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There are few things in life that are more fun than getting a group of people together and just rattling off the names of old athletes. This game is affectionately known as Remember Some Guys, and it is a staple of any gathering of sports fans who have nothing else to do but want to get really happy in a short amount of time.

We’ve seen versions of this on the internet over the years, and on Friday, the Buffalo Bills decided to get in on the fun. The Bills’ social media team set up a camera at practice and invited players to name a random NBA player. If the intent was to have a bunch of guys walk past and, one by one, name one athlete, that didn’t quite happen. But if the intent was for Keon Coleman — the team’s rookie draft pick out of Florida State — to show off his gigantic personality by naming guys, over and over, with his teammates, then they succeeded.

The video, which you can watch right here, made me laugh no fewer than 10 times, as Bills players got incredibly into this — probably not surprising, as they clearly love basketball. I salute them for their efforts, and would like to say as I wrap up this post: Thabo Sefolosha, Scott Burrell, Bob Sura, and of course, DeSagana Diop.

Most people make it pretty obvious where they stand in the debate of Drake vs. Kendrick Lamar. Mustard, example, produced Lamar’s chart-topping Drake diss “Not Like Us.” He’s keeping that energy up, too, as he says he has no interest in working with Drake in the future.

In a recent Los Angeles Times interview, Mustard said, “I don’t think I want to make a song with that dude. He’s a strange guy.”

He also spoke about Drake’s fans, saying, “These guys don’t go to sleep — all they do is tweet, tweet, tweet, tweet. That’s where ‘the Nation of drizzlam’ came from. I said it in a joking manner, but I guess on Twitter it looked like I was mad [laughs]. Drake should use that phrase. I won’t charge him for it.”

Mustard has praise for Lamar, of course, saying, “He’s just a genius. He does the unthinkable every time. And on a human level — just as a normal person — I like his style. […] His whole mystique gives me the same vibes as Prince. Even now [after the success of ‘Not Like Us’], the guy has not posted anything. I told him, ‘I don’t know how you do that sh*t. Me, I’d be like, ‘Yeah, I’m No. 1!””

Check out the full feature here.

It’s hard to talk about eras without acknowledging the artist who basically owns the term now — Taylor Swift closed her European ‘Eras Tour’ run this week — but few artists reimagine and reinvent themselves from album to album like St. Vincent. The signifiers can be everything from hairstyles to full-on sonic aesthetics, but the always expanding vision makes it pretty essential to check in on St. Vincent from album to album.

Her latest run, for the strong All Born Screaming from earlier this year, turns its back on the ’70s scuz of her Daddy’s Home concept and couldn’t be farther from the industrial rubber of Masseduction. Long gone is the jagged art rock of Strange Mercy or her David Byrne period, where Byrne was both a collaborator and inspiration. It’s easy to forget that St. Vincent began her career as Annie Clark, member of The Polyphonic Spree, and then started her solo offerings humbly enough, known for her guitar wizardry, her knack for a catchy melody, and a camaraderie to many of the indie darlings of the time, including The Nationals and Sufjan Stevens.

So where does that leave St. Vincent in 2024? If anything, her Los Angeles headlining set last week at the Greek portrayed an artist free of being locked in to hard-lined signifiers and costuming. Persona is still in play — which I suspect is the case anytime Clark is in the public eye — but on this night, it was less costumed, less defined by the work she was supporting. It also allowed for a setlist that could touch on all eras of her career without needing to play many of her best-known singles. In fact, many of the songs you might consider St. Vincent staples were skipped in favor of tunes that complimented the new material.

Does that mean the show was any less theatrical? Of course not. This is a St. Vincent concert, after all. When she rolled through the punk blitz of “Krokodil,” Clark did her best version of hardcore posturing, even winding up crowd-surfing in a space where that’s truly a rarity. For “Dilettante,” she was a drunken lounge singer, stumbling across the stage with everything but a martini in hand. And for “New York,” she embraced the moment and embodied the young pop singers of today, taking time to take photos with fans in the front row.

There’s tons to be impressed with in a St. Vincent concert, namely in how completely she commits to all of her bits. It’s just a tad unhinged, a splash scary, where she seems to be embodying a person who could snap and break at any moment. Her smiles and laughter always a bit haunted, a bit disconcerting. Of course, this is all part of the performance and is meant to keep the audience on guard. And for the most part, she’s so entrenched in it that it feels seamless.

Where the seams do show is when she tries to reverse course and talk to the audience. It’s very difficult to play the part that St. Vincent does and then be able to reverse course to make band introductions feel sincere and grounded. Instead, moments of addressing the crowd feel too performative, like she lost control of the acceleration and can’t slow back down.

But if that’s the price to pay for St. Vincent’s now-singular brand of conceptual theater, so be it. We don’t go to St. Vincent concerts to meet Annie Clark the actual human being. We go to be swept up in her vision, to check in on how she is evolving and what tricks she has in store. She hasn’t delivered a boring era yet. In a world full of dull sincerity, St. Vincent would rather have a devilishly good time.

Just when you thought the 2024 iHeartRadio Music Festival couldn’t grow any more today (August 23) organizers proved otherwise. Back in June, the multiday event set to be held at Las Vegas’ T-Mobile Arena on September 20 and 21.

So far, musicians slated to perform include Big Sean, Camila Cabello, Doja Cat, Dua Lipa, Gwen Stefani, and Uproxx cover star Paramore. Now, Billboard has exclusively revealed that Asap Rocky, Chris Martin, and The Weeknd were added to the lineup.

