Bad Omens are hitting the road early next year for a North American headlining tour with support from Beartooth and President. The hard-rocking Virginia band announced the dates for the arena swing on Tuesday morning (Oct. 28), with the outing slated to kick off on Feb. 22 at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Tickets for the tour from the “Specter” band will kick off with an artist pre-sale beginning today at 12 p.m. local time, with additional pre-sales running throughout the week ahead of a general on-sale beginning on Friday (Oct. 31) at 10 a.m. local time.

Earlier this month, the Noah Sebastian-fronted band made their quickest trip to No. 1 on Billboard’s Mainstream Rock Airplay chart, with “Specter” hitting the top on the Oct. 18-dated chart after rising two spots, landing the group their second leader on the tally. “Specter” reached the pinnacle in its eighth week, easily leap-frogging the 27 weeks it took their previous No. 1, “Just Pretend,” to hit the top in 2023.

Bad Omens’ most recent proper studio album was 2022’s The Death of Peace of Mind, which was followed by 2024’s guest-heavy companion to the Bad Omens — Concrete Jungle, Volume 1 graphic novel, Concrete Jungle.

The 20-date 2026 arena tour will hit Denver, Kansas City, Detroit, Minneapolis, Toronto, Boston, Philadelphia, Nashville, Dallas, Oklahoma City and Los Angeles before winding down on March 27 at Oakland Arena in Oakland, Calif. The band will then gear up for the North American tour by kicking off their Do You Feel Love European swing on Nov. 21 in Dublin, Ireland.

Check out the dates for Bad Omens’ 2026 North American arena tour below.

  • Feb. 22: Salt Lake City, Utah @ Delta Center
  • Feb. 24: Denver, Colo. @ Ball Arena
  • Feb. 26: Kansas City, Mo. @ T-Mobile Center
  • Feb. 28: Detroit, Mich. @ Little Caesars Arena
  • March 2: Minneapolis, Minn. @ Target Center
  • March 4: Rosemont, Ill. @ Allstate Arena
  • March 6: Toronto, ON @ Scotiabank Arena
  • March 8: Laval, QC @ Place Bell
  • March 10: Newark, N.J. @ Prudential Center
  • March 11: Boston, Mass. @ TD Garden
  • March 13: Philadelphia, Pa. @ Xfinity Mobile Arena
  • March 14: Baltimore, Md. @ CFG Bank Arena
  • March 16: Raleigh, N.C. @ Lenovo Center
  • March 17: Nashville, Tenn. @ Bridgestone Arena
  • March 19: Dallas, Texas @ American Airlines Center
  • March 20: San Antonio, Texas @ Frost Bank Center
  • March 22: Oklahoma City, Okla. @ Paycom Center
  • March 24: Glendale, Ariz. @ Desert Diamond Arena
  • March 26: Inglewood, Calif. @ Kia Forum
  • March 27: Oakland, Calif. @ Oakland Arena


Billboard’s Live Music Summit will be held in Los Angeles on Nov. 3. For tickets and more information, click here.


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It was supposed to be a North American arena tour. When Shakira first announced her Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran outing in April 2024, the route took her to arenas across the continent that fall. But within months, it morphed into something else. Buoyed by the sustained success of her album of the same name — the set, released by Sony Music Latin, debuted at No. 1 on Billboard’s Top Latin Albums and Top Latin Pop Albums charts — and her subsequent viral single, “Soltera,” live demand for Shakira exploded. That October, she announced Latin American stadium dates for early 2025 — and scrapped her North American arena tour, instead announcing a mix of stadium and arena dates for the continent for May and June 2025.

That bold move has paid off handsomely. Through the 82-show tour’s first 64 dates, Shakira grossed $327.4 million and sold 2.5 million tickets, according to Billboard Boxscore. And the Live Nation-promoted tour also has a place in history: Shakira now boasts the highest-grossing Latin tour ever by a woman and the second highest-grossing Latin tour ever (behind only Luis Miguel’s 2023-24 outing, which grossed $409.5 million).

The tour’s sales include her historic 12-concert run at Mexico City’s Estadio GNP Seguros — the most shows a single tour has ever played at the iconic venue formerly known as Foro Sol. Shakira sold 65,000 tickets per night, according to promoter OCESA, for a total of 780,000 tickets sold.

Shakira will be honored as Global Touring Icon at Billboard‘s Live Music Summit, held Nov. 3 in Los Angeles. For tickets and more information, click here.

