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It’s Latto’s world, we’re just living in it. What could make a hyperbolic statement like that more true than working with a legend like Mariah Carey? Ever since she released “Big Energy,” Latto has had a kind of energy behind her that far outpaces her popularity with the hip-hop crowd — this is a bonafide R&B/pop hit. So it only makes sense that after a few weeks of teasing the “Big Energy” remix feature, it’d turn out to be none other than Mimi herself.

Since Latto’s fans are just as thrilled about her working with an icon as she is, a mini Q&A about the process erupted on Twitter last night when the song was released at midnight. Sure, plenty of people were still focused on Will Smith’s altercation with Chris Rock at the Oscars, but Latto had fans had their priorities right: Asking the Atlanta rapper what the best part of working with Mimi herself was.

The best part? Latto’s all caps response: “HEARING HER HIT THAT HIGH NOTE IN PERSON!!!!”

As far as how the session went down, and what it was like meeting Mariah, Latto said she eventually got over her nerves because Mariah was “so genuine.” “I was sooooo nervous I was like what I say y’all lol but the conversation just floweddd she was so genuine and I definitely was overthinking,” the rapper wrote on Twitter. “We was sipping on her liquor Black Irish & just kicking it fr.”

Though at first they were such an over-the-top couple, fans were skeptical if it was real, now that Shawn Mendes and Camila Cabello have broken up, both of them seem genuinely sad over the split. Mendes even went so far as to open up about his heartbreak following the split, contemplating how much harder it is to cope with the aftermath of a breakup than the decision to split itself.

After the pair first announced their breakup in November, Mendes quickly followed the news up with a new single, the tender but hopeful “It’ll Be Okay.” Then, it was Camila season, as she was busy announcing the release of her third album, Familia, and sharing the Ed Sheeran collab, “Bam Bam.” That project will come out in just a few days, on April 8, but in the meantime, Shawn is back to teasing his own new music.

Though he’s already alluded to his next single, “When You’re Gone,” before, tonight he shared an actual clip of the song, along with a cute video of himself moondancing to it — or, well, attempting to moondance to it. Surprisingly, given the subject matter, the song sounds pretty upbeat. Check out the snippet below and look for this new single dropping on March 31.

Top-seed NC State and 2-seed UConn met on Monday night in Bridgeport, CT for an Elite Eight matchup that became an instant classic, as the first time in women’s tournament history that a game in the Elite Eight or later needed double overtime to decide things.

It was a tense, tight game throughout as both teams traded blows and runs, and in the fourth quarter each team held small leads — NC State’s 4-point advantage was the biggest of the final quarter — in what was a sensational battle.

Defense carried both teams down the stretch, as Elissa Cunane’s layup to tie the game at 61-61 with just over a minute to go was the final score of regulation. Olivia Nelson-Ododa missed a pair of go-ahead free throws with just under 30 seconds to go, and on the other end, the Wolfpack dribbled the clock down to inside 6 seconds before starting a play, which ended in a contested Kai Crutchfield three from well beyond the arc that missed everything, sending the game to overtime.

In the first overtime period both offenses came alive in a shot-making display that was nothing short of sensational. Both teams found big buckets and after scratchy free throw shooting in regulation, were lights out in the extra frame. Ultimately, UConn found itself up three after a pair of Paige Bueckers free throws with six seconds to play, and NC State called a timeout to draw up a three-pointer to tie.

Raina Perez took the inbounds pass and waited for Jakia Brown-Turner to go from where she inbounded on the sideline to the right corner and flung a perfect pass over the Huskies defense to set up an incredible game-tying three.

After the pandemonium of that moment, it was a matter of who would be able to settle themselves down in double overtime, and it was UConn that took control immediately thanks to a pair of buckets from Bueckers. The Paige barrage came first on a top of the key three and then on an elbow pull-up, both times taking advantage of NC State going under the screener.

