Shares of Spotify rose as high as $317.00, up 6.8% from the previous day’s closing price, after the company announced Monday (June 3) that it will raise subscription prices in the United States. The stock closed on Monday at $310.80, up 4.7%, bringing its year-to-date gain to 65.4%. 

Price increases have done wonders for Spotify’s share price this year. The stock also jumped 8.2% on April 3 after reports surfaced that the company would raise prices in the United Kingdom and Australia, among other markets. Spotify’s 2023 price increases fueled the company’s first-quarter results and drove the stock to its 52-week high of $319.30 on April 23. Revenue reached a record 3.6 billion euros ($3.9 billion), up 20%, and gross margin improved to 27.6% from 25.2% in the prior-year period. 

Investors weren’t sure about the impact of price increases on Spotify’s business, however. After Spotify announced its first broad price increase on July 24, 2023, its share price plummeted 14.3% to $140.38 — putting its stock at less than half the current price. Spotify had not instituted across-the-board price increases since its launch, and investors may have been wary about subscribers fleeing for free alternatives.

But Spotify has proved to have a considerable amount of pricing power, and subscribers mostly took the increases in stride. Spotify’s subscriptions grew 1% to 239 million at the end of March, up from 236 million at the end of December, and were up 14% from 210 million at the end of the first quarter of 2023. Interim CFO Ben Kung said during the company's April 23 earnings call that past price increases “had minimal impacts on growth” and that Spotify expects average revenue per user (ARPU) to improve again in the second quarter. 

Layoffs have also driven Spotify’s share price higher. The company’s Dec. 4, 2023, announcement that it would cut 17% of its global workforce led the stock to gain 7.5% that day. The combination of higher prices and lower salary expenses put Spotify on track to delivering the improved margins and profitability company executives promised investors in 2022. Its operating expenses in the first quarter were down 9% year-over-year and operating income — what’s left after salaries, general administrative expenses, marketing and royalties — improved to 168 million euros from an operating loss of 156 million euros in the prior-year period.

Monday’s high of $317.00 was the stock’s second-highest point of 2024. Spotify reached its all-time high of $387.44 on Feb. 22, 2021, amid investor hype about the company’s podcast ambitions and the boom in streaming stocks during a pandemic-fueled demand for at-home entertainment. 

Happy Pride from Katy Perry! As Pride Month begins, the pop star marked the occasion with a message of encouragement in the form of a heavily reworked take on the controversial — to say it lightly — grad speech given by the Kansas City Chiefs’ Harrison Butker at Benedictine College.

In a 20-minute speech on May 11, the football player condemned LGBTQ rights and attacked what he called “dangerous gender ideologies.” He spoke against abortion, birth control, IVF and surrogacy. He told female college graduates, whom he claims have been told “diabolical lies,” to embrace being a “homemaker.” 

“I would venture to guess that the majority of you are most excited about your marriage and the children you will bring into this world,” he said, directing his words to the women who were there for their college graduation.

“fixed this for my girls, my graduates, and my gays — you can do anything, congratulations and happy pride,” Perry captioned a post on Instagram on Saturday (June 1). She shared a Perry-approved version of Butker’s speech.

Here is a transcript of the edit of Butker’s commencement speech posted by Perry:

“For the ladies present today, congratulations on an amazing accomplishment. You should be proud of all that you have achieved to this point in your young lives. How many of you are sitting here now, about to cross this stage, and are thinking about all the promotions and titles you’re going to get in your career? I would venture to guess the women here today are going to lead successful careers in the world. I say all of this to you because I have seen it firsthand: how much happier someone can be supporting women, and not saying that the majority of you are most excited about your marriage and the children you will bring into this world. The road ahead is bright. Things are changing. Society is shifting and people young and old are embracing diversity, equity and inclusion. With that said, I want to say Happy Pride to all of you, and congratulations class of 2024.”

In a puzzling move, Butker’s speech had also quoted a lyric from Taylor Swift (“my teammate’s girlfriend,” he said, instead of naming names), apparently forgetting Swift’s decades-long dedication to her career; this week Swift, still on her historic international Eras Tour, holds onto No. 1 on the Billboard 200 for the sixth week in a row with her latest studio album, The Tortured Poets Department.

Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce, the “teammate” in reference, weighed in on the speech on his New Heights podcast after his teammate’s words went viral. Kelce said in the seven years he’s known Butker, he’s viewed him as a “great person and great teammate.” “When it comes down to his views and what he said … those are his,” said Kelce. “I can’t say I agree with the majority of it, or just about any of it outside of him loving his family and his kids. I don’t think I should judge him by his views, especially his religious views, of how to go about life. That’s just not who I am.”

Watch Perry’s version of the much-talked-about commencement speech below. The star just finished her run on American Idol and has been teasing that new music is on the horizon.

Taylor Swift went from Madrid to the Kit Kat Club in London’s West End to see her friend Cara Delevingne as Sally Bowles in Cabaret Friday night (May 31).

Rumblings circulated on Friday that the “So Long, London” star — who played back-to-back stadium shows in Spain on May 29-30 — made it to Delevingne’s West End stage debut before the run ends. Post-show, Swift’s attendance was confirmed by a member of Cabaret‘s production team.

Arthur Jones, head of marketing of ATG Productions, the theatrical production company behind Cabaret, verified that Swift was at the performance in reply to a question on X (formerly Twitter): “Taylor Swift?? Was supporting Cara Delevingne?? At Cabaret?? TONIGHT??!!”

“can confirm. a special night @kitkatclubldn,” he wrote.

“Did she watch the show last night??” another person asked on X. Jones again indicated that Swift did see Cabaret, answering with a thumbs up

Delevingne, who has Only Murders in the Building and Suicide Squad among her acting credits, starred as Sally Bowles through June 1 in the musical’s revival staged at London’s Playhouse Theatre.

In late January, Delevingne was spotted by Swift’s side in a stadium suite watching Travis Kelce and the Kansas City Chiefs make their way to the Super Bowl. Around the time, she was also seen at dinner with Swift and Brittany Mahomes in New York City.

The two have known each other for more than a decade, dating back to Delevingne’s modeling days; Swift performed at the 2013 Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show while Delevingne walked the runway.

Swift next takes her Eras Tour to Lyon, France, with shows slated for Sunday, June 2, and Monday, June 3, before heading to Edinburgh, Liverpool, Cardiff and then back to London, and then on to Dublin, all before month’s end. The extensive European leg of The Tortured Poets Department hitmaker’s tour runs through late August.

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Lifetime is taking viewers inside the “life and tragic death” of Nicole Brown Simpson in a two-part documentary premiering on Saturday (June 1) at 8 p.m. ET/PT.

The Life & Murder of Nicole Brown Simpson features 50 participants including Nicole’s sisters, Denise, Tanya and Dominique Brown along with friends such as Kris Jenner, Faye Resnick, Ron Hardy and Robin Greer. Nicole, the ex-wife of O.J. Simpson, was brutally murdered alongside her friend, Ron Goldman, in 1994.

Shedding “new light on her life and tragic death” the documentary features exclusive home videos, interviews, passages from Nicole’s diary, first-person accounts and legal depositions, and exposes “shocking details,” according to a Lifetime news release.

The Life & Murder of Nicole Brown Simpson is produced by Bunim/Murray Productions for Lifetime. Jesse Daniels, Melissa Moore, Rit Saraswat, Brie Miranda Bryant, Kim Chessler and Julie Pizzi serve as executive producers.

Read on for ways to watch and stream the two-part documentary.

How to Stream The Life & Murder of Nicole Brown Simpson

Lifetime’s The Life & Murder of Nicole Brown Simpson will premiere across two nights starting on Saturday (June 1) at 8 p.m. ET/PT.

Viewers that have access to Lifetime — through cable, satellite or streaming, can watch the documentary on Lifetime, MyLifetime.com, or stream the next day on the Lifetime App.

For those who don’t have cable channels, streaming is the best way to watch the documentary live and on-demand. And there are several ways to watch, without spending extra money up front.

Philo offers one of the most affordable streaming plans on the web with over 70 channels (Lifetime, MTV, BET, TLC, VH1, CMT, WEtv, A&E, ID, Trvl Channel, OWN, AMC, Comedy Central etc.) that you can stream for free for the first week. The monthly subscription is $25 and includes unlimited DVR that can be stored for up to a year. 

