Chris Brown Receives Honorary PhD from Harvest Christian University

Chris Brown has officially added “Dr.” to his résumé.

On Saturday (May 23), the 37-year-old R&B star revealed that he received an honorary Doctor of Philosophy degree in Visual & Performing Arts from Harvest Christian University, a private faith-based school in Dallas.

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Chris Brown at the Louis Vuitton Men’s Fall/Winter 2026 fashion show as part of Paris Men’s Fashion Week held at Fondation Louis Vuitton on January 20, 2026 in Paris, France.

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“I DID A THING!” Brown captioned an Instagram photo of himself holding the honorary degree.

In the snapshot, the “It Depends” singer flashes a proud smile while holding up the certificate and wearing black-and-purple graduation regalia, with a medal draped around his neck.

Elsewhere in the post, Breezy gave fans a closer look at the honorary degree and also shared a photo of himself receiving the honor during a ceremony at Harvest Christian University.

The honor comes during a busy month for the singer, who has also been responding to criticism surrounding his latest album, Brown. In mid-May, Brown addressed critics on Instagram Stories, writing, “Team Breezy, I know people want me to get on here and, you know, say some sad s—t, but f—k that. We kickin’ they a—, God damn it! We ain’t letting up.”

He added, “I’ma keep my foot on they neck and we ain’t stopping. You heard me? We doing this motherf—ker. Tour, more s—t to come. I’m not gon’ tell you what’s more to come, but it’s coming, at the end of the day.”

After a particularly harsh review from Pitchfork, CB also responded, writing, “I don’t give a f—k what these n—as is talkin’ about. I know exactly who my fans is and I know exactly who hearing this album.”

Brown, his 12th studio album, was released on May 8. He is also slated to hit the road with Usher for the R&B tour, which begins in Denver on June 26.

Check out Brown’s Instagram post below.


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American Music Awards 2026 Livestream: Here’s Where to Watch the Ceremony Online for Free

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Get ready for exciting performances and star-studded guest appearances with the 2026 American Music Awards.

The award show’s 52nd ceremony, hosted by Queen Latifah, takes place on Monday (May 25). It airs live on CBS at 8:00 p.m. EST / 5:00 p.m. PST and is held at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

How to Watch the 2026 American Music Awards, at a Glance:

Taylor Swift leads the field for the 52nd American Music Awards with eight nominations, followed by Morgan Wallen, Olivia Dean, sombr and Sabrina Carpenter, who all have seven each.

The night’s performers are an impressive bunch with acts both new and old gracing the stage like Karol G, KATSEYE, sombr, Teddy Swims, Teyana Taylor, Billy Idol, Hootie & the Blowfish, New Kids on the Block, and The Pussycat Dolls with Busta Rhymes. In addition, the show promises a “special appearance” by BTS. The K-pop group is coming off one of their biggest hits, with “Swim,” which entered the Billboard Hot 100 at No. 1.

How to Watch the 2026 American Music Awards Online for Free

Here’s where you’ll find a ways to tune into the AMAs online for free, below:

DIRECTV

Watch ON DIRECTV free

If you’re looking to tune into the award show, consider DIRECTV. For CBS, the streaming service’s “MyNews” package comes with the broadcast network, along with other local channels, like NBC, ABC and Fox, starting at $34.99 per month for the first two months of service ($39.99 per month afterwards).

However, our top pick is the service’s ENTERTAINMENT package, which features CBS, along with over 90 other live TV channels. This package is currently on sale for $59.99 for the first month of service ($89.99 a month afterwards). If you’re unsure about committing to a new subscription, you can simply try the service out for free for five days with a free trial.

Paramount+

get paramount+ with showtime

To watch the ceremony live without cable, you can subscribe to Paramount+ Premium for $13.99 per month, a plan that includes access to Showtime’s exclusive and original programs. This plan also includes local CBS stations, additional live sports and the ability to download content to watch on the go.

