Category: Music

Taylor Swift’s 12th studio album, The Life of a Showgirl, has claimed the top spot in this week’s new music poll.

In a poll published Friday (Oct. 3) by Billboard, music fans overwhelmingly chose the 35-year-old pop icon’s latest release as their favorite new project of the week.

The Life of a Showgirl garnered 77% of the vote, outpacing new releases from Luke Combs (“Days Like These”), Louis Tomlinson (“Lemonade”), Leon Thomas (“Just How You Are”), Kali Uchis featuring Mariah the Scientist (“Pretty Promises”), and more.

Arriving a year and a half after her chart-dominating The Tortured Poets Department — which spent 17 weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 — Swift’s new project marks yet another career-defining moment.

Released on Oct. 3, The Life of a Showgirl was produced by Swift alongside longtime collaborators Max Martin and Shellback. The 12-track album offers a vivid reflection on her life over the past two years, from circling the globe on the Eras Tour to her high-profile romance with fiancé Travis Kelce.

On “Father Figure,” Swift interpolates George Michael’s 1987 hit of the same name, while the album’s title track features Sabrina Carpenter, marking their first duet since touring together in 2024.

The music video fro lead single “The Fate of Ophelia” premiered as part of The Official Release Party of a Showgirl, a special movie event running in theaters through Oct. 5. The film debuted at No. 1 at the domestic box office, earning an estimated $33 million, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

In the poll, Luke Combs’ heartfelt new single “Days Like These” placed second with about 7% of the vote, while the “Other” category took third with 6.5%.

Check out the full results of this week’s poll below, and visit Billboard’s Friday Music Guide for more must-hear new releases.

Doja Cat made her musical guest debut during Saturday Night Live’s season 51 premiere on Oct. 4.

Appearing alongside host Bad Bunny, the 29-year-old pop star performed two tracks from her newly released fifth album, Vie, which debuted at No. 4 on the Billboard 200.

After a brief introduction from Bad Bunny, Doja delivered an electrifying performance of the Jack Antonoff-produced track “Aaahh Men!” Sporting bright yellow curly hair and a bold outfit — a dark blue bodysuit paired with a black-and-red lace bra and leopard-print stockings — she brought vibrant energy to the stage. The performance was set against a 1980s-inspired neon backdrop, complete with a black-and-white checkered floor.

Doja returned later in the show for a more subdued performance of “Gorgeous,” where she casually delivered the moody track from a sparkling rose-shaped throne. Wearing a complementary flowery red dress and a long-haired wig, she passionately belted out the Vie song with the support of a full backing band as rose petals gently fell onto the stage like raindrops.

Doja’s 15-track project Vie was released on Sept. 26 and features one collaboration with her “Kiss Me More” collaborator SZA. The set also includes lead single “Jealous Type,” which Doja performed at the 2025 VMAs alongside celebrated saxophonist Kenny G. Doja has described the album as more pop-leaning compared to her 2023 rap-heavy album, Scarlet, focusing on themes of love, romance, and sex.

Following the release of Vie, she will embark on her Ma Vie World Tour.

SNL’s upcoming lineup includes show veteran Amy Poehler hosting the Oct. 11 episode with first-time musical guest Role Model, and Sabrina Carpenter pulling double duty as both host and musical guest on Oct. 18.

Watch Doja Cat’s SNL performances below.

The KPop Demon Hunters soundtrack returns to No. 1 on the Billboard 200 albums chart (dated Oct. 11), slaying its second week atop the list, with 102,000 equivalent album units earned (down 2%) in the United States in the week ending Oct. 2, according to Luminate. The companion set to the smash Netflix animated film first reached No. 1 on the Sept. 20-dated list and has been locked inside the top two for the last 10 weeks in a row.

Five albums debut inside the top 10 of the latest Billboard 200, led by Doja Cat’s Vie at No. 4. Also arriving in the region: Young Thug’s UY SCUTI at No. 6, Mariah Carey’s Here for It All at No. 7, Olivia Dean’s The Art of Loving at No. 8 and P1Harmony’s EX at No. 9. The five debuts in the top 10 are the most since the July 26 chart, when there were also five debuts.

