Continuing to seal off the No. 1 spot from invaders like an IRL honmoon, HUNTR/X’s “Golden,” from Netflix’s animated smash movie KPop Demon Hunters, rules the Billboard Global 200 and Billboard Global Excl. U.S. charts for an 11th week each. In July, the song became the first No. 1 on each list for the act, whose music is voiced by EJAE, Audrey Nuna and REI AMI.

Hits from KPop Demon Hunters make up half the Global 200’s top 10 for a sixth week. Below “Golden,” Saja Boys keep at No. 3 with “Soda Pop” and No. 4 with “Your Idol,” with both having reached No. 3; both are sung by Andrew Choi, Neckwav, Danny Chung, Kevin Woo and samUIL Lee. Plus, HUNTR/X’s “How It’s Done” drops 6-7 after hitting No. 5 and “What It Sounds Like” slides 8-10, after rising to No. 7.

Elsewhere, Kenshi Yonezu’s “Iris Out” blasts to the top 10 on both the Global 200 (32-5) and Global Excl. U.S. (12-2).

The Billboard Global 200 and Global Excl. U.S. charts rank songs based on streaming and sales activity culled from more than 200 territories around the world, as compiled by Luminate. The Global 200 is inclusive of worldwide data and the Global Excl. U.S. chart comprises data from territories excluding the United States.

Chart ranks are based on a weighted formula incorporating official-only streams on both subscription and ad-supported tiers of audio and video music services, as well as download sales, the latter of which reflect purchases from full-service digital music retailers from around the world, with sales from direct-to-consumer (D2C) sites excluded from the charts’ calculations.

“Golden” crowns the Global 200 with 132 million streams, a new weekly best (up 18% week-over-week), and 16,000 sold (essentially even) worldwide in the week ending Sept. 25.

Alex Warren’s “Ordinary” holds at No. 2 after 10 weeks atop the Global 200 beginning in May.

Kenshi Yonezu’s “Iris Out” becomes his first top 10 on the Global 200, bounding 32-5 with 45.1 million streams (up 105%) and 19,000 sold (up 12%) worldwide in the tracking week. The song by the Japanese artist is from Chainsaw Man: Reze Arc (released Sept. 19), with its fully animated official video depicting highlights of the film. The Billboard Japan Hot 100 chart-topper concurrently vaults 12-2 on Global Excl. U.S., with 97% of its streams and 99% of its sales for the week logged outside the U.S. Yonezu adds his second top 10 — and highest-charting hit — on the ranking, after “Kick Back” reached No. 4 in 2022.

“Golden” leads Global Excl. U.S. with 99.8 million streams (up 23%) and 8,000 sold (down 2%) beyond the U.S.

Elsewhere in the Global Excl. U.S. top five, “Ordinary” descends 2-3, after eight weeks at No. 1 starting in May; “Soda Pop” slips to No. 4 from its No. 3 high; and sombr’s “Back to Friends” backtracks to No. 5 from its No. 4 peak.

The Billboard Global 200 and Billboard Global Excl. U.S. charts (dated Oct. 4, 2025) will update on Billboard.com tomorrow, Sept. 30. For both charts, the top 100 titles are available to all readers on Billboard.com, while the complete 200-title rankings are visible on Billboard Pro, Billboard’s subscription-based service. For all chart news, you can follow @billboard and @billboardcharts on both X, formerly known as Twitter, and Instagram.

Luminate, the independent data provider to the Billboard charts, completes a thorough review of all data submissions used in compiling the weekly chart rankings. Luminate reviews and authenticates data. In partnership with Billboard, data deemed suspicious or unverifiable is removed, using established criteria, before final chart calculations are made and published.

It’s free Billboard charts month! Through Sept. 30, subscribers to Billboard’s Chart Beat newsletter, emailed each Friday, can unlock access to Billboard’s weekly and historical charts, artist chart histories and all Chart Beat stories simply by visiting the newly redesigned Billboard.com through any story link in the newsletter. Not a Chart Beat subscriber? Sign up for free here.

Last week at Chelsea Walls Gallery, Nike NYC’s Light Work photo exhibition came alive with a powerful display of summer basketball culture through the lens of emerging photographers. But beyond the photographs, the event carried something even more meaningful: a passing of knowledge.

