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Hollywood’s biggest studios and the SAG-AFTRA union struck a tentative deal on Wednesday (Nov. 8), ending the historic 118-day strike by actors. Now, performers can get back to doing the second most important part of their jobs: promoting their projects.
After writers ended their walk-out last month, production on TV and film projects is expected to ramp back up once the actors’ deal is ratified by membership, meaning that on-hold projects could go into production within the next few months. Plus, musicians who act in TV and film can finally get back out there and plug, plug, plug those on-screen efforts.

That means you might see more of the reunited *NSYNC. Earlier this week, member Lance Bass lamented in an interview that what was intended to be a more robust reunion between himself, Justin Timberlake, JC Chasez, Chris Kirkpatrick and Joey Fatone was reduced to a mild walk-on at this year’s MTV VMAs, with their plans to fully promote their first single in more than 20 years being scuttled by the strikes.

Instead, there was no music video, no live performance and no other appearances to hype the Trolls Band Together single “Better Place.” Bass lamented that the then-ongoing strike really “threw a wrench” in the quintet’s broader plans due to strike rules that prohibited union members from promoting new projects during the walk-out. “We finally released a song after 23 years and we can’t even mention the song and we can’t talk about the movie it’s in. It was going to be such a special moment for all of us, and unfortunately that got sidetracked,” Bass said.

Now, however, it seems like Trolls star Timberlake — who also could not make the rounds to promote his recent Netflix thriller Reptile — could potentially lean-in to a fuller *NSYNC celebration. Bass hinted as much in his interview, saying, “We had so much fun, I don’t see this as our last thing. Because of this strike, I feel like we owe it to the fans again to rectify this and do something else. But until the strike ends, we can’t really even figure out what is next, if there’s anything next. Hopefully we’ll have a plan in place once this lifts and we’re able to get back to work.”

During the strike, musicians who act were not allowed to talk up their current or upcoming projects, which explains why there were so many late-night shows spotlighting comedians, politicians and non-performers over the past month. But now you can expect to see those double-threat singers make their way back to the couch to talk up projects due out in the next few months.

Here are some other music-related movies and TV shows starring and created by musicians that might get some personal attention now that the strike has ended. (All release dates subject to change.)

Sara Bareilles: The singer stars in the big screen adaptation of the hit Broadway musical Waitress, based on the 2007 movie of the same name, due out on Dec. 7.

Beyoncé: Though Queen Bey doesn’t typically do press around her projects, it’s possible she could make appearances to promote her upcoming concert film RENAISSANCE: A Film By Beyoncé, which will hit screens worldwide on Dec. 1.

Timothée Chalamet: The latest film based on Roald Dahl’s madcap candy-maker is a musical top-lined by the Dune star, who will make his big screen singing debut in the Paul King-directed film co-starring Keegan-Michael Key, Sally Hawkins, Rowan Atkinson and Hugh Grant, due out on Dec. 15.

Ariana Grande: The singer, who has kept a lower profile since 2020’s Positions, can now hit the promo rounds to talk about her role as Glinda in the upcoming two-part film adaptation of the musical Wicked; the first part was pushed back to Nov. 27, 2024 due to the strike.

H.E.R.: The musical polymath will star alongside Taraji P. Henson, Danielle Brooks and fellow singers Halle Bailey, Jon Batiste and Fantasia in the musical re-imagining of the Alice Walker novel The Color Purple, co-produced by Oprah, Steven Spielberg and Quincy Jones. It’s due Dec. 25.

Megan Thee Stallion: In addition to plugging her “Cobra” single, Meg could finally get out there and promote her roles in Dicks: The Musical and the seventh season of Netflix’s filthy animated series Big Mouth (which were both released last month) — and, perhaps, her rumored role in the untitled, upcoming Safdie brothers movie starring Adam Sandler.

Julia Michaels: The singer and Grammy-nominated songwriter re-teamed with frequent collaborator JP Saxe to write the songs for the animated Disney musical Wish (out Nov. 22), which stars Ariana DeBose, Chris Pine, Alan Tudyk and Natasha Rothwell.

Reneé Rapp: The singer and The Sex Lives of College Girls star will co-star as Regina George alongside singer/actress Ashley Park (Gretchen Wieners) in Tina Fey’s big screen reimagining of the Mean Girls musical based on the beloved original movie, due out on Jan. 12.

Troye Sivan: Atfter getting blanked in the promo rounds for The Weeknd’s poorly received HBO series The Idol, the “Rush” singer could now get out there to talk about his role in Trolls Band Together as Floyd.

