On the new Billboard Pop Shop Podcast, Katie & Keith are talking about how the three superstar acts might share their time during the 2026 World Cup final game on Sunday, July 19, at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. One theory we have: Each act could have around three minutes to do a medley of their new music and their biggest hits, and then all three can come together for a new version of Shak’s just-released World Cup anthem “Dai Dai” (originally also featuring Burna Boy).
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We’ll have to wait until the soccer world championship in July to find out, but in the meantime, listen to our conversation below.
Also on the show, we’ve got chart news on how Noah Kahan spends a third week atop the Billboard 200 albums chart with The Great Divide — and, perhaps shockingly, no rock album has spent at least three weeks at No. 1 in more than a decade. What was the last album? Listen to the podcast to find out! Plus, on the Billboard Hot 100 songs chart, Ella Langley hits double digits, with “Choosin’ Texas” spending a 10th week at No. 1, while Bruno Mars’ “Risk It All” returns to the top 10 after a Spanish-language version of the song dropped.
We also discuss Drake releasing a trio of new albums on Friday and how it could affect next week’s charts, as well as Harry Styles kicking off his Together, Together Tour with the first of 10 shows in Amsterdam.
The Billboard Pop Shop Podcast is your one-stop shop for all things pop on Billboard‘s weekly charts. You can always count on a lively discussion about the latest pop news, fun chart stats and stories, new music, and guest interviews with music stars and folks from the world of pop. Casual pop fans and chart junkies can hear Billboard‘s executive digital director, West Coast, Katie Atkinson and Billboard’s managing director, charts and data operations, Keith Caulfield every week on the podcast, which can be streamed on Billboard.com or downloaded in Apple Podcasts or your favorite podcast provider. (Click here to listen to the previous edition of the show on Billboard.com.)
Congressional Democrats got together with key stakeholders on Monday (May 18) to criticize the settlement cut by the federal government during Live Nation’s antitrust trial, which state attorneys general ended up winning on all counts.
Top Democratic senators and representatives discussed Live Nation at a so-called “shadow hearing,” meaning the proceeding was not sanctioned by Republicans, who control both chambers. The witnesses were California Attorney General Rob Bonta, former DOJ lawyer Roger Alford, The Hold Steady keyboardist Franz Nicolay, indie promoter Jerry Mickelson and indie venue owner Tom DeGeorge.
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The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) shocked court-watchers in March when it settled out of its blockbuster antitrust trial against Live Nation after just a few days, striking a deal that would require Live Nation to cut back on some exclusivity practices but allow it to retain ownership of Ticketmaster. Dozens of states rejected that settlement and trudged forward with the case, ultimately winning a verdict that held Live Nation liable for monopolizing the artist, venue and ticketing sides of the live music industry.
While Live Nation previously said the DOJ settlement was “a major step in improving the concert experience for artists and fans,” lawmakers spent much of Monday’s hearing criticizing Donald Trump’s appointees for inking the resolution. Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) described it as a “sweetheart deal, ” Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.) called it a “trivial and pathetic slap on the wrist” and Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) said it was “a complete sellout.” They also cited reports that Live Nation hired Trump allies Kellyanne Conway and Mike Davis to lobby for the deal.
Bonta, who was one of the attorneys general to continue pursuing the Live Nation trial to a verdict, shed some light in his testimony on how the DOJ deal came to be. He said the DOJ suddenly “went quiet” midway through the trial despite their years-long united front in pursuing the case against Live Nation — and then “they burned all the trust.”
“They bailed,” said Bonta. “They left us hanging. We’re a team, and they left their teammates. They left us flatfooted for a moment, but we regrouped quickly… We were able to fight for more, and we got more.”
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It still remains to be seen what Live Nation’s ultimate punishment will be for the alleged antitrust violations, which the company fervently denies. A decision on so-called remedies will fall to Judge Arun Subramanian, with states set to argue for a forced sale of Ticketmaster in a major court brief expected later this week.
Live Nation, meanwhile, has said it is confident the outcome “will not be materially different than what is envisioned by the DOJ settlement.” The company also intends to appeal any unfavorable rulings, arguing that it achieved success in the market through shrewd business dealings rather than any anticompetitive activity.
