‘Stranger Things’ Finale Offers Huge Bumps to Prince & David Bowie Classics — But Saves Its Biggest Boost for One of Its Cast Members

Welcome to Billboard Pro’s Trending Up newsletter, where we take a closer look at the songs, artists, curiosities and trends that have caught the music industry’s attention. Some have come out of nowhere, others have taken months to catch on, and all of them could become ubiquitous in the blink of a TikTok clip. 
 
This week: The final episode of Stranger Things offers one more series of gigantic streaming bumps for both the songs and actors-turned-musicians featured, while a 2010s pop favorite enjoys a long-overdue stateside moment and another buzzy series also closes its season with a couple big music moments.

Such a Shame Our Series Had to End: ‘Stranger Things’ Finale Delivers Massive Gains for Prince, David Bowie, More ‘70s and ‘80s Classics

It’s been the single most valuable synch placement opportunity for legacy artists for most of the last decade, but at long last, Netflix’s sci-fi teen series Stranger Things has finally come to an end. The show that made 2020s chart smashes out of ‘80s cult classics by Kate Bush and Metallica returned to streaming — and for the first time, came to theaters — on New Year’s Eve 2025, to cap its blockbuster final season with one more trip into Hawkins, Indiana, the Upside Down, and various other alternate dimensions the show has come to encompass over five head-spinning seasons.

But of course, the show wasn’t going out quietly — particularly with its soundtrack. As the shows’ creators hyped up a good deal in the lead-up to the final episode, they landed a couple especially valuable synchs courtesy of the Prince estate, who licensed the use of two signature Purple One cuts from his and The Revolution’s all-timer Purple Rain LP: “When Doves Cry” and the title track. Both saw massive gains in the days following the finale’s premiere, with “Doves” amassing nearly 1.8 million official on-demand U.S. streams over the first four days of this tracking week (Jan. 2-5) — a 254% gain over the same four-day period the prior week, according to Luminate. 

Meanwhile, “Rain” has turned into an absolute streaming hurricane, whipping up nearly 4.3 million over the same period, a 648% gain. The song, which originally peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1984, should be in contention for a return to the Hot 100 next week — it would need to make the top 50 to be eligible — which would mark its first appearance on the chart since it reached No. 4 following Prince’s death in 2016.

Prince isn’t the only 10-years-gone legend featured in the finale: David Bowie’s much-beloved 1977 anthem “Heroes” was also included over the episode’s end credits, seeing a 198% streaming gain over the same four-day period (587,000 to over 1.7 million). And the show also called back to another timeless ballad from a ‘70s classic rock outfit in Fleetwood Mac’s “Landslide,” which gained 61% to nearly 4 million streams over the same period. 

But it wasn’t all Rock and Roll Hall of Famers on the Stranger Things finale’s soundtrack. The show also boosted college rock favorites of the time from the Pixies (“Here Comes Your Man,” up 161% to 423,000) and Cowboy Junkies (“Sweet Jane,” up 107% to 280,000), as well as an enduring shredder from metal greats Iron Maiden (“The Trooper,” up 110% to 436,000). And that’s not even talking about the boosts received from songs by The Clash and The Police featured in previous seasons (and on streaming Stranger Things playlists), or songs by other ‘80s artists never included in the show, but still lifted by an overall Stranger-abetted surge in sentimentality over the early MTV era in pop music. 

Suffice to say, Stranger Things will be missed by its fans, but it will probably be missed even more by catalog artists and their respective publishers. — ANDREW UNTERBERGER

Forget the Soundtrack — ‘Stranger Things’ Cast Member Joe Keery (Djo) Gets Biggest Bump of All

While the past decade of Stranger Things has had a massive impact on the catalog side of the music business, it’s made its presence felt in contemporary music as well. Cast members including Maya Hawke (Robin) and Finn Wolfhard (Mike) have launched positively received music careers following their Stranger breakouts, and have also seen their consumption spike following the show’s feverishly anticipated climax. Over the first four days of this tracking week (Jan. 2-5), Hawke’s catalog jumped 76% in official on-demand streams from the same period the week before (298,000 to 524,000), according to Luminate, while Wolfhard’s ballooned by 107% (449,000 to 929,000). (Wolfhard’s band Calpurnia also saw big gains over the same period, growing 72% to 185,000 streams.) 

