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Xavi adds a fourth No. 1 on Billboard’s Regional Mexican Airplay chart as “Flores” rises 3-1 to lead the Dec. 21-dated list with the Greatest Gainer honors of the week. Notably, he’s landed all his No. 1 songs in 2024, dating to his first, “La Diabla,” in February. Explore Explore See latest videos, charts and […]

Save this storySaveSave this storySaveNetflix has shared the first trailer for a forthcoming documentary about late Swedish DJ-producer Avicii, AKA Tim Bergling. Avicii — I’m Tim includes interviews with, among others, David Guetta and Coldplay’s Chris Martin, and will be narrated by Bergling himself, using archival video and recordings. The documentary will be available to stream globally on December 31, alongside a 30-minute concert film taken from Avicii’s final performance at Ibiza’s Ushuaïa. Watch the trailer below.“Through unique home movies and a huge private archive, we get to follow Tim on a winding journey through life—from the very first breath at the maternity ward in Stockholm in 1989 to the tragic end in Oman in 2018,” Netflix said in a press release. “Through himself and everyone close to him—family, artist colleagues and best friends—we get to know Tim—the boy behind Avicii—for the first time.”Bergling died in 2018 at the age of 28. A posthumous album, TIM, was released in 2019. Sweden has since continued to honor his legacy by opening an Avicii museum and renaming Stockholm’s Ericsson Globe to Avicii Arena.Revisit Noah Yoo’s essay “Dance Dance Revolution: How EDM Conquered America in the 2010s.”

For this year’s update of our ongoing Greatest Pop Star by Year project, Billboard will be counting down our editorial staff picks for the 10 Greatest Pop Stars of 2024 all this week — you can see the artists we’ve already counted down, plus our Honorable Mentions, Comeback of the Year and our Rookie of the Year artists all right here. Now, at No. 5, we remember the year in Charli XCX — who released a career-defining masterpiece and ruled the summer (and autumn) in pop culture entirely on her own terms.

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“I’m famous but not quite.” 

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The “I Might Say Something Stupid” lyric captured the quintessential dilemma of Charli XCX’s career in the decade leading up to her 2024. After 2013 and 2014 brought the British pop purveyor a trio of ubiquitous hits, via her appearances on Icona Pop’s “I Love It” and Iggy Azealia’s “Fancy” and her own solo smash “Boom Clap,” it seemed like true superstardom was in the offing for her, and that shooting for anything less would’ve been selling her potential short. 

But after some more commercially minded, purposefully accessible releases met with underwhelming returns and edgier, more forward-thinking sets cemented her as both a critics’ darling and an icon for the true popheads – all without producing any crossover hits the size of her 2013-14 trio – the question lingered over Charli XCX’s whole career: Was trying for stardom and celebrity actually the thing that was selling her potential short? Would she be better off continually scrapping to be the coolest kid on top 40’s fringes, or simply reigning as the unquestioned queen of the pop underground?

In 2024, she answered that question with a third option, one that few – perhaps her least of all – would have previously believed available: She became one of the biggest stars in the world by just being herself, but like, way moreso. Brat saw Charli XCX condense everything fans had come to love about her in the prior decade, regardless of release – the colossal pop hooks, the hair-flipping (and occasionally bird-flipping) attitude, the self-referential winking, the melted-bubblegum production, the almost uncomfortably intimate moments of vulnerability or sensuality – and turned the volume on all of it up to 365, while also inviting the entirety of her social and professional circles to join in the party. The result was a year that proved that Charli never actually had to choose between her populist and her futurist impulses; she just needed to indulge all of it at once on the biggest scale possible, and the rest of the globe would be powerless to resist the brightness of her supernova. 

Easier said than done, of course, and Charli needed to spend the early parts of 2024 lighting the fuse for that kind of ignition. She DJ’ed a much-hyped Boiler Room set in February that signaled that her new project was going to be a reconnection with her club roots – following the self-consciously radio-oriented jams of her 2022 LP Crash, which failed to establish her as a leading pop hitmaker but did get her into the top 10 of the Billboard 200 (and No. 1 on her home country’s Official Charts) for the first time. The filmed open set also introduced fans to the cast of characters who would play big supporting roles both in her increasingly extended universe – including longtime producer and co-writer A. G. Cook, newer collaborator (and recently confirmed fiancé) George Daniel of The 1975, film star and fellow It GIrl Julia Fox, and TikTok phenom turned pop aspirant (and Charli muse) Addison Rae – all of whom were raving (and sometimes taking turns spinning) in the not-quite-booth with her. 

Then, a slow trickle of singles and videos, starting with the zooming synths and strutting vocals of “Von Dutch.” The song was a chest-puffer and a s–t-talker from its opening seconds: “It’s OK to just admit that you’re jealous of me… It’s so obvious, I’m your number one.” It was a clear statement of intent – though the actual intent maybe wasn’t totally clear yet, the statement part was what was important, as the purposefulness of it as an era kickoff was unignorable. Second single “360” doubled down with a timeless bubbling synth-pop riff and insidious vocal hooks that saw her further positioning herself as the super-strength Charli the Dancefloor Slayer: “I’m everywhere, I’m so Julia,” “Legacy is undebated/ You gon’ jump if A. G. made it.” (That’s Fox and Cook in the lyrics there, respectively; you’d know if you’d been following along.) 

Just as important a part of the pre-album rollout was Charli’s second takes on “Von Dutch” and “360.” The single redos each welcomed big-name guests – the previously mentioned Rae on “Von Dutch,” dismissing the haters who still end up adding to her view counts, and the cult-pop queen Robyn and cloud-rap paragon Yung Lean on “360,” both following Charli’s “I’m your favorite reference” lead with sung-spoken lyrics bigging up their own legacies (“Started so young, I didn’t even have email/ Now my lyrics on your booby”). Everything about the remixes, from their guests to their content to their matter-of-fact titling (e.g. “360 Featuring Robyn & Yung Lean”), clearly projected: Pay attention to what I’m doing here, because I’m going to be returning to it later. 

