“You have to make people clap for you”—a phrase that remains etched in Nancy Ajram’s memory from her earliest days on stage. It was her father who introduced her to the world of music, arranging weekly performances for the young songstress. But before every appearance, he would gently urge—or perhaps forewarn—her with those words: “You have to make people clap for you and be delighted.” A daunting challenge for a girl under the age of ten; a weighty expectation for such small shoulders. How, she wondered, could she compel the audience to applaud?

With this heartfelt recollection, Nancy opened up to Billboard Arabia, just days after releasing her latest album, Nancy 11. She arrived at the cover shoot and entered a studio encircled by mirrored panels, each capturing a different reflection of her. Stand at a certain angle, and you see two versions of Nancy: one, the mature and contemplative woman shaped by time; the other, the spirited girl who charmed audiences with her sparkle and mischief. She speaks of entering a new chapter in her life, where the artist and the woman finally walk side by side in harmony, delivering messages of self-love and inner peace.

But how did Nancy Ajram ascend to become one of the Arab world’s most celebrated pop stars? And how did her music come to resonate across cultures and continents?

A Star in the Making

To understand Nancy as a woman, artist and mother, one must trace the path back to where it all began. The Arab world first met her as a little girl in a frilly white dress, her wide blue eyes beaming as she sang Zaki Nassif’s “Na’eeli ahla zahra ya farasha na’eeli” with uncontainable zeal. This iconic moment has remained etched in the region’s cultural memory, and though she has often recounted it over the years, it still moves her deeply. It reminds her of the sacrifices she made at a tender age to earn the stardom she enjoys today.

Yet, it wasn’t only her early environment that shaped her path. There’s something far more powerful in her nature, her drive, her instinct, her resilience. Recently, even her tone and manner reveal a personality unwilling to surrender. ‏‏She playfully ‏‏‏‏attributes ‏‏‏‏this to her‏‏‏‏ astrological‏‏ ‏‏sign‏‏‏‏, Taurus, ‏‏‏‏‏‏‏or to the people around her: “They say I’m stubborn,” she laughs, as if uncertain herself. But any reasonable observer would agree. Anyone who has spent an entire life in the music industry must possess fierce determination. And Nancy? She has spent nearly all of hers at the summit.

This grit proved essential when she reached a turning point in her teenage years. After releasing her debut album Mihtagalak at just 15, followed three years later by Sheel Oyounak Anni, Nancy experienced only modest success. It was then that she faced a decision: either chart her own course to true stardom or walk away in pursuit of another calling. “I reached this phase… I wasn’t unknown, but I wasn’t very famous either. I was stuck in-between. And I hate the in-between… I really do!” she says with conviction. “If I’m going to do something, succeed at something, if I set a goal, I have to reach it!”

After the Decision: A Voyage to Global Fame

Then came Ya Salam in 2003, and with it, Nancy Ajram’s meteoric rise. From that point forward, Nancy Ajram became the defining face of Arabic pop. Bathed in spotlights and surrounded by flashing cameras, she welcomed the attention with open arms. Not a single year, or even a few quiet months, has passed without her presence resonating loudly. Her popularity never wavered, not even after marriage and the birth of her three daughters.

Eleven studio albums, two children’s records, relentless media visibility and an unceasing concert circuit. Nancy no longer needs to announce world tours—she simply lives them. She traverses continents year-round, enchanting crowds from East to West.

‏During our conversation, Nancy spoke with genuine excitement about her most recent performance ‏‏at ‏‏‏‏London’s‏‏ legendary ‏‏Royal ‏‏‏‏Albert Hall, one of several appearances on its revered stage. A richly diverse audience greeted her, singing along to every lyric of her beloved anthems. She also beamed with pride when discussing her surprisingly vast fanbase in East Asia, a fact confirmed by streaming platform analytics, with strong followings in countries such as Indonesia and South Korea. She revealed her intention to embark on a world tour soon, one that will bring her directly to these fans.

Hits like “Ah W Noss,” “Ya Tabtab,” “Enta Eih,” “Ala Shanak” and “Fi Hagat,” along with her electrifying global collaboration with Marshmello on “Sah Sah,” have propelled Nancy to international recognition. A few years ago, fans were stunned when none other than Billie Eilish praised Nancy Ajram, crediting her as her gateway to Arabic music. Eilish singled out “Enta Eih” and “Fi Hagat” as particular favorites, describing Nancy’s vocal delivery as “crazy.” In a now-iconic interview, Eilish said: “Arabic songs fall on my ears like melted chocolate (laughs). No, not literally, but I love this song (‘Fi Hagat’), I love the melody, I love the way she sings it.”

When we asked Nancy to reflect on such a powerful endorsement from a global superstar like Billie Eilish, she replied with humility: “I really value her opinion because she’s musically educated and understands music, her and her brother,” referring to Billie’s creative partnership with her brother Finneas. She added: “At the end of the day, she’s Billie Eilish, she has a huge fanbase and is a global star… so of course, I’m thrilled by her opinion.”

