Revisiting My First Worst Songs of the Year Post 10 Years Later (2016)

I've been making these worst of the year posts for almost 10 years now. Maybe I need to find something better to do with my life? Nah, who cares about that? Making fun of bad music is too fun! That being said, my opinions on music have changed so much since I started making these posts. I feel like I've grown to love a lot of music I would not have even given a chance 10 years ago. Pop music has become something I love, not that I didn't enjoy it back then, but it's something I seek out more on my own, even outside of the charts. So I thought it would be fun to go back and see how my opinions have changed on the worst songs of 2016. Maybe I like the songs more? Maybe I hate them more? I will put my complete old post and update my thoughts in BOLD. I will also leave all my typos and dumb jokes in there for fun. 

(2016)10. Work - Rihanna: "If you had a twin i'd still choose you" - Drake 2016
With classic lines like that this song was destined to be on this list. Sorry to say I can't really understand Rihanna throughout half of this song. The chorus just repeats words over and over to an annoying point and at some points it just sounds like Rihanna is mumbling her lines. The music is boring like most pop music this year (sorry if I repeat that complaint a lot, it's hard to ignore in all these pop songs). The music just feels really weak throughout the whole song. Still this song is far from the worse this year which is why it's all the way at my 10 spot. I still get some enjoyment out of hearing Rihanna mumble half the chorus, at least in a comedic way. She seems to be putting more emphasis on her accent on this song than some of her other songs, so I can give it a pass for that.

(2026) My love for Rihanna has grown a lot over the last 10 years and my love for this song has too. I will say it's actually got some good parts I like. Outside of the chorus, the verses are actually good. Also, the parts where Rihanna sounds like she's mumbling are actually in Jamaican Patois and not just gibberish like I stupidly thought. So yeah, this song is pretty solid actually. Even Drake puts up a decent verse here, outside of that stupid twin line. I mean, that's still such a weird line to put in this song. 

(2016) 9. H.O.L.Y. - Florida Georgia Line: Speaking of lazy songs, Florida Georgia Line return to the top of the charts with their amazing song HOLY. Honestly I feel bad about putting this on the list because i'm not really huge on country music, but I know it can be done better than this. This doesn't even really feel like a country song, except the fact it's performed by Florida Georgia Line. Super cheesy cliche lyrics and super basic music with nothing exciting happening throughout the whole song. I know there's country music out there that's actually good or at the very least trying to be good, so it's sad that this super lazy song is the one that made it pretty high on the charts above the rest of them. I guess i'm just happy that this song wasn't annoying as "Cruise" and "This is How We Roll".

(2026) Man, I'm glad these guys aren't really a thing anymore in 2026. They had a hold on the pop country radio for way more years than they deserved, and this song just shows how lazy they could be and still get a hit. Yeah, I agree with me from 10 years ago about everything. Well, except for the country music part, because I certainly like a lot more country than I did 10 years ago. This song is boring as hell, though, and it just feels like paint-by-numbers pop country that we still somehow get these days. 

(2016) 8. Low Life - Future/Weeknd: The power of Drake is strong with this one. I thought Drake was the king of boring songs that could put you to sleep in seconds, but Future looks to be trying to his throne. This song has zero energy musically and vocally, both singers sound like they haven't slept in weeks when they were recording and are trying their best to stay awake to finish recording. Why have a great singer like The Weeknd only to have him barely try to sing the chorus. Why is the music so boring? Why is Future allowed to make music? Why?

(2026) OH MAN, I forgot how much I hated Future's music back then. Honestly, I still have to love Future 10 years later, but I have a lot more love for The Weeknd. Mr. Weeknd has released some amazing albums in the last 10 years, so going back to this version of him is pretty depressing. Terrible lyrics and zero energy is right, but I've always disliked this style of trap song, even to this day. Future just brings no life to this track and sounds like he doesn't even want to be on his own song. Sad. 

(2016) 7. My House - Flo Rida: Here comes the artist as interesting as a blank paper, Flo Rida. I never want to hear the word house again after hearing this song (he says it a total of 18 times the whole song or 24 if you count synonyms). Also I always get really annoyed during the chorus when he does that sloppy stretch of the line "we don't have to go out". Seriously though, Flo Rida has really only made one decent song in "good feeling" and the rest of his music has been pretty terrible.

(2026) WELCOME TO MY HOUSE! AH, this song isn't that bad really. I mean, it's not great, but it's at least fun? Uhhh, I'm already bored after the first chorus. Never mind, I guess I don't disagree with myself from 10 years ago. Maybe I was a little too mean to Flo Rida, but I agree this song is pretty boring and repetitive. I still hate it when he says "We don't have to GooOOOooo out". 

(2016) 6. Work From Home - Fifth Harmony: The idea of a song about missing someone you care about because you both work different times of the day is not a bad one, but it's not executed well here. The worst part of the song is of course the lazy chorus that repeats the word "work" over and over till it doesn't make sense anymore. Also this is one of those songs that repeat the same music loop over and over until the end of the song, and it gets old pretty fast. Also there's these weird sounds during the second verse that sound really out of place, a weird squeaky noise. Also Ty Dolla $ign does a verse so that's a thing. Also the word "work" is said 97 times in this song, so that's cool.

(2026) Also, this song is still terrible 10 years later. Also, Camila Cabello left the group to make even worse music. Also, I should have mentioned the obvious joke that there were two songs that repeated the word "work" a lot in one year. Also, I used the word also too much in that review.

(2016) 5. Roses - Chainsmokers: The drop in this song is so bad, I always die a little inside when it happens. So I know music like this has a big focus on the "cool" electronic sounds and effects, but none of that stands out here. I found the music on this one to be really annoying, with all the frustrating vocal effects used and the equally frustrating random "what" chanting in the background. This song just feels one giant mess and nothing feels right together in here. The vocals and music together don't work together and it makes it really hard to listen to this song all the way through. Chainsmokers made had a lot of bad songs this year, but this one stands out above them in all the wrong ways.

(2026) Yeah, I got nothing to change about that original review. Chainsmokers were pretty bad at this, with "Closer" being the one single I actually liked by them. Even that one had the terrible vocals by Chainsmoker guy. 

(2016) 4. Me Too - Meghan Trainor: When I first heard this song the first thing that popped into my head was Will.i.am, because musically this sounds a lot like something he would do. The bass sounds sound like they came straight from a Black Eyed Peas song or a song produced by Will.i.am. Normally I find a lot of Will.i.am's music to be pretty annoying, so the fact that this sounds like it doesn't help me enjoy this, as the bass sounds are really annoying and overdone in this song. Also hearing Meghan Trainor trying to be so cocky and cool just doesn't really work for her, I just don't believe it coming from her. At least I can say she was trying to do something new, which is why this song isn't any higher, but it's still a pretty annoying song.

(2026) Good God, that bass is actually incredibly annoying. Like, I need to turn off the song because it's giving me a headache, levels of annoying. I tried to be kind to Meghan for trying something new, but she doesn't deserve that. I mean, she failed so spectacularly here that she ended up going back to her doo-wop sound not long after this. Like I said, this just doesn't work for someone like Meghan Trainor; it doesn't fit her vocal style or her personality. 

(2016) 3. We Don't Talk Anymore - Charlie Puth/Selena Gomez: A tough question I had to ask myself when making this list: Who is worse - Charlie Puth or Shawn Mendes? After some thought, the clear answer was Charlie Puth (at least this year). Not only releasing the super cheesy and unsexy "Marvin Gaye", he makes this equally lame song with Selena Gomez that's about the same overused subject like "Don't Wanna Know" by Maroon 5. The vocals in this song stay in the same tone throughout the whole runtime never doing anything interesting. The lyrics don't add anything new to this subject that's been done to death, it feels so bland and unoriginal. A lot of my frustration with pop music comes from either extremely boring songs with no emotion or songs like this one that take a subject that's been done so many times and doesn't add a single new thing to it. It just feels like one of those songs that could have been written by any song writer and could have been much better with a different performer.

(2026) Ugh, Charlie Puth. It's funny, I brought up the Charlie Puth vs Shawn Mendes argument in my original post. I still have no idea who I would pick, as both artists are as boring as they've ever been to this day. It doesn't help that he paired himself with Selena Gomez, who, at the time, I thought was one of the most boring artists making pop music. She's had a few decent songs since then, but not much, honestly. I will say the chorus isn't too bad on this song, maybe the only redeeming part of it, but not enough to bring me back to this song. 

(2016) 2. Fake Love - Drake: Drake is the king of boring songs that make me want to sleep, and most of the time actually do put me to sleep. I tried to listen to this while driving once, and it was a really bad idea. An artist that has been around as long as Drake has no excuse in releasing something this boring. BUT that's Drake thing right? Making music that's lifeless and boring with no passion. Music that's whiny and all about Drake complaining about people or his life. It's impressive the music is somehow even more boring than Drake's vocals in this song. I really wish people would stop buying and listening to bad music like this just because it comes from an artist that's already established and known around the world. I really think if this song was written by someone who wasn't as famous or popular as Drake people would hate it. Then again... I can't really speak for the majority, as I have no idea what they actually like, since artists like Flo Rida, Charlie Puth, Drake and Future all have huge hits this year. Drake needs to try something new and put more energy into his music, or at least just show some passion and emotion in his lyrics. Hopefully people will start to see how lazy this is and stop listening.

(2026) Oh man, I was such a Drake hater back then. Look, it's not a great song as far as Drake is concerned. I will say, the beat is pretty interesting, sort of reminds me a little of "Hotline Bling", which is still one of Drake's better songs. Thankfully, he released the much better "Scorpion" a year after this. Still, I could do without the drowning vocals that sound way too sleepy for a song going out to all the "haters". Yeah, I'm sick of all the people being fake right in front of my face, but not enough to show real emotion about it. 

