As Madonna’s new studio album, CONFESSIONS II, debuts at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 (dated July 18), the Queen of Pop joins the King of Pop, Michael Jackson, in the top 10. Jackson’s former 1983-84 No. 1 Thriller falls 7-8 on the latest chart. Perhaps surprisingly, this is only the second time that the pair has appeared in the top 10 at the same time, and it last happened nearly 25 years ago. (All July 18-dated charts will refresh to Billboard’s website on Tuesday, July 14.)

Madonna and Jackson previously shared space in the top 10 on the Dec. 1, 2001-dated chart. That week, Jackson’s chart-topping Invincible fell 3-4 in its third week on the list, while Madonna’s compilation GHV2: Greatest Hits Volume 2 debuted at No. 7. The next week both albums dropped out of the top 10 – although they remained in the top 15 together.

The two icons almost met up in the top 10 in the 1980s — when they spent a combined 57 weeks at No. 1 — but missed one another by a single week. On the Sept. 19, 1987-dated chart, the Madonna-led Who’s That Girl film soundtrack spent its third and final week in the top 10, at No. 7. The following week Who’s That Girl fell to No. 11, while Michael Jackson’s Bad debuted at No. 1. Then, on the Oct. 3-dated chart, Who’s That Girl remained at No. 11, while Bad held at No. 1.

Who’s That Girl and Bad may have never shared time in the top 10, but they did both appear in the top 15 of the chart for four straight weeks (Sept. 26 – Oct. 17, 1987 charts).

Madonna and Jackson had another close encounter on the Jan. 23, 1988-dated Billboard 200, when they were both in the top 15. Madonna’s remix album You Can Dance climbed 17-14 (to its peak), while Bad held at No. 4.

Considering Madonna and Jackson’s potent chart histories, how is it that they have barely crossed paths in the top 10, especially in the ‘80s when they spent a combined 57 weeks at No. 1 (16 and 41, respectively)? Madonna hit the top 10 for the first time on the Oct. 6, 1984-dated chart, with her self-titled debut. By that point, Jackson’s mega-hit Thriller had already departed the top 10 (where it had been lodged from January 1983 through June 1984). 

Following Thriller, Jackson would chart four more top 10s before his death in 2009. After his passing, he notched another four top 10s. Meanwhile, Madonna was much more prolific in her output, as her self-titled set was her first of 24 top 10s, through CONFESSIONS II.

Also factoring into the pair missing each other through the years: their major new albums were often not released in close proximity to one another. Scrolling back in time, there were only four instances in which Madonna and Jackson released top 10-charting albums within six months of each other. It happened in 1987 with Who’s That Girl and Bad; in 1995 with Madonna’s ballads compilation Something To Remember and Jackson’s half-studio album/half-hits set HIStory; in 2001 with GHV2 and Invincible; and in 2009 with Madonna’s best-of Celebration and the posthumous Michael Jackson’s This Is It film soundtrack.

Wedding season continues for Taylor Swift, as she and Travis Kelce attended NFL player JuJu Smith-Schuster and Laura Kruk’s ceremony in Orange County, California, just a week after the singer’s big Madison Square Garden celebration in New York City.

Smith-Schuster is a wide receiver for the New York Giants, but previously played for the Kansas City Chiefs alongside Kelce; Kruk is known for her lifestyle and beauty content on social media. Smith-Schuster and Kruk were seen at Swift and Kelce’s wedding event last week before getting married in Orange County, California, at the oceanside Ritz-Carlton, Laguna Niguel on Friday (July 10). Though they haven’t shared any wedding photos yet (nor have Swift and Kelce), Kruk did post an Instagram Story showing the Southern California coast with the text “let’s get you married” in the early morning hours on Saturday.

Swift and Kelce were seen in paparazzi footage from Smith-Schuster and Kruk’s wedding circulating online, strolling hand-in-hand in a video clip and seated during the service and festivities in photos.

The Life of a Showgirl star chose a strapless, pink floral gown by Markarian, the Laila Floral Brocade Gown, as her wedding guest look.

For her own wedding on July 3, Swift opted for custom Dior. Her wedding dress — which is still yet to be publicly revealed — was by Jonathan Anderson, creative director of the design house’s Women’s, Men’s and Haute Couture Collections. “It was a joy to work with her. We became very good friends,” Anderson told WWD post-nuptials. “It’s an emotional thing doing someone’s wedding.”

In music news, last week the Toy Story 5 soundtrack, featuring Swift’s original song “I Knew It, I Knew You,” debuted in the top 10 on three Billboard charts: No. 1 on the Kid Albums ranking, No. 2 on the Soundtracks chart and at No. 9 on Independent Albums.

Meanwhile, Swift currently holds four spots in the top 10 on the Adult Contemporary songs chart, with “Elizabeth Taylor” sneaking in at No. 10, “I Knew It, I Knew You” holding onto No. 9, “Opalite” shining at No. 8 and “The Fate of Ophelia” finding itself at No. 7.

And in other milestone moments of 2026 for Swift, on July 8 she received a Primetime Emmy nomination for Taylor Swift/The Eras Tour/The Final Show. The nod is for her work as as both performer and producer in the category of outstanding variety special (pre-recorded), one of five categories the Disney+ special was nominated in.

