Jared Leto quedó por fuera del elenco de ‘Assassination’, el thriller político que prepara el director Barry Levinson, luego de que la producción decidiera no avanzar con la participación del actor en medio de las acusaciones de conducta sexual inapropiada que han vuelto a ocupar la atención pública.
La información fue reportada por Page Six y posteriormente recogida por otros medios. Según una fuente citada por el portal, las conversaciones entre Leto y el equipo de la película se encontraban bastante avanzadas e incluso el acuerdo parecía prácticamente definido. Sin embargo, el proyecto finalmente optó por no contar con el intérprete.
La decisión se conoció después de la publicación del documental de la BBC, ‘Jared Leto: Hollywood’s Dark Secret’, que reúne testimonios de mujeres que lo señalan por presuntos comportamientos sexuales inapropiados ocurridos en distintos momentos entre 2002 y 2016.
Las acusaciones no han sido comprobadas judicialmente y Leto ha negado de manera categórica los señalamientos. En una declaración difundida por Billboard, el actor afirmó: “Nunca he agredido sexualmente a nadie en toda mi vida. Estas acusaciones son absoluta y categóricamente falsas”.
¿Por qué Jared Leto quedó fuera de ‘Assassination’?
De acuerdo con la información publicada por Page Six, Leto se encontraba en conversaciones avanzadas para incorporarse a la producción de Levinson. Una fuente cercana al proyecto aseguró que el proceso de selección “parecía un trato cerrado”, pero finalmente los responsables de la película decidieron no continuar con el actor.
El mismo reporte señala que tanto el director como ejecutivos vinculados con la producción ya conocían los señalamientos antes de que comenzaran las negociaciones formales con Leto.
Esto le podría interesar: ¿Se viene otro bebé? Greeicy y Mike Bahía desatan rumores tras publicar inesperado video
Otra fuente citada por Page Six planteó que el desempeño comercial de ‘Tron: Ares’, película de ciencia ficción estrenada en 2025 en la que participó el actor, pudo haber influido en la decisión. No obstante, esa misma persona consideró que ese elemento “puede haber sido una excusa para descartarlo del proyecto”, en referencia al contexto generado por las acusaciones.
Estas versiones corresponden a fuentes citadas por el medio y no a una explicación oficial entregada públicamente por la producción sobre la salida de Leto.
¿De qué trata ‘Assassination’?
La película dirigida por Barry Levinson está planteada como un thriller político basado en la historia de Dorothy Kilgallen, periodista que investigó el asesinato del presidente estadounidense John F. Kennedy.
El proyecto cuenta con un reparto encabezado por Jessica Chastain, Al Pacino, Bryan Cranston y Brendan Fraser. La producción había enfrentado previamente retrasos relacionados con una demanda presentada por el coguionista y productor Nicholas Celozzi.
Pese a la salida de Leto, se espera que la película continúe adelante. Hasta el momento, no se ha informado quién ocupará el personaje que estaba previsto para el actor ni se ha confirmado una fecha de estreno.
Las acusaciones y la respuesta del actor
La decisión de apartar a Leto del proyecto coincide con la nueva atención mediática que han recibido los señalamientos en su contra tras el documental de la BBC.
La producción periodística recoge testimonios de mujeres que describieron presuntos episodios de conducta sexual inapropiada y señala que algunos de los hechos relatados habrían ocurrido cuando determinadas denunciantes eran adolescentes. La BBC informó que contrastó parte de los testimonios mediante mensajes, fotografías y declaraciones de personas cercanas a las situaciones descritas.
Los señalamientos divulgados recientemente se suman a otros publicados en Air Mail en 2025, cuando nueve mujeres lo acusaron de comportamientos sexuales impropios. Los representantes de Leto rechazaron entonces esas afirmaciones y las calificaron como falsas.
En el caso de los testimonios difundidos por la BBC, el actor también negó las acusaciones. La declaración que entregó a través de Billboard sostiene que nunca ha agredido sexualmente a nadie y califica los señalamientos como falsos.
Por ahora, la salida de ‘Assassination’ representa una nueva consecuencia profesional para Leto en medio de la controversia. La producción no ha informado si el papel será reformulado o si otro actor será elegido para reemplazarlo.