First, though, it was time for the curtain to go up on Brat. Even before the album’s June release, Brat had already become a minor pop culture phenomenon, just by virtue of its title and artwork, unveiled in April. The simplicity of the album title, its value-ambiguity as a self-applied label, and (most importantly) its adaptability as both a noun and adjective all made it the year’s most naturally conversational LP title. Similarly, the set’s monochromatic, near-fluorescently-bright-green cover – blank, except for the centered, all-lowercase and slightly out-of-focus album title – proved divisive among fans, but quickly internet-iconic, and a magnetic jumping-off point for assorted memery. All the while, a frequently repainted wall in Brooklyn’s Greenpoint neighborhood – ultimately known as the “Brat Wall” – would provide an informal weather forecast for Charli’s next moves on the pre-album campaign, electrifying social media on a semi-weekly basis with its new art developments.

Henry Redcliffe

If there were any remaining doubts that the music could live up to the memes with Brat, the album put them to bed on first listen. Much of the LP followed in the hyperkinetic, living-that-life mold of “Von Dutch” and “360,” with the latter opening the set and even getting bookended with twin closer “365,” an even-more-explicit anthem of party-girl decadence. But fans were less prepared for the emotional depths the set would plumb, with Charli exploring her own professional insecurities (“Sympathy Is a Knife,” “Rewind”), her major life decisions (“I Think About It All the Time”) and even her fraught relationship with close collaborator SOPHIE in the years before her death (“So I”), all with disorienting honesty and directness. These songs went for the heart and the gut, but without sacrificing the ass – aside from “So I,” the lone mid-album ballad breather, even the record’s most brutal cuts were still delivered in service of the dancefloor, making Brat endlessly re-bumpable.

Brat became consumed by pop culture so quickly following its release that it can be easy – though maybe not that easy, given how many year-end critics’ lists it ultimately topped, including the Billboard staff’s own – to lose track of what a tremendous artistic accomplishment it really was. It’s easy to make an album for the club, but it’s exceptionally difficult to make an album that feels like it itself is the club: the venue, the DJ, the dancefloor and the entire guest list. And while Brat obviously lets any number of Charli’s fabulous famous friends past the velvet rope for its 41 minutes of id-stroking self-celebration, it remembers that any true club night also includes the girl hiding in the back because she’s convinced herself she’s worn the totally wrong outfit, and the friends busy gossiping and scrolling Instagram while waiting in line for the bathroom, and the couple preoccupied with dreading the ride home, because they realize they can’t avoid that conversation they’ve been avoiding any longer. It all made for an impossibly rich and immersive LP experience, one that stayed challenging and unpredictable and still thoroughly, peerlessly exciting and satisfying throughout. 

And as it turns out, it was just the beginning. Brat was an immediate success, debuting at No. 3 on the Billboard 200 – Charli’s first top-five showing on the chart – and vaulting “360” onto the Hot 100 for the first time, at a modest No. 73. Given those early returns, the rave reviews the album received and the continued internet embrace of all things Brat – with the phrase “Brat Summer” already picking up steam in the media as an official epoch designation  – Charli very easily could have declared victory with her album cycle, switched her focus to touring and just let Pop Twitter take it from there. Instead, she did something that no one – not even Charli herself weeks earlier – could have seen coming. 

In truth, it wasn’t like “Girl, So Confusing Feat. Lorde” came out of nowhere. The original “Girl,” a Brat highlight, was already widely speculated to be about the New Zealand singer-songwriter – with its racing-inner-monologue lyrics about an industry maybe-peer, maybe-rival – and even included a line addressing the possibility of a someday-collaboration (“The internet would go crazy”). But that didn’t make it any less jaw-dropping when, two weeks after Brat, the “Girl” remix dropped with a brand new verse from Lorde responding to Charli’s recounting of their frenemyship, inspired by a voice note the latter had left the former just hours before Brat was formally released (though it was already out in Lorde’s home country by that point). 

Rather than muddying or overstuffing the original’s narrative, Lorde’s empathizing with Charli’s anxieties (and even addressing her own insecurities and body-image issues in the process) felt like it rounded out the song, like that was the way it was always meant to be heard. What could have amounted to a quick gossip-bait headline instead became a profound and mold-breaking statement about rising above the music industry’s inherent competitiveness and gender double-standards, in the name of simply celebrating greatness in a fellow traveler. Everything about the “Girl” redo was stunning, but no part more than the fact that it existed in the first place: a microscopically improbable connection of radical honesty and compassion between two pivotal longtime music-world fixtures, which felt like it broke the fourth wall of pop music (along with countless unspoken rules of pop star collaboration), and in doing so healed an entire generation of fans. 

Needless to say, the internet did go crazy. “Girl” enraptured social media, who made quick meme work out of Lorde’s instantly catchphrase-spawning “Let’s work it out on the remix” declaration, and sent the song onto the Hot 100 for the first time the following week. Even Kyle MacLachlan, 65-year-old acting alum of Twin Peaks and Sex and the City, posted a video of himself in a Brat-green shirt singing (and acting) along to Lorde’s verse. And as Brat Summer kicked into high gear in July – with the album’s “Apple” taking off as a dance challenge on TikTok, about to push the song onto the Hot 100 to join “360” and “Girl” – another unlikely event was about to push Charli’s year in an entirely new direction. 

On July 21, the world was stunned by the announcement that President Joe Biden, under pressure from the democratic party following a disconcerting debate performance, had officially decided not to pursue re-election that November. With Biden out of the race, the likely democratic frontrunner for the position was now vice president Kamala Harris, and Charli – a concerned onlooker if not herself a U.S. citizen – offered her support for the presumed candidate the best way she knew how: with the three-word tweet “kamala IS brat.” The message may not have been delivered with grand intentions, but the combination of excitement over Harris’ freshening up what had been a moribund campaign season and of continued Brat Summer delirium turned it into one of the week’s primary news talking points, as FOX News and CNBC anchors attempted to wrap their heads around the full implications of “Brat” as a descriptor.

Two months after Brat’s release, the album was still only gaining momentum – and it would get another injection at the top of August. Charli had begun hinting at a new remix, which fans quickly determined was to feature alt-pop superstar Billie Eilish, still hot off her own glowingly received Hit Me Hard and Soft album. Despite being easily the biggest artist Charli had yet recruited for a Brat second-spin, Eilish was tabbed not for one of the album’s streaming hits, but for “Guess,” a flirty bonus cut from the Brat and It’s the Same But There’s Three More Songs So It’s Not deluxe edition. The choice ended up making sense, as Eilish – who had recently begun to embrace a more forward and explicit queerness in her own music – was posited as the leering responder to Charli’s underwear-based teasing, taking the song to a new level of sapphic, conspiratorial fun. Helped by a music video which featured the pair scaling a mountain of discarded panties, “Guess Featuring Billie Eilish” became the biggest chart hit of Charli’s 2024, hitting No. 13 on the Hot 100. 

