After 22 years of appearances on the Billboard charts, Yellowcard has its first No. 1 song, ending a record wait to top the Alternative Airplay chart.

“Better Days,” the lead single from the Florida band’s upcoming album of the same name, leaps 5-1 to crown the Alternative Airplay survey dated Aug. 30.

Yellowcard first reached Alternative Airplay in 2003 with “Way Away,” which peaked at No. 25. That kicked off a roughly three-year period of chart appearances for the band that was paced by the No. 4 high of “Lights and Sounds” in 2006, followed by a nearly 19-year respite before “Better Days” debuted in June.

“Better Days” reaches No. 1 a tick under 22 years after “Way Away” debuted on Alternative Airplay on the tally dated Sept. 6, 2003. The nearly 22-year gap between a first entry and first ruler is the longest in the chart’s 37-year history, surpassing the 17 years and nine months it took for Fall Out Boy between its arrival (with the No. 3 classic “Sugar, We’re Goin’ Down” in 2005) and its first No. 1, “Love From the Other Side,” in 2023.

Longest Wait Between First Appearance and First No. 1, Alternative Airplay:

  • 21 years, 11 months, three weeks: Yellowcard, “Better Days” (2003-25)
  • 17 years, nine months: Fall Out Boy, “Love From the Other Side” (2005-23)
  • 17 years, two weeks: Stone Temple Pilots, “Between the Lines” (1993-2010)
  • 16 years, 10 months, two weeks: Alice in Chains, “Check My Brain” (1992-2009)
  • 15 years, six months, two weeks: Paramore, “This Is Why” (2007-23)

Yellowcard becomes the 10th act to hit No. 1 on Alternative Airplay for the first time in 2025. That’s the most in a single year since 1997, when 11 acts snagged their inaugural leaders.

Concurrently, “Better Days” lifts 16-14 on the all-rock-format, audience-based Rock & Alternative Airplay chart via 2.5 million audience impressions earned in the week ending Aug. 21, up 11%, according to Luminate.

Better Days, Yellowcard’s 11th studio album and first on the Better Noise label, is due Oct. 10, with production from Travis Barker. Its predecessor, 2016’s Yellowcard, hit No. 5 on the Top Alternative Albums chart and has earned 43,000 equivalent album units.

All Billboard charts dated Aug. 30 will update Tuesday, Aug. 26, on Billboard.com.

K-pop boy band Stray Kids dropped their fourth full-length album on Friday (Aug. 22), KARMA, the 11-track follow-up to December’s Hop mixtape. The collection produced entirely by the group’s production team 3RACHA, opens with the yearning, hard-hitting rap-popper “Bleep” followed by the bouncy hip-pop single “Ceremony.”

The accompanying high-gloss video finds members Bang Chan, Lee Know, Changbin, Hyunjin, Han, Felix, Seungmin and I.N kitting up for a variety of extreme sports challenges in a futuristic landscape. From Changbin dropping hard-hitting rhymes in the middle of an MMA octagon — “We’re moving forward with maximum power/ And we’re gonna dominate, pop it/ Making headlines, big news topic/ My experience points are my countless trophies” — to a Mario Kart-esque race to grab an elusive black ball in a raucous arena and American football players trying to tackle Han as he casually dribbles a soccer ball between them, the visual is full of extreme sports action.

Add in some physically impossible break dancing moves, a gravity defying baseball bat swing and other feats of sports superiority and you have… well, a surprise twist at the end that you didn’t see coming.

According to a release announcing the LP, the collection tells a story about destiny from a unique Stray Kids perspective. “Destiny is shaped by a tangled web of choices and consequences,” it explains. “KARMA begins with this very idea — an attempt to interpret Stray Kids’ fate. Despite countless external judgments and inner conflicts, they have continued to forge their own path with unwavering resolve. Through their music, Stray Kids represent a story of growth.”

Other tracks on the album include the skittery trap R&B banger “Creed,” tear-stained ballad “Mess,” old school, whistle-enhanced baile funk bouncer “Half Time,” EDM jam “Phoenix” and two additional versions of “Ceremony,” a live-sounding “Festival” version and an English version.

The group recently completed its largest-ever world tour, Stray Kids World Tour <dominATE>, which brought 54 shows to 34 regions across the world on five continents over 341 days, wrapping up on July 30th in Rome.

