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Nerds unite: DC and Sonic the Hedgehog have come together to release a slew of figurines with fans of both franchises in mind.

The collaborative figurine collection can be pre-ordered at Target now. The collection features your classic Sonic the Hedgehog characters — Sonic, Shadow, Silver and Amy — along with DC supervillain Darkseid. Each Sonic the Hedgehog character is dressed in a supersuit inspired by a beloved DC superhero. Sonic is The Flash, Amy is Wonder Woman, Silver is Green Lantern and Shadow, in true Shadow fashion, is Batman.

DC x Sonic the Hedgehog 5″ Sonic as The Flash Action Figure

$14.99

buy Now at target

A Sonic the Hedgehog figure with The Flash coloring.

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Power vs. Speed Pack DC x Sonic Multipack

$54.99

Buy Now at target

A pack of four figures from the Sonic and DC universes.

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A singular figure will run you $14.99, while the Power vs. Speed Pack–DC x Sonic Multipack, including Shadow, Sonic, Silver and Darkseid, retails for $54.99. Each figure includes multiple points of articulation for endless posing. Shadow’s figure even lights up. The collection will officially be available at Target starting Oct. 1. If you can’t wait to get your hands on the exclusive collab, we’ve listed out a few Sonic the Hedgehog and DC figures starting at $7.99 that you can shop to fill the void in anticipation.

Other Sonic the Hedgehog and DC Figures to Shop at Target

Sonic the Hedgehog Shadow Collector Edition<br><a href=”https://www.target.com/p/sonic-the-hedgehog-shadow-collector-edition/-/A-92033137#”></a>

$49.99

Buy Now at target

A collector figure of Shadow the Hedgehog.

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If you’re a Shadow fan like me, you’ll be pretty jazzed about this figure. Growing up playing the Sonic the Hedgehog franchise, the spotlight was pretty much solely on Sonic, save for a few spinoff games. Target is shifting the spotlight to the grumpy anti-hero with this collector’s figure. Retailing for $49.99 and standing at 6 inches, this figure is set atop a gilded stand and comes equipped with a dramatic set of black and red wings that can be removed for endless customization. You can choose your adventure and pose Shadow any way you please thanks to over 24 points of articulation.

Sonic the Hedgehog 2.5″ Wave 3 Action Figure<br><a href=”https://www.target.com/p/sonic-the-hedgehog-2-5-34-wave-3-action-figure/-/A-92033143#”></a>

$19.99

Buy Now at target

A pack of five figures inspired by the “Sonic the Hedgehog” movies.

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Inspired by the Sonic the Hedgehog 3 movie, this set includes five extremely detailed action figures. Retailing for $19.99, each figure stands at 2.5 inches. You’ve got fan-favorite characters Sonic, Gerald Robotnik, and Super Shadow along with Buzz Bomber and Drone accessories. Make your figures battle it out, recreating scenes from the film with endless posing options. This set would make a great gift for fans of the Sonic franchise both young and old.

DC Comics Superman Basic Action Figure 6″<br><a href=”https://www.target.com/p/dc-comics-superman-basic-action-figure-6-34/-/A-92462110#”></a>

$7.99 $9.99 20% off

Buy Now at tagrte

A Superman figure standing at 6 inches.

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I may be a bit biased here, but DC superheroes have great visuals. Their costumes are extremely detailed and colorful. You can see this detail clearly in this Superman action figure. Retailing for $7.99, this 6-inch model is extremely detailed and vibrant, making it a perfect addition to any collector’s shelf or display case.

This figure’s specific costume is inspired by the Superman films. The figure features nine points of articulation to create a multitude of dynamic poses. Each Superman action figure box also comes with two accessories to recreate epic battle scenes at home. The figure is also extremely affordable for those looking to start their DC action figure collection up on a budget.

Herocross Company Limited DC Comics Hybrid Metal Figuration Action Figure | Green Lantern<br><a href=”https://www.target.com/p/herocross-company-limited-dc-comics-hybrid-metal-figuration-action-figure-green-lantern/-/A-81287916#”></a>

$25.99

Buy Now at target

A Green Lantern figure.

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This Green Lantern Herocross Company Limited DC Comics Hybrid Metal Figuration action figure is a collector’s dream. Retailing for $25.99, the figure is made of fully articulated die-cast metal that gives the model a shiny finish. Standing at 5.5 inches, the figure depicts Green Lantern pulled straight from the pages of DC Comics with over 20 points or articulation to pose him however you please. The size of this piece is great for snazzing up an office space or bookshelf. The figure comes alongside Green Lantern’s trusty Power Battery and 6 interchangeable hands and fists.

