J-pop superstars JO1 rolled up to Pinz Bowling Kitchen + Bar in Brentwood, Calif. recently to toss a few strikes and one wild gutter ball as part of the Billboard‘s “Takes Us Out” series. After putting the fear into host Tetris Kelly by revealing that two of the 11-man group’s members are ringers — with previous impressively high scores of 230 and 180 — they rock-paper-scissore’d to see how the members would be split up for the fierce bowl-off.

Team Ruki leader Ruki Shiroiwa was up first, begging Kelly not to put pressure on him by reminding the host, “hey, we’re on the same team!” Taking the non-traditional approach of not putting his fingers in the bowling ball’s holes, Ruki casually threw a strike like it was no big deal. (Watch the full interview with the band above.)

Then came the actual hard work.

Asked what his favorite part was of recording the band’s recent EP, Handz in My Pocket, Ruki busted a few smooth moves and exclaimed, “dancing!” while showing Kelly some of his signature choreo.

Keigo’s turn started off with a “Japanese joke” when he pretended to drop the ball and then proceeded to knock down nine out of the ten pins. Then, when it was his turn to talk about the Handz EP, he enthusiastically proclaimed his favorite part to be “music!,” while picking the ballad “Just Say Yes” as his track of choice. He picked up the spare, by the way.

Singer Sho Yonashiro added that the best part of performing the new songs was getting to play the tunes for fans all over the world, redeeming his first gutter ball by knocking down seven pins. Avowed “indoor” member Junki Kono added that he and his bandmates were “so honored” to be in Los Angeles, tagging their 2023 hip-hop jam “Trigger” as his favorite track to perform live.

And then things went sideways, as Sukai Kinjo got so pumped up before his turn by throwing air punches and kicks that he hurled the ball into the next lane. “You’re not supposed to be fighting the pins. They’re not your enemy, we’re friends,” Kelly reminded Kinjo as he gave another run at a proper roll.

The men then sat down for some chicken fingers, wings and sliders and talked about what an honor it was to win favorite Asian artist at the recent MAMA awards. They said it was a great honor to win and to be at the show with their peers and fans and to share their success this year at their recent Jam Week event at the Tokyo Dome, where they hosted seven days of listening parties and special events for their JAM fanbase.

With the whole world freaking out about KPop Demon Hunters, Kelly asked the group what it feels like to be associated with the K-pop genre while also being J-pop standard-bearers. “We are in the middle, of K-pop and J-pop and we can create a new JO1 pop,” they explained. “It is like a pioneer. This is a chance to get a new thing.” What makes JO1 different from their peers is their live performance style, which expands on their music videos by being more “crazy and energetic.”

This weekend JO1 will be the first J-pop band to ever perform at the the iHeartRadio Jingle Ball in Los Angeles at the Intuit dome alongside Alex Warren, Conan Gray, Jessie Murph, The Kid LAROI, Reneé Rapp, the singers behind the KPop Demon Hunters fictional band HUNTR/X and more. And while they’re pumped to perform, JO1 are also fans and they said they’re psyched to see Zara Larsson take the stage after watching her perform at the Dallas Jingle Ball earlier this month.

The value of global music copyright has nearly doubled over the past decade, reaching an all-time high of $47.2 billion in 2024, according to a study conducted by Pivot Economics founder and former Spotify chief economist Will Page. That’s up from some $25 billion in 2014, and encompasses revenue from record labels, publishing and songwriting around the world, showcasing the value of musical works on a global basis.

Page’s analysis comes with the help of IFPI, CISAC and ICMP, as well as a MiDIA survey of over 250 publishers and direct contributions from rights holders and streamers, according to his paper. Within that $47.2 billion figure, Page breaks it out as $29 billion from labels (up 5%), $13.6 billion from songwriter collective management organizations (up 8%) and $4.6 billion from direct publisher revenues (down around 1%), with the overall figure growing 5.2% year over year. Yet overall, growth has slowed; from 2022 to 2023, for example, the value of global copyright had grown 11% year over year, compared to the 5.2% growth this year.

Within that, there are some trends Page picks out — perhaps most notably, that value is growing faster for publishers (up about 6% year over year) than for labels (up about 5% year over year). Page puts that down to the faded effects from the pandemic, during which streaming exploded, as well as the fact that while streaming volume continues to grow, streaming revenues are slowing. That’s largely due to more lucrative “rich four” markets — which he names as North America, Europe, Australia and the Asian collective of Japan, Korea, Hong Kong and Singapore — accounting for 87% of streaming revenue despite just 59% of streaming volume, while emerging markets see big volume increases yet modest jumps in revenue. That bucks conventional capitalism trends, but holds true across different regions, which he outlines in the report.