Watch the “Ceremony” video and listen to KARMA 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.

Could 2025 be the year of the Coach comeback? The venerable designer brand has long been a celebrity favorite, seen on everyone from Selena Gomez to Jennifer Lopez over the years, but 2025 has also seen stars like Charli XCX, PinkPantheress, City Girls’ JT and Oh Mary’s Cole Escola all sporting Coach apparel and accessories to fashion week and in their day-to-day looks.

While the best Coach bags can run you into the hundreds of dollars, there’s a way to score a Coach purse for under a hundred bucks. The not-so-secret hack: starting your search for a Coach deal at the Coach Outlet online.

The Coach online shop currently has dozens of designer bags, clutches, wallets and more available for less than $100. It’s a great opportunity to snag a coveted piece for back to school, return to office or just to level up your fall fashion game. Here’s a look at some of the best Coach bags for under $100.

This isn’t tied to any specific promotion like Black Friday or clearance, so the sale pricing could change at any time. We recommend adding to cart while the discounts are still live.

Best Coach Bags Under $100: Find Purse, Accessories Discount Online

Nolita 19 With Floral Print

$56.40 $188 70% off

Buy Now AT COACH OUTLET


This coated canvas bag can be worn as a clutch or over the shoulder with the adjustable strap. The silhouette is a classic through and through, but the floral print adds a warm, romantic touch, making this great for date nights and vacation nights alike.

Best Coach Bags Under $100: Find Purse, Accessories Discount Online

Mini Rowan Bag Charm


Ok so this isn’t a bag per se, but rather a bag charm that can be used on its own as a keychain as well. Made from a coated canvas with smooth leather trim, the bag charm measures approximately 3.75 x 3 inches in size.

Best Coach Bags Under $100: Find Purse, Accessories Discount Online

Aden Crossbody Bag

$79 $198 60% off

Buy Now AT COACH OUTLET


This unisex crossbody features an all-over signature Coach print with a coated canvas and smooth calf leather material. The adjustable strap lets you wear it any way you want. Don’t like this “gunmetal” and charcoal colorway? The Coach Outlet has six colors on sale for up to 60% off.

Best Coach Bags Under $100: Find Purse, Accessories Discount Online

Nolita 19 in Plaid Print

$75.20 $188 60% off

Buy Now AT COACH OUTLET


This purse is from the Coach x Peanuts collab and was originally priced at more than $200, but you can get it on sale now for just $87 — don’t miss out on this deal. This makes a great collector’s piece too.

Best Coach Bags Under $100: Find Purse, Accessories Discount Online

Carmen Mini Crossbody Bag With Lemon Print

$89.40 $298 70% off

Buy Now AT COACH OUTLET


The same lemon print from above, meantime, is also available on this Carmen Mini Crossbody, one of the most popular silhouettes of the season. While this is technically labeled as a “mini” bag, there’s still room inside for your phone, makeup and wallet. The leather and metallic detailing amps up the look.

Best Coach Bags Under $100: Find Purse, Accessories Discount Online

Slim Crossbody Bag With Floral Print

$89.40 $298 70% off

Buy Now AT COACH OUTLET


We like this clutch and crossbody hybrid, which features a charming floral print with a pop of butter yellow — this season’s trending colorway. Made from a pebble leather material, you can also carry this bag as a wristlet.

Best Coach Bags Under $100: Find Purse, Accessories Discount Online

Klare Wallet With Chain in Blocked Signature Canvas

$99 $250 60% off

Buy Now AT COACH OUTLET


Get the signature Coach print on this unisex crossbody, crafted in blocked signature canvas with refined calf leather details. This versatile piece also includes a bonus zip coin pouch for added convenience.

Best Coach Bags Under $100: Find Purse, Accessories Discount Online

Mini Jamie Camera Bag

$99 $328 70% off

Buy Now AT COACH OUTLET


This Jamie sling bag is great for errands or travel, with plenty of space for your everyday carry. An interior snap pocket keeps your valuables safe. What we like: this bag is sustainably produced with Coach saying that the denim is crafted of “cotton sourced from farms that use regenerative agricultural practices.”