German prosecutors have charged a Syrian-born teenager with helping plot the foiled terrorist attack at Taylor Swift’s planned Eras Tour stop in Vienna last year.

Germany’s Federal Public Prosecutor general announced Friday (June 27) that a juvenile identified only as “Mohammed A.” has been indicted on charges of supporting a foreign terrorist organization and attempting a serious act of violence against the state. The suspect is not in custody.

Prosecutors say Mohammed A., a Syrian national who lived in Germany, was a follower of the Islamic State (IS) and helped an Austrian teenager make plans to bomb Swift’s Eras Tour concerts in Vienna in August 2024. The planned shows at Ernst Happel Stadium were canceled after authorities discovered and foiled the alleged terrorist plot.

Mohammed A. was allegedly in contact with the main suspect, a 19-year-old Austrian man, in July and August 2024. Prosecutors say Mohammed A. translated bomb-making instructions, sent the main suspect the IS oath of allegiance and helped him establish contact with another member of the terrorist group.

The main 19-year-old Austrian suspect was arrested ahead of the planned Eras Tour show on Aug. 7 alongside an alleged 17-year-old accomplice. Another 18-year-old suspect was detained by Austrian authorities two days later.

Swift’s record-breaking Eras Tour continued after the canceled Vienna shows, albeit with extra attention to security.

The pop superstar’s reps did not immediately return a request for comment on Friday. Swift addressed the foiled terrorist attack in a lengthy Instagram post after the Eras Tour’s European leg wrapped last year, saying it “filled me with a new sense of fear, and a tremendous amount of guilt because so many people had planned on coming to those shows.”

“But I was also so grateful to the authorities because thanks to them, we were grieving concerts and not lives,” Swift wrote. “I was heartened by the love and unity I saw in the fans who banded together.”

When it comes to music-exporting countries — i.e., those that collect more royalties from other countries than they pay out — Sweden is patient zero for addressing the way streaming platforms and social media have changed how music travels (or doesn’t travel) around the world. Indeed, how Swedes address the new landscape can provide pathways that songwriters and producers in other countries can take as well.

Music has never been more global. Today, a musician can upload a song and reach a listener virtually anywhere in the world. But music is increasingly local, too. Streaming platforms and social media have allowed creators to build audiences for music performed in their local languages, escaping the homogeneity of U.S. and U.K.-dominated, English-language pop music. Algorithmically driven streaming platforms emphasize regional preferences, and social platforms such as TikTok provide local artists with an effective tool to reach nearby listeners. As a result of this “glocalization,” more local artists are reaching the charts in their home countries with local-language songs.

The shifts have been remarkable. As Billboard noted in 2023, less than a fifth of the top 10 songs in Poland, France, the Netherlands and Germany were local artists back in 2012. In 2022, local music’s share of the top 10 songs had risen to 70% in Poland, Italy and Sweden; 60% in France; 30% in the Netherlands and Spain; and 20% in Germany. “It’s about people valuing their own cultures, and the charts are basically a mirror of that,” Pedro Kurtz, Deezer’s head of music for Latin America, said in 2024.

While glocalization has done wonders for local music communities, it creates a problem for global-minded songwriters, according to a new paper, Sweden’s Music Industry as a Crossroads, from economist Will Page, the co-author of a 2023 paper that popularized the term. As more local music is consumed, Page warns that foreign songwriters in those markets will find fewer opportunities for their music. Essentially, more local hits mean fewer global hits will ascend the charts in France, Germany and other markets — and Page argues that this presents challenges for Swedish songwriters who have a long history of creating hits outside their borders.

The country that birthed ABBA and Max Martin punches well above its weight in the global music marketplace. As Page notes, Sweden has four times as many songwriters per capita as Britain and is one of four countries — including the U.S., U.K. and South Korea — that collects more royalties from foreign countries than it pays out. Sweden has the best export ratio of the four markets, meaning its ratio of exports (international income to STIM, the Swedish collection society) to imports (distributions to foreign societies) of 2.8 is the highest in the world.

Swedish songwriters’ success in foreign markets is the result of a confluence of factors. The country’s music industry has benefited from music education and government support for the arts. Also, Swedes tend to be fluent in English, the lingua franca of the global music industry. And as the entertainment business went digital, Sweden had high penetration of high-speed internet and was an early adopter of global platforms — both legal (Spotify) and illegal (The Pirate Bay).