The Billboard 200 chart ranks the most popular albums of the week in the U.S. based on multi-metric consumption as measured in equivalent album units, compiled by Luminate. Units comprise album sales, track equivalent albums (TEA) and streaming equivalent albums (SEA). Each unit equals one album sale, or 10 individual tracks sold from an album, or 3,750 ad-supported or 1,250 paid/subscription on-demand official audio and video streams generated by songs from an album. The new Oct. 11, 2025-dated chart will be posted in full on Billboard‘s website on Oct. 7. For all chart news, follow @billboard and @billboardcharts on both X, formerly known as Twitter, and Instagram.

Of KPop Demon Hunters’ 102,000 equivalent album units earned in the latest tracking week, SEA units comprise 84,000 (down 9%, equaling 117.48 million on-demand official streams of the set’s tracks; it holds at No. 2 on Top Streaming Albums), album sales comprise 16,000 (up 56%; it rises 7-4 on Top Album Sales) and TEA units comprise 2,000 (down 13%).

Morgan Wallen’s chart-topping I’m the Problem rises 3-2 on the Billboard 200 (88,000 equivalent album units earned, down 2%) and Cardi B’s AM I THE DRAMA? falls 1-3 in its second week (83,000, down 58%).

Doja Cat captures her fourth top 10 album on the Billboard 200 as her latest studio project, Vie, debuts at No. 4 with 57,000 equivalent album units earned. Of that sum, SEA units comprise 31,000 (equaling 40.62 million on-demand official streams of the set’s songs; it debuts at No. 10 on Top Streaming Albums), album sales comprise 26,000 (her best sales week ever; it debuts at No. 3 on Top Album Sales) and TEA units comprise a negligible sum.

The set’s first-week sales were aided by the album’s availability across eight vinyl variants (one signed), two CD editions (one signed), a deluxe CD boxed set (containing a signed CD and a branded T-shirt), standard and deluxe iTunes download editions, and a cassette.

Vie was preceded by the Billboard Hot 100 hit “Jealous Type,” which debuted and peaked at No. 28 on the Sept. 6-dated chart.

Sabrina Carpenter’s former No. 1 Man’s Best Friend falls 4-5 with 57,000 equivalent album units (down 18%).

Young Thug logs his ninth top 10 album on the Billboard 200 as UY SCUTI starts at No. 6 with 52,000 equivalent album units earned. Of that sum, SEA units comprise 39,000 (equaling 54.3 million on-demand official streams of the songs on the album; it debuts at No. 5 on Top Streaming Albums), album sales comprise 13,000 (it debuts at No. 6 on Top Album Sales) and TEA units comprise a negligible sum.

UY SCUTI was issued in a range of iterations: an eight-song widely available download edition, 12-track CD and vinyl variations (all of the physical versions were exclusively sold in the artist’s official webstore) and two widely available download/streaming versions with 20 and 21 tracks, respectively. During release week, there were five additional digital versions that dropped that adding assorted bonus material. The artist also had a range of deluxe boxed sets available that contained a copy of the CD and branded clothing.

UY SCUTI was preceded by the Hot 100 hit “Money on Money” (featuring Future), which debuted and peaked at No. 39 on the May 10 chart.

Mariah Carey achieves her 19th top 10 album on the Billboard 200 as Here for It All bows at No. 7. Carey becomes only the third woman with at least one new top 10-charted album in the 1990s, 2000s, ‘10s and ‘20s, following Madonna and Shania Twain.

Here for It All launches with 47,000 equivalent album units earned in its first week. Of that sum, album sales comprise a little more than 39,000 (it debuts at No. 1 on Top Album Sales), SEA units comprise slightly more than 7,000 (equaling 9.53 million on-demand official streams of the set’s songs) and TEA units comprise less than 1,000. The album’s first-week sales were bolstered by its availability across four CD variants (one signed), four vinyl editions (one signed), two cassettes, and a deluxe digital download album with a bonus track.

Here for It All was preceded by the single “Type Dangerous,” which reached No. 95 on the Hot 100 (marking Carey’s 50th entry) and No. 25 on Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs.

Further, with a 19th top 10-charted album on the Billboard 200, Carey solely has the third-most top 10s among women in the history of the chart (since it began publishing on a regular, weekly basis in 1956). She was previously tied with Taylor Swift, with 18. Ahead of them among women are only Barbra Streisand (34) and Madonna (23).

