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In September 2022, Justin Bieber had to postpone — and ultimately cancel — his Justice World Tour due to health issues. Yet his longtime backing band, We The Band, never stopped working; rather, the unexpected free time allowed them to focus on a goal they always had in mind. “We knew we had something special that was bigger than just us being his backing band,” says bassist/vocalist HARV, who makes up We The Band with DJ Tay James, guitarist-vocalist Julian Michael, drummer Devon “Stixx” Taylor, keyboardist Dr. O and JulesTheWulf. “Between 2022 and 2024, we all had time to really re-center ourselves, and as a group think, ‘What’s the next step?’ We’ve toured so long, we’ve been to every city five times. It was the perfect time for us to get in the studio, write and put some music together.” That period of time culminated in the group’s debut album, out later this year, that showcases We The Band’s funky R&B stylings alongside its knack for improvisational jams. In June, the act signed with Avex Music Group and released its debut single, “One & Only,” a song that James says “shows how dynamic of a group we are.” When the Justice tour was canceled, how did you all feel about figuring out your next move? Stixx: It wasn’t any stress for me. I don’t think for any of us, honestly. It was just time for everybody to lock in. James: Personally, I was a little sad for the tour to end because we was just really cranking up. HARV: But definitely We The Band was a safe place for us after the tour. How did you all navigate other offers and opportunities, while still making the band a priority? HARV: We kind of split up. Stixx went out with Usher and then and O went out with PARTYNEXTDOOR. Then O started working with Kehlani and a few other artists. Me and Tay, we stayed back and made sure that we kept the We The Band momentum, making sure that we found the right partners and getting the music together. So we kind of stayed home base and everybody else went out to keep touring to keep the lights on. How do you create an identity outside of being Justin Bieber’s backing band? James: I think once this project comes out and people hear what we’ve been able to create, that will start the separation on its own. We didn’t want to come out with a bunch of features right away. We want to be able to stand on our own two, especially when we start performing again.  Earth, Wind & Fire is an inspiration for the group, but are there many contemporary groups making R&B music today? HARV: I don’t think so. I think that’s why We The Band is important, because there’s not a lot of R&B bands out there like Earth, Wind & Fire, like The Isley Brothers. We could be one of those for this generation. James: What we’re making right now, I haven’t really heard anything comparable to it. Sometimes you need that in music, you need something different. Why did you want to release a project, rather than just dropping singles? HARV: It was very imperative for us to give a full body of work. I hate when, let’s say I find a new artist or a new act that I like and they put one song out and I’m like, “Well, f–k. I want to hear more.” And then I gotta wait a month so you can put one more song out? Like, no. You’re gonna get this body of work. Stixx: You get a full masterpiece.  What was the experience like putting together your first body of work as a band? Stixx: We had a lot of fun making these songs. Especially within the last week, for sure.  What happened in the last week?  Stixx: We’ve been going crazy.  James: HARV just did the [Netflix reality] Hitmakers show, so we threw a private party at Nice Guy [in Los Angeles] and we were able to play some of the songs off the album in front of people. And the reaction we were getting was very positive. That’s what we like to do, test things out and just see how people react; that’s gonna be the hardest critic, someone that doesn’t know nothing at all. And if they’re vibing to it, that’s how you know you might have something. HARV: We just kept seeing everybody [open] Shazam. They kept holding their phones up. Outside of talent, what do you all bring to We The Band that makes this work so well?  JulesTheWulf: I think for both Harv and Tay, their business acumen is something that’s really strong. They have great foresight and decision making. Stixx has a lot of raw, positive energy. He just shows up with a very genuine enthusiasm for everything, and the same with [Dr. O] too, just a really infectious enthusiasm for life in general. I think when you put all of that together, even outside of our musical talent, it makes something crazy. HARV: Jules is the anchor of the band. He is gonna always keep everybody in line. Stixx: Jules is like the big brother you don’t wanna mess with. He’s the muscle. It does seem like you all bring out the best in each other. Stixx: I definitely feel like I’m the best when I’m with these guys. Especially for me being in other camps and touring, I’m really just there to get a check. But with the band, whether we were getting paid or not, I would still go out and tour with these guys. For sure. A version of this story appears in the Aug. 30, 2025, issue of Billboard. Source link

