Jung Kook of BTS has mad love for the fans, known as the BTS Army. While the K-Pop boy band is on hiatus serving their mandatory time in the Korean military, the boys have been keeping fans fed with solo music. Fans all around the world are showing love to BTS as individuals and as a group, even if they won’t hear new music from them for a long time.
But perhaps, there may be such a thing as loving something or someone too much. Today (May 4), Jung Kook took to WeVerse to ask fans to stop ordering food to be delivered to his house.
Translated from Korean, Jung Kook wrote, “Don’t send home delivery food. I won’t eat it even if you give it to me. I’m thankful, but I eat well. You can buy it yourself.”
While it is remarkable that some fans were able to track down Jung Kook’s home, he reminded the army that two can play at that game. He warned fans that if this continues, he will take some sort of legal recourse.
“I beg you,” Jung Kook continued. “If you send it one more time, I will check the receipt order number you sent and take action. So stop it.”
As with any dish, understanding the foundations of food and wine pairing is key, and while you may feel slightly intimidated, it’s actually not as difficult as you think. Simply take the main components in food (salt and fat) and marry them with the structural components of wine (acid, body, and, in the case of red wine, tannins). Lastly, in addition to considering the base protein, take all factors of the taco—sauce, toppings, and veggies—into consideration. Even spice level plays a part.
Still feel a bit lost? We’ve got you covered. Check out our six essential wine and taco pairings below, then apply the explanations to additional tacos not listed down the line. Fair warning, your go-to stash of Mexican beer may end up lasting longer than you think.
TACOS AL PASTOR
Uproxx
Pairing: Juicy, light to medium-bodied reds – Grenache/Garnacha, New World Pinot Noir
THE BREAKDOWN:
Fans of pork are no strangers to the sweet-yet-savory delights of tacos al pastor. Crafts with a variety of spices, including cumin, garlic, and chipotle powder, these tacos are uniquely topped with pineapple—which is key to consider when choosing a wine pairing. While pork can generally stand up to medium to fuller-bodied reds on its own, the added sweetness from the pineapple calls for something a bit more light and fruit-forward.
Reach for a juicy New World Pinot Noir or Garnacha for a match made in heaven.
Go-to Bottles:
Envinate Albahra Tinto (Garnacha), Au Bon Climat Pinot Noir
Remember the El Paso taco kit of your youth? That’s what we’re talking about here—think seasoned ground beef, crispy hard shells, and the basic fixins. We’re approaching this pairing like we would any similarly seasoned red meat, meaning that a number of medium-bodied reds with medium to high acid and moderate tannins—such as Mencia, Cabernet Franc, and Barbera—would work great here. Whether Spanish, French, or Italian is what your palate’s craving, there’s a medium-bodied red out there that promises to pair perfectly with your nostalgic taco choice du jour.
Go-to Bottles:
Descendants de J. Palacios Petalos Mencia, Baudry Chinon, Oddero Barbera d’Alba
FISH TACOS
Uproxx
Pairing: High-acid white wines – Albariño, Txakoli
THE BREAKDOWN:
There are a number of ways that fish tacos are prepared, with the most stark difference being grilled or fried. However, in the realm of this particular wine pairing, no matter how you prepare your protein, a bottle of high-acid white is the way to go. For fried fish tacos, we tend to reach for something with a bit of effervescence—think Spanish Txakoli or a Portuguese Vinho Verde, but a salty Albariño or even Sauvignon Blanc would work just fine here.
Go-to Bottles:
Quinta Consuelo Albariño, Pazo das Bruxas Albariño, Granbazan Txakoli
CARNE ASADA TACOS
Uproxx
Pairing: Smoky, earth-driven reds – Etna Rosso, Old World Pinot Noir, Listán Negro
THE BREAKDOWN:
For a complementary carne asada taco pairing that can go the limits, look no further than smoky, earth-driven reds. This famous style of taco, generally produced from inexpensive and easy-to-slice steak, comes marinated in garlic-lime-mesquite dressing prior to being grilled—the mesquite being the key pairing factor here. When choosing a bottle, look for something with smoky or flinty undertones to really underscore the flavors in the meat here.
