First she was Jenny from the Block, then she was “Lola,” but now Jennifer Lopez is ready to show you a darker side with her newest performance.

On Friday (Sept. 5), Lopez released her rendition of the titular track from her forthcoming movie musical adaptation of Kiss of the Spider Woman. Over a waltzing melody, Lopez goes full Broadway, as she belts her way through the John Kander and Frank Ebb-penned classic about love, seduction and death.

“Sooner or later, in sunlight or bloom/ When the red candles flicker, she’ll walk in the room,” she sings on the track. “And the curtain will shake and the fires will hiss/ Here comes her kiss.”

Alongside the new single, JLo also shared a set of new photos from the film, depicting her character dressed in a shimmering green gown and spiky black bangs, posed in a prison cell and against a massive web. The singer shared another section of the song’s lyrics alongside the photos: “There’s only one pin that can puncture such bliss… Her kiss.”

The film — set for release in theaters on Oct. 10 — adapts the Tony Award-winning 1992 Broadway musical, which originally starred Chita Rivera. The film will follow the story of Valentín (Diego Luna) and Molina (Tonatiuh Elizarraraz), two inmates in an Argentinian prison who form a bond as Molina relays the plot of a glamorous Hollywood movie starring his favorite vampy diva, Ingrid Luna (Lopez).

While the film has yet to be released publicly, early screenings at the Sundance Film Festival and Locarno Film Festival drew positive reviews from critics, with review-aggregation site Rotten Tomatoes giving the film a score of 83%. “Weaving a visually sumptuous web of musical intrigue, Kiss of the Spider Woman showcases beauty in tragedy through wondrous performances by Jennifer Lopez, Tonatiuh Elizarraraz and Diego Luna,” the site’s critical consensus reads.

Listen to Lopez’s rendition of “Kiss of the Spider Woman” below.

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Hailey Bieber‘s Rhode Skin is now available at Sephora.

Time to rejoice! The model’s beauty and skincare brand was once only available on rare occasions or online at Rhode’s website. Starting Sept. 4, you can shop everything from Bieber’s famed Glazing Milk to her Peptide Lip Treatments in store and online at Sephoras nationwide.

In May, Bieber’s brand was acquired by E.L.F. Cosmetics in a deal for $1 billion. The model’s move to sell is a major one, considering how much money this deal is. With this change, Bieber will step into a bigger role as chief creative officer and head of innovation at Rhode, as well as a strategic advisor at e.l.f. Cosmetics. This e.l.f. takeover could mean expansion for the Rhode brand, given the model’s products are usually available only through her online store or via pop-ups.

Major company dealings aside, we’re taking this move to Sephora as a sign to shop some of Rhode’s best products. We’ve compiled a list of some of our must-haves to grab now via Rhode Skin’s website and Sephora.

It’s a serum formula with a milky texture. Rhode’s innovative Glazing Milk is a must-have for skincare fanatics. Retailing for $32, this product is jam-packed with rich skincare ingredients that may promote immense hydration without feeling sticky or heavy on the skin.

A ceramide trio may help your skin’s barrier function, while beta-glucan — a polysaccharide — helps lock in moisture while calming irritation and redness. Finally, a blend of magnesium, zinc and copper acts to help defend the skin against free radicals, or in simpler terms, unstable molecules that can damage skin cells and lead to premature aging. We recommend starting your day with this product. Pat onto clean, dry skin with your hands, massaging in for a plum and hydrated finish.

This viral Peptide Lip Treatment — which can fit into a custom Rhode phone case for easy access — basically put Rhode Skin on the map. Why is it so great? The product is beneficial for your lips, thanks to those trusty peptides in the name. Working alongside moisturizing shea butter and cupuaçu, the peptides work to plump the lips while helping reducing fine lines. If you’re feeling funky, this lip treatment comes in a multitude of scents all packed with the same benefits. We’ve got yummy Vanilla, Salted Caramel and Watermelon Slice. If scented products aren’t your thing, there’s also an unscented version.

