Although Arlo Parks didn’t release a new album in 2024, she still had a pretty massive year. On Instagram, she took a moment to reflect on it while also hinting at an album to come, perhaps in 2025.
Parks wrote in the post’s caption:
“feeling reflective and happy in that quiet, sleepy kind of way. there were too many special moments to count this year, some of my favourites were definitely my Sierra Leone trip and becoming a [UNICEF] ambassador, having the most fun on tour I’ve ever had and joining [Mitski], being part of [Beyoncé’s] Cowboy Carter and all the little kismet moments in between. Made more friends than ever, danced more than ever, am more in love than ever – time to say thank you and go dark for a bit…you know what that means [eyes emoji][heart emoji] see you on the flip side.”
A new album in 2025 wouldn’t be surprising. She has so far tended to share a new album once every two years, and so far, she’s released 2021’s Collapsed In Sunbeams and 2023’s My Soft Machine, so a 2025 album would keep the bi-annual streak alive for Parks. She still had new music this year, though: She joined Khalid on “Breathe” and she co-wrote Beyoncé’s “Ya Ya.”
This time last year, Chappell Roan was playing in 500- to 1,000-capacity venues. Now, she’s breaking records for the largest crowds in the history of multiple music festivals. The talent was always there; now, the people are, too.
A big draw of a Roan performance is seeing what outfit her and her team, including stylist Genesis Webb, have dreamed up. To cap off her remarkable 2024, the “Good Luck, Babe!” singer shared her “top 10 personal rankings of my most ‘iconic’ looks of the year” on Instagram, a list that includes her fits from Governor Ball, Lollapalooza, and The Late Show With Stephen Colbert.
Below, you can find the full list of Roan’s self-proclaimed top looks from this year, including links (ACL Fest sadly did not make the cut).
Webb spoke to Harper Bazaar’s earlier this year about how she and Roan initially bonded over both being from the midwest. “Coming from more lower-class backgrounds, it just kind of brings this sense of familiarity in a space like that. And she’s also such a girl’s girl, and I was one of the only girls on the set,” she said, adding, “I’d worked with a couple people prior who were way bigger than her and who didn’t really have a lot of opinions. But she had this really specific thing that she wanted to do.”
If you asked a group of people what the biggest hit song of 2024 was, you might get a handful of different answers, but one of them would be Sabrina Carpenter’s “Espresso.” As for if Carpenter herself thought that’d be the case, she initially wasn’t quite sure.
In a new Hollywood Reporter interview, when asked if she could have predicted the song’s popularity when she released it, Carpenter explained:
“You know what’s funny? I feel like I get asked this question in particular, only because of the fact that when something kind of takes on a life of its own, it’s sort of like you have to have some sort of awareness. But, really, I remember deciding to put this song out in the beginning of summer and thinking espresso, coffee is kind of more of a fall beverage. I really didn’t know if it would connect, but the sentiment and the sound of the song and the confidence that it kind of just carries along with it was something that I really believed in. So I had literally no idea that anyone would like it, but I liked it, and that was kind of all that mattered to me in that moment, and something I try to remember over and over again.”
The year has been filled with music releases–both intentional and unintentional. On the rap front, Lil Uzi Vert battled with leakers before dropping their latest album, Eternal Atake 2.
Yesterday (December 30), during an appearance on Pitchfork’s Over/Under series (viewable here), the “Chill Bae” rapper addressed the frustrating incidents.
“Leaks be so overrated,” they said. “Leaks are not ready to be presented. When y’all get leaks, fans, or the leak police, or the leak scammers, or the people in those rooms and the discords and all that, when y’all sit there and y’all get 82 of my leaked songs, right, that I haven’t put together the right way.”
Lil Uzi Vert went on to blame leakers for spearheading the online hate train surrounding the musician. “[People] sit here and say, ‘Oh, Lil Uzi is trash,’” they said. “Y’all literally are basically watching me get dressed in my closet. I don’t got my clothes on yet. So y’all basically see me naked.”
In closing, Uzi returned that negativity to critics. “So y’all n****s is trash,” they said. “All y’all, y’all trash. Y’all not giving me a second to get dressed. So before I could dress the song up, y’all judge it. So leaks are horrible. It’s not even an over or underrated, horrible.”
Lil Wayne’s venture into sports is paying off in more than one way. While the “Presha” rapper continues to show off his commentary skills, his agency demonstrates his business acumen behi’snd-the-scenes.
