Pop

14 Dec 2023

Billboard’s Greatest Pop Stars of 2023: No. 4 — Ice Spice

For this year’s update of our ongoing Greatest Pop Star by Year project, Billboard is counting down our staff picks for the top 10 pop stars of 2023 all this week. At No. 4, we remember the year in Ice Spice — who, while still in the earliest stages of her career, became a vital and inescapable part of 2023 pop culture.

From a young age, Ice Spice had manifested becoming successful, and her time in the spotlight finally came toward the end of 2022. “Watch me get lit by the end of the summer,” the then-22-year-old MC rapped on her single “Euphoric,” which she independently released three months before her breakout hit “Munch (Feelin’ U).” The New York drill anthem flashed Ice’s brash and brisk delivery and popularized her colloquialism that she defines as “a hater or somebody that’s really obsessed with you that’s just fiending to eat it.”  

Billboard’s Greatest Pop Stars of 2023:
Introduction & Honorable Mentions | Rookie of the Year: Peso Pluma | Comeback of the Year: Miley Cyrus | No. 10: Drake | No. 9: Doja Cat | No. 8: Bad Bunny | No. 7: Olivia Rodrigo | No. 6: Karol G | No. 5: Morgan Wallen

Even though it never broke onto the Billboard Hot 100, “Munch” earned her a label deal with 10K Projects and Capitol Records one month after its release, and introduced Ice Spice as rap’s buzziest newcomer. Her cinnamon curly afro made her instantly recognizable, while her sharp-tongued bars exposed listeners to her own vernacular that quickly became part of the pop culture lexicon, like “baddie friend” from the cutesy-yet-cutthroat single “In Ha Mood,” where she patted herself on the back for accomplishing what she had originally set out to do before the warm-weather months were over. 

Ice Spice

Edwig Henson

Ice Spice

Coughs

Going into 2023, Ice shut down any remaining one-hit wonder claims, and proved she could dominate the charts and rule as “the People’s Princess,” as dubbed by her fans (who collectively call themselves the Spice Cabinet, while they’re individually known as Munchkins). She kicked off the new year with her debut EP Like..?, a six-song project named after her signature interjection that fused her pop sensibilities with her right-hand producer RIOTUSA’s expansive drill sound. Like..? debuted in the top 40 of the Billboard 200, while the Diddy-sampling, Lil Tjay-assisted “Gangsta Boo” debuted at No. 82 on the Hot 100, marking Ice’s debut entry on the chart.  

After receiving a DM from PinkPantheress to hop on the remix of her melancholy bubblegum pop single “Boy’s a Liar,” the two joined forces on “Boy’s a Liar, Pt. 2” in February. One fan’s TikTok of the two artists filming the music video from an NYC fire escape instantly fueled social media buzz for the song prior to its release — and the song and video quickly justified the hype, their sounds and personalities perfectly complementing one another. The genius linkup between the “Gen Z ‘It’ girls of the internet era,” as PinkPantheress called the duo when speaking to Billboard, wasn’t just written in the stars, but solidified both artists’ statuses as such: “Boy’s a Liar, Pt. 2” reached No. 3 on the Hot 100, earning Ice and Pink each their first top 10 hits.  

Ice continued expanding her reach outside of the rap world by rubbing elbows with the right people. Zedd invited Ice to perform “No Clarity” – Ice’s 2021 single featuring an uncleared sample of Zedd and Foxes’ 2012 dance smash “Clarity” – during his set at Miami’s Ultra Music Festival in March. But later that month, she connected with one of the biggest pop stars in the world. Ice and PinkPantheress presented Taylor Swift with the song of the year award at the 2023 iHeartRadio Music Awards, but widely circulated photos of Ice’s heartwarming embrace with the megastar suggested this wouldn’t be the last time we’d see these two together.  

But before she could collaborate with Swift, Ice checked off the No. 1 artist from her collab bucket list when Nicki Minaj hopped on the “Princess Diana” remix in April. Much like her destined team-up with PinkPantheress, the undeniable power between rap’s new princess and its long-reigning queen made the remix an instant hit. “Princess Diana” debuted at No. 4 on the Hot 100 – earning Ice her second top 10 hit – and took the throne on Hot Rap Songs, making it the first No. 1 by two co-billed women in the chart’s 34-year history.  

And since Ice knows no bounds, she wasn’t going to just stop at music. Having already served as the face of two major celebrity brands – Beyoncé’s Ivy Park and Kim Kardashian’s SKIMS – Ice made her proper foray into the fashion world when she attended her first-ever Met Gala on May 1. And by the end of the month, she went from the Met to MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J., where she made a surprise appearance during Swift’s Eras Tour stop to live-debut the “Karma” remix she was featured on. “I’m a massive fan of this brilliant artist and after getting to know her I can confirm: she is THE ONE to watch,” Swift wrote while announcing the remix the day before its release. With the ultimate cosign, Ice had enough auxiliary star power to launch her into the pop stratosphere and the upper echelon of the charts. “Karma” leaped to No. 2 on the Hot 100, earning Ice her third top 10 and her highest-charting hit to date.  

By the year’s halfway point, Ice showed no signs of slowing down, and found new ways to keep herself in the conversation. In June, Ice became part of the pop cultural event of the summer – the Barbie movie – by reuniting with Minaj on the bass-bumping “Barbie World” anthem, which sampled Aqua’s 1997 Eurodance smash “Barbie Girl.” The song debuted at No. 7 on the Hot 100, earning Ice her fourth top 10 hit in just four months.   

And while Ice continued to scorch through the mainstream, she and her team strategized career moves that made sure she didn’t burn out. She opted to drop the deluxe version of Like..? with four new songs in July instead of rushing a debut studio album. Her delectable “Deli” cut became the next single and reached No. 41 on the Hot 100, making it her highest-charting solo single to date and showing that Ice didn’t need to rely on A-list assistance for hits.  

All eyes were on Ice, and in August, Billboard awarded her with a new title: R&B/Hip-Hop Rookie of the Year. Despite the honor arriving two days before the one-year anniversary of her breakout single “Munch,” the 24-year-old MC’s career trajectory felt far more established for someone who was just getting started. And by the end of the third quarter, she had cemented herself as a household name.  

She and Swift reconnected at another awards show, this time at the 2023 MTV Video Music Awards, and the cameras couldn’t stop capturing their chemistry, as well as Ice’s teary-eyed acceptance speech when she won best new artist. To sweeten the pot, Dunkin’ announced the new Ice Spice Munchkins Drink during the commercial break, with a hilarious spot that she filmed alongside acclaimed actor and Dunkin’s No. 1 fan Ben Affleck.  

Ice was officially inescapable. And while she was connecting with audiences at home, she was also connecting with them around the world through multiple festival performances. She performed at Rolling Loud California and Miami; Hot 97 Summer Jam, where she was surprised with a gold plaque for “Munch”; and four European festivals in the span of a single week. Ice utilized every performance opportunity to get better and better, gearing up for her role as the supporting act for Doja Cat’s Scarlet Tour in November. 

But a month before she hit the road, Ice made a pit stop at Saturday Night Live for her musical guest debut during the season 49 premiere, and the first live taping since the writer’s strike ended. The pressure to deliver a memorable performance was on, but Ice handled it with finesse – and with the help of a couple famous friends. Swift made a surprise cameo to introduce Ice before her live debut performance of “Pretty Girl” with Afrobeats star Rema, which dropped the day prior. Ice proved she could balance her relationships with A-listers and fellow up-and-comers, while dipping her toes into yet another genre, which honored her Nigerian roots. 

Ice ended 2023 by effortlessly collecting major accolades like Infinity Stones and prevailing as one of the most commercially successful and culturally relevant new artists in pop and hip-hop. Ice topped Billboard’s year-end Top New R&B/Hip-Hop Artists chart and landed on Forbes 30 Under 30 music list. And she earned four Grammy nominations ahead of next year’s awards, including for best new artist. 

While closing out her massive breakout year, Ice is already plotting an even bigger 2024. She posted a photo of her new tramp stamp on Instagram while potentially teasing a Y2K project for next year. It could align with her 24th birthday, since the star was born on January 1, 2000. Ice’s arrival at the turbulent turn of the millennium foreshadowed how much the rapper would shake things up in such a short time. The world just wasn’t ready for her, and it still isn’t. 

14 Dec 2023

Watch ‘Merrily We Roll Along’ Stars Daniel Radcliffe, Jonathan Groff & Lindsay Mendez Sing ‘Old Friends’ From New Cast Album

Since its Broadway premiere in 1981, Stephen Sondheim‘s Merrily We Roll Along has been struggling to, well, get back to Broadway.

The musical about 20 years of friendship between composer Franklin Shepard, lyricist Charley Kringas and writer Mary Flynn — which unfolds onstage in reverse chronological order, starting when that friendship has dissolved and all three are jaded shadows of their former selves — famously ran for just 16 performances and 44 previews in its original production. Over the years since, several prominent productions have attempted to solve what many considered the show’s inherent problems, and in that time, it’s also become one of Sondheim’s most beloved shows (and scores), a musical fan’s musical.

Now, Merrily has finally made that long-awaited return to Broadway, in an acclaimed production directed by Maria Friedman that critics have unanimously deemed the one the show always deserved. A second extension of its limited engagement at the Hudson Theatre was just announced (through July 7, 2024), and ticket sales have smashed its theater‘s record seven times. And the show’s success owes a great deal to the joyous chemistry between its three leads: Jonathan Groff as Shepard, Daniel Radcliffe as Kringas and Lindsay Mendez as Flynn.

The trio’s vocal talents can be heard on the new Merrily cast recording, streaming now and available on physical CD on Jan. 12 (via Sony Masterworks Broadway). Below, Billboard exclusively premieres a music video of them performing one of the musical’s central songs, “Old Friends.”

14 Dec 2023

Madonna Jokes About Rumored Boyfriend, Plays Surprise Song During First NYC Celebration Tour Date

Madonna’s Celebration Tour rolled into Barclays Center on Wednesday (Dec. 13) for the first of several New York City dates. Two months after opening in London’s O2 Arena on Oct. 14 (with five of her children in attendance), The Celebration Tour is going strong. Billboard Boxscore recently reported that the tour tally so far is approaching $100 million in grosses, with the trek likely to net $225 million worldwide when all is said and done.

Despite a late start, the high-energy show featured a setlist surprise as well as an on-stage appearance by her rumored boyfriend, boxing coach Josh Popper, a reality TV veteran who runs a gym in New York City called Bredwinners.

The tour is a vocally impressive showing for the reigning Queen of Pop, especially given that a health scare forced her to postpone its start by a few months. And the setlist is a dream, encompassing essential Billboard Hot 100 No. 1s, deep-cut fan favorites and a few tracks she hasn’t trotted out in years. “It’s a tour which is essentially biopic in style, documentary in style,” Stuart Price – the tour’s music producer – told Billboard shortly after the Celebration Tour opened in London. The beating, bleeding heart of the show remains “Live to Tell,” which pairs the melancholy ballad with images of lives lost to HIV/AIDS (many of them being friends of Madonna’s). The most transcendent moment, however, is “Ray of Light,” which finds Madonna soaring above the crowd in an airborne window of sorts, belting out the sublime chorus while bubbling swaths of acid house roll around the crowd (which, naturally, loses its collective mind).

Madonna returns to Barclays Center on Thursday (Dec. 14) and Saturday (Dec. 16). The Celebration Tour swings back through NYC next year, hitting Madison Square Garden on Jan. 22, 23 and 29.

Check out the best moments from her first NYC date on The Celebration Tour below.

14 Dec 2023

Watch Ed Sheeran and Elton John Adorably Exchange Ugly Soccer-Themed Christmas Sweaters

Celebrities, they’re just like us. Look no further than mega-selling pop pals Elton John and Ed Sheeran, who posted a sweet video on Wednesday (Dec. 13) of their annual gift exchange. The 82-second clip opens with Sheeran in a dark blue puffer jacket preparing to go watch a soccer match between Ipswich Town and Watford with John.