While Sicilian Etna Rosso would be our go-to pairing, you really can’t go wrong with Burgundian Pinot Noir—though should you be able to find a Listán Negro from the Canary Islands, we’d definitely spring for that.
Go-to Bottles:
Benanti Etna Rosso, Jérôme Bretaudeau Pinot Noir, Frontón de Oro Tinto
CARNITAS TACOS
Uproxx
Pairing: Rosé or Pinot Noir
THE BREAKDOWN:
For meat lovers everywhere, carnitas tacos are also a favorite preparation. Produced from a base of simmered pork, these savory tacos are often topped with a variety of toppings, including cilantro, salsa, lime juice, and oftentimes a hint of guacamole or chopped onions. There’s a lot of flavor going on here, so we recommend keeping it simple and sticking with a high-acid, fruit-forward rosé, which is actually one of the most versatile food-pairing wines out there.
The acidity and fruit-forwardness promise to keep your palate salivating for more, yet the absence of tannins (or moderate presence, should you go with Pinot Noir) pair perfectly with the meat without ever becoming overpowering.
They say that certain veggies—particularly green ones—are hard to pair, though with an herbaceous white on the table, everything is certain to fall into place. Wines with somewhat green undertones (Sauvignon Blanc, Grüner Veltliner, Vinho Verde) and high acidity complement the unique flavors found in veggies, as well as promise to complement whichever type of dressing—chipotle mayo, salsa, or guacamole—that finds itself on top.
When people become parents, the whole world suddenly revolves around a little bundle of joy that takes up all their time and energy. This makes it too easy for parents to let their personal aspirations, hobbies, and social lives slip away. Most of the time, it’s not a conscious choice but something that happens in the background while you’re busy caring for a child.
Then one day, you look up and wonder, where did my life go?
The big problem is that people can become so wrapped up in their identities as parents that when their children grow older and leave the house, they have no sense of self. Amy Morin, LCSW, says that this can lead to feelings of loss, loneliness, distress and conflicts with their partners.
Former First Lady Michelle Obama, the mother of two daughters in their early 20s, knows this situation all too well. She was asked how she handles being an empty nester on the “The Drew Barrymore Show,” where she explained how her parents prepared her for the role.
u201c”The Light We Carry” author @MichelleObama shares the important lesson she learned about being “enough” from her parents.u201d
— The Drew Barrymore Show (@The Drew Barrymore Show) 1682357420
“What am I going to do when they do leave the nest, and it’s just me and my girlfriend and my kids living their life?” Barrymore asked Obama. “Will that be enough? Will I be enough?” she continued.
“You will always be enough,” said Obama before reflecting on a life lesson taught by her father. “The beauty of Fraser Robinson, my father, was that I saw in him a feeling of ‘enoughness’ in himself,” she shared, adding that he had “every reason to be resentful about life.”
Her father taught her the value of appreciating what she has.
“If you had something on your plate that was good, and you hadn’t finished it, and you were looking for more before you even enjoyed what was on your plate, you’d get in trouble,” she continued. Robinson believed that not being satisfied is “‘the thing that’ll get you … never being satisfied with what you have right here. Because it’s enough. What you have is enough.’”
Obama then related Barrymore’s simple question to a more significant crisis facing many people in modern society.
“We live in a time where it feels like folks never think it’s enough,” Obama added. “We’re always looking at the next thing on YouTube. And we’re never satisfied, ever. I’ve met billionaires who are not satisfied. They don’t feel like it’s enough.”
Then she brought the topic back to every parent who will one day look up and find their children have left the house. The good news is she thinks that with the right attitude, they’ll be just fine.
“So that’s the long way of saying: will you be ok? [Yes,] as long as you’re ok with you,” she concluded. “As long as you know that Drew, all alone, in her chair with a book is enough, then it doesn’t matter whether your kids are there. You don’t need to hold on to them. It doesn’t matter whether you have friends. It doesn’t matter whether you have this job. You’ll be enough.”