Best Coach Bags Under $100: Find Purse, Accessories Discount Online

Slim Crossbody

$99 $298 67% off

Buy Now AT COACH OUTLET


Elevate your night-out look with this mini Coach crossbody, which features crocodile-embossed leather and a metallic chain strap. It goes with everything and instantly classes up an outfit, whether you’re wearing jeans and a sweater or an evening dress.

Best Coach Bags Under $100: Find Purse, Accessories Discount Online

Coach Crossgrain Leather Wristlet


Get a similar look with this Coach wristlet, on sale for just $95 on Amazon. Made from real leather, the accessory comes with a gold chain strap. Inside, find room for up to eight cards plus enough stretch to hold a phone up to seven inches in size. Choose from four colors on sale.

Best Coach Bags Under $100: Find Purse, Accessories Discount Online

Coach Small Wristlet


Amazon also has the wristlet in the iconic Coach monogram print. We like the leather accents and the gold Coach “C.” Wear this as a wristlet, mini clutch, or clip it onto a larger tote or bag.

Best Coach Bags Under $100: Find Purse, Accessories Discount Online

Kailey Shoulder Bag

$149 $350 57% off

Buy Now


If you’re willing to spend a little bit more, Coach Outlet has this leather Kailey shoulder bag on sale for just $149 right now — a 57% discount. This bag is chic and sophisticated and will be a go-to purse for years to come. At under $150, it’s a certified steal.

See more deals on purses, totes, wallets and accessories right now at CoachOutlet.com.

The party is never over for SZA and Drew Barrymore, who continue to support each other years after the former named a song after the latter.

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In a sweet Instagram post Thursday (Aug. 21), the actress shared a throwback selfie of herself and the Grammy winner on the set of the “Drew Barrymore” music video, which SZA released in 2017. In the snap, both women wear coats while standing on a path lined with buildings, smiling softly at the camera.

“Throwback to this ‘pinch me’ moment,” Barrymore wrote in her caption. “I still can’t believe you wrote such a beautiful song and named it my name! I’m the luckiest girl in the world! You’re the greatest.”

The post comes more than eight years after the R&B hitmaker released “Drew Barrymore” as the lead single off her debut album, Ctrl, which reached No. 3 on the Billboard 200. Though the track never charted on the Billboard Hot 100, it has steadily become known as a quintessential SZA song and a favorite among fans.

And during an appearance on The Drew Barrymore Show in January, the singer — who finished the European leg of her ongoing Grand National Tour with Kendrick Lamar earlier in August — finally got to explain the reasoning for the track’s title to Barrymore herself. “[Growing up,] one of the few lovely white women that I looked up to so much on television was you, because you were so yourself,” SZA told the talk-show host at the time. “You were quirky. Your smile wasn’t perfect … I love the way you talk and the you-ness of you.”

“It just reminds me of all the things about myself that make me nervous, but on you, shine so brightly,” SZA added on the show. “It gave me permission to be myself.”

During their chat, the two women also reflected on shooting the “Drew Barrymore” music video together. Barrymore only appears in the visual for a moment, but it’s powerful; as SZA collects herself while sitting on an outdoor staircase, the former child star walks past and gives her a reassuring smile.

“I was just so excited to show up for you,” Barrymore recalled at the time, to which SZA replied, “I couldn’t believe you did that.”

See the actress’ selfie with SZA 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.

Whether you’re a die-hard tennis fanatic or novice sports watcher, the 2025 U.S. Open is packed with must-see moments and exciting tennis action. The championship tournament officially starts at Flushing Meadows in Queens, New York, on Sunday (Aug. 24).

Who’s competing in the 2025 U.S. Open? Some of the tennis stars expected to take the court include Coco Gauff and Novak Djokovic, as well as Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner and Iga Swiatek.

The official U.S. Open competition takes place Sunday, Aug. 24 through Sunday, Sept. 7. Day matches are held at Louis Armstrong Stadium and Grandstand, while matches held at Arthur Ashe Stadium are reserved for night rounds. Check out the U.S. Open’s website for the full schedule here.

Keep reading for ways to stream the U.S. Open for free without cable and where to get last-minute tickets.

How to Stream the 2025 U.S. Open Online From Anywhere

Coverage of the 2025 U.S. Open is available on ESPN, ESPN2, ABC, ESPN+, as well as Tennis Channel. Matches stream daily on ESPN Unlimited.

Tennis Channel airs post-match coverage and analysis, while afternoon and primetime rounds broadcast on ESPN, ESPN2 and ABC.

