Music

Phish Announces Las Vegas Sphere Return in 2026 

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Phish is heading back to Las Vegas. The iconic jam-rock group will return to Sphere next spring for a nine-show residency, expanding on the four-night run that marked its acclaimed debut at the venue in 2024.

The new dates — April 16–18, April 23–25 and April 30–May 2, 2026 — were announced Tuesday (Dec. 2) and immediately set off a rush among fans who have been anticipating the band’s return since their first immersive run.

A ticket request period is now open at tickets.phish.com through Dec. 8. Any remaining tickets will go on sale to the general public on Dec. 12 at 11 a.m. PT/2 p.m. ET.

Fans can also access limited travel packages, which bundle hotel rooms with show tickets. Those go on sale Wednesday at 10 a.m. PT via phishatsphere.100xhospitality.com.

Phish’s 2024 four-show residency at Sphere became an instant touchstone for the band’s huge fanbase. Each show featured completely different setlists and visuals, with animations and graphics that were “executed, modified and manipulated in real time,” according to the band — turning every night into a standalone experience for fans lucky enough to make it.

Whether the 2026 shows will employ the same one-off visual programming hasn’t been announced, but Phish’s reputation for never repeating a setlist suggests another round of inventive performances inside the 18,600-seat venue’s massive LED-dome environment.

The 2026 calendar for the Sphere is quickly filling with shows by Backstreet Boys in February, Latin superstar Carín León booked for September, and concerts planned for the Eagles, Illenium, No Doubt and Zac Brown Band.

Full ticketing and on-sale information is available at phish.com/tours.

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Here Are 10 Kids’ Cartoon Theme Songs Written & Performed by Rock Stars

Songs by Mark Mothersbaugh, Danny Elfman, Iggy Pop, Fall Out Boy’s Patrick Stump & more soundtrack these children’s animated series.


Cartoons are a staple of childhood, and plenty of musicians have kept their inner-kids alive by making music for animated shows that find their way into family living rooms (and, since it hasn’t stopped in the streaming era, tablets too).

Many famous artists have performed the themes written by others — like Aerosmith’s Joe Perry, who sings over the opening credits for Fox Kids’ Spider-Man: The Animated Series. Or Little Richard’s energetic take on The Magic School Bus and Simple Plan’s pop-punky gig for What’s New Scooby Doo. The B-52s sing Nickelodeon’s Rocko’s Modern Life track and Solange teamed up with her sister and Destiny’s Child for Disney Channel’s The Proud Family opener. Christina Milian entered the Disney family too, adding her voice to Kim Possible’s “Call Me, Beep Me!” And don’t forget Ziggy Marley and the Melody Makers’ delightful performance of “Believe in Yourself” while Arthur began on PBS.

But these nine tracks were written by the rock stars – some simply instrumental, others full on singable bops that get stuck in your head if you’re with a kid who loves the shows. Old-school rockers like Devo co-founder Mark Mothersbaugh, Oingo Boingo’s Danny Elfman and Iggy Pop are joined in this group by the likes of They Might Be Giants, Weezer’s Rivers Cuomo, Fall Out Boy’s Patrick Stump and blink-182‘s Mark Hoppus.

Whether the series follows babies, super heroes, extra-terrestrials, iconic Disney characters, famous toys or are adaptations of well-known kid’s literature, scroll through these rocking cartoon theme songs below.

Ray J Calls Out Jay-Z & Beyoncé + Claims They Never Show Love To Brandy When They Attend “The Boy Is Mine Tour’ Shows

Ray J Calls Out Jay-Z & Beyoncé + Claims They Never Show Love To Brandy When They Attend
“The Boy Is Mine Tour’ Shows

Ray J had a few things to get off his chest about Jay-Z and Beyoncé.

The singer hopped on Instagram to call out the couple for never showing love to Brandy when they visit “The Boy Is Mine Tour.”

As you know, Bey’s bestie Kelly Rowland is also on the tour.

Is Ray speaking facts or being dramatic?



Nick Jonas Celebrates Wedding Anniversary With Priyanka Chopra: ‘7 Years Married to My Dream Girl’

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After seven years of marriage, Nick Jonas is still a sucker for Priyanka Chopra.

In a sweet post on his Instagram Story on Monday (Dec. 1), the Jonas Brothers star shared a photo of his famous wife lounging on a towel by a luxurious pool. “7 years married to my dream girl,” he wrote in awe.

Reposting it on her own Story, the Bollywood icon added, “You’re what dreams are made of.”

The two stars first connected in 2016, after which they attended the 2017 Met Gala together as friends. But come 2018, Jonas and Chopra were fully a couple, with the pair both getting engaged and tying the knot that year.

In January 2022, they welcomed their first child together, daughter Malti. “Thank you @priyankachopra for the incredible Father Daughter sneakers and for making me a daddy I love you so much,” Jonas wrote on Instagram on Father’s Day that year.