But by far the biggest musical breakout act from Stranger Things has been psychedelic alt-rocker Djo — better known to fans of the show as actor Joe Keery, or his character Steve “The Hair” Harrington. And Djo has also seen easily the biggest post-finale streaming growth, with his catalog up 114% to 18.7 million streams, while also seeing a 364% gain in digital song sales (up to nearly 5,200) over the same period. 

More than half of those numbers are attributable to the song that marked Djo’s crossover breakthrough: 2022 alt-rock quasi-power ballad “End of Beginning,” which caught streaming fire in 2023 and crossed over to the Hot 100, eventually peaking at No. 11 in early 2024. Thanks to the extra Stranger Things interest, the song once again exploded on streaming in the past couple weeks, even re-entering this week’s Hot 100 at No. 16, just five spots shy of its initial chart peak. 

And the song is still growing: It’s up 114% to 9.8 million streams over the first four days of this week, while also spiking 430% to 4,200 in digital song sales, making it among the most-streamed and most-sold songs of the week so far. Chances are good the song reaches the top 10 for the first time next week, and then could it climb even higher from there? As we’ll say for the 250th (but sadly likely final) time in this column: Stranger Things have happened. – AU

Zara Larsson Zooms to Main Pop Girl Contention as ‘Midnight Sun’ & Catalog Cuts Surge on Streaming 

Zara Larsson’s been churning out pop bangers since the mid-2010s with collaborations like “Symphony” and “Never Forget You,” but 2026 looks to be the year she finally establishes herself as a top 40 force to be reckoned with. 

Last year, the Swedish pop star earned rave reviews for her opening stint on Tate McRae’s arena-conquering Miss Possessive Tour, which helped her 2025 Midnight Sun LP hit the Billboard 200 and earn a Grammy nomination for its title track (best dance pop recording). According to Luminate, “Midnight Sun” has jumped 68% in streams over the past seven weeks, and its growth isn’t slowing down. During the final week of 2025 (Dec. 26-29), the track logged 1.07 million official on-demand U.S. streams; that figured leapt 31% to 1.42 million official streams by the four-day period of Jan. 2-5, 2026. 

As “Midnight Sun” continues climbing, Zara’s momentum is also helping lift a fellow European pop star’s ascendant hit: PinkPantheress’ “Stateside.” Zara’s infectious remix dropped alongside Pink’s Fancy Some More? remix album last October, and now it’s on its way to being one of the first new pop hits of 2026. During the week of Nov. 21-27, “Stateside” earned 1.48 million official streams. Five weeks later (Dec. 26-Jan. 1), that figure exploded nearly 95% to 2.88 million streams. 

As if a rising solo hit and a fast-growing collaboration weren’t enough, Zara is also experiencing a revival for “Lush Life,” a single from her debut album that reached No. 75 on the Hot 100 nearly ten years ago. Aided by the recently wrapped European leg of her Midnight Sun Tour, where she invited several fans onstage to perform the track’s viral dance break, “Lush” has been up 84% in streaming activity over the past three weeks. Heading into the New Year (Dec. 26-Jan. 1), “Lush Life” collected 4.07 million streams. Notably, Zara and Pink linked up for their own “Lush Life” dance TikTok just two days ago. 

With the American leg of her Midnight Sun Tour kicking off next month (Feb. 28) at Portland’s Crystal Ballroom, expect Zara to continue barreling towards the zenith of Top 40. — KYLE DENIS 

‘Heated Rivalry’ Finale Spurs Big Gains for ‘Cottage’ Soundtrack 

Heated Rivalry has proven inescapable since its November 2025 premiere, and its season one finale (Dec. 26) gave a sweet post-Christmas streaming bump to a pair of key syncs. 