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Shakira, who returned to the road on Oct. 25 for a run of 17 Latin American stadium dates that will take her through mid-­December, is approaching Miguel’s record mark — and she has yet to announce a possible European leg of the tour. She’ll end 2025 with two Up Close & Personal shows at Miami’s Hard Rock Casino on Dec. 27 and 28.

Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran and its subsequent tour followed Shakira’s high-profile heartbreak and separation. “I believe this has been a healing process for me and for many people — not just women; men, too. I think together we’ve learned that you grow from setbacks and that together we heal when we support each other,” she told Billboard backstage at one of her Mexico City shows in March. “These are more than just concerts. They’re very profound gatherings where healing happens. With each show, I feel stronger and happier.”

This story appears in the Oct. 25, 2025, issue of Billboard.

“I work for every bit of applause I get,” Usher told Billboard on the eve of his first Las Vegas residency in 2021. “I try my hardest to give people an incredible experience.”

That philosophy has propelled Usher’s 28-year touring career, which has taken him to arenas, residencies and the world’s largest stage: the Super Bowl. As a 19-year-old wunderkind in the late ’90s, he scored his first opening gigs for Mary J. Blige, Sean “Diddy” Combs and Janet Jackson. Fast forward to this year, when the 47-year-old superstar completed his most recent arena tour, Usher: Past Present Future.

The eight-time Grammy winner’s latest outing was the highest-grossing and best-selling tour of his career, according to Billboard Boxscore, grossing $183.9 million and selling 1.1 million tickets over 80 shows. All told, Usher has a reported career gross of $422.6 million from 3.3 million tickets over 334 shows. That’s a whole lot of singing and dancing — both of which are an innate part of Usher’s DNA.

Usher will appear in conversation during Billboard‘s Live Music Summit, held Nov. 3 in Los Angeles. For tickets and more information, click here.

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Drawing comparisons to Michael Jackson while honing lithe dancing skills and his supple tenor, Usher graduated from opener to solo headliner in 2002 with his 8701 Evolution Tour in support of his third studio album, 8701. Two years later, The Truth Tour, in support of his smash-hit album Confessions, became one of the period’s highest-grossing outings, with $31.4 million earned. Usher more than doubled that return with the 2010-11 OMG World Tour, which grossed $75 million; the trek landed in seventh place on Billboard’s Top Tours chart in 2011.

But it was a post-pandemic foray into Las Vegas’ residency scene — suggested by manager Ron Laffitte well after Usher’s last tour in 2014 — that reintroduced and reinvigorated the R&B star’s musical legacy this decade. The first residency, Usher: The Las Vegas Residency, at Caesars Palace, did $18.8 million and sold 84,000 tickets over 20 shows (2021-22). The second, My Way: The Vegas Residency, staged at the Dolby Live theater at Park MGM, garnered $95.9 million and sold 394,000 tickets over 80 shows (2022-23). Those successes sparked a chain reaction that culminated in Usher’s critically acclaimed Super Bowl LVIII halftime performance and Past Present Future.

Usher performs during the Apple Music Super Bowl LVIII Halftime Show at Allegiant Stadium on Feb. 11, 2024 in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Usher performs during the Apple Music Super Bowl LVIII Halftime Show at Allegiant Stadium on Feb. 11, 2024 in Las Vegas.

Kevin Mazur/Getty Images

Usher performs at the grand opening of Usher: My Way - The Vegas Residency at Dolby Live at Park MGM on July 15, 2022 in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Usher performs at the grand opening of Usher’s My Way: The Vegas Residency at Dolby Live at Park MGM on July 15, 2022 in Las Vegas.

Denise Truscello/Getty Images

Usher’s singular status as a dynamic performer has led to his recognition as Billboard’s 2025 Legend of Live. For him, however, it’s the connection with his audience that counts most — and fuels his ongoing passion for performing.

“When it all comes together — the song, the connecting message to the audience, the dance — it almost feels like classical music,” Usher said ahead of his Super Bowl performance last year. “I just want to love what I do, make what I love, allow people to come to my space and see what I have to offer.”

This story appears in the Oct. 25, 2025, issue of Billboard.

Grammy-winning artist Kali Uchis, five-time Grammy nominee Kehlani, and KPop Demon Hunters’ songwriter, lead vocalist and rising star EJAE will be honored at the 17th annual ASCAP Women Behind the Music. The event is set for Wednesday, Nov. 12, in Los Angeles.

