The Roots joined Billboard for an R&B panel conversation covering their 2026 Hip-Hop Hall of Fame moment, four decades of brotherhood, and what’s next — including updates on the long-teased project Endgame. Black Thought and Questlove also talk about the “secret sauce” behind their creative synergy, how fans are giving Thought his flowers in the algorithm era, Roots Picnic’s massive growth and why “creativity is transferable.”
They also discuss studio stories (including how deep the vault really goes), the “no spoilers” approach to features and a throwback to performing at the 2002 Grammys with Eminem.
Carl Lamarre: I would’ve thought you were a Knicks fan for a second the way you were yelling when that tip-in happened.
Questlove: I mean- I, I mean- What was I gonna boo?
Carl Lamarre: I, I- [Laughs]
Questlove: I’m in New York City.
Black Thought: I would’ve thought you were a Knicks fan for a second.
Questlove: Look, I’m a forever Philadelphia. D- don’t get it twisted.
Black Thought: Wow.
Questlove: But I’m in, you know, uh, this is my 18th year here.
Carl Lamarre: I know, I just, you know-
Questlove: I gotta go somewhere.
Carl Lamarre: I’m just seeing who you repping. [upbeat music] We have a Hall of Fame group in the building today. We giving flowers today. This group is straight out of Philly. We talking four decades of straight heat, of longevity, of success. I’m talking about The Roots. Come on, now. Come on, now. Black Thought, Questlove, they are our 2026 Hip-Hop Hall of Famers.
So we’re gonna really dive into their career, their marvelous year, and I’m, I’m just gonna stop talking. I’m gonna bring the brothers out here. Can we have the brothers, please? Black Thought. [cheering] Questlove. [clapping] Come on, now. Ah. Woo. I just gotta say, I could’ve went with a Roots record. I wanted to, but I was like, I was bumping Hov and it just was so befitting, the rhymes. “Never been a n—a this good for this long.”
Kylie Minogue‘s headline performance at this year’s AFL Grand Final is being billed as “the biggest spectacle ever seen” at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, according to new details about the show.
Per a report in Melbourne’s Sunday Herald Sun, the pop icon will deliver a 20-minute pre-game production featuring an avant-garde stage, dancers and visual elements never before seen at a Grand Final.
The performance — produced in partnership with Mushroom Group and the AFL — is being described as a “world-class production.” The Grand Final takes place Saturday, Sept. 26, at the MCG, with around 100,000 fans expected at the stadium and millions more watching the broadcast.
AFL CEO Andrew Dillon called it the league’s most ambitious pre-game show to date. “Kylie’s performance on the day of the Grand Final is the greatest production and show we’ve performed so far,” he said, adding that the league is “very excited that Kylie is returning home to perform on our most important day.”
Ahead of the match, Yarra Park will host a Footy Festival and a “Kylie Village,” where fans can buy exclusive official merchandise, both launching Sept. 23.
The performance marks Minogue’s first time headlining the AFL Grand Final, the biggest date on the Australian sporting calendar. When the booking was announced in March, the Melbourne-born singer framed it as a homecoming. “As a Melburnian, I’m so excited to be coming home for the biggest day in the Aussie sporting calendar,” she said at the time.
“I’ll not only be performing, but I’ll be one of 100,000 fans at the ‘G, watching the wonder that is footy.” She is the first Australian to headline the event since 2021, when a medley of local acts performed at Perth’s Optus Stadium during the COVID-19 pandemic; the intervening years featured international headliners Robbie Williams, KISS, Katy Perry and, in 2025, Snoop Dogg.
One of the most successful pop artists in history, Minogue has sold more than 80 million records worldwide and scored nine No. 1 albums in Australia across a career spanning nearly four decades. A two-time Grammy winner and 18-time ARIA Award recipient, she returned to the U.S. spotlight in recent years with the global smash “Padam Padam” and her Grammy-winning album Tension. She toured Australia in March 2026 on her Tension Tour, her first headline shows in the country since 2019.
Nashville International Airport is set to be renamed in honor of Dolly Parton, after the airport’s governing board voted unanimously to begin the process on Friday (Sept. 11).
The Metropolitan Nashville Airport Authority board of commissioners voted 6-0 to start modifying the airport’s name to honor the late country icon, who died Aug. 25 at age 80 following a brief battle with cancer. A final name has not yet been determined.
“While a final name has not yet been determined, we are working closely with the appropriate parties to thoughtfully determine how Dolly Parton’s name and legacy will be incorporated,” the authority said, describing the vote as “the first step in a multifaceted process” and noting it expects to share more detailed plans in the coming months.
