“I love that song. It’s like the hit of the summer. When they play that jam, I’m jamming.”
Those are the words of tennis icon Serena Williams, speaking during a panel at Essence Festival this past weekend. She was talking about Kendrick Lamar’s Drake diss “Not Like Us,” but Williams’ crowning of the tune begs the question: What is the “Song Of The Summer” for 2024?
It’s an unofficial distinction (well, Billboard has an official chart for it now) that annually carries some cultural weight. It’s also just a fun thing to think and debate about midway through the year. Technically, we’re only just at the start of summer, as the season officially runs from June 20 to September 22. There’s still so much summer left, so instead of handing out the title now, let’s look at the leading candidates at the moment, making the case for (and against) some of the most obvious contenders.
Kendrick Lamar — “Not Like Us”
The argument for: “Not Like Us” has everybody talking, so much so that Serena Williams is publicly discussing it. Rick Ross got punched (allegedly) over it. The song has reached “referenced in local weather reports” status. Plain and simple, it’s a mainstream hit.
The argument against: The song came on so strong in early May that it’s safe to wonder if it has already peaked. (The song’s recent well-received video demonstrates the track’s staying power, though.) Also, given that the whole thing is a Drake diss, it’s just not very nice! (Some of the following arguments against other songs may be equally flimsy. These are all beloved hits, after all.)
Post Malone and Morgan Wallen — “I Had Some Help”
The argument for: The longest-running No. 1 song on the Hot 100 of the year so far? It’s “I Had Some Help.” Pair that with the fact that this Malone and Wallen collab is currently the most visible crossover hit in the ongoing country music wave and it has a strong case.
The argument against: The main opposing force here is whether the song has enough juice on its own beyond the headline-making collaboration. Wallen and Post are two of music’s biggest stars and that certainly has helped the song’s trajectory. It’s hard to say if that will be enough to carry the tune through the hot months to come.
Shaboozey — “A Bar Song (Tipsy)”
The argument for: There’s something about country music that’s routinely perfect for summer, and just like Malone and Wallen’s single, “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” is landing at just the right time. It has had a gradual climb up the Hot 100 and as of yesterday, it’s his first-ever No. 1 single.
The argument against: The biggest reason to say “no” to this one has nothing to do with the song itself, but its competition. “A Bar Song” is fantastic, but it’s just going up against some heavy hitters that have demonstrated bigger and more sustained success. But, maybe its newfound No. 1 status is the start of a run of its own.
The argument against: “Million Dollar Baby,” with its April release date, is older than the aforementioned songs. Given that viral hits like this often have relatively short shelf lives, this one very well could be a relic of viral history soon, well before summer is up.
Tinashe — “Nasty”
The argument for: Tinashe got to flex on her former label a bit with this one: The song is originally from April, but it started going viral on TikTok in June. Consequently, it has become her biggest solo hit on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.
The argument against: “Nasty” is really more of a viral hit than it is a chart hit so far: Despite its ubiquity online, it has yet to crack the top 40 on the Hot 100. “Nasty” could use some more reach before it truly enters the conversation.
Billie Eilish — “Birds Of A Feather”
The argument for: Billie is one of music’s favorite personalities, and she’s done it all by doing her own thing. She doesn’t chase radio-friendly hits, but that doesn’t mean she’s incapable of them. “Birds Of A Feather” is an example, a bit of romantic pop fun, and the people love when Billie gets a win.
The argument against: It’s still hard to tell the sort of staying power this one will have. It was only just released as a single last week, so at this point, predicting whether this will end up being the summer’s defining song would be a bold call.
Chappell Roan — “Good Luck, Babe!”
The argument for: Roan has been one of the year’s biggest breakout stars so far, so much so that it’s been challenging for her to handle. Leading the way is “Good Luck, Babe!,” which has swelled into her most significant hit to date.
The argument against: Chappell isn’t the most obvious of hit-makers. Sure, the song rules, but we’ve already seen one Kate Bush song top the charts this decade, it’s hard to imagine it happening again. So, who knows how much time this one has left in the summer sun. (It did just hit the Hot 100 top 10 for the first time yesterday, though.)
Sabrina Carpenter — “Espresso”
The argument for: Of course we had to mention “Espresso.” Carpenter was an emerging star before the caffeinated single, but the song absolutely took off and established Carpenter as a no-qualifier-necessary, S-T-A-R star. There’s also the fact that “Espresso” basically sounds like it was made to a summer smash, with its warm vibes and radio-friendly hook. Carpenter’s personality also just makes her a fun person to root for and listen to, which certainly works in favor of “Espresso.”
The argument against: Carpenter has moved onto pushing a new hit, “Please Please Please.” “Espresso” is still doing just about as well as the fresher single, though: “Please Please Please” had more Spotify streams in the US last week, but “Espresso” was No. 1 on the same chart globally. Ultimately, of all the songs on this list, “Espresso” may have the least working against it for “Song Of The Summer” consideration.
Billie Eilish has cemented herself in pop culture due to her immense talent and ability to connect with audiences through her music. She recently made it onto Apple Music’s 100 Best Albums, an amazing feat for such a young artist. Her debut album When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go? ranked 30th on the list. Evidently, it’s no question that she is one of the biggest stars of the decade. The rest of her discography is also worth listening to though, so here are all Billie Eilish’s albums and EPs ranked.
After releasing a few singles, including her initial claim to fame “Ocean Eyes,” Billie Eilish released her first EP in 2017. While Don’t Smile At Me was a great project, especially considering that Eilish was just 15 years old at the time, she has only gotten better in the years since then. Don’t Smile At Me included moody tracks like “idontwannabeyouanymore,” as well as more upbeat and experimental tracks like “my boy.” The EP’s balance of ballads and fast-paced songs set the groundwork for the rest of Billie Eilish and Finneas’s work together.
4. Hit Me Hard And Soft
Billie Eilish’s most recent release was shrouded in mystery, as she didn’t follow the typical release schedule before her albums drop. Upon this album’s release, fans were excited to hear some new sounds from Eilish. On Hit Me Hard and Soft, she explored topics of falling out of love, as well as falling in love with a woman for the first time. Songs like “Lunch” were immediately elevated to queer bop status. However, the frequent beat switches on songs in the album often toed the line between hit or miss.
