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.

Stocking up on back-to-school supplies goes beyond picking up a stylish first day back outfit — you also need a spacious bag to carry your laptop, notebooks and water bottle. Lululemon may be known for its luxurious athleisure, but the lifestyle brand has gone viral on various occasions for its designer dupe shoulder bag and iconic Everywhere Bag.

Now, Lululemon’s new tote bag has caught the eye of TikTok fashion creators as the style to show off on campus. User @imemmacristi has even gained more than 20,000 views on TikTok for a video that shows off the two-tone tote bag and reveals how much stuff can fit inside — and it’s a lot.

@imemmachristi

unpack the @lululemon canvas tote bag 10L (see what fits!!!) #lululemoncreator #backtoschool #lululemoncommunityspecialist #lululemoneducator #lululemonootd #whatsinmybag #bagcheck #lululemonbag #lululemonaddict #totebag #totebagaesthetic #whatsinmypurse #whatsinmytotebag

♬ in my bag – champagnemami

Within the 10-liter bag, there was a 13-inch MacBook, two travel pouch bags, makeup, hand sanitizer, a tablet and other small essentials. What’s even better, is that the design comes with built-in slots to help organize your bag and make finding your travel lip gloss easier.

The two-tone tote bag isn’t the only popular style that has caught students’ eyes. Keep reading to learn more.

What Are the Best Lululemon Back-to-School Bags?

Below, ShopBillboard put together a list of top-rated back-to-school bags from Lululemon that’ll get you prepped and ready in time for the first day.

For more product recommendations, check out ShopBillboard‘s roundups of the best alarm clocks, dorm essentials and travel necessities.

Anyone who has bought a vinyl record or a CD in recent years knows full well that physical music products aren’t exempt from the inflation that has plagued U.S. consumers.  

In fact, the price of a vinyl record in the U.S. rose 25.5% from 2017 to 2023, according to Billboard’s analysis of RIAA data — slightly more than the 24.3% increase in the consumer price index over the same time. CD prices fared a bit better, increasing just 20.4%.  

However, while music subscription prices are rising, consumers can probably expect physical music prices to remain somewhat level going forward: Insiders who spoke with Billboard say vinyl prices are remaining steady in 2024 after the COVID-19 pandemic created supply chain problems and raised the costs of everything from raw materials to labor.  

As one music distribution executive put it, those supply chain problems are “flattening out.” As a result, turnaround times have improved drastically as manufacturers worked through their pandemic-era order backlogs. “I feel like the prices will flatten, too,” says the executive.  

“Our manufacturing prices have been stable for quite a while,” says Bill Hein, CEO of Pressing Business. Freight costs can be improved if a buyer books with flexible dates, Hein says, and reliable sea freight is being used for more of its U.S. deliveries. “Generally speaking, both air and sea freight are more predictable now than they were during the lockdown era, and prices are generally better.”

Outside of the music business, rising prices on everyday necessities have been a fact of life. Tired of the inflation that has eaten into their paychecks, Americans are pushing back against the high cost of staples, and companies are responding with attempts to reduce prices. 

In July, PepsiCo CEO Ramon Laguarta suggested consumers had grown tired of more than two years of rising prices. “Some parts of the [Frito-Lay] portfolio need value adjustment,” he said during a July 11 earnings call. Overall sales volume was down 4% in its most recent quarter, and North American beverage sales for the company dipped 3%. PepsiCo will respond, Laguarta said, by offering better deals and increasing advertising. For some consumers, Laguarta added, “we need some new entry price points.”

Companies across the economy are sharing PepsiCo’s experience with price-fatigued shoppers. Walmart is offering more short-term discounts. Target lowered prices. Fast food giants McDonald’s, Wendy’s and Taco Bell are courting customers through low-cost bundles and value-oriented menus. And because it’s an election year, Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic nominee for president, has floated a federal ban on price gouging in the grocery and food industries.  

Since vinyl prices are based heavily on manufacturing costs, there’s little to prevent prices from creeping up without sellers losing profits. Vinyl retailers set prices based on wholesale costs and their need to cover overhead and other expenses. Artists on record labels must pay the wholesale price for their physical goods and don’t have control over pressing and printing costs, says Paul Steele, executive partner at Triple 8 Management. “Physical prices for our roster of nearly 30 artists have mostly stayed the same for a decade, with small inflationary increases here or there,” he says.

But aside from run-of-the-mill inflation, there are other factors that could push the average sale price higher. Physical music is increasingly a luxury good — a high-priced collectible item with packaging to match. Artists frequently release multiple variants of LPs with colored vinyl. And albums released today commonly have the expensive gatefold packaging that was common in the ‘70s.  