If you already have cable, you can access the U.S. Open from a TV, phone, computer or streaming device through your cable provider, or log into the ESPN app. If you’re a cord-cutting tennis fan, options like DirecTV, Sling TV, Fubo and ESPN Unlimited are a few good choices (and ExpressVPN and Proton VPN for international streaming).

You can stream at no cost when you join platforms that offer free trials, such as DirecTV and Fubo. Read on for more details.

How to Watch the U.S. Open on DirecTV

DirecTV is a convenient option if you’re streaming on short notice. You can sign up today and stream ESPN and other cable and local channels at an affordable price, plus there’s a free trial for five days. Monthly plans are on sale for just $49.99 a month, for a limited time. The promo saves you $30 over three months.

With DirecTV, you’ll get instant access to over 90 channels including sports, news, entertainment and local channels such as ESPN, ESPN2, ABC, FS1, CNN, Fox, Bravo, Lifetime, TLC, HGTV, TBS, TNT, BET, MTV, NBC, CBS, ABC and Fox.

How to Watch the U.S. Open on ESPN Unlimited

ESPN Unilimited allows you to stream live sporting events like the U.S. Open, Wimbledon and the Australian Open, in addition to all ESPN networks. It even has ESPN originals such as In the Arena: Serena Williams, The Captain, Al Davis vs. The NFL, Vick, Be Like Water, Breakaway, Dana White’s Contender Series, the entire 30 for 30 library, PPV events, UFC Fight Night, NFL, NHL, MLB, NBA games, college basketball, golf, soccer and more.

Plans start at $29.99 per month, while you can expand your streaming library when you bundle ESPN Unlimited with Hulu and Disney+ — which goes for the same price for 12 months of service. Learn more about ESPN Unlimited here.

How to Watch the U.S. Open on Sling TV

You can stream ESPN programs and live sporting events through platforms that offer live television, like Sling Orange + Blue. The streaming service gives you instant access to dozens of live channels, 50 hours of DVR recordings and multiple device streams.

Other streamers with access to ESPN, ESPN2 and ABC: Hulu + Live TV and Fubo TV. If you’re streaming from outside the U.S., ExpressVPN, NordVPN and Proton VPN allow users to access certain streaming platforms and cable channels.

Where to Buy Last-Minute Tickets to the 2025 U.S. Open

Tickets are in high demand this year as well, and being that the tournament ends on Sunday, Sept. 7, it’s best to get them as early as possible.

Most of the U.S. Open tickets prices are around $170 and up at StubHub, TicketNetwork, Vivid Seats, SeatGeek, GameTime and Ticketmaster. Want to score a discount on U.S. Open tickets? Use code BILLBOARD300 to save $300 off at TicketNetwork.

The U.S. Open is known for celebrity sightings since the stadiums are small and open. Famous recording artists have been known to appear at matches, including Lin-Manuel Miranda, Taylor Swift, Alicia Keys, Seal, Bad Bunny, Usher, Haim and others.

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

Billboard’s Friday Music Guide serves as a handy guide to this Friday’s most essential releases — the key music that everyone will be talking about today, and that will be dominating playlists this weekend and beyond. 

This week, Doja Cat travels back in time, Laufey meets her moment and Sombr makes a sparkling debut. Check out all of this week’s picks below:

Doja Cat, “Jealous Type” 

Doja Cat has always existed as a singer and rapper, but on new single “Jealous Type,” she seems to exist between two eras: while the single from upcoming album Vie proudly wears its ‘80s rhythmic pop influences on its tiger-print sleeves, Doja carries a modern ferocity, pummeling her relationship woes in the second verse with lines like, “I don’t need a pin-drop or a text tonight / I ain’t even coming out with you, you don’t wanna show me off to your ex or your friends tonight.”

Laufey, A Matter of Time 

Laufey’s trajectory cannot be replicated — she’s a Chinese-Icelandic singer, composer and multi-instrumentalist, revitalizing jazz and mastering classical pop in front of packed arenas — and her singular spot in modern music makes A Matter of Time so triumphant: her latest full-length sounds unstuck from sonic or storytelling expectations, and thus, Laufey once again surpasses them.

