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Like magic, the soundtrack for Wicked: For Good materializes at No. 1 on the ARIA Albums Chart.
For Good is, of course, the sequel to Wicked, the soundtrack for which peaked at No. 3 on the ARIA Chart in December 2024, and bounces on the latest frame, up 30-15.
Co-stars Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo contribute vocals to many of the 11 new tracks, including “Every Day More Wicked,” “Wonderful” and the closer, “For Good”. Although not a Grande solo effort, Wicked: For Good marks the sixth time she has appeared at No. 1 on the ARIA Chart, following My Everything (from 2014), Dangerous Woman (2016), Sweetener (2018), Thank U, Next (2019) and Eternal Sunshine (2024), which holds at No. 29 on the current chart. For Erivo, it’s her first stint in the Australian chart penthouse.
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Also new to the tally, published Friday, Nov. 28, is Australian pop-punk band SoSo’s So Much For Second Chances, new at No. 4. “We are absolutely blown away,” reads a statement from the band. “This is something we are incredibly proud of and we owe it all to our SoSo Crew: you know who you are!”
Produced by Stevie Knight (Yours Truly, Stand Atlantic, Between You & Me), Second Chances could be closely followed by new music. “This means so much to us as an independent band,” the statement continues, “we can’t wait to share what we have cooking up next.”
Melbourne rockers The Smith Street Band bag a ninth top 50 album with Once I Was Wild, new at No. 14, while Midnight Til Morning are close behind with their debut EP, Afterglow, new at No. 16. The pop-punk outfit was formed during the Netflix competition series Building The Band. Despite being eliminated in the semis, the group has enjoyed international success, including sold-out shows in North America, the U.K. and Europe, and in Australia, the homeland of bandmates Conor Smith and Mason Watts. Midnight Til Morning are signed to and managed by Michael Chugg’s Chugg Music.
The Fab Four make another impression on the Australian chart as the fourth and latest instalment of the Beatles‘ Anthology series starts at No. 20. The first, Anthology 1, led the chart for two weeks in 1995, the year in which the original eight-part TV series aired. Anthology 2 hit No. 2 the following year and Anthology 3 peaked at No. 3 later in 1996. All four of the albums are packaged as the Anthology Collection, new at No. 32. According to ARIA, the Beatles have notched 14 No. 1s on the national albums chart.
Over on the ARIA Singles Chart, Olivia Dean retains top spot for a second week with “Man I Need,” which she performed at the 2025 ARIA Awards in Sydney, and again for a special open-air concert at Fleet Steps. The English singer’s former No. 1 album, The Art of Loving, enjoys a lot of love in these parts, lifting 4-2. Also, Dean’s “So Easy (To Fall In Love)” (up 5-4 ), “Nice To Each Other” (up 9-8) and “Let Alone The One You Love” (up 36-25) are all on the move, each improving to new peak positions.
The top debut this week belongs to K-pop boyband Stray Kids, with Do It. It’s new at No. 10, the group’s best chart performance in Australia, easily eclipsing the No. 64 peak for 2023’s Lalalala. Stray Kids have an Aussie connection: Felix was born in Sydney and Bangchan was born in Seoul, raised in Sydney.
Canadian singer and writer Tate McRae lands another top 20 start with “Nobody’s Girl,” at No. 19.
And finally, Tame Impala is, once again, the only homegrown artist with a single in the top 50, as “Dracula” dips 28-33.
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Richard Branson has remembered his late wife Joan Templeman as the “shining star” around which the Branson “family’s universe has always orbited.”
In a pair of posts on Instagram, Branson, the British businessman who founded the Virgin Group and launched scores of recording careers through his labels Virgin Records and V2, said he was “devastated” at the death of Templeman, aged 80.
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“Heartbroken to share that Joan, my wife and partner for 50 years, has passed away,” he writes. “She was the most wonderful mum and grandmum our kids and grandkids could have ever wished for. She was my best friend, my rock, my guiding light, my world. Love you forever, Joan.”
