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If new episodes of RuPaul’s Drag Race were on your holiday wishlist, then Mama Ru is here with excellent news for you.
On Wednesday (Dec. 6), MTV officially announced the full cast of RuPaul’s Drag Race season 16. Set to air starting Friday, Jan. 5, the new episodes of the Emmy-winning franchise will see 14 new queens enter the werk room and compete for a cash prize of $200,000, as well as the title of America’s Next Drag Superstar.

The new cast features drag performers Amanda Tori Meating, Dawn, Geneva Karr, Hershii Liqcour-Jeté, Megami, Mhi’ya Iman Le’Paige, Mirage, Morphine Love Dion, Nymphia Wind, Plane Jane, Plasma, Q, Sapphira Cristál and Xunami Muse.

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Season 16’s premiere, meanwhile, will be a two-part event with the queens split into two different groups. Performing in their respective talent shows — themed after MTV staples like Spring Break and the Teen Choice Awards — each of the premiere episodes is set to feature a “gag worthy twist,” where the queens will rate each other’s performances to determine who ends up in the top and bottom positions.

In an interview with Billboard earlier this year, RuPaul attributed the ongoing success of the Drag Race franchise to the fabulous performers who come to compete each season. “What makes the show fresh is that each season, we get these fabulous, courageous artists who come on and share their stories with us and the world,” he said. “As producers, we do what we can to create the infrastructure, but the new blood and energy coming from our contestants is what makes the show what it is.”

Season 16 of RuPaul’s Drag Race premieres Friday, Jan. 5, at 8 p.m. ET on MTV. Check out the show’s official “Meet the Queens” video below:

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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. Hanukkah is a special time of year where you can connect and spend time with your family or friends. There’s no […]

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.
Who’s ready to rumble? UFC Fight Night is back with one of its last major matches of the year. Song Yadong and Chris Gutierrez will enter the ring for a bantamweight bout on Saturday (Dec. 9) with preliminaries starting at 7:30 p.m. ET and the main event occurring at 10 p.m. ET in Las Vegas.

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UFC Fight Night 233 was originally going to include a bout between Daniel Marcos and Carlos Vera, but due to travel issues, Marcos was unable to make it to the event, which led to UFC scrapping the fight altogether, according to MMA Fighting.

Besides Song vs. Gutierrez, fans can also look forward to seeing bouts between Anthony Smith vs. Khalil Rountree Jr. (light heavyweight), Nasrat Haqparast vs. Jamie Mullarkey (lightweight), Tim Elliott vs. Sumudaerji (bantamweight), JunYong Park vs. Andre Muniz (middleweight), Song Kenan vs. Kevin Jousset (welterweight), HyunSung Park vs. Shannon Ross (flyweight), Steve Garcia vs. Melquizael Costa (lightweight), Luana Santos vs. Stephanie Egger (bantamweight), Tatsuro Taira vs. Carlos Hernandez (flyweight), Rayanne Amanda vs. Talita Alencar (strawweight) and Daniel Marcos vs. Carlos Vera (catch weight).

For those who couldn’t get travel deals to see the fights live in person, you can stream Song vs. Gutierrez online and from the comfort of your home through ESPN+.

Keep reading to learn about the streaming options available.

How to Watch UFC Fight Night 233: Song vs. Gutierrez

ESPN+ is the exclusive streamer for UFC Fight Night 233: Song vs. Gutierrez, which means you’ll need a subscription in order to stream the bout. Preliminaries will start at 7:30 p.m. ET and the main cards will begin at 10 p.m. ET. If you already have a subscription, you can watch the preliminary matches and main card events for no additional cost. All you have to do is log into your account, and you’ll be able to watch it live.

Don’t have ESPN+? While the streaming platform doesn’t have a free trial, it is one of the more affordable streamers out there at $10.99/month. Click here or below to start your ESPN+ subscription.

Besides UFC Fight Night, ESPN+ is home to exclusive live events, sports series, TV shows and groundbreaking originals from major names in sports such as The Captain, America’s Caddie, Man in the Arena With Tom Brady, More Than an Athlete With Michael Strahan, Our Time: Baylor Basketball, Al Davis vs. The NFL, Vick, Be Like Water, Breakaway, the entire 30 for 30 series and other original content such as UFC fights, including the upcoming Vettori vs. Cannonier bout.

Looking for more savings? Bundling ESPN+ with Hulu and Disney+ will expand your library of content or you can check out Hulu + Live TV for access to hundreds of channels including ESPN, Starz and more.

