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Aaron Nichols secured one of the most coveted spots in The Voice Season 28 Knockouts on Monday night (Nov. 17), earning Team Reba’s “Mic Drop” selection after a commanding performance that cut through an already stacked episode.
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The Knockouts continued with matchups from Teams Reba McEntire, Michael Bublé, Snoop Dogg and Niall Horan, with mega mentors Joe Walsh and Zac Brown stepping in during rehearsals. The format remains high-stakes: no steals, no saves — just three head-to-head battles for a place in the Playoffs, plus one Mic Drop pick per team. The Mic Drop nominee performs at the Rose Parade, with the final decision left to viewer votes.
This week, that honor went to Nichols, whose rugged tone on “Hurricane” by The Band of Heathens immediately grabbed Reba’s attention. Walsh encouraged Nichols to be more present in the room — “I can’t quite see your eyes,” he said — while Reba noted his command felt seasoned beyond the show.
Nichols faced off against Cori Kennedy, who delivered Lady Gaga’s “You and I” with intense, full-bodied power. Walsh suggested slight phrasing changes, while Bublé praised her natural force: “You walk out and you just destroy.” Snoop Dogg highlighted her dynamic build (“you started off mild then got real hot”), and Horan compared her energy to Stevie Nicks.
But Nichols’ emotive grit ultimately won the round. Reba called him “a seasoned veteran up on the stage” and hit the Mic Drop button, cementing him as her nominee for the Rose Parade performance slot.
This marks the third Mic Drop nomination of the season. In earlier episodes, Bublé selected 14-year-old Max Chambers after his smooth run through Stevie Wonder’s “Don’t You Worry ’Bout a Thing,” and Horan chose DEK of Hearts following their harmony-rich take on Lady A’s “What If I Never Get Over You.”
The Knockouts continue next Monday at 9 p.m. ET/PT on NBC.
Check out the performance below.
Trending on Billboard Disney has finally dropped the official teaser for its live-action remake of Moana, giving fans a long-awaited glimpse at how the once-animated scenery and characters come to life. What can they except you’re welcome? Posted Monday (Nov. 17), the minute-long trailer waits until the very end to show Catherine Lagaʻaia — the […]
‘The Running Man’ star proved a comedy natural and Marcello Hernandez killed with his Sebastian Maniscalco impression
11/17/2025
Trending on Billboard Ariana Grande is going for a Saturday Night Live three-peat, with the sketch comedy series announcing Monday (Nov. 17) that she’ll soon be returning to 30 Rock for her third time helming an episode. Coming just over a year after the Wicked star last hosted SNL, the next Grande-led episode will air […]
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Ariana Grande had an important member of her real-life family to lean on for inspiration after joining the Focker clan: her late grandmother, who the pop star says has things in common with her Focker-in-Law character, Olivia.
While speaking to Variety on Sunday (Nov. 16) at the 2025 Governors Awards, Grande was asked to confirm rumors that she plays a “ballbuster” in Focker-in-Law. Hitting theaters next year, the film will serve as the fourth installation in the Meet the Parents saga.
“She is, she can be that way,” the singer-actress replied, laughing. “But she’s a really good girl.”
When asked whether she’s also a “ballbuster” in real life, Grande replied, “I’m Italian, so technically, yes, I’m like that.”
“My Nonna was a ball-buster,” she added affectionately.
Grande’s grandmother died at the age of 99 in June. She was a beloved figure in the Wicked star’s fanbase, and by guesting on her granddaughter’s Eternal Sunshine track “Ordinary Things,” Nonna became the senior-most artist to ever chart on the Billboard Hot 100.
Details of Focker-in-Law have largely been kept under wraps, but Grande will star alongside Ben Stiller, Robert De Niro, Owen Wilson, Teri Polo, Blythe Danner and Skyler Gisondo in the project. After filming wrapped in October, the R.E.M. Beauty founder gushed on Instagram, “these past few months have been so, so unimaginably special. i love my Fockers, and i love my Byrnes… so, so very much. i will miss this bunch terribly.”
