HYBE announced Monday (Sept. 17) that a dozen solo artists and music groups on the SM Entertainment roster will join its global fan community platform, Weverse, in September. Those artists, who have not yet been named, will move to Weverse from SM’s own fan community platform, Kwangya Club.

In addition to connecting with fans via services including Weverse Live, the 12 SM artists will also be featured on the e-commerce platform Weverse Shop, where fans can buy albums and official merchandise.

The Weverse deal derives from a platform partnership struck between HYBE, SM and Kakao Entertainment in March after HYBE fell short of its mission to purchase a controlling stake in SM. HYBE, home to K-pop superstars BTS, was blocked in its efforts by rival bidder Kakao, a South Korean tech company that owns Monsta X‘s label Starship Entertainment and Korean music streaming platform Melon. The battle ended when HYBE agreed to sell its entire SM stake to Kakao; days later, it sold 1.66 million SM shares to Kakao for 248.8 billion won ($191.8 million), amounting to 44% of its total shares in the company and increasing the stake of Kakao Corp. and its subsidiary, Kakao Entertainment, to nearly 40%. HYBE retains an 8.8% stake in SM.

Later in March, SM appointed Jang Cheol-hyuk as the company’s new CEO, succeeding outgoing CEO Lee Sung-soo, and named a new board as the company vowed to improve corporate governance and its production system, which had fallen behind rivals like HYBE in recent years and led to investor scrutiny.

Weverse claims approximately 65 million subscribers across 245 countries and regions globally.

Fresh off their jaw-dropping headlining set during Coachella’s first weekend, BLACKPINK is hitting the road with James Corden for one of the talk show host’s final Carpool Karaoke segments.

To tease the upcoming episode, Corden took to Instagram to share a video in which he’s seen in the car asking for “someone to help me get to work.” He then pans the camera to the passenger and back seats, where the stunning girl group is seen smiling and saying in unison, “BLACKPINK in your area!”

The Carpool Karaoke segment featuring Jisoo, Jennie, Lisa and Rosé, airs on Tuesday night (April 18) during CBS’ The Late Late Show With James Corden. The piece will air in one of the late-night show’s final 12 episodes, which will conclude April 27. 

On Saturday (April 15), the global superstars became the first Korean act to headline Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival. “So… let me start off with, four years ago we were invited to perform here for you at Coachella at the Sahara tent and that made a mark in all of our hearts,” Rosé told the crowd during their set, which featured performances of hits like “Pink Venom,” “Lovesick Girls,” “DDU-DU DDU-DU” and many more. ”I must say, this is a dream come true … the reason all four of us are here is because of you.”

Read Billboard‘s full recap here.

Baby Shark has made his way to Sesame Street for a musical collaboration.

The Pinkfong Company and Sesame Workshop released a cute animated music video that reimagines the classic Baby Shark song — featuring Baby Shark and William, as well as Elmo, Cookie Monster and Abby Cadabby — via YouTube on Sunday (April 16).

In the clip, the Sesame pals are learning a new song with Baby Shark, who invites them an underwater dance party.

With the video will also come an Earth Day-themed YouTube playlist of nature-themed content from the Pinkfong Company and Sesame Workshop.

“We are thrilled to announce this Baby Shark collaboration with Sesame Street, which has been a cornerstone of childhood for over five decades across the globe,” Bitna Kwon, chief strategy officer of the Pinkfong Company, said in a statement. “It’s a truly meaningful opportunity for us to create a shared experience that transcends generations, and we hope that the collaboration helps build an emotional connection among modern families while helping them learn about nature.”

“We’re always looking to deliver fun, unexpected collaborations to our fans,” added Jenny Gioia, Sesame Workshop’s vp of multimedia programming. “Pinkfong’s Baby Shark is a cultural icon with the most-viewed YouTube video of all time; that’s an unbelievable accomplishment. We knew we needed to work together and give the Sesame Street treatment to their best-known content, creating a vibrant new music video and so much more for kids and families to enjoy.”

See Baby Shark and Sesame Street‘s video below.

Bruce Springsteen’s birthday, Sept. 23, will be formally recognized as Bruce Springsteen Day in New Jersey. Phil Murphy, governor of the Garden State, made the announcement on April 15 at the inaugural American Music Honors, which were held at the Bruce Springsteen Archives and Center for American Music on the campus of Monmouth University in West Long Branch, N.J. The event was hosted by another favorite son of New Jersey, comedian Jon Stewart.

“Bruce Springsteen is one of the most recognizable, iconic and influential musicians – and New Jerseyans – of all time,” said Governor Murphy. “It is important that we recognize Bruce for all he has done and will continue to do, from giving us the gift of his music to lending his time to the causes close to his heart, including making the Archives and Center for American Music a repository that will inspire tomorrow’s songwriters and singers. We thank him for showing the world what it means to live our New Jersey values. I am both honored and proud to declare his birthday Bruce Springsteen Day in New Jersey.”

The official proclamation was studded with Bruce Springsteen lore and a fair number of Springsteen puns. A long litany of whereases concluded:

“WHEREAS, Bruce Springsteen will forever be remembered as the voice of the Garden State, signaling to the world that New Jerseyans were born to run;

“NOW, THEREFORE, I, Philip D. Murphy, Governor of the State of New Jersey, do hereby proclaim: SEPTEMBER 23 AS BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN DAY for creating the soundtrack to our glory days.”

In his remarks at the event, Murphy had more to say about Springsteen.

“Truth be told, I know my place in the hierarchy of New Jersey. After all, I may be the 56th individual to be called ‘governor,’ but there will ever only be just one ‘Boss.’”

“…So, to you, Bruce, thank you for all you have done, and will continue to do – from giving us the gift of your music to lending your time to the causes close to your heard, including making the Archives and Center for American Music a repository that will inspire tomorrow’s songwriters and singers.”

“Thank you for showing the world what it makes to live our New Jersey values.”

Many artists are called “national treasures,” but Springsteen has the facts to back it up. In 2009, he performed at Barack Obama’s historic presidential inauguration. That same year, he was awarded the Kennedy Center Honors, along with co-honorees Mel Brooks, Robert DeNiro, jazz great Dave Brubeck and opera singer Grace Bumbry. 

In 2016, Springsteen received the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian honor, from President Obama. In 2023, President Biden presented him the National Medal of Arts, the highest award given to artists and art patrons by the U.S. government.

Springsteen and Obama have had a long-lived friendship and partnership. In 2021, they collaborated on an eight-episode podcast series for Spotify, Renegades: Born in the USA, which was turned into a book.

Springsteen’s countless awards and honors include 20 Grammys, an Oscar for “Streets of Philadelphia,” a special, non-competitive Tony for Springsteen on Broadway and three Emmy nominations. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1999.

Stevie Van Zandt, Sam Moore, Darlene Love and Steve Earle were the inaugural recipients of the American Music Honors.

Located within Monmouth University, the Bruce Springsteen Archives and Center for American Music preserves Springsteen’s legacy and celebrates the history of American music and its diversity of artists and genres.

To see a copy of the proclamation, click here.