The Huskies would hold onto the lead throughout double overtime despite the best efforts of the Wolfpack, who kept things close thanks to timely buckets from Crutchfield and Cunane, but could never get the string of stops and scores they needed to seize control from the Huskies. Every time NC State cut the lead to one possession, UConn had the answer, like this Aaliyah Edwards putback.

Eventually, UConn had the ball and advanced it up the floor with 10 seconds to play (with NC State also questionably burning their last timeout), and the Wolfpack seemed desperate not to foul Azzi Fudd, which allowed the Huskies to put the game on ice with two quick passes to set up Christyn Williams at the rim.

It was a sensational performance from UConn’s stars, as Fudd had 19 points, Williams had 21, and Bueckers led all scorers with 27 thanks to her overtime takeover. On the other side, Cunane had 18 points and nine boards, Brown-Turner had 20 points, eight boards, and five assists, and three others reached double figures, but it just wasn’t quite enough for NC State to reach the Final Four.

The Huskies will make a familiar trip to Minneapolis for the festivities where they’ll play Stanford in the national semifinal in another heavyweight matchup.

Yes, paying $150 for a bottle of bourbon whiskey is a little wild. You can easily get a case of perfectly fine bourbon for that price. But that’s not really the point. Whiskey at this price point isn’t about practicality. This is about finding something unique, limited, and maybe even collectible.

For this ranking, I reached into my tasting notes and pulled out ten bottles of bourbon whiskey that I think are actually worth spending a little extra cash on. These bottles are special — from top to bottom. I still ranked them though, according to my palate and how quick I’d be to throw down this amount of money on them. Look at it this way, I keep the top five bottles open on my own shelf. The rest are all bottles I respect and would never turn down a pour of but am not going to go out of my way to collect. That said, maybe the tasting notes will speak to you — we all have different palates.

These are all pretty easy to find (if not afford) if you’re willing to do some sleuthing around whiskey shops and online. Let’s dive in!

Also Read: The Top 5 UPROXX Bourbon Posts Of The Last Six Months

• The Single Best Bottle Of Whiskey From Each Of The 50 States
• The 50 Best Bourbon Whiskeys Of 2021, Ranked
• Every Winning Bourbon From Our 2021 Taste Tests, Blind Tasted And Re-Ranked
• The Best Value-Per-Dollar Bourbon Whiskeys, Ranked
• The 100 Best Whiskeys Our Head Drinks Writer Tasted In 2021

10. Orphan Barrel Copper Tongue Aged 16 Years

ABV: 44.9%

Average Price: $135

The Whiskey:

This release from Diageo’s Orphan Barrel program is from Cascade Hollow Distilling Co., better known as George Dickel. The juice is a marrying of two 16-year-old bourbon barrels that were hand-selected by Dickel Master Distiller Nicole Austin. The ABVs are very low for a “barrel-proof” bourbon.

Tasting Notes:

This opens with a hint of buttery cornbread that immediately veers into cinnamon apple crackers in an old leather tobacco pouch. There’s a mild sense of eggnog spices next to vanilla cream with a clear note of old, musty cellar beams leading back to that warm tobacco chew.

Bottom Line:

This is one of those bottles that’s both “nice” and unique. This is a one-off, so there is a small collectibility factor at play (but don’t that price to skyrocket anytime soon). Overall, this is just an easy pour of something we might not ever see again.

9. Saint Cloud 7 Year Single Barrel

ABV: 61.2%

Average Price: $150

The Whiskey:

This is a fascinating mix of sourced bourbon and good marketing. At seven years, it’s pretty young for such a pricy bourbon. The juice is hand-selected barrels that meet the specific taste and texture requirements of Saint Cloud’s team. That whiskey is then bottled at barrel strength with no other fussing, giving you a single barrel experience that’s one-of-a-kind.

Tasting Notes:

You’re drawn in with a white cake slathered in buttery vanilla frosting next to a salted caramel waxy wrapper vibe. The palate is subtle, with hints of darkly roasted coffee beans covered in equally dark chocolate next to marzipan, light spices, and a touch of soft and maybe wet cedar. The end holds onto the spices (think clove and cinnamon) as a touch of dried apricot and dried cedar slowly fades towards a velvet-yet-warming end.

