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.
At its Galaxy S26 Unpacked event, Samsung taps SUGA of BTS for the unveiling of their latest and greatest flagship earbuds, the Galaxy Buds4 and Buds4 Pro. With a new overhauled design, improved Hi-Fi sound quality and enhanced all-day comfort, the premium audio buds feel one step closer to competing with its popular rival, Apple AirPods.
For audiophiles, the Buds4 Pro aims to improve its listening experience across the board. For the first time, the earbuds feature a super wide woofer, as part of its two-way driver setup for cleaner bass. The Buds4 also combine improved Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) and an enhanced Adaptive Equalizer to supply full-spectrum sound true. Both Galaxy Buds4 models support high quality audio up to 24bit/96kHz and direct multi-channel 360 audio is available as well.
The Pro model also brings back an impressive feature from its predecessor, Super Clear Call, that detect’s the user’s voice and increases ambient sound for conversations. When you stop talking, the earbuds will automatically resume ANC. The more premium Galaxy Buds 4 Pro also has a Siren Detect feature that activates ambient sound so that you can hear safety alerts like alarms or emergency vehicles.
Similar to the AirPods Pro 3, the he Galaxy Buds 4 Pro offers impressive motion gestures to handle quick tasks without lifting a finger. Users can simply nod their head to answer or decline phone calls as well as interact with Bixby via voice controls.
The Galaxy Buds 4 ($180) and Galaxy Buds 4 Pro ($250) are available for pre-order today before hitting shelves on March 11. Both models will be available in black, white and a Samsung online exclusive pink gold option on the Pro.
At the Unpacked event, SUGA was revealed as the official brand ambassador of the Galaxy Buds4 Pro in a new minute-long trailer that had BTS fans roaring with cheers at the packed venue in San Francisco Watch the Galaxy Buds4 Pro x SUGA ad below.
https://i0.wp.com/neztelinc.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/station.nez_png.png?fit=943%2C511&ssl=1511943Yvetohttps://neztelinc.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/nez_png.pngYveto2026-02-27 03:20:352026-02-27 03:20:35Samsung Taps SUGA for New Galaxy Buds4 Pro Earbuds Announcement: Shop It Here
Fred again.. played an unreleased track from Harry Styles‘ forthcoming album Kiss All the Time. Disco, Occasionally during a show on Thursday (Feb. 26) at London’s Alexandra Palace.
A 90-second clip taken from the crowd and originally shared by Pop Crave finds the British producer playing a string-drenched and slowed-down ballad by Styles. “But we sleep half the night with your head on my chest me and you/ There’s only me and you,” Styles sings on the plucky song. Watch the video here.
It follows logic that the song would be premiered during a dance music set, given the album’s disco orientation indicated by its title. Thus far, the only official release from the project is January’s “Aperture,” which is currently at No. 28 on the Billboard Hot 100. This is the song’s fourth week on the chart, where it debuted at No. 1 earlier this month.
Kiss All the Time. Disco, Occasionally will be released on March 6.
Meanwhile, Fred again.. is between a pair of hometown shows at London’s revered Alexandra Palace, where he’ll play again on Friday. The first show on Thursday featured appearances by a slew of guests including Benga, Flowdan, Skream, La Roux, Mala and more. After the show, Fred shared a story stating “Thank you London for tonight. Thank you to the ACTUAL legends who joined us. That was insanity. I’m back at my laptop preparing something for tomorrow.”
The producer also released his own new album, USB002, over 10 weeks last fall, releasing a song a week (and occasionally more than that) during a 10 show run that happened across 10 cities in Europe and North America.
https://i0.wp.com/neztelinc.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/station.nez_png.png?fit=943%2C511&ssl=1511943Yvetohttps://neztelinc.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/nez_png.pngYveto2026-02-27 03:00:482026-02-27 03:00:48Fred again.. Plays Unreleased Harry Styles Song During Alexandra Palace Show in London
Primary Wave is in the advanced stages of putting together a deal to acquire Kobalt Music Group, the gigantic independent music publishing administration company, which would create a powerhouse independent music company with over $7 billion in assets, Billboard estimates.
Primary Wave’s portfolio, which includes stakes in the catalogs of Prince, Whitney Houston, Bob Marley and recently Britney Spears, is worth nearly $6 billion. Kobalt, the world’s largest independent music publisher, was acquired in 2022 by a group of investors led by Francisco Partners in a deal that valued the company at around $750 million valuation. Since then, Kobalt under CEO Laurent Hubert has grown significantly, improved profitability and launched a joint venture with Morgan Stanley’s Tactical Value group with $700 million to invest in music copyrights.
Soucres say those efforts have resulted in Kobalt generating roughly $100 million in earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization (EBITDA), and that the company could fetch a sale price north of $1.5 billion, especially if the assets purchased with Morgan Stanley are included in the deal. Goldman Sachs, which advised Kobalt in its sale to Francisco Partners, is said to be representing the company again.
