“I love doing things that break all the rules,” says Nicole Scherzinger with a smile during a sit-down interview with Billboard at Netflix’s New York City office. “It doesn’t get any more real than having a band put themselves together without any record execs or labels telling them what they have to do, what they have to look like. That doesn’t work anymore. That’s the old formula.”

Scherzinger is talking about Building the Band, a new singing competition that premieres on Netflix today (July 9) and finds her serving as a mentor and judge. An engrossing, potent cocktail of Love Is Blind and The X Factor, Building the Band tracks young singers from across the globe as they form their own groups without ever having met in real life: contestants can hear each other’s auditions and talk on the phone, but the first time they see each other is during their debut performance as a band. “It was solely based off of music compatibility and chemistry and connection. Sight unseen,” says Scherzinger, who calls the show a “social experiment” that worked out “better than we could have imagined.”

With Backstreet Boys’ AJ McLean playing host, Kelly Rowland and Liam Payne (filming completed prior to his tragic death last October) joined Scherzinger as guest judges, providing direction and feedback to six bands vying for the win. Scherzinger, who one month ago won the best actress in a musical Tony Award for her stunning work in Broadway’s Sunset Blvd., is particularly qualified for a show like this. She’s judged several singing competitions (The Sing-Off, The X Factor, The Masked Singer) and done the band thing, too – three times, in fact, as she points out to me: she led the Pussycat Dolls to massive success (four top 10s on the Billboard Hot 100); sang in the TV show-formed band Eden’s Crush, who won Popstars USA in 2001 and notched one Hot 100 top 10 hit; and spent time in the rock band Days of the New (that one I was admittedly not aware of until she quizzed me).

Beyond her own solo and group successes, Scherzinger also changed pop music history: she was the driving force behind putting Harry Styles, Zayn Malik, Liam Payne, Niall Horan and Louis Tomlinson together as a group on The X Factor UK in 2010.

In short: she knows a thing or two about raw talent and what will connect with a wider audience. Beyond resumes and vocal abilities, there’s an ineffable quality she looks for in groups. “(You need) that natural chemistry. It just has to work organically because that’s the only thing that’s gonna move you, that’s the only thing that’s gonna make you care – give you the electric volts, I call them,” she says. “There’s too much stuff out there today – it’s gotta be something amazing that knocks you out the park.”

Fifteen years ago, Scherzinger felt those electric volts when One Direction formed. Despite the gut-wrenching loss of Payne, there’s a palpable love and gratitude in her voice as she reflects on watching Payne pay it forward on Building the Band. “I thought it was so beautiful to see the journey, to see Liam come full circle. Especially my relationship with him, having helped form the band One Direction and then see him have such wildly, phenomenal global success with One Direction and with his solo career… (to see him) mentor these bands, it was really beautiful,” Scherzinger shares.

“I saw the joy it brought to Liam. I felt that this was his happy place. Like myself, AJ and Kelly, we’ve lived this. We’ve learned it. To be able to bestow any inspiration and knowledge and wisdom and experience on any of these contestants and these bands, it brought us all joy. Particularly Liam. I felt this really inspired him and this was his happy place. This was his happy place because Liam was such a beautiful heart, and he loved to give back. He loved to help.”

In his role on Building the Band, Payne is comfortable, friendly and naturally funny. “He’s with us in spirit,” Scherzinger says. “I know how proud he was of this show and I know the joy that he got from doing this show. I feel like we are honoring him with this show, and that is such a beautiful thing. I’m so excited for people to see him in his highest light, giving back.”

Building the Band is also a bit of a full circle moment for Scherzinger, who spent time in a reality show-based band before graduating to massive success with the Pussycat Dolls, one of the most commercially successful girl groups of all time. Looking back on 20 years since the band’s debut album, PCD, Scherzinger offers some advice she might give to a younger version of herself: “Be your authentic self and lead with your heart – and be sure you carry your balls with you.”

Advising budding artists on Building the Band also made Scherzinger think about how the industry has changed for women and girl groups. “When I was thinking of the Pussycat Dolls — and I’m so proud of the Pussycat Dolls — I’m thinking about, what would the Pussycat Dolls look like today? The Pussycat Dolls would look like Lizzo; like Demi Lovato; like Billie Eilish. It’s unconventional. It’s not what you would think. For me, that’s so important. Ten years ago, 20 years ago, being sexy was about being sexy for someone else. Now being sexy is about feeling sexy in your own skin. Feeling strong about owning, embracing and loving and accepting yourself. It’s called evolution. It’s called times are a’changin’. It’s about inclusivity. It’s about accepting yourself and not trying to conform and be put in a box.”

That inclusivity and artist-first focus fueled Scherzinger’s approach to mentoring singers on this show. “I want to see the best in people. How can I bring out the best in you, as a human and as an artist? Find the strengths and focus on the strengths. How can we encourage, how can we empower? And that’s what we should do for anyone,” she concludes. “Not only in Building the Band, but in life.”

