Music News

Lil Nas X Gets Back to Rapping in Fiery New Music Teaser

Lil Nas X is preparing his Nasarati 2 mixtape and he’s been firing off snippets of music taking the temperature of the direction fans want to see him go.

His latest music teaser came via TikTok on Wednesday (March 13) where he tapped into his fiery rapping side with the slippery unreleased track. The 24-year-old previewed the snippet in what appears to be an airport terminal with guests walking by holding their luggage.

“My big sis just had another baby, popped him out the labia/ My other nephew sitting in class with a broken nephew, he had to beat a n—a ass for talking about his uncle/ Now listen, I ain’t saying I condone that sh–/ F— it, I’m saying I condone that sh–,” Nas X raps.

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Fans seemed to be receptive to the song as one person chimed in: “Lil nas cooked on this one ngl.”

Over the weekend, Lil Nas X admitted he’s been struggling with choosing songs due to fears of perception and success so he fired off a handful of snippets for fans to select their favorites.

“Been hoarding music for years smh i hate my relationship with fear of my songs not doing well and perception. i wish i could just release music and not give af,” he wrote to Instagram.

One of the viral snippets — tentatively titled “Trust Me” — saw Nas X not holding back describing sexual encounters growing up, which caused him to issue a statement alleging he’s not doing this for shock value.

“I hate explaining myself every time i do anything, but this is not for shock. this is me telling my story, y’all being uncomfortable by it does not make it a gimmick,” he wrote on X earlier this week. “This is for me and my fans fuck everybody else.”

The “Old Town Road” artist kicked off the year with his polarizing “J Christ” single in January, which peaked at No. 69 on the Billboard Hot 100.

Listen to the Lil Nas X snippets below.

Ryan Gosling to Host ‘Saturday Night Live’ With Musical Guest Chris Stapleton

Ryan Gosling is set to bring his Kenergy to 30 Rock as host of Saturday Night Live in April, on the episode featuring Chris Stapleton as musical guest. Plus, Kristen Wiig will helm an episode the week prior, with “Escapism” musician Raye tapped to perform.

NBC made the announcement Wednesday (March 13) — just three days after Gosling rocked the Oscars stage with a show-stopping performance of “I’m Just Ken” — that the Barbie actor will be hosting the comedy sketch show for the third time in his career on April 13. The news comes at the end of a stellar awards season run for the Greta Gerwig blockbuster and ahead of Gosling’s upcoming movie The Fall Guy.

And though last weekend’s Academy Awards proved that he’s beyond capable of delivering memorable musical numbers, Gosling’s appearance will be complemented by a performance from Stapleton, whose November album Higher debuted at No. 3 on the Billboard 200. It’ll mark the third time he’s served as musical guest on the show.

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Wiig will host SNL on April 6, marking her fifth time in the driver’s seat. The former SNL cast member’s new series Palm Royale — which she both stars in and executive produced — premieres March 20 on AppleTV+.

Meanwhile, Raye will make her debut on the program. The British singer-songwriter recently made history by taking home six BRIT Awards, the most ever awarded to one artist in a single year.

The news comes after SNL announced that Ramy Youssef would be hosting its March 30 episode, featuring Travis Scott as musical guest. In recent weeks, Ariana Grande, Kacey Musgraves and 21 Savage have performed on the show.

SNL airs on NBC Saturdays at 11:30 p.m.

Mike Will Made-It & Chief Keef Announce ‘Dirty Nachos’ Mixtape Release Date

After serving up their “Dirty Nachos” single in February, Mike Will Made-It and Chief Keef are expanding their appetites to a full project.

The Ear Drummers producer and Chicago native both hope you saved some room for dessert,as the duo joins forces for Dirty Nachos the mixtape, which will be arriving on Friday (March 15). “‘DIRTY NACHOS’ THE TAPE , FRIDAY #ALMIGHTYSO2 #SOSAMADEIT LOADING…,” Mike Will captioned the post announcing the project.

Doe Boy, Swae Lee, Zaytoven and Sonny Digital were among the thousands of people hyped to see Sosa and Mike Will reuniting in his comment section.