JD Vance can’t resist a good love story. Despite his and Taylor Swift‘s political differences, the vice president offered words of congratulations after finding out about her recent engagement to Travis Kelce. While speaking to USA Today at the White House on Wednesday (Aug. 27), Vance expressed that he’s rooting for the happy couple, who announced their plans to get married the day prior. “I’m a romantic when I see two people who are in love getting married,” he began. “I just wish ’em the best, and I congratulate ’em,” Vance continued. “I hope they have a very long and healthy and happy life together.” That said, the former senator also remarked that he thinks “by and large, people want politicians to focus on politics, and they want celebrities to focus on whatever it is that made them famous, whether it’s singing or dancing or acting.” Ironically, Donald Trump has focused his energies on pop cultural figures such as Swift — people whom Vance probably wouldn’t consider to have a place in politics — countless times throughout his two presidential terms. Taking a particular interest in the Eras Tour headliner over the past year, he’s done everything from mock Swift for getting booed at the 2025 Super Bowl to declaring on Truth Social, “I HATE TAYLOR SWIFT,” although he did also share words of congratulations after hearing about her engagement to the Kansas City Chiefs tight end. “Well, I wish them a lot of luck,” the twice-impeached POTUS said during a cabinet meeting on the day of Swift and Kelce’s announcement. “I think he’s a great player, I think he’s a great guy, and she’s a terrific person, so I wish them a lot of luck.” The leader of the free world and his second in command are far from the only people who have chimed in on the famous couple’s engagement. After the pair shared photos of Kelce’s romantic rose-garden proposal and Swift’s enormous diamond engagement ring, they were met with an overwhelmingly positive response from friends and fans — and even some critics, Megyn Kelly included — online. “I am not a Taylor Swift fan for many reasons, but I respect the empire she has built,” the Megyn Kelly Show host wrote on her website following the news. “With Taylor Swift being an American billionaire who is not even 40, I think it is great that she finally found love. I really do. I am rooting for them. I don’t think it is a coincidence that the person she ultimately decided to settle down with is a real man, is a football player, is a tough guy who doesn’t really take a lot of s–t from people.” Source link

In the late ’90s, arguably no human being on the planet was on a hotter hot streak than Will Smith. After making his name on wax and on TV as the Fresh Prince in the late ’80s and early ’90s, Smith had made the jump to film stardom in the mid ’90s with a string of summer blockbusters — the latest of which, Men in Black, also saw him scoring a huge hit with the movie’s title theme. Then in 1998, it all came together in a year of crossover pop smashes, massive music videos and award wins, to go with another box office winner in the theaters, a new marriage to a fellow film A-lister, and even a big pop hit for one of his Fresh Prince co-stars. It couldn’t and didn’t last — and it feels pretty far away now, following a wildly unexpected low period in Smith’s public image — but no other entertainer has really matched it since. Explore See latest videos, charts and news On this week’s extended Vintage Pop Stardom episode of the Greatest Pop Stars podcast, host Andrew Unterberger is joined by YouTube star and Song vs. Song podcast co-host Todd in the Shadows to remember the peak year from our shared middle-school-age hero. We try to convey just how massive Will Smith was to us and our ilk in the late ’90s, how it seemed like he could do absolutely no wrong across his many separate ventures, and how surprising and jarring it ended up being the few times where he actually did do wrong. Along the way, we ask all the most important questions about how Will Smith made movie and music superstardom look good: Did Will Smith have anything to prove still in 1998? Do we believe the buzz that Nas ghostwrote “Gettin’ Jiggy Wit It” — or that Jerry Seinfeld was actually instrumental in breaking the song? Is “Miami” an authentic representation of the overall South Beach experience? Was Will the secret king of the late-’90s disco revival? And most importantly: What are the chances that we ever see another cross-platform superstar like Will Smith again? Check it out above — along with a YouTube playlist of some of the most important moments from Will Smith’s 1998, all of which are discussed in the podcast — and subscribe to the Greatest Pop Stars podcast on Apple Music or Spotify (or wherever you get your podcasts) for weekly discussions every Thursday about all things related to pop stardom! And as we say in every one of these GPS podcast posts — if you have the time and money to spare, please consider donating to any of these causes in the fight for trans rights: Transgender Law Center Trans Lifeline Destination Tomorrow Gender-Affirming Care Fundraising on GoFundMe Also, please consider giving your local congresspeople a call in support of trans rights, with contact information you can find on 5Calls.org. Get weekly rundowns straight to your inbox Sign Up Source link