The summer has been filled with dozens of tours, festivals, and showcases tailored to specific genres. But the 2024 iHeartRadio Music Festival’s list of confirmed acts run the gamut of sonic influences including rock, rap, pop, and country. Tickets for 2024 iHeartRadio Music Festival are on sale now. Find more information here.

If you aren’t able to catch the multi-day event in-person, you are in luck. The performances will be accessible in other ways. Hulu will livestream the sets, while and iHeartRadio station nationwide will broadcast the event.

Continue below to view the full 2024 iHeartRadio Music Festival lineup.

2024 iHeartRadio Music Festival Lineup

ASAP Rocky
Big Sean
Camila Cabello
Chris Martin
Doja Cat
Dua Lipa
Gwen Stefani
Halsey
Hozier
Keith Urban
New Kids On The Block
Paramore
Shaboozey
The Black Crowes
The Weeknd
Thomas Rhett
Victoria Monét

Notre Dame will kick off their 2024 season on August 31 with a top-20 showdown against Texas A&M in College Station. As is the case every year, there are lofty expectations on the Fighting Irish, particularly in the first year of the 12-team College Football Playoff.

With a preseason ranking of No. 7, the Irish are supposed to be a factor for a playoff position, but will need to finally get over the hump against other top teams if they’re going to be a real threat in the title race. That is the challenge for Marcus Freeman in his third year at the helm, as he’s gone 19-7 in his first two seasons but is still looking for the kind of signature win that shows Notre Dame is ready to be a contender.

For the second year in a row, Notre Dame has brought in a highly-touted transfer quarterback to lead them offensively, as Riley Leonard comes in from Duke to replace Sam Hartman. This year, fans will not only get to watch Notre Dame’s journey on the field, as a new Peacock documentary titled “Here Come The Irish” will follow their progress all year and give everyone a look behind the curtain with insight and access to the players and coaches throughout the season.

The first episode will release on August 29, two days before Notre Dame’s opener against Texas A&M. We got a chance to sit down with Freeman to talk about what he’s excited for fans to see in the doc, the lessons he’s learned in his first two years as a head coach, his leadership style, what he’s been most impressed by with Leonard since he’s arrived on campus, and much more.

What do you hope that Notre Dame fans, in particular, can get out of this show and learn about this team from getting a peek behind the curtain here?

Well, I think they get a chance to see, most importantly, these young people as people and as individuals, not just football players. I think everyone has such a unique story to tell. And I think that’s what the follow doc is going to be able to capture is the life of young people, not just what the work they put in to achieve great results on a football field, but some of the events that life brings. And you’ll see, you know, one of our players, his mother passed away from cancer, and we have other players that are in their sixth year, maybe getting married, and dealing with other things. And so I love that the follow doc can truly capture, yes, the work they put in to achieve the results they want on a football field, but also how they really deal with the events of life.

I feel like that is something that is particularly unique to college sports. You see kids grow up. For you, is that a thing that is a separator for you in terms of being a college coach, is getting to watch these young men go through such a critical stage of their lives?

Yeah, 18 to 22 years old, it’s such a vulnerable period of life, and to help them along this journey, to be an example for them, but also to be somebody that can help navigate them through life, through the struggles they have in football, through adversity which they’re going to face in school, in life, and in football. Like, there’s so many parallels between the game of football and reaching your goals, and also in life. So that’s why I love being a college football coach, because you get young people from so many different backgrounds that have to really handle so many different expectations. From their personal expectations of what they want to be as football players, from the educational side, from the expectations that people outside of football put on them, from social media, from their family. And I love that I can be a part of this journey to try to continue to keep them focused on the things that really matter.

I talked to one of your guys that’s gone through that journey last year going into the draft in Joe Alt, and was just incredibly impressed by him. When you look at a guy like that, and you have an example you can show guys of what it looks like to follow the steps, how important is it to be able to point to guys and to show examples of, you know, this is a guy who came in, obviously he had pedigree, but he had to learn a position, and he had to go through the steps and go through the process to get to that NFL level, to get that top pick level? What does it allow you as a coach to talk to guys about not skipping steps, going through the process, and what it takes to get to that level?

I think it’s important to point out the things that Joe Alt intentionally did to put himself in that position. Everybody’s talent is different, right? But, but Joe Alt did some intentional things every day to maximize his ability, which ultimately made him a top five player chosen NFL draft after three years.

But what I want our young people to aspire to be is not just Joe, number five overall pick, but to be him, the guy. What traits did he possess that helped him put himself in a position to do that. And that’s so important, because everybody’s journey is different, right? You could be a guy that comes in and after four games or five games, like Joe, starts as a freshman. Or you can be a guy like Xavier Watts, who won the Bronco Nagurski award last year as the best defensive player of the year. That took him four years, and he started as a wide receiver, and then he had to move to safety, and then he didn’t even start. Then he started and he won the Bronco Nagurski award. I try to point out, everybody’s journey is different, but there’s things that Joe did intentionally every day to put himself in that position, and that’s the traits that I want to make sure we use as examples for our players.

As a coach, what have you learned about being able to tailor things to — you mention every kid’s going to be different, and you have 85 kids on the roster, and if each one’s different, what is the challenge as a coach to making sure that each one of them gets what they need individually, while also considering, obviously, what you have to do as a team?

