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Post Malone will have to defend his name in a court of law. He is being sued by a limo driver over his appearance in a music video.
As per The Daily Mail, Post Malone has been hit with a legal complaint stemming from his 2020 collaboration with Tyla Yaweh. In the accompanying visual for “Tommy Lee,” a man is seen opening a limousine door for Tyla, and throughout different quick cut scenes throughout the video.
That man is Larry Deuel, a professional limousine driver in real life. Apparently, he was hired by the two talents to drive them to the ranch where a lot of the principal photography took place. During the shoot, he was asked to participate in the music video, but claims he was never compensated for his appearance.
The lawsuit was submitted to the Fourth District Court in Utah on Friday, Oct. 17. Post Malone, Tyla, and Sony Music Entertainment are all listed as defendants.
“Absent Mr. Deuel’s presence in Tommy Lee, the theme of wealth, power, fame, privilege, and success would have been visually underwhelming, supported only by two unkempt musicians smoking blunts and riding ATVs in a dirt field,” the legal filing read.
According to Music News, Larry Deuel is suing for principal damages “in an amount not less than $2.5 million”; punitive damages “in an amount not less than $7.5 million (£5.6 million)”; legal fees “in an amount not less than $25,000 (£186,000)”; and more.
Post Malone has yet to formally respond to the matter.
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As Afrobeats gains momentum outside of West Africa, where it originated, Latin artists are fully embracing the rhythm and fusing it with their own signature sounds. Such is the case for Goyo, Humby, Kapo, Ozuna and Venesti, who were part of the Afrobeats panel at Billboard Latin Music Week 2025 on Tuesday (Oct. 21).
Moderated by Billboard‘s Jessica Roiz, the conversation focused on respecting the culture, roots and pioneers that have fueled this genre in Africa, and how Afrobeats has influenced their latest projects, including Goyo’s debut album Pantera.
“This movement is so big and it has brought so many opportunities for Latin artists who sing Afrobeats but are not from Nigeria,” the Colombian star said. “It is important to respect the roots and culture; but restlessness has led to the Afrobeats movement that is being mixed with hip-hop, R&B, and Nigerian music. We have to give importance to Africa through this genre that unites us.”
Meanwhile, hitmaker Ozuna spoke candidly about how experimenting with Afrobeats opened doors for him and got him out of a comfort zone that reggaetón was becoming. “I didn’t know much about the rhythm, but I was interested in learning, I was into reggaetón, and this rhythm opened doors for me.”
He added that the key to continue growing the movement is unity and collaboration. “We did it with reggaetón and it worked for us. Afrobeats is a movement that needs unity. It needs artists like me to collaborate with new artists. I was given that opportunity when I began my career, and now it’s our turn to do it with the new artists, and with the newest artists. This is a chain; we’re all on the same boat.”
Have you played Billboard’s Latin Music Week Crossword?Play now!
Both Colombian artists Kapo and Venesti also dabbled in Afrobeats early on in their careers. After recording in other styles, it was Afrobeats that gave both these rising artists their biggest hits, including Kapo’s “Ohnana” and Venesti’s “Umaye.”
“This song marked a turning point,” Venesti explained. “I was going through a moment in the creative process where others would tell me, ‘This is what you have to do.’ But when I signed with AP Global, my label, they told me, ‘Be yourself.’ I recorded ‘Umaye’ with a $50 microphone. It was my first number one hit on Billboard. ‘Umaye’ is a poem turned into a song.”
“We are born with that feeling; it’s something I can’t explain,” Kapo added. “We created ‘Ohnana,’ and it connected with many people. It wasn’t my beginning, but it has contributed a lot. We have role models in the world who do it so well.”
Spanning more than 30 years, Latin Music Week is the largest gathering of Latin artists and industry executives in the world. This year’s event once again hosts panels, marquee conversations, roundtables, networking and activations, in addition to its celebrated Billboard En Vivo showcases.
Latin Music Week also coincides with the 2025 Billboard Latin Music Awards, set to air Thursday, Oct. 23, on Telemundo and Peacock, where Bad Bunny will be honored as Top Latin Artist of the 21st Century.
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The convergence of film and music as powerful vehicles for cultural storytelling took center stage on Tuesday (Oct. 21) at Billboard Latin Music Week 2025.
Presented by Sony Pictures, Sony Music Latin, and Rancho Humilde, the “Shaping the Future of Film and Music” panel at the Fillmore Miami Beach brought together industry leaders Afo Verde (chairman and CEO, Sony Music Latin Iberia), Jimmy Humilde (CEO and founder, Rancho Humilde), and Sanford Panitch (president, Sony Pictures Motion Picture Group). Moderated by Billboard’s Leila Cobo, the panel unpacked strategies and collaborations between music and cinema that highlight cultural movements and elevate underrepresented communities.
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For Humilde, the explosive growth of Rancho Humilde during the pandemic fueled the idea of creating a platform for storytelling through film. “When COVID happened, my business partner Jay Dee [of Herencia de Patrones] and I sat there coming up with what’s next,” he said. “The world stopped — that’s when Rancho Humilde was born. [We went] from millions to hundreds of millions, where everyone was hearing what we were doing, but no one really understood our culture.” This realization set the stage for Rancho Humilde’s entry into filmmaking.
