Last June, Michael Bibi’s team announced news that no one wants to have to share: the producer had been diagnosed with CNS Lymphoma, a rare form of cancer.

Shows were cancelled, as the London-based artist went into treatment at the city’s Royal Marsden Hospital, with late nights at the club swiftly traded for days watching Netflix in the oncology department. “It was pretty intense,” Bibi tells Billboard on the phone from London, in what is presumably a massive understatement.

He’s generous with his story in conversation, laughing a fair amount while recapping the last year of his life. That year started in treatment, included a last-minute trip to Ibiza to play the closing event of his Solid Grooves part, led to the September announcement that he was cancer free, brought him to Coachella for his first show back in the States in April, and now this Saturday (July 6) will find Bibi playing London’s Finsbury Park — a show being billed as the city’s “largest electronic event to date,” expected to draw 45,000 attendees.

The show will feature an extended set by Bibi, following performances by producers such as Chloé Caillet and Dixon, and also begins Bibi’s One Life concept, which will include another five shows throughout Europe through late September. The launch of One Life also establishes a new normal for the previously globetrotting DJ: playing a very select number of shows, most of them during the day and early evening.

“I am still very much in recovery,” says Bibi, 34 — adding that since leaving the hospital, he feels better on some days than on others. “I’m only doing a very, very, very, very limited number of shows, and making sure they are the best that they can possibly be.”

Below, Bibi talks about his diagnosis, the support he got from the electronic music community and how he is “so just living for each day right now.”

There’s so much I want to talk to you about, and maybe the best place to start is the show this weekend — which is obviously huge and I imagine meaningful for you in many different ways. How are you feeling about the performance?

I’m very excited. I was nervous. I mean, there’s a whole range of emotions going on, and they change daily, depending upon how I feel. It’s a mix of excitement and nervousness and anticipation – those are the main emotions that keep coming up. But I’ve been preparing, because I haven’t really played much at all since everything happened.

That must be nerve-wracking.

When you’re playing a lot of shows, you’re a well-oiled machine. You’re just in it constantly. It’s like being an athlete; you’re practicing while you’re playing, constantly keeping yourself in pinnacle condition.

But I haven’t played, for obvious reasons. So there are some nerves there. So I’ve been preparing for that, just messing around at a little studio at home. Actually, even just preparing for [the show] has been a quite healing process. It’s been a very healing process actually, just going through old tracks, new tracks — particularly old tracks, because they just have so many memories for me, different tracks and different locations and stuff. It’s been very healing. And emotional.

Was it always clear to you that you would come back to music, if you were able?

I knew that I was always going to come back to music. I just knew that I would never come back in the same way. Like, this is going to change me forever. I was touring a lot. I think that part of my life pretty much done now. I still want to do shows, and I’m still going to be touring, but I’m never going to be touring as heavily as I used to. And I just want a more of a balance in my life. But no, music is just part of me. I don’t think I could live without music.

Let’s go back to the beginning of all this. You and I spoke at Coachella in 2022, and the focus of that conversation and one of the big takeaways was that you were on this incredible rise and then the pandemic happened and put a stop to things. When you announced you had cancer, it was like “Oh my god, this is this is happening to him again.”

[Laughs.] Yeah.

How is it back now coming back now, this second time?

Yeah, it was hard. There were moments where it was like “I don’t know what’s happening here, but every time I seem to be having my moment, I get a major setback again.”

Yeah.

But this one was a lot more serious, I guess. More intense. I think the only way I got through it was just kind of surrendering. Acceptance of what is. You can make the best plan in the world, but it will never pan out how you planned.

So now, I’m just kind of living each moment, I guess you could say. Just living each day as it comes right now. Today right here, I’m alive. I’m sitting in sunshine. I feel good. So that’s about it. That’s all I need at the moment. The truth is I care a lot less about the whole — you know I remember that conversation, talking about the success and the pandemic and the hard work. Now I just care about being healthy.

Can you tell me when you realized you were sick and what it looked like in terms of getting the diagnosis?

I had tinnitus for a long time. And it just was getting worse and worse. I’d done every test you could possibly think of, and nothing was happening. Eventually, through some advice and a bit of luck, It came up with an abnormality. The doctors believe that we found it as a coincidence. So in a way, I got lucky, to have found it.

How long after getting that diagnosis did you go into treatment?

It took a long time to get a diagnosis. They found something in a very delicate area, which made immediate identification challenging. So after some time, once the diagnosis was done, I was getting treatment. 

That’s fast.

I’d already been under medical care at that point, because my symptoms were getting worse. I did become quite ill at that point, because it took such a long time.

What were the conversations like with your team at that time? I imagine you just put an immediate pause on anything career related.

