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Taylor Swift has held onto the top spots on both the U.K.’s Official Albums and Singles Charts for a third consecutive week (Oct. 24).
The Life of a Showgirl retains the No. 1 on the LPs chart, while its lead single “The Fate of Ophelia” extends its reign at the summit of the Singles Chart for a third consecutive week. The latter is Swift’s longest-running No. 1 single since “Anti-Hero” from 2022’s Midnights earned six weeks at No. 1; “Is It Over Now? (Taylor’s Version)” (2023) and “Fortnight” (2024) lasted just a single week each.
In its opening week, The Life of a Showgirl smashed numerous records on its way to No. 1 in the U.K. The record had the fastest-selling opening week since 2017 with 423,00 units, trailing only Ed Sheeran’s Divide (672,000). It also became the fastest-selling album on vinyl this century in the U.K., and was named the U.K.’s most-streamed album over the course of seven days in its opening week. She’s also occupied the top spot of the Billboard 200 for the past fortnight.
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The Life of a Showgirl is her 14th U.K. No. 1 album, she also extends her lead with the most No. 1s on the U.K. Albums Charts for an international artist, and now ties for second overall with The Rolling Stones (14). The top spot is also currently a tie between The Beatles and Robbie Williams who both have 15 apiece.
Elsewhere, The Last Dinner Party score the week’s highest new entry with their sophomore album From The Pyre, which Billboard U.K. described as making “good on years of industry hype with a definitive artistic statement.” Their 2024 debut Prelude to Ecstasy peaked at No. 1 upon release.
Olivia Dean’s breakout moment continues as she takes the No. 3 spot on the Official Albums Chart with The Art of Loving, and she lands at No. 2 on the Official Singles Chart with “Man I Need”. Earlier this month, Dean achieved a rare double for a British artist with concurrent No. 1s on the aforementioned charts.
Despite a divisive response from fans and critics, Tame Impala’s Deadbeat closes the week at No. 4 and gives Kevin Parker his third top five album after Currents (2015) and The Slow Rush (2020) which both peaked at No. 3.
There’s little change on the U.K. Singles Chart as, “Golden” from KPop Demon Hunters ends the week at No. 3, RAYE’s “Where Is My Husband!” lifts one place to No. 4 and Swift’s “Opalite” slips one place to No. 5.
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BLACKPINK‘s LISA has a brand new obsession — and this time, it’s not Labubus. Teenieping, otherwise known as Catch! Teenieping, comes from a South Korean children’s show produced by SAMG Entertainment. LISA’s specific fixation? Heartsping or Diamond Heartsping, a loveable rabbit-like character from the kid’s show.
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LISA posted a carousel of photos to her Instagram on Oct. 23, sharing snapshots taken backstage. Two of the many photos saw the “Money” singer snapping a mirror selfie with a Heartsping-themed removable phone grip attached to her colorful Takashi Murakami Louis Vuitton case. Since posting those photos, SAMG Entertainment’s stock price rose sharply, a clear indicator of LISA’s major influence.
According to Naver Pay Securities, as of 2:59 PM KST on Oct. 24, SAMG Entertainment was trading at 61,600 KRW (approx. $42.82), up 18.92% from the previous closing price of 51,800 KRW (approx. $36.01). The company’s stock even reached 64,900 (approx. $45.12), marking a 25.29% increase at one point. One thing is for certain: never underestimate the power of K-Pop idols.
Caincosmetic Shooting Star Catch Teenieping Surprise Box 2 (Random 1 Figure Keyring Toy Inside)
A blind box of Teenieping characters.
If you want to get in on the Heartsping and Catch! Teenieping craze early, we’ve included a few of our favorite merch items from the show that you can shop now at Amazon. Our picks include a Catch! Teenieping blind box with eight available character keychains that you can snag at random. The box currently retails for $32.80. We’ve also included a traditional plushie of Heartsping in all her bright pink glory for $57.50. The plushie is extremely squishy and features show-accurate details down to the little stars on Heartsping’s head.
