After seven years, Cardi B has made her long-awaited return to the Billboard 200 with Am I the Drama?

Bardi’s sophomore studio album opened atop the all-format ranking with 200,000 first-week units, making her the first female rapper in history to debut at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 with her first two albums. Housing the Hot 100-charting singles “Outside” (No. 10) and “Imaginary Playerz” (No. 70), Cardi’s 23-song new set also includes the No. 1 hits “Up” and “WAP” (with Megan Thee Stallion). Over the weekend, Cardi graced NYC’s Global Citizen Festival alongside Shakira, Rosé, Tyla and Ayra Starr.

“Thank you sooo much everybody that supported my album!! Two weeks ago the album was projected to do 115k off of [“Outside”] and [“Imaginary Playerz”],” Cardi wrote on X (Sept. 28). “I didn’t know what the outcome was gonna be. I didn’t put out [an] album in 7 years, and haven’t put out as much music in the last year, but we just surpassed all [those] expectations. Thank you to everyone who gave the album a listen, did a video to the songs and everything!! You don’t know the confidence and boost you gave me in my music to keep pushing. I can’t wait to see you guys on tour. Tonight we celebrate!!! I can’t pop no champagne… but maybe I can open up some cranberry juice or something!”

Outside of Cardi’s Billboard 200 return, this weekend also boasted a slew of new albums, including releases from Mariah Carey (Here for It All), Doja Cat (Vie) and Young Thug (UY Scuti). From ’80s tributes to whiteface album artwork, September certainly went out with a bang. Of course, the biggest news of the month arrived Sunday night (Sept. 28), with the official announcement of Bad Bunny as the headliner for next year’s Apple Music-sponsored Super Bowl LX halftime show in California (Feb. 8, 2026).

With Fresh Picks, Billboard aims to highlight some of the best and most interesting new sounds across R&B and hip-hop — from a new Syd joint to Toosii and YoungBoy Never Broke Again’s new collaboration. Be sure to check out this week’s Fresh Picks in our Spotify playlist below.


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Taylor Swift and Spotify appear to have something in store for fans ahead of the pop star’s The Life of a Showgirl.

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On Monday (Sept. 29) — just four days ahead of the release of the new album — fans began noticing that cryptic Spotify billboards were popping up in various cities. Though the electronic posters come in different colors, all of them feature the outline of Swift’s Eras Tour stage — which just so happens to closely resemble a key.

So far, fans say they’ve spotted the billboards in England, Brazil and Mexico, but no one is sure what exactly the advertisements are teasing. Spotify also shared a graphic of the same design on Instagram, captioning it simply with a key emoji and flaming heart.

Billboard has reached out to Swift’s rep for comment.

The campaign comes shortly after Spotify announced that it will be hosting an immersive three-day pop-up in honor of The Life of a Showgirl in New York City. Running from Tuesday (Sept. 30) to Thursday (Oct. 2), “The Life of a Showgirl: A Spotify Experience” will allow fans to “discover hidden Easter eggs and capture exclusive photo moments, all inspired by the album,” according to a description.

The next day, Life of a Showgirl will arrive, as will Taylor Swift: The Official Release Party of a Showgirl, a film event Swift hosting in partnership with movie theaters Oct. 3-5.

See Spotify’s mysterious pre-Life of a Showgirl campaign below.


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Kid Cudi is stepping away from music to focus on his other creative endeavors.

Prior to the expected hiatus, Cudi released an ethereal track titled “Once” to his SoundCloud on Sunday (Sept. 28) and explained that it serves as a letter to his fans. “This is a goodbye for now song,” he wrote. “It was produced by myself with my homie Sebastian addin’ extra sauce here and there. Taking a break but wanted to leave u [with] something special and from the heart. [You’ll] be hearing me featured on my friends’ albums but as far as me, I gotta step into the shadows and focus on my other dreams.”

Cudi posted a video to X, clarifying everything surrounding his upcoming absence, which will include a “pretty lengthy break” between now and the release of his next album.

“It’s gonna be a while between now and the next Kid Cudi album,” he said. “So I wanted to leave you with a little something that could motivate you, uplift you… I made it earlier this year, just f—ing around in the studio.”

Earlier this month, Kid Cudi directed and starred in his “Mr. Miracle” short film alongside LaKeith Stanfield. Cudi spoke to Billboard about his plans for more short films in the future. “People will be able to see Neverland soon,” he said. “We’re working on a way for that to come out so fans can absorb that — I know a lot of people have been excited to see it, and it’s coming soon.”