Have you played Billboard’s Latin Music Week Crossword?Play now!
Humilde envisioned this as a celebration of Mexican-American culture, not confined to any traditional genre or region. “Everyone wants to put us in a box, in a space that we can’t grow out of. But we’re saying, no, this is the time. This has been done in pop, hip-hop, rap, in films like Boyz n the Hood and Friday with Ice Cube. Now we need to have it in Latin music.”
“Hollywood has had an incredible history of transferring the electricity of an artist to an actor,” Panitch remarked. “Latino audiences make up 30 to 40% of the box office on every movie, which reflects the incredible opportunity to tell fresh, authentic stories that resonate.” Humilde added, “The big percentage of moviegoers are Latinos. Thank God that the majority are Mexican Americans, 65% in the U.S. — people we need to serve. Not just Mexicans, but all Latinos, period.”
Afo Verde highlighted how music and cinema represent a natural evolution of artists’ creative expressions. “In the ’50s, [artists] needed to sing in recording studios; in the ’60s, they had to play instruments; in the ’70s, they learned how to tour; in the ’80s, the [music] video came out; and later, it was social media. It’s common to ask how things evolve, and now, it’s filmmaking. Not every artist will become an incredible actor, [but exploring film] is a great outlet for creativity and reaching audiences in new ways.”
Latin Music Week coincides with the 2025 Billboard Latin Music Awards, set to air Thursday, Oct. 23, on Telemundo and Peacock.
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Mike Morris is one of music’s biggest new investors — and he’s placing his bets on the indies. The managing director of Chicago-based private equity firm Flexpoint Ford has overseen what Billboard estimates is more than $375 million of investments in some of music’s most influential independent companies since 2023. After initially backing the front-line music business at Nettwerk, the label that broke Sarah McLachlan and Barenaked Ladies, that same year the firm announced a “significant investment and partnership” in Goldstate Music, the catalog investment firm founded by former BMG president/COO and J Records co-founder Charles Goldstuck. Last year, Flexpoint led a $34 million equity financing round for Duetti, a music investment company that focuses on indie rights, and led a $165 million investment in Create Music, a music distribution, publishing and data analytics company.
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Morris, who has previously held positions at Northleaf Capital Partners, H.I.G. Capital and Moelis & Co., says that Flexpoint’s focus on high-return middle-market companies serving independent artists has resulted in “repeated success.”
“We’ve really leaned into the independent sector of the music industry — it is just growing much faster than the traditional majors ecosystem,” Morris says. “This part of the market is so large and fragmented and there is so much growth…and tremendous opportunity for innovation.”
What do you think of the maneuvers by the majors, like Universal Music Group’s proposed acquisition of Downtown Music, that target the growth of the indie segment?
They are evidence enough of the fact they have been losing share to the independent ecosystem. They wouldn’t be buying these companies if it weren’t the case. We think our platform companies — whether one or more of them ends up in a major at some point, we’ll see — can outcompete because they don’t have the legacy infrastructure that some of the majors do. And they can complement the majors in serving this vast, fragmented and growing part of the market.
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What are the new modes of monetization you have talked about that excite you?
I’m talking about everything outside of the traditional streaming platforms: Meta, TikTok, YouTube, which is where Create started out. YouTube rights management, if you know how to do it correctly, is a very attractive and important area. Synch placement in video games, fitness apps — all of these tangential revenue streams. Not everyone knows how to monetize those streams, and it is core to the strategy for all of our portfolio companies.
What makes Create special?
Create has only been around for about 12 years. They are a digitally native service and capital provider to the independent sector. It doesn’t have the legacy baggage around infrastructure that some of the services and labels have. Create started out as a pure-play rights management business and then went through a natural evolution, tacking on distribution, accounting systems, publishing — all built on this digitally native background. Their numbers aren’t public, but if they were, they’d speak for themselves.
Duetti was the first, but likely not the last, company to acquire the masters and publishing rights of indie artists bubbling under the mainstream radar. How are they prepped for competition?
This is something [Duetti CEO Lior Tibon] has thought a lot about. They do have a first-mover advantage. But the reason no one else is doing it is because it’s really hard to do. Buying these small catalogs involves a high degree of sophistication, data, AI [artificial intelligence] and operational discipline to acquire thousands of catalogs and thousands of individual tracks. Most music companies and other funds in the space have not set themselves up to do that in a way that’s scalable. More competition is something we’ve planned for at the board level and among the shareholder group and management team. We feel like it’s going to be very hard to replicate the strategy at this kind of scale.
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Goldstate Music is more traditional compared with the other companies in your portfolio. What do you like about their method of investing in music intellectual property [IP], and would Flexpoint directly acquire catalogs itself?
Charles Goldstuck is a best-in-class operator who’s proven over decades in and around the music business that he knows how to start businesses, take on institutional capital like ours, identify attractive parts of a market and use capital to create attractive returns for his investors. [He has a] sophisticated, important piece of the strategy: working on them actively to get the most juice out of those assets. Things like changing and optimizing distribution contracts, synch placements, creating remixes and derivative works, getting [name, image and likeness] rights and doing merch and working actively with those artists.