(2016) 1. Gold - Kiiara: It was so hard trying to choose between this song and Drake for the worst of the year. This song is SO ANNOYING to listen to, and it was very hard listening to more than once. I just can't listen to this song all the way through, by the second chorus I have to change it. The chorus is one of the most frustrating things that i've heard all year, it really gets under my skin. The rest of this song is bland, boring and repetitive, but the chorus just takes it to a whole new level of bad. The lyrics repeat multiple times throughout the song, making the song that much harder to get through (since it doesn't make sense half the time anyway). While Drake might be boring, at least I can listen to his songs all the way through. This song somehow made it all the way to the TOP 13 spot and lasted 27 weeks on the HOT 100 charts. How can anyone give this a pass? How can anyone put up with the gibberish chorus? Please keep music like this away from the charts and the radio, it's not good at all.

(2026) Remember Kiiara? I didn't either until I started this post. Yeah, I can't stand this song even 10 years later. One of the worst choruses of the 2010s, easily. The chorus is supposed to be a scrambled version of the lines "The roof was on fire, but you never let me know", which is a decent line, but when scrambled to gibberish, it makes it frustrating to listen to. Maybe there was a good song somewhere in here, but this was not the way it needed to be presented. The gimmick just ruins the chorus, and the rest of the song just isn't good enough to make up for that. So yeah, I agree with 2016 me, this was the worst song of the year. But honestly, Meghan Trainor's "Me Too" probably should have been a close second. 

Our President is Terrible PART 4

 It's been almost 3 months since my last post about our garbage President, and OH MY GOD, so many terrible things have happened since then. Currently, everything in this country just keeps getting worse and worse, and every new decision our President makes just seems to break everything even more. It's not enough that he's ruining our own country, but now he's ruining the rest of the world, too, with this new war of his that even he can't seem to understand why he's doing it. So here are more reasons why our current "president" is terrrrrrible. 

IRAN WAR

This is an ongoing issue here in the world, and one that I'm not sure I fully even understand. Hell, I don't even think Trump understands much of what he's doing with this war, but now that he's stuck in it, he has no way out without looking like a moron. Well, he already looks like a giant moron, but I mean that he can't pull out without looking like an even bigger moron. It's clear that there was no real plan going into this Iran war, except that it was going to be about working with Israel to take out Iran. They say it was all to stop Iran's nuclear capabilities, as they claimed Iran was very close to being able to have nuclear weapons of their own. That seems to be a complete farce, as there is no evidence of this being true. In fact, the Counterterrorism Chief whom Trump appointed just resigned recently and said that that was all a lie, and he was disgusted by the war that Trump started with Iran. The world is suffering now more than ever with these terrible choices by our admin. Oil prices are going to keep going up, which means gas prices will go up along with them. Everyone in the world will have to deal with insane gas prices now. Not like it's a problem in the USA, since we don't rely on cars... oh wait, almost every city in the USA is completely dependent on owning a car to get around. Ah, well, just buy an electric car then, you'll be alright. 

We can't forget the fact that the USA bombed a school in Iran, killing innocent children alongside the adults who care for these children. Trump tried his best to find a way to place the blame on Iran, because he's a heartless bastard who probably never felt the love of his own father. But, it's so fucking gross how this admin is so perfectly fine with doing war crimes and killing children and not even showing the tiniest bit of remorse. Hell, we saw Trump wearing his stupid MAGA hat during a ceremony for the fallen soldiers of this "Operation Epic Fury". Dude can't even be respectful to the soldiers he got killed with his pointless war. How many more soldiers will you send to their death, Trump? Just recently, he declared a 48-hour warning to Iran, saying he will destroy power plants if they don't open the Strait of Hormuz. This isn't going to end anytime soon, is it? Oh, and it looks like he's already backed off on that 48-hour threat. Somebody, please, stop this idiot from making any important choices going forward, and get rid of all his idiot yes men. 

Robert Mueller

Last time I wrote about how Trump was completely insensitive about the death of Rob Reiner. He celebrated his death and made it all about himself, as a terrible person would. This time, he celebrated Robert Mueller's death on social media by just straight up saying, "Good. I'm glad he's dead". I mean, I know they had a lot of bad history together, but Trump just has zero class when it comes to... well, anything really. He just can't find a way to keep his stupid mouth shut and let anything go. He holds grudges for decades, regardless of how small and petty. Just know that if this ever happens to the President, everyone will be celebrating around the world. Like fireworks and parades type of celebrations.  

Racist Obama Video

Trump posted a video that depicted former President Obama and his wife, Michelle Obama, as monkeys. What do you even say to that? There's no denying this shit is racist, and our current president is racist. I mean, we already knew that, but why the hell are you posting videos like this, and why does he never get any repercussions for any of this shit? We all know he hates Obama more than anyone; he can't stop bringing him up every chance he gets. I swear, Trump is the only President in my lifetime who could even get away with this. The Republican Party is so broken that they don't really seem to care that much about all the horrendous things Trump keeps doing. Of course, they blame this on his team and say Trump wasn't the one who posted it. Not buying it. Trump would be stupid enough to post this on his page, and even he knows at this point he'll just get away with it anyway. 

Kaitlin Collins

Trump lashed out at Kaitlin Collins after she asked a good question about Epstein's victims and them getting justice. Trump dodged the question and instead went on a rant about how terrible CNN is and how he thinks Kaitlin Collins is terrible at her job. All this ended with a sexist "you should smile more" by Trump. Kaitlin rightfully says she's asking a serious question about victims, why would she smile? It's just another day of Trump being perfectly okay with being openly sexist. I mean, at this point, it doesn't seem to bother most of his fans. If they're okay with racism, why not be okay with sexism too? He also told another woman reporter a few weeks before this to "Quiet piggy". This is coming from an overweight man who can't even stand straight and feeds everyone McDonald's. Turns out he was the piggy all along. 

Melania Movie

What the hell was this? Can someone explain to me why the most boring woman alive needs an entire movie about her life? Directed by a man accused of rape by several women, and who also appeared in the Epstein files. Just a disaster waiting to happen. Well, it was a disaster of a movie that was only watched by the die-hard MAGA fans. I can't imagine they even liked it much, but they have to pretend to like it because... I don't even know at this point. It's okay to admit the movie sucked, alright, even if you like Trump, it's fine to think Melania is a very boring person. Not every famous person needs a movie made about their life, and this movie was proof. I guess to be fair, I didn't actually watch it, because what person with actual life goals and aspirations would actually walk into a theater and sit through this? By the way, they poured 75 million dollars into this movie. 75 MILLION! Here are some infinitely better movies that cost way less or about the same:

Breakfast Club: 1M

28 Years Later: 75M (a blockbuster with fantastic effects and great actors costs the same)

Saw: 1.2M

Rocky: About a Million

I'd imagine some of the older movies I mentioned aren't adjusted for inflation, but even so, it's still going to be so much cheaper, even if it were adjusted. 

Hell, even the recent NBA Bulls, The Last Dance, documentary cost less to make, and it's considered by many to be one of the best documentaries of all time, with athletes more well-known than Melania. The point is that that much money wasn't needed to make a doc about Melania, and the budget certainly didn't show in the doc itself. Unless they paid Melania or Trump most of the budget, which wouldn't be that shocking. 

Kristi Noem

Trump just recently fired the Secretary of DHS Kristi Noem. It was a long time coming, I mean, she was just awful at her job. I say this, but really, almost all of Trump's cabinet appointees are terrible at their jobs. Kristi Noem, who is famous for killing a dog, was fired not too long ago, and Trump has already found a replacement. The sad part of all this was that the reason why she was fired was not that she was terrible at her job, which she was, but because of what she said about Trump. She basically threw Trump under the bus when asked why she spent so much money making tons of commercials with herself in them. 220 million dollars to make a bunch of worthless commercials with Noem riding horses, trying to convince everyone she's actually good at her job. It wasn't long after blaming Trump for the commercial budget that she was fired from her position. 

There's also the alleged story of her having an affair with Corey Lewandowski, who served as a special adviser to the DHS. Both people in this affair are married with children, by the way. There were rumors of them sleeping together on their expensive luxury jet while they traveled across the country. If true, it just further shows how terrible these people are at their jobs, and Trump is terrible at picking the people who will be in positions of great power. 

Pam Bondi

About a month ago, Pam Bondi, who is the current attorney general, was questioned about the Epstein Files. There, she completely embarrassed herself by dodging as many questions as possible and showing no respect to the victims of Epstein, who were watching her bumble her way through the hearing. The funniest and dumbest moment came when Bondi started ranting about how great the DOW is when asked about Epstein and his victims. "The DOW is over 50,000!" she says, as everyone in the room rolled their eyes or laughed at the stupidity of the statement. At this point, we know Trump cares more about the stock market than pretty much anything else. The market seems to really drive a lot of Trump's decisions as President, and when it starts to go down, he seems to try any cheap tactic to get it to rise again. But this wasn't about that; it was about Epstein's list and the survivors who are looking for justice. It doesn't seem like any justice will be had in this current administration, as they are pretty much doing anything they can to get people to forget about Epstein and move on from this. Like perhaps starting a war in Iran? 

Jake Paul

Two of your least favorite humans are hanging out like bros together. Gross. Trump invited Jake Paul to one of his rallies, where Jake Paul wore a suit and was sweating straight through that suit, leaving giant wet marks under his armpits and on the sides of his entire torso. Dude needs to get some new deodorant. Actually, he was there TO promote his deodorant, so I guess that didn't go so well. I don't know, man, Jake just looked so gross and sweaty, and his gross beard looks like it hasn't been washed in like 5 years. I feel like his very presence on screen makes me want to vomit, so I can't imagine what it's like actually being around him. Trump seems to love him, though, which makes sense because he's one of the other guys whose presence makes me want to vomit. I'd imagine women instinctively cover their drinks when they see these two guys approaching. ANYWAY, the whole point of this was Trump endorsing Jake Paul for some kind of future position in Government. Please God, if you are still out there, don't let Jake Paul have a position of power in this country. Well, I guess I'll go watch Jake Paul get his jaw broken again from his last fight. 

As always, below are some articles if you want more information on some of these topics and news. 