Bottom Line:

There’s a classic sense of barrel aging, buttery sweetness, and stone fruit at play. While this works as a great sipper (especially on a rock), it really feels more like a great cocktail base for a Manhattan than anything else.

8. Cream of Kentucky 11.5 Year Old

ABV: 51%

Average Price: $150

The Whiskey:

This whiskey is part of the bespoke sourced line from bourbon legend Jim Rutledge. Rutledge spent 21 years as the head distiller over at Four Roses, building the worldwide renown that the brand is now known for today. Rutledge is currently sourcing the best barrels he can find to create this throwback brand of whiskey — its labels used to be painted by Norman Rockwell back in the day.

Tasting Notes:

You feel the deep bourbon heritage from the nose through the finish as classic notes of oily vanilla husks, soft cedar, and rich toffee draw you in. The taste holds onto the toffee and vanilla but also veers into sweet cherry with a rush of spice, which is almost like a Cherry Dr. Pepper in the best possible way. A note of bitterness comes in late via a dark chocolate vibe (especially with a drop or two of water) while the silken sip quickly (almost too quickly) fades, leaving you with warm and woody spices.

Bottom Line:

Again, this is classic. But not much more. If you’re looking for a great, old-school bourbon, grab this. Jim Rutledge will not let you down.

7. Kentucky Owl Confiscated

ABV: 48.2%

Average Price: $130

The Whiskey:

Kentucky Owl is another resurrection brand by Master Blender Dixon Dedman (who has since left the brand), the great-great-grandson of the shingle’s original founder. Yes, this is sourced juice from an undisclosed distillery in Kentucky, meaning we don’t know a whole lot of what’s in the bottle, but that leaves the family story and the taste of the whiskey as our only touchstones. And on those two levels, this expression excels.

Tasting Notes:

The sip draws you in with a slight rye note of anise and maybe even licorice next to old cellar oak, vanilla cream, and a touch of ripe cherry. The taste warms on the tongue with dark spices, more of that old oak, and a touch of raw leather. The end is long and touches back on those spices, building a real buzzing on your senses, and hitting back towards that oak and leather, with just a hint of cherry tobacco.

Bottom Line:

The spice and cherry at play on this are very engaging. That said, this feels like it’s more of a cocktail base for a killer Manhattan, Sazerac, or old fashioned.

6. Bardstown Discovery Series #6

ABV: 55.55%

Average Price: $129

The Whiskey:

This limited release is a blend of heavy-hitting bourbons. The lion’s share, 68 percent, is derived from an eleven-year-old Kentucky bourbon that’s made with 75 percent corn, 13 percent rye, and 12 percent malted barley. Another 16 percent comes from a 17-year-old Tennessee whiskey that’s made with 84 percent corn, eight percent rye, and eight percent malted barley. The final 16 percent is a seven-year-old Indiana bourbon made with 75 percent corn, 21 percent rye, and four perfect malted barley.

Tasting Notes:

The age comes through with a big medley of dark cherries sitting in a big cedar bowl with a dark leather jacket imbued with decades of cigarette smoke and perfume next to a hint of dark chocolate orange balls. That orange and dark chocolate drive the taste as the dark cherry becomes brandy-soaked and the cedar feels more like an old cigar humidor full of cigars laced with vanilla, orange, cherry, and chocolate individually, creating a bigger whole on the palate. The finish takes its time as the tobacco spice and fruit slowly fade out, leaving you with a dry woody note and a touch of sweet and buttery toffee.

Bottom Line:

This is a big whiskey with a far-ranging palate. There’s something for everyone in this whiskey. Though, I’d recommend pouring it over a single rock to mute the ABVs a touch and allow the water to let it bloom in the glass.

