In most cases, The Dude abides — but the recent actions of ICE are definitely an exception. While appearing on Jimmy Kimmel Live! on Tuesday (Oct. 7), Jeff Bridges snapped back into his iconic Big Lebowski character to condemn the “aggression” he says is happening in immigrant communities across the United States.

The idea to briefly reprise The Dude was Kimmel’s, with the late-night host pulling out a patterned cardigan and White Russian — the character’s signature cocktail — for Bridges. The Oscar winner didn’t need much to get back into The Dude’s headspace, though, immediately launching into a drawling address to the world at Kimmel’s request.

“Hey, world! The Dude here,” Bridges began. “Can we just all calm the f–k down? I mean, come on. I’m talking about all the wars, the fighting, the cancelling. I mean, let’s just chill out man, come on.”

Noting that he thinks everyone is operating at a “9” when they should be at a “Zero and a half” at most, the actor went on to call out ICE specifically. “ICE! Let’s get ICE off our streets and into our beverages,” he said, earning applause. “This aggression will not stand, right?”

Bridges added, “So let’s just abide together. We can do this.”

The Hollywood icon’s remarks come as the Donald Trump administration is continuing to crack down on immigration by way of ICE raids targeting vulnerable communities. The raids have especially affected the Los Angeles area, where Jimmy Kimmel Live! tapes.

Bridges also isn’t the only big star who’s spoken up about ICE recently. Zach Bryan joined numerous other musicians in calling out the agency by posting the unreleased song lyrics, “I heard the cops came/ Cocky motherf–kers, ain’t they? … And ICE is gonna come bust down your door,” on Instagram.

After getting backlash from the White House and DHS, however, the country singer walked back somewhat on his remarks. “This song is about how much I love this country and everyone in it more than anything,” he wrote in a statement. “When you hear the rest of the song, you will understand the full context that hits on both sides of the aisle … Left wing or right wing, we’re all one bird and American.”

Watch Jeff Bridges bring back The Dude to condemn ICE below.

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.

Dyson is taking another shot at headphones, and they just might rival that of Apple, Bose and Sony. Dyson OnTrac headphones feature up to 55-hours of battery power, high-fidelity sound and customizable ear cushions and ear outer caps. The wireless headphones are officially available on Amazon and on sale for half off for Prime Day.

The latest edition to Dyson’s growing lineup of luxury headphones are equipped with two, high-capacity lithium-ion batteries centered in the headband to even the distribution of weight. The battery takes up to three hours to fully charge and lasts up to two weeks, even with ANC (active noise cancelation) enabled. You can switch the ANC setting on and off by tapping on either ear cap, or on the top of the headband.

For Prime Day, the Dyson OnTrac headphones are on sale for $249.99 (reg. $499) on Amazon, while they’re cheaper than the Dyson Zone headphones. No air filter needed this time around, OnTrac offers a more traditional design with a custom ANC algorithm that utilizes eight microphones and cancels up to 40dB of unwanted noise along with 40mm drivers with “advanced audio signal processing,” and a speaker tilted at 13-degrees to “ensure that every note or word is delivered with precision,” according to Dyson.

LOWEST PRICE EVER

Dyson OnTrac ANC Wireless Headphones

$249.99 $499 50% off

Buy Now On Amazon

---

The Dyson OnTrac wireless headphones come in a few colorways, such as CNC Aluminum, while the headphones’ removable ear cushions and ear caps retail for $49.99 per pair. They come in several colors, including dark iron, ceramic blue and others.

“Dyson’s audio engineering mission is to preserve the integrity of the artist’s sound wave, free from interference,” Jake Dyson, the brand’s chief engineer, said in a statement. “We also wanted to create a set of headphones that people would cherish, be excited by, and be proud of. With over 30 years of experience in aeroacoustics, we’ve mastered sound physics. By reducing noise through in-house anechoic chambers and expert engineers, we’ve applied and further expanded our audio knowledge to develop the Dyson OnTrac headphones. Our first over-ear audio only headphones deliver best-in-class ANC, exceptional sound quality, and all-day comfort through unique materials, design and customization.”

ShopBillboard had the chance to test the Dyson OnTrac wireless headphones during a press preview in London and one of the most appealing features are the customizable ear cuffs, and the one-touch ANC feature. The headphones are incredibly comfortable — the cuffs are made from “ultra-soft microfiber and high-grade foam” per Dyson — and easy to use, but they can get sweaty when it’s hot, so I would recommend getting darker color ear cushions, if you’re going to be wearing them in the heat or during a workout.

With more than 2,000 customizable color combinations, you can mix and match the OnTrac design to your liking. The outer caps and ear cushions are made from “ultra-soft microfiber” with “high-grade foam for superior comfort and acoustic seal,” per Dyson. Another feature that caught our interest was the multi- pivot gimbal arm design. We also like the idea of the battery being in the headband, which ensures balanced weight distribution.

