Janet Jackson has been delivering some of the slickest dance moves in the world for more than four decades — and she’s not slowing down anytime soon.

On Tuesday (Oct. 21), the Grammy-winning music icon received the Icon of the Year Award at The Gala of the Stars, an annual benefit supporting Dancers Against Cancer. Oscar, Emmy and Tony winner Liza Minnelli — a longtime friend of the Jackson family — presented the award in person, honoring the “What Have You Done for Me Lately” singer’s influence on music, dance and culture. This marked Minnelli’s first public appearance since the 2022 Academy Awards, where she presented best picture to Coda alongside Lady Gaga.

Between the British Museum Ball, reuniting with niece Paris Jackson at Paris Fashion Week, and gearing up for her final three live shows of the year, it’s been a busy few weeks for Ms. Jackson. Nonetheless, she carved out the time to accept an honor from a community to which she has greatly contributed over the course of her storied career.

“I love dance. I’ve always loved dance, and I remember, since I was five or six years old, always dancing with my brothers around the house. They were my first teachers and choreographers,” she reflected during her speech, according to The Hollywood Reporter. “I want to thank all of you guys for sharing your creativity, but not just that, for your friendship through all these years. Thank you so much. I want to thank my family for their entire support and love and for always encouraging me. I also want to sincerely thank everyone who’s been there for me throughout this entire journey, and I want to thank God for giving me life, allowing me to have a career and to continue to do what I love and still enjoy.”

To close out her speech, Jackson also made it clear that she will always keep dancing, saying “In a few — more than a few — months, maybe six or seven months, I’m going to be 60 years old. I have to tell you, I have no plans to stop dancing!”

She also reflected on the honor in an X post on Thursday (Oct. 23). “I never take moments like this for granted. Your mission is profoundly important, and thank you for giving our community a meaningful way to give back,” she wrote in part alongside photos of herself at the event, including a clip of her speech as well as a snapshot of herself with Minnelli. She also addressed the star, writing, “Dear Liza, receiving this award from an icon & friend like you means more than I can say. You have been an inspiration to me and to the world, and I am deeply touched. I love you.”

Marking her second icon award of 2025 — she received an equivalent honor at May’s Jennifer Lopez-hosted American Music Awards — Jackson has spent the year tearing through a 22-show run at Resorts World Theatre in Las Vegas for her latest concert residency. On Dec. 29, she will play her final show of the year at Yaamava’ Theater in Highland, Calif. Earlier this year, Jackson hit No. 92 on the Billboard Hot 100 with Cardi B’s “Principal,” making her just the third woman in Billboard history to reach that chart for a fifth consecutive calendar decade with new material.

On June 28, Mexican-American country singer MŌRIAH and Mexican star Ana Bárbara turned a room filled with apprehension into a powerful moment of unity, prior to a boxing matchup between American boxer Jake Paul and Mexican boxer Julio César Chávez Jr. in Anaheim, California.

“The tension in the room was palpable,” MŌRIAH recalls, as the matchup came amidst heightened political strife. MŌRIAH and Bárbara met in Bárbara’s green room and felt “an instant connection and an immediate understanding of what we had the opportunity to do in that moment.” Bárbara took the stage first to perform the Mexican anthem.

“Almost every person in the arena sang every word,” MŌRIAH remembers, who then followed Bárbara onstage, to perform the American national anthem accompanied by a guitarist fusing the song with mariachi sounds. By the song’s end, Bárbara had joined MŌRIAH as they held hands and sang the final line together.

“It felt like the room just exploded with people applauding and screaming,” MŌRIAH  says. “For that brief moment, it was like, ‘This is what it looks like if we set those differences aside and we band together, we own both parts of who we are.’ That unity was so powerful, that we were like, ‘This is the beginning of something.’”

On her two new EPs, MŌRIAH also celebrates her full heritage and family. She will release the six-song English-language version, Nice Life, on Friday (Oct. 24) on F2 Entertainment, followed by its Spanish-language counterpart, Buena Vida, on Oct. 31.

She and acclaimed producer Paul Mabury (Lauren Daigle, MercyMe) began working on the songs nearly three years ago, shortly after Mabury attended MŌRIAH’s 30th birthday celebration—a joint party also honoring her grandmother, who was battling health challenges at the time.

“I brought in mariachis, and my friends learned a traditional dance,” MŌRIAH recalls. “The next time we were in the studio, my producer showed me a photo from that night and said, ‘This is beautiful. This is what we need to write about.’”

