Author: Rap Hooks

Being part of the Back to the Beginning festival — Black Sabbath and Ozzy Osbourne‘s final live performances — on July 5 in Birmingham, England, will be special for the myriad musicians involved. But Metallica bassist Robert Trujillo has a different stake in the proceedings.

Trujillo served as Osbourne’s bass player from 1996 to 2003, when he joined Metallica. He co-wrote songs for 2001’s Down to Earth and recorded fresh bass parts for 2002 reissues of Blizzard of Ozz and Diary of a Madman, and introduced his signature, sumo-like “crab walk” stage move while playing Black Sabbath’s “Iron Man” with Osbourne. Trujillo also co-wrote four songs on Osbourne’s Grammy-winning 2022 album Patient No. 9, and played on seven of its 13 tracks. And the bassist was part of the all-star performance for Osbourne’s induction last October into the Rock and Roll Hall of fame.

“I’m always there for Ozz,” Trujillo tells Billboard. “It’s surreal … to go from playing Black Sabbath songs and Ozzy solo material at backyard parties at age sort of 16 and 17, over on the west side of Los Angeles before you went to the clubs … and then once I got on stage with Ozzy when I played in his band, playing songs like ‘Iron Man,’ ‘Sweet Leaf’ and ‘War Pigs’ was so incredible and surreal, like a dream come true. To do that and there he is, in front of me — it was great.

“So this experience we’re about to have in Birmingham is really special, but it’s also sad because you know this is the final show for them, and that’s definite. It feels like the closing of a chapter.”

Trujillo’s connection to Osbourne and Black Sabbath goes back to his childhood, in a manner he says is also shared by his Metallica mates James Hetfield, Lars Ulrich and Kirk Hammett.

“The first music that was heavy that really did scare me came from Black Sabbath,” Trujillo explains. “All of us in Metallica have similar stories. It was listening to the song ‘Black Sabbath’ and looking at that photo of the woman on the [first album] cover, with the church in the background, and scaring ourselves: ‘What is this all about? Who is this woman? Where is this?’ It just resonated with us and scared us as kids.

“It’s so funny we had that similar experience. I thought that was pretty cool.”

Trujillo recalls that during his days in Osbourne’s band, the singer told him about Black Sabbath watching the 1973 film The Exorcist together while on the road in the U.S. “They were so scared by it they slept with the lights on — I don’t even know if they made it through the whole film,” he says. “It was so funny to hear Ozzy tell that story about how frightened they were. He was, ‘Can you imagine the Prince of Darkness, afraid of a movie?!’” he laughs.

“So what they experienced through The Exorcist, we all experienced through the [Black Sabbath] album and their music — especially on that first record.”

Because of that, the Metallica crew will be at Back to the Beginning as much fans as performers.

“We’re very excited to see Sabbath play,” Trujillo says. “It’s also a mystery to see what they’re gonna play and how much they’re gonna be able to do. It’s just cool that so many musicians — young and old and in-between — are gonna be part of this. Everybody’s around to celebrate the right way. It’s like three days compacted into one, and it’s an honor and privilege and really the ultimate sign of respect for that band.”

Trujillo says Metallica was one of the first bands approached to be part of the Back to the Beginning event, whose lineup also includes Guns N’ Roses, Slayer, Tool, Patera, Halestorm, Alice in Chains, Sammy Hagar, Billy Corgan and many more, with Rage Against the Machine’s Tom Morello serving as music director. “We got asked months and months and months ago — six months ago or before, when people didn’t know that it was happening,” Trujillo remembers. “Then I started hearing about it, so it was kind of interesting to see the excitement build with other musicians. It was sort of the talk of the town — at least in L.A., where I live — among the peers, and I’m thinking, ‘Oh, yeah, I know about that …’”

Metallica has been busy crafting its half-hour set for the event, which will include its own songs as well as at least one Black Sabbath track. Trujillo’s not giving anything away, but predicts “I would imagine we’ll play what fans would probably want to hear from a Metallica set, the popular wheelhouse of what Metallica does. And then as far as the Sabbath song, we’ve played a few over the years. We’ve been working on stuff, but we haven’t officially gone in there and really jammed on it, so it’s a work in progress, but I think the fans will be pleasantly surprised and also excited, ’cause we always put our stamp on it.