Songs by Xania Monet, an AI artist that Hallwood Media signed to a multimillion-dollar agreement, are climbing the Billboard charts. How could the commercial success of AI music affect the value of catalogs?
It’s fascinating to see AI-powered artists now being signed by labels. Yes, they’ll compete for listening time and could take some share. But in practice, I think it makes high-quality, authentic catalogs and artists even more valuable. So I don’t see AI destroying catalog value. Instead, I see it widening the gap: disposable, machine-made music on one side and enduring, human-driven catalogs on the other. The latter will continue to command attention, cultural relevance and investor confidence.
What are you currently working on?
The most interesting things I’m seeing right now [include] international opportunities in Asia, the Middle East [and Latin America], both on the catalog side and with music service providers. Music-adjacent service providers and IP businesses in music-adjacent spaces like film, TV and video games are heavy users of music. We’re looking at a business in Korea right now that is in some ways like Create. It has evolved organically in the Korean music ecosystem to provide services focused on artists’ and independent labels’ needs.
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How long do you plan to be involved with portfolio companies?
We’re not quick-flip investors. We’re not in the quick-hits business. We’re about partnering with entrepreneurs and founders to build enduring businesses that can compound value over a long period of time. We think exits take care of themselves, as long as we’re helping build enduring businesses. Sometimes it takes three years, sometimes five and sometimes 10.
Many companies, including Duetti and Create, are exploring raising funds through issuing asset-backed securities. Why is this a good strategy, and what are the potential drawbacks?
To me, this is just music catching up to what other asset classes have been doing for decades. When you have reasonably predictable cash flow streams, it is a more efficient form of financing — no different from bank financing. But it’s in a more regimented form and checks the boxes the buyers of these types of bonds want. It’s a clear positive for the industry. The only real drawback is it is a significantly bigger undertaking in terms of the documentation and the ratings process than going to a bank and getting a loan. So it does require time, attention and effort from management teams and us.
It’s hard to predict the staying power of songs. Do you have any concerns about very young songs being used to collateralize this type of bond or companies with high loan-to-debt rates adding to their debt this way?
I hear all the same things. The performance of these bonds — both public and the private — has been 100%: no defaults, no issues. But it’s a relatively young asset class in the securitization market. So you might see some folks use the leverage very aggressively, which would be unwise. But I think the buyers of these bonds are sophisticated enough to know what they’re getting into and to analyze these cash flows and to structure them in a way that makes sense. These investors have a lot of experience now in both music and other asset classes where the modeling isn’t very different. It’s all a function of risk/reward tolerance and pricing appropriately.
The elected leadership of the Democratic Party isn’t fiery enough to oppose the threat of President Trump’s administration, according to several candidates running nationwide in key races, as well as a large swath of the party’s voters. The key targets for their ire have been House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and Senator Chuck Schumer, particularly as Trump has mocked them since his return.
Currently, the list of challengers are younger, like progressive influencer Kat Abughazaleh who is running to succeed retiring Illinois representative Jan Schakowsky. “You need to show the people that you’re angry — and not just that you’re angry, that you’re going to do something about it,” she said to Axios.
That was echoed by attorney Patrick Roath, who is challenging Massachusetts Representative Stephen Lynch. “People are angry, they are frustrated, they are deeply dismayed by what they are seeing, of course by the Trump administration, but honestly a lot is a profound disappointment with the Democrats,” he said.
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The pressure of the current government shutdown, now in its third week, is also applying pressure on the established Democratic leadership. Jeffries has gained staunch support among Democrats in the House of Representatives for not being willing to move away from their demands for healthcare to be preserved from cuts by Republicans and Donald Trump. Schumer reportedly floated a stopgap bill to reopen the government, drawing criticism and prompting him to reverse course.
That kind of conciliatory move with a Republican administration that has demonstrated their unwillingness to care is not one these candidates look to employ. “I am not a ‘when they go low, we go high’ [person]. I’m not that kind of girl,” said Texas state representative Jolanda Jones, one of the Texas Democrats who took a stand against GOP gerrymandering in the state earlier this year. “If they go low, I’m going to the gutter.”
Despite the support in the House, Jeffries has faced reports that some might not back his bid to be Speaker should Democrats regain control of that body of Congress. Schumer, who isn’t up for re-election until 2028, has less room to maneuver as several members of the Senate are up for re-election next year, including some vulnerable seats.
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On Tuesday (October 21), Argentina and Colombia united for Billboard Latin Music Week in a conversation where two superstars of Latin American folk music shared their experiences: Soledad and Silvestre Dangond.
During the panel “Desde La Raíz” (“from the root” in English) moderated by Ezequiel Ruiz of Billboard Argentina, the award-winning Argentine singer-songwriter and the Colombian vallenato star discussed the importance of preserving original sounds.
“It’s important that there are purists. [At first] they told me I was killing vallenato. However, that kept me going and brought me to where I am,” said Dandong proudly. He has brought his own style to the genre across the 18 albums that make up his discography, always including at least two native songs. “That’s how I grew up; I grew up watching the great exponents of vallenato. I lived it and I breathe it.”