All of the companies declined to comment or did not respond to requests for comment.
Francisco Partners has a controlling 90% interest in the company, with Dundee Partners, Matt Pincus and Kobalt founder and chairman Willard Ahdritz also owning stakes in the company. Pincus sold his company SONGS and its valuable music publishing catalog to Kobalt back in 2017, which the company subsequently turned around and sold to Dundee Partners in 2021.
Before that sale, Kobalt sold another portfolio of music publishing assets to Hipgnosis Songs Fund in 2020. But under the Francisco Partners-led ownership, Kobalt once again began acquiring music assets with Morgan Stanley, including certain rights related to the catalogs of *NSYNC and AJR, as well as catalogs from songwriters who have written for various artists.
In its second incarnation after selling some of its assets to BMG in 2013, Primary Wave has emerged as a powerhouse buyer of music assets and owns the music rights to such artists Stevie Nicks, James Brown, Notorious B.I.G., Olivia Newton-John, Boyz II Men, Jackson Browne, John Mellencamp, Luther Vandross, Burt Bacharach, Alice Cooper and the Cars.
But it’s been dependent on other publishing administration platforms for its collections. Many of its music publishing acquisitions have been tied up in publishing administration deals. For assets where deals has been ending, if the songwriters agree, Primary Wave has been assigning them to be handled by the Universal Music Publishing Group, sources say.
If the deal to acquire Kobalt goes through, Primary Wave would not only have its own publishing administration platform, it would also own Kobalt’s AMRA, the global music collection organization that collects mechanical and performance royalties directly from digital services providers. This would thus cut out the fees paid to local collection societies and sub-publishers, improving profitability for Primary Wave’s music publishing assets.
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Another possible benefit to Primary Wave is that it would acquire a stake in the music catalogs Kobalt has acquired since 2022. Kobalt said in 2023 it formed a partnership with Morgan Stanley Tactical Value to invest more than $700 million in music rights, with Kirkland & Ellis acting as advisor to Kobalt.
While Kobalt has been quiet about the acquisitions it made through that partnership, sources say it has been actively buying primarily publishing catalogs as well as some rights to master recordings. Sources suggest that its acquisition portfolio includes rights related to the catalogs of *NSYNC — which has accumulated in the U.S. nearly 32 million album consumption units in its career — and AJR, whose catalog so far has garnered nearly 5.4 million album consumption units.
Whatever rights Kobalt has acquired, these assets don’t appear to be covered by the consolidated financial results that Kobalt has filed to the U.K.’s Companies House. Sources say the joint venture acquisitions are highly leveraged. In the past, Kobalt has used an off balance-sheet approach to the music catalogs it has owned and may be doing so again.
Finally, Kobalt has created KOSIGN, which provides publishing administration services to independent artists and songwriters who often don’t have a way to collect publishing royalties on the plays their recorded masters receive. This is a growing area that could fuel further revenue growth for Kobalt as companies like Songtrust and Word Collections are competing in this growing D-I-Y sector.
Kobalt’s financials for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025, are due to be filed at the U.K. Company House site by March 31, 2026. In the meantime, a look at its financials from the prior year ending June 30, 2024 shows that Kobalt lost $30.24 million on revenue of $794.4 million, versus the prior year when it had $13.1 million in profit on revenue of $522 million.
The main reason why the company went unprofitable in 2024 is that it’s administrative expenses almost doubled to $119 million from the prior year’s spending of $64.4 million, while its finance costs increased to $48 million from the prior year’s $27.2 million. However, sources say that Kobalt’s operating profit, when examined under U.S. accounting principles, is very strong, and that the company has become much more profitable in the last few years.
https://i0.wp.com/neztelinc.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/station.nez_png.png?fit=943%2C511&ssl=1511943Yvetohttps://neztelinc.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/nez_png.pngYveto2026-02-27 03:00:472026-02-27 03:00:47Primary Wave Nears Deal to Acquire Kobalt, Which Would Create a $7B Indie Music Powerhouse
A lot of people have been watching Heated Rivalry as escapist entertainment, but for Saturday Night Live castmember Sarah Sherman, it’s actually quite relatable.
In fact, in new promos for Saturday Night Live, Sherman tells this week’s first-time host Connor Storrie that the breakout HBO hit reminds her of her passionate love affair with … returning SNL musical guests Mumford & Sons.
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“Connor, I love you in Heated Rivalry,” Sherman tells Storrie, who replies, “Aw, thanks, Sarah!” “Yeah, it kind of reminded me of my relationship with Mumford & Sons,” she adds, tucking her hair behind her ears and coyly saying “hey, guys” as she looks around at each member of the British folk trio.
