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07 Aug 2023

Rosé Celebrates 7 Years of BLACKPINK: ‘My Heart Is So Full’

BLACKPINK is celebrating seven years as a group, and Rosé took to Instagram on Monday (Aug. 7) to honor the exciting anniversary.

“Thank you, Blackpink for being such a blessing in my life. I have really been able to experience everything and more than what I have ever dreamed of growing up as an aspiring artist,” the 26-year-old superstar wrote alongside photos of herself with her bandmates Jisoo, Lisa and Jennie — as well as adorable throwback pictures from her childhood. “Thank you, thank you and thank you a thousand times. Blackpink, Blinks, Teddy, YG entertainment and everyone else who believed in @blackpinkofficial for the past seven years. My heart is so full. I cannot express my gratitude for every singe person who has been a part of this seven year journey with us four. 7…..!!!”

She continued, “@blackpinkofficial is officially seven years old today.! And I am immensely proud of every single one of us. For making history. For always having so much fun and pride with what we do. Thank you to our blinks for trusting each and every one of us, all along.”

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See her post here.

Over the past seven years, BLACKPINK has made history. Not only are they the first K-pop girl group to perform at Coachella, but they are also the first Asian act to headline the festival. They’ve also broken several Guinness World Records and Billboard charts records. Most recently, BLACKPINK debuted atop the Billboard 200 dated Oct. 1, 2022, with their sophomore album Born Pink. The eight-song set is the first by an all-female group to top the all-genre chart since Danity Kane’s Welcome to the Dollhouse launched at No. 1 on the April 5, 2008, tally.

See our full list of the group’s history-making accomplishments here.

07 Aug 2023

Harry Styles’ Love On Tour Ends As the Fourth $600 Million Trek Ever

Harry Styles kicked off Love On Tour in September 2021, emerging as one of the first arena headliners of the immediate post-pandemic era. Two years and five continents later, the trek played the last of its 169 shows on July 22 in Reggio Emilia, Italy, closing as one of the highest grossing and best-selling tours of all time.

According to figures reported to Billboard Boxscore, Love On Tour grossed $617.3 million and sold more than 5 million tickets. Among all tours in Boxscore’s 30-plus-year history, the world tour is the fourth-highest grossing and eighth-most attended trek ever. Only Elton John’s Farewell Yellow Brick Road Tour ($939.1 million), Ed Sheeran’s The Divide Tour ($776.4 million) and U2’s 360 Tour ($736.4 million) have earned more.

The tour began on Sept. 4, 2021, with 42 shows in the U.S. Those dates had already been postponed twice due to COVID-19, supporting Styles’ second solo studio set Fine Line, already two years old by opening night. It was one of the biggest tours of the season, at No. 3 on the abridged 2021 year-end Top Tours ranking, with repeat appearances at No. 2 on the monthly chart.

Still, by the time Styles returned in support of 2022’s Harry’s House, the chart-topping album and its enduring lead single “As It Was” helped him further ascend into a new domain of superstardom. Styles held steady in North American arenas, but went from one or two shows per market to extended mini residencies in five cities. Venue capacity and attendance were essentially unchanged, but the destination-event factor made demand soar.

Average ticket prices leapt from $131.69 in 2021 to $204.78 in 2022, culminating in a $157.3 million gross over 44 shows. The 15-date run at New York’s Madison Square Garden grossed $63.1 million alone, making it the highest grossing report ever. The 15 dates at the Kia Forum in Inglewood, Calif., earned $47.8 million, coming in fifth place on the all-time leaderboard.

Harry’s House caused a similar bump in Europe, leveling from arenas in 2022 to stadiums in 2023. The first European leg earned $56 million and sold 639,000 tickets. Already among the top-earning acts in Europe over that summer, Styles’ grosses tripled just a year later, with $199.3 million over 31 shows from May 13-July 22.

Love On Tour also included 14 shows in Latin America, seven in Oceania and six in Asia. Styles had last hit these international markets in 2018 as part of Harry Styles: Live in Concert, essentially skipping the Fine Line portion of the tour due to delayed openings after the pandemic. The difference was most dramatic in Australia, where his per-show attendance quintupled from 10,407 to 53,295 and his average gross multiplied by seven, from $971,000 to $6.8 million.

