Jan Ravnik’s reputation as Taylor Swift‘s backup dancer precedes him, but unfortunately, her song wasn’t the good-luck charm he might’ve hoped for on Dancing With the Stars.

The dancer and his celebrity partner, The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives‘ Jen Affleck, were eliminated on the show’s Tuesday (Oct. 28) episode after performing a contemporary number set to the pop superstar’s Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 hit “Look What You Made Me Do.” Honoring the night’s Halloween theme, Ravnik channeled a rugged vampire while Affleck wore a spooky blood-red outfit.

After spinning, flipping and twirling their hearts out, the pair received a score of 34 from the judges. Later in the episode, they were eliminated.

“I got all the love from this show,” Ravnik said in a post-show interview with Entertainment Tonight, noting that he was “proud” of Affleck, regardless of the results.

The episode comes shortly after the Slovenian performer drew criticism from former DWTS pros Maksim Chmerkovskiy and Peta Murgatroyd, who called Ravnik’s casting on the show into question on a recent episode of the latter’s The Penthouse With Peta podcast. “Jan has absolutely no business being a pro on Dancing With the Stars,” Chmerkovskiy said at the time.

“There’s zero foundation, technique, quality, understanding of the partnership,” he continued, while Murgatroyd added, “Hiring a non-ballroom dancer to teach ballroom dancing to a celebrity as a job is outrageous.”

But while speaking to ET, Ravnik responded to the criticism by saying, “the people who’s trying to stay relevant, spreading the hate, this is not a way to do it.”

Ravnik was a fan favorite on Swift’s global Eras Tour, during which he supported the 14-time Grammy winner for nearly two years on the road. The dancer has continued working with Swift even after the trek wrapped in December 2024, appearing in her recent music video for Hot 100-topping The Life of a Showgirl single, “The Fate of Ophelia.”

Watch Ravnik and Affleck dance to “Look What You Made Me Do” below.

Nowadays, BTS is the biggest boy band on the planet, K-pop or otherwise. But not too long ago, the genre was seen as niche in the Western world, a mindset that group leader RM credits ARMY with changing.

At this year’s APEC CEO Summit in South Korea — which gathers some of the most influential executives and economic leaders across Asia to discuss the future of business and innovation — RM delivered the keynote address and called on those in power to invest in artistic endeavors. “I’m not sure how familiar you are with K-culture or K-pop,” he told the crowd in Gyeongju-si on Wednesday (Oct. 29).

“But I’m sure you all agree that the cultural industry has great economic value and growth potential,” the performer continued. “As a creator and an artist of this generation, I would like to use this opportunity to make a request … there are creators all around the world. Please help them. Give them the financial support so that their own creativity can bloom. Give them the opportunities so that their talents can really shine.”

The global star emphasized how when BTS started, the group was called a “foreign culture” and that their music felt like a test to see if K-pop could enter the “global stage.” People didn’t ask about their music, he added, but instead, wondered whether the group was from North or South Korea.

“But we overcame those barriers, and now I’m here today sharing this precious moment with you.
ARMY was the force that broke down those barriers,” he declared. “They use our music as the medium to carry out conversations that cross borders and languages. They were inspired by the message in the music of BTS to give to charity, to run social campaigns. And finally, the world was amazed. Back then ARMY was seen as ‘supporters of a minority culture from Asia.’ Now, they shake the world as a new community and a fandom culture.”

Elsewhere in his speech, RM emphasized how fortunate he feels to have his fans and bandmates Jin, SUGA, j-hope, Jimin, V and Jung Kook in his life. “I’m a very lucky person,” he gushed. I’m lucky to have met the six other members of BTS … And most importantly, I’m lucky I met ARMY, who accept our music not just as a diversion, but as our shared language of life.”

According to a release, this year’s summit marked the first time cultural and creative industries have been treated as key agenda items by APEC. In a world where the arts are undervalued all too often, RM drew on his own success as part of BTS to show the investors at the event how lucrative it can be to back music and other artistic endeavors.

RM’s appearance at the event comes as BTS is gearing up to make a major comeback in 2026. After spending some time apart to fulfill their respective service requirements in the South Korean military — during which time many of the members dropped solo projects, with RM dropping his album Right Place, Wrong Person in May 2024 — the band reunited this past July and promised that a new full-length and tour were in the works.