Ellisa Sun’s aptly titled “Unravel” plays as Shane (Hudson Williams) anxiously drives to his parents’ house for a conversation set to change his life forever. In the week preceding the season finale, “Unravel” earned a negligible number of official on-demand U.S. streams, according to Luminate. By the end of the week following the premiere of “The Cottage,” Sun’s song ballooned an eyebrow-raising 187,539% to over 61,000 official streams. 

Cailin Russo experienced a similar bump for her own “Bad Things,” which soundtracks the final scene and end credits for the season finale. Leading up to “The Cottage” (Dec. 19-25), “Bad Things” logged under 5,000 official streams and a negligible number of digital downloads sold; once viewers arrived at Shane’s secret refuge, the song leapt 18,972% to 851,000 streams and over 1,100 digital downloads. 

Williams and co-star Connor Storrie are slated to present at Sunday’s Golden Globes (Jan. 11), just days before and after their respective late-night television debuts, so expect the Heated Rivalry buzz to keep on simmering. — K.D. 

The Golden Globes are produced by Dick Clark Productions, which is owned by Penske Media Eldridge, a joint venture between Eldridge Industries and Billboard parent company Penske Media. 


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Robyn’s Ninth Studio Album ‘Sexistentialism’ Coming This Spring


Robyn‘s ninth studio album, Sexistentialism, will be released March 7 via Young, the Swedish icon announced Wednesday (Jan. 7).

Along with the news, the artist dropped the project’s second and third singles, the shimmering dance-pop anthem “Talk To Me” and “Sexistential,” which a press release on the album notes is “possibly the world’s first rap about having one-night stands while 10 weeks pregnant after IVF. Conceived as a riposte to Andre 3000 saying no one would want to hear him rap about his colonoscopy, Robyn – who would love to hear that rap – decided to put it all on the line.”

“Talk To Me,” meanwhile, finds Robyn reuniting with Max Martin for the first time since the duo co-wrote her 1997 classic “Show Me Love.”

Speaking to Zane Lowe on Apple Music 1 about working with Martin on “Talk to Me,” Robyn said, “It was such a beautiful moment in the studio when he heard this idea I had for a chorus and some chords and then he was like, ‘Well, the chorus needs to go here, use this kind of chord structure here’ and, you know, he just left me with this beautiful little diamond. And it’s such a testament to his way of thinking about music and he knew exactly where he thought I was going to go with it.

“I wrote that chorus that evening after he left the studio really on his instructions,” she continued. “It was such a cool thing that we really collaborated. It wasn’t something I knew if we were going to be able to do since it had been such a long time since we’d worked together. He’s in this really curious and beautiful part of his life where he dips in and out of the studio and gives really good pointers.”

Sexisentialism is the first new studio album from Robyn since 2018’s Honey, with the album’s two new singles following the the project’s lead single, “Dopamine,” released in November. That track also got a remix by Jamie xx, the founder of the Young label.

Listen to “Talk To Me” and “Sexistential” below.

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Bruno Mars Returns: Superstar Announces New Album ‘The Romantic’

At long last, Bruno Mars will make his solo return. On Wednesday (Jan. 7), the superstar announced that The Romantic, his highly anticipated fourth solo studio album, will be released on Feb. 27, and the first taste of the album will be released this Friday (Jan. 9).

Mars recently scored a pair of collaborative smashes with the Lady Gaga duet “Die With a Smile,” which finished at No. 1 on Billboard’s year-end 2025 Hot 100 Songs chart, and the ROSÉ team-up “APT.,” which finished at No. 9 on the same chart. “APT.” is nominated in three categories at the upcoming 68th Annual Grammy Awards, including record of the year and song of the year.