It is important to note that you cannot tune into the award show live with Paramount+’s Essentials plan, the lower tier subscription, because the subscription does not give users access to livestream the AMAs. You can, however, watch the show the day after the broadcast on Paramount+ via any Paramount+ plan.

Fubo

watch ON Fubo free

Another way to watch the live award show on CBS is with Fubo’s Pro plan, which goes for $48.99 for the first month ($73.99 per month afterwards) and has a five-day free trial available here. Fubo’s package includes DVR at no extra charge, so you can record your favorite TV shows, like AMAs, to watch or rewatch on-demand. Continue with one of Fubo’s streaming deals or cancel before your free trial is up to avoid being charged. See details here.

Hulu + Live TV

Watch on Hulu + live TV free

Another option for our readers is a Hulu + Live TV subscription, given that CBS is included in the live TV channel lineup. The service’s live package includes local and cable networks, like ABC, NBC and Fox. A subscription to the service starts at $89.99 per month. This subscription gives you access to the titles in Hulu’s library, as well as Disney+ and ESPN Unlimited.

Meanwhile, you can stream the awards on-demand the day after the broadcast on Paramount+ via any Paramount+ plan. For more helpful streaming info, check out our guide on how to watch CBS.

The American Music Awards are produced by Dick Clark Productions, which is owned by Penske Media Eldridge, a joint venture between Eldridge Industries and Billboard parent company Penske Media.

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Neil Young Makes First Live Appearance of 2026 at Vancouver Benefit Concert

Neil Young made his first live appearance of 2026 on Friday (May 22), delivering a surprise acoustic set at a benefit concert in Vancouver honouring the 90th birthday of his friend, Canadian environmentalist David Suzuki.

Young performed two solo acoustic songs at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre — strumming “Heart of Gold” before moving to the piano for a rendition of “After the Gold Rush” with added harmonica. It marked his first performance since the Painted Turtle benefit show on Oct. 25, 2025, and comes months after the 80-year-old Rock and Roll Hall of Famer cancelled all of his 2026 tour dates.

Also appearing at the Suzuki birthday event were Jane Fonda, Al Gore, Sarah McLachlan, Bruce Cockburn and Chantal Kreviazuk. The concert raised funds for the David Suzuki Foundation.

The surprise appearance came after Young abruptly cancelled a planned European tour in February, citing no specific reason. “I have decided to take a break and will not be touring Europe this time,” he wrote at the time. “Thanks to everyone who bought tickets. I’m sorry to let you down, but this is not the time.” He later reassured fans that “all is good” and that he was “listening to my body.”

Despite the absence from the stage, Young has remained active creatively. He recently completed a new studio album titled Second Song, recorded with the Chrome Hearts at producer Rick Rubin’s Shangri-La studios in Malibu, California, which he has said includes two unheard songs from 1964 that have never been released. A new live album with the Chrome Hearts, As Time Explodes, is due May 29.

Young’s only solo Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 remains “Heart of Gold,” which topped the chart on March 18, 1972, from his landmark album Harvest — the best-selling album of 1972 and one of the most celebrated records in rock history. “After the Gold Rush” is the title track from his acclaimed 1970 album of the same name, which peaked at No. 8 on the Billboard 200.

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Drake Sets ARIA Chart Record

With his recent triple drop, Drake establishes a new record on Australia’s albums chart.

The Canadian hip-hop star dominates the ARIA Charts as Iceman debuts at No. 1, Maid Of Honour bows at No. 5 and Habibti is new at No. 6. And with that feat, he becomes the first artist to crack the top 10 with three new albums in the same frame since the ARIA Charts were first published in 1983.

That bests previous efforts by Guns N’ Roses and Bruce Springsteen, according to ARIA. GN’R landed a double in 1991 when Use Your Illusion I and Use Your Illusion II debuted at No. 1 and No. 2, respectively, in the same week, while The Boss did the same the following year, in 1992, with Human Touch (No. 3) and Lucky Town (No.6).