As Brat Summer was coming to an end – at least by official calendar designation – Charli maintained her grip on the culture, scoring another Hot 100 hit alongside longtime collaborator Troye Sivan on a redo of “Talk Talk.” The timing of the song’s release was undoubtedly also in part to trumpet the beginning of the pair’s co-headlining Sweat Tour, which brought the Brat experience to arenas throughout the country. While pre-Brat, the tour was speculated to have been a low seller in many markets, by the time of the autumn trek, the dates were all sold out – with Charli quote-tweeting one of the early viral tweets about its initial underperformance in a post about the tour’s final show. That September, Charli was even deemed pop culture presence enough to be given her own fake SNL “Talk Talk Show,” with a perfectly accented and coiffed Bowen Yang playing Charli (and Sarah Sherman playing her DJ sidekick Sivan). 

And there was still one major moment to go in the Brat cycle. October saw the much-anticipated release of the Brat and It’s Completely Different But Also Still Brat companion album – which collected the five Brat redos Charli had already released, and added new versions of the album’s 11 previously unremixed tracks, each with at least one recognizable collaborator. Once again, rather than coasting on the buzz from the pre-existing remixes – or simply collecting as many big-name guests as she could – Charli scripted every remix to not only expand the meaning and resonance of her own set, but also add new shading to our pre-existing perceptions of the guests involved. “B2b” invited fellow should-be-bigger pop vet Tinashe (in the midst of her own 2024 comeback moment) to flex about the work it takes to still be so fabulous, “I Might Say Something Stupid” gave a post-Taylor Swift Matty Healy free reign to ruminate on cancellation (and/or erectile dysfunction?) for four minutes, and “Sympathy Is a Knife” lent Ariana Grande a platform to voice her frustrations about the ownership fans and the media try to claim over her. The entire set was so thick with drama and character development that it felt less like a remix album and more like a Bratverse theatrical production. 

It was all incredibly powerful stuff, not the least of all because Charli never let novelty overshadow emotional impact on the set. While the biggest names on Completely Different understandably made for the biggest headlines, the most rewarding cuts were the most unexpected – like Caroline Polacheck moaning about the “f–king foxes” and sharing a moment of late-night panic with Charli on the new “Everything Is Romantic,” or mutual collaborator A. G.  Cook helping Charli turn the mournful original “So I” into an uptempo tribute to “all the good times” with SOPHIE, with the vivid details of their many shared experiences popping like fireworks of bittersweet nostalgia. Unlike 99% of pop and dance remix albums throughout history – which are more often than not both delivered and received as near-afterthoughts – Completely Different stood up in every way to the original, not only complementing Brat but enriching it, making it feel deeper and more vital by extension. 

Charli ended the year by essentially sweeping list season, and scoring seven Grammy nominations for 2025 – including album of the year for Brat and record of the year for “360” – while also pulling double-duty as both host and performer on SNL in November. All of it confirmed that after a decade of tenuous flirtation with the American mainstream, she was now officially at the very center of both the music industry and of general pop culture in this country. She did not reach the commercial heights of other artists on this list in 2024: Brat never bettered its No. 3 debut on the Billboard 200, and no song from any of its incarnations ever touched the Hot 100’s top 10 — none from the original album ever even reached the top 40. But in terms of sheer cultural ubiquity, impact and reach, Charli could rival absolutely anyone; even former President Obama was bumpin’ that this summer. 

And perhaps more importantly, Charli taught the entire pop world an extremely valuable lesson this year: It is indeed possible to achieve all of your loftiest ambitions as an artist without compromising a single thing about what really makes your artistry so singular. It takes a f–king whole lot of work and intention and focus and ingenuity – and maybe it also takes a solid decade of tinkering with your own sound and image and collaborators first until you finally get everything to align. But if you have the patience, and if you have the vision – and most critically, if you have the drive to not let any possible opportunities to be great pass you by — then you really can get the pop world to come meet you where you are. And then, like the Brat Wall, you will always be famous. 

Check back tomorrow for our Nos. 4 and 3 Greatest Pop Stars — and then come back for the announcement of our top two Greatest Pop Stars of 2024 on Monday, Dec. 23!

For this year’s update of our ongoing Greatest Pop Star by Year project, Billboard will be counting down our editorial staff picks for the 10 Greatest Pop Stars from 2024 all this week — you can see the artists we’ve already counted down, plus our Honorable Mentions, Comeback of the Year and our Rookie of the Year artists all right here. Now, at No. 6, we remember the year in Ariana Grande — who made major impact in the worlds of music, television and film in 2024, not to mention across the whole internet.

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Ariana Grande began 2024 less like her bubbly Wicked character Galinda Upland and a bit more like her embattled counterpart, Elphaba Thropp. She might not have been Public Enemy No. 1 for everybody, but Grande was social media’s main course at the onset of her Eternal Sunshine era. 

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After the turbulent Positions rollout, Grande paused her habit of churning out new full-length in almost yearly fashion and prioritized auditioning for – and eventually filming – Wicked. In July 2023, news broke that Grande and her ex-husband Dalton Gomez had separated at the top of the year and were planning to legally end their two-year marriage. Days later, reports swirled that Grande had begun dating Ethan Slater, her Tony-winning Wicked co-star. Slater, in turn, filed for divorce from Lilly Jay, his wife of five years and mother of their son, less than ten years later. Though Grande and Slater began dating after their respective marriages were over — both divorces were legally finalized in time for the Wicked premiere – the chaotic timeline led social media to unfairly cast Grande as the mean girl homewrecker who’d destroyed a happy family. 