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Redacción Panamericana Christian Martínez Guadalupe recuperó su libertad después de casi un año de prisión preventiva en el penal de Lurigancho. Primo de Jefferson Farfán habla tras su liberación El primo de Jefferson Farfán, Christian Martínez Guadalupe, conocido popularmente como ‘Cri Cri’, salió del penal de Lurigancho el pasado 27 de agosto, tras permanecer recluido desde septiembre de 2024.  El exfutbolista enfrentaba una denuncia por presunto abuso sexual ocurrido en la residencia de la ‘Foquita’ en La Planicie, La Molina, un caso que acaparó titulares y generó gran polémica. En sus primeras declaraciones ante la prensa, ‘Cri Cri’, se mostró cauteloso pero aseguró su inocencia. “Soy inocente, sí. Ahora voy a descansar un poco, estar con mi familia y en su momento, yo voy a declarar”, expresó ante las cámaras de programas como Magaly TV, La Firme, antes de retirarse en su vehículo. Te puede interesar Milena Zárate no se guarda nada y responde con todo a Greissy en ‘El Valor de la Verdad Jefferson Farfán no se pronuncia Mientras su primo recupera la libertad, Jefferson Farfán ha optado por no pronunciarse públicamente sobre el caso.  Su silencio en redes sociales ha despertado múltiples comentarios, ya que algunos seguidores interpretan esta actitud como una manera de evitar polémicas, mientras que otros critican su distancia en un momento tan complejo para su familiar. Te puede interesar Nicola Porcella arremete contra Gisela: “Es el karma” ¿Quién es ‘Cri Cri’? Christian Antonio Martínez Guadalupe, de aproximadamente 40 años, es conocido por su cercanía con la estrella del fútbol peruano.  Además de ser su primo, ‘Cri Cri’ trabajó como gerente de la orquesta de salsa ‘Los de la Caliente’, que pertenece a Farfán, y formó parte de su círculo más cercano en diferentes etapas, incluyendo viajes al Mundial de Rusia en 2018. Sin embargo, este último año ha significado un duro golpe para ambos, debido a la exposición mediática y la gravedad de las acusaciones. Este caso sigue generando gran atención, y se espera que en los próximos días ‘Cri Cri’ brinde más detalles sobre su situación legal. @historystore12 Primo de Jefferson Farfan, CRI CRI, LIBRE, SALIÓ DE LA CÁRCEL, Y SE REAFIRMA EN SU INOCENCIA. Y MAMÁ DICE QUE CUMPLIÓ SU PROMESA DE SACARLO DE PRISIÓN. #primodejeffersonfarfansalioenlibertad #primodejeffersonfarfansalioenlibertadydiceserinocente #cricriprimodefarfansalioenlibertad #magalymedina #jeffersonfarfan ♬ sonido original – Raffa 4 Source link

Few stars have captivated the music world over the past 12 months like Beyoncé and Kendrick Lamar — and both have tapped Compton-bred choreographer Charm La’Donna to help bring their culture-shifting songs to life. A protégée of famed choreographer Fatima Robinson, the 37-year-old started as a backup dancer for Madonna’s Confessions Tour in 2006 while in her senior year at Los Angeles County High School for the Arts. She has since worked (and won MTV Video Music Awards) with Rosalía and Dua Lipa, but this year she’s experiencing a first: At the Emmy Awards on Sept. 14, she’ll compete against herself in outstanding choreography for variety or reality programming with Beyoncé Bowl and Lamar’s Super Bowl LIX halftime show. One week prior (Sept. 7), she’ll aim for her third best choreography Moonperson with Lamar’s “Not Like Us” at the VMAs. She says with a laugh about doubling up on Emmy nominations, “I had my teary-eyed moment, and then I noticed [and said], ‘Oh, my God. Not me going against myself!’ ” “Not Like Us” Music Video As a victory lap in his beef with Drake, Lamar dropped the triumphant, Dave Free-helmed music video for “Not Like Us,” featuring crip walking and clowning. “It’s an honor to create with [dancer] Tommy the Clown because it’s homegrown,” La’Donna says. “L.A. makes up so many of the nuances of who I am and my art.” La’Donna was “listening as a fan like everybody else” when she got the “surreal” call to choreograph the video, extending her history with Lamar, which includes a stint as his sole female dancer on his 2017 DAMN. tour. “I feel the music and get inspired by the dancers in the room,” she says. “Being myself and allowing my moves to come out organically is my storytelling.” Super Bowl LIX Halftime Show For the first halftime show headlined by a solo rapper, La’Donna used her previous Super Bowl experience (she choreographed The Weeknd’s 2021 performance) and held freestyle-dominant auditions that examined “ability, potential and camaraderie.” Lamar’s cinematic show, which featured SZA and Samuel L. Jackson, used his