2023 might be coming to a close, but MTV has one more blockbuster event to celebrate hip-hop’s 50th anniversary. Billboard can exclusively reveal that the network is set to air the latest addition to its MTV Unplugged franchise — MTV Unplugged Presents: A Hip-Hop 50th Celebration of Jersey’s Finest — on Thursday, Dec. 14, at 9 p.m. ET/PT. The special promises to be a star-studded event featuring performances and appearances by New Jersey hip-hop icons such as Wyclef Jean, Redman and Queen Latifah, who will also serve as an executive producer.

In a year filled with Hip-Hop 50 tributes, concerts and specials, New York has taken up a lot of the focus. While that’s understandable, A Hip-Hop 50th Celebration of Jersey’s Finest provides a space for pivotal New Jersey hip-hop artists to receive their flowers. From Ms. Lauryn Hill and Treach to Coi Leray and Badmanrill, the Garden State has been instrumental in crafting the ever-evolving sound of hip-hop.

A Hip-Hop 50th Celebration of Jersey’s Finest is also slated to include appearances from Naughty By Nature’s Treach, Poor Righteous Teachers, Heather B and The Sugarhill Gang, with additional performances from Lady Luck and Lords of the Underground. Emmy winner Adam Blackstone will handle musical direction for the special, which will be taped at the famed Newark Symphony Hall.

The special is the latest in a string of MTV projects honoring Hip-Hop 50. Back in September, the network spotlighted hip-hop at the 2023 MTV Video Music Awards. Countless hip-hop stars graced the stage to perform their latest hits, several female rappers — Ice Spice, Nicki Minaj and Latto, in particular — took home Moonpeople, and two show-stopping medleys celebrated the legacy and longevity of the genre.

Diddy — with special guests Yung Miami and Keyshia Cole — played a smattering of the biggest Bad Boy hits, while a cross-generational lineup of rap icons handled the proper Hip-Hop 50 tribute. Among them were Minaj, DMC, Doug E. Fresh, Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five, Lil Wayne, LL Cool J and Slick Rick. This year, the network also launched Mixtape, a documentary that traced the creation of mixtapes and the formats relationship to both hip-hop history and mainstream pop culture.

A Hip-Hop 50th Celebration of Jersey’s Finest marks the first MTV Unplugged special of 2023. After taking the pandemic year of 2020 to explore at-home concerts, the special returned to its original formats the following year with intimate performances from BTS, and Lady Gaga with Tony Bennett. Twenty One Pilots delivered the band’s own Unplugged session in 2022.

Bruce Gillmer and Vanessa Whitewolf will serve as Executive Producers for MTV, with Queen Latifah, Shakim Compere and Yaneley Arty acting as Executive Producers for Flavor Unit Entertainment. In addition, Alicia Portugal will serve Series Executive in Charge, with Lisa Lauricella taking on the role of Series Music Talent Executive.

Watch the teaser for the new special above.

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. Sammy Wilk is gearing up to head out on tour in support of his pals Jack & Jack, but before he […]

Fresh off being named TIME magazine’s Person of the Year, Taylor Swift hit the red carpet in New York on Wednesday night (Dec. 6) to support her old friend Emma Stone at the premiere of the actress’ new dark comedy, Poor Things. According to People magazine, Swift made the scene at the DGA Theater in […]

SPOILER ALERT: This story contains the identity of the contestant eliminated on Wednesday night’s (Dec. 6) episode of The Masked Singer.
During his deep run into season 10 of The Masked Singer, Husky proved he was a big dog with a series of impressive performances. The canine with deep-blue eyes wowed the judges with his soulful spin on Elton John’s “Bennie and the Jets,” busting out a sky-high falsetto and working the crowd like a veteran. He seemed more in his favored lane on a growly, fist-pumping run through Rick James’ “Super Freak,” on Harry Potter Night, which got judge Nicole Scherzinger thinking it could be R&B singer Tank, while Jenny McCarthy-Wahlberg guessed it might be Brian McKnight or Babyface.

Robin Thicke said no to both of those, keying in on a crying-emoji clue that made him think it might be actor Terrence Howard, while always-wrong Ken Jeong suggested another sometimes weepy thespian, Morris Chestnut. The key clue, as it turned out, was the singer’s early success with the ladies, who, he said, would often shower him with their undergarments when he was onstage.