For her part, “La Sole,” as many call her, shared how she began to carve out a space for herself in the industry. “I come from a small town, where musical culture is very strong,” said the artist born in Arequito, in the Argentine province of Santa Fe. “When the big names were no longer around, I thought I could have a place, my own place, but continue that legacy,” she recalled, thanking her father for buying the 5,000 records ordered by the first record label that signed her (Sony Music) to continue her contract. “He borrowed money to solve it at the time. My old man always believed in me, and to this day, I write songs dedicated to him.”
Have you played Billboard’s Latin Music Week Crossword?Play now!
Both figures agreed on the reason they represent their countries through their voices: to love what they do, honor it, and enjoy it. However, they have very personal views on the future of folk music.
In Soledad’s case, she admitted that she’s more open to the music being made by young people in Argentina today. “Sometimes there are things I don’t like as much,” she confessed, “although I must admit that some people look to folklore for elements to fuse with their sounds.”
With his characteristic laid-back personality, Dandong stated that he isn’t critical of the music currently being made in Colombia. “I also did what I wanted; age defines what one sings. Let’s let people mature and let’s do less criticism and more accompaniment,” the singer emphatically declared. In recent months, he has released collaborations with Emilia, Banda MS, and Carín León, demonstrating his openness and interest in conquering and experimenting in new markets.
Spanning more than 30 years, Latin Music Week is the single-most important and largest gathering of Latin artists and industry executives in the world. This year’s star-studded lineup includes Aitana, Alofoke, Anuel AA, Bebeshito, Carlos Vives, Carín León, Danny Ocean, DJ Khaled, Daddy Yankee (DY), Emilia Mernes, Ivy Queen, Gloria Estefan, Grupo 5, Kapo, Laura Pausini, Luck Ra, Netón Vega, Olga Tañón, Óscar Maydon, Ozuna, Pablo Alborán, Rawayana, Suzette Quintanilla, Tokischa, Xavi and Yailin La Más Viral, to name a few.
Latin Music Week also coincides with the 2025 Billboard Latin Music Awards, set to air Thursday, Oct. 23, on Telemundo and Peacock, where Bad Bunny will be honored as Top Latin Artist of the 21st Century.
Imagine moving into a rental home and demolishing part of it to build a ballroom. That’s exactly what President Trump did to the White House East Wing, Monday as he began the construction of his $200 million, 90,000-square-foot ballroom.
CNN staff witnessed an excavator destroying parts of the East Wing, including the roof and interior.
“Renderings released earlier by the White House showed that the ballroom, which the administration has said will be funded by Trump and other private donors, would be built over this area. Press secretary Karoline Leavitt said over the summer that the ‘state ballroom’ would occupy space housing the East Wing of the executive mansion, where first ladies have traditionally maintained offices,” CNN added in its report.
The project fulfills the president’s wish for an event space at the White House that would expand the building’s entertaining capacity and continue the president’s demands that the people’s house take on the same gaudy tackiness of his private clubs. So far, Trump’s efforts to make the White House resemble something Liberace would be proud of have included the ballroom, large flagpoles, the destruction of the Rose Garden with pavement, and excessive gold accents inside the Oval Office.
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“I am pleased to announce that ground has been broken on the White House grounds to build the new, big, beautiful White House Ballroom,” Trump posted on social media Monday evening. “Completely separate from the White House itself, the East Wing is being fully modernized as part of this process, and will be more beautiful than ever when it is complete!”
Trump also acknowledged the destruction of the White House East Room during an event celebrating LSU’s baseball teams.
“You know, we’re building right behind us — we’re building a ballroom. They wanted a ballroom for 150 years, and I’m giving that honor to this wonderful place,” he said. “I didn’t know I’d be standing here right now, because right on the other side, you have a lot of construction going on, which you might hear periodically.”
CNN notes that the new ballroom will have enough gold to make Trinidad James jealous, including (Trinidad James voice) gold all in the crystal chandeliers, gold all in the gilded Corinthian columns, gold inlays all in the coffered ceiling inlays, and gold all in the floor lamps. Don’t believe him just watch.
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Last week was all about the history: In its debut frame, Taylor Swift‘s The Life of a Showgirl album set single-week records for most units moved (4.002 million) and most copies sold (3.478 million) — while also notching all 12 of its tracks in the top 12 of the Billboard Hot 100, led by first single “The Fate of Ophelia.”
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This week? Showgirl is still showing out, holding atop the Billboard 200 and claiming 12 of the top 14 spots on the Hot 100. But the counting numbers are a little more modest now — 338,000 units for the album in week two, a significant drop from week one (albeit still one of the top five weeks for any album so far in 2025).
What do we make of those first-week numbers? And what would we advise Taylor to do for the rest of 2025 if we were on her team? Billboard staffers answer these questions and more below.
1. Taylor Swift holds atop the Billboard 200 with 338,000 second-week units moved by her The Life of a Showgirl album. Is that Week Two number lower, higher or about what you would have expected?
Katie Atkinson: Where I would have expected. That would have been an exceptional week 1 number for almost every non-Taylor artist, so while you could focus on the album’s precipitous drop from the 4 million-plus mark, it’s just as easy to frame it as an impressive stand-alone week outside the context of her history-making debut. The higher you climb, the harder… you know the rest.
