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Surprendre, Bunheads! Pop superstar Kim Petras is here to say “bonjour” to her fans with a special surprise project. On Monday (Sept. 18), Petras is set to surprise drop her French-pop album Problématique via Repbulic / Amigo Records. Across 10 tracks, Petras delves into ecstatic pop sounds, ranging from funk (“Born Again”), to R&B-pop (“Deeper”) […]
Even though Chris Rock was able to make jokes about Will Smith slapping him at last year’s Oscars during his live Netflix special earlier this year, Chris Rock: Selective Outrage, good friend Leslie Jones said the effects of that on-stage assault were much deeper than the public has seen.
“That s–t was humiliating. It really affected him,” Jones told People magazine in an interview promoting her new memoir, Leslie F*cking Jones (featuring a forward from Rock). “People need to understand his daughters, his parents, saw that. He had to go to counseling with his daughters.”
Jones said the incident “infuriated” her when she watched Rock get slapped hard across the face by Smith during the awards ceremony. “You don’t know that I was going to jump in my car and roll up there,” she said. “I was so f–king mad on so many levels.” The former SNL cast member and stand-up comedian said that for a long time she was just mad about the incident in which Smith — who would win a best actor Oscar later in the night for his starring role in the Williams family tennis biopic King Richard — stormed the stage and assaulted Chris Rock after the comedian made a joke about wife Jada Pinkett Smith.
“Chris Rock did a f—ing joke,” Jones said of Rock’s quip. I know Will, too… I was like, you couldn’t handle that s–t afterwards. This is the Oscars. The whole world is watching.”
On the night of the incident, Smith leapt from his seat and slapped Rock hard across the face after the comedian made a joke about Pinkett Smith’s shaved head, which, Rock later said, he was not aware was a result of the singer/actress’ struggle with alopecia, an autoimmune disorder that can cause hair loss and balding.
When she talked to Rock about the incident later, Jones said she asked the fellow stand-up why he didn’t just run away when he saw Smith charging at him. “‘I would’ve been running around that stage like “Will, calm down. Jada, call your man!,’” Jones said, adding that she also wished that Smith had reacted to the moment differently. (It did not appear as if People reached out to Smith or Rock’s camps for comment.)
“He could have still fixed it,” she said of Smith, who was back on stage a short time later to accept his best actor award. If Jones had her way, Smith would have offered an immediate, heartfelt apology to Rock, along the lines of: “‘I shouldn’t have did that. Bring Chris out. I can not accept the Oscar right now because that was f—ing wrong.’”
Instead, during his acceptance speech, Smith issued a mea culpa of sorts for his actions earlier in the night — without mentioning Rock — with the comedian later declining to press charges. Following a more formal apology to Rock, Smith resigned from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, which banned him from attending any Academy events for 10 years; Smith is still eligible for future Oscar nominations and will keep the award he won in 2022.
Bad Bunny and Gael García Bernal are bringing the heat in Cassandro. A clip from the new film was released by Entertainment Weekly on Friday (Sept. 15) in which Bad Bunny’s Felipe and García Bernal’s Saúl give in to their curiosities and share a kiss. Felipe eventually pushes him away, before Saúl assures, “It’s okay, don’t worry. […]
We get those goosebumps every time we see the new trailer for Disney+’s Goosebumps that arrived on Thursday (Sept. 14). The two-minute clip introduces Justin Long’s character Nathan Bratt, a teacher who becomes possessed by a dark entity. The teaser then shows the journey of five high schoolers (played by Zack Morris, Isa Briones, Miles […]
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The WNBA playoffs are here! Round one of the finals continues with four games on the schedule for the weekend.
First up, the Washington Mystics face New York Liberty at 7:30 p.m. ET/4:30 p.m. PT on Friday (Sept. 15). Also on Friday, the Atlanta Dream play thet Dallas Wings at 9:30 p.m. ET/6:30 p.m. PT. Both games will air on ESPN2.
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Want to catch the action in person? Click below to purchase tickets to this year’s WNBA playoffs. Ticket prices range from approximately $20 and up at Ticketmaster, Vivid Seats, StubHub and on WNBA.com.
WNBA Playoffs Tickets
Keep reading for ways to watch and stream live from anywhere.
