Travis Barker and Kourtney Kardashian shared a new pregnancy photo shoot on Wednesday (June 28), posting six new pics of Kardashian’s baby bump in solo and couple shots.

Kardashian wears a baby-blue lycra turtleneck dress-and-pants combo in the photos, with the skintight silhouette showing off her growing belly. The photos were taken in front of a swimming pool, with half the pics featuring the Blink-182 drummer in a beanie and white tank top holding on to his pregnant wife.

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The couple announced their baby news earlier this month when Kardashian held up a “Travis I’m Pregnant” poster in the crowd at Blink-182’s concert at Los Angeles’ BMO Stadium. The sign was a reference to Blink’s “All the Small Things” music video, in which a random fan holds up the same poster in the crowd. On Saturday, they revealed the baby’s sex in an Instagram video, with Barker offering up a drumroll before a stream of blue confetti and streamers shoots into the air, confirming that the pair is having a baby boy.

It sounds like that’s not all the couple knows about their future baby either. Along with a winking emoji, Barker commented on the new baby bump photos: “I already know his name.” Kardashian is wearing the same baby-blue outfit in the gender-reveal video as she is in the new photo shoot.

This will be the first baby for Kardashian and Barker, who confirmed they were married on May 16, 2022, before hosting a lavish wedding in Italy on May 22, 2022. Their wedding was documented for the Hulu series Til Death Do Us Part: Kourtney & Travis.

Both have children from previous relationships: Kardashian has son Mason, 13, daughter Penelope, 10, and son Reign, 8, with ex-boyfriend Scott Disick, while Barker has son Landon, 19, daughter Alabama, 17, and stepdaughter Atiana, 24, with ex-wife Shanna Moakler.

See the new photos here.

Since the group’s 2022 debut, XG has been making waves in Korea, Japan and the United States. The septet — which consists of members Jurin, Cocona, Chisa, Hinata, Maya, Juria and Harvey — is gearing up to keep the global domination going with the release of its forthcoming album GRL GVNG on June 30, but before then, the girls caught up with Billboard News to discuss the past year as a group, meeting fans for the first time, and their ongoing docuseries.

XG performed at the Head in the Clouds Festival in New York last month, and had the chance to meet members of their dedicated fan base for the first time. “It was such an incredible moment getting to meet our U.S. Alphaz for the very first time as well as performing in the U.S. for the very first time. The energy was amazing, we had so much fun. We felt so alive after the whole performance and we were really grateful that we had the opportunity and it was an amazing experience,” Maya explained.

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Hinata also shed light on the group’s first fan meeting experience in Japan, adding, “We were really welcomed by a lot of Alphaz and even showed us cards saying ‘Welcome back, XG!’ It was really heartwarming, and we were grateful for that. We had an amazing and exciting performance, so it was really great.”

XG takes fans on the journey of its formation in the docuseries XTRA XTRA, shedding light on how all of the members got so close. According to Jurin, the girls in the group have a name for that bond. “We express the relationship between the seven of us as ‘Hesono O’ in Japanese. It represents a connection that continues and symbolizes a family tied by an umbilical cord,” she said. “I think the backstory to that phrase is revealed in the documentary, so we hope the Alphaz can pick up on that.”

While XG is just getting started, they have a clear goal in mind for the future and their plan to reach new fans. “We are Japanese, based in Korea, singing in English. We understand that it makes us a unique group. Our goal is to reach as many people as possible, so we learned English and Korean,” Jurin added. “We have a strong desire to reach out to a lot of people and we hope that we can accomplish our goals.”

Watch XG’s full interview with Billboard News in the above video.

Primary Wave has purchased a stake in the publishing catalog of Kool & The Gang founding band member and drummer George Brown, the company announced Wednesday (June 28). The sale also includes a stake in the Grammy winner’s writer’s share of his music publishing and the writer’s share of his public performance income.

The deal — which includes classics like “Ladies Night,” “Celebration,” “Get Down on It,” “Cherish,” “Jungle Boogie,” “Summer Madness” and more — is in the multi-million dollar range, according to Primary Wave.

In addition to Brown, Kool & The Gang is comprised of Robert “Kool” Bell, Ronald Bell, Dennis “Dee Tee” Thomas, Robert “Spike” Mickens, Charles Smith, Woodrow “Woody” Sparrow and Ricky West. The Jersey City troupe first got its start on indie label De-Lite Records, which released the band’s debut album, Kool and the Gang, in 1969. The group broke through in 1973 with its fourth album, Wild and Peaceful, which contained hits like “Jungle Boogie” and “Hollywood Swinging.” Pulling from funk, soul, R&B, disco and jazz influences, Kool & The Gang’s work also played a defining role in the soundtracks for Rocky (1976) and Saturday Night Fever (1977).

