Kendrick Lamar Earns His Fifth Straight Billboard 200 No. 1 Album With ‘GNX’
Kendrick Lamar has plenty to be thankful for, as his latest studio album GNX debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 list in the U.S. for the week ending Nov. 28. Per the outlet, the Nov. 22 surprise drop released with 319,000 equivalent album units, becoming 2024’s sixth-largest debut week. GNX is also K Dot’s fifth consecutive album to reach no. 1 on the Billboard charts, further cementing his place as one of the most successful rappers of this generation.
Thanksgiving 5-Day U.S. Box Office Hits Record-Breaking All-Time $420M High
Millions of people hit their local movie theater over the five-day Thanksgiving weekend, with Moana 2, Wicked, and Gladiator 2 leading the charge. Deadline reports that the holiday stretch yielded an estimated $420 million between Wednesday through Sunday – the biggest domestic haul in cinematic history. Moana 2 led the pack with $221 million earned followed by Wicked with $117.5 million in estimated ticket sales. Gladiator II rounded out the top three with $44 million.
Kai Cenat Ends 30-Day Stream with New Twitch Subscriber Record
Kai Cenat just wrapped up his month-long Mafiathon 2 streaming event, adding an impressive 727,700 followers. According to CNBC, this surpasses the previous high set by Ironmouse in September with 326,250 subscribers. This milestone now makes Cenat the biggest online streamer, boasting 15.4 million followers on Twitch, 6.7 million on YouTube, 12 million on Instagram, and 2.6 million on X. Cenat also drew in $3.5 million for his tireless efforts — which featured appearances from the likes of LeBron James, Kevin Hart, and many more — 20% of which will support Nigerian schools.
Paige Bueckers Becomes the First NIL Athlete to Launch a Nike Player Edition Shoe
In addition to being named Big East Player of the Week, Paige Bueckers has another reason to celebrate: the UConn women’s basketball standout just became the first NIL athlete to receive their own player edition sneaker with Nike. The Monday release confirms the custom Nike G.T. Hustle 3 arrives Saturday and includes many Easter eggs in the design. Among them are the area codes for UConn’s Storrs, Connecticut and Bueckers’ hometown of Hopkins, Minnesota, each of which is strategically placed on the left tongue. On the right tongue is a bucket as a nod to her “Paige Buckets” nickname. Bueckers said her favorite detail is the message her dad sends her before every game: “Be You, Be Great.”
‘Brain rot’ Named 2024 Oxford Word of the Year
Oxford University Press announced Monday that “brain rot” is the 2024 word of the year. Described by them as “the supposed deterioration of a person’s mental or intellectual state, especially viewed as the result of overconsumption of material (now particularly online content) considered to be trivial or unchallenging,” more than 37,000 people voted this year. “Brain rot” was selected from a short list of six words, which included “demure,” “dynamic pricing,” “lore,” “romantasy” and “slop.”
Andrew Luck Set to Tackle New Role as Stanford Football GM
Andrew Luck is going back to school, but the two-time Stanford grad will not be returning this time as a student. Stanford announced that the former Cardinal and standout quarterback is returning to his alma mater to become the general manager of its football program. In this new role, Luck will manage everything from Stanford’s coaching staff, the player personnel team, recruiting, roster management, and the student-athlete experience. “I believe deeply in Stanford’s unique approach to athletics and academics and the opportunity to help drive our program back to the top,” said Luck, who played seven seasons with the Indianapolis Colts before abruptly retiring in 2019.
SEVENTEEN & Teddy Swims Will Perform at the Billboard Music Award
In the run up to this year’s Billboard Music Awards, the first couple of performers were revealed on Monday. Taking the stage on Dec. 12 are SEVENTEEN and Teddy Swims. Nominated in eight categories, Swims’ “Lose Control” topped the Billboard 100 in March and his debut project, I’ve Tried Everything But Therapy (Part 1), reached No. 17 on the Billboard 200 in May. SEVENTEEN, a K-pop group, hit No. 1 on Billboard’s Artist 100 chart in May 2023. The 13-member boy band is known for singles like “Maestro” and their much-loved collab with DJ Khaled, “Love, Money, Fame.”
Thanksgiving 5-Day U.S. Box Office Hits Record-Breaking All-Time $420M High
Millions of people hit their local movie theater over the five-day Thanksgiving weekend, with Moana 2, Wicked, and Gladiator 2 leading the charge. Deadline reports that the holiday stretch yielded an estimated $420 million between Wednesday through Sunday – the biggest domestic haul in cinematic history. Moana 2 led the pack with $221 million earned followed by Wicked with $117.5 million in estimated ticket sales. Gladiator II rounded out the top three with $44 million.
Online Shoppers Drop $6.1B in Thanksgiving Day Spending
According to data released by Adobe Analytics, shoppers spent a record $6.1 billion on Thanksgiving. Profits on the holiday rose year-over-year by 8.8%, a spike from the previous year. Popular products this year included the Dyson Airwrap, espresso machines, LEGO sets, Madden 2025, and fitness trackers. Mobile shopping also reached a record high, with consumers making up almost 60% of online sales, netting $3.6 billion in online sales and a 10.5% increase year-over-year.