Grande, for her part, kept her lips sealed regarding her romantic life, which made her first musical statement 2024 all the more powerful. On Jan. 12, Grande her first solo single in four years: a sassy, house-rooted kiss-off called “Yes, And?” A direct response to the Internet noising marring her name (“Why do you care so much whose d—k I ride?”), the song brought Grande back to the top of the Billboard Hot 100 – a spot she did visit twice in the time between Positions and Eternal Sunshine, but only as a special remix guest of star collaborator The Weeknd – with the first new No. 1 single of 2024. Culturally, the song had a much softer presence in the lexicon in comparison to past Grande smashes like “Thank U, Next” or “Problem,” but even before its eventual Mariah Carey remix and Grammy nomination (best dance pop recording), “Yes, And?” did what Grande needed it to: effectively shift the conversation away from her personal life and to her music. 

Inspired by her marriage and its dissolution, as well as Michael Gondry’s 2004 Oscar-winning film Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Grande’s seventh studio album finds her delivering some of the sharpest and most poignant songwriting of her career. Crafted alongside longtime collaborators Max Martin and Ilya with Grande writing music and lyrics on each track, Eternal Sunshine uses Gondry’s film and the astrological concept of the Saturn Return (the period of a person’s late 20s and early 30s, during which they face real adult challenges for the first time) to help Grande make peace with the perceived failure of love. The record blends pop, R&B, house and slight dashes of wistful acoustic guitar, which beautifully complement the depth of Grande’s post-Wicked voice. 

On March 23, Eternal Sunshine debuted atop the Billboard 200, earning the largest U.S. opening-week total of 2024 at the time (227,000 units) and setting the record for the most-streamed album in a single day in 2024 on Spotify at the time (58.1 million). All 12 chart-eligible songs debuted on the Hot 100, including “We Can’t Be Friends (Wait For Your Love),” an evocative, dancefloor tearjerker that led the way as the album’s focus track, becoming Grande’s ninth Hot 100 chart-topper. Thanks to Eternal Sunshine, Grande became just the second woman in Billboard history (after Taylor Swift) to simultaneously top the Artist 100, Hot 100, Billboard 200, Hot 100 Songwriters, and Hot 100 Producers charts. 

Two months after the album’s release, Grande performed a private set for MET Gala attendees. In addition to renditions of her biggest hits, she also invited Wicked co-star Cynthia Erivo onstage to cover Whitney Houston and Mariah Carey’s “When You Believe” — a smart bookend to the pair’s matching Super Bowl fits (where they debuted the film’s first trailer) and a peek at the rousing phenomenon the film would become. 

Todd Owyoung/NBC/Getty Images

In addition to “We Can’t Be Friends,” which earned a VMAs win for best cinematography, Grande found further single success in “The Boy Is Mine.” After originally peaking at No. 18 after the album’s release, “Boy” returned to the Hot 100 following its Catwoman-inspired music video and Brandy and Monica assisted remix, which earned the ladies a Grammy nod for best pop duo/group performance. Even though Eternal Sunshine is the only 2024 album to launch two Hot 100 No. 1 hits, neither of those songs dominated the culture like other songs that barely sniffed the top 40. There was so much else going on in the pop world that listeners moved on from Eternal Sunshine very quickly, but the album did what Grande need it to do: put the focus back on her work and off her dating life. 

After closing out the summer with a 10th anniversary re-release of her blockbuster My Everything album, Grande put a few finishing touches on her pop stardom before fully returning her attention to Wicked. She dropped an expanded version of Eternal Sunshine featuring live versions of seven tracks on Oct. 1, with an appearance on Charli XCX’s Brat remix album arriving ten days later. Charli tapped Grande for a reimagining of “Sympathy Is a Knife,” a refreshingly honest look at fame and insecurity cast across a hyperpop soundscape. Ultimately, “Sympathy” became the second-highest charting Hot 100 entry from the Brat era and served as a low-key farewell from Ariana the Pop Star™. “’Cause it’s a knife when you’re finally on top/ ‘Cause logically the next step is they wanna see you fall to the bottom,” they harmonize in the pre-chorus. 

The day after “Sympathy” dropped, Grande hosted one of the best and most popular Saturday Night Live episodes of the year. She already served as musical guest while promoting Eternal Sunshine at the top of this year, but this was the first time she had hosted since 2016. Between her dazzling opening monologue, ace Jennifer Coolidge impression, and the hilarious Antonio and Domingo sketches, Grande’s Oct. 12 SNL episode earned the program its highest ratings in three years and became the most-watched SNL episode ever on Peacock in just two days. With her vocal virtuosity and acting chops – she even successfully played a bad singer in the viral Domingo sketch — at the forefront of the general public’s mind, Grande had perfectly positioned herself for Wicked to be her crowning moment of the year. And “Just Like Magic,” that’s exactly what happened. 

After a whirlwind global press tour that delivered gorgeous looks and memes galore — “Holding space,” anybody? Maybe the constant crying rings a bell? — Wicked, helmed by John M. Chu and also starring Michelle Yeoh, Jonathan Bailey and Jeff Goldblum – debuted atop both the domestic ($114 million) and global ($164.2 million) box offices, with the largest opening ever for a film based on a Broadway musical. Wicked, the first of a two-part film adaptation of the 2004 Tony winner, has made over $525 million worldwide, becoming one of the highest-grossing films in 2024. Grande earned rapturous reviews for her performance in the film, with her comedic timing, vocal tenacity and physical commitment to the character’s journey helping her win over the film industry the same way she captivated the music industry. In addition to several honors from critics groups, Grande has emerged as a formidable front-runner in the best supporting actress Oscar race in her first-ever major starring film role, earning nominations at both the Golden Globes and Critic’s Choice Awards for her turn as Glinda. 

Of course, Wicked’s success will always be tied to his music, and Grande also handily upheld that legacy. In December,  Wicked: The Soundtrack (billed to Grande, Erivo and Various Artists) debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard 200, marking the highest debut for a soundtrack of a musical stage-to-film adaptation. The set also entered at the summit of Top Album Sales, Top Soundtracks and Vinyl Albums, and sent seven of its songs to the Hot 100, including Grande’s solo track “Popular” (No. 53)”- -making for a sweet full-circle moment after she interpolated the showtune on “Popular Song” (with MIKA) from her 2013 debut album. 

