genre pop
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Ed Sheeran might be in love with the shape of you, but police in the Indian city of Bengaluru weren’t in love with the sound of him, shutting down a recent street performance from the musician.
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Sheeran, who has been in the midst of a run of dates in India since Jan. 30, found himself in Bengaluru over the weekend, where he was performing two shows at the city’s NICE Grounds. On Sunday (Feb. 9), however, a seemingly-impromptu street performance from the English chart-topper was shut down by local law enforcement, with The Times of India reporting it was due to a lack of requisite permissions.
In footage of the incident shared to social media, police can be seen interrupting Sheeran’s performance of “Shape of You” by unplugging his instruments. “We have permission to be here, but this policeman is shutting it down,” Sheeran can be heard telling the crowd. “See you later!”
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Responding to the incident, the Church Street and Rest House Association’s president Sanjay Kumar explained that local police were within their right to intervene as they did. “Even abroad, performances require permission,” Kumar explained. “Sheeran’s team could have approached us, and we would have arranged a private space in a restaurant or an open venue for Bengaluru to enjoy.”
Despite Sheeran’s claim in videos of the performances, police from Bengaluru’s Cubbon Park denied that permission had been given. “No one can perform on the footpaths or roads as it causes inconvenience to others,” they explained. “Our team asked them to stop, and when they didn’t comply, the officers at the spot unplugged the mic connection.”
Sheeran has since responded to the shuttered performance, taking to his Instagram Stories to again assert that permission had been arranged. “We had permission to busk btw, hence us playing in that exact spot, was planned out before, it wasn’t just us randomly turning up,” he wrote. “All good though. See ya at the show tonight x.”
Indeed, Sheeran went ahead with his second performance of the weekend in Bengaluru that same night, with his remaining performances in India scheduled for Feb. 12 in Shillong, and Delhi on Feb. 15. He’ll head to China for six dates later in the month.
In December, Sheeran revealed to Variety that he had finished his forthcoming record, shot two music videos, and was planning to complete two more in 2025 during his travels to India, China and the Middle East. It’s unclear, however, if his axed performance was being filmed for inclusion in a potential video.
The world of SZA‘s SOS just keeps getting bigger, with the hitmaker adding four new tracks to her sophomore album’s Lana deluxe edition Sunday (Feb. 9) — just before her Super Bowl Halftime Show performance with Kendrick Lamar. Tacked onto disc 1 of SOS Deluxe: Lana, the four new songs include “Joni” — a collaboration […]
Taylor Swift showed up to the 2025 Super Bowl and seemingly faced a rude reaction from the crowd.
The pop star arrived at New Orleans’ Superdome on Sunday (Feb. 9) in a white blazer over a tank and denim shorts, and white over-the-knee boots. She held a small red handbag serving as a pop of “Chiefs” red, in support of the Kansas City team and Travis Kelce. By her side was her friend Ice Spice, making it the second year for the rapper to attend the big game with Swift.
While the two were seated at the game, which was broadcast on Fox, the Jumbotron camera panned toward Swift and other celebrities seen at the stadium. When the shot stopped on Swift, an apparent wave of “boos” could be heard — perhaps from Eagles supporters.
Swift’s reaction: a side eye, and a slight wince and laugh. In other words, she knew to shake it off. See it here.
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Plenty of fans had her back, including tennis pro Serena Williams, who wrote on X, “I love you @taylorswift13 dont listen to those booo!!”
Swift’s attendance at the Super Bowl for the second year in a row was expected, as she’s dating Kelce, tight end for the Chiefs. This year’s game has the Kansas City Chiefs taking on the Philadelphia Eagles.
Though Kelce is the NFL star, the football player says he looks up to Swift’s athleticism. “Her work ethic, what I saw on that tour last year, was pretty remarkable,” he said at a pre-Super Bowl press conference. “It was the dancers, the band, the singers, it was everybody involved, and it was an absolute machine. It was something I could admire watching and take a lot of notes from.”
