Latest news with #GreatestPopStars
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Was Mariah Carey's 2005 the Greatest Comeback Year for a Pop Star This Century?
At the outset of 2005, Mariah Carey was still digging herself out of the hole she'd sunk into commercially and personally over the decade's first half — a tough run that included a flop movie and soundtrack, a split with her new record label and a short hospitalization due to emotional and physical exhaustion. But in '05, Carey would dramatically reclaim the superstar status she'd held throughout the 1990s, with an album that debuted atop the Billboard 200, spawned multiple smash hits on the Billboard Hot 100 and reestablished her as a singular voice in pop music: The Emancipation of Mimi. On this week's extended Vintage Pop Stardom episode of the Greatest Pop Stars podcast, host Andrew Unterberger is joined by Billboard senior charts and data analyst Trevor Anderson to remember a legendary year in MC's story. We follow Mimi throughout her year of major hits, as she reminded everyone that when Mariah Carey was at the peak of her powers as a singer and songwriter — and especially when she was extricated from the drama that had long overwhelmed her career — there was still no substitute for her throughout all popular music. More from Billboard Taylor Swift's Debut on Travis Kelce's 'New Heights' Podcast Instantly Smashes Ratings Records 'The City Loves Him': Inside MGK's Emotional Homecoming, As Cleveland Celebrates MGK Day and His 'Lost Americana' Album For Artists Like Sombr and Gigi Perez, Self-Producing Is 'An Experiment and an Adventure' Along the way, we ask all the most important questions about how Mariah flew like a bird back to the peak of pop stardom: How unfair was the media treatment and overall narrative behind her early-'00s fall? What about the strategy behind Mimi helped put the album in the best position to succeed? Why did 'We Belong Together' become such a massive smash in such a new era for top 40? Why didn't any of the songs with big new guests or producers get released as 2005 singles? Should Wentworth Miller have been wearing a Yankees jersey in the 'Together' video? And most importantly: Is this the greatest comeback year we've seen a pop star have this century? Check it out above — along with a YouTube playlist of some of the most important moments from Mariah Carey's 2005, all of which are discussed in the podcast — and subscribe to the Greatest Pop Stars podcast on Apple Music or Spotify (or wherever you get your podcasts) for weekly discussions every Thursday about all things related to pop stardom! And as we say in every one of these GPS podcast posts — if you have the time and money to spare, please consider donating to any of these causes in the fight for trans rights: Transgender Law Center Trans Lifeline Destination Tomorrow Gender-Affirming Care Fundraising on GoFundMe Also, please consider giving your local congresspeople a call in support of trans rights, with contact information you can find on Best of Billboard Chart Rewind: In 1989, New Kids on the Block Were 'Hangin' Tough' at No. 1 Janet Jackson's Biggest Billboard Hot 100 Hits H.E.R. & Chris Brown 'Come Through' to No. 1 on Adult R&B Airplay Chart Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
06-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Did Kendrick Lamar & SZA's Grand National Kickoff Show Feel Like the Beginning of One of the Decade's Biggest Tours?
