Off the Grid: Sally breaks down USA TODAY's daily crossword, Baby, Do You Like This Beat?

There are spoilers ahead. You might want to solve today's puzzle before reading further! Baby, Do You Like This Beat? (Freestyle)

Constructors: Amie Walker & Amanda Rafkin

Editors: Jared Goudsmit

Comments from Today’s Crossword Constructors

Amie & Amanda: We had so much fun making this puzzle, and are excited to be together in the same city today!

What I Learned from Today’s Puzzle

• ASHA (1A: Ariana DeBose voices her in "Wish") Wish is a 2023 animated Disney movie. It's about ASHA, a 17-year-old girl who makes a wish on a star and then meets a living, magic fallen star. As the clue informs us, Ariana DeBose voices the role of ASHA.
• HOT TO GO (38A: Chappell Roan song with a signature dance) and THE (39D: "___ Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess") "HOT TO GO!" is a song from Chappell Roan's 2023 album, THE Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess. To promote the song, Chappell Roan created a dance for the song's chorus that spells out the song's title with a person's arms (reminiscent of the Village People's "Y.M.C.A."). Chappell Roan is the professional name of singer and songwriter Kayleigh Rose Amstutz. I actually know who Chappell Roan is; I learned about her when she was interviewed on NPR's "Wait, Wait ... Don't Tell Me!" I'm not familiar with all of her songs, though, so I was happy to have the help of crossing answers here.
• PHORRITO (9D: Soup-inspired dish that's rolled up and eaten) PHORRITO, as one might guess from its name, is a burrito stuffed with ingredients commonly used in the Vietnamese soup pho.

Random Thoughts & Interesting Things

• ACHOO (14A: Blessed sound) This is a fun and slightly tricky clue. It's common for people to respond to the sneeze sound, "ACHOO," with the words, "Bless you!" (or some variation). Therefore, ACHOO is a sound that is blessed.
• SLOWMANCE (15A: Term used to describe a relationship that develops gradually) The term SLOWMANCE was coined by the dating app Hinge in June of this year in their second annual LGBTQIA+ D.A.T.E (data, advice, trends, and expertise) report. The term is fairly self-explanatory. It refers to the finding that more people are looking to take things slower than in the past when it comes to developing a relationship. I think SLOWMANCE is a fun word, and I like that it evokes the idea (at least for me) of a "slow dance."
• ASUS (18A: Computer company whose name originates from "Pegasus") ASUS is a Taiwanese computer company. Although the company based its name on Pegasus, the winged horse in Greek mythology, it chose to use only the last four letters of Pegasus so that the company would appear higher in alphabetical listings. The tagline for ASUS is "In Search of Incredible."
• RED (19A: Taylor Swift era with a "22" hat) and HOW'S (3D: "Hello, 'Mr. Perfectly fine.' ___ your heart after breakin' mine?") In case you were missing the Taylor Swift vibes of yesterday's puzzle, today's constructors have included a couple of Taylor Swift references to help you out. "22" is a song from Taylor Swift's fourth studio album, RED. When Taylor Swift performs the song on the Eras Tour, she wears a white t-shirt and black hat similar to the ones she wore for the song's music video. Toward the end of the performance, she gives the hat to a pre-selected fan. "Hello, 'Mr. Perfectly fine.' HOW'S your heart after breakin' mine?" is a line from Taylor Swift's song, "Mr. Perfectly Fine," which appeared on her 2021 album Fearless (Taylor's Version).
• COURSE (20A: Part of a prix fixe menu) A prix fixe menu is an option at some restaurants that offers a multi-course meal (with a set menu or only a few choices) for a fixed price.
• THROWDOWN (24A: "Hoedown ___" (rhyming "Hannah Montana" song)) "Hoedown THROWDOWN" is a Miley Cyrus song that was released in 2009 as a promotional single for Hannah Montana: The Movie.
• LIRA (27A: Currency of Turkey) The currency of Turkey is the Turkish LIRA. I got tripped up here at first by thinking, "Oh, it's a 4-letter currency, it must be "euro." Crossing answers quickly set me on the right track.
• TIG (33A: "Am I OK?" co-director Notaro) The 2022 movie, Am I OK? is co-directed by TIG Notaro and Stephanie Allynne. The comedy drama tells the story of two best friends who face changes in their lives that lead to introspection and questions.
• DERN (41A: "Jurassic Park" actress Laura) Laura DERN first played the role of Dr. Ellie Sattler in the 1993 movie Jurassic Park. She reprised the role in Jurassic Park III (2001) and Jurassic World Dominion (2022).
• AGUA FRESCA (46A: Fruit drink at a taqueria) A taqueria is a restaurant or food stall that specializes in Mexican dishes. AGUA FRESCA is Spanish for "fresh waters." The term is used to refer to non-alcoholic beverages made from fruits or flowers, blended with water and sugar. AGUA FRESCA is popular in the southwestern United States, Mexico, and Central America. 
• CHU (53A: "Wicked" director Jon) Jon CHU is the director of the upcoming movie Wicked, scheduled for release November 22. The movie is the first of a two-part adaptation of the Broadway musical of the same name. I am looking forward to this movie.
• ALL SET (1D: "I'm good when you are!") and ARE WE READY (16D: "You and I gonna do this?") I enjoyed the interplay between these two answers.
• FIB (34D: "I'm on my way," maybe) Ha! This made me laugh.
• AUNTS (50D: Zelda and Hilda, to Sabrina Spellman) Sabrina the Teenage Witch is the name of a comic book series, a movie, and several animated and live action TV programs. Sabrina Spellman is the title character. As this clue indicates, Zelda and Hilda are her AUNTS.
• LABS (54D: Dogs that are "waterproof") This clue provides us with a fun animal fact. LABS, or Labrador retrievers, have a thick double coat comprised of an outer layer of dense, long hair, and an underlayer of soft, downy-like fur that acts as an insulating layer and utilizes the dogs' natural oils to repel water. For this reason, water doesn't bother them.
• ELLA (55D: "Yellowjackets" actress Purnell) Showtime (SHO) describes their TV series, Yellowjackets, as "part survival epic, part psychological horror, and part coming-of-age drama." The show tells the story of a high school girls' soccer team whose plane crashes in the wilderness. The show recounts the time of survival after the crash, as well as events that occur 25 years later. ELLA Purnell plays the role of Jackie Taylor, the captain of the team.
• Great answers all around in this puzzle. Here's a few more I especially enjoyed in addition to those I've already highlighted:
  • FLOP ERA (34A: Time period marked by failure after failure)
  • LEG DAY (54A: Gym sesh with squats)
  • SCAM ALERT (60A: "Don't pick up this call! It's a swindler!")
  • CAN CONFIRM (20D: "You heard correctly!")
  • GOAL (56D: "Eat more greens" or "stay hydrated")

Crossword Puzzle Theme Synopsis

BABY, DO YOU LIKE THIS BEAT? (Freestyle): There's no theme today, as this is a freestyle, or themeless puzzle. "BABY, DO YOU LIKE THIS BEAT?" is a lyric from "HOT TO GO!" (38A: Chappell Roan song with a signature dance).

Although the title, "BABY, DO YOU LIKE THIS BEAT?," is a specific lyric from the song "HOT TO GO!," I like that it also serves as a general nod to the plethora of music references in this puzzle. I thoroughly enjoyed this puzzle. Thank you, Amie and Amanda, for this excellent puzzle.

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