“It’s also a great challenge for us. I heard James working on some of it yesterday, before the show, off in the distance in our jam room. Ozzy’s vocals are pretty high — especially back in his youth — he was going for those notes, and I think for anybody that’s a bit of a challenge you’ve got to kind of navigate. So, yeah, we’re gearing up for it, probably like everybody right now. Most of the bands are on tour right now, and probably in their sound checks they’re running through one or two of the Sabbath songs, ’cause you want to do it right, y’know?”

The Back to the Beginning concert will be livestreamed starting at 10 a.m. ET in the United States. Tickets are available via Back to the Beginning’s website.

Metallica, meanwhile, recently wrapped up the latest North American leg of its continuing M72 World Tour, which launched during April of 2023. The group heads to Australia, New Zealand and the Middle East starting in November, with another run through Europe slated for late spring and summer of 2026.

After Sean “Diddy” Combs was found not guilty of sex-trafficking, despite days of Cassie Ventura testifying to the contrary, the singer has received support from someone who knows what it’s like to have their sexual assault claims play out in court: Kesha.

Just hours after the Bad Boy Records founder was acquitted on sex-trafficking and racketeering charges Wednesday (July 2) — with a New York jury only convicting him on two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution — Kesha shared a message of solidarity with Ventura on X. “Cassie, I believe you,” she wrote. “I love you.”

The pop star added, “Your strength is a beacon for every survivor.”

The jury’s decision came after two days of deliberations, putting an end to a seven-week trial that found federal prosecutors attempting to convict Diddy on allegations that he’d spent years running a criminal enterprise built around his own sexual gratification. Ventura took the stand for several days in May and detailed how the disgraced mogul allegedly abused and trafficked her for the sake of his “freak off” parties.

Diddy has denied all of the accusations levied against him in the trial from the beginning. He now awaits sentencing, facing a maximum of 20 years behind bars for the prostitution charge.

Kesha has previously found herself in the middle of legal proceedings involving allegations of sexual assault, with the singer accusing producer Dr. Luke in 2014 of drugging her and raping her at a 2005 party, something he vehemently denies. The claims sparked a yearslong legal battle that finally ended when the two parties reached a settlement in 2023 — but Kesha has been open about the toll her experience has taken on her personally and artistically.

The “TikTok” hitmaker is now gearing up to release . (Period) — her very first independent album after finishing her contract with Dr. Luke’s Kemosabe Records — on July 4. “It’s been all of my vision, all of my words, a lot of hard work, a lot of joy,” Kesha said of the project on The Jennifer Hudson Show in May. “Really coming back home to myself and feeling what freedom really looks like, feels like, sounds like.”

As for Ventura, the model recently welcomed her third baby with husband Alex Fine. The birth came just a couple of weeks after she finished her time on the stand in Diddy’s trial.

In response to the hip-hop titan’s partial acquittal, Ventura’s attorney’s said in a statement, “By coming forward with her experience, Cassie has left an indelible mark on both the entertainment industry and the fight for justice … This case proved that change is long overdue, and we will continue to fight on behalf of survivors.”

See Kesha’s post below.

The Contenders is a midweek column that looks at artists aiming for the top of the Billboard charts, and the strategies behind their efforts. This week, for the upcoming Billboard 200 dated July 12, we look at a loaded week of new and surging releases, headlined by returning alt-pop star Lorde and what’s quickly becoming the summer’s hottest movie soundtrack.

Lorde, Virgin (Republic): One of the most anticipated pop releases of the summer has certainly been Lorde’s fourth album Virgin, her first full-length since 2021’s polarizing Solar Power. The album came with an extensive rollout, led by first single “What Was That” — which was debuted at a stop-start live event in New York’s Washington Square Park (filmed for the song’s official video, released later that week) and which became her first Billboard Hot 100 top 40 hit of the 2020s, bowing at No. 36.

