Sophie Dunne/Billboard
KATSEYE‘s Lara Raj has a special place in her heart for Camila Cabello.
On Wednesday (Sept. 23), Raj posted a selfie with the “Havana” singer to her Instagram Story. Raj is seen smiling while wearing a pair of sunglasses, posing next to Cabello as she rests her head on Raj’s shoulder. The sweet snapshot is captioned, “My big sissy forever.”
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The photo doesn’t provide any clues about where or why the pair linked up, but Cabello’s music has been an inspiration for Raj, who revealed in August on the Nicky at Night podcast that the former Fifth Harmony member’s 2018 hit “Never Be the Same” was a reference behind the writing and production of KATSEYE’s song “Unloveu.”
The other girls of KATSEYE have also previously expressed their love and admiration for Cabello. In an interview with Complex back in 2025, member Sophia Laforteza deemed Cabello everyone’s “older sister.”
Released in 2017 as part of Cabello’s debut solo album Camila, “Never Be the Same” went on to become one of the singer’s biggest solo hits. The song peaked at No. 6 on the Billboard Hot 100 in May 2018 and also topped Billboard‘s Pop Airplay chart.
The song’s influence seems to be full-circle for Raj, considering she used it as inspiration for “Unloveu,” which appears exclusively on the Target edition of the group’s third EP, WILD. The project was released last month, and it also made a major splash on the Billboard charts, debuting at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 and giving the group their first No. 1 on the tally.
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Your guitar doesn’t have to be the only thing setting the mood in your studio. Fender and Voluspa have teamed up on a collection of candles that bring Fender’s unmistakable instrument-inspired aesthetic into the recording room, rehearsal space or wherever you do your best work. The Voluspa x Fender Collection takes visual cues from Fender guitars, down to the color scheme and guitar pick motif on the front of each candle.
The collection includes the Fender Three Chord candle set featuring Midnight Leather, Vanilla Voltage and Strawberry Rush, priced at $70. Each scent is also available individually in an 11-ounce candle for $52 or a 4-ounce mini for $24. The candles are made with a coconut wax blend and natural wicks, and each one is handcrafted in California. They’re also vegan and free of sulfates, phthalates and parabens. Orders of $75 or more ship free.
The Fender Three Chord candle set pairs Midnight Leather, Vanilla Voltage and Strawberry Rush in three 4-ounce candles, each burning for about 25 hours. I received a sample of the Fender Three Chord and particularly loved the black guitar-case-inspired box with a handle that the trio came in.
Midnight Leather brings warm, spiced notes with ginger tonic, cardamom, worn leather and trails of incense. The rich fragrance feels made for late-night sessions and I especially love that it resembles the look of a Fender Standard Stratocaster. Available as an 11-ounce candle or a separately sold 3-ounce mini.
Vanilla Voltage turns up the sweetness with sparkling citrus, jasmine petals, whipped coconut milk and candy clouds. The scent comes in an 11-ounce candle or a separately sold 3-ounce mini option.
Strawberry Rush is bold and vibrant with mandarin, red hot strawberry, lychee liqueur and warm musk. Choose the 11-ounce candle or the separately sold 3-ounce mini.
All products and services featured are independently chosen by editors. However, Billboard may receive a commission on orders placed through its retail links, and the retailer may receive certain auditable data for accounting purposes.
The public spoke, and Ray-Ban Meta appears to have heard them. As camera-equipped smart glasses become more common, some wearers have found that the built-in camera recording feature can create an awkward social dynamic, with people around them questioning whether they are being recorded or feeling uneasy about the possibility. Online discussions have also seen users express interest in having Ray-Ban Meta’s popular audio features for music, podcasts and calls without a camera at all. For these listeners, an audio-only option offers a simpler way to enjoy hands-free music, podcasts and calls while keeping the focus strictly on listening rather than capturing content.
Now, the brand is launching Ray-Ban Meta Audio, its first audio-only AI glasses. Built around open-ear audio, the new frames let users listen to music and podcasts, take calls and access Meta AI without reaching for their phone. For music lovers, that means keeping a personal soundtrack playing throughout the day while staying aware of their surroundings. Ray-Ban Meta Audio is available to preorder Sept. 23 and officially arrives Oct. 13.