According to Front Office Sports, Lil Wayne’s Young Money APAA Sports agency has signed Travis Hunter. The outlet claims Weezy bet out several other high profile companies including Rich Paul’s Klutch Sports Group.
Although the report has not been confirmed by either a rep for Young Money APAA Sports or the University of Colorado-Boulder star, their public interactions show they have a tight-knit bond.
During Hunter’s Heisman Trophy acceptance speech he gave Lil Wayne a sentimental shoutout. “Wayne, you don’t know how you came into my life, man,” he said. “My fiancée loves you. I didn’t know none of your songs until she let me know because I don’t listen to music.”
Analyst predict Hunter will be the upcoming NFL Draft’s No. 1 pick due to his impressive offensive and defensive skills. But this isn’t Lil Wayne’s Young Money APAA Sports agency first superstar athlete. At one point it represented the Philadelphia Eagles’ Jalen Hurts. Both Duke quarterback Darian Mensah and Colorado’s defensive end Jehiem Oatis are on its current collegiate roster.
All good things come to an end. But in music, many movements fizzle out before truly reaching its full potential. In the eyes of rap fans, YBN (comprised of Cordae, Almighty Jay and Nahmir) was one of those collectives.
Although YBN split over five years ago, the reasoning was never explicitly stated–until now. During a sit down with content creator Peaks100 (viewable here), Cordae opened up about what caused its dismantling.
“It was a number of reasons, bro,” he said. “Like, groups, unfortunately…name one group that stayed together. Not even the Jackson 5 and them n****s are brothers… [Wu-Tang Clan] all went and did solo sh*t, though.”
According to Cordae, the group wasn’t one the same page when it came to joint releases, behind-the-scenes dealings, and eventually that led to internal tension.
“We never recorded a song with all three of us,” he said. “The business side of it was kinda like super f*cked up, honestly. N****s got into a big argument in f*cking Europe. People say certain things that they can’t take back.”
Despite it all, Cordae claims that he doesn’t harbor any ill will towards his former group mates.
“It’s still love, but it’s still some sh*t you just can’t take [back],” he said. “You know what I’m saying? Namir, that’s still my homie, like, sh*t. Jay, I still f*ck with bruh.”
Cordae handled the split with ease releasing several projects (including his recent album The Crossroads) and multiple solo tours.
The Crossroads is out now via Atlantic Records. Find more information here.
However, Cardi B’s real estate frustration could be over now that a potential buyer has stepped forward. In a post on Instagram, fellow Rick Ross and budding real estate tycoon expressed interest in taking the multi-million dollar property off of her hands.
“Asking price,” asked Ross.
Although Cardi B hasn’t issued a public response, her original upload made it clear she is eager to offload it. “My casa …..I don’t want it nomore tho,” wrote Cardi in response to a real estate blog.
If Ross does happen to buy Cardi B and Offset’s once martial home, this would mark the second time he’s helped another musician with an unwanted estate. According to HipHopDX, in 2023 Ross bought longtime collaborator and former MMG signee, Meek Mill’s Georgia home for just over $4 million.
Real estate blog Homes Of The Rich describes Cardi B and Offset’s Georgia home as a property with 6 acres of land with 22,000 square feet of living space including 5 bedrooms, 11 bathrooms, 2-story foyer, 2-story great room, game room with wet bar, wine cellar, indoor shooting range, fireplace, fire pit, swimming pool, and spa.
Based on the details, this property is fit for certain fit for the Rick ‘The Boss’ Ross.
The YSL RICO case has come to an anticlimactic end. Fortunately, many of the parties that were tangled up in the state trial have been released including Young Thug, Gunna, Yak Gotti, and more. However, the aftermath is only just beginning.
According to AllHipHop, two of the “Dope Boy” rapper’s former defendant have filed a federal class-action lawsuit against Georgia state officials. In the supposed filing, Young Stoner Life associate Shannon Stillwell and former inmate Nkenegen Hambrick want Fulton County Sheriff Pat Labat & Chief Jailer John Jackson held responsible for alleged widespread neglect and unconstitutional treatment in Fulton County Jail.
The pair claim the jail’s overcrowding as well as its decaying infrastructure and unsanitary conditions are “inhumane and life-threatening” to detainees. Later in the document, they alleged higher ups in the jail leave violence unchecked.