Despite only consisting of two songs, Guitar Songs is some of Billie Eilish’s best work. “TV” touches on the very topical issue of the overturning of Roe V. Wade in the U.S. On the other hand, “The 30th” includes some of Eilish’s most heartbreaking lyrics to date. Her vocals are both soft and striking on both tracks and, as the EP title suggests, the production of the songs is minimal, letting their stories shine.
2. Happier Than Ever
On her sophomore album, Billie Eilish leaned away from the dark aesthetics of her debut, for a more mature and insightful project. Happier Than Ever tackled Eilish’s rise to fame at such a young age, as well as the scrutiny she faced from the media over her body, and her recent breakup at the time. In songs like “Your Power,” she deals with topics of sexuality and its abuse by people in power. Additionally, “My Future” and “Therefore I Am” show her growth and maturity as she gets older. The album’s title track is one of Billie Eilish’s most cathartic songs, as she disparages a deadbeat ex and celebrates her freedom.
1. When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?
Billie Eilish’s debut remains the most beloved and most critically acclaimed of all her albums and EPs. The album was inspired by her experiences with nightmares and lucid dreams and explored themes of mental health, addiction, and teen angst. Notably, tracks like “Bad Guy” and “When The Party’s Over” dominated the charts for weeks. Moreover, the project’s dark and creepy aesthetic, as well as Eilish’s raspy vocals made the album a major stand out. When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go? earned Billie Eilish five Grammy wins out of six nominations. Altogether, her raspy singing style matched with Finneas’ production helped usher in a new era of pop music at the time.
The NFL offseason is not really an offseason at all. While February through August is slower than when NFL games are played during the fall and winter months, the NFL never sleeps. The NFL churns out storylines year-round, and the offseason is an incubator for the wildest narratives because all of it is based upon hope and projection rather than results.
To recap, I assigned a theme song to each NFL team to accentuate the need-to-know offseason happenings so far.
Arizona Cardinals
Kendrick Lamar Feat. Rihanna — “LOYALTY.”
Once upon a time, in 2019, the Arizona Cardinals then-head coach Kliff Kingsbury said, “Josh is our guy,” and, thankfully, the irony is preserved in this tweet. He was speaking of Arizona’s 2018 first-round pick Josh Rosen. By April 2019, the Cardinals used the No. 1 overall pick to draft his replacement, Kyler Murray. Rosen was traded to Miami, and that was that.
The Cardinals found themselves in eerily familiar territory this offseason. Again, they publicly declared their commitment to Murray, but questions remained because they had the No. 4 overall pick, and this quarterback-heavy class presented the opportunity to reset the quarterback contract clock. But Arizona’s promise wasn’t empty this time, and they bolstered their loyalty to Murray by using the No. 4 overall pick on Marvin “Maserati Marv” Harrison Jr., who should immediately help to optimize the flashes Murray has shown up to this point.
Atlanta Falcons
Usher — “You Make Me Wanna…”
Unlike the Cardinals, the Atlanta Falcons remained loyal to Kirk Cousins for approximately 45 days before Michael Penix Jr. made them wanna start a new relationship with him. Atlanta signed Cousins — a 35-year-old rehabbing a torn Achilles — to a four-year, $180 million contract with $100 million guaranteed. All evidence pointed toward Atlanta settling down with Cousins and using the No. 8 overall pick to get an immediate impact player to help the team maximize this Cousins window. But while Cousins was parading around to Atlanta United FC and Braves games, the Falcons were flying across the country to Washington to get to know Penix. Head coach Raheem Morris and general manager Terry Fontenot insist that Cousins “is our quarterback,” but using the No. 8 overall pick on Penix as Cousins’ successor left an unsuspecting Cousins reportedly “a bit stunned.”
Baltimore Ravens
Dionne Warwick — “Déjà Vu”
The Baltimore Ravens ace every offseason. In 2023, it was extending two-time MVP quarterback Lamar Jackson when it seemed their relationship was irrevocable. This spring, despite losing 15 players in free agency (and defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald to the Seahawks), Baltimore remained true to who they’ve always been — signing Derrick Henry, retaining Justin Madubuike, and drafting cornerback Nate Wiggins. But every season, the Baltimore Ravens come up short. Last season was the closest the Ravens have come to returning to the Super Bowl since winning Super Bowl XLVII to cap the 2012 season, but their league-best 13-4 run came to a sputtering end with an uninspired performance against the Chiefs in the AFC Championship Game. How long will this cycle continue?
Buffalo Bills
Ryan Gosling — “I’m Just Ken”
The Buffalo Bills have an alien at quarterback, and it doesn’t matter. Josh Allen is No. 2 to Patrick Mahomes. The Bills threw everything at the wall, and it doesn’t matter what they do because they are No. 2 — or closer to third or fourth, if the Bengals and Ravens have a say — to the Chiefs. At any other time, perhaps the Bills would be a ten. But the past three years, Buffalo’s season ended in the Divisional Round, twice to the Chiefs. This offseason was the Bills’ reckoning. The first iteration of the Allen-led, Super Bowl-contending Bills perished, as Stefon Diggs was shipped out to Houston, and other core players like Tre’Davious White, Jordan Poyer, and Micah Hyde left. The Bills will be viable as long as Allen is under center, but the Bills’ short-term Super Bowl chances took a hit in 2024.
Carolina Panthers
Paramore — “Ain’t It Fun”
This time last year, Bryce Young was presumably riding the euphoria of having just been drafted as a Heisman-winning quarterback prospect out of Alabama after Carolina moved heaven and earth to trade into the No. 1 overall spot. Hope, however faint, surrounded a new Panthers regime. Then, head coach Frank Reich was fired 11 games into a heinous 2-15 campaign in 2023. This offseason, Young is firmly acclimated to the realities of the NFL, where quarterbacks have approximately five minutes to prove worthy before teams give up on them, especially a franchise owned by David Tepper. The Panthers attempted to support Young by adding wide receiver Diontae Johnson and offensive guard Robert Hunt in free agency, and then drafting wide receiver Xavier Legette (No. 32 overall) and running back Jonathan Brooks (No. 46). But the weight of the world remains on Young’s shoulders.