There is certainly no shortage of stories from women highlighting the glaring disparity between society’s expected responsibilities of husbands vs. wives. Some are a bit more lighthearted, poking fun at the absurdity. Others reflect utter frustration and had-it-up-to-here-edness with partners not doing their share of the work.
However, self-proclaimed “Clueless Husband” J Fisher’s honest, thoughtful retrospection on the subject shows that it’s not just female partners noticing that things need to change.
In a now-viral TikTok video, Fisher describes how he used to consider himself the “main character” of his relationship.
What exactly did that look like? Early on in his marriage, it looked something like this:
“Say we’d be going on a trip. My partner at that point in time would be doing the laundry, vacuuming the house, making sure the dishes were done. I would think, I would literally think like, ‘Well, yeah, we don’t have to do that. That’s you wanting to do that. It’s not what I want to do,’” he explained in the clip.
Fisher later shared how his wife would then get everything ready for said trip, while he would simply pack for himself. This continued even after they had kids. It became worse, actually.
“My partner would do all the work to get all of them ready to make sure they were bathed, snacks packed, and I would get myself ready.”
Looking back, Fisher can plainly see how this behavior was “not okay.” But how did he think this was acceptable in the first place? After some reflection, he realized that it was simply the standard being modeled to him from an early age.
“I saw my own father do this quite a bit where he would take care of his own needs. So, I know I didn’t learn it from nowhere,” he said. “But I also had to unlearn it because it never was okay. I thought that my role was to do all these things outside of the home and that the home was women’s domain. I saw that modeled and even taught as the way it should be, but, oh my gosh, is that not partnership? And that sucks.”
After coming to this revelation, Fisher’s opinion is that if you approve of this division of labor, that you “shouldn’t be in a relationship.”
Hard to argue with that.
Hoping that he can further illustrate a better partnering mindset in a way that “may help it click for some guys,” Fisher has all kinds of insightful TikToks focused on taking accountability and expanding emotional intelligence. In them, he often names therapy, setting boundaries, finding community and accessing personal joy (rather than relying on a partner to fulfill all emotional needs) as major tools for creating a more equal relationship.
And perhaps the best part—there doesn’t seem to be so much shame around the subject. Fisher acknowledges his own goodwill while still admitting to displaying less-than-healthy behavior. It’s hard not to feel like if maybe this kind of honest, yet compassionate reexamination of gender stereotypes were more commonplace, we’d all collectively be a lot farther ahead.
Blanco tequila is tequila in its purest form. It’s simple fermented agave juice that’s distilled (twice) and then cut with water and bottled. There are, of course, more steps to it, but that’s the gist. And yet, as with any spirit there’s a lot of variation that can make or break a good tequila from how the agave is cooked and extracted to the fermentation process, what it’s distilled in, how long it’s rested, what’s getting added to the mix, and who’s running all those processes.
The SFWSC just announced all their medals and eight blanco tequilas snagged a coveted double gold medal (the top tier). Basically, that means that during a double-blind tasting panel, all of the judges at the table unanimously gave the pour of tequila a gold medal. Long story short, any pour that gets double gold is not only good but outstanding and special — it has to be to break through the static.
For this list, I’m taking a deeper dive into all eight double gold medaling blanco tequilas. Where I can, I’m adding my professional tasting notes (and adding the bottlers’ notes where I can’t). The point is to help you sift through all those blanco tequilas on the shelf these days and find something truly special and tasty to add to your bar cart before Cinco de Mayo. Let’s dive in!
Also Read: The Top 5 UPROXX Tequila Posts Of The Last Six Months
This tequila from Hacienda La Esperanza is made from 100% estate-grown agave. The agave hearts are slow-roasted in brick ovens before roller mix extraction of the juices. Those juices are open-air fermented in stainless steel tanks before classic pot still double distillation. Finally, the tequila is rested in stainless steel tanks before proofing with natural spring water and bottling.
