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If Zohran Mamdani were to assemble a soundtrack for his race to become New York City’s next mayor, it would feature tracks by Taylor Swift, Lil Wayne, Drake and more.
While speaking to Pop Base at a recent voter event, the mayoral candidate was all smiles when asked which three songs he’d choose to represent his ongoing campaign. “OK,” he began in a video posted Thursday (Oct. 30), preparing himself to give the best answer possible.
The Queens, N.Y., representative went on to name “Hate It or Love It” by The Game featuring 50 Cent — “gotta put that one in there,” he emphasized — as well as “Right Above It” by Lil Wayne featuring Drake.
Lastly, Mamdani said, “Shout-out to Taylor Swift, ‘Only the Young.’”
The latter choice premiered in the pop superstar’s 2020 Netflix documentary, Miss Americana, which chronicled Swift’s decision to begin speaking out about politics following several years of silence on the matter. The song’s lyrics describe the power of young people to make positive political change with the hook, “Only the young can run.”
Mamdani’s music picks come with just a few days left to go in the NYC mayoral race, which will conclude on Election Day on Nov. 4. The democratic socialist as been the face of one of the largest grassroots campaigns in history, running on a platform of decreasing the cost of living for New Yorkers through lowered rent prices, free public transit and affordable groceries and childcare.
One of his biggest supporters has been Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who also attended the voter event with Pop Base. When asked for her holy trinity of pop albums, AOC — at first declaring, “This is sooo hard!” — named The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill, Britney Spears’ Blackout and Beyoncé’s Renaissance.
Watch Zohran Mamdani share his campaign soundtrack below.
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Taylor Swift has been toppled from the summit of the U.K. Albums Chart by British rapper Dave on Friday (Oct. 31) following a massive opening week for his third LP The Boy Who Played the Harp.
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Swift’s The Life of a Showgirl broke numerous records in its opening week on the U.K.’s Official Albums Chart and held the spot for three consecutive weeks following its release on Oct. 3.
Now London-born Dave has secured the top spot for the third time in his career by notching 73,800 U.K. chart units over the past seven days, making it the second biggest opening week for a British album this year, behind Sam Fender’s People Watching (110,000) and ahead of Olivia Dean’s The Art of Loving (53,000). It’s the fourth biggest opening week overall of 2025 so far, placing behind Swift’s The Life of a Showgirl, Fender and Sabrina Carpenter’s Man’s Best Friend.
Dave first hit the No. 1 spot in 2019 with Psychodrama and again in 2021 with We’re All Alone in This Together. His new LP, The Boy Who Played the Harp, was announced just weeks before its release and featured no singles in the rollout. The record features guest appearances from James Blake, Jim Legxacy, Tems and Kano, and will be supported by a U.K. arena tour in 2026.
The Life of a Showgirl falls two places to No. 3, and Swift has also lost the top spot on the U.K. Official Singles Chart with lead single “The Fate of Ophelia” to KPop Demon Hunters’ “Golden.”
As he celebrates his return to touring, Bon Jovi celebrates finishing at No. 2 with a new edition of 2024 LP, Forever. The Legendary Edition features duets with Bruce Springsteen, Robbie Williams, Avril Lavigne and Lainey Wilson. The band will perform a number of stadium shows, including two at London’s Wembley Stadium, next June.
Lily Allen’s searing West End Girl LP has been the talk of the town as she examines the breakup of a marriage, widely assumed to be informed by her separation from Stranger Things star David Harbour. Her first LP in eight years, West End Girl closes the week at No. 4 – her highest placing in more than a decade – and she’ll tour the album in full at a run of U.K. theaters in 2026.
Olivia Dean’s The Art of Loving finishes the week at No. 5 on the U.K. charts, although it remains in the top 10 of the Billboard 200 this week at No. 7.