The final name will be decided jointly by airport leaders and the Dollywood Foundation, the nonprofit Parton established in 1988. The board also had to modify its existing naming policy, which generally calls for airport properties to be named after individuals who have been deceased for at least two years.
The renaming push predates Parton’s death — a petition to rename the airport “Dolly Parton International Airport” launched in early 2025 — but gained momentum after she died, with the petition surpassing 175,000 signatures.
The effort has drawn bipartisan support: Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee, a Republican, proposed the change shortly after Parton’s death, and Nashville’s Democratic mayor, Freddie O’Connell, backed it, with the city’s Metro Council unanimously adopting a supporting resolution on Sept. 1. “At a place where Tennessee welcomes the world, it is fitting that Nashville International Airport would bear the name of our state’s favorite daughter,” Lee said in his initial statement.
A Tennessee native born in Sevier County, Parton became one of the most successful and beloved figures in American music, selling more than 100 million records worldwide across a seven-decade career. She topped the Billboard Hot 100 with “9 to 5” and “Islands in the Stream” (with Kenny Rogers), holds the record for the most No. 1s by a woman on the Hot Country Songs chart with 25, and was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1999 and the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2022.
Beyond her music, she was celebrated for her philanthropy, particularly the Dollywood Foundation’s Imagination Library, which has distributed hundreds of millions of books to children.
A (baby) star is born: Lady Gaga and her fiancé, Michael Polansky, have welcomed their first child, according to multiple reports.
The couple has yet to share the news, but according to photos obtained by Page Six, they were spotted out in Northern California with a baby in tow, with Gaga wearing the newborn in a sling. No additional details, including the baby’s gender or birth date, are known.
This is the first baby for both Gaga (real name: Stefani Germanotta) and Polansky. Billboard has reached out to reps for Gaga for confirmation.
Gaga and Polansky similarly didn’t announce the news that they were engaged to be married, with the singer simply referring to the tech entrepreneur as her fiancé in July 2024. Later that year, she confirmed that Polansky had proposed months earlier, in April 2024, and then shared details of the proposal in an interview with Jimmy Kimmel.
“He proposed to me right after my birthday, so my birthday passed and I was like, ‘Well, I thought he was gonna propose …,’” Gaga said on Jimmy Kimmel Live!, explaining that he popped the question during a rock-climbing trip. “We were just walking back to the room and talking,” she continued. “He actually — it was very Michael — asked me if he could ask me. He wanted to know if it was OK to propose before he proposed. And I was like, ‘Yes, it’s so OK!’”
The couple have been publicly dating since early 2020 when Gaga made their relationship Instagram-official with a post that February. In an interview a few months later, she referred to Polansky as “the love of my life.”
Gaga wrapped her The Mayhem Ball tour back in April and has kept a low profile publicly since.
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Jessica Simpson is having a busy fall. Between returning to music, preparing for a new Netflix documentary and expanding her Walmart fashion line, the singer has plenty keeping her in the spotlight.
Her latest Walmart collection arrived Sept. 10, bringing her signature Cali-boho aesthetic into fall with barn jackets, barrel-leg jeans, maxi dresses, ruffle tops and accessories. Prices start at $10+, making the new collection one of the more accessible ways to tap into Simpson’s recognizable style.
The assortment draws heavily from the mix of bohemian fashion and Western influence that has become synonymous with Simpson. Flowing dresses and ruffled tops bring a romantic touch, while relaxed denim and barn jackets add structure and a nod to her Texas roots.
There’s also a subtle ’70s influence throughout the collection. Rather than leaning into head-to-toe retro dressing, Simpson’s latest Walmart pieces translate the era through wearable details: relaxed denim silhouettes, flowy dresses, feminine ruffles and easy layering pieces.
That makes the collection particularly useful for the September transition. A maxi dress can still work during warmer days, while a barn jacket gives it a fall update. Barrel-leg jeans can be paired with a lightweight top now and a sweater later, making them the kind of staple that can stay in rotation throughout the season.
The barn jacket is one of fall’s standout layers, and Simpson’s $49.50 oversized version makes the trend feel distinctly her own with its Western-leaning aesthetic. It’s an especially good pick for those in-between September days when you need a jacket but aren’t ready for a heavier coat.
One of Walmart’s highly rated dresses is still available in sizes XS to M.
This maxi dress is the kind of throw-on-and-go style that still looks thoughtfully put together. It has a tiered silhouette, flutter sleeves, lace and bow details, plus an elastic waist for a little extra shape.
BEST AFFORDABLE DENIM
Jessica Simpson Women’s and Women’s Plus Daisy Fitted Flare Jeans
At an especially wallet-friendly price, these jeans come in four denim washes and three lengths, including short, regular and long.