MŌRIAH was no stranger to releasing music, but those songs would mark a turning point in her artistry. She was raised in California, in a home where mariachi music was played at family gatherings and quinceañeras were celebrated. Summers were spent with family in El Paso, Texas. In 2014, her CCM album Brave reached No. 9 of Billboard’s Top Christian Albums chart. She also released the 2022 EP Curtain Call.

Her producer’s encouragement dovetailed with the music and journal entries MŌRIAH had been quietly creating backstage while touring churches across the country.

“I would sing songs that had been written for me, then go backstage and write about my family,” she says. “It’s funny to me now how I kept those two worlds so separate.”

Last year, she released the breezy and dreamy “Hasta Mañana,” a song recorded at Texas’ famed Sonic Ranch studio.

“That song was an exciting peek into where we could go,” MŌRIAH says. The EPs build upon that song, fully celebrating themes of family, love and emotional struggle, wrapping it in sounds intersecting modern country and Latin music. The title track delves into finding happiness and contentment in simplicity, while “Sombrero” lends itself to a Western-flaired romance.

On “Supermujeres,” which serves as a centerpiece on MŌRIAH’s new project, she teamed again with Bárbara. Bárbara sang her own version of the Spanish lyrics, but also backed MŌRIAH on the chorus, singing the harmony line in English.

“She was like, ‘I’m making this the Mexican version,’” MŌRIAH says. “We tracked together in the studio, and I never asked her to sing the English chorus because it’s a lot to ask someone to do that and sing in their second language. But a week later, she heard the demo and was like, ‘When you’re singing the chorus in English, it sounds lonely. I want to support your voice in English, too.’ She worked so hard and her articulation was so beautiful.”

The artwork for the EPs features images in tin nichos, Mexican folk art shadow boxes used to honor loved ones. The Spanish-language EP features a tin nicho with a photo of MŌRIAH wearing a sombrero de charros, while the English-language version features a similar photo, but with the sombrero placed on a table in front of MŌRIAH.

“I wanted to have the sombrero in the image, because that’s what I’m honoring, the culture,” she says. “I’m honoring where I come from, so the cover of the Spanish EP is with the sombrero on and then for the English one I have the sombrero on the table, because I’m honoring the fact that my family learned English, a whole new language.”

So far, the year has brimmed with new milestones. MŌRIAH was named to CMT’s Next Women of Country class of 2025. Last month, she made her Grand Ole Opry debut, which followed her debut at CMA Fest in June, where she performed the national anthem and featured mariachi dancers onstage with her.

“My dad played bass onstage with me, which was such a special moment,” she recalls of performing at CMA Fest. “I think sometimes you can’t be what you can’t see, so just to be able to show up onstage and represent something that feels different gives people a sense of celebration.”

MŌRIAH, who is working with Nashville industry vet Fletcher Foster, now finds herself connected with a lineage of artists weaving together Latin and country sounds, from Freddy Fender, Linda Ronstadt and Johnny Rodriguez to newer artists including Angie K, Frank Ray and Sammy Arriaga. Meanwhile, Carin Leon made his Grand Ole Opry debut earlier this year, and Grupo Frontera is set to play the Opry in November.

“I’ve been looking for a female Latin country artist for years since the CMA Research study came out and just have found the right one for me. MŌRIAH has it all,” Foster tells Billboard in a statement. “Beyond a ‘triple threat’ the talent from songwriter to performing, acting, to speaking [MŌRIAH recently took part in a TedX talk in Nashville] is at another level. I’m looking forward to her bringing these two worlds together not just creatively but culturally.”

“I think that most people who are shaping culture don’t look at themselves as shaping culture—they’re just doing the work that’s in front of them and working hard. It’s not until you look back a bit and realize all that time invested, it did something that was bigger than me,” MŌRIAH says.

She will play her first show in Mexico later this month and is planning a full-length album for 2026, accompanied by more live shows. The multi-faceted creator is also an actress, film and music producer, who has acted in films and television shows including The Chosen, Reagan and Because of Gracia, and co-produced the 2024 film Unsung Hero, which chronicles the journey of her husband Joel Smallbone (of For King & Country)’s family from Australia to America. She’s already working on more upcoming film projects.

As she’s approaching the work’s long hours and creative output, she’s aware of the legacy building inherent in her rise.

“It’s what feels like pressure, but I count it a privilege to carry that pressure. It’s only two generations back that my grandparents were working in tomato fields and in factories,” she says. “They paved the way. They’ve sacrificed so much for me to be able to be able to work this hard and to be able to point back to their story and their narrative. It’s beautiful how in a family, one generation’s ceiling becomes the next generation’s floor and it just keeps building. That’s what I’m hoping to do with this music, too, is create a new threshold for the next generation to springboard off of.”

