State Champ Radio TV/Film
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Trending on Billboard Ariana Grande flew solo on The Tonight Show, appearing Tuesday (Nov. 18) without Wicked costar Cynthia Erivo — but that doesn’t mean she didn’t have a duet partner. The pop star made a theatrical entrance on the late-night program with a medley of iconic duets, performing opposite Jimmy Fallon and beginning with […]
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Lainey Wilson is headed to Family Guy!
The Grammy winner will take part in the Hulu exclusive holiday special, Disney’s Hulu’s Family Guy’s Hallmark Channel’s Lifetime’s Familiar Holiday Movie, which is a satire of classic holiday movies.
The episode features Lois (Alex Borstein), a worker at Big Pie, who travels to a small town with the goal of hijacking Peter’s (Seth MacFarlane) secret, beloved pie recipe. Wilson will open the episode as a country singer performing an original song.
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The special will premiere Friday, Nov. 28, on Hulu, and on Hulu on Disney+. The cast also includes Seth Green, Mila Kunis and Arif Zahir.
“Like so many of the great guest appearances on Family Guy, Lainey’s is due to our casting director Christine Terry who thought she’d be perfect. If the part had called for, say, an ABBA tribute band, we might have been a little more helpful,” Family Guy showrunners Rich Appel and Alec Sulkin said in a statement.
Lainey Wilson is set to solo host the CMA Awards, which will air live from Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena on ABC on Wednesday, Nov. 19. She is also nominated in six categories, including entertainer of the year, album of the year (Whirlwind), female vocalist of the year and single and song of the year (both for “4x4xU”). Wilson won the entertainer of the year honor in 2023, and cohosted last year’s CMA Awards alongside Luke Bryan and Peyton Manning. Her album Whirlwind includes the singles “Hang Tight Honey,” “4x4xU” and “Somewhere Over Laredo.”
Her role on Family Guy isn’t her first television role. Wilson previously had a recurring part on the hit series Yellowstone, portraying an aspiring country singer named Abby. She is also set to make her film debut next year, with a role in the upcoming movie Reminders of Him.
See the trailer for the holiday special episode of Family Guy below:
Trending on Billboard The follow-up to Wicked is coming to theaters in just a few days, so Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo had to give their viral Tonight Show jingle from last year a sequel, too. In a video posted by the late-night program on Sunday (Nov. 16), the two leading ladies perform a second […]
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After taking a few days off to mourn, Jimmy Kimmel was back on the air on Monday night (Nov. 17), less than a week after the death of his lifelong best friend and late Jimmy Kimmel Live! bandleader, Cleto Escobedo III. Longtime viewers of the show likely noticed that when announcer Lou Wilson ran down the night’s guests, Samuel L. Jackson and comedian Ms. Pat, instead of ending with a shout-out to Cleto and the Cletones, Wilson debuted the house band’s subtly tweaked new name: The Cletones.
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The small, but significant change was another example of the huge hole left behind by Escobedo’s death on Nov. 11 due to the heart condition cariogenic shock. After a lifetime of friendship beginning when they were neighbors as children in the Las Vegas suburbs, Escobedo had been by Kimmel’s side during the entire run to date of his late night show, beginning in 2003.
Fighting through tears, Kimmel paid loving tribute to his pal during last Tuesday’s show when he announced Escobedo’s passing, calling his 22-minute homage the “hardest” monologue he’s ever had to do. “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.
“I wanted Cleto to lead my band,” he said of the late night ensemble that also featured Escobedo’s horn-playing father, Cleto Escobedo Sr. “The idea that anyone other than him would lead the band was terrifying. It had to be him. “ was so scared they would say no and I would have to have another band. I had to work up the nerve to bring it up. Because I knew [saying], ‘My best friend from growing up plays the saxophone, he could lead the band,’ wasn’t a great pitch.”
In further tribute to Escobedo, Kimmel announced over the weekend that he has started two fundraisers to celebrate the musician’s life and give back, one for UCLA Health in honor of the care Escobedo received there and The Animal Foundation to honor his “love of animals.”
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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:
