Pop Shop Podcast

After a painstaking pursuit of what he calls “perfect pop” on his euphoric 2023 album Something to Give Each Other, Troye Sivan could have easily stuck around the dancefloor for his next project. After all, Something was somewhat of a breakthrough for Sivan, 31, bringing him his first three Grammy nominations, two new Billboard Hot 100 hits (“Rush” and “One of Your Girls”), and a pair of high-profile tours: his own solo trek and the blockbuster Sweat Tour with Charli xcx.

Instead, Sivan leaned into the swinging pendulum of life on She’s the Best, his fourth album, out Friday on Interscope. “I wanted there to be this kind of push-and-pull between going from the stage and feeling like this hyper-empowered, hyper-sexualized, connected version of myself to then the reality of going back to the hotel and at times, honestly, feeling the most isolated that I felt in my life,” Sivan says. “That tension made me want to make something that felt really layered.”

In a sit-down interview with the Billboard Pop Shop Podcast, Sivan was joined by his collaborators Leland (“We would be friends even if neither of us were musicians,” the songwriter says of Troye) and his brother Tyde Levi (“I’ve known Troye since the day I was born!” the rookie producer laughs of his big bro) to talk about how the album came together and why much of its magic was found outside the studio.

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Madonna's relationship with the MTV Video Music Awards started on its very first telecast, back in 1984, when she writhed around on the stage in a fluffy white wedding dress while performing "Like a Virgin." On Sunday night, the Queen of Pop returned to her rightful stage to open the 2026 VMAs with songs from her Confessions II album and to collect a total seven awards -- and Billboard was in the building.

On the new Billboard Pop Shop Podcast, Keith tells Katie all about his night inside the Peacock Theater in downtown Los Angeles for the 2026 VMAs, where (beyond Madonna, of course) there was a stacked tribute to another MTV legend, George Michael, and the christening of new music video stars too, thanks to the fluid choreography from GENER8TION featuring Yung Lean.

Listen to the full episode to hear Keith's inside commentary.

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While Ella Langley is now the proud owner of the all-time Billboard Hot 100 record, thanks to “Choosin’ Texas” hitting 23 weeks atop the flagship songs chart this week, her biggest competition is waiting in the wings to potentially reclaim the crown later this year.

On the new Billboard Pop Shop Podcast, Katie & Keith take a closer look at what it would take for Mariah Carey — who previously held the record with her evergreen hit “All I Want for Christmas Is You” — to take the record right back this holiday season. Listen to the podcast below for the full breakdown of the timeline, from how much longer Langley will be at No. 1 to how many potential weeks Carey could have back up top.

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Oasis fans went from 15 years of musical silence from the British rock band to a stadium tour in 2025, an IMAX documentary in 2026, and now more stadium dates across the world in 2027.

On the new Billboard Pop Shop Podcast, Katie & Keith are talking about all the latest news around the Gallagher brothers -- Liam and Noel -- who reunited once more on the red carpet at the Venice International Film Festival earlier this month for the world premiere of Don't Look Back in Anger, a documentary about Oasis' blockbuster Live '25 reunion tour. And just after the film hit theaters last week, the band had another bit of news up their sleeve, releasing 38 new 2027 stadium tour dates, beginning in May in Glasgow and wrapping in September at England's vaunted Knebworth Festival -- with two new U.S. stops in the mix: Boston and Las Vegas.

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Over the weekend, Sabrina Carpenter and Bad Bunny both picked up their first Emmy Awards — Carpenter as a producer and performer on Disney+’s The Muppet Show special and Benito as a producer and performer at his 2026 Super Bowl halftime show.

And these multi-talented pop stars are just getting started. On the new Billboard Pop Shop Podcast, Katie & Keith are talking about whether the Emmy and Grammy winners could add an Oscar or Tony next for the coveted EGOT honor. Listen below for our full conversation about the most likely paths they could take to get there.

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While there’s no question Dolly Parton was popular, she had no intention of “going pop” throughout her 60-plus-year career.

On the new Billboard Pop Shop Podcast, Katie & Keith are chatting about the relationship Parton — who died on Aug. 25 at age 80 — had with pop music, from her crossover hits to collaborating with her goddaughter Miley Cyrus. In a 1977 interview with Country Music magazine — the same year she released one of her poppiest hits, “Here You Come Again” — Parton addressed the genre question head-on. “I never considered the fact that I was going pop,” she said at the time. “I will go pop, as far as crossing over, sooner or later. But I will go there as me. I will go there with my own music, not by trying to be something different than I am.

“If my music has to have a label, I will call it country, mainly because I am country,” she added. “You cannot leave what you are. But I really prefer to call it Dolly Parton music.”

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From performing onstage at the very first MTV Video Music Awards in 1984 to being the leading nominee at the 2026 show, Madonna's history with the VMAs runs deep.

On the new Billboard Pop Shop Podcast, Katie & Keith are talking about how the M in MTV should probably stand for Madonna at this point -- including Keith's one-and-only time inside the Video Music Awards. The year was 1998, and it was the last time Madonna was the show's leading nominee, and she took home the video of the year trophy for "Ray of Light."

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Over the weekend, tens of thousands of fans got this experience at events across the globe, with Chappell Roan popping out with Noah Kahan at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena for her song "California"; Cynthia Erivo reuniting with her Wicked co-star Ariana Grande at the O2 Arena in London; and Kristen Bell regaling the Savannah Bananas crowd with a Disney-powered medley at Denver's Coors Field. On the new Billboard Pop Shop Podcast, we're talking about the trio of delightful surprise guests crossing genres and continents.

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On Friday, it was announced that Sophia would be taking a step back from KATSEYE to prioritize her “mental health and wellness,” following a similar announcement from her groupmate Manon back in February. Now the six-person global girl group is down to a quartet — and it’s unclear when either member might return to the fold, especially after a six-month absence for Manon.

The news comes at a particularly busy time for KATSEYE, with their Wild album arriving on Friday and their Wildworld Tour — the group’s first global trek — kicking off in October. On the new Billboard Pop Shop Podcast, Katie & Keith are discussing the announcement and what it means for the group’s future. Will both women return, or might they remain a quartet?

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Without even mentioning it by name, BTS sparked a major debate about the new best Asian pop music performance category at the 2027 Grammys with their bombshell decision last week not to submit music from their latest album, ARIRANG, at next year's awards show. On the new Billboard Pop Shop Podcast, Katie & Keith take a closer look at that decision and at the category, and what it will look like without BTS in it.

We also discuss Madonna's new "Love Sensation" remix with Kylie Minogue, which the pair previewed with a WorldPride Amsterdam 2026 performance over the weekend before the song's arrival later this week. Plus: Ariana Grande's rep announced over the weekend that the pop star/actress plans to step back following the end of her Eternal Sunshine Tour, after Friday's release of her latest album, Petal.

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