Usher took the stage at the 2025 Billboard Live Music Summit Monday afternoon (Nov. 3) to reflect on all of the stages he’s taken over during his 28-year touring career.
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The R&B superstar and Gail Mitchell, Billboard executive director of R&B and hip-hop, walked out to his 2001 Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 “U Got It Bad” at the 1 Hotel in West Hollywood, Calif., which Mitchell reminded he previously said in his 2024 Billboard cover story that it was his favorite song to perform live. “I think because of the connection between me and the audience,” he said at the time. Today, he added: “I want to impress them. I would like to be as theatrical and use my imagination as much as I possibly can to lift the song higher than what it was when I delivered it as a piece of intellectual property.”
Following his two Las Vegas residences from 2021 to 2023 and his Super Bowl LVIII halftime show performance (also in Vegas) last year, Usher embarked on his most recent Past Present and Future Tour. The 83-date international jaunt became his highest-grossing and best-selling tour yet, according to Billboard Boxscore, by grossing $183.9 million and selling 1.1 million tickets over 80 shows. He has a reported career gross if $422.6 million from 3.3 million tickets over 334 shows.
But before becoming a marquee act, Usher served as an opener for Diddy‘s 1997 No Way Out Tour, Mary J. Blige‘s 1997-98 Share My World Tour and Janet Jackson‘s 1998-99 The Velvet Rope Tour. “I had another notch on my belt in terms of what I was capable of being able to handle, so that when I went to try to headline my own tours, we knew that we had the ability to hold a crowd,” he explained.
He told industry audience members a story about his time opening for Diddy: As his 1997 hit “You Make Me Wanna…” was steadily climbing the Hot 100 (where it eventually peaked at No. 2), the crowd coming to see Usher gradually grew from 10 people to a packed house. Diddy told Usher he wanted him to come out during his headlining set, but Usher recalled saying, “Nah, I’m cool. I’m gonna stay right where I’m at because I wanna earn my keep. I’m here for a reason. I want to someday be where you are.”
By the time Usher embarked on his debut headlining tour, the 8701 Evolution Tour in 2002, he remembered “the importance of paying tribute” during those shows. “I’m an artist who was inspired by the legends. If I study the legends, then hopefully one day, I will be one,” he said, adding that he performed covers of Bobby Brown, Babyface and Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis because he didn’t have enough of his own hit records at the time and wanted to still captivate his audiences.
The Coming Home artist also teased “something coming. I’m in the midst of working on something that may shine a light on a very specific period of my life and around performance. Just stay tuned. There is true value in live,” he said. He later argued that there’s also true value in R&B. “I want people to continue to celebrate the music and legacy that is the foundation that I am. It comes from soul music, it comes from the South. It comes from a very wide collective of being exposed to many different artists from many different genres, but most importantly, R&B.
“In the same way that I think all other industries have managed to monetize what they are — whether it’s hip-hop, rock & roll, country — I want the same thing for R&B,” he continued. “That is the thing that I haven’t done yet. I want us to celebrate the legacy of what it is that we created, not just look at these nostalgic things that have come and gone, but be able to savor them and savor their legacy.”
Mitchell later presented Usher the Legend of Live Award following the panel. He isn’t the only superstar panelist duringthe Live Music Summit. Billboard cover star Rauw Alejandro and Hans Schafer, senior vp of global touring at Live Nation, will sit down with Billboard Español/Latinchief content officer Leila Cobo later this afternoon to discuss the reggaeton artist’s emergence as one of the live sector’s most sought-after stars.
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.pngYveto2025-11-03 22:16:202025-11-03 22:16:20Usher Reflects on How His ‘Study’ of Music’s ‘Legends’ Helped Make Him One at Billboard Live Music Summit
Offset has been hit with new lawsuit claiming he attacked a security guard at a cannabis dispensary in Los Angeles after being asked to show his I.D.
The rapper (Kiari Cephus) faces civil assault and battery claims in a complaint filed last Wednesday (Oct. 29) by Jim Leobardo Sanchez, a security guard at the MedMen licensed recreational dispensary near Los Angeles International Airport.
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Offset and a group of associates visited the dispensary on March 14 of this year, according to the lawsuit. Sanchez alleges that the rapper grew violent when he was asked to provide I.D. before entering the store.
“Without legal justification or provocation, defendant Cephus became hostile, verbally confrontational and physically attacked plaintiff by striking him in the face,” writes Sanchez’s attorney Michael Karikomi. “Several unidentified individuals who were accompanying defendant Cephus then proceeded to grab, push and further assault and batter plaintiff.”
Sanchez says he was in “immediate and severe pain” after the alleged attack, and was treated by paramedics at the scene before being transported by ambulance to the emergency room.
According to the lawsuit, Sanchez has continued to suffer due to Offset’s behavior — and he now wants financial compensation from the rapper.