The following month, RM shared his thoughts on the comeback in a letter to ARMY on Weverse. “Making something ‘together’ with these friends,” he wrote of his bandmates at the time. “I’m going to commit myself to this moment. I’m going to thank you … I’m looking for what I’ll become. Something I’ve forgotten for too long.”

Read RM’s full speech at the 2025 APEC CEO Summit below.

Hello. I’m RM, the leader of BTS.

It’s an honor to be here and to meet the leaders of APEC here in Korea, where I was born and raised. I’m honored to tell you about myself, and to share my message. I’m proud and excited that this year, for the first time, the “cultural industry” was chosen as a key agenda for APEC.

I’m not sure how familiar you are with K-culture or K-pop. But I’m sure you all agree that the cultural industry has great economic value and growth potential. But I’m just an artist. I’m not a business leader. I don’t think you want to hear any numbers or figures from me.

So, today I want to speak to you as a creator and an artist. I want to share my thoughts on how K-pop crossed borders to move the hearts of people. It’s not something we can calculate or measure. It’s a bridge that connects worlds, and I want to bring your attention to how we can work together to build this connection for tomorrow’s creative cultural ecosystem.

I’m a very lucky person. I’m lucky to have met the six other members of BTS. I’m lucky that I met our producer “Hitman” Bang, who gave us his full support that we could make the music we love. And most importantly, I’m lucky I met ARMY, who accept our music not just as a diversion, but as our shared language of life.

Oh, by the way, ARMY is the name of the official BTS fandom. Further information, the army is where I just finished my military service. I was there for 18 months. Just wanted to make sure.

ARMY’s support and passion crossed all borders and opened up brand new paths for me. They gave me a voice that was heard at the Billboard Music Awards, at the Grammys, at the United Nations and even at the White House. At such historic and symbolic events, like right here at the APEC.

BTS first started to go outside Korea about 10 years ago. Back then, we didn’t dream of what we see today. Nothing was like this. Did you ever turn on your TV or radio and hear a song that’s not in your language or English? Probably not very often. I felt how hard it is to ever hear a Korean song in an English-speaking country. I saw how high a cultural barrier could be.

At that time, the music of BTS was quickly called “non-English, foreign culture.” Trying to get on mainstream media through our music was like doing an experiment and a huge challenge. It was a test to see if “music in Korean can work on the global stage.” We tried to get on TV to show the world our music, but the doors were closed and would not move.

But, as you know, we couldn’t just sit around and wait. We tried to make our own opportunities. we danced in the streets. We handed out flyers to free shows. But there was something even more difficult than those. When we said, “We are artists from Korea.” They didn’t ask us about our music. They asked, “Are you from North Korea or South Korea?” “Where on Earth is Korea?” So, we had to explain where Korea was before we could even talk about music. And that was reality.

But we overcame those barriers, and now I’m here today sharing this precious moment with you. ARMY was the force that broke down those barriers. They use our music as the medium to carry out conversations that cross borders and languages. They were inspired by the message in the music of BTS to give to charity, to run social campaigns. And finally, the world was amazed. Back then, ARMY was seen as “supporters of a minority culture from Asia.” Now, they shake the world as a new community and a fandom culture.

Even at this very moment, they are crossing borders and breaking down barriers through the pure power of cultural solidarity. Solidarity and tolerance that know no borders. And it’s an endless source of creative inspiration for me as well.

There is so much cultural content around the whole world. But why K-pop? Why is it so unique? Why does K-pop create this powerful and inclusive community?

It’s because of the special principle of unity of K-pop. This is what enables people from such diverse backgrounds to come together, just through the medium of K-pop.

I like to compare K-Pop music to bibimbap. Bibimbap is a traditional Korean dish. You have to taste it. You take “bap,” which is rice. Then you put all kinds of vegetables, meat and flavorings on top, and mix it all up. That’s the “bibim.”

K-pop is much the same. You take Korea’s unique aesthetics, emotions and production system. But you don’t turn away elements of Western music, like hip-hop, R&B and EDM. Just like bibimbap, these parts all keep their unique identities but mix together to make something new and fresh and delightful. K-pop is not just a genre of music. It’s a 360-degree, total package of music, dance, performance, visual style, story-telling, music video and even social media.