The pair married on Necker island in 1989, owned by Branson, and had three children three children — Holly, Sam, and Clare Sarah, who died after four days — and five grandchildren.
In a followup post, Branson writes of her “radiant smile,” her joyfulness, kindness and her nurturing instincts. “Life will never be the same without her. But we have fifty incredible years of memories – years filled with tears and laughter, kindness, and a love that shaped our family more than words could ever capture. It was a relationship that worked. We just had lots of laughs. We were very lucky.”
Branson met his wife back in 1976 at the Manor, Virgin Records’ live-in recording studio. He fell for her “almost from the moment I saw her,” he wrote on his blog in 2020. “Joan was a down-to-earth Scottish lady and I quickly realized she wouldn’t be impressed by my usual antics.”
Templeman was, in his mind, Branson’s better half. “Joan has always been a steady source of wisdom and has played no small part in some of my better life decisions.” It was Templeman who convinced Branson to buy Necker island, for a knockdown price, which he went on to describe as “one of the best decisions I’ve ever made.”
Although the cause of death has yet to be announced, Branson confirms he was by Templeman’s side when she passed “quickly and painlessly”.
Joan’s “light is not gone,” he continues. “It’s just taken on a new shape. It will guide us forward. And we will carry her with us, always.”
Branson is considered one of Britain’s most successful entrepreneurs. He founded the Virgin brand with Nik Powell in the early 1970s, initially with Virgin Records, before expanding into other industries including air travel, record stores, hotels, wines, space tourism and more. He sold Virgin Records to Thorn EMI in 1992 for £560 million ($804 million), and continued to own the Virgin Megastores music retail chain until 2007, when the market for CDs was in a state of collapse.
Branson and Virgin Group returned to the record business in November 1996 with the launch of the indie label V2. Virgin Group sold a chunk in V2 Records to Morgan Stanley in 2002, and disposed its remaining stake to the U.S. investment bank in May 2006. UMG reached an agreement to buy V2 from Morgan Stanley later that year.
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Eleven, Steve Harrington, Max Mayfield and all the favorites from Stranger Things are back in our lives, as the beloved sci-fi series rolls out for a fifth season.
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From today, Nov. 28, fans everywhere can also soak up tunes from the latest episodes.
The digital edition of Season 5, Volume 1 premieres today, and includes pop and rock classics by ABBA, Michael Jackson, The Psychedelic Furs, Tiffany and others.
Volume 2 will drop online Dec. 26, and Volume 3 will arrive Jan. 1, 2026, collecting all three volumes with additional material.
Then, on Friday, Jan. 30, 2026, the complete Stranger Things: Soundtrack from the Netflix Series, Season 5 will be available on CD, vinyl and red cassette configurations, through Legacy Recordings, the catalog division of Sony Music Entertainment. Colored vinyl formats include standard black, Amazon’s exclusive red smoke, Target’s exclusive blue smoke, Walmart’s exclusive orange marble, and the Sony Music Store’s marble yellow exclusive.
The three-stage release mirrors the fifth and final season of Stranger Things, which is staggered with three volumes, led off by the first four episodes which premiered Wednesday, Nov. 26.
Netflix gave fans a taste of things to come with the engrossing official trailer that debuted in October, and features a remix of Queen’s “Who Wants To Live Forever,” a tear-jerker that originally appeared in Russell Mulcahy’s ‘80s sci-fi action film Highlander.
The Duffer Brothers and two-time Grammy nominee and Emmy winner Nora Felder conceptualized and produced the soundtrack album, which can be pre-ordered here.
Since its first season in 2016, Stranger Things has taken millions back to the ‘80s, into the Upside Down, and, along the way, flourished as a cultural phenomenon.