“Plaintiff suffered physical injuries, emotional distress, incurred medical expenses, suffered lost income and continues to experience pain and discomfort,” reads the lawsuit, which asks for unspecified monetary damages.
Offset’s reps did not immediately return a request for comment on Monday (Nov. 3).
This isn’t the first time Offset has been accused of attacking a security guard. In 2023, he was sued for allegedly assaulting a guard at a convention put on by Complex Networks two years earlier. That lawsuit claimed Offset and fellow rapper YRN Murk got physical after being told the event was restricted.
The security guard in that case, Daveon Clark, has not yet managed to serve Offset with legal papers. The claim remains pending.
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.pngYveto2025-11-03 22:11:312025-11-03 22:11:31Offset Sued for Alleged Assault That Left Cannabis Dispensary Security Guard in ‘Severe Pain’
HUNTR/X remains triumphant as “Golden,” from Netflix’s record-breaking animated movie KPop Demon Hunters, leads the Billboard Global 200 and Billboard Global Excl. U.S. charts for a 14th week each. In July, the song became the first No. 1 on each survey for the act, whose music is voiced by EJAE, Audrey Nuna and REI AMI.
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Plus, LE SSERAFIM and j-hope, of BTS, serve up a top 10 debut on both charts with “Spaghetti.”
The Billboard Global 200 and Global Excl. U.S. charts rank songs based on streaming and sales activity culled from more than 200 territories around the world, as compiled by Luminate. The Global 200 is inclusive of worldwide data and the Global Excl. U.S. chart comprises data from territories excluding the United States.
Chart ranks are based on a weighted formula incorporating official-only streams on both subscription and ad-supported tiers of audio and video music services, as well as download sales, the latter of which reflect purchases from full-service digital music retailers from around the world, with sales from direct-to-consumer (D2C) sites excluded from the charts’ calculations.
“Golden” leads the Global 200 with 120.8 million streams (down 2% week-over-week) and 13,000 sold (down 8%) worldwide in the week ending Oct. 30.
The entire Global 200’s top five holds in place: Taylor Swift’s “The Fate of Ophelia” at No. 2, after two weeks at No. 1 in October; her “Opalite” at No. 3, after hitting No. 2; Alex Warren’s “Ordinary” at No. 4, following 10 weeks on top beginning in May; and Olivia Dean’s “Man I Need” at No. 5, after reaching No. 4.
LE SSERAFIM and j-hope’s “Spaghetti” makes a piping hot start at No. 6 on the Global 200 with 48.4 million streams and 14,000 sold worldwide following its Oct. 24 release. LE SSERAFIM earns its first top 10 on the chart, while j-hope adds his second as a soloist; here’s an updated count of BTS members’ top 10 totals on the chart as soloists: Jung Kook (five); Jimin, JIN (three each); j-hope, V (two each); and Suga (one). BTS boasts 11 top 10s as a group.
“Golden” commands Global Excl. U.S. with 93.3 million streams (down 2%) and 7,000 sold (down 10%) beyond the U.S.
“The Fate of Ophelia” holds at No. 2 on Global Excl. U.S. after two weeks at the summit in October.
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“Spaghetti” debuts at No. 3 on Global Excl. U.S. with 42.7 million streams and 9,000 sold. LE SSERAFIM previously hit the top 10 with “Easy” (No. 6 peak) and “Perfect Night” (No. 8), both in 2024. “Spaghetti” is also j-hope’s third top 10 on the chart solo; here’s an updated rundown of BTS members’ top 10 totals on the survey as soloists: Jung Kook (seven); Jimin (five); JIN, V (four each); j-hope (three); and Suga (one). BTS has notched 11 top 10s as a group.
“Ordinary” ascends 5-4 on Global Excl. U.S., after eight weeks at No. 1 starting in May, and “Opalite” drops to No. 5 from its No. 3 high.
The Billboard Global 200 and Billboard Global Excl. U.S. charts (dated Nov. 8, 2025) will update on Billboard.com tomorrow, Nov. 4. For both charts, the top 100 titles are available to all readers on Billboard.com, while the complete 200-title rankings are visible on Billboard Pro, Billboard’s subscription-based service. For all chart news, you can follow @billboard and @billboardcharts on both X, formerly known as Twitter, and Instagram.
Luminate, the independent data provider to the Billboard charts, completes a thorough review of all data submissions used in compiling the weekly chart rankings. Luminate reviews and authenticates data. In partnership with Billboard, data deemed suspicious or unverifiable is removed, using established criteria, before final chart calculations are made and published.
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.pngYveto2025-11-03 22:06:432025-11-03 22:06:43HUNTR/X’s ‘Golden,’ From ‘KPop Demon Hunters,’ Shines With 14th Week Atop Global Charts
Leanne Morgan says that when she was three years old, she went on a family trip to Memphis. First stop was the local zoo “before they had glass over the monkeys and they threw their poop at us.” Next stop was Graceland, “where my mama Lucille swears that Elvis Presley‘s father, Vernon, came out on the driveway and said, ‘I’m so sorry you all, you can’t come in. Elvis and Priscilla are here riding horses.’”