career-spanning setlist and dance formations to offer a critique of America, relying on nuance over spectacle. From his flare jeans to his cheeky smile, there were many viral moments — few as replicated as Lamar’s jig down the gridiron to “Not Like Us.” To translate that energy to 133.5 million viewers (according to the NFL), La’Donna choreographed for the cameras, too: “I paid extra care and attention to where [they] were and what each one was doing.” Beyoncé Bowl Beyoncé saved her first Cowboy Carter-era performance for Netflix’s Christmas Day NFL halftime show in Houston. For the occasion, she rallied special guests (including Shaboozey and Post Malone, as well as her daughter Blue Ivy) and tapped hundreds of dancers, instrumentalists, cheerleaders and rodeo cultural figures. To help the performance flow seamlessly, Queen Bey looked to an all-star team of choreographers comprised of La’Donna, Tyrik Patterson, Christopher Grant and Parris Goebel. “When dealing with thousands of people and props, I remove the pressure of any expectations outside of doing my best and being my best self in that space,” La’Donna says, stressing the show’s ambitious scale. This story appears in the Aug. 30, 2025, issue of Billboard. Source link

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Billboard published the July Boxscore report on Tuesday (Aug. 26) , with – yet again – Beyoncé on top, wrapping up Cowboy Carter Tour with another $102 million. But while the biggest stars of rock, hip-hop and more packed stadiums, comedians were road warrioring their way to sold-out theaters and arenas. Here, we’re looking at the five biggest comedy tours of July 2025. Earlier this summer, Billboard launched its comedy hub with rundowns of the biggest touring comedians of the midyear Boxscore period (Oct. 1, 2024 through March 31, 2025) and of May and June 2025. Sebastian Maniscalco, Nate Bargatze and Matt Rife topped those lists, respectively, but July’s ranking has a new leader, though he is not new to the stage. “Weird Al” Yankovic roars in atop July comedy breakout with more than $8 million and over 140,000 tickets sold, surpassing the monthly gross and attendance of the previous three leaders. His schedule was packed, with 20 shows in the 31-day month. Among the top 100 earning artists of the month, across all genres, it’s the most shows that anyone played, approached only by Kesha (19), Phish and Tyler, The Creator (17 each). Yankovic’s biggest stop was at New York’s Madison Square Garden, bringing in more than $1 million on July 12 from a sold-out crowd of 12,461 fans. He also sold more than 10,000 tickets at Budweiser Stage (Toronto), Wolf Trap National Park (Vienna, Va.), DTE Energy Music Theatre (Clarkston, Mich.) and The Mann Center (Philadelphia). Keep scrolling for a detailed breakdown of the top grossing touring comedy tours of July – by the numbers. Boxscore charts are based on figures reported to Billboard Boxscore. International grosses are converted to USD. Source link

The sun is shining on Ariana Grande fans Thursday (Aug. 28), as the pop star has announced a select run of tour dates in support of her 2024 album, Eternal Sunshine. Sharing a tour poster on Instagram, Grande revealed that she’ll be hitting the road in 2026. Starting June 6 in Oakland, Calif., the Wicked actress will travel through Los Angeles, Atlanta, Chicago, Montreal and more North American cities before finishing with five shows at the O2 Arena in London in August. “see you next year,” Grande wrote in her caption. The musician also shared that a presale for shows in the United States and Canada will kick off Sept. 9, while a presale for the London concerts will go live Sept. 16. To take part in the presales, Arianators have until Sept. 7 to sign up on Grande’s website. Fans have been waiting for this moment for quite some time, with Grande last touring in 2019. She has not properly hit the road since the Sweetener World Tour wrapped that December, and she has since expressed feeling hesitant to embark on another trek. “I think my fans know that music and being on stage will always be a part of my life,” she told Variety last year when asked whether she’d be touring for Eternal Sunshine anytime soon. “I think the next few years, hopefully we’ll be exploring different forms of art, and I think acting is feeling like home right now.” In July, however, the Grammy winner gave fans new hope. “Very silly of you all to assume that just because i have my hands full with many things that i plan to abandon singing & music … !!!” she wrote on Instagram at the time. “It may not look exactly like it did before but i much prefer how it looks in my head … so i’m working on a plan to sing for you all next year. even if it’s just for a little.” Released in March 2024, Eternal Sunshine spent three weeks atop the Billboard 200, marking Grande’s sixth No. 1 on the chart. The album spawned two No. 1 singles on the Billboard Hot 100 with “Yes, And?” and “We Can’t Be Friends (Wait for Your Love).” See Grande’s tour announcement below. Source link