Following a successful year on the silver screen, A$AP Rocky graces one of W Magazine‘s covers for the publication’s Best Performances issue on Tuesday (Jan. 6) alongside some of Hollywood’s finest.

A heartthrob in his own right, Rocky revealed his childhood crushes, which spanned TV, music and sports. The Harlem native appears to be a big fan of Full House, as he went with Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen, as well as Aaliyah and Serena Williams.

“Mary-Kate and Ashley [Olsen] in Full House,” Rocky said. “I had some cool crushes: I always had a crush on Aaliyah. And Serena Williams was a big crush of mine.”

Fittingly, Rocky’s breakout hit “F–kin’ Problems” — featuring Drake, Kendrick Lamar and 2 Chainz –samples Aaliyah’s “Don’t Be Jealous.” The 40-produced track reached No. 8 on the Billboard Hot 100 and is currently eight-times Platinum.

Rocky’s also been fully immersed in dad mode as he and partner Rihanna welcomed baby No. 3 last year. The couple’s first daughter, Rocki Irish Mayers, was born on Sept. 13, 2025.

When Rocki starts dating, her superstar dad told the magazine, he’s sending out a warning message to whoever that love interest might end up being. “I’m going to pray for them,” he said. “It’s going to be tough for them indeed.”

Elsewhere in the W Magazine cover story, Rocky revealed he still gets starstruck around some of his peers, such as his Highest 2 Lowest costar Denzel Washington and a pair of rap titans.

“I got starstruck working with Denzel [Washington],” he admitted. “And even though I know these guys, I get starstruck anytime I encounter André 3000 or Jay-Z. I admire and respect them so much that I still fan out.”

On the music side, A$AP Rocky’s Don’t Be Dumb is finally on the horizon. Rocky dropped off his “Punk Rocky” single and a Winona Ryder-assisted video on Monday (Jan. 5), while the album is set to arrive on Jan. 16.

See A$AP Rocky’s W cover below:

As Billboard publishes its 138th volume throughout 2026, stay in the know on the magazine’s print schedule for the year, along with each issue’s corresponding theme. This is an updating post, so be sure to check back for any changes.

Issue Date: Jan. 24, 2026
Themes: The Billboard Power 100; Managers to Watch

Issue Date: Feb. 7, 2026
Theme: Sports
*This issue will include Top Music Venues

Issue Date: March 7, 2026
Themes: SXSW; Dance Power Players
*This issue will include Global Power Players

Issue Date: April 18, 2026
Theme: Women in Music

Issue Date: May 9, 2026
Theme: Indie

Issue Date: May 30, 2026
Theme: Country Power Players

Issue Date: July 18, 2026
Theme: n/a
*This issue will include Top Music Lawyers

Issue Date: Aug. 1, 2026
Themes: 40 Under 40; 21 Under 21

Issue Date: Aug. 22, 2026
Themes: Fall Music Preview; R&B/Hip-Hop Power Players; Producers

Issue Date: Oct. 3, 2026
Theme: Grammy Preview
*This issue will include Top Music Business Schools

Issue Date: Oct. 10, 2026
Theme: Latin Power Players

Issue Date: Nov. 7, 2026
Themes: Touring; BBMAs
*This issue will include Top Business Managers

Issue Date: Dec. 5, 2026
Theme: Grammy Voter Guide

Issue Date: Dec. 12, 2026
Themes: No. 1s; Year in Music

It was a busy December at Billboard, as we rolled out all our annual year-end charts, as well as our usual editorial lists of our staff’s favorite albums and favorite songs of the year. But before we close the books on the past year, we have one more editorial-based list to get through: The Greatest Pop Stars of 2025.

This list — which we first debuted as a year-end top 10 ranking in 2021, though we’ve been doing it in some form since 2018, where we first named a Greatest Pop Star for every year dating back to 1981 — is one we really take the entire year to monitor and debate on staff, and we’ve even started doing monthly check-ins on the 2025 race through the Who Won the Month series on the Greatest Pop Stars podcast. You can see our full list for 2024 here — and for 2025, we’re also asking for your help.

From now until next Tuesday (Jan. 13), you can take our poll here to cast your vote for who you think should be the 10 Greatest Pop Stars of 2025 — we have a nominee shortlist of 30 pop stars you can choose from — as well as your pick for Rookie of the Year, and Comeback of the Year. We’ll tabulate your votes and count the final reader-voted results towards our eventual staff rankings. (No showing up just to vote for your one absolute fav, though — you’ll have to vote for 10 different pop stars for your vote to count.)

Then, starting next Thursday (Jan. 15), we’ll start to unveil the final list results — starting with our 10 honorable mention pop stars, then the Rookie and Comeback of the Year winners, and starting the week after (Jan. 19), our picks for the 10 Greatest Pop Stars of 2025.