English singer-songwriter Olivia Dean makes her Billboard 200 debut with her second studio effort, The Art of Loving, which arrives at No. 8 with 43,000 equivalent album units earned. Of that sum, SEA units comprise 32,000 (equaling 40.49 million on-demand official streams of the set’s tracks; it debuts at No. 8 on Top Streaming Albums), album sales comprise 11,000 (it debuts at No. 7 on Top Album Sales) and TEA units comprise a negligible sum.

The set was available in standard download and streaming editions, a standard CD, a CD variant in premium packaging, and seven vinyl variants (one signed).

The Art of Loving was preceded by the surging hit “Man I Need,” which has hit the top 10 on Streaming Songs (rising 14-8 on the Oct. 4 chart) and climbed the Hot 100 (rising 30-25 on the Oct. 4 list).

Closing out the debuts in the top 10 on the latest Billboard 200 is P1Harmony’s EX, which begins at No. 9 with 40,000 equivalent album units earned, marking the first top 10 for the group. Of the 40,000 units earned, album sales comprise just under 39,000 (the best sales week for the act; it debuts at No. 2 on Top Album Sales), SEA units comprise 1,000 (equaling 2.06 million on-demand streams of the tracks on the project) and TEA units comprise a negligible sum. There are five tracks on the effort: four different songs, plus a Spanish version of one of the songs.

EX’s first-week sales were enhanced by its availability across 17 CD variants and six vinyl variants, all containing collectible items inside the packaging, some randomized.

Lastly, Bad Bunny’s former No. 1 DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS holds at No. 10 (39,000, up 25%).

Luminate, the independent data provider to the Billboard charts, completes a thorough review of all data submissions used in compiling the weekly chart rankings. Luminate reviews and authenticates data. In partnership with Billboard, data deemed suspicious or unverifiable is removed, using established criteria, before final chart calculations are made and published.

Bad Bunny is addressing the backlash surrounding his selection as the 2026 Super Bowl Halftime Show headliner.

The 31-year-old Puerto Rican superstar hosted the season 51 premiere of Saturday Night Live on Oct. 4, with Doja Cat as the musical guest. During his opening monologue, he touched on some of the criticism he’s received since the announcement.

“You might not know this, but I’m doing the Super Bowl halftime show and I’m very happy,” Bad Bunny told viewers. “I think everyone is happy about it — even Fox News.”

The segment then cut to a satirical montage of Fox News clips edited to make it sound like the hosts were praising the “DTMF” hitmaker and declaring, “Bad Bunny is my favorite musician, and he should be the next president.”

“I’m really excited to be doing the Super Bowl. I know that people all around the world who love my music are also happy,” he continued, before switching to Spanish to speak directly to his community.

“Especially all of the Latinos and Latinas in the world here in the United States who have worked to open doors,” he said in his native tongue. “It’s more than a win for myself, it’s a win for all of us. Our footprints and our contribution in this country, no one will ever be able to take that away or erase it.”

Bad Bunny closed the monologue with a playful note in English, saying, “And, if you didn’t understand know what I just said, you have four months to learn!”

The comments follow a wave of mixed reactions to last week’s announcement that Bad Bunny will headline Super Bowl LX, which is set for Feb. 8, 2026, at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California.

Corey Lewandowski, a former Trump adviser currently working with the Department of Homeland Security, previously warned that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents will be present at the game.

“There is nowhere you can provide safe haven to people who are in this country illegally,” Lewandowski said on The Benny Show. “Not the Super Bowl and nowhere else. We will find you and apprehend you and put you in a detention facility and deport you.” He added, “Know that is a very real situation under this administration, which is contrary to how it used to be.”

Looking ahead, SNL’s October lineup includes Amy Poehler hosting the Oct. 11 episode with first-time musical guest Role Model, and Sabrina Carpenter pulling double duty as host and musical guest on Oct. 18. While it’ll be Carpenter’s hosting debut, she previously performed on SNL in 2024 and appeared on SNL50: The Anniversary Special earlier this year.

Watch Bad Bunny’s SNL monologue below.

Bad Bunny conjured the KPop Demon Hunters trio HUNTR/X during the season 51 premiere of Saturday Night Live on Oct. 4.

In the six-minute sketch, fittingly titled “KPop Demon Hunters,” the Puerto Rican superstar — who hosted the episode alongside musical guest Doja Cat — plays Thomas, a brunch-goer passionately defending his love for the wildly popular animated Netflix movie.

“It’s actually not for kids. It’s for smart adults,” Bad Bunny’s Thomas says to skeptical friends. “In KPop Demon Hunters, songs are not just songs. They are weapons,” he continues. “What else is gonna save you from demons, you idiot.”