Stephen Daw: It’s slightly lower than I would have expected. A big drop-off was guaranteed — when you break through the ceiling of first-week sales like Showgirl did, there is nowhere to go but down — but this one is slightly steeper than I would have anticipated. In its second week, Tortured Poets moved roughly 100,000 more units that Showgirl has here, which may have more to do with Swift front-loading the number of album variants on offer for this LP’s rollout than anything else. But either way, this album having the fifth-biggest week of any album in 2025 in its second week is still an accomplishment that only Taylor Swift could achieve in 2025.
Kyle Denis: Much lower, considering this is her lowest second-week units total since 2020’s Evermore (not counting re-recordings). Given the plethora of available formats, constant buzz and conversation and a lead single that didn’t immediately tumble from the top, I thought 350,000 would be the absolute lowest Showgirl pulled in its second week.
Joe Lynch: Between “about what I expected” and “higher.” Much to-do was made of Swift hitting that insane four-million mark thanks to variant versions, so I was genuinely curious what week two would look like. In 2025, 338,000 units is a first-week home run — in fact, it’s the fifth biggest week of the year so far — so it’s an incredible showing for week two.
Andrew Unterberger: Definitely lower, but it makes sense. Swift was clearly pulling out all the stops for that first-week number to be as high as it could possibly be — and she certainly got one higher than I believed was possible. Meanwhile, she knows week-two numbers aren’t nearly as much of a topic of conversation, and (correctly) figured that the streaming numbers would be massive enough to keep her instilled atop the Billboard 200 for some time to come regardless.
2. In addition to still rating atop the Billboard 200, Swift also reigns for a second week on the Hot 100 with “The Fate of Ophelia,” while still commanding 12 of the top 14 spots on the chart. On a scale from 1-10, how impressive do you consider that second-week chart dominance?
Katie Atkinson: 10. Commanding eight of the top 10 in the second week of an album is certainly unprecedented. The most interesting part about this week two lineup is seeing how the songs shuffled around a bit. We still have the same four highest tracks (“Ophelia,” “Opalite,” “Elizabeth Taylor” and “Father Figure”), but then “Wi$h Li$t” slots in front of “Wood,” the title track leapfrogs “Actually Romantic,” and “Eldest Daughter” swaps with “Cancelled!” Since it’s not a “listening to the track list in order” situation, we can get a better idea of what songs are settling in as repeat Swiftie favorites.
Stephen Daw: 9.5. This, to me, is the vastly more impressive feat that Showgirl has accomplished this week. Tortured Poets managed to hold onto the No. 1 spot and the lowest-ranking slots on the Hot 100 in its second week, even with massive sales numbers. While the songs off Showgirl might not have too much competition for the top 10 the way Poets did — it was up against newer, year-defining hits like “A Bar Song” and “Espresso” — the fact that Taylor has managed to keep a grip on eight of the top 10 spots is a massive deal, and one that no other artist today could accomplish.
Kyle Denis: 8. The first time Taylor clogged the Hot 100’s top 10 (Midnights), she only claimed four of those spots by the second week. When she did it again with Tortured Poets, she held onto just three of those spots the following week. Maintaining nearly the entire top 10 — barring the summer-dominating hits “Golden” and “Ordinary” — with an album that was arguably received even worse than her last two is definitely impressive.
Joe Lynch: 10. Keeping this much of the Hot 100’s top slots on lock for the second week is unheard of, literally—this is the first time an artist occupied 12 of the Hot 100’s top 14 spots in the second week of their album’s release. Prior to Showgirl’s drop day, I listened to many people ask incredulously, “How much bigger can she actually get?” We might not have the final answer to that question for a while, but for now, it’s clear Swift is still rising.
Andrew Unterberger: 9. It shows that not only did she claim all 12 of the top 12 spots last week, she grabbed them by the throat — by enough of a margin that her numbers could fall dramatically (as they inevitably did in the set’s second week) and still maintain a chokehold on the chart’s top tier. Staggering stuff.
3. Beyond “Ophelia,” does there seem like an obvious second hit off the album to you? Or does the way the album was released discourage any additional hits from breaking out from the larger album?
Katie Atkinson: This one has to go to “Opalite.” Once again using my kids as my own in-house focus group, my third-grader says this is the one his teacher is playing in class when they get to listen to songs on Fun Friday and that all the girls in his class have created a dance to it. I don’t think we need further proof that this is next in line for the radio/TikTok push.
Stephen Daw: While I would normally say that the rollout strategy means more hits are unlikely from this album, I can’t help but look at past Taylor songs like “Cruel Summer” — or even Billie Eilish’s “Birds of a Feather” from last year — and think that another massive hit is certainly possible. Just by the numbers on both streaming services and the charts, it seems like fans are signaling their interest in “Opalite” as the follow-up single, which makes sense to me — it’s bubbly, light and fits within the broader landscape of the pop space right now.
Kyle Denis: Right now, I’m leaning towards “Opalite” and “Wood” being Showgirl’s follow-up hits. Regardless, any post-“Ophelia” hit will probably need an attention-grabbing remix and music video to truly get off the ground.
