Music News

23 Oct 2025

Megan Thee Stallion Supports Boyfriend Klay Thompson at Dallas Mavericks Game & Gifts Him Sailor-Themed Chain

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Megan Thee Stallion is enjoying her WAG era. Klay Thompson and the Dallas Mavericks kicked off the NBA season on Wednesday night (Oct. 22) against the San Antonio Spurs and Megan was courtside to cheer on her boo.

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The Houston Hottie also had a gift for Thompson, who’s entering his 15th season in the NBA, as she designed Klay a nautical-themed chain with an icy boat steering wheel pendant.

Unfortunately for Klay, the Mavericks fell short in their season debut against the San Antonio Spurs. Thompson’s 10 points weren’t enough as they lost 125-92 in the home opener.

Following the contest, Megan was spotted in the arena tunnels holding hands and comforting Thompson as he fulfilled his post-game duties. The rapper even posted a handful of photos to her Instagram on Thursday (Oct. 23) with Thompson and recapping her night at the American Airlines Center.

After going public with their relationship in July, Meg’s bringing her lover era to the studio, as she’s set to release her “Lover Girl” single on Friday (Oct. 24). It’s Megan’s first track since “Whenever,” which arrived in April.

Don’t be surprised to see Megan Thee Stallion courtside a ton this season, and her next opportunity comes when the Washington Wizards visit Dallas on Friday night (Oct. 24), as the team looks to notch its first win of the season.

Megan will be celebrating with fans this spooky season with the return of her Hottieween party, which is set to take over Humble, Texas, on Halloween, where costumes will be mandatory and those attending must be at least 21 years old.

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23 Oct 2025

Deezer Revenue Dropped 1% to $154 Million in the Third Quarter

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Gains from self-paying subscribers almost equally offset losses from partnerships as French music streaming company Deezer’s revenue fell 0.9% to 131.4 million euros ($154 million) in the third quarter, the company announced Thursday (Oct. 23). 

“Subscriber growth in France has accelerated for a third consecutive quarter, confirming the positive impact of our differentiation initiatives in our home market,” CEO Alexis Lanternier said in a statement. “In the rest of the world, subscription numbers in the Direct segment are also picking up pace, reflecting the quality of our service and the appeal of our brand as we champion transparency and fairness in music streaming.

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Revenue from partnerships fell 12.6% to 35.6 million euros ($42 million) and subscribers from these partnerships dropped 24.5% from the prior-year quarter. Deezer powers music streaming platforms for numerous companies globally and counts these partnership subscribers separately from subscribers who pay directly. The company attributed the loss in its partnerships business to “the residual impact” of a business model shift by Mercado Libre, a Latin America e-commerce company that partnered with Deezer in 2023. A focus on higher average revenue per user (ARPU) also contributed to the decline in partnership subscribers, the company said.

Direct subscribers grew in number to 5.5 million, up nearly 10%, and direct subscription revenue increased 1.6% to 87.9 million euros ($103 million). France accounted for 3.7 million of those direct subscribers, an 11.7% increase from the prior-year period, which the company attributed to “good performance” of family plans. Direct subscribers from the rest of the world rose 6.1% to 1.8 million. 

ARPU from direct subscribers fell nearly 5% to 5.4 euros ($6.31) per month. Partnership ARPU rose 6% to 3.1 euros ($3.62) per month.

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Other revenue, which consists of advertising and ancillary revenue, rose 17.4% to 7.9 million euros ($9.2 million). Deezer said the improvement “mainly reflected the performance of the white labelling solutions for hardware / media partners.”

While relatively small compared to the likes of Spotify and Apple Music, Deezer has attempted to separate itself from its competitors by making combating AI music a business priority. In September, the company revealed that it detected the delivery of over 30,000 fully AI-generated tracks each day. That accounts for 28% of all daily track uploads, up from 18% in April and 10% in January. These fully AI-generated tracks are eliminated from Deezer’s algorithmic recommendations and excluded from editorial playlists. 

Looking ahead, Deezer confirmed its full-year guidance in which it expects positive adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) and positive free cash flow for the second consecutive year. 

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23 Oct 2025

A$AP Relli v. A$AP Rocky Continues With Defamation Lawsuit & Another Looming Shooting Trial

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The legal battle between A$AP Relli and A$AP Rocky is continuing on despite Rocky’s acquittal on charges of shooting his former friend and associate this past February.