“Mama climbed the gate and saw their heads bobbing, then she put me on her shoulders so that I could see,” Morgan says. “When she set me down, she says Vernon patted me on the head and said, ‘She’s a cute little trick.’ And mama says, “‘I just know that he anointed you and that this is happening for you because Vernon Presley patted your head.’”
As recounted by Morgan, the encounter with Elvis’ father is unfolds like a movie. Storytelling is the foundation of her comedy, and she has built a hugely successful career on it. According to Billboard Boxscore, she is the No. 4 highest grossing woman comedian of the 2020s so far, with $22.1 million in box-office receipts and 352,000 tickets sold over 152 shows. She published a New York Times bestselling book in 2024, What in the World?!: A Southern Woman’s Guide to Laughing at Life’s Unexpected Curveballs and Beautiful Blessings, and her Netflix sitcom. Leanne, which premiered this past summer, was renewed for a second season. And on Nov. 4, her latest, very funny comedy special, Unspeakable Things, premieres, also on Netflix.
A lot of comedians are storytellers, but what sets Morgan apart is her unique perspective as a 60-year-old church-raised mother and grandmother, who always saw herself in entertainment but wanted to raise a family first. To use a comedy term, she kills with kindness. She punctuates her conversation with “honey” and “darling,” and her comedy is clean, often self-deprecating and family-friendly, with a pinch of wickedness that emerges at unexpected moments. After telling the story about Vernon Presley, Morgan alludes to less wholesome things that went on at Graceland. “There’s no telling what went on on all that carpet,” she says, one eyebrow raised. “And there’s a lot of shag carpet.”
Like Nate Bargatze, Morgan’s style of comedy appeals to underserved audiences in the flyover states who aren’t interested in the blue stuff, and Morgan says she is grateful for them. “I’ve got the best fans in the world. They love me and believe in me and they want to see me do well. And they come out, they’ve got money. They want to be entertained, and I think they’ve been ignored.”
Unspeakable Things was shot in Morgan’s hometown of Murfreesboro, Tenn., and it’s a time-traveling collection of tales about her husband — who is always referred to as “Chuck Morgan” — her children, and her experiences filming You’re Cordially Invited with Reese Witherspoon and Will Ferrell in Atlanta, which included a visit to the city’s legendary basement strip club-cum-dive bar, The Clermont Lounge. It is one of the high points of the special — and below, Morgan talks to Billboard about her experiences there, the trajectory of her career, her take on the manosphere, and the magical properties of Mississippi pot roast and Trisha Yearwood’s Chicken Piccata recipe.
What is your process for coming up with new material?
Well, I do work it out in clubs and see what works, but before I start, I have in my head stories that I want to tell. Then I work them out on stage. So, now I’ll be working on a new hour. I’m finishing my tour this weekend in Boston and Philadelphia, so, all this year I’ve been putting stories in my phone. And when I’m with my kids and my husband, they’ll go, “Oh lord, you’ve got to tell when so-and-so did this.” My middle child said, “Mom, you’ve never talked about the outfit dad bought you when you were pregnant with me in the hospital” — which is in this special.
That story is hilarious.
And that’s all true. Chuck Morgan did that. I’m a storyteller, and I like to gather stories and talk about all these babies and these grandbabies, and my parents and all that. And then the occasional strip club that I was forced to go to. Promise me you’ll never go to the Clermont Lounge in Atlanta, honey. It’ll scare you to death.
I love that story. So, anybody can get up there and just dance?
I think those little women get on a list, but it’s not your normal stripper woman. There are women from all walks of life and all shapes and sizes — with prosthetic [limbs] and all shapes and sizes. I mean, I’d never been to a strip club, so when they took me to that I thought, what in the world?
I was on a movie with Reese Witherspoon and Will Ferrell, and the actor that played my little sister, Meredith Hagner, is Goldie Hawn’s daughter-in-law — and she says, “Every time Goldie comes to Atlanta, she has to go to the Clermont.” I thought, what? It’s entertainment, and it’s just nuts. Imagine a circus in a strip club.
Maybe in the next hour I do, I’ll talk about going to Magic Mike Live in Las Vegas. Somebody took me. Maybe it’s because I’m 60 and don’t have any hormones left, but I remember thinking, “I could be their mother” and “Does anybody need their clothes washed?” I felt like I needed to cook for these boys. I look at everything through the lens of a grandmother and a mother.
So, the stories you tell all happened? You’re not making up things for entertainment’s sake?
Yes. There was a time when I stretched things, There was a bit a long time ago — it’s not on a special — about when I found out I was pregnant with my third baby, and I went to Walmart and peed on a stick in front of my two little children. And Charlie, my oldest, who was only three, said, “Is it positive?” But for the most part now, the stories are real. My husband thinks I embellish some, but he doesn’t pay attention to me talking.