That song fell off the Hot 100 after just a few weeks, and none of the other tracks released in advance of Virgin followed it onto the chart — and the set has only 11 tracks and no feature appearances — so it’s unlikely to be a streaming blockbuster, though it should still perform respectably on DSPs. It’s also expected to sell well, helped by its availability for purchase in eight vinyl variants, including two signed editions — as well as being available on CD and for digital download. (The early critical response for Virgin has also been much stronger than the relatively mixed reception for Solar Power.)

It should be enough to continue Lorde’s streak of each of her studio albums making the Billboard 200’s top five, and may better the No. 5 debut of Solar Power. It’s unlikely to give her a second No. 1 album on the chart, however — following the No. 1 bow of Melodrama in 2017 — as Morgan Wallen’s I’m the Problem continues to be an absolute streaming juggernaut, set to score a seventh consecutive week of six-digit units on the chart.

KPop Demon Hunters Soundtrack (Republic): The greatest potential obstacle to Lorde’s path to a No. 2 debut on the Billboard 200 may come from another Republic release, and one far fewer would have tabbed as such a charts contender. KPop Demon Hunters, the animated Netflix musical set in the Korean pop world, has become such a sensation since its release two Fridays ago (June 20) that its soundtrack — featuring the songs of its two primary fictional groups, HUNTR/X and Saja Boys, as well as a couple contributions from real-life K-pop stars TWICE — appears on its way to being one of the summer’s biggest hits.

The rising soundtrack already debuted on the Billboard 200 dated July 5 at No. 8, making it the first soundtrack to reach the chart’s top 10 since Ariana Grande & Cynthia Erivo’s Wicked accompanying set in January. And the set is still growing, up 220% in streams over the first four days of this tracking week (June 27-30), as its songs continue to scale the DSPs’ daily charts — with the soundtrack now occupying five of the top 15 spots on Spotify’s Daily Top Songs USA listing, and seven of the top 25.

If the set continues to grow on streaming, it could not only crash the Billboard 200’s top five next week, it could challenge Virgin for the chart’s runner-up spot. And the album doesn’t even have a physical release yet — it’s only available for streaming and digital purchase at the moment — so if Republic could get a physical soundtrack together to tap into K-pop fans’ investment in tangible products, the sky is the limit for KPop Demon Hunters‘ commercial potential.

KATSEYE, Beautiful Chaos (Hybe UMG/Geffen): Speaking of K-pop — one of the biggest stories in the genre this year is of the global outfit KATSEYE, which encompasses members from not just Korea but the Philippines, Switzerland and the U.S., and sings in multiple languages, despite largely working within a K-pop framework. The group’s approach has generated much discussion within various pop communities, and also a couple crossover hits: The group’s singles “Gabriela” (No. 94) and “Gnarly” (No. 98) can both be found on this week’s Hot 100.

Both those singles can also be found on the sextet’s second EP, Beautiful Chaos. The five-track set contains contributions from behind-the-scenes stateside pop fixtures like Andrew Watt and Justin Tranter, and comes with a surfeit of physical options for purchase — including four vinyl variants and nine CD variants. It might not be enough to compete with the streaming power of KPop Demon Hunters on next week’s Billboard 200, but it should be enough to further cement KATSEYE as a burgeoning force on the charts.

IN THE MIX

Russ, W!LD (Diemon): Billboard‘s 2025 Indie Trailblazer returned on Friday (June 27) with new set W!LD, follow-up to 2023’s No. 12-debuting Santiago. The album should also be ticketed for a top 20 debut, as the 19-track collection has yet to produce any obvious breakout hits, but Russ’ selling power remains considerable for an independent rapper — and W!LD is available for purchase in multiple vinyl, CD and cassette variants, some of which are signed.