5. Weller Aged 12 Years

ABV: 45%

Average Price: $150

The Whiskey:

Weller 12 is lovingly referred to as the “Poorman’s Pappy” with good reason. Both whiskeys are made by Buffalo Trace with the same wheated bourbon mash bill. Of course, the barrels are treated differently when it comes to where they are stored and why. But we’re still talking about a very similar product at the end of the day, which also tends to be a bit more accessible, at least for now.

Tasting Notes:

This opens with a sense of vanilla pods coming to life in a hot pan next to light orange oil-infused marzipan, a touch of sweet corn, and a whisper of musty oak. The palate holds onto the orange and almond as it dries out towards a cedar box and vanilla tobacco chew with a mild sense of dry spices. The end is long-ish and touches on the wood, orange oils, spice, and nuttiness, leaving you warmed with that classic Kentucky Hug.

Bottom Line:

This is almost annoyingly easy to drink. You want to deny the hype around this bottle, but the flavor delivers. It’s so well-rounded that you’ll be hard-pressed to find any faults neat, on the rocks, or in a cocktail.

4. Joseph A. Magnus Cigar Blend Bourbon

ABV: 50.35%

Average Price: $150

The Whiskey:

This sourced bourbon is built from eleven and 18-year-old bourbons. The real star of the show with this whiskey is that those bourbons were finished in Armagnac, Cognac, and sherry casks before vatting and bottling as-is.

Tasting Notes:

This opens with sticky toffee pudding that really amps up the cinnamon and nutmeg next to black-tea-soaked dates next to some stewed prunes wrapped in chili-chocolate-laced tobacco leaves and dripped in honey and then walnuts. A savory fruitiness opens the palate with figs and pumpkin that leads towards an apricot jam with a hint of clove and cinnamon next to light touches of old library leather and funk. A faint hint of dark berries arrives on the mid-palate before the finish luxuriates in burnt toffee, almond shells, more of that leather, and dried-out apricots.

Bottom Line:

This wins big points for going somewhere bold and new in its flavor profile. It’s a killer neat pour that blooms beautifully with a little water or a rock in the glass. Take your time with this one, you’ll be rewarded for the effort.

3. Knob Creek 25th Anniversary

ABV: 61.05%

Average Price: $150

The Whiskey:

This is a very rare release from Beam. The expression was first released in 2017 to celebrate the premium brand’s 25th anniversary. The juice is a single barrel that’s between 12 and 13 years old and barreled as cask strength with zero fuss.

Tasting Notes:

This is bourbon with a capital “B” from top to bottom, with a nose full of oily and rich vanilla next to salted and almost smoky caramel kettle corn, a hint of dry oak, and very mild cherry tobacco. That cherry tobacco carries the taste of holiday spices, creamy vanilla pudding, and an underbelly of buttery toffee. The end is long and amps up the spices towards Red Hots territory as the tobacco chew kicks up next to an almost cedar note, leaving you really buzzing on the tongue and across your senses.

Bottom Line:

This is quintessential “good stuff.” There are no rough edges on this bourbon. It’s just a soft and flavor ride from beginning to end. There’s also a small collectible factor at play with this one as well. But I’d argue, that these are meant to be enjoyed and not squirreled away in a vault.

2. Garrison Brothers Guadalupe

ABV: 53.5%

Average Price: $150

The Whiskey:

This whiskey is hewn from 90 30-gallon barrels of four-year-old bourbon that were transferred into 26 59-gallon Tawny Port casks for a final maturation of nearly two years. That juice was then bottled with a touch of water added.

Tasting Notes:

The nose on this bursts with raspberry, blackberry, redcurrant, and blueberry, all stewed with plenty of holiday spices and folded into a cobbler topped with dense buttery buttermilk biscuits. The palate leans into the spice with a focus on clove, nutmeg, and a very small whisper of anise as the berry turns more towards a fresh strawberry with dark chocolate-covered espresso beans chiming in on the mid-palate. That chocolate-bitter vibe drives towards a finish full of cinnamon-spiked dark chocolate tobacco leaves, stewed plums, and a dollop of floral honey.

