Pop Shop Podcast

Grammy first-round voting wrapped up last week, on Oct. 22, and 2027 nominations will arrive on Nov. 16 -- so it's a good time to take a closer look at next year's best new artist race and who might snag one of those coveted eight nomination slots.

On the new Billboard Pop Shop Podcast, Katie & Keith are looking at some of the likeliest nominees, including Billboard Hot 100 record-setter Ella Langley and British songstress Sienna Spiro, and why one big name won't be included on Grammy ballots this year: newly minted pop hitmaker ADÉLA.

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Starting with her very first episode of Hannah Montana back in 2006, Miley Cyrus became an almost-instant household name. In the two decades since, she's had a chameleonic career that slithers between genres and wins over new audiences along the way -- especially with her biggest hit yet, 2023's "Flowers," which spent eight weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and earned the star her first-ever Grammy.

Over this past weekend, Cyrus made her return to live performing after years away with shows Friday and Sunday night at the Hollywood Bowl. But what should have been a celebration of her latest Billboard 200-topping album, September's Bass Persuades, ended up turning defensive when Cyrus had to spend a portion of Sunday's show responding to critics of Friday's concert.

On the new Billboard Pop Shop Podcast, Katie & Keith are talking about the feedback Cyrus responded to and what can often be the blessing and curse of playing for an audience that has known you for so long and so well that they often measure you against your own unmatchable past performances.

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This week, Taylor Swift and The Beatles are meeting up on the Billboard charts in more ways than one.

First, both appear in the top 10 of the Billboard 200 albums chart, with Swift's The Life of a Showgirl spending its 14th week at No. 1 and The Beatles' deluxe edition of Rubber Soul arriving at No. 4 following its own stint up top in 1966. In addition, Swift's latest week at No. 1 on the chart means she and The Beatles are the only acts to ever spend 100 weeks in the Billboard 200 top spot (The Beatles have 132 weeks to Swift's now-100).

On this week's Billboard Pop Shop Podcast, Katie & Keith are talking about some of the things these two superstar acts have in common across their respective eras and when Swift might reach (or surpass) some big Beatles landmarks, like their record 20 No. 1 hits on the Billboard Hot 100 songs chart.

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After a painstaking pursuit of what he calls “perfect pop” on his euphoric 2023 album Something to Give Each Other, Troye Sivan could have easily stuck around the dancefloor for his next project. After all, Something was somewhat of a breakthrough for Sivan, 31, bringing him his first three Grammy nominations, two new Billboard Hot 100 hits (“Rush” and “One of Your Girls”), and a pair of high-profile tours: his own solo trek and the blockbuster Sweat Tour with Charli xcx.

Instead, Sivan leaned into the swinging pendulum of life on She’s the Best, his fourth album, out Friday on Interscope. “I wanted there to be this kind of push-and-pull between going from the stage and feeling like this hyper-empowered, hyper-sexualized, connected version of myself to then the reality of going back to the hotel and at times, honestly, feeling the most isolated that I felt in my life,” Sivan says. “That tension made me want to make something that felt really layered.”

In a sit-down interview with the Billboard Pop Shop Podcast, Sivan was joined by his collaborators Leland (“We would be friends even if neither of us were musicians,” the songwriter says of Troye) and his brother Tyde Levi (“I’ve known Troye since the day I was born!” the rookie producer laughs of his big bro) to talk about how the album came together and why much of its magic was found outside the studio.

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Madonna's relationship with the MTV Video Music Awards started on its very first telecast, back in 1984, when she writhed around on the stage in a fluffy white wedding dress while performing "Like a Virgin." On Sunday night, the Queen of Pop returned to her rightful stage to open the 2026 VMAs with songs from her Confessions II album and to collect a total seven awards -- and Billboard was in the building.

On the new Billboard Pop Shop Podcast, Keith tells Katie all about his night inside the Peacock Theater in downtown Los Angeles for the 2026 VMAs, where (beyond Madonna, of course) there was a stacked tribute to another MTV legend, George Michael, and the christening of new music video stars too, thanks to the fluid choreography from GENER8TION featuring Yung Lean.

Listen to the full episode to hear Keith's inside commentary.

