Joey Bada$$ sits down with U.S. Men’s National Team defender Miles Robinson for Billboard’s World Cup cover to talk about the the intersection of music and sports, handling pressure on the world stage, and what the World Cup means ahead of the tournament in the U.S. The two reflect on their respective journeys to success, discipline in the studio and on the field, staying grounded through success, and using their platforms to inspire the next generation.

This story is part of Billboard’s Global World Cup Series, a collection of 11 cover stories which pairs top soccer stars across the world competing in the 2026 FIFA World Cup with highly touted musicians in accompanying countries.

Joey Bada$$

Like, we was in the same place 12 years ago and then now we’re here, and it’s even an incredible testament to his journey ’cause it’s like, he was just in the crowd and now he’s a World Cup athlete. 

Dan Rys:

Well, guys, thanks for joining us for Billboard’s World Cup cover. Congratulations, Miles, for making the national team. 

Miles Robinson:

I appreciate it, I appreciate it. 

What does that mean for you? 

Miles Robinson:

Now it’s obviously massive. You know, I’ve been waiting my whole life almost for this moment. I’ve been training hard every day, so to be, you know, here and it’s actually about to happen, I’m really excited.

What are some of your earliest memories of music being a part of your life? 

Joey Bada$$:

Man, I wanna say as long as I can remember, music has just been part of the rhythm of my life, you know? I remember being, like, 2, 3 years old and getting excited when Biggie came on TV. Certain songs just activated me, like, as a child, I just felt it.

Miles Robinson:

Yeah, yeah. I mean, for me, always I was, you know, an athlete, so, um, always kinda getting in that mode, you put your headphones on, you listen to the music that you like to listen to that will really get you focused in that, like, zone, you know, ’cause you obviously wanna play at your best. Especially at this level, you wanna, you know, be very, you know, intentional with what you’re listening to pre-game. And so music has always been in my life. Growing up, it was all throughout my house, uh, listening to all different types of music, whether it be, like, jazz or reggae, that was all just ingrained in my life growing up.

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For the second year running, key figures from music, tech, politics, film, gaming and beyond convened in Shoreditch for SXSW London (June 1-6) for a showcase of fresh ideas and sounds. The event was first held in East London 2025 and brought the iconic brand into the U.K. market for the first time; SXSW, traditionally held in Austin, Texas, has also hosted events in Sydney, Australia in recent years.

For Londoners, the arrival of the iconic festival affirmed that their home city – and the U.K. at large – still has the potential to move culture and set the agenda across a number of disciplines. Not only that, but it was well-positioned to act as a meeting point for ideas perspectives from around the globe. In 2025, Billboard hosted its Elton John-starring Global Power Players event during the festivities, and tapped Afrobeats star Tems for a headline concert on THE STAGE.

2026’s edition proved similarly engaging and diverse. Throughout the week, the festival hosted an array of curators and takeovers to showcase music from across the globe and a number of rising musicians. Big-name bookings dominated the conference with figures from the world of politics, technology, culture and music appearing throughout the Shoreditch district where lanyard-toting attendees bustled up and down Commercial Road and Brick Lane to flit between panels, keynotes and performances. Representatives from the creative industry’s biggest companies and stakeholders gave the event gravitas and crucial insights, while innovative start-ups and fresh voices provided welcome disruption.

With year two in the books, these are some of the biggest takeaways from SXSW London 2026.

Having recorded 19 studio albums since 1974, Rush‘s Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson had a prolific amount of music to choose from while curating the setlist for opening night of their massive Fifty Something Tour on Sunday night (June 7) at Los Angeles’ Kia Forum.

The 22 songs played during the three-hour show pulled from the Canadian group’s first studio album, its last and those from the roughly four decades in between, featuring many (but not all) of the major hits, loads of primordial rock and a few softer pieces, dealing heavily in Rush’s much-loved synthesizer-forward work of the early ’80s.

It was a thrill to hear it all, with the radio hits and deeper cuts alike earning fist bumps and Wayne’s World style “we’re not worthy” bows from the rapt audience. While crowds around the world have certainly heard most, if not all, of the songs from the setlist live over Rush’s 50-year tenure, there was a crucial factor giving each song — and the show itself, and the entire tour, frankly — a special poignancy, and that was that absence of Neil Peart, Rush’s drummer and lyricist who died of brain cancer in 2020, at age 67.

When announcing the tour last October, Lee and Lifeson advised that they’d selected 35 songs from the catalog to rotate during the tour, and that every show would feature a tribute to Peart and “everything that he was to us.” But “tribute” feels too small a word for the way Peart was thoughtfully woven into the entire show, as he appeared often via vintage performance videos, audio recordings made before he died, digital renderings and, of course, the formidable body of music he helped create.

Encompassing 88 shows, the Fifty Something tour will cross North America through the end of 2026 and head to South America and Europe next year. Here’s the complete setlist from night one of the run.

The 2026 Tony Awards opened with P!nk (the host of this year’s show) delivering a hilarious, star-studded parody of “Lady Marmalade” (which she, Lil’ Kim, Christina Aguilera and Mya recorded for the 2001 film Moulin Rouge! and took to the top of the Billboard Hot 100) as “Leading Lady Marmalade.” And as if her smash-hit version of the Labelle classic didn’t have enough divas competing for the spotlight, she brought out Neil Patrick Harris, Megan Thee Stallion, Lea Michele, Dylan Mulvaney, Shoshana Bean and even June Squibb for this Tony-fied rewrite. And from there on out, it didn’t slow down.

“I’m like, living out my childhood dreams right now,” P!nk told Billboard ahead of her big hosting gig.

Taking place inside Manhattan’s Radio City Music Hall on Sunday (June 7), the 79th annual Tony Awards were a three-hour parade of soaring songs, fabulous choreography and heartfelt speeches. From a 30th anniversary Chicago tribute (also boasting P!nk, Queen Latifah and a show-stopping turn from Alex Newell, among others) and a Book of Mormon performance to mark the show’s 15 years on Broadway, the 2026 Tonys didn’t shrink on spectacle.

The year’s big winner was Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman, pulling in six Tony Awards. After that, second place for most wins was split between Schmigadoon!, The Lost Boys and Ragtime, three musicals that won four Tonys apiece.

But not everything that happens at the Tonys gets caught on camera. Offstage in the press room, newly minted Tony winners stop by to field questions from reporters (including Billboard) about their inspirations, their challenges and what’s next for them. Lorne Michaels, the legendary creator and producer of Saturday Night Live, even popped in after winning a Tony for Schmigadoon! to rave about this year’s show and host: “Watching the production numbers, watching what P!nk did, was just stunning,” he said.

Here are 10 things that you didn’t see on TV at the 2026 Tony Awards.