PRODUCE 101 JAPAN SHINSEKAI is the fourth season of the survival audition show that brought the world JO1, INI, and ME:I. It will culminate in the debut of a 12-person global boy band with members chosen through voting by Japanese viewers (Kokumin Producers) and, for the first time on the show, global viewers (SEKAI Producers) as well. The announcement of the group’s final members is drawing near, so audiences are watching closely to see how the auditions will turn out.

One area that is drawing even more attention, as the audition excitement ramps up, is the choice of music. Episode 4, which aired on April 9, and Episode 5, which aired on April 16, were a GROUP BATTLE. The 101 trainees were broken up into 16 groups, and each group was assigned one of eight songs, with the two teams assigned the same song competing against each other. Not only were the teams judged on their comprehensive abilities (like their vocals, dance, and rap), but the victors were decided by voting by the audience at the battle site. Tensions were high from the very start, as the trainees found who would be in their groups and what song they’d compete with. Unlike past seasons of PRODUCE 101 JAPAN, the addition of the new FREE Part rules meant that the trainees were able to produce parts of the songs, making their own choreography, performance, and structure decisions. This oft-talked about change meant that their self-production abilities would also be subject to closer scrutiny. Of the songs used in the GROUP BATTLE, JO1’s “Love seeker,” Wanna One’s “Energetic,” and Stray Kids’ “CASE 143” were especially noteworthy because of what happened to their streaming numbers.

JO1’s “Love seeker” saw its streaming numbers rise by 197% in Japan between the week before when PRODUCE 101 JAPAN SHINSEKAI aired and the week when it aired. It also had a 197% increase throughout Asia (based on figures from Japan, Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam). Another likely factor was JO1’s solo dome tour JO1DER SHOW 2026 ‘EIEN,’ which had the group performing at Tokyo Dome on April 8 and 9 and Kyocera Dome Osaka on April 22 and 23.

Streaming numbers for Wanna One’s “Energetic” rose by 468% in Japan between the week before the show and the week of the show, and rose by 219% across Asia as a whole. On April 6, Wanna One had its first fan meeting in seven years in Seoul, Korea, and the official reformation of the group is believed to have further boosted these numbers. Stray Kids’ “CASE 143” saw streaming plays go up by 145% in Japan and 124% across Asia, both significant increases. These upswings in streaming figures are likely the outcomes of numerous viewers re-listening to the music used in the show and recalling the passionate, dramatic scenes involving the trainees.

Episode 6, which aired on April 30, and Episode 7, which aired on May 7, were a “POSITION BATTLE: OPEN ROUND.” In dance and vocal groups, the lines between vocal, dance, and rap positions have disappeared. We’ve entered an age of all-rounders, where people aren’t confined by the limits of fixed positions. Because of this, during the OPEN ROUND, the trainees were judged for their self-production abilities, including the arrangements and structures they chose for their songs. All nine teams competed with different songs, and the top two trainees from the first round ranking and the top person for each song of the GROUP BATTLE were selected as leaders.

Of the nine songs used for this round, streaming figure growth was especially prominent for Imagine Dragons’ “Natural,” INI’s “DOMINANCE,” and ZEROBASEONE’s “Doctor! Doctor!” When the show aired, “Natural” saw its streaming plays rise by 199% in Japan vs. the previous week, and by 104% for Asia as a whole. For “DOMINANCE,” streaming plays rose by 167% in Japan and 166% across Asia, and for “Doctor! Doctor!” the figures rose by 218% in Japan and 173% across Asia. All were significant increases. The fact that INI and ZEROBASEONE were headliners at KCON JAPAN 2026, which was held from May 8 to 10 at Makuhari Messe, is likely another reason for the climbing streaming figures.

Imagine Dragons’ “Natural” was chosen by the “Nature Self” team, led by CHISATO (Chisato Kobayashi). YURA (Yura Abe) was chosen as main dancer by unanimous agreement, but he was struggling with his defeat in the previous GROUP BATTLE. Dance trainer Rino Nakasone advised him of the importance of reflecting the song’s message in his performance, saying “The song ’Natural’ is all about not bowing under pressure. Don’t keep it all pent up inside.” This drew a lot of attention to how much the song “Natural” had to say. “Nature Self” was chosen as the standout team, which is likely another reason for the rise in streaming numbers.

The “PUNCH LINERS” team, led by RYUJI (Ryuji Sugiyama), chose INI’s “DOMINANCE.” INI members Rihito Ikezaki, Hiroto Nishi, and Jin Matsuda made surprise appearances 101 SPECIAL BUDDIES, cheering on the trainees and providing valuable advice, which resonated with viewers. O.YUSEI (Yusei Obayashi), who was selected as main rapper, asked to be replaced, but with the encouragement of his team members, took to the stage with a bold performance. In a dramatic turn of events, he was chosen as the top member of the team in field voting.