Bottom Line:

This is a berry bomb that works wonders. This is also a bottle that’ll be hard not to kill as soon as you open it with a few friends — it’s that good.

1. Peerless Double Oak Bourbon

ABV: 53.55%

Average Price: $134

The Whiskey:

The whiskey is around five to six years old and comes from one barrel that lets the grains shine through before it goes into another barrel that lets the oak shine through. That final barrel is bottled at cask strength, as is.

Tasting Notes:

This opens with a nose full of salted butter next to hints of very soft leather, light notes of vanilla bean, a touch of toffee sweetness, and freshly cracked walnuts with a dry edge. The taste leans into that oak barrel with dashes of woody spices (think allspice berries, star anise, and cinnamon sticks), dry cherry tobacco leaves, salted caramel, and more of that super soft leather. That leads towards a mid-palate of dark red fruits stewed in mulled wine spices and cut with a dollop of fresh honey before the (long) finish dries out towards an old wicker chair, a very distinct hint of a cellar funk, and a touch of dried mint.

Bottom Line:

This feels both classic and unique while offering a warming comfort. All of those are nice things to get from a sip of bourbon. Overall, this is the most solid sipper on the list with the most refined depth. It’s really hard not to fall in love with this one.

The Cleveland Cavaliers are already without Jarrett Allen due to a broken finger, and they may now be without star rookie Evan Mobley too.

During the second quarter of the Cavs’ Monday night home against the Orlando Magic, Mobley landed on Orlando’s Franz Wagner and rolled his left ankle. He immediately say down on the floor and went back to the locker room with the Cavs’ medical staff. At half time, the team ruled him out for the remainder of the game with a left ankle sprain.

Kevin Love started the second half in Mobley’s place and Moses Brown, signed to a 10-day deal with Cleveland, also saw minutes with Mobley out. At the time of his injury, Mobley had scored 6 points to go along with 3 rebounds and 1 assist in 13 minutes.

If Mobley is out beyond the rest of this game, it will be a significant deal for the Cavs as they look to finish among the Eastern Conference’s top-six and out of the play-in tournament. With Allen also out, the Cavs would be without the two players who form the backbone of their defense that has been the team’s identity this season. As a result, their odds of avoiding the play-in tournament would take a significant hit if Mobley’s injury is serious. Cleveland entered Monday night as the seventh seed in the East, a game behind the Toronto Raptors, with just eight games left for each team.

Chris Rock wasn’t the only casualty of Will Smith’s rage at Sunday night’s Oscars ceremony. Sure, it was Rock’s face that absorbed the power of Smith’s smack after the comedian made a joke about the King Richard star’s wife, Jada Pinkett Smith. But the confusion that ensued in the moments following the unexpected skirmish left many viewers trying to piece together what they had just seen, as the American broadcast cut the live feed in order to censor Smith’s language and some of what had happened. Had it all been a skit?

As viewers feverishly texted friends and checked Twitter to see what exactly they had missed, one person seemed to get lost in the shuffle: Questlove, the Philly-born musician who first rose to fame as the frontman for The Roots, and who has racked up credits as a songwriter, record producer, author, actor, film producer, and director (when he’s not heading up the house band for The Tonight Show With Jimmy Fallon).

It was Questlove, a.k.a. Ahmir Thompson, who ended up inching one step closer to an EGOT when he won the Oscar for Best Documentary for Summer of Soul (…Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised), an outstanding reminder of the 1969 Harlem Cultural Festival, a celebration of Black music and culture, which was largely overshadowed by Woodstock, as the two events partly overlapped.

Fortunately, legendary comedian/actor George Wallace made sure to call out Questlove’s achievement, and assure Quest—who directed and executive produced the doc—that “We saw that sh*t, Quest!”

Questlove appreciated, and felt, the love.

Meanwhile, Smith has officially issued an apology to Rock for how things went down at last night’s ceremony, saying that he is “a work in progress.” Maybe an “I’m sorry” to Questlove will come next.