The sketch takes a chaotic turn when SNL cast member Bowen Yang appears as one of the film’s demons and possesses Sarah Sherman by belting out the hit song “Soda Pop.” Just in time, HUNTR/X — voiced in the movie by EJAE, Rei Ami, and Audrey Nuna — arrive to save the day, performing their smash single “Golden” and vanquishing the demon.

The sketch marked the first-ever live televised performance of “Golden,” which topped the Billboard Hot 100 for seven weeks. HUNTR/X is slated to deliver their first full-length live performance of the song on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon on Oct. 7, where they’ll also sit down for an interview.

The news comes roughly three months after KPop Demon Hunters premiered on Netflix, rapidly becoming a pop culture phenomenon. In addition to “Golden,” three other tracks from the film’s soundtrack — “How It’s Done,” “What It Sounds Like,” and “Takedown” — have landed in the top 40 of the Billboard Hot 100. The film’s soundtrack also made history as the first to top the U.S. albums chart since Encanto in 2022.

Watch HUNTR/X’s surprise SNL cameo below.

The Living Legends Foundation celebrated its 32^nd anniversary by bringing its annual awards gala to Atlanta for the first time Friday (Oct. 3). And among the honorees on hand were Grammy-winning songwriting/production duo Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis, Otis Redding Foundation vp/executive director Karla Redding-Andrews (representing her mother, Zelma Redding), RCA Records head of promotion Samantha Selolwane, and Right On! Digital publisher Cynthia Horner.

Upon accepting the foundation’s Ray Harris Lifetime Achievement Award onstage at Atlanta’s Flourish by Legendary, Jam shared that “Ray Harris was so instrumental early in our careers with literally the first record that we did at SOLAR Records, which was ‘Wild Girls’ by Klymaxx. So to get an award from him with his name on it is absolutely amazing.”

Calling the occasion a full-circle moment, Lewis added, “We’re just two guys who like to make music. You all are the ones who made them hits.”

The foundation also awarded three other top awards. National Association of Black Owned Broadcasters (NABOB) president/CEO James L. Winston was presented with the Chairman’s Award by Living Legends Foundation chairman David C. Linton. Zelma Redding, widow of soul legend Otis Redding and president/founder of the Otis Redding Foundation, was the recipient of the Legacy Award, presented by Sony Music Publishing chairman/CEO Jon Platt. And Quality Control Music (Lil Baby, Lil Yachty, City Girls) COO Kevin “Coach K” Lee and CEO Pierre “P” Thomas were given the Impact Award.

For the first time, six female executive trailblazers were also saluted. Joining the aforementioned Selolwane (the Music Executive Award) and Cynthia Horner (Media Icon Award) in that circle were iHeartMedia Chicago vp of programming Kashon Powell (Jerry Boulding Radio Executive Award), nationally syndicated radio host DeDe McGuire (DeDe in the Morning; Frankie Crocker Radio Personality Award), broadcast and music industry executive Carole Carper (Mike Bernardo Female Executive Award) and West Entertainment Services CEO Louise West (Kendall Minter Entertainment Advocate Award).

In presenting the award to West, Grammy-winning artist Anthony Hamilton noted, “I’m standing here after 30 years [working with West], having complete ownership of my publishing and my work, my music — and I owe that all to you.”

Powell said of her honor, “This reward is not just a recognition of past achievements. It’s a reminder of the endless possibilities the future holds.” Horner commented during her acceptance speech, “Right On! magazine is a cultural phenomenon. And it’s my honor to not only have been the editor of the publication, but now I’m one of the owners of the same publication. It’s now Black-owned; it wasn’t before.”

Selolwane, who oversees hip-hop, R&B and mixshow promotion at RCA, described herself as “just a conduit of the art to the masses,” highlighting “the fact that we every day get a chance to spend time with some of the most creative people on this planet and really be a part of their success stories.”

Among the special guests and celebrities sighted at the awards gala were Black Music Month co-founder/radio personality Dyana Williams, radio host/actor Ed Lover, Q Parker of R&B group 112, rap/TV star Da Brat and partner Jesseca Dupart, Black Music Action Coalition co-founder, president and CEO Willie “Prophet” Stiggers, Black American Music Association founder/chairman Michael Mauldin and Morgan Stanley executive Ted Reid.