Keith Urban undoubtedly had a difficult year, but he went out on a high note on New Year’s Eve.
The country singer, 58, performed upbeat renditions of his song “Straight Line” and New Radicals’ “You Get What You Give” during New Year’s Eve Live: Nashville’s Big Bash on Wednesday, December 31. Urban sported a black shirt and dark jeans while he crooned lyrics from “Straight Line” such as, “I ain’t buyin’ this life’s gotta be such a mother / ‘Cause we kinda got it all when we got each other / You and me used to be like a year-round summer / Let’s go back / Oh, hit the gas.”
The live New Year’s Eve special — which aired on CBS and Paramount+ — was hosted by comedian Bert Kreischer and country music star Hardy and featured additional performances by Jason Aldean, Lainey Wilson, Bailey Zimmerman, Brooks and Dunn, Dwight Yoakam and more.
Urban’s New Year’s Eve outing comes three months after his split from estranged wife Nicole Kidman made headlines in September. One day after the news broke, she filed for divorce, citing “irreconcilable differences” as the reason for their separation. The pair were married for nearly 20 years and share daughters Sunday Rose, 17, and Faith, 15.
In hindsight, there were clues that Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban had been heading toward a split. A source confirmed to Us Weekly on Monday, September 29, that the couple have separated after nearly two decades of marriage. Kidman, 58, and Urban, 57, first met in 2005, four years after her divorce from Tom Cruise. […]
“They had been quietly separated for a while now but needed time to figure out if they were going to actually divorce,” a source exclusively told Us Weekly in October. “She had faith they could work it out.”
According to the insider, Urban was the one who pulled the plug on his marriage to Kidman, 58.
“This wasn’t Nicole’s decision, and she is devastated,” the source continued. “Her trust was lost, and it was too far gone. Nicole had been trying to get them to work on their marriage and did not want this to get out to the public. She didn’t tell many friends what was really going on with them and was holding this in for months.”
While Urban and Kidman once appeared to be the ideal A-list couple, they were actually spending “a lot of time apart due to work commitments” and living “separate lives” behind the scenes.
“Nicole and Keith were not on the same page,” the insider told Us. “Rumors around town have been circling that they were living apart, were focused on their own projects and that Keith had moved on. They are moving in two different directions, and their worlds are not overlapping as much as they once did. The distance between them had grown more obvious recently.”
Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban appear to be hammering out the details of their split following the Babygirl actress’ divorce filing. Kidman, 58, filed for divorce from Urban, 57, in Nashville on Tuesday, September 30, according to court documents obtained by Us Weekly. She cited “irreconcilable differences” as the reason for the dissolution of their […]
Later in October, a source revealed that Kidman was in a “good headspace” amid her divorce from Urban, but “the hardest part” of the situation was “navigating the dynamic with their daughters.”
“The last thing Nicole wanted was a broken family,” the insider told Us, adding that Kidman “raised her daughters to be strong and is leading by example for them.”
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As a new single mom, Kidman planned to “focus on creating new traditions with her daughters and keeping their home life as steady and loving as possible.”
Urban, for his part, “has moved on and has been open with Nicole about where he stands,” a source told Us in October, noting that their divorce was a “long time coming.”
Per the insider, “The two had grown apart quietly over time, and by the end, the decision to separate was more about acceptance than surprise.”
New Year’s Day commemorates the passing of time and the start of a new chapter, so it is fitting that the same day also presents an opportunity to breathe new life into thousands of creative works nearly a century old. As of Jan. 1, 2026, characters like early Betty Boop and Nancy Drew, and a variety of popular movies, books and songs, have entered the the public domain.
List of popular intellectual property entering the public domain in 2026
The year 2026 marks the first time that copyrighted books, films, songs and art published in the ’30s enter the U.S. public domain. As of Jan. 1, protections have expired for published works from 1930 and sound recordings from 1925.
Here are some of the most notable works that are now available for free use by anyone:
“The Murder at the Vicarage” by Agatha Christie, the first novel featuring elderly amateur detective Miss Marple.
“The Secret of the Old Clock” by Carolyn Keene, the first appearance of teen detective Nancy Drew, and three follow-ups.
“The Little Engine That Could” by Watty Piper.
Fleischer Studios’ “Dizzy Dishes,” the first cartoon in which Betty Boop appears.
Disney’s “The Chain Gang” and “The Picnic,” both depicting the earliest versions of Mickey’s dog Pluto.
The initial four months of “Blondie” comic strips by Chic Young, featuring the earliest iterations of the titular character and her then-boyfriend, Dagwood.
The film “All Quiet on the Western Front,” directed by Lewis Milestone, Best Picture winner at the 3rd Academy Awards.
“King of Jazz,” directed by John Murray Anderson, Bing Crosby’s first appearance in a feature film.
“Animal Crackers,” directed by Victor Heerman and starring the Marx Brothers.
“The Big Trail,” directed by Raoul Walsh, John Wayne’s first turn as leading man.
“But Not For Me,” music by George Gershwin, lyrics by Ira Gershwin.
“Georgia on My Mind,” music by Hoagy Carmichael, lyrics by Stuart Gorrell.
“Dream a Little Dream of Me,” music by Fabian Andre and Wilbur Schwandt, lyrics by Gus Kahn.
“Livin’ in the Sunlight, Lovin’ in the Moonlight,” music by Al Sherman, lyrics by Al Lewis.
Piet Mondrian’s painting, “Composition with Red, Blue, and Yellow.”
The original Betty Boop, early Nancy Drew mysteries, and Mickey Mouse’s dog Pluto are among the creative works entering the public domain on Jan. 1, 2026.
How the public domain works
When a work’s copyright protections lapse, it lands in the public domain, allowing anyone to use and build upon it as they see fit for free and without needing permission.
The U.S. Constitution’s intellectual property clause establishes that works be protected for a limited amount of time, “to promote the progress of science and useful arts.” The Founding Fathers left it to Congress to sort out the specifics.
Generally, in the U.S., works published or registered before 1978 retain copyright protections for 95 years. For later works, protection usually spans the creator’s lifetime and 70 years after.
“If copyright lasted forever, it would be very difficult for a lot of creators to make the works they want to make without worrying about being in the crosshairs of a copyright lawsuit,” Jenkins said.
Just because a work’s copyright has expired does not mean that members of the public cannot be held legally liable in some instances. For example, while the original Betty Boop from 1930 is in the public domain, the modern version is not. So to avoid infringement, any reuse would need to steer clear of her newer characteristics. Additionally, the character is subject to multiple trademarks, which further complicates its use.
What’s entering the public domain in 2027?
Copyrighted works from 1931 will see their protections expire in 2027. This includes Universal Pictures’ “Frankenstein” and “Dracula” films, Charlie Chaplin’s “City Lights,” Fritz Lang’s “M,” Herman Hupfeld’s jazz standard “As Time Goes By” and more.
Crowds have gathered to watch the ball drop from atop the skyscraper at One Times Square on New Year’s for more than a century. At this year’s festivities, organizers unveiled a star-studded lineup of entertainment featuring Diana Ross, Ciara, Maren Morris, Little Big Town and more.
But it’s not the only New Year’s celebration with A-list performers on tap. Some top country music stars usher in 2026 on CBS’ “New Year’s Eve Live: Nashville’s Big Bash,” with Jason Aldean, Lainey Wilson and CeCe Winans just a few of those taking the stage.
Here’s what to know about who is scheduled to perform, and when, this New Year’s Eve.
Full list of Times Square New Year’s Eve performers
New Year’s Eve celebrations officially kicked off in Times Square at 6 p.m. ET with the lighting and raising of the ball that will drop at midnight. The evening features performances from some big names in the entertainment world:
James McCarthy
B.o.B
Ciara
Tones And I
LE SSERAFIM
AGNEW, a New York dance group
Robyn
Little Big Town
Xavi
Maren Morris
Ana Barbara
Diana Ross
When is Diana Ross performing on New Year’s Eve?
Legendary singer Diana Ross is scheduled to perform a medley of her hit songs, including “I’m Coming Out” and “Upside Down,” on the Countdown Stage in Times Square beginning at 11:37 p.m. ET on “Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve” on ABC. Ross is the recipient of two Grammy Awards for Lifetime Achievement — one as a solo artist and one with the Motown group The Supremes — as well as a Tony, multiple American Music Awards, a Golden Globe and Kennedy Center Honors.
When is Ciara performing on New Year’s Eve?
Grammy-winning singer Ciara‘s Times Square performance is expected to air sometime between midnight and 12:30 a.m. ET on “New Year’s Rockin’ Eve,” according to an ABC spokesperson. Twenty-one of the R&B artist’s songs have made it onto Billboard’s Hot 100 chart, including her 2004 hit “Goodies,” which claimed the No. 1 spot for seven weeks. Earlier this year, Ciara released “CiCi,” her first album since 2019.
When is Little Big Town performing on New Year’s Eve?
Country music group Little Big Town is scheduled to play a medley of their hits starting at 9:35 p.m. ET on “New Year’s Rockin’ Eve.” The band has been together for over a quarter-century with 32 songs making Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart, including their 2014 hit “Girl Crush,” which was No. 1 for 13 weeks. Along the way, Little Big Town was named vocal group of the year six times by the Country Music Association and four times by the Academy of Country Music, and they’ve won three Grammys.
When is Maren Morris performing on New Year’s Eve?
Country music star Maren Morris is scheduled to perform a medley of her songs starting at 10:33 p.m. ET on “New Year’s Rockin’ Eve.” The singer-songwriter, who released her latest album “Dreamsicle” earlier this year, rose to stardom with her 2016 hit “My Church.” The song won her a Grammy and peaked at No. 5 on the Hot Country Songs chart.
Australian singer-songwriter Tones And I was set to perform her hits “Dance Monkey,” “Fly Away” and “Gone Gone Gone” starting at 8:03 p.m. ET on the official livestream of the festivities in Times Square. She’s expected to return at 11:55 p.m. for her version of John Lennon’s iconic song “Imagine” before the countdown to 2026. “Dance Monkey” climbed to the No. 4 spot on Billboard’s Hot 100 chart in 2020, and “Gone Gone Gone,” her new song with David Guetta and Teddy Swims, has been on the chart for the past three weeks.
Schedule for tonight’s Times Square performers
When are your favorite acts performing? Here is a list of the scheduled times for each performance (all times Eastern). Organizers note that the times on the live schedule may not match the exact broadcast time.
6:03 p.m.-6:05 p.m. — James McCarthy sings the national anthem
6:30 p.m.-6:43 p.m. — B.o.B performs two of his hits plus a new song
8:03 p.m.-8:14 p.m. — Tones And I performs three of her hit songs
8:26 p.m.-8:32 p.m. — LE SSERAFIM performs their hit songs on “Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve” on ABC
8:41 p.m.-8:46 p.m. — AGNEW, a New York dance group, performs
9:18 p.m.- 9:31 p.m. — Robyn performs three of her hit songs on “New Year’s Eve Live” on CNN
9:35 p.m.-9:42 p.m. — Little Big Town performs a medley of their hit songs on “New Year’s Rockin’ Eve”
10:02 p.m.-10:08 p.m. — Xavi performs a medley of his hit songs on “Feliz 2026” on Univision
10:33 p.m.-10:41 p.m. — Maren Morris performs a medley of her hit songs on “New Year’s Rockin’ Eve”
11:02 p.m.-11:08 p.m. — Ana Barbara performs a medley of her hit songs on “Feliz 2026”
11:37 p.m.-11:46 p.m. — Diana Ross performs a medley of her hit songs on “New Year’s Rockin’ Eve”
11:55 p.m.-11:58 p.m. — Tones And I returns for a special performance ahead of the ball drop
After midnight — Ciara performs a medley of her hit songs on “New Year’s Rockin’ Eve”
Who’s performing on CBS’ “New Year’s Eve Live: Nashville’s Big Bash”?
