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Camila Cabello is teasing more new music.
On Friday (Aug. 30), the 27-year-old pop star announced on Instagram that she’ll be releasing an expanded edition of her latest album, C, XOXO, along with a brand new song.
The Magic City Edition of C, XOXO will arrive on Friday, Sept. 6, and feature new single “Godspeed.”
“i wish you well, but far away from me,” Cabello captioned a teaser video of the forthcoming tune, hinting at a possible theme about breakup.
The brief clip finds the “I Luv It” singer swimming in a dark pool of water while donning a sparkly silver dress. “Always more stories to tell. Some new songs for your night in Magic City,” she wrote in second post announcing the deluxe album.
Cabello’s announcement comes after unconfirmed theories that Sabrina Carpenter‘s newly dropped sixth album, Short n’ Sweet, includes songs are about a potential love triangle between herself, Cabello and Shawn Mendes.
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Carpenter and Mendes were spotted spending time together in February 2023, a year after the “In My Blood” singer split from Cabello in November 2021. Just two months later, Cabello and Mendes were spotted rekindling their romance at Coachella.
Songs on Carpenter’s album, including “Coincidence,” “Sharpest Tool” and “Taste,” all seem to follow a storyline about a love interest rekindling his romance with his ex-girlfriend. The corresponding “Taste” visual stars Jenna Ortega, who fans think was casted to represent Cabello in the clip.
Cabello also seemingly added fuel to the flame, by recently sharing a TikTok singing along to her own track, “June Gloom,” which features the lyrics: “She’s cool, I heard/ Won’t act surprised, I saw the pictures/ […] If she’s so amazing, why are you on this side of town? / If you like her so much, what are you here trying to find out?”
Cabello released her fourth album, C, XOXO, in June. The set features 14 tracks, two of which are Drake collaborations. The project was led by the singles “I Luv It” with Playboi Carti and “He Knows” with Lil Nas X.
See Cabello’s post on Instagram below.
In Korea’s pop culture scene, Lee Youngji is a name now synonymous with vibrant and unfiltered entertainment, best seen through her viral Nothing Much Prepared YouTube series, where she shares drinks with members of K-pop supergroups like BTS, BLACKPINK and SEVENTEEN. However, 2024 marks a significant year for the 21-year-old as she looks to return to her roots in music and spotlight her talent as a performer and musician. Even if many fans might recognize her first as the comedic force behind some of K-pop’s most unforgettable interviews, Youngji’s journey in entertainment began with music — and she’s determined to remind everyone of that on her ongoing world tour that hits the U.S. at the end of August.
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The release of her debut album, June’s 16 Fantasy, marked a bold statement of her artistic identity and the promise shown for her musical future. The lead single, “Small Girl” featuring EXO’s D.O., not only topped the charts in South Korea but also broke into the Top 40 of the Billboard Global 200. Meanwhile, b-side cuts like Lee’s “ADHD Girl,” plus her hit collaborations with top acts like Dynamicduo and BSS, all display her versatility and abilities to step up and level up for each new song release.
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“This year is really important for me musically,” Youngji reflects during an evening FaceTime call from Seoul ahead of the U.S. leg of her tour. “I’ve had a lot of collaborations and I have a variety show on my YouTube channel, so many people know me through lots of jobs…but I want to spotlight my musician mode this year.”
As she embarks on the U.S. leg of her All or Nothing World Tour, Lee Youngji is eager to connect with fans in a more intimate setting, bringing not just her music to the stage but the unique personal energy that’s made her such a breakout star among the next generation of Korean-pop entertainers.
“I tend to try to really communicate with the audience, ask them questions, just try to talk to them and I think that U. S. fans are going to like that a lot,” she says, hinting at the interactive and personal nature of her stage setup. The All or Nothing Tour is more of an invitation for fans to experience Lee Youngji in her purest form as a musician and entertainer. And while she might not be able to indulge in her famous on-camera drinking with her audience — even though she tells Billboard that she really wants to — she’s ready to bring that same spontaneous and genuine connection to every show.
Read on for more with Lee Youngji sharing about her Stateside tour, her big year in music, memories with some top K-pop stars and what’s coming next.
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Congratulations on all the recent successes, Youngji. There’s a lot to discuss, but it’s been a really important year for you as a musician. Is this why you’re going on your first U.S. tour?