Yeah, I think no matter where you come from, the example you’ve had in your life, there’s still daily actions and choices that you have to make if you want to be great right now. I tell it all the time, you have an option to choose easy, choose hard, but your choices reflect what you value and it’s important that they understand those things. Then I think you have to be able to pour into them as an individual, to continue to earn their trust and develop that connection that I think a great leader must have with their players and their young people. But we have a great coaching staff that does a great job of pouring into their room, right? You have a head coach that’s, really, in front of 120 players, and then you have position coaches that, from anywhere from 10 to 15 guys, they’re responsible for. And so it’s important that every person pours into the individual, because they’re all different. They learn different, they perform different. Their talent level is different. So in order for them to trust you, they have to know you care about them, right? It’s so important. But they also have to be challenged, and that’s where you have to challenge them every day you’re with them and to really make the choice to do the things that it takes to be great.

You’ve gone through the process of going from position coach, coordinator, now head coach. And in the trailer it talks about how being the head coach at Notre Dame is such a unique job. And for you, what has been the biggest adjustment that you had to make that was either surprising or just took the most effort on on your part in adapting and going from coordinator to head coach?

I think that you have to be able to spend time where it’s truly needed, and you don’t know where it’s going to be truly needed every single day, right? That’s your job, is to be a master observer and know where you need to spend time. What areas need your attention and focus? And I think that’s probably something I’ve learned more anything, is that you can’t just worry about football, X’s and O’s, 24/7. That is such a major part of being a college football coach. But as a head coach, you have to make sure that every department and every part of your organization is truly functioning at its highest level. And I think that’s the thing that I’ve learned more than anything, is to spend time and to recognize what needs your attention. You have to be a master observer. You have to be able to see everything from a 500 level.

This will be your second year with a transfer quarterback coming in. What have you learned about Riley Leonard since he’s been in the building that has you particularly excited for for what he’s going to do?

Yeah, I’ve always known the talent he’s had. Obviously, we faced him last year, and you know, you can see the type of football player he was. But what I respect most about Riley is — there’s a couple things. One, he’s an ultimate competitor. He is one of the most competitive people you’ll meet. You’ll talk to him outside a competitive environment, you’re going, ‘Man, this guy is nice, like, is he really a competitor?’ And you see him in a competitive environment, watch out. But he’s also come in just trying to become a great teammate. He’s trying to get to know everybody on the team, spend time with everybody, which gains their trust, and then once you gain their trust, now you lead them. And now he’s becoming a great leader, and he’s doing great things on the field. He’s a very confident but humble individual. He understands he can handle the expectations that other people have, but he understands what’s important to him, and that’s being the best version of him, but also his relationship with God. And you know what? He’s a great example of not letting outside things affect who you are to core your heart

You mentioned the trust piece, and that’s so important for a QB coming in with the players and with the coaching staff. Going through that process with Sam Hartman, is there any way to accelerate that trust with between a quarterback and players, or between a quarterback and the coaching staff that you learned from going through it last year with a new guy?

Yeah, I think more than anything, you got to understand trust takes time, right? And I don’t know if you can accelerate it, but it’s intentional actions that you have to do to earn the trust of others. And that’s what I tell our quarterbacks, any transfer, any of our young guys, like our coaches, trust takes times, and it takes intentional actions to build it. But it’s easily lost. And so it’s a great reminder that you got to value delayed gratification. You got to value that, hey, the actions you’re intentionally putting in to build trust doesn’t build trust immediately. It takes time, and that you can’t rush it. So I think, more than anything, the encouragement of spending time with your teammates, to be intentional on your actions, but understand trust isn’t built in one day.

When you look at the this team as a whole, and know people are going to get a chance with this doc to get to know them as people and not just players, what are some of the things that you hope that not just Notre Dame fans, but anybody that comes in and watches this gets to take away about the young men on this team?

Well, I think you got to respect the work they put in to try to achieve the desired results that they want. They work tirelessly, and you’ll be able to see that when the series comes out, because the cameras are here 24/7, they’re seeing the work they put in, but also a respect for all the other demands they have. In terms of, class is going to start here soon, so now you’re going to be able to say, okay, they have class demands, they have football demands, they have study demands, and they have a life outside of football and school demands. And for them to handle all this is a huge challenge, and that’s where you see the difference between a freshman and somebody that has done it a couple years. There’s a huge difference, right? And the freshmen are trying to figure out. What’s my routine to really produce the results that I want? Whereas some of the older guys are saying, ‘Okay, I have my routine. How do I even make it better?’ The things that guys are worried about in year three or four, totally different than guys in year one. And I think that’s going to be things that you’ll be able to see with the follow doc.

Experience is the best teacher, but as a coach, how do you kind of toe that line of trying to guide guys and keep them from having to make some of the mistakes that others make, and learning those things and learning how to manage the time and the demands?

Well, I think everybody’s different, right? Some people, they have a great foundation through whatever reason, and they come in at a different level than some of the other freshmen. But what you can’t do is get discouraged, because maybe at this point as a freshman, this person’s handled it better and performing better than you are. And so that’s that goes back to that notion of trust your journey, and trust that every journey is different. And when you hear our seniors, we have seniors that give speeches that I’m sure it’s going to be captured on the follow doc. One part of that speech is any advice to the freshmen and to the team, I think all the seniors have a common message to them that time flies, enjoy it. Be intentional about the relationships you’re trying to make and the lessons you want to learn, but understand there will be frustrations. Like, there’s going to be highs, there’s going to be lows. You have to trust your process, and I think it’s important that every freshman understands that.