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While Ella Langley is now the proud owner of the all-time Billboard Hot 100 record, thanks to “Choosin’ Texas” hitting 23 weeks atop the flagship songs chart this week, her biggest competition is waiting in the wings to potentially reclaim the crown later this year.

On the new Billboard Pop Shop Podcast, Katie & Keith take a closer look at what it would take for Mariah Carey — who previously held the record with her evergreen hit “All I Want for Christmas Is You” — to take the record right back this holiday season. Listen to the podcast below for the full breakdown of the timeline, from how much longer Langley will be at No. 1 to how many potential weeks Carey could have back up top.

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Oasis fans went from 15 years of musical silence from the British rock band to a stadium tour in 2025, an IMAX documentary in 2026, and now more stadium dates across the world in 2027.

On the new Billboard Pop Shop Podcast, Katie & Keith are talking about all the latest news around the Gallagher brothers -- Liam and Noel -- who reunited once more on the red carpet at the Venice International Film Festival earlier this month for the world premiere of Don't Look Back in Anger, a documentary about Oasis' blockbuster Live '25 reunion tour. And just after the film hit theaters last week, the band had another bit of news up their sleeve, releasing 38 new 2027 stadium tour dates, beginning in May in Glasgow and wrapping in September at England's vaunted Knebworth Festival -- with two new U.S. stops in the mix: Boston and Las Vegas.

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Over the weekend, Sabrina Carpenter and Bad Bunny both picked up their first Emmy Awards — Carpenter as a producer and performer on Disney+’s The Muppet Show special and Benito as a producer and performer at his 2026 Super Bowl halftime show.

And these multi-talented pop stars are just getting started. On the new Billboard Pop Shop Podcast, Katie & Keith are talking about whether the Emmy and Grammy winners could add an Oscar or Tony next for the coveted EGOT honor. Listen below for our full conversation about the most likely paths they could take to get there.

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While there’s no question Dolly Parton was popular, she had no intention of “going pop” throughout her 60-plus-year career.

On the new Billboard Pop Shop Podcast, Katie & Keith are chatting about the relationship Parton — who died on Aug. 25 at age 80 — had with pop music, from her crossover hits to collaborating with her goddaughter Miley Cyrus. In a 1977 interview with Country Music magazine — the same year she released one of her poppiest hits, “Here You Come Again” — Parton addressed the genre question head-on. “I never considered the fact that I was going pop,” she said at the time. “I will go pop, as far as crossing over, sooner or later. But I will go there as me. I will go there with my own music, not by trying to be something different than I am.

“If my music has to have a label, I will call it country, mainly because I am country,” she added. “You cannot leave what you are. But I really prefer to call it Dolly Parton music.”

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From performing onstage at the very first MTV Video Music Awards in 1984 to being the leading nominee at the 2026 show, Madonna's history with the VMAs runs deep.

On the new Billboard Pop Shop Podcast, Katie & Keith are talking about how the M in MTV should probably stand for Madonna at this point -- including Keith's one-and-only time inside the Video Music Awards. The year was 1998, and it was the last time Madonna was the show's leading nominee, and she took home the video of the year trophy for "Ray of Light."

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Over the weekend, tens of thousands of fans got this experience at events across the globe, with Chappell Roan popping out with Noah Kahan at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena for her song "California"; Cynthia Erivo reuniting with her Wicked co-star Ariana Grande at the O2 Arena in London; and Kristen Bell regaling the Savannah Bananas crowd with a Disney-powered medley at Denver's Coors Field. On the new Billboard Pop Shop Podcast, we're talking about the trio of delightful surprise guests crossing genres and continents.

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On Friday, it was announced that Sophia would be taking a step back from KATSEYE to prioritize her “mental health and wellness,” following a similar announcement from her groupmate Manon back in February. Now the six-person global girl group is down to a quartet — and it’s unclear when either member might return to the fold, especially after a six-month absence for Manon.

The news comes at a particularly busy time for KATSEYE, with their Wild album arriving on Friday and their Wildworld Tour — the group’s first global trek — kicking off in October. On the new Billboard Pop Shop Podcast, Katie & Keith are discussing the announcement and what it means for the group’s future. Will both women return, or might they remain a quartet?