Like you said, this year is really important for me musically. I’ve had a lot of collaborations, and I have a variety show on my YouTube channel, so many people know me through lots of jobs. First, they knew me as a YouTuber; then they might have known me as a celebrity friend; they knew me as all different types of things, but I want to spotlight my musician mode this year. And gratefully, “Small Girl” had a great response and boom, even in the U.S., so I thought that this was a great opportunity for me to be more confident on what I’m doing right now as a musician.
You do so much, and people know you for many different reasons, but where does music align with your overall world?
In my childhood era, I would always believe, “I think I’m gonna be a famous person, but I don’t think that I could be a musician.” But the first time people got to know me was in the survival show High School Rapper 3 [in 2019]. At that time, rap was the only thing I was competent in any type of musical talent, but I didn’t necessarily want to be only a rapper.
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Did you find your confidence to pursue music through rapping?
Yes, but I don’t think that it’s my only talent. Rapping definitely requires talent, but I don’t think that’s all I have. So, when I won the rap survival show, I was always thinking, “Oh, so is ‘rapper’ my job now?” I didn’t want to start my career as a rapper. I said, “Oh, I got [to show] more than rapping.” But it was my best talent, so I was always curious…
Is that why we only got your first album five years after High School Rapper? You share a lot of different sides and styles on the record. What’s your favorite song?
Yep, yep. And not because that song got so much fame, but I eventually really loved “Small Girl.” It’s an honest, honest, honest song; a real story about myself. I love those kinds of songs. There are some tall, tall girls…ah, how should I say this? Everyone has a part of themselves that they lack confidence in, but this song can honestly melt that complex. I thought that “Small Girl” was a song I could make for everyone to be more confident. So, I really cherish “Small Girl” as a song that I made for everyone who might have lower or might not have self-confidence.
One of my favorites is “ADHD Girl” because I actually have ADHD. What inspired this song?
Ever since childhood, I’ve been hearing a lot of people, like my teachers and my parents, saying that I have ADHD — and that was before many people became really aware of it. But I have a lot of friends around me who do have ADHD and take medication for it. It’s a song I wrote based on my experiences as well as my friends’ experiences, some of them who are really struggling with ADHD.
What is your songwriting or creative process?
Well, there is a lot of great technology and stuff for music these days, you know? But I love iPhone and iPhone memos. I’m always recording on my iPhone: a little gibberish, little unknown sounds, guides for songs. I always write keywords with my iPhone. Actually, that was the exact process for the song “Not Sorry.” When I went through the competition show, Show Me the Money, I suffered a lot from this hate train. So, I wrote on my iPhone that said, “Not sorry, not sorry at all,” and I asked my producers — Jay Park, Zion.T and Slom — I asked them, “What about this subject for the title of this song” and they were like, “Oh, that’s dope and that’s something you can do right now.” My music-making process is always, always like that. I write a title on my phone and I do a gibberish recording.
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And “Not Sorry” was a hit!
[Laughs] Yeah!
I’ve always appreciated your attitude. I’m sure it’s not easy for you, or anyone, but you have a refreshing attitude about criticism and “hate comments.” We even saw your “liking” tweets that have criticized you. How do you keep this strong mindset?
When I get hate, I try to understand them. “Why do you hate me?” “Oh, because of that point?” “Okay, I understand that — but I do not agree at all.” I can understand you, but I don’t have to agree with you. I always think about how nobody knows me better than me. So, you know when I “like” [hate comments] — I really don’t know how the internet system works — but I don’t care unless I do something that’s really a bad thing or crosses the line legally. I also reply [to] them when they send me DMs that say, “I hate you, go kill yourself” or something. I always reply to them and always like their messages because they never think that if they send me a message, I can see them; they don’t know that I can see them. So I want to let them know that I see everything.
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So, what are you preparing for the U.S. leg of your All or Nothing Tour?
I always hoped that if I had a chance, I want to meet everyone in the world and music is my chance. So, yes, I wanted to use this as my opportunity. I’ve already toured Asia, but you know what? The mood is kind of different compared to America. My performance [style] is usually to get people crazy. On this tour, I especially want to have more direct communication with the audience and to introduce who I am, that I make this kind of music, and that I introduce myself as an artist to the U.S. audiences. Compared to Asia, there’s more participation in the U.S., whereas direct communication is lower in other countries. I made a lot of changes to my songs. I’m planning to bring the audience up to the stage actually, and maybe dance or perform together; I’m trying to plan those kind of things.
Like you said, you’re not just known for music but for your personality too. Are you preparing funw ways to share that side of yourself too?