Many of the lawmakers advocated on Monday for a Ticketmaster breakup. Raskin, for example, stated that Live Nation’s monopoly is so strong that artists are “seriously afraid” of the company: “Many of the performers we asked to testify today at this event would not make themselves available for fear that Live Nation Entertainment would take away their livelihood,” he said.
Nicolay, the one artist who did testify at the hearing, noted in his testimony that megastars are not the only ones affected by Live Nation’s alleged conduct. “The music industry obviously is always going to focus on the Taylor Swifts and Bruce Springsteens,” said the keyboardist, “but the monopolistic forces that control the industry equally affect the broad popular music middle class.”
Reps for Live Nation and the DOJ did not immediately return requests for comment following the hearing.
Listeners voted in a poll published Friday (May 15) on Billboard, choosing the dancefloor-ready remix as their favorite music release of the week over a stacked field that included Drake’s historic triple album drop and new projects from Maluma, Gracie Abrams, Givēon and more.
The winning single is the latest preview of Madonna’s forthcoming album Confessions II, due July 3 — her first full-length release in seven years and the long-awaited sequel to her landmark 2005 dance record Confessions on a Dance Floor.
The original “I Feel So Free” was co-produced by Stuart Price, who helmed the original Confessions on a Dance Floor and serves as musical director on several of Madonna’s tours. The Peggy Gou remix transforms the track into a bouncy, high-energy club anthem that leans into the Berlin-based DJ and producer’s signature house sound — a natural pairing given Gou’s crossover breakthrough with her 2023 hit “(It Goes Like) Nanana”.
Madonna teased the track during her surprise appearance at Sabrina Carpenter’s Coachella weekend two headlining set last month, where the two also performed “Like a Prayer” together and debuted what appeared to be another new track from Confessions II.
The biggest competition in the poll this week came from Drake, who dominated New Music Friday with a sweeping triple album drop — Iceman, Habibti and Maid of Honour — comprising a combined 43 tracks featuring Future, Molly Santana, Sexyy Red, PARTYNEXTDOOR and 21 Savage.
Maluma also made a strong showing with his new album Loco X Volver, in which the Colombian superstar sharpens his focus on family and his roots.
Gracie Abrams entered the race with “Hit the Wall,” the lead single from her forthcoming album Daughter From Hell, once again joining forces with producer Aaron Dessner for a verbose track that signals a more mature creative chapter. Tove Lo dropped “I’m Your Girl Right?” — the dance-floor-ready first taste of her upcoming Estrus LP — while Rostam and Clairo teamed up on “Hardy” from Rostam’s new American Stories album.
Elsewhere, Jorja Smith delivered the basement club-tinged “What’s Done Is Done,” Shakira and Burna Boy linked up on “Dai Dai,” and Martin Garrix and Ed Sheeran reunited on “Repeat It.” Full projects also arrived from Givēon (Beloved: Act II), Shaggy (Lottery), Kenny Mason (Bulldawg), Mýa (Retrospect), Tone Stith (The Edge), and Tank and the Bangas (The Last Balloon).
Killswitch Engage are returning to Australia and New Zealand for their biggest headline run in the region yet, the Massachusetts metalcore band announced Monday (May 18). English metal outfit Sylosis will serve as special guests across all dates.
The run marks the band’s first headline shows in Australia and New Zealand since 2018, and their first visit to the region since September 2024, when they supported Iron Maiden on their arena tour.
The upcoming tour will kick off in New Zealand with a show at Auckland’s Powerstation on Oct. 31, followed by Wellington’s Meow Nui on Nov. 1. The band then moves through Australia, playing Brisbane’s Fortitude Music Hall on Nov. 3, Sydney’s Enmore Theatre on Nov. 6, Wollongong’s Waves on Nov. 7, Melbourne’s Forum on Nov. 10, Adelaide’s Hindley Street Music Hall on Nov. 12, and concluding at Metropolis Fremantle in Perth on Nov. 14.
A Spotify presale opens Tuesday, May 19 at 10 a.m. AEST using the code KSE26, followed by a promoter presale Wednesday, May 20 at 10 a.m. AEST with the code KSEAUS. General tickets go on sale Thursday, May 21 at 10 a.m. AEST via SBM Presents.
