Ariana Grande addressed her decision to step back from public life directly to fans during her Eternal Sunshine Tour stop in Chicago on Monday night (Aug. 3), pushing back on the idea that outside criticism had driven the choice.

The speech followed a statement issued by a representative for Grande on Sunday (Aug. 2), first reported by People, confirming she will take a break from public-facing work once the tour wraps Sept. 1 — and that she has withdrawn from a planned West End revival of Stephen Sondheim’s Sunday in the Park With George, in which she was set to star opposite her Wicked co-star Jonathan Bailey.

Onstage, Grande told the crowd she wanted to speak for herself. “Sometimes when a story comes out that’s not directly from me, things can get a little blown out of proportion,” she said. “So I just wanted to speak to my fans directly tonight because I love you so much.”

She was explicit that the decision predated the recent commentary. “The announcement that was made yesterday was not a reactive or impulsive thing,” she said. “It is something that I had decided. It’s a plan that I had quietly made a long time ago, and it’s a decision that was made from a thoughtful and empowered place.”

Grande also directly countered the suggestion that negativity had soured her experience. “I heard that my fans were worried that negativity was ruining things for me, but I just have to say that could not be more the f–k opposite,” she said. “Nothing has been ruined. Multiple things can be true at the same time. Boundaries can need to be set. Human beings can need a break sometimes. And also, this can be and will continue to be the greatest experience of my professional and creative life.”

She closed by framing the tour and her new album as the parts she intends to keep. “The rest of that s–t is not mine to carry, so I don’t carry it,” she said, calling the run “the most healing, beautiful, corrective, magnificent, special experience of my life, and so has putting out Petal.”

The remarks land days after Petal arrived July 31. The album’s lead single, “Hate That I Made You Love Me,” debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 — her 10th career leader, tying her for the 10th-most No. 1s in the chart’s history. Its title track followed as the second single, arriving with a short-film music video in which Grande takes a chainsaw to critics echoing real-world commentary about her appearance.

Grande has three more Chicago dates before a 10-show London run closes the tour between Aug. 15 and Sept. 1. She next appears on screen in Focker-in-Law, opening Nov. 25.

Without even mentioning it by name, BTS sparked a major debate about the new best Asian pop music performance category at the 2027 Grammys with their bombshell decision last week not to submit music from their latest album, ARIRANG, for next year’s awards show.

On the new Billboard Pop Shop Podcast, Katie & Keith take a closer look at that decision and at the category, and what it will look like without BTS in it.

We also discuss Madonna’s new “Love Sensation” remix with Kylie Minogue, which the pair previewed with a WorldPride Amsterdam 2026 performance over the weekend before the song’s arrival later this week. Plus: Ariana Grande’s rep announced over the weekend that the pop star/actress plans to step back following the end of her Eternal Sunshine Tour, after Friday’s release of her latest album, Petal. Listen to our full conversation below:

Also on the show, we’ve got chart news on how Morgan Wallen’s I’m the Problem is back at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 albums chart for the first time in nearly seventh months. Plus, Charli xcx’s new Music, Fashion, Film debuts in the top three, and on the Billboard Hot 100, the entire top five are country songs for the first time ever, as Wallen’s new single “Been by Now” debuts in the top five, joining four other country carryovers.

The Billboard Pop Shop Podcast is your one-stop shop for all things pop on Billboard‘s weekly charts. You can always count on a lively discussion about the latest pop news, fun chart stats and stories, new music, and guest interviews with music stars and folks from the world of pop. Casual pop fans and chart junkies can hear Billboard‘s executive digital director, West Coast, Katie Atkinson and Billboard’s managing director, charts and data operations, Keith Caulfield every week on the podcast, which can be streamed on Billboard.com or downloaded in Apple Podcasts or your favorite podcast provider. (Click here to listen to the previous edition of the show on Billboard.com.)

Joe Jackson‘s life is set to be spotlit in a new documentary series from BLK Prime, with son Marlon Jackson helping narrate and develop the program.

Per a post made by The Jacksons on Instagram, the series will be titled The Manager, The Mythology, The Legend, and it’s anticipated to be an inside look into the man who guided the Jackson family’s rise from Gary, Indiana, to global superstardom. The season is set to be eight episodes.