Jason Aldean, Lainey Wilson and Bailey Zimmerman headline the celebration, with special guests CeCe Winans and the Fisk Jubilee Singers. Comedian and actor Bert Kreischer and country music artist Hardy serve as hosts.
The Nashville event includes a countdown at midnight and the city’s traditional Music Note Drop and fireworks, the organizers said.
Here’s a list of scheduled performers and special appearances:
2025, aka our seventh year with TXT, has come to an end! Yet again, it’s been another busy year for our five, full of success. There are plenty of moments for us to relive in this year’s edition of Music Rewind, so we honestly struggled to narrow it down! So, before we get stuck into it, here’s an honorable mention for new OSTs, TXT’s UNICEF partnership, and probably 304 other things. Ok, here we go!
Hiatus & Return
TXT’s 2025 started on a true high (a high-atus?), when they took some well-deserved time off! After a hectic 2024 and Soobin’s hiatus beginning a bit earlier than expected, MOAs couldn’t have been happier to see TXT get some rest. On their return, they kicked off with an ot5 episode of BEOMIDIO, including an in-person audience of MOAs! Doesn’t the time apart just make reuniting that much sweeter?
ACT: PROMISE PT.2
As soon as TXT were back to work, they started 2025 in a big way! They announced an extension of their third world tour, ACT: PROMISE, including a European leg for the first time ever. European MOAs were over the moon (seriously, see their genuine reactions here), and so was the THP hive. We attended the Barcelona and London shows, and we’re still not over it.
‘Panic’
Feeling overwhelmed by how great TXT’s 2025 is already? Well, don’t ‘Panic.’ Or do. Because next up was the members’ first solo release of the year! Beomgyu wrote, produced, and of course, released his first mixtape track, ‘Panic,’ which was allegedly heavily influenced by the group’s brief hiatus. Months later, we’re still completely enamored by the indie track, and we can’t wait for more solo Beomgyu in the future!
‘Love Language’
In May, we celebrated TXT’s first comeback of the year! The digital single, ‘Love Language,’ quickly gained recognition, not just for how great the afro-house anthem is, but thanks to that dance move, too. And in case TXT hadn’t been busy enough on their first European tour, they filmed the music video whilst they were in Barcelona. Watching it, you wouldn’t think it had been freezing cold and pouring with rain the whole time, would you?
The Star Chapter: TOGETHER
From a digital single to their fourth full-length album, next up in TXT’s 2025 was The Star Chapter: TOGETHER! This album was special for many reasons, not least because it wrapped up all of TXT’s lore and fairytale-like storyline so far. An album essentially seven years in the making, TSC:T also gave us solo bsides from each member, and music videos for each of them. Plus, Yeonjun’s ‘Ghost Girl’ was filmed while on tour in London, in case you needed further proof that TXT love to multitask.
ACT: TOMORROW
TXT really leaned into the name references this year, didn’t they? Did no one tell them that The Name Chapter is so 2023? Anyway, in late Summer, TXT embarked on their fourth world tour, which basically carried them through to the end of the year. Spoiler alert, the next section is about a very special moment from the first ACT: TOMORROW shows…
MOA’s Birthday & Contract Renewal
In 2025, TXT turned seven! Once upon a time, this was thought of as the “cursed” year for idol groups, as it tends to be around this point that their initial contracts expire. This, if not the euphoria of seeing your faves renew their contracts, can lead to line-up changes or complete disbandment, aka a stan’s greatest fear.
Not for TXT, though! 7 years, 5 months, and 18 days after their debut, the group announced that all members had renewed their contracts and would continue to promote as TOMORROW X TOGETHER. To make the moment even sweeter, TXT announced this themselves, on stage, during the opening show of ACT: TOMORROW, on MOA’s birthday! This wasn’t just a highlight for 2025, but all of TXT’s career!
Starkissed
It wouldn’t be a year with TXT, without a Japanese comeback, right? In October, we were gifted Starkissed, which is probably our fave Japanese album from tubatu ever. The lead single, ‘Can’t Stop,’ is agonisingly underrated, so we’ll carry the duty of making sure everyone falls in love with it! Plus, with plenty of original songs and Japanese versions of MOA favorites, what more could you ask for?
NO LABELS: PART 01
As if MOAs hadn’t had enough new music from TXT in 2025, we also got the first solo debut album from Yeonjun! NO LABELS: PART 01 is, no exaggeration, an utter masterpiece, as we have said many, many times. 2025 was an epic year for MOAs, but with NO LABELS: PART 02 potentially in our near future, maybe 2026 will be even more of a treat.
Variety Shows
Unsurprisingly, when it comes to this group, TXT weren’t content with just giving us bop after bop. Alongside guesting on plenty of variety shows, the members’ continued to star in their own shows! We got to devour plenty more TO DO and a second season of Soobin’s My Fave’s Faves, but that’s not all! Tubatu introduced NOT TO DO, which sees them check out things like personal color analysis.
Most excitingly, though, Huening Kai and Taehyun launched brand new shows! Tefficient Terry, Taehyun’s show, in a similar vein to his previous series, Academy Reincarnation, saw him take on new jobs and concepts that are supposedly odd fits for those of us with T-type MBTIs. Most recently, Kai released the first couple of episodes of Countless Friends, where he tries to, well, make friends, whilst the other members (helpfully and unhelpfully) secretly guide him.
Awards
TXT won yet more awards in 2025 (though, obviously, we think they deserved even more), but one award show stands out more than the rest. Back in February, TXT attended the 32nd Hanteo Music Awards. Alongside their always-epic performances, they scooped some pretty important prizes. TXT won Global Artist – North America, and Yeonjun won Global Artist – Oceania, marking the first time any of them had won a solo award of this caliber. Most excitingly of all, our tubatu took home the Best Performance award, their very first daesang! That moment was a long time coming (and hideously overdue, TBH), so we couldn’t have been more thrilled for them. Here’s to more in 2026?!
What’s Next?
Speaking of 2026, what is up next for TXT? Well, as we said, we’ve got our fingers crossed that NO LABELS: PART 02 is in our near future. Are we spoilt? We’re also super excited to see which direction TXT take next for their album concepts, now that their storyline is all wrapped up! Regardless, we’re pretty confident we’ll eat it up.
What are your predictions for 2026? What was your favorite moment from TXT in 2025? Let us know what you think over @TheHoneyPOP! Or if that’s not your thing, you can also find us on Facebook and Instagram!
“The media has no idea what to make of me, and you know what? I hope they never do,” mgk confessed to a crowd in Brooklyn, NY on December 13th, 2025. “I [am] here to disrupt the game because I am different. I’m looking at 12,000 people asking you to also be different. Don’t ever be a replica of something else. And even you being here tonight, against what the internet would say about mgk, you are different because you have the [courage] to like what it is that you wanna like.”
In a single, short speech before performing ‘wwiii’ to that crowd, Colson Baker was able to summarize exactly what has made his current chapter such a meaningful journey for his fans, EST (short for “everyone stands together”). Those fans who didn’t buy into the narrative, but instead watched as mgk continued to carve out his own.
2025 brought the release of his critically – and criminally – misunderstood lost americana album, a celebration of the fifth anniversary for Tickets To My Downfall, and so much more fun music and content that kept us hooked all year long. And while we didn’t secure that GRAMMY nomination or a #1 Billboard 200 album, it’s certain that we “didn’t need no help for a hell of a time.”
Join us as we take a look back at some special moments of mgk’s standout 2025!
Dingo Forever
mgk’s 2025 unfortunately came with a very difficult start, including the news that his favorite recording studio burned down in the Los Angeles wildfires in January shortly after leaving rehab, as well as the loss of one of his best friends, Luke “Dingo” Trembath. He described him in a tribute post on Instagram as, “a true rockstar without ever needing to make a song, the most loyal, loud, charismatic, funny, and annoying human [he’s] ever had the honor of knowing.”
After Dingo’s passing, Kells brought some of their friends together for a stunning musical tribute in the form of ‘your name forever.’ He wrote the song with his bandmates and soul brothers Slim, Baze, Rook, and No Love For The Middle Child, along with phem, Dark Waves, Emma Rosen, and Beauty School Dropout’s Colie Hutzler. Add in some backing vocals from Avenged Sevenfold’s M. Shadows, Bring Me The Horizon’s Oli Sykes, and MOD SUN, then lead guitar from A7X’s Synyster Gates, and you have a moving celebration of Dingo’s legacy and the memories he made with such a creative, impactful group of people.
“Tell me, did you know it was time to say goodbye? Tell me, did the heavens align where angels fly? What happened, what happened when you kissed the sky?”
A New Saga (Blade) Begins
But luckily, we also got some pretty amazing news in the first quarter of the year! mgk and Megan Fox welcomed their first daughter together, Saga Blade Fox-Baker, who might be in the running for the most bad*ss baby name of all time. We’re so excited for their family and know Saga will grow up surrounded by so much love!
Her journey, the five years of her culmination of coming, disappearing, coming back again, disappearing, coming back again, she’s an epic story and that’s what Saga means. I’m also of Norwegian heritage, and so that’s a Nordic goddess of storytelling, and I think she has a storytelling future ahead of her.
mgk on The TODAY Show
EST knows how much mgk’s oldest daughter, Casie, means to him, so getting to see him welcome another daughter into the world while sober and focusing on his healing has been nothing short of magical.
Creating The lost americana Album
As we mentioned earlier, mgk’s favorite recording studio burned down during the Los Angeles wildfires, so he had to get a little crafty while making his seventh studio album. He spent some time away with Casie and wound up embarking on a creative reset, restarting the project from the ground up and setting up a home studio with his best friends and band.
I knew for sure that the music I had made for whatever the album was supposed to be the last two years, I couldn’t stand. So I erased all of it, kept my palms up, and I felt like the Akashic records just sent me some downloads, and I started making lost americana. The exploration was, ‘we are not gonna pick any genre, we are going to make this freely.’
mgk on Popcast
We also learned during Kells’ Popcast interview that he was debating whether to delete the album he had already made when he got the news that Bob Dylan had posted an old performance of his on Instagram! Colson called it a “d-side mgk video from the 17th page of [his] YouTube channel,” yet OGs have had that Park Ave CDs performance in their rotation this whole time. Call it kismet or the coolest coincidence, but that repost was like a sign that he was making the right choice! Bob went on to narrate the album trailer for lost americana.
He announced that he finished the album we now know as lost americana on April 17th, shaving the beard he accrued during the creation process. We think this was a symbol for the renewal and evolution he explores on the album, with the shave representing that he’s letting parts of his past and the stories he tells on the record go.
With a new outlook on life, a new addition to the family, and a new album ready to unleash to the world, it was time for a celebration! Kells celebrated his birthday on April 22nd with a lost americana-themed party that had EST squinting our eyes at every single post trying to find Easter eggs. We didn’t know the album title at the time, but his Lost XX t-shirt and sign, along with a cigarette-themed cake, gave us some big hints of what to expect.
High-profile party guests included Young Thug, Jelly Roll, MOD SUN, Rook, Slim, Baze, and of course Casie.
Special YouTube & Standalone Releases
Towards the end of the creation of lost americana and afterwards, mgk gave us quite a few surprises on his YouTube channel! April and May both brought new covers and even a freestyle that reimagined a total classic we know you know. First up was a medley of Juice WRLD’s ‘Empty Out Your Pockets,’ Green Day’s ‘Boulevard Of Broken Dreams,’ and Kells’ own ‘LATELY’ that blew us away. During the ‘LATELY’ section, he swapped out “Grew up a screw-up, pierced my ear and dyed my f*cking hair” for “Grew up a weirdo, 20 piercings and some bleached hair.” The new version acknowledges his growth and offers more compassion for his past self, refusing to call himself a “screw-up” and instead just noting that he was different from the people around him.