Kehlani, a five-time Grammy nominee, received the Rule Breaker Award at the Billboard Women in Music event in 2017. Uchis took home a Grammy five years ago for best dance recording as a featured artist on Kaytranada’s “10%.” EJAE co-wrote “Golden” from KPop Demon Hunters and performed the upbeat song as Rumi, the leader of the girl group HUNTR/X. The song logged eight weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and has a good chance of landing an Oscar nomination for best original song.

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Coco Jones, Amanda Jones and Autumn Rowe were honored at the 2024 ASCAP Women Behind the Music. Other past honorees include Kandi Burruss, Kelly Rowland, Victoria Monét, Joelle James, Salt-N-Pepa, Summer Walker, Jazmine Sullivan, Sheila E., production and songwriting duo Nova Wav, along with executives Shari Bryant, Brittney Davis, Phylicia Fant, Sammye Scott and Nicole Wyskoarko.

“Every year, ASCAP looks forward to spotlighting some of music’s most extraordinary women by honoring them for their achievements at our Women Behind the Music event,” Nicole George-Middleton, ASCAP executive vp & head of creative membership said in a statement. “​This year we are thrilled to recognize three women who are pushing boundaries and capturing the world’s attention across different genres. Their creative success has propelled them to the top of the charts and is set to inspire the next generation of women in music.”

George-Middleton will be on hand to present the 2025 honorees. DJ C Devone will provide music at the event.

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Sometimes singers on The Voice move the celebrity judges with the power or emotion in their voice. But on Monday night (Oct. 27), Team Reba’s Aubrey Nicole got right to the heart of the matter for her crew’s leader by singing a tune whose lyrics hit home in the most personal way.

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Nicole brought a hush over the studio audience when she sang the 2011 Martina McBride country ballad “I’m Gonna Love You Through It,” an emotional anthem of strength and support about a woman being held up by her husband as she battles cancer.

Nicole, who told the story of her father fighting cancer when she was preparing to move away to college — he is now in remission — got to fellow judge Snoop Dogg as well, who said he was moved despite never hearing the song before. According to NBC, that’s when Reba McEntire revealed her personal connection to the track.

“I do know this song. Martina’s… I’ll need it, thank you, Snoop,” a clearly emotional McEntire said as Snoop handed her a tissue to dab her tears. “Martina’s a good friend of mine. I lost my oldest son because he did not win with cancer,” McEntire said in reference to late stepson Brandon Blackstock, who died in August 2025 from melanoma; Blackstock was formerly married to singer Kelly Clarkson and is the son McEntire’s ex-husband, Narvel Blackstock.

“That was a real reminder that life goes on, and we sing songs about it so we can remember the ones around us that we love so much, that we lean on at times like this. You did a great job,” added McEntire, who awarded Nicole the win in her Knockout round.

The Voice airs at 8 p.m. ET on NBC on Mondays and Tuesdays, with all episodes available to stream the next day on Peacock.

Check out Nicole’s performance below.


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Shortly after Paramount began pulling back its funding for Save the Music, which has donated instruments and tech equipment worth nearly $78 million to 2,800 U.S. schools, John Sykes held a Rock & Roll Hall of Fame board meeting in spring 2024. “This is the perfect fit for what we’re doing,” he told the group. “We have this huge, powerful platform, with some of the greatest artists in the world that we could put out there, going to schools, preaching the importance of music education.”

Beginning with a $1 million grant, and the promise of Hall of Fame inductees like Sheryl Crow and pop stars like Harry Styles and Olivia Rodrigo talking to students at schools around the U.S., the Hall of Fame announced a partnership with Save the Music on Tuesday (Oct. 28) to help fund Save the Music’s dozens of programs. “We hope the politicians and the local governments will hear about this story and find out why music education must stay, or must be reconnected with a public education,” says Sykes, the Hall of Fame’s foundation chairman, a top executive at broadcast giant iHeartMedia and an MTV co-founder who created Save the Music in 1997.

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Save the Music was once synonymous with VH1, where Sykes was president, and major stars like Aretha Franklin, Whitney Houston and Mariah Carey headlined charity performances broadcast live on the powerful cable-music channel. But in recent years, Paramount has deemphasized its MTV and VH1 holdings, ramping down on its Save the Music support in the process. As a result, Save the Music has spent the last few years turning to other sources, including TikTok, Meta, Amazon and top promoters Live Nation and AEG Presents. In 2021, MacKenzie Scott, co-founder of Amazon and Jeff Bezos‘ ex-wife, provided a $2 million grant.