You also talk about religion in your set in a way that’s funny but also sounds genuine — not like you’re making it up for an act.
Well, thank you my darling. Everybody in the South was raised in church. And they’re good storytellers. But yeah, all of that is genuine.
What does Chuck Morgan do?
He’s worked for the same company for 30 something years. It’s a Berkshire Hathaway — Warren Buffett — company. It’s manufactured homes. They’re the largest homebuilder in the United States, and Chuck Morgan has done everything in the world for them. I call him a mobile home man. When we met at [the University of Tennessee] he had never stepped in a trailer as they call them. When he was 27, he bought a business that refurbished mobile homes and then went to work for the big company where he works now. I told him he cannot quit. They have wonderful health insurance, and I don’t want him on the road with me because he will eat mixed nuts and watch basketball, and I can’t take a comedy nap.
In the special, you talk about his reluctance to spend money. Looking at your Billboard Boxscore gross for the last five years, I’m thinking, “How can he be concerned about that?” Especially since you are both clearly successful at what you do.
I know. He’s been a saver, and we’ve lived below our means, but he does not believe in spending money. When I talk about all that in my act, that is true. My daughter, who’s my makeup artist, travels with me, and we have shared a hotel room for 150 cities because we don’t want to spend too much money.
People say to me all the time, “How many people are on your team out there? Who’s driving you, and are you on private planes?” I go, “No. We’re in a Mitsubishi rental car. We fly commercial. I’ve got an opener. All I need is a bottle of water, a stool and some cough drops. I don’t have security. Somebody could come up and whip us. We don’t have anything, honey.” It’s just like I’m a road comic from 20 years ago.
What made you want to be a stand-up comedian? You were a housewife before embarking on this career.
From the time I was little bitty, I wanted to go to Hollywood, and I loved SNL. My mom would let me sit up and watch it. I loved Match Game, Paul Lynde, Hollywood Squares. I loved all comedy, stand-up, comedic actors, sitcoms — all that. And I thought, “That’s what I’m going to do.” But I wanted to marry and have babies.
It’s crazy when I look back on it. The whole time I was in the foothills of the Appalachia mountains with him in a mobile home business. I thought, “OK, this is going on now, but I’m going to Hollywood.” And I had three babies before I really could call myself a stand-up. When he went to work for that big company, he opted to go to South Texas. That’s when I did my first comedy club. My kids were then about three, five and seven. But I had been piddling in it back in Tennessee, and when I say that I was doing the Rotary. I would do the luncheon for the Rotary, and they would give me $50 and I’d drop a baby off at Moms Day Out. But I considered myself a stand-up, honey.
Did you ever do stand-up in college?
No. I think there was a comedy club around the University of Tennessee, and Steve Harvey was coming through all the time. But ding-dong me was just making out with boys and smoking cigarettes. Listening to Prince, Annie Lennox and blacking my eyes out. I wanted to be Madonna. In my mind, I thought, “I’m going to do something.”
You lost little time.
And I got to raise my children. I’ve got friends in comedy that would drive 300 miles to make $50 and have to sleep in their car. I was lucky. I had Chuck Morgan, who was a good provider. I skipped a lot of steps that other people had to go through. I did terrible gigs, but financially I could lean on him, so I had it easier than a lot of people.
Leanne. Leanne Morgan in Episode #101 of “Leanne.”
Patrick McElhenney/Netflix
In addition to your stand-up career, you’ve got a successful Netflix sitcom, Leanne, that was renewed for a second season.
Yes, honey, and it came out at the same time as TheHunting Wives. All those women hunting boars in their panties — I had to be up against that. The first two or three episodes, I did not know what in the world I was doing. It was very daunting, but they put the best around me. My cast, Kristen Johnston, Celia Weston, Ryan Stiles, Tim Daly, Blake Clark. So, it was hard and I was scared — but when you get to about episode six, you’ll go, “OK, I think Leanne can do a sitcom.” I feel like I could really do it well. I feel like this could be a big thing for me.
Has a premiere date been set for season two?
I don’t know about the premiere, but we’ll start shooting again in the beginning of the year. I’ll move back out [to Los Angeles], and we’ll start again. The writing room I think starts at the end of this month and I’ll Zoom in and help.
That is true. I’ve got to ask, why aren’t you doing a Biz laundry detergent commercial? You give them quite a plug in Unspeakable Things.
Why aren’t I? And everything else a woman uses in a household. I swear, I think, “Why aren’t I the spokesperson for Honda vans?…” Maybe Chuck Morgan would quit and get off my back then. I do love Biz though. I don’t know if you’ve needed to get a stain out. Oh, it’s wonderful.
As a very successful woman who does clean comedy, what do you make of the guys who are categorized as the manosphere — the Joe Rogans, Andrew Schulzes and Theo Vons of comedy?