How to Watch the 2023 WNBA Finals Without Cable
No cable needed! You can stream the WNBA playoffs (on your TV, laptop, phone or another device) with a free trial from a platform that carries ESPN, such as DirecTV Stream, Fubo TV and Sling TV.
DirecTV Stream
$64.99/month after 5-day free trial $74.99/month 13% off% OFF
Get instant access to ESPN, ABC, CBS, NBC, Fox, FX, Bravo, MTV, VH1, BET, AMC, TLC, TNT, USA and more with DirecTV Stream, plus you’ll get a free trial for five days and DVR storage.
Fubo TV’s best value package is $75 a month after a free trail. The streaming package includes 168 channels, 1,000 hours of cloud DVR and you can stream on up to 10 screens at once.
Join Sling TV and pay just $20 a month for a limited time. The Sling Orange package offers access to ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPN3.
Sling TV
$20 $40 50% off% OFF
Hulu + Live TV offers over 90 channels for $49.99/month for three months, thanks to a special sale that ends soon. Save $60 over three months when subscribe to Hulu + Live TV by Oct. 11. Besides live channels, the subscription includes Hulu, Disney+, ESPN+ and unlimited DVR.
Game 2 between the Chicago Sky and Las Vegas Aces takes place on Sunday (Sept. 17) at 3p.m. ET/12 p.m. PT on ABC. Rounding out the weekend, Sunday’s game between the Minnesota Lynx and Connecticut Sun is scheduled for 1 p.m. ET/10 a.m. PT on ESPN. See the full WNBA playoffs schedule here.
Streaming from outside of the U.S.? Use ExpressVPN to watch your favorite channels and streaming platforms internationally.
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.
Spooky season is calling, and if you’re planning on hosting or attending a Halloween party this year, thinking up a popular costume is only the start. Besides deciding between a Barbie costume or musician costume, crafting your makeup look is just as essential.
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The best Halloween makeup and face-paint kits will allow you to complete you outfit no matter if you’re going for scary, creepy or full-on glam. Investing in a quality kit will not only spare your new beauty products from running out (especially if it’s a full-body look you’re going for), but can spare your skin from any irritation as well.
Rather than scouring the Internet for the perfect kit, we put together a list of review-loved makeup and face-paint kits from Amazon, Walmart and Spirit Halloween that will help you create a look worthy of winning any costume contest.
Keep reading to shop our picks.
Amazon
Wismee SFX Makeup Kit
$26.99
This all-inclusive kit comes with dark tones for those looking to achieve a vampire or zombie costume. It comes with a palette of oil-based face paints made from hypoallergenic ingredients. And, if you want an especially gory look, you can use the scar wax, fake blood and 10 brushes to craft a scar, gash and more.
Walmart
NYX Professional Makeup Ultimate Edit
$8.97 $11 18% off% OFF
Dressing up as a fairy or disco dancer? This palette features six bold shadows you can mix, blens and build or use to craft designs on your face.
Amazon
UCANBE Face Body Paint Set
$17.99
Use this face and body paint set to transform yourself into everything from a ghost, monster, witch and more. It comes with a set of brushes to assist in painting even the smallest details, so that when friends check out your complete costume they’ll be questioning if it’s real or not.
Amazon
JOYIN Halloween Makeup Set
$11.99 $13.99 14% OFF
More advanced makeup users may want to consider this makeup set as it not only comes with a palette of face paints, but a mix of prosthetics, skin-friendly glue, fake blood and more to paint up some gorey looks.
Spirit Halloween
‘Beetlejuice’ Makeup Kit
$12.99
Embrace the undead and use this makeup kit to create a bold Beetlejuice look inspired by the characters from the movie. It includes a palette of green, pink and black, lipstick, eyeliner, face paints and more. Don’t be surprised when your friends start saying “Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice!”
Amazon
BOBISUKA Black White Red Face Paint
$9.99
Keep things simple with just three face paint shades using this trio kit that includes black, red and white face paint along with a brush and sponges. Now you can transform into a clown, the joker and more with just a flick of your wrist.
Spirit Halloween
Annabelle Makeup Kit – ‘The Conjuring’
$14.99
Fans of The Conjuring series will appreciate this kit as it aims to help craft the perfect Annabelle look. Using the included palette, eyelashes, lipstick, face paint and eyeliner, you can craft a spooky doll look that’ll most likely have people looking away in fright.
