Watch a Tween Justin Bieber Predict His Pivot to R&B in 2008 Interview

Was Justin Bieber pulling a long con on us this whole time? The singer who surprise dropped his soulful, 21-song Swag album on Friday doubled-down on his seventh album’s swerve to a more spare, less pop radio-ready vibe in a throwback video he posted on Tuesday morning (July 15).

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In the way back clip from a 2008 interview with Canadian broadcaster CTV’s eTalk program, Bieber, 31, is asked by the interviewer if he gets nervous when he sings. “To be honest, no, not really,” says tween JB, who was likely 12 or 13 when the chat was recorded. Looking dwarfed by the red leather chair he’s sitting on, Bieber says of his chance to showcase his talents, “I would never have thought this opportunity would happen, like, it’s out of this world.”

Flashing forward to the day when he might have some success and a recording deal, London, Ontario-born Bieber predicts that when his day comes, “I see myself doing more, like, R&B.” The video is cued to the sultry Swag between-the-sheets soul ballad “Too Long,” which features the grown man lyrics, “Yeah, sometimes I get insecure/ I be trying you know I do/ But I wanna let go/ Keep on stroking my ego while you’re stroking my…”

In the full version of the conversation, Bieber talks about playing guitar, piano and trumpet after teaching himself to strum when he was “really little,” and posting videos online of his early efforts that, at that point, were starting to rack up views. “It’s kind of weird, because I’m just like a normal person. I play sports and stuff with my friends… it’s kind of different for me,” he says shyly about the widening spotlight. He admitted then had sometimes didn’t tell his friends about his cover song videos because he just wanted to be “a regular kid.”

At the time the video was recorded, Bieber said he had just returned from hanging out with one of his musical heroes, Usher. Soon after, he would sign with his longtime, now former, manager Scooter Braun, who discovered those early YouTube videos and signed the singer to a joint venture management contract with Raymond Braun Media Group (RBMG). The pair would team with Island Def Jam to release Bieber’s debut EP, My World, in Nov. 2009.

While Bieber’s career would mostly follow a pop path in the years to come thanks to hits such as breakout 2010 smash “Baby” and Billboard Hot 100 No. 1’s “Boyfriend,” “What Do You Mean?,” “Sorry,” “Love Yourself” and “Peaches,” on his first full-length since 2021’s Justice he appears to have been fully in charge of the look, feel and sound following his split with Braun in 2023.

The result is an album featuring a new cast of contributors including Carter Lang (SZA), Australian singer Eddie Benjamin, indie guitarist-singer Mk.gee and Dijon (Kanye West, Bon Iver), as well as features from rappers Gunna, Sexyy Red, Cash Cobain and Lil B on songs that get back to his early love of Usher-like balladry. On seductive, spare tracks that chronicle his turbulent personal life and struggles in the spotlight, Bieber seems to have achieved his early dream on an effort Variety said in a review, “lands somewhere in between Bieber’s greatness and his proclivity to give in to his artistic impulses, for better or worse, existing in a pocket of R&B that can often feel aimless but is nevertheless intentional.”

Check out Bieber’s clip below.

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Ray Romano Takes a Swing at Eminem’s ‘Lose Yourself’ at Celebrity Golf Tournament Karaoke

Add this to the list of surprises for 2025. Actor Ray Romano took the mic at karaoke for a celebrity golf tournament in Lake Tahoe, Calif., over the weekend and got his Slim Shady on with a performance of Eminem’s “Lose Yourself” anthem.

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After playing a round Saturday (July 12) at the American Century Championship, Romano hit the stage with a live band and backup vocalists in a New York Jets T-shirt and backward cap. “One moment. We could capture it or just let it slip away,” he began the performance while channeling his inner-Slim Shady.

The Everybody Loves Raymond star lost track of the beat at various times, but managed to stumble through the finish line as he even turned his hat sideways for Em’s last verse.

Fans had love for his effort while hopping into the comment section of the viral TikTok video. “Telling my kids this is the beastie boys,” one person joked.

Another chimed in: “First Obama… now Ray Romano… people I never thought I’d hear singing Eminem. Love it!”

“Lose Yourself” arrived back in 2002 as the lead single for Eminem’s 8 Mile film. The soundtrack hit gave Em his first No. 1 hit on the Billboard Hot 100, where it led for 12 weeks. The hit also won best original song at the 2003 Oscars.

