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We’re going to be real with you — Jack in the Box is not our favorite fast food restaurant. It’s not Burger King-levels of bad, but in terms of quality, the menu can be a bit lacking. Aside from the curly fries and shakes, nothing in our opinion is really worth a trip to JiB’s drive-thru. Maybe the tacos when you’ve got four shots of vodka sloshing in your belly. So when the brand announced that it would be launching a brand new burger, The American Ribeye Steakhouse Burger, and relaunching its discontinued Mozzarella Sticks with a brand new recipe, we didn’t know how to feel.

On the one hand, we’re always happy when a fast food menu has mozzarella sticks, but Jack in the Box has had three different recipes in the past and there is a good reason why they keep changing them. They’re never that good. Similarly, the American Ribeye Steakhouse burger sounds like a great idea, but JiB doesn’t have the best track record when it comes to burgers (see how we ranked them here). So while we’re always excited to try a new fast food burger, we’d honestly prefer if it weren’t from JiB.

Will they be able to win us over this time? Let’s find out, starting with the Mozzarella sticks!

Mozzarella Sticks

Tasting Notes:

A marker of a good mozzarella stick is the cheese trail, and I’m happy to say that even after a 15-minute drive time between the drive-thru and my apartment, this mozzarella stick delivered on that front. The cheese was melty, stretchy, and adhered to the outer batter nicely. There is nothing worse than a cheese stick that slides out of the fried casing when you bite into it, these don’t have that problem.

On the flavor front, I’m getting a nice salty and creamy mozzarella cheese with a super thick breading that is well-seasoned with Italian herbs. That cheese has a subtle sweetness to it and it pairs nicely with JiB’s marinara sauce.

The Bottom Line:

As a fan of Jack in the Box’s old Mozzarella sticks I have to say, these are probably the best iteration so far.

Bacon All American Ribeye Steakhouse Burger

Tasting Notes:

The All American Ribeye is available both with or without bacon, for this taste test we went with the bacon because… well come on, it’s bacon — how can you go wrong? The burger features 100% ribeye beef, cheddar cheese, aioli, red onion, lettuce, and tomato on a potato bun.

Biting into the burger is a wonderful experience — the meat is incredibly beefy, it’s rich, and almost buttery, I wouldn’t immediately clock this as ribeye, but it’s significantly beefier than every other burger in JiB’s lineup. The tomatoes add a layer of juiciness and savory umami notes into the mix, pairing excellently with the beef.

Going with an aioli over mayo is a nice move, it adds even more savoriness to the mix with a subtle hint of garlic. It lacks the tang that something like straight mayo would provide, and in this case, I think that’s a good thing.

That’s the good, now here is the bad: the cheese is way too thin, I appreciate the use of real cheddar but it doesn’t add much to the overall flavor of the burger. The lettuce is awful, it’s watery and it attempts to drown out the flavor. The bacon suffers from the same issue as the cheese, it’s so thin that it might as well not be there at all.

Then there is a small issue with the marketing — it claims to be a steakhouse burger, and the use of ribeye over your typical meat blend sort of implies that this is going to be a big and substantial burger… it’s not. It’s thicker than the other burgers in JiB’s lineup, but it’s not quite as meaty as the name suggests.

Thankfully none of the bad stuff really brings this burger down, you could always ask for extra cheese or switch out the cheddar for Swiss or American. I’m shocked to say this but, JiB has completely won me over, these are the two best new menu items to come to Jack in the Box in a while!

The Bottom Line:

Skip the bacon. The All American Ribeye is easily JiB’s best burger, it’s beefy, rich, and super savory. Definitely worth a trip to the drive-thru, especially if you pair it with an order of mozzarella sticks.

Find your nearest Jack in the Box here.

(WARNING: Spoilers for this week’s Power Book II: Ghost episode will be found below.)