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cg4g66r3z40o

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/mar/11/iran-war-missile-strike-elementary-school

https://www.cnbc.com/2026/02/11/trump-pam-bondi-hearing-stock-epstein-judiciary-dow.html

https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/donald-trump-faces-backlash-wearing-091400501.html

https://www.cnn.com/2026/03/21/politics/donald-trump-robert-mueller-insensitive-comments

https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/5796885-kristi-noem-homeland-security-ad-democrats-investigation/

https://www.politico.com/news/2026/03/04/noem-lewandowski-relationship-tabloid-garbage-0081318

https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/celebrity/articles/cnn-kaitlan-collins-breaks-silence-184025519.html

The One Where I Review Season 3 of FRIENDS

Season 3 of Friends debuted on Television all the way back in September of 1996. Rewatching the first two seasons has been a lot of fun, as it usually is, but it's nice to be able to actually write these short reviews to eventually go back to and see how much I agree with myself in the future. Season 3 is one of the most memorable seasons and one that has an impact on every season after with the big breakup episode, but I'll talk about that when we get to that episode. The season picks up with all the stories from last season, like Ross and Rachel dating and Chandler's new love for Janice. 

The One With the Princess Leia Fantasy: Joey and Janice's DAY OF FUN! We see that Joey is getting tired of Janice being at the apartment all the time again, but deals with it for Chandler's sake. By the end of the episode, he still can't stand her, but decides to at least make peace with her. Janice continues to be a great guest character, going to miss her when she leaves again. Monica is depressed after breaking up with Richard, but her dad comforts her later by telling her that Richard is just as miserable as she is. It's a sweet moment, one of the few we get between Monica and her dad. Ross tells Rachel about his Princess Leia fantasy, which Rachel decides to fulfill. It's all ruined when, right before this happens, Chandler tells Ross that sometimes he thinks about his mom during sex accidentally, and he can't get his brain to move on from the image. So, of course, this leads to Ross picturing Rachel as his mom in the Princess Leia bikini and ruins his fantasy. They also mention the hot girl from the Xerox place in this episode, a recurring topic that becomes very important later in the season. 

"Oh, by the way, there is no Count Rushmore!" - Chandler

"Then who's the guy who painted the faces on the mountain?!" - Joey

GRADE: B

The One Where No One's Ready: The first bottle episode (and only?) of the show is also one of the most memorable episodes of the series. The entire episode takes place in Monica's apartment as Ross tries desperately to get everyone ready to leave on time for his important work event. This goes poorly as all the friends find ways to delay getting ready. Joey and Chandler are fighting about a chair, which leads to them spilling sauce on Phoebe and ruining her dress. Rachel can't decide what to wear and keeps changing her mind, further stressing Ross out. Monica is freaking out after hearing a woman's voice on Richard's answering machine after she left a "breezy" message of her own. The pacing of the episode is perfect as each character goes through their own crisis with tons of great jokes. The best moment has to be Joey putting on all of Chandler's clothes at the same time. 

"You know what's weird? Donald Duck never wore pants, but when he stepped out of the shower, he always put a towel around his waist. I mean, what is that about?" - Chandler

GRADE: A

The One With All the Jam: Monica decides to start a "jam plan" to get over Richard, which involves... making a lot of jam. When that doesn't work, she decides to look into sperm donors to try to start a family on her own. She ends up finding Joey's sperm donor profile, which is the funniest part of the episode. Thankfully, Joey has a sweet moment with Monica and helps her feel better about the recent Richard breakup. I always like the Joey is a sweetheart moments in the show; he's the most loyal friend of them all. In a pretty bad storyline, Phoebe dates her twin sister's stalker, played by David Arquette. The same David Arquette who would marry Courtney Cox just a few years later. In fact, they had probably just met earlier in the year, filming the first Scream in 1996. Anyway, the stalker story sucks, and it was a weird use of David Arquette, and it even felt weird for Phoebe's character. Eh, this episode overall is pretty forgettable outside of that nice Joey and Monica moment. Actually, a fun fact of this episode is that Joey's character breaks his arm at the start, but that was actually to cover up the fact that Matt LeBlanc actually dislocated his shoulder during the filming of the last episode. 

GRADE: C-

The One With the Metaphorical Tunnel: Chandler is afraid of taking the next step with Janice until he talks to Joey about it. Then Chandler takes his commitment too far and scares Janice away. The girls have to comfort Chandler as he thinks he blew it with Janice until she comes back for Chandler. It's a nice moment of growth for Chandler, and it shows that with the right person, he's willing to finally commit. On the other story we get Phoebe becoming Joey's agent, as she does a great job getting him more auditions. Sadly, this means also hearing back after Joey's auditions and having to tell Joey he didn't get the part. This leads to a fun scene where she gives Joey feedback and makes him sad. Ross also tries to convince his son Ben to stop playing with a Barbie doll, because of toxic masculinity or something like that. I mean, I played with girls' toys when I was a kid, and I turned out fine... well, I guess fine is a strong word. 

"Sure. Jump off the high dive, stare down the barrel of a gun, pee into the wind!" - Joey

"I assure you, if I'm staring down the barrel of a gun, I'm going to be peeing in every which way" - Chandler

GRADE: C+

The One With Frank, Jr.: The highlight of the episode is seeing Frank Jr again, as I've said before, he's a very fun character. This time, he and Phoebe have some sibling bonding time as they try to get to know each other, with mostly poor results. Frank thinks Phoebe is a sex worker when she tells him she's a masseuse, and he gets in trouble when he makes a move on one of Phoebe's coworkers. I also love Frank wanting to set everything on fire at the apartment. Joey builds his famous entertainment center in this episode, which becomes a running joke for the rest of the season because it's too big. Chandler and Janice tell Ross and Rachel about their list of 5 celebrity freebies they can "sleep with" without it counting as cheating. Ross struggles to make his list as he keeps wanting to change celebs. He ends up narrowly leaving out Isabella Rossellini, who just so happens to show up at the coffee shop later. Another okay episode, with a few good moments. Thank god for Frank Jr.

"You know how we're always saying we need a place to put the mail? Well, I started building one. But then I decided to take the next step." - Joey

"You're building a post office?" - Chandler

GRADE: C+

The One With the Flashback: A flashback is triggered after Janice asks the friends which one of them almost hooked up with each other. The flashback takes place at least a year before the pilot episode, as Rachel has just gotten engaged to Barry and runs into Monica at a bar (that eventually becomes Central Perk). Rachel is back to her old ways as she's hanging out with her rich friends, but Chandler catches her eye. We get a hint to Rachel's doubts about Barry as she fantasizes about hooking up with Chandler at the bar later on, a pairing I'm glad we never actually saw. Ross is dealing with a sexless marriage with his wife, Carol. Carol gets excited when Ross brings up the idea of having a threesome, which, of course, leads to Ross finding out Carol is a lesbian. Phoebe comforts Ross after his realization that his marriage is over, and they nearly have sex on the pool table before they realize it's a bad idea. It's honestly an interesting romantic partnership, but obviously, the show probably wouldn't have worked as well if Phoebe replaced Rachel in the romance. The last story has Joey meeting Chandler for the first time as he is looking for a new place to live. Monica sees Joey and instantly has a crush on him, leading to Joey trying to sleep with her. His methods are too aggressive, though, and she shuts him down, but ultimately remains his friend. Probably the most believable relationship would have been Joey and Monica, but of course, that would delete Chandler from the future, and again, would make the show worse. This is a fun episode, though, with lots of fun teases as relationships that never actually happen on the show, but ultimately it doesn't actually affect anything in the future outside of Joey moving in with Chandler. 

"Get ready for me to whip your butt!" - Monica

"Okay, but after that, we're playing some pool." - Chandler

GRADE: B

The One With the Racecar Bed: Monica buys a new bed from Janice's separated husband behind Chandler's back, but she ends up with the wrong order in the form of a racecar bed. While returning the bed, Joey catches Janice and her husband kissing in the backroom of the store. Ross and Rachel have dinner with Mr. Greene, but Ross keeps embarrassing himself in front of him. It gets worse when Ross leaves a tip after Mr. Greene doesn't, but he's caught in the act. The funniest part of the episode is when  Ross and Mr. Greene finally find common ground by making fun of Rachel. One of my favorite jokes is when they make fun of the fact that she has one shorter leg than the other. Joey starts teaching an acting class, but becomes jealous of one of his students who is clearly better than him. He tries to sabotage him when they end up auditioning for the same part, but it only makes him have an even better audition. Another solid episode, but nothing amazing. Fun fact: this is the first time Gunther is revealed to be in love with Rachel.

"To work in soap operas, some of you are going to have to become much more attractive." - Joey to his class

GRADE: B-

The One With the Giant Poking Device: Continuing from the last episode, Joey tells Chandler about Janice kissing her husband. Chandler decides to ask her about it, and she tells him she's in love with both of them. Chandler, being the good guy he is, decides to step away from Janice, giving her a chance to make things work with her husband. It shows time and time again that Chandler is a mature guy and is always ready to do the right thing, even if it hurts him. Well... I say that, but next season Chandler makes a big mistake, more on that next season. Monica and Rachel take care of Ben while Ross is at work, and Monica bangs Ben's head against the ceiling. Ben decides to try to rat her out by saying "Monica bang" over and over. It's a cute little story, and I love when they massacre the stuffed bear to give Ben a hat over his bump. Phoebe gets a mildly funny story where she's afraid to go to the dentist because someone always dies when she does. She thinks she's killed ugly naked guy, so the friends make a giant poking device to see if he's alive. Unfortunately, he is. 