On Thursday (Oct. 23), a judge in Los Angeles refused to throw out the civil defamation lawsuit brought by Relli (Terrell Ephron) stemming from the alleged altercation with Rocky (Rakim Mayers) near a Hollywood hotel in 2021.

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Relli alleges that Rocky fired a handgun at him twice during their argument, while Rocky maintains that the “weapon” was a prop gun filled with blanks. Prosecutors charged Rocky with two felony assault counts in 2022, but he was acquitted of both criminal charges following a sensational trial this year.

Still, Relli is continuing to claim that Rocky shot him in a civil lawsuit that he brought around the same time as his former A$AP Mob collaborator’s arrest. That case, in which Relli seeks financial damages from Rocky for assault, battery and emotional distress, is scheduled to go to trial in January.

Relli separately brought a defamation lawsuit in 2023 against both Rocky and his criminal defense lawyer, Joe Tacopina. Relli says the duo smeared his name when Tacopina gave press interviews calling Relli’s shooting claims “extortion” and a “get-rich-quick-scheme.”

Rocky and Tacopina sought to get the defamation suit thrown out under California’s anti-SLAPP statute, which guards against frivolous litigation that threatens free speech. But Judge Randolph M. Hammock ruled Thursday that Relli’s slander claims don’t meet this standard for dismissal.

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Judge Hammock said Rocky and Tacopina cannot rely on a principle known as the litigation privilege, which provides a complete free speech shield for statements made in court proceedings, because the lawyer’s media interviews were given “to shape the public opinion” rather than advance any legal position. The judge also determined that Relli’s defamation claim is not “meritless” under the anti-SLAPP guardrails.

“For purposes of this motion, plaintiff has established all elements of his defamation claims,” wrote the judge. “Plaintiff submits evidence that Tacopina published statements to media outlets, in essence contending that plaintiff fabricated the incident with Mayers then filed the lawsuit to force a payout.”

“Plaintiff refutes this in his declaration, as he attests that Mayers fired a handgun and struck him in the hand,” continues Judge Hammock’s decision. “He establishes that Tacopina’s statements were defamatory, as they labeled Ephron a liar and extortionist. Finally, Ephron established that these statements caused him damages. For purposes of this motion, plaintiff has met his burden.”

Relli has not actually won on any defamation claims yet, but the lawsuit moved past a major obstacle in Thursday’s ruling. Now, the matter will continue forward through evidence discovery and toward a possible trial.

Relli’s lawyers declined to comment on Thursday. Reps for Rocky and Tacopina did not immediately return requests for comment.

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23 Oct 2025

Taylor Swift Donates $100K to Young Swiftie With Brain Cancer: ‘Sending the Biggest Hug’

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Taylor Swift is keeping her giving streak going by donating a life-changing chunk of change to Lilah, a 2-year-old Swiftie who’s battling brain cancer.

The pop star quietly contributed $100k to a GoFundMe page raising money for the toddler and her family as Lilah undergoes treatment for “a very rare aggressive form of brain cancer” with only “58 documented cases in the U.S. last year,” according to the fundraiser’s description. Shortly before she received the diagnosis, doctors had removed a mass that turned out to be a stage 4 tumor in her brain.

Along with her donation, Swift wrote, “Sending the biggest hug to my friend, Lilah! Love, Taylor.”

After noticing that the 14-time Grammy winner had donated, a wave of Swifties also joined the cause, leaving $13 contributions and adding supportive messages to Lilah inspired by Swift’s lyrics. “We protect the family,” one person wrote, quoting the singer’s The Life of a Showgirl track “Father Figure.”

“Lilah – Keep dancing through the lightning strikes until your sky is opalite!” another donor commented, referencing Showgirl‘s “Opalite.” “All of us Swifties are [rooting] for you.”

What makes the outpouring of love for Lilah even sweeter is how the little girl’s mom, Katelynn, has previously posted about how much her daughter loves Swift. “Lilah loves Taylor’s music and during her cancer treatment she always found joy in it,” Katelynn wrote on TikTok earlier in October, noting that Lilah thinks of Swift as her “friend.”