For its impressive body of work, Kool & the Gang has received two Grammy awards, seven American Music Awards and was inducted into the New Jersey Hall of Fame. The group also received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, while Brown — along with bandmates Taylor and Robert and Ronald Bell — was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2018.

“I am very pleased to call Primary Wave my music partner and to join with dozens of other iconic artists and creatives in an incredible business family,” said Brown of the deal. “I look forward to collaborating with Larry Mestel and the entire Primary Wave team to further enhance my catalog and the Kool & The Gang brand.”

Kendall A. Minter, Brown’s legal counsel, added, “As counsel to George Brown and Astana Music, it was my pleasure to initiate, negotiate and close this deal with Primary Wave. The alignment of a globally iconic artist and creative talent with an iconic, global independent music publisher and brand enhancer is a win-win for the entire music community and fans.”

“Kool and the Gang’s influence on generations of musicians and fans around the globe cannot be denied,” said Primary Wave senior vp of business and legal affairs Samantha Rhulen. “A few of us from Primary Wave were excited to have been in the audience when they were inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2018, and we are so thrilled to now be partnering with George Brown in 2023.”

Austin Mahone talks about his latest single “Kuntry,” why he wanted to step into the country music genre, his new album Lone Star Story, his early start on YouTube, and more!

Austin Mahone:
Where the boys from the South, where we’re known to do it big, ridin’ dirty, on that 281 With that bass in my truck, hear me coming.

Rania Aniftos:
Yeah. Oh my god. That’s exactly what I wanted.

Austin Mahone:
Hey, I’m Austin Mahone and you’re watching Billboard News

Rania Aniftos:
Hi everybody, it’s Rania Aniftos with Billboard News and I’m here with the one and only Austin Mahone.

Raina Aniftos:
Really exciting to speak to you today because you are in your country era.

Rania Aniftos:
Tell me a bit about ‘Lone Star Story’ and kind of the inspiration behind it.

Austin Mahone:
‘Lone Star Story’ is an album that I started at the beginning of the pandemic. So it’s definitely been a long time coming. It didn’t really necessarily take me three years to finish it. But just because like everyone was like, so like, separated, and I wasn’t trying to finish it on Zoom. That’s just kind of weird. Like, my album deserves more than that. So in the meantime, I came out here for a little bit, started, my TikTok, you know, getting my socials going. And then I moved back to Miami. And now it’s finally coming out. So definitely a surreal feeling. But it feels very nice to be going back to Texas and tapping into my roots and kind of showing that side of myself to the rest of the world.

Watch the full interview above!

From TikTok to the America’s Got Talent stage.

The Sharpe Family Singers — a New Jersey vocal group made up of mom and dad Ron and Barbra and their four kids, Samantha, Logan and twins Connor and Aidan — auditioned for AGT on Tuesday night, urging their 8.5 million TikTok followers and 1.6 million YouTube subscribers to tune in for their tryout.

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They belted out the Lin-Manuel Miranda-written Moana ballad “How Far I’ll Go,” giving each family member a solo spotlight to shine throughout the theatrical performance.

Ahead of the performance, Ron and Barbra explained that they had been in a production on that very theater’s stage before they were married and even shared their first kiss in the show. “From production to reproduction!” judge Howie Mandel joked waving to the couple’s four children.

Before their AGT audition, the family appeared on another reality singing competition: Now-27-year-old daughter Samantha Sharpe tried out for American Idol back in 2021, with her whole family by her side. They even sang “Into the Unknown” from Frozen 2 as a family before Samantha scored a golden ticket on her own for hitting the power notes on Sia’s “Titanium.”

Now the family entertains millions with their musical videos — and hope to entertain millions more through America’s Got Talent, which airs every Tuesday at 8 p.m. ET on NBC.

Watch their AGT audition below:

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National Sunglasses Day is Tuesday (June 27), and if you’ve been meaning to upgrade your shades, today would be a great day to start shopping!

Sunglass Hut, Nordstrom, Oakley and Quay Australia are some of the many retailers and fan-favorite brands serving up deep discounts on your favorite styles for summer. To save you some time, we searched around the web to find a handful of the best sales on sunglasses starting at $35.

From affordable sunnies to designer sunglasses from Prada and more, you’re sure to find a style to fit your budget (and they’re not all flash deals, some sunglass sales extend into the holiday weekend).