"What's the matter (Phoebe), you need a dentist? I got a good one." - Ross

"Thanks, I have a good one too, I just can't see him" - Phoebe

"See, that's the problem with invisible dentists" - Chandler

GRADE: B

The One With the Football: One of the funniest episodes of the series involves all the friends playing football. This is one of the better Ross and Monica episodes, and that's saying something because there are a lot of good ones for them. I like all the little stories that happen during the game, like Rachel being ignored by everyone until the end, where she has her big moment. Chandler and Joey are fighting over a girl who is at the park, and for the first time ever, Chandler gets the girl over Joey. That lasts about a few seconds, as Chandler embarrasses himself in front of her, and she rejects him, too. But really, the main part of the episode that carries it is Monica and Ross battling over the "Geller Cup," which is an ugly troll doll trophy from their childhood that Monica had been holding onto. Monica and Ross constantly being childish towards each other is too funny, and I love how it ends with them just fighting for the trophy alone while all the other friends are back home enjoying Thanksgiving. 

"Nice try (Chandler), see, the Netherlands is a make-believe place where Peter Pan and Tinker Bell come from." - Joey, when asked where Dutch people come from

GRADE: A+

The One Where Rachel Quits: In an uneven episode, Rachel finally quits her job at Central Perk, which sets of a series of events that will be pretty important later on in the season. Rachel proves to be terrible at her job time and time again, but it's because she hates it, and she wants to work in the clothing/fashion industry. The best story from this episode, though, is Ross selling Girl Scout cookies to help a young girl whose leg he accidentally broke. It leads to a lot of funny scenes, like Ross selling cookies to stoners and Ross being overly competitive with a bunch of little girls. There are also some funny scenes of Monica getting addicted to the cookies and Ross having to cut her off. This all leads to one of the sweetest scenes on the show, where Ross and Chandler pretend to take the young girl to space after she fails to win a trip to Space Camp. In a more boring story, Phoebe is mad at Joey for selling Christmas trees. 

"Says here a puppet got whacked on Sesame Street last night. Where exactly were you at ten-ish?" - Chandler to Ross after he accidentally broke the little girl's leg earlier

GRADE: B

The One Where Chandler Can't Remember Which Sister: We are introduced to fan favorite Mark in this episode, who becomes a big part of the Ross and Rachel story. I say fan favorite sarcastically; of course, I doubt any Friends fans like Mark that much. Mark does help Rachel get a job at Bloomingdale's, so at least he's got that going for him. Ross is immediately suspicious of Mark and thinks he's only trying to get with Rachel. More on that later. During a party at his apartment, Chandler gets drunk and makes out with one of Joey's sisters. The problem is that he has seven sisters, and Chandler can't remember which one he was with. It's almost foreshadowing future events in the next season. I do love the scene where Joey's grandma keeps answering Chandler when he's asking Mary-Angela questions to figure out which one she is. There's also a fun gag with Monica's upstairs neighbor being too loud, and Phoebe starts to date him, only to hear him cheating on her later because he's so loud. 

"You see! You can't tell them apart either! Bleh!" - Chandler about Joey's sisters

"Well, we didn't fool around with any of them! Bleh! Bleh!" - Phoebe

GRADE: C+

The One With All the Jealousy: Ross continues to be jealous of Mark, so much so that he starts sending Rachel too many gifts at work. I do love the barbershop quartet he sends her, who show up at the end of the episode again. It's a nice continuation of the Mark and Rachel story, which eventually leads to the biggest moment of the season later. I think it's interesting to see Ross acting like the idiot here, even though you can kind of get where he's coming from. Monica starts dating a poet from her work named Julio. He writes her a poem that she loves, until the other friends tell her it's about her and it's degrading. She gets revenge on Julio by bringing back the barbershop quartet to sing him a song about how much of a pig he is, which is very satisfying. We also get Joey pretending to know how to do musical theatre and dancing, but he is forced to teach the actors the dance after the instructor has to leave. The funniest part of the episode is Joey running away after he's forced to dance in front of the instructor. 

"You are just a butt-munch! No one likes a butt-munch." - The Barbershop quartet singing to Julio

GRADE: B

The One Where Monica and Richard Are Just Friends: Monica runs into Richard at a video store, and all their feelings come rushing back. They decide to try to become friends with benefits, and it works for a while, until they realize they still have strong feelings for each other. They decided to have one last night together before saying goodbye for good. I'm not sure how I feel about it. I mean, it was nice to see Richard again, but it also felt like Monica was going backwards after spending so many episodes mourning this relationship. Phoebe dates a jock who wears shorts that reveal his balls when he sits down. It's a funny joke that maybe goes on for a bit too long, but I guess they needed to give Pheebs something to do here. Joey and Rachel give each other their favorite books to read (The Shining and Little Women), but Joey spoils the ending for Rachel. I do love Joey putting the books in his freezer because the books are too scary or sad. 

"Hey buddy, this is a family place. Put the mouse back in the house" - Gunther, to the jock who was showing his balls

GRADE: C+

The One With Phoebe's Ex-Partner: Phoebe's old friend and songwriting partner, Leslie, plays a show at Central Perk and tries to reunite with Phoebe. Phoebe isn't having any of it, though, as she's still hurt that Leslie ditched her to write music for commercials. Eventually, they rejoin one last time before Leslie runs off again to sell Phoebe's song to a cat litter company. I do love Leslie, though; her voice is really great in the few songs they sing. Actually, you'd instantly recognize her voice if you grew up watching Rugrats or Powerpuff Girls, as she is the voice of Tommy and Buttercup. Chandler starts dating Ginger, who has an artificial leg. Turns out, Joey also dated Ginger, but ran away from her after accidentally burning her leg in a fire while they were out camping. Joey telling that story will always be one of the funniest moments of the season. Chandler is grossed out by the leg, but eventually makes peace with it. Ginger is happy with Chandler's maturity until she finds out about his third nipple and breaks up with him instantly. 

"Jingle bitch screwed me over! Go to hell, jingle whore!" - Phoebe singing a song about Leslie 

GRADE: A-

The One Where Ross and Rachel Take a Break: Ross's jealousy finally exhausts Rachel, and she decides to take a break from him after a heated argument. From Ross's point of view, he's sad that they never spend time together anymore because Rachel is too busy with her new job. From Rachel's point of view, she's finally doing a job she actually cares about, and thinks Ross should be happy for her and understand her new commitments. Mark basically gets what he wants here because Ross couldn't put his jealousy aside for Rachel's sake. Joey and Chandler finally ask out the Xerox girl named Chloe, but are confused when she seemingly makes a date with both of them. They hilariously try to figure out how to proceed if they end up having a threesome with her after the "date". Well, it turns out she's actually into Ross and wants to hook up with him. Ross gives Rachel one last call before doing anything stupid, but when he hears Mark's voice, he decides to go all in with the Xerox girl and sleeps with her. It's interesting how a bad coincidence leads to Ross's decision to hook up with the Xerox girl. In a way, you can see why, since in his head, he thinks Rachel is doing the same with Mark at the moment. It also kind of confuses me as to why Rachel calls Mark over right after their fight, especially knowing it was kind of about him. Mark sucks because it really seems like he purposely wanted Ross to hear his voice to further drive him away from Rachel. We also get Phoebe dating a Russian(?) diplomat whose translator keeps getting in the way of their intimate moments. Pretty great scene where Monica dates the translator and they both go off on their own, leaving Phoebe with the Russian(?) speaker, whom she can't understand. I say Russian because it's the closest language I can think of, but apparently, he's speaking gibberish mostly. He's also from a fictional country that they never actually mention. 

"My guy has coupons. Your guy can't even SAY coupons" - Monica to Phoebe and her French-speaking date

GRADE: A

The One With the Morning After: As far as funny episodes go, this is probably the least funny of all the Friends episodes. To be fair, it's not meant to be a very funny episode and is actually the most serious episode of the show so far, probably of the entire show. Ross wakes up after sleeping with the Xerox girl, only to find that Rachel left him a message and wants to get back together. Ross then spends the entire day trying to stop the trail that leads from the Xerox girl back to Rachel, but it is too late. Rachel finds out about Ross and the Xerox girl through Gunther, and so begins the emotional rollercoaster that is this episode. The rest of the episode is Ross and Rachel fighting, as Ross tries his best to win Rachel back, but Rachel just can't see Ross the same after finding out he was with another woman. I'll be honest, I have often skipped this episode on my rewatches, as it's just not a very fun episode to go through again. The acting is fantastic, though, and David and Jennifer as Ross and Rachel do some of their best work here with tears in their eyes and lots of big emotions. It's a huge turning point for the show in a way, because this moment is pretty much referenced throughout the rest of the show, and Ross and Rachel's breakup carries on throughout the rest of the show. The rest of the friends are stuck in Monica's room while this is all happening, providing some comedic relief throughout the fight. But overall, this is a heartbreaking episode. At least it's done very well.

"Look, if you absolutely have to tell her, at least wait until the timing is right. And that's what death beds are for." - Chandler

GRADE: A

The One With the Ski Trip: After the big breakup, all the friends have to divide their time between Rachel and Ross, as they can't be in the same room together. Rachel invites everyone to a ski cabin for the weekend, leaving Ross forced to spend the weekend alone. On the way to the cabin, Phoebe's taxi runs out of gas and leaves them stranded at a snowy rest stop with no one around. This episode is particularly great for Chandler, as he is lashing out at everyone after the breakup and starts smoking again. He's like a darker version of Chandler in the next few episodes, and it's great. Ross annoys Carol on her special date night with Susan, as he has no one else to talk to. I'll admit this episode is a bit of a comedown from the last two emotional episodes, but it was probably needed after all that. I always found this episode to be a bit of a chore to watch, but it's basically here to get Rachel and Ross to slowly move past the breakup from the last episode. 

"You SLEPT with another woman?!" - Carol

"Oh, you're - You're one to talk" -  Ross

GRADE: C-

The One With the Hypnosis Tape: Two big moments happen in this episode, and that's the introduction of Pete and Alice. Pete is a random customer at the restaurant Monica works at, and he asks her out after hearing she's single. Turns out Pete is a millionaire who owns a tech company, so he takes her on a date to Italy for some pizza. As much as Monica likes the idea of dating him, she just has no feelings for him after the date. Frank Jr. returns to visit Phoebe and tell her about his new fiance named, Alice. The thing is, Alice was his teacher in school and is much older than him, so this freaks Phoebe out, and she tries to break them up. I love the scene where Ross and Joey try to convince Frank to stay single, but he ends up inspiring them, and they become part of his wedding party. Chandler gets a tape from Rachel to help him quit smoking again. The tape was made for women, and after listening to it during sleep, he starts acting more feminine the next day. Certainly a big upgrade from the last episode, as things go back to normal and we get some fun storylines that will carry on for the next few episodes. 