During their time within the Fulton County Jail walls, Stillwell and Hambrick were stabbed multiple times. Stillwell says his two incidents were the result of “broken cell doors and an absence of security officers.” Hambrick echoed the same sentiments while claiming that “facility’s unhygienic conditions led to untreated infections” after he sustained 20 stab wounds.
In a statement to AHH, their attorney Michael Harper begged for U.S. Department of Justice to step in. “The Fulton County Jail’s management has not taken adequate steps to prevent violence, leaving detainees at constant risk of harm,” he said. “We are seeking immediate reforms to ensure no more lives are endangered within these walls.”
Representatives for Fulton County Jail have not yet responded to the lawsuit.
Santa always has a lot of celebrity helpers. It may come as a surprise that one of the biggest philanthropic events of this holiday season was actually thrown by Metallica. On Dec 13th, the undisputed kings of heavy metal threw their fourth ‘Helping Hands’ gala and concert event for their foundation, All Within My Hands. The evening was hosted by Jimmy Kimmel, and featured a star-studded lineup of special guest acts and presenters. We were lucky enough to score a pair of seats. Here’s how it all went down.
Uproxx
The Helping Hands benefit was held at the YouTube theater in Los Angeles. The venue seats 6,000 which is a staggeringly intimate number when compared to Metallica‘s status quo of selling out the largest stadiums and arenas around the world. Just a year prior, band sold out two nights at Sofi Stadium, which is literally across a courtyard from the YouTube theater, to a tune of nearly 80,000 attendees each night. The SoFi shows were part of their M72 world tour, which is still underway and will be the bands longest tour to date- spanning from April 2023 and wrapping up in November 2025. Somehow, in the midst of it all, they made time to get holiday cozy.
Metallica
After the obligatory stroll down the black carpet, the night kicked off with an opening guest set from Sista Strings. Actual sisters Chauntee and Monique Ross were a delight to the senses, and about as far as you can get from what you’d expect to open a Metallica concert. The classically trained duo play violin and cello and with a serious serving of soul. Though they are no strangers to touring with some of today’s biggest acts, it’s clear that a metal show was new territory.
Still, the sisters held their own in every way and made for a very graceful start to the evening.
All Within My Hands
Having whet our musical palates, the guests and the giving got underway. Longtime friend of the band, Tom Morello gave a moving speech about the importance of community, and non-digital interaction especially for children as he introduced Pearl Jam bassist Jeff Ament. Ament’s foundation, the Montana Pool Service has been hard at work for the last many years building professional level skate parks, many specifically for Indigenous youth in Montana and the Dakotas. In Ament’s own words, “Having a thing that makes you feel alive, saves lives.”
AWMH honored the work that Ament had undertaken and cut a hefty check to help fund the construction of six new park projects in 2025.
For a moment, the evening felt almost too tame. Here were all these rock legends speaking softly and on their best behavior. Then came Sammy Hagar. Sauntering out with a bottle of tequila and feeling doubly emboldened with the Silver Surfer himself, Joe Satriani by his side, Sammy began to shake us all out of our lull. Along with original Van Halen bassist Michael Anthony and legendary drummer Aronoff, they went through classics from VH, Hagar’s own catalog and of course, a few of their own as a group, Chicken Foot. It as a surprise treat that few were expecting but we all thoroughly enjoyed.
All Within My Hands
In a 180-degree contrast to Ament’s rural focus and Hagar’s brazen bottle rock, the next special guest presenter was Wu-Tang mastermind RZA who spoke to the value of rehabilitation and second chances. RZA highlighted the work of Homeboy Industries, a LA-based nonprofit that provides training and support to formerly gang-involved and previously incarcerated people, allowing them to redirect their lives and become contributing members of the community. Homeboy COO Steve Delgado spoke briefly and once again, the AWMH foundation pledged it support with a long string of zeros.
UPROXX
Finally, the moment we’d all been waiting for arrived, or so we thought. Kimmel popped out once again to introduce the fearsome foursome and Metallica took the stage. To everybody’s surprise, they had acoustic guitars in hand. No big amps on the stage. Frontman James Hetfield sat down on a stool, leaned into the microphone, and simply said “Alright, shhhhh. Acoustic.” The group played several songs in their most stripped-down possible form. Opening act Sister Strings came and join them for a few tunes which was actually quite special to see and gave a taste of the band’s 1999 S&M album recorded with the San Francisco Symphony. Finally, after their most well-known ballad, ‘Nothing Else Matters’, they took a bow and Hetfield coyly whispered “Thank you. We’ll be back with louder guitars”.