Remember, when we’re deciding our Greatest Pop Stars of 2025, we’re going beyond the charts, even beyond just the hit songs and albums. That stuff is all important in this discussion, of course — but so are things like tours and live performances, music videos, pop culture and social media moments, and overall impact and influence on the larger culture and music of 2025. (And we’re also considering the entire year from start to finish, so if you arrived late or checked out early, that’ll hurt you in comparison to artists who were active the whole year.)

Mostly, we’re asking: Which artists best personified across-the-board greatness with their 2025 pop stardom? Which artists can you not imagine the year without? Those are the artists who you should be voting for.

Find our ballot again here, and see the complete list of nominees below. Happy voting and let the debates begin!

Greatest Pop Stars of 2025 Nominees:

Addison Rae
Ariana Grande
KPop Demon Hunters Cast
Bad Bunny
Benson Boone
Beyoncé
BLACKPINK (including solo artists)
Bruno Mars
Chappell Roan
Charli xcx
Chris Brown
Doechii
Drake
Ella Langley
Justin Bieber
Karol G
Kehlani
Kendrick Lamar
Lady Gaga
Lorde
Morgan Wallen
PinkPantheress
Playboi Carti
Rosalía
Sabrina Carpenter
SZA
Tate McRae
Taylor Swift
The Weeknd
Tyler, the Creator

2025 Pop Star Rookie of the Year Nominees:

Alex Warren
KATSEYE
Leon Thomas
Lola Young
Mariah the Scientist
Olivia Dean
Sombr
YKNIECE

2025 Comeback Artist of the Year Nominees:

Cardi B
Clipse
Kesha
Lily Allen
Oasis
Selena Gomez
YoungBoy Never Broke Again
Zara Larsson

To hear former Little Mix member Leigh-Anne Pinnock tell it, when she tried to reach out to the label that originally signed her after she left the British girl group in 2022 the answer was crickets. Appearing on Paloma Faith’s Mad Sad Bad podcast on Tuesday (Jan. 6), Pinnock, 34, said she usually begins a new year with a good sense of what the next 12 months will look like.

Not this year, though.

“This New Year’s… a couple months prior I had a fallout with my label and basically left them,” she said of her decision to split with Warner Records after three years, a 2024 EP, No Hard Feelings, an Amazon Music Live City Session that same year and a handful of singles.

“It was crazy,” she added. “Like, they weren’t responding to us and… they were basically ghosting. It was wild… It’s like, ‘how can you do that to someone?’” When Faith asked if Pinnock was ever given a reason for the alleged ghosting, the singer said that the label boss — who she didn’t name — rang her up to chat and then “exited the call after two rings. I was like, ‘okay.’”

All that to say that, according to Pinnock, she’s never actually gotten a proper explanation, describing the situation as “quite brutal.” Pinnock said when she looks back on her solo career she feels as if she was doing “good” and described the reported radio silence from her former label as “weird” and “frustrating,” firmly suggesting that she doesn’t think it was her issue. “I feel like it was them,” she said.

Last week she also shared a video with fans in which she reflected on her difficult year, explaining, “So, long story short, the label have said no basically. They don’t have a budget to put my album out, so I’m ready to take the reins. It will be a new chapter and I just can’t wait. I’m leading this s–t!”

At press time a spokesperson for Warner Music had not returned Billboard‘s request for comment on Pinnock’s claims.

The good news, however, is that Pinnock is now in full control of her music and plans to release her debut full-length LP, My Ego Told Me To, via the Virgin Music Group on Feb. 20.

Actually, she’s been teeing the long-awaited album up for years, dating back to 2023, when she told Billboard that she’s an “R&B girl,” but wanted to incorporate other genres she loves, including reggae and pop sounds after releasing what was expected to be the collection’s first single, “Don’t Say Love.”

Pinnock, who has lined up a run of April European solo tour dates, has been teeing up the album for several months, posting an image of the cover in October on her Instagram, writing, “The journey to this moment hasn’t been smooth. I’ve navigated going solo after over 10 years in a group, left a label and gone independent. It feels like I’ve started from the beginning TWICE 🙈 but I truly believe everything has happened exactly how it was supposed to.”

Watch Pinnock talk about her label drama below (begins at 14-minute mark):

When Stephen Wilson Jr. performed a dark acoustic version of “Stand By Me” on the Country Music Association Awards in November, a large swath of the genre’s fans finally heard him for the first time.

He picked up some new followers that night – not only among consumers, but also in the music business. And yet, as important as the appearance was for Wilson, he barely remembers it. He had a bit of an out-of-body experience, which might have been the best way for him to navigate it.

“Something happened in that moment, and I’m glad I wasn’t there for it,” he says. “I think that’s just your body’s way of protecting you from it, so you can do what you’re supposed to do. So you can be the vessel you’re supposed to be, kind of uninhibited by your own emotions.”

The day before that opportunity, Nov. 18, Big Loud created more possibility by releasing a new single, “Gary,” to country radio via PlayMPE. The primary character can “fix about anything a hammer can’t handle,” as the chorus suggests, making him almost an anachronism as the world hurdles into artificial intelligence.

