All products and services featured are independently chosen by editors. However, Billboard may receive a commission on orders placed through its retail links, and the retailer may receive certain auditable data for accounting purposes.

Josh Gad and his family are back on the road once again for the launch of two new Kindle Colorsoft models.

While summer might be winding down, the party at Kindle is just getting started. Gad and his family are road trip ready thanks to the all-new Amazon Kindle Colorsoft Kids. Retailing for $269.99, the 16GB model allows kids the power to read up a storm in colorful hues, painting vivid pictures of fantasy and adventure with the touch of a button.

Amazon Kindle Colorsoft Kids (16 GB) With Cover in Fantasy River

$269.99

Buy Now On Amazon

A Kindle for kids in color.

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The tech’s portable design and 8 weeks of battery life make this Kindle perfect for readers on the go. Plus, you’ve got an endless amount of storage for whatever genre your kid is into. Loving fantasy? Or how about a head-scratching mystery? The Colorsoft Kids has space for it all. If your little ones want to read poolside or while at the beach, the Colorsoft Kids is waterproof too. If you’d like to customize your reading experience, the Colorsoft Kids comes equipped with a unique cover in either Fantasy River or Starlight Reading that you can pick upon purchasing. What’s not to love?

Amazon Kindle Colorsoft 16 GB

$249.99

Buy Now On Amazon

A Kindle with a color display.

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The seven-inch Kindle Colorsoft is also currently available on Amazon for $249.99. It has all of the features folks love from the og Kindle but in high-contrast color. This colorful tech includes fast page turns, weeks of battery life and access to the Kindle’s extensive book store. No running out of summer reads here. The best part? When you buy the Kindle Colorsoft, you’ll have three months of Kindle Unlimited included for free. You’ll be voraciously reading in no time at all.

Speaking of voracious reading, Gad recently joined the Kindle Kids Backseat Book Crew to encourage kids to read more this summer.

The Frozen actor and self-proclaimed “road trip expert” knows this sentiment well, given he’s always on the go. With summer travel plans made, kids wrangled and bags packed, sometimes the last thing on our minds is curling up with a good book. As a dad of two, Gad knows a thing or two about keeping kids entertained on a road trip. With Kindle’s help, his little ones and children will be able to cultivate a love of reading wherever their travels may take them, thanks to this virtual book club.

<strong>Kindle Paperwhite Kids in Starfish </strong>

$179.99

Buy Now On Amazon

A kids Kindle with a starfish-themed cover.

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“I remember probably up until the age of 14, dreading reading,” Gad tells Billboard. “It was like work and I didn’t want to do it … and then something clicked, and I fell in love with reading.”

To start your family’s reading journey, you can sign up now at kindlekidsbackseatbookcrew.com. Upon signing up, you will receive a members-only Backseat Book Crew Bundle filled with reading-themed stickers, a “Kindle Kid On Board” bumper sticker, reading recommendations for the summer, a patch and a 10% off promo code for your next Kindle Kids or Kindle Paperwhite Kids purchase on Amazon.com.

Kindle Kids in Unicorn Valley

Buy Now On Amazon $129.99 $129.99

A kids Kindle with a unicorn-themed cover.

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Gad explained that his kids are voracious readers, able to breeze through multiple stories quickly. Who has the space or time to carry six different hardcovers on a road trip? Certainly not Gad. Thus, the beauty of the Kindle. “Having a device like this, which my wife and I joke, is like screen time we can actually get behind, is amazing. Kids sit in the back seat. When we’re on a road trip, they will either read or listen to their books.”

Don’t have a Kindle? Right now, Kindle Kids is available for $129.99 on Amazon in whimsical Ocean Explorer, Space Whale and Unicorn Valley designs. You can also grab the Amazon Kindle Paperwhite Kids in Cyber City and Starfish style for $179.99, also on Amazon.

Kindle’s library features thousands books for children, available at their fingertips. No matter how fast of a reader your little one is, you’ll never run out of reading material. “The kids curate their own selections of authors and books and share with each other … and on average … kids who are using a Kindle will read at least one hour a day that, to me, is like manna from heaven,” Gad says. “Incentivizing kids to read. I’m like, yes, yes, yes, Sign me up.”