The night before the Super Bowl, Swift was spotted in New Orleans rocking a Penny Lane-style coat while going out to dinner with Danielle and Alana Haim, as well as Kylie Kelce. Swift’s parents were also seen at the restaurant. The Haim sisters were also seen at the game Sunday.
Swift’s The Tortured Poets Department finished 2024 as the most popular album of the year in the U.S., according to music data tracking company Luminate. Her record-setting Eras Tour, which wrapped in December, grossed more than $2 billion and sold over 10 million tickets.
See Swift’s arrival to the Chiefs-Eagles game with Ice Spice in a clip courtesy of the NFL below.
Jon Batiste helped kick off the Super Bowl 2025 festivities with a jazzy rendition of the “The Star-Spangled Banner” on Sunday (Feb. 9) in New Orleans. Wearing a black suit by Paul Smith, the Louisiana native sat in front of a white piano painted by his wife, Suleika Jaouad, as part of the local art […]
Super Bowl LIX opened with a bang. Before the Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles hit the field at the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans on Sunday (Feb. 9), Lady Gaga performed her Top Gun tune “Hold My Hand” surrounded by rapt revelers on the city’s infamous Bourbon Street. Her performance honored victims of the […]
LISA‘s “Born Again,” featuring Doja Cat and Raye, has claimed the top spot in this week’s new music poll, showcasing a diverse mix of artists across various genres.
Music fans cast their votes in a poll published on Friday (Feb. 7) on Billboard, selecting the trio’s sultry new single as their favorite release of the past week.
“Born Again” earned a commanding 86% of the vote, securing a notable edge ahead of other major new releases, including Anitta’s “Romeo,” Pardison Fontaine and Cardi B’s “Toot It Up,” Rema’s “Baby (Is It a Crime),” Dom Dolla and Daya’s “Dreamin’,” and more.
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The 27-year-old BLACKPINK member joined forces with Doja Cat and Raye for this disco-infused pop track, which previews her highly anticipated debut solo album, Alter Ego. The two guest artists bring their A-game — the “Paint the Town Red” rapper and “Escapism” singer complement LISA’s commanding lead vocals as she exudes luxurious confidence: “I would’ve made you a believer/ Would’ve showed you what it’s like,” she sings.
The glamorous music video features all three women performing the lyrics in a chic black-and-white mansion, lounging in a sleek living room. Throughout February, LISA has teased her collaboration, including the reveal of the Neo-Noir cover art earlier in the week. In the image, the trio are dressed in elegant black gowns, framed centrally in a striking composition.
Alter Ego will be released in full on Feb. 28. The album follows a series of singles in 2024, starting with “Rockstar,” which reached No. 70 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, and continuing with “New Woman,” featuring Rosalía and “Moonlit Floor (Kiss Me).”
In her Billboard cover story, LISA opened up about her perfectionist approach to the upcoming project. “I’m trying to figure it out, the tracklist and everything, what I can change in there,” she explained. “Everything’s there. I think they’re going to be shocked at how capable I am [at] doing so many things.”
Trailing behind “Born Again” in this week’s poll is Anitta’s “Romeo,” which garnered nearly 5% of the vote.
Check out the full results of this week’s poll below, and head over to Billboard’s Friday Music Guide for more must-hear releases.
The Weeknd lands his fifth No. 1 on the Billboard 200 albums chart with the debut of Hurry Up Tomorrow atop the tally (dated Feb. 15). The set earned 490,500 equivalent album units in the U.S. in the week ending Feb. 6, according to Luminate. That marks the largest week for any album since Taylor Swift’s The Tortured Poets Department debuted at No. 1 on the May 4, 2024-dated chart with 2.61 million. Hurry Up Tomorrow logs the biggest week for an R&B/hip-hop album since Travis Scott’s Utopia debuted at No. 1 on the Aug. 12, 2023, chart with 496,000.