Cudi continued: “But I am definitely going to direct more short films in the future. I just finished writing my next one. It’s a really beautiful, heartwarming, funny short that I feel like a lot of people will connect with — a lot of my fans will connect with it. It’s a powerful piece and I can’t wait for you all to see that. Hopefully we shoot next month, so that’s moving forward.”

The Ohio native’s been busy in September, which saw him also guest on Lakeith Stanfield’s debut single “Fast Life.” With music moving to the back-burner, fans can expect Cudi to focus more on directing, acting, painting and fashion.

Listen to “Once” below.

Madonna is opening up about a transformative spiritual experience she had back when she was in a medically induced coma while battling a severe bacterial infection.

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While guesting on an episode of the Jay Shetty Podcast posted Monday (Sept. 29) — more than two years after the pop icon spent four days in a coma after being hospitalized for a severe bacterial infection in June 2023 — Madge revealed that her late mother appeared before her when she was still unconscious. “I was almost there on the other side, and I had a conscious moment,” she recalled. “My mother appeared to me, and she said, ‘Do you want to come with me?’”

“And I said, ‘No,’” the star continued. “My assistant was in the room with me, but I was still unconscious, but she heard me say, ‘No.’ And then when I did eventually wake up, I realized that the ‘No’ was about me needing to forgive and make good with people that I still held grudges against.”

One of those people, Madonna said, was her younger brother Christopher Ciccone, who died at the age of 63 in October. The pair’s relationship was strained in the years after the seven-time Grammy winner became famous, with Ciccone at one point accusing his sister of outing him as gay during an interview. At the time of his death, however, Madonna wrote on Instagram, “We did not speak for sometime but When my brother got sick … we found our way back to each other.”

On Jay Shetty, Madge elaborated on how her vision of her mother, who died when she was five years old, inspired her to mend her relationship with Christopher. “It was him being ill and reaching out to me and saying, ‘I need your help,’ and me having that moment, like, ‘Am I going to help my enemy?’” she said on the podcast. “That’s how it felt. And I just did … It was such a load off my back, such a weight that was removed, baggage that I could put down to finally be able to be in a room with him and holding his hand — even if he was dying — and saying, ‘I love you, and I forgive you.’”

The interview — which largely focused on Madonna’s spiritual journey — comes more than a year after she finished her Celebration Tour after previously having to postpone the trek due to her medical crisis. She’s been open about how difficult the recovery process has been since she developed the infection that led to her coma, telling fans at one of her tour shows in March 2024 that she wasn’t even sure whether she’d be able to walk again.

“It was pretty scary — obviously I didn’t know for four days, because I was in an induced coma, but when I woke up, the first word I said was, ‘No,’” she said at the time. “I’m pretty sure God was saying to me, ‘You wanna come with us? You wanna come with me, you wanna go this way?’ And I said, ‘No. No!’”

Watch Madonna’s full interview on the Jay Shetty Podcast above.


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Will Saja Boys’ “Soda Pop” take over No. 1 from HUNTR/X’s “Golden” on the Hot 100?

Tetris Kelly:

This is the Billboard Hot 100 top 10 for the week dated October 4th. Back in the top 10 are Gaga and Bruno. “Love Me Not” falls to No. 9. Bieber’s “Daisies” holds on to eight. Longevity, record breaker “Lose Control” is up again. “Manchild” is down to six, as is “Your Idol” to No. 5. Morgan and Tate are locked at four. “Soda Pop” moves up to No. 3, while Alex Warren stays at No. 2. And grabbing a seventh week up at No. 1 is “Golden.” If you want more Billboard, make sure you hit the subscribe button and ring the bell to be notified on all our latest videos.

HUNTR/X’s “Golden,” from Netflix’s smash film KPop Demon Hunters, tops the Billboard Hot 100 for a seventh week — becoming one of the 10 longest-leading No. 1s from a movie over the chart’s 67-year history.

Meanwhile, “Golden” ties TLC’s “Waterfalls,” from 1995, as the second-longest-leading Hot 100 hits ever by all-women groups. The only such song with more time at No. 1: Destiny’s Child’s “Independent Women Part I” dominated for 11 weeks in 2000-01.

Previously, “Golden,” which first glowed atop the Hot 100 in August, made HUNTR/X — the singing trio of EJAE, Audrey Nuna and REI AMI, in the roles of KPop Demon Hunters characters Rumi, Mira and Zoey — the first female group associated with Korean pop to rule the chart. “Golden” is also the sole longest-leading hit by an animated group in the Hot 100’s archives, while KPop Demon Hunters became the first soundtrack to spin off four simultaneous Hot 100 top 10s.