We have finally reached the point in season three of Power Book II: Ghost where we can say that everything that was done in the dark, has indeed come to light. There’s plenty of backstabbing and deception that goes on in a season of Power Book II: Ghost, but it seems to occur more frequently and with more audacity this season up until episode six so far. Just think about it: Jenny Sullivan tricked people about Lauren’s death to build a case around Tariq for allegedly having her murdered, Saxe is working with Sullivan to take down Tariq and the Tejadas, Monet secretly had Lorenzo killed by Gordo who is Dru’s lover this season, and Tariq and Brayden are running a whole drug operation in Weston Holdings. So yeah, there’s a whole lotta trickery going on this season, but it’s all a part of the drama that makes Power Book II: Ghost such a necessary watch. Speaking of that drama…

In episode seven of Power Book II: Ghost, titled “Deal Or No Deal,” the true nature of everything that’s going on in the Power Book II: Ghost world gets revealed. Brayden finds out that Kiki knows that he and Tariq are selling drugs out of the Weston Holdings building. Brayden also learns that the operation run by his uncle at Weston Holdings is a Ponzi scheme that Kiki is involved with. That means that the trust fund money Tariq put into it, as well as the Tejada money, are in big jeopardy. On the Tejadas’ side of things, Dru finds out that Gordo was the one who killed his father, and despite their growing love, he makes the emotionally tough decision to kill him. Of course, Monet comforts him as if she wasn’t the one that enlisted Gordo to kill Lorenzo. Unfortunately, karma came back for her as Diana was arrested to close the episode. Oh, and Tariq? Yeah, he not only knows that a RICO case is being built around him, but he also knows that Saxe is helping put it together. Plenty of drama this week! Let’s get into it.

Here are some of the biggest takeaways that we have after season three’s seventh episode, “Deal Or No Deal”:

Tariq Needs To Brace Himself For The Fall

Tariq has impressed us since the original Power series with his ability to wiggle out of any situation no matter how unlikely it seems that he can break free. He’s beat murder accusations and charges and he’s walked away from prison on technicalities that seem a bit too dramatic for one of TV’s most dramatic crime shows right now. However, with the feds closer to him than ever with a RICO case, it seems damn near impossible that Tariq can break free from this one. Diana was caught and arrested for moving drugs on Stansfield’s campus, and those drugs were connected to others that were found at multiple locations which all connect back to Tariq. There are the murders of Jabari Reynolds, Carrie Milgram, Lorenzo, Zeke, and Mecca which make the whole situation worse. The feds have it all mapped out with Lauren and Saxe as the confidential informants. Lauren broke that confidentiality to tell Tariq what was going on, and though he wants to put forth a plan to get out of this jam, it’s just too little too late. Just like after the drugs that were found in his dorm in season two, Tariq will just have to brace himself for this fall because there’s no way out of what’s next. In fact, he may not even be able to beat the case as he did last season.

Monet Underestimated Everyone’s Intelligence

I can’t ever decide if Monet is blinded by her perceived invincibility and status or if everything she does is part of a yet-to-be-revealed plan. For now, I’m going to say that she underestimated everyone’s intelligence, specifically Cane and Dru’s. It just doesn’t make sense that Monet would go to Gordo’s family to indirectly suggest that Lorenzo should be killed for killing Gordo’s father Frank, just to enlist Gordo to do it himself, all to have the evidence lead Dru to discover that Gordo did it, which leads to Dru killing Gordo. It’s just a messy situation altogether. Dru will be vocal about killing Gordo to avenge his father’s death, but things will take a turn for the worse when Frank’s wife realizes that the Tejadas are once again responsible for a death in the family. Monet originally approached Frank’s wife with the info that Lorenzo killed Frank with the hope that the family would kill Lorenzo in retaliation. Now, Gordo’s death after killing Lorenzo will look like a setup to take them down and we can only imagine what that lead to. Monet underestimated Dru’s ability to figure out Lorenzo’s real killer, and then there’s Cane who seemingly knew something was up the whole time. Monet is the queen, but her team isn’t filled with peasants and it’s only a matter of time until this blows back on her.