Barbra Streisand, The Secret of Life: Partners, Vol. 2 (Columbia): Barbra Streisand is one of the legends of the Billboard 200, having topped the chart a staggering 11 times in her career, ranging from 1964’s People to 2016’s Encore: Movie Partners Sing Broadway. Streisand’s latest Partners duets set is unlikely to make it an even dozen, but should attract interest with its star-studded guest list — including modern-day chart-toppers Ariana Grande, Sam Smith and Hozier, as well as all-time legends like Bob Dylan, Paul McCartney and Mariah Carey — and is available for sale in a pair of vinyl variants, as well as on CD.

Offset returned with his second single of 2025 as he reunited with JID for the menacing “Bodies,” which debuted on this week’s Billboard Hot 100 at No. 72.

The Atlanta rapper celebrated his first Hot 100 entry as a lead artist since 2023 with a post to X on Tuesday (July 1). “Let’s Go!!!” he wrote. “Bodies” compiled 6.6 million official U.S. streams, according to Luminate, in the week ending June 26.

Fans appear to be vibing with Set and JID’s latest release while chiming in on social media and reacting to the chart accolade. “Should’ve been top 30 at least,” one person said.

“‘Bodies’ is one of them ones I had to really take my time with,” Offset said in a press release. “It’s about standing on who you are, coming out the mud, and being confident in the face of adversity. I’m always evolving, and I don’t fit in a box as an artist.”

The Drowning Pool sample should sound familiar to longtime wrestling fans, as the band’s “Bodies” was the ECW theme song in the mid-2000s and served as the official track of 2001’s Summerslam.

It’s not the first time Offset and JID have joined forces for a Hot 100 hit. The duo previously teamed up for “Danger (Spiders),” which reached No. 95 on the chart in June 2023.

Offset is currently in album mode and he posted to Instagram in May that his project has been turned in to the label. Set will have plenty to get off his chest as the LP will mark his first since splitting from Cardi B (Cardi filed for divorce from Offset for the second time in August 2024).

There’s still no release date for the project, but Offset might have his eyes on getting a feature from Sabrina Carpenter after he revealed the pop star is his new celebrity crush.

Set’s been busy on stage as he performed at Milwaukee’s Summerfest Bash on June 27, and the Migos rapper stole the show when he brought a handicapped fan on stage with him for an unforgettable rendition of “Walk It Talk It.”

An interview with country musician Keith Urban ended abruptly after a radio interviewer asked the four-time Grammy winner about Urban’s wife, actress Nicole Kidman, filming “love scenes” in her movies.

Urban did a Zoom interview with Australia’s Mix 102.3 radio show “Hayley & Max in the Morning” hosts Max Burford and Hayley Pearson on July 1. Audio from that interview was shared, and during a segment of the show the hosts called “Wall of Truth,” they told Urban that they had a “very tricky” question to ask him.

Burford said, “When I was coming up with something to ask you, Keith Urban, if you happen to play this game, the first thing I thought of, with your beautiful wife Nicole Kidman being in so many great movies, TV shows all the time, I watched a movie with her and Zac Efron recently, [2024’s] A Family Affair.”

Urban responded kindly, “Oh yeah, that’s a good one.” Burford then asked Urban, “And I thought, ‘What does Keith Urban think when he sees his beautiful wife with beautiful younger men like Zac Efron, having these beautiful love scenes on TV and radio?”

At that point, the connection seems to go silent, with the host then questioning, “Oh, why has that happened?…what’s happened here?” Another, unspecified voice, then says, “He’s disconnected from Zoom.”

Pearson asks, “Did he just hang up on us?” The unidentified voice says, “I think his team [allegedly] hung up on us because they didn’t want us to ask that question.” Pearson then added that, “He doesn’t like the personal stuff. I knew that would happen.”

According to People, a source noted that it was not Urban who ended the call. “Keith did not hang up, period,” the source reportedly told People, adding, “He doesn’t host his Zoom interviews. This is a complete nothingburger.”

A rep for Urban declined to comment on the incident when reached by Billboard.

Urban is currently on tour, with upcoming shows in Denver (July 17), Salt Lake City (July 18) and Nampa, Idaho (July 19).

