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BLACKPINK’s Rosé has made history as the highest-charting female K-pop artist on the Billboard Hot 100 with her latest single, "APT.," featuring Bruno Mars. Debuting at No. 8, the track broke BLACKPINK's previous record set by Ice Cream with Selena Gomez at No. 13 in 2020. Released on Oct. 18, "APT." also topped the Billboard Global 200 and Global Excl. US charts, amassing 224.5 million streams—the second-largest streaming week in Global 200 history. This marks Rosé’s second solo appearance on the Hot 100 and her first release under The Black Label and Atlantic Records.
Universal Music Group (UMG) has announced a groundbreaking partnership with AI music company Klay Vision to build an “ethical foundational model” for AI-generated music that prioritizes copyright, name and likeness rights. This collaboration aims to protect human creators while exploring transformational possibilities for creativity and monetization. In line with these values, UMG recently released a Spanish rendition of Brenda Lee’s Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree through SoundLabs AI technology to demonstrate how AI can broaden music accessibility while honoring artistic integrity.
The UMG and Klay Vision partnership can unlock ethical, AI-driven music solutions that allow for high-quality, customizable audio in campaigns. This includes multilingual tracks for broader reach, exclusive AI-generated content for limited releases and real-time interactive soundscapes for immersive experiences, all while maintaining the integrity of human artistry.
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Variety has announced the honorees for its 8th annual Hitmakers celebration on Dec. 7 in Los Angeles, with RAYE, Jelly Roll and Quavo set to be recognized for both their musical achievements and philanthropic efforts. Quavo will receive the Humanitarian of the Year Award for his advocacy in gun control following the loss of his nephew, Takeoff, and his work with the White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention. Jelly Roll will be honored as Changemaker of the Year for his support of incarcerated youth and addiction recovery, and RAYE will receive the Triple Threat Award for her contributions as an artist and songwriter and her advocacy for fairer compensation for songwriters. These three artists will join Hitmaker of the Year Charli XCX at the exclusive brunch to celebrate the influential figures behind this year’s top music hits.
Brands looking to deepen their connection with socially-conscious consumers can consider sponsoring events like Variety's Hitmakers or collaborating with artists recognized for their societal impact, such as Quavo, Jelly Roll and RAYE. This type of partnership not only elevates brand purpose but also resonates with audiences who value companies committed to worthwhile causes.
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Russell Westbrook has teamed up with the L.A. Rams to launch a capsule collection for his brand, Honor the Gift. This collection includes t-shirts, hoodies, a tracksuit and more, capturing the essence of post-game life in L.A and embodying the connection between different sports. The campaign shot at SoFi Stadium features local talent and celebrities, including Rams players and cheerleaders. The collection will be available on Westbrook’s site, the Rams’ NFL site, Honor the Gift’s flagship store in L.A. and the Rams’ store at SoFi Stadium.
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Lululemon has partnered with the NHL to launch new collections for 11 teams, now available for 11 NHL teams. Over the next year, products featuring all 32 NHL team logos will be released. The collection includes men’s and women’s apparel including casual shirts, stylish polos and cozy hoodies perfect for hockey season.
The collaboration between Lululemon and the NHL seamlessly merges the identities of both brands, appealing to fans of both sports and active lifestyles. Similarly, our brands can leverage existing partnerships with sports teams to promote products and merch as the perfect balance for consumers who love both sports and spirits, highlighting tailgate cocktails and game day pairings with our brands.
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On Dec. 9, the NFL will premiere "The Simpsons Funday Football," an animated telecast of the Bengals-Cowboys game. Following last year's Emmy-winning Toy Story-themed broadcast, this event will feature iconic voice actors and animated player renditions using advanced tracking technology. With ESPN personalities and familiar characters, the goal is to broaden the game's audience and create a lively atmosphere for fans.
The NFL’s animation-style telecasts give brands an opportunity to create unique ideas/campaigns that reach new audiences and football fans of all levels.
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Angel Reese will release a signature sneaker with Reebok in 2026, making her the second WNBA player to have a Reebok shoe after Rebecca Lobo. This follows her multiyear extension with Reebok, where she previously launched “Reebok by Angel” apparel in her rookie season. Reese’s sneaker reflects the rising influence of WNBA rookies, with stars like Caitlin Clark (Nike), Cameron Brink (New Balance) and Rickea Jackson (Skechers) also securing signature shoe deals.
Brands can look to partner with notable players involved in the fashion space like Reese by tapping into their fashion-forward images and versatile styles. By injecting a fresh perspective into the long-standing concept of athlete-led styles, these collaborations can blend performance with brand-specific looks that reach beyond the court and offer a modern twist on a classic trend.
USC basketball star JuJu Watkins has signed a partnership with NYX Professional Makeup, marking one of the first college athlete deals with a makeup brand. This partnership reflects NYX’s push into women’s sports and its plans to engage more athletes through high-profile campaigns that empower female athletes and celebrate self-expression, following the brand’s previous deals with the WNBA’s New York Liberty and NWSL’s Angel City FC.
Given the younger demographic they tend to attract, influential up-and-coming athletes like Watkins can be potential targets for brands to engage to spearhead creative campaigns as they work toward professional competition and continue to rise in popularity.