The way music is released in the streaming era also drives up prices. Artists take advantage of the unlimited shelf space on streaming platforms by stuffing albums with more songs at no extra cost. As Billboard noted last year, the top 10 albums’ average number of songs rose from 13.2 in 2014 to 19.1 in 2022. A double album on a vinyl record is more expensive, and as one executive notes, putting more songs on an album will often — but not always — require paying more mechanical royalties to songwriters and publishers.  

Indeed, some of the most popular vinyl records of the moment are double- or triple-LPs. Post Malone’s 18-track, two-LP album F-1 Trillion sells for $45.89 at Amazon and more at other retailers. Zach Bryan’s 34-track American Heartbreak has three LPs and a $44.98 list price. And that’s not to mention the more extravagant reissues, such as a 2-LP/2-CD/1-Blu-ray package for Van Halen’s For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge that carries a $99.98 list price.  

Despite the increase in vinyl prices over the last several years, sales have yet to abate. Will that continue? The answer to that question will likely lie with younger consumers who have less disposable income. Michael Kurtz, co-founder of Record Store Day, says vinyl being a premium, collectible product is toughest on younger consumers. While Record Store Day succeeded in helping turn a new generation on to vinyl records, younger people don’t have as much money and are cutting back on their purchases. “A young customer 18 months ago would come to the counter with two or three records,” says Kurtz. “Now they come to the counter with one or maybe two.” 

Catalog titles are often the more affordable option and help offset frontline price creep. Michael Jackson’s Thriller can be had for under $25. Fleetwood Mac’s perennial top-seller Rumours is offered in both affordable and more deluxe versions. Rhino Records’ Now Playing series of compilations for artists ranging from The Stooges to Gram Parsons to John Prine are priced at $19.99. 

The good news — for all consumers — is that price growth is reverting to historical norms. The average monthly U.S. inflation rate reached 4.7% in 2021, 8.0% in 2022 and 4.1% in 2023. This year, the average monthly increase in the consumer price index (CPI) is just 3.2% through July. If vinyl prices seem like they’re continuing to creep upward, the packaging and the increasing prevalence of the double album are likely to blame.  

Presidential politics has been its own form of pop stardom for decades — certainly since Bill Clinton worked the saxophone on The Arsenio Hall Show, and probably since actor Ronald Reagan won the White House. At some point during that time, the party conventions became less like political meetings and more like pop concerts — staged presentations, usually in arenas that also host concerts, where icons perform their greatest hits. This year former president Barack Obama even came out during the Democratic National Convention to present a sly remix of his own tag line as a tribute to vice president Kamala Harris: “Yes she can.”

Like most remixes, this requires some knowledge of the original, so it’s not aimed at everyone — a 25-year-old voter would have been nine when Obama’s “Yes we can” campaign slogan first got big. The point is to rally superfans, excite influencers and inspire enough enthusiasm to pull in some undecided voters. It’s politics as cinematic universe — now with blinking LED wristbands and the “politics of joy.”

Increasingly, the modern way of expressing a worldview is to join a fan army, of a musician, a content creator, or even a politician. Now that pop culture has swallowed everything, fan relationships help people define what tribe they belong to, the way class or place of origin did before the Internet made those things so much less relevant. Supporting former president Donald Trump isn’t so much about favoring his policies, whatever they are, as about liking his frankness (or his insanity) or sharing his sense of grievance. (Isn’t everything rigged?)

The idea of a fan “army,” as opposed to a “club,” implies some kind of tension — or at least a tendency for devotees to define themselves against other tribes. Part of supporting Trump is condemning the media and “the deep state,” just like part of loving BTS is bemoaning that journalists just don’t get how great they are. Sides have always been chosen — think about the Beatles and the Rolling Stones — but now who fans don’t like is as important as who they do.

Not so long ago, politics involved… well, it involved more actual politics. Democrats wanted a bigger role for government, while Republicans like Grover Norquist wanted to drown it in the bathtub. Obama and Trump made it more about personality and worldview — “Yes we can” or “Make America great again.” (To Obama, the arc of history was bending toward justice; to Trump, everything was just going downhill.) Obama had plenty of policy ideas, but he campaigned on hope and change, which are hard to be against — who could run on despair and stasis? Besides, it’s harder than ever to pass ambitious legislation these days.

The conventions, which started as actual meetings and then became appointment viewing for people interested in politics, are now aimed more at fans of a certain party. And they deliver. Most people I know, most of whom are Democrats, think Harris did great, and I agree. But how could she not? She had an enthusiastic audience, good warm-up acts, even nice lighting. Most important, she has the momentum of momentum. The real question is how she’ll do with journalists and how she’d fare in a debate against Trump.

The closest thing to an open question was the potential for disruptive protests over the war in Israel and Gaza, which seemed like they could echo the ones that took place during the 1968 Democratic National Convention, also in Chicago. (With Hamas and Hezbollah firing rockets at Israel daily, it seems weird to refer to this as a war in Gaza.) Back then, anti-war protesters in Grant Park chanted “the whole world is watching” — a line from a Bob Dylan song — as police beat and arrested them. Recently, some did the same, but these days the whole world can now see everything on social media, though they can sometimes struggle to tell if it’s real or generated by AI.

After every big pop culture moment comes the fan army drama. In this case, that means Harris supporters have to convince far-leftists that they’re better off voting for her than staying home. Robert Kennedy plans to endorse Trump, because maybe he can get a look at the Roswell files. And Trump will complain that he’d be much more popular if only the charts were tabulated differently.

In November, we’ll figure out who’s No. 1. Until then, we have to wait and see if Taylor Swift will endorse a candidate — and whether either one will be half as effective as she is at using her dedicated fans to generate mainstream attention.

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.

Dolly Parton is entering the beauty industry. The country legend announced the debut of Dolly Beauty and gave fans a preview of the new collection of lipsticks on Thursday (Aug. 22).

“I believe beauty comes from within, but a little red lipstick never hurt,” Parton captioned a video on X announcing the collection.

I believe beauty comes from within, but a little red lipstick never hurt 😉💄 #DollyBeauty is available now! Shop all products here 💋 https://t.co/FUU5jek9G3 pic.twitter.com/I9R5ff3Bdh

— Dolly Parton (@DollyParton) August 22, 2024

Dolly Beauty is an expansion of Parton’s bestselling fragrance partnership with Scent Fragrances. The Scent From Above collection — which includes Early Morning Breeze, Dancing Fireflies and Smokey Mountain — was released in 2021.

“All of my life I’ve wanted to be pretty, and my new cosmetic line is going to allow me and you to be our very best,” Parton said in a statement. “So, fly pretty, up, up and away. Enjoy!”

Dolly Beauty launches with the Heaven’s Kiss Lipstick ($20) collection available in four shades: Jolene Red, Honey Plum, Rosebud and Birthday Suit.

The shades will range from bright red to pale pink alongside neutral tones “suitable for all skin types.” Dolly Parton Beauty plans to expand from lipstick to include beauty products for your eyes and face. The collection will launch throughout the remainder of 2024 and into next year.

For now, fans can shop the lipstick by itself or purchase a bundle with one of the fragrances from Parton’s collection.

“We are thrilled to introduce Dolly Beauty, as we believe Dolly Parton embodies many generations of women who are excited to experience this connection to one of the world’s most beloved people. Cosmetics is an obvious category for Dolly which has been long awaited by her millions of loyal fans,” said Scent Beauty founder and CEO Steve Mormoris.

Dolly Beauty is the latest business venture for the 78-year-old singer who launched a line of cakes mixes with Duncan Hines and a wine collection. Parton will release a cookbook, Good Lookin Cookin’, next month.

Her cosmetics line is available exclusive at Dolly Beauty’s website. The line will be in stores next year.

Growing up in Commerce, Texas, an hour east of Dallas, Don Louis spent much of his childhood putting in long hours on his family’s 12-acre farm.

“I was blessed to have that discipline,” he tells Billboard. “I grew up feeding the pigs, picking the eggs and stuff. I always had that work ethic because my step-pop made me… I was the oldest brother and even if had to split the work with my brothers, it was always, ‘Go back and check your brother’s work.’ That fell on me.”

Still, he recalls his mother listening to music around the house, and how he spent time singing to himself when he was going about his farmwork. “Growing up, I heard Garth Brooks, Keith Whitley, Darius Rucker and Toby Keith. Toby and Garth had those soulful little runs,” he says.

His new album, Liquor Talkin’, out today (Aug. 23) on Empire/Money Myers Entertainment, offers a deft blend of twangy country constructs, alluring dance grooves and glimmers of simmering R&B. Connecting them all is Louis’s velvet-meets-sandpaper voice.

Louis says he didn’t expect to name the album Liquor Talkin’, but realized it’s an apt title.