Shooting Star Catch Teenieping Heartsping
A plushie of Heartsping.
If you don’t know what a Labubu is, let us catch you up to speed. The toothy figure was created by Hong Kong-born artist Kasing Lung. The figure made its first appearance back in 2015 in an art series titled The Monsters.
The Labubu has been around for some time, however, it didn’t make it big until way later in April of 2024 when Lisa was seen with one of the fluffy collectibles fixed to her Louis Vuitton bag. Since Lisa’s introduction, you’ve got everyone from Rihanna and Dua Lipa to Kim Kardashian, Rosé, David Beckham, Lizzo, Madonna, BTS, Cher and even Lady Gaga participating in the trend that is Labubu mania, affixing their blind box acquisitions to bags, keys and luggage. With help from Lisa, will Heartsping be the next Labubu? Only time will tell.
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.
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With the 2025-26 NBA season in full swing and Halloween right around the corner, Nike is entering spooky season with holiday-themed basketball sneakers worth adding to your collection. From “Slim Reaper” KD18’s to a “Candy Corn Queen” A’One shoe, the brands most popular styles are receiving a fun, fright night makeover. Shop our five favorite Halloween-themed Nike basketball sneakers below.
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KD18 “Slim Reaper” Basketball Shoes
Starting off with the KD18’s, the signature basketball shoe for Kevin Durant, gets a Slim Reaper transformation inspired by the hoopers intimidating and unstoppable offensive presence that “defenders never see it coming,” according to Nike. The silhouette features a glow-in-the-dark outsole and a striking, slender skeleton hand design across the midfoot cage. If you’re looking to put fear in the heart of your opponent, grab of these special-edition KD18’s below for $170.
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Ja 3 “Spooky Season” Basketball Shoes
It’s scary times when you see Ja Morant charing full speed at you on the court. In honor of his ghostly quickness and bone-chilling bounce when attempting one of his viral posterizing dunks, Nike has kitted out the Ja 3 with a “spooky season” colorway. This special Halloween themed design features a zombie-esque aesthetic with a striking green and lemon yellow pairing and an eye-catching vertical red Swoosh logo next to a graffiti-sprayed “A”—and grimy scratch marks as a final touch. Go full zombie mode on the hardwood with the Nike Ja 3 Halloween.
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A’One “Candy Corn Queen” Basketball Shoes
Whether you love or hate candy corn, you can’t deny that this special edition colorway is a sweet treat for Halloween. Dubbed “Candy Corn Queen,” 4x WNBA MVP A’ja Wilson’s signature shoe includes a vibrant safety orange and chrome yellow gradient that pops across a midsole resembling candy-like textures. If you have a sweet tooth, these Nike’s will satisfy your craving.
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Book 1 “Scorpion” Basketball Shoes
The freaks come out at night, especially with latest Book 1 Halloween colorway. What may look like a sleek and minimal design with the light on, in the dark (or with a UV light) fans will notice creepy crawlers riddled all over the sneaker. There’s also a glow-in-the-dark outsole to add even more spooky elements. Devin Booker’s signature shoe receives a black-rainbow leather upper comes with a printed scorpion pattern hidden in plain sight.
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G.T. Hustle 3 “Haunted Heights” Basketball Shoes
“Haunting Heights” is a fitting name for the 7’5 superstar Victor Wembanyama. The tallest guy on the court is also a guy who can do everything. From dribbling, shooting, to blocking shots and defending, there’s nothing this San Antonio Spur can’t do. Coaches must lie awake at night haunted by trying plan schemes to stop Wemby. His Halloween-themed basketball shoe features a fiery orange tint with flame-motifs throughout.
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Not many cops can say they’ve arrested a supermodel, but Sabrina Carpenter can. The pop star added Gigi Hadid to her list of Juno girls on Thursday night (Oct. 23) as SC kicked off the final leg of the Short n’ Sweet Tour in Pittsburgh.