The couple’s anniversary comes just a couple of days after Chopra shared photos of her adorable family and reflected on their life together in a Thanksgiving post on Instagram. “Sometimes I catch myself being in complete awe of the beauty, wonder and love all around me,” she wrote on Saturday (Nov. 29). “This thanksgiving I’m so grateful for health, joy, togetherness and the simple pleasures of life that we tend to take for granted sometimes … I’m just reminding myself one of the best things in life is being able to be surrounded by your loved ones.”

Fans of the Chopra-Jonas family can catch all three of them in Hulu’s new A Very Jonas Christmas Move, which premiered on Nov. 14 alongside a corresponding soundtrack. The Quantico alum makes a brief cameo with little Malti at the very end, appearing alongside the rest of the Jonas family to help welcome Nick, Joe and Kevin home for the holidays after a tumultuous world tour.

The life Nick and Chopra have built together will now inform the former’s first solo album in five years, Sunday Best, which is set to drop Feb. 6 next year. Featuring 11 tracks, the project will find the musician sharing his perspectives as a husband and father.

“I’m so excited to share these new stories, candid thoughts, quiet walks home in the city, and snapshots of my life over these past few years,” he said in a statement at the time of the album announcement on Monday. “And while this album was made over the course of the last two years, it was truly 33 years in the making.”


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Jussie Smollett Has No Issue With Kendrick Lamar’s ‘Heart Part 5’ Deepfake: ‘You Ain’t Going to See Me Putting Out No Diss Track’

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Kendrick Lamar knows a thing or two about diss tracks — and it sounds like he won’t have to worry about one from Jussie Smollett anytime soon.

During an episode of Cam Newton’s Funky Fridays podcast over the weekend, the Empire star reflected on Lamar’s controversial 2022 “The Heart Part 5” music video, in which the rapper morphed into deepfaked versions of embattled Black male celebrities such as Smollett, Will Smith, O.J. Simpson, Ye (formerly Kanye West) and Nipsey Hussle.

“Maybe I’m completely naive, so don’t f—ing fill me in about anything… but I don’t know. I don’t know what Kendrick meant by the video. I really don’t,” Smollett said with a laugh. “I respect him as an artist, and that’s about as far as it can go. You ain’t going to see me putting out no diss track against him, I’m not doing that!”

When Lamar dropped “The Heart Part 5,” which won 2023 Grammys for best rap song and best rap performance, he neglected to provide a statement contextualizing the immediately divisive and intensely political music video. Given his selection of Black male celebrities battling various scandals, some viewers interpreted the Dave Free-co-directed video as a commentary on hypocrisy, fame and public perception. “Heart Part 5” earned additional Grammy nominations for best music video, as well as song and record of the year.

The music video, which also picked up two MTV Video Music Awards nods, arrived three years after Smollett was arrested for staging an alleged hate crime, sued by the city of Chicago, and sentenced to 150 days in jail. He ultimately served six days behind bars before being released on bond and having his conviction overturned in 2024. Due to the scandal, Empire writers removed Smollett’s character from the final two episodes of the series’ fifth season. Through the show, Smollett reached the Billboard Hot 100 with soundtrack singles such as “Keep Your Money” (No. 99), “You’re So Beautiful” (No. 47, with Yazz) and “Conqueror” (No. 42, with Estelle).

“Most people have made up their minds about what they want to believe,” the vocalist told Newton. “Either way, okay. Because at this point, my people know. My mother has always known. My siblings have always known. My love has always known.”

For his part, Lamar is up for another nine Grammy nominations at the 2026 awards show. At February’s ceremony, Lamar will contend in a slew of categories, including album of the year (GNX) and song and record of the year (“Luther,” with SZA). At the 2025 Grammys, the Pulitzer Prize winner took home five trophies for his searing Drake diss “Not Like Us.”

Watch Smollett’s full conversation with Cam Newton below.

Aubrey O’Day Alleges Diddy Would Email Her ‘Pictures Of His P3nis,’ & Says She Was Fired From Danity Kane For Not Participating S3xually

Aubrey O’Day Alleges Diddy Would Email Her ‘Pictures Of His P3nis,’ & Says She Was Fired From Danity Kane For Not Participating S3xually

Aubrey O’Day was never one to bite her tongue when it came to Diddy.

