The Voice contestant Lauren Duski is mourning the death of her mother, Janis Duski, in a touching tribute posted to Instagram. According to TMZ, which first reported the news, the Tuscarora Township Police in Indian River, Michigan, said Janis was found dead in an apparent suicide.

In her Instagram post, Lauren Duski says she was hesitant to share the news publicly but thought she might be able to help others through her mother’s story.

“I wasn’t planning on sharing this but these last few days I’ve been feeling the most violent pull in my heart to remind you to please talk to one another,” Duski wrote. “If you’re struggling, do not be ashamed. Do not be ashamed. Do not be ashamed. Your mental health is nothing to be ashamed of and neither is talking about it. We are all trying to navigate this beautiful, messy life. I’ve learned that even the strongest humans have a breaking point. Be patient and gentle with yourself. Minute by minute. Please do not lose hope. Trust in God. There is always another chance…and there will never be another you.”

Duski competed on season 12 of The Voice in 2017 and chose to join Blake Shelton’s team among the three coaches who turned their chairs for her audition. The country singer finished as the season’s runner-up.

Lauren’s late mom can be seen, alongside her dad, celebrating her daughter’s success backstage in her blind audition video, in which she covered Jewel’s “You Were Meant for Me.”

Three of the songs Duski performed on The Voice hit the Billboard Hot 100 following her season: “Deja Vu” (No. 43), which she wrote, and covers of the Garth Brooks smash “The Dance” (No. 92) and Hugh Prestwood’s “Ghost in This House” (No. 98).

Read Lauren’s full message about her mom below:

Said goodbye to my best friend and hero this past Friday. My mom was the greatest human I’ve ever known. There was no one who loved harder.  She offered her entire being — heart and soul to everyone she encountered and always held up the mirror to remind you of how wonderful and special you were.  She set the bar above the moon. She adored her family and her grandchildren.  She was an endless dreamer. brilliant. an absolute powerhouse. Top of her class AND president in dental school. Served as a captain in the United States Air Force. She pioneered the Wolverine Patriot Project alongside the University of Michigan School of Dentistry and made it her mission to provide oral health care to disabled and homeless Michigan military veterans. We called her “Yoda” for her endless wisdom, energy, wit, and humor. She was selfless in every way. She never quit. Especially with a fishing pole in her hand.  She loved to spend time exploring and road tripping across country with just a road map.

She saw God in everyone and everything.

Mom, you are infinitely loved. I will miss you every second of every day. I still don’t know how the hell I’m supposed to do this without you. I will thank God every day for our 32 years together and see you every time I look in that mirror.

I wasn’t planning on sharing this but these last few days I’ve been feeling the most violent pull in my heart to remind you to please talk to one another. If you’re struggling, do not be ashamed. Do not be ashamed. Do not be ashamed. Your mental health is nothing to be ashamed of and neither is talking about it. We are all trying to navigate this beautiful, messy life. I’ve learned that even the strongest humans have a breaking point. Be patient and gentle with yourself. Minute by minute. Please do not lose hope. Trust in God. There is always another chance…and there will never be another you.

We have the opportunity to save a generation and beyond. Say “I love you” every chance you get. Don’t wait. You never know the true impact you have on those around you.

I love you, mom. Forever. May you rest in glorious peace.

Janis Patricia Duski – 1964-2024

If you’re thinking about suicide, or are worried about a friend or loved one, contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, available 24 hours, at 1-800-273-8255.

The Jeymes Samuel-directed The Book of Clarence hits theaters on Friday (Jan. 12), and to celebrate his newest film, the star sat down with Billboard‘s Gail Mitchell to discuss the movie.

“I think for me, ‘epic’ and ‘bold’ are two of the words that define cinema. When every other movie is a superhero movie […] it’s really quite rare that we get original storytelling in the cinematic experience,” he shared. “I love cinema, I love film, I love music, I love originality. Who better to combine those things than moi?”

Samuel’s reimagined take on Hollywood’s classic Biblical epics stars LaKeith Stansfield as the streetwise Clarence, a man who is struggling to make a better life for himself and his family. Inspired by the rising power and glory of the Messiah and his disciples, Clarence stakes his own claim to a similar life as he embarks on a journey that encompasses risks as well as redemption and faith.

The film’s soundtrack was spearheaded by Samuel’s longtime friend Jay-Z and his entertainment company, Roc Nation. “We speak every single day,” the British filmmaker said of Jay’s involvement in the film. “It’s not like we create together. He’s a floor to the ceiling creator and I’m a floor to the ceiling creator. We’re just having conversation, laughing our heads off, having fun and at the end of it, these classics are made.”