Pancakes doused in maple syrup are a morning tradition. But a cold glass of fizzy soda — Pepsi or otherwise — probably wasn’t the drink you washed it down with. Sugar on sugar on sugar is … a lot.

And yet… IHOP and Pepsi decided to put these two things together (at last?) in a can of soda. Seriously. Welcome to 2022, the future is grand!

In this era of corporate synergy, the folks at Pepsi recently partnered with IHOP to launch a limited-edition soda called Pepsi Maple Syrup Cola that literally tastes like the aforementioned combination of maple syrup pancakes and cola in one easy-to-guzzle can. Not that IHOP is much of an expert on real maple syrup.

“There is truly nothing quite like the indulgent taste of Pepsi Maple Syrup Cola.” Todd Kaplan, Chief Marketing Officer at Pepsi said in a press release. “We can’t wait to celebrate those who have an unapologetic love of pancakes by giving the limited-edition cans to 2,000 fans who #ShowUsYourStack online.”

Ah, there are only 2,000 cans of this “soda” for people who love pop with their pancakes, which is apparently a group of people that actually exists. More power to you if you do dig that combo. And a huge shout out to your dentist.

Okay, let’s see what’s actually in this can.

Average Price: Online giveaway

The Soda:

Pepsi Maple Syrup Cola isn’t the first time in recent memory the brand has dropped an over-the-top flavor. There was Pepsi Fire, a cola that tasted like it had red hot candies in it. Pepsi x Peeps had a marshmallow flavor. Pepsi Apple Pie was pretty self-explanatory. Pepsi x Cracker Jack tasted like you submerged a box of Cracker Jacks in a Pepsi and then drank the leftover liquid. Let’s not forget the recently released Nitro Pepsi.

This limited-edition soda is, like the others, available in 12-ounce cans. Sadly, you can’t go to the store to get your maple fix though. From now until March 29, Pepsi fans get a can of Pepsi Maple Syrup Cola by posting a video or photo of a stack of pancakes with the hashtags #ShowUsYourStack, #PepsiSweepstakes, and @IHOP.

They’re only giving out cans to 2,000 people. So good luck… we guess.

Tasting Notes:

It smells like maple candy that you let dissolve in overly sugary soda. There’s maybe a little vanilla and caramel as well. Mostly, it’s lots of sugar. It smells like something a five-year-old or an adult with a nostalgia problem might cook up. It tastes… exactly as you’d imagine (sorry for all the ellipses but this one sort of puts a person in that baffled mindset). It’s similar to Pepsi X Cracker Jack from a few months ago with heavy caramel. But it’s like someone took that one and poured maple syrup flavoring into it, not real maple syrup. It feels like the overly synthetic, mystery bargain syrup that can’t legally have the word “maple” on its label.

For someone who doesn’t normally drink soda, it seems ridiculously sugary and has a little spicy kick that I couldn’t place.

Bottom Line:

All in all, this was less maple-filled than I thought it would be and would probably make a pretty good mixer with rye or bourbon and tons of ice. The cloyingly sweet flavor needs to be cut with something. Anything. Please.

Ranking:

70/100 — This is for drinkers who enjoy sipping on a fizzy sugary soda that tastes like a mixture of melted caramel corn and synthetic maple syrup. Everyone else? Stick to your seltzer (hard or otherwise) and stay away from this teeth-achingly and cloyingly sweet cavity creator.

We’re living in a world where Russia and Ukraine are at war and a pandemic that has been going on for more than two years has so far killed more than 6.1 million people. Yet the only thing people seem to be able to talk about since last night’s Oscars ceremony is the surprising moment when Will Smith took a swing at Chris Rock live, for all the world to see.

While reports have confirmed that Rock refused to press charges against Smith, both parties have remained relatively silent on the matter—save for the comments Smith made while accepting the Best Actor Oscar shortly after the slugfest went down, in which he apologized to the Academy and his fellow attendees, but not Rock.