“And I’ve brought him some Christmas presents,” Sheeran says. As he arrives at the stadium, Sheeran reveals that he’s gotten John a classic holiday gift: an ugly sweater (or “jumper” as they call them in England.) Asked by his companion if he thinks the famously stylish John will wear it, Sheeran laughs, “I doubt it.”

Cut to the two exchanging packages, Merry Christmases, a hug and “I love you”s before Sheeran shows off his truly terrible Christmas-themed Watford sweater and John proudly holds up his snowflake-decked Ipswich Town top; Sheeran is famously an Ipswich supporter. “Just what I wanted… A Watford jumper!” Sheeran enthuses as John busts out the Ipswich nickname, “come on you Tractor Boys!”

The two then hit the stands, where they perform an impromptu bit of John’s “Your Song” — and Sheeran steals John’s famous spectacles as a prank — before Ed raises his first in victory after his team bested Watford 2-1. An annoyed John, who bought the Watford team in the 1970s and served as its chairman and president for more than 25 years, shakes his head in resignation at the result.

The friends share one more hug and Sheeran sings a bit of their hit new holiday classic, “Merry Christmas,” which went straight to No. 1 on the Billboard Adult Contemporary chart in 2021.

Watch the video below.

14 Dec 2023

Lady Gaga Children’s Picture Book Coming From ‘My Two Dads and Me’ Author

The life and times of Lady Gaga are the subject of a new children’s picture book titled Lady Gaga: A Little Golden Book Biography. The latest in the series of board books for actual Little Monsters — which has previously included the stories of Dolly Parton, Taylor Swift and Beyoncé, among others — is a 24-page dive into all aspects of Gaga’s rise to stardom.

Due out on Jan. 2, a description of the project promises to, “help your little one dream big with a Little Golden Book biography about pop music icon, actress, and philanthropist Lady Gaga. Little Golden Book biographies are the perfect introduction to nonfiction for young readers — as well as fans of all ages!”

It was written by best-selling children’s book author Michael Joosten (My Two Dads and Me) and illustrated by Laura Catrinella (Stupendously Sampson: Princess Auroras Horse) and is available for pre-order here now; though it’s not out yet, the books is already No. 27 on Amazon’s list of best-selling children’s books thanks to pre-orders.

According to Rolling Stone, the book tells the story of Gaga’s rise from aspiring singer Stefani Germanotta to “playing open mic nights, to appearing on stage at the Grammys and Oscars.” It also chronicles how the singer got her famous Queen-inspired stage name and became both a music and acting superstar, including a section on her Oscar-winning work in A Star Is Born.

Gaga has kept a relatively low profile lately, but she came out on Tuesday night to support her Star co-star, Bradley Cooper, at the Los Angeles premiere of his latest musical adventure, the Leonard Bernstein biopic Maestro. The pair met up on the red carpet, with Cooper rocking a three-piece black suit and Gaga matching his energy with her own tailored black suit with silver bead accents.

13 Dec 2023

Anteater Loved His ‘Masked Singer’ Run, But Wasn’t ‘100% Disappointed’ When He Got Booted

SPOILER ALERT: This story contains the identity of the contestant eliminated on Wednesday night’s (Dec. 13) episode of The Masked Singer.

Anteater isn’t gonna lie: His super-awkward costume on The Masked Singer was cumbersome and, frankly, pretty ugly. But the dulcet-voiced veteran singer charmed the judges with his Battle run through Justin Timberlake’s Trolls hit “Can’t Stop the Feeling!,” a Philly soul take on the Backstreet Boys’ “I Want It That Way,” and an energetic Smackdown cover of Toni Basil’s “Mickey.” His gritty ramble through one of his favorite songs, Marc Cohn’s “Walking in Memphis,” cemented early on that this was definitely an A-lister, which might explain the top-shelf guesses.