<em>The Song of Achilles</em> by Madeline Miller

$15.99 $32.00 50% off

Buy Now On Amazon

A hardcover book that reimagines Homer’s enduring masterwork, The Iliad

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I know you’re all dying to know: What does a busy celeb read on his time off on set? The answer might surprise you. “As of late, books that I’ve read that I’ve loved, James by Percival Everett,” the actor shares. “I’m obsessed with Madeleine Miller, who wrote both The Song of Achilles and Cersei … Erik Larson remains one of my favorite authors..In the Garden of Beasts or The Splendid and the Vile are great.”

Interestingly, Gad is also reading a lot of books about World War 2 and fascism to prep for his role in the upcoming project that takes place in that period. “None of these books I would call very entertaining, and none of these books are by choice,” Gad jokes.” As for music he’s currently bumping, Gad says he’s been going through a Kendrick Lamar phase: “My music is really defined right now by my children. So it’s lots of Sabrina (Carpenter), it’s lots of T-Swift, it’s lots of Kendrick, it’s lots of Beyonce … Charlie XCX. It’s it’s all the usual suspects.”

<em>The Splendid and the Vile</em> by Erik Larson

$12.15 $35.00 65% off

Buy Now On Amazon

A hardcover book that paints a historical narrative focusing on Winston Churchill’s first year as Prime Minister of Britain.

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Watch Josh Gad’s Kindle Kids Backseat Book Crew Campaign below.

All products and services featured are independently chosen by editors. However, Billboard may receive a commission on orders placed through its retail links, and the retailer may receive certain auditable data for accounting purposes.

BTS and Funko Pop have done it again. The sensational South Korean boy band and the vinyl figure manufacturer have come together once more to drop an all-new exclusive BTS Bitty Pop! line titled Bitty Stages, retailing for $7.99 each. The collection is currently available for preorder. The itty-bitty K-Pop figures can be placed on an accompanying stage reading “Dynamite” in reference to the band’s hit song of the same name that dropped back in 2020.

Bitty Pop! Stages J-Hope (Dynamite)

$7.99

Buy Now AT FUNKO

J-Hope figure from BTS’ “Dynamite” era.

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Bitty Pop! Stages Jimin (Dynamite)

$7.99

Buy Now at funko

Jimin figure from BTS’ “Dynamite” era.

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You’ve got figures of Jin, Suga, J-Hope, RM, Jimin, V and Jungkook all dressed in intricate stage outfits down to tiny sunglasses. You can collect each member to complete the band, or just one if you’re a proud solo stan (you know who you are.)

Each figure comes neatly nestled into a hard acrylic display case with a detachable bottom lid. The detachable bottom lid doubles as an acrylic base to which the Bitty POP! figure is adhered. The Vinyl figures are approximately 0.9 and 2 in (2.3 and 5.1 cm) tall, perfectly pocket-sized. Of course, this would be a great gift for the ARMY or music collector in your life.

Bitty Pop! Stages Jin (Dynamite)

$7.99

Buy Now at funko

Jin figure from BTS’ “Dynamite” era.

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Bitty Pop! Stages Jungkook (Dynamite)

$7.99

Buy Now at funko

Jungkook figure from BTS’ “Dynamite” era.

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Funko’s Bitty Pop! line includes a slew of mini figures in reference to pop culture from movies, TV shows and comic books to video games. Some of our favorites include the Bitty Pop! Arcade Five Nights at Freddy’s, Bitty Pop! The Fantastic Four: First Steps 4-Pack, Bitty Pop! Hello Kitty and Friends 4-Pack Series 1 and Bitty Pop! Netflix Squid Games 4-Pack Series 2, just to name a few. The company also makes Bitty Pop! playsets themed to match some of their tiny figurines.

BTS has collaborated with Funko Pop on numerous occasions. The boy band collabed with the figuriene brand on a collection inspired by their 2021 Proof album. Most recently in 2024, BTS had a Funko Pop Despicable Me 4 collaboration where each member was turned into a little Minion, complete with goggles and overalls. The band also dropped a line reimagining the group as “Toy Story” characters. If you’re a solo stan, each member of BTS also has their own solo Funko Pop to commemorate their individual solo eras.

Bitty Pop! Stages RM (Dynamite)

$7.99

Buy Now at funko

RM figure from BTS’ “Dynamite” era.

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Bitty Pop! Stages Suga (Dynamite)

$7.99

Buy Now at funko

Suga figure from BTS’ “Dynamite” era.

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Bitty Pop! Stages V (Dynamite)

$7.99

Buy Now at funko

V figure from BTS’ “Dynamite” era.