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Maksim Chmerkovskiy doesn’t want any bad blood with Jan Ravnik. Following his recent criticism of the casting of Taylor Swift‘s backup dancer on Dancing With the Stars as a pro, the ballroom bash’s former pro has shared an apology and attempted to explain where he was coming from in an Instagram video posted Thursday (Oct. 30).
In the clip — which comes six days after Chmerkovskiy said on a wife Peta Murgatroyd’s podcast that Ravnik had “absolutely no business being a pro on Dancing With the Stars” due to lack of experience — the competition show alum sat in his car and addressed the former Eras Tour performer directly. “I want to apologize to Jan for the way my words have made you feel, for hurting your feelings,” he began. “There is a lot more I want to say.”
“I would love to talk about this, bury the hatchet,” Chmerkovskiy continued, noting that he hopes to meet up with Ravnik someday to squash the beef in person. “I think you’re going to walk away knowing me and feeling completely different, and, dare I say, we probably might even be friends.”
The dancer went on to say that he hadn’t intended any malice when he’d said on the Oct. 24 episode of The Penthouse With Peta that Ravnik had none of the “foundation, technique, quality [or] understanding of the partnership” necessary to properly coach celebrity contestants on DWTS. (Murgatroyd also added at the time, “He’s a Taylor Swift dancer, it’s the obvious reason why he was hired … Hiring a non-ballroom dancer to teach ballroom dancing to a celebrity as a job is outrageous.”)
“My personality [is], ‘I love you, and I will tell you how it is,’” Chmerkovskiy explained in his apology video. “My commentary on dance does not come with feelings and emotions, it just comes with a completely different range of reasoning.”
Season 34 of DWTS marks Ravnik’s first spin on the series, which he joined after spending two years supporting Swift on her global Eras trek. The Slovenian-born dancer was paired with Jennifer Affleck from The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives for the competition, but after dancing their hearts out to the 14-time Grammy winner’s “Look What You Made Me Do” on a Halloween-themed episode that aired Tuesday (Oct. 28), the pair was eliminated.
Shortly afterward, Ravnik seemingly addressed Chmerkovskiy’s criticism of him by telling Entertainment Tonight, “The people who’s trying to stay relevant, spreading the hate, this is not a way to do it.”
Elsewhere in Chmerkovskiy’s video, he added that the attention surrounding the issue has been “crazy,” as hordes of people have apparently been sending him hate over his comments about Ravnik. “Let’s not defend someone by attacking somebody else,” he said emphasizing that he’s unfazed by people trying to “hurt [his] feelings” by bringing up his own losses and the “incredible mistakes” he made during his tenure as a pro on DWTS.
There are now just eight contestants left on this season of DWTS, including another Mormon Wives star, Whitney Leavitt, as well as Robert Irwin, Jordan Chiles, Alix Earle and Danielle Fishel. The next episode will take place on Nov. 4 with a Rock & Roll Hall of Fame theme, featuring guest judge Flavor Flav.
Watch Chmerkovskiy’s full apology video below.
Trending on Billboard Chris Jones is pledging allegiance to his teammate’s famous fiancée, and Taylor Swift is loving it. In a sweet moment from a recent press conference, the Kansas City Chiefs defensive tackle walked into the room with the pop star’s Billboard Hot 100-topping single “The Fate of Ophelia” blasting on his phone speaker. […]
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Olivia Dean’s sophomore album The Art of Loving, released in late September, is an intimate portrait of matters of the heart, and the highs and lows of romance in your 20s. Now the world loves her back and U.K. industry insiders are blown away as a fresh outpouring of affection gives her a rare shot of breaking America.
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Released via Capitol Records U.K. in partnership with Island Records U.S., The Art of Loving recently peaked at No. 6 on the Billboard 200, and currently remains in the top 10. And this week, its breakout hit “Man I Need” continues to rise on the Hot 100 and is up to No. 8 — Dean’s first-ever Hot 100 top 10 hit — while two other tracks, “So Easy (To Fall In Love)” and “Nice to Each Other,” appear at No. 44 and No. 88, respectively.