Drizzy now boasts 16 solo and collaborative top 10 albums including, including leaders Views (from 2016), Scorpion (2018), Dark Lane Demo Tapes (2020), Certified Lover Boy (2021) and For All The Dogs (2023).

Also making a strong start on the ARIA Albums Chart is Genesis Owusu, the beloved Aussie rock-star whose third album Redstar Wu & The Worldwide Scourge, opens its account at No. 3. That’s a career-best effort for the Canberra-raised artist, after his multiple award-winning 2021 debut Smiling With Now Teeth peaked at No. 27, and 2023 followup Struggler went to No. 4.

Further down the ARIA Chart for Monday, May 25, homegrown rock outfit Rose Carleo Band bows at No. 34 with their debut LP 42 Days.

The Drake dump makes a major impact on the ARIA Singles Chart, too. All told, 15 Drake singles enter the ARIA Top 50 this week, including five in the top 10: “National Treasures” at No. 4, “Janice STFU” at No. 5, “Whisper My Name” at No. 6, “Make Them Cry” at No. 9 and “Dust” at No. 10.

Drake is closing in on 100 top 50 hits in these parts. Including collaborations, he boasts 98 appearances on the chart, including No. 1s with “One Dance” featuring Wizkid and Kyla from 2016, and “God’s Plan,” “Nice For What” and “In My Feelings” in 2018.

At the top of the leaderboard is Ella Langley’s “Choosin’ Texas,” which enters a second week at No. 1.

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Fuerza Regida Closed Sueños 2026 With Corridos, Chaos and Manifested Glory

Fuerza Regida opened its Sueños 2026 headlining set with “Marlboro Rojo,” and within seconds, the mood at Grant Park tipped from festival excitement into something sweatier, louder and a little less stable. By Sunday night (May 24), the San Bernardino group had turned the final stretch of one of the country’s biggest Latin music festivals into a full-blown corridos fever dream — the kind with girls screaming, bodies giving out near the barricade and songs hitting hard enough to feel almost physical.

That was always going to be part of the story. In a conversation with Billboard before the set, the group reflected on playing the inaugural Sueños in 2022 without top billing and coming back this year to headline — a move they said they had already “manifested.” After a run that included their groundbreaking album IIIXPANTIA (2025) and an even bigger grip on the corridos conversation, the upgrade felt earned.

JOP hit the stage in a black trench coat, beanie and sunglasses, serving regional Mexican menace with just enough rockstar vanity to send the front rows into overdrive. The screaming started instantly. So did the phones. At a certain point, the reaction around him stopped feeling like regular festival fandom and started reading more like mass devotion — primal, messy, borderline unwell. But Fuerza Regida’s pull is bigger than one frontman. As a band, they’ve figured out how to make corridos hit like adrenaline, and Sueños felt fully locked into that frequency.

The set moved with the loose, cocky energy of artists who knew they could afford to have fun. Chuyin — the masked Street Mob artist whose debut album recently landed on the Billboard charts — popped up for “Pues Ya Ni Pedo.” Chino Pacas returned to the stage for “Qué Onda.” Los Gemelos de Sinaloa and Clave Especial added to the sense that this was less a tightly controlled headline slot than a rolling onstage link-up between artists moving inside the same orbit. One of the most electric pivots came from Moises López, usually posted up with the tololoche, who assumed vocal duties for the first time live and ripped off his shirt mid-hype like the assignment was to keep pushing the temperature higher.

And then there were the pauses. More than once, the set had to stop while distressed fans fainted were attended to and pulled out, carts repeatedly cutting through the crowd. Call it the Michael Jackson effect, call it overstimulation, call it what happens when a band gets big enough to short-circuit the people trying to see it up close. Whatever the label, the point landed.

Sueños ended on Fuerza Regida’s terms: corridos at full volume, guests in rotation, fans hanging on by a thread. Next up, the group takes that same energy on the road with Esto No Es Un Tour, which kicks off its U.S. stadium run on June 18 at Petco Park in San Diego.