Stiller has also previously praised Grande, telling Jimmy Fallon earlier in November, “It’s crazy how talented [she is] … She’s so great with comedy. She’s amazing in Wicked and she’s such a good singer, obviously, too.”
Focker-in-Law is one of several screen projects Grande has taken on since shifting her career to include more acting post-Wicked. She will also lend her voice to Jon M. Chu’s animated film adaptation of Dr. Seuss’ Oh, the Places You’ll Go!, and soon, she’ll make her debut in Ryan Murphy’s American Horror Story, reuniting with her “We Can’t Be Friends” music video leading man Evan Peters and former Scream Queens costar Emma Roberts.
Of AHS, Grande told Variety that she only knows “a little tiny bit” about what’s in store for season 13.
“I am coming into the world in a way that I don’t know much about yet,” she revealed. “But I think I’ll probably have a very tiny thing to do in it, but I’ll be grateful to be a part of it because I love everyone involved.”
Watch Grande chat about Focker-in-Law, her Nonna and AHS below.
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You couldn’t really escape the Saja Boys’ music this year. If you didn’t know, they’re a K-pop boy group that has hit the Billboard charts countless times, only they’re not a real group.
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Despite being fictional, Netflix’s KPop Demon Hunters‘ boy band Saja Boys have made it big. Saja Boys now has three Billboard Hot 100 entries (and a top 40 hit to boot), with tracks like “Your Idol” and “Soda Pop” having been a constant on the Hot 100 charts, continuing to blow expectations out of the water. The Netflix animated film topped the box office with roughly $18 million over two days. With a release in theaters around Halloween, the movie collected $5 million to $6 million, which was a shock, given it’d already been widely available on streaming. The film’s soundtrack was also just nominated for Best Compilation Soundtrack for Visual Media at the The 67th Grammy Awards.
As it turns out, the boy band has its own merch, and it’s currently available on sale at Amazon. You can rep the faux group in style with a slew of merch options in vibrant hues from tees to crew necks. With the holidays just around the corner, this gives parents of avid KPop Demon Hunters fans the opportunity to knock Christmas gift shopping out of the park. Plus, with that hefty sale tacked on, you won’t have to go breaking the bank for a gift your little ones will love. Fictional or not, we promise you your kids will be wearing this Saja Boys merch over and over again.
Some of our favorites include the official Saja Boys tee, which comes in sizes for men, women, youth and girls. You’ve got eight colorways to choose from, including Lemon Yellow and White, that all stand in contrast to the boy group’s neon pink logo.
Saja Boys Officially Licensed T-Shirt
$19.99
$22.97
13% off
A cotton tee in black with neon pink lettering.
K-Pop Demon Hunters Saja Boys Heartthrob Officially Licensed Sweatshirt
$35.67
$41.97
15% off
A sweatshirt featuring all the members of the Saja Boys on the front.
Another favorite is the Heartthrob Sweatshirt, equipped with a colorful neon graphic of the Saja Boys members Jinu, Abby, Mystery, Romance and Baby. This unisex sweatshirt comes in four different colorways and sizes ranging from small to XX large. The unisex Heartthrob Hoodie boasts the same graphics and sizing options but in five colorways. Each piece of merch is made of majority cotton, keeping the wearer nice and comfortable while streaming their fave fictional K-pop acts.
The success of the animated film comes as no surprise, considering that K-pop has skyrocketed in popularity in the past few years. Pair that with the punchy animation style a la Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, energetic action sequences and foot-tapping original music tracks, and you’ve got a recipe for success. The K-pop-centric film was directed by Maggie Kang and Chris Appelhans, and first released in June. The movie was heavily inspired by Kang’s South Korean roots and South Korean folklore surrounding demons and mythology. Of course, Kang’s love of K-pop was also a huge inspiration. It is available to stream right now on Netflix.