Ray Romano wasn’t the only celebrity to grab the mic at karoake that night, as the Kelce brothers, Travis and Jason, teamed up for a duet of Bob Seger’s “Old Time Rock and Roll.”

Travis was the star of the annual karaoke show last year when he performed Whitesnake’s “Here I Go Again,” which the Kansas City Chiefs tight end dedicated to his girlfriend, Taylor Swift.

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Everything Nick Cannon Has Said About Being a Dad to 12 Kids & Wanting Even More

Nick Cannon is famous for numerous music, acting, comedy and hosting projects, but in recent years, he may have become best-known for being a dad — to not one, not two, but 12 kids and counting.

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12 Kids and Counting: A Full List of Nick Cannon’s Children

The Masked Singer ringleader first became a parent during his former marriage to Mariah Carey, with whom he welcomed twins Moroccan and Monroe in 2011. A few years after the couple separated in 2014, Cannon became a father again to a son named Golden Sagon, whom pageant star and podcaster Brittany Bell delivered in 2017. Three years after that, the Drumline star and Bell welcomed another child, daughter Powerful Queen.

In 2021, more kids came into the mix with twins Zion Mixolydian and Zillion Heir, Cannon’s sons with DJ and radio personality Abby De La Rosa. That same year, he welcomed a son named Zen with model Alyssa Scott; tragically, the little boy died of brain cancer when he was just a few months old.

The following year proved to be Cannon’s most fertile yet, with the Wild n’ Out comedian welcome five babies in the span of about six months. First came son Legendary Love with Selling Sunset star Bre Tiesi, followed by daughter Onyx Ice with model LaNisha Cole, son Rise Messiah with Bell, daughter Beautiful Zeppelin with De La Rosa and daughter Halo Marie with Scott.

All of this to say, Cannon is a very busy — and probably very tired — man. Throughout his fatherhood journey, however, the star has both maintained a good sense of humor about the situation while remaining open about his plans (or lack thereof) to grow his family even more.

From jokes about vasectomies to remarks about the joys of fatherhood, keep reading to see everything Cannon has said about his many kiddos, and whether he wants to have more, below.

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Here Are the 2025 Primetime Emmy Nominees in All 7 Music Categories: Full List

Kendrick Lamar and Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson are among the 2025 Primetime Emmy nominees for outstanding music direction. Lamar is nominated for The Apple Music Super Bowl LIX Halftime Show Starring Kendrick Lamar, alongside co-nominee Tony Russell. Questlove is nominated for SNL50: The Homecoming Concert, alongside co-nominee James Poyser.

The other nominees in the category are Rickey Minor for The Kennedy Center Honors; Michael Bearden for The Oscars; and Lenny Pickett, Leon Pendarvis, Eli Brueggemann for SNL50: The Anniversary Special.

Gabe Hilfer had three of the six nominations for outstanding music supervision. He’s nominated for his work on The Studio, The White Lotus and The Righteous Gemstones (the latter alongside DeVoe Yates). Ariel Marx had two of the six nominations for outstanding music composition for a limited or anthology series, movie or special. He’s nominated for his work on both Black Mirror and Dying for Sex. Cristobal Tapia de Veer received two nominations in different categories for his work on The White Lotus.

Two SNL alums are competing for outstanding original music and lyrics. Adam Sandler is nominated for “Adam Sandler’s Song: 50 Years,” which he co-wrote with Dan Bulla for SNL50: The Anniversary Special. Kristen Wiig is competing with “Harper and Will Go West,” which she cowrote with Sean Douglas and Josh Greenbaum for Harper and Will Go West. The latter song was shortlisted for an Oscar for best original song late last year, but wasn’t nominated.

First-round voting in the Primetime Emmys runs from Aug. 18 to 27. The Creative Arts Emmys will be will be presented over two nights, Saturday, Sept. 6, and Sunday, Sept. 7, at the Peacock Theater at L.A. Live. Highlights from the two ceremonies will air Saturday, Sept. 13, at 8 p.m. PT on FXX.

The Primetime Emmys will be telecast live coast-to-coast on Sunday, Sept. 14, from 8 to 11 p.m. ET on CBS and available to stream live and on demand on Paramount+. Comedian Nate Bargatze is hosting for the first time.