Browse the full rundown of this week’s Hot 100 top 10 below.

The Hot 100 blends all-genre U.S. streaming (official audio and official video), radio airplay and sales data, the lattermost metric reflecting purchases of physical singles and digital tracks from full-service digital music retailers; digital singles sales from direct-to-consumer (D2C) sites are excluded from chart calculations. All charts (dated Oct. 4, 2025) will update on Billboard.com tomorrow, Sept. 30. For all chart news, you can follow @billboard and @billboardcharts on both X, formerly known as Twitter, and Instagram.

Luminate, the independent data provider to the Billboard charts, completes a thorough review of all data submissions used in compiling the weekly chart rankings. Luminate reviews and authenticates data. In partnership with Billboard, data deemed suspicious or unverifiable is removed, using established criteria, before final chart calculations are made and published.


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On Thursday (Sept. 25), more than 2,100 music creators, including YUNGBLUD, Ashley Monroe and Kenyon Dixon, participated in the Recording Academy’s 11th annual Music Advocacy Day. In more than 200 meetings with federal lawmakers across 45 states and Washington, D.C., Recording Academy members met with elected officials to discuss key issues affecting the music industry and the importance of passing pro-music legislation in Congress.

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Creators met with lawmakers, including Reps. Brad Sherman (D-CA), Marianette Miller-Meeks (R-IA), Adriano Espaillat (D-NY) and Dusty Johnson (R-SD). Conversations focused on protecting creators from having their works exploited by artificial intelligence without compensation, passing legislation such as the Nurture Originals, Foster Art and Keep Entertainment Safe (NO FAKES) Act to provide reasonable AI safeguards, and preserving federal funding for the arts.

“Music Advocacy Day represents the core of the Academy’s dedication to serving the music community year-round,” Todd Dupler, the Recording Academy’s chief advocacy & public policy officer, said in a statement. “Protecting creators and their art is crucial to ensuring a thriving music ecosystem, and the Academy is proud to gives thousands of our members the opportunity to converse with lawmakers across the nation whose support of pro-music legislation will positively impact the future of our industry.”

As previously reported, R&B star Leon Thomas served as this year’s Music Advocacy Day artist ambassador.

Year-round, the Recording Academy’s Washington, D.C.-based Advocacy team mobilizes Academy members and music professionals from across the country to lobby for music creators’ rights at the local, state and federal levels.


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After 2024’s last-minute Chappell Roan cancellation, during the festival’s 10th anniversary, All Things Go NYC had some trust to rebuild and thousands of fans to dazzle this year. Across three days of packed programming (Sept. 26-28), the festival, a bastion of unabashed queer pride and resistance, overdelivered.

Friday (Sept. 26) boasted a Lucy Dacus-led lineup that included sets from Sarah Kinsley, Goldie Boutilier, The Aces, Maude Latour, Gigi Perez and Djo, who each handled the beaming sun with professional ease. From a surprise Zohran Mamdani appearance to Lucy Dacus officiating eight marriages onstage, Friday certainly kicked off 2025 All Things Go NYC with a bang.

The following day (Sept. 27), arguably the most stacked of the weekend, Sunday (1994), Alemeda, Michelle and Peach PRC warmed Queens’ Forest Hills Stadium up for a knockout four-act run comprised of Griff, Lola Young, Remi Wolf, and Doechii. Unfortunately, near the end of her crowd-conquering set, Young collapsed onstage and abruptly cancelled the rest of her performance. The “Messy” singer-songwriter pulled out of a scheduled performance at Audacy’s Prudential Center-set We Can Survive concert the night prior, citing a “sensitive matter” related to her mental health. Once Remi Wolf graced the stage for her set, the “Soup” singer notified fans that Lola was doing “okay” and in better condition.

Young also gave an update herself via an Instagram Story, writing, “For anyone who saw my set at [All Things Go] today, I am doing okay now. Thank you for all of your support.”

The final night of 2025 All Things Go NYC featured performances by Joy Oladokun, G Flip, Blondshell, Paris Paloma, The Last Dinner Party, The Marías and headliner Clairo. Notably, Clairo was unable to finish her set due to the venue’s curfew. She immediately got on X to write, “The festival cut us off. No idea why. Really sad we couldn’t do our big finish, more surprised they cut my mic midsong. Sad honestly doesn’t even explain it – I’m sorry.” She later added, “They didn’t tell us about the noise ordinance btw.”

Here are the six best moments of 2025 All Things Go NYC.


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All products and services featured are independently chosen by editors. However, Billboard may receive a commission on orders placed through its retail links, and the retailer may receive certain auditable data for accounting purposes.