Robin Thicke was pretty sure it was Jackson Browne or Paul Simon, while Jenny McCarthy-Wahlberg was thinking it was either Bob Seger, E Street Band guitarist “Little” Steven Van Zandt or Willie Nelson, and Nicole Scherzinger guessed John Cougar Mellencamp or Bryan Adams. Always-wrong Ken Jeong, as usual, was way off, guessing ’80s pop heartthrob Rick Springfield.

After self-described leftie “short king” Anteater’s final high-energy rip through his childhood favorite, Chuck Berry’s “Johnny B. Goode,” on Wednesday’s show, the cat, or ant, was out of the bag. The man behind the long snout was none other than mustachioed Hall & Oates member John Oates; also eliminated on Wednesday night’s season 10 Group C finals was Candelabra (Keyshia Cole), with Donut advancing to next week’s final against Cow, Gazelle and Sea Queen.

Billboard spoke with Oates, 75, before his elimination to find out how he chose the costume, why his intense cardio helped him survive the costume and whether the show has been a welcome distraction from the Hall & Oates lawsuit headlines.

Who came to you with the offer to be on the show? Were you already watching it?

I found out about it through my PR and social media team. Interestingly enough, I wasn’t aware of the show until I did a guest spot on The Goldbergs and [star] Hayley [Orrantia] reached out to me to say I was going to be a clue on The Masked Singer [when she was the Ringmaster in season 7]. I had no idea what she was talking about and then I started watching and said, “Wow!” That was my introduction to the show. I kind of followed it and then when it was a good time for me in between tours … I’m always up for something new and I realized how massive the reach of the show is. Here was a chance to talk to folks like you about my new music coming out in the spring, my single out next week and the charity work I’m doing with Feeding America and Movember. 

I’m not gonna lie, John, Anteater is probably the ugliest costume to date so far. Why did you pick that one?

Thank you. That’s what we were going for. I have to be honest, I didn’t like the costume when they showed me the rendering. “Why that?” Then I thought maybe it was a subtle connection between [Hall & Oates’ 1982 hit] “Man Eater” and Anteater, which I thought might be a subtle clue without being a clue. At a certain point they convinced me it’s cool, but I’m still not sure it’s true.

The arms were so long you couldn’t even hold the mic!

I had what I call a “Madonna mic,” the Janet Jackson mic that goes around your ear. The weird thing is I could only flap my arms up and down and it also had gigantic shoes that had a pair of sneakers inside the giant boots. I had to put my foot into the giant boot, so I could barely walk and I couldn’t see. 

You’re 75 years old, but you had so much of what the kids calls “rizz” onstage. How did you keep your wind up in that cumbersome costume?

It got challenging near the end, especially during the Smackdown performance, and then I had to sing it again. I ride my bicycle, cross-country ski and hike — so for my age, I’m in really, really good shape. The hardest thing for me was I couldn’t see because they had choreography for me and I had to count out the steps and sing at the same time. I should have gotten a freakin’ medal for that!

You seemed to really get out of your traditional lane with Justin Timberlake’s “Can’t Stop the Feeling!” and the Smackdown with “Mickey.” Were you excited to explore some different genres?

The “Mickey” one was too weird. But it’s fun and it’s crazy. I don’t mind being thrown into a situation like that and being on a tightrope. I’ve been singing “Johnny” since I was 6-7 years old when it first came out. It was one of the first songs I learned.

Were any of your friends or family hitting you up knowing it was you?

My wife and my team knew. When I had to go to L.A. to do the show every week for three weeks — I have a lot of friends in L.A. — I would go out to dinner with them and they’re like, “Why are you in town?” I was like, “Oh, I’m doing a TV pilot.” I would do the show all day and then hang with friends and lie to them.

In a way you’re kind of the best singer for the show since people know your vocals from songs like “She’s Gone” and “Time Won’t Pass Me By,” but you kind of slip under the radar by being able to do different styles.

That was one of the things that intrigued me and made me want to do it — the reaction to me singing without knowing my past. Daryl’s vocals are the signature of the big Hall & Oates hits, so I do fly under the radar. It was interesting to see what type of artist they thought I might be: Mellencamp, Bryan Adams, Willie Nelson… that one threw me. It was interesting to see what the reaction would be when they heard someone singing and connect their voice with the image and career without a preconceived notion of who it could be. 