Baluarte is a wetland (Ciénega) tequila from Jalisco (compared to the Valley and Highlands). The juice is made from slow-roasted agave from a brick oven and an old roller mill. The spirit is twice-distilled in a stainless steel pot still with a copper coil. The final product is cut with deep well water before bottling.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Fresh agave mingles with a nice layer of minerality — think of heavy water with plenty of magnesium and iron — next to a nice dash of white pepper and dried green cooking herbs.
Palate: There’s this mild whisper of vanilla on the front end of the palate with green and lush agave juice, more dried green cooking herbs, and a note of sweet butteriness.
Finish: The end is crystal clear with a sense of that minerality but more in the sense of walking through an agave field on a sunny day with the mineral-rich soil mingling with the live plants.
Bottom Line:
This is a clean and crisp blanco that makes a wonderful cocktail. Put it in a white Negroni or tequila martini.
This very limited and bespoke tequila is from Tequilera Puerta de Hierro. The agave is slow-roasted in old stone ovens before very old-school tahona stone extraction (basically, they crush the cooked agave under an ancient stone to get the juices out). The juice is then fermented in an open-air vat with wild yeasts. That juice is then distilled in both a copper pot still and a stainless steel pot still. The final product is cut with deep well water before bottling.
“An exquisite drink with an extraordinary flavor and smoky aromas due to its cooking in volcanic stone ovens with wood over direct heat. Bright in color, rich in flavor and texture.”
Bottom Line:
This limited release is going to be hard to find outside of Mexico. That said, the Cava de Oro line is represented in the U.S. market, so you might be able to find one or two of these bottles. If not, give their regular Blanco a try. It’s a nice pour that plays well in your favorite cocktails.
This tequila from the Valley region of Jalisco is a single-estate expression. The agave is cooked in a low-pressure autoclave before it’s roller milled and open-air fermented in stainless steel tanks. That fermented juice is then double-distilled in copper pot stills. The tequila is aerated before going into the bottle with no additives.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose on this one is fresh AF with a bright sense of summer wildflowers, orange blossom, and a herb garden in full bloom next to mild sweet notes of agave that’s nearly like pulque (the Indigenous precursor to tequila).
Palate: The palate leans into caramelized roasted agave notes with a lush sense of creamy honeyed florals and citrus (kind of like an orange sherbert) with a crystal clear sense of soft minerality that plays well with that creaminess.
Finish: The caramel agave and creamy citrus drive the end past the minerality toward a final note of soft white pepper with a whisper of tart tropical fruit.
Bottom Line:
This is a very sippable pour of blanco. Add a little ice and a twist of lime or a fresh allspice leaf and you’re set.
This is a new “luxury tequila” brand that’s just getting started. Beyond the trendy label, the tequila in the bottle comes from Destileria Leyros (which makes a ton of different brands). The distillery uses quick cooking and a diffuser for juice extraction. Fermentation takes place in stainless steel tanks before column stills turn that into spirit. That distillate is then cut with well water before bottling.
Tasting Notes:
None available.
Bottom Line:
This is so new that there is very little information available about what it actually is out there. Evidently, it’s pretty tasty though since it is on this list.
Próspero Tequila is a female-owned and made brand made at Tequilera Don Roberto. Master distillers Stella Anguiano teamed up with music superstar Rita Ora to create a bespoke brand that goes beyond simple “celebrity” tequila. The actual tequila is made in a factory setting but leans into nuance thanks to Anguiano’s expertise in building a great bottle of tequila.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose is super floral with a sense of orange blossom and nasturtium next to soft fresh agave with a hint of minerality and dried citrus rinds.
Palate: The palate is lush and carries more dried florals and citrus toward a dash of white pepper and clove with a soft minerality.
Finish: The end arrives with a mix of dried roses and dried grapefruit rinds next to the faintest hint of sweet agave with a good dash of that white pepper to round things out.
Bottom Line:
This is a solid blanco that works best for cocktails (that’s what it’s made for).
“Predominant notes combined between fresh and cooked agave, slightly herbal with sweet characteristics on the palate… A robust and balanced body with citrus, floral, and mineral notes with a balanced, smooth, and long-lasting finish.”
