Addison Rae was just sittin’ at a game sipping Diet Pepsi in Uber Eats’ new Super Bowl commercial when Matthew McConaughey tried to rope her into his ongoing quest to convince Bradley Cooper that football is nothing but a ploy for companies to sell food — a conspiracy theory she wants nothing to do with.

The TikToker-turned-singer is one of several famous faces taking part in the food delivery service’s customizable ad campaign for the Big Game this year, as revealed Tuesday (Feb. 3). On the Uber Eats app, fans can pick and choose different scenes — including Rae’s — to create their own commercials based on the one set to air during the Super Bowl Sunday, in which the Interstellar star drives the A Star Is Born actor crazy by constantly pointing out all the food terminology that pops up in the sport.

In an example of the build-your-own function, the Grammy nominee pops up during a scene in which McConaughey and Cooper attend a Philadelphia Eagles game. “Not every food reference means they’re actually trying to sell you that food,” Cooper tells McConaughey, who ropes Rae in by saying, “You’re right, sometimes they’re selling you beverages — singing the song, huh?”

The camera then cuts to Rae drinking the namesake of her breakthrough hit, “Diet Pepsi,” which reached No. 54 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 2024. “Don’t drag me into this,” the Thanksgiving actress tells him.

Amelia Dimoldenberg, Tramell Tillman, Sauce Gardner, Jerry Rice, Pork Chop Womack and Sourdough Sam also filmed scenes from which fans can pick and choose while assembling their own Uber Eats commercial leading up to the ultimate showdown between the Seattle Seahawks and New England Patriots on Sunday. Featuring Bad Bunny as halftime show headliner, the 2026 Super Bowl will begin at 6:30 p.m. ET at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif.

Her partnership with Uber Eats comes shortly after Rae attended this year’s Grammys on Sunday (Feb. 1), joining fellow nominees Olivia Dean, sombr, Leon Thomas, The Marías, Alex Warren, Lola Young and KATSEYE in performing in a best new artist medley. Rae sang “Fame Is a Gun” from her Billboard 200 No. 4 debut album, Addison, during the showcase, shortly after which the award went to Dean.

Watch Rae’s cameo in one of the possible Uber Eats commercial combinations above.

Fresh off her best pop solo performance win at Sunday night’s (Feb. 1) Grammy Awards, British sensation Lola Young will take the stage on March 15 for the 34th annual Elton John AIDS Foundation Academy Awards viewing party in West Hollywood, Calif.

According to a release announcing the gig, the “Messy” singer — who is also nominated for five Brit Awards this year — will play some of her biggest hits, “bringing her raw storytelling, powerhouse vocals and unmistakable edge to one of the most iconic events on the Oscar calendar.”

“It’s been incredible getting to know Elton and David, and I’m grateful for the support they’ve shown my music,” said Young ‚ whose “Messy” reached No. 14 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart — in a statement. “Performing at the Foundation’s Academy Awards Viewing Party feels like a special moment in today’s world. Their work to support communities who need it most is so important to me, and I’m proud to be part of a night that helps make a meaningful impact.”

The annual viewing party, hosted by John and husband David Furnish raises funds to support the Foundation’s crucial work to end HIV transmissions and tear down the stigma around the epidemic. The night will be co-hosted by Emmy- and Tony-winning actor Neil Patrick Harris and his husband, chef/author David Burtka.

“To honor the more than 40 million people living with HIV around the world, we cannot wait to gather once again with our friends and supporters to raise much-needed funds for our lifesaving programs,” John said in a statement. “Over the years, this stage has welcomed extraordinary young artists I have championed like Chappell Roan, Sam Fender, Gabriels, Rina Sawayama, Brandi Carlile, Dua Lipa and many more — big voices that have gone on to shape culture and move the world. This year, we’re thrilled to continue that tradition with Lola Young, a truly remarkable talent. It’s such an exciting time for new British artists, and Lola’s sheer brilliance has put her right at the forefront globally.”

Among the benefit chairs and committee members expected to attend are: Patricia Arquette, Sophia Bush and Ashlyn Harris, Brandi Carlile and Catherine Shepherd, Chris Colfer, Lana Condor, Tiffany Haddish, Colton Haynes, Christina Hendricks, Tove Lo, Melanie Lynskey and Jason Ritter, Eric McCormack, Keke Palmer, Orville Peck, Michaela Jaé Rodriguez, Sharon Stone and designer Donatella Versace.

After the Trump administration moved to halt funding for its crucial PEPFAR HIV/AIDS relief program overseas last year and Congress rejected a Republican House bill that would have wiped out more than $1.7 billion in funding for domestic HIV prevention programs this week, Anne Aslett, CEO of the Foundation, said that the fight is still ongoing and there is much left to do.

“HIV is not over, but we have the tools to end AIDS,” said Aslett. “We fund where others won’t, reach communities too often ignored, and scale solutions that work. Since 1992, this community of supporters, partners and advocates has raised nearly $124 million because we refuse to let anyone face HIV alone. The Academy Awards Viewing Party is more than a celebration. It’s how we turn bold action into real progress, and we won’t stop until this epidemic is over.”

The Grand Ole Opry will help celebrate the 25th anniversary of the RIAA 8x Platinum-certified O Brother, Where Art Thou? soundtrack on Feb. 28 with a special Opry show.