The “LOVE MANUAL” team, led by K.DAIKI (Daiki Kato), selected ZEROBASEONE’s “Doctor! Doctor!” The team was made up of some of the most popular and skilled members, but vocal trainer Kevin Woo expressed disappointment, saying “You were like the Avengers of the teams, so I was expecting a lot from you, but I’m not seeing teamwork.” The team had hit a wall. INI members Takumi Ozaki, Hiromu Takatsuka, and Kyosuke Fujimaki listened attentively to the team’s concerns and helped them take them on, strengthening and uniting the team. K.DAIKI and main vocalist SHINHAENG (Oh Shinhaeng) led their team with a highly polished performance of “Doctor! Doctor!”

Now audiences cast their minds back, recalling the drama behind the songs used in the show and waiting with bated breath to see who will debut as PRODUCE 101 JAPAN SHINSEKAI approaches its conclusion.

—This article by Kaori Komatsu first appeared on Billboard Japan

The “Rumors” are true: Lizzo‘s new album has arrived.

On Friday (June 5), the Grammy-winning pop star unleashed Bitch, her first studio album since 2022’s Special. The set’s lead single, “Don’t Make Me Love U,” arrived on March 20, with its title track following May 1.

The title of Lizzo’s new album — which houses songs such as “She Stole My Man,” “Whose Hair Is This” and “Sexy Ladies” — is certainly eye-catching. For the “Truth Hurts” singer, naming her record an expletive was an act of reclamation.

“Reclaiming the word ‘b—h’ is power. It’s taking a label once used to diminish women and turning it into a declaration of confidence and unapologetic self-love,” she said in a statement. “So many incredible women in music have used the word for positivity like Meredith Brooks and Missy Elliott. It was only fitting to name my album Bitch because it has become my favorite word when using it on my own terms, and because I am 100% that b—h!”

At one point, Lizzo had an entirely different name for the project. Back in February, she released the then-lead single and title track for Love In Real Life, which was originally set to serve as her fifth studio LP. After telling Vulture that Love In Real Life “just wasn’t what I was feeling right now,” Lizzo later clarified to Billboard that “[Bitch] is technically the same album… I just changed the name. The music is the same.”

In the interim between pausing the Love In Real Life rollout and launching Bitch, Lizzo returned to her hip-hop roots for her My Face Hurts from Smiling mixtape. Featuring collaborations with Doja Cat and SZA, the rollicking tape also included freestyles over 2025 rap hits like PLUTO & YK Niece’s “Whim Whamiee.”

Lizzo has made herself virtually inescapable in the lead-up to Bitch. She explained why she refuses to settle her career-shifting sexual harassment lawsuit on CBS Mornings (May 4), cracked jokes and whipped out her signature flute at The Roast of Kevin Hart on Netflix (May 10), and lambasted social media algorithms for “destroying the music industry” (May 12).

The Detroit-born star’s last studio album found her helping the world dance its way out of the pandemic. “About Damn Time,” the lead single from Special, hit No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and won the Grammy Award for record of the year. Two other songs from that project hit the all-genre singles chart: “2 B Loved (Am I Ready)” (No. 55) and “Special” (with SZA, No. 52).

Notably, Bitch arrives the same weekend Scary Movie, for which Lizzo recorded an original song, hits theaters. Two weeks ago (May 22), she linked up with Sexyy Red for “Hoes,” which will appear on the official soundtrack for the horror-comedy film.

Stream Bitch now.

After teaming up with Grindr to take over the gayborhood grid in April, Madonna and the LGBTQ+ app joined forces on Thursday (June 4) to transform Times Square with a surprise Pride Month pop-up performance at a new venue, The Square.

The venue is unusual in the sense that you don’t realize it’s a concert space until suddenly it is. One moment you’re looking at an LED screen in Times Square, the next moment its previously invisible walls are diving inward to reveal a performance space; it’s as if one of the Times Square skyscrapers suddenly opened up to reveal the coolest secret party going on behind the walls of the world’s most photographed intersection. And you don’t have to squint: 18,000 square feet of LED screens are there to help boost what’s going on inside the in-building space (at least until the walls close back up).

At 6:27 p.m. ET, the more-or-less invisible doors of a Times Square LED screen opened to reveal the Queen of Pop’s surprise performance, which opened with the undeniable Confessions II jam “I Feel So Free” backed by Stuart Price on the turntables. (Price is the visionary producer behind her 2005 classic Confessions on a Dance Floor, who has returned to the studio for Confessions II.) After touching forefingers like God and Adam, Madonna and Price invited New York into their confessional jam session, which encompassed three tracks from Confessions II and three tracks from Confessions on a Dance Floor.

“All right New York City, are you ready for this?” asked Madonna, a human who showed up to New York City in the late ’70s with $35, a dream and a lot of moxie and then conquered the world. “C’mon, gays. Happy Pride!” The Grindr-sponsored event opened with “I Feel So Free,” “Bring Your Love” (minus duet partner Sabrina Carpenter) and new track “Love Sensation.” Even in the live setting amid one of the world’s busiest intersections, “Love Sensation” felt like an astoundingly strong tease of Confession II — not a pop single, but a future fan favorite.

