Tributes from across the rock world have poured in following the death of Brad Arnold, the frontman of 3 Doors Down, who died Saturday (Feb. 7) at age 47 after a battle with stage 4 kidney cancer.

Arnold’s death was confirmed earlier in the day by the rock group via social media, prompting messages of remembrance from fellow musicians who toured alongside him during the peak of post-grunge and hard rock’s commercial dominance in the early 2000s.

Among the first to publicly pay tribute was Brent Smith of Shinedown, who shared a video message recalling how 3 Doors Down helped his band early in their career.

“You guys were the first band that ever took us out on the road,” Smith said, referencing Shinedown’s opening slot for 3 Doors Down in 2003. “Brad was always kind, always encouraging, and always real.”

He captioned the post: “Thank you for the music. Thank you for the songs. Thank you for your love. Thank you for your friendship, and thank you for inspiring us all. May your light shine through all of time, and space forever.”

Alter Bridge wrote, “Thank you Brad, your friendship was one we will hold close forever. Until we meet again,” Sevendust added, “Rest now brother. Thank you for all you have given us.”

Creed offered a brief note of support — “Sending love to the Arnold and 3DD family” — as Black Stone Cherry remembered Arnold as an early champion, adding, “Brad was always such a top notch, class act to us… Even before we were anything at all — he supported us.”

Mark Tremonti also shared a personal message, calling Arnold “one of the kindest people I’ve ever had the privilege of calling my friend.”

“It is absolutely heartbreaking to realize that you’ll never get to perform or just have a laugh with a friend that you grew up with in the music industry,” Tremonti added.

David Draiman of Disturbed echoed those sentiments, writing: “Brad was always a gentleman, a stellar musician, and a good man. May his memory be a blessing to all who knew and loved him.”

Producer Howard Benson — who has worked across rock radio staples for decades — also paid tribute, writing, “I will always cherish the time we spent together making music and talking about life. RIP Brad.”

Additional tributes came from artists including Seether, Adam Gontier of Three Days Grace, Staind, and more.

Arnold co-founded 3 Doors Down in Escatawpa, Mississippi, and rose to prominence as the voice behind the band’s breakout 2000 single “Kryptonite,” which peaked at No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100 and helped propel the group’s debut album The Better Life to multi-platinum status. The band went on to score multiple top 10 albums on the Billboard 200 and a string of mainstream rock radio staples throughout the 2000s.

In recent years, Arnold had spoken openly about his cancer diagnosis, sharing updates with fans while continuing to express gratitude for the support he received from the music community.

The Backstreet Boys bring a fun, reimagined version of “I Want It That Way” to T-Mobile’s 2026 Super Bowl commercial, which they filmed in New York City with a snowstorm looming.

“We were hit with the winter storm right at the exact same time we were supposed to start filming,” BSB’s Nick Carter revealed in an interview with Billboard’s Tetris Kelly, noting, “There was a lot of adjustments that were being made at the time because we were supposed to do a two-day shoot.”

That two-day schedule was condensed into one long day on set in the city at T-Mobile’s store in Times Square, where Carter says the temperature dropped to about six degrees, with snow imminent: “There’s a state of emergency basically in the city … The inside of the store was freezing. So every time that they opened the door it was like a wind tunnel, or like a refrigerator.”

As Carter shared, “It was a lot of fun, but it was also a lot of work — good work. Producers were incredible. Everybody had a lot of fun. Everybody was really creative.” He added that the group and the commercial’s production team bounced ideas off of each other, while bandmate Kevin Richardson chimed in, “It was a great collaboration.”

Billboard has a backstage look at the Backstreet Boys’ T-Mobile commercial shoot, premiering in the bloopers clip and the behind-the-scenes video below.

The commercial was created in partnership with Panay Films, with a 60-second spot scheduled to air during the second quarter of the game on Super Bowl Sunday (Feb. 8).

“This spot is about asking Americans to pause and think about what their wireless provider actually does for them,” said Lucy McLellan, chief brand and communications officer at T-Mobile, in a statement about the ad. “We believe people deserve more than just a connection — they deserve more benefits, more transparency and a better overall experience — and that’s what sets T-Mobile apart. Bringing the Backstreet Boys back was a fun way to put a fresh twist on an iconic song and bring that message to life on the biggest stage in the world. The takeaway is simple: it’s better over here.”

The in-store event had something like 50 extras present, the Backstreet Boys said: customers — and, clearly, BSB fans — at the T-Mobile store.

Druski and Pierson Fodé are also featured in the spot, which was directed by Steve Pink and produced by creative team Andrew Panay, Brian Klugman and Nate Tuck, with Kevin Anderson as editor.

Also among the talent was a young actor who was a pro through a commercial shoot that went late into the night due to the weather-adjusted timeline, AJ McLean recalled; her moment was opposite Machine Gun Kelly, who makes a comedic cameo at the end of the ad: “We knew that MGK had not started filming yet, and we had wrapped close to 2 a.m. and he hadn’t even started filming his bit yet,” McClean said. “So that means that little girl was probably there at, like, three in the morning … But everybody, from the extras to crew, they just kept the ball rolling.”