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In other BTS news, the group released Permission to Dance On Stage — Live, a live album that features recorded hits like “Dynamite” and “Butter” from their Permission to Dance On Stage tour back in 2021 through 2022. The project includes a 22-song tracklist including renditions of “Life Goes On,” “Boy With Luv (feat. Halsey)” and “ON.”

Tyla has been sued by two collaborators on her hit 2023 song “Water,” who claim they’ve been cheated out of royalties by way of a “nefarious” scheme by a lead producer on the track.

Songwriters Olmo Zucca and Jackson LoMastro make the allegations in a Friday (July 25) lawsuit against the South African star (Tyla Seethal), British producer Sammy SoSo (Samuel Awuku) and Sony Music Entertainment, the owner of Tyla’s label Epic Records. Notably, the pair made the same allegations in a previous lawsuit against Tyla, SoSo and Sony this past March, but voluntarily dropped that case on Thursday (July 24) before re-filing on Friday, through a new attorney.

Zucca and LoMastro say that during a March 2023 recording session in Los Angeles, they worked with SoSo and fellow producer Rayo (Rayan El-Hussein Goufar) to make numerous audio recordings that were used on the final version of “Water.” The July 2023 track spent 29 weeks on the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at No. 7, and ultimately won a Grammy Award for best African music performance.

Zucca and LoMastro are credited as co-writers on “Water,” but not as producers. The pair allege that SoSo deliberately cut them out by contracting directly with Tyla “to take sole credit for production of the song,” and that he then lowballed Zucca and LoMastro with publishing royalties of only 10% each while giving himself 15%.

“Although plaintiffs tried for months to resolve the matter with Awuku, Awuku refused to cooperate and, instead, engaged in a pattern of deception designed to conceal his nefarious actions,” reads the legal complaint.

According to the lawsuit, SoSo fooled Zucca and LoMastro into signing a misleading contract that memorialized these unfair royalty rates. The complaint also cites a May 2024 meeting that Zucca had with Epic Records president Ezekiel Lewis, during which Lewis supposedly said SoSo had not informed the label about any co-producers on “Water.”

Zucca and LoMastro are now seeking, through their lawsuit,t to get producer credits on the track and change their royalty rate to 12.5%, both retroactively and going forward. They also want a producer fee.

“Because defendants have refused to recognize plaintiffs’ status as topline producers of the song, and have failed to pay plaintiffs all of the royalties they are owed from the song, plaintiffs have each suffered injury in fact,” says the complaint.

Zucca and LoMastro claim “Water” has generated more than $10 million in revenue since its release and will keep raking in hefty profits; “based on industry history, it is more than reasonable to expect the song to generate upwards of $50 million over an extended period of time,” says the lawsuit.

Reps for Tyla, SoSo and Sony did not immediately return requests for comment on the claims.

If history is any precedent, consumption of Ozzy Osbourne’s music will skyrocket in the coming weeks and, possibly, remain above the level it was at before he died — for months or even years. 

An artist’s passing always causes a surge in activity: As news spreads and tributes appear on social media and in the press, fans play their songs at streaming services and buy their albums. This year, we saw a 184% increase in The Beach Boys‘ streams, and the highest chart position in 60 years for the Pet Sounds album, the week after Brian Wilson’s death on June 11, according to Luminate. We also witnessed a 563% increase in Sly & the Family Stone’s streams the week after Sly Stone’s passing on June 9, while Angie Stone’s streams jumped over 1,260% in the week following her death on March 1. 

What doesn’t get reported weeks or months later is that the deceased artist’s consumption remains elevated for weeks, months or years. Sinead O’Connor’s weekly U.S. consumption remains 32% above the level it was at before she died on July 26, 2023. Similarly, Tina Turner’s catalog consumption remains 25% greater than the week before she died on May 24, 2023. Sometimes the increase is noticeable but short-lived: The New York Dolls’ numbers returned to normal eight weeks after the Feb. 28 death of frontman David Johansen.  

Osbourne’s rare position as a pop culture icon and musical legend means his death could lead to a long-lasting surge in streams and sales. Given his unique stature, the best comparisons for Osbourne’s potential come from a select group of icons whose deaths resulted in greater-than-normal media coverage and fan reactions.  