Benson Boone has backflipped his way into any number of American hearts over the last couple years, as his star has continued to rise through the release of 2024 smash hit “Beautiful Things,” its parent album Fireworks & Rollerblades, and any number of subsequent high-profile award show and festival performances.

This week, that ascent continues with the chart bow of his sophomore LP — appropriately titled American Heart — at No. 2 on the Billboard 200, with its two first singles (“Sorry I’m Here for Someone Else” and “Mystical Magical”) also ranking within the top 25 of the Billboard Hot 100. But the critics have not been as receptive as general audiences, having largely derided and dismissed American Heart upon its arrival.

Is the album’s debut performance better or worse than we might have expected? And is the criticism fair? Billboard staffers answer these questions and more below.

1. Benson Boone’s American Heart debuts at No. 2 with 61,000 equivalent album units moved. Is that higher, lower, or about what you would have expected?

Stephen Daw: The album’s placement on the chart feels right about on track for where I expected it to land, even if the number itself feels a little bit lower than I thought it could be. I figured American Heart could easily get close to six figures after Benson became a household name in the year since Fireworks & Rollerblades. But, the fact that this album earned a few thousand more units than his last in its first week despite not having a chart behemoth like “Beautiful Things” to bolster its numbers should be an encouraging sign for Mr. Boone. 

Kyle Denis: After the year that Benson has had, this figure is a bit lower than I anticipated. His last album, 2024’s Fireworks & Rollerblades debuted at No. 6 on the Billboard 200 with 58,000 equivalent album units — and that was with “Beautiful Things” still in the middle of its run in the Hot 100’s top 10.

Lyndsey Havens: Higher! A No. 2 debut for an artist who is still relatively new to the charts is great, especially when the only one blocking Boone is Morgan Wallen. Considering Boone’s 2024 debut album entered the Billboard 200 at No. 6, I expected his second set to enter somewhere in the top 10 but wasn’t even sure a top 5 slot was guaranteed. But timing — and his faithful fanbase — were on his side.

Jason Lipshutz: Higher! “Beautiful Things” is still a gargantuan hit, but none of its follow-ups have approached its level of ubiquity, and Benson Boone’s appeal could have been limited to that one smash single — which isn’t included on this new album. Instead, American Heart was released following some splashy primetime performances and festival sets, and right as recent singles like “Sorry I’m Here for Someone Else” and “Mystical Magical” have continued to rise on the Hot 100. Neither of those songs will likely grow to the size of “Beautiful Things,” but the chart debut of American Heart demonstrates that listeners are interested in Boone beyond his breakthrough single, and that he has successfully transcended one-hit-wonder status.  

Andrew Unterberger: No. 2 feels about right, but I might’ve expected that first-week to be a little higher. Still, he deserves some credit for keeping American Heart to a tight 10 tracks when many artists would’ve stuffed it twice as full and gotten a few extra thousand first-week units out of the additional streams.

2. Both advance singles “Sorry I’m Here for Someone Else” (No. 19) and “Mystical Magical” (No. 21) jump into the Hot 100’s top 25 this week. Do either of the singles have a good chance of making it to the top 10 sometime in the near future, do you think? Which one?

Stephen Daw: Just looking at the way the upper half of the Hot 100 has remained so static over last few months, I’d say the odds of either of these songs breaking into the top 10 are slim to none. It makes sense that they’d both receive boosts on the week of the album’s release, but I don’t see that trajectory continuing in the weeks to come unless either of these tracks gets some gigantic boost at radio that I don’t know about.  

Kyle Denis: I think “Mystical Magical” is probably the one that gets there. While “Sorry” is my personal favorite of the two, “Mystical” has a bit more personality, the “Physical” interpolation is essentially an ear candy cheat code and it’s the soundtrack to a major brand collaboration and TikTok trend. 

Lyndsey Havens: Oh man, “Mystical Magical” feels like the kind of song that was injected with something to make it as catchy as it is. It suits Boone’s falsetto so well and has had me coming back more often than “Sorry,” even though I think “Sorry” might be the better pick here. 