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The Weeknd previously topped the chart with After Hours (2020), My Dear Melancholy (2018), Starboy (2016) and Beauty Behind the Madness (2015).
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Also in the latest top 10, Chappell Roan’s The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess surges 14-6 following her best new artist win at the Grammy Awards (Feb. 2), while Billie Eilish’s Hit Me Hard and Soft (10-5) also climbs in the wake of Grammy exposure.
The Billboard 200 chart ranks the most popular albums of the week in the U.S. based on multi-metric consumption as measured in equivalent album units, compiled by Luminate. Units comprise album sales, track equivalent albums (TEA) and streaming equivalent albums (SEA). Each unit equals one album sale, or 10 individual tracks sold from an album, or 3,750 ad-supported or 1,250 paid/subscription on-demand official audio and video streams generated by songs from an album. The new Feb. 15, 2025-dated chart will be posted in full on Billboard‘s website on Feb. 11. For all chart news, follow @billboard and @billboardcharts on both X, formerly known as Twitter, and Instagram.
Of Hurry Up Tomorrow’s 490,500 first-week equivalent album units, album sales comprise 359,000 (it debuts at No. 1 on Top Album Sales), SEA units comprise 130,500 (equaling 171.5 million on-demand official streams of the songs on the streaming edition of the album; it debuts at No. 1 on Top Streaming Albums) and TEA units comprise 1,000.
Hurry Up Tomorrow’s launch of 490,500 units marks The Weeknd’s biggest week by units earned (since the chart began measuring in units in December 2014). The set’s sales of 359,000 claim The Weeknd’s largest sales week ever.
The set was released as a nine-song standard album, widely available through digital download retailers. It was alternatively available as an 11-song edition across all of its physical formats (CD, vinyl and cassette) and a 22-track digital download and streaming edition. It was also available in two further digital download editions, both exclusively sold via The Weeknd’s HurryUpTomorrow.Club site. Each sold for $4.99, boasted alternative cover art and had the 22 tracks available on the deluxe digital/streaming edition, but each had at least one additional track. One included “Closing Night,” with Swedish House Mafia. The other included “Runaway” and “Society,” which were also included on all of the physical formats, but not any of the other digital or streaming editions.
In total, the album generated 183,000 in digital album sales; 99,000 in CD sales; 77,000 in vinyl sales (The Weeknd’s best week on vinyl) and 1,000 in cassette sales.
Hurry Up Tomorrow’s first-week sales were aided by its availability across eight vinyl variants (including a signed edition), eight CD variants (including multiple signed editions), a cassette tape, and nine deluxe boxed sets containing a branded piece of clothing and a CD.
The album was preceded by the Billboard Hot 100-charting songs “Timeless” (with Playboi Carti, No. 3 peak last October) and “Sao Paulo” (with Anitta, No. 77 last November).
Bad Bunny’s Debí Tirar Más Fotos falls 1-2 on the Billboard 200 with 94,000 equivalent album units earned (down 20%). SZA’s chart-topping SOS slips 2-3 with 82,000 (down 6%), Kendrick Lamar’s GNX dips 3-4 with 65,000 (though up 9%) and Billie Eilish’s Hit Me Hard and Soft jumps 10-5 with 53,000 (up 47%).
Eilish was the first performer on the Feb. 2 Grammy Awards broadcast (on CBS), singing the album’s “Birds of a Feather.” Also on the show: The Weeknd performed (singing his new album’s “Cry for Me” and “Timeless,” with Playboi Carti), while SZA presented the best pop duo/group performance, and Lamar won two on-air trophies (for record of the year, and song of the year, both for “Not Like Us”).
Chappell Roan’s The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess surges 14-6 with a 56% gain — to 49,000 equivalent album units earned. The album vaults up the tally following Roan’s win for best new artist at the Grammys, along with her performance of the album’s “Pink Pony Club” on the show (and her buzzy acceptance speech which generated headlines).