I mean, yeah. Shows just had to stop, and everything got put on hold for about a year, really. Then I went through all the treatment, and then doctors started telling me that everything was looking good and that possibly I could be getting back to work within a certain period of time. So then I was like, “Okay, if that’s what the doctors are telling me, then that’s what I’m planning for.” It was obviously a massive journey in between that.

I’m curious about the response from the electronic community. I think your first post about having cancer was last June, so right around this time. When did you decide that you want to share the news with the world?

I pretty much decided that I was going to share the news straightaway. When I didn’t know what was happening, there was a period where I didn’t really say anything, because there as nothing to say, really. We knew something was going on, but didn’t know what. Then basically, once I got admitted into hospital, I was in a situation where people were like “What’s going on?” I had to cancel shows.

So then I was like, “Right. I’m going to tell people what’s happening.” There was an option of either just going quiet, or speaking about it. I thought, “I don’t really have anything to hide.”

From an extremely outside perspective, the response seemed to be very big and very warm. What was your take on how the broad community reacted?

It was quite overwhelming. It was beautiful. Just nothing but love and support. The whole thing was overwhelming, but it was very hard to even grasp what was happening. When you’re in the middle of a storm, it’s very hard to see it from an outside perspective. And then I just posted, and from that point on, would post something on social media once a month, just to give an update of what’s happening. But I would not be on my phone. I just had to concentrate on getting through the treatment. It was pretty intense.

How were you spending those days during treatment?

Just with my family around me, kind of finding things to keep busy not involved in watching the outside world. A lot on the laptop, Netflix, making a bit of music. But then that started getting a bit hard. I was finding it hard to concentrate on stuff later on. I was in hospital for six months. That’s a long time.

When did it start to become clear that this was something you were going to beat?

Well, I would say my mentality — I always thought I was going to beat it. I didn’t really have any other options. I just had to like to be like, “Right, I’m gonna win. I’m gonna beat this no matter what.” If what you mean by that is when I got verification from the doctors, it’d probably be towards the fourth month in. Towards the end.

Were you listening to music at all during that time?

I wasn’t listening to club music. Not really appropriate for the environment I was in, but I was listening to a lot of like ambient house mixes actually. They were pretty cool. A lot of ambient stuff. Pretty nice.

The post where you announced you were flying to Ibiza for the Solid Grooves closing party at DC10 got such a huge response. What was that like for you, re-entering the club world even momentarily at that point in your recovery?

Yeah, it was quite overwhelming, that. I didn’t really anticipate quite how overwhelming. When you’ve been stuck in a hospital room for four months, when you’ve been stuck in there for a long time, isolated away from people, then you sneak back into the club and all eyes are on you, it is intense. [Laughs.] But good.

Like I said, it’s very difficult to feel what’s happening in the moment until afterwards. It’s really afterwards that you can reflect on things and go, “That actually happened.” It’s kind of like you’re in a dream when you’re in it. I’m not sure if the fight or flight mode or reality sets in afterwards. I don’t know how the brain works. But it was an emotional moment, for sure.

I can’t imagine a bigger dichotomy between the hospital and DC 10.

Complete opposite ends, and then back into hospital, like a week later.

That really must have been extremely surreal, to be back in treatment thinking like, “Did that even just happen?”

It was very reckless and very spontaneous. But it just worked out that — basically you have different cycles between each each treatment session. Each cycle is a month, or 21 days. then you get a five day period off, and usually that five day period, if you’re well enough to go home, you get to go home. If you’re not well enough to go home, you don’t. But it just so happened that it worked out perfectly that my cycle ended just when that closing party happened. And I was feeling well. So I thought, “Well I’ll just go.”

Did you run it by your doctor, like, “Hey, can I go to DC 10 tonight?”

I did not, no. She found out through social media and sent me an email.

What did she say?

I don’t remember exactly, but something along the lines of, “Please inform me next time.” Basically like, “Be careful.”

Fair.

But that’s when the whole One Life concept came up. Because I was like, “Well, you got one life, let’s live it.” I remember someone was like, “Are you really going to?” I think it was my brother, someone close to me, and I was like, “I’ve got one life, so let’s go.” And that’s where “one life, live it” came up. The concept basically is that — it’s living in the moment, living in now, embracing the now. If you’re well, and you have the capacity to enjoy life, enjoy it. Be free, and be happy, and don’t take things too seriously.

And so how are you enjoying your days, since getting out of the hospital and being told you’re in remission.

I’m focusing on being healthy. Also being in a hospital bed for that amount of time, I had to have a couple of surgeries, which left me a bit immobile for a while. I’m okay now, but there was a lot of rehabilitation from lying flat on my back for such a long period of time. So I’m in the gym now, just slowly rehabilitating myself, trying to get back to how I was, the old me. Eating well, three meals a day. Spending as much time as possible with my loved ones and my friends. Sleeping well is important to me. I’m not doing any shows that are late at night anymore. I’m just chilling for now. The doctor’s orders are literally “just chill,” and that’s what I’m doing.