KPop Demon Hunters Saja Boys Heartthrob Officially Licensed Pullover Hoodie
$36.52
$42.97
15% off
A gray hoodie with the Saja Boys on the front.
KPop Demon Hunters Saja Boys Officially Licensed Sweatshirt
$35.67
$41.97
15% off
A gray hoodie with the Saja Boys logo on the front in neon pink.
The movie centers around world-renowned K-pop girl group Huntr/x, as the members balance their lives in the spotlight with their secret identities as demon hunters. Each character was based loosely on real K-pop acts from BLACKPINK, MONSTA X to Itzy and EXO. You’ve also got tracks sung by former and current K-pop idols such as Kevin Woo from UKISS to Twice’s track “Takedown” sung by members Jeongyeon, Jihyo and Chaeyoung.
Even More Saja Boys Merch that we Love
KPop Demon Hunters Saja Boys Logo Girls Mineral Wash Crop T-Shirt
$21.52
$26.90
20% off
A distressed tee with the Saja Boys logo on the front.
KPop Demon Hunters Chibi Demon Jinu T-Shirt
$15
$24.90
40% off
A black tee with a chibi version of demon Jinu on the front.
KPop Demon Hunters Saja Boys Chibi Group Girls Baby T-Shirt
$21.52
$26.90
20% off
A black cropped tee with all of the Saja Boys members on the front.
KPop Demon Hunters Saja Boys Logo Hoodie
A black hoodie with the Saja Boys logo on the front.
Watch the KPop Demon Hunters trailer below:
Trending on Billboard Just about three years after releasing her “Bikini Bottom” single, Ice Spice is set to make her voice-acting debut in The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants when the sequel hits theaters via Paramount Pictures on Dec. 19. Billboard obtained an exclusive first look at Ice Spice’s animated character in Bikini Bottom on […]
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If you watched Jimmy Kimmel’s moving, 22-minute tribute to his longtime bandleader and lifelong best friend, saxophonist Cleto Escobedo III last week following the musician’s death at age 59, you know how crushing the loss was for the late night host.
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Now, following his tearful tribute to Escobedo, Kimmel is looking to raise funds for two organizations in his friend’s honor. In an Instagram post over the weekend, Kimmel shared a picture of Escobedo smiling with his wife, two children and their dog and another of the two pals laughing as they cradle their instruments in a parking lot.
“Cleto was always kind and eager to help others. As we mourn his loss, we have started two fundraisers to celebrate his life and give back,” wrote Kimmel. “The first is for UCLA Medical Center where he received such incredible care. Together we can help vulnerable patients and families in need of financial assistance during hard times. @UCLAHealth.
“In memory of our friend Cleto, we’d like to thank all the hardworking specialists, doctors, and nurses at UCLA. They worked tirelessly and generously to give him the best care,” reads a note on the fundraising page. “Cleto was always kind and eager to help others. To honor his generous spirit, we’d like to help vulnerable patients and families in need of financial assistance during hard times. Let’s help others in Cleto’s name.”
The second, he said was an effort to “honor his love of animals,” via fundraising links to @TheAnimalFoundation in the men’s former hometown of Las Vegas. “Cleto was a beloved friend, father, and animal lover whose heart was always open to pets in need,” reads a message on the organization’s home page, alongside a note from Escobedo’s family.
“Cleto was a compassionate animal lover. He loved each of his rescue dogs like they were family,” it read. “Please consider making a donation to The Animal Foundation in his hometown of Las Vegas. Cleto would have loved his friends and family helping to provide safety, healing and homes for pets in need.”
Kimmel announced Escobedo’s death last Tuesday, writing, “we lost a great friend, father, son, musician and man, my longtime bandleader Cleto Escobedo III. To say that we are heartbroken is an understatement. Cleto and I have been inseparable since I was nine years old. The fact that we got to work together every day is a dream neither of us could ever have imagined would come true. Cherish your friends and please keep Cleto’s wife, children and parents in your prayer.”