Nearly a decade after their deaths, both Prince and David Bowie are enjoying music consumption well above their pre-death levels. Some of those gains are to be expected, since both died when industry revenue was just one year removed from the post-Napster low; U.S. music business revenue more than doubled from 2016 to 2024, according to the RIAA. Nevertheless, their deaths were followed by a long-lasting surge in buying and streaming.  

When Prince unexpectedly died in 2016, consumption of his music — measured in album equivalent units — jumped 125-fold in the first full week after his death. Eight months later, total consumption was more than double the levels seen prior to his death.  

Bowie’s music experienced a similar trajectory. A week after his death, also in 2016, total consumption was up 61-fold. Eight months later, total consumption was up 59% and album sales were nearly double the level they were at before his death.  

Osbourne’s post-death consumption bump could be just the beginning. For a select group of musical and pop culture icons — and Osbourne is arguably in this camp — careers receive long-lasting boosts from a high-budget motion picture. Take Queen and Elton John, for example. Queen was the focus of Bohemian Rhapsody, which grossed over $900 million worldwide in theaters and earned Rami Malek an Academy Award for best actor for his portrayal of frontman Freddie Mercury. John was the subject of Rocket Man, a 2019 film with a $195 million theatrical run.  

Boasting such classic songs as “Bohemian Rhapsody” and “Another One Bites the Dust,” Queen’s catalog performed well before the film Bohemian Rhapsody was released in November 2018. But the movie’s release had an immediate impact, increasing Queen’s music consumption in the U.S. by 164% in 2018 after being in theaters for just two months that year. Consumption increased another 73% in 2019 as the film was also a success on the small screen. Although annual consumption has steadily trailed off since 2019, the movie’s impact has yet to disappear completely: Queen’s music consumption in 2024 was 84% higher than in 2017, the year before Bohemian Rhapsody was released. For comparative purposes, without a biopic, Led Zeppelin’s consumption increased 24% over the same period. 

Rocket Man, released on May 31, 2019, sent John’s catalog into a higher orbit. U.S. consumption rose 60% that year, and after a 22% decline from 2019 consumption in 2020, his numbers have consistently remained above pre-release levels. However, taking market growth into account (see the Led Zeppelin example above), John’s numbers seem to have fallen back to earth. Last year, consumption of John’s music was 24% above 2018, the same as Led Zeppelin’s growth over a similar period. 

More recently, the film A Complete Unknown provided a boost to Bob Dylan’s catalog. Weekly consumption of Dylan’s music in the U.S. rose 245% in the six weeks after the film’s Dec. 25, 2024, release (consumption started growing in October due to a heavy pre-release promotional campaign). After a theatrical run that grossed $140 million worldwide, the movie’s March 27 release on Hulu caused a 30% jump in weekly consumption. The weekly numbers have since subsided but remain 60% above the level they were at prior to the film’s media blitz in late 2024.  

Of course, Bohemian Rhapsody is an ultra-successful outlier, and Rocket Man and A Complete Unknown both had better-than-average ticket sales. The truth is that many biopics fail to connect with audiences or leave a lasting impact on the musician’s catalog. Movies about Whitney Houston (I Wanna Dance With Somebody) and Jimi Hendrix (Jimi: All is by My Side) didn’t produce the same box office results, and those artists’ catalogs didn’t get a Queen-like bump.  

A documentary about Osbourne that’s scheduled to hit Paramount+ by the end of 2025 could provide a boost to his catalog. O’Connor’s catalog got a 47% boost the week after Showtime debuted the documentary Nothing Compares in September 2022, and Sly & The Family Stone’s consumption increased 92% in the four weeks following the debut of SLY LIVES! (aka The Burden of Black Genius) on Hulu on Jan. 23.

But a biopic would do more for Osbourne’s catalog than a documentary, and Osbourne is a fitting character for a Hollywood film. After spending the ‘80s in the crosshairs of conservatives (for the themes in his music) and animal rights activists (for biting the head off a bat during a concert), Osbourne gained mainstream fame from The Osbournes, an MTV reality series from 2002 to 2005 that revealed the singer’s off-stage family life. And his bona fides within rock and metal circles are undeniable. Osbourne had a long-running tour that bore his name, Ozzfest, and since 2012 has had a SiriusXM channel that bears his name, Ozzy’s Boneyard.  

Whether Osbourne eventually becomes the subject of a Hollywood biopic is another matter. But the outpouring seen following his death suggests that his catalog could have a fruitful life for years to come.