The results have been inarguably successful. A quarter century ago, Swedish songwriters and producers were helping craft hits by U.S. artists such as Backstreet Boys, *NSYNC and Britney Spears, reaping the rewards of massive album sales at the peak of the CD era. More recently, many Swedes have songwriting credits on K-pop songs that are huge hits not only in South Korea but around the world. “For every krona that Swedes earn from Korea,” Page wrote, “they’re seeing another two kronas from their K-Pop hits being heard elsewhere around the world.” They also get twice as many streams from Latin America as from the Nordics, and they earn a larger share of Asia’s royalties than their country’s recording artists.

Things are clearly going splendidly for Swedish songwriters, but as the paper’s title suggests, the popularity of local-language music requires songwriters to rethink how they do business. If the future is destined to have more local hits and fewer global ones, Swedish songwriters will need to continue working with foreign recording artists — and branch out to new countries — to continue to bring home royalties. “Sweden has a rare comparative advantage in writing and recording music,” Page writes. “But it cannot be taken for granted as glocalization upends trading relationships.”

Songwriters, publishers and collection societies can take a number of steps in an increasingly glocalized world. Page encourages Swedes to “micro-target foreign markets,” as it has done with South Korea, where songwriting camps provide opportunities for local music with massive global appeal. BELIFT Labs, an imprint of South Korean K-pop giant HYBE, hosts songwriting camps in the Nordic region and collaborates remotely. “Nordic writers have a unique ability to express nostalgia and emotion through beautiful melodies, which strongly connected with K-pop fans around the world,” the label said in Page’s report.

Songwriters can also focus on emerging markets to escape the slowing growth of streaming and subscription revenues in mature markets. Latin America is full of potential. Page writes that last year, Swedish songwriters received twice as many streams from Latin America as from the Nordics. Another example is India, which has recently attracted investment from the likes of Warner Music Group and Believe. India is not yet a top 10 market, but its massive population of more than 1.4 billion will become more lucrative over time. Additionally, the Indian diaspora means local language music will be heard in the U.S. and Canada.

Approaches for dealing with glocalization will vary by country. Like Sweden, South Korea is a net exporter of music, but its market is dominated by K-pop companies that have figured out how to make pop music that appeals to both South Koreans and a global audience. At the same time, K-pop companies are effectively embracing glocalization by exporting their artist development approach to places like the U.S. and Latin America, creating musical groups tailored for local markets. Sweden, on the other hand, excels at exporting its songwriting and production talent and encouraging cross-border collaboration.

“For Swedish artists, the need to export is straightforward — when faced with saturation at home, the grass is greener on the export side,” Page explained. That goes for recording artists, songwriters and producers from other countries, too. As consumers around the world continue to adopt streaming platforms — many will become paying subscribers for the first time — the global music market will continue to grow for the foreseeable future. To capture that value growth, creators must figure out how to operate in a world where global and local increasingly overlap.   

Pop-rock singer Teddy Swims says he’s tried everything but therapy — and now, he can check fatherhood off of that list, as well.

On Friday (June 27), Swims and his girlfriend Raiche Wright announced that they had welcomed a baby boy into the world on Monday (June 23). Posting a set of black-and-white photos of their hands holding their newborn son, Swims simply wrote, “We love you lil man.” On her Instagram Stories, Wright shared another black-and-white shot of her baby’s foot, adding that “he’s perfect and my heart’s exploding.”

The couple first announced that they were expecting in a post to Wright’s Instagram back in January. The photo shows Swims and Wright cuddled up on a beach chair, as the “Bad Dreams” singer place his hands on her visible baby bump. “We can’t wait to meet you baby,” she wrote.

The news comes just a few months after Swims made Billboard chart history back in May, when his breakout hit “Lose Control” dethroned Glass Animals’ “Heat Waves” as the longest-running song in the Hot 100’s 67-year history. The track has gone on to spend an additional four weeks on the charts since then, extending Swims’ record to 96 weeks.

Sharing the news of his record breaking run to his Instagram Stories back in May, the singer simply wrote “Let’s go!!!!!!” before thanking Warner Records CEO and co-chairman Aaron Bay-Schuck for helping guide him along in his career. “FOREVER GRATEFUL FOR YOUR STEADY GRACE LOVE AND LEADERSHIP,” he wrote at the time.