DirecTV Stream, Fubo and Hulu+ Live TV are some of the other streamers that offer free trials and plenty of live channels to binge including Lifetime, Bravo, Food Network, E! HGTV, FX, A&E and ESPN, plus DVR storage.

Sling TV, another budget-friendly streamer, has Lifetime and more. Sling offers multiple streaming tiers and other channels such as A&E, Bravo, MTV, BET, VH1, E!, TLC, TNT and ESPN. Click below to join for as low as $20 for the first month.

Want more ways to stream? The Life & Murder of Nicole Brown Simpson will also be available on Prime Video after the premiere.

The first two-parts of the documentary details Nicole’s childhood, her close bond with family and goes in-depth about her relationship with Simpson, which started when she was just 18 years old. But it also explores Simpson’s first marriage to Marguerite Simpson, and features an appearance from her sister, Veterdata Jones. O.J.’s former neighbor and a retired Los Angeles police officer who claims O.J. physical abused his first wife also appear in the documentary. However, the documentary notes that Marguerite has publicly denied any domestic abuse by Simpson.

Outlining a pattern of domestic violence that began early in the relationship with Nicole, the documentary shares never-before-heard details and stories from her family, close friends and a witness who recalls seeing Simpson slap her while on the beach with family. The Life & Murder of Nicole Brown Simpson also revisits the gruesome, double murders, Simpson’s infamous white Bronco chase, the murder trial and his subsequent acquittal. Despite being acquitted of both murders, the former NFL player was found liable in a civil lawsuit and served nine years in prison on charges of armed robbery, kidnapping for a separate incident. Simpson was released from prison in 2021 and died from cancer in April.

Watch the trailer for The Life and Murder of Nicole Brown Simpson below.

Lainey Wilson showcased her progression into one of country music’s foremost entertainers during the opening concert of her headlining Country’s Cool Again tour on Friday night (May 31) at Nashville’s Ascend Amphitheater (the first of two nights at the venue). Wilson, the reigning entertainer of the year at both the ACM Awards and the CMA Awards, one of country music’s hardest-working artists, and Billboard‘s recent cover star, proved just why she’s worthy of those accolades during her headlining show.

She also made good on the tour’s namesake declaration, welcoming two openers whose sets were steeped in twang, fiddle and steel guitar. Zach Top sailed through a solid lineup of songs with a decidedly ’90s country influence including “I Never Lie,” “There’s the Sun” and his album’s title track, “Cold Beer and Country Music.” Like country stalwarts Alan Jackson and George Strait, Top remained close to the center stage mic for the bulk of the performance, acoustic guitar in hand and letting the music flow into the open evening. Ian Munsick brought “the West to the rest” with his high-energy set that celebrated imagery of his Wyoming roots, melding in lyrics of tumbleweeds, cattle, and open ranges. His opening music was Eddy Arnold’s “Cattle Call.”

“It’s official — country’s cool again,” he told the Nashville crowd, as he sailed through “I See Country Everywhere,” “More Than Me,” and the Cody Johnson collab “Long Live Cowgirls” (sans the Texan hitmaker). He highlighted his Rocky Mountain Fever Band, which was clad in turquoise shirts and bolo ties, as they ripped it up playing songs including Ricky Skaggs’ “Country Boy” and offering up a searing fiddle on a version of Alabama’s “Fiddle in the Band.” He offered up a new song, “Heartbreak King,” before playing the fan favorite, “Cows–t,” as well as the namesake from a recent album, “White Buffalo,” and “Horses are Faster.”

When Wilson took the stage just minutes after 9 p.m., it was clear that she was intent on showcasing just why she’s been lauded with entertainer-level accolades of late, blending high-quality production, country songs with heart and an edge, and a high-energy persona that’s still down-to-earth.

The show’s production made top-tier use of two of her truck-themed hits, “Heart Like a Truck” and the HARDY collaboration “Wait in the Truck,” by showcasing a red, rotating, retro truck center stage throughout the show.

Clad in her signature bell bottoms, Wilson first appeared on top of the truck as she belted out “Straight Up Sideways” and “Smell Like Smoke.” She sang “Heart Like a Truck” while screens focused on Wilson as she sang from inside the retro auto,” while she performed “Watermelon Moonshine” seated on the truck’s tailgate.