Records have tumbled on the U.K’s Official Charts. On release week, The Art of Loving and “Man I Need” concurrently hit No. 1 on the Albums and Singles chart, with Dean becoming the first British female solo artist to achieve the feat since Adele in 2021. This week, Dean has broken a new U.K. chart record with four songs inside the top 10, the first time any female solo artist has achieved the feat and buoyed by her appearance on Sam Fender’s “Rein Me In.”
Dean is no overnight sensation. The BRIT School graduate first appeared as a backing singer with dance group Rudimental, and landed a record deal with AMF (a subsidiary of EMI) in 2019 for OK Love You Bye, her debut EP. Her debut album Messy (2023) scored a Mercury Prize nomination, and alongside an appearance on the BBC’s Sound Of poll the following year, she earned nominations in three categories at the BRIT Awards in 2024.
Now that steady build has exploded into potential global stardom. Next spring, the 26-year-old will headline six nights at London’s 20,000-capacity O2 Arena as part of her sold-out U.K. and Ireland tour, but the campaign is smartly positioned to break across the pond, too. She’s currently the lead support for Sabrina Carpenter’s ongoing arena tour, including five nights at New York’s Madison Square Garden this week. A performance on Saturday Night Live is scheduled for Nov. 15.
Now, with the campaign going from strength to strength, Tom Paul, managing director of Capitol Records U.K., earns the title of Billboard’s Executive of the Week. Here he discusses the canny A&R decisions that supported Dean’s artistry, why she stands out in a world “increasingly shaped by AI” and keeping her well-fed with her favorite snack: chocolate raisins.
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This week, Olivia Dean’s “Man I Need” became her first top 10 hit on the Billboard Hot 100, soaring to No. 8 in its ninth week on the chart. What key decisio did you make to help make that happen?
Partnering with Island U.S. in 2023 was absolutely key — that team is world-class. They completely understand and support Olivia’s artistry, and we’ve been working in lockstep since the release of Messy. We built an ambitious plan for The Art of Loving rollout in late 2024 and really stuck to it. “Man I Need” was quickly chosen as the focus single by Olivia and the team — and when she started performing it across her U.S. headline shows before release, the response was undeniable. You could feel it connecting in the room. Her being back in market now, supporting Sabrina Carpenter, has only amplified that momentum — and honestly, given the commercial and radio plans Island have put in place, it feels like this track still has plenty more room to grow.
Olivia released four EPs and her debut album, 2023’s Messy, before breaking through with The Art of Loving. How have you worked to build her career steadily through the years?
From the start, we’ve always focused on Olivia as an artist with longevity. We’ve been consistent with music releases since 2019, including live albums from the Jazz Café and Hammersmith Apollo, standout sync moments with Bridget Jones and Heartstopper, her work with brands such as Burberry and Adidas, and extensive global touring.
She’s one of the hardest-working artists I’ve ever seen — she’s travelled the world several times over, supported brilliantly by Nickie Owen and the Universal Music U.K. International team. Olivia knows exactly who she is, and we’re all completely aligned on her ambitions. The key is making smart decisions every day and avoiding shortcuts. She’s in this for the long run, and everything we do is built around that.
What specific decisions did the A&R team and Olivia make during the process of writing and recording The Art of Loving?
Willem Ward’s decision to turn an east London house into a recording studio — complete with Olivia’s own piano — was a key part of the alchemy behind the album’s magic. Olivia lived in the space for three weeks, inviting both longterm collaborators and new writers to join her. Having that creative home base in London, in a space that felt completely her own, made a huge difference.
We kept the core team that’s been integral to her journey while bringing in new creative energy from producers like Zack Nahome. And through it all, we followed Olivia’s lead — she set the tone, the pace and the emotional compass for the record.
Over in the U.K., Olivia currently has three songs in the Top 10, plus a collaboration with Sam Fender. How much planning goes into making sure that each single has the push it deserves when they’re all big simultaneously?