Jason Lipshutz: “Mystical Magical” sounds like the natural evolution of Benson Boone’s aesthetic, trading in the grandiosity of “Beautiful Things” for some theatrical, summer-friendly pop rock. The song struts in a way that makes sense for Boone’s over-the-top charm, and already sounds like it will be a longtime live staple, with thousands of voices trying to hit that chorus falsetto. The top of the Hot 100 is pretty static these days (thanks, in part, to “Beautiful Things”!), but I wouldn’t be surprised if “Mystical Magical” pushes into the top 10 before the weather starts cooling down.

Andrew Unterberger: Honestly, with the numerous shifts in dynamic, tone and tempo in “Sorry,” I’m kinda shocked it even climbed into the top 20 to begin with. “Mystical Magical” feels like the much more natural radio and streaming hit — and for my money, his best pop song yet — so it mostly comes down to whether it gets an airplay embrace near what “Beautiful Things” has. It looks like it’s starting to catch on top 40, so my guess is it does ultimately scrape the Hot 100’s top 10.

3. Meanwhile, “Beautiful Things” remains the highest-charting song of Boone’s on this week’s Hot 100, though it slides out of the top 10 (to No. 12) in its 74th week on the chart. Why do you think the song has proven such an undying smash for him?

Stephen Daw: Say what you will about this song (and I have said a lot about this song), but it’s an earworm. Even if you’re not particularly fond of the way Benson wails the words “PLEEEEASE …. STAAAAAYY,” it is effectively designed to create an emotional, cathartic release that manages to plant itself in your mind and stay there. For all the people online who love to dunk on this song, the more they talk about it, the more it embeds itself into everyone else’s brains. 

Kyle Denis: “Beautiful Things” is one of those songs that can exist anywhere and be loved by virtually everyone. Instrumentally and vocally, everyone from rock fans to HAC fans can enjoy it; he’s an attractive Gen Z artist, so he gets instant access to that crowd (and some of their thirsty parents); lyrically, the song is quite CCM-coded which allows those who may stray away from secular music to embrace it, and it’s a got a big, belt-y, sing-along chorus that makes it a natural sibling to other recent hits like Teddy Swims’ “Lose Control” and Hozier’s “Too Sweet.”

Lyndsey Havens: “Beautiful Things” has the mixings of many top charting hits, beginning as an acoustic, forlorn song before swelling into a pop-rock banger just over a minute in. Both sides of the track show off Boone’s range, while as a whole it satisfies a fanbase that spans genres.  Plus, I mean, that chorus is just undeniable. Who hasn’t bellowed it out once or twice… or more?

Jason Lipshutz: Part of it is circumstantial — “Beautiful Things” is one of a handful of 2024 hits that have been deathless on the Hot 100, joining smashes like “Lose Control,” “Espresso” and “Die With a Smile” — but Boone’s breakout hit has joined that stable of long-running hits by functioning slightly differently from them. “Beautiful Things” doesn’t go down easy, or scan as conventional; instead, the quiet-loud dissonance of the song strikes a nerve with the listener, and essentially divides the song into two halves. The fact that both portions of “Beautiful Things” have proven so durable to pop listeners makes Boone’s achievement even more remarkable. 

Andrew Unterberger: It’s just an undying kind of song, really. It’s got universal lyrics and an anthemic presentation and it hits places and themes that other pop songs don’t hit. There’s 2025-specific reasons why the song has had the commercial longevity that it has, sure, but the reasons why it’ll hold a permanent place in pop culture memory (regardless of how long it takes to fall off the Hot 100) are pretty eternal.

4. While the commercial success for Benson Boone has been relatively consistent, his critical response has been largely negative. Are the bad reviews largely fair (or at least understandable), or do you think they’re missing something fundamental about his appeal?

Stephen Daw: I think two things can be true at once. First, not all of the criticism is valid or made in good-faith (this man should be allowed do his little backflips in peace). But second, I think the general critical distaste for his contrived songwriting and his exceedingly generic pop-rock sound is more than fair. Yes, some of the hate he’s getting online is simply because he got too big too fast and people want to be contrarians, but some it is coming because Benson’s music doesn’t meet (or frankly, come close) to the high bar that has been set by other pop phenoms over the last few years.