Prior to those collaborations, Mars and Anderson .Paak formed the throwback R&B duo Silk Sonic and scored a No. 1 hit with “Leave the Door Open” in 2021. The pair played a Las Vegas residency at Park MGM in Las Vegas in 2022, which Mars then followed with a globe-spanning solo tour that ran through 2024.

Mars’ solo studio output has been in short supply over the past decade, after bursting through in 2010 with his debut full-length Doo-Wops & Hooligans and notching chart-topping smashes like “Just the Way You Are,” “Grenade,” “Locked Out of Heaven,” “When I Was Your Man” and “That’s What I Like” in the following years. His most recent solo album remains 2016’s 24K Magic — but the superstar hinted that the decade-long drought was ending when he posted on Monday, “My album is done.”

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See Polaroids of ‘Stranger Things’ Stars Joe Keery, Millie Bobby Brown, Finn Wolfhard & More From Season 5 Premiere

One week after the series finale of Stranger Things, Joe Keery – the actor behind beloved character Steve Harrington – is climbing the charts under his artist moniker Djo, with his breakout hit “End of Beginning” returning to the top 10 on the Billboard Global 200 this week (No. 6). His growing musical success is accompanied by some side-quests, as Keery also starred in Tame Impala’s music video for “Loser” this past fall.

It’s a testament to his charisma. Stranger Things creators the Duffer Brothers told The Hollywood Reporter back in 2017 that Keery wasn’t meant to play such an integral role in the show at first, but they changed course when they “fell in love with him during the making of season 1.” 

Of course, Stranger Things has a proven track record of shaking up the charts. Season 4 propelled Kate Bush’s 1985 single “Running Up That Hill (A Deal With God)” to its all-time peak position of No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100 during the summer of 2022, more than 30 years after debuting at No. 30.   

Ten years since the series started, we’ve seen the likes of Eleven, Mike, Dustin and Steve grow from kids to teens to adults. On the Stranger Things 5 red carpet back in November, Billboard had to ask what music the cast was personally listening to as they faced the Upside Down, and they showed us a bit of their personal taste. (Watch below.)

Millie Bobby Brown (aka Eleven), who went viral back in 2016 for rapping the entirety of Nicki Minaj’s “Monster” verse at age 12, claimed a certain Beyoncé song would get her through the battle. Finn Wolfhard (Mike Wheeler) leaned into punk and metal, a nod to both his character’s influences and his own career as a musician. Gaten Matarazzo (Dustin Henderson) teased his own hype-up album of choice, gushing over his favorite artist’s tour. Even Vecna himself, played by Jamie Campbell Bower, chimed in with a few dark favorites of his own.

Below, find Billboard‘s candid Polaroids of the cast as they take their final Stranger Things bow.

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Ariana Grande, Selena Gomez Nominated for 2026 Actor Awards, Formerly Known as SAG Awards: Full Nominations List

Pop superstars Ariana Grande and Selena Gomez were among the actors who were nominated at the 32nd annual Actor Awards presented by SAG-AFTRA, formerly known as the SAG Awards. Grande is nominated for female actor in a supporting role for Wicked: For Good. Gomez is nominated for ensemble in a comedy series as a key cast member of Only Murders in the Building.

One Battle After Another received seven nominations, establishing a new one-year record at the Actor Awards. Sinners was next with five nods, which puts in a tie for second place on the all-time leaderboard with Shakespeare in Love (1999), Chicago (2003), Doubt (2009), The Banshees of Inisherin (2023), Everything Everywhere All at Once (2023) and Wicked (2025).

The Studio was most-nominated TV program, with five nods, which is just one shy of the all-time record of six nods, set by Angels in America and Everybody Loves Raymond, both in 2004. The Studio was followed by Adolescence and The White Lotus, with four nods each.

Grande was also nominated for female actor in a supporting role last year for her performance in the first Wicked. Her co-star, Cynthia Erivo, who was nominated for female actor in a leading role last year, failed to make the finals this year. The Wicked: For Good cast also failed to garner a nomination for cast in a motion picture, something the Wicked cast achieved last year.

