Billboard Family
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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. Tricks and treats! Just before Halloween, Netflix and Disney+ are bringing spooky specials to families and highly-anticipated new releases from two […]
Girl power has arrived: Kids’ audio player Yoto has added Spice Girls music to its library, in partnership with Universal Music Group.
Spice Girls: Greatest Hits, a collection of 14 songs, is now available for the Yoto Player and Yoto Mini via a music card priced at $12.99. Yoto made the announcement on Tuesday (Oct. 22).
Featured tracks include the Spice Girls’ biggest pop hits, which parents who grew up in the ’90s are sure to remember: “Wannabe,” which held the No. 1 spot on the Billboard Hot 100 for a total of four weeks in 1997, and “Say You’ll Be There,” which peaked at No. 3 on the chart the same year.
‘Spice Girls: Greatest Hits’ for Yoto
Yoto offers ad-free music, stories and educational activities for children on screen-free audio players. They’re used by inserting a card, like the new Spice Girls: Greatest Hits one, into a slot that’s at the top of the player.
“Adding the greatest hits from the Spice Girls to our music collection is an exciting milestone for Yoto,” says Dom Hodge, Yoto’s head of music and sound, in a statement about the new release. “We’re thrilled to make iconic ’90s hits from one of the most influential music groups of all time accessible to budding music lovers globally. We can’t wait for young listeners to discover the joy and vibrancy that shines through the Spice Girls discography.”
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Sarah Boornman, Universal Music UK’s general manager youth strategies, says, “For so many parents, children themselves in the ’90s, the Spice Girls WERE pop music! We can already feel the anticipation and excitement, as these now adult fans get ready to pass on unmistakable, iconic anthems such as ‘Wannabe’ and ‘Spice Up Your Life’ to the next generation.”
Disney music favorites like original songs from Encanto and Frozen, plus classic song collections from The Beatles and Queen, are among the other featured music cards on Yoto’s website. Some other fun highlights are music themed for upcoming holidays like Halloween (Halloween Howls and Spooky Songs) and sets featuring classic pre-school songs.
There are several card options in classic children’s fiction –picks like Frog and Toad and Winnie-the-Pooh, both great series to read with younger ones, and The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe and Matilda, often enjoyed by elementary school-aged kids — for families who’d like to use the player to listen to stories.
Universal Music Group is among a Yoto’s current list of partners that includes PRH, Macmillan, Sony, Disney, Roald Dahl Story Company, Pottermore, HarperCollins, Hachette, Viacom, Bonnier and Scholastic.
The Yoto Player is priced at $99.99, and the 2024 edition of the Yoto Mini is $69.99.
Here’s the track list for Yoto’s Spice Girls: Greatest Hits card:1. “Wannabe”2. “Say You’ll Be There”3. “2 Become 1”4. “Mama”5. “Who Do You Think You Are”6. “Move Over”7. “Spice Up Your Life”8. “Too Much”9. “Stop”10. “Viva Forever”11. “Let Love Lead the Way”12. “Holler”13. “Headlines”14. “Goodbye”
The Rockabye Baby! collection Lullaby Renditions of Taylor Swift Volume 2, which was released digitally last month, is now available on vinyl to lull little Swifties to sleep.
Lullaby Renditions of Taylor Swift Volume 2 was released on Friday (Oct. 18), giving record player lovers an excuse to buy one for the nursery.
Sweet, instrumental reimaginings of “Fortnight,” “Wildest Dreams,” “August,” “Cardigan” and “Lover” are included on the release, as well as gentle lullaby versions of dynamic pop hits like “Cruel Summer” and “I Can Do It With a Broken Heart.”
The new release, found on Rockabye Baby!’s website for $30, features clear and purple color-in-color vinyl, a full-color sleeve, a fold-out, poster-sized coloring page and a digital download card. The sleeve design is a play on Swift’s tour poster, swapping teddy bears in for the many eras of Swift.
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It follows 2015’s Lullaby Renditions of Taylor Swift, Rockabye Baby!’s first set of Swift-themed lullabies.