We've been talking about it on the Greatest Pop Stars podcast for nearly half a year already, but it didn't actually get here until last weekend: The Grand National stadium tour, co-headlined by Billboard's No. 1 Greatest Pop Star of 2024 (Kendrick Lamar) and our No. 2 Greatest Pop Star of 2023 (SZA) finally began its 39-date trek on Saturday night (Apr. 19) in Minneapolis. The performance, which featured the superstar co-stars trading off every 5-7 songs — aside from a couple mini-sets where they performed their collaborative hits together — ran 51 songs and nearly three hours, and of course included their teamup 'Luther,' which has been the No. 1 song on the Billboard Hot 100 for nine weeks and counting. On this Pop Star Performance Review of the Greatest Pop Stars podcast, host Andrew Unterberger is joined by Billboard deputy editor Joe Lynch — a Minnesota native who was in attendance for the show at U.S. Bank Stadium on Saturday — to go full '30 for 30' on the kickoff of the year's most anticipated pop tour. Joe answers all our questions about every element of the experience, from the crowd to the staging to the pacing to the energy to the 'A minorrrrrrrrr…..' More from Billboard Ye Disses Kendrick Lamar & Tyler, the Creator Again: 'The Two Most Overrated So-Called Artist' Benson Boone Drops 'Mystical Magical' New Song After Its Live Debut at Coachella Chappell Roan's 'Casual' Reigns on Top Movie Songs After 'Novocaine' Appearance Among the more pressing topics discussed: What is the dress code for a Kendrick/SZA stadium show? Does a 5'5″ rapper have any issues filling a stadium space? When did SZA become the bug queen of popular music? What kind of joint message were both artists trying to send by both playing previous Drake collaborations? Does 'Luther' really hit like a potentially career- or generation-defining smash when performed live? And perhaps most importantly: Does Grand National feel like a proper stadium show from two of the greatest pop stars in the world right now? Check it out above, and subscribe to the Greatest Pop Stars podcast on Apple Music or Spotify (or wherever you get your podcasts) for weekly discussions every Thursday about all things related to pop stardom! And as we say in every one of these GPS podcast posts — if you have the time and money to spare, please consider donating to any of these causes in the fight for trans rights: Transgender Law Center Trans Lifeline Gender-Affirming Care Fundraising on GoFundMe Also, please consider subscribing to the trans legislation journalism of Erin Reed, and giving your local congresspeople a call in support of trans rights, with contact information you can find on Best of Billboard Chart Rewind: In 1989, New Kids on the Block Were 'Hangin' Tough' at No. 1 Janet Jackson's Biggest Billboard Hot 100 Hits H.E.R. & Chris Brown 'Come Through' to No. 1 on Adult R&B Airplay Chart
Yahoo
23-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
How Can Drake Get Back to Peak Pop Stardom?
This Valentine's Day, Drake released his first new album since before his 2024 feud with Kendrick Lamar changed everything about his career outlook and overall narrative — the PartyNextDoor full-length team-up $ome $exy $ongs 4 U. While the final verdict on the album and what it might (or might not) do for Drake's overall trajectory is still out, the set and its early reception both make it clear that Drake's time as a major mainstream act is far from over — but also that he still has a good amount of work to do in getting back to where he was as a pop star at his 2010s peak. On this week's episode of the Greatest Pop Stars podcast, we offer Drake some guidance in recapturing his old greatness, by putting him on our first-ever Pop Star Performance Improvement Plan. Host Andrew Unterberger and regular guest Kyle Denis each offer three action items for Drake to follow, in the hopes of getting his performance level back up to company standard. Should he stay away from certain sample sources? Should he enlist some new collaborators? Should he just go away altogether for a period of time? We discuss all these ideas and more, in order to assist our No. 4 Greatest Pop Star of the 21st Century in getting back on track for the back half of the 2020s. More from Billboard The Killers, Tyler, the Creator and Olivia Rodrigo to Headline 2025 Osheaga Festival Would Lady Gaga Ever Wear That Meat Dress Again? Jay-Z, Ja Rule & Ashanti Among Attendees at Irv Gotti's Private Funeral Service We also hop around the pop landscape to cover what was yet another busy weekend in the world of pop stardom. We discuss some of the finest pop star moments (and biggest missed opportunities) from the two cultural events that dominated the weekend — the NBA's All-Star Weekend, and NBC's extended celebration of the 50th anniversary of Saturday Night Live — and also quickly share thoughts on the new deluxe edition of Sabrina Carpenter's Short n' Sweet and first taste from the recently announced collaborative album between Selena Gomez and producer fiancé Benny Blanco. And of course, you can't have a discussion about pop stardom in early 2025 without some Kendrick Lamar talk, so we cover our Greatest Pop Star of 2024's big weekend — one he dominated without actually even doing that much. Check it out above — along with a YouTube playlist of some of the most memorable moments from the packed weekend in pop stardom, all of which are discussed in the podcast — and subscribe to the Greatest Pop Stars podcast on Apple Music or Spotify (or wherever you get your podcasts) for weekly discussions every Thursday about all things related to pop stardom! And if you have the time and money to spare, please consider donating to any of these causes in the fight for trans rights: Transgender Law Center Trans Lifeline Gender-Affirming Care Fundraising on GoFundMe Best of Billboard Chart Rewind: In 1989, New Kids on the Block Were 'Hangin' Tough' at No. 1 Janet Jackson's Biggest Billboard Hot 100 Hits H.E.R. & Chris Brown 'Come Through' to No. 1 on Adult R&B Airplay Chart