I think that my personality shows up while I’m talking with another person. So, I tend to try to really communicate with the audience, ask them questions, just try to talk to them. And I think that U. S. fans are going to like that a lot. I really want to drink with them. I mean, I really want to get drunk with them, but I can’t. [Laughs]
Maybe we can take a secret shot together since the tour’s last show is in New York…
HA ha. I hope so! [Laughs]
But I do want to highlight how, in your five years since High School Rapper, you’ve done a ton of collaborations across many genres: K-pop idols, rappers, indie musicians, R&B, older generation artists, chart-topping artists. How do you connect with so many different sounds and styles?
I’m so thankful that they always reach [out] to me and ask me to feature with them or collaborate. I’ve been really active with video and media contents in Korea for four, five years now and, thankfully, that’s shown my personality and skills in Korea and to audiences. So, I think a lot of artists feel like I’m someone who’s familiar and for them to reach out and connect with me to do other projects. But anytime when I get asked for a feature, I always think, “How can I beat them in this song? How can I do better in this song?” [Laughs] But features and collaborating really force me to go to the next level of myself.
I think that’s what Nicki Minaj said. She needs a “sparring partner” to level herself up.
She’s my goal.
Are there any last messages for fans or what to expect on the U.S. tour? And with Nothing Much Prepared‘s return, can you share some spoilers?
Well, yes, I can give you a lot of spoilers, but the first episode is with Lisa and she’s so smart, pretty, young, rich, and a hilarious person. I love her. As of mid-August, I already recorded, like, six or seven episodes so we’re going to see a lot of idols and a lot of actors.
But what else should I say? I think U.S. fans are not prepared for what’s coming to them! I want to promise to the U.S. fans that I will be working hard to be able to see them more often. I actually have a lot of songs ready to be released, and I want to watch U.S. fans react. I’ve got a long way to go. This tour is not even the first step. I have big ambitions.
Lady Gaga is sharing the love for the next generation of pop girls. The “Bad Romance” superstar commented on a TikTok from user @holdmygaga, in which a young Sabrina Carpenter is seen performing a cover of Gaga’s “Speechless,” off her 2009 album, The Fame Monster. In the clip, Carpenter, who looks about 11 or 12, […]
Earlier this month, we here at Billboard began our staff countdown of the 25 Greatest Pop Stars of the 21st Century — the artists who, by our estimation, have best exemplified and influenced pop stardom over the course of the past 25 years. We’ve been rolling out two of them a week, and will continue […]
Who was that masked man? That’s what a lot of players were wondering on Thursday (August 29) before the identity of the mysterious Shadow Duelist Nocturne was unveiled during the Yu-Gi-Oh! Master Duel livestream.
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As it turns out, it was none other than Zayn Malik, 31, a lifelong fan of the free digital card game who didn’t play in the tournament, but whose reveal was teased earlier this month as a “celebrity in disguise,” along with previous hints that he mystery man was “cloaked in shadow and draped in melody” and was part of a “celebrated brotherhood of troubadours.” When the big moment came, Malik, wearing black leather gloves and a black suit, slowly pulled off the character’s gold and black voice changing helmet with glowing green eyes as the event’s hosts lost their minds.
Before the reveal, the hosts shared a the obvious penultimate clue, which read, “From dusk till dawn, Nocturne fills the air with Stardust and PILLOWTALK,” a triple-down on Zayn solo single hints.
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The winner of Thursday’s tournament not only earned bragging rights, but also a signed copy of the mask as part of their prize package. After a player called Fictinium emerged victorious, Malik removed his mask and talked about his love of the franchise that includes games, anime and playing cards.
“Yeah, I’m a big, big Yu-Gi-Oh! fan. I’ve been into Yu-Gi-Oh! for a long time, since I was a small kid, so it’s an honor to be here, to do this, and it was very exciting,” said Malik, who offered up game-play commentary on the final four alongside the night’s hosts, Steven Kangas and Billy Brake. “I’ve been looking forward to it for a few weeks.”
Zayn said he was excited to wear the cool mask because he loves dressing in costume, but also was way into watching everyone compete as he signed the inside of the mask for Fictinium. The singer also ran down his favorite battles, shared his packed childhood Yu-Gi-Oh! binder and revealed his favorite card while talking about his Yu-Gi origin story, which involved first playing the game when he was “really young” on his Gameboy Advance SP.
“What is my favorite card? Obviously, I have the Shooting Star Dragon — and, obviously, it’s one of my most powerful cards, that’s why I like it so much,” Zayn said, displaying his leather binder — with the game’s name hand-scrawled across the front in Sharpie — and some of his most treasured cards. “I have the Shooting Quasar Dragon, too.” And, for the record, if he was to record a theme song for the series, it would be something “high energy” with an “early 2000s rock” vibe.
