American Idol, it’s not too late to send Kelly Clarkson her car — and Jordin Sparks agrees!

In a appearance on Today With Jenna and Sheinelle on Tuesday (March 17), Sparks, who won season six of the famed singing competition show, revealed that she fared a bit better than Clarkson when it came to cashing in on prizes.

“I got my car,” Sparks revealed after guest cohost Justin Sylvester asked her whether or not she received her winnings. “Look, I wasn’t a part of season one. But the first season of anything is a little crazy.”

The conversation came about after, on the March 10 episode of her eponymous talk show, Clarkson told The Traitors winner Rob Rausch that she never received her promised prize when she won the first season of American Idol. During their interview, Rausch told the host that he has yet to receive his $220,800 cash prize for his win. (The finale aired on Peacock Feb. 26.)

“I relate to this so hardcore,” the “Breakaway” singer said to Rausch.

Clarkson went on to share that American Idol told her she would get $1 million for winning. “No you didn’t,” she said on her show. “They lied you did not”

She explained that rather getting $1 million cash prize like she expected, the show actually gave her “like, a million dollars worth of investment in you.” She claimed American Idol continued to get her hopes up when she was told would also get a car. “And I needed it because my car was bashed in and I couldn’t afford a deductible,” she shared. “I did not get a car!”

It’s been more than two decades since Clarkson won American Idol, and in that time, she has built a flourishing music and TV career. The “Since U Been Gone” singer has topped the Billboard Hot 100 three times, had 31 Hot 100 entries in total and has had three albums hit No. 1 on the Billboard 200, so it’s safe to say that three-time Grammy and six-time Daytime Emmy winner no longer needs a car from American Idol. But that’s not stopping Sparks from standing up for her fellow American Idol victor.

“I hope they give her one now,” Sparks said on Today With Jenna and Sheinelle. “Somebody send her a Ford.”

Watch Sparks talk about her American Idol prize on Today below:

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THE BIG STORY: It ain’t over yet. A week after the U.S. Department of Justice reached an abrupt settlement in its blockbuster antitrust case against Live Nation, a coalition of more than two dozen states resumed a jury trial after refusing to sign onto the deal struck by the feds.

The DOJ settlement calls for Live Nation to change certain practices that have allegedly stifled competition in live music. But it does not require the company to divest Ticketmaster — the original stated aim of the case filed by the DOJ and more than 40 state attorneys general.

As a result, a group of 26 states was back in court on Monday (March 16) to take the lawsuit forward without the help of the feds. “Any resolution in this case must actually serve consumers, the marketplace and the law,” California Attorney General Rob Bonta said. To handle the case without the DOJ, the states hired veteran antitrust lawyer Jeffrey Kessler, who has won landmark cases against the NFL and NCAA.

The states’ resolve to keep fighting was no doubt helped last week when a trove of embarrassing internal Live Nation messages was unsealed on the docket. The trove revealed two company execs bragging about how much they could charge fans, including a message that said they were “robbing them blind” and another that read, “These people are so stupid.”

The messages even drew blowback from Kid Rock, a strong supporter of the Trump administration that struck the deal with Live Nation: “THIS IS WHAT THE F**K I HAVE BEEN SCREAMING ABOUT FOR YEARS,” the rocker wrote on X. Being social media, his post was quickly met with responses like: “Wait until you find out who let them off the hook.”

Also on Monday, Senate Democrats released a report calling for Live Nation and Ticketmaster to be broken up and harshly criticizing the DOJ settlement. The report detailed alleged ways in which Ticketmaster has “abused its monopoly power,” including its push for dynamic pricing. Live Nation criticized the report, saying it “misrepresents how the live events industry works.”

As the case moves ahead, the jury is expected to hear testimony for several more weeks. Stick with Billboard for updates — we’re providing weekly trial recaps each Friday covering all the major action in the courtroom and why it matters.

You’re reading The Legal Beat, a weekly newsletter about music law from Billboard Pro, offering you a one-stop cheat sheet of big new cases, important rulings and all the fun stuff in between. To get the newsletter in your inbox every Tuesday, subscribe here.