Ray-Ban Meta Audio brings open-ear listening, Meta AI and an everyday Ray-Ban design together in the brand’s lightest smart glasses frame yet. Weighing 43 grams, the glasses are built for extended listening, with up to 12 hours of battery life for music, podcasts, calls and hands-free access to Meta AI. The open-ear setup lets listeners enjoy audio while staying connected to their surroundings, making the glasses a natural fit for commutes, walks and everyday routines.
The new audio-first experience arrives in two distinctive Ray-Ban silhouettes: Clubmaster and Burbank. Clubmaster draws from the browline styles that became defining looks of the 1950s and 1960s, while Burbank revisits a square acetate design originally introduced in the ’60s and brought back from the Ray-Ban archive in 2021. Both frames blend vintage-inspired styling with modern audio and AI capabilities.
Alongside Ray-Ban Meta Audio, Ray-Ban is also launching its next-generation camera-equipped glasses today. Ray-Ban Meta (Gen 3) introduces slimmer designs across Wayfarer, Aviator and Zena, plus a 3K Ultra HD camera, upgraded six-microphone array, customizable action button and up to nine hours of battery life. The Aviator joins the collection for the first time, including a limited-edition Milky Warm Beige version, while Meta AI adds hands-free tools for everything from real-time translations and reminders to music, messaging and taking photos.
Partisan Music has acquired Firebird’s shares of OTM Music, which will now merge with the independent record label. OTM will incorporate the team and roster of Left Music, the publishing company Partisan acquired in 2022, creating an independent publishing operation within Partisan that will have staff in London, Paris, New York and Los Angeles.
OTM and Left Music’s combined roster includes Sub Focus, Gianluca Buccellanti, Sudan Archives and Leon Michels. Alex Sheridan will stay on as founder and CEO of OTM, working alongside Graig Michie as president and head of North America and Kate Sweetsur as head of A&R.
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“Partisan has built an exceptional independent music business and shares our belief in putting creativity and long-term relationships first,” Sheridan said in a statement. “Craig, Kate and I have worked together at different points throughout our careers, so bringing that experience together again is particularly exciting. We have a clear shared vision for the kind of publishing company we want to build and an incredible roster to build it around. I would like to thank Firebird for their belief in OTM and wish them well for the future. I couldn’t be more thrilled to build the next phase of OTM with such an exciting team, and provide a Boutique at Scale option for our writers, present and future.”
In 2022, Partisan Records launched its publishing arm, Left Music, with Sony Music Publishing U.K. managing its administrative services.
“Our partnership with OTM will allow Partisan to provide high-level creative services for music writers and publishing catalogs at the same calibre as we do for recording artists,” Zena White, COO of Partisan, said in a statement. “The reuniting of Craig Michie and Kate Sweetsur to lead A&R is an exciting proposition, whilst Alex and OTM’s track record in synch is undeniable. We can’t wait to be involved in so much more incredible music via the writers across OTM’s roster.”
White and Partisan co-founder Tim Putnam were recently named Billboard’s 2026 Indie Power Players executives of the year.
The Wanted‘s Nathan Sykes and his wife, Charlotte, are officially expecting their first baby.
The couple shared the happy news Wednesday (Sept. 23) in an Instagram post filled with heartwarming photo-booth snapshots. Among the black-and-white pictures are images of the couple holding up ultrasound photos, while another shows Nathan placing his hand on Charlotte’s baby bump.
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Their little one is expected to arrive in April 2027.
The announcement came with a simple message from the couple: ‘We’ve been keeping a little secret…” before revealing that “Baby Sykes is officially on the way.”
For longtime fans who first knew Sykes as the youngest member of The Wanted, the news is the start of a pretty sweet new chapter. Sykes joined the British-Irish boy band alongside members Max George, Siva Kaneswaran, Jay McGuiness and the late Tom Parker in 2009.
The Wanted made quite the impact on the U.S. charts with “Glad You Came,” which peaked at No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 2012. The group also sent “Chasing the Sun” to No. 50 on the Hot 100 that same year. Sykes later embarked on a solo career, scoring a Billboard chart-topper of his own with “Kiss Me Quick,” which reached No. 1 on Dance Club Songs in 2015. Sykes also briefly dated Ariana Grande in 2013, releasing the duet “Never Enough” that same year.