K-pop’s success didn’t happen because one single culture was better. K-pop’s success came from respecting diversity and embracing world cultures, but still holding onto Korea’s unique identity. When cultural barriers come down and different voices harmonize together, there’s an explosion of creative energy. This is where ARMY’s borderless solidarity came from. And this is why K-pop is loved everywhere.

Culture is like a river. It flows freely, different streams sometimes coming together in harmony, just like K-pop. Coming together to carry itself far away and create something new. I would like to see this creative flow of culture happen everywhere around the world. The Asia-Pacific region has incredible dynamic cultural diversity. K-pop’s shining success is proof that cultural diversity and creativity are the greatest human potential — a force with no borders, no limit to growth.

Ladies and gentlemen, leaders of APEC, let me ask you a question: What is your favorite song? Do you remember seeing a painting that took your breath away? A book you read over and over again? We all know, we all love culture and art. And we are connected by the emotion and resonance that they awaken in us.

As a creator and an artist of this generation, I would like to use this opportunity to make a request to the leaders and distinguished guests of APEC. There are creators all around the world. Please help them. Give them the financial support so that their own creativity can bloom. Give them the opportunities so that their talents can really shine. When you think about investing in tomorrow’s generations, think about culture as well as economics. Culture and art are a powerful force that moves hearts. They are the fastest messengers that carry diversity and resonance.

As the leaders of APEC, your policies and support will be the canvas and playground for all the creators. The foundation for creators all over the world to pour out their creativity. When creators flourish, other elements of culture gather to form some brand new aesthetics. Their content will go beyond all kinds of “differences.” They will blaze a road of true understanding and tolerance. They will create the power of solidarity for the future.

I, too, stand by the vision of APEC. A vision that will drive diversity, inclusion and growth through culture and creativity. As an artist, I promise that I will also let my imagination fill the canvas you will create. I will play my heart out in the playground you will build for us. I promise that I’ll do my part by sending a message of courage and hope and a lot of emotions through music. A message of embracing our differences to make something better together.

I would like to ask for your support for this future. I believe you can make this happen. Your support can make creators let their creativity soar. With your help, their creations will resonate around the whole world.

Thank you.

Want to see everything that BTS has said about its upcoming reunion? Click on the image below!

With Kendrick Lamar and SZA’s 13-week Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 “Luther” falling off the Hot 100 dated Oct. 25, 2025, there were officially no rap songs in the chart’s top 40 last week. 

The highest-ranking rap song — defined as a song deemed eligible for charting on Billboard’s Hot Rap Songs listing — on the Oct. 25 Hot 100 was YoungBoy Never Broke Again’s “Shot Callin,” at No. 44. Cardi B’s “Safe” (featuring Kehlani) and BigXthaPlug’s “Hell at Night” (featuring Ella Langley) also ranked in the 40s, at Nos. 48 and 49, respectively. 

The last time before that when there were zero rap songs in the top 40 of the Hot 100? You have to go back all the way back to Feb. 2, 1990, when the top-ranking rap song was Biz Markie’s eventual top 10 hit “Just a Friend,” which had just climbed to No. 41 on the chart. The next week, “Just a Friend” jumped to 29, starting a Hot 100 streak of rap songs in the top 40 that would last for the next 35 years, eight months and three weeks. 

Recent rule changes to Billboard’s Hot 100 methodology did play a part in the streak coming to an end. For the chart dated Oct. 25, descending songs were deemed recurrent and removed from the chart if they had exceeded certain durations on the chart while also falling below certain updated chart thresholds — for instance, if they had fallen below No. 25 after spending over 26 weeks on the chart. That particular change resulted in the departure of “Luther,” which had fallen to No. 38 on the previous week’s Hot 100 in its 46th week on the listing.

However, with “Luther” and seven other songs in the Hot 100’s top 40 going recurrent on the Oct. 25 chart following the rule change, there was also extra opportunity for songs below them on the chart to rebound into the top 40, or to reach it for the first time. No rap songs were close enough to the threshold to be able to make that jump. (Also in the way: all 12 songs from Taylor Swift’s new album, The Life of a Showgirl, have been lodged in the top 40 the past three weeks, further limiting room for rap hits in the region.)