Lauren Can Save The Day, But Not The Week

Man, bless Lauren! It was looking like she had her mind set on tearing down Tariq due to her belief that he was a part of Effie’s plan to murder her. Luckily, thanks to a few meetups and phone calls that gave Tariq the chance to share his side of the story, the truth, Lauren was convinced that it was a plan that Effie enacted all on her own. Still, it’s a bit too late for Lauren to talk Sullivan out of pushing the RICO charge on Tariq and company, but with the little bit of time that they have left, she gives Tariq two pieces of information that will prove to be beneficial to him moving forward. 1) She confirms that Saxe is working with Sullivan and Sergent Rodriguez to put the RICO case together, and 2) She promises to buy a little more time for Tariq to piece together a plan in preparation for this RICO. For someone that many believed would be unable to hold it down when times got rough, Lauren is doing her part to cushion the blow that’s approaching Tariq. She can save the day, or a day, for Tariq, but nothing more than that. Nonetheless, the effort is appreciated.

Saxe’s “Win” Won’t Mean Anything In The Long Run

I’ve said it once, I’ve said it twice, and I’ll say it a million more times: Saxe playing both sides is dumb. Since the original Power series, we’ve known Saxe to be incredibly selfish, but this time around, his moves with the opposition (his former team) are so illogical because there isn’t a good enough win for him to be selfish about obtaining. Tariq and Davis McClean both know that Saxe is working with the feds, so his connection and future work with McClean are as good as dead. Saxe’s work with Sullivan and Rodriguez is also a huge ethical violation in the law world that will make it impossible for him to work anywhere else simply because he’ll be beyond untrustworthy. All this to put a St. Patrick in jail, something he hasn’t been able to do in years, and this is under the assumption that he’s successfully able to put Tariq, the Tejadas, and maybe even McClean in jail and keep them there. Saxe is so desperate for this win that he can’t see the consequences that come after it, and man, it’s not going to be pretty. But hey, this is the bed he made so he’s gotta lay in it.

New episodes of ‘Power Book II: Ghost’ are available on the STARZ app on Fridays at 12:00 am EST and on the STARZ TV channel at 8:00 pm EST.

Less than 48 hours after announcing his third studio album, Jackman, Jack Harlow has dropped the album, which features another promising set of bangers. While his previous two albums boasted viral hits and chart-toppers, making Harlow a household name in both the real of hip-hop and pop, Jackman features Harlow at his most introspective and self-aware.

The album’s closing track, “Questions,” features Harlow reflecting on his rise to stardom, and dealing with the responsibilities that come with fame. He also attempts to disabuse himself of internalized misogyny and challenges his fanbase to do the same.

“Why I treat my brother like he ain’t my only brother? / Why I gotta treat my manager like I’m above her? / Why I gotta get so intimate with my lovers? / Why I gotta cheat and make her question if I love her? / Why am I so fly? why am I so skeptical?,” he asks on the song’s opening verse.

It’s gearing up to be a busy season for Harlow. While this album is likely to have the summer on lock, Harlow is also dipping his toes in the waters of acting. Next month, he will star in his acting debut alongside Sinqua Walls in a remake of White Men Can’t Jump.

You can check out the video above.

Jackman is out now via Atlantic. Find more information here.

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

Lord knows when we’re getting the third season of HBO’s teen drama series, Euphoria, but two familiar faces from the show have teamed up for a special collaboration. Labrinth, who scores and produces the soundtrack for the show, has recruited Zendaya, who plays the show’s protagonist, Rue, for “The Feels,” a new duet featured on Labrinth’s album, Ends & Begins.

On the track, the two vividly describe the whirlwind of emotions that comes with falling in love. Over a hypnotic, trippy track, Labrinth offers a detailed testimony, singing, “I got touched by God and it f*cked me up / Like an electrical current crossing through my veins / Lightning came and hit me again.”

Zendaya comes in with the song’s second verse, delivering silky vocals as she sings, “Now you got me lost in emotion / Now you got me intoxicated with your drug / Bloodstream racin’, heartbeat pulsin’ / The truth of it is I’m in love with you.”