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Dylan Gossett Returns to Australia and New Zealand on The Headed Out Back Tour

Dylan Gossett is returning to Australia and New Zealand this December for The Headed Out Back Tour, his second run through the region following a breakthrough year that has established the 27-year-old Texas singer-songwriter as one of country music’s most in-demand live draws.

The six-date tour opens at The Ice Cream Factory in Perth on Dec. 3 before heading to Fortitude Music Hall in Brisbane (Dec. 5), the Sydney Opera House Forecourt (Dec. 6) and Festival Hall in Melbourne (Dec. 8). The New Zealand leg follows with shows at Auckland’s Town Hall (Dec. 11) and Waipara Winehouse in North Canterbury (Dec. 12). Artist presale begins Tuesday, May 26 at 12 p.m. local time, with general on sale opening Friday, May 29 at 1 p.m. local time.

The tour is promoted by Live Nation and marks Gossett’s return to the region off the back of his 2025 debut album Westward, released via Big Loud Texas/Mercury Records. The self-written and self-produced record — a thematic exploration of love, family, faith and the pursuit of a lifelong dream — was led by singles “Like I Do,” “American Trail” and “Sweet Lady,” and was followed by a deluxe edition featuring three additional tracks.

Gossett first broke through in 2023 with “Coal,” a single that has since surpassed 500 million streams, cracked the Billboard Hot 100 and the U.K. Official Singles Chart, and earned multi-platinum certifications worldwide. He has since built a catalogue of Gold-certified singles including “Beneath Oak Trees,” “To Be Free” and “If I Had A Lover,” and has sold more than 200,000 headline tickets worldwide.

His festival credits include Stagecoach, SXSW, CMA Fest, Country 2 Country and Austin City Limits, alongside his Grand Ole Opry debut and support slots for Noah Kahan and Morgan Wallen.

Dylan Gossett: The Headed Out Back Tour — Australia & New Zealand 2026

Dec. 3 — Perth, AUS — The Ice Cream Factory
Dec. 5 — Brisbane, AUS — Fortitude Music Hall
Dec. 6 — Sydney, AUS — Sydney Opera House Forecourt
Dec. 8 — Melbourne, AUS — Festival Hall
Dec. 11 — Auckland, NZ — Town Hall
Dec. 12 — North Canterbury, NZ — Waipara Winehouse

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Drake Ties Taylor Swift for the Most Billboard 200 No. 1 Albums Among Soloists

With Drake’s ICEMAN debuting at No. 1 on the latest Billboard 200 albums chart (dated May 30), the superstar picks up his 15th leader. In turn, he ties Taylor Swift for the most No. 1s among soloists. Drake and Swift trail just one act, The Beatles, who have the most No. 1s among all acts, with 19. JAY-Z now follows Drake and Swift, with 14 leaders.

Take a look at the list of every act with at least 10 No. 1 albums on the Billboard 200 — since the chart began publishing on a regular, weekly basis in March 1956 — below.

In addition to his latest No. 1 achievement, Drake now has 20 top 10 albums on the Billboard 200, counting the debuts of ICEMAN, HABIBTI and MAID OF HONOUR. That makes him the rap act with the most top 10s, surpassing Future, who has 18.

The Billboard 200 chart ranks the most popular albums of the week in the U.S. based on multi-metric consumption as measured in equivalent album units, compiled by Luminate. Units comprise album sales, track equivalent albums (TEA) and streaming equivalent albums (SEA). Each unit equals one album sale, or 10 individual tracks sold from an album, or 2,500 ad-supported or 1,000 paid/subscription on-demand official audio and video streams generated by songs from an album. The new May 30, 2026-dated chart will be posted in full on Billboard‘s website on May 27 (a day later than usual due to the Memorial Day holiday in the U.S. on May 25). For all chart news, follow @billboard and @billboardcharts on both X, formerly known as Twitter, and Instagram.