Chicago Bears
Prince — “Controversy”
Ahead of last week’s NFL Draft, sportswriter Dave Fleming appeared on Pablo Torre Finds Out and said, “I will tell you, he scares the sh*t out of a lot of NFL teams, too. The book on him is he’s just kind of a weird kid. One GM told me it’s like if Prince played quarterback.” The anonymous GM probably intended for that to be an insult, but it is unequivocally the coolest compliment imaginable.
Like Prince, Williams challenges stale convention. His uninhibited self-expression makes people uncomfortable. His personality is perceived as controversial. Before the Bears shipped Justin Fields to Pittsburgh, there was controversy within Chicago’s fandom as to whether the Bears should keep Fields or start over with Williams. Predictably, the Bears drafted Williams No. 1 overall, and Williams is set up for success — surrounded by talented skill players like D.J. Moore, Keenan Allen, Rome Odunze, D’Andre Swift, and Cole Kmet. The Bears have done everything right this offseason — really, the past two offseasons. But people will manufacture controversies around Williams, even when he surely becomes the first quarterback in Bears history to throw for 4,000 yards and 30 touchdowns.
.@FlemFile on what a former NFL scout told him about Caleb Williams:
“Raw emotion is great, but Caleb’s thing? That was ridiculous to me. That threw up major red flags. … I will tell you, he scares the sh*t out of a lot of NFL teams too. The book on him is he’s just kind of a… pic.twitter.com/0XQXYvuZUd
The sky is threatening to fall in Cincinnati. Wide receiver Tee Higgins reportedly demanded a trade but will likely play 2024 on the franchise tag. Defensive end Trey Hendrickson also reportedly demanded a trade. The Bengals traded running back Joe Mixon to Houston and lost defensive tackle D.J. Reader to Detroit in free agency. Such is life after signing star quarterback Joe Burrow to a five-year, $275 million and preparing to make Ja’Marr Chase a top-paid receiver. The first phase of the Burrow-led Bengals is over, but if the sky is falling, nobody told Burrow, who said during a live New Heights event that the Bengals are “built to beat” the Chiefs.
Cleveland Browns
Olivia Rodrigo — “get him back!”
Publicly, the Browns will likely gush about how excited they are to get quarterback Deshaun Watson back after his season-ending shoulder surgery in 2023. Privately, I’m willing to bet there’s a group text full of Browns-adjacent people wishing they could plot revenge against everyone involved in 1) trading for and 2) shelling out a fully guaranteed five-year, $230 million contract to an embattled Watson in 2022. Watson’s time in Cleveland has been defined by an 11-game suspension, injuries, and putrid quarterback play. Watson is holding back an otherwise solid Browns roster, and the Browns can’t get him back for it until 2026.
Dallas Cowboys
The Weekend, Playboi Carti, and Madonna — “Popular”
Jerry Jones desperately wants to be popular. If presented with the choice between winning next year’s Super Bowl or securing eternal popularity, I’m convinced Jones, in his most honest moment, would choose the latter. Jones swore the Cowboys would be “all-in” with their approach to this offseason, but they have objectively been anything but. Dallas made six moves in free agency. Dallas does not appear close to extending quarterback Dak Prescott, pass-rusher Micah Parsons, or wide receiver CeeDee Lamb — setting Prescott up to be an unrestricted (in every sense of the word) free agent next year. But why handle any football business when Jones and, by extension, the Cowboys are in the relevancy business? For Jones, any offseason in which the media is regularly discussing the Cowboys is a successful offseason.
Denver Broncos
Alexander 23 — “Crash”
The Denver Broncos dumped Russell Wilson. And they didn’t just dump him. They decided it was worth $85 million in dead money just to get him to go away. In 2023, first-year Broncos head coach Sean Payton marginally improved Wilson’s performance. Payton developed a reputation as a quarterback guru as the head coach with the New Orleans Saints, and Wilson used to be a great quarterback before inexplicably becoming unrecognizable in the pocket. As Alexander 23 sings, “Apart we’re great, but together we suck / I’m sorry for the way it ended, but ending it, baby, not so much / ‘Cause me and you weren’t built to last / We were two fast cars on our way to crash.” And so, Bo Nix is set to be the 14th Broncos starting quarterback since Peyton Manning’s 2016 retirement.
Detroit Lions
Eminem — “Lose Yourself”
The Lions are in Eminem’s second verse of “Lose Yourself”: “This world is mine for the taking, make me king / As we move toward a new world order.” The lowly Lions are dead after winning their first playoff game in 32 years and narrowly missing a Super Bowl LVIII appearance. A well-earned target is affixed to the Lions’ back, and they aren’t going anywhere. They extended general manager Brad Holmes and head coach Dan Campbell, and they continued bolstering the roster, including an extension for Amon-Ra St. Brown. Detroit football fans are losing themselves in this long-awaited culmination, breaking the all-time attendance record at the 2024 NFL Draft.
Green Bay Packers
Lil Wayne — “Let The Beat Build”
One day, the terms of the Packers’ deal with the devil will be disclosed. It is the only explanation for 30 consecutive years of great (or solid, at least) quarterback play in Green Bay — Brett Favre funneling directly into Aaron Rodgers, funneling directly into Jordan Love. As Lil Wayne rapped, “They diminish, I replenish.” Green Bay epitomizes steady construction — letting the beat build, if you will — and the 2023 season was a microcosm of that identity.
In his first full season as a starter, Love, 25, started out shaky but slowly came into his own and showed as much promise as anyone while leading the Packers to a surprising playoff run. With an average age of 25.7 years, the Packers are the NFL’s youngest team and ahead of schedule yet right on time. Green Bay additionally prioritized youth this offseason by releasing running back Aaron Jones, 29, and in favor of signing Josh Jacobs, 26, as well as 24-year-old safety Xavier McKinney, in free agency. All-Pro offensive tackle David Bakhtiari, 32, was also released, and the Packers used the 25th overall pick on offensive lineman Jordan Morgan.
Houston Texans
SZA — “Snooze”
The Texans can’t snooze and miss this moment while emerging worldly quarterback C.J. Stroud is relatively cheap on his rookie contract. And they know it. Houston traded for Pro Bowl running back Joe Mixon and All-Pro receiver Stefon Diggs, and then bolstered the defense by signing Danielle Hunter and Denico Autry in free agency. After impressive rookie campaigns from Stroud and head coach DeMeco Ryans, Houston is positioned as a potent threat in the AFC.