Formed in Westfield, Massachusetts in 1999, Killswitch Engage are one of the defining acts of the American metalcore movement, having placed seven albums on the Billboard 200 including three top 10 debuts. Their 2016 album Incarnate remains their highest-charting record, debuting at No. 6, while Disarm the Descent (2013) and their 2009 self-titled album both debuted at No. 7. Atonement (2019) peaked at No. 13 and topped both the Top Rock Albums and Hard Rock Albums charts.
The band has earned three Grammy nominations for Best Metal Performance — for “The End of Heartache” (2005), “In Due Time” (2014) and “Unleashed” (2020). Their most recent studio album, This Consequence, was released in February 2025.
Ella Langley and Cody Johnson dominated this year’s Academy of Country Music Awards trophy winners on Sunday night (May 17) in Las Vegas, with Johnson picking up both male artist of the year and entertainer of the year, while Langley took home the lion’s share of the accolades, with song and single of the year (for “Choosin’ Texas”), female artist of the year, artist-songwriter of the year, and musical event of the year (for the Riley Green collab “Don’t Mind If I Do”).
Parker McCollum took home album of the year, while The Red Clay Strays picked up group of the year and Brooks & Dunn won duo of the year. When it came to performances, more than a dozen performances were packed into just over two hours, highlighting both multi-ACM Award winners such as Lainey Wilson and Miranda Lambert, to newcomers including Tucker Wetmore and Carter Faith.
Held at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, the stars came out to play, as the performances leaned heavily on newer song releases from artists including Kane Brown, Miranda Lambert and Little Big Town, while there were also a plethora of ballads from artists including Dan + Shay, Carter Faith, and Riley Green.
Shania Twain hosted the awards ceremony, which was streamed again on Amazon Prime Video, and highlighted both established hitmakers and rising newcomers to the stage.
Billboard ranked every performance at Sunday night’s ACM Awards, counting down to the top performance.
The American Music Awards are produced by Dick Clark Productions, which is owned by Penske Media Eldridge, a joint venture between Eldridge Industries and Billboard parent company Penske Media.
Harry Styles has added a fourth and final Melbourne show to his Together, Together global residency run, Live Nation announced Monday (May 18), citing extraordinary demand for tickets.
The new date — Friday, Dec. 4 at Marvel Stadium — marks the final Australia date added on the tour and joins three previously announced Melbourne shows on Nov. 27, Nov. 28 and Dec. 2.
Sydney shows follow at Accor Stadium on Dec. 12 and 13, with Fousheé supporting across all Australian dates alongside Baby J. General tickets for the new Melbourne date go on sale Friday, May 22 at 11 a.m. AEST via hstyles.co.uk/tour, with an American Express presale running Wednesday, May 20 at 11 a.m. and a Live Nation presale Thursday, May 21 at 11 a.m.
Together, Together is one of the most ambitious touring operations of 2026, comprising more than 60 performances across Amsterdam, London, São Paulo, Mexico City, New York, Melbourne and Sydney.
Highlights of the run include 30 consecutive nights at New York’s Madison Square Garden — Styles’ only U.S. shows — and a 12-night run at London’s Wembley Stadium, which the tour claims breaks the record for the most performances by any artist at the venue in a single calendar year.
Each show features an in-the-round stage production blending new material with career highlights, with support acts varying by city — including Robyn in Amsterdam, Shania Twain at Wembley, Jorja Smith in Mexico City and Jamie xx at MSG.
Styles is one of the biggest touring acts in Billboard Boxscore history. Love On Tour grossed $617.3 million and sold more than 5 million tickets across 169 shows, making it the fifth-highest-grossing tour in Boxscore history. His first three solo albums — Harry Styles (2017), Fine Line (2019) and Harry’s House (2022) — all debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200. “As It Was” spent 15 non-consecutive weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, making it the fourth-longest-running No. 1 in the chart’s history and the longest ever by a UK act.
The tour supports Styles’ fourth studio album Kiss All the Time. Disco, Occasionally., released earlier this year and executive-produced by Kid Harpoon. The album spent two weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard 200, while lead single “Aperture” topped the Billboard Hot 100. Styles launched the tour with the first two of 10 Amsterdam shows at Johan Cruijff ArenA over the weekend.
The tour’s charity partner is Choose Love, with whom Styles has partnered for a decade, supporting humanitarian aid including food, shelter and education for displaced people globally.