After various blind taste tests and rankings, we can say with absolute authority that the sweet spot for “good” tequila is around $40. Whether you’re looking for the ideal bottle for shots, a great foundation for your cocktails, or something worthy of the slow sip treatment, at this price point you can find a great bottle of tequila that fits your needs.

But just because that’s the sweet spot, doesn’t mean more expensive tequilas aren’t worth the price.

There is a reason hardcore tequila fans love these pricier bottles, and it’s not just about being snobby about an additive-free small-batch bottle over something mass-produced and more readily available. There is depth and nuance to these more expensive bottles that someone with a well-experienced palate can appreciate. But that has us wondering — how noticeable are these nuances?

So we put bottles that hover around our $40 sweet spot against some high-end bottles that cost double or more than double the price in a blind taste test. Will the expensive bottles outright crush the cheaper stuff? There is only one way to find out!

Methodology:

For this blind taste test, we wanted to keep the flavors as consistent as possible, so we limited our tasting pool to a single expression: blanco. Because blanco tequilas are un-aged, the higher price point is a little bit harder to stomach for some people, and we get that.

It’s easy to accept a higher price tag when you account for aging, but that’s not the case here, so does that high price tag on a blanco really make that much of a difference? Let’s find out together. Here is our tasting class, from cheapest to most expensive:

• Don Julio Blanco
• Nosotros Blanco
• Lunazul Humoso Blanco
• Alma De Jaguar Blanco
• Chrome Horse Society Blanco
• Valor Tequila Blanco
• Cazcanes Blanco No 9
• Cierto Reserve Blanco

We took these bottles, shuffled them around, and took a pour from each in an unmarked glass, jotting down my first impressions of each. Our top choice didn’t shock me, but the overall results did. Let’s get into it.

Part 1: The Affordable And Expensive Blanco Tequila Blind Taste Test

Taste 1:

Nose: Grassy and peppery on the nose. I’m getting a warm and inviting aroma from this one.

Palate: A mix of asparagus, refreshing spearmint and thyme. The herbal qualities really live on the tip of the tongue.

Finish: Floral and sweet with a juicy fruity finish.

Taste 2:

Nose: There is an addicting palpable sweetness on the nose. A nice balance of roasted agave and vanilla with just a hint of cinnamon.

Palate: Spiced chocolate and crispy green pepper. Vegetal and natural, I dig it.

Finish: The finish reminds me a bit of celery. It’s peppery but very crisp and refreshing. I’m also getting some citrus zest on the backend.

Taste 3:

Nose: The nose here is astounding. Compared to Taste 1 and 2 this one really comes alive with sweet floral notes and raw agave. I’m also getting a fruity sweetness here with a nose-tickling quality.

Palate: Rich caramelized agave leads the way, joined by a floral honey sweetness, some minerality with an interesting cheesy funk to it.

Finish: Creamy and smooth with a hint of pineapple, pepper, and a elegant spicy finish.

Taste 4:

Nose: There is a lot of warm agave and vanilla on the nose here, with a nice layer of cinnamon spice.

Palate: Surprisingly smokey! I’m getting a lot of cracked black pepper, tobacco leaf, and earthy minerality on the palate.

Finish: That pepper quality lives on the backend too with a surprisingly dry finish.

Taste 5:

Nose: Juicy and tropical with notes of pineapple, lime rind, and a hint of salt. Has a cocktail vibe to it, I can already tell this would make a great mixer.

Palate: Bright and citrusy with more of that pineapple juiciness mixed with roasted agave.

Finish: Highly peppery on the finish with a bit of minerality.

Taste 6:

Nose: Wow, a lot is going on here. I’m getting agave sweetness, warm chocolate tones, a bit of jasmine, vanilla, and marshmallow.

Palate: A nice mix of spices, heat, black pepper and roasted agave. There is a highly vegetal and earthy vibe here. A nice natural flavor.

Finish: Wonderfully buttery on the finish. It leaves your mouth watering for more as juicy citrus notes rest on the tongue.

Taste 7:

Nose: Rosemary leads the way with some citrus zest and wet earth. Seriously, this stuff smells like a garden that has been hit with fresh rain. Very pleasant.

Palate: Juicy agave sweetness with sea salt, rich earthy tones, and crushed black pepper.

Finish: Citrusy and bright on the backend with some vegetal pepperiness and strong minerality.

Taste 8:

Nose: I’m getting a mix of honey and nail polish. A bit nervous about this one closing the list.

Palate: Surprisingly smooth, especially given the nail polish aroma. I’m getting a lot of vegetal notes with a big dose of smoke.

Finish: Citrus and more smoke. Overall pretty good but flat in comparison to everything else we tasted today.

Part 2: The Affordable And Expensive Blanco Tequila Ranking

8. Lunazul — Primero Humoso Blanco (Taste 8)

ABV: 40%
Price: $35.99

The Tequila:

Coming in last place in today’s taste test is Lunazul’s Primero Humoso Blanco. The agave for this tequila is mesquite wood smoked, and you can really taste that smokiness here. Unfortunately, while that is interesting it wasn’t enough to win us over against the more expensive brands.

This tequila is made at NOM 1512, Tierra de Agaves, with agave cooked in an earthen pit (mezcal style), before being roller mill extracted and twice distilled in a stainless pot with copper coil.