The singer, who joked about calling his next album, Yami Yugi, displayed a deep knowledge of the Yu-Gi-Oh! universe, while also taking a moment to tease upcoming music. Saying he was “honored to be here,” Zayn also told viewers that he has “some interesting stuff coming out with my music pretty soon. Some pretty big announcements coming up, so if you’re interested in my music at all, I’ve got some cool news coming pretty soon.”
Zayn signed a new recording contract with Mercury Records last summer and released his fourth solo album, Room Under the Stairs, in May.
Watch Zayn’s reveal below.
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MTS is joining forces with BTS once again — yes, for real. After teasing on social media that she was teaming up with another artist to release a new collaboration, Megan Thee Stallion has confirmed that she’s working with the world’s biggest K-pop stars: Jin, Suga, J-Hope, RM, Jimin, V and Jung Kook.
The “Hiss” rapper first started hinting at a new duet on X Thursday (Aug. 29), when she simply tweeted a pointed string of emojis: “🐎X💜 👀”
The cryptic post got lots of fans fired up, with some immediately guessing that the purple heart signified BTS’ involvement. “HELLO?? PURPLE HEART?? BTS???” one person commented at the time, while another excited user wrote, “BTS COLLAB ?? NO ONE MOVE.”
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The following day, BTS’ account confirmed the news: “🐎X🦔(🐨),” the band wrote, retweeting Meg’s original post. “Coming Soon! 💜👀”
The news comes about two months after the “WAP” artist released her third studio album, Megan, which debuted at No. 3 on the Billboard 200. BTS’ full-band activities have been on pause as the members fulfill their mandatory military obligations in South Korea, with some of the boys dropping solo projects in the meantime.
The new collab won’t be the first time MTS and BTS have worked together. In 2021, Meg jumped on the remix to the boy band’s Billboard Hot 100-topping single “Butter,” which they all performed together at BTS’ concert in Los Angeles that November.
“I love BTS, and I was telling my manager, ‘I really want to do a song with BTS, I don’t know what I can do or what we’re going to do,’” she recalled to Entertainment Tonight the following February. “Around that the same time, they wound up reaching out to me and asking me to do the ‘Butter’ remix. So, I was like, ‘Oh my God.’”
See Megan and BTS’ tweets below.
Billboard’s Friday Music Guide serves as a handy guide to this Friday’s most essential releases — the key music that everyone will be talking about today, and that will be dominating playlists this weekend and beyond.
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This week, Big Sean puts in the work, A$AP Rocky has a gift for fans and Muni Long is back with more R&B gems. Check out all of this week’s picks below:
Big Sean, Better Me Than You
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“Back to the basics, back to the work,” Big Sean raps in the opening minutes of his new album Better Me Than You — and the Detroit star’s first album since 2020 indeed carries a sense of head-down purpose, with guest artists like Gunna, Syd, Kodak Black and Bryson Tiller lending a hand as Sean carries the torch of no-frills hip-hop.
A$AP Rocky, “Tailor Swif”
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A previously leaked track that A$AP Rocky has properly released as a gift to fans, “Tailor Swif” finds the rapper quickly jumping between come-up stories and double-entendre boasting: “Even when I was po’, I was out here, eatin’ goats,” he spits, as the flute-laden production urges him to keep going.
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Muni Long, Revenge
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After waiting many years for her solo moment, then achieving it with the top 20 smash “Hrs & Hrs,” Muni Long has happily returned sooner than later with Revenge, which follows 2022’s Public Displays of Affection: The Album as another R&B songwriting showcase, highlighted by the electric recent hit “Made For Me.”
Tommy Richman, “Thought You Were the One”
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After “Million Dollar Baby” zoomed into the top 10 of the Hot 100 and “Devil is a Lie” continued his upward trajectory, Tommy Richman shows off his vulnerable side on “Thought You Were the One,” which molds his new jack swing riffing and falsetto croon into a more heartbroken pose.
Zedd, Telos
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When you revive Jeff Buckley’s “Dream Brother” for a dance remix, you know you are taking some big swings — and Zedd, the veteran EDM star who has scored hits by taking chances in the pop world, spends new album Telos pushing his style into intriguing new territories as a wide smattering of guests (Muse! Dora Jar! John Mayer!) swing by to help.