Where the show has launched the careers of its young actors, and pushed several of its veteran cast into the spotlight, its creators have also found a sweet spot with its soundtrack. Season Four reenergized Kate Bush’s 1985 song “Running Up That Hill (A Deal With God)” into a global, chart-topping smash, and the use of Metallica’s “Master of Puppets” in a pivotal scene during the season finale powered the rock song into the Billboard Hot 100 for the first time.
Tracklist – Stranger Things: Soundtrack from the Netflix Series, Season 5, Vol. 1
1. “Rockin’ Robin” — Michael Jackson
2. “I Think We’re Alone Now” -– Tiffany
3. “Fernando” -– ABBA
4. “Mr. Sandman” — The Chordettes
5. “Pretty In Pink” — The Psychedelic Furs
6. “Sh-Boom” — The Chords
7. “Oh Yeah” — Yello
8. “To Each His Own” (Inspired by the Paramount Picture To Each His Own) — Freddy Martin & His Orchestra *
* Not included in Vinyl & cassette configurations
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Post Malone used his halftime spot at the Dallas Cowboys’ Thanksgiving home game Thursday night (Nov. 27) to pay tribute to Marshawn Kneeland, the late Cowboys defensive end.
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“We love you, 94,” Posty said near the end of his three-song medley at Arlington’s AT&T Stadium, referencing the number Kneeland wore during his two seasons with the Cowboys. “We love you.”
The “Rockstar” singer also sported a No. 94 pin on his blue and white satin jacket for the Cowboys’ duel with Kansas City Chiefs.
Kneeland died by a gunshot to the head earlier this month, at the age of just 24. His death is being investigated as a suicide.
A product of Western Michigan Broncos, the footballer earned second-team Mid-American Conference (MAC) honors in 2023, and, the following year, was selected by the Cowboys in the second round of the NFL draft.
For Posty, the high-profile gig was a triumphant homecoming. The celebrated hip-hop artist (real name: Austin Post) was raised in Grapevine, Texas, and his dad, Rich Post, was assistant director of food and beverage at the stadium from 2005 to 2019.
“I’m from Texas. I grew up a Cowboys fan and have been watching this halftime show for years,” Malone commented in a statement published on the Cowboys’ official site. “It’s a real honor to be part of the Red Kettle Kickoff with The Salvation Army and the Dallas Cowboys and help bring hope to so many people.”
For the big show, Posty powered through “Wrong Ones,” “Wow” and “I Had Some Help.”
Malone’s Thanksgiving thank-you might’ve done enough to lifted his beloved franchise, as the Cowboys ran out winners 31-28.
Post doesn’t pass on the opportunity to perform under the bright lights of the NFL. His previous football gigs include the Baltimore Ravens and Houston Texans’ Christmas Day show last year; he performed before the 2024 Super Bowl when he sang “America the Beautiful,” and earlier in the year he headlined the Super Bowl 59 YouTube tailgate concert.
See clips from Post Malone’s halftime performance below.
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Garth Brooks’ comeback era is often remembered for its stadium-level noise, but the mechanics behind it are just as compelling. And in a new livestream special, titled, Garth Brooks Backstage & Behind-the-Scenes, the country artist examines the stories and setbacks behind his last tour that went on to inspire his latest release, The Anthology Part VI: The Comeback, The Next Five Years, a new book and music project that offers a rare look at the working engine behind major-scale touring.
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Garth Brooks Backstage & Behind-the-Scenes airs Dec. 1 at 7 p.m. ET right here on Billboard.com powered by TalkShopLive. Fresh off performing at the 2025 Songwriters Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony, where he paid tribute to the Doobie Brothers, Brooks will share stories from his tour and anecdotes from the new book, while answering viewer questions about his favorite albums and upcoming projects.
Viewers will also have a chance to purchase limited-edition copies of The Anthology, Part VI in real-time, as well as pick-up the full Anthology set of parts I-VI.
The special approaches the anthology from an industry perspective, focusing on the operations that carried Brooks through a three-year stadium run, a national dive-bar series, and the unpredictable stops and starts of the Covid-19 pandemic. Those moments are paired with more than 150 behind-the-scenes photographs that trace how crews navigated weather, safety, cancellations, reopenings, and the pressure of performing for more than 80,000 people each night.