Over the five years that separated Styles’ two solo outings, he amassed a trio of No. 1s on the Billboard Hot 100 songs chart, won multiple Grammy Awards (including album of the year for Harry’s House), and graduated from a reliable arena headliner to an artist who sells out blockbuster stadium shows. His first tour earned $63.7 million, almost one tenth of Love On Tour’s final figures. Not only is Love On Tour easily Styles’ highest grossing solo tour yet, it eclipses the entire career gross One Direction, the pop group in which he shot to stardom, which earned $583.4 million over four tours from 2012 to 2015.

Altogether, Styles has grossed $681 million and sold 5.8 million tickets.

07 Aug 2023

NFL Preseason: How to Watch the Games Online Without Cable

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.

It’s almost time for the NFL kickoff, but until then, there are some preseason NFL games to hold fans over. We’re already in the second week of NFL preseason, and there are a string of games lined up for the next three weeks that’ll have your rooting for your favorite team while drumming up excitement for the 2023-2024 NFL regular season.

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This year, preseason will take place from Aug. 3 until Aug. 27, then there will be a short break until the regular 2023 NFL season starts on Sept. 7. The first preseason game was on Thursday (Aug. 3), and featured the Jets vs. the Browns in a game that ended in 16-21. Next up on the schedule is the Texans vs. the Patriots, which will take place on Thursday (Aug. 10) at 10 p.m. ET.

Other games occurring this week include the Vikings vs. the Seahawks, Steelers vs. the Buccaneers, Falcons vs. Dolphins, Packers vs. Bengals, Giants vs. Lions, Commanders vs. Browns, Broncos vs. Cardinals, Titans vs. Bears, Colts vs. Bills, Jets vs. Panthers, Jaguars vs. Panthers, Eagles vs. Ravens, Chargers vs. Rams, Chiefs vs. Saints and 49ers vs. Raiders.

You can check out the full NFL preseason schedule and scores here.

Unlike the normal season, preseason NFL games feature different streaming options to livestream the games online without cable.

Keep reading to learn how to watch NFL preseason online.

How to Watch NFL Preseason Live Without Cable

Most of the preseason NFL games are being aired on live network channels such as ABC, NBC and Fox, which means cable viewers can watch the games for free through their cable provider. If you don’t want to spend hundreds of dollars on cable, you may be able to stream the games through and HD antenna. Or, you can check out a few affordable streaming options we found below.

One of our favorite live TV streamers is DirecTV Stream, which provides a five-day free trial and a range of packages that start at $74.99/month once the trial ends. With it, you’ll have access to hundreds of local channels such as ESPN and the NFL Network that’ll air almost every NFL preseason game (except for one game that’s being streamed exclusively through Prime Video).

DirecTV Stream

$From $74.99/month after 5 days free

You’ll also be able to DVR games and other programs to watch back later, and have the ability to stream on an unlimited amount of devices.

Sling TV is offering a promo where you can get half off your first month (regularly $40) and enjoy everything from live sports coverage including NFL preseason, over 30 channels to browse and watch the news, entertainment and more. Plus, you can combine the Blue and Orange plans to expand your channel offerings to over 40 options for just $27.50 for the first month (regularly $55).

Sling TV

$20 $40 50% off% OFF

Other promos the streamer has currently include one month of premium channels such as Starz, Showtime, AMC+ and MGM for free and a month of News Extra for free.

Peacock will also give you access to live sports through its Plus plan, which is just $11.99/month or save 17% through an annual plan for $119.99/year. Through it, you’ll not only get access to over 80,000 hours of live TV and Peacock Originals, but Premier League, WWE, Sunday Night Footbal, and MLB Sunday Leadoff.

Peacock Plus

$11.99/month

If you’re a student, you can take take advantage of its student discount promo, which provides the streaming service for only $1.99/month.

To maximize the amount of content you get without dropping hundreds of dollars, Hulu + Live TV provides you with the entire Hulu library and hundreds of cable channels including NFL Network and ESPN. Plans start at $69.99/month.

Hulu + Live TV

$From $69.99/month

If you’re a fan of bundling, you can add on Disney+ and ESPN+, which will provide you with live game analysis as well as game highlights and more.

07 Aug 2023

Peacock Student Discount: How to Join for $1.99 a Month

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.