Sombr, I Barely Know Her 

“Back to Friends” and “Undressed,” Sombr’s pair of streaming smashes, were not flukes: the singer-songwriter born Shane Boose is adept at refracting immediate pop hooks through an earnest croon that’s ripe for alternative radio play, and on debut album I Barely Know Her, he handles every genre exercise — from the slick dance-funk workout “12 to 12” to the breathtaking folk ballad “Canal Street” — with ease, talent and truth.

BigXThaPlug, I Hope You’re Happy 

Love “All the Way,” BigXThaPlug’s top 10 team-up with Bailey Zimmerman? You’ll find a lot more to embrace on I Hope You’re Happy, the Dallas hip-hop star’s full-length country foray: while Nashville staples like Jelly Roll, Darius Rucker, Luke Combs and Ella Langley handle the hooks, BigX bodies the rap verses, resulting in a mash-up jamboree that’s earnest, commercially viable and a whole lot of fun.

Kid Cudi, Free 

Scott Mescudi’s creativity runs in so many different directions, and across various multimedia platforms, that a new, proper Kid Cudi album always feels like both a gift and a check-in with an old friend; Free lives up to its title, composed of lyrical fearlessness and fuzzed-out musical explorations (crank “Truman Show” up to the absolute maximum volume, please) that made him such a beloved figure at the start of his career.

Stray Kids, KARMA 

After conquering charts and arena stages around the world, Stray Kids spend new album KARMA challenging themselves: there’s plenty of their hard-charging, electro-rap pop sound across the best-selling K-pop group’s latest proper album, but songs like “In My Head” and “Ghost” tweak their formula in compelling new ways, and nod toward Stray Kids’ musical growth.

Offset, KIARI 

As one might expect for a project titled after his birth name, KIARI finds Offset at his most vulnerable, with the Migos mainstay offering a snapshot of his whirlwind life and memories of his rise within popular hip-hop while joined by a wrecking crew of guest stars, including Gunna, Teezo Touchdown, YoungBoy Never Broke Again and Key Glock, the lattermost on the head-knocking highlight “Run It Up.”

Editor’s Pick: Deftones, private music 

Deftones’ gradual rise to rock’s commercial elite — in which they’re playing to their biggest crowds ever, 30 years into their career — has coincided with consistently great-to-excellent studio output; when it comes to their brooding, atmospheric hard rock, private music does not reinvent the wheel, but songs like “infinite source” and “cut hands” contain more tempo and swagger than their recent full-lengths, and often sport thrilling highs.

At one point in the early 2010s, Bryson Tiller was ready to sign with Drake’s OVO label, but eventually joined RCA Records instead. It’s been a decade since Tiller’s Trapsoul debut, and his career is still crossing paths with the 6 God, as they teamed up for “Outta Time” in 2020.

The Louisville native sat down with New Rory & Mal for the episode that posted Thursday (Aug. 21), during which Tiller was candid on the reason why he never joined OVO.

“I’m being so blunt. Honest,” he began. “The only reason I didn’t sign [to OVO] is just because bro didn’t hit me back one time. This was in a moment when my label, like, they was hounding me, they was flying me, they was trying to get me away from Drake.”

The singer continued, “I was like, ‘Yo, OVO is really in my blood, for real.’ I really have studied [Drake’s] catalog. There’s a couple of people that I really consider huge strands of my musical DNA, and Drake is one of them.”

Bryson admitted he even sent Drake a final text giving him another chance before putting pen to paper at RCA.

“He never hit back,” Tiller added. “And I know he’s a super busy dude. I’m not saying that he didn’t want me to sign or whatever, but at that moment, like, I had a kid — people back home that’s looking at me like, ‘Is he gonna do it? Is he gonna make it?’ So I had to go with what was the most sure shot.”

The conversation then moved into what Tiller’s career would have looked like if he had ended up becoming part of the OVO family. But as far as fame goes, the 32-year-old was totally cool with being out of the spotlight and working in the background as part of Drake’s team.

“When people would say, ‘Oh [Drake’s] gonna put you on the shelf, be in the sweatshop,’ I was like, ‘Cool. I’m cool with that.’ I was like, ‘Dog, I know how to write. I’ll write anything that he asks me to do and be just as rich,’” he said. “If you could take away all my fame right now, nobody recognize me, I’ll be so OK with it.”