Nourishing yourself and resting and gaining strength.

Yeah, because I am still very much in recovery. They told me recovery is a year from when you’re discharged, and I’m only seven months out now. They said work can start again — well, they weren’t specific, but they were like, “We’d be happy for you to start working around five or six months. But you have to listen to your body and take each day as it comes.”

How’s that going?

It’s difficult to do in my job because you have to plan, and there’s a lot of preparation. It’s not like I’m just going into the office and can be like, “You know what, I don’t feel like going into the office today.” It’s different. But that’s why I’m only doing a very, very, very, very limited number of shows and making sure they are the best that they can possibly be. And enjoying it and having fun.

The July 6 show is being billed as the biggest electronic show ever in London. To be able to do a very limited number of shows, but have it be at that caliber — what does that mean to you in terms of your return and your community?

London’s my hometown. I’ve got so many memories there. It’s just a very special place for me. I just wanted to do something to give back to everyone that I’ve ever been involved or worked with. And when I say that, I mean anyone who’s ever danced with us — just every single person that I may have had a moment with in my life and their lives.

I’ve been doing it for a long time now, especially in the U.K., so I knew there was going to be a very high demand for it. Deciding to do Finsbury Park — the response was amazing. It sold out pretty much straightaway, I think. So now it’s just about putting on the best show possible for everyone. Which I enjoy, but it also takes quite a lot of work.

How are you handling that work, considering, as you said, that you’re still in recovery?

I’ve got an amazing team around me, helping me. But obviously on the creative side, I’m having to do a lot. I probably bit off a little bit more than I thought I could chew. But it’s going well, I’m enjoying it now. To begin with, it was a bit — I have a very limited bandwidth for the moment. My brain is not functioning how it used to function. I’m okay, but concentration isn’t what I used to do. So I have to know my limit and what I can do each day. But I’ve got people around me helping me, which is great.

It’s just a slow process. I have to listen to my body, Take my time. Relax. But it’s difficult, because I’m a very motivated person. I like doing things. I have a lot of ideas. When I have to just chill, sometimes it can be frustrating, but it is what it is, so just get on with it.

Club world, nightlife, late nights, parties — do you foresee ever really returning to all that, or is there a new normal for you now?

Yeah, definitely. That’s why I said I don’t think I’ll go back to touring how I used to tour. How that landscape looks in the future, I don’t know. It’s always changing. But for now, while I’m in this recovery period, it is definitely only daytime shows and very limited shows.

I’ve had lots of offers. People are offering all sorts of different crazy, amazing, beautiful shows. It’s like “Wow, amazing,” but I just have to say no for now, because I am in recovery. That’s the thing — I have to remember myself, and also sometimes I have to remind other people that I am still recovering. I know I look well, and I’m pushing, but it’s hard.

And I imagine when you’re getting these amazing offers, and are, as you’re saying, a doing type person, you have to restrain yourself.

Yeah, exactly. Exactly.

Can you tell me about the decision making behind playing Coachella this past April?

That [offer] came in last minute, really. It was on the table earlier on, because I wasn’t announced on the main lineup. At that period of time, I was like, “It’s quite soon. I’m not sure if I’m doing well enough.” Then they came back and were like, “We’re doing a new stage. Can you play?” It was only a month away from the festival, I think, if that. I felt well, so I thought, “Okay, let’s do it.”

I kind of liked it like that, that last minute thing. I’m leaning towards that at the moment. If I did do any extra shows — there might be some surprises coming down the pipeline where I’m just turning up. Because it’s like the whole process of “I don’t know when I’m gonna feel well and when I’m not going to.” So it’s like, if I feel well, maybe I might show up somewhere.

That’s interesting. You, by necessity, having to make game-time decisions lends itself to doing last-minute shows which are inherently quite buzzy and excitement generating.

Yeah. It’s kind of what happened with Ibiza and Coachella. And also I played in Barcelona a couple of weeks ago. That wasn’t planned. That was just last minute, spur of the moment. It was Solid Grooves, my party, but I wasn’t supposed to be playing. And then it was “Yeah, I feel well. I’m gonna come to Barcelona and play.” And I did.

Your Coachella crowd was huge. How did it feel to be received like that?

It was incredible. And also, my mum came out with me and my brother and other people from my family and my close friends. And it was just, it was amazing. I do love the States. I had a good time there before I got sick. I will get back over there and start doing things at some point when I feel well. It’s easier to fly around Europe, but getting to the States takes a little more planning.