It’s been a while since Zendaya has released any music not related to Euphoria. Fans have been eager to hear new music from the Emmy Award-winning actress since hearing her duet with Labrinth on “I’m Tired,” which appeared in the show’s finale of season two. About 10 years ago, she released a self-titled album, which featured the hit single, “Replay.”

She revealed last year that she chose to step away from music “for a number of reasons,” but still really finds joy in the art.

Perhaps this means we may get more music from Zendaya in the future.

In the meantime, you can listen to “The Feels” above.

After dropping a new single, “Bops,” earlier today, Coi Leray has another hit on her hands. On her new single, “My Body,” Leray takes ownership of her sexuality, paying no mind to what any sex shamers have to say.

The song features a rather x-rated interpolation of “It’s My Party” by Lesley Gore, as Leray lays down the law for trifling men.

“It’s my body, I could f*ck who I want to / F*ck who I want to, f*ck who I want to / It’s nothin’ new, you just mad it ain’t you,” she rap-sings on the song’s chorus.

Several of Leray’s singles have become viral hits, including “Twinnem” and “Players.” This has been fuel to Leray’s fire, as she is currently hard at work on her second album. In an interview with Apple Music 1’s Eddie Francis, she detailed the album, and said it’s going to be “one of the biggest projects ever.”

“I’m so excited about this second album because it’s really mostly myself,” said Leray. “I told myself, like I have a couple features, which I’m going to keep it discreet because it’s only literally a little bit, not even a handful, but I’ve been working on this project constantly, constantly. I stay in the studio. As you can see, I’m in my home. It’s my home studio here. I’m constantly in the studio 24/7. I’m amazing when it comes to that mic.”

You can listen to “Body” above.

Bebe Rexha‘s new album Bebe contains a good selection of dance tunes, as well as poignant ballads. Her newest single, “Seasons,” features country legend Dolly Parton, as the two reflect on their youth.

The age-old adage, “the more things change, the more they stay the same” holds true on this painfully relatable ballad, as Rexha and Parton long for days past. While they feel like the time has slipped away from them, they hold onto their youth with one hand, and the wisdom that comes with age in the other.

“I lie awake inside a dream / And I run, run, run away from me / The seasons change right under my feet / I’m still the same, same, same, same old me,” they sing on the song’s chorus, over a simple, calming guitar loop.

In the song’s accompanying video, the two singers are seen in grayscale, standing at microphones, letting the music and lyrics speak for themselves. At one point, the two embrace, symbolizing a kinship between two talents of two different generations.

You can watch the video for “Seasons” above.

Bebe is out now via Warner Music. Find more information here.

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

The National‘s much-anticipated ninth studio album, First Two Pages Of Frankenstein is finally here. While fans of The National have been anxious for new music, the album’s collaborations have fueled even more interest in their latest record.

On a song called “The Alcott,” The National collaborated with Taylor Swift, in what feels like a long overdue duet.

Over a haunting piano track, the band’s lead vocalist Matt Berninger reflects on a romance that no longer exists, he is joined by Swift on the chorus, and part of the latter verses, and their vocals blend harmoniously.

“It’s the last thing I wanted / It’s the first thing I do / I tell you my problems / And you tell me the truth / It’s the last thing I wanted / It’s the first thing I do / I tell you that I think I’m fallin’ / Back in love / Back in love with you,” they sing.

The collaboration comes as a full-circle moment, as The National’s Aaron Dessner produced much of Taylor Swift’s eighth and ninth studio albums, Folklore and Evermore. Swift and The National also collaborated on the Evermore cut, “Coney Island.”

You can listen to “The Alcott” above.

First Two Pages Of Frankenstein is out now via 4AD. Find more information here.

Way back in the long-ago days of March, Tucker Carlson was still riding high as Fox News’ most popular on-air personality, with his primetime “news” show averaging about 3.4 million viewers per night. On Wednesday night — two days after the surprise announcement that Tucker had gone bye-bye — the 8 p.m. time slot had lost about 60 percent of its audience, according to The Wrap.