Here’s the complete list of nominees in the seven music categories:

Outstanding Music Direction

The Apple Music Super Bowl LIX Halftime Show Starring Kendrick Lamar • FOX • Roc Nation, DPS, Jesse Collins Entertainment and pgLang; Kendrick Lamar, Tony Russell, Music Directors

The Kennedy Center Honors • CBS • Done + Dusted in association with Rok Productions; Rickey Minor, Music Director

The Oscars • ABC • Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences; Michael Bearden, Music Director

SNL50: The Anniversary Special • NBC • SNL Studios in association with Universal Television and Broadway Video; Lenny Pickett, Leon Pendarvis, Eli Brueggemann, Music Directors

SNL50: The Homecoming Concert • Peacock • SNL Studios in association with Universal Television and Broadway Video; James Poyser, Music Director, Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson, Music Director

Outstanding Music Composition for a Series (Original Dramatic Score)

Andor • “Who Are You?” • Disney+ • Lucasfilm Ltd.; Brandon Roberts, Composer

Based on a True Story • “Relapse” • Peacock • UCP, Aggregate Films, and Parasox; Sherri Chung, Composer

Cobra Kai • “Blood In Blood Out” • Netflix • Sony Pictures Television for Netflix; Leo Birenberg, Zach Robinson, Composers

Severance • “Cold Harbor” • Apple TV+ • Fifth Season in association with Apple; Theodore Shapiro, Composer

The Studio • “The Missing Reel” • Apple TV+ • Lionsgate Television in association with Apple; Antonio Sánchez, Composer

The White Lotus • “Amor Fati” • HBO | Max • HBO in association with Rip Cord and MC Pictures; Cristobal Tapia de Veer, Composer

Outstanding Music Composition for a Limited or Anthology Series, Movie or Special (Original Dramatic Score)

Black Mirror • “Hotel Reverie” • Netflix • Broke & Bones for Netflix; Ariel Marx, Composer

Black Mirror • “USS Callister: Into Infinity” • Netflix • Broke & Bones for Netflix; Daniel Pemberton, Composer

Dying For Sex • “It’s Not That Serious” • FX on Hulu • 20th Television; Ariel Marx, Composer

Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story • “Spree” • Netflix • Ryan Murphy Productions for Netflix; Thomas Newman, Julia Newman, Composers

The Penguin • “After Hours” • HBO | Max • HBO in association with Acid and Tender Productions, 6th & Idaho Motion Picture Company, Dylan Clark Productions, Chapel Place Productions, Zobot Projects, DC Studios, and Warner Bros. Television; Mick Giacchino, Composer

The Supremes at Earl’s All-You-Can-Eat • Hulu • Searchlight Pictures presents A Temple Hill production; Kathryn Bostic, Composer

Outstanding Music Composition for a Documentary Series or Special (Original Dramatic Score)

The Americas • “Andes” • NBC • BBC Studios Natural History Unit in association with Universal Television Alternative Studio; Hans Zimmer, Anže Rozman, Kara Talve, Composers

Chef’s Table • “José Andrés” • Netflix • Boardwalk Pictures and David Gelb Planetarium for Netflix; Duncan Thum, David Bertok, Composers

Leonardo Da Vinci • PBS • Florentine Films & WETA; Caroline Shaw, Composer

Planet Earth: Asia • “Beneath the Waves” • BBC America • A BBC Studios Natural History Unit production co-produced with BBC America and ZDF for BBC; Jacob Shea, Laurentia Editha, Composers

Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story • HBO | Max • DC Studios presents in association with HBO Documentary Films and CNN Films in association with Words+Pictures, a Passion Pictures and Misfits Entertainment production in association with Jenco Films; Ilan Eshkeri, Composer

Outstanding Original Music and Lyrics

Agatha All Along • “Circle Sewn With Fate” / “Unlock Thy Hidden Gate” / Song Title: “The Ballad of the Witches’ Road” • Disney+ • Marvel Television; Kristen Anderson-Lopez, Robert Lopez, Music & Lyrics

Andor • “Who Are You?” / Song Title: “We are the Ghor (Planetary Anthem)” • Disney+ • Lucasfilm Ltd.; Nicholas Britell, Tony Gilroy, Music & Lyrics

The Boys • “We’ll Keep the Red Flag Flying Here” / Song Title: “Let’s Put the Christ Back in Christmas” • Prime Video • Amazon MGM Studios, Sony Pictures Television with Kripke Enterprises, Original Film, and Point Grey Pictures; Christopher Lennertz, Music & Lyrics

SNL50: The Anniversary Special • Song Title: “Adam Sandler’s Song: 50 Years” • NBC • SNL Studios in association with Universal Television and Broadway Video; Adam Sandler, Dan Bulla, Music & Lyrics