Billy Strings, Alison Krauss, Dan Tyminski, Alaskan Sunnyside Sisters, Chris Thomas King, Colin Linden, and Del McCoury will perform during the special event, as will Emmylou Harris, Fisk Jubilee Singers, Jerry Douglas, Molly Tuttle, Old Crow Medicine Show, Sarah Jarosz, The Fairfield Four, The Whites and Tim Blake Nelson.

T Bone Burnett produced the December 2000-released soundtrack, assembling a group of top-tier artists including Krauss, The Whites, Ralph Stanley, The Cox Family, Harris, Gillian Welch and more, creating a sampler of old-time music styles delivered with musical expertise and homespun elegance. The soundtrack sparked a revival of roots music styles, placing a spotlight on bluegrass, blues, folk, gospel and country, and reintroducing traditional American roots music to audiences.

The 2000 Cohen Brothers film starred George Clooney, John Turturro and Tim Blake Nelson as escaped convicts in rural Mississippi during the Great Depression.

The O Brother, Where Art Thou? soundtrack reached No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart, and won a Grammy for album of the year. The set was also named album of the year at the CMA Awards, ACM Awards and the IBMA Bluegrass Music Awards, and also spurred a series of musical tours.

Tyminski was Clooney’s “Soggy Bottom Boys” singing voice on songs including “Man of Constant Sorrow,” a track that was originally recorded in 1917 by Dick Burnett. Elsewhere, standout performances included Stanley’s rendition of “O Death,” Krauss’s “Down to the River to Pray” and the collaboration of Harris, Welch and Krauss on “Didn’t Leave Nobody But the Baby.”

Lost Highway Records will mark the 25th anniversary of the iconic soundtrack by releasing a vinyl, gatefold edition on Feb. 20. The Hatch Show Print Shop will also issue an exclusive 25th anniversary O Brother, Where Art Thou? poster that will be available in the Opry Shop.

Rockabye Baby is back, all right! And this time, the music brand is taking inspiration from the Backstreet Boys for its latest lullaby covers album.

As Billboard can exclusively announce on Tuesday (Feb. 3), Rockabye Baby will drop its Lullaby Renditions of Backstreet Boys on Feb. 13, featuring bedtime-ready reimaginings of Billboard Hot 100 top 10 smashes such as “Everybody (Rock Your Body),” “Show Me the Meaning of Being Lonely” and “Quit Playing Games (With My Heart).” Rockabye Baby shared its soft, xylophone-led version of “I Want It That Way” on Jan. 30, and followed it up with an adorable animated visual that Billboard is premiering.

The Backstreet Boys lullaby album joins a long line of Rockabye Baby collections paying homage to music’s biggest stars. In 2025, the brand unveiled gentle takes on music by BTS, Billie Eilish, Ariana Grande, Linkin Park and more.

The Backstreet Boys have a busy year ahead, with a six-night residency at Merkur Spiel Arena in Düsseldorf, Germany, scheduled for September. In May, the group will headline BottleRock Napa Valley alongside Lorde, sombr, Foo Fighters and more.

Watch the “I Want It That Way” visual and full tracklist for Lullaby Renditions of Backstreet Boys by Rockabye Baby below.

Lullaby Renditions of Backstreet Boys tracklist:

Blackstone, the owner of around $4 billion in music assets including through Recognition Music Group, has sold a portion of the Recognition portfolio to Sony Music Group for more than $200 million, according to sources.

The deal, which has not been previously reported, includes mostly publishing assets and a smattering of master recording royalty income streams to songs including some by Jeff Bhasker, like Mark Ronson & Bruno Mars’ Uptown Funk and some performed by Taylor Swift; and some songs from Jack Antonoff, among other titles, sources say.

Blackstone has accumulated a substantial pool of music assets through the $1.6 billion acquisition of Hipgnosis Songs Fund’s catalog in April 2024, after having separately spent around $800 million on music assets since 2021 under a separate Hipgnosis company, Hipgnosis Songs Capital. All of those Hipgnosis music assets were rolled into the renamed Recognition Music Group, run by CEO Ben Katovsky. 

Recognition’s portfolio of 45,000 songs performed by artists including Red Hot Chili Peppers, Journey, Justin Bieber and Shakira secured more than $2.2 billion through two asset backed securitizations in 2024 and 2025.

Blackstone made its first foray into the music industry with the $1 billion acquisition of SESAC in January 2017, followed by the acquisition of eOne Music, renamed MNRK Music Group, for $385 million in June 2021. Those deals were done by Blackstone’s separate New York-based private equity investment group, while the firm’s tactical opportunities group based in London led the investments that became Recognition.

Blackstone’s London-based investment managers and its Recognition Music Group management team are said to be engaged in cleaning up that portfolio of music assets. In early 2025, it sold Hipgnosis Songs Group, the subsidiary that housed Big Deal Music and its administration business, to Sony Music Publishing in a deal where terms were not disclosed, but sources suggest it carried about a $70 million price tag. 

Besides the two deals with Sony, sources previously suggested that Recognition had been seeking a strategic partner for things like helping to manage its small pool of master recording assets and publishing administration when its arrangements with other administrators end. Sources say Sony could be in the running to fill that role.

Meanwhile, even though Recognition has sold off assets to Sony Music, sources say Blackstone is not trying to disinvest in music assets. However, those sources suggest that for the right price Blackstone would be a willing seller of any specific asset a suitor might target, if the giant equity firm is rewarded with a strong return on investment.

Blackstone and Sony Music declined to comment.