Una publicación de Mike Bahía volvió a poner a Greeicy Rendón y al cantante en el centro de la conversación en redes sociales. El artista compartió un video en el que aparece la intérprete mientras le realizan una ecografía, imágenes que rápidamente llevaron a sus seguidores a preguntarse si la pareja estaría esperando a su segundo hijo.
La grabación fue acompañada por el mensaje “Me tiene el corazón latiendo”, una frase que aumentó las especulaciones sobre un posible embarazo de Greeicy. La pareja ya tiene un hijo, Kai, quien nació en abril de 2022.
Sin embargo, ninguno de los dos artistas ha confirmado que esté esperando otro bebé.
@mikebahia Me tiene el corazón Latiendo… @Greeicy ♬ original sound – Greeicy
El video también podría estar relacionado con su música
Aunque la ecografía despertó rumores sobre un embarazo, también existe la posibilidad de que las imágenes estén vinculadas con un nuevo proyecto musical de la pareja.
Días antes de la publicación de Mike, Greeicy había compartido contenido grabado en Barcelona, donde aparecía junto al cantante interpretando una canción. Esto llevó a algunos seguidores a considerar que ambos podrían estar preparando una nueva colaboración.
Hasta el momento, tampoco se ha confirmado que la ecografía haga parte de un videoclip, una campaña de promoción o cualquier otra producción artística. Algunos usuarios incluso plantearon que las imágenes podrían corresponder al embarazo de Kai y ser utilizadas en un proyecto musical o audiovisual, aunque esta versión tampoco ha sido confirmada.
Esto le podría interesar: Luto en la televisión colombiana: muere a los 85 años Alfonso Lizarazo, histórico creador de Sábados Felices
Una relación de más de 14 años
Los rumores llegan mientras Greeicy y Mike Bahía continúan consolidando una relación de más de 14 años. La cantante ha contado que conoció al artista cuando tenía 19 años y él aproximadamente 24 o 25, durante una etapa en la que ambos comenzaban a desarrollar sus carreras.
Greeicy recordó aquellos primeros años en una entrevista con Fans, de MTV Argentina, donde habló sobre el inicio de su relación con Mike. Con el paso del tiempo, ambos comenzaron un noviazgo y construyeron una familia.
En 2021, Mike le propuso matrimonio a Greeicy durante un concierto de Alejandro Sanz. Aunque desde entonces han mantenido su compromiso, la pareja no ha celebrado una boda y ha explicado que no siente presión por hacerlo.
En abril de 2022 nació Kai, su primer hijo. Desde entonces, los artistas han mostrado ocasionalmente algunos momentos de su vida familiar, procurando mantener buena parte de la crianza del menor alejada de la exposición pública.
Sus colaboraciones también alimentan las especulaciones
Greeicy y Mike Bahía también han compartido escenarios y proyectos musicales. Entre sus colaboraciones se encuentran ‘Amantes’, ‘Esta Noche’, ‘Amor’, ‘Tú y Yo’ y una versión especial de ‘Si Tu Amor No Vuelve’.
Su cercanía personal y profesional hace que cada aparición conjunta despierte especial interés entre sus seguidores. En este caso, el video publicado por Mike generó reacciones divididas: mientras algunos usuarios celebraron la posibilidad de que Kai tuviera un hermano, otros consideran que podría tratarse de una pista sobre un próximo lanzamiento.
Por ahora, el supuesto segundo embarazo continúa sin confirmación oficial y tampoco se ha aclarado si la ecografía corresponde a un momento familiar o a algún proyecto relacionado con la música de la pareja.
A dance music artist has entered (and exited) the villa.
Love Island viewers and EDM fans now have Bryce Dettloff – known professionally as Bryce Alakai – in common. The reality TV star, who won the eighth season of Love Island USA alongside his girlfriend Trinity Tatum, is hard-launching his DJ career following his time on the Peacock dating show. Alakai is set to begin his first tour, marking his debut North American headline run.
Related
How Much Has the Success of ‘Spider-Man: Brand New Day’ Helped Boost Soundtrack Songs by Tame Impala, Steve Lacy & More?