Do you feel like your purpose is different now?

Most definitely. I’ve been debating with this a lot. I just want to help other people. How I go about doing that exactly, I don’t know. I know I help people with my music. I know I’ve helped people with my story. Just going through what I’ve been going through — there’s a lot of other cancer patients, all different types of cancer patients that have reached out to me, or their families shave reached out, saying that I’m inspiring them, or giving them hope when they don’t have any other hope.

I like that, and I am enjoying that. So I’m in a process where I’m trying to figure out what the next steps are to keep developing on that, because I really want to do that. The hospital where I got treated at are involved in the London show. We’re making some donations to them, and they’re coming down and have stalls to raise awareness for cancer treatment, prevention and all these different things. So I don’t know whether it’s cancer specific, or whether it’s just in general yet, but I know I want to help people.

Has this experience shifted your taste in music, or the kind of music you want to play?

Very good question. I still enjoy the same music that I did before. I think maybe now I have a broader scope on the music I enjoy. I haven’t played many club shows yet, so I don’t know how that will translate into the clubs. Maybe it won’t; maybe it will. But you know, I’m a producer and a DJ, and I know one of my main skills when I DJ in particular is that I can read a room very well. So I’m going to keep it spontaneous, have all different types of music available to me and then just play what I feel is right.

But, I am so just living for each day right now. Planning things is so difficult. But I’ve accepted it, and there’s freedom to it — when you do really, really live in the moment.

Eddie Murphy recently sat down with The New York Times for an episode of its podcast The Interview. During the conversation, host David Marchese pointed out that, early in his career, Murphy was at the same level of white-hot fame as Elvis Presley, Michael Jackson and Prince, all of whom died before their time and, in one way or another, from drug use.

“Those guys are all cautionary tales for me,” Murphy told Marchese. “I don’t drink. I smoked a joint for the first time when I was 30 years old — the extent of drugs is some weed. I remember I was 19, I went to the Blues Bar. It was me, [John] Belushi and Robin Williams. They start doing coke, and I was like, ‘No, I’m cool.’ I wasn’t taking some moral stance. I just wasn’t interested in it. To not have the desire or the curiosity, I’d say that’s providence. God was looking over me in that moment.”

All four of these performers achieved superstardom at a young age. Jackson was just 11 in 1970 when The Jackson 5 landed their first No. 1 hit on the Billboard Hot 100, “I Want You Back.” He was only 14 in 1973 when he sang his solo hit “Ben” at the Academy Awards, where it was nominated for best original song. Presley was 21 in 1956 when he landed his first roof-rattling (and Billboard chart-topping) smash, “Heartbreak Hotel.” Prince was 21 in 1980 when he received his first platinum album for Prince and his first gold single for “I Wanna Be Your Lover.”

In similar fashion, Murphy was just 19 when he debuted on Saturday Night Live in December 1980. He was the standout cast member on a show that was rebuilding following the departure of the remaining original cast members at the end of the previous season.

Murphy’s fame quickly spread beyond the show. His first comedy album, Eddie Murphy, was released in August 1982. That December saw the release of his first film, 48 Hrs., in which he co-starred with Nick Nolte. Trading Places, in which he co-starred with SNL alum Dan Aykroyd, was released in June 1983. Beverly Hills Cop, which he carried by himself, was released in December 1984.

Murphy was just 21 in early 1983 when he received his first Grammy nominations – best comedy album for Eddie Murphy and best R&B instrumental performance for “Boogie in Your Butt,” a novelty track from the album. He won a Grammy the following year for his second album, Eddie Murphy: Comedian.

Murphy had turned 22 when, later in 1983, he received his first Primetime Emmy nomination for outstanding supporting actor in a comedy, variety or music series for SNL. He received two more Primetime Emmy nods – for both performance and writing – the following year. He finally won his first Emmy in 2020 for returning to SNL as a guest host. He received his first Oscar nomination in 2006 for best supporting actor in Dreamgirls.

Murphy, 63, has already lived longer than Presley, Jackson and Prince — Presley died at age 42 in 1977; Jackson at age 50 in 2009; and Prince at age 57 in 2016.

In the podcast, Murphy explained that getting famous at a young age, especially as a Black artist, can be like living in a minefield. “Now, at this age, I can look back and be like, ‘Wow, I came through a minefield for 35 years.’ How do you make it through a minefield for 35, 40 years? Something has to be looking over you,” he said. “This business, it’s not set up for a Black artist. It was a new thing: I’m doing this stuff that no one’s ever done, and it’s in a business that’s not set up for me. It’s set up for some white dude. So, you don’t have people watching your back, and you don’t have support groups.”