He continued, “We’re always collaborating. I don’t know when it begins and when it ends, because we’re natural born creators.”

Watch Billboard‘s full interview with Jeymes Samuel above.

SoundCloud has been eyeing a sale — and actively pursuing initiatives internally “that would increase the valuation of the company” — since the second half of 2022, according to two former employees who spoke to Billboard on the condition of anonymity. Meanwhile, COO and CFO Drew Wilson is preparing to leave the company after nearly three years in the role, according to a staff memo obtained by Billboard. 

Sky News reported on Sunday that SoundCloud was planning to pursue a sale in 2024. This has been in the works “for some time,” one former employee tells Billboard. “A lot of decision making has been based on this.”

SoundCloud announced it was slashing 8% of its workforce last May — less than a year after a 20% cut — to achieve “profitability this year,” as CEO Eliah Seton wrote in an email to staff at the time. “The ambition to reach profitability was not just for the obvious reason of being profitable,” the former employee continues. “The bigger need was for this, to sell the company. The stakeholders have major investments; it’s time.” (SoundCloud previously secured a $170 million investment led by The Raine Group and Temasek in 2017, and an additional $75 million investment from SiriusXM in February 2020.) 

A rep for SoundCloud declined to comment. The Raine Group also declined to comment.

SoundCloud leadership had previously tossed around the idea — a best case scenario — of reaching a $2.5 billion valuation for the company, sources said. (The company likes to aim big: In internal meetings, executives also expressed a hope that one of the artists SoundCloud signed to deals in 2022 would have a major chart hit, one of the employees said; this has not happened.)

The more commonly cited valuation goal, the sources say, was around $1 billion. “There’s a billion-dollar-plus opportunity in front of us,” Tracy Chan, who joined SoundCloud as senior vp of creator in 2022, said at an all-hands meeting that year. One of SoundCloud’s former employees said most of the interest in the company came from private equity firms, not music companies. 

For comparison’s sake, when Square acquired TIDAL in 2021, the streaming service was valued at around $375 million. Though SoundCloud is not just a streaming service — it also provides tools to creators to help them distribute, market, and monetize music. Creator tools and services brought in more than $26 million for the platform in the first quarter of 2023, according to screenshots from an all-hands meeting shared with Billboard, nearly as much as subscriptions ($29.9 million).

Those screenshots indicate that SoundCloud had a gross profit of around $22 million in the first quarter of the year. But it spent around $4 million on marketing and another $23 million on staffing and general and administrative expenses, leaving it around $5 million short of breaking even. 

In May 2023, SoundCloud aimed to reduce that headcount cost through a second round of cuts. (Profitability has been a goal since 2022, if not before: “Investors are looking for companies that are a little more stable right now,” former CEO Michael Weissman told staff during an all-hands meeting that followed the first round of layoffs in 2022. “Investors are looking for companies that are very profitable.”) The company said it finally reached profitability in December. 

“Now that we have achieved profitability and are making progress on our strategic plan, we have nothing but opportunity in front of us,” Seton wrote in an email to staff on Monday (Jan. 8) that was obtained by Billboard. “As we have mentioned in previous All Hands [meetings] and AMAs, we will explore a range of options for our capital structure, but there is nothing to report right now, nor will there be any time soon.”

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.

Arianators recieved a major surprise from Ariana Grande, as the “Thank You, Next” singer has officially teased new music in a cozy oversized sweatshirt. The dry spell is over for fans as Grande announced her new single, “Yes, And?” is coming Jan. 12, and she took to the streets and social media to tease the upcoming new song.

The “Dangerous Woman” singer’s style is just one of her iconic qualities, alongside award-winning vocals. Some of her go-to pieces include oversized sweatshirts, which the artist has sported on numerous occasions. Most recently, she was seen on the streets of New York City on Thursday (Jan. 4) sporting Proenza Schouler mules, a leather tote bag from The Row, light-wash straight-leg jeans and a relaxed crewneck sweatshirt that said “Yes, And?,” sparking rumors and speculation about a possible seventh studio album.

She confirmed that the crewneck’s text indeed was in reference to a new single in an Instagram post on Sunday (Jan. 7).

“yes, and? ♡ 1.12,” the caption says.

To prepare for the “7 Rings” singer’s new music, you can show your own crewneck inspired by the exact one that Grande wore to tease her new single. Instead of searching for it yourself, we found a couple options for you to snag now before you get ready to stream the new song coming Friday.