Joe Lynch: “Opalite”! Perfect pop song, begging to be released as a single (and I’m sure it will be). The Sabrina Carpenter-featuring title track certainly seems primed for the single treatment — particularly with a clever, Easter egg-stuffed music video — but my money is on “Opalite,” a sturdy song constructed for repeat listens and the radio, as the next single.
Andrew Unterberger: It’s “Opalite.” If you came to Showgirl for pop bangers — as millions and millions undoubtedly did — this is the breezy brain-sticker for you, for sure. Even with the title.
4. If you were on Taylor Swift’s team, what would you recommend she do in the next couple months to extend the lifespan of Showgirl? Or do you think she’d be better off retreating back to the shadows a little and not continuing to push it with the album?
Katie Atkinson: Retreating to the shadows? No thank you! Taylor doesn’t need to continue her media tour or anything, but I’m looking forward to seeing some of the visuals from The Release Party of a Showgirl theatrical release online or in some other venue and I’m very much hoping we get a strong second single (if not two), à la “Karma” from Midnights or “I Can Do It With a Broken Heart” from Tortured Poets. I’m definitely not done with this album cycle, and I’m guessing I’m not alone.
Stephen Daw: Neither Taylor nor her team need my advice. They very clearly understand that the greatest asset Taylor has working for her is the simple fact that she is the most famous person on the planet. Sure, I’ve seen plenty of Taylor-related fatigue creeping its way into the internet discourse around this project, and lots of people (including me) would prefer that Taylor take a beat before rolling out more new content, especially around this album. But the simple fact is that as long as Taylor is able and willing to keep promoting this project, her fans are clearly in the market to keep buying what she is selling. From a purely financial point of view, there is no incentive whatsoever for her to take her foot off the gas.
Kyle Denis: I don’t think she needs to do too much. Showgirl is pretty much guaranteed to stick around the top of the charts through the holiday season. I would spend the next few weeks letting “Ophelia” (and “Opalite,” to a lesser extent) do its thing on radio, enjoy the holidays with my fiancé, and enjoy 2025-26 awards season and the Super Bowl before launching a new single (preferably with a buzzy remix/video, maybe “Actually Romantic?”) around March.
Joe Lynch: I think it’s probably smart to pull back a bit while still making headlines every fortnight or so via a major podcast or TV appearance or music video. She put the pedal to the metal to get to 4.002 million: you don’t want to go from 100mph to slamming on the brakes, but you’re wise to ease up on the gas pedal after demolishing the finish line.
Andrew Unterberger: I think it’d be a good call for Taylor to do a couple lower-stakes performances showcasing some of the album’s less-buzzy tracks. Maybe an SNL appearance doing acoustic versions of “Ruin the Friendship” and the Showgirl title track (with recent double-duty-puller Sabrina Carpenter in tow, natch)? She’s talked about the songs plenty at this point, it’d be nice to give those songs a spotlight moment to speak for themselves a little.
5. The Tortured Poets Department reigned for 17 total weeks — do you think Life of a Showgirl’s rule will ultimately be longer or shorter than that?
Katie Atkinson: I don’t see it hitting that astronomical number – not with the holiday music season upon us. But I wouldn’t be surprised by 10ish weeks in the top spot. Anything is possible with Taylor Swift.
Stephen Daw: I think it won’t reign as long. While the album probably has most (if not all) of 2025 locked up at No. 1, part of what helped Tortured Poets achieve its massive streak was the late year release of the album’s Anthology edition in physical copies. Taylor could pull a similar stunt and release a deluxe edition of the album with new songs, but she previously said she does not intend to do that. Based on the sheer volume of variants we have already seen from this album, I tend to doubt there are even more coming.
Kyle Denis: Shorter. I think KPop Demon Hunters will give Taylor a run for her money as holiday shopping gets under way… especially post-Halloween. There are also the very real possibilities of a massive surprise album dropping out of the sky, or the Wicked: For Good soundtrack avenging its predecessor and topping the Billboard 200. And who knows? Maybe Drake really does drop Iceman this year.
Joe Lynch: Shorter. That album had so many more tracks, which fueled The Tortured Poets Department’s chart enjambment. I’m sure Showgirl will dance atop the Billboard 200 again, but it seems unlikely it will enjoy a longer life at No. 1.
Andrew Unterberger: Longer. As I said last week, I’m done betting the under with Taylor Swift.
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Janelle Monáe has been sharing her music and acting with fans for years — but it seems that the performer has been holding out on us when it comes to another unlikely talent.
While chatting with Lucy Dacus for Rolling Stone‘s “Musicians on Musicians” series, Monáe claimed to have traveled back in time (no, really). The subject first came up when the two artists where discussing their shared love of Halloween, with the Boygenius star shouting out her past Pete Davidson, Ariana Grande couple’s costume with partner/bandmate Julien Baker.
“I’ve always loved transforming,” the Knives Out: Glass Onion star offered. “I think when I saw David Bowie — I did. I traveled back into the 1970s, and I saw him do Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars. It was incredible.”
Looking bewildered, Dacus replied, “You … traveled back?”