"Think about it, you're 18, and she's 44. When you're 36, she's going to be 88" - Joey to Frank Jr.

"You think I don't know that?" - Frank Jr

GRADE: B+

The One With the Tiny T-Shirt: FRANKIE SAYS RELAX! Ross is hurt when Rachel gives him a box of his stuff that she had from their days of dating. In his anger, he takes a shirt back that he gave to Rachel. There's a nice, sweet moment at the end where he gives her back the shirt, and it shows that Rachel still cares for Ross, and a spark of hope that they could potentially still work out together. Monica continues dating Pete, but still has no feelings for him despite trying her best. I forgot to mention in the last episode that Pete is played by the great Jon Favreau, you may know him from the MCU as Happy, or maybe his cult classic film, Swingers. He's a great addition to the cast this season. Rachel also goes on a date with douchebag Mark, but ultimately can't find herself taking things further with him as she has mixed feelings about everything that happened between them and Ross. Thankfully, this is the last we get to see Mark until his random appearance in the last season. Good riddance. 

"You slept with someone three hours after you broke up. I mean, bullets have left guns slower!" - Chandler to Ross, after Ross sees Mark with Rachel

GRADE: C+

The One With the Dollhouse: Monica's Aunt Silvia dies and leaves her a big dollhouse that she's wanted since she was little. Of course, this is Monica, so she creates all these needless rules for the house and doesn't let Phoebe play with it. Phoebe creates her own dollhouse instead, and everyone likes it more than Monica's. This is one of those episodes where Monica's controlling gets out of hand. I remember a lot more of these coming up in the future. Joey is going to star in a play, and his co-star, Kate, doesn't take him seriously. Joey develops a big crush on Kate, but she pays him no attention, as she's already dating the play's director. Things get steamy, though, when Kate and Joey rehearse this big kiss, and it leads to them sleeping together afterward. For the first time on the show, Joey sleeps with someone and wants to pursue something more, but is rejected by Kate as she only saw it as a one-night thing. Chandler dates Rachel's boss, but he totally hates her. Of course, Chandler can't admit that, so he lies to her and says he liked her. Rachel forces Chandler to tell the truth. Another very fun episode, and I really liked the Joey storyline with Kate here. It's cool to see Joey on the other side of things for once. 

"A house for dolls? That's great! When I was growing up, I had a barrel" - Phoebe

"You had a barrel for a doll house?" - Ross

"No, just a barrel" - Phoebe

GRADE: B+

The One With a Chick. and a Duck.: The introduction to Joey and Chandler's chick and duck. Dick the Duck and Yasmine the Chick, named after Chandler's biggest celeb crush. Monica has to wear skates at work thanks to Phoebe, and she crashes into Rachel and injures her arm. This leads to Ross taking care of Rachel and helping her get ready for a work event, and later on, taking her to the hospital instead. He actually ends up giving away his opportunity to be on a TV show to help Rachel, and when she finds out, she's very touched. This is another little spark between Ross and Rachel that gives you even more hope that they could fix things. Monica is still not into Pete. He offers to make her the head chef at a new restaurant he purchased, but she's skeptical that he's still trying to win her over romantically. When she finds out that she was right, she rejects his new job proposal. This leads to a goodbye kiss between them, and the kiss is so good that she finally feels something for Pete. So begins the new relationship between Pete and Monica. I'll admit I never cared much for this relationship, and it honestly feels like the show didn't either. More on this later... 

"Now, you stay out here and think about what you DID!" - Chandler to the duck

GRADE: C+

The One With the Screamer: Ben Stiller guest stars in this episode as Rachel's new romantic interest, Tommy. Ross meets him at Joey's play and is shocked when he yells at an old couple who were in their seats. Ross obsesses over catching him screaming again, ruining his own date in the process. Ben Stiller is hilarious, though. I loved seeing him on this show, and honestly, I completely forgot about this appearance, so it was a cool surprise. At the end of the episode, the rest of the friends catch him screaming at the chick and the duck, and it's amazing. Joey's play bombs, and the director breaks up with Kate after seeing her performance get terrible reviews. This leads to Joey making her feel better, and they have a nice romantic night together. It ends poorly for Joey, as Kate leaves the next day for Hollywood when she's offered a new role. This is just how Joey's romances play out, it seems. He finally falls for a girl, and it just falls apart instantly. No wonder he just sticks with the one-night stands. Oh, and Phoebe spends the entire episode on hold on a warranty call. 

"STEP away from the duck!" -Chandler to Tommy when they catch him yelling at the duck

GRADE: B

The One With Ross's Thing: NO! Not THAT thing! Ross has a growth on his back and can't identify it, so he sees multiple doctors. Only Phoebe's weird guru can figure it out, but only because he accidentally rips it off. Not the best storyline, but the scene where all the doctors come to look at Ross's butt is pretty funny. This story kind of reminds me of a Seinfeld episode where George sees a guru for some reason. I guess Gurus were a funny concept in the 90s? Monica thinks Pete is getting ready to propose to her when she finds an order for a ring design in his office. Turns out, the ring design was for a UFC ring, as Pete is getting ready to compete in mixed martial arts. Let's face it, we all knew Pete was going to get his ass kicked. Phoebe dates a fireman and a teacher and can't decide who to stay with. Every time she thinks she's found a reason to pick one, the other surprises her with the same exact thing the other guy had. It's an okay story, not super funny or memorable, but the ending is pretty decent. This is easily one of the weakest episodes of the season for me. 

"What's a kundis?" - Ross

"Nothing, what's a kundis with you?" - Guru

GRADE: C-

The One With the Ultimate Fighting Champion: When I said earlier that I think the show doesn't even care about Monica and Pete's relationship, this is what I meant. Pete is quickly written off the show as the writers just turn him into an idiot in two episodes, giving Monica no reason to stay with him. I mean, it was never going to live up to the Richard relationship, and it wasn't really trying to, so that's okay. Still, it seems like they rushed this ending here to get Pete out of the show before the season ended. Pete gets his ass kicked multiple times, and Monica doesn't want to see him getting hurt, so she ends things with him. Bye Pete! Ross starts dating Bonnie, whom Rachel thinks is a bald woman, so she's cool with it. Turns out, Bonnie is no longer bald and is very beautiful, so Rachel becomes jealous. Bonnie is one of the cooler characters on the show, probably too cool for Ross, really. Chandler has to deal with his boss, who keeps spanking his buttocks as a form of praise. Slap dat ass. But Chandler isn't into it, because he's a baby. Joking aside, it's a fun storyline, but nothing too crazy. I do like the end where Chandler feels left out when everyone else gets spanked. 

Also, Billy Crystal and Robin Williams make an appearance at the start of the episode, and it's the most random, hilarious scene on the show. 

"I have a feeling my wife is sleeping with her gynecologist" - Robin Williams

"Really? How do you know?" - Billy Crystal

"Well, he's got access" - Robin Williams

GRADE: B

The One at the Beach: The first season finale that takes place in a whole new location, a trend that continues in the next few seasons. This time, the friends all go to the beach! The two big things here are Phoebe meeting her real mom and Ross and Rachel possibly getting back together, finally. Phoebe finds out her mom's best friend, whom she's named after, lives out in Montauk, and everyone decides to make a trip out of it. The big twist is that Phoebe is actually Phoebe's mother. That is, Phoebe Senior is actually Phoebe Buffay's mother. Rachel sabotages Ross's new girlfriend Bonnie by getting her to shave her head again, and Ross is very much not into it. Ross ends up confronting Rachel, but they end up kissing, giving Ross a choice to make at the end of the episode. The rest of the friends play strip poker because Joey wouldn't shut up about it. They all team up on Joey, and he loses all his clothes first. Chandler is annoyed that Monica says she wouldn't date him, but we know what happens there. Monica is destined to be a BING! 

In this episode, Phoebe uses the popular phrase "BFF" for the first time in a television show, which apparently made it even more popular after it aired. They didn't invent the phrase, but it's cool to know the phrase became so popular again because of Friends. 

"Which one of you has the gun to my head?" - Monica, when asked to pick between Joey and Chandler

GRADE: A-

Another season of Friends is done, and this one is probably the best one so far. Certainly, the most emotional season with the Ross and Rachel breakup storyline. The Ross and Rachel breakup is pretty much the turning point for the show in a lot of ways, as it's the moment that's referenced the most in the rest of the show, I believe. That and so many storylines going forward for those two characters revolve around the breakup. Get ready to hear "we were on a break" a bunch of times throughout the show. 

World Cup 2026 Sucks and It Hasn't Even Started Yet

 The 2026 World Cup is set to take place this summer in the USA, with some games also taking place in Mexico and Canada. You know, when this was first announced years ago, I was super excited to see the World Cup finally come back to the States and potentially even finally see a World Cup game in person. That dream was shattered into tiny bite-sized pieces pretty soon after FIFA unveiled how they were going to sell tickets. A lottery system. Yes, FIFA was going to use luck to determine who gets to buy tickets to the game, unless you were planning on buying super expensive travel packages. So that's bad enough, pretty much making it inevitable that a bunch of tickets would end up being resold for higher prices to people who didn't get picked. But then the prices were revealed...

So tickets to the World Cup have been getting more expensive over time; that's not surprising, but what is surprising is how much more expensive they got this time around. Just to put a comparison to the last World Cup, the final game in the 2022 World Cup started at around 200$, and the final game of this year's World Cup starts at 2000$. You're telling me in just 4 years the cheapest final ticket went up by 1800$? How is that even possible? They did end up adding some affordable, cheap seats for less than 100$, but again, it was up to you to win a lottery to gain access to those tickets. If you didn't gain access, well then, it's up to the resale market, and that is a nightmare. I mean, if you were planning on seeing any of the home teams like the USA, Mexico, or Canada, then you'll have to spend even more money because those are very hard to find at a good price. Basically, the more popular the team, the worse the tickets are. 