The tour begins Aug. 22 and continues through December, with seven performances across the United States and Canada. Alakai’s stops include Los Angeles, New York, Boston, Toronto, Tampa, Seattle and Portland.
The announcement follows the release of Bryce’s remix of Ty Dolla $ign’s “Blasé,” which gained popularity while he was filming and living inside the Love Island villa, where he had no access to his phone. According to a press release, Alakai recently teamed up with Ty Dolla $ign to create the official remix of the hit song.
Alakai has spent the past several years working as a DJ, artist and producer. He began releasing music in 2022 and has since continued to build his profile in the electronic music space. His appearance on Love Island USA further solidified his social media stardom, particularly through his relationship with Trinity.
The pair, known by fans as “Brinity,” quickly became one of the season’s favorite couples. From the first day of the reality series, Alakai and Tatum became fan favorites for their relationship and their firm support for one another throughout the competition.
Now, Alakai is bringing his music career to the forefront. According to the press release, the DJ plans to release more original music and announce additional performances throughout the second half of the year, giving fans of both Love Island and dance music more opportunities to see his next chapter unfold.
Joe Jonas is opening up about the professional disappointment that fundamentally drove him to prioritize his mental health.
On the latest episode of the Hey Jonas! podcast, the Jonas Brothers sat alongside one another to divulge into their success and the hardships that come with growing up in a popular band. During the conversation, Joe ended up revealing that the commercial response to his first solo album was what initially led him to seek professional help.
Related
![[from left] Kevin Jonas, Priyanka Chopra Jonas and Nick Jonas](https://www.billboard.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/hey-jonas-priyanka-nick-meet-cute-billboard-1800.jpg?w=237&h=147&crop=1)
“The reason I started doing therapy is because of the first taste of, like, not achieving ‘success,’” Joe says with air quotes, recalling the release of his 2011 solo debut, Fastlife. “I released a solo album when I was about 21, 22 and it didn’t do as well as I thought it would do because everything the Jonas Brothers touched back then, it would be gold. We would just … be a No. 1 [hit].”
Joe isn’t exaggerating the success of his band of brothers. Since their debut back in 2006, they have had 26 songs chart on the Billboard Hot 100, as well as eight albums enter the top 10 of the Billboard 200. Looking back, Joe admits he had attached too much of his self-worth to proving he could succeed apart from his brothers Kevin and Nick.
“I put something out by myself and I think I had a lot of high expectations of success without you guys,” he told his brothers. “That was important to me somewhere in my core. I was like, ‘If I do that, then I matter.’”
Unfortunately, emotional toll soon turned physical. Joe said he began experiencing panic attacks and persistent pain, resulting in constant visits to doctors. After multiple medical appointments, one physician thankfully assured him that nothing was wrong and suggested that he speak to a therapist, which he confesses was some advice he had previously resisted.
“I was like, ‘What do you mean a therapist? I don’t need a therapist. Why would I need a therapist?’” Joe admits.
Instead, he says he tried to cope with the mental turmoil by spending hours riding his bike through New York City, using the time away from his phone to avoid reading comments about the album. He confides in his brothers that it simply felt like the only way to distract himself, but it wasn’t a solution; he was still running away from the problem.
Eventually, Joe decided to give therapy a chance, quickly realizing how much he needed it.
“I finally spoke to somebody after crying through the first question for an hour, realized how great it was,” he said. “It definitely was so helpful during that season and it has been throughout my life and other major life things that I’ve gone through.”
Nick echoes his brother’s sentiments, piggybacking off of points brought up by Joe. Nick expands by saying therapy also helped him rethink how he measures something as subjective as success. Reflecting on the comments he made in a previous podcast episode, the youngest Jonas brother clarified that his struggles weren’t about comparing himself to others, but rather placing too much importance on achievement.
“I needed to be okay with myself,” Nick said. “I just needed to be able to look in the mirror and just be okay as a person, as opposed to comparing to others.”
Both brothers agreed therapy has been an essential guide to navigating the pressures of fame, and encouraged maintaining consistency with their mental health journeys.
Watch the full “Hey Jonas!” episode below.