After teasing Confessions II with a coterie of choreographed dancers, Madonna offered up a pinch-me medley of tracks from Confessions on a Dance Floor, starting with the low-key fave “Get Together,” moving into the saucy “I Love New York” and concluding with “Hung Up” (and briefly straddling the plastic barrier separating her from the crowd with her leg, naturally). Between the Confessions to Confessions II switchover, Madonna flipped the in-venue lights to the Pride flag and turned Times Square into a massive screening room for a montage of Pride’s radical, riotous roots.

Of the audience, a select lucky group of fans caught the best vantage point of the 15-minute show from the TKTS red steps in Times Square, courtesy of Grindr; meanwhile, despite the on-street barriers, a slow but steady stream of tourists filtered through the Times Square hub, many of them jamming out to era-defining hits like “Hung Up” while walking down the sidewalk, seemingly oblivious to the fact that the artist herself was performing the music above them.

The Madonna x Grindr collab launched in late April with an exclusive picture disc of Confessions II, the hotly anticipated sequel to Madonna’s 2005 masterpiece Confessions on a Dance Floor. The collab continues with a limited-edition Madonna x Grindr merch capsule collection including hats and t-shirts sporting lyrics and imagery from the picture disc artwork (some of the merch was available at a nearby Times Square after party).

Recently, Madonna sat down with Ivy Mugler, Raul Lopez, Jeremy O. Harris, Bob the Drag Queen and Marcelo Gutierrez for a genuinely confessional Grindr chat, where she revealed the best sex of her life and talked about the best bedroom playlist.

What The Sphere has been to Las Vegas, The Square hopes to be for New York City, reimagining concerts as cultural multimedia experiences. One bonus: the space operates within a hotel, so artists can potentially move from their hotel room to a worldwide stage without ever exiting the building. While Madonna isn’t the first to occupy this space (Charli xcx and others have performed there recently in more limited capacities), she’s the first to play The Square at its full operational strength. As always, many artists will likely follow in Madonna’s footsteps, taking this one-of-a-kind Times Square stage before the year is over.

“We thought she was the right person to talk across multiple generations of fans,” says Jeff Marks, the CEO of Innovative Partnerships Group, the company behind turning the Times Square space into The Square. “Young fans still like her, as we saw when she popped up at Coachella with Sabrina. She’s at the World Cup [headlining its first halftime show alongside BTS and Shakira on July 19]. You don’t get someone better than her, who can talk to anyone in the world. I don’t think anyone would say they don’t like her. And, with the brand that was chosen, I think it’s going to give them their big Hollywood moment, and they’ve been around for a while.”

Twenty-four hours after turning Times Square into a dancefloor, Madonna will appear at Tribeca Festival on Friday (June 5) night, screening a 10-minute visual project centered around the first six tracks from Confessions II. After the premiere, Madonna and the project’s directors — David Toro and Solomon Chase (TORSO) – sit down with Jimmy Fallon for a conversation.

In late April, Madonna popped up with Sabrina Carpenter during Sab’s second weekend at Coachella; their duet “Bring Your Love” dropped shortly thereafter and hit the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at No. 74. Album preview “I Feel So Free” went No. 1 on Billboard’s Dance/Mix Show Airplay chart, becoming her first No. 1 on that tally in 18 years. Confessions II, which reunites her with OG Confessions producer Stuart Price, drops July 3.

Yung Miami recently sat down with former NFL star Cam Newton for his YouTube show Funky Fridays and told a funny story of the time she tried to get Drake on a song while he was in the middle of his beef with Kendrick Lamar and Metro Boomin back in 2024.

“I got a song called ‘Take Me to Chanel’ and I was trying to get him on the song,” she recalled. “I remember DM’ing him, but that was at the time when he was going through all his sh–. And when people going through they sh–, like, I get it, I understand. … But I DM’d him like, ‘Drake, I think you’ll sound good on ‘Take Me to Chanel.’ He just liked the message like come on, now, don’t do that! Drake, don’t do that now ’cause when you called me I was there! But, nah, I f— with Drake, I understand.”

She then added that she’s hyped for ICEMAN and Drake’s return to rap’s forefront. “I’m excited. I love Drake, she began before explaining why. “He’s so special that it’s like his music is like, ‘You gotta know to know.’ He’ll say some sh– and it’s like what made him … he’s clever. And I just love how he does his interludes. He’ll go and get a soundbite and blow it up, and he’s gonna show you love. It just be little things like that. And he just always got one. You can play Drake at a graduation, any function and you’re gonna feel good.”

Yung Miami and her former City Girls bandmate JT lent their vocals to the Toronto rapper’s 2018 smash hit “In My Feelings” — a 10-week No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 — and she also talked about how it helped launch their careers. “That was the breakthrough for the City Girls,” she said. “I would never forget that phone call that we got like, ‘Drake wants y’all on his album.’ And it was like April Fool’s Day. This gotta be a joke and it was like, ‘Nah, y’all gotta come to the studio, we gotta play the record.’ And we press play and it’s like Drake saying our names.”

You can watch the full interview below.