In the new #Netflix docuseries, she said she received “emails with pictures of [Diddy’s] p3nis,” and soon after, she was let go from Danity Kane, claiming the firing was directly tied to her refusal to engage with his advances. Aubrey shared one of the alleged emails from Diddy out loud, which read, “‘I don’t wanna just f*ck you. I wanna turn you out. …I make my woman do what I tell her to do, and she loves it. I just want — and like — to do things different. I’mma finish watching this p*rn and finish m@$turbating. I’ll think of you, happy face. If you change your mind and get ready to do what I say, hit me.
_______

Aubrey described how #Diddy allegedly singled her out within the group and set expectations beyond music: “Diddy made it clear that I was ‘the looker,’” she said. Aubrey added that when she declined to comply with his demands, she was dropped from #DanityKane, saying plainly, “I absolutely felt that I was fired for not participating s3xually.”
_______

Later in the doc, she addressed one of the multiple civil lawsuits filed against Diddy, where a woman alleged that she accidentally walked into a room where Aubrey was “sprawled out on a leather couch, looking very inebriated. …[Diddy] was penetrating in her v@gin@, and there was another stalky light-skinned man with his p3nis in her mouth.” Addressing the serious claim, Aubrey said, “I didn’t have a recollection of this.” She added, “Does this mean I was r@ped? … I don’t want to find out any more that that woman has to say.

#AubreyODay’s full claims are featured in the docuseries “Sean Combs: The Reckoning,” executive produced by #50Cent.



10 Things We Learned About From 50 Cent’s ‘Sean Combs: The Reckoning’ Diddy Documentary

When 50 Cent initially announced plans to put together a documentary surrounding Diddy and his longtime foe’s history of alleged sexual abuse tied to his federal case, many figured that was the G-Unit mogul back at his typical trolling ways.

Netflix picked up the documentary, produced by 50 Cent and directed by Alex Stapleton, and a release date for Tuesday (Dec. 2) was revealed last week, cementing that 50 was in fact very serious about putting the docuseries together.

Sean Combs: The Reckoning is broken down into four episodes about an hour in length each, detailing the rise and fall of Diddy, with contributions from those who worked close to him throughout his decorated hip-hop career — as well as those who were victims of his mental, physical and sexual abuse over the years. There’s also an episode dedicated to Diddy’s involvement in the East Coast-West Coast feud, and his ties to the deaths of The Notorious B.I.G. and 2Pac.

“I’ve been committed to real storytelling for years through G-Unit Film and Television,” 50 said in a statement. “I’m grateful to everyone who came forward and trusted us with their stories, and proud to have Alexandria Stapleton as the director on the project to bring this important story to the screen.”

The Reckoning filmmakers also got their hands also got their hands on revealing footage of Combs filming his day-to-day life in the days leading up to his eventual arrest on federal charges in September 2024.

“Being a woman in the industry, and going through the #MeToo movement — watching giants in music and film go on trial, and to know what their outcomes were … When Cassie dropped her lawsuit, I just thought this could go a million different directions,” director Stapleton added. “I wondered how she had the confidence to go out there against a mogul like Sean Combs. As a filmmaker, I instantly knew it was a stress test of whether we’ve changed as a culture, as far as being able to process allegations like this in a fair way.”

Stapleton continued: “This isn’t just about the story of Sean Combs or the story of Cassie, or the story of any of the victims, or the allegations against him, or the trial. Ultimately, this story is a mirror [reflecting us] as the public, and what we are saying when we put our celebrities on such a high pedestal. I hope [this documentary] is a wake-up call for how we idolize people, and to understand that everybody is a human being.”

The docuseries features interviews with a pair of jurors from Combs’ federal trial, who shed light on the jury’s decision to reach a mixed verdict as well as what they saw inside the courtroom.

Diddy was sentenced to 50 months in prison with time served after being found guilty on a pair of federal prostitution charges, but avoided the harsher charges when the embattled mogul was acquitted of racketeering and sex trafficking in October.

A spokesperson for Diddy declined to comment on the specific allegations made in the series. “Many of the people featured have longstanding personal grievances, financial motives, or credibility issues that have been documented for years,” Juda Engelmayer said in a statement to USA TODAY. “Several of these stories have already been addressed in court filings, and others were never raised in any legal forum because they’re simply not true. The project was built around a one-sided narrative led by a publicly admitted adversary, and it repeats allegations without context, evidence, or verification. Sean Combs will continue to address legitimate matters through the legal process, not through a biased Netflix production.”

Here are 10 things we learned about from Sean Combs: The Reckoning.


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‘Wicked: For Good’ Flies Into Top 10 on 7 Billboard Charts

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The Wicked: For Good film soundtrack debuts in the top 10 across seven Billboard charts (dated Dec. 6), including No. 1 on both the Soundtracks ranking and Vinyl Albums.

Led by its stars Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande, the album soars in with 122,000 equivalent album units earned in the United States in the week ending Nov. 27, according to Luminate. That sum marks the largest debut week for a soundtrack in 2025.

Plus, on the overall all-genre Billboard 200, as Wicked: For Good debuts at No. 2, it logs 2025’s highest-debut for a soundtrack — and the highest arrival since the first Wicked soundtrack also opened at No. 2 a year ago, on the Dec. 7, 2024-dated chart.