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The post’s accompanying clip finds Mike and Chief Keef hanging out and smoking while cooking up some new tunes. A distorted snippet provides the soundtrack filled with DJ Trap-A-Holics tags.

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“I gotta be honest only Mike will made it and ziggy can get chief keef back to where he needs to be in the music business… hope he stays more consistent now,” a fan added.

While the duo teamed up for “Dirty Nachos” last month, it’s not the first time fans have heard from the two. A pair of tracks were leaked and unofficially released during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 called “Bang Bang” and “Status,” respectively.

2024 is shaping up to be a busy year for both Mike Will and Chief Keef. On the heels of Dirty Nachos, Cheif Keef is slated to finally deliver his much-delayed Almighty So 2 sequel in April. It remains to be seen if he’ll be sticking with the release schedule.

Find the Dirty Nachos announcement below.

Dua Lipa Announces New Album ‘Radical Optimism’: Here’s When It Arrives

The radical optimism of fans hoping for a new Dua Lipa album has finally paid off. The 28-year-old pop star announced her highly anticipated third studio album, Radical Optimism, in an Instagram Wednesday (March 13). The 11-track project — her first proper LP since 2020’s Future Nostalgia — arrives May 3.

On the cover, she floats in the ocean with what appears to be a shark fin approaching her. And yet, as terrifying as the scenario sounds, the photograph is peaceful, backdropped by the calming colors of a hazy sunset or sunrise — perhaps serving as a visual aide to the project’s title.

The English singer-songwriter has already released two singles from the project — “Houdini” and “Training Season.” The former debuted at No. 11 on the Billboard Hot 100, while the latter entered the chart at No. 27.

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In addition to the release date and cover, Dua has also shared Radical Optimism‘s tracklist, featuring titles such as “End of an Era,” “French Exit,” “Maria” and “Happy for You.” As of now, it appears that the record has no collaborations.

“A couple years ago, a friend introduced me to the term ‘radical optimism,’” she said in a statement about the album. “It’s a concept that resonated with me, and I became more curious as I started to play with it and weave it into my life.”

“It struck me – the idea of going through chaos gracefully and feeling like you can weather any storm,” she continued. “At the same time, I found myself looking through the music history of psychedelia, trip hop and Britpop. It has always felt so confidently optimistic to me, and that honesty and attitude is a feeling I took into my recording sessions.”

See the Radical Optimism cover and tracklist below.

10 First-Timers on Billboard’s Charts This Week: Dasha, Yard Act, Ole 60, Charlotte Cardin & More

Billboard has more than 200 different weekly charts, encompassing numerous genres and formats.

While established artists often compete for a spot on the Billboard Hot 100 songs chart and Billboard 200 albums ranking, which track the most popular songs and albums of the week, respectively, up-and-coming talents typically start off on genre-specific lists.

Here’s a look at 10 artists who appear on surveys for the first time on the March 16, 2024-dated charts.

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Dasha



The up-and-coming singer-songwriter reaches Billboard’s charts for the first time with her breakthrough viral hit “Austin.” The song, released in November on Version III, debuts at No. 31 on Hot Country Songs with 4 million official U.S. streams (up 28%) and 1,000 downloads sold (up 79%) in the March 1-7 tracking week, according to Luminate. She also rises 43-29 in her second week on the Emerging Artists chart.

The song appears on Dasha’s new eight-track LP What Happens Now?, released Feb. 16. Before that, she released Dirty Blonde in January 2023, via Quadio Records.

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Dasha is based in Nashville, via San Luis Obispo, Calif. Gains for “Austin” have been sparked by TikTok, where she boasts over 400,000 followers. Seemingly boosted by the rising wave behind Beyonce’s country crossover smash “Texas Hold ‘Em,” the song soundtracks a line-dance trend started by the artist. To date, the song has been featured in over 200,000 videos on the platform. Last week, Billboard reported that in the tracking week ending Feb. 15, in which Beyoncé released “Texas Hold ‘Em” midway through, “Austin” vaulted from 82,000 official on-demand streams the week before to over 830,000—up 916%. The next week (ending Feb. 22), the song grew 182% to 2.3 million.