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The Pretty Reckless Release ‘Dear God,’ Title Track From Upcoming Fifth Album

The Pretty Reckless have released “Dear God,” the title track from their forthcoming fifth studio album, due June 26 via Fearless Records.

The track arrives as the band’s fourth single from the album, following lead single “For I Am Death” — which became their eighth No. 1 on Billboard’s Mainstream Rock Airplay chart, the most by any woman-fronted act in the chart’s history — “When I Wake Up,” currently sitting at No. 4 on Billboard’s Mainstream Rock Airplay chart, and last month’s “Love Me.”

Where the earlier singles leaned into intensity and grit, “Dear God” pulls toward something more haunting — a slow-building track led by Taylor Momsen’s vocals that climbs toward an electrifying guitar solo, with lyrics framing a desperate plea for escape.

“Dear God is desperation set to music,” Momsen said in a statement. “When life gets that physical, that brutal, you leave your body and start begging something bigger than yourself to pull you out. That space between heaven and hell isn’t a metaphor. It’s somewhere you actually live.”

DEAR GOD — the album — is described as the band’s most emotionally raw and uncompromising record to date, written with what the band calls diaristic honesty. The 14-track set includes “Life Evermore” across three parts bookending the album, alongside “Dragonfire,” “Eye of the Storm” and closer “Devil in Disguise (Michelle’s Song).” A headlining world tour in support of the album has already been announced, kicking off in North America with dates in New Orleans, Dallas and Los Angeles before heading to Europe.

The release arrives at a milestone-heavy stretch for the band. In 2025 they completed a two-year run supporting AC/DC on the PWR UP Tour, performed with Soundgarden at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony, and appeared at the MusiCares Person of the Year Gala honouring Mariah Carey. Their holiday EP Taylor Momsen’s Pretty Reckless Christmas produced a reimagined version of “Where Are You Christmas?” that hit No. 1 on the Billboard Hot Hard Rock Songs chart.

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‘KPop Demon Hunters’ Finally Gets Physical Release on Blu-ray and DVD: Order It Here

All products and services featured are independently chosen by editors. However, Billboard may receive a commission on orders placed through its retail links, and the retailer may receive certain auditable data for accounting purposes.

KPop Demon Hunters is finally getting a physical release.

Almost a year after it first debuted on Netflix, the hit animated musical is set for a Criterion Collection release on DVD, Blu-ray and 4K Ultra HD. This marks the first time the film has been available for viewing outside of streaming, save for a brief theatrical run last summer and a second run of a “sing-along” version last fall.

KPop Demon Hunters (The Criterion Collection) [Blu-ray]

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KPop Demon Hunters (The Criterion Collection) [Blu-ray]

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Amazon is showing a release date of Dec. 31 for the KPop Demon Hunters Criterion Collection disc, though it may just be a placeholder (the cover art seen at right is also not finalized). The release date has moved a few times according to the Amazon listing, and it’s likely Sony Pictures will want to have the Blu-ray and DVD out before the holidays for gifting season.

Not much is known about the upcoming physical release, though Criterion Collection editions usually include bonus content and some sort of upscaled audio and visual presentation. To wit: the Amazon listing includes a 4K version of the film on Blu-ray. And the writers of the film have teased a number of deleted scenes, including a sub-plot modeled on the “Idol Star Athletics Championships,” a competition event in Korea that features K-pop idols competing in sports and team challenges.

Past Criterion Collection editions, like the recently released Monty Python’s Life of Brian, have included everything from audio commentary from the cast and crew, to a “making of” documentary, and animated stills. As the distribution company states on its website, Criterion is dedicated to promoting a film “as its maker would want it seen, in state-of-the-art restorations” and with “special features designed to encourage repeated watching and deepen the viewer’s appreciation of the art of film.”

KPop Demon Hunters (The Criterion Collection) [DVD]

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KPop Demon Hunters (The Criterion Collection) [DVD]

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Pre-order KPop Demon Hunters on Blu-ray, DVD or 4K Ultra HD now on Amazon.com. Amazon’s pre-order price guarantee ensures that you’ll only be charged whatever the lowest price is between the time you order the film and the day it’s officially released.