To end the year with a RIAA Platinum-certified and triple-Grammy-nominated No. 1 album in one hand a film that grossed half a billion dollars in the other – with an Oscar nomination also seemingly right at your fingertips — is wildly impressive. It’s even more extraordinary when you remember that 11 months ago it felt like practically nobody was on Grande’s side. But that’s the eternal challenge of pop stardom, and in 2024, Ariana Grande once again proved that she’s not only more than capable of conquering that challenge – she’s powerful enough to render her haters completely insignificant with a wave of her baby pink, crystal-encrusted wand. 

Check back later today for the reveal of our No. 5 Greatest Pop Star, and stay tuned all week as we roll out our top 10 — leading to the announcement of our top two Greatest Pop Stars of 2024 on Monday, Dec. 23!

Daft Punk‘s Coachella 2006 performance is widely considered to be one of the best shows to ever happen at the festival, turning everyone in the packed Sahara tent into dance-music believers and helping set the stage for the genre’s coming explosion in the United States.
But how did the French duo even end up at the festival?

New documentary Busy P Says Oui explores the dynamics that brought the show to life, via interviews with Busy P (real name Pedro Winter), the founder of Ed Banger records who also managed Daft Punk for 12 years, starting when he was 20 years old.

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The documentary as a whole celebrates Winter, one of dance music’s most crucial and beloved figures, while looking at the relationship he and Ed Banger have had with Coachella over the years with artists including Justice, DJ Mehdi and more.

Shot on location at and near Coachella 2024, the documentary is a project by Coachella producer Goldenvoice and one in a series of upcoming pieces (with many more to come) from the original content initiative at Coachella led by Ike Adler, Mikhail Mehra and David Prince. The doc also features an interview with Goldenvoice’s vp of festival talent Stacey Vee, who was instrumental in getting the robots to the desert for their performance on April 29, 2006.

It wasn’t easy. “Daft Punk really wanted to focus on their own career, own music,” Winter says in the doc, “so my job mostly during those 12 years was to say no to everybody, everything.”

“We really didn’t want a no; we really wanted this one to happen,” Vee says of sending Daft Punk’s agent the offer, which would provide the duo with $350,000, plus airfare, hotel and ground transportation.

The pair, of course, ultimately said “oui,” with the documentary unpacking how the show came together, with Sahara tent mastermind Wiley Dailey recalling that “people showed up and lost their minds.”

“Magic happened,” Winter concurs of the performance, which unveiled Daft Punk’s iconic pyramid stage production and more or less changed the course of electronic music forever.

“Whenever I’m given an opportunity to make a film about music, I’m always on board,” the doc’s director Garfield tells Billboard. “I was excited about this project because I am a fan of Pedro Winter’s as well as Coachella’s, but I also knew it came with a challenge. How could I cover everything about the dopeness that is Pedro and his long relationship with the festival in 10 minutes or less? The answer was not to go for all but to go for small. So I chose to focus on just a moment in their shared history and springboard out from there. 

“Busy P Says Oui is as much a metaphor for taking chances as it is about the gravitational pull between two musical forces who continue to support each other to this day,” Garfield continues. Hopefully when you watch you will catch a glimpse into the ball of energy that is both Coachella and Busy P. Who knows, maybe it will inspire you to try something too.”

Cardi B has some thoughts about a certain 50% of the human population. In a clip from a recent livestream posted on X Wednesday (Dec. 18), the rapper went off about men not being able to “handle” being with powerful women, a topic she’d previously spoken about in another livestream and a string of tweets the day prior.
“[Men] love the idea of dating a boss a– b—h, but they can’t handle it,” Cardi told followers. “It messes with their insecurities or something.”

The “WAP” artist also came for women who don’t support other women based on the men they’ve been with, saying, “Don’t ever tell me that I’m not a bad b—h because I used to be with a f–k n—a.”

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“And a f–k n—a still can’t let a ho go,” she added smugly, seemingly referencing estranged husband Offset. “I know my value, b—h … There’s a reason why they compare men to dogs.”

The video comes a few days after Cardi attended the Migos rapper’s birthday party over the weekend despite filing for divorce in July. The estranged couple recently welcomed their third child, and also share 6-year-old daughter Kulture and 3-year-old son Wave.

On Tuesday (Dec. 17), Cardi made a series of tweets clarifying another recent livestream in which she apparently delved into similar topics, writing that men “are intimidated of women that make their own Money cause their not as easy to control.”

“Do you stop being a bad b–h cause you f–kin a fck boy ?” she added. “Don’t let a man actions make you think less of yourself ,,,FIND YO SELF HO!”

The Whipshots founder’s new comments echo what she said about ‘Set in September, just a couple months after she filed for divorce a second time in their seven-year marriage. After the “Stir Fry” musician accused her of being unfaithful, Cardi slammed him on Instagram Live, saying, “I’m too much woman for you.”

“I’m too much of a boss b—h for you,” she added at the time. “And I always been too good for you.”

Watch Cardi’s full video and see her tweets below.

This was not what the live was about ..This was about how man are intimidated of women that make their own Money cause their not as easy to control ..and how a man told me why he rather date 6 and not 10s…yall want to make it about ME so people can bully me https://t.co/livqxbN5Xl— Cardi B (@iamcardib) December 17, 2024

I didn’t… but I AM pretty face, pretty frame , little feet, smell good, never got a odor even when it’s that time of the month, got that grippy, street smart, a hustler, rich AF, A God fearing woman… Baby I can upgrade a man life AND buy yours!! A perfect 10 https://t.co/NGvYK2pKQZ— Cardi B (@iamcardib) December 17, 2024

Soooo what that’s a MAN ISSUE not yours ….Do you stop being a bad bitch cause you fuckin a fck boy ? Don’t let a man actions make you think less of yourself ,,,FIND YO SELF HO! https://t.co/UyFXPy53ze— Cardi B (@iamcardib) December 17, 2024

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Digital cameras were thought to be dead after the introduction of the first iPhone back in 2007, but new research has found an increasing surge in sales — and it’s all thanks to Gen Z. Young adults aged 18-29 are supposedly the driving force behind the major growth in digital camera sales as the desire for a vintage ’90s aesthetic and Y2K style prevails.

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The average price for a digital camera has since increased to around $620, but that doesn’t mean you have to burn a hole in your wallet to hop on the instant camera trend. There are a number of good digital cameras under $100 that’ll provide better quality photos than what your smartphone and flip phones could ever produce.