Kyle Denis: They’re pretty understandable…. American Heart feels particularly drab, thematically empty and rushed. Very rushed. The album honestly sounds like Benson is still figuring out the kinks of his own appeal, so I can’t fault critics for picking up on that and calling it out. 

Lyndsey Havens: Look, I think many have a hard time looking past the glitzy jumpsuits and never-ending backflips. And while the gimmicks have been successful tools in generating buzz — both good and certainly bad — I would hope that in this phase and beyond Boone can establish himself without them. Having seen him perform at his label’s office years back in street clothes (the kind you might see a young man wearing in Brooklyn or Silverlake), it was a set I never forgot. And seeing him at Coachella I was reminded just how incredible of a vocalist he really is. I think if he can strip it all down to just that, he might win over some of his harshest critics. 

Jason Lipshutz: Generally speaking, the reviews for American Heart have nodded to Boone’s talent as a backflip-friendly performer and beguiling pop personality, while also focusing on his lack of song craft to this point. I think that’s mostly fair — American Heart successfully extends the Boone brand, but doesn’t contain any top-level songwriting or mine unexpected thematic territory. That’s okay! Benson just turned 23 years old, and already has plenty of mainstream buy-in. If the reviews were too negative this time, he’ll have plenty of time and opportunities to make future projects even more rewarding.

Andrew Unterberger: I think parts of it are understandable — the album’s not a masterpiece, and some lyrics lean a little too far into goofiness with others go a little too hard with the melodrama. Generally, there’s an extra-ness to it that often proves critical anathema. But I could say the same thing about countless pop-rock albums from the last two decades — from The Killers to Panic! at the Disco to even Harry Styles — which are similarly flawed, but also have similar moments of genuine inspiration and feeling and fun. The reason only the former quality seems to get acknowledged with American Heart is because Benson Boone is an easy target, and a safe one.

5. Boone has now peaked at No. 2 on both the Billboard 200 and the Hot 100. If he was deadset on grabbing a No. 1 next time out with either his third album or its lead single, what would you advise him to do?

Stephen Daw: I think his best shot for No. 1 at this point is to do a high-profile collab that strays just enough from the folk-pop screeching of “Beautiful Things.” If he were to do a collaboration with someone like Sabrina Carpenter on a tongue-in-cheek capital-P pop single, he could easily snatch his first No. 1 hit. 

Kyle Denis: In terms of albums… maybe wait a little longer into the run of a Morgan Wallen album before gunning for the top of the Billboard 200. For his next lead single, I’d also advise better timing, but, more specifically, give the songs time to breathe. Benson’s songs normally take some time to grow into hits, so maybe just focus on pushing one advance single and use the album release week to lift it to No. 1on the Hot 100.

Lyndsey Havens: Go… smaller. Everything the team is doing is certainly working, and a No. 1 on either chart does seem within reach, but I think having gone so big thus far, dialing it back at some point could be the key ingredient to hitting those top spots. As counterintuitive as that may seem. 

Jason Lipshutz: I’d stay as active as possible, with more tour dates, new music, new videos and different versions of his overall product. Boone has moved beyond “Beautiful Things” by presenting his live show to a much wider audience and cranking out new albums in back-to-back years; he’s been tireless over the past 18 months, but that hardworking attitude has helped make him a star. He just has to keep taking swings of the bat, and the more of himself he puts out there, the more likely he will be a chart-topper in the near future.

Andrew Unterberger: Benson might just need longer tracklists for a No. 1 album, but I don’t want to encourage him to just double down on the kind of songs he’s already doing and pump out lesser versions of them for volume’s sake. So how about this: Benson Boone Rock Opera. It’s the logical extension for all of his musical and theatrical ambitions, and it’ll help him expand the tracklist with all the necessary interludes and half-songs that you need to flesh out such a conceptual project. Plus maybe it’ll get the critics to take him more seriously? OK maybe not. But still.