Bottom Line:
This sounds like a pretty good and straightforward blanco. I’m sure it’ll make a solid cocktail.
This tequla from Cía. Tequilera Los Alambiques distillery in the Southern Highlands of Jalisco is an old-school place. The agave hearts are slow-roasted in old stone ovens before roller mill juice extraction. That juice ends up in old wooden fermentation tanks for an open-air ferment. Next, the juice is run through copper pot stills twice before aeration (resting) and bottling without any additives besides natural spring water for proofing.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: This is so clean yet absolutely brimming with white pepper, herb gardens in full bloom, gallons of rainwater, citrus orchards, and deeply caramelized agave with a hint of fresh allspice leaves and almond skins.
Palate: Those bright and vibrant citrus orchards present on the palate next to dried tart berries, almond shells, and cinnamon bark with a deep sense of slow-roasted agave rolled in white pepper and fresh spearmint.
Finish: That spearmint really amps up the finish with a deep caramel agave juiciness cut with pomelo and savory green herbs just kissed with peppery tobacco.
Bottom Line:
This is far and away my favorite blanco on this list (that I’ve tried). I mix with this at home and also love it over ice with a hint of lime or grapefruit or even fresh sage if I’m feeling the savory vibes.
When the top-seeded Milwaukee Bucks lost their first round series to the 8-seed Miami Heat in five games, the expectation was that changes were on the horizon for the 2021 champs.
The Bucks’ struggles were not new, as the halfcourt offense bogged down, their defensive strategy yielded a number of threes (which Miami made at an alarming clip), and they twice blew double-digit leads in the fourth quarter of Games 4 and 5. Given those are issues that have popped up in past playoff defeats, there were rumblings that head coach Mike Budenholzer could be on the way out in an effort to bring on a new voice.
On Thursday evening, word broke that was indeed going to be the case, with Budenholzer’s tenure in Milwaukee ending after five seasons. Bucks GM Jon Horst released a statement thanking Bud for his time but noting it was time to “refocus and reenergize.”
“The decision to make this change was very difficult,” said Bucks general manager Jon Horst. “Bud helped lead our team for five incredible seasons, to the Bucks’ first title in 50 years, and into an era of sustained success. We are grateful for the culture of winning and leadership that Bud helped create in Milwaukee.
“This is an opportunity for us to refocus and reenergize our efforts as we continue building toward our next championship season.”
Budenholzer unquestionably unlocked a new level for Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Bucks, compiling a 271-120 record in his five seasons, alongside a 39-26 playoff record. However, the championship season was their lone trip to the NBA Finals, as they fell short of expectations as a top seed on a few occasions under Budenholzer — which had him on the hot seat entering that 2020-21 season.
What remains to be seen is how many roster changes are on the way for the Bucks alongside a new head coach, as they have a number of players entering free agency or with player options still to be decided this summer. Even with some roster uncertainty, with Giannis on board, the expectations in Milwaukee will be to contend, and while they may be right Budenholzer’s message had run its course, finding a replacement who will be better won’t be an easy task. One would expect the Bucks’ search to include assistant Charles Lee, as well as some of the established and available championship-winning coaches from years past like Nick Nurse and Frank Vogel.
Lauren Boebert wasn’t fooling anyone with her “lipstick” photo earlier this week, but a more tried-and-true theme is now back to rear its head. That would be the world of sketchy campaign finance, and discussions of that variety haven’t been kind to Boebert, given previous allegations (via The Denver Post) that she claimed enough mileage expenses in 2020 to root and toot herself a third of the way around the Earth’s circumference. The Republican lawmaker also allegedly paid rent and bills for her (now-defunct) restaurant with campaign dollars, and now, Boebert is being accused of a relatively astronomic sum for campaign calls and texts.
$60,000 would be the alleged (illegal) figure, according to Newsweek, which adds that Boebert managed to rack up that bill for the 2022 midterm election that she narrowly won (Democrat Adam Frisch has since decided to run against her for 2024). How, exactly, does one rack up $60,000 in calls in texts within one’s own district? That’s a mystery, but Newsweek has the details from an FEC complaint:
End Citizens United has filed a complaint with the Federal Election Commission (FEC) alleging the Republican’s political action committee spent tens of thousands of dollars on so-called “get out the vote” contact calls and texts that were not reported accurately.