In addition to Wicked: For Good’s chart-topping bow on Soundtracks and Vinyl Albums, and its No. 2 entry on the Billboard 200, the album also makes top 10 starts on Top Album Sales (No. 2), Top Current Album Sales (No. 2), Indie Store Album Sales (No. 4) and Top Streaming Albums (No. 6).

Four tracks from the Wicked: For Good soundtrack also take a bow on the overall all-genre Billboard Hot 100 songs chart: Erivo and Grande’s “For Good” (No. 43), Erivo’s “No Good Deed” (No. 56), Erivo and Jonathan Bailey’s “As Long As You’re Mine” (No. 91) and Grande’s “The Girl In the Bubble” (No. 100).

Wicked: For Good premiered in movie theaters on Nov. 21 and has earned over $270 million at the U.S. and Canada box office. It follows the first Wicked film, which was released in 2024 and garnered 10 Academy Award nominations, including two wins (for costume design and production design).

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‘Hey Girls… How Bout Vegas?’: Hilary Duff Announces Valentine’s Day Weekend Residency in Las Vegas

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Need plans for Valentine’s Day? Look no further. Hilary Duff just announced a mini-residency in Las Vegas with dates happening all holiday weekend, with tickets going on sale soon.

As revealed Tuesday (Dec. 2), the Lizzie McGuire alum will be taking the Voltaire stage at The Venetian in Sin City on Feb. 13, 14 and 15 next year. “hey girls… how bout Vegas?” Duff wrote in an Instagram post about the news. “i can’t wait to see you.”

The singer-actress added that fans can now sign up for a ticket pre-sale, which runs from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. ET on Wednesday (Dec. 3).

Duff’s shows in Vegas mark just the latest development in her musical comeback. After going 10 years without releasing an album, the star announced in November that her next full-length, Luck…or Something, is set to arrive Feb. 20.

“I am often asked how I still have my head on straight after growing up in this industry,” she said in a statement at the time. “The album title is my way of answering that question.”

The Venetian shows also add to the run of intimate performances Duff previously announced for 2026. Her Small Rooms, Big Nerves Tour will kick off on Jan. 19, with stops at London’s O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire, HISTORY in Toronto, the new Brooklyn Paramount theater and the Wiltern in Los Angeles.

Also on the horizon for Duff fans is a docuseries chronicling her return to music after spending years focusing more on acting projects. Assisting her on her comeback journey is Atlantic Records, which signed Duff to a label deal in September.

See Duff’s mini Vegas residency announcement below.


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‘Texas’ Two-Step: Ella Langley & Lainey Wilson Lead Country Song Charts

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Few times since Billboard’s Hot Country Songs and Country Airplay charts began coexisting have women ruled both lists in the same week. Just as Ella Langley scores her first Hot Country Songs No. 1, fellow country star Lainey Wilson captures her fifth leader on Country Airplay.

Langley, who has logged five top 10s on Hot Country Songs, all since October 2024, earns her first No. 1 with “Choosin’ Texas.” Co-written with Miranda Lambert, Luke Dick and Joybeth Taylor, the track jumps 4-1 on the chart dated Dec. 6 with 13.7 million official U.S. streams, 11.5 million in radio audience and 8,000 sold in the Nov. 21-27 tracking week, according to Luminate. The song, quickly becoming a career marker, reaches the top in just its sixth week.

Wilson, meanwhile, banks her fifth No. 1 on Country Airplay as the likewise Lone Star State-themed “Somewhere Over Laredo” also surges 4-1, with 28 million in audience (up 22%). Wilson co-wrote the track, which interpolates 1939’s The Wizard of Oz classic “Over the Rainbow.”

Only six times since the two charts began running side by side in October 2012 have solo women commanded both rankings at once. It first happened that same month, when Carrie Underwood’s “Blown Away” topped Country Airplay for two weeks while Taylor Swift’s “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together” led Hot Country Songs.

Such a double-up didn’t happen again until September 2016, when Kelsea Ballerini’s “Peter Pan” ruled both charts for a week. Gabby Barrett’s “I Hope” and Maren Morris’ “The Bones” paired up for a week in April 2020, followed by Lambert’s “Bluebird” and Barrett’s continued run with “I Hope” for a week that August. Barrett returned for the most recent occurrence until this week, as “The Good Ones” led both charts for two weeks beginning in late April 2021. Barrett and Ballerini are the only females to have led both charts simultaneously.

Billboard launched the all-encompassing Hot Country Songs chart in October 1958 and it became solely based on Luminate’s electronically monitored airplay data in January 1990. In October 2012, the chart adopted its current multimetric formula, while Country Airplay preserved a dedicated read on country radio. Because the charts now track different types of total consumption, they rarely align — which makes this week’s dual female leadership a genuinely uncommon moment.

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