Next was a cover of Ryan Adams’ ‘Come Pick Me Up,’ including most of his touring band and MOD SUN! He posted it on his birthday as a gift to EST. According to a fan on Reddit, Ryan once said he didn’t enjoy playing it live anymore because it went against his sobriety and focused on a feeling of hopelessness that he no longer related to. Now that Kells is sober, we hope that he can feel more optimistic for his future, because we know it’s very bright.
The next two releases were recorded after mgk finished lost americana, since his facial hair from the recording process was gone! He and No Love came together to produce an awesome freestyle over *NSYNC’s ‘Bye Bye Bye’ (full-circle moment, as the boy band lover he is) that teased what we could expect from his then-upcoming album and its lead single.
“Don’t ask me no questions, like what genre this album is I’m Gordon Ramsay cheffin’ in this kitchen, no suggestions…”
“I’m sober now, but the next single gon’ pop like pills Come out singing like I’m Justin Bieber…”
The last standalone release in this series was a cover of the Goo Goo Dolls’ timeless track ‘Iris,’ featuring the incredible Julia Wolf! Julia wound up being the opener for the 2025 U.S. leg of the lost americana Tour, so EST fam who attended got to hear this one live. We were lucky enough to, and, yes, it’ll give you twice as many goosebumps in an arena as it does at home! Their voices blend so beautifully together and add a nice edge to the song.
And with that, EST was officially activated for Kells to properly kick off his new era…
Sounds ‘cliché,’ But It’s Iconic
The lost americana era started with a bang when mgk dropped the lead single, ‘cliché,’ in May! In the process, he delivered the summer pop bop we were waiting for, complete with a fun, choreographed music video that would put even your favorite ‘90s boyband to shame. The song purposely strings together cliché ideas of romance to make something you can’t help but dance along to.
“Tell me, would you wait for me? Baby, I’m a rolling stone I got a lot of right in me, but I don’t wanna say this wrong…”
And EST weren’t the only ones who ate ‘cliché’ up – Spotify made Colson the cover of their New Music Friday playlist for the first time, the number of streams made it his biggest solo Spotify debut ever, and he got to perform it at shows like The TODAY Show and the Kids’ Choice Awards. We had soooo much fun and things were only just kicking off for us!
Tracklist Reveals & Chaos On Twitch
Some of the best memories we made with mgk this year were definitely when he started streaming on Twitch! He went live to unveil the lost americana tracklist, show us new merch designs, and even play some Fortnite. Every stream he did was such a blast and we’re patiently waiting to bond with EST in the chat on the next one!
Finding lost americana & Landing The Three-Peat
On August 8th, chosen for the synergy of 8/8, mgk officially unveiled his seventh studio album! We could go on about lost americana all day (and we have, so check out our full review), but we’ll “keep it short like a haiku” for now and focus on the wider themes and takeaways from the project.
lost americana is one of Kells’ rawest projects to date, exploring mental health, fame, the state of society, and identity through the lens of a man who has never been more himself. As he told Popcast, “There’s no beguiling on this album. This album is not a character.” This is mgk, Machine Gun Kelly, El Pistolero, and Colson Baker in his purest, most distilled form, and every moment of it is an absolute gift.
lost americana is the ultimate homecoming as mgk starts to trust his inner voice and integrate each aspect of himself into a fully realized identity, all while harnessing his musical talent across genres and avenues. He’s come home to himself and is proudly hanging postcards from each of his detours on his wall to remind him of everything he’s learned along the way.
lost americana is a personal excavation of the American dream. A journey to find what’s been lost. This album is a love letter to those who seek to rediscover. The dreamers, the drifters, the defiant. It’s a sonic map of forgotten places, a tribute to the spirit of reinvention, and a quest to reclaim the authentic essence of American freedom. From the glow of neon diners to the rumble of the motorcycles, this is music that celebrates the beauty found in the in-between spaces where the past is reimagined and the future is forged on your own terms.
Bob Dylan in the lost americana album trailer
Along the way, mgk makes fun references to American music icons – for example, the ‘sweet coraline’ title parodies Neil Diamond’s ‘Sweet Caroline,’ while ‘starman’ nods to Red Hot Chili Peppers’ ‘Californication’ and interpolates Third Eye Blind’s ‘Semi-Charmed Kinda Life.’ This pattern cleverly brings you to place him in that lexicon of music legends on a psychological level, in case you didn’t already think of him as a legend in his own right. He’s ready to prove he’s worthy of going down in music history and can add his own flair to things we already love.
As he’s become more successful, Kells has been able to travel the world and perform in some of the most incredible cities. Hometown references throughout the album become a symbol for our purest selves and his past as he faces it, leading the listener to wonder, how much do you owe to who you used to be? How much do you owe to the situations that shaped you? What happens when you want to change? Do you bring your past with you, or does that stifle who you’re becoming?
To understand mgk’s music and the creativity behind it, you need to be willing to sit with it and go beyond the surface of what you assume or expect. Some will shrug aside the meaning of his work and say it’s shallow or unoriginal, while others will tell you he’s an artistic mastermind who purposefully plays into and subverts expectations. No matter which end of that spectrum you consider yourself to be on, there’s something to be said for taking things slow and really processing what you’re hearing in a time when we can listen to seconds-long snippets of songs or loud opinions on why those songs suck in the span of a few scrolls.
Despite the many loud opinions that talk down on mgk, the numbers stand to prove that he moves tons of people with his work. lost americana debuted at #4 on the Billboard 200 album chart, but managed to top the Rock & Alternative album chart, cementing the “three-peat” Kells wanted – 2020’s Tickets To My Downfall and 2022’s mainstream sellout debuted at #1 on both charts. 40,500 of his 63,000 album units were from pure sales, which means it was the best pure-selling album of that week and debuted at #1 on the Top Album Sales chart, just like his past two albums did. Nothing to sneeze at in the streaming era!
Showing Out For MGK Day
The fourth annual celebration of MGK Day took over downtown Cleveland for a weekend of fun events and activities, all while donating proceeds to the Cleveland Metropolitan School District and Shoes & Clothes For Kids to give back. Some standout moments on the schedule included XXcon (a mini convention and performance where mgk announced his Floor 13 record label), a pop-up at the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame, and the Art & Community festival, which included a fireworks show!
And in the ultimate show of fate, the dates lined up with the release date of lost americana, starting on its release date of August 8th and continued through that weekend. He captured some of the magic in a music video for ‘tell me whats up.’
The timing of MGK Day is, ironically, what some fans think prevented lost americana from reaching a #1 debut on the Billboard 200, since so many superfans were at events over the weekend instead of streaming. But isn’t that what finding americana is truly about? Returning to a time of unity, togetherness, and hope? Perhaps such a pure americana never existed in the first place, but thanks to the power of music and passionate artists like mgk, we’re closer than ever to creating it.
The CoolEST Road Trip Ever
As if the man hadn’t given us enough already, the week after MGK Day saw him and the band traveling across four states for a special mini-tour called the Lost XX Road Trip! Fans in Ohio, Indiana, Wisconsin, and Minnesota got to be some of the first to hear lost americana songs live… some even on a roof. Someone give Reed a raise to make up for the stress he probably felt that night!
Heading Back To Warped Tour
mgk was an underrated staple back in the prime days of Warped Tour, and he got to head back to the main stage at two of this year’s festival days! Both nights, he took the crowd on a genre-bending adventure surrounded by a graffiti-laced set celebrating his Tickets To My Downfall album’s fifth anniversary – more on that milestone shortly. He first took the stage in Washington, D.C. before dropping lost americana, and his appearance in Orlando, FL happened after the album release, so he was able to show off two different setlists and integrate some new music for the second crowd!
A Style Icon Getting Recognition
If you’re anything like us, then your Pinterest homepage is flooded with mgk fashion inspo any time you log on. So you already know we were absolutely stoked to find out he got a Style Icon Award from Daily Front Row’s Fashion Media Awards during New York Fashion Week! It made it even more special to know his bestie Pete Davidson was the one to present him with the award, and Casie was in the audience to support him.
I think that my style can be unconventional to some… I am completely unapologetic with my authenticity in what I sing and what I wear.
mgk at the Fashion Media Awards
His status as a fashion icon also brought about some of the coolest memorabilia collabs that mgk has done in his career! He celebrated the release of lost americana with special merch capsules in partnership with Harley Davidson and Ed Hardy, as well as releasing his first fragrance with Dossier. So not only does he express his own unforgettable style, but he wants to make sure EST can dress and smell as nicely as him. What a king!
That’s Professor mgk To You
mgk is smarter and more strategic than most of the internet gives him credit for – including his music, 27 Club Coffee shop, and investments in companies like Liquid Death – and his business savvy culminated in an invite to speak at Harvard Business School this fall! A student who attended his guest lecture told Boston that one of the topics was how he deals with online hate, sharing:
He said, ‘I just had to employ the mentality that I simply can’t care about this if I want to be in this industry. I’m doing this because I love what I do, and I love the artistic part of my job.’ And then the second piece he said that I think was a little bit easier to take something from, was that you’re always going to have the loud minority and the silent majority. What he kind of meant by that was how many times do you go online to your favorite artist and write on their Instagram ‘Oh my gosh, you’re my favorite artist. This is an awesome post.’ Hardly ever. Because the people who are gonna comment are the ones who are gonna have something negative to say.
Harvard Business School student Peter Kiesel
Our All Access Pass To The World Of Tickets To My Downfall
One of the biggest things that made 2025 special for mgk was that it marked the fifth anniversary of his iconic Tickets To My Downfall album! He knows that EST lovessss a good album anniversary celebration, especially after last year’s Hotel Diablo re-release and fan Q&A, so he had a special treat up his sleeve for this one.
Tickets To My Downfall (All Access) expanded his pop-punk masterpiece with five new tracks: ‘no cellphones in rehab,’ ‘home bittersweet home,’ ‘i tried again,’ ‘me or you,’ and ‘secrets.’ And being the generous king he is, he gave us DIY videos for each one, along with adding ‘love race’ with Kellin Quinn to the tracklist. We didn’t think Tickets could get any better, but somehow it did!
Taking Over North America With The lost americana Tour
With two albums to celebrate, it was time for Kells and the band to hit the road for the lost americana Tour! They prepared an epic, changing setlist with over 30 songs, complete with pyrotechnics, a giant Statue Of Liberty onstage, a descending guitar (unless you were in Brooklyn, where it got stuck mid-air), and support from the amazing Julia Wolf.
Anyone lucky enough to catch the 2025 tour dates got a special anniversary performance of the Tickets To My Downfall album, including every single song on the main record. And anyone lucky enough to be in Rosemont, IL are definitely the universe’s favorite people, because they even got a special performance of ‘forget me too’ with Halsey! But no matter which show you attended, you could feel how much mgk and his touring family love what they do.
Speaking of the touring family, we want to thank his amazing band for not only bringing our favorite mgk songs to life, but also being superstars in their own right! Slim delivers so much energy and makes sure everyone is having a good time, especially when he comes out on the XX runway for ‘ay!’ and ‘Wild Boy.’ Baze’s basslines blend all the sounds together and give such a stunning lifeline to each performance. No Love is a fantastic addition to the band for this run and wears so many hats throughout the show, tackling each one with ease. Sophie is a guitar powerhouse and her excited smiles are so infectious. Jus is another guitar mastermind who never ceases to amaze us, especially when he plays on the runway with his guitar behind his head. Finally, Rook constantly inspires us with his persistence and dedication to his drumming craft.
And of course, thank you to Sam for capturing so many memories for EST through his photography, and Reed for making sure Kells stays safe throughout the night!