Class is back in session! For students who want to learn how to find the best streaming deals, here’s how you can land a Peacock subscription for less than $2 a month.

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Verified students can currently subscribe to Peacock’s ad-supported tier for $1.99/month for 12 months. To start, click the red buy button below or visit peacocktv.com/student and begin the verification process.

Once your student status is verified, create a Peacock account to redeem the discount code and begin streaming.

Peacock Student Discount

$1.99/month for 12 months $5.99/month 67% off% OFF

If you’re already subscribed to Peacock, follow the verification steps above and visit the “plans & payments” page to redeem your promo.

How much does Peacock normally cost? It’s $5.99/month to stream with commercials and $11.99/month for ad-free streaming. The platform raised its prices earlier this month, but non-student subscribers can still save up to 17% with an annual plan, which is also a way of locking in your rate for at least a year — in case Peacock raises its prices again.

Peacock has previously offered great streaming deals like its $19.99 annual plan, a $2.99/monthly deal with DirectTV and free subscriptions through Xfinity (no longer available) and Spectrum. The annual plan promo ended earlier this year, but it might return for Black Friday, if not sooner.

What can you watch on Peacock? TV shows, movies and more including Peacock exclusives such as Killing It, Twisted Metal, Bel-Air, Mrs. Davis, Poker Face, Bupkis, The Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip, The Best Man: The Final Chapters, Love Island USA and Days of Our Lives.

Network shows such as Yellowstone, Chucky, Suits, Vanderpump Rules, Below Deck, The Real Housewives franchise, The Office, That ‘70s Show, Modern Family and Parks & Recreation are also available on Peacock.

Subscribers can stream The Super Mario Bros. Movie, Praise This, M3gan, the Harry Potter film franchise and other movies on Peacock at no additional charge. Peacock offers sports as well, including WWE, Premier League, Big 10 College Sports, Sunday Night Football, MLB Sunday Night Leadoff, golf, IndyCar and soccer.

Being on a budget doesn’t always mean cutting things out — it’s also about finding ways to save on the things you enjoy. For more deals, read our list of the best streaming discounts for students.

07 Aug 2023

Adidas CEO Says They’ll Never Produce Or Sell Another Yeezy Product Again After Remaining Inventory

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Björn Gulden...

Source: picture alliance / Getty

Now that adidas is finally unloading the remaining half-a-billion worth of Yeezy merchandise and recouping the money they thought they never would, the three-striped brand is officially done selling anything associated with Kanye “Alt-Right” West.

Days after adidas held their second “Yeezy Day” on their Confirmed app and participating retailers, Retail Dive is reporting that adidas is officially done churning out Yeezy products. On Thursday (Aug. 3), Their CEO, Bjørn Gulden, said that the company is looking to move on from its relationship with the MAGA-supporting rapper.

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Rumors were swirling that adidas was going to continue to drop new Yeezy Boosts and Slide colorways without the rapper’s stamp of approval. Now, it seems like adidas thought better of it and is retiring the various Yeezy silhouettes altogether.

Retail Dive reports:

“The Yeezy product is something that he created, he’s the inventor of it and we have been his partner. To take his designs and sell them off later, which we technically legally could do, is not part of our strategy,” Gulden said. “Our task now is to limit the damage, get rid of the inventory, use the proceeds to good … and build a business later without Yeezy.”

Executives said the company made about 400 million euros (about $441 million at the time of publish) worth of sales thanks to the first sale of Yeezy products, which accounted for 20% of its total Yeezy inventory, and got rid of about 100 million euros worth of costs associated with writing the inventory off. Gulden added that the company will continue to gradually sell off its current inventory, but is not making any assumptions about how well it will sell.

“The uncertainty on each of these drops is so big and we don’t want to have people believing that we have sales and profits in the pocket,” Gulden said.

Well, there goes adidas’ popularity out in these Hip-Hop streets. Sure, they can sign all the celebrities and athletes they want. But at the end of the day, it was the Yeezy line that helped propel the brand into a stratosphere they hadn’t seen since Run DMC had everyone rocking shell toes.

As for what Kanye will do now that he’s basically the most toxic celebrity in the game thanks to his antisemitic rants is anyone’s guess. There were rumors that he’d release his own clothing and sneaker line on his own dime, but only time will tell if that actually pans out.