The World Series heads north of the border for the first time in 32 years, and the MLB has tapped Pharrell Williams alongside the Voices of Fire choir and the Jonas Brothers to perform at the first two games of the Fall Classic.

Before the Toronto Blue Jays and Los Angeles Dodgers take the field at Rogers Centre on Friday (Oct. 24), Pharrell and the Voices of Fire will perform a synthesized two-track set of cuts from the choir’s OPHANIM album. Voices of Fire is also set to perform the U.S. and Canadian national anthems ahead of game one.

The MLB will pass the bat to the Jonas Brothers for the second game. The band will perform “I Can’t Lose” from the New Jersey-bred group’s Greetings From Your Hometown on the diamond on Saturday night (Oct. 25).

“We’re proud to celebrate our partnership with Mastercard in support of Stand Up to Cancer during such a meaningful moment at the World Series with a performance of ‘I Can’t Lose’ in tribute to this powerful campaign,” said the Jonas Brothers in a statement. “As lifelong baseball fans, it’s special to be part of a moment where music and purpose come together.”

Before playoff baseball was in the air, the MLB recruited Pharrell and the Voices of Fire to star in the league’s “October Hits Different” campaign.

“Virginia taught me the power of music and community,” Pharrell said in a statement at the time. “Bringing Voices of Fire to the postseason stage shows how those same forces of unity can come alive through sport.”

It’s an intercountry battle with the Toronto Blue Jays facing off against the powerhouse Los Angeles Dodgers in the World Series. Behind superstars Shohei Ohtani and Mookie Betts, the Dodgers will look to secure back-to-back championships, while the Jays are hoping to clinch their first World Series ring since 1993.

First pitch for games one and two is slated for 8 p.m. ET on Friday and Saturday.

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Tis the season to start thinking about what to give your loved ones for the holidays.

If you’re stumped on what to shop, not to fret. ShopBillboard has got you covered. While there’s a plethora of options to choose from for that special person in your life, we think the best present you can give someone is the gift of music. Amazon has a slew of starter keyboards for available to shop now. You don’t have to splurge on some fancy piano in order to surprise the aspiring musician in your life. Our picks are all under $200 and come with everything one might need to start up a new musical hobby.

Keep reading to learn more and buy the electric keyboard piano for beginners online.

MUSTAR Piano Keyboard with Lighted Up Keys, Learning Keyboard Piano 61 Keys for Beginners, MEKS-700 Electric Piano Keyboard with Bench, Stand, Headphones, Microphone, Note Stickers, Built-in Speakers

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A beginner keyboard set.

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MUSTAR Piano Keyboard retails for $138.49 and boasts 4.5 stars on Amazon. A shopper reviewing the MUSTAR product raved, “it is simply a blessing for beginners of the piano.” The beginner-friendly set comes with a keyboard with a built-in music stand along with wired headphones to plug in and play, a microphone, a stool and even sheet music. This keyboard also comes with light-up keys that visually guide finger techniques, giving beginners the skills they need to quickly master hand positions and scales.

For a more portable version for music lovers on-the-go, Amazon also offers this FingerBallet Keyboard, retailing for $153.99. The keyboard is lightweight and easily folds in half for ease of storage. The keyboard is touch-sensitive with wood-grain-inspired keys that provide a comfortable surface for your fingers to rest upon, preventing fatigue and discomfort during those lengthy playing sessions. With your keyboard, you get a carrying case, wired earbuds, a music stand, a power adapter, a sustain pedal, note stickers to label the keys and a nifty book clip to keep your sheet music in place.

FingerBallet Portable Piano Keyboard, Semi-Weighted Folding Digital Piano 88 Key, Full Size, Wood Grain, Electric Piano Keyboard w/MIDI Bluetooth, Suitable for Adult, Toddler, Kids

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A beginner keyboard set.

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Reviewers especially love the convenience of the keyboard, given you can lug it around wherever you go. One reviewer wrote, “I know this is inexpensive so I didn’t expect much, but honestly the convenience of toting a light, not-way-too-long bag in/out of the car was enough to pull the trigger. I expected cheap workings, tinny sound, and the most basic of features. BOY was I wrong!”

For more gifting recommendations, check out ShopBillboard‘s roundups of the best gifts for music lovers, gifts for singers and vinyl record player accessories.