Indianapolis Colts
Nine Days — “Absolutely (Story Of A Girl)”
This song is about one girl, but it applies to the Colts when divvied up between owner Jim Irsay and second-year quarterback Anthony Richardson. Irsay is a boisterous figure who seems to always be the subject of a headline that could have been generated by MadLibs. Presumably, Irsay’s presence places a strain on the franchise. It’s probably really stressful for general manager Chris Ballard or head coach Shane Steichen, but one smile from Richardson after an absurdly athletic touchdown, and everything feels better. The Colts’ 2024 and beyond depends on Richardson’s rehab from season-ending shoulder surgery, but you have to absolutely love the potential of this young core.
Jacksonville Jaguars
21 Savage — “a lot”
Credit where credit is due, Jacksonville was aggressive in response to fumbling away the AFC South and missing the playoffs entirely last season. The Jags signed the likes of defensive tackle Arik Armstead, wide receiver Gabe Davis, and center Mitch Morse in free agency, and then they extended Pro Bowl pass-rusher Josh Allen before drafting LSU receiver Brian Thomas Jr. at No. 23 overall. But…
How much money did the Jags spend in free agency? A lot. How many question marks remain in Jacksonville? A lot. How many people are doubting 2021 No. 1 overall pick Trevor Lawrence as a paradigm-shifting quarterback of the future? A lot.
Kansas City Chiefs
Taylor Swift — “Look What You Made Me Do”
Taylor Swift’s historically prolific discography is more or less exclusively licensed to the Chiefs due to her ongoing romance with Travis Kelce, so it would be negligent not to use it.
The league let the Chiefs become the first back-to-back Super Bowl champions in two decades despite rostering an oft-ridiculed wide receiver corps in a “down year.” (Or, quarterback Patrick Mahomes and a nasty defense snatched it, depending on your perspective.) The Chiefs had to go on the road during the playoffs for the first time in Mahomes’ career, and they internalized every ounce of doubt — real or perceived — and plowed to their third Super Bowl in five years (“I got smarter, I got harder in the nick of time / Honey, I rose up from the dead, I do it all the time”). Had the Chiefs not won Super Bowl LVIII, perhaps they let Chris Jones walk in free agency, but because an unprecedented three-peat and football immortality is now on the table, the Chiefs uncharacteristically made Jones the highest-paid defensive tackle with a five-year extension. And as if Kelce wasn’t already living the most charmed life imaginable, the Chiefs went ahead and made him the highest-paid tight end.
Las Vegas Raiders
Charli XCX — “Von Dutch”
In the week leading up to Super Bowl LVIII, Raiders star pass-rusher Maxx Crosby told Colin Cowherd that he was actually pulling for his in-division rival Chiefs to become the back-to-back champions because, even though he “hate[s] all the teams equally,” he wants the Raiders “to be the ones that take ’em down.” The following week, newly hired head coach Antonio Pierce joined Crosby’s podcast, The Rush, and repeatedly proclaimed his “hatred” for the Chiefs. Pierce shared his plan to institute “Patrick Mahomes rules” — a callback to the Detroit Pistons’ “Jordan Rules” — “as long as I’m here.” I imagine Mahomes and the Chiefs hearing all of this, hitting play on “Von Dutch,” and knowingly nodding along as Charli XCX sings, “It’s okay to just admit that you’re jealous of me / Yeah, I heard you talk about me, that’s the word on the street / You’re obsessin’, just confess it, put your hands up / It’s obvious, I’m your No. 1.”
Los Angeles Chargers
Tyler The Creator Feat. Playboi Carti & Charlie Wilson — “EARFQUAKE”
Tyler The Creator’s “EARFQUAKE” is about being “for real this time” because he “cannot fall short” again. It’s probably not far off from Justin Herbert’s inner monologue. Herbert has been put in positions to fail since he became their starter in 2020 — four head coaches, four offensive coordinators — but the Chargers hiring Jim Harbaugh is supposed to be different. For the past three-ish years, L.A. has been an offseason and preseason darling, but Harbaugh legitimizes Herbert and the Chargers as being for real this time.
To be fair, this song also suits the Cowboys, given the ambiguous contract situations with Dak Prescott, CeeDee Lamb, and Micah Parsons, but as is always the case when discussing the Cowboys, I couldn’t overlook Jerry Jones’ ego. Anyway, Miami is in a similar hell. This offseason, Miami felt the financial ramifications of spending big after acquiring Tyreek Hill in March 2022 to try and win within Tua Tagovailoa’s rookie contract window. Christian Wilkins, Robert Hunt, and Xavien Howard are among the starters they lost. Honestly, as a recovering commitment phobe, the Dolphins trigger me. Do you want to commit to Tua, or do you want to let him go? Are you going to live up to the hype before Hill’s contract expires, or are you going to continue to reinvent underachieving?
Minnesota Vikings
Beyoncé Feat. Miley Cyrus — “II Most Wanted”
At February’s NFL Combine, head coach Kevin O’Connell expressed there was a mutual interest in Cousins remaining the Vikings quarterback. But then, Cousins left for Atlanta in free agency, and the Vikings acquired an additional first-round draft pick — intending to trade up and get their future franchise quarterback. Cousins was grandfathered in as O’Connell’s quarterback when he took over as head coach in 2022, and it has been written all over O’Connell’s face how delighted he is to hand-pick his own ride-or-die (“Been a while since I haven’t tried to pull away / But it’s time for somethin’ new”). That is 21-year-old now-former Michigan quarterback J.J. McCarthy, whom Minnesota drafted at No. 10 overall. In Minnesota’s most idyllic projection, McCarthy and O’Connell (and Justin Jefferson) will ride together ’til the day they retire.