“AI ain’t gonna show up when your septic tank blows,” Wilson Jr. counters, “but, hey, Gary will, and if his name is Gary, you’re probably in good shape. At least, that’s just what I’ve experienced.”

“Gary” was inspired by a somewhat mysterious tragedy. In 2023, Wilson spotted a memorial billboard along the highway that paid tribute to a pre-teen named Gary. The details of the boy’s death weren’t obvious, but the name jolted Wilson.

“There ain’t a lot of boys named Gary these days,” he thought.

It became the first line of the chorus as he wrote the bulk of a song on his drive, honoring a simple, fictional man with numerous contradictions. Gary is not particularly religious, but worries that people no longer pray when they eat. He’s concerned about saving money for the future, but he smokes, engaging in an expensive habit that reduces his time on Earth. He’s talented and dependable, but mostly overlooked. He keeps up with the news of the world but doesn’t speak with his brother. Still, Gary is generally a good guy.

“The Garys that I grew up with were guys that could just fix everything,” Wilson says. “They always had a cigarette kind of stuck to their lip while they were talking, and they’d always shoot you straight and always did you a solid.”

Wilson bookended the chorus with the “ain’t a lot of boys named Gary” line, then captured the character’s complexities in the verses, written mostly without access to a guitar. When he finally put it all to music, he purposely matched a familiar, repeating, four-chord progression.

“That really repetitive loop was important because Gary’s a hustler, he’s busy – like, even when he’s retired, he’s trying to keep himself busy,” Wilson notes. “I wanted to add this feeling of unnecessary tempo to it, like he’s retired, but he’s on the move for no reason. He’s gonna run until his heart stops, and literally, it does at the end.”

He played it at some point for producer Ben West (Carly Pearce, Ella Langley), and when they started sorting through material for Wilson’s next album in December 2023, West brought up “Gary.” It wasn’t done, Wilson insisted. Over the next several months, he toyed with ideas for a bridge, and he finally developed one by breaking from the song’s narrative tone and elevating into a highly emotional section. He immediately added the song to his set list as he toured a one-man acoustic show, and it landed repeatedly with the audience.

When he shifted into a band format, his two supporting musicians weren’t familiar with “Gary,” so he had them sit out the first time until the bridge, then jump in and add a lengthy vamp after the last verse that extended the performance to more than five minutes. It worked so well that it became the de facto arrangement.

Wilson finally recorded “Gary” in February 2025 at Gravitron Studios, built in a converted house near David Lipscomb University. West and Wilson didn’t want the band – including drummer Julian Dorio, bassist Miles Burger and steel guitarist Scotty Murray – to grow stale sitting around while Wilson recorded the solo portion of the song, so they cut the back end of the performance first. They went after it with a certain recklessness.

“We wanted to be more like garage rock, kind of capture the live band,” West says. “It’s a little more guerilla recording style in that way, and we weren’t too careful about anything.”

Once the full-band instrumental was done, Wilson tackled the acoustic body of “Gary,” but there was nothing folky about the performance. West miked the guitar five different ways, capturing different elements of the sound in each track, giving them the ability to make that guitar sound bigger on playback. Most listeners wouldn’t notice it’s a solo performance unless they were told.

Wilson gave it a raw tone, too.

“I’m playing very high up on the neck, so you can actually hear the scrape of the pick hitting the wood on my fretboard,” Wilson says. “It’s actually like a hi-hat.”

Further experimentation led to what West calls “an orchestra of gut strings.”

“He hit this chord that had a weird note in it, and he had a really long reverb on it,” West recalls. “It’s the sound that starts the song, along with the harp, where it’s just like a chime, and it doesn’t sound really like a guitar. It could be anything.”

Changing the tone of the five guitar tracks or double-tracking Wilson’s vocals in different stanzas helped to create some drama to the arrangement, even as Wilson played alone.

“Up until the band part, it had to be just super-minimalistic,” Wilson suggests, “because Gary is super-minimalistic.”

Big Loud had a different song in mind for a single, but when the team heard “Gary” in October, the plan changed. Suddenly, West needed to cut more than a minute out of it to provide a single version that was less than four minutes.

“We were pretty brutal,” West says. “We got the knife out and started hacking away at the arrangement.”

They preserved the story, though, with “Gary” coming off as a quirky, lonely guy who feels his life slipping away and wonders if his classic blue-collar skills will go extinct in the next generation. That would mean all the Garys in society are at risk.

“We all kind of feel,” West says, “like Gary in a weird way, watching the world change around you, not sure where you belong in it.”

But Gary, and others like him, should always feel at home in country, even as AI challenges their identities and sense of purpose.

“Country music has always kind of figured out a way to celebrate the working human, the person that gets up and gets things done,” Wilson says. “I’m trying to figure out a new way to celebrate that character.”