Yard Act



The rock group, from Leeds, West Yorkshire, is officially a Billboard-charting act for the first time thanks to its sophomore LP Where’s My Utopia? Released March 1 on Zen F.C./Island Records UK/Republic Records, the set debuts at No. 23 on the Tastemaker Albums chart (which ranks the week’s top-selling albums at independent and small chain record stores).

The band preceded Utopia with its 2022 debut The Overload, which reached No. 2 on the Official U.K. Albums Chart. The group spoke to Billboard at SXSW in 2022 following the LP’s release and chart debut. “We put ourselves through the ringer that week because we got informed that we had a shot at a No. 1 album against Years & Years on their third album,” vocalist James Smith said. “He’s a sort of national treasure in the U.K., Olly Alexander, and rightly so, so we were the underdogs and we thought we’d give him a run for his money. We ended up at No. 2 and Meat Loaf threatened us with his passing, too. Hog passed us, but we kept Meat Loaf at bay, which was good. It was just funny. We didn’t expect to be getting a high charting album and then it all just started running off, and so it’s just loads of fun for us.”

Yard Act comprises Smith (vocals), Sam Shipstone (guitar), Ryan Needham (bass) and Jay Russell (drums).

Ole 60



The six-piece reaches Billboard’s charts for the first time with its debut four-track project Three Twenty Four: The EP. Released in August 2023, the set debuts at No. 25 on Heatseekers Albums (which ranks the most-popular albums of the week by new or developing acts) with 3,000 equivalent album units earned.

Ole 60, from Kentucky, released the EP via Grey Area/Red Door. Its single “Smoke & A Light” has recently gone viral on TikTok, as many creators have used the song to soundtrack their experiences of being cheated on in relationships. The song has been featured in over 10,000 clips on the platform to date and generated 2 million streams March 1-7, up 15%. The week before (Feb. 23-29), it surged from 808,000 streams to 1.7 million, a 115% gain.

The virality of the track helped Ole 60 sign with UTA for worldwide representation. The band comprises Colby Clark, Jarrett Davis, Dustin “Catfish” Fuqua, Ryan Laslie, Aden Wood and Jacob Ty Young. The group is slated to support Dylan Gossett on his No Better Time Tour, as well as Charles Wesley Godwin.

Will Moseley



The Hazelhurst, Ga., native arrives on Billboard’s charts with his breakthrough song “Gone for Good.” The track debuts at No. 13 on Country Digital Song Sales with 2,000 downloads sold in its first week of release, while Moseley himself opens at No. 49 on Emerging Artists.

Moseley performed his original track for his audition on ABC’s American Idol, which aired March 3. In a spotlight video on the episode, he described his upbringing and playing college football at Maryville College in Tennessee. “Football was a way of life,” he said. “It was eat, sleep, breathe, wake up, repeat. I loved it.” In the clip, he says he suffered three concussions in two seasons, forcing him to cut his football career short. The pivot inspired him to learn guitar. “It’s been a blessing in disguise,” he said.

His audition impressed judges Luke Bryan, Katy Perry and Lionel Richie, and his subsequent performance earned him a golden ticket to the next round. “We knew from the very first note,” Perry said of his performance.

Sheer Mag



The Philadelphia-based rock group lands on Billboard’s charts for the first time with its third LP, Playing Favorites. The set, released March 1 on Third Man Records, debuts at No. 17 on Tastemakers Albums. The set is Sheer Mag’s first release on Third Man. The group released two previous albums, Need To Feel Your Love (2017) and A Distant Call (2019), along with three EPs.

The band comprises Tina Halladay, Matt Palmer and Hart and Kyle Seely. The North American leg of its headlining tour kicks off March 29 in Washington, D.C. The act also has a string of European tour dates lined up in August.

Charlotte Cardin



The Canadian singer-songwriter is already a seasoned hitmaker in her home country, but she notches her first U.S. chart hit thanks to “Confetti.” The song, released on Atlantic Records, debuts at No. 34 on Adult Pop Airplay (up 170% in spins). The song appears on Cardin’s second full-length, 99 Nights, released last August.

