Greatest Pop Stars

No new podcast this week due to a last-minute cancellation — so instead we're going to look forward to something we're very excited to have coming up on Greatest Pop Stars: a full Janet Jackson Week of Vintage Pop Stardom! In honor of one of the greatest pop stars of all time turning 60 in May, we're going to be celebrating Ms. Janet with deep dives into five of her greatest pop star years — 1986, 1990, 1993, 1998 and 2001 — starting on May 11, and going one a day right up until her birthday on May 16. Listen for more of what to expect here, and see you back here for some top-level Vintage Pop Stardom in a couple weeks!

And if you enjoy the pod, please consider donating to the following causes:

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Trans Lifeline

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Destination Tomorrow

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Gender-Affirming Care Fundraising on GoFundMe

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After making the leap to superstardom with 1984's 'Purple Rain' film and accompanying album, Prince quickly moved on to his next project — and the next one, and the next one. This episode of Vintage Pop Stardom catches up with him in 1986, as host Andrew Unterberger is joined by Variety executive director of music Jem Aswad use the occasion of Prince's tragic 2016 death's 10-year anniversary to dive deep into one of The Purple One's weirdest, wildest and most wondrous years, including the mega-smash single "Kiss," the mega-flop film 'Under the Cherry Moon,' and more albums that went unreleased than many artists drop in a whole career.

Check out a YouTube playlist of Prince's biggest 1986 moments, all of which are discussed in the episode, here:

https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLjyxjlx5MpVC7_vQEsdfkpgoCumxQ_C20&si=4GcTaSG7A0Zcl9qv

Find Jem's Billboard interview with backing band The Revolution following Prince's death here:

https://www.billboard.com/music/music-news/the-revolution-prince-final-moments-7604454/

And if you enjoy the pod, 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

Human Rights Campaign - In Your Area

https://www.hrc.org/in-your-area

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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Last weekend, the music world's eyes were on Indio, Calif. as Coachella 2026 went down, with three A-level pop stars — Sabrina Carpenter, Justin Bieber and Karol G — headlining, and many more of our current greatest pop stars also operating a little lower on the lineup. On this week's Pop Star Performance Review episode, host Andrew Unterberger is joined by Variety's Steven J. Horowitz to recap three days of fun, sun and pop stardom from the desert, as we run down what it was like to see the biggest sets, and how we're feeling about them a few days later. (We save Justin Bieber for last, so skip to the 56:35 mark if you want to start with him.)

If you enjoy the pod, 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

Human Rights Campaign - In Your Area

https://www.hrc.org/in-your-area

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 Kyle Denis and Michael Saponara to discuss the big pop stars, rising prospects and veteran greats who were heard from loudest in March 2026 — which was largely defined by a pair of massively anticipated returns by arguably the two biggest male pop acts in the world right now. 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 spring of 2026.

If you enjoy the pod, check out out our Who Won the Month recaps for the first two months of 2026 and all 2025 here:

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

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

Human Rights Campaign – In Your Area

https://www.hrc.org/in-your-area

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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After confirming his solo superstardom with 2002's 'Justified' and finding himself in the middle of a cultural firestorm at the 2004 Super Bowl, Justin Timberlake returned in 2006 with an album that raised the bar not only for himself but for all of pop music. On this 2006 Week-themed Vintage Pop Stardom episode of the Greatest Pop Stars podcast, host Andrew Unterberger is joined by Billboard executive digital director Katie Atkinson to go deep on JT's greatest year, including his LP masterpiece 'FutureSex/LoveSounds,' his smash hits "SexyBack" and "My Love," and even his peerless comedy turn in the "Dick in a Box" SNL digital short.

Find our staff's 100 Best Songs of 2006 list here:

https://www.billboard.com/lists/2006-songs-best/

And its 40 Best Deep Cuts of 2006 Week here:

https://www.billboard.com/lists/best-deep-cuts-albums-2006/

And the rest of our 2006 Week content here:

https://www.billboard.com/t/2006-week/

And if you enjoy the pod, 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

Human Rights Campaign - In Your Area

https://www.hrc.org/in-your-area

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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