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Without even mentioning it by name, BTS sparked a major debate about the new best Asian pop music performance category at the 2027 Grammys with their bombshell decision last week not to submit music from their latest album, ARIRANG, at next year's awards show. On the new Billboard Pop Shop Podcast, Katie & Keith take a closer look at that decision and at the category, and what it will look like without BTS in it.

We also discuss Madonna's new "Love Sensation" remix with Kylie Minogue, which the pair previewed with a WorldPride Amsterdam 2026 performance over the weekend before the song's arrival later this week. Plus: Ariana Grande's rep announced over the weekend that the pop star/actress plans to step back following the end of her Eternal Sunshine Tour, after Friday's release of her latest album, Petal.

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With Lollapalooza, Daisy Chain Fields and the new Ocean Way Festival in Santa Monica, Calif. all on the horizon, Pop Shop hosts Katie and Keith are talking about each of the fests, breaking down the performers (including Charli xcx, Olivia Rodrigo, Olivia Dean and so many more) and deciding that they'll probably need to take a Pop Shop field trip for the latter.

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How could four superstar music headliners -- Shakira, BTS, Madonna and Justin Bieber -- possibly all fit into an 11-minute performance? We found out Sunday during the first-ever World Cup Final halftime show, and on the new Billboard Pop Shop Podcast we're talking all about what worked, and what got weird.

The craziest part of the jam-packed spectacle was that the quartet of headliners weren't alone: They were joined by a robust cast of side characters, including Gustavo Dudamel directing the New York Philharmonic and Venezuela's Simón Bolívar Symphony Orchestra; Jason Sudeikis and Brendan Hunt in character as Ted Lasso and Coach Beard; Staten Island's PS22 Chorus and Coldplay performing the original song "We Dance"; and yes, even The Muppets.

Listen to Katie & Keith's full conversation now.

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Suki Waterhouse joins the Pop Shop to chat about her first album in nearly two years, “Loveland,” and how the record was inspired by the “huge shift” of motherhood (she’s a new mom!) and how she finds her self in a “very joyful, delicate, interesting time" in her life. Plus, hosts Keith and Katie review chart news about Madonna’s big debut at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 albums chart with her 10th leader, “Confessions II.”

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When Taylor Swift curates a concert, it's legends only.

While Swift's July 3 nuptials to Travis Kelce have been pretty successfully kept under wraps -- including any photos of the bride and groom on their wedding day -- a couple of musical details have crept out, including that Stevie Nicks performed at the ceremony and that Paul McCartney played a Beatles song he hasn't done since 1964: “I Want to Hold Your Hand.”

On the new Billboard Pop Shop Podcast, Katie & Keith are talking about the details we've learned from the big day and what (if anything) we might see of photos or videos from inside New York's Madison Square Garden.

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On the new Billboard Pop Shop Podcast, Katie & Keith are discussing the overwhelmingly positive response to Sunday's 2026 BET Awards and what other awards shows might be able to learn from it. The biggest takeaway seems to be the welcome return of Lauryn Hill, who enthusiastically enjoyed performances of her songs by Doja Cat, SZA, Lizzo, Doechii, Queen Latifah, Nas and more, as well as three of her children: Selah, YG and Zion Marley. Hill also gave a beautiful speech and performed two songs -- "Ex-Factor" and "Everything Is Everything" -- to wrap up the loving tribute.

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Taylor Swift‘s back-to-back weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 with her Toy Story 5 song “I Knew It, I Knew You” got us thinking: Could the Disney/Pixar film’s soundtrack album also find success on our charts? On the new Billboard Pop Shop Podcast, Katie & Keith discuss just how high the Toy Story 5 album could climb on the Billboard 200 next week, considering no previous Toy Story soundtrack has ever hit the top 40 of our flagship albums chart.

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On the new Billboard Pop Shop Podcast, Katie tells Keith (and listeners!) about what it was like to be inside the 2026 World Cup stadium for the opening ceremony -- starring Katy Perry, LISA, Anitta, Rema, Tyla and Future, as well as national anthem performances from Dan + Shay and Purahei Soul.

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