Murphy also discussed how his enormous success impacted how comedy performers, and Black performers, are seen. “The comic used to be the sidekick, the comic was the opening act, and I changed it to where the comic can be the main attraction,” he said. “They thought of comics one way, and it was like, no, a comic could sell out the arena, and a comic could be in hundred-million-dollar movies. All of that changed. And with Black actors, it was, like, the Black guy could be the star of the movie, and it doesn’t have to be a Black exploitation movie. It could be a movie that’s accessible to everyone all around the world.”

Just three months after Peso Pluma’s Génesis clocked its 28th week (and so far final week) at No. 1 on Billboard’s Top Latin Albums, the Mexican singer is back atop the 50-album ranking with Éxodo, his fourth studio set which rises 41-1 on the July 6-dated list. The set also launches at No. 5 on the overall Billboard 200 list.

Éxodo debuted at No. 41 on Top Latin Albums (June 22-dated ranking) with only one day of activity, as the album was released June 20 via Double P, the last day of the tracking week. According to Luminate, the 24-song set (21 of which are collaborations), generated 64,000 equivalent album units in the U.S. during the 21-27 tracking week.

Streaming units comprise essentially all Éxodo’s second week of activity, with a little over 63,000 units deriving from that consumption method. That sum equates to 87.5 million on-demand official streams of the album’s 24 songs. Traditional album sales and track sales, meanwhile, supply the remaining 1,000. One unit equals one album sale, 10 individual tracks sold from an album, or 3,750 ad-supported or 1,250 paid/subscription on-demand official audio and video streams for a song on the album.

Éxodo becomes just the second album by a regional Mexican act to land at the summit on Top Latin Albums in 2024, following Fuerza Régida’s Pa Las Baby’s y Belikeada, which led for three weeks between April and May.

Beyond its coronation on Top Latin Albums, Éxodo likewise rallies 19-1 on Regional Mexican Albums, where Peso replaces himself at No. 1. The new set sends Génesis to No. 2 with a 4% dip in overall units, to 17,000.

The last act to swap No. 1 positions on the chart was Eslabon Armado, whose album Tu Veneno Mortal, Vol. 2 ceded the throne after three weeks to Armado’s Corta Venas, rebounding to the summit on the chart dated July 31, 2021, for its 18th week atop then. (The latter ruled for a total of 54 weeks, the third-most since the list’s inception in 1985.)

Éxodo was preceded by four songs on the multi-metric Hot Latin Songs chart, starting with “La Durango,” with Junior H and Eslabón Armado, which rallies 20-9 with the Greatest Gainer honors, awarded weekly to the song with the largest increase in audience.

“La People II” with Tito Double P and Joel De La P, travels 23-18. “Rompe La Dompe,” with Junior H and Oscar Maydon, re-enters at No. 27 after its No. 12 debut and peak (Jan. 13-dated list). “Peso Completo,” with Arcángel reached its No. 42 debut high, while “Teka,” with DJ Snake, climbs 36-45.

“Reloj,” with Iván Cornejo, leads 17 debuts on Hot Latin Songs, which combines airplay, digital sales and streaming data, where it opens at No. 3. It was the most streamed song during the debut week, with 7.7. million official U.S. streams in the tracking period.

With the 17 new recruits, plus two songs already on the list and a re-entry, Peso Pulma places 20 total simultaneous titles on the current chart, the most in 2024.

Here’s the full recap of Peso Pluma’s Éxodo on the Hot Latin Songs chart:

No. 3, “Reloj,” with Iván Cornejo
No. 5, “Vino Tinto,” with Natanael Cano & Gabito Ballesteros
No. 6, “La Patrulla,” with Neton Vega
No.9, “La Durango,” with Junior H & Eslabon Armado
No. 11, “Hollywood,” with Estevan Plazola
No. 16, “Mami,” with Chino Pacas
No. 17, “Put Em In The Fridge,” with Cardi B
No. 18, “La People II,” with Tito Double P & Joel de La P
No. 19, “Santal 33,” with Oscar Maydon
No. 20, “Me Activo,” with Jasiel Nuñez
No. 21, “Bruce Wayne,” with Tito Double P
No. 22, “Sr. Smith,” with Luis R Conriquez
No. 24, “Belanova,” with Tito Double P
No. 27, “Rompe La Dompe,” with Junior H & Oscar Maydon
No. 28, “Ice”
No. 29, “Solicitado”
No. 31, “14 – 14”
No. 37, “Pa No Pensar,” with Quavo
No. 40, “Tommy & Pamela,” with Kenia Os
No. 50, “Mala,” with Ryan Castro

Peso Pluma also reaches global success with three new songs on the Billboard Global 200: “Vino Tinto,” with Natanael Cano and Gabito Ballesteros, at No. 94, with 18.8 million global streams. “Reloj,” with Iván Cornejo, at No. 130 with 15 million universal clicks, and “La Patrulla,” with Neton Vega, at No. 164, with 13.9 million streams worldwide. “Vino Tinto” likewise launches at No. 109 on the Global Excl. U.S. ranking with 12.8 million streams outside the U.S.