As the band took their time to switch into the thunderous electric titans that everyone has come to expect, Kimmel honored one more organization. Maggie Baird and her foundation Support + Feed were introduced via video messages from her two kids, Fineas and Billie Eilish. The Support + Feed Foundation focuses on nutritional education providing access to plant-based meals to those in need. To date they have served over one million meals. This organization was a perfect final honoree for the night as the fight against hunger is the cornerstone to the All Within My Hands mission. Metallica actually donates a percentage of proceeds from every show to local organizations in the host city. Feeding the people is a part of their ethos and with one final donation to Support + Feed, it was time for our main course.
All Within My Hands
To kick off the full-throttle set we’d all come to see, actor and activist Jason Momoa took the stage to re-introduce the band. A self-proclaimed lifelong fanboy, Mamoa seemed to speak for everyone in the building as he praised the place that Metallica held in his life and the lives of so many others. With a roar like only he could utter, Mamoa screamed their name and the four horsemen came thundering forth.
Metallica
If there was even a sliver of a question about their level of gusto after the slow acoustic start, it was blown away in just a few notes. Metallica ripped through eight songs ranging from their first studio album ‘Kill Em All’ through their 11th and latest ‘72 Seasons’ for which their current tour is named. Honoree and bassist Jeff Ament joined the group for one song. Tom Morello never picked up an axe and respectfully left the shred to Hammett and Hetfield. They notably skipped their most commercially successful song of all time ‘Enter Sandman’ and closed their set with ‘Master of Muppets,’ arguably the true fan favorite and certainly one of their all-time greatest hits.
Metallica
For a band that’s been rocking as hard as they have for over 42 years, Metallica showed no signs of losing steam. Just as impressive as their decades-long run and enduring dynamic performances was the context of the whole evening. The black-clad giants of sonic aggression turned down the decibels and spoke deeply from their hearts about what it means to give back and why it matters so much. In a world where far too many celebrities are only doing good for the gram and the tax write-offs, Metallica are as genuine and committed to making the world a better place as they come.
Go take a look for yourself and see just how much good the All Within My Hands Foundation is doing via their website here. Also, the silent auction for this most recent Helping Hands benefit is still open through Jan 7th. With items ranging from signed guitars and merch to future concert packages, it’s not too late to get in on the giving action yourself. No matter how you choose to do it, take a page from the masters of metal and go make a difference for the greater good.
Crumbl fans, get ready because we’re getting another shortened week at our favorite specialty cookie shop. This week Crumbl will be closing its doors at 6 PM on New Year’s Eve, and will be completely closed New Year’s Day. That’s great news for Crumbl employees, and bad news for us cookie-obsessed individuals. It means you have one less day to get this week’s run of limited-time cookies, which is why it’s vital that we break down the best of the best on the menu this week.
After all, some of us still have holiday Crumbl gift cards we are itching to spend.
This week at Crumbl we’re getting a lot of repeats from the last couple of months, which is to be expected with Crumbl’s new eight cookie lineup. Luckily what’s coming back still has us excited. So without further ado, here is every cookie dropping at Crumbl this week ranked from least to most essential.
8. Monster Ft. M&M’s Candies
Dane Rivera
Thoughts & Tasting Notes:
We know what you’re thinking: you’re looking at the name of this cookie, looking at the name, and wondering where the hell are the M&M’s? Same. They are there, embedded within the cookie, but clearly the execution of this cookie needs some work,
The Monster features a toasty peanut butter base with M&Ms, peanut butter chips, and semi-sweet chocolate chips. Considering how much chocolate is here, it’s amazing how the dominating note of this cookie is peanut butter. Crumbl drops a peanut butter cookie almost every week, and most of the time, they taste the same. This one is no different. For us, its a skip.
The Bottom Line:
A low-effort peanut butter cookie. Definitely not Crumbl’s best version of the flavor.
7. Cookie Dough
Dane Rivera
Thoughts & Tasting Notes:
I like raw cookie dough as much as the next person, but in our opinion cookie dough is a nice little treat. You know what’s better? A cookie. Crumbl’s Cookie Dough cookie comes across as unfinished. The flavors never satisfy in the way something like the chocolate chip does.