Swift, who will officially release her The Tortured Poets Department: The Anthology album on vinyl on Black Friday, resumed hers Eras Tour this weekend with three concerts in Miami following a two-month break. She’ll bring the show to New Orleans next, which will be followed by performances in Indianapolis, Toronto and Vancouver (where on Dec. 8 she’ll officially wrap the tour).
Get a preview of “Cruel Summer” as a lullaby and see the full track list below.
Lullaby Renditions of Taylor Swift Volume 2 Track List
1. “Anti-Hero”2. “You Need To Calm Down” 3. “Fortnight”4. “Look What You Made Me Do”5. “Cruel Summer”6. “Karma”7. “Don’t Blame Me”8. “Wildest Dreams”9. “I Can Do It With a Broken Heart”10. “August”11. “Willow”12. “Cardigan”13. “Lover”14. “Enchanted”
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.
If you’re a parent, or know anyone with kids, then you’re probably familiar with the magic of Ms. Rachel. The YouTube content creator, who recently joined John Legend for a kid-friendly sing-along, took to Instagram on Friday (Oct. 19) to address issues over her bestselling Ms. Rachel doll.
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The doll is No. 1 on Amazon, and so popular that fakes have been popping up online and duping shoppers. Ms. Rachel faced the drama in a video where she went over the difference between her doll and the knockoff.
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“I’m so sorry that this is happening,” she said of the fake dolls. “I want to make sure that you got a real one, so let’s go over how to tell. This is so important to me because we don’t know if the fake dolls are safe or not,” Ms. Rachel continues before explaining the features of her doll versus the fake.
Released by Spin Master, the authentic Ms. Rachel doll is an interactive, touch-activated toy that sings four songs: “Wheels on the Bus,” “Hop Little Bunny,” “I’m So Happy” and “Icky Sticky.” The doll also says more than 16 signature phrases, including “Can you say…?” and “I’m so proud of you!”
Amazon
Ms. Rachel Speak & Sing Doll, 16” Tall Interactive Toy with 4 Songs & 16+ Phrases
The Ms. Rachel Speak & Sing Doll ($29.99) is designed for ages six months to 3 years old, and aids in conversation and cognitive development. Ms. Rachel designed the doll along with child development experts. According to multiple TikTok videos, fake Ms. Rachel dolls were apparently being sold online through third parties that uploaded them to Walmart and Amazon.
Luckily, Ms. Rachel has an official Amazon store where parents can shop the her doll and other toys and books, such as her latest bestseller, Ms. Rachel and the Special Surprise.
The official Ms. Rachel doll is available at Amazon, Walmart and Target.
For more child-centered content, check out Billboard Family.
Victoria Monét is excited to publish her first-ever children’s book.
The three-time Grammy winner announced on Monday (Oct. 14) that her debut children’s picture book, Everywhere You Are, will arrive on June 25, 2025. The publication will be released in English and Spanish-language editions through Putnam Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Penguin Young Readers.
“WOW!! I’m super excited to announce my first picture book, Everywhere You Are, illustrated by Alea Marley,” Monét wrote on Instagram alongside a photo gallery that included the book’s cover. “I wrote this book in honor of hard working parents wanting to offer a consoling reminder to their children that even when a loved one isn’t right next to us, the love you have for each other still carries so much presence!”
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Everywhere You Are “is a lyrical and heartwarming picture book to comfort children experiencing separation anxiety while offering solace to hardworking parents,” according to a news releasing announcing the forthcoming book. The book, which is inspired by Monét’s experiences as a working parent, follows “a gentle moon as it comforts a young star when they part ways at dawn.”
Monét said in a statement, “This book means so much to me! I love many types of writing from poetry to music, and eventually script and it has always been a special dream of mine to write children’s books. It brings so much joy to know that families will share moments of reflection, understanding and quality time while reading this book for generations to come! I’m passionate about the subject of the book and explaining it in a way that is digestible for a child. I can’t wait to share it.”
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Everywhere You Are can be pre-ordered here.