“Yeah, I was backstage,” Monáe answered earnestly. “And I was like, ‘This is what I want to do.’ And so I jetted back to the 2000s, and I was like, ‘I can have the musical, make the music, create the lyrics and create community around transformation and being queer.’”
Feeling perplexed? You aren’t the only one. Many of the comments on the video centered around the Hidden Figures actress’ cosmic confession, with one person writing, “can’t believe i was here for janelle’s coming out as a time traveler.”
“lucy’s face as janelle’s comes out as a time traveler is priceless,” another viewer commented.
The “Musicians on Musicians” convo comes a few months after Dacus dropped her album Forever Is a Feeling, which followed the success of Boygenius’ Grammy-winning debut LP, The Record. Monáe last released a full-length in 2023 with The Age of Pleasure.
The multi-hyphenate is now working on writing a screenplay, which they also spoke about with Dacus. “The goal has always been to write, star in, do the soundtrack, produce,” Monáe said of the project. “A lot of things, I know, but I have to fully realize an idea, and I know that I will not stop until I get this. I wish I had some sort of pipe that I can push in my brain. Because the time that it takes … You have the idea, and to realize it, you gotta talk to all these people. I’m just like, ‘I see it!’”
Watch Monáe and Dacus’ full conversation above.
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Trending on Billboard
The 80th season of the NBA tips off on Tuesday, Oct. 21. After 23 years being being broadcasted on TNT, the National Basketball Association is finally heading back to NBC with a must-see season opening doubleheader between the Houston Rockets vs. the defending champs, Oklahoma City Thunder, and the Golden State Warriors vs. the Los Angeles Lakers. To learn how you can watch basketball all season long without cable, keep reading.
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When Does the 2025 NBA Season Start?
The 2025 NBA season tips off with an incredible doubleheader with the Houston Rockets vs. the Oklahoma City Thunder followed by the Golden State Warriors vs. the Los Angeles Lakers. Opening night airs on Tuesday, Oct. 21 on NBC, which can be streamed online with Peacock.
How to Watch the 2025 NBA Season Without Cable
The 2025 NBA season will air across NBC and ESPN while streaming on Peacock, DirecTV, Prime Video, Hulu + Live TV and Sling TV. Don’t have cable? Here’s everything you need to know on how to stream NBA games online for free.
DirecTV
Join DirecTV with a five-day free trial to enjoy your favorite sports and other entertainment. The streaming service’s signature packages feature more than 90 channels: ABC, TNT, ESPN, NBA TV, ESPN2, FS1, SEC, MLB Network, TLC, CBS, USA, Bravo, E!, BET, MTV and more.
A subscription to DirecTV — which comes with NBC and ESPN for NBA games — gets you access to live TV, local and cable channels, starting at $49.99 for the first month of service ($89.99 per month afterwards). The service even offers a five-day free trial to watch for free, if you sign up now.
Peacock
With the NBA on NBA, fans can now catch games streaming on Peacock. While there is no free trial for new users, the platform offers cheap plans starting at just $10.99 per month, or you can get an annual plan for $109.99 per year (which gets you 12 months of streaming for the price of 10). Sign up below.
Sling TV
Sling TV offers the Blue package, which comes with NBC. Blue is one of the most affordable options and comes with more than 40 channels and can be streamed on up to three device at a time. Please note: Pricing and channel availability varies from market-to-market.
Sling TV is another streaming option for sports fans on a budget. With Sling Orange + Blue package, you can stream ESPN, ESPN2, ABC, TNT and other channels for starting at $33 for the first month ($65.99 per month afterwards).
You’ll also get more than 45 other networks, including Disney Channel, ESPN2, NBC, Fox, TBS, Bravo, Discovery Channel, Fox News, MSNBC, National Geographic, USA Network, Fox Sports and more. Please note that channel availability and price depends on your local TV market. Learn more about Sling TV here.
Hulu + Live TV
For the most content offerings, you can sign up for Hulu + Live TV and get access to the Hulu library in addition to more then 95 live TV channels (including NBC). The streaming platform starts at $64.99 per month for the first three months of service ($82.99 per month afterwards).
And, for even more programming, Hulu + Live TV now comes bundled with Disney+ and ESPN Unlimited, which gives you everything within the Hulu library, in addition to exclusive content on ESPN for even more sports coverage.
Prime Video
Amazon Prime Video is the exclusive home for the NBA’s Friday night doubleheaders — and it’ll be the exclusive streaming home for Thursday night NBA games starting in 2026.
To watch Friday Night NBA games, you’ll need a Prime Membership. Signing up will grant you access to Prime Video to watch the basketball games as well as a whole suite of benefits, including fast same-, next-, or two-day free shipping; discounts at Whole Foods Market, access to exclusive shopping events — like Prime Day and Black Friday — and more.
Amazon is offering a 30-day free trial for new users who want to test out the service. When the trial is up, you can either cancel the streaming service altogether, or you can keep watching for $8.99/month for the base Prime Video plan. But, if you want all the perks that come with Amazon Prime, it goes for $14.99/month (or $139/year) — a nearly 25% savings.
What’s the 2025 NBA Season Opening Week Schedule?