The lack of rap songs in the Hot 100’s top 40 is the latest sign of a recent dip in rap’s commercial dominance. Hip-hop’s overall market share reached a peak in 2020, when it neared 30%. That had slipped to just over 25% in 2023, and has been at 24% so far in 2025, through the week of Oct. 23. In the Hot 100 chart for the equivalent chart week five years ago (dated Oct. 24, 2020), a whopping 16 of the top 40 were rap songs, while in the equivalent chart two years ago (Oct. 28, 2023) there were eight rap songs in the top 40. 

It is worth noting that the rap world is currently in a bit of an in-between moment with some of its biggest names. Drake, the biggest chart mainstay of the past 15 years (and the artist with the most Hot 100 hits of all time), has not yet released his much-anticipated Iceman album, while his 2024 foe Lamar is finally somewhat dormant following an 18-month period of cultural and commercial domination. However, the last few months have not been totally without big rap releases: both Cardi B and BigXthaPlug (two of the rappers currently closest to the top 40) have released new albums since August, and even without a new album, Drake has released a steady stream of new singles since announcing the album in July. 

“Luther” is also the most recent rap song to appear in the Hot 100’s top 10, last doing so on the chart dated Aug. 2, when it ranked at No. 9, before falling to No. 12 the next week. In the two months and three weeks following that chart, the closest another rap song got to the Hot 100’s top 10 was BigXthaPlug’s “All the Way” (featuring Bailey Zimmerman), which ranked at No. 22 for the Hot 100 dated Sept. 6, after peaking at No. 4 in April.

On this week’s Hot 100 (dated Nov. 1, 2025), the rap song-less streak is extended to a second week, as once again no rap songs rate in the chart’s top 40. However, “Shot Callin” does get one spot closer to ending the drought by breaking into the region, climbing No. 44-43 this week. 

Additional reporting by Dan Rys.

Nobody is saying there is a direct connection, but it sure seems like whenever Brad Paisley performs the national anthem before a World Series game things tend to go long. The “When I Get Where I’m Going” singer sang the “Star-Spangled Banner” at Dodger Stadium on Monday (Oct. 27) in game three of the World Series between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Toronto Blue Jays, there was no way to know that the contest would stretch into a record-tying 18 innings over more than six-and-a-half hours, with the Dodgers ending up with a 6-5 victory.

Well, unless you’ve been paying attention and clocked that it was the fourth time Paisley had done the honors, with each one of those games going into extra innings: 11 innings for game 2 in 2017, 18 innings for game 3 in 2018 and 10 innings in game one in 2024.

Speaking to the Associated Press on Tuesday (Oct. 28), Paisley revealed whether, given his track record, he suspected Monday’s game would go long. “No, I fully, I fully expected this to actually be over in nine for maybe the first time in a while, you know,” he said, adding, “I am cursed. No, I don’t think so. … It’s wild. It’s fun. I think it’s a really fun thing.”

Paisley said that actually, instead of being a curse, he considers his extra inning run as one of those “weird fun facts that baseball excels in… It’s what Brad Pitt says in Moneyball. It’s like, ‘How can you not be romantic about baseball?’”

In fact, Paisley is so into his unique status as baseball’s extra inning man that he’s given himself a new nickname: “Mr. More Baseball.”

“It’s kind of cool to know that I sang the anthem at a couple, at the two of the four total Dodger walk-off games that ever happened. The other two were before my time anyway. … And especially the one that was 18 innings,” Paisley said, noting that around the 16th inning on Monday he thought, “‘There’s no way this is happening again.’” The day after, the singer said he saw a couple of statisticians note that he’s never performed at a World Series game that didn’t go into extra innings. “I’m available for football games, too,” he joked. “If anybody wants, you know, another quarter or two out of their team.”

Though Paisley is a West Virginia native, he said marrying wife actress Kimberly-Williams Paisley in 2003 and having a home in the Los Angeles area has made him a de facto Dodgers die-hard. “I would take the kids to these games. I got to know so many people there. … It was just an easy transition into that. I grew up going to Pirates games. My dad liked the Indians,” he said of his other go-to teams.

He noted that he’s also become friendly with a few Dodgers players, including pitcher Clayton Kershaw and infielder Justin Turner, as well as team manager Dave Roberts. “We’ve had adventures together,” Paisley said. “It’s a slow progress to where you’re addicted to something. And I got there pretty quick a while back.”