He got engaged to Charlotte in December 2022 after proposing on a beach in Saint Lucia. The beach is notably the same one where her parents had married years earlier, making the proposal extremely sentimental. The couple went on to tie the knot in October 2025.
View the full Instagram post below.
It’s a three-peat for Romeo Santos and Prince Royce, who score a third No. 1 on Billboard‘s Latin Airplay from their collaborative album Better Late Than Never. “Ay! San Miguel” jumps 2-1 on the list dated Sept. 26, giving Santos his 25th chart-topper and Royce his 22nd.
“Ay! San Miguel” rules the overall Latin Airplay chart, ascending from the runner-up spot, after six weeks in the top 10. The song earned 7.2 million audience impressions, up 16%, in the United States in the tracking week ending Sept. 17, according to Luminate, sending ARIA VEGA and Ryan Castro’s “Chévere” to No. 10 after one week in charge —with a 26% reduction in impressions during the tracking week.
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With “Ay! San Miguel,” Santos extends his record for the most No. 1s by a tropical act in the list’s nearly 32-year history, bringing this total to 25. Royce comes in close, upping his count to 22 chart-toppers —the second-most on the tropical leaderboard. (Overall, J Balvin remains the chart’s biggest winner, with 40 No. 1s).
The song follows two other rulers from the Better Late Than Never era, released in November 2025. The album debuted at Nos. 2 and 1 on the Top Latin Albums and Top Tropical Albums charts, respectively, in December.
Elsewhere, “Ay! San Miguel” adds a seventh consecutive week at No. 1 on Tropical Airplay, following in the footsteps of album tracks “Lokita Por Mí” and “Dardos,” which ruled for 13 and nine weeks, respectively, between 2025-26.
Fueled by its radio gains, “Ay! San Miguel” reaches a new peak on the multi-metric Hot Latin Songs chart, dropping from No. 20 to No. 27. The chart ranks songs using a combination of radio airplay, digital sales and streaming activity.
Beyoncé and Jay-Z‘s “Crazy in Love” has officially entered YouTube’s Billion Views Club.
It’s been more than two decades since the iconic collaboration introduced the world to Beyoncé as a solo superstar, and its official music video has surpassed 1 billion views on YouTube, making it the singer’s third music video to reach this milestone, following “Halo” and “Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It).”
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Released in 2003 as the lead single from Beyoncé’s solo debut album, Dangerously in Love, “Crazy in Love” established Bey as a force to be reckoned with outside of Destiny’s Child. The Jake Nava-directed video is every bit as memorable as the song, thanks to Beyoncé’s now-iconic choreography and Jay-Z’s appearance for his verse. The visual was also recognized at the 2003 MTV Video Music Awards, where it won for best choreography.
The song was just as dominant on the Billboard charts upon its release. “Crazy in Love” became Beyoncé’s first No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 as a solo artist, spending eight consecutive weeks atop the chart.
The track’s success has hardly faded with time, as it recently received an eight-times-platinum certification from the RIAA in December 2024, representing 8 million certified units in the U.S.
With its latest YouTube achievement, “Crazy in Love” joins “Halo” and “Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)” as Beyoncé’s three videos to surpass 1 billion views.
Watch the music video below.
All products and services featured are independently chosen by editors. However, Billboard may receive a commission on orders placed through its retail links, and the retailer may receive certain auditable data for accounting purposes.
You might be far off from being Calvin Harris breaking the Guinness World Record for performing for the largest audience, but you have to start somewhere. If you’re an aspiring DJ, it’s easier than ever to remix your favorite songs.
For less than $150 each, Numark dropped two new DJ controllers aimed for beginners and portability. The first is the Numark Party Mix III, which combines music and a light show, and the other is the Numark MixTrack Go, which is designed for travel. But whichever you pick, you can keep the party going all night.
Both Numark DJ controllers use the Algoriddim app, compatible for Apple iPhone, Apple iPad, Android smartphones and tablets, Mac, Windows and other devices, with integration from Spotify and Apple Music. It’s ideal for beginners with a wide range of features and settings.