Brooks emphasizes that these images are more than documentation: “Sometimes photography says a billion things that words can’t even capture,” he says.
The special also includes commentary on Brooks’ most recent albums, 2020’s FUN! and 2024’s Time Traveler, and the singer will play audio clips from stadium and arena shows on his last tour. He’ll also draw insight from the band and crew who held the tour together, to offer what TalkShopLive describes as “a close-up examination of how a modern touring operation evolves under extreme conditions — and how an artist adapts right alongside it.”
Watch the Garth Brooks special right here on Billboard.com at 7 p.m. ET on December 1. Orders placed for The Anthology, Part VI: The Comeback, The Next Five Years from TalkShopLive will ship on December 5, right in time for the holidays.
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Garth Brooks Official Stadium Tour Black Photo Tour T-Shirt
Ths new livestream marks Brooks’ return to Billboard after the artist helped to kick off Billboard Live Shopping Week with TalkShopLive in 2023.
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It was no surprise that Jack White performed The White Stripes’ “Seven Nation Army,” a sporting anthem, during his halftime set on Thursday (Nov. 27) at the Detroit Lions’ annual Thanksgiving Day Classic at Ford Field.
The real surprise came with a guest appearance by fellow Detroit icon Eminem, who co-executive produced the event alongside his manager, Paul Rosenberg.
The superstar rapper, decked out in a hoodie and custom-made Lions jacket, electrified the sold-out crowd by joining White and his band halfway through their seven-minute set for a mashup of Em’s “Till I Collapse” with the White Stripes’ “Hello Operator,” a pairing that was sandwiched between White’s “That’s How I’m Feeling” and “Seven Nation Army.”
It was a first-ever onstage meeting between the two Detroit music standard bearers. It came in the wake of the White Stripes’ induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on Nov. 8, and also coincided with the 10th anniversary of the opening of White’s Third Man Records location in his hometown. Eminem was inducted into the Rock Hall in 2022.
White played a blue guitar for the occasion, while his rhythm section sported Lions attire. “I love you Detroit,” the rocker shouted as the performance came to a feedback-drenched conclusion. More than 400 Lions season ticket holders who volunteered to be part of the show rocked along in front of the stage.
Eminem and White — who each created special limited edition merchandise related to the game and halftime show — were well represented before the performance as well. The Ford Field PA blasted “Seven Nation Army” shortly before the Lions took the field, and White’s “Taking Me Back” during the time-out music in the first quarter. “Till I Collapse” was featured as hype music prior to kickoff.
The show marked the first event in a new three-year partnership between the Detroit Lions, Burbank-based Jesse Collins Entertainment — known for producing previous Super Bowl halftime shows — and Eminem and Paul Rosenberg. Eminem and Rosenberg also collaborated with the Collins organization on the June 2024 concert celebrating the opening of Michigan Central, which also featured a performance by White.
JCE executive VP Seth Dudowsky told Billboard that conversations about Eminem and Rosenberg joining the production team began near the start of the NFL season, and once on board White quickly became a focal point of the Thanksgiving halftime discussion.
“We talked about how do we put on a show that really represents the attributes and values of the city and are true to the Lions and true to what Eminem and Paul had established there,” Dudowsky said. “When you talk about those elements and those values, Jack White was a perfect artist to… represent rock ‘n’ roll and be on that stage and somebody who not only spans Detroit, but anybody who’s been in stadiums and at sports events has heard [‘Seven Nation Army’] at some point.”
The Lions also launched a new initiative with Feeding America with Thursday’s game.
Adding to the day’s hometown flavor was Grammy-winning gospel singer CeCe Winans, a Detroit native who flew in that morning from Nashville to perform the National Anthem.