More Collabs For Our Collection
Even though lost americana doesn’t technically include any features (phem and MOD SUN appear on ‘indigo’ and ‘treading water,’ respectively, without a feature credit), we did get some official features and collabs from mgk throughout the year! Of course, we started with the Julia Wolf-assisted ‘iris’ as Kells dropped some songs ahead of lost americana.
His next collab of the year was ‘WHO I WAS,’ a thoughtful appearance on an NF track that brings up alllllll the feels possible. Fans begged these two to work together for years and it was so worth the wait! Like the lost americana album, ‘WHO I WAS’ explores evolution and the hard lessons we face to meet our truest selves. Colson uses his verse to reflect on his biggest losses, mistakes that shaped his life, his relationship with religion, and more. He really poured so much of himself into this beautiful track!
“I’ll follow my heart but my heart is scattered Like my father’s ashes in the back of the rental after I dropped his urn Probably a metaphor for everything I’ve learned…”
Remember that scene of Hannah Montana when Miley spots the Jonas Brothers for the first time and yells, “Sweet mama, it’s the Jonas Brothers?” That was our reflexive reaction when we found out they were hopping on an energetic remix of ‘cliché’ after mgk made a surprise guest appearance at the band’s Vancouver, CA show. Having one of THE boy bands of all time join him on a song drawing from the golden boy band era is so meta and we can’t get enough!
Finally, we had one last gift from Kells this year when he appeared on King Chip’s ‘FAT RAPS 4,’ which dropped on Christmas. He’s known Chip since the two of them were growing up in Cleveland, so ‘FAT RAPS 4’ serves as a fun reunion that lets both of them celebrate their success and rap skills!
Taking A ‘Lunch Break’ With Lyrical Lemonade
Between shows on the lost americana Tour, mgk stopped by Lyrical Lemonade for a freestyle that truly feels like a victory lap. Like his verse on ‘WHO I WAS,’ the ‘Lunch Break’ freestyle draws from all sorts of experiences he’s gone through and how they’ve shaped him to become his strongest self. Meanwhile, his band and closest friends hype him up in the back, showcasing that he’s never alone in the things he faces.
And some very important details: the lunch he got in the studio included Prince Street pizza, Caesar salad, cheesecake, calamari, bruschetta, and pasta with Bolognese sauce. One word, three letters, Y-U-M.
“Never let anyone’s opinion block your intuition You gotta stay driven on this impossible mission You gotta make sure that a sequel coming after this one The meek will inherit the earth, good riddance Everybody equal, but some of us built different…”
A Whole Lot Of Personal Growth
Above all, the most magical part of being EST this year is seeing how much mgk has evolved and been able to create his own peace and stability. He knows with how much negative media attention he gets that the public would chew him up for the mistakes and missteps he describes on lost americana songs like ‘treading water.’ But what matters to him is coming clean for accountability and to express how he genuinely wants to fix things, for the people he hurt and also to get closer to his ideal self.
Growth is never easy and we could only imagine what it’s like to try to improve yourself and your mindset as the whole world is watching. Kells is ready to take true responsibility for himself and his evolution no matter what it takes or what anyone thinks about it. We’re so proud of him for improving his mindset and refusing to let his struggles define him!
He shared at his lost americana Tour show in Brooklyn, NY, “I never wanna undo the progress that I’ve been making with my life… I spent so many years of people misinterpreting the human that I am, the soul that I am. And my soul is pure, but it’s covered by an exoskeleton that’s been broken by the outside world. I refuse to let the outside world break me anymore, and I’m standing here in front of you as a changed man, as someone who is embracing the light, and the love, and all of this high-frequency beauty that’s been happening around me.”
What were your favorite memories with mgk this year? Did you get to see him and the band live at the lost americana Tour, Warped Tour, or one of their one-off performances? Let us know in the comments below or hit us up on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter! You can also buzz on over to our Reddit community to chat with us.
The Kennedy Center is ending the year with a new round of artists saying they are canceling scheduled performances after President Donald Trump’s name was added to the facility, prompting the institution’s president to accuse the performers of making their decisions because of politics.
The Cookers, a jazz supergroup that has performed together for nearly two decades, announced its withdrawal from “A Jazz New Year’s Eve” on its website, saying the “decision has come together very quickly” and acknowledging frustration from those who may have planned to attend.
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We’ll say it… 2025 was one of the best years for K-Pop yet! The continued global explosion of K-Pop was pushed to new levels thanks to K-Pop Demon Hunters, more idols expanding their world tours, and highly anticipated returns from the likes of G-DRAGON, MONSTA X, BLACKPINK, and GOT7. We could talk all day about our favorite K-Pop comebacks, but here (in alphabetical order) are 25 of the best from 2025.
aespa – Rich Man
We really didn’t think it was possible for aespa to have a better year than they did in 2024, but in 2025 they levelled up (… ‘Next Level?’). We loved ‘Dirty Work,’ but the Rich Man mini-album is our fave comeback from aespa this year. Each of the six tracks is a masterpiece that showcases aespa’s ever-evolving skillset, but if we had to pick a favorite other than the title track ‘Rich Man,’ then it would have to be the album closer, ‘To The Girls.’
ALL(H)OURS – Smoke Point
If hype energy K-Pop comebacks are your thing, then we hope Smoke Point was on your 2025 playlists! The title track, ‘GIMME GIMME,’ is another level of fiery and intense. It’s giving old school MONSTA X! 2025 was ALL (H)OURS’ second year since debut, and the growth they’ve shown in that time is so impressive. We can’t wait to see what happens for ALL (H)OURS next.
ATEEZ – GOLDEN HOUR: Part 3
As if the ‘Lemon Drop’ era hadn’t been enough, ATEEZ did not come to play with ‘In Your Fantasy’ and GOLDEN HOUR: Part 3. The album is a true ‘Masterpiece’ (pun somewhat intended), and we couldn’t have been more thrilled to get solo b-sides from each ATEEZ member! Our faves have got to be ‘Slide to me,’ ‘NO1,’ and ‘Sagittarius.’
BLACKPINK – ‘JUMP’
The world is always tuned in every time there’s a BLACKPINK comeback! In 2025, the quartet reunited for a world tour and the single, ‘JUMP.’ Naturally, the track is as vivacious and high-energy as anyone would expect from a BLACKPINK release. This time, though, as well as YG’s in-house team, ‘JUMP’ was co-written and co-produced by music juggernaut Diplo. Here’s to more BLACKPINK music in 2026…?
BOYNEXTDOOR – The Action
Between No Genre and The Action, it’s been a career-best year for BOYNEXTDOOR. Again and again, the group proves that they’re at the forefront of K-Pop and will continue to pioneer the 5th Generation. The members continue to get more and more hands-on, too, with Jaehyun, Taesan, Leehan, and Woonhak all contributing to the songwriting of the tracks, which focus on BOYNEXTDOOR’s group aspirations, with a sprinkle of their usual tongue-in-cheek spirit.
ENHYPEN – DESIRE: UNLEASH
As ever, in 2025, ENHYPEN took the time out of their hectic world tour schedules to release one of our favorite K-Pop comebacks. DESIRE: UNLEASH was first announced during ENHYPEN’s Coachella set, and that performance was probably a 2025 highlight, too. DESIRE: UNLEASH was stacked with hits, but our favorites have to be ‘Outside’ and ‘Helium!’
EVNNE – LOVE ANECDOTE(S)
The Honey POP stans EVNNE big time, and the release of their 5th mini-album, LOVE ANECDOTE(S), was no different! The title track, ‘How Can I Do,’ feels like several songs in one, but in the best way possible. From the R&B moments to the intense chorus, there’s an edge of 3rd Gen sensibilities in this song. The highlight, though, is the bass and drums breakdown underneath the fierce rap verses.
GOT7 – WINTER HEPTAGON
We’ll be real, we almost forgot that WINTER HEPTAGON was a 2025 release because it came out so early in the year! Nonetheless, we are always thrilled to have more GOT7 music in our lives. This album, which we had truly been dreaming of, brought all of our wishes to life. As always, GOT7 were hands-on in the creative process, with every member contributing to the writing and production. The lead single, ‘PYTHON,’ was exactly the statement GOT7 needed to make. “I know I’m an icon.” Yes, yes, you are.
G-DRAGON – Übermensch
The king of K-Pop finally returned in 2025! With an absolutely top-tier album, Übermensch,G-DRAGON firmly restated that he is not going anywhere, even if he keeps us waiting in between releases! From ‘POWER’ dropping at the end of 2024 to ‘TOO BAD’ to all the bsides, Übermensch is a masterpiece. And if you don’t wanna take our word for it, check out the cameos in the ‘TOO BAD’ MV to see who else is a fan of G-DRAGON, too.
Hearts2Hearts – FOCUS
Hearts2Hearts made the list of our favorite K-Pop debuts in 2025, but their first mini-album, FOCUS, was easily one of our fave comebacks, too! There’s something about the title track that makes it one of the most intriguing of the year, and it’s the perfect choice for Hearts2Hearts’ end-of-year stages as they entice more fans. “I cannot focus on anything but you,” is how Hearts2Hearts are making S2U feel!
ILLIT – ‘NOT CUTE ANYMORE’
‘NOT CUTE ANYMORE’ might be one of the most recent K-Pop comebacks from 2025, but it’s still one of the best! ILLIT is a group that knows their brand perfectly, and they know how to both embrace and expand it, too. ‘NOT CUTE ANYMORE’ is (sorry) super cute, whilst still showing a new side to the girls. We cannot wait to see how ILLIT continue to grow as we go into their third year as a group!
IVE – IVE EMPATHY
Doesn’t it feel like IVE has a career-best year, every year? Well, 2025 was no exception! Way back in February, the girls released IVE EMPATHY, which was immediately one of our fave IVE comebacks yet. Thanks to mega-hits ‘ATTITUDE’ and ‘REBEL HEART,’ this album quickly set the stage for IVE to exceed expectations once again.
JENNIE – Ruby
“Who wanna rock with JENNIE?” Umm… us please! Ruby was technically JENNIE’s debut solo studio album, but we’re including it as a comeback as she’d had official solo releases before. Having said that, Ruby definitely felt like a brand new start for JENNIE. Having worked with the likes of Dua Lipa, Childish Gambino, Diplo, and so many more, JENNIE gifted us with a cohesive, theatrical body of work. We waited for this album for so long, and it was so worth the wait!
j-hope – ‘MONA LISA’
Not satisfied with wrapping up his solo world tour, j-hope gifted us with a trio of iconic singles. It was so hard to pick just one of them for our top K-Pop comebacks list, but we’ve gone with ‘MONA LISA.‘ This track has been on repeat for us all year, and we reckon it’ll still be that way throughout 2026, too. From the slick choreography to the fun message, we love every part of this song.
KATSEYE – BEAUTIFUL CHAOS
KATSEYE spent 2025 “making beats,” and we couldn’t be more grateful to them for it. The girlies had their first comeback this year, the BEAUTIFUL CHAOS EP, led by ‘Gnarly’ and ‘Gabriela.’ Sometimes divisive but always talked about, everything these girls touch seems to turn to gold. Here’s to hoping that KATSEYE never go ‘M.I.A!’
LE SSERAFIM – ‘SPAGHETTI (feat. j-hope of BTS)’
Not only was ‘SPAGHETTI‘ one of our favorite K-Pop comebacks of 2025, but it’s maybe our favorite collaboration of the year, too! Every aspect of this release was iconic, from the styling to the TikTok trends to the packaging of the physical albums! The title track from this single album is fiery, mischievous, and tongue-in-cheek, which is basically all we could have wished for from the fimmies.
MEOVV – ‘BURNING UP’
MEOVV’s digital single ‘BURNING UP’ saw the girls take a different sonic direction than their previous releases, but this sounds works just as well for them! Still equally fierce, but with a brighter pop edge, ‘BURNING UP,’ as well as just being super fun, showcases how much MEOVV has grown in such a short amount of time.