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BTS is back after years out of the spotlight, and their return has everyone talking.

The boy group’s return to the music sphere comes with the release of their new album title Arirang, set to release on March 20. This marks the boy group’s 10th studio album and their first since 2022. The tracklist for the album was dropped earlier this month, featuring 14 songs including  “Body to Body,” “Hooligan,” “Aliens,” “FYA,” “2.0,” “No. 29,” “Into The Sun” and “Please,” among others.

While little is still known about this album, the title track is “SWIM” and is said to be “an upbeat alternative pop genre song,” according to The Chosun Daily. “It sings about the attitude of continuously swimming forward without stopping amid life’s waves.” In support of the release of their album, BTS is embarking on a world tour. If you’re still looking for your perfect seats, you can buy affordable tickets with help from ShopBillboard here.

Best BTS Merch to Shop, at a Glance:

If you didn’t know, each member took time off to fulfill the mandatory military service South Korea imposes on men in the country — a service that takes up to 18 to 21 months. Additionally, the last time the group went on tour in America was during their Permission to Dance on Stage residency, which wrapped up in Las Vegas, Nevada, on April 16, 2022. The lengthy hiatus and lack of music have left fans craving more of their favorite BTS boys.

To celebrate the group’s comeback, we’ve created a comprehensive list of official and unofficial merch that ARMY’s can actually get behind, from clothing and collectibles to pieces that should help get you ready for the group’s 2026 world tour. We’ve even included a slew of affordable items for ARMY on a budget. Shop our picks below.

ARMY-Approved Clothing

Crossbody bags are often a stellar option to take with you to concerts. With BTS’ world tour approaching, you’ll want to prepare with a stadium-ready option that can carry all your essentials, including your lightstick. This crossbody is affixed with chibi figures of each BTS member. The straps are detachable and adjustable, letting users tailor the fit of their bag. The body of the bag is ample enough to hold a phone, keys and wallet easily. It is also compact enough that you won’t be stopped while heading through security to see BTS on tour.  

If you’re an ARMY, you likely already know what BT21 is; however, if you don’t, here’s a rundown. Way back when, BTS collaborated with LINE FRIENDS, a global character brand, to create characters inspired by all seven members. The characters have been featured in a variety of BTS-themed merchandise over the years, including this card holder from Hot Topic. The holder features slots for all your go-to cards and even some BTS photocards, if that’s your thing.

BTS’ album Love Yourself: Answer was a landmark release for the group. The 2018 album features hit tracks like “Euphoria,” “DNA,” “Fake Love,” and more that are still just as popular with ARMY as they were back when they were released. If you’re a lover of that album or BTS in general, then these socks should be a hit. The pair retails for $13.99 and features the album’s iconic floral motif throughout in rainbow pastel hues. You can never have too many socks, especially when they’re BTS-themed. These socks are also a subtle way of repping your faves without shoving it in people’s faces.

It’s sometimes hard to come by K-Pop merch that actually looks stylish, but this graphic tee is pretty fashionable if you ask us. Retailing for $21.76, the tee comes in black and features all the BTS members on the front, accompanied by colorful graphics. Sizing is available from medium to 3XL. Graphic tees are a closet staple for a reason. They’re extremely versatile and very comfortable. They’re a piece that you can just throw on with just about anything. A style like this layers well, but also looks good on its own.

Another closet staple is a basic baseball cap that can hide your head for those bad hair days, while making you look put together. This style hails from Etsy and comes in eight different colors, including BTS’ official color, purple. The hat is made of easy-to-wash cotton and features unique distressing that makes the cap look worn and “vintage.” The front is embroidered with BTS’ logo and their name. You can choose one of four designs if you want to change up the embroidery.

If you’re looking for an easy way to make an updo more fun, a clip like this one from Amazon might do the trick. The medium-sized clip is brown and orange and features Suga’s BT21 character SHOOKY on the front. The clip is made from recycled plastic and can be used to create half-up-half-down styles, or for those moments you want all your hair out of your face.