This is the fifth consecutive year that the Only Murders cast has been nominated for ensemble in a comedy series. They won last year, to the surprise of many, including Gomez, who accepted the award in the absence of her costars Steve Martin and Martin Short. The only disappointing note: Gomez has yet to receive a nod for female actor in a comedy series.

Ethan Hawke, who played legendary lyricist Lorenz Hart in Blue Moon, is nominated for male actor in a leading role. Kate Hudson, who played a Patsy Cline impersonator who is partnered with a Neil Diamond impersonator in Song Sung Blue, is nominated for female actor in a leading role (though her co-star, Hugh Jackman, was passed over for a nod).

The Actor Awards will be presented on March 1, two weeks before the Oscars are presented on March 15.

Here’s the full list of nominations for the 2026 Actor Awards.

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Bad Bunny Broke Records by Shakira, Karol G and Himself on World Tour Kickoff

Bad Bunny is going to be touring the world throughout 2026, hitting South America, Australia, Asia and Europe over the next seven months on the Debí Tirar Más Fotos World Tour. But the trek launched in the final weeks of 2025, and it’s already a record-breaker.

Bad Bunny kicked off the whole affair with two shows at on Nov. 21-22 at Estadio Olimpico in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. According to figures reported to Billboard Boxscore, those shows earned $7.9 million in ticket sales (from 64,200 tickets sold), becoming the highest-grossing engagement in the venue’s reported history. He surpassed previous stops by Justin Bieber, Coldplay and Karol G, but most notably, broke the record previously held by himself. (He grossed $7.7 million over two nights on 2022’s World’s Hottest Tour.)

Then, the DTMF World Tour traveled to Costa Rica for two shows at San Jose’s Estadio Nacional on Dec. 5-6. Bad Bunny upped the ante by setting records for the highest-grossing and best-selling engagement in venue history by bringing in $12.4 million from 115,000 tickets. Karol G previously held both titles with $8.6 million and 105,000 tickets.

Finally, Bad Bunny traveled to Mexico City for eight performances at Estadio GNP Seguros (formerly known as Foro Sol). Those shows grossed $86.7 million and sold 518,000 tickets between Dec. 10-21. Like in San Jose, this is the biggest gross and highest attendance in venue history, and by a long shot. It improves upon Shakira’s attendance by 31% and overshoots her gross by 86% from seven shows in March 2025. Further distancing himself from the pack, her totals were already up by 56% and 89%, respectively, from Metallica’s previous venue records.

The CDMX shows averaged $10.8 million per night, making Bad Bunny the first artist to ever post eight-figure nightly grosses among the 344 reported shows at the Mexican stadium.

The asterisk on Bad Bunny’s Mexico City records is that Shakira returned to the stadium later in 2025, while still on Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran World Tour, first for four shows in August, and then for another in September. Altogether, her 12 shows at Estadio GNP Seguros outsold Bad Bunny’s run, eventually moving 668,000 tickets. Still, he outdid her combined venue gross of $76 million despite playing four fewer shows.

Altogether, the DTMF World Tour grossed $107 million and sold 697,000 tickets in its first 12 shows, providing more than a simple tease of what is to come in 2026. The Latin American leg has already outgrossed his previous regional run ($81.7 million) which ran for 22 dates. World’s Hottest Tour, in the heat of 2022’s No. 1 Billboard 200 album (Un Verano Sin Ti), paced $3.7 million per show throughout Latin America, which is less than half of this tour’s $8.9 million.

He’ll be back on stage on Friday (Jan. 9) in Santiago, kicking off a slate of 13 shows in South America. Having already played the biggest stadium of 2025, Mexico City may well be the peak of the Latin American leg. But based on the success of the shows in Santo Domingo and San Jose, it’s likely that Bad Bunny will add another $70 million or more before heading off to Sydney, Tokyo and a dozen European markets. The DTMF World Tour will mark Bad Bunny’s first ticketed concerts on those continents.

Bad Bunny still has about three quarters of the DTMF World Tour ahead of him, and it’s likely that he will continue to outdo himself and set new Boxscore records. With World’s Hottest Tour currently sitting as his personal best ($314.1 million and 1.9 million tickets), he is already well on his way to the biggest tour of his career.

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EsDeeKid Rules Emerging Artists Chart as His Catalog Surges in Streams

EsDeeKid has been on a tear in recent weeks, and he continues his momentum on Billboard’s latest listings (dated Jan. 10), as the U.K. rapper rises to No. 1 on the Emerging Artists chart, marking the first time he has topped a Billboard ranking.

He rises a spot largely on the strength of continued streaming gains across his catalog. The Emerging Artists chart blends an act’s weekly streams, radio airplay, album sales and paid song downloads, using a methodology similar to the Billboard Artist 100 but excluding artists who have reached the top 25 of the Billboard Hot 100 or Billboard 200.

In the latest tracking week (Dec. 26-Jan. 1), EsDeeKid’s songs generated 16 million official U.S. streams, according to Luminate. While that figured is slightly down from sum the week before (18.8 million, his personal weekly best), it remains well above his typical levels from 2025.

The main drivers to this week’s standing are his two Hot 100 chart hits: “4 Raws” and “Phantom,” the latter with Rico Ace. “4 Raws” logged 7 million streams and bounds 64-38 to become EsDeeKid’s first top 40 hit on the chart. “Phantom” drew 5.4 million and climbs 81-67 in its second week.

EsDeeKid is also making an impact on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, where he’s currently charting five titles:

  • No. 10, “4 Raws” (a week after reaching No. 8 to become his first top 10)
  • No. 15, “Phantom,” with Rico Ace
  • No. 32, “Century”
  • No. 35, “LV Sandals,” with fakemink & Rico Ace
  • No. 49, “Rottweiler”

The Liverpool native charted six songs on the list a week earlier, with “Cali Man” with Rico Ace joining the five titles above.

All of EsDeeKid’s charted songs are on his debut project, Rebel, which reaches a new high (60-29) on the Billboard 200 with 17,000 equivalent album units earned.

The rapper’s rapid ascent started in late November after internet rumors claimed that EsDeeKid — who conceals his face behind a balaclava — was actually the rap alter ego of actor Timothée Chalamet. The theory took off following a Nov. 11 TikTok posted by user @gothauntie0. Weeks of silence from both parties only fueled the speculation, with Chalamet deflecting questions while promoting his A24 film Marty Supreme. “All will be revealed in due time,” he told Heart Radio in the U.K.

The mystery ended on Dec. 19, when Chalamet joined EsDeeKid on a remix of “4 Raws.” The two also appeared in a video for the track, with Chalamet contributing his own verses. “It’s Timothée Chalamet chillin’, tryna stack a hundred million/ Girl got a billion/ What the f—k, what a wonderful feeling,” he raps, referencing his mogul girlfriend, Kylie Jenner.

The viral moment has had a profound impact on EsDeeKid’s streaming performance. Below is a week-by-week look at his catalog’s U.S. streaming totals since early November, according to Luminate:

  • Nov. 7-13: 5.8 million
  • Nov. 14-20: 9 million
  • Nov. 21-27: 12.8 million
  • Nov. 28-4: 13.3 million
  • Dec. 5-11: 11.9 million
  • Dec. 12-18: 14 million
  • Dec. 19-25: 18.8 million
  • Dec. 26-Jan. 1: 16 million


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Here’s How to Watch ‘The Traitors’ Season Four Online

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Back like it never left, it’s The Traitors season four.