MONSTA X – THE X
Was this the most highly anticipated comeback on this list? Maybe! MONBEBE had to suffer for literally years waiting for a group comeback, thanks to military enlistments, but we finally got it! The members didn’t come to mess around when they finally reunited either; 2025 has been stacked for them. As well as THE X, they celebrated their 10th anniversary, announced a 2026 world tour, and dropped the single ‘Baby Blue.’ We wanna see MONSTA X ‘N the Front’ row next year!
P1HARMONY – DUH!
Not only was DUH! one of our fave K-Pop comebacks in 2025, it also gave us one of the very best b-sides we’ve heard in a long time: ‘Pretty Boy.’ We’re not the only ones who think that, either! ‘Pretty Boy’ has actually overtaken the title track’s streams on Spotify! ‘DUH!,’ though, is totally worth celebrating too. Our favorite thing about the title track is its music video. Filled with references to their discography, lore details, and some classic P1H looks, it’s the perfect MV for fans both old and new.
Stray Kids – KARMA
There’s no way we couldn’t include Stray Kids on this list when both of the albums they released this year topped the Billboard 200, is there? Our fave 2025 comeback from the megastars has to be KARMA. Even if the music wasn’t incredible (which it is), the very fact it celebrates Stray Kids’ work ethic and all of their success (so far!) would be enough to earn KARMA a place in our hearts, and on this list.
TOMORROW X TOGETHER – The Star Chapter: TOGETHER
We’ll be honest, ‘Love Language,’ nearly made the list as a top K-Pop comeback in 2025, but then we thought: why have one TXT song, when you could have eight? The Star Chapter: TOGETHER was a special era for many reasons, not least because it wrapped up all of TXT’s lore and storyline for the past seven years! It also gifted us solo tracks from each member for the first time, and from the cuteness of ‘Sunday Driver’ to the moodiness of ‘Ghost Girl’ to the sensuality of ‘Dance With You,’ each and every one of these b-sides is a dream come true!
TWICE – THIS IS FOR
Like for TXT, we were torn for this pick. We nearly chose TEN: The Story Goes On as our fave TWICE comeback in 2025 because we’re just so thrilled about their tenth anniversary, but ultimately we couldn’t resist THIS IS FOR. The title track was one of the most underrated bops this year, and we will never, ever, stop watching clips of ‘Right Hand Girl’ from the World Tour. Plus, we got brand new unit songs! What’s not to love?
XLOV – I One
2025 was the year that we, and the world, fell totally in love with XLOV. Imma Be was one of our favorite debuts this year, and UXLXVE was a top album, so it’s only natural that I One would be one of our fave comebacks! Led by ‘1&Only,’ this era was what truly launched XLOV to the forefront of K-Pop. Even more than that, ‘1&Only’ and ‘BIZNESS’ had some of the best choreography of the year, and we cannot recommend the performance videos enough.
ZEROBASEONE – NEVER SAY NEVER
Well, first of all, we have to say that we’re very sorry to ‘BLUE,’ but how could we resist the pull of ‘ICONIK?’ ZB1 told us to “Let the rhythm flow through [y]our body,” after all! In another year filled with hits from this group, we were thrilled about this comeback for many reasons, not least because it was their first full-length album! With the future of ZEROBASEONE still a mystery, we’re glad that we, and ZEROSE, got to enjoy a full body of work from ZB1.
&TEAM – Back To Life
One of our favorite global groups finally had their official Korean debut! &TEAM released Back To Life, including the searing rock-inspired title track that earned &TEAM their first Korean music show win. However, the mini-album’s b-sides are what make this comeback so special. We’ll never stop watching performances of ‘Lunatic’ and ‘Mismatch.’
So there you have it, all of our top 2025 K-Pop comebacks, or at least 25 of them! Which is your favorite comeback? Did your ults make the list? Let us know! You can find us at @thehoneypop on Twitter, or by visiting us on Facebook and Instagram.
Beyoncé’s new status as a billionaire is the ultimate endorsement of an idea she came to later in her career: stop overworking and start working smarter. Her evolution from 24/7 grind to boundary-setting strategist tracks directly to what workers and executives are discovering about burnout and sustainable success in today’s economy.
From grind to billionaire
In late 2025, Beyoncé Knowles-Carter joined Forbes‘ billionaire ranks, becoming one of only a handful of musicians—alongside Jay-Z, Rihanna, Bruce Springsteen, and Taylor Swift—to cross the 10-figure threshold. Her wealth is built on stacked revenue streams: blockbuster tours like Renaissance and Cowboy Carter, high-margin merchandise, an owned catalog valued in the hundreds of millions, and Parkwood Entertainment, which lets her keep control of the products she creates.
That portfolio is the compound interest on two decades of disciplined reinvention—from Destiny’s Child to solo superstardom to entrepreneur—each chapter designed less around being everywhere and more around owning what matters most.
Her pivot: working smarter, not harder
Beyoncé has been candid that the early years of her career were defined by saying yes to almost everything: nonstop tours, red carpets, awards shows, and press that eventually led to insomnia, exhaustion, and deteriorating mental health. She has since told GQ in an interview that she draws a hard line: if a project doesn’t obsess her when she wakes up and follow her into her dreams at night, she passes—even if it is lucrative.
That philosophy extends to her calendar. She structures touring around her children’s school breaks and disappears from public events between major projects so she can recover, create, and be present at home. The result is fewer appearances, but each is bigger, more meticulously produced, and more profitable—culminating in tours grossing hundreds of millions and films that extend the earning life of each era.
What leaders can learn about burnout
Beyoncé’s shift mirrors a broader reckoning. In 2024, roughly 82% of knowledge workers surveyed across North America, Asia, and Europe reported at least some level of burnout, even as 88% also described themselves as highly engaged. That “burned out but locked in” paradox—employees simultaneously exhausted and deeply invested—creates a dangerous incentive to push hardest on the people already at their limit.
For HR leaders, the warning is clear: relying on a small cadre of “work horses” risks a toxic cycle where top performers quietly hit a wall and leave as soon as the job market improves. Beyoncé’s own playbook offers a lesson for business leaders: define the culture you actually want, clarify strategy, and invest in what you’re already good at instead of layering on more work for the same people.
The year of “no”
If the early Beyoncé era was about never saying no, today’s workforce is moving the other way. Roughly 65% of employees now feel empowered to decline additional responsibilities, with workers 25 and under the most likely to say no to extra tasks. That resistance is not laziness; survey respondents describe it as a survival strategy against chronic burnout, even as many still feel guilt when they set boundaries.
The most effective employers, research suggests, are those that normalize these boundaries by redesigning roles and workloads rather than glorifying the martyr who always says yes. Beyoncé’s refusal to trade her time for every opportunity—even when demand is virtually unlimited—is a high-profile version of the same move.
A billionaire blueprint for sustainable ambition
Taken together, Beyoncé’s trajectory and recent workplace data point to a new blueprint for high achievement:
Own the leverage, not the hours. Beyoncé’s billionaire status flows from asset ownership—catalog, company, creative IP—rather than simply stacking more tour dates or endorsements. Workers and executives alike gain the most when they move away from performative busyness toward roles and projects where their unique skills compound over time.
Make boundaries a performance strategy. Her choice to tour around her family’s schedule and to vanish between eras is not a luxury; it is why each launch lands as an event, not just another release. Fortune’s reporting shows that companies that build similar space—by empowering employees to say no, rebalancing workloads, and focusing on results rather than constant availability—are better positioned to retain engaged, high-performing talent in a tight labor market.
Redefine what “hard work” looks like. Beyoncé has said she has already “worked harder than anyone” she knows—now the challenge is to work smarter. For ambitious professionals, that means trading the visible grind of late nights and endless emails for the less visible work of prioritization, creative focus, and long-term bets that, like hers, can eventually be measured not in hours logged, but in enduring value created.
For this story, Fortune journalists used generative AI as a research tool. An editor verified the accuracy of the information before publishing.
The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts has canceled multiple New Year’s Eve performances, adding to a growing wave of artist withdrawals following the venue’s renaming to include President Donald Trump.
Jazz ensemble the Cookers had two scheduled New Year’s Eve performances canceled, according to the Kennedy Center’s website on Monday, the New York Times reported. The cancellations follow Doug Varone and Dancers’ announcement that they are pulling out of their April performances in protest of the renaming.
Newsweek reached out to the Kennedy Center via email on Monday for additional comment.
The Kennedy Center, traditionally viewed as a nonpartisan space for artistic excellence, has become a flashpoint in broader debates about political influence over cultural institutions.
The financial and reputational consequences affect both the artists withdrawing—Varone toldthe Times he estimates a $40,000 loss—and the venue itself, which faces an increasingly fractured relationship with performers and potential legal challenges over the renaming’s legality.
What To Know
The wave of cancellations began in February when Trump removed board members and replaced them with supporters. High-profile artists, including Pulitzer winner Rhiannon Giddens, soprano Renée Fleming, and singer-songwriter Ben Folds, resigned advisory roles or canceled performances in protest.
Jazz musician Chuck Redd canceled his annual free Christmas Eve concert after seeing the name change on the Kennedy Center’s website and building, prompting Kennedy Center President Richard Grenell to threaten a $1 million lawsuit. Redd has led the venue’s holiday “Jazz Jams” since 2006, taking over from bassist William “Keter” Betts. Folk singer Kristy Lee from Alabama withdrew from a January 14 free concert, citing integrity over financial concerns.
Doug Varone and Dancers were scheduled to perform April 24-25 at the Eisenhower Theater, celebrating the company’s 40th anniversary and honoring two departing dance administrators, Jane Raleigh and Alicia Adams.
The reason for the Cookers’ New Year’s Eve cancellations remains unclear. The performances had been promoted as featuring an “all-star jazz septet that will ignite the Terrace Theater stage with fire and soul,” according to the Times reporting.
The renaming has sparked legal controversy. President John F. Kennedy was assassinated in 1963, and Congress passed legislation in 1964 establishing the center as a living memorial to him. The law restricts the board of trustees from dedicating the building to anyone else or placing another individual’s name on its exterior. The White House has said the decision was approved by a board appointed by the president, though legal scholars and historians argue congressional approval would be required.
What People Are Saying
Roma Daravi, Vice President of PR for the Kennedy Center, shared in a statement to Newsweek last week:“Any artist cancelling their show at the Trump Kennedy Center over political differences isn’t courageous or principled—they are selfish, intolerant, and have failed to meet the basic duty of a public artist: to perform for all people. Art is a shared cultural experience meant to unite, not exclude. The Trump Kennedy Center is a true bipartisan institution that welcomes artists and patrons from all backgrounds—great art transcends politics, and America’s cultural center remains committed to presenting popular programming that inspires and resonates with all audiences.”
Doug Varone, Doug Varone and Dancers told The New York Times: “It is financially devastating but morally exhilarating.
“We can no longer permit ourselves nor ask our audiences to step inside this once great institution.”
Folk singer Kristy Lee, according to the Times: “I won’t lie to you, canceling shows hurts. This is how I keep the lights on. But losing my integrity would cost me more than any paycheck.”
Democratic Representative Steve Cohen said in a speech in Congress: “The idea that Donald Trump would want his name to go before Kennedy’s or even with Kennedy’s is a sacrilege. It should not be changed, ever.”
Moon Sujin, ØZI, and Karencici Unite Korea and Taiwan’s R&B Scenes
LOS ANGELES, December 29, 2025 (Newswire.com)
– Kooky has launched its first cross-border music production project, releasing “Tight Rope (feat. ØZI & Karencici)“, performed by Korean R&B artist Moon Sujin in collaboration with Taiwan’s leading next-generation musicians ØZI and Karencici.
