Billy McFarland says he’s ready to sell Fyre Festival 2 to the highest bidder.

Earlier today, the convicted fraudster took to social media to post a mea culpa about his failures as a festival promoter while once more rebranding Fyre Festival as “one of the most powerful attention engines in the world,” in his words.

The double-speak is part of McFarland’s attempt to liquidate Fyre Festival’s only assets — its trademarks and IP — to the highest bidder now that Fyre Fest 2 has been indefinitely postponed. Early this month, government officials with the city of Playa del Carmen, Mexico, poured cold water on the long-shot festival — designed in part to rehabilitate McFarland’s image following the disastrous, aborted 2017 edition of the event in the Bahamas that resulted in global mockery, competing documentary films and a federal prison sentence for McFarland — by writing on social media that “there is no record or planning of any such event in the municipality.”

McFarland has said the idea for a follow-up festival came to him while serving time in solitary confinement, and he began pitching Fyre Festival 2 after his release from prison in 2022, hyping his plans on social media with splashy videos and spurious claims. As McFarland would finally admit on Wednesday (April 23), he has failed to regain the trust of fans, major talent agencies and the municipal government of Playa Del Carmen.

In his letter to fans, McFarland explained, “I can’t risk a repeat of what happened in Playa Del Carmen, where support quickly turned into public distancing once media attention intensified,” noting, “For FYRE Festival 2 to succeed, it’s clear that I need to step back and allow a new team to move forward independently, bringing the vision to life on this incredible island.”

On Fyre’s website, where McFarland once hawked $1.1 million ticket packages for Fyre Fest 2, he now features a short pitch deck for the sale of Fyre’s IP, sharing details about Fyre’s web traffic and Google analytics while noting he’s ready to hand off the tarnished brand.

Giving control “to a new group is the most responsible way to follow through on what we set out to do: build a global entertainment brand, host a safe and legendary event, and continue to pay restitution to those who are owed from the first festival,” McFarland wrote, noting that he owes his victims from the first Fyre Festival more than $26 million.

On Monday (April 21), news broke of Fyre’s first licensing deal: an agreement for Fyre Music Streaming Ventures, LLC, a fan-curated on-demand music video streaming service and ad-supported TV channel. As its founder, Shawn Rech, told Billboard: “I just want people to remember the [Fyre] name.”

To view the sales material for Fyre, visit Fyre.mx.

A rare, celebratory moment of LGBTQ+ representation in the K-pop scene took place in Los Angeles on Tuesday night during the final stop of JUST B’s JUST ODD World Tour, when member Bain took a moment to speak to the crowd while performing a section of the concert solo.

“Before I start the next song, tonight I want to share something with you guys,” he told the audience at the Vermont Hollywood, pausing for a moment before declaring, “I’m f—ing proud to be part of the LGBT community,” with the announcement drawing massive cheers from concertgoers, according to on-the-ground footage.

“Shout-out to my queen Lady Gaga for showing me that being yourself is beautiful,” Bain continued through the supportive shouting. “To everyone out there who’s part of the LGBTQ+ or still figuring it out, this is for you guys. And also, this is for everyone. You’re seen, you’re loved, and you are born this way.” The 24-year-old then broke out into a remixed performance of Gaga’s Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 hit and LGBTQ+ anthem “Born This Way.” The star later posted those words on his personal Instagram account with footage from the night.

Bain and his bandmates Geonu, Lim Jimin, Siwoo, DY and Sangwoo launched the U.S. leg of JUST B’s world tour earlier this month after kicking off in Tokyo in March. Over 10 American dates, the group performed singles like “Medusa,” “TICK TOCK” and “Damage,” with each member also performing solo stages in different cities. Bain’s sets paid homage to 2000s pop divas with covers of Britney Spears’ “Toxic,” Destiny’s Child’s “Survivor,” the Pussycat Dolls’ “Buttons” and Lady Gaga’s “Bad Romance” and “Judas.”

In a final address to the crowd, Bain swam in even more supporting cheers from the audience and his group members.

“L.A., thank you so much,” he shared, per fan footage. “Today, it means a lot to me — I’m so happy that I can be myself,” before one of his bandmates followed up, saying, “We are happy too,” with another confirming with a supportive “Yeah!” Bain closed out by saying, “Until next time: stay bold, stay fierce, and lastly, always, always be your true self,” as his bandmates pushed him to take in the center-stage spotlight.