ARMY-Approved Collectibles

This poster is 22 1/4″ x 34″ and currently retails for $8.90. This can be used to cover up a bare spot on your wall, or it can be framed and put on a shelf. As a K-Pop fan, I used to put posters up on my walls until I had no blank space left, letting the whole world know who I repped without a doubt. Posters also make excellent gifts for collectors looking to capture the boy group in a specific moment in time.

A good collection, no matter the fixation, isn’t complete without a figurine. This figure from Funko Pop is in collaboration with Disney Pixar and the “Toy Story” franchise. The figure of Jimin stood on a box, dressed up as the character Rex, a dinosaur. The collaborative piece is extremely cute with wide eyes and a sweet little stance. Jimin’s name is affixed to the front of the box he stands on.

Another day, another BT21 piece, this time, in the form of a keyring. The keyring features each BTS member’s BT21 character with little sleep caps attached to the keyrings and accompanied by rainbows and either stars or clouds. The decorative pieces can obviously go on your keys, but they’d also look great attached to a bag as a pseudo charm. Each charm is made of metal and silicone, so they’ll last you a while even after lots of wear.

Stick with us on this because it’s kind of weird but fun. A while back, BTS’ Jin became the brand ambassador in South Korea for the brand Dongwon Tuna. With the announcement of his ambassadorship, the brand dropped collectors’ tuna cans that you can now get in a pack of 12 on Amazon for those die-hard collectors. Yes, this is real tuna with Jin’s face on it. The collaboration is not as far-fetched as you might think because the singer is also an ambassador for the ramen brand Ottogi. In March of last year, Jin also launched “Jin Ramen,” a Jin-branded pack or ramen that also seemed to sell well with ARMY.

“Dynamite” dominated the Billboard Hot 100 charts and stood at the number one spot for a whopping three weeks. In total, the song enjoyed 32 weeks on the charts, which is no small feat. With that in mind, it’s safe to say people enjoyed the track and its accompanying music video seeing the members dancing near a donut shop, standing out front of an ice cream parlor and boogie-ing as a group in front of a building reading “Disco.”

All of these iconic locations were taken straight from the music video and turned into a Lego set made for all ages. The set is extremely detailed, down to the frosted pink donut atop a building, and comes with mini figures of all the members, plus accessories. This is certainly a piece we can see ARMY proudly displaying alongside their other BTS merch.

This two-pack of license plate covers reads “BTS ARMY We Purple You Forever.” For $27.95, the plate covers go on top of your license plate, decorating the perimeter while showing love for BTS. It’s an easy way to add more BTS fun to your car.

ARMY-Approved Concert Essentials

If you’re a hardcore BTS stan you’ll know all about BT21 Line Friends. The cute little mascots were created through a collaboration between the South Korean boy band BTS and LINE FRIENDS, a global character brand. Whether you stan Suga or Jimin, you can show your loyalty by snagging yourself a sweet little headband affixed with each member’s BT21 character. The characters attached to the headband are 3D and plush.

If you’re getting ready for BTS’ upcoming concert, it’s likely you’re going to be doing your makeup. Why not add a little whimsy to your routine with this clear BT21 makeup pouch? ShopBillboard loves K-Pop merch that is both cute and functional. This pouch set comes with three for $39.90, a big clear pouch, a square-shaped teal pouch and a yellow circular pouch. The three piece allows you to organize your makeup and look cute doing so. This makeup pouch trio is also awesome for those looking to pack their makeup for a BTS concert they’re attending out of state or overseas.

If you are going to BTS’ Arirang tour, you’ll want to rep the band’s new album stylishly. This Etsy seller has Arirang-themed sweatshirts, hoodies and tees available to customize and buy. The sweatshirts are now 45% off and come embroidered with the member’s names on the front, accompanied by that distinctive Arirang graphic. The sweatshirt comes in sizes small through 3XL. We can see this piece styled with barrel jeans and your favorite sneakers for a simple and cute concert look.

Loungefly has a ton of BTS-themed items for sale, but our favorite has to be this mini backpack for $80 available on Amazon. The themed bag is small enough to take to any concert venue and comes in a stylish rainbow chrome finish. While it is super small, this backpack can hold your essentials from a wallet and keys to a lightstick or portable fan.