“It’s an honor,” Winans told Billboard at Ford Field. “I grew up with seven brothers and a dad, so the Lions game was on every year. There were 10 of us so we couldn’t get all those tickets, so we watched on TV. To be able to be here to do the anthem is a lot of fun, and honor and amazing.”
The Lions game against NFC North division rival Green Bay Packers was the first of three NFL Thanksgiving Day games.
Trending on Billboard Cynthia Erivo opened the 2025 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade with a breathtaking performance of “Feeling Good.” Standing on a small circular stage accompanied by a pianist, the 38-year-old Wicked: For Good star launched the annual New York City event on Thursday (Nov. 27) with a moving rendition of the classic song, made […]
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Ray J just can’t get out of his own way. Brandy’s brother was arrested on Thanksgiving Day after he allegedly pulled a gun on his ex-wife, Princess Love.
Trigger Warning.
But here’s the real kicker, it all went down while they were on a live stream.
Bruh…
The singer and reality star apparently crashed all the way out on Thursday morning (Nov. 27) and it was due to his Turkey Day getting off to a rough start.
Per TMZ:
The chaos erupted early Thursday morning, when Ray went live from inside his home — immediately ranting that he was having “the worst Thanksgiving in the f***ing world,” claiming someone was trying to take his kids and that he was also being threatened.
Things spiral instantly … with Ray J appearing to snatch a handgun off the table and load the pistol, saying, “If these n***as step foot close to this door I’m going to blow this f***ing sh*t away, bro.”
This is when the gravity of the situation was made clear because after some arguing is heard off camera, Princess Love is heard repeatedly saying, “you pointed a gun at us.”
Ray J dismissed the claims as her and a cousin being drunk.
Soon enough another couple enters and things escalate with the “Wait A Minute” artist making threats, noting that he has a gun. The authorities eventually arrived and, as you can probably have guessed, the crooner got pinched. According to TMZ, the authorities were called around 4 a.m. and were told of a possible domestic violence incident.
The court of social media has already accused Ray J of being abusive and his cancellation papers are essentially being drawn up. See for yourself below.
This story is developing.
Trending on Billboard HUNTR/X brought KPop Demon Hunters to the 2025 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. The fictional K-pop girl group — voiced by EJAE, Audrey Nuna and REI AMI — made its daytime television debut during the annual celebration in New York City on Thursday (Nov. 27). Accompanied by a giant balloon of the blue […]
Prosecutors charged three men Wednesday (Nov. 26) with murder in the death of 22-year-old Maria De La Rosa, who was shot over the weekend while sitting in a parked car in Los Angeles.
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De La Rosa, a Latin artist who performs under the name DELAROSA, was with two other people Saturday morning in the neighborhood of Northridge when three men came up to the car and demanded money, prosecutors said. Then, prosecutors said, they fired multiple rounds, hitting all three occupants.
De La Rosa later died at a hospital. The two other victims suffered critical injuries, prosecutors said.
“This was a ruthless and targeted attack that stole the life of a young woman and artist and inflicted profound lifelong trauma on her family and the two survivors,” LA County District Attorney Nathan Hochman said in a news release Wednesday.
A 27-year-old man was arrested the same day, and another 27-year-old man was arrested the next day. An arrest warrant has been issued for the third man, a 21-year-old. Attorneys for the first two could not be reached for comment.
All are from Northridge and were charged with one felony count of murder and two felony counts of attempted second-degree robbery.
DELAROSA has more than 40,000 followers on Instagram and released a single in August called, “No Me Llames,” which in English translates to “Don’t Call Me.” Under her most recent post on Instagram, many people acknowledged and commented on her death, including Jimmy Humilde, a founder of record label Rancho Humilde.
Her final Instagram post also teased new music. “Ocupada cocinando en el Stu 🎶👩🏻🍳no me llames 🪄🪞🐩 Ya es tiempo… GAME TIME BABY,” she wrote in Spanish, which translates to “Busy cookin in the Stu. don’t call me. It’s about that time.”