Earlier this year, Monét won her long overdue first Grammy for the coveted best new artist trophy at the 66th annual Grammy Awards. The singer-songwriter also took home best R&B album for Jaguar II and best engineered album, non-classical. The Atlanta native boasts nine top 40 Billboard Hot 100 chart hits as a songwriter, with seven recorded by Ariana Grande, including the No. 1s “Thank U, Next” and “7 Rings” in 2018-19. Plus, her co-write “Ice Cream,” by BLACKPINK and Selena Gomez, reached No. 13 in 2020.
See Monét announcement for her first children’s book on Instagram below.
The Blippi: Join the Band Tour launched in late September and has already visited a number of cities, but still has many, many performances to come.
“We’re in and out of cities every day,” says Shaw, who explains the busy travel schedule is something they consider when casting talent for the show. “We’re looking for high energy, engaged actors and actresses who are excited about the opportunity, not only to play a great role in a great show, but also have the opportunity to travel.”
See a list of the remaining tour dates for 2024 below, and find up-to-date information about all the dates still to come in 2025 on the tour’s official website:
Friday, Oct. 18 – Meridian Centre – St. Catharines, ONSaturday, Oct. 19 – Tribute Communities Centre – Oshawa, ONSunday, Oct. 20 – Living Arts Centre – Mississauga, ONWednesday, Oct. 23 – Peterborough Memorial Centre – Peterborough, ONSaturday, Oct. 26 – Thunder Bay Community Auditorium – Thunder Bay, ONSunday, Oct. 27 – Burton Cummings Theatre for the Performing Arts – Winnipeg, MBTuesday, Oct. 29 – Western Manitoba Centennial Auditorium – Brandon, MSWednesday, Oct. 30 – Western Manitoba Centennial Auditorium – Brandon, MSFriday, Nov. 1 – Conexus Arts Centre – Regina, SKSaturday, Nov. 2 – TCU Place – Saskatoon, SKSunday, Nov. 3 – Enmax Centre – Lethbridge, ABFriday, Nov. 8 – Abbotsford Centre – Abbotsford, BCSaturday, Nov. 9 – Okanagan Events Centre – Penticton, BCSunday, Nov. 10 – Queen Elizabeth Theatre – Vancouver, BCTuesday, Nov. 12 – Jack Singer Concert Hall – Calgary, ABFriday, Nov. 15 – Northern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium – Edmonton, ABSunday, Nov. 17 – Co-op Place – Medicine Hat, ABTuesday, Nov. 19 – MetraPark Arena – Billings, MTWednesday, Nov. 20 – Bismarck Event Center – Bismarck, NDThursday, Nov. 21 – Scheels Arena – Fargo, NDFriday, Nov. 22 – Xtreme Arena – Coralville, IASaturday, Nov. 23 – Taft Theatre – Cincinnati, OHSunday, Nov. 24 – The Family Arena – St. Charles, MOFriday, Nov. 29 – The Riverside Theater – Milwaukee, WISaturday, Nov. 30 – Fisher Theatre – Detroit, MISunday, Dec. 1 – Temple Theatre – Saginaw, MITuesday, Dec. 3 – Old National Events Plaza – Evansville, INWednesday, Dec. 4 – Appalachian Wireless Arena – Pikeville, KYFriday, Dec. 6 – Old National Centre – Indianapolis, INSaturday, Dec. 7 – Mershon Auditorium – Columbus, OHSunday, Dec. 8– Louisville Palace – Louisville, KYTuesday, Dec. 10 – Walton Arts Center – Fayetteville, ARThursday, Dec. 12 – Cable Dahmer Arena – Independence, MOFriday, Dec. 13 – Hammons Hall for the Performing Arts – Springfield, MOSaturday, Dec. 14 – Texas Hall – Arlington, TXSunday, Dec. 15 – Bayou Music Center – Houston, TX
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.
The Billboard Family Hits of the Week compiles what’s new and worth your family’s time in music, movies, TV, books, games and more. Forget the mind-numbing scrolling and searching “what to watch for family movie night” … again. The best in family entertainment each week is all in one place, in this handy guide. Isn’t it satisfying to cross something off your list?