Sabrina Carpenter’s former No. 1 Short n’ Sweet gaind 20% (up to 48,000 equivalent album units) but is pushed down a spot to No. 7. On the Grammy Awards, Carpenter won the best pop vocal album award, while also performing a medley of the album’s “Espresso” and “Please Please Please.” (She also won best pop solo performance for “Espresso,” but that category was presented before the television broadcast began.)
Morgan Wallen’s chart-topping One Thing at a Time drops 5-8 on the Billboard 200, despite an 11% gain (to 45,000 equivalent album units). Taylor Swift’s former No. 1 The Tortured Poets Department ascends 11-9 with 38,000 equivalent album units (up 8%) — also likely basking in some glow from the Grammy Awards, where the album and its “Fortnight” single were up for six awards (though did not win). Swift was a visible presence throughout the ceremony, cheering on winners and performers, and presented the best country album trophy to Beyoncé (for Cowboy Carter).
Rounding out the latest top 10 on the Billboard 200 is Gracie Abrams’ The Secret of Us, falling 8-10 with 36,000 equivalent album units earned (down 5%).
Luminate, the independent data provider to the Billboard charts, completes a thorough review of all data submissions used in compiling the weekly chart rankings. Luminate reviews and authenticates data. In partnership with Billboard, data deemed suspicious or unverifiable is removed, using established criteria, before final chart calculations are made and published.
Charli XCX and Noah Kahan are joining Chappell Roan in supporting artists facing healthcare challenges.
On Saturday (Feb. 8), the 32-year-old British pop star shared on her Instagram Story that, like Kahan, she is matching Roan’s pledge to donate $25,000 to help artists who are struggling to afford healthcare after being dropped by their record labels.
“hey @chappellroan i am going to match your 25k to support artists’ access to healthcare. i saw @noahkahanmusic say that he would do the same and so i thought i’d follow suit,” Charli wrote, alongside a photo of the word “money” with an arrow pointing to her mouth. “your speech at the grammys was inspiring and thoughtful and from a genuine place of care. happy to help get the ball rolling too. money where mouth is xx.”
Charli’s donation was inspired by Kahan, who also shared on his Instagram Story that he would match the financial donation. “Hey @chappellroan, I’m going to match your 25K to support artist’s access to healthcare,” the “Stick Season” singer wrote. “I’m inspired by you. Happy to help get the ball rolling. Money where mouth is!”
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During her best new artist acceptance speech at the 2025 Grammy Awards on Feb. 2, Roan called out record labels for failing to provide livable wages or healthcare coverage to their artists, citing her own experience after being dropped by Atlantic Records in 2020.
“If my label would have prioritized artists’ health, I could have been provided care by a company I was giving everything to,” she told the audience.
In the days that followed, Roan’s comments sparked criticism from former A&R executive Jeff Rabhan, who wrote a guest column for The Hollywood Reporter, calling her speech “wildly misinformed.”
Roan responded to Rabhan on social media, challenging him to contribute to the cause. “@jeffrabhan wanna match me $25K to donate to struggling dropped artists?” she wrote on her Instagram Story. “My publicist is @biz3publicity let’s talk.”
The 26-year-old pop star assured her fans that she would keep them “updated on the much awaited @jeffrabhan response,” sharing receipts of any donations, and even directing a final message to the former executive: “Mr. Rabhan, I love how in the article you said ‘put your money where your mouth is,’” Roan wrote. “Genius !!! Let’s link and build together and see if you can do the same.”
Some industry executives and advocates responded positively to Roan’s speech at the Grammys. In an interview with Billboard, the Music Healthcare Alliance’s founder and CEO, Tatum Allsep, said he was “jumping on my couch” when he heard her remarks.
“I was like, ‘Gosh, thank you for bringing this up.’ The conversation was started,” Allsep said. “What’s really important to know for all the young artists who are listening is you don’t have to go without if you are making a living within our industry.”