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Ahead of performing “Juno,” Carpenter walked toward the front of the stage where Hadid was standing and the model’s face was broadcast on the arena jumbotron when the police sirents went off. “What’s your name,” she asked. “Gigi, does that stand for gorgeous girl? Oh my God. Gigi, wow, where are you from?”
Rocking a leopard print top over a white t-shirt, Hadid replied: “Bucks County.”
Carpenter, being a fellow Pennsylvania, responded: “Bucks County? I’m kinda from there too. That’s so crazy. Maybe we are soulmates. Gigi, I’m getting so hot and flustered. Oh my God, s—t, that always happens when I get excited about love.”
The singer handed over the signature hot pink handcuffs to Hadid as the “Juno” beat began playing. “This one is for Gigi, everybody,” Carpenter exclaimed, as the model blew her a kiss.
Hadid reposted the clip of her arrest to her Instagram Story. “Guilty as charged,” she fittingly wrote.
It’s been a busy last week for Gigi Hadid, who returned to the runway as an Angel in the 2025 Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show on Oct. 15. However, she’s far from the first famous face to be arrested by Carpenter. Some previous celebrity Juno girls include Millie Bobby Brown, Margaret Qualley and Emma Bunton.
Sabrina Carpenter will hit the stage for a second Pittsburgh show on Friday (Oct. 24) before heading to New York City next week. Watch Sabrina arrest Gigi Hadid here.
Twelve albums, 12 lead singles.
10/24/2025
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The Velvet Sundown is an AI-generated rock four-piece that captured worldwide attention in June after word of the surreptitiously computer-made music spread online. The music is a mix of classic rock, folk and psychedelic Americana. The album’s surrealist artwork evokes Salvador Dali during a stint in the high desert of the American Southwest. The band came replete with an AI-generated press photo and a halfway believable bio.
News of The Velvet Sundown’s AI origins spread like wildfire, and U.S. on-demand streams quickly jumped to approximately 140,000 per week, according to Luminate. The dramatic rise revealed strong curiosity about a band with a fully formed concept but no human creativity. Interest reached a fever pitch the following week when weekly on-demand streams jumped to 760,000. That turned out to be the band’s high-water mark.
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Streaming activity dropped 25% the following week, and another 7% the week after. Then interest in The Velvet Sundown fell off a cliff. Weekly streams plunged 48%, then 34%, and then another 25%. Six weeks after hitting its streaming pinnacle, The Velvet Sundown’s weekly on-demand streams were just 15% of its peak number. In another nine weeks, those streams were just 7% of the peak week.
The band’s Google search traffic followed a remarkably similar trajectory. The number of searches for “The Velvet Sundown” peaked the same week that on-demand streams did, and then steadily dropped.
When plotted on a chart, The Velvet Sundown’s weekly U.S. on-demand streams and U.S. Google search traffic look like one-half of a seismometer after a massive earthquake. A sharp peak of curiosity — measured in streams and searches — was followed by a cliff of disinterest.
The shape of the curve says a great deal about both The Velvet Sundown and AI music in general. If AI music is fortunate enough to find an audience, it won’t be easy to keep listeners engaged. Maintaining and building an audience is the domain of record labels, artist managers and armies of service providers and consultants. People see chart positions, news appearances and social media mentions, but they don’t see the behind-the-scenes blocking and tackling that creates all that visibility. The Velvet Sundown had the benefit of being one of the first AI artists most people encountered. Once that novelty wore off, it was left to compete with far more organized, more resourceful artists.
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Enter Xania Monet, an AI-based R&B artist who signed a multi-million-dollar deal with Hallwood Media in September. Monet is the creation of Mississippi artist Telisha Jones, who used AI music platform Suno to create songs based on lyrics she penned herself. Monet could have had an experience similar to The Velvet Sundown’s, but she took a different path.