At the heart of it all was Jonathan Mannion — one of the most iconic photographers in hip-hop history. Known for crafting some of the most enduring album covers of the last three decades, Mannion has worked with artists including Jay-Z (Reasonable Doubt), DMX (Flesh of My Flesh, Blood of My Blood), Nas (God’s Son), Ludacris (Back for the First Time), and Aaliyah (the single cover for “Rock the Boat”). His imagery has not only defined the look of hip-hop, but has also become a cultural archive of the genre itself.

For Mannion, Light Work is about more than photography. It’s a responsibility to give the next generation of photographers tools, insights, and inspiration.

“There’s always meaningful work to be done in arming the next generation with information,” Mannion says. “All the bumps, walls, and speed bumps I hit, I want them to avoid as many of those as possible. They’re going to hit their own, for sure. But if I can craft a little bit of their way of thinking, keep them creative, give them a heads up, that’s my responsibility.”

Founded in 2024, Focus: A Visual Development Lab by Nike NYC is a five-week summer program designed to give young photographers the tools, access, and mentorship they need to elevate their craft. Participants document Nike’s NYvsNY basketball tournament while attending workshops led by some of the most respected creatives in the industry.

This season, Mannion joined the program as a speaker, bringing not only his technical expertise but a wealth of cultural insight. His session went beyond technical instruction — it was about imparting a mindset.

“Working in the creative field can be incredibly joyful, but there are things to watch out for,” Mannion explains. “Helping them avoid some of those speed bumps feels like my duty. I’m passionate about people winning and being able to explore the contents of their mind to achieve great work.”

Nike’s commitment to supporting emerging photographers, providing mentorship, creative insight, and access to resources, is a rare opportunity, Mannion explains.

“You have to take your hat off to Nike for embracing photography,” he adds. “They’re arming young shooters with tools and insight from legendary creatives. It’s not just about what I did, it’s about giving them access to layers of experience and perspective.”

For Mannion, photography is not just about capturing an image, it’s about documenting culture in a way that resonates for generations to come.

“Getting this new generation to have the strongest voice possible, with a skillset that matches the creativity they’re exploring, is what will define the next wave,” Mannion says. “When I started, it was all film. We had to feel it. You couldn’t check the back of the camera. That perspective keeps you connected to the moment.”

He believes the new generation will carry that spark forward, even if the tools change.

“I was fortunate because I identified hip-hop as my passion early. That mentality carried me. We wanted to be the best. And that connects to how Nike supports athletes, we’re our own version of athletes. Our stance is steady, the camera is still, but the drive is identical.”

Mannion sees deep parallels between music and basketball — two of New York City’s greatest cultural exports. He believes both worlds share a similar hunger and energy, with artists and athletes constantly fighting for space and respect. “All rappers wanna be ballers, and all ballers wanna be rappers,” he explains. “They’re both fighting for space, boxing people out for territory. Visually, they overlap, anticipation, exposure, responding instantly. Whether on stage or on court, it’s about capturing something no one else has.”

For Jonathan Mannion, photography is more than a craft, it’s storytelling at its purest, a way to capture moments that speak volumes in a single frame. To him, “it’s poetry in motion.” Whether “it’s a rapper commanding the stage or an athlete making a game-winning play,” the goal is the same: “to tell a story that makes people feel something deeply.”

Reflecting on his decades behind the lens, Mannion emphasizes that authentic storytelling begins with connection and appreciation. “It begins with a deep admiration for their artistry,” he explains. Even when the music doesn’t resonate with him personally, his mission is unwavering, “my job is to make them look amazing. The effort never changes. That’s the athlete’s mentality — leave it all on the field.”

The value of his work extends beyond the frame. It lies in shaping culture and inspiring future generations of photographers. “I want the real, not the surface-level. I want them to ask themselves, ‘What does this mean to me?’ The more you do that, the more people connect to your work,” he explains. “Photography is about capturing moments that’ll never be the same again. To define a body of work with a single image is one of the greatest gifts in life.”

As Light Work closes its latest chapter, Mannion leaves behind not just an exhibition of images, but a charge: to carry the lessons of craft, passion, and cultural preservation forward.

On Monday (Sept. 29), Lady Gaga begins the European leg of The Mayhem Ball at London’s O2 Arena. But even before the 24 shows in 10 cities across eight countries, 2025 is already a milestone year on the road for Mother Monster.