The Bottom Line:

Smokey and interesting, but not interesting enough to compete with the brands twice the price. Still though, this is a very interesting bottle that can be used as a wonderfully nuanced base in any smokey cocktail recipe.

7. Nosotros Tequila Blanco (Taste 1)

ABV: 40%
Price: $35.59

The Tequila:

I almost feel bad for ranking this tequila so low because for the price, you get a lot of great quality here, and it tastes great! But this is the way the cards fell. This additive-free tequila is produced at NOM 1438, Destiladora del Valle de Tequila, from a mix of lowland and highland agave.

It is an award-winning tequila, garnering Double Gold recognition from the San Francisco World Spirits Competition.

The Bottom Line:

A wonderful additive-free tequila with a grassy vibe and juicy fruity finish. But there are better-tasting bottles here.

6. Chrome Horse Society Blanco (Taste 4)

ABV: 40%
Price: $75.49

The Tequila:

There isn’t a whole lot of information about Chrome Horse Society outside of its own website, which we don’t love. According to the site, this additive-free tequila (not confirmed by a third party) is made from blue weber agave harvested between 6-8 years.

We couldn’t find anything about the cooking process, other than the tequila is distilled through copper-plated column stills. Lack of transparency aside, the liquid tasted pretty good but wasn’t able to compete with a majority of the other bottles in this taste test.

The Bottom Line:

Peppery and dry, a very crisp blanco tequila. But for the price, we’d have higher expectations than what is on offer.

5. Alma del Jaguar Tequila Blanco (Taste 5)

ABV: 40%
Price: $47.99

The Tequila:

Produced at NOM 1414, Feliciano Vivanco y Asociados, where 38 other brands are produced, Alma del Jaguar is a fairly new brand on my radar. This is a brand that has consistently surprised me this year. This stuff is pretty great.

The agave here is cooked low and slow in stone ovens before being roller mill extracted, mixed with well water and fermented in open-air stainless steel tanks before being twice distilled through a copper pot. It is certified additive-free by Tequila Matchmaker.

The Bottom Line:

Peppery and mineral rich. A wonderful clean tasting blanco tequila.

4. Don Julio Blanco (Taste 2)

ABV: 40%
Price: $34.49

The Tequila:

Don Julio blanco is one of the most readily available tequilas on the market. This stuff is pretty much everywhere, and given just how great it tastes, that’s pretty amazing.

This tequila is made from 100% blue agave at NOM 1449, cooked in stone brick ovens, roller mill extracted, and fermented in stainless steel tanks.

The Bottom Line:

Always solid, Don Julio blanco is one of the best blanco tequilas you can find in its price range, and it holds up pretty well against bottles twice its price.

3. Cierto Reserve Collection Blanco (Taste 3)

ABV: 40%
Price: $129

The Tequila:

This was one of the biggest surprises in this blind taste test. Cierto Reserve is a premium tequila, coming in at over $100 for a single bottle. And yet, it didn’t top our ranking, which is an indication that price isn’t everything.

That isn’t to say this tequila isn’t wonderful. It’s straight-up amazing. Produced at NOM 1146, the legendary Tequileña, the agave here is cooked in a low-pressure autoclave with the juices extracted via a roller mill. After being mixed with spring water, the tequila is fermented in open-air stainless steel tanks and twice distiller through a copper pot.

The tequila is certified additive-free by Tequila Matchmaker.

The Bottom Line:

A fantastically creamy and smooth luxury tequila. A nice mix of juicy fruit tones and elegant spices.

2. Cazcanes Blanco No. 9 (Taste 6)

ABV: 50%
Price: $91.99

The Tequila:

Now that I know Taste 6 was Cazcanes Blanco No. 9, its highly vegetal flavor and mouth-watering buttery finish make sense. This is a high-proof tequila that smacks your palate with flavor.

It is produced at NOM 1614, Tequilera Tap, from agave that is cooked in a low pressure autoclave, roller mill extracted, and mixed with natural spring water. It is then fermented in stainless steel tanks and twice distilled through a stainless pot with a copper coil.

It is certified additive-free by Tequila Matchmaker.

The Bottom Line:

Highly vegetal, mineral-rich, and buttery, this is a fantastic high proof blanco tequila that deserves to be experienced.

1. Valor Spirits Blanco (Taste 7)

ABV: 42%
Price: $78.99

The Tequila:

Valor has proven itself to be one of my favorite tequilas this year, so it comes as no surprise to see it place so highly in this blind taste test. This additive-free tequila is produced at NOM 1599, Familia Landeros, from agave cooked in a low-pressure autoclave, roller mill extracted, mixed with well water, and twice distilled through a stainless steel pot.

From nose to palate, to finish, this one made an impression and took me on a journey. That’s what I look for in a great tequila.

The Bottom Line:

Valor offers a truly wonderful slow-sipping experience. This is one of the finest blanco tequilas you’ll ever drink and was the obvious standout in this blind taste test.

The Big Takeaway

Our big takeaway from this blind taste test is that yes, the more expensive tequilas taste a bit better, but not always! The most surprising thing to note is that flavor and quality don’t always follow a parallel line with price.

Our favorite tequila of this blind taste test wasn’t the most expensive bottle, nor was it the second most expensive bottle. While the pricier bottles will offer a better experience, I’d say the experience offered by every bottle in this blind taste was worthy of revisiting. And that’s exciting for tequila fans of every budget.