Cardin, who records music in both English and French, has notched numerous chart hits in Canada. She has tallied 13 entries on the Billboard Canadian Hot 100—“Confetti” became her first top 10, reaching No. 10 last September. She has also charted 10 songs on Canada AC, six on Canada Hot 100 Airplay, four on Canada Top 40 and two on Canada Rock.

Cardin has won four Juno Awards, including artist of the year in 2022. She boasts six nominations—the most among all acts—at the upcoming ceremony, to be held March 24: artist and songwriter of the year; the Juno Fan Choice Award; album and pop album of the year, for 99 Nights; and single of the year, for “Confetti.”

Cardin, from Mount Royal, Quebec, has been releasing music since 2013. Before 99 Nights, she released her first full-length, Phoenix, in 2021.

Kitchen Dwellers



The Montana quartet arrives on Billboard’s charts with is new studio album, Seven Devils. The set, released March 1 on No Coincidence Records, doesn’t just become the band’s first chart entry, but it’s also its first No. 1, as it launches atop the Bluegrass Albums chart with 1,000 copies sold in its opening week. The band, whose music blends elements of bluegrass, folk and rock, also starts at No. 32 on Emerging Artists.

Kitchen Dwellers comprise Torrin Daniels (banjo), Max Davies (acoustic guitar), Joe Funk (upright bass) and Shawn Swain (mandolin). The band has released three other albums—Ghost in a Bottle (2017), Muir Maid (2019) and Wise River (2022)—along with several live LPs. The group has a run of North American tour dates lined up through September.

BrhyM



The high-profile group scores not just its first overall Billboard chart entry, but its first No. 1, as its debut LP Deep Sea Vents debuts at No. 1 on the Classical Crossover Albums chart. The group released the set via Zappo Productions/Thirty Tigers.

BrhyM is a new collaboration between Bruce Hornsby and American chamber ensemble yMusic, which comprises Hideaki Aomori (clarinets), Gabriel Cabeza (cello), CJ Camerieri (trumpet), Rob Moose (violin), Nadia Sirota (viola) and Alex Sopp (flute).

Hornsby has a longstanding history on Billboard’s surveys. He has charted nine songs on the Billboard Hot 100, including his 1986 No. 1 “The Way It Is,” as well as two other top 10s (all with the Range). Plus, he has logged 10 albums on the Billboard 200, all since 1986; he and the Range won the best new artist Grammy Award in 1987. Over his career, the Virginia native has traversed numerous styles, leading to appearances on Billboard’s Americana/folk, bluegrass, country and rock charts, among others. With Deep Sea Vents, he earns his first No. 1 since Ricky Skaggs & Bruce Hornsby topped Bluegrass Albums for 15 weeks in 2007.

As for yMusic, the collective has charted four sets on Classical Albums since 2014, including the No. 1 So There, with Ben Folds, in 2015.

BrhyM has a string of North American tour dates that run through April. Hornsby has even more dates, with The Noisemakers, scheduled through October.

Autone



The Sydney-based DJ/producer (real name: Brett Austin) is scaling Billboard’s charts for the first time thanks to his collaboration with Dannii Minogue, “Thinking ‘Bout Us.” The track, released Feb. 2 on Central Station Records, debuted at No. 36 on the March 9-dated Dance/Mix Show Airplay chart and rises to No. 31 on the latest list (up 25% in spins).

Autone has previously collaborated with Jolyon Petch, WasteLand, Amanda Wilson and Kelvin Wood. He is also a member of DJ duo Oxford Hustlers.

Do2



The duo arrives on Billboard’s rankings with its breakout single “Mi Fortuna.” The song, released in September on Garmex Music, debuts at No. 25 on Tropical Airplay (up 3,933% in audience). Do2 comprises brothers Jose Juan and Mario Lora. The pair has released over two dozen songs on streaming services, all since 2018.

Catherine O’Hara Says This Iconic Song Will Be in ‘Beetlejuice 2’

The Beetlejuice sequel just keeps getting better!