Taking into account the success of the tour’s first North American leg, extensions around the world, and the warm-up shows from earlier in the year, 2025 will be Gaga’s biggest-ever year on tour. According to figures reported to Billboard Boxscore, Lady Gaga’s 27 shows in the United States and Canada brought in $103.4 million and sold 378,000 tickets. That makes it the highest-grossing leg of any Gaga tour, in North America or otherwise.

Back in April, Billboard projected that The Mayhem Ball might reach $100 million by the end of its entire run, which at that time, was the end of the Europe leg in November. Having already reached that milestone, the tour could near $150 million by the end of her European shows, before Gaga embarks on added stadium stints in Australia and Japan, plus another 25-show stretch in North America through April 2026.

The Mayhem Ball notably returned Gaga to arenas after playing stadiums for The Chromatica Ball (2022) and mixing both venues on the Joanne World Tour (2017-18). With fewer seats available each night, demand drove ticket prices to the point that her show grosses sustained against the supply shortage.

And even compared to the North American legs of her last all-arena runs, The Mayhem Ball is up (14,009 tickets per show) compared to ArtRave: The Artpop Ball (12,315 in 2014) and The Born This Way Ball (12,232 in 2013). She last cracked 14,000 in 2011 on The Monster Ball.

Even considering the expected drop-off in ticket prices in Europe, the lengthy run of arena shows will add at least half of North America’s gross and likely another 300,000 tickets. The Japanese stadium shows should fall somewhere between her recent Singapore run ($10.2 million per show) and 2022’s Saitama shows ($5.7 million) to add $40-45 million. Her December leg in Australia will be her first since 2014, padding another $35-40 million.

Next year’s return to the U.S. and Canada might be softer than Gaga’s recent run considering some of the smaller-capacity arenas included on her routing. Still, demand is high, and her continental gross should stretch toward $175 million. In all, The Mayhem Ball could be her first tour to approach $300 million, potentially tripling Billboard’s initial estimates. Sales will soar beyond 1 million tickets, becoming her third to do so, and first since The Born This Way Ball, plus 2009-11’s The Monster Ball.

Those totals don’t include Gaga’s international dates prior to the proper tour’s kick-off. Two concerts in Mexico City and four in Singapore grossed $56.6 million and sold over 300,000 tickets. Including this week’s shows in London, and with a couple dozen more to go, 2025 will become her biggest year on tour ever, surpassing 2012’s $161.8 million.

Already, Gaga’s reported career totals have climbed to $879.6 million and 7.1 million tickets. By tour’s end, she’ll have cleared $1 billion in ticket sales.

Kid Cudi is stepping away from music to focus on his other creative endeavors.

Prior to the expected hiatus, Cudi released an ethereal track titled “Once” to his SoundCloud on Sunday (Sept. 28) and explained that it serves as a letter to his fans. “This is a goodbye for now song,” he wrote. “It was produced by myself with my homie Sebastian addin’ extra sauce here and there. Taking a break but wanted to leave u [with] something special and from the heart. [You’ll] be hearing me featured on my friends’ albums but as far as me, I gotta step into the shadows and focus on my other dreams.”

Cudi posted a video to X, clarifying everything surrounding his upcoming absence, which will include a “pretty lengthy break” between now and the release of his next album.

“It’s gonna be a while between now and the next Kid Cudi album,” he said. “So I wanted to leave you with a little something that could motivate you, uplift you… I made it earlier this year, just f—ing around in the studio.”

Earlier this month, Kid Cudi directed and starred in his “Mr. Miracle” short film alongside LaKeith Stanfield. Cudi spoke to Billboard about his plans for more short films in the future. “People will be able to see Neverland soon,” he said. “We’re working on a way for that to come out so fans can absorb that — I know a lot of people have been excited to see it, and it’s coming soon.”

Cudi continued: “But I am definitely going to direct more short films in the future. I just finished writing my next one. It’s a really beautiful, heartwarming, funny short that I feel like a lot of people will connect with — a lot of my fans will connect with it. It’s a powerful piece and I can’t wait for you all to see that. Hopefully we shoot next month, so that’s moving forward.”

The Ohio native’s been busy in September, which saw him also guest on Lakeith Stanfield’s debut single “Fast Life.” With music moving to the back-burner, fans can expect Cudi to focus more on directing, acting, painting and fashion.

Listen to “Once” below.