The wireless headphones delivers from a sound perspective and comfort level, and even though we haven’t had a chance to test out the 55 hour battery (yet), but we have gone more than a week without wearing them and the battery is still charged, plus it’s easily one of the headphone’s most appealing features. For comparison, the battery on Apple’s AirPods Max lasts up to 20 hours, Bose Quiet Comfort Ultra Headphones offer up to 24 hours of battery life and Sony’s WH-100XM6 Wireless Noise Canceling Headphones lasts up to 30 hours.

On sale for $249.99 (reg. $499), the Dyson.com OnTrac wireless headphones are available on Amazon and Dyson — a 50% saving.

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

One of the co-founders of Maverick City Music is vehemently denying the claims in former member Chandler Moore’s explosive new lawsuit, saying Moore is just trying to “strong-arm” his way out of legitimate contracts with the Grammy-winning worship collective.

A lengthy Instagram statement shared Wednesday (Oct. 8) by Maverick City’s Jonathan Jay is the group’s first public statement since Moore announced his abrupt exit and filed a lawsuit alleging millions of dollars’ worth of royalties had been stolen from him.

The primary target of Moore’s lawsuit is Maverick City executive Norman Gyamfi, though he also names the collective and its label, TRIBL Records, as defendants. Moore claims Gyamfi, who was his manager before joining Maverick City as a part owner, orchestrated secret deals and forged his signature on contracts to siphon off the singer-songwriter’s publishing royalties.

Jay is now defending Gyamfi and Maverick City overall, writing on Instagram that he cannot “let a series of lies go unchecked.” Jay said the lawsuit’s false allegations are “calculated attempts to strong-arm a way out of agreements Chandler made freely and later breached.”

“To be clear: the claims being made against me, against Norman and against our companies are categorically false,” wrote Jay. “Our business dealings with Chandler were forthright, generous and above reproach. We acted in good faith, gave more than what was required and consistently extended grace. Any allegations of misdeeds are simply not true, and we welcome a full and honest examination, because the truth will speak for itself.”

“It saddens me deeply to see Chandler publicly allege something so wildly untrue,” Jay added. “There’s a pattern of avoided accountability, unresolved conflicts passed off to others, and a history of others being forced to carry the weight of consequences never owned. That pattern ends here.”

Jay ended the Instagram statement by affirming that Maverick City will continue making music while the legal dispute plays out: “I refuse to let a false narrative undo what so many people have labored, sacrifice and prayed for over the years.”

“The mission of Maverick City is bigger than any one person,” wrote Jay. “We will keep building. We will keep creating. We will keep lifting the name of Jesus in every room He opens until the Lord Himself says our time is up. We stand on truth. We stand on integrity. And we will not be moved.”

Moore’s legal team did not immediately return a request for comment regarding the Instagram post on Wednesday (Oct. 8). In a previous statement, Moore’s attorney Sam Lipshie said, “We are fully committed to helping Chandler recover what is rightfully his, resolve outstanding legal matters and assist him in moving forward freely to continue building the even-brighter impactful career that lies ahead for him.”

Leading up to his halftime performance at next year’s Super Bowl, Bad Bunny spent some time studying the original American pastime by attending Tuesday night’s (Oct. 7) game three of the American League Division Series between the New York Yankees vs. Toronto Blue Jays — where he just so happened to snag a foul ball.

In a clip posted by the MLB on X, Benito sits with friends just behind home plate at Yankee Stadium. As the Blue Jays’ Anthony Santander hits a foul ball straight up into the air, the Puerto Rican singer-rapper follows its trajectory with his eyes and attempts to catch it as it falls into his section.

Though the ball ends up bouncing off of Bad Bunny’s shoulder and dropping to the floor, the clip cuts to him holding up his new keepsake with a big smile on his face.

The game would later end with the Yankees defeating the Blue Jays 9-6, though you could argue that Benito was the real winner of the night. The small victory comes four months before he’s slated to set up shop in an even bigger stadium to perform at the 2026 Super Bowl, which will go down on Feb. 8 in Santa Clara, Calif.

But while countless fans couldn’t be more excited for Bad Bunny’s showcase, other people — including the president of the United States — aren’t as keen that a primarily Spanish-speaking artist got the gig. “I never heard of him,” Donald Trump recently said. “I don’t know why they’re doing it. It’s, like, crazy. And then they blame it on some promoter [Jay-Z’s Roc Nation] that they hired to pick up entertainment. I think it’s absolutely ridiculous.”

Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson also called Bad Bunny’s appointment a “terrible decision” and suggested that 82-year-old Lee Greenwood should have been chosen instead. But in the replies to the MLB’s video of Benito catching the foul, one person quipped at Johnson’s expense, “I can’t believe they didn’t let a country artist or Lee Greenwood get it.”