Worth noting: Netflix films almost never get a physical release, let alone a Criterion Collection edition, so this is a big deal for fans and collectors alike. Already the most-viewed original title in Netflix history, KPop Demon Hunters, also took home two Oscars, for Best Animated Feature, and Best Original Song for the hit single, “Golden.”

For more product recommendations, check out ShopBillboard’s roundup of the best KPop Demon Hunters merch, and shop the official trading cards release here.

About the Author

Tim Chan is the VP of Commerce at Penske Media, overseeing fashion, tech, lifestyle and streaming coverage across marquee brands like Rolling Stone, Billboard, The Hollywood Reporter, Variety and WWD, among others. Previously, Chan was the first-ever Lifestyle Editor at Rolling Stone, covering all things fashion, culture and travel through an entertainment lens. In addition to PMC, his bylines over the years have appeared in L’Uomo Vogue, Vogue Italia, Vogue Korea, i-D and more. Chan has also consulted for a number of fashion brands, advising them on media and marketing strategy. He graduated from Columbia University with a master’s degree in journalism. A big K-pop fan, Chan has interviewed groups like Monsta X, EXO and Enhypen and recently hosted a keynote chat with KPop Demon Hunters creator Maggie Kang at the Departure Festival in Toronto.

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Girls Aloud’s Nicola Roberts Welcomes Her First Baby With Fiancé Mitch Hahn

Nicola Roberts has announced the arrival of her first child.

On Sunday (May 24), the 40-year-old Girls Aloud singer revealed on social media that she and her fiancé, Mitch Hahn, recently welcomed a baby daughter.

“Our beautiful baby girl is here,” Roberts wrote on Instagram alongside adorable photos of her newborn. “We haven’t stopped staring at her perfect little face or kissing her softest little head.”

The vocalist added, “She arrived healthy and content a couple of weeks ago at 38 weeks weighing 6.5lbs and is thriving. It’s heaven on earth with her and we can hardly believe she’s ours.”

Roberts’ post included several adorable snapshots, including one of the glowing new mother holding her child, another showing the infant’s tiny hand resting on hers, and a picture of Hahn carrying the baby in a car seat.

Fellow celebrities quickly flooded the comments section with congratulatory messages.

“Congratulations!!!!!!!!! Sending so much love!!” her Girls Aloud bandmate Nadine Coyle wrote. Sophie Ellis-Bextor added, “congratulations!! Xxx.” And Little Mix star Perrie Edwards, who welcomed her second child earlier this year, commented, “Congratulations! Enjoy the baby bubble.”

Roberts and the former soccer player got engaged during a trip to the South of France in August 2024. The couple announced on Christmas 2025 that they were expecting their first child together.

“Mitch and I have had the most magical Christmas Day sharing the most precious news with our families,” Roberts wrote on Instagram at the time. “We’ve been keeping a secret. We are five months pregnant! We can’t wait to meet our little one in the spring.”

She documented much of her pregnancy journey on social media in the months that followed, including her “surreal” baby shower on Easter. In late April, Roberts also revealed that she had undergone surgery at 22 weeks to “help keep the baby in.”

“Hitting that 34 week mark was a big relief,” Roberts wrote on Instagram April 28. “I now only have a few weeks left. Safe to say, this last bit is not the easiest is it?! In one breath, it will be nice to feel more comfortable again but I will also really miss my bump and having this tiny little thing in there.”

Girls Aloud members Cheryl, Nadine Coyle, Kimberley Walsh and Roberts reunited for an arena tour across the U.K. and Ireland in 2024, marking their first tour in more than 11 years. Following the reunion trek, Roberts starred as Persephone in the West End production of Hadestown at London’s Lyric Theatre, appearing in the role from September 2025 through January 2026.

See Roberts’ baby announcement on Instagram here.


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