These days, on the music side, Tiller dropped off his The Vices project, which is one-half of a double-disc, with Solace coming on Oct. 2.

Watch the clip with Bryson Tiller below.

Olivia Dean has announced her largest headline shows to date with an upcoming U.K. and Europe arena tour. 

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The 26-year-old will kick off the run on April 23, 2026, at Glasgow’s OVO Hydro before traveling on to Manchester’s Co-op Live (April 25) and a pair of dates at London’s O2 Arena (April 29-30). 

She’ll then hit a number of major European cities from May 8, hitting venues in Belgium, Denmark, Germany, Italy, France and more. Tickets go on sale from Dean’s website on Aug. 29.

The shows will make for her biggest ever bookings in the U.K. and will follow the release of her second studio LP, The Art of Loving, on Sep. 26. The lead single from that record — “Nice to Each Other” — has peaked at No. 10 on the U.K.’s Official Singles Chart, while new single “Man I Need” is tracking to be this week’s highest new entry, according to the Official Charts Company.

Throughout 2025, Dean has played a number of shows supporting Sam Fender (the pair later collaborated with a new version of his song “Rein Me In”), and festival slots at Glastonbury Festival and Forwards in Bristol. She recently embarked on a North American headline run that included shows in New York, Boston, Los Angeles and more.

In October, Dean will join Sabrina Carpenter at a number of the pop star’s headline shows this fall, including four nights at New York City’s Madison Square Garden. Dean’s debut album, 2023’s Messy, hit No. 4 on the U.K. Albums Chart.

Here’s the full list of Dean’s 2026 tour dates:

  • April 23 – Glasgow, Scotland @ OVO Hydro
  • April 25 – Manchester, England @ Co-op Live
  • April 29 – London @ The O2
  • April 30 – London @ The O2
  • May 8 – Brussels @ Forest National
  • May 9 – Amsterdam @ Ziggo Dome
  • May 11 – Düsseldorf, Germany @ Mitsubishi Electric Halle
  • May 12 – Berlin @ Velodrom
  • May 14 – Copenhagen, Denmark @ Royal Arena
  • May 16 – Oslo, Norway @ Unity Arena
  • May 17 – Stockholm @ Avicii Arena
  • May 20 – Zurich @ The Hall
  • May 22 – Milan @ Kozel Carroponte
  • June 17 – Paris @ Accor Arena
  • June 20 – Dublin @ Fairview Park

RM is giving ARMY a peek into what his life has been like since he finished his service to the South Korean military in June — and, spoiler alert, he’s completely devoting himself to working with the members of BTS on the group’s 2026 comeback.

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In a heartfelt message posted to Weverse on Friday (Aug 22), the performer reflected, “It’s already been a little over two months since I was discharged from the military.”

“I’m from far away Los Angeles,” he continued in the Korean-language post, according to the site’s English translation. “I live, work and play with the members. It’s a really strange experience. It feels like, ‘Bon Voyage Pyeongchang.’ It’s weird already.”

Despite the culture shock of going from military bunks to palm tree-lined streets and studio buildings, RM says he’s been “working diligently” on what BTS has in store for its next album and tour, both of which are set for next year. “Making something ‘together’ with these friends,” he continued. “I’m going to commit myself to this moment. I’m going to thank you.”

“It’s our next album,” RM added. “I’m looking for what I’ll become. Something I’ve forgotten for too long.”

The star concluded his message by saying how much he misses his fans. “I guarantee you, I’ll be there soon,” he told them. “I’ll do my best until then. I love you.”

RM is just the latest BTS star to update his fans on life post-military in recent days. Shortly before the “Wild Flower” artist posted his message, j-hope shared a gallery of photos and videos documenting what the septet has been up to, from recording new music in a studio to hitting the beach and shops as a friend group.

All of the band’s activities are leading up to it previously announced 2026 comeback. After Suga became the last member to be discharged from the military in June, he joined RM, Jung Kook, Jimin, Jin, V and j-hope in announcing on a Weverse livestream that BTS would officially return next year with a new album and trek.

“We’ll be releasing a new BTS album in the spring of next year,” they shared in a joint statement at the time. “Since it will be a group album, it will reflect each member’s thoughts and ideas. We’re approaching the album with the same mindset we had when we first started.”

“We’re also planning a world tour alongside the new album,” they’d added. “We’ll be visiting fans all around the world, so we hope you’re as excited as we are.”