The U.K. chart success is an astounding achievement and absolutely one to be celebrated, but we’ve always said it doesn’t matter which song brings you into Olivia’s world — and we’ve always looked at the bigger, global picture before local chart metrics. We’ve had “Reason to Stay” going viral in Southeast Asia while “It Isn’t Perfect” was peaking in the U.K., and “Dive” [from debut LP Messy] was charting in Australia. She’s a true artist in that respect — every one of her songs forms part of the Olivia Dean story. When “Man I Need” was released, we suddenly had 12 songs in the U.K. Spotify Top 200, spanning her entire catalogue from 2019’s OK Love You Bye right through to The Art of Loving.
While meticulous planning goes into every rollout, there’s no accounting for those unexpected moments. Constant communication with the team — and the willingness to pivot, or sometimes to simply let things grow organically — is crucial. Olivia is an incredibly intuitive artist; she just knows when a song needs attention. Her COLORS session shining a light on “A Couple Minutes” was a perfect example of that instinct at work.
Olivia first broke in the U.K. and is now seeing gains in the U.S. How did you work with your counterparts in the U.S. to set her up for success in the market?
It really comes down to forward planning, consistent communication and talking through every decision with a global perspective. We’re always looking at each move through that lens — understanding the importance of Olivia being in market, aligning on our ambitions, but also making sure we enjoy the process. At the end of the day, we’re a team that genuinely gets on, loves music, and loves working together.
Breaking British acts in the U.S. and globally has been something of a concern for the industry lately, but the trend appears to be bucking. Why do you think audiences have connected with Olivia?
Audiences are craving honesty and authenticity. In a world increasingly shaped by AI, Olivia’s music feels deeply human — soulful, witty and emotional. She represents a new generation of artists redefining British music through intimacy and integrity. Her live performances are truly exceptional; she connects in person the same way she does online. There’s an element of old-school glamor and timelessness in her presentation, but always with her own modern, individual twist. And, of course, the pure quality of her songwriting is second to none.
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How have you been able to leverage TikTok for The Art of Loving’s singles?
TikTok has been a huge part of Olivia’s discovery — not through trends or gimmicks, but through people being genuinely transfixed by the joy of her performances or using her lyrics to soundtrack their own lives. We’ve built every key promo moment around authenticity rather than virality.
The best part is that her biggest moments on the platform have always come from fans, not marketing — and that’s exactly how you know you’ve got a special artist. One of our current trending sounds is simply Olivia explaining the concept behind The Art of Loving — I’ve honestly never seen something like that before, and it’s a perfect example of how her storytelling drives discovery.
Between chatter for a Grammy nomination, an upcoming SNL performance and a massive tour in 2026, how do you position Capitol U.K. to support Olivia on this next phase of the campaign?
Although Olivia’s trajectory this year has been nothing short of explosive, it’s important that we keep the momentum going — there are still so many people yet to discover her and such a rich catalog for them to explore. We have ambitious longterm plans in place, but our job is to make sure Olivia can scale globally without losing the intimacy that defines her.
Keeping our small, focused team at Capitol U.K., led by Jo Charrington, allows us to make every decision intentionally and with care. And, of course, making sure Olivia has a steady supply of chocolate raisins — an absolute essential.
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Count pop radio as the latest realm that Gwi-Ma can’t conquer.
The KPop Demon Hunters underworld villain proves no match for the approximately 150 radio stations that have lifted HUNTR/X to No. 1 on Billboard’s Pop Airplay chart, where the protagonist trio of Netflix’s record-breaking animated film reigns with its anthem “Golden.”
The song, on Visva/Republic, rises two spots to No. 1 on the Pop Airplay chart dated Nov. 8, up 9% in plays week-over-week Oct. 24-30. (Stations are monitored by Mediabase, with data provided to Billboard by Luminate.)