Don’t just stop at your face! Adding some press-on nails will provide those final finishing touches. Check out these bloody, bat-themed and spiderweb designs to help inspire you.
For more product recommendations, check out our roundups of the best,
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 fates have spoken and your favorite demigod is back for a new adventure in the upcoming book Percy Jackson & […]
The weekend is here, which means it’s time to get some new tunes to jam out to from your favorite queer artists. Billboard Pride is proud to present the latest edition of Queer Jams of the Week, our roundup of some of the best new music releases from LGBTQ artists.
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From Demi Lovato’s reimagined pop-turned-rock songs, to K.Flay’s raging new LP, check out just a few of our favorite new releases below:
Demi Lovato, Revamped
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While re-recording past work has become something of a trend as of late, no one is doing it quite like Demi Lovato. On Revamped, Lovato takes a look back through some of their biggest pop hits and reimagines them as bonafide rock bangers, whether it’s soulful ballads (“Tell Me You Love Me”), monster pop smashes (“Heart Attack”) or already rock-adjacent singles (“La La Land”). Revamped is the work of an artist taking the narrative back from her years of pop stardom, and it’s a raucous delight to listen to.
K.Flay, MONO
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If you’re still wanting to rage after hearing Lovato’s new album, might we suggest K.Flay’s excellent new LP MONO? Throughout this dynamic new project, K.Flay goes for the jugular over and over again by turning her songwriting inward and learning that her experience is just that — hers. Whether she’s delicately singing about a toxic ex (“Hustler”) or self-flaggulating alongside some gnarly production (the excellent “Punisher”), K.Flay goes all in on every song, making MONO a must-listen.
Vagabon, Sorry I Haven’t Called
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On Sorry I Haven’t Called, Vagabon offers to bring listeners on a journey of sorts — with a flourish of house beats and slick pop sounds, the singer-songwriter is ready to whisk you off into a brand new reality, built for the sole purpose of keeping the vibes pure. It’s a smartly-produced, lyrically-rich album that promises to capture your attention for all 35 minutes. As Vagabon told Billboard, “The ethos of what I wanted on this album was just to tell the audience, ‘We’re fine, at least for now.’”
Big Thief, “Born For Loving You”
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Anyone who’s attended a Big Thief show in the last few years likely already knows “Born For Loving You” — but if you haven’t attended, now’s your chance to hear it. The studio rendition of the song maintains the joyful, heart-melting energy of the band’s live performance, bringing a pure injection of dopamine into your day. “Doesn’t matter what dreams come true,” Adiranne Lenker sings on the song’s buttery chorus. “I was born for loving you.”
Snail Mail, “Easy Thing”
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On her last album Valentine, Lindsey Jordan — a.k.a. indie star Snail Mail — proved to be a master of yearning bedroom rock. Her latest single, “Easy Thing,” yet again underlines that point. On this doleful guitar ballad, Jordan pines for the love that got away, waxing poetic on their relationship even though her ex is left looking like a “loser” throughout the song. It’s a simple, sweet moment of melancholy that we highly recommend you listen to ASAP.
King Mala, “Never Wanna Know”
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Imagine giving a s–t what your ex thinks about your life? That’s the mission statement of King Mala’s delectable new kiss off “Never Wanna Know,” a bubbly, middle-finger single in which she proudly proclaims that she’s not even remotely interested in whatever her former flame is up to nowadays. The grooving bassline confidently brings you from one biting lyric to the next, while Mala styles her voice like an audible shrug as she sings, “I never wanna know / If your past keeps you up at night, cause I never worry about mine.” If you are striving to be unbothered, press play.
Check out all of our picks on Billboard’s Queer Jams of the Week playlist below:
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 is listening to its fans and giving the people what they want; a pink iPhone. The new iPhone 15, introduced during Tuesday’s (Sept. 12) Apple Event, went up for pre-order on Friday.
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While the pink shade isn’t quite bright enough to be considered Barbiecore, fans have been asking for a pink phone for awhile now — and this one matches with the pink Apple Watch Series 9.
The iPhone 15 is available in five colors including basic black, mint green, light blue, pink and yellow.