Netflix is not only the place where “concluded” shows go to find new life with a binge-happy audience and receive spin offs or get inexplicably resurrected. The streaming service is also where feature films of book adaptations get left in the dust when a series unlocks the full power of the source material. Such is the case for The Lincoln Lawyer, which will soon return for a third season and further eclipse the 2011 Matthew McConaughey movie. The show’s initial outing took over Nielsen streaming charts, and this series trounced The Witcher with a second season of the new Mickey Haller’s backseat manner.

No offense to McConaughey, but Manuel Garcia-Rulfo is the Mickey Haller of television, and viewers have watched this iconoclastic lawyer expand his professional settings as his practice progresses through Michael Connelly’s same-named book series. Let’s talk about what Mickey will do now.

Plot

LA’s most sensational defense attorney will begin a third season based upon Connelly’s fifth The Lincoln Lawyer book, The Gods of Guilt. As executive producer Ross Fineman hinted following the second season finale, Mickey will go up against “the toughest case he’s ever had,” and “and there’s a nagging sense that he might have been responsible in some way.” That suggests a shattering response to Mickey (in the book) receiving a “187” text message referring to the California penal code for murder. The victim will apparently be somebody that Mickey knows and has previously helped as a client.

As written by Connelly, the circumstances of the murder could actually be roundabout-connected to Mickey through “the ghosts of his past,” suggesting that he contributed to fatal circumstances through these connections. This, of course, sounds murky as can be, plotwise, but the narrative should propel a case through Mickey’s internal battlefield, which leads to the question of whether this case will be his downfall or a form of redemption. We’ll have to wait and see whether the show takes the same route, but the second season did end with Mickey learning of Glory Days’ death.

Of equal (or potentially even greater) interest to viewers is how much of Neve Campbell’s character, Maggie ^^^ (Mickey’s ex wife), will be in this season. As reported a year ago, Campbell was downgraded from series regular since her character does not substantially figure into The Gods Of Guilt book. As well, the show has already seen Maggie move to a different city for a new job, but she will appear somehow. Netflix did provide the above still as proof.

How much of Maggie will we see, and in what context? There were previous suggestions that this wouldn’t simply be a goodbye hug — which honestly could feel “off” considering that Mickey will be embroiled in a consuming case that could make or break his career — and Netflix’s Tudum blog let slip (about a year ago) that Maggie’s scenes will deliver “some insight into how Mickey Haller became Mickey Haller — not just the brilliant criminal defense lawyer, but the husband, the father, and the man that he would come to be” as well as “propel us into the rest of Season 3.” So, perhaps we see Maggie in the present, but it sounds more likely that we’ll see more of her from Mickey’s past. This could provide some important context on how he carries himself in this do-or-die case.

Cast

If you’re reading this, you know that Manuel Garcia-Ruflo has grabbed onto the Mickey Haller with McConaughey being an essential but distant memory. As already mentioned, Neve Campbell will also return in some way. Other returning cast members include Becki Newton (Lorna), Yaya DaCosta (Andrea), Jazz Raycole (Izzy), and Angus Sampson (Cisco), and Jon Tenney (Mickey Haller, Sr.). Other recurring faces include Fiona Rene (Glory Days), Elliott Gould (Legal Siegal), Krista Warner (Hayley), and Devon Graye (Julian La Cosse),

New cast additions include Michael Kirby (Mayans M.C.) as DEA Agent James De Marco. Don’t plan on seeing him become good friends with Mickey. Wolé Parks steps in as defendant David Lyons, and Maisie Klompus will portray witness Annabeth Stephens. New roles will also be portrayed by Allyn Moriyon, John Pirruccello, Merrin Dungey, and Philip Anthony-Rodriguez.

Release Date

The crowd-pleasing Netflix series will return on October 17, which keeps the show pretty darn close to a yearly release schedule again.

Trailer

Although Netflix hasn’t delivered a trailer yet, the show’s announcement teaser will do for now:

In his own words, Lil Yachty has had enough. Over the past few weeks, the “Sorry Not Sorry” rapper found himself in the focus of a public hate train. From backlash over his uncleared Mr. Hotspot sample usage and regrets over speaking on Drake & Kendrick Lamar’s beef to Karrahbooo leaving Concrete Boys, Yachty hasn’t left Twitter’s (currrently X) trending topics list.

Unfortunately, today (August 23) that won’t change as Lil Yachty seemingly suggested that he’s canceling his podcast, A Safe Place. Yesterday (August 22), during an Instagram livestream, Lil Yachty revealed that he and co-host Mitch weren’t in a good place after their interview with Key Glock, which was intensified when a viral tweet (viewable here) hinted at friction in their friendship.

“Y’all talking about Lil Yachty disrespecting his friend in front of Key Glock,” he said. “I didn’t even want to do a podcast bruh.”

He went on to say it was Mitch who presented the idea of “doing something in life,” to which Lil Yachty answered by helping to build him a platform starting with a podcast.

But that seems to be over as he yelled: “F*ck you and the podcast.”

Like thousands of users Mitch watched that video (viewable here here) and took to his X page to respond but to defend Yachty.

“Please don’t let that clip misguide you,” he wrote. “It doesn’t represent me and Yachty’s friendship at all. We joke around pretty harsh sometimes too much fr sometimes but irl it’s nothing but respect and love. I can’t even get on here and act like it’s not.”

He also shut down rumors of Yachty supposedly stealing money from him. “If you don’t hear it from me it’s not true,” he wrote. “Bro never stole from me and we don’t have no shady history or anything along that nature so that’s cap.”

