would happen if CBS just started airing episodes of Yellowstone on Sunday nights.

To the surprise of no one, the gambit worked pretty darn well. The Kevin Costner-starring Western series has been a ratings juggernaut from the jump, and that held true even as CBS aired a more sanitized version of the show that didn’t feature creator Taylor Sheridan‘s more adult fare.

However, the show’s popularity happened after Paramount signed a streaming deal for the series with the NBC-owned Peacock, which is currently the exclusive streaming home for episodes of Yellowstone. More importantly, Peacock would like brand new Yellowstone viewers to be aware of that fact, so it took out not one, but two premium advertisement spots during the first CBS run of the show.

Via Variety:

“Peacock has all episodes of Yellowstone,” the commercial says via graphics that appear over scenes from the program. “Stream every season now.” Peacock has streaming rights to the program, even though it’s produced by CBS parent Paramount Global, which first airs the series on its TV networks. “This is a declaration of war,” says one Yellowstone character at the end of the spot.

While NBC and Paramount are technically rivals, Variety notes that the sneaky move will ultimately benefit Paramount in the end. The more popular Yellowstone becomes, the more valuable the property is when it’s time to negotiate licensing deals.

(Via Variety)

This Is Football host Kevin Clark said at the end of his Week 3 recap episode that we are headed toward “an absolute mania” not felt in the football world since Tim Tebow after Taylor Swift attended the Kansas City Chiefs’ 41-10 drudging of the Chicago Bears on Sunday, September 24. There is already enough evidence to support Clark’s theory.

Swift was not at Arrowhead Stadium because it was an idyllic autumn day in Kansas City, Missouri, nor because she’d suddenly abandoned her formative Philadelphia Eagles fandom for the Chiefs. She was there to support Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce — screaming “let’s f*cking go” when he caught a touchdown — and now we are forced to consider whether they’re actually in a relationship. Or rather, we can’t help ourselves from nosing into a potential celebrity power coupling.

Either way, this started in July. Swift had brought her The Eras Tour to Arrowhead Stadium on July 7 and 8. During the July 26 episode of the New Heights podcast, co-hosted by Travis and his brother, Eagles All-Pro center Jason Kelce, Travis recounted attending one of the shows.

“I was disappointed that she doesn’t talk before or after the shows because she has to save her voice for the 44 songs that she sings,” he said. “So, I was a little butthurt I didn’t get to hand her one of the bracelets I made for her.”

The two-time Super Bowl champion continued, “If you’re up on Taylor Swift concerts, there are friendship bracelets, and I received a bunch of them being there, but I wanted to give Taylor Swift one with my number on it.”

August slipped away, and come early September, outlets like Entertainment Tonight and The Messenger reported Kelce and Swift were “hanging out” but not officially dating.

On Thursday, September 14, Jason Kelce’s Eagles defeated the Minnesota Vikings, 34-28, on Amazon Prime’s Thursday Night Football. After the game, Tony Gonzalez couldn’t help but ask about Travis and Taylor, a question Jason uncomfortably eluded.

On September 20, Jason Kelce briefly caused an uproar when he was again asked about the rumors while appearing on Philadelphia’s SportsRadio 94 WIP.

“It’s hard to answer because I don’t really know a lot about what’s happening in Travis’ love life, and I try to keep his business his business and stay out of that world,” Jason said. “But having said that, man, I think he’s doing great, and I think it’s all 100 percent true.”

Conveniently, SportsRadio 94 WIP’s social clips cut off before Jason added, “No, I’m joking. I don’t know what’s happening” (as relayed by People).

On September 21, Travis addressed the speculation with ESPN’s Pat McAfee.

“I threw it out there,” he said. “I threw the ball in her court, and you know, I told her, ‘I’ve seen you rock the stage in Arrowhead, you might have to come see me rock the stage at Arrowhead, and see which one’s a little more lit,’ so we’ll see what happens in the near future.”

That was all well and cute, and still vague enough to remain skeptical of any Kelce-Swift (or “Swelce”) rumors. And then, we finally got visual proof. Fox’s broadcast of the Chiefs-Bears game began with a shot of Swift in Kelce’s suite, next to his nationally beloved mother, Donna Kelce.

As the game progressed, cameras cut to Swift often, especially after Kelce caught a touchdown pass from Patrick Mahomes midway through the third quarter to make it 41-0, Chiefs. Swift chest-bumped and joyously yelled, “Let’s f*cking go!” while Donna Kelce golf-clapped — she’s seen hundreds of Travis Kelce touchdowns — and presumably thought to herself, Act like you’ve been here before, Taylor.

The Chiefs pulled their starters after that touchdown, and Kelce wasn’t made available to the media after the game, so we didn’t see Kelce again until Jarrett Payton posted a video of Kelce and Swift walking out of Arrowhead. Blurry photos of Kelce and Swift in his convertible quickly followed.

According to Entertainment Tonight on Monday morning, September 25, Kelce and Swift were driving to Prime Social Rooftop in Kansas City’s Country Club Plaza.

“Travis bought out the restaurant for his family and team,” an unnamed eyewitness told ET. “Taylor arrived, wearing a denim dress, and was seen snacking, having some cocktails and dancing alongside Travis. The two were very affectionate with one another but kept things fun and lighthearted. Travis’ teammates also showed up to the after-party, as well as his mom and dad, Donna and Ed. The party lasted until 2 a.m.”

With the same ET report, another said clarified, “Travis and Taylor are taking things slowly, and not rushing into anything serious. Both are very career-focused, so the focus is on that for now, but that’s not going to stop them from enjoying life when it’s the right moment.”

To that source’s point, Swift is due to resume her The Eras Tour on November 9 in Buenos Aires, Argentina and will be touring internationally clear through next summer. She will then stage a second North American leg in October and November 2024.

In the immediate future, Swift might attend a second-straight Chiefs game next Sunday, October 1, as the Chiefs play the New York Jets at MetLife Stadium on Sunday Night Football. Welcome (back) to New York, Taylor?