The Pocket Blush is a newer addition to Rhode Skin’s line, but it’s just as good as the rest. This product is a cream formula that offers the user a natural flush in seconds. Perfect for every skin tone, the blush comes in nine shades including Piggy and Sleepy Girl. Our favorite is Spicy Marg, a vibrant orange hue that’s perfect for summer. You get 0.18 oz of product with a lightweight formula that you can simply swipe on and tap into the skin. It’s as simple as that.

If you’re looking for skincare-infused makeup, Rhode Skin’s Peptide Lip Treatment also comes in a colored gloss formula. It’s the same nourishing formula in five eye-catching shades. Our favorite is the Espresso hue, a rich chocolate brown akin to a freshly roasted espresso bean. Raspberry Jelly and PBJ are also great deep berry shades for those with darker complexions.

Lather, cleanse, repeat. It’s that easy. Rhode Skin’s Pineapple Refresh is a refreshing daily cleanser that can add vibrancy to your skincare routine. The secret is in the balm-to-lather formula that starts off balmy and foams up when lathered in your hands or on the face. This action, accompanied by hydrating polyglutamic acid and brightening green tea extract, helps rid the skin of dirt and imperfections while softening and moisturizing post-rinse. But where does the pineapple come in, you ask? Pineapple enzyme is utilized as a gentle and natural exfoliant that doesn’t dry out the skin post-use. Simply lather and rub into the skin and rinse with warm water.

Are your lips lacking shape? Well, Rhode Skin’s Peptide Lip Shape aims to fix that. Like many products on this list, the Lip Shape is formulated with peptides that can help soften lips for a visibly smooth appearance. These crayon-esque lippies come in 11 neutral hues and are perfect for sculpting out your lip shape with ease. We like the brownish tan of Bend and Lunge hues for summer, but the neutral pink is also great for adding a natural flush of color. These lip liners are creamy, gliding on the lips with ease for on-the-go application. If you’re feeling bold, we recommend overlining past your natural lip line for a fuller finish.

Skin prep has never been so easy, especially on the go. With Rhode Skin’s Travel Set, hydrated glowing skin will be easier to maintain. Perfect for your next spontaneous vacation, this four-piece set includes some of Rhode’s bestsellers in full-size and minis, including the Pineapple Refresh, Glazing Milk, Barrier Butter and the Peptide Glazing Fluid. You’ve got a cleanser, serums and moisturizer all in one nifty kit. What’s not to love?

It’s back to school season, which means two things: getting used to the insane morning rush to the bus again and the obligatory first-day-of-school pics from everyone you know. And, in this case, celebrities really are just like us.

Take Carey Hart. P!nk‘s husband and former motocross champ got in on the fall tradition by posting a sweet pic of the couple’s eldest child, 14-year-old daughter Willow Sage Hart, as she prepared to leave the house for her first day of high school. Rocking jeans, a pink crop top, a couple of water bottles and a smile that’s a dead-ringer for her mom’s, Willow looks ready to take on the world.

“1st day of school for the kiddo’s!!!! So crazy that Willz is starting high school today,” wrote Hart in the Instagram post in which the couple’s daughter sported a wavy 1970s side-part bob. “My lil girl is growing up and taking the 1st major step in chasing her dream,” Hart continued. “You will be on broadway one day. So proud of you. And Jamo, just don’t eat to much glue 🤣🤣🤣.”

The latter was a jokey reference to the couple’s other child, eight-year-old son Jameson Moon Hart, who also looked ready to take on the world with his close-cropped bleach blonde hair, white t-shirt, patterned shorts, orange sneakers and shiny braces smile.

Hart paid tribute to Willow on her 14th birthday back in June, when he posted a smiling current photo of the budding musical theater star in a white dress and chunky necklace alongside a throwback pic of her crushing a popsicle in her younger years. “My #1. I love you to the moon, around it 10,000,000 times, and back. Happy 14th kiddo. You are gonna change the world. I’m beyond proud of you. Love papa,” he wrote.