The Weeknd: Speaking of The Idol, according to IMDb, the singer who now goes by his birth name, Abel Tesfaye, will make his feature film acting debut in an untitled project directed by Trey Edward Shults in which he will appear alongside Jenny Ortega, Barry Keoghan and Charli D’Amelio. The movie was co-written by Shults, Tesfaye and his producing partner, Reza Fahim.

Zendaya: The Euphoria star is expected to take a bigger role in Dune: Part Two, which was pushed from this month to March 15, 2024, so expect her to begin making the rounds to promote that one in the next few months.

Rachel Zegler: For the follow-up to her Golden Globe-winning role in Steven Spielberg’s West Side Story adaptation and Shazam! Fury of the Gods, Zegler will portray a scrappy singer-songwriter in the music-heavy Hunger Games prequel, The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes, due out Nov. 17.

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. Seeing double? It’s not just you — Olivia Rodrigo is becoming a fan of herself in the latest commercial for Sony […]

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Who’s ready to rumble this weekend? UFC 295 is promising an exciting matchup on Saturday (Nov. 11) when Jirí Procházka enters the ring seeking redemption. Last year, the previous UFC light heavyweight champion had to surrender his title due to injury, but now, he’s back to reclaim it when he goes against former middleweight champ Alex Pereira. The fight will begin at 10 p.m. ET, with preliminary matches starting at 8 p.m. ET.

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New York City’s Madison Square Garden will host the big event, but for those who can’t get a travel deal to see it in-person, you still have streaming options to livestream Procházka vs. Pereira.

Before the main event starts, there will be a co-main event featuring Sergei Pavlovich vs. Tom Aspinall (heavyweight interim). Other matches you can watch leading up to Procházka vs. Pereira include Mackenzie Dern vs. Jessica Andrade (strawweight), Matt Frevola vs. Benoit Saint Denis (lightweight), Diego Lopes vs. Pat Sabatini (featherweight), Steve Erceg vs. Alessandro Costa (flyweight), Tabatha Ricci vs. Loopy Godínez (strawweight), Mateusz Rebecki vs. Roosevelt Roberts (lightweight) and Nazim Sadykhov vs. Viacheslav Borshchev (lightweight).

When & How to Watch UFC: Jiri Prochazka vs. Alex Pereira

Preliminary fights will start on Saturday (Nov. 11) at 8 p.m. ET, which you can watch anywhere the ESPN channel is available or through ESPN+. The main card match will begin at 10 p.m. ET and will stream exclusively through ESPN+ on pay per view. To watch the match live without cable, you’ll need an ESPN+ subscription, then purchase the fight on PPV.

Already have an ESPN+ subscription? You can purchase the PPV match by logging into your account and buying it there for $79.99 or you can click here or the button below.

Don’t have ESPN+? The streaming platform doesn’t have a free trial, but does offer a variety of affordable plans to customize to your liking. Plans start at $10.99/month or you can save over 15% with an annual subscription for $109.99/year. For triple the amount of content, you can bundle Disney+ and Hulu for just $14.99/month. After signing up you’ll need to purchase the PPV fight, which you can do here.

Along with UFC 295, you’ll also have access to the entire ESPN+ library of exclusive and original content such as live games in other sports, NFL drafts, NFL playoffs, MLB games and on-demand videos, as well as access to content from what was formerly known as ESPN Insider. Besides games, ESPN+ has original shows you can stream on-demand like game recaps, NBA finals and analyses hosted by Peyton Manning, a shorter version of NFL Primetime and full replays of historic NFL games.

While there’s no shortage of fans celebrating their musical favorites digitally, tangible tributes – from friendship bracelets to Etsy creations – seem to be making a comeback lately. With that in mind, a Midwestern biostatistics teacher has found a particularly novel way to honor her musical icons while going against the digital grain.

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But be warned: This fan art is a bit seedy.

Since 2021, Marta Shore, a biostatistics lecturer at the University of Minnesota, has spent her free time painstakingly recreating classic album artwork using everything from quinoa to chia seeds to flax to barley to wild rice. It’s called crop art, and at the 2023 Minnesota State Fair, Shore displayed three plant-based recreations of 1983 pop classics: Madonna’s self-titled debut album, Donna Summer’s She Works Hard for the Money and Cyndi Lauper’s She’s So Unusual.

“1983 was the year I really started listening to music outside of what my parents would listen to,” Shore says. “I still have a lot of these [albums] on vinyl.”