But the band has a different story. “We just met,” frontman Marcus Mumford whispers to Storrie. “You would though, right?” Sherman asks anxiously. “One of you?”
Elsewhere in the promos, Mumford protects “the Sons” from an un-media-trained Storrie swearing like a sailor, and they wrap things up with a five-way makeout session when Sherman’s hopes for the week include “a big kiss from Connor.”
Watch the promos below:
Storrie is hosting for the first time after blasting to fame with season 1 of Heated Rivalry, in which he plays Russian hockey star Ilya Rozanov, who becomes entangled in a sexual and romantic relationship with his on-ice rival Shane Hollander (Hudson Williams).
Mumford & Sons are returning for their fourth stint as musical guests on SNL to promote their brand-new album Prizefighter, which arrived on Friday and includes collabs with Chris Stapleton, Gracie Abrams and Hozier. The band teamed up with the latter Irish singer/songwriter on the lead single “Rubber Band Man,” a 10-week No. 1 hit on Billboard‘s Adult Alternative Airplay chart.
https://i0.wp.com/neztelinc.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/station.nez_png.png?fit=943%2C511&ssl=1511943Yvetohttps://neztelinc.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/nez_png.pngYveto2026-02-27 03:00:472026-02-27 03:00:47‘SNL’ Star Tells Connor Storrie That ‘Heated Rivalry’ Is Just Like Her Relationship With Mumford & Sons
HARD Summer will return to Los Angeles this August with a lineup featuring a mighty b2b from genre titan Zedd and San Diego bass star Knock2, an entirely hip-hip set from French legend DJ Snake, Latin chanteuse Kali Uchis, Dutch phenom Mau P, British garage star Sammy Virji and Belgian techno leaders Charlotte de Witte and Amelie Lens.
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The lineup also includes Brutalismus 3000, Confidence Man, Chris Lorenzo, RL Grime, Tiga, Snow Strippers, Frost Children, Odd Mob and Omnom performing as Hyperbeam, a b2b from DJ Seinfeld and Luuk Van Dijk, Shygirl presenting her Club Shy party, a b2b from Interplanetary Criminal and Main Phase and much more.
Additionally, HARD 2026 will host a stage takeover by Berlin-based independent label and artist collective Live From Earth that will feature performances from experimental artist 2hollis, American duo Snow Strippers, German DJ and rapper MCR-T, hyperpop duo Frost Children, Underscores, 10cust and other sets to be announced. See the complete lineup below.
HARD Summer 2026 happens at Hollywood Park at SoFi Stadium this August 2-3, with the upcoming event marking the festival’s third year at the 300-acre site in Los Angeles’ Inglewood area. Organizers report that this year, HARD Summer will have a revamped site plan designed to maximize the ease of moving between stages, along with a new Green Stage area designed to provide more crowd space.
Tickets for the 18+ festival go on sale Friday, Feb. 27.
HARD Summer has happened in and around Los Angeles since 2007, outside of the 2020 pandemic year, at sites around the city and the Inland Empire. The festival is produced by Insomniac Events.
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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.
Pop the champagne. The “hot girl coach” is trying her hand at Broadway with a stint on the cast of Moulin Rouge! The Musical.
The “Lover Girl” rapper is trading stadiums for the famed Al Hirschfeld Theatre in New York, making her Broadway debut as Zidler, the owner of the Moulin Rouge nightclub in the show. The news of Megan joining the cast broke today, Feb. 26. The musician’s stint on the musical will run eight weeks from March 24 to May 17.
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The casting choice for the record-breaking production is an interesting one, given that the character Zidler is often played by a male or a male-presenting person. Megan marks the first female-presenting person to play the role in the show’s lengthy history. Prior to the rapper stepping in, the role was performed by RuPaul’s Drag Race alum and winner Bob The Drag Queen.
If you’re looking to see Megan take the Broadway stage for the very first time, we’ve gathered all the deetz below, including a few promo codes to help you get the best pricing possible.
Where to Buy Tickets to Megan Thee Stallion’s Stint at Moulin Rouge on Broadway
As a reminder, Megan’s stint on the musical will run from March 24 to May 17 so you’ll want to search for tickets within that timeframe. As you can imagine, pricing for tickets does goes up around Megan’s time on the production.
Ticketmaster often has a ton of tickets for Megan’s stint on Moulin Rouge, but pricing can be a bit expensive. It is worth keeping your eyes peeled for deals or even added dates. Thus far, we’ve seen some ticketing for $209 and up depending on the day you choose. That being said, the site has a ton of seats available now so you can pick your favorite without fear of competition for the moment.
While the site is expensive, it is usually the official source for tickets, so you’re usually guaranteed to get authenticated tickets. The ticketing service offers a Fan Guarantee, which allows for cancellations, refunds or exchanges within 24 hours of booking, subject to certain exclusions.