Before moving forward with recommendations of how to keep your family entertained this week, I want to acknowledge it’s been a devastating few days for the pop music community with the untimely passing of One Direction‘s Liam Payne. Having formed in 2010 and gone on hiatus by 2016, One Direction mostly pre-dates the youth of today’s main experience with pop music, but their impact on the genre holds steady. Payne’s family is heartbroken. His peers in music are grieving the loss of a dear friend. Parents reading this, especially the younger set who were coming of age at 1D’s peak, are likely feeling the heaviness. Kids on the internet might have seen the news, or they might be picking up on your sadness, and they might ask questions. I suggest reading Billboard‘s tribute to Payne and his indispensable contributions to One Direction, as well as a great summary of his highlights on the charts to queue up a playlist, whether it’s for yourself or to share with your family.
And now, a swerve into lighter and brighter news: The Eras Tour returns. Taylor Swift will be on stage (and our small screens, assuming someone live streams) Friday, Oct. 17 in Miami for the first concert of the end of Eras. The summer leg of the show got a Tortured Poets Department refresh. Will there be more surprises from the stealthy Swift before she takes her final bow of 2024?
On TV this weekend, I recommend tuning in to see Billie Eilish as SNL‘s musical guest. No word on whether the “Birds of a Feather” singer will star in any sketches on the Michael Keaton-hosted episode, but I foresee funny things if she does. Eilish previously hosted SNL in 2021, when she became the first-ever celebrity host born in the 21st century — just another mind-boggling milestone this young talent hit before the age of 21.
I’m currently streaming Prime Video’s The Pradeeps of Pittsburgh, a new half-hour family comedy series surrounding an Indian family that’s newly navigating life in America. Episode one, opening in an interrogation room with the entire Pradeep family of five, pulls you in right away. How did this family get here?
Family game collections should grow with this week’s release of Super Mario Party Jamboree from Nintendo. I think we’ll save this one for the holidays, when the kids can open it as a gift and have ample time to quarrel over which of the 110 mini-games to play first. The Mario Party series has a history of inspiring spirited competition in our home.
Here’s a rundown of our picks for the latest rendition of Billboard Family Hits of the Week:
Get Back in Eras Tour Mode
Ms. Rachel, the YouTube creator of toddler learning videos who’s welcomed 11.9 million subscribers to her channel — John Legend and Chrissy Teigen among them — has a collaboration out with Legend. The pair sing together on a super-sunny rendition of Legend’s “L-O-V-E,” a track from his album My Favorite Dream (Republic Records: Kids & […]
HARDY and his wife Caleigh Ryan are expecting their first child next year. HARDY shared a carousel of photos of the couple in a maternity photo shoot on Instagram, captioning the post: “You have been our favorite little secret to keep. Baby HARDY coming February 2025,” alongside a baby bottle emoji. The photos show Caleigh […]
Taylor Swift tickets are completely sold out at press time. If you go on Ticketmaster, you’ll see the same message for all remaining tour dates: “Sorry, tickets are not currently available online.”
It won’t be easy to come by tickets at a reasonable price, but there are a few options to explore. Here’s how I would look for tickets for Swift’s concerts in Miami, New Orleans, Indianapolis, Toronto and Vancouver.
How to find face value tickets to a “sold-out” concert on Ticketmaster:
Don’t get your hopes too high, but a small number of tickets typically do get released on Ticketmaster last minute, depending on availability. With The Eras Tour being such a hot ticket, quiet drops are often only accessible to those who have Verified Fan status for that city.
The night of Wednesday, Oct. 16, for example, Ticketmaster opened a queue to purchase tickets for the upcoming weekend’s Miami concerts with this message: “A few last-minute ticket releases have been made available to a number of fans who previously registered for and were screened by Verified Fan for this city.”
Why weren’t all tickets able to be purchased by fans at on-sale when they’re so ridiculously in demand? Often some seats are held by the venue, promoter or artist’s team for various business reasons, and if those aren’t put to use they eventually get put on sale for face value on Ticketmaster. For The Eras Tour, based on personal observation and fan reports on social media, it also seems that extra seats that weren’t originally on the floorplan sometimes get added after the crew sets up, if space allows. It’s a shot in the dark, but any unused or just-added seats will go to someone. Swift’s final Eras shows can all be found here on Ticketmaster.