The guesses were definitely all over the place and, I assume, kind of flattering? Bob Seger, Wilie Nelson, Paul Simon, John Mellencamp, Bryan Adams, Billy Joel and Rick Springfield?

All people who I really respect and like.

Is this the weirdest gig you’ve ever had?

It right up there! [Laughs] Right up there with when I was inducted into the Mustache Hall of Fame and performed a Halloween show for them where everyone in the audience, including women, wore mustaches. That was weird.

You also said it’s the most fun you’ve ever had. What was so fun about it?

It was just so fun to sustain this secret over a month. During the last episode I was scheduled to play the Newport Folk Festival  — talk about a conflict in styles! — so on Sunday I played a show in the afternoon, took the red-eye and then Monday I started rehearsing and doing choreography. I was wasted, really tired, and it was the last episode. When I got unmasked, I wasn’t 100% disappointed. 

Are you bummed you didn’t win? Who do you think has the inside track to win?

It was OK. It was a great experience and I some fun doing it, but when it was done I was pretty happy about that.

Tell me about your “Get Your Smile On” single. It’s such a sweet, old-school soul song, but with a bit of a modern drum machine touch.

It’s a song I wrote during COVID — I wanted to write something really positive — and this is a great time to put it out, with all proceeds from the download of the song going to Teen Cancer America. It’s a good-feeling song and I recorded it all at home on Garage Band.

I know you can’t talk specifics, but has it been fun promoting this show as a distraction from the headlines you’ve been dealing with lately about the catalog dispute with Daryl [Hall]?

Any time I can talk about music and not the other stuff, that’s better. 

Well, I hope that all gets resolved and we can see the two of you perform again together someday soon.

Yup, we’ll see.

The Masked Singer season 10 finale will air on Fox on Dec. 20 at 8 p.m. ET.

13 Dec 2023

P!nk Had the Best Response to Troll Who Called Her ‘Old’

P!nk is 44 years old and loving it!

The superstar took to X (formerly known as Twitter) on Monday (Dec. 11) to respond to a troll who wrote that she “got old” under a video of the “So What” singer promoting her upcoming 2024 North American tour dates.

“Yes, although I don’t feel old, and I still get to wear a leotard to work, growing older is actually my first ‘grateful’ every day,” she wrote. “What a blessing to have life, years. To be this strong, to be able to still piss off complete strangers just by existing. F— yeah times 44!”

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It’s been a big year for P!nk, who released the original version of her latest album Trustfall in March. The set peaked at No. 2 on the all-genre Billboard 200 chart, and spent a total of eight weeks on the tally.  The Trustfall (Tour Deluxe Edition) was released on Dec. 1, and also features “Irrelevant” and “Dreaming” with Marshmello and Sting, in addition to live versions of “Cover Me in Sunshine,” “What About Us,” “Just Like Fire” and more.

She also embarked on two tours this year, her Trustfall arena tour and Summer Carnival tour. She topped  Billboard’s monthly Top Tours chart in October after grossing $51.2 million and selling 271,000 tickets, according to figures reported to Billboard Boxscore.

13 Dec 2023

Animal Shelters Call on Swifties to Donate $13 to Celebrate Taylor Swift’s Birthday

Tis the season of giving, and animal shelters are calling on Taylor Swift fans to give back on the superstar’s 34th birthday.

Pennsylvania Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) explained their now-viral #TaylorSwiftChallenge best via Instagram on Wednesday (Dec. 13), posting a photo of Swift with her rescue cat Benjamin Button and calling on fans to donate $13 to a shelter of their choice in her name. “To honor Taylor and to help animal shelters everywhere who have had a particularly hard year we created this challenge to support not only our lifesaving mission, but efforts across the country,” the caption reads. “We have been thrilled to see it catch on with rescues and shelters from North Carolina to Texas, Missouri to Massachusetts and Kansas City to Oklahoma participating. We’re not on our own, kid.”