In a statement shared with Page Six, Marlon said the series aims to present a more personal portrait of his father.

“Our father’s life is replete with triumphs and challenges, and we firmly believe that this series will offer a distinctive and accurate portrayal of the man behind our family,” he said. “We are thrilled to share my father’s indelible legacy with fans worldwide, granting them an intimate glimpse into the remarkable individual we knew and loved.”

The docuseries is expected to explore Joe Jackson’s early life, his ambition, personal struggles and the role he played in building one of music’s most successful family dynasties. Promotional information also indicates that the series will revisit the Jackson 5’s relationship with Motown, the pressures surrounding the family’s atomic rise and the bonds that molded their journey.

Joe Jackson managed the careers of Jackie, Tito, Jermaine, Marlon and Michael Jackson as the Jackson 5 emerged as one of Motown’s biggest acts, later helping launch daughter Janet Jackson‘s early entertainment career as well.

The announcement comes as revived attention has been placed on Joe Jackson’s complicated legacy following the release of the Michael Jackson biopic Michael. While widely recognized for helping shape the careers of his children, Joe also faced longstanding allegations of physical and emotional abuse from several members of the family. He acknowledged using strict discipline while denying many of the accusations made against him.

BLK Prime says the new series will offer viewers a closer look at Joe Jackson’s life from the perspective of those who knew him personally. No premiere date has been announced, though the streaming platform says more details about production and casting will be revealed in the coming months.

After introducing fans to the world of Valley Girl Problems, Kylie Cantrall is inviting them to experience it live.

The singer and actress announced Monday (Aug. 3) that she’ll set out on her first-ever headlining tour this fall, bringing the Valley Girl Problems Tour to 15 cities across North America. The trek begins Sept. 25 in Minneapolis before making stops in Chicago, New York, Atlanta, San Francisco and more, wrapping Oct. 22 with a hometown show in Los Angeles.

“I’ve been waiting to bring this project to life onstage and create an epic show where my fans can experience the entire world of Valley Girl Problems with me,” Cantrall said in a statement. “This music is so personal, and I can’t wait to sing these songs together every night.”

The tour follows the release of Cantrall’s latest EP, Valley Girl Problems, which earned 2.5 million on-demand official streams in the U.S. in its first week of release, according to Luminate. The nine-track project was produced by Tricky Stewart, whose credits include Rihanna and Tyla, with songwriting contributions from Tayla Parx, who has written for musicians like Ariana Grande and Khalid. Alongside the EP, Cantrall also released an official music video for “Closet” as well as a series of visualizers inspired by the project’s aesthetic.

Though the Valley Girl Problems Tour is her first headlining tour, Cantrall is no stranger to performing for live audiences. The multihyphenate starred as Red, the daughter of the Queen of Hearts, in Disney’s Descendants: The Rise of Red before joining the Descendants/Zombies: Worlds Collide Tour last year, which played more than 40 sold-out arena shows across North America. She also starred in last month’s Descendants: Wicked Wonderland, whose soundtrack debuted at No. 1 on the Kid Albums chart and No. 2 on the Soundtracks chart.

Tickets and additional tour information are available through Cantrall’s official website.

Ella Langley continues heating up the Billboard Hot 100 as “Choosin’ Texas” reigns for a 16th week, while her album Dandelion remains in the top 5 of the all-genre Billboard 200. Now, Langley is bringing a bit of that Dandelion vibe to a new collaboration with Shiner beer.

On Aug. 13, Shiner will launch the limited collaboration Dandelion Honey Kolsch, inspired by her album. The Kolsch-style beer is brewed with dandelion honey, offering sweet floral notes. The bottle is also inspired by the album, with its label featuring honey tones and emblazoned with dandelions.

Dandelion, Langley’s sophomore album, released in April and contains hits including “Choosin’ Texas,” “Be Her,” and “Butterfly Season,” the latter featuring Miranda Lambert. Langley co-executive produced the album with Lambert and Ben West.