The first three episodes of the season will premiere on Peacock on Thursday, Jan 8 at 9 p.m. ET. If you’ve been living under a rock, the reality show features a rotating cast each season with a group of “Faithful” contestants that live in a fantastical castle alongside the host Alan Cumming. The contestants are tasked with completing missions to build a collective cash prize, but hidden among them are secret “Traitors” whose goal is to murder the “Faithfuls” one by one until they steal the entire pot for themselves.

Sign up for peacock here

Some missions offer a chance to win a shield, granting immunity from being murdered for a night. It’s a cutthroat game of strategy where contestants must build alliances and suss out those pesky Traitors before it’s too late. Much like prior seasons, this fourth iteration is bound to be a scream that’ll leave you on the edge of your seat until the very last episode. Speaking of, there will be 12 total episodes, including a special reunion episode with the entire cast, giving members the opportunity to debrief on the season.

If you’ve been looking to start watching the show, or continue watching with the highly-anticipated fourth season, keep reading below to find out how you can stream.

How to Watch The Traitors Season Four Online

As previously mentioned, the first three episodes of season four of The Traitors will premiere on Thursday, Jan 8 at 9 p.m. ET on Peacock.

Sign up for peacock here

The only way you’ll be able to watch the show’s new season for now is via Peacock. You’ll be able to watch all the drama unfold via Peacock Premium (with ads) for $10.99 a month or the Peacock Premium Plus plan for $16.99 a month. When you subscribe to one of those two plans, you’ll have access to The Traitors, along with a slew of other titles, including music-themed productions like Wicked, Dreamgirls, Mamma Mia, The Voice (which you can watch after the show airs on demand), America’s Got Talent and America’s Got Talent, among others.

Who Will Be On The Traitors Season Four?

Below, you’ll find a list of all the cast members for this new season.

  • Lisa Rinna (“Real Housewives of Beverly Hills”)
  • Porsha Williams (“Real Housewives of Atlanta”)
  • Caroline Stanbury (“Real Housewives of Dubai” / “Ladies of London”)
  • Candiace Dillard Bassett (“Real Housewives of Potomac”)
  • Dorinda Medley (“Real Housewives of New York City”)
  • Rob Rausch (“Love Island”)
  • Maura Higgins (“Love Island”)
  • Colton Underwood (“The Bachelor”)
  • Natalie Anderson (“Survivor”)
  • Yam Yam Arocho (“Survivor”)
  • Rob Cesternino (“Survivor”)
  • Tiffany Monique Mitchell (“Big Brother”)
  • Ian Terry (“Big Brother”)
  • Monét X Change (“RuPaul’s Drag Race”)
  • Mark Ballas (“Dancing With the Stars”)
  • Kristen Kish (“Top Chef”)
  • Stephen Colletti (“Laguna Beach” / “One Tree Hill”)
  • Tara Lipinski (Olympic figure skater)
  • Johnny Weir (Olympic figure skater)
  • Eric Nam (singer / TV host)
  • Michael Rapaport (actor / comedian)
  • Ron Funches (comedian)
  • Donna Kelce (TV personality)
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Kenshi Yonezu’s ‘IRIS OUT’ Extends Record to 12 Weeks at No. 1 as M!LK Scores First Top 3 Hit on Japan Hot 100

Kenshi Yonezu’s “IRIS OUT” logs its 12th week at No. 1 on the Billboard Japan Hot 100, on the chart released Dec. 31, 2025.

The track holds the top spot for a second consecutive week to mark its 12th total week atop the tally. Gaining across all metrics, streaming and video views for the Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc theme both rise to 105% week-over-week, while CD sales are up to 115%, downloads to 120%, radio airplay to 148% and karaoke to 153%. Yonezu drew further attention on Dec. 23 with the announcement of his first-ever performance of “IRIS OUT” on NHK’s Kohaku Uta Gassen to be aired on New Year’s Eve. His segment from the show has since been posted to the NHK MUSIC YouTube channel, surpassing 10.99 million views as of Jan. 7, 2026.