Now, as Variety reports, the King Richard star has issued a formal apology to Rock via Instagram, in which the newly-minted Oscar winner admits to being “embarrassed” by his actions and calls himself “a work in progress.” The statement reads as follows:

Violence in all of its forms is poisonous and destructive. My behavior at last night’s Academy Awards was unacceptable and inexcusable. Jokes at my expense are part of the job, but a joke about Jada’s medical condition was too much for me to bear and I reacted emotionally.

I would like to publicly apologize to you, Chris. I was out of line and I was wrong. I am embarrassed and my actions were not indicative of the man I want to be. There is no place for violence in a world of love and kindness.

I would also like to apologize to the Academy, the producers of the show, all the attendees and everyone watching around the world. I would like to apologize to the Williams Family and my King Richard Family. I deeply regret that my behavior has stained what has been an otherwise gorgeous journey for all of us.

I am a work in progress.

As of this posting, Rock has yet to respond. Read Smith’s full Instagram post below.

(Via Variety)

Festival season continues…and now it’s making its way overseas. SXM Festival recently held its annual event on the beautiful Caribbean island of Saint Martin from March 9 through March 13. Because why go to a music festival when you can go to a music festival and embark on an epic tropical getaway at the same time?

The event included five full days of pool parties, a curated selection of legendary performers and emerging acts, dancing in the sizzling Caribbean sun, and bold fashion statements — all happening at the peak of Saint Martin’s highest mountain with breathtaking 360-degree sunset views.

The jam-packed lineup was chock-full of renowned artists in the underground techno and house scene. Some of the most notable names from SXM Festival included Apache, Audiofly, Awly, Baham, Gab Rhome, Innellea, Jimi Jules, Konstantin Sibold, Layla Benitez, Maga, Alexi Delano, Âme, Amine K, Animal Trainer, Behrouz, Blond:ish, Carlita, Chaim, Chloé Caillet, and Danny Tenaglia (and that’s only a handful of the performers throughout the week).

If you could use an influx of serotonin combined with a bit of wanderlust, you’ll get a kick out of the sights and styles from SXM Festival. The photos below are sure to boost your mood (and inspire you to purchase your next festival ticket).

ALSO READ:

• These Photos From Nite Rinse’s Three-Year Anniversary Event Will Put You In The Mood To Party
• These Photos From Desert Air Will Make You Want To Get Up And Dance
• These Photos From Seismic Dance Event Will Help Cure Your Winter Blues
• Photos From DAY.MVS That’ll Leave You Hyped For Your Next Festival
• These Outfits From CRSSD Fest Will Get You Hyped For Festival Season

Paul George last took the floor for the L.A. Clippers on Dec. 22, with news breaking on Christmas Day that the superstar wing would miss considerable time with a torn ligament in his elbow. In recent days, however, buzz has increased that George could be nearing a return to game action and, on Monday evening, the Clippers provided more optimism with an official injury update. L.A. hosts the Utah Jazz on Tuesday and, in advance of the game, George was upgraded to “questionable” on the injury report.

Beyond the notable upgrade in official distinction, Law Murray of The Athletic reports that George’s family will be in attendance, perhaps providing another positive inkling. George has missed 43 games and, in that sample, the Clippers are just 19-24. Given that Kawhi Leonard is also sidelined, L.A.’s performance has been quite respectable but, on the eve of the postseason, having George in the middle of the Clippers’ lineup could make a considerable difference.

In 26 games before sustaining the injury, George averaged 24.7 points, 7.1 rebounds and 5.5 assists per game, operating as the No. 1 shot creator for the Clippers. He is also a high-end defender and, because the Clippers have been able to hold the line in George’s absence, L.A. projects as the No. 8 seed in the Western Conference with a multi-game cushion ahead of the Pelicans and Lakers to earn at least two cracks at playing their way into the playoffs.

There is no guarantee that George returns on Tuesday. Still, his uptick in work and this upgrade on paper likely signal an imminent return, and the Western Conference just got even deeper.