Swift is known for shelling out donations to people in need, and in June, she visited patients in a children’s hospital in Florida. Lilah’s treatment also isn’t the first cause the Eras Tour headliner has inspired fans to support. This past month, Swifties helped raise $2 million for the Monterey Bay Aquarium’s otter conservation efforts after Swift sported one of the organization’s vintage T-shirts.


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23 Oct 2025

Janet Jackson Has ‘No Plans to Stop Dancing’ as She Accepts Dancers Against Cancer Icon Award From Liza Minnelli

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Janet Jackson has been delivering some of the slickest dance moves in the world for more than four decades — and she’s not slowing down anytime soon.

On Tuesday (Oct. 21), the Grammy-winning music icon received the Icon of the Year Award at The Gala of the Stars, an annual benefit supporting Dancers Against Cancer. Oscar, Emmy and Tony winner Liza Minnelli — a longtime friend of the Jackson family — presented the award in person, honoring the “What Have You Done for Me Lately” singer’s influence on music, dance and culture. This marked Minnelli’s first public appearance since the 2022 Academy Awards, where she presented best picture to Coda alongside Lady Gaga.

Between the British Museum Ball, reuniting with niece Paris Jackson at Paris Fashion Week, and gearing up for her final three live shows of the year, it’s been a busy few weeks for Ms. Jackson. Nonetheless, she carved out the time to accept an honor from a community to which she has greatly contributed over the course of her storied career.

“I love dance. I’ve always loved dance, and I remember, since I was five or six years old, always dancing with my brothers around the house. They were my first teachers and choreographers,” she reflected during her speech, according to The Hollywood Reporter. “I want to thank all of you guys for sharing your creativity, but not just that, for your friendship through all these years. Thank you so much. I want to thank my family for their entire support and love and for always encouraging me. I also want to sincerely thank everyone who’s been there for me throughout this entire journey, and I want to thank God for giving me life, allowing me to have a career and to continue to do what I love and still enjoy.”

To close out her speech, Jackson also made it clear that she will always keep dancing, saying “In a few — more than a few — months, maybe six or seven months, I’m going to be 60 years old. I have to tell you, I have no plans to stop dancing!”

She also reflected on the honor in an X post on Thursday (Oct. 23). “I never take moments like this for granted. Your mission is profoundly important, and thank you for giving our community a meaningful way to give back,” she wrote in part alongside photos of herself at the event, including a clip of her speech as well as a snapshot of herself with Minnelli. She also addressed the star, writing, “Dear Liza, receiving this award from an icon & friend like you means more than I can say. You have been an inspiration to me and to the world, and I am deeply touched. I love you.”

Marking her second icon award of 2025 — she received an equivalent honor at May’s Jennifer Lopez-hosted American Music Awards — Jackson has spent the year tearing through a 22-show run at Resorts World Theatre in Las Vegas for her latest concert residency. On Dec. 29, she will play her final show of the year at Yaamava’ Theater in Highland, Calif. Earlier this year, Jackson hit No. 92 on the Billboard Hot 100 with Cardi B’s “Principal,” making her just the third woman in Billboard history to reach that chart for a fifth consecutive calendar decade with new material.


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23 Oct 2025

Jonas Brothers & Pharrell Williams to Perform at 2025 World Series Games 1 & 2

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The World Series heads north of the border for the first time in 32 years, and the MLB has tapped Pharrell Williams alongside the Voices of Fire choir and the Jonas Brothers to perform at the first two games of the Fall Classic.

Before the Toronto Blue Jays and Los Angeles Dodgers take the field at Rogers Centre on Friday (Oct. 24), Pharrell and the Voices of Fire will perform a synthesized two-track set of cuts from the choir’s OPHANIM album. Voices of Fire is also set to perform the U.S. and Canadian national anthems ahead of game one.

The MLB will pass the bat to the Jonas Brothers for the second game. The band will perform “I Can’t Lose” from the New Jersey-bred group’s Greetings From Your Hometown on the diamond on Saturday night (Oct. 25).

“We’re proud to celebrate our partnership with Mastercard in support of Stand Up to Cancer during such a meaningful moment at the World Series with a performance of ‘I Can’t Lose’ in tribute to this powerful campaign,” said the Jonas Brothers in a statement. “As lifelong baseball fans, it’s special to be part of a moment where music and purpose come together.”