The Artist and the Woman, in Harmony

Today, fans admire photographs of Nancy’s three daughters, noting how closely they resemble her as a child. And rightly so, they’ve seen her evolve at every stage, growing up and blossoming before their eyes on television, even during phases that may have felt fleeting or out of her control.

In an unexpected moment during the shoot, we asked Nancy what advice she would offer her younger self. She paused. A silence swept through the studio, as everyone held their breath. Her gaze drifted, searching through distant memories. “Maybe… I could’ve been freer,” she eventually said. Then, thoughtfully, she added: “I could’ve been freer in expressing myself. Sometimes when you express something, it helps you let go of it faster and move beyond it.”

This freedom of self-expression, Nancy Ajram would claim it in the years that followed. And she wouldn’t just claim it for herself; she would pass it on to her three daughters. Through her art, through her voice and through an unwavering commitment to success, even when the price was high.

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Although Buffy the Vampire Slayer ended its seven-season run more than 20 years ago, there is a lot of nostalgia and hype for the cult TV series since it was announced that a new revival series is in the works set for 2026 at Hulu. And with renewed interest, Little Golden Book has an Amazon No. 1 best selling title based on the hit series.

Priced at $5.57, Little Golden Book’s 24-page Buffy the Vampire Slayer: The Power of Friendship by author Virginia Murphy and illustrator Pernille Orum can be purchased from the retail giant.

If you’re an Amazon Prime member, you can order now and the Little Golden Book will be delivered to your home in less than two days, thanks to Prime Delivery.

Not a member? Sign up for a 30-day free trial to take advantage of all that Amazon Prime has to offer, including access to Prime Video, Prime Gaming and Amazon Photos; fast free shipping in less than two days with Prime Delivery; in-store discounts at Whole Foods Market; access to exclusive shopping events — such as Prime Day and Black Friday — and much more. Learn more about Amazon Prime and its benefits here.

The children’s book is available at BookShop.org for $5.57 (reg. $5.99), while Buffy the Vampire Slayer: The Power of Friendship is also buyable at Barnes & Noble priced at $5.99.

There’s not much known about the new Buffy the Vampire Slayer, except that TV writers and producers Lilla Zuckerman and Nora Zuckerman created the revival series, Sarah Michelle Gellar is set to return as Buffy Summers and Ryan Kiera Armstrong is playing the new vampire slayer.

And since the original Buffy the Vampire Slayer was known for its soundtrack featuring bands from the late ’90s and early 2000s, including Garbage, Guided by Voices, Nerf Herder, The Sundays and others, it’s very likely that the revival series will also have a knack for compiling pop hits from today.

Available on Amazon, Buffy the Vampire Slayer: The Power of Friendship is priced at $5.57.

Want more? Amazon has Little Golden Book titles for BLACKPINK, BTS, Travis Kelce & Jason Kelce, Cher and others. Shop more Little Golden Book titles on Amazon here.

For more product recommendations, check out our roundups of the best Xbox deals, studio headphones and Nintendo Switch accessories.

Future, Dungeon Family Reunion honoring Rico Wade, The Roots with Mary J. Blige, Ludacris & Friends and Doechii are the performers and celebrations headlining 2025’s cross-generational lineup for ONE Musicfest (OMF). Now in its 16^th year, the Black-owned, multi-stage event — presented by P&G and co-produced by Live Nation Urban — will return to Atlanta’s Piedmont Park on Oct. 25-26.

Both Blige and Doechii will be making their OMF debuts, while The Roots will mark the group’s return after a decade. Wade, who died in 2024, was a founding member of production group Organized Noize and — alongside Ray Murray and Sleepy Brown — fostered the careers of OutKast, Goodie Mob and Future. Fellow Atlantan Ludacris, accompanied by special guests and surprise performances, will be celebrating the 25^th anniversary of his debut album for Def Jam, Back for the First Time.

In addition to the aforementioned artists, OMF’s 2025 roster of performers includes Clipse, Jazmine Sullivan, Kehlani, Leon Thomas, Ari Lennox, Busta Rhymes, Wale, Chief Keef, Jagged Edge and FLO. The festival’s full lineup as well as ticketing information can be found here.

In a release announcing this year’s event, ONE Musicfest founder Jason “J” Carter said, “Atlanta is our home, and this year we’re celebrating it in the biggest way possible — with Future, Ludacris and a historic Dungeon Family Reunion honoring the life and legacy of Rico Wade, a true giant in hip-hop. ONE Musicfest has always been about uniting legends, elevating new voices and creating unforgettable cultural moments. While we’re paying tribute to Atlanta’s legacy, this year’s lineup reflects the richness and diversity of Black music and culture from across the globe.”