Selena Gomez just got hitched to music producer Benny Blanco and the internet is obsessed with the singer’s bridal look.

The pair tied the knot on Saturday (Sept. 27) at Sea Crest Nursery in Santa Barbara, Calif. surrounded by a crowd of around 170 people, including their family and close friends according to an article published by Vogue. To celebrate the monumental occasion, Gomez shared a now-viral carousel to her Instagram showcasing a few romantic snapshots from the ceremony, accompanied by a short and sweet caption marking the date the pair wed.

Blanco also posted intimate photos taken from the big day to his Instagram yesterday accompanied by the caption “i married a real life disney princess.” Gomez’s look has been the talk of the internet for the last 48 hours. The Only Murders in the Building star’s bridal style was princess-esque indeed, with the perfect hair to back it up.

The star’s secret weapon to pristine tresses was a multi-step routine from Joico. ShopBillboard has got the scoop on every product used by Joico hair artist Renato Campora to achieve and maintain Gomez’s hair from start to finish. The best part? Every Joico product used is currently on sale at Amazon. That means you won’t have to go spending a fortune to get hair like Gomez’s.

How To Get Selena Gomez's Wedding Day Hair Routine On Sale At Amazon

Joico Defy Damage Protective Shampoo

$38.25 $45.00 15% off

Buy Now On Amazon

A shampoo for color-treated hair.


How To Get Selena Gomez's Wedding Day Hair Routine On Sale At Amazon

Joico Defy Damage KBOND20 Power Masque

$33.15 $39.00 15% off

Buy Now On Amazon

A color-safe hair masque.


Before styling even came into play, it was important to protect her hair. Campora washed Gomez’s hair twice with Joico’s Defy Damage Protective Shampoo, available at Amazon for $38.25. The shampoo is safe to use on colored hair and works to strengthen the hair thanks to arginine, an amino acid that helps build proteins, and nourish with help from moringa seed oil. Once the hair was washed, the hair artist went in with Joico Defy Damage KBOND20 Power Masque, retailing for $33.15 on Amazon, another product that combats damage.

The masque is color-safe and deeply hydrating. Like the shampoo, the masque works to repair and strengthen keratin bonds in your hair, preventing future breakage or damage to said bonds. Both products primed Gomez’s hair, allowing the strands to absorb essential nutrients while reducing frizz, enhancing moisture, shine, strength and protecting the follicles from upcoming heat styling.

How To Get Selena Gomez's Wedding Day Hair Routine On Sale At Amazon

Joico Dream Blowout Thermal Protection Crème

$22.53 $26.50 15% off

Buy Now On Amazon

A heat protection crème that reduces frizz.


How To Get Selena Gomez's Wedding Day Hair Routine On Sale At Amazon

Joico JoiWhip Firm Hold Designing Foam

$19.13 $22.50 15% off

Buy Now On Amazon

A foam mousse that creates volume.


Gomez’s hair was then towel-dried and sectioned before receiving a healthy dose of Joico’s Dream Blowout Thermal Protection Crème from the mid-lengths to the ends. This crème currently retails for $22.53 and was used to combat frizz and static, an important step, especially for those outdoor sections of Gomez’s wedding ceremony.

Prepped and primed, the hair was then situated into a deep side part and  treated with Joico JoiWhip Design Foam, currently available for $19.13. This foam was applied from roots to ends and works to create hold and volume while enhancing shine. Once the product was applied, Campora blow-dried with a large round brush, further creating volume and pinned to set and cool, keeping the created shape in place.

How To Get Selena Gomez's Wedding Day Hair Routine On Sale At Amazon

Joico Heat Hero Glossing Thermal Protector

$20.01 $24.00 17% off

Buy Now On Amazon

A hair gloss that helps protect against humidity.


To style, the hair artist took Joico Heat Hero Glossing Thermal Protector section by section, generously coating the section before going in with a three-quarter-inch spring curling iron. As the name suggests, the spray protects the user’s hair from heat damage. It is currently on sale for $20.01 at Amazon and can withstand impressive heats up to 450° F. Plus, the spray is apple-scented, if that’s your thing. The hair artist created a Marcel wave pattern, a vintage curl pattern popularized in the 1920s, pinning each curl to cool and hold its shape. Once cooled, the curls were gently brushed out, while specific pieces were sculpted just so to frame Gomez’s face.

All products and services featured are independently chosen by editors. However, Billboard may receive a commission on orders placed through its retail links, and the retailer may receive certain auditable data for accounting purposes.