Before playoff baseball was in the air, the MLB recruited Pharrell and the Voices of Fire to star in the league’s “October Hits Different” campaign.

“Virginia taught me the power of music and community,” Pharrell said in a statement at the time. “Bringing Voices of Fire to the postseason stage shows how those same forces of unity can come alive through sport.”

It’s an intercountry battle with the Toronto Blue Jays facing off against the powerhouse Los Angeles Dodgers in the World Series. Behind superstars Shohei Ohtani and Mookie Betts, the Dodgers will look to secure back-to-back championships, while the Jays are hoping to clinch their first World Series ring since 1993.

First pitch for games one and two is slated for 8 p.m. ET on Friday and Saturday.


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23 Oct 2025

Reba McEntire to Host ‘Christmas in Rockefeller Center’ Special: ‘It’s Time!’

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Reba McEntire is set to usher in the holidays as host of this year’s Christmas in Rockefeller Center special, which will air Dec. 3 at 8 p.m. on NBC and simulcast on Peacock.

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The two-hour special, held at Rockefeller Center in New York City, will celebrate the holidays with the lighting of one of the world’s most well-known trees. McEntire will not only host the special, but she will perform throughout the night. The three-time Grammy winner won’t be the only musical performer that evening — a full lineup of musical guests is slated to be announced soon.

McEntire is currently a coach on season 28 of NBC’s The Voice and starring in the network’s comedy Happy’s Place, which will start its second season on Nov. 7. Of course, the star is also no stranger to spearheading a television special, as she has hosted the ACM Awards 18 times. In 2017 and 2018, McEntire also served as host and performer for the Country Music Association’s CMA Country Christmas holiday special. Over the years, the Country Music Hall of Famer has released holiday albums including 1987’s Merry Christmas to You, 1999’s The Secrets of Giving and 2017’s My Kind of Christmas.

Universal Television, in association with Jesse Collins Entertainment, is producing Christmas in Rockefeller Center, with Jesse Collins, Dionne Harmon and Jeannae Rouzan-Clay serving as executive producers, and Glenn Weiss directing.

McEntire announced her role on Christmas in Rockefeller Center with a sweet social media video that showed McEntire holding up a strand of holiday lights, while lip synching to a snippet of Mariah Carey’s famous “It’s time!” announcement that Carey uses to ring in the holidays.

See the video below:

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23 Oct 2025

50 Cent Says He’d Accept an Invite to Taylor Swift, Travis Kelce’s Wedding — and Collab With Her

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50 Cent is looking to go from “In Da Club” to the wedding reception. The G-Unit sat down with ExtraTV on Wednesday (Oct. 22), during which 50 relayed he’d gladly accept an invite to Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce’s wedding.

“I would make my way over there,” 50 said when asked if he’d pull up to the wedding. The 50-Taylor chatter has been bubbling since Swift name-dropped the Queens legend on her The Life of a Showgirl track “Ruin the Friendship.”

“It really is cool because when she makes the reference, it’s to what was going on in culture at that time. The music, you couldn’t miss it,” he said. “What she was making reference to is the period that no one was more prominent in music at that point.”

50 added that he’s a fan of T-Swift’s fiancé, Travis Kelce, and even seemingly took a playful jab at the Kansas City Chiefs tight end’s last relationship before Swift.

“I like her boyfriend, too. I like the team, I like KC,” he said. “I do [like them together]. I like it a lot better than the last thing he had going on. It’s a lot better.”

50 Cent would come out of rap retirement to potentially hop on a Swift track as well, but agreed it’s totally up to her as one of music’s giants shaping the industry. “You got to ask her because you know how big Taylor Swift is right now? She has to have a record that sounds like it might sound good with 50,” he said.

The shout-out from Swift to 50 on “Ruin the Friendship” goes: “And it was not an invitation/ But as the 50 Cеnt song played/ Should’ve kissed you anyway.”

50 Cent was ecstatic to hear the name-drop and immediately took to social media to flex for his millions of followers. “@taylorswift s–t is popping right now,” Fiddy wrote on Oct. 3, the day her album arrived. “she shout me out, she don’t shout you out. LOL. THIS IS FOR BIG TIMERS ONLY! I’m the only shout out on the whole album.”