Will & Harper • Song Title: “Harper and Will Go West” • Netflix • A Netflix Documentary / A Wayfarer Studios Film / A Delirio Films Production / A Gloria Sanchez Production; Sean Douglas, Kristen Wiig, Music & Lyrics; Josh Greenbaum, Lyrics

Outstanding Original Main Title Theme Music

Dept. Q • Netflix • A Netflix Series / A Left Bank Pictures Production, Carlos Rafael Rivera, Scott Frank, Composers

Dune: Prophecy • HBO | Max • HBO presents a Legendary Television production in association with Flying Life Productions, Herbert Properties LLC, and Wandering Jew Productions; Volker Bertelmann, Composer

Lazarus • Adult Swim • Sola Entertainment and Studio MAPPA; Kamasi Washington, Composer

The Residence • Netflix • A Netflix Original Series in association with shondalandmedia; Mark Mothersbaugh, Composer

The White Lotus • HBO | Max • HBO in association with Rip Cord and MC Pictures; Cristobal Tapia de Veer, Composer

Your Friends & Neighbors • Apple TV+ • Apple Studios / Tropper Ink; Dominic Lewis, Hamilton Leithauser, Composers

Outstanding Music Supervision

Hacks • “I Love LA” • HBO | Max • Universal Television in association with Paulilu, First Thought Productions, Fremulon Productions, 3 Arts Entertainment; Matt Biffa, Music Supervisor

The Last of Us • “The Price” • HBO | Max • HBO in association with Sony Pictures Television, PlayStation Productions, Word Games, The Mighty Mint, and Naughty Dog; Evyen Klean, Ian Broucek, Music Supervisors

The Righteous Gemstones • “You Hurled Me Into the Depths, Into the Very Heart of the Seas” • HBO | Max • HBO in association with Rough House Pictures; DeVoe Yates, Gabe Hilfer, Music Supervisors

Severance • “Cold Harbor” • Apple TV+ • Fifth Season in association with Apple, George Drakoulias, Music Supervisor

The Studio • “The Promotion” • Apple TV+ • Lionsgate Television in association with Apple; Gabe Hilfer, Music Supervisor

The White Lotus • “Same Spirits, New Forms” • HBO | Max • HBO in association with Rip Cord and MC Pictures; Gabe Hilfer, Music Supervisor

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Drake’s ‘What Did Miss?’ Debuts at No. 1 on Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs Chart

In his new song, Drake repeatedly asks, “What Did I Miss?” Well, we know one thing he didn’t: No. 1.

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The surprise track, released on July 5, storms onto the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart dated July 19 to give the superstar his record-extending 31st champ. By adding to his chart-topping collection, Drake further distances himself from runners-up Aretha Franklin and Stevie Wonder, each with 20 No. 1s.

Here’s a look at the acts with the most No. 1s on Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, dating to the chart’s consolidation into a single genre-based ranking in October 1958:

  • 31, Drake
  • 20, Aretha Franklin
  • 20, Stevie Wonder
  • 17, James Brown
  • 16, Janet Jackson
  • 15, The Temptations

Further, Drake collects his 140th week at No. 1 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, doubling the career total of all other acts. Wonder ranks second, with 70 weeks at the summit.

“What Did I Miss?,” released via OVO Sound/Republic Records, earned 22.6 million official streams, 3.6 million in airplay audience and 6,000 sales in the United States for the tracking week of July 4-10, according to Luminate. From those counts, Drake picks up a record-extending 21st No. 1 on the Streaming Songs chart and his 15th leader on the Digital Song Sales survey, while radio results include a No. 36 entrance on R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay.

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“What Did I Miss?” also widens Drake’s record collection across other Billboard charts: It arrives atop the Hot Rap Songs chart as his unprecedented 31st No. 1 and marks his 81st top 10 on the Billboard Hot 100 with its No. 2 debut. The track is the expected first offering from a potential Drake album. Fans suspect its title will be Iceman, based on Drake using the name across social media captions and video promotions in recent weeks.

In winning the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs throne, Drake’s track replaces another juggernaut, Kendrick Lamar and SZA’s “Luther,” which soared to a record 28 weeks atop the chart between December-July. The victory avenges the second-place showing for Drake’s single “Nokia” that peaked at No. 2 on Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs for 12 consecutive weeks earlier this year behind “Luther.” Adding another layer of intrigue, “What Did I Miss?” finds Drake ruminating on feeble allegiances from supposed friends and collaborators in the aftermath of his feud with Lamar, a defining pop-culture storyline of 2024.