New England Patriots
Reneé Rapp — “I Hate Boston”
The end of a dynasty is always ugly. If reports are true, Patriots owner Robert Kraft has been doing the most to make Bill Belichick hate New England after they “mutually agreed” to end Belichick’s 24-year tenure as head coach. First, the Apple TV+ docuseries The Dynasty portrayed Kraft in a much more positive light than Belichick. Then, ESPN’s Don Van Natta Jr., Seth Wickersham, and Jeremy Fowler reported that Kraft actively dissuaded the Falcons from hiring Belichick as their next head coach. (Atlanta went with Raheem Morris, and Belichick did not get an NFL coaching job for 2024.) If that weren’t enough, Patriots safety Jabrill Peppers shared that Belichick-themed signs seem to have been removed from the team’s facility by the new regime led by rookie head coach Jerod Mayo. If the Patriots struggle as much as is projected in the coming years, Mayo and No. 3 overall pick Drake Maye might hate Boston, too.
New Orleans Saints
Destiny’s Child — “Bills, Bills, Bills”
The New Orleans Saints always owe someone money. No NFL team more frequently has chronically due bills because the Saints are constantly borrowing from the future and ignoring the concept of a salary cap. As such, the Saints remain in cap hell while hurtling toward oblivion.
New York Giants
Post Malone — “Circles”
The Giants are in a self-inflicted loop with quarterback Daniel Jones. Last March, they made the baffling and indefensible decision to give Jones a wholly unnecessary four-year, $160 million ($92 million guaranteed) contract. Jones only played six games last season for the dismal Giants, but the Giants can’t move on from him because of that contract. General manager Joe Schoen has expressed pretty lukewarm faith in Jones moving forward, but NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported that New York “made one last-ditch effort” to trade into the Patriots’ No. 3 overall pick in an effort to select Jones’ replacement.
New York Jets
Daniel Caesar — “Pain Is Inevitable”
Jets fans know that pain is inevitable. Jets fans know their beloved football team has needed “a lesson in mishap prevention” for the better part of 50 years. Aaron Rodgers was supposed to be the savior last offseason, but he lasted four snaps before rupturing his Achilles and missing the entire season. Forty-year-old Rodgers will return for 2024 — conspiracy theories, distracting rhetoric, and vice presidential rumors in tow — but the Jets’ solution to fix an older, injury-prone roster was to sign older, injury-prone free agents, such as wide receiver Mike Williams and offensive tackle Tyron Smith. The Jets had a surprisingly prudent draft, but it won’t matter. Because the Jets are the Jets, and Rodgers is preoccupied.
Philadelphia Eagles
The Kid Laroi — “What Just Happened”
The Philadelphia Eagles suffered a confounding unraveling to end the 2023 season, losing five of six to finish the regular season only to get embarrassed 32-9 by Tampa Bay in the Wild Card Round. All-Pro center Jason Kelce and All-Pro defensive tackle Fletcher Cox retired. Philadelphia began triage by choosing to forgo flirting with Bill Belichick and retaining Nick Sirianni as head coach. Sirianni hired new coordinators (Kellen Moore, Vic Fangio), and general manager Howie Roseman demonstrated his annual wizardry with big-time signings, such as running back Saquon Barkley, safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson, wide receiver DeVonta Smith, and wide receiver A.J. Brown. Then, Philly’s draft was targeted to address the defensive secondary, their most glaring weakness last season. It’s been a lot to process, and I don’t know if the Eagles crossed the line because I don’t even know what just happened.
Pittsburgh Steelers
Billie Eilish — “What Was I Made For?”
Russell Wilson is a shell of his Super Bowl-winning self. Wilson left the Seattle Seahawks for Denver in 2022 and proceeded to play himself out of the Hall Of Fame. He used to float, now he just falls down. Signing a one-year deal with Pittsburgh is probably Wilson’s final chance at resurrecting what’s left of his ability, and he will share the quarterback room with former Bears No. 1 pick Justin Fields, who is also trying to redirect his NFL trajectory. And looming over them will be the Steelers’ overarching identity crisis.
San Francisco 49ers
Justin Bieber — “At Least For Now”
At least for now, the 49ers are still Super Bowl favorites, despite losing to the Chiefs in the Super Bowl twice in the past five years. At least for now, head coach Kyle Shanahan gets the benefit of the doubt. At least for now, the 49ers don’t have to allocate substantial long-term money to “Mr. Irrelevant”-turned-MVP candidate Brock Purdy. At least for now, Deebo Samuel and Brandon Aiyuk are still in San Francisco, and the 49ers can avoid the disappointment of having to make tough decisions about their aging and expensive core in 2025. The only thing that could alleviate that disappointment would be absolving the persistent disappointment of not having won a Super Bowl in 30 years.
Seattle Seahawks
Tori Kelly Feat. Jon Bellion — “Young Gun”
This song goes out to Pete Carroll. At 72 years old, Carroll was the oldest head coach in the NFL. In January, he told the press that he planned to continue coaching the team. Shortly thereafter, Seattle swapped him out for “a young gun from another town,” the Ravens’ 36-year-old defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald, who is now the NFL’s youngest head coach. In a meager attempt to soften the blow, Seattle kept Carroll around as “an advisor.”
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Migos Feat. Drake — “Walk It Talk It”
Tampa committed to 2018 No. 1 overall pick-turned-journeyman Baker Mayfield with a three-year, $100 million contract. Mayfield was known as a talker before arriving in Tampa last year, but he revived his career (and recaptured his swagger) through mature leadership. Meanwhile, nobody would have blamed superstar wide receiver Mike Evans if he wanted to explore free agency and sign with a team primed to contend for a Super Bowl, but he proved his commitment to spend his entire career with the Bucs by re-signing on a two-year deal. The Bucs have expertly maneuvered these bridge years post-Tom Brady — remaining in the mix rather than totally bottoming out.
lmaoooo I don’t know why it took this long for me to see this video of Baker Mayfield dancing to Migos but it is LEGENDARY pic.twitter.com/d1C9Eciclg
Titans fans are going to need patience. Yes, Tennessee made free-agency splashes with L’Jarius Sneed, Calvin Ridley, and Tony Pollard, but first-year head coach Brian Callahan will need time to build out his program in the wake of Mike Vrabel. The Titans have been in “slow burn” territory regarding quarterback for quite awhile. Heading into 2024, it’s far from guaranteed that Will Levis is the guy at quarterback.
Washington Commanders
Liz Phair — “Why Can’t I?”