“Ruin the Friendship” serves as the sixth track on Swift’s 12th studio album, and the song debuted at No. 11 on the Billboard Hot 100.

Watch the full 50 Cent interview below.


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23 Oct 2025

Chappell Roan Unveils Midwest Princess Fund for Trans Youth — and She’s Already Raised $400K

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Chappell Roan is walking the walk. After advocating for the LGBTQ+ community throughout her career, the pop star has announced a fund called the Midwest Princess Project supporting vulnerable trans youth.

The news came in the form of an Instagram post on Thursday (Oct. 23), with Roan writing, “I am so excited to announce @midwestprincessproject, an organization we’ve launched to provide support and needed resources for trans youth and LGBTQ+ communities!”

“The Midwest Princess Project already raised over $400,000 at my Visions of Damsels & Other Dangerous Things Pop-Up Shows, and those funds will be donated to incredible organizations making a positive impact for trans youth in their communities,” she continued. “Outside of transaction fees to host the donation page and limited costs for my team to effectively manage the project, we have committed to donating every dollar possible to the organizations that need it most.”

Among the organizations that have benefitted so far from Roan’s fund are the Ali Forney Center and The LGBT Center in New York; Trans Wellness Center and TransLatin@ Coalition in Los Angeles; and The GLO Center and The Center Project in Missouri. Each of those organizations were local to the three cities the Grammy winner performed in for her recent run of Visions of Damsels & Other Dangerous Things Pop-Up Shows, which contributed $1 per ticket sold to the Midwest Princess Project.

The launch of Roan’s fund marks a natural next step in her career, which she’s spent fiercely defending the rights of queer and trans people. One of the most notable instances of this was when she revealed at Gov Ball 2024 that she’d declined an invitation to perform at the White House’s Pride Month festivities, saying at the time, “We want liberty, freedom and justice for all … That means freedom in trans rights.”

In 2023, Roan penned a love letter to the LGBTQ+ community for Billboard. “To the community that saved me,” she wrote at the time. “‘Thank God I’m gay’ is a sentence I thought I’d never say, but it’s true. Thank God I love women. Thank God you taught me to accept myself, inspired me to dress loud and dance the way I have dreamt of since I was nine.”


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23 Oct 2025

Spotify’s Next Big Move: AI, Owning Fandom & Ending Spam With Sam Duboff | Billboard on the Record

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Is Spotify becoming more than just a place to stream songs? This week, Spotify’s global head of marketing and policy, music business, Sam Duboff, joins host Kristin Robinson to talk about how the platform is evolving to serve both artists and fans in new ways. From developing AI tools with the music industry’s consent to removing spam from the platform, Duboff shares how Spotify is working to deepen listener connections and turn viral hits into lasting fandom. He dives into Spotify’s shift from a streaming service to the home of an entire music ecosystem, plus, what new features are coming next to help artists grow, connect and get paid.

Love what you hear? Follow Billboard On The Record on Instagram, Apple Podcasts, Spotify and Youtube @billboard so you never miss an episode.

Billboard On The Record is a podcast in partnership with SickBird Productions. 

Kristin Robinson: There’s been a lot going on at Spotify in the last few months. You might’ve heard that Daniel Ek, the company’s founder and CEO, has stepped down from his post, triggering a shakeup in the company’s top brass. And you might’ve also heard that Spotify updated its policies on AI. This was very eagerly awaited by the music business given the company has come under fire for not having any AI specific policies in place yet to date, and to be more specific, Spotify strengthened its rules of spam on the platform, impersonation of artists and created a system for self disclosure of AI use.

And while some were very grateful for this, others felt that the strengthened policies did not actually go far enough. To be fair, it’s hard to know the right way to treat AI music on streaming services. It’s something that all of them are grappling with. If you demonetize AI music, for example, are you creating an incentive for a streaming service like Spotify to plug AI songs in their playlist recomendations, given they’re all now free? Or do you ban them from the platform? But what if AI songs become part of popular music culture?

And also there are significant dangers of doing nothing about it, too. Like, what if someone uses AI to copy you voice into a song, and tags it into a page using all of your fans? To top it off, Spotify is rolling out a series of new features, as well.

Keep watching for more!