“As Paramount’s support gradually came down,” says Henry Donahue, the Save the Music Foundation’s longtime executive director, “we were very fortunate that a number of large foundations came in to fill the gap and actually grow the program.”

Save the Music, whose operating budget was $11 million last year, supports high-school students with initiatives like the J Dilla Music Technology Grant, named for the late hip-hop producer, which provides music-tech equipment and software for students and teachers. “The program is extremely valuable to students,” Samuel Davis, a Therrell High School teacher whose Atlanta classroom benefited from the grant, told the AP in January. “It increases their attendance. They’re more willing to come to school. They feel more connected to the school.”

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Sykes created Save the Music after participating in a principal-for-a-day event at a New York high school, where he encountered music students playing instruments “held together with tape and missing strings,” he recalls. He offered $5,000 on behalf of VH1 to prevent the school from cutting the music program, then decided to expand the channel’s philanthropy after learning that “students who learn music education go on to do better on math and verbal scores on tests.”

Today, Save the Music invests in 100 to 150 U.S. music programs, drawing celebrity support from Ed Sheeran, Jelly Roll and others who’ve donated time and money. The Cleveland-based Hall of Fame, according to Sykes, has music-education programs, but the partnership with Save the Music will take them to “a whole new level.” Says Donahue: “It’s an incredible boost.”


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What time is it? Almost Winter Olympics time, which these days means that Public Enemy hype man Flavor Flav is picking which Team USA squads he’s going to support in the upcoming Winter Olympics.

Flav, 66, who has cooked up a high-profile side gig as a rabid vocal, and financial, supporter of a number of American olympians, was announced as the official hype man for USA Bobsled and Skeleton on Monday (Oct. 27) according to the Associated Press.

“The partnership is a blessing. It’s cooler than Cool Runnings,” Flav said in reference to the beloved 1993 sport comedy loosely based on the story of the 1988 Jamaican bobsleigh team. “It’s Coolest Runnings.” The AP reported that Flav spent time with the bobsled and skeleton teams this past week, traveling to Park City, Utah, where he raced down the track in a bobsled and also wanted to try out skeleton, in which athletes roar down the icy track at speeds that can reach 80 m.p.h. or above.

In an accompanying video announcing his new gig, Flav, wearing his red, white and blue official team gear, said, “Just to let y’all know I am definitely excited to be a sponsor of the bobsled/skeleton team, boy. Yeah g, it’s going down for real! I’m a sponsor, I’m a sponsor!”

“We are thrilled to welcome Flavor Flav as an official sponsor and hype man for USA Bobsled/Skeleton,” USA Bobsled and Skeleton CEO Aron McGuire said in a statement. “It’s clear he has a genuine passion for sports and an authentic love for the USA team. Flavor Flav embodies the same grit, dedication, and pride that define our athletes, and we’re excited to have him bring that excitement to our team and fans across the country.”

While team officials wanted first-time slider Flav to start from a low spot on the track for safety reasons, the veteran rapper wasn’t having it, insisting on starting higher up as he managed to hit 67 m.p.h. on his second run. In the video after his thrilling run, Flav can be heard howling in delight at the white-knuckle ride down the icy shoot.

“Oh my gosh, he’s one of the coolest, most adventurous men that I’ve ever met,” U.S. skeleton athlete Dan Barefoot told the AP. “He was upset that he couldn’t go from higher up on the track. … I was kind of upset at how good he was. It’s a sport that takes a lot of skill, but he made it look straightforward.”

Flav plans to be with the team at the XXV Olympic Winter Games in Milan-Cortina, which will take place from Feb. 6-22.

“We have all been so hyped to have him with us,” Barefoot added. “Put aside the fact that Flav is one of the greatest hype men of all time, the energy in the room… you had people who often aren’t talking to each other high-fiving and hugging because of the experience of being around him. There’s a lot of energy and a lot of confidence around us right now.”

Not only is Flav promising to be in the stands in February, he also gave many members of the team his personal cell pone number and invited a few to join him at a Maroon 5 show over the weekend in Salt Lake City.

It won’t be Flav’s first turn as an Olympic supporter. He was all over the 2024 Paris summer games, acting as the hype man for the U.S. women’s water polo team, giving them financial support and free cruises and helping to cover rent for discus thrower Veronica Fraley. Flav has also put in his bid to be one of the official USA torchbearers at the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.