Don’t miss any of the on court action this week with must-see matchups including Golden State vs. Los Angeles Lakers (Oct. 21), Boston Celtics vs. New York Knicks (Oct. 24) and Oklahoma City vs. Dallas Mavericks (Oct. 27). See full schedule as well as where to watch each game below.
Tuesday, Oct. 21
Houston vs. Oklahoma City — 7:30 p.m. (NBC/Peacock)
Golden State vs. Los Angeles Lakers — 10:00 p.m. (NBC/Peacock)
Wednesday, Oct. 22
Cleveland vs. New York Knicks — 7:00 p.m. (ESPN)
Brooklyn vs. Charlotte — 7:00 p.m. (NBA League Pass)
Miami vs. Orlando — 7:00 p.m. (NBA League Pass)
Toronto vs. Atlanta — 7:30 p.m. (NBA League Pass)
Philadelphia vs. Boston — 7:30 p.m. (NBA League Pass)
Detroit vs. Chicago — 8:00 p.m. (NBA League Pass)
New Orleans vs. Memphis — 8:00 p.m. (NBA League Pass)
Washington vs. Milwaukee — 8:00 p.m. (NBA League Pass)
LA Clippers vs. Utah — 9:00 p.m. (NBA League Pass)
San Antonio vs. Dallas — 9:30 p.m. (ESPN)
Sacramento vs. Phoenix — 10:00 p.m. (NBA League Pass)
Minnesota vs. Portland — 10:00 p.m. (NBA League Pass)
Thursday, Oct. 23
Oklahoma City vs. Indiana — 7:30 p.m. (ESPN)
Denver vs. Golden State — 10:00 p.m. (ESPN)
Friday, Oct. 24
Atlanta vs. Orlando — 7:00 p.m. (NBA League Pass)
Cleveland vs. Brooklyn — 7:30 p.m. (NBA League Pass)
Boston vs. New York Knicks — 7:30 p.m. (Prime Video)
Milwaukee vs. Toronto — 7:30 p.m. (NBA League Pass)
Detroit vs. Houston — 8:00 p.m. (NBA League Pass)
Miami vs. Memphis — 8:00 p.m. (NBA League Pass)
San Antonio vs. New Orleans — 8:00 p.m. (NBA League Pass)
Washington vs. Dallas — 8:30 p.m. (NBA League Pass)
Minnesota vs. Los Angeles Lakers — 10:00 p.m. (Prime Video)
Golden State vs. Portland — 10:00 p.m. (NBA League Pass)
Utah vs. Sacramento — 10:00 p.m. (NBA League Pass)
Phoenix vs. Los Angeles Clippers — 10:30 p.m. (NBA League Pass)
Saturday, Oct. 25
Chicago vs. Orlando — 7:00 p.m. (NBA League Pass)
Oklahoma City vs. Atlanta — 7:30 p.m. (NBA TV)
Charlotte vs. Philadelphia — 7:30 p.m. (NBA League Pass)
Indiana vs. Memphis — 8:00 p.m. (NBA League Pass)
Phoenix vs. Denver — 9:00 p.m. (NBA League Pass)
Sunday, Oct. 26
Brooklyn vs. San Antonio — 2:00 p.m. (NBA League Pass)
Boston vs. Detroit — 3:30 p.m. (NBA League Pass)
Milwaukee vs. Cleveland — 6:00 p.m. (NBA League Pass)
New York Knicks vs. Miami — 6:00 p.m. (NBA League Pass)
Charlotte vs. Washington — 6:00 p.m. (NBA League Pass)
Indiana vs. Minnesota — 7:00 p.m. (NBA League Pass)
Toronto vs. Dallas — 7:30 p.m. (NBA League Pass)
Portland vs. Los Angeles Clippers — 9:00 p.m. (NBA League Pass)
Los Angeles Lakers vs. Sacramento — 9:00 p.m. (NBA League Pass)
Monday, Oct. 27
Cleveland vs. Detroit — 7:00 p.m. (Peacock)
Orlando vs. Philadelphia — 7:00 p.m. (NBA League Pass)
Atlanta vs. Chicago — 8:00 p.m. (NBA League Pass)
Brooklyn vs. Houston — 8:00 p.m. (NBA League Pass)
Boston vs. New Orleans — 8:00 p.m. (NBA League Pass)
Toronto vs. San Antonio — 8:00 p.m. (NBA League Pass)
Oklahoma City vs. Dallas — 8:30 p.m. (NBA League Pass)
Phoenix vs. Utah — 9:00 p.m. (NBA League Pass)
Denver vs. Minnesota — 9:30 p.m. (Peacock)
Memphis vs. Golden State — 10:00 p.m. (NBA League Pass)
Portland vs. Los Angeles Lakers — 10:30 p.m. (NBA League Pass)
Tuesday, Oct. 28
Philadelphia vs. Washington — 7:00 p.m. (NBA League Pass)
Charlotte vs. Miami — 7:30 p.m. (NBA League Pass)
New York Knicks vs. Milwaukee — 8:00 p.m. (NBC/Peacock)
Sacramento vs. Oklahoma City — 8:00 p.m. (NBA League Pass)
Los Angeles Clippers vs. Golden State — 11:00 p.m. (NBC/Peacock)