Washington took 20-plus prospects on a group date to Topgolf, but, as NFL reporter Tom Pelissero relayed on The Rich Eisen Show, “One of those four quarterbacks who visited for the Topgolf trip got picked up by [head coach] Dan Quinn, and the other ones took a shuttle bus to the hotel.” I enjoy envisioning an awkward group date during which reigning Heisman-winning LSU quarterback Jaden Daniels and Commanders brass locked eyes intermittently with an unspoken anticipation for their inevitable partnership, beginning with the No. 2 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. Washington has butterflies for Daniels, who symbolizes the dawn of a hopeful future after finally breaking free from a toxic 24-year relationship with former owner Dan Snyder.
Uproxx had Aaron Williams and Philip Cosores on the ground at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, California for Weekend 1 of Coachella 2024, and among their main takeaways was that the festival had “plenty of surprises.” In a literal sense, Coachella 2024 Weekend 1 staged several surprise guests who easily could have headlined their own sets.
Below, check out the best surprise performances from Coachella 2024 Weekend 1.
Billie Eilish With Lana Del Rey
Friday night’s (April 12) headliner was Lana Del Rey. Billie Eilish made a surprise appearance — although the rumor mill was busy earlier in the day, so it really wasn’t much of a surprise — during the set. They performed Eilish’s “Ocean Eyes” and Del Rey’s “Video Games” together. Eilish showered Del Rey with praise, telling the crowd, “This is the reason for half you b*tches’ existence, including mine.” (Eilish later held a surprise Coachella party of her own, where she debuted music from her forthcoming album, Hit Me Hard And Soft.)
Lana Del Rey and Billie Eilish sing “Ocean Eyes” at #Coachella.
Elsewhere on Friday night, Shakira made a she-wolf entrance during Bizarrap’s set. Of course, she performed their Billboard Hot 100 top-10 hit “BZRP Music Sessions, Vol. 53,” but she really stole the show by announcing her Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran World Tour.
Becky G, Arcángel With Peso Pluma
Earlier on Friday, Peso Pluma and Arcángel released the video for “PESO COMPLETO.” It was all a set up for Pluma’s Friday night Coachella set, where Arcángel joined him for the live debut of the song. Becky G also joined Pluma to perform “Chanel.”
Olivia Rodrigo With No Doubt
It had been nearly a decade since No Doubt last performed before the iconic Gwen Stefani-led band reunited for Coachella 2024. The nostalgia-jammed set on Saturday night, April 13, hit all the right notes — including several “Just A Girl” callbacks (as chronicled by Billboard.) But one brand-new element for the ska band was inviting Olivia Rodrigo to the stage, where Rodrigo and Stefani sang “Bathwater.”
Juvenile With Jon Batiste
Jon Batiste is among music’s most ubiquitous collaborators, so he presumably had plenty of options when deciding who to bring out during his first-ever Coachella set. He landed on Juvenile and Willow to perform “Back That Azz Up” and “Be Who You Are,” respectively.
This one is mostly a joke, but we learned in 2023 that we are not allowed to ignore when Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce appear anywhere. Swift is on her The Eras Tour hiatus, so she did not perform, but she was notably in the crowd (dancing, kissing, singing, swooning) with Kelce for Bleachers and Ice Spice. X (formerly Twitter) and TikTok house unlimited footage.
ASAP Rocky, Charlie Wilson, Donald Glover, And Kali Uchis With Tyler The Creator
It is truly Reneé Rapp’s world right now. She was introduced by the OG The L Word cast and brought out Kesha for an updated rendition of “Tik Tok” in which they shouted, “F*ck P. Diddy!”
Kesha was also spotted going down a gigantic slide with Paris Hilton, so that’s fun.
J Balvin has been a part of several notable moments in the past — as he shared on Instagram ahead of his set on Sunday, April 14 — so why stop now? The Colombian supernova was joined by Will Smith for an all-out performance of “Men In Black.” It was perfectly camp.
if I was dehydrated in the desert at Coachella and I saw Will Smith walk out in a Men In Black outfit I’d 100% think I was hallucinating pic.twitter.com/sNfKITDN4J
Justin and Hailey Bieber enjoyed Coachella 2024 from the crowd (and from Hailey’s Rhode pop-up) like everybody else — until Bieber (and Wizkid) made a surprise cameo with Tems on Sunday night for “Essence.” (Wizkid’s “Essence” featuring Bieber and Tems peaked at No. 9 on the Billboard Hot 100 in October 2021.) Bieber’s performance felt especially surprising because he has mostly kept a low profile since canceling his Justice World Tour in February 2023 after several postponements due to health concerns.
Tems, Wizkid and Justin Bieber perform “Essence” at #Coachella2024
21 Savage, ASAP Rocky, And Teezo Touchdown With Doja Cat
Weekend 1’s explosive finale came courtesy of Doja Cat on Sunday.
“This year, you brought a full-size Tyrannosaurus Rex skeleton to your headlining set,” Uproxx’s Aaron Williams wrote in his review. “Bless you, you demented genius. You are the best.”
Doja also brought out 21 Savage, ASAP Rocky, and Teezo Touchdown. 21 was there to perform “N.H.I.E.,” his track with Doja from his American Dream album, while Rocky (“URRRGE!!!!!!!!!!”) and Teezo (“MASC“) each helped deliver live debuts from Doja’s Scarlet deluxe album.
The internet loves to speculate and that was once again proven in a recent tweet that dug up pictures of rapper IDK and pop star Billie Eilish. The original intent was actually to point out that the pictures were strange as Billie was underage at the time while the rapper was in his late 20s. But fans took the pictures and ran with it, posting tons of speculation about the nature of their relationship. Unsurprisingly though, it was all smoke and no actual fire.
IDK took to Twitter to confirm the nature of their relationship and there’s nothing suspicious about it. “Woooaahh there brother. That’s literally little sis. This a Dennis Rodman reach. Foul ON THE PLAAAYYY” his tweet reads. The pictures being a full 5 years old show just how far back their friendship goes and also how young Billie was while first becoming famous. Check out the controversial original post and IDK’s response shutting it down below.
Earlier this week a different IDK tweet was being discussed online for very different reasons. He was responding to Kendrick Lamar’s verse on “Like That” where he disses both Drake and J. Cole. Most people have been debating whose side to take in the rap feud, but his tweet viewed things a little differently. He suggested that it might be time for the entire “big three” to hang it up and pass things to a new generation of rappers. The post proved controversial among fans of all three artists involved.