The prices got so bad that even players started speaking out against FIFA for how much they were charging for the games. One of the American players, Tim Weah, gave a comment about how ridiculous the prices are. This led the Team USA coach to rant in an interview, telling his players to stop talking about prices and focus on the game. Basically, the old shut up and dribble argument. God forbid players actually give their opinions on the World Cup and FIFA. 

Ticket prices are just one big flaw in the upcoming World Cup; the other big one is the current administration of the United States. Trump and his buddies have been making jokes over the last year about deporting fans who come to watch their teams play, so that's pretty fucked up. I mean, the landscape here has been so hostile towards immigrants since Trump took office again. I think that has really affected how many people actually want to travel from different countries to see their home teams play in the USA. Why travel around the world to a country that doesn't even want you here, or will give you trouble for just visiting? That, on top of paying more than ever to get into a game, can't be very encouraging for fans who usually travel to the World Cup.

The last few weeks, the USA has started a new war with Iran, which is certainly complicating a lot of different things in the World Cup right now. First thing is the fact that Iran itself has already qualified for the World Cup, so that's a big problem when the host country is actively at war with you. I mean, I guess maybe Iran could possibly play in Canada or Mexico instead if that's even an option. That, and a lot of the countries in the Middle East, could potentially be compromised and not have a way to travel to the USA if this war lasts until the summer. Iraq has already tried to postpone a game, as they have a playoff match in late March that could be difficult to get to with the ongoing war in  Iran, especially with Iraq being between both Israel and Iran geographically. It's sad because Iraq is actually a good team, and they are the favorites to win this playoff match and make it to the World Cup officially. 

So the World Cup is going to be a big mess this summer, and it's already had so many problems even before it's started. With terrible pricing shutting out normal fans, teams that are in danger of missing out due to current events, and a host country that's currently hostile to many participating countries, it's all set to be one of the worst World Cup events in recent memory. Look, it may all work out in the end, and all the countries that qualified could make it and play, and the tournament could end up being a lot of fun. Even if that somehow happens, it doesn't mean we should forget the way FIFA has acted the last few years leading up to this World Cup, and all the greed that's taken over the biggest sports event in the world. FIFA has let greed ruin any good reputation the World Cup has by accepting bribes from host countries and shutting out many fans by pricing them out. Can't forget what happened last time with Qatar, and soon to happen in Saudi Arabia at the 2034 World Cup. And can’t forget to mention them giving Trump a peace prize he totally deserved. Not like he’s starting wars for no reason the last month or anything. That’s what peace is all about though right? Hating immigrants and bombing innocent civilians! Idiots. 

If you don't know by now: FIFA SUCKS. And so does Trump. Two evils meant for each other, I guess. 

The One Where I review Season 2 of FRIENDS

Season 2 of Friends aired all the way back in 1995! It's been a little over 30 years now since the show started its run in 1994; they even had a reunion recently in 2021 on the MAX. Friends became a huge hit after its first season, so needless to say, the second season came in with high expectations. I think we all know how that turns out, but I'll be going through every episode of season 2 and giving some thoughts and a grade based on how good the episode was. 

SEASON 2

The One With Ross' New Girlfriend: Season 1 ended with Rachel coming to pick up Ross at the airport to confess her feelings for him. The episode right away spoils that moment by introducing Julie, his new girlfriend. Julie is a great character, and honestly, it kind of sucks that she's just used as a plot device to keep Ross and Rachel away from each other for a little longer. In the end, the show wants you to see Ross and Rachel, so it makes sense that she's not in here for very long. The other stories involve haircuts and suits. Phoebe gives Joey and Chandler haircuts, and Monica gets mad because she doesn't want to give her one, too. Phoebe eventually does, but of course, gives her the completely wrong cut, and Monica's life is ruined. The other, not-so-good story has Chandler being violated by Joey's tailor, and it's... weird. Chandler getting his haircut so soon into the season sucks. I really like his season 1 hair. RIP Chandler's hair. 

"Isn't that just kick-you-in-the-crotch, spit-on-your-neck, fantastic?" - Rachel

GRADE: B-

The One With the Breast Milk: The Rachel vs Julie story continues here, as Monica becomes friends with Julie, and this makes Rachel jealous. Rachel eventually tries to make peace with Julie, but Rachel won't stop being jealous of her, despite not completely hating her anymore. The other story has Ross being weirded out by everyone trying the breast milk that's for Ben. It's not that funny, but Ross' acting somehow makes it work better than it should. Joey starts working at a department store, handing out cologne samples, but is being outshone by a guy in a cowboy outfit. BIJAN FOR MEN! It's a silly one, but it works as a small side story for Joey. He looks good dressed as a cowboy. 

"If you blow into one side, does the other get bigger?"  - Joey to Carol while she breastfeeds

GRADE: C+

The One Where Heckle Dies: I actually really like this episode. Mr. Heckles had a few appearances in the first season that were great, but he died pretty early in season 2, just three episodes in. This episode is great for Chandler, as he really sees himself in Heckles when looking through his old photos and yearbook. I like how Chandler becomes afraid of becoming Heckles in the future and decides to give Janice a shot, someone who actually wants to be with him. It's a great twist when Janice shows up pregnant and married. None of the other stories come close to this, but we get to see Monica and Rachel argue about a lamp, so that's... fun?

"GO INTO THE LIGHT, MR. HECKLES!!!" - Phoebe

GRADE: B+

The One With Phoebe's Husband: We get a nice Phoebe story here, when her husband comes back wanting a divorce. Turns out they got married for a green card, but he was gay, so the feelings Phoebe had for him were never returned in the same way. Well, it turns out he's not gay and is marrying another woman. This is the second time we really see Phoebe having strong romantic feelings for someone, the first one being David in season 1. Poor Phoebe can't catch a break. There's also a fun bit where we see Joey in a porno as a background extra. Really, the most interesting moment in this is Rachel trying to stop Ross from finally having sex with Julie, especially the last scene where she has this very sensual moment with Ross, and he just leaves to be with Julie. Rough. Don't worry, Rachel, you'll be making love to Ross in the cavemen exhibit in just a few more episodes. 

"Hang on, the guy's butt is blocking me. There I am. There I am. There I am." - Joey on his cameo in the porno film

GRADE: B+

The One With the Five Steak and an Eggplant: This episode is actually really interesting in the way it splits the group apart. The friends struggle to find a balance between going out to expensive places and including the other friends who can't afford those luxuries. There's an interesting argument in the second half of the episode when Chandler, Ross, and Monica buy dinner and concert tickets to the "poorer" friends, Phoebe, Rachel, and Joey.  The "poorer" friends are insulted by this gift and reject it, and it's interesting to see a nice gesture be completely wasted. I like the fact that both sides make good points anyway, and you can see where everyone is coming from. On the other story, we get Chandler pretending to be a guy named "Bob" to manipulate a beautiful woman to get with him. A bit weird, but it backfires when she admits that Chandler is not a very good lover. Chandler's love life keeps getting worse and worse... but not for long? 

"What are these, like famous chickens?" - Joey, complaining about the expensive food at a restaurant

GRADE: B-

The One With the Baby on the Bus: Right away, we get a great gag where Ben cries anytime he's near Monica. There are also a lot of funny scenes with Ross having to speak with a swollen tongue. Chandler and Joey agree to watch Ben after Ross has an allergic reaction to KIWI! They, of course, decide to use Ben to pick up girls in the city. After meeting some hot girls on a bus, they accidentally leave Ben on said bus, and chaos ensues. I love how they only realize it's the right baby they found when he starts crying when Monica gets near him. We also get a nice story with Phoebe and Rachel, where the coffee shop hires a professional musician over Phoebe. We see guest star Chrissie Hynde as the musician, who is a punk icon famous for founding The Pretenders, so that's cool. We also see a quick cameo from the actor who would eventually play Phoebe's brother in the next season. 

"What kind of scary-ass clowns came to your birthday party?" -Chandler

GRADE: B+

The One Where Ross Finds Out: This is the episode where everything finally happens between Rachel and Ross. Rachel accidentally leaves Ross a drunken message admitting her feelings for him, and he listens to it right in front of her. Obviously, being with Julie means Ross can't be with Rachel... or you would think anyway. He ends up cheating on her later in the episode when he finally kisses Rachel. Monica decided to help Chandler lose some weight, only to make him more miserable by never leaving him alone. Chandler is forced to make Monica feel terrible about herself and her own life so she can leave him alone. Maybe there was a less mean way to handle that?

"You're over me? When were you... under me?" - Ross

GRADE: B-

The One With the List: I really love the whole "Mockolate" story in this episode. Monica finds a job where she has to create recipes with a terrible chocolate substitute, and they all taste awful because "Mockolate" is a terrible product. It all goes nowhere when she finds out the product has already been cancelled. Really though, the main story here is a continuation of the last episode, where Ross has to choose between Rachel and Julie. The boys all make a list for Ross with pros and cons for each girl, but ultimately Ross wants to be with Rachel. Everything falls apart when Rachel finds the list they made and decides she no longer wants to be with Ross. I will say I was always kind of bothered by this, mostly because Ross was in a tough position and was trying to find a way to figure out what to do. He also had a sweet thing at the end where he says the con about Julie is that she's not Rachel, but this is ruined by a typo, and it's completely missed. Guess they just wanted to stretch out the story a bit longer, but I think they do a good job later at making up for this. 