See the moment Bad Bunny got a foul ball at a Yankees game below.

As TikTokers argue over whether Taylor Swift’s new songs sound like old classics, Charlie Puth is taking to social media to explain how songwriting actually works — telling fans that “there’s only 12 notes in a scale” and people need to “stop demonizing” similar songs.

The singer’s explainer video, posted to TikTok, came amid a week-long internet debate over several songs from Swift’s new album The Life of a Showgirl, including claims that her “Wood” borrowed too much of its sound from “I Want You Back” by The Jackson 5.

Puth never mentions Swift or her new album by name, but says he made the video because “lately there’s been a lot of discussion about when two songs have similar melodies.”

“There’s only 12 notes in a scale,” Puth reminded fans, counting them out on a keyboard. “So when you’re writing a new song, there are bound to be similarities to an old song.”

Puth’s video centers on the issue of interpolation — the intentional use of existing musical elements from an earlier song when writing a new one. It’s sometimes confused with sampling, which involves adding an actual snippet of a sound recording into a new one.

According to Puth, similarities between two melodies only become full-scale interpolation when they reach five consecutive identical notes. Below that mark, he says a string of the same notes is just that — a common musical tool from a shared cultural tool set that doesn’t need to be credited or licensed.

To make the point, he compared a Fifth Harmony song to a Hailee Steinfeld song, pointing out that they start with four identical notes but then split in different sonic directions: “So in this case, no interpolation!” Puth said. He then contrasted that with the Portugal. The Man hit “Feel It Still,” which borrowed amply from a 1960s R&B song — and credits it as such. “In that case, interpolation,” he said.

While Puth’s video offers valuable insight into industry practice from the perspective of a prolific songwriter, it doesn’t exactly track actual copyright law, which governs when one artist must pay for and credit the use of existing material. There is no hard-and-fast rule for the number of notes that constitutes infringement, and courts typically weigh a broader analysis, including similarities in other musical elements and whether the original song is even unique enough to warrant copyright protection.

Finding that actual legal dividing line is much harder than Puth makes it out to be. In 2015, a federal jury found that Robin Thicke and Pharrell’s “Blurred Lines” had infringed Marvin Gaye’s “Got To Give It Up” — a verdict widely seen as making it easier to sue over similar-sounding songs. But in a 2022 decision, an appeals court cleared Katy Perry of lifting a portion of her “Dark Horse” from an earlier track, ruling that artists must be free to reuse common musical phrases.

Faced with that uncertainty, many artists, songwriters and record labels simply err on the side of caution, offering interpolation licenses and credits in any situation that is even legally debatable. That’s why Olivia Rodrigo credited Paramore on her “Good 4 U”, and why Sam Smith decided to add a credit to his “Stay With Me” over similarities with Tom Petty‘s 1989 song “I Won’t Back Down.”

In Swift’s case, comparisons of “Wood” and “I Want You Back” have drawn the most debate. But internet sleuths have also scrutinized the overlap between “The Life of a Showgirl” and “Cool” by the Jonas Brothers, and “Actually Romantic” and “Where Is My Mind” by the Pixies. (The album’s “Father Figure” is an outright interpolation of George Michael’s 1988 hit of the same name approved by the late singer’s estate.)

Contrary to the clear-cut analysis explained in Puth’s video, whether any of those songs actually required an interpolation license or a credit from Swift is a question that only a federal court could decide after years of litigation. None of the artists behind the debated songs have publicly threatened such a lawsuit against her, or even mentioned the similarities.

For years, veteran songwriters like Ed Sheeran have chafed at how similar-sounding songs are reflexively treated as theft. Copyright lawsuits over such situations have proliferated over the past decade, targeting Dua Lipa, Miley Cyrus and Sheeran several times. And the rush to litigation is no doubt fueled by how the issue is debated on social media and sites like YouTube, where mashup videos posted by non-experts often imply legal wrongdoing.

“There’s only so many notes and very few chords used in pop music,” Sheeran said back in 2022 after beating one such case. “Coincidence is bound to happen if 60,000 songs are being released every day on Spotify. That’s 22 million songs a year and there’s only 12 notes that are available.”

In his video this week, Puth echoes those same sentiments. Though he doesn’t dive into the legal specifics of when licenses are needed, he argues more broadly that good-faith overlap is inevitable in modern music and should not be viewed as intentional copying or theft.

“If I could just take a moment and say this: Sometimes artists will accidentally interpolate each other, and it’s almost never done maliciously,” Puth says in the TikTok video. “We have to really stop demonizing this when it happens. Interpolations and sampling, this stuff has been going on for a really long time, and some great music has come about because of it.”