Sabrina Carpenter, who took home her first Grammy awards last weekend, has given fans a glimpse at her celebratory night — on film. Featured in her photographs are industry peers Taylor Swift, Jack Antonoff, Chappell Roan and Beyoncé, among others.
The Short n’ Sweet singer seemingly went to a Grammys after party also attended by Swift, Antonoff, Margaret Qualley and Amber Mark. She shared a snapshot of herself getting cozy with the group on a couch, and another in which Swift, wearing the jacket that she caught from Janelle Monáe during Sunday’s (Feb. 3) ceremony, embraces her with a big hug.
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Carpenter posted her pictures on Instagram on Friday (Feb. 7), captioning the collection “film from Sunday,” with a smiley face.
In the slideshow of 15 pictures is a shot of Carpenter with Roan, both with wide, ecstatic grins. Another special moment captured on film is the “Espresso” star getting a hug from album of the year winner Beyoncé.
Carpenter’s photos also document her glamorous Grammy Awards look: that backless, baby blue gown.
She left the 2025 Grammy Awards as a winner in the best pop vocal album and best pop solo performance categories.
Post-Grammys, Carpenter announced a deluxe edition of breakthrough album Short n’ Sweet, with Dolly Parton on a remix of “Please Please Please.” The deluxe release also features bonus tracks “15 Minutes,” “Couldn’t Make It Any Harder,” “Busy Woman” and “Bad Reviews.” It’ll be out on Feb. 14.
The original Short n’ Sweet debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 albums chart in August. Three singles from the album charted on the Hot 100, led by “Please Please Please,” which reached No. 1.
Chelsea Handler made a Wicked joke about Ariana Grande and Ethan Slater that didn’t quite land with the audience at the 2025 Critics Choice Awards. Grande and Slater were seated side-by-side and posed for photos together at the event Friday night (Feb. 7).
Handler, who hosted the awards ceremony for the third year in a row, directed her attention toward the couple during Friday’s speech at the Barker Hangar in Santa Monica, Calif.
“It is so nice to see some of our beloved child stars all grown up and thriving. Miley Cyrus, Selena Gomez and Ariana Grande are all nominated tonight,” Handler said, leading up to the joke.
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“And now, Ariana has even found love with a Munchkin,” she quipped, to a quiet response in comparison to the laughs she’d gotten elsewhere in her comedic speech. Grande’s been linked to Slater since 2023, when they met on the set of Wicked.
Handler attempted to quell the seemingly awkward reaction from the crowd, insisting, “That’s good news, everybody.”
Slater portrayed Boq, a character from Munchkinland, in the film.
The pop star and actor have mostly kept their relationship private. Grande was previously married to luxury realtor Dalton Gomez; the pair finalized their divorce in March 2024. Slater was previously married to therapist Lilly Jay, with whom he shares a young child; they settled their divorce in September 2024.
When it came time to mention Wicked star Cynthia Erivo in her speech, Handler heaped praise on her performance.
“My god,” the host said. “The most radical hero of any movie this year, or maybe even this decade. And not because you were green — because you were, and you are, epic, and it’s an honor to be in the same room as you.”
Then came a punchline involving Erivo and Grande: “I loved the Wicked press tour,” said Handler. “The two of them all over each other. I remember the first time I did molly.”
The Wicked team took home three honors at the 2025 Critics Choice Awards: Jon M. Chu won best director, Nathan Crowley and Lee Sandales won for best production design and Paul Tazewell won for best costume design. The film was nominated for a total of 11 awards, including for best picture, which Wicked lost to Anora. Best actress went to Demi Moore (The Substance) rather than Erivo, while best supporting actress went to Zoe Saldaña (Emilia Pérez) rather than Grande.
See Handler’s bit about Grande and Slater in the clip from her Critics Choice Awards speech below.