I don’t know those boys. I did meet Andrew Schulz at the Tom Brady roast. Honey. I got to go to Tom Brady’s roast, and I swear, I thought Gronk was flirting with me. I thought, “Lord, I’m a grandmother, is Gronk…?” But he wasn’t. He’s been hit too many times, and his eyes — I thought they were looking at me, but they weren’t. I met Shane Gillis. I never met Joe Rogan. I tell you who I think is so wonderful: Theo Von. The uniqueness of that Theo Von, honey, from Louisiana. I think he’s so funny. I’ve seen him live. and I laughed until I was weak. He talks about hamster bones. I can’t even.
But all those boys doing those podcasts. I don’t listen to them. I’m listening to pop culture, women talking about The Real Housewives and who slapped who in Salt Lake City — which is terrible. I should be listening to something informative. All those boys, they’re a big deal, I guess, and you know I love men. I was on Nate Bargatze’s podcast the other day. We did a charity event last night, and he was hilarious. He talked about going to marriage counseling with his wife, and McDonald’s. He can sit and talk about McDonald’s and blow your mind.
I think I’m in such a lane by myself, even [among] female comedians. I’m 60 years old and a grandma. All these girls doing comedy have got pretty legs and short skirts. I’m in a big girdle.
I celebrate all of them, because I love comedy. I am a huge fan of Dave Chappelle. I love Katt Williams. I guess I should have started a podcast. I did one years ago that talked about menopause. That’s what I talk about, menopause. Not politics. Don’t ask me about politics. I’ll start crying. I don’t like conflict.
Would you consider doing another podcast?
I would and I would love to do one with my daughters. I’ve got funny kids, and my baby is 28 years old. She does not want to be in stand-up, but if she comes out on stage people throw their purse in the air. She’s got something and people beg to see her in videos and all that. She likes money, so she might do a podcast with me if it meant money.
Is that the daughter that, in the special, you say is “fascinated by sin”? I love that line.
Yes, honey, that’s the baby. She said, “Please tell people I try not to commit it, but I am fascinated by it.”
Have you considered writing another book?
I’ve thrown around an idea for a cookbook, but I’m so busy right now I don’t know if I could pull that together. I like to cook. Honey, when I get off an airplane, I go to the grocery store and I start cooking for all these kids and their daddy and the grandbaby. I love that, and I love family, so I think I could do something like that. Then, later on, I do want to talk about all my sin in the ‘80s.
When I wrote that first book, I was starting to tell really twisted stuff, and my literary agent, who is a doll, goes, “Lea, let’s let this first book be an intro to Leanne Morgan.” He goes, “I’m sorry, but you’re not Joan Crawford yet.” So, someday I might tell all my twisted goings on, Frank.
This year, you starred in You’re Cordially Invited with Reese Witherspoon and Will Ferrell. Do you have more movies in the pipeline?
I hope so. I’m talking to people, Frank. I would love to. That was like summer camp. Can you imagine — Will Ferrell just walked around, wouldn’t say a word, and we would all bust out laughing. He was a doll. Jack McBreyer was in it, and has been on my sitcom. I’d like to have more guest stars from that movie, because we had a ball.
In your special, you talk about listening to Prince in college. What is some of your favorite music?
Honey, I’m still a big R&B girl. I’ve seen Earth, Wind & Fire a million times. I love to see live music, and I love to see people perform. It moves me and I feel like I’m an artist, too. But I like all music. I like country. I’ve gotten close to some country music stars because I’m in Nashville. Little Lainey Wilson — I played [against] her in Celebrity Family Feud.
I did, and we beat that little thing. I couldn’t believe it, but Chuck Morgan took it very seriously,
When you cook what’s your go-to dish?
I have been on a Mississippi pot roast tear. I want you to Google that recipe and make it. You will lose your mind. So flavorful. I come from meat people. You know, my little mom and daddy were meat processors, so we eat a lot of red meat.
And then I love a chicken piccata. When everybody is having a birthday they go, “Mom, will you make your chicken piccata?” And I got that recipe from little Trisha Yearwood, honey. Trisha Yearwood’s chicken piccata will blow your mind. Her first cookbook is one of the best cookbooks I’ve ever had. But this winter, I want you to fix a Mississippi pot roast.
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.pngYveto2025-11-03 22:06:422025-11-03 22:06:42Leanne Morgan on Owning Her Own Lane in Comedy & Her New Netflix Special ‘Unspeakable Things’
Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo have a thrillifying night in the works for Wicked fans, with the pair gearing up to star in NBC’s upcoming One Wonderful Night concert special — the first sneak peek of which dropped Monday (Nov. 3).