Noah Kahan, Live From Fenway Park
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At long last, Noah Kahan has left the road after spending multiple years gradually growing his fan base and venue size — but before wrapping up a tour that eventually made him a stadium headliner, the singer-songwriter recorded Live From Fenway Park, a live album that captures Kahan beaming through his catalog at the hometown gig.
Victoria Monét & Usher, “SOS (Sex on Sight)”
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Continuing a fruitful year in which Victoria Monét won the best new artist Grammy and Usher headlined the Super Bowl halftime show, “SOS (Sex on Sight)” allows both artists to warble about desire and showcase their abilities as master collaborators — some of their strongest respective work has been alongside other artists, and “SOS” is another winning team-up.
Editor’s Pick: Fireboy DML, Adedamola
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For casual fans who only know Nigerian singer-songwriter Fireboy DML’s global smash “Peru,” new album Adedamola is both a sumptuous listen and personal new entry into his discography, building upon his global success with anecdotes about his journey and engrossing relationship musings; this album simmers, and never loses your attention.
The 2025 Eurovision Song Contest is setting up roots in the northern Swiss town of Basel. Organizers announced the news on Friday (August 30), revealing that the 69th edition of the international singing competition will visit Switzerland for a third time next May 13, 15 and 17 when it sets up shop Basel’s 12,000-capacity St. Jackobshalle Arena; Eurovision previously took place in Lugano for the very first edition in 1956 and Lausanne in 1989.
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Switzerland took home the top prize in the inaugural year of Eurovision, when Lys Assia’s “Refrain” came out on top and then won again in 1988 when Celine Dion triumphed with “Ne partez pas sans moi.” Following last year’s win by Swiss singer Nemo, riverside town Basel, the third largest city in the country, was tapped to host this year after beating out Geneva for the honor.
Nemo thrilled the crowd last year in Malmö Arena in Sweden when the singer — who identifies as non-binary, representing the first Eurovision win by a non-binary act — performed their song about coming to terms with their identity.
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The annual Eurovision finals are one of the most-watched TV events of the year, with the 2024 edition drawing in more than 160 million viewers. According to a release announcing next year’s host, the two Swiss cities who were the final candidates were chosen according to criteria including hotel capacity, security, available venues, sustainability, transportation infrastructure and experience with large events.
“The EBU is thrilled that Basel has been selected as the Host City for the Eurovision Song Contest 2025,” said Eurovision executive supervisor Martin Österdahl in a statement. “The Contest was born in Switzerland in Lugano back in 1956 and it’s great to be bringing it back to its birthplace almost 70 years later. Basel’s strategic location at the crossroads of Europe makes it the ideal setting for an event that celebrates the power of music to connect people across borders.”
He continued, “With its unique blend of tradition and innovation, Basel reflects the spirit of the Eurovision Song Contest. The city’s exceptional St. Jakobshalle venue and outstanding hospitality will ensure a memorable experience for delegations, artists and fans alike. Following Contests in the Italian and French speaking parts of the country in 1956 and 1989 we’re also excited to bring the Eurovision Song Contest to German Switzerland for the very first time.”
Basel, a town of 177,000 situated on the River Rhine, is one of the country’s cultural capitals, home to dozens of museums and world-class architecture. Tickets for the nine 2025 shows, including dress rehearsals, are expected to go on sale in the next few months.
Check out the 2025 announcement below.
Sabrina Carpenter has been one busy woman. Just one week after dropping her sixth studio album, Short n’ Sweet, the 25-year-old pop star released a surprise bonus track — and Barry Keoghan was first in line to download. Sharing an outtake from her Short n’ Sweet cover shoot, Carpenter announced the new song on Instagram […]
There’s a moment in Adam Sandler’s new comedy special, Love You, when the comedian picks up an acoustic guitar and very intently and fluently plays “Malagueña,” the classical guitar instrumental by Cuban composer Ernesto Lecuona, before he launches into “Mutterin’,” a comedic song about murmuring negative asides under his breath.
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In Sandler’s first Netflix special in six years, he finds humor in most things — whether it be a low-brow, scatological sketch about a wish-granting genie, or a clever riff on non-sensical word pronunciations as he toggles between spoken bits and songs. But one thing Sandler takes very seriously is his musicianship.
“When I was a kid, my dad had an acoustic guitar, and he would play ‘Malagueña.’ That song means a lot to me,” Sandler tells Billboard. One day, Sandler — who was already taking guitar lessons while growing up in Manchester, New Hampshire — came upon a Stratocaster in a store window. “I was in bands all through junior high and high school and I said, ‘Oh my God, I would do anything for that guitar.’ My dad said, ‘I’m not just going to get it for you, but if you learn “Malagueña” note for note, I’ll get that guitar for you.’ I practiced it for a year until my father was impressed enough he got it for me when I was 12. I think of that every time I pick up a guitar.”