According to the FEC filing, seen exclusively by Newsweek, Boebert, her campaign Lauren Boebert For Colorado, We The People Leadership PAC and Taylor Moose, her PAC and campaign treasurer, are accused of failing to accurately report communications as independent expenditures or in-kind contributions on their reports filed with the Commission.
It’s not great, given that there’s a $5,000 limit on in-kind contributions to one’s self, if that’s what this actually is, because man, how does one spend twelve times that on phone calls and texts? I realize that I’ve asked that question a few times already, but this is as bizarre as claiming to have trotted out 8,000-ish miles of road-based campaign travel during the Covid shutdown when little in-person campaigning was in the works. Politics!
The sixth season of The Eric Andre Show is coming soon, and Adult Swim gave fans a sneak peek of the unhinged episodes to come. The show, which has become known for putting musicians through the wringer with its hosts’ deranged pranks, will feature a whole new batch of game rappers, producers, and DJs such as Benny Blanco, Diplo, Lil Yachty, and Rico Nasty.
While it’s hard to make out everything going on in the chaotic trailer, one thing is for sure: Diplo gets kicked right in the nuts. He seems pretty chill about it, though. Meanwhile, Jon Hamm, Natasha Lyonne, and Mia Khalifa seem extremely put off by his antics, so it’s not like he’s going to be doing all this for no payoff after all.
However, it turns out there was at least one guest who got the better of Andre and his merry band of TV trolls. In March, the host recounted how Chet Hanks was the “worst guest” he’s ever had on the show, prompting Hanks to strike back on social media.
Watch the season six trailer for The Eric Andre Show above and watch the sixth season beginning June 4 at midnight.
Some of the artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
On September 18, 2020, Ava Max released her debut album, Heaven & Hell. Around that time, she celebrated the project’s release with a launch party. The event didn’t take place in some personally meaningful place like her hometown, or in a major city among the big lights. Instead, it happened on Roblox.
Some context: Earlier that year, the COVID-19 pandemic (you might be aware of it) forced the world to essentially shut down. This put the live entertainment industry on pause. Concerts and other in-person events were temporarily no more. Oof!
More context: Roblox, an online game creation platform, launched in 2006 and has grown substantially since then. It was reported in 2022 that Roblox had 57 million daily users (and that half of them were under 12 years old).
So, with both of those things in mind, Ava Max and her team decided to launch Heaven & Hell on Roblox. On September 25, the event began. After a countdown, a pre-recorded video message from Ava Max played, in which she spoke about the event, discussed her new album, and answered some questions. She then sang two songs before the video ended.
It was a neat experiment, as IRL events weren’t super possible at the time. So, Ava Max made the best of the situation and came through with something intriguing and different. Different, but also something of a return to normalcy: While the music industry was on hold, Ava Max pressed forward via the means available to her and delivered as close to a familiar experience as was possible.
It was also just the start.
A few weeks later, Lil Nas X got in on the Roblox fun. On November 14 and 15, the rapper put on quite the show. He opened with a performance of “Old Town Road” before a digital costume change and a rendition of “Rodeo” as bats flew above him. The environment allowed for some fantastical elements not possible in a real-life concert. As the Roblox Wiki describes, the show involved tornadoes, a shift to a futuristic setting, Lil Nas X levitating in front of the moon, and a black hole.
Those were the first two concerts experiences on Roblox, and from there, artists like Elton John, Mariah Carey, aespa, Soccer Mommy, Saweetie, and others hosted their own virtual events. Were they worse than in-person shows? Well, that’s hard to say.
Leaving the house, bringing your physical body to a different environment, and seeing artists in front of your face isn’t something that can be replicated on a phone, computer, or game console. It’s a special experience than can really only be felt that specific way. The thing is, though, that virtual concerts don’t need to be that. In terms of what an in-person show offers, virtual shows can’t do it. They just can’t. In other ways, however, they can present much more.