Last month, IDK teamed up with Joey Badass for a new single called “Denim.” Last year he dropped his impressively feature-packed album F65 to praise from fans and critics alike. What do you think of IDK clarifying the nature of old photos of him with Billie Eilish? Is it surprising to you just how long the pair have been friends? Let us know in the comment section below.
AI has become a hot-button topic in creative communities and beyond since consumer-level tools have become widespread over the past few years. Some feel it could threaten the livelihoods of artists, and now some recognizable names have signed an open letter from Artist Rights Alliance that aims to curb or prevent irresponsible use of these technologies.
Those who signed include Billie Eilish, Nicki Minaj, Noah Kahan, Metro Boomin, Katy Perry, J Balvin, Zayn Malik, Camila Cabello, Jonas Brothers, d4vd, Doechii, and Kacey Musgraves, among others.
The letter begins, “We, the undersigned members of the artist and songwriting communities, call on Al developers, technology companies, platforms and digital music services to cease the use of artificial intelligence (Al) to infringe upon and devalue the rights of human artists.” It then considers both sides of the AI situation, saying, “Make no mistake: we believe that, when used responsibly, Al has enormous potential to advance human creativity and in a manner that enables the development and growth of new and exciting experiences for music fans everywhere. Unfortunately, some platforms and developers are employing Al to sabotage creativity and undermine artists, songwriters, musicians, and rightsholders.”
It goes on from there before concluding, “We call on all Al developers, technology companies, platforms and digital music services to pledge that they will not develop or deploy Al music-generation technology, content or tools that undermine or replace the human artistry of songwriters and artists or deny us fair compensation for our work.”
Find the full letter and list of people who signed it below.
“We, the undersigned members of the artist and songwriting communities, call on Al developers, technology companies, platforms and digital music services to cease the use of artificial intelligence (Al) to infringe upon and devalue the rights of human artists.
Make no mistake: we believe that, when used responsibly, Al has enormous potential to advance human creativity and in a manner that enables the development and growth of new and exciting experiences for music fans everywhere.
Unfortunately, some platforms and developers are employing Al to sabotage creativity and undermine artists, songwriters, musicians, and rightsholders.
When used irresponsibly, Al poses enormous threats to our ability to protect our privacy, our identities, our music and our livelihoods. Some of the biggest and most powerful companies are, without permission, using our work to train Al models. These efforts are directly aimed at replacing the work of human artists with massive quantities of Al-created ‘sounds’ and ‘images’ that substantially dilute the royalty pools that are paid out to artists. For many working musicians, artists, and songwriters who are just trying to make ends meet, this would be catastrophic.
Unchecked, Al will set in motion a race to the bottom that will degrade the value of our work and prevent us from being fairly compensated for it.
This assault on human creativity must be stopped. We must protect against the predatory use of Al to steal professional artists’ voices and likenesses, violate creators’ rights, and destroy the music ecosystem.
We call on all Al developers, technology companies, platforms and digital music services to pledge that they will not develop or deploy Al music-generation technology, content, or tools that undermine or replace the human artistry of songwriters and artists or deny us fair compensation for our work.”
Agus Martino
Aimee Mann
Ali McGuirk
Alice Randall
Alisa Amador
António Zambujo
Arkells
Ashley Shabankareh
Astrid
Astronomía Interior
Aya
Avra Starr
Banda Carnaval
Banda El Recodo de Don
Cruz Lizárraga
Banda Los Recoditos
BENEE
Benny the Butcher
Bia Marques
Bianca
Big Up
Billie Eilish
Billy Porter
Black Spygo
estate of Bob Marley
Brandi Waller-Pace
Brian Folkins-Amador
Brothers Osborne
Bruno Ramos
Bryan Behr
Brvan Martinez
Budah
Buddy Miller
CAKE
Calema
Calibre 50
Callie Khouri
Caloncho
Calum Scott
Cami
Camila Cabello
Canals
Carlão
Carol Biazin
Carolina Deslandes
Cedella Marley
Cedric Singleton
Chappell Roan
Chase & Status
Chega mais pra Cristo
Chelsea Cutler
Chesca
Chuck D
Ciph Boogie
Clotilde Rullaud
Coey Redd
Colin Linden
Crys Matthews
Czarface d4vd
Dan Ferrera
Dan Knobler
Dan Navarro
Dan Smith
Daniel Martin Moore
Daniel Quién
Daniela Spalla
Danna Paola
Darius Rucker
Dave East
David Lowery
Declan Sheehy-Moss
Delacey
Diana Krall
Diogo Piçarra
Doce Encontro
Doechii
Don Was
Dylan LeBlanc
East Forest
Ela Taubert
Eli Soares
Elvis Costello
Em Beihold
Emiliano Fernández
Emily Scott Robinson
Engelbert Humperdinck
Enkay47
Erin McKeown
Espinoza Paz
Felipe Araújo
Fernando Daniel
FINNEAS
FLETCHER
estate of Frank Sinatra
Gavin Gray
Gonzy
Greta Van Fleet
Gretchen Peters
Grupo CANAVERAL
Grupo Recluta
Hit-Boy
Hugo & Vitor
HYBE
IMAFE Music
Imagine Dragons
Ivan Barias
Iván Conejo
J Balvin
JGonz
Ja Rule
Jacinto
Jadakiss
Jamie Cullum
Jana Herzen
Jannek Zechner
Jason shell
Jason Lindner
Javy Hustle
Jean Rohe
Jeremy Zucker
Jess Glynne
Jim Jones
Joaquina
John Paul White
Jon Batiste
Jon Bon Jovi
Jonas Brothers
Jonathan Taplin
Jordan Rakei
Juan Marcus & Vinicius
Juan Pablo Contreras
Juanes
Julia Michaels
Kacey Musgraves
Kaio Viana
Kart Love
Kate Hudson
Katy Perry
Kevin Aguilar
Kid Pistola
Kim Petras
La Arrolladora
Banda El Limón de
René Camacho
Lasso
Lauana Prado
Laura Burhenn
Laura Veirs
Lee Lewis
Lera Lynn
Lola Indigo
Lola Young
Lou Garcia
Loudon Wainwright Ill
Lua Lacruz
Luciano Perevra
Luis Fonsi
Luz Casal
Lynne Hanson
Mac DeMarco
Maggie Vail
Maneva
Manuel Carrasco
Mari.ana
Marc Cohn
Marcus King
Marian Hill
Marisa Liz
Mark Erelli
Mary Gauthier
estate of Mary Wilson
Matheus
Matthew Montfort
Maxx Kreative
Mayra
Mel Granda
Merca Xin Corte
Mergui
Metro Boomin
Mia Salinas
Michael Penn
Michelle Branch
Mikael Eldridge
Miko Marks
Miranda Lambert
Mumford & Sons
Mumuzinho
Nanno
Natalie Jean
Nesk Only
Nick Howard
Nicki Minaj
Noah Kahan
Norah Jones
Olivia Wald
Onev1
Dr. Otis Williams
Patrick Carney
Pearl Jam
Pedro Abrunhosa
Peter Case
Peter Frampton
Planta
Q-Tip
Raphael
Regis Danese
Reins
R.E.M.