"Oh no! Two women love me. They're both gorgeous and sexy. My wallet is too small for my fifties, and my diamond shoes are TOO TIGHT!" - Chandler on Ross having to choose between two women

GRADE: B-

The One With Phoebe's Dad: The episode starts with a great gag as Phoebe thinks her dad is the guy who comes in all the stock pictures in frames. She finds out that not only is he not him, but he's actually living in the area, so she wants to meet him. This is the first episode where Phoebe's cab is introduced; it becomes a staple of the show as a silly car with as many quirks as Phoebe herself. There's also a Christmas Party happening at Monica's place, but her heater is broken, so everyone is overheating at the party. Ross and Rachel continue to deal with the fallout of "the list", but Rachel wants nothing to do with Ross. There's a great joke at the end where Chandler and Joey give all the friends gifts from a gas station since they couldn't make it to the mall with Phoebe. 

"How have you not been on Oprah?" - Rachel to Phoebe 

GRADE: C+

The One With Russ: Rachel starts dating a Ross doppelganger named Russ. Maybe the joke is too obvious, and honestly, this idea probably shouldn't work, but the performance by David Schwimmer playing the bizarro version of himself is too good. The makeup department did a good job at making him actually look like a different actor playing the part, as well as David adding enough differences to make it believable. It's also a nice way show the audience that Rachel still does want to be with Ross by being with someone exactly like him. This is also the episode where Joey gets his start on Days of Our Lives, which becomes an important part of the rest of the season. Monica also gets "Fun" Bobby to stop drinking, and he becomes the most boring man alive. Really fun scenes where Bobby is just talking about hardware stores not open at night, and everyone looks miserable. 

"They're as different as night and... later that night" - Monica on Ross and Russ

GRADE: A-

The One With the Lesbian Wedding: I suppose in the mid 90's, when this aired, it would have been seen as pretty progressive to have a whole lesbian wedding on a popular show. Now this isn't even a thing, but I still think it's cool that the show did this back then. Apparently, this episode was banned in Texas because of the wedding and Texas being what it was back then. We also get Phoebe getting possessed by an older woman who died on her massage table, which has its moments. The scene where the widower husband shows up and tries to sleep with Phoebe is funny, and of course, the line "Now I've seen everything" after attending the lesbian wedding. Rachel's mother makes her first appearance on the show and tells Rachel she wants to leave her father. Rachel's parents are great on the show when they appear, and it's really funny when she asks for "marijuana".

"Tell me if this is too cute: lesbian wedding - chicken breasts" -Monica deciding what to cook for the wedding. 

GRADE: C+

The One After the Super Bowl Pts 1 & 2: The second two-parter of the series features a bunch of great guest stars, including Jean-Claude Van Damme, Julia Roberts, and Brooke Shields. The two episodes revolve around Marcel the Monkey returning as Ross sees him in a commercial and decides to check in on the zoo where he left him last season. There, he meets a very funny custodian who tells him Marcel was sent to Hollywood to make movies. It's honestly one of the funniest scenes of the season, watching Ross interact with the zoo janitor who is monologing about the animals instead of talking to him. Chandler meets his old classmate, played by Julia Roberts, who tricks him into wearing women's underwear and steals his clothes. Another really funny gag, where Joey and Ross make fun of him as he hides in a bathroom stall. Joey dates Brooke Shields' character, who thinks his character on Days of Our Lives is actually a real person. Brooke Shields' performance is great, and she plays the crazy stalker really well. The scene where she starts to lick Joey's hands aggressively should be creepy, but somehow still makes me laugh. The weakest story here, though, is Monica and Rachel competing over who gets to date Jean-Claude. Feels like a retread of last season's two-parter where they fought each other, except this time it feels more forced. Maybe it's because Jean-Claude just doesn't really do much here, especially compared to all the other guest stars. Phoebe gets a fun story where she sings to kids at a library, but her songs are too honest and make the adults mad, even though the kids love it. 

"And you left the toilet seat up, you bastard!" -Chandler to "Dr. Drake Ramoray." 

GRADE: A

The One With the Prom Video: One of, if not the most memorable episode of the season for many reasons. The main thing is Ross and Rachel finally get together after a season and a half of buildup and the whole Julie saga from earlier in the season. The other big thing from this one is the first flashback we see of the friends. Well, only like half the friends appear in the flashback, but it's still a fun one as we see Monica wearing the fat suit for the first time and Ross with his terrible 80s hair and mustache. We also get the iconic Phoebe line, "She's your lobster". The entire episode is building to the moment we've been waiting for since the start of the show, Ross and Rachel kiss, and finally start their romance officially. Maybe it's weird that Rachel forgives Ross because of something he did a decade ago, but it's a sweet moment, and you really feel for Ross when he gets left behind by Rachel and her prom date. We also get Joey giving Chandler a gold bracelet that repels women. I always love Chandler's reaction to first getting it. 

"Shut up, the camera adds ten pounds" - Monica

"So how many cameras are actually on you?" - Chandler

GRADE: A

The One Where Ross and Rachel... You Know: Yes, Ross and Rachel finally get it on. Ross gives Rachel the bone, and I'm not talking about dinosaurs. Roar. So Ross is trying to take Rachel on their first date, but things keep getting in the way. They end up meeting at the Museum Ross works at and doing it in one of the exhibits. The other important event of this episode is Monica reconnecting with Richard, one of her dad's friends growing up, and that romance begins. I always loved Tom Selleck as Richard in this show; he's super charming and fits in perfectly with the rest of the cast. Even though the romance is a bit weird, considering he was an adult when she was a child, it's still one of the most memorable relationships on the show. There's also a funny gag where Joey and Chandler sit on their new recliners the entire episode. 

"No! No! Homo habilis was erect! Australopithecus was never fully erect!" Ross

"Well, maybe he was nervous" - Chandler

GRADE: A-

The One Where Joey Moves Out: With Joey's new role on Days of Our Lives, he's finally making good money. When a friend tells him he's selling his fancy apartment, Joey is interested in moving out. It's cute how Chandler is immediately jealous and doesn't want Joey to leave, but can't admit it to him. Instead, they get into a fight, and Joey leaves. Monica and Richard are starting to date, but they have to go to Monica's dad's birthday together and don't want him to find out about their romance. Of course, he does find out and wants to kill Richard, but it works out. There's a funny scene where Monica is stuck hiding in the shower while her parents get it on. Awkward. We also get an okay story where Rachel and Pheebs get tattoos, but Pheebs is too afraid, even though it was her idea. I'd say I like the Monica and Richard story, but everything else in this episode is just okay.

GRADE: B-

The One Where Eddie Moves In: Here, we see the introduction of Eddie, played by Adam Goldberg. One of the funnier side characters on the show, as he slowly gets crazier in each episode he appears in. Joey is jealous of Eddie taking his place as the roommate, increasing the tension between Joey and Chandler. There's a great scene where Joey and Chandler want to call each other but decide not too. Heartbreaking stuff. With Ross dating Rachel, it also means he's spending way more time in Monica's apartment. They end up fighting and arguing like they are kids again, which annoys Rachel. Some of the best Friends episodes are ones that revolve around the Gellar siblings, and this one is good. Ross tricking Monica into thinking it's Richard on the phone when it's really their mom is great. Another fun story is Phoebe making a music video for her song "Smelly Cat". I always like the scene where she watches the video for the first time and thinks she's the one actually singing. 

"Oh, I am sorry, but I am incredibly talented." - Phoebe, when she hears the dubbed voice for her song

GRADE: A-

The One Where Dr. Drake Ramoray Dies: Joey pisses off the writers of his show in an interview, and they end up killing his character off, which leads to him not having money to afford his new lifestyle. Chandler's new roommate, Eddie, starts to scare Chandler with his obsession with his ex-girlfriend. Eddie thinks Chandler is sleeping with her and later accuses him of stealing his fish, which is pretty hilarious. The scene where Eddie gets a new fish, and it's just a goldfish cracker, is great. Monica and Rachel also argue about who is going to get the last condom as they both want to sleep with their significant others. Not the best one, but I do love Ross doing his weird animal sounds. 

"You're saying nothing between us is 'animal' at all? Not even a little 'animal', not even like chipmunk sex?" - Ross to Rachel, when comparing him to Paulo in bed

GRADE: C+

The One Where Eddie Won't Go: Chandler can't find a way to get rid of Eddie, as Eddie keeps getting weirder and more intense. Joey has to move out of his new apartment after all his new stuff gets repossessed. We get the introduction to the weird dog statue as Ross buys it for Joey as a way to cheer him up. Eventually, Joey moves back in with Chandler, and they trick Eddie into thinking he never lived there, which somehow works. Maybe Eddie should have gotten his own spinoff, but oh well. The ladies read a new female empowerment book that's trending, and they end up fighting with each other more than being empowered. There's a great scene where Rachel tells Ross, "How do you expect me to grow if you won't let me blow!" and Ross responds, "You know I have no problem with that."

"This is why I don't date women who read" - Joey to Ross, after Rachel reads the empowerment book

GRADE: B

The One Where Old Yeller Dies: Phoebe finds out her mom would turn off movies that had a sad ending early to protect her. So she watches all the movies to see the real endings and becomes depressed. I love the scene at the end of the episode where she's watching Sesame Street with Ben. The best part of the episode is Joey and Chandler trying to be like Richard after they hang out with him at a Knicks game. Chandler with the stache is too good for this world. The reveal at the end of the episode, where they end up calling Richard a father figure, is really funny too.  There's also a nice relationship moment with Ross and Rachel, where she freaks out at him when he tells her he has their whole future planned out already. 

"What kind of sick, doggy snuff film is this?" Phoebe, while watching the end of Old Yeller

GRADE: B

The One With the Bullies: This one is a bit meh. Ross and Chandler have to deal with some bullies who take Chandler's hat. It eventually leads to a fight that never happens, and the bullies end up teaming up with Ross and Chandler after someone steals their things. It's not bad, but I do like the scene where they are about to fight and keep adding new rules. Monica gets into stocks, and it's not that interesting, but we do get to see her at the Moondance job for the first time in the show, with her iconic costume. The best part of this one is the introduction of Frank Jr. Phoebe wants to meet her dad, but ends up meeting her half-brother Frank Jr instead. I love Giovanni Ribisi's portrayal of Frank Jr, as he is one of the funnier side characters in the show, and this is just his first appearance, and he already steals the show. 