The future of A Safe Place podcast is unclear. However, Mitch won’t be waiting around either. He shared that he is ready to launch a new project.

“I’m dead,” he wrote. “The next podcast will be epic ion even think we need a guest this time lol. see ya around.”

Don’t push play on Doechii‘s new single “Boom Bap” expecting its content to match its title. Instead of employing a Pete Rock-esque, jazz-and-breakbeat-sampling instrumental and spitting cerebral battle raps full of witty double entendres, the Florida native instead lampoons such expectations with a jokey, largely improvised vocal performance, scatting and freestyling her way through repeated chants of the title. It’s a wink at the reputation of her label, Top Dawg Entertainment, which for the past decade was largely defined by its roster of heady rappers like Ab-Soul, Isaiah Rashad, and Kendrick Lamar, as well as production that favored ’90s-era styles.

Doechii, however, has done things differently since her first-ever single for the label, “Persuasive,” which employed house production and set her apart from her labelmates in some important ways (she’s also the only woman rapper signed to the label, although SZA’s pen skills have been praised as being very rapper-like). She returned to that style on recent single “Alter Ego” with JT of City Girls, putting her in conflict with Azealia Banks, but further establishing that she’s willing to do things her own way.

“Boom Bap” is due to appear on Doechii’s debut TDE mixtape, Alligator Bites Never Heal, which is due on August 30. You can find more information here.

“I am my own validation. I am my only validation,” Taylor Tookes tweets just a few short weeks before New York Fashion Week. During her interview with UPROXX, she tells me she has plans for this years NYFW, but they’re under wraps at the moment. “I don’t know if I’m allowed, but I do have some things going on,” she laughs. “I don’t know if I can say with who.”

The 5’1” model and accidental manifestation coach (more on that later) has garnered an online following by showing people in real time how she’s created the reality of her dreams. She’s walked in a fashion show for Vans, graced the cover of Grazia, and is the first petite Black model to walk in NYFW history. These are massive feats for anyone but are made even more spectacular when you think of Tookes — a pint-sized Black woman taking up a space that once was saved for the Kate Spades of the world.

Tookes started modeling in 2020 and was quickly signed with an agency. However, not long after they stopped submitting her for jobs, citing her petite stature would only land her print and commercial campaigns. That’s when she decided to book her own work, applying to modeling jobs without help from the agency and ignoring naysayers who tried to keep her boxed in based on her height.

Not only has Tookes used her strategic positive thinking to create her own success, she’s now been passing it on through Height Revolution, an organization meant to advocate for the overdue inclusion of petite women in the fashion industry.

Tookes has also gathered a party of 35k followers on Twitter who read her tweets on the Law of Assumption — a manifestation-based belief system that your thoughts, what you believe and admit, manifest into reality. Unlike the countless TikTok and Twitter accounts pushing magical techniques (i.e. writing something down multiple times, drinking energetic water, etc.) to manifest, Tookes simply teaches that if “you think as if you already have what you want and don’t think against it,” it will become part of your reality.

Below, Tookes talk to UPROXX about creating the life of her dreams, breaking the glass ceiling as a petite Black model, and her plans for Height Revolution.

I started following you online for your manifestation content but then saw that you’d started an organization for petite models and I thought that was incredible. I’d love to touch on both aspects, but first, I want to discuss how your journey led you to becoming an entrepreneur.

I don’t know if I should call myself an entrepreneur. People do call me that, and I did create Height Revolution. It’s an Instagram community and organization for short women in fashion. It was basically a shower thought. I was so fed up. I saw some posts, the usual from an agency or casting call, that was like, “We’re scouting new faces, women 5’9” and up.” And I just got so fed up with that. I was like, absolutely not! No one’s using their voice continuously to speak out for shorter women. So if no one’s going to do it, then I’ll do it. I knew I wasn’t the only person who felt that way. I reached out to other models and said, “Hey, I’m doing Heart Revolution if you wanna join me.” Two voices are more powerful than one, three are more powerful than two. Two girls reached out and became co-founders. My current co-founder is Marissa Rose she’s 4’11” and the other one’s name is Faith Chan — she was a founder but she had to step away because she got very busy. It was the three of us. And it’s for women in the fashion industry. We’re advocating for them to have their rightful place in the industry because it’s 2024, and I feel like it’s time.

I know you were modeling and had a contract before Height Revolution. What was that experience like? And what was it about it that made you want to solve for the problem you were experiencing as a petite model?

I was modeling since I was 16, but I wasn’t taking it seriously because to be very real with you, I just didn’t care about anything at that age. I just wanted to be on my phone. Then when I was 20 or 21, during Covid, I started putting myself out there and started taking portfolio pictures and posting them on Instagram. I started getting noticed by big agencies, like Elite Modeling Agency commented on my picture and was like, “Wow, amazing. DM us to be scouted.” Then there was Wilhelmina … there were all of these huge agencies [reaching out] so I was like, I can totally do this. Then in 2022, there was an opportunity to walk in New York Fashion Week. It just fell into my lap. I didn’t know that I would ever walk in New York Fashion Week, but it was presented to me and I was like, sure. Mind you, I had no idea at the time until I finished that I would be the first Black short model to walk New York Fashion Week for the first petite brand to showcase ever in New York Fashion Week history. So, that aligned with what I wanted for myself.

How did it feel to know that you were the first Black petite model to walk in fashion week?