P!nk also honored their first-born back in June, when the singer gushed about Willow hopping on the coffee table in the family living room during the Tony Awards to sing her version of the Tony-nominated musical Boop!‘s “Where I Wanna Be.” In a comment on the impromptu performance, P!nk said, “I like when she sings at me.”

  

Over the past several years, few music industry stories have been quite so unusually successful as that of Laufey. 

The Iceland-born 26-year-old singer and multi-instrumentalist arrived on the scene with the EP Typical of Me in 2021, released independently through AWAL, before releasing her debut album Everything I Know About Love the following year. But it was 2023’s Bewitched that catapulted her into the mainstream consciousness, debuting at No. 18 on the Billboard 200 and ultimately winning a Grammy Award for best traditional pop vocal album. All of which seems like a story that, while not exactly straightforward, is not particularly unheard of. 

The difference, for Laufey, is that she isn’t really making traditional pop vocal music: instead, the supremely talented artist is bringing a blend of jazz and classical music into the pop realm for a mainstream Gen Z audience in a way that hasn’t really ever happened before — and is still doing it independently through AWAL. This week, her third album, A Matter Of Time, debuted at No. 4 on the Billboard 200 and at No. 1 on four separate Billboard charts —  Independent Albums, Jazz Albums, Traditional Jazz Albums and Vinyl Albums — and became the highest-charting jazz album since 2018.

But chart success is just one aspect of Laufey’s appeal — she’s also a natural expert at social strategy, caters to her fans with initiatives like her Laufey Book Club and her annual A Very Laufey Day (a sort of cross between fan celebration, performance piece and interactive scavenger hunt) and has become a must-see touring artist as well. And her success over the past five years, culminating with this big album achievement, earns her manager, Foundations Artist Management’s Max Gredinger, the title of Billboard’s Executive of the Week.

Here, Gredinger discusses the last few years of Laufey’s rise through A Matter of Time, how she has brought her own brand of pop music to the mainstream and what comes next: “We’re just getting started.”

This week, Laufey’s new album A Matter of Time debuted at No. 1 on four Billboard charts and became her first Billboard 200 top 10, arriving at No. 4. What key decision did you make to help make that happen?

Culture comes from the top down, and Laufey has always led the charge with her creative vision. We had a global team meeting in Reykjavik, where Laufey grew up, at the top of the year about the album and how we wanted to approach this rollout, which we kicked off with Laufey talking through the world of the album. It’s been great reflecting on the decisions made in that room and seeing where we stood firm or pivoted during the campaign.

A Matter of Time is the highest-charting jazz album in seven years. Given that jazz is not often topping the charts, or particularly popular with younger generations, how have you worked to introduce Laufey’s music to younger and pop-leaning audiences?

Laufey’s mandate has always been to be a part of bringing her beloved influences of classical and jazz music to her generation. She communicates with them on channels native to both her and her audience, and as a consumer, she is part of the same cultural conversation. We talked in the early days of working together on targeting her peers and not just pandering to an audience that we thought would “get” what she does. 

As the album was coming out, a remix of “From The Start,” from her last album Bewitched, started blowing up on TikTok. How did that help build momentum, and how do you guys use TikTok in general to help market her music? 

Jiandro remixed “From The Start,” and Laufey joined the trend. It became a catalyst for the original recording, which two years after its release is now reaching new consumption peaks daily. The core of our TikTok strategy is watching Laufey do her thing on the platform. In nearly five years of working together, we’ve never once needed to provide direction or ask her to post more. She is her own best advocate and is the most brilliant marketing executive I’ve ever met. Outside of her channels we have a robust global shortform strategy.

How have you grown Laufey’s fan base over the course of her three albums, particularly since Bewitched, which brought her a ton of attention and won a Grammy for best traditional pop vocal album?