On July 30, as part of his 2026 global tour, Moby took the stage in the country of Georgia for the first time. The highly anticipated show at the Rustavi International Motorpark near Tbilisi was organized by the local promoter Flitz Collective, with Billboard Georgia serving as the main media partner.
The rich history of the music industry holds the names of many outstanding musicians. However, artists who truly redefined the scene are rare exceptions – and Moby is one of those artists, having helped bring electronic music into the mainstream while bringing emotional depth to the genre. He proved that electronic music goes beyond the club scene and can be globally popular and commercially successful.
Related
Moby Praises Billie Eilish For Talking About Social Issues: ‘If I Had Children, I’d Say Be More Like Billie’
Shawn Mendes Gushes About Girlfriend Bruna Marquezine in Birthday Post: ‘You’ve Truly Changed My Life’
Right before the show, Billboard Georgia sat down with Moby backstage, where the artist spoke about music, activism and more. [Editors note: This interview has been translated from Georgian.]
This is your first time in Georgia. What are your feelings and emotions as you’re about to meet the Georgian audience?
I’ve only been here for a couple of days, and I’m really fascinated by Georgia. Tbilisi feels like such a European city, even though it’s a thousand miles away from Europe. What’s interesting about Georgia is that I really like it, yet I don’t fully understand it yet. And that’s what makes it so fascinating.
With your long journey in the music industry, what do you think is the biggest illusion [the industry] creates for emerging artists?
That’s an interesting question. The biggest illusion… I think one of them is, when you’re young and successful, everybody’s nice to you. And the biggest illusion is thinking that they will continue to be nice to you when you’re old and not successful.
A lot of my friends who are young musicians, or young actors, or writers, or whatever, they’ll say things like, “Oh, my agents are great. They’re so nice, and the people at the record label are so great, they’re so nice.” And I’m like, “Yeah, wait until a few years pass.” If you’ve gone a few years without success, they might not be quite as nice, which is just, I guess, the nature of things. But I think a lot of musicians think that their agents, managers, record labels are their friends. And they find out pretty quickly that they’re not.
I have to ask about your activism. What do you think is the main shift in the human mind-set that’s necessary for people to understand the importance of animal rights?
From my perspective, it’s the ability to act logically and in accordance with our beliefs. The strangest thing about humans is that we are so illogical.
If we were to walk around and stop people to ask them three questions: “Do you like animals?” They’ll probably say “yes.” “Do you want to hurt and kill them?” Their answer would be “absolutely not.” “Are you a vegan?” Most of them would say no. And I’m like, “But you like animals and you don’t want to hurt or kill them. Wouldn’t the logical action be to not eat them, to not pay someone else to kill them for you?”
So it’s almost not about ethics, it’s about logic. But our species behaves so illogically, especially in the United States. People care about health, but they pollute the environment. They care about their children, but they won’t pass sensible gun control. We’re just deeply illogical people. I hope that we’re either going to figure out how to behave logically and build an ethical structure from that logic, or, as a species, we’re going to get wiped out.
We’re living in an era of global conflicts and shifting values. In times like these, what role and purpose do you think music plays in society?
Music can do almost anything. It can help people sleep, dance, worship or meditate. It helps people exercise, but it also calms them down. I feel really fortunate that I get to work with music, because it obviously has so much power. I’m not saying my music does, but music’s ability to reach everybody – and to reach them in the most personal way – is just deeply profound. Again, I’m not talking about my own music, I’m just talking about music in general.
Your work has always been defined by artistic exploration – offering listeners new perspectives and a different side of the art form. Today, as we live in an era of rapid technological progress and AI, how do you see the future of music?
I’ll use myself as an example: Sometimes I just love a good generic pop song, and I don’t care who made it. AI is actually really good at that. I feel like there’s room for both – for generic AI pop music and for Leonard Cohen. There’s room for a person onstage with a guitar and a cello, just as someone like Nick Cave is as far from AI as possible. There’s room for Nick Cave, and there’s room for generic pop music. And the exact same person might love both. I don’t think Nick Cave is going to put AI out of business, but I also don’t think AI is going to put Nick Cave out of business. Think of painting: Putting color on paper can result in a McDonald’s billboard, or it can be fine art. Nobody is going to a concert hall just to listen to AI. But they will do that for Nick Cave.