When Mary McCoy, at age 87, delivered her nine-minute acceptance speech at the Country Radio Hall of Fame induction on July 21, she made it to the stage through a level of resilience and determination that she never shared with the audience.

She’s been on the radio for 74 years — that’s a feat in itself — but McCoy continues in that role despite breaking her neck in 2013. For the last dozen years, she’s moved through life with metal holding her spine together awkwardly, restricting her mobility and her comfort. It has not restricted her commitment.

Even when the accident and the surgery were fresh, McCoy refused to take any substantial time off from her air shift, where she’s been teamed with Larry Galla for more than three decades.

“I was in a halo for three months,” she recalled in a one-hour interview the day before her induction. “But that didn’t stop me. I was in a hospital bed in my home but I called Larry. I said, ‘Larry, I’m going on the air with you.’ He said, ‘Mary, you can’t do it.’ I said, ‘Yes, I can.’ I looked like Frankenstein. I took my telephone, I worked it down between those bars [on the halo], and every morning I was on the air.”

The hall of fame evening was a night to recognize longevity. It marked the 50th anniversary of the hall, and the class included iHeartRadio national country format coordinator Gregg Swedberg, who’s been with KEEY Minneapolis for 34 years; The Original Country Gold host Rowdy Yates, currently marking 40 years in broadcasting; and WOKQ Dover-Portsmouth, N.H., brand manager/personality Ginny Rogers Brophey, whose history includes over two decades in the same office as her husband, 2014 Hall of Fame inductee Mike Brophey, in Boston.

“People wonder, ‘How did you guys work together at the same station for 25 years?’ ” Ginny noted during her acceptance speech. “I honestly don’t know. I always say he was the boss at work but I was the boss at home, and that’s how we balanced it.”

Also inducted were Big D & Bubba hosts Derek Haskins and Sean Powell and former iHeartMedia executive vp of programming Clay Hunnicutt, bringing the total number of inductees to 207. Frontline Recordings/BMG Americas president Jon Loba also received the President’s Award.

Enhancing the evening’s longevity theme, WSM-AM Nashville personality and Grand Ole Opry announcer Bill Cody served as host, even as the Opry celebrates 100 years on the air.

Like the Opry, McCoy represents a connection to a bygone era in radio. When she made her first appearance, at age 12 on KCMO Conroe, Texas, it wasn’t as a DJ. She sang live, and she was so disheartened by her own performance that she cried when it aired. But a local business, the Brown Sinclair Service Station, came on board as a sponsor and she ended up with a 15-minute regular time slot.

McCoy sensed that radio was her life’s calling, and her life definitely changed because of it. The family had lived for four years in a tent, and she felt the sting of social disapproval from her peers.

“I was in the fifth grade and a lot of them looked down on me because they knew where we lived,” she told Billboard.

Alongside her radio career, she pursued a recording track, working with producer Huey Meaux (Freddy Fender, B.J. Thomas) and sharing stages with George Jones and Elvis Presley. Meaux’s production of “Deep Elem Blues,” featuring her as the lead singer for The Cyclones, became a regional hit.

“That record got more play,” she says. “We’d be driving along and switching from KILT. I’d hear the beginning of it, move to another station and hear the ending of it on that station. They had to tie me down in the back seat of the car that day because I was so excited.”

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While the artist gig proceeded, the radio career stuck, in part because she had such an appreciation for the audience. Her routine started with a recitation of the local birthdays, and she gave away a birthday cake on a daily basis.

“People still come and tell me, ‘Mary, you gave me a birthday cake,’ ” she says.

Even today, she often signs off from her two-hour, classic-country shift by thanking the audience for listening: “Without you, there’s no us.”

McCoy was so devoted to that audience, and to the station itself, that she declined several opportunities to leave Conroe for bigger markets. She even turned down an offer from a crosstown station because she was so loyal to KMCO. So that rival owner, former classmate Rigby Owen, bought KMCO and changed the call letters to KIKR.

She joined KVST in 1992, working both on-air and in a sales capacity, which further bonded her to the local community. In the process, she became a Conroe legend — musical trends, TV shows and fashion styles might come and go, but Mary McCoy was always there.

“She’s the strongest person I know,” Galla said via video in her Hall of Fame induction. “She’s beautiful inside and out.”

As the years started piling up on her résumé, McCoy began to get recognized for her steadfast presence. She joined the Texas Radio Hall of Fame in 2010 and the National Radio Hall of Fame in 2024. In December, the town of Conroe installed a bronze bust of McCoy at Founders Plaza, a city park that’s a short walk from the place where her career in radio started. Guinness World Records certified her as the longest-running female host in radio history. She’s contemplating how, and when, her run might end, though radio has been such a foundational part of her existence that she can’t fully grasp her world without it.

“It’s been a journey, and I know that the time has come that [I may] have to [stop],” she says. “But it’s going to be hard to walk away, because that’s been my life.”