What do y’all think of adidas retiring all things Yeezy? Let us know in the comments section below.

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Photo: Getty

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07 Aug 2023

Brooklyn Teen Charged In O’Shae Sibley’s Death

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O'Shae Sibley

Source: Facebook / facebook

A Brooklyn teen has been arrested and charged as an adult in the murder of dancer O’Shae Sibley, and it has been deemed a hate crime.

On Saturday (Aug. 5), it was announced at a press conference held by the New York Police Department that they had detained the individual suspected in the fatal stabbing of O’Shae Sibley. NYPD Assistant Chief Joseph Kenny said that the suspect, who is 17, is being charged as an adult with second-degree murder and criminal possession of a weapon. 

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Kenny said that the suspect lives and goes to high school in Brooklyn and explained the reasoning behind the charges. Surveillance footage at the Coney Island Avenue gas station on July 29 showed Sibley dancing and vogueing as his friends were refueling their car before being confronted by another group of men in the parking lot. “They began to use derogatory names and homophobic slurs against them,” he said of the events leading up to the altercation. One person approached Sibley, stabbing him in his rib cage before fleeing in an SUV. “They also made anti-Black statements,” Kenny said. 

“Parents lost a child, a child to something clearly that was a hate crime,” said Mayor Eric Adams at a press conference, which was held outside of the gas station in the Midwood neighborhood of Brooklyn. “It wasn’t as though someone turned themselves in out of the goodness of their heart,” he continued, crediting law enforcement and community involvement for the arrest. “It was out of the proper investigation and coordination that led to no other thing to do but to turn themselves in.”

The death of Sibley comes as attacks against those from the LGBTQ+ community have increased rapidly, sparking outrage from that community as well as protests and rallies. “He was doing nothing more than voguing and dancing,” said NYC Center for Black Pride chief Lee Soulja Simmons on Saturday. “He did not deserve to die in that way.” Simmons also said that Black queer people were emotionally struggling with Sibley’s killing. Representatives from Muslim community organizations were also present at the press conference to lend their support, as the suspect reportedly said at the outset of the incident: “I’m Muslim. I don’t want this here.”

Under the law in New York State, the suspect faces a mandatory sentence of 20 years to life if he’s to be tried as an adult. The Brooklyn District Attorney could change the charges once they take over.

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07 Aug 2023

X Salutes Black Folks Who Dished Out Pro Wrestling Fades At Montgomery Riverfront

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Riverfront

Montgomery, the state capital of Alabama, is known for its place in the fight for civil rights along with a number of notable establishments treasured by the culture. Now, “The Gump” is also known as the site of a brawl that had Black folks forming like Voltron to protect a security guard against a crowd of angry white boaters.

By now, much of the details of the Montgomery Riverfront brawl are out there but we’ll share a brief recap as seen in NPR and across social media.

This past Saturday (August 5), a scene unfolded on the Riverfront during the afternoon after a pontoon boat full of revelers decided to ignore the orders of a Black dock worker and angrily beat the man. However, the fight turned fair rather quickly as others rushed to aid the dock worker with very explosive results that we’ll share below.

Josh Moon, who works for the Alabama Political Reporter, posted a video of the brawl on X (formerly known as Twitter). From what details we have available, the pontoon boat tried to dock in the space of the Harriott II double-decker riverboat. The Black dock worker, doing his job, undocked the pontoon boat, sparking some of the guests to approach him. The mob of angry boaters began beating the man but one young man stood out above all.

Dubbed “AquaMane, ‘Ja’Michael Phelps,” and other choice nicknames, the teen crew worker only known by his first name, Aaren, swam from another boat to aid the dock worker and despite having swam a great length, still had time to dole out body slams and fades in defense of the worker.

Reports say that Montgomery police had arrest warrants out for some of the boaters who started the brawl. We’ll add details as they came on on that front.

In the spirit of old Black Twitter, X has done an excellent job of recapping, sharing jokes, memes, and everything else you can imagine regarding the Montgomery Riverfront showdown.

Without wasting any more time, check out our favorite reactions and videos below.