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Netflix’s KPop Demon Hunters quickly became one of the streamer’s biggest animated hits, earning widespread acclaim for its animation, Grammy-winning K-pop music, and memorable cast of heroes and villains. The film’s massive global success has transformed it into a full-fledged merchandising powerhouse, with fans eagerly collecting everything from apparel to toys inspired by HUNTR/X and the supernatural world they protect.

Jazwares is among the latest companies to expand the franchise with an officially licensed KPop Demon Hunters Squishmallows collection. The collaboration introduces four fan-favorite characters in plush form: Rumi, Jinu, Sussie, and Derpy. The lineup joins Jazwares’ growing range of KPop Demon Hunters products, with the company also planning additional plush and BumBumz inspired by the film for global retailers.

FAN-FAVORITE CHARACTER

Squishmallows KPop Demon Hunters Rumi Plush

$15.99

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Rumi headlines the collection as an eight-inch Squishmallows plush made with the brand’s signature ultrasoft fabric.

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The design shows off Rumi’s most recognizable features, including her embroidered mismatched eyes and woven purple braid. Her coffee-brown right eye represents her human side, while the glowing amber left eye symbolizes her demon heritage as a human-demon hybrid (cambion).

HUNTR/X RIVAL

Squishmallows KPop Demon Hunters Jinu Plush

$15.99

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Jinu’s standout detail is his traditional Korean gat, which has been incorporated into the plush design to mirror his on-screen look.

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Jinu joins the Squishmallows lineup in an eight-inch plush that captures his signature appearance from the film. Like every release in the collection, it is an officially-licensed Netflix product crafted from Squishmallows’ ultrasoft material and features the official Squishmallows seal for collectors.

SUPERNATURAL MAGPIE

Squishmallows KPop Demon Hunters Sussie Plush

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Sussie makes their Squishmallows debut as an eight-inch plush featuring a distinctive traditional black gat.

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Sussie’s compact size makes it ideal for display alongside the rest of the KPop Demon Hunters Squishmallows collection.

MAGICAL BLUE TIGER

Squishmallows KPop Demon Hunters Derpy Plush

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Squishmallows recreates the beloved tiger’s signature striped tail, one of the defining details fans will immediately recognize.

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Constructed from Squishmallows’ ultrasoft material, Derpy joins Rumi, Jinu, and Sussie as part of the franchise’s first wave of collectible plushies.

COMING SOON

BumBumz 4-Pack KPop Demon Hunters: Light Stick, White Couch, Ramen & Derpy

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$19.99

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Also from Jazwares is the KPop Demon Hunters BumBumz lineup, from the makers of the original Squishmallows.

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Scheduled for release on Aug. 20 and currently available for pre-order on Amazon, the BumBumz set includes plush versions of the Light Stick, White Couch, Ramen and Derpy, transforming memorable items and characters from the film into quirky collectibles. Sized at 4.5 inches, the plushes are designed for easy display, travel, or desk décor.

The Squishmallows launch is just one of several major merch collaborations following the movie’s breakout success, alongside Mattel KPop Demon Hunters dolls, Hasbro’s NERF role-play weapons and Furby collectibles, Little People Collector set, Old Navy apparel, Vans footwear and other officially licensed products that continue to expand the franchise beyond the screen.

PHYSICAL RELEASE

KPop Demon Hunters DVD (Blu-ray + 4K Ultra HD)

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$49.95

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Fans who want to have the DVD as a collectible can pre-order KPop Demon Hunters from The Criterion Collection in Blu-ray and 4K Ultra HD editions. The release is currently listed for December 31, 2026.

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The physical edition marks another milestone in the film’s continued popularity, giving collectors a premium home-video release to pair with the growing lineup of official merchandise. Details on possible bonus features have not been released yet, but The Criterion Collection’s DVDs tend to include deleted scenes, bonus material, and audio and visual updates.

This week brought new releases from music superstars in the worlds of rock, pop, Latin, hip-hop, K-pop and beyond — but what was your favorite release of the week?

Kicking things off with pop royalty, Beyoncé surprise-released the R&B-tinged new single “Morning Dew (Donk)” last weekend. Switching gears to rock & roll, The Rolling Stones returned with their 25th studio album Foreign Tongues. In the rap space, Future delivered his new album The Real Me. And YEONJUN from K-pop quintet TOMORROW X TOGETHER is back with Part 02 from his No Labels series.

Other big drops: Suki Waterhouse’s third album Loveland, Teddy Swims’ new single “Break Up in Reverse,” The Linda Lindas and Hayley Williams’ team-up “Closer,” Chris Lake and Tiga’s “Party Time” featuring Aatig, Feid’s “A Xon De Que” and Coco Jones’ “Body So Tea.”

And that’s still not all! We also have Chris Avantgarde’s Hyperreal, Melanie Santiler’s “Gataza,” Jahmiel’s Against All Odds, Maddie Lenhart’s “Empty Room” and Wyatt Flores’ “Scared of Heights.”

All those choices, but which one is your favorite this week? Revisit our full New Music Friday Guide here, and make your selection below.