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Nick Cannon Says Quincy Jones Predicted He’d ‘Get Tired’ of Having Only 2 Kids With Mariah Carey

Before he famously became the father of a dozen children, Nick Cannon was a dad to only the two kids he shares with superstar ex-wife Mariah Carey. But according to the actor, late friend Quincy Jones always knew that more kids were in his future. 

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In a Vulture cover story published Tuesday (July 15), Cannon reflected on a few words of wisdom that the iconic producer passed on to him after they met in 2007 on the set of Nick Cannon’s Star Camp, on which Jones served as a mentor. “He used to talk to me when I only had two kids, and it was just me and Mariah,” began the Masked Singer host, who shares 14-year-old twins Moroccan and Monroe with Carey.

“He’s like, ‘Yeah, that’s light work. You going to get tired of that soon,’” Cannon continued of Jones. “And I was like, ‘What do you mean? … I got an amazing wife who’s my dream girl!’”

According to the Drumline star, Jones replied, “I know your kind … You’re cut from the same cloth as me.”

The 28-time Grammy winner, who had seven kids of his own before dying at the age of 91 last November, would later become something of a blueprint for Cannon. “People ask, ‘Why you got 12 jobs?’ Because I’ve got 12 kids!” Cannon told the publication, citing how Jones reportedly left each of his children large inheritances. “I was like, ‘He did it right.’”

Cannon was married to Carey from 2008 to 2016, and they had their son and daughter in 2011. Following their split, the comedian would welcome 10 more kids with five other women. He shares Golden Sagon, Powerful Queen and Rise Messiah with Brittany Bell; Zion Mixolydian, Zillion Heir and Beautiful Zeppelin with Abby De La Rosa; Zen and Halo Marie with Alyssa Scott; Legendary Love with Bre Tiesi; and Onyx Ice with LaNisha Cole.

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The Wild ‘n Out star has since said that he isn’t actively looking to father more babies — but, as he told Vulture, “I never say ‘never.’”

“I always say people have so many different opinions about my parenting and who I am as a father, but one thing I know is that whatever my children want to do, I can help cultivate and amplify,” he added to the publication. “It’s maybe not the traditional or conventional way of parenting. Everybody else says, ‘There’s no way he could spend all the time with them kids and be present for all them kids.’ But I’m doing my best, and where I fall short, hopefully the things that I do have that bring me an advantage, I can lend to them.”

See Cannon on the cover of Vulture below.

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How to Watch the 2025 ESPY Awards Online Without Cable

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.

Hosted by Shane Gillis, the 33rd annual ESPY Awards (Excellence in Sports Performance Yearly Awards) honors the best and brightest in sports with superstar nominees, including Josh Allen, Shohei Ohtani, Caitlin Clark, Coco Gauff, A’ja Wilson, Saquon Barkley, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Simone Biles and others.

The ESPYS takes place at Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles on Wednesday, July 16. Additionally, Busta Rhymes, Clipse, Tobe Nwigwe and former-basketball player-turned-rapper LiAngelo Ball A.K.A. GELO are all set to perform.

Watch The 2025 Espy Awards with Directv

What Time Is the 2025 ESPY Awards?

The 2025 ESPYS airs on Wednesday, July 16, at 8 p.m. ET/PT. The awards ceremony broadcasts on ABC.

Where to Watch The 2025 ESPY Awards for Free

If you’re a cord-cutter, then there are a number of ways to watch the ESPYS without cable — especially if you want to watch for free. For example: DirecTV offers a 5-day free trial to try out the streaming service, while others like Fubo and Hulu + Live TV offer free trials too, so you can watch ABC without spending money up front.

Keep reading for more details on how to watch the 2025 ESPYS on ABC with DirecTV, Fubo, Hulu + Live TV and others.

How to Watch The 2025 ESPY Awards on DirecTV

A subscription to DirecTV gets you access to live TV, local and cable channels, including ABC, starting at $59.99 for the first month of service ($89.99 per month afterwards). The service even offers a five-day free trial to watch for free, if you sign up now.

You can watch local networks, such as NBC, CBS, Fox and PBS, while you can also watch many cable networks, including FX, AMC, A&E, Bravo, Cartoon Network, ESPN, FS1, VH1, Fuse, CNN, Food Network, Lifetime, CNBS, BET, MTV, Paramount Network and many others.