If you’re still in search of tickets a day or two before the concert, you want to set yourself up for the best chance at snagging them in a very limited-release: You know that meme of the Sims mom distracted by the computer while the Sims baby is on fire? Imagine that level of laser focus on the event ticketing page, minus any real-life neglect and imminent danger: “Not now, honey, I’m refreshing Ticketmaster.” (Dark humor, folks!)
Best of luck, sincerely, to those of you trying to get your family of Swifties to a Miami, New Orleans, Indianapolis, Toronto or Vancouver concert.
A girl holds up a sign asking if anyone has a spare ticket as Taylor Swift fans arrive at Wembley Stadium ahead of her performance on Aug. 15, 2024 in London, England.
How to find resale tickets at a price you’re willing, if not thrilled, to pay:
Desperation can sink in if you really want to see Swift with your kids on The Eras Tour and have exhausted all opportunities to find direct tickets from the original point of sale. That’s where the resale market comes in: StubHub is probably the most popular place for that, but there’s also websites like SeatGeek, TickPick and Vivid Seats.
I’ve purchased tickets from StubHub and TickPick in the past and had a fine experience with both. Eras resale tickets are overpriced, most of the time obscenely so, and riddled with fees, but real. In the rare case there’s an authenticity or delivery issue with your purchase (which has never happened here, but the possibility exists), customer service policies say they’ll replace your tickets with “comparable or better tickets” (StubHub’s FanProtect Guarantee), or “equal or better quality” (TickPick’s BuyerTrust Guarantee). Check the policies on the website you’re buying from before you go through with an order to make sure you’re comfortable with all outcomes.
How to find the best seats for the best deal through the resale market:
Get familiar with how ticket resale outlets work. Unless you see the obvious Deal of the Eras Tour, don’t buy immediately. Test the website’s different options for sorting available tickets. Memorize the seating chart so you know what sections you want to zone in on. If you’re a family of more than three people, consider splitting up if that helps save a few bucks or gets everyone in better seats — with one parent sitting with one kid, and the other parent sitting with the other kid, or however it works out for the makeup of your family. Keep checking the websites you’d feel comfortable buying from for new ticket listings until the price and seats feel right for your situation.
If you’re not finding exactly what you want and willing to take a risk, you might consider heading in the direction of the venue without tickets just in case a better option pops up. Confirm with the venue if you can park there without a ticket, or park somewhere that’s on the way to the stadium and search. It takes strategic thinking and high hopes. Just remember, if you’re with your kids you’ll want to be at peace with buying from whatever’s left and still spending a good amount of money. For other artists price ranges often lower dramatically across resale platforms as start time nears on the day of the show, but not always. Do not rely on this. Be aware that this has not been the trend with Swift’s Eras Tour tickets.
As disappointing as it is to witness, I’ve spent enough time on real-time ticket-buying research to see incredible seats go unsold on these websites because the total never goes down to a price point anyone’s willing to pay.
Do not buy Eras Tour tickets here, or at least proceed with caution:
Steer clear of buying tickets via an unprotected transaction with strangers via social media. Certainly there are groups made on Facebook, X (formerly Twitter) and Reddit that are meant to feature listings from fans intending to sell tickets they can no longer use directly to other fans, like this account with more than 300,000 followers, but the possibility of being scammed is very real. The people voluntarily running these accounts are connecting Swiftie buyers with sellers and are not responsible for someone scamming you.
If you’re going to gamble anyway, be smart about it. Be aware that tickets sold on Ticketmaster have digital delivery on the Ticketmaster app this tour. A screenshot of the order confirmation is not enough proof that legit tickets will actually show up for the concert — a screenshot can be faked. Use PayPal’s Goods and Services option for any exchange of money, not Apple Pay, Cash App, Venmo or Zelle.
One tip I’ve picked up from research in fan spaces is to ask the seller to get on a video call with you to complete the transaction while they show you the ticket order in their actual Ticketmaster account, at that very moment. Is this whole process a little sketchy? Yep. Is it foolproof? Nope. Could you end up with great seats at a nice price from a kind Swiftie? Of course, but remember, you might never be able to recover the money lost to a con artist.