Check out video of Flav watching practice, posing with members of Team USA and ripping down the track in a bobsled and skeleton.


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Despite the challenge flags thrown by Donald Trump and some fellow Republicans, Jay-Z is 100% firm in his support for Bad Bunny playing the Super Bowl halftime show next year. Amid criticism from the President and a number of commentators on the right decrying the choice of one of the world’s most popular artists to play at the game in February, Jigga — whose Roc Nation has been tasked with booking the most-viewed musical TV performance of the year since 2019 — told TMZ that he is unwavering.

When asked by a TMZ photographer about the hate coming Benito’s way, Jay reportedly told the site that the Puerto Rican superstar is way more beloved in the U.S. than some would have you think. “They love him. Don’t let them fool you,” Jay said.

After Roc Nation tapped Benito in late September, Trump reacted a week later with disdain, claiming to conservative outlet Newsmax, “I’ve never heard of him… I don’t know who he is. I don’t know why they’re doing it, it’s, like, crazy.” In addition, Homeland Security Sec. Kristi Noem threatened that U.S. Immigration and Custom Enforcement (ICE) agents will be “all over the place at the Super Bowl.

While Trump seems unlikely to watch the game, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell has no misgivings about the booking. “He’s one of the leading and most popular entertainers in the world,” Goodell told CBS Sports. “That’s what we try to achieve. It’s an important stage for us. It’s an important element to the entertainment value. It’s carefully thought through.” To be fair, the commish added, he doesn’t think the league has ever “selected an artist without some blowback or criticism.”

Turning Point USA, an ultraconservative youth organization founded by the late activist Charlie Kirk, has announced its intention to host an alternate halftime show out of protest; a line-up for that show has not yet been announced.

Though Trump claimed to have never heard of Bad Bunny, the singer’s chart bona fides speak for his broad appeal. Benito holds records as the first Latin artist to have 100 career Billboard Hot 100 songs, as well as having the first all-Spanish album to reach No. 1 on the Billboard 200 album chart (2020’s El Ultimo Tour Del Mundo). He has also tied Taylor Swift for having the most No. 1s on the Billboard Global 200 of any solo artist, has rolled up nearly 80 million Spotify listeners over his career and was ranked the most-streamed artist on Spotify three years running (2020-2022).

Super Bowl LX will air live on Feb. 8 at 6:30 p.m. ET and be broadcast on NBC and Telemundo and stream on Peacock and NFL+.


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Rapper, actor and philanthropist Ludacris is set to perform at the 2025 Baby2Baby Gala honoring tennis legend Serena Williams. The gala, presented by Paul Mitchell, will be held Saturday, Nov. 8, in Los Angeles. Baby2Baby is a national nonprofit that provides critical items to children in need across the U.S.

Previous performers at the event include 50 Cent, Snoop Dogg and Nelly.

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Ludacris has amassed five No. 1 hits on the Billboard Hot 100, including two as a lead artist: “Money Maker” (featuring Pharrell) and “Stand Up” (featuring Shawnna). He has landed four No. 1 albums on the Billboard 200 and has won three Grammy Awards, including best rap album for Release Therapy, one of his No. 1 albums.

Chris “Ludacris” Bridges made a seamless transition to acting, including the role of Tej in the Fast & Furious franchise, where he was introduced in 2003’s 2 Fast 2 Furious. As a father of four girls, his latest ventures include launching KidNation, an educational platform devoted to the enrichment of children. In addition, Bridges created the animated series KARMA’S WORLD on Netflix, which is awaiting its fifth season.

Williams will receive the Giving Tree Award, which is awarded annually to a public figure who has demonstrated exceptional commitment to improving the lives of children in need. Past honorees include Charlize Theron, Salma Hayek Pinault, Kim Kardashian, Kerry Washington, Jennifer Garner, Gwyneth Paltrow, Jessica Alba, Kate Hudson, Amy Adams, Drew Barrymore, Chrissy Teigen and Vanessa Bryant.

Last year’s Baby2Baby Gala raised a record $17 million in support of Baby2Baby’s mission. In the last 14 years, Baby2Baby has distributed more than 500 million essential items, including diapers, formula and clothing.

Baby2Baby’s Disaster Relief & Emergency Response Program has responded to the needs of children in more than 100 disasters. This year, Baby2Baby announced the expansion of their initiative to combat the maternal health crisis to 15 states. To learn more about Baby2Baby, visit their site.