Affordable ARMY-Approved Merch Under $100

Hot Topic has a slew of BT21 merch available for collectors looking to add to their collection. One of the more practical pieces we’ve seen on our search is this set of seven makeup brushes inspired by the boy group’s BT21 characters. These brushes vary in size for specific uses, from applying blush to blending out eyeshadow. The tips of each brush feature a blue gradient, while the ends are adorned with a whimsical print of all of the group’s BT21 characters. You’re getting seven brushes for $29.90. That’s roughly $4.27 per brush, which is way less than the average pricing for makeup brushes from a place like Sephora.

This satin pillowcase from Kitsch is affixed with every BTS member’s specific BT21 character but solely focuses on Shooky, Suga’s character. The pillowcase zips up over a standard pillow and can be taken off to machine wash. According to Kitsch, satin pillowcases offer a cooling effect. They also prevent hair breakage and frizziness, and are more hygenic than your average pillow case that can harbor bacteria.

Bag charms are still all the rage in 2026, and the trend doesn’t seem to be dying out anytime soon. This fuzzy BT21 keychain doubles as a bag charm and is meant to represent Jungkook. The charm depicts a fuzzy pink bunny, otherwise known as Cooky. The feisty-looking rabbit is affixed to a silver closure that allows users to attach this bunny to their bags, lanyards and keys, of course, adding a touch of personality to any item it’s clasped to.

Built teamed up with BTS all the way back in 2021 to launch collaborative water bottles meant to represent each member and their individual style and personalities with unique prints. No matter which member you choose, the water bottles can hold 18oz of liquid of your choosing that will stay at your desired temperature thanks to the bottles’ double-walled insulation.

You know what your fridge is likely lacking? BTS merch. These magnets include all seven members of BTS, all suited up in their 2021 “Permission to Dance” live stage outfits. The magnets are currently available for $5.97, so you can buy all seven magnets without breaking the bank. Or you could be a proud solo stan and just grab one.

Similar to the figure above, this figure depicts each member of BTS in a sweet little chibi style, but with a twist. These collectables were made in collaboration with Tamagotchi Nano, a miniature, portable version of the popular Tamagotchi virtual pet. Nestled in the lap of each figure, you’ll find a functioning Tamagotchi Nano loaded up with two mini games and little playable characters depicting the BTS members. Interactive and fun, we can envision this piece making a great gift for the gamer ARMY in your life.

Ella Langley extends her double-up atop Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart (dated March 21), as “Choosin’ Texas” and “Be Her” remain at Nos. 1 and 2, respectively. She becomes the first woman ever to hold the chart’s top two positions for multiple weeks, surpassing Beyoncé and Taylor Swift, who achieved the feat once each.

“Choosin’ Texas” logs a 16th week at No. 1, earning 22.7 million official U.S. streams, 44.7 million in radio airplay audience and 6,000 sold in the March 6–12 tracking week, according to Luminate. “Be Her,” at its No. 2 high, totaled 12 million streams, 4 million in airplay reach and 2,000 sold.

Langley first held the Hot Country Songs chart’s top two spots a week earlier, becoming just the third woman to hit that mark, after Beyoncé and Taylor Swift. Beyoncé did so in April 2024 when “Texas Hold ’Em” led and “II Most Wanted,” with Miley Cyrus, debuted at No. 2. Swift dominated in October 2012 during the rollout of her album Red, when “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together” and the title track ranked Nos. 1 and 2, respectively.

Overall, few artists have managed to lock down both Nos. 1 and 2 simultaneously for multiple weeks, and they’ve done so across very different eras of the chart. Morgan Wallen’s record 25-week streak came last year, in today’s streaming-driven landscape, among an unprecedented 37 total weeks that he’s earned the honor since 2022, far surpassing earlier runs such as Dan + Shay’s eight-week stretch in 2018-19 and Luke Bryan’s six-week streak in 2014.

In earlier eras, the feat was far less common, with just two two-week runs — by Willie Nelson in 1982 and Buck Owens in 1964. That context makes Langley’s current stretch especially notable — not only as the longest by a woman, but as a standout in today’s more robust multimetric environment.