On Wednesday’s rock-themed Group C finals show — which featured a cameo from Poison’s Bret Michaels singing “Nothing but a Good Time,” as well as covers of songs by KISS and Mr. Big — Husky got emotional with the Bon Jovi ballad “Always,” once again proving his range with a lighters-in-the-air-worthy performance. Jeong clued into a “wild” clue and thought it might be DJ D-Wrek from host Nick Cannon’s long-running Wild ‘N Out series, while Thicke clued in on a carousel and doubled down on his earlier guess that it was none other than “Pony” singer Ginuwine.

The night also saw the elimination of Tiki (Sebastian Bach), with Group B champion Sea Queen moving on to the season finale.

Billboard spoke with Ginuwine before his elimination about coming out of his shell to do the show, why the Husky appealed to his “go-getter” personality, and how he felt about the viral Justin Timberlake “fo shiz” moment in Britney Spears’ recent The Woman in Me memoir.

You’ve done a bit of reality TV, including Celebrity Big Brother in the UK in 2018, but is it safe to assume this was even weirder than sharing a house with a drag queen, ballet dancer and a detective?

It’s two totally different shows. … I’m pretty much a reserved person. I try to stay out of the limelight as much as I possibly can, but over the last few years, I’ve tried to get out of being such a loner and come out of my shell and try some things, so I just gave it a chance. Now I’m back in my reserved mode.

In which case, how did you end up on the show? Was it your idea?

Oh no! It wasn’t my idea at all! They just happened to call. I was pretty much forgotten for a minute until this year, a couple things went viral and my name was poppin’. … I definitely wasn’t even trying to go viral — that’s not my thing. Crazy stuff happens. [Laughs] But it was good because I got to try out new things.

Did you think you had a chance at winning?

Again, anything I was gonna try, I’m definitely gonna try to win, but there were obstacles that stop you. You have no authority over whether you stay or go; you just do your best and hope for the best.

Talk about those obstacles — what made it hard for you?

[Laughs] Wearing that mask! Because it was real hot and very uncomfortable. I had fun, but the only reason I felt like I didn’t make it as far as I possibly could have was because of the mask … which was very hot and I have asthma, so it dried me out and I couldn’t sing as well as I usually do. I was hoarse a whole lot. If you came to one of my concerts, you would definitely see a big difference, but I have no regrets. I’m glad I did it.

Gotta ask: Why Husky?

They sent me that one, and right off the bat I could relate it to who I am: an alpha male, a go-getter and just focused on whatever it is that I try. So that was the one that suited me perfectly.

And, like, a horse would have been too obvious right?

[Laughs] Yeah, that would have been way too obvious!

You really got to spread your wings, singing a couple of rockers from Elton John and Bon Jovi — plus that Rick James jam — how did it feel to get out of your comfort zone?

They picked those, but I was real happy about the Rick James one, but I didn’t know the other two. I had to learn them and they were totally out of my comfort zone. I’ve been in this business for 27 years and I’m used to doing my own stuff, not stuff I have to learn.

The guesses were all over the place — Terrence Howard, Morris Chestnut, Brian McKnight — how did you feel about them? Did any of them piss you off?

Nah, I wasn’t pissed off about the guesses; that’s part of the fun. I was more like, “You think it’s Brian McKnight? We sound totally different!” I knew Robin would have a better guess than anyone else because I’ve been around him a lot. Because I was hoarse, I might have sounded a little less familiar and I was trying to throw them off so they couldn’t get it, and I wasn’t going to try to sound like myself.

It’s been more than 20 years since you released a new album, do you have anything in the works?

The state of music, in my opinion, has changed dramatically. Unless you have a big machine behind you, a song lasts a month, but back in my day one song could last a whole year. It’s oversaturated and, for me, I’m just humble and blessed that I came out in the ’90s era with music that still stands the test of time. I’ve never worked as much as I’ve been working in the last 10 years — doing shows, people using my music, all that — and so I really don’t have to work, which is a blessing for me to do the ’90s tour all over Australia, Japan, and because I wrote so much of my music back in the days, the royalty thing is good.

You mentioned some viral moments earlier, so I have to ask about the Justin Timberlake “fo shiz, fo shiz” moment in Britney Spears’ memoir and if you remember that.

Nah, I don’t remember that. [Laughs] I would have probably looked at him very weird if he did that like she said. I just don’t remember that, but I remember him being a cool dude and me kicking it down there in Florida with [*NSYNC’s] producer at one time. Nah, I don’t remember that.