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Below, Billboard Shopping breaks down the benefits of owning a digital camera as well as the best digital cameras under $100 to buy online. Just in time for the holiday shopping season, here are some budget cameras to put under the tree.

Are Digital Cameras Still Worth It?

The best digital cameras have evolved with the times to include an expanded list of features and upgraded technology. You’ll not only capture higher-quality photos than with a smartphone (especially in low-light conditions), you’ll also enjoy quicker shutter speeds, an increased amount of storage, and customizability.

Content creators can also use most point-and-shoot cameras as a vlogging camera due to its versatile nature, allowing you to switch from point-and-shoot to a video camera.

Is a Digital Camera Better Than An iPhone?

Apple’s latest iPhone 16 boasts 48 megapixels (the amount of detail a camera’s sensor can capture), which is at the same level of some cheap digital cameras. That doesn’t take into account the $1,000+ price tag attached to the smartphone in addition to not as much storage and a less crisp flash. Digital cameras are also designed with photography being the main use, whereas an iPhone and other smartphones have to be able to switch from a camera, to a phone and web browser.

What Are the Best Digital Cameras Under $100?

When determining the best digital camera under $100 to buy, you’ll want to decide what your main purpose of use will be. Whether you’re capturing memories from your lineup of tours and music festivals or looking for a beginner-friendly design to start a photography hobby, check below for some of the top-rated affordable digital cameras.

editor’s pick

4K Digital Camera for Photography

Amazon’s digital camera can capture 64MP (the most on the list!) as well as 4K resolution videos for the highest-quality content. The built-in anti-shake feature will also help you avoid snapping any blurry photos, while the rechargeable battery ensures you don’t have to stock up on disposable batteries.Amazon reviewers love how easy it is to use and the quality of pictures it takes for its low price, noting that it takes solid pictures, has easy controls and does a great job in different shooting situations. The stabilization is also handy for getting clear shots.

Walmart

photography pick

Kodak PixPro FZ45-SL Digital Camera

$30.59

$109.99

72% off

Whether you’re shooting photos of your tropical vacation or family picutres, Wednkoly’s affordable digital camera makes it possible to capture professional-grade photos with 44 MP. Included is a 32 GB SD card to store your picutres on, face recognition, smile detection and continuous shooting for a more flexible shooting experience.One reviewer described it as a “very impressive little camera for the price,” commenting on how “at this price point, this camera is the best option out there.”

Amazon

beginner-friendly pick

Lecran Digital Camera

If you’re new to photography, Lecran’s cheap digital camera simplifies the process without sacrificing quality. It’s capable of capturing 44 MP and uses motion detection and face detection while setting up your shot. The anti-shake feature helps prevent blurry photos, while the self-timer allows you to take group pictures to make sure everyone is in the photo. The digital camera has “exceeded expectations” for one Amazon shopper who said “the image quality is superb with sharp details and vibrant colors. Its user-friendly interface makes it accessible for both beginners and experienced photographers.” This is a bestseller too, with more than 9,000 units sold in the last month alone.

Amazon

vlogging pick

Brewene 4K Digital Camera

$74.99

$99.99

25% off

Vloggers will appreciate the 48MP and 4K resolution of the Brewene digital camera paired with its 16X zoom abilities and built-in microphone. It’s also designed with a hot shoe mount, a rotatable LCD screen (great for self-tapes) and and CMOS image sensor that’ll precisely focus on your subjects. Amazon reviewers called the digital camera a “little gem for budding creatives” complimenting how “navigating through the settings was intuitive and the autofocus feature works like a charm making everything look professional.”

Amazon

travel pick

Camkory Digital Camera

$49.99

$69.99

29% off

Camkory’s compact digital camera will help keep you from feeling weighed down during your travels since it only weighs 9.13 ounces. Its slim design makes it easy to slip inside your backpack or fanny pack while and when it’s time to take pictures, you can enjoy 44MP quality.Reviewers can’t get enough of its portability with one verified Amazon reviewer saying, “the photo quality was impressive, showcasing the camera’s capabilities in diverse settings.”

Amazon

action pick

AKASO Brave 4 Pro Action Camera

$89.99

$139.99

36% off

Make sure to capture all your concert antics with an affordable action digital camera like the AKASO Brave 4 Pro. The outer shell is waterproof for any underwater or rain-filled shots while the electronic image stabilization (EIS) 2.0 uses a six-axis gyroscope that’ll detect positions and motion changes for more focused, straight shots.Reviewers enjoy the quality of photos and videos for the price point with one person saying “I wanted a camera with two screens, that was easy to use and has a good battery life — and this has all that. So far, the battery has lasted on a two-hour ride and I can take the spare if I go longer.”

For more product recommendations, check out our roundups of the best podcast equipment, portable recording booths and studio headphones.

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Chance The Rapper and his now, ex-wife have officially parted ways. Kirsten Corley has filed for a divorce from the Chicago rapper 8 months after they announced the split. The two went to social media to clear the air on the divorce saying, “After a period of separation, the two of us have decided to part ways. We came to this decision amicably and with gratitude for the time we spent together. God has blessed us with two beautiful daughters who we will continue to raise together. We kindly ask for privacy and respect as we navigate this transition.”

Chance the Rapper (born Chancelor Bennett) and Kirsten Corley’s love story has been a long and public journey, filled with ups and downs. The couple first met when they were teenagers, at one of Chano’s mother’s office parties when they were both about 9 years old. Their early relationship started as friends, but romance blossomed years later. In 2019, Chance and Kirsten tied the knot and the two became a well-known couple in Chicago’s music scene. Last year fans were calling out Chance the Rapper after a video surfaced of him dancing with another woman at Carnival 2023 in Jamaica. The rapper, who was married with two kids, was seen getting a little too close to model Mela Millz during the event. In the video posted on IG, Millz can be seen whinding on Chance while he leans back and dances on her.

The video quickly went viral, sparking mixed reactions from fans and bloggers, many of whom felt his behavior was inappropriate given his family situation. Some people online defended him, saying it was just a moment of fun, but others weren’t having it, calling out his actions as disrespectful.