AT&T
iPhone 15 Pre-Order (AT&T)
$0 (with eligible trade-in) $829.99 100% off% OFF
According to Apple, the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus feature a “first-of-its-kind, color-infused back glass with a stunning, textured matte finish,” a 48MP ultra-wide main camera and TrueDepth front camera that works for music videos. In fact, Olivia Rodrigo’s music video for “Get Him Back” was shot on an iPhone 15.
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“iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus represent a huge leap forward with exciting camera innovations that inspire creativity, the intuitive Dynamic Island, and features like Roadside Assistance via satellite that make a real difference in users’ lives,” said Kaiann Drance, Apple’s vice president of worldwide iPhone product marketing. “We’re also pushing the power of computational photography to new levels this year with a 48MP main camera featuring a new 24MP default for super-high-resolution photos, a new 2x Telephoto option, and next-generation portraits.”
iPhone 15’s has a 6.1-inch Super Retina XDR display screen and the iPhone 15 Pro Max has a 6.7-inch screen — it’s available in white titanium, black titanium, natural titanium and blue titanium. The new phones feature a USB-C connector and support wireless charging.
Verizon
iPhone 15 Pro Max (Verizon Wireless)
$33.33/month $1,199.99 97% off% OFF
The iPhone 15 runs on iOS 17, which is packed with updates, such as Contact Posters to further customize your contacts; StandBy, which serves up customizable full-screen experience and “glanceable information” that you can view from afar. The updated operating system includes new stickers for iMessage and Name Drop, a new version of AirDrop that allows users to swap contact information by placing their phones near each other.
iPhone 15 and 15 Plus are available in 128GB, 256GB, and 512GB storage capacities. The phone starts at $799 for the 15 and $899 for the 15 Plus. The iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max start at $999 and $1,199.
You can pre-order the iPhone 15, 15 Plus, Pro and Pro Max, starting today. The phones, which are available at Apple, AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile and other major retailers, will be released on Sept. 22.
If you’re shopping for a new iPhone but not interested in upgrading to the latest model, you can get a refurbished iPhone 12 at Amazon for around $300. For more product recommendations, check out our roundup of best iPhone cases under $20.
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.
Having Era Tour withdrawals? This Taylor Swift journal makes a “perfect gift” for Swifties, and it’s currently on sale at Amazon.
The I Love Taylor Swift: An Unofficial Fan Journal lets Swifties celebrate Tay-Tay with personalized and guided journal prompts, scrapbook pages and trivia questions to test their knowledge of the “Lavender Haze” singer.
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Inside the journal, fans will find fun trivia questions such as “Which Fearless song earned Taylor her first-ever Grammy Award in 2010?” (Answer: “White Horse”) The journal features pages for fans to relive their favorite memories from the seeing Swift live.
Another journal prompt asks you to write your favorite lines from a list of Swift’s songs, including “All Too Well,” “Last Kiss,” “Cruel Summer,” “Cardigan,” “Getaway Car,” “Death by a Thousand Cuts” and “Peace.”
Amazon
I Love Taylor Swift: An Unofficial Fan Journal
$14.39 $15.99 10% OFF
For diehard fans and Taylor Nation newbies, this unofficial fan journal makes a fun activity piece that’s suitable for Swifties of all ages.
“Perfect gift for the Swiftie in your life,” reads one Amazon review. The shopper bought the book for a friend’s elementary-school-aged daughter “And she loved it!,” per the review.
Another shopper, who described themselves as a “late-in-life Swiftie,” enjoyed learning new things about the pop superstar. “I feel like I’m catching up for lost time and learning so much about Taylor, her music, and the fandom through this book,” they wrote on Amazon. “It’s so interactive and it’s a great convo starter.”
Want more Swift-inspired reading materials? Check out the Eras Tour Activity Book and Be More Taylor Swift: Fearless Advice on Your Dreams. Both are available at Amazon, along with a selection of coloring books and children’s books.
The Eras tour heads to Asia and Australia in February, and will be back in the States later in 2024. In November, Swift will launch the South American leg of her mega-tour in Argentina and Brazil. (Get tickets here.) Fans can also purchase tickets to a ton of Swift-inspired events, including dance parties, song tributes and drag brunches.