Michael Jackson’s estate is ratcheting up allegations that a recent child abuse accuser fabricated his claims for a payday by filing court papers identifying the man as a music manager who expressly disclaimed that the King of Pop was a pedophile in the 2011 memoir My Friend Michael.

In a petition to compel arbitration submitted to Los Angeles County Superior Court on Wednesday (July 9) and obtained by Billboard, the Jackson estate identifies Frank Cascio as the man behind an alleged $213 million extortion attempt reported last fall. Articles at the time said the estate had brought an arbitration demand against an accuser, at that point anonymous, who was trying to secure a financial windfall despite inking a binding settlement years earlier.

Filling in some gaps in that account, Wednesday’s petition says Cascio launched a “shakedown” of the Jackson estate when the HBO docuseries Leaving Neverland amplified years of child sexual abuse claims against the deceased pop superstar in 2019. According to the estate, Cascio and his associates “decided it was their turn to profit from making specious accusations against their dear friend” despite having been staunch defenders of Jackson for more than 30 years.

The petition says that Cascio, who had known Jackson since he was a child and worked as the singer’s manager, spent years “passionately” proclaiming Jackson’s innocence in interviews with ABC’s Primetime Live, The Oprah Winfrey Show and The Wendy Williams Show. Cascio also disclaimed the swirling abuse claims in My Friend Michael.

“Frank’s book adamantly confirmed that he could state ‘with the absolute conviction of a man who saw Michael interact with thousands of kids’ that ‘in all the years that I was close to him, I saw nothing that raised any red flags,’” says the petition. “Frank stated unequivocally, ‘I want to be precise and clear, on the record, so that everyone can read and understand: Michael’s love for children was innocent, and it was profoundly misunderstood.’”

As the petition puts it, Jackson’s estate “reluctantly” agreed to pay Cascio a settlement in 2020 — which previous reporting has tallied at $3.3 million — without admitting any wrongdoing and in exchange for a promise that any future disputes would be decided in confidential arbitration. But Cascio allegedly violated that agreement last year by threatening to file a public lawsuit unless he and his associates were paid $213 million more.

Those alleged threats led the Jackson estate to bring a private arbitration demand for extortion, which remains pending before the mediation firm Signature Resolution. Now, the estate says Cascio’s newly retained celebrity attorney, Mark Geragos, is once again threatening to bring a public lawsuit unless they satisfy a fresh demand of $44 million.

“In order to enforce their rights under the agreement, petitioners hereby seek an order compelling respondents to resolve any and all of their specious alleged claims against petitioners and any attorneys who represented petitioners in the pending arbitration before Signature Resolution in accordance with the express provisions of the agreement,” the Wednesday petition reads.

Geragos did not immediately return a request for comment Wednesday.

Jackson, who died suddenly in 2009, was never convicted or held legally liable on any accusation of child molestation. But he’s still dogged by such allegations: Two men, Wade Robson and James Safechuck, are continuing to pursue civil lawsuits alleging Jackson sexually abused them as children, and they laid out the accusations in disturbing detail in Leaving Neverland.

The Jackson estate has always vehemently denied all such claims, pointing out that the singer was acquitted in a 2005 criminal trial. The estate has generated more than $3 billion since Jackson’s death, and it maintains that his accusers are simply seeking to profit off an artist who cannot defend himself because defamation law does not extend to dead individuals.

The estate calls Leaving Neverland a “one-sided hit job” and sued HBO over the series in 2019. That case has since settled confidentially, and Leaving Neverland is no longer available on HBO’s streaming platforms.

Mexican star Alejandro Fernández announced he will dedicate his upcoming concerts in Ft. Worth and El Paso in Texas to the victims of the deadly floods, and will donate part of the events’ proceeds to affected families.

Heavy rain on Friday (July 4) that led to flash flooding has killed at least 116 people, according to CNN, after the Guadalupe River surged by more than 20 feet leading to catastrophic damage primarily affecting the South-Central Texas region.

“As an artist, I’ve always sought to bring love and hope through my music; as a father, I’m absolutely heart broken by the news of this tragedy at Camp Mystic,” Fernández said in a statement. “I want to dedicate my concerts in Ft. Worth and El Paso to all the families going through this horrific pain and make a donation to support them during these difficult times.”

According to a press release, a portion of the revenue from these shows — taking place Sept. 6-7 at Dickies Arena (Fort Worth) and UTEP Don Haskins Center (El Paso) — will be donated to Catholic Charities Archdiocese of San Antonio, Inc., a nonprofit organization providing assistance and emergency shelter to communities affected by the floods, and will be responsible for distributing the collected funds to families in need. 

The donation aligns with Fernández’s history of helping out those who need help after devastating events. Earlier this year, he made a donation to the Los Angeles Fire Department and to the Wildfire Relief Fund, supporting efforts to combat the devastating wildfires that swept through L.A. in January.