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In the 40-second clip, lovers of the Broadway musical’s soundtrack are treated to a snippet of the two witches’ high-energy performance of “What Is This Feeling?,” a number that appears in the first of Jon M. Chu’s two Wicked films. Backlit by green and pink bulbs, Grande and Erivo go toe to toe with their impressive live vocals while recreating some of the movie’s choreography, singing, “And I will be loathing for forever/ Loathing truly deeply/ Loathing you.”
At the end, the R.E.M. Beauty founder shakes things up by delivering a sassy, “Alright, I get it!” in response to the Erivo shouting, “Boo!,” making the Tony winner laugh.
Premiering Thursday (Nov. 6) on NBC and Peacock, Wicked: One Wonderful Night will mark the first time fans get to watch Grande and Erivo perform “What Is This Feeling?” and several other Wicked classics live. Featuring glamorous costumes and dance routines, the two-hour spectacle is one of the biggest events the team has planned for the Wicked: For Good promo cycle ahead of the sequel’s theatrical premiere on Nov. 21.
In a recent interview with Evan Ross Katz, Grande explained that the idea behind the concert special was to make the promotion of the final film in the duology “more about the fans this time.”
Watch the new sneak peek for the Wicked concert special above.
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.pngYveto2025-11-03 22:00:532025-11-03 22:00:53Watch Ariana Grande & Cynthia Erivo Go Toe to Toe in First ‘Wicked’ Concert Special Sneak Peek
When scrolling through TikTok following the onsale of Chappell Roan’s Visions of Damsels & Other Dangers Things tour dates, Foundations Artists Management’s Lauren McKinney noticed something interesting: In a stark contrast to most fans of major artists in 2025, the reviews were overwhelmingly positive.
McKinney and Roan’s team at Foundations scrolled the social media site to find “fans being excited they got tickets, and saying how calm the process was and how nice it was that they weren’t having to battle other fans,” McKinney told the audience at Billboard’s 2025 Live Music Summit in Los Angeles on Monday (Nov. 3) during a panel titled “No Bots Allowed: Inside Chappell Roan’s Fan-First Ticketing Strategy.” She added, “Our team was just so happy with that.”
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Wasserman Music Nashville’s Kristen Mitchell echoed McKinney’s excitement about the results of the ticketing strategy that they, along with AXS ticketing, implemented to ensure tickets for Roan’s nine-show summer run made it into the hands of fans instead of resellers. “I was obsessively reloading the AXS mobile reporting app, and I saw that at the Kansas City show, it was a 97% check-in. So, there was very little attrition. That’s incredible,” said Mitchell.
In 2025, concerts across the country are seeing higher-than-normal attrition rates (where far fewer fans show up to shows than the number of tickets sold) because many tickets are purchased during onsale and immediately placed on the secondary market for double or triple the face value. When fans are unable or unwilling to pay those exorbitant prices, those seats are left empty at the venues.
When tickets went on sale for Roan’s stadium dates, she and her team knew the demand for tickets would far outweigh the demand, so they turned to Fair AXS for a slower approach to selling tickets.
As Billboard reported in the 2025 touring issue, Roan’s fans signed up over a three-day period, after which AXS used a proprietary system to verify that each registrant was a real person, including those who had purchased Roan tickets in the past. AXS then delivered a list of registrants who met the criteria to her agents at Wasserman. The AXS team subsequently released a batch of ticket-purchasing invitations to fans across 24 hours. Based on the ratio of those fans who actually purchased the tickets, they subsequently released a second batch the following day, and a third the day after that.
“It requires a lot of trust in the fan to be patient in that process and know that they will have to sign up, wait a week, maybe receive an email,” McKinney said during the panel. “Overall, we learned that people are willing to be patient and willing to jump through some additional steps, if they can feel like the end result is equitable and that it’s a fair process all.”
AXS head of North American venues Dean Dewulf added that with Fair AXS, “we’re essentially deconstructing [the onsale] process.”
“We essentially are having a unlimited registration window where everybody can register. And what’s really important about that is that fans have two to four days, depending on the configuration of the program, to register when it’s convenient for them,” Dewulf explained on the panel, moderated by Billboard’s touring director Dave Brooks. “Once the registration ends, then we run it through our process to essentially hand pick and invite specific fans to buy the tickets.”
The process is a lot more intensive than a typical onsale and requires a lot more human power. As Mitchell joked, “AXS was not sleeping.”
“This was such a great passion project for a lot of the folks that worked on this,” said Dewulf on the panel. “We loved every minute. Honestly, this is why I got into the business. I don’t know about any of you, but getting tickets in the hands of real fans is really cool.”
When asked about how they deal with tickets that do end up on the secondary market, Mitchell said Wasserman has worked with AXS to combat the high prices by fighting fire with fire.
“AXS has something called AXS Distro, which actually allows you to — it sounds counterintuitive — but you’re feeding tickets to the secondary market. But you’re undercutting the pricing,” Mitchell said. “So, what happens when you undercut the pricing is people aren’t purchasing those higher price tickets.”