But the comparison to a decade ago raises other points that stand out, particularly “how it illuminates the causes and consequences of fair division — that is, the split between record labels and artists on one side, and songwriters, publishers, and their CMOs on the other,” Page writes. A decade ago, before streaming had truly taken over and while the industry was in the depths of its drastic downturn in sales and downloads, the publishing world was still bringing in record collections, bringing the global value of copyright between the two sides to a near 55-45 split in favor of labels and artists, close to parity. Streaming’s rise — and the resulting explosion of record label revenues — has tipped that scale back to 62-38 in favor of labels and artists a decade on.

Another notable trend: the U.S. market has gotten more dominant as copyright value has skyrocketed globally, not less. In 2011, the year Spotify debuted in the U.S., Page notes that the U.S. accounted for 27% of the share of global record label revenues, which at that time IFPI reported as $16.5 billion. In 2024, as record label value has doubled to $29 billion, the U.S. accounts for 38% of that figure — suggesting that the U.S. is not just still the most lucrative region in the world, but is becoming more so. “Make it there,” his report notes, “and you can make it anywhere.” He also dives into the trend of “glocalization” — local-language music succeeding on a global scale, a term he himself coined several years ago — and highlights particular success in markets like Denmark, Brazil and Korea as notable examples in different ways.

Yet the road ahead is not linear, and there are reasons for concern that the value will not double in another decade. The elephant in the room is the rise of AI, which will have effects on copyright value that are difficult to predict at the moment, given the uncertain legal and technological frameworks that currently exist. But other challenges to fully understanding the true value of copyright remain in the many gaps in global reporting that still exist, as well as potential slowdowns for publishers ahead that would mimic the one being experienced by labels now. 

While the NFL playoffs haven’t even started, the players in the entertainment surrounding Super Bowl LX in February are already drafted.

On Thursday (Dec. 18), Bay Area event producer Non Plus Ultra announced a pair of Super Bowl LX weekend shows at San Francisco’s Pier 80, 40 miles north of where the game is happening at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif., on Feb. 8, 2026.

Calvin Harris and Diplo will both play Pier 80’s 200,000 square-foot Warehouse on Friday, Feb. 6, in a space that has been used for electronic music events since 2022 as part of the annual Portola festival. (The Warehouse is also hosting a pair of New Year’s Eve shows later this month with Skrillex and Four Tet and Swedish House Mafia.) The double-header with Diplo and Harris is being dubbed “The Lineup,” with tickets going on sale Friday, Dec. 26 at 12 p.m. PT, after a presale that begins at 11 a.m. PT.

The next day, Feb. 7, T-Pain and Sean Paul will also both play Pier 80 for a previously announced event being called “R&B and Ribs.” Tickets for this show are on sale now.

The NPU Live events brand officially launched earlier this year, producing a Khalid in Golden Gate Park in the fall along with events in Napa Valley. The company’s suite of venues includes San Francisco’s Midway, The Mint and the Palace of Fine Arts.

“For me, this is a full-circle moment,” Non Plus Ultra and NPU Live CEO Jordan Langer says in a statement about the February shows. “A life-changing moment in my career was producing a big event associated with the world’s most watched football game in Miami. Now, almost 20 years later that same occasion gives me the chance to showcase what the NPU Live brand is all about – unforgettable music and moments in extraordinary spaces.”

Of course, along with the flurry of events happening around the game, Super Bowl LX itself will feature a halftime show performance by Bad Bunny.

It’s a proverbial December to remember for KISS’ original drummer, Peter Criss.

Consider that in a span of two weeks the drummer, singer and songwriter received a Kennedy Center Honor with the band (which will be televised Dec. 23 on CBS), is releasing his first new album in 18 years on Friday (Dec. 19) and, come Saturday (Dec. 20), celebrates his 80th birthday. It’s all a “never in my wildest dreams” proposition, Criss says, and proof that the Catman isn’t nearly out of lives yet.

“I’m not tooting my horn, but I really worked hard for this,” Criss tells Billboard via phone from his home in New Jersey, where he recorded portions of the new Peter Criss album. “I started at 10 years old. I’m a musician and always a musician first. I’m about music, not about anything more than that. So I never expected all of this. I thought the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (induction, in 2014) was, ‘Holy mackerel…’ This is just a blessing from God.”

Criss, who was born George Peter John Criscoula and raised in Brooklyn, actually started work on Peter Criss during 2008, shortly after the release of his fifth solo album, One For All, in the summer of 2007 but shelved the recordings at the time. During the pandemic, however, guitarist and co-writer Mike McLaughlin phoned and said, according to Criss, “‘Cat, you should listen to that album we started. It’s a good album.’ I started listening and, ‘Yeah, this is a really good album. We’ve really got something here.’” That notion was also supported by his friend, current Mötley Crüe guitarist John 5, whom Criss considers “like my son.”

“I was in California and played it for Johnny and he said, ‘Peter, this is a great album. You’ve got to finish it.’ ‘You really love it, John?’ ‘Are you serious? Yeah! I want to be on it!’ So, ‘OK, I guess we’re gonna do this.’”