Ahead of getting on set, the Backstreet Boys put in time in the studio to record some new, funny lyrics to “I Want It That Way,” written specifically for the T-Mobile commercial.

“We recorded several different versions of the different takes and the lyrics,” Howie Dorough shared.

Watch T-Mobile’s Super Bowl commercial with the Backstreet Boys below, followed by Billboard‘s premiere of their bloopers and a behind-the-scenes video of the group’s on-set experience.

Green Day’s Billie Joe Armstrong delivered a pointed political message during the band’s pre‑Super Bowl concert in San Francisco.

During the punk-rock trio’s Friday (Feb. 6) performance at The FanDuel Party Powered by Spotify 2026 at Pier 29, Armstrong urged ICE agents to consider a different career path ahead of Sunday’s (Feb. 8) big game between the Seattle Seahawks and the New England Patriots.

“Quit your s—ty ass job. Quit that shitty job you have,” the frontman told the crowd. “Because when this is over, and it will be over at some point of time, Kristi Noem, Stephen Miller, JD Vance, Donald Trump — they’re gonna drop you like a bad f—king habit. Come on to this side of the line.”

Armstrong’s remarks appeared aimed at ICE agents who might be in the Bay Area for Super Bowl LX, where Bad Bunny will perform during halftime at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California.

In addition to his comments, Armstrong altered the lyrics of opener “American Idiot” to sing, “I’m not part of a MAGA agenda,” and referenced Jeffrey Epstein by changing the words of “Holiday” from “the representative from California has the floor” to “the representative from Epstein Island has the floor.” The lyric comes amid the release of new Department of Justice documents related to Epstein.

Green Day is also set to launch Super Bowl LX with a pre-game opening ceremony performance of “their most iconic rock anthems,” the NFL said in mid-January. The ceremony will celebrate MVPs and 60 years of Super Bowl history.

This isn’t the first time the East Bay band has spoken out against President Donald Trump and his administration. Green Day has put the Trump administration on blast for nearly a decade, dating back to the American Music Awards in 2016, when they led a chant of “No Trump, no KKK, no fascist U.S.A.”

Most recently, Armstrong expressed his disdain at the band’s Jan. 17 concert in Los Angeles, altering lyrics in American Idiot to denounce “the MAGA agenda.” During Holiday, he voiced support “to our brothers and sisters in Minnesota” amid Trump’s aggressive immigration policies and ICE raids in Minneapolis. He told the crowd at the Kia Forum, “This song is anti-fascist. This song is anti-war.”

Green Day and Bad Bunny’s booking for this year’s Super Bowl drew criticism from Trump. “I’m anti-them. I think it’s a terrible choice. All it does is sow hatred. Terrible,” he said, according to the New York Post.

Brad Arnold, a founding member and lead singer of 3 Doors Down, has died following a battle with cancer. He was 47.

The musician passed away peacefully in his sleep on Saturday (Feb. 7), surrounded by his wife, Jennifer, and loved ones, the Mississippi-based rock band wrote on its official Instagram page.

“As a founding member, vocalist, and original drummer of 3 Doors Down, Brad helped redefine mainstream rock, blending post-grunge accessibility with emotionally direct songwriting and lyrical themes that resonated with everyday listeners,” the band wrote in a statement.

3 Doors Down announced in May 2025 that Arnold had been diagnosed with stage 4 kidney cancer and that the band would cancel its summer tour. In a video posted to social media at the time, Arnold shared the news himself, noting that he was battling clear cell renal cell carcinoma, which had spread to his lungs.

“I have no fear. I really, sincerely am not scared of it at all,” the singer said, emphasizing that he had been leaning on his faith during the medical battle. He also asked fans for their prayers. “I’d love for you to lift me up in prayer any chance you get. And I think it’s time for me to go and listen to ‘It’s Not My Time’ a little bit.”

During its early-2000s heyday, 3 Doors Down scored 10 Billboard Hot 100 chart hits, including three top 10s: 2000’s “Kryptonite” (No. 3), 2003’s “When I’m Gone” (No. 4), and 2003’s “Here Without You” (No. 5). The band also had two No. 1 albums on the all-genre Billboard 200 chart: Seventeen Days (2005) and the self-titled 3 Doors Down (2008).

Arnold earned three Grammy nominations for his work with 3 Doors Down: best rock song for “Kryptonite” and “When I’m Gone,” and best rock performance by a duo or group with vocal for “When I’m Gone.”

In its Instagram post, 3 Doors Down wrote that Arnold was a “devoted husband to Jennifer, and his kindness, humor, and generosity touched everyone fortunate enough to know him. Those closet to him will remember not only his talent, but his warmth, humility, faith, and deep love for his family and friends.”

The rock community flooded 3 Doors Down’s comments section, sharing their condolences. Alter Bridge wrote, “Thank you Brad, your friendship was one we will hold close forever. Until we meet again,” Sevendust added, “Rest now brother. Thank you for all you have given us.” And Creed commented, “Sending love the Arnold family and 3DD family,”

See 3 Doors Down’s full announcement about Arnold’s death on Instagram here.