"Have you been beaten up before?" - Joey

"Yeah, sure" - Ross

"By someone besides Monica" - Joey

"No" - Ross

GRADE: C+

The One With the Two Parties: One of the best episodes of the season. The friends are throwing a birthday party for Rachel, but things go sideways when Rachel's dad, Mr. Greene, shows up. Rachels' dad and mom can't be in the same room because they are going through a tough divorce, so the friends throw two separate parties to keep the parents away from each other. Ron Leibman plays Mr. Greene, and he's always one of the highlights of the show when he appears. His relationship with Ross is always hilarious, as he always seems unimpressed by Ross, no matter how hard Ross tries. The other funny part of this episode is everyone trying to escape Monica's party to go to Joey's and Chandler's more fun party next door. Phoebe sneaking people over behind Monica's back is a great touch. 

"Ah! You're having a PAR-TEEEE" - Mr. Greene, don't know why this one always gets me. But there's a funnier quote, so I have to put two for this episode.

"And because you're both, you know, white women" - Phoebe on why they confused Rachel's mom for Rachel. 

GRADE: A+

The One With the Chicken Pox: Phoebe's special friend Ryan comes into town while he's on break from the NAVY. Played by the lovely and not controversial Charlie Sheen, who does a good job in this episode. Their plans are foiled when they both get chicken pox and have to spend the entire week without touching each other or scratching. This leads to a fun scene where Monica tapes oven mitts to their hands, and they sensually scratch each other. I also realized that up to this point, Phoebe and Joey are the only characters who haven't had a relationship that lasted more than one episode on screen. Poor Joey doesn't get much in that department. Monica and Richard have some development in their romance, as Richard finds out about some of Monica's quirks, but Monica is annoyed that Richard doesn't have any of his own. We also get Joey working with Chandler and inventing a work persona to fit in with all the other office workers. This leads to a funny scene where Chandler has an affair with Joey's fake wife, who doesn't actually exist. 

"I can't believe my boyfriend doesn't have a thing!" Monica on Richard not having a quirk

"See, if anyone overheard that, I didn't come off well there." Richard

GRADE: C

The One With Barry and Mindy's Wedding: Oh boy, an episode with Barry. If you read my season one review, you know I hate the Barry character and don't want to see him on screen. As far as season finales go, this one is a bit weird. Usually, season finales are a big event in Friends; even last season had Rachel finding out about Ross' feelings for her. This season ending on a big wedding for two characters that don't really matter to the show is a choice. I guess it serves to put a bow on the Rachel and Barry relationship, once and for all. Also, it's meant to give Rachel a nice moment of growth as she overcomes all the harassment she faces at the wedding from Barry's friends. Eh, I still don't really like it, and it probably would have been better to just never see Barry again. The biggest moment from this episode is Richard telling Monica he doesn't want kids again, and it leads to their eventual breakup. It was pretty shocking the first time watching it and still pretty surprising now, but it makes sense that their age difference finally caught up to them. Chandler falls in love with a woman on the internet and wants to finally meet her in person. I remember how shocking it was to see Janice revealed as the woman, and they have a sweet moment together, as Chandler finally wants to be with Janice for good. They set up some good storylines for next season here. It's good, but Barry sucks. 

"Are you the cutest?" - Phoebe 

"I'm afraid I might just be" - Chandler

GRADE: B-

A very strong season that took all the good from the first season and made it better. All the actors are fully into their characters, and the writing is just really good. We got some great relationship moments with Ross and Rachel, and Monica and Richard. Chandler is even funnier than last season, and his friendship with Joey is even better now. Honestly, I'm curious to see when Joey starts to transform from his charming street-smart guy to the guy who struggles with anything that's more than just basic knowledge. The guest stars were also a lot better in this season, with the clear standout being Tom Selleck's Richard. We get to see a lot more of Ribisi's Frank Jr. in the next few seasons, so that's exciting too.

The Rise of Latin Music in the USA

Latin music has had a place in the popular music zeitgeist for decades now, but it really wasn't until the 90s that it exploded into the pop charts in the USA. Artists like Ricky Martin, Shakira, Enrique Iglesias, and the legendary Selena were a huge part of the Latin music boom of the 1990s. The success of those artists would continue into the 2000s as new artists and genres emerged in the Latin music scene, and they would continue to find huge success in the charts here. 

In 2004, Puerto Rican artist Daddy Yankee would open the doors for a new genre with his iconic song "Gasolina." The rise of Reggaeton in the early 2000s was the next big step for Latin music after the pop music of the 90s was starting to fade away. Reggaeton was a game-changer for not just Latin music but music worldwide as a whole. The genre had existed for a few decades, finding its start in Panama. Here in the USA, though, we saw the rise of artists like Don Omar, Pitbull, and Wisin & Yandel help the reggaeton genre keep rising in popularity in the 2000s. This is all important to what would eventually come in the 2020s. But, before that, reggaeton had its time in the spotlight for a few years before it went away for a short time. Like with all trends in music, things eventually become oversaturated, and the genre slowly loses its popularity. 

Enter the 2010s, and we get a new style of Latin music called Urbano that starts to take off in the charts, and that's the more pop-sounding tropical Latin songs with some reggaeton elements still in there. The biggest hit from this came when Daddy Yankee teamed up with Luis Fonsi to make the song of the summer in "Despacito". You also had artists like J Balvin, Nicky Jam, and, of course, Bad Bunny start to take off around this time. Lots of mainstream artists outside of the genre were also trying to use this "urbano" style to get hits, too. We saw the likes of Beyoncé, Justin Bieber, Katy Perry, and Drake all try to ride the wave of popularity and were mostly successful in doing so. 

All this leads to the current decade of the 2020s, where things are certainly changing. The whole "urbano" movement ran into the ground by this point, with all the artists trying to ride its popularity like I mentioned, so things needed to go in a different direction for Latin music. Enter Bad Bunny. In 2020, he released the album "YHLQMDLG", and it helped shift Latin music in a new direction. A return to the more club-centric style of reggaeton, with perreo. The album was a huge success for Bad Bunny, and it would eventually lead to his most successful album yet, a few years later. "Un Verano Sin Ti" was the album that took over streaming and launched Bad Bunny into superstardom across the world. It was his most ambitious project yet, and the experimentation in his music paid off, as it was hugely successful and was even a nominee for best album at the Grammys. Latin music in the 2020s has really promoted more experimental sounds and different genres, not that it wasn't happening before this, but it feels like more artists are being recognized from the Latin music world here in the USA. I mean, Bad Bunny just performed at the biggest televised event of the year in the USA, so that should tell you something. More artists are getting that kind of spotlight now, and it should just be the start.

Talking about modern Latin music and its rising stars, I figured I could mention a few projects here from the last few years that are standouts and worth checking out if you want to dive into some new music. 

The Marias: Submarine

A band that has music in both English and Spanish. They started getting big in the early 2020s, but it wasn't until "Submarine" came out in 2024 that the band would get their music on the charts. Actually, they did technically have a hit before this with a Bad Bunny collab back in 2022, but I would count that more as a Bad Bunny hit. They were actually just nominated for the Best New Artist Grammy, but didn't end up winning. Still, that's nothing. The album "Submarine" is their best work so far, though it's a great alternative album that really elevates their established sound. It's a more dreampop sound compared to their earlier work, but it really works for them, or at least they make it work better than a lot of other artists in that genre. I'd say anytime you can stand out in a genre that's being oversaturated these days is a big deal. Anyway, go check this album out is what I'm trying to say.

Rosalia: Lux

Is it still Latin music if it's from Spain? I don't know, but I'm going to talk about this album anyway. Rosalia has been around for a decent amount of time now, and she already has some great and well-known albums out there. Last year she released her newest album called "Lux," and it was... well, it was way different than I would have thought. Rosalia wanted to create an album that wasn't just full of earworm choruses and catchy tunes, but one that could really challenge the listener and bring out deeper emotions. It's without a doubt her most ambitious album to date, but also possibly one of the most ambitious albums ever made by someone in her position. Certainly didn't play it safe with this one, but the risk paid off and she accomplished exactly what she set out to do. The album still has a few pop-friendly songs, especially in "La Perla." But then there are tracks like "Sexo, Violencia y Llantas" that have heavy classical influence and deeper lyrics that continue throughout the rest of the album. Lots of religious imagery/references really help paint a picture along with the music. It's a challenging album, but one that deserves a listen. 

Natalia Lafourcade: De Todas Las Flores

Following the last album by Rosalia, we get another album heavily influenced by music of the past in "De Todas Las Flores" by Mexican artist Natalia Lafourcade. Seriously, one of the most beautiful albums of the decade (so far). Natalia has a special way of drawing in listeners with her amazing vocals and beautiful lyricism that often feels like a warm hug in the form of a song. If you just want to relax on a beautiful day, this album is perfect to just put on and enjoy. Really, Natalia is just great at putting emotions into all her music, and you can always feel what she feels through her vocals, even if you didn't understand Spanish. But if you do, then you are rewarded with beautiful lyrics from a great songwriter. 

Jean Dawson - Rock A Bye Baby, Glimmer of God

I've been really into Jean Dawson as of late. Jean is a Mexican-American artist who has been around the music scene for getting close to a decade now. He's known for his experimental sounds and always trying new things with his music. His latest project, "Rock A Bye Baby," was another really good one with elements of many different genres like pop, rock, R&B, trap, and more. I can't say it always works perfectly, but I'd say more often than not it does. He does a great job at injecting those genres with his own style to make them fit into his projects. Even though there's plenty of experimenting, nothing sounds out of place, and the album is cohesive. I just want to shout out more artists who are willing to keep trying new things and making them work. 

Well, those are a few albums you can check out if you've never heard them before. Not that they were hidden gems or anything, as all those artists have a good following, but in case you didn't, I would recommend listening to them. I look forward to seeing how Latin music keeps innovating not just in the Latin music world, but the entire music world as a whole. Who knows where else it could go from here, but I'd say it can only get bigger.