While producing what became Ray Charles‘ final album, Genius Loves Company, John Burk asked the soul music legend if he might re-sing a part. “No,” Charles said. “I ain’t doing that.”

Burk revisited the subject later, in a quiet moment at the studio, asking Charles to explain his reluctance. “It’s about what I’m feeling, at that moment,” Charles replied. “That’s what you want on the record.”

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Charles, of course, was right: Genius Loves Company, released after the singer, pianist and songwriter’s death in 2004, went triple platinum and won the Grammy for album of the year. And Burk, a partner at Exceleration Music, remembered that conversation when preparing to reissue four albums from Charles’ catalog of 60-plus releases earlier this year. The first, 1974’s Come Live With Me, out today (Aug. 22), is what Burk calls a “heartbreak and sadness and loneliness album,” a gem that didn’t make the Billboard 200. “It’s one of the best examples of Ray truly expressing himself.”

The album, Burk adds, is “ripe for discovery” and came out “when the marketplace was just so different than what he was doing. It didn’t quite fit in certain charts and radio formats.”

The four releases Burk has prepared are from Tangerine Records, Charles’ longtime indie label, with which Exceleration partnered in 2021. An investment group formed by ex-execs from Concord Music Group, Merlin and others, Exceleration has spent the past five years investing in influential indie labels such as blues powerhouse Alligator Records, alt-country fixture Bloodshot Records and ’90s-rock stalwarts Kill Rock Stars. After making a deal in 2021 with the Ray Charles Foundation, Exceleration rolled out reissues from the singer’s vast catalog — the 90-track True Genius box set in honor of what would have been Charles’ 90th birthday in 2020, then Charles’ classic country albums such as the two volumes of Modern Sounds and Crying Time.

Burk, one of five partners at Exceleration, says the upcoming Charles reissues — Ingredients In a Recipe for Soul is due Sept. 19, Love Country Style, Oct. 24, and No One Does It Like … Ray Charles, Nov. 21 — will be part of a long, gradual rollout of Charles’ “massive catalog.” Although Rhino Records reissued much of Charles’ catalog in the ‘90s with lavish CD packaging, Burk says, “There’s a lot more to discover about Ray Charles than the public may know. A lot of this stuff’s just not out.”

Ray Charles

Ray Charles

Courtesy of the Ray Charles Foun

Despite a long association with Atlantic Records, Charles spent much of his career as an indie artist, albeit funded by large corporations such as ABC and British Decca. Love Country Style, from 1970, is in the mode of Charles’ 1962 masterpiece Modern Sounds In Country and Western Music and includes a bluesy cover of Johnny Cash‘s “Ring of Fire”; 1963’s Ingredients In a Recipe for Soul, which hit No. 2 on the charts, opens with his classic version of Harlan Howard‘s “Busted”; and No One Does It Like … Ray Charles! is a new title compiling non-album singles from 1962-1965, including “No One” and “Something’s Wrong.”

Tangerine, named after Charles’ favorite fruit, was not actually the original record company that released Come Live With Me that album belonged to Charles’ later label, Crossover, according to the singer’s 1978 autobiography Brother Ray. The material on the other three reissues comes from ABC, which in the early ’60s lured the singer from Atlantic Records, the label that made him famous. “Look,” he told ABC lawyers before signing, according to Michael Lydon‘s 1998 bio Ray Charles: Man and Music: “Since I’m producing my own music, I want to own my own masters.” Such a deal was unprecedented at the time, as labels have insisted on ownership of masters for decades. But ABC agreed — as long as the deal kicked in after five years.

“He’s just completely free and doing what he felt like doing,” Burk says about these recordings. “He built his own everything — his own record company, his own publishing company, his own management company, his own studio, his own tour bus, his own plane. He was completely independent.”

Charles was with ABC from 1960 to 1973, and for the last five years of that deal, his music came out under the Tangerine-ABC label, according to Brother Ray, the autobiography written with David Ritz. He returned to Atlantic Records in 1977. “I loved Tangerine,” Charles said in Man and Music. “But to run a label, especially a small label, you have to keep your hands in it. I was spread too thin, but I wasn’t about to give up my own music or going on the road. At least Tangerine didn’t lose any money, and figuring in all I learned, I’d say we came out ahead.”