Harry Styles could have been in Mean Girls. Samantha Jayne and Arturo Perez Jr., directors of the movie musical remake of the 2004 comedy, revealed that they had them in mind for one particular role.

Jayne and Perez spoke about the making of the new Mean Girls for an interview published by The Hollywood Reporter Saturday (Jan. 13), a day after the film’s opening. The topic of conversation turned to memorable lines and comedic moments from the original movie.

“There are certain iconic lines where we would joke that there would be riots in the streets if it wasn’t in there. Like ‘You go, Glen Coco!’ Give the people what they want. Give me what I want! But when we were like, ‘Who’s Glen Coco?’” Jayne said.

“Who can it be?” Perez chimed in, then shared: “I remember us going, could we ask, like, Harry Styles?”

“We were like Harry Styles could be Glen Coco!” Jayne confirmed.

But, Jayne continued, “Then we were like, hold on, we love to break the fourth wall: What if we are all Glen Coco? So, after 20 years, we can all feel like Glen Coco.” (In a THR editor’s note, the publication explained that the line is actually delivered straight to the camera/audience.)

The 2024 incarnation of Mean Girls is based on the Broadway musical adaptation of the 2004 Tina Fey-penned film, which starred Lindsay Lohan and Rachel McAdams. The remake features Reneé Rapp as Regina George and Angourie Rice as Cady Heron, while Fey reprises her role as Ms. Norbury and Tim Meadows is back as Mr. Duvall. Plus, Lohan returns for a cameo.

Mean Girls opened in theaters Friday (Jan. 12).

According to a box office report from THR, the Paramount film is on track to win “the box office popularity contest” with an estimated four-day opening of $31.5 million over the long holiday weekend.

When Kali Uchis picked the orchid as the title and theme of her new album Orquídeas, which arrived on Friday (Jan. 12), she didn’t know it was the flower of fertility. And then, later in her rollout, she found out she was pregnant with her first child, telling Billboard News, “It all came together perfectly.”

“The flower, for me, it always symbolized timelessness, femininity, luxury,” says the Colombian artist. “It has an eerie, mystical quality about it as well. It’s also the national flower of Colombia, so for me it all tied in.”

Orquídeas is Uchis’ fourth album and second Spanish-language full-length (she typically switches between English and Spanish on each project). Features include her friend Karol G (“Labios Mordidos”), plus Peso Pluma (“Igual Que Un Ángel”), Rauw Alejandro (“No Hay Ley Parte 2”) and the “unpredictable” pairing of City Girls’ JT alongside El Alfa (“Muñekita).

The Grammy winner debuted in 2018 with Isolation, followed by Sin Miedo (del Amor y Otros Demonios) in 2020 and last year’s Red Moon In Venus. She believes that Orquídeas, defined by its uptempo, high-energy productions, perfectly compliments those prior albums.

“I’m not a new artist anymore, I’m looking at my discography as a whole,” she says. “My next album that I’ve been working on that is also going to come out this year is all downtempo music. So being able to have to contrast, there’s so much within me that needs to be expressed and I never want to confine myself to anything.”

She confirms that forthcoming fifth album was written and recorded while pregnant, which is perhaps where the inspiration for a more soothing, lower energy release came from. And while she says “there’s so much to be excited for” about motherhood (she will soon welcome her first born with longtime partner Don Toliver), she also admits how hard it was to keep her pregnancy private, saying she still had a few shows and a red carpet appearance on her calendar — both of which made it harder to hide her growing baby bump.

Balancing her professional life with her private one has always been a priority to Uchis, who says she most looks up to Sade for how she walks that line. “It is such a fine line between trying to understand how much of ourselves are we really meant to share, or do we really feel comfortable sharing. And at the end of the day, I really thought it was strange that there is such an expectation on an artist to share their personal life,” says Uchis. “I try to remember that my music is supposed to be in the forefront, my private life and personal matters, I really don’t want that to be something that’s consuming or overshadowing my work.”

And as someone who puts their art first — and who has always embraced her bicultural upbringing along the way, having been born and raised in Virginia — Uchis has become a safe space for others who hope to do the same. “There’s a lot of artists who sing in Spanish who are English speakers primarily and they’ve come to me like, ‘You really make me want to make music in English too. I’ve always wanted to but my label doesn’t want me to do that because this or that is what sells for me,’” she says. “I think as an artist, what’s most important always is the thought of no limitations…I feel like everyone should be as free and creative as possible.”

Watch the full interview above.

Universal Music Group (UMG) shares rose 3% on Friday — the same day news broke that the company will lay off hundreds of staffers — and finished the week up 6.9% to 26.95 euros ($29.54). The prospect of cost savings made UMG the top-performing music stock of the week, beating French music streaming company Deezer’s 6.5% gain and 6% improvements by both Chinese music streamer Tencent Music Entertainment and live entertainment company MSG Entertainment. 

UMG first let investors know it was planning layoffs in its October earnings call. On Friday, a report by Bloomberg said UMG is planning layoffs as early as this quarter, primarily in its recorded music division. A company spokesperson declined to comment on the scope and timetable of the layoffs but told Billboard UMG is “creating efficiencies” in certain areas of the business “so we can remain nimble and responsive to the dynamic market, while realizing the benefits of our scale.” UMG’s stock gained 14.7% in 2023.

Despite no stocks finishing the week with double-digit gains, the 20-company Billboard Global Music Index rose 3.6% to a record 1,566.45 as 12 companies posted gains and eight companies’ share prices declined. Streaming companies led the way with an average gain of 3.9%. Live music companies averaged a 0.7% improvement. Record labels and publishers dropped an average of 1.5%. Radio companies lost an average of 4%.

Music stocks topped the tech-heavy Nasdaq composite, which gained 3.1% to 14,972.76 and easily bested the S&P 500’s 1.8% increase to 4,783.83. In the United Kingdom, the FTSE 100 fell 0.8% to 7,624.93. South Korea’s KOSPI composite index dropped 2.1% to 2,525.05. 

The index got a big lift from Spotify’s 4.9% gain to $203.03 this week. Spotify has surged 12.4% since it announced layoffs on December 4 and pledged to operate more efficiently. On Thursday, Spotify closed above $200 for the first time since Feb. 1, 2022. At Friday’s closing price, the stock is up 120.5% in the last 52 weeks. 

Live Nation finished the week up 1.6% to $90.66 after Roth analyst Eric Handler upgraded the stock to “buy” and increased the price target from $92 to $114. The $114 price target implies a nearly 26% upside from Friday’s closing price. 

Shares of French music company Believe fell 10.5% to 8.97 euros ($9.83) on Friday’s news that the company’s investors were pursuing taking the company private. According to a Reuters report, Believe’s largest shareholders, which includes founder Denis Ladegaillerie and U.S. investment firm TCV, have been working with advisors to gauge the interest of private equity firms. In the first nine months of 2023, Believe, the owner of digital distributor TuneCore and record labels such as PlayTwo and Jo&Co, had revenue of 630.4 million euros ($691 million), up 14.8% year over year. 

While other companies in recorded music and publishing posted gains this week, K-pop stocks were down across the board. HYBE’s 2% decline to 247,000 won ($188.05) was the best of the four South Korean music companies. JYP Entertainment fell 8.3% to 96,600 won ($73.54). Two others each dropped 5.9%: SM Entertainment closed at 88,200 won ($67.15) and YG Entertainment finished the week at 43,100 won ($32.81). 

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.

Curious about Max? From hit shows and movies to documentaries, comedy specials and more, the streaming giant has enough content to keep everyone in the household entertained. Keep reading to learn more about Max, including membership plans, pricing and how to get a free trial.

What Is Max?

Max is a relatively new streaming platform that combines HBO and Discovery channels including, Max Originals, B/R Sports, DC, ID Network, TCM, TLC, Discovery, Cartoon Network, Adult Swim, OWN, Food Network, HGTV, and Trvl Channel.

HBO Max launched by Warner Bros in 2020, replacing HBO Go. The streamer gained a massive following during the beginning of the pandemic, namely because every 2021 Warner Bros. movie arrived on HBO Max the same day as its theater release. Last year, HBO Max and its sister streamer, Discovery+, ballooned to a combined 96.1 million subscribers (and counting).

Warner Bros. Discovery decided not to merge HBO Max and Discovery+ into one streaming platform and instead launched Max, a mega-streamer combining programming from HBO and Discovery.

Discovery+ is still available as a standalone platform.

What to Watch on Max

Whether you love television, movies or a blend of both, Max has the kind of streaming library tailormade for binge watchers. Some of the new, upcoming and previous seasons to hit Max include new episodes of House of the Dragon and Euphoria premiering this year.

TV lovers can also binge episodes of fan favorites such as Succession, The Last of Us, The White Lotus, …And Just Like That, Barry, Doom Patrol, Rap Sh!t, Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin, Selena + Chef, Hacks, Big Little Lies, and Euphoria are streaming on Max along with must-watch movies and documentaries such as Blue Beetle, Barbie, The Gilded Age, Bookie, Oprah & The Color Purple: Journey, The Diana Investigations, Devil in the Ozarks, Menendez Brothers: Misjudged?, The Murder Gabby Petito: What Really Happened, The Curious Case of Natalia Grace: Natalia Speaks, Love to Love You, Donna Summer, The Weeknd: Live at Sofi Stadium, Love, Lizzo, Dionne Warwick: Don’t Make Me Over, Shaq, All That Breathes, and All the Beauty and the Bloodshed.

Also streaming on Max: Abbott Elementary, Gold Rush, Rick and Morty, The Haunted Museum, Yellowstone Wardens, Fixer Upper: The Hotel, Property Brothers: Forever Home, Gossip Girl, South Side, Station Eleven, The Staircase, Peacemaker, Tokyo Vice, The Boondocks, Curb Your Enthusiasm.

90 Day Fiance, Sister Wives, Welcome to Pathville, 1000-lb Sisters, Big Fat Fabulous, Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives, My Strange Addiction, Evil Lives Here, Very Scary People, Undercover Underage, People Investigates, Ghost Hunters, and Ghost Brothers: Lights Out.

Last Week Tonight With John Oliver and Real Time With Bill Maher are on Max, as well as numerous movies, classic episodes of beloved sitcoms such as The Nanny, Martin, The Fresh-Prince of Bel-Air and Friends, along with kid-approved and family-friendly shows including Sesame Street, Ben 10, Looney Tunes Cartoons and the Harry Potter film franchise.

How Much Does Max Cost?

Max has expanded to two subscription tiers: ad-supported, commercial free and ultimate ad-free. The platform also allows you to watch certain episodes for free. Max’s paid subscriptions start at $9.99 ($99.99 a year) for ad-supported streaming, or $15.99 ($149.99 a year) to watch ad free.

The Ultimate ad-free includes 4K Ultra HD quality, 100 downloads to watch on the go and you can stream on up to four devices at once.

The ad-supported and ad-free streaming plans let you enjoy over 13,000 hours of entertainment, exclusive access to must-watch movies, all your HBO favorites — and you can stream from up to five different profiles, which is great if there are multiple people in your household.

What’s only available on the ad-free plan? With Max’s commercial-free plan, users can stream certain movies in 4K, download content to watch offline and stream from other countries. Streaming from outside the U.S.? Access Max through ExpressVPN.

Does Max Offer a Free Trial?

Unfortunately, Max does not offer free trials, but the streaming giant has free episodes and previously announced promotions such last year’s $1.99/monthly deal for Black Friday and a discount promo in 2022. You never know when the platform will launch another streaming deal, but there are ways to go about getting Max for free right now.

Already subscribed to HBO? You may already have free Max through Samsung TV, Roku, Verizon Fios, DirecTV and other cable or live TV streaming platforms. Not sure? Click here to find out if you already have access to Max. Otherwise, you can score a free trail to Max through platforms such as Prime Video and DirectTV Stream. AT&T quietly removed the HBO Max bundle deal from its wireless plans last year, but customers can still access free Max with select plans and Cricket Wireless currently offers free Max with a $60 unlimited plan.

Can you get a free trial to Max through Hulu? New subscribers can enjoy a free trial to Hulu and add Max as an additional channel for an extra $15.99 a month.

Currently, Direct TV Stream’s offers monthly plans for less than $80/month to stream 75+ channels. Upgrade to the Entertainment Choice plan for $83.99/month and save $25/month for two months.

The Choice plan is $83.99/month (reg. $108.99) for 105+ live channels and local TV stations, DVR, sports channels (ACC Network, Big Ten Network, MLB Network, NBA TV, SEC Network, etc.) and more. DirecTV customers can also add Max, Showtime, Starz and other channels for an additional fee.

DirecTV’s Premiere Plan is on sale for $94.99/month (reg. $108.99) and includes free Max, Showtime, Starz and Cinemax as well as everything in the cheaper tiers, plus over 140+ live and local channels, 65,000+ on-demand titles, unlimited DVR recording, regional sports networks and tons of other benefits.

How to Get a Free Trial to Max Through Prime Video

Prime Video recently added Max to its lineup which includes Paramount+, Showtime, Starz, BET+, AMC+, Discovery+ and other streamers that you can add to your subscription. Max is available ad-free for $15.99/month after a free trial for a week.

Prime Video is one of the many perks that’s included with Amazon Prime memberships. If you’re not a Prime member, click here to launch your 30-day free trial ($14.99/month after the free trial ends).

Besides Prime Video, the subscription includes free shipping on millions of items, a subscription to Amazon Prime Music, free GrubHub+ for a year and tons of other member benefits.

In 2022, Prime Video beat out Netflix to become the No.1 subscription streaming platform in the U.S. The platform features Amazon Originals like Role Play, Saltburn, Reacher, Sound of Freedom, The Summer I Turned Pretty, Daisy Jones & The Six, Swarm, The Power, Harlem, Riches, The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, The Wheel of Time, Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan and The Boyz, movies like Role Play, Saltburn, Somebody I Used to Know, The People We Hate at the Wedding, My Policeman with music, fashion and sports programs such as Kendrick Lamar’s The Big Steppers Tour in Paris, Rihanna’s Savage x Fenty Vol. 4 and Thursday Night Football. You’ll also find paid episodes of hits shows Yellowstone, RuPaul’s Drag Race; and blockbuster films like Barbie, Spider-Man: Across the Spiderverse on Prime Video.