Fernández joins a number of artists — including Shakira, Billie Eilish and Lana Del Rey — who have expressed support to those affected by the devastating floods, as responders continue search-and-rescue efforts across the impacted areas in Texas. 

Dua Lipa wrapped the European leg of the Radical Optimism Tour on June 27 at Dublin’s Aviva Stadium. Including prior shows in Asia (November-December 2024) and Oceania (March-April), it has grossed $112.3 million and sold 960,000 tickets over its first 44 shows, according to figures reported to Billboard Boxscore. That makes it the biggest tour of Lipa’s career so far, before she brings the tour to the Americas this fall.

The Radical Optimism Tour kicked off on Nov. 5, 2024, with 11 shows across Asia, marking Lipa’s first shows there since a 2018 leg of The Self-Titled Tour. Then, she played Singapore’s 5,000-capacity Star Theater; on her current tour, she sold more than 18,800 tickets across two nights at Indoor Stadium. In Tokyo, the level-up is even more stark, going from the 2,700-cap Zepp Tokyo to 38,300 tickets at Saitama Super Arena.

Altogether, the Asia shows grossed $21 million and sold 166,000 tickets. Then, Lipa traveled to Australia and New Zealand, where she brought in $17.2 million from 139,000 tickets over 10 shows (March 17-April 4). That’s up 45% from the Oceania leg of 2022’s Future Nostalgia Tour.

Next was Europe: double the shows than either of the previous legs, and more than triple the gross. Over 23 shows, Lipa grossed $74.1 million and sold 656,000 tickets. That’s 10 fewer shows than her last run through Europe, but up 188% in earnings. Three years deeper into her career, Lipa essentially doubled her average ticket price ($56.18 vs. $112.98) and per-show attendance (14,300 vs. 28,500) in Europe.

On the Future Nostalgia Tour, Lipa hit 28 European arenas, five of which got a second show. This time, she played multiple nights in seven arenas and leveled up to five stadiums. Her two nights at London’s Wembley Stadium (June 20-21) grossed $19.1 million from 151,000 tickets. Not only is it the highlight of the tour so far, but it is also the most attended and highest grossing engagement of Lipa’s career so far.

Touring has become increasingly global since Lipa’s last tour, but the United States remains the most lucrative market in the world. It speaks to her global prowess then, that she has outearned 2022’s world tour, which included 31 shows in the U.S. and Canada, months before stepping foot stateside.

From Sept. 1 to Oct. 16, Lipa will play 22 shows in the U.S., plus two in Toronto. Then, she’s off to Latin America for 11 shows before ending on Dec. 5 at Mexico City’s Estadio GNP Seguros. By the time curtains close, the Radical Optimism Tour will be headed for $165 million to $175 million. Trending toward $200 million is likely given the increase in American ticket prices since her last trek, though it’s unlikely she’d cross that threshold.  

Dating back to Lipa’s first reported show at the Crescent Ballroom in Phoenix (March 14, 2017), she has grossed $220.1 million and sold 2.4 million tickets.

Kevin Jonas is speaking candidly about a topic that’s usually taboo: money. While appearing with brothers Joe Jonas and Nick Jonas on the Wednesday (July 9) episode of School of Greatness, the guitarist opened up about struggling with his finances after the Jonas Brothers went their separate ways in 2013. The band would eventually reunite six years later, but during the siblings’ professional time apart, Kevin says he lost money as a result of some “bad business deals.”

“I’ve seen it both ways,” the oldest Jo Bro told podcast host Lewis Howes during a discussion on wealth. “I’ve seen the beginning of the success, to financial success — not knowing what money really was and understanding it — to not having [it], to losing almost all of it.”

When asked whether he’d really lost most of his funds, Kevin clarified, “most of it, down to the one 10 percent left.”

“About nine years ago, I invested in a bunch of property and doing other things, and I was building at the time,” he added. “Sadly, it wasn’t the right partnership. I’ve learned a lot of lessons in that. Thankfully … we had a second shot and bite at the apple with the band coming back together.”

The Jonas Brothers first started making music together as teenagers, earning fame thanks to their projects with Disney Channel and Billboard 200-topping albums A Little Bit Longer and Lines, Vines and Trying Times. When disagreements over the band’s direction and general burnout started to divide the brothers — something they opened up about in their 2019 Billboard cover story — they disbanded around 2013.

As Kevin mentioned, a second chance rolled around six years later, when the trio decided to give band life another shot after each pursuing solo projects. Their reunion was an immediate success, with single “Sucker” becoming their first-ever No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in March 2019.

But before they could get back together, Joe says they each had to figure out how to check their egos at the door. “There was too much under the rug,” he said on the podcast. “We had to trust each other more with being like, ‘Actually, you are good in this band, you are talented.’”

And despite some fans labeling him as the band’s “frontman” early on, Joe also said that each of the brothers had to come to the following realization: “We could all share the spotlight, we could all share the studio, we could all share the songwriting, we could all share the money.”

Watch the Jonas Brothers’ full in interview on School of Greatness above.