Watch The 2025 Espy Awards with Directv

How to Watch The 2025 ESPY Awards on Fubo

Fubo starts at $64.99 for the first month ($84.99 per month afterwards) with more than 230 channels — including local and cable, like ABC — that are streamable on smart TVs, smartphones, tablets and on web browsers. And with a seven-day free trial, you can watch for free, if you act fast and sign up now.

The services gets you live access to local broadcast networks including NBC, CBS and Fox, while it also has dozens of cable networks, such as FX, Bravo, TLC, ESPN, E!, FS1, MTV, CMT, ID, Ion, OWN, Paramount Network, TV Land, VH1 and much more.

WATCH THE 2025 ESPY AWARDS WITH FUBO

How to Watch The 2025 ESPY Awards on Hulu + Live TV

The broadcast network ABC is available to watch with Hulu + Live TV too. Prices for the cable alternative start at $82.99 per month, while each plan comes with Hulu, Disney+ and ESPN+ at no additional cost.

Hulu + Live TV might be best for those who want all of these streaming services together in one package. It also features many other networks, like CBS, NBC, Fox, BET, CMT, Disney Channel, ESPN, Hallmark Channel and more.

watch the 2025 ESPY Awards with Hulu + Live TV

More Ways to Watch

If you’re overseas and you’d like to stream the ESPYS internationally, you can sign up for a VPN, such as ExpressVPN, NordVPN and PureVPN, which lets you access a number of streaming platforms, like the ones mentioned above — legally.

The 2025 ESPY Awards broadcasts on ABC on Wednesday, July 16, at 8 p.m. ET/PT. One of the best ways to watch the awards ceremony is with DirecTV. Check out a complete list of categories and nominees on the ESPY’s website.

Watch The 2025 Espy Awards with Directv

Want more? For more product recommendations, check out our roundups of the best Xbox deals, studio headphones and Nintendo Switch accessories.

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Fundraiser for Optimo (Espacio)’s JD Twitch Launches Following Terminal Brain Cancer Diagnosis

A fundraiser has been launched for JD Twitch, one half of the beloved Scottish DJ duo Optimo (Espacio) following his reveal of a terminal brain cancer diagnosis earlier this month.

The duo’s official Instagram account posted about the fundraiser on Tuesday (July 15) with a message from his wife, Marissa. “After so many kind messages from friends and fans around the world asking how to help, we are launching a Crowdfunder to support Keith’s urgent care needs,” she wrote, providing a link to the page where fans can donate.

The Crowdfunder page for the artist born Keith McIvor notes that “professional second opinions about Keith’s diagnosis have been sought, and while suggestions for medical interventions or alternative therapies have been gratefully received, it’s important to stress how advanced, inoperable and untreatable this particular tumor is — and that we can’t be raising false hopes.”

The statement continues by saying that McIvor “now requires 24-hour nursing care. His condition has affected his speech, his mobility and his independence. While he’s managed to take a few supported steps, he’s extremely vulnerable and needs constant assistance to do so safely. Referral by the NHS to a hospice in Glasgow would make everything much simpler. However, his symptoms are not currently advanced or severe enough to justify a successful referral, nor is it easy to predict when this might be the case.”

The Crowdfunder has already raised £61,630 (approximately $82,500). Money raised will prioritize private residential nursing care, additional support services and ongoing transport and palliative care needs.

The fundraiser follows McIvor’s announcement earlier this month that he’d been diagnosed with glioblastoma, the most common and aggressive type of malignant brain tumor experienced by adults.

In a July 3 statement on Instagram, the artist wrote that his symptoms “weren’t immediately diagnosed, and my health declined very quickly over just a few weeks.” He went on to thank “everyone who has supported me throughout my journey in music, from the early days of Pure in Edinburgh in the ’90s and through the past 28 years of Optimo (Espacio). Jonnie and I have been lucky enough to play out music at countless clubs and festivals throughout the world, and it has been one of the greatest honors of my life to make a career out of something I love. We have connected with so many beautiful souls through our shared passion for music.”

Optimo (Espacio) is revered around the world for incredibly selected and often soaring sets played at clubs and festivals across continents. The pair, JD Twitch and JG (Jonnie) Wilkes originated in their hometown of Glasgow and have continued ongoing club nights in the city. McIvor’s statement continues to say that “I trust Jonnie implicitly to continue Optimo (Espacio). I know he will carry it forward with the same spirit and passion we always shared showing you, as ever, just how much we ‘love your ears.’”