That’s bad news for Fox News and for Brian Kilmeade, who has been filling in for Tucker since Monday night. (Clearly, people must have missed Kilmeade’s recent interview/game of catch with Ron DeSantis!)

While Monday night’s show saw its ratings hold steady (perhaps partly out of morbid curiosity)‚ Kilmeade is no Tucker — at least as far as Fox’s nightly viewers seemed to be concerned.

As The Wrap writes:

But boy, what a difference a couple of days makes: While the 8 p.m. hour got 2.59 million total viewers on average on Monday, viewership dropped to 1.7 million viewers on Tuesday, and slid further to 1.33 million total viewers on Wednesday, falling just behind MSNBC in that time-slot, according to Nielsen live plus same-day figures.

While Fox is used to being America’s most watched “news” network, Wednesday’s showing put that slogan in jeopardy. MSNBC’s All In With Chris Hayes topped Fox News’ 8 p.m. news hour by a slim margin of just a few thousand viewers. Maybe if Fox News viewers knew that Kilmeade once questioned why anyone would hire a pregnant woman and famously declared that he read Mein Kampf in high school, they’d tune back in.

(Via The Wrap)

No one expected the Hawks to push the Celtics to a Game 6, but on Thursday night the two teams returned to Atlanta for what turned out to be a rather thrilling conclusion to a surprisingly entertaining series.

Boston jumped out to a 12-2 early advantage, only to see the Hawks storm back to take their own 7-point lead before the game settled into a back-and-forth affair. Neither team could grab control of the action until the late fourth quarter, when Boston got a string of big time buckets and big time stops on the other end to extend their lead out to eight with the Hawks going more than four minutes without a made shot. By the time the Hawks offense found its footing again, the deficit was almost insurmountable, but Atlanta doomed itself with one of the strangest sequences we’ll see all playoffs.

After Bogdan Bogdanovic went 1-of-3 from the line to cut the deficit to six, the Hawks retained possession on a ball that went out of bounds on the sideline deep in the corner of the court. From there, the Hawks failed on four consecutive attempts at getting the ball in play, with Trae Young throwing it off of Marcus Smart twice (including one straight into Smart’s nuts) and De’Andre Hunter bouncing one off Al Horford before throwing a pass to absolutely no one for a turnover.

It really is one of the most bizarre things you’ll see in the playoffs, as the Hawks simply could not get the ball in play, as if they’d never worked on an inbounds play from the corner all season. Young struggled with Smart’s length, while Hunter seemed likewise bothered by Horford, and the result was Atlanta not even getting a chance at a miraculous comeback because they could never get the ball to a shooter. Boston would ice the game at 128-120 to advance to the conference semis where the Heat are waiting, and while this wasn’t quite Grayson Allen dribbling out the clock on Milwaukee’s season, it was certainly a rough way for the Hawks to close out a series in which they fought so valiantly.

The Philadelphia Eagles are going to go down as one of the big winners of the 2023 NFL Draft. While it’s rare that you can safely say this in the middle of round one, the reigning NFC champions managed to add to their already stout defense by moving up one spot to select Jalen Carter, an indomitable defensive tackle prospect out of the University of Georgia.

There are some who believe that Carter is the best player in the 2023 NFL Draft, so for the Eagles to acquire him at all is a coup. Add in that they only had to trade up one spot — they sent the No. 10 pick and a 2024 fourth-round selection to move up — and it’s a home run for Philadelphia, which now has a tailor-made replacement for Fletcher Cox when his time with the team is over.

Of course, not everyone is happy about this. Here is Micah Parsons, who plays for the Dallas Cowboys and therefore has to deal with the Eagles twice a season, getting very upset during Bleacher Report’s NFL Draft show, saying that he is sick to his stomach watching Philly add a player of Carter’s caliber.

To add insult to injury, Bleacher Report had Eagles receiver A.J. Brown call in and tell Parsons that he should “just be a Philadelphia Eagle at this point.” Our hunch is that the Dallas Cowboys are not going to trade Micah Parsons (who is, it must be noted, a Pennsylvania native) to the Philadelphia Eagles, but if that changes, we’ll let you know.