“‘Golden’ has truly become a defining pop moment, an instant lean-in, turn-it-up track,” says Alex Tear, vp of music programming for SiriusXM and Pandora. SiriusXM’s Hits 1, which reports to the Pop Airplay tally, has played the song more than 1,100 times since June.
Thanks to the movie’s wide reach, “There’s that immediate familiarity and big emotion that just hits,” Tear says of “Golden.” “It’s become part of our channel’s DNA — vibrant, global and built for pop radio.”
Mark Adams, vp of pop programming for iHeartMedia and program director of the chain’s flagship WHTZ (Z100) New York, became a fan of KPop Demon Hunters a day after its June 20 release. “My algorithm knows me well,” he says. “I watched it that Saturday morning and just kind of immediately got it. I thought the animation was terrific. I thought the music was extraordinarily catchy.”
Adams says that he didn’t hesitate when considering the pop radio appeal of “Golden,” whose lyrics cite certain plot points, which could either confuse listeners not versed in the film or draw them in further if they’re superfans (or, on Oct. 31, KPop candy hunters). “When I’m listening to tunes,” Adams muses, “I’m just listening — is there a hook? Is it a pop cultural moment?”
Adams shares that he was so taken by the film after watching it “that Monday I shared with the national team: ‘Hey guys, you may not have heard about this yet, but there’s this movie on Netflix and the songs are amazing.’ That first week on Z100, we spiked ‘Golden’ in. It wasn’t in heavy rotation, but a few times, as well as [HUNTR/X’s] ‘How It’s Done.’ ”
With Pop Airplay panelist WHTZ now more than 600 plays into “Golden,” KPop Demon Hunters songs “are strong on their own merit,” Adams says. “It wasn’t a really difficult push to convince programmers to realize that this is a real thing.”
Despite the movie’s immediate and enduring success, Adams notes that radio still serves a key role in helping ingrain hits in the pop consciousness. “I think it’s a little complicated,” he says. “Even as big a platform as Netflix is, you’re still dealing with that audience, and that isn’t everyone. That helps lay the groundwork for music discovery, but it still takes weeks and months of committed, consistent airplay to really break things to the masses.”
Plus, says Adams, “people crave human connection, having somebody say, ‘Hey, this is a song you should be paying attention to.’ People feel like they’re part of a community and they want to be part of that shared pop cultural moment. I think that’s what we excel at.”
Meanwhile, Hits 1 has played other KPop Demon Hunters songs, including Saja Boys’ “Soda Pop” and “Your Idol” (fine, Gwi-Ma gets that), furthering the connection between the film and pop radio. “Golden” spent eight weeks at No. 1 on the multimetric Billboard Hot 100 from mid-August through mid-October, while “Soda Pop” and “Your Idol” each hit the chart’s top five.
“We’ve been intentional about giving space to songs that cross borders and connect with our audience,” Tear says. “These tracks feel natural next to Taylor Swift, Alex Warren or Olivia Dean. We’re always looking for that global pop conversation. Listeners don’t hear boundaries, they just hear great songs.”
Trending on Billboard Some people dress up in elaborate costumes on Halloween, but this year Taylor Swift is stripping things all the way back. The pop juggernaut surprise released an unplugged version of her The Life of a Showgirl hit “The Fate of Ophelia” on Thursday night (Oct. 30). The acoustic guitar-forward “The Fate of […]
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Taylor Swift continues her domination of the ARIA charts this week, locking in her fourth consecutive double-header as The Life of a Showgirl and “The Fate of Ophelia” remain at No. 1 on the Albums and Singles charts, respectively.
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The feat marks yet another high in a standout year for Swift, with both her re-recordings and original material continuing to perform strongly in Australia. Her latest chart-toppers have held steady across Halloween week — a fitting flex for a pop sorceress who’s made chart magic her signature move.
Meanwhile, Australian country artist James Johnston celebrates a new career high, debuting at No. 5 with his sophomore album Where You’ll Find Me, which also lands at No. 1 on the ARIA Australian Albums Chart. It follows the success of his debut Raised Like That, which peaked at No. 7 in 2023.