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Photo: Ray Tan / Getty

07 Aug 2023

Police Think Dead Man Found In A Barrel May Be Related To Pop Smoke’s Murder

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US-CRIME-MALIBU

Source: ROBYN BECK / Getty

Just when it seemed like Pop Smoke’s murder was an open and shut case, police are now investigating whether a dead body found in a barrel is connected to the killing of the Brooklyn rapper.

TMZ is reporting the body of Javonnta Murphy had washed ashore on a Malibu beach July 31 and being that he was the brother of Jaquan Murphy, one of the five men arrested for the murder of Pop Smoke, police are looking into the possibility that this could be related to that particular crime.

TMZ reports:

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Jaquan was first charged with attempted murder for Pop Smoke’s death, but later cleared. He is, however, currently awaiting trial for an unrelated murder in L.A. County.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ … L.A. County Sheriff’s Department’s investigators are currently looking into the possibility Javonnta’s murder was a retaliation killing for Pop’s murder. Of course, it’s not their only theory, but definitely one they’re digging into.
TMZ broke the story … Pop was shot and killed in February 2020 during a robbery in the Hollywood Hills. Pop was not alone in the home, but he was the only one who was shot.
Following Pop Smoke’s death, his posthumous album, Shoot For The Stars, Aim For The Moon, went on to be the biggest rap album of 2020 going on to earn him a double-platinum plaque. Unfortunately, we’ll never know how big the rapper could’ve been as he was taken from us way too soon. Rest In Power, King.What do y’all think? Could the death of Javonnta Murphy be related to the murder of Pop Smoke? Let us know in the comments section below.

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07 Aug 2023

Ed Sheeran Is Not a Fan of AI: ‘Have You Not Seen the Movies Where They Kill Us All?’

Ed Sheeran is hoping we heed Hollywood’s warnings against artificial intelligence as it becomes more prominent in mainstream media, music and everyday life.

The “Shape of You” singer shared his thoughts on the technology while chatting with Audacy Live before his private show at the Hard Rock Hotel in New York recently. “What I don’t understand about AI is, for the last 60 years, Hollywood movies have been telling you, ‘Don’t do it.’ And now everyone’s doing it,” Sheeran said. “Have you not seen the movies where they kill us all?”

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He continued, “I just don’t know why you need it – if you’re taking a job away from a human being, I think that’s probably a bad thing. The whole point of society is we all do jobs. If everything is done by robots, everybody’s gonna be out of work. I just find AI a bit weird.”

In music, AI has been taking over social media with soundalike tracks like “Fake Drake,” and companies are actively trying to figure out how to best protect their artists, copyrights and revenue streams as artificial intelligence in the entertainment sphere continues to grow. Read Billboard‘s breakdown of how AI is affecting the music business here.

Watch the full interview with Sheeran below.

07 Aug 2023

adidas To Donate Over $121M From YEEZY Sales To Charity

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adidas YEEZY inventory announcement

Source: adidas / adidas

adidas is sticking to their word after parting ways with Kanye West. The brand will be donating $121 million dollars from YEEZY sales to charity.

As spotted on Hype Beast the Herzogenaurach, Germany based brand is making the best out of a bad situation. Back in late 2022 Kanye West infamously went on several tirades that targeted the Jewish community. Naturally his hate speech was met with uproar causing several of his corporate partners to drop him. adidas followed suit and severed ties with the “All Of The Lights” rapper on October 25. “After a thorough review, the company has taken the decision to terminate the partnership with Ye immediately, end production of Yeezy branded products and stop all payments to Ye and his companies. adidas will stop the adidas Yeezy business with immediate effect” a press release read.

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Since the announcement adidas has put the YEEZY products on pause. According to The Financial Times the apparel company will be donating close to $121 million dollars from YEEZY sales to charities that battle anti-Semitism. “We have inherited a situation that was very unfortunate,” CEO Bjørn Gulden said in a statement. “I think the YEEZY business and the [Nike] Jordan business were the only two collabs in the world that were creating these kind of premiums over a longer period. Our task now is to limit the damage, get rid of the inventory, use the proceeds for good and lead the business without YEEZY.”

On July 28 adidas announced they would be selling the existing YEEZY inventory in August. The products will be available through adidas digital platforms including the CONFIRMED app, adidas app and adidas.com.

Photo: Yeezy

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