Just minutes after this conversation, Moby took the stage, kicking off the live show with “Bodyrock” – the iconic hit from his seminal 1999 album, Play.
Moby’s concert wasn’t just a nostalgia trip. Once again, he proved that his music goes beyond trends and temporary industry standards. This performance showed the real truth – Moby’s true power lies not just in the scale of his catalog, but in his ability to remain deeply relevant across eras, leaving a lasting impact on every listener.
—This story was written by Nino Imerlishvili for Billboard Georgia
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.
Set throughout locations across Thailand, host T.J. Lavin returns for The Challenge: Cutthroat. For season 42, watch contestants from The Real World, Love Island, Survivor, Big Brother, Too Hot to Handle and other reality series battle it out to become the ultimate challenger and win the grand prize.
Starting with a two-episode season premiere on Wednesday (Aug 5), you can stream The Challenge: Cutthroat on Paramount+ — instead of its longtime home on MTV.
How to Watch The Challenge: Cutthroat Online, At a Glance:
- Date: Starting on Wednesday, Aug. 5
- Start Time: 3 a.m. ET/12 a.m. PT
- Streaming Platform: DirecTV, Paramount+
When Does The Challenge: Cutthroat Start?
The reality series The Challenge: Cutthroat streams on Paramount+, with a release time of 3 a.m. ET/12 a.m. PT on Wednesdays.
Where to Watch The Challenge: Cutthroat Online for Free
For cord-cutters, there are a few ways to watch The Challenge: Cutthroat, especially if you want to watch for free. DirecTV has a five-day free trial, which features free access to Paramount+.
STREAM ON 3 DEVICES AT ONCE
Paramount+
There are two plans to choose from: Paramount+ Essential and Paramount+ Premium (with Showtime).
Paramount+ has The Challenge: Cutthroat streaming online, as well as past seasons. If you don’t already have a Paramount+ subscription, the streaming service plan goes for $8.99 per month (or $89.99 per year). With Paramount+, you’ll get access to a wide selection of TV shows and movies, live sports, 24-hour news with CBS News and more.
In addition, the streaming service includes a wide selection of music programming and specials, such as The New Edition Story, Love & Hip Hop Miami, Wu-Tang Clan: Of Mics and Men, MTV Unplugged, Willie Nelson & Family and others.
Although it doesn’t offer a free trial anymore, you can get access to Paramount+ for just $1, if you sign up for Walmart+. The retailer’s rewards program offers access to Paramount+ at no extra cost, while Walmart+ also offers a 30-day trial to take the service out for a test drive.
Meanwhile, a subscription to DirecTV — which comes with access to The Challenge: Cutthroat on Paramount+ — gets you more than 185 live TV, local and cable channels, like NBC, ABC, CBS, FOX, ESPN and others. The signature package “Premier” comes with Disney+, HBO Max, Hulu, ESPN Unlimited and Starz, and it goes for $129.99 for the first month of service ($169.99 per month afterward). DirecTV even offers a five-day free trial to watch for free if you sign up now.
Starting on Wednesday (Aug. 5), The Challenge: Cutthroat streams on Paramount+. One of the best services that features Paramount+ is DirecTV because it comes with six other streaming services and more than 185 live TV channels.
Carson Daly is setting the record straight after this week’s announcement of The Voice: Celebrity caused questions to arise about his future with the NBC show.
Following the news that Keke Palmer will host the spin-off edition of The Voice, the emcee took to Instagram on Tuesday to reassure fans that he isn’t leaving the singing competition after hosting the series for 30 seasons.
Related
“‘Celeb Voice’ is a fun, NEW IDEA that features some big differences like… FAMOUS PEOPLE singing for 3 coaches to see if they have what it takes,” Daly wrote. “There’s lots of new twists & turns.”
The television personality explained that the new format called for “a NEW amazing HOST!” before praising Palmer as “the triple threat queen” who is “PERFECT” for the job.
“I’m so grateful she carved out the time in her busy career to help us out,” he continued. “We’re all big fans & welcome her to the family.”