More than a standard feature collaboration, Tight Rope marks the first fully curated cross-border music project led by Kooky, a fan-centric, data-driven platform redefining how artists collaborate and expand globally. The project was strategically designed by Kooky using in-depth analysis of regional fan demand, market responsiveness, and artistic compatibility-bridging Korea and Taiwan’s contemporary R&B scenes through intentional creative alignment.
Following its release, the single debuted at No. 3 on the KKBOX Top 10 Debut Singles chart in Taiwan, validating Kooky’s data-driven artist-matching approach and highlighting the project’s strong local market impact.
The collaboration expanded into cross-border live performances. Moon Sujin joined ØZI and Karencici on stage in Taiwan, engaging directly with local audiences, before continuing performances in Korea. Through this expansion, the release moved beyond a digital collaboration into a shared fan experience, demonstrating the practical scalability of Kooky-led global music projects, supported by the Korea Creative Content Agency (KOCCA).
Looking ahead, Kooky plans to continue developing and scaling cross-border music production and live collaboration projects.
“Kooky is not just a K-POP platform-it’s a data-driven ecosystem that analyzes real fan demand and creates growth opportunities for artists worldwide,” said Hami Kim, CEO of Kooky Inc.
About Kooky
Kooky is a global K-POP platform active in over 180 countries, connecting fans and artists through creative participation. With more than 2.5 million users worldwide, Kooky enables fans to take part in real projects-from voting for concert cities to supporting cross-border artist collaborations-turning fandom activity into actionable insights that bridge fan culture and the global entertainment industry.
Editor’s note: This is part of The Know’s series, Staff Favorites. Each week, we give our opinions on the best that Colorado has to offer for dining, shopping, entertainment, outdoor activities and more. (We’ll also let you in on some hidden gems.)
It would be a fool’s errand to attempt to write about all of my favorite Colorado concertgoing and music-listening experiences from this year. There were simply too many.
In the four years that I’ve lived in Denver, I’ve found it to be a destination for highly esteemed folk rock, head-turning electronic music and artists finding inspiration at high altitude.
The experimental electronic shows at the Aztlan Theatre this year were the subject of a previous Staff Favorite of mine, as was “Gentle Worship,” an album by Denver composer Nathan Hall and percussion trio Perc Ens performed using stone instruments from the San Luis Valley.
Below are five other musical moments that gave me chills this year.
Autechre at Ogden Theatre (Oct. 1)
Fliers taped around the lobby of the Ogden Theatre the night of Autechre’s long-awaited return to Denver read:
“Autechre will perform in darkness. For their set all lights in the venue will be off. Please plan on being in one place for the performance and do not move unnecessarily until it has finished when the lights will come back on again.”
Quite the opening salvo for a content advisory that goes on seven more sentences and ends with “Thank you.” But to fans of the pivotal UK electronic duo, whose output since the 1990s has consistently pushed the boundaries of bass, techno and dance music, it was a promising sign. Things were about to get weird.
Singer-songwriter Ethel Cain will headline Red Rocks Amphitheatre on Tuesday, April 21, 2026. (Kristy Sparow, Getty Images)
Indeed, they did. Barely visible from behind their on-stage equipment, the floating headphones of Autechre dropped a ceaseless, complicated, breathtaking assault on the senses. Industrial grind floated over shifting interlocking drum programming. Having played at Denver’s Bluebird Theater 10 years before, the bass-heavy performance felt like a homecoming.
Ethel Cain taps Midwife for EP
Naming her EP “Perverts” was a bold move for Ethel Cain, the Tallahassee-born singer-songwriter who had previously been known for her haunting folk and Americana. (Many publications named Cain’s “American Teenager” the best song of 2022.) The project veered toward her most experimental impulses, stretching to nearly 90 minutes of drones and eerie spoken word. Fleshing out its sound is Madeline Johnston, a guitarist and singer-songwriter from Denver who records delicate, reverb-soaked folk songs as Midwife. The EP’s closer “Amber Waves” features her strongest contributions, a track that unfurls Cain’s pained vocals and Johnston’s gentle guitar over 11 minutes and 32 seconds. Though Cain would return to her roots later that year with her most recent album (“Willoughby Tucker, I’ll Always Love You”), “Amber Waves” is a high-water mark for a ghostly, heart-wrenching sound Johnston has developed over a string of solo and collaborative releases.
Ben Gibbard at Red Rocks (May 14)
Ben Gibbard performs with his band the Postal Service at Riot Fest on Sept. 16, 2023, at Douglass Park in Chicago. (Photo by Rob Grabowski/Invision/AP)
When alt-rockers Julien Baker and Torres pulled out of Rilo Kiley’s comeback tour this May, with Baker citing health struggles, none other than Death Cab for Cutie’s Ben Gibbard filled in the opening slot. He and Rilo Kiley’s Jenny Lewis are longtime studio and tour pals.
By himself on stage and slowly fingerpicking an acoustic guitar, Gibbard cooed hits such as the Postal Service’s “Such Great Heights” and Death Cab’s “I’ll Follow You Into the Dark” along with a song he wrote for The Monkees and a Julien Baker cover. His voice is an iconic one in indie rock, and that night it served as a sort of palate cleanser, bringing the crowd to appreciate the views and each other.
Paul McCartney at Coors Field (Oct. 11)
I thought my time to see a living Beatle had passed. Then came “Got Back,” Sir Paul McCartney’s U.S. tour with a stop at Coors Field. There were plenty of theatrics staged at center field, including McCartney performing a virtual duet with John Lennon at their seminal rooftop show. Some of it was clunky, like his on-stage choreography, but that did little to stop the masses from singing along to nearly every song. No matter how jaded you may be about pop music today, it was special and heartwarming to witness a full stadium of fans sing along to “Hey Jude.” That night, witnessed from the highest stadium chairs, it felt like the most popular song on Earth.
Rare Byrd$ at Manos Sagrados (Sept. 13)
Rare Byrd$ performs at the 2016 Titwrench Festival in Denver. Photo by Lauri Lynnxe Murphy, provided by Sarah Slater.
Electronic music hardware is expensive. Computers, hard drives, drum machines, synths, effect pads, sequencers and a spaghetti bowl of cables; it all adds up, and the return in music sales may not surpass the amount put in. That’s why it was a breath of fresh air to see Denver hip-hop duo Rare Byrd$ turn the tables on its audience during a workshop for a music festival my wife put on this summer at Manos Sagrados, a new venue in Aurora. After giving a brief presentation on the capabilities of each instrument and how to mix them live into a song, they invited members of the audience to try their hands at making a beat. I hopped on a touch pad and tapped a drunken bassline. Then the person across from me added a synth arpeggio on top and another set up a hi-hat sequence using a drum machine. We were making the music that boomed over the speakers, talking to each other without saying anything at all.
One of the new offerings this week doubles as a music and television option, just in time for New Year’s Eve.
— The new year is nearly upon us. Why not ring it in with a few all-star performances? There is no shortage of New Year’s Eve specials to watch, but give “Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest,” available to stream online at ABC.com, a whirl. Catch performances from Chappell Roan, 50 Cent, Diana Ross, Chance the Rapper, 4 Non Blondes, 6lack, AJR, BigXThaPlug, Busta Rhymes, Demi Lovato, Charlie Puth, Ciara and many more.
NEW YORK — In addition to being a 1960s French sex symbol, actor, singer and animal welfare activist, Brigitte Bardot was a muse to many — in particular, musicians.
Her name, with its alliterative cadence, became synonymous with a kind of classic beauty. In songs, Bardot is often not Bardot the woman, but a symbol for desire — shorthand for a bombshell. Decades removed from the peak of her screen fame, contemporary performers continue to sing her name despite her many controversies, including being convicted five times in French courts of inciting racial hatred and provocative comments about the #MeToo movement.
It may not be her main legacy, but Bardot, who died Sunday in southern France, will live in on the songs that mention her. Across genre and language, here is a sampling.
The last track of the canonical “The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan” exhibits Dylan’s wicked verbosity and elastic folk. “Well, my telephone rang it would not stop / It’s President Kennedy callin’ me up / He said, My friend, Bob, what do we need to make the country grow? I said my friend, John, Brigitte Bardot,” he sings. “Anita Ekberg / Sophia Loren / Country’ll grow.”
The Brazilian artist Caetano Veloso composed the protest song at the beginning of the tropicalismo movement; it became a hallmark of his career and one of the best-known Brazilian songs of all time. In it, he sings, “Em caras de presidentes / Em grandes beijos de amor / Em dentes, pernas, bandeiras / Bomba e Brigitte Bardot” (“In faces of presidents / In big kisses of love / In teeth, legs, flags / Bombs and Brigitte Bardot”).
A central architect of French pop, singer Serge Gainsbourg wrote this duet for himself and Bardot. It’s styled after a poem the outlaw Bonnie Parker wrote, titled “The Trail’s End,” shortly before she and partner Clyde Barrow were killed.
Jaunty piano and Elton John’s ascendent vocal melodies, all for a song with a less-than-optimistic title. John sings the words from his longtime lyricist Bernie Taupin: “I’d make an exception / If you want to save my life / Brigitte Bardot gotta come / And see me every night.”
The Pretenders know a little something about the social power of Bardot. The English rock band’s principal songwriter and frontperson Chrissie Hynde sings: “When love walks in the room / Everybody stand up / Oh, it’s good, good, good / Like Brigitte Bardot.”
Maybe it’s a bit unfair to include Billy Joel’s classic here, which name-drops more than most pop hits, but it’s telling that Bardot gets a shoutout alongside “Budapest, Alabama, Khrushchev / Princess Grace, Peyton Place, trouble in the Suez,” and just after “Einstein, James Dean, Brooklyn’s got a winning team / Davy Crockett, Peter Pan, Elvis Presley, Disneyland.” Not an obscure name in sight.
“Stratford-On-Guy,” from influential indie rocker Liz Phair’s seminal album “Exile in Guyville,” takes aim at the dude-centric music scene. But it also uses Bardot to describe a flight attendant who reminds her that while communities can be insular, they all look the same from 30,000 feet. “The stewardess came back and checked on my drink / In the last strings of sunlight, a Brigitte Bardot,” she sings. “’Cause I had on my headphones along with those eyes / That you get when your circumstance is movie-sized.”
In the second verse of “Warlocks,” from the funky California rockers Red Hot Chili Peppers, singer Anthony Kiedis near-scats, “Ring side and blow-by-blow / Another main event at the old Rainbow / We’re comin’ right on top of the tupelo / When she looks just like Brigitte Bardot.” It’s a descriptive image of Los Angeles — even with the inclusion of Bardot.
Kali Uchis and Jorja Smith’s dreamy collaboration imagines “Bardot” as shorthand for a make-out session with a complicated partner. “The world’s been asking us to lose control,” Uchis swoons. “All we ever do is French like Brigitte Bardot (Brigitte Bardot).”
Olivia Rodrigo is best known for her spirited punk-pop, but she’s also a power balladeer, lest anyone forget it was “drivers license” that made her a household name. “Lacy,” a cut from “Guts,” is soft and slow, with Rodrigo obsessing over a woman she is not. It’s a jealous song, and ripe for a Bardot mention. “Smart, sexy Lacy, I’m losin’ it lately / I feel your compliments likе bullets on skin,” she whisper-sings. “Dazzling starlet, Bardot reincarnatе / Well, aren’t you the greatest thing to ever exist?”
It arrives right at the top to describe an addictive crush. “She was a playboy, Brigitte Bardot,” the pop powerhouse Chappell Roan sings over springy synths and cheery guitar riffs. “She showed me things I didn’t know.”
Looking back on the electric, record-shattering year of music we’ve just lived through, it’s hard to even grasp the sheer flood of amazing artists that have toured this year, let alone narrow the list down. However, at The Honey POP, we love a challenge, and we’ve rounded up the tours that have us replaying fan cams like our lives depended on it. From Lady Gaga’s theatrically unhinged Mayhem Ball to Charli’s neon-chaos Brat Tour, here are the five most iconic tours of 2025.
Chromakopia: The World Tour – Tyler, The Creator
Tyler, The Creator kicked off his seventh headlining tour, Chromakopia: The World Tour, back in February. The album, released in late 2024, earned critical acclaim for its genre-bending experiments, wry storytelling, and unexpected features, fueling instant sellouts worldwide. Starting in Saint Paul, MN, the tour quickly blew up online, with fans praising Tyler’s captivating stage presence and crisp vocals. Beyond dominating the stadiums and box office, Tyler commanded the stage, winning praise from everybody!
The Grand National Tour, Kendrick Lamar’s headlining tour featuring SZA, has been showstopping, showing the strong artistry of both performers and bringing to life their award-winning collaborations. The tour was announced following the release of Lamar’s album GNX, and shattered multiple box-office records, proving that their artistry is just as explosive live as it is in the studio. Fans praised the show’s seamless transitions between their solo sets and joint performances, calling it one of the most iconic co-headlining tours in years.
While TheShort n’ Sweet Tour has been far from short, it is oh so sweet, and we at THP! are so very sad to see it end. The Short n’ Sweet Tourstarted back in September 2024 and just had its closing night in Los Angeles on November 23rd, where Sabrina didn’t hold back with the treats and sweets for us, arresting the perfectly chirpy Miss Piggy and running through a finish line for her iconic ‘Juno’ pose. From SZA to Marcello Hernandez as Domingo, The Short n’ Sweet Tour gave us countless unforgettable arrests and just as many unforgettable outfits from Sabrina, making it one of the most iconic tours of the year. While we are sad to see the tour end, there is bound to be endless Carpenter content to hold us over until she makes her Coachella headlining debut.
While we were blessed with the, might we say, historic SWEAT Tour, Charli XCX didn’t hold back and gave us even more to be thankful for this year by embarking on the Brat Tour, which included her 2025 festival run plus more arena shows. The world tour began back in November 2024 and ended earlier this August in South Korea with a show-stopping performance at One Universe Festival. From her moody party looks to ever-iconic guests, Charli kept us fed with this tour, making it a no-brainer to add to our top iconic tours of the year. We can’t wait for more new music to come for our queen Charli in the new year.
The Mayhem Ball transported us to places we’ve never been as Gaga showed us a macabre, gothic spectacle with her magnificent wardrobe, including a towering crimson cage dress inspired by Mugler’s 1985 Lady Macbeth costume. Beyond the closet, Gaga kept her little monsters fed with an expansive setlist, including both older favorites like ‘Poker Face’ and new top hits like ‘Abracadabra.’ Fans left her show buzzing; it was theatrical, ferocious, and quintessentially Gaga.
What do you think were the most iconic tours of 2025? Be sure to let us know by tweeting us at @TheHoneyPOP or visiting us on Facebook and Instagram; we always want to hear from fellow stans.
As technology distracts, polarizes and automates, people are still finding refuge on analog islands in the digital sea.
The holdouts span the generation gaps, uniting elderly and middle-aged enclaves born in the pre-internet times with the digital natives raised in the era of online ubiquity.
They are setting down their devices to paint, color, knit and play board games. Others carve out time to mail birthday cards and salutations written in their own hand. Some drive cars with manual transmissions while surrounded by automobiles increasingly able to drive themselves. And a widening audience is turning to vinyl albums, resuscitating an analog format that was on its deathbed 20 years ago.
The analog havens provide a nostalgic escape from tumultuous times for generations born from 1946 through 1980, says Martin Bispels, 57, a former QVC executive who recently started Retroactv, a company that sells rock music merchandise dating to the 1960s and 1970s.
“The past gives comfort. The past is knowable,” Bispels says. “And you can define it because you can remember it the way you want.”
But analog escapes also beckon to the members of the millennials and Generation Z, those born from 1981 through 2012 — younger people immersed in a digital culture that has put instant information and entertainment at their fingertips.
Despite that convenience and instant gratification, even younger people growing up on technology’s cutting edge are yearning for more tactile, deliberate and personal activities that don’t evaporate in the digital ephemera, says Pamela Paul, author of “100 Things We’ve Lost To The Internet.”
“Younger generations have an almost longing wistfulness because because so little of their life feels tangible,” Paul says. “They are starting to recognize how the internet has changed their lives, and they are trying to revive these in-person, low-tech environments that older generations took for granted.”
Here are some glimpses into how the old ways are new again.
Keeping those cards coming
People have been exchanging cards for centuries. It’s a ritual in danger of being obliterated by the tsunami of texting and social media posts. Besides being quicker and more convenient, digital communication has become more economical as the cost of a first-class U.S. postage stamp has soared from 33 to 78 cents during the past 25 years.
But tradition is hanging on thanks to people like Megan Evans, who started the Facebook group called “Random Acts of Cardness” a decade ago when she was just 21 in hopes of fostering and maintaining more human connections in an increasingly impersonal world.
“Anybody can send a text message that says ‘Happy Birthday!’ But sending a card is a much more intentional way of telling somebody that you care,” says Evans, who lives in Wickliff, Ohio. “It’s something that the sender has touched with their own hand, and that you are going to hold in your own hand.”
More than 15,000 people are now part of Evans’ Facebook group, including Billy-Jo Dieter, who sends at least 100 cards per month commemorating birthdays, holidays and other milestones. “A dying art,” she calls it.
“My goal has been to try to make at least one person smile each day,” says Dieter, 48, who lives in Ellsworth, Maine. “When you sit down and you put the pen to the paper, it becomes something that’s even more just for that person.”
The singularity of a stick shift
Before technology futurist Ray Kurzweil came up with a concept that he dubbed the “Singularity” to describe his vision of computers melding with humanity, the roads were crammed with stick-shift cars working in concert with people.
But automobiles with manual transmission appear to be on a road to oblivion as technology transforms cars into computers on wheels. Fewer than 1% of the new vehicles sold in the U.S. have manual transmission, down from 35% in 1980, according to an analysis by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
But there remain stick-shift diehards like Prabh and Divjeev Sohi, brothers who drive cars with manual transmissions to their classes at San Jose State University along Silicon Valley roads clogged with Teslas. They became enamored with stick shifts while virtually driving cars in video games as kids and riding in manual transmission vehicles operated by their father and grandfather.
So when they were old enough to drive, Prabh, 22, and Divjeev, 19, were determined to learn a skill few people their age even bother to attempt: mastering the nuances of a clutch that controls a manual transmission, a process that resulted in their 1994 Jeep Wrangler coming to a complete stop while frustrated drivers got stuck behind them.
“He stalled like five times his first time on the road,” Prabh recalls.
Even though the experience still causes Divjeev to shudder, he feels it led him to a better place.
“You are more in the moment when you are driving a car with a stick. Basically you are just there to drive and you aren’t doing anything else,” Divjeev says. “You understand the car, and if you don’t handle it correctly, that car isn’t going to move.”
Rediscovering vinyl’s virtues
Vinyl’s obsolescence seemed inevitable in the 1980s when compact discs emerged. That introduction triggered an evisceration of analog recordings that hit bottom in 2006 when 900,000 vinyl albums were sold, according to the Recording Industry Association of America. That was a death rattle for a format that peaked in 1977, when 344 million vinyl albums were sold.
But the slump unexpectedly reversed, and vinyl albums are now a growth niche. In each of the past two years, about 43 million vinyl albums have been sold, despite the widespread popularity of music streaming services that make it possible to play virtually any song by any artist at any time.
Baby boomers expanding upon their decades-old album collections aren’t the only catalyst. Younger generations are embracing the lusher sound of vinyl, too.
“I really love listening to an album on vinyl from start to finish. It feels like I am sitting with the artist,” says 24-year-old Carson Bispels. “Vinyl just adds this permanence that makes the music feel more genuine. It’s just you and the music, the way it should be.”
Carson is the son of Martin Bispels, the former QVC executive. A few years ago, Martin gave a few of his vinyl records to Carson, including Bob Marley’s “Taklin’ Blues,” an album already played so much that it sometimes cracks and pops with the scratches in it.
“I still listen to it because every time I do, I think of my dad,” says Carson, who lives in Nashville, Tennessee.
After starting off with about 10 vinyl albums from his dad, Carson now has about 100 and plans to keep expanding.
“The current digital age of music is fantastic, too, but there’s nothing like the personal aspect of going into the record store and thumbing through a bunch of albums while making small talk with some of the other patrons to find out what they’re listening to,” Carson says.
Paul, the author of the book about analog activities that have been devoured by the internet, says the vinyl music’s comeback story has her mulling a potential sequel. “A return to humanity,” she says, “could turn out to be another book.”
Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
If you’ve been living anywhere other than under a rock this year, there’s a one hundred percent chance that you’ve heard of Sabrina Carpenter! In just a few short years, we’ve gotten to watch an artist we’ve loved for years blossom into a full-blown pop star, and 2025 was the biggest year of them all! From being on SNL, to winning big at the Grammys (and being nominated again) to releasing Man’s Best Friend, there was no stopping Sabrina Carpenter this year! When looking back at Sabrina’s list of accomplishments this year, we knew we had to break down some of the biggest and best for you!
Let’s jump in!
Man’s Best Friend
We say this with complete confidence, Man’s Best Friend is one of the best pop albums of the last decade! And we don’t even think that’s a hot take because we’ve watched the general public fall as in love with this record as we, career-long fans, have. The witty songwriting, the visual storytelling, the vocals, and the elements Sabrina continuously excels at are heightened even further here on this record. From ‘Manchild,’ which has been inescapable, to some of our favorites, ‘Go Go Juice,’ and ‘House Tour,’ there is no doubt in our mind that Man’s Best Friend will have a long, ever-evolving life with fans.
Grammy Awards
The Grammys are one of those accomplishments that artists spend their whole careers chasing, that hold meaning for their nominees, and for fans alike. At the 2025 Grammy Awards, Sabrina Carpenter took home two (!!!!) awards, and has already scored six nominations for the 2026 ceremony! That is the direct result of over a decade of hard work and dedication to mastering her craft.
Variety Hitmaker Of The Year
Much like the Grammy Awards, being named Hitmaker of the Year comes on the heels of hard work. What sets this honor apart is that being a “Hitmaker” in such a pop-saturated market takes a deep understanding of what a “pop” song entails, and how to catch lightning in a bottle time after time. From ‘Espresso’ and ‘Manchild’ to ‘Nonsense,’ Sabrina’s deep understanding of this concept just keeps growing.
Saturday Night Live
SNLis a true rite of passage for creatives throughout the entertainment industry, and Sabrina pulled off three appearances this year alone! And even more impressively, one of these appearances included the double duty of hosting and performing! These appearances reminded so many people that Sabrina is an actress! Her comedic timing is impeccable, and she also happens to have an incredible voice and is a master storyteller.
Check out more of our year-end/holiday content here!
We would love to hear from you! What was your favorite Sabrina Carpenter moment from 2025? Let us know by commenting below or by tweeting @TheHoneyPOP! We are also on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok!
As 2025 comes to a close and 2026 is just around the corner, we can’t help but wonder what this new year will bring. Honestly, we just hope for more great K-Pop that we can enjoy, and if 2025 (and every year since 2018) has taught us anything, it’s that we can always count on Stray Kids for that. Just this year, SKZ have delivered two mini-albums, one full-length album, and a world tour, and who knows what else they’ve already got planned for next year.
For now, though, we thought it might be nice to share with you our Stray Kids playlist for when we need to get hyped. You know, so we can all start the year the right way. And because these boys have a huge discography, this list is also really long, so let’s get started!
‘Christmas Love’
Yes, we’re starting off with a Christmas song; sue us. But let us explain: what’s a better way to hype yourself up for the new year than by starting on Christmas? And you cannot tell us that ‘Christmas Love’ doesn’t make you want to get up and dance around the room with a smile on your face.