Stage design for major tours can be incredible, but Lil Nas X isn’t getting functional tornadoes and black holes on a real-life stage. Roblox has long been an open forum for imaginative expression for its users and the same has been true when it comes to virtual concerts. It’s an opportunity for artists to put on a concert in ways they could never pull off otherwise. Give the world’s most talented and creative entertainers a limitless environment and special moments are bound to result.
Furthermore, sometimes, committing a few hours to going downtown, finding parking, getting to the venue, watching a concert, and making your way home is a lot. Nights when that seems overwhelming are the perfect occasion to just open an app on your phone/computer and catch some more convenient live entertainment, to still get the feeling that you’re watching something grand unfold in the moment.
Worth noting is that as novel as this whole thing may seem, a Roblox virtual concert isn’t a completely new idea (and not just because Fortnite did it before them, like with the Marshmello event in February 2019). Roblox events represent what the live entertainment business has long been about: meeting people where they are.
Really, performers have been bringing their shows to the people for a long as it’s been possible: Shortly after the completion of the transcontinental railroad in 1869, circuses started traveling to the western half of the US. People were in their hometowns and most of them presumably didn’t have the means for significant travel (especially for leisure), so the entertainers went to them.
From there, music tours eventually became a major business, and some performers went beyond even just showing up in people’s cities. In the ’90s and ’00s, music lovers young and old spent a lot of time at the then-thriving malls. So, artists like Britney Spears and Avril Lavigne got set up between Claire’s and the food court to get a performance in. That’s where the people were, so that’s where the artists were.
The COVID-19 pandemic brought more popularity to remote-friendly practices like working from home and consuming the majority of entertainment online. Folks were in their rooms and on the internet, so that’s where the artists went.
Again, Roblox isn’t the first video game platform to host a virtual concert: Shout out to Duran Duran for performing a Second Life show in 2006. Roblox was, though, a leader in bringing them to the mainstream at the perfect time. It’s where the people were, and it’s where the artists could be whatever they wanted to be.
In 2023, the live entertainment industry is at the point where concert tours have long been back in full swing. This doesn’t mean virtual events should go back and hide in their hole of obscurity, though. Video games and other online products are as popular as they’ve ever been, and musicians are more open-minded and creatively free than ever before when it comes to self-promotional strategies.
So yes, for most artists, in-person events will return to their spot as the live entertainment priority. There’s no reason why virtual concerts can’t be a piece of the puzzle, though. While they had to fill in as the main feature for a little bit, really, they’re a different side of the same coin, one that offers its own unique value. It’s all just meeting people where they are, and as where they are changes, artists, as they always have, adapt and push the industry in exciting new directions.
Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
The Writers Guild of America’s ongoing strike against labor conditions could be changing Americans’ viewing habits for the foreseeable future, but that isn’t the only thing it’s affecting. Many peripheral industries will feel the effects in the coming weeks and (potentially) months as the WGA fights for fair wages and job protections from networks and studios amid a changing media landscape and record profits.
For instance, musical guests Foo Fighters, Labrinth, and Lil Uzi Vert have had their upcoming guest appearances on Saturday Night Live canceled along with immediate show episodes. According to Variety, the show, which normally runs through May before the summer hiatus, won’t produce any new episodes until the strike ends. This week would have seen former cast member Pete Davidson return as host with Lil Uzi Vert as the musical guest — a dynamic duo if ever there was one — while Entertainment Weekly reports Foo Fighters’ first appearance since the death of drummer Taylor Hawkins was canceled along with Jennifer Coolidge’s hosting debut. Labrinth would have appeared in an episode hosted by Kieran Culkin.
Artists that would have appeared on other late-night variety shows will also need to find alternative promotion, as the only show running through the strike is (of course) Fox News’ Gutfield!, a show I just learned exists five minutes ago. Even so, recording artists are still showing solidarity with their fellow writers, with Snoop Dogg comparing screenwriters’ pay to streaming royalties.
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This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience.
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