Priced at $149, the Numark Party Mix III is a great party starter as a lightweight two-deck DJ controller that connects to smartphones and tablets via Bluetooth or USB-C. The controller makes it possible to isolate vocals and drums to mix and remix songs, while it even has a built-in LED light show that synchronizes with the music, which adds another level to the party.
The Numark MixTrack Go, which goes for $99, is an ultra-portable two-deck DJ controller that’s made for travel and the on-the-go party. But don’t let its size fool you, it allows you to have full control over hot cues, loops, samples and stems for on-the-spot remixes.
And since these Numark Bluetooth DJ controllers are from Amazon, you can get free shipping within two days, if you’re an Amazon Prime member. Otherwise, your virtual shopping cart would have to be over $35 to get free shopping. However, you’d have to wait five-to-eight days for your delivery to arrive.
Not a member? Sign up for a 30-day free trial to take advantage of all that Amazon Prime has to offer, including access to Prime Video, Prime Gaming and Amazon Photos; fast free shipping in less than two days with Prime Delivery; in-store discounts at Whole Foods Market and access to exclusive shopping savings during Black Friday in November, as well as other perks. Learn more about Amazon Prime and its benefits here.
Available on Amazon and Numark, the Numark Party Mix III goes for $149, while the Numark MixTrack Go goes for $99.
You know it’s not the same as it was, because Harry Styles now has a billion views on his “As It Was” music video.
The 2022 visual directed by Tanu Muino recently hit the milestone on YouTube. It marks just the second Styles video to enter the platform’s billions club, following 2017’s “Sign of the Times.”
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Released as the lead single to his third studio album, Harry’s House, “As It Was” remains the pop star’s biggest hit to date. It spent 15 weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 — for context, just seven songs have had longer runs at the summit than that — and the same amount of time atop the Billboard Global 200. Harry’s House won album of the year at the 2023 Grammys and topped the Billboard 200 for two weeks.
“As It Was” was nominated for video of the year at the 2022 VMAs, but the prize went to Taylor Swift’s “All Too Well (10 Minute Version)” short film.
Fast-forward a few years, and Styles is now on tour for his fourth album, Kiss All the Time. Disco, Occasionally. After stops in Amsterdam, London, São Paulo and Mexico City, the One Direction alum is currently nearing the halfway point of his 30-night residency at Madison Square Garden in New York City.
He recently announced that he’ll be keeping the tour going through August of 2027, unveiling a string of additional dates earlier in September. Styles also told fans at the time: “After that, I don’t know what comes next for me, but I know that I’m excited to find out.”
Add your view to more than a billion others by checking out “As It Was” above.
Three days after the announcement that New Found Glory guitarist Chad Gilbert had died at the age of 45 after a brain cancer battle, Hayley Williams shared a statement addressing the loss of her ex-husband.
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In a typed message posted to her Instagram Story on Wednesday (Sept. 23), the Paramore frontwoman began by saying, “Have not known what to say or if it’s appropriate.”
“But I feel sure now that I want to bc life is made of the paths we cross and the reasons we cross them are infinite,” she continued. “Chad is indeed a legend in the scene and my time connected to him taught me a lot. He introduced me to people that continue to shape my life in beautiful ways, and to music and culture that has made life a lot richer.”
Williams went on to praise Gilbert for “what he contributed to the musical world a lot of us grew up in,” adding that the rocker’s “influence and attitude guided the genre forward.”
“His passion for fostering the community was inspiring and sticks with me,” she added. “I will forever be grateful that from him I gained a deeper understanding and a reverence for the community and the culture of hardcore.”
The singer concluded by sending love to Gilbert’s “family, NFG fam, and all his friends.”
After dating since 2008, Williams married the rocker in 2016. The following year, they announced their separation, stating at the time that they remained “close friends who are good in each other’s eyes.”
Gilbert later married Lisa Cimorelli, who broke the news on Sunday (Sept. 20) of her husband’s death alongside his New Found Glory bandmates on social media. “On the morning of September 20th, Chad Everett Gilbert passed away peacefully in his sleep,” they wrote in a joint statement. “He left this world surrounded by friends and family and took his final breaths with his wife and mother by his side, just as he wished.”
The announcement also noted that Gilbert — who shared daughter Lily with Cimorelli — considered being a father his greatest accomplishment. “His biggest dreams came true,” it added.