‘Ceremony’
We don’t know about you, but we’re planning on blasting ‘Ceremony’ all day between December 31st and January 1st to attract some “good karma” to our lives. By far one of the best title tracks of the year, ‘Ceremony’ brings the strong beats and the uplifting lyrics we all need to start the year the right way.
‘Blind Spot’
“Shining, we are the champions / Trying to make a difference…” If this is not how you want to start off 2026, then what are you doing? Take this song as a piece of advice and show people what you’re made of. Also, we can only hope to spend this new year as happy as Han was whenever he danced to ‘Blind Spot’ during the dominATE World Tour.
‘Youth’
Lee Know’s solo song from Hop just had to be on this list! It’s just the epitome of what we think of when we think “feel-good song.” Seriously, can you think of a better way to start off 2026 than “feeling like Superman,” as Lee Know says? Also, look at his smile in the MV! It’s humanly impossible to be sad seeing him smile like that.
‘Social Path’
Listen, there’s a reason why ‘Social Path’ is present in every one of our “get hyped” playlists, okay? There’s just something about the vibes of this song and the lyrics are a constant and heartwarming reminder to keep going after our dreams even when it seems hard, and we all saw how that’s working out for SKZ themselves, so we might as well do the same!
‘Phoenix’
We don’t think we’re being dramatic when we say the lyrics “We’re gonna rise up again / Like the birds flying high” changed our brain chemistry forever. We don’t know about you, but we’re planning on going into 2026 like a ‘Phoenix’ and rise from the ashes of what’s past and keep pushing ourselves to be our best versions into the new year.
‘Do It’
The mantra of 2026 should definitely be “Just do whatever you wanna do / I guarantee that it’s the best for you,” just saying. A new year means a new chance to do what we want and focus on what’s important to us. Plus, if that beat doesn’t make you want to get up and dance your way through life, then what does?
‘Spread My Wings’
In 2026, we promise to enjoy our youth the way Stray Kids describe it in ‘Spread My Wings.’ Sure, becoming an adult is a thing we all have to go through, as scary as it is. So it is pretty comforting to have this song to help remind us to still enjoy life. And of course, having Stray Kids as the soundtrack for these moments definitely helps.
‘0801’
‘0801’ is, in essence, a love letter to Stay and a reminder that we’re never truly alone as long as we have Stray Kids. And we think that’s one of the best messages to receive before facing a new lap around the sun. At the end of the day, there’s nothing better than hearing that “You’re doing great, okay?”
‘MIROH’
‘MIROH’ has the unique power to transport us all right back to being at a Stray Kids concert having the best time of our lives screaming the lyrics with our fellow Stay, so there was no way this song would be out of our list. The energy SKZ brings to the stage whenever they sing this is the energy we hope to bring every day in 2026.
‘Haven’
Stray Kids has always been a ‘Haven’ for their fans. It’s their music we turn to in difficult times, and the fact that they have a song with that exact name just makes things better, so of course, we had to include it here as well. It’s our little reminder that whenever things get difficult, we’ll always have a ‘Haven’ to return to.
‘Half Time’
We “don’t know what’s coming next” in 2026, but we’re pretty sure that having our Stray Kids playlist will make whatever it is a lot easier. And there is no way that playlist would be complete without ‘Half Time’ to remind us that we’re just getting started and the best part is yet to come.
‘Youtiful’
Slowing down the tempo a bit, we have ‘Youtiful,’ our comfort song for hard days, and we just love the sentiment behind it. The lyrics are so adorable as well, encouraging Stay to stop doubting ourselves and staying strong. An absolute need in our playlists for 2026.
‘DOMINO’
We want to make it to the end of 2026 being able to sing “Setting up my ambitions / Completing them one by one, I made it” at the top of our lungs after a whole 12 months of achieving our goals. We simply couldn’t leave this banger out of our playlist.
‘COMFLEX’
Smash hit? Check! Killer beat? Check! Inspiring lyrics? Double check! 樂-STAR (ROCK-STAR) is full of great songs, but ‘COMFLEX’ will always hold a special place in our hearts because of how good it makes us feel whenever we listen to it. At the end of the day, it’s not about being perfect. it’s about being unique and making the best of it.
‘Runners’
Whenever we feel like we need to be reminded that we can get up and keep going, we play ‘Runners’ on the highest volume. We can only hope that 2026 will be the year we go even further on our tightrope and show the world how stunning we can be.
‘Mixtape: OH’
‘Mixtape: OH’ marks such a special moment in Stray Kids’ history that there was no way we’d make this list without including it somewhere. After a troubled start to 2021, this song came out of nowhere to remind us that even the worst moments come to an end, and we can always count on SKZ to be there to help us get through them.
‘Never Alone’
Trust Stray Kids to always have at least one song per album to remind us that we’re ‘Never Alone,’ and this time they really went all out with the message. Present in their Japanese albumHollow, this song once again reinforces the bond shared between the members and how they’ll stick together through any storm that comes their way. In summary, another absolute need for our list.
‘Super Bowl’
‘Super Bowl’ is the type of song that makes us scream at the top of our lungs every time no matter how many times we’ve listened to it. Perfect for getting hyped up throughout the new year, if you ask us. Plus, it’s an absolute banger. No wonder it’s always a hit whenever Stray Kids sing it live.
‘Stray Kids’
We could only finish this list with ‘Stray Kids,’ a song by Stray Kids, about Stray Kids, written and produced by Stray Kids. There’s no better motivator than seeing the love and admiration these boys have for one another, and this song is a direct reflection of their relationship, which is why we chose it to be here as a constant reminder that their rhythm never stops and neither should ours.
So, what did you think of our song choices? Would you add any other Stray Kids songs to our playlist? Tell us at @thehoneypop on Twitter, or stop by on Facebook and/or Instagram.
The band released a statement on their official website confirming Bamonte’s death, noting he “passed away after a short illness.”
“It is with enormous sadness that we confirm the death of our great friend and bandmate Perry Bamonte, who passed away after a short illness at home over Christmas,” the band wrote. “Quiet, intense, intuitive, constant and hugely creative, ‘Teddy’ was a warm-hearted and vital part of The Cure story.”
The statement went on to recount how he became a full-time member of the band in 1990, going on to play many instruments, including the guitar, keyboard and six string bass on five albums, including “Wish,” “Wild Mood Swings” and “Bloodflowers,” “as well as performing more than 400 shows over 14 years.”
The Cure’s longtime guitarist, Perry Bamonte, died at the age of 65.(Scott Legato/Getty Images)
“He rejoined The Cure in 2022, playing another 90 shows, some of the best in the band’s history, culminating with ‘The Show of a Lost World’ concert in London 1st November 2024,” they added. “Our thoughts and condolences are with all his family. He will be very greatly missed.”
Prior to joining the band as a musician, Bamonte, who was born in London in 1960, began working as part of the band’s road crew in 1984, becoming a member of the band in 1990 when their keyboardist, Roger O’Donnell, left.
Bamonte was let go from the band in 2005, but kept his passion for music alive, joining the British rock supergroup, Love Amongst Ruin in 2012, and was featured on their 2015 album, “Lose Your Way.”
Bamonte reunited with the band in 2019 when they were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.(ANGELA WEISS/AFP via Getty Images)
He reunited with The Cure for the first time since his departure in 2019 when they were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. Together they performed five of their most popular songs, including “Boys Don’t Cry,” “Just Like Heaven” and “A Forest.”
His last performance with the band was in November 2024 to help launch their first album in 16 years, “Songs of a Lost World.” The performance was filmed for the concert movie, “The Cure: The Show of a Lost World,” which was released in theaters earlier this month.
The Cure first formed in 1976, and was made up of three school friends, Robert Smith, Michael Dempsey and Lol Tolhurst. They have received four Grammy Award nominations throughout the course of their career.
Bamonte joined the band in 1990 after working as a roadie from 1984 to 1989.(Tim Mosenfelder/Getty Images)
NEW YORK — Perry Archangelo Bamonte, longtime guitarist and keyboardist for the influential goth band The Cure, has died. He was 65.
The band made the announcement on their official website on Friday.
“It is with enormous sadness that we confirm the death of our great friend and bandmate Perry Bamonte, who passed away after a short illness at home over Christmas,” the band wrote.
“Quiet, intense, intuitive, constant and hugely creative, ‘Teddy’ was a warm hearted and vital part of The Cure story,” the statement continued. “Our thoughts and condolences are with all his family. He will be very greatly missed.”
Bamonte worked with the band in various roles from 1984 to 1989, including as roadie and guitar tech. He officially joined the band in 1990, when keyboardist Roger O’Donnell quit. It was then that he became a full-time member of the group, playing guitar, six-string bass and keyboard.
Having joined just after the band’s mainstream breakthrough, 1989’s “Disintegration,” Bamonte is featured on a number of The Cure’s albums, including 1992’s “Wish” — which features the career-defining hits ″Friday I’m in Love″ and “High” — as well as the 1996’s “Wild Mood Swings,” 2000’s “Bloodflowers” and 2004’s self-titled release.
Bamonte was fired from The Cure by its singer and leader Robert Smith in 2005. At that point in time, he had performed at over 400 shows across 14 years. Bamonte rejoined the group in recent years, touring with the band in 2022 for another 90 gigs.
His last performance with the band was on Nov. 1, 2024 in London for a special one-off event to launch their latest album and first in 16 years, “Songs of a Lost World.” The concert was filmed for “The Cure: The Show of a Lost World,” a film released in cinemas globally this month. It is also available to purchase on Blu-ray and DVD.
The Associated Press described “Songs of a Lost World” as “lush and deeply orchestral, swelling and powerful” — one of the best of the band’s career.
Perry Archangelo Bamonte, longtime guitarist and keyboardist for the influential goth band The Cure, has died. He was 65.
The band announced his death on their official website on Friday.
“It is with enormous sadness that we confirm the death of our great friend and bandmate Perry Bamonte, who passed away after a short illness at home over Christmas,” the band wrote.
“Quiet, intense, intuitive, constant and hugely creative, ‘Teddy’ was a warm hearted and vital part of The Cure story,” the statement continued. “Our thoughts and condolences are with all his family. He will be very greatly missed.”
Bamonte worked with the band in various roles from 1984 to 1989, including as a roadie and guitar tech. He officially joined the band in 1990, when keyboardist Roger O’Donnell quit. It was then that he became a full-time member of the group, playing guitar, six-string bass and keyboard.
Perry Bamonte of The Cure performs at Riot Fest 2023 at Douglass Park on September 17, 2023 in Chicago, Illinois.
Barry Brecheisen/WireImage
Having joined just after the band’s mainstream breakthrough, 1989’s “Disintegration,” Bamonte is featured on a number of The Cure’s albums, including 1992’s “Wish” – which features the career-defining hits ″Friday I’m in Love″ and “High” – as well as the 1996’s “Wild Mood Swings,” 2000’s “Bloodflowers” and 2004’s self-titled release.
Bamonte was fired from The Cure by its singer and leader, Robert Smith, in 2005. At that point, he had performed at over 400 shows across 14 years. Bamonte rejoined the group in recent years, touring with the band in 2022 for another 90 gigs.
In 2019, Bamonte was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame alongside the rest of The Cure. He joined The Cure on their North American tour in 2024 when the band reduced tickets to as low as $20 after pledging to make the shows affordable for fans following complaints about exorbitant fees. Lead singer Robert Smith said at the time he was “sickened” by the Ticketmaster fee debacle.
His last performance with the band was on Nov. 1, 2024 in London for a special one-off event to launch their latest album and first in 16 years, “Songs of a Lost World.” The concert was filmed for “The Cure: The Show of a Lost World,” a film released in cinemas globally this month. It is also available to purchase on Blu-ray and DVD.