JUST B debuted on June 30, 2021, under the agency BLUEDOT Entertainment with their first EP, Just Burn, featuring Bang Yongguk of pioneering K-pop boy band B.A.P producing the lead single “Damage.” The sextet has released five EPs and multiple singles to date, including last year’s English pop-punk crossover cut “Daddy’s Girl,” with 2024 proving to be a major year of opportunities for JUST B.

In January 2024, Bain competed in the Korean singing competition Build Up : Vocal Boy Group Survivor, which saw top male vocalists battling for a spot in a new quartet. In September, JUST B formed a supergroup with fellow rising boy band ATBO called The CrewOne to compete on the popular boy-group series Road to Kingdom: Ace of Ace alongside other next-gen K-pop acts like CRAVITY, ONEUS and 8TURN. The CrewOne placed fifth in the finale, but not before Bain got to show off his vocal chops once again in a special performance of the “Vocal Aces,” where he sang alongside fellow powerhouses.

But while K-pop acts are increasingly courting global audiences, with JUST B earning 6 million on-demand official streams for their songs in the U.S. and 22.6 million for their songs globally to date, according to Luminate, Bain’s announcement has the chance to accelerate conversations about representation and acceptance in the industry — particularly given South Korean society’s traditionally conservative stance on LGBTQ issues.

The moment marks one of the very few times an active artist in the Korean pop scene has come out, with it being all the more rare to come from a boy band arguably at the peak of its career. While individual Korean artists like Holland and Mrshll have been open about their LGBTQ identities from the start of their careers — with former idols like Magolpy and Jiae of girl group WA$$UP opening up soon after their careers began — Bain’s disclosure on a major world-tour stage marks a new moment for queer visibility in K-pop.

Holland, Jiae and K-pop’s first LGBTQ boy band LIONESSES have spoken about facing discrimination and homophobia working in Korean entertainment due to their sexual identities, with the scene boasting a history of celebrities’ careers derailed for publicly coming out. One of the most notable examples came via actor Hong Seokcheon, who came out in an interview in 2000, just six years into his award-winning career, leading him to be fired from his television gigs and forced out of the entertainment business. Despite Korea’s still-conservative culture and society, Hong managed to return to entertainment in TV, hosting, and, eventually, acting with significant support from the younger generation. Today, Hong regularly appears on top Korean programming and features top artists on his own programs — most recently having Tomorrow X Together’s Yeonjun on his Treasure Box series.

While BLUEDOT Entertainment did not reply to Billboard‘s request for comment after Tuesday night’s show, the group’s official Instagram did share Bain’s post with a hashtag #ProudOfBain, proving how these few moments in East Hollywood have the potential to resonate and make change far further than the concert hall.

As Deltron 3030 reportedly prepare the release of their long-awaited third album, they’ll first be taking a look back at their debut, performing the record in full on their upcoming North American tour.

The revered hip-hop supergroup – comprising rapper Del the Funky Homosapien (aka Deltron Zero), producer Dan the Automator (the Cantankerous Captain Aptos) and turntablist Kid Koala – will be returning to the live stage this summer, launching a 16-date tour in Vancouver, BC on July 18 before traveling throughout the U.S. and Canada over the next three months.

The tour will see Kid Koala pulling double duty as he opens the shows alongside Lealani, while the main event will see Deltron 3030 performing their self-titled debut album in full.

Originally released in May 2000, Deltron 3030 didn’t reach dizzying commercial heights, instead peaking at No. 194 on the Billboard 200 and No. 18 on the Independent Albums charts. However, it was highly-regarded by critics, with the hip-hop concept album pairing stark social commentary with tongue-in-cheek humour as atmospheric beats accompanied narratives of dystopian society in the year 3030.

Deltron 3030 were largely inactive in the years following their debut album’s release, though they would re-emerge in 2013 with a sequel record titled Event 2. The album would hit No. 41 on the Billboard 200 and reach No. 6 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart, with the group touring in earnest in the following years. 

Currently, the release of a 2016 live album (fittingly-titled Live) is the group’s latest commercial release, though Deltron 3030 have hinted towards a third studio LP in previous years. Alongside news of their forthcoming tour, it’s been confirmed that a new record is indeed in the works, though it’s likely that fans will have to wait until the completion of their live commitments before new material or updates arrive.