Crop art has become more than just a hobby for the university lecturer – it’s helped her connect with her students, too. When classes went virtual during the pandemic, Shore noticed that her students perked up when she made an offhand comment about her unusual hobby. “They just loved seeing me make and share something about my life besides statistics,” she says. Weekly updates about her Megan Rapinoe crop art helped them to “feel more connected to me and each other” during lockdown, she opines.

Soon, Shore invited her students – people studying to be epidemiologists, pharmacists, health policy wonks and more – to vote on what she should create next. The winner was RuPaul’s Drag Race winner Bianca Del Rio uttering her catchphrase “Not today, Satan,” which she then rendered in all organic plant material. “Sixty percent of my students wanted that one,” Shore, ever the statistician, recalls. “And [after that] they were even more invested.”

The benefits went beyond getting students to pay more attention. Several of them reached out to Shore to share that she inspired them to dust off their own creative outlets, helping their mental health in the process.

Cyndi Lauper

That’s certainly a benefit the statistician can relate to. While Shore says formal meditation doesn’t work for her, she can disconnect while doing crop art, which requires “just enough attention that my mind doesn’t wander, and just enough physical activity that I don’t get antsy.”

Sometimes she puts on headphones and listens to the album whose art she’s recreating; other times, she puts on a “comfort show,” like Parks and Recreation or The Other Two, and zones out while affixing bits of oat, quinoa and corn to a spray-painted board.

It began in 2015 when her daughter, then a kindergartener, was invited over to a friend’s house to try out the agriculture-centric folk art. Shore struck up a friendship with the girl’s mother, Jill, and learned the ropes herself. Eventually, she submitted a piece for inclusion in the Minnesota State Fair, the second-largest state fair in America, which features an annual crop art wall in the Agriculture Horticulture Building.

“My first piece was not great, but it got up on the wall, which made me feel really good,” she says. “I’d never really made anything artistic before. I mean, I’m a little math nerd.”

Buoyed by the success, Shore kept gluing seeds to boards, growing as an artist and learning about textures and perspective (she says her older daughter, who took a summer course at Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, helped her figure out how to render the shadows on the cover of Lauper’s debut). “I print out the image from the album and trace around the edges,” Shore, who now teaches a crop art course on the side, explains of her go-to starting point. “White chia and white quinoa are really good for white; wild rice, canola and poppy are really good for black.”

“There’s a fair amount of trial and error as well,” she says. “I was originally going to make Madonna’s hair out of white quinoa, which I did and hated. Then I was like, ‘Oh, corn silk looks like bleached hair. Maybe I’ll try that instead.’”

She estimates that “for each piece, I do rip up 20 to 30 percent of it,” with her crop art pieces typically requiring 40 to 50 hours of work spread out over the year. “Donna Summer took me by far the longest because for the yellow background, that seed actually comes in about six different colors. So I picked out all the yellow.” She laughs. “My husband had thoughts. ‘Do you really need to go to this extreme?’”

But for her, the meditative activity isn’t an extreme at all. “I just love Donna Summer so much that there was joy in doing it. It felt like a labor of love.”

Donna Summer

After each Minnesota State Fair, some of the crop art pieces find a permanent home in her office (including her 2021 recreation of Marvin Gaye’s What’s Going On album, which won fourth place at the fair in 2021), while others are given away or repurposed for future projects.

Shore is already prepping for the 2024 Minnesota State Fair, working on a recreation of Dolly Parton’s 1974 album Jolene — which she calls “one of the most important albums ever released” — while soliciting her students to vote on which Dolly quotes will accompany the album art. (Given that LP’s yellow-heavy background, let’s hope she finds a seed that doesn’t require hours upon hours of sorting). And considering that next year marks the 40th anniversary of an album famously associated with the Minneapolis venue First Avenue, it’s a given that the Minnesota university educator will be tackling Prince’s Purple Rain.

“It’s a busy album cover, for sure,” she says, clearly excited by the challenge. “I’m going to try using dried flowers on the sides. There’s a lot of smoke rising [in the cover photo]. I’m already thinking about how I’m going to do that. With seeds? With some sort of plant material over a background? I haven’t figure it all out yet.

“[With crop art] you get to do your meditation and produce this cool thing that you can show people,” she continues. “You have to do it because you really love it. So when I do it, I try to choose things I really love.”