Miley Cyrus just teamed up with Maybelline to rewrite the brand’s iconic “Maybe It’s Maybelline” jingle. This change is certainly cause for celebration, and ShopBillboard is doing so the only way we know how: by shopping.

If you didn’t know, the “Flowers” singer was just named Maybelline’s global spokesperson, adding a new and very impressive accolade to Cyrus’ repertoire. The reimagined jingle was shared with audiences in a new Maybelline ad set along the towering skyscrapers of New York City.

“I remember singing the Maybelline jingle as a kid and imagining it was me on the screen. Now, it is. To take something so iconic and make it mine—it’s powerful and personal,” said Cyrus in a Maybelline press release. “This partnership brings together two core parts of me. You can’t erase makeup, from music. Within music, there’s performance and honesty—makeup enhances both. It’s how I tell my truth without saying a word.”   

To celebrate this iconic partnership, we’re giving you the scoop on a few of Cyrus’ favorite Maybelline products from liquid lipsticks to mascaras. Every product can be shopped in stores where drugstore makeup is sold, on Maybelline’s official website or at Ulta Beauty. Keep reading to shop Cyrus’ Maybelline faves.

Shop Miley Cyrus' Maybelline Faves In Honor of Her Ambassadorship

Maybelline Super Stay Vinyl Ink Liquid Lipcolor in Peppy

A liquid lipstick with a high-shine finish.


For her lips, Cyrus seems to be a lover of glossy products, specifically Maybelline Super Stay Vinyl Ink Liquid Lipcolor in the shade Peppy. The liquid lip currently retails for $13.99 at Ulta Beauty. That vinyl namesake comes from the glossy finish this formula gives the lips. With one swipe, you get a punch of pigment that dries down comfortably on the lips.

Cyrus’ chosen shade, Preppy, is a mauvy pink that closely resembles her natural lip color. If the singer’s shade isn’t your thing, there are about 19 other shades available at Ulta to choose from varying from deep vampy reds to vibrant fuchsia pinks. The attached doe foot allows users precision when applying, creating a sleek and defined shape on the lips.

Shop Miley Cyrus' Maybelline Faves In Honor of Her Ambassadorship

Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Eraser Dark Circle Treatment Concealer

$9.09 $12.99 30% off

Buy Now at ulta beauty

A concealer with a sponge tip applicator.


Cyrus’ pick for brightening up the under eyes? Instant Age Rewind Eraser Dark Circle Treatment Concealer. You know her, you love her, it’s the concealer that basically broke the internet. While this product was first launched in 2010, the formula has aged rather gracefully. It’s still that same sponge-tipped product that offers users that immediate brightening effect, for an affordable price.

Right now, you can snag Cyrus’ tried and trusted concealer for just $9.09 at Ulta Beauty, 30% off its original price tag. You’ve got up to 24 shades to choose from, including two correcting hues in green and salmon to further brighten and cancel out those pesky dark circles. Age Rewind promises up to 12 hours of hydrated crease-resistant wear. No wonder it’s Cyrus’ favorite.

Shop Miley Cyrus' Maybelline Faves In Honor of Her Ambassadorship

Maybelline Lash Sensational Sky High Mascara

$9.79 $13.99 30% off

Buy Now at ulta beauty

A lengthening mascara.


Shop Miley Cyrus' Maybelline Faves In Honor of Her Ambassadorship

Maybelline Volum’ Express The Colossal Mascara

$7.69 $10.99 30% off

Buy Now at ulta beauty

A lengthening mascara in black.


On the mascara front, Cyrus has two favorites: the Volum’ Express The Colossal Mascara and Lash Sensational Sky High Mascara. It’s no wonder the singer can’t pick, given Maybelline has a host of mascaras to choose from. It was the brand’s bread and butter, along with brow products, before venturing into creating other makeup. In fact, Maybelline is widely credited with popularizing mascara, introducing the product to a wider audience.

Enough on history for now. Both of Cyrus’ favorite Maybelline mascaras are currently on sale for 30% off at Ulta Beauty. Lash Sensational Sky High Mascara retails for $9.79, while the Volum’ Express The Colossal Mascara retails for $7.69. Lash Sensational is, as the name suggests, a lengthening mascara that comes in nine different shades, although Cyrus prefers Blackest Black. The mascara is equipped with a flexible wand, giving users dexterity when coating their lashes from root to tip. The Colossal is a similar concept but focuses more on volume rather than length, giving the lashes a fluffier, fuller overall look. This formula comes in Classic Black and Glam Black.

Listen to Miley Cyrus’ rendition of the “Maybe It’s Maybelline” jingle down below.