The Weeknd‘s Q4 career moves have proven the pop star has remained dedicated to finishing the year strong before kicking off 2025 with a bang: He performed a one-night-only stadium show in São Paulo, Brazil in September and released three singles that he debuted during the show: “Dancing in the Flames,” the Billboard Hot 100 No. 3 hit “Timeless” with Playboi Carti and “São Paulo,” featuring Anitta. In October, he took over a handful more stadiums in Melbourne and Sydney during his rescheduled Australian tour. And the following month, he announced his sixth studio album Hurry Up Tomorrow will be released on Jan. 24, and he’ll perform another one-night-only stadium show at Pasadena’s Rose Bowl the day after.

And somewhere in the middle of all of this, The Weeknd also became the artist with the most songs to hit one billion streams on Spotify, with 24 songs in the Billions Club. And nearly 2,000 of his top listeners on Spotify got to relive those hits during Spotify’s first-ever Billions Club Live concert at Santa Monica’s Barker Hangar on Tuesday evening (Dec. 17).

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“It’s a little holiday gift for the OG XO fans supporting me since day one,” he said while blue strobe lights kicked off his 70-minute set. “2024 is almost done. But 2025, we got some new s–t coming out. New album, new tour, new movie. New everything!” His upcoming album Hurry Up Tomorrow, which is the third and final installment of his After Hours / Dawn FM trilogy, will be supported by a psychological thriller film of the same name that will mark the singer’s feature-starring debut.

It’s poetic that the Canadian-Ethiopian superstar (real name Abel Tesfaye) is closing this chapter of his career the same way he started it over a decade ago, with a trilogy of cohesive projects. Outside of his big-picture ideas, he finds clever ways to thread together little details from his entire discography. The popular idiom “this house is not a home,” for example, is a common lyrical theme, which The Weeknd references not only in the 2020 After Hours title track he performed but also dating back to “Twenty Eight” from his 2011 debut mixtape House of Balloons. But for someone as beloved as him, The Weeknd feels right at home on stage even during the remarkably intimate show.

“It’s been a while since I’ve been at a venue like this. Feels like back in the Kiss Land tour or Trilogy tour,” he reflected. “Maybe after the stadium tour, we might go back in time and we might do smaller venues.”

He tapped his frequent collaborator Mike Dean — whom The Weeknd jokingly blamed for his minor coughing fit because he was “hitting that f–king bong all night” — to steer the set “wherever you wanna take it,” before the hip-hop superproducer’s eerie synths introduced Metro Boomin‘s “Creepin,’” featuring The Weeknd and 21 Savage. The Weeknd later summoned his drummer Ricky Lewis to play “Popular,” the platinum-certified hit with Madonna and Carti from his 2023 HBO drama series The Idol. It’s one of two songs from the show to hit one billion Spotify streams, with the other being “One of the Girls” with JENNIE and Lily-Rose Depp. Then, he called on his guitarist Patrick Greenaway to cue the next song — and Greenaway’s scene-stealing shredding summoned “Heartless.” The Weeknd had multiple opportunities to bring out special guests, considering 13 of the 24 songs in the Billions Club are collaborations, but the unprecedented concert felt more suited for his solo victory lap rather than an all-star relay race.

“Oh s–t, this hit a billion?!” he marveled as “Reminder,” from his 2016 album Starboy started playing. The Weeknd warned the crowd of the song’s gunshot background sound during the chorus, a conscious reminder his concertgoers have picked up on from his previous shows. And while this one’s circular stage setup was much simpler than his ornamented stadium show designs, it didn’t stop The Weeknd from making the night memorable: Yellow spotlights flickered as he sang the “I just wanna see you shine ’cause I know you are a stargirl” outro from his and Lana Del Rey‘s “Stargirl Interlude,” and they later twinkled to recreate the grandiose ballroom feel of “Earned It” from the 50 Shades of Grey film. And red strobe lights provoked the sinister aura of his 2015 Hot 100 chart-topper “The Hills” from Beauty Behind the Madness.

He asked if any of his ballads had hit one billion Spotify streams to slow down his set, but the singer was taken aback by the siren-like synth intro of his Gesaffelstein-featuring “I Was Never There” from his 2018 EP My Dear Melancholy, classifying it as more of a “power ballad.” After his 2012 debut single “Wicked Games” (“I know that song didn’t hit a billion, but I felt like I had to do it. It’s necessary, at least one House of Balloons song,” he said matter-of-factly) and “Die For You” — which experienced a TikTok-fueled resurgence six years after its release and produced the Hot 100 No. 1 remix with Ariana Grande — The Weeknd wanted to “pick up the pace” and Daft Punk‘s fuzzy disco-pop production from “I Feel It Coming” instantly got the audience in a groove.

After what felt like the ultimate finisher with “Blinding Lights” — the first song to hit four billion Spotify streams as well as the top Hot 100 song of all time — The Weeknd teased his Hurry Up Tomorrow era by singing a snippet of an unreleased song he’s teased during previous shows, reportedly titled “In Heaven.” “In 2025, everything is fine. In 2025, everything will be fine. I’ll come back for you, XO. But until then, hurry up tomorrow! Hurry up tomorrow! Hurry up tomorrow! Hurry up tomorrow!” he bellowed.

Check out the full set list from The Weeknd’s Spotify Billions Club Live concert below.

“Call Out My Name”

“Moth to a Flame”

“After Hours”

“Lost in the Fire”

“Creepin’”

“Popular”

“Starboy”

“Heartless”

“Reminder”

“Stargirl Interlude”

“One of the Girls”

“The Hills”

“Often”

“I Was Never There”

“Wicked Games”

“Earned It”

“Die For You”

“I Feel It Coming”

“Can’t Feel My Face”

“Save Your Tears”

“Blinding Lights”

Encore:

“Timeless”

“São Paulo”

During the course of Robert Kyncl’s nearly two-year tenure as Warner Music Group’s CEO, the former YouTube exec has focused on positioning the historic label for longtime growth.
In early 2024, WMG reported record earnings but announced a 10% workforce reduction. Then, August saw a major leadership shakeup: Max Lousada exited, Julie Greenwald was briefly chairman of Atlantic Music Group before leaving, and Elliot Grainge became AMG’s CEO. Under Grainge, Atlantic restructured and new leadership came in at 10K Records and 300 Entertainment. These moves signaled a loud-and-clear generational shift in leadership, marking a transformative year for Atlantic and Warner.

