The Backstreet Boys are back. This is not a drill.
The Backstreet Boys announced on Twitter their new North America tour dates on the DNA World Tour. "To actually be able to say that we've been together for over 26 years now — and it's just a testament to our amazing fans," Howie D, born Howard Dorough, told Cheddar.
The popular boy band released their first album in 1996, but you can't put a time stamp on musical classics, according to Dorough, and their original music is still a crowdpleaser, allowing fans to reminisce about their younger days.
"It's kind of tough to compete with the big jams we had back in the day," he added comparing the hits to the group's newer work. "Those are the ones that bring people back to their memories."
When not on tour, Dorough talks about dedicating his time to working on positive content for kids with BabyFirst. After feeling like he couldn't connect with his oldest son through contemporary music, he wanted to produce quality, family-friendly music of his own for all ages to listen to and enjoy.
"I created a family CD, loosely based on some of the topics I went through in my life as a little kid," Dorough explained.
The songs from the Which One Am I? album offers musical reflections from his childhood and sparked the idea for the Howie D: Back in the Day musical that loosely parallels Dorough's time in middle school. "I feel like, me doing this kind of CD, and I'm hearing other people are moving into the family lane, it's just good positive promoting of families being together."
He also discussed the overwhelming number of devices kids use to access social media and other content, stating that "when we were little kids it was always 'you're spending too much time watching TV.' Well, now the internet, iPads, and tablets are the modern-day TV."
The Chinese government brought the sitcom "Friends" back to its streaming services. However, it had instances of LGBTQ+ references left out, after the series had been banned on Chinese streaming platforms for years.
Season 13 "Shark Tank" contestant Tania Speaks secured a $400,000 deal for her Speaks Organic Skincare brand with "Shark" Mark Cuban while also being named one of the best pitches in the history of the show — all at 19 years old. Now 20, Speaks joined Cheddar News to talk about the skincare line, the clean beauty industry, and the moment that host Cuban was moved by her pitch. "I couldn't believe that he got emotional. I'm surprised I held back my tears that long," the young entrepreneur revealed. "It's just amazing for someone else to be inspired by your story, especially Mark Cuban himself."
The media giant formerly known as ViacomCBS has officially rebranded itself as Paramount Global with a focus on its streaming service, Paramount Plus. Naveen Chopra, chief financial officer at Paramount, joined Cheddar to discuss the company’s name change and streaming wars. "There are components of content licensing that we continue to do, either historical arrangements or opportunities to license content that don't really impinge on what we're trying to do with our owned and operated services and that continues to be an important ingredient in our broader financial model," he said. "But our number one priority is putting our best assets on Paramount Plus." Chopra also discussed theatrical release windows before feature films hit its service and the platform's subscription goals.
In efforts to help support black-owned brands. Ulta Beauty says it will make a commitment to not only give these brand shelf space but also help them navigate the ins and outs of growing a business. Last week, the beauty retailer announced in order to reach those goals, the company will spend $50 million on diversity and inclusion programs, including an accelerated program to mentor entrepreneurs of color. CEO of Ulta Beauty, Dave Kimbell, joined Cheddar to discuss more.