Deltron 3030 – 2025 Tour Dates

July 18 – Commodore Ballroom, Vancouver, BC
July 19 – Summer Concerts at the Pier, Seattle, WA
July 21 – Revolution Hall, Portland, OR
July 23 – The Regency, San Francisco, CA
July 25 – Bellwether, Los Angeles, CA
July 26 – Observatory, Santa Ana, CA
July 27 – House of Blues, San Diego, CA
Sept. 24 – Uptown, Minneapolis, MN
Sept. 25 – House of Blues, Chicago, IL
Sept. 27 – Majestic Theatre, Detroit, MI
Sept. 28 – The Concert Hall, Toronto, ON
Sept. 29 – Théâtre Beanfield, Montreal, QC
Oct. 2 – Big Night Live, Boston, MA
Oct. 3 – Union Transfer, Philadelphia, PA
Oct. 4 – 9:30 Club, Washington, DC
Oct. 6 – Webster Hall, New York, NY

Lorde has given fans in New York City a preview of her new single after plans for an in-person event fell by the wayside thanks to local law enforcement.

The New Zealand singer is currently preparing to launch new single “What Was That” on Friday (April 25), with the track serving as her first piece of solo music since 2021. The first taste of her upcoming fourth album, Lorde initially teased the single with her first-ever post on TikTok, sharing a video of herself walking through Washington Square Park in New York City while listening to the dreamy synth-pop track. 

In lieu of traditional social media updates, Lorde has since taken to connecting with fans by way of text messages and voice notes, with her legions of supporters receiving a message on Tuesday (April 22) which told fans to “meet me in the park” at 7pm.

As a result, fans flooded to Washington Square Park to hopefully catch a glimpse of the musician, though the gathered masses were soon urged to leave by local law enforcement.

Lorde took to her Instagram Stories soon after to address those who had turned out for the last-minute affair. “Omg @thepark the cops are shutting us down I am truly Amazed by how many of you showed up !!!” she wrote. “But they’re telling me you gotta disperse … I’m so sorry.”

According to Rolling Stone, a spokesperson for New York City’s DCPI stated that officers had been alerted to an “unscheduled event” within the park, adding that a “sound and parks permit” is required to hold a concert event in a NYC park. “This individual did not possess either,” the statement added. “Organizers of the event were informed they could not perform and they left the location.”

Fans who remained within Washington Square Park were rewarded for their patience, however, with the singer later showing up to play her new single. Though Lorde didn’t perform the track live, she danced along to “What Was That” while it was being played by producer Dev Hynes of Blood Orange fame.

Lorde’s appearance in New York City comes just over a week after she made a surprise appearance during Charli XCX’s Coachella set to guest on a performance of “Girl, So Confusing.”

With her new single set to arrive in a matter of days, Lorde’s new era is fast-approaching, telling fans in her recent voice note that “everything is about to change.” She added, “These are the last moments where it’s just us, which is crazy. But so right. I’m so ready.”

Taylor Swift claimed the title for youngest self-made woman billionaire in the world in 2023 when Forbes first reported the pop superstar’s billionaire status. Two years later, she’s been dethroned by Lucy Guo, the 30-year-old co-founder of Scale AI, Forbes recently reported.

Guo co-founded the San Francisco-based artificial intelligence company Scale AI in 2016 when she was 21 years old, alongside then-19-year-old Alexandr Wang. Wang was CEO, while Guo ran the operations and product design teams, and both made Forbes‘ 30 Under 30 list in 2018. But Wang allegedly fired Guo that same year when they disagreed on how to run the company.

She still owns an estimated stake of 5 percent of Scale AI, which is now worth nearly $1.2 billion after Business Insider first reported that the company is seeking valuation as high as $25 billion in a potential tender offer. Forbes estimates Guo is worth $1.25 billion, considering her stake in Scale AI and her holding in her second startup, Passes.

Guo is now one of only six self-made women billionaires on the planet who are under the age of 40. Out of those six extraordinary women are two powerhouse artists: Swift, 35, who has a $1.6 billion net worth, and Rihanna, 37, who has a $1.4 billion net worth.

Swift surpassed Rihanna as the world’s richest female musician last October. Forbes reported that Swift’s earnings from her international Eras Tour and the value of her music catalog made her a billionaire, becoming the first musician to reach that rank primarily based on her songs and live performance. Her fortune includes $600 million from touring and royalties, $600 million from her catalog and $125 million in real estate holdings.