Escobedo led Kimmel’s late night house band, Cleto and the Cletones — which also included his sax-playing dad — since the show’s debut in 2003. On last Tuesday night’s Jimmy Kimmel Live! the host fought through tears to pay tribute to the man he called his best friend since the day they first met in 1977.
“We loved all the same things. Baseball, fishing, boxing, [Muhammad] Ali, Richard Pryor, Eddie Murphy, Woody Allen, Michael McDonald, Huey Lewis, Stevie Wonder, and most of all, we loved David Letterman,” Kimmel said. “Cherish your friends, we’re not here forever.”
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SNL has a country hit in the making with “I Miss My Ex’s Dad,” a musical parody starring new cast members Ben Marshall and Tommy Brennan as a convincing country duo. The pair reminisce about relationships lost in a pre-taped sketch that aired Saturday night (Nov. 15) on the late-night comedy show’s latest episode, hosted by actor Glen Powell.
“You ever miss someone much you lose sight of yourself?” Brennan asks at the bar.
“You think about them all the time and you wonder if life will ever seem normal again,” adds Marshall, sitting on the hood of a pickup truck.
“Haven’t felt the same since you’ve been gone/ Everyone else just feels so wrong/ By now I thought I’d be over you/ At the bottom of this bottle, I’ll know what to do/ I don’t know what else to say/ I just wanna hear about your day/ I can’t stop thinking ‘bout what we had,” they sing, and then comes the kicker comes in: “Oh man, I miss my ex’s dad.”
Glen Powell and Kenan Thompson play the beloved dads who’ve inspired the country duet.
“Your socks, your Crocs/ You’re the ideal male with your ponytail,” vocalists Marshall and Brennan lament on the chorus, which has the guys admitting, “I don’t miss his daughter at all, which I know is bad/ I just miss my ex’s dad.”
“Your grill, your Buick/ You’re the ideal man with your cardigans,” they sing later on. “Don’t remember his daughter’s name, which I know is bad/ I just miss my ex’s dad.”
As it turns out, the feeling is mutual. “I wish her new boyfriend was dead,” the dads (Powell and Thompson) sing.
Watch SNL‘s “I Miss My Ex’s Dad” music sketch below. Making her Saturday Night Live debut, Olivia Dean appeared as the actual musical guest on this weekend’s episode, performing “Man I Need” and “Let Alone the One You Love.”
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Olivia Dean made her Saturday Night Live debut on Nov. 15, performing two songs from her latest album, The Art of Loving.
The 26-year-old U.K. singer-songwriter and BRIT School alum appeared alongside host Glen Powell, delivering an ebullient rendition of “Man I Need” and a mesmeric performance of “Let Alone the One You Love.”
Both tracks appear on Dean’s sophomore album, The Art of Loving, which reached No. 6 on the Billboard 200 following its September release.
Recently nominated for best new artist at the 2026 Grammy Awards, the soul-pop artist opened her set with “Man I Need,” wearing a sparkly gold dress and backed by a full band. She followed with “Let Alone the One You Love,” performing in a flowing pink gown against a matching backdrop.
Dean has built significant crossover momentum in the U.S. in recent months, currently holding four entries on the Billboard Hot 100, including the top 5 hit “Man I Need.”
“I’ve never been somebody who has followed trends or made music because of what else was popular at the time,” Dean told Billboard. “I like old music, I like soul music, I like Motown. That’s what I wanted to make, and in my mind, I’m in my own lane in that way.”
She also recently announced The Art of Loving Tour, slated for next summer. The North American run kicks off in San Francisco on July 10 and includes stops in Los Angeles, New York City’s Madison Square Garden, Atlanta, Toronto, Las Vegas, Boston, and Houston before wrapping in Austin on Aug. 28.
SNL returns on Dec. 6 with actress-comedian Melissa McCarthy as host and musical guest Dijon.
Watch Dean’s SNL performances below, and find all the ways to stream the full episode here.