This cookie is built on an earthy brown sugar base topped with cookie-dough flavored buttercream, cookie dough pieces, and sweet chocolate chips. It has all the makings of a good cookie, but the flavors never come together.
The Bottom Line:
An overrated flavor that is good in theory but doesn’t satisfy in its execution.
6. The Original Pink Sugar
Dane Rivera
Thoughts & Tasting Notes:
For some Crumbl fans, this is the best cookie. I know people who buy a whole box of these and freeze them so they can have one every week. If you’ve never had the Pink Sugar cookie, it’s definitely worth checking out.
The cookie features a thick smear of almond frosting over an almond cookie base. That double almond flavor makes it more elevated — and better tasting — than any sugar cookie you’ve ever had.
The Bottom Line:
An almond-based sugar cookie that is definitely worth trying if you’ve never had it. If you have and its already not your favorite, this is an easy skip that you can be sure will hit the menu again soon.
5. Milk Chocolate Chip
Dane Rivera
Thoughts & Tasting Notes:
You know the drill here, this is a near-perfect chocolate chip cookie, bested only by Crumbl’s semi-sweet variation. If you like that classic brown sugar, butter, and milk chocolate blend that is a chocolate chip cookie, you won’t be disappointed here.
The Bottom Line:
Great as always, but if you’ve had this one recently, feel free to skip it, you know its coming back in two weeks.
4. Churro
Dane Rivera
Thoughts & Tasting Notes:
I desperately want to love the Churro cookie but I’ve had it two times now, and both times it has failed to wow me. I love churros, and I think that’s the problem. Despite its name, this doesn’t quite capture the magic of a real churro, but if you like a mix of cinnamon and white sugar, this cookie definitely delivers.
The flavor is dark, rich, and sweet, with gentle spicy cinnamon notes, a dusty crumbly texture, and a sweet, slight tang, courtesy of the buttercream swirl.
The Bottom Line:
A tasty cinnamon-forward cookie, but not nearly as good as a real churro.
3. French Toast
Dane Rivera
Thoughts & Tasting Notes:
My issue with the French Toast is similar to my issue with the Churro. It uses the name and flavors of a superior snack! Crumbl’s French Toast cookie (if you want to call it that) doesn’t taste nearly as good as a slice of good French toast. It doesn’t have that gooey decadence that makes this treat one of the greatest breakfast dishes of all time, and while it is best served warm, it’s never truly as warm as a slice from your favorite breakfast restaurant.
Despite how it doesn’t live up to the promise of its name, I can’t deny that the French Toast cookie is pretty damn tasty. The texture is bready, a bit fluffy, and it’s packed with a spicy mix of cinnamon, clove, and white sugar flavors. The butter cream is sweet and tangy, and the hint of syrup adds a pleasing kiss of maple to the aftertaste.
The Bottom Line:
It looks like a piece of French Toast, but it’s not quite as good. If you go in there knowing that and don’t compare it to the real thing, then this snack becomes incredibly delicious.
2. Cookies & Cream Tres Leches Cake
Dane Rivera
Thoughts & Tasting Notes:
If you like the moist texture and the delicate flavor of Tres Leches, but feel it’s a little too creamy, and wish it was a bit more decadent — the Cookies & Cream Tres Leches Cake delivers the decadence.
This cake features a dark chocolate base in creamy tres leches, a whipped cream topping, and bits of cookies and cream streusel. It’s moist, rich, creamy, and super chocolatey. The chocolate cake soaks up the tres leches perfectly, making sure every forkful is an explosion of intense flavors.
The Bottom Line:
One of Crumbl’s better tres leches cakes. It’s equal parts moist and decadent.
1. Vanilla Crumb Cake ft. Golden Oreo
Dane Rivera
Thoughts & Tasting Notes:
I’ve never given one of Crumbl’s Oreo cookies the top spot, so I’m surprised by this pick! Especially because we think the Golden Oreo isn’t even half as good as the OG chocolate flavor. This cookie was just too damn good to deny. We wish we had another one!
The cookie features a vanilla cookie base that has bits of Golden Oreos inside of it topped with Crumbl’s addictive vanilla cream cheese frosting, and a dusting of Golden Oreo dust. If you like vanilla, this cookie delivers a whole lot of that. It’s delicate and sweet yet earthy and floral.
The Bottom Line:
Quite possibly Crumbl’s best Oreo-based cookie and easily our pick for the best of the week.
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…..I don’t want it nomore tho,” 
