Music

It’s been years since a country artist performed during Super Bowl halftime, but Luke Combs says he’d be interested in the gig — under certain circumstances.

During an appearance on the MNF ManningCast, hosted by NFL icons Eli Manning and Peyton Manning, Eli asked Luke if he’d rather perform during a Super Bowl or see his favorite team, the Carolina Panthers, win a Super Bowl.

“That’s a big question,” Luke replied. “I’d like to perform at the Super Bowl and the Panthers win in the same Super Bowl. Why not both, Eli? Why not both?”

Luke recently teamed with the Panthers to release a special merch collection.

While many country stars have performed the national anthem at the Super Bowl in recent years — including Luke Bryan, Eric Church, Mickey Guyton, Chris Stapleton, Reba McEntire and Carrie Underwood — it’s been more than 20 years since a country artist did halftime. However, it was only as part of a multiple-artist show, as Shania Twain joined No Doubt and Sting for a performance in 2003.

Prior to that, the last fully country halftime show took place in 1994: The Judds, Tanya Tucker, Travis Tritt and Clint Black all performed.

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Lil’ Kim‘s 1996 debut studio album, Hard Core, has topped Billboard‘s list of best hip-hop album covers of all time.

The artwork, shot by Michael Lavine, finds Kim in some lingerie as she poses on top of a polar bear skin rug in a room decorated with roses and champagne. “Kim balances aggressive sexuality and reticent allure, grounding both in the power of the Divine Feminine,” Billboard‘s Kyle Denis writes of the cover. “Kim simultaneously plays into the sex-stained gaze of the male-dominated hip-hop industry, while flipping that aesthetic on their head; she’s on top and the one in control.”

“If challenging power is a core tenet of hip-hop,” he continues, “few album covers encapsulate that as stylishly as Hard Core.”

The other album covers in the top five are Outkast‘s Stankonia at #2, DMX‘s Flesh of My Flesh, Blood of my Blood at #3, Kanye West‘s My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy at #4 and The Notorious B.I.G.’s Ready to Die at #5.

The full list is now available at Billboard.com.

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A Thanksgiving miracle came to Nashville on Tuesday.

Tracy Lawrence‘s annual Mission: Possible Turkey Fry hit a snag when a broken refrigerator truck spoiled 650 turkeys out of 3,600 in total — turkeys he planned to use to feed 36,000 people throughout Middle Tennessee. Tracy put out a call for people to donate turkeys to make up the shortfall, and people came through in a major way, donating more than 2,400 birds. That extra food led to over 50,000 meals being provided to those in need.

One of those donors was Tucker Wetmore, who surprised Tracy by delivering more than 100 turkeys. Other stars came out to support the event, including Dustin Lynch, Clint Black, Rhett Akins and Jamey Johnson. Steve Wariner, Rhett and Clint also made their own turkey donations.

After the Turkey Fry, the event’s annual benefit concert took place at Luke Combs‘ Category 10 Nashville eatery, featuring Tracy, Gretchen Wilson, Eric Paslay, Chris Cagle and more. A record-breaking $355,000 was raised from donations, ticket sales and silent auction items.

“I cannot imagine a better 20th anniversary for the Mission: Possible Turkey Fry and Concert,” Tracy said in a statement. “What started as a day of uncertainty turned into a day of our community coming together in a way I couldn’t have imagined. … I was blown away once again by the kindness of our neighbors.”

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Coi Leray teamed up with her nonprofit Camp Courage to host a turkey drive in New Jersey on Tuesday. She shared footage of the event on Instagram, which captured her interacting with community members before explaining her reason for the drive. 

“You gotta give back. We receive so [many] blessings, make sure that you bless others, even [if it’s] just a small prayer,” she said.

In the caption, Coi reflected on the event while thanking those who came together to bring the drive to fruition.

“Everyday I ask myself, what can I do to be a better me? I think being a great leader is very important but never forget to be a great LISTENER and WILLING TO LEARN, is the true key to success,” she writes. “This was @thecampcourageworld 1st turkey drive and I couldn’t be more happy with how amazing this day turnt out.”

“Huge shout out to my team and everyone involved to make this happen,” she continued. “Special shout out to Hackensack NJ Recreation Dept. helping this moment come together.”

Coi launched Camp Courage in 2024, which aims to connect people of all ages while creating a space for them to collaborate and build lasting relationships. A statement from the nonprofit’s Instagram says its “mission is to inspire individuals to pursue their dreams, overcome challenges, and reach their fullest potential, fostering a strong community dedicated to growth and success.”

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The holiday season is upon us, and Halle Bailey is looking forward to “decorating everything, overload,” she says in an interview with E! News.

“I just got Christmas lights all over my house. So, very excited about it,” she said.

Halle told E! News she also likes to bake sugar cookies, noting, “I do a whole thing.”

As for what son Halo Granberry enjoys, Halle says it’s the music, which is why they “wake up in the morning and sing songs.”

Asked whether she thinks he’ll follow in her footsteps, she responded, “Who knows?”

“I would want him to do what he wants to do,” she said. “But he definitely is musically inclined, which is so cool.” 

Halle also discussed her hope for her debut solo album, Love?… or Something Like It, which was released during what she says was “a transformative year.”

“I just feel healed and happy and free,” she said. “I just want people to listen to the music, and I’m grateful to be here.”

The album, featuring sister Chlöe, H.E.R., GloRilla and Mariah The Scientist, is now available on streaming services.

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Lil Baby‘s The Leaks project will be arriving sooner than you think. In an Instagram post Wednesday, he announced it will be dropping on his 31st birthday, Dec. 3.

“I’m Dropping ‘The Leaks’ next week for my birthday 12/3 to celebrate with the fans who kept these leaks & snippets alive,” he wrote in the caption. The album is now available to presave.

The Leaks serves as a gift to Lil Baby fans. It contains “full versions of previously teased snippets and leaked songs that have circulated online over the years,” a press release says. The album was originally set for an Aug. 15 release but was pushed back a few times.

The news of its updated release date arrives on Wham Wednesdays, a series that sees Lil Baby drop a new song and accompanying video every week through the end of 2025. His latest contribution, “Middle of Summer,” is now available for fans to stream.

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The Gibson SG Custom guitar played by Metallica‘s Kirk Hammett during the massive Back to the Beginning concert has sold at auction for $76,800.

The winning bid dramatically exceeded the estimated price of the guitar, which was set between $4,000 and $6,000.

Kirk played the guitar during Metallica’s Back to the Beginning set for a cover of Black Sabbath‘s “Hole in the Sky.” The concert, which took place July 5, ended with a performance from the original Sabbath lineup: Ozzy Osbourne, Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler and Bill Ward.

The show was announced as Ozzy’s final live performance ahead of time, and his promise was sadly fulfilled upon his death just over two weeks later on July 22.

Hammett’s guitar was part of Julien’s Auctions’ Played, Worn, & Torn sale, which also included the infamous safe from which the Tommy Lee/Pamela Anderson sex tape was stolen. That safe, which was estimated to go for between $5,000 and $7,000, went for $2,560.

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