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And he picks up the guitar a lot in Love You, which was directed by Josh Safdie, whom Sandler worked with to great acclaim on the 2019 drama Uncut Gems. Instead of the usual comedy special where the comedian walks out onto a brightly lit stage to applause, Love You opens with a decidedly more frantic, in-your-face tone. Sandler pulls up to the venue dealing with a shattered windshield, he’s then barraged by autograph seekers, he can’t find a clean hoodie to wear, his coffee order is wrong, and he’s running late. Once he gets on stage in the darkly lit small club — a deliberately disheveled Nocturne Theater in Glendale, California — things aren’t much better: there are technical glitches with the screens, and a stray dog even wanders onto the stage.
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When Safdie came to him with his slightly skewed vision for the special, Sandler says, “It definitely took me a little while to go ‘yes.’ I just thought we were going to shoot the show because I had been doing the show for a while and I had that down, so I was excited to do that, but Josh kept saying, ‘Let’s try to do something different.’” The special is a scaled-down version of the arena show Sandler took on the road last fall, which grossed $28.5 million in 27 shows, according to Billboard Boxscore.
Though Sandler knew some of the curveballs that were going to come his way at the Nocturne, Safdie’s plan kept Sandler on his toes, and gives the special a jagged edge. “That made it more exciting the days we were shooting,” Sandler says. “I definitely never knew when something was going to come at me and throw the rhythm off, and I had to try to react and keep the show going as smoothly as we could. It made it more of an electric vibe.”
As if there wasn’t enough disruption, an unplanned kerfuffle breaks out between some audience members. “It was kind of early on in the show, and then all of a sudden you felt some hostility in the crowd,” says Sandler, who quickly diffused the situation. “When you’re on the road, it’s going to happen. Things get out of control in the audience and you got to react to it and try to calm things down.”
Just as his 2018 special, 100% Fresh, ended with a sentimental, sweet musical tribute to the late Chris Farley, his friend and former Saturday Night Live castmate, Love You similarly concludes with “Here Comes the Comedy,” a warm salute to the healing power of comedy, as footage of the dozens of comedians who have influenced and delighted Sandler since his youth appear on the finally operational monitors. In the six-minute number, written by Sandler and his longtime musical partner Dan Bulla, Sandler plays the Stratocaster his father gave him when he was 12.
Sandler apologizes that he has to cut the interview short because he’s in the middle of pre-production on Happy Gilmore 2, his sequel to his 1996 comedy classic. The movie will start shooting in New Jersey next year and Sandler’s already teased that the new version will include a number of cameos, just as the original did, including Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce, who sported a Happy Gilmore cap at this April’s Coachella. “He’s gonna come by. He’s a very nice guy,” Sandler said on The Tonight Show on Aug. 20. “You guys would love him in real life. What a big, handsome guy. Funny and cool as hell. He’s a stud and he’s so funny.”
There’s no word on whether Kelce’s girlfriend, superstar Taylor Swift, will also make a cameo, but Sandler is an unabashed Swiftie. He and his family attended a Los Angeles show on the Eras tour in August 2023, as well as the Los Angeles premiere of Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour concert film. When asked his favorite Swift song, Sandler struggles to pick just one, but it’s clear he has plenty riffling through his head from years of being the ultimate girl dad.
“Everything [my two daughters] throw on I love, but one of the first ones they threw on when they were young was ‘The Best Day,’” he says of Swift’s sentimental track about her mom from 2008’s Fearless. “We connected with that when the kids were young. Every album, we listen the first day it comes out. There’s not a song they don’t know every word to.”
Like Swift, Sandler is no stranger to the Billboard charts. Between tunes like “The Chanukah Song,” The Wedding Singer’s “Grow Old with You” and “The Thanksgiving Song,” as well as his Grammy-nominated comedy albums, Sandler’s landed on 10 different charts, including topping the Comedy Albums chart in 2019 with his 100% Fresh album. It’s something he’s kept an eye on since his early days.
“When I was young and my albums came out, I worked with Brooks Arthur,” he says, referencing the renowned late music producer whom he collaborated with for nearly 30 years. “He used to talk to me about his charts and I’d ask him, ‘How are we doing on Billboard?’ I always wanted to know.”
