Greatest Pop Stars

During a crowded past month in pop stardom, one of the most interesting stories has been the unexpected arrival of country signer/songwriter Ella Langley not just as a major new star, but a Billboard Hot 100-topping hitmaker — making her part of an extremely exclusive club of female country artists to go No. 1. This week, host Andrew Unterberger is joined by country journalist Marissa Moss of the excellent Don't Rock the Inbox newsletter to look at how Langley got here, what her success means for country music going forward, and what adjustments the crossover star might have to make in the world of pop stardom.

Subscribe to Don't Rock the Inbox here:

https://www.dontrocktheinbox.com/

Find Marissa's 'Her Country' exploration of women in 21st century country here:

https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250793591/hercountry/

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For the second straight February, it's our Greatest Pop Star of last year's biggest moment yet! After many months of buzz and controversy — follow Kendrick Lamar's months of buzz and controversy last year — this time it was Bad Bunny's turn to take the stage at Super Bowl LX to cap his last year of triumph, delivering one of the most-anticipated and ultimately mostly hotly debated halftime show sets of our lifetime. Host Andrew Unterberger is joined by Billboard's Emily Fuentes to discuss how Bad Bunny rose to the occasion in his biggest global spotlight moment yet, whether or not we approved of his setlist and guest list, if we think he met the moment with appropriate loudness, and how we think he's going to fare on the charts next week in one of our most fascinating Hot 100 showdowns this decade.

Watch YouTube of the performance here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G6FuWd4wNd8&pp=ygUUYmFkIGJ1bm55IHN1cGVyIGJvd2w%3D

And please consider donating to the following causes:

Transgender Law Center

https://transgenderlawcenter.org/

Trans Lifeline

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Destination Tomorrow

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Gender-Affirming Care Fundraising on GoFundMe

https://www.gofundme.com/c/gender-confirmation-surgery-fundraising

Also, please consider giving your local congresspeople a call in support of trans rights, with contact information you can find on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠5Calls.org⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

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On this Who Won the Month episode of the Greatest Pop Stars podcast, host Andrew Unterberger is joined by Billboard staffers Trevor Anderson and Eric Renner Brown to discuss the big pop stars, rising prospects and veteran greats who were heard from loudest in January 2025 — which was largely defined by the beginning of massive album rollouts for Bruno Mars, Harry Styles and other big pop names. We each choose our top fives for the month that was, then we talk some disappointing recent performances, and look ahead to who we're most anticipating hearing more from in the first months of 2026.

If you enjoy the pod, check out out our 2025 Who Won the Month recaps here:

https://www.billboard.com/t/who-won-the-month/

Find our YouTube playlist for our January 2026 pop stars here:

https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLwFs58D1XAMb8mZPFJltD9ovK4VuPhlnx&si=omKaF07TcXLFkWhy

And please consider donating to the following causes:

Transgender Law Center

https://transgenderlawcenter.org/

Trans Lifeline

https://translifeline.org/

Destination Tomorrow

https://secure.givelively.org/donate/destination-tomorrow-inc

Gender-Affirming Care Fundraising on GoFundMe

https://www.gofundme.com/c/gender-confirmation-surgery-fundraising

Also, please consider giving your local congresspeople a call in support of trans rights, with contact information you can find on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠5Calls.org⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

https://5calls.org/
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Our Greatest Pop Stars of 2025 series concludes its top 10 countdown with a look at our No. 1 artist, Bad Bunny. Host Andrew Unterberger is joined by Billboard's Isabela Raygoza to talk about Bad Bunny's second year finishing atop our Greatest Pop Stars rankings — with a chart-topping, Grammy-nominated blockbuster album in 'Debí Tirar Más Fotos,' a trio of top 10 hits, a headline-making residency, a whole lot of classic music videos, two film roles, endless TV appearances and his biggest gig of this era still yet to come.

Find all our Greatest Pop Stars of 2025 essays and podcasts here:

https://www.billboard.com/t/greatest-pop-stars-of-2025/

Check out a YouTube playlist of all the best Bad Bunny 2025 moments here:

https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLwFs58D1XAMZddeTanY1cA2KWi0GubDX6&si=1zL5PCBj6_NX_43X

And please consider donating to the following causes:

Transgender Law Center

https://transgenderlawcenter.org/

Trans Lifeline

https://translifeline.org/

Destination Tomorrow

https://secure.givelively.org/donate/destination-tomorrow-inc

Gender-Affirming Care Fundraising on GoFundMe

https://www.gofundme.com/c/gender-confirmation-surgery-fundraising

Also, please consider giving your local congresspeople a call in support of trans rights, with contact information you can find on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠5Calls.org⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

https://5calls.org/

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Our Greatest Pop Stars of 2025 series continues its top 10 with a look at our No. 2 artist, Taylor Swift. Host Andrew Unterberger is joined by Billboard's Denise Warner to talk about Taylor Swift's incredible sixth straight year in the top five of our Greatest Pop Stars rankings — with a full-circle moment in her masters reacquisition, a beyond-historic first week on the Billboard 200 for her 'Life of a Showgirl' album, and plenty more incredible moments serving as crucial checks off the career to-do list for the biggest pop star of the 2020s.

Find all our Greatest Pop Stars of 2025 essays and podcasts here:

https://www.billboard.com/t/greatest-pop-stars-of-2025/

Check out a YouTube playlist of all the best Taylor Swift 2025 moments here:

https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLwFs58D1XAMYJCylODGk0ADiLpV3Mmzoj&si=c5W32Yum49YhvSyw

And please consider donating to the following causes:

Transgender Law Center

https://transgenderlawcenter.org/

Trans Lifeline

https://translifeline.org/

Destination Tomorrow

https://secure.givelively.org/donate/destination-tomorrow-inc

Gender-Affirming Care Fundraising on GoFundMe

https://www.gofundme.com/c/gender-confirmation-surgery-fundraising

Also, please consider giving your local congresspeople a call in support of trans rights, with contact information you can find on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠5Calls.org⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

https://5calls.org/

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