“I don’t know that that exists across other platforms, but I personally think that might be the future of what we’re looking at in ticketing,” Mitchelle continued. “I’m not saying that we want scalping, but it’s going to be there no matter what. So, it’s really on us as an industry to figure out how we’re dealing with that, and, in some cases, competing with it.”
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.pngYveto2025-11-03 21:56:132025-11-03 21:56:13How Chappell Roan’s Team Got ‘Damsels’ Tour Tickets Into the Hands of Real Fans: ‘A Great Passion Project’
The exciting news comes after the pop star and music producer exchanged vows during an intimate ceremony on Oct. 4 at New York City’s Chelsea Hotel. The wedding was attended by about 100 guests in the iconic building’s Bard Room, according to Vogue.
“We knew we wanted a location that meant something to us, and the Chelsea Hotel had become a home away from home every time we were in New York,” Jepsen told the publication. “As artists, its iconic history and lore made it that much more appealing. For planning, we had weekly dates to talk out all the details of the wedding. This way it was only ever fun and not too much at once.”
The wedding celebration reportedly featured a surprise performance by Rufus Wainwright, who sang an a cappella rendition of Leonard Cohen’s 1974 song “Chelsea Hotel #2.” Her posts also included black-and-white snapshots from inside the Hotel and photos in front of New York’s Broni & Belle Pizzeria.
Jepsen previously announced her engagement to Cole M.G.N. in September 2024 through Instagram. She shared photos of the couple hugging outdoors and showing off a beautiful engagement ring. “Very engaged over here,” she wrote.
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.pngYveto2025-11-03 21:53:542025-11-03 21:53:54Carly Rae Jepsen Announces That She’s Pregnant With Her First Child: ‘Oh Hi Baby’
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With YouTube TV removing ESPN, ESPN 2, ESPNEWS, ABC and other Disney-owned networks from their platform, cord-cutters and online TV watchers may be left out in the dark until YouTube TV and Disney can agree on a new deal.
However, until then, we rounded up the best ways to watch ESPN online without YouTube TV — especially since Monday Night Football broadcasts on ESPN or ABC. ESPN is one of the easiest ways to get access to games and analysis, but sports fans who have become cord-cutters don’t have to reinvest in cable if they want to watch ESPN. There are a variety of affordable streaming options that can give you access to watch ESPN online.
These days, there are a number of live TV streaming platforms that include ESPN as well as hundreds of other channels that’ll get you access to NFL, NCAA College Football, NBA, WNBA, NHL, UFC and more online at home. Plus, most of the platforms include promos and free trials that’ll help save you additional money while allowing you to watch ESPN online for free.
Keep reading to learn how to watch ESPN at home without cable.
How to Watch ESPN Online Without Cable
ESPN Unlimited is the official streaming platform for ESPN, and a subscription includes instant access to games and more exclusive content for $29.99 per month. You can save almost 17% off by purchasing an annual subscription for $299.99 per year. There is no free ESPN Unlimited trial, but it does include exclusive on-demand videos and access to content from what was formerly known as ESPN Insider.
In addition to live sports, ESPN Unlimited has original shows to stream on-demand, plus game recaps and analysis, a shorter version of NFL Primetime and full replays of historic NFL matchups.
To expand your savings and content offerings, currently, you can bundle ESPN Unlimited with Hulu and Disney+ for a single monthly price of just $29.99 per month for all three services for 12 months of streaming.
While ESPN Unlimited doesn’t currently offer a free trial, there are other streamers that offer ESPN online free. If you want access to ESPN and additional channels, you can take advantage of DirecTV, Hulu + Live TV, Sling TV and Fubo, which are all offering free trials or promos right now. Some of them can give you free access to ESPN for up to a week.
Here are all the ways to watch ESPN online, including ways to stream ESPN online for free.
DirecTV
DirecTV is offering a five-day free trial, which will let you watch ESPN and more for free. The Entertainment and Sports Programming Network is included in all of the streaming packages. In addition to unlimited DVR storage, you’ll get access to local channels and the ability to stream on as many devices as you want.
With prices starting at just $4.99 for a day pass, Sling TV includes ESPN with it Sling Orange and Sling Orange + Blue packages — which features dozens of channels that can be streamed on up to three devices at the same time. Sling Orange + Blue features FS1 and the NFL Network too
Please note: Sling TV’s pricing and channel availability depends on your local TV market.
Fubo is another great option you can take advantage of to watch ESPN online. The streamer offers a seven-day free trial that’ll give you access to ESPN free and more than 240 live TV channels. The service offers a promo that’ll get you up to $30 off the first month, which can get you access to ESPN and more for as low as $54.99 (reg. $84.99 per month).
For the most content options, Hulu + Live TV gives you access to the entire Hulu library in addition to more than 95 live TV channels — including ESPN for just $82.99 per month.