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With the 2025-26 NBA season in full swing, the league is already seeing a lot of buzz and excitement for what’s to come throughout the schedule. The first big event is the NBA Cup, a six-week in-season knockout tournament where each team has a chance to win it all.

What is the NBA In-Season Tournament?

The NBA Cup is an annual competition for all 30 teams matched up in three groups in both east and west conferences (six groups, in total) that runs concurrent with the NBA season. The NBA debuted three seasons ago with the Los Angeles Lakers and Milwaukee Bucks winning in 2023 and 2024, respectively.

NBA Cup games take place on Fridays, Wednesdays and Tuesdays until the final in Las Vegas, Nevada on Tuesday, Dec. 16. Check out a complete schedule for the NBA Cup here.

Read on for details, plus ways to watch and stream NBA Cup games live online.

How to Watch the 2025 NBA Cup Online

The 2025 NBA Cup begins on Friday, Oct. 31 with group play. Games livestream on Prime Video, ESPN, NBC and Peacock, and NBA League Pass. Basketball fans who don’t have access to live TV through cable, streaming or a digital antenna, can livestream on DirecTV, Sling TV and Hulu + Live TV, as well as Prime Video, ESPN Unlimited, Peacock and NBA League Pass.

Can you watch NBA games live online for free? Yes! Streaming services, like DirecTV and Hulu + Live TV offer free trials for up to five days of use.

Prime Video

Prime Video is the home for the NBA Cup games throughout the tournament. To watch NBA Cup games, you’ll need to be a Prime member. Signing up will grant you access to Prime Video to watch the basketball games as well as a whole suite of benefits, including fast two-day (or less) free shipping; discounts at Whole Foods Market, access to exclusive shopping events — like Prime Day and Black Friday — and other perks.

Meanwhile, Amazon is offering a 30-day free trial for new subscribers who want to try out the service. When the trial is finished, you can either cancel the streaming service altogether, or you can keep watching starting at $8.99 per month. However, if you want all the perks that come with Amazon Prime, it goes for $14.99 per month (or $139 per year) — a nearly 25% savings.

DirecTV

A subscription to DirecTV — which comes with NBC and ESPN for the NBA Cup — gets you access to live TV, local and cable channels, starting at $49.99 for the first month of service ($84.99 per month afterwards). The service even offers a five-day free trial to watch for free, if you sign up now.

You can watch local networks such as ABC, CBS and PBS, while you can also watch many cable networks, including FS1, Lifetime, FX, AMC, A&E, Bravo, BET, MTV, Paramount Network, Cartoon Network, VH1, Fuse, CNN, Food Network, CNBC and many others.

Sling TV

Sling TV offers the Orange + Blue plan, which comes with ESPN and NBC (in some markets). Orange + Blue goes for half off for your first month of service, while it gets you access to all channels offered from Sling in their base plans and the ability to stream on up to three devices at once. Please note: Pricing and channel availability varies from market-to-market.

Hulu + Live TV

For the most content offerings, you can sign up for Hulu + Live TV and get access to the Hulu library in addition to more then 95 live TV channels (including ESPN and NBC). The streaming platform starts at $64.99 per month for the first three months of service ($82.99 per month afterwards).

And, for even more programming, Hulu + Live TV now comes bundled with Disney+ and ESPN Unlimited, which will give you everything within the Hulu library in addition to exclusive content on ESPN for even more sports coverage.

Peacock

The simplest way to get instant access to NBA on NBC is through NBCUniversal’s official streaming platform, Peacock. While there is no free trial for new users, the platform offers cheap plans starting at just $10.99 per month, or you can get an annual plan for $109.99 per year (which gets you 12 months of streaming for the price of 10).

Outside of the 2025 NBA Cup, you can look forward to streaming TV shows, includes Poker Face, The Traitors, Couple to Throuple, The Best Man: The Final Chapters, Love Island, Yellowstone, Suits, The Office, Modern Family and Parks & Recreation.

The streaming service is also the home to exclusive music programming, such as Girl You Know It’s True, Toby Keith: American Icon, When Metal Ruled the World, America’s Got Talent and others.

ESPN Unlimited

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.

Want to watch the NBA Cup internationally? Use ExpressVPN to access various streaming platforms from outside the U.S.

Want more? For more product recommendations, check out our roundups of the best Xbox deals, studio headphones and Nintendo Switch accessories.