King & Prince’s “Theater” follows at No. 2. The lead track from the group’s new album STARRING, released Dec. 24, was written and composed by Ayumu Imazu. The song jumps 47-2 this week, coming in at No. 1 for radio, No. 2 for downloads, No. 3 for streaming and No. 4 for video. Another track off the album, “Kibo no Oka,” comes in at No. 35 on the Japan Hot 100.

M!LK’s “Sukisugite Metsu!” climbs 8-3 to earn the group its first-ever top 3. Streaming surges to 139% of the prior frame, downloads to 154%, video to 122% and karaoke spikes to 238%. The five-member boy band performed the song on CDTV Live! Live! on Dec. 22. Another track gaining momentum is “Iijan,” which rises 77-62 following buzz on social media.

At No. 4 is Snow Man’s “CHARISMAX,” returning to the top 5 for the first time in about three months, while Kenshi Yonezu and Hikaru Utada’s “JANE DOE” jumps two spots to No. 5.

The top song for sales this week, fav me’s “Sukinankaja… Nyai!,” lands at No. 16, while the leader for downloads, Masaharu Fukuyama’s “Mokusei feat. Koshi Inaba,” charts at No. 20.

The Billboard Japan Hot 100 combines physical and digital sales, audio streams, radio airplay, video views and karaoke data.

See the full Billboard Japan Hot 100 chart, tallying the week from Dec. 22 to 28, here. For more on Japanese music and charts, visit Billboard Japan’s English X account.

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Natti Natasha & Nando Boom Elevate ‘Dem Bow’ to No. 1 on Latin Airplay Chart

Natti Natasha and Nando Boom take “Dem Bow” to the top of Billboard’s Latin Airplay chart, soaring 19-1 on the chart dated Jan. 10. The Dominican-Panamanian collab also claims the No. 1 spot on Latin Rhythm Airplay. It’s the biggest leap to No. 1 since the July 13, 2024-dated chart, when Grupo Firme’s “El Beneficio de la Duda” vaulted 24-1.

“I can’t believe it; we are No. 1 at the start of the year on Latin Airplay and Latin Rhythm Airplay!” Natti Natasha tells Billboard. “Thank you, United States, all the fans, Billboard, I love you! Happy new year.”

“Dem Bow” glides its way to No. 1 on the overall Latin Airplay chart powered by 9.8 million audience impressions, up 107%, earned in the United States during the Dec. 26-Jan. 1 tracking week, according to Luminate. The track’s rise is fueled by strong support from radio stations KQMR (Phoenix), KVVF (San Jose) and WODA (Puerto Rico).

“Dem Bow,” produced by hitmaker Dímelo Flow, earns Panamanian Fernando Brown, better known as Nando Boom, his first champ on any Billboard tally. Notably, despite being an influential figure in Spanish reggae’s evolution, Boom achieved his first Billboard appearance in October, debuting with “Dem Bow” at No. 16 on the Latin Rhythm Airplay chart.

For Natti Natasha, the song marks her 12th leader on Latin Airplay, following “Desde Hoy” (June 2025). Among women with the most rulers since the overall Latin radio ranking began in 1994, Natti stands fourth, trailing Shakira (24 No. 1s), Karol G (20) and Gloria Estefan (13).

Boom also achieves his first entry on the multimetric Hot Latin Songs chart, as the song debuts at No. 32.

Gerardo Ortiz Ups Career No. 1s Total

Over on Regional Mexican Airplay, Gerardo Ortiz banks his 14th No. 1 through the song “Échame El Grito.” The track jumps 2-1 with the Greatest Gainer honors, awarded weekly to the song with the largest gain in impressions.

“Échame El Grito,” advances to the top of the chart after a 24% boost in audience impressions, reaching 8.3 million during the tracking period.

This latest achievement places Ortiz in a tie with Alejandro Fernández for the second-most No. 1s among solo artists, both trailing Christian Nodal with 17 rulers.


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