StubHub has prices as low as $160 for specific dates. To get the best bang for your buck, we recommend browsing through the timeframe of Megan’s eight-week stint to see which days have more affordable options. While searching for tickets on third-party sites can be a bit scary, StubHub makes buying tickets easy and painless with its FanProtect Guarantee. This initiative protects fan’s purchases by ensuring valid tickets or your money back. Plus, if your event is canceled and not rescheduled, you will receive a credit worth 120% of the amount you paid for the impacted event, or the option of a cash refund.
Ample seating is currently available for Megan’s stint on the musical for March with fair pricing as low as $69 on specific days of the week on TodayTix. The site offers prospective buyers a full look at the seating map as it relates to the stage, giving you a better idea of where your chosen seating might be. The site has a buyer guarantee that tickets purchased through the site are authentic and provide valid entry to the event described on the ticket. If the ticket you receive from the site is not the same one as purchased through the site, then TodayTix will provide you with a comparable or better ticket or provide a full refund including any fees.
Vivid Seats has some of the most affordable seating we’ve seen beyond TodayTix with some shows featuring seats starting at just $98. Right now, you can use promo code BB30 to snag $30 off of your purchase. The ticketing service offers a 100% Buyer Guarantee that vows your transaction will be secure, that your tickets will be delivered before your event and that those tickets will be valid and authentic.
SeatGeek is another great option, especially for those looking to save some cash on their Broadway tickets. Depending on the night you see Megan perform, tickets have been landing at around $69 and higher. The further ahead you look, the lower the price. Right now, you can use promo code BILLBOARD10 at checkout to receive $10 off. The ticketing service features a Buyer Guarantee that ensures smooth ticket purchases every time. The site also offers you venue options based on your location, giving you the closest venue to you.
More savings for Broadway tickets on us, this time with TicketNetwork. You can use code BILLBOARD300 at checkout to save $300 off orders of $1,000, and BILLBOARD150 to save $150 off orders of $500. If you don’t have the money to buy your tickets just yet, you can also buy the tickets on the website now and pay later with help from Affirm, giving you flexible spending options on top of our code. Plus, the website includes all-in pricing that lets you see exactly what you’ll be paying upfront (fees included).
Pricing on Gametime is also pretty great, especially given how in demand the musical is since adding Megan on to the cast. Gametime has a ton of seating options and fair pricing starting at $88 for some days. Gametime guarantees the lowest prices, event cancellation protection, job loss assurance and on-time ticket delivery for a smooth ticket-buying experience every time, no matter the occasion.
More On Moulin Rouge! The Musical
The Broadway production is directed by Tony Award winner Alex Timbers and features music supervision, orchestrations, and arrangements by Tony Award winner Justin Levine. Levine was nominated for a Grammy as a co-producer of the show’s cast album. The album debuted at #1 on Billboard‘s Cast Albums chart in Sept. 2019 and was released digitally on Aug. 30, 2019, followed by a physical release. The Broadway production is based on a 2001 film of the same name by American film director Baz Luhrmann.
“Stepping onto the Broadway stage and joining the Moulin Rouge! The Musical team is an absolute honor,” Megan said in a statement. “I’ve always believed in pushing myself creatively and theater is definitely a new opportunity that I’m excited to embrace. Broadway demands a different level of discipline, preparation and storytelling, but I’m up for the challenge and can’t wait for the Hotties to see a new side of me.” It was recently announced that Moulin Rouge! The Musical would be closing on July 26, 2026, after a seven-year run. That’s a total of 2,289 performances.
https://i0.wp.com/neztelinc.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/station.nez_png.png?fit=943%2C511&ssl=1511943Yvetohttps://neztelinc.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/nez_png.pngYveto2026-02-27 03:00:452026-02-27 03:00:45Here’s How to See Megan Thee Stallion in Her Broadway Debut in ‘Moulin Rouge! The Musical’
https://i0.wp.com/neztelinc.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/station.nez_png.png?fit=943%2C511&ssl=1511943Yvetohttps://neztelinc.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/nez_png.pngYveto2026-02-26 16:49:252026-02-26 16:49:25‘I feel so proud.’ Miami-Dade County crowns new spelling bee champion
https://i0.wp.com/neztelinc.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/station.nez_png.png?fit=943%2C511&ssl=1511943Yvetohttps://neztelinc.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/nez_png.pngYveto2026-02-26 16:49:192026-02-26 16:49:19Where would a new Florida cruise ship port go? Take a closer look
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https://i0.wp.com/neztelinc.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/station.nez_png.png?fit=943%2C511&ssl=1511943Yvetohttps://neztelinc.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/nez_png.pngYveto2026-02-26 16:49:062026-02-26 16:49:06Two men on Florida boat involved in deadly clash wanted for ‘terrorism’ by Cuba