Shiner Beer teased the upcoming Langley collaboration with a video on Instagram, and was recently featured in a viral video clip of Langley from her video shoot for “Choosin’ Texas.”

That viral clip featured Langley holding two bottles of Shiner beer, and then picking the bottom of one of the bottles with the heel of her boot, causing the cap to pop off. Langley then tilts a bottle toward the camera, nods and comments, “Cheers.”

Fans wanting to add more Ella vibes into their lifestyle have several ways to do so; Langley also recently teamed with NOYZ for the perfume Be Her By Ella Langley, a fragrance infused with notes of violet and peony. In recent months, she also teamed with BUM Energy for an energy drink and has collaborated with brands including American Eagle and Boot Barn.

As “Choosin’ Texas” dominates for a 16th week, country songs also take the Billboard Hot 100’s entire top five spots, also including Morgan Wallen’s “Be By Now,” the Langley/Wallen collaboration “I Can’t Love You Anymore,” Taylor Swift’s “I Knew It, I Knew You” and Stella Lefty’s “Boston.”

Yours Always, the new music festival that was set to bring Benson Boone, sombr and a lineup of pop acts to Salt Lake City this fall, has been canceled less than two months before its original scheduled debut of Oct. 2-3.

Fans shared their dismay on Reddit, revealing that several ticket holders had received refunds for their purchases without reason over the weekend. Many also expressed suspicion about the fact that the festival’s online presence has essentially disappeared completely, with no reachable support email (one fan reported that the email bounced back to them as “invalid”), a deactivated website, and deleted social media accounts. According to an X user who posted a screenshot of an email from Yours Always Festival, the event has been canceled due to “unforeseen circumstances.”

The two-day festival was first announced June 24 along with its diverse lineup, with Boone — whose smash hit “Beautiful Things” became one of the biggest songs of 2024 on the Billboard Hot 100, landing at No. 3 on the year-end chart — and sombr, who has quickly emerged as one of pop’s fastest-rising artists with multiple Hot 100 entries, set to headline. Beyond the two pop stars, the inaugural event was expected to also include Stephen Sanchez, Labrinth, Joshua Bassett, Daniel Seavey, Bella Kay, BØRNS, the Hellp, Voila and Thomas Day. The festival coined itself on its now-archived website as “a new music experience coming to Salt Lake City.”

Billboard has reached out to representatives for Boone and sombr for comment on the festival’s cancellation, including whether the artists’ teams were notified before ticket holders learned the event had been called off.

Britney Spears can’t stop saying gimme more Beyoncé lately. In a recent Instagram post, the Princess of Pop shared videos of herself dancing to some of Queen Bey’s music and revealed that she can’t get enough.

“So weird how all i listen to is the last @beyonce album,” Spears began, referencing 2024’s two-week Billboard 200-topper Cowboy Carter. “I absolutely love it but damn not sure why I go back to her earlier naughty album….the dress told me to do it I guess.”

In the clips, she seemingly improvises choreography to some of Bey’s older tracks, including “Haunted” from 2014’s Beyoncé. Wearing a short black dress and heels, Spears also dances freely to songs by her “S&M” collaborator, Rihanna, including “Love on the Brain” and “Unfaithful.”

Spears has enjoyed sharing dancing videos on her Instagram page for years, and it looks like she’s having fun with it once again in the months following her suspected DUI arrest — which was ultimately reduced to a less severe “wet reckless” charge — in March. Afterward, she checked herself into a treatment facility.

“Britney is going to take the right steps and comply with the law, and hopefully this can be the first step in long overdue change that needs to occur in Britney’s life,” her rep said in a statement shortly after the arrest. “Hopefully, she can get the help and support she needs during this difficult time.”

There’s also been developments in the long-rumored biopic about Spears’ singular life and career, with The Hollywood Reporter reporting in July that New Girl creator Liz Meriwether was locked in to adapt the hitmaker’s best-selling 2023 memoir The Woman In Me for the big screen. The book details the pop icon’s rise to superstardom — solidified by five No. 1 hits on the Billboard Hot 100 to date — as well as her challenges in romantic relationships and yearslong battle to break free of her legal conservatorship.