Marvin Gaye

Madonna

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Snoop Dogg Presents: Goon With the Spoon by Snoop Dogg & E-40

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Following the success of From Crook to Cook: Platinum Recipes from Tha Boss Dogg’s Kitchen which is currently no. 1 at Amazon), Snoop Dogg hops back in the kitchen for a tasty collaboration with E-40. Snoop Dogg Presents: Goon With the Spoon, takes inspiration from the rap legends’ favorite meals, their music and E-40’s Filipino food business, Lumpia. Goon With the Spoon, out Nov. 14, features 65+ tasty dishes that range from drinks and main courses to desserts. The recipes include Corned Beef with All the Hash, Cajun Spiced Potato Chips, Flamin’ Hot Cheetos Mac ‘n’ Cheese Bites, Bacon Cheeseburger Lumpia, Kickin’ Lickin’ Collard Greens, Snoop’s Fruity Loop Bars and E-40 Water.

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Madison Beer is putting the “Good in Goodbye” as she says farewell to summer with her latest display of edgy fall fashion. As the 24-year-old preps for her third world tour (which you can still snag tickets to here), she’s also making time for her mom as the two showed off a pair of cute fall-approved shoes for Steve Madden’s Perfect Pair campaign.

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The new campaign looks to spotlight mother-daughter duos to showcase the brand’s wide audience across different ages and generations, and Beer and her mother are a few of the celebrity influencers to partner with the brand. From platform boots to comfortable sandals, the brand hopes to appeal to a wide range of styles and aesthetics.

“The idea came from people of all ages wearing our shoes,” said founder, creative and design chief Steve Madden in a press release. “My kids, their friends, and friends’ moms all wear Steve Madden. There are so many ways we can evolve within the perfect pair, but for now, we are focused on mother and daughters.”

The As She Pleases singer chose to debut her chosen pair on Instagram on Tuesday (Nov. 7), which features a gallery of the two of them sitting and showing off their unique styles.

“me n my mamaaaa 🫶🏼 x matching in @stevemadden,” the caption says.

Shoes aren’t the only thing you’ll find within the campaign; there is also a mix of clothing and accessories that almost any aesthetic can rock, whether you’re going for grungy, casual or glam.

Keep reading to shop Beer and her mom’s picks below, or shop the entire campaign here.

Steve Madden

Rocky Distressed Boots

Ditch the traditional smooth knee-high boot and grab a pair of these distressed boots from Steve Madden. It comes in two shades and features a worn-in look that you can pair with everything from your pleated skirts, baggy jeans or even dresses. For an even bigger statement, the boots also come with buckles on the front and side for added style.

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Steve Madden

Hawke Black Lace Mary Janes

Go for a more elegant look in these black lace Mary Janes that feature a sheer lace material and single buckle strap you can personalize to your liking. It comes with a small heel to bring height to your outfit and can easily be worn from day-to-night.

For more product recommendations, check out our roundups of the best platform heels, Ugg boots and men’s sneaker deals.

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.
Streaming platform Veeps has introduced a new way to watch artists hit the stage no matter where you are in the world through the new premium subscription service Veeps All Access. The platform is filled with a catalog of on-demand concerts, live music and comedy specials from a wide range of major bands and artists. All Access gives you unlimited virtual entry to all of it for a small monthly (or yearly) price. I had the opportunity to check it out first-hand – here’s what I thought.

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Normally, if I can’t attend a concert in person, I attempt to find live coverage of my favorite artists on tour through TikTok videos, Instagram or clips posted to other social media channels, which ends up being time-consuming and the video and sound quality is never guaranteed. Veeps All Access changes that, and after watching The Postal Service and Death Cab for Cutie’s Phoenix concert for the Give Up & Transatlanticism 20th Anniversary Tour, I can attest that it’s like having your own private concert movie experience.

One of the major benefits of the streamer, for me, is the option to sit on my couch in comfort, rather than scour the venue for an optimal viewpoint. It also avoids having to stand for long periods of time or squint at a video screen from the nosebleeds. Plus, if I wanted to get up and dance, I didn’t have to worry about annoyed glances that usually come with dancing in packed concert crowds.

The camerawork was incredible, providing top-tier views of the stage and band with close-ups and views I normally would never see standing in the crowd.

I was also unexpectedly able to easily grab merch! No long lines or trying to determine the right moment to commit to standing in line. The virtual merch booth is located in a convenient sidebar within the app — I just clicked on the “Merch” button and was presented with all the available options to purchase right then and there as the show goes on.