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Ahead of his freshman season at Duke University, star basketball prospect Cooper Flagg made history by becoming the first men's college basketball player to sign an NIL deal with Gatorade. Flagg, who is Gatorade's 2024 Best Male Player of the Year and projected to potentially be the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, joins an already-loaded lineup of Gatorade college athletes, including Paige Bueckers (UConn), Juju Watkins (USC) and Shedeur Sanders (Colorado).
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Dunkin' recently introduced the Spider Donut, a playful Halloween-themed treat that has taken over its social media channels with a mix of confident, coy messaging and humorous content. The Spider Donut, complete with purple frosting, a chocolate Munchkins "body," and frosting "eyes," has captured fans' attention with its flirty posts and memes, drawing comparisons to McDonald's Grimace. Public reaction has been overwhelmingly positive, with fans praising Dunkin's inventive marketing and the relatable, Gen Z-inspired personality of the Spider Donut.
Injecting personality into brand content, as Dunkin' has with its Spider Donut, taps into a successful trend where brands become more relatable, intriguing, and memorable, especially to Gen Z audiences. This approach breaks from traditional marketing by offering content that feels genuine, playful, and culturally in tune, creating a character that fans actively engage with and share. As seen with the Spider Donut, these personality-driven campaigns can create a lasting impression, transforming one-time product promotions into iconic, social media-driven moments.
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Jimmy John’s has launched the Picklewich, replacing bun with pickle for a low-carb take on their classic sandwich. Available for a limited time, the Vito Picklewich and the Turkey Picklewich combine all the signature flavors of a Jimmy John’s sandwich with a pickle “bun.” The Picklewich has impressed reviewers with its fresh taste and satisfying crunch, and it follows the trend popularized by the sandwiches on TikTok.
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Taco Bell’s new "Decades Menu" reintroduces iconic items from each decade between the 1960s and 2000s, letting fans revisit beloved items like the tostada, Green Sauce Burrito, Meximelt, Gordita Supreme and Caramel Apple Empanada. Each item will be priced under $3, and the menu rollout begins Oct. 31 with the Caramel Apple Empanada. Alongside the throwback menu, Taco Bell is launching retro-inspired merch and a Decades personality quiz for Rewards Members on its app, giving fans a chance to win the entire merch line.
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The fourth installment of the Spider-Man series starring Tom Holland has been set for a July 2026 release, according to Sony Pictures. Holland reported to Good Morning America that the idea for the fourth film is “crazy” and “different to anything we’ve done before.” The film is slated to begin shooting next summer.
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Netflix and NBCUniversal have renewed their licensing deal for animated films from Illumination and DreamWorks Animation. Starting in 2027, Netflix will have U.S. rights to Universal Pictures and Focus Features’ live-action films no later than eight months after they hit theaters. Additionally, after their initial release on Peacock, these films will be available exclusively on Netflix for 10 months.
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Starting in 2027, The Grammys will be exclusively telecast on ABC, Hulu and Disney+, making Walt Disney Co. the first new network for the event in 50 years. In its new agreement, Disney will have these exclusive rights through 2036. As part of this deal, The Recording Academy will also produce Grammy-branded music specials and additional new programming across Disney’s platforms.
On Sunday, Donald Trump hosted a campaign rally at Madison Square Garden in New York that attracted attendees from around the New York area and other parts of the country. In the lead-up to Trump’s speech, comedian Tony Hinchcliffe referred to Puerto Rico as a “floating island of garbage,” made a crude joke about Hispanics and birth control, and made a racist comment about a Black man in the audience. Hinchcliffe’s comments have been condemned widely this week, and the Trump campaign has issued a statement saying the joke about Puerto Rico “does not reflect the views of President Trump or the campaign.” In Trump’s speech, he framed Kamala Harris as a “train wreck” and said electing her would “gamble with the lives of millions” while hitting his familiar points regarding immigration, deportation plans, crime, the border and the economy.
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On Tuesday, Kamala Harris made her final case for her bid for the presidency on Washington, D.C.’s Ellipse with a rally that reportedly drew 75,000 attendees. Harris urged voters to “turn the page” on Trump’s era by pledging to put country over party and promised to “seek common ground and common sense solutions.” With the speech, Harris’ campaign painted Trump as someone consumed by grievances and an endless desire for retribution, highlighting his pledge to go after those on his “enemies list” and how it contrasts with Harris’ focus on her “to-do list.” Her closing argument emphasized her plans and priorities for the country, namely the economy and her promise to prioritize the middle class in her “opportunity economy.”
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President Biden has inadvertently injected himself in the home stretch of the election campaign with his response to comments comedian Tony Hinchcliffe made about Puerto Rico at Donald Trump’s rally at Madison Square Garden. There have been contrasting views of whether Biden referred to Trump’s supporters or just Hinchcliffe himself as “garbage.” Despite the White House’s attempt to clarify that Biden intended to reference the latter, some media believe Biden’s gaffe may have given the Trump campaign some fuel in the final week of the election cycle and potentially overshadowed Kamala Harris’ remarks from this week.