Looking back at a year of bombshells and breakouts — success stories include Zach Bryan, Benson Boone, Teddy Swims, Charli xcx, Dua Lipa and more — Kyncl writes in a note to staff, obtained by Billboard, that he is grateful for their dedication in a year he has long-dubbed the “Year of the Next 10.”

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In the note, Kyncl writes that the company achieved significant milestones, including having the most listened-to artist (Bruno Mars), the No. 1 song of the year (Boone’s “Beautiful Things”), and the most in-demand songwriter (Amy Allen). He also highlights the importance of change and innovation in the music industry, celebrating the team’s success in delivering originality, which “gives this industry its energy and optimism.”

“We’ve not just helped our artists and songwriters do new, brave, and disruptive things, we’ve held ourselves to the same standard,” he writes. “The industry is at a pivot point, and the changes we’ve made this year put us on the front foot.”

He highlights that WMG was a clear leader in onboarding new talent in the marketplace, with artists like Boone, Swims and Allen receiving critical acclaim. Established acts also reached new heights, he notes, with Mars becoming the world’s biggest streaming artist, Charli xcx exhibiting “radical newness” during brat summer and Linkin Park making a notable return with a new singer. The company further expanded its reach through catalog reissues by the likes of the Grateful Dead, Madonna, David Bowie, Neil Young and Joni Mitchell, among others.

Kyncl writes that, internally, WMG has focused on growth by increasing A&R investments by double digits, overhauling leadership, and advocating for new pricing and royalty models in streaming. The company also embraced AI — Kyncl cites the recreation of Randy Travis’ voice as a prime example — and prioritized global market share through a streamlined structure.

Looking ahead to 2025, Kyncl encourages continued innovation, aiming to amplify unique voices, grow the music ecosystem and deepen fan engagement. He rounds out the memo by celebrating the team’s efforts and hinting at exciting projects on the horizon.

“There’s still plenty of work to do, but we’re getting stronger, faster, bolder all the time,” he says. “As I’ve said before, focus and simplicity brings great intensity and impact.”

Read the full memo below:

Hi everyone, 

I wanted to take a moment to thank you for your incredible dedication and passion over the past year. 

In January, I talked about 2024 being the Year of the Next 10, where we moved to set ourselves up for the next decade. We’ve ended the year with the No.1 most listened-to artist, No. 1 song of the year, and the most in-demand songwriter of the year. I know the last twelve months have been intense, and I’m so grateful to you all for rising to the occasion. We’ve achieved something that only a really collaborative and committed team could… We simultaneously delivered for our artists and songwriters, while doing the tough work of change.

And change is a necessity in this business… Music is nothing without the new. New sounds, new ideas, fresh looks, different directions. That’s what stands out. That’s what cuts through the noise. That blast of originality is what gives this industry its energy and optimism. 

There are countless examples of innovative successes across the company. In a note like this, I can’t be comprehensive, so please excuse that I’ve picked just a few examples to highlight our trajectory. 

NEW TALENT

When it comes to impactful new talent, we’ve led the industry this year.

Benson Boone had the biggest song of 2024 worldwide, and Teddy Swims had the biggest song of the year in the U.S., the largest market. Both are signed to Warner Records and Warner Chappell, and both are up for Best New Artist at the Grammys. Amy Allen became the planet’s hottest songwriter and is nominated for Grammy Songwriter of the Year, alongside WCM’s Jessi Alexander and RAYE.

Across the world, we have an extraordinary new generation lighting the way forward, including Artemas, Aziya, Bea and her Business, BENNETT, Bug Eyed, Dasha, Florence Road, Forrest Frank, Jeff Satur, Jordan Adetunji, The Marías, Michael Marcagi, Tokischa, Roxy Dekker, TitoM, and Yuppe.

NEW HEIGHTS

We’ve also helped established artists and songwriters reach new heights, telling their stories in bold, new ways.

Bruno Mars became officially the biggest artist in the world (smashing records with 138 million monthly listeners on Spotify!), thanks in part to new collaborations, including with ROSÉ, who herself set new streaming records for a K-pop soloist. 

Then there’s the radical newness of Charli xcx’s Brat, or the record-breaking return of Linkin Park, with a soulful new singer. As well as incredible new projects from stars around the world such as Alex Warren, Ana Mena, Ayed, AYLIVA, Bailey Zimmerman, Burna Boy, Cardi B, Charlie Zhou, Coldplay, CYRIL, Dani Fernández, David Guetta, Diljit Dosanjh, Don Toliver, Dua Lipa, Ed Sheeran, Fred again.., Geolier, Gunna, Iñigo Quintero, Jack Harlow, Kenya Grace, King, Lay Zhang, Lil Uzi Vert, María Becerra, Megan Thee Stallion, Michael Bublé, Miriam Bryant, Myke Towers, NLE Choppa, SCH, twenty one pilots, TWICE, and Zach Bryan to name a few; along with reissues of iconic music from David Bowie, Grateful Dead, Green Day, Joni Mitchell, Madonna, Neil Young, and Talking Heads… all of which won new fans, and drove new spikes in streams. 

NEW WORLD

We’ve not just helped our artists and songwriters do new, brave, and disruptive things, we’ve held ourselves to the same standard. The industry is at a pivot point, and the changes we’ve made this year put us on the front foot. 

There’s still plenty of work to do, but we’re getting stronger, faster, bolder all the time. As I’ve said before, focus and simplicity brings great intensity and impact:

➞Due to the changes we’ve made, we’ve delivered on our promise to put more money behind the music… growing our A&R investment by double digits.   

➞We prioritized market share growth, bringing in pioneering new leaders in major markets, including the U.S. with Atlantic and in Japan, while investing in talent and entrepreneurs in high-growth territories, such as India.

➞We’ve shrunk the world, flattening our company, to make it easier for artists to break worldwide, while fully globalizing our catalog and distribution services.

➞We’ve successfully advocated for innovation in pricing and royalty models at the streaming services, while demonstrating the potential of AI (with Randy Travis still my personal favorite example!). 

The throughline here is our powerful ability to amplify unique voices, crank up the contrast, and bring the shock of the new. Going into 2025, let’s lean into that expertise… we want to expand the music ecosystem while, crucially, growing our share. Our mission is to turn dreams into stardom and audiences into fans. 

I hope you and your loved ones enjoy a well-deserved break. So many exciting things to come in 2025!

Robert