When Billboard broke the news about Monet’s signing, a wave of media attention drove her on-demand streams and Google search traffic to a peak in mid-September. The week after the peak, Monet’s streams fell 24% — remarkably close to The Velvet Sundown’s 25% decline after its peak week. That could have been the beginning of a steep drop following the height of the public’s curiosity. Instead, Monet’s weekly streams stopped their downward decline and leveled off over the last three weeks. So why didn’t Monet suffer the same fate as The Velvet Sundown?
Velvet Sundown, Xania Monet
Billboard
A week after Monet’s streams hit their apex, Hallwood Media started securing radio play for her songs. In the first week — when her streams fell 24% — Monet’s songs were played just twice on broadcast radio, according to Luminate. But weekly spins rose to 109 the next week, then climbed to 423 and 485 in the next two weeks. By the most recent week (the period ended Oct. 16), Monet had something The Velvet Sundown didn’t: an aggregate radio audience of more than 1 million listeners.
Placed side by side, the charts representing The Velvet Sundown and Xania Monet show the difference between existing outside of the traditional music business and operating within it. Radio play helped turn Monet away from the cliff of disinterest and put her on a different trajectory. Without promotion, both radio and digital, it can be exceedingly difficult for any artist to maintain momentum — much less one created with AI.
Trending on Billboard 6ix9ine says that he didn’t know how to manage his money and now owes the U.S. government $8 million in unpaid taxes. During a livestream with Deshhae Frost on Thursday (Oct. 23), the rainbow-haired rapper explained that his money troubles began once he got famous, and that no one showed him how […]
Trending on Billboard On Saturday (Oct. 25), ESPN’s College GameDay will take place in Nashville, being held at Vanderbilt University’s FirstBank Stadium for the first time since 2008, and there will be a strong country presence when College GameDay visits Music City. Explore See latest videos, charts and news Country artists Kenny Chesney and Dierks […]
Trending on Billboard Luke Combs earns his 19th No. 1 on Billboard’s Country Airplay chart as “Back in the Saddle” gallops three spots on the ranking dated Nov. 1, up 23% to 30.8 million audience impressions Oct. 17-23, according to Luminate. The single is expected to appear on Combs’ sixth studio album, due in early […]
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While other legendary rock bands have performed at the Las Vegas Sphere, Slash revealed that Guns N’ Roses apparently has no plans to take over the venue.
During an interview with Sirius XM’s Trunk Nation on Thursday (Oct. 23), Slash admitted he was worrisome that the venue might not be rock & roll friendly.
“I haven’t been [to the Sphere] yet, but just everything that I’ve seen, or most everything that I’ve seen of it, looks amazing,” Slash said. “I’m real trepidatious about playing there, because… It’s a great visual show. I think that in almost every case for a band, it becomes a visual show as opposed to seeing a rock n’ roll show. So there’s that.”
The Eagles are currently in the middle of their ongoing residency at the Sphere, and Slash shared that he had spoken with his fellow rockers about what it’s like to perform there.
Joe Walsh told him, “It’s not really sort of rock ‘n’ roll friendly, the way that it’s set up. So it’s just one of those things where it seems like a really cool thing, and conceptually there’s probably a lot of cool things that you could do, but I don’t think it would be the right environment for a proper rock n’ roll show.”
Slash also commented on Metallica, who are reportedly in talks to perform at the venue. Slash said he could picture them making it work, adding, “I’d be interested to see that too. I could see them doing it… You have to prepare your mind to put on not just a band performance, but 50 percent of what you’re doing is going to be the projection, or whatever you call that — the outer wall, what you’re putting on as content.”
Despite his apprehensions, Slash hinted that “maybe down the road” Guns N’ Roses might consider playing at the Sphere.
Meanwhile, the venue most recently announced that the reunited No Doubt will be the next band to fill up the Las Vegas venue, with the rock group scheduled for 12 shows next May.