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If you’re into TikTok, you’ve probably seen the viral ballet flat trend featuring the Reformation Bethany Ballet Flats all over your For You page. You don’t need to be a dancer to join in on the balletcore aesthetic. In fact, the balletcore aesthetic is all about capturing the essence of a ballet dancer by incorporating it into your everyday life, from clothing choices to home decor.

Whether you’re taking a walk at the park or enjoying a night out, these comfortable and versatile flats will keep you staying cool all season long. These Reformation Bethany Ballet Flats feature a flat heel, round toe and ankle security, making you feel comfortable and secure wherever you go. Its breathable design ensures you can go sock-free with ease. With its leather upper insole, rubber sole and buckle strap, you’ll be ready to slip your feet in and take on your day.

You can find these trendy Bethany Ballet Flats on Reformation and Anthropologie.

You can get these Bethany Flats in myriad colors and designs on Reformation, from Black Rhinestone Mesh to Silver. This is one you’ll want in all colors to change up your look.

If you are still a bit unsure on whether or not to hop on this trend, check out the reviews. One Anthropologie customer wrote, “I’m loving the updated take on the ballet flats! The leather is soft right out of the box and needed very little time to break in. They look like they have a thin sole, but once you try them on you’ll feel padding; I can wear if for a whole shift on the sales floor and still feel supported …they look great paired with dresses, skirts, and denim…”

Another Anthropologie customer said, “I love these! I purchased the silver… have them in black as well. The leather is really nice and they go with everything!”

For more product recommendations, check out these Dr. Scholl’s Sandals, these comfortable Mega Crush Crocs for added comfort, and these celebrity-approved Uggs to achieve a relaxed look.

A pair of good friends, tourmates and collaborators reside in the top two spots of the Billboard 200 this week: Taylor Swift remains at No. 1 with her April blockbuster The Tortured Poets Department, while Eras Tour opener Gracie Abrams bows at No. 2 with sophomore album The Secret of Us.

It’s a notable week for both artists. Poets reigns for the 10th consecutive frame, making Swift the only artist with three 10-plus-week No. 1 albums in the 21st century. Meanwhile, The Secret of Us easily marks Abrams’ best showing on the chart to date, beating the No. 52 debut of her 2023 debut LP Good Riddance by a full 50 spots.

How much does this particular chart benchmark mean for Swift? And does Abrams’ strong debut mean she’s now countable among this year’s class of breakout pop stars? Billboard staffers answer these questions and more below.

1. This week, Taylor Swift notches her 10th consecutive week atop the Billboard 200 with The Tortured Poets Department — the longest total reign of any album since Morgan Wallen’s One Thing at a Time notched 19 combined weeks between 2023 and 2024, and her own longest rule since her original 1989 spent 11 weeks on top between 2014 and 2015. On a scale from 1-10, how meaningful do you think this run is for Swift and where she’s at in her career?

Rania Aniftos: I’m going to say 3, because this is the standard for Taylor at this point! She is without a doubt the biggest music star in the world at the moment, and it would shock me if any album from here on out spends less than 10 weeks atop the Billboard 200. 

Katie Atkinson: Let’s give it a 10 for 10. Looking at the releases that stood in her way, I don’t think anyone would have predicted that Swift would have an uninterrupted 10-week run at No. 1 back in April. After favoring late-year releases for the bulk of her career – especially October and November – it looks like Swift should maybe make the switch to April albums from here on out, seeing just how long she’s able to dominate the spring-into-summer conversation. Taylor continues to unlock new heights in her career just when you think she’s reached the very pinnacle.

Hannah Dailey: I’d say 7. On paper, that’s an incredibly impressive feat and very indicative of the career apex/popularity high Swift is currently riding. However, I can’t help but think the achievement is a little bit watered down by the fact that she released so, so many digital alternative versions along the way to stay on top (assuming that was her intention). Regardless of whether those sales were actually needed to elongate her reign, her latest accolade remains diluted by public perception that she was purposefully blocking other artists from nearing the No. 1 spot with that strategy.  

Jason Lipshutz: A 6. Obviously spending 10 straight weeks atop the Billboard 200 represents a towering commercial feat, although these types of accomplishments are all relative for the biggest artist in the world, who’s in the middle of a precedent-smashing stadium tour, fresh off a record-setting fourth album of the year Grammy win, and who started this run at No. 1 with the biggest album debut of the 2020s. Plus, Swift has already spent more weeks atop the Billboard 200 with a different album (albeit one with a more radio-friendly sheen). So while TTPD reaching double-digit weeks at No. 1 is another testament to Swift’s continued enormity, the achievement itself probably feels less meaningful when stacked next to all of Swift’s other, bigger ones.

