Arts & Entertainment
Halsey drops new single and video
Grammy-nominated artist Halsey has a big month ahead of her in January, and she’s kicked it off by sharing a brand new single and video.
On Thursday, the multi-platinum artist debuted her new recording, “You Should Be Sad,” along with the accompanying video. The song is from her third studio album, “Manic,” which will be released Friday, January 17, by Capitol Records, and will be available immediately with pre-orders of the album.
After the album drops, Halsey will finish out the month by appearing as the musical guest on the January 25 return of “Saturday Night Live.” The show’s host will be actor Adam Driver, of “Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker” and “Marriage Story.”
The video for “You Should Be Sad” was helmed by Colin Tilley, an award-winning director who has previously worked with Kendrick Lamar and DJ Khaled, among other recording stars. It’s described in press materials as “vibrant” and “kaleidoscopic.”
Earlier last week, Halsey announced the North American leg of the “Manic” World Tour. Produced by Live Nation, it will include shows at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles on June 10, Forest Hills Stadium in New York on July 15, Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena on July 24, and Colorado’s Red Rocks Amphitheatre on July 27. Supporting acts for headliner Halsey along the way will be CHVRCHES and Omar Apollo (from June 2 – July 5) and blackbear and PVRIS (from July 12 – August 1).
Since 2015, Halsey has amassed over 25 billion streams worldwide and sold more than 11 million adjusted albums globally. She has played sold out dates on five continents, been nominated for a Grammy, and appeared on magazine covers from Rolling Stone to Forbes. Her 2015 debut album, “Badlands,” went Platinum within a year.
Halsey has become known for using her platform to speak up for causes she believes in, such disenfranchised youth, women’s rights, mental health and the LGBTQ community. She was honored by GLAAD in 2018 as “Outstanding Music Artist.”
You can watch the video for “You Should Be Sad” below.
Sports
Jason Collins dies at 47
First openly gay man to actively play for major sports team battled brain cancer
Jason Collins, the first openly gay man to actively play for a major professional sports team, died on Tuesday after a battle with brain cancer. He was 47.
The California native had briefly played for the Washington Wizards in 2013 before coming out in a Sports Illustrated op-ed.
Collins in 2014 became the first openly gay man to play in a game for a major American professional sports league when he played 11 minutes during a Brooklyn Nets game. He wore jersey number 98 in honor of Matthew Shepard, a gay college student murdered outside of Laramie, Wyo., in 1998.
Collins told the Washington Blade in 2014 that his life was “exponentially better” since he came out. Collins the same year retired from the National Basketball Association after 13 seasons.
Collins married his husband, Brunson Green, in May 2025.
The NBA last September announced Collins had begun treatment for a brain tumor. Collins on Dec. 11, 2025, announced he had Stage 4 glioblastoma.
“We are heartbroken to share that Jason Collins, our beloved husband, son, brother and uncle, has died after a valiant fight with glioblastoma,” said Collins’s family in a statement the NBA released. “Jason changed lives in unexpected ways and was an inspiration to all who knew him and to those who admired him from afar. We are grateful for the outpouring of love and prayers over the past eight months and for the exceptional medical care Jason received from his doctors and nurses. Our family will miss him dearly.”
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said Collins’s “impact and influence extended far beyond basketball as he helped make the NBA, WNBA, and larger sports community more inclusive and welcoming for future generations.”
“He exemplified outstanding leadership and professionalism throughout his 13-year NBA career and in his dedicated work as an NBA Cares Ambassador,” said Silver. “Jason will be remembered not only for breaking barriers, but also for the kindness and humanity that defined his life and touched so many others.”
“To call Jason Collins a groundbreaking figure for our community is simply inadequate. We truly lost a giant today,” added Human Rights Campaign President Kelley Robinson in a statement. “He came out as gay — while still playing — at a time when men’s athletes simply did not do that. But as he powerfully demonstrated in his final years in the league and his post-NBA career, stepping forward as he did boldly changed the conversation.”
“He was and will always be a legend for the LGBTQ+ community, and we are heartbroken to hear of his passing at the young age of 47,” she said. “Our hearts go out to his family and loved ones. We will keep fighting on in his honor until the day everyone can be who they are on their terms.”
Glitterati Productions held the “Studio 69” party at Bunker on Friday, May 8.
(Washington Blade photos by Michael Key)
Arts & Entertainment
Washington Blade’s Pride on the Pier returns June 13 to kick off D.C. Pride week
Pride on the Pier officially launches Pride Week in D.C.
The Washington Blade’s annual Pride on the Pier celebration returns to The Wharf on Saturday, June 13, 2026 from 4-9 p.m., bringing thousands of LGBTQ community members and allies together for an unforgettable waterfront celebration to kick off Pride week in Washington, D.C.
Now in its eighth year, Washington Blade Pride on the Pier extends the city’s annual celebration of LGBTQ visibility to the bustling Wharf waterfront with an exciting array of activities and entertainment for all ages. The District Pier will offer DJs, dancing, drag, and other entertainment. Alcoholic beverages will be available for purchase for those 21 and older.
“Pride on the Pier has become one of the signature moments of Pride in D.C.,” said Lynne Brown, publisher of the Washington Blade. “There’s nothing like watching our community come together on the waterfront with live music and incredible energy as we kick off Pride week.”
Pride on the Pier is free and open to the public, with VIP tickets available for exclusive pier access to the Dockmaster Building. To purchase VIP tickets visit www.prideonthepierdc.com/vip.
Additional entertainment announcements, sponsor activations, and event details will be released in the coming weeks.
Event Details:
📍 Location: District Pier at The Wharf (101 District Sq SW, Washington, DC)
📅 Dates: Friday, 13, 2026
⏱️ 4-9PM
🎟️ VIP Tickets: www.PrideOnThePierDC.com/VIP
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