After welcoming Palmer to the Voice family, Daly addressed speculation that the hosting change meant he was parting ways from the show.
“Many today have asked if I’m leaving the show. Nope,” he wrote. “We’re gonna try out these 2 formats this fall/spring & see how it goes! Hopefully this post clears up any confusion. I am still hosting the show currently.”
Daly also reflected on his long history with the franchise, expressing that he has “hosted and produced every single second of the show since day 1, 30 seasons, 16 years.” While Palmer will lead The Voice: Celebrity, Daly said he’ll remain involved behind the scenes as a producer.
“I’ll be producing Celeb Voice only & helping it launch from behind the scenes,” he added.
NBC announced The Voice: Celebrity earlier this week, revealing Palmer as host alongside coaches Joe Jonas, Queen Latifah and Riley Green. Unlike the competition audiences are used to, the special edition will feature actors, musicians, influencers, athletes, comedians and reality television personalities competing in blind auditions instead of undiscovered singers.
Read Carson Daly’s full statement via Instagram below.
On his most recent single, “My Body Isn’t Ready,” sombr gets vulnerable about his body image — something he opened up about more deeply in a new interview with Variety published Wednesday (Aug. 5).
In his conversation for the publication’s Power of Young Hollywood issue, the 21-year-old pop star touched on why he feels it’s important for him to be completely honest about his feelings in his music, even when it’s on a song that’s as personal as “Body” is. The track dropped in late June and finds sombr singing, “I like you, but my body isn’t ready/ I want you, but the mirror won’t let me.”
Related
“I want people who look up to me that might not be happy about their body image to understand that I’m not always happy about my body image,” he told Variety. “I saw a comment today that was like, ‘I’m so glad that my favorite artist goes through the same things that I go through.’ That made me want to cry.”
The New York native went on to discuss one big reason his relationship to his body is complicated. “I have issues with eating,” he explained. “Sometimes I do not like eating, and it makes me want to throw up to eat. I can never choose what to eat. I never crave anything.”
“It’s a weird thing I have,” he continued. “Most of the time before shows I’m literally eating against my will, so I have enough energy to get through the show. It’s been my lifelong struggle.”
In his rise to stardom starting with the success of 2024 single “Back to Friends” — which climbed to a peak of No. 7 on the Billboard Hot 100 this past January — sombr has not been immune to invasive public discourse surrounding his appearance. The musician’s figure is admittedly striking, standing well over 6 feet tall with a slim build. “That’s ‘My Body Isn’t Ready,’ you know?” he added of his apathy toward food in the interview, laughing. “That’s why my body is like that.”
In October, a person on TikTok went viral with a video criticizing Sombr’s performance style and likening his physical appearance to “Slenderman.” The Grammy nominee responded at the time with his own video calling the latter remark “a massive body-shaming hate train,” adding, ““You guys need to find problematic people to hate on, because I am just existing.”
This year, sombr has also released the singles “Homewrecker” and “Potential,” both of which charted on the Hot 100. His debut album I Barely Know Her peaked at No. 10 on the Billboard 200 in September.
The star’s conversation with Variety comes shortly after he helped the Songwriters Hall of Fame induct Taylor Swift by performing “Cardigan” and “Dear John” at the 2026 ceremony, during which the Eras Tour headliner also sang sombr’s praises during her speech. According to him, he couldn’t even look at Swift in the audience as he was singing her songs.
“If I looked at her for three seconds during the performance, my mind would have completely blanked because that’s Taylor Swift,” sombr told Variety. “That’s a goddess. I remember looking at her for a split second while performing and almost losing it, but then I looked away.”
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.
Another day, another KPop Demon Hunters collab, only this is one that hardcore fans and aspiring performers alike will want to pick up.
Netflix and eKids have released an official KPop Demon Hunters Karaoke Machine, available now for under $20 on Amazon. The portable karaoke machine comes in the film’s signature purple colorway, with the HUNTR/X logo on the speaker grill.
SING AT HOME
KPop Demon Hunters Bluetooth Karaoke Machine
Save 10% off for a limited time when you apply the on-site coupon on Amazon.