“After I listened to the whole album, that’s how every one of these songs was — it felt like a different emotion or feeling when you’re maybe three shots deep,” he says. Those potential, varied, alcohol-fueled emotional paths of pain, joy, and open-heartedness are steeped in threads of country, soul, dance music, and more. Throughout all, his perspectives are soaked in the grooves.

The title track distills a hip-shaking shimmy, as does “Foot Loose,” while “Mine in My Mind” leans into a more traditional, dancehall groove. “I’m Gone” is a musing on how he wants his life looked upon when he’s gone — with celebration, not mourning: “That song is like, ‘Y’all have a good time, a celebration, and pour one out for me. Smoke a left-handed cigarette and enjoy that time we had together because you can’t buy more time.”

“Long Time Comin’” chronicles making his way as a country artist, while he calls “Stick to Whiskey” “my pain song.”

Pain, in its iterations of heartbreak and disappointment, is a feeling Louis is well-acquainted with. He worked at a sawmill, pulling 13-hour shifts six days a week, before pursuing college football. Louis had dreams of playing in the NFL, and played football at Ouachita Baptist University and at Southern Arkansas University. However, those dreams were derailed after he was sidelined by a knee injury.

“I thought football was going to be my exit for the generational curse breaker of blue-collar work,” he recalls. “I remember thinking, ‘I know I’m not just supposed to be flipping logs my whole life.’ Not that I wasn’t good at it, and not that I didn’t bring love into what I was doing, but there was something inside me that felt I was supposed to shine in doing my own thing.”

With a sports career out of the picture, he threw himself full force into another love: music. In his free time, Louis would freestyle with friends, but it wasn’t until a girl downplayed his talent that he felt driven to prove people wrong.

“This one girl was in my truck and she played a certain rapper and the lyricism wasn’t hitting me well. I said, ‘He’s poppin’, he’s huge right now, but to me, it’s not good. I think I could do this just as well.’ And she said, ‘Nah, probably not. You can’t even sing.’ I had never sung in front of anyone.”

Coincidentally, Louis met someone with a nearby recording studio, and he recorded a version of his song “Lost Ways.” Initially, Louis’s music leaned more heavily into R&B, pop, and hip-hop, but he kept experimenting with sounds that would let his naturally twangy, burnished voice shine. Louis credits his late friend and fellow creative Chad Sellers with helping him write songs with a country construct. Still, getting label execs to take his country sound seriously had some trying moments.

“I remember we were doing the A&R vibe and I’m from the country, but they didn’t know that,” he recalls. “They only knew the music I had done previously. They were like, ‘This kid ain’t going to come in here and sing no kind of country.’ You should have seen their face when that first note came out—it was like, ‘Just let him sing how he wants to sing.’”

He wrote songs and played for mostly empty rooms as he continued refining his skills and sound. It was after one of those shows in 2023 that his breakthrough started.

“I was at a show, struggling,” he says. “I think we played three hours for $250. Nobody was in the room, so basically it was practice.”

Later that night, he posted a video clip for the slow-burn two-stepper “Neon You,” written by Sellers, Dalton Little and Easton Hamlin. “I went back and it had 25,000 views — that’s the most attention I’d had on anything at the time,” he recalls. “I went to sleep that night and it was blowing up all night. I woke up and it was at like 75,000 views.”

In 2023, he released the Sellers-produced EP This Is for You, which included “Neon You.” The song now has more than 5 million listens on Spotify alone, as does Louis’s sultry 2020 release “Addict” (a TikTok video of “Addict” has earned over 4 million views). At present, Louis has over 400,000 monthly Spotify listeners, and over 4 million TikTok likes. He signed with Empire Nashville, and he and his label team were already building his fanbase step by step, even before the success of Beyonce’s Cowboy Carter put a spotlight on Black country artists — including his Empire Nashville labelmate, “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” hitmaker Shaboozey.

Even as he sees the breadth of sounds widening that connect country with various other genres, and sees a rapidly expanding fanbase, he’s mindful of all the grind and creative struggles that fans don’t see.

“Everyone sees game day. You don’t see the practice that happens in between,” he says. “People will say ‘This is great music,’ or ‘What a great show.’ They don’t see when I’m staying up til 3:00 a.m., trying to write a song that encompasses my soul, my spirit and moves people’s hips, but also a song when they listen, they go, ‘This is deep.’”

As he releases his new album, and prepares for a slate of shows in the coming weeks in Texas, Colorado and Las Vegas, Louis is keeping his eyes on the next turning point.

“I don’t think there’s ever a level of contentedness. There’s a level of success you want to get to and then you got to set a new milestone,” he says. “I’m already working on a second album, I’m already five songs deep. You have to keep feeding it and stay hungry.”