Throughout the evening, she came across as not only an entertainer whose songs chronicle stories of love, ambition, and loyalty to home — but a mentor, aspirational role model, and the best friend who can be both supportive and give a motivating kick in the rear when needed. It’s clear the audience has responded — crowd members paid homage to Wilson’s signature style by wearing hats, sparkly bell bottoms and flared jeans.

“I’m not going to lie ya’ll, lately life has been a whirlwind,” she told the crowd. “That’s the world that I keep using, the word that keeps coming to my mind, out of my mouth, trying to keep one foot on the ground. We have literally been everywhere… with all the craziness, I will say, I have fought like hell to keep one foot on the ground and that’s been hard at times. I know a lot of y’all have been here from the beginning and I have a lot of people in my life who remind me who I am and where I come from and I know no matter where I go, no matter what I do, no matter where this job takes me, I’m always gonna be me, I’m always gonna know who I am right in here. I’m always going to find my way back home,” she said, launching into “Good Horses Come Home.”

During the sassy “Bell Bottoms Up,” she nodded to her growing empire as an entertainer — her new Lainey Wilson’s Bell Bottoms Up bar in Nashville, which opened that same day.

While Wilson’s openers for the evening were two traditional country-leaning male performers, Wilson’s guests during her headlining set were two ’90s hitmakers that Wilson called mentors and friends during her set — Terri Clark and Wynonna Judd. Judd teamed with Wilson to perform a rendition of Tom Petty’s “Refugee,” from the upcoming tribute album Petty Country. Wilson’s piercing soprano was a stellar match for Wynonna’s bluesy growl, making for a show-stopping moment of clear friendship and respect between the two performers.

“I can’t believe I’m on stage with Wynonna,” Wilson told the crowd, while Wy replied, “I’d open for you any day.”

Meanwhile, Clark teamed with Wilson to perform Clark’s 1996 hit remake of Warren Zevon’s “Poor, Poor Pitiful Me,” from her new album Take Two, with Wilson playing cowbell.

Wilson often spoke of her Louisiana roots, while her intro music included Creedence Clearwater Revival’s “Born on the Bayou.” “My heart is filled with gratitude,” she told fans at one point, adding, “Tonight let’s be proud of where we are from and fired up about where we’re going!”

Wilson’s set blended music, theatrics, homespun stories and almost spiritual-minded words of encouragement throughout the evening, as she regularly related to and lifted up her “Wildhorses,” as she affectionately calls her fans. At one point, she crowned one concertgoer Cowgirl of the Night, but not before leading her — and the rest of the crowd — in lifting themselves up with affirmations including “I am smart. I am talented. I am beautiful.”

Wilson also offered up a medley of cover songs — but keeping in line with the tour’s name, instead of a lineup of rock covers, she paid homage to her inspirations with a medley of classic country songs, including Hank Williams’ “Hey, Good Lookin’,” Loretta Lynn’s “You Ain’t Woman Enough,” Johnny Paycheck’s “Take This Job and Shove It,” Randy Travis’s “Forever and Ever, Amen,” Reba McEntire’s “The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia,” Miranda Lambert’s “Kerosene,” Alan Jackson’s “Gone Country” and her own “Country’s Cool Again.”

Though none of her bevvy of hit collaborators Jelly Roll, HARDY or Cole Swindell were surprise guests, Wilson did those songs justice, seated on the tailgate of the truck and offering acoustic versions “of the songs “Never Say Never,” “Wait in the Truck” and “Save Me,” with the latter song in particular turning into a redemptive, soul-cleansing crowd singalong.

From there, Wilson showcased a song, “4x4xYou,” from her upcoming August album Whirlwind, a song she noted is inspired by her beau Devlin Hodges.

The show concluded with “Wildflowers and Wild Horses,” as rainy, hurricane-themed imagery swirled on the screens behind Wilson as she stood atop the truck, belting out the empowering song that touched on her familial legacy of “five generations of blazin’ a trail.” In the final moments of the show, she stood tall, lowered her cowboy hat and raised one arm in the air. It’s a power stance used by so many headlining-level male country entertainers — but one that entertainer of the year winner Wilson now fully inhabits as her own.