It’s a lot to carry, but it’s an achievement.

What were some of the biggest moments you’ve had so far. Moments when you realized that you were creating what you wanted in your career?

Probably when I first saw myself on Elle, Marie Claire, and Harper’s Bizarre. It wasn’t on the cover, but it was like on the website, and it was just of me walking, and I was like, Wait, I’ve never done this before. I’ve walked many shows before, but I was never published in something like that. So I was like, Oh my God, this is actually real life. And It gave me a lot of credibility. The same people who wanted nothing to do with me before because I was 5”1’ model, suddenly were all over me on my Instagram page and my DMs like, “Oh my goodness, I didn’t know that you were on Harper’s Bizarre. I didn’t know that you were in Elle didn’t know you walked New York Fashion Week.” And they were just like, “Do you wanna work together now?” I was still going to castings after that, like Miami Swim Week castings and New York Fashion Week. And I got recognized and people knew me and it was shocking because I’m not this big-time celebrity yet. They’re like, yeah, I love Height Revolution. I love what you’re doing.

I saw on your feed that people have questioned your success and questioned how it came about. Some people doubt your cover stories. How did you deal with those accusations?

It’s annoying. I just feel like it’s disrespectful because I’ve put a lot of work even aside from creating my reality and creating these opportunities. I was absolutely working toward becoming a known short model and putting short models into the spotlight. That’s all I’ve wanted to do. It just so happened that this is how it’s going down. I think InStyle was my first ever cover for a high fashion magazine and I do remember when Pop Crave tweeted that about me. People were like, “Oh, well she bought the cover or she just knows people!” And it’s like, well, no, that’s not how that works. That’s not how I work. It’s very annoying because they did reach out to me, and I think it was New York Fashion Week that put me on their radar, put me on Harper’s Bazaar radar, put me on Grazia’s Radar and they were like, “Hey, we love what you’re doing. Would you like to be on the cover of this magazine?” I’m not gonna say no.

Before we get into your beliefs on mindset, I’d love to talk about how you ignore the outer voices. It can’t be easy to go first or to go into rooms where they’ve said you’re not tall enough but you still do. How do you do that so confidently?

To be very real with you I think not caring is a superpower. I have absolutely never cared what anyone had to say about me. I think it comes from being raised by two very strong parents. I walk into a room where they’ve said you have to be 5’9” and up to be cast. And I’d go anyway because I don’t care. And I end up getting casted. You just gotta not care. Really standing firm on what you want and really not letting anyone else outside of you tell you you can’t do this or, it’s not your time yet or this isn’t for you. It’s like, Well, you don’t know me and you’re not the creator here. You don’t run my reality. I just put myself in that position knowing this is mine. I know I want this, and I know it’s meant for me. I know I’m gonna get this. And I just go in with that confident mindset, and it works for me every time.

What advice would you give to others who want to manifest the life of their dreams?

You can’t really serve two masters. You can’t be like, “Oh I’m, I’m the most famous supermodel in the world. Everyone loves me, I have millions of fans!” And then the very next minute you’re like, “Where are my fans? Why isn’t it picking up?” That’s just one major common theme. The second one is that they just don’t believe in themselves. I feel like they don’t actually think that they are a creator of their reality, or they can create this, or good things can happen to them, or they think it’s too good to be true. So getting past all of that … I’ve been there too, but getting past all of that, you’ll become unstoppable.

People overcomplicate it. Literally, if you want to speak in simple terms and just tell someone like they’re five years old, the only thing I would say is to think as if you already have what you want and don’t think against it. That’s literally it.

And what about more practical, day-to-day advice? On going into those rooms without worrying about rejection — what’s your advice for pushing towards what you want?

If you really feel pulled toward a job or if you really feel pulled toward an aspiration, then I think that you are absolutely meant to do that and that’s absolutely meant to be your calling. You should take that in and really tell yourself that because that changes everything when you tell yourself, I’m meant to be this, I’m meant to be here. It’ll automatically just dissolve all of the [feelings of]l I don’t belong here or am I really fit to be here or everyone elset. It doesn’t matter anymore because you know that this is meant for you and this is what you’re supposed to be doing. So when you really know that about yourself, and even if you don’t truly know it, you just keep telling yourself that anyway. You’ll feel this random surge of confidence such as, “Well I don’t care if I’m Black and everyone else is white, or I don’t care if I’m 5’1” and everyone else in the room is 5’ 11” and up. It doesn’t matter because I know I’m meant to be here, and I’m meant to create the space for other people as well. It’s also knowing that this world is so diverse. To tell someone that they’re not meant to be a room just makes someone sound insane.

What are your next goals for Height Revolution?

We want to make it into an agency specifically for short women, but also specifically for people of color who are short. In the past there were a few short models who were assigned to major agencies like IMG,Wilhelmina, but they all had one thing in common and they were all white, and they were all blonde with blue eyes. There have been times where there were petite models but they weren’t diverse. I want to spread the word that yes, petite models are a thing, but we’re not only white. We’re also Black, we’re also Indian, we’re also Chinese, Korean, Japanese, Hispanic, we’re everything. There’s short girls everywhere. The average height in the entire world of women is 5’3”. So, just to represent the small, very tiny portion of women who are white, blonde hair, blue eyes is ridiculous. I am definitely speaking out more for people of color who are short and creating that space for them and creating opportunities for them. I’m also working on collaborating with a few agencies and designer brands who don’t have this prejudice against short models and creating something special with them as well.