See below for a short roundup of sunglasses to shop on sale. For additional shopping recommendations, check out our picks for the best sunglasses under $25 and the $10 sunnies that shoppers can’t stop raving about.

Blenders Eyewear Assertive Style Unisex Aviator Sunglasses
$35 $59 41% off% OFF

Because aviators never go out of style, we’re starting with one of the deepest discounts on our list. These unisex aviator sunglasses from Blenders Eyewear scored a 4.5 customer rating for their “exceptional quality,” style and a comfortable fit. The sunglasses are available in matte black, matte gold, matte silver and a polarized purple/blue mirrored design. Need another sale option? Quay Australia’s “On a Break” polarized aviators are on sale for $49 (regular $85).

Buy: Oakley Men’s OO9245 Frogskins Low Bridge Fit Square Sunglasses, Crystal Clear/Prizm Sapphire, 54 mm $112

Oakley’s men’s Frogskins Sunglasses are discounted 20% at Amazon. You can get them in crystal clear/prizm sapphire and a dozen other shades.

Versace Sunglasses
$241.50 $345 30% off% OFF

It’s Barbiecore time! Currently 30% off, these Versace glasses are available in 10 different colors including fuchsia, black, brown, gold, green, yellow, white, havanna, silver and grey. And they’re on sale at several retailers including Sunglass Hut, Revolve and even Amazon.

Prada
$346.60 $433 20% off% OFF

Feeling Prada yourself? Get a pair of Prada sunnies at a discount. The tortoise glasses feature rectangle frames and are available in brown and black.

Double up on sunglasses during the buy-one-get-one-free sale at GlassesUSA. The sale includes the classically cool Ray-Ban’s new 2132 Wayfarer sunglasses. Use code: BOGOFREE to redeem the promo and code: LENSE50 for 50% off lens upgrades. The sunglasses are also on sale at Ray-Ban.com ($120). There’s still a few hours left to save up to 50% off select styles at Ray-Ban.

San Antonio, Texas, native Austin Mahone is reconnecting with his roots on A Lone Star Story, and he sat down with Billboard‘s Rania Aniftos to talk about how it all came together.

A Lone Star Story is an album I started at the beginning of the pandemic, so it’s definitely been a long time coming,” he says of his new project. “It didn’t necessarily take me three years to finish it, but just because everyone was so separated and I wasn’t trying to finish it on Zoom. That’s just kind of weird. I feel like my album deserves more than that.”

The 27-year-old adds that he’s excited to show his country side to the world. “I just wanted to do something that was more authentic and real to me, and something that would be different for everyone else,” he notes. “I would be pretty nervous [about going in a new direction] if it wasn’t country music that I was meshing with. Because I grew up on country music, I feel very comfortable in that space, even though I’ve never done country music in my life before. It feels right.”

Mahone, who gained recognition through his YouTube and Vine covers as a teenager, shares that “consistency” is what allowed him to break the social media star stigma and get taken seriously as a musical artist. “Once, I had uploaded a Justin Bieber cover of his song ‘Mistletoe,’ and that was the one that got me a lot of recognition. Ryan Seacrest had it on his show and people started picking it up,” Mahone recalls. “From there, that’s when I was getting a bunch of calls from management and labels.”

See the full interview with Austin Mahone above, including a fun acoustic performance of his A Lone Star Story hit, “Kuntry.”

New Olivia Rodrigo music is coming soon! The singer announced her sophomore album and its release date in a post that surprised fans to kick off the week. Austin Mahone talks his latest single “Kuntry,” why he wanted to step into the country music genre, and his new album ‘Lone Star Story.’ The cast of ‘Joy Ride’ open up about their love for K-pop and getting the approval of Cardi B & Megan Thee Stallion. Fuerza Regida talks the Regional Mexican music explosion, taking over the Billboard charts, collaborating with Groupo Frontera, Peso Pluma, Natanael Cano, their tour, and more!

Tetris Kelly
Olivia Rodrigo’s new album proves she’s gots ‘GUTS,’ we take you to the ‘Joy Ride’ premiere to talk K-pop and Megan and Cardi’s ‘WAP.’ Austin Mahone stops by our studio. We run down the top songs on Twitter and Mexican music group Fuerza Regida are your latest cover stars.

Tetris Kelly
Guys, welcome to Billboard News. I’m Tetris Kelly and it’s Tuesday, June 27. Let’s talk about one of the most anticipated albums of the year. Olivia Rodrigo announced the release date of her sophomore album and the pop star is ready to spill her guts.