Criss and co-producer Barry Pointer wound up deconstructing the 2008 recordings, keeping the drum tracks Criss had laid down at the time but bringing in McLaughlin and bassist Billy Sheehan to record new parts and adding keyboards by longtime friend Paul Shaffer and backing vocals. John 5 plays on three of the 11 tracks, and Criss replaced all of his scratch vocals during the past couple of years. The album’s package design was done by Matt Montgomery, aka Piggy D. of Marilyn Manson and Rob Zombie’s bands, who also plays bass on the track “Cheaper to Keep Her.”

“I put my heart and soul into it,” Criss says. “My voice, I’m still singing like a bird; boy am I lucky. I felt I was in control and I was enjoying myself; you can hear me laughing on the record. We all had a great time, and we all had a part in it. It was like having a dream band. You can feel it in the music. It was just really wonderful. I haven’t had the experience of doing a record like that since maybe KISS’ first album. I felt like I was 20 years old again.”

Peter Criss’ tracks range from the balls-out opener “Rock, Rockin’ Rock & Roll” and the gleefully adolescent “Hard Rock Knockers” to the theatrical “Creepy Crawlers” and the Sun Records-flavored, truck driver-celebrating “Rubberneckin’.” Elsewhere Criss is more serious, invoking faith and social commentary on songs such as “Murder,” “Justice,” “For the Money” and “Walking on Water.” The latter — “Probably my favorite song on the album,” Criss says — was inspired by his battle with breast cancer and his wife and manager Gigi’s own health struggles.

“There’s a little bit of everything in there,” Criss notes. “Now that I’m a senior citizen or whatever, I wanted to write a little about politics, a little good ol’ rock ‘n’ roll. Music is so powerful, as you know. You can really pour your heart and soul into something…and I did. I hope my fans love it. I promised them I would do a rock album after One For All, and I kept my promise.”

Promotion plans for Peter Criss are a somewhat up in the air. At 11 a.m. ET on Friday he’ll sign copies of the album at Rough Trade Below in New York City’s Rockefeller Plaza, and Criss is looking at signing events in other cities in the new year. He acknowledges that at his age and after several shoulder surgeries “it’s taking a little more time to get around the (drums),” but he doesn’t rule out playing live to support the album.

“If the album really knocks the fans out, would I go out? Sure,” he says. “I wouldn’t mind getting back on stage, getting the guys together to do a couple shows. Why not? I’m in pretty good condition for an old guy; everything is working, maybe a little bit of arthritis here and there, but I still play the drums a few times a week. So, yeah, I hope it does get to that point. I’m just gonna let it flow and see how my fans accept it.”

In the meantime Criss is still basking in the glow of the Kennedy Center Honors, which took place on Dec. 7 in Washington, D.C., where KISS was feted by magician Cris Angel and performances from Garth Brooks (“Shout It Out Loud”),  Marcus King (Criss’ signature song “Beth”) and Cheap Trick (“Rock and Roll All Nite”). “It was great. It was an honor,” says Criss, who served three tenures with KISS, departing for good — again acrimoniously — in 2004. He appeared amicably with bandmates Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley in D.C. but acknowledges that “we don’t keep in touch.”

Nevertheless, he adds, “I’m a kid from the streets of Brooklyn. I grew up in a cold-water flat with…seven of us. So coming from a tough neighborhood to standing in the Oval Office with the president was quite a thrill. I’m a big history buff; I couldn’t believe I was in the room where Roosevelt, Lincoln, Kennedy…all these great presidents were. You can feel the vibes. Only four other bands got this award, and here we are, KISS. That was something.” And despite continuing controversies swirling around Pres. Donald Trump’s realignments of the Kennedy Center, Criss says there were no political considerations on his part.

“Look, it was an honor; how many chances to go you get to go to the White House and get a medal?” he explains. “I’m not a politician. I’m not a political guy. That’s how I answered the questions; ‘I’m not political. I’m just proud to be here. Am I a Trump supporter? I’m a supporter of the president of the United States. I’m proud to be an American, and only in America can four guys like us, from the streets, be in the White House getting such a great award.’”

Making the occasion bittersweet, however, was KISS guitarist Ace Frehley’s absence following his death on Oct. 16 at the age of 74, following a fall in his home studio three weeks prior. “That was really hard for me,” says Criss, who spoke to Frehley shortly before his passing. “He was so excited. He was like, ‘Wow Cat, I can’t believe we’re getting this award!’ I haven’t heard him that excited for a while. He was getting ready to tour again, working on his new album…He was really up.” Criss says Frehley’s daughter Monique accepted his medal during the White House presentation, while her mother and Frehley’s ex-wife Jeanette was also in attendance.

“I got to sit next to Ace’s empty chair, where his medal was,” Criss says. “I’m still mourning over him. I can’t believe he’s gone. We were extremely close. It’s been very hard.”