The officially-licensed karaoke machine lets you sing your favorite songs from the Oscar-winning animated film (or any song, really) while enjoying an accompanying light show from the built-in, color-changing lights. Five different voice effects let you turn your sing-along into a real performance, whether you’re rehearsing for the Idol Awards or just sharing your “Strategy” at home.
This Amazon deal gets you a 9 x 3.7-inch speaker, a wireless microphone, built-in multi-colored LED lights and an included mini disco ball, that you can hang on the side of the speaker for every more lighting effects. Play your music by connecting the speaker to your phone, laptop or music player via Bluetooth (you can also plug in a flash drive).
Everything powers up via the built-in rechargeable battery, and a charging cable is included with the set. A handle on the speaker makes it easy to take your K-pop karaoke on the go.
LARGER SETUP
KPop Demon Hunters Bluetooth Karaoke Machine With Microphones
Want to take your soundtrack session up a notch? Sam’s Club sells this official KPop Demon Hunters karaoke machine which comes with a larger speaker and two wireless microphones (with the ability to plug in a third mic via a wired mic jack).
This karaoke system also lets you stream audio via Bluetooth and features seven light modes, including a “reactive” mode that pulses to the beat of your music. The two included mics have four built-in voice-changing effects, and you can also use the control pad at the top to adjust echo levels, volume, skip tracks and more.
Like the Amazon model, this Sam’s Club KPop Demon Hunters karaoke machine comes in a purple colorway with a glowing HUNTR/X logo front and center. And if you don’t have WiFi or Bluetooth, you can also connect your music via AUX, USB, and SD card inputs. Though it’s larger than the Amazon unit, this karaoke machine is still super portable, measuring approximately 7 x 10 inches in size.
Note: you don’t need to be a Sam’s Club member to score this KPop Demon Hunters karaoke setup, but non-members will be charged a 10% extra service fee online (consider it like a guest membership that lasts for 24 hours).
If you do want to sign up for a membership to the big box store, Sam’s Club is currently offering more than 50% off annual plans, with a subscription starting at just $25 (regularly $60+). Your membership lets you shop at Sam’s Club retail locations and online, and also gets you savings on gas, pharmacy, optical, auto servicing and more.
OFFICIAL LIGHT STICK
KPop Demon Hunters HUNTR/X Light Stick
Add to your karaoke night by picking up the official KPop Demon Hunters Light Stick. This HUNTR/X-themed device features five light-up colors and more than eight light sequences.
The official karaoke machines, meantime, come as the KPop Demon Hunters soundtrack continues to break records. The multi-platrinum album was the highest-debuting soundtrack of 2025 on the Billboard 200 chart, while lead single, “Golden,” topped Billboard’s Hot 100 chart and broke the record for longest leader on the Billboard Global Excl. U.S. chart, earning a record-breaking 20th week at No. 1 on the latter chart in January.
Ed Sheeran can sing and play ball.
The singer took a break before his Loop Tour performance in Seattle to take batting practice with Seattle Mariners center fielder Julio Rodríguez, also known as J-Rod. In a video posted by the Mariners and Major League Baseball on their social media accounts, Sheeran appears inside the batting cages taking swings at pitches from a simulated pitching machine, as well as soft tosses from Rodríguez.
Related
Rodríguez appears in the video cheering on Sheeran, whose swing connected with every pitch. “I’m surprised, though — I’m surprised,” says the athlete, who at the end of the video, exits the protective tent and shakes hands with Sheeran, who successfully hit all three balls.
The two connected during the artist’s tour stop in Seattle on Aug. 1, when the singer hung out with Rodríguez, who was still in the clubhouse after a Mariners win, according to an article on MLB.com. Following batting practice, J-Rod signed a baseball bat for Sheeran, who gifted the athlete suite tickets to his concert and promised to send him a custom guitar.
Sheeran’s Loop Tour kicked off Jan. 16 in Auckland, New Zealand, following the release of his eighth studio album, Play, in September 2025. The tour features arena performances in Australia and Latin America and is currently in North America.
Following its release, Play debuted at No. 5 on the Billboard 200. The album’s Persian-infused lead single “Azizam” reached the top 40 on the Billboard Hot 100 while surging into the top 10 across several of Billboard’s radio airplay charts.