Tetris Kelly
Olivia took to socials on Monday to announce her highly anticipated record is arriving later this year. Unveiling the cover art, the pop star wrote on Instagram, “my sophomore album ‘GUTS’ comes out September 8. I am so proud of this record and I can’t wait to share it with you all.” She also shared a message to her fans in an IG story. “So excited about this new album and this new chapter. I can’t thank you guys enough for all your support and enthusiasm. Making this album was very daunting, very fun and very fulfilling. I can’t wait for it to be yours.” We’re so excited for the release and the first single ‘Vampire’ that drops this Friday.

Watch the full video above!

Maisie PetersThe Good Witch (Atlantic/Gingerbread Man) is working its magic on the United Kingdom.

The English pop singer and songwriter’s sophomore set leads the midweek chart, ahead of Harry StylesHarry’s House (via Columbia up 5-2) and Tom Grennan’s What Ifs & Maybes (down 1-3 via Insanity), respectively.

The Good Witch is the followup to Peters’ 2021 debut You Signed Up For This, which peaked at No. 2 on the Official U.K. Albums Chart. A chart crown would cap a huge half-year for Peters, who supported Ed Sheeran for stadium shows across Australia and New Zealand earlier in 2023.

Also set for high entries this week are Young Thug’s Business Is Business (300 Entertainment), which could become his second top 10 appearance, at No. 9; and Kelly Clarkson’s Chemistry (Atlantic), which could net the U.S. singing star her sixth U.K. top 10, at No. 10.

The “Glastonbury effect” can be seen up and down the Official Chart Update.

Scottish singer and songwriter Lewis Capaldi is one of the beneficiaries of a high-profile slot at Glastonbury Festival last weekend, which powers his albums Broken By Desire To Be Heavenly Sent (up 16-4 via EMI) and debut Divinely Uninspired To A Hellish Extent (up 34-12) on the midweek tally.

Elton John is winding up his touring career in the coming weeks, and enjoyed a boisterous send-off at Glastonbury. Now, his hits compilation Diamonds (Mercury/UMC) is on track to appear in the top 5 again, up 15-5.

Celebrated British alternative rock act Arctic Monkeys are hanging high on the midweek chart, with AM (No. 6), Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not (No. 20) and Favourite Worst Nightmare (No. 38) — all via Domino Recordings — on the bounce following their Friday night performance at the Eavis’ famous fest.

Other Glastonbury performers enjoying a post-event albums blitz include Foo Fighters (But Here We Are at No. 16 via Columbia and The Essential Foo Fighters at No. 28 via Sony Music CG), Lana Del Rey (Born To Die at No. 36 via Polydor) and Guns N’ Roses (Greatest Hits at No. 37 via Geffen).

Finally, Taylor Swift’s The Eras Tour hasn’t yet reached the U.K., but anticipation is causing her hit albums to spike. According to the Official Charts Company, former leaders Midnights (No. 7), 1989 (No. 11), Lover (No. 14), Reputation (No. 22) and Folklore (No. 31), all via EMI, are on the climb.

All will be revealed when the Official U.K. Albums Chart is published Friday, June 30.

Composer Mychael Danna received a lifetime achievement award at the SoundTrack_Cologne, which was held at the Comedia Theater in Cologne, Germany, on Friday. Previous recipients of the award include Rachel Portman, Bruce Broughton, Cliff Martinez and Michael Nyman.

Danna is best known for his score for Life of Pi, for which he won an Oscar in 2013 for best original score. He won a Primetime Emmy later that same year for outstanding music composition for a miniseries, movie or a special (original dramatic score) for the miniseries World Without End.

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Journalist Daniel Kothenschulte presented the award to Danna, noting, “Mychael Danna came to film music [in 1987] when that changed decisively. We can also say that he has made a decisive contribution to the expansion of the sound language of cinema since the mid-1980s.”

He added: “Danna’s music knows no hierarchies … which makes it impossible to predict where his work will go after more than 80 scores.”

The Canadian-born composer is the older brother of composer Jeff Danna. The two have collaborated on 16 scores for film and television, including Lakeview Terrace, The Breadwinner, The Addams Family (2019) and its 2021 sequel and Onward.

Mychael Danna’s other collaborators on scores include Rob Simonsen ((500 Days) of Summer and Harry Gregson-Williams (Return to Space).

Danna has amassed seven Primetime Emmy nods, two Oscar nods and two Grammy nods. His other films include On the Basis of SexCapote and Moneyball.

This was the 20th edition of SoundTrack_Cologne. During the event, the WDR Funkhausorchestra played pieces by such film composers as Danna, Portman, Natalie Holt and Carlos Rafael Rivera.