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How Max McNown’s Girlfriend Inspired His Breakthrough Hit — And Gave Him ‘A Lot of Encouragement’

As singer-songwriter Max McNown prepared to release his country-folk love song “Better Me For You (Brown Eyes)” last November, he felt reluctant to share such a vulnerable single about his girlfriend of nearly two years. But the track quickly resonated with fans, becoming his first entry on Billboard’s Country Airplay chart and the Billboard Hot 100 — and soon, the 23-year-old’s perspective changed.

“I wasn’t expecting a song that is so specifically about my girlfriend to do so well,” he reflects. “It gives me a lot of encouragement to keep writing personal songs about my life.”

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McNown wrote “Better Me For You” in May 2024 during a session with Trent Dabbs, Ava Suppelsa and writer-producer Jamie Kenney, at the lattermost’s Nashville-area studio. At the time, McNown had a basic melody, a simple concept and the written phrase, “I didn’t know you’d have brown eyes,” which became central to the song’s chorus.

“Ava asked me more about my girlfriend, like, ‘What do you love about her?’” McNown remembers. “It’s about wanting to be a better person, because you want to spend the rest of your life with somebody.”

While McNown and his collaborators completed writing the hit-to-be in that session, slow-burning success from his summer 2023 ballad “A Lot More Free” allowed his team more time to build momentum. The prior bittersweet acoustic single — and title track to his debut EP released at the same time — gained traction in fall 2024, entering the top 30 on Hot Country Songs. It has more recently crossed over to alternative and pop formats, reaching a No. 8 high on Adult Pop Airplay.

“He hadn’t gone on any big tours yet, and ‘A Lot More Free’ was blowing up,” says McNown’s uncle and manager, Brandon Ebel, president of Tooth & Nail Records and Solid State Records, of opting to hold on releasing a follow-up single. “We wanted to wait for the perfect time.”

Chartbreaker, Max McNown

Diana King

McNown and his team teased “Better Me For You” on social media in October, focusing on the chorus — and more specifically, his phrase about brown eyes. Seeing fans referring to the song as such in comment sections, they quickly added the words to the song title ahead of its Nov. 15 release.

“It already had thousands of people using the sound on [Instagram] and TikTok,” Ebel says, adding that they invested the bulk of McNown’s budget into advertising with online marketing campaigns, including on social media platforms.

But even before the backing support from his team, McNown had already proved his internet savvy. When the Oregon native moved to California in 2022, he was given his father’s old guitar and slowly learned hit songs by Zach Bryan and Tyler Childers. He began to busk on the San Clemente Pier within a few months of arriving, and at the suggestion of a friend, soon posted those covers online. After gaining a following, he self-released “Freezing in November,” a solo write, in 2023, which signaled to Ebel that McNown was ready for the next step.

“He’d written a few other songs we thought were good, so I said, ‘As a favor, I’ll fly you down to Nashville and we can record a couple of songs,’” Ebel says. “I also had a couple of writers at my publishing company [Fugitive Song Publishing], and they agreed to write with him.” One of those early sessions yielded “A Lot More Free.”

Chartbreaker, Max McNown

Diana King

That September, McNown auditioned for American Idol but didn’t proceed with the show despite advancing in the competition. He wanted the space to continue building his discography — and his team. He had signed with Fugitive Recordings and inked a partnership with The Orchard in 2023 a few months before releasing his debut EP. McNown then moved to Nashville in 2024 and released debut album Wandering. This January, he signed a deal with Columbia Records — and released follow-up album Night Diving the same month, which included “Better Me For You.”

As his team took shape, so did a promotional strategy for success. He’s been able to experiment with various methods, ultimately landing on a Mount Rushmore of success stories that he continues to push on his socials. “‘Better Me For You’ is one of the ‘core four,’ ” McNown says. “That one, [May single] ‘Same Questions,’ ‘A Lot More Free’ and [2024’s] ‘Love Me Back.’ They seem to take off every time I post them on social media, so that has changed the approach. There’s maybe one post of each of those a week.”

A month before the official release of “Better Me For You,” the team focused on opportunities at radio for McNown as well, Ebel says. “We put out feelers to see their feedback,” he remembers. “As soon as it came out and started streaming very well, we decided to go to country radio.”