Andrew Unterberger: An 8. As massive as so many of Swift’s wins have been this decade, this is a sustained chart victory like she hasn’t really seen before. And of course, it’s one she’s seemed particularly motivated to maintain, so clearly it’s one of some amount of personal significance to her.

2. Just below her on the chart this week, Swift’s Eras Tour opener Gracie Abrams bows at No. 2 with 89,000 units moved for her new album The Secret of Us — both easily the best numbers of her career. What do you think is the particular “secret” to Abrams’ success with this album?

Rania Aniftos: Her songwriting, for sure. Today’s music fans seem to love a storyteller, as we’ve seen with stars like Swift, Olivia Rodrigo, Noah Kahan, Teddy Swims and more. Gracie is so honest in her music, and this album is a masterclass in authenticity and musicality. She deserves this overdue success! 

Katie Atkinson: We can’t overlook the Taylor bump, of course. Sabrina Carpenter is currently reaching her apex just after opening for Swift in Latin America, Australia and Asia. Now Gracie is having her breakout moment after putting in more than a year as an Eras Tour opener. In this case, she quite literally has a hit Taylor collaboration on her new album, so it’s not just the appearance of a Taylor bump; it’s an actuality. But none of this would be happening if Abrams weren’t a solid artist in her own right who has earned the loyalty of the Swifties through her diaristic songwriting and fondness for Taylor-connected producers (Aaron Dessner, Jack Antonoff).

Hannah Dailey: I think Abrams has long been on an upward trajectory, steadily accumulating listeners from the moment she debuted in 2019 with “Mean It.” But it’s also clear to me that Swift’s cosign – from inviting Abrams to be an opener on the Eras Tour to collaborating on “Us” — is the thing that gave her the extra big push she needed to make it as high as No. 2, a huge improvement from debut album Good Riddance’s peak of No. 52.  

Jason Lipshutz: The combination of Abrams’ artistic evolution and tireless work ethic has led her to her career-best chart showing. The Secret of Us marks a significant leap forward for Abrams as a songwriter, co-producer and vocal performer — last year’s Good Riddance was a strong debut, but its follow-up is more distinct and revealing, as if Abrams has dug deeper into what makes her special this year after scratching the surface in 2023. Meanwhile, Abrams has been grinding out tour dates, including headlining gigs and opening stints for her pal Swift, as well as executing a promo blitz for The Secret of Us that put the album release on a lot of radars. She’s issuing the best music of her career to an audience eager to lap it up.

Andrew Unterberger: It’s easy to just give a two-word answer to this — and it’s inarguable that the added spotlight that Taylor Swift has granted Abrams both on the Eras Tour and via her appearance on this set’s “Us” has helped greatly increase her profile. But it’s important to note that Abrams was headed in this direction for years before her association with Swift really developed, building a devoted fanbase, honing her writing and strengthening her performance, securing the right collaborators and slowly but surely extending her reach. She was always likely to get here, Swift just basically ensured that it would definitely happen — and quickly.

3. After a tough few years for rising pop artists attempting to break through, we’ve seen a number of very impressive crossover success stories this year, including Sabrina Carpenter, Chappell Roan and Tommy Richman. Do you think Abrams now belongs in the category with those still-rising new star artists, or does she still have a little more yet to prove?

Rania Aniftos: I think she’ll need one more big hit to follow “Close to You” to solidify her as a pop star, but she’s so close to sitting at that table. We’ll be seeing her headlining festivals in the future for sure.

Katie Atkinson: I think Gracie is at the moment now that Sabrina Carpenter was at last year – which is to say she has a strong following, some A-list endorsements, and a handful of buzzy songs, but she doesn’t yet have her jolt of “Espresso.” When Abrams has an undeniable signature song like that one break through not just on pop radio or with fringe pop fans but to the top five of the Billboard Hot 100, that’s when she’ll have officially arrived.

Hannah Dailey: As pop-facing as The Secret of Us is, Abrams is still way more in the indie singer-songwriter lane than Carpenter or Roan are, which makes it hard to compare them. Even so, there’s no matching the astronomical rises those latter two artists have seen this year. To Abrams’ credit, though, I can’t think of many other rising stars who are as close behind them as she is. It might just be a matter of time.  