Catherine O’Hara, who starred in the original 1988 film and is set to reprise her role as Delia Deetz in the upcoming movie, sat down with Kelly Ripa for her Let’s Talk Off Camera podcast, where she revealed that Harry Belafonte’s “Day-O” will also make its return in the sequel.

“’Day-O’ is in the movie,” she confirmed. In the original movie, a ghostly couple played by Geena Davis and Alec Baldwin haunt a family that moves into their home, and forcing them to perform the Belafonte classic with their paranormal abilities.

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Michael Keaton and Winona Ryder will also be reprising their roles as Beetlejuice and Lydia Deetz. Wednesday star Jenna Ortega is set to play Lydia’s daughter.

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“It was just very, just really loose and fun and lovely, and Michael Keaton was so happy to be there, and Jenna is so cool. Jenna Ortega is such a cool young woman,” O’Hara said. “Winona looks exactly the same!”

“The relationship between Lydia and Astrid, my character, is very important,” Ortega previously toldVanity Fair. “And it’s also really strange because it’s a lot of catching up and putting the pieces together of what’s gone on in Lydia’s life since, which is nice, I think, for anybody who loves the character and is excited to see her again.”

Beetlejuice Beetlejuice hits theaters on Sept. 6. 

Jessica Biel Shares Thirst Trap Photos of Justin Timberlake: ‘You’re Welcome’

Jessica Biel isn’t being selfish with her exclusive access to Justin Timberlake‘s thirst traps. To prove that sharing is caring, the actress posted two photos on Instagram of her husband sporting a form-fitting white tank top Wednesday (March 13), two days ahead of the pop star’s new album Everything I Thought It Was.

In one picture, the “SexyBack” singer lifts up his tank to show off a chiseled six pack, flashing his teeth for the camera. In another, he smiles at something off camera, swinging his arms and modeling a brown cardigan, jeans and chunky chain necklace.

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“My husband would never post these… BUT I WILL,” Biel captioned the snaps. She preemptively added, “You’re welcome ?”

The Candy star also shared the photos on her Story, adorning them with flaming heart and heart-eye emojis.

Biel and the *NSYNC band member have been married since 2012, and they share two kids — 8-year-old Silas and 2-year-old Phineas. Earlier this week, the parents stepped out together on the Vanity Fair post-Oscars red carpet, the children’s book author looking stunning in a deep cobalt blue dress.

Timberlake recently unveiled the tracklist to Everything I Thought It Was, which features collaborations with *NSYNC, Fireboy DML and Tobe Nwigwe. The 18-song set arrives Friday (March 15), marking the “Mirrors” artist’s first proper album since 2018’s Man of the Woods.

On Monday (March 11), Timberlake crashed Jimmy Kimmel Live! for a performance of his new single “No Angels,” along with a hilarious hosting takeover — which Kimmel jokingly shut down. “I’m the guest host,” he told the perplexed night show host. “Because you were out all night at the Oscar after party.”

Kylie Minogue, Janelle Monáe & Diplo Set to Headline OUTLOUD Music Festival 2024 at WeHo Pride

Pride Month is only three months away, which means the latest batch of headliners for the annual festivities are finally being announced.

On Wednesday (March 13), OUTLOUD Music Festival at WeHo Pride announced their official lineup, featuring superstars Kylie Minogue, Janelle Monáe and Diplo as the official headliners. The two-day music festival will take place on Saturday, June 1, and Sunday, June 2, at West Hollywood Park in Los Angeles.

Produced by entertainment agency JJLA, the festival will also feature additional performances from artists including Doechii, Ashnikko, Noah Cyrus, Trixie Mattel, Big Freedia, Sophie Ellis-Bextor, VINCINT and more. The event will also feature a special dance music stage, with additional performers to be announced at a future date.

In a statement released alongside the news, OUTLOUD CEO Jeff Consoletti said that the event was originally created to “support emerging queer artists who gain invaluable exposure alongside some of the most iconic names in music,” and thanked the city of West Hollywood for “allowing us to amplify the voices of LGBTQ+ artists and celebrate our community together.”