These affordable Jessica Simpson flare jeans are fitted through the hips and thighs before kicking out into a classic flare, with stretch denim for comfort.
It’s the same boho-inspired pattern as the previous dress, but in an easy-to-style top. It’s currently available in sizes XS to XL.
For a blouse that feels a little more special than the everyday basic, this Jessica Simpson top delivers with a ruffled peplum silhouette and feminine button details. The V-neck makes it easy to layer or wear on its own.
A highly-rated denim overall with a subtle barrel leg design.
For a one-and-done fall outfit, these $39.50 Jessica Simpson overalls make a strong case for the barrel-leg trend with an denim silhouette and adjustable straps.
The style comes in sizes XS-XL and has a full button placket, long sleeves, and ribbed finishing throughout.
A floral print gives this cardigan more personality than your average button-front knit. It has a V-neckline, dropped shoulders and ribbed trim, with the classic button-front construction keeping the shape familiar.
Sizes range from 2-16, with belt loops, five-pocket styling, a button closure and zip fly.
This pair lands somewhere between a straight leg and a wide leg, thanks to its curved barrel shape. The jeans have a mid-rise waist, ankle-length cut, five pockets and a button-and-zip closure.
BEST PLUS-SIZE MINI DRESS
Jessica Simpson Women’s Plus Calanthe Ruffle Mini Dress
Available in 0X-4X, it has a mini-length hem, long sleeves, and elasticized cuffs.
The Calanthe has the kind of details that make a floral dress stand out. Along with its V-neckline and empire waist, it features long sleeves, elasticized cuffs, ruffle trim and a ruffled hem.
Boho-inspired style has long been part of Jessica Simpson’s style, and the Emmory Tiered Dress leans right into it. The flowy tiered skirt, puff sleeves and sweetheart neckline create a romantic silhouette that feels made for the start of fall.
The collection reflects Simpson’s evolution beyond music. She rose to fame as a pop singer in the late 1990s alongside Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera and Mandy Moore, with her 1999 single “I Wanna Love You Forever” peaking at No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100. She later expanded into television, publishing and fashion, turning the Jessica Simpson name into a lifestyle brand spanning clothing, footwear and accessories. Her Walmart line, which launched in 2024, brings that aesthetic to shoppers at more accessible prices.
Now, music is once again part of the story. After a 15-year hiatus from releasing original music, Simpson returned with Nashville Canyon: Part 1 and Nashville Canyon: Part 2. She is also the subject of a feature-length Netflix documentary exploring her life and career, with Joe Pearlman attached to direct.
For now, her latest Walmart collection gives fans something they can wear. From barrel-leg jeans and barn jackets to flowy dresses and ruffle tops, the fall 2026 lineup stays rooted in the California boho and Texas influences that have long defined her style.
B2K singer De’Mario “Raz-B” Thornton and wife Mona Li Thornton announced the unexpected passing of their three-month-old son on Thursday (Sept. 10). In a statement to USA Today, a spokesperson for the 41-year-old singer confirmed that son Astro Monte Thornton died of undisclosed causes.
“It is with heavy hearts that we announce the unexpected passing of Astro Monte Thornton, beloved son of Mona and De’Mario ‘Raz B’ Thornton of the R&B supergroup B2K,” read the statement. “The family asks for privacy as they navigate this difficult time. They truly appreciate your love and support.”
The couple share an older child, son Versai Carter Thornton, who was born in October 2024. Raz-B celebrated the birth of Astro in an Instagram post on May 18 just before the baby’s birth in which the Thornton’s posed in white shirts and jeans with Versai and Mona’s older daughter from a previous relationship. “I always wanted to take a real family picture with my own family… and finally, God made a way 🙏🏾❤️,” wrote Raz at the time.
“Right now we’re at the hospital getting ready to welcome our newest addition, Astro 🚀👶🏾 another baby boy to the Thornton family. Big congratulations to my beautiful wife for being so strong through this journey. Watching you become a mother again is one of the greatest blessings I could ever witness. The Thornton family continues to grow… and our legacy does too.” The post also featured a pic of the singer standing next to his wife as he cradled her pregnant belly.
A week later, a post shared to son Versai’s Insta confirmed the baby’s birth in an Instagram post, with the message, “Best week ever 🥹💙✨ We welcomed my new baby brother Astro into the family, and it already feels amazing being a big brother 🫶🏽👶🏽.”
The “Bump, Bump, Bump” boy band made up of Omarion, Raz, J-Boog and Lil’ Fizz released their fourth studio album, Eclipse, earlier this year and they are in the midst of their Boys 4 Life tour, which is slated to go overseas for a trio of shows in England in December in Birmingham (Dec. 10), Manchester (Dec. 12) and London (Dec. 13).