Laufey’s commitment to engaging fans on tour and engaging with local audiences around the world and not just online has been essential. There’s a natural global nature to an Icelandic-Chinese artist who grew up between D.C. and Iceland and now lives in L.A. Great art has always been paramount. We have a stellar team at Foundations, Vingolf and AWAL that work tirelessly every day on world building out Laufey’s vision across a litany of different verticals in addition to the traditional records, publishing, merchandising, etc., like Mei Mei The Bunny, Laufey Book Club, The Laufey Foundation and A Very Laufey Day. Laufey and [twin sister] Junia work so hard to make sure every creative detail is accounted for. 

The album racked up 71,000 sales, her best sales week yet, boosted by eight vinyl and three CD variants. What was your guys’ sales strategy with this release, and how does vinyl play a role in that?

We created exclusive variants with unique creative for a myriad of different partners, and not just creating variants to check a box or for the sake of sales. The product included a 7” release that Laufey only revealed to her audience after they already had it in hand and released on DSPs on A Very Laufey Day. Laufey spent countless hours at home, traveling, in green rooms, etc. signing physical product. 

Laufey has remained independent, releasing music through AWAL, despite tons of major label interest. Why have you guys gone that route, and what has it allowed you to do that you may not have been able to otherwise?

We’re fortunate to have partners that trust, enable and empower Laufey to both create and own art that is true to her and in turn resonates with her audience. They are an incredible global team and both myself and Laufey are very grateful to have worked with them in the trenches on three album campaigns, all of which have been bigger and more ambitious than the last.

Ravyn Lenae, GELO and Odeal accepted the R&B, Hip-Hop and African Rookies of the Year award at Billboard‘s 2025 R&B/Hip-Hop Power Players event Thursday night (Sept. 4) at Unveiled in New York.

Staff writer Kyle Denis and I introduced the three Rookies, touting their Billboard chart stats — Lenae scored her first Billboard Hot 100 top five hit with “Love Me Not” and GELO’s “Tweaker” topped Rhythmic Airplay — and genre-blending capabilities, as Odeal has captured the global spotlight with his emotive, experimental blend of Afro-fusion, alté and R&B.

“As I was preparing for tonight, I kept reflecting on how transformative this past year has been for me. So many of my wildest dreams have become reality, and I’m still pinching myself to be living in a season I’ve worked toward for so long,” said Lenae, who also touched on the working process behind her 2024 critically acclaimed sophomore album Bird’s Eye, the parent project of “Love Me Not.”

“I knew I had to strip everything back and reconnect with who I am beyond success or perception,” she added. “That meant going home to the Southside of Chicago, walking through my family home, eating my grandma’s cooking, revisiting the albums that made me want to sing in the first place. Those little things reminded me of my roots, my magic.”

When the spotlight was on Odeal, he reflected it back on everyone else in the room. “I want everyone to celebrate themselves at every time. My manager today told me to never be late to your own party, ’cause I’m literally always late to everything it’s ridiculous,” he said. “With that being said, I just want everyone to celebrate themselves at any given moment because life is short and we’re all doing absolutely amazing and we have to work twice as hard as almost anyone, you know what I’m talking about.”

GELO also shared his gratitude for being a part of Billboard‘s Rookie of the Year tradition at R&B/Hip-Hop Power Players. “It means a lot to be a part of the Billboard Rookie of the Year and all that. Thank everybody for having me, man, it’s been a blessing,” he said.

Lenae, GELO and Odeal will perform at Billboard Hip-Hop/R&B LIVE Friday night (Sept. 5) at Webster Hall on a bill headlined by Billboard cover star Leon Thomas.

This year marks the first time Billboard has separated R&B and hip-hop for this distinction and added African music as another category. Teezo Touchdown won the R&B/Hip-Hop Rookie of the Year award last year, following Ice Spice (2023), Blxst (2022) and the inaugural recipient Baby Keem (2021).

Thomas, Cardi B, Wu-Tang Clan and TDE CEO Anthony “Top Dawg” Tiffith were also honored at R&B/Hip-Hop Power Players.