Remi Wolf
Rhett Miller
Robert Finkelstein
Robert Smith
Rodney Crowell
Ron Pope
Rosanne Cash
Rosi Amador
Rui Massena
Ryan Tedder
Sam Smith
SER
Sérgio Godinho
Sherlyn Sánchez
Sheryl Crow
Sigrid
Simone Mendes
Smokey Robinson
Stevland Morris agrees on behalf of himself and Stevie Wonder
T Bone Burnett
T-Rex
Taylor Díaz
Tech N9ne
The Last Dinner Party
Tift Merritt
Tina Sinatra
Traci Thomas
Trucha
Valentina Fernandez
Vivir Quintana
WD
Will Linley
Windser
Yard Act
Yo Gambii
Zayn Malik
Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
Yeaaaaaa boy! Flavor Flav is headed back to reality TV. One of the best reality stars of all time has announced he will lead a show based on his obtaining his high school diploma.
According to TMZ, Flav has continued to dream about getting his diploma despite success in the Hip-hOp world. You can hear it all from Flav below.
Flavor Flav is a known Swiftie, but he also loves Billie Eilish. The famed Public Enemy hypeman was at an Oscar after-party two Sundays ago and gifted Eilish a Barbie-themed clock.
Flavor Flav gifted a custom clock necklace to Billie Eilish at the Oscars after party following her history-making win to become the youngest two-time winner of all time! More on JustJared.com. #BillieEilish#FlavorFlav
Earlier in the night, Billie Eilish and Finneas O’Connell became the youngest to win their second Oscar. The siblings won for “What Was I Made For?” from the Barbie Soundtrack. Previously, they won for “No Time to Die” from the James Bond soundtrack.
Flavor Flav is a known Swiftie, but he also loves Billie Eilish. The famed Public Enemy hypeman was at an Oscar after-party on Sunday and gifted Eilish a Barbie-themed clock.
Flavor Flav gifted a custom clock necklace to Billie Eilish at the Oscars after party following her history-making win to become the youngest two-time winner of all time! More on JustJared.com. #BillieEilish#FlavorFlav
Earlier in the night, Billie Eilish and Finneas O’Connell became the youngest to win their second Oscar. The siblings won for “What Was I Made For?” from the Barbie Soundtrack. Previously, they won for “No Time to Die” from the James Bond soundtrack.
For a little while, there was some uncertainty about whether Ryan Gosling would perform his Barbie movie favorite “I’m Just Ken” at the 2024 Oscars. A few days ago, though, Varietyconfirmed that he will take the Academy Awards stage to bust out the song, and now the Academy itself has revealed the full list of musical performers set to play their songs at this year’s ceremony, on March 10 at 7 p.m. ET.
Who Is Performing At The 2024 Oscars?
There are five songs nominated for the Best Original Song award this year, and as Variety notes, all of them will be performed during this year’s ceremony. The list of songs and their performers is as follows:
“The Fire Inside” from Flamin’ Hot (performed by Becky G, music and lyrics by Diane Warren)
“I’m Just Ken” from Barbie (performed by Ryan Gosling and Mark Ronson, music and lyrics by Mark Ronson and Andrew Wyatt)
“It Never Went Away” from American Symphony (performed by Jon Batiste, music and lyrics by Jon Batiste and Dan Wilson)
“Wahzhazhe (A Song For My People)” from Killers Of The Flower Moon (performed by Scott George and the Osage Singers, music and lyrics by Scott George)
“What Was I Made For?” from Barbie (performed by Billie Eilish and Finneas O’Connell, music and lyrics by Billie Eilish and Finneas O’Connell).
Jon Batiste. “It Never Went Away” from ‘American Symphony.’ LIVE at the Oscars.
Over the weekend, the People’s Choice Awards took place. The show honored a variety of the biggest entertainers of the year across film, television, and popular culture. The night’s awards were determined entirely by the people, who voted for their favorites in every category. Unsurprisingly, two of the biggest stars in music of the past year were present. Ice Spice had a breakthrough 2023 where she had four top 10 hits among collaborations with PinkPantheress, Taylor Swift, and Nicki Minaj. Billie Eilish scored one of the most critically acclaimed songs of the year with “What Was I Made For?” from the Barbie film soundtrack.
The two young stars met up backstage at the People’s Choice Awards where they snapped a quick photo that eventually made its way to Spice’s Instagram. “ima dip when i stack all my chips” she captioned the photo dump. It included pics of her entering the event, sitting at a table during it, interacting with fans, and even posing with an award she won. But it was the pic with Billie Eilish that had fans most excited and dreaming of what a collab between the two might sound like. “FINALLY A ICE SPICE X BILLIE PIC!!” one of the top comments on the post excitedly reads. Check out the full photo dump and fan reactions to it below.
Ice Spice took home the award for Best New Artist at this year’s People’s Choice Awards. She was one of the favorites to win the award at the Grammys earlier this month. But the award ultimately went to Victoria Monet. Spice was also nominated two more times for her song “Barbie World” with Nicki Minaj. Both of those awards ended up going to Killer Mike.
What do you think of Billie Eilish and Ice Spice posing for a pic backstage at the People’s Choice Awards? Would you be excited if the two decided to make a song together? Let us know in the comment section below.
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