When it comes to connecting with other fans like you might at a concert, there’s an optional chat box. When it’s open, a live thread appears with fans commenting and sending emojis. I was watching an on-demand show, but could still send messages or go back and see what everyone had said when it initially aired.

This was my first time seeing the Postal Service and Death Cab for Cutie perform on this tour, but if you already hit one of the many sold-out tour stops, streaming the show on Veeps All Access is a great way to relive an amazing concert experience on-demand and catch all the moments you might have missed while grabbing a drink or hitting the bathroom.

The platform requires a subscription to access both on-demand and live performances, but it’s completely worth it. A ticket to the show I watched cost $17.99 on its own, so the best deal is to sign up for a monthly Veeps All Access subscription at $11.99/month, which gets you into all the content on the platform for one low price. You can also opt for an annual subscription for $120/year, which saves you $20. Subscribe here or click the button below to start streaming today.

Veeps Subscription: $11.99/month or $120/year

Whether you’re on a budget, the show’s sold out, or you just want to stay home but don’t want to miss your favorite singer perform onstage, Veeps is making it easier than ever to keep seeing live music.

How to Watch Concerts With Veeps All Access

You can livestream or rewatch performances from most Internet-connected devices, like a smartphone, tablet, laptop and TV. The streaming platform has its own dedicated app on Apple TV and Roku and mobile (iOS and Android).

If you’re watching it through your TV, make sure to download the app, or you can use Chromecast or Airplay from your computer or mobile device.

Want to gift a concert or unlimited concerts to a music-loving friend, family member or colleague? You can purchase a gift ticket to any of the shows on Veeps to send to whomever you want, which will be securely sent through email. You can also choose to gift a six or 12 month subscription for them to enjoy that show and many, many more.

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.
Apple TV+ has entered high society with its new period drama The Buccaneers, featuring pop-song dance scenes (including Taylor Swift’s “Nothing New”), love triangles and drama, of course.

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In case you need something to hold you over until the newest season of Netflix’s hit drama Bridgerton, the new series has you covered — and will maybe even become your latest binge-watch. It’s based on the novel of the same title by Edith Wharton and explores what happens when five American women enter English society.

Transport yourself to the 1870s as you follow Conchita Closson (Alisha Boe); Nan (Kristine Froseth) and Jinny St. George (Imogen Waterhouse); and Mabel (Josie Totah) and Lizzy Elmsworth (Aubri Ibrag) as they are sent to London to secure themselves husbands. What ensues is an Anglo-American clash as the girls bring their bull-headedness and American charm to the balls of London.

Keep reading to learn the streaming options available.

When & How to Watch The Buccaneers

The Buccaneers had a three-episode premiere on Wednesday (Nov. 8) and will have new episodes dropping every Wednesday for a total of eight episodes. The series in an Apple TV+ original, which means you’ll need a subscription to watch the series. If you’re already a subscriber, then you just need to log into your account to watch the show for no additional cost. You can click here or the button below to watch it now.

Don’t have a subscription? Apple TV+ has a 7-day free trial for new users, which means you can watch the series and more for free. After the free trial is over you’ll be charged the regular subscription fee of $9.99/month. Click here or the button below to start your free trial now.  If you’re looking for additional ways to save money, you can get three months free with the purchase of an eligible Apple device or a free month trial when you sign up for Apple One, which bundles Apple TV+ with up to five other services.

Besides The Buccaneers, you’ll have access to the entire Apple TV+ library, which includes exclusive content, TV shows, sports and movies including The Afterparty, The Crowded Room, Ted Lasso, Platonic, The Last Thing He Told Me, Silo, Severance, High Desert, Shrinking, The Big Door Prize, Bad Sisters, Schmigadoon!, The Problem with John Stewart, The Morning Show, Ghosted, Still, Tetris, Palmer, Only Murders in the Building, Snoopy Presents: One-of-a-Kind Marcie and more.

Apple TV+ can also be streamed on the Apple TV app, your iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, Mac and popular smart TVs including Samsung, LG, Sony, VIZIO, TCL, Toshiba and others, along with Amazon Fire TV devices, Chromecast with Google TV. Apple TV+ is available on PlayStation and Xbox gaming consoles as well.

Check below to watch the trailer for The Buccaneers.

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Timothée Chalamet is returning to the Saturday Night Live stage this weekend (Nov. 11) as host, and the Dune actor took in some not-so-fresh air at 30 Rockefeller Plaza while strolling around the set. Explore Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news In the one-minute promo released on Wednesday […]