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The annual event is one part of WeHo Pride Weekend, which is set to take place from Friday, May 31, to Sunday, June 2. Along with the OUTLOUD Music Festival, the celebration will feature a street fair, multiple parades, and Friday Night @ OUTLOUD, an additional concert with details around performers to be announced soon.

In her own Instagram post, Minogue celebrated the news with a candid picture of her stepping out of a trailer in an emerald green gown. “Oh hiiii @officiallyoutloud,” she wrote. “Come celebrate ALL the lovers with me at @wehopride.”

Passes for the event officially go on sale Friday, March 15, at 10 a.m. PT on OUTLOUD’s website. Check out the full lineup for OUTLOUD Music Festival 2024 below:

Eminem Causes Havoc in the Office for Cole Bennett-Directed ‘Doomsday 2’ Video: Watch

Imagine Eminem is your boss, but he’s causing more havoc around the office than Jeremy Piven’s Ari Gold character in Entourage.

That’s the case here as Slim Shady stars in the “Doomsday 2” video directed by Lyrical Lemonade‘s Cole Bennett, which fittingly arrived on Wednesday, March 13, known as 313 Day in Detroit.

In the visual, Em emerges from the curtains and walks through the chaotic office scene with papers flying around him and the walls nearly caving in. Still, the Rap God isn’t phased as he peppers the beat like a mini Uzi.

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Dressed for the occasion, Eminem rocks his version of business-casual attire with black slacks and a button-down shirt, but made sure to have his Air Jordan “Thunder” Retro 4s matching his yellow tie.

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There’s plenty of star power helping Em amplify his message, with younger artists such as Big Sean, Swae Lee, JID, Cordae, Babytron, Denzel Curry and more making cameos.

“And that’s why I’m back with Cole Bennett/ And I been at the level J. Cole been at/ It’s Aftermath that I ride for ’til I die,” Em raps to close out his verse.

“Doomsday Pt. 2” landed on Cole and Lyrical Lemonade‘s All Is Yellow album in January. The project arrived via a partnership with Def Jam Records and it peaked at No. 43 on the Billboard 200.

“It was really about breaking down that door and bringing people together,” Bennett told Billboard about the album in February. “When there’s someone who can act as the glue within it all, people really put their egos down. I want rap music to be more unified, I want there to be more collaboration. Growing up, this is what I was into — I loved posse cuts, I loved left-field features that you wouldn’t expect, I loved seeing my favorite artists from two completely different sides of the spectrum in a photo together. These are all things that fed me, so I wanted to create a world where that was the theme.”

Before hopping on “Doomsday” to kick off the year, Eminem closed out 2023 on a high note when he connected with Benny Blanco for “Lace It” — which also features the late Juice WRLD — in December.

Watch the “Doomsday 2” video below.



Zayn Announces New Album ‘Room Under the Stairs’

Zayn is finally back! The star revealed on Wednesday (March 13) that he will be unveiling his fourth solo album, Room Under the Stairs, on May 17.

He shared the news alongside a photo of the album’s cover art, featuring a silhouette of the 31-year-old singer’s face with a depiction of the space beneath the stairs of a home within his face.

See the announcement here.

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Last year, Zayn dropped the new single “Love Like This,” from his upcoming fourth album, his first release of new music since 2021’s Nobody Is Listening.

It’s a busy year for the former One Direction singer, who is pulling triple-duty in the upcoming animated feature 10 Lives, for which he will write new music and perform a duet with Bridgerton star Simone Ashley. Variety reported that Zayn and Ashley will both star in the film, in which the singer will play play “tough-guy twins Cameron and Kirk,” with Ashley voicing a student named Rose.

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Zayn will also serve as the executive music producer on the movie, overseeing its musical creative direction. According to a description of director Chris Jenkins’ (Surf’s Up) movie, it tells the story of a “pampered and selfish cat who takes his many lives for granted. After carelessly losing his ninth live he begs for a second chance — and an opportunity to prove he can learn from his mistakes. When his wish is finally granted, however, he learns that it comes with some caveats.”