And, unlike the rest of the options, you can also expand your content library by bundling Hulu + Live TV with Disney+ and ESPN Unlimited. You’ll not only have all of the Hulu library to watch, but also exclusive and original programming available exclusively on ESPN Unlimited.
ESPN is also good to watch for surprise celebrity appearances. Every now and then, musicians have been know to drop in and give their thoughts and opinions on the latest going in the sports world. Famous recording artists, like Kendrick Lamar, Lizzo, J. Cole, John Legend, Imagine Dragons, Fall Out Boy, Drake and others.
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2025 will be a year marked by a moment that went viral on the internet: that of a musician who swept the streets in the early mornings in Mexico City and who, with a video on TikTok, managed to connect with millions through an uplifting song, “Sueña lindo,” and his personal story. Now, just a few months later, Macario Martínez presents his new album, If Tomorrow I’m No Longer Here, while preparing for his first concert at the Lunario of the National Auditorium on November 15.
Released on October 24 under Morrxs Tristes — two weeks after his performance on NPR‘s Tiny Desk — Si Mañana Ya No Estoy comes from a process that began several years ago, in which Martínez sought to represent the idea of fear of the future evoked by the title through the lyrics of his songs.
“I was trying to record it with many friends in various places, but in the end, it didn’t work,” Macario tells Billboard in a Zoom interview. “And then, at the end of 2022, I arrived at the Casa del Árbol studio, which is also where I was able to record ‘Sueña lindo’ and ‘Nuestra casa en el mar.’ I became very good friends with [the musicians] there, and in fact, they are currently the members of my band. Together we were able to really develop that idea.” Macario also highlights how important it has been for him to continue being accompanied by the same musicians and how, emotionally, they have been fundamental in this stage of his career.
The 11-track album — a flawless fusion of huapango-folk-rock — creates a sort of internal journey through memory, touching on human anguish in the songs “Estaba lejos” and “Otra vez.” It also invites reflection on the complexities of existence in the track “Si te mentí.”
Martínez has ingrained the sounds he heard when he lived for a time in Veracruz with his dad. There he got to know the jaranas (a string instrument mainly used in the jarocho style): “I try to blend both traditional sounds and the sounds of bands like Beach House or alternative rock sounds. I think the sound of my album is the sound I always wanted to have.”
Below, Macario Martínez breaks down five essential songs from Si Mañana Ya No Estoy. Listen to the full album here.
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We’re currently focused on next year’s Super Bowl halftime show headliner, but the 2024 master of ceremonies is still at the center of the culture.
After the Los Angeles Dodgers defeated the Toronto Blue Jays at the 2025 World Series on Saturday (Nov. 1), the City of Angeles reached for the only appropriate song for moments of total victory: Kendrick Lamar‘s “Not Like Us.” The baseball team’s official Instagram account shared a flick of the whole gang with the all-caps caption, “They still not like us,” a reference to both Lamar’s Grammy-winning Hot 100 chart-topper and their 2024 World Series triumph.
As is seemingly the order of things these days, when K.Dot gets some praise, a jab at Drake isn’t too far behind. To commemorate the Dodgers’ consecutive victories, the official ESPN X account posted a picture of the celebrating team in the style of Drake’s “Back to Back” single cover. Notably, this is a nod to a separate Drake beef — the Toronto MC’s 2015 back-and-forth with Meek Mill. Not only did Drizzy take an L by way of the Blue Jays’ loss, he also got slammed in a new lawsuit against Spotify, which alleged that the streamer used bots to generate “billions of fraudulent streams.”
Drake isn’t the only rapper whose beefs made headlines in the hip-hop world over the weekend. On Thursday (Oct. 30), NLE Choppa (who’s currently going by NLE the Great) shared his new “KO” single, which finds him rapping over the same Dennis Edwards “Don’t Look Any Further” sample that 2Pac flipped for “Hit Em Up,” his iconic Biggie diss track. The subject of NLE’s ire? None other than NBA YoungBoy, one of the few rappers with a song sitting just outside the Hot 100’s top 40, a news story that sent the hip-hop space into a tizzy last week.
On Wednesday (Oct. 29), Billboardreported that, for the first time since 1990, there were no rap songs in the Billboard Hot 100‘s top 40, after Kendrick Lamar and SZA‘s smash hit “Luther” was deemed recurrent and removed from the ranking due to recent changes to the chart’s methodology. Though those rule changes mostly explain what’s going on with hip-hop on the Hot 100, the shocking stat spurred heated debate across social media channels. Grammy-nominated producer The Alchemist chimed in on X, simply writing, “No rap in top 40 has nothing to do with the music being bad or good.” Click here for a full breakdown of the Hot 100’s new recurrent rules.
With Fresh Picks, Billboard aims to highlight some of the best and most interesting new sounds across R&B and hip-hop — from a new Jai’Len Josey joint to Rozzzqween’s new single. Be sure to check out this week’s Fresh Picks in our Spotify playlist below.
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