Jason Lipshutz: Yep, she belongs in that class to me. Those aforementioned artists all have singles that have either reached the top 10 of the Hot 100 or come darn close; Abrams isn’t there quite yet, but I could see the singles from The Secret of Us, “Risk” and “Close to You,” make a push as the album receives more streams this summer. And in the same way that Carpenter turned an opening spot on the Eras tour into her own arena headlining gigs, Abrams is playing some major venues in support of The Secret of Us, with arenas not too far away, in my opinion. Abrams was already rising prior to this album release — she scored a best new artist Grammy nom, after all — but The Secret of Us is going to level her up into a new class of young stars.

Andrew Unterberger: In a different way, but basically, yes. She doesn’t have a major pop hit yet anywhere near the level of “Espresso,” “Million Dollar Baby” or even “Good Luck, Babe!” — that might come soon or it might still be an album or two away. But what she does have is arguably more valuable: a fanbase willing to shell out for physical albums, as Secret tops Billboard‘s Top Album Sales chart this week with its 50,000 sold, also adding another 38,000 in streaming equivalent album units. When you’re both selling and streaming in strong numbers, that means not are you really big, but you’re probably gonna stay that way for some time to come.

4. Swift and Abrams have a song together, “Us,” that debuts at No. 36 on the Hot 100 this week — becoming Abrams’ highest-ranking hit yet on the chart — while Abrams’ own “Close to You” remains at No. 60 after debuting at No. 49 a couple weeks ago, and her previously released “Risk” makes its debut at No. 94. Which of the three do you see ending up becoming the biggest hit from The Secret of Us, if any of them?

Rania Aniftos: I do love “Close to You” because it really has something for every pop fan. It has the songwriting, it has the catchiness, it has the vocals, it has the TikTok virality. I see it becoming a longtime fan favorite hit.

Katie Atkinson: I’m going to put my money on “Close to You,” just because I can see its uptempo production hanging around a little longer than the Taylor duet. To keep the Sabrina analogy going, maybe “Close to You” will be Gracie’s “Feather,” which was Carpenter’s first Pop Airplay No. 1 before her certified breakout with “Espresso” and then “Please Please Please.”

Hannah Dailey: “Close to You” is such a bop, and fans have been begging her to release it for about seven years now – that’s a lot of built-in hype. Plus, it’s all over TikTok. I think that song’s the front-runner. 

Jason Lipshutz: I was a big fan of “Risk” upon its release, and “Us” sounds like a worthy addition to Swift and Dessner’s enchanted forest of indie-leaning folk-pop. But “Close to You” is the one, thanks to its tempo and urgency: the song stomps forward as Abrams declares “I burn for you / And you don’t even know my name,” in a way that recalls Lorde’s subtle yearning but also sounds primed to soundtrack thousands of crestfallen TikTok clips. “Close to You” is going to make noise, and I, for one, can’t wait to see Abrams blow it out on tour.

Andrew Unterberger: “Close to You” is definitely the frontrunner right now, but I heard “Risk” on the radio over the weekend and it felt like a better fit than I would’ve expected. Would probably still bet the former if I had to — and it certainly has a good lead to start — but I could definitely see a world where the latter has the longer tail.

5. Make a prediction: How many total weeks will The Tortured Poets Department spend at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 before ceding the top spot for good?

Rania Aniftos: Let’s say 20! Why not beat Morgan Wallen?

Katie Atkinson: Well, I wish we knew when, exactly, Zach Bryan’s next album is coming out. According to his Instagram, The Great American Bar Scene is coming out July 4th, but it’s unclear what time of day. And since Independence Day is a Thursday, if he releases it during the day, he would only have 24 hours of tracking in this chart week if it comes out early, or he could have a full week on our charts if it came out at midnight into Friday. He’s Taylor’s strongest competition, so I’m going to guess that his first full week will beat hers – meaning she would have 11 straight weeks atop the Billboard 200. But I think she’ll have *at least* one more week left in the tank after that too, with a potential Anthology vinyl release waiting in the wings. So my prediction is 12 weeks at No. 1 overall, surpassing the 11-week runs of the original 1989 and Fearless.

Hannah Dailey: It would be easier to predict if another comparable star was planning to release an album soon, but the front half of the year was so loaded that the second half is kind of a question mark. With that in mind, I’ll give her an even, optimistic 20 weeks. She may be looking to beat Morgan Wallen’s 2020s record, and it definitely seems like it’s in reach for her right now.  

Jason Lipshutz: Without a ton of heavy competition in the coming weeks and six-figure equivalent album units months after its release, I could see Department ruling the roost for quite some time. Let’s go with 15 weeks before all is said and done.

Andrew Unterberger: My instinct is 16 or 17, but I feel like if Taylor seems herself being within arm’s reach of 20, she’s not gonna let that opportunity go by. So yeah, let’s say she takes advantage of a couple slow weeks towards the end of the calendar to get to an even 20 weeks this time — and maybe tries to match her second-favorite-number next time out.