The post continued, “It is no secret that adoptions are low, owner surrenders are high, and at the Pennsylvania SPCA our Animal Law Enforcement team has had a record breaking year. Will you be the 1 for animals in need and donate today?”

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Swift is no stranger to adopting pets, as she has three adorable rescue cats, including the previously mentioned Benjamin Button as well as Meredith Grey and Olivia Benson.

See PSPCA’s #TaylorSwiftChallenge post below.

13 Dec 2023

Beyoncé Drops ‘Grown Woman’ on Streaming to Celebrate 10 Years of Her Self-Titled Album

It’s a big day for Beyoncé and the Beyhive. On Wednesday (Dec. 13), Queen Bey commemorated 10 years of her self-titled surprise visual album, and she’s treating fans to some new music — kind of — to celebrate.

When Beyoncé arrived on iTunes with no pre-release announcement or promotion in the wee hours of Dec. 13, 2013, the 14-track record came complete with 17 music videos. While certain songs on the album — namely “Partition” and “Haunted” — got two music videos to honor their long-winding structures, there was a bonus music video that did not accompany an audio track.

For a decade, Beyoncé fans have only been able to stream “Grown Woman” as a music video. On YouTube — where the clip was uploaded to honor the album’s one-year anniversary and the release of its platinum edition — the Jake Nava-helmed video has amassed over 145 million views. Before that, however, Beyoncé first teased a lengthy snippet of “Grown Woman” in a career-reflecting Pepsi ad that debuted just a few months after she rocked the Super Bowl Halftime Show stage in 2013.

Now, fans can enjoy the track as they would any other Beyoncé song. The Afrobeats-tinged single finally arrived on streaming platforms on Dec. 13, marking the second gift from Queen Bey following an Instagram video montage acknowledging the album’s anniversary.

“Grown Woman” is co-written by Beyoncé, The-Dream, Timbaland, Kelly Sheehan, Garland Mosley, Chris Godbey and Darryl Pearson, with production contributions from Timbaland and J-Roc.

Despite dropping in the middle of the tracking week, Beyoncé debuted atop the Billboard 200 with just three days of sales, becoming the fastest selling album in iTunes history at the time. The three-time Grammy-winning LP housed the Billboard Hot 100 No. 2 hit “Drunk in Love” (with Jay-Z), as well as “7/11” (No. 13), “Partition” (No. 23) and “Flawless” (No. 41).

Listen to “Grown Woman” via YouTube above.

13 Dec 2023

What’s Your Favorite Taylor Swift Album? Vote!

Happy birthday, Taylor Swift! The pop superstar turned 34 years old on Wednesday (Dec. 13).

To celebrate, the 12-time Grammy winner’s The Eras Tour film made its way to streaming services, and took to Instagram to poke fun at her “millennial” habits. Swift shared a video of herself performing the Speak Now fan favorite “Long Live” on her iconic blue koi fish guitar during a stop on Eras trek this year. “I had the time of my life fighting dragons with youuuu,” the pop star captioned her post, referencing her own “Long Live” lyrics. “Celebrate 34 with me by watching The Eras Tour (Extended Version) including ‘Long Live’ ? ‘The Archer’ ? and ‘Wildest Dreams’ ? at home!” 

“PS troll me all you want about my excessive and literal millennial emoji use,” she added. “But A) no one’s prouder to be a millennial and B) it’s my bday and today I am exempt! ?” 

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Over the course of her record-breaking career, beginning with her self-titled debut in 2006, Swift has released 10 studio albums, plus four re-recorded projects. Of those albums, 13 topped the Billboard 200 albums chart: Fearless, Speak Now, Red, 1989, Reputation, Lover, Evermore, Folklore, Midnights, Fearless (Taylor’s Version), Red (Taylor’s Version), Speak Now (Taylor’s Version) and 1989 (Taylor’s Version). The only studio album of hers that did not top the tally is Taylor Swift, which peaked at No. 5 in 2008, two years after its initial release.

In celebration of Swift’s birthday, of her 10 studio albums (re-recordings not included), we want to know your top pick. Let us know by voting below.