I have to ask because I’m obsessed: Is it fair to say — as I do all the time — that “Pony” has basically become the modern shorthand for sex thanks to Magic Mike and every karaoke bar playlist over the past 20-plus years? How does it feel to have a Marvin Gaye-level sex jam in your catalog?

I couldn’t have said it better myself! You absolutely hit it right on the head. The No. 1 karaoke song and it’s stood the test of time. Even more successful artists than myself have used it … Rihanna [2014’s “Jump”], Britney [a viral ALTÉGO “Toxic Pony” remix], Drake [2016’s “Fake Love”] … so many people. So it introduces me to the younger generation and it keeps me relevant.

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.
Le Creuset’s viral tea kettle is 20% off for the holidays. Tea lovers on Tik Tok have been raving about the enamel kettle, which has rounded up a whopping 451.3 million views on the social media site (not bad for a tea kettle).

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Made from quick-heating, premium carbon steel, the Noël Collection Whistling Kettle is finished in a glossy, winter white enamel with a gold-tone knob and matching brackets.

And it’s not just for tea. The Whistling Kettle can be used to prepare French press coffee, hot chocolate, oatmeal and other warm cereals.

Le Creuset Noël Collection Whistling Kettle, White with Gold Knob

$107.95

$134.95

20% off

The durable carbon steel makes water heat faster while the fixed single-tone whistle alerts you when the water has reached a boil. The kettle is chip-resistant, non-reactive and stain resistant — and it makes a nice gift as one customer review pointed out.

 “I purchased this tea kettle for my daughter who recently remodeled her kitchen. This was just what she wanted, with the brass accents,” wrote a customer on the Le Creuset site. “We have always used Le Creuset tea kettles as they really stand up to high heat of a gas stovetop. And they are beautiful in so many lovely colors. They last forever, too!”

“This is a beautiful kettle! I love the bronzy gold and black accents on the creamy white kettle. Nice size too. Very, very pleased,” reads an Amazon review.

Le Creuset’s Noël collection is described as a “charming, curated collection of festive pieces, delicately scrolled and painted with favorite holiday motifs.” The collection includes holiday mugs adorned with stencil drawings of Santa Claus, reindeer, a Christmas tree, a snowman, and an elf.

Holiday-themed platters, dutch ovens, a braiser pan, spatulas and tree-shaped spoon rests are included in the collection.

Save up to 26% off select pieces from the Noël collection at Amazon and the Le Creuset website. If you’re looking for a cheaper kettle, Le Creuset’s Demi Kettle is on sale for $67.99 at Williams-Sonoma. The 1.25-quart kettle is available in 11 colors including teal, olive, white, red and oyster grey.

For more gift ideas, read our picks for the best advent calendars of 2023, best gifts under $25 and best stocking stuffers.

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.
Going home for the holidays can be an exciting time, but also adds up quickly — especially if you have more than one place to visit. Amazon is helping students relieve some of the money stress associated with the holidays by teaming up with Student Universe and offering the ultimate travel deal: $25 domestic flights home for the holidays.

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The deals start Tuesday (Dec. 5) at 6 a.m. PT through midnight PT Thursday (Dec. 7), with 1,000 $25 tickets available for purchase on each day. You can use it on domestic flights for travel between Dec. 8, 2023, to Dec. 25, 2023, and return flights (if applicable) between Dec. 8, 2023, to Jan. 14, 2024, according to Amazon.

You can save hundreds of dollars on flying home and use that savings for gifts for everyone on your list like your music lovers, coffee lovers, dog parents and more. To redeem the deal, you’ll need to have a student Prime membership. Already a student Prime member? Make sure you’re logged into your account and then head to StudentUniverse.com/Amazon-Prime-Student to snag your $25 plane ticket.

Don’t have a student Prime membership? Amazon is offering a six-month free trial for new users who sign up as well as 50% off a the regular membership fee. Once the free trial is over, you’ll be charged the half-off discount. Click here or the button below to start your free trial.

Besides being eligible for the flight deal, a student Prime membership will also give you access to Prime Video, Prime Try Before You Buy, early access to deals, Prime-exclusive offers and Prime Day, free food delivery, two months of Kindle Unlimited for free, three months of the app Calm for free and more.

For more product recommendations, check out our roundups of the best Amazon Fire TV deals, iPad deals and laptop 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. Drop everything! Catbird just restocked their coveted collaboration with Phoebe Bridgers and it’s already selling out, again. And we’re talking everything […]