British pop icon Lily Allen returns to the top 10 with West End Girl, her first album in seven years. The project opens at No. 6, becoming her fifth top 10 ARIA album. Her previous efforts include 2009’s chart-topping It’s Not Me, It’s You and 2014’s Sheezus, which peaked at No. 4.
UK rapper Dave also makes a strong entrance with The Boy Who Played the Harp, debuting at No. 7. It follows his 2021 project We’re All Alone in This Together, which reached No. 5.
Melbourne’s Paul Dempsey claims the No. 8 spot with Shotgun Karaoke Vol. II, a covers record that features renditions of songs by R.E.M., Patti Smith, Cher, and more. The Something for Kate frontman also lands at No. 2 on the ARIA Vinyl Albums Chart. Dempsey has a long history of top-charting albums, both solo and with his band, including No. 1 albums The Official Fiction (2003) and Desert Lights (2006).
On the Singles Chart, Olivia Dean continues her Australian ascent. “Man I Need” holds firm at No. 2, while “So Easy (To Fall In Love)” jumps to No. 7 from No. 22. Former hit “Nice To Each Other” climbs from No. 16 to No. 12. Dean now has five tracks in the top 50 as she gears up to perform at the ARIA Awards on Nov. 19.
Fleetwood Mac’s Rumours holds the No. 1 spot on the On Replay Albums Chart, while Teddy Swims’ “Lose Control” continues its reign atop the Hitseekers Singles Chart.
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Florence + The Machine rang in Halloween with a fittingly eerie performance for SiriusXM’s The Spectrum, delivering a live mash-up of Lady Gaga’s “Abracadabra” and their own fan-favorite deep cut “Which Witch.”
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The appearance doubles as a preview of their new era, with Florence Welch and company dropping their sixth studio album Everybody Scream on Oct. 31 and plotting a North American headline tour for 2026.
The band’s take on “Abracadabra” — originally released by Gaga in February as part of Mayhem — merged seamlessly with “Which Witch,” a theatrical, chant-like track from the deluxe edition of How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful (2015). Welch’s vocals soared over gothic percussion and swelling strings, as the mash-up unfolded in true Florence fashion: dramatic, mystical, and steeped in raw emotion.
The Halloween broadcast marks one of the first full performances tied to Everybody Scream, the group’s first full-length album since 2022’s Dance Fever, which peaked at No. 7 on the Billboard 200 and at No. 1 on the U.K.’s Official Albums Chart.
Described by Welch as a fever dream of “witchcraft, mysticism, magic, poetry, and insanity,” the new LP taps into themes of mortality, rebirth, and feminine rage — inspired in part by the emergency surgery she underwent following a near-fatal ectopic pregnancy last year.
“The closest I came to making life was the closest I came to death,” Welch recently told The Guardian, adding that her creative recovery shaped much of the new project’s emotional scope.
Everybody Scream features the previously released singles “Sympathy Magic” and “Spell It Out,” both of which lean into the band’s darker sonic palette and mythic lyrical themes. The album drops on Oct. 31 via Republic Records.
Following the release, Florence + The Machine will head out on a North American headline tour in 2026. The Everybody Scream Tour kicks off in Minneapolis on April 8, with stops in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, and Toronto. Support acts will include rising stars Rachel Chinouriri, CMAT, and Sofia Isella across select dates.
Tickets go on sale Wednesday, Nov. 5, at 10 a.m. local time, with a pre-sale beginning Monday, Nov. 3 at 12 p.m. local.
Trending on Billboard Ahead of her concerts in New York City, Sabrina Carpenter is encouraging subway riders to please, please, please practice good etiquette on the trains. As revealed Thursday (Oct. 30), the pop star has partnered with the public transit organization to record custom PSAs for riders to hear while making their commutes. The […]
