How does a good pop song end? With a bang, right? As it turns out, explosive endings are kinda over. Songwriters are instead opting to end with a final dropout. Even the biggest pop anthems close with a quiet final moment. In this musical short, Nate, our resident musicologist, offers some theories as to why. FEATURING Taylor Swift – Blank Space One Republic ... Show More
Nov 18
Is there a Disney curse?: Demi, Selena, and Miley
This year, there were a few records that delivered less-than-optimal returns on either the Hot 100 or the Billboard 200 – and they all came from former Disney pop stars.
Demi Lovato’s latest album peaked at number nine on the Billboard 200, where it spent one week and then fell ... Show More
48m 6s
Nov 11
Rosalía's 'LUX' brings the symphony to the club
Spanish pop star Rosalía is back with her new album, Lux. Over eighteen tracks, she trades in the dembow beats that filled her last record Motomami for maximalist orchestral sounds more in line with Björk than Bad Bunny. The album is dense: there's four movements, thirteen langua ... Show More
44m 2s
Nov 4
Lily Allen and Tate McRae revive the revenge anthem
They say the best revenge is living well, but if you’re a pop star going through a break up, that’s false. The best revenge is releasing a searing scorched-earth revenge banger that calls out your ex and, ideally, rides that vengeance to the top of the Billboard charts. That’s ex ... Show More
33m 50s
Mar 2020
Katy Perry’s “Never Worn White,” New Dixie Chicks & More
Billboard breaks down the biggest releases in the music world for the week of March 6, 2020, including drops from Katy Perry, Dixie Chicks, Megan Thee Stallion, Bad Bunny, Demi Lovato, Jhené Aiko, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
25m 30s
Mar 2021
'Red' | Every Single Album: Taylor Swift
The beat dropped on "I Knew You Were Trouble" and everything changed, Taylor Swift had gone pop. Nathan and Nora break down Taylor's fourth album, 'Red,' and her transition from country to pop. They discuss Max Martin's influence on the album, the importance of songs like "All To ... Show More
1h 10m
Aug 2020
Songs of the Summer of Our Discontent
By this time of year, there’s usually consensus around what the “Song of the Summer” is. But 2020 isn’t like any other summer in so many ways, including the pop charts. The Billboard Hot 100 has been all over the place for the past several months, with a new artist rising to the ... Show More
30m 4s
Oct 2020
100 gecs and the Mystery of Hyperpop
What is hyperpop? A movement? A meaningless label? A Spotify playlist? Whatever the answer, it surely has something to do with 100 gecs, the duo of Laura Les and Dylan Brady, whose songs sometimes sound like the last three decades of popular music happening all at once. On this e ... Show More
40m 42s