The decision proved to be wise: “Better Me For You” became his first Country Airplay entry on the chart dated Feb. 22 and has yet to leave the chart since. The following month, it surfaced on Hot Country Songs and reaches a new No. 28 high on this week’s chart. In June, boosted by its growing radio presence, “Better Me For You” debuted on the Hot 100 at No. 98, and has spent five weeks on the chart.

McNown hopes to continue his hot streak with an extended cut of Night Diving — titled Night Diving (The Cost of Growing Up) — out July 18 through Fugitive Recordings/The Orchard/Columbia Records. Plus, he’ll follow up performances this year at CMA Fest and Boston Calling with a set at Lollapalooza in Chicago before launching his 30-show headlining Forever Ain’t Long Enough Tour. As McNown looks ahead, Ebel reflects on how far the rising star has already come.

“He’s the whole package: A songwriter, a lyricist, a performer,” Ebel says. He immediately becomes reflective, recalling an opening set his nephew played last year: “He’d never played harmonica live, but 30 minutes before he went onstage, he was like, ‘I’m going to play harmonica on “A Lot More Free”’ and just dominated. That was the moment I knew, ‘This kid’s going to be big.’ ”

Chartbreaker, Max McNown

Diana King

A version of this story appears in the July 19, 2025, issue of Billboard.

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Maluma and Manager Walter Kolm Part Ways After 12-Year Run

After more than 12 years working together, Colombian superstar Maluma and marquee manager Walter Kolm and his team at WK Entertainment have terminated their managerial relationship. 

The split, confirmed exclusively to Billboard and expected to be announced today (July 15) was amicable, and puts an end to one of the most successful and stable artist-manager relationships in Latin music in recent years.

“I can only be thankful for so many special moments together, both inside and out of the industry,” Maluma (real name Juan Luis Londoño) said in a statement. “Looking back to the first minute that we started working together, I wouldn’t change a thing. On the contrary, together we showed that the sky is the limit and we accomplished the unimaginable. Today is the end of a professional cycle, but also the beginning of new opportunities for both of us. Our personal relationship remains intact, and like I always have, I wish only the best for him and his team.”

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He added, “Thank you, Walter, for your passion and dedication during these years. I love you, thank you and appreciate you.”

The singer told Billboard that he does not have new management and is “building a new team with new ideas. I want to give myself space and I’m focused on making new music, from my heart.”

Kolm signed Maluma in 2013, when the then-19-year-old was still largely unknown outside Colombia — but he immediately recognized the young artist’s star potential.

“From that very moment I knew he had something special and seeing him become who he is today has been one of the proudest moments of my life,” said Kolm in a statement.

Now, he added,  “After many years of building a shared dream side by side, my time as Maluma’s manager comes to an end. Together we broke records, traversed borders and redefined what it means to be a global Latin artist. From his early days in Medellín to selling out international stages, every step has been an act of love, faith and total dedication. I’m very proud of you, Juancho. You are a superstar and even though our professional relationship ends, our personal one remains intact because I’m a second father to you and will always be here for you.”

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Maluma would go on to become one of Latin music’s biggest global stars, grazing the cover of Billboard three times: once with Shakira, another with Jennifer López and another alone. He was the first artist to top Billboard’s Global Excl. U.S. chart when it launched in 2020, with “Hawái” and he became the face of multiple global brands, including Hugo Boss.

Although Maluma and Kolm are no longer artist and manager, the two still have projects together, including an upcoming tour in Mexico that’s slated to kick off in August and includes three dates in Mexico City’s Palacio de los Deportes. Those dates are the follow-up to Maluma’s 12-city European arena tour, which included three sold-out nights at Madrid’s Wizink Center.

Now, says Maluma, he’s focused on releasing new music. “I’m excited about starting a new chapter. I have incredible songs and collaborations,” he told Billboard. A new single, “Bronceado,” is due July 17.  Maluma will also continue to helm his label, Royalty Records, whose roster includes rising star Maisak.

On his end, Kolm this year expanded his roster of artists, signing música mexicana star Xavi and, most recently, Colombian pop/rockers Morat. They join a group of stars that includes Argentine pop star Emilia, Colombian icon Carlos Vives, Puerto Rican legend Wisin and Prince Royce.

Kolm, who was Billboard’s 2018 Latin Executive of the Year, is widely viewed as one of Latin music’s most successful managers. He is also the founder of WK Records, whose roster includes Ryan Castro.

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