Keep reading to shop our picks below.

yes, and? Crewneck Sweatshirt

Buy Now on etsy $45+

Etsy’s crewneck sweatshirt aims to look just like the artist’s version with small text centered on the front and a soft cotton material that’ll help swaddle you in comfort whether you’re listening to music in bed or walking to the nearest cafe for coffee.

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Add Your Own Text Personalized Crewneck Sweatshirt

Buy Now On Amazon $34.90

Amazon’s customizable crewneck gives you ability to add your own “yes, and?” text to the crewneck with the choice of font, character color, the size and placement of the text and even the color of the sweatshirt. You can keep it black like the one that Grande sported or go for a more bold color. Just make sure to hit customize before you add the top to your cart.

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For more product recommendations, check out our roundups of the best shackets for women, band t-shirts and the best teddy coats.

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.

Dry shampoos have risen to become a staple hair grooming product in most styling routines, whether it’s to provide volume, prolong washing your hair or to lend a helping hand in maintaining a blowout. No matter what your hair goals are, incorporating the best dry shampoo into your styling routine can help eliminate odor as well as soak up grease and oil — no salon appointment required.

What is considered the best dry shampoo? You don’t want to grab the first can you see, as some formulas can leave a powdery residue or weigh your strands down, resulting in a look that will have you feeling the opposite of a good hair day.

Before you reach for just any dry shampoo, Billboard Shopping spoke with celebrity hairstylist and star of Paramount+ reality show Blowing LA‘s Ted Gibson to get his expert insight on the best formulas to use, no matter what your budget and hair texture are. With clientele including Anne Hathaway, Angelina Jolie, Rachel Brosnahan, Lupita Nyong’o, Gabrielle Union and more, it’s no secret the hairstylist knows his way around hair products.

Keep reading to see Gibson’s picks, as well as how to use dry shampoo and ingredients to look out for.

How to Use Dry Shampoo

At first sight, it may look easy to use dry shampoo, whether you’re looking to maintain a blowout using your go-to blowdryer or hiding the fact you’re going on day three of unwashed hair. If you spray too close, you may get an unwanted residue, whereas spraying too far may not get enough of the product in your strands. Gibson recommends you “Spray 4 to 6 inches away from the scalp concentrating on the scalp and not the hair.”

Don’t just leave it, though — he further adds that “After you have applied it, massage the scalp to evenly distribute [the product around] the entire scalp.”

Best Dry Shampoo Ingredients

Gibson suggests when searching for the right dry shampoo for yourself, you “Look for Vegan and cruelty-free formulas.” This usually includes plant-based ingredients like argan oil, avocado oil, castor oil, black seed oil, murumuru butter and aloe vera.

“I think spray is good, but sometimes I do prefer a powder depending on what I want to accomplish and time for application,” he adds. “I have used them for covers of magazines as well as red carpet events.”

Best Dry Shampoos

BEST DRY SHAMPOO FOR CURLY HAIR

Vegamour Gro Dry Shampoo

$36.00

Buy Now On Amazon

$36

Buy Now on sephora

$36

Buy Now on vegamour

Vegamour Gro Dry Shampoo is Gibson’s go-to for curly hair, as it looks to restore and retain strands without drying out your scalp or leaving it more greasy than before. The formula uses natural ingredients such as rice starch, mung bean, red clover and kaolin clay to help support thicker hair and more.

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BEST DRY SHAMPOO FOR COILY HAIR

Rahua Voluminous Dry Shampoo

$32.00

Buy Now On Amazon

$32

Buy Now on dermstore

For coily hair textures, Gibson finds that Rahua’s dry shampoo works best at creating volume and soaking up oils. The plant-based ingredients will not only assist in lengthening the days in-between hair washes, but uses real botanical aroma to help strengthen your roots as well.

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BEST DRY SHAMPOO FOR WAVY HAIR

Batiste Dry Shampoo

$7.99 $8.80 9% off

Buy Now On Amazon

$10 $11.74 15% off

Buy Now on walmart

$16.79 $20.99 20% off

Buy Now on ulta

For a budget-friendly pick, the expert suggests incorporating Batiste’s Dry Shampoo — especially on wavy hair. It uses a spray-powder formula that looks to soak up grease without drying out your scalp.

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BEST DRY SHAMPOO FOR STRAIGHT HAIR

Klorane Dry Shampoo With Oat Milk

$24.00

Buy Now On Amazon

$24

Buy Now on ulta

Gibson recommends Klorane’s dry shampoo for straight hair and after a look at the ingredienets, it’s easy to see why. The powder formula uses oat milk that aims to be extra gentle on the scalp as well as can be